Date: 6/9/2012
GHOSTS OF THE PAST, PART 1:
MAN OF IRON
(Long ago, on Cybertron; a crowd gathers before Sentinel Prime. Among them is a young Ironhide)
SENTINEL PRIME: Today marks a new era. An era in which we'll see peace resulting from our enemy's defeat. Under our new banner shall our Golden Age begin! Follow me, Autobots! Follow me to a new age! THE GOLDEN AGE!
IRONHIDE: Why aren't you cheering, Kup?
KUP: It won't last.
IRONHIDE: What do you mean?
KUP: It didn't last when Nova declared it. And it didn't when Guardian declared it. Face it, Ironhide. No matter how many million years this "Golden Age" will last... war will still rear its ugly head.
(Present day, on Earth)
OPTIMUS PRIME: Ironhide? Ironhide? IRONHIDE!
IRONHIDE: What?
OPTIMUS PRIME: You okay? You've been staring at the wall for twenty minutes.
IRONHIDE: No, I was staring at those crates. Wonder what's in them.
OPTIMUS PRIME: Um, Ironhide... you were the one who packed them.
IRONHIDE: Sorry, my memory's fuzzy, 'kay?
OPTIMUS PRIME: You sure you're all right?
IRONHIDE: I'm fine! The person we should be worrying about is... Wheeljack...
OPTIMUS PRIME: Still thinking about that?
IRONHIDE: I could've saved him. I should've saved him!
OPTIMUS PRIME: There wasn't much you could've done. You were knocked out.
IRONHIDE: Yeah... but still...
(Meanwhile, on the Nemesis)
WHEELJACK: Why do you need me to do your diabolical schemes?!
MEGATRON: Because I was... foolish enough not to assign an engineer to my team.
WHEELJACK: What a surprise....
MEGATRON: And also because my best engineers all have their hands full.
WHEELJACK: What about Shockwave? I thought he was your expert.
MEGATRON: Alas, Shockwave is no longer with us. Now... get to work.
WHEELJACK: What if I refuse, huh? You can't kill me so what are you gonna-- (He gets zapped) AGGGHHH!
MEGATRON: Then Knock Out will punish you with... an extremely painful shock attack. Have fun.
WHEELJACK: (Gets zapped again) SHEEAGH!
(Long ago; Space Bridge 9-17-84)
IRONHIDE: How's it going, Grapple?
GRAPPLE: Going great, Ironhide. We've made a connection between Cybertron and Omnitron! All systems are go! So, how's life as a security officer?
IRONHIDE: Eh, uneventful. Those battle-chargin', turbo-revvin' punks are getting on my nerves. Makes me wish I was an engineer again.
GRAPPLE: Well, y'know what? I hear there's a job opening for another weapons expert...
(Some time later; Kimia Facility)
CROSSHAIRS: Another excellent invention, Ironhide. What's it called?
IRONHIDE: A static laser gun, Crosshairs.
CROSSHAIRS: Ah, yes. You've told me about those before. Very nice.
(A young 'bot approaches Ironhide)
ARMORFIST: Um... sir?
IRONHIDE: Yes?
ARMORFIST: I'm... I'm Armorfist. Do you... do you think...
IRONHIDE: Think I can teach you?
ARMORFIST: Y-yes...
IRONHIDE: Sure thing, son... sure thing.
(Present day)
BUMBLEBEE: So how the spark are we gonna free Wheeljack?
PROWL: Well, Bumblebee, since Wheeljack's most likely on Megatron's ship, it'd be suicide to barge in and free him... or fail to.
BUMBLEBEE: So, what, are we just gonna leave him there?
OPTIMUS PRIME: No, Bumblebee. Ratchet has made a drone to sneak onto the Nemesis.
RATCHET: Once it's on the ship, it'll search for Wheeljack, and will then transmit us instructions for a safe way to free him.
BUMBLEBEE: ...So... in a nutshell...?
RATCHET: It's a deux ex machina.
BUMBLEBEE: A what?
RATCHET: A plot device.
BUMBLEBEE: Oh... how convenient...
IRONHIDE: I could've saved him... I could've...
(Back on the Nemesis)
STARSCREAM: Explain to me again how this idea's going to work... what makes you think an Autobot will do what we tell him? He'd obviously rather die than do our dirty deeds! Why couldn't we've gotten one of our own, like Flatline? If I was calling the shots, we wouldn't-- (Megatron grabs him) URK.
MEGATRON: Understand this, Starscream. If you were calling the shots, not only would this plan fail... we wouldn't even be here today. (He bends Starscream's wing and leaves)
STARSCREAM: Darn it, I just had that wing waxed!
MEGATRON: Soundwave, report.
SOUNDWAVE: Contact has been made, Lord Megatron.
MEGATRON: How goes your mission?
SPY: It is going well, my lord.
MEGATRON: Good. Do the Autobots suspect?
SPY: Unfortunately, yes. They've sent two detectives to find the spy.
MEGATRON: Hm. Throw them off the track and ensure that they don't find you.
SPY: As you command, Lord Megatron. It shall be done.
MEGATRON: Excellent. Megatron, out. Things are going well, aren't they, Soundwave?
SOUNDWAVE: Indeed, Lord Megatron. Indeed.
(Earth Base)
RATCHET: All right, Sky Spy ready to launch in three... two... ONE! (It launches off) Let's hope it gets the job done.
IRONHIDE: Yeah... let's hope.
(Years ago, during the Uprising; Armorfist tests his invention)
IRONHIDE: Ha ha! Good job, Armorfist! See? I told you that you'd be a great inventor, like Wheeljack and--
(The invention is blasted out of the sky)
HAILSTORM: Nice toy, kid. Shame that I broke it....
IRONHIDE: Hailstorm?! So you're part of those rebels too, huh?
HAILSTORM: You should've seen it comin', Ironhide. You know how outspoken I was of Prime's ways.
IRONHIDE: That may be true, but I didn't think you'd take it as far as joining those Destructicons!
HAILSTORM: Oh, please. We are not Destructicons. We're trying to fix things, not break them.
ARMORFIST: You broke my toy, though! (He throws it at Hailstorm but misses. Hailstorm then blasts him)
IRONHIDE: NO!
HAILSTORM: You made a big mistake. And your last.
(He unloads his missiles)
IRONHIDE: ARMORFIST!
(Some time later, Kup and a team of rescuers find everything ablaze)
KUP: Ironhide? We saw an explosion and... oh. (Ironhide is mourning over Armorfist's body) Oh no.
(Present day; Ironhide is telling everything to Optimus)
IRONHIDE: My biggest mistake and my worst. It was that day that made me determined to end this war. And to this day... it's still what drives me.
OPTIMUS PRIME: Wow. I never would've thought.... But don't worry. I'll make sure Wheeljack doesn't share that fate. Do you still think he's out there? Hailstorm?
IRONHIDE: Who knows. I never saw him again after that. It's highly likely he's with Megatron's faction now. I hope, one day, that we'll meet again. If we do... I'll make sure he's brought to justice... 'cos that's what Armorfist would want.
(As he says this, we see Hailstorm on Cybertron, unloading his missiles on Arcee and Nightbeat...)
CHARACTERS
Autobots: Arcee, Armorfist (flashbacks), Bumblebee, Crosshairs (flashbacks), Grapple (flashbacks), Ironhide, Kup (flashbacks), Landfill (flashbacks), Nightbeat, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ratchet, Sentinel Prime (flashbacks), Wheeljack
Decepticons: Hailstorm, Knock Out, Megatron, Soundwave, "Spy," Starscream
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