Disclaimer: I only own my OCs. Vox belongs to a friend.


Megatron: Finally, it seems like you are finally giving my Decepticons some time with your readers.

Authoress: *shrugs* Well, a good bit of it. One of the Autobots does get a little bit of enjoyment first though.

Starscream: Yes, but having us the focus of this chapter after so long between updates places you in our good graces.


Chapter 7: Decepticon Peculiarities

Bumblebee's 1st P.O.V.

I shook my head as I walked through the warehouse. I had just finished a checkup with Ratchet and I was going to go and see if Sari was around and we could go on patrol. Ever since I started my training with Sentinel's team last week, I tried to go on patrol as much as I could. It wasn't that I liked patrol or anything, but Fable said that it was a good way to get used to watching your surroundings, especially if it was a place that I was used to. Since we had been here for over a stellar, I felt like I knew Detroit pretty well. So, more patrol meant more practice, and I wanted to keep showing Sentinel's team that I was serious about them training me.

When I thought about that first session that I had with them, I still felt embarrassed. I had completely broken down in front of them and I just spilled about boot camp to them. I had promised myself after I got out of boot camp that I would never tell anybot about it. I didn't think that they would believe me since they didn't during boot camp. On Cybertron, they always just passed off my complaints as boot camp nerves.

But, it was even worse when Abyssal got ahold of the fact that I tried. Not only would he punish the squad, but he would insist on a private training session with me after the squad was dismissed. Those were the worse. I was surprised that I ever even survived boot camp. It made me wish that I had Sentinel back then.

But, I had him and his team now. They were helping me to catch up on actual training and, even though it had been only a week since they started my training, I felt like I had improved leaps and bounds since that point. I knew better than to hope for a battle against the Decepticons to prove this to myself, though we had a few skirmishes with a couple of the Decepticons a few times this week, I was on crowd control for most of them so I couldn't do much. The one time I fought them, I didn't get much chance to fight like I was training before Sentinel's team arrived as backup and Optimus moved me to the back of the fight. But something would pop up in this crazy city soon to give me the…

When I turned the corner, I smiled at the opportunity the presented itself to me. Prowl, like usual, was being boring and watching one of those nature channels he liked to watch. A creature Sari showed me once called a slug was moving across the screen. He seemed to be completely focused on it.

From my lessons with Sentinel's team, I knew that I had to keep Prowl in my sights the entire time. The remote was behind Prowl on the couch. Easily in reach. I went to reach for the remote before I stopped myself. One of the lessons that I had with Trecke coming back to my processor. Never assume that anything is going to be easy.

So, I hesitated for another nano, glancing around to make sure that there was nothing I could hit and nobot that would see me before I slowly reached for the remote. I made sure I had my digit above the power button and didn't hesitate in pushing it.

When Prowl turned to glare at me, I smirked. "Come on Prowl, that stuff's going to fry your circuits if you keep watching it."

I barely saw it. The tensing of Prowl's arms and legs. It was a small detail that Fable had drilled into me during this week. So, when Prowl lunged at me, I leaned toward my right and he moved passed me.

Wait...I had dodged Prowl. I had dodged Prowl. "I did it!" I exclaimed while raising my servos in the air.

And that was the last thing that I said before I was on my backplates and Prowl was on top of me. "Not quite." He smirked before getting off of me.

Frag it! As he walked away, I sat up and shook my helm. I got too excited too quickly. Fable had warned me that I got too excited about my accomplishments too quickly. Scouts had to wait until their mission was complete before they celebrated.

Remembering a quick talk I had with Sentinel, I moved to the console and started to go into the archive that we had about the Decepticons currently on Earth. Sentinel had suggested that the best way for a bot to fight the enemy, especially if a bot was at any sort of disadvantage. Since, outside of Sari, I was the shortest Autobot on the planet. And, of course, none of the Decepticons here were anywhere near my size. Disadvantage; me. So, I was going to make sure I could have all the information that I can.

Megatron's 1st P.O.V.

Team Apocalypse was becoming a problem. While I enjoyed watching the Autobots from Optimus Prime's team flounder against my Decepticons, that group under Sentinel Prime was creating more trouble than I planned for. I was wary of them after our first encounter, but the extent of their interference had pushed back the schedule for phase one.

Autobots these solars, for the most part, were one-processor drones that were drilled from early onlining that my Decepticons had only ever wanted to destroy the universe, offlining all in our paths. The Autobot leadership had even manipulated their history files to show our goals as such.

Phase 1 of the Decepticon plan was to show as many Autobots as I was able the falsehoods that the Autobot leadership preached. With the one-processor mode that most Autobots undertook then the only thing that would allow phase 1 to come to fruition would be to capture any Autobots that I could. With Team Orion, that mission would have been simple. Their lack of teamwork and ability would make it simple for my Decepticons to capture them after our initial battle. But, that was not happening now. I was not prepared for Autobots who were not under the one-processor propaganda. I hadn't prepared for this in my plans and now phase 1 was suffering. I had to factor in this team into my plans.

Now that I thought about this, I needed to learn who the two Autobot teams that were currently in pursuit of Team Chaar were. So, I made my way to the communication room and, once there, I saw that Shockwave was seemingly going over reports. "Shockwave,"

"Yes, Megatron?" He immediately responded.

I motioned to the console he was working at. "Make contact with Team Chaar. We must know which Autobot teams are going to be brought to Earth with them. Team Apocalypse has already caused enough of a delay in phase 1 and I must be prepared for any surprises that these two teams might bring.

"Right away." Was his response before he started to contact the said team. "Team Chaar, this is Earth outpost one. Are you receiving?"

Almost without delay, Strika appeared on the other side of the communication. "Earth outpost one, we are receiving you." She then focused on me. "Megatron, how can I be of service?"

"Do you know which Autobot teams are currently following you?" I questioned her.

Strika gave a nod. "Yes. They are Team's Vulcan and Athenia. Both have stellar records in their fight against us. We are fourteen solars from your location. Are we still to bring them to Earth?"

While I had heard of Team Athenia before, this Team Vulcan was new to me...and both were causing me concern. It was well known that Team Athenia operated on a different level than most Autobot teams, much like Team Apocalypse was displaying here on Earth. However, despite the issues that having these two teams, one unknown to me, brought to Earth, the delay in phase 1 would be better than any delay in phase 2 those two Autobot teams could inflict should they reach planet Chaar.

So, my answer was clear. "Yes, guide these two Autobot teams to Earth. However, send us any information that you have on Team Vulcan and Team Athenia."

"Very well," Strika responded and seemed to motion to a bot off-screen. Then, she returned to face me. "Megatron, if I may ask, which Autobot teams are currently on Earth?"

She, of course, would need to know this information to know what she was bringing her team into. "Currently, we face the Autobot teams of Team Orion and Team Apocalypse."

"Team Apocalypse?"

She sounded familiar with the strange team. Perhaps she could give me more information about them. "Yes, is there something that you know about them?"

"I have a contact on Cybertron, an Autobot femme I became acquainted with on Nebulos who shares information from time to time. I recently had contact with her and she spoke of the team. Not a very popular team, but they do have connections. My contact would not go into what those connections were, but my contact made it sound like those contacts, and having them, placed Team Apocalypse above most others." Strika then motioned to me. "Have they shown many capabilities in combat?"

Shockwave answered her. "Team Apocalypse has already caused a setback in phase 1 for us. Did your contact have anything else to say about the team?"

"Yes." Really? "She did mention that they are an extremely close team. Closer than any other team that she has come across. They would do anything for each other."

That was certainly interesting. While Team Orion was close, from the interactions that I saw of them before, I am not sure how far that closeness would stretch among them. If what Strika's contact mentioned is true, then this new information would work well in moving phase 1 forward.

"Strika," I turned to see Starscream walk into the room, and he looked like he was on a mission. "Do you only bring your team with you?" I remembered the subject of Blitzwing's creators coming up between my second in command and myself not too long ago. He must be seeing if they came with the team.

I looked to the monitor as Strika nodded. "Yes, the mech that was discovered on Junkion insisted on coming with us, as did Blitzwing's creators." Frag, they had managed to grab a ride with the team. However, I was surprised to learn that the mech from Junkion was also with them. He had not been a Decepticon, the last I knew, and hearing that he had insisted on coming with Team Chaar to Earth raised interesting questions in my processor.

However, as much as I wanted to question Strika further on the subject, I knew that we had spent too much time on the call already and risked it being traced. "I will contact you later for a status report Strika. If you could, press your contact on Cybertron and find out as much information as you can about this Team Apocalypse."

"Of course. Until our next report." Strika stated before disconnecting the line.

Once Shockwave closed the line from our side, I glanced at Starscream and saw that he looked to be thinking deeply about something. I wanted to find out what and the best way for the two of us to discuss this, and not waste time, would be to get some training in. "I am finding myself wanting some training. Will you join me Starscream?"

The seeker seemed startled out of his thoughts when he realized I had asked him to come train with me. He nodded "Yes, that seems like a good idea given the current state of our operation." What did he mean by that? I would ask him about that later.

The two of us made our way to the training room. Once we were there, my second nodded toward me, saying that he was ready, before the two of us went to it. As we traded blows, I noticed that Starscream seemed distracted. "Something on your processor Starscream?"

Dodging one of my strikes, the seeker seemed to hesitate. "The disunity between the two Autobot teams has me curious and distracted."

"It has been on my thoughts as well."

"In all aspects, the two teams should get along. I don't have deep personality information on Sentinel Prime's team, but I have faced both teams in battle, Team Orion on several occasions. While the teamwork dynamics are staggeringly different, their similarity on being more on the outskirts of Autobot teams should bring them together. Usually, similar bots of similar positions gravitate toward each other. That is especially since the leaders of both teams, at one point in their history, were on social terms with each other."

"I agree," I responded before striking out at a spot that my second exposed. "That just affirms my belief that this event that happened between the three Primes on Earth was large enough to completely divide Sentinel Prime from the other two."

With a quick movement, I placed my second in a position that he needed to tap. Once he did, I released him and helped him up. "Have you found any more information out about that?"

Unfortunately, I had to shake my helm. "No. None of my contacts have any information about this incident between Sentinel Prime, Optimus Prime, and Elita-One Prime. With any luck, one of the Decepticons coming with Team Chaar will have an idea of the situation." I then motioned to the area of the base where our rooms were. "Take a rest Starscream. Something tells me that our future battles with the Autobot will become even more heated."

Starscream's 1st P.O.V.

A sigh escaped my vocals as I watched Megatron walk back to the communications room. This new team, along with news that yet another unfamiliar team was coming to Earth, was pressing Megatron. Phase 1 should have already made twice the headway that it currently had. I would not be able to just go and recharge now. With all the information that I had gained lately, I needed to make sure I kept an optic on things.

So, I made my way to the central hub. I wasn't sure who would be in there, but any help that I could gain in checking up on the situation here on Earth would make things around here less tense. It didn't take me long to arrive at the hub and I was slightly surprised to see Lockdown here. I thought he was working with Blitzwing on some project. "Lockdown."

He turned to me and both nodded toward me. "Starscream, you look worried." He then made room for me as he said that.

"We all should be worried about phase 1." I retorted as I started to pull up the battle footage from the previous solar. We were trying to isolate Optimus' team at the quarry and grab their smallest one, the bot called Bumblebee. He would be a good start to getting phase 1 in motion again. However, something had bothered me about that fight.

Lockdown, who was now looking at the footage with me, seemed to study the fight between Shockwave and Bumblebee. Shockwave had already temporarily incapacitated the yellow scout and had been closing in. "The yellow one has improved since our first encounter." Lockdown pointed out before pausing the footage. "See how he is watching Shockwave."

I studied the frozen frame for a few nanos and I now did see that Bumblebee was observing Shockwave. Resuming the footage, I continued to watch as the scout continued to evade Shockwave just long enough for Sentinel Prime's team to arrive and provide the scout with backup. As I continued to watch the two teams interact, I realized that something had changed. "Also, Bumblebee is working better with Team Apocalypse than the rest of his team seem able. No doubt they are responsible for the scout's improvement."

This wasn't good. With the scout of Team Orion growing closer to Team Apocalypse, we would have to pick another target. While the techno-organic seemed to be a simple one to grab, she was not raised with the drilling teachings against the Decepticons that the rest of Team Orion, outside of their medic, seemed to.

"Starscream," I paused the footage and looked to Lockdown. "Have you heard anything from Team Chaar yet?"

Interesting. This was the second time that the mech had asked me about the team currently on their way to Earth. "We just spoke to them about fifteen clicks ago. They are currently fourteen solars from this planet. They are bringing the mech that was found on Junkion and they are bringing Blitzwing's creators."

His shoulders visibly relaxed at that information. "Good."

"Why have you been so interested in Team Chaar's location?" Now seemed like as good a time as any to ask the mech this.

Lockdown looked back to me and studied me for a nano before answering. "A couple of reasons. Oilslick and I grew up together and we keep up on each other when we can. So, I'm always interested in what his team is doing. Secondly, and more relevant to what is going on around us, last time I was in contact with Oilslick, he mentioned hearing something about Archa 7 and a group of three Primes. Happened about the same time that the Primes from Team Orion and Sentinel Prime parted ways. I want him to get here so he can report what he knows to Megatron."

Oilslick knew something about what drove the Primes apart? Now I was as anxious as Lockdown seemed to be for Team Chaar to arrive, between who they were bringing, and the information they would bring with them, then they would help our efforts on Earth in moving forward with Phase 1.

Strika's 1st P.O.V.

I let out a vent as I sent Megatron the information that we had on the two Autobot teams that were currently following us. It was strange. I had expected the Elite Guard to personally head to Chaar when Megatron and the others escaped their prison. With all of the activity that had been going on there, then she didn't doubt that the Autobot leadership might have thought that Megatron was heading there. Instead, they had sent these two teams.

Team Athenia I had fought against before in recent times. Lead by Rodimus Prime, the team functioned well as a team. The Prime's second in command for his team and his warrior, Brawn, held strength that, despite his minuscular size, challenged my Decepticons every time we came against them.

Then, there was the team's scout. Hot Shot. A bit brash and reckless at times, the mech would come into the battle with spontaneity and that was very dangerous. Thankfully, his recklessness balanced that trait out. Their medic, Red Alert, was a femme who was seemingly proficient in her field. From what I saw on the battlefield, she took no nonsense and worked as quickly and efficiently as the battle gave her time for.

The real mystery on that team came in the form of their second warrior; Ironhide. The mech was young, about the same age as the scout from Team Orion if I remembered the reports correctly on the mech. At the beginning of battles, he seemed steadfast and a hard opponent to match. But I had noticed that, as the battles between my team and theirs lasted longer and longer, the mech would become almost paranoid on the field and jump at many of the commonplace sounds that he should be used to as a warrior. Even a warrior so young. When we started to battle the team when we arrived on Earth, I would keep an optic on this mech.

Of course, then there was the team that Megatron had not heard of before and, if it wasn't for a brief battle between my team and his, then I would have only battle reports to go on. Battle reports, that marveled at the seemingly random team of the Prime of the team.

Vox Prime, the leader of Team Vulcan, was not originally supposed to lead a team from what our spies had gotten to us. He had been on a fast track to being a top intelligence agent within the CBI and a prime candidate for many high-quality teams. However, Vox Prime had changed his study courses near what was supposed to be the end of his studying at the Autobot Academy. Instead of focusing on his intelligence path, the Autobot had delved into the necessary classes needed to help him on his path to Prime. He earned his title and the right to create his team and, from the roster that I had, the mech didn't hesitate.

The first bot that the Prime recruited was the cyber ninja known as Jazz. The two had been in the Academy around the same time, from reports, and the solar after Vox became a Prime, he added his friend to the roster.

Then, there was the mech that acted both as the team's scout and their official intelligence bot; Blurr. Shockwave had mentioned, in reports about his interactions with the mech, that the mech was incredibly fast and his speed alone could change the pace of the battle if I wasn't careful. Blurr had proved Shockwave's warning in the confrontation that my team had with his.

Their medic, Balm, was a very lucky grab for the unexpected Prime. She was the last apprentice that the medic currently on Team Orion, Ratchet, ever took. Before I had seen the femme in action, I had heard that she had learned the old mech's lessons extremely well. Very few medics, including the mech himself, were supposed to be near her level...and that was even rumored to include the medics with the Decepticons. I had been skeptical of this information until that battle. Their inventor had been injured by Cyclonas and he was going to finish the femme when Balm had not only forced him into a confrontation with Jazz but had then, on the field, repaired the inventor and was able to get back into the fight.

Speaking on the inventor, that was a strange femme. Probably a little shorter than Hot Shot, the turquoise femme had the spontaneity of said scout on the battlefield with a drive that caused her to be trouble on the battlefield. She would move between fights with a hyperness to her that confused my team. The femme was not on Cybertron when she was recruited, nor was she even from there. That was unusual for any Prime. Most of them made their teams up of bots who were on Cybertron yet this Prime had gone to the Planet Vel to recruit her.

Of course, he had also recruited his final member from a different planet as well. Smokestack. The warrior of the Prime's team more than made up for the inventor's size and spontaneity. The mech was just shorter than Blackout and had a calm approach to his battles. A surprising fact given that he was from Fortice, a planet known for their ruthless battle atmosphere. Add being a grounder and being that size, the mech more than gave Blackout a challenge during that fight we had.

Both of these teams, Team Athenia and Team Vulcan, would surely cause issues with phase 1 on Earth. Add into that the fact that Team Apocalypse was currently on the planet and Megatron could use all the reinforcements that we could give him.

And, with the recent request from Megatron in my helm, a need for more information on Team Apocalypse would be wise. Making sure that my call would not be able to be traced, I typed in the comm line to the Autobot contact I had. After a few dial tones, I was worried that the femme might not pick up. However, after the fourth tone, the line was received. "Been a while femme. Caught me at a good time though. What can I do for you?"

No designations used just like usual. "It has been a while femme. What can you tell me about Team Apocalypse that you haven't told me before?"

A light laugh came from my contact. "So, they are causing problems. Not surprising given their new member. Fable is one of the only truly psychotic mechs that I have seen come out of the Autobots. Can be quite deadly on the battlefield if bots aren't careful fighting him from the practice session I got to watch of them before they left for Earth."

I heard hesitation come from her side of the line and that told me that there was something she might be holding back. Megatron needed the information if phase 1 was going to go through. "We need to know whatever you can tell us about them. Phase 1 will be able to go by smoother with your information." I had told her about phase 1, which was the reason she was giving me information in the first place.

The line remained quiet for a few more nanos before I heard a sigh from the other side. "Well, this has been more of a rumor that one of my contacts got when he went to visit the planet Vehicon. There was a bot there that was servos deep in information and he told my contact that Trecke was not the first bot that Sentinel Prime invited onto his team."

Wait, but that wasn't right… "From all other information sources, it is affirmed that the first member of Sentinel Prime's team was the strategist Trecke."

"I know, and it was why I was hesitant to tell you," My informant huffed. "But, my source trusts the contact he got the information from." I then heard a crash come from her side. "I have to let you go."

"Your boss been busy?" I teased her. She had been on an errand from her boss when I had met her.

"Yes. Cybertron's been crazy since Megatron escaped with his top lieutenants. So many different teams congregating here that I've barely had a break." Another crash was heard. "I have to get back now. Bye." She then disconnected the call.

Closing the line from my end, I let what she told me to travel through my processor. Trecke might not have been the first member to join Sentinel Prime on Team Apocalypse. Next time I contacted Megatron, I would have to inform him.

"So, this Team Apocalypse seems to be a very interesting team." I turned to see a black seeker mech standing there, his red optics studying me.

"Yes, they are causing quite a number of problems for phase 1 on Earth," I answered him. The mech before me was a supporter of the Decepticons even before I joined the cause. He and his bondmate had pretty much given their very existence to helping the Decepticon cause rise to the point where we were this solar.

He smiled in response to my answer. "Then it is a very good thing that my bondmate and I will be there to assist our leader." He then seemed to hesitate. "Speaking of which, my bondmate asked me to inquire about our estimated time of arrival on this Earth planet."

"Fourteen solars," I responded to him. "I also informed Megatron that you and your bondmate, as well as the mech from Junkion, were going to be arriving with us."

At my mention of the mech from Junkion, the mech's optics narrowed slightly. "There is something that mech is holding back. He seems familiar to me, but I can not seem to place him, and neither can my bondmate. He may be neutral, and so far seems to be cooperating, but we need to keep an optic on him. He knows more than he is letting us know." The Decepticon in front of me then paused again before his smile returned. "My thanks for informing Megatron of the presence of both myself and my bondmate aboard your ship. And my thanks for the estimated time of arrival. Have a nice solar." He then turned and made his way back down the hallway he came down.

As I watched him leave, I found myself amazed. It was almost strange to think that the mech there was the sire to Blitzwing. My mate, Lugnut, often spoke of Blitzwing's childish behavior. However, neither of his creators showed that kind of attitude. It made me wonder where the triple changer got it.


Strika: I still don't understand.

Authoress: *confused* What?

Strika: How can you have such nice creators and be such a ruthless femme at spark?

Authoress: *smiles* I learned everything from the Decepticon cause.

Strika: *frowns* Don't try and be cute with me Authoress.


AN: And here is the next chapter! We got to have an exclusive inside peek at what the Decepticons have been up to. Seems like Sentinel's team is causing problems for phase 1, which we finally get to learn what it is! Definitely have plans. I wonder what Bumblebee's fate will be? Seems like Starscream and Lockdown have realized that the mech is improving. Will he stay the first target of phase 1?

Then, we moved to Strika and her insights. Lots of gems here! We get background on both Team Athenia and Team Vulcan and her experience and information on them. Then, we got to witness a conversation between Strika and her mysterious femme contact among the Autobots. I wonder who it is? (hint if you have read my stories before you might have an idea as to who it is). Also, thanks to this contact, Strika now is wondering if Trecke truly was the first member of Team Apocalypse that Sentinel recruited or if there was another.

Finally, still with Strika, we have an interaction between her and Blitzwing's sire. Just who is he, and his bondmate, and what are they going to be bringing to the fight on Earth. Then, his suspicions of the mech that was found on Junkion...the points are building!

Next time, we have a bit of fun with Sentinel and his team exploring some more about the humans on the planet they are on. Plus, maybe some pressure for Optimus within Team Orion?

Well, that's all for that. Here are the next chapter names!

Chapter 8: Diving into Humanity (yes I changed it. I am allowed to do that XD )

Chapter 9: Guardians

Chapter 10:...(Find out next time! (and just for you people who actually read this, this chapter is going to have a lot of things come to head, and maybe some reveals...)

So! That's all for now. I hope you all enjoyed. Drop a review to review or say hi. Until next time, TTYL! *getting over being sick*