Rodimuse's and his crew consisted of only two other Autobot warriors; Landmine, a strong and loyal friend Rodimus knew for hundreds of vorns dating back to the second Great War, and Prowl, a young hotheaded rookie with an attitude. Though they were so few they were very important to the Autobots not only as warriors, but also as peacekeepers in a sense. They were Cybertron's Secret police! Whenever there was a crisis that threatened Cybertron's peace they were sent in to put it to a stop as quickly as possible.

At the moment that was exactly their plan. It'd been two years since strange transformers known only as Terrorcons attacked the small blue planet, called by the natives, Earth. Soon after the incident the leaders of earth and Cybertron made a treaty. Earth would receive Cybertron's protection in return for a portion of their energon output, which, sense was a new and abundant source on earth, turned out to be a very comfortable arrangement for both Cybertron and Earth. The threat of the terrorcon's had been linked to the work of a race very well associated with the Transformers, The Quintossons. Though they had originally created the Transformers, they were no longer so. The transformers rebelled and in doing so most of the Quintossons were whipped out. Very few were left and it appeared that they were seeking revenge. Rodimus and his crew had intercepted a transmission from who they assumed was an energon scouting crew and the Quintosson's home planet, Qutintessa. Rodimuse's ship lay and waits for the scouting ship to pass by the area.

"So do we have any type of estimate on how big this ship is?" Prowl asked as he checked his weapon for the third time. Making sure each part was operational and wouldn't freeze during the hard stuff.

"Nope. We're going in blind." Landmine snickered. "Wouldn't be the first time for you would it Prowl?"

Prowl groaned. When he was fist assigned to Rodimuse's team in their first battle Prowl got hit in the head and his optics went out in the middle of combat. They weren't functional for weeks.

"Laugh all you want Landmine, but I'd like to know our enemy before we go shooting at it." Prowl said to his elder.

"What more do we need to know? They're Quintossons. Selfish, horrid, slave drivers with no more than a drop of sanity in those multi-faced heads!" Landmine said casually. His feet were propped up on the dash of the control room.

"Yeah. I can't wait till I knock a few out!" Prowl said. Landmine could have sworn he saw Prowls head inflate.

"Look alive men! A ship if Quintosson origin had just entered the vicinity." Rodimus announced as he strode into the room. "Landmine! Prepare the cloaking device, Prowl ready to attach the boarding hatch as we near the ship!"

Both Prowl and Landmine nodded, "Yes Sir."

Rodimuse's armor was crimson with flames. He was very intimidating to look at and even more so when he lectured you, or worse, scolded you.

Prowl learned that many times though it never seemed to sink into his armor for more than a day or two.

Both Prowl and Landmine went to their stations and began to type away at their controls and Rodimus took control of the ship itself.

As their scanners began to go red with alert they saw the Quinesson ship nearing them.

"Cloak, now!" Rodimus ordered.

"Yes sir!" Landmine responded as he punched in the command into the computer. Their ship blended into the darkness of space. It really wasn't turning invisible. The surface of the ship changed surface. It was like a coat of mirror was applied to the body of the ship.

"Their almost in range sir." Landmine announced as he gazed at the scanners.

"Matching speed with Quintesson ship." Rodimus told them.

The two ships were both going the exact speed.

Prowl typed in a command to the ship. A tube like structure starched itself from the ship and attached itself to the ship's side.

"Boarding hatch secured, Rodimus, sir." Prowl announced.

"Prepare to board men. Stay close and stay alert." Rodimus told the sternly. "I'd hate to leave one of you behind because of your stupidity."

Landmine snickered knowing the comment was directed at Prowl. Though he didn't find it so humorous.

"Ready?" Rodimus asked.

"Yes sir!" Landmine and Prowl answered.

They made their way down to the hatch that connected the ships. Carefully the walked through the tube. Landmine in front since he needed to make an entrance. He carefully cut an entrance and ever so slightly took off the extra piece and handed it to Rodimus who handed it back to prowl...who dropped it.

"Idiot!" Landmine cursed under his breath.

"Sorry." Prowl said but was hushed by his two teammates.

As a team they walked on into the enemy ship.

His torture had been long hard and nightmarish. His dreams were filled to the brim with recollections of those first few weeks. The giants standing there, laughing at his pain. He was surprised with himself that it took so long for him to break. At first he didn't know what they had wanted. No not true, he though he knew, but it turned out to be false in a sense. The terrorcons wanted him to use his power to help them and in doing so made their jobs a bit easier, but their leader wanted something else. He kept telling him, "Show me your power!"

His voice was like nails on a chalkboard and there were four of them. Day after day he was tortured until he slipped into unconsciousness. He often thought that this was hell, but the real horror was that they tortured his mind as well. They teased him by describing the horrid thing they planned for his home world and it's people. After what seemed like years, which was really weeks, he broke. But what happened to him after he broke was what made them stop. All he remembered about it was that he felt something in the back of his mind, beyond the pain click. He saw light so bright he thought he'd gone blind. But he was freed by it. The Quintesson called Alpha Q told him of his purpose and for some odd reason he believed him. He was a tool, a tool of war. He would help gather energon so Alpha Q could strike back at a race he called Transformers. He could d nothing but obey what he was told.

Kicker stood at attention near the wall as he'd been ordered an hour ago. He hadn't even flinched since. His armor kept his body temperature at normal. He hadn't eaten for years, but he lived still. He didn't need to eat. His own body provided his energy. The more energon he found for his masters the more energy he seemed produced for himself. His powers were such a mystery to him he didn't bother wasting thoughts on them. Scorponok stood at command while his teerorcon Generals took rank at his side and they were idly chatting.

"What a haul!" Cruellock cheered as he glugged down his share of the Energon.

"Indeed." Ravage agreed as he drank his share more slowly.

"I have to hand it to the whelp! It's been much smooth sailing with him concentrating finding the energon." Divebomb admitted. "And the numbers digging it up!"

As the four transformers continued their conversations kicker heard something. He turned his head to where he heard the sound originate.

Scorponok noticed Kicker's movement, "Sense something?"

Kicker shook his head and said in a monotone voice, "I heard something."

Scorponok waved the comment away, "The masses make noise when they feast on their share. So stop bothering with it!"

"No. There are intruders, I am certain." Kicker announced.

Scorponok was getting angry. The thought that anyone could board his ship without anyone except a human knowing was ridiculous.

"If it will get you to shut your trap, go check it out!" Scorponok scowled.

Without so much as looking at the transformer Kicker walked off.

"Even if he makes our job easier he still pisses me off." Scorponok hissed.

"Leave it be. They don't live too long. Time will kill him before he annoys you to death." Ravage smirked.

"Shut it." The commander ordered.

Rodimus was pleasantly surprised he and his team boarded without any confrontation. If anyone had heard them they certainly would have come to check it out by now, but nothing.

Prowl was young and predictable and would probably shoot at the first thing he saw move. Which was what scared Rodimus. Prowl was an excellent warrior, but he lacked experienced to be effective in the field. Landmine had taken it upon himself to straighten the rookie out and had done a fine job, but there was still the possibility that Prowl could forget and rely on pure instincts rather than training.

They needed to find the energon storage room to plant the bomb they had brought. They searched for maybe 10 minuets without anything.

"I'm beginning to wonder of we're the only ones here." Prowl announced.

Unexpectedly, someone answered his thought.

"I assure you, you are not alone." From the turn up ahead a small figure stepped out. It was very small compared to the Autobots and carried no visible weapon. His voice was monotone and emotionless. "I can't allow anyone to disrupt the master's plan."

"They send their smallest guy?" Prowl asked disbelieved. H laughed out load at the small warrior.

"Prowl. Never underestimate this enemy. If he was sent there is a reason." Rodimus said as he stepped forward. "Tell me, who are you?"

He didn't answer right away.

"Who are you?" Rodimus asked again.

"The masters' call me kicker." The figure answered.

"Well Kicker. Why do you serve them?" Rodimus asked.

Prowl looked at his leader. Why was he asking all these questions? Why not blast his way past him and get the job done?

"The masters tell me to obey." Kicker answered. He simply stood there. He was venerable and weaponless.

"Why do you obey? Don't tell me 'cause they told out too." Rodimus asked.

"I obey because that's my purpose. I have no reason not to." Kicker said, but added in a strained whisper. "No...I. Don't obey them..."

Rodimus smirked. "I knew it. Are you Human?"

"Yes." Kicker announced.

Landmine and Prowl were confused and stunned. This kid was Human? Why would the Quints keep a human?

"Take off your helmet." Rodimus told Kicker. "There is air in this ship. I thought it odd since transformers need not breathe, but a human does."

Kicker didn't see any reason why not to take his helmet off so he did as he was told. As he did so he felt a strange feeling of accomplishment and relief! Deep down he felt like he wanted these transformers to now what he looked like.

"Kicker. Why do the Quintessons need your help?" Rodimus noted things about Kicker and stored them in his memory banks for latter review.

Kicker's head dropped and his hair started to darken. After a second Kicker lifted his head.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. I'm forbidden to do so. Though I admit that you did a fine job of interrogating me." Kicker's voice was no longer monotone but deep and slick. "Rodimus."

"How do you know me?" Rodimus asked suspiciously. Things were starting to get weird.

"Master told me. Though my other half knows nothing about you or the Autobots, Decepticons or practically anything." Kicker smiled. Rodimus knew little of Quintessons and even less than humans, but so far his first hunch about this kid was starting to bring this into the light.

"Other half?" Landmine asked surprised.

"Kicker. Did the Quintessons torture you?" Rodimus asked. Anger in his voice alerted his crew. Rodimus was trying to get as much information from this kid as possible, Prowl realized.

"What if they did? I missed out though. I was created after the torture." Kicker sneered. "Unfortunately gentlemen I have a strict schedule and I do need to rid myself of you as soon as possible."

"Just try it!" Prowl growled as he opened fired upon Kicker.

"Prowl!" Rodimus yelled.

Landmine looked at where kicker once stood. He was gone!

"Hey he's gone!" Landmine announced.

"What?" Rodimus asked.

"Did I annihilate him?" Prowl asked examining his weapon. Landmine knocked him upside the head.

"No you idiot!" He scolded.

"No indeed." Kicker's voice sounded behind them. They turned and indeed Kicker had managed to get behind them. " You shouldn't turn your backs on an enemy. Especially me."

Kicker's helmet was still off and lay at his feet. His hair began to glow, but it started to turn from gold to black.

Soon an aura of energy enveloped his. He looked as though he was going nova. Rodimuse's energy scanners were going nuts.

Kicker smirked at their fear. His power was more than anything anyone had ever seen. As a plus he was in control rather than his scared weaker half. He hated it when he resisted. Than they became a zombie of a being. He still obeyed the leaders, but he was always struggling for control. He'd never gotten his wish. The black aura around kicker leaped out and hit Rodimus in the chest sending to sprawling to the ground.

"Sir!" Prowl and Landmine went to aid their fallen leader.

"I'm fine. Just don't turn your-" Rodimus was too late. Prowl and Landmine were sent flying by one of Kicker's energy assaults.

"I did warn you before. Please try to remember, it could be very vital." Kicker smirked.

Rodimus starred at Kicker. He was defiantly under some sort of mental instability. His guess was that during the torture he'd created his other half, probably without realizing it, to cope with the fear and horror.

"Kicker. Let your other half out!" Rodimus was going with his guess. If he was right, their mission would be relatively assured, but if not it was likely they wouldn't leave alive. "Let me speak to him."

"Why should I?" Kicker sneered. "He's weak and you know it. You'd kill him, killing me in the process. No dice."

"No. I give you my word as an Autobot." Rodimus stood up straight.

Kicker eyed him suspiciously.

"You know what's going on even though you are not the one in control correct?" Landmine asked as he and Prowl gathered their wits.

"So?" Kicker asked.

"So if you think were gonna attack simply take control. You did say your other half was weak didn't you?" Prowl asked as he got what they were up to.

Kicker nodded. "Fine. I'll honor your last request. You'll all be dead soon so there's no problem."

Kicker's aura faded and his head dropped. His hair turned from black back to brown and when he lifted his head the first thing Rodimus noted, besides the hair, was his eyes. Before they were gray and now they were brown.

"What do you want?" Kicker asked. His voice was different. It sounded as close as it would to normal.

"Kicker. Do you know what the Quinessons are planning?" Rodimus asked hoping Kicker's darker side wouldn't reveal itself yet.

Kicker nodded, "Yes. They plan on taking over Cybertron. They tried to do so by taking over Earth two years ago in order to use our energon, but I interfered."

"How?" Rodimus asked.

"I blew up half their squad. They figured out my secret and...kidnapped me." Kicker said solemnly. Obviously he hated to recall such a time. "I was tortured for weeks ill I snapped."

"What happened when you snapped?" Landmine asked.

Kicker smiled weakly, "I suppose its part of my body's defense system, but either way..."

Kicker closed his eyes and his hair began to glow and the Aura appeared again, but it didn't turn black as before. It stayed gold. "I haven't been out in the open for so long. But now that I am I'll set things right."

Kicker stood up straight and his aura grew a bit.

"What are you saying?" Prowl asked.

"I'll help you destroy the ship. That's what you were planning correct?" Kicker asked. "The energon is in the hull."

"Can you keep you other half down?" Rodimus asked.

Kicker smiled, "He won't be a problem. He thinks he the stronger one, but two years of battling yourself is bound to make you stronger. I've been secretly raising my strength for month without him knowing. I was waiting for the right time to take control and take out their base, but I suppose this ship would do for a start."

"Great!" Prowl cried excitedly.

"But what about you?" Rodimus asked. "Do you plan to escape with us and return to Earth?"

"No." Kicker said. "My abilities have shown me time and time again that the longer there is energon everyone will be at war for it. And my powers will be sought and innocent people will die because of it. I've already caused four deaths. I don't want to add anymore."

Rodimus looked at the boy. For such a fragile being, and so young, he was very wise and very strong. "Perhaps you'll change your mind."

"Unlikely. I've been planning this since the beginning." He announced.

Rodimus would have to do something about it later. They had a mission. Kicker signaled them to follow him as he ran down the hall. The three Autobots followed the human.

They turned turn after turn and slowly made their way to the hull of the ship wear they found the energon. There was tons of it. Vats of the liquid form of it was stacked in rows.

"Wow. We're going to see some fireworks tonight!" Prowl commented.

Rodimus planted the bomb next to a stack of Energon and looked over at Kicker.

"Kicker-" Rodimus started.

"Don't start. No one will morn a villain." Kicker told him.

"Not even your family?" Rodimus asked. That looked like it hurt. Kicker look guilty over that.

"It'd be better if they kept on believing I was dead than alive and committing crimes for the race that wanted them dead." Kicker told him.

"Maybe." Rodimus pushed the activation button. They had 10 minutes to get back to the ship and get as far away as possible before the initial explosion. "See you on the other side than I guess."

"Not likely. You'll be going up. I'll be in the basement." Kicker smiled. Rodimus smiled at the statement. Humans were renowned for their metaphors and idioms.

Kicker put on his helmet and followed Rodimus and his crew away from the hull. As they neared the spot where they first met up with Kicker they ran into the late welcoming party.

Scorponok and his generals stood facing the Rodimuse's group and Kicker.

"Kicker. What in Primuses name are you doing?" He growled.

"Making things right again, you metal headed pig!" Kicker scolded.

Scorponok threw a death glare at kicker. "Why you little worm. How dare you speak to you masters in such a manner?"

"Your not my maters. You're a garbage can with legs and a gun." Kicker smirked. "Go I'll keep them busy."

"How-" Landmine asked when Rodimus grabbed his shoulder and shook his head. The three Autobots headed back down the way to the entrance to their ship.

"Open fire!" Scorponok yelled. A barrage of laser fire headed straight for Rodimus when they hot a gold surface before getting close.

Kicker held his arms out at full length and was making a shield using his energy. They laser fire continued to pound away at the shield and Kicker wasn't sure how long he could keep this up, but he knew he didn't have to hold it for long. By now Rodimus was on his ship and the bomb would go off in a matter of minuets, perhaps seconds. Kicker didn't bother to keep track. He never imagined he'd go out this way. He always saw himself dieing of a disease of old age, but not an energon explosion in space at the age of 16.

Sensing that his time was coming to an end Kicker turned up his shield and pushed back. The shield hit Scorponok and his generals sending them to the ground. Kicker's eyes started to lighten into a gold tint.

"No more death." Kicker said and soon he heard the familiar sound of energon exploding. That how this started for him and this is how it would end. He had regrets, but he didn't well on them. No sense in doing so.

Before the darkness he felt his body stiffen as if he was being frozen alive, but it was not cold.

"Kicker!"

Misha woke with a start. She fell off the chair she had been sting on when she'd drifted off. The papers on the desk flew everywhere.

"Misha!" Dr. Smith, who had been working on the components to the satellite, went over to her and helped her up. "Are you alright?"

Misha was pale in the face and was shaking. Her breaths were irregular and she was sweating.

"I saw him, Paul." She panted as she used Dr. Smith's shoulder for support.

The tow transformers who were also in the room were starring at the two curious to know why Misha had cried out in her slumber.

"Who?" He asked as he helped her back onto her chair.

Misha covered her face with her hands and sobbed. After a few tearful seconds her revealed her face and said sorrowfully, "Kicker....I..I saw him."

Dr. Smith looked at her surprised. "Kicker?"

"Yes..." Misha whipped her tears and gazed sternly at Paul who looked stunned and concerned. "Where's Dr. Jones?"

"Well I think he's in his meeting with Optimus now." Paul said confused. What was going on?

"Everything alright Paul? Misha?" One of the Transformers, Corevault, asked as he came over.

"I need to talk to Dr. Jones!" Misha scrambled off the chair and ran out of the room. Paul and Corevault stood there confused.

"Should I go after her?" Paul said and looked up at Corevault.

"It's best I think. She looked upset. Who is this 'Kicker' guy she was going on about?" The Autobot scientist asked the human.

"I have no idea." Paul answered as he ran after her.

Misha had past a few Autobots in the hall and asked where she could find Dr. Jones. The first two didn't but the next Transformers she knew.

"Hotshot!" Misha called out of breath.

"Misha! Geese, you look terrible. What happened?" He asked.

"No time! I need to find Dr. Jones right away!" Misha pleaded.

Hotshot scratched his metal cranium.

"He's with Prime and the other in a meeting with Rodimus. I'm on my way there now." Hot shot admitted.

"Could you take me to him? It's terribly urgent I tell him something!" Misha asked desperately.

Hotshot looked Misha over. She sounded sincere and he felt kind of bad for her.

"Sure! Why not!" Hotshot Transformed and opened his passenger side door for Misha, who happily jumped in.

Hotshot floored it and off they went down the halls of the Autobot headquarters. They passed several Transformers and Humans who had to dive out of the way of the speeding Autobot.

Misha felt, for the first time in three years, the sense of hope. Her heart was flying. She cited she felt almost sick.

They turned a corner and the room where the meeting was being held was just up ahead. Hotshot stopped in front of it and let Misha out before Transforming into robot mode.

She had to wait for Hotshot to open the door sense she was too small to push in the clearance code on the number pad. When the double doors opened Misha instantly ran in. There were a few Autobots there as well. Misha recognized Optimus Prime, Jetfire, Inferno, and Rodimus, but the two others with Rodimus were never introduced to her. Dr. Jones was dressed in a white lab coat and was the only other human in the room besides Misha so he was easily spotted talking with Prime.

"Dr. Jones!" Misha ran up to him.

"Misha. What are you doing? You're not authorized to be here." He told her.

"I know sir and I'm sorry, but I had to talk to you. It couldn't have waited!" Misha told him in her frantic voice.

"Oh well. Lets here it. Now that you've already took the liberty of hunting me down." He told her as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I saw Kicker!" Misha told him.

Rodimus looked over at the two humans. 'Kicker?' He though. By the looks on his two comrade's faces they were thinking the same.

Dr. Jones made a face like he'd been hit with a stone.

"Misha." Dr. Jones started but was quickly interrupted by Misha.

"Sir, please! Believe me. He came to me!" Misha cried. The transformers in the room watched the drama unfold like an earth soap opera.

"He came to you? Misha, how long has it been since you finished a project?" Dr. Jones asked. "Three years right? It's because of this! Dwelling on the past is dwindling your future to dust. If you can't get over his passing-"

"Kicker isn't dead!" Misha screamed. Tears were running down her face. "I saw him I swear! I can find him!"

"Think logically!" Dr. Jones grabbed her by the shoulders. "How could he even survive in space without the necessary nutrients and water? Not to mention the air tank in his suit would have run out two days after his kidnapping!"

Misha looked into Dr. Jones's eyes. "How could you give up on him so easily? He's your son!"

"My son died three years ago." Dr. Jones turned from Misha. "Go back to your lab Misha. That satellite won't build itself."

Misha felt like ripping his head off right then. Rodimus broke the awkward silence.

"Kicker didn't die three years ago, Dr. Jones." He told the human.

"What?" Dr. Jones looked up at the Autobot.

"A year ago we were sent out to sabotage a terrorcon ship that was delivering a huge shipment of Energon to Quintessa." Rodimus explained. "We were caught though. It was a human that'd caught us. He identified himself as Kicker."

"Kicker?" Dr. Jones asked.

Rodimus continued his explanation, "He was mentally unstable. He had split personalities and he had strange power no other human, or transformer for that matter, could dream of possessing."

"He was the one who discovered Energon on earth." Misha chirped in.

"I thought you did Dr. Jones?" Hotshot asked.

"No. Kicker did, but I was afraid if the public new about Kicker's abilities he'd be labeled as a freak and cast away from society." Dr. Jones told them. "Only a few of my most trusted employees knew the truth; Misha, Rad, and Carlos were the only ones."

"He told us that the day of the first wave of attacks on earth, he managed to destroy half of the terrorcons there by himself." Rodimus told them.

"H did! I saw it! He put explosives onto two energon swells and they detonated right as the Terrorcons passed over them." Misha said remembering Kicker's heroics that day. "But he didn't get away fast enough to escape the second blast and he was thrown off his bike. That's how the terrocons caught him."

"Whoa. I'd have liked to meet this guy." Hotshot exclaimed.

"Which bring up the question Rodimus. Where is the boy now?" Optimus asked.

"He stayed on the ship after we planted the bomb." He admitted sadly.

"If he hadn't done so our mission would have failed and we'd have never left there alive." Landmine said. "He used some sort of energy shield to keep the Terrorcons away long enough for us to escape the blast rage."

"He's dead than?" Misha crumbled to her knees. "I saw him though. I heard him! He told me where he was!"

"It was nothing but your mind dreaming of the one thing that could never happen." Dr. Jones felt guilty for giving up on his son so easily. He'd been alive for two years and his own father hadn't even tried to find him.

"No!" Misha said determinedly. "I'll prove it!"

Misha walked over to the computer that was contained in the meeting room. She typed a few keys and used a voice command to tell the computer its orders.

"Computer, connect to the krityc satellite serial number 1256190 alpha." Misha told the computer.

The computer said in a feminine voice, "Connection to satellite successful please input coordinates."

"Coordinates 3463 542537." Misha felt her heart leap as the screen turn to a patch of space with those coordinates.

"There's nothing..." Dr. Jones told her.

"Zoom in on section 6." Misha said as though she hadn't heard Dr. Jones talk.

The picture on the screen turned and there was defiantly something there.

"Zoom in on object computer!" Misha told it. An object, that looked like a huge yellow rock was visible in the middle of the screen. "Save coordinates Computer."

Misha turned triumphantly to the others. "See?"