Chapter 1: Deus Ex Machina
Chapter Text
"I'm detecting a fresh Energon pulse from the nation called Greece. An ancient city, quite historic, I believe." Airis heard Ratchet say as she walked in.
"Greece? I've heard of it. It sounds a bit boring for my taste." Airis said as she stood next to Jack.
Ratchet cast a small glare at her.
"Ancient Greece huh. Oh, field trip!" Bulkhead said with enthusiasm she did not feel as Miko asked her to join them.
Airis walked through the ground bridge after Bulkhead since Miko insisted she come with.
Airis looked around with little to no interest.
"Here we are!" Bulkhead said before transforming after Miko got out.
"Sweet!" Miko yelled as she walked over to a ledge. "So, what are we doing in grecoville?"
"I'm scouting Energon; you're doing research for your history report." Bulkhead replied after taking out a scanner.
"How exciting." Airis muttered under her breath as she stood behind Miko.
"You punked me, Bulk?! Not cool!" Miko yelled at Bulkhead as he walked away.
As Bulkheads scanner started beeping louder, Airis walked over. "Did you find anything?"
Bulkhead glanced at Airis before replying. "The signal is strong." Bulkhead looked up ahead to see an excavation site. "An excavation site?"
"Woah." Miko muttered.
"I know construction." Bulkhead stated. "According to my scanner, humans hit Energon veins, and they don't even know it."
Airis knelt down to Miko's level as Bulkhead looked around. "If those humans hit the Energon, this whole site will go boom." Airis muttered.
She looked up at Bulkhead when he muttered a "whoa."
"That's Cybertronian!" Bulkhead said in shock. "Why would ancient Greeks paint an Energon harvester?"
Airis looked at where Bulkhead was looking with mild interest. "I mean, Cybertronian have been on earth a lot? Some humans were bound to have something Cybertronian in their culture somewhere."
Miko and Bulkhead both looked at her with weird looks on their faces. Airis raised an optical ridge at them. "What?"
Miko shook her head before looking up at Bulkhead. "You know what that round thing is? You're smarter than you let on!" Miko smiled and took a picture of the painting.
"But even dumber than he looks." They all turned at the new voice behind them.
They turned to see a navy blue and silver Decepticon stop at the top of the stairs. Airis growled and stomped a pede down in front of Miko.
"Breakdown." Bulkhead glared.
"Miss me?" The now Identified Breakdown chuckled.
"Like rust in my undercarriage." Bulkhead said with a raised fist.
"You know this lunk head?" Miko questioned as she peek out from behind Airis's pede.
"We have a history." Bulkhead replied bitterly.
"And you have a few pets. Do they play catch?" Breakdown said before throwing one of the pillars. "Catch."
Airis growled in rage before transforming into her beast mode. "I am no one's pet con." Airis growled. As the pillar came towards her, she spun around and slammed her tail into it, breaking it into pieces.
"Thanks, Airis." Miko said with a thumbs up. Airis nodded before turning around to see Breakdown tackle Bulkhead.
Airis watched as the two tumbled down and into the excavation site before Breakdown threw Bulkhead into one of the walls.
"Oops, hope the pretty picture wasn't too important." Breakdown grinned before transforming and driving off.
Miko and Airis both ran over to Bulkhead. Miko watched Breakdown drive away as Airis scanned Bulkhead to make sure the wrecker was alright.
"I told you I'm good at breaking things." He stated sadly as he sat up holding his helm.
"I always got your back Bulk, got us a picture of the picture." Miko smiled as she flipped her phone open with pride.
Airis smiled down at Miko. Transforming back into her bipedal form, Airis spoke. "You guys make great partners." She smiled.
"You bet ya we do!" Miko yelled happily up at Airis.
She merely chuckled at Miko's antics.
Airis stood behind the sparklings as Optimus told them about the Energon harvester.
Airis paid no mind to the conversation as she already knew most of it.
As agent fowlers voice message played though she could help but chuckle at Ratchet's statement. "I hate talking to machines." He muttered in frustration.
"Ratchet you talk to machines every day." Airis chuckled. Her smile only grew larger at hearing Bumblebee's laughter.
Airis and Bumblebee stopped laughing when Optimus spoke. "Without agent fowler we will have to confiscate the harvester on our own."
"Whoa, whoa! Confiscate?! As in steal museum property?!" Jack questioned with disbelief.
"That sounds, illegal." Raf agreed.
Optimus looked at them. "I do not wish to break human law, but once the Decepticons learn of the harvester's location, they will not hesitate to obtain it by any means necessary." He stated with a clenched fist. "We must act covertly."
Jack chuckled nervously before replying. "Okay no offense, Optimus, but covertly, and giant robots don't really go together. Museums are public, and they have guards, and security cameras." Jack ranted off worriedly.
'He has a point.' Airis thought with a deadpan look.
"No problem! We're small enough to sneak in, and we're not a government secret." Miko said while pointing an accusing finger at Optimus.
"Miko-" Airis and Bulkhead both started at the same time. Airis blinked and looked at Bulkhead as he looked at her. "Sorry you go ahead Bulk." Airis smiled apologetically.
Bulkhead nodded at her before looking back at Miko. "I'm not sure that's wise."
"But it may be our best option, Bulkhead. The more time we wait the more time we give the Decepticons." Optimus said as he looked over at Raf's laptop.
"I may have an idea!" Airis cut in.
Everyone looked at Airis at her claim. She transformed into her alt mode which looked identical to Bumblebee's only hers was light blue with darker blue stripes and white accents. Bumblebee voiced as much.
"Sorry Bee, but your alt mode was the closest when the mine exploded and I had no chance of flying out of the mine." Airis's voice came from her vehicle. Bumblebee nodded in understanding.
"Airis I do not see how your alt mode is supposed to help us?" Optimus questioned.
"It's not my alt mode that will help, it's this!" Airis said with a hint of excitement in her tone.
Airis's left door opened as a human girl walked out, she looked to maybe be in her 20's and had short wavy white hair. She was wearing a light blue jacket with a white T-shirt underneath, black pants, and darker blue shoes. Her eyes were a bright yellow.
"This is what can help us." The human girl smiled up at the bots.
"Wow! Who are you?!" Miko yelled from atop the platform her, and the other kids were standing.
The white haired girl smiled up at Miko. "This is my holo form. I figured it would come in handy."
"Wait you're Airis?" Raf questioned with awe.
Airis nodded before looking back at the bots. "If I'm in my holo form I can keep an eye on the Sparklings while they go into the museum. Like a big sister taking her siblings to the museum because mom needs a break from them." Airis smirked.
Optimus nodded. "Very well."
Airis's alt mode parked next to Optimus as her holo form went in through the ground bridge with the kids.
She and the kids all looked over as Optimus flashed his headlights. Airis gave the semi-truck a thumbs up.
When Miko put her phone on the security camera, Airis gave her a 'high five' for the good idea.
However, when they started to try and get the harvester onto the platform, both Airis and the humans watched in shock as the cons attacked Optimus outside the museum.
"Optimus!" Airis yelled in fear as the red con stabbed Optimus in the neck with some kind of electrical staff.
Airis turned to the kids. "You guys get the harvester!" She yelled before her holo form fizzled out.
Now that she was back in her alt form, Airis transformed into her beast form and slammed her tail into the con on top of Optimus.
She watched as he skidded across the pavement. When he stopped, he yelled over at her. "Watch the finish!"
Airis merely growled at the Decepticon as the others took on Breakdown. She winched in sympathy when Bumblebee and Arcee crashed into each other, though.
Her optics widened when Breakdown thru Bulkhead in her direction. She groaned when she hit the wall of the museum. She watched as the red con ran at Optimus only for the Prime to smack him off of him.
Shaking Bulkhead off of her, she ran around to the back of the museum. She growled at seeing Soundwave there reaching for the Energon harvester.
As she ran at him, she roared. Tackling him, she used the momentum to throw him away, then swing around, and smack him with her tail.
Airis turned her helm to see if the sparklings were alright. "Where's Miko?" Airis asked in worry.
"Security has her!" Raf yelled in panic.
She went to reply only to be hit by one of Soundwaves tentacle things. Airis groaned as she hit the pavement hard. Shaking her helm she looked up to see Soundwave flying off with the harvester.
Glaring her optics at the retreating jet she transformed into her bipedal form. Picking up the sparklings she ran to the front of the museum.
"The cons have the harvester!" Jack yelled from her right servo.
"And security has Miko!" Raf yelled from her left servo.
As Airis set the sparklings down Bulkhead spoke. "What! I'm going in after her." He stated with a clenched servo.
Optimus put an arm in front of Bulkhead as he spoke. "Bulkhead, Miko may be detained, but she is safe from harm."
Airis watched with mild amusement as Ratchet yelled at Bulkhead. She had thought about using her holo form as a way of helping Miko, but that thought was quickly countered by the idea that they still didn't have a harvester to put back.
"We could free Miko if we could just return that harvester to the museum!" Bulkhead voiced to Ratchet.
"So the Decepticons can steal it all over again?" Ratchet countered.
Bulkhead got a conflicting look on his face before putting his servos on his helm. "I am so dumb!" He yelled in desperation.
Airis patted Bulkhead on the shoulder. She knew the feeling of, well feeling like you're dumb.
She looked over at Jack as he spoke. "So how are we going to help Miko?" Jack asked Ratchet.
Ratchet held up a half finished orb. "By returning this replica to the museum." He answered before looking down at the tool Bulkhead smashed. "The construction of which would be going a whole lot faster if Bulkhead hadn't just mangled my frame welder!"
Jack and Raf looked at the mangled frame welder with deadpanned looks before Jack spoke. "We're already trespassers and thieves, why not add forgery to the list?" Jack said with shrugged shoulders.
"Ugh, I wish I'd never taken Miko to the-" Bulkheads optics widened. "The painting of the harvester isn't the only thing we found at those ruins!"
Ratchet gave Bulkhead a confused look. "I'm sorry?"
"Starscream's not dumb!" Bulkhead continued.
"That's debatable." Airis muttered sarcastically.
"No matter what tool he has he's gonna take the easy route!" Bulkhead finished while pointing a digit at Ratchet.
"Because that's who Starscream is." Airis added sarcastically again.
Optimus, Airis, Bumblebee, and Arcee all jumped through the ground bridge as Optimus started shooting at the cons.
Airis ran over to Bulkhead to make sure he was okay. "You okay Bulk?"
"I will be Airis, thanks." Bulkhead said as the others came over.
She nodded before lifting Bulkhead up and putting one of his arms around her shoulders, Optimus taking the other side before walking back through the ground bridge.
Airis sat on top of the base looking at the sunset in her beast form. A frown sat on her face plate.
"I heard what you did for Miko today." Airis glanced behind her to see Optimus approaching her.
"Yeah?" Airis raised an optical ridge.
Optimus nodded before sitting down next to her. "You do not seem to be as, excited, as Bulkhead is that Miko is no longer detained. You seem just as eager to free our human friend." Optimus questioned her as he looked at her.
Airis glanced at him before looking down. "I just feel like it's my fault."
Optimus gave her a look that told her to continue.
She sighed and then elaborated. "I just-" she sighed again. "I feel like I could have prevented Bulkhead from getting hurt in the first place if I had just focused on defeating Soundwave so he wouldn't have surprised me and taken the harvester then Bulkhead wouldn't have had to go off and confront Starscream in the first place." She explained with guilt dripping from her tone with each word.
"I can see how you would think that it's your fault, however, do not blame yourself for being more concerned with the safety of our human friends rather than the Energon harvester, for an individual is much more important than an object." He said with a nod of his helm.
Airis smiled a little and nodded back at him. "Thanks Optimus."
The leader of the Autobots nodded before heading back into the base.
Airis watched his frame disappear as she thought. 'He's a great spark pack leader.' She thought with a smile.
Chapter 2: Speed Metal
Notes:
I'm not good with cars so correct me if I got something wrong :')
Chapter Text
Airis drove down one of the roads heading towards the base when something on the radio piqued her interest.
"Street racing, huh? Well, I'm sure a small detour won't hurt?" Airis said before turning around. "Never hurts to have a pass time."
"Come on, Raf, just this once." Jack pleaded.
"Well, I suppose one race won't hurt." Raf agreed hesitantly.
"Yes!" Jack yelled with Bumblebee voicing the same in binary.
Bulkhead looked around before looking at the others. "Has anyone seen Airis?"
"No, not since she went out on patrol." Raf answered.
"That doesn't matter right now! Come on, Bee, let's go!" Jack said enthusiastically before hurriedly climbing down the latter.
Airis sat next to a green car in her alt form when she heard Jack's voice. "Bike's in the shop." Jack said to a boy next to him.
Airis tilted her side mirror to get a better look. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."
"Circuit drivers, are you ready!" The announcer's voice sounded across the area.
Airis revved her engine as she watched through her side mirror as Jack gocked at the girl standing on the finish line.
"Of course. He's doing this to impress the girl…" If Airis was in her bipedal form, she would've rolled her optics.
"Make it mean, but keep it clean! Fire them up in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!" At the announcer's voice, all the cars took off.
Airis revved her engine in a growl when she spotted Knockout's alt form behind Bumblebee.
"The Autobot they call Bumblebee." She heard Knockout's voice say before he tilted his side mirror to look behind him. "And the Autobot they call Airis."
"That's Predabot to you, Decepticon!" Airis shouted at Knock out as she pulled up beside him and then sped up next to Bumblebee.
"Bee! Knockouts here!" Airis shouted at him.
":He's what?!:" Bumblebee asked in binary.
Airis tilted her side mirror to look back. "And it looks like he's trying to hurt one of the humans!"
"Airis?! What are you doing here?" Jack shouted after finally noticing her.
"No time to explain! Knockout is here, and he's trying to hurt one of the humans!" Airis shouted at him.
Jack looked back to see Knockout hitting Vince's car before moving up behind Bumblebee.
Jack yelled in surprise as Bumblebee turned suddenly with Airis not far behind.
As Airis looked back, she could see Knockout takeout one of his side guns. "Bee, look out!" Airis shouted in warning.
Both Airis and Bumblebee dodged the shots being shot at them before launching up the side wall and onto the road.
"Can you lose him, Bee?" Jack asked.
":I sure can! Who do you think you're talking to?:" Bumblebee answered in binary.
"What did you say?" Jack asked, confused.
":I said yes, I can! Ugh, never mind.:" Bumblebee answered.
"I hope that means yes because I'd rather not have to call base for backup." Jack said worriedly.
Airis pulled up on Jack's side. "That indeed meant yes, Jack. Bumblebee and I can lose Knockout." Airis reassured him.
Jack nodded at her in, thanks as they sped down the road.
Airis listened as Bee called the team before he talked to her. ":Airis, I have a plan!:"
"What is it, Bee?"
":Oil spill.:" Airis could hear the smirk in his voice.
"I like the way you think, Bee." Airis would smirk if she could.
Both she and Bumblebee ejected oil from their oil pans and onto the road.
Airis watched with satisfaction as Knockout tried to steady himself.
"Slick." Jack smirked as he looked behind them.
Airis and Bumblebee both went back down into a canal and backed up under the bridge, then turned their headlights off.
All three of them sat silently as Knockout passed over them. Jack looked up at the bridge. "I think we lost him."
"Um, Jack? Look." Airis voiced nervously.
As Jack looked in front of them, his face turned to disbelief. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!"
Airis watched as the human from earlier stormed angrily up to Bumblebee. "Darby!"
"Vince! You have to get out of here! You win, okay?! Congratulations! Now go!" Jack yelled.
The human now Identified as Vince slammed his hands on Bumblebee's hood. Airis revved her engine in a growl.
"No, no! Start her back up loser; we're finishing this race!" Vince yelled in anger. "Don't want to take it to the finish line? Fine! Then we got something to settle right here right now!" His sentence ended in a scream as he was picked up by Knockout.
Airis watched as Jack ran out of Bumblebee and up to the bridge only to watch as Knockout drove away.
"Guys, he's getting away!" Jack shouted as Airis and Bumblebee pulled up to the road.
":Not for long! The team is almost here.:" Bumblebee tried to reassure him.
"I, I can't understand you! Look, I'm not Raf. Can't you just honk once for bad news and honk twice for good news?"
"Jack, it doesn't matter if you're not Raf because you're, well, you." Airis reassured him. "And Bee said the team is on their way."
Jack looked up as Arcee and Bulkhead pulled up. All of them transformed into their bipedal forms.
Arcee put her servos on her hips as she looked down at Jack. "Jack, we need to have a little chat." She said with a stern voice.
"Later, Arcee. Vince got snatched by that slick sports car con!" Jack informed her.
"What would Knockout want with a random human?" Arcee questioned.
"He probably mistook Vince for Bumblebee's human friend. I'm not even Bumblebee's human friend. I, I don't know! It doesn't matter why he took him; Vince is in trouble!" Jack said in determination.
"Oh well, tough break for Vince." Bulkhead said.
They all looked at him with a glare.
"Bulkhead?!" Yelled Jack in disbelief.
"What? I hear the guy's a jerk!" Bulkhead countered.
"No argument there, but the guy is also innocent." Jack said as he pointed an accusing finger at Bulkhead. "Vince doesn't deserve to get crushed by cons." He finished with a gesture of his hand.
"From what I've seen, he is a total jerk, but Jack's right; he's innocent. Mostly." Airis nodded.
Bumblebee voiced his agreement as he rubbed his chassis from Vince, hitting his hood.
Arcee sighed before transforming into her alt form. "Hop on." She said to Jack.
All four of them drove down a road in town and stopped at a crossing as Knockout passed them. They quickly sped after him.
As they watched Knockout pull into a storage parking lot, Arcee pulled back. "On your guard guys, could be a trap."
"Remember, no shooting." Jack added.
"With my tail and wings, I don't need a gun." Airis said with a smirk in her voice.
Airis followed Bumblebee and Bulkhead as they followed Knockout.
All three of them transformed before walking into the parking lot. Airis flecked her wings as she walked behind Bumblebee in her bipedal form. 'Finally, I get to test my new move.' Airis thought with a smirk.
They all stopped when a pair of headlights turned on in front of them. The three of them looked to the side as Breakdown came crashing through one of the storage houses.
Dodging Breakdown's fist Airis tucked her wings in as close as they would go.
Airis ran over to Bumblebee after he was hit by Breakdown. "Bee, I have a plan. I think you can distract him?"
Bumblebee nodded and then ran at Breakdown. Bumblebee punched Breakdown twice before backflip kicking him away right in Airis' direction.
As Breakdown came towards her, she jumped in the air and spun around as she thrust her wings open. Slapping Breakdown two times with her wings before he was sent skidding across the pavement.
Airis landed in a super landing as she looked up. Breakdown got up and charged at Bumblebee and sent him a few feet away with a punch.
She smirked in satisfaction as Bulkhead whacked Breakdown with a lamp post, sending him into one of the storage houses.
"Nice hit, Bulkhead!" Airis smiled.
"Thanks!" Bulkhead smiled back.
Airis turned and helped Bumblebee up before talking. "Now, let's go help, Arcee. I saw her chase after Knockout."
Bumblebee and Bulkhead nodded, then they all transformed into their alt modes and took off.
Airis and Bulkhead transformed into their bipedal forms as they approached Arcee and Optimus, who was holding an unconscious Vince.
Bumblebee rolled down his window so Jack could speak to Optimus. "Optimus, this was my fault." Jack said with guilt.
Optimus retracted his battle mask before answering. "We must get this boy to safety immediately. Explanations can come later. From all of you."
Airis shrunk in on herself a little at Optimus's look. 'Now, doesn't that just radiate disappointed sire energy.' Airis, though.