** Up From Underground **
by Ivy Bohnlein
based on characters created by Hasbro and the Admin/Players of the
Transformers 2k5 MUSH

     "He's right behind us!  Whiz, hurry up!"
     I looked up at my tall, red companion with a glare.  "Do you want
these charges placed *right*, Firestar, or do you want them to bring this
tunnel down on our heads instead of Shockwave's?"
     Chromia looked over at both of us with irritation flickering in her
ordinarily warm blue optics.  "Cut the chatter, both of you.  Let Whiz do
her work, Firestar."
     I  gave Firestar my best 'so there' look and turned back to the
project.  This time, I pushed all the extra thoughts from my mind firmly.
 They were right, Shockwave and his goons were right behind us, and I was
supposed to stop him.  I placed the final charge precisely, near the base
of one of the main support pillars.  "Done," I announced, "Let's get out
of here."
     "I knew you'd get it, Whiz," Moonracer said with her usual high
spirits.  She leaped forward, her pale blue body turning and folding into
her more compact vehicular form.
     "Save the congratulations for when we get back to the base," Elita-I,
our leader, said firmly.  Just when I was starting to feel good about
myself, too.  She held up a slender pink arm and waved toward the exit
corridor.  "We need to get this energon out of here safely before we
start patting ourselves on the back."
     I felt a slight tremor under my feet.  "Shockwave's drones," I
announced.  I hardly needed to; the others were already preparing to
leave.  I took a position near the exit from the booby-trapped chamber as
the others transformed, ready to roll out at my signal.  On my wrist
console, I punched up the identification codes for each of the explosive
packets.
      Oh no. Where is it?
     I checked again, this time feeling a familiar constricting feeling in
my chest as anxiety took over.
     "Whiz?" Elita asked, as gently as possible.  "What is it?"
     I scrambled to my feet.  "The last explosive!  I didn't arm the
countdown mechanism!"
     Firestar revved her engine unconsciously as Chromia called, "Whiz!
How could you forget?"
     "It's not important now," Elita said, trying to be heard over my
anxious sisters.  "It's too late to go back in there."
     "Sorry, Elita," I said, "But it's the key to the whole chain-reaction.
 I'll make it."  I ran into the chamber, heading straight for the
explosive and trying to ignore the shouts from behind me.  I could feel
the ground vibrating even more strongly as the Decepticon drones
approached.  Not much time...
     "Whiz, come back here!" Sunrunner urged, "You're fast, but not *that*
fast!"
     I shut them out of my mind as I knelt in front of the explosive,
punching in a special code to arm the timer.  As it bleeped in
acknowledgment, my time ran out.
     Shockwave's evenly modulated voice simply said, "Get her."
     I rose to my feet and sprinted for the exit, starting the countdown
for the explosives as I ran.  "Go!" I shouted to my waiting companions,
"They're armed!"
     Elita started her engine.  "You heard her!  Move!"
     As they sped away, Firestar called back to me, her voice shaking with
panic.  "Hurry, Whiz!"
     Laser fire bounced off of the walls and floor as the drones crowded
into the chamber behind me.  Perfect, just keep following - get as many
in here as you can...  I transformed, folding myself into a sleek green
airskimmer and slicing through the air on my way toward the door.
     It was actually a good plan, but I hadn't counted on Shockwave
dirtying his hands -- well, *hand* -- by firing on me directly.  The poor
aim of Decepticon drones had saved my life more than once before, so I
knew that the blast that sliced straight into my right hoverjet had to
have come from Big Purple himself.  Not that it was much consolation as I
careened out of control and broadsided the wall *hard*.
     I was rattled, but not too badly damaged.  I fired up the jets once
more, heading for safety even though I already knew it was too late.  A
series of popping and crumbling sounds filled the room as the explosives
hidden around the chamber exploded.  As expected, the drones stopped as
Shockwave tried to process what had just happened.  I had a split second
to take pride in my work -- after all, when the explosives are placed
correctly, the Cons never know what just happened until they're buried
under the ceiling -- before I realized that I was going to be a victim of
my own cleverness.
     I tried desperately for one last push through the exit, but to my
horror, I saw the tunnel's entrance collapse just as I neared it.  I
slammed on my brakes, spinning around in a skid and catching a quick
glimpse of Shockwave diving through the opposite door as the chamber
between us literally fell apart.  A large chunk of reinforced
ferroconcrete plummeted from the ceiling to crush in the head of one
drone, whose body I pulled over me as meager protection from the falling
rubble.  At some point, something must have struck me, because I blacked
out.

     I came to in darkness, staring at a pair of red eyes.  I stifled my
startled gasp as the facts percolated in my brain.  First off, it was a
good sign that there was a pair of eyes -- at least it's not Shockwave.
Second, once I regained my sense of perspective, I realized that the
optics were very small.  Just a turbo-rat.  I shifted my hand impatiently
and it scampered off in a hurry.  If that was all I had to deal with down
here, I'd be very lucky.  I raised my head carefully, lowering an
infra-visor over my optics to get a better look at my surroundings.  The
room was filled with debris, some areas still glowing with the residual
heat of the explosions.  Several of the hulks next to me were the rapidly
cooling shells of deactivated drones, but there was no sign of anything
living, aside from myself and the turbo-rats.  Lucky me.
     I dragged myself to a sitting position, glad that I had used the
drone's body as protection.  I was okay, but it was halfway crushed, and
definitely twisted beyond recognition.  I took a minute to do an internal
system check and popped open an access panel on my calf to correct some
damage to its circuitry, then checked another damaged panel at my waist.
Satisfied that I was in good working order, I clambered to my feet.
     By now, the others were probably back at the base and wondering what
happened to me.  It was dangerous, but I had to try to contact them.  I
tried our most secure frequencies, then dropped in desperation to
broadband Autobot channels.  It was hopeless - I was either too far
underground, or the collapse had damaged my equipment.  Great.  You're on
your own now, Whiz-kid.
     I armed my railgun and dropped to a low crouch, moving with a dragging
step that the others had taught me.  Deaden your footfalls in the
tunnels, you never know who'll be listening.  Listen for what's ahead.
Careful, careful, careful.
     Double-check, Whiz.  Hurry, Whiz.  Stop daydreaming, Whiz.  As
annoying as the chorus had always been, I wished I could hear it right
then.  Better than the silence, darkness, emptiness of these tunnels.  I
thought of them in the base, waiting for me to come home.  Worried.  And
who would repair their injuries if I didn't make it back?
     The original exit was blocked, but the collapse of the walls had
exposed another passageway to the right.  I didn't recognize it, but
maybe it would join up with something familiar.  I shrugged.  Not that
there was much choice, I thought as I watched the turbo-rats make the
corridor into their new Main Street.  I wasn't going to find an exit that
they couldn't find.
     I crept down the tunnel carefully, trying to imagine what Elita or
Moonracer would do.  They were the ones who were good at this, after all.
 The other Femmes only pulled me out of the base for the occasional
bomb-placing, not for everyday raids.  I was needed at home, they told
me.  We can't risk losing our best medic and technician, they said.
Yeah, right.  I knew what they really meant.  Whiz, you're too young.
Too inexperienced.  You don't think things through.
     Well, I'd show them.  I'd make it back to base all on my own, and just
when they'd given up hope, I'd walk in through the doors.  They'd all
yell, "Whiz!" and they'd run up and hug me and make me a hero.  Yeah.  And
they'd tell me that they'd realized how important I was to them, and how
much they missed me, and that I wasn't a screw-up after all.  "Oh Whiz!"
they'd say, "We didn't know if you'd make it!  You saved us all!"  I'd
show them...
     A muffled crash startled me out of my daydream.  Behind me -- it must
be the Decepticons breaking into the collapsed chamber again.  Belatedly
I realized that I could feel the tell-tale vibration under my feet.
Idiot, I cursed myself through my clenched jaw.  Not paying attention
really *is* going to get me killed.  I'd taken the only route out of the
chamber, too, so they were going to find me pretty quickly if I didn't
think of something else *fast*.  My optics darted around the tunnel for a
place to hide and fell upon a narrow side passage -- probably for
maintenance drones.  I wriggled my way in just as light flashed into the
tunnel from the chamber behind me.  In the shadows, I could make out a
steady stream of turbo-rats fleeing into my little tunnel to escape the
light.  Oh well, you know what they say, all Primus' creatures, and all
that.  Besides, they might make natural camouflage.  I lay on the ground,
sending my small and squeaky companions scurrying, and curled up into a
protective ball.  I had to make myself as unnoticeable as possible.  The
rats lost no time in swarming back over me, peppering my metal skin with
their tiny footsteps.  The feeling gave me the creeps, and I could barely
stifle a shudder.  They're just rats, I reminded myself, trying to keep
calm.  Shockwave's the real danger.
     I distracted myself by listening to the approaching footsteps.  I must
have been out for a while if Shockwave has already been able to get to
Decepticon headquarters and bring some new troops down here.  Hmmm...
instead of just the usual dull hum of the drones' rolling treads, there
were two sets of actual footsteps aside from Shockwave's own.  Not only
did he have drones with him -- at least two, maybe more -- he'd brought
down some of the Decepticons with brains.  Well, what passed for them
among Decepticons, anyway.  I suppose I should have been flattered by
their obvious regard for my abilities, but I wasn't in much of a mood for
that at the time.  I was too busy feeling doomed.
     I was also busy trying to force myself to keep drawing in air.  By
now, I was blanketed by a layer of turbo-rats, just like a part of the
floor.  I had formed a little air-pocket in front of my face by folding
my arms over my head, but it was starting to feel a bit *too* little.
The walls were too close, the rats were taking all of my air, the
Decepticons were going to find me...  it took all of my self control to
keep from leaping to my feet and bolting out of my hiding place.
     And I had never really thought about what turbo-rats actually lived on
down here.  Not until I felt the sting of a tiny set of teeth sinking
into my arm.  I winced, but was unable to wave the rat away this time.
The Decepticons would be here any moment, and I had to remain still.
Besides, a little bite or two wouldn't kill me.
     That was before the news got circulated through their tiny little
collective rat-pack mind that this morsel was dead, or at least unable to
fight back.  A feast had just dropped into their midst.  And as a wave of
pain swept over me from a thousand different rat bites, I found out
*exactly* what turbo-rats lived on down here.
     I wanted to cry out, but I had to clamp my jaws shut and endure it.  I
fantasized about standing up and spraying them all with hot laser death,
about stomping them to pieces, and about sending them all fleeing
straight into an incinerator.  But for every dream of revenge, there were
ten dreams of escape.  By now, raw panic had set in, constricting my
chest and leaving me desperate to break out and run.  Nothing could
possibly be worse than this turbo-rat nightmare -- by the time the
Decepticons left, I would be too weak to get up again, I thought
desperately as every circuit and servo in my body screamed at me to run
as fast as I could.
     Then all the turbo-rats stopped biting and froze in place.  Luckily
for me, they were unwilling to abandon their free banquet, even though
they had just been spotlighted by the searching Decepticons.
     "Ugh."  An noise of disgust came from beyond my hiding niche, back in
the main corridor.
     "What is it, Guillotine?" Shockwave's level voice asked coldly.
     The 'Con he'd called Guillotine responded, "Turbo-rats.  Must be
thousands of them, probably running from that explosion in the chamber
back there."
     "Any sign of the female Autobot?" another voice chimed in.
     "Nah, nothing Windfinder.  No little Femme is going to run straight
into *that*.  Those rats would eat her alive," Guillotine responded.
     I choked and repressed a shudder.  I knew it, oh Primus, I don't want
to die this way!
     "Are you certain?  We will have to fan out ahead and cannot risk
leaving the Femme behind us.  I will not fail Megatron again by allowing
any of them to escape," Shockwave said.
     I just hoped they wouldn't call Windfinder over to take a look, or I
might be discovered despite my rat-fur coat.  He was one of the Seekers,
if I remembered right, and was known for his ability to track down
Autobots, rogue Decepticons, or anything else Shockwave might set him
looking for.  Guillotine, on the other hand, was a well-known
interrogator.  He was a self-styled expert in Autobot psychology, and
prided himself on being able to find anyone's 'breaking point'.  He could
do exactly the right thing to make someone crack, quickly and without
excessive torture.  Not too bright, though, by all accounts.  He was
supposed to be pretty easy to fool if you just fed his ego.  As long as
he was convinced that I'd be too afraid of the rats to enter here, he
wouldn't see me even if I waved at him.
     "All clear, Shockwave.  We're wasting time here -- she's up ahead."
Well, I was right about *one* thing today.  I hated to admit it, though,
but he was right.  If I hadn't been so stupid, I *would* have kept
running.
     "Move out then, Decepticons.  We must find her before she is able to
meet up with her allies," Shockwave ordered.  I heard their footsteps
retreating and almost sighed aloud with relief.
     Of course, I had to wait to allow them to get out of hearing range,
and as soon as the light disappeared, the rats resumed snacking.  The
pain of each bite flowed into the pain of the others, leaving the whole
of my exposed skin prickling with hurt and fear.  Finally, one of them
managed to maneuver in under my arms and bite my face, just above my jaw.
 That was the limit of what my nerves could endure.  I leaped to my feet,
sending them scurrying in all directions, as I grabbed the thing still
attached to my cheek and flung it, unthinkingly, against the wall with
all my strength.  It made a broken squeak as it collided and then fell
lifeless to the ground.  By that time, though, I was slapping off the few
that still remained clinging to me, not even feeling the punches that
landed on my skin in the midst of my rage.  I just had to get them *off*
of me, it didn't matter how.
     Finally they had all retreated, leaving me panting, alone, in the
small passage.  I kicked away the bodies of the dead rats, consigning
them to their fate as food for the others of their pack.  A dim sense of
horror crept over me as I realized that I had just killed other living,
feeling beings in the midst of my fury, but it was hard to feel remorse
when I remembered lying helpless on the ground as they'd tried to eat me
alive.  I shivered.  I'd remember that for the rest of my life.
     I crept to the mouth of the passageway and peered out.  This time, no
more running blindly.  I strained all my senses, and was able to detect
the hum and vibration of the drones back in the main chamber.  So much
for going that way.  I could probably take them out, but it would tell
Shockwave right where I was.  Not to mention that I'd be running right
back into the heart of Decepticon territory.  I looked uncertainly in the
other direction.  No choice.  I was going to have to follow the
Decepticons who thought that they were following me.
     I moved out cautiously, keeping as close to the tunnel walls as
possible.  As I moved along, I began to hear snatches of conversation
from up ahead.
     "She can't.... ahead. Not... speed.  And gotta... injured... cave-in."
 Guillotine said.
     When Windfinder spoke, his voice was pitched with anger, and raised
loud enough to be clearly heard.  "I'm telling you, I can't detect any
signs of her passing through here.  That means we're either way behind
her, or she's still back there."
     Guillotine laughed.  "Bet... back in... rubble.  That or... not the
tracker you think you are."  I was getting close enough to hear
everything, which meant that I was close enough to get myself into
trouble.  I hugged my railgun to my chest and pressed up against the
wall, trying not to be heard or noticed.
     "I'll show you what kind of tracker I am..." Windfinder growled
menacingly, and there was the sound of a quick scuffle.
     "Desist, both of you.  The Autobot may be under the rubble, but if she
is still on the run, she may yet be of use to us.  There are three
tunnels, which is why I brought you two with me.  We will separate.  Keep
in radio contact."  Shockwave admonished.
     There was a low grumbling and then their footsteps moved off.  Great,
Whiz, take your chances.  And just *hope* that you don't pick the tunnel
with Shockwave in it.
     When their movements had faded from hearing, I cautiously moved
forward.  A blinking red light at the junction ahead froze me in my
tracks.  A sensor.  I wasn't in range yet, but I couldn't take any
chances.  I puled a frequency-scanner from subspace and ran down the list
of usual Decepticon frequencies, stopping when I hit a match.  Perfect.
I managed to convince the sensor to accept my energy signature as
authentic Decepticon goodness, then tentatively stepped into its range.
The slender metal tube remained silent, its red light flashing with the
same content rhythm.  I allowed myself a sigh of relief, then continued
across the room, checking the shadows for any more surprises.  None
appeared, so I studied the tunnels in vain for some kind of clues.  Three
of them, like Shockwave had said, and no sign of who had chosen which
tunnel.
     All I had to do was get in front of them, and I'd be home free.
Windfinder wouldn't be able to use his pyramid-jet form in these close
confines, Shockwave was slow in either mode, and if I remembered
correctly, Guillotine transformed into a heavily armored, but very
sluggish assault vehicle.  If I could just get past one of them -- and
find my way out of here -- I'd be as good as home.
     I examined the tunnels again, this time trying to match their
positions with areas that I knew.  If this first one made a turn to the
left, it might take me into more familiar territory.  If not, well, all
tunnels have to lead somewhere.  I checked my weapons for readiness, then
took the plunge down the tunnel and back into darkness.
     My spirits lifted as the tunnel began to curve gently to the left.
This was it!  I was going to get out of here after all!  A breeze on my
face, fresh air, light...
     A laser blast sizzling past my head shook *that* image from me quickly
enough.  I dove to the floor, shooting a fragmentation sphere forward to
the area I thought the shot had come from.  A roar of pain answered the
sound of its explosion, and I couldn't help but smile.  Score one for the
kid.
     Still, I couldn't just stand here and wait for the other Decepticons
to arrive.  Hoping to catch my opponent off-guard, I transformed and
barreled down the corridor on a collision course with him.  As an extra
precaution, I dampened my sensors and turned on my floodlights at full
power to blind him, spraying laser bolts around the tunnel randomly from
the small turret mounted atop my airskimmer form.
     Windfinder shouted angrily as he threw one arm up to protect his
optics and lowered the other to fire upon me.  Blasts scorched my sides,
making my course waver, but I was determined to force my way down the
tunnel, one way or another.  I collided with him hard, the force of the
impact shuddering through my frame, then gunned my hoverjets to leap
beyond him.  His arms reached up to grab me, but his fingers just
scrabbled along my surface as I sped ahead.  I'm free! I thought
gleefully.
     The feeling didn't last nearly long enough.  Fires suddenly ripped
through my side as a blast seared me, blowing out one of my hoverjets.  I
careened to the side and slammed into the wall, transforming to robot
mode as I crumpled to the ground.  I looked back in disbelief to see
Guillotine standing in the hallway holding Shockwave, in gun form, in his
hands.  I groaned, wondering through the haze of pain how they'd gotten
there so fast.  Windfinder got to his feet as Shockwave flipped up into
the air and came down in robot form.
     The tracker came over to me, clutching his side, and snarled, "Did you
think you could sneak up behind a tracker?" He kicked me in the side when
I didn't respond.  "Idiot Autobot!"
     Shockwave's single glowing optic gleamed malevolently in his blank
face.  You did well to radio us when you did, Windfinder."
     "Yeah, had a feeling she'd get away from you," Guillotine chimed in
tauntingly.
     Windfinder shoved Guillotine.  "I would have had her if I didn't have
to worry about hitting *you* behind her, you slagging idiot!"
     Shockwave lowered his arm to train his plasma cannon on my face as he
told his quarreling lackeys, "Silence.  We have captured her and will
extract the location of the others in time.  Windfinder, hold her.
Guillotine, get to work."

     I was frozen, desperately trying to think of a way out of this.  I
directed all of my self-repair systems toward the damage to my hoverjets,
on the slim chance that I might be able to break away somehow.  When
Windfinder dragged me off of the ground by my shoulders, I offered no
resistance.  What was the point?  If I was going to get away now, it was
going to be because of my brains, not my muscle.  Good thing too, given
the amount of muscle I was packing.
     Windfinder held me up roughly, snickering malevolently in my audio
when I whimpered as his grip twisted against a burned spot on my upper
arm.  Guillotine stuck his face in mine, tilting my chin up with a
fingertip and examining the rat-bite on my face.
     "So, you were hiding in that passage after all, little mouse.  You
were able to displace your fears of the rats because of your even greater
terror of your natural enemies, isn't that right?  Decepticon males, your
polar opposites and natural superiors," he observed in a lofty tone.
     I almost laughed in his face, but bit back my response.  After all, he
was supposed to be easy to fool if he thought he had you scared.  My only
response was to widen my optics in mock-terror as I thought, Please let
me fool this idiot long enough to get away, so that someday I can discuss
this superiority issue with him one on one....
     Shockwave's optic glimmered watchfully over Guillotine's shoulder as
he said, "Your psychological analysis is unnecessary.  Just get the
information.  Megatron wants the females captured and destroyed."
     My intent questioner nodded.  "Did you hear that, little Autobot?
I've got permission to do whatever I have to, unless you tell me what I
want to know.  Now, I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't
cooperate.  Where is your base?"
     "What base?" I asked innocently.
     My vision was momentarily blurred as he struck me across the face.
"The base for you and your female Autobot friends."
     "What friends?" I echoed, smirking despite the ringing in my audio.
     I was backhanded again, harder this time.  For a minute, Shockwave
even looked like he had two eyes.  "I'm warning you," Guillotine said
harshly, "You don't want to make me angry.  Where is Elita-I?"
     "Right now?  Probably looking for me," I answered.  It was more of a
punch this time, and I probably would have fallen if I hadn't been held
up.  Windfinder took the opportunity to tighten his grip, and my arms
throbbed under the pressure.
     "Tell me, where do Elita-I and her female Autobots base their
operations?" Guillotine hissed, pulling a metal rod from subspace.
     "Iacon, like everyone else," I lied.  Most of the Autobots in Iacon
had no idea we still existed.
     Guillotine swung the rod into my waist, doubling me over with the
impact.  I groaned, then screamed as he held it against my skin and
flicked a switch that heated it into a white-hot brand.  He pulled the
horrible thing away, smirking in satisfaction at the blackened welt that
was left across the pale grey metal.  "Don't make me do that again, you
lying Autobot scrap-spawn," he said in a very level, almost soothing
voice.  "I would hate to see you ruined by scorch-marks."
     The pain had seared open whole new pathways in my mind as it swept
aside all distractions.  A plan formed itself in my mind, and I began
preparing to put it into action as soon as my jets were fully functioning
again.
     "Tell me, little one," Guillotine tried again.  "Where is the base?"
     "I don't know what you're talking about," I coughed.
     This time the burning wand was pressed across the knuckles of my left
hand.  I shrieked again, feeling currents of pain run up my arm each time
my fingers moved even a small amount.  Windfinder snickered again from
behind me, obviously impressed by Guillotine's methods.
     But Shockwave's optic glowed steadily in front of me.  It didn't even
affect him, this torture.  I was like some insect to him, beneath his
notice.  He was just going to see how much I could endure before I
cracked, as if this was all some cheap science-fair experiment.  I
channeled my anger at him; him and that impassive light that passed for a
face.  Just give me one good shot at him...
     Guillotine put the wand away and pulled out a laser scalpel.  "Don't
make this more difficult for either of us," he told me calmly.  "You
don't really want to lose a finger or two, do you?"
     Things were going from bad to worse.  Where did these twisted monsters
learn this stuff?  "Actually," I gasped, "I always thought five was
excessive."
     His optics narrowed.  "Take refuge in sarcasm if you wish, but it
won't save you from the pain," he assured me.  "Now, where is the base?"
     "Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning," I said.  Let
them try to figure that one out.
     "Is she delirious?" Shockwave asked, as if he saw it all the time.
     Guillotine shook his head and motioned for Windfinder to hold my right
hand up and steady.  "She merely finds herself clever.  She needs to be
taught otherwise."  He then lopped off my smallest finger with a quick
pass of the scalpel.  At first, I only felt a stinging trace, since the
cut was so clean.  Then, as the finger tumbled to the ground, as searing
wave of pain shot down my hand and into my arm.  I howled in agony,
desperately checking the status of the repairs.  Just a little while
longer, just a little...
     For the first time, I was afraid I might not make it.
     "Why continue this needless suffering?  You need only tell us where
the base is located, and we will allow you to go."
     "Yeah," I gasped, "Right."
     Guillotine grasped me by the jaw, tilting my head roughly from side to
side.  "Such a sweet, pretty little face," he observed, as Windfinder
chuckled darkly.  "Wouldn't it be a shame to see it destroyed?"  There
was an odd, eager sound to his voice.
     I didn't get it.  Why should I be more concerned about my face than
anything else?  As long as he didn't try for my optics, what was there to
be afraid of?  Then I realized -- this was his big play.  The breaking
point that he was so fond of finding, the one thing that tossed his
victims over the edge.
     And he thought it was vanity.
     "Not my face," I begged, playing along.  This was my big chance.  My
engines were ready to make the big break, and he'd just left them all
open for it.  I wriggled, trying to look as if I was terrified.
     Guillotine smiled, triumph sparking in his red optics, and Windfinder
tightened his grip.  My torturer leaned closer, putting the scalpel's
blade against my cheek.  "Tell me, where is the base?"
     "I'd rather die!" I shouted, switching on an internal processor.
     Guillotine stared at me as readings began to come into his sensor
banks.  "She's activated some kind of self-destruct mechanism."
     "What?" Windfinder shouted, loosening his grip on my shoulders.
     "Do not release her!" Shockwave ordered.
     The scalpel pressed deeper into my face, and a bead of energon formed
to drip down my cheek.  "You don't wish to die.  I know you won't allow
the self-destruct to run its course.  Just turn it off."
     Windfinder was unconvinced.  "If she goes off, she'll take me with
her!" he yelled.
     Meanwhile, the internal countdown continued.  15... 14...
     "Female Autobots don't possess the courage to sacrifice themselves for
a cause, as we do!" Guillotine yelled at Windfinder.  "It's a bluff!"
     "Hold on to her!" Shockwave echoed.
     At the ten second mark, steam and smoke began to pour out of the
joints and crevices of my body as I allowed lubricant to evaporate.  My
skin heated up uncomfortably, but this had to look good.
     "She's gonna blow!" Windfinder yelled in a panic, releasing me and
stumbling backward out of the growing cloud of smoke.  I jerked away from
the scalpel, ignoring the wound it ripped open in my cheek, and
transformed.  The rush of my airjets only served to stir up the smoke
more as I gunned them to run.
     "You idiot!" Guillotine roared, waving his arms through the smoke.
     I opened a rear panel and dropped off an explosive charge,
conveniently setting it on a ten-second timer.  I sped out of the smoke
and down the corridor, leaving the three Decepticons anxiously searching
through the smoke for me and shouting orders and curses at each other.
     As I rounded the bend, light flashed behind me, followed by a
groundshaking roar.  A blast of superheated air followed me down the
passage, actually giving me a brief boost of speed as I tried to regain
equilibrium.
     I heard Decepticon shouts from behind me all too soon, however.  "This
isn't her wreckage!  She's escaping!" Guillotine shouted.  A loud crash
and surprised yell from Windfinder soon followed.
     "Stop squabbling among yourselves and follow her!" Shockwave shouted.
     I was in recognizable territory by now, though.  Not much further, and
I'd be home...
     I stopped myself, mentally.  With a tracker right behind me, I was
going to head straight back to the base?  After all I'd just gone through
to keep its location a secret?  Not likely, Decepticreeps.
     However, I couldn't wander around down here forever.  I could try to
lose them in the tunnels, but I was more likely to get lost myself.  I
had to go someplace safe for repairs, though, and soon.  I has lost a lot
of energon and was already starting to feel it.
     Where could I go where the Decepticons couldn't follow?
     I suddenly grinned to myself and steered into an adjoining tunnel.  I
could hear the Decepticons behind me, but they had no hope of catching up
now.  Stick that in your eye-socket and see how you like it, Shockwave.
I'm not some little bug for you to crush.
     The tunnel sloped upward, joining other corridors.  I chose my route
carefully, going upward steadily until I finally emerged onto the surface
of Cybertron.  I bounced up over a pile of rubble and onto the twisting
streets of the Warrens, then steered onto the Cybertronian Highway toward
the broken spires of our once-great city Iacon.
     The crowded mass of Cybertronians behind me shouted and fled as
Shockwave climbed up, followed by Guillotine and Windfinder, who
immediately took flight after me.  Sorry, Seeker, but you're too far
behind.  I floored it, sending my whining hoverjets to maximum output,
and made a beeline for Iacon's gates as laser fire exploded against the
highway behind me.
     "You're dead, Autobot!"  Windfinder howled, launching two missiles
after me.
     I swerved, barely avoiding the clouds of shrapnel that flew up from
each impact site.  A blast from the defenses installed on the city walls
flew up to sear one of the Seeker's wings, sending him spinning to the
ground with an angry shout.
     I whooped in victory as I glanced up at the 'Bot manning the cannons.
He looked frustrated, so I patched into the Autobot radio network to tell
him who I was.
     -... Autocannons aren't working!  There's an intruder speeding right
up to the gates and they won't lock on!- I heard.
     Ack!  He's trying to shoot at *me*!
     A lower voice, gruff with authority, cut in.  -Then switch to manual
and aim them at the target yourself, Hot Rod.-
     -Gotcha!- The first voice replied.
     -Wait!- I broadcast frantically, -I'm not...-
     I was rudely interrupted by a loud >BOOM< behind me as one of the
autocannons ripped into the highway.  The force of the impact flipped me
over, shearing off my laser turret and sending me skidding along the
ground on my hood.  As soon as I stopped, I transformed and rolled over
onto my back.  "Are you crazy?  That could have killed me!" I shouted.
     -Who was that?- the second voice demanded.  -This is supposed to be a
secure frequency!-
     I shook my fist at the person in the guard tower as another blast
roared into the ground to my left.  "Stop shooting at me!  I'm an
Autobot, that's why the cannons won't lock on me!"
     -Uhhhhh....- the first voice crackled over the radio.
     -Do I have to tell you twice?- I demanded over the airwaves.  -Let me
in already, the Decepticons are following me!-
     -Hot Rod, what's going on out there?-
     I glanced back over my shoulder at Shockwave and Guillotine rumbling
down the road after me.
     -Ultra Magnus, she's yelling at me to let her in!- Hot Rod broadcast.
     -Of course I am!  Shockwave is right behind me!- I replied.
     -What?  *She*?  Who are you?- Ultra Magnus demanded.
     "I'll explain everything," I shouted up at the guard tower, "But I
won't live long enough to do it if you don't open the gates!"
     A face finally peered over the cannon at me.  I was surprised to see
how young he looked -- could he actually be *my* age?  I took a step
backward as I looked him over further.  Bright blue optics, crinkled in a
quizzical expression, and set in a grey face.  A red helmet and red
shoulder, and I could just make out some kind of yellow detailing on his
chest and a yellow spoiler flaring up behind his shoulders.
     -She looks pretty harmless, I suppose.- Hot Rod radioed doubtfully.
     -Harmless?!- I demanded.
     -Let... er, her... in.  Detain her at the gates, and I'll be right
there to straighten this out.- Ultra Magnus replied, sounding flustered.
     The gates slid open slowly, allowing me inside a small, bare
courtyard.  I dropped my gun to the ground and kicked it away from me as
a sign of good intentions, then looked around as the gates boomed shut
behind me.
     "Hello?" I called.
     The Autobot I'd seen earlier clambered down from the guard tower and
stood before me, pointing at me uncertainly with the barrel of a long
silver gun.  I stared at him, getting my first real look at a malebot
from my generation.  Or from any generation.  Scrap, of anyone other than
the other Femmes.
     Then again, I was probably the first Femme *he'd* ever seen.
     It was a day of surprises all 'round.
     I looked at myself in the reflection of his optics and couldn't help
but smile.  Burned, blasted, bruised, and covered with tiny bitemarks,
who could blame him for thinking I might be dangerous?  I grinned and he
looked in confusion at my face, seeing the long cut across one cheek and
a rat-bite, like an obscene kiss, decorating the other.  Still, my smile
was infectious, and he tentatively grinned back.
     "Where on Cybertron did *you* come from?" he asked in confusion.
     "Underground," I replied cheerily, "But it's a long story."
     "Undergr...?" he started to repeat, questioningly, but I interrupted
him by extending my right hand in greeting.  Well, minus a finger, anyway.
     "Forget that," I told him. "Relax, I'm a friend."
     He lowered the gun, regarding me curiously.  "If you say so."
     I grinned.  "My name's Whiz.  And I have a feeling your life just got
more interesting."


(The End - for now...)



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