NEW CHAPTEEEEEERRR!

Disclaimer: Don't own Transformers unfortunately.

Warnings: not at the moment, now.

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Chapter 6

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Ratchet looked up at the screen when a loud beeping noise was heard in alarm. Immediately, he turned from Optimus, who was going over a few reports delivered to him by Agent Fowler, and the old mech's went to the monitor and began to type his digits away at the keyboards when he saw a red blip of light form and move through the diagram map of Earth's atmosphere.

A small hum of curiosity and an optic ridge quirked in question, the old medic went to magnify the unidentified object. It could possibly be one of Earth's satellites falling, or an abnormally large meteorite heading down towards the planet's surface. The medic honestly didn't feel any need to worry much, unless it endangered the entire population, Cybertronians included.

His optics widened slightly when the screen enlarged and gave a clear image of what was coming towards Earth and aimed to land somewhere in the continental mass of Africa where the Sahara Desert was located.

"Optimus," he called to the Prime, "I think you need to see this…"

The red and blue mech looked up in slight curiosity, and went to see what the medic had discovered. His antennae perked straight up with his optic brightening slightly at the data he received.

"By the Well of Allsparks…." He breathed.

Ratchet stared at well, his jaw hanging loosely for a moment before he spoke, "I-It's Cybertronian….."

"…..can you time it's landing and pinpoint it's coordinates?"

The older medic looked at Prime, shuttering his optics in a flabbergasted expression, before he nodded, "I can approximate that it will crash land in approximately twenty minutes somewhere in the Sahara Desert of the human continent, Africa."

"Mmmmm."

"…would you like me to call in Bumblebee, Arcee and Breakdown to investigate?" Ratchet inquired.

"No." Prime replied, quick and sure, "I will ask Shrapnel, Silversun, and Maximum to go investigate."

"THOSE three?!" the stern look from Optimus, made Ratchet just stare at him with wide optics, "Optimus, with all due respect, those three youngsters together do not know when to be quiet. Silversun with Arachne and Viral, or possible Shrapnel and Webshock may be more suitable for—"

"Ratchet." The sharp cut off, had the medic staring at his old friend, "For all we know, it is merely an old scrap ship, empty and simply shot into space to dispose of it. Besides, I believe Maximum is ready to go on a mission and he works very well with the young Insecticon warrior and the young medic you are training. If there are any problems they will comm. us first thing"

Ratchet raised a servo to protest, but another pointed look had him silent. He knew when Optimus made up his mind it was to be done with no questions asked. The medic grumbled as he got a lock on the ship and began downloading its location onto a handheld tracker so that the team wouldn't be lost, while the Prime comm. linked Shrapnel and informed her of the mission as well as ordered her to also make sure Silversun and Maximum knew right away.

"I shall inform Megatron and the senior warriors of this new development. You will inform the three of their mission and give them directions. Wish them luck for me," Optimus left the control room, reports forgotten at the moment.

….

Maximum was driving back to the main road when his comm. link went off.

He checked the frequency for identification before answering it. He smiled internally as he did so.

"So, how's my favorite Lady Bug?"

"Hardy-har-har," was the reply from the rough, deep femme voice, "I'm fine, how are you elf-bot?"

Maximum would have rolled his optics if he was in robot mode, "Okay, just wondering why you just referred me to an organic, mythical humanoid being with pointy ears that makes toys or bakes cookies."

"Not my fault your antennae remind me of them, especially the way the flicker back and forth. It's actually very cute," a small giggle followed the end of the sentence.

"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted by that assumption because technically elves are short with high, squeaky voices and are not rewarded for their hard work and yet humans seemed to have a great likeness for them despite how annoying they are."

"Not to mention they are cute and funny. Like a certain best friend of mine!" the Insecticon femme replied back to him.

"Aaw, thanks Shrapnel. What happened back at base?"

Whenever anyone bothered to compliment or make a nice comment to Maximum, it usually meant something had happened back home be it an explosion from the laboratories, a fight that ended with someone harmed or when something happened.

"Your Dad ordered me to contact you for a mission…"

Maxi screeched to a sudden stop, his tires scrapping along the dark tar and leaving streaks on the old abandoned road he and Blockade would usually race on with their human partners.

"Wanna run that by me again?"

"You heard me Maxi. Your Dad is sending you, me, and Silversun on a mission to investigate some strange object that should be on earth sometime soon."

Maximum remained where he was for a mere moment, before he replied "Tell the Hatchet to bridge me back to base, please?"

"Aye-aye captain!" was the smart reply before the comm. was cut sort.

Maximum remained on the road for a moment to try and get over his shock at the news. Then he whooped before his wheel squealed back into action and he drove at his highest speed in the process. Excitement and anxiety became a bittersweet mix that swirled through his systems and gave him a sudden new energy boost. It caused him to lose track of what he was doing before he was spinning on his wheels across the road, bouncing up and down on them.

"I am going, on a mission, all right, uh-huh!" he rolled back and forth and honked his horn, before a swirling whirlpool of color appeared behind him.

He turned in his alt. mode and drove right back through it straight into the base.

…..

A tall mech entered the med. bay at the summons. He was slightly taller than Optimus, just enough that he could look over his helm easily without having to stand on the tips of his pedes. Small winglets formed on his back, while the rest of him was sleek but he also had a bit of bulk to his armor.

He stared as Maximum entered the base and transformed before he gave a smirk and crossed his arms over his chest plates. The blue and silver mech was doing some sort of happy dance that involved the Egyptian walk. His amber optics glittered in amusement when Maximum grabbed a surprised Ratchet and began doing the tango with him.

"M-Maxi! What the frag?!"

Maxi laughed—a very cute and happy one in Silversun's audios—as he had Ratchet in a dip.

"I take it you got the message?"

CLANG!

The old medic was flat on his back, as the young Prime-in-training looked at Silversun with a blush on his porcelain face plates. He rubbed the back of his helm, while Ratchet cursed and got off the cold concrete floor.

"Maximum, you…!"

"Easy Doc, this is his first mission. He's just excited, ya know?" Shrapnel, the femme Insecticon entered the control room.

Ratchet continued to mutter his curses as he was helped up by Silversun.

"So, where's Strika?" the silver mech asked.

The old mech shrugged, "She went out for a joyride with Nightracer," he cleared his intakes, before he turned to the trio, "As you three may well know, Optimus had assigned you for a mission to the Sahara for an investigation of a strange object about to land there. Now, it is doubtful that there are any Cybertronians inside, but if there is inform us immediately and be wary of any symbols on the ship."

"Symbols…?" Maximum asked with a raised optic ridge.

The medic tapped at the read mark on his chest plates, "If you see this red symbol on it, approach it and comm. us immediately. If you see this one…" he tapped at the console, as a violet Decepticon symbol appeared, "Again, comm. us but do not approach it until one of us gets there. This is not a training exercise, therefore we cannot afford any slip-ups," he turned to give them a narrowed optic look, "Do I make myself clear?"

The three stood at attention and saluted him, "Sir, yes sir!"

"Alright then, the object should have—" the alarm went off and drowned out whatever he had to say, making the four turn to the screen and see a small blip on the continent of Africa, "It's landed. I will send you there via Ground Bridge," he went to the controls, put in the coordinates from the main computer and activated the space bridge, "Use this. It's a tracker you can use in case you are ways away from it. And the Prime wishes you good luck."

Maximum couldn't stop the smile forming on his face plates, as he passed Ratchet. Silversun took the scanner and gave a nod to his mentor with a small smile before he entered the bridge as well. Shrapnel walked after them with her wings flickering in anticipation.

As the three disappeared, a worried look crossed Ratchet's face plates. He turned back to the console and made sure he had their comm. signals on screen while silently praying that whatever the unidentified object was, it wasn't dangerous.

…..

The Moon beamed down on the three, while the wind whipped at them mercilessly as the entered the desert in its night time chill. The space bridge behind them closed as they exited it from it. Maximum's armor immediately was slightly chilled by the cold.

Silversun stiffened a little as he walked into the cool blue night with the full moon shining over the sand. His systems pumped a bit from the suddenness of the cold against his armor plating. It felt like a summer's day in the Nevada Desert multiplied by five.

Shrapnel twitched her mandible while giving a soft chirr at how cool it was. The temperature reminded her of the tunnels she and her hive lived in, so used to the cool underground caves they all nestled into at night.

But the three would be lying if they denied that they were amazed by the vastness of the landscape. It seemed to be endless mounds of dunes that hid the creatures below its sandy depths.

"So, what's the tracker say?"

Maximum shuttered his optics at Silversun's question before he looked down at the scanner, "….well, this little blue dot here is us. The lines represent latitude and longitude lines that should help us head towards out objective once I get a lock on its signal…" the young Prime began muttering to himself as he pressed a few of the keys beneath the screen.

"Want me to fly ahead? I can scan the area for anything while you work on the scanner," the femme offered.

"Please do," Maxi replied, optics never leaving the screen.

Silversun raised an optic ridge, before he and Shrapnel shared a look. Then he gave her a gesture with his thumb up that he had seen his young twin half-brothers do to show they were good. The femme smirked, before she transformed to her alt. mode and flew off.

The taller, silver mech looked over the young prime in training's shoulder, watching him move the screen around in search of the unique energy signature of their target. A mischievous gleam shined in his optics as he looked at those antennae—those adorably sensitive antennae—and raised his servos up slowly to his unaware victim.

He flicked at the head fins.

"ACK!"

Silversun laughed as Maximum did a sort of twitching dance that lasted about thirty seconds. Maximum turned, pointing a warning digit at the now hysterically laughing silver mech, his optics wide as he continued pointing at him.

"Silversun," he tried to retain a serious voice, but is cracked when he saw the youngest out of Soundwave and Knockout's children roll around in the sand with tears of amusement leaving his lovely amber optics.

"Oh Primus, you should have seen your face!" the younger mech covered his smile, but there was no use when it showed so clearly in his optics.

"Mm-hmmm…" Maxi rolled his optics, before shaking his helm. He waited for his companion to calm down before helping him back to his pedes, "You're twisted."

"Hence I am Knockout's child, Maximum," Silversun snorted, before he brushed the sand off his arms and legs. He tried to get his back, but even though he had arms similar to how his mother's were shaped, it was hard for him to still reach back there.

"Maxi, could ya get this one spot on my back? It's giving me trouble…" the flier grumbled as he tried to brush at the very spot he was pointing out.

It was a good thing Silver's back was already facing Maximum, otherwise he would have seen the blush on his face plates when he saw that spot was on his lower back between his shoulder struts and aft.

"Uh, sure, yeah I can get that Sil…" the Prime's son mumbled,

Silversun remained still where he stood while waiting for his friend to get rid of the dirt. Maximum hesitated a moment. What if his servo slipped? Silversun would most likely take it the wrong way….

"Well? What are you waiting for Maxi, get rid of the sand!"

He grumbled at the femme who had comm. linked him, "Not helping Shrapnel…."

Taking in a bracing breath, Maximum reached forwards slowly and began brushing his digits over the sand. He couldn't tell if there was a change in temperature or his own systems that caused the slight heat in his face plates when he leaned down a bit to brush at the spot better.

Silversun's armor was smooth and warm beneath his servos. Moonlight reflected off it, making a soft shimmering glow. Maximum's antennae laid back as he looked away and continued to brush away the particles of rock. When he as sure he had gotten all of it, he sighed.

"You're good Sil. The sand's all gone now…" he gave a friendly, good-natured pat to his friend's shoulder, "Now, let's locate that object before—WHOA!"

Maximum yelled as he slid down one of the dunes of the Sahara. He rolled and rolled down, doing somersaults as he went. He stopped when he came to the bottom, landing face first with his face plates in the sand.

"Max! You okay mech?"

He lifted his helm when the young medic touched his shoulder, "Explain how falling down a sand hill is okay?!"

….

Somewhere, miles and miles away from the yelling mechs, there was a strange, gigantic set of pointed objects attached to something half buried in some of the sand, a small breeze blowing over it and sending some particle to dance in the wind.

There were engines to a ship actually. Inside it was dark and cool out of the shining sun outside. Pitch black, until different sets of optics on-lined in the darkness as the ship slowly on-lined when it sensed the presence of other Cybertronians within its perimeter.

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I would like at least two or more reviews before the next chapter. Review please!