CHAPTER THREE
--Metroplex, Earth--
“Were you able to get through?”
“I think so,” Elita-One replied as she walked alongside Springer down Metroplex’s main corridor.
“I’m sure I heard him say he would send someone as soon as possible.”
“I’m sure I heard him say he would send someone as soon as possible.”
“Say what you will about the kid, but he always comes through when people are in danger,” Springer said. “That alone puts him above most of the Primes we’ve had before Optimus.”
Elita nodded. “I can see why the Matrix chose him.” She fell silent for a moment before saying, “So... that whole business with Goldwheels -- or Centurion, or whatever his name is….”
“I’ll admit, I’m still struggling to believe it,” Springer muttered. “The idea that Cybertronians have been here since before recorded history... even Kup can’t wrap his processor around it. And then there’s the whole matter with this Talisman thing.”
“I know. Between all that, the Decepticons, and the Titan Masters, we’re going to need all of the help we can get.”
“And what about your human friend? Sari is her name?”
“Wheeljack and Ratchet are still looking at her,” Elita said. “We’ll probably have to keep a close eye on her, since we know that she has some kind of connection to Onyx.”
“Speaking of ‘a close eye,’ I should probably go see how Guzzle’s faring,” Springer said. “Ariel and Bulkhead have been keeping watch over him and they just radioed me that he’s woken up finally.”
“You go do that. I’ll check in on Wheeljack and Ratchet.”
The two bots started to go separate ways until Elita stopped and looked over at Springer.
“Wait -- I keep meaning to ask, but... how has Kup been doing?”
Springer stopped but did not meet her optics. “He’s been getting by.”
“Are you sure? Because... I know about what went down on Tsiehshi... and how it affected both him and Guzzle. Is he--”
“He’s fine, Elita. Thanks for asking.”
Elita knew that was a lie but did not press the matter any further as the Wrecker leader strode away.
* * *
“So... you’re from the future?”
Ariel refrained from sighing. It was not the first time she had been asked this in the past few days and she had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last. She supposed she shouldn’t be too irritated with Bulkhead; if their roles were reversed, and she was her younger and more curious self, she would probably be asking the same questions.
“Not exactly,” she answered him, marveling at a butterfly that was fluttering outside a window. “I’m from your time -- this time. It’s just that, after the Thunderwing incident, I went with Dion to the distant future to get away from all the craziness. Only the craziness followed us, and I ended up back here somehow.”
“You mean you don’t know how you did?” Bulkhead asked.
Ariel shook her head. “One minute I was there and the next I was here. I wish I could tell you more than that, but... that’s how I experienced it.”
“Crazy,” Bulkhead murmured, sitting next to the stasis pod which contained the recently awakened Guzzle. “If only Perceptor or Brainstorm were here to help explain it. Though I don’t know if it would help my understanding much; my knowledge took me as far as space bridge technology and then said ‘nah, that’s good enough.’”
Ariel glanced at him. “You’re a space bridge tech?”
“I would have been, if the Functionists had allowed it. Then the war started and I found myself in the Wreckers and... yeah.” Bulkhead shrugged. “Never really got around to ever pursuing my dreams. Even now, I just can never find the right opportunity.”
“I understand,” Ariel said quietly. “It seems like our lives can never be peaceful, can they?”
“Nope. But then, when was the last time they ever were? A thousand years ago?”
Ariel frowned to herself as she returned her attention to the window. The butterfly had since fluttered away, flying to who knew where.
At that moment, the doors slid open and Springer stepped into the room. Bulkhead rose to greet him only for the pod containing Guzzle to suddenly start shaking.
“There you are, you fragger! I hope you’ve said all your prayers ‘cos I’m gonna--”
Bulkhead quickly moved over to the pod and switched off its intercom, muting the crazed Wrecker. Springer eyed the stasis pod wearily before turning to Bulkhead.
“Has he always been like this?”
“He was quiet up until you showed up.” Bulkhead regarded the pod with solemn concern. “If you ask me, I don’t think there’s much we can do for him. As long as Kup’s still functioning, no one’s gonna be able to talk sense into him.”
Springer sighed, no doubt realizing Bulkhead was right. “I understand that,” he murmured. “However, we don’t exactly have many options. Either we put him into cold storage or... or we put him into cold storage. Damn, there really is no other option, is there?”
“Short of euthanizing him, which I don’t think is legal? No.”
The pod started to shake more violently. Springer started to turn for the door.
“Let me talk it out with Elita. Maybe--”
The sound of metal hinges snapping off was the only warning anyone had to the lid of the stasis pod flying open, hitting Springer in the back. As the Wrecker turned around, he saw Guzzle’s irate faceplate for a fleeting second before receiving a fist to his face. Bulkhead moved without a moment’s hesitation, deploying a wrecking ball from his right arm and swinging it at Guzzle. The large tank grabbed the ball by its chain and yanked on it, pulling Bulkhead towards him so he could deliver him the same fate.
As Bulkhead fell to the ground, Ariel moved in front of Guzzle and unsheathed her arm blades. Guzzle took one look at her before letting out a mocking laugh.
“Aw, c’mon. You really expect me to be ‘fraid of you, little lady? I just knocked out two bots twice your size. You really think you can--”
Ariel let out a yell as she jumped up and lunged towards Guzzle. She dug her blades into the Wrecker’s shoulders, eliciting sparks from his shoulder struts and a pained cry from his vocal processor. She then pulled out one blade and went for his neck, hoping to at the very least disable him. Just as the edge of her blade made contact with his neck casing, Guzzle grabbed Ariel by the legs and pulled her off of him, forcefully detaching her from her blades. He dangled her in front of him for a moment, glaring her as if he was contemplating on whether or not to end her life, before tossing her to the side. As Ariel hit the wall, Guzzle lumbered out of the room, her blades still jutting from his shoulders.
As Ariel got back up, she looked over to Springer and Bulkhead, who were also recovering from Guzzle’s attack. The former wasted no time in transforming to his alt mode and driving out into the hallway.
“I know where he’s headed. Follow me.”
* * *
“This is the most uncomfortable doctor’s appointment I’ve ever been to,” muttered Sari Sumdac.
“Why?” asked Ratchet, not looking up from his medical kit. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“You have tools larger than me and needles that could skewer me with a single prick. I’m pretty sure I have the right to be wary of you.”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Ratchet calmly assured her. “Besides, you could be a lot worse off.”
“Oh, yeah?” Sari asked, unconvinced. “How?”
“I shouldn’t tell you; you’re already uncomfortable as is.” Closing his case shut, Ratchet stepped over to Sari with some kind of scanning device. Sari reflexively leaned away from him as the medic brought the device closer to her, waving it in front of her body. It made a “ping” sound as a green light lit up over Ratchet’s face.
The medic stared at the readings with an unfazed expression. “I should probably be more surprised by that than I actually am.”
“What is it?” asked Wheeljack, looking up from his work table.
“Her body’s 90% Cybertronian.”
“What?!” Sari exclaimed, nearly falling back in shock.
“You’re joking,” Wheeljack said, rushing over to look at the scanner himself.
“I wish I had the ability to make jokes like that,” Ratchet muttered. “By my assessment, only her external appearance is organic – her skin and whatnot. Everything underneath is metal; Cybertronian metal, at that.”
“No.” Sari wrapped her arms around herself. “You’re lying. Either that or your thing is lying, or you guys are just crazy.”
“I wouldn’t exactly rule out that last one,” Wheeljack remarked. “In any case, I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for this. Maybe it’s glitching out or something....”
While the two Autobots mulled over their theories and speculations, the door to the lab opened to allow Elita-One in. She stopped to take one look at the dismayed Sari before shifting her attention to Ratchet and Wheeljack.
“Is everything all right in here?” the large magenta bot asked. “I heard screaming....”
“I’ll let you have a look for yourself,” Ratchet replied as he handed the scanner to Elita.
Just as Elita took the device into her hand, a loud crash sounded from outside the lab. The three Autobots all turned to see a large tank charging through the corridor, its sides scraping against the wall. After it had rolled past the lab, it was followed shortly by a yellow-and-green car, a green SUV, and a gray motorcycle; all three were evidently pursuing the renegade tank. It didn’t take Elita long to figure out what was happening as she tossed the device back to Ratchet before running out of the lab.
“That’s probably not a good thing, is it?” asked Wheeljack.
“They should hand out Understatement of the Cycle Awards just for you,” Ratchet grunted.
* * *
Kup could tell by the sound of tank treads rolling that his end was near.
He had been expecting it for some time now; he knew it would only be a matter of time before Guzzle got free and there would be no one to stop him from finally getting what he had craved for nearly 430 years. And if Kup was being honest with himself, he probably deserved it too. If he had been in the kid’s servos, he would have been peeved as all hell at High Command for doing what they had done to “punish” him, just because he was beloved and respected by everyone.
Beloved and respected by everyone save for two: Himself and the syk-addicted tank who was coming for his energon.
He knew there was only ever going to be one way this was going to end; it was simply a matter of ensuring that no one else was harmed in the process. Although he had finally worked out such a scenario thanks to the timely appearance of Metroplex, he couldn’t exactly be sure it would work out the way he envisioned it to; Guzzle was, after all, in a very wild and unpredictable state. But at this point, Kup had very little in terms of alternative options.
As the sound of Guzzle’s frenzied cries drew closer, Kup thought back to his time stranded on Tsiehshi; where this scrap had all started. He could still vividly recall regaling Outback with tales from his youth, trying to throw in a life lesson here and there. But from what Springer had told him, he was the only bot they had found when they came to rescue him. Had Outback simply been a figment of his imagination (like all those demons he had thought he had been fighting when they were in fact Autobots)? Or had Outback died in the crash? Had Outback even existed to begin with?
He supposed it didn’t matter much at this point. It wouldn’t matter, after all was said and done.
He could hear that Guzzle was just around the corner. After double-checking to make sure everything was in order, Kup stepped around the computer and positioned himself in front of Metroplex’s space bridge. He wasn’t exactly confident in his skills as a space bridge operator, but he had been around long enough to figure out how they worked. He had also picked up some tips from Bulkhead, having seen the kid work with them while on certain missions.
He was going to miss the big green lug. And Springer. And Ironhide. And everyone.
Within seconds, Guzzle had barged into the control room like a nosoron high on simultronics. Pulling out a pair of blades that had somehow ended up in his shoulders, Guzzle set his optics on Kup like a predator would their prey. His sensors, once blue, now glowed green as he uttered a rumbling laugh. Kup maintained his composure, meeting Guzzle’s crazed stare with a stoic face.
“Nowhere left to run,” the large Wrecker growled. “Any last words, old timer?”
“Come and get me,” Kup grunted back.
Guzzle bellowed in rage as he charged towards the veteran. At the same time, Kup slammed his fist on the space bridge control panel behind him, causing a portal to materialize between the bridge’s prongs. Guzzle lunged at Kup, colliding into him, and the two went tumbling through the portal.
As they passed through, Kup was sure he heard Springer calling out his name. He might’ve even caught a glimpse of him as he and Guzzle rolled out onto the other side of the portal. But then the space bridge shut down and he was gone.
* * *
“Get him back!” Springer cried. “Now!”
“I’m trying!” Bulkhead replied, working frantically at the space bridge terminal. “Titan space bridges aren’t exactly like modern ones; I’m not that familiar with--”
“I don’t care! Just get him back!”
Elita-One stepped over and placed a reassuring hand on Springer’s shoulder, though the Wrecker leader shrugged it off. She then looked over to Bulkhead and asked, “Where did he send themselves to?”
“I’m not sure,” Bulkhead muttered. “It’s definitely another Titan’s location, but I don’t think it’s any of the colony worlds. He must’ve just picked a random one and... yeah.”
Springer huffed as he crossed his arms. “Can’t you just go into the computer’s history and find the one he had selected?”
“Normally, I’d be able to... but it looks like he set it up so that it wouldn’t be recorded after he had used it.” Bulkhead scratched his chin, looking simultaneously sad and impressed. “I didn’t even know you could do that.”
“Then go through all of the Titans until you find the one that he--”
“Springer,” Elita interjected. “There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of Titans out there in the galaxy. It would take forever to--”
“If forever is how long it takes, then so be it!” Springer snapped. “I’m not leaving him behind!”
“Springer, listen to me!” Elita grabbed the Wrecker by his shoulders, looking him in the optic. “Kup made his choice. He did it so that Guzzle wouldn’t be a danger to us anymore. He did it to save us.”
Springer looked away from Elita, clenching his fists. “He’s going to tear Kup apart....”
“I know,” Elita said sadly. “And I’m sure Kup knows that, too. I’ve known him long enough to know that he doesn’t do anything unless he’s thought it through. If there had been a better option, I’m sure he would’ve gone with that instead.”
Springer sighed, his shoulders slumping as he forced himself to accept her words. “I never got to thank him… to tell him that--”
“He already knows,” Elita said calmly. “He’s always known.”
Silence took hold of the room as Springer, Elita, Bulkhead, and Ariel all stared at the dormant space bridge with solemn regard....
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