The Energon Pub

CYBERTRON

——Bumper lay hidden in a dust filled decommissioned exhaust vent facing Decepticon headquarters. His assignment was to observe enemy troop movements and report back to Prowl. Several times during the mission he had to jolt himself in the arm to prevent from drifting involuntarily offline.
——There was so little activity there that Bumper wondered if the big rustbuckets had all run out of Energon and gone into stasis lock. The thought barely had time to leave his mind before he found himself staring down the barrel of a hunting rifle.
——"If I were a Decepticon you'd be scrap metal by now,” sneered Mirage.
——Bumper climbed out slowly. Three Autobots had just rolled up to his position and transformed out of alt-mode without him hearing a thing. He was too embarrassed for words.
——"Aw, lay off the rookie, Mirage." Wheeljack said.
——Hound laughed. "Yeah, give him a break. He just rolled off the assembly line a few Deca-cycles ago."
——That wasn't entirely true. Bumper had been built about ten thousand vorns ago. The factory he was constructed in was destroyed by Decepticons moments after Vector Sigma gave him life, and the link to the super computer had been severed before it could activate his cerebral circuitry.
——Bumper wasn't found until recently when Bumblebee and Gears stumbled upon him while scavenging for parts to bring back to Ratchet. Upon activation, Gears complaining about how he had to transport him on his back through enemy territory were the first words Bumper's audio receptors ever received.
——The quartet’s attentions quickly turned to two other Autobots approaching in sleek vehicular modes.
——"That Seeker was right where Starscream said he would be! He didn't even know what hit him!" boasted Sideswipe, as he and Sunstreaker shifted out of their alternate forms.
—-Wheeljack held out his hand.
—— "Didja get the optics?"
—— Sunstreaker handed over an optic sensor still dripping with energon.
——"Yeah, I used a vibroblade to carve it out of the ‘Con’s faceplate."
——"What happened to the other one?"
——Sunstreaker pointed to Sideswipe and said, "Idiot-bot here damaged it with a pile-driver punch to the Decepticreep’s face. Smashed it to bits."
—— "Hey, sometimes I don't know my own strength." Sideswipe shrugged, feeling the need to defend himself.
——Wheeljack held the optic up to a sensor on the wall. "Well ah, hopefully this ‘Con had a matching set!”
PING
——“That’s a good sound,” smirked Hound.
—-Wheeljack nodded at Mirage. “You’re on,” he said.
——The door hissed open and the Autobot spy ran in, his cloaking ability rendering him nearly invisible. Mirage’s mission was to find a computer and use the access codes Prowl gave him. Codes he suspected were provided by Starscream.
——Mirage had worked with Decepticons before. The expensive cloaking technology he was using at this very moment came from a Decepticon arms dealer named Swindle; purchased with more Shanix than he cared to recall. Still, this entire operation made him feel uneasy. He'd rather it be anyone else but him running through these halls right now.
——Finally, Mirage found a computer terminal and used the codes. Then he watched and waited as data streamed into his storage device.



——"Commander Starscream!" Bitstream beckoned from his seated position at his workstation. "Take a look at this… someone is using your passcode to access a terminal right below us!"
——Starscream walked over and pretended to understand the wavy lines and symbols displayed on the screen.
——"So? It's probably just Soundwave snooping around... as usual."
——"Negative,” persisted Bitstream. "Soundwave is with Shockwave in the main control room!"
——Starscream bent down and whispered into Bitstream's audio receptor.
"Tell no one of this. Do you hear?”
——Bitstream stiffened in his chair. He didn't want to get caught up in one of Starscream's schemes, but he didn't want to risk the Air Commander's wrath either.
——“Uh-understood, Starscream,” he stammered.



——Megatron walked past rows of Decepticons standing motionless in stasis lock. Energon reserves were at a critical low and he simply would not permit it to be wasted on non-essential personnel. As far as Megatron was concerned, he had already won the war. Most of the remaining Autobot army were holed up in Iacon, hiding like retro-rats. Once a source of Energon plentiful enough to re-energize his troops was found, he would take the city by force.
——-Starscream stood with Shockwave and Soundwave to greet Megatron as he reached the main control room.
——"Nemesis fueled and ready for launch, Megatron. Destination: Earth".
——"Excellent Soundwave,” Megatron said. “Shockwave, you shall oversee military operations until I return.”
——"But Megatron…!” Starscream protested. "Shockwave is a scientist! I am much more qualified to lead the Decepticons in your absence!"
——"No Starscream, I need you in the skies leading my warriors to victory. The Autobots haven't made a move in deca-cycles, nor are they expected to. Your talents are wasted here."
——Starscream nodded slowly in agreement. "This is a disaster,” he thought.
——At this very moment the Autobots were stealing all the information they needed to strike against Megatron. Starscream had planned to be sitting atop a throne while Megatron and his most loyal followers were being ambushed out in space.
——The Seeker had no intention of perishing in a trap of his own making, so he walked over to a terminal and changed the passcode he had provided to the Autobots. Damage control would have to suffice until he could come up with a better plan.



——Mirage's device immediately began communicating to him that the system had suddenly booted it out. He grabbed the data receptacle and ran—because if Soundwave was in the building he knew what was going to happen next.
——"Enemy transmission detected. Intruder Alert." Soundwave droned, as he opened a channel linking his superiors to every Decepticon in the vicinity.
——"Decepticons! Find that Autobot!" bellowed Megatron.



——Still invisible to the untrained optic, Mirage looked ahead to see two Seekers blocking the corridor before him. Their wingspans were wide enough to prevent him from passing between them, so he dropped one Seeker with an armor piercing rocket-dart to the chest at point blank range.
——The other yelled "Cloaker!" and lashed out at his invisible opponent. Mirage easily avoided the Decepticon's swings, and then countered by using the butt of his rifle to cave in his cranial casing.
——Starscream, flanked by Skywarp and Thundercracker, arrived just as Mirage's cloaking device reached its limit—rendering him as visible as any other Cybertronian.
——Mirage put his hands up. "I guess this means the deals off,” he said.
——Starscream aimed his null-ray rifle and smiled. "What was your first clue?"


(To be continued)

PART 2

——Three Seekers, six guns, all of them blazing. Pieces flew off Mirage as he shifted from one mode to another. His finished alt-form was a sleek Cybertronian racer that hugged the surface and made for a much smaller target.
—— Smoke filled the room, the result of spilled energon hitting exposed and heated mechanical parts.
—-"He's damaged,” Thundercracker said, looking at the trail of spilled fuel.
—-Starscream clenched his fists. "Follow him, you idiots!" he screamed.
—— "The Autobot will make it to the exit—but once we hit open sky, he's ours." Thundercracker deduced as they ran. He couldn't help but think that if even one of Starscream's null rays had hit its target they wouldn't have to chase down the intruder at all. He'd be laying right in front of them—a paralyzed wreck.
—-"And we're the idiots?" he grumbled.



——Outside, Wheeljack and the others stood guard, ready to secure Mirage's escape route out of Decepticon headquarters.
—-"I'm starting to feel all glitchy,” Bumper whined.
—-"Don't get nervous on us now, bro." teased Sideswipe.
—-"No... I feel it too, my sensors are going crazy!" Hound exclaimed. He looked up to see an orange tetrajet diving towards him.“It's Sunstorm…!”
—-Hound’s warning came too late. The Decepticon landed in his true form with an explosion of energy that radiated outward from his feet, toppling his enemies like dominos.
—-Wheeljack—no stranger to sudden explosions— recovered quickly and fired a shoulder mounted missile at Sunstorm. The projectile penetrated the Seeker’s chest, but failed to detonate. The propulsion system kept firing though, sending Sunstorm—arms flailing—backwards into Decepticon headquarters. Mirage came racing out an astro-second later, shots whizzing past his alt-form.
——There was a flash in the corridor. Wheeljack's missile had finally detonated, dressing Mirage’s pursuers in a cloud of magnetic dust. The dazed Autobots quickly changed form and sped away. They could hear Starscream shouting as he and his Seekers struggled to separate from one another. The magnetic bonds that bound them were nigh-unbreakable, holding flat surfaces flush and jutting wings at uncomfortable angles.
——"Skywarp, go! They’re escaping!”
——"I can’t move!” protested Skywarp. "I've got Thundercracker stuck on my back!"
——"And I'm tangled up with Sunstorm!" complained Thundercracker.
—-"Teleport you fool!" ordered Starscream.
—-Skywarp teleported a safe distance away from the mass of magnetized Seekers, changed shape, and rocketed after the fleeing Autobots.
—-"Seeker inbound." Hound radioed to the others. "We have to find cover or we won't make it!”
—-"Take the ramp to your right,” ordered Wheeljack. The symbols on the road began to blur into a straight line under his bulky alt-form as he accelerated. “We’ve gotta get underground!”
—-Skywarp fired two missiles destroying the tunnel entrance just as the convoy raced in, causing the entire structure to collapse behind them into a pile of twisted metal.
Safely inside, the Autobots skidded to a stop and reverted to their robot-modes.
—-"Yeah! We made it!" cheered Sideswipe.
—-"Not all of us,” coughed Hound.
—-Sunstreaker took a mental head count. "Wait... where's the rookie? I thought he was right behind you, Hound!”
—-Hound shook his head. “My sensors say he's on the other side."

(to be continued)

PART 3

—-An astro-second of hesitation as the tunnel was collapsing cost Bumper his chance to escape. The inexperienced Autobot hit the brakes, transformed and whirled around to face Skywarp. He was met with a volley of explosive shells that left gaping holes in his armor plating.
—-Skywarp shifted to robot-form and landed with one foot on the spy’s chest—standing triumphantly over his captive like a hunter over a fresh Turbo-fox kill.
"I got one of ‘em,” he radioed. "The rest are in the wind."



—-Wheeljack, Hound, Mirage, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker walked into the debriefing room at Autobase. Prowl was seated at a table in the middle of the room, and Jazz sat in a corner off to the side.
—-Jazz stared at the burn marks and bullet holes all over Mirage’s body. He was a wreck. The other Autobots were still in relatively good shape.
—- "It ain't hard to tell who the 'Cons least favorite Autobot was,” he grinned. —-“Mission accomplished?"
—-"Yes,” Mirage answered, unamused.
—-"Good. Where's Bumper?" Prowl asked without looking up.
——”He didn't make it,” mumbled Wheeljack.
—— Prowl sighed. “Jazz, see if Bumblebee can find out what happened to Bumper, please."
——"Negative on that. I'll look for him myself." Jazz said, exiting the room.
——Mirage stepped forward and slammed the storage device down on the table. ——"This non-sentient piece of junk almost got us all scrapped!”
——"Mmhmm. How did it do that?" Prowl inquired.
——"It sent a signal in the middle of Decepticon Headquarters! Soundwave detected it!"
——"Well, it doesn't have a vocoder... how else was it supposed to communicate with you?" Prowl asked, as he examined the device. "I'll make sure Rewind is available for your next mission. Now report to the repair bay. You look like scrap."



—-Bumper's damaged body landed on Shockwave's examination table with a clank. The light in the Decepticon scientist's singular eye began to blink as he spoke.
——"It would have been more logical to capture the Autobot spy who attempted to access our network. Instead, you bring me a member of his motorcade.”
—-Megatron searched Starscream's face for an explanation until the Seeker felt compelled to speak.
—-“Megatron, I was mere moments away from capturing the intruder when his comrades ambushed me. It was my subordinate, Skywarp, who failed miserably to—“
—-"Enough." Megatron said, no longer interested in what Starscream had to say. —-"Shockwave, see what information you can retrieve from the Autobot's memory banks."
—-Shockwave grabbed a laser scalpel and cut through Bumper's cranial casing, revealing the Autobot's brain module. He then attached a cable from Bumper's brain to a triangular port on the top of his own head.
——Megatron and Starscream waited as Shockwave downloaded and analyzed the data.
—-"This is going from bad to worse,” Starscream thought. He had no idea how much the captured Autobot knew about his involvement in the data breach, so he readied himself for a fight. Some well placed Null ray blasts would disrupt both Megatron and Shockwave's electrical systems long enough for him to make his escape. There was no way he could survive a battle against both of them—much less emerge victorious—so he decided that his best option would be to run and live to plot again another solar-cycle.
—-Shockwave said "I see,” as he detached the cable from his head and looked directly at Starscream.
—-"He knows,” Starscream thought. "I'll blast him first and then shoot Megatron.”
—-Shockwave turned his attention towards the Decepticon leader. “The Autobot has several locks placed within his mind,” he said. “Decrypting them all will take a considerable amount of time."
—-"Work on it later," ordered Megatron. "I don't want the Nemesis launch delayed."

(to be continued)

PART 4

——Prowl stood with Optimus Prime at the command center in Iacon. The two Autobots had just finished viewing the stolen Decepticon data files and were debating a course of action. Perceptor and Wheeljack stood by via video link, ready to advise on technical matters.
——Prowl wanted to prevent the Decepticons from leaving the planet by attacking the Nemesis before it launched. An effective tactic, but the Autobots would suffer heavy casualties fighting in enemy territory.
——Optimus favored attacking Megatron amongst the stars where he would be cut off from reinforcements, but that meant risking the possibility of missing the Decepticons entirely in the vastness of space.
——Jazz appeared on a third monitor. "No sign of Bumper,” he said. “But what I do see is a big ol’ Decepticon spaceship ready for take off."
——"Affirmative, Jazz. It looks like our choice has been made for us, my friends." said Optimus Prime. "Wheeljack, is the Ark ready for launch?"
——"All systems check out,” the engineer answered. “I'll be along for the ride if anything goes wrong, but the main problem is—“
——"Energon,” interrupted Perceptor. "You have enough to get you all the way to Earth if necessary, but not for a return trip."
——"According to the Decepticons, Earth is a planet rich in natural resources. Perhaps we can use some to refuel the Ark." Prowl offered.
——Optimus looked up at the stars. "Hopefully we can reach an agreement with Earth’s inhabitants if it comes to that. Megatron must not succeed in converting even a fraction of their resources into energon. If he does, it's the end of the road for all of us."



——There were fifty Autobots lined up in Autobase and Huffer's whining irritated the audio receptors of every one of them.
——"Why do I have to go and Grapple gets to stay?" complained Huffer. "Isn't he supposed to be a famous architech? Let him ride with our fearless leader into space!”
——"Aw Huff, gimme a break," Jazz said wearily as he clutched a datapad with a list of names. The last surviving member of Optimus Prime's security detail—the tough old Autobot Ironhide—followed closely behind.
——"Forget what high society says, we know who the best builder on Cybertron is!" Jazz said, slapping Huffer on the back.
——"Run along now Huffer, the Ark's waitin' on ya." Ironhide said.
——Bluestreak smirks as Huffer mopes away from the line. "Jazz, you sure know how to blow smoke up a 'Bots tailpipe! I mean, Huffer's work is great, but Grapple's buildings... those are works of art!"
——Bluestreak, you're in." Jazz said as blew past him to the next Autobot. He couldn't let Bluestreak keep talking because if he did, he wouldn't stop.
——"Brawn! Ready to turn some Decepticreeps into junk?"
——"You’re really expectin' an answer to that, Jazz?" Brawn asked, slamming his reinforced knuckles into the palm of his hand.
——“Nope,” he laughed. “You’re in.”
——Jazz continued down the line. "Smokescreen, you're out. Red Alert, you ain't medically cleared. And Tracks?”
——“Yes?”
——“Stay pretty on Cybertron.”
——“I beg your pardon?”
——“You’re stayin’.”
——"Ahh, his design isn't so great,” mumbled Sunstreaker. “It's all hood in alt-mode.”
——"Stop hatin', 'Streaker.” Jazz grinned. “You and Sideswipe are in. You too, Hound.
——"Thanks Jazz,” Hound said, eager to get off-world—even if it was for just a few solar cycles.
——"Overdrive, Camshaft, Downshift, y’all didn't make the cut. Next time. Bumblebee, Gears, Windcharger, Hauler, Cliffjumper, pack your gear." Jazz said, eager to get the selections over with.
—-"Inferno, you're out."
——"C'mon, Jazz!" Inferno protested.
——"Prowl made the picks, not me. Ratchet, you're in."
——"What? Wait... Jazz, I have several patients in my repair bay with rust rashes right now!"
——"Tell Hoist to slap some patch plates on 'em Doc, ‘cause he’s puttin’ it in park. Trailbreaker, you're ridin' with us. Try not to empty all the Engex on the ship, okay?”
——Next, Jazz turned his attention to Mirage—who had broken formation and was making a beeline for the exit.
——“Where you goin', Mirage? he asked.
——"You have Bumblebee,” Mirage answered. “You don't need me.”
——"Yeah, but we can never have enough good fighters.”
——Jazz turned to the remaining Autobots in the line up. “The rest of y’all hold down Iacon 'til we get back!”

(to be continued)

PART 5

——The crew of the Nemesis was small. It consisted of Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Reflector, Soundwave, his minions, and Megatron himself.
——"Nemesis exiting warp space. Lost Decepticon cargo ship located. Setting course for new destination: Artic circle."
——"Excellent, Soundwave." Megatron said reflexively. The Decepticon leader’s attention was focused on Starscream, who seemed to become increasingly nervous each time he checked the monitor screens. "Expecting someone, Starscream?"
——"I'm just being cautious, Megatron. Much time has passed since Skyfire's ship crashed on Earth. It’s inhabitants technology may have advanced considerably."
——"To the point where they pose a threat to us? No, I don't think so." Megatron replied.
——"Autobots then." Starscream said, as he continued to check the monitors. "Skyfire was a Seeker built for space exploration. Upon discovery of this planet, he flew back home to gather Constructicons to assemble a Space Bridge with the intention of transporting energon back to Cybertron. Their ship crashed, and Skyfire and his crew were never heard from again."
——Megatron began to look annoyed. Obtaining the Space Bridge components from Skyfire's ship was the very reason he had traveled halfway across the universe. Everything Starscream was saying he knew already.
——"What I'm getting at, Megatron, is that someone must have brought them down!”
——"Starscream... Bitstream reported that the Autobots learned nothing when they attempted to access our network. It is also unlikely that a team of Autobots have been waiting out here in space to ambush—“
——Klaxons interrupted Megatron as explosions rocked his ship.
——"You were saying, o’ mighty Megatron?”



——"There isn't a ship on Cybertron that's faster than the Ark!" Sideswipe shouted. "We got 'em!"
——"Keep on 'em, Sideswipe!” ordered Wheeljack.
——"They're goin' down now!" Jazz said, as another volley raked the Nemesis' engines.
——Onboard the Decepticons’ ship, Megatron could see Starscream running towards the exit through the smoke filled room.
——"Starscream! Where are you going?" he bellowed.
——"To the escape pods! And if you had any sense, you would get to one too!"
——"Escape pods all destroyed,” informed Soundwave.
——"Scrap!” cursed Skywarp. “They knocked out all our weapons too! It's like they know exactly where to hit us!"
—— Skywarp looked out the window and briefly considered teleporting off the ship before realizing that he would burn up at the speed they were traveling—just like the Nemesis was doing now.
——"Activate the tractor beam, Soundwave!" ordered Megatron.
——"Probability of tractor beam enabling successful intrusion into the Ark at this juncture is zero point—“
——"Silence, you fool!” shouted Megatron. “Do as you are told!"
——Soundwave flipped several switches on the Nemesis’ control panel. He had never before doubted a course of action set by Megatron until this very moment. Silently, he began to calculate his chances for survival.



——"They've latched onto us!" hollered Ironhide, as the Ark shook.
——"They're trying to board...?” Prowl asked incredulously. “That's insane!"
——"No.” Optimus Prime said. “Mutually assured destruction. Megatron is trying to bring the Ark down with him.”
——"Can't break free! We're being dragged down to the planet!" yelled Sideswipe, as he pulled the control yoke back as far as it could go.
——Optimus Prime gave the only command he had left to give—"Autobots! Brace for impact!"

(to be continued)

PART 6

——The Nemesis separated from the Ark and made planetfall in the Pacific ocean. Slowly, the Decepticons aboard the ship—scattered about like children’s playthings—stirred. A display on the Nemesis’ monitor flickered to life.
——Soundwave looked up at the readouts.
——“Hull integrity compromised."
——"Seal off all compartments until we can assess the damage. Where are we?" inquired Megatron.
"Off the coast of Oregon,” answered Soundwave. “Laserbeak eject.”
——Soundwave’s chest popped open and an oval shaped disk flew out of it, changing form in mid-air into a Cybertronian version of a condor. Once the Nemesis’ watchtower was fully extended above the water, the minion known as Laserbeak departed. A camera emerged from his head as he began to stream everything he saw back to the base.
——Things had changed since Skyfire first explored the planet. Machines were now the dominant life forms. The numerous organic creatures Laserbeak saw posed no threat, but machines built for war did. The Decepticons had not planned on changing their alt-modes, but now they would have to in order to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.



——Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker stepped into a chamber on the Nemesis that resembled an assembly plant.
——Robotic arms removed each Decepticon's armor plating and melted it down in separate vats. The molten metal was remolded, cooled and then repainted. Wires were disconnected, and then reconnected to other ports on their chassis. Joints were taken out and then reinstalled in different areas seconds after they had been extracted. Finally, their armor plating was reattached, their sensor links reconnected, and then the three Seekers transformed into fighter jets. After cockpits made of translucent metal were added, they reverted back to their robot-modes.
——Soundwave and his minions were next. The process was nearly the same, with the Nemesis deviating only to activate their mass shifting programs—enabling them to change size as well as shape during transformation. The Reflector trio ran in eagerly after the last of the alterations to Soundwave’s minions had been completed. However, as alt-mode conversion began, the Nemesis lost power.
——"Something has gone wrong," they said in unison.
——"Obviously," Starscream said. "With the state that this ship is in—thanks to the competent command decisions of Megatron—we should be thankful that we survived at all!"
——"Careful Starscream," Megatron warned, locking optic sensors with the Seeker before turning to his information officer. "Soundwave, report!"
——"Leak detected. Energon levels at five percent."
——"Start searching for a source of fuel we can convert into energon,” ordered Megatron. "We'll have to make our presence known ahead of schedule.”

(to be continued)

PART 7

——Bumblebee was the first Autobot to leave the Ark with a new Earth based alt-mode. He looked back with his rear-view optic and what he saw was a defense strategist's worst nightmare. Their base of operations—a damaged spaceship—sticking out of the side of a mountain.
——They were totally exposed, both to the Decepticons and the humans they had adapted new forms to hide from. Trailbreaker, along with Wheeljack and Huffer, would have their hands full. Bumblebee’s function as a spy was critical at this juncture. He had to find out what happened to the Decepticons, and what they planned to do next. Let the others worry about how best to defend the Ark.



——Sparkplug tried to hide his discomfort, but Spike had already seen him wince in pain as he exited the passenger side of their car.
——“You okay, Dad?”
——"I'm fine, Spike. Hey, look at this… Ed left his tape player right on the roof of his ride.”
——"Ed still uses a Walkman? Wow! What's he got in the tape deck?"
——"It’s Cold Slither!” laughed Sparkplug.
—-“Who?”
——“One hit wonder from the 80s. C’mon! We’ll bring it inside for ‘im.”
——"Can I see it?” Spike asked, as they walked into the power plant.
——Sparkplug pressed it into the boy’s hands with a smirk. “Strange,” he thought. “Heavier than I remember.”
——"Hey, Dad… did they usually make Walkmen, Walkmans—or whatever—to carry more than one tape? There's a whole stack in here, one behind the other."
——"No… not that I know of,” Sparkplug said, peering in for a closer look.
——The tape deck shot out of Spike’s hands like a skyrocket, narrowly missing his surprised face. The device separated in mid-air, enlarging many times over as its parts shifted. Then it landed in humanoid form with a force that shook the entire facility.
——"Get down! Get down!" shouted the plant guards, as they opened fire on the giant robot.
——"Hit the floor, Spike!” Sparkplug dived on top of his son, attempting to shield him with his own body. “Bullets are richochetin’ everywhere!”
——The metal Goliath touched a tab on what would be his collarbone if he were made of flesh.
——"Frenzy eject. Operation: Education."
——Frenzy transformed and ran full sprint towards the guards firing at them. The guards scattered like leaves before the ten foot tall rampaging robot. He lashed out at the fleshlings with outstretched arms and spread fingers. Frustrated when he failed to catch any of them, he detached one of the guns from his back and began blasting the guards as they fled.
——"Ok! Ok! Stop! Stop!" One of the guards yelled, waving his arms frantically trying to get Frenzy's attention. Another threw his rifle across the floor, announcing his surrender. Frenzy was about to shoot them anyway, but Soundwave chose to end the slaughter with a simple command.
——“Frenzy. Cease fire.”
——"Okay, boss.” Frenzy replied, sizing up the plant personnel. “You're lucky Soundwave says we need you germs,” he sneered.
——“Frenzy… Soundwave. Spike, these metal monsters have names!” Sparkplug said in astonishment. “I wonder who’s controlling ‘em… Cabomya?”
——“I dunno, Dad, but look!” Spike pointed.
——A giant cube, the color of television static, spawned out of the bigger robot’s chest window and drifted in a straight line down to the floor.
——"Fill the cube,” Soundwave ordered.
——-Frenzy grabbed Spike and shoved him over to the empty cube.
——"With what?" Spike asked angrily, defiance in his eyes.
——-Soundwave pointed to the generators. Spike looked back at his father. Sparkplug nodded.
——"Do as he says, son."
——Spike grunted as he pushed the cube with both hands over to the generators. It hummed and turned pink as raw electricity arced out of the machinery to fill its empty confines.
——Frenzy turned his weapon on the crowd once more. "Now the rest of you flesh creatures line up and do the same."



"—This just in, and this is not a prank... giant robots have taken over the Harrison Nuclear Power Plant and are holding several workers hostage. Emergency response units are—“
——Bumblebee switched off the radio station he was listening to and opened a direct channel to Optimus Prime.
——"Prime, this is Bumblebee. I'm receiving an Earth broadcast describing Decepticon activity at something called a “Harrison Nuclear Power Plant”."
——"Acknowledged Bumblebee. I'm dispatching a squad to that destination now,” Optimus said.
——"Affirmative, I’ll meet them there.”
——“And Bumblebee...?”
——“Yes, Prime?”
——-“Ensure that no harm comes to the humans.”
——“Will do, Prime. Bumblebee out.”



——The Autobot convoy led by Jazz, and consisting of Bluestreak, Cliffjumper, Gears, Windcharger, and Ratchet came to a full stop three miles from their destination.
——"Bluestreak, set up shop over there on top of that abandoned building," directed Jazz.
——Bluestreak transformed and gave the derelict structure a quick once-over. "Ok Jazz, you just let me know when to start sniping. You give the word and I'll start airing out Decepticreeps! I've got your back, don’t you worry.”
——Jazz wasn't so sure. Bluestreak tended to put his mouth into overdrive when he got nervous, and Jazz could still hear him yakking as the group pulled away.
——-"Maybe it's the change of scenery that's got ‘im glitchy?" he pondered.
——-The sound of Bumblebee approaching snapped Jazz’ mind back into focus.
——"I just spotted Buzzsaw on the drive up,” reported Bumblebee. “The Decepticons know we're coming."

(to be continued)

PART 8

——Rumble and Frenzy were outside the plant destroying police cars and ambulances when they received a transmission from Soundwave.
——"Autobots en route. Initiate Operation: Disorientation."
Rumble looked up to see six cars speeding towards him. "Autobots," he sneered. “Frenzy, You think those Auto-bozos are in range?"
——"Yeah! Let's trash 'em!"
——Frenzy raised his arms and unleashed sonic waves that disrupted the electrical flow in the Autobots’ circuits, causing them to malfunction.
——The lead vehicle, Jazz, slammed on his brakes and was promptly rear ended by Windcharger. Gears veered uncontrollably, first sideswiping Bumblebee, then Ratchet. Cliffjumper swerved wildly, but otherwise managed to stay on course.
——"That Auto-jerk is still comin’ straight at us!” screamed Frenzy.
——Rumble leap frogged over Frenzy and hit the ground with both pile drivers pounding. In moments the roadway was littered with fissures, pot holes, and jutting pieces of pavement.
——"Cliffjumper, no!” shouted Ratchet. "You'll damage your tires!"
——Cliffjumper managed to decelerate to just under a hundred miles per hour before he made contact with the damaged roadway. After blowing all four tires in quick succession, the determined Autobot changed form and attempted to close the distance on foot, but the combined efforts of both Decepticons sent him rolling head over heels.
——Lying on his chest, Cliffjumper struggled to stabilize his scrambled circuits and stand up. That’s when Buzzsaw swooped in and used his micro-serrated beak to slash him from skid plate to shoulder struts.
——The other Autobots transformed and drew their weapons, but the feedback from Frenzy's sonic assault made targeting impossible.
——Buzzsaw struck again, crippling Ratchet by shredding the back of both his knees. Then he changed direction in mid-air, returning to shear Gears’ arm off at the elbow as the Autobot shot at him. The detached arm clattered to the ground with the pistol still held firmly in its hand.
——"Jazz, do something!” cried Gears. “We're getting cut up into spare parts out here!"
—-Energon sprayed from a hose left dangling where Gears’ forearm used to be. Ratchet retracted his hand in order to allow an arc welder to slide up and take its place, then he crawled over to Gears and began repairing his injury.
—-Jazz moved in to provide the medic some cover. "Bluestreak! Start shootin'!" he shouted into his comm.



——On a rootop three miles away, Bluestreak spit out the energon bar he was chewing on, picked up his rifle, and took aim at Frenzy. An 80,000 volt blast to the chest made the Decepticon stand rod straight before falling face down in the dirt. Another shot sent Buzzsaw spinning into the wall of the power plant, collapsing part of it. The dust that rose from its demolition was parted almost immediately by an outpouring of human hostages. The spectacle gave Bluestreak pause, but only for a second.
——With Frenzy down, Cliffjumper was finally able to get his bearings. He grabbed his gun and fired a gas pellet that burst in front of Rumble, causing his pile drivers to become as brittle as glass. The Decepticon swore aloud as both hammers shattered upon hitting the ground.
——Cliffjumper couldn’t help but laugh as the little Decepticon ran armless across the parking lot, dodging Bluestreak’s bolts.
——Bumblebee ran over to the hole in the plant's wall. “C’mon!” he beckoned to the others. “I just saw Rumble run inside! What was left of ‘im!”
——"Probably runnin' back to his master," smirked Windcharger.
——Jazz and Windcharger positioned themselves on opposite sides of the opening while Bumblebee changed to alt-mode.
——"Be cautious," warned Jazz. "If Soundwave's in there you won't know how many 'Cons you're facin'."
—-“I will, Jazz.”
——Bumblebee sped off into the darkened facility, transformed, and took aim at the only source of illumination in the entire plant—a tall stack of energon cubes.
——Soundwave stepped into the light. There was no sign of his minions.
——"Don't move, Decepticon! Or you'll be pouring coolant over fresh energon burns for a week!”
——Ravage was on top of the bold little Autobot in an instant—leaping from somewhere in the shadows. Bumblebee struggled as the big cat clamped his jaws around his throat and applied pressure. Soundwave let out a chuckle, hollow and metallic.

PART 9

——Soundwave thought about ending Bumblebee’s life with a concussion blast to the brain module, but thought it best not to interrupt Ravage’s playtime.
——“Attention Thundercracker. Energon collection complete. Extraction requested,” radioed Soundwave.
——Jazz roared into the plant, temporarily overwhelming the Decepticons' optic sensors with his high beams. Windcharger raced in after him in robot mode, using his magnetic abilities to yank the concussion blaster out of Soundwave's hand and send it sailing straight into Ravage's head.
——Bumblebee rolled free, giving Ravage an elbow to the jaw for good measure. Jazz drove up next to Soundwave, dodged a swing from his still blinded opponent in mid-transformation, then dropped the Decepticon on his rear with a well placed blow to the mouthplate.
——"Bluestreak,” Jazz radioed. “Keep your optics lit for Thundercracker, he's—“
——The words were drowned out by the sound of a deafening sonic boom. Bluestreak froze in his sniper's nest. That sonic boom was the same sound he heard just before the skies filled with Seekers and bombs rained down on his home city on Cybertron. His servos seized as the scene replayed in his memory bank. He saw himself being hunted down in the ruins, then loaded into a packed transport with thousands of other Autobots. He was in Polyhex now, waiting to die in the smelting pool. Friends were being turned to slag while Decepticons laughed.



——"What's that whistling noise?" inquired Windcharger.
——Jazz paused for a second. "Get down! Drone rocket!"
——It was the right move. The rocket sailed over their heads and exploded nearby, showering the Autobots with flaming debris that brought visibility in the plant to near zero.
——Thundercracker flew in amidst the flames, transformed, and laid down suppression fire to cover the other Decepticons’ escape.
——Soundwave ejected a deep purple cassette that landed atop the stack of energon. It unfolded and transformed into a container, encompassing the cubes. Through the confusion, Bumblebee saw Thundercracker change shape. Soundwave attached the container to Thundercracker’s jet-form using a tow cable, then he transformed into a tape player and hurled himself into his comrade’s open cockpit.
——Bumblebee had only seconds to react. He looked down to search for his gun, but what he found instead were two humans frantically trying to make it to safety. He transformed to alt-mode and swung his doors wide.
——"Get in!" he ordered.
——Spike and Sparkplug both hesitated, but then jumped in just as Thundercracker took off with a sonic boom that brought the whole facility down around them.



——The next image Bumblebee saw was daylight peeking through the rubble as a crane lifted part of the plant's ceiling off him. He recognized the crane as Hauler, even though he had changed his paint job from "Constructicon green" to "Iacon orange." Brawn reached in and yanked him out by the bumper.
——"Ouch,” he said. "Careful, Brawn! I've got organics inside me."
——Jazz stood with his hands on his hips. "Congratulations. On this world that means you're expecting.”
——“Oh... wait—that means I’m what!?”
——Bumblebee's human cargo stepped out and inhaled deep breaths of fresh air.
——"I would've never guessed that robots that turn into cars would come equipped with a sense of humor,” laughed Spike.
——"Decepticons don't,” Hauler replied. “Trust me on that one."
——Sparkplug put his arm around Spike. “I've got a bum knee so I couldn't make a break for it with the others. I hid out in a locker. My son Spike here stayed with me. I can't thank you er, Auto-bots enough for saving us."
——"No sweat. We wax your back, you wax ours." Jazz said. "Listen Spike, I'm gonna need a little favor from you."
——"Um… yeah. Sure.”
——"Alright, then. The rest of y’all link up with Bluestreak and head back to base for debriefing,” ordered Jazz. "I'm rollin' out with my new friend Spike here. He's gonna show me around town."

(to be continued)

PART 10

The Ark.

——"Hound reporting for duty."
——"Just the Autobot I wanted to see,” said Prowl. “We're being deployed and I can't seem to find Brawn, Trailbreaker, or Ironhide anywhere. Their comms are off."
——"They're in the bar."
——"The Ark has a bar?" Prowl said in amazement.



——Trailbreaker shifted his weight on the small stool at the bar. “Hey Ironhide, pour me some of that overproof Energon will ya?"
——"It's been on the Ark since the Golden Age, fellas. I don't know how much kick it's gonna have,” cautioned Ironhide.
——"Nonsense. That stuff gets better with age." Trailbreaker scoffed.
——"Top me off,” Brawn smirked, sliding a canister across the table. "Hey, you 'Bots hear what happened at the power plant?"
——Both Autobots shook their heads "no".
——“Gears said that Bluestreak shut down when Thundercracker arrived on the scene. He says Bluestreak is the reason the Decepticons got away with a whole astro-ton of energon.”
——"Nawww, I don't believe that.” Ironhide said. "Rusty mechs are always talkin' junk. I know Bluestreak, and that ‘Bot ain’t no coward!”
——Trailbreaker slammed his canister down. "Gahhh! This stuff sure gets the engine revving... but it tastes like somebody stuck his skid plate in it and swished it around!"
——"I'm not gonna ask how you know what that tastes like." Prowl said, posting up in the doorway. "But what I am going to inquire about is why you three are here over-energizing during a code Magenta?"
——All three Autobots looked at Prowl with blank stares. No one could remember what a code Magenta was.
——"Flush your systems,” Prowl ordered. “Then report to Prime."



——”Flashing sirens behind us, Jazz.” alerted Spike. “I think that unmarked car wants us to pull over."
——"For what…?” Jazz replied. "We’re cruisin’. We ain’t going past the speed limit."
——"Well, we're about to find out." Spike said, as Jazz slowed to a stop. "You think you can whip up a legit looking registration card before he gets over here?"
——"Sorry, I'm paperless. Look... this human is wearing a black suit, he’s gotta be a fed."
——"How the heck do you know that?”
——"We're programmed to learn about different cultures... goes way back to the days when the Quintessons manufactured us to be sold as slaves. The late models had to learn their new masters' ways of life, languages, all that jazz. I just adapt a lot faster than most. Now pay attention, here he comes."
——"Sam Witwicky?" The agent asked, flashing his badge.
——"Yes." Spike nodded.
——"I'm agent Walter Barnett from Triple I. I need you to step out of the car right now, son."
——"What's this about, sir?" Spike asked, as he exited Jazz. The door slammed shut behind him, but neither Spike nor the agent took notice.
——"I want you to take a ride with me back to headquarters so we can talk about the incident at the power plant. Witnesses say they saw you having a conversation with the second group of robots that showed up to engage the first group. Y’know, the ones that transformed into vehicles.”
——"Is that a crime sir?" Spike asked.
——"Technically no. But this is a little different from breaking the law now, son." Barnett replied. "I'll send a tow truck for your Porsche."
——Jazz’ parts began to shift. Agent Barnett stepped back in shock.
——"No need for that." Jazz said, towering over the human in robot mode. "You got a lot over there I can park in?"
——"W-we have a uh, big garage where we can all talk."
——"Sounds real cozy,” replied Jazz.

(to be continued)

PART 11

——Ironhide, Trailbreaker and Brawn joined Optimus Prime, Prowl and Hound in front of Teletraan-1, the de facto staging area of the Ark.
——"Now that everyone here can presumably drive within the lines, I can start my briefing." Prowl said sarcastically.
——"Yes, Proceed Prowl." Optimus said, slightly annoyed by the delay.
——"At approximately 1600 hours, Thundercracker downed two military jets while transporting energon he aquired from a raid at the Harrison Nuclear Power Plant—“
——"Wait,” interrupted Brawn. "When did we make the switch from Cybertronian time?"
——Trailbreaker jabbed Brawn with his elbow. "The day we arrived on Earth, dummy! Get with it, Brawn!”
——"Thundercracker then travelled north to Brooks Range, Alaska." Prowl continued. "Somewhere in that region is a ship buried there of Cybertronian origin. The data Mirage stole from the Decepticons was incomplete concerning the exact location of this vessel, or the cargo it contained.”
——"If I can pick up Thundercracker's energy signature when we arrive up north, I should be able to follow his contrails right to that lost ship." Hound said.
——"We were counting on that,” replied Prowl.
——"One thing's for certain,” added Optimus. “Whatever’s in the hold of that ship is integral to Megatron's plan here on Earth."
——"Yeah, which means we don't want him getting his rusty paws on it!" concluded Ironhide.
——"Precisely." Optimus said. "Autobots, transform and roll out!"



——Thundercracker soared over the snow covered mountains of Alaska with Soundwave in his cockpit.
——"There," Soundwave said.
——Thundercracker fired two rockets towards Mount Isto, destroying part of the mountain near its peak to reveal a hidden cavern. He swooped in swiftly, but cautiously, taking care not to damage the containment unit he carried beneath him. Once the Spacecraft was within sight, Thundercracker released Soundwave and both Decepticons were fully in robot-mode before their feet touched the ground.
——Soundwave walked along the hull of the ship searching for an access panel to open the locks. Once he found it, he hacked into the ship's computer using probes extending from his fingertips. The door whisked open. An icy plume of vapor rolled out.
——Inside, the crew consisting of seven Constructicons lay scattered about the room in stasis lock. The ship's control panel was a crumpled mess of wires, broken circuit boards, and mangled metal. It was here that Skyfire sat, still holding the controls with a look of horror frozen on his faceplate.
——Thundercracker was repulsed. "Ugh. Skyfire's a wreck!” he exclaimed. "It'll take one skilled surgical engineer to get him functioning again.”
——"Skyfire's functionality is irrelevant."
——Soundwave’s callousness came as no surprise to Thundercracker. They didn't need Skyfire to pilot the craft. In fact, they didn't need him for anything. Decepticons tended to leave their wounded for dead unless it was advantageous for them to do otherwise.
—— Once a Space Bridge was assembled here on Earth they could begin sending energon cubes back to Cybertron. But first they would have to move the Space Bridge to a location where they could actually use it, which meant getting the ship flying again—and for that they were going to need help.
——"Hey, Soundwave! What's the estimated repair time to get these Constructicons back online?”
——”42 hours. 15 minutes."


(to be continued)

PART 12

——Scavenger’s visor blinked through the fog of reactivation. “What happened?”
——Gravedigger answered a question with a question. “Ain’t it obvious? We crashed on this mudball eons ago and these sorry mechs are just now getting around to rescuing us!"
——"You know the old saying,” grumbled Long Haul. “If you can't be used, then you're useless.”
——"Quiet, you two!” scolded Scrapper.
——The Constructions fell silent, waiting for Soundwave to speak.
——"What is our mission, Soundwave?” Hook inquired.
——"Repair Rumble. Then restore this craft's flight capability."
——"Fine. Someone remove Skyfire's body first so we can begin repairing the control panel,” grumbled Hook. “I need to make an assessment of the damage.”
——"Negative." Soundwave said, ejecting an armless Rumble from his chest cavity. "Repair Rumble first.”
——"Out of the question! Getting this heap airborne takes precedence over the restoration of one of your precious minions," Hook scoffed.
——“Aw c’mon, Doc! You can't leave me like this!” pleaded Rumble.
——Soundwave walked over and got right in Hook's face. "Defense is our priority.” he said, jabbing a finger into the surgeon’s chest plate. “Autobots en route. Repair Rumble. Now!”



——"This land mass is spectacular!" Hound said in amazement. "Requesting permission to return for further exploration after the completion of this mission, Prime."
——"Permission granted, Hound." Optimus said. "How much further until we reach the Decepticons?"
——"We've just arrived, actually." Hound replied. The other Autobots came to a stop and transformed at the base of the mountain alongside him. "You see that cavern way up there?"
——"The one with the scorch marks around it?" asked Prowl.
——"Yup. My sensors say the Decepticons are inside."
——The cavern in question exploded. The earth rumbled as boulders the size of minivans hurtled downwards, threatening to crush them.
——"Trailbreaker! Throw up a forcefield!" Optimus commanded.
——"Already on it, Prime!"
——Tons of rubble rained down on Trailbreaker's forcefield. When the rocks began to pile up on top of it, he angled his shield slightly at the edges, allowing the stones to slide off towards the perimeters.
——"If we didn't bring you along we'd all be nursing some serious dents right now," said Brawn.
——"Yeahh, Ratchet owes me a few drinks for savin' him so much work today." Trailbreaker laughed.
——After the dust cleared, the Autobots were left standing in a circular area that looked barren in contrast to the field of rubble that now surrounded them.
——Ironhide drew his gun. “Why ain’t they firin' down on us, Prime?"
——"Because I don't believe this was an attack, Ironhide,” replied Optimus. "Look."
——The top of the mountain had been completely blown off, transforming it into a butte. The Decepticon spacecraft sat exposed in the sunlight on its surface.
——"It looks like the Decepticons just freed their ship," observed Trailbreaker. "I'll take the lead on the climb up so my forcefield can shield us. Y'know, just in case they decide to drop anything else on our heads."
——"No offense Trailbreaker, but you're too slow." Prowl said. "Let Hound go first. If those 'Cons up there intend to go on a trip, I want to make sure that they miss their flight."
——"I've already mapped the fastest way up," Hound said. "Follow me."



——"Looks like the party crashers are here." Thundercracker said, looking over the edge alongside Soundwave.
——"Affirmative.” Soundwave said. “In order of proximity—Autobots: Hound, Prowl, Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Brawn, and Trailbreaker."
—-"They should've stayed on the ground where they belong," sneered Thundercracker. “Let’s put ‘em back in their place!”
——Soundwave pressed the eject button on his waist. "Laserbeak, eject. Operation: Elimination."
——Laserbeak shot upwards out of Soundwave's chest, transformed, and then went into a nose dive in the Autobots’ direction.
——"Uh oh, it looks like the Decepticreeps don't want any company!” Hound shouted. He held on with one hand, drew his gun with the other, and fired at Laserbeak. The Decepticon evaded the shot, then retaliated with a laser strike that severed the hand Hound was using for support so swiftly that it took him a moment to realize it was missing. Prowl reached out to arrest Hound’s fall and his own hand was melted to a stub by their avian attacker.
——The other Autobots looked down in horror as Hound fell. He struck the base of the mountainside, separating into pieces that littered the snowy landscape below.
——Prowl jammed what was left of his hand into the rock to anchor himself, drew his rifle, and took three shots at Laserbeak.
——The acid pellets hit their mark and dissolved all of Laserbeak’s aggression—along with portions of his armor plating—-sending him retreating back into the safety of Soundwave's chest.
——"Rumble, Eject. Operation: Devastation."
——Rumble transformed, flipped in mid-air, and then landed at the cliff's edge. "The bottom of this mountain’s gonna look like a junkyard when I'm finished wit’ you Auto-bums!”
——Rumble transformed both arms into pile drivers and hammered until a cascade of boulders rained down on the hapless Autobots. The section of rock Prowl was anchored to crumbled, sending him tumbling down until he vanished into the pile of rubble forming at the mountain’s base.
——The other Autobots held firm and seemingly withstood an incredible amount of punishment before Rumble realized that the boulders weren't hitting them at all. They were rolling off of a forcefield that was being projected upwards like an umbrella to shield them.
——Trailbreaker climbed up past Optimus to take the lead. "I told you guys to let me go first!”


(to be continued)

PART 13

——All six Constructicons were sitting with their legs in a trench, repairing the ship’s main fuel line. Gravedigger stood up and tossed his tools aside.
——“Screw this scrap!” he shouted angrily. “I can't concentrate on my work with all that noise outside!"
——“Constructicons don't walk off the job, Gravedigger." warned Scrapper.
——“This one does!” Gravedigger shot back, storming towards the exit.
——Hook placed his hand on Scrapper’s shoulder. "Let him go,” he said. “That heavy handed oaf was only slowing us down anyway."
——"Why don’t you say that to his faceplate next time, Hook?” challenged Bonecrusher. “Oh, wait.” he smirked. “You wouldn’t dare.”



——"What are you dopes doing out here?" demanded Gravedigger
——"It's the Autobots!" whined Rumble. "They're makin' their way up the mountain and we can't stop 'em!"
——"Is that all? I'll take care of those Scraplets for ya!"
——Gravedigger transformed into a Cybertronian ore-excavator equipped with a drill at the end of a service arm. He drilled into the rock near the cliff’s edge, and then used it to dislodge a large piece of the butte. The entire section sheared off just above Optimus Prime's head, spiraling to the ground below, and carrying his defensive strategist with it.
——“Trailbreaker!”
——"Three down, three to go!” Thundercracker boasted as Optimus clambered up onto the short slope Gravedigger just created.
——Before Optimus could draw his weapon, Thundercracker and Soundwave hit him with a combination of firepower that sent the Autobot leader tumbling back down the slope and over the edge.
——"Got ya!" Ironhide said, arresting his fall with one hand while supporting them both with the other.
——"Thanks old friend. But I fear we're not out of the smelter yet."
——"Affirmative,” replied Soundwave. "Buzzsaw, Eject. Operation: Amputation."
——Buzzsaw swooped down with lightning speed, intent on severing Ironhide's arm at the elbow and sending both Autobots to their destruction. Luckily for them, Buzzsaw's beak lodged at the midway point while slicing through his intended victim’s trithyllium steel skin. The Decepticon fired his thrusters and flapped his wings in a desperate attempt to extricate himself from Ironhide's arm, but his beak wouldn't budge.
——Ironhide stifled his pain, unable to retaliate while holding Optimus Prime.
——"Swing me over to that ledge down there," instructed Optimus. "So you can free your hand to give Buzzsaw the attention he craves."
——"Will do, Prime."
——Ironhide did as Optimus ordered, then the ornery old Autobot reached up, grabbed Buzzsaw by the neck, and bashed him against the rocks until both wings broke off. Ironhide stared the bird in the optics for a moment before throwing him down to his doom in a show of disgust.
——Pebbles peppered Optimus Prime’s helmet from above.
——"Heads up, Optimus!” alerted Brawn. “Gravedigger's comin' for ya!"
Gravedigger landed on top of Optimus Prime with a two-fisted blow that dropped the Autobot leader down to one knee. Optimus shoved him back, retracted his hand, and ignited an energon axe in its place. Then he thrust that axe straight through Gravedigger’s torso.
——“Yaarggh!”
—— Gravedigger rained sharp elbows to the back of Optimus Prime’s head. Optimus ignored the blows, drew his Ion blaster from his backpack and wedged it under the Constructicon's chin. When he pulled the trigger, Gravedigger's head burst into a flaming shower of scrap metal.
——"Toss what’s left of ‘im up to me, Optimus!" Brawn yelled from above.
——Prime threw Gravedigger's corpse up to Brawn. Brawn caught it with one hand, and then charged up onto the slope using the Constructicon's body as a shield. A withering amount of firepower blew pieces off of Gravedigger's remains, but the body continued to perform it's function as Brawn's shield well enough to allow the Autobot to shorten the distance between him and his enemies. He tucked his head down and pressed onward, ignoring the shots grazing his silhouette.
——The pain was worth it, Brawn reasoned, because soon all his foe’s faceplates would be buckling under the force of his fists.
——"Decepticons!" Scrapper called from the ship's entrance. "We're fueled and ready for take off!"
——"Next time, scrap for brains!" jeered Thundercracker, as the Decepticons broke off their attack.
——Brawn peeked out from behind his shield. “What the—?! Of all the cowardly—“
——“See ya later, loser!" Rumble waved from the ship. Behind him, Thundercracker grinned and Soundwave stood with arms crossed. “Mission accomplished,” read Soundwave’s silent stare—as if the battle’s outcome was ever in doubt.
——Then, the rage burning behind Brawn’s blue optics suddenly gave way to a burst of ingenuity. “Wait! he shouted. “Ya forgot sumthin’!”
——Brawn dropped a flak grenade into the hole in Gravedigger's neck—which was little more than a limbless torso at this point—then he flung the carcass at the Decepticons’ feet. The corpse exploded a half-second after it hit the floor in a flash of light and steel-muffled sound. Black smoke billowed out of the spacecraft before it wobbled, then slowly sank below the cliff’s edge.
——"Enjoy the ride, Decepti-creeps. It's been real." Brawn said smugly.
——Suddenly, the ship popped into view again. Its thrusters flared away, rapidly gaining both altitude and distance with every second that went by.
——"Scrap… I tried my best, Optimus. Optimus...?" Brawn looked over the edge of the jagged cliff. He saw Ironhide, but no sign of Optimus Prime.
——"Look." Ironhide said, pointing at the fleeing ship.
——The ship was almost out of sight, but Brawn could still make out something clinging to the underside of the ship. It was Optimus Prime, Ion blaster in hand.

(to be continued)

PART 14

——"Hey, watch it ya big lug!" Rumble shouted, waving his fist up at Long Haul. "You just stepped on my foot! Polish it, and then say you're sorry!"
——Long Haul looked down at him and laughed. "Ah, you gotta be kiddin' me...!”
——"You gonna let that little runt talk to you that way Long Haul?" instigated Bonecrusher. “I wouldn’t.”
——Before Long Haul could utter his reply, the floor underneath Rumble erupted, launching the little Decepticon several feet into the air. Hook immediately pointed at Scavenger, intent on scapegoating the simpleton for whatever malfunction had just occurred.
——Thundercracker peered into the pit cautiously. A hand reached up, latched onto his foot, and pulled him down into the hole. There was the sound of a heavy metal body hitting the floor, followed by a gunshot.
——Soundwave backed away. The Constructicons looked at each other in stunned silence. Those who possessed mouths were left with them hanging wide open.
——“Stowaway!” screamed Mixmaster. “We’ve got a stowaway!”
——Optimus Prime launched himself out of the opening in the floor, firing shots. Soundwave took the first one to the chest, leaving subsequent Ion bursts to find new targets amongst the backs of the retreating Constructicons.
——With his enemies on the defensive, Prime turned his attention towards their ship’s control panel.
——The Constructicons took refuge in an empty storeroom. Scrapper propped himself up against a wall, smoke wafting from a fist sized hole in his back. “We can’t let him take this ship!” he gasped.
——Scavenger poked his head out to investigate.
—— "What’s he doing now?” inquired Long Haul.
——“He’s sabotaging the controls!” exclaimed Scavenger.
——"Someone should stop him before he crashes us!” warned Long Haul.
——"You should,” said Bonecrusher. "You're bigger than he is."
——"And more stealthy than all of us combined,” added Hook.
—-“Yes! You can take him,” nodded Mixmaster.
——“Right,” Long Haul said confidently. “I can do it.”
——“Try and make it to the next room,” directed Scrapper. “There’s a door in there that leads to the bridge. You’ll have a clear shot at Prime when you open it.”
——-Long Haul did as instructed, keeping his head down as he bolted into the corridor and made for the adjacent room. Once safely inside, he drew his pistol and walked towards the door leading to the bridge. As soon as he touched the sensor on the wall, the door whisked upward and Optimus Prime downed him with a point-blank blast from his Ion rifle.
——“That didn’t sound like Long Haul’s gun,” Mixmaster facepalmed.
——“I say screw it!” shouted Bonecrusher. “We should rush him!”
——“Good plan,” Scrapper replied sarcastically, before realizing that’s exactly what it was. It just needed a few alterations to make it work.
——“Bonecrusher, take the lead! Scavenger, Mixmaster, cover him! Go!”
——At Scrappers command, the duo opened fire while Bonecrusher rumbled towards Optimus Prime in alt-mode. The Autobot leader blew off bits of Bonecrusher before the Constructicon careened into him. Pinned against the ship's exit, Optimus’ hand inadvertently hit the release button while enduring blows meted out by Scavenger and Mixmaster. The door shot open and Optimus Prime was swept off into the clouds. Gone as if he had never been.
——The Constructicons piled up in the doorway, dangerously close to disappearing themselves. Then the door resealed itself.
——"Prime... survived,” wheezed Scrapper. “We’re over the ocean now.”
——"The fool,” laughed Mixmaster. "He accomplished nothing.”
——"No.” Hook said, staring at a display on the ship’s console. "The cargo hold is empty. Prime jettisoned the Space Bridge!"



——"Ratchet, come in." radioed Optimus Prime as he bobbed in the waters of the Artic sea.
——"Prime…?”
——"Ratchet. I need you, Bumblebee, and Hauler to board a shuttlecraft and travel to my location immediately."
——"Optimus, those shuttlecraft don't have armaments. If the humans decide to attack, we won't make it to your location!"
——"I'm afraid that’s a risk we'll have to take. I've got three heavily damaged Autobots and Cybertronian tech sinking to the bottom of the ocean floor!”
——"Just a minute, Prime."
——Several seconds passed before Ratchet spoke again. "Optimus...? Jazz says not to worry. He's says he's made some friends… so I'm going to assume that means I'll be able to fly out to your location without being shot at.”
——"Ahh, good ol' Jazz... ever the negotiator.” laughed Optimus.
——"He also says that nothing comes without a price.”
——"Hmm. And what do our new human allies request of us?"
——"They want a tour of the Ark, Optimus. Tomorrow.”

(to be continued)

PART 15

——The trio known collectively as Reflector stood mesmerized in front of a monitor in a dank, isolated section of the Nemesis.
——"What are you freaks doing back here?" sneered a voice from the shadows.
——"Oh... Skywarp, It's you. You startled us,” they said in unison. "We were just watching clips of old interrogations performed at Polyhex. They are quite entertaining."
——On the screen, an Autobot Intelligence officer stands bound in energon chains. He looks around nervously as Howlback trots up behind him holding a severed head by the neck cables between her jaws.
——The interrogator, Dirge, disregards any pertinent military information the Autobot has to offer in favor of asking him personal questions about his maintenance and hygiene. In the last astro-seconds of the video, Ramjet flies into the frame and collides with the prisoner, sending the Autobot back flipping into the scorching hot smelting pool behind him.
——Skywarp laughed. "Where did you guys get this from?”
——"From Enemy.”
——"Enemy?"
——Skywarp tilted his head sideways trying to picture the Decepticon Reflector was talking about.
——"You know. Soundwave's minion,” Reflector replied in unison. "The one that can make anyone's voice sound stupid."
——”Oh, that little piece of scrap! I can't stand him!” Skywarp said, barely able to control his anger.
——"I photographed him relieving himself into what was left of our energon reserves,” laughed Viewfinder. "I threatened to show the picture to Megatron if he did not also relieve his possessions into my custody."
——”That was clever.” Spectro and Spyglass said in unison. “Where were we when you blackmailed him?"
——"You two were right there helping me do it,” Viewfinder replied.
——"Oh, that's right... we were,” they all chuckled.
——Skywarp shook his head. “Weirdos,” he mumbled.
——"RRAAAGH!"
——"What was that noise?" Spectro inquired.
——"That sounded like Megatron!" answered Viewfinder.
——"It came from the bridge." Spyglass informed them.
——"I'm gonna check it out. See ya later, freaks!” Skywarp said as he teleported away.
——Moments later he reappeared on the bridge of the Nemesis. Soundwave, Rumble, Thundercracker, and the Constructicons were lined up against a wall in front of Megatron. Water gushed in from a hole beside Thundercracker's head. Fish darted between his ankles.
——"Ooo, I wouldn't wanna be in your thrusters right now, Thundercracker." Skywarp snickered.
——"Er, It wasn't my fault, Megatron." pleaded Thundercracker. "Soundwave was in command! Blame him!"
——"Apparently scrap rolls downhill on Earth as well as Cybertron,” smirked Starscream.
——"Shut up, Starscream." Thundercracker said with contempt, before turning back to address Megatron. "I don't know what happened, Megatron! Prime blasted me...! I was out like a light!”
——"Yeah, I saw him do it!" added Scavenger excitedly. "Prime leaped out of a hole in the floor and started blasting all of us!”
——Megatron nodded as if he felt some sympathy, then he drew his hand back and struck Scavenger so forcefully that it made all the other Constructicons flinch.
——Skywarp broke into uproarious laughter as Scavenger began glitching uncontrollably.
——"Anyone else care to enlighten me about what transpired on my cargo ship? snarled Megatron.
——"Laserbeak reports that Optimus Prime is now in possession of the Space Bridge." Soundwave informed him.
——"Of course he has it!" Megatron snapped. "Why wouldn't he? Tell me Soundwave... do you wish for Laserbeak to linger awhile longer in the arctic so he can uncover more developments that we are already aware of?”
——"Look on the bright side boss,” reasoned Rumble. "At least we brought back enough energon to keep the lights on."
——"RRAAAGH!" Megatron bellowed, preparing to punch another hole in the hull.
——"Megatron." Starscream said calmly. "Before you turn the Nemesis into your own personal aquarium, have you considered sending Skywarp into the Ark to retrieve the Space Bridge?"
——"Fool!" Megatron shouted in Starscream's face. "Skywarp cannot teleport something so large, nor can he teleport into someplace he's never seen! How is it that I know the abilities of the warriors serving beneath you better than you do?"
——"Well,” Starscream began, "I've been too busy to—“
——"Silence, you fool! Rumble! Drain what remains of the energon in the Constructicons’ ship and add it to our fuel reserves.”
——"What's going on?" asked the Reflector trio, as they cautiously peered in from the corridor.
——"Reflector, come in." Megatron beckoned. "You're just in time to make yourself useful. I think I may have figured out a way to improve our current situation.”

(to be continued)

PART 16

——"Enjoying the ride, Forsythe?" Agent Barnett asked.
——"Yes, Walter. I'm just used to riding in cars manufactured in Detroit, not outer space."
——"Cybertron,” corrected Jazz.
——"You Autobots come with a new car smell too. That's amazing." Barnett added.
——"What's that thing over there?" Forsythe inquired, pointing out of Jazz' drivers side window towards a crudely welded together replica of a Decepticon Seeker. "It looks like a scarecrow."
——"That's just something our mechanical engineer, Wheeljack, uses to test new weapons on,” laughed Jazz. "There he is now, standin' bowlegged at the entrance to the Ark. Let's roll up and say hello."
——"Ummm, you first." Forsythe said nervously.
——"Don't be shy fellas." Jazz said, as he released his passengers. "What's up, Wheeljack?" he asked, shifting to robot-mode.
——"You guys are just in time to watch me test out the Ark's new defense system." Wheeljack announced, finger poised to tap a button on his forearm. "Stand back, watch, and be amazed!"
——"You might want to hold off on your demonstration, Wheeljack.” advised Barnett. “It looks like one of your buddies is driving through your field of fire."
——The quartet comprised of humans and Autobots watched as a convertible carrying two passengers rolled towards them.
——"Now who changed their alt-mode to a burgundy drop top?" Jazz wondered.
——"Probably Sunstreaker." Wheeljack said. "That guy must've had the Ark change his vehicular mode ten times already! I thought he’d finally settled on a modified Lamborghini Countach."
——"That car ain’t him. Golden 'Bot would never change his colors."
——The convertible came to a stop in front of them. "Hi, guys!" Spike said. “Sorry I'm late."
——"Who's the additional human?" Inquired Wheeljack.
——Spike was confused. "Additional human...?" he asked.
——"Yeah, the one in the driver's seat with the big camera hangin' around her neck. THAT human,” pointed Wheeljack.
——"Oh, this is my uh, friend Carly." Spike said.
——"Hi, Autobots!" Carly gushed. "I heard sooo much about you guys! I absolutely begged Spike to take me here on our first date."
——"Sorry ma'am,” Forsythe said. "But the Ark is off limits to unnauthorized personnel."
——"No offense, Forrest.” Jazz said. "But this is our house. We decide who stays and who goes."
——"Need I remind you, Jazz, that Sam is on government payroll now, as a consultant working for Triple I! He should know better than to bring along his girlfriend on official business."
——"What...?" Carly began. "I'm not Spike's girl—“
——"Forsythe, come on! You're killing the kid's prospects here!” Barnett laughed. "Let her have a peek... It would give us a chance to study the average person's reaction to all of this."
——"Y'know Barnett... you might be on to something." Forsythe conceded. "Okay miss, you can enter, but no pictures whatsoever!"
——Jazz huddled close to Wheeljack. "Listen Wheeljack", he whispered. "Can we skip the demonstration? Megatron and his flunkies ain't gonna take a break while we play out an episode of MTV cribs.”
——"Okay Okay, movin' on. The first stop on our tour will be the ship's massive fuel storage tank.” announced Wheeljack, as he led everyone through the Ark's entrance.
——CLICK
——"How are you Autobots doing on fuel reserves?" Barnett inquired.
——"Not good." Wheeljack replied. "We managed to save some energon by crashin' into the planet instead of comin' in for a controlled landing... so that was a plus.”
——Forsythe forrowed his brow at Wheeljack’s last statement, wondering if the giant robot was insane.
——“Uh huh,” he said. “From what I hear, your energy budget is still awaiting approval... so try to keep it under fifty-five. You burn a lot more fuel when you drive over the speed limit."
——Spike rolled his eyes. "Is this guy serious?" he whispered.
"'fraid so." Jazz replied.
——"Jazz, this is boring,” frowned Carly. “What’s that Autobot doing over there?" she asked, as they passed by Huffer. The engineer was busy on his hands and knees constructing something inside an empty chamber. Jazz entered the room with Spike and Carly in tow.
——“Whatcha buildin’ in here, Huffer?”
——"Containment cells for Decepti-creeps." Huffer answered. "For the ones you bring back, like Frenzy over there." he said, pointing to a completed containment unit.
——Carly looked past the glowing red bars into what appeared to be an empty cell.
——"Don't get too close,” warned Huffer. "The heat from those laser rods will cook meat like you in seconds."
——"Oh!" Carly exclaimed, stepping back to a safe distance. "But where's the prisoner? I don't see anything in there but a red and black tape hanging on the wall."
——CLICK
——"That's him." Spike said, putting his arm around Carly's shoulders. "That’s Frenzy. Me and my dad thought he was just an old Cold Slither tape inside of a cassette player."
——"The same cassette player that you claimed tricked your pops into bringing it inside the plant?" teased Carly.
——"Yeah. I know it sounds crazy, Carly... but that’s what happened.” Spike said. "Hey, how’d he wind up here, Jazz? I thought he disappeared with the other Decepticons after that jet blew up the plant.”
——"Frenzy never made it back inside the building after Bluestreak zapped him. We found him offline under a ton of rubble while we were searchin' for you and 'Bee. Ratchet removed his T-cog, now he's hangin' on the wall in Huffer's jail."
——"You Autobots ain’t like us,” taunted Frenzy. “You’re soft! As soft as these moist little flesh creatures you've allied yourselves with."
——Spike was stunned. "He can still talk?"
——"Yeah, I said Ratchet took out his Transformation cog, not his voice box."
——"Who's Ratchet?" asked Carly. "Your Mechanic?"
——"Our combat medic,” laughed Jazz, as he led them to another area of the ship. “Most of the time he's stuck in his repair bay—too busy fixin' Autobots injured on the last mission to roll with 'Bots goin' out on the next one.”
——Jazz bent down and laid out both hands flat on the floor. Spike and Carly stepped onto Jazz' outstretched palms, then he elevated them up high enough so they could look through the viewing window of the repair bay.
—— Both were taken aback by what they saw. Three Autobot wrecks lay on grease covered slabs connected to monitors displaying readouts in an alien language. Clear tubes dripped a pinkish liquid into ports on various points on their damaged bodies.
——The only patient that was intact in the entire repair bay was a big red and blue robot that Spike surmised was their leader. Ratchet was happily welding a wound on his chest while listening to the rock band N.R.G.
——"Is that Optimus Prime?" Spike asked.
——"Yup,” answered Jazz. "He got pretty banged up during his mission in the arctic. Looks like Ratchet is putting the finishing touches on him now. With a fresh coat of paint, he'll be as good as new."
——"What about those other Autobots? asked Carly. "What happened to them?"
——"Decepticons dropped ‘em off a cliff. But if anyone can get 'em rollin' again, it's ol' Doc Ratchet. You break it, he’ll remake it. He’s the best tool-and-die ‘Bot on Cybertron.”
——CLICK
——Spike gave Carly a dirty look. Carly shot one back that read, “what was that for?”
——Jazz lowered them both to the floor, then he transformed and swung open both doors.
—— "C'mon,” he said. "Let's catch up with Wheeljack and those Triple I guys before they notice we're missin'."

(to be continued)

PART 17

——"And for the last stop on our tour, we'll be taking a look at Teletraan-1,” announced Wheeljack. "From our advanced computer network here, we can tap into any—“
——Wheeljack was about to say "any system on Earth", but a nudge from Jazz caused him to substitute the intended words with a pretend coughing fit. One that made every person in the room wonder just what it was that Wheeljack was trying to clear from his airway—and where exactly did he expect it to go since he didn't have a mouth.
——CLICK
——"Carly!" Spike whispered. "Knock it off!"
——"Knock what off?" Carly whispered back.
——"The picture taking." Spike said. "Mr. Forsythe asked you not to take any pictures, and you've taken one in every section of the ship!”
——"The camera keeps going off by itself!” Carly said, as she unslung it from around her neck and examined it.
——“Where’d you get it?”
——"Someone put it in the back seat of my car! I was going to use it, but then Mr. Forsythe said not to, so I really didn't get a chance to... look at it... yet.”
——Carly’s voice trailed off as she came to the awful realization that she had just brought a Decepticon spy into the Ark.
——"Aww, No... Carly get rid of it!"
——Carly threw the camera down. It hit the floor with a flash that struck the room bright white, followed by the unmistakable sounds of three Transformers changing from one mode to another.
——"Decepticons!" yelled Jazz. "Everybody get down!"
——”Spike, I can't see,” cried Carly. “I can't see!"
——"Calm down." Spike said, holding her close. "It'll pass... just get down like Jazz told us to!”
——Jazz remained standing as he began firing, hoping that some of his shots would find targets—or at the very least—discourage the Decepticons from attacking while they were still blinded.
——Agent Barnett breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the sounds of three sets of heavy footsteps exit the room.
——"My eyes,” groaned Forsythe. "I'm still seeing spots! What the heck just happened!?”
——"I think the Decepticons just pulled one over on us." Barnett concluded.
——"The girl's camera!" Forsythe said, his vision clearing just enough to see that it was no longer hanging around her neck.
——"Witwicky?" Forsythe called out.
——Spike rushed to his side. "Yes sir?"
——"You're fired!"



——Viewfinder ran frantically through the halls of the Ark, followed closely behind by Spectro and Spyglass.
——”Starscream, acknowledge.” he radioed.
——"This is Air Commander Starscream."
——"We have been discovered. Immediate extraction requested."
——"Request denied."
——”Megatron will be very angry if we fail to return with the images of the Ark's interior.”
——"The shapes set into the rock formations surrounding your position suggest the presence of hidden defenses. Call back after you've disabled them.”
——ZZZT
——"Well that was rude." Spectro said.
——"How does he expect us to disarm the Autobot’s defense systems?" Spyglass wondered.
——"Frenzy can do it,” said Viewfinder. "We will use him to disrupt the Ark's control over it’s defenses!"
——"Good idea, let's get to it." they all replied in unison.



——"Our perimeter defenses are up and runnin'. If those Decepticreeps step one foot outside the Ark, our sentry guns will perforate 'em in seconds!” proclaimed Wheeljack. “We've got 'em trapped like Retro-rats!"
——"Well it's a good thing that I asked you to skip that demonstration now, ain't it?" Jazz laughed nervously.
——"Yeah, we dodged a ballistic missile with that one,” whispered Wheeljack. "Those sentry guns would've taken out Spike's girlfriend as soon as they detected that Decepticon swingin' from her neck... and I don't mean taken out ta dinner either."
——"I can hear you!” Carly said, looking up at Wheeljack with her hands on her hips. "Shouldn't you Autobots be trying to find those camera-bots right now or something?"
——"A woman after my own fuel pump." Jazz said, flipping up his comm. “Ratchet, come in."
——"Ratchet here,” the doctor answered.
——"I need you to lock that repair bay up real tight. We got Decepticons on board."
——"Decepticons...? How did THEY get in?”
——"Later, Ratchet. No time to explain." Jazz said, breaking off the connection.
——"Hmmm,” pondered Wheeljack. "If I were a Decepticon runnin' loose in the Ark, where would I go?"
——"Where they could hurt us the most,” said Optimus Prime, as he entered the room.
——"That would be our fuel reserves!” Jazz concluded.
——"Wheeljack, remain here with our guests while Jazz and I secure the Ark." Optimus ordered. "We'll start with the section that houses our energon supply… and then lock down each area of the Ark one by one until we have the intruders cornered."
——"Locked and loaded, Prime." Jazz said.
——"Good… then let's go hunting."

(to be continued)

PART 18

——"Now where'd I leave my 10.2 Ultra-Drill?" Huffer wondered aloud, as he searched the cell block he had just finished building for the Ark.
——"Check your exhaust pipe, you rust-colored piece of scrap!" Frenzy shouted from his cell.
——"For a 'Con stuck in such a tiny alt-mode, you sure do have a big mouth on you.” Huffer replied, retrieving the drill from an empty cell. When he turned to walk out, Viewfinder was standing there pointing a gun at him.
——"Open that cell, Autobot!” he demanded.
——"Nuts to that!" Huffer charged Viewfinder, changing form and crashing into him in alt-mode. When Huffer changed back, he used his weight to force his opponent to the floor. He planted one knee on Viewfinder’s chest, pulled out his drill, and then began drilling through his cranial casing.
——Viewfinder pounded his fists against Huffer's powerful arms as he struggled to free himself, optics flickering as the drill bored slowly into his brain. Then suddenly, there was the sound of lasers striking metal at close range, the whirring of the drill bit ceased, and the laughter began.
——Viewfinder was not amused.
—— "Why did you two wait so long to attack?" he demanded, as he wriggled out from underneath Huffer's motionless body.
——"We were watching you fight for your life." Spectro and Spyglass replied in unison. "It was fascinating."
——Spyglass pointed to the hole in Viewfinder's head. "Look, Spectro. The Autobot has drilled directly into his cerebral circuitry."
——Spectro grabbed Viewfinder by the shoulders to steady him as he peered into the hole with one optic. "How does it feel?" he asked.
——"Like... like a betrayal!" shouted Viewfinder.
——"Nonsense!" Spyglass replied. "To betray you is to betray ourselves, and we are incapable of that.”
——"Look at this." Viewfinder said, switching the subject. "My infra-red vision has already revealed to us the code combination the Autobot uses to access Frenzy's cell."
——"Then what are ya waitin' for?" Frenzy yelled. "Get me outta here!"
——"Once we free you, you must use your abilities to assist us,” the Reflector trio informed him.
——“Of course, you morons! I can’t transform, So how were you expecting me to escape without your help? Slide out on my B-side!?”
——The laser bars dissipated immediately after Viewfinder entered the access code. He paused before entering Frenzy's cell. He didn't trust Spectro and Spyglass to aid him should the laser bars reignite. Viewfinder suspected that they would rather stand and watch as he desperately tried to escape. Or maybe even reactivate the bars themselves once he was far enough inside just for entertainment value.
——Viewfinder cleared his mind. This was no time for paranoia, he could hear footsteps fast approaching. Their enemies would arrive in seconds. Viewfinder sprinted into the cell, snatched Frenzy, and then the three Decepticons ran out into the hall and directly into trouble.
——Optimus leveled his Ion Blaster. Jazz aimed his photon rifle.
——“Decepticons!” thundered Optimus Prime. “Surrender, or be destroyed!”
——"Cover your audio receptors!” warned Frenzy.
——The destructive sounds produced by Frenzy's internal mechanisms reverberate throughout the entirety of the Ark, amplified ten fold in the metallic confines of it’s corridors. The attack is paralyzing... debilitating. Optimus Prime and Jazz sink to their knees in the wake of it's fury.
——The Reflector trio stumble past them in their mad dash to escape the ship—not entirely immune to Frenzy's sonic assault themselves. They stop in their tracks, just short of the exit leading out of the Ark.
——Spyglass pounded on the durabillium steel barrier that wasn’t there before.
——”We're trapped!" he cried. "The Autobots have us sealed in!"
——The trio looked back and forth at each other desperately, hoping that one of them would come up with an idea.
——"I know." Viewfinder said. "Remove the Nucleon cartridges from your weapons and set them on the floor.”
——Spectro and Spyglass did as they were told and laid their cartridges by the barrier.
—-"Oh, we remember this trick,” they said. "We saw it on a holo-vid. The Autobot Getaway used it to escape from a recycling center in Polyhex. It was most unfortunate that he also blew up his cellmates in the process."
——Viewfinder fired at the small stack of cartridges placed on the floor, detonating them all at once.
——“I thought it was hilarious!” he said.
——Spectro and Spyglass disappeared in a blackened fireball that burned so hot that it turned part of the barrier into slag. Viewfinder hopped over the smoldering puddle of molten metal and strolled into the desert sun. The arid earthen air never smelled so good.
——Sentry guns clicked into place seconds after detecting Frenzy and Viewfinder's presence, but failed to fire. One by one, Viewfinder could hear missiles detonating while still snug in their silos—systems scrambled as a result of Frenzy’s attack.
——"Starscream, acknowledge!" radioed Viewfinder.
——Starscream answered without ceremony. "Have you disabled the Autobot's defense systems?"
——"Yes." Viewfinder replied. "And as a bonus, we have also freed Frenzy from his imprisonment."
——"Impressive." Starscream said. "I did not expect any of you to survive. I am sending Skywarp to retrieve you now."
——"What you did to your brothers back there was real greasy." Frenzy said.
——"They were not my brothers,” Viewfinder replied. "They were tools."
——"You mean tool as in somethin' to be used?" inquired Frenzy. “Or do ya mean tool like what Enemy is?”
——"Both,” answered Viewfinder.
——A minute later Skywarp appeared in the sky. "Where's the other two dweebs?" he asked, as he touched down.
——"Right here,” replied Viewfinder. Solid light constructs—identical to himself, sans his torso lens—appeared out of thin air. The newly formed flash sentries combined with their creator to form a camera. Then the trio, along with Frenzy, all hurled themselves into Skywarp's cockpit.
——As they took to the skies, Reflector looked back to see Optimus Prime and Jazz firing up at them from the entrance of the Ark.
——"Smile,” they said in unison.
CLICK

(to be continued)

PART 19

——"Ironhide, report security status." Optimus radioed via comlink.
——"All clear Prime. I’m standin’ guard at the entrance. Spike and Carly drove off ‘bout an hour ago. Spike just had to perform some maintenance on Carly before they left. I figure that after her ordeal with the Decepticons, she probably needed some."
——"Maintenance…? Spike and Carly are organic, Ironhide, not mechanical beings. Please elaborate."
——"Well, after Jazz departed with our gov’ment liasons, the both of 'em climbed into the back seat of Carly’s vehicle, took off all their coverings and—hold on a minute, somethin's comin' up on the horizon! Lemme adjust my optics..."
——Optimus waited nervously at the controls to Teletraan-1 for Ironhide's reply. He deduced that Reflector's intrusion into the Ark was a reconnaissance mission. He suspected that a real Decepticon attack was forthcoming… he just didn't know when.
——"All clear, Prime. Just an Autobot patrol checkin' in."
——Four vehicles kicked up dust as they approached at top speed. Windcharger was in the lead, followed closely behind by Bluestreak, with Brawn, and Hauler bringing up the rear.
——"Whoa, what happened to the perimeter defenses? They're scrapped!” exclaimed Windcharger, as he zoomed past several burnt-out gun emplacements.
——"Ah, you know Wheeljack...! He probably hit the self destruct button by mistake!” laughed Bluestreak.
——The quartet reached the entrance to the Ark and transformed.
——"Looks like we missed out on a little action." Brawn said wryly.
——"Some ‘Cons snuck in on a sightseein' tour." Ironhide informed them. “Turned our front door into slag fightin' to get away.”
——"Somebody should tell Gears to clean up this mess." Brawn said, kicking slag rocks aside.
——"I feel sorry for whoever has to tell ‘im,” Windcharger replied. "If it was me, I'd walk up with my audio receptors already turned off."
——"Might as well,” smirked Hauler. "He'd glitch and moan until both of them were blown anyway."
——"Hold on a sec there, Hauler." Ironhide said, putting his hand on the big 'Bot’s shoulder. "I need ya to cover my post while I attend a meetin' with the rest of these jokers."
——"My pleasure,” replied Hauler. “Optimus' meetings are about as exciting as watching paint dry."



——Optimus Prime, Wheeljack and Ratchet were already assembled in front of Teletraan-1 when Ironhide and the others walked in.
——"Hmmm. Several Autobots still haven't returned yet,” observed Optimus.
——"Hauler's coverin’ my post,” Ironhide informed him.
——"I sent Gears to the armory to retrieve one of those big heavy Ion displacer cannons,” added Wheeljack. "I figure we can use it at the front entrance until I get the perimeter defenses runnin' again."
——"Huffer’s in my repair bay with severe internal damages,” said Ratchet.
——"Scrap!" Wheeljack replied, slamming his fist down on Teletraan-1. "With Huffer laid up, that means I'll have to rebuild the security grid by myself!”
——"Anyone seen Mirage or Bumblebee?" asked Ironhide.
——"I sent them on a mission,” Optimus said.
——"Well that just leaves Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Cliffjumper unaccounted for.” Ironhide concluded.
——"We'll have to begin without them,” replied Optimus. “Wheeljack, how long until our perimeter defenses are operational?"
——"A day at the most, Prime. The good news is that I was close to fixin' the Ark's interior defenses before Frenzy wrecked the outer ones. It won't take much longer to get ‘em back online."
——"Great! So no more unwelcome visitors INSIDE the Ark at least," Bluestreak joked. "I feel safe now,” he said. He turned to the others. “You 'Bots feel safe?"
——Before anyone could utter a word, Skywarp appeared literally out of nowhere and shot Optimus Prime in the back at point blank range. Prime’s internal mechanisms exploded outward from his chest, the force of the gunshot turning his parts into pieces of shrapnel that embedded itself in the armor of every Autobot gathered before him.
——Optimus collapsed in front of Skywarp, smoke billowing from a gaping hole in his back. Ironhide shot Skywarp's weapon out of his hand before he could squeeze the trigger again. The Seeker was shocked to see the gun sliding across the floor with several of his fingers tumbling along. He quickly teleported away, narrowly avoiding a second shot meant for his head.
——The gun that struck down Optimus came to rest at Ratchet's feet. He bent down to pick it up with the intention of examining it later. Knowledge of what kind of weapon was responsible for an injury aided him in a patients repair more often than not. The gun transformed when Ratchet gripped its handle…growing and changing shape into the murderous Decepticon leader—Megatron.
——"Prime was the most valuable target in the room." Megatron grinned, hoisting Ratchet up by the throat. "You're next, Doctor.”

(to be continued)

PART 20

——Megatron pressed the barrel of his fusion cannon to the side of Ratchet's head. In that moment the medic was more concerned about the lives of his patients rather than his own life. He thought about the Autobots in his repair bay... he worried about Optimus and all the others that Megatron was going to strike down today that he wouldn't be around to save.
——"Any last words?" Megatron sneered.
——"None for a grease pit gladiator like you!" spat Ratchet defiantly. He fully expected Megatron to end his life right then and there for the insult. He was surprised when he didn’t.
Megatron strained to keep his fusion cannon level with Ratchet's head, as if battling some unseen force that was vying for control his body. Suddenly, Megatron's arm wrenched downward and attached itself to his thigh.
——"Magnetism,” concluded Ratchet
——"Get him, guys!" Windcharger yelled. "I can't hold his arm for long!"
——Ironhide’s fist connected with Megatron’s mouth. The tyrant spit out mech fluid, then slammed Ratchet on top of Ironhide so hard that the security-bot’s body made a depression in the floor. Dazed, Ratchet rolled out of Megatron's reach, audio receptors ringing from the impact. He could see that Ironhide was already on his feet and ready to resume the fight.
——"Ratchet! Bluestreak! Get Prime outta here!" ordered Ironhide.
——The two Autobots each grabbed one of Prime's arms, draped them over their shoulders, and hoisted their leader to his feet.
——"M-Megatron." Optimus stammered. "He's on my ship!"
——"And you're in no condition to eject him!" Ratchet said sternly, as he and Bluestreak led him away.
——"How the slag did Skywarp just pop in there like that?!?" inquired Bluestreak. "He's never seen the inside of the Ark before, has he?"
——"A mystery for another day." Ratchet replied.
——Both Autobots began to notice that Optimus was dragging his feet as they steered him down the hall, gradually putting more of his weight on them. He was completely offline by the time they reached the repair bay.
——"I can see the Matrix shining through his chest." Bluestreak said in a worried tone.
——"Never mind that." Ratchet said, angling toward a clean slab next to Trailbreaker. "Help me get Optimus on the table.”
——Bluestreak grabbed Optimus around the legs and helped Ratchet lay him face down on the circuit slab.
——"Guard the doors." Ratchet ordered. "Make sure Megatron doesn't come in here to finish the job."
——Bluestreak rushed over and peered through the window of one of the bay doors. "What if he gets in?" he asked.
——"Then I'll do my best to stop him. I won't abandon my patients."
——"You're not... scared of him?"
——"Of course I am! More than any other Autobot. I've seen his handiwork in my repair bay more times than I can count. I'm seeing it now!”
——Bluestreak hung his head low. "I wish I could be as brave as you, Ratch.
——Ratchet set his laser scalpel aside. He couldn't afford to have Bluestreak flake on him now like he did at the Power Plant. Not with so much at stake. Ratchet paused to think of some words of encouragement. He was about to voice those words when Skywarp appeared on the other side of the slab.
——"I'm baaack!" the teleporter announced with glee.
——Ratchet ducked as Skywarp riddled the wall with explosive rounds. The medic popped back up just in time to see the Seeker plunge one of his hands inside Optimus’ wound.
——Ratchet slashed him across the forearm with his laser scalpel. “Get out of there!” he yelled.
——The Decepticon drew back from the table in pain, giving Bluestreak the opportunity he needed for a clear shot. Skywarp teleported at the exact moment Bluestreak's bolt tore through his body. The Seeker’s disappearance was accompanied by a scream that sprang from every corner of the room with no discernible source.
——Bluestreak looked around nervously. "I think I got him."
——"Sneaky Decepticon." Ratchet said, cautiously resuming his work on Optimus Prime. He placed a pistol beside his tools just in case.
——"I saw Skywarp stick his hand into Optimus’ wound. What was he trying to do?" Bluestreak inquired.
——"Rip out his internals... steal the Matrix, maybe?" Ratchet guessed. "He didn't succeed, whatever his intent."
——"So Prime’s gonna function, Doc?" Bluestreak asked, peering out through the bay door window once again.
——"Yes,” Ratchet replied. "If we can manage to keep Megatron away from him until his repairs are completed."

(to be continued)

PART 21

Minutes ago

——When Megatron shot Optimus Prime, the sound carried all the way up to the entrance of the Ark where Hauler was standing guard.
——"Ironhide, come in! What was that noise?"
——A burst of static was the only answer to his inquiry.
——"Ironhide, what's going on back there? Ironhide...? Ironhide! Alright, slag it!” ——Hauler pulled out his vibro-force gun and turned to walk into the ship, but something in the corner of his optic sensor caught his attention. Six earth-style construction vehicles appeared on the horizon, driving side by side, heading directly for the Ark.
——“Constructicons,” thought Hauler. He hadn't seen his old crew in so many years that he assumed they were all dead. Truthfully, if they weren't fighting on opposite sides of a war, he'd be happy to see them.
——Hauler held up his hand. "That's far enough, guys."
——All six Constructicons transformed to robot-mode.
——"Oh, Look! It’s the turncoat,” chuckled Mixmaster.
——”Quite literally,” Hook snorted. “In Autobot colors.”
——”Just say the word Scrapper, and I'll whip up something to turn his head into a fine orange mist!" Mixmaster laughed maniacally.
——"No, no, we'll have none of that,” Scrapper replied.
——”Constructicon Green ain't good enough for him no more,” sneered Long Haul.
——"Why’d you change your paintwork, Hauler?” Scavenger inquired. “Huh? Huh?"
——"Because... one of the crew shot me."
——Hauler's reply elicited laughter from all the Constructicons except Scrapper.
——"It’s not funny! I ran into Cliffjumper in a dark corridor and he mistook me for one of you." Hauler explained. "It happened shortly after we crashed on Earth, I guess his sensors were still scrambled or something."
——Scrapper tilted his head to one side. "Which one is Cliffjumper again?"
——"You know,” Hook said wearily. "The runt that caused Rumble to shatter his pile drivers.”
——"Oh." Scrapper replied.
——Without warning, Scrapper drew his gun and shot Hauler in the mid-section. The blast doubled him over, setting him up for an uppercut delivered swiftly by Long Haul. Knocked flat on his back in the sand, Hauler leveled his weapon, only to have it swatted away by Bonecrusher. Long Haul stepped on Hauler's right forearm, while Scavenger stomped down hard on his left.
——”Brothers! Don’t do this!” pleaded Hauler. “Let’s talk about this like civilized mechs! I was one of you!”
——"Yeah! Before you turned your back on us!” screamed Mixmaster.
——"Look… guys... it wasn't anything personal,” continued Hauler. "I'm an artist in my Spark. I switched sides because I couldn't take all of the killing!"
——"Liar!” Bonecrusher shouted, as he mounted him. "Like Autobots don’t kill! Are you finished groveling..? Or do you want to fill my audio receptors with more static? No...? Nothing to say? Good!”
——The brute pounded Hauler in the face until his faceplate split. Next, he pried the two halves open, exposing the tiny ball of cerebral circuits underneath. Bonecrusher drew his pistol, but Scrapper grabbed his arm as he pulled the trigger, throwing off his aim.
——"What did you do that for, Scrapper?!”
——Scrapper shoved Bonecrusher off of Hauler, then squatted down to whisper in Hauler’s audio receptor.
——"We have to go inside the Ark to retrieve something Optimus Prime stole from us,” he told him. "Be here in green when we get back, or don't be here at all."

(To be continued)

PART 22

——Megatron’s fusion cannon arm was fully extended downward, his right foot stuck to the ship's metal floor. The right side of his body was essentially paralyzed, held in place by Windcharger's magnetism.
——Megatron surged power into his right arm, breaking the Autobot’s magnetic hold on it. Windcharger started to back away. A cannon blast cut him in two on his second step.
——"Scrap!" Wheeljack exclaimed. "We're in for it now, fellas!"
——Megatron retracted his hand into its forearm housing and deployed an energon flail. He swung it in a wide arc, bringing it to bear on Wheeljack's left shoulder. The Autobot’s arm was sheared completely off. It clanked to the floor, followed by the clatter of smaller components. Wheeljack fell, electricity arcing from his wound.
——Megatron spun the flail above his head and pointed at Ironhide. "I remember you. Vorns ago… the Tarn Valley ambush. I tore a path through Prime's security detail. You managed to save his miserable life back then... you won't be so lucky today."
——As the flail sailed towards him, Ironhide fired a stream of superheated lead toward it’s base. The molten metal clogged Megatron’s wrist emitter, resulting in the energy weapon dissipating an instant before it struck. Enraged, Megatron took aim at Ironhide with his fusion cannon. Brawn shouldered into him, knocking the Decepticon off balance before the shot could be fired.
——"Get the rust out of your joints, Ironhide!”
——Brawn followed up with hammer blows to Megatron's mid-section that caused the Decepticon’s armor to buckle. Megatron countered with a vicious backhand that sent him spinning backwards into Ironhide.
——Not missing a beat, Megatron leveled his fusion cannon at the pair and fired. The blast blew them through a wall and out into the corridor. Large tiles creaked loose from the ceiling and crashed down upon their motionless bodies. The hissing noises made by their sizzling metal skin brought an evil grin to Megatron’s faceplate.
——It was at this moment that Gears came trundling down the corridor towing the Ion cannon Wheeljack sent him to retrieve earlier. Gears transformed to robot-mode, grabbed the cannon's controls and waited for whoever just demolished Brawn and Ironhide to reveal himself.
——He didn’t have to wait long. When Megatron emerged through the hole in the wall, there was a look of shock on the Decepticon leader's face as Ion bolts tore into his chest. Instinctively he shifted to alt-mode, shrinking down to make himself harder to hit.
——"Skywarp!" he radioed in gun form. "Attend me!”
——"Where are you?"
——”Outside the area that houses Teletraan-1!”
——Gears was confused for a moment after Megatron's transformation. He didn't know if the Decepticon had somehow slipped away, or been obliterated. When he heard orders being barked amid the smoke, Gears decided to open fire in the direction of where the sound was coming from.
——Megatron couldn't afford to wait for Skywarp any longer, a direct hit while he was in his miniaturized state would mean certain death. He reverted to robot-mode and fired at the Ion cannon's base, toppling it over. A second shot—fired up at the ceiling—sent a ton of debris pouring down on Gears as he struggled to set the cannon upright.
——Megatron heard footsteps clanking behind him and spun to meet his next opponent. To his surprise, it was Skywarp that skidded to a stop in front of his fusion cannon.
——"What took you so long?" Megatron demanded.
——"One of the Autobots screwed me up somehow...! I can’t teleport!”
——"Can you transform?"
——"Yeah."
——"Then do it! We’re leaving, now!"
——Skywarp transformed to jet mode and opened his cockpit. Megatron slowly and painfully reassumed alt-mode and leaped inside. Skywarp accelerated through the halls of the Ark, opening fire on an injured Autobot who stood in his way. The Autobot rolled to the ground, allowing Skywarp to thunder into the open sky behind him.
——"Scrapper,” Megatron radioed. “Report!”
——"We have acquired the Space Bridge, mighty Megatron! We are preparing to depart with it now!”
——"Excellent, Scrapper. See that there are no further complications."

(to be continued)

PART 23

——”No sign of Hauler,” observed Scavenger, as the Constructicon convoy rumbled out of the Ark in alt-mode. Hook and Scrapper each carried a section of the space bridge, while Long Haul held the remainder in his truck bed.
——"Why didn't you let me terminate that traitor when we had the chance, Scrapper?" demanded Bonecrusher.
——"With each member we lose, our combined form becomes weaker." Scrapper reasoned. "I sought only to replace Gravedigger and maintain Devastator's strength."
——"Sure you did." Bonecrusher retorted. "You know what I think?"
——”You can think, Bonecrusher?" joked Mixmaster.
——"I think our leader's losing his struts!"
"Silence yourself, Bonecrusher!” Scrapper rasped. "The cargo we carry must make it to its destination or Megatron will ensure that we all lose our struts!”



——Inside the Ark, Gears struggled to free himself from a pile of scrap.
——"I hate this planet", he grumbled.
——Once free, he whirled around and aimed his pistol at a hulking figure trudging toward him in the darkened corridor.
——"Don't shoot,” a staticky voice said. "I've been shot twice while stationed on this ship already! Let's not make it a third.”
——Gears was stunned. "Hauler what... what happened to your face?"
——"It's a long story." Hauler sighed, flipping his comm out of his forearm.
——"Ratchet come in. It's Hauler."
——"Hauler! What's the situation out there?"
——"Grave. We need you to come to the staging area immediately. We've got four damaged Autobots. Six, counting Gears and myself."
——"Negative, I can't come. There's been an attempt on Prime's life. I've got the repair bay on lockdown. You'll have to transport them to me."
——"Ratchet, the Constructicons have just taken back the Space Bridge...! It's my fault they got inside in the first place! I have to go after them!"
——"Can you take them on by yourself?”
——"No, but—“
——"And for that matter,” Ratchet continued. “Are you sure that there aren't any more Decepticons left on the Ark?"
——"No…”
——"Then someone else will have to handle it."
——Hauler looked down at Gears. The grumpy Autobot shrugged and said, "Don't just stand there! Help me with Brawn and Ironhide—they're starting to fuse together! Oh, what I wouldn't give to get some decent help around here—!”



——Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were in town at a car wash getting waxed down by a quartet of bikini clad babes. Sunstreaker's holomatter avatar—a blonde haired man in his twenties, sporting shades and a t-shirt—tracked their every movement.
——"Why are you moving your avatar's head around like that 'Streaker?" Sideswipe inquired.
——"I'm trying to fit in." Sunstreaker replied. "I've been studying the humans. Whenever a female of their species walks by, the male stares at them like this." Sunstreaker followed one of the women’s butts with his eyes to demonstrate.
——"It's probably to establish dominance,” suggested Sideswipe. "Maybe I’d better start doing it too."
——Just then, Sunstreaker's comm began flashing on his console—again.
——"Oh, what now? I've been trying to ignore this thing all day."
——"Me too." Sideswipe said. "Jazz called earlier, he wanted us to report back to the Ark for guard duty."
——"Screw him,” dismissed Sunstreaker. "We're warriors, Bro.”
——"He said Reflector attacked the ship!” laughed Sideswipe.
——Both of their comms began to flash continuously.
——“Gahhh! It’s Hauler now!" Sunstreaker moaned. "What do you want Hauler?"
——"Listen, Megatron got onto the ship somehow. Gears shot him full of holes but—“
——"Sure he did.” Interrupted Sideswipe.
——"The Constructicons made off with the Space Bridge sections Prime brought back from the arctic,” continued Hauler.
——"Well, why didn't you send Gearsimus Maximus after them then?" Sideswipe snarked. "You said that he took on MEGATRON single-handedly, right? Six Constructicons should be a piece of oil-cake for him!”
——"Seriously guys… this is an emergency!"
——"Look, Hauler! We don't have time for your dry brand of Decepticon humor!" Sunstreaker screamed. "Lose this frequency, okay!?"
——"You mechs are real spawns of glitches, you know—“
——zzzt
——"What just happened?" laughed Sideswipe.
——"I cut him off." Sunstreaker said.
——"Hey, Bro... you think this was all a ruse to get us back to the ship for guard duty, or do you think there was some truth to what Hauler was saying?"
——"Hmm, that is a distinct possibility,” conceded Sunstreaker. “Look!”
——Sunstreaker and Sideswipe started their engines as six lime green construction vehicles carrying Cybertronian tech rumbled past them.
——"Hey! Where do you guys think you're going?" One of the car-washers yelled. "You didn't pay!”
——"Us...? Pay you?" Sunstreaker laughed as he pulled away. "Believe me when I say this human... the pleasure was all yours!”


(to be continued)

PART 24

——"Scrapper,” radioed Long Haul. "I think I've got Sunstreaker and his idiot brother, Sideswipe on my tail!"
——"They're both idiots,” replied Scrapper. "But Sunstreaker is the real killer of the two... what’s he up to?"
——"Adjusting his side view mirrors so he can admire himself,” Long Haul answered sarcastically. "I don't know!"
——"Listen to me,” warned Scrapper. “Under no circumstances are you to transform. Do you understand?"
——"I hear ya." Long Haul replied grudgingly.
——Sunstreaker and Sideswipe weaved in and out of the Constructicon convoy. ——"We should call for back up.” Sunstreaker suggested. "There's six of 'em."
——"No way! We were gladiators!" Sideswipe said confidently. "Where'd you think these sorry mechs learned to fight? The labor disputes in Tagan Heights? They're Genericons, bro! We're gonna trash these rolling rustbuckets, put an end to Megatron out here in the middle of nowhere, and then it's off to the galactic arenas to break faceplates and stack shanix!”
——"Sounds like a plan."
——"Yup,” agreed Sideswipe. "Ready, bro?"
——"Yeah... but not without a REAL plan,” replied Sunstreaker. "Use your rocket pack to get aerial on these scrap heaps. Distract them while I take care of that big dumb dump truck."
——“Ok, bro! Let’s go!”
——Sideswipe went from rolling, to sprinting, to flying in seconds. Soaring overhead, he fired down on Bonecrusher, blasting apart a track shoe and sending him veering off the road into a ditch.
——Sideswipe's second shot was much more impressive. He severed the joint on Scavenger's service arm, causing the dim-witted Constructicon to run over his own shovel attachment and tumble before skidding to a spark inducing stop on one side.
——"Good job, Sideswipe!” radioed Sunstreaker.
——Sideswipe smiled. He honestly couldn't recall the last time his brother praised him for anything he did. The thought distracted him long enough for Mixmaster to douse the flying Autobot with foam. Sideswipe ignored it, believing the chemical concoction that had been sprayed onto him to be ineffective. He took aim at his assailant. Incredibly, the Constructicon seemed to be slowing down as if he actually wanted to get shot.
——When Sideswipe pulled the trigger, the spark from his own flare gun lit his entire body aflame. He hovered in the air for several seconds trying to beat off the flames before jetting away, cursing and screaming towards the coast.
——Sunstreaker glanced up at the trail of black smoke in the sky. “Amatuer,” he muttered, as he changed form and leaped atop Long Haul’s load.
——"He's on me...! He's on meeee!" Long Haul panicked. "Get 'im off, somebody! Get ‘im off!”
——The big Constructicon transformed while still moving at top speed, spilling his cargo—and Sunstreaker—out onto the roadway.
—— Sunstreaker hit the asphalt in alt-form, zig-zagging around the somersaulting sections of Space Bridge until he was reunited with his quarry.
—— Sunstreaker's objective was clear. Put down the transport that was being used to carry the bulk of the Space Bridge so that his pals would be hard pressed to move it without him. This ploy would delay the Constructicons long enough for him to return with reinforcements and put them all out of commission.
—— Sunstreaker transformed and leaped on Long Haul’s back as he fled on foot. Sunstreaker pressed his gun arm to the side of the much larger Transformer's head. Electrons fired at the rate of three hundred bursts per second entered Long Haul's cerebral circuitry. The light in Long Haul’s optic visor faded, and his executioner was off him and in alt-form before his body hit the ground.
——Mission accomplished, Sunstreaker accelerated in the direction Sideswipe flew earlier.



——Moments later, Hook arrived on the scene. He laid down his section of the Space Bridge, transformed, and went about the business of examining Long Haul.
——"Hmm. The subject shows signs of cerebral burn-out. Probable cause: a sustained discharge of electrons."
——Hook whipped out his laser scalpel and cut along the circumference of Long Haul's head. Smoke billowed out when he removed the top of his cranium. The surgeon fanned it away, and then extended forceps from his thumb and forefinger to pick through the patient's brain.
——Scrapper rolled up with the other Constructicons.
—— "I told Long Haul not to transform,” he grumbled. “What is his condition?"
——"Give me a moment." Hook replied.
——"We don't have a moment, Hook! Is he alive or dead?"
——"His body functions, but most of his cerebral circuits have been burned to a crisp."
——“What if we attach a remote control circuit linker card to him? Could Long Haul be operated as... what do the humans call it?"
——"A machine,” answered Hook. "Yes, it would be possible to use him in that manner until I can repair the damage to his brain.”
——"Do it." Scrapper ordered.
——Scrapper turned and pointed to Scavenger and Bonecrusher. "You two start welding yourselves back together. We'll be hitting the road again as soon as Hook completes his work on Long Haul."

(to be continued)

PART 25

——Bumblebee and Mirage watched from a hidden cave as the Nemesis' watchtower rose from the sea.
——"Skywarp's returning." Bumblebee said. "Looks like Megatron is in his cockpit."
——Mirage had come to the realization long ago that Bumblebee possessed the best vision out of all the Autobots. If Bumblebee said he saw Megatron riding inside of Skywarp, then the Decepticon leader's whereabouts were as good as confirmed.
——"They’re returning from their attack on the Ark.” Mirage deduced.
——"I wish I could’a been there. Instead of being stuck out here."
——"Well, that makes one of us,” laughed Mirage. “Battling Megatron is definitely not on my bucket list."
——Bumblebee watched Skywarp land, then he waited impatiently for the entire structure to descend below sea level before flipping up his comm.
——"Not yet." Mirage said. "Usually when one Decepticon returns, another leaves soon after. We need the skies clear when we give our 'Bots the green light to land. So let’s give the Decepticreeps a little more time."



——Skywarp transformed and opened his cockpit, releasing Megatron. Watching his leader change form from behind, Skywarp noticed that Megatron’s conversion seemed painful and protracted. Some of his armor plating was missing, exposing vital components. There were even places on Megatron’s body where Skywarp could see straight through to whatever was in front of him.
——Megatron reached a security door and stumbled through it, leaving a murky trail of mech fluids behind. Starscream was there to greet him as he entered.
——"Our fearless leader returns,” he grinned. "In shambles."
——"I return victorious!” Megatron shot back.
——"Have you?" Starscream asked softly.
——Megatron limped over to an arc welder lying on a console and used it to stanch the flow of energon gushing from his side.
——He looked around the room at the faces of the Decepticons assembled there. Rumble was loyal. Even though Skywarp was a Seeker serving under Starscream before the war began, he too was loyal. Soundwave and Reflector appeared to be loyalists, but were in fact, opportunists. Skyfire and Thundercracker didn't care who led. They were the neutrals. Megatron knew that if Starscream wanted to stage a coup, he would have to sway the undecided over to his side first.
——"Optimus still lives." Starscream said.
——"And how would you know that?" Megatron asked, already knowing the answer before he asked the question. Soundwave. One of Soundwave’s minions had provided him with this information, then he passed the intel on to Starscream.
——"Megatron,” Skywarp began. "I-"
——"Silence!" Starscream hissed. "Don't you know better than to speak when your superiors are discussing matters of importance?"
——"Destroying Optimus Prime was never the main objective!” Megatron spat. "Recovering the Space Bridge was!"
——Starscream shook his head. "You could have ordered the Constructicons to build a new one, rather than have them risk their lives and the lives of others recovering it!"
——Starscream was playing to the audience now. He cared nothing of the lives of other Decepticons. Everyone was a pawn to him.
——Megatron ran his fingers over a sensor on the Nemesis' main computer and Shockwave's face appeared on the screen.
——"Is everything well, Lord Megatron?"
——"Shockwave... explain to our woefully uninformed Air Commander why we cannot simply build ourselves a new Space Bridge."
——"Certainly,” the Decepticon scientist replied. "There are three elements contained within the Space Bridge’s components that can no longer be found on Cybertron. Constructing a new, functional Space Bridge without them is simply impossible. We would have to reinvent its entire method of interstellar transportation.”
——“That will be all, Shockwave.” Megatron broke off the connection between them believing that he had ended Starscream's argument. He turned to give him a smug smile of satisfaction, but the Seeker was not yet through.
——"You could have had the Constructicons form Devastator while inside the Ark! Once the Autobots were destroyed, we would have had all the time we needed to recover the Space Bridge!"
——Megatron locked optics with Starscream. He was tired of talking. Tired of playing games.
——"My fellow Decepticons,” Starscream began. "Perhaps it's time for a change of leadership. Perhaps it is time to choose a leader that has the ability to seize upon his enemies’ weaknesses whenever they present themselves."
——"Perhaps it is time for me to seize you by the neck and twist your head off from your body!" Megatron roared, grabbing Starscream by the throat and preparing to do just that. "Perhaps then I wouldn't have to hear any more shrill voices complaining about my command!”
——Megatron still possessed enough strength to fight. A fight that Starscream believed the outcome of was not necessarily guaranteed to be in his favor. As long as he still lived there would be time for more schemes later. Schemes whose outcomes stood to give him a better chance at winning leadership of the Decepticons in the very near future.
——"Or perhaps, Megatron, you could unhand me so I can lead a squad to collect some cubes to send over your newly reacquired Space Bridge."
——"And which of the flesh creatures's energy production facilities did you have in mind?" Megatron inquired, still maintaining his grip on Starscream's neck.
——Soundwave walked over to the Nemesis' computer and punched up an image of Sherman Dam.
——Megatron smiled. "An excellent choice. Thank you, Soundwave. Starscream… take Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Skyfire with you."

(to be continued)