Optimus stood at the helm of the Elite Guard ship, looking at the large array of monitors depicting various footage from across the cosmos. Almost all of the footage was the same, Autobot forces engaging Decepticon troops at various Space Bridge stations. Seeing all of the violence and fighting occuring, Optimus couldn't help but look away, feeling a deep ache in his spark. Ultra Magnus, who was standing next to him as he surveyed the footage, quietly shut it off.
"These attacks have been growing in frequency and ferocity in the decacycles following Zeta Prime's demise," Magnus explained. "Cybertronian High Command believes that the Decepticons are under the impression that we are vulnerable without his leadership."
"Well, they're not wrong," Sentinel growled from where he was watching off to the side.
Optimus gave the blue bot a weary glance before turning his full attention to Ultra Magnus.
"What about the code that was released when I accepted the Matrix? I was under the impression all bots received it."
"They did, yes, but only a handful of bots still online remember the old codes, and their significance. Right now, we must assume that their only information is that Zeta Prime is dead, and Megatron lives once more. If this continues, it will send our people into a panic and embolden the enemy."
Optimus vented at that, rubbing his faceplate.
"What do you suggest?"
"Right now, Cybertron requires strong leadership, and a clear presence to restore order. You must return to Cybertron immediately, and take control."
"What?!" Sentinel let out. "Sir, you can't be serious. Orion is not the leader Cybertron needs! He doesn't know the first thing about being a proper leader!"
"Sentinel, enough!" Magnus called out.
"Actually, I'm somewhat in agreement with Sentinel," Optiimus admitted. "Leading my team is one thing, but this… this feels out of my depth. Besides, we still have the Decepticons on Earth to deal with."
"Jazz and Cliffjumper still have yet to detect Megatron and his forces on Earth. However, given that we cannot definitively say that they are no longer on this planet, we can leave your team here, along with the Elite Guard. I am certain Colonel Ironhide and Commander Arsenal can handle the search."
"Well, yes but-"
"I know you have personal attachments to this planet Optimus. But you now serve a higher calling, and with the burden of leadership comes greater responsibilities. The fear of the Decepticons uprising has gripped all of Cybertron. Our fellow Autobots need reassurance in these difficult times."
Optimus thought on that more a bit, seeing the logic in what Ultra Magnus was saying. He looked up at the now darkened monitors, wondering what he should do.
…
Ratchet stood at the monitor console in the Autobot base, keeping an eye on everything. Sari was sitting on his shoulder, bored and wanting company.
"So, you just stare at all these monitors?" she asked, reclining so she was leaning on his shoulder plates. "For hours?"
"These monitors just happen to show all our Autobot life readings and vitals. It's the easiest way to keep track of everyone."
"And you're worried about another Makeshift incident, aren't you?"
Ratchet paused for a moment.
"One slip up almost tore this team apart… I won't let that happen to any of us ever again."
As he said that, the screen blipped, and Arsenal's readings completely vanished. Sari blinked, rubbing her eyes before looking at the monitor nervously.
"Uh… Ratchet?"
Ratchet looked up, his optics going wide as he saw what Sari was talking about. Instantly, he got out of his seat and rushed towards Arsenal's room, Sari holding onto his shoulder for dear life. He threw the doors open, finding her immobile on the berth.
"Arsenal!" he screamed.
Arsenal shot up, her optics bright and her hands immediately becoming blasters.
"What's going on?! Are we under attack?!"
Ratchet just exhaled in relief.
"No, just thought you were in trouble."
Arsenal groaned, sending her weapons away as she rubbed her head.
"I was taking a much needed Stasis nap… what gave you the impression that I was in trouble?"
"Your life signature just blipped off."
"What? How is that possible?"
She quickly went into her systems, checking for her energy signatures and bio-signs. However, they were all unreadable, completely gone.
"What the… I can't even detect myself… is that even possible?"
"Apparently," Ratchet mused. "The question is… how?"
…
In the Decepticon base, the Cons were all gathered around a similar set-up to the Autobots, looking over the data with impressed looks.
"It's incredible," Blitzwing's icy face declared. "You are standing right next to me, Lugnut, and I cannot detect your bio-signature."
"Now we can move about freely in vehicle mode," Lugnut realized. "And those accursed Autobots will never know."
"Gotta admit, it's pretty impressive," Black Arachnia commended. "This will make dodging the Autobots so much easier."
"Something that will be pivotal in the days to come," Megatron agreed. "But now that our signatures have been successfully blocked, it is time to move onto the next phase of my plan. At the moment, the remainder of our Decepticon forces are scattered about the cosmos, lacking proper order and a chain of command. I must contact our Decepticon brethren and inform them of my return."
"Contact with forces: Difficult. Require subspace communicator," Soundwave informed.
"Guess you've got your next project, doctor," Black Arachnia declared, turning to Professor Sumdac.
"I am sorry, but I'm afraid such a device would be impossible to make."
"I will decide what is impossible," Megatron pressed. "I won't leave my forces directionless, destroying Space Bridges whenever they feel like it. If we are to conquer Cybertron, we must act as a united front."
"But that kind of communication device would require focused tachyon energy. And no Earth scientist has gotten past the development stage yet."
"Suggestion: acquire Elite Guard tachyon transmitter from command ship," Soundwave spoke up. "Bio-signal dampeners will aid in the success of a stealth mission."
"An excellent idea," Megatron agreed. "Once we have that in our possession, we will be able to coordinate our Decepticon forces for a perfect strike against all Autobot kind."
…
Meanwhile, a garbage barge was making its way across Lake Michigan, carrying the latest load of trash to the processing plant. Among the garbage was the greyed out frame of Starscream himself. As the barge continued forward, the optics on Starscream started to flicker on. Starscream suddenly shot upwards, his color restored as he aimed his pulse cannons out.
"You dare slag me, Megatron?! After all my loyal years of-!"
As his processor finally managed to catch up with his surroundings, Starscream's rant came to a stop. He looked around, quickly realizing three things. One, he was alone. Two, he was online. And three, he had been quite literally tossed aside like garbage.
"Unbelievable! I was their leader for fifty stellar cycles and they tossed me into the refuse?!" He kicked some of the trash before venting harshly, forcing himself to calm down. "No, no, now is not the time to lose my temper. Think, Starscream. You were offline. You know you were offline. So, why did that change? No way in the Inferno did Primus choose to bring you back."
He started tapping his forehead, before suddenly feeling something wedged in there. Curious, he leaned over and looked at his reflection in the water, seeing an Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead.
"A piece of the Allspark…" he realized. "Of course. Something must have happened to it and a piece ended up in me. And considering the Allspark is indestructible, inextinguishable, and that makes little old Starscream… immortal."
A sly smile graced Starscream's face.
"Prepare yourself, Megatron! My vengeance shall be swift and-" he suddenly caught himself. "Wait, wait, wait. What am I doing? If I strike Megatron head on, his loyal followers would rip me to pieces in an instant. No, I need to be smart about this."
He then looked up, seeing Lugnut, Blitzwing, and Black Arachnia flying overhead.
"Well now," he let out, smirking. "Wonder where they're off to?"
He decided to transform and follow after them.
…
At Autobot Base, Arsenal and Ratchet were still trying to figure out the deal with Arsenal's life signature.
"This has to be some kind of glitch," Arsenal reasoned. "I mean, I've run a full diagnostic on my systems and everything is working as it should. My bio-signature should be there."
"I know. I know! Believe me, I'm trying to figure out what's going on! You almost gave me a Spark attack!"
"It's not like I wanted my bio-signature to just vanish!"
The two then heard the sound of a voice synthesizer recalibrating, forcing them out of their shouting match. They turned to see Optimus walking in, an eye ridge raised in confusion.
"What's going on here?"
"Something 's going on with Arsenal's biosignature," Ratchet explained.
"Yeah, I don't exist," Arsenal declared bluntly.
"That's… odd," Optimus let out.
"Understatement as usual, Prime," Ratchet responded. "So far, we've yet to find the source of this glitch, but I will. I promise you that."
"Bumblebee and Cliff both think she's got some weird flyer virus," Sari commented from her perch on the work table. "Bulkhead thinks the computer's buggy. Me, I think it's a prank gone wrong."
"Wasn't me," Bee insisted.
"As... intriguing as this is," Prime spoke up, gaining everyone's attention, "I have an announcement to make."
"What is it?" Prowl inquired.
Optimus took a moment before speaking again.
"I'm returning with Ultra Magnus to Cybertron."
The group remained silent for a few solid seconds. Then all of a sudden, everyone began speaking at once. Everyone was shouting about how Prime couldn't leave and how they needed him. Sari was just flat out crying at the idea.
"Everyone, please," Optimus insisted. "I know this is a lot to take in, but-"
"A lot?" Bee cut off. "That's putting it mildly!"
"We're losing our leader!" Bulkhead exclaimed. "I thought we'd finally gotten everyone off our fenders about you leaving when you became Prime!"
"Arsenal was your commander long before I took over," Optimus reminded. "She's more than capable of taking charge in my absence."
"Whether that's true or not, you shouldn't have to leave!" Arsenal snapped.
"Look, I'm not for the idea, but Cybertron needs reassurances now that word of Megatron and Zeta Prime has gotten out," Optimus reasoned.
"What about reassurances here?" Bee countered. "Sari just lost her dad. Now you're just up and leaving?"
"You can't go!" Sari sobbed. "You- you can't! Please, don't go!"
She rushed forward, and Optimus reached out and gently picked her up, letting her hug his finger. Cliff winced at the sight.
/"And here I thought she'd finally stopped leaking."
"I'm sorry… but being Prime makes me responsible for more than just all of you. I wish there was another way, but there isn't."
"But- but you can't leave!" Bumblebee insisted. "I mean, Arsenal's glitching bad, and Megatron is still out there!"
"Cybertron may need a Prime…" Ratchet finally spoke up. "But we need our friend."
Optimus couldn't deny the truth of that, but he also couldn't deny his duty.
…
Meanwhile, the three Decepticons made it to the Elite Guard Command Ship, which was still protected by a force field.
"Well this is a problem," Icy's face declared.
"We should destroy their shield generator!" Lugnut declared.
"What part of stealth mission made you think destroying their generator was a good idea?" Black Arachnia hissed. "Besides, the generator is inside the shield, scrap for brains."
"Yeah, you lunkhead!" Blitzwing's angry face agreed. "Don't you ever think anything through?!"
"Shut up, three-face!" Black Arachnia snapped before running her claws down her faceplate. "Primus… I should have done this alone. You two wouldn't know stealth if it came up and bit you in the aft."
As the three argued, Starscream landed on a nearby rooftop out of view.
"The Elite Guard's ship?" he questioned. "Wonder what they want here?"
He listened in, hoping to get more information.
"Perhaps there is a way we could tunnel beneath the shield," Blitzwing's icy face suggested. "Then we could grab the tachyon transmitter and retreat before the Autobots even know we're here.
"Assuming they aren't alerted by the massive hole left in our wake," Black Arachnia pointed out.
Blitzwing switched to his angry face.
"Well I don't see you coming up with any better ideas!"
Starscream leveled his missile at the very base of the Elite Guard's shield, smirking.
"Here's one," he whispered as he fired.
The blast hit the base of the shield, not doing any damage but still causing enough of a ruckus to draw attention.
"What was that?" Black Arachnia snapped.
"Does it matter?!" Blitzwing's random face exclaimed. "Time to go!"
The three quickly took off into the air, much to Starscream's delight. He was about to drop down, but before he could, the bay door opened up, allowing Sentinel to descend.
"What the scrap was that?" he let out, surveying the area. "Fantastic. Bad enough I'm placating to Pax while on this backwater planet, now I'm having to jump at every noise because it might be a Decepticon!"
He slammed his fist onto the side of the ship.
"If he weren't a Prime, I'd bring him in for a court martial for destroying the Allspark."
Hearing this, Starscream couldn't help but smirk.
"Sounds like I'm not the only one with authority issues. Still, why look a gift Predacon in the mouthpiece?"
He leapt down at the edge of the shield. He walked up to it and knocked on the barrier.
"Anyone home?" he remarked, getting Sentinel's attention.
"You!" Sentinel had his lance and shield out in seconds. "Who are you?! What are you doing here! Identify yourself!"
"The names Starscream. Former leader of the Decepticons, and right now, your new best friend."
Sentinel snarled at that.
"I am not 'friends' with Decepticon scum! I should slag you right now!"
"Perhaps, but you won't when you hear what I have to say. We have a lot to offer each other… uh, sorry didn't get your name."
Sentinel was hesitant to say anything, but curiosity won out in the end.
"Lieutenant Sentinel of the Elite Guard."
"Sentinel, right. I sense you and I are kindred sparks in a sense."
Sentinel just laughed in response.
"Is that right?" Sentinel questioned.
"Oh, sure, we have our differences. Like chin sizes. But there's one thing we share: we're both painfully aware of the inefficiencies of our current leadership."
That actually made Sentinel pause. He lowered his lance a bit, and Starscream knew he had a bite on his proverbial line.
"So, I'm right to assume that Zeta Prime has been replaced with this… Pax character?" Starscream asked.
"... yeah. Orion Pax. Some repair bot who got lucky and became this 'Optimus Prime'. Well no matter what he calls himself, I know who he really is, and he is no leader of mine. I will never recognize him as my Prime."
"A bot after my own Spark. That's the same line of thinking I have regarding Megatron. He's obsolete and out of date. A relic from a long forgotten age. And from what you've said, I think both sides are due for a regime change, wouldn't you?"
"Get to the point, Con. What do you want?"
"I propose an alliance. With the two of us working together, we could rid ourselves of both Optimus Prime and Megatron. We could control both sides and work to end this long drawn out conflict. Usher in a new age for Cybertron. Sentinel Prime has a rather nice ring to it, wouldn't you agree?"
Those words went right to Sentinel's processor. He could already see himself holding the Matrix of Leadership, standing before all of Cybertron as its newest leader. His optics were sparking with excitement as he finally dismissed his weapons.
"And what do you get out of this?"
"Well, considering control of Cybertron is out of the question, perhaps a small portion of it as a home for all wayward Decepticons to begin a new life free from Autobot oppression and prejudice. Say… Kaon?"
Sentinel's voice synthesizer spewed static as he laughed slightly.
"Is that all? You can have that sector! It's a lawless waste anyway! You'd be doing me a favor taking it off my hands once I'm Prime!"
"Then… do we have a deal?" Starscream inquired, leaning against the shield smirking.
Sentinel paused for a moment before turning up to Starscream.
"Alright… deal. What do we do first?"
"Glad you asked. I've recently had a… falling out with Megatron. If I'm going to work my way back to the top, I'm going to need a way back into the Decepticon ranks. And right now, that way involves a tachyon transmitter. Just let me take it, I'll get my in with Megatron, and you'll have one as well."
Sentinel looked back at the ship, seeing the transmitter on the hull on the ship before turning back.
"And just what is Megatron going to do with it?"
"How should I know? Besides, in the long run, it won't matter. Megatron will be a distant memory file, and you and I will be on top."
"True…"
…
A few minutes later, Starscream was flying off with the Tachyon Transmitter in his servos. Sentinel watched him fly off, wondering if he'd made the right choice. Leaving the Autobot Lieutenant in his afterburners, Starscream caught sight of the three Decepticons and followed close behind, while trying to stay out of range of their scanners. Thankfully, that proved to be quite easy with his lack of a bio-signal, allowing him to remain close as they reached the mineshaft that was their new base.
"Oh how the mighty have fallen," Starscream mused as a vicious smirk graced his faceplate. "I can't wait to watch you sink further."
…
"Forgive us Master," Lugnut pleaded as he, Blitzwing, and Black Arachnia bowed before him. "But we were unable to retrieve the device."
"How difficult is it to perform a simple task?" Megatron seethed, his fingers clenched so tightly his hinges were squeaking.
"It's so hard to find good help these days," a familiar voice remarked.
Everyone turned to see Starscream walking in, a confident smirk on his face.
"Starscream," Megatron recognized. "You're alive."
"Why Megatron, you almost sound disappointed."
"Quite. I had hoped that when we tossed your greyed shell into the trash heap, you'd have the common sense to stay offline."
"Oh don't talk like that. I'm here to help you, and reclaim my proper place. You see, I've finally seen the error of my ways. I know now that I was never meant to lead the Decepticons, only to serve them." He knelt before Megatron, "I know now who I am and who I'm meant to be. A humble servant to Lord Megatron."
Megatron approached Starscream, optics narrowed in disgust. Not wasting a beat, he drew a sword and slashed Starscream across the chestplate, knocking him to the ground.
"Is this pathetic ploy really the best you could do Starscream?" Megatron challenged as he raised his fusion cannon. "And to think you honestly thought yourself worthy to replace me as leader of the Decepticons. You couldn't lead a parade."
He fired at Starscream repeatedly until his chest plate was completely shattered, showing an empty spark chamber that had been cold for weeks. Megatron gave him another disgusted look, then turned away.
"Send him back onto the scrap heap where he belongs."
Before any of the remaining Decepticons could act, Starscream began to sit up, his body literally knitting itself back together, wire by wire, and circuit by circuit. They all stared as the Seeker stood up and dusted himself off.
"Perhaps now you'd be willing to listen to me?" he asked, as if he hadn't just been brutally murdered.
Megatron turned back, in shock of what he saw.
"Impossible…"
"Not impossible Megatron. Merely I have been blessed with a gift. One I am willing to share with you."
"How is this possible? Your spark is gone, and yet here you stand."
"Let's just say I have been graced with the power of the Allspark itself." Starscream had to resist the urge to tap his forehead, knowing better than to reveal the only thing keeping him online.
"And what is to stop me from tearing your body apart until I find it?"
"You mean assuming you could hold me down long enough? Besides, think about it this way. You have a few options on how to handle this situation. You could cast me out, and have me come back again and again to try and reclaim my rightful place, and no matter how many times you'll kill me, I'll just keep coming back. Or, you could allow me to return, and I will be your most valuable asset."
"In what way?"
"In addition to my immortality, I have a sense for Allspark fragments. I can help you find more."
That thought gave Megatron genuine pause. The idea of dealing with Starscream's attempts on his life over and over again did not appeal in the slightest, and if he kept the slippery Seeker close, he'd be better equipped to deal with whatever threats he posed. More then that, his skills were indeed something the Decepticons could benefit from.
"If you require any further incentive," Starscream spoke up, pulling the Tachyon Transmitter from his subspace, "I do have a peace offering."
"The Tachyon Transmitter," Megatron recognized.
"Heard you were looking for this. Sadly, any plan these three conceived would have been for naught. Thankfully, I have my ways." Starscream held it out. "So, shall we restore the Decepticons to their true glory?"
Upon seeing the device, Megatron made his choice. He took the device, locking optics with Starscream.
"Know this, Starscream," Megatron threatened. "The only reason I will allow you to return to our ranks is so when you turn on me, I will be able to gut you like a scraplet before you can let out so much as a screech. I do not trust you in the slightest, Starscream, nor will I ever."
"It's good to be back," Starscream remarked.
…
"For sparks sake, it's not working, Ratch!" Arsenal snapped, pulling various wires out of her headcase. "Whatever this glitch is, you're not gonna find it this way!"
"Then what would you suggest?!" Ratchet replied, "Turning you inside out until we find the problem?!"
"Well, this problem isn't affecting my health! I'm still fully functioning and running at optimal efficiency!"
"And yet, I still can't read your biosignatures, even with my med scanners!"
"I told you, I'm-!"
Arsenal's argument was cut off as her entire processor was overtaken by a surge of data. She screamed, falling to the ground and clutching her headcase. The shrill noise drew everyone's attention, all of them rushing to the medical bay as she curled up on the ground, fingers digging hard into her helm.
"What's going on?!" Sari cried out, staring in shock. "What's wrong with her?!"
"I don't know!" Ratchet admitted, sounding panicked.
"Firewalls..." Arsenal hissed through gritted dentas. "Something's… trying to… push through..."
Ratchet quickly got to work, grabbing several pieces of machinery and cables. He popped open a hatch in Arsenal's head and inserted the wires before hooking her up to a few monitors. As soon as he did this, the surge of data was redirected and ended up displaying on the monitors. To everyone's shock, the screens were dominated by an image of Megatron.
"Fellow Decepticons, take heed. Your leader, Megatron, still lives! Though we remain dispersed throughout the far reaches of the galaxy, exiled from our true home, we are all still Decepticons, united by a common purpose. The time has come for us to put aside our differences and act as one under my undisputed leadership. Only then can we cast off the shackles of Autobot oppression. Working together, we can raise up our glorious empire once more and crush all who stand in our way!"
The message came to an end and the screens cleared. Arsenal, no longer in pain, sat up in shock.
"Ok… what the slag was that?!" Bee let out.
"Decepticon private comm channel..." Arsenal answered. "When I was… when I joined the Autobots, firewalls were installed to block the channel entirely. Attempting to access it would..." she winced, looking down, "would be met with dire consequences."
"Clearly," Ratchet noted. "But why is someone trying to access it now?"
"I don't know. Why would anyone in the Cons be foolish enough to try and reconnect me?"
Prowl then perked, an idea forming.
"What if it wasn't a Con?" he questioned.
"What are you thinking?" Cliff asked.
Prowl stepped forward.
"What if someone purposely reconnected Arsenal to the Decepticons? Got her back into their systems? Made sure she received any and all updates from the Cons?"
"Who would be able to-?" Bee started before a thought came to mind. "Hey, you don't think…?"
"What?" Optimus questioned. "What are you thinking?"
"Who knows Cybertronian systems inside and out?" Prowl pondered. "Who would have the knowhow to, perhaps, reconnect long-dead comm channels?"
"Professor Sumdac," Bulkhead answered. "So he is alive."
Sari's eyes went wide at that.
"I knew it! He's alive!"
"And serving as Megatron's prisoner," Prowl responded. "Providing him with technological assistance, no doubt under a heavy amount of duress."
"And he's using me as a way of warning us," Arsenal realized. "My biosignature… it's not a glitch. The Professor must have created some sort of specialized patch to keep the Decepticons from being spotted!"
"And we would have been blindsided by this, but he found a way to clue us in..." Ratchet realized.
"As well as piggybacking on her Decepticon comm frequency to let us listen in on Megatron's big announcement," Optimus added. "I need to let the Elite Guard know about this. Ratchet, see what you can do about that firewall. If another message comes through, I'd rather it not cause our Commander to be taken out of commission."
"I'll see what I can do."
As Optimus prepared to go, Sari ran up to him.
"You have to stay now. You promised me you'd help me get my dad back, and now we know where he is!"
"We know Megatron has your dad, but we don't know where. But once we have an idea of where he is, we'll do whatever it takes to bring him home."
Optimus then transformed and drove off, leaving the others behind in the base.
…
Back at the Decepticon base, Megatron killed the broadcast, confident his message had gotten across.
"Now that our message has gone out," he spoke. "We need to get work on construction."
"Construction?" Starscream inquired. "Of what, exactly?"
"Nothing that concerns you, Starscream. You may have weaseled your way back among my ranks, but you are not to be trusted with any of my plans."
Starscream was miffed to be sure, but kept his annoyance off his face as he gave a small bow.
"As you wish, Lord Megatron. However, I do wonder what you plan on doing should the Autobots try and interfere with your plans."
"What do you mean?"
"Certainly you're not foolish enough to believe that a mere bio-dampener will be enough to keep the Autobots from finding us. They've been scouring the city like Predacons, just waiting for one of us to pounce."
Megatron paused, mulling over what Starscream was saying.
"What do you suggest?"
"What you need is a way to lure the Autobots out into the open so that your forces may obtain what they need."
"And how do you suggest we do that without revealing ourselves?"
"Quite simple. The Autobots care very much for the organic insects that infest this planet. Should any of them fall into danger, they would surely come running."
Megatron spared a glance over at Professor Sumdac, knowing from personal experience that Starscream spoke the truth.
…
Later on the Elite Guard's ship, Optimus was informing Ultra Magnus of the development with Arsenal.
"Now we have a beat into Megatron's plans," he finished.
"A much needed lead," Ultra Magnus declared with a small nod. "While I am surprised that a human could have broken through Cybertronian code, I am not one to look a gift predacon in the mouthpiece.
"Neither am I. I just hope it will be enough for the others to-"
Just then, an alert came on the computer screen, causing the two to look over as Jazz manned his station.
"Hate to interrupt sirs," he replied. "But it looks like we've got a lead on one of those Small Sparks."
"Small Sparks?" Optimus questioned.
"Small Allsparks. Anyway, it looks like it was embedded into the roof of a locomotive. And from the looks of it, the engine's gone critical and sent it on a high speed ride down the tracks."
"That could put countless humans at risk," Optimus realized before activating his comms. "Autobots, we've detected another Allspark fragment on a train heading due south towards downtown. We need civilians out of harm's way and Sari's key to remove the shard before the train causes a massive collision."
"We're on it Prime," Arsenal reassured.
…
Arsenal pulled the last of the wires out of her headcase, closing all her panels before addressing all of the gathered Autobots.
"Alright everyone, I know we're all still upset about the possibility of Optimus leaving. However, we cannot let our personal feelings get in the way of our mission. We will protect all life on this planet, and we will do everything in our power to keep everyone safe. So everyone, get your heads in the game and roll out!"
She then transformed and took off, prompting the other Autobots to do the same, with Sari climbing into Bumblebee's driver's seat. They all took off towards the train, hoping to get there in time.
…
Back on board the Elite Guards ship, Optimus couldn't help but feel uneasy about the situation.
"I know you're still uneasy about leaving your team," Ultra Magnus spoke up. "But you have to trust they can handle themselves."
"It's not that," Optimus replied. "Our scans didn't pick up an Allspark fragment the last time one showed up. Only Sari's key could detect it."
"What are you saying?" Sentinel inquired.
"I'm saying that we shouldn't have been able to detect this shard, unless someone wanted us to."
Optimus went over to the computer console, seeing something in the cloud bank above the train.
"Jazz, run an infrared scan on that cloud bank."
Jazz quickly obliged, and a harrier jet came into view. Optimus' optics narrowed.
"That has to be a Decepticon… It's all a trap!"
Optimus immediately transformed and drove off.
"Autobots, with me!" Optimus called out.
"You heard him," Ultra Magnus addressed. "Transform and roll out!"
The Elite Guard all transformed and drove off after Optimus, racing to catch up with the train.
…
Meanwhile, Starscream flew above the train, waiting for his quarry to take the bait.
"It won't be long until the Autobots come to save their human pets," he mused to himself. "And when they do, all their precious efforts will blow up in their faces, as well as half of this organic city."
As Starscream looked down, he saw the Autobots quickly driving towards the train, much to his delight.
"Ah, right on time."
…
Down below, the Autobots were putting metal to the pedal, struggling to catch up with the high speed train.
"Prowl! Uncouple the passenger cars and get the humans to safety!" Arsenal instructed. "Bumblebee, you and Sari focus on removing that fragment!"
"Right!" they all called out.
"The rest of you are with me! Once the fragment is secure, we need to slow this train down anyway we can!"
Prowl and Bumblebee quickly broke off from the group, trying to catch up with the train as best they could.
"Prowl, think you can boost us onto that thing?!" Bee suggested.
"Let's find out!"
Prowl quickly pulled back behind Bee as the two transformed. Prowl grabbed hold of Bee's back as he activated his boosters. The two jetted upwards with Bee holding onto Sari securely. The two landed on the top of the train, quickly making their way towards the front. Cliffjumper drove alongside them, pushing as hard as he could to keep pace.
"Just tell me where to shoot!" he called out to Prowl.
Prowl took a look, then pointed down at the coupling on the cars.
"There!"Cliff quickly transformed and fired his stingers at the coupling at the same time Prowl swung his shuriken. The combined force severed the connection to the other cars, allowing them to fall behind as the engine sped forward.
"Nice work," Arsenal commended. "Now we need to-"
"Arsenal, do you read me?!" Optimus called.
"Optimus? What is it?"
"It's all a trap! There's a Con in the air! Find them!"
Arsenal was surprised by that, but didn't dare question it. Instead, she banked sharply upward. As she got some altitude, she spotted a harrier jet tailing the train as it sped towards the city.
"Spotted the Con. You're not going to believe this… but I think it's Starscream.
"Starscream? But you said Megatron killed him months ago."
"He did. I saw his greyed shell myself." She began speeding towards the con. "I'll ask him how he survived."
"Oh no…" Starscream let out, taking the cue to fly off.
"Get back here, Starscream!" she called out.
"Sorry, you must have me confused with some other harrier jet."
…
Back on the ground, Optimus and the Elite Guard arrived on the scene.
"Sentinel, Jazz, make sure the passengers are safe!" Optimus ordered. "Ironhide, Ultra Magnus, you're with me! Once Bumblebee and Sari get that shard clear, we're gonna need all the strength we can to slow this thing down!"
Jazz and Sentinel fell back to help the humans while Optimus and the others pressed forward. Up on the train, Bumblebee and Sari made their way towards the front of the train, seeing the shard poking out of the roof. Bee set Sari down and allowed her to crouch down around the shard. She pulled her key off her neck, holding it over the shard as it began to glow. Slowly but surely, the shard began to shake loose from the train. Finally, it popped out, allowing Sari to take hold of it.
"Got it!" she cheered.
"Good!" Optimus called back. "Bumblebee, get her off the train now!"
"Right!" Bee replied, grabbing Sari and leaping off.
Just as he did, Ultra Magnus pulled in front of the train and transformed, lunging his hammer forward to slow the train's progress. Ratchet used his magnets to try and bring it to a stop as Bulkhead grabbed the back and Ironhide fired some liquid cement at the train's wheels. Optimus contributed with his own grapplers, slowly helping to bring the train to a stop. Once the train finally halted, the Autobots disengaged in relief, just as Bee drove up with Sari and the shard inside.
"Now that's what I call teamwork," Bee commented, transforming while keeping hold of Sari.
"And we got the fragment!" Sari declared, holding the shard out for Optimus. "It's a big one too!"
"Nice work, all of you," Optimus commended, taking the shard.
"Now all we need is that Con you spotted, Optimus," Jazz remarked as he and Sentinel arrived.
"Right. Believe it or not, Arsenal thought it might be-" Optimus stopped himself when he saw something above them. "Incoming!"
They all scattered, seconds before Starscream's robot mode crashed down hard into the street. Arsenal came down a few moments later, transforming before landing gratefully at the edge of the crater.
"Gentle-bots, Starscream, the undead Decepticon."
"Holy Primus!" Bee let out.
"Starscream?" Sentinel whispered. "Here?"
"It's like you said, Optimus," Arsenal declared, crossing her servos over her chest plate. "It was a trap, and a poorly conceived one that fit Screamer's profile to a tee."
"Sounds about right," Optimus replied. "But what I want to know is how he's still online after what happened with Megatron and the key?"
"Why don't you ask me?" Starscream snarled, rising to his stabilizing servos.
He quickly fired his pulse cannons at Arsenal and Optimus forcing them to evade. Bee and Cliffjumper fired their stingers at the seeker but they did little more than annoy him. He fired at the ground in front of them, sending them flying back. Ultra Magnus stepped forward and raised his hammer, charging it up, only to get a Null Ray to the face.
"You may be powerful, Ultra Magnus, but you're far too slow."
"Ultra Magnus!" Ironhide called out.
"Ratchet, Sari, help Magnus!" Optimus insisted. "Prowl, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Cliffjumper, keep civilians back! Jazz, Sentinel, Ironhide, and Arsenal-"
"We take this Decepticon down," Sentinel cut off.
Sentinel moved forward, much to Prime's surprise. He shrugged it off though, pressing forward with the others as Starscream opened fire on them. Sentinel held his shield aloft as Ironhide returned fire.
"Let's see if you can take it as well as you can dish it out!" the war vet remarked.
Starscream quickly jetted upwards to avoid the blasts before returning fire. Ironhide rolled out of the way as Jazz tossed one of his nunchucks up at him, simply bouncing off his chestplate.
"Is that really the best you can do, Autobot?" he remarked as he fired upon him.
Jazz backflipped out of the way of the blasts so none of them would hit him. He then ejected his other nunchaku from its sheath in his leg, twirling it in his hands.
"Cute," Starscream deadpanned before resuming his barrage.
Jazz used the nunchaku to deflect as many of the blasts as he could, keeping pace with Starscream's constant firing. As he did this, Arsenal flew up and blasted at Starscream, hoping to catch him off guard. Seeing this, Starscream quickly dodged the blasts causing them to hit Jazz in the chestplate. As he tumbled back, Arsenal vented in shock.
"Jazz!"
Taking advantage of her dazed state, Starscream shot at her, knocking her out of the air. She crashed down, skidding across the tracks before ending up half embedded in the stopped train.
"Now to correct an oversight Megatron has allowed for far too long," Starscream remarked, leveling his weapon.
Acting fast, Optimus chucked his axe at the blaster, knocking it away from Arsenal and causing Starscream to turn towards him.
"On second thought, you've become quite the nuisance, little Prime. You'll die first."
Starscream then jetted towards Prime, ready to open fire. Before he could though, Sentinel stepped forward, smacking Starscream away with his shield.
"Did… you just save me?" Optimus questioned.
"I stopped the Decepticon. Stop overthinking it, Pax, you'll blow out your processor."
Starscream slowly pulled himself up, readying to open fire on them again. Acting on instinct, Sentinel threw his shield at Starscream, dislodging the weapon from his arm. This surprised Starscream long enough for Sentinel to run up and slap a pair of stasis cuffs on him, shutting him down.
"And that's how you shut down a Decepticon," he remarked.
Everyone just stared at Sentinel, genuinely surprised.
"How..." Bumblebee let out. "How did you-?"
"While you and yours were repairing Space Bridges, I was fighting the good fight. I know how to take down Decepticons."
"And I figured you'd never even seen one before coming to Earth," Arsenal remarked.
"Present company excluded I assume."
Arsenal's engine revved threateningly, but Optimus held up a hand.
"Let's just get Starscream back to the Elite Guard ship."
…
Later, Starscream was placed in a holding cell on board the Elite Guard's ship, stasis cuffs still on his wrists and a clamp over his mouth. Arsenal smirked at that edition, leaning against the edge of his containment field.
"Boy I have waited millenia to see someone finally shut you up. "
Starscream just grumbled in response before Arsenal pushed off and walked away. She caught up with Optimus and the others, who were meeting in the main room.
"Our best bet is that an Allspark fragment managed to bring Starscream back online," Optimus surmised.
"Bringing dead bots back online…" Ratchet let out, scowling. "A perversion of the life giving power of the Allspark..."
"All the more reason for you to obtain these fragments before the Decepticons do," Ultra Magnus replied.
"Meaning we have our work cut out for us," Optimus declared.
That caused the Autobots to give him a look.
"We?" Bee questioned.
"Yes… we. I've decided to stay."
Everyone smiled at this, Sari in particular.
"Sir," Ultra Magnus spoke up, "With all due respect, Cybertron needs a strong leader."
"And that's not me. Not yet. I am more fit for the battlefield than the political one. Besides, if Cybertron needs reassuring leadership, what would work better than seeing their leader taking the Decepticon threat head on?"
"I… suppose so. But Cybertron still needs a leader."
"And it will have one. You."
Ultra Magnus looked a little surprised.
"Me?" he questioned.
"You served under Zeta Prime for stellar cycles, and Cybertron High Command respects you. I can think of no one better to serve as my representative."
Ultra Magnus thought for a moment, considering Optimus' idea.
"... very well. I will speak on your behest for the council, until you are ready to fully embrace this burden."
"Thank you, Ultra Magnus."
"While he may not have shown it, Zeta Prime had high hopes for you. He believed you were destined for greatness. Seeing you in action these past few solar cycles… I am pleased to see he was right."
Optimus couldn't help but smile at that while his fellow Autobos came over to welcome him back. Sari instantly ran up and hugged his leg.
"Thanks Optimus," she told him.
Optimus knelt down and patted her head. As this went on, Sentinel discreetly slipped away from the group.
…
In the brig, Starscream sat in his cell, patiently waiting for something to happen. Finally, the brig door opened up, allowing Sentinel to walk inside. He went straight towards Starscream's cell and pressed a button, powering down the energy field.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Sentinel replied, walking up to Starscream and removing the mouth clamp. "But Ultra Magnus was keeping us all busy prepping for the launch tomorrow morning."
"Ah, leaving so soon, are we?" Starscream remarked.
"Only Ultra Magnus is now. Optimus is staying on Earth."
"Works in our favor. Makes it easier to show him up in terms of leadership."
Sentinel cocked an eyebrow.
"Is that why you did all this? Just to try and make Prime look bad?"
"You were the one to take down the Decepticons' second most dangerous recruit. That's going to earn you some recognition."
"Huh… that actually makes sense."
"See? I'm not so bad. Now, as for my release…"
"Can't make it too obvious. Otherwise they'll think something's up."
"Then what do you suggest?"
…
The next day, the Autobots loaded Zeta Prime's body onto the command ship's emergency shuttle, intending to bring it to Cybertron for a proper burial. Once it was onboard, Ultra Magnus stepped on board and set at the controls. After pressing a button, the door to the emergency shuttle sealed up, and the shuttle ejected from the rest of the ship, taking off for Cybertron. The Autobots looked up as they saw their commander take off for the stars, feeling ready for whatever challenges may rise up. Just then, part of the ship was blown open, causing the others to turn just as Starscream took off.
"It's Starscream!" Bee let out.
"How the slag did he escape?!" Ironhide questioned.
"It's Starscream, Ironhide!" Arsenal exclaimed. "He has more tricks then I have weapons!"
"For all we know, that shard of his overloaded the stasis cuffs or something," Sentinel reasoned.
"Either way, with Starscream back on the loose," Optimus spoke. "This just got a whole lot harder."
…
Back at Decepticon base, Starscream returned just as Lugnut, Blitzwing, and Black Arachnia returned with armfulls of tech.
"I see your little shopping trip went well," Starscream noted.
"It seems you do excel in one area," Megatron remarked from his throne. "As a distraction."
Starscream winced a little, but regained his composure.
"So, what is our next move, mighty Megatron?"
"For now, our rebel forces will occupy Autobot forces at the rim of the galaxy, leaving the planet defenseless."
"Handy if you could get to the planet to conquer it."
"Leave that to me. For now, you are dismissed."
"As you wish," Starscream relented, bowing before walking off.
"Inquiry," Soundwave spoke up. "Is trusting Starscream wise?"
"Oh I don't trust him," Megatron reassured. "I just need to use him long enough to complete the Space Bridge."
"Further components needed for Space Bridge. As well as preparations on Cybertron itself."
"That we shall leave to our bot on the inside," Megatron declared with a small, malicious smirk.