Starscream was someone who believed in the power of appearances. If someone was a leader, it was appropriate that they resemble. And if someone was unremarkable, their appearance should match. As for himself, he always needed to be in top form and impeccably presented. He was to one day take over the Decepticons. His demeanor should match his ambition.

Unfortunately, Starscream resembled a whimpering mess more so than a capable leader. And that was because he was standing right before his superior.

"Tell me again how you managed to fail at gaining Energon," Megatron threatened as he fondled his canon. "But you were also incapable of killing on Autobot."

"It was not my fault Lord Megatron! I swear to you!" Starscream pleaded. "There was an interloper. A massive lizard creature. It destroyed my army and attacked the ship. I had to retreat to salvage troops and keep the ship active. Staying would have cost us both."

Scoffing, Megatron accepted Starscream's explanation, but internally condemned his second-in-command's weasely nature. It was one thing to have self-preservation. It was another to beg for your life at the slightest threat.

"If not for the footage you bought back, I would kill you after laughing at such a ridiculous story. However..."

The monitor just behind Megatron lit up, showing footage of the lizard monster Starscream had spoken about.

Megatron had to admit, he was intrigued. In all the years he had been on the earth, standing on its pathetic dirt, he had never found anything on the world to be of much interest to him. The weapons the humans were capable of creating had some power, but none of their technological advancements held a candle to even ancient Cybertronian relics. To say nothing of the embarrassment of a species that supposedly held dominance over the blue and green rock.

Small, squishy, and lacking in both strength and cunning, humans were about as interesting as the average Vehicon. The animals and plants of their world were even worse, lacking even the barest sentience needed to hold a conversation.

But this?

Oh, this was interesting. A creature large enough to step on Cybertronians and tear them apart like scrap metal. And that power. Whatever form of fiery breath it was, it was strong enough to damage a Decepticon warship. Even his enemies were lacking weapons that could do that.

"What do we know about this creature Starscream?"

"Aside from the fact that it is allied with the Autobots, very little," Starscream explained in annoyance. "One thing we have learned, thanks to the human internet, is that it is a spawn."

A change in the monitor showed new footage. This time, a creature identical to the one that attacked Starscream was rampaging through a human city. This one didn't breathe fire, but it did dig through the ground and tear through buildings like nothing. It also

"There were two creatures?"

"Yes, master. The first one no longer lives. But it laid eggs as a way to reproduce. the humans destroyed most, but it seems they allowed the Autobots to keep one. Likely a reward for service."

It sounded plausible. The Autobots were the only reason that the Decepticons had not already enslaved the human race and turned the Earth into a mining planet. A dangerous pet as a reward was certainly something they could ask for.

Regardless, that meant that the Autobots had a unique weapon at their disposal. But Megatron had no intentions of letting Prime keep such an advantage. Organic or not, the creature was a weapon. And Megatron would not turn down the prospect of a weapon that powerful.

"Starscream. What more do we know about the origins of this creature?"

"Not much my lord. But according to human news cycles, nuclear radiation seems to have played a role in their conception."

Radiation? That was strange. Normally that would be the cause of widespread death and unwanted mutation. For Cybertronians, it might lead to premature rusting and other health defects.

But it seemed that these creatures had managed to survive and gain useful mutations. Something that Megaron was intrigued by.

"Summon Shockwave. Tell him that he is to begin researching these mutations."

Starscream frowned. "Researching them? For what?'

"The Autobots have a new pet capable of threatening us," Megatron explained as he stepped back to the elevator to his private quarters. "We cannot allow them to keep that advantage. We should tip the scales in our favor with a pet of our own."

"Oh. I suppose the idea has merit."

In truth, Starscream hated the idea. While he had no problem with getting a pet that could fight Autobots, he already knew who was going to be in charge of watching over them.

"And while you're at it Starscream, try to see if you can rectify your previous failure. One dead Autobot should be enough to improve your standing."

Megatron disappeared into his elevator, leaving Starscream to clean up the mess of his own making.

And he was infuriated. Defeating the Autobot and getting more Energon was supposed to please his master. Instead, he lost that chance because of an overgrown... what did the humans call it? An iguana?

Regardless, Starscream was not going to let this insult stand. The next time he saw the beast, he would make it pay.

Elsewhere...

"You'll be alright Zilla. It's ok."

Arcee's comfort was the only reason Zilla wasn't wriggling or shifting away from fear. Ratching was scanning and analyzing him, which Zilla would normally not allow.

"Remarkable," Ratching exclaimed as he read over his findings.

"What is it?" Arcee asked.

"Finding medical equipment for him will be unnecessary. His wounds are already healing themselves. And at a breakneck pace."

It was a truth that was plain to see. The scratches and marks on Zilla's neck were already significantly smaller than they had been earlier. It seemed less like Zilla took blasts from a Decepticon warship, and more as though he had accidentally scratched himself.

"Repairing himself is one thing. Does anyone want to tell me how he can suddenly breathe fire?" Bulkhead interrupted. "His parent never did that."

"That... is something I am still trying to determine myself," Ratchet admitted as he opened up new files in his pad. "I asked Fowler for autopsy data from the parent. Based on the readings I got back, there is nothing suggesting that the creature should be able to do anything like that."

"It's not harmful though, is it?" Arcee asked in concern. "He's not going to burn his throat out or anything like that, right?"

"He'll be perfectly fine. The same healing ability that cleaned the wounds is also removing any burned skin and residual makes from the attack. Although, I doubt it will be necessary for the future."

For the first time since Zilla had come back, Optimus stepped forward with a question.

"Ratchet, I think we can clearly see that Zilla is far more powerful than his parent, even as a juvenile. But is there any way to determine how powerful?"

"Not right now," Ratchet explained. "With the resources at hand, the best I can do is monitor his health day-to-day. And even with better equipment, this is uncharted territory. Zilla is the only living member of his species. Honestly, all I'm doing is guesswork."

That was a little worrying. There was no frame of reference for them to check if Zilla's behavior or health was stable. His parent had not lived long enough for the humans to get any viable data on the species, such as distribution, preferred habitat, mating practices, stages of maturation, things to that nature.

Aren't we forgetting the most important thing here?"

Everyone turned to the source voice.

"And what would that be Bulkhead?"

"We have an advantage that the Cons don't have," the wrecker said enthusiastically. "Zilla here can step on the Cons or kill them with his breath. I'd say we made a good choice bringing him here."

*Beep* *Beep*

While Bumblebee and Bulkhead were both in agreement, not every Autobot felt the same way. While the principal point of Zilla being powerful and able to fight Decepticons was accurate, it neglected one thing. Something Arcee pointed.

"You both realize he's not our pet, right?"

Both Bee and Bulk stopped nodding to look at Arcee.

"He's loyal to us, but he's not like a dog would be to a human. We can't force him to go into battle with us."

"Arcee is right," Optimus agreed. "Should Zilla stand with us against the Decepticons, it will be a choice he alone can make. Freedom is as much a right to him as it is to us."

"Optimis, if I may..." Ratchet said. "I know that I was the most reluctant to take in the mutated lizard. But Bulkhead is correct in saying that Zilla would be a boon to our cause. With his power, we could actually push back the Decepticons. Maybe force them off the world for good."

"I like the sound of that," Bulkhead agreed. Optimus wished he could as well.

"As powerful as Zilla is, he is one lifeform. Forcing the Decepticons back will take more than just one powerful ally."

"Even so, why waste the opportunity? We have already wasted so much time and resources protecting the creature. Why not get back on our investment?"

"Excuse me?" Arcee asked defensively. "What do you mean by time wasted?"

Bulk and Bee immediately stepped back. They could already feel Arcee's defensive side coming out. They didn't want to be in the way.

"Instead of tracking Energon and hunting the Decepticons, we've been finding places to hide the mutations. And instead of safeguarding the Energon that we do have, most of our crates have been used to move fish. A food source we don't even need."

Zilla's eye opened to focus on Ratchet. There was no anger or even annoyance in the lizard's eyes, just curiosity. He wondered why the oldest Autobot seemed so frustrated.

The anger in the situation belonged to Arcee.

"He was alone, and he needed help. Isn't that our job? Extending aid?"

"Normally, yes. But we both know that this situation is much more complicated," Ratchet argued. "We need an advantage against the Decepticons. And Zilla is our best one. We've already put in the work to see him grow. Why not have our work rewarded?"

"That is enough."

Optimus spoke up before the argument could get more out of hand. He knew that Arcee would have plenty of angered and protective points to make and that they would escalate the conflict. So he had to stop it now.

"Both of you are correct. Ratchet, you are correct in saying that Zilla's aid would give us a useful edge against the Decepticons. But Arcee is also correct in that we cannot force the choice on to him. He is free to make it himself."

Smiling in appreciation, Arcee went back to scratching Zilla's neck, who happily accepted the affection. Ratchet was a little irked at being turned down, but he nonetheless went back to his work.

Everything seemed to be fine until Bumblebee asked a question.

*Boop* *Beep*

"Yeah," Bulkhead agreed. "Where is Cliffjumper?"

Nevada...

Cliffjumper was unusually stoic as he drove towards the human settlement. The piece of his horn hadn't been reattached yet. Ratchet was busy looking over Zilla, so he didn't have the time to deal with Cliff.

Zilla...

It was a hard pill to swallow. The only reason Cliffjumper was still alive was the fact that the lizard had come to save him. Without his help, the Vehicons would have either captured or killed him. His spark would have been lost.

It wasn't a thought that bought Cliff any comfort.

That was why he was driving. He didn't have a destination in mind. He had no goal. He just wanted to drive and forget about the embarrassment and fear he had just gone through. He just wanted to move and not have to think.

Which was how he ended up in a town called Jasper. He didn't really remember getting inside the town. One second he was making a left turn, the next he was on a street of a town that didn't seem to get much action. Most of the streets were empty, and even the traffic lights seemed to change at a snail's pace. Which was why Cliffjumper was stuck waiting at a red light far longer than he wanted to.

The next second, Cliffjumper decided to just stop for a moment and let his gears relax. It wasn't hard to find empty parking spots around here. So he just picked a random fast food place and waited between the white lines.

"Mom, it's fine. It's Jasper. What even happens out here?"

A kid walked out of the restaurant. Juvenile, from what Cliffjumper could tell. From the sounds of it, the human was talking to its maternal predecessor. Or "mom" as they called them. It was hard to remember sometimes since Cybertronians didn't have anything like that. They just lived after Primus gave them their sparks.

Although come to think of it now, that might be what Zila thought of Arcee. He wasn't sure if Arcee was aware, but Ratchet did say that the not-so-little guy did imprint on Arcee. He might actually call her mom if he could speak.

Regardless of that, Cliffjumper checked his surroundings. he didn't think that anything interesting was going to occur, but...

Oh, scrap.

There were Vehicons patrolling the town. There were only two right now, but those were just the ones he could see. They were hidden in their purple vehicle mode, but they were obviously Vehicons. And then there was the other issue.

"What does a guy have to do to get a car like you?"

Cliffjumper was being fondled. He didn't give any consent for this, but he had to deal with it for now. So long as the kid kept feeling his paint and knocking on his metal, the Vehicons would probably think that he was just a car that kid te recently got. A present, maybe.

"Horns are a bit much. But this is still a great car."

Cliffjumper took exception to that. But he couldn't say anything unless he wanted to be discovered.

Which became more likely as the kid began to walk off. Something that might alert the Vehicons. So Cliffjumper took a risk.

*CLICK*

He unlocked his doors.

"Huh?"

The kid looked back at the car, seeing that it was possible now for him to just crawl inside. Which, after some internal debate and after a quick look around, he did.

Opening the door and sitting in the driver's seat, the kid relaxed on Cliff's leather and felt the wheel. Cliffjumper knew that he was in immaculate condition, and he appreciated the fact that the kid noticed. Even if he had almost died a day ago, Cliffjumper made sure to keep his tires, seats, mirrors, and his steering wheel all clean and shining. Arcee might call him vain. He was just being hygienic.

Unfortunately, good cleanliness was not enough to remain inconspicuous. The Vehicons had seen him. They must have had a scanner because they were driving his way now.

Not leaving Cliffjumper with many options.

"Sorry kid."

"huh?'

Before the boy could step out or question whose car this was, the door closed. Cliffjumper made sure the human boy was secure inside of himself before he drove off. While the boy was busy screaming and exclaiming in fear, Cliffjumper sent out a distress signal.

He didn't want today to be a repeat of yesterday.

Jamaica

The octopi were an incredibly intelligent species of animals. They knew how to use tools. They could recognize and feel complex emotions. They were capable of allying with other fish if it meant improving their chances of survival. And that was just basic octopi.

That was doubly true for the new octopi of the Jamaican waters. Their mutations had not only tripled their size, but they doubled their intelligence as well. They were capable of better strategies. Or more complex emotions.

Unfortunately, this came at the cost of experiencing greater fear. Which was why the octopi were swimming away as fast as they possibly could. Unfortunately, there were two disadvantages. One was their sheer size. They were too big to move as fast as they might have before.

And secondly, their predator was simply much faster.

As one poor octopus soon found out.

It was purple in color and trying its hardest to swim away from the tendrils of its hunter. But each tendril alone was faster than itself. The octopus never had a chance.

It was grabbed in the tendrils and dragged down to the depths of the seafloor. Where it was consumed along with so many of its brethren.

Unfortunately, the predator was not easily satisfied. It still hungered for more. It craved more.

So it began to swim upwards towards the surface.

This is where I will stop for now. Having thought it over a bit, I decided to make Jake Cliffjumper's human partner instead of Arcee. The reason is that Arcee is already basically Zilla's mom. She'll have her hands full just trying to keep him in line. Especially as he gets older. The other two sets of partners will remain the same.

Like I mentioned before, I won't focus too much on the human aspects of the story. I have always been more interested in robots and animals than people, so why would I focus on something that would bore me? Besides, robots and animals are where the action is at.

Anyway, please leave reviews, tell me what you think, and I will see you all next time.

Bye!