CHAPTER EIGHT
--Verenya--
"What in the Pit-- hey!"
Sideswipe started to flail frantically as the rabid mutant human jumped up and latched onto his face. Having been locked in combat with Scorponaut, he started to fire his weapon blindly, scoring a few hits on the Predacon while also blasting a number of humans in the process.
"Sideswipe!" Elita-One cried. "Friendly fire!"
"I can't help it!" Sideswipe hollered, finally wrenching the creature off his face. "This stupid-- agh!"
He recoiled as the mutant suddenly spewed a disgusting green liquid from its mouth, causing him to drop it. The human landed on its back but somehow survived the fall, crawling away on all fours.
"Where did these things even come from?" asked Strongarm as she tried to avoid stepping on a horde of mutants that had begun to surround her. "They were just normal humans a minute ago...."
"It must have had something to do with that earthquake earlier," said Rhinox. "Perhaps there's something underground that's--"
"Hold up." Cheetor pushed aside Quickstrike, who had been trying to tackle him, and pointed to the sky. "Who are those guys?"
Elita looked up and adjusted her optical sensors to make out a number of jets and helicopters that were fast approaching. They were all distinguished by a black color scheme... and a certain insignia.
"Sector Seven?" she murmured. "What are they doing here? We didn't call for--"
Before she could finish, one of the helicopters fired a pair of missiles onto the gathered Transformers. Autobot, Maximal, and Predacon alike dove for cover as the ground exploded beneath them.
"Hey!" Sideswipe cried. "What gives? I thought they were on our side!"
The Autobot was proven wrong by another attack of a similar nature. As her team tried to get out of the line of fire, Elita attempted to hail the Earthbase on her comm.
"Elita to Base! Jetfire, do you copy? We're under attack by Sector Seven!"
She was met with only static. As another barrage came, she called out to the others. "Autobots! Formation delta! Fall back!"
"Fall back to where?" Strongarm asked. "Do we have a GroundBridge back to base?"
"No, but we can't stay out here and get shot at." Elita turned to Primal. "Is your ship nearby?"
Primal nodded. "Though I suggest we lose these friends of yours, lest they follow us."
"Agreed," Elita said as she and the others began to transform to their vehicle forms.
"But what about Goldwheels?" asked Bumblebee.
"Lost cause, 'Bee," Sideswipe replied. "Now let's get moving."
With that, the Autobots and Maximals made for a way out of the city, heading towards the wilderness just beyond the edge of the city. While Sector Seven continued to fire after them, the Predacons made no attempts to take pursuit, instead following a call they had received from their leader and moving towards his position....
* * *
Code Red.
Samantha Walker stared at the words flashing on her pager in bright red. Simmons had received the same and was giving her a look, while Springer and Kup stared at them oddly.
"Is everything all right?" the former asked.
Walker glanced at Simmons, whose face was unreadable, before looking back up at the Autobot. After a brief hesitation, she said, "We're receiving a Code Red."
"What's that s'posed to mean?" Kup asked.
Before Walker could speak, Simmons said, "It means that the Autobots are now considered enemies of Sector Seven."
Springer and Kup both tensed at that. However, Simmons for his part was not regarding them with any sense of wariness, instead looking concerned as he stared back at his pager.
"But this is Director Red we're talking about," he muttered. "Like I said, he doesn't trust you guys as far as he can throw you. Combine that with what we've found here...."
"So what do we do?" asked Walker.
"We get back to base. Find out what's going on." Simmons looked up at Springer. "Can you call your guys to get us one of those green portal thingies?"
Springer nodded as he raised a hand to his comm. He stood there in silence for a moment before frowning. "Something's jamming us," he said quietly.
"We are several feet underground," Kup pointed out. "Maybe we can get a better signal outside."
"Unless this is deliberate," Walker suggested. "If all agents are receiving this message -- including Fowler, for instance -- then someone somewhere could be blocking communications."
"In any case, we shouldn't hang around here for much longer." Springer transformed to his car mode, opening his doors to let the two agents in. "Let's get back to the others. Then we can get to the bottom of this."
"And if we can't?" Kup asked.
Springer had no answer to that.
* * *
No sooner had Fowler received the Code Red that the Earthbase was under attack.
The base shook as Sector Seven personnel fired upon it from outside. Stakeout quickly caught Verity, Sari and the others as they toppled from the railing. Fowler remained standing frozen in horror while Jetfire attempted to alert all Earthforce units through private channels.
"Attention all Autobots! Emergency protocol 113 is in effect! Do not, I repeat, do not return to Earthbase! All contact with Sector Seven must be avoided at all costs!"
Once he was certain the message had been transmitted (Primus knew if anyone would hear it), Jetfire turned to see Fowler glaring at him.
"I've always wondered how long it would take for you guys to show your true colors. Probably should've seen it coming a mile away, considering all the trouble you've brought us."
Jetfire glowered back at him as he gestured back to the screen. "Don't tell me you believe any of that was real. There has to be a reasonable explanation for what was happening. Maybe it was an illusion, maybe it was a Decepticon trick."
"Or maybe it was none of those things," Fowler retorted. "All I can tell you is what I saw with my own eyes: Autobots firing on innocent humans."
Jetfire frowned at the agent but before he could argue further, Wheeljack came running into the room.
"I've got the GroundBridge up and running! We've only got about five minutes before it shuts down for good!"
While Stakeout, Arcee, and any other remaining Autobots rushed for the green portal, Jetfire lingered to look back at Fowler, his expression softening.
"It's not too late to come with us. Maybe we can work together to sort things out."
Fowler continued to regard the Autobot with distaste, even as the base continued to fall apart. When one blast nearly knocked him off his platform, he swore loudly before sighing in exasperation.
"All right, fine! Way things are going, I'm more likely to die here than with you guys."
As another blast tore through the walls of the base, Jetfire scooped Fowler up in his hands before fitting him into his cockpit as he transformed. With only a minute to spare, the remaining Autobots vacated from Earthbase just as Sector Seven's forces succeeded in destroying its support structures, sending it plunging into the oceanic depths.
* * *
Watching as the Autobot base sunk, the pilot of S7 helicopter 836 patched into his communicator as he hailed his superior.
"It's done, sire. Earthbase has been destroyed."
"Good work," responded Joshua Red. "Any word from Agent Fowler?"
"None, sir. We received no summons for pickup."
"No matter. Autobot sympathizers were always to be expected. Any signs of Cybertronian life?"
"None, sir."
"Then return to base."
"Roger that."
The S7 units fell into formation and returned the way they had arrived, leaving behind the wreckage they had created.
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