Disclaimer:Transformers belongs to Hasbro, Takara, etc. The only thing in this that belongs to me is Arcee's sister.
There were very few things that could take Megatron by surprise.
A Predacon - a creature that is meant to be extinct - standing before him is one of them.
The remaining Decepticons in the room - Starscream, Slipstream, Barricade, Blitzwing and Knockout more than the Vehicons - were surprised and horrified. It was also strongly suspected that they leaked a little transmission fluid at the sight of the massive creature.
"A Predacon?!" Starscream gasped in disbelief, unable to remove the open-mouthed expression from his face, "They've been extinct since the beginning of Cybertronian history."
"Since the Great Cataclysm in fact," Slipstream added, agreeing with him.
"Indeed," Shockwave concurred, "But the specimen that you both see before you was bred in the laboratory, cloned from fossilized remains, which both me and Scrapper discovered on Cybertron."
"Shockwave, it does my spark good to see you once again tampering with creation," Megatron said, happily as he rose from his throne and approached the Predacon.
"Master, please! Keep your distance!" Starscream pleaded with Megatron.
"Yeah, we don't know if it'll snuff your spark or not," Slipstream said, agreeing with Starscream.
"No need for alarm. The beast is completely under my control," Shockwave assured both seekers.
"Because we tamed it while it was still in its cloning process," Scrapper added.
"Such primal magnificence," Megatron admired as the Predacon examined the Decepticon warlord, curiously.
"A sample of Energon from Wheeljack during the Autobot's failed interrogation," Shockwave said as he held a vial of Wheeljack's Energon in front of the Predacon's optic.
The optic grew brightly as the Predacon scanned the chemical makeup and the CyberNeucleicAcid within the sample to memory. Now, the Predacon would only go after Wheeljack…
And those who stood in his way between the hunter and prey.
"Let the hunt begin," Megatron smirked.
With those words said, the Predacon, the Predacon took off with a roar and a screech.
He had a hunt to commence.
After leaving the designated Wrecker rendezvous point, Wheeljack, Bulkhead and Miko traveled to a known Decepticon Energon mine close to the rendezvous point. Bulkhead seemed to follow the plan that Wheeljack had for them and was all for it.
Miko, on the other hand, did not follow and was, by consequence, unsure.
"Guys, you know I'm all for blowin' the scrap outta stuff, but what does flattening a Decepticon mine have to do with getting the band back together and taking down Megatron?" Miko asked them.
"Simple. When we light up this place, the blast'll be big and unmistakable," Wheeljack explained.
"Any Autobot within 500 clicks will see the sky glowin' with Energon, and come runnin'," Bulkhead added.
That was enough to convince Miko.
"Then bring the rain," Miko smirked.
Miko always did love blowing stuff up and enjoyed the adrenaline rush that came with it.
Bringing everyone else back together was just a bonus in her eyes.
Bumblebee, Raf and Ratchet were doing their work on the Harbinger. They were trying to get the Ground Bridge housed within the ship operational. Getting that part done was easy. The hard part was deciding what to do when they did.
"Mainframe's up and running but I'll need help hacking the operating codes," Raf told Ratchet.
"Even if the Ground Bridge proves functional, it will be next to worthless without a means of pinpointing the current locations of our compatriots," Ratchet pointed out before Bumblebee beeped a response, asking about their Autobot insignias, "Use your head, Bumblebee. If the Decepticons had the ability to track Autobot signals, we'd have all been at Megatron's mercy here on Earth a long time ago."
"Back where we started," Raf signed in defeat.
"But not if I can reconfigure these Decepticon frequencies," Ratchet assured him, "At the very least, we may be able to access their comm-link."
Arcee and Jack still stood before the four latest Autobots to arrive on Earth. Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, Perceptor and Springer. It was something Arcee had a hard time believing.
"No one has seen or heard from the four of you since Cybertron went dark," Arcee told the four Autobots that stood before them and just arrived on Earth, "How did the four of you find your way to Earth?"
"Soldier, we may not be on Cybertron, but military protocol remains," Ultra Magnus stated, firmly.
Immediately, Arcee stood at attention, "My apologies, sir."
"Don't mind him, he's always been like that," Rodimus told the femme.
"Sir?" Jack repeated in surprise.
"How does that Mech not know how I operate?" Ultra Magnus asked her.
"It's a long story," Arcee answered, "He wasn't always Cybertronian, sir, he was born human, a native life-form from this planet."
"Fascinating," Perceptor said with amazement, "How did he become a Cybertron, if I might ask?"
"Unrefined Cyber-Matter and the destruction of the Omega Lock, the device that held the Cyber-Matter within back on Cybertron," Arcee answered.
"Well, it looks like he's a Triple Changer like me," Springer stated as he examined Jack's frame.
"Anyway, advise him to watch his tone as well," Ultra Magnus instructed Arcee.
"What?!" Jack said in disbelief, "Who is this guy? And who are the others that are with him?"
"Ultra Magnus was Optimus' key lieutenant during the war back on Cybertron. Very 'by the book.' Just go with it," Arcee explained to her sparkmate, "Perceptor is the Autobots' scientist, Rodimus is a Wrecker like what Bulkhead and Wheeljack were and is considered Ultra Magnus' second-in-command, and Springer is a Triple Changer like you and is a Wrecker as well and from what I hear, he trained with Bulkhead and Wheeljack back when they were part of the Wreckers."
"Anyways, as for your broader question, my story is that of all Autobots since the Exodus," Ultra Magnus stated, "I wandered the spaceways in search of others, reuniting some, which you can see I have because Rodimus, Perceptor and Springer are with me, but I found others as well, often to see them fall at the hands of the Decepticons."
"Until you detected the Omega beam, and followed it here," Arcee surmised.
"If that is what the massive energy burst that we detected on our systems, originating from Cybertron, then you are correct, Arcee," Perceptor confirmed.
"Upon our arrival, it became evident that this planet had been invaded. Our scanners also detected Autobot life signals, yours being in closest proximity to our position," Ultra Magnus went on.
"Signals? As in plural?" Jack asked, hopefully, wilting under Ultra Magnus' disapproving gave at the break of strict military protocol, "Sir."
"Five total," Ultra Magnus answered.
"Out of eight," Jack stated, sadly as he lowered his helm and closed his optics.
"Jack, that doesn't necessarily mean what you're thinking. Autobot signals can't be detected when they're shielded," Arcee told him.
"Can I ask if you've chosen a designation to go by yet… Jack, is it?" Rodimus asked Jack.
"It is," Jack confirmed, "And no, I haven't yet."
"I believe it's best if you choose one soon," Springer told him, "Because who knows what would happen if the Decepticons discover that you're a Cybertronian now."
"Could I still use my birth name in front of family and close friends?" Jack asked them.
"Certainly," Perceptor answered.
"But not in military operations or near Decepticons," Ultra Magnus added.
"Better late than never to choose a designation, Partner," Arcee told Jack.
After a few seconds of thinking in his processor, Jack found a designation that would suit him as a Cybertronian as he smiled, "You can call me Afterburner."
Smokescreen, using the Phase Shifter, appeared through the ground. He could not see much had changed in the Nevada desert since the base was destroyed.
Well, except for being unable to see Jasper on the horizon and Megatron's new fortress.
"Cozy little place you built for yourself, Megatron," Smokescreen smirked, "Finding the Forge in there may take awhile. Then, again, maybe you still keep your valuables in the usual place."
Immediately, his gaze shifted to the familiar ship hovering next to Darkmount.
Knowing Megatron, he would be keeping all of his valuables on the Nemesis.
Using the Phase Shifter, Smokescreen waited for the Vehicon guards to walk by and be gone before he sprinted through the halls of Darkmont on his way to a vantage point where he could reach the Nemesis.
He managed to do so with ease so far.
"I won't let you down, Optimus," Smokescreen vowed.
"I'm sorry, 'Overreacting?' Easy for you to say, Knockout," He suddenly heard Starscream say as he inwardly cursed as Starscream was coming.
Quickly, he dove back into the wall as Starscream and Knockout walked around the corner, not knowing that there was an Autobot on board the Decepticon warship.
"Nobody here wants your post. Me and Slipstream on the other hand, both hold the most coveted positions within the Decepticon ranks, despite how much I dislike her. An matter what he may claim, I know that Shockwave is plotting to usurp me! Did you see the smug look in his eye when he and the Constructicons unveiled that vile beast to Lord Megatron?" Starscream ranted to the Decepticons' medical officer as they walked away.
Smokescreen kept backing away with a slight smirk on his face. He was enjoying this way more than he should be.
Well, at least until he accidently found himself inside of Airachnid's stasis pod.
Smokescreen cried out in surprise and stumbled backwards, falling on his aft without the grace of an Autobot Elite Guard warrior.
"You don't scare me, ugly," Smokescreen told Airachnid as he approached her stasis pod.
Then he turned around and found what he was looking for in the same room as Airachnid's stasis pod.
The Forge of Solus Prime.
"Hello, beautiful," Smokescreen said as he approached the unit that contained the hammer.
He found what he was looking for.
Bulkhead and Wheeljack were busy setting their little plan into motion. The two Wreckers had gone into the mine to set the grenades, while Miko stood guard outside. After planting the grenades at different structural points, the two Wreckers quickly raised out from the mine. The trio immediately sucked behind a rock from a safe distance away from the impending explosion.
"munitions planted," Bulkhead reported.
"Let's get this party started," Wheeljack smirked.
"Company," Miko said before they could detonate Wheeljack's detonator as she pointed at the sky.
Through the clouds, the trio could make out a strange shape rapidly approaching them. It was something they had never seen before.
Well, in person, at least.
"Megatron?" Wheeljack suggested.
"Nah. Bigger," Bulkhead protested as the creature emerged from the clouds, "And I don't remember seeing that move in Buckethead's repertoire."
Something else that the ancient dragons had the ability to do was to breathe fire. This was no different for the Predacon, the robotic version of a dragon. For the Predacon, one could tell that the Predacon was about to fire a blast when its chest glowed and that glow rose from its chest and into its throat before finally stopping at its mouth.
Then the blast escaped its mouth. But it was a plasma blast more than actual fire. But it resembled the naked flame enough to confuse people.
But it still didn't stop Wheeljack, Bulkhead and Miko from freezing in horror.
What did they get themselves into?
The fireball was still heading towards Wheeljack, Bulkhead and Miko. Fortunately, the three of them managed to move out of the fireball's path. Regardless, it still didn't stop them from being knocked back by the force of the impact.
"A dragon?! Where'd the 'Cons get a dragon?!" Miko demanded from her place in Bulkhead's servo.
"What's a dragon?" Bulkhead and Wheeljack both asked in unison.
"Giant flying fire-breathing lizard," Miko explained.
Bulkhead and Miko let out a yell as the Predacon swooped down and fired another shot at them. Bulkhead barely managed to transform into his alternate mode and secure Miko in his alternate mode in time. Knowing his charge was safe, the former Wrecker backed away. His first priority was to keep Miko safe.
Besides, he didn't think Wheeljack would have a problem taking on the 'dragon'.
Based on the way Wheeljack roared and began opening fire on the Predacon, Bulkhead's presumption was correct.
Wheeljack wasn't prepared for the Predacon to attack him with its tail. The tail collided with the former Wrecker, sending him into a nearby rock formation..
The Predacon then approached the downed Wheeljack, going in for the kill. Bulkhead had to intervene or he would be losing his best friend, which was the last thing he wanted.
He intervened by transforming one of his servos into his Wrecking ball mace and punching the Predacon in the face with it.
Bulkhead's plan was to distract the Predacon away from Wheeljack to allow him time to recover from the blow so he can quickly rejoin the fight. Bulkhead's plan worked a little too well as he found himself being hit by the Predacon's fire.
"Bulkhead, you okay?" Miko asked her guardian as she rushed over to him as he was busy smothering the flames on his frame.
"Easy, I may be hot to the touch," Bulkhead warned, begging her not to come any closer to him.
"Why isn't it coming after us?" Miko inquired as she and Bulkhead looked at the Predacon.
That question had Bulkhead wondering as well. The Predacon had the perfect opportunity to attack them. Their guard was down. They were distracted. So why wasn't it?
"Lookin' for me, beast?" Wheeljack smirked at the Predacon, earning the creature's attention, "I'm right here."
Looking down when he heard the familiar beeping. Wheeljack smirked. While the Predacon was distracted with Bulkhead and Miko, Wheeljack slipped one of his signature grenades underneath the Predacon, hoping to blow it sky-high.
All the resulting result did, however, was briefly stun the creature.
"We're gonna need more firepower!" Bulkhead stated.
"Good thing I know just where to find some," Wheeljack smirked.
A plan forming in his processor, Wheeljack rushed into the Energon mine that he and Bulkhead had rigged to blow moments before the Predacon arrived and halted their plans.
Inside the mine, the Decepticon miners, who were mining Energon from the cave walls, were unaware of what was about to happen.
"INCOMING!" Wheeljack warned the Decepticon miners as he ran past them.
He may not like the Decepticons. But he figured he should at least warn their miners.
"AUTOBOTS!" One of the miners cried as he and another miner aimed and charged their blasters at the retreating Wheeljack.
The roar and sound of the Predacon approaching them from behind made them change their plans and follow Wheeljack further into the mine.
But Wheeljack wasn't planning on going further into the mine. He had another plan in mind; especially since he now had the Predacon right where he wanted him.
He transformed into his vehicular mode and drove underneath the Predacon, driving back to the Energon mine's entrance.
Wheeljack jumped back towards Bulkhead and Miko, transforming into his robot mode in mid-air. With a smirk, Wheeljack unveiled his detonator once again.
"And the walls came tumblin' down," Wheeljack stated as with a press of a button, the entire Energon mine exploded after Wheeljack activated his detonator. The blue fire and thick smoke was the only thing to emerge from the Energon mine.
"Yes! Snuff the tragic dragon!" Miko cheered.
Unfortunately for them, Miko's victory was short lived, as the Predacon emerged from the rubble and roared.
"We're toast," Miko stated as Wheeljack transformed one of his servos into one of his blasters.
Miko's presumption was correct as the Predacon flew into the air and prepared to attack.
Something they didn't expect was a ship to come out of nowhere and shoot at the Predacon on Wheeljack's behalf.
"One of ours?" Bulkhead asked Wheeljack and Miko.
"Does it matter?" Wheeljack retorted.
Without thinking twice, the trio began to retreat. The ship that shot at the Predacon was now hovering close to the ground in front of them as it released its hatch, forcing it to grind against the ground due to the ship's close proximity to it.
Right now, neither of them cared to find out if the ship was Autobot or Decepticon. They just wanted to get away from that Predacon.
So they got on as Wheeljack fired two shots at the Predacon with his blaster as the hatch ascended back upwards.
They'd worry about the occupants later…who turned out to be Arcee, Jack, now known as Afterburner, Springer and Perceptor.
"Hey," Afterburner said, greeting Bulkhead, Wheeljack and Miko as Wheeljack transformed his blaster back into his servo.
"Jack!" Miko yelled, happily as she jumped down from Bulkhead's servo.
"Arcee!" Bulkhead said, greeting the femme, happily at the same time before pulling her in for a tight hug.
"You don't have to call me Jack that much anymore, Miko," Afterburner told the Japanese exchange student as he lowered one of his servo's digits down towards her as she embraced it tightly in a hug, "My designation and Cybertronian name is Afterburner."
"Who's the Triple Changer?" Wheeljack asked everyone as Bulkhead let go and stopped hugging Arcee, "Did Team Prime get yet another new recruit between the time when Miko and I killed Hardshell and when your base was destroyed?"
"Not exactly," Arcee told him.
"You really don't recognize my face or my voice, Wheeljack?" Afterburner asked him.
"Your face and voice do look and sound somewhat familiar," Wheeljack muttered before recognizing his face and voice, "You're Arcee's human friend! How'd you become a Cybertronian?"
"Long story," Afterburner answered, "One we can share when we regroup with the rest of Team Prime."
"Nice to see you both again," Springer told Wheeljack and Bulkhead as he approached them.
"Springer!" Wheeljack and Bulkhead both said, happily as Bulkhead hugged him tightly.
"It would be nice if you could let me down now, Bulk," Springer told his fellow Wrecker.
"Sorry, I forgot how strong I am when I hug other Cybertronians," Bulkhead stated as he let go of Springer as he stopped hugging him.
"It is nice to see you both as well," Perceptor said, agreeing with Springer.
"Percy?" Wheeljack muttered with shock.
"You know him, Wheeljack?" Miko asked him.
"Yeah, I do actually," Wheeljack answered, "Me and him were both scientists and friends before the war started when I joined the Wreckers."
"From what I hear, you became both a warrior and a scientist when you joined the Wreckers," Perceptor told Wheeljack, causing him to smirk.
"Thanks for the save," Wheeljack said as he nodded to Arcee.
"Thank the Commander and Lieutenant," Arcee told him, pointing to the pilot and co-pilot's seats that were occupied by Ultra Magnus and Rodimus.
"Soldiers," Ultra Magnus said, greeting Wheeljack and Bulkhead.
"You?!" Wheeljack said in disbelief with distaste in his voice.
"Nice to see you both again as well," Rodimus said, greeting Wheeljack and Bulkhead as well.
"Ultra Magnus?" Bulkhead gasped in disbelief, "It's an honor."
"It's an honor, sir," Ultra Magnus corrected him.
Wheeljack and Bulkhead deflated. If it was one thing they remembered - or heard - about Ultra Magnus, it was that he was a very by-the-book lieutenant. Around him, they had to follow military protocol to the letter.
"Don't mind him, Jackie, he's always been like that and I've tried my best to tolerate him since he became leader of the Wrecker back on Cybertron all those years ago by Optimus," Rodimus told Wheeljack.
"Guess blowin' that mine made us pretty easy to spot," Wheeljack remarked.
"Ultra Magnus and the others already had a bead on your signals, and ours," Arcee retorted, "Care to tell us what exactly is nipping at our tailpipes?"
"We think it's a robot dragon," Miko answered as an image of the Predacon that was chasing them appeared on a nearby screen for the other occupants on the ship to see.
"Or a Cybertronian reptile," Afterburner mused.
"It certainly looks like one of those extinct creatures from Cybertron's past," Perceptor stated as he looked at the Predacon.
Regardless of what they called it, it was still on their tail hunting its prey, and it was a problem they had to take care of soon.
"Brace yourselves," Ultra Magnus instructed as the Predacon fired another shot at them.
Wheeljack, Arcee, Afterburner, Springer and Perceptor were able to brace themselves for the incoming impact. Miko, however, was not. Were it not for grabbing her and when he did, things would be worse for them.
Ultra Magnus and Rodimus decided that they would fire upon the Predacon at a later moment. Right now, their primary concern was achieving the right altitude and avoiding the Predacon's attacks until the right time.
The right time came when Ultra Magnus and Rodimus were able to trick the Predacon and managed to fly behind it rather than in front of it.
Now the roles were reversed.
Ultra Magnus and Rodimus both narrowed their optics as they searched the clouds for the Predacon. Due to the thickness of the clouds, the Autobot lieutenant and Wrecker both had lost sight of the creature. They both were hoping that the lost visual was a temporary thing and that they would regain it as they passed through the clouds.
Ultra Magnus and Rodimus both should really be careful about what they wished for.
The Predacon did appear from the clouds, but it managed to get a shot off. Despite Ultra Magnus and Rodimus' best efforts to avoid the flames, the fireball still managed to hit one of the main thrusters. Though, somehow Ultra Magnus and Rodimus were both able to keep the ship in the air. How long would they be able to, though, they didn't know.
They all let out a cry in horror as they heard a thud and felt the ship start to shake. They thought they sustained another hit. Afterburner soon realized better.
"It's right on top of us," Afterburner stated.
Afterburner's observation was confirmed when the creature's head appeared over the pilot and co-pilot's window.
Afterburner and Miko screamed as the Predacon roared at them. This creature was officially scarier than the Insecticons.
Seeing that they were about to approach a canyon, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus both shared a look as an idea formed in their processors. Shaking the Predacon off the ship wasn't going to be easy.
But it was worth a shot.
Rapidly descending into the canyon, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus both put their plan into motion. Any chance they got, they both would make the Predacon collide into a wall or they would deliberately crash into a rock pillar, regardless of the fact that the damaged engine of the ship seemed to disagree with their plan.
The same couldn't be said for Miko's motion sickness as she fought the urge to throw up.
Seeing that wasn't going to work - and that they were going to crash into a wall - Ultra Magnus and Rodimus made the ship climb in altitude and ascended from the canyon, remaining close to the ground. Seeing a rock in front of them, they had an idea. Flipping the ship upside down, they both relished in the screams from the Predacon as it realized what was going to happen next.
What happened next was it detaching from the ship and falling to the ground as its prey got away.
Its prey had gotten away for the time being.
Agent Fowler let out a sigh in frustration as he heard his phone rang once again in his office within the military hangar known as Unit E. Recently Megatron had been calling him a lot, preaching about how he only wanted to negotiate a peace with the planet now that the Autobots - and more importantly, Optimus Prime - was now out of the picture. Naturally, Fowler didn't buy it, but he had to keep the Decepticon warlord happy.
If only to stop him from blowing up the nation's capital.
"What is it now, Lord Megatron?" Fowler sighed, making his frustrations known as he answered the phone.
"Agent Fowler, it's Ratchet!" Ratchet informed Fowler on the speaker of his
"Ratchet?!" June gasped as she suddenly appeared next to Fowler, "Where's Jack? Is he with you?"
"No, he is not," Ratchet answered, "Listen, we don't have much time."
"I have taken a tremendous, yet calculated, risk in contacting you. Hopefully, the Decepticons are not monitoring their own frequencies as closely as they no doubt are those of the humans. I am transmitting our current coordinates," Ratchet went on before Bumblebee approached him and beeped a response, telling him that a ship was approaching their location, "What?"
"Ratchet, have you heard from anyone else? What about Prime?" Fowler inquired, only to have a dial tone answer him in response. After pressing the line button a few times, he realized that the Autobot medic had hung up on him.
June and Fowler glanced at each other, worriedly. What had made Ratchet suddenly cut their transmission.
Ratchet, Bumblebee and Raf ran out of the Harbinger with Bumblebee having his blaster on one of his arms deployed as the ship that Bumblebee had mentioned earlier came closer. As Bumblebee noticed Raf following them, he gestured him to stay back with his servo and beeped at him, telling him to stay there as they don't know if the ship was of Autobot or Decepticon origin.
When the ship began its descent and landing procedures, Ratchet recognized it.
"It's one of ours!" Ratchet cried, happily as Bumblebee retracted his blaster back into his arms.
As the landing struts landed on the ground and the smoke began to clear, the trio could clearly make out the hatch on the underside of the ship opening and the occupants emerging.
It wasn't until the smoke fully cleared that they could make out who it was.
"RAF!" Miko yelled, happily as she jumped off of the hatch and approached the youngest member of their group.
Raf was surprised by the way Miko scooped him up and spun him around before setting him back down gently. But it was a happy surprise rather than an unpleasant surprise. Raf smiled as Afterburner began to approach him as well.
"Girl's got a grip, doesn't she?" Afterburner smirked as he kneeled down towards him as he lowered one of his servos down towards him as if they were clapping their hand and servo against each other before he extended one of his digits down towards him before Raf hugged it for a second before he stopped hugging it as he stood back up and turned towards everyone else, who were walking off of the hatch of the ship.
"You're alive," Ratchet sighed in relief as Arcee, Wheeljack and Bulkhead stepped forward before noticing who were standing behind them, "Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, Perceptor and Springer?"
"Doctor," Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, Perceptor and Springer all said, greeting the Autobot medic.
"What a grave disappointment this must be for you, Master," Starscream told Megatron as Shockwave began examining the injured Predacon with the Constructicons help as they along with Slipstream stood in the Throne room of Darkmount, "And to make matters worse, because it cannot speak, we have no way of knowing why the Predacon failed so miserably. Poor, mute, mindless creature."
The Predacon growled at Starscream as it didn't appreciate the insult.
"The new paint job looks, Bee," Bulkhead told Bumblebee after the scout beeped and showed him his new paint job.
"At least you had something to work with. If I reversed my colors, I'd be pink like my sister," Arcee remarked with disgust at the thought.
"The communications link needs further calibration to be compatible with Autobot frequencies. The Ground Bridge, however, is fully operational," Ratchet reported to the four new Autobots, who have recently arrived on Earth.
"That would've come in handy when Robo-Dragon was trying to eat us for breakfast," Miko told Ratchet.
"The indigenous population of this planet, do they all display the same disregard for authority?" Ultra Magnus asked Ratchet in annoyance.
"I don't think so, Commander," Rodimus told him.
"Yeah, I agree with Rodimus, I think it's just her," Perceptor said, agreeing with Rodimus.
"Me too," Springer stated, agreeing with Rodimus and Perceptor.
"They're right. Mostly just Miko," Ratchet said, confirming Rodimus, Perceptor and Springer's suspicions.
Suddenly, they heard the familiar sound of another ship rapidly approaching them. Ultra Magnus was quick to assume that the incoming ship was a threat as he transformed his servos into a pair of Ion blasters and prepared to fire them at the incoming ship. Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Ratchet and Arcee, however, recognized the ship and were quick to stop him.
"No!" Ratchet cried.
"Don't shoot!" Arcee pleaded.
"It's Fowler. He's one of us!" Bulkhead added, hastily.
Bulkhead's explanation - and the sight of Afterburner, Miko and Raf approaching the jet - was enough to make Ultra Magnus relax his stance. Once again, the desert sand was kicked up by exhaust as the jet came in to land.
Afterburner gasped happily when he saw his mother to be the first person to descend from the jet with Fowler's help. Despite not recognizing his frame, she did recognize Afterburner's face and did not even try to hide her happiness and relief as she ran forward as he kneeled down towards her extended one of his servos' digits towards her as she hugged her son's servo, sobbing as she did.
"It's alright, Mom," Afterburner reassured his mother, "Even though I'm a Cybertronian now, I'm fine. But in missions please call me Afterburner as that's my Cybertronian name and designation."
Standing back up and stepping backwards, Afterburner smiled as Miko and Raf ran forward to hug June themselves.
"Your families are safe. Agent Fowler saw to it that Jasper was evacuated in time," June assured them.
"The only signals Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, Perceptor and Springer were able to isolate are standing right here," Arcee reported to Fowler.
"Maybe their scanner's faulty," Wheeljack suggested.
"Not likely, Jackie," Perceptor assured him.
"So the kid and Chromette are both unaccounted for," Bulkhead realized in horror.
"Through our split-spark, I know that my sister is still alive, Bulkhead," Arcee assured the former Wrecker.
"Both Chromette and Smokescreen bridged out unaccompanied at two separate coordinates. Only Optimus knows where. And Optimus remained behind, to destroy the Ground Bridge, to ensure that everyone else made it to safety," Ratchet revealed to everyone.
"I watched the base go down. No one or thing walked out of there," Fowler said, making the next revelation to everyone.
"Not that we could see," June added.
"Even if Prime survived, I'm not sure we can afford to wait for him to show up. Not with Megatron holding our planet hostage from his high and mighty perch at Darkmount," Fowler stated.
"I would be inclined to agree with the native life-form," Ultra Magnus said as he stepped forward, "We must stop Megatron, with or without Optimus Prime."
As Chromette heard the familiar sound of the Phase Shifter, she looked at one of the caves' walls and saw Smokescreen entering the cave by his back and the light from the Phase Shifter on his wrist as he was dragging the Forge of Solus Prime.
"I see that you were successful, Smoke," Chromette observed as she saw that he had the Forge of Solus Prime with him, "Did you have any trouble retrieving the Forge?"
"Not so much, Chrome," Smokescreen answered before revealing what he learned when he infiltrated the Nemesis to take the Forge of Solus Prime back from the Decepticons, "But I did overhear Starscream saying that Shockwave, Slipstream and the Constructicons rejoining the Decepticon ranks."
"Shockwave's back? Cliff would've loved to have a rematch with him," Chromette muttered, chuckling before remembering he mentioned that someone else had also rejoined the Decepticon ranks, "You said that Slipstream had rejoined the Decepticon ranks here on Earth?"
"Yeah," Smokescreen confirmed, "Why?"
"Well, let's just say that she's my rival after killing one of my best friends back on Cybertron after she, Starscream and most of the seekers joined the Decepticons," Chromette answered.
"So, she's like what Airachnid was to Arcee but with you instead?" Smokescreen surmised.
"Basically, yeah," Chromette confirmed.
They both were worried by the sighs that the fallen Prime was making. Smokescreen and Chromette both knew that Optimus' vitals were taking a slow and steady decline. However, they weren't expecting the rapid decline that he seemed to have been taking.
"Optimus!" Chromette cried as she approached him.
"Optimus! I have the Forge!" Smokescreen said eagerly, "You can use it to repair yourself!"
"That is not the reason I had you retrieve the relic, Smokescreen," Optimus confessed.
"What? I don't understand," Smokescreen said with confusion.
"I don't understand either, Optimus. What other reason did you have Smokescreen retrieve the relic for?" Chromette asked Optimus with confusion.
"The power of the Forge is not unlimited," Optimus informed them, "Its energy has already begun to ebb."
"So it's running low, who cares?" Smokescreen scoffed, "All we need is enough juice to get you back into fighting shape!"
"Yeah, what other reason did you have Smokescreen retrieve the Forge, Optimus?" Chromette asked Optimus.
"Whatever power remains must be used to rebuild the Omega Lock, to restore Cybertron," Optimus answered.
"But that would mean…" Smokescreen and Chromette both began to say.
"The fate of all our kind is more vital…than that of any one of us," Optimus told them, "Including me."
"We must do everything in our power to ensure Megatron's downfall, but we will need to be smart about it," Ultra Magnus proclaimed.
"Whoa, who put shoulder pads in command?" Wheeljack asked with confusion.
"Temporary command," Afterburner said, correcting the former Wrecker.
"Ultra Magnus is the only logical choice. He was trained by Optimus and served as his commanding officer throughout the war for Cybertron," Ratchet explained.
"Now, unless there is any further objection, soldier, please, follow me," Ultra Magnus told Wheeljack.
"Aye, aye, Cap'n," Wheeljack drawled as they all approached the entrance hatch of Ultra Magnus' ship.
WIth them all on board, the hatch ascended into the ship. Immediately, Ultra Magnus approached a storage compartment and pressed a button on the doors. When the doors opened, it revealed an assortment of weapons stored inside.
"Autobots. Take your pick," Ultra Magnus instructed.
"Now, you're speaking my language, sir," Wheeljack smirked as he admired the weapons.
"Optimus, the Forge is a Relic of the Primes. We can't use it to restore Cybertron, not without a Prime. Not without you," Smokescreen told Optimus.
"There will be a new Prime," Optimus declared.
"You can worry about that after we get you patched up, and we take down Megatron," Chromette stated as she and Smokescreen stood back up, only for Optimus to stop Smokescreen and grab him by his left arm.
"The time for a new leader is upon us," Optimus objected, "In my spark… I believe that leader is with your sister right now, Chromette."
Chromette and Smokescreen both gasped and shared a look at each other as they were shocked at what they heard Optimus say.
Jack also known as Afterburner? The new Prime?
Next is Rebellion and please favorite, follow and review. And if any of you are wondering why Rodimus is a Wrecker in this, it is because he is one in the Aligned Continuity. And should Jack/Afterburner get his aerial alternate mode during the beginning of the next chapter or around the same time when Optimus gets his new alternate mode after they get their new base?