Sedna: The Akhlut From The Depth

by Varghjartat

Takes after Overloaded pt.2. AU: For generations, the Inuit people have feared for Sedna, the Akhlut Predacon. Unprepared, the Away Team had no chance against the beast. When the Autobots encounter the beast again, she's tangled in nets and harpooned. But it is only the beginning of an unimaginable friendship for Strongarm. Rated for violence, minor swearing. More warnings inside

14. The Dolphin Hunters

Better late than never. I have returned back to study in my final grades and will be finished completely by February next year. I hit some roadblocks lately. It made my drift for writing to jump off place and caused me to go through a temporarily writing block. It hasn't been easy. Now this chappie is finally out. This time… we're going to join the orca Big Jake and his pod and learn about them. If you are sensitive for animal hunting, don't read. And there are a few surprises further down.

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The Dolphin Hunters

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The ocean. What an endless blue world where life thrived in plenty. From the tiniest plankton to the largest mammal ever in existence, the blue whale, lived in the sea. There was more life in the sea than on land. It wouldn't be a major surprise to know that cetaceans were the masters of the oceans. Yet, the open oceans were rather like deserts than any landscape like forests or grasslands. Food was scarce. Predators had to travel far and wide on constant search for prey.

But an incoming force was coming close to the coast. An explosion of microscopic plankton had bloomed like a meadow of flowers. It attracted a massive stream of sardine fish that feasted the boom of plankton like bees drinking nectar. However, the steam of sardine sent the signal to the predators. Several predators hurried to the place. One of the predators were the dolphins. Pods of thousands of common long-beaked dolphins were on hurry. The feast was a great opportunity to eat after searching for fish for a long time. They were all hungry. The temptation was too strong for them to ignore.

There were other predators. Sharks, sea lions, seals, tuna and even birds that flew above the surface in big flocks and skydived in high speed, then speared through the water to catch the fish. As soon the long-beaked dolphins arrived, they cooperated instantly as they forced up the fish up toward the surface, encircling a large ball of fish. One by one, they swam inside to catch some fish in luck. But soon they will not alone. Other dolphin pods were hurrying in stampede mode to get there before they'd miss the chance to eat. The stampede mode created an impressive view of hundreds of dolphins charging forward together as one army.

Far from the feasting, a tiny pod of four orcas listened sharply on the exciting clicks and calls of the squawkers. It was a pod of transient orcas. Their pointy dorsal fins, solid saddle patches and inclined eye patches brought horror to every living mammal that spotted them. They were notorious by the Landwalkers that traveled on moving isles and fast harpoons. The fish-herders often got alerted whenever they spotted the tall, jacked dorsal fin that belonged to a big orca bull whose body was very raked, a left squared barely octagonal pec flipper after a boat incident and left fluke curled like a screw.

It was Big Jake.

However, his name was just what the Landwalkers named him.

His real name was Harrok, the youngest brother of three siblings with an age of twenty-six winters. His pod contained his two older sisters and one niece.

Tanna was the oldest sister who was the matriarch at an age of thirty-five winters. She was known as Dalmatian thanks to her many number of black dots on her white jaw and belly, something that the Landwalkers seemed to like the name. She was pretty chubby with a size of five and half meters. Her right pec flipper had a tiny notch. Her pointy dorsal fin stood sharply tall like a knife that slashed through the waves.

The middle sister was Shikan, also called as Eclipse. She was easily recognizable by her damaged dorsal fin caused by a boat propeller many winters ago. At an age of thirty winters, she was larger than her older sister with a length of nearly seven meters. The scars of the boat strike ran on the left side of her body, which it had slashed her dorsal fin into two parts, leaving it collapsed on the right side. She was also nicknamed as 'muddy tail' due her tail flukes were muddy in mixture of white and black. The muddy tail was genetic as Tanna had a mild form of muddy tail; the edges along her flukes' outer edge were blacker than white.

The fourth and final member was Narik, Tanna's calf who was two winters and one summer old. She was less than three and half meters old, which it was surprising for her young age. Two tiny dots sat at the middle of her white jaw. She also inherited her mother's mild muddy tail genes. Narik had not gotten a name yet by the marine biologists that studied the transient orcas along the coast.

It was not a big surprise for the tiny pod was pretty known to travel a lot, easily undetected for they sneaked past hydrophones and fled whenever boats were nearby. If Landwalkers spotted them, they'd stare in awe and horror seeing the black dorsal fins no matter if it was during an attack or simply swimming past them. They belonged to a population known as Californian transients that had a massive area from southern California State to Washington State.

The little pod was notoriously known to have a favorite prey: dolphins and porpoises. Still they were not picky when other pod of transient orcas joined up to hunt migrating whales and eat their tongues. Yet, whale tongue was seasonal while dolphin and porpoise lasted winter long. They were known as the Dolphin Hunters. For the dolphins and porpoises, they were known as the Stalkers. The cetaceans and other marine mammals were in constant fear for the Silent Hunters that sneaked along the coastal waters. The Hunters were not afraid for big game hunting.

It was not a major surprise for the old prejudges between the different Cultured Clans that existed for hundreds of thousands of winters. Silent Hunters saw the Peaceful Singers as cowards whom preferred fish, having a big fear for breaking traditions. The Peaceful Singers saw the Silent Hunters as mindless monsters that hunted every marine mammal they'd come across, not having any sense of empathy or mercy to other lives.

The four orcas swam in pure silence. There was a good reason. The Silent Hunters relied silence to find, stalk and surprise the prey. Silence meant no communication; no echolocation, no bio-sonar. One of the many techniques they used was their ears. By listening, they tracked after their prey's whistling calls, the location where they were heading and while doing so, the orcas planned their hunt with precise position. The orcas knew what to do.

Their plan was chase and ambush the dolphins.

The incoming pods of squawkers swam as fast as they can. They had the large fish feast as the only thing in mind, which it exposed them more for they forgot their own safety too early. Sure, a large stampede meant more secure safety in numbers, but it did not mean that it made them completely oblivious for the incoming death which awaited them.

The tiny pod marched together like a line of soldiers, ready to strike out of surprise. Then they split up. Tanna, her daughter Narik swam one path while Shikan and Harrok swam on their own paths, spreading like a pack of wolves whereas they found a good spot coordinated in their plan. Going into position, Harrok readied to take the first strike. Although, he waited for a critical moment. He must wait for the dolphins to get closely as possible.

The sounds of fast stampeding long-beaked dolphins came closer and closer in a rapid speed. Harrok stayed still while he hid inside the murky darkness, waiting patiently. And then they came. The stampeding squawkers leapt across the waves, totally unaware for the black and white shadow. Then, he gave a big thrust of speed from his tail flukes. The orca bull charged right at the dolphins from underneath.

Just then, within a heartbeat, Harrok struck in between the squawkers. He leapt out of the water, almost jumping above the water before he landed on the surface and dived through. The dolphins panicked directly, separating apart from each other. They fled for their lives. Harrok focused on the old, sick and young squawkers that got separated from the others easily.

Despite his large size, he was fast, though not as agile like his sisters. Yet, he was important. Harrok's role was simple; scare the squawkers and chase after them. In the presence of a Silent Hunter, every marine mammal would swim for life. Seals had even lost their fear for Landwalkers when they sought safety on the moving isles by climbing onboard them, beyond the reach of the Silent Hunters.

The common long-beaked dolphins called desperately whereas they tried to stick together as a stampeding army. Though, they swam a certain direction where Harrok wanted them to swim. He chased them when Tanna and her daughter caught up alongside him. The three swam as fast as they can, trying to hold up a steady pace after the panicking squawkers, coming up and down and took quick breaths. The dolphins might swim faster than them, but all speed will exhaust them faster altogether within a heartbeat.

The orca was not only the most intelligent predator in the oceans. It was also one of the fastest marine mammals. The speed can easily reach almost to sixty kilometers by hour, which it was useful when chasing fast dolphins. However, speed cost endurance, thus it was critical to spare energy as best as possible for endurance. Harrok thrusted more strength for more speed when Narik shrieked full in excitement.

Ayiiaaaoom!

Her excitement occurred on the wrong moment. The dolphins pushed more thrust from their tail flukes to flee faster far from the Silent Hunters. The chase was in danger to fail disastrously. A successful hunt occurred less than a failed hunt. They cannot lose this time. Harrok and his pod had traveled hungry for sun circles. This hunt could be their opportunity to get some food inside their stomachs.

However, as it happened, Tanna boosted a strong thrust that pushed her forward in an attempt to catch up the dolphins. Her chubby size would look like she would be slow but it was not true. No, she was outstandingly fast and swift with high endurance. Her daughter was not fast though for she struggled to follow her quick mother. Both of them leapt over the surface like launching missiles.

For several heartbeats, the Silent Hunters kept up the chasing after the squawkers when Tanna targeted a couple of prey out of the hundreds of dolphins.

But just then, without warning, Shikan struck out of nowhere.

She hit one dolphin, in which with all of her power gave it a big throw high in the air. Her power was so powerful that she jumped high above the surface whereas the squawker spun spiral and landed with its tail first. The stampede faced a second ambush from one of the orca cows. It scattered the panicking dolphins more apart, now spreading out like birds from a peregrine falcon as they jumped over the waves. The dolphin that got hit struggled to swim when it rejoined a mother and its young teenager. They kept pushing their tail flukes in desperation to swim with all of their strength they had. But the dolphins were getting quickly tired.

Ayeeeyaaaiii!

Tanna shrieked sharply, calling to her sister and brother whereas she struggled to swim as fast as possible despite the burning pain inside her muscles that cried out to stop. Amazingly, both she and her sister jumped over the waves, almost like they imitated the panicked dolphins. Then she and Shikan spread wide like wolves that tried to prevent the dolphins from taking all sides. Harrok took up the chase again. But it was a tough challenge for little Narik. Thou, in spite her mother's speed, the little calf managed to hold up the pace and was almost beside her side. She must stay focused, otherwise they would swim hungry for another sun circle.

But just like every calf she was full of excitement. Foolishly, Narik forgot her position and attempted to chase after the dolphins. Though, as it happened, her mother aimed a new target: the mother dolphin and its teenaged calf. Tanna boosted a powerful thrust from her tail flukes, then diving into the murky darkness. Narik paid attention on her mother's sudden diving. Although, she was not quick enough before Harrok appeared swimming past her with full focus on the targets. Narik followed after her uncle in hurry.

The Silent Hunters refused to give up. Three dolphins separated from a large pod of hundreds were better than nothing. The squawkers were gotten very exhausted by then. The longer the chase lasted, the quicker their strength drained. The chase felt like it never stopped. Still, none wanted to be eaten by the Stalkers. They praised life itself. Death was the worst encounter. The dolphins prayed for their deities to spare mercy. Yet, one of them was already chosen to be killed.

Then it happened.

The chosen one was the teenager squawker.

The common long-beaked teenaged squawker lost its bond with its mother when despair and fear for death consumed its heart. It divided from its mother, which it exposed itself further whereas it swam the clear path of death. Its mother squawked in despair, never to be heard when the dolphin calf was hit on the side. It was Harrok who rammed onto it with a brutal force that made the small dolphin to get thrown over the water.

Eyeeyaaaiii!

He squealed out, calling his sisters to join him. When the teenaged squawker landed on the water, bursting a big splash, Shikan was quick to ram on it in full speed. She rammed onto its left side with her rostrum, carrying an unbelievable force of power enough to break bones. Though, it did hurt doing it as the force penetrated through the bones of her rostrum, passing the jaws all way back to the back of her skull.

Ayeeeiii!

Shikan shrieked her cry to her sister and brother. However, her niece Narik swam along her mother's side to learn the technique of ramming. She was still on the learning path to collect all of the knowledges from her mother. To become an excellent Silent Hunter, you have to start on the bottom and learn all the basics while you go up on each level. It takes many winters to become a great, skillful Silent Hunter. It takes a lifetime to practice all the hunting techniques. One sun circle, Narik will be skillful just like her mother. But for now, she had a lot to learn.

They did not kill the dolphin right away. Instead, they were toying it. Tanna used her tail to smack the severely wounded dolphin, then Narik practiced to ram on its side and used her tail to smack it too. Harrok and Shikan joined the play as well. They took turns. They rammed, smashed and tossed the dolphin viciously while they squealed enthusiastically. The final blow came when Harrok launched underneath it and literally made himself fly over the water like a big, black and white beast before he landed heavily on his belly like a clumsy ball of fatty blubber.

The teenaged squawker lost its change to fight back. Bubbles bubbled from its blowhole. Its whole body burned painfully, muscles ruptured in shreds and bones broken in pierces. It left the world, now traveling to the Oceans of Eternity. Its body bled with large wounds that got ripped during the play.

Game Over.

Then the feast began. Tanna was first to pull the dolphin down into the depth, tore a portion of meat from the prey's belly between its flippers and swallowed the piece instantly. Soon her sister, brother and daughter shared eating the prey.

They took their time eating because why rushing up when they can take some heartbeats socializing together to celebrate their successful hunt. They tore large parts from the prey's body; belly, head and tail. They ate the flesh, blubber and some organs. They ate far underwater so they'd eat alone without any seagulls intervening. They whistled loudly in happiness.

Narik slapped on the surface like any regular calf who wanted to play around. While she played, her mother chatted loudly between her younger sister and brother, praising them both for the teamwork. Eventually they got fed enough. They'd consumed everything on the dead dolphin. Soon the carcass began to sink down to the endless darkness where it will arrive the graveyard of cetacean skeletons in the deepest seafloor.

Soon the four Silent Hunters moved onward with full bellies, yet they knew they will hunt later tomorrow. They swam calmly this time on the same position like a line of soldiers. It was then Narik was full of questions. Not only she was a regular orca calf who got overexcited every time her pod hunted; she was also inquisitive and curious. Though, quite recently Narik developed a questionable attitude that she often questioned everything on both positive and negative sides.

"Mama, there's somethin' I still don't understand," she whistled to her mother. "Why do we hunt 'em, the squawkers?"

"Narik… how many times must I repeat whistlin' the same thing over and over again?" her mother gave an irritated squeal. "Ya still on it?"

"Mama, I wanna know. Why do we hunt 'em? I mean, why can't we live in peace with 'em?"

"Sweetheart… we Silent Hunters exist for a good reason. It's the Balance itself. The Balance must be taken well-cared by predators. We Silent Hunters have a duty to do. We gotta make sure there ain't too many squawkers. Too many and the fish ain't gonna last long. It's the same for all fur swimmers, birds, death teeth. Oh yes, every living species matters in their place within the Balance. We Silent Hunters hunt every mammal to maintain the Balance."

"Without us, dat would be too many of everyone and no food left," Shikan stepped in the conversation. Her voice was weird. She had a massive difficulty to pronounce properly for some strange unanswered reason. "Our ancestors knew da problem so dey began huntin' mammals instead for eatin' fish. That is why we ain't like da Peaceful Singers or da Outsiders. We'll never be like 'em."

"Exactly, Narik. That's who we are." Harrok followed in the conversation as well. He could not resist to help his sister-matriarch with the explanation. Though, Harrok was not the ordinarily big and tough orca bull you'd expect him to be. Unlike his older sisters and in spite his large size, he was submissive who feared conflicts. All of his raked scars came from many conflicts from other orcas of different pods whenever they encounter during their traveling within the Cultured Clan. Thus, he carefully picked his words. "We never socialize 'em nor do we mate with 'em. We can't sing their songs, neither can they. Ol' songs always sing that we're important for the Balance."

"That's right, Harrok. The Balance needs us," Tanna continued, spinning to her right and used her left flipper to slap on the water. "The whole circle will collapse entirely if a couple of species ain't under control by those on the top. Without us, the Balance will break apart and everyone's gonna suffer 'cause of it."

Narik remained silent while she listened on her mother, aunt and uncle. Yet, she didn't understand. Again, she was only two winters and one summer old and just like every calf she was entirely oblivious over the whole world. Although, her questionable attitude put an irritation on her mother whom wasn't fond of it. Then she lost the track of listening and started to daydream instead.

"My dear little sweetheart, you musta understand that we're a part of the Balance. Silent Hunters will always hunt other mammals. The Peaceful Singers…" Tanna trailed her voice when she paid notice on her daughter who seemed not paying attention.

"Da Peaceful Singers ain't on the top. Nope, dey are cowards," Shikan added. Just then, she saw directly that her niece wasn't listening. "Eh, are ya even listenin' on us?"

"Narik!" then Narik's mother raised her tail to slap furiously. It frightened her daughter who jumbled by surprise, pulled out from her daydream. "Stop daydreamin' again for abyss!"

"But mama, ya ain't answerin' my question!" Narik shrieked terrified for her mother's wrath, thou defensively.

"What's the question then?" her mother whistled.

"Mama, why can't we live in peace with the squawkers?" Narik asked, her voice squeaking like a whisper. "I mean… what if we do the wrong thing?"

"Do the wrong thing? Sweetheat, we're not doin' the wrong thing," her mother whistled more irritated, which it gave the signal for Shikan and Harrok that their older sister was losing her patience already. "We do the right thing for the sake of the Balance. Livin' in peace with the squawkers… that's against the laws. If ya dare to live with 'em peacefully… then ya'll never be a Silent Hunter."

That was then Narik fell into silence. She dared not to sing more. She did not want to get shrieked anyway. The young calf felt ashamed over her question. Narik wanted to be like her mother, aunt and uncle, but spontaneously she wondered if it was possible to live in peace along other marine mammals and learn to eat fish. Yet, if living in peace with other marine mammals was considered to be a crime against the laws, then it meant trouble for Narik.

The small pod eventually forgot the conversation and refocused on their next direction of their endless travel after prey. They swam without haste whereas they headed to shallower waters. The sun moved to west, which indicated that the sun was going to the horizon soon. But now it was summer time with long sun circles and short nights. While they swam, Narik's curiosity woke when she spotted something on the shallow sea floor. It looked like a wreck of a moving isle that sunk many winters ago.

Narik took a deep breath, then she dived downward to the shipwreck where she inspected its rusted steel and fractured wooden structure. She'd never seen a wreckage before in her young life, though she'd heard stories from her mother about moving isles capsizing under vicious storms and Landwalkers being swallowed by the waves and then drowned before they were devoured by the demons of the Void. Imagining Landwalkers being eaten by the demons from the Void haunted Narik.

Just then, Narik caught the sight of the shipwreck's engine whose propellers were still intact and sharp. She cautiously swam closer to the busted and rusty engine, clicking some echolocation clicks to inspect it better. It was then she suddenly remembered. She remembered the sun circle when her pod beat the Monster and faced the Titans that came to the rescue. The Titans weren't made of flesh or bones. No, they were made of flat rocks that clanged oddly. Her young brain started to refill with thousands of questions that burst like mini volcanos. Then she heard her mother's call which made her leave in haste, hurrying back to her family and rejoined them.

Swimming side by side with her mother, Narik asked: "Mama, I have one question. Ya know the Titans, right? I was wondering where they'd come from."

"Narik… Titans are somethin' ya must be careful," her mother sang baffled. Tanna's voice stayed calm, yet serious for a heartbeat as if she was about to scare her little daughter. "Titans ain't from this world. No, they're from the heaven above us."

"Are they from heaven?" Narik whistled in full surprise. The little calf rolled to her right side, giving her left eye a view up to the sky. Then she continued: "Mama… I wonder 'bout another thing."

"Sure, sing me."

"I was wondering about the… Monster. I mean, the Monster is like the Titans, right?"

"Oh yes, my sweet Narik. The Monster has lived in our world since a long, long time ago. I don't know how far back in time it lived but the stories have sung us that it has lived here since the time of the Great Glacier."

"Woah, that's a long time. Y'know mama… why is the Monster so dangerous?"

"Ya wanna know why, Narik? Da Monster is a calf-napper," Shikan then came into the conversation. She sounded terrifying. "It has stolen calves from Silent Hunters before and kept 'em for itself. Whoever got stolen from its mama was never seen nor heard again."

The words caused Narik to fell into silence. She felt afraid whereas her mind created pictures of her being taken away from her family by the Monster, never to see or hear them again. Separated. That was a thing she feared most. Separation from mother meant certain death. If a cetacean calf gets separated from its pod, it'd never survive against the merciless nature.

"The Monster ain't nice. We attacked back to teach it a lesson," Tanna whistled more. "Silent Hunters are tough, not soft. So, sweetie, don't ever tempt yourself to think 'bout it. Nobody can be a friend to the Monster nor the Titans. Don't ya ever forget it, Narik."

"Understood, mama," Narik squealed almost reluctantly, revealing he fear on her voice. Though, she then squealed. "Ya think the Titans have left the bay?"

"I don't know, sweetie. I wish they've left there by now…"

The conversation ended without Narik's question answered. The pod had no feeling to sing more, feeling the awkwardness growing. So, the pod refocused their journey. They continued traveling on the shallow waters. The orcas returned back to silence, listening after prey.

Early evening

The sun traveled closer and closer to the horizon, painting the sky yellow and orange. But out on the ocean there was a large storm heading toward land, full with heavy rain and deep rumbling warnings of fierce lightning. The Dolphin Hunters stayed close into each other. They knew what can happen during storms. One of the worst things they knew was that there was the constant risk that one of them will get lost. Tanna squealed her daughter to stay very close next to her, never losing her out of sight.

The storm marched closer and closer to the coast. The waves grew high as the strong winds breezed harshly with a powerful wind force similar to a hurricane except it wasn't a hurricane really. Every living mammal, bird, fish and Landwalker prepared for the incoming storm. That included the Dolphin Hunters. The small pod took the quick decision to stick close to shallow coastal waters, seeking safety. The orcas swam tightly together, listening the sounds of furious currents that were growing in strength. Then came the deep rumbling roars of lightning. Just then, the heavy rain drenched down, slamming the seawater.

"Mama!" Narik shrieked out horrified. "I'm scared!"

"It's okay, sweetie. We'll stick together and endure the storm," her mother whistled as calm as possible. Still, she was afraid too. Tanna had an old fear for storms that gave her instant anxiety. "The storm will leave. Eventually…"

"Da storm's gonna be a pain on the flukes," Shikan spyhopped, inspecting the dark clouds that neared closer before sinking down below the surface. "We gotta make sure none of us gets lost outta here."

"Stop it, sis!" Tanna cried out. "Ya give my daughter a scare."

"Sorry, sis…"

"Tanna, we must be watchful. Fish-herders can still be out there and they're heading back to the land border," Harrok then echoed. "If we don't keep an eye then –"

But just then, a white lightning struck down the seawater far from the orcas, yet close enough to give a bright shine through the dark water. That moment Narik panicked. "Mama!" she shrieked loudly. "AAAIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"

"Narik! Come back here!" her mother shrieked after her daughter.

Ayiiaaaoom!

Ayeeeyaaaiii!

But sadly, it was already too late. Narik was so utterly scared that she failed to listen her mother's call when a second noise came spontaneously just as the lightning's rumble roared across the sky. It was a noisy drilling sound that penetrated painfully through the orca calf's ears.

"Moving isle! Retreat!" the last thing Narik heard was Harrok's squeal whose deep voice filled in utter horror.

Then she abruptly faced a large object driving through the waves. It was a fish-herder moving isle that headed toward land, traveling on full speed forward. Narik was close to get knocked over its metal body when she docked below just in right time, only to face the fast spinning propellers which spun like razor-sharp blades. The noise from the spinning propellers was enough to cause Narik turn temporarily deaf. Then she suddenly felt the worst pain she'd ever experienced in her entire young life.

Narik was overrun by the moving isle's propellers. Worse than that, the propellers slashed her spine behind the dorsal fin, tearing flesh and blubber from her spine. The spinal cord got almost crushed by the sharp blades. Yet, it was a big miracle that the propellers didn't go farther down so they'd break the spine. Narik shrieked out her cry of agony as she experienced the intense pain burning throughout her entire body. Blood, tissues of blubber and flesh traced behind her whereas Narik strained to swim upward. Her tail was so badly damaged that only one movement ruptured her tormented muscles. The shock was even worse for the young orca calf.

Then she pushed up her head above the water surface, blowing out her breath quickly and inhaled a quick breath. "Mama! Where are ya, mama!?" Narik never stopped crying.

It felt like her heart was going to stop beat when she was pushed over by a large wave, rolling under its force and then reappeared where the orca calf strained to breathe as she inhaled and blew quickly without a break. It rung agonizingly inside her ears after experiencing the horrible engine noise. Worse, it lasted longer than she wanted to be. The engine sound from the moving isle faded slowly away, still it remained loud and sharp.

Then Narik cried desperately after her mother.

Ayiiaaaoom…

There was no call. It was only silence. It was what Narik feared. Her pod was gone.

"Mama… mama, where are ya?" she screeched, still shocked. "Mama… please come back…"

What Narik did not know was that her pod was too far away. They'd fled from the area. In spite of it, she kept crying for help in vain, never knowing if her mother would heed her cry or not. But just then, the lightning worsened into worse. The rumbling deepened while the lightning struck down everywhere. The stormy clouds lit in bright white light. The rain continued to drench, pouring large raindrops that slammed endlessly onto the surface. Just then, Narik got petrified to death when a large lightning bolt struck onto the water very close, which it made her screech in panic and fled away from it. Unfortunately, she took the wrong way.

Miles away

"Tanna, we're safe now. Da moving isle's goner," Shikan sang hastily, though shaken. "We got lucky dis time…"

"Thank Vanadis for that," Tanna whistled relieved, only to realize all suddenly what she missed entirely. "Wait a heartbeat… Narik! She's gone!"

"We've lost her, Tanna! She swam away before the moving isle showed up," Harrok squealed in realization. "Oh no… think if niece got –"

"Don't dare to sing it, Harrok! I don't wanna Narik be left all alone," Tanna screeched in panic when she tried to swim back. "There ain't no way the moving isle has overrun my calf!"

However, as it happened, Tanna stopped. She sharpened her ears to listen after the vocalizations from her daughter. It was overwhelming. The noises covered everywhere above and underwater; the furious lightning, bubbling currents, constant wrapping of raindrops and the slow fading fish-herder moving isle that would be gone entirely soon. She heard no cries from her daughter. No distress calls. There was nothing. Her heart held in an iron grip.

"No… no, no, no! Narik! Where are ya, sweetie?!" Tanna shrieked in pure despair, fearing for the worst. In an act of desperation, she swam straightforward, blind of despair while she cried her daughter's name like a banshee. "Narik! Narik! Sweetheart!"

Although, she didn't get far before she was stopped by her siblings. Both Shikan and Harrok tried their best holding their sister-matriarch from swimming blind, risking to get lost.

"What in the abyss are ya two doin'?! I must find Narik!" she demanded them to let her swim.

"Sis, dere is nothing we can do," Shikan whistled unexpectedly cold. "We don't hear yer daughter's cries. She's a goner…"

"Shikan, how could ya be so harsh? We ain't even tryin' to seek after her," Tanna squealed. "There's hope that she might be still alive. I can't abandon her."

"Tanna… have ya forgotten it? We're accursed. The Sun-eye's constantly watching us," Harrok then whistled remorsefully, pushing his distressed sister upward to the surface where they breathed out their breaths. "If the Sun-eye didn't cast the Curse upon us… our mother would be still alive and yer previous calves too."

It was then Tanna finally faced the reality. Harrok was right. The pod was cursed forever. She trembled remembering her first calf as stillborn, then her second calf that survived only one winter and one summer before her son perished suddenly without a cause. Now Narik was gone. At thirty-five winters old, she was approaching to the crucial stage when she'd go into menopause. The thought stressed her up. Shikan hadn't been able to conceive a calf at all; no matter how many times she mated with many bulls, she never got pregnant.

Then she unleashed a loud squawk that would be described as a desperate mother's cry.

Vanadis, why are you hatin' us so much? All I want is a calf, Tanna mentally prayed to Vanadis. In spite of it, no matter how much she prayed, Vanadis rarely heard her prayers. And once again you've taken the life away. Is it really true that my pod is doomed?

---

Late evening

How long time has passed since I lost them?

He drove fast. His processor was full of thoughts that swung intensively like a vicious tornado. He was stuck in his thoughts, endangering himself to get knocked by another vehicle or cause a roadkill. Although, his patrol was short-lasting before he was already back in the scrapyard. The gate opened, then shut quickly behind him while he drove slowly to the center. The whole team was there.

Still no change here, Bumblebee thought.

It felt like it had been an eternity since the solar cycle Bumblebee lost both Strongarm and Optimus. Ever since then, things went up-side-down in a negative spiral that brought catastrophic consequences upon the entire team. Bumblebee hadn't forgotten the moment he and his former leader had before Optimus left for good. He never got peace inside his processor for the merciless words echoed constantly, tormenting him every klik. The former scout's spark hurt heavily by the inner pain.

From this day, you are not my equal and therefore you have to stand on your own without my guidance once more. As a consequence, you are two men short.

Why? Why did you say that, Optimus? I can't lead them without you, Bumblebee thought shamefully, remembering his former leader's words. I… it's all my fault. Why did I let this happen on first place?

After all, you have to learn how to carry the shame and accept that what you and the other members have done is not acceptable for either Strongarm or for me.

Shame. That word told Bumblebee pretty much. He carried the deep shame inside his spark that ate through him. While the time passed from weeks to months, he had it extremely tough to handle things. He was not the only one who had to endure the consequences.

While Bumblebee neared the Alchemor, he spotted Grimlock laying nearby. The T-Rex dinobot was silent, seemingly unaware of his leader's presence. But what was the point to bother when he showed no interest to do anything? Grimlock was unhappy. He spent all day doing nothing, just laying on his abdominal area and refused to change back to robot form. It was as if Grimlock had lost all joy of life. There'd been times when he would walk around, seeking a place to be alone and do nothing.

"Hey, Grimlock," Bumblebee decided to go to him instead, kneeling next to his head. He expanded his left servo over the dinobot's head, laying it down. But just as he touched, Grimlock removed his head and moved slightly away.

It was his signal that often said: Leave me alone please.

"Grimlock… I know I did things bad," the yellow mech stated, pulling his servo back. "I want to say that I… I was a fool."

"You should be sorry for you did to her," Grimlock snarled unhappily, though somewhat threatening like he wanted his leader to leave him alone. "Thanks to you, Strongarm is gone…"

Bumblebee sighed with a groan. He didn't want his large comrade to explode out of rage. There had been some moments when Grimlock exploded in pure frustration and caused some conflict in between the team.

Then there was Drift. He had grown more frustrated and irritable than ever, thus his patience started to vanish more often. The samurai forced his students to train harder and more frequently, not giving them a single break for hours. He'd rose his voice, almost yelling them if they were not concentrating well or making mistakes. Then very recently, Drift grew also tensely questionable. The samurai started to question the young mech's leadership and responsibility. It happened time to time that conflict came between them, though not serious ones, just noisy arguments. Yet, it did scare the other members so they became distant.

Just then, as Bumblebee stood up, he fixed his optics on Sideswipe who sat a large garbage on far distance. He was sharpening his long blade with an iron grip. Even if he was far, Bumblebee could hear him talking.

"Thank Primus that Strongarm isn't here anymore. That liar… saved by a monster. I hate her so much. She ruined everything," Sideswipe muttered surprisingly aloud as if he wanted to get his voice heard. The tone in his voice was dark and cruel. "Heh, I never felt so happy now when she's gone. Heck, I'd say twice happier if she's left out of this worldtoo."

Sideswipe had been transformed into a completely different Sideswipe. Shortly after the cadet and the Prime left, the prankster started to change into worse. He started to accuse Strongarm almost daily, talking horrible things about her along calling her a liar, a Predacon-lover and other things. It didn't just end there. Not only he accused her and hated her, he also looked delightful to see her gone. Then the prankster started to behave troublesome. Whenever Bumblebee was around, he'd talk behind his back many negative things and somehow praised him to banish Strongarm.

That was a lie. Bumblebee knew better than what Sideswipe spoke. He saw it all clear. Sideswipe had begun to develop a strong hatred towards Strongarm. Sometimes he spooked everyone when he'd spoke almost murderously. The yellow mech knew it was a waste of time to tell him knock it off. Sideswipe stopped to listen a long time ago. He was stuck inside his bubble of hatred, delight and accusing.

As it happened, Bumblebee heard the distant sobbing. Somewhere in the scrapyard, Windblade was hiding inside her new isolated cave that she built out of scrap and hid inside there under the pile of rusty junk. After she woke up in less than a week's coma, Windblade was deeply wounded in torment. On that moment she discovered she was wingless, the seeker fell into a bottomless depression. The loss of her wings was like half of her spark was torn apart from her. Then came the news that broke everyone. Fixit told the whole team that there was nothing he could do. The minibot was uncapable to repair the damaged wings and reattach them back on Windblade. The news was enough to break the femme's life down into shards.

The pain was unspeakable. She faced the worst nightmare every seeker feared so much to get. She was no longer a seeker.

And soon enough, she fell deeper in the bottomless void of her depression. She stopped talking to anyone, shut down herself and isolated herself from the whole world. It took not long before the entire scrapyard heard her endless crying. Nowadays, Windblade never left her cave. Daily she would only recharge all the time. When awake, she'd cry and whimper constantly until fallen asleep. It ached Bumblebee's spark so much hearing her anguish cries.

The whole team was not the same anymore.

Sadly, it affected badly the minibots and the humans as well. Denny and Russell seemed to fear the Autobots now, seeing them as total strangers and evaded them. It was even more difficult for Fixit. The little minibot developed a severe anxiety that prevented him from concentrating or observing any activities on the monitor or other important things. He got easily scared for almost anything. Jetstorm and Slipstream shared also his anxiety as well. They started to fear their master's irritation.

The evening sun had still a journey to touch the horizon for hours. Night wouldn't arrive until far later into night. Already the sky was painted in pale blue, bright yellow and slowly appearing orange. The wind breezed like howls as an incoming rainstorm was nearing the area.

Bumblebee then saw Russell and his dad talking together over something worrying. The yellow mech walked toward the humans, then kneeling down on one knee gear. "Hey you two," he greeted them, exhausted after all the driving but showed concern on them. "Has something happened?"

None of them answered. He detected fast heartbeat rates from both of them. Something very bad happened while he was gone out on patrol. Denny frowned worriedly, moving his head right and left to check no one else was there and then he patted his son's shoulder, seemingly whispering in his ear.

But just then, Bumblebee heard a loud pipping beep from the ship where the orange minibot was checking the system. That little one was stressed as he yelped while shifting his arms everywhere, trying to fix some system issues. It took a brief moment before the system returned to normal. Fixit swept his three-fingered arm over his forehead with a sigh of relief. Then Fixit noticed Bumblebee standing on the front of the Alchemor that nearly gave out a startled exclaim from the little minibot.

"L-L-Lieutenant Bumblebee, I didn't expect y-y-you to be here so soon!" he squawked, then beat his frame to shut off his stammer temporarily. Yet, Fixit sounded insecure as if he didn't know what to say next when the lieutenant frowned.

"Fixit… have you received any call from Optimus?" then came the question that Bumblebee didn't want to say but did it anyway. Fixit shook his helmet, which convinced the yellow and black Autobot enough. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders with dropped doorwings.

"Lieutenant, I get no signal beacon from neither Optimus or Strongarm," the minibot confessed, his voice heavy. "Maybe they've left this planet."

"No, Fixit. They can't have left Earth yet. We must keep trying to find them," Bumblebee replied quickly, denyingly. "We can't quit."

"To be honest, you'll have to face it."

Just then, Sideswipe appeared out of nowhere. He walked closer towards the yellow mech, glaring at his leader like an eagle ready to pursuit from above. The red prankster looked like he was asking for trouble. Immediately Bumblebee erected his doorwings up high in tension, knowing whatever the prankster was up, it meant nothing else but trouble. As it happened, the two humans hid behind a tall shelf's corner as if they knew what was going to happen next. They were afraid.

"I mean, why are you still looking after them, Bee? Optimus left 'cause he cares about that Predacon lover," Sideswipe sneered, "and I don't want her coming back to us. If she dares to return, then I'll be glad to kick her aft and make her beg for mercy."

There was no reply. The silence thickened as the tension raised higher between them. Bumblebee stood still, almost unmovable while Sideswipe began to walk around him in a circle, speaking loud and clear.

"Why do you still care about them? They aren't going to give us a call," he continued. "We don't need them anyway. They shall not bother even a thing about us."

Still no answer came from Bumblebee. While Sideswipe wandered around him, the yellow mech held his optics onto the other mech. He clenched his jaws all together, closing his optics tightly.

Then the voices echoed inside his audio receptors.

Strongarm left because you failed to trust her. She got upset because of you. And you didn't stop the others as well... You let them take the chance to accuse her for everything. Therefore, the entire team has to blame for themselves.

"Hey, cat got your glossa?" Sideswipe was reckless. He even had the guts to near closer behind his spinal stunt. But just as he laid his servo on his leader's shoulder, he didn't pay attention to see the sudden swing and received a hard knock right on his face plates. The fist smashed on the jaws, cracking some denta. Sideswipe flew far, hit the front of the ship violently and landed on the dusty ground with a yelp.

The prankster spit out small Energon when Bumblebee raised his voice: "Watch your tone, Sideswipe. You will not get another chance, otherwise I'll send you back to Cybertron with immediate actions."

"Yeah so what? I'm not scared to head back there. It'd be nice to come home only if that Predacon lover isn't there," Sideswipe unsurprisingly chuckled with a mocking smirk. "Strongarm ruined everything for us. She let that beast run free and she got saved too! You made the right thing to banish her –"

RAAAAAAGHH!

All suddenly, without a warning, Grimlock attacked. He ran past Bumblebee on charge. Like a fearsome predator, the T-rex Dinobot roared furiously as he used his jaws to snap Sideswipe's right arm and lifted him up high in the air, shaking him like a ragdoll. Sideswipe cried agonizingly whereas he was shaken rapidly left and right, experiencing the sharp fangs ripping through his armor. Then Grimlock tossed him away.

"Sideswipe, this is all your fault! Strongarm left because of you! She left because of us!" Grimlock outraged his inner rage against the red mech. He stumped his left clawed ped on the ground, standing like an aggressive bull ready to charge. He growled deeply. Tiny tears were visible on the corners of his narrowed optics, which Sideswipe spotted.

"Heh, I didn't know you were a softie inside, Grimlock," he taunted. Though, the red mech expressed pain on his face plates, still he tried to play the tough one. "Aww, you're crying after her."

"That's enough both of you!" it was then Bumblebee ran between them, using his servos to block them from worsening the situation. He looked at the T-rex who was ready to attack at any moment. "Don't listen what he says. You know he's wrong about everything."

You'll be so much happy without me.

Strongarm's voice echoed inside his progressor like a chilling banshee. It pulled him back to the moment when she drove off from the scrapyard for good, and he remembered him being stopped by Optimus. Spontaneously, Bumblebee shut his optics again, fighting back against the painful memory, only to shake it off and regained focus. He then fixed his optics on Sideswipe who was still lying on the ground, groaning in pain while he struggled to get up on his pedes. His arm was totally damaged with open holes.

"Sideswipe, you've crossed the line. I'm not going to give you more chances," the former scout warned the prankster mercilessly. "I'll send you back to Cybertron right now."

Sideswipe's optics widened largely. He couldn't believe in it. Yet, just always nowadays, he defended back. "You can't just kick me outta your team, Bee. You know that Strongarm caused it on first place?"

"Stop it right now," suddenly Drift's strict voice was heard. The samurai approached closer towards them, holding one of his swords on right servo. His students stood behind his legs. Then he swung his sword to point it at Sideswipe. The edge of the sword was dangerously close to touch his neck Energon cables. A few inches closer would be enough to cut them off. Sideswipe gulped in fear while he stared widely on the blade. "Sideswipe, you're behaving like a youngling. You've caused enough of trouble with us. All you do is blaming Strongarm."

Surprisingly, Drift seemed to ignore Bumblebee. However, just as it happened, an alarm alerted the whole base, interrupting the team and caught their attention.

"Fixit, what's going on?" Bumblebee demanded an answer from the minibot when he discovered that the little one had hidden himself from the conflict. Though, Fixit was quick to come out as he uploaded the screen to check what triggered the alert. A big map of the world came up that revealed a red dot that blinked on an unexpected location. "Is it Decepticons?"

"No, lieutenant. I'm not sure what kind of signal it is," Fixit was unsure. Although, he shuddered slightly. It was possible that he was still affected by the conflict. "It seems to be located on a group of small islands somewhere in the southern Pacific Ocean. I can't tell if it's a Decepticon signal or something else."

"Whatever it is… we need to investigate it," Bumblebee said before he moved his helmet over his shoulder, looking on the Groundbridge. "Fixit, pick the coordinates and activate the Groundbridge. We're going there. Grimlock, Drift, you're coming with me. Sideswipe… you're going to stay here."

"What?! You just said that –" Sideswipe protested, only to get cut by the lieutenant.

"I will send you back to Cybertron later, Sideswipe. I want you to stay here and shame yourself. Until I return, you better behave," he warned with a lethal tone. He looked on Grimlock and Drift, confirming them to investigate the mysterious signal before he gave a nod that told the minibot to wheel down to the Groundbridge. Once he arrived, Fixit typed quickly the coordinates that activated the bridge, its green light swirling. "All right everyone, let's roll."

Bumblebee, Drift and his students and Grimlock went through the portal.

---

The three Autobots entered outside the swirling tunnel. They discovered quickly that they arrived on a group of islands that had only black solid cliffs and no vegetation. The surrounding sea was stormy. Large waves slammed against the spiky cliffs. Bumblebee counted three islands that joined together on a trail. The main island they were was the largest one. The wind howled viciously. The wind force was so powerful that even Grimlock struggled to stand whereas his T-rex body was wriggling. Jetstorm and Slipsteam were close to get blown away in the storm winds. Luckily, Drift was swift to grab them and put them back on his arms, making sure that they were safe. It was like they stood in the worst possible weather of a typhoon that ruled across the ocean.

It was also pitch-black as well. None of them knew if it was night or day. It was not a big surprise. The Autobots were in the southern hemisphere. While it was summer up in north, it was bitter winter in south.

The lieutenant rose his left servo to cover his optics while narrowing his gaze and scanned the entire area. The wind carried tiny snowflakes that stung like insects onto the Autobots' armors and face plates. He spotted tiny lights further downhill around the corner of the edge they were. He signaled his two members to sneak down. As the three Autobots sneaked, they heard suddenly a loud noise of a ship's horn. It echoed through the wind for a long moment before it stopped.

It took more than fifteen minutes for the three mechs to reach on plat ground where they hid behind a rocky knoll, peeking up their helmets over and observed the area more. Bumblebee used both of his servos to cover his optics, making a similar gesture of a human looking through a bilocular. He soon found out that the lights. It came from a long, slender ship that was boarded on a shallow beach ahead of them. The lights were three large headlamps that used searchlight.

"What are humans doing here?" Bumblebee questioned, puzzled and suspicious. "I'd never seen that kind of ship before."

"Maybe they got lost in the storm?" Grimlock whispered low, glancing on his leader. It was then he picked up a smell in the blowing wind. He sniffed quickly. "Hold on a klik… I smell blood."

"Blood?" Drift gazed at him, his optics very narrowed by the snow that melted over his forehead and optics. He then turned to his leader. "Bumblebee, we must get closer and see what happened there."

"Not yet, Drift. There can be still humans around," Bumblebee answered hastily. It was then he received a call from Fixit. "Fixit, not now please. We've found a human ship here."

"Sorry lieutenant. I'm following the signal. It's hiding out in deep waters from the island where you are right now,"Fixit replied. "Wait, it's m-m-m…oving."

"Fixit, I can't read you. What's going on over there?"

"Lieu…tenant… can you… r…r…"

That moment everything turned static. Bumblebee tried a second time to contact back, only to met the same static that blurred through the comlink. "Ugh, great. Now we can't contact to Fixit. It looks like we're on our own now."

"It's possibly the storm that is interrupting the signal," Drift said. "And we're pretty isolated as well out of nowhere. Bumblebee, we need to make a plan."

"Yeah Drift, you're right," Bumblebee acknowledged before turning to Grimlock. "Grimlock, you said you can smell blood."

"Bee, it's coming from there," the Dinobot pointed on the beach. "Although, I don't know what it is."

"Doesn't matter. All right, here's plan," the former scout then stated his plan. "We sneak closer to the rock there," he pointed on a big rock that stood up like a round arrow's blade more than four-hundred meters away, "then we follow Grimlock's olfactory sensor. However, if there are humans ahead, we need to split up."

"I'd be wise to hide among the boulders up there and see if there's human activity before heading down there," Drift added, pointing on the big boulders that stood uphill from the beach. "I would sneak ahead up there and scan if it's safe or not."

"Alone or with your students?"

"Alone."

"Understood," Bumblebee gave him a nod. "Grimlock, you stick nearby one of us."

"I got a better idea, Bee," the T-rex Dinobot surprised both the former scout and samurai when he walked to a spot behind them, digging up a big hole and rolled on the mud. His entire body was soaked enough by the snow so it made it easier for him to get filthy in mud, sticky rocks and some moss. He was so muddy that he looked like a big, dark brown clay beast. "What ya think?"

"That's some smart planning. You sneak to a point where you can lie down and observe," his leader looked amused for a sparkbeat, considering it as a smart move. "However, don't take the risk to get closer."

"Gotcha."

"What about you?" Drift then inquired.

"I'm going to the cliff there and hid among the rocks," Bumblebee pointed on a tall cliff that stood near beach, surrounded by multiple rocks. There hid a hole squeezed between the rocks. "I'm going to lie low inside the hole there. But first…"

Bumblebee copied the Dinobot's example. He jumped in the hole where he rolled over the cold mud, rubbing it over his face plates and helmet and smudging doorwings, peds, legs, arms and body whole. Unexpectedly, he found it entertaining. After he finished it, Bumblebee rose up and gazed his muddy body. "This wasn't bad as I thought," he smirked.

"Immature…" the samurai muttered low, unamused. "Bumblebee, try and see if the comlink is working between us. If not, we shall use other methods to signal between us."

"Oh yes, let's see if it works," the former scout replied, pressing on his comlink. "Drift, you read me?"

"I read you, Bumblebee," came the reply. "It seems it's functioning well on close range."

"Good. Now… let's get closer."

Quickly, the plan was started. The three Autobots sneaked with fast, yet silent ped-steps towards the rock, then they checked to see if the coast was clear and finally they split up. Drift rushed to the boulders where he climbed up and squeezed between two massive boulders, lying on his abdominal area. Grimlock found a good place close to the dark sandy beach where he lied down on his abdominal area and lied completely unmovable. Bumblebee reached the cliff where he tried to push himself through the hole, then hid inside it and looked through a narrow crack. He saw a clear view over the beach while lying on his abdominal area as well. He heard the rumbling waves smashing against the cliffs that washed over them. Fortunately, his hiding place was too far for the waves to reach.

Just then, the former scout communicated through the comlink, calling the samurai. "Found anything there?"

"I see no activity here. Wait, I see something. There are human bodies lying around. I think they're all… dead."

"Bodies?"

"It's a big mess. I can't describe how truly dreadful it is."

"I smell a lot of them too. It stinks awful over here,"Grimlock followed. He sounded like he was about to puke. "And it smells fresh. Like it happened not long ago."

"Primus…" Bumblebee whispered when his olfactory sensor detected something that stung inside his sensor. "Hold on. I smell something. I smell oil."

"Oil? Wait, I can smell it too, Bee," the Dinobot replied. "It's coming from the ship."

But just then, the lights disappeared. There was a sharp noise of a sparked flicker that snapped the headlamps and burst in tiny sparks, most likely due overusing for a very long time. "What just happened?" Bumblebee was startled over the sudden shutdown.

But before any of the three mechs could answer the question, a loud sound appeared in the howling wind. It sounded like a deep whoosh of a blowing breath. A few nano-kliks later the ground trembled violently. Bumblebee's hideout crumpled. The trembling shakes grew stronger as it came closer towards the beach. It felt not like a regular earthquake. It felt like enormous steps of a walking giant rising from the sea.

"Drift, Grimlock, hold your positions. And whatever you do… don't let it see you," Bumblebee called both the samurai and Dinobot while pressing down on the cold ground, making him invisible as possible while looking what was happening before him. He started to shudder by the cold air, feeling the sharp coldness crawling through his armor.

The quakes were as strongest when a massive shadow wandered up on land. Bumblebee froze completely still by just looking on the shadow whose sheer size brought both amazement and fear as well. He could barely see anything in the pitch-black darkness for the storm wasn't calming down at all. Just then the shadow moved its broad head to check around the environment. Its deep breaths sounded like heavy sighs going through a thick throat. The yellow mech tried to activate his night vision system, but to his frustration, his night vision wasn't functioning as it was supposed to do.

It was then the shadow gave a strange sound.

Beebaaboooom…

Bumblebee tried his best to keep his nerves under control. He suddenly felt that he was being watched. On that moment, he thought he saw the shadow's eye. It shimmered in the darkness like a bright turquoise orb. His spark pounded fast under his throat gear. As it happened, the shadow used its right front leg, picking up a couple of human bodies and tossed them inside its jaws and swallowed them whole. The loud gulping was horrifying.

What in Cybertron's name is that thing? That can't be a real sea monster, Bumblebee thought, his optics wide in fear. As he watched the beast devouring the dead humans, he was close to retch.

Though, he did forget that he was not the only one witnessing the whole thing. Grimlock and Drift were sharing the same fear on their optics whereas they witnessed how the beast consumed the ravaged bodies without remorse. It took barely ten kliks before every single corpse was gone. The monster unleashed an awful belch that echoed through the wind. But just then, its attention was caught up by something. It had its gaze upon Grimlock who accidently let his tail move, which it made a small rumbling sound.

Grimlock, don't move, the former scout begged his Dinobot comrade to lay as still as possible, not letting himself to get seen by the man-eating monster. He watched on while the monster neared the scared T-rex Dinobot for inspection.

The quakes terrified Bumblebee much; not only to see Grimlock being seen but because his hideout was breaking in pieces as the shielding rocks cracked up like fragile eggs. The beast was as closest when it bowed the head down, opening its jaws wide and neared closer towards the Dinobot. But luck was on their side when the same ship horn echoed in the wind from the sea, which captured the beast's attention that moved its head to the stormy sea. Was it listening after the ship? Strikingly, it quickly changed its mind as it wandered back to the sea. It wandered back the same way it came up, seemingly too lazy to make a leap.

Within a sparkbeat, it was completely silent. Bumblebee sighed in relief when he risked to crawl out from the unsteady hideout. He was quick to get out in right time for, as soon as his peds were free, the rocks crumbled down, turning into a big pile of sharp edgy rocks.

"Woah, that was close," he panted before he cast his optics on Grimlock who still laid unmovable, if not shaken to death. "Grimlock, it's all clear. You can move now."

There was no reply. By then the samurai bot had jumped down from the boulders and hurried to meet up both him and the Dinobot.

"…AAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Grimlock roared in panic as he threw his head back, his jaws wide open like a howling wolf. He flew up on his pedes, panicking like a chicken. "That thing was about to eat me!"

"Grimlock, stop it! Stop screaming like a youngling!" Bumblebee shouted, trying to catch him up. "You'll bring the monster back if you don't keep your jaw shut!"

Luckily though, the panicking Dinobot slipped by the wet ground and fell on his abdominal area with a big thud. "Ooof!" he screeched. His throat and jaws got a pretty big hit. It felt like he got knocked underneath by a fierce underarm punch. "Owww… sorry, Bee. Got a scare there."

The yellow mech neared to his large comrade's side, kneeling next to him and said: "You got lucky this time. I'm relieved you're okay though."

"We are lucky indeed," Drift then spoke. He glared on the sea, watching any sight of the monster. "That thing… that was not an Earth creature."

"What did you just say Drift?" Bumblebee caught up his words. He stretched up, then walked to the samurai bot and stood beside him.

"I can't tell directly what I saw. I'm not certain."

"I hope we're not giving it a second visit here. We better leave this island now."

"But you said we can't call back Fixit thanks to the storm," Grimlock reminded the two mechs. "Maybe if we wait until the storm calms down we can try it."

"No Grimlock, we can't wait. We need to contact Fixit now and urge him to activate the Groundbridge," he shook his helmet, rising his servo to shield his optics from the blowing snowflakes. It was still gusting violently. It stung in his optics so he narrowed them hard while checking after a good spot to try some contact. Bumblebee moved his gaze upward, looking on the path they went down.

It was then he came on a thought. What if I climb up higher and try contact there instead?

It was then he decided it. He shall try contact on higher level, either alone or with Grimlock and Drift. And so he wandered off, heading upward. Just then, Drift shouted after him: "Where you're going?!"

"Going to higher level and see if I can contact Fixit up here," Bumblebee answered with another shout. The gust was so fierce that his words followed the wind. "If it's not working, I'll come back."

As said, Bumblebee marched onward as he climbed up the rocky path, which he found it unsteadily steep. He was close to slide off his pedes by the slippery, though he had a steady grasp when he finally reached a solid point where the cliff wall faced the stormy waves. The waves rampaged onto the cliffs furiously. Bumblebee stretched up his spinal stunt, using his left servo to press on the comlink and try reaching out. "Bumblebee to Fixit, do you read me?"

There was nothing else but static. He repeated the same question a second time, then a third and a fourth and received the same static result. Frustrated, he swung his away like he'd tossed an invisible rock out to the sea, turning his back against the view and closed his optics tightly. Soon his processor fell into the whirl of thoughts.

Optimus… where are you when I need you, suddenly he thought on his mentor. I can't do this. I need your help.

Beebaaboooom!

The last thing he heard before he could ever react was the deep sound that came behind his spinal strut. Bumblebee was unable to act before he was crushed by a pair of powerful jaws whose teeth were broad and long. The jaws horizontally bit on both of his sides, squeezing his arms into his frame. The striking pain exploded throughout Bumblebee. He released a scream of pure agony as the sea monster's teeth tore easily through his armor without a struggle.

Everything turned dark.

He felt nothing. He heard nothing. He saw nothing.

Beebaaboooom…

His spark beat weakly. But then he suddenly woke up when he felt the freezing cold seawater. Was he underwater? Bumblebee discovered that he was floating freely. It was very dark in the depth, far darker than above. He then screamed again, only this time bubbles bubbled from his wide-open mouth as the hellish pain burned throughout his body. In desperation, he smashed himself on the side of his helmet in an attempt to activate his night vision. Miraculously, his optical system shifted into night vision. Maybe it required a smash to get it working.

With night vision activated, Bumblebee saw directly that he was in the worst possible situation; he was out in the storming sea, all alone and exposed. The sheer cold tormented his severely damaged body. Almost instinctually, he looked up and tried to swim up towards the surface. He was both fortunate and unfortunate. The surface was not far for him to reach. Quickly as his servos touched the air, he threw his helmet backwards and drew a deep vent of air.

What Bumblebee was mostly unfortunate was that he was not alone.

The waves rose and sunk massively. Bumblebee rode along the strong rhythm up and down, causing him to get severely seasick and dizzy. The waves washed over him, pushing him below the forces where he rolled around in the stream before he returned back to the surface. Gasping for air, Bumblebee looked around. To his horror, he was far, far away from the island. He was out of nowhere.

Whoosh!

All suddenly he felt a presence that swam by him in an unnoticeable speed. He sank his helmet down to see what was happening. But as it happened, he got hit from behind by a vicious power that can only describe as the pit itself. He got knocked so brutally that he was tossed out of the water, flying above the waves and then smashed onto the surface like a bouncing stone. He bounced five times until he finally smashed through the water and sunk like a rock. Rolling in no gravity, Bumblebee's dizziness returned as he spun round, round, round.

Nano-kliks later, as he stopped spinning, Bumblebee opened his optics and shook his helmet. But just then, he met the foulest view he'd ever wished not to witness. A large, wide-open mouth with the widest jaws and ugliest teeth came right at him. It took only a tiny sparkbeat for the jaws to engulf Bumblebee and he was inside the sea monster's mouth. However, quick-thinking, he used his pedes to kick on the upper teeth. It gave an immediate effect as the beast spitted him out, shrieking in frustration. It dove down, vanishing into the darkness.

Bumblebee quickly swung around to see where it went. He floated gracefully whereas he moved around in a circle, looking below him. What he saw next horrified him for the worst impossible thing.

Beebaaboooom…

The sea monster revealed itself. Bumblebee could not believe what he saw.

No… it can't be! It's impossible! It's… It's Sedna!

His thoughts exploded as he saw the massive sea monster approaching him. Bumblebee remembered Sedna, the Akhlut Predacon. Now he was facing her. But as the beast neared him, it was then he realized it was not Sedna.

No, the beast turned out to be an enormous Akhlut Predacon far bigger than Sedna.

Its forelimbs' expanded flippers were broader and larger; both of the forelimbs had each three long scars that covered from the lower edge of the expanded flipper to the wrist. There was also a big and deep scar behind the shoulders that looked like a big chunk had ripped off from it. The orca head was scarred. A massive conjoined twin scar covered the right optic; one scar went straight while the other conjoined scar was waved vertically and longer. Two scars sat on the jaw on the same side near the right scarred optic. The left optic had another scar, though thinner and shorter. Its white eye patches were large and broad with big multiple notch edges in front and long round-shaped edges in the back. Its armor looked like entirely black but in truth it was the darkest gray color closely to black. Its four paws looked similarly bear paws, only the front paws had big digits with razor-sharp white claws. The rear paws were bear-like with five clawed toes. All the four paws had webbed white skin between the digits and toes.

Bumblebee froze in pure shock seeing the broad orca head glaring at him, its jaws opening large and wide. He could see himself fit inside the Predacon's mouth easily and swallowed whole. That thought frightened him more enough than he begged for, and he knew he was close to get eaten alive a klik ago. But unexpectedly, the Predacon closed its jaws. It then moved its head to left, using its right optic to inspect the yellow mech. It had a narrow pupil inside the optic ring along a large, black optic ridge.

The Akhlut Predacon decided to swim a circle around him. Bumblebee got shocked to see the sheer size. It was outstandingly forty meters long from head to tail with a very heavy and wide chest, bulky and fatty abdomen, enormous legs, solidly robust tail and widespread curved flukes. Its expended flippers expanded from its front legs, having an outstanding size sharing Bumblebee's own size. Its pale gray saddle patch was half open, large and long. It was then he saw the jacked dorsal fin that made him drop his jaw. It was taller than Optimus himself.

It told him one clear thing. The Predacon was a very big male. Bumblebee gulped in fear whereas he followed the beast that continued to swim around him. He can't believe it. There was a second Akhlut Predacon.

Beebaaboooom…

"Who in Cybertron's name are you, beast!?" he couldn't help it shouting under water. It triggered the Akhlut to unleash its furious cry as it charged right at him once more. Its rostrum hit Bumblebee's chest plates. It required only one single forceful boost from the Akhlut Predacon's tail to knock him out of the water like a torpedo. The Autobot screamed both in terror and agony while he was flying high in the air before plumbing down like a damaged bird and collided the wavy surface with abdominal area taking the worst toll. The waves rose higher and sunk deeper as the storm worsened.

"Owww…" he was close to faint by the tremendous pain tearing throughout his whole body when his dozing optics caught the white shadow nearing him.

Deebaabooom…

It was on that moment Bumblebee discovered that the Akhlut Predacon was harmed. A whaling harpoon was pierced through its spine close to the hips. As it happened, he suddenly came on an idea. What if the harpoon was causing the Predacon's rage?

I'll have to pull the harpoon out of the Predacon's back, he considered carefully whereas he kept his gaze at the beast who surprisingly gave him a suspicious glare. But how can I do it while I'm dealing a fat male Akhlut without risking myself get eaten alive?

The Akhlut headed up towards the surface where it blew its breath out. The Autobot grabbed his chance. He swam fast as possible, boosting towards the Predacon's back and grasped the harpoon. On that moment, the Predacon reacted aggressively over the Autobot's management on the harpoon. It began to swam furiously fast like a torpedo out of control. Bumblebee literally had to hold an iron grip around the harpoon while he rode on the outraged beast's back, though it looked more like he gripped his simple life on a palm tree that was blowing off by a hurricane. The Akhlut swam in full speed. The dorsal fin speared through the waves like a tall broadsword held up.

Just then, while struggling, Bumblebee used his right ped to press on the beast's hip, building up strength as he waited on knelt position for the moment when he will remove it entirely. The beast dove down into the endless darkness. The darkness engulfed them. Despite he had night vision activated, he could not see anything in the depth. Just then, he suddenly started to see blurry as if he was becoming blind. His internal system alerted for severe temperate drops that covered his entire body. The sheer cold had reached the core of his chassis, causing severe malfunctions on several vital systems.

Scrap! I must stay focused, Bumblebee told himself mentally.

But then one of his inner systems warned him for the slow numbing feeling that covered everywhere. He started to lose the touch sensor. His servos and pedes were so frozen that he couldn't feel them any longer. Yet, it did not mean that his willpower strengthened like a fire inside his all weakening chest plates. His nerves were completely numb. Even worse, the open wounds on his arms and legs from the Akhlut's teeth bled badly.

As it happened, the Predacon swung and boosted toward the surface in fully speed, then burst out from the water where it breached. By then, Bumblebee gave all of his strength to push forward, pulling the harpoon at same time. It worked. Though, at that moment when the harpoon got removed, Bumblebee was flying once again, only this time a numb bird. He didn't fly far before he plummeted back to the water.

The collision on the water was the final blow for him. The Autobot was unconscious. He felt nothing. He saw nothing. He heard nothing. In order to save some vital systems, his entire body shut down into deactivation.

---

Deebaabooom… Beebaaboooom…

Where is the punk? He mustn't have landed far from me, I wondered while searching after the tiny, yellow stranger. I felt no longer the pain from the harpoon that penetrated my spinal stunt. I doubted nothing that the stranger removed it while I jumped up.

Kriiiick, kriiick, kriiick…

The waves streamed over my back as my tall dorsal fin proudly slashed through them. My dorsal fin was my broadsword with the jacked edge as the blade. The wrathful sea will not calm down for a long time, which I figured it as soon as it arrived across the vast Southern Sea. It was also night as well. Even if the water was below freezing and would kill a Landwalker instantly, I didn't feel it. My layer of blubber was extremely fatty so it kept me warm no matter how extreme cold it can get. I had survived a time when the world was much, much colder.

Now free from the harpoon, I was able to transform into my robot form. I was an enormous giant. My height was eighteen meters. I was heavily muscular and chubby with broad chest plates, massive shoulders, muscularly extensive arms and bulky digitigrade legs. My tail was longer than my own size to speak. Sure, any Cybertronian should be aware of my height and weight as well if they don't want to get squashed. My broadsword sat behind my spinal stunt. My helmet had features that would remind like a wing-helm from the Viking age where the feather-like horns were white with a couple of ice-blue neon lights glowing on them. My long, square-shaped face plates had the same scars and a certain feature that looked like a beard covering my chin all way to the cheek bone plates. I also had the white orca belly feature as well too.

Kriiiick, kriiick, kriiick…

I clicked my bio-sonar infrequently. It was a behavior I learnt from the Open Sea Hunters that preferred the giant swimmers to hunt. They'd sneak in silence before strike the prey. It didn't take long before I detected the punk. He was sinking unconscious. The harpoon was gone. It slipped from his hand and sunk in haste. But just as I neared closer, I noticed something on him. There was something familiar to him. Yet, I was not sure about it. I didn't know him. But I knew right away what he was. He was a Cybertronian; the first one I'd met since I arrived here with little memory.

Who're you, stranger?

I expanded my right servo to grasp the stranger's left arm, then swimming up while holding him. I gasped for air, exhaling my breath and inhaled another deep one. I rose the unconscious stranger above the surface, although the waves hit us quite unfriendly. Moving the stranger closer, I looked at his face plates.

You look so familiar. But I don't know you, I wondered suspiciously.

Abruptly, the stranger woke up. I got startled but reacted aggressively as I grabbed his throat gear instead. My servo was larger than his bare throat gear. I used little force as possible, yet it was easy to give him some choking.

"Who're you punk?!" I roared.

"I…I…" he tried to speak. Not surprising when I was chocking him, in which I eased my grip to let him speak. His optics were in clear shock as if he'd seen a ghost in front of him. "You… can speak?"

"Of course I can speak!" I roared a second time, rising my voice box so it terrified the punk even more. "What else did you expect from me punk?! Are you a Decepticon or an Autobot?!"

"I'm…I'm…" he struggled to speak. "I'm an… Autobot."

It was then I suddenly remembered. I recognized his voice. But I did not remember his name nor who he was really.

"What's your name, Autobot?" I eased my grip more, letting him to speak clearer.

"My name is… Bumblebee," he answered. "And… who are you?"

"Heh, you're facing the King of the Antarctica. I am Ataneq, King of the Antarctica and the Guardian of the Southern Sea," I snorted, snarling with barred fangs. It was enough to scare the yellow and black Autobot more. "And you dared to enter my realm without asking nicely?"

"No, no, no please Ataneq! I didn't know you lived here –" he begged for mercy.

But he had luck on his side for we got interrupted by the horn from the moving isle. I growled in frustration but then dropped it knowing they needed me. After all, I was their comrade and I knew they bore the strictest oath. If they mention anything about me… I'll eat them alive. Oh yes, I'd eaten Landwalkers before and I will never stop eating humans.

"Great… looks like my comrades are calling me," I breathed muttering. Then I glared at Bumblebee. "I have no other choice but to take you with me."

"What?! No, you can't do it. I must return to my team –"

"You're way too far out in the sea. Your members aren't swimming after you. And the Sea Shepard know what I am. They won't dare mentioning anyone about me, otherwise I'll eat them alive."

"You… eat humans?" he turned utterly disbelieved.

"Heh, oh yeah, I eat them. You shall consider yourself lucky, punk. If I wished, I would've swallowed you alive some sparkbeats ago. But my stomach's already full enough."

He gulped. But as it happened, he closed his optics, falling into deactivation. Sickans, I totally forgot that he was badly wounded and severely cold so it was not surprising if he would perish. Time was running out.

The horn was heard again. It was undoubtable. The Landwalkers missed me way too much.

Better hurry up and make sure they get him onboard, I then thought. I swiftly shifted back to my Akhlut form, opening my jaws and sucked in the unconscious Autobot inside my mouth, though I would not swallow him. After taking a deep breath through my blowhole, I dove underneath the waves, heading to my comrades whom waited me anxiously.

---

Ahhh, finally we hit the end of this chappie. It's taken its long time enough. I really hope you love him, Spiritstrike. Yes, Ataneq the King of the Antarctica belongs to Spiritstrike and only HER. Well, this chappie is one of two-part chapters that occurs on the same day, meaning we will follow on two sides of the coin. On the next chapter we will return to Strongarm, Optimus and Sedna and see what's happening with them within 24hr event. Right, I'm going to take a break to brainstorm for the next chapter. Until then, stay safe and strong.