Here we go~ The next arc really kicks off now!


Sayan Mountain Range, Siberia

The empty range carried her screams and sobs, echoing them back at her like a mocking chorus.

She knelt in the same spot she had many months before.

The tree she had attacked all that time ago had sprouted aknew around its ruined trunk.

For a bitter moment, she considered it mocking her.

'I may survive you, but all else you touch dies.'

Or does it?

The Grave she'd once sobbed over was riddled with lies that had only now, come to life.

Light footsteps on lighter snow caught her protrusions, her helm swinging around.

Once more, she knelt as Sophia Kuznetsov approached, that same ginger cat in the wicker basket under her arm, as bundled up as the last she saw the old woman. "I heard your cries child, your poor heart." She crooned up at Ira. "Come dear, a storm will be with us soon, and I'd hate for you to freeze." She beckoned the Harpy to follow her back down the hill.

Ira stared at her. "You…"

Sophia regarded her for a moment. "Yes, me, the one, singular woman who chose this most remote of places to live out a few years of much needed solitude. Come now, you must have heard your voice carry?"

She gulped, but rose.

Anything was better than wallowing in her own emotions, right?

Maybe Sophia could be the balm on this grievous wound to her spark?

Like she had before?

Sophia led her down into the valley, to a modest looking farm built into the side of a cliff face on the other side of the valley.

She led her to the barn, past a number of Yak, all content in their grazing, none caring much for the towering Harpies presence.

Curious.

Sophia pulled one of the heavy barn doors open with ease, gesturing for her to slip in.

Ira did, watching over her shoulder as Sophia pulled the barn closed behind her.

Lights flickered on, and she was presented with something… odd.

A massive pile of hay and blankets.

All in the shape of a giant… animal bed?

Sophia chuckled. "Worry not about that, that's for little Saurouvo here." She explained, gently picking up the ginger tabby from the basket that she had set down.

She held the cat like a baby, the cat playing with the knot of Sophia's head scarf.

Ira blinked a few times at her. "That giant bed, for one little cat?"

Sophia chuckled. "She's a very spoiled thing, aren't you Saurouvo?"

The cat mewled, looking over at Ira.

She swore those golden eyes twinkled with something…

Something she couldn't place.

Sophia spoke up. "Come now, sit, you have a lot weighing on your shoulders, don't you?"

Her protrusions slumped. "Where do I even start?"

Sophia offered her a look of sympathy, shimmying up onto a bale of hay, Saurouvo shifting to curl up in her lap, purring away. "What hurts the least? Let's go from there, shall we?"

And so, she did.

It took hours.

A lot of frustrated screaming and crying intermingled throughout as she worked through some of the more wide swinging emotions.

But Sophia listened to it all, offering wisdom that helped soothe the aches.

She never told her what to do with her problems, only saying that that was not something for her to dictate, when it was Ira who needed to live her life.

It helped.

It helped in ways Ira couldn't even put words to really.

The balm she needed, Sophia provided.

The aches were still there, but they no longer felt so overwhelming that they threatened to consume her entirely.

Eventually, all the strings had been pulled, and Ira had let herself be as emotionally bare as she could.

Her entire life story.

Sophia knew it all now.

The old woman regarded her with a gentleness that ached her weary spark. "You poor thing… this world and the last have not been kind to you in the slightest… and yet, you are still here, because of your strength, and just how much those surround you, love you."

Her helm bowed. "And what do I do to them? I hurt them… and run away…"

Sophia hummed. "Oh child… you are acting on base instincts, you needed space you were not given, so, you lashed out to get it yourself. It is a destructive action, but do you understand what it has done?" She asked.

Ira looked at the woman in confusion. "What?"

Sophia smiled. "You have shattered the norm. Now, now you rewrite it how you need it. Not how others believe you need it. They cared for you thinking their ways were best. Now, you have given yourself the chance to lay down ground rules, boundaries that they understand they must respect. This is an opportunity, seize it child." She explained, her fist clenching before her at the end.

Ira stared at her for a few moments, before her helm sunk on her long neck. "How? How would I do that?"

Sophia smiled. "Well, you can have your own journey to follow." She offered.

She let out a disbelieving huff. "Oh? Any suggestions on that?"

The old woman smiled right back. "As a mater of fact, I do." She responded, carefully picking Saurouvo up under her forelegs, and lifting her up so she was facing Ira. "You can go on a journey to find this little darlings friends!"

It was quiet for a time, as Ira just slowly blinked at the woman.

Saurouvo, completely unphased by being held like a limp doll, just looked up at her too.

After a moment Ira chuckled. "You're joking, right?"

Sophia shook her head. "Oh no, very serious. Saurouvo hasn't seen them in decades!"

It took her a moment to respond to that. "Decades?"

"Oh yes! Especially Jauva and Legora, those two like their peace and quiet, but dear Panthera crashes through these hills every few decades." She remarked, offering a wry smile.

Ira snickered a bit. "Okay, okay, time out, is this your attempt at a joke? That's a cat you're holding, they don't live pa…" Her words died in her throat as she processed what had just unfolded before her.

Saurouvo had been set on the ground, and in the process of taking only two steps forwards, had… grown.

Her words died away entirely as the giant beast that had once been a domestic house cat sniffed her face.

It took a moment for her to register that she was being examined by some strange hybrid between a Tiger…

And something else.

Something that left golden metal plates running the length of Saurouvo's back, and great twisting horns that threatened to pierce the roof of the barn were it not for the fact that Saurouvo was stooping, to be on Ira's level.

Sophia had hoped off the bale to lean against one of the beasts massive forelimbs, the paw alone was wider than the woman was tall. "Ira, meet Saurouvo, one of the four guardians of the Keys."

Saurouvo chuffed at her, pressing her snout against Ira's chassis, pushing her back until she fell into the large bed of hay and blankets that suddenly made so much more sense, as the massive Saurouvo clambered in and wrapped around her, broad head settling in the Harpies lap.

Ira felt herself completely stunned, her wings held up over Saurouvo, who just kept chuffing away.

Sophia smiled up at them both. "I think she likes you~"

Ira was still trying to process what it was exactly she was experiencing.

After a rather loud swallow, she managed to croak out a question. "The… Keys?" She asked, a sense of knowing settling into her.

Sophia nodded. "The Omega Keys. Her friends guard one each. Collect those, and Saurouvo here will show you where to find the last." She explained.

Very slowly, Ira let her wings lower over Saurouvo, not really able to stroke, but in effect blanketing the massive Tiger beast. "You said Panthera came… crashing through every few decades?"

"Oh yes, don't expect to find her first, you'll need to find Legora, only she can track and keep up with Panthera."

Ira nodded. "And then the last one?"

"Jauva, if you'd like, I can give you a hint on how to find her?"

She gave a small nod. "Please?"

Sophia's gentle smile never wavered. "My friend Maria, ask Prowl and Annie about her, they'll be able to get you in contact with her."

Ira looked at her for a time, pondering as much as her processor could keep up with.

"I… I gotta go back…" She mumbled.

"You don't have to go right away, your friend Kia sounds very capable, she can handle things while you take some time, Saurouvo is a wonderful soother, go on, just stroke that fur, so soft, yes?"

It took her a few moments to surpass her hesitancy, but she began to stroke the massive beast with her wing.

Saurouvo began to rumble, massive tail flicking here and there across the ground.

Drawing her attention to the wicked blades that sprouted from the end. "And here I thought a Tiger was already armed enough…" She mumbled idly.

Saurouvo turned her massive head to Ira, round ears flicking.

Her iridescent gaze met the beasts, soft green iris surrounded by a blood red.

Under such close inspection, she spied old scars, pock marks. If she'd brought Keeley, she might have used her limbs to inspect, to take them all in. "You've been through some wars… haven't you?"

Sophia hummed. "She certainly has, none of them like to be idle when war comes." The old woman remarked. "Aeons I have been tied to her as she has been tied to me, we have seen much of this world's history…"

She blinked, turning back to Sophia. "What do you…"

"The Guardians are immortal, but myself, and the other three caretakers, we are not, we… well, we reincarnate, I died last during the second world war, I was just a young child when Nazi's sieged my then home town, and raised it to the ground…" She recounted, her eyes going distant for a few moments as her voice softened. "Saurouvo here did not take that well at all, did you?"

The great beast growled low at the reminder.

Sophia smiled at her, then up to Ira. "I was quite thoroughly avenged."

Ira looked between them. "She killed Nazi's?"

"She ate Nazi's dear. Lots, and lots of them…"

"Oh."

Saurouvo chuffed, tail flicking about and Ira swore she was grinning.

Sophia hummed. "Indeed, as you may guess, Maria is Jauva's caretaker, she is the only one who knows where Jauva resides."

Ira nodded. "Alright… and she'll know I'm coming?"

Sophia nodded. "We are all aware of you, you're the one individual who can finally free us of this burden."

"Burden?" Ira asked, concerned. "You just said you lived forever."

Sophia's features hardened for a moment. "Yes, and I also know the feeling of my very soul being removed from one broken body, with the knowledge that I will have to live again. To be made to see the depths of all Humanities depravity… we should have never taught them how to use fire…" She growled.

That, admittance, sent a sharp jolt of surprise through the Harpy. "You…?"

The ancient woman let out a low chuckle. "But we missed the warmth, the safety of light in those dark nights… when the denizens of Africa's lands threatened our lives… Fire brought us safety… and so, we taught others… faces I have long forgotten… but actions… the sight of the entire savannah ablaze… that will always haunt us…"

Her protrusions fell with each word uttered. "I… I will end the burden?"

Sophia nodded. "By taking the keys… we will be freed from our duty to guard them… they are incredibly dangerous… only you are allowed to wield them all."

She balked. "What makes me so special?!"

Sophia smiled. "Because, you, Ira, are the lock those keys were made for."

She didn't like the sound of that, at all. "Metaphorically… right?"

Sophia shook her head. "No dear. Literally. The keys will only truly work as they are intended, with you. There's a failsafe in them all… if anyone else were to try and use them… it only happened once, Panthera learned her lesson about barrels of fermenting fruit, and the people who stole her key are now lost to time and memory."

That was a horrifying notion, and her features evidently expressed that. "But with you, they will be tools for good." Sophia assured. "That is what has been fated for you."

Ira let out a soft noise of fear. "Oh… no pressure at all then… oh shit I'm fucked."


Phillipeans

Moira snarled as she tried to kick off a cluster of vines from her talons. "Blasted growth!" She snarled.

Ivan snorted. "That's what you get for never getting out." He growled.

Moira's head snapped around, the weird jagged pieces that stuck out of her head flaring. "Oh be quiet you neanderthal, I bet you walked right into the first ten glass doors you encountered!"

He snorted. "I wasn't born in the outback you bitch!"

"Will you both be QUIET?" Stella bellowed, her towering size having the other two cower a bit, not wanting to earn the Matriarch's ire any further.

Karma even shied away from her on his perch upon Moira's shoulder.

Stella snorted out a derisive noise of disdain, before turning her attention back to the day lit jungle around them. "Do you hear that?"

Moira would have retorted something sarcastic, but thought better of it, trying to pick up whatever it was that Stella had.

Stella evidently heard what she wanted. "There's a river. If we follow it, we're bound to find some form of civilisation."

Moira couldn't help it then. "And then what? Introduce ourselves and get whatever nearest army outpost to use us for target practice?"

Stella scowled at Moira. "Is that you volunteering to make first contact that I hear?"

The smaller woman shrunk back. "Not at all Ma'am."

She didn't say anything further, pushing ahead of Ivan and Moira to take the lead. "Just be quiet and stop bickering, and I won't have to find out how much force is needed to crack your skulls open now."

Threat duly noted, they followed after her longer stride.

At least they'd gotten walking down.

None of them were eager to try out flight yet, there hadn't been the open terrain safe enough to even make an attempt.

Ivan certainly wasn't interested in getting off the ground any time soon, he was not going to give Moira a new option of mockery when Stella wasn't there to cow the Scientist.

It wasn't long before they found the river, fast flowing and cutting around heavy water worn boulders.

Stella considered it, before approaching and stepping right in.

"Wait! What about rust?!" Moira hissed at her as Stella waded deeper still past the boulders.

The fast flowing water crashed up her right side, her wings being dragged by the flow. "Perhaps this is a faster mode of transport…"

"You're made of metal! You won't float!" Moira exclaimed.

Ivan hummed, and walked into the water as well. "Hey, this feels nice." He commented as the fast flowing water washed away all the filth that had accumulated in his joints and harder to reach spots.

Moira stayed on the shore. "You're both insane!"

"And you're going to be left behind." Stella stated as she finally waded into deep enough water that it covered her hips, the water splashing up reaching her shoulder.

Then, she turned to face down stream, and dove, wings tucked to her sides.

"INSANE!" Moira yelled after her when Stella's helm reappeared further down the river.

Ivan tossed his head back and laughed, before following Stella's lead.

"Both of you! You're both insane!" Moira screeched, ignoring how her pitch went much higher than she'd planned.

But she was swiftly being left behind, and she would not stand for that.

She was not going to be left behind hungry and alone by those two.

She glanced to Karma. "You can fly, right?"

Karma tilted his head at her for a moment, before launching off her shoulder, taking to the air after only a few flaps.

"Good, at least I'm not alone in my sanity…"

She looked at the river and gulped. "But… needs must…" She mumbled as she cautiously stepped into the fast flowing river, and then almost instantly snapped her talons back. "For fucks sake! That's cold!"

They were already gone past a river bend.

Now or never.

She swallowed and ran in, jumping right into a dive once she was deep enough.

The water grabbed her, and dragged her, and soon she managed to kick up for air, gasping sharply as she kept her wings tight to her sides as she kicked as best as she could.

She hadn't had to swim since she was a little girl, and her lack of experience was suddenly oh so clear to her.

That terror pushed her on though, and she began to even out her kicking, her legs were clearly not designed for this, but they were all she had.

By some luck, she managed to catch up. "You bastards!" She yelled at them both.

Ivan flashed her a smug grin. "Oh? What's the matter, tunnel rat? Don't like swimming?"

"Ivan." Stella growled in warning.

Eventually the torrent of the river eased, the banks widening and the water ran out of the force needed to push them along.

Stella headed for the shore first, managing to rise out of it and onto the stony bank with most of her dignity still intact.

Ivan and Moira took a bit longer to regain themselves, more crawling out on wings and legs than walking.

Moira still wasn't amused. "Stella… what the hell was all of that about, exactly?"

"We're now far ahead of where we would be if we walked. We will find civilisation sooner." Stella stated.

Moira scowled. "Are you listening to yourself! Have you seen yourself?! You're a giant!"

"I'm aware, which means that we will be listened to."

"Listened to?! The first thing any human with a functioning brain is going to try and do, is shoot at you!"

Stella snarled and spun fully on the shorter woman. "Enough! If you wish to question my decisions, you can turn right around and walk back to where we entered the river!"

Moira stepped back for a moment, before snarling. "Who put you in charge anyway?!"

Ivan, who'd been watching this, decided to take a few more strides away to get him outside of the potential firing range.

Which was a considerably smart move seeing as he then got to witness his boss kick Moira to the ground, before smashing her taloned foot down on Moira's throat, the soft ground letting her talons practically glide in, pinning Moira firmly in place.

"I did. Just now." Stella snarled down at Moira.

The pinned woman could only gasp, whatever she had for a windpipe being partially obstructed by Stella's pressure on her throat.

Ivan did his best to stay very still and very quiet as Moira gave up squirming and rasped out a 'I see your point.'

Stella hummed, keeping her pinned for a few more moments, before stepping back. "Good luck getting all that mud out of your back."

Moira decided better than to answer that with a rebuke, more focused on trying to actually get up.

After five minutes of failed attempts, she huffed in resignation. "I recommend, not falling on your back." She growled out.

Stella hummed, having been enjoying the smaller woman flail about like some beached fish. "Ivan, be the big strong man you are and help her up." She ordered.

Ivan, who had actually become the smallest of them, acted on her order, and eventually, with quite a bit of effort, managed to get Moira back up right.

She shook herself down, clumps of mud and vegetation falling off her. "Thank you." She gritted out. "So… Civilisation, oh leader?"

Stella frowned. "Careful with that tone. I'm half tempted to find a way to rip that smart tongue of yours out."

Moira hummed. "How charming. Do you always go straight to threatening gruesome torture for your employees?"

"I do to those who I would love to do nothing more than bury."

Moira seemed to finally get the idea that it was better she stay quiet, and just fell in behind Ivan once Stella started to walk along the shore, Karma eventually drifting back down to roost on her shoulder once more.

At least she had him for company.


Monaco

"Kia?" Barricade called, opening the office door to see his partner reading a document. "I brought you some snacks." He offered, holding the bowl of salty bites in view of her.

Kia looked over and offered a weak smile. "Oh, thank you… you can come in, I won't bite your head off."

He chuckled softly, stepping in and closing the door behind him. "I know, but I also know that you've been busy."

She accepted the offered bowl once it was in reach, tugging on his wrist to pull him down close enough to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

He returned it to her forehead. "Anything else I can help with?"

She looked back at all the paperwork strewn about. "Actually… yes… I know Wren doesn't show Optimus everything she's got to do, but, well, could you help me look over all of this?"

He nodded. "Of course." He responded, going back to the front of the desk and sliding into one of the chairs normally meant for those who visited the manor as business guests.

He grabbed one of the papers and then chuckled. "Were they planning a hit?"

Kia nodded. "More than one." She tapped no less than eight different pieces of paper on the desk. "Most are still in the information gathering stage, but damn is there a lot."

He skimmed through the current one. "A US General?"

"Yeah, he was sending a load of operatives to try and sniff us out, his son was the one we grabbed from the Hoover Dam. Looks like Wren's been handling the operatives subtly, and the Pentagon has pulled the funding for any further investigation…"

He nodded. "Looks like he gets to live a bit longer then, for now." After a pause, he had to ask another question. "They still have no idea about all the back doors Ira has put into their systems?"

"They've found a fake one, but that's about it. So as far as we're concerned, they're still compromised and we can keep them off our scent."

Barricade nodded along, finishing up the current document. "So… is there anything of immediate concern?"

"They were invited to a charity Gala next week, their plus one was going to be Optimus… that's what I'm dreading, if they don't show up, there's going to be questions, and we're going to have to release at least something of a statement saying that they are feeling unwell… but I know those two, they are going to loathe that when they wake up… they hate showing weakness out in the public eye…"

He hummed. "I see… you wouldn't be able to… use their holoform would you?" He asked.

She paused, considering it, before shaking her head. "No… no I can't replicate their mannerisms well enough… that may raise all sorts of other suspicions we can't risk…"

"Optimus could still go in their stead?" He offered. "He's better at the politics side of things than either of us…"

She tapped one of the papers with the pen she was holding. "If he's up for it… he's been… pretty out of it since the incident… and now Ira's vanished off somewhere…" She trailed off, pulling in a somewhat strained breath. "Hopefully wherever she's vanished off to, she's okay."

His expression softened, reaching over he took her hand in his, rubbing the back with his thumb. "Hey, talk to me. I know you're under a lot of stress right now…"

She put the pen down and used her now free hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "I'm… frustrated… the twins are completely out of action, Ira's a volatile mess, Ratchet seems to be completely out of sorts, which is making Ironhide irate and jumpy, Red Alert seems to be fine, but I'm pretty sure that's Inferno's doing, I don't think I've seen someone so zenned out in years…"

"Inferno does have quite a temper when pushed though, I've heard horror stories."

She hummed. "I'm pretty sure everyone here is the main antagonist in at least a few horror stories each…"

He nodded. "That's true… keep going?"

She sighed. "I… I can't run everything on my own… I never really grasped before, just how much of this entire organisation Wren was handling all on her own… it's honestly a bit… terrifying…"

"Just Wren? Doesn't Aria help?"

"Oh she does, by keeping Wren sane. That's a full time job with all of this weighing down on them both."

"Was it like this back in Triage?"

She snorted. "It was way more complicated back in Triage… but there, they had entire office buildings worth of people running the menial stuff… here… we just don't have that same labour work force yet… the twins have been handling the entire recruitment process for that too…"

"What about Derrick?"

She looked at him in confusion. "Derrick? Oh no, they don't let him anywhere near any of this stuff… they've always wanted him to have at least a somewhat normal life, you know?"

He hummed. "Well… what if he went with Optimus to the Gala? He is the next of kin?"

She considered that for a bit. "That might just work… Derrick's stayed well and truly out of the spotlight so far, him appearing at the Gala might just be a big enough curve ball to distract the media from questioning where his sisters are, he can claim they ended up being pulled away by something pressing at the last minute?"

He snapped his fingers together, something he'd picked up from Bumblebee. "Perfect. Want me to go fetch him? You'll need to put some of this away."

She nodded. "Go get him, I think he's in the bunker."

"Keeping watch?"

"No, it's Ratchet's turn at the moment, Ratchet just relieved him."

He got up. "Then I'll go grab him." And with that he was out of the office.

She let herself smile a bit at that, picking out one of the tiny salted pretzels to chew on as she began to pack all the paperwork back away, Derrick didn't need to see this…

Some of the operatives… liked to not skip on details…

It took about five minutes for Barricade to push the doors open again, gently leading Derrick in.

And suddenly she realised this was the first time she was seeing his holoform since the incident. "Oh Derrick…" She mumbled softly.

His eyes were weighed down with bags, he looked completely unkempt as he hugged himself.

She rose from the desk and approached him carefully, not wanting to upset him further as she opened her arms to him.

He practically collapsed into her embrace, a single sniff leaving him as he clutched her tight enough it stung a bit.

She didn't care, she just set to petting the messy mane of blue and green hair he had. "Oh Cabrito… I've got you…"

Barricade stayed close, but far enough away not to crowd as Kia led Derrick over to the sofa in the corner. He took the other side of the sofa as Kia hugged Derrick to her.

"They're… they're going to wake up… right?" Derrick asked quietly.

She gripped him a bit tighter. "I don't know Der Der… I honestly don't know."

"It's.. quiet…" He mumbled. "I can't hear them at all… or feel them… Megs is really quiet too… I think he's shut down…" He admitted.

Kia nodded along. "Want me to go talk to him?" She offered.

He gave a feeble nod. "Please? Not… not right now…" He added, grip tightening a bit.

She kept rubbing his back. "Of course… take all the time you need. Okay?"

She glanced to Barricade, the message clear.

He nodded, and made his leave once more, going to track down a certain former warlord.

It wasn't hard to find Megatronus.

He was in the gym, turning the speed bag into a rhythmic blur. "Sir?" He called out, loud enough to be heard.

Megatronus didn't look away from the bag.

He scowled and tried again. "Sir." He repeated.

He glanced over then and slowed down. "Oh, Barricade. I wasn't expecting you. What can I do for you?" He asked, tone flat.

He stepped further into the gym. "You're not handling this well, are you?"

Megatronus gripped the bag, stopping it in place. "What gave that away perchance?"

"Sir, you've shut yourself off from Derrick… And that Mannequin over there looks like it would have preferred going thirty rounds with a polar bear."

Megatronus growled. "It is best he does not experience the emotions I am currently at war with…"

Barricade scowled. "Sir, he is your brother. With you sisters in the state they are in, the both of you need to be there for each other." He stated firmly. "Hiding in here will only make things worse for you both. And you know that, yet still you hide."

Megatronus turned on him, his gaze filled with fury. "Enough." He growled. "I will not be lectured like some misbehaving youngling."

"Then perhaps you should stop acting like one and go to your brother! What would Aria and Wren say if they knew you were ignoring both of your needs?!"

Megatronus faltered for a moment, and Barricade knew he'd struck on something, he pressed on. "They will wake up. And when they do, they're going to need all of us to give them whatever support they need, that won't happen if we all pull apart to sulk with our own demons."

Megatronus shoulders fell entirely, fists clenching at his sides before relaxing. "What if they do not? What if everything… everything they have done… What I have done to keep them safe… is all for nought? I am powerless in this Barricade… it was a feeling I swore to myself I would never allow myself to feel again… long, long ago… but it still consumes me… it still weakens me against the reality of the universe… I am as insignificant in the universe as a single speck of sand… my will… my strength… it is not enough… and now… I must watch as my sisters remain lost to us all…"

Barricade's expression softened. "Do not give up Sir… not now. They will wake up. And we will welcome them back with open arms and broad smiles, right?"

The towering holoform took a few long moments to consider that, before a wry, sardonic smile crawled across his scared lips. "Right… Now… I'm going to assume you are willing to lead me to Derrick?"

Barricade nodded, gesturing for him to follow. "Right this way Sir."


Abandoned Air Base, Germany

The base was half destroyed.

It happened so fast…

Fernando hissed to himself, his side throbbing as he tried to stumble through the wreckage, the deep gashes that had been torn into him were now already crystalised, but every step had them straining, reopening the wounds beneath.

He was still in a bad shape from the beating he'd gotten from Soundwave only the evening prior, his jaw still throbbing in time with the new wound on his side.

It was storming, but still small fires smouldered in covered corners, leaving a thick smog to plume around him as he tried to find his way to shelter.

He had been stumbling around for a time he couldn't remember, his head was still spinning, his steps, more akin to a drunkard than anything with the grace he could normally exude.

That… that thing that had attacked…

Sounds caught his attention, and he spotted another mech stumbling out from the tunnel entrance that led into the part of the base the Cons had dug out over the last year and a bit.

After a moment he recognized the hulking mech. "Devastator…" He croaked out.

The silhouette was off, the mechs massive right pauldron, made of tank armour and treads, was completely ripped off. He growled in his native tongue, beckoning the Eagle to follow, back down, into the tunnels.

He stumbled over. "Who else survived?"

Devastator lifted his servo, revealing the crushed flat remains of Scalpel, the tiny medic was almost unrecognisable.

Fernando hummed. "That's unfortunate…" He commented, looking around at the remains of the hangar, and the runway. Without the "good doctor" Starscream's desperate energon hybrid project was as dead as… well… he doubted there were any of the human test subjects left, he'd been due to go on another hunt…

It looked like the earth itself had come alive, entire chunks of the runway were torn up, rising metres higher than other parts that had fallen partially into crags in the ground.

"Looks like we need to start looking for a new base…"

The heavy footfalls of Devastator had him looking back to find the much larger mech already lumbering back down into the tunnel without him.

Snarling through the pain in his side, he stumbled after, trying not to think about the wet slick oozing down his side.

Then he spotted something in his periphery.

A human arm, mangled under the rubble.

He snorted, what a waste of his time.

He guessed that in the chaos, some of the remaining may have tried to escape…

Caring little for the remains, he pushed on into the tunnel.

Whatever had attacked, it had destroyed the runway and hangar first, before rushing the tunnel.

It had been such chaos, he hadn't gotten a good look at it in the dark before his helm had met a wall with enough force to put him out.

As he trailed deeper after Devastator, he spotted more damage.

The walls of the tunnel had warped as well, the roof looked like it was a breeze away from collapse.

After a few twists and turns, they found Starscream.

The mech was in a sorry state, but still online.

It looked like he'd gone twenty rounds with an industrial saw.

Bonecrusher was looming over the seeker, hiding part of him from view initially.

After a bit of shuffling, he found out why none of them had moved the Seeker from where he lay against the tunnel wall.

A crude metal blade was driven straight through his abdomen, pinning him in place as energon bubbled around the wound.

Fernando hissed. "That's gotta sting." He mumbled to himself.

Starscream's helm fell to the side, red optics flickering online as he ground his denta. "How about we switch places?" He rasped out.

Bonecrusher growled. "No moving." He snapped. "This moves and you offline." He warned.

Starscream snarled. "I'm. Aware."

None of them noticed a new figure walking down the tunnel, servos behind the towering figures strut as they hunched to fit inside the crumbling tunnels, frame covered in spikes and etched in ancient text.

"My~ My~" The new mechs voice purred. "It would seem, you've met an old acquaintance of mine." The mech growled out, a sardonic smile on his lipplates.

They all spun, taking in the mech who could best be described as 'Ancient'.

Starscream scowled. "Identify yourself!" He hissed out.

The mech let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Why, you don't recognise me? My, what a pity… the legends of my deeds must have long fallen quiet." He walked right past Devastator and Bonecrusher, and gripped the metal pinning Starscream to the wall, the shift in pressure and angle causing the seeker to groan in pain, before shouting as it was swiftly ripped out of him, allowing a gush of energon to rush out before the mystery mechs servo pressed over the wound, the servo suddenly becoming molten hot, eliciting an agonised cry from the downed mech as his armour was melted together, sealing the would.

The pain took any lingering fight from the Seekers frame as he slumped, the armour on his abdomen still red hot.

The mech examined the crude weapon and hummed. "She is losing her touch… she used to craft blades much sharper than this pitiful thing…" He mused, before grinning and squeezing the metal, it pulsed for a moment, before it snapped under the pressure, the pieces clattering to the floor.

Bonecrusher spoke up then. "Who. Are. You?"

The mech smirked. "Oh sweet youngling~ I am Megatronus. The Fallen, if you will~"


Rubs hands together This is gonna be fun~

Until next time!

Moon.