Immediately outside the main gate of Autobot City was Decepticon territory--nothing moved there save by Megatron's leave. The gate itself was still hotly contested, and further out, toward the U.S. Army perimeter, was no man's land. Smoking ruins of outbuildings, roadblocks, and vehicles dotted the landscape. The smoldering wrecks were the worst--each one represented a life, sometimes more than one.
To the northeast lay the crashed shuttle and its dead; on the road to Autobot City, Huffer had fallen, in a trail of blasted metal shards strung out along the road in a sequence of craters. On a low ridge several hundred yards from the gate, in plain sight of Megatron and the others there, lay the broken body of Trailbreaker, a smudge of black against the red sandstone rock. The setting sun painted him the color of old blood just before it sank into the western horizon.
A figure in white knelt beside the fallen Autobot, accompanied by another in white and gray, brightly painted, glossy metal that contrasted dramatically with the rough dark rock in the moonlight. For all that, most were just too blind to see.
He's not dead; he's badly damaged and in stasis lock, Ratchet noted.
I thought he was too quiet to be dead, Wheeljack commented. Is he stable?
No. I can do some emergency patching here in the field, but Trailbreaker really needs to be in the repair bay.
That's going to be a challenge, with Megatron and his goons right over there at the gate! Not to mention the City being sealed up in fortress mode. Too bad we can't just port him like Ironhide and Prowl did with the ammo.
Ammo doesn't have a Spark to get detached from being yanked outside of Time and re-inserted. Trailbreaker arriving dead would defeat the whole purpose of rescuing him, don't you think?
Yeah, I know, but...
If we dawdle too long wishing it weren't so, one of those Cons may get bored enough to come over and finish Trailbreaker off. To quote Prowl, "We'll improvise."
Er, what am I responsible for now? Prowl asked.
A phrase that is now stuck in my processor, answered Ratchet. Find Mirage or Hound or both; I need one of them to rescue Trailbreaker. He's exposed on a ridge not seven hundred yards from Megatron's back.
Prowl sighed. What's your status?
I'm busy making sure Trailbreaker doesn't fall into more pieces than he already is. Wheeljack is assisting me and distracting them. If you're too busy to find Mirage or Hound, ask the minibots. I get the impression they want something challenging to do.
That is exactly what I was about to do. Huffer! I need you and your crew to find Mirage or Hound, preferably both.
If we can find them in all this chaos--which is far from guaranteed--and they aren't in the middle of something important--like fighting for their lives, or out cold in the repair bay, more likely--just what are we supposed to do when we find them? Huffer asked.
Point 'em at Trailbreaker--out here in front with us, Ratchet interrupted Prowl before he could answer. He's in need of rescuing, Huffer.
Yes, I heard the situation. I see why you want Mirage or Hound. You know what you're asking is probably impossible?
Yep. I'm sure you can handle it.
Ratchet carefully probed the gaping hole in Trailbreaker's chest and frowned.
Wheeljack, go keep an eye on Megatron. If he even thinks of looking this way, distract him. Trailbreaker's been out here too long; his backup power supply was damaged and he's almost out of power to maintain stasis lock. I've got to stop the power drain now.
And you can't do that when you're immaterial, check. But didn't Ironhide--
There's just a wee bit of difference between pushing someone off a wall and emergency surgery.
Point.
Wheeljack shifted from here to there--a whisper of a ghost of a presence, unknown to the Decepticons, but close enough to touch... were there anything solid enough to touch.
Megatron stood to his left and just a little bit in front of him; Soundwave was to his right. Both watched Devastator swing at the gate; Megatron with a pleased smile, and Soundwave with his usual stolidity. Two battered Insecticons--Shrapnel and Kickback--huddled near Soundwave, cringing whenever one of the big gun's shells hit nearby.
Meanwhile, Ratchet calmly bent and snipped wires in Trailbreaker's chest, isolating the shorted power supply. All the while, he knelt in plain sight in the moonlight, visible to anyone who happened to look that way.
This is not a view I'm used to having, observed Wheeljack. Now I know why Mirage likes to run around invisible all the time.
Another one of Springer's shells exploded nearby--Soundwave flinched, the Insecticons shrieked softly and ducked behind Soundwave. Megatron raised his left arm to shield his face for a moment, then lowered it, scowling.
"Why is that gun still firing at us? Soundwave! Find out why Blitzwing hasn't shut it down yet!" Megatron snapped.
Lights blinked on Soundwave's chest; the dark blue mech bowed his head, as if meditating for a few moments. "Blitzwing: out of communication. Astrotrain: reports intermittent comm failure," he reported.
"I'll 'comm failure' the both of them when this is over! That excuse is older than Cybertron!" Megatron growled. "They're too busy entertaining themselves chasing stray Autobots, no doubt." The big silver mech looked skyward for signs of his wayward triple-changers--
Uh-oh! Freeze, Ratch!
Megatron scanned the horizon behind his position briefly; his gaze skipped over the motionless blotch that had adorned the ridge for most of the day. He then concentrated on looking forward, trying to pick out which set of dark silhouettes and moonlight glints over the City were his triple-changers.
Whew! Okay, you can move now.
Another shell exploded among the Decepticons gathered at the gate.
"Enough of this!" snapped Megatron. "DEVASTATOR! FORGET THE GATE, SHUT DOWN THAT GUN TOWER!" Megatron roared at the Constructicon gestalt.
He turned to Soundwave. "Remind me to think up a suitable punishment for Blitzwing when this battle is over. I will not tolerate either failure or insubordination from him! At least Starscream is doing his job today..."
Ratchet, you about done there? Megatron is getting cranky and restless--seems Blitzwing and Astrotrain are AWOL.
*Laughter*
Private joke, Ironhide? asked Wheeljack.
Not hardly--but you two were busy in the repair bay. Catch you up on it later.
Give me five more minutes, Wheeljack, Ratchet answered.
As Devastator ripped off a chunk of outer defensive wall and hurled it at the gun tower, Megatron shifted his gun arm to a ready position and looked around--
Freeze! Uh-oh, he's definitely looking your way.
His helmeted head stopped swiveling; Megatron peered at the white blotch on the ridge. Had something moved over there? His cannon pointed carelessly at Devastator's back--
SHRRRACK!
There was a flash of brilliant pinkish-white light and a scream of pain from Devastator, followed by the crash of a collapsing wall as the gun tower finally gave way under Devastator's assault--even as Devastator collapsed into six angry Constructicons. Megatron looked at his smoking cannon in momentary horror, then turned his attention to the upset Constructicons.
All right, that's got it! What happened over there, Wheeljack?
Megatron's cannon accidentally went off. Somehow.
Uh-huh. I'm sure it did.
Hey, pushing a button is lots easier than emergency surgery!
# # #
Hound ducked as a string of bombs shrieked by and exploded about twenty yards from where he was hiding--and right in the middle of the hologram image of himself he'd been projecting. As the smoke cleared, Hound switched that image for one of a suitably brewed-up Hound. Thrust and Ramjet were getting a little too accurate for his tastes--time to get back under cover.
Black smoke spewed into the open, completely shrouding the holographic wreckage. Thrust pulled up, aborting his bombing run.
"Come on, buddy!" yelled Smokescreen. "Get your aft over here before they come back!"
Hound dove blindly across the open alleyway and through the hatch Smokescreen held open. "Just in time! They had me trapped out there, and I was running out of corners to pretend to not be in!"
Smokescreen slammed the hatch closed just as the wicked whine of jet turbines rose to a crescendo; cluster bomblets cracked and boomed outside. Smokescreen tilted his head and listened to the detonations. "Looks like they don't care what they hit, as long as they hit something."
"Yeah, let's move to another strong point before the smoke clears and they drop armor-piercing missiles on the roof," Hound answered.
By way of answer, Smokescreen shifted to auto mode and led the way. Hound transformed and followed. Just as they left that section of corridor, the roof exploded. The explosion caused Smokescreen to lose control and skid into Hound, slamming Hound into the corridor wall. Already weakened by bombardment, the wall and ceiling collapsed, pinning them both beneath tons of debris.
"Hound? You there?" a voice called.
"Unnnh--I think so," Hound said from under the debris. "Can't move; something's pinning my front end."
Hound heard debris being shifted and thrown aside. "Hang on, we'll get you out!" came Smokescreen's voice.
"Who's with you? And watch out for those blasted Cons! I'm safe under here, you can come back and get me when they're busy somewhere else," Hound replied.
"They are busy somewhere else," yelled Smokescreen. There was a clang as armor plate landed on the floor somewhere, drowning out whatever Smokescreen said next.
"This'll only take a minute!" yelled the voice that had first called Hound.
The pressure on Hound's front-end eased--then he howled in pain as something tugged at his radiator. "STOP! Something's stuck in me!"
"Uh-oh," came that first gruff voice--Hound thought he recognized the speaker, now that the debris no longer muffled his voice. "Ratchet ain't going to like that."
"Brawn?" Hound asked.
There was a crash of metal as a pile of smaller debris was unceremoniously shoved aside, and Hound could finally see.
"Yeah?" Brawn grinned at him as he tossed another slab of armor plate aside. Smokescreen looked over the orange minibot's head at Hound.
"Ouch! You've got a pipe through your radiator! Don't try transforming," Smokescreen said. He stepped around Brawn and peered at the chunk of debris impaling Hound's front grill. Brawn finished pulling debris off the rest of Hound.
"Brawn, what are you doing here?" Hound said. "I thought--"
"Looking for you," Brawn interrupted. "Didn't expect the roof to fall in when I found you!" The burly minibot waved his hand at the debris and shrugged. He looked at the red and blue Autobot standing beside him. "Hey, Smokescreen, do you think it's safe to pull that pipe out of Hound's radiator?"
"I don't know--he's got a coolant leak here," Smokescreen pointed to the puddle of green fluid dripping on the floor.
Raaatchet! Hound's got a pipe through his radiator pinning him down, should I pull it?
Is he leaking anything, Brawn? Is he online?
He's online, and leaking coolant.
Pull the pipe, get him to transform, and have him shut his engine down until that leak gets fixed.
Got it!
Brawn nodded, grabbed the pipe, and pulled.
"YOWWCH!" Hound yelled as the pipe ripped back out of his radiator, taking part of his grille with it. "Slaggin' spawn of a rusted tractor! Brawn! Next time, let First Aid do it!"
"Ah, quit your whining! Now you got to transform and shut your engine off before it melts. Gonna see if I can get Ratchet or Wheeljack down here to patch that leak," Brawn said, tossing the pipe aside.
Smokescreen looked oddly at Brawn. "Wheeljack?" There was a very big question mark in his tone.
Brawn looked up at the red and blue Autobot. "There something wrong I don't know about?" he said, dissembling.
"Yeah. Last I saw Wheeljack, he was in pretty bad shape--deactivated, at least," Smokescreen said. "We got pushed out of the main gate area by Blitzwing and Astrotrain. Not everyone made it out." Smokescreen looked at the floor. "Your buddy Windcharger was one of the ones who didn't make it. I'm sorry."
Brawn looked at him, dumbfounded. "I don't believe it!"
I don't believe this! Windcharger! Smokescreen knows both you and Wheeljack are dead, and just blurted it out to Hound. And me! Now what do I do?
Oops? I guess me and Huffer will stick with looking for Mirage! replied Windcharger.
Hey, play to your strengths, Brawn! suggested Wheeljack. Dig your heels in, be stubborn, deny the obvious.
I love ya too, Wheeljack! Somebody needs to get over here and patch Hound's leak, because 'handy with tools' describes someone besides me!
Smokescreen spread his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "You've seen the fighting. No guarantees any of us are going to make it." He shook his head. "Maybe they're just offline, I didn't exactly have time to check, you know?"
"I'll believe it when I see it! If they're down, Ratchet'll take care of 'em both, you'll see."
Hound transformed with a groan. "I don't feel so good."
"Kill your engines," Smokescreen reminded him.
Hound sat down on a pile of debris. "Not going anywhere now," he said.
"Hang on, I'm trying to raise Ratchet," Brawn said. "He was out in the field doing some emergency repairs last I heard from him..."
Wheeljack! Stop fooling around with Megatron and come keep an eye on Trailbreaker. I'll see to Hound, Ratchet informed them.
'Fooling around with Megatron'? Do I want to know? asked Prowl distractedly.
Probably not, advised Ratchet.
You've found Hound, he's injured--Huffer, what's the status on locating Mirage?
No luck, Prowl. He's not in the repair bay, and we haven't seen him in any of the fighting around the City. He's probably dead in an alley somewhere.
No. Huffer, we'd have noticed if Mirage was dead, replied Prowl.
Hmph. He's probably offline under a pile of debris, then.
Or just gallivanting around invisible, offered Ironhide.
"Hey, Brawn--while we're waiting, why were you looking for me anyway?" Hound said.
"'Cause we need to rescue Trailbreaker--he's out front of the gate on the ridge, and hurt bad," Brawn said. "Need you or Mirage or both--know what I mean?"
Smokescreen gave Brawn and Hound a worried look. "Out in front of the gate? That's where Megatron was!"
Hound chuckled. "I figure that's why it's my job or Mirage's--got to snatch Trailbreaker out from under their noses."
Once Ratchet finally turned up, it took him less than ten minutes to patch Hound's coolant leak. "Next time, don't wait for the wall to fall on you before you move," he said with a tolerant smile.
Prowl! I got an idea! announced Windcharger. Need your access codes!
My access codes? What for? That's restricted information--
Prowl, I don't think that matters anymore, Ironhide gently chided.
.... Right. Old habit; forget I mentioned that. 'BLUE42:Q:QR2' should get you everything. What are you doing in my files, anyway?
...and now the entire Allspark knows where to find Prowl's mortal secrets, commented a deep, mellifluous mind-voice with a chuckle. Anything interesting in there? Forbidden art? Blackmail material?
Cadence, don't you have something you should be doing?
I do, and I am indeed doing it, though the success of our endeavors will not be known until some time later than yours, I fear. I was curious as to how your mission was progressing. Good luck, my once-enemy.
Good luck, Cadence.
Our 'mission'? queried Ironhide.
That is one way of describing it, Prowl answered. 'Seek those who need you, find the lost, calm the fearful, protect the innocent, comfort the dying' -- and while we're at it, try to make sure as many people on both sides get out of here in one piece, or 'very bad situation' goes to 'absolute worst'.
Oh yeah, that. Figures an ex-Decepticon would think of that as 'a mission'. Seems to me the first part is just a good definition of what we're all about.
# # #
In the midst of battle, Red Alert's office should have been deserted. Instead, two mini-bots stood at his desk, tampering with the security chief's computer.
"Huffer, we have the access codes! How long does it take to find the stupid duty roster?" Windcharger asked, jumping up and down beside the orange and blue mini-bot.
"Windcharger, in all my years did I ever tell you how to fight? In all your years, did you ever tell me how to build something? I'll find it when I find it," Huffer answered. "Assuming it didn't get accidentally deleted from a power surge or something."
He pulled up another file on the screen. "Mirage's battle station was the northern gate--he should have been somewhere near the bridge. According to the duty roster, he was on duty in that area, so he would have been able to get there in time."
Windcharger looked thoughtful. Hey guys--if you're Mirage the Invisible Sharpshooter, stationed at the north bridge, what do you do when the Decepticons come pouring in?
Prowl's answer came quickly. Flank the Decepticons invisibly and start picking off susceptible targets.
Only there aren't any Decepticons faceplanted in the dirt out there, so I figure something happened to Mirage early on, which means he's somewhere around the bridge.
"Huffer, can you find the North Gate security video? Watch around the time the Cons attacked," Windcharger said.
Huffer looked at him sourly. "I suppose we need it right now, too. Maybe I can find it. If it didn't get erased when the camera was blown up, and if Prowl's code works for the security cams, and if..." He fiddled with the computer a bit more and a video started playing on the monitor, showing the North Gate area. Both of them watched it intently.
"Okay, there's Hot Rod coming hellbent for leather with the Decepticons behind him, and they've already started transforming the city, the bridge is retracting--there! See that?" Windcharger pointed at a momentary flicker on the screen. "Back it up and slow it, 'kay?"
"I saw it--okay, there." Huffer paused the video. "Yep, that's Mirage. Looks like he's running across the bridge away from the city--Prowl's right about his tactics."
"Play the rest of it--does he show up again?"
"Probably not, but we'll watch it anyway," Huffer said.
"Oh that was a neat move with the Insecticons!" Windcharger said admiringly as he watched Hot Rod's leap into the city. "Hold it! Right there, someone backshot Bombshell!" Windcharger mentally back-tracked the shot-- "Came from somewhere across the bridge. Ouch! Megatron tossed off a shot in that direction, and someone fell." He watched until the video suddenly cut off, and then shook his head. "Didn't see anything more. Should have at least seen a downed mech, if Megatron hit anyone but Mirage." His optics brightened and the blue and red mini-bot smiled wickedly.
"Huffer, let's go find the invisible man!" Windcharger clapped Huffer on the shoulder. "He's got to be one of two places--in the ditch, or just on the edge of it near the road."
Huffer shut down Red Alert's terminal and straightened things back up the way he'd found them. "Maybe. If we get lucky. Just..."
"What, Huffer?" Windcharger had already faded from sight.
"Just don't look too far down the road." Huffer faded as well.
"Bad, huh?"
"Very bad."
# # #
It didn't take the two mini-bots very long to find the scrape marks where something heavy had rolled or slid down the outer wall of the ditch to its floor. Following the trail of dirt and debris, Windcharger all but tripped over the unconscious body of Mirage.
Ratchet! We found Mirage, and he's hurt.
Windcharger, I'll be right there as soon as I can shake loose from Hound and Smokescreen.
Ratchet, we might need Hound to get Mirage clear...
I figured that out. That's why Brawn is sticking with them.
Yep, sure am! Uh, one thing guys... just keep me up on who knows which one of you is dead, so I don't nearly shove my big fat foot in my mouth again.
Hey! I was too far offline to pay attention to sightseers, 'kay? Wheeljack protested.
It's probably a safe bet that anyone who was holding the north gate area knows me and Wheeljack are, um, not among the officially functional anymore, pointed out Windcharger.
And if Hot Rod and Kup don't know that Huffer didn't make it, they're a lot stupider than I thought, Prowl added.
And everybody who knew who was coming in on that shuttle today is giving me real funny looks, if you know what I mean, Ratchet commented.
You ain't the only one getting funny looks! Brawn countered.
Trust me, they weren't half as funny as the looks Ironhide and I got from Blitzwing, Prowl added drily.
*guffaw*
I'll bet!
This has to do with why he and Astrotrain are AWOL, right? Wheeljack asked.
Yes.
You're not going to tell me, are you?
Later, Wheeljack.
Nice to know you're still the same old Prowl...
A few minutes later, Ratchet was suddenly there, another spectral presence alongside the spectral mini-bots. He knelt by Mirage.
Oh, this is cute! I'm intangible and he's invisible. At least he's in better shape than Trailbreaker--doesn't feel like he's ready to up and join us at any moment.
Ratchet looked from one hopeful, concerned minibot to the other. He made his decision and nodded.
Huffer, I'm going to need your help here. Windcharger, go up top and keep an eye on Megatron--overcome any urge you have to pull triggers that don't belong to you. And keep an eye out for those lousy Seekers--I'm more worried about them flying overhead at the wrong moment than I am that Megatron will suddenly get worried about what's behind him and under his feet.
Deep in the shadow of the ditch, Ratchet was the faintest of pale shapes; more shadowy still was the form of Huffer. The Autobot medic ran fingers over an invisible shape; there was a very faint 'click'.
"I've got to deactivate Mirage's invisibility field by feel," he told Huffer. "Then we can see what needs to be done."
"That's nearly imposs--"
A second click, and Mirage flickered into sight. An ugly hole marred his midriff on the left side, scorched and discolored metal on the edge giving way to melted armor and charred wiring. Ratchet probed carefully in the damaged area.
"Mmm, looks worse than it is. Mostly surface damage--he must have been at extreme range--but I need to disconnect the pain receptors or he's going to wake up screaming," Ratchet noted. Deft fingers opened and adjusted connections deep in Mirage's torso. "He won't be transforming until he gets some repair, though."
"And if he'd been at closer range?" Huffer asked.
"Let me put it this way--I was at close range," Ratchet answered rather drily.
Huffer winced. "Um, so why's he still offline?"
"I suspect the shock threw him into stasis lock. His auto-repair system would have brought him out of it soon enough, I'm just hurrying things along a bit. Ah, there we go."
Mirage's optics flickered, then lit up with a dim blue glow. He looked up at the two Autobots. "Ratchet? Huffer? What's going on now? How bad am I--?"
"You've got an ugly hole that looks nastier than it is, you won't be transforming until we can get you to a repair bay, and Megatron is upstairs shooting up the place with the rest of his goons, so I'd be, ah, discrete if I were you," Ratchet quickly told him. "We need your help for a rescue."
Mirage sat up and reset the switch controlling his invisibility field. "But first you had to rescue me. How droll!" he said in a tone of dry amusement. He looked up, and listened to the sounds of battle raging nearby.
"However did you manage to find me? And get past that ruckus upstairs?" Mirage asked as he stood up. "And who needs rescuing?"
"It's a long story that involves some seriously unauthorized use of Red's computer. Trailbreaker is out on the ridge in full sight of the Decepticons, and he's in bad shape--I'm not betting on his chances if he stays out there much longer, if he's even still alive. 'Cons think he's dead, I don't. Figure between you and Hound, we just might be able to extract him," Ratchet said.
"Now I just need to get out of this ditch, and I can scout the situation," Mirage mused, looking up at the steep metal slope.
"Ratchet and I can boost you out," said Huffer.
"And how will you two get out?" Mirage countered.
"Same way we got down here. Don't worry, we'll manage our end. Once you've sized up the situation, raise Hound on your channel and fill him in on your plan. I'll be expecting to see you and Trailbreaker in the repair bay soon. If I'm not there, First Aid will be," Ratchet answered.
Mirage nodded. "Will do. Gentlemen, let's do it!"
Like some wall of difficulty had fallen, everything after that fell neatly into place, like the perfect plan elegantly executed. Mirage made his way to Trailbreaker as Hound sneaked out of Autobot City under the cover of his own holograms. So smoothly as to be downright boring, Mirage hefted Trailbreaker to his shoulders under the cover of Hound's hologram, turned his invisibility field on to cover them both, and carried the badly wounded Autobot back to the city while Hound maintained the illusion that Trailbreaker still lay on the ridge.
Gentlemen, that was very well done! Ratchet noted approvingly.
Seems like you did most of the work, Ratchet. Megatron didn't even look back the whole time you had me playing lookout--not much work for me, replied Windcharger.
Seems to me you guys found Hound and Mirage in the first place, Ratchet pointed out. Wheeljack, let's see if First Aid needs help with Trailbreaker. And Prowl?
Yes, Ratchet?
Mission accomplished. You can have Huffer's crew back now.
Affirmative!
# # #
"Astrotrain, is it just me, or can Ramjet not bomb in a straight line even if it's drawn on the ground for him?" Blitzwing circled over the burning fortress, looking for his next target.
"It's his habit of ramming his head into solid objects, like Autobots and the ground. Messed up his gyros a long time ago," replied Astrotrain, who was also looking for targets he could shoot from above.
"I see that 'dead' Autobot is gone from the ridge outside the gate," said Blitzwing, drifting into formation with Astrotrain.
"Mmm-hmm."
"I see the white Autobot whose name we won't mention because he can't possibly be there--and that we didn't shoot at because he's not actually there because we both know he's laying dead in that shuttle--isn't wandering around repairing wounded Autobots out in the field any more."
"Mmm-hmm!"
"And that other guy that Skywarp and Thundercracker shredded while I was chasing Hot Rod, he's not--"
"Blitzwing--Just shut the hell up! Now." Astrotrain's fire control radar locked onto Blitzwing's jet form.
"I wasn't saying anything more." Blitzwing said innocently.
"Mmm-hmm." Astrotrain managed to squeeze a truckload of sarcasm into a two-syllable grunt.
"...Just a thought I had..."
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Astrotrain's fire control radar lit up again.
"You're no fun anymore," Blitzwing said sulkily.
"DEAD MECHS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE RUNNING AROUND LIKE THAT!"
"Well it's not my fault! Sheesh, what are you taking your temper out on me for? Just because I'm pointing out facts you don't happen to like..." Blitzwing sounded aggrieved.
"You are deliberately tormenting me and you know it!"
"Yep. Enjoying it, too. This opens up whole new possibilities--I hope the day I get scrapped, I can then fly around annoying the hell out of my enemies." From the tone of his voice, Blitzwing was grinning from audial to audial.
"Blitzwing, if you'd stop joking around for five minutes and think--"
"I'd what?"
"In all the years of this war, and in all the battles we've fought, have you ever seen the ghosts of the dead? Ever had them talk to you before? Blitzwing, something is seriously wrong--and I don't mean in the sense of 'Megatron's latest plan just blew up in his face' wrong, but 'the stars all just went out and gravity doesn't work anymore' Seriously Fragging Wrong!"
"Yeah, I kinda figured that. So what do you do?" Blitzwing waggled his ailerons by way of a shrug. "Me, I figure I'll keep my eyes open and my head down and survive best I can."
"It'd be easier to plan on survival if we knew what was going down. I've got a hunch it's going to get crazier before it gets better. Watch your aft, Blitzwing."
"Watch yours, 'Train."
"You got that right."