I don't own Transformers or Captain America. They both belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 5: The Ark

Galvatron sat opposite Optimus Prime with Nightshade beside him. Her wings did not even twicth as they faced this dimensions version of his old friend. Hid friend who he had betrayed when Unicron had started to corrupted his Spark. The Autobot leader studied the pair for a while as he settled in his chair at the table. As soon as they had arrived back at the Ark Galvatron and Nightshade were taking straight to Optimus's office before rumours spread throughout the entire Ark. There was no doubt that he had to tell Optimus everything that Nightshade had found out by searching through his mind and Spark. He did not know if he could cope with everything again. He was glad that Nightshade had just poked at his mind and then looked into his Spark.

Optimus placed a datapad onto his desk and looked at the Dragonoid and the copy of Megatron who had come with her. "Nightshade what where you doing on Cybertron?" he asked. His optics focused on Nightshade. The Dragonoid did not move even with both Optimus and him watching her. "Nightshade what is going on?" Optimus asked making Galvatron to look back at him.

"I was on Cybertron to get an ancient weapon that could destroy planets and suns! It was either that or allow a deranged Dalek get his tentacles on the Star Bane! A peice of the Star Bane had been hidden on Cybertron and I played distraction to keep Shockwave focused on me as the Star Bane was taken off world!" Nightshade explained to Optimus. Her wings twicthed slighlty but that was all the movement that she had done.

Optimus sat back in his seat as he studied Nightshade. He knew her the best in the Ark, after all her treacher and Alpha Trion had been old friends and they had spent a lot of time together as they trained to be who they were today. He had seen Nightshade's true self and the masks that she put on when she was either not up to something or she was close to bubbling up to exploding with rage. And he knew that it was not a fun experience to have Undead magic course through his systems and then being pummelled by metal claws. "Was that what had caused the sky to go bright red?" he asked pulling up images that his scouts led by Hound had taken when the sun had started going strange.

Nightshade and Galvatron strained to see the pictures on the datapad. Sure enough the sky had gone bright red and Galvatron knew that the Daleks had been the invading force to attack the earth. It had taken everything that UNIT and SHIELD to keep the Daleks under control while Nightshade along with an alien known as the Doctor and Dalek Sec went in to fight against Dalek X. Galvatron didn't know much about the fight as UNIT was keeping it under wraps as well as Nightshade. It would seem that the humans had told Nightshade not to let out what had happened during that invasion that was quickly stopped as quickly as it had started. Even the sun had started acting up as if it had neen attacked by an unknown force.

"Yes! The Star Bane was an ancient relic that both the Time Lords and Dragonoids had created in hopes to put the Daleks off fighting the Time War. It was later agreed that the Star Bane was to be hidden and so it was broken a part. A peice of the Star Bane was hidden in Nowhere a community built into the head of a Celestial being. The second piece was on Cybertron and the last peice was on Earth!" Nightshade explained as her tapped against the screen of the Datapad. A map of the universe came onto the screen and Nightshade outlined the planets where the Star Bane had been hidden. "The Star Bane was destroyed by Torchwood just after it shot the sun which was made younger by the Doctor manipulating time around it!" she continued to explain.

Optimus just looked at the map. Nightshade had pulled up a map of the universe which had just gotten bigger. He had never heard of Nowhere. There was some planets on the map that had not been there ten million years ago. The last time Shuttles had been sent out to the stars to map the universe. It just showed them that the universe was still growing.

"Optimus you need to tell me why the Decepticons have taken Sparkplug's son! If a humans life is in danger I need to alert the Avengers!" Nightshade demanded looking right at him. Galvatron slunk in his seat. He knew that once Nightshade and Optimus had spoken he would be questioned. He knew Jazz would no doubt take part in the interrogation along with Ironhide and Prowl when they found out who he was.

Optimus sat back in his seat. His optics focused on Nightshade but he had his sensors locked onto "Galvatron". He did not trust the silver and black mech that had come with Nightshade. He looked too much like Megatron, and even his personality was similar. He would have to see what his motives were and why he was keeping to Nightshade's side like a space barnacle. "Nightshade if I tell you, you will not like the answer!" he replied taking the datapad from the middle of the table. He shuddered as a hiss vibrated through the table.

"It's better than me not knowing and working against you when I should be working along with you!" she responded with a hiss still caught in her voice. "So what is going on that you don't want to tell me?" she asked leaning in closer to the Prime. Galvatron stared at Optimus. Never had he seen someone arguing with the Prime, but here was Nightshade. A Dragonoid who could no doubt outwit Predaking in a fight. She was not afraid to get in Optimus's faceplates. He had to wonder if Nightshade had gotten into Megatron's faceplates and demanded that he left the earth.

Optimus vented a sigh through his systems. He pulled up an image on the datapad before handing it over to Nightshade. Nightshade's claws wrapped around the datapad and dragged it closer to her. Her red optics studied the information that was showing on the datapad. Red shifted to darker red as her skull shit up. "Are you kidding me, Optimus? Don't you know that this is stupidity at its finest! What is Sparkplug going to say to this when he finds out about this? Or are you not going to tell him?" she demanded.

Galvatron could only stare as Optimus remained as still as possible. But the threat that was Nightshade was making it hard for him. The golden walls of the Ark seemed to get darker as shadows slithered up them.

"Nightshade I know that you have reservations about this, but I did not know until a few earth hours ago that you were here or even alive! The last I heard of you was just before the Ark launched!" Optimus said. He knew that it was better to explain himself rather than keep information away from her. Nightshade was a force that no one wanted to reckon with. A fource of nature that made even the Dinobots look like nothing more than a bunch of Sparklings with no experience of fighting at all.

"Optimus," Nightshade sighed looking at only the datapad as if that would be able to cantain her growing anger, "If this works Megatron could use that this to transform the entire population of earth and gain more soliders!" she finished finally looking back at him. "And you where thinking of doing this to nothing more than a Sparkling in human terms? What has gotten into your processor, Prime?" Nightshade demanded as her wings twicthed slighlty.

Galvatron slowly edged himself away from Nightshade. If she was going to lash out he did not want to be too close to her. He looked over at Optimus in fear that he was going to end up with a capping hole in his chest plating at any second. He then looked back over at Nightshade. She looked as if the Prime had committed a great crime and she was doing all she could not to kill him where he sat. He wanted to ask what had gotten under her plating but knew that if he spoke all attention would be moved over to him.

"Nightshade I want you to understand that this was the last option for this case! We have found out that someone is after Sparkplug and we have consulted with him to see what he wanted done. He said that he would remain human but he wanted Spike to be protected from this growing threat! The only way to do so is to turn him into a Cybertronian and keep him hiding that way! Already he has been attacked by a man with a red face in hopes of getting to Sparkplug but Ironhide was in the area and was quick to get Spike out of there!" he explained to her. But Nightshade had stopped listening as soon as he said red faced man.

Growling to herself Nightshade looked at the datapad in front of her. It showed the schematics of Wheeljack's latest invention. It looked like a rifle and from looking at its design it could only be used once. She could see notes that it was originally going to be used to turn the Decepticons into Sparklings when it was coming to the end of the war, but it had been changed for this. Rubbing her claws over her horns she looked back at Optimus. "You do know that once this there is no going back?" she asked him.

Optimus sighed with relief. Nightshade was going with what he, Prowl and Sparkplug had agreed upon. "I do and Sparkplug understands what is going to happen Nightshade!" he replied to her.

"But why would the Decepticons take the boy?" Galvatron asked looking from Nightshade to Optimus. Finally deciding to speak knowing that Optimus was about to start interrogatin Nightshade on why he, the leader of the Decepticons from another dimension was sticking at her side

Both Optimus and Nightshade looked over at him before Nightshade snapped her attention back towards Optimus. "Shockwave has developed a device similar to Wheeljack's! And Megatron's planning on using it to turn Spike into a Cybertronian!" Optimus explained looking at the silver and black mech who leaned back in his chair to get away from from the attention that was on him. "Nightshade we must get Spike back before anything can be done! But first I want to know how you know Sparkplug and why you have Megatron with you?" he asked her.

"I knew it was coming" Nightshade sighed as she took the datapad and typed up a search. "Have you heard about the humans two world wars?" she asked to which Optimus nodded his helm in reply. Grunting in understanding she continued, "During the second war Captain America the first superhero had made a team of soliders that called themselves the Howling Commandos. This team worked very closely with myself along with a Maiden known as Edward and a Werewolf Julian. And Sparkplug was one of the Howling Commandos. That is how I know Sparkplug Witwicky!"

Optimus sat back in his chair. The datapad showed a black and white image of a group of soliders and one of those soldiers was no doubt Sparkplug. He was younger and skinner than he was now, but there was no doubt who he was. Looking back at Nightshade he hoped that she would explain more about what had happened during the second war as it seemed that the past was catching up with the present.

"And your right, Optimus! This is Megatron," she said pointing a claw at Galvatron who sat beside her, "But he is not from this dimension! Optimus before you say to sent him to the brig hear me out! I have looked through both his mind and his Spark to find that he had been corrupted by Unicron as he started to work with his dimensions version of you! It was only recently that he found that he was wrong and Primus has sent him here to make up for what he has done!" she finished explaining.

Optimus looked from Nightshade to Galvatron. "Very well Nightshade! I believe you! But if he betrays us I'm holding you responsible!" he warned. Nightshade only bowed her horned head in response. "And Nightshade its good seeing you again, old friend!"

"It's good being back, Prime!" she responded.

0000ooooo000

Red Alert and Prowl sat in Prowl's office. Datapads covered the table as the two mechs looked over the known plans of the Nemesis. The Head of Security and the Second in command of the Autobots came up with plans that the other did not agree about.

Prowl rubbed his helm in a sign of frustration as Red Alert looked ready to having another panic attack as his circuits fried once again. The two were two of the sharpest minds in the Autobot army. The two were the best mechs to plan for Spike's rescue.

"This is useless! We should have improved our security long before now!" Red Alert shouted over at Prowl. The horns on his helm started to spark as his paranoia got the better of him. "We should have not allowed Spike to leave the Ark!" he continued in his rant at how bad their security was and that it needed improvements.

Prowl half listened to the Head of Security. He had heard all these rants before and could recite them all. Looking at the datapad as it showed an update from Optimus. "Red Alert, excuse me but I think we have found a solution to our problem!" he informed the Security Officer before standing out of his seat. His doorwings twicthed slighlty as they sensed movement from behind.

"And what would that be?" Red Alert asked as he came to Prowl's side. "The Dinobots and hope to Primus that no harm comes to the human? Or send in the minibots and hope that at least one of them comes back?" he demanded as Prowl walked out of his office. He watched as the Paraxian kept his doorwings as stiff as possible as he walked down the corridor of the Ark. "Well whats got on your processor that makes you think that we can get Spike back?" he demanded the black and white mech.

Prowl said nothing as he walked towards the part of the Ark that had all the berrh chambers and offices. He walked past Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. The twins had a look on their faceplates that told that there was trouble ahead. He did not know who the unlucky bot was, but he had sinking suspicion that it was Nightshade and Galvatron who was on the Twins prank radar. He was no longer paying attention to what Red Alert was saying any more. He was just repeating himself and right now Prowl had a plan that could not fail. It couldn't not if all the pieces worked the way he wanted them to.

Prowl came to a door that for so many years had not been opened. The door sensing his and Red Alert's presence it slid open. Prowl letting himself in walked into the rom that for the past six million years had not housed any one but was being used but was once again being used. The room like every other room was a basic rom. A berth and table were the only furniture in the room with datapads neatly placed on the table. The only difference with this room to a room like his was that it had images of a world that he reasoned to belief was Nightshade's homeworld that had been destroyed by the Daleks during the Time War. There was also a picture of him and Jazz along with Nightshade at the Crystal Gardens before it had been destroyed by the Seekers lead by Starscream. Another difference was that Nightshade's room in the Ark had rafters that allowed Nightshade to recharge up high.

At the moment Nightshade was sitting in the middle of the room with his optics shuttered. Her tail wrapped around her front paws like that of a giant cat and her wings were pinned behind her. A slight hiss escaped and those red optics flashed open. "Prowl?" she asked in both greeting and questioning why he was there.

"Nightshade it is good seeing you again! I need to ask you to take part in a rescue mission! You and Galvatron!" he said to the Dragonoid.

"To rescue Spike?" she asked tilting her head to the side.

Prowl nodded his helm. And Nightshade stood up from her sitting position that was like that of a cat. "Right then, what have you got in the mind?" she asked the TIC.

Red Alert pushed past Prowl and stared right into Nightshade's red optics. "Not yet! She and Galvatron need to go through security! We don't know if Nightshade has become a supporter of the Decepticons or if she has a Cerebral implant and we don't know this Galvatron either! He could be a Decepticon spy!" he ranted at both Prowl and Nightshade. His optics narrowed at Nightshade.

Nightshade looked at Prowl and then back at Red Alert. "Red I understand that you are doing your job, but a life is in danger at the moment! And I am not allowing that life to be put in jeproday because of your paranoia! Like you I am doing my job!" Nightshade said to Red Alert. She looked back at Prowl. "What's your plan, Prowl?" she asked the Tactician.

Prowl nodded his helm. "Get Galvatron and meet me in my office!" was all he said before walking out of Nightshade's room in the Ark. He kept his doorwings held high as he walked back to his office.

Nightshade watched Prowl leave in silence before returning her attention back to Red Alert. "What?" she asked him. Hid blue optics were narrowed and she was sure that he was going to have another panic attack as his circuits fried once again. Lowering her wings she let out an annoyed hiss out of her spark. "Very well, Red what made questions have you got this time?" she asked.

Red Alert seemed to relax a lot. He didn't look like he was going to have another crash like the first time they had meet back on Cybertron. He reached into his subspace and brought out a datapad. The datapad was already lit up on the page that was filled with security questions. "Fifty questions? Come on Red? Don't you think thats a bit too much?" she asked seeing how many questions she had to answer.

"Security is security Nightshade! There is no way around!" he replied before walking out of Nightshade's room a smile plastered on his faceplates.

Nightshade still holding the datapad in her clawed paw and flicking through all the questions that she had to answer. When she got back. But first she needed to find Galvatron. Placing the datapad on her growing to do list she ran out of her room on all four paws.

0000000000ooooooooo

Galvatron lay on his berth. His red optics opened as they studied the cieling above him. The golden walls of the Ark gave him a sense of reference back to his home dimension. Doing nothing he allowed his processor and Spark to heal. Optimus had allowed him to stay but he was no doubt being watched by the Prime and he did not mind. He felt that he should not have been given this chance by Primus, Nightshade and Optimus. He had committed crimes that could not be forgiven so easily but Nightshade was willing to give him a second chance as were the Avengers. The Autobots of this dimension had no clue what he had done but he had a feeling Nightshade would debrief Optimus as soon as possible.

A knocking at the door of his room forced him to get out of berth. Walking towards the door which had already opened and allowed Nightshade to enter. "Nightshade?" he asked.

"Come on! We need to meet Prowl in his office!" she said before walking out of his room and back into the corridor.

Following after her he prepared to meet the Autobots second in command. He had meet him once before in his own dimension and found him to lack certain emotions making him more a computer than a Mech. He had to wonder if this Prowl was the same or was he different.

Walking after Nightshade he noticed that there was no Autobots at all. "Nightshade where are all the Autobots?" he asked the Dragonoid. He was still mindful as to not step on her tail. He had already felt the flames of Predaking's flames after stepping on the Predacons tail and did not want to be struck by lightning.

"Their all in the rec room! We're keeping away from their sights for a while until me and Optimus come up with a cover story for you!" she replied as she kept walking. She suddenly stopped forcing him to slam his pede down just beside her tail. She turned her neck around to face him and also look at how close it came to her tail being crushed. Hissing with relief Nightshade looked front ways to face five Autobots she had never meet.

"Me Grimlock did not know that him Wheeljack make any more us Dinobots!" the biggest of the new Autobots said. His red visor lit up as he scanned Nightshade. "And strange robot behind her smells like Decepticon!" the Mech called Grimlock roared before transforming in an T-Rex. He let out a bellowing roar. "Dinobots attack!" he roared.

Nightshade hissed as she took a battle position. Her wings opened up and her teeth were on display. It had been many years since she had fought a dinosaur but it was simple enough. Scare them and they run in the other direction. The other robots transformed into different dinosaurs. Unamused Nightshade just snorted in boredom as Grimlock stomped towards her.

"Grimlock enough!"

Grimlock stopped and transformed back to his robot mode as Optimus Prime walkes towards him. Ironhide and Jazz flanked him. The visored mech smiled as soon as he saw Nightshade.

"Optimus what in the name of the Underworld is there robotic dinosaurs stomping around the Ark?" she asked the Autobot leader as he got between her and Grimlock.

"Me Grimlock not dinosaur! Me Dinobot!" Grimlock roared. He stood stiffly when Nightshade glared at him.

Optimus stepped between Grimlock and Nightshade. He knew that Nightshade and Grimlock would lock horns but he didn't expect Nightshade to actually let a fight between her and Grimlock start. He thought she would at least try and stop it. "Nightshade this is Grimlock and his team the Dinobots!" Optimus said looking at Nightshade who had relaxed slighlty.

"Look Optimus I can hear everything you have to say about this team but we don't have much time! And I need to get Sparkplug to safety of the Avengers Mansion!" Nightshade said as she walked away from all the gathered Mechs.

Galvatron looked at Optimus before shrugging his shoulders and following after Nightshade. Optimus followed after the large Mech with Ironhide and Jazz behind him. They needed to come up with a plan to save Spike from the Decepticons.