Hello again!

Warning: English isn't my mother language, so there might be grammar mistakes. Sorry for that.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers franchise, nor its characters. It is a registered trademark of Hasbro.

THIRTEEN: Uproar

While the red medic was suffering for his past, Ultra Magnus was suffering because of the present. Now there wasn't just one runaway prisoner, but two of them! That's right, the first escapee broke into another max security prison, freeing a second Seeker; and, to make it worst, now he was well aware of who they were, and the most he thought about it, the less he liked it… The first one, the one who appeared from thin air, was called Skywarp, who acquired the ability to teleport by opening personal ground-bridges after Shockwave experimented with him. The reports described him as an idiot, a jackass, and the most useless Seeker ever, who practically needed to be guided step by step during the fights. Basically, the fact that he was smart enough to break out of his cell was a miracle. Okay, no problem with such guy; it was a matter of time for Skywarp to commit a mistake that would send him back to jail. But now… Now the status quo modified… Because the second Seeker was Thundercracker, Starscream's right hand back on his days as the Energon Seekers' commander. If he was half the soldier that the reports stated, these two were going to be a problem. "But who are they working for?" He questioned, while reading all the files he had about those Seekers. A part of him kept telling him that Skywarp didn't escape by his own, and, if that was the case, there was a third Decepticon that evaded incarceration.

Obviously, he considered the possibility of Starscream preparing his "glorious" return to power, but he quickly discarded it… Well, he did after he talked with Predaking two solar-cycles ago, when he was off work. Nobody in the police department knew about his meeting with the predacon, and he rather keep it that way. Despite the war was over, Ultra Magnus wanted to keep his guard up for a while, to make sure that he was working with the right people. So far, the only one who has earned his trust was the always unbreakable Prowl. The cop has proven himself many times ever since he started working with him… Besides, he was the only one who could keep up with him anyway…

Sighing, the Wrecker called for the middle brother of the famous triplets, and told him to meet at the outskirts of the city; right at the borderline that leaded to the Sea of Rust. Prowl did as told, though he was clearly confused by such strange orders. Ultra Magnus greeted him with his usual serious behavior, before transform into his vehicle-mode, and tell his subordinate that they were going to pay a visit to an informant; then, he also warned him to keep this meeting as a secret. Again, the younger bot had his doubts about his orders, but he followed his superior anyway.

It took a long ride into the desert, but, finally they reached the lands where Predaking and his brothers inhabits. Transforming into his bipedal form, the blue bot gestured Prowl to remain silent and to let him do all the talking. The white and black bot nodded, though he arched an eyebrow… right before seen a giant beast land in front of his chief, and transform into a towering Cybertronian of yellow eyes.

"Here again, Wrecker?" The newcomer questioned, clearly untrusting the commander.

"I apologize for intruding your territory, Predaking, but I need more Intel from you." Ultra Magnus said, unimpressed by the predacon's attitude. Then, he handed a datapad to Predaking. It contained the pictures of Skywarp and Thundercracker. "Have you seen them around? Any of them?" The Wrecker asked, making the other one focused on the images.

He seemed to be trying to make memory, as if there was something bugging him. Finally, he nodded.

"I don't know anything about the blue one, but we have seen the other one wandering around the Sea of Rust a long time ago." He said, returning the datapad to its owner. "He seemed to be looking for something."

"Something? Something like what?"

Predaking shrugged.

"We ignore it. There's nothing at that area, and my brothers and I control the only Energon deposits in this desert."

"Can you take us to where you saw him?" Ultra Magnus asked, receiving a frown and a growl as answer. He wanted them to leave. "Predaking, his name is Skywarp, a Seeker. He used to obey Starscream's command, and he escaped prison months ago; we never saw him again, though the Energon is disappearing without explanation at the warehouses. Any information or clue to find him, is priceless."

"Where you want me to take you it's deep inside the wastelands. You won't last long out there… Not with the storms of rust that has been hitting the zone for the past four days…" Predaking said, crossing his arms.

"Look, your job is to protect your people, my job is to protect mine; someday you'll understand that you will need to make peace with us, in order to live freely as you wish; but, for now, help me out. Skywarp is a threat for both of our races, especially because I'm sure he's not working alone." The commander tried to reason with him.

"How you know that?"

"He's not exactly the brightest light in town… Someone else is pulling the strings here, and, if I ever dream to find out who, I need to interrogate this moron."

Prowl wasn't sure what part of the chief's speech convinced the predacon, but he agreed to show them the place, at the same time he transformed, right before fly away. Seeing this, Ultra Magnus gestured his subordinate to keep up with him. Then, both Autobots transformed and drove behind Predaking.

It took them around three hours of drive before the predacon decided to land. During that time, the wild wind threw waves and waves of rust against them, peeling them from their paint; more times than one, the police officer wondered if they shouldn't return when the storm was over, but he preferred not to say it out loud. The commander was determined to find out the truth at any cost. Finally, they found out the place.

"I doubt you'll find something. As I told you before, this storms has been hitting these lands for days." Predaking commented, transforming again.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Ultra Magnus yelled to make his voice understandable over the wind's roar. "We know the way out. Go back with the others."

"I would wish you luck, but I doubt it would help your cause…" Predaking said before fly away.

"What did he mean by that?" Prowl asked, covering his mouth with his mask, at the same time he protected his optics with his hand.

"It means that he thinks we'll fail." The blue bot commented. "Let's prove him wrong." He added, turning around to scan the area for any usable trace.

Took them hours, but, finally, they found an old track of spilled Energon. Now they knew why Skywarp flew all the way there: he was looking for someone… and, considering the evidence, he found it. The trace disappeared all the sudden after a big puddle, meaning that someone opened a bridge for them. It confirmed it: the Seeker wasn't working alone. But who would help him, or need his help? "Scrap! I've been a fool!" He told to himself, at the same time he ordered Prowl to transform and drove out the desert (not before pick a sample of the spilled Energon). The answers they were seeking, they wouldn't find them there… but in Kaon city, the old Decepticon capital.

How could he forgot? That night, Starscream wasn't the only one who got away: nobody has heard of Shockwave ever again either. If he was the third person involved in this, their troubles were bigger than he originally believed.

Prowl was nervous, though he tried not to show it. Despite he fought in the war, he was never assigned outside Iacon; so he never knew Kaon city, except for the things he heard from other soldiers who served there. This was going to be his first incursion, and, now, he knew that he had to tell his superior about his inexperience about their surroundings; but the Wrecker told him that there was a first time for everything, and kept driving. The police officer considered to call for his older brother, X-Brawn, and ask him about his few days of battle at the Decepticons' city's borderlines; but he finally discarded the idea, because nothing that his brother could tell would actually prepare him for it. X-Brawn and Side Burn were bots of action, the kind of guys who jump into the battlefield before have a plan; he, on the other hand, was the kind of guy who first plans it all, then acts. He liked to believe that he was the most responsible of the three, though he was aware that his big brother still hold that title, since he practically raised them… Sighing, Prowl decided to take the risk and not call for help. Besides, he was with the famous Ultra Magnus, the one who made his name as Optimus's most trusted commander, and, also, the only Autobot who dared to fight side by side with the fearsome Dinobots; all that, without mention his time as the Wreckers' leader.

No. They would be fine… probably… But, as they approached the walls that were once the doom of many Autobots, Prowl couldn't help but gulp, thinking about the half hundred things that could go wrong once they entered the, now, abandoned city. There was only one way in, and it was through a narrow bridge that covered a deep pit that surrounded the town. Ultra Magnus transformed into his bipedal form once they reached that point, and inspected the surroundings.

Deciding that it was safe, the commander transformed again and drove into Kaon, followed closely by Prowl. They covered a lot of distance before come to a halt. The younger bot saw the ghastly silhouettes of the buildings that raised around them, wondering how many slaves used to live here before the civil war spread… He couldn't deny that he understood why Megatron despised Cybertron's society; after all, the former gladiator grew up right here, and was forced to entertain the riches by putting his life in danger over and over again. However, he would never forgive him for putting their whole race in danger, just because the Primes noticed that their best option was another bot.

Finding a good cover, the blue truck transformed once more, and told Prowl to do the same. The younger cop did as told and refuged himself under an arc's shadow, next to his superior.

"Permission to talk, sir?" The white and black bot asked, when he started to see where this recon was going to take him. The Wrecker nodded, though he didn't look at his companion, but his surroundings. "What are we doing here?"

"There's only one place in Cybertron where we could find the information we require to understand what's going on; and, that place, is Darkmount." Ultra Magnus explained, while pointing at the dark tower that raised upon the city's buildings.

"But it has been abandoned ever since the war ended. There's no guarantee that its mainframe is still functional, sir."

"If things are as I think, trust me… It's operational." The commander said, finally looking straight into his subordinate's eyes. The younger bot sighed and nodded, deciding to trust the older one. "Now follow me, remain quiet, and play low. Something tells me we aren't the only ones in here…"

Then, choosing the darkest path, Ultra Magnus leaded the way towards the former Decepticon fortress, where Megatron's throne was located. Fortunately, they avoided to be seen by undesirable eyes, and, also, dodged the booby-traps that were meant to protect the tower. However, now that they were inside the fortress, the real danger was barely starting.

This place was Megatron's domain, his bunker, his stronghold. No Autobot set foot on Darkmount during the war, and the ones who tried to reach it, never passed the walls surrounding the city… And now, they were lurking its hallways, searching for clues that would enlighten whatever was happening behind their backs; Prowl, weapons ready, was questioning his sanity as he followed Ultra Magnus, who was looking for any access to the fortress mainframe. At some point he wondered if they shouldn't ask for back-up, but the commander said that it was too risky; and besides ―he added―, the more they were, the bigger chances they had of being discovered. "Black op. Great… I'm a newbie on those too…" The cop thought, biting his lip, while shaking his head slightly. This was no time to be a greenie. He needed to pull himself together and cover his commander.

Suddenly, Ultra Magnus took cover behind a corner, and gestured his subordinate to do the same. Once they did, the younger bot heard heavy footsteps and two voices that were heading towards the door located a few feet from their current location. Soon enough the two newcomers were visible, and they were no one else but their fugitives: Skywarp and Thundercracker.

"I'm telling ya', if he keeps treating me like his fragging slave, I'm gonna throw him outta window…" Skywarp complained, while gesturing as if he were pushing something. He had black wings, shoulders, helm, forearms, hip, kneepads, and feet; while his chest, arms, and lower legs were purple. Unlike Starscream, none of them had high-heels, and their bodies were actually masculine.

"And I will help you to do it. I can't stand him either…" Thundercracker commented, massaging his neck. His voice was deeper than the other Seeker; probably he was older, and, also, bigger. His wings were cerulean with red borders; same pigmentation that his chest, forearms, hip and lower legs had; his helm, shoulders and kneepads were black.

"If he didn't agreed to help the boss, I would've terminated that guy, 'Cracker. Make no mistake on that…" The purple one snarled, shaking his head in disgust, at the same time he opened the door's lock.

"Hey, you still might have your chance. We both know he doesn't care about any of us, so, once we're done with him, you can always… farewell him…" The other one said, maliciously.

The comment made Skywarp laugh out loud.

"Oh, how I missed ya'!" He said, patting his friend's shoulder, before disappear behind the doorframe, next to Thundercracker.

Once they were gone, the two Autobots got out of their hiding.

"Seems you were right, sir. There's a third Decepticon involved." Prowl commented, stepping out from behind his superior, while looking at him.

"No… It's far more complicated than that…" Ultra Magnus said, while walking towards the same door the Seekers used. He opened it with the code the other two typed, and, readying his gun, turned to look at the younger bot. "We need to follow them. Come on!" He ordered, before enter the corridor, followed closely by his subordinate.

The Seekers were walking slowly, as if they didn't feel excited of reaching their destination; but it was good for the two bots that were following them, because it meant that they wouldn't lose them from sight. However, it also meant that they had to be extra cautious, because if they were too noisy, or made a wrong move, the 'Cons would realize about their presence. As the runaway convicts roamed towards the tower's top, they kept talking about the guy they were working for; and, now, Ultra Magnus had no doubts about its identity: these two were under Shockwave's orders. But, why? What would a former chief scientist want from a couple of Seekers, who clearly would rather kill him than obey him? Yet, there was one more thing that made him feel uneasy, and it was the mention of a fourth Decepticon… And, if his gut was right, they were in a lot of trouble…

Finally, those two opened the door that leaded to the top, and the Autobots hurried to pass before it closed. Then, they hid behind the columns and rubble that there was. "Seems the predacons redecorated the place…" Ultra Magnus thought when he saw the claws' markings that covered the walls.

At the other side of the room, a tall silhouette was standing in front of a large screen. It was undoubtedly Shockwave. The scientist turned to greet the Seekers, who simply stopped walking, and crossed their arms; they owed this person no respect, so they weren't going to show any to him. The one-eyed bot seemed to notice their attitude, but he didn't say anything. He needed them as workers. He couldn't afford to shoo them away.

"Did you bring it?" He questioned.

The Seekers exchanged a look, before Thundercracker simply sighed, gesturing Skywarp to surrender the item. The purple flyer took out the piece of a generator and threw it towards Shocwave, who caught it midair.

"Excellent."

"We fulfilled our part of the deal, Shockwave…" The cerulean Seeker snarled.

"We want results." Skywarp added, placing his hands at the sides of his hip.

"I require something to speed up the process." The scientist admitted, though he didn't seemed to be talking about his experiments.

"And here we go again…" The purple flyer sighed, dropping his arms at the sides of his body, at the same time he turned to look at Thundercracker, who was massaging his forehead.

"And what would it be this time? More Energon? A spaceship's cooling system? Primus's heart?" He complained, admitting that they were behind the robbery wave that hit the city.

"None of above. The body's damage was extensive. It requires professional medical attention." Shockwave stated, before turn around and search through the Decepticons' profiles. Finally the picture of a mech was deployed on the screen. "Knock Out, our medical officer, was arrested shortly after the war ended. Bring him."

"If they learn about Knock Out's betrayal…" Ultra Magnus thought, growling, knowing that, once those three finds out about the medic's probation, they would not only kill the red bot, but Bumblebee as well. He had no option but to try to arrest those three right there and then. Gesturing to Prowl, the commander ordered to attack.

Startled, the Decepticons took some damage before fight back. Thundercracker made a sign to the other Seeker, who nodded, before open fire against the Autobots, who quickly took cover. Prowl threw himself behind a terminal, from where he started to answer the attack; only to realize that he got separated from the commander, who was now taking heavy fire at the other side of the room, also behind a terminal. The Wrecker didn't seem to mind the odds, he just kept shooting at the Decepticons… right when he noticed that there were now two of them instead of three…

"Where…?" He couldn't finish the question that he felt something hitting him from behind, forcing him to get out of his cover.

"'Miss me?" Skywarp mocked the blue bot, while pinning him against the floor, placing his foot on the commander's chest, at the same time he aimed at Ultra Magnus head.

"Sir!" Prowl tried to go on his rescue, but, as soon as he popped out his head, Shockwave almost hit him. They couldn't accomplish this mission, not on their own… He needed to call out for help now that he still was able. "S.O.S., here officer Prowl at Darkmount! I need back-up! Does anybody copy me?!" Before repeat the message, Thundercracker's cannon's barrel was right in front of his face. In cooperation, he shut down the commlink, and rose his hands.

"Good bot." The Seeker mocked him. "On your feet, officer." He ordered, gesturing with his head. "We got them."

"Dispose of them before…!"

A green light filled the room as a ground-bridge opened. Three silhouettes came out of it, three Autobots that heard Prowl's distress call. Taking advantage of their captors' distraction, both, Ultra Magnus and his subordinate, got free from the Seekers' grip and reopened fire against the 'Cons; next to them, the three newcomers also opened fire against the bots with red optics. Noting that they were cornered, Shockwave made a sign to Skywarp, who grabbed him and Thundercracker, before disappear into a ground-bridge. Seeing that they were trying to run away, one of the newcomers tried to shot down the purple Seeker; but he missed, and his shot simply broke a screen. "Scrap…" He thought, while taking off the red googles that were covering his optics.

Relaxed, Ultra Magnus turned to see who helped them, recognizing only two of the trio: the first one was a lieutenant named Jazz. He was much shorter than the Wrecker, and his paintjob was white with blue and red streaks. Next to him was the famous (or infamous, depending of the point of view) Drift, a former Decepticon who switched sides when he ended up befriending a colony of Neutrals, who showed him the destruction that his faction was bringing upon Cybertron. The white and orange bot was relentless, and strict about discipline. Ultra Magnus never met him before, though he was well aware of his reputation; however, he wouldn't have been his first call in case of an emergency… But, he had to admit, Prowl did the right thing sending an S.O.S. They wouldn't have last long under the heavy fire they were taking. The third was a green and black mech.

The commander shook hands with the lieutenant.

"It's been a long time, Jazz." He said, with a respectful nod.

"Indeed, Magnus." The white bot conceded, before let go. Then, he placed his hands at the sides of his hip, and cocked his head, with a smirk on the lips. "Last time we met, you were saving Grimlock's aft. I guessed that you left the planet after making sure that guy was fine."

"It was… more complicated than that…" The blue bot commented, averting his eyes. Then, he looked at the white and orange bot, who was standing behind Jazz. "Drift." He greeted him, nodding.

"Commander." The other one answered.

"And you are…?" Ultra Magnus asked, looking at the green and black bot. He was a little taller than Jazz, and was holding two long pistols in his hands.

"I'm called Crosshairs." He said, shrugging. "I have good aim…"

"So, what the heck are you doing up here, Magnus? And, most importantly, what was Shockwave doing here?" Jazz asked, deciding that it was time to go down to businesses.

"In the past two months, two Seekers ran away from their prison cells; and they happens to be Starscream's star soldiers: Skywarp and Thundercracker. An informant told me that he saw the former wandering around in the Sea of Rust, and I decided that I would find more answers here in Darkmont that back at the police department." He explained calmly, before cross his arms and frown. "I had my suspects that the Seekers weren't working alone, and the fact that we ran into Shockwave confirms it."

"M… I see." The lieutenant mumbled, scratching his chin. "Well, we'll help you to sweep the tower. They might still be around here somewhere." He said, before turn to see his companions. "Drift, Crosshairs, split up and search for any trace of the 'Cons." He ordered to his companions.

The two soldiers nodded and left the room.

"Prowl, remain in here and try to decipher what that mad scientist was working on." Ultra Magnus ordered to his subordinate.

"Yes, sir."

"Come with me, Jazz; we have a bunch of 'Cons to hunt…" The blue bot said, while deploying his plasma cannon.

As they walked down the dark corridors, the white bot asked the Wrecker to be fully honest, and to tell him what was truly going on. The blue bot sighed and dropped his arms, admitting that he heard the Seekers talk about a fourth Decepticon inhabiting Darkmount fortress… and that he feared to know who it was…

Prowl was good decrypting files, though he was no clerk, he was decent; but this database was proving to be a challenge… Whatever that cyclops was working on, he wanted to keep it as a secret. The more he typed trying to make the codes make sense, the more its message seemed to evade him. This mainframe was programmed to elude the police decrypting programs; he was going nowhere, he needed a professional. Sighing, Prowl took one of his flash-drives (always be prepared for anything), and plugged it into the terminal to download the data. It was a big package, it would take a while…

Suddenly, someone pushed him from behind, making the bot hit his head against the screen that shattered with the impact. Then, and before he was able to recompose, his attacker grabbed him by the door-wings, throwing the white and black bot several feet away from the mainframe; once Prowl was starting to regain balance, he received a kick on the back of his knees and a punch on the back of his helm. Now, he was face-down, lying on the cold ground, with someone's knee stabbing him on his lower back, and a cannon aiming at his head.

"Hey, Magnus! I found something!" Jazz called the Wrecker to what seemed to be the medical room of the tower, considering its equipment.

However, the blue bot was more interested in the stretcher, which showed traces of fresh Energon, next to the transfusion equipment, which tubes were now lying helplessly on the floor, spilling the precious liquid.

"Seems they left in a rush…" The lieutenant commented, while inspecting the surrounding.

"They don't want us to get our hands on their patient." Ultra Magnus said, while grabbing a datapad.

"And who you think it is?" The white bot asked.

"Who else?" While saying that, the Wrecker threw the pad to his companion, who gasped in surprise. Clearly he thought that the guy was terminated. "Call your team. If he's still here, Skywarp and Thundercracker will be extremely dangerous."

Jazz agreed with that, so he called for Drift and Crosshairs, intending to make them report… but all he got was static. None of them were answering the calls. After the third try, the lieutenant glanced towards his friend, who, understanding the situation, opened a comlink with his subordinate. Their personal frequencies were completely jammed, but, maybe, the police one would work. Luckily, the call connected…

Prowl, meanwhile, was being interrogated by his captor, Skywarp, whose only question was about Knock Out's whereabouts. The police officer refused to talk and remained silent, no matter how hard the Seeker hit him, nor how much he threatened with shoot his head off. However, when his commlink pinged, indicating that it got activated, he knew that it was his chance to get out of this alive.

"You're really an idiot… You'll spent the rest of your life in stasis for attacking a police officer…" He hissed, looking at the purple flyer from above his right shoulder.

"Please. I was meant to be kept on stasis for the rest of my life, and, yet, here we are…" Skywarp laughed. Then he leaned down, until his mouth was next to Prowl's audio-receptor. "Now, let's try again: where's Knock Out?" He questioned, pressing his gun against the younger bot's helm.

"Freeze!"

Skywarp had only a nanoklik to jump and avoid getting shot, however, a second projectile did hit him in the shoulder. Grunting, the Seeker checked his wound before look at his attackers, noticing that Ultra Magnus and Jazz were coming his way with their guns unfolded. "Scrap!" he thought, before glance at the police officer who was starting to get up, weakly, clearly dizzy because of the attack he received. Grinning, recognizing it as a chance to scape, the Decepticon shot Prowl in the waist, opening a huge leak.

The other two warriors saw in horror how their comrade started to bleed out, while their enemy disappeared in thin air. Ultra Magnus ran next to his subordinate.

"Jazz, call for a ground-bridge! He needs to go to a clinic ASAP!" The Wrecker ordered, while trying to stop the leak.

"S-sir…" Prowl stuttered, feeling weak because of the loss of Energon. He knew that he was kliks away from fainting.

"Save strength, soldier." The blue bot ordered, calmly; though he was at the verge of panic. The bot was losing too much fluid, if he couldn't stop the bleed somehow… No. He was going to save him. He had to save this kid! He wouldn't let him get terminated because of him, and his personal quests!

"Mainframe…" The white and black bot insisted. "…Flash…drive…"

Prowl heard Jazz's and Magnus's voices fading, right before a green light appeared in the room; then… Then everything turned black.

In the lowest level of Darkmount tower, Crosshairs was about to punch his comlink, which was completely jammed. He spent large minutes unsuccessfully trying to communicate with his partners, and he wasn't very patient. Finally, he decided that the fortress must've been transmitting some sort of disruption signal, and desisted. "Ugh… Just what I needed: to be on my own in Creepyland…" He thought, while gripping the riffle that he had in hands. The hallways were almost pitch black, making him have fantasies about terrorcons and stuff; and the intense silence wasn't exactly helping to his itchy fingers, which he had readied to shoot at anything that moved and didn't look like an Autobot…

"Chill out, Crosshairs… You're acting like a sparkling. Nothing to worry. It's just another fragging creepy hallway; it's not like this one is the first one you explore…" He was telling to himself, trying to calm down.

A soft groan drew the warrior's attention towards a dimmed lightered room. "What the…?" Arching an eyebrow, Crosshairs placed his googles in front of his eyes, and activated the targeting system. Plastering himself to the wall, the green bot peeked inside the room; but he didn't see anybody's spark signature… Humming and frowning, the soldier decided to fully enter the room to scout the place.

After surrounding a bunch of Energon boxes, Crosshairs caught a glimpse of Shockwave who was typing some codes into a terminal.

"Halt, Decepticon scum!" He yelled, while popping out of his hideaway, targeting the scientist with his gun. The other bot merely turned to look at the Autobot, but didn't seem to care about his presence at all. Furrowing, Crosshairs took another step closer to Shockwave. "Put your hands in the air, now!"

The Decepticon scuffed, but didn't comply.

Before being able to repeat his order, another groan called the warrior's attention, who turned right on time to see a missile coming his way…

Jazz found his men minutes later, both of them were lying on the floor with burning marks on their heads. Fortunately, they were alive; however, when he reached the room where Crosshairs was, the lieutenant knew that the situation just escalated to a whole new level…

In the depths of Darkmount, Jazz found the wrecks of a space-bridge…

That's all for now!

See ya!