Disclaimer:Transformers belongs to Hasbro, Takara, etc . The only thing in this that belongs to me is Arcee's sister.
Somewhere on Earth the Nemesis descends towards a mine and a large elevator descended from the ship's hatch as it opened up, "Of the energon deposits we have located while you were away, Lord Megatron, this one is by far the most significant," he explained to his leader' who just returned from space "The drone have been mining without pause during your absence and have amassed quite a stockpile." He looked at a Vehicon "You there, fetch me a sample." He ordered as Megatron entered the mine from behind.
"Starscream, now that I have returned, I will issue the commands," the Warlord said before walking forward.
"I understand, Lord Megatron," Starscream said, relieving his command back to his leader. "Then as your humble servant, shall I ready the space bridge, to bring forth the Decepticon army you have surely gathered during your three years in space?"
"My army will come, but my time away has yielded a more intriguing means of materializing them, a solidified form of the matter the ancients refer to as the 'blood of Unicron,'" Megatron said showing his second in command, the purple crystalline shard he had in his hand.
Starscream looked at the crystal with familiarity as he guarded a batch of the same form of Energon for thousands of years before joining Megatron. "Unicron the destroyer. But it is said that his blood is the anti-spark. It has been practically non-existent since Cybertron went dark. How were you able to find a batch of Dark Energon?"
"Plucked from cosmic shores," he answered, "Gaze upon Dark Energon found off Cybertron."
"Legend tells that it holds the power to… revive the dead," Starscream added, not testing the form of energon when he guarded it as he was afraid of using it as he thought it would kill everything it touches, but Megatron proved him wrong long ago.
"We require only a cadaver to be certain. Are you willing to make the ultimate sacrifice?" Megatron asked his second-in-command.
Starscream chuckles, "That may not be necessary. If I may Lord Megatron?" Suddenly the lift of the elevator came to them with two Vehicons moving the body of Cliffjumper on a table, with his hands and legs wrapped with metallic locks, "consider it a 'welcome home' present."
Meanwhile at the Autobot's base, Optimus was still going over why he requested that the humans should become their allies, "And since you now know of our existence, I fear as of last night, the Decepticons know of yours."
"Got it. If we spot any strange vehicles, call 911," Jack said, "Can we go now?"
"Are you insane?" Miko asked him, "I'm living a dream here in 'Bot'-swana. And I will not allow you or anyone else to shatter it!"
"It is best that you three remain under our watch," Optimus said,"At least until we determine our enemies' intentions."
"Optimus, with all due respect, the human children are in as much danger here as anywhere." Ratchet said.
"'Children?'" Jack confused why Ratchet called them that.
"Well you are minors, right?" Chromette asked, "adolescents are in a way children, as we're millions of years older than you are."
"They have no protective shell," Ratchet added "If they get underfoot, they will go… squish."
"Then for the time being, Ratchet, we must watch were we step," Optimus told him.
Suddenly an alarm started blaring and green lights started flashing in the entire room. "What's that?" Jack asked and Bumblebee buzzed a reply.
"Proximity sensor," Raf translated, "Someone's up top."
Ratchet went to the supercomputer and checked to see who it was and saw a helicopter "It's Agent Fowler," the medic said.
"I thought we were the only humans who knew about you guys?" Jack asked, with confusion.
"Special Agent Fowler is our designated liaison to the outside world," Optimus said, turning to look at the humans. "As he tends to visit only when there are issues, it may be best if you do not meet him at this time."
The humans hid away so they didn't meet the special agent. Meanwhile the Base's elevator shaft opened and a dark skinned man with a tit that barely hung on his neck came out of the elevator, walking up to the autobots. "7 wrecks, 34 Fender benders, a 3-hour traffic jam, and a particular note, numerous reports of two speeding motorcycles with two different color schemes of the make make but unknown what the type of motorcycle they were," Fowler said looking at Arcee and Chromette. "And a black and yellow Urbana 500." Jack looked at Fowler and hid away before he could see the 16 year old. "So anything you care to get off your tin chest, Prime?"
"We have the situation under control, Ahmet Fowler," Optimus told him.
"They're back, aren't they?" Fowler asked.
"If you are referring to the Decepticons, I have doubts that they have ever left," Optimus told him, "Your planet is much too valuable."
"Then it's time to wake up the pentagon," Fowler told him.
"Hear me, Agent Fowler," Optimus said "We are your best, possibly your only defense against the Decepticon threat."
"Says you," was Fowler's reply to Optimus's statement.
"Hey, fleshy did anyone get splattered on that freeway " Bulkhead asked Fowler as he grabbed Ratchet's manipulator arm. "Team Prime knows when to use force and how much to use." Bulkhead then accidentally breaks it as he uses too much strength on it.
"Bulkhead. I needed that!" Ratchet complained at the former wrecker.
"Enough," Optimus said to Ratchet and Bulkhead before turning back to Fowler "Military involvement will only result in catastrophe. Perhaps you can condone widespread human casualties, Agent Fowler. I, however, cannot."
"Then do us both a favor and handle this prime, under the radar," Fowler said as he walked back to the elevator "Or I will." The elevator then closed as Fowler left the base.
"Pretty big hearings… For a human." Bulkhead said, talking about Fowler's threats.
"Agent Fowler is concerned for his world, Bulkhead as he should be," Optimus told Bulkhead.
Back with the Decepticons, Megatron looked at the corpse of Cliffjumper "Let us see if power born of Darkness can reignite the spark," he said before lunging the shark of Dark Energon into Cliffjumper's chest. The shard melted into the body of Cliffjumper, while Starscream walked back, a little in fear. While the Terrorcon that was Cliffjumper snarled as he woke up and broke the locks that were on his limbs.
The Vehicons that brought his body to Megatron suddenly aimed their blasters at the terrorcon and the terrorcon clobbered the Vehicon on the left and beated him to death and then the other Vehicon started shooting at him and he soon clobbered him and did the same to him as well.
Starscream and Megatron watched what the terrorcon was doing to the Vehicons and Starscream was freaked out by this, "That's your plan?! Bring Autobots back from the dead to attack us?!"
"That is no longer an Autobot," Megatron said, correcting his second-in-command. "Just a mindless beast, it's only instinct to destroy anything in its path." The terrorcon suddenly snarled and ran up to the warlord, but he was ready for the terrorcon as he unleashes his sword and cut the terrorcon in half and one of the terrorcon fell from the platform down into the mine,while the torso half held onto the edge of the platform "There, Starscream, rise of the indestructible seed of my army, the ultimate weapon." The terrorcon snarled as Megatron walked up to him and stepped on his head before kicking him towards another platform. "Once I learn to control it, as I did during the final days of cybertron."
Back at the Autobot base, the computer beeps as it got Cliffjumper's life signal piping back online, "Blasted Earth tech!" Ratchet said, he turned to everyone else "Cliffjumper's signal just popped back online."
"Who's cliffjumper?" Miko asked.
"Someone who just died," Chromette said, my sister's partner, they were close like as you humans would call lovers."
"How is that possible?" Optimus asked Ratchet.
"It isn't," Ratchet told him. "Another bug, the system's chock-full of them."
"If there's any chance Cliff's alive…" Arcee said with optimism
"Ratchet, prepare sick bay," Optimus said before walking away, activating his battle mask, "We may need it."
"Hey! What can we do?" Miko asked.
"Remain with Ratchet," Optimus said answering the exchange student's question.
"Aw!" She complained, wanting to go with them.
"Aw," Ratchet said, just as Miko did and activated a switch, which caused a portal to form at a device that looked like a tunnel.
"Autobots, roll out!" Optimus said and then he and the rest of the Autobots, excluding Ratchet transformed and drove through the portal.
"What just happened?" Jack asked Ratchet with amazement.
"I transported them to the designated coordinates via the Ground Bridge," Ratchet explained.
"What's a Ground Bridge?" Raf asked him.
Ratchet sighs as Raf said that "A scaled-down version of Space Bridge technology. Since we don't currently possess the means or the Energon required for intergalactic travel."
"You're stuck here… on Earth," Jack realized.
"With the likes of you, yes," Ratchet said, confirming Jack's statement. "But I constructed the Ground Bridge to enable travel from here to anywhere on your planet."
"Woah," Raf said looking at the Ground Bridge, "Does it work for humans?"
"Naturally," Ratchet answered.
"You mean, I could just shoot on over and visit my parents in Tokyo?" Miko asked.
"Within moments," Ratchet said before bending down and looked at her from eye level "In fact, allow me to send you there immediately, all three of you," he joked.
"Watch it, Ratchet," Miko warned.
The autobots arrived in the Energon mine that the Nemesis, Starscream and Megatron were at, transformed as they exited the Ground Bridge portal, which closed behind them, "Energon mine," Bulkhead said as he noticed the energon within the mine, they were in.
"Judging by it's scale, the Decepticons have been tunneling here for quite some time," Optimus said and all five autobots hid behind a crystal of energon and saw multiple Vehicons of Servant class using a drill to mine energon, with a few used there blasters to slice a crystal of energon in half, Optimus then stood up "Let's find Cliffjumper."
Optimus walked towards the mine and the Vehicons immediately spotted him and aimed their blasters at him and all five autobots activated their blasters back at the Vehicons who fired their blasters at the autobots, while some of the Vehicons moved the drills and used the drills to go towards them.
Bulkhead evaded the drill and knocked it over with his wrecking ball mace, while the autobots fired their blasters at the Vehicons, Arcee jumped, fired her blaster in mid air, turned around and kicked a Vehicon with her foot, then jumped onto the head of the Vehicon next to her and sliced his head off with her foot, meanwhile Chromette started shooting at the Vehicons, that were near her sister.
Bumblebee was in his Urbana 500 form and transformed in mid air, he activated his blasters and began shooting at the Vehicons below him and landed in the Vehicon, he then saw a drill coming his way and evaded it. Optimus lifted the drill up and blasted it. He then ran forward and a Vehicon was charging at him and he shot him in the chest.
Bulkhead, in his alternate mode, saw a Vehicon following Optimus and he accelerated towards the Vehicon, he then transformed and used his mace on the Vehicon killing him instantly.
Meanwhile back at base Miko was looking at some Cybertronian technology and pointed at it "What is this, anyway?" She asked Ratchet.
"Broken, don't touch," he answered as he walks towards the main supercomputer of the base, he noticed Miko was about to touch another piece of equipment "Don't touch that, either."
"Is there anything in here we can touch?" Jack asked.
Suddenly the supercomputer beeped as an error appeared on it "How come you guys are using human computers?" Raf asked Ratchet.
"It certainly isn't by choice," Ratchet explained "It was handed down from the previous tenants when we inherited this former missile silo, which was built during a time that your species refers to as a 'Cold war'. I make modifications as I see fit." Suddenly the supercomputer beeped again as more errors popped up on the screen of the supercomputer and Ratchet groaned as he doesn't know how to fix the errors.
"I think I can fix that " Raf said before walking away to take a laptop out of his backpack.
"Really?" Ratchet said with disbelief "you know this is complex technology, don't you? I mean, it isn't a child's toy."
Raf plugs his laptop into the supercomputer with a USB cord as Ratchet said that he didn't think that Raf could fix the supercomputer. "Now try," Raf said and Ratchet looks back at the supercomputer with the error turned into check marks, which then cleared off the screen and he looked back at Raf realized that the preteen was a genius.
Meanwhile back in the mine, a drill headed towards Bulkhead as he activated his mace, smashed the drill causing the Vehicon to jump in mid-air and Optimus then shoots the Vehicon with his blaster and then deactivated his blaster, everyone else did the same as the tons of Vehicons walked towards them with drills and without drills.
"Maximum overdrive!" Optimus said running forward and transforming into his semi-truck alternate mode and the other autobots followed. The Vehicons walking towards them that weren't using drills started shooting at them, causing them to slit up and as the Vehicons continued to shoot at them, the Autobot leader power slid at a Vehicon, then going in reverse, then power slid yet again, but towards a drill this time, the Vehicon driver fell out of the drill only to get run over by the rest of the autobots. Optimus then slid towards two Vehicons that was shooting at him, then sliding away from them after defeating them with his alternate modes, Bulkhead then ran over the Vehicons as he followed Optimus through the mine in his alternate mode.
The autobots transformed as they went deeper into the energon mine and hid behind silver colored metal boxes for cover and saw Vehicons walked up onto a platform, they also saw another Vehicon transporting energon on a minecart and even more doing the same thing.
"Bulkhead whistled as he was impressed with the mining operation that the Decepticon were using to mine energon "Quite an operation," he commented. Suddenly Vehicons noticed the autobots and started to shoot at them, which in turn caused the autobots to shoot back at them.
Above the mine, inside the Nemesis Megaton was staring at a chunk of Dark Energon that was encapsulated and walked towards it, "Blood of Unicron, how might I fathom the depths of your mystery become worthy of wielding your astonishing power once again?"
Behind him a monitor turned on and Starscream appeared on the monitor, "Lord Megatron, intruders have been detected in the mines."
"Optimus?" Megatron asked.
"Indeed," the Decepticon second-in-command replied.
Megatron looked at the monitor, "I need more time to prepare an appropriate reception for my old friend. Ready the ship for departure."
"But the energon I've mined, the Autobots will seize it!" Starscream told his leader.
"Then blow the mines!" Megatron ordered.
Back within the mines the autobots were still shooting at the Vehicons and Arcee ducked down as she saw something and looked up and saw her deceased partner on a platform above them. "It's Cliff," she said "I have a visual.
"Go get him, sis," Chromette said "the rest of us will cover you." She said looking at Optimus.
"Chromette you're correct, we'll cover Arcee," Optimus said before looking towards Chromette's sister "Arcee go,get Cliffjumper." The autobots continued to shoot Vehicons, while Arcee transformed into her alternate mode and sped up a ramp and jumped in mid air and landed onto one of the levels of the Nemesis's elevator, while jumping towards the platform where the terrorcon that was Cliffjumper with acrobatic skills.
As Arcee got onto the platform she gasps as she saw Cliffjumper was leaking purple energon, Vehicons were aiming at her, when suddenly the section of the platform Cliffjumper was at began to fall "Cliff!" She cried as she rushed towards him and grunts as she pulls him up, while Optimus blasted the Vehicons that was shooting at Arcee. "Let's get you home partner."
Suddenly the terrorcon woke up and snarls as it looked at her, scaring her, causing her to let go of him. The rest of the autobots saw the terrorcon fall next to crystallized energon and Arcee grunts as she knew that she failed to save him.
They all heard familiar laughter from a platform above then and saw Starscream "Prime! I'd stick around, but I'm squeamish." He activated a bomb before letting go and he transformed into a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon military jet and flew out of the mine through the elevator shaft, while the bomb landed on between the crystal form of energon.
"The joint's gonna blow!" Bulkhead said as he saw the bomb fall between the energon.
"Autobots, roll out!" Optimus said and the autobots transformed back into their alternate mode to flee the mine as it was about to explode from an explosive.
"Ratchet, bridge us back," Optimus said contacting his medic with his comlink, as they were fleeing the explosion "Use the arrival coordinates now!" Just then the Ground Bridge portal opened at the same location they arrived at and all five autobots entered the portal.
The Autobot arrived back at base with an explosion coming from behind and they transformed as Ratchet closed the Ground Bridge.
The humans were amazed at how the autobots came back as one of them said 'wow' while another said woah!'
"Cutting a bit close," Ratchet then commented on their arrival back to base, "How about Cliffjumper?"
"What was that explosion?" Miko asked "Was there a fight? Can I come with next time?"
Arcee groaned as she heard Miko wanting to come with them next time they go battle Decepticons "Look," she said before Jack walked up to Miko.
"H-Hey, Miko, let's go see what the bots hide in their sock drawers."
"Seriously," was all Miko said was they walked away.
"Arcee, what did you see? Optimus asked Arcee.
"Not Cliff," she replied, wrapping her arms around her chest, "Well at least, not anymore. He was mutated, butchered like something from those 'Con experiments during the war." She then fell to her knees.
Chromette and Bumblebee went to her "Sis, are you okay?" Chromette asked while Bumblebee buzzed.
"I'm fine, just dizzy," she replied.
"Robots who get dizzy?" Miko said.
"Robots with emotions," Raf said.
"Robots who can die," Jack added.
Arcee sat on top of a met box as Ratchet scanned her with his scanner upwards then downwards and so on till the scanner's light flashed red as the light hovered over her left wrist, "What is this?" He asked as he noticed the purple energon on Arcee's arm.
"Don't know," she answered, "Cliff was covered in it, leaking it."
Ratchet scooped up the purple energon with a cybertron knife, "Go take a decontamination bath, now."
Chromette and Bumblebee helped Arcee up to get her to get decontaminated from the purple energon.
Jack was trying to phone his mother but couldn't as he got no bars "O-Optimus, I-I hate to bug, but no bars," he said showing him.
"Security precaution," Optimus explained," the silo walls isolate all radio waves."
"Well, if I don't call my mom, like, now, I'm pretty sure the cops will be out looking for me," Jack said.
"Have you broken a law?" Optimus asked him.
"Uh, curfew," Jack explained "It's after 10 PM."
"I better get home, too, or I'll be grounded for a year," Raf then said.
"Earth customs," Optimus realized "I hadn't considered. But the issue of your safety remains." He turns to Bulkhead "Bulkhead, accompany Miko home."
"Awesome," Miko said, "My Host parents will freak!"
"And maintain covert surveillance in vehicle form," Optimus added.
"Curbside duty," Bulkhead said, "Got it.
"Aw!" Miko complained.
"Bumblebee, you will watch over, Raf," Optimus said, turning to his scout he looking for someone to watch over Jack, "Ratchet?"
"Busy," Ratchet said, trying to analyze the purple energon.
Optimus saw that Arcee was finished with her decontamination bath "Arcee? You'll accompany Jack."
"Still dizzy," Arcee said as she sighs dramatically.
"You're fine, says your physician," Ratchet told her
"I think it's a good thing for you sis," Chromette said walking up to her sister "You really need to get over the loss of cliffjumper. It'll be like a good character builder for you."
"Arcee, Chromette is correct, I know it took you centuries to get over the loss of your first partner," Optimus told Arcee "You should just see if this will help you."
Later In a suburban neighborhood of Jasper Arcee was in her motorcycle form and drove Jack to his house, a one story sized house. As she approached the driveway, the house's garage opened up, she drove into it and Jack stepped onto the gear to stop her motorcycle from falling over.
Jack walked around her "Arcee, I just wanted to say… I'm really sorry for your loss."
"What could you possibly know about loss?" She asked him.
"What, you think you're the only one with problems?" He asked her.
She then transformed and bent down on her knees, to not damage the garage "I'm not sure girl trouble counts," she said.
"Well, I-I'm pretty sure my girl trouble started the night I met you," he scoffs, holding his arms, just then a car appeared on the driveway.
"Arcee activated her blasters "'Cons!" She said, thinking that the car was a Vehicon.
"No!" Jack said "Mom." He walked towards the car and the car stopped.
"Jack?" She said as she notices Arcee in her alternate mode.
"Mom!" He chuckles as she closed her car door "Don't...Don't freak. I can explain."
"Can you?" She asked as she places her hands on her hips and walked into the garage up towards where Arcee was "Jackson Darby, we've talked about this."
"Yeah, I know," he said walking into the garage.
"You don't know," she said "I worry about you enough when you're not here. Now I have to worry about you driving a motorcycle?"
"I'm 16," he said "I can't be driving a 10-speed forever."
"How did you even afford this?" She asked looking at Arcee in her alternate mode.
"Uh, I-It's used. It's abused really," he lied, "Needs a ton of repairs. The point is, I may have been a kid when I bought this," he added touching a motorcycle helmet that was on a desk "but I'm not anymore. You always tell me to make responsible choices. Well, I-I Chose her." He walked back toward Arcee "And I'll be responsible, I promise."
"'Her?'" His mother asked, noticing that he referred to Arcee as a girl.
"I didn't think you'd be bringing girls home just yet."
"I like to think she brought me," he added.
"Well, I'm glad you finally have a reason to wear your helmet, every single time you ride!" She warned him before walking towards the door to the inside of their house "You will take me for a spin every once in a while."
Arcee tilts her side-view mirror as Jack follows his mother, "We'll see," he said "She's kind of temperamental." He turns the light off and goes inside the house as the garage door closes.
The next morning Arcee revved her engine, causing Jack to wake up, he opens the garage door "Shh! Are you crazy? You'll wake up my mom."
"Grab your helmet," she said "It's go time."
He sighs "It's Saturday!"
"You can watch cartoons back at base with bumblebee," she suggested.
"Cartoons," he scoffed "I'm sixteen."
"And leave a note for your mom! She worries!" She went on as he closed the door to the garage.
Meanwhile on the Nemesis Starscream stood in the bridge with Megatron "I don't think you need worry about further Autobot interference, Master," Starscream told Megatron, "Not with Optimus gone."
"And what evidence do you possess of this fact?" Megatron asked.
"I destroyed the mines, as you instructed," Starscream explained
"Optimus is not so easily destroyed," Megatron explained "We have millennia worth of battles behind us to prove it." He turned toward the Dark Energon.
"Maybe you should take a break, my lord," Starscream suggested, "I worry that too much contact with the Dark Energon might allow it's properties to adversely affect you."
"Or, perhaps, Starscream, I have haven't permitted myself contact enough, since I came back from the dead by Dark Energon," Megatron said before grabbing a chunk of Dark Energon from the encapsulated Dark Energon.
"Wait! Lord Megatron, no! Not your spark chamber, you do not know what it will do to you this time," Starscream said, pleading the warlord to not insert dark energon into his spark chamber, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Megatron suddenly grunts as he feels Dark Energon coursing through his veins and his eyes turned from red to purple.
Meanwhile at the Autobot base Ratchet was still examining the purple energon that he got from Arcee, as one of his machines beep "Hmm. The base elements of this goo are nothing like, I've ever encountered, since Megatron contaminated the core of Cybertron with Dark Energon. If this is Dark Energon, it must be a form that is extremely concentrated to affect Arcee so rapidly." He then grabs Cybertronian like tweezers to pick up the goo without touching it, "Unfortunately, complete results are slow coming without the use of proper diagnostic tools. Thank you very much, Bulkhead."
As he walked away with the purple goo, some of it spilled onto Ratchet's manipulator arm, causing it to come back to life and became a living drone and walked around, before running forwards.
To be Continued.