Rush

Part 9

Outside:

Ratchet was fast tending to Arcee. She'd lost a lot of energy and was weak. She could still shoot though. He sent her to the outside of the battleground and told her to shoot any and every Decepticon.

Bumblebee awoke from his passed-out state and was back into action, shooting and punching everyone with purple paint. Optimus was up against Megatron, Bulkhead was up against breakdown and Knockout who'd come down minutes ago. Smokescreen was winning against Arachnid (mostly he was annoying her with his smart-aft comments about her spider-ness). Ratchet took on Dreadwing. so far, nothing terrible had happened, yet.

Starscream was up in the sky, raining plasma blasts on the Autobots and Deceptions alike. He was mad at the Autobot medic for humiliating him in front of a bunch of troops to get to Arcee. Good for him, those troops were no longer alive. He turned and flew in the direction of another rock, transformed and landed on it. 

CLANG! 

What was that? Starscream looked down at his pedes. The top of this rock was made of metal! He stomped it again. Yep, made of metal. As he looked around the rock he saw a signal antenna, a helicopter pad, and an elevator looking thing. Starscream shook his helm. Government people were stupid. Maybe something important was in this rock... He was going to find out what it was. 

~SW~

"Where is Starscream!" Megatron bellowed. "We need him in the air!" 

Troops looked around. "There he is, Lord Megatron!" One answered, pointing to a rock. All gazes turned to where the digit pointed. Starscream was in his alt mode hovering above the rock. One of his blasters angled at the top. 

Optimus stopped plowing troops down to look. To his horror, Starscream's blaster was glowing, humming, and about to fire a deadly blast at the base. That would surely mad it collapse in itself. 

::Ratchet, where's Skyrider?!:: He asked frantically. 

::I-In the base, in her room...!:: Ratchet replied. 

Optimus' optics widened. "AUTOBOTS!" He roared, "STOP HIM!" Many thoughts raced through his processor all at once. He couldn't lost Skyrider again.

Blasters fired at Starscream but none of them stopped the SIC. 

BOOM! 

The blast caused an explosion and many things happened at once. Horrified screams of loss from the Autobots, especially Ratchet and Optimus, the high pitched cackle from Starscream along with a bellow to get his aft back, and the cracking and snaps of the base caving in on itself. Then a terrified scream from inside the base. Skyrider. 

The scream was cut off suddenly. It was over. A fire crackled around the base and beams snapped and kept falling to the ground. 

Megatron's booming laugh broke the silence. "Was that your BASE, Optimus Prime?" He taunted. Optimus bowed his head and his fists shook. Skyrider was dead. 

Megatron continued to poke and prod at the Autobots with his words until he heard Ratchet whisper, "You killed her." Ratchet was staring at the ground, pain, loss, and guilt etched into his face. "

"Killed who, dear Autobot?" He taunted. Ratchet lost it. 

"YOU KILLED THE LAST SPARKLING!"

It took a moment for the words to actually reach the warlord. "-what?" Then, a burnt piece of paper floated to the ground in front of Megatron. A finger painting. He picked it up and studied it closely. He saw all the Autobots along with their human charges smiling. And at the other end... he was hit with a wave of confusion. 

"SOUNDWAVE!" He hollered. "Come here!" 

The spy didn't move. He was standing still, tense and he looked as if... he was shaking? "Soundwave?"

Suddenly, a small wail came from the burning base. Along with the wail, a large groan. A beam was starting to fall. It was a large beam and it was crackling with fire. It was about to fall on the wail's source. 

As soon as it began to snap, Soundwave jerked and transformed.  In his alt mode, he flew faster than he'd ever flown before... right into a small gap in the wreckage. Then the beam snapped and the opening was closed. 

A/N

Sorry this is so short! It's supposed to be a cliffhanger... I will update soon I promise. Maybe later today or at the latest, tomorrow morning. I am evil, aren't I?

~ Alex