Suddenly, the ground shook with a noticeable thud. Bulkhead and Smokescreen staggered forward as the impact of the thud made part of a rocky wall collapse behind them. They looked back at the wall as they regained their footing.
"Woah! What was that?" Asked Smokescreen.
The ground shook again with another thud, and Elsa gasped. A moment later, it happened again. Fearful expressions appeared on Elsa and Honeymarren's faces as the thudding and shaking continued.
"Whatever it is, it's big! And it's coming fast!" Said Wheeljack.
"Earth Giants." Said Honeymarren.
"What are they doing down here?" Asked Yelena.
Bumblebee beeped. ("Probably nothing good!")
Honeymarren grabbed a bucket of water and extinguished the campfire while the rest of the tribe blocked out all other sources of light. Mattias hid behind some rocks with a few scared kids.
"Sh!"
"Hide!" Said Honeymarren as she ran for cover while Elsa hid behind a tree and Ratchet got behind a rock next to it.
"Quick! Hide!" Shouted Bulkhead as he jumped into the air, transformed into vehicle mode, hit the ground on all four wheels, and swerved into the shadows while Anna hid behind her own rock. Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack ran through the shadows the trees made before getting behind their own rock. They both had guns drawn over their left hands, just in case the giant decided to attack. Arcee and Bumblebee, both of whom had both their guns deployed, ran up to rocks of their own and crouched down behind them. Smokescreen glanced in both directions before jumping into a pile of leaves to his left. Optimus peeked over the top of the rock he was hiding behind as the shaking started becoming more frequent.
Olaf ran behind another rock. He looked to his left and saw Bruni on another, smaller rock. Olaf tried to shush him, but flames appeared on his back as the shaking lifted him off the ground.
"They're coming!" Olaf quietly exclaimed as he tried to blow out the flames, but his efforts only made them bigger. Olaf grabbed Bruni and shook him, but he turned out to be a little too hot to handle. He put him back on the rock, but his hands caught fire. Olaf panicked and rapidly patted them against his body, but the flames disappeared on their own as Bruni jumped on top of his head, which cooled him down. Olaf sighed in relief.
"This is why we don't play with fire!"
Bruni chirped and licked his eye.
"Oh, I can't stay mad at you. Why are you so cute?!"
Elsa and Ratchet peeked out from their hiding spots.
"By the Allspark... !" Ratchet half-whispered.
Elsa gasped as a towering Earth Giant came into their view, storming through the forest only a few dozen yards from the Northuldra camp. It casted an ominous shadow as it passed by. It growled as it turned to where Elsa and Ratchet were.
"Scrap!" Said Ratchet as he instantly ducked back below his rock and Elsa went back behind her tree. After a few moments, the Earth Giant walked away. Elsa, suddenly in a sort of trance, started after it.
"What are you doing?!" Ratchet calmly demanded.
Before she could get far, Anna grabbed her.
"Please tell me you were not about to follow them!"
"What if I can settle them like I did the wind and fire?"
"Or, what if they can crush you before you even get the chance?! Remember, the goal is to find the voice, find the truth, and get us home."
The other seven Autobots and Olaf, who still had Bruni on his head, sprinted towards them.
"Hey guys! That was close!" Olaf loudly whispered.
"Somebody knew we were coming!" Proclaimed Wheeljack.
"Ya think?" Responded Arcee.
Bumblebee beeped. ("Three spirits in one day... it can't be a coincidence.")
"Their recent activity suggests a familiar pattern." Said Optimus.
"I know. The giants sensed me." Elsa said as Bruni jumped into her hands. "They may come back here, I don't wanna put anyone at risk again. And you're right, Anna. We've got to find the voice."
"So why wait?" Asked Smokescreen.
"When do we leave?" Asked Wheeljack.
"We're going now." Said Elsa as she started heading out.
"You heard your leader. Forge ahead!" Ordered Ultra Magnus as all eight Autobots immediately followed in her footsteps.
"Okay, we're going. Let me just-"
Anna looked back at the camp as the Northuldrans came out of hiding. No sign of Kristoff or any reindeer.
"Wait, where are Kristoff and Sven?"
"Oh yeah, I think they took off with that Ryder guy and a bunch of reindeer." Said Olaf.
"They left?"
"Mm-hm."
"Just left without saying anything?"
"Who knows the ways of men."
Anna looked forward. Elsa, Olaf and all eight Autobots were ready to go. They all looked back at her.
"You coming with?" Asked Wheeljack.
Ultra Magnus instantly noticed that Anna was the only one not ready to go, and simultaneously took issue with it.
"The indigenous population of this planet, do they all display the same disregard for authority?" Asked Ultra Magnus.
"No! Mostly just Anna!" Said Ratchet.
Realizing who was missing and why Anna wasn't with them, Optimus turned to Ratchet.
"Ratchet, can you track his position?" He asked.
Ratchet opened a small scanner on his right arm. There were multiple signals on it, each associated with someone else's life, but none of them belonged to Kristoff or Sven.
"My scanner has limited range. He could be anywhere on Earth!" Announced the medic.
"So the kid's unaccounted for." Said Bulkhead.
It pained Optimus that one of the people he and the Autobots were supposed to look after was missing, but they had been sidetracked from their quest for the truth about the past long enough.
"Another matter for another time. Right now, our priority is locating the voice."
Anna heard Optimus and the other Autobots, but she still took another look back at the camp. Bulkhead could see the hesitation in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Anna. Everyone knows the plan. Kristoff will show."
Bulkhead paused as he realized that even he wasn't too hopeful that they'd find him.
"If he's still kickin'."
When it became clear that Kristoff wasn't coming back anytime soon, Anna reluctantly followed everyone else deeper into the forest.