Point of No Return

A Transformers Armada Story

By William Rendfeld

Rodimus wasn't happy.

It wasn't due to anger, or anything like that. It was frustration, disappointment, irritation...and it was all directed at himself.

As he rubbed his temples with his fingers, the chime on his door sounded, interrupting him from his self-loathing. "Enter," he said.

Arcee slowly walked into the room, and said quietly, "I thought you'd be in here." The door slid shut behind her as she walked up to Rodimus and asked, "Care to explain what's gotten you so down?"

Rodimus remained silent.

Arcee sighed, and asked, "This is about what happened on Quintessa, isn't it?" Rodimus gave her a critical look, and she explained, "I'm more than just a pretty face, Rodimus. Now, I think you'd better tell me what's going on in your head right now, otherwise I'll be forced to beat it out of you."

Rodimus sighed, and leaned back in his chair. "I did something I'm not proud of, Arcee. In that planet was a Quintesson, the last one, linked to his planet through some sort of umbilical cord. He was tied to the planet's systems; in order to shut it down, you had to shut him down. In order for us to leave, the planet had to be shut down."

"And thus, he had to be shut down," Arcee reasoned. "So, you scrapped him? That's what you're moping about?"

"I didn't scrap him," Rodimus explained. "Not completely. I cut the umbilical, shut off his connection. But he said that as long as he was connected to it, he'd live. Without the connection, he'll die. It'll just be a slow, painful death. It's like that thing on Earth...a 'catch-22' or whatever; he remains connected, he's still alive, and the Axalon's scrap, he's disconnected or slagged, he dies and we're saved."

"You did what you had to do," Arcee gently said. "Besides, for all we know, he found something else to connect to. Maybe he got lucky."

"Maybe," Rodimus noted. "For his sake and mine, I hope he did."

"Maybe someday you'll find out," Arcee noted as a second chime started up.

Rodimus reached over and turned on a comm.-panel, then said, "Yes?"

"We're entering Earth's system now," Tow-Line replied. "Dropping from TransWarp."

"Got it, I'll be on the command deck shortly," Rodimus promised. The line dropped out, and Rodimus turned to Arcee and said, "Maybe now things'll start looking better for us."

"Things do not look good," Scavenger noted succinctly.

"Tell me something I don't know," Optimus Prime groaned in reply, several chunks of his armor scarred and scored after his battle with Galvatron. "Did we recover the pods?"

"Two of them," Scavenger replied. "Five Decepticons, seven Mini-Cons. The Mini-Cons and four of the Decepticons are fine, no injuries. But one wasn't so lucky, same as you, Jetfire and Starscream."

Optimus looked to one side to find Demolishor laid out on a stasis table, Makeshift and Longarm performing repairs.

"What about Skywarp and Thundercracker?" Optimus asked.

"Their pod crashed somewhere in Washington state," Scavenger noted. "We haven't gotten a full fix on it yet, but Colonel Franklin's asked for some chopper patrols in the area. When they find the pod, we'll dispatch a two-man unit. Don't think we can spare anyone else right now."

"Better that than nothing," Optimus noted. "Ask the Emergency Team to deal with everyone else before me; I've got the least amount of damage, I can wait."

"We may not have the time," Scavenger replied. "Knowing Megatron, or whatever he wants to call himself now, we're going to have one serious problem very soon."

"Isn't that something to get you motivated?" Longarm noted from Demolishor's side as he continued repairs.

"My Decepticons, at last I bring you to the beginning of our new era," Galvatron declared, bringing their attention to the remainder of the Energon pool he'd bathed in previously. "This liquid Energon, our salvation, shall help to fuel our new era."

"That's great, boss," Cyclonus noted, "but what are we supposed to do with it?"

Gathered with them at the pool were the rest of the Decepticon force, some recently healed and the rest in fair condition.

"Just as I did, Cyclonus," Galvatron declared. "Use it, and gain greater power than you've ever known."

"Meg...er, Galvatron, sir," Thrust noted, catching his leader's attention, "while I don't doubt your claim that this enhance us, I don't think there's enough for everyone."

"Very well then," Galvatron decided. "Cyclonus, Tidal Wave, the two of you shall immerse yourselves within the pool. The rest of you will make do until we are able to procure more." He looked towards Soundwave and said, "An event which I have no doubt shall occur."

"I'll make certain to gather more," Soundwave promised. "The source from which I retrieved this is far from empty."

"Excellent," Galvatron noted. He turned back to his troops, and asked menacingly, "Does anyone object?"

There was a resounding silence that greeted that question.

"Excellent," Galvatron noted. "Now, let us begin."

Cyclonus looked at the pool somewhat nervously, then jumped in, Tidal Wave following and laying down within it. As the Energon began its work, Soundwave turned away, silently looking forward to what was to come. Nothing wrong with implementing one's backup plan, after all...

Scavenger heaved in irritation, rubbing his temples as he went over what had happened earlier. He activated an intercom and asked, "Hoist, please tell me you've got good news."

"Actually, we do," Hoist replied. "The Overload unit took a beating during the fight with Megatron, but it's not scrap yet. Should be back to full operations in an hour, maybe less."

"Let me know," Scavenger replied. He shut off the line, then turned to his two guests and asked, "Well, any advice?"

"You've already done all that you can," Sentinel Maximus replied. "The immediate problem has been dealt with; the Decepticons loyal to Starscream have arrived on Earth, and are still alive, if damaged." He opened a compartment within his body, and explained as he brought out a familiar artifact, "And the Matrix is safe from harm."

"This still leaves the problem of Megatron," Vector Prime noted. "More than likely he's in the process of fortifying his defenses, licking his wounds. He won't stop with the initial attack."

"No denying that," Scavenger replied. "Right now, however, we have to take advantage of that, fortify our own defenses. The base's defense grid's online, but we still need to find everyone that's missing, and get our wounded repaired, at least enough to be moved back to Cybertron."

"And the sooner the better," Sentinel Maximus noted. "If Optimus was correct, and this is connected to Unicron, I fear a secondary plan is already hatching."

"I hope that doesn't come too soon," Scavenger noted as a chime started up. He answered the comm.-line and said, "Yes, Sideswipe?"

"We've got a couple communiqués coming in," Sideswipe reported. "The Axalon's arrived in orbit; Rodimus is asking to warp down with members of his command staff for a debriefing."

"Let them come," Scavenger decided. "Next?"

"Predacon and his group's at the door; they want in."

Scavenger gave Vector Prime a curious look, then said to Sideswipe, "Let them in; they might be able to help."

"Copy that," Sideswipe replied, closing the comm.-line.

Slowly, Jetfire's optics came online, his onboard sensors confirming that his systems were slowly being repaired. He turned his head towards his right, feeling slight pinpricks on his armor, and gave a gentle, "Hey kid."

Coby looked up from his work and said, "Hey yourself big guy. How you feeling?"

"Better," Jetfire admitted. "What're you doing here?"

"Professor Suzuki wanted to come and visit, see if you guys had made any major progress with Atlantis," Coby explained. "She ended up bringing us along, and when we found out that you guys were getting into bad shape, I volunteered to help."

"A little in over your head, aren't you?" Jetfire asked.

"No offense, Jetfire, but machines are machines," Coby shot back. "I've been racing and fixing motocross bikes for a couple years now. The big difference between you guys and one of those things is that you can tell me if something's actually working."

"I feel so much better," Jetfire noted, feigning insult.

"Have some faith in them, Jetfire," Optimus said from nearby, prompting Jetfire to cast his optics upon his leader. "There's more to humans than even we know."

"Well, I'm not denying that," Jetfire replied. "How'd things go out there?"

"Two of the three pods landed without a problem," Optimus told him. "But we've got two missing Decepticons, plus one damaged in the escape from the Nemesis. Add to it that Starscream was damaged worse than we were, and it isn't looking much better."

"Swell," Jetfire noted. "Let's just hope nothing else goes wrong."

"You think they're okay?" Slugslinger asked, worry growing on his face. "I mean, they've been in there for a long time. What if something happened to them?"

"I'm...sure they're alright," Shortround noted, concern seeping through his voice.

The other Decepticons, aside from Galvatron and Brushguard, at least feigned concern; Galvatron looked upon the bubbling pool with an eager look, while Brushguard was at best disinterested, at worst ignorant.

A few seconds later, however, their concerns were put to rest as the pool of liquid Energon bubbled further, its activity intensifying before two somewhat unfamiliar shapes burst forth.

"Excellent!" Galvatron declared. "Bear witness, my Decepticons! Cyclonus and Tidal Wave are no more! In their stead now stand new warriors, superior to their former lives! I present...Snowcat...and Mirage!"

As the two landed at the edge of the now-empty crater, the former Cyclonus looked upon his new body and said, "This is incredible! I haven't felt this good in ages!" He deployed his cannons and skis, then continued, "I could...I could, I dunno, yodel or something!"

"Please, don't," the former Tidal Wave groaned. "New body or no, you're still tone deaf."

With a swoon of relief from Thunderblast, Thrust approached his commander and asked, "What now, Galvatron? Shall we continue our efforts in retrieving the Mini-Cons?"

"No," Galvatron declared. "The Mini-Cons we have are quite sufficient. Now we shall retrieve the Mini-Cons already aligned with us, and return to our rightful home. And from there, we shall finish what was begun millennia ago, and claim Cybertron at last!"

With general cries of appreciation from the gathered Decepticons, Soundwave remained silent, content to watch and listen and take action only when necessary. After all, this might work out quite well...

"He attempted to shatter the Matrix?" Predacon asked in disbelief.

"He attempted it, but didn't succeed," Scavenger explained. "Fortunately for all parties concerned, it wasn't where he thought it would be."

"That's a relief," Rodimus noted. "Meanwhile, we've been keeping an eye on 'Galvatron' ever since we got into the system. He and his troops are preparing to head for Cybertron based on their dialogue. We've sent word ahead, but it may not be enough."

"He appears to be 'galvanized' due to recent events," Predacon noted. "Perhaps he decided a name change was in order."

"Name change or no, we still have to deal with him," Scavenger said. "Rodimus, thanks for getting out a warning. Meanwhile, it's a given that he'll return, try to finish what he started."

"Agreed," Predacon noted. "I never approved of his actions, Scavenger; Megatron was always obsessed with power. I tried to change things through peaceful activity, nonviolence; he chose the path of war, conflict and pain. And now he goes so far as to consort with agents of chaos, servants of the Destroyer, and attempt to destroy a relic of our Creator. I cannot stand idle; my followers and I are at your disposal."

"So's the Axalon and her crew," Rodimus promised. "I'll send word back to the ship; they'll make entry in two cycles, land the ship in a lake somewhere and head for Autobase Earth in stealth fliers. They should make it in time for the party."

"Thank you, both of you," Scavenger replied.

Rodimus nodded. Predacon, meanwhile, rose from his conference chair and made his way towards the door, leading Scavenger to ask, "Where are you going?"

"My place is with my followers," Predacon explained. "I cannot leave them to Megatron and his jackals."

"I understand that, but we need you in Central Command," Scavenger insisted. "Optimus, Jetfire and Starscream are down, and Skywarp and Thundercracker may not be able to make it here in time to aid in the defense. We need a Decepticon in base command, and right now you're the only one left for the job."

Predacon looked at him uneasily, and said, "I don't feel comfortable in leaving my followers in this situation. It's like abandoning them."

"I understand that, more than you realize," Scavenger replied. "But sometimes you have to let things go, and have faith that it'll be alright. If you worry too much, you'll get nothing done."

Predacon looked away, then back to Scavenger, then heaved and activated his comm.-link. "Frostbite, I'll be helping to coordinate base defense. You and the others are to work with whomever you are assigned to."

"Copy that, Big Rex," Frostbite replied. "Anything else?"

"Yes," Predacon answered. "Keep safe." He deactivated the link and said, as much to assure himself of their safety and to try and agree with Scavenger, "We must have faith."

Scavenger nodded in reply, his face grim. A familiar chirrup attracted his attention, and he quickly answered it. "What is it, Sideswipe?"

"We've gotten word from the Street Action Team and the kids," Sideswipe replied. "They found the Ark's command module; Red Alert and Landmine were pretty beaten up in the crash, but they're okay."

"Send Hoist to bring all of them here, including the kids," Scavenger ordered.

Rodimus turned to one of his crewmen and said, "Downshift, you'd better go with him just in case."

"I hear that," Downshift replied, rushing out of the briefing room.

As the comm.-channel cut off, Scavenger noted, "That's one less problem to worry about."

"What's the big deal, Dad?" Chad 'Kicker' Jones asked of his father as his family drove along, annoyed by the departure from his routine. "It's just a rock."

"It's not just a rock, Kicker, it's a genuine meteorite," Doctor Brian Jones explained to his son. "It came right down out of the sky just outside of Seattle, no warning, no explanation. This is a phenomenal find!"

Somewhat lost, the youngest member of the Jones family turned to her mother and asked, "Momma, what's a meteorite?"

"It's a big rock from space, Sally," Miranda explained to her daughter. "Occasionally, they fall down onto Earth, and everyone gets excited over them."

"Do they hurt anything?" Sally asked.

"No," Miranda assured her daughter. "The worst they do if they hit the ground is leave a small crater and start a couple fires, nothing more."

"Then why's Daddy so excited?" Sally asked.

"Because this looks like a large meteorite, Sally," Dr. Jones explained to his daughter. "And usually we see the big ones before they crash. The fact that this one took us off guard makes it extremely interesting."

"To some people, anyway," Chad muttered under his breath. As he caught sight of the ground ahead, however, he noted, "Uh, Dad, I don't think that's a big chunk of rock."

As their SUV ground to a halt, Dr. Jones said in amazement, "I think you're right, son," before stopping the vehicle and climbing out to investigate.

As his wife and children watched from within the vehicle, worry growing on Chad's face, Dr. Jones slowly stepped forward towards the massive crashed object, smoke still issuing forth from it and heat gently radiating from its hull.

"This isn't a meteorite," he realized aloud, "this is a spacecraft."

Suddenly, a dull thud caught his attention as something hit hard against the pod from the inside. A panel was pushed out, sliding down onto the ground as a massive robotic form, humanoid in shape, slowly emerged from the craft, weary but still in one piece. The large blue robot looked around and found Dr. Jones, his grey optics focusing on the scientist below.

"Aw scrap," Thundercracker cursed as the familiar sound of helicopter rotors started in the distance.

"I think I see it," Diana Masters declared through a set of binoculars. "One hulking wreck of an escape pod, complete with damage to the landscape."

"I see it," Colonel Franklin noted from the copilot's seat. "As well as one intact Decepticon. But what's that SUV doing down there?"

Diana shifted her view, and declared, "Aw hell, that's mine. My brother-in-law probably saw the crash and went looking for it."

"Dad's down there?" asked the older, time-displaced Kicker. "I don't remember this happening."

"Probably because you up and changed the timeline, created an alternate universe," Diana reasoned. "Just like you and Sentinel Maximus said. And knowing your father, he'd want to show all of you just what was happening."

"Which means I'm probably down there," Kicker reasoned. He slipped his helmet back on, and said, "Better be careful."

"Yeah, I'm going to have enough to explain as it is," Diana reasoned.

"We're all going to have enough to explain after this," Franklin noted aloud. "Take us down, airman; it's time to start on damage control."

"If the transmissions from Earth and the Axalon are to be believed, then Megatron is an even greater threat than before," Ultra Magnus noted of his assembled troops and advisors. "Which means we have to be ready for him."

"So what are you saying?" King Atlas asked. "That he's going to make a strike against Cybertron? That'd be suicide."

"Give someone enough incentive and they'll try just about everything," Ratchet countered. "He's gotten a new body, new weapons, new abilities...he's even referring to himself by a different name. Even if he wasn't calling himself 'Galvatron', he's still more dangerous than he ever was. He may even want to try his hand at attacking Cybertron directly, finishing what he started."

"That's why I've asked Checkpoint's unit to keep watch on the Council Pavilions," Magnus replied. "If he strikes there, we send out the Wreckers, and we take him down, plain and simple."

"Finally," King Atlas said, clearly irritated. "Are we going to contact Omega as well?"

"Not unless we have to," Magnus replied. "That's the bottom line, 'bots, and it isn't going to change. We clear?"

There was a general murmur of agreement among those gathered that remained for a few short minutes before a communications line opened up.

"Magnus, we've got a line coming in from Checkpoint," Scattorshot reported. "They're picking up a disturbance within the council chambers, something's-!"

An explosion tore through the air, clearly audible to all present, prompting those gathered to rush towards the office's windows.

"Aw scrap," was Magnus's only response, as smoke billowed forth from within the council hall.

"Shockblast, we just got word," Oil Slick quickly said, "the Council Hall in Iacon, it's been attacked."

As Oil Slick said those words, Wind Sheer gave off an excited cry. "It's finally happening! It's the big moment at last!"

"Yes, it is indeed," Shockblast noted. He gave a curt nod all around.

A millisecond later, Rapid Run opened fire, shorting out Wind Sheer and Hardtop's systems with one blast and leading the two to collapse to the ground.

"Well done," Bludgeon noted, stepping forward from his hiding place. "You realize of course, they know about your betrayal now?"

"Logic suggests that they also know about yours," Shockblast replied. "Thus, we must depart before Megatron decides to return and purge his dissenters." He turned to Oil Slick and said, "Get word to Barricade and his unit; we're departing, now."

Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the base. As Rapid Run and Oil Slick exited the room, a massive form crashed down from above, wreckage following in his wake. As it rose to his feet, he chuckled and said, "Bludgeon...and Shockblast. I should have suspected from the beginning."

"Megatron," Bludgeon replied curtly.

"Not anymore," Galvatron noted as he took aim with his shoulder cannons and arm cannon. "It's Galvatron now...and there will be no more traitors."

A sudden blast rocketed through the air, piercing one of Galvatron's optics and causing the Decepticon tyrant to stagger back in surprise. Bludgeon and Shockblast looked back in surprise to find Shadow Stalker in hiding, lowering her gun and prompting them to depart.

Galvatron growled as his optic healed itself, a chamber door closing behind the three who betrayed him, and declared, "This...treachery will not go unpunished, no. It shall be dealt with!"

"Oh dear..." Straxus fretted, pacing about his office worriedly. "This...this is terrible! How could he be back now, with all this power? How?"

"Calm yourself, Lord Straxus," Obsidian said softly. "We must take action, before it is too late."

"Yes," Straxus reasoned, attempting to regain his composure. "Contact the militia. We must deal with Megatron once and for all."

"Perhaps," Obsidian noted. With a significant look to Tankor, he then added, "Or perhaps...we should take different action."

"What are you...?" Straxus asked, turning towards them as they aimed and primed their weapons. "No...you aren't...!"

"We are," Tankor declared. "Megatron is our true leader, pretender. Your reign comes to an end, now."

"Consider this a mercy killing, my Lord," Obsidian suggested with a smile. "After all, you're better off with us than with him."

"No..." Straxus said in a panic. "No! NO!"

As he screamed out, his two former advisors opened fire. Seconds later, his body fell to the ground, dead and shattered.

"It's about time," Tankor noted with satisfaction. "What now, do we deal with the traitors?"

"Yes, but not ourselves," Obsidian noted. "They are insane for attempting to betray our master; let us fight insanity with insanity."

"One of Starscream's communiqués mentioned that they'd found the Eclipse Team," Barricade reasoned as the assembled Decepticons formerly loyal to Galvatron prepared themselves to escape the base. "More than likely they're at the council building as a decoy while he deals with us."

"But how did he find out?" Shadow Stalker asked. "You guys are smart; you cover your tracks."

"Communications can be intercepted," Shockblast said. "I know that all too well. That said, I'm pleased that you decided to come with us, Shadow Stalker, and thankful for your aid."

"Well, don't thank me yet," Shadow Stalker replied. "Now let's get out of here before he catches up with us."

"We won't all be able to escape," Bludgeon decided. "I'll stay behind, draw his attention for a time. The rest of you go, get to safety."

"Bludgeon, his form has changed," Shockblast said. "You may not stand a chance."

"There are worse things than an honorable death," Bludgeon declared. "Go, all of you. I shall hold the line."

"Better you than us," Blight replied as he transformed to vehicle mode and blasted through the wall, making his escape.

As the other Decepticons transformed and filed out, Shockblast looked to Bludgeon once last time, and said, "Thank you," before transforming to his tank mode and trundling away as fast as he could.

Bludgeon watched them depart, then turned to the opposite door before calming himself and focusing his energies. He always trained his hardest, fighting superior opponents; it was the only way to master Metallikato. Now he would put his training to the ultimate test.

At last, Galvatron blasted his way into the room, and cast his optics upon the lone warrior.

"Let the mountain hold back the wind," Bludgeon said softly before he charged forward, his shoulder cannon firing.

As explosions continued to rock the council chambers, the members of Galvatron's small army emerged from the building, serenely walking out as flames erupted behind them.

"Now that was fun," Slugslinger noted. "Who's next?"

A laser blast knocked back the manic Decepticon as a red Autobot wielding a long gun stepped forward, flanked by Checkpoint's unit, King Atlas and the Wreckers.

"You're next, Decepticon," Inferno said firmly.

"Decepticons, stand down and surrender, or be destroyed," Ultra Magnus declared, his guns primed on the seven Decepticons.

"Let me think about that," Thunderblast decided. "No! Cyber Key, LOCK!"

A silver and blue aura surrounded her for a second before her gun flashed, opened and lengthened. She then opened fire, blasting into Ultra Magnus and causing the massive Transformer to stumble back.

"You heard the lady, 'bots!" Stockade declared. "Wreck and rule!"

With those words, the assembled Autobots opened fire, prompting the Decepticons to evade and scatter about.

As the conflagration grew, Magnus slowly returned to his feet as a large grey and blue Autobot said, "Easy sir, you'll be okay."

"Thanks, Landquake," Magnus replied. He sighed, and asked, "Where's Grimlock when I need him?"

"Grimlock to Magnus!" the Dinobot commander bellowed into his comm.-link. "Grimlock to Magnus, respond!"

"We're still too far underground," Swoop realized as he flew above his fellow Dinobots, the others with them keeping pace.

"Frag," Grimlock cursed. "Landquake, you expert on Energon; why someone take it?"

"Liquid Energon is the most powerful and useful version out there," Landquake explained as he trundled along. "Get enough of it, though, and you can use it to permanently change a Transformer's physical structure. And they took enough to change maybe three or four, depending on the size."

"But who could've gotten to it?" Overcast asked as he flew above the Decepticon scientist in vehicle mode. "They'd have to know where it was, and you didn't tell anyone else, right?"

"No one," Landquake replied. "But they could've come at any time, before or after I discovered the pool."

"We worry about that later," Grimlock decided. "Right now, need to get to surface, contact other Autobots."

A sudden explosion rocked the tunnel, forcing the ten to halt. As Overcast and Skyfall transformed and landed, an unfamiliar voice noted, "Sorry to disappoint, but none of you are going anywhere...except maybe the void."

They watched as a thin, angular Transformer stepped forward, emerging from the smoke with his face glowing a fiery red.

"And who supposed to stop us, you?" Grimlock asked.

"As a matter of fact," Sideways replied, "yes."

"Try your luck," Triceratron declared.

Seconds later, white hot flames spewed forth from the Autobot's bestial maw as Snarl transformed to robot mode and deployed his cannon, charging up before blasting the attacker with a powerful burst of energy. Those Dinobots not already in robot mode transformed, Landquake doing likewise.

"Dinobots, tear him apart!" Grimlock ordered. He turned back to Overcast and said, "Get them out of here, get to surface, tell them about what happening."

"What about you?" Overcast asked.

"We be fine!" Grimlock bellowed. "Go!"

Realizing the futility of arguing, Overcast nodded, then called to Skyfall and Landquake and said, "Let's get moving."

"There's a side tunnel, this way," Landquake said, kicking open a hidden passage.

As the three departed, Grimlock turned to his quarry and drew his sword. "Now, where were we?"

Dodging blows from Galvatron's sword, Bludgeon deftly moved about, showing incredible agility despite his bulky frame. As Galvatron fired off a burst from his arm cannon, Bludgeon leapt and kicked, landing a foot in the larger Decepticon's face and causing him to loosen his grip upon his blade.

Galvatron growled as Bludgeon snatched the sword, then deftly jammed it into his opponent's cannon. He rolled away as the gun exploded, causing Galvatron to stumble about.

"You haven't gotten used to that new body yet," Bludgeon noted. "A serious mistake."

"The only one making mistakes here is you," Galvatron declared, opening fire with both of his shoulder cannons.

Bludgeon leapt and dodged the strike, returning with a salvo of his own. Galvatron responded by grabbing hold of the cannon's barrel, unfazed by the attack, then grabbed hold of his opponent and ripped the gun from his body, tossing it away and dropping Bludgeon to the ground. Bludgeon, unfazed, responded by kicking at the larger Decepticon's ankles, causing Galvatron to topple before kicking him square in the face. He landed squarely on his feet as Galvatron slowly recovered.

"I've been at this game a long time, Megatron," Bludgeon noted. "I know how to fight, when to fight. You just attack whenever; not smart."

Galvatron chuckled. "Do you honestly think me that foolish, Bludgeon? I know you're attempting to delay me. Shockblast and the rest of the betrayers stand no chance."

"That's another problem with you," Bludgeon noted. "No faith."

Galvatron growled, then opened fire with one cannon. Bludgeon dodged just as Galvatron fired another blast. Bludgeon dodged again, jumping upwards...only to get caught in a blast from both guns.

"Faith is useless," Galvatron noted as the remnants of Bludgeon's body slid to a halt on the ground. "Power is all that matters."

"You left him?" Stormcloud asked as the fleeing group of Decepticons raced down the Cybertronian highway, trying their best to make good their escape.

"We had no choice, and it was illogical to attempt to dissuade him," Shockblast replied. "Right now, the best we can do is attempt an escape and make certain that his sacrifice is not in vain."

"Assuming we don't get scrapped along the way," Blight noted dryly.

Blasts erupted around them as the ground shook, debris kicking up around them and forcing them to halt their escape. The ten Decepticons slid to a halt as a voice said with a laugh, "Well, and here I thought I'd seen everything."

She stepped forward from the shadows, bulky ebon armor placed at critical points on a slight, ivory feminine frame, a massive cannon attached to one arm.

"Terrablast," Shockblast said, not betraying any emotion.

"Shockblast, dear, do you know what you've done?" the Decepticon femme asked, her face not betraying any emotion. "You've made our dear one angry. Not a wise decision." She cracked a grin, and said as she wagged a finger, "You've been naughty."

"Allow us passage, Terrablast," Shockblast said firmly. "Galvatron would sooner see Cybertron destroyed to achieve victory. His cause is lost."

"Really?" Terrablast asked, surprise on her face. She turned away, brushing the thought aside, and said, "Well, that's your opinion," before opening fire.

All around them, a hail of bullets, energy bursts and artillery rained down, prompting the ten to transform and scatter. As a green and silver streak burst through the air, Shockblast dived to one side and called out, "We cannot afford a fight right now! Decepticons, retreat!"

"Combaticons, cover fire!" Barricade called out.

Blasts lanced out from the guns on all four Combaticons, tearing through the air and creating further confusion. Seconds later, both Shockblast and Sixshot transformed to their satellite modes, prompting their allies to grab hold and hang tight as the two larger Decepticons departed at top speed, the four smaller Combaticons following, Stormcloud and Blackout carrying their comrades by the waists to aid their escape.

"Woo!" called out the small and swift, emerald Decepticon as he landed on the ground, the rest of his group gathering about him with mixed expressions. "You see that guys? We sent 'em packing!"

"We didn't get rid of them, Smokejumper," replied one large Decepticon, a massive Gatling launcher on his shoulder. "Galvatron's not going to be happy about that."

"I still say you should've let me smash them apart," mentioned one ochre-colored Decepticon, wielding his gun as if it were a club. "Would've saved us a lot of trouble."

"Oh don't fret, Swindle," Terrablast said dismissively. "We'll have our fun soon enough. For now, let's meet up with Galvatron and get our comrades into hiding; I expect the Autobots won't let that little bit of action slip." She turned to them and ordered, "Smokejumper, Space Case, take point. Swindle, Dreadwind, cover the rear."

The five transformed and quickly departed, their opponents disappearing into the distance as another form zipped overhead.

"Magnus, something's wrong here," noted a large red Autobot, the cannons on his combat unit beginning to smoke as they put out energy bursts. "It's like they're trying to distract us, keep us occupied."

"Any idea why, Quickstrike?" Magnus asked. A blast came down from above, and he quickly answered his own question. "Never mind."

Seconds later, Galvatron landed amongst his troops, his injuries already mostly healed. "Autobots, you have failed! Your government is fallen, your forces defeated, your spies exposed and annihilated! Surrender to me, and I'll grant you a swift death!"

A small blue and white Autobot answered by blasting the Decepticon leader in the head, declaring, "That enough of an answer for you?"

Galvatron growled, and answered, "PLENTY!" before opening fire.

Rubble rained down from above, chunks of buildings being torn off and falling to the ground. Many of the Autobots attempted to dodge, but few succeeded; King Atlas managed to evade the damage, and charged directly into Galvatron, slamming him against the wall of the Council Hall.

"I always told Prime that you needed to be destroyed," Atlas declared as the rubble fell around him, "but he never listened. You were a monster, are a monster, and you and all your supporters need to be wiped out, for the good of Cybertron! I won't let you get away while I still function!"

"Then I'll have to remedy that," Galvatron declared, pushing Atlas away before withdrawing his blade and plunging it through the Autobot commander's body. "A pity, King Atlas; you would have made a worthy Decepticon."

As the light slowly faded from Atlas's eyes, Galvatron widened the gap in his opponent's armor, then ripped the dying Transformer in two, parts scattering amongst the rubble.

"Well, that's the last of him," Mirage noted contentedly. "What now boss?"

Galvatron surveyed the area around him, then turned to his subordinates and said, "We've unfinished business on Earth. And I intend to tie up that remaining loose end, once and for all."

The three looked upon the monitor, watching a recording of the recent fight between Galvatron and his opponents on Earth. Darkness concealed them, the only light coming from the monitor before them.

"Well, we knew this wouldn't last," one said as the monitor shut down, her voice trying to sound upbeat despite the carnage they had just witnessed. "What now?"

"I say we do to them what we did to the renegades ages ago," another suggested, his small body a stark contrast to the other two, "and blast 'em into scrap."

"But Methius..." the first objected.

"Screw Methius!" the second snapped. "We listened to him last time, and look what happened! Innocents were put at risk, and they're still at risk even now. Getting rid of the renegades did everyone on this planet a favor!"

"Life is sacred, Hightail," the first insisted, "no matter what form."

"Better to take one life and save a hundred than let the hundred die, Minerva," Hightail shot back. "You should know that by now."

"We don't know the full facts," Minerva insisted. "We can't just go in there half-cocked, we..."

"Both of you, please," the third said, attempting to be calm and patient. The two looked to him, and he continued, "Things have happened, no argument. And we need to step in. But I won't do that until we get more information." He went to a nearby console and typed in instructions, bringing up a screen and saying, "Sensors are reading energy signatures like ours in North America; some in Washington State, some in Oregon, and the rest in Colorado. Hightail, head for Oregon. Minerva, you take Washington. Find out what you can, then report to me."

"What about Colorado?" Hightail asked.

"Doesn't look like they're going anywhere," he answered. "If something happens, we'll head there. But until then, we're just looking for facts, nothing more."

Minerva and Hightail turned to one another, and nodded, then departed.

As they left, the third kept his optics on the sensor readings, and silently said to himself, "I just hope there isn't anything else going on here."

Skydive skid to a halt as Sludge charged, slamming Sideways against the side of the tunnel with his shield before firing point-blank shots into the ebon warrior's head with his cannon. Sideways knocked the small Transformer aside, his face healing slowly.

"You're all putting up a marvelous fight," Sideways noted derisively. "But this is all pointless. You're going to die soon enough."

"You know something?" Triceratron noted, "You talk too much! Slapper, Fastball Special!"

The youngest Dinobot transformed to beast mode and curled up into a ball as best he could before Triceratron picked him up with his left hand, tossing him lightly before ramming his heavy right arm into him, sending the small Transformer flying into his opponent. Slapper's club-like tail slammed into Sideways, and as the ebon Transformer staggered back, the young Dinobot transformed to robot mode and opened fire, soon joined by Swoop.

Sideways chuckled, then lanced out a wave of energy. Slapper curled behind his heavy armor shields in time, blocking the attack from doing serious injury, but Swoop was not as lucky, his fragile wings getting torn apart in the bargain.

Sideways laughed, and said, "Pathetic primitives. Is that all you've got?"

Suddenly, a blade found itself torn right into Sideways's chest, and as the Transformer looked upon its tip, Grimlock muttered from behind, "We much craftier than you think."

Sideways simply spun around, grabbed hold of Grimlock, ripped the blade from his body, then pressed the Dinobot leader to the wall and impaled him with his own blade. He then laughed, and said, "Did you honestly think that you and your savage band could stand against me? I serve a much higher power than any of you could understand. None of you could possibly defeat me."

As the other Dinobots prepared to contest that claim, a distant, growing rumble, like that of thunder, caught the attention of all gathered. In the distance, a massive form surged towards them, its front end glowing an angry orange. As it approached, the massive form shifted, changed...and then marched towards them, blue optics beneath a tinted faceplate bearing down upon the ebon Transformer.

"Then perhaps I can do so," the massive form declared.

Seconds later, the large Transformer extended its right arm and took hold of Sideways with a three-pronged claw, then tossed the herald of Unicron about as if he were a rag doll. Sideways collided with a wall, then another, then skidded to a halt as his opponent approached. In surprise, he asked, "Who are you?"

"I am the Guardian of Cybertron," the massive Transformer declared, "the engine of your destruction, the star lighting your way to oblivion. I am Omega Supreme...and you are obsolete."

Those words spoken, Omega took aim with the massive cannon in his left arm and opened fire from point-blank range, sending a solid burst of energy into Sideways and vaporizing his body instantaneously, leaving little left but smoking ash.

As Omega Supreme turned back to the Dinobots, Grimlock ripped his sword out of his chest, then collapsed to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Omega Supreme asked.

"No, me have gaping hole in torso," Grimlock replied matter-of-factly, a bitter tone to his voice. "Me exact opposite of alright, but thanks for asking."

"You are not the only one, my friend," Skydive noted as he cradled the unconscious Swoop in his arms. "We need to get you to CR Chambers, now."

"None close enough," Grimlock said firmly. "That liquid Energon work fine; we use it..."

"No," Omega Supreme declared. "It is here for a purpose. You will not use it for anything else."

"And who's gonna stop us?" Triceratron asked. "You?"

Omega Supreme aimed his cannons at the Dinobot and declared, "If I must."

"Well, I'd say we showed 'em," Snowcat said gleefully, rubbing his hands together. "Autobots crushed in their own home turf, one royally scrapped, and a bunch of traitors exposed."

"Our work is far from finished, Snowcat," Galvatron declared, stepping forward on the lunar soil as he looked up towards the shining green and blue orb hanging above them. "We've some unfinished business...yes."

"Galvatron, sir," Thrust piped up, attracting his leader's attention. "No doubt the Autobots will have fortified themselves against us by now. We'll need reinforcements if we are to eliminate them."

Galvatron growled at the insubordination of his underling before Soundwave appeared on the scene and said, "I've taken care of that particular problem already."

Galvatron looked first to the mysterious warrior before him, then took notice of the many, multicolored drones approaching from behind him. He smiled, and said, "Excellent."

"We've just gotten word from Cybertron," Scavenger reported to the gathered Autobots, Decepticons, Mini-Cons and humans within the gathering hall of the Autobot base on Earth. "Galvatron's struck; the council halls have been attacked. No full word on casualties yet, but right now we aren't expecting the best. His troops have left through some sort of warp gate; more likely they've departed for the moon, resting before they return here for the final strike."

"Any idea on how they generated it?" Hot Shot asked.

"There is only one way," Vector Prime noted solemnly, "through the fallen one, Iskaros Prime. Each of us among the First Ones was able to generate warp gates or aid in their creation. It's most likely that Unicron gave that ability to all his subordinates, thus allowing them to move about without difficulty."

"That explains how they got around so fast," Rodimus noted. "And it means they could strike here without warning. What do we do?"

"We do the only thing we can, and fortify our position," Scavenger declared. "The base's defense grid is online, with the Omega Sentinel we retrieved from the Exodus tied in; with luck, that'll properly discourage them from entering. In case they do, however, we're assigning five groups, one as a command staff, the rest as base defense. Sideswipe, Tow-Line, Reptilion, Ironhide, Predacon and I will form the command staff and coordinate the four defense units. Unit One will guard the primary entrance and be led by Hot Shot. Unit Two will handle the exit system; Rodimus is in command. Unit Three will watch the secondary entrance; Rhinox is in charge. Team Four will be an auxiliary unit with Wing Saber, Sentinel Maximus and the Omnicons."

"What about Skywarp and Thundercracker?" Wheeljack asked. "And the others?"

"We've gotten word that they're in good shape," Scavenger assured the young Transformer. "They'll be joining us as soon as possible. But as for Optimus and the others under repair, they're still in poor shape. We can't risk them getting in worse condition by taking part in the fight, which is why the three teams will defend our central entrance points with everything they have."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Lori piped up. "I mean, we can help out; Coby's helped to stabilize the Transformers in repairs, we can get them back on their feet sooner."

"I'm sorry, but you're safer in the shelter while all of this is going on," Scavenger replied. "You won't be a major target for the Decepticons, but I'd rather you not be put in any more danger than necessary."

"And what about us?" Rollbar asked from among the gathered Mini-Cons. "We're a part of this too, Scavenger, whether you like it or not. And frankly, I think these kids might be able to lend a hand."

Scavenger sighed, then said, "Fine. Any Mini-Cons willing to take part, and any humans willing to lend a hand with repairs, can do so. I won't force it on anyone."

"You don't need to," Wreckage declared from within the ranks of the Mini-Cons. "We're in."

Scavenger nodded, the smallest of appreciative smiles on his face, and declared, "Everyone to your units and stations. Lock and load."

The gathered mass broke up and mulled about, heading for their appointed posts, as Vector Prime silently moved away, a plan growing in his mind.

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time," Cliffjumper confidently noted as he readied his pistols. "A real chance at some action. After Quintessa, this'll be a breeze."

"Best not get too confident, lad," Bulkhead corrected him. "We've got a great deal to worry about here, and it may not be so easy."

"Chill old man," Cliffjumper assured his superior, "We'll have it covered."

As Bulkhead shook his head at the arrogance of youth, Rodimus silently walked over to Talon and asked, "You going to be alright?"

"I should be," Talon said, checking over her grenades. "But promise me something Rodimus...if she gets out, if she starts attacking those here, on our side..."

"I'll stop her," Rodimus promised.

"And if he doesn't," Scavenger interrupted, stepping forward, "I will. By any means necessary." He gave Rodimus a telling look, which prompted the young commander to move away and begin his own preparations for the coming battle. "I won't be happy about it, however. Rodimus told me about what happened to you on Quintessa. Did she do anything?"

"No, she just smashed some drones and let go after Rodimus told her to," Talon reported. "But how do I know if she'll do that next time?"

"We don't," Scavenger replied. "For now, all you can do is relax, keep cool, and watch yourself. You can hold her in check, Talon, at least for a little while. Just focus on that. Meanwhile, I'm proud of how you've handled yourself so far."

"I panicked," Talon contested. "She wouldn't've gotten out if I'd kept a cool head."

"You aren't perfect," Scavenger assured her. "And you don't have to be. You still stood up and held your ground; that's enough for me."

Despite herself, Talon smiled, and said, "Thank you Scavenger."

Elsewhere, Wheeljack carefully looked through the weapons locker, and cursed, "Slag."

"No offense, Wheeljack, but last I checked you were just fine without a gun," Hot Shot noted, approaching his brother.

Wheeljack smiled, and countered, "I'd use my old stun batons, but they were destroyed back on the Nemesis; me trying to stop Galvatron from scrapping us. Didn't quite work out as planned."

"You got away at least," Hot Shot countered.

"Yeah, for the most part," Wheeljack answered. He looked at his brother, and smiled. "It's good to see you again, Hot Shot. Even if we are in this mess, I'm glad that we're back on the same side."

"So am I, Wheeljack," Hot Shot said as he extended his hand. His brother took the hand firmly, and he finished, "So am I."

A slight grunt caught their attention, and they turned as Blurr noted, "That was a touching moment and all, but we've got bigger concerns." He handed up a pair of heavy guns and said, "Here, Wheeljack; these pack a punch, don't have much recoil. Should be fine."

Wheeljack took the guns, and somewhat nervously said, "Thanks. So...this mean you're willing to trust me?"

"Ask me that after we make it through this," Blurr told him. "I'll give you an answer then."

"So...you think they'll be okay?" Lori asked.

"Honestly?" Professor Suzuki asked in reply. "I don't know. I mean, we haven't been around them that long, and they sound like they can hold their own, but..."

"Lori, Prof, relax," Bud assured her nonchalantly. "They'll be okay. They're the good guys, and the good guys always win in the end."

Coby sighed, not quite sharing his brother's confidence. He then noticed a set of four vehicle-like constructs set in one corner, then turned to a passing Autobot and asked, "Hey Overhaul, what are those things? Couldn't they be used in the defense?"

Overhaul looked at the constructs, and explained, "Nah, they wouldn't do much good. They're scouting drones; we use 'em for Energon collection. They find it, and the Omnicons go in and dig it out. Not much use in combat except as cannon fodder."

"Just curious," Coby replied. "Good luck out there."

"Thanks kid," Overhaul answered, trying his best to smile despite the mounting odds. "But with Optimus down and so many of us missing, we're gonna need a minor miracle to get through this."

Vector Prime silently entered the repair bay, and looked in surprise as he caught sight of the lone occupant aside from the four unconscious Transformers. "Is something the matter, Reptilion?"

The techno-organic Decepticon looked to him, then said in reverence, "My apologies, Vector Prime. I merely wished to keep vigil." He looked back upon the unconscious form of Optimus Prime and said, "He is among the greatest of us, as you are. I may not carry his emblem, but I respect his ideals."

Vector Prime stepped forward and said, "He is in the best of care. And I'm certain the gesture is appreciated. For now, however, you must have faith and wait."

"Faith," Reptilion noted. "Do you know why I joined with Predacon, Vector Prime? Most Decepticons dislike us tech-orgs; we're considered unclean, abhorrent, a travesty against nature. Predacon, however, viewed us as a sign from Primus; this would not happen without a reason. He's been a gentle voice for acceptance for us among general society, something which the Autobots have been more than helpful with. But how could he allow for such ill treatment in the first place, for some to be shunned by the many? How can the Creator allow for such pain?"

"Primus did not bestow sparks upon us, or create me and my brothers simply to use us as pawns," Vector Prime said softly. "We were given free will, the chance to plot our own course and make our own decisions. What we do with them is up to us. For now, have faith that, over time, opinions will change, and you and the others will be accepted among the Decepticons." He laid a hand upon the Decepticon's shoulder and said, "Now go; you can do far better good for Prime and the others with Predacon in the command center. They will be fine, I promise."

Reptilion looked to him, and nodded slowly in reverence before departing. Vector Prime, meanwhile, slowly turned to the prone Decepticons and said, "And I must do what I can for you."

The doors slid open again, and Vector Prime turned to find Sentinel Maximus standing before him. "I had a feeling you would be here," he explained. "And I am here to help. If this can prevent my past from coming to be, I'll do it in a nanoclick."

"Thank you," Vector Prime noted, drawing his sword and cutting through the air, opening a warp gate in the process.

As Vector Prime carefully picked up Starscream and Demolishor, Sentinel Maximus revealed the Matrix and widened the portal, giving it enough power to reach Cybertron. Vector Prime gave one single look to the Autobot warrior, then turned to the portal and stepped through it.

As it closed, Optimus Prime asked in a low voice, "He's gone back to Cybertron, hasn't he?"

"To make certain that my future doesn't become your present," Sentinel Maximus said. "For the time being, Optimus Prime, I return this to its rightful place; may Primus stand between you and harm."

With those words, he set the Matrix back into the Autobot leader's exposed chest cavity, then departed as the artifact took on a brilliant blue glow.

With a violent surge, Overcast burst through a small collection of debris, Skyfall in tow and Landquake held firm in his hands.

"Scattorshot, this is Overcast," the Autobot called out, "we've got a situation, Grimlock-!"

"You've got a situation?" Scattorshot's voice called back on the radio. "What rock have you been under? We've been attacked! The Council Hall's destroyed, the council and Atlas are dead, and the Wreckers are buried in the rubble!"

"You're kidding me," Overcast replied. "Ever since Nebulos it feels like the universe is going straight to the Pit. Who's going in for relief efforts?"

"I'm en route with Ratchet," Scattorshot replied. "But we can't tell anything specific with satellite coverage. All we know is, they're gone."

"They?" Overcast asked.

"The Decepticons," Scattorshot explained. "The Eclipse Team and a few others, including one guy who sounded way too much like Megatron and called himself 'Galvatron'."

"Sounds like we know how the liquid Energon was used," Landquake noted.

"Wonderful," Overcast said in response to both. "Scattorshot, listen; Grimlock's team is pinned down in some subsurface tunnels. They need help."

"Omega Supreme reported on that," Scattorshot replied. "He's on his way in to help last we checked, so don't worry yourself on their account."

"Fair enough," Overcast noted as they approached the Council Pavilions. "I got out with some help; we're on our way to...great Primus..."

The three looked upon the ruins of the pavilions in shock. Smoke continued to billow out from the windows of the central hall even as automated emergency units worked to put out the fires. As they arrived, Overcast gently dropped Landquake to the ground, then landed softly alongside Skyfall. The three began brushing away the wreckage as Scattorshot and Ratchet arrived on the scene and transformed.

"Any sign of wounded?" Ratchet asked.

"None yet," Overcast replied as the two joined in going through the wreckage, tossing away chunks of the pavilion as they went.

Just as he said that, however, some of the wreckage started to stir and shift as some of the buried Autobots beneath began to emerge, battered and scratched but very much in one piece. Ratchet immediately went to the first to emerge and said, "Easy Prowl; you alright?"

"Dinged up, but nothing major," the ebon-armored Autobot assured the medic.

Quickstrike shook his head, then carefully tested his joints. "I'm good," he reported.

Stockade rose to his feet, followed by Swerve and Air Raid. "Just wishing I'd moved a little faster is all," the small blue Autobot flyer assured them dismissively.

As Ratchet and Scattorshot helped the wounded to carefully exit from the wreckage, more emerged with minimal physical damage and many complaints ("Galvatron's going to pay for these scratches," swore Sunstreaker angrily as he surveyed the damage to his exostructure). After several minutes, Overcast cursed as they found the last of the wounded, "Scrap."

At his feet lay the battered and broken body of Ultra Magnus, one of his legs disconnected at the knee and his left arm disconnected just below the elbow.

As she looked upon the fallen body of her commander, Roulette gasped, "Magnus..." as Swerve stepped up alongside her and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Is he...?"

Light flickered back into Magnus's optics, the left one shattered by a bit of shrapnel, and said weakly, "Any reports of my demise are mostly exaggerated." He sat up as best he could, much to the relief of the gathered Autobots, and said, "One of the few advantages of modular construction; lose a piece here and there, and you can keep going."

Whirl smiled despite himself, and said, "Glad you're okay chief."

Magnus smiled in reply, then turned to Ratchet and said, "Status report."

"The council building's a wreck, but easily repaired," Ratchet started off. "Atlas is dead, slain by Galvatron, as is probably the council. And it looks like you took the brunt of the damage; everyone else just has scrapes and scratches."

"I'll need to get to repair bay ASAP," Magnus said. "The sooner I'm back in one piece, the better. We don't know if or when we'll have company, but I feel safer having everyone at one hundred percent before then."

His sensors catching something, Scattorshot turned to the south and said, "Looks like it's gonna be sooner; I've got ten Decepticons on sensors, coming in fast."

"Autobots, ready..." Checkpoint ordered.

"No, it's alright," Ultra Magnus interrupted, watching as the ten Decepticons arrived, some climbing off their comrades, some dropping to the ground, and the remainders transforming and softly landing. "Shockblast."

"Ultra Magnus," the Decepticon tactician said curtly in greeting. "I see our mutual acquaintance has been and gone."

"Megatron," Ultra Magnus agreed. "Or Galvatron, as he's calling himself now."

"We've noticed," Shockblast noted. He surveyed the gathered and damaged Autobot forces, and said quietly, "We came planning on surrendering, but clearly our timing was off. If you wish, we can help you to a repair bay. You can consider it the beginning of our community service if you like."

"That's a term I can agree to," Ultra Magnus replied. "Where's Bludgeon?"

"Mega...well, Galvatron got him," Rapid Run explained. "We think."

Magnus sighed heavily, then said, "Help me up, and reconnect my limbs. I should be in good enough shape to travel; we can talk on the way to repair."

Shockblast nodded his agreement, then stepped forward, Sixshot and Barricade following, to help Magnus to his feet.

As Prowl watched them with an uneasy optic, Roulette slowly approached her sister, Shadow Stalker, both their faces uneasy.

Shadow Stalker was the first to break the silence. She nervously smiled and said, "Hello sister. Miss me?"

Roulette remained silent, then slowly smiled and admitted, "Yes." She drew her sister into a hug and admitted, "I missed you so much, Shadow. And I'm sorry."

Shadow Stalker gave a surprised smile of her own, reciprocated the embrace, and said, "Don't be, Roulette."

The two siblings continued to hug, prompting Sunstreaker to shake his head and say, "Women."

"What are you talking about?" Slapper asked. "We're all Autobots here; Grimlock and Swoop need healing, and that liquid Energon's the closest stuff that can do the job. Why won't you let us use it?"

"You refuse to see the bigger picture," Omega Supreme insisted. "The liquid Energon has a task, a far greater purpose than healing two warriors. I've failed my mandate to protect it once already; I will not do so again."

"Not like attitude from mismatched Omega Sentinel with fancy paint job," Snarl growled, his cannon charging. "We say you let us use liquid Energon, now."

"For the sake of Cybertron and its future, I will not allow it," Omega said decisively. "If you attempt it, you will suffer the same fate as the invader. Leave, now."

As the Dinobots tensed for a fight, a green portal appeared, and Vector Prime stepped through, two forms slung over his shoulders. "Stand down, Omega Supreme," he ordered. "We've far greater concerns."

"Vector Prime," Skydive said in a mix of surprise and reverence. "We've a terrible problem; Grimlock and Swoop are injured, we need to..."

"Heal them, yes," Vector Prime replied. "Come with me, I know what must be done."

"Vector Prime, you will allow for its use?" Omega Supreme asked. "The reservoir..."

"Is only important so long as it is not wasted," Vector Prime countered. "And saving four warriors is far from a waste.

"Before this goes further, what in Primus's name is going on here?" Slapper asked. "And why so much trouble over that Energon reservoir?"

"That reservoir is the very life blood of Primus," Vector Prime explained. "It is a reserve, power enough to forge a star from a black hole, remake a world as He sees fit. When the final battle comes, Primus will call upon it, use it to unleash his full power against the Chaos Bringer. That is why it is so important, and why Omega Supreme is guarding it at my request."

"Unfortunately, I've failed," Omega reported. "Some is gone, taken. I've no idea who, or where, or for what purpose, only that it is an outside force."

"I suspected as much," Vector Prime noted. "Much has happened; I will do my best to explain the details to each of you on the way, but we must make haste. Carry Grimlock and Swoop, and follow me at best speed."

As Slapper and Sludge gently took hold of Swoop, Skydive carefully half-carried Grimlock, slinging one of the Dinobot commander's arms around his shoulders. "Me hope explanation quick, Vector Prime; me not exactly in mood for long story."

"Unfortunately, it is a very long story," Vector Prime noted as the small troop continued onward.

"You're saying these...these things have been here for months?" Miranda Jones asked of her sister in disbelief.

"They aren't things, Miranda," Diana replied. "But yes, they've been here since September, and they've tried their best to keep themselves secret."

Miranda gave a small glance towards the massive escape pod, Skywarp and Thundercracker standing outside and speaking with Colonel Franklin, and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I supposed to say?" Diana asked. "That I'd been hanging out with alien robots for several months, that they were involved in a secret war over some things here on Earth? I couldn't figure out an easy way to do it. And even if that happened, would you have believed me, and would you have reacted warmly to the idea?"

Miranda shook her head, and answered, "No. I doubt I would have believed you. And if I had, if I'd stopped and thought about it, I'd've been scared."

"And that's one of the big reasons why I didn't tell you, and why people at large don't know about them," Diana noted. "People would get scared, or worse. And believe it or not, most of them don't want that. They plan on revealing themselves, but not before their job is finished and they can do it with a degree of safety for everyone involved."

Miranda gave her sister an uneasy look, then asked, "So who knows about them now?"

"Me, a few former students of mine, the President, a few people in his cabinet, the Pentagon and the Senate, a few government officials in Colombia and Egypt, assorted civilians sworn to secrecy..." Diana listed off, "and now you."

Miranda sighed, and silently said, "I always hoped that if I got involved in something like this, I could be casual about it, cope. But it feels so...big, overwhelming. It's scary."

"It is," Diana admitted. "But that's the way life is. The only thing you can do is take things as they come, try not to be swallowed up in all of it. It's frightening...but sometimes, it's beautiful."

Miranda looked at her sister, and asked, "So, is there anything else you haven't told me about?"

Diana sighed, and said, "There is one other thing..."

"So, you guys are gonna be okay right?" Carlos asked nervously.

"Thankfully," Landmine noted as he pushed aside some of the wreckage from the Ark's command module. "Just shows why you need to wear a seatbelt."

"And it shows that we made a wise choice in building those communicators," Red Alert noted. "Without them, the others wouldn't know where we were for certain. And the sooner we return to base, the better."

"Yeah, the whole thing with Megatron," Alexis noted. "I hope Starscream's alright."

"I wouldn't worry about him, kid," Landmine assured her. "Screamer's been through more in his lifetime than anyone could guess. He's okay."

"Yeah, so...don't worry much," Rad said, trying to be supportive. "He's probably just fine."

Alexis gave Rad a surprised look and asked, "Do I detect a hint of something in your tone, Rad?"

Rad looked at her and asked, "Me? Well, I..."

She gave him a coy look, and asked, "Do you think I have a crush on him?" As Rad gave her a somewhat panicked look in response, she laughed, leading the two observing Autobots to look at them in bewilderment.

From a nearby hill, Perceptor cried out, "We have company coming in on the ground from the southeast; two units. Hoist and one other Transformer, white with green and red."

"Most likely someone from the Axalon," Red Alert reasoned. "Which means that's our cue to head for home. Thank you again kids."

"Well, we can't just let you guys get torn up, right?" Carlos asked, trying his best to lighten the mood as Hoist and Downshift arrived and transformed.

"And here I thought you guys'd be in worse shape," Hoist said jokingly. "Any major damage?"

"Nothing an Energon bath wouldn't cure," Landmine assured him. He turned to Downshift and said, "I'm assuming you're with the Axalon?"

Nervously, Downshift replied, "Yes...Operations Officer Downshift. I came along in case you two needed repairs."

"What little damage we have our auto-repair systems can handle," Red Alert assured him. "But thank you for the concern." He turned to the trio of kids and Perceptor and said, "Now, you three had best return home. I've a hunch that we'll be running into trouble soon enough."

An odd rumble sounded through the skies as the gathered Autobots and their allies looked up. A large, purple warp formed in space, slowly opening like a tear in the very fabric of time.

"Too late," Carlos realized.

"We'd better make tracks before whatever's in that thing comes out," Hoist said.

"Agreed," Red Alert answered as he shifted into vehicle mode. "Kids, get in. Autobots, roll out!"

Landmine, Hoist and Downshift transformed and followed, Perceptor separating into his three component parts and Powerlinking with Hoist as Red Alert began driving towards the road, leading the group away from the portal as groups of Scrapmetals began pouring out, landing and marching along after them with their cannons blasting.

"What are those things?" Carlos asked as he looked out the rear of Red Alert's cabin.

"Trouble," Downshift answered knowingly.

"...which is why it's imperative that they be kept secret, Doctor Jones," Colonel Franklin finished. "Right now there's a war going on, one that threatens the entire Earth if it continues to spiral out of control. Secrecy's the best thing for them right now."

"I understand, Colonel," Doctor Jones replied. "Still, this is incredible...living machines, as big as buildings..."

"We appreciate the interest in us, Doctor," Skywarp noted, trying his best to be polite. "Right now, however, we have bigger problems."

"Colonel, we need to get to the Autobot base here on Earth," Thundercracker pleaded. "And I don't know about you, but I think we'd be safer taking the civilians with us. There they stand a better chance of making through in one piece."

"Agreed, we'll..." Franklin began, before an odd sound caught his attention. Something began to appear in the sky, and he exclaimed, "My God..."

Skywarp and Thundercracker looked up into the sky, following his eyesight, and noticed the forming portal.

"A warp gate," Skywarp realized. "Someone's coming. Start evacuating everyone here; we'll hold them off."

"Agreed," Colonel Franklin noted. He quickly radioed in, "Get the chopper going, we have civilians to move out."

As the cry went out to evacuate, groups of Scrapmetals emerged from the portal, swarming down as the two Decepticons took flight and surged skywards, their blades at the ready.

"Confirmed on satellites," Towline noted from within the Autobot base's command center. "Three warp gates; one in Washington, one in Oregon...and one right on top of us."

"Signal battle stations," Scavenger ordered. As the alarm klaxons went off, he turned to Predacon and asked, "You ready?"

"Not entirely," Predacon admitted, "but there's nothing I can do, is there?"

"No," Scavenger replied. "Except stand firm. And last I checked, you were good at that." With a pleased smile from Predacon, he returned his attention to the coming battle and declared, "Defense grid online! Lock and engage autoguns!"

"Let Primus aid us," Predacon said softly to himself under his breath as Reptilion, Sideswipe, Ironhide and Tow-Line took up their positions as tactical screens came online.

Far above Rocky Mountain National Park, a massive purple portal came into existence, swarms of Scrapmetals surging out. Amidst the swarm came Galvatron and his remaining forces, floating triumphant over the hidden fortress.

"All this time, hidden in a rock," Galvatron noted. "Well, it's time we dug them out."

As the Scrapmetals descended, panels opened within the surface of the mountain, the telltale barrels of autoguns emerging and opening fire. Several Scrapmetals were torn apart in the initial barrage, the gathered Decepticons barely dodging fire.

"Looks like the Autobots were ready for us," Mirage noted.

"What's it gonna matter?" Slugslinger asked, a nervous chuckle in his voice. "We'll still scrap 'em."

"Indeed," Galvatron declared. "Decepticons, breach their defenses!"

"Easily done!" Thunderblast cried out, activating her Cyber Key ability and opening fire. Shortround did likewise, while the remaining Decepticons simply opened fire with their own weapons.

While some of their blasts were cancelled out in the initial volley, some hit their mark, damaging or destroying several of the autoguns as the numerous Scrapmetal drones began eating through the outer layers of rock, looking for the areas where it was weakest...

"So what are we supposed to do?" Slapper asked as the gathered group of Autobots arrived at the well of liquid Energon. "Drop them in?"

"Exactly," Vector Prime replied, carefully easing the unconscious Starscream and Demolishor into the pool. Sludge and Slapper did likewise for Swoop, while Grimlock stubbornly brushed aside help and collapsed into the pool.

As the four sank within it, Vector Prime turned to Omega Supreme and said, "The situation here on Cybertron is resolved for the time being; for now, the situation on Earth is of much greater importance. As soon as they are healed, we must go to Earth."

"Without us?" Skydive asked, prompting Vector Prime's attention. "If what you say is true then you will require all the aid that can be mustered. Besides that, 'tis better for us to fight and die, than stay, live, and never try."

"I'm in no position to give you orders," Vector Prime replied. "I cannot ask this of you."

"No need to ask; we volunteer," Triceratron said firmly, slamming the snout of his dino-arm into his fist for emphasis. "So when we leave?"

Before Vector Prime could answer, bubbling issued forth from the Energon pool as two forms emerged, one carrying the other skyward. The first set the second down, and landed beside him. Both appeared wholly mechanical; most of their armor silvery-grey and black, one with accents of yellow and blue, the other with large amounts of red and yellow mixed in.

The red and yellow one growled, and said, "Only Grimlock command Dinobots, Triceratron. And me not big believer in mystical mumbo-jumbo, but me know valid threat when see one. We go."

"And as they say in those parts, we give them hell," Swoop said with an encouraging smile.

Further bubbles issued forth from the pit, leading those gathered to watch as another pair emerged, one climbing out in a state of near-shock, the other flying out majestically. The first was bulky, predominately dark emerald and purple with some black and bronze. The other was mostly a light grey, with blue and red and a black helm.

Slapper and Vector Prime took hold of the first and helped him from the pool, Vector Prime saying gently, "Do not worry yourself, Demolishor, you are quite safe."

The reformatted Demolishor looked to his savior in surprise, then asked, "Vector Prime? What's going on?"

"The beginning of the end," Starscream declared as he landed softly. "Vector Prime, thank you." He turned to Grimlock and noted, "I didn't expect to see you."

The Dinobot commander continued to eye the Decepticon warily. "Me just glad you on our side," he said in a low tone. He turned to Vector Prime and asked, "What now?"

"We gather reinforcements," Vector Prime declared, drawing his sword and cutting a swath in the air.

"Optimus...Optimus..."

Optimus looked about, then looked down upon his body. No damage was discernable, and he was alone in some sort of endless void.

"Who's there?" Optimus asked. "What is this?"

"A vision of the past," the voice answered, as a golden Transformer carrying a long staff tipped in flame appeared before him, "and a gift for the future." The Transformer held up his free hand, and let loose a blue beam of light, bathing Optimus within it.

For a few seconds, Optimus didn't comprehend what was going on. Then, he realized what was going on, and asked, "Methius Prime?"

"You carry wisdom, Optimus Prime," the ancient Transformer said, his answer in his smile. "Use it well."

"Why take them?" Bud asked. "Why'd Vector Prime take Starscream and Demolishor from here?"

"To heal them somehow," Jetfire explained weakly. "Not much we can do at this point anyway."

"He's right, Bud," Lori said calmly to her young friend.

Coby, meanwhile, groaned and threw down his tools in disgust. "I'm not even sure I can do much more. Small patches and stopgap measures maybe, but not enough to make a difference. I'm sorry, Optimus; it's hopeless."

Optimus looked down upon the four humans within the medical bay, his deep blue optics taking in all four.

"No," he said firmly, correcting the young human who'd been tending to him. "It's never hopeless."

As gathered human forces opened fire on the attacking Scrapmetals, Skywarp sliced through one, tearing off its cannon and smashing it into another. Thundercracker, meanwhile, took hold of two, using their cannons to blast the oncoming hordes before he was blasted out of the sky and crashed down hard into the ground.

Skywarp soon joined him, his flight systems hit by a stray blast and his sword flying away in the process.

As Thundercracker slowly rose to his knees and the Scrapmetals converged upon them, Skywarp noted, "Well, we knew it'd end eventually."

As Downshift opened fire with his guns and Hoist and Landmine began tearing through the approaching Scrapmetals, Red Alert slowly tried to stand with Perceptor's help, several chunks of his armor torn off as a result of their attack.

"It can't end like this!" Rad called out, he and his friends hidden in the relative safety of a set of rocks.

Slowly, the rock wore away, followed by the metal. As he caught the sound of the oncoming invaders, Hot Shot ordered, "Here they come; Powerlink, lock and load!"

Jolt linked up with Hot Shot's gun as Incinerator and the Street Speed Team linked up with Blurr. Anti-Blaze shifted to his weapon mode and connected to Beachcomber's lone port as Scythe and Flat-Out did the same with Sharkticon, Windsheer, Redline and Servo with Wheeljack, and Checkpoint transformed into his weapon mode for use by Overhaul.

At last, the Scrapmetals broke through, and the gathered eight Transformers opened fire, Overhaul and Crosswise providing their first salvo with their Cyber Key abilities.

Seconds later, Scrapmetals tore through the primary exit point, only to find themselves under attack from Rodimus's unit.

"Scrap 'em, 'bots!" the commander yelled out as his team opened fire, aided by the Hazard and Emergency Team-boosted Overload. With the Exploration Team split between Rodimus, Bulkhead and Cliffjumper, their firepower was boosted even further as they, Talon, Lugnutz and Mudflap opened fire, twin blue flashes signaling the two Decepticons activating their Cyber Key abilities.

Elsewhere, the third entry point was breached, its defenders opening fire as soon as the line was broken.

Rhinox stood firm, Powerlinked to Armorhide and Tankor with his guns blazing. Airazor and Cheetor did likewise with their respective partners, Nightscream and Cliffjumper, linked with them alongside the rest of the Sky Defense Team. Ironhide linked up with Terrorsaur, joined by Nightcruz and Roadhandler. The others did what they could with the weapons they had as Frostbite, Crystal Widow, Magna Stampede and Longhorn added to the counterstrike.

"Scrapmetals have broken through at all entrances," Sideswipe reported. "Most of the swarm is moving toward them. Teams are holding ground."

"Let's hope that lasts," Scavenger noted.

"Your people have a legend," Optimus recounted softly, "about a woman named Pandora. She opened a box given onto her by the gods, and unleashed terrors upon the world; pain, death, greed, everything that tears at man and Transformer alike. But one last thing came out before she could close it; hope. Even the darkest of nights ends with the dawn of a new day. This is a new day; and it's time it was ushered in."

With those words and confusion on the part of the humans, Optimus Prime's optics dimmed, and the glow from the Matrix erupted in a dazzling display, forcing the quartet to turn away. As the glow died down and they looked back, Lucy Suzuki gasped.

Optimus carefully rose from the diagnostic table as Jetfire turned to face his commander, a brilliant blue glow over his body. "Rest easy, brother," Optimus assured him, placing a hand upon his comrade's chest. "We aren't through yet."

Far away, deep beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, a light briefly flashed. The flash repeated once, twice, thrice, as rhythmically as a heartbeat, until beams of light lanced upwards.

As he flew above the Atlantic towards Colorado, his black rotors spinning, he looked upon the lances of light and said to himself, "That was the Key...but how...?"

As Hightail arrived upon the scene and landed, he could barely contain his surprise. Dozens of drones marched toward a quintet of Transformers like himself, the latter five protecting a trio of humans from the drone army.

This wasn't like the renegades; why protect the humans? They tried to conquer them, control them, use them for their own ends. But they were clearly protecting the humans underfoot, just as he had done millennia ago. Why would renegades do that?

"Hightail, Minerva, heads up," came in a signal from his comm.-system. "The Key just reacted to something strange, and twin beams are going out somewhere."

Hightail looked up, and watched as a beam of light curved above him before lancing downwards, then declared, "I think I know where one of 'em went."

The beam landed, bathing the five Transformers in brilliant light before dissipating.

"I've got the second one," Minerva declared, "it's heading for the point outside Seattle...oh dear..."

As Minerva approached her destination, the light hit the ground, bathing a pair of mechanoids in its light. She halted and watched in surprise as the light dissipated and a brilliant blue flash went out.

Laser bolts blasted out from the two mechanoids, their forms changed but still recognizable. Drones were blasted apart as the two took to the air, the gathered humans safely departing from the scene.

Seconds later, the two floated triumphant over the strewn mess of drones, and one, colored a deep purple, gave a sigh of relief. "Well, I don't know what reconfigured our superstructures, but it had excellent...timing...aw scrap."

"What's wrong?" his companion asked, colored grey and blue.

"We don't have left hands anymore," the first answered.

The second shrugged, then said, "It's not so bad, not being a southpaw."

"Um, pardon me, gentlemen?" the two heard as Minerva approached slowly. "Would one of you mind explaining what's going on here?"

Hightail approached carefully, his gun at the ready and his steps carefully weaving around the strewn drones. "Now, I'm going to ask once, and only once. Who are all of you, and what are you doing here?"

"Hold on one second," one of the five asked, his red and blue armor glistening in the sun. "We outnumber you. You tell us who you are, then we'll do the same."

Hightail eyed him uneasily, then lowered his gun and said, "Fine. The name's Hightail."

The Transformer nodded as one of his companions, changed as the others were, separated into three parts. He pointed to one, white armored with a gun replacing his left hand, and said, "That's Red Alert." He pointed to each in turn, the three that were formerly one, "That's High Wire, Grindor and Sureshock..." a bulky one with yellow-orange armor, "Landmine..." one with green and black armor, "Downshift," and finally himself, "and I'm Hoi...er, Smokescreen. We're from Cybertron."

Hightail looked at him in surprise, and asked, "Cybertron? The homeworld?" He eyed them suspiciously and asked, "What Prime are you with?"

"Optimus Prime and Vector Prime," Red Alert explained.

"What's his weapon?" Hightail inquired.

"The ChronoSaber," Red Alert answered. "One of the Seven Artifacts..."

Hightail held up his free hand, and said, "Relax, you got me." He looked to the three human children and asked, "And you three?"

"We're with them," Alexis said quickly.

Hightail's comm.-line chirped, and Minerva's voice called in, "Hightail, I've got a couple Decepticons here, names are Skywarp and Thundercracker. What about your end?"

"Some Autobots and a trio of Mini-Cons," Hightail replied. He turned to Red Alert and asked, "You know these two?"

"They're with us as well," Red Alert explained. "Listen, we need to get to Colorado, our base..."

"Is under attack," Hightail finished for him. "We've been watching from Atlantis; these things you fought are heading there too. No idea how they're holding up."

"Atlantis?" Downshift asked.

"Long story, we'll explain later," Landmine assured him. "Listen, Hightail, we need to get there now."

The loud roar of helicopter rotors greeted them as a small group of cargo helicopters arrived on the scene, escorted by a femme cast in red and white and a pair of familiar Decepticons.

Suddenly, Red Alert's comm.-line went off, and a familiar woman's voice asked, "Hey Red; like the new look. Need a lift?"

"Doctor Masters, you have excellent timing," Red Alert replied.

"I've patched you up as best I can, but I'd rather you got into a CR chamber before you went charging off again," Ratchet insisted as he finished patching up Ultra Magnus's slightly dismembered body.

"Can't deal with that now," Ultra Magnus quickly replied as he got to his feet. He grabbed his multi-cannon and latched it into place. "If Overcast is right and the Dinobots are in trouble, they need all the help they can..."

Before Magnus could finish, a large blast issued forth from the distance, attracting the attention of the gathered Autobots and Decepticons. High above them, a greenish portal came into view, numerous familiar forms emerging from within.

"Is that who I think it is, or are my optics playing tricks on me again?" Overcast asked from his position with Checkpoint's unit.

"They aren't," Whirl reported. "That's Omega Supreme, the Dinobots I think...and..."

"Vector Prime?" Ultra Magnus asked as the ivory Transformer landed, his associates following. "I thought you were on Earth."

"I came here to gather reinforcements," Vector Prime explained. "The Decepticons who attacked here on Cybertron have most likely begun an assault on the Earth facility, in greater numbers. We need you, and as many as you can spare."

Grimlock stepped forward and confirmed, "Dinobots already set to go along with Omega. Think it smart if you added fuel to fire...so to speak."

Magnus simply reloaded his cannon and declared, "We're there."

"Hold on one second!" Ratchet declared. "You're wounded, Magnus. You're staying here, period."

"And the last time I checked, we had a set of Decepticons here that had surrendered themselves," Checkpoint added, indicating Shockblast and his troop.

"We need all the help we can get, regardless of faction," Vector Prime insisted.

"Logic suggests we compromise," Shockblast suggested. "I will remain behind."

"Same here," Sixshot volunteered.

Optics were cast towards the remaining eight members of Shockblast's group as Oil Slick looked nervously about. "Hey, I just came close to getting my systems fried in that little firefight back there. As much as I'd like to see our mutual pain get beaten down, I'm happy to just stay here in custody."

Barricade's answer was slightly different; "My unit is at your disposal; we'll go to Earth and aid in the counter-offensive."

"You can count me in, too," Rapid Run promised.

"And me," Shadow Stalker said somewhat uneasily as she brandished her gun.

"Good," Starscream said, stepping forward as the gathered Autobots and Decepticons recognized him in shock. "We'll need all the help we can get."

"...as of yet we have no verified information concerning the assault from these alien forces, only that their intentions appear hostile," the newscaster reported. "We'll have further information as it develops."

Stella Holley silently curled up on her chair, worry etched on her face as she thought of her Mini-Con friends. "Please be okay..."

"Galvatron, the Scrapmetals are being held back," Thrust declared. "We need to get into the base another way."

Galvatron grimaced, then declared, "Very well. Decepticons, open fire...there!"

With those words, Galvatron blasted away at a chunk of mountain with few autoguns around it, taking a significant chunk out of the rock face. The other Decepticons followed, a barrage of missiles and energy bursts blasting the rock down to pebbles.

As the blasts echoed through the base, Sentinel Maximus looked up and said, "They're getting closer."

"You're from the future, right?" Wing Saber asked. "I mean, you know how this'll turn out. Don't you?"

"Knowledge of the future is only useful if it remains the future," Sentinel Maximus explained. "My presence in this part of the timeline has changed history; what knowledge I had is no longer valid."

"Which means there's no way of telling how we'll come out," Arcee reasoned, her fellow Omnicons growing nervous at the thought.

"Not entirely," Astroscope spoke up from below with the assembled Mini-Cons. "History has changed; that means that the timeline that Sentinel Maximus knew, the one involving our destruction at Galvatron's hands, is no longer valid. It has changed, and the future with it; there's hope."

"Well whatever happens, we can't give up," Sparkplug noted. "Optimus wouldn't want that."

A deafening thud rang through the small access room, prompting the gathered Autobots and Mini-Cons to ready themselves as the armored ceiling above them was blasted open, sunlight beginning to pour in.

"We have an opening," Galvatron's voice declared. "Let the slaughter begin!"

"We'll see about that," Sentinel Maximus declared as he activated his missile banks and opened fire. A yelp of pain from Snowcat was their first response.

"They've breached, just outside," Tow-Line reported.

Predacon softly groaned, then said, "Then we must give them a reception." He took up his cannon and charged it, then moved to the door.

"Ironhide, Sideswipe, go with him," Scavenger ordered. As the two Autobots got to their feet and readied their weapons, a comm.-channel opened, leaving him to answer, "Coby, now's not a good time."

"You'll need to make time," Coby's voice answered from the other end. "Optimus and Jetfire are-BZZT."

"Internal communications are down," Reptilion explained, worry growing in his voice.

Scavenger growled, and silently said, "Where's a miracle when you need one?"

As Predacon, Ironhide and Sideswipe joined the battle, Wing Saber, the Omnicons and a Mini-Con-boosted Sentinel Maximus engaging the invading Scrapmetals, led by Mirage. He noticed them, and said, "Well, look who we've got here; my old cell-mate, a rookie, and an old friend." He landed, and slowly stepped towards them, his cannons raised and ready, then asked, "Hello Ironhide; miss me?"

Ironhide's response was to quickly activate his massive light bank, temporarily blinding the Decepticon before he opened fire and asked, "That answer your question?"

As the two began their clash, Predacon quickly leapt in to tend to Wing Saber, leaving Sideswipe alone. His optic visor darted about nervously, taking in the sight of the battle around him.

"I owe you a lot for what you did, Tidal Wave!" Ironhide said, having closed in enough to begin pummeling the Decepticon warrior. "Prepare for some payback!"

Mirage caught the thrown punch, then declared, "Didn't get the message, did you? The name's Mirage now, kid; and if you're gonna raise a fuss over what I did before, get ready for a new one!"

Seconds later, he opened fire on the Autobot engineer, blowing him into a nearby wall as Sideswipe watched in shock. He turned, then said, "Just blew your buddy into the wall. What'cha gonna do, kid?"

Feeling a familiar connection on his back, Sideswipe's expression hardened as he opened fire and cried out, "Fight back!"

As Mirage was peppered with blasts from Sideswipe's pistol, the Autobot whispered to his Mini-Con partner, "Thanks for this, but I don't think it'll help much."

"Doesn't need to help much," Nightbeat replied. "Just enough."

"For what?" Sideswipe asked.

A pair of blasts tore into Mirage from behind, surprising him as he turned to face the new arrivals. His optics widened, and he declared, "Aw scrap!"

The two who stood against him now were changed; smaller, with different armaments, but the colors, basic builds, and voices were all the same.

"Come to welcome us into our new home?" Jetfire asked. "You shouldn't have, especially uninvited."

"But since you're here, why not party," Optimus Prime declared, standing firm with four Energon retrieval drones armoring his arms and legs, his chestplate open and the newly-embedded Matrix glowing brilliantly.

"Internal communications are back online," Tow-Line reported. "Scavenger, we have a message coming in!"

Scavenger listened as a familiar voice declared, "Scavenger, this is Optimus. Report status."

"Optimus?" Scavenger answered in surprise. "What are...never mind. The Decepticons have penetrated the base."

"I've noticed," Optimus replied. "If Galvatron wants an offensive, fine, we'll give him one. Order all defense teams to go on the offensive. We're ending this."

"Understood," Scavenger replied, a grin growing on his face as Reptilion gave a brief, thankful prayer.

As the line clicked off, Mirage blasted his way out of the base. The remaining Scrapmetals were being blasted into scrap by his four drones as Optimus asked, "What's Ironhide's status?"

Predacon carefully slung the Autobot over one shoulder, Sideswipe assisting, and replied, "Functional but unconscious; we'll get him to safety."

"Thank you," Optimus replied. He then turned to the others and ordered, "Jetfire, Wing Saber, you're with me. Sentinel Maximus, Arcee, give us cover fire."

"Think you could stand a little help?" Runway asked as his team and a few others stepped forward.

Optimus smiled, and answered, "Easily."

"Galvatron, we've got a problem!" Mirage cried out. "Optimus Prime is online!"

"It doesn't matter!" Galvatron bellowed. "Soon, the Autobots and Optimus Prime will be nothing more than a memory, and I and the true Decepticons will reign supreme!"

With one final blast of his cannon, the massive hole created in the mountainside was widened, big enough to drive a semi through. As he looked into it triumphantly, a twin pair of yellow lights issued forth from the dust and debris.

"I'm afraid your celebration will have to wait," came an all-too-familiar voice.

Galvatron's optics widened in surprise, and he said, "No...it can't be..."

Seconds later, Wing Saber blasted out of the hole carrying Optimus Prime in his arms, the Air Defense and Energon Teams flying around them in formation.

"Surprise," Optimus Prime declared as Wing Saber let go of his commander. "Powerlink!"

As the Decepticons watched in surprise, Wing Saber separated into four components, then recombined with Optimus Prime to form armor around his arms and legs. As his chest opened to reveal the Matrix, a secondary helmet flipped over his head, completing the combination. "Optimus Prime, Sonic Jet mode!"

"Air Defense Team, merge to form the Star Saber!" Runway commanded.

"Energon Team, merge to form the Energon Saber!" Skyboom called out.

Within seconds, the two teams of aerial Mini-Cons combined into twin blades, one with a brilliant blue aura around it, the other glowing a brilliant golden yellow. Optimus took hold of both blades, and spun them about in the air with a flourish, as if daring the Decepticons to attack.

"Now, who wants some?" Optimus asked in defiance.

With a growl, Galvatron withdrew his own blade and charged forward, intent upon wiping Optimus Prime out once and for all. The two combatants met, their blades glinting in the sun.

"Decepticons, quickly!" Thrust ordered. "We have a chance to take the base! We need to take it!"

"I don't think so!" Jetfire cried out, seconds before he rammed into the cone-headed Transformer with the help of the Skyboom Shield, brandishing the Requiem Blaster with his remaining hand.

Having landed some distance away and taking no real interest in the battle, Brushguard sighed and said, "Such is the way of things," before transforming into his vehicle mode and driving away.

"Optimus is back?" Hot Shot asked.

"You'd better believe it," Scavenger replied. "Hot Shot, Rodimus, Rhinox, press the offensive; get those bugs out of our base."

"You got it," Hot Shot called out with elation. "Autobots, Decepticons, Mini-Cons, roll out!"

"Take 'em down!" Rodimus called out, advancing into the rampaging swarm with his guns firing.

"All right, 'bots, its tramplin' time!" Rhinox called out, transforming to beast mode and charging into the swarm.

"Ugh, men!" Thunderblast declared as she darted about and avoided weapons fire from below. "They're good for nothing, and they can't hit a thing. Especially little old me..."

BLAM!

Thunderblast spun in the air as far below, prepping her Energon bow for another shot, Arcee smiled. "Lucky thing I'm not a man," she said to herself.

Thunderblast slowly descended, only to be caught by Mirage, who held her close and declared, "Galvatron, we're losing! The drones are all but gone, the Autobots are on the offensive! We need to pull out, now!"

"No!" Galvatron bellowed as he continued fighting with Optimus Prime. "We've lost nothing!"

Galvatron's words were quickly countermanded as a massive warp gate opened above them; within seconds came the Wreckers, Dinobots and Combaticons, led by Vector Prime, Starscream, Demolishor, Rapid Run and Omega Supreme. In the distance, a set of combat and cargo helicopters came into view, the familiar forms of Skywarp, Thundercracker and Minerva leading the pack.

"Looks like we made it to party just in time!" Grimlock declared. "Dinobots, kick butt!"

"Wreck and rule!" Stockade bellowed.

Even as the odds against her grew, Thunderblast regained consciousness, brushed away Mirage and said, "He's right. Besides, these Autobots are going to pay! How dare they strike-!"

A hawk-like cry interrupted Thunderblast as Airazor slammed into her in beast mode, transformed and unleashed a salvo from a pair of guns over her shoulders.

Thunderblast brushed it off, then growled and cried, "How dare you strike-!"

A small explosion, and a mess of glue covered her form as Talon chuckled to herself, brandishing a grenade launcher.

The glue seemed to burn away as Thunderblast once more repeated, "How dare you strike-!" before a flurry of bursts hit her, the Sonic Assault Team swirling around her like furious bees.

"Ha, take that, you Decepticon ruggine-benna!" Falcia cried out in defiance.

"Quit it!" Thunderblast protested angrily before she caught sight of something else and said in shock, "oh slag," before a pair of blasts hit her square on, courtesy of Roulette and Shadow Stalker.

Mirage once more retrieved her and held her protectively in his arms, his optics dimming slightly as he moved to avoid fire.

Soundwave watched from above, and said softly, "It seems this was a failure. Very well." With those words, he transformed into vehicle mode and blasted away, fading out of sight as he did so. "There's always another day..."

"Looks like we arrived just in time," Skywarp declared as they approached the battlefield. "Now how does that Cyber Key thing work again?"

"Focus your spark," Minerva explained. "It'll handle itself from there."

"Works for me," Thundercracker declared as one cargo chopper opened, allowing its Transformer occupants to exit. An aura of blue and silver energy formed around him and Skywarp as they declared, "Cyber Key, LOCK!"

With a flash of light, the cannons built into their right arms extended and opened, lancing forth twin blasts which plowed into Thrust and Snowcat far in the distance.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm not too keen on letting them show us up," Landmine declared as he transformed to robot mode and declared, "So let's show 'em what we can do!"

A blue and silver flash later, and Landmine was suddenly generating powerful winds, blowing away some Scrapmetals below and softly landing in the process.

Four more flashes issued forth in order, as missiles lanced off from a launcher on Hightail's back, smashing into several drones with ease.

Twin cannons emerged and mounted themselves over Red Alert's shoulders, energy blasts firing at nearby Scrapmetals.

As Smokescreen landed, twin missile banks came into view, launching a salvo against the approaching Scrapmetal horde.

Another Scrapmetal found itself in the grip of a large grabber claw in Downshift's chest, crushed within it as he opened fire with his two guns, destroying further drones in the process.

The Mini-Con gestalt Perceptor, meanwhile, landed and began punching and kicking his way through the gathered Scrapmetals, taking them down one by one.

Galvatron growled at the departures and arrivals, then said, "This won't end until I say so. You hear that, Prime? You haven't defeated me yet!"

"Then maybe he needs a little help," an unknown voice replied.

Both combatants looked as a single helicopter, orange and white with black rotors, approached with amazing speed. As they watched, it shifted, changed, and transformed into a robot before taking on a brilliant blue glow. With a cry of, "Cyber Key, LOCK!" a flash of energy went through his body, then channeled into a slot on his back as a pair of engines swung upwards, then shifted into over-the-shoulder rocket launchers. Twin rockets lanced forward, and slammed into Galvatron, knocking him away and sending him straight into the ground.

Galvatron growled, and slowly rose up as he said, "Decepticons...retreat..." He transformed to vehicle mode as his troops gathered around him. The group escaped through the warp gate above them, which closed with their exit.

Optimus gave a sigh of relief, then turned to the newcomer and said, "Thank you. I'm..."

"Optimus Prime," the newcomer said with a smile. He extended his hand, and said, "I've wanted to meet you for a while. My name is Evac. We have a lot to talk about."

Optimus took it and shook, then said, "I think we do at that."

"Well, look at you," Sideways noted as Soundwave stepped forward. "Didn't think you'd come back through the front door. I was thinking you'd end up respawning back here, same as the rest of us."

"My efforts were clearly slightly more successful," Soundwave noted. "We retain agents on Earth, so we still have some chance of making strides there. Galvatron, meanwhile, has gained more power, and has become even more of an unknown factor."

"But Optimus Prime still lives," Nemesis Prime noted, stepping forward. "This delays our plans some."

"Time makes all things possible," Soundwave noted. "Our master has waited long for his reprisal against his brother; we can wait for a time against the children of the Enemy. It will end for them soon enough."

"...as information continues to come in concerning the unexplained reports of giant robots engaged in warfare over Oregon, Washington and Colorado, the question remains; where did they come from, and what reaction will the government take concerning these unusual events?"

Optimus Prime shut off the news report, and said, "That's a question I'm asking myself, among others." He turned to the gathered commanders among the Autobots and their allies and said, "Anyone willing to start laying out the facts?"

"I may as well," Rodimus volunteered, stepping forward with a small data chip and plugging it into a monitor. "While exploring out on the rim, we found Quintessa. Those 'Scrapmetal' drones were literally swarming over the planet. Turns out the Quints made them as part of a plan to retake Cybertron."

"Obviously something went wrong," Starscream noted. "Did you find anything to confirm it one way or another?"

"Yes, believe it or not," Rodimus continued. "They weren't the only drones built; there were others, smarter and far more advanced in construction. But they rebelled, skipped town in a planet-killer and left a small army of Scrapmetals behind. And according to Magnus, you've met some of them."

As the images flashed on the screen, Starscream narrowed his optics and said, "Sideways."

"And Soundwave," Optimus realized.

"I thought these guys were working for Unicron," Hot Shot asked. "I mean, no way the Quints could make something that indestructible, right?"

"No doubt he encountered them at some point following their departure and brought them into his service," Vector Prime surmised.

"Unicron?" Rodimus asked, Evac's attention raised in the bargain. "What does he have to do with this?"

"He's what destroyed Nebulos," Overcast said firmly. "I was there, saw it with my own optics. But he didn't bring any planet-busters along, which begs the question; where is it?"

"No doubt we'll find that out soon enough," Optimus noted.

Evac shook his head, trying his best not to be overwhelmed by this new information. "Unicron. Methius Prime told me about him...but I'd always hoped that he was little more than a distant memory. How could he be operating here?"

"All I have right now is a theory," Optimus explained. "Somehow, he was aware of events on Cybertron during the Second War. He sabotaged the Exodus, and Soundwave made certain that we didn't pick up the distress calls it put out. Then they waited until someone came along and found the Mini-Cons and activated a distress beacon."

"Rad, Carlos and Alexis," Colonel Franklin noted. "And after all this time, Megatron came running. But after all the defeats, he was growing desperate."

"And in comes Soundwave to give him a means to victory," Starscream recounted. "Via liquid Energon retrieved from the catacombs on Cybertron."

"Fortunately for us, we were warned in time," Vector Prime noted as he looked upon Sentinel Maximus. "But we still have problems ahead of us."

"Galvatron no longer has a sizeable force, as many of his soldiers have broken away and joined with us," Starscream realized. "He can't get more liquid Energon because he doesn't know where it came from, and he won't have an easy time refreshing his forces. He's been backed into a corner."

"Galvatron aside, the threat of Unicron remains present as well," Predacon noted. "The Chaos Bringer will consider this to be a setback at worst, and seek other means of stopping our attempts at defeating him."

"Which leads us to this," Optimus said, turning to their new arrival. "Evac, I think we all know where you came from."

Evac smiled nervously, and said, "Not that hard to figure out. Hightail, Minerva and I are Earth-born Transformers; our bodies were constructed by Methius Prime ages ago, and we and many others were given life with the Key of Wisdom."

"We gathered that, based on that recording we found in Egypt," Starscream noted. "How many of you are left?"

Evac's tone grew solemn, and he explained, "Just the three of us. The rest were destroyed ten thousand years ago, along with Methius Prime."

"And Atlantis?" Vector Prime asked.

"Where we left it centuries ago, in the Bermuda Triangle," Evac replied. "The ship's still operational, but it'll take months to get it back up to full working order. But to answer your next question..."A small panel slid away in Evac's left leg as he knelt down, a gold-rimmed item emerging from it. He removed the item, revealing it to the surprise of those gathered, and said, "I think this is what you're looking for."

"The Key of Wisdom," Vector Prime said as Evac passed the key along to him. "Intact after all this time, and safe. I was afraid that it was lost forever."

"I've kept it with me since then," Evac explained. "Haven't had much use for it, though; I've mostly spent my time keeping an eye on Minerva and Hightail, watching what was going on in the world, saving a few lives here and there." He cast an optic towards Colonel Franklin, and said, "In fact, there was this one kid I scooped out of a river once."

Franklin smiled, and replied, "And that kid wants to thank you after all this time."

Jetfire chuckled, and said, "That explains why you were so willing to give us the benefit of the doubt."

"Everything's connected, Jetfire," Optimus reminded him, "in more ways than we could ever imagine. But that still leaves how you knew who we were."

"You aren't the only ones to get connected to human satellites," Evac explained. "Besides, we had a few first-hand accounts. I'm assuming you've heard a few of the more fanciful tales of extraterrestrials here on Earth."

"The kids have been kind enough to give us some basic information about some of them," Optimus replied. "Roswell in particular."

"Well, there was an alien involved there, just not the way most people think," Evac explained. "Back in the late forties, the US was experimenting with weather balloons to aid in their tracking of Soviet nuclear testing. One of them went down, was thought to be a UFO. Obviously it wasn't, but what caused the crash wasn't from this world."

Optimus gave a quick glance to Franklin, then returned his attention to Evac and asked, "Continue."

"I don't know all the details, but something big came here to Earth in 1947, dug up one of the Mini-Con pods you've been looking for, and left in a hurry," Evac elaborated. "Somehow he collided with one of the balloons, caused it to crash and left some debris behind. I made my way over there shortly afterwards, found the Mini-Cons left, and made my way back to Atlantis without being detected. That's how I found out about them, and about all of you and Cybertron, but we never figured out who did it, or how he knew where the pod was. We halfway considered activating a distress signal ourselves, seeing if you'd pick up on it, but given the climate at the time, we decided against it."

"You did the right thing, and I understand," Optimus assured. "This still raises some interesting questions, however. Colonel, if possible, can you dig up any information on this incident?"

"Unfortunately, no," Franklin replied. "One of the reasons I joined the military was to figure out just who saved me when I was a child. I was convinced it was something alien, hoped that if I was able to get high enough clearance, I'd find out the truth. Obviously I was right, but you and I both know how I figured it out. In any event, I've tried for years to get the information related to Roswell, but no luck. We may have to go higher."

"That aside, what do we do about all this?" Jetfire asked. "No way is the US government going to have an easy time keeping this under the lid."

"Too many people have seen all of this," Franklin echoed. "Even if we could come up with a cover story, no one would be convinced. They've seen the warp gates, and there are enough Scrapmetal parts that we'll be spending weeks trying to clean them up. But it can't just be ignored."

Optimus remained silent for a moment, then said, "Then perhaps its time we stopped trying to be ignored." Those gathered looked to him in shock, and he explained, "The immediate danger to Earth is gone, and most of the Mini-Con pods have been retrieved. And I'd always hoped that we'd reveal ourselves to humanity one day."

"Are they ready?" Evac asked. "I've watched humanity for thousands of years, Optimus; they're good and decent, with great potential, but they aren't perfect. Some will panic, react with fear, try to destroy us. Primus help us if they knew about Atlantis, or the threat from Unicron."

"Then we won't tell them everything," Optimus replied. "We tell them what we need to know, what they want to know. We'll tell them about Unicron, about Galvatron, about everything they need to hear, but not everything. Some will probably put two and two together, but we'll deal with it when the time comes. Right now, however, I see little alternative."

Franklin shook his head, and said, "I don't like the idea, Optimus. But I see little option myself. I'll contact the President and the Joint Chiefs, consult with them on the matter. It could work, but we'd have to be very careful."

"I never said we shouldn't be," Optimus replied. "Only that we walk a very dangerous tightrope. I only hope that we can weather this aftermath as well as we did the storm."

"Y'know, a lot of these guys are still fairly functional," Coby noted as he glanced about in the wreckage of the various Scrapmetals littered within the entrances to the Autobot base. "A little time and some help, and we might be able to put 'em back together."

"No kidding," Carlos added. "Looks like there might be enough space to improvise a cockpit or something, maybe some gears and controls."

"You mean we'd have our own piloted robots?" Rad asked. "That's sweet!"

"Wait a second, it'd take a lot of work," Coby noted before he was interrupted.

"Who cares?" Bud replied. "C'mon Coby, you're a wiz with mechanics, you could figure something out!"

As Alexis and Lori groaned amongst themselves watching the boys contemplate the possibilities, another excitable human looked over the equipment, watched by some of the Autobots with careful eyes.

"All this technology, it's amazing," Doctor Jones realized. "What powers it? Nothing on Earth could do something like this."

"We use this stuff called Energon," Sideswipe explained. "We found some of it here on Earth by accident. Potent stuff; the lowest grade ore could be used to power a small human city for a couple years, maybe longer."

"There may be more!" the scientist cried out joyfully. "We need to find some way of locating it, start mining it! It could solve the energy crisis once and...!"

"Brian, honey," Miranda softly interrupted him. "We need to talk, now."

"Miranda, this isn't the time," Brian softly chided her, "there's so much work to be done; we have..."

"This is part of it, Brian," Diana firmly said, catching his attention as she and the armored individual who'd been accompanying her stepped forward. "The Autobots have plenty of ways of finding Energon, I'm sure they'll give it to you later. But we've found something out in the process; some humans have a genetic sensitivity to Energon radiation."

"Well we need to find them," Brian declared. "There can't be too many."

"There aren't," the armored man said. "But one of them's right here."

As he removed his helmet, Miranda said, "Brian, this is...our son."

Brian looked in shock upon the young man before him, and asked, "Kicker?"

The time-displaced prodigal nodded, and said in restrained tones, "Hi Dad. Surprise."

Galvatron seethed within the Nemesis, then looked upon his troops. "Our ally has left us, our supporters grow thin, and the Autobots continue to match us in combat through sheer luck. How?"

"The Autobots must have known about these abilities that were granted to Thunderblast and Shortround," Thrust reasoned, the other Decepticons looking uneasily at their commander. "But how did we not know about these abilities in our own troops, aside from them?"

"Starscream's work no doubt," Galvatron decided.

"Well, what do we do now, boss?" Slugslinger asked. "We gonna boost up the rest of us, go in and try again?"

"No," Galvatron said firmly. "Even if we hadn't been betrayed by Starscream and Bludgeon, or if Brushguard hadn't departed, our position remains uncertain. I've no idea where to acquire liquid Energon, and Prime is now a match for me once again. We need to go to ground, remain hidden, learn what we can. When we are ready, we strike back against them. For today, we wait and watch. Tomorrow, however, is another day."

"...this just in; the President has called for a press conference in relation to today's events. In a press release, he's stated that a classified project has been going on for some months, and that the American people will learn the full truth tomorrow, December 20 at noon. ABC News will be there to cover the event..."

The End