"Tighten your grip, Jack," said Arcee before speeding off in a wheelie. Jack was quite surprised by her playfulness; Arcee was usually serious and controlled, but she was acting pretty darn playful today.

"Hey, what's with you, Arcee?"

"Thought you might actually enjoy the ride if you weren't getting shot at," she playfully deadpanned.

"Oh, bring it."

With that, Arcee raced off along the empty highway, the road flying beneath her wheels.

Jack was concerned, though; she had just seen her last partner as a zombie, there was no way she was already done grieving.

"Arcee, are you… okay? I figured you wouldn't be so cheerful after… yesterday."

Arcee didn't respond, instead doing another wheelie.

"Arcee, don't ignore me. I know we don't know each other very well, but I still care about you."

There was a heavy pause before Arcee finally responded.

"Jack, I… this isn't the first time I've lost someone close to me. If I'm still grieving by the next battle, I'm not going to survive. I know it isn't exactly healthy, but what choice do I have? Just let me deal with it my way."

There was nothing more to say, so the two elected to just enjoy the rest of the ride.


Meanwhile, in the hills, a familiar SUV was revving his engines.

"Ready… set…"

"Miko, I'm supposed to be protecting you."

"Bulkhead, I'm strapped tight inside ten tons of metal muscle. I'm protected." Miko smiled playfully at her guardian, knowing that he was still uneasy but hoping it would be enough to get her way. Apparently it was, as Bulkhead slowly moved forwards before diving down the slope.


Somewhere else in the desert, a Yellow muscle car was playing video games with its occupant. Bumblebee won, and Raph groaned in defeat, saying that 'Bee had only won because of experience.


And in the Sumdac Auto shop, Sari was eating her cereal, still half-asleep. She was not a morning person, and it turned out she had somehow set her internal alarm clock to six in the morning. Prowl was no help at all, and the only reason her belly button wasn't beeping and glowing was because she discovered punching her gut was the snooze button. Dang it, being a robot was really weird.


"Thank goodness for peace and quiet," muttered Ratchet, examining the sample brought in last night. "Houseguests can be such a bother." Suddenly, there was a clatter from across the room, and Ratchet looked up from his microscope. Seeing nothing, he returned to his observations… but then there was a metallic skittering, closer this time.

"Optimus?" he called. But it was not his leader; some kind of weapon on four claws was skittering towards him, and it nearly latched onto his face. He may not have fought in some time, but his skills were still sharp, and he dodged, parried, and repelled the thing with relative ease. He had started swinging an elongated chunk of metal at it when it sliced another tool in half.

"I needed that!" he cried. The beast was upon him now, and as it leaped towards him once again, Ratchet found himself unarmed. A plasma blast hit the creature dead-on, and it fell to the ground. Optimus retracted his blaster and crushed the thing beneath his foot, ending its life.

"And stay broken," muttered Ratchet. "Now, what could have caused that?"

"I have a grave suspicion, Ratchet," replied Optimus. "Dark Energon."


The four humans and their partners came speeding in, Jack, Raph, and Miko cheering and Sari blearily staring into space.

"Autobots, prepare to-" said Optimus before he stopped himself.

"Roll out?" asked Arcee.

"Remain here. Ratchet, come with me. Prowl, we'll be outside communications range for some time, so I'm putting you in charge."

"Dude, you're biggest, you should be the boss," said Miko to Bulkhead.

"I'm not exactly the smarted 'bot in the room," countered the green giant.

"Optimus, with all due respect, playing bodyguard is one thing, babysitting is another!" complained Arcee. "Besides, Ratchet hasn't been in the field since the war."

"My pistons may be rusty, but my hearing is as sharp as ever!" yelled the medic.

"For the moment, it's only reconnaissance."

"Then why do I hear an edge in your voice?"

"Arcee, much has changed in the last twenty-four hours. We all need to adapt. Ratchet, bridge us out." And with that, the two tallest Autobots left.

"Okay, chief, so… what's on the activities list?" said Jack. Arcee left, saying she was going on patrol. Bulkhead tried to stop her, recounting Optimus' orders, but she just brushed him aside before calling Bumblebee to accompany her. The younger autobot groaned and looked to Prowl, but the black mech stayed silent, so he followed his superior.

"So, uh, what's on the activities list?" asked Bulkhead. Prowl merely rolled his eyes, but an electronic screeching sound came from nearby. Miko was adjusting her guitar, which had been plugged into a convenient amp.

"How about… band practice?"

"But, we're not a band."

"Why so anti-social? Come on, Raf. You play anything?"

"Um… keyboard?" said the younger boy, picking up his laptop.

"Sound samples and editing, good. Jack?"

"I… sometimes mess around on the harmonica."

"Do I look like I do country? Just… cover yourself in fake blood and jump around screaming. Sari, what can you do?"

It was at that moment that the robotic girl's alarm went off again, and Miko nodded.

"Yeah, that's good. You can give the beat and do light effects."

"Miko, I can't really control this. It's an alarm. I woke up four hours early this morning because of it, and I haven't figured out how to actually turn it off."

Miko lightly swatted the other girl's head, and the noise and lights stopped. Sari was conscious enough to look embarrassed, but Miko just told her to do vocals.

"Bulkhead, percussion. We're going for big, industrial sound. Prowl, can you do anything?"

The aforementioned autobot standing in the corner shrugged.

"Oh, well. DIY, we're a band. You just gotta learn the songs. This one's a ballad: My Fist, Your Face." The Japanese girl began wailing on her guitar, producing a ridiculously loud heavy metal sound and a good deal of feedback. There was suddenly a green blinking light and blaring noise, and bulkhead tried to get her to stop; Sari smacked her head, and her car alarm turned off. Then another blinking green light went off, this time the proximity sensor. Agent fowler walked in the room, shouting Prime's name.

"Agent Fowler, Optimus is not here," said Prowl. "He and Ratchet are currently on a reconnaissance mission, and Arcee and Bumblebee are out on patrol. Bulkhead and I watching the humans."

"Well, where did he go? Wait, don't tell me, he's out pancaking a mini-mall. Now, I don't know what language you 'bots speak on your planet, but Prime promised he would handle the decepticons, and blowing a crater in the middle of Nebraska is not what the word 'handle' means in English. So, you tell Prime that if he doesn't stop drawing attention, I'll have no choice but to bring the United States military into this. And don't waste electricity on things like guitars, it isn't free and you're already an expensive secret." With that, Fowler walked out.


One of the Seekers had been invisibly scouting for the Autobot base when it ran into Agent Fowler, who was returning to Area 51. It recognized him as one of the Autobots' human allies, but Fowler was a better flier, and the cloaking device couldn't handle dogfights or high speeds; the decepticon soon crashed into the canyon wall. Unfortunately, it managed to get out a message before it died, and Laserbeak was sent out. The minicon was much more agile than the average flier, and it easily outmaneuvered Fowler, catching him and taking him to the Harbringer.


In the base, the same green blinking light was going off, but this time with a loud alarm. It was an SOS from Agent Fowler, and Bulkhead and Prowl tried their hardest to locate the source. The signal was somewhat fuzzy, but it came in clearly enough to show his location.


A vehicon slowly walked Fowler into the room before pushing him to the ground, mostly accidentally.

"Welcome, human," purred Starscream.

"You treat all your guests this nice?"

Starscream could help but chuckle. "Any friend of the Autobots."

"Autobot? That one of them coin-operated wash-my-own-car places?"

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be, hmm? Apparently no one told you I have no appreciation for humor. Make our guest comfortable. And make sure to adhere to my standards."


Prowl opened the Ground Bridge and went off with Bulkhead, telling the children to stay at the base. Sari took out her phone, but her hand absorbed it.

"Oh, come on! I just got the perfect background and ringtone!"

The remaining three noticed Miko was missing.


On the other side of the portal, the decepticon warship was parked in a canyon, hidden from view. Vehicons were patrolling the area, and their formation was pretty tight.

"Alright, what's the plan?" asked Miko from behind a rock.

"Miko!" whispered Bulkhead, motioning for silence. A vehicon had heard her, and was about to shoot.

"Oh, unwise…" muttered the girl.

"Get down!" shouted Prowl before shooting the 'con, knocking his blast astray. Miko took the opportunity to run towards the Autobots. The decepticon aimed at her once more, but Bulkhead rushed forwards and pummeled him. The green bot was knocked back by a timely slash, but he blocked the follow-up and socked his foe in the face, earning another slash. With a blow to the chest, the purple bot was once again downed, and Bulkhead was using all his weight and strength to pin it. Miko managed to hit it with a large rock, but Prowl moved her away.

As Bulkhead and the decepticon once again locked arms, Prowl shot it in the back, stunning it.

"Miko, look away!" yelled Bulkhead. The girl tried to protest, but he insisted. Miko watched on as her guardian plunged his hand into his foe's chest and tore out a bundle of sparking wires. Miko couldn't help but be awed.


Somewhere else, Arcee and Bumblebee received a transmission.

"Arcee, Bumblebee, do you read?"

"Loud and clear, Bulkhead," replied Arcee.

"I have a situation…"

"Bulkhead, they're children. Humans! Just do whatever." Arcee and her companion suddenly stopped, turning around.

"You're where? She's where?"


Back at base, the three humans with an ounce of intelligence were worrying.

"What should we do? Bulkhead may not even realize that she followed him!" cried Raph.

"Miko hasn't seen the 'cons in action like we have. She has no idea…" muttered Jack.

Raph pressed a few keys on a nearby computer and found the coordinates of the latest groundbridge, the destination still locked in. Raph opened the groundbridge and ran after him, and Sari followed. She opened her mouth to say something, but music came out instead. After trying various things, she plugged her ears, and it stopped. The three of them walked forwards through the wormhole, leaving just as Arcee called the base, asking for a groundbridge.


In a darkened room aboard the Harbinger, Agent Fowler hung, suspended many feet off the ground by chains wrapped around his arms and torso. Starscream paced the room, watching the sole other occupant.

"Agent Fowler, I'm afraid I'm running low on patience. I have tried being nice, and even explaining why the Autobots are not the 'heroes' you believe them to be. You, of all people, should know that necessary evils exist, and that defending a corrupt and oppressive government is not one of them. I'm afraid if you do not divulge the secrets I require, I will be forced to turn to… alternative methods. Be thankful that I am your interrogator; the others are not so patient, or kind. Tell me the location of the Autobot base."

"I understand why you're fighting. You've earned my sympathy, but not my respect or loyalty. The Autobots may not be the good guys, but neither are the Decepticons. War doesn't have 'good' and 'bad' sides, just enemies. I know your history; the Autobots are the followers of Megatron who thought they didn't have to fight, who believed that your damned 'high council' would keep their word. You could have just waited for the council to return to their old ways, then point your finger and say 'See that? We told you so. They won't ever let you be free', and you'd have the support of the people again. Instead, you attacked them, and they were forced to ally themselves with their oppressors for protection. Now, years later, the Autobots have lost, and you're still hunting them down. I know for a fact that they're not eager to fight, and they'd probably surrender if they thought you wouldn't kill them on the spot."

"I assure you, everyone knows Megatron was driven insane the day this all started. I've been slowly building support and rising the ranks, waiting for an opportunity to overthrow my 'master'. I already have the troops, and many of the officers. The only issue now is the few still loyal to Megatron. If only those slagging Insecticons were… but I digress. Taking control will not be easy, Megatron is a great warrior, and he still has an army under his control regardless. The biggest issue, however, is Soundwave. He controls the ship's security, and is fiercely loyal to Megatron for some unfathomable reason. I can explain such things only because they disable the cameras… something about not wanting to see chunks of meat. And now, I am afraid I must resort to less savory methods." Starscream buzzed a nearby intercom, and a vehicon answered.

"Bring the prod."


Outside the ship, Bulkhead, Prowl, and Miko were waiting for backup, but it was taking a while. Miko suggested charging in, but the three were distracted by the Ground Bridge opening. Out hopped Jack, Raph, and Sari, and the Decepticons took aim.

"I'll ask you one more time. The Autobot base!" demanded Starscream.

"Sure thing, buddy. Right after you eat my Star Spangled Shorts!" retorted Fowler. Starscream's only response was to grimace and turn on a taser, pressing it against the Agent's pronounced belly. The device was used to torture Cybertronians, and was excruciatingly painful for a human at the lowest setting; any higher and it would probably kill him.

"This device injects electrical Energon into your nervous system. To a cybertronian, it would cause pain. To a human, that pain is magnified. Your bodies are not meant to handle energon. Tell me the location of the Autobot base!"


In a distant valley, Optimus and Ratchet had finally arrived. Suddenly, Megatron flew overhead, landing on a nearby stone spire.

"Optimus Prime, thank you for bringing yourself here. You will be the first to witness my new power… and the first to die by its hands." Megatron flung a spike of Dark Energon into the ground, and the two Autobots could only watch in horror as countless Cybertronian corpses rose from their graves, hefting weapons or groaning or shrieking.

They were well and truly doomed.