CHAPTER FIVE
--Delphi, Messatine--
"So, five days ago, this... 'big bang,' as you call it, caused people to 'cry themselves to death' and you don't know where it came from?"
"That about sums it up," First Aid said as he led Windblade and her team into a medical ward. "Although without all the air quotes."
Also present in the ward was First Aid's fellow medic Ambulon, looking flustered as he busied himself with patients. "More refugees, First Aid?"
"No, just visitors. One of them got infected; best you find some place to lie down, Nightbeat."
The detective frowned. "After seeing that morgue, I'm not sure I like those words."
Turning to the Autobot newcomers, Ambulon said, "So what brings you all the way here to Delphi?"
"Do you happen to have a wavelength transmitter on your hands?" Windblade asked.
Ambulon thought for a moment. "I believe so, but the snow that falls here tends to block out its systems. We haven't gotten around to fixing it yet. Why do you ask?"
"We need it to find Optimus Prime."
Ambulon's eyes brightened. "Say no more then! The only problem is... Pharma is the only one who can access it and he's missing."
"Not anymore." A white and orange medic appeared in the doorway behind Windblade and the others. "I've found him; he's trapped in the quarantine room, which won't release him until all technopathogens have died out."
First Aid's visor widened in shock. "But that could take millions of years!"
"Not unless I blow it up," Skids said with a grin.
Ambulon frowned. "Any other options?"
"Could you override the lock?" Glyph asked. "You must have clearance of some kind."
"We'll just have to try it out." With that, Ambulon, the other medics, and Windblade's team rushed out of the ward and down the corridor.
--Clemency--
"Fifteen minutes!" Misfire's dental plates chattered as he paced back and forth before the other Scavengers. "Fifteen minutes before the D.J.D. drops down and kills us all in a dozen different ways a hundred times!"
"Thirteen minutes, actually," Krok said. "And calm down; we have to think clearly on how to handle this."
"Handle what?" Fulcrum asked. "The D.J.D. are coming to kill us. There; end of story."
"Tarn did say they'd spare us if we turned in whoever they're after," Crankcase muttered.
"Yes, but one: no one here is going to admit if they're on the List, and two... did you honestly think he was being truthful?"
"So what do we do?" Misfire asked, shaking nervously. "We can't run away, we can't persuade them...."
"We fight them," Krok said confidently.
"Ha!"
Everyone looked at Fulcrum. "What?" Krok asked. "What's so funny?"
"You!" Fulcrum exclaimed. "I mean, seriously, fighting the D.J.D? You're better off putting a gun to your head or something. Either way, it's certain death."
Crankcase snorted. "So? You're K-Class. You're used to those words."
Fulcrum's expression fell, knowing it was pointless to argue. "Okay, so we fight them. What do we do?"
"We're scavengers, Fulcrum," Krok said, looking towards the ship's unconscious captain. "We make use of what's been left behind."
--Delphi--
Upon reaching the quarantine area, the Autobots found Pharma trapped in a small room protected by a thick glass door. Upon noticing his soon-to-be saviors, the white and blue mech began banging on the door, his voice muffled.
Ambulon started working on the door's control panel, but whenever he entered the code to override it, it was rejected. Pharma's pounding on the door grew even more insistent.
"You can't get it to open?" Windblade asked.
Ambulon shook his head, frustrated. "I don't know why it won't accept it. Someone must have tampered with it."
"He looks really panicked," Nautica said as Pharma pounded even harder. "I think he's trying to tell us something."
Eventually the medic stopped his thumping and brought out a laser scalpel, using it on his hand. When he pressed it against the glass, the words "behind you" were visible.
Before any of the Autobots could follow the warning, a dark shape was suddenly upon Skids, pinning him to the floor. Where Medix had once been was now a strongly-built, black-colored mech with multiple wings and silvery white optics.
"You may consider this my resignation," the former medic said coldly.
Windblade unsheathed her sword. "What is the meaning of this? Who are you?"
"My name is Makeshift. You have my only means off this planet. Prepare to die."
"What's the point of killing us if you could simply steal our ship?" Nautica asked.
"Nearly everyone in this station are either dead or close to it. I'm willing to put you out of your misery."
"We outnumber you seven to one," Windblade retorted. "And if I were you, I wouldn't take my optics off Skids."
"What do you--" Makeshift suddenly let out a yell as Skids grabbed his leg and pulled him to the ground. The Autobot warrior then got back to his feet and whipped out a gun, aiming it square between the Shifter's eyes.
"Here's a riddle for you," Skids said darkly. "What's black and purple all over?"
Makeshift responded by returning to his feet and lunging at the Autobot, knocking the gun out of his hands. Skids then caught the shapeshifter in a headlock and shoved him into the glass door Pharma was behind.
"You locked him in there," Skids said through gritted teeth. "You're gonna get him out."
"Over my offline corpse," the Shifter growled as he released himself from Skids hold and bashed him aside.
Windblade then came charging, her sword held high over her head. She swung it down at Makeshift, who sidestepped to avoid the blade before lashing out at her. He grabbed her by the wing and lifted her off the floor before throwing her into Nightbeat and Glyph. He then turned to confront Nautica just as the purple femme threw a wrench at his face.
As Makeshift recoiled, rubbing his faceplate, Nautica grinned at him. "Aw, I'm sorry. Did that hurt?"
"I'm going to kill you for that."
"Come at me, bro."
As Makeshift charged towards her, Nautica dived for her wrench. Upon retrieving it, she hurled it at the Shifter again, hitting him in the back of the head. This caused him to fall forward and land face-first onto the floor.
Picking up her wrench again, Nautica smiled smugly at the fallen Decepticon. "Never underestimate a girl with her wrench."
"Mind putting it to more use?" Ambulon asked, pointing a thumb at the glass door.
Nautica swung her tool at the control panel, which broke off and allowed the door to open. Pharma shot out of it and ran out of the ward.
"Where the slag is he going?" Skids exclaimed.
The seven Autobots went after him, running down the corridor towards the cell block. They didn't get far, however, for as soon as they turned the corner Pharma had went down, a resonating sonic-boom sent them all flying....
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"My friends, I do believe we've hit the jackpot."
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