Title: Ambushed!
Chapter 5 – Winning the War?

A/N: Hey everyone! Hope everyone is staying safe and following procedures! Since they were playing Transformers movies over and over I was newly inspired to add to this story and hope you all like this ending! Thanks everyone.

She knew she couldn't leave him; he was the only family she had. At one time her ideals were clear and her mind wasn't conflicted. She had been the first to detect the first hack; and it was something that, in that moment, she was proud of. She never had any qualms about breaking the law or using less than legal or even moral means to get what she needed to get done, so when something happened after their trip to the Hoover Dam, she didn't think twice about making another choice.

'Megs…where are you?'

'Ben! Why do you sound…where are you?'

'Megs…'

'Hoover Dam. Are you still in Mission City?'

'They left me…I'm injured and…they left ME!'

'What? Who did?'

'Lennox and his team…Lennox…he gave the order…to pull out…oh Go…oh wait…what the he…lll!'

'Ben? Ben!'

'There's…waittt…..'

Silence…gasping…mechanical movements…

'Ben? Ben! Answer me! Are you hurt?'

'Yes. Megs…I'm…I'm inside one of them. One of the Bots. It's a uh…just come and help me. Please. This Bot saved my life. We have to help him. I can help him but I can't…do it alone.' He paused with a slight wheeze. 'Please Megs…you're the only family I have left. All we have…left is each other.'

'You know I'll help you. Where are you going?'

'I'll text you the coordinates. It'll be our new…base. And then…then we need to plot our revenge.'

'Ben…'

'Revenge! This war is over Megs…now we gotta choose another side and I need you on this side with me. Please?'

'I'll be there.'

Her brother didn't tell her in that moment that the Bot he was with was a Decepticon. She met it first but knew that if it had saved her brother's life, it was worth her time and loyalty to help. And that's what she did. With her computer skills and his military prowess, the three of them would become a new formidable foe. However, she worried that her brother's need to take down Lennox at any cost; would cost all of them what they held most precious – their lives and she wasn't about to let that happen.

She pushed herself up off the pavement, shoved her bloody phone into her pocket and limped toward a place in the shade and then pulled out a small electronic device.

"Come on Ben…get out of there NOW! Let me bring the earth down on top of them!"

XXXXXXXX

"Goodbye Captain Lennox. Your beloved bot is next."

But at the same time, Ironhide's plan started to be put into motion.

Madsen pulled the trigger just as the area around them at first went dark and then started to explode around them.

"IRONHIDE! NOOOO!"

Lennox had only seconds to try to get as far away as possible as the world around them started to rain down all sorts of debris. He dropped his shoulder, rammed it into Madsen as the two of them staggered to the ground in a jumble of arms and legs.

Lennox let out an angry growl as he felt the hard plastic slice into the folds of his skin before they finally slid off and he was free. He twisted himself around and tried to grab at Madsen's feet as Madsen tried to make his escape. But before his hands could reach their mark, his brain picked up the distinct sounds of metal on metal and knew he had to get to the other room to see exactly what other devices Madsen had waiting for them.

But he didn't have to wait too long as a few seconds later the air was punctuated with a large BOOM followed by a great SWOOSH of air that flung him backward into a cement call; his body crumpling to the ground.

"I WIN IRONHIDE!"

"No…" Lennox gasped as he squinted into the darkness before him and cursed. He didn't hear the sounds of the two large metal warriors in action and Madsen was nowhere to be seen.

He pushed himself up to his feet and slowly staggered toward the gaping hole in the floor above.

"Iron…hide…come in…" Lennox ragged voice tried as he coughed in bits of dust and ash. Just as he reached the hole and looked up, he gasped in horror as his beloved 'Bot' lay beside the hole not moving. "IRONHIDEEE!" He yelled just as Madsen's body slammed into his.

"You can't help him now Lennox!" Madsen shouted as he tried to land a hard blow on Lennox's jaw.

But Lennox, driven on by pure rage, landed a hard left elbow to Madsen's jaw, which jerked his head upright and allowed Lennox to twist out of his grasp. Lennox's bloody hands started to claw at the jagged pieces of cement and rebar as he tried to get to the surface to help his Cybertronian guardian.

"Ironhide…come…in…"

The large metal eyelids started to flutter as the voice of his human resounded in his head over and over. He had to keep going…had to keep going for them…had to keep them safe and not give up. It wasn't in him to just lay down and accept defeat.

"You're still trying?" Dropkick's smug voice taunted as he bounded toward the fallen Autobot. But just before Dropkick could render a prone Ironhide anymore damage, the large iron fist hurled upward and harshly connected with the large metal boot which instantly made the Decepticon stumble forward. Ironhide rolled out of the way just as Dropkick clanged to his knees.

Madsen twisted his body around, kicked at Lennox's mid-section which forced him to falter and stumble backwards. Madsen pulled himself free, pushed himself upward to his knees and dashed toward the start of a dark tunnel.

Despite his aching frame, Lennox pushed himself upright and squinted into the darkness ahead of him. But at the same time his mind was torn as he heard Ironhide calling for him.

"Ironhide!" Lennox shouted as he raced toward the entrance of the tunnel. He pulled his phone in the process and could only curse when he looked at the busted electronic in his grasp before he uttered an angry growl and shoved the device into his pocket.

He reached the start of the tunnel but another blast from the powerful canons from his 'bot' rocked the area around him and he found himself tumbling back to the ground on his hands and knees. "Mad…sen! MADSEN!" Lennox shouted in anger as he tried to pull at pieces of debris so he could follow his current nemesis.

"Lennox! Get out of there! Dropkick is going to blow up the whole area!'

He knew, that himself and his bot, as soldiers, weren't keen on letting enemies get away, but he had a family to think about so without wasting another second on it, Lennox turned and raced toward the large gaping hole in the floor a few meters from him.

"Hurry!"

Lennox spied Ironhide's open palm awaited and it was only mere seconds before he jumped into the open metal area and it closed around his vulnerable frame and scooped him out of the hole and rolled toward the right before the ground around all of them started to disintegrate.

"Hang on!"

"AHHHHH!" Lennox called out as his body was tossed and turned as Ironhide's large frame jerked and jolted with the blasts. But Ironhide wasn't one to just accept any kind of defeat and so he fired off a few of his canons which forced Dropkick to fall back and try to regroup.

But in the fury of battle, and hidden among the dust and smoke, Dropkick turned to see his human counterpart stagger from the tunnel and nearly collapse. He was torn with finishing off his enemy and the duty to care for the human in his charge. The latter won out.

"Dropkick…help…me…" Madsen managed as he forced himself upright just as the transformed vehicle neared, hopped into the passenger seat and collapsed from sheer exhaustion. He pushed himself upright and turned to see Ironhide recover and instantly narrowed his gaze.

"We will meet again!" Madsen hissed as he quickly pulled his phone and called his sister. "Meg…you there?"

"Ben! Oh thank God! Where are you?"

"On the way home. See you soon."

"Is Lennox dead? His Bot?"

"No. But that just means we'll regroup and wait for another chance. The last chance!"

"Okay…hurry."

Lennox rolled onto the charred ground beside his bot and felt his chest aching as it slightly heaved up and down. His watery eyes squinted shut as he tried to get up but then flopped back down and remained in place. "Ironhide…you…okay?" He asked in pain as he managed to sit upright.

"I am still…functioning."

Lennox cracked a half smile that quickly turned to a grimace as he quickly looked around for any sign of Madsen and Dropkick. "Did they…escape?"

"For now."

He admired the determination in Ironhide's mechanical tone but knew that with Dropkick's ability to shield himself from Autobot scanning technology and Madsen's knowledge of the military, finding them again wouldn't be that easy. And if he did find them again, he feared the next time would be even worse than this time. And who exactly was the woman helping him?

"Can you…transform?"

Ironhide paused for a few moments, which made Lennox fear that his beloved bot was permanently damaged. But a few seconds later, the Chevy Topkick appeared and he was able to get himself inside and they were on their way to the doctor, so he could get himself fixed up and then get home.

On the way there, he called Epps who was with the Optimus and gave him the somber update. "We'll get him next time," Lennox vowed before he hung up and closed his eyes.

XXXXXXXX

"Will? Will!" Sarah shouted as she stood in the doorway with her mouth agape as she stared at her husband who slowly got out of Ironhide's passenger side and limped toward her. "What happened?" She asked in shock as she took in his battered appearance. "Will…"

"Madsen…he got away," Lennox huffed as he managed to get up the stairs and then turned and looked back at Ironhide, who also showed signs of damage from battle.

"Is he…okay?" Sarah asked in concern, knowing how her husband and the mechanical alien had bonded. Now, seeing the large being so near defeat, also made her heart ache.

"He will be. I'll get to him…tomorrow," he signed as he looked at her with a small smile. "Was too close today," he whispered as he held her close and allowed himself to bask in the warmth her frame was giving to him.

"Come on…hot shower and a hot meal and then rest. Don't argue with me."

"Given up on that long ago," Lennox gently smirked as he looked back at Ironhide, who lingered a few moments before he slowly rolled into the covered garage and the door was closed. He limped into his home, his body wanting to shut down but his mind racing and agitated.

He glanced at his reflection in the mirror and grimaced before his fists curled. He had met an enemy in battle but had he won? They ran but not from defeat; to regroup and plan for another meeting. And there would be one – of that he was sure.

Lennox looked down at the little Autobot crest on his desk and picked it up and shook his head. "Next time Madsen…next time we meet…you will lose. I promise you that."

With that he told himself, now was the time to get washed up and get into the family room to spend time with the most important things in his life; his family.

THE END?

A/N: okay so I did waffle a bit on ending this for good or keeping it a bit open ended but figured Madsen is too good a baddie and along with his sister and his Bot make a good baddie team so I kept them alive this time. Not sure about next hehe but please do review before you go b/c right now (being isolated) some love would be much appreciated‼ thank you everyone!