A/N: Sorry for the long delay with this chapter, but I'd been swamped with work from college.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and/or added to story alert.

Remember - I live on reviews! Please feed the hungry author!

Chapter Seven: Proven Worth and Secrets

Cobra Commander was bored, contrary to what his henchmen thought - sitting on a throne all day looking menacing wasn't as exciting as it looked.

The Baroness was in the throne room also, as well as the three Dreadnok's Buzzer, Torch and Machete. The four of them were playing eye-spy with each other.

Cobra Commander would have joined them to relieve his boredom except it wouldn't look dignified for the mighty Cobra leader going "I spy with my little eye…"

So he had to sit in his throne drumming his fingers on the armrest waiting for something to happen.

By the sounds of it, the game was beginning to wane, there wasn't much in the room to spy with in the first place. Something that started with 'T' could be Trooper, Throne or Torch. 'B' was Baroness and Buzzer. 'C' was Cobra Commander, Ceiling and Cobra symbol. 'F' was floor. 'S' was steps. 'D' was door. And lastly, 'M' was Machete. So understandably the game was boring to start off with.

"I wish something would happen!" Machete muttered aloud, giving voice to everyone in the room thoughts.

'Maybe I should invest in building that arcade on the base that Overkill keeps begging me for?' Cobra Commander thought to himself, 'nah! I hate Overkill!'

Desperate for something to do, Cobra Commander decided to do some Trooper bullying.

"You there!" He screeched at the luckless Trooper who had caught his eye.

"Yes Sir?" The Trooper swung round from his post outside the throne room's doors and saluted.

"I thought I told you Troopers no driving allowed inside the base !" Cobra Commander shouted, hearing the sound of a car.

The Trooper didn't know what to do - it wasn't him driving.

The sound of the car got closer and closer.


Tunnel Rat had finally found Heavy Duty hiding under his bed.

That wasn't a good thing considering the size of Heavy Duty and comparing it to the size of the space under his bed.

It took them two hours and a few tools (including the jaws of life) to free Heavy Duty.

"Thanks guys!" Heavy Duty said as he stretched his muscles to get rid of the cramps he had got from being trapped.

"You do realise you don't have a bed any more?" Scarlett said, pointing at the wreckage that used to serve as a bed.

"That's okay - so long as I know that the Sea Titan ain't haunted, I don't mind," he responded.

"Enough of this," Duke interrupted, "we have reached land so now it's time to move out to the comet"

"We are already behind schedule," Hi-tech said, looking at his gauntlet computer.

"Let's get ready to go!" Duke ordered.

The Sigmas split up and went their separate ways to get ready.


Luckily the doors to throne room were open, or otherwise Cobra would've had another hole to repair.

This didn't stop Barricade from spinning his wheels and making them screech as he drove into the throne room.

"Show off!" Frenzy muttered as Barricade came to a halt.

Barricade didn't bother responding and instead opened his door and chucked 22 out of him.

Cobra Commander sat on his throne, it was a good thing he wore a mask or otherwise his minions would've seen him with his mouth open in shock.

There was silence for a minutes as 22 staggered away from the police car that had thrown him out of it.

The Dreadnoks and the Baroness could see into the car that had parked alongside of them - they could see that it was empty except for a metal creature.

Cobra Commander sitting high up on his throne couldn't see into the car as Barricade had parked too far back into the shadows.

"What is the meaning of this!" He screeched when he had recovered his voice.

"I wish to join Cobra," came the reply from the car.

"Why would one stupid cop want to join Cobra!" Cobra Commander yelled, not being able to see into the car he didn't know there was no one driving it.

"Why not?" Came the reply from Barricade, sounding just a bit puzzled about his welcome.

"What can you do for the mighty Cobra?" Demanded Cobra Commander.

"I can destroy things," Barricade was cursing himself, they must of heard him singing and what did his first platoon leader say to him when he was a rookie? 'No one wants a singing Decepticon - it means they're weak!'

"How can one moronic cop destroy anything!" Cobra Commander yelled.

"I destroyed those robot things outside," Barricade said, trying to prove himself to a stupid human and feeling ashamed for doing so.

"You what?" Screamed Cobra Commander, "why the hell did you do that!"

"To prove my worth," this wasn't going the way Barricade thought it - didn't these flesh-bags watch the battle?

"To prove your worth? Your worth!" Spluttered Cobra Commander, "do you know how much one of those B.A.T.S cost apiece? You probably bankrupted us trying to prove 'your worth'!"

The Baroness looked at Cobra Commander in puzzlement, surely something that could destroy so many B.A.T.S without getting a scratch on it was an asset to Cobra?

She wasn't the only one confused, Barricade was wondering if this was a good plan of his after all.

Barricade opened his door and let Frenzy out. It was time to show his true self.

"What was that?" Cobra Commander demanded as he saw Frenzy slink off into the shadows.

"My partner," responded Barricade.

He started to transform, and stood towering above the shocked humans.

'Now this will get that flesh-bag's attention,' Barricade thought, gazing his optics on Cobra Commander.

"Oh whoop-tee-doo! He turns into a giant robot!" Cobra Commander said sarcastically, "like we don't have enough of those hanging around the base!"


Overkill was angry. Cobra Commander had just cut his budget so he couldn't build the latest in his Overlord robot series.

He stalked in his robotic body down the corridor towards the throne room.

If cutting his budget wasn't bad enough, Cobra Commander had removed his means of communication from his lab. Now that he wasn't stuck in a tank of liquid and now had a body to move around in - he had to report directly to Cobra Commander. So no more quick insults to the stupid organic via a vid screen - Overkill had to say his insults to Cobra Commander face to face.

'Stupid, stupid organic!' Seethed Overkill to himself.


Duke walked into the Sea Titan's cargo hold where everyone was getting their modes of transport ready.

"Anyone seen Hi-tech?" He asked.

"No, haven't seen him old chap," Stone replied.

"Strange," mused Duke, "he isn't here and he isn't in his quarters, nor on the bridge."

"I wonder where he is then?" Spirit said.

"Anyone notice the mini-chopper is gone too?" Long Range remarked.

Duke's gauntlet started beeping urgently, opening it he saw Kamakura's worried looking face.

"Duke!" He said, "there is a big problem! We tried to tell you first but he found out!"

"Tell me what and who found out?" Duke asked.

"Hi-tech! We found his bike in ruins! We wanted to let you know so you could let him down gently!" Kamakura explained.

Duke didn't respond, he just cut the communication link.

He put 2 and 2 together and got 4.

Missing Hi-tech + missing mini-chopper equalled dead Rocket!

"Stone!" Duke yelled, "take Heavy Duty and go after Hi-tech in the Dragon Hawk! Just remember Rocket is with Stormshadow so try not to blow her cover!"

"Roger Duke!" Replied Stone and ran towards his aircraft.

"The rest of us are going on to the comet in the R.O.C.C," Duke ordered as Stone and Heavy Duty took off, "Scarlett, you stay behind and take up Hi-tech's duties till we get back!"

"Yes Duke," She replied and went off to the bridge.

"Let's go!" Yelled Duke.


"What do you mean you are not impressed by a giant transforming robot?" Asked a puzzled Barricade.

"The transforming bit is impressive I agree," Cobra Commander replied, "but the giant robot bit isn't!"

"How can a giant robot not be impressive?" Barricade felt a bit hurt.

"We already have giant robots thanks to the Overlord series and they keep getting destroyed!" Cobra Commander explained.

"But they are not sentient like me!" Barricade put a bit of whine in his voice, "and I have centuries of battle experience!"

"This is not a job interview!" Cobra Commander screamed, "now get out!"

Barricade was just deciding to kill every human in the base when a surprised gasp came from the open doors.

He looked over his shoulder and saw a human sized robotic body standing behind him.

Overkill - if his faced showed any emotions - was extremely happy.

"You remembered!" He shouted to Cobra Commander.

"Er, I, what?" Asked Cobra Commander confused.

"My birthday present!" Overkill shouted as he ran up and started hugging Barricade's leg.

"Ah! Get it off! Get it off!" Screamed Barricade, shaking his leg trying to dislodge Overkill.

Frenzy leaped from the shadows onto Barricade's leg and began throwing shurikens at Overkill, unfortunately Overkill's body was armoured and the shurikens kept bouncing off without causing any damage.

Frenzy, not holding on like Overkill fell off the shaking leg.

"Get off!" Barricade screamed, and grabbed Overkill in his hand.

He then did what Arcee did with Hi-tech's bike.

Except, he was underground and didn't have a nice open space to throw Overkill.

This didn't stop him though.

Cobra Commander, sitting on his throne, looking up at the new sky-light that Barricade had created with Overkill made up his mind.

He looked at Barricade, "welcome to Cobra!"

"What?" Asked a confused Barricade, "I just threw one of your men through the roof!"

"I never liked him!" Cobra Commander explained.

"Wwwhat aaabout me?" Demanded Frenzy, sitting up where he fell.

"What can he do?" Asked Cobra Commander, "he doesn't look like a worthwhile fighter!"

"Frenzy is one of the best hackers in the galaxy," Barricade said, "and I wouldn't insult him if I were you!"

"Best hacker," scoffed the Baroness, "I liked to see that!"

"Yes," agreed Cobra Commander, "have it hack into Sigma 6's computer systems!"

"He'll never do it," Torch whispered to Buzzer.

Frenzy, upset that he wasn't considered good enough for Cobra and from being referred to as 'it', decided to show these meat sacks just how good a hacker he was.

It took him two seconds to get past Hi-tech's defences, he opened up the personnel files and started going through the personal profiles.

Everyone else could see what he was doing courtesy of Cobra Commander's big screen he had installed in the throne room.

"He can join too if he wants to," Cobra Commander said as he watched the different profiles flick pass.

"Stop!" The Baroness suddenly screamed, "go back to that last profile!"

Frenzy did so, and everyone but the two Cybertronians stared at the profile's photo in shock.

"Rocket is a Sigma?" Screamed Cobra Commander.


Unaware that her true identity had been discovered, Rocket was still fighting with her bike.

That is until two teenagers got out of the yellow car in front and came to her.

"Um," The teenage girl of the pair said, "you do realise you are fighting with your bike?"

"Don't you think there is something odd with that?" Asked the boy.

"Not with the machines Hi-tech builds!" Rocket shouted angrily at the two who had interrupted her fight.

"I already told you human!" Arcee screamed, "I wasn't built by this Hi-tech!"

"She's right you know," Mikaela said quickly before Rocket could respond.

"What do you know?" Demanded Rocket.

"This isn't your original bike," Sam started to explain, "it's a copy of it."

"There are no copies!" Rocket yelled, "it's unique!"

"Not any more," muttered Arcee darkly.

"Please calm down and we'll explain!" Sam said, trying not to provoke someone he viewed as a crazy lady.

"Fine!" Rocket said, "it's not like I have anything better to do at the moment other than try to take over the world!"

"What?" Asked Mikeala puzzled.

"She is what you human's call a terrorist!" Arcee explained.

"I am not!" Rocket yelled back at her.

"Then why do you belong to the terrorist organisation Cobra?" Shot back Arcee.

"I'm, well, um," Rocket didn't know if she could break her cover or not.

Sam didn't know if he could trust her enough to tell her the truth about the Autobots.

"Sam, Mikaela!" Called Optimus, "get over here where it is safe. The Internet says these Cobras are like the Decepticons!"

"Decepticons?" Rocket asked confused, just when you where about to stop Cobra - another one pops up to take its place.

Optimus began to transform, followed by the rest of the Autobots.

"I've informed Ironhide," Optimus said, "he and Will are coming to take this human into custody."

Rocket began laughing - her day was just getting worse and worse.

"Not my day!" She muttered, "Bad morning and now giant robots are making a citizen's arrest on me!"

"Aren't you bothered by us human?" Asked Ratchet, confused.

"No, why should I be?" Rocket replied, "after everything I've seen since joining Sigma 6?"

"Wait a second?" Optimus said, "Sigma 6? But according to these military files I've accessed they are the Autobot version of Cobra!"

"You hacked into our files!" Screamed Rocket.

"Sorry about that!" Ratchet mumbled sheepishly.

"Does that mean you are a spy?" Asked Bumblebee, interested.

"Yes," Replied Rocket, the cat was out of the bag.

"I scanned her response," said Ratchet, "she was not lying when she said that."

"What is going on here?" Asked Sam.

"I would like to hear the whole story to," Prowl added.

So Rocket told her story, after which Arcee apologised slightly for jumping to conclusions.

Optimus explained about the Autobots and why they were on Earth.

But one thing still needed explaining.

"What the hell happened to Hi-tech's bike?" Asked Rocket.

Everyone turned to looked at Arcee.

"I, um, accidentally crushed it!" She whispered.

"You what!" Screamed Rocket, "what am I going to tell Hi-tech?"

"Yes, exactly what are you going to tell me!" A voice behind her said.

Transformer and human alike turned to stare at the newcomer who had managed to sneak up on them.

It was Hi-tech, looking extremely pissed off.

TBC...

A/N: So what did you think? I didn't realise it was going to so long - I haven't put in half of what I wanted to put in this chapter. It'll go in chapter 8 I suppose.

And just what is Hi-tech going to do?