Prologue

A lone figure raced through the forest of the Jungle Planet, completely content to be by himself rather than be back at the temple. He preferred the quiet, peacefulness of the forests that he knew like the back of his paw rather than the tense, aggressive atmosphere that surrounded the temple. He didn't enjoy the "fight or die" attitude that his leader continuously enforced on the planet, but there was very little he could do.

"Why must Scourge use his power to abuse others?" He asked out loud as he came to a stop shaking his head. "He wanted to help our people, now they live in fear." He sighed. "And those strangers that he has decided to help, they are bad news, I can smell it on them." He added with a growl.

Two off-worlders had appeared at the entrance to the temple earlier that day. They showed absolutely no regard to their laws what-so-ever and instead intended to start a fight with him and the other temple guardians. The obvious leader of the two had seemed cold and distant, not that his accomplice had been any better, and it was extremely unnerving. He growled to himself as he remembered how calm Scourge had been. He had seen the admiration in his old friend's optics as he regarded the other leader. Something about the name that the leader had called himself and every other mech under his leadership, "Decepticon", it left a bad taste in his mouth. It didn't sound like someone that could be trusted. He didn't like it and he just wanted them to be left alone so that they could try to heal what was left of their planet.

There was a clinking sound above him and he snapped his head up in surprise before he came to a stop. He watched as a circle of fire opened just below the canopy, revealing a dark hole inside. He shivered; was this the black hole that the mech had spoken of? Or was it just a reflection of space? A figure burst out of the circle at that moment, yellow optics flashing as it opened its mouth to reveal fangs. He watched as the figure landed on the ground and he blanched; it was a small panther cub, jet black and still full of the cuteness that came with being a sparkling, even though it was obviously half-way to being an adult. It shook itself off, flicking its tail back and forth, which strangely didn't move as much as other cat-formers he knew, before it noticed him.

It blinked in shock before it arched its back and the metallic fur on its back stood up on end. It started hissing at him and he almost fell over from laughing. It didn't sound dangerous at all, but rather cute.

"That doesn't sound very scary." He commented as he regarded the cub. "And what good would a panther cub have against a full grown wolf?" He added as he took a step forward.

The cub seemed to mull that fact over before it sprang forward spitting. "Meow!" It squeaked before turning and leaping away. It brought its paw up and swatted at the air in front of it, almost as if it was trying to scare him off.

"That's not scary." He replied with a shake of his head. "You just look cute."

The cub glared at him before turning around, sticking its tail in the air, and walking away. He shook his head at the sparkling's antics before he turned away. He started racing back through the woods towards the temple. He couldn't hear the cub following him so he believed that it was off looking for something that would entertain it better than he could. He didn't see the black streak that was following him back to the temple, careful to stay downwind and out of optic range.

He leapt easily up the temple steps, just like any other day after a patrol or simple excursion. As he leapt over the last step and onto the temple platform, he spotted the two strangers walking out of the temple.

"And that's why I'm the leader." The tallest of the pair stated coldly to the other.

The other glared at his leader, pure hatred seething out of his optics. He turned towards him and stopped. Dark purple optics stared out of a pale face surrounded by a dark blue helm. There was a wing on each of his arms, each having a hidden blade folded behind them that became activated when he used his Cyber Planet Key. Along beak of sorts stretched from his stomach to mid-thigh, far longer than any flying mech he had ever seen. He gave him an even look before snorting.

"And where did you go, Snarl?" He asked coldly. "Didn't bother sticking around to hear about things that could easily change your world?"

Snarl snorted before he transformed, placing his wolf head on his arm. "I wasn't needed during your meeting." He replied.

The larger mech snorted, his cold face causing the metal fur on his back to stand up. His white face was made all the more colder by his icy blue optics that seethed with untold evil. A set of purple horns stood out predominately on his forehead. His body was a mixture of black, purple, and yellow metal, spikes sticking up on either side of his knees, and spike like protrusions on his forearms. He was a terrifying figure, far taller than any mech known on the Jungle Planet and easily commanded instant respect, no matter how much a mech distasted him.

"I'm sure your leader could have done well with your opinion." The mech stated coldly, the coldness and cruelty in his voice burning his audio receptors. "After all, you are his right-hand bot."

The smaller mech chuckled before his head snapped to the side. "What was that?" He demanded as he pointed at the pillar beside Snarl.

"What was what, Starscream?" The taller mech sighed in annoyance.

"Something small and black." Starscream replied snappishly. "It just ran behind that pillar."

Snarl glanced at the pillar before growling and transforming back into his wolf alt mode. He raced at the pillar snarling and growling and a loud hiss and meowing met his audios before the panther cub from before darted out from behind the pillar. Snarl stopped for a half-second before transforming and glaring at the hissing panther.

"You are either very stupid coming here, or really brave." He commented.

The panther ceased hissing at him and merely glared at him. It snorted before it started to turn towards the temple entrance but froze as it saw Starscream. Its optics widened before it yelped. It stood there for a moment, visibly shaking before it spun around and tore off at top speed to the edge of the temple platform and leapt off into the forest below.

"Well, that was…different." Snarl commented as he scratched the back of his head.

"What a coward." Starscream sneered.

"This coming from you." The taller mech retorted coldly.

Starscream clenched his fists before turning to his leader. "Permission to return to Earth, sir." He stated.

"Granted." The mech replied.

Starscream transformed into something that Snarl had never seen before, opened a warp gate in the sky, and blasted off into it. The leader snorted as the gate closed before he opened on himself and stepped through it. Snarl watched them leave and snorted.

"Good riddance." He spat. "Something about those two leaves a bad taste in my mouth." He turned towards the edge of the platform and frowned. "I hope that cub is ok; it's a long way down to the ground."

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"Hey, CZ, is that the boss?" A red motorbike asked its large, green, three-wheeled companion.

"It looks like him, Ransack, but what's he doing out here in the desert?" The green car replied.

"Why don't we go ask him?" Ransack replied as he took off over the dunes.

"Right behind you, little buddy."

The two trouble makers of the Speed Planet raced out across the desert sands towards the figure standing out in the middle of a sea of sand. It looked slightly smaller than their leader, but it could have just been a trick of the light, or lack thereof since it was well past midnight. The barely visible moonlight glinted off the figure's armor making it look mystical and ethereal; it made the armor look white and ghost-like. Ransack and his companion started shouting at the figure and caused it to turn its head towards them. Piercing ice blue optics glared at them from a pure white face.

"Hey boss, what are you doing?" The large three-wheeler asked.

The figure narrowed its optics before turning around and jumping up. It easily folded into its jet alt mode and blasted away from them. It opened a warp gate and disappeared through it.

"Well, that was rude." Ransack commented as he transformed. He grabbed the protrusion on his head that was similar to a baseball cap and frowned. "He could have at least said something."

"Who could have said something?" A dark voice questioned as the sound of a warp gate closing reached them.

Ransack yelped and spun around before frowning at the giant mech standing in front of them. "You, sir." He replied.

The mech's optics narrowed. "Excuse me?" He asked.

"You were just standing over there," Ransack replied as he pointed to the spot where the figure had been standing, "then when we tried asking you what you were doing out here, you took off and vanished through a warp gate."

The mech lifted his head up in an intimidating manner and gave the small, red mech a pointed glare, causing him to back up. "I was just on the Jungle Planet, Ransack." He growled. "I only just arrived on your planet so it was impossible for the figure you saw to be me."

"But it looked just like you Megatron sir!" The green vehicle yelped as he transformed. "Maybe slightly thinner, but identical!"

"Are you trying to say that I'm fat, Crumplezone?" Megatron asked coldly before he turned his penetrating gaze on the larger green mech.

"NO!" Crumplezone squeaked. "That's not what I meant at all!"

"Explain." Megatron growled as electricity crackled along his hand.

"I-I-I meant that it looked, um…actually, it looked kinda…femmy." Crumplezone replied as he scratched his head.

"Now that I think about it, it had a really defined waist. And the face was smaller and slimmer."

Megatron's optics widened for a moment before he snorted. "Are you suggesting that I am femme-like?" He growled.

"No sir!" Crumplezone squeaked.

"We were saying that the other guy was femme-like!" Ransack added hurriedly.

"You said that it looked identical to me." Megatron growled. "In order for that to be right, I would need to look like a femme."

"No! Oh no sir, you are very masculine!" Ransack stated, hoping to please Megatron and not get his aft fried.

Megatron snorted. "Get out of my sight." He growled before he sent several bolts of electricity at the two cowering mechs. "Now."

Ransack and Crumplezone yelped before they transformed and took off across the desert. Megatron snorted before he turned his head towards the sky and watched the stars twinkle above him. So much had happened in the five months since he had left his daughter behind to look after Blacksprite by herself. He regretted it sometimes, missing her far worse than he would ever let on, but he knew that she could handle herself back on Cybertron. He hoped that she hadn't decided to disobey his strict orders to remain hidden and on Cybertron.

"Don't you get involved in this hunt." Megatron stated to thin air. "It has nothing to do with you and hopefully it will be over before you even realize it. Stay away from this war, Whitesilence." He finished before he opened a warp gate and walked into his fire dimension.

A red Scrapmetal with a purple gem attached to its front leg and a yellow bandana tied around its neck dug its way out of the sand. It tilted its head to the side, pondering what Megatron had said. It chirped before it buried itself back into the sand and started digging in the direction that Crumplezone and Ransack had taken; it had a job to do for its master and it was sure as the Pit going to accomplish it.