It was an average morning one weekend, one with mild weather, when Sam and Mikaela were watching t.v. together. The young man was seated with his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. They were spending the time just relaxing since Sam's parents were out, and Bumblebee was parked in the yard. But any serenity was shattered when the t.v. picture flickered black. The image changed to a new one. Every t.v. monitor or electronic device did the same. And the image was enough to make Sam and Mikaela's blood run cold. It was a robot. A Decepticon. The two were up instantly; running to Bumblebee and climbing inside. He raised the volume to watch what this new possible threat had to say.

"Greetings, Earthlings. I am aware of the fact that you have already heard from one of my kind before. The fallen. He led Megatron, the now deceased leader of my fraction, the Decepticons. I am the new leader. I offer you both a demand and a warning. Unlike the fallen who asked for a human male by the name of Samuel Witwicky,-"

Sam's picture flashed across the screen set in Bumblebee's dashboard before returning to the Decepticon.

"-I ask for something... different, from what he wanted. For you see, my fraction is at war with your allies, the Autobots. I request that you give me the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime-"

Mikaela gasped softly when Optimus' picture came up. One with his battlemask protecting his features, and the other without it. But it was enough to identify exactly what he looked like, paint and all.

"-so that I may end the war permanently. For each day that my request is denied, I will send my Decepticons to attack an area of your planet. No where is safe. I will attack both small towns and large cities. I will try to keep casualties to the minimum, but you must understand... I cannot keep my fraction from being... excited forever. Once you return my lover to me, I will call off the attacks. You will receive no warnings of where I shall attack. Only when. The time begins now. Give him to me before this exact time tomorrow, or expect an attack. The Autobots will know exactly how to contact me. I'm waiting."

The image cut out, and Bumblebee replayed a brief section, freezing the picture once it reached the end of what he wanted them to hear. "...I request that you give me the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime..."

"They wouldn't hand him over, would they?" Mikaela asked. Sam took a little while to reply. He studied the picture of this new Decepticon.

The 'leader' of the Decepticons was a femme with dark ruby optics. Her face was silver, with a very unique helmet framing it. The sides were engraved with lines that made the red look as if it was hair following from the top of her helm. The rest of the helmet was a rich vibrant blue that faded into the red. Finials, much like Optimus' but very different, protruded from the sides. They were black with the tops curving very slightly towards the camara that had filmed the message. She was a beautiful striking creature, with mysterious almost frightening features. A beautiful Decepticon femme.

"The Autobots? Never. The humans? I'm not sure. But I know they'll have a guard watching him since he's the type to turn himself in," Sam finally replied. "We should get to the base."

"Already done... and told... the... soldier," a distinctly male voice informed them. Bumblebee's engine revved as he set himself into to gear, and rushed from the Witwicky house as fast as his wheels would carry him.