When Skyline stepped out of the groundbridge, a sickening sight met her optics. Laying on the ground outside the mine were already two deceased clones, looking as if they had been attacked from the side. She could see another a little ways into the cave entrance, but the annoying buzzing sound as well as his place of death told her he had been successful in sounding the alarm.

When the ground bridge closed, the sound of shooting could be heard, and she furrowed her brows. That much shooting shouldn't be happening...

"331, report."

"331 is down ma'am." Another vehicon spoke over the comms, sounding out of 'breath', "The autobots are moving in faster than we expected and cut us off from the exit, we're trapped.""

Skyline felt a chill going down her spine, a little shocked. The autobots were trapping them in? Dreadwing stepped up behind her, and Breakdown to her side.

"What's going on?"

"The autobots are keeping the miners from escaping."

"And? They are trapped in the cave, we have a perfect chance to bring them down." Dreadwing stated, however, the unseen glare she leveled at him was enough to draw a confused face.

"And lose efficient miners who put their lives at stake? No, not this many. Breakdown, go to the exit point, then push and clear the way for the drones."

"Sounds good to me." Breakdown transformed, burning out as he sped off.

"I would suggest you follow him." Skyline said.

"I would rather observe you, as I am curious about your counter method."

"I was a pit fighter, what do you think is going to happen?" Skyline stepped forward and transformed, disrespectfully blasting him with the heat of her engines as they roared to life, and she shot down the tunnel. Dreadwing had to step back, watching in surprise, and wondering what in the world he said to deserve that.

Normally, Arcee wasn't this aggressive with her pushing but the alarms had startled her, and she was worried about what might be coming. Her and Bee agreed that getting rid of as many vehicons as possible was their best route for survival, and so far, they had them trapped. Acree wasn't sure what their plan was, but they had been quick to rally on each other and were hiding in a grotto of sorts. Every so often they would poke their heads out and fire, but they were taking close care of not getting their heads blown off.

"What are they doing?" Bee asked, not really keen on pushing forward and flat out killing them.

"I don't know, I think they're waiting for something." she called over the alarm, annoyed by its frequency, making hearing and speaking difficult. Looking up, she tried to find the source. High above them, a red light was on, above a sort of box… "Bee, shoot the red light!"

Bee followed her look, and aimed up, firing. The light popped, and the alarm stopped.

"Primus, finally." Acree cursed, ducking down as a vehicon stuck their gun out and fired blindly, "Aie, enough out that! …You should surrender, put your guns down and come out of there!"

"Yeah right, lady." A vehicon scoffed, "I'm content on staying right here."

"We're taking this energon, and while I don't want to, I am not against snuffing you out for it."

"I wouldn't be so sure about your luck with that!"

Bee turned his head slightly, looking towards the entrance as he thought he heard something. He could see, around the corner, the light was getting brighter… A soft roaring began to fill his receivers, and his eyes widened.

"Arcee, incoming!"

Arcee turned to see what he meant, but the vehicons suddenly started to barrage them with hits, forcing them to duck down again and blocking their vision. The roaring got louder until something flew overhead, and Acree heard the signature sound of a transformation, followed by a thud. The firing stopped immediately, and there was… cheering?

"Oh, you're fragged now!" One jeered, and she cautiously looked, priming her gun and quickly standing to locate her target- nothing. There was no one there. What? She had seen the shadow pass over, and heard the landing. So who was it, and where did they go?

"Acree?"

"Bee, stay down, I do not-" Acree saw something shimmer to her left, and her feet suddenly came out from under her, enticing a yell of shock. Landing on her back, she rolled, and snapped up to again see nothing. Arcee aimed her guns around, back and forth, saying "Bee, I do not have a visual but someone else is in here!"

There was a metal clanking noise, and Acree turned her head towards it, trying to see. The artificial light in the room created a lot of shadows, but nothing big enough to hide an attacker. She could even see Bee where she was, as well as the hole the vehicons were hiding in. They had their cannons facing her, but had not fired, as if they were waiting too.

"Arcee?!" Bee called, worried.

"What -What the frag is going on?!" She asked, swinging one gun towards the vechions as she looked around the room, "I swear on-"

Something shimmered before her, coming towards her and Arcee snapped her gun back, firing upon the movement. There was the sound of hits landing and she saw something like scales roll back before the enemy of the shadows was revealed, shielding by something. The shield moved back, and Acree saw a primed cannon waiting for her.

Acreee narrowly avoided the shot, firing back but the shield moved back in the way, blocking the hits as Arcee ran towards Bee and dived to duck for cover with him. She scrambled, pushing him until they were under better cover.

"Who is it?"

"I don't know but they're not messing around." She heard the sound of running feet, but it was multiple and wasn't nearing them. Peaking up, she could see the vehicon were making a break for it across the other side of the cave. Bee lifted his cannon, but something impacted the rocks by his head and he sprang away, Arcee doing the same. They quickly rolled up to face their enemy.

There was a sliding metal sound, and slowly standing from a crouch was… Acree felt a chill roll down her spine as she looked at the helm of her enemy. What she now recognized as mechanized, moveable wings moved back and stretched up to the air in a powerful, threatening way like she had seen birds do on this planet. In their hand was a morningstar flail, swinging side to side.

"Who is this?"

"Stay back, BumbleBee." Arcee warned, the femme looking at the scout, then back to Arcee.

"He is young, I see. Post War?"

"What's it to you, lady?" Bumblebee sassed as the wings slowly lowered. Arcee was moving closer to her teammate, but the Wing didn't stop her. She was being extremely docile, allowing them to move to a better position, and that made Arcee even more nervous.

"I am going to give you one chance to leave. You have already upset me by trapping the vehicons under my charge."

"We need the energon, so, no."

"I understand that, but I am not in the mood to let you have it."

"We weren't asking." Bee said. There was a sigh.

"Very well, but if I have to send you both to Primus, let it be known I tried to be peaceful."

Arcee immediately fired, but the Kaon Wing was fast, snapping her wings in front of her body and moving back, one leaving a small slot unguarded to fire her cannon.

"Stay near me, Bee!"

Bee glanced over, wondering what Arcee knew that he didn't, and the two kept firing, trying to find a chink. Bee saw that the wings were jointed, and fired at it. The wing instantly snapped closed as the Wing turned her body to use the other. It was short lived as Bee narrowly missed her other joint and she lunged at them, swinging the flail.

Arcee switched her primary arm to her blade, deflecting the attack away. Returning the attack with a kick, the Wing's other arm blocked, but a direct punch from Bee sent her reeling. She slid back, huffing, and her wings recoiled and perked up, instead of lowering for shielding.

"Wings aren't good fighting two at once." Arcee said lowly to Bee, "Don't let her separate us."

There was a cannon blast that hit the wall beside the two, and they looked over to see Breakdown cackling as he came through another tunnel. To Arcee's discomfort, she heard a step, and turned to see Dreadwing at the mouth of their other exit.

"Need a little bit of heavy lifting done, Skyline?"

"Stand down, Breakdown," Dreadwing commanded, "This is a perfect chance to see what she is capable of."

Skyline turned her head slowly, looking at Dreadwing, before scoffing and looking back at the two autobots. Lowering her helm, she slid her foot back as he got into a battle ready stance, and a glint caught Arcee's eyes. Glancing down, she saw… energon powder in the dirt?

...Was she trying to communicate something?

Bumble, however, didn't quite see the memo and charged forward, bearing fist. Arcee quickly changed to her gun and started to fire at Skyline, but the Wing sidestepped, which would put Bumblebee between them. The scout's first swing was a miss, her swinging back and lashing her flail at him. Luckily, Bee had fast reflexes, dodging backwards. Arcee took a chance to attack from the rear, Skyline snapping her head to see her and swinging the flail back with the momentum it still had going. Arcee ducked under it, but the wings swept her away as she tried to slice her.

Bee was coming in again, a boxer approach that Skyline focused back on with the flail, causing the scout to have to guard as she drove him back with well placed impacts. Arcee wasn't swept back very long, coming back. Skyline ducked right down as she jumped for her back, letting Arcee soar over her in an attempt to grab her helm between her thighs. Skyline reached after her, grabbing Arcee by the arm and swinging her around, smashing her into Bee and sending the both tumbling.

As Arcee came to a stop, she could see that a lot of the dirt had been kicked up, little flakes of powdered energon from the mining floating in the air. There was a mound in the center of the room, and when Arcee looked, she realized the mound was rock mixed with small bits of unrefined energin, yet to be harvested. But...hardly any energon to being with.

Had this been a trap?

Skyline looked at them, "Are you done? Do you yield? I can do this for many, many days."

Bee snorted, getting right back on his feet and charging before Arcee was ready. A panic filled her, and she called out, "Bee, don't!"

Bee drew his plasmas and fired at her, Skyline's wings again repelling the shots. As soon as he got close, aiming to punch the joint, the wings folded away and Skyline was already ready for him, slamming the flail into his chest. The blow staggered him, and she came around again, getting his shoulder in an upwards swing. Bee was out of his element, trying to get his arms out to fire his plasma cannon but Skyline pushed right into his personal space, head butting him back into the wall.

Drawing her wings back, she stabbed him at him, Bumblebee only able to roll dodge as they came down 1-2-1 before he kicked out. The push back worked, put Skyline into range for his guns, but her wings proved a match for his plasma rifle. Bee wasn't going down without a fight, and followed his shots, jumping and kicking Skyline back again.

Arcee was up by then, firing at Skyline, who stretched out and swept her unguarding wing, filling the room with dust. Arcee and Bee kept firing as they regrouped, and as the two-wheeler expected, the enemy was gone as soon as the dust cleared.

"Arcee to base, we are in serious danger, requesting backup!"

"We hear you. Optimus is on his way!" Ratchet quickly responded.

There was a shimmer and Bee turned towards it, firing a plasma shot that exploded point blank and backfired into his cannons. Boiling plasma splashed them and their shrouded enemy, who cried out in pain and fell back, holding her chest. Bee let out an electric shriek as his hand, arm, and face was sprayed and boiling. Arcee also suffered from the splashback on her back and shoulder. The three all fell back as Breakdown cried out, "Skyline!"

"Bumblebee!" Arcee called, turning as her comrade fell, twisting in pain. Skyline had backed up and fallen to her knees, her lower chest and upper waist boiling and dripping away as she bit back the screams. There was the sound of a groundbridge opening, and Dreadwing turned to see Optimus coming.

"Breakdown, retrieve Skyline and go!" He said, pulling out his multi-fire cannon and firing on the Prime. Prime dodged around, still coming at full speed. Knowing if he tried to snuff Optimus, Megatron would be furious, it forced Dreadwing to back up while still firing as Breakdown picked up the femme under the arm and started to limp her out.

" LET ME GO, BREAKDOWN. " Skyline's voice was ragged and full of rage, trying to push the Mech away. Grunting, he grabbed her bridal style and kept going, refusing to listen as he eyed the melting metal. He knew, working with Knockout, that blow was dangerously close to her spark chamber.

"Now, Breakdown!" Dreadwing called.

"E-2 HQ, hit the trigger! Blow it, Blow it!" Breakdown yelled into the comms, and there was a very sudden loud, rapid beeping behind them. A loud explosion filled the cave, and the two mechs ran for it as the rock started to fall down behind them. Thankfully, ground level wasn't that far, but it had been a narrow miss and Dreadwing had to transform and fly to get out, Breakdown barely jumping out in time. The exit crumbled behind them, and all fell quiet.

"Holy slag… are you o-" He didn't get to finish as Skyline delivered a vicious knee to Breakdown's chin, and he quickly dropped her, seeing stars. The femme staggered, holding her chest as the metal had stopped melting, but the pain was still there as she dropped to her knees.

"Ah, n-no… no…" She said, trying to look at her wound, trying to see something that was hidden under her half-melted chest plate. Lifting it, her optics were brought to the chipped off black paint, but just above it, safe and sound, was a slightly off-gray paint.

It hadn't been damaged.

"Thank… thank primus…" Skyline said, looking up as miners approached her. However, she didn't get to hear what they said as her optics flicked, and she collapsed, passing out.