Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga XIII, Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

--Velocitron--

    "Well, that was a wonderful trip," Chromedome said sardonically as he and the rest of the team drove from the city of Delta. "I hope on the next planet we visit, no one gets assassinated."

    "Why would someone kill Nitro like that?" Tailgate asked innocently. "He didn't do anything wrong, did he?"

    Elita said nothing. Several things ran through her processor, primarily questions regarding Nitro's murder and the motives behind it. The fact it had happened on the same day she needed to seek him out did not bode well either....

    "If you want, I could investigate things," Nightbeat said, driving up alongside her. "It is my specialty."

    "Yes, but it's not our business here," she replied. "If anything, we would just look suspicious."

    The Autobot detective indicated a frown by dimming his headlights. "We could get answers from doing so...."

    "We'll just have to get them from somewhere else." Elita and the others transformed to their robot forms upon reaching the ship. "Rewind, what would you suggest to be our next destination?"

    The archivist was silent as he checked his databanks. "Well, going by inhabited colonies, we have Combatron, Gigantion, Animatron, Junkion, Theophany--"

    "Theophany's not a colony," Glyph corrected him.

    "Well, it might as well be, with the Circle of Light living there."

    Elite shook her head. "After how things went down between Dai Atlas and Zeta Prime, I doubt Optimus would have visited them."

    "And Combatron's not a great place to visit," Chromedome said, "neither is Animatron."

    "And Junkion would be a waste of time," Windblade commented.

    "Well, we'll just have to try them just in case, won't we?" Elita retorted.

    "Um, guys?" Swerve interjected. "Nightbeat's gone."

    The other Autobots looked to see that the blue and yellow detective was driving away from them, but not back towards Delta.

    "Slag," Elita cursed.

--Earth--

    The green portal materialized in a remote location in Florida and a convoy of Autobots drove out. In the lead was Optimus Prime, with Bumblebee, Ironhide, Ratchet, Sideswipe, and Arcee behind him.

    "Jazz, this is Prime. Do you read me?" the Autobot leader said over his communicator.

    "Loud and clear, Prime. Prowl's detective friend says that Arkeville has a residence in Tampa."

    "Then that shall be our destination," Optimus said. "Autobots, roll out!"

*  *  *

    "Lord Starscream, Runamuck and Runabout have ceased responding."

    Flying high over the state of Florida, Starscream cursed to himself. "Those two bags of bolts couldn't lead a turbofox to energon, let alone make it drink. Blackout, have you found the Ultra-Energon's location?"

    "Yes, sir," the military helicopter flying below him replied. "I am providing you with the coordinates."

    After receiving the coordinates, Starscream said, "Then we needn't stall things any further. Decepticons, attack!"

*  *  *

    Climbing out of their Pagani Automobili, Joshua and Darcy took long strides towards the main Machination laboratory. In the distance, Joshua could hear alarms blaring, while operatives rushed to and fro.

    Stopping one of them, he said, "What's going on?"

    "Scanners have detected multiple Transformers converging on our location," the man said. "I think we've been found out."

    "Are any of the drones prepared?"

    "Yes, about three dozen."

    Joshua smiled. "Then we haven't anything to worry about."

*  *  *

    On Prime's orders, Arcee and Bumblebee broke off from the convoy and sped towards what had been deduced to be Doctor Arkeville's residence. Parking in front of the house, Arcee sent out her holomatter avatar rider-- which she had dubbed "Sadie"-- to walk up to the front door.

    "Are you sure this is going to work?" Bumblebee asked her via radio.

    "Trust me," she said.

    "I don't think people in motorcycle gear are considered acceptable visitors--"

    "Just be quiet and let me concentrate."

    Upon reaching the door, Sadie knocked on it, being careful to not let her hand accidentally phase through it. In moments, it was answered by an old man with wild, receding gray hair. Going by his irritated expression, he had clearly just been woken from a nap.

    "What do you want?" Arkeville said rudely.

    "You are Doctor Henri Arkeville of Sector Seven, correct?" Arcee asked via Sadie.

    His expression softened somewhat. "Er, yes, I am. What of it?"

    Sadie suddenly vanished and the two Autobots transformed. Arcee stepped forward and knelt down to make level eye contact.

    "My name is Arcee, and this is my partner Bumblebee. We're Autobots," she informed the scientist. "A few days ago, a device made of Cybertronian tech was stolen from Sector Seven labs. Agent Walker told us that you were running the lab on the day it was stolen."

    Arkeville's face was impassive. "It wasn't stolen."

    Arcee blinked. "It wasn't?"

    "No. I personally removed it from the labs and took it with me here to Florida."

    "So, where is it now?" Bumblebee asked.

    "In good hands." The scientist smiled mirthlessly. "Specifically with Machination."

    Arcee rose to her full height. "Wait. You're with Machination?"

    Arkeville's grin widened, showing yellow, crooked teeth. "Of course. And consider this my resignation."

    Suddenly, bursting out of a garage was a white Aston Martin, though in seconds it went from a swarm of atoms to a Transformer-sized robot. At Arkeville's beckoning, it charged towards the Autobots.

    Unfurling her arm blades, Arcee locked the robot's first attack. As she parried, she called to Bumblebee, "Get back to Optimus and warn him! I'll hold this guy off!"

    "I'm not leaving you!" Bumblebee protested, flipping out a pair of stingers.

    Arcee let out an exasperated sigh. "'Bee, this is no time to argue."

    "Now that I can agree on." The yellow scout punctuated his statement with a well-aimed shot to the drone's head. Despite the accuracy, it missed when the drone's head made a hole within its molecular structure.

    Arcee then began to stab at the Aston Martin robot, but it avoided those strikes as well. It then converted its arm into a blaster and fired it at her face. She performed a backflip to dodge it and transformed into her motorcycle form upon landing.

    "I have a better idea," she muttered. "Let's both warn the others."

    Transforming as well, Bumblebee followed her and drove away from the battle. Arkeville and his drone merely watched them flee, knowing that others would take matters into their own hands.