Archive of Our Own ^beta

    For most of his life, Joshua Joyce did not believe in aliens. As a narrow-minded individual, he had viewed urban legends such as flying saucers and little green men with disdain, and openly expressed such opinions to the fools who believed them.

    That all changed five years ago when he discovered Machination.

    He had been sitting in a coffee shop, enjoying his day off, when a large man in a suit approached him, introducing himself as Harold Attinger. They didn't talk for long, but Attinger had piqued Joshua's curiosity by mentioning an organization called Machination, which delved into scientific engineering. It had always been Joshua's dream to dive into such a career, rather than working as a lawyer like he had been. So when Attinger offered him a job as a scientist at Machination, he accepted it.

    The following week, Joshua met Attinger again at a laboratory in Florida. It was there that he found what it was Machination was working on. It was there that he started believing in aliens.

    The technology he was shown and provided to work with... it was beyond anything he could imagine. What he was seeing here in these labs was history in the making-- the culmination of what humankind had been striving for since its genesis.

    And right now, he was witnessing what would be the first step towards humankind's destiny.

    "Subject KSI-1229-014 is nearly complete," one of the scientists was saying to him as they looked up at the medal model that loomed over them. "The Non-Biological Extraterrestrial we procured was incredibly useful for its finishing touches. We have reached a level that mankind has never reached before."

    Joshua said nothing as he gazed at the red and black robot, its green optics staring back down at him. Finally, he said, "What shall it be called?"

    "That is entirely up to you," the scientist replied. "You are, after all, to be its controller."

    Joshua considered for a moment. Then, it came to him, the name ringing melodically in his head.

    "Stinger."

Three days earlier

    Why? That was all Sunstreaker could ask himself as he cruised down a country road, fellow Autobots Arcee and Bumblebee behind him. He had really wanted to give Optimus Prime a piece of his mind for his assignment as Hunter O'Nion's guardian. But with the other Autobots being present, he had chose not to lest he embarrass  himself.

    Why me? Why not Sideswipe? He likes these filthy humans a lot more than I do, no idea why... but why me?

    "Say, can I get some music in here?" Hunter asked, interrupting Sunstreaker from his thoughts. "You have a radio, right? Can you blast some tunes for me?"

    The Autobot's engine groaned. "And what if I don't want to hear your tunes? My radio is connected to my audio receptors, so I can't mute them for myself."

    "Come on, man, there's some good music out there! Look, just let me put you on G2-H1...."

    Sunstreaker grudgingly complied as Hunter turned on the radio. Instantly, a grating sound emitted from the speakers, accompanied by what sounded like screaming. Sunstreaker nearly lost control of his own steering when he heard it.

    "Sweet Primus, you call that music?! It sounds like a dying turbofox!"

    "It's Cold Slither, man!" Hunter said loudly over the noise as he pretended to play a guitar. "This is one of their greatest hits!"

    "You humans must have incredibly low standards if that's what you call great!" Sunstreaker retorted. "I'm changing it!"

    Ignoring Hunter's protests, Sunstreaker began to cycle through radio stations, passing songs that didn't appeal to him. Before he could find one he liked, his wheels went over what felt like a mere pebble, yet he was suddenly sent flying off the road. Quickly ejecting Hunter out of his car form, Sunstreaker transformed to robot mode and landed roughly onto the ground. 

    Behind him, Arcee and Bumblebee were transforming as well and rushing up to him. "What was that?" the latter asked.

    "I don't know," Sunstreaker said. "Some sort of--"

    Suddenly, he froze. He had lost the feeling in his joints; he couldn't move a single piston, not even those in his mouth. Then, he crumpled to the ground and lapsed into unconsciousness....

*  *  *

    Target neutralized. Ready for pickup.

    Warning: Two other Cybertronians detected.

    Hold them off. Moving in for retrieval.

    The two A.I.-controlled drones broke off from their formation with the larger transport planes and shot towards the two remaining Autobots, firing at them. Avoiding their shots, Arcee unsheathed her arm blades and leaped towards one of the drones, grabbing onto its wing. She then plunged a blade into its body before jumping off, letting it plummet towards the ground and explode.

    She landed gracefully on the ground and saw that Bumblebee had already disabled his opponent with two simple blaster shots. He looked at Arcee and smiled weakly.

    "You know, you don't have to make every kill a fancy move--"

    "Quiet," Arcee said sharply. "Where's Sunstreaker?"

    Bumblebee looked around before tilting his head up. "There!" he shouted in alarm, pointing at the fleeing transport plane, which had Sunstreaker magnetically connected to its underside. Bumblebee raised his blaster to fire at it but was stopped by Arcee.

    "Don't," she said. "You might hit Sunstreaker."

    "Then what are we supposed to do? Just let our own teammate get kidnapped?"

    "Better than to let him get killed." She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll get him back."

    Bumblebee sighed in resignation. "I hope you're right... say, where's Hunter?"

    Arcee looked around before frowning, returning her gaze to the plane. "Oh, no...."

    It had been a very long time since Cybertron had last seen sunlight. Due to the Great War, the sky had long been clouded by haze and smoke. Thanks to the cleanup and restoration efforts that followed the war's supposed end, the gleam of Hadaen once again graced Cybertron's metal surface.

    Yet not even the long-forgotten and greatly missed sunrise could lift Elita-One's spirits up. Nothing could, save for a gold glint in the sky, heralding the return of a massive spaceship.

    One hundred and thirteen years. The number itself was a very common occurrence. Some said that the reason for this was that it was the lucky number of the Guiding Hand, but Elita held little regard for such myths. The only meaning that number had for her was that on this exact day 113 years ago, the Ark took off from Cybertron, never to be seen again.

    Despite herself, she almost hoped that some of those superstitions were true and that she would see those she had lost with that ship again. Of course, she wasn't just going to sit here and let fate take its own sweet time.

    She had to make things happen.

*  *  *

    "You are asking a lot, Elita."

    "I know," she replied, folding her arms defiantly. "But it has to be done."

    Ultra Magnus shook his head. "But it's improbable. You're asking for a hundred Autobots to find Optimus Prime and the Ark."

    "It's not as if they have better things to do."

    "But we don't have any ships to carry that many Cybertronians!" Magnus protested. "They're either all destroyed or out of commission. Not to mention how risky it would be; if something happens to you-- like whatever befell Optimus and his crew-- we would be even more closer to the brink of extinction."

    Elita sighed, bowing her head. She knew that Magnus was right, but almost did not want to admit it.

    Magnus walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know how close you were to Optimus and how much he meant to you. But you can't sacrifice anything just to find him."

    "I know," Elita murmured, lifting her gaze to Magnus' office window. Through it she could see the city of Iacon, slowly reclaiming its lost glory. "Maybe I just need to think on a smaller scale."

*  *  *

    "What does this button do?"

    Brainstorm shot an annoyed look at Swerve, who was holding one of his many inventions. "Don't press it. Didn't I just tell you to not touch anything?"

    The red and white Autobot grinned. "I probably wasn't paying attention when you said that."

    "You didn't press it, did you?" Brainstorm said sternly, slightly alarmed. "Please tell me you didn't press it."

    "I didn't," Swerve said. "But what if I had?"

    "Then you would have activated a meta-fictional bomb and you would become convinced that you were a fictional character in someone's narrative." Brainstorm quickly took the object from Swerve before the smaller Autobot could test it for himself. "It worked once when I was hanging out with the Wreckers early on in the war, but High Command banned it when it accidentally went off in Ultra Magnus' face."

    "So you're illegally making a new one?"

    "It's not illegal!" Brainstorm protested. "Just... High Command doesn't know about it. Yet."

    Well, good luck then." Swerve then went over to his friend Tailgate, who was looking around Brainstorm's lab in wonder. The two had become best friends when Swerve volunteered to help Tailgate learn about the Cybertron he had missed out on during the six thousand years he had been unconscious.

    "Guess what," Swerve whispered to him. "I pressed it. Nothing happened."

    "Really?" Tailgate said. "I didn't see you press it."

    "Heh, yeah, it must've happened before the scene began."

    "What are you talking about?"

    Before Swerve could answer, a tall, lean figure in violet armor appeared in the doorway to Brainstorm's lab. The Autobot scientist immediately turned to face the newcomer.

    "Elita-One. How may I help you?"

    "I need a scientist for my crew," Elita said.

    "I'm a scientist!" Swerve said excitedly.

    Elita gave him an annoyed look. "A competent one."

    "I'm the mech you need, then," Brainstorm said. "What's the crew for, though?"

    "To find Optimus Prime and the Ark. They've been missing for exactly one hundred and thirteen years."

    "There's that number again," Tailgate said. "I'm seeing it everywhere: the 113th Battalion, Room 113, the 113th Destron Legion... why's it so popular?"

    "It's the number of the Guiding Hand," Swerve explained. "They say you'll get good luck if you use that number."

    Elita nodded. "I might not be one for superstitions, but I need to put my faith in something if I want to find Optimus and the others."

    "Can... can Swerve and I come to?" Tailgate said innocently. "I've always wanted to meet Optimus Prime. I hear he's one of the greatest Primes ever in Cybertronian history."

    Elita smiled wistfully. "He's more than just that. He was also a great friend."

    Swerve snickered as he nudged Tailgate with his elbow. "She's got the hots for him."

    The deadly glare from Elita was enough to keep the small Autobot silent for a while.

*  *  *

    In short time, Elita had gathered a team of ten Autobots, including herself. It consisted of bots who were skilled in their chosen professions (except for Tailgate-- who needed the experience and social interaction anyway-- and Swerve, who was just there at Tailgate's behest).

    Their chosen vessel was a second-hand light freighter which Elita had named the Voyager. She was admittedly in the hopes of finding a larger ship along the way, but this one was doable for now.

    As she settled into the pilot seat next to her co-pilot Windblade, Elita turned to regard the rest of her crew: Brainstorm, the inventor; Glyph, the scientist; Strongarm, the muscle; Chromedome and Rewind, the brains; Nightbeat, the detective; and Swerve and Tailgate, the tagalongs. 

    With a smile she hoped was encouraging, Elita said, "For Optimus Prime."

    With those words, the Voyager took off from Cybertron.

    When the Ark had crashed on Earth over a century ago, everyone on board had been knocked into stasis lock. When the volcano which the ship had been embedded into erupted, only five initially awoke: Optimus Prime, Jazz, Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Ironhide.

    Over the next several months, Ratchet had been able to revive others overtime, such as Wheeljack, Arcee, and the Twins. He was far from pleased, however, considering that there were still ninety-something Autobots left to go, and some of them had already died in the crash.

    He bent down beside the deactivated form of Hound and began to scan for a spark signature. When he got a positive reading, he turned to Optimus Prime, who always accompanied him on these ventures to the Ark.

    "Hound's got enough power to be revived," the medic said.

    Optimus nodded. "Make it so."

    Ratchet brought out a pair of cables and attached them to Hound's chest. With a jolt of energy, the green Autobot was instantly sitting up, dazed by being woken up after over a century.

    "What the... what's going on?" He looked up at Optimus. "Didn't we crash?"

    "Indeed we did, my friend," the Autobot leader said. "I'll give you the details later. Ratchet, can you revive anyone else?"

    "Hot Rod, Bulkhead, and Mirage seem to have enough power. Just give me a few minutes."

    "Take all the time you need, old friend."

    Ratchet went quick to work and in short time, three more Autobots were online. Under Optimus' direction, they scanned their alt modes-- provided to them via holographic representations-- and were using them to drive out of the crashed ship, tailing the red truck that was their leader.

    "You'll need some time at our new base to recover," Optimus told them. "Not to mention be filled up on recent events."

    "And then what?" Hot Rod asked.

    "Then," Optimus said gravelly, "we find our missing comrade."

*  *  *

    "Okay, now try it."

    Bumblebee pulled the switch and a green portal materialized in the large arch that had been recently built into the base. Wheeljack, the arch's creator, threw his arms up in the air triumphantly.

    "Success! Now we don't need to bug Fowler all the time for a free plane ride."

    "How wondrously convenient," Ironhide muttered. "Back in my day, we didn't have new-spangled GroundBridges. We had to, y'know, transform and drive to places."

    "Welcome to the new age, 'hide," Wheeljack said, planting his fists firmly on his hips. "This is just the beginning of the Transportation Revolution."

    "What's next then?" Arcee said dryly, her arms folded across her chest. "Teleporting in the blink of an eye?"

    "Well, if we could capture Skywarp...."

    Arcee rolled her eyes. "I was being sarcastic."

    "You always are."

    "Hey!" The Autobots turned to see one of their human companions, Verity Carlo, sitting nearby with her friend Jimmy Pink. "Could you stop bickering for one moment and maybe think about how we're going to rescue Hunter and Sunstreaker?"

    Arcee sighed. "Don't worry, Verity. Sunstreaker is as much of a friend to us as Hunter is to you. We haven't forgotten about either of them."

    "Not to mention he's my brother," Sideswipe murmured, leaning against a wall. The red Autobot had been brooding ever since Sunstreaker's capture.

    Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "How does that even work?"

    Before Sideswipe could answer, the door to the command center opened to allow Optimus Prime, Ratchet, and four other Autobots to enter. Upon seeing the two humans, one of the mechs stiffened and gave them a disgusted look.

    "What... are those things?" the blue and white Autobot asked.

    "They are called humans, Mirage," Optimus said. "They are native to this planet."

    "They kinda look like Nebulans," said a green Autobot, looking at the two teens with curiosity. "Except pink instead of green."

    "Actually, I'm the only one who's Pink." Jimmy laughed at his joke only to be elbowed by Verity. "Sorry."

    Letting the kids trade banter, Optimus said to Wheeljack, "Any luck on the GroundBridge?"

    Wheeljack patted the arch fondly, a proud twinkle in his optic. "She's up and running."

    "Good. It'll get us to locations faster, especially if we're to search for Sunstreaker and Hunter."

    A red Autobot with flame decals shook his head. "Wait, Sunstreaker's missing?"

    "Yes," Optimus replied. "He and one of our humans allies were captured by an unknown party. We doubt they were Decepticons--"

    Before he could finish, the main computer pinged in alarm.

    "Speak of Mortilus," Ironhide grunted as he went over to it. "Decepticon sighting in Arizona."

    "Decepticons?" Mirage exclaimed. "Here?"

    "What's an Arizona?" asked a larger green Autobot.

    "Guess it's time to test this thing," Wheeljack said as he activated the GroundBridge again. "Um, where at in Arizona?"

    "The Grand Canyon," Ironhide said. "Want me to go there, Prime?"

    Optimus nodded. "Yes, and take Bulkhead and Hound here with you. Their alt modes are equipped for off-road terrain."

    Bulkhead scratched the back of his head. "Except, uh, we haven't gotten used to them."

    "Well, now's a good time as any to test 'em out," Ironhide grunted as he converted into a red and black pickup truck. Revving up his engine, he sped into the green portal. Bulkhead and Hound followed suit and the GroundBridge soon closed behind them.

    Wheeljack wiped an imaginary tear from his optic. "That's my baby."

Space

    "I've compiled a list of colony worlds," Rewind said to Elita as the Voyager went through space. "We've got Velocitron, Gigantion, Combatron...."

    "You think Prime would have gone to any of those?" Windblade asked.

    Elita shrugged. "He could have been to all or none of them. Only way to find out is to visit one of them."

    "Oh! Oh! Let's go to Velocitron!" Swerve exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly. "I hear that's where Blurr lives and I'm a huge fan of him and we were going to open a bar together and--"

    "If we go there, will you promise to stop speaking for ten minutes?" Windblade snapped.

    Swerve fidgeted. "I can try...."

    "From you, that's encouraging." With that, Elita activated the hyper-drive and the Voyager shot off for its destination.

Earth

    "We've got two F-15 Eagles on our radar."

    Sitting in the passenger seat of the Sector Seven assault buggy as it crossed the Navajo Bridge onto the Grand Canyon's north rim, Agent Salazar scowled at the driver. "And you think they're Decepticons, why?"

    "Well, one of them's black and purple--"

    "Say no more," Salazar said sharply. Into his transceiver, he shouted, "Raptor-One, Raptor-Two, two Decepticons coming our way. Take them out."

    On cue, two F-22 Raptors shot forward, guns ablaze. The approaching Decepticons did the same, managing to avoid damage as their guns easily tore the Raptors to shreds.

    The driver of the buggy blanched as he witnessed the aerial carnage. "S-so much for that...."

    Fuming, Salazar raised his transceiver to his mouth again. Before he could another order, however, the buggy they were in was suddenly lifted several feet in the air. While the driver screamed like a maniac, Salazar remained composed enough to figure out what was going on.

    They were in the clutches of a giant robot.

    Now he screamed as he reached behind his seat and brought out a machine gun. He fired it through the buggy's windshield and at the Decepticon's blue face. The metal giant barely flinched, though it did let out an irritated snarl and, much to Salazar's further agitation, switched its face to an angry red one with a nasty sneer.

    "Puny fleshlings think they can harm me?! I'll show them not to mess with Blitzwing!" The face then switched to a black one with red eyes and a glowing mouth, not unlike a Jack-o-Lantern face. "How about by taking a drop and seeing how long it takes for them to go splat!"

    The Decepticon then hurled the buggy over the edge of the Grand Canyon. The last thing Salazar saw was a wide array of jagged rocks at the very bottom.

*  *  *

    "Nuisances, those humans," Skywarp muttered as he and Thundercracker transformed and landed next to Blitzwing. "It's almost amusing how they think their weapons can harm us."

    "Should we even bother wasting energon to kill them?" his fellow Seeker asked. "If they're no threat to us, then what's the point?"

    Skywarp grinned heartlessly. "The point is to have fun. Or have you forgotten that?"

    Thundercracker stared at him impassively. "Well, it has been a century or so...."

    "I'll say! I need me some Autobots to pound!"

    "Be careful what you wish for," the now-calm Blitzwing said. Before the three Decepticons, a green portal was opening and three off-road-suited vehicles drove out of it, shifting parts to form metal figures.

    "Now just what are 'Cons like you doin' in a place like this?" Ironhide growled as he whipped out his arm cannons. "Surely not for sight seeing."

    "Of course not!" Blitzwing said, returning to his Random persona. "We're playing 'Throw-the-Autobot-over-the-edge!'"

    With that, the Triple Changer lunged, cackling madly even as Ironhide fired his arm cannons. The two mechs collided and went tumbling over the edge of the canyon, plummeting towards the rocky bottom below.

Velocitron

    "Bad news," Windblade muttered.

    Elita grimaced. "What?"

    "Ten minutes are up."

    In an instant, Swerve was between their seats, pointing excitedly at the planet of Velocitron as it came into view.

    "Oh my spark, can you believe it? I'm going to meet the one and only Blurr! Did you know I saw him win his seventh Ibex Cup? I was right there in the stands! I even got his autograph and he agreed to open a bar with me and--"

    "Do you have an off switch?" Windblade snapped at him. "If not, then I'll gladly make you one."

    "Quiet, you two," Elita said sharply. "I'm trying to land here."

    After getting clearance to land in one of Velocitron's many spaceports, Elita set the Voyager down. She then turned in her seat to face the rest of the crew.

    "All right, here are the rules: Let me do the talking, don't start any trouble, and don't go looking for trouble."

    "What if trouble looks for us?" Chromedome asked.

    "Then we might have a severe case of of bad luck on our hands."

Earth

    While the three Autobots and three Decepticons tussled above, a black shape moved towards the latter faction's objective. Reaching his destination along the Colorado River, Ravage began to dig fiercely, tearing away rock and dirt. He did not stop until a violet light shone in his face.

    Ravage narrowed his optics as he turned on his internal radio. "Skywarp, we've hit jackpot."

    In an instant, the black Seeker was at his side, abandoning the fight with the Autobots. Wordlessly, he pulled the ore out of the ground and vanished in the blink of an eye.

    Hearing the roar of engines, Ravage looked up to see Thundercracker and Blitzwing taking off in jet mode. The jaguar-like robot quickly shot up and transformed into his data storage device form. Thundercracker's cockpit canopy lifted up to admit him and all four Decepticons fled from the scene.

    Down below, Ironhide, Hound, and Bulkhead watched them go. A look of severe disappointment crossed the former's face.

    "Slag. What does it take to get a good fight around here?"

Earth

    "So they just... left?"

    "It was the strangest thing," Ironhide said, having returned to the Autobot base with Hound and Bulkhead following the encounter in Arizona. "One minute we're tusslin' with the 'Cons, the next they're reachin' for the skies."

    "They must've gotten whatever they were after," Arcee said. "Did you pick up any energon readings?"

    Ironhide snorted. "You try scannin' for readings when a 'Con's throwin' you off a cliff, cacklin' like a hyenabot."

    Optimus Prime sighed, closing his optics as he pressed his fingers against the crest of his helmet. "Whatever it was they found, I'm sure it's something they plan on using against us. If only we knew when and were they're going to strike."

    Standing at the main computer with Wheeljack, Prowl turned to the Autobot leader. "Prime, transmission from Agent Fowler."

    "Put him through."

    Instantly, the Sector Seven agent's face filled the screen. "Optimus Prime. I've received reports that Agent Salazar, stationed in Arizona, was killed by Decepticons. Is this true?"

    Optimus glanced at Ironhide, who solemnly nodded. "I'm afraid so, Agent Fowler," the Autobot leader said. "We tried to stop them, but they quickly fled from the scene with whatever they were after."

    "You mean you don't know what they were after?"

    "I'm afraid not."

    Fowler huffed. "Well, that's just great. Never much liked Salazar, to be honest, but...." He pinched the bridge of his nose before saying, "Anyway, we did more investigation on the device your... kid pals found last month."

    Optimus nodded. "And?"

    "We discerned the origin of the gear-shaped 'M' symbol. We believe it to be the insignia of Machination."

    "Who are they?"

    "A shadowy organization," Fowler said darkly. "All we have on them on are rumors and speculation, but we might finally have our first clue to their existence."

    Optimus rubbed his chin. "Interesting. Can this clue lead us anywhere?"

    Fowler grimaced. "Not anymore."

    "What do you mean?"

    "It's been stolen."

Velocitron

    Brakedown quickly ducked as an oil can went flying over his head. It was going to be one of those wild days at the Fast Joint. History had just been made with today's Speedia 500; Nitro, leader of Velocitron for the past two hundred years, had just lost to his sister Override, making her the first female leader of the planet.

    From what he had gathered so far, not everyone was pleased with this development. But as long as it meant more business for him, he couldn't care less.

    After picking up the discarded can, he looked up to see a violet-armored fembot entering the bar. Right away he could tell that she was not a Velocitronian, lacking the sleek frame his people were accustomed to. Regardless, he took a liking to her when she swiftly decked an over-energized mech who had overestimate his chances. She then made her way towards the counter.

    "What will it be?" Brakedown asked.

    "Do you know anyone named Optimus Prime?" she asked.

    He snorted. "Who hasn't? He's almost as famous as Blurr around these parts."

    "Has he visited here recently?"

    "Not here at my bar." He squinted his optics in contemplation. "I seem to recall some rumors of him being at the Speedia a hundred years back or so, but that's it."

    "Is there anyone around here who would know for sure?"

    He shrugged. "You might want to try asking Nitro. He was leader of Velocitron around that time and probably would have met with Prime."

    "Where can I find him?"

    Brakedown opened his mouth to answer but then stopped. "Why do you want to know?"

    "Optimus Prime has been missing for over a hundred years," she replied. "I'm trying to find him, and thought Velocitron would be a good place to start."

    Brakedown considered her words for a moment before slowly nodding. "Well then, you can probably find Nitro at the Central Stadium in Delta. The Speedia's only just finished, so he's probably still being hounded by reporters and fans."

    She nodded in gratitude. "Thank you."

    With that, she got up and left the rowdy bar. Brakedown watched her go until a rude customer pulled him back to his duty.

Earth

    "Was this all you managed to procure?"

    Skywarp sneered at Starscream as he set down the medium-sized solid ore of energon down on a slab in Knock Out's lab.

    "Give me a break," the Seeker grunted. "We've been scouring this blasted planet for a year now. Be glad we found anything at all."

    Starscream fought the urge to lash out at his fellow Seeker for his attitude. "Whatever. Knock Out, I want you to study it."

    The red Decepticon sports car smirked. "For what?"

    The Air Commander's optics flared indignantly. "For... for volatile substances! I want to make sure it won't explode if I try to infuse myself with it!"

    The medic's eyes rolled. "As you wish."

    "'As you wish...?'"

    Knock Out huffed. "Lord. Starscream."

    "Thank you." Sticking his nose to the air, Starscream strode out of the lab. On his way to the bridge, he felt a large shadow fall over him.

    "Lord Starscream? What was that ore Skywarp and the others recovered?"

    Starscream smiled to himself. The voice, face, and body certainly belonged to Megatron, but due to unknown circumstances, the Decepticon leader's memory had been set back to before he first became a Decepticon, when he was the Autobot Optronix.

    Like any smart Decepticon would have done, Starscream had taken advantage of Megatron's amnesia and recounted the events of the past thousand years... albeit with some rewording and embellishment.

    Turning to face his amnesiac predecessor, Starscream said, "We have found a special kind of energon here on Earth. It is called Ultra-Energon and we believe it to be able to enhance a Cybertronian's strength and durability.

    Optronix looked intrigued by this. "Can it help us defeat the Autobots?"

    "We can only hope." Starscream found it very hard not to laugh at the former Megatron's new-found naivety and gullibility. If this was what Optronix had truly been like, then it was a wonder that he had managed to join the Elite Guard.

    As the two of them continued walking to the Nemesis' bridge, Optronix said, "Is there anything you want me to do, Lord Starscream?"

    Oh, how I enjoy hearing those words from that wretched mouth. Aloud, Starscream said, "Nothing in particular."

    Optronix frowned. "But I am unfamiliar with this new form, and there are several Autobots down there I can test it against."

    Starscream smirked. "Have patience, my friend. Your time will come."

    At that moment, they entered the bridge, where Soundwave was waiting at his monitor. The Decepticon spy inclined his head towards them.

    "Star-- Lord Starscream, I have detected another source."

    "Wonderful," the Air Commander said as he sat down in the command chair. "Where at?"

    Soundwave took a moment to discern the exact location. "A human facility in Tampa, Florida."

    Starscream abruptly leaned forward in his seat. "What? Humans?! How could they have gotten their hands on Ultra-Energon?"

    "I theorize they came across it and recovered it like we have."

    "But... but they wouldn't know how to handle it or what to do with it!"

    "I am simply reporting what I--"

    "Enough!" Starscream sharply waved a hand to cut the spy off. "Send a team down there to retrieve it. I don't care if they need to raze the entire city to get it, just as long as that Ultra-Energon is in our hands!"

    "As you command, Lord Starscream."

    As Soundwave set to work, Optronix leaned forward to speak into Starscream's audio receptor. "Is now the time?"

    The Seeker found himself smirking again. "Yes. Now is the perfect time."

Velocitron

    Even over the clamor of bots trying to reach their idolized racers and get a word in from them for their news station, the high-pitched squeal of an over-excited fan could be hear. Those with the misfortune to be right next to the source were forced to clamp their hands over their auditory sensors.

    "Primus, is he always like this?" Nightbeat muttered.

    "This is a new one for me," Glyph replied.

    "It's him!" Swerve exclaimed, jumping up and down while pointing excitedly at a tall blue mech. "It's Blurr! The amazing Blurr!"

    Blurr seemed to have noticed this display of fan worship for he grimaced and was now trying to make his way out of the stadium. Swerve took pursuit with Tailgate close behind.

    "Let them go," Elita said exasperatedly. "I see Nitro over there. Let's go talk with him."

    "All of us?" Chromedome gestured widely to the entire team, currently consisting of eight with Swerve and Tailgate gone. "Won't that seem a little... suspicious?"

    "I agree," Windblade said. "I think you should speak with him by yourself."

    "And what will the rest of you be doing?" Elita asked.

    "Waiting for something bad to happen."

    Elita sighed. "All right, just... just don't go anywhere."

    With that, she turned and head straight for Nitro. The former Velocitronian leader, flanked by bodyguards, was fleeing from reporters, fans, and paparazzi, and trying to exit the stadium. Elita figured it was probably not the best time to bother him, but she had no intention of waiting for a better one.

    "Nitro!" she called, trying to push her way through the crowd. "I would like to speak with you!"

    "You and everyone else," Nitro shouted back. "Try again later."

    "I really must insist--"

    She was cut off by a small Velocitronian bot pushing past her, a blaster in hand. She moved to stop him but was pulled away by a pair of large arms. The smaller mech raised his weapon and fired.

    Nitro was on the ground, energon leaking from the wound in his head. As the crowds reacted in panic, Elita freed herself from the large Velocitronian's grip and spun around, shooting her leg out to kick the brute in the head. He barely flinched and instead flipped out a pair of shoulder launchers.

    In an instant, Windblade was upon him, plunging her blade into his back. The brute let out a cry of pain before dropping to the ground, unconscious. With the larger Velocitronian down, Elita returned her attention to Nitro's assailant, who was lost amongst a sea of law enforcers and security guards. There was another gunshot and the crowd of guards instantly dispersed, revealing the murderer's deactivated corpse, the barrel of his gun smoking hot.

    Elita and her team stood in silence while Velocitronians murmured in shock and despair. As if to make the situation worse, Swerve returned with Tailgate in tow, having lost their quarry.

    "What did we miss?"

Earth

    "At what time was the device stolen?"

    Leaning against her car, Sector Seven agent Samantha Walker checked her notes. "Twenty-fourth of July, around 3:25 A.M., according to our security cameras."

    Parked in front of her in his police car form, Prowl added this info to his memory banks, not requiring a notepad. "Did your cameras capture an image of the culprit?"

    "Yes, but they're wearing all-concealing garments; gloves, a thick coat, snowpants, a face-hood... we can't even determine their gender."

    "Who had access to the lab where the device was held?" Prowl asked.

    Walker thought for a moment. "Doctor Henri Arkeville, myself, and Agent Simmons."

    "Can you get into contact with either Arkeville or Simmons?"

    "Simmons has been in Washington for the past four months, so he wouldn't know anything. As for Arkeville...."

    "Yes?" Prowl said when she paused.

    "He left for Florida yesterday, about three days after the theft." She looked down at the Autobot car, an eyebrow cocked. "You don't think...?"

    "The probability is there," Prowl said as he revved up his engine. "We just have to investigate it."

*  *  *

    The black and red sports car was parked right at the sidewalk outside the residence of Joshua Joyce and his fiancee Darcy in Tampa, Florida. No one had emerged from it and its windows were too tinted to see anyone sitting inside. It had been like this for a day now.

    Sipping a mug of coffee as she opened the front window's blinds, Darcy Tirrel furrowed her brow. The black car had now been joined by a white one of the same model.

    "Is the car still there?" Joshua called from the kitchen.

    "Yes, but now there's another one with it." She craned her head slightly. "I think it's blocking the driveway."

    "Dang kids." Joshua stormed out of the kitchen with a half-eaten waffle in one hand and a cell phone in the other. "Think they own the world just because they can afford fancy hot rods."

    Darcy turned to him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "Says the man with a Pagani."

    "Yeah, well, it's a special kind of Pagani." After contacting the local police office, he raised the phone to his ear. "Yes, there are two cars-- I think they're Pontiacs-- parked right in front of my driveway, and I need to get to work. I live on 332 Dolphin-- no, Dolphin Drive. It's the big, white three-story house on the left, can't miss--"

    Before he could finish, the two cars were suddenly no longer just that, but rather two towering giants made of machinery. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

    "Actually, never mind. They're gone."

*  *  *

    "Did Barricade say he wanted the human alive or dead?"

    "Dunno," Runamuck replied. "Wasn't listenin'."

    Runabout chuckled as he cracked his knuckles. "Heh. Me neither."

    Two rocket launchers flipped out from his back and he fired them at the house. The facade of the building exploded and was reduced to rubble. Once the smoke and dust had settled, he found two humans cowering before him, covered in cuts, bruises, and asphalt.

    "Would you look at that," Runabout laughed. "Two humans for the price of one. You can play around with the skinny one while I get the one we need."

    "Fun," Runamuck said.

    However, before either of the two Decepticons could make a move, they heard the revving of an engine. From a garage adjacent to the destroyed house, a red and black car sped out, heading straight for them.

    Runamuck quickly brought out his gun and shot at the moving vehicle, which exploded... but not in the way he was expecting.

    Instead, it "exploded" into a swarm of particles, twirling like a storm of atoms. They then began to reform, this time as a bipedal figure rather than an automobile. Two razor-bladed discs sprouted from its back and shot out into its hand as the robot assumed a combative stance.

    "What. The. Scra--" Runamuck was cut off as the robot flung a disc at him, embedding it into his face. As the Decepticon screamed in pain, Runabout started firing wild shots at the anomaly, who simply shifted its materials to avoid them.

    "The slag are you supposed to be?!" the Battlecharger exclaimed just as the robot threw another disc, which shaved off the barrel of his gun. It was then upon him, pinning him to the ground while aiming a stinger at his face.

    It was the male human who answered him. "That is Stinger. He is the first step towards a new revolution of human technology... and the first step towards your extinction."

    Stinger then fired its weapon and Runabout's world went dark.

Velocitron

    "Well, that was a wonderful trip," Chromedome said sardonically as he and the rest of the team drove from the city of Delta. "I hope on the next planet we visit, no one gets assassinated."

    "Why would someone kill Nitro like that?" Tailgate asked innocently. "He didn't do anything wrong, did he?"

    Elita said nothing. Several things ran through her processor, primarily questions regarding Nitro's murder and the motives behind it. The fact it had happened on the same day she needed to seek him out did not bode well either....

    "If you want, I could investigate things," Nightbeat said, driving up alongside her. "It is my specialty."

    "Yes, but it's not our business here," she replied. "If anything, we would just look suspicious."

    The Autobot detective indicated a frown by dimming his headlights. "We could get answers from doing so...."

    "We'll just have to get them from somewhere else." Elita and the others transformed to their robot forms upon reaching the ship. "Rewind, what would you suggest to be our next destination?"

    The archivist was silent as he checked his databanks. "Well, going by inhabited colonies, we have Combatron, Gigantion, Animatron, Junkion, Theophany--"

    "Theophany's not a colony," Glyph corrected him.

    "Well, it might as well be, with the Circle of Light living there."

    Elite shook her head. "After how things went down between Dai Atlas and Zeta Prime, I doubt Optimus would have visited them."

    "And Combatron's not a great place to visit," Chromedome said, "neither is Animatron."

    "And Junkion would be a waste of time," Windblade commented.

    "Well, we'll just have to try them just in case, won't we?" Elita retorted.

    "Um, guys?" Swerve interjected. "Nightbeat's gone."

    The other Autobots looked to see that the blue and yellow detective was driving away from them, but not back towards Delta.

    "Slag," Elita cursed.

Earth

    The green portal materialized in a remote location in Florida and a convoy of Autobots drove out. In the lead was Optimus Prime, with Bumblebee, Ironhide, Ratchet, Sideswipe, and Arcee behind him.

    "Jazz, this is Prime. Do you read me?" the Autobot leader said over his communicator.

    "Loud and clear, Prime. Prowl's detective friend says that Arkeville has a residence in Tampa."

    "Then that shall be our destination," Optimus said. "Autobots, roll out!"

*  *  *

    "Lord Starscream, Runamuck and Runabout have ceased responding."

    Flying high over the state of Florida, Starscream cursed to himself. "Those two bags of bolts couldn't lead a turbofox to energon, let alone make it drink. Blackout, have you found the Ultra-Energon's location?"

    "Yes, sir," the military helicopter flying below him replied. "I am providing you with the coordinates."

    After receiving the coordinates, Starscream said, "Then we needn't stall things any further. Decepticons, attack!"

*  *  *

    Climbing out of their Pagani Automobili, Joshua and Darcy took long strides towards the main Machination laboratory. In the distance, Joshua could hear alarms blaring, while operatives rushed to and fro.

    Stopping one of them, he said, "What's going on?"

    "Scanners have detected multiple Transformers converging on our location," the man said. "I think we've been found out."

    "Are any of the drones prepared?"

    "Yes, about three dozen."

    Joshua smiled. "Then we haven't anything to worry about."

*  *  *

    On Prime's orders, Arcee and Bumblebee broke off from the convoy and sped towards what had been deduced to be Doctor Arkeville's residence. Parking in front of the house, Arcee sent out her holomatter avatar rider-- which she had dubbed "Sadie"-- to walk up to the front door.

    "Are you sure this is going to work?" Bumblebee asked her via radio.

    "Trust me," she said.

    "I don't think people in motorcycle gear are considered acceptable visitors--"

    "Just be quiet and let me concentrate."

    Upon reaching the door, Sadie knocked on it, being careful to not let her hand accidentally phase through it. In moments, it was answered by an old man with wild, receding gray hair. Going by his irritated expression, he had clearly just been woken from a nap.

    "What do you want?" Arkeville said rudely.

    "You are Doctor Henri Arkeville of Sector Seven, correct?" Arcee asked via Sadie.

    His expression softened somewhat. "Er, yes, I am. What of it?"

    Sadie suddenly vanished and the two Autobots transformed. Arcee stepped forward and knelt down to make level eye contact.

    "My name is Arcee, and this is my partner Bumblebee. We're Autobots," she informed the scientist. "A few days ago, a device made of Cybertronian tech was stolen from Sector Seven labs. Agent Walker told us that you were running the lab on the day it was stolen."

    Arkeville's face was impassive. "It wasn't stolen."

    Arcee blinked. "It wasn't?"

    "No. I personally removed it from the labs and took it with me here to Florida."

    "So, where is it now?" Bumblebee asked.

    "In good hands." The scientist smiled mirthlessly. "Specifically with Machination."

    Arcee rose to her full height. "Wait. You're with Machination?"

    Arkeville's grin widened, showing yellow, crooked teeth. "Of course. And consider this my resignation."

    Suddenly, bursting out of a garage was a white Aston Martin, though in seconds it went from a swarm of atoms to a Transformer-sized robot. At Arkeville's beckoning, it charged towards the Autobots.

    Unfurling her arm blades, Arcee locked the robot's first attack. As she parried, she called to Bumblebee, "Get back to Optimus and warn him! I'll hold this guy off!"

    "I'm not leaving you!" Bumblebee protested, flipping out a pair of stingers.

    Arcee let out an exasperated sigh. "'Bee, this is no time to argue."

    "Now that I can agree on." The yellow scout punctuated his statement with a well-aimed shot to the drone's head. Despite the accuracy, it missed when the drone's head made a hole within its molecular structure.

    Arcee then began to stab at the Aston Martin robot, but it avoided those strikes as well. It then converted its arm into a blaster and fired it at her face. She performed a backflip to dodge it and transformed into her motorcycle form upon landing.

    "I have a better idea," she muttered. "Let's both warn the others."

    Transforming as well, Bumblebee followed her and drove away from the battle. Arkeville and his drone merely watched them flee, knowing that others would take matters into their own hands.

Earth

    Military tanks were hardly a common sight on the highway, but that was the least of Brawl's concerns. As long as the humans got out of his way, he couldn't care less.

    Driving alongside him were Megatron-- or "Optronix", rather-- and Barricade, while Starscream, Blitzwing, and Lugnut flew overhead. Blackout had already gone ahead to herald their arrival at the human base.

    The flames rising in the distance told them all that he had succeeded in that.

    "Effective as ever, that Blackout," Starscream said. "I believe we should repay him by giving him a hand. Lugnut, Blitzwing, would you like to be the first to give the honors?"

    "With pleasure," the jet bomber growled as it shot forward with its cackling wing-mate close behind.

*  *  *

    "Human-made Transformers?" Had he been in robot mode, Optimus Prime would have looked baffled by what Arcee and Bumblebee had just told him.

    "Well, it certainly didn't look or even transform like any bot I know," Arcee replied.

    "This is worse than I feared," Optimus murmured. "We should find where this Machination is located, and quick."

    "Way ahead of you, Prime," Jazz said over his radio. "I think I've just found them. Sending you the coordinates now."

    "Are you sure it's Machination?"

    "Well, I'm getting strong energon readings...."

    "Good enough," Optimus said as he and the Autobots sped forward.

*  *  *

    When Blackout had arrived at the Machination base, he wasn't expecting much in the form of resistance. A few tanks here, some missile launchers there, but nothing he couldn't handle. Transformers that could alter their molecular structure at will to change shape... that was something new.

    They weren't utterly invincible, though; they could only dodge attacks they saw coming, mainly in the form of blaster shots. Spinning blades, on the other hand, was a challenge for them.

    As he shredded a small white robot to pieces, Blackout saw a larger one in navy blue charging towards him. He unfurled a cannon from his chest and fired it. While it did little to harm the drone, it did impede its assault, allowing the Decepticon to finish it off with his blades.

    Hearing the roar of engines, Blackout looked up to see Lugnut and Blitzwing approaching. About slagging time.

    The two Decepticons transformed and Lugnut came down with his "explosive punch" arm prepared. Blackout moved to get out of the way only to see the big lug be whisked away by a large shape, which moved in a blur.

    Blackout froze. Very few things were as big as Lugnut, let alone big enough to physically move him. Only one such Cybertronian came to mind, and there was no way they could have been here on Earth.

    He was proven wrong when that same Cybertronian appeared before him. Blackout could only utter his name before he too was taken out.

*  *  *

    "He's left the base?"

    Most of the panic in dispatching the Machination drones in response to the Decepticons' attack had died down, allowing Joshua to have a normal conversation with one of the operatives. Now it was his turn to feel anxious.

    "Yes, sir," Doctor Lyman Smith said. "About ten minutes ago. He said something about taking matters into his own hands."

    Joshua's face blanched. He knew that their leader-- the true mastermind behind Machination-- was binary-bonded to the organizations' founder, Abraham Dante. Over the decades of their bond, they had grown to rely on each other in more ways than one. While becoming meshed with Cybertronian technology had allowed Dante to live well over a hundred, that did not make him immortal. If something serious were to happen to one, it would leave the other in critical condition... and Machination would be in ruin.

    "Did he take any drones with him?" Joshua finally asked.

    "Nearly all of them," Lyman said. "I hope he knows what he's doing."

    "Of course he does," Joshua said, though he was trying more to assure himself. As a dozen worst-case scenarios ran through his head, he barely noticed another scientist running up to him.

    "Sir!" Doctor Chang called, her black hair disheveled. "N.B.E.-18 has escaped!"

    Joshua gaped at her. "Impossible. What about the kid?" 

    "He's gone as well. I don't know what happened--"

    "Sound the alarm," he interjected. "Send out whatever drones we have left to find them."

    And pray that this is just all part of our mastermind's plan, he finished to himself.

*  *  *

    The twelve Autobots, having rejoined, burst through the front gates of Machination's headquarters. A trio of tanks came to confront them, followed by five sports cars that "transformed" in the same way Arcee and Bumblebee's opponent had.

    Morphing from his truck form, Optimus Prime lunged at one of the drones and quickly severed it in half with his axe. Sideswipe and Arcee handled the other four while Ironhide and Bulkhead took out the tanks.

    "Not much of a welcoming party," Sideswipe commented when nothing else attacked them. His statement was punctuated by sounds of battle coming from nearby.

    "Think the Decepticons might be in on this?" Hot Rod asked Optimus.

    Before Prime could answer him, the defeated form of Starscream flew past them, crashing into a wall.

    "If I were to wager a guess? Yes, I do think so," Optimus said.

    Starscream groaned as he rubbed his head. Upon seeing the Autobots, he scowled. "Great. As if my day couldn't get any worse."

    Optimus sighed. "Starscream, I'll do you a favor by not asking you why you're here. Instead, I'll ask you this: what the spark is going on?"

    Starscream grunted as he got to his feet. "That's something you should ask him," he said, motioning his head forward.

    The Autobots looked to see a large mech storming up to them, colored in purple and green. His massive claws were clenched and he grinned with the hunger of a murderer, his visor gleaming with malice.

    Optimus narrowed his eyes. "Scorponok."

    "Prime," the rogue Decepticon replied, spreading his arms. "It's been a while. Do you like what I've built up so far?"

    "Would you care to explain what exactly this is?"

    Scorponok chuckled. "Innovation. Evolution. Mixing of cultures. It can be called many things."

    "It is also a violation of the Code of Interplanetary Conflict," Prime said darkly.

    The rogue Decepticon waved a dismissive claw. "As if anyone's cared about that in this war. How is that going, by the way?"

    "Still going on, from what I can tell," Optimus said, glaring at Starscream.

    Scorponok grinned menacingly. "Good. Because I'm itching to use my army."

    As if on cue, a group of automobile drove up behind him, morphing into their robot modes.

    "And my army is itching for a fight."

    "Where's Optronix?"

    Brawl barely heard Starscream, his mind too focused on the Machination drones he was currently shooting at. "Who?"

    The Seeker huffed. "Megatron."

    "Oh. Dunno. Haven't seen him."

    "Wasn't he with you when you arrived here?" Starscream said irritably.

    "Yeah. But now he's not."

    Starscream wished he had a wall to bash his head into. Sometimes he wasn't sure if Brawl was stupid or just painfully blunt and apathetic. Or a mix of all three.

    "Fine. I'll search for himself," the Seeker said. "You just stay here... and destroy things."

    "Whatever."

    While Brawl continued firing, Starscream dodged enemy fire as he made his way through the battlefield. Luckily for him, both the Autobots and the Machination drones were preoccupied with each other and the other Decepticons, leaving him free to move without being shot at.

    He followed the Ultra-Energon signal, presuming that Optronix had went to find it; the massive hole in the Machination facility's wall was his first clue. He stepped through it and followed the trail of destruction....

*  *  *

    Optimus grunted as he hit the ground. Seeing Scorponok storming towards him, he quickly rolled out of the way just as the Decepticon fired twin bolts of energy from his stinger tail. He then jumped up to his feet and lunged at Scorponok, only to be bashed away by a massive claw.

    Harsh laughter filled the air. "Tell me, Prime. Do you know why I never attempted a grab for power? Why I never tried to challenge Megatron for the throne?"

    Optimus struggled to get up but was pinned down by a large foot.

    "Because then the war would be over. Cybertron would be under Decepticon rule, the Autobots would be history, and the galaxy would be conquered... and where would the fun in that be?"

    "Well," Optimus muttered as he raised his gun at Scorponok's face. "Fun is subjective."

    He pulled the trigger, shattering the Decepticon's visor. Screaming in pain, Scorponok removed his foot from Optimus' chest, allowing the Autobot leader to rise and slam his body into Scorponok's. The impact caused the Deception to stagger back, but failed to topple him. He then retaliated by plunging his tail into his opponent's back.

    Optimus screamed as energy ran through him, rendering him immobile. When Scorponok removed his tail, the Autobot leader fell to the ground again. 

    "The natives of this world have a great aversion of the insect they call scorpion." Scorponok grinned savagely. "Now you know why."

    He readied his tail for one last attack. Unable to move, Optimus braced himself for death....

    Suddenly, a yellow shape landed on the Decepticon's tail, wrenching its aim away from Optimus. Scorponok yelled as he thrashed at his attacker, who quickly jumped off so that his claws cleaved his tail instead. He then turned to face his new adversary only to receive a gunshot to the face. The Decepticon fell unceremoniously to the ground.

    Optimus did not see his savior until they were standing over him. Even then, he could not believe his optics.

    "Sunstreaker?"

    "Know any other Autobot with a handsome face like this?" Sunstreaker said with a smirk. However, something about him-- the way he spoke-- seemed off to the Autobot leader.

    "Sunstreaker... what happened to you?" Optimus asked. "Where's Hunter?"

    "I'll explain later," Sunstreaker replied. "Right now, I've got some heads to bash. Can you move?"

    "No."

    Sunstreaker bent down and lifted his leader up, having him lean on his shoulder with one arm behind the Prime's back and holding a gun in the other.

    "Then we'll have to do this Rambo-style," the yellow Autobot said.

    Optimus blinked. "Huh?"

*  *  *

    Starscream's null rays finished off the drone that had been standing guard in the corridor. It wasn't much of an accomplishment though; it and all of its comrades had already been destroyed or heavily damaged when he came across them. The door to the main lab had already been torn open, so he stepped through it.

    The first thing he noticed, lying at his feet, were the deactivated forms of Runabout and Runamuck, practically torn up into spare parts. At the end of the chamber, standing before a vat containing a bright, violet ore, was Optronix, basking in the light. This was no doubt the Ultra-Energon which they had detected.

    As Starscream approached him, Optronix said, "How good of you to join me, Starscream."

    The Seeker froze. That voice... it was the same as always, but its tone carried an all-too-familiar ambiance to it.

    "M-Megatron?"

    The Decepticon leader turned to face him, a cruel smile on his metal visage. "That's Lord Megatron to you, from here on out."

    Starscream was flabbergasted. "But... but your amnesia--"

    "Was a ruse. A means to an end."

    "What means? What end?!"

    Megatron smirked. "To lead me to whatever Scorponok was cooking up. The last thing I recalled before being reawakened was Scorponok downloading schematics from my mind. I knew he had to be up to something."

    "But... surely you could have investigated yourself instead of leaving things to me!"

    "Ah, but that was the entire point, Starscream." Megatron chuckled. "I wanted to see how you had handled things in my absence. My figuratively continued absence gave me a glimpse."

    Starscream slowly nodded. "And your thoughts?"

    Megatron answered him with a blast from his fusion cannon, sending the Seeker crashing into the wall. An open wound formed in his abdomen.

    "You send your forces in without strategies," Megatron growled as he stormed forward. "You waste resources and lives. You fail to think ahead. You wreak destruction for no purpose. You fail to inspire morale."

    He now loomed over Starscream, who cowed in his presence. 

    "I will give you credit for retrieving the Ultra-Energon... and my body, of course. But I had Soundwave fill me in on everything... and I must say, I have never seen such a pathetic excuse for a leader in my life."

    Starscream looked up at him with fearful optics. "Are... are you going to kill me?"

    Megatron laughed harshly. "An easy punishment like that would do you no good. No, I have something far more fitting in mind."

    As he grabbed the Seeker by the wing, Megatron called into his communicator, "Decepticons, this is your true leader speaking. We have the Ultra-Energon. Return to the Nemesis."

    He then fired his fusion cannon at the ceiling, creating an opening. Then, with the vat of Ultra-Energon in one arm and the broken Starscream in the other, he activated rocket boosters in his feet and took off into the nighttime sky.

Earth

    With Scorponok defeated and the Decepticons having fled the scene, the Autobots returned to their base, where Ratchet set about getting Optimus' nerve circuits operating again. As he laid on a repair slab, the Autobot leader-- as well as the others-- looked to Sunstreaker expectantly.

    "So... mind filling us in?"

    Sunstreaker sighed as he slumped against a wall. "When those Machination guys brought me to their labs, they started... experimenting on me."

    "Experimenting?" Arcee asked.

    He nodded. "They took me apart, checked out my gears, all while I was still online... it was really disturbing. Then they made a... mental link of sorts to those drones of theirs, though all it was for was to make them stronger and fight better. It was... I really don't know how to describe it."

    "How did you get free?" his brother Sideswipe asked.

    Sunstreaker smirked. "Tell him, pal."

    Suddenly, his head detached from his torso, morphing before the Autobots' startled eyes. When it was finished, it was in the form of a two meter high being. When it removed its helmet, it revealed a head full of shaggy red hair.

    "Hunter?!" the Autobots exclaimed.

    He smiled. "That's me. I woke up in the middle of a brainwashing operation and broke free. I went through their labs and found Sunstreaker's head in one of them. When he told me everything he had found out about Machination's, er, machinations, I found out about the binary bonding process, which Scorponok had already gone through with the CEO."

    "So you went through the process with Sunstreaker?" Wheeljack asked.

    Hunter nodded. "It was the only way he-- or we, I should say-- could break free and sever the mental link with the drones."

    "Wow," Optimus murmured, slowly sitting up with his nerve systems restored. "I like that word. 'Wow.' It perfectly sums up my feelings on that story."

    Hunter laughed. "It is pretty wicked." He then put his helmet on and became Sunstreaker's head again. "Something we'll both have to get used to."

    "Well, with that out of the way...." Ratchet gave Optimus a meaningful look. "Any thoughts on what the Decepticons were after back there?"

    "My guess would be the same thing they were after in Arizona," Prime said. "Whatever that thing was--"

    "I think I know what it might be," Sunstreaker murmured, his arms crossed.

    "Well?" Ironhide said impatiently. "Tell us!"

    "It's called Ultra-Energon. The Machination folks have been holding it for a while, probably for a future experiment. It has a wonky signature; you can only detect it if you're really close to it or very far away from it, like in the air."

    "What can it do?" Prowl asked.

    "Make one utterly indestructible."

    "Yes, that's something the Decepticons would want their hands on," Optimus muttered. "It's practically got their name all over it."

    "So what do we do?" Bumblebee asked. "Storm the Nemesis and get it back?"

    All of the Autobots were silent. Then Prowl said, "I think I could make that work."

    Bumblebee stared at him. "You can?"

    The Autobot strategist smiled. "Sure. Just give me a few days; I'm sure I'll cook something up."

*  *  *

    Joshua Joyce watched as the headless form of Scorponok was lifted up and placed into a repair bay by Stinger and another Machination drone. Nearby, a team of medics were examining the damaged form of Abraham Dante, the Decepticon's Headmaster partner. Just by looking at him, he could already form his own conclusions.

    "He's dead, isn't he?" he said under his breath, heard only by Lyman, who stood next to him.

    Lyman sighed. "I'm afraid so. I suppose that leave Attinger in charge."

    "What about Scorponok?" Joshua motioned his head to the Decepticon.

    "He's still functioning, thankfully. Perhaps Attinger will replace Dante in more ways than one."

    Joshua smirked. "I don't see why not. He is, after all, the head of this organization."

    Both men laughed harshly at their cruel joke.

Velocitron

    "Nightbeat!"

    The Autobot detective did not respond to Elita's cry as he stood on the edge of a cliff. His nine teammates finally drove up to his position and transformed. Windblade was the first to reach him.

    "Nightbeat, what's going on? What are you doing?" She shook him. "Come on, answer me!"

    The detective did not. Windblade gave the others a worried look.

    "I don't know what's wrong with him. Maybe we should--"

    Before she could finish, the ground beneath them vanished and they fell into darkness. Swerve's scream was the loudest, ringing in everyone's ears, though it was mercifully ended when they all landed hard on rocky ground.

    "Okay," Strongarm grunted as she got to her feet. "What the blazes was that all about?"

    Elita got up and surveyed their new location. They were in a rocky field of sorts, devoid of life, although a city could be seen in the distance. Dark clouds clogged the sky and a cool breeze passed through the air.

    "Do you have any planets like this in your databanks, Rewind?" she asked the archivist.

    "Actually, I know this place," Glyph said. "It's Gorlam Prime. I studied it while I was learning at Drouhard University."

    "Did you learn about dead people there too?" Swerve asked, a shocked look plastered on his faceplate.

    Glyph looked at him in bemusement before following his gaze. She then gasped, as did Elita and the others.

    Approaching them was a tall figure. His red and silver armor-plating gleamed in the few rays of sunlight that leaked through the clouds. Two metal panels flowed behind him like a cape, while a small royal crest adorned his crimson helmet, giving him a regal appearance.

    His blue optics fell on the ten Autobots and he smiled. "Visitors. How wonderful. We almost never get any."

    Elita gawked at him. "You... you're supposed to be dead."

    A metal brow arched. "Am I?"

    "Yes. Megatron killed you, shot you dead in front of everyone."

    He laughed. "Clearly he did not do a very good job." He then beckoned them with his hand. "Come with me to the city. I promise you that everything will be explained."

    He then turned and began his trek back to the distant city. Left with little choice, Elita and her team followed the once and former-- and very much alive-- Autobot leader, Sentinel Prime.