Arcee walks beside Soundwave as they head to the bridge, all the while pondering on what Megatron could want her for. There has been so much activity on the ship as of late and there was one point where she started feeling off, she got that same woozy feeling she had gotten after she watched Cliffjumper fall to his death, when Ratchet found some dark Energon on her servo. She soon found out it was because they were hovering over a volcano that had dark Energon coming out of it and the Decepticons were mining it.
At one point she overheard a passing conversation about Optimus being on the Nemesis not too long ago, that must have been the cause of the shooting she was hearing. Where is he now? What did they do with him? She hopes he's alright.
When they get to the bridge she doesn't see Megatron anywhere, just Airachnid, Knockout and some drones working at the consoles. She sneers at Airachnid who just smirks at her, she knows Arcee wants to attack her but wouldn't dare do anything to anger Megatron. For some reason, it pleases her and gives her some twisted joy to see Arcee being forced to serve Megatron and follow his rules just as much as anyone else on the ship does.
Arcee ignores her as she looks at Soundwave, "What's this all about? Where's Megatron?"
Soundwave decides not to say anything and just points at a monitor. Arcee looks at the monitor and sees Megatron's signal at a location far from the Nemesis, and with him are three Autobot signals. Wait… Three? So they're alive? She knew Megatron had to be lying about them being offline. But why is he with them? What is he planning?
Soundwave starts playing a recording from his conversation with Megatron not long ago, "Soundwave, take Arcee to the bridge and when I tell you to, send her to me."
Arcee looks at Soundwave for a second before she rolls her optics, "Way to clarify." It still doesn't explain why Megatron's with her team.
"We're not sure what Lord Megatron has planned, he didn't bother to tell us." Knockout explains.
"Not even his right-hand mech? I thought he told Soundwave everything." Arcee states a bit sarcastically.
Soundwave's already missing those times they had together when she was cuddling up to him and seemed to be coming around. He believes she still is but at the moment she's getting protective over her team who is currently talking to their number one enemy, she's really concerned for their safety and he understands that. When he gets the call from Megatron to open the groundbridge and send Arcee to him he gets a small twinge of dread in his spark. What if he doesn't see her again after this? His spark would be shattered if he was to never see her again, but he trusts Megatron and he knows that Megatron won't just give her up like that.
Soundwave opens the groundbridge for Arcee and she's filled with anticipation, she really wants to see her team again. She runs through the groundbridge and comes out on the other side to see Optimus, Ratchet and Bulkhead looking at her with wide optics like they're surprised to actually see her.
The three can't shake their shock, Arcee is actually standing before them and she doesn't seem to be under his control this time, "Arcee!" They shout in sync as happiness fills their sparks.
"Guys!" Arcee shouts back as she tries to run over to them, but after taking two steps she's stopped by Megatron who puts his arm out in front of her.
"Ratchet, Bulkhead, you're both still alive. Megatron told me you two were dead." Arcee says as she tries to ignore Megatron's looming presence beside her, she's happy to see them alive and well.
Megatron scowled, "I thought they were." He really, really didn't want to reveal to her that they were still alive but he knew she would be the best thing to use to bribe them into a truce, he had no choice.
"Lies to toy with your processor." Ratchet tells her.
"What about Bumblebee? Why isn't he here? Is he…?"
"He's fine too, he's in bad shape but he's alive. I've been working with him on his recovery process, but he's not fit to go into battle just yet so he stayed back at base."
:: I'm here Arcee, I'm still kicking. ::
Arcee heard Bumblebee over the 'Bots' comm followed by Jack's voice.
:: Arcee, are you ok!? Did they hurt you!? ::
Arcee felt relieved to know that her whole team is alive and was happy to hear her partner again, "I'm fine Jack, they haven't hurt me." Well, they haven't hurt her lately.
"I'll throw her into the deal. Agree to the temporary truce and I'll let you and the femme reunite and have some time together."
"No, I want you to release her." Optimus's voice rang out.
"Agree to the truce and I'll think about it." Megatron responded. There was a moment of silence as Optimus ran the options through his processor before Megatron speaks again, "Do you think you've witnessed the full power of Unicron? Those foot soldiers were nothing more than a taste, Unicron has yet to fully awaken. With each passing moment, the bringer of chaos evolves, mutating Earth from the inside out. What we have witnessed until now is but a prelude of utter devastation his rising will wreak upon your world."
"Wait. Unicron is here, on Earth?" Arcee asked in confusion, she doesn't know about the things that have been occurring.
"Yes, and he's threatening to destroy the planet unless we can stop him." Optimus replied.
"Like how his quest for power destroyed Cybertron?" Arcee asked as she nodded her helm to the mech beside her before sending him a glare.
"Make no mistake, this time there will be a planet left for me to rule!" Megatron says with slight annoyance at the reminder of the devastation their homeworld sustained before he could rule it.
"Even if we agree, Unicron's all the way down at the center of the Earth. How are we supposed to get there, drive?" Bulkhead questioned.
"There is only one way…" Optimus begins but is interrupted by Ratchet.
"Absolutely not! Groundbridging into space or on a moving train is difficult enough! But plotting a blind jump inside of a sentient being? Besides, direct exposure to that much dark Energon will debilitate you, you haven't built up an immunity like Megatron has!"
Megatron can't help but smile at Ratchet's rant, "Yet another strong argument for soliciting, my guidance."
"You can provide Unicron's exact coordinates?" Optimus asks.
"If you transport us to this planet's core, I can lead you directly into Unicron's spark. The very heart, of his darkness."
"Even if we survive the jump. How are we supposed to stop Unicron?" Arcee asks.
Optimus is silent for a moment as he looks at Megatron before looking at Arcee again, "With the matrix of leadership."
:: What is that? :: Fowler questions over the comms.
:: A vessel of pure energy, the collective wisdom of the Primes. :: Ratchet replies.
:: Do we have time for a scavenger hunt? :: Jack asks, :: I mean, where are we supposed to find this matrix? ::
:: Optimus does not need to find it. He carries it within him. ::
"It was the combined power of the Primes that defeated Unicron so long ago." Megatron starts speaking as he walks towards Optimus, "The very reason he now seeks to destroy you."
"It would follow that unleashing the power of the matrix directly into Unicron's spark, would return him to stasis."
:: Hold on. :: Miko comes in over the comms, :: If everything goes right, Unicron's gonna stay down there? ::
Jack chimes in afterward, :: Yeah, can't we siphon him out somehow? ::
Raf was the one to respond, :: He's not in the Earth's core, Jack. He is the Earth's core. ::
:: Rafael is correct. :: Ratchet comms back, :: Tampering with your core could affect the magnetic poles. Trigger the very cataclysmic events we are attempting to remedy. Tragically, Unicron is your planet's very seed. Always has been, and always must be. ::
Rocks start moving past all of them as another Unicron manifestation begins to form, "Bumblebee, send a groundbridge." Optimus says as he watches the manifestation rebuild itself.
"Wait, what about Arcee?" Bulkhead asks as a groundbridge opens up behind him and Ratchet.
Optimus looks at Megatron as he waits for the warlord to make a response. Arcee is the one to speak, "Just go, we can't keep the groundbridge open to our base in front of him. How do we know we can even trust him?"
"She has a point. He's seriously gonna risk his own spark to save us?" Bulkhead says in agreement as he hopes and prays that Megatron will allow Arcee to return to base with them.
Megatron laughs, "Hardly my nature." He looks over at the Unicron manifestation which just finished forming before looking back at Optimus, "As proof of my sincerity for this truce I will allow her to return to base with you so you can have your reunion. Consider my offer. I shall keep it busy." He says as he turns away from them, his mouth curls into a small smirk before he jumps up and transforms. He begins shooting at the thing while Ratchet grabs Arcee's arm and drags her to the groundbridge before Megatron changes his mind.