They jerked awake a few days later, disturbing the layer of silt that had settled on them. There were two unknown spark signals in close proximity. They panicked. A weird glow started emanating from their frame and then they were suddenly teleported onto the riverbank, out of reach of the newcomers. The frame collapsed to one knee, the right servo grabbing at the helm as a frag-ton of new information overflowed into the main processor. On the other hand, the parasite that was the left arm, and was controlled by the secondary processor, kept its attention on the newcomers, blasters at the ready as they trudged out of the river after them. They were both as tall as Megatron and wore Decepticon badges.

"Identify yourselves," it hissed.

"Bolthex," said the bulkier one. "This is Char. We were expecting Megatron."

"If you are here, then he should not be too far behind," added the slimmer one called Char. "Isn't that right, Scythe?"

Of course they recognized her. There were very few who didn't. She was Megatron's favorite little assassin, feared by both sides for her deadly blade and matchless speed. Not to mention, the energon sucking abomination that had been implanted in her shoulder to replace her left arm.

"He won't be joining us," the cyberleech hissed again.

"What?"

"Heh." Scythe transformed her staff out of her forearm and used it to pull herself up. "We said 'he won't be joining us.'"

Char's optics narrowed. "And why is that?"

"We left him to take a nap in the ice."

"You betrayed your master?" asked Bolthex.

"Hmh. I never considered him my master. I just had no choice but to obey him. He decided to come here without backup. I saw my opportunity and I took it. I will never serve him again."

"What should we do, Char?" asked Bolthex. "Should we go look for Megatron?"

Char stared at Scythe for a long moment. Finally, she answered him. "No. She's clever. We'd probably never find him and end up shutting down ourselves."

"Then what do we do?"

Instead of answering Bolthex, Char crouched for a better look at the little bot. "What do you intend to do, Scythe? Now that you aren't under Megatron's control anymore."

That was easy to answer. "Live. Live as I please. But…" She hesitated, looking down at her servo. "What is this feeling? All this new information in my processor? What was that teleporting movement I did a moment ago?" She looked up for an answer.

"It's the AllSpark," Bolthex explained. "It passed some of its knowledge to you, as it did to us."

"And the teleporting was just you activating a miniature space bridge," said Char. "We were given this capability as well."

"Why?" was all Scythe could ask.

Bolthex shrugged. "Don't know. Just had the feeling we were supposed to guard the AllSpark and wait for someone."

"We always thought it was going to be Megatron," added Char. "But… now, I'm not so sure."

"What are you saying, Char? You think this mini-con is-"

"Laserblade," Scythe cut in.

Bolthex cycled his optics. "What?"

"I'm a Laserblade," she repeated, "not a mini-con."

"What's the difference?"

"How many mini-cons do you know that can slice apart a handful of Autobots in the time it took you to ask that question?"

"You can do that?"

"Would you like a demonstration?" she asked, activating her blade.

"Now, now, Scythe. Settle down." Char stood up and shoved her companion back slightly. "Bolthex, stop being a crankshaft."

Scythe stowed her blade and staff back in her arm. "So what makes you think I might be the one you were waiting for?"

"I can't say for sure that it is," Char replied. "But the AllSpark… I don't know how to describe it…"

"It's fine. I don't have anywhere else to go anyway. If you two don't mind, that is?"

"You want to stay with us? But we're… still loyal Decepticons."

Scythe shrugged. "As long as you don't try to kill me, I don't really care."