More than Meets the Eye Chapter 4

I do not own Transformers Prime or any of its characters or Transformers or any of its characters

Breakdown.

That was the robot's name. They didn't think these robots had names, but apparently they were wrong.

He was a Decepticon.

They didn't really understand what that meant. All they knew was that he was on a side, they just didn't know if it was "good" or "bad."

He was a Wrecker.

Once again they didn't know what that meant. It sounded like a job title or something, but they weren't sure.

In the end, none of it mattered though.

He was about to be melted down and salvaged for parts. MECH was already studying what it was taking away from him.

It didn't matter to the three techno-organics. They hadn't known this machine, and he hadn't known them. In fact, the only thing that connected them to each other was their robotic nature.

So why did they feel so sad at the moment?

And why did they feel guilty for what they were about to do?

Once again, there were no answers. And to be honest, they getting sick and tired of feeling that way. Lately, nothing seemed to make sense anymore and whatever reality existed before then had been completely shattered. Ever since they discovered the existence of this robotic organisms nothing was the same. And they didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. But they didn't have time to dwell on such matters, they had an assignment to carry out.

Silas was hoping to lure one of the sides to them by capturing the robot. He was rooting for the Decepticons to show up so he can take what he needed from them as well. Jack thought that he was getting ahead of himself, but Silas always proved to be smug and overconfident. Especially when he thought he had the upper hand, after all none of the robots knew about his secret weapon… or rather secret weapons.

As powerful as they were, they weren't invincible. They could get hurt… they could get killed. But Silas either chose to ignore those possibilities or he simply didn't care. Personally, Jack thought it was the latter. Silas never cared about something unless it worked in his favor. That's the only reason why he kept Raf alive, and that's why Jack had to make up for his leader's indiscretions.

"Right here," Raf stated. "Silas said he wants it here."

"Okay then," Jack responded and then he turned to his female companion. "Miko."

"I'm on it," she answered.

The girl walked over to the location and she pulled out what she had been carrying. It was a robotic eye. Breakdown's eye to be precise. She set it gently on the area and took several steps back, he looked to her male companions.

"Your turn boys," she teased.

Jack and Raf smiled a little at her playful tone before they got to work. Jack uncovered the bomb he had been carrying and placed it in a hidden location underneath the eyeball. He backed away and allowed Raf to finish his work. The youngest member of the group mess with the buttons and pulled on the right wires until the time was set.

"All that's left is to wait," he said. "And hide."

"Until the right moment that is," Miko added. "You know that Silas hates to get his hands dirty, that's why he sends us."

"How lucky we are," Jack said sarcastically.

The other two nodded their heads in agreement. But what could they do about it? Ever since they were born, Silas had full control over their lives. And he even before that. Their very conceptions were the products of Silas's need for control and power. Never in their lives did they feel like they had a choice, this was no different. While a part of them was anxious to see what MECH discovered about the giant robots, at the same time they couldn't deny that Silas was doing this more so for himself than them.

After all, Silas had just admitted to them that even he didn't know what their full capabilities were. He was still learning, just like them. This was more beneficial for him in the long run. The more he knew, the more control and power he had over them.

But they had a feeling that Silas knew more than he was letting on. They had learned some things from Silas's admission. Apparently, there had been an original source of CNA. They thought that much, but Silas had never told them what exactly it was. Now at least they had somewhat of an idea. They couldn't believe that original source was enough to warrant a project like Chimera.

Nor could they believe that someone was willing to spend so much time and resources on something they didn't fully comprehend. But then again, Silas wasn't the first human to do so. They had heard stories of people discovering new things simply by being curious, and sometimes that curiosity came with unfortunate consequences.

You take many risks to make a success. That's what Silas believed, and that has always been the foundation of their existence. And yes, there were many risks still ahead of them. This was one of those times. The youngest of the group could feel the tension in the air, and decided to try and lighten the mood a little. A small smile grew on his face as he stared at his leader.

"Well at least we have our shield here with us," Raf commented.

The two older techno-organics looked at their young friend, Jack especially. And he couldn't help but smile over the title. That was a little inside joke between the three half beings. For as long as he could remember, Jack had always been called the shield of their group. And there was a good reason for that. Some people might see it as a literal meaning, but Jack always saw it as metaphor. Despite hating his leadership position at times, he couldn't deny that he didn't find joy in protecting those he cared about.

So far Miko and Raf were the only ones to ever reach such a status. They were his friends and the only ones of his kind. Despite knowing about the existence of other robotic lifeforms, Jack still felt like they were the only ones he could rely on. And that's why he took his leadership role so seriously, he would protect Miko and Raf until the very end. He would go down fighting for them, because that was his responsibility as their leader and their closest ally.

And that's why he was their shield.

Jack reached out to his youngest companion and ruffled his hair a little. The young boy smiled even more, and he laughed a little as well. Miko couldn't help but share their affection. She smiled and gave her young friend a pat on the back. No matter what they would learn or would happen they would always have each other, they knew that for a fact.

That's when they heard the sounds of heavy footsteps, they could also feel the ground shaking as a result. The three techno-organics were now on the defensive.

"Let's go," Jack whispered. "Scatter."

They nodded their heads as they took off in opposite directions. They hid in the darkness as they watched shadows form on the ground, and soon those shadows were joined by actual bodies. The robots were here! But to their surprise, it wasn't who they were expecting. These robots weren't the Decepticons, they were the Autobots!

"Why would the Autobots risk their lives over an enemy?" Jack questioned silently to himself. "Either these robots don't have any logic… or they're just that naïve."

Either way, he waited for the right moment. They were supposed to watch over the robots and see to their destruction if the bomb wasn't enough. And for some reason, Jack had a feeling that it wouldn't be enough. But nevertheless, he waited.

The Autobots scavenged the area in the hopes of locating Breakdown, a Decepticon Wrecker who had recently bested one of their own. However, they weren't doing this because they hoped that he would join their side. Rather, the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime, believed that it was wrong to leave a Cybertronian defenseless. He believed that freedom was the right of all sentient beings, even his enemies. His team didn't always agreed with him but Optimus had never given them a reason to turn away. He was as loyal, strong, dedicated and kind as they come. There was no one like Optimus Prime.

Plus, they were hoping to avoid MECH getting their hands on Cybertronian technology. The soldiers of MECH proved that they were capable of handling advanced pieces of machinery. Primus knows what they would do if they had their technology in their hands.

Little did the Autobots know that MECH actually already acquired their technology long ago. And they were waiting to use it against them.

Jack, Miko and Raf waited for the right moment. They knew that Silas had planned every little thing down to the smallest detail. First, the group would detect the presence of a robot. Second, they would head to the location only to find Breakdown's eye. Third, the group would attempt to find out what Breakdown saw in his final moments using his eye. Fourth, they would intercept the two way feed broadcasted by Silas and MECH. Fifth, Silas would gloat and make them aware of his plans.

And sixth, the bomb would go off.

Which would be right about…

The sounds of an explosion could be heard.

…Now!

Jack, Miko and Raf saw the Autobots jump backward, away from the blazing inferno. Now was their moment to strike! And so they emerged from their hiding places, as they did their bodies transformed into their robotic halves. Their landings caused the ground to vibrate, the motions alerted the Autobots to their presence. Jackson, Miko and Rafael prepared themselves for the inevitable battle between the two sides. They just hoped that they didn't fail to live up to Silas's expectations… or else they would be punished. Severely.


The Autobots knew they were walking into a trap when they were made aware of Breakdown's capture. Despite their best judgement, they still fell for it. Not only had a bomb been denoted with the intention to terminate them, but now it seems like they had company as well. At first, they had been expecting MECH's soldiers, but much to their shock and horror, it was something more than that.

There, standing right before them were three Cybertronians!

Or what looked to be Cybertronians. But how could they not be? They were about as tall as them, and they possessed the physical features of them as well. However, they were quick to notice that these Cybertronians didn't possess the typical blue or red optics as them or the Decepticons, with the exception of one. Then again, some of their kind didn't possess them such as Airachnid and Breakdown. But that still didn't explain their presence in this world.

"There are other Cybertronians here on this planet?" Arcee questioned.

But the medic of their team scoffed at the idea of it.

"Impossible!" Ratchet exclaimed. "Our scanners should have picked up their signals!"

That's when the small yellow bot spoke using some strange sound effects.

"But two of them have brown optics, I've never seen that from a Cybertronian before."

His teammates were quick to agree with him on that, there was something different about these three Cybertronians. But they didn't seem to be in the mood for explanations, because just when they were about to speak to them directly they lunged toward them!


Jack, Miko and Raf could hear the robots talking amongst each other, but their mission wasn't to listen. It was to act. They were tasked with keeping these robots busy long enough to where MECH could get what they needed from their captive. Besides, they would be lying if they said that they weren't interested in seeing what these robots were capable of. They had gotten some glimpses of Breakdown, but they had been in their human forms as they did so. Now they were in their second forms, and they were actually going to be fighting these beings.

Overall, it was going to be a rather interesting and exciting duel. Three techno-organics and four Cybertronians stared at each other in a dangerous game of chess.

Within seconds, their face masks covered their expressions as they readied their weapons. Miko was the first to pull out hers, she was always ready to go when it came to a fight of this magnitude. And that's why it was fitting for her weapon to be a flail. Her wrecking ball personality suited her wrecking ball flail. And one things for sure, she enjoyed using it whenever she could. All of the techno-organics had a pair of blasters located on their arms, but Raf was the one who used his as his main weapon source.

Raf's arms transformed into two small blasters, they were powered by the very energy they had been feeding on during their lifetimes. As stated before, Raf wasn't as physically strong as his two predecessors, but he was a genius when it came to calculations. His visor acted as a computer screen that connected to the weapon components of his body.

They made it easier for him to acquire his target through his blasters. All he had to do was do a quick set of calculations, and he had what he needed. They also had other uses such as chemical composition and scanners. As strange as it sounded, Raf was looking forward to using his intellectual skills in battle. He wanted to prove to the others, and himself, that he was more than capable of handling his own in battle.

As for Jack, he summoned the only two weapons he ever trusted in battle. A part of his arm shifted to form a sharp sword. Bu he wasn't done yet, there was another trick had up his sleeve. Ever since he was young there was a special ability Jack had, one that his two companions didn't possess. But he wasn't going to use it just yet, he had to wait for the right moment. For now he would use his weapon along with hand to hand combat. He wouldn't fail this mission, and he wouldn't let his friends get hurt.

They charged at the Autobots, their enemies. Well, their supposed enemies at least.

The four Autobots were still lost in thought when the three new Cybertronians attacked them. But they had been through many battles before this one, so they were used to being prepared. At this point, their bodies acted on instinct, they readied their weapons and counterattacked. Not surprisingly Miko attacked first, she pulled the chain of her flail and extended it long enough to where she used it to knock down the first robot she encountered.

Ratchet was about to launch an attack against the young femme, but she managed to tangle his legs with the chain of her flail. He landed harshly on the ground, and she wasn't done yet. The femme jumped up into the air and landed right on his chassis! Ratchet let out a pained gasp as he coughed up some energon. He couldn't believe how strong this young bot was, there was such brute force in her attack. The medic didn't have time to recover as Miko raised the head of her flail and was about to land a harsh blow to Ratchet's face.

Arcee was about to protect her leader from any sort of attack when she spotted Ratchet getting his senses knocked out of him. The medic was defenseless compared to the rest of them, he wasn't used to being on the battlefield. But his skills lied elsewhere, he was a genius when it came to their science and life. And that's why Arcee knew that she had to protect him, with Ratchet gone there was no them. They weren't Autobots without their medic. And so, Arcee rushed over to her teammate and readied her energon blaster.

"Get away from him!" she shouted.

Next thing Miko knew, she was knocked to the ground by a strong force. Miko gasped as she landed on the rough terrain, she felt a small burning sensation on her side, she looked to see a small ash mark there. Then she saw the female robot standing before her, a blaster was in her hands.

Miko came to the realization that she had been hit with a blaster, one that didn't belong to her comrades. It wasn't the first time Miko had been struck in such a fashion. During their training sessions, Jack, Miko and Raf were told to never hold back against each other. They had used their own weapons against one another in a fight several times before. It was how they built a tolerance to pain, and it worked too. Miko couldn't feel the pain because she was used to it. And so, she stood up from the ground and readied her flail.

"So that's how you want to play it huh?" she questioned.

The female Autobot looked surprised that she could speak, but she didn't say anything on the matter. That was fine with Miko, she hated small talk. She rather use her actions than her words. And speaking of actions, she started to swing the flail above her head.

"Well that's just fine with me," she added.

That's when she guided her flail to its target. Miko smirked behind her mask as it hit the female robot. Then she brought the head back to her and lunged forward. She clenched her robotic hands into fists and landed a harsh blow to the robot's midsection. The female grunted as she was tossed back from the attack. When Miko attacked, she aimed to hurt. That's all she had ever been taught, and it's all she knew.

Meanwhile, Raf was busy dealing with his own foe. The yellow bot turned his attention to him as his comrades made their way to the others. Raf thought that it was because of his small stature that that drew this robot to him. After all, he could see that this yellow Autobot was the smallest amongst them, and it looked to be the youngest as well. It was just like him. Raf found it odd that he could relate to this strange lifeform despite not knowing anything about it. All he knew was that it was supposed to be his enemy. And he couldn't disobey, the last thing he wanted was for his friends to be hurt because of his actions, especially Jack.

And so, he readied himself for the battle between them. His visor scanned the robot before running calculations ran through the screen. Within seconds he had his answer, he was given a clear shot. Raf aimed his blaster and fired it directly at the robot. The yellow bot was hit at his chest plate, he let out small cries as he was trusted backwards from the attack. Raf aimed another blast at him and fired once more. But before it could reach its target, the small Autobot transformed into his vehicle mode and avoided the attack as a result. This caught Raf off guard, but he wasn't dissuaded from his mission.

"Seems like you've got some tricks as well," Raf whispered.

That made the challenge all the more interesting to the young genius. He started to run some more calculations through his visor until he finally found what he was searching for. He composed a chemical concoction and released it into his circuits. His blasters were replaced as the chemical component was released into the atmosphere. A thick cloud started to form around them, so much so that it hid Raf's body from view.

Bumblebee was about to drive toward the enemy when the cloud of strange chemical made his form disappear into the smoke. Then he too was consumed by the dense fog. He quickly transformed back into his robot mode, but as soon as he did so he was hit from the back. Once again, he let out another cry. He pulled out his blasters and shot at the hidden enemy. But his efforts proved to be in vain as he was hit once again, this time from another direction.

Then it happened again, and then again, and then again. By the time he knew it, Bumblebee was trapped in a cloud of attacks. He was getting hit all over his body, and he was getting frustrated with the result. His voice whirled and buzzed with anger.

"Come out and face me like a Cybertronian!"

Raf remained hidden from view, but he could hear what the robot was saying. The young half being couldn't help but silently scoff. He wasn't a Cybertronian, at least not entirely or by birth. So that statement couldn't apply to him. Plus, Raf found it strange that this Autobot was the only one to speak in such a way. And he found it stranger that he was able to understand it. He wondered if the same could be said for his companions. Maybe it was because of their robotic half.

But he didn't focus on that for long as he returned his attention back to his target. He decided he let out another attack, his visor scanned through the smoke and located the robot. Once he was given the right coordinates, he aimed his blasters at it. They were fired and the sounds of the robot's cries could be heard. He had hit it, and for some reason Raf felt an overwhelming sense of guilt flood him. He didn't understand why though, after all he didn't know this being. But maybe he sympathized with it because of how young it looked. He could see the anxiety in the robot's optics, it was afraid. And it reminded him so much of himself.

But he had a mission to accomplish. And it was either finish it or face Silas's wrath. With that in mind, he aimed his blaster at the robot yet again.

As for the last techno-organic, Jack turned his sights onto the biggest Autobot of the group. And Jack could tell that out of all of them, this one was the strongest. Not to mention that it was obviously the leader of the group. A leader against a leader, Jack found it somewhat symbolic. Nevertheless, he positioned his sword at the right angle and lunged at the giant robotic being.

Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots and the strongest of them all, was watching as his teammates were fighting against these new Cybertronians. Despite seeing it, Optimus couldn't believe it. When they first came to this planet, they were lead to believe that they were the ones here. And that included the Decepticons as well. But if that was the case, then why were these young bots here.

And that's what immediately caught Optimus's attention about them. These Cybertronians looked so young, around the same age as Bumblebee, maybe even younger than that. But they fought like warriors, they were as agile and powerful as any Cybertronian. However, Optimus couldn't deny that there was something off about these young bots. They looked like them, and yet they didn't at the same time. Optimus found this very strange. But he didn't have time to dwell on it for long as one of the young bots headed towards him!

With his weapon shining, Jack lunged at the leader, his efforts were blocked at the giant robot grabbed his arm. Jack grunted a little as he struggle to tug the strong grip away from him, he clenched his free hand into a fist as he prepared to punch Optimus right in his faceplate. But once again the Autobot leader managed to grabbed ahold of him.

Jack and Optimus, two leaders in their own right, were now stuck together in a battle of wits and strength. Despite holding onto the young bot, Optimus couldn't deny that he was having some trouble keeping him there. He could feel the young one's power trying to overcome his. However, Optimus was not about to hurt this young Cybertronian without trying to reason with him first.

"Stop!" Optimus exclaimed. "We don't have to fight."

Optimus had never been one to resort to violence first. Back when he was Orion Pax, he always tried to use his words instead of his fists. It's what earned him the title of Prime. Besides, there was something about this new enemy that made him want to avoid hurting him and his teammates.

"You have no chance of winning. You're outnumbered," Optimus added. "Surrender now or face the consequences."

But the young bot didn't look convinced, instead he looked enraged. Once again, Optimus could feel the raw strength emitting from this young Cybertronian. It was so animalistic… like a predator trying to dispatch its prey. Optimus had never felt such an energy before, and honestly it terrified him a little.

Meanwhile, Jack couldn't believe what he had just heard from this robot. It wanted him to give up? How dare it suggest something like that. Jack never had a choice before in his entire life. He never wanted this. He never wanted to be a soldier for MECH, and he certainly didn't ask to be a techno-organic. But this was the life he had been cursed with!

And if there was any consolation for all the bad he had done or had been forced to do, it was that he had Miko and Raf. They were his closest allies, they were connected in many ways. Plus, they were the last and only ones of their kind. Having them gave him a reason to fight… but it also gave him a reason to protect them as well. And that included from Silas himself sometimes. Over the years Jack had taken the brunt of the abuse inflicted by MECH and Silas. It was never easy, but he remembered that Miko and Raf were always waiting for him at the end.

This robot didn't know anything. It didn't know what would be waiting for him if he allowed himself to give up. They would all be punished, and he would never allow Miko and Raf to get hurt because of him. He had to protect them, and unfortunately that meant that he had to do bad things in order to do so. And some of those bad things include fighting and taking apart robots like this. He glared at the Autobot leader.

"We may be outnumbered," Jack started.

With that Jack pulled his arm free from Optimus, he then held his sword high above his head and brought it down with full force. Optimus managed to block the sword with his arm, but he couldn't deny that the action hurt him. He let out a small grunt as the pain surged through his circuits. Jack was satisfied to have hit his target.

"But you're out of your depth!" he exclaimed.

That's when he raised the sword for another attack, but this time the giant robot was prepared for it. Despite being injured Optimus dodge the attack and managed to land a blow in the young bot's chassis. Jack gasped from the shock of the hit, it made him land on his knees. But before he could experience another blow, Jack lunged away from the Autobot leader.

He was about to aim a direct shot at the robot's chest plate, when he heard the familiar cries of his friends. He turned around and let out a small gasp as he watched Raf get punched by the yellow Autobot. Not just once but multiple times!

Raf had been hiding in his smoke cloud when Bumblebee decided to transform into his vehicle mode, with the expectation of his arms. They were armed with his blasters, he was going to blast his way out. He drove around in circles and aimed his blasters at the cloud of smoke surrounding him. And his efforts were rewarded as he heard cries of pain. He had hit his enemy, and he discovered his exact location in doing so. With that in mind, Bumblebee started to punch at the young bot. The last thing he wanted was for the strange Cybertronian to gain the upper hand over him again. And that's why he had to subdue him.

Raf cried out in pain as he was hit by both the blasters and fists. The recoil sent him scurrying on the ground, he groaned a little as he struggled to stand up. He watched as the yellow Autobot now stood over him, in full robot form. Blue optics meet brown optics, the youngest of each group were staring at each other. And in that moment, Jack feared the worst. Raf was down, and Miko was busy fighting off the blue femme. And then there was him, he was preoccupied with the leader of the group.

That's when he saw the yellow Autobot reach towards Raf, his eyes widen with horror. He could only imagine what the bot was planning, he couldn't let it touch Raf! As stated before, he was responsible for Miko and Raf's safety. He was their leader! And then there was Miko, the girl was holding her own against the female Autobot but she couldn't keep it up forever. Especially not when Raf was in need of help. He had to do something. With a protective glare on his face, he shouted at his adversaries.

"Enough!" Jack exclaimed.

He held his arm out to his comrades and did the only thing he could do at this point. Jack concentrated all of his energy into his hand and he focused on Miko and Raf's locations. He prayed that he wasn't too late to protect those that he held dear to him. There was another reason why Jack was referred to as the shield of his group. And these Autobots were about to see why.

The Autobots thought they had their enemies in a corner when something strange happened. A bright blue appeared in front of Arcee and Bumblebee! And that's not all, the force of it knocked them away from the young techno-organics. The femme and young mech grunted as they landed harshly on the ground. Ratchet was quick to rush to their sides as Optimus stared on in disbelief. That's when they all realized what had just happened. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Right in front of the two young bots was a bright blue light that resembled a shield.

Miko and Raf let out a small gasp as they finally saw the light. But their surprise quickly went away because they knew what it was. This was the true potential of Jackson, MECH's first success. This is why he was the shield. Not only was he a protector but it was also his main weapon. Miko and Raf always found it fitting that it was a shield, it fit his personality and his role.

It was something Jack took pride in, and it seemed like the Autobots couldn't help but stand in awe over such a gift.

"Remarkable," Optimus whispered.

Then his optics wandered to the source of such a sight, he saw that the eldest bot held his hand out to his comrades. Jack caught sight of the head Autobot's stare, and he couldn't help but smirk a little under his mask.

"I told you that you were out of your depth," he stated.

That's when Jack's hand wavered, his friends were safe now and he no longer had any need for his shield. The light faded away and Raf and Miko let out a sigh of relief as they faced their comrade. Once again, the two leaders of the groups were face to face. Foe against foe, but despite that Optimus couldn't help but gaze into the young bot optics. They told the story of a warrior, one that had been fighting since they day he was created and one that protected those he cared about.

But that wasn't all Optimus saw, he saw fear. This young mech was scared, but not of them. He was scared of something else. At that observation Optimus couldn't help but sympathize with him, both with him and his teammates. He knew that fear all too well thought. His kind were at war with each other, and Optimus had seen many younglings forced to become warriors and charge into battle. Most of them didn't survive, and those who did bore the scars of such fights.

His young scout was an example of such horrors. Bumblebee had lost his voice in an effort to protect their cause. And to this very day, he was without speech. Instead, he had been forced to rely on radio noises. Not a day went by that Optimus didn't blame himself for not doing more to protect the youngest of his group. And it was all the more reason to fight against the enemy, against the Decepticons and Megatron.

The young mech that stood before him seem to be an embodiment of fear, pain and suffering. And it was for that reason that Optimus wanted to reason with him. The last thing he wanted was for more younglings to lose themselves in a battle.

"Who are you?" Optimus questioned.

The question amused Jack, but he couldn't blame the large mech for asking. After all, this was the first time they were fighting against them in their full robotic forms. This was more than just a simple mission, this was a confrontation. But Jack couldn't deny that he found some comfort in the soothing voice of the mech. It sounded both powerful and diplomatic at the same time, nothing at all like Silas and his men. Plus, this was the first time someone other than MECH wanted to know more about him and his teammates. But Jack knew that he couldn't allow this Autobot to blind his judgement. If he did, then they would all be in trouble. And he wasn't about to forsake the safety of his friends because of this Autobot.

"Someone whom the likes of you have never encountered before," he answered.

Jack wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the whole truth at the same time. He didn't owe this mech any answers. Instead, he preferred to leave them in the dark, especially when they still had many advantages over them. In fact, there was one last resort they could rely on if things were to go completely south. But so far, Jack didn't see any reason to use it now.

But before Jack, Miko or Raf could make any other moves, their communication links were connected to Silas. His voice echoed through their helms.

"Jackson, Miko, Rafael," he stated.

He didn't sound too happy. And when Silas wasn't happy, that meant bad news.

"Commander," Jack greeted. "What's wrong?"

"One of those blasted Autobots has penetrated the base!" he yelled.

"What!" Miko exclaimed. "How many of these Autobots are there?"

"I don't know, but one of them is here and it looks like he's trying to free Breakdown!"

The youngest of the techno-organics finally stood up from the ground and he dusted himself off before fixing his visor.

"I never thought that these Autobots would go this far for their enemy," Raf commented.

"Neither did I," Silas responded. "But whatever the case, you all need to fall back right now. We've acquired what we've needed from Breakdown, he is no longer of use to us. They can have their broken parts."

The three teammates looked at each other before nodding their heads in agreement. If Silas saw no reason to continue with this fight, then they didn't need to waste their time here anymore. Besides, it wasn't a total lost. They had learned more about their enemies combat skills, along with their anatomy.

"Roger sir," Jack said.

With that, Jack turned to the youngest of his comrades.

"Fall back!" he exclaimed. "Raf, take us out of here!"

The youngest of the group nodded and calculated the correct formula for a smoke bomb on his visor. Once he had the answer, he allowed his systems to release the concoction into the atmosphere. A thick and powerful smog filled the air and it surrounded their forms.

The Autobots could see what the younglings were doing, they were trying to escape! And that's not all, apparently these younglings had a leader! They had heard them speaking to a silent voice in their helms, and that made them all the more concerned about who they were dealing with. Still, there was something about the three young ones that made Optimus want to know more about them.

"Wait!" Optimus exclaimed.

Before Jack and the others disappeared completely, he turned around to look at the Autobots one last time. And to his surprise, the leader… Optimus Prime… was staring right back at him. Their optics clashed with each other and Jack couldn't help but feel as if he were connected to the robot in some way.

But he knew better than that. The only reason he felt that way was because of his robotic half, there was nothing more to it than that. And so, Jack turned around and continued to run away until his form was clouded by the debris and smoke. Once he was out of sight he transformed into his human mode and he joined his teammates. They entered into the closest abandoned building and escaped through the tunnels hidden below the area. MECH had thought of everything when they chose this place for the set up, and that included an escape route.

Without another word needing to be said, they headed back to MECH headquarters, and to their leader. The man who was responsible for their creation and current situation. But as they traveled, they knew that they would never forget this day. After all, this was the first time they ever interacted with one of their kind, even if they weren't entirely from the same race.


Meanwhile, back outside the area were the Autobots. They were still recovering from both their battles and their shock. They couldn't believe that they had just fought with Cybertronians that weren't Decepticons. And they were younger than any of the opponents they had dealt with before. That's the part that truly disturbs them.

But their enemies seemed to be capable of many surprises, because they just watched them disappear from their sights. This wouldn't be surprising, except for the fact that they didn't see them transform into their vehicle modes or hear any engine sounds. They just seemed to disappear as quickly as they appeared.

That's when the femme of the group pursued the strange beings. She ran right into the smoke cloud with her blasters out and open. She was prepared for any form of combat, but their assumptions were proven correct when she couldn't find them anywhere. She grunted a little, and even stomped her leg into the ground.

"This doesn't make sense, how could three giant beings just disappear like that?" she questioned.

That's when the medic of the team stood up from the ground, he rubbed the injuries he sustained from the young femme. He winced a little as he felt the sting of it reach his circuits. Never in his life had he been hit with such brutal force, it was so feral and animal-like. Not even the Decepticons could measure up to this level. But then he turned his attention back to his teammates.

"How in Primus's name is this possible?" Ratchet asked. "We were just attacked by Cybertronians, why didn't our sensors pick up their presence?"

"Do you think they were Decepticons?"Bumblebee said. "They fought like Decepticons."

The Autobot leader heard all of his comrades' questions, and he was sad to say that he didn't have a good enough answer for any of them. This was certainly a first of all of them, especially when these younglings seemed to appear out of nowhere. He couldn't deny that he wasn't as interested as the others. There was something familiar about them though.

"I don't believe they were Decepticons," Optimus noted. "If they were, they would have made their way to Breakdown. But instead they chose to engage us in combat. And it looks like they were prepared for our arrival, they fought like true warriors."

Optimus could still feel the pain emitting from his arm, where the sword had struck. It even left a mark, something that Ratchet would have to repair later on. Bumblebee and Arcee also felt the side effects from their fight. They couldn't deny Optimus's words. Whoever these beings were, they certainly knew how to leave a mark where it hurt the most. But before they could dwell on it anymore, they received a transmission from their missing teammate, the Wrecker known as Bulkhead.

"This is Bulkhead, I need back up!" Bulkhead exclaimed.

That's when they returned back to reality, Bulkhead's voice sounded desperate. And they knew that they put their thoughts aside in order to help their comrade.

"Autobots, transform and rollout!" Optimus stated firmly.

As soon as they were given the orders, the group of Cybertronians transformed and they followed their leader to their destination. Within minutes they arrived and they came to Bulkhead's aid. He was busy fighting off Decepticons, including Breakdown himself. They quickly intervened and managed to scare off the enemies. Bulkhead cheered for his victory over his rival, even if he did rescue him from MECH. But either way, he had completed what they had set out to do. Normally, they would be happy for their friend, but they were still troubled over what they had just experienced.

"You won't believe the crazy day I've had," Bulkhead stated.

But the yellow bot and only femme rolled their optics over the comment. Somehow they doubted that, at this point they were sure they had seen everything and would believe anything that was put in front of them.

"I bet it's nothing compared to what we've been through just now," Bumblebee added.

This puzzled the green Autobot, and he titled his head in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"It's a long story big guy," Arcee responded.

First Bulkhead explained how he got here and how he rescued Breakdown. Then they explained the situation to him, and none of them spared on any of the details. By the time it was over, the Wrecker had a look of shock on his faceplate.

"What!" he exclaimed. "Three other Cybertronians? Here on this planet?"

"It appears so," Optimus stated.

"I wouldn't have believe it myself, if I didn't see it,"Bumblebee commented.

"But they fought against us, so they can't be Autobots," Ratchet added. "However, they didn't appear to be interested in the rescue of Breakdown, so one can assume that they're not Decepticons either."

"And they were so young," Arcee said. "Younger than Bumblebee as a matter of fact."

The young bot chirped in agreement, and the green bot was left to process everything. He certainly hadn't been expecting this. He came here to find Breakdown, and maybe exact some revenge on him in the process, and fight MECH. But this was really something. After all this time, they had assumed that they were the only Cybertronians on this planet. But now it looked like they had been proven wrong. However, Bulkhead's processor became filled with many questions. And he was quick to ask his leader.

"So what do we do now?" he questioned. "I mean given what you've told me it's not like we can go after them."

Optimus stood silent, many thoughts ran through his processor as he contemplated what was their next course of action. Normally, this would be something for them to deal with. But they didn't have enough information to go on. It seemed like they would have to get their human allies involved. There was only one human they could go to whenever it was something out of their reach, and that was Special Agent William Fowler. He was their connection to the human government, and the reason why they were able to stay in hiding for so long. It appeared that they would need his aid once again.

"We will return to the base, and contact Agent Fowler on the matter. Perhaps he can help us with the surveillance of these young bots," Optimus stated. "Maybe we can get sightings of them and isolate their location."

The others knew that it was a somewhat flawed plan, even Optimus knew that. But what choice did they have at this point? They had little to nothing to go on, and were desperate for answers. And so they agreed.

"Autobots, let us head back to base."

With that the Autobots transformed into their vehicle modes and traveled back to their base, but the Autobot leader stayed behind for several more seconds. Optimus had always been known for caring about younglings. He felt like they were the future, and therefore they needed to be set on the right path as soon as possible. A part of him hoped that he would see those young bots again, and maybe learn more about them. As crazy as it sounded, he was hoping that maybe they could become more than just enemies. They were at war, and they needed all the allies they could get. But he had a feeling that this wouldn't be an easy task to accomplish. Especially when these young Cybertronians showed no obvious signs of alliance.

"I fear that there may be more to it than meets the eye," Optimus stated.

And with that he left to join his teammates, little did he know that he was right about his assumptions. There really was more to this story than meets the eye.

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