"Sir! May I interject something to this conversation?" A voice drew the attention of all Autobots.

Just as Fixit had predicted Strongarm was making a quick recovery, her systems had crashed predominantly through shock and the sudden Energon loss and the several stab-wounds she had were sealed up very well.

Even still she leant against a Scrapyard self.

"Strongarm what are you doing up? You need to conserve your energy!" Bumblebee was quick to admonish her, quickly scuttling over to her with the intention of helping, but Strongarm took a step back and held her hands up.

"Lieutenant please I'm fine, I need to stretch and move a little anyway! Don't want to seize up!" She smiled putting on a vaguely joking tone, primarily to try and wash away any of Bumblebee's worries and keep him happy "I've just been thinking over what has been going on"

It worked slightly and Bumblebee was visibly more relaxed after she'd put on a friendlier tone and hadn't touched her.

While some concern was etched onto the faces of those present they had stood back to let her do as she pleased as she gingerly took a few more steps to completely join the circle.

"Have they actually attacked us? I mean it was clear Cyclonus had come for the pods and pods alone, only retaliating when discovered, and when I… Well, and Galvatron seemed to only fight when Grimlock charged him, he became quite friendly to you"

Everyone in the group nodded, neither had launched a direct assault, the closest being when Galvatron charged Drift and went to bite him.

"I am curious, this Galvatron displayed friendly behaviour towards Russell and was happy enough to chat to you Bumblebee, we know what his intentions were with Russell -"

"HE'LL NEVER TAKE HIM!" Denny had to interject his disagreement one more time.

"- but what was he talking about with you?" Drift finished undeterred.

"Can I also interject at this time we don't know the full extent of their plan?" Strongarm added quickly while Bumblebee thought over the exact words spoken to him.

"He seemed to think I recognised him as if we'd met and known each other… He was just being 'pally' under these ideas of his, but he was aware of things that had happened on Earth years ago, things he shouldn't know" Bumblebee felt reluctant to mention Rafs name, a little twinge of guilt still prodding at his spark, he'd been on Earth so long yet never even considered going to him.

"I think it's obvious what they want, they want that dark goopy scrap!" Sideswipe sneered, arms crossed.

"And what do you think they're going to do with it when they get it? Please tell me, you clearly know all the answers!"

He'd barely lost focus for a minute and Sideswipe was already bickering with Strongarm.

"Guys please" Bumblebee didn't bother to hide his exasperation "We need to plan what to do next"

"Might I suggest pour-tour-more Energon?" Fixit had quietly rejoined the group and had sat at the side barely noticed by anyone "We used up a fair bit already"

"Sorry"

"Don't be Strongarm, Fixit how much do we have left?" Bumblebee quietly held a hand up to silence her.

"Not many cubes but I have, uh," Fixit held a finger out and manually counted everyone in the circle "Six of those Energon-concentrates, each of those took a cube and a half to make"

"We really are low then" Bumblebee frowned, their stockpile was small last time he looked at it but that just wasn't good.

"We need more because I need to make another one so both of Drifts students can use one, and-and-and one for Optimus IF he can get here and I-I-I-I mean Windblade too! She'd need one!" Fixit stuttered his way through his sentence counting out the extra three people on his hand.

"Six of them will be enough Fixit, we don't plan on letting ourselves get infected" Bumblebee gave him a smile, he'd been working non-stop to keep Strongarm functioning and making these concentrates.

"Well, I'll need mine!" Sideswipe snapped "I'm going bumper-to-bumper with that capricious creep! He can do what he likes but I'll get the last laugh here!"

"Settle down Sideswipe, what's with the anger?" Bumblebee blurted out, thankfully drowning out whatever Grimlock was about to say, something that no doubt was encouraging an all-out scrap with the Decepticon.

"None of your business" The red racer suddenly shut up and cast his angry optics to the edge of the Scrapyard refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

"I have an idea" Drift announced and promptly carried on talking "Galvatron is clearly having fun in 'playing nice' before revealing his true intentions, I say we use this! I doubt he'll actually expect you to take him up on his 'friendly' offers!"

"I'm not gonna play nice Dino to anyone!" Grimlock huffed, his backplates had been repaired so he was capable of transforming and upright motion again but had instead chosen to stay in his alt mode, laying down at the side of the group quietly listening to whatever plans were being made while not mentioning his own.

Probably because they all involved punching, biting and kicking in any order.

"I coulda tore him a new one!" The Dinobot whined to himself "But that Dark Energon stuff got me weirded out, I didn't wanna bite a chunk out of him just to get a mouthful!"

"Well, first I suggest we all rest and make sure we're functioning at full capacity" Bumblebee felt his desire for conversation drain from him slowly.

"Sir, I'm quite alright"

"Just rest Strongarm" Bumblebee rubbed his face and shooed everyone away.

Slowly the rest of the group dispersed, each finding their own little spot to settle down and rest under Bumblebee's orders.

Looking at the dark sky Bumblebee himself slumped down and rested his head and arms on his knees.

"At feast-least there hasn't been any other prisoner activity sir" Fixit's quiet voice piped up next to him as the Mini-Con sat by his side.

"I suppose so… Though… Don't you think we should have heard from Steeljaw by now?" Bumblebee scratched his head.

"Steeljaw!? Whatever for?" Fixit was rightfully incredulous.

"Well, he goes after prisoners too, and they did know the way to our base, so someone told them along with information about the Pods. Had to be Steeljaw right?"

"Yes, that makes sense" Fixit nodded as he followed Bumblebee's train of thought.

"Well do you really think he'd sit quiet and follow orders from those two? I doubt they'd even pretend to be his lackey's so they've probably made him theirs. Steeljaw must have or must BE planning something! And that something would also likely involve using us to his advantage too" Bumblebee waved his hands slightly as he spoke.

"A valid point sir" Fixit had followed him perfectly.

"It's actually concerning me a little, I mean they left him alone, no doubt with the Pods when they went into Crown City! He must've plotted something by now!"

"Maybe he just tree-freed the prisoners and ran off?" Fixit shrugged slightly, an unsure grin on his face as he tried to offer alternatives.

"No, I doubt Galvatron would let him go far" Bumblebee dismissed the suggestion "and play nice? I don't know what Drift is suggesting with that, I doubt he's going to try that tactic again, not really and what should I even do to 'play nice'? Agree with everything he says? Pretend to disband the Autobots? Throw all caution to the wind and hug him!?"

"Oh, I doubt he's suggesting something as stupid as that!" Fixit seemed taken aback as Bumblebee ranted, more to the space in front of him than to Fixit.

"Hm… Ah… I'm sorry Fixit I didn't mean to be so…" Bumblebee quickly uncurled himself from his tense position and crossed his legs, sitting next to the Mini.

"Stressed?" he suggested "I spent so long by myself aboard that ship I know how it can get sir… the chance to just hawk, uh, talk and talk, it tends to just spill out"

"Thank you Fixit" He couldn't help but smile at him.

"Besides sir, you have the most knowledge of Dark Energon among us! I'm sure you'll know what to do and maybe where they're headed!" Fixit was still being chipper but that was just a little too much for Bumblebee's liking, it made him think of the past.

Where they're headed.

They couldn't really be going to Nevada… Or Jasper…

He didn't want to believe so anyway…

But Galvatron knew about Raf, he knew about things that had happened way back in Jasper.

He knew.

He'll go there.

Bumblebee didn't want to believe so, he thought they had gotten rid of the Dark Energon around there, either he and the Autobots had done it, or the Decepticons had mined it away.

There couldn't be any left, it's not like the stuff would just regrow there.

It wouldn't, It shouldn't, It couldn't.