Chapter 2: The Manganese Mountains

A purple cannon floated across the Cybertronian plains, the sunshine reflecting off its sides.

It was certainly a strange sight. But nothing was alive out here to witness it, at least in theory.

The cannon followed a jagged energon river that roared below, winding and turning.

And led straight ahead, to the base of a massive mountain range.

The manganese mountains. The second largest, and oldest mountain range on Cybertron. Rumored to have a volcano within its crevice.

But Shockwave knew better. He turned, soaring over the crevice, then dove straight down.

He changed form as he landed, holding his scanner in the air.

There was a rumbling as a green and yellow tank climbed up over the edge of the mountain, and came rolling down towards him.

"It is a pity." Shockwave noted, watching it roll up. "Such a head start, and yet still I arrive first."

The tank transformed up.

Into a mech with a heavily disfigured face.

"No pity." He stated, with a toothy grin. "We are allies yes?"

"We share a faction, Bludgeon." Shockwave replied. "But I am not sure I would call you an ally."

"Needless to say...I enjoyed the climb." Bludgeon said, ignoring his barb, and looking at his surroundings. "I detected it. It's here."

"Indeed." Shockwave replied. "The dark energon readings are...off the charts."

He opened a comm link.

"Lord Megatron. Bludgeon and I have reached the manganese mountains. We have confirmation. Dark energon buildup unprecedented. Suggest we begin excavation immediately."

Sky Lynx soared over Iacon, and taxi'd toward Metroplex.

Optimus stared through the main window.

"The bubble bath...?" Sky Lynx asked.

Optimus couldn't help but laugh.

"You'll get a bubble bath, my winged friend."

"Who gets to give it to him?" Arcee asked. She looked over at Ironhide. "Hasn't it been rookie duty?"

"Aw Hell." Brawn muttered. "Come on Ironhide. I'm your favorite. Let me out of this one?" He asked.

Ironhide looked at him with a grin.

"Rookies give Sky Lynx energon bubble baths. Thems the rules." He said, patting the smaller mech on his hard head. "Bluestreak and Warpath will help you, it's a three mech job."

"I'm not that fussy, Brawn." Sky Lynx commented.

"Agree to disagree..." Sideswipe muttered.

"I heard that." Sky Lynx said irritably, as he landed in Metroplex's main hangar.

Ratchet and Prowl stood, waiting for them, as the ramp lowered.

"Any injuries to worry about?" Ratchet asked, with a stretcher at his side.

"None." Optimus replied, stepping down the ramp. "Don't trouble yourself, old friend."

Ratchet nodded, looking at the rust buildup on Sky Lynx's frame.

"Someone's going to need a bubble bath." He commented.

"We know." Brawn grumbled. "Bluestreak, Warpath, get over here!" He shouted.

A young looking, silver and black mech ran over, and a larger, tougher, dumber looking red mech with a tank gun sticking out of his chest came running alongside him.

"Aw, Hide', what's this?" Warpath asked.

"Rookie duties." Ironhide replied with a smirk, handing him a mop. "Make me proud, kiddo."

Arcee turned and patted Sideswipe on the side of the head.

"See? That wasn't so hard was it?" She said with a confident grin. "I saw you take out those two cons."

Sideswipe sighed.

"And I saw you take out, like, seven."

"I'm a veteran." Arcee replied proudly. "You're still green in the audios, so it's okay." She said, leaning over and scratching the mech's audio, causing him to squirm away.

"I didn't say it was gonna be hard. I just wanted Sunny with me." Sideswipe replied, as he tried to hold off Arcee's repeated attempts at grabbing his audio. "What is wrong with you?!"

"I don't know, the combat's over, I'm bored, humor me!" Arcee complained. She grabbed the mech's head, and pulled him into a headlock. Sideswipe wriggled as he tried to escape from her grip, though he managed a lighthearted giggle as he tried. His battlefield composure had started to wear off.

"And you need to learn to stand out on your own. You and your twin aren't joined at the hip. Besides, he's benched." Arcee continued.

Sideswipe's laughter stopped. He broke free from her grip.

"He's what?!" Sideswipe asked, optics wide. "Benched? What for?!"

Arcee let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"He's been racing again. And not the legitimate ones."

Sideswipe's shoulders slumped as he stared blankly back at the femme.

"Sides, I'm sorry..." Arcee began. "I figured you knew..."

"Don't be. I need to talk to him." Sideswipe said, turning and storming out of the hangar.

Optimus stopped next to Prowl.

"Anything to report?" He asked.

"No." Prowl replied, looking at the rookies as they went to work, with a frown on his face.

"You don't seem terribly happy about that." Optimus noted.

"It's not that. Not entirely." Prowl replied. "Look, I get that two years ago I was just a cop, but I'm as close as we have to a tactician. And the decepticons tactics right now..."

"Confusing?" Optimus asked.

Prowl turned to look Optimus in the optics.

"Quiet." He replied. "Almost nonexistent. I can't even confirm the cons in that town were acting on official orders."

"They seemed a bit ragged for decepticons." Optimus agreed. "Perhaps Megatron truly is defeated." He said, not even believing his own words.

"If he's not defeated...one thing is for sure. He's up to something. Something big. He's too loud to stay out of the spotlight for this long without making a play."

Optimus put a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll be alright, Prowl. We have a Titan here. And Ultra Magnus leads the forces in Tetrahex. They likely realize they are outmatched. The defeat at the Citadel demoralized them."

Prowl nodded, rubbing his optics.

"How long has it been since you slept?" Optimus asked, observing the tiredness in his optics.

"Couple days." Prowl replied casually. "I probably need to get some recharge at some point." He muttered.

"I agree." Optimus replied, looking at his sleepy optics. "You are my first officer, I need you at your best."

"Oh!" Prowl exclaimed, as they turned to walk out of the hangar. "Two things. Three things? Three things. The new senate is meeting in an hour. And our new Chief science officer wants to talk to you. Also our...old chief science officer also wants to talk to you."

"Am I seriously being demoted?!" Wheeljack exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I built your gun!"

Optimus sighed, looking back at the unhappy mech.

"You experimented with Metroplex's t cog, and it almost exploded." He explained bluntly. "Had he changed form with all of us inside him, we might not have even survived. And with his own low energon levels, attempting to change form could have killed him. You're lucky you still have your post."

"It was...it was one time! It was one very ambitious, possibly misinformed experiment and it won't happen again!" Wheeljack stammered frantically.

"It certainly will not." An upper class voice replied.

A red mech with a microscope on his shoulder walked beside him, smiling politely at Optimus.

"Perceptor, a pleasure to finally meet you, Prime." He said, offering a hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Perceptor." Optimus replied with a firm shake. "Please, call me Optimus."

Wheeljack threw up his hands in frustration once more.

"I never get to call you Optimus!"

Optimus frowned, arching an optic ridge.

"Would you...like to call me Optimus?" He asked.

"I don't care anymore." He replied, storming off to the back room of the laboratory. "Enjoy your new Chief science officer."

Perceptor had an amused smirk on his face.

"Wheeljack and I have had a friendly rivalry for some time, do forgive him. He's known to pout from time to time when he doesn't get his way."

"Reminds me of quite a many autobots under my command..." Optimus muttered. "Are your accommodations up to standard?"

"Compared to Kimia? Certainly." Perceptor replied. "It's quite packed up there, I don't mind being back on Cybertron. And I'm quite fond of Metroplex. We've already had many conversations."

Optimus chuckled.

"I've talked to him four times in a year." He stated.

"If you wish to speak with me Optimus, you need only ask." Metroplex said from the room's intercom.

"I will." Optimus replied. "But first, the matter of replacing you on the Kimia station. I was planning on sending Wheeljack..."

"Oh no." Perceptor replied. "Oh please keep him here, I need an assistant desperately, and despite what you just saw we have a sort of...energy, when we work together."

Optimus shrugged.

"If you wish to keep him, very well. I already had to give up Hound to Tetrahex base to help train their rookies. I certainly don't mind keeping Wheeljack."

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear that, Optimus." Perceptor replied, turning to the direction of the back room. "That you would be THRILLED TO KEEP WHEELJACK!"

"Thrilled is...a little strong. Just try and keep his extracurricular activities in check...please." Optimus asked. He turned and walked out of the laboratory. "It's good to have you Perceptor."

He walked down the hallway, towards his room.

As he did, Mirage decloaked next to him.

"Hello Prime." He said with a firm nod, that caused the autobot leader to jump.

"Primus, Mirage!" Optimus exclaimed. "I...should be used to this by now. Do you have something to report?"

"No. I just wished to see if I could make a Prime jump." Mirage replied monotonously.

Optimus stared blankly back at him, confusion apparent on his face.

"That was an attempt at humor. Forgive me." Mirage admitted, hanging his head.

"Oh it's perfectly fine, I'm just not used to...Mirage...humor." Optimus replied.

"I do have something to report." Mirage continued, lifting his head back up. "One hour ago, as I was patrolling the plains, I spotted an alternate mode which I have discovered belongs to Shockwave, flying toward the Manganese mountains. Traveling with him was an unidentified decepticon tank."

Optimus frowned, as he approached his room.

"Was it Megatron?" He asked.

"Unless he has changed colors, and undergone another redesign, no." Mirage replied.

Optimus stroked his chin with his finger.

"Still...whatever Shockwave has interest in...something must be going on. Follow up with Prowl, I want him informed."

"As you..." Mirage began, his audios moving, and his head jerking toward Prime's bedroom door.

"Something...wrong?" Optimus asked.

Mirage stared straight at it, listening intently.

"Someone is in your room." He replied, pulling out his pistol.

"You're sure?" Optimus asked, reaching for his blaster.

"Positive." Mirage replied.

Optimus looked at the door, holding his blaster with one hand, he reached for the button.

"On 3."

"Yep." Mirage confirmed.

"1...2...3!"

The door hissed open, and Optimus and Mirage stormed in, guns raised.

To see a cloaked figure standing next to Optimus's desk.

His blue optics turned to look at them as he entered.

"Don't shoot! I'm an autobot!" He insisted.

Optimus frowned, taking aim with his blaster just in case.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?"

The mech chuckled.

"Oh dear boy, access codes haven't gotten more complicated since my time, they've gotten simpler." He removed his cloak, to reveal a red and purple colored frame, pointy shoulder struts, and a long, flowing metal beard.

With an aged, wine colored autobot badge on his chest.

"My name is Alpha Trion. Solus sent me. I am here to warn you, Optimus Prime. Dark days are coming, for you, and for Cybertron."