Chapter Text
"Seriously guys, you are awesome!" Tangle laughed while scratching the back of her head. "Thanks for the ride!"
Nicole couldn't help but agree. They were really lucky that they were able to find someone that was traveling to the location of Sally's signal. While the bus route did take them far, it wasn't far enough. The signal was coming from within a mountain inside an area called 'Hill Top Zone', and it wasn't anywhere close to the bus' route.
So Tangle & Whisper had to hitchhike the rest of the way, and thankfully someone did pick them up.
However, the two people that drove the van that had been their transport couldn't be an odder pair for the lynx.
"Hey, don't sweat it." The red panda mobian wearing a pink sweater and black bike shorts grinned at them. "We were going the same way anyways. Hill Top Zone has the best spots for stargazing, y'know?"
"Having two Restoration members next to us on our trip up is also a plus." The Overlander… no… human, wearing a sleeveless orange jacket, a long-sleeve gray shirt, and jeans shared that grin. "Haven't heard of any badniks hanging around these parts, but…"
"Hey, don't worry about it, Spike!" The lemur threw her arm around Whisper, who stiffened at the closeness of her friend. "We'll bodyguard ya on the way up, and take care of any badniks if we see 'em! It's the least we can do!"
"Thanks." Carly shut the doors to the back of her van, which had a painting on it that Nicole was sure Sonic would call 'way past cool'. "I've got the stuff, so lets roll out!"
As Tangle talked to Spike and Carly about the air-brushed painting on the van, Nicole couldn't help but ponder over Spike and Carly. Aside from Hope, Overlanders and Humans rarely hung around Mobians. Each mostly stuck to their own people, and yet here was a pair that had apparently been childhood friends!
"There must not have been a Great War in this Zone." She mused, her digital lips pursing. "Thus, humans and Mobians wouldn't have developed a long-simmering hatred against one another. Perhaps in this universe, Sally's ancestor wasn't shot by that Mobian child and peace became possible…"
"…Look, if you want I can try and put in a good word with Jewel." Tangle's somber tone snapped the Lynx out of her own thoughts, and she listened into the conversation. They had stopped and the odd pair were now setting up their equipment. "You can work at the Restoration and that can get you into Cal. It's a nice feather in your cap from what I've heard."
"Thanks." Spike muttered, seeming to try and focus on his work. "I'll think about it."
"So will I." Carly nodded. "Anything that could get me some kinda art scholarship would make things easier. Money is tight enough already and my dad does his best but…" She stopped herself and looked at Spike. To Nicole's shock, he was tearing up at the corner of his eyes. "Spike…" She reached out and put her hand on his. "I'm sorry about your dad. About Jimmy."
He closed his eyes and muttered, "Thanks…"
Now Nicole felt really uncomfortable. "We stepped into something really private, haven't we?"
"Alright. Well, I guess we'll leave you two be." Tangle gave an awkward wave. "Well, if you guys do join the Restoration call us up! We ca-!"
That's when Nicole's sensors went wild.
EVERYONE! She screamed from her PDA. PLEASE, HOLD ONTO SOMETHING! AN EARTHQUAKE I-!
The ground cracked and opened up beneath their feet. All of them screamed, but the lynx's new friends acted fast. Tangle's tail shot out, wrapping around a tree root before she swung and caught Carly in one arm while grabbing Spike by the back of his jacket. Whisper, meanwhile, floated down using her Wispon. Their descent slowed considerably, and when they were low enough the lemur let go of Spike so he could land on his feet.
"Y-You guys okay?" The lemur asked as she had her tail let go, allowing her to land on her feet and set Carly down. "Phew, that was intense!"
"Yeah…" Carly was shaking, staring around her in awe. "T-That was an earthquake?"
"Holy crap…" Spike let out several breaths to calm himself while Whisper floated down. "We almost died back there…!"
WE… THIS IS THE PLACE! Nicole gasped. TANGLE! WHISPER! THIS IS WHERE SALLY'S SIGNAL IS COMING FROM!
"Wow! Talk about a lucky coincidence!" Tangle grinned, picking up the PDA and staring at the screen. "Guess something good came out of this earthquake!"
"Don't be too sure." Whisper muttered, and Tangle looked up to see Whisper, Carly, and Spike now staring out of the cavern opening.
However, the holo-lynx noticed it before Tangle reached the opening.
They weren't in a cavern.
They were inside of a booster nozzle.
"What is this place?" Carly asked the question on everyone's mind. "Is it something Eggman built?"
"No." Nicole projected herself next to Tangle, startling the red panda . "No, this… this isn't Eggtech. I don't…"
"Uh, guys?" Everyone turned to see Spike looking out of a small opening further inside the nozzle. "You might wanna take a look at this."
They all went by his side and were amazed by what they saw.
Inside was a massive filled with the massive bodies of… robots. There was no other word to describe them. All of them, either whole or torn apart, laid broken and lifeless on a the floor in front of a massive computer that flickered with life.
Slowly, and quietly, her friends snuck down and hid behind pieces of rubble to take a closer look at the alien computer.
In front of it was…
"…Sally?"
Yes, there was Mecha Sally. She was standing hunched over a torn-out panel, tinkering away with the circuitry and wires as data flowed on the massive screen in front of her.
"Wait, that's your friend?" Tangle asked, staring at her. "She's a badnik?"
"No! No, she's not! She's a robian bu-but how could…?!" Alerts pinged inside her system and she whispered. "Someone else is here!"
Indeed, the sound of a jet's engines roared closer and closer. However, they began to slow and an unfamiliar sound filled the air.
KHEEKHAKHOUKHEE
"Finally! I made it and… what on Cybertron are you?!"
It was a massive white, gray, and red robot, with wings on its back that vaguely resembled jet wings. It stared down at Mecha Sally, who turned to fully face it.
"This Robotnik Unit is designated as Mecha Sally." Mecha Sally explained emotionlessly. "Are you the same mechanized lifeform as the ones here?"
Nicole's blood ran cold. That sounded nothing like the Sally she knew.
"You're like a Minibot…" It shook its head. "You must be one of the local lifeforms. Yes, my name is Jetfire. I have come here to reawaken my friends. I guess you were trying to do the same?"
"Affirmative."
"She's lying." Nicole muttered, causing everyone to stiffen.
"What?" Carly whispered back. "Why?"
"She's trying to get him to do something."
"Well, I appreciate the effort but you wouldn't have gotten far." Jetfire tapped the center of his chest and a compartment opened, revealing a massive cassette. "Teletraan One would only activate fully through interaction with a Cybertronian's code."
"Hm."
"But thanks for warming him up. Now I can send these vehicle schematics to my friends so they can transform into vehicles that will not frighten other lifeforms on this planet." Jetfire glanced back at Mecha Sally and smiled. "But I'm glad we were able to run into you first, Mecha Sally. Maybe we can arrange something with your local world government so that we can have asylum until we get enough Energon."
An antenna came up, and to Nicole's amazement pieces of metal began to fly and form a new shape. Within seconds, standing in front of them, was anew robot. One that was mostly red and grey with blue hands and an orange pilot cockpit on its chest.
"Starscream, my old friend…" Jetfire's smile of relief seemed to… old to the lynx. "I have not seen you in… centuries…"
"Centuries?" Tangle whispered. "How old are these guys?"
"Jetfire. Comrade." Starscream smiled. "Thank you for waking me."
Then, almost casually, the newly awakened robot turned on his heel and raised his left arm towards a yellow and grey robot that was laying on the floor.
A flash of orange shot out, and the robot's face was blown off in a shower of metal.
"I'm glad to find you picked the right side."
"Oh my god." Carly muttered in horror, a horror shared by all of them.
Nicole had never seen something like this. Even during the worst moments of Robotnik and Eggman's reign, she had never seen this.
Just a casual execution.
"What are you doing?!" Jetfire shouted, equally horrified as he rushed at Starscream.
"Didn't you see the markings I wear proudly on my wings?!" Starscream sounded almost annoyed as he shoved his fellow robot away. "Wake up, old friend! We've been at war for the past hundred years!"
"But…!"
"Stand aside and let me do what must be done!"
"You will not."
Both robots turned to Mecha Sally, who was standing cooly to the side on the panel.
"Mecha Sally?" Jetfire asked in wonder, while Starscream's face twisted in disgust.
"A Minibot? Wretched pests!" The robot raised his blaster at her. "Who are you to order a Decepticon to…?"
He paused, his disgusted face twisting from disgust to shock.
"W-Why can't I…?!"
"I will not allow you to execute more potential soldiers for the Eggman Empire." Mecha Sally nodded at Jetfire. "You were right, Jetfire. I could not activate your kind on my own. However, I could manipulate their code so that when they were activated… they will serve me. Serve the Eggman Empire."
"WRETCHED INFERIOR MINIBOT!!" Starscream shouted. "STARSCREAM IS NO ONE'S SLAVE!!"
"No! This is madness!" Jetfire shouted, reaching out to Mecha Sally. "I will not allow…!"
A new body slammed into Jetfire, one that is predominantly red with a blue head.
"Optimus?!"
"I-I'm sorry, Jetfire!" The newly awakened Optimus shouted. "I cannot… cannot control myself!"
"What can we do?" Tangle whispered to Nicole. "You're the AI, right? Can you help them?"
"Yes." She pointed at the control panel. "Put me on there, and I will be able to break Mecha Sally's code!"
"Right!" Tangle turned to face Carly and Spike. "You two stay here! Whisper, cover me!"
With that, Tangle got out of their cover and ran to the control panel, catching the attention of the robots.
"What is that thing?!" Starscream cried in disgust. "A rodent!"
"I'm a primate, pal!!"
"Freedom Fighter identified." Mecha Sally waved a hand. "Shoot it."
"NO!" Jetfire cried out as Starscream turned and began to fire after Tangle, explosions trailing behind her.
"Run, little one!" Optimus cried, his own arm beginning to raise only for Jetfire to grasp it. "You need to run!"
"I'm the one who's trying to save you!" The lemur shot back as a missile slammed into Starscream's eye. "But you gotta tell me who are evil jerks that'll keep firing once they're free!"
"Free anyone who has the symbol on my Shoulders! They will defend you!"
"Right!" Tangle used a fallen robot as a springboard, leaping onto the console and placing the PDA on top of it. "There, Nicole! Do your thing!"
In the nanosecond she connected to Teletraan One's onboard system, she erased the code from every robot that had the same symbol as Optimus.
Optimus and Jetfire stopped struggling, and the red robot tackled into an injured Starscream before bending back and slamming the enemy robot's head into the ground.
"Optimus!" A new robot, mostly white and looking vaguely like an ambulance came looked around in horror. "What on cybertron is…?!"
Just as he asked that, Mecha Sally shot towards Tangle with her arm blades activated. Thinking fast, the newly awakened robot slammed his hand hand in a chop between the two, cutting the robian off.
"What even ar-ARGH!!"
"Ratchet!"
The newly named Ratchet stumbled back, clutching his hand that was now missing several digits.
"Oh man…" Tangle muttered, looking in fear at Mecha Sally who kicked away one of the robot's fingers as it stared coldly at her.
"Decepticons, you are now members of the Eggman Empire." The Robian coldly said. "You will capture any and all reactivated Autobots for reprogramming… and eliminate all Freedom Fighters with extreme prejudice."