Aqua-star: Transformers Prime

Darkness Rising Part 3

Aqua-star's POV

Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee are all out with their charges. Ratchet is examining the purple goo he got from Arcee. Optimus and I are going to check on his progress. To see him being attacked by the piece of equipment Bulkhead had destroyed. I shot it and Optimus steps on it. Ratchet tells it to stay broken.

"What could of caused that?" I ask the pair and Ratchet looks at Optimus.

"I have a grave suspicion Aqua-star, Ratchet Dark Energon" he states.

"I thought it was a myth" I say confused.

"If the residue Arcee found on Cliffjumper brought your broken equipment to life. It would stand to reason that the very same substance brought Cliffjumper back from the dead" Optimus says. As we seal the broken equipment in a tube.

"That would account for his life signal inexplicably coming back online" I state.

"But Dark Energon? It's so scarce seems to be virtually non-existent.What would it be doing on Earth?" Ratchet asks Optimus.

"It was transported.By Megatron" he answers.

"For what purpose?" Ratchet and I ask him.

"To conquer this planet, by raising an army of the undead" Optimus explains.

"Well, Megatron would need to break quite a few toaster ovens.I mean, where on this world would he find that many cybertronian dead?" Ratchet ask him. I think back over my lessons and remember about a battle fought on Earth. I can see Optimus thinking the same thing. But before either of us could answer, the others return to base with their charges in tow.

All the sparklings seem to be in high spirits. Along with their guardians. "Autobots, prepare to..." Optimus starts to say before looking at the humans. "Remain here" he states. "Ratchet, you'll come with me.Arcee, we'll be outside communications range for some time so I'm putting you in charge" he instructs. Miko makes comment on how Bulkhead should be in charge as his the biggest. He told Optimus never leaves him in charge.

"Optimus With all due respect.Plain bodyguard is one thing; babysitting's another" Arcee tells him.

"Besides, Ratchet hasn't been in the field since the war" I add.

"My pistons may be rusting, but my hearing is sharp as ever" Ratchet tells us. Optimus assures us it is just reconnaissance for now. Arcee then asked why there was an edge to his voice. He told us a lot has change in the last twenty four hours and we all need to adapt. He then has Ratchet bridge them out and they left.

"OK, chief so, what's on the activities list?" Jack asks Arcee.

"Yeah, chief" I say smirking.

"I'm going on patrol" she states. Bulkhead reminded her that Optimus told us to stay. "When you are in charge you can call the shots.'Bee! With me! Bulkhead, you're in charge" she says before leaving with Bee.

"So what's on the activities list?" I ask the group as I lean against the wall. Miko said we should start a band as she plugs in her electric guitar. She started to play and the proximity sensor goes off on the roof. "What's he want now?" I ask with a groan.

"Quick, hide" Bulkhead tells the humans and they hide behind him as Agent Fowler exits the elevator. 

"Prime!" he shouts.

"Agent Fowler" I say coolly.

"He's not here, except for us of course" Bulkhead tells him.

"Wh-, where did he go? Wait, don't tell me, He's out pankacking a mini-mall! Now, I don't know what language you 'Bots speak on your planet, but Prime promised he would handle the Decepticons, and blowing a crater in the middle of Nebraska is not what the word 'handle' means to me! So, you tell prime" he start to tell us when he says Miko's amplifier. He asked since when were we electric.

The kids come out from behind Bulkhead and stand in between him and I. "Hey, how you doing?" Jack asks waving his server (hand).

"Contact with civilians! Team Prime has really gone off rules this time.Wait, don't tell me! You are running a day-care center?" Fowler demands.

"They're interns" I tell him shrugging.

"Student interns" Raf adds.

"Earning extra credits in Mechanics" Jack states.

"Robotics" Miko tells him.

"Lets move" Agent Fowler says walking down the stairs. "I'm taking all three of you into federal custody.For your own protection" he states. Bulkhead places his foot in front of the children saying we're protecting them. "Is that so? Well, maybe you can explain that to my superiors at the Pentagon" he says going to use the phone.

"Don't use that phone, it's out of order" I tell him as Bulkhead breaks it.

"This isn't over, Fem 'Bot, not by a long shot" he tells me as he leaves.

"He's so annoying" I grumble leaning back against the wall. Not long after he left we received a distress signal from him. He'd been ambushed by decepticons. Raf found his location and I prepared the ground bridge.

"Star with me, you three wait here" Bulkhead tells the humans.

"Don't break up the band" Miko tells him pouting.

"Jack, you're in charge" Bulkhead tells him as I activate the bridge. We both roll out. "Fowler!" he calls when we land. "The whole Decepticon ship bay"  he states. We hide behind a large boulder and I'm about to ask him what the plan is when Miko beats me to it.

"Miko" we exclaim quietly and tell her to be quiet. But to late a decepticon spotted her. It tried to shot her, but she dodged it. Bulkhead then tackled it to the ground telling me to protect Miko. She hits the decepticon with a rock, but I pick her up and place her on my shoulder.

"Look away" I tell her. She goes to object but I shot her a stern look. Bulkhead rips out the decepticon's spark and calls Arcee along with Bumblebee.

"We hear you loud and clear, Bulkhead" Arcee tells him.

"Star and I have a situation" he tells her. As we hide again, this time he holds Miko.

"Bulkhead, they're children. Humans, just do whatever" Arcee tells him.

"Yeah about that, we're at the decepticon base" I tell her.

"You're where?" she demands.

"Miko's here too" Bulkhead adds.

"She's where?" Arcee asks. "We'll have Jack and Raf bridge us back. We should be there soon, wait for back up" she tells us.

We're still waiting for Bee and Arcee, they should of been here by now. "

"What's taking Arcee and Bumblebee?" Bulkhead asks and I shrug.

"Dude, the cons could be putting the clamps on Fowler right now.Let's just storm the joint" Miko tells him. Suddenly a ground bridge appears.

"They're here" I say smiling. But it wasn't Arcee and Bumblebee. Except, Jack and Raf.

"Why don't those guys hang with their own 'Bots? This is our one on one time" Miko grumbles to Bulkhead and I roll my optics. Suddenly the decepticon guards are all pointing their guns at the pair. "Scrap" the three of us say.

A/N

Picture above of the piece of equipment infected by dark energon and picture on the external link of dark energon.