Night had fallen once again on Iacon, but that didn't mean all of its citizens had turned in. Indeed, it was common for half the population to remain active well into the dark hours. But they were largely of the working class. Few at the top of the social tower had much reason not to retire to their recharging chambers – aside from the usual debauched partying and consumption of energon. But that was not true of all in their ranks. None were aware, but one of them had pulled up just outside the furthest of the working-class districts – beyond which the orderly civilization of the capital city ended, and the rundown lawlessness of the slums began.

Freeze held her mesh cloak tightly around her. She'd been doing this at least once every twenty-eight or so cycles for a long time, but it was always daunting. From the start, she'd known of the risks – specifically, the hardcore criminals she could encounter. But never did she forget the innocents in these parts as well – victims of poverty and the crimes forced upon them. Knowing she'd made a difference in at least one of those lives was worth facing an entire gang. Besides, it wasn't as if she were defenseless. But she'd rested long enough. Her resolve strengthened, Freeze took a deep breath, leaped lightly into the air – and transformed into her alt-mode before landing softly.

It was what gave her race their name – their unique ability to turn into their own vehicles at will. Hers was a motorcycle – fitting for her size but also fast should she need to flee immediate danger. For now, Freeze waited a moment for the cloak to fall back over her – and the bag of precious cargo she kept strapped to her back. Yes, she was delivering spare energon for those in desperate need of it. Granted, getting the supply from one of her storehouses had been the easy part – she owned them herself and therefore knew the trappings of security inside-out. Now, she used her headlights to scan the area for any hidden threats. Finding none, she inched forward at a walking speed into the dank streets that welcomed her in their collective smoggy embrace.

Anyone journeying into this area for the first time would've instantly noted the difference between it and the northern districts. In the latter, the streets, buildings, and even citizens were polished, untarnished, and decent. By stark contrast, everything here was rusty, dirty, and largely degenerate. In one corner, a small group of bots had gathered around a single trashbin lit with fire, hoping to get warm – likely because they couldn't afford to fix their heating circuits. With paint that was faded, scraped, and smeared with oil, as well as unsurprisingly malnourished figures, they looked an utterly miserable lot. Yet at the same time, Freeze also knew that had they seen the energon beneath her cloak, they would've swarmed her in an attempt to get some.

On her other side, a trail of broken glass lined the sidewalk, the drainage ditches looked like they hadn't been cleared out in kilocycles, and all along the concrete walls was one straight line of plastered graffiti. Some portions seemed to be simple artistic expressions, but most of it was a series of crude, even vulgar messages – a reflection of the ruling criminal underworld. From drug dens, to underground fightclubs, to black markets that traded in illegal materials, slaves, and even Cybertronian body parts, the Iacon slums were certainly a cesspool of scum and depravity.

Hence, Freeze's cloak – her distinctly lustrous appearance would otherwise make her natural prey for the predators always on the prowl. Much as she pitied the terrible conditions, it sickened her that such individuals existed among her own people, profiting from the exploitation of the weak and helpless. If there was anything she could do to sabotage that business, she'd do it – even if it had to be done in secret. No sooner had that last thought entered her processor though than Freeze heard the faint yet distinct, high-pitched sound of sirens.

The cops! In her alarm, she pulled her alt-mode to a complete halt and transformed next to a dark alleyway. Luckily, she kept her wits long enough to scan the area for any threats. Nothing, good. She raced into her new place of refuge, and dove even deeper into the shadows behind the building nearest her. She could hear the sirens just beyond the alley now. Soon the officers – three from the sound of it – were coasting along the road in their alt-modes, their blue and red lights flashing in the darkness. Freeze held her breath and bit her lower mouthpiece, praying their advanced scanners wouldn't detect her presence.

Gradually, the lights began to fade. When they were completely gone, Freeze breathed out in immense relief. After another klik, she emerged from her hiding place. With no signs of the police, or any other dangers, she transformed back into her alt-mode, and continued on her way at the same pace as before. She could definitely add this to her list of close-calls. If anything, it was a miracle she'd gone all these kilocycles without getting caught. Of course, one might wonder why Freeze actively hid from the police, given her good intentions.

One reason was perhaps a little cowardly. She didn't want her peers finding out her charity efforts went beyond mouthpiece service and the occasional donation. More than that though, she was technically breaking the law. The Nominus Edict required all manufacturers to distribute every supply of energon in open transactions. But Freeze always saved a portion of hers to take here, and forged false records to cover her tracks. She didn't like it, but she eased her conscience by reminding herself that she was seeking to better – not worsen – the lives of the downtrodden.

Eventually, at long last, a lone building that Freeze recognized came into her view. Not long after, she entered an empty square, and transformed out of her alt-mode again. Though she didn't see anyone, she darted in between the shadows, avoiding the streetlights whenever she could. When she came to the side of the building, she grit her teeth as she manually lifted the large door, the automatic mechanism having expired a long time ago. She was initially greeted with black darkness, but her optics soon adjusted, and she headed inside the abandoned storehouse.

It was quite a large, almost cave-like structure. The sound of Freeze's footsteps echoed off the walls as she mindfully navigated the shadows, lest she trip and fall over something – or into a mugger's servos. She soon made it to the center of the floor, removed her cloak, and finally began unloading her cargo. Out of her bag, she took six energon cubes. Their soft yet brilliant glow reflected off the walls and ceiling while illuminating the floor in a radiant pool – an apt visual metaphor of light amidst the dark.

Just one cube was enough to fuel three large bots, meaning this amount would likely fuel around twenty. It may have been a bit meager, but it was the most Freeze could get away with on a single trip. And she was careful to choose a drop-off area that was mostly out of the way of any lowlife dealers. Of course, she could never truly be sure who picked up the cubes. But every subsequent time she came, the previous quantity was gone. Besides, if any black marketers were behind it, they'd have probably tried to abduct her by now.

Satisfied with her work, Freeze donned her cloak once more, and exited the building just as carefully as she'd entered it. She then lowered the side-door back down, and looked up to see the glow of the energon cubes emanating through the windows – letting any passersby know of the goods inside. Though her guard remained up as she walked away, Freeze smiled. All she had to do was depart these streets without being seen, and she was home-free. But she hadn't gone further than a block when she heard it.

Doing a double-take, Freeze went back a few steps. Some sort of commotion was coming from beyond two narrow alleyways, each bordering a building on either side. Fortunately, she was small enough to fit within both. As she inched her way through, the sounds of struggle grew louder and more unpleasant. She heard taunts from multiple mech voices – more or less unintelligible. But the shouts coming from at least two femmes were not. "Ah! Stop it! Leave us alone!" Freeze gasped at hearing their plight, and moved even faster – when she stumbled on a sight that struck her to her spark.

Two femmes literally had their backs against a wall. One appeared to be of average height, and painted mostly green. With her many scrapes and the scorn she shot her attackers, she certainly looked tough. The other was quite a contrast – surprisingly small for one with jet wings, indigo, and shivering in fear next to her companion, while at the same time guarding the plushie in her arms with her life. Both were being harassed by three mechs – all of whom wore the same curious symbol, which Freeze couldn't identify. Two of them were rather short and looked like twins, but with different paint-jobs – one purple, the other black and red. The third was purple and yellow, and despite his battered jet wing, he towered over the two femmes – all the while evidently enjoying every nanoklik of it.

"I swear, Blitzwing," Green snarled at him, "if you all don't leave us alone right now, I am gonna pound the living fuel outta you!"

"Ha!" Blitzwing scoffed. "You and what army?!" At that moment, Freeze couldn't take any more. She may not have known these femmes, but few things set her off more than bullies.

"Army of ME, you trash-heap!" she shouted at Blitzwing. Everyone turned to look at her – the two femmes appearing surprised while their assailants seemed unimpressed. Even so, Freeze stood tall. "Aren't you three late for a real fight, and for your motherboards to be handed to you?"

Blitzwing laughed mockingly. "Oh-oh-oh! Look out, Rumble! Look out, Frenzy! The pretty little princess-bot is gonna tell us what to do!"

"No way!" the short purple one – Rumble – joined in, his voice higher pitched but no less irritating. "Go back to your castle! We're just havin' a good time with some friends!" He moved toward Indigo as he spoke, then promptly took her by one of her wings, and shoved her down to the ground.

Her cry of distress kindled fresh rage in both Green and Freeze at their tormentors. "You heard him, missy!" Rumble's black and red twin – Frenzy – sneered. "Beat it!"

"How about I beat your face into the concrete, scraplet?!" Freeze challenged him. Not wanting the two femmes to get involved, she nodded at them to leave. Green looked eager to fight back at first, but her concern for her companion seemed to win out, and they both hurried away as fast as they could.

The three gangster mechs, however, were none too pleased. "Aw!" Rumble groaned. "Now you ruined our fun! Thanks a lot, party-crasher!"

"Some princess-bot you are!" Blitzwing frowned. "Maybe we oughta teach you some manners! What do you think guys?!"

The twins answered by cracking their knuckles and snickering, their red visors showing their thirst for a good old-fashioned brawl.

Instead of being intimidated, however, Freeze took a specific stance. "Oh, I'm not the one who needs to learn some etiquette."

"Eti-what?" Frenzy looked confused, not understanding that, by letting his guard down, he provided Freeze with the opening she needed.

"Exactly!" As if out of nowhere, she proceeded to hard-slap the short mech's knee, then face, and then kick him with enough force to send him halfway across the area.

Realizing her appearance and physicality could both prove an advantage should she find herself – or, in this case, someone else – in trouble, Freeze had practically invented her own fighting style to complement her acrobatic skills. So far, in every such encounter – which were thankfully few – it'd proved rather effective, even fun. But her new opponents didn't think so. "Hey!" Rumble yelled in shock. "What was that?!"

"Lesson number one!" Freeze smirked. "Watch and learn!" She was surprised when Rumble's arms transformed into pile-drivers, but not enough to lose her nerve.

He lunged for her. "I'd rather watch you drop de–!" Leaping into the air, Freeze landed on his shoulders, and then literally swept him off his feet when she kicked him in the head twice, sending him straight to the ground as he had Indigo earlier. "Geez, would you quit doing that?!" he demanded. "You're not playing fair!"

"Sorry, little guy," Freeze smiled down at him with crossed arms. "You made the rules. Now you'll play by them – win or lose!"

Blitzwing – who so far had apparently been enjoying the misfortune of his "friends" – suddenly decided to intervene himself. "Well, what if we wanna change the rules?!" He then dove for her, but Freeze had been ready. She cartwheeled and then backflipped out of his way. Before the blundering mech knew what was happening, she charged forward, leaped, and slammed her foot into his kneecap. Even as he cried out and doubled over, the feisty femme kneed at and then kicked his hands up into the air, causing him to bellow and shake out his injured digits. "What're you two waiting for?!" he snapped at the twins. "Get her!"

Having now regained their footing, Rumble and Frenzy both raced toward her. From there, it was a true brawl – a flurry of punches, kicks, flips, and hard-slaps. Freeze had to hand it to the twin mechs. They certainly weren't lacking in energy and drive. They threw fists, feet, pretty much everything they had. But whatever they tried to hit her with, she dodged or turned against them. And the more failed attempts, the more Rumble and Frenzy hated that they were being bested by a femme who should not have been able to fight as well as she was. At one point, she flipped forward at the last nanoklik, causing the two brothers to collide into each other. That proved the last straw.

"That's it!" Frenzy snapped. "Rumble, pile-drivers!" While his twin dished those out, Frenzy had his own trick up his servo. Before Freeze could fight back, she was met with a miniature sonic boom that rattled her senseless. She wavered this way, then that, in danger of losing her balance. "You like that? Call it my battle-cry!"

Come on, Freezeframe! You've faced worse than this! Gritting her teeth, Freeze dove for the little terror. But Frenzy was calling the shots now. He caught her hand when she tried to slap him, and dove under when she aimed her foot at his head. Before Freeze knew it, she'd been knocked off her feet, and the scraplet had his foot on her back. He then yanked her back by the wrists.

"Time for a royal pummel, princess!" Frenzy laughed. Freeze held her breath as Rumble treaded forward, his smug grin and the glint in his visor showing his anticipation to smash her face in. Still, while she hadn't seen Frenzy's sneak-attack coming, this wasn't the first time she'd been knocked down.

"Yeah!" she taunted back. "For you, peasant!" With every bit of strength in her leg circuits, Freeze thrust backward, toppling Frenzy. His hold loosened, and she whacked her elbow into the side of his head.

That done, she darted to Rumble's left and grabbed his arm. In an instant, she had him on his front, his servo still in her grasp. She jerked it behind him and at the same time stomped her foot into his back with such force that the snapping of gears could be heard. "AH!" Rumble cried out in furious pain. "Fraggin' Primus!"

Ignoring his swear, Freeze turned her attention to the bigger threat at hand. "Better fly away while you still can!" she warned Blitzwing.

His already red optics now burned with ire. "I think I'll fly you into the Void instead!" Fearing she might've made a mistake in reminding him of his damaged wing, Freeze leaped just out of the way before he could slam down on her – which itself nearly caused her to lose her footing. Realizing she needed to end this thing here and now, she looked half-frantically for any kind of opening – until she noticed the straight wall of a building beyond Blitzwing's fallen form.

Form! Her strategy changed, Freeze ran for her enemy's outstretched arm and jumped, landing again in her motorcycle alt-mode. She rushed forward at full throttle, leaping the moment Blitzwing started to get up. The moment she hit the wall, she again raced full speed ahead up its vertical path. At one point, Blitzwing threw a punch, intending to crush her on the side of the building like a bug. Instead, he missed and ended up getting his fist stuck in the wall.

"Oh! Missed me!" Freeze barely felt the impact before she found herself soaring into the air. Once she reached her high point, she transformed back again. She then began her descent with a great flip forward, and hurled her foot out beneath her. "Heads up, big guy!"

Like a laser-beam from a gun, she shot straight down onto the big thug. The speed of her plunge lent to the strength she'd already summoned, and she smashed the side of Blitzwing's otherwise immense head with enough force to send him right back into the ground again.

The mech let out a big groan as Freeze jumped off of him. Though somewhat breathless herself, she dusted herself off and stood tall. "Does anyone care for some more of the royal treatment?"

Neither Blitzwing nor the twins immediately rose, leaving Freeze confident that she'd at last defeated them. Suddenly, the two red lights on Blitzwing's left arm started blinking, indicating he'd received a call on his comms unit – one that didn't appear to bode well judging by his startled reaction and refusal to answer. Even so, he glared at Freeze in resentment before turning to his cohorts. "Come on, guys," he said as he started to get up again. "Let princess-bot here keep her throne."

Frenzy also lifted himself up, but Rumble remained on the ground. "What?" he asked. "Do we have to report back already?"

"Shut up, Rumble!" Frenzy yelled, then kicked his brother in the arm Freeze had pulled, causing him to shout back in outrage.

"Ow! Hey! That's my arm!" For a moment, Freeze felt a twinge of sympathy for the little guy, until she remembered how he'd shoved Indigo into the ground.

"Why don't you both shut up?!" Blitzwing demanded, then directed final scowl at the femme in front of him. "And why don't you get outta our way?"

Narrowing her own optics at the hulking mech, Freeze nonetheless granted his request and moved aside without a word. Once Rumble gained his feet – no thanks to either of his comrades – the three started filing out of the area, hostility written all over their faces. But Freeze kept her gaze on them until they'd all turned a far corner. Even then, she remained where she was for a klik after.

When none of them returned, only then did she let out a sigh. This fight was undoubtedly rougher than most she'd partaken in, but for that same reason, Freeze felt all the more satisfied. If nothing else, as far as she was concerned, she'd definitely earned a good rest in her recharging chamber.

"Halt! Hands on your head!" a mech's voice then sounded not far behind. At the same time, rays of blue and red flashed past her shoulders. True to her name, Freeze went momentarily rigid with shock, but then promptly obeyed the order. "Now, turn around, slowly," the commanding voice spoke again. But there was a familiar sternness in his tone. Realizing then who this bot was, Freeze relaxed again.

Indeed, even as she kept her hands on her head and slowly turned to face him, she smiled. "I don't suppose you'd be open to bribery, would you, officer?"

Despite the police lights on either side of his hood, and the laser gun he held in front of him, Freeze had no trouble recognizing the mech's clearly unamused face. "Very funny," he replied with a matching tone as he turned his brights off and lowered his weapon. "You can let your hands down now."

Freeze let out a huff of simultaneous relief and frustration as she let her servos drop. "Seriously, Prowl, do you ever laugh?"

Prowl frowned at her in sudden indignance. "I do so," he insisted, then added abruptly, "when the occasion calls for it, of course."

"In other words, hardly," Freeze chuckled lowly. "Then again, you certainly lived up to your name – sneaking up on me like that." The second time someone had managed that in the past couple cycles, she noted – until her face fell with suspicion. "Wait. You are alone, are you?"

"Yes…" Prowl replied as though it were self-evident. "I wouldn't have approached you if I wasn't. But I didn't come here to play games." With more concern, he asked, "Freezeframe, what are you doing here?"

Now she felt as if she had to state the obvious. "Nice to see you too," she replied sarcastically. "I was practicing for an underground brawl – what do you think I'm doing here?"

Unimpressed, Prowl crossed his arms at her. "Leaving spare energon again, huh?" He didn't sound rude, but neither did he approve, as she well knew.

Freeze shrugged. "You say that like it's a bad thing." She knew it sounded impertinent, but she didn't feel obligated to defend herself.

"What you're doing is against the law," Prowl tried to reason with her. But for the time being, Freeze wasn't in a reasoning mood.

"Yeah, well, honestly…it's a stupid one!" she snapped. "And admit it, Prowl – you think so, too. Otherwise you wouldn't have let me go that first time."

In spite of her excellent track record when it came to sneaking around, Freeze wasn't immune to the occasional slipup. Such was the case several kilocycles ago on a previous venture. Prowl had caught her when she exited the same storehouse from earlier. Having known fleeing would've made it worse, Freeze had done her best to calmly explain herself, and all but begged the police-mech to at least not make any of it public. Amazingly, he didn't even arrest her. Since that night, they ran into each other every now and then. They weren't exactly friends, but Freeze was simply happy there was at least an understanding between them.

How long that understanding would hold out, she couldn't say. But judging by how Prowl appeared to struggle for an appropriate response, it wasn't going to end anytime soon. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. When he looked back up, there was a level of depth in his otherwise stoic and reserved blue gaze. "I won't lie." His tone was firm yet gentle. "I know you mean well. And I don't want to see things go south for you. But I can't turn a blind optic forever. Neither can I ignore what just happened."

For a moment, Freeze couldn't think of what to say. She was too puzzled. "What are you talking about? If you mean that fight just now, I didn't start it!"

"I know that," Prowl replied, slightly frustrated. "I pulled over when I saw you take out those two smaller mechs. But Freezeframe…" He looked and sounded chilled. "Do you know who those three were?"

Feeling his new mood for herself, Freeze shook her head. "We were introduced – so to speak. But personally, no. They were definitely a challenge, but other than that, I didn't think much of them. Why? Do you?"

"Personally, I don't know them either," Prowl shook his head as well. "But I have seen them before." When Freeze remained confused, he asked further, "Did you see the symbol they all wore? Did it look at all familiar?"

Standing still, Freeze tried to conjure the image in the visualizing channels of her processor. Once she had it, she focused on the symbol she hadn't recognized before. Now that she had the time to let it sink in, it did look familiar – ominously so. She could've sworn she'd seen it. Maybe if she adjusted it in some way, turned it upside down… No…! The energon in her circuits now running cold, she turned her attention back to Prowl. "You don't mean they were…?!"

The officer nodded, his face grim. "Congratulations. You managed to fight back not just one but three Decepticons." He held up three digits for emphasis.

Despite his dry sense of humor, Freeze's voice-box malfunctioned for a moment. "Wait, you mean Ascenticons," she then corrected. "I know people like to call them that now, but–"

"I mean Decepticons," Prowl remained adamant. "They haven't gone public with it yet. But if they've swapped their symbol, a name-change can't be too far off."

"H-hold on!" Freeze exclaimed, then cringed briefly. "I-I'm sorry. You said you saw them before – these three guys, I mean. Where? And when?!"

Prowl huffed – not at her, but at the revelation that followed. "…Eight cycles ago. I was there – during that riot at the storehouse in Iacon." If Freeze was speechless before, her mouthpiece fell open at what her police ally just said. Meanwhile, he took her reaction as a prompt to go on. "My unit and I were sent there to help subdue the crowd and make arrests. Megatron wasn't there, but I did see some known Ascenti–" He paused to rectify himself. "Decepticons – both in the crowd and on the fringes. Among them were your new sparring partners."

He didn't need to say more. The implications were already sinking their claws deep into Freeze's systems. For one, it made sense now why she'd had a harder time with Blitzwing, Rumble, and Frenzy than most street-gangsters she'd fought with. They were likely to be new recruits – but if even the rookies by themselves were difficult to deal with, then Megatron must've certainly spared no expense regarding his more seasoned soldiers. Yet what if she'd already landed in hot magma?

Frenzy had asked if they had to report back. What if they reported her and what she'd done to them? Freeze felt utterly immobile at the idea. She wouldn't put it beyond the Ascenticons – no, Decepticons – to track her down…and perhaps worse. Then again, Freeze was a leading name in the energon business. If they did anything to her, they'd just earn themselves yet more and likely unwanted attention. Whatever the case, Freeze had now come to a ghastly realization – she'd doubted Mirage's word more than she thought. "…Then there really is going to be a war…"

About half a klik passed before Prowl broke the disturbing silence. "…Maybe…" More resolutely, he added, "But it hasn't been declared yet. There's still time to make preparations."

"Like what?" Freeze snapped, her tone heated with increasing distress. "Prowl, I've spent only a hundred kilocycles doing business on my own. In peacetime, it's one thing – but a war economy?!"

"Freezeframe," Prowl interrupted, "just calm down. To be honest, I don't know for sure what'll happen. The best thing any of us can do right now is to just take one cycle at a time – put precautionary measures in place."

That much made sense to Freeze, until she wanted to know for sure if Prowl meant what she thought. "You mean I should stop coming here?" He opened his mouthpiece to speak, but she wasn't done. "No, look – I appreciate your concern, but what makes you think you can stop me from helping people?"

"When did I ever say you should?" Prowl asked, appalled. He then ran a hand down his face with a heavy sigh. "Listen, I get it – I can't make your decisions. But I do strongly suggest you take my advice and stay away from places like this before something worse happens to you."

Despite how she'd just said it, Freeze truly was grateful for how much Prowl was looking out for her, especially when he was under no obligation to do so. Remembering Mirage, but wanting to protect his privacy, she replied, "You know, I actually heard as much, last night, at a party. There was also talk of people joining sides…" Freeze trailed off as a new and startling thought occurred to her. Fixing Prowl with a knowing gaze, she asked, "You've joined the Autobots, haven't you?"

Her guess proved correct, as the police-mech immediately tried to shush her. "Shh-shh-quiet!" he hissed as he hastened toward her. He did a quick scan of the area, then knelt down in front of her, surprising her with the uncommonly perturbed look in his optics. "How'd you know about that?"

"I didn't," Freeze shook her head. "I was going off of what I'd heard from my peers – not specifically about you though. But you don't strike me as the kinda guy to stay neutral anyway."

Prowl hung his head and groaned. "I don't want to come out with it yet." When he looked back up at her, he appeared at least a little relieved – much to her own. "But I guess I'd rather have you figure it out first." He frowned. "Besides, I have reason to believe a couple of my colleagues have Decepticon sympathies."

Freeze's optics widened slightly with alarm. Why would one sworn to protect the law join an anarchist cause? Then again, not all policebots had Prowl's integrity and honor. "Hey, I won't tell anyone," she promised. "You have my word. I mean, after all, you've covered for me so many times."

He barely smiled, but the gratitude in his optics was all she needed. "Thanks." He stood back up. "In any event, I think we've stayed out here long enough."

Surprised at how late it must already be, Freeze agreed. "Definitely." Wanting to have his company a little longer, though – as well as his cover – she asked, "Hey, walk with me? I left my mesh cloak back at the storehouse." Prowl dipped his chin, and the two headed back the way she'd come. Although they had to take a different path – given the police-mech was too big for that alleyway – they soon arrived back at the storehouse where Freeze had dropped off the energon.

Once she'd retrieved her cloak, she stood before Prowl one more time. "Thanks for the warning. I'll…do my best to stay out of trouble." The weight of the previous revelation then compelled her to ask another question, albeit with hushed tones. "Actually…do you think I should join the Autobots? I mean, I'd rather there not be a war, but…if push comes to shove…"

Pitying her dilemma, Prowl replied, "I wish it didn't have to come to this either. As I said before though, I can't make those decisions for you. I wish I could, but I can't." Despite her own wish that he'd say more, Freeze reluctantly accepted his answer with a nod. "Hey, you want me to see you out of here? I've got time before I need to report back to my unit."

Freeze smiled at his thoughtfulness. "Thanks, but I can take care of myself – I can." This she said when he appeared he might object. "Besides, if there were more Decepticons roaming the streets, I'd have run into them before those guys." Nonetheless, she wrapped her cloak tightly around her.

Prowl lightly rested his hand on her shoulder. "Then, all I can say is…take care, Freezeframe. Both tonight and after." His words felt weighted with foreboding and reassurance at the same time.

"You too, Prowl," Freeze replied. "Thanks again." Within nanokliks, the two had gone their separate ways. Freeze transformed into her alt-mode, and traveled back through the slums at the same steady pace she had earlier – if slightly faster. Even as she remained on the lookout for any more dangers, Decepticon or no, the previous conversation weighed heavily on her processor.

It still stunned her that she'd fought off one of them – let alone three. But that wasn't the most pressing matter. It was one thing when Mirage joined the Autobots. Now that the rational and level-headed Prowl had joined them too, the threat posed by the Decepticons loomed larger than ever. Back when the War of the Threefold Spark had ended, Freeze had strongly hoped she'd never see anything like it ever again. Now, she seemed to have done so in vain – and she knew a fear greater than any she'd known before.

Given her wealth and influence, it would certainly be expected of her to pick a side. The risks would also be great, whatever role she played. And yet, hesitant as she was to join the Autobots, in her spark, Freeze absolutely could not bring herself to side with the Decepticons. Those three rookies were bad enough, and the rest of their ranks were more than likely worse. Not to mention they were led by a mech whose savagery she'd seen for herself. Orion Pax on the other hand – there was a leader Freeze could envision herself following, even if he wasn't Prime yet. If what she knew of him was true, Sentinel Prime had chosen a worthy successor.

Hmm… Perhaps she had made her choice. Moreover, she was already used to taking risks in order to help the poor and destitute. Whether it was providence or her own reasoning – or both – the path forward now appeared clearer than ever. Freeze could only hope she had the skill and courage to take that first step.

No sooner had the doors to the secret Decepticon base opened than three mechs stumbled rather than marched in. There they were greeted by two of the most superior ranking officers – if one could call the welcome they'd received as such. "Ugh, what is it now?" asked the clearly irritated second-in-command – a red and blue mech with jet wings. "This is the second night in a row you've all come back early." His bright red optics narrowed at the battered soldiers. "You'd better have a good reason as to why."

"You'd have to have been there, Starscream," Blitzwing replied. "Seriously, you wouldn't believe it. This little femme-bot jumped us all by herself!"

"And she shouldn't have been able to fight at all, by the looks of her," Frenzy added. "Who does she think she is? Look what she did to Rumble!"

With a groan, Rumble showed off his injured arm, still a pile-driver. "I'd like to have a rematch with her if she ever shows her face again!" he promised.

"Frenzy," the mech next to Starscream spoke in musical monotone. In contrast to the first lieutenant, he was painted dark blue and white, with a red visor and face-mask that served to hide his emotions – if he had any. He opened the cassette door in his chest and gave his command. "Return, now."

Frenzy huffed in frustration, but nevertheless heeded the order. "Yes, Soundwave." He then transformed into a tape his size and returned to his place in his superior's cassette box.

Meanwhile, Starscream carried on in his "chat" with the supposed-leader of this failed mission. "Blitzwing, I asked for a reason, not an excuse. If a single femme could send all three of you to the trash-heap with ease, then why for spark's sake were you hired in the first place?!"

"Indeed," remarked a far deeper and far more menacing voice that commanded everyone's attention. In walked a tall, hulking, gray mech with a permanent scowl etched onto his face. His red optics, which rarely seemed to be in a good mood, slowly scanned his underlings – who immediately stood at attention – before finally resting on his SIC.

"Oh!" Starscream gasped, then half-bowed as was now custom whenever his overlord entered the same room he occupied. "Megatron, my liege!" he greeted him submissively. "Uh…Blitzwing, Frenzy, and Rumble have just returned from their recruitment mission…early…again." Those last two words he spoke with renewed disdain.

"Have they?" Megatron asked, unimpressed. Nonetheless, he addressed his head of Security Operations. "I trust your subordinates were at least thorough in their search, Soundwave?"

"Report unsatisfactory, sir," Soundwave replied. "Status of recruitment progress: limited." He then pointed out the damage his junior officer at his side suffered. "Permission to take Rumble for repairs?"

Megatron rolled his optics. "Permission granted, I suppose. But I strongly suggest you take full control of those at your command." Soundwave silently dipped his chin, and walked away with Rumble at his side. When Megatron turned back to Starscream, the latter nodded at the mech next to him. Realizing his lieutenant wanted a private audience, Megatron gave Blitzwing an order that did not allow for argument. "Leave us. We will continue this discussion later." Intimidated, Blitzwing could only nod.

"Y-yes, Megatron, sir." He then scuttled promptly away as a scraplet would when faced with water, leaving Megatron alone with the one mech in his army who was too ambitious for his own good.

"Something you wish to say, Starscream?" he asked in a low and ever so slightly threatening tone. "I have many demands on my time, you understand."

"My liege," Starscream began bluntly, "why do we waste our time attempting to gather more allies? We already have enough as it is! We should strike now, while we have the advantage!"

Megatron eyed his SIC with animosity. "You really are a stupid creature. The strength of an army is not its only asset. What matters more is its timing! A well-timed first strike with limited numbers more often than not proves far deadlier to an enemy than the size of one's forces alone. And that is the course I intend to take." A malicious grin started to form on his face. "Indeed, I already know exactly when we will make our first move. And when we do, we will have more than enough allies to back up our efforts."

"Or perhaps some of us are tired of sitting around on our motherboards waiting for your command?!" Starscream suggested, making no attempt at subtlety.

"Shut your mouthpiece!" Megatron barked. He then raised his hand, causing Starscream to flinch. Satisfied by his reaction, Megatron lowered it again. "Hmph, it seems I have beaten some sense into you. Nevertheless, I command this army, Starscream, not you! Be grateful I've allowed you to join at all, let alone given you such a prestigious position. In short…" He took Starscream roughly by the shoulder, fixing him with an ominously imposing gaze. "Remember your place, as you value your life!"

He then let the red and blue mech go with a jerk. Having apparently learned his lesson, the latter bowed again, more fully this time. "I hear, and obey, my liege." His voice was meek, but never did it shake.

"Good," Megatron replied grimly. "You're dismissed, soldier – but you are not permitted to bring this up again." Starscream nodded dutifully, and didn't delay in departing from his lord's presence. Only when he was gone did the Decepticon leader take the opposite direction. Much as his SIC aggravated him, he wasn't done with Blitzwing. But that wasn't the only thing on Megatron's processor.

He knew his old mentor, Sentinel Prime, wouldn't be much longer in this world. It was obvious to him – just as it had been a megacycle ago that he should've succeeded him as Prime, not Orion Pax. Megatron now wondered how he and that overly reverent fool could've been friends to begin with. True, they'd served together in the War of the Threefold Spark. But in the kilocycles after the Nominus Edict had passed, Orion refused to see what Megatron was brave enough to face – that times had changed, that the old traditions were becoming obsolete, and needed to be discarded if Cybertron was to achieve true greatness. After all, they were transformers, not conformers.

And curse Sentinel Prime for rejecting him on that basis. How could he not see he only wanted their race to be strong? Fortunately, Megatron's stand was reaffirmed soon after, when he first applied his skills to the arena. He reveled in the great power he displayed, not just with his servos but also his will. Few things were more thrilling than holding the life of another sentient being in one's hands. If he could get his fellow Cybertronians to see that, they would be the most feared people in the galaxy. And he would make them see it – whether by persuasion, or by force.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the base, Starscream was stewing in his resentment of Megatron. Why make him – the pride of the Cybertron War Academy – his first lieutenant if he wasn't allowed to call out his leader's bad decisions and make clearly better suggestions? He'd already more than proven himself in that regard during the War of the Threefold Spark. Despite being fresh out of the academy, he'd quickly risen through the ranks – with the help of a few bribes and some blackmail here and there. But neither those methods nor any of his skill did him any good during that last great battle against Exarchon.

Not only did Starscream lose nearly half the Seekers under his command – he himself was nearly terminated. The next thing he knew, Megatron was dragging him away from the scrapheap that would've been his grave. And ever since he appointed him as his righthand mech, never did his liege miss an opportunity to remind Starscream of the debt he owed. Never did he fail to point out that he could've just left him where he lay, in the muck – to go offline, rust, and whither away. So far, Starscream had been willing to put up with it. But sooner or later, he would turn the tables in his favor – he would destroy the old mech and take his rightful place as the true leader of the Decepticons. I shall honor your command for now, my liege. But you'd better watch your back, as you value your life!

Reviews would be appreciated.

Note #1: If you wanna know why I described the two femmes so specifically, that's because they're two OCs who belong to my good DeviantArt friend PrincessofDreams123, who graciously allowed me to borrow them for a cameo! Thanks a million friend!

Note #2: This here is Freeze's fighting style. watch?v=oL-JwKRsTrE

Note #3: Two songs to help set the mood!

1. The Slums: watch?v=DDwi0BV24F4

2. Fight Scene: watch?v=ZoU5vUpfh7M