The capital, however, was in a panic. Nobody could locate the Autobots, and time was running out. The time had come to put in a call to KSI, the single company designed to create artificial Transformers.
"Well, Mr. Costra, I'm sure we can fulfill your request," KSI CEO Joshua Joyce said into the receiver. "Yes, yes, Mr. Costra, you need not worry any more. We'll take care of it. Just remember to pay up."
He hung up, turning to his assistant. "Go wake the Artificials," he instructed. "Ket them know they're to have a visitor – i.e. me. I have a task for them."
As the assistant hurried away, Joshua looked out a nearby window, gazing at the city lights of Hong Kong. He felt a smug little smile open on his face as he stared outside. Now was his chance, his chance to prove that the Artificials could do what the Autobots could not. He chuckled to himself, adjusting his glasses. Then, tearing himself away from the skyscrapers outside, he made his way down to the chamber housing the five Artificials.
The assistant came up to him as he neared the compound. "The Artificials are awake," the assistant said. "They're waiting for you, sir."
Without a word Joshua pushed past the assistant and strode boldly into the compound. The moment the door shut, the lights turned on, revealing three standing Artificials and one sleeping Artificial. The last Artificial there was kneeling at the sleeper's side.
Annoyed, Joshua asked bluntly, "Hasn't Woody woken up yet?"
"No sir, not yet," the kneeler responded. "I'll inform him of your instructions when he does."
"You do that then, Bone," Joshua said, groaning beneath his breath.
"So what can we do for ya, boss? Some idiot need a lesson?" the biggest stander asked.
"I'm coming to that, Gridlock, so be patient," Joshua said, stepping forward. "I just received a call from the United States government. They have a Decepticon threat in the state of Michigan, and the Autobots won't help them. You know what this means, right?"
The looks on the Artificials' faces became those of shock. "You mean – they're asking for us to save the day!?" a crowned Artificial cried.
"Exactly that, Chill," Joshua said, clasping his hands together.
Chill went crazy. "Did you hear that, Jawdrop? They want us to save them!" he cried joyfully. "They want us to save them!"
The three Artificials started jumping around in a celebratory move. Only Bone and the sleeper didn't celebrate. Bone was dead nervous about the whole thing – and for good reason. He'd heard how one Autobot sliced an Artificial in half with just one swish of a sword, and he didn't want to face that fate.
"Sir," he said cautiously, watching Joshua's bald head swivel to face him, "are you sure about this? I mean – do you remember River? He was cut in half by an Autobot! What if they find us first?"
"Oh don't panic, Bone, you won't run into them," Joshua reassured. "They're nowhere near the site of the Decepticon threat. You won't run into them at all." Addressing the whole group he said, "Be on the move, you lot! The threat won't come to you!"
"Roger that, boss!" Gridlock said, snapping a salute.
Satisfied, Joshua left the room. The moment he was gone the exit door to the compound slid open. Gridlock, Jawdrop, and Chill left the compound to stretch their limbs, leaving Bone and the sleeping Woody within. Trying hard not to show his fear, Bone quickly followed, carrying Woody on his back.
"Please let me come back alive," he said softly. "Please let us both come back from this alive."
"Come on, Bone! The people need us!" Gridlock shouted.
Reluctantly, Bone followed the three to a massive carrier. The five were hooked up to the carrier by extra-strong cables, and they lifted off the ground to travel for the long journey ahead. The entire time they traveled, including when they landed, Woody didn't wake up.
His supporters were clamoring for an explanation. Powertron had none to give. He was scared now, dreadfully scared. The Autobots had Unicron on their side. Now they had the Newborn Sparks – and they had taken them right out under his bloody nose! How could he have been so blind? How could he?
"My lord," he heard Fireball say. "My lord, are you all right?"
Powertron shook his head no. "I'm nervous, Fireball, nervous," he said, looking at the lieutenant. "In just a few days so much has happened. We lost something we never even knew we had. The people demand answers for all my actions. I thought I saw something move in the river. I don't know how to answer! What am I going to do, Fireball? I think I'm losing my mind!"
"My lord, if I may suggest," Fireball said calmly. "The people do not realize none of this was known to us. Mistakes are inevitable. If you like, I will explain to them this."
"Please do so," Powertron said glumly. "When you finish, please return. I don't – I just don't want to be alone right now."
"Of course, my lord. As you wish," Fireball said, vanishing out of sight.
Powertron turned away to look at his flourishing city and army. He was nervous, but not from that constant craving for an explanation or the Autobot threat. He was worried about what he had seen in the river. He couldn't trust anyone at all – or, at least, any outsiders. The river was host to several dead Transformers; but was it possible that one was still alive? It couldn't be...
"My lord?" the voice of Rundown entered his mind. "You ordered me to scan the bottom of the river?"
"Yes, Rundown, yes, yes," Powertron said quickly. "What of it?"
"I found no sign of life on the bottom," Rundown said. "You can relax. Oh – and one more thing... there is a rumor about."
"A rumor?"
"Yes," Rundown said. "The rumor is that the company KSI has sent five fakes to combat us. The fakes have allegedly landed several miles from here, near the town of Clare."
A smile finally appeared on Powertron's face. "Good. Some action... and some new blood," he said. "Let them come. We shall see if they last against us."
The Decepticon leader stood up and flexed his muscles. Strong they were from all of the energon and blood he had devoured. In all glory, nobody was stronger than he was. Just about nobody.
"Let them come," he repeated. "Yes, let them come. They will stand no chance against us. Let them come. Tell the others to prepare for battle. We will finish them with ease."
"I should have known!" Megatron grumbled. "KSI again?! When will they learn not to mess with our affairs?!"
"Probably never," Bumblebee groaned. "They must have used the remainder of Ratchet's DNA to make their fakes more like us. Then again, it could be that green substance. I don't really know."
Grimlock barked orders to his fellow Dinobots, who spread out in different directions. He followed close behind, leaving the baffled Autobots in his wake.
Crosshairs, looking up from the egg, asked, "Where's he going? He's not running off, is he?"
"No," Optimus said, slipping out of the brush. "He's searching for the Artificials in order to warn them about the strength of Powertron."
"I'm sorry to pry," Bumblebee interrupted, "but where were you?"
"He was discussing strategy with me," Unicron said, coming up beside the Autobot. "Where are the Yeagers and the Runner girl? Are they around?"
Brains was the one who answered. "They're over here with me!" he called out. "We're over by the tree line, working on something extremely important!"
"What are you doing, man?" Drift asked, noticing the four and a small table made out of a rock. The table was covered in papers that held measurements, one of these the drone was holding.
"What's it look like, Drift?" Brains responded, passing another measurement to Cade. "We're attempting to find out Brono's weak point. During that last battle we noticed an odd mixture lying in the streets. Thinking it could be useful later, I took a sample of it. These measurements are test results – which I'll tell you now. The mixture is a concentration of – wait a moment, that's the wrong sheet..." he rifled around on the rock, murmuring to himself, until he found the sheet he wanted. "AHA! It's 70% energon, 30% human DNA – or blood."
Most of the Autobots winced upon hearing this. "But – but isn't that a dangerous cocktail?" Hound asked.
The little drone nodded. "Very dangerous, Hound. Very dangerous, and very potent."
"OMIGO –" Hound yelled, springing to his feet. He was so shocked he nearly felled Megatron, who was standing right behind him. "Sorry," he rapidly apologized. "Holy crap, dude!"
"What's up with you?" Crosshairs asked. "Never saw you react like that before."
"Crosshairs, guys, don't you know what that does?!" Hound shouted. "Blood makes us even more vulnerable! It's downright terrible!"
"Well, that's life," Brains said, returning to his work. "But that's not all I've done," he added, shooting a glance towards the humans. "How we doing over there? Found anything yet?"
"Not yet, Brains," Mary responded, looking up briefly. "Look - I'll keep an eye on the egg and let these guys do the work."
"Just what are we even doing anyway?" Tessa asked, sitting there ignorant. "We're supposed to be taking care of this crummy egg that we lost Bracken to save!"
Cade looked at his daughter, a strange and sudden fierceness in his eyes. "We're looking for some answers on the qualities of blood," he said. "Brains had a couple questions he wanted answered."
"Like what?" Tessa scoffed. "It's not his business to know about our DNA."
"Like what happens when you burn it, you moron," Brains retorted. "Because if Powertron is ingesting human blood, he's ingesting his own demise."
Drift snapped his fingers. "I see what he wishes to know," he said. "To burn the blood is to destroy him from within. Exceptionally wise thinking of you, Brains."
A roar came from behind them, a good distance away, and close after it – a scream of fright. One of the Dinobots had found someone – possibly an Artificial. Bumblebee and Hound leapt out of sight, hurrying to the aid of the Dinobots. A minute after they left, Megatron followed them, leaving the rest at the camp.
Grimlock and the other Dinobots had surrounded two Artificials – one of which was limp on the other's back. He looked up when he saw the three arriving and grunted, "Found two fakes."
"Good work, you lot," Hound said, pulling out a gun. "Where are they? I'll blast their heads off."
Bumblebee shook his head no. "You'll do no such thing, Hound, unless you want KSI after us again," he said firmly. "Where are they, Grimlock?"
The Triceratops moved backwards, revealing two Artificials in the middle. One of them had a bone tattooed across his right cheek. He was holding a second, supposedly sleeping Artificial, with a look of both horror and panic upon his face.
"What's your identification, kid?" Megatron asked.
"Bone, sir," the Artificial stammered. "My comrade – he's not waking up!"
"Let me see him," Bumblebee said, gingerly taking the sleeper's hand. He held it for a few minutes, and then felt the neck. "Your comrade's okay. He's just sleep deprived," he said. "How late was he up?"
"Five days straight," Bone said. "KSI had him guard for five days straight with no breaks. He collapsed the day we were sent to combat the threat, and he's been sleeping for almost three days now – it took two to fly over here."
Grimlock growled a couple orders to Slug and Strafe. Strafe took the sleeper and placed him on Slug's back. The two then headed off, traveling back to camp, while Grimlock and Scorn spread out again. Bumblebee put one hand on Bone's back. "Come on, mate," he said. "You're coming with us. There's no bloody way we're letting you go combat Powertron without some serious backup. That dude has a leak in his attic a mile wide!"