Sharpshooting Love I
It had been almost six months since the battle of Mission City and six months since Optimus Prime had sent out the transmission to space. No one had responded. However, spirits were actually higher then they had been in quite awhile. Ratchet had been able to use the last fragment of the All Spark to bring Jazz back online. Not only that, but the Government had been kind enough to supply them with land and materials to build a base.
"Optimus," Will called as he entered the base.
"Capitan Lennox, it's good to see you," the red and blue mech said with a smile. The Army Ranger had been a tremendous help to them and he was more then welcome to visit their base.
"Please Optimus, just Will," the brown haired soldier said with a smile. The Autobot leader nodded and rested a hand on the floor for him to climb into.
"I see you have news for us," he said upon seeing the CD in his hand. Will nodded in confirmation as they entered the, still in the works, control room. The computer's basic functions worked, but numerous wires and cables were still strewn across the room.
"A NASA satellite picked up on an unidentified object heading towards Earth about a week ago," he said sliding the disk into a human sized drive. Several blurry and slightly pixilated pictures popped up on the huge computer screen. Optimus narrowed his optics and examined the picture closely, taking in every detail.
"Is it a Decepticon?" The Ranger asked looking up at him after a few moments, dreading the answer.
"I'm not sure," the tall mech replied as he continued to scrutinize the picture. "The only way to tell if this is an Autobot or a Decepticon is to make contact with whoever it may be. Every Cybertronian gives off a unique signal, kind of like a human fingerprint."
"Do you think you'll be able to know who it is before they land?" Will asked.
"I'm sure Ratchet and Jazz will be able to come up with something," the mech replied with a smile as the soldier climbed into his hand.
Several days passed and the Army was growing more and more anxious about the approaching object. Ratchet and Jazz had been working hard to get the main communicator in Teletraan I working, which was taking longer then they had expected.
"That should do it," the yellow colored medic said as he closed panel from under the computer. Jazz typed in several commands and the screen lit up and numerous Cybertronian symbols scrolled across the display as it booted up. Once it was finished with that, the second in command typed in another command and a satellite view of the Earth appeared on the screen, along with the unidentified Cybertronian.
"Optimus, Jazz and I have Teletraan I online and have a lock on the approaching pod," Ratchet said through a personal line between Optimus and him.
"I'll be right there," Optimus replied.
A few kliks later the red and blue mech strode into the command center and nodded to Jazz and Ratchet in greeting. Walking up to the computer he stood in front of it and started to speak.
"This is the Autobot Leader Optimus Prime, identify yourself," he said. The other end of the line was nothing but static. Optimus sighed and looked at Ratchet.
"Can you identify the signal?" He asked.
"It's too weak," the CMO sighed as he typed several things into the computer. "Whoever it is, is very weak and is in stasis lock from loss of energon. That's the only reason they are still alive after traveling so far."
"When do you think the pod will land?" He asked looking at his second in command.
"One joor," Jazz replied turning back to Teletraan I. "An' will impact 'bout…six miles from our base." He said turning and looking at Optimus.
It was almost twelve in the morning and all of the Autobots, along with Epps, Lennox and a few other military men were standing in a deserted field. Waiting.
The pod's landing was sudden and the force shook the ground violently. Both Autobot and human groups waited for the pod to unfold, but it never happened. Just as Ratchet was about to examine the pod, it slowly started shift.
Red warnings flashed across the new mech's field of vision as he slowly, and rather ungracefully, changed into his bipedal form. He noticed he was on his side when he finished shifting. Wincing, he pushed himself to his feet, clutching his badly injured arm, and looked up. His optics were failing him from loss of energon but he still recognized the business end of canons.
"Frag don't tell me I landed on 'Con territory again," he moaned.
"Shrapnel?" A familiar voice said in disbelief. Shrapnel didn't get he chance to respond. A final warning flashed across his vision then everything went black and he fell onto his back.
"Well I guess he's not a Decepticon," Epps said in a tired tone.
"Far from it," Ironhide said as he made his way down into the small crater and picked the proto form mech up. Ratchet scanned the limp Cybertronian as Ironhide laid him down.
"He's lost a dangerous amount of energon and is on his last reserves," he said as he examined his shoulder. "Half of the wiring in his right arm has been ripped out and his entire shoulder is going to need to be reconstructed. Those are the only injuries that need immediate attention. Other then that he's in no worse shape then any other warrior."
"Alright, lets get him back to the base," Optimus said as he picked up the new arrival and started the trek back to their headquarters.
Various Cybertronian symbols scrolled across Shrapnel's field of vision as he slowly onlined. His dark blue optics onlined and he found himself in a med bay. Wincing, he sat himself up and stretched his sore joints.
"Don't move around too much," an unfamiliar voice said. "It took me half a joor just to de-frag your shoulder." Turning his head he saw a yellow colored mech sitting at a desk scanning a data pad. Shrapnel couldn't help but chuckle at this.
"You mus' be Ratchet," he said with a small smile. "'Jacks always talked 'bout you." The CMO's optics widened slightly at his old friends nickname.
"'M not surprised it took you so long, half the time I don't think 'Jacks knew what he was doin'." That earned him a laugh from the medic as he got to his feet and walked over to Shrapnel to take the energon feed out of his arm.
"How is Wheeljack?" He asked softy as he removed the feed.
"He's fine, still blown' himself up every cycle," the older mech said as he watched the medic work.
Just as Ratchet was about to say something the med bay doors hissed open and Optimus, along with the rest of the Autobot crew, walked in. Optimus smiled when he saw that the new arrival was back online.
"I'm glad to see that you are awake," the red and blue mech said as he walked over to the berth he was sitting on. "I apologize for the hostile welcoming, we didn't know of you were-"
"A 'Con, 's fine," Shrapnel said waving a hand dismissively. "'M Shrapnel by the way." He said as he extended a hand to Autobot leader.
"Welcome to Earth Shrapnel," the Prime said with a smile as he took the older mech's hand in his. Optimus had heard stories of the ancient mech. Shrapnel was the best sharpshooter in the Autobot ranks and had been around since before the War.
"You've already met my chief medical officer Ratchet," he said nodding to the Search and Rescue Hummer. "This is my second in command Jazz." Shrapnel nodded to the silver mech in greeting, scanning him as well to get all of his stats and info.
"This is Bumblebee my scout. He was the first of us to arrive on Earth," he said as he nudged the small yellow mech forward. A low laugh rumbled deep in the older mech's chest.
"Don't worry youngling I don't bite," he said with a smile. 'Bee smiled slightly at the much older mech then moved back behind Optimus.
"And this is Ironhide, my weapons specialist," no sooner had he said the black mech's name Shrapnel was on his feet. Before anyone could react, Shrapnel had decked the weapons specialist in the face. The hulking black mech staggered back a few steps, clutching his now dented faceplate.
"You left me," he growled as he glared at Ironhide angrily with dark blue optics.