They say never judge a book by it's cover. Well, you'd be more than dead if you tried to judge me by my appearance. I maybe small, but I pack a mean punch if you mess with me and my team... Oh, I'm sorry. That was rude... hey there! I'm Windswept! And boy, have I got a story to tell you. Well, what are you waiting for?! Get over here and get ready for my adventures on Team Prime!

Over the last week, my inspiration has been flowing for this story. I'm excited to announce that I am officially in the stages of preplanning THE SEQUEL to this story! I finished my drafts for the One Shall Rise saga and I have begun the Orion Pax saga. I have also begun the PREQUEL for this series as well - so far, I've completed two chapters, and I'm planning to start the third shortly. I want to at least have a handful of those chapters done before I'm ready to start posting. I still intend on posting the sequel and prequel to this alongside each other. I can't wait to show you all what's coming next after this story!

Thank you to Alexandra de Sulfeng for favouriting this story. Quite the coincidence that I got the notification right as I'm about to post this chapter.

This chapter starts off in no one's P.O.V.

- Transformers Prime does not belong to me. All rights go to the people and brands who were able to create this show.
- Windswept and the other OC's belong to me.

(Chapter Title: Unknown Territory)

The sky was dark. The moon was full. The clouds hid away the stars. That could only mean one thing – the Nemesis must be floating around nearby.

The Decepticons inside the Warship had now grown accustomed to their original settings. Megatron, now very much alive and back to full health, had returned comfortably to his position as the Leader of the Decepticons. Slipstream, the ever-faithful second-In-command had also returned to her post without a trace of concern that someone could come up and snatch the spot away from her. Soundwave, also the most loyal and rather most silent of them all, had been given back his position as third-in-command, silently listening in on every conversation held on the Nemesis that hinted rebellion.

But no one would dare to even think of over-throwing Megatron ever again. Not unless they wanted to look like Starscream.

The silver and red-hinted Decepticon lay flat on the medical berth in Knock Out's med-bay, still covered in scratches and with endless amounts of tubes connect to his body to monitor his vitals. He wheezed and gasped in the pain that Megatron had inflicted upon him.

Slipstream smirked as said mech approached the medical berth. And to think, Megatron was lying in that exact place two weeks ago.

Starscream gasped in the realisation that someone was approaching. His red optics opened suddenly, locking with Megatron's own piercing red optics with fright.

"Resting comfortably, Starscream?" The much taller Decepticon asked, "Despite the extent of your injuries, my medical staff assures me that you shall make a rapid recovery."

If Slipstream didn't know any better, then she would've missed Megatron's tone of voice suggesting that he was rather a little disappointed that Starscream would still be able to walk on both feet without an issue.

The silver Cybertronian was slow to sit up, but was quick to bite back at his leader, "Hopefully every bit as rapid as your wrath is swift." He coughed in pain.

On the opposite side of Starscream was Moonlight, overlooking the former's pained expression. She gave him a pat on the back to help stop him from coughing. But upon seeing Megatron's narrowed glance at her, she soon slinked away from her former leader.

Slipstream, standing proudly nearby Megatron as his second-in-command, wasn't going to deny that she enjoyed seeing Moonlight finally getting put into her place. The black and pink Decepticon had gotten the message about what happened when you attempt to overthrow not only Megatron but Slipstream too.

She could barely make out the talon marks on Moonlight's neck, but they were there. Reminding Moonlight to never try to take the second-in-command position away from Slipstream. Because she fights back. Hard.

Megatron chuckled in amusement of their behaviour, "And how swiftly things change. To think that but a short time ago, it was you who was standing here while I was lying there. Right after your failed attempt to terminate me! But know this, dear Starscream, our positions shall never again be reversed."

Happy to say what he got to say, Megatron walked away from the medical berth, his thunderous footsteps slowly disappearing from Starscream's audio receptors. Slipstream took one glance at the pair of Decepticons in front of her before following her leader out of the med-bay.

She couldn't bear to stand another second anywhere near that toxic Moonlight.

As soon as Megatron and Slipstream had disappeared to the corridor outside the med-bay. Starscream hissed and wasted no time, ripping tube after tube off his body. Moonlight was surprised by Starscream's motivation, having seen the injuries he sustained from Megatron, but then she smirked. Starscream was never stood down for long.

And neither was she. It was time to move back into action.

"Shall we move onto back-up plan A?" Moonlight innocently questioned the silver Decepticon, immediately helping him to stand up when he chose to.

"We shall."

Outside, the medical room, Knock Out was busy looking through a data-pad in his servos, pressing the odd button on it here and there. Rebecca Rose watched him from a distance on a shelf nearby.

After seeing the leader and second-in-command of the Decepticons walk out of the med-bay. Rebecca knew Starscream far too well to know that he wouldn't stay down for very long. He was like a puppy who never ran out of energy, no matter how much they would run around and play. Just like his thirst for the Decepticon leadership never ended no matter how quenched that thirst would be.

So she wasn't too surprised when the doors behind Knock Out slid open, revealing a weak Starscream holding his chest. But what surprised her was Moonlight following alongside him. She narrowed her eyes at the Decepticon.

Upon seeing Starscream limping in the corner of his optics, the red medical Decepticon looked around towards him in surprise, "Starscream? Have you lost your senses?" He trailed after him when he refused to acknowledge him, "You haven't fully recuperated!"

"I feel fine, Knock Out! Never better! You're a brilliant physician! Now GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Starscream demanded frustratingly, shoving the red Decepticon out of the way before continuing his journey.

Moonlight went to follow him before a small noise below her interrupted her walk. She looked down at her feet, annoyed to find a superhuman with crossed arms in front of her foot.

"And where do you two think you're going?"

"None of your concern, Rebecca." She bent down and picked up the human, wrapping her digits around the girl. She pulled her close to her face with narrowed optics, "Now, be a darling and leave Starscream and I be. We have important matters to attend to, kid." Without a care in the world, Moonlight threw the girl over her shoulder, walking away quickly to catch up with the limping Starscream.

Despite her close bond with the superhuman at first, Moonlight had soon gotten over her fascination with the girl. Now she was just poking into everyone's business and being annoying.

'Someone should put a muzzle on that human,' Moonlight thought with amusement as she walked on with Starscream.

Behind them, Knock Out, who was a tad more concerned about the damage Starscream had possibly done to his finish than what his two Cybertronian comrades were up to, was unprepared when Rebecca suddenly landed in his hand. He watched her rise to her feet in his hand slowly, shaking her head as if she was making sure she wasn't seeing double and took off on her hoverboard after the two Decepticons.

And to think, Moonlight and Rebecca were the best of friends when Moonlight had first arrived onto the Decepticon scene. But then Knock Out shook his head.

Friendships within the Decepticon ranks tended to never last.

He should be thankful that his long-lasting partnerships with Slipstream and Breakdown have lasted longer than many others.

The doors slid open before Starscream and Moonlight, showing them an empty corridor. The two walked through the doors quickly, allowing them to close as they continued down the corridor. While Starscream continued to wheeze over his injuries, Moonlight showed him a confused expression.

Just because she was aware of the back-up plan was, it didn't mean that she was aware of what the plan entailed.

"Where are we going, Starscream?"

"Dark Energon may have replenished our master's strength," Starscream began, stopping suddenly and reaching into a small space behind a wall, "But how could he forget that he never reclaimed his original shard?" He returned to full heigh, revealing the purple Dark Energon shard within his hand.

Starscream remembered when he flew into space weeks ago after Soundwave picked up a signal near the wreckage of the Spacebridge the Decepticons had used to bring through Megatron's army with little success. He remembered finding his severely weakened master floating around with the wreckage, the gaping hole in his chest showing the Dark Energon shard he had plunged into his spark after his return from space. He remembered pulling the shard out from his master's chest, watching as the life from his red optics faded away.

"His original Dark Energon shard?" Moonlight gasped in disbelief, bringing Starscream out of his thoughts as she overlooked the shard with a sparkle in her optics.

"When Slipstream presented the Dark Energon shard to me as a way of reviving our master, I took it upon my own hands to hide somewhere no one could find it," Starscream explained with a small smirk.

Moonlight chuckled to herself, "Oh dear, Starscream. What are you planning?"

Starscream could only chuckle at Moonlight's eagerness, "Once the blood of Unicron flows through MY veins, our positions with our master and second-in-command shall be reversed…" Starscream could only say as his answer.

Behind the two Decepticons, a small human by the name of Rebecca Rose stood in surprise at what she had heard. Starscream and Moonlight were going to attempt to overthrow Megatron and Slipstream again. This time with something a little extra to help.

Rebecca slapped her forehead in frustration. How long was it going to take for Starscream and Moonlight to get the message about who runs the Decepticons?

WINDSWEPT'S P.O.V

"Let's try it again. Okay, ready? From the top. Aaaaannnddd... go!"

"Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete... ocho... erhm, nueve... uhhhhh, d... uhmmm, d.."

"Time!"

Oh man!

"It's diez."

Dammit! I was so close!

As we made our way to Autobot Base, Carly was teaching me simple Spanish language as a way to entertain ourselves during the drive to the base. She's been teaching me a lot of her Spanish heritage that she and Raf have grown up with. It's really interesting hearing about her and Raf's culture. In fact, pretty much all the humans are ethnically diverse. Carly and Raf are Spanish, Miko's Japanese and Agent Fowler's African-American. Jack's mentioned that he isn't sure of his culture apart from being American. He just hasn't searched into his heritage as the others have.

"Don't worry 'Swept. It is kind of hard to learn when you're going through it for the first time. You'll pick it up!" Carly assured me.

I smiled inside my motorcycle form as we entered the entrance tunnel heading towards the main room of the base. Carly could be so reassuring sometimes. It's really what I need when I'm feeling down and need a little pick-me-up. Which was something I definitely needed right now.

"Any progress between you and Arcee?" My charge asked me warily.

It hurts knowing that my partnership with Arcee was still damaged. I tried talking to her on multiple occasions, even using our sparring times to get a discussion going. It didn't work and one time I left the training room with bruised side. Now when I think about it. I know that I just have to give it time. Arcee was someone who needed time process things and decide whether or not to move forward. Besides, there's a good chance that the experience with that Decepticon posing as Sunburst a wee while back maybe playing on her mind a bit. And who's wouldn't it?

I drove into and parked up in the meeting room of the base. As soon as Carly hopped off my motorcycle frame, I transformed and quickly found Optimus, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Starlight and the humans looking at the computer screens. I locked my optics on Optimus when he turned to me, "What's going on?"

"I had hoped that my growing expertise on the subject would remain purely academic," Ratchet began, his optics locked on the computer screen above. On it, a large red signal was travelling at high speeds in what looked to be in some sort of rough terrain, "But though faint, this is clearly a Dark Energon signature. And it's moving fast."

"Megatron," Optimus realised.

Yeah, that sounds about right, Megatron wasting no time into rejuvenating the plans that failed so miserably the last time.

"Where did he find more of the bad stuff?" My audio receptors twitched at the voice coming nearby from me. And before I could stop them, my optics locked with Arcee's, who quickly looked up to the screen when she realised that I had returned to base.

"What's he going to do with it?" Sunburst asked, following Arcee into the room with Aquastrike and Bulkhead.

"Rebuild an army of the undead?" Bulkhead wondered, throwing his arms about.

Miko brightened up at the words, immediately pausing in her drawing and looking over at us with an excited expression, "Zombie Cons?"

"You just had to say 'the undead', didn't you?" I heard Carly mutter before greeting Jack with a quick peck on the lips.

"Gross," Miko scowled at the couple, going back to whatever she was drawing.

"We cannot rule out the possibility," Optimus nodded at the suggestion Bulkhead gave him. The red flashing signal on the computer screen was still moving at a rapid pace, "Especially since Megatron seems to be heading to a familiar sight."

I hummed. That rough terrain on the map does look familiar...

"Who even said it was Megatron in the first place?" Starlight argued, raising a hand at the screen.

"It's Dark 'Nergon, Star. Of course it's bucket'ead!" Aquastrike protested back.

"I'm just saying. It wouldn't be the first time we would be misled into believing something that wasn't."

A growl was incidentally heard after Starlight finished her sentence. Sunburst and I took one look at one another. We both knew what Starlight was referring to AND who it was that growled at hearing that sentence...

NO ONE'S P.O.V

Starscream flew urgently over the canyon. It was the first time that he'd been properly out of the Decepticon Warships for weeks, given that as the Decepticon leader, it wasn't best to stray very far anyway. And Starscream couldn't go anywhere anyway after Megatron reclaimed the Lord of the Decepticons position off him.

If Megatron knew what he was up to, he would be lying in that medical berth for another two, if not more, weeks. Best to get this plan up and running quickly.

Below him, his recently faithful companion in Moonlight chased the shadow of his jet form, her black and pink Ducati motorcycle form racing to keep up with the quick pace the jet above her had. It was important that Moonlight continued her quest for a piece of Decepticon leadership. She needed to find a way to get close to Megatron again and maybe this way might be the only way.

She only needs to fool Starscream a little bit longer.

Starscream flew closer to the ground Moonlight's vehicle form was racing on and transformed into his Cybertronian form with a purring purple shard of Dark Energon in his tight grip. Moonlight soon followed suit and transformed as well, appearing beside the still battered and bruised Seeker.

"Ah… The gravesite of the almighty Skyquake. So quick to object my authority while you lived." Moonlight shook her head in disappointment during Starscream's monologue. Skyquake would've been a great warrior to the Decepticon cause. But his ever-lasting loyalty to Megatron cost him his own life before he had the chance to serve his master.

Starscream held up the shard of Dark Energon, "But as the first of my reanimated warriors, you shall bow to my command." He snapped the shard in two, purple mist oozing around the broken pieces. It followed after one piece when Starscream threw it to the gravesite that was created in honour of Skyquake.

Moonlight watched it bounce from three of the largest rocks that sat on top of the burial site, soon finding its' way through a gap in the rocks. The shard wasted no time activating its power, the grave glowing purple. Her optics lit up at the glow coming from the grave: she had never seen Dark Energon work its' power before. It was mesmerising for her, to stand there and watch the glow get brighter and brighter.

Beside her, Starscream took one look at the other half of the Decepticon shard and stabbed himself with it in his chassis through his Decepticon emblem. His optics glowing purple, he purred in delight as the infamous blood of Unicron began taking over his form., "Yes... Power of Dark Energon, be MINE!"

Moonlight gasped in fright as her companion beside her suddenly lit up in purple flames from the Dark Energon now pumping through his body. She shook her head in disbelief and in the realisation of what Starscream had planned.

"Symbiosis," Starscream purred before he cackled at the power he could feel; from the small shard that he had shoved through the emblem on his chest. He clutched his hands into fists, "I can feel it!

Moonlight had to jump away from Starscream when the ground began to crack, the same mesmerising purple glow lighting it's way up from the ground through the cracks. It was rising with Starscream, who held his arms up at the Dark Energon now rushing through his veins.

This was not what Moonlight had anticipated Starscream to do.

Was Starscream that crazy? Apparently so...

WINDSWEPT'S P.O.V

"Megatron has barely emerged from stasis. And it seems he's already making up for lost time," Optimus observed, looking at all of us "Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Aquastrike, Starlight, Windswept, Ratchet, prepare to roll out!"

It didn't surprise me that Optimus called upon a large group of us to tackle this mission. There was no doubt in my mind that if Megatron was indeed planning something with Dark Energon, Slipstream and possibly Soundwave and Rebecca were there to back him up too. That could mean that we could have a big battle on our hands. Especially if Dark Energon was involved.

As the group of us whose names were selected began making our way towards the Groundbridge to prepare ourselves for the mission, I heard Ratchet gasp in what was probably surprise, "Me?"

"If we are dealing with Dark Energon, I may well require your expertise," Optimus simply told his old friend, "Sunburst, Arcee?"

"Bridge operators," Sunburst nodded.

"Got it," Arcee finished.

If I didn't know better, I wouldn't be thinking that Arcee was glad that she wasn't going to be stuck on this mission with me. She had refused to say even one word to me since I told her everything about a week ago. If something went wrong on the battlefield, and if Arcee and I were unable to communicate with one another, things could go wrong. It was no secret that we weren't speaking. We can't have that hangover everyone's heads.

Aquastrike and Starlight shared a fist bump. This was going to be their first proper mission together. In fact, for us three femmes from Iacon, it was going to be the first time we all were going on a mission. You'd have to go a wee way back during our Iacon days to find when we last were on the battlefield together!

"You got this 'Swept! Go bash some 'Cons for me!" Carly yelled out from the human rec area.

I smirked and threw a few air punches in excitement, riling myself up for a good battle. I mean, come on, if Slipstream's there, then, of course, it's gonna be a good fight!

"Go get 'em, Bulkhead! Bring the hurt!" Bulkhead could only punch his fists together over his chassis at his charge's encouragement.

Miko must still be intently focused on the drawing she was working on. She didn't sound so excited about the mission. She hasn't even run over to Optimus yet and demanded that she come watch us.

Hmmm... weird...

NO ONE'S P.O.V

Behind the Autobots who were preparing themselves for the mission, Jack, Carly and Raf couldn't help but narrow their eyes at their normally enthusiastic friend. Sitting opposite the trio on a couch to herself, Miko continued her drawing, not showing the slightest bit of interest in the fact that her guardian and his teammates were about to embark on yet another mission.

"That's not like Miko to not wanna go," Jack remarked with a shake of his head.

"She's definitely up to something," Raf agreed in a whisper, looking at Jack.

Carly wasn't convinced by Miko just sitting on the couch with no intentions to follow the Autobots through the Groundbridge that was about to open. She shook her head and glued her eyes to her friend, preparing herself for when her best friend decided to make a move, "Juuuuust wait for it."

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

Having overheard the discussion between the humans behind me, I couldn't help but smile about Carly. She knew her best friend far too well for her to just sit and behave herself for a change. Even if we all wanted Miko to just stay put and stay the hell out of the mess we were surely about to enter.

The Groundbridge swirled to life in front of us. As we entered deep within the blue and green swirls, Optimus transformed into his truck semi form. We all quickly followed suit and drove through the passageway to see what just was on the other side.

Or, as Starlight had mentioned earlier, who exactly was waiting for us.

NO ONE'S P.O.V

Carly should've known that something was going to happen the second she saw Miko's eyes move away from her drawing.

With a smirk, Miko leapt over the armrest of her chair, her pens and drawing pad left behind and began her race after the Autobots.

Jack jumped to his feet, "Making a break!" Manoeuvring his way around the furniture, even tripping up over a loose crate, the black-haired boy began his chase after his friend. Carly and Raf wasted no time following after him.

Meanwhile, Sunburst looked at Arcee with a worrying glance. He was worried about the friendship between his friend and his sister who had failed to communicate with each other since certain truths came out. Arcee was a lone Autobot as it was and didn't really connect with the other members in the base as it was apart from Jack and his sister. Sunburst didn't want the two to lose their partnership because of what had been shared.

"Hey, Arcee? Are y-"

"If it's about Windswept, I don't want to hear it."

Sunburst closed his mouth as quickly as he could when Arcee interrupted him. But it didn't last long, "I was just going to ask if you were okay, but you know what, never mind."

Arcee huffed, turning to face the taller yellow and white mech, "What do you want from me, Sunburst?"

While the two Autobots began talking, their discussion was enough for them to miss a certain Japanese exchange student landing at the bottom of the stairs leading up to their area of the base. The certain student who was quickly making her way towards the still open Groundbridge because of Sunburst distracting Arcee...

Miko was close to her fulfilling part two of her plan – sneak through the Groundbridge successfully. Part one was to make her peers believe that she wasn't even thinking about following her Autobot friends. Part three was to take as many photos as her phone would allow of the upcoming battle.

Behind her, Jack, Carly and Raf were quick to jump down the steps and continue their chase after their friend.

"What's going on between me and Windswept is none of your concern Sunburst," Arcee growled, looking away from Sunburst and back at the Groundbridge controls.

Sunburst narrowed his optics. He wasn't going to give up on this argument. He may regret it later, but he might've regretted it a lot more if he didn't try to help his friends sort out their issues. "For Primus sake, Arcee, just talk to 'Swept please!"

Miko was nearly there. She was ready for the Groundbridge to transport her to where the Autobots had gone to. It was so close...

"It's not safe!" Miko was forced to stop suddenly when someone behind her grabbed her wrist tightly. She looked around and wasn't very surprised to find Jack attempting to drag her back inside the base.

"I am not going to miss my first Zombie Con throw down!" Miko protested back, attempting to pull away from Jack's grip.

Carly, who had now caught up to the pair, grabbed Miko's other wrist and attempted to help Jack drag her friend back into base with much difficulty, "Well, we don't want..." She stopped briefly in her struggle. "...You to become a zombie yourself!"

Jack and Carly failed to take note of how strong Miko's will power was. The attempt at stopping her only made their friend more determined to see the battle. She fought herself out of their grips and continued racing into the Groundbridge.

"Arghhhh! That girl!" Carly groaned, racing into the Groundbridge after her friend. Jack and Raf soon followed after them.

What the four humans failed to notice was that the small pink rectangular device that their adventurous friend had dropped amidst the struggle...

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

Huh, so this place is familiar after all.

After we drove through the Groundbridge, we had transformed immediately to find ourselves in the Grand Canyon. For Optimus, Bumblebee and myself, this place was quite familiar, given that we had battled Skyquake here after he was reawakened by Starscream and Slipstream in an attempt to gain more control over their Decepticons.

Hmmmm, maybe Starlight was right. As far as we were concerned, Megatron wasn't aware of Skyquake being alive during his comatose state. Maybe it isn't him after all.

NO ONE'S P.O.V

Behind the Autobots, the four humans known as Miko, Carly, Jack and Raf popped out of the Groundbridge one by one. Miko was quick to follow her Cybertronian friends and start preparing for part three of her plan – find a good spot to take some pictures of the upcoming battle. And she did just so by climbing up a pile of rocks to get a better view. Carly, Jack and Raf wasted no time climbing up after her.

Now on top of the rock pile, she looked up to see the Autobots make their way towards the Decepticon who was causing the Dark Energon signal.

"That's not Megatron!" She heard her guardian yell in realisation.

WINDSWEPT'S P.O.V

No Bulkhead, it most certainly wasn't Megatron.

And Starlight was indeed correct.

Standing before us, full of what we could only assume was Dark Energon, was Starscream, who looked rather bruised from what I presumed was a recent fight, and Moonlight, standing nearby.

"Rise, Skyquake! Rise!" Starscream commanded as the rock memorial Optimus, Bumblebee and I had left for Skyquake began to shake the earth around us, glowing a bright purple...

NO ONE'S P.O.V

"Let's see some fight of the living dead already!" Miko cried with excitement, her eyes gleaming and waiting to see the fight begin.

"Miko! What were you thinking?" Jack hissed, joining her with Carly and Raf.

"She wasn't," Carly and Raf answered for her, their eyes narrowing at their friend.

"Hey! I totally missed out last time! This could be my only chance to take some snaps," Miko told them, looking between Jack and Carly either side of her. She sat up and began to feel around for phone only for the realisation to soon dawn upon her, standing up and looking around her, "My cell phone! I must have dropped it back at base!"

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

As soon as Optimus slid on his battle mask and activated his weapons, we were all quick to follow. It was time for the battle to begin.

"Starscream," Optimus growled, gaining his and Moonlight's attention.

"Autobots!" Said Decepticons cursed when they turned around and realised that we had arrived to spoil their party.

"Stand down!" Optimus growled as we aimed our weapons towards them.

"You stand down!" Starscream pathetically ordered, pointing the missile on his arm at us.

Using a single digit, he fired the missile at us. We all scrambled to take cover immediately, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Aquastrike going one way while Optimus, Ratchet, Starlight and I went another. An explosion of orange flames and black smoke soon followed after us. The two groups of us hid behind rocks large enough to keep us all hidden.

"You cannot harm me while Dark Energon flows through my veins!" Starscream announced.

Optimus was quick at attempting to disprove this theory, appearing from behind the rock and firing a blaster shot at the weak Decepticon. The shot managed to grab Starscream's lower arm and blow it right off. We watched as Starscream looked and realise that his arm had been shot off, standing in shock of what had occurred.

Aquastrike whistled on the other side of us, "Nice shot, Prime!"

She wasn't wrong. It was a good hit!

"Oh, you idiot!" Moonlight groaned, face-palming before racing over to Starscream. Grabbing his only arm left, she dragged him away from us, firing a few shots at us from her blasters. We dodged the blaster fire with ease, but it was enough of a distraction for the pair of Decepticons to grab the remains of Starscream's arm and take cover.

"You clipped his wing. He's grounded," Bulkhead told Optimus.

"Then what are we waiting for then?" Starlight growled and immediately jumped over the rock she was hiding behind with Optimus, Ratchet and I.

"Scrap!" I groaned as we chased after the femme. Starlight's anger was clouding her judgement again. And she was doing so well holding back...

"Come on. Come on. RISE ALREADY!" We heard Starscream impatiently exclaim at the glowing burial site we were charging too.

We paused for a moment, spreading ourselves out in case Starscream and Moonlight decided to pull a runner. Starlight, however, continued to inch closer and closer to the rock her sister and Starscream were hiding behind.

"Oh, you are a fool, Starscream!" Moonlight huffed, "Moonlight to the Nemesis, requesting an emergency Groundbridge to my coordinates!"

We continued inching closer and closer to the rock providing shelter for the injured Starscream and the annoyed Moonlight. This was it. We were about to possibly take two Decepticons, prisoner...

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MADE ME LOSE MY PHONE!"

Oh, you have got to be kidding me!

Standing on a pile of rocks behind us were our four lovely, faithful and responsible human friends. Jack, Carly, Miko and Raf...

"How is this my fault?!" Jack's voice was loud enough for us to hear him say to Miko.

"Oh no," Bulkhead gasped.

Starlight, who had removed herself from her vendetta against Moonlight, for the time being, walked past Ratchet and Bulkhead and looked up at the humans that had followed us, "Never underestimate Miko's acting."

Most of us nodded in agreement.

I wasn't too concerned. All we had to do was get the humans back to base with one or two of us to make sure they went back. Shouldn't be a big deal, right?

"Well, well, well." Now that did not make things any better. Appearing out of nowhere behind the human kids was none other than Rebecca Rose, a boomerang in her hand and prepared to cause mayhem.

Now, that was a problem.

My fear over Carly heightened to a new level, seeing her, Jack, Miko and Raf slowly back away from the brown and red-haired girl. I charged ahead of the group, pointing my two blasters at the superhuman, "Back away from the children, Rebecca. Now."

"Awhhh, but 'Swept!" I cringed angrily at her using my nickname, "I've only just arrived at the party! Don't tell me it's over already!"

This kid had some kind of sick humour.

"Base to Optimus. The kids are missing."

"Oh, so you now you just realise, Arcee?! Honestly? NOW?!"

I looked around me and saw that Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Aquastrike and Starlight were giving me looks of horror.

Did I just say that out loud...?

Oh scrap.

"We have a visual," Optimus responded to Arcee after a moment, "Send a Groundbridge immediately."

Just like that, a Groundbridge portal opened up in front of us. But then the sounds of a duplicate Groundbridge sounded through our audio receptors. We turned to discover a second Groundbridge on the far side of us. One of them was for us, the other for Starscream, Moonlight and Rebecca.

Which one was ours?

"Two?" Ratchet gasped before turning to the humans, "YOU FOUR! ENTER OUR GROUNDBRIDGE! NOW!"

Wait! Rebecca!

I turned back around to see the humans. Thankfully all of them, including Rebecca, were distracted by the opening of the double Groundbridges to have made a move. I pointed my blasters at Rebecca once more, gaining her attention, "You, leave, now. You know I won't be afraid to shoot even if you're standing beside those kids or not."

That was a gigantic lie. But shhhh, she can't know that they're my weaknesses.

Rebecca rolled her eyes and put her boomerangs away, jumping away from the kids, "And the party was just getting started and everything..."

The disappointed look in Miko was clear but Carly was smart enough to grab her by the wrist and drag her off the rock pile with their friends before she could think otherwise, muttering something to her. However, I didn't trust Miko. There was no way that Carly, Jack and Raf could keep Miko at bay for very long. And what if Rebecca didn't take off like I made her to?

I looked between Aquastrike and Starlight with panic in my optics, "Make sure they get through safely!"

The two nodded at my request and ran after the humans towards our Groundbridge. At the other side of us, Starscream, with his loose arm, Moonlight and Rebecca were sprinting towards their Groundbridge, the two Cybertronians diving into the portal with Rebecca shortly behind them. At the same she ran into the Decepticon Groundbridge, the humans, Aquastrike and Starlight raced into ours.

Whewww. They were safe.

Unfamiliar whirring began to occur out of the Groundbridges. Their energies of blue and green swirls began reaching out towards the other, making the sight a little more bluey-green than normal.

Oh no... Something's gone horribly wrong. I could feel it!

"Ratchet, what is happening?" Optimus asked.

"The duelling Groundbridge portals must be feeding back each other!" Ratchet yelled in answer, having to raise his voice over the rising sounds of whirring.

The kids, Aquastrike and Starlight came back into my mind. They had just entered the portal before the whirring began. I gasped, looking up at Bulkhead, "Carly!"

"And Miko! We've got to get the kids out of there!" Bulkhead nodded at me.

We charged towards our still open Groundbridge, preparing ourselves to leap into it after our friends. But just as we reached it, the energies from the open portal spat us away from it, landing on the ground a few feet away from it hard. But I shook my helm – there was no way that I was going to-

Just as I climbed onto my knees, an explosion forced everything I saw to go black...

NO ONE'S P.O.V

A common Vehicon was busy at work at a computer station. He was reading the screen in front of him carefully, making sure that what he didn't miss anything that was on it. If there was important information that Megatron should know about, and he didn't tell him said information, he might end up on a medical berth similar to Starscream had been. So he continued his work as if there was nothing that could distract him.

Until a familiar whirring sound erupted in his audio receptors behind him.

Spinning around, the Vehicon was surprised to find Starscream and Moonlight diving through, landing on their fronts with groans. As the Groundbridge closed behind them, Starscream sat up onto his knees and looked around in horror.

"My arm!"

Moonlight huffed, clenching her hands into fists tightly as she stood to full height, "If you've lost that arm, I swear to Primus..." She trailed off when she realised that there was a common Vehicon in front of them.

Starscream jumped up towards him, pointing a clawed talon to the innocent Cybertronian, "Not a word about this! TO ANYONE!" With that, the still bruised Decepticon wandered away from the drone and towards the doors of the medical bay.

Moonlight shook her head in disappointment. The back-up plan was a fail. But more importantly, her plan of trying to Starscream into trouble to get into Megatron's good books was well underway. She chuckled to herself as she followed after the injured Decepticon to the medical bay, watching him pull the broken Dark Energon shard out from his chest.

Starscream was no Megatron.

The dust began to clear from the explosion that had taken the wind out of everyone's sails. Every unconscious form of Autobot and human were scattered around the canyon. No one knew exactly what had just occurred, but what they did know was they were just starting to come to after being knocked to the ground from the impact of the strange explosion.

"Whoaa..." Miko came to first, groaning and shaking her head.

"What was that?" Carly wondered, brushing off any dirt off her sleeves.

"Are you guys OK?" Jack asked with concern, looking between his human friends

"Yeah. I think so," Raf groaned, adjusting his glasses as they began to climb to their feet.

"Urghhh, I feel like pukin'!" Aquastrike moaned, falling onto her back when she attempted to stand.

Starlight, who was climbing to her knees beside her bulky aqua blue friend, cringed and moved away, "Please don't vomit anything near me."

As the two Autobots and the four humans began to familiarise themselves with the place they were in, the sounds of groaning behind them immediately caught their attention. Their friends were beginning to wake up.

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

Ohhhhh man... what happened...? Bright lights, loud noises...

A Groundbridge... or two...

The other Autobots around me also began to come to, Bulkhead the first of all of us to get onto his feet. He looked around at us and asked worriedly, "What just happened?"

I fell onto my back when I attempted to climb to my knees. Man, whatever that explosion was sure took all the energy out of me. Bulkhead appeared in front of me and reached out his servo. My weak arms managed to reach out to his, both my tiny servos grabbing his larger sole one so he could help me get to my feet.

Ratchet groaned nearby, also climbing to his feet with Optimus and Bumblebee, "I can't be certain. But if two Groundbridges sent to the same coordinates crossed streams, the feedback could have triggered a system overload."

I took a step forward, looking around the canyon for any sight of my friends that ran through the portal. I just hoped that with Aquastrike and Starlight, the humans made it through the portal safely to base.

NO ONE'S P.O.V

"Could?" Aquastrike questioned the word in disbelief, now that she was up onto her feet with Starlight. She pulled a face at the medical Autobot like he was talking about something she didn't understand.

"Hello! More like totally did!" Miko agreed.

"The kids made it through, right?" The green, bulky former Wrecker asked worriedly, looking around the canyon.

"And Starlight and Aquastrike?" The yellow and black scout asked.

"Huh?" Raf hummed in surprise.

"What?" Carly questioned in disbelief walking with Miko towards their guardians.

"What're they talking about?" Jack wondered.

Miko stopped in her walking, looking up at her guardian with anger and confusion, "Bulkhead! We're right here!"

"'Swept! Hey! Down here!" Carly yelled, jumping up and down to get her guardian's attention to no avail.

WINDSWEPT P.O.V.

Something seems off. That explosion must have done something. If the humans, Aquastrike and Starlight made it back to base, surely Sunburst and Arcee would've commed to tell us that they made it back safe and sound.

"Arcee, did the children make it safely back to base?" Optimus spoke into the main commlink.

"Negative." I swallowed hard at Arcee's answer. "You don't see them?"

"No sign," Ratchet answered, taking a few steps forward.

"Where are they then?" I asked with panic, fear and anger mixed into one, looking around at Ratchet. I think my optics might've had a deranged look in them. Ratchet looked at me like I gave him a look that said 'I'm gonna kill you if you don't have a proper answer for this.'

NO ONE'S P.O.V

Carly continued to shout at her friend, standing right in front of her, "Windswept! Hey! I'm down here!" Suddenly, her guardian took a step towards her, her lower leg mere inches away from her own charge that for some reason she couldn't see. She screamed when her own guardian walked right through her, a wave of dizziness crashing over her as she stumbled into Jack's arms behind her.

"He went right through you," Jack told her, looping his arms around his girlfriend's waist to help her stand back onto her feet.

"Somet'in's not right 'ere," Aquastrike narrowed her optics at her friends.

Starlight elbowed her friend in her lower arm, locking eyes with her partner, "No duh, genius."

Now Aquastrike narrowed her optics at her friend, "Ya need to stop 'angin' 'round ol' Sourshine all t'e time."

"I don't wanna be a ghost!" Raf screeched, clutching onto Jack's leg while Miko clutched onto Carly's shoulder.

Carly lit up suddenly at the words of her brother, standing back to full height and stepping away from her friends to look at them. She held a confused expression on her face, "If we are ghosts, then how can well still touch each other?"

"Ughhh, spare me the dramatics, please and thank you!" The four humans and two Autobots looked around at the pile of rocks Miko had lead her friends to mere minutes ago.

Leaning up against a rock and throwing a boomerang up and down, catching it with ease, was none other than Rebecca Rose.

WINDSWEPT'S P.O.V

We decided that standing around here in the canyon wasn't going to yield us anything that we didn't already know. And while we wandered around to check if our friends, Cybertronian or human, were possibly nearby. Well, toes crossed right? Or was it fingers?

The human language was strange.

"Ratchet, could the children have been transported onto the Nemesis instead?" Optimus asked.

The idea of that occurring made me quiver on my feet. What if Megatron had found the kids? What if he decided that he was going to use them against us? What if he tortures them for information to use against us? Those poor kids wouldn't stand a chance if Rebecca happened to use her electric prod on them! She'd have a field day times four with her sick humour!

"Not likely. If Starscream and Moonlight didn't arrive at our base, the most likely explanation is a dislocation," Ratchet summarised, "The children may have simply been bridged to an unintended destination."

Anything Ratchet was saying regarding where Carly and the rest of the group could possibly be did not make me feel better at all.

NO ONE'S P.O.V

"Of all t'e stinkin' 'nd nasty-lookin' 'Cons 'round, why did we 'ave to get stuck wi'h you?" Aquastrike grumbled loudly, pointing her triple blasters at the small superhuman. Beside her, Starlight pulled out a Kunai knife, spinning the lopped handle around with a single finger.

"Starscream and Moonlight were up to something. I got curious," Rebecca shrugged, her head going up and down with the boomerang she was throwing.

Aquastrike narrowed her optics at the superhuman, "What a shame curiosity didn' get t'e chance to kill ya."

Carly huffed and took a few steps forward to give the girl in front of her a piece of her mind when her little brother grabbed her wrist, holding her back. Her eyes softened at the puzzling face Raf held.

"Another place but in the same place."

"Wha-What? What do you mean?" Jack asked as the group except for Rebecca looked down at Raf for his answer.

"Oh please, this isn't rocket science!" The group looked over at the superhuman once more, watching her catch her boomerang before she slipped it on a hook on her skirt. Adjusting her large bow headband, Rebecca looked at them, "We're obviously in some kind of shadow dimension! A shadow zone, if you will." She scoffed and shook her head like it was the easiest thing to work out.

"And here's us thinking that you were all show and no brains," Miko muttered.

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"Look." Optimus' voice interrupted me from my thoughts as we gathered around what was Skyquake's burial site. Now nothing, but a large hole of emptiness, "Skyquake's tomb is empty."

"How did we miss Skyquake rising and shining?" Bulkhead asked in disbelief.

"It would seem Starscream got what he came for," Ratchet observed.

Dark Energon, a dead Skyquake... it all made sense. Starscream and Moonlight were attempting to raise their own army of undead just like Megatron had attempted to.

I shook my helm. We couldn't be worrying about this right now. My mind returned to my friends lost to wherever they were, "Skyquake can wait." I looked up at Optimus with determined optics, "We have to find the Starlight, Aquastrike and the kids."

Optimus nodded in agreement, speaking into, his commlink "Arcee, bridge us back to base."

NO ONE'S P.O.V

Carly shook her head at Rebecca's behaviour towards them. It was childish and pathetic, really, the way she was acting. But the brunette knew that she had to let it go. During the shaking of her head, the girl's eyes caught onto something. Something that was heading towards her Cybertronian friends. And she wasn't the only one to see it.

"ZOMBIE!" Miko yelled at the sight of the undead Cybertronian heading towards her friends.

Rebecca took a step forward, her eyes widening. Starscream and Moonlight had done it. They had managed to reawaken Skyquake.

"Guys, look out!" Jack yelled as the four humans sprinted after their friends.

"Bulkhead!" Miko screamed.

"'Swept! Turn around!" Carly shouted.

"It's right behind you!" Raf cried.

Aquastrike watched in horror as the undead Cybertronian raised his sharp-clawed hand toward her bulky friend. But her shorter, slimmer friend beside her wasn't going to allow herself to be frozen in fear of the sight. Starlight raced ahead and threw one of her knives at the battered and bruised Terracon. But it was too late. The Terracon swiped at Bulkhead.

And missed.

The humans, Aquastrike and Starlight stood in disbelief for a moment, happy at the thought that their friends were safe from the deranged Decepticon. And they watched as their Autobot friends walked safely through the open Groundbridge waiting for them.

"Awesome! It can't touch them either!" Miko cheered.

"That doesn't mean anything good, sweetheart," Rebecca pointed out, standing beside the humans as the purple-eyed Decepticon looked around and began charging towards the group.

Jack began to put the pieces of Rebecca's words and the situation together, "If that thing can't touch the bots..."

"Just like we can't," Miko continued with fear.

The sound of a ding interrupted them. The group of humans and Cybertronians watched the undead Skyquake stopped and looked down at what made the ding noise.

Starlight's knife had hit him.

"Then we're trapped in a shadow zone with a Decepticon zombie?" Raf finished.

"If we weren't ghosts before, we certainly will be soon!" Carly squeaked.

The Terracon took a swipe at the humans before roaring at the Dark Energon that was coursing through his veins. The power! He had never felt so alive!

Aquastrike took a look at Starlight, who couldn't care about her loose knife. and nodded, transforming into her vehicle form and swinging all her doors open, "Get 'n!"

The humans raced into the aqua blue Italia, jumping in from all sides (AN: I'm well aware that the Italia's only look to have only two seats. But for this particular case, let's just say that this is a custom-built Ferrari Italia for Aquastrike). Carly had to help Raf into the car when he tripped up. Starlight transformed into her motorcycle form beside her friend and pulled a wheelie, immediately leading the way for her partner behind her as they raced away from the Terracon chasing at rapid speeds behind them.

"Carly..." Said girl looked pulled her eyes away from the rear mirror of the vehicle to look down at her brother to see what his concerned tone was about. But she didn't need him to tell her anything. She could only look in horror that her brother's red square-rimmed glasses were missing – he must have lost them when he tripped on the way into the car.

Miko and Jack, sitting in the front two seats, looked around and also held the same expression that Carly was holding at the realisation that Raf no longer had his glasses on him. The black-haired boy in the passenger seat turned around and looked through the right-hand mirror beside him. Skyquake was gaining quickly, but far behind the Cybertronian, he could see the red glasses sitting on the ground.

But Jack shook his head, "Way too dangerous." There was no way Aquastrike or Starlight could pull around, be able to stop to get Raf's glasses AND dodge the Terracon's swipes successfully.

"I can't see without them!" Raf argued, looking at Jack despite the fuzziness in his eyes.

"What are you? 90?!" Miko snapped, looking around her seat at the boy.

"You are not helping!" Carly hissed at her friend, her eyes narrowed angrily.

Miko scowled at her friend before she turned back to face the front in the driver's seat. She took another look in the left-hand mirror to see where exactly the glasses were. But then she gasped, "The glasses! They're gone!"

Aquastrike skidded to a halt behind a large rock that could protect her form from the Terracon. Starlight skidded a halt after her.

"Gone?! Whaddaya darn well mean 't'ey're gone'?!" Aquastrike questioned in disbelief.

"I looked through the mirror and they weren't there any more!" Miko answered her case, going to look through the mirror again. But then something caught her eye just outside the car, jumping in fright with a scream.

The humans turned to her as she lowered her window to reveal an unamused Rebecca, looking at Miko like the Terracon chasing them wasn't the worst thing in the world. She held out something red in her hand, "This belong to anyone?"

Miko grabbed the something red, looked over it for a moment, and then passed it to Carly, "Here you go, gramps!"

It was Rafael's glasses.

Carly, relieved that she didn't have to worry about her and Raf going to their mother and finding a way to tell her how her son lost his glasses, passed them to her brother for him to put them on. She took a look at the black and red-clothed female standing outside Aquastrike, "Thank you."

Rebecca rolled her eyes, crossing her arms, "Yeah, yeah, I'd give you the whole 'I'm not that heartless' speech, but we've got a Terracon to stop."

The humans nodded in agreement of Rebecca's words, but before they began formulating a plan, the sounds of roars from the undead Cybertronian coming after them started to get louder. Aquastrike and Starlight revved their engines and took off with Rebecca zooming after them on her hoverboard.

"Maybe we could set a trap. Try to crush it," Miko suggested, looking around at her friends.

"With what?" Raf questioned, "Nothing around here's solid except for us and the ground!"

"Star and I can' drive 'round forever!" Aquastrike pointed out.

She was in disbelief of herself – she knew she should've taken her ration of Energon this morning instead of waiting around... Then again, she didn't know that she would be stuck racing around with her partner, her human friends and... her not-so-human enemy beside her while an undead Cybertronian chased after them.

"We need to find a hiding spot to discuss battle tactics... and fast!" Carly told them.

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"Ratchet, if the children were misdirected to an unintended location, is there any way to get a fix on their coordinates?"

I paced back forth behind the rest of the team. We hadn't made much progress since we returned back to base. Sunburst and Arcee hadn't looked too pleased with themselves for letting the kids get through the Groundbridge without them noticing. And they didn't look too pleased with each other, I might add. I had a feeling that I knew what it was about. but I didn't want to get involved regardless. We had to find and save our friends.

"If they were lost, Miko would have called me," Bulkhead pointed out to Optimus.

"Maybe we could try calling them," Bumblebee suggested, causing me to pause mid-step as Bumblebee looked over at Bulkhead.

It wasn't a bad idea.

"Call them! Yes!" I walked over to my bulky teammate as he wasted no time pressing his digits to his audio receptor to call Miko.

But as soon as he did, the familiar ringtone that belonged to his charge's phone rung out. My insides deflated as we looked around at where the ringtone could be coming from. My optics stopped at the Groundbridge tunnel where Sunburst had bent down to grab something. He stood up and looked around at us, walking up with the pink cellphone in hand to Bulkhead.

Oh...

"That's why she hasn't phoned," Bulkhead groaned, taking the phone off Sunburst.

"Let me try Jack," Arcee insisted near us.

If that didn't work, I guess I could try reaching out to Carly, Hopefully, she had charged her phone before I brought her to base...

NO ONE'S P.O.V

"The best thing about zombies," Miko began as the one by one she and her friends hopped out of Aquastrike's vehicle form. She watched as her Cybertronian friends transformed back into their normal forms, imitating the movements of a zombie, "They're slow-moving.

Rebecca floated down onto her feet near the group, adjusting her oversized bow headband on her head, "Not this one. That Terracon's not going to be far away. So if we've got a plan, someone spit it out so we can roll it out." The girl clapped her hands together, joining the group of humans.

Carly stared at the girl, putting her hands on her hips, "Ar-Are you serious right now? You just come along and start bossing us around? I'm surprised you're not helping this Terracon destroy us!"

"Hey, I want to live when we're on the outside of this okay? I value my life," Rebecca snarked back.

"Enough, the both of you," Starlight told them, putting a foot between Rebecca and Carly, "Arguing is not helping this situation at all."

The brunette went to argue once more at the superhuman when a familiar sound interrupted them. Carly's ears perked up straight away, knowing exactly what the noise was, and turned to look at Jack behind her, "That's your-"

"PHONE!" The four humans exclaimed.

"What's a phone?" Rebecca asked with genuine confusion as Jack dug into his pockets for his phone. Receiving surprised looks from the humans and two Cybertronians around her, The seventeen-year-old girl just shrugged, "What? I'm serious!"

Jack answered his phone, "Hello? Arcee?"

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"Jack! Can you hear me?"

Things lit up for me at the second Arcee began talking into her comms. She could reach Jack! She could actually contact him! It was a start!

Then the blue femme disconnected her call, looking up at Bulkhead, "Nothing."

"'Nothing'?!" I gasped in disbelief, "I'm sorry, 'nothing'?"

Arcee turned to me, her optics full of frustration, "Nothing but static." She brushed past me and over to Bumblebee on the other side of the room.

I shook my head. I wasn't giving up. I instantly rang Carly's phone, hoping and praying that she would pick up her phone...

And then it went to voicemail...

Primus, dammit Carly!

NO ONE'S P.O.V

"Hello? Arcee!" Jack shouted into his phone, trying desperately to reach out to his guardian to no avail. He sighed and hung up his phone, "Nothing."

"Gee, imagine that?" Miko sarcastically began, "The fourth dimension has lousy phone reception!"

"The phone still rang, Miko," Starlight reminded her as the group turned to her, "We're still getting a signal."

"Maybe the Autobots can't see or hear us cause we're moving at hyperspeed or something," Raf wondered, looking to his sister.

"Do you think they can read us?" Jack asked him.

Carly thought hard. Regardless of where they were, they had gotten a signal. But if the phone reception was bad, they still had another way of contacting a cellphone. She snapped her fingers suddenly like a light bulb going off, "Texting!"

"Text me!" Miko told Jack beside her, "If my phone's back at the base, maybe they'll see it!"

"Okay, seriously guys, what's texting?" Rebecca questioned once more as the group.

Carly looked at the girl in disbelief. She didn't know what a phone was, let alone, texting! The girl expected the Decepticon to know everything just like she and her friends did. That was when she realised that maybe Rebecca did more than just be a Decepticon. Maybe she was stuck on the Warship rather than living on. Suddenly, Carly felt bad for the superhuman. Her life may not include certain choices and the brunette didn't know what that's like.

"Ohhhh, Rebecca Rose." Carly put an arm around her shoulders, "You have no idea what life outside of a Warship is like, do you?" The brunette had no idea what life was like inside a Warship, but she was certain that not being in one was better.

"I hope you can text while the vehicle you're in is speeding at nearly over 200mph." The humans looked up at their aqua blue friend, whose faceplates had just gone as white as ghosts' all of a sudden. It didn't take them long to realise why when they began to hear thudding noises approaching them.

Aquastrike immediately transformed and allowed the four humans to pile into her vehicle. The first thing she noticed when she was ready to go was that the group had reached a dead end. It wasn't a concern for her – she knew exactly what she had planned."'Ang on to somet'in' gang!" She was serious in her warning she kicked herself into gear, spinning around and driving straight between the Terracon's legs, speeding away quickly.

Starlight, in her motorcycle form, and Rebecca, still on her powered hoverboard, raced after the Ferrari Italia 458, barely dodging the roaring Skyquake taking a swipe at them.

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"We're dealing with fluctuating energy profiles inside a wide distortion field," Ratchet told us, "But it may be possible to back-trace their coordinates."

No progress was being made into finding our friends. Time was ticking away. What if we never found them? What if they stay stuck in wherever they are in? They can't last forever!

I was going nuts, absolutely insane. I had never been so worried about my friends in my life, especially for Carly. I just wanted them to be safe and to be home with us. I was going so insane that I swear I was hearing things now.

I was scared.

"Hey." I looked up from my position on the ground, finding Arcee looking over me with an emotionless expression. "You all right down there?"

I sighed and stretched my legs out from their former position of being huddled up to my chest. I wasn't sure if I could talk to her. I was kind of nervous too.

"You lied to me! You're supposed to be my friend! How could you not tell me about this?"

"I didn't know Arcee! If I had known that I'm related to both a Prime AND a Warlord, don't you think I would've said something before then?!"

"It's not just this, Windswept. It's the whole story! I told you everything about me! About Airachnid and Cliffjumper! All of it! ... And you didn't tell me that you had a sister."

"I thought she was dead!"

"I trusted you to tell me everything just like I had told you everything. Where does that leave us, Windswept?"

Good question.

Flashes of our argument from the previous week came into my mind. Arcee was so mad that there were things that I missed telling her about. But how could I when there were things that nearly made me cry at the thought of them? Some things were just a little too much for me.

Arcee continued to stare at me, waiting for my response. In the end, I heard the sounds of her sitting down beside me, leaning her back against the rough surface of the Autobot base walls.

I looked at her and took a deep breathe, "I'm scared Arcee."

The blue femme sighed and looked at me, her voice quiet enough for only me to hear, "So am I, 'Swept."

NO ONE'S P.O.V

"Déjà vu!" Miko yelled suddenly, looking around from her seat in Aquastrike's vehicle form.

"What?" Jack asked, looking at her in wonder of what she meant.

"This doesn't look familiar to you?" Miko questioned, looking at Jack before turning to the siblings in the back.

"Not really, Miko," Carly answered in confusion. She looked through every window and mirror around her. What did her friend mean?

"Wait! We've jus' gon 'n one big circle!" Aquastrike realised.

"Bingo! We have a winner!" The Japanese exchange student cheered sarcastically.

"HEY! LOOK OUT!" Aquastrike's attentions focused themselves back onto what was coming up in front of her, making her halt to a skid in a sudden. The humans jerked around inside the vehicle, wondering what Jack had yelled about to make their ride brake so quickly.

Starlight's attentions were elsewhere, spotting something black and pink not too far away from where Aquastrike had skidded to a halt. She grinned inside her motorcycle form as she drove over to her weapon of choice lying on the ground helplessly. Transforming in front of it, the pink and white femme bent down and picked up her Kunai knife, sitting it beside the other two looped at her hip before walking over to her friends.

Rebecca landed in front of what Aquastrike had halted in front of and gasped, both in realisation and with thought. She reached out to touch the object sitting in front of her and grinned when her hand made contact with it. Starscream's missing arm was sitting in front of her... and it was in the alternate dimension with her.

"Sweet!" Miko whispered in delight as she, Jack, Carly and Raf stepped out of the Italia 458.

"Whoa..." Jack gasped, walking around the limb.

"It must have gotten trapped in here during the explosion too!" Raf realised, looking up at Carly with a smile.

The sounds of roars and thunder footsteps coming closer towards the group immediately sent the group spinning around to find the undead Skyquake inching closer and closer.

"The arm is solid, so we can use it," Rebecca told the group, her hand barely grazing the red missile sitting on the limb, "The only problem with it is that I don't know what Starscream does to activate it."

While the humans gathered around the arm once more, Aquastrike's optics stayed glued to the Terracon coming closer to the group. She snarled, activating her blasters – it was time to stop running. Beside her, Starlight activated her weapons and nodded at her friend.

"I've 'ad enough of runnin' 'round." The aqua blue Autobot looked down at the humans, "Twinkle 'nd I will dis'ract the stupid 'Con. You lot try 'nd get dat t'in' workin'!" She looked at her friend beside her with a knowing nod and soon, the two charged at the undead Cybertronian, jumping to different sides as a way to get the Terracon's attention.

"Uh…Starscream, I don't quite understand how this could have happened?"

Starscream had eventually found his way to the medical bay and was quick to be tended to. Moonlight watched in amusement as the red Decepticon looked around in puzzlement, trying to figure out exactly how the arm came off in the first place. She was just waiting for Starscream to tell Knock Out everything that he had done. And then Megatron would get involved. That was the part where Moonlight planned to jump in and tell him of how she had desperately tried to stop him to no avail.

Megatron was bound to believe her little sob story, right?

"And yet it did! Can you imagine my horror? There I am! Minding my own business when my arm just falls off! Clearly, Megatron inflicted more damage on me then you realized!"

So when Starscream had decided to make up a whole lot of lies, Moonlight's plans quickly went out the door.

Her jaw nearly fell to the ground, "Surely, Knock Out, you don-"

"Well…on the bright side. This provides an excellent opportunity for an upgrade," Knock Out decided, interrupting Moonlight as he walked over to a medical monitor to show off all the different armed limbs he had. "Uh…let's see. You can go with a sonic cannon. It's reliable, low-maintenance. Although, it lacks a certain flair. Personally, I prefer the know ray. Has just the right mix of flash and firepower."

"I DON'T WANT A NEW MODEL!" Starscream snapped, shutting Knock Out up quickly, "I JUST WANT THE SAME ARM I HAD BEFORE!"

"But Starscream, your equipment is a bit…obsolete. I'm not sure I have another one lying around," Knock Out admitted, "Of course. We could try to salvage yours. You'd get it, did you?"

"It was…beyond recovery," Starscream answered, looking away and towards Moonlight.

"Boys, I have a question I need to ask of you." The trio's attentions turned to the doorway where the newly reappointed second-in-command was wandering in from. She paused and looked Moonlight up and down, "And Moonlight." She then looked at Starscream and Knock Out, "Have any of you seen Rebecca Rose? That girl hasn't shown up for training and it's not like her to be late."

Moonlight and Starscream's optics locked for a brief moment – they weren't deaf enough to know that Rebecca had followed them out into the canyon. They heard the Autobots telling her to stay away from the human pets who had followed them out. Wherever Starscream's arm was, there was no doubt that Rebecca was with it.

"Moonlight!" Said Decepticon exited her thoughts and looked at the blue and purple Seeker confronting her. "Where is Rebecca Rose?"

Moonlight shook her head innocently, "I couldn't tell you, Commander. I haven't seen the girl in hours. Though I don't really care what she does nowadays."

Slipstream's eyes narrowed for a brief moment before she sighed and turned away, walking to the doors leading out of the room, "If anyone does see her, do warn her that she isn't getting away with this freely." The doors slammed shut behind her.

The black and pink Cybertronian whined to herself. There was no way she could discuss her side to the 'story' if there was more than one witness... Yup, if that plan didn't go out the metaphorical window before, then it certainly had now.

The humans grunted and groaned as they pushed the limb over until it was facing the direction of the undead Decepticon. They would've gotten Aquastrike and Starlight to help them, but they were too busy distracting the Cybertronian the best they could.

Rebecca, as she stepped away from the arm, took a look around Jack, Carly, Miko and Raf as well as the two Autobots leaping around and teasing the Terracon. The group made quite the team – they worked together well, they communicated with each other well...

The Decepticons weren't like this at all...

"You know how to fire this thing?" Miko asked her, bringing Rebecca out of her thoughts, searching around the arm. "I don't see a trigger."

"Starscream does something with his fingers," Rebecca recalled, "But that's about it."

The sounds of screams interrupted them. Looking up, the small group saw Starlight being flung to the ground, landing roughly onto her side. She groaned, rolling onto her back and grimacing in pain. Aquastrike was quick to jump to her friend's side nearby, dragging her friend out of the Terracon's sight to check up on her.

"We have one shot. We need to make it count," Jack told them as the Terracon began coming closer to them.

Rebecca wandered in front of the limb and bit her lip, wondering which finger it was that activated the missile. She closed her eyes and imagined seeing Starscream firing the missile... and got her answer. She jumped behind the fingers with the group and pulled the index digit towards her, immediately setting off the missile towards the Terracon.

It smashed into the Cybertronian, showering the area with grey smoke and dust. Jack, Carly, Rebecca, Miko and Raf stood up one by one to see how much damage it created.

Miko was highly confident, grinning from ear to ear, "How do you like us now?!"

The dust and smoke eventually still hid how much damage it caused, but when Skyquake's helm appeared through the mess, it was obvious that the Terracon was still whole. The group of five's once cheerful faces turned sour quickly and they watched sparks started flying around the Terracon's arm.

Right before it fell off.

"That's it?" Rebecca scoffed in disbelief, "After all that?! Your ARM just FALLS off?!"

The digits on the hand that had just fallen off Skyquake began to twitch. Then it jumped onto its digits, using them as legs to scuttle its' way over to the group at a quicker pace than the Terracon itself.

Rebecca began to instantly regret her words, "RUN!" At her yell, it prompted the group to begin running away from the limb.

"Come on! COME ON!" Jack yelled, dragging Carly along when she had frozen in fear.

The sounds of engines had the humans relieved for the briefest of moments as the vehicle forms of Aquastrike and Starlight appeared beside them. The humans jumped into Aquastrike while Rebecca hoped onto the pink and white motorcycle, looking over her shoulder in disbelief as the arm bounced and scaled along the cliff face.

"How in the world can that Terracon arm move faster than the Terracon itself?"

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

Hours had passed since the explosion. While the first few hours had been tense, the next couple weren't as such. Ratchet continued searching desperately for the kids on the computer monitors with Optimus, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Sunburst crowded around him. Arcee and I sat near the Groundbridge behind them. Talking and talking and talking.

I guess you could say that things were going to be okay between us.

Just as I was going to mention that it had been a long time since we had last seen our friends, Bulkhead's frustrations must have gotten the better of him. He began to pace a little, trying to think of ways to help Ratchet speed up the progress of finding the others. Then he stopped suddenly.

"Miko's phone! It wasn't blinking before!" Arcee and I shared a look of hope, climbing up onto our feet. We gathered around Bulkhead as he looked at the phone, "It's a message. 'In alternate dimension with zombie. Help!'"

"That doesn't sound possible," Arcee stated, looking at us, hope deflating from her.

But that wasn't going to be enough to deflate my hope. We had a lead now – an alternate dimension.

"Ratchet, can we triangulate the geographical position of the cellphone's signal?" Optimus asked, looking at Ratchet

"In a parallel dimensional plane?" The medic asked in disbelief. He paused for a moment... and then suddenly got to work, "Let's find out."

Time we found our friends and brought them back home.

NO ONE'S P.O.V

Starscream rested soundlessly in the med-bay. He was waiting on two people to return – one was Knock Out, who had gone to see if he could find a replacement for the seeker's missing arm. And the other was Moonlight, who had gone to see if she could find Rebecca.

The last thing he and Moonlight wanted was for Rebecca to start blabbing to Megatron and Slipstream – Starscream may as well be dead if she did.

Something started pulsing in his hand. Sitting up quickly, the silver Decepticon looked in surprise at the glowing shard in his hand, "My Dark Energon shard? Pulsing?" For Starscream, that could only mean one thing. "My warrior lives!"

"Ah, look what I found in storage," Knock Out hummed as he returned to the medical bay, with a new and upgraded limb for Starscream, pausing to see said Seeker about to walk past him, "What are you doing?"

"You were right, Knock Out. I'm much too attached to my original appendage. I will retrieve it," Starscream told his doctor with determination.

Moonlight had just turned the corner towards the medical bay when she found Starscream coming straight towards her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her with him, "What are you doing, you idiot?"

Starscream only had to show her the pulsing Dark Energon shard to get her to shut up and come with him willingly.

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"By calculating the relative time delays and ionospheric distortions, the signal emanated from the exact location as the original Groundbridge coordinates," Ratchet announced to us, working hard and quickly at his controls.

"But we already looked for them there!" Bulkhead argued.

Ratchet paused at Bulkhead's words, "Perhaps. But NOT in the correct dimensional phase as their message stated. But if I can recreate the feedback loop which triggered the event, I might be able to generate a rescue portal, allowing passage from their dimension-."

"Back to base?"

"No!" Ratchet shot down Bulkhead quickly, turning around to face him, Arcee and I, "We're talking about interdimensional travel here, Bulkhead! Attempting to redirect the vortex trajectory would be far too risky!"

"Everybody knows that," Arcee nodded sarcastically, looking at us.

I nudged Bulkhead's arm with a similar tone, "Yeah Bulkhead, keep up with the times."

"If the coordinates aren't precisely the same, who knows where the humans, Aquastrike and Starlight could wind up!" Ratchet growled, turning back to the controls.

NO ONE'S P.O.V

"Aw come on!"

"If I wasn't mad at you earlier for getting us into this mess, Miko, then I certainly am now because of your moaning," Carly muttered before looking at her friend sitting in front of her, "What now?"

"This place is like one big merry-go-round!" Miko pointed to Starscream's arm still lying in the position that they had left it moments ago.

"SKYQUAKE!" The humans cowered in fear for a moment at the loud echoing voice. They looked out the front windscreen, finding the arm's owner and his partner-in-crime walking straight towards them, "YOUR MASTER SUMMONS YOU!"

Aquastrike braked to a halt, "How did dat stiletto-'eeled freak 'nd dat black-pink glitch get 'n dis dimension?"

"He didn't," Rebecca reminded them, pulling up beside the aqua blue Italia with Starlight, "He can't see us, remember."

Carly slapped her forehead in frustration, "Of course, of course." She looked away from the sight before them, looking out the rear windscreen to find the undead Cybertronian's arm still scuttling towards them. She looked back at the group, "Uhhhh, rain check on Starscream?"

Aquastrike and Starlight immediately kicked themselves into gear, driving away from the racey arm and heading towards Starscream when the familiar green and blue swirls appeared in front of them.

"A Groundbridge?" Raf questioned.

"That has to be our way out of here!" Jack insisted.

"We'll look at that, the Autobot's aren't that useless after all," Rebecca smirked, looking at the humans in the Italia 458. Upon seeing the glares they were producing, the brown and red-haired girl grinned innocently, "Kidding!"

Starscream, having the seen the Groundbridge portal suddenly open up before him, was confused, "What?"

"Ours or theirs?" Moonlight pondered, glancing at Starscream with a confused expression.

"We go through, we run smack into Starscream!" Raf told them, "If we don't…"

"We're zombie chow," Jack finished, the four as well as Rebecca, turned to look at the arm inching closer towards them.

"Option three: we keep running in circles," Miko added.

"On the count, Aqua!" Starlight yelled, deciding on what option she and the others would all choose.

Aquastrike already knew what her partner meant, "Three..."

"Two..."

Miko jumped around in her seat, looking at the left-hand mirror beside her nervously. Carly grabbed Jack's hand when he reached it over to her. Raf grabbed the back of Miko's seat. Rebecca meanwhile, tightened her hands on Starlight's motorcycle handles.

"NOW!" The two Autobots revved their engines and quickly raced towards the opened portal, immediately arriving in front of Starscream and Moonlight. But they didn't waste any time, speeding away from them as fast as they had arrived.

The two Decepticons were in disbelief, dodging the two speeding vehicles underneath them.

"Starlight?" Moonlight gasped in surprise, "Where did sh-?"

"OWWWWW!" Moonlight was interrupted when Starscream was knocked to the ground. She turned around to find the Skyquake's hand grabbing Starscream's face with its' sharps talons. "THIS ISN'T MINE!" The seeker squealed, grabbing the limb off his face with his sole one, "UNHAND ME!"

Moonlight slapped her forehead at the sight, "Just when I thought I had seen it all..."

While Starscream continued to scream at the loose limb that was clawing at his face, the two vehicles slowed to a halt as another Groundbridge appeared before them. Jack, Carly, Miko and Raf jumped out of Aquastrike's vehicle form, allowing the femme and Starlight to transform and prepare themselves for the possible enemy that was coming...

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

Time to bring our friends home.

Ratchet had managed to open a Groundbridge to the alternate dimension Jack, Carly, Miko, Raf, Aquastrike and Starlight had apparently got themselves in. Then he wasted no time opening a Groundbridge for Optimus, Bulkhead, Arcee and I so we could greet them.

When we arrived, the sky had those familiar reds and yellows and pinks, hinting that night time was not too far away. But that wasn't our concern. When we saw the group of humans and Autobots before us, I melted in relief almost instantly.

"Jack, Carly, Miko, Rafael," Optimus greeted the humans in hidden relief.

I smiled at the femmes before me with a smirk, "What kind of trouble did you two get up to this time?"

Aquastrike dropped her jaw dramatically, bringing a hand to her chest, "I am offended dat you'd t'ink me 'nd Star caused all dis!"

Behind Starlight and Aquastrike, we noticed Starscream and Moonlight panicking and squealing about something. Starscream threw an object away from him. Primus knows what they're on about, but I didn't give a damn. I was just happy to have my friends back.

When we returned to the base, we wasted no time getting the group to explain to us what kind of trouble they really did get up to. Turns out, Starscream and Moonlight had succeeded in reanimating Skyquake, but he had ended up with them in the 'shadow zone' - apparently, Rebecca was with them and had explained what dimension they were in. Funny enough, we didn't see Rebecca with them. Maybe she had left as soon as we got there.

"Look. If you're gonna blame anybody, blame me," Miko told us after the group had finished telling their story, looking very sorry for herself.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" Jack teasingly asked, crossing his arms,

"A couple dozen times please?" Carly also teased her friend, appearing on the other side of her, giggling when Miko nudged her lightly.

"Miko, what you endured has been lesson enough. We are just glad you are all safe."

Wait... was that a smile coming from the Optimus Prime himself?!

Bulkhead bent down to Miko's level, "And I guess it was a good thing you dropped this. He held up Miko's phone to her, "Too bad you didn't get any pictures though."

"Nah, that's OK," Miko shrugged, looking over at her friends that had joined her on her adventure, "I think that after today, I pretty much have Zombie Con close-up seared into my brain."

"Well, it's good to have you guys back," Sunburst grinned, throwing arms around Starlight and Aquastrike, "We kind of missed you guys, you know?"

Aquastrike grinned from audio receptor to audio receptor, "T'e mighty Sunburst, admittin' dat he missed me!" The femme's facial expressions softened teasingly. "Awwwh, Sourshine, I didn' know dat ya cared!"

Sunburst rolled his optics, "I didn't say that I did." But it did nothing as Aquastrike squeezed him into a hug suddenly.

I laughed at my friend's antics, "Aquastrike's never gonna let that one go, Sunshine."

"She's probably recorded that for later use," Arcee smirked beside me.

"Dear Primus, what have I done?"

NO ONE'S P.O.V

"What happened? Megatron pound you like scrap metal again?"

Starscream and Moonlight eventually returned to the Decepticon warship, quickly making their way to the red Decepticon doctor in the medical bay once more. Knock Out had sighed in disbelief at seeing the two Decepticons he couldn't seem to get rid of, unenthusiastically working to repair Starscream's newest injuries.

"I would rather not discuss it!" Starscream snapped immediately.

"Honestly, Starscream," Knock Out began, pausing in his work, "You need to take better care of yourself." As the red Decepticon turned his back on the silver Decepticon, he looked over his shoulder at him, remembering a crucial detail, "Didn't you retrieve your limb?"

"Hmmm, I wonder where it is?" Rebecca wondered innocently, looking up at Moonlight, "Maybe wherever it is could explain whatev-"

Moonlight grabbed the superhuman out from mid-air, spinning around so her back was to Knock Out and Starscream. The two glared at each other for a moment – they were well aware that they had been up to things they shouldn't have been doing. And both knew very well that the trouble that would be brought upon them for everything they've done wouldn't be pleasant for them.

So, they did the one thing they knew that they could agree one.

"Not a word to anyone!"

The limb Knock Out had referred to would never be recovered by its' owner, having been left behind in the alternate dimension... with the undead Skyquake.

Skyquake ended up finding the limb, having been searching for a replacement for his very own after it had come off during the hit he received earlier. He growled in confusion, picking it up and attempting to make it fit. Sparks flew as he tried his very hardest to make it connect with his arm.

But alas, it would not. So Skyquake growled in frustration and threw the arm over his shoulder, continuing his endless wandering for what would be many days to come...

Another chapter in the books. This chapter is quite a big one for me - I spent literal years trying to write my own version of this series, and every time I never got past this chapter. So I'm flying blind after this one; all my ideas for the future are ones that have come from the last year.

I can't wait to celebrate this achievement proper when I post the next chapter. Maybe it'll come sooner than I think if I get any new reviews, followers or favourites...

Thank for you reading.