"I cant believe it! I'm on a mission, and nobody cares I'm not a car!" Grimlock walked down the road towards Crown City. From across the river, it still looked like the shiny, pristine city they always thought it was. Even the rollercoaster at the riverside theme park was running.

The bridge to the city, however, still hadn't been repaired since the Autobots last battle on it. The Autobots and the humans they were escorting crossed with care and concern at the structural damage the bridge had taken since the Autobot's arrival.

Once they were inside the city, it was a different story. Looted cars were left abandoned along the roads. Glass was missing out of most of the buildings. Very few buildings had makeshift repairs done to them with by having their windows and doors boarded up, but not many. Weeds were growing in the street, and along the sidewalk cracks. A layer of dirt covered everything.

"This is strange," Strong Arm said. "Does it remind you of anything, Sir?"

"It reminds me of the Sea of Rust!" Grimlock offered, "except for the buildings… and trees. Know what? Just forget I said anything."

"Reminds me of Jasper, just before it was firebombed to eliminate the zombie infestation," Bumblebee said.

"They firebombed an entire city, just to get rid of some infestation?" Sideswipe asked.

"It was cold, calculated and efficient," Bumblebee said. "Both sides did far worse during our war. I still believe eliminating the city saved a lot more lives."

"Are they going to do that here?" Strong Arm said.

"Doubt it," Bee said, "I think the zombie situation is too widespread for that to work."

"If this city burns, it won't be a deliberate act," Torch said. "Not that it ain't tempting."

"Just remember not to be too loud," Miko said, "this entire city is infested… We are just hoping to get lucky and find some humans still alive after the Crown City enclave was over run."

"Sensors on high, everyone," Bumblebee cautioned his troops. "If you see a human moving that is not alive, destroy it."

"What, really?" Sideswipe said.

"But, sir, the Autobot protocols!" Strong Arm looked alarmed.

"They are already dead. We will be preserving life by eliminating them."

"Is there a preferred method of elimination?" Drift asked.

"Destroy the head… disintegrate it, crush it, it doesn't matter, but other wounds are ineffective."

"How can you talk about this so calmly?" Strong Arm asked.

Bumblebee looked at her. "The Autobots covered the evacuation in Jasper. Those things nearly overran us. They could have destroyed us, and killed everyone we were trying to protect, and some of those zombies had been people we knew."

"In this situation you have to be cold and efficient, Strong Arm," Jack said, "Just never forget the values you are fighting for."

"Movement," Drift said.

"Where?" Bumblebee looked around. Nothing appeared on his thermal sensors.

"The building directly ahead of us, on the lowest level."

"We don't want to bring them all down on us by making too much noise taking them out," Bumblebee said.

"I've got this," Zartan pulled out his crossbow. "Come on, Ripper. We've got bodies to bag."

Ripper just laughed, hefting up a rifle that was half bayonet.

"Where is the settlement?" Bumblebee asked while they waited for the two Dreadnoks to return.

"Crown City has two. One near the waterfront, and another somewhere near the heart of the city," Jack said. "That's the one we're checking on."

"You should have let Zartan scout it out alone first," Miko said.

"I don't trust him?"

"Who said anything about trust?"

The sound of machinegun fire came from the building, echoing down the street.

"Damn it," Miko said, "He just had to go and ring the dinner bell."

"Get the rides turned around, gonna have to bug out," Buzzer shouted.

Zartan and Ripper ran towards them as fast as they could. Behind them several zombies came walking after them.

"Are those zombies?" Drift asked.

"Yes," Bumblebee said.

Drift flung his two spinning minicons into the pursuing zombies. They bounced through them and imbedded themselves in the side of the building before transforming.

"Ew… what is this muck?" Jetstorm asked, while wiping the zombie goo and entrails off of himself.

"I think I need an acid bath," Slipstream said.

"We have made a bit of noise," Drift said, "but we are currently clear. Do you still want to withdraw or shall we continue?"

"Cool," Miko smiled at the carnage.