I apologise for the quickness of the last chapter, but I really, really didn't have much to think about, as I just wanted to get over and done with in order to process the story forward in preparation for... hmmm, a special treat for you people. Can't say what it is, it will spoil the surprise for you! Haha!

Anyways, this here is The Aftermath of the last chapter's previous events. We find out what really happened to Rodimus and Arcee. Did Arcee even survive? Uh oh. Nah, not telling you! So sit back and keep on reading!


The flight back to Mission City didn't take as long as Springer thought. Once they reached the city where he had last seen Rodimus, he transformed into his bipedal form and depowered the plasma burners on his pedes, allowing him to fall and touchdown on the concrete. But instead of being greeted with a normally noisy street that was usually filled with honking cars and happy-go-lucky humans, he was met with total destruction.

It had been absolute carnage, even before he had left Rodimus to distract the Decepticon squadron. There were cars flipped over with flames licking at their chassis, scorched patches from explosions covered buildings and the ground that he walked on, and pieces of debris pretty much littered the entire area.

Yet there was no sign of Rodimus, Arcee, or Starscream.

Springer felt fear latch onto his spark, fear for the safety of the femme he once loved, and even the wellbeing of his Prime. Wait, he was concerned for Rodimus? That wasn't like him! Sure, Rodimus was his Prime, but he had drawn the attention of Arcee after she had dumped him, and it had caused spite between him and the flamed mech. Well, he was the one who started the dispute, but was he blaming himself for the possible disappearance of Rodimus?

"Do your sensors pick up anything, Springer?"

He jumped in surprise as Skyfire approached on his left and asked him the question. He hadn't noticed the mech come up behind him until he had spoken. He shook his head in frustration. "Nothing," he sighed sombrely. "I can't pick up anything with all this interference coming from the smoke and heat. It's scrambling just about everything." Doubt began creeping into his processor. "Skyfire... do you... think we could be too late?"

The older mech shook his head, as though he refused to believe what Springer was implying. "We cannot know for certain until we do some digging around," he replies in a casual tone. "Come on; let's see what we can find."

Springer nodded and tailed behind Skyfire, keeping his optics open for any signs of clues that may help them figure out what happened. As they trudged through the debris, with every sensor on high alert for anything out of the ordinary, Springer couldn't help but think that perhaps they were indeed too late and maybe something terrible had caused both Arcee and Rodimus to vanish off the radar. Though that didn't exactly explain what happened to Starscream either. Primus, he just wanted to slap his processor, trying what he could to work out everything.

But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't piece it together. If Starscream had been killed, they would have found his body with his spark extinguished out of existence. However, that wouldn't answer as to why Rodimus and Arcee had vanished without a trace, and why the latter had screamed in the first place.

"Oof!" Springer winced as he bumped face first into Skyfire's back, startling him out of his train of thought and falling on his aft. He shot the back of his cranium a glare, but then he soon grew puzzled as to why the large mech had stopped. He picked himself off the ground and stood alongside his former captain. "What's wrong?"

Skyfire raised a hand, ordering him to be silent. Springer did so, waiting for permission to speak again, though Skyfire seemed extremely quiet for a strange reason, almost as though he was listening carefully to the wind.

Springer had to remind himself that this mech was one of the best fliers amongst the Autobots, someone who had been trained by the best of the best of long ago, though he trained himself when he learned from his mother that he was descended from a Seeker, though she wouldn't say who her father was, only that he was very old and long gone, but he had died a noble death. It was something that Skyfire was extremely proud of.

Then, without warning, Skyfire whipped his head around and began running down a street to his right, shocking Springer. "What is it?" he asked, but when he got no response from him he blinked a few times, shrugged his shoulders and took after him, trusting those acute sensors that had never ceased to amaze him.

Skyfire kept on running until he grounded to a halt, broad Seeker wings standing on end in a similar fashion to those with doorwings. Springer came up alongside him and he saw what had caused him to run off.

He gasped in horror at the sight that was before.

Lying on her side in a small pool of energon with a deep set of dents on her cranium and beautiful, petite facial features was Arcee. She was surrounded by Epps and his team of humans, trying desperately to seal off the bleeding injury on her left side with bits of torn cloth from their uniforms. Epps was shouting something to the one he addressed as Zimmerman, who had rushed off around the corner of a building. Seconds later, he came back with General William Lennox hot on his heels.

They stopped dead in their tracks when they spotted Skyfire and Springer. Zimmerman waved them over, but Springer was quicker. In the blink of an optic, he rushed straight towards Arcee, large pedes smashing the debris in his wake. The humans quickly got out of the way as he reached her and kneel by her side, trying to awaken her from her automatic recharge.

"What happened to her?" he demanded furiously, whirling upon Epps and Lennox, anger clearly seen in his bright blue optics that were starting to leak with tears. "Tell me what happened now!"

Before they could get a chance to explain Skyfire cut them off, who was looking up at the sky, "Save the questioning for later, Springer. Prowl and the others have arrived."

Everyone else looked up to where he was looking and then they heard the unmistakeable sound of rushing wind and the whirling of powerful engines, engines that made even the most powerful of earthen jetfighters seem like nothing. It was then that a shuttle coming from the south uncloaked right above their heads. The massive shuttle descended slowly, its four engines on each corner of its body facing downwards in an attempt to keep itself stabilised enough for the landing gears to come out from its undercarriage. Dust and small bits of debris kicked up in the wake of the forced air being pushed up by the engines. The shuttle then landed with a gentle thud and the hydraulics hissed in slight protest from the weight it took. The engines powered down into ghostly silence, which is then followed by the hatch opening up from the right side of the shuttle, and then a ramp lowered down to let out its passengers.

Prowl, Mirage, Ratchet, Brawn, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee emerge from inside the shuttle. Prowl had the same usual emotionless facial expression along with Mirage and Sideswipe. Ratchet's gaze seemed to be shifting to and fro in order to find out who was injured, though Brawn was glaring at just about everything he looked at while Bumblebee had a very worried look that made Springer's insides grow cold with guilt. How was he going to tell them about Rodimus?

Bumblebee finished glancing around the area, sadness in his optics when he saw the devastation of the city. Once again, it was in ruins just like from nearly seven years ago. His gaze then rested upon the badly injured Arcee and his spark stilled.

Seeing her condition, Ratchet rushed forward to check to make sure she was not too badly damaged and to do what he could for her.

And since Arcee was lying on the ground, then where was Rodimus? Bumblebee glanced over at Sideswipe who stood by his side. "Sides, I don't see him anywhere," he whispered.

Sideswipe said nothing in response, but Bumblebee could sense that he was feeling exactly the same thing that he was: worry, fear, uncertainty, anger. And since Arcee wasn't awake to answer their questions, the only option left was to question the last mech they didn't want to question.

Bumblebee turned his gaze over to Springer and he headed straight towards him, anger taking over his emotions. When he was close enough, he lifted up the taller mech by the neck collar and stared him straight in the optic.

"What are you doing?" Skyfire cried. "Put him down."

"Where is Rodimus, Springer?" Bumblebee demands coldly, ignoring Skyfire, his servos shaking violently, though it was not from the weight of his comrade.

The dark green mech said nothing in response. Instead, a sullen look appeared on his faceplates and he looked away.

"Bumblebee, put Springer down!" a deep voice bellowed from behind.

Human and Autobot turned their heads in the direction of the voice to see Ironhide standing at the end of the street, tiredness in his optics. The black mech approached the group and gently placed a servo upon Bumblebee's still shaking arms.

"Springer is the only one who might know what happened to Rodimus," Bumblebee snaps, returning his attention back to Springer, who still hadn't looked at him.

"I understand that you are upset, youngling," Ironhide soothed, "but what you didn't notice is that Springer and Skyfire were well on their way to aid Rodimus after they heard Arcee scream, but they didn't make it in time."

Bumblebee reluctantly released Springer and stepped back, but he was constantly sending death glares to him every once in a while. He then glanced over to where Ratchet was checking over Arcee. From the looks of it, it didn't seem good at all. He was thoroughly scanning her chassis, muttering something underneath his breath. He carefully turned her on her side, revealing the injury in her side that started gushing out energon all over the place, and he let off a huge string of Cybertronian curses that shocked even Prowl.

He turned and shouted urgently, "Sideswipe, get your aft over here, I need you!"

Sideswipe was at his side in an instant. "Tell me what to do."

"Open the panel in your right forearm and carefully take out an energon line," Ratchet ordered. "Pinch the ending carefully, but don't let go until I say so. I'm going to hook you up to Arcee's own once I stop the bleeding."

The silver mech nodded, doing exactly as he was told. He shifted the armour on his right arm, revealing his soft protoform skin beneath, and pressed a button that caused two pieces of metal to split in half.

Lennox glanced up at Ironhide, who hadn't moved from his spot. "What's Ratchet doing?" he questioned curiously.

Ironhide looked down upon his good human friend, his scarred face unshifting. "Ratchet is going to doing an energon transfusion with the assistance of Sideswipe. The transfusion will help Arcee get the energon she lost into her body after Ratchet seals up the injury."

"Wouldn't that kill her?" Epps asked. "I mean, don't you have to have the same type of energon in order for it to work?"

"Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Springer each come from the same generation," Ironhide replies with a small smile. "Those from the same generation can get an energon transfusion without any problems whatsoever. Though if you got me to do it with her, her spark would reject it and it would cause her antibodies to attack her system without warning."

Finally getting it, the humans all returned their anxious eyes back over to Arcee. Zimmerman was holding a silver cross around his neck to his lips, whispering a prayer to God in the hopes that He would be able to save Arcee in time.

With the wires exposed, Sideswipe carefully unplugged one and pinched it carefully as ordered, waiting for Ratchet's order.

The humans held their breath.

The Autobots' sparks stilled.

The minutes ticked by as Ratchet worked hard and fast, his digits dancing over the metal like there was no tomorrow in an attempt to save the femme's life. Finally, after some time, he let off a sigh of relief and turned to the patient warrior. "Do it," he ordered.

Sideswipe didn't need to be told twice as he inserted the wire into Arcee's own exposed circuitry and began inserting his own energon into her system.

"Well done, Sideswipe," Ratchet smiled. "Now all we have to do is wait. But if you start to feel dizzy, I will immediately disconnect you from her and hope that the energon you're giving to her is enough for her to last the journey back to base."

With a nod of satisfaction, Prowl turned his attention to the humans. He slowly came up to them and kneeled carefully, almost startling some of them from their thoughts. Lennox and Epps came forward with concerned in their eyes. "I suppose you want to know what happened that caused the disappearance of Rodimus and Starscream, correct." Lennox sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Prowl nodded. "Please don't leave anything out. Bumblebee will not be happy no matter what you say. He gets easily concerned about the youngling if something came up involving him."

"Then we'll get straight to the point," Epps spoke up, getting the attention of the other Autobots. He shifted to get comfortable and began. "After Rodimus sent Arcee to assist us in protecting the civilians while Lennox's team escorted them, we kept a sharp look out until Arcee got jumped by three Decepticons – a tall femme who looked extremely dangerous, a silent femme that barely spoke at all, and a mech who looked like he was out for hers and Rodimus' blood, uh, I mean energon. We tried to shoot, but we didn't want to hurt her."

Prowl frowned. "The way you describe them," he said thoughtfully, "they sound oddly like Thunderblast, Slipstream, and Vortex."

"Well," Epps went on, "they meant real business. They just attacked Arcee so hard that she screamed loudly enough to get Rodimus' attention. He quickly took down Starscream, but he didn't kill that stubborn bastard, but he headed straight for Arcee. Then this ball of fire came from Thunderblast and he changed course. Next thing I knew, he took the shot and fell to his knees with his armour melting from the heat of the blast, some of armour fell into chunks of slag."

There were blinks of confusion from the Autobots, but they didn't interrupt.

"Thunderblast then came up to Rodimus, took out some sort of needle that made him panic. She jabbed him with it and it made him fall to the ground. Vortex and Slipstream released Arcee after knocking her out cold and came over to him. Next thing we knew, they picked him up by the armpits and flew away with Thunderblast and the injured Starscream flying close behind. They were laughing all the way back to wherever they came from."

Next thing they knew, Bumblebee was standing beside Prowl furiously. "Where did they go?" he growls.

Epps pointed. "Southeast," he answered a little nervously, wincing at the anger in the mech's tone.

Bumblebee suddenly turned and started rushing back toward the shuttle, but he was grabbed tightly by one arm. He was stopped in his tracks and he whipped his head to him, glaring daggers. "Let go, old timer," he hissed. "I don't want to hurt you."

"And I don't want to hurt you either, Bumblebee," Ironhide snarled back, indicating that there was no room for an argument. "I want to rush off and rescue Rodimus too, but I cannot because we don't have a fraggin' clue as to where they have gone or where their base even is. Even if we could catch up to them, they would be long gone by now."

The young mech sighed reluctantly and nodded with Ironhide letting go of his arm. He switched off his optics and then looked up at the sky, worry for the safety of his charge in his spark. 'I'm so sorry, Hot Rod,' he thought.

Prowl sighed and turned to Ratchet. "How is Arcee doing?"

The older mech smiled a little bit at the black and white mech's concern. "She's going to be sore for a while," he replied, never taking his gaze off of her, "no thanks to a nasty punch in her midsection. It may have damaged her womb chamber, but it's repairable and not life threatening thanks to the energon transfusion Sideswipe was able to provide."

Sideswipe had removed himself once he was no longer needed and had returned to Bumblebee's side with a tired expression. Bumblebee guessed he must be exhausted from the transfusion, but he knew that a nice drink of energon and a decent recharge would fix it.

Prowl nodded once again, confirming he had heard.

Ratchet motioned to Ironhide and Skyfire to come forward, and they did so. "Take her back onto the shuttle," he ordered them. "I will come with you to monitor her. Skyfire, take her upper half. Ironhide, you take her lower half. Be very gentle with her, I don't want any rupturing in the welding I've just done."

They complied without question and they carefully carried the unconscious femme back to the shuttle.

Suddenly, Bumblebee whirls upon Springer and he threw a punch in his face. Springer yelped with surprise and landed on his aft, clutching his bruised cheek. Bumblebee stepped forward and once again lifted him up by the neck armour. "If you and Skyfire had been any faster you could have prevented Rodimus from being taken by the Decepticons!" he shouted.

Sideswipe and Prowl rush forward, pulling him away and forcing him to let go of the still in shock Springer.

"It's no one's fault, Bumblebee!" Sideswipe cried, shocking Bumblebee from out of his blind rage. Never had Sideswipe yelled in a long time. Normally he was quiet and soft-spoken, but here he was yelling at the top of his vocal processor.

Springer said nothing and glanced down at the ground, almost as though there was realisation and... guilt. Bumblebee could have sworn that he saw those, but he didn't care anymore. He had said his piece and he wasn't going to take it back.

"Everyone, settle down," Prowl growls. He turns to Bumblebee, anger flashing at him. "Bumblebee, you're getting far too emotional about the situation right now!"

Then Bumblebee glared icily at the vice commander of the Autobots. "If Optimus were still Prime and he weren't suffering from a Primus-forsaken back injury he would have fought Starscream instead, and then Rodimus would still be here and be an ordinary youngling!"

Gasps of shock were heard from Sideswipe, Brawn, Mirage and the humans as he said those words.

No one said a word, but then Prowl turned his back on Bumblebee and whispered lowly, "We all wish that were so."

Sideswipe scowled at Bumblebee. "You went too far there."

Bumblebee just shook his head. "I don't care, because all I know Rodimus could be dead in the hands of the Decepticons, just like how Barricade killed Sam."

"It's unlikely that the Decepticons would kill Rodimus," Prowl said gently. "A Prime is more valuable alive than dead."

"How would you know?"

"With Decepticons, Bumblebee," Prowl replied, "anything is valuable to them." He sighed tiredly and then his gaze shifted toward the rising night-time sky, the stars twinkling faintly in the growing darkness. "I just hope that Rodimus is fully prepared for this."

Sideswipe took a deep breath, asking softly, "What do we do now?"

Prowl answered casually, "All we can do is wait until a solution presents itself. Rodimus will just have to hold on as long as he can until something does." He slowly makes his way back to the shuttle, but he turned to Mirage and Brawn. "Stay behind and assist the humans as best as possible."

Mirage and Brawn saluted at the same time. "Yes, sir."

Satisfied, Prowl goes on back to the shuttle with Springer tailing him, but then he stopped and turned to face Bumblebee and Sideswipe, that same guilty look in his optics. "I'm sorry I failed," he whispers to them.

Their optics widen in surprise, but before they can question his reasons for being so apologetic he continues back to the shuttle.

Once he was gone, Bumblebee bowed his head and Sideswipe drew closer to him, tears leaking from the corners of his optics. "Sides, I'm worried about him more than ever now. I now wish we could have been here sooner to help him."

Sideswipe carefully wrapped a tired arm around his trembling shoulders, pulling him into a comforting hug. "I know, Bee," he whispered back. "I'm worried about him too. Not only that... I'm afraid of what they'll do to him and how he'll cope with it when we get him back. He's only done so much that Prowl could teach him."

"It's not only that I'm scared about," Bumblebee sniffed. "It's the state of his condition when we find him that really worries me."

"If we find him in time," Sideswipe replied, pulling him closer. "For now... all we can do is wait, hope, and pray that Primus will give him the strength that he needs to hold on."

"I'm praying, Sides," the young mech sighed, "with every fibre in my chassis and every portion of my spark."