Chapter 30

"Where are they? It's been almost an hour since they left."

Arcee paced around the room, worried about the state of their teammates. They hadn't come in contact with them ever since they left and the team feared the worse.

"Arcee, I understand that you are worried about Jack's well-being but you must have faith" Optimus reassured.

The former two-wheeler stopped walking around and sighed. "I know Optimus, I just... I can't lose him, not again."

"Don't say that, I'm sure their fine. Smokescreen can hold his own and Miko should have the 'cons running while in the Apex Armor" Bulkhead said.

"Yeah, they were probably just held up" Wheeljack added.

"I hope so..."

...

Agent 000 ran up ahead, taking out the four Vehicons running towards them. Miko ran behind him, carrying the injured Smokescreen in her arms as they raced to the vault. Compared to earlier, there was a lot more resistance in the halls, especially towards the vault which meant that the Decepticons know what they are trying to get. Nonetheless, the team didn't have a choice but to run straight ahead. They had get the area secure before the others arrived and they had to do that fast.

"That's the one, the door down there" Smokescreen said.

Down the hall was another double door, like the control center's but with a lot more guards. Already the agent could see a dozen guards blocking the entrance, not to mention the other dozen shooting at them as they came near.

Agent 000 picked up speed, pulling ahead of Miko and Smokescreen. He knew they had to get past these troops and he was the only one who could do it.

Ignoring the pain from his earlier blaster burns and falls, he charged head on. He jumped up onto the first Vehicon and sliced his head off, moving to the next one. He punched, sliced and stabbed, moving at an insane speed that he never thought he could reach. He was practically a blur, hoping from one Vehicon to the next as if he was in the jungle, swinging from tree to tree.

A few moments later there was nothing left standing in their way. Agent 000 felt like he was going to collapse, having to rely on his sword to help him keep his balance. He had never done so much fighting all at once and he could feel his arms and legs losing strength. To make matters worse, he knew that it wasn't over but at least they had done their job.

The three of them quickly entered the vault, scanning the room for any hidden enemies. Seeing none, Miko set Smokescreen down and the agent contacted the base.

"Unit One to base, can you read."

"Loud and clear, have you gotten to the Forge?" came Raf's voice on the other end.

"Yes, send the groundbridge to my location now. Smokescreen is down and needs medical attention." Agent 000 responded, looking at the Autobot struggling to his feet.

"I'm good" Smokescreen grunted, pulling himself up. He still couldn't stand up on his own but at least he was beginning to regain his strength.

Using the short time they had, the agent looked around the room, inspecting his surroundings. They were in a large area, surprisingly large for a vault. There was a dark and eerie atmosphere surrounding them due to the dim lighting. The most notable things in the room were the pod or pedestal-like objects. Some of them didn't hold anything but the ones that did held the items in a floating state. The agent saw one of them holding the Forge of Solis Prime and another with the Spark Extractor. Other items were unknown to him but he knew that they were important, otherwise why bother putting them in such a secure place.

Suddenly, dozens of footsteps could be heard and felt just outside the door and the three of them knew that reinforcements had arrived.

"Yes, more 'cons to smash!" Miko exclaimed and ran towards the door.

"Miko, be careful. We'll leave the door open so you can return back if you need" the agent said and earned a nod.

The girl opened the door and jumped into the hallway and was met with blaster fire immediately. The shots harmlessly disappeared once they made contact with the armor and Miko laughed, running towards the Vehicons in the front.

"Smokescreen, I know you're injured but I need you to watch the door. Shoot down anyone who comes in." Agent 000 ordered.

"No problem" he said, activating his two blasters. The rookie changed his position, lying on his stomach and using a table as cover. He aimed at the door, waiting for any Decepticons to show their face.

Sounds of blaster fire, screams, and metal scraping across the floor were heard outside meaning Miko was hard at work. Although, the occasional Vehicon would manage their way past her, moving into the door frame and earning a blast to the face from Smokescreen. So far, their defensive strategy was working but they knew that it wasn't going to work forever.

Agent 000 sat down lying against another one of the tables. He used the time to catch his breath and rest for a bit. His bones ached and his skin burned, having to take come serious punishment in the earlier fight. The agent was slightly angry at himself. He wouldn't have been hurt so badly if not for his concern for his teammates. While the blasts on his arms, chest, and back were reasonable since Soundwave was probably one of the tougher opponents he's faced, he had been blindsided a couple times due to him warning his teammates of something. Although he's changed his personality, he still felt like going solo was his style. He could focus on his own well-being instead of three and he could probably leave with a lot less injuries. Either way, it didn't matter now. He offered to take lead of this unit, and he was going to get them all out alive.

The sound of a portal opening got his attention and he looked over at the swirling green vortex that had appeared. The agent rose to his feet, checking to make sure the Vehicons hadn't made it inside and making his way to greet the others.

Ultra Magnus was the first to appear out of the groundbridge, rolling in his vehicle mode. On his back was the Genetic Exchanger, safely strapped down. Following the lieutenant was the white Audi, coming to a complete stop as the vortex closed. The human turned Autobots got out of the vehicle, Optimus also appearing from Ultra Magnus, allowing him to transform. The lieutenant started to unstrap the relic from his back, placing in gently on the ground. Agent 000 also noticed a key like object clipped onto his waist, probably the Cybertronian version of a USB stick which will be used to download the Iacon database later.

The Autobots looked around the room, spotting the two artifacts floating on their respective pedestals. They also saw Smokescreen lying on his stomach, dents and cracks across his body.

"Agent 000, where is Miko" Optimus demanded.

"She's in the hallway dealing with the Vehicons" he answered, motioning to the door frame where blaster fire could be seen every so often.

Optimus studied the agent and saw the multiple burns on his chest. "Are you alright?"

"Just some blaster burns, nothing to be worried about. Smokescreen is much worse."

The Prime nodded, leaving him as Arcee approached quickly.

"I'm so glad you're ok" she said in a soft tone. She too noticed the burns on his chest and gently touched the seared flesh, making him wince. "What happened?"

"Got into a fight with Soundwave and his drone, nothing to worry about."

Arcee was startled to hear Agent 000's voice. She had forgotten that he was in control.

The agent was going to respond to her reaction but a sudden bang got his attention. He spun around to see Miko lying on her back, having been thrown inside by someone.

"Ugh, the big guy's here" she said, groaning as she got to her knees.

The group looked to the doorway to see Megatron step inside with Dreadwing and Airachnid next to him. The warlord eyed the Autobots, ignoring the humans as if they weren't even there.

Smokescreen sent two shots at Megatron but the Decepticon leader activated his sword and swatted them away. He then blasted the table he was using as cover, destroying it and forcing Smokescreen to roll away.

"Who is the one responsible for striking down my troops and terminating Breakdown?" Megatron asked.

"Terminating?" Wheeljack repeated.

Agent 000 stepped forward, raising his sword. "That would be me."

The human turned Autobots were shocked to hear the agent admitting to Megatron straight forward.

"You killed Breakdown?" Bulkhead asked, not believing his rival was now dead.

"Don't get mad at him, Breakdown was going to kill me. He saved my life." Smokescreen defended the agent.

Megatron ignored the others and focused on the one who stepped forward.

"Ah, so you are the human with extraordinary abilities. I have been told of your deadly capability but I must say that I wish to see them in person."

"You'll get that and a little more" Agent 000 growled, pointing his blade at him.

The warlord grinned. "Tell me human, I understand that you have sided with the Autobots. Where is Optimus Prime?"

"Who?"

Megatron's grin turned into a frown. "Do not play games with me. Tell me where Optimus Prime is and your dissection will be quick."

The agent was about to respond when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Optimus stepped forward, looking the warlord in the eyes.

"That is enough Megatron. You want me, here I am."

Megatron's facial expression became a mix of confusion and annoyance. He leaned in slightly, getting a better look at the human who claims to be Optimus. He studied him closely, noticing the familiarity in the eyes and the voice. He reeled back, widening his optics as he realized it truly was him.

'That's impossible" Dreadwing said, taking a step forward. "This human could not possibly be Optimus Prime. They are two different species."

"Believe what you wish, Dreadwing. I am Optimus Prime and you, Megatron, will stop your tyranny against the humans at once." Optimus stated with authority.

Megatron laughed. "I must say Optimus, I am surprised. You come to me as a tiny organic made of flesh, yet you still believe you have the power to overcome me. In your current state, I can take over this entire planet and you would not be able to rebel against me. You are weak Optimus, I have always known that, but now I can say with confidence that you are pathetic, along with the other organics of this planet."

"You are wrong Megatron. The humans have strengths that we Cybertronians only dream of having. Although they are small, they are courageous, brave, intelligent, and quick-thinking. I have seen through another set of eyes, a human's set of eyes, and have experienced these powers at first hand. I will protect this planet along with all sentient beings with my life, regardless of my current state."

The warlord frowned again. It truly was the same Optimus, and that meant that he was still the same annoying Autobot always going against him. He looked at the group of new humans, putting names to each of their faces. He saw their determination and strength which only made him feel even more disgusted. Suddenly, he saw the relic, a tall object that Ultra Magnus was hiding behind his back. Megatron grinned, putting the pieces together in his head.

"You may say that you do not regard your state as a weakness, however I see that you have come here to change that, haven't you Optimus? I recall losing two ancient artifacts to you Autobots orbital cycles ago. I see that the Apex Armor was one of them, as well as that relic Ultra Magnus is hiding. I can only assume that is what turned you into an organic."

Optimus quickly shot Ultra Magnus a look saying 'protect the relic' as Megatron continued.

"I also believe it is safe to assume that you have somehow damaged the relic which explains why you have not returned back to your normal state. Furthermore, the fact remains that your Autobots have battled diligently to gain possession of the Forge of Solis Prime. If I am not mistaken, you plan on using the Forge to repair your damaged relic so that you may use it to return back to your Cybertronian forms."

Silence ensued Megatron's words as the Autobots knew that their plans have been discovered. Not only that, but the Decepticons learned of their current state as humans. There was only one way to prevent them from taking over Earth and that was to repair the Genetic Exchanger.

Quickly, Optimus turned and started to run for the Forge with Agent 000 right with him. Megatron saw him and acted accordingly, sending Dreadwing and Airachnid to take the relic while he went to stop Optimus from reaching the Forge.

"Autobots, protect the Genetic Exchanger. Do not allow the Decepticons near the relic" Optimus commanded before full on sprinting towards the Forge of Solis Prime. A blast came from behind the Prime, aimed directly at his legs. The blast would have for sure connected if Agent 000 hadn't pushed Optimus out of the way.

"Thank you Agent 000" the Prime thanked as he recovered.

"Thank me once this is over with" the agent replied.

Optimus nodded and started towards the relic once again with Agent 000 watching his back. Megatron didn't trail too far behind and the Decepticon gave chase to the two humans.

...

As Optimus and Agent 000 raced to the Forge of Solis Prime, the others had things they had to deal with as well. Dreadwing and Airachnid bore down on the group that consisted of five human turned Autobots, an injured rookie, a tired out girl inside an ancient suit of armor, and an Autobot lieutenant. Their odds weren't looking too good.

"I will request, only once, that you surrender the relic" Dreadwing demanded.

"This relic is of Autobot origin and has no use to you. If you want the relic, you will have to get past me." Ultra Magnus said.

"So be it" Dreadwing replied.

The two mechs ran at each other, meeting in the middle. Having practically the same code of honor, they both chose to use nothing but their fists in this battle. Ultra Magnus swung first, conned a low hit as Dreadwing countered with a high one. He copied the Decepticon, also going for a high hit but Dreadwing ducked underneath, lunging forward. Dreadwing landed a tough punch to the chest, followed by an elbow to the face and two fists down onto Magnus' back. The Autobot lieutenant wasn't down though, not even close. He recovered quickly, punching Dreadwing in the face twice and a disconnecting kick that broke them up.

Ultra Magnus and Dreadwing stood meters apart, studying their opponent. The Decepticon lieutenant wiped the energon from his mouth and grinned.

"You are truly a worthy opponent Ultra Magnus." Dreadwing complimented.

"Same goes for you Dreadwing."

"You fail to see my point. The fact that you are a worthy opponent only makes it all the more better once you fall to my blade."

The two lieutenants faced each other, drawing their swords. Dreadwing with his retractable blade that doubles as a plasma blaster, and Ultra Magnus with his newly acquired hidden swords. After his last fight, he had realized that having melee weapons built into him so he had Ratchet design him weapons similar to Optimus'. It only made sense since their structures were so alike.

A battle cry was shared between the two lieutenants and they clashed swords, putting all their weight onto their weapons. They broke and clashed once more, repeating the same action multiple times.

As those two had their dual, the rest of the group was left with Airachnid to deal with. Fortunately for them, it was a 7v1. Unfortunately, it was more of 1.5v1 since the human turned Autobots couldn't do much and Smokescreen was injured greatly.

Airachnid bore down on the group who crowded around the Genetic Exchanger, her deadly fangs shining from the dim light. To her, this was an easy victory and she was going to have some fun with it.

"What's this? Five new human pets for me to play with?" the spider bot teased.

"Airachnid..." Arcee growled, clenching her fists. She hated the spider for everything she's done to her; killing Tailgate, threatening Jack, she's the bane of her existence and she knew it as well.

Airachnid looked at the female human, studying her appearance and the anger flushed on her face. The spider bot realized who it was and started to cackle.

"Arcee, this is a new look" Airachnid sneered. "I knew you liked the humans but I never thought you liked them this much."

"I'll tear you apart, even if I am human" the former two-wheeler growled.

The spider bot chuckled. "So tell me, what fun things have you been doing as a human? Has my Jack been treating you we-"

She was cut off by a blast that just skimmed the side of her face. She flinched, stumbling back and glared at the shooter. Smokescreen lay on his back, his blaster raised and aimed directly at her face.

"Don't you know it's rude to interrupt adults?" Airachnid said menacing, shooting webs at the rookie that trapped him on the ground. She then reached down and snatched up Arcee. The former two-wheeler struggled in her grip but it came to no avail.

"Where were we Arcee? Ah yes, your partners. I'll be sure to find my Jack once I kill you" the spider bot sneered, bringing Arcee closer to her face. "And I'll be sure to make it slow and painful."

Arcee thrashed around, desperately trying to escape. She didn't like to admit it but if there was anyone who scared her, it was Airachnid. She could feel the spider caressing her cheek with one of her claws, gently drawing a line on her flesh.

"You're a cute one Arcee I have to say that" Airachnid cooed, squeezing her cheeks.

Suddenly, a yell was heard behind her and a moment later, Airachnid was sent flying into a wall. She had lost her grip on Arcee and the former two-wheeler plummeted to the ground. Luckily before she went splat on the ground, an armored covered hand caught her and gently set her down.

"Thanks Miko" Arcee said, giving the girl a thankful smile.

"No problem, I'll take care of te spider for you" Miko stated.

"Be careful, she's a tricky one."

Miko gave her a wink before stepping forward, standing between Airachnid and the rest of them. As she faced off against the spider, the human turned Autobots ran over to Smokescreen, tugging at the webs to try to free him.

"You'll pay for that little girl" Airachnid growled, rebalancing herself. "I do need to restart my collection, maybe you're head will start it off."

"Gross, too far" Miko said, making a face. She ran forward, throwing punches while the spider clawed at her armor. Of course, Airachnid's attacks were useless and she found that out the hard way, having tried to stab at Miko but breaking a claw on the armor instead.

Airachnid backed off, jumping onto the wall and shot Miko with her blasters. That too didn't do anything and she really started to panic. She tried to web her down but even that had no effect, only covering the armor in webbing. Miko easily ripped off the fiber and went after the spider. She jumped up, having trouble to do so since the armor was so big and clunky, but eventually she managed to grab a hold of one of Airachnid's extra limbs.

Miko pulled the spider towards her, throwing her down onto the ground. She still held onto the limb and an idea popped into her head. She immediately began swinging Airachnid back and forth, bringing her over her head and slamming into the ground. The Decepticon was flung around like a rag doll from left to right, face planting onto the hard ship floor. Miko on the other hand was having a great time, laughing her head off as she copied the scene from one of her favorite movies.

Not soon after, Miko let go of the limb, looking at the mangled up spider on the ground. Airachnid was groaning in pain, not expecting the girl to beat her down like that. She felt Miko's shadow above her and not wanting to get thrown around again, looked up and shot some webbing onto the Apex Armor's visor.

Miko's vision was blocked and she clawed at the webs. Once she got it off, Airachnid was no longer on the ground. In fact, the spider had completely disappeared.

The Japanese girl pouted. "Oh course the spider had to run off."

"Who said anything about running off?"

Miko looked up to see Airachnid slam into her, throwing her off of her feet and onto her back. She moved to punch the spider off of her but Airachnid was too quick. She sent a load of webs onto Miko's fist, completely covering it and pinning it to the ground.

With Miko's fist out of the way, Airachnid began webbing up her other hand. The girl was helplessly pinned down and unable to move her hands.

"Scrap..."

...

Optimus and Agent 000 dodged and weaved around Megatron's shots, desperately trying to reach the Forge. Although the pedestal was only a few feet away, it felt like miles. And with Megatron close on their tails, the entire situation was over-whelming.

Jumping past another volley of blasts, the two finally reached their destination. The pedestal stood towering above them, around ten feet in height, and on the top was their treasure. With no other way to get up, climbing was their only option.

Agent 000 looked over his shoulder to see Megatron only a few meters away. Quickly, he made his decision and faced the warlord, drawing his sword.

"Optimus, get to the Forge. I'll take care of Megatron" the agent stated without turning around.

The Prime nodded, understanding that he was being given the time to reach the Forge and that he couldn't let it go to waste. He immediately started to climb up, knowing that if Megatron were to blast him, he would have no way of dodging it. However he continued moving, putting his trust into Agent 000 that he would keep Megatron at bay.

Luck for him, that was exactly what the agent was planning to do and he wasn't going to let the team down. The warlord slowly came to a stop, looking at the agent, then to Optimus, then back to the agent. He smirked, his dark purple optics lining up with Agent 000's dark purple eyes.

"You think you can take me?" Megatron bellowed.

"I know I can take you." Agent 000 countered.

"We'll see about that" the warlord said, aiming his canon at the agent. Particles started to come together inside the barrel, forming a purple ball of energy. Megatron fired and the blast shot out from the canon, flying directly towards the enhanced human.

Agent 000 easily dodged the blast, jumping and rolling to his side as he felt the heat from the impact next to him. He looked up and charged, manoeuvring around two more blasts. Megatron wanted to see what he could do and he was prepared to do just that.

He ran up to the warlord, leaping towards him as high as he could. He managed to make it around his lower torso where he stuck his blade into him, swinging on it and using the momentum to propel himself onto Megatron's shoulders. The warlord didn't know what to expect and tried to swat him away as if he was a little bug. But Agent 000 wasn't a little bug, he was an enhanced human and he was going to show him just what an enhanced human could do.

Agent 000 reeled back, and threw his entire body into a punch to Megatron's face, the force of the impact catching the Decepticon off guard and leaving a dent in his face. He had never punched so hard before and if Megatron weren't made of Cybertronian metal, he would have for sure punctured it.

The warlord stumbled back, startled by the force of the hit and Agent 000 hoped off, pulling his sword out of his chest as he went down. Megatron felt his face, happy to know that there was no energon but very unhappy to know that there was now a dent in his face. He had to admit, the human was more powerful than he imagined and that only made him want to dissect him further.

"Incredible power, inhuman speeds, and the ruthlessness of a Decepticon" Megatron said, complimenting the agent's skill set. He extended a hand to him as a gesture of peace. "Join me, leave the Autobots, and we will rule this planet with an iron fist. All who oppose us will fall to our hands, we will be considered gods!"

Agent 000 sneered at Megatron's offer. "I will never side with the Decepticons. You believe in chaos and destruction and I cannot tolerate that."

The warlord frowned, disappointed at the human's rejection. "So be it, if you will not side with the Decepticons, I will eliminate your leader."

The energy in Megatron's canon started to grow and he aimed it directly at Optimus who was still scaling the pedestal. Without a second to spare, Agent 000 leaped towards the canon, just managing to punch it and changing its direction of fire. The purple crashed harmlessly into the wall as Megatron stumbled backwards.

Optimus didn't see it but he knew that he owed Agent 000 his life. In the meantime, he finally reached the top of the pedestal, the Forge of Solis Prime floating in front of him. Everything up to this point had been up to specific people but now, everything was up to faith.

"Matrix of Leadership, give me power, give me the strength to reclaim the artifact of the Primes!"

Optimus tapped into the matrix unlike he's ever done before. He felt the energy surge through his body, his blood flowing through his body at an excelling rate. Like when he tapped into the matrix to fix the Genetic Exchanger, his eyes became a bright blue, almost the steady beam of light. The power of the Thirteen along with every Prime the proceeded him was in the palm of his hand.

Optimus walked towards the Forge, energy emulating around him as if he were an electrical outlet. He reached his hand forward, taking the Forge out of the force field-like barrier with ease. Normally the relic weighed well over the maximum weight a human could lift, but with the power of the matrix, Optimus lifted it as if it were a feather.

Once properly in Optimus' grasp, the Forge began to spark up as well. Two plates started to rotate on the head, activating to the Prime's touch. It was as if the relic could sense its wielder, and now that it has returned to a Prime, it was practically begging to be used.

The sound of a canon firing came behind him and without looking Optimus knew that Megatron had sent a desperate shot at him. Waiting until the shot was inches away from him, he swung around, swinging the hammer into the blast. The purple blast disappeared and in its place was a blue shadow that began to fade.

"Optimus, let's go!" Agent 000 said once he saw him with the Forge.

The Prime leaped down from the pedestal, somehow landing on his two feet with ease a thuand without injury. He followed the agent as the two began to run back towards the damaged relic.

Megatron saw them make their way back and stepped forward, standing in their way.

"Step aside Megatron" Optimus warned.

"If you think I will allow you to repair the relic, you are mistaken."

Megatron shot another blast at Optimus only this time, the Autobot leader didn't move out of the way. Like before, he swung the Forge at the blast, making it disappear and leaving only a faint shadow of blue energy. He didn't stop there however. Determined to finish what he started, Optimus ran forward, swinging the hammer around and making contact with Megatron's side. The warlord was thrown off his feet, landing off to the side with a thud.

Agent 000 and Optimus used this time to sprint for the Genetic Exchanger. This time, the agent was able to sprint at full speed since the Prime could up, undoubtedly an ability gained from tapping into the Matrix of Leadership. In no time, they came closer to the relic, only a few feet ahead. They also saw the group fighting off Airachnid and Dreadwing, desperately keeping them at bay like they were ordered.

Ratchet was the first to notice the two of them running towards them and quickly got the attention of the others. The former Autobots turned to greet them and luckily they did because they spotted Megatron sitting up and aiming at the Genetic Exchanger.

"I will not allow you to repair the relic!" he yelled, firing a shot with pin-point accuracy.

"Optimus the relic!" Ratchet warned but it was too late. The shot was already on its way and they couldn't do anything about it. They had lost their one chance of returning back to normal, and they had also lost the war.

The purple blast neared the Genetic Exchanger, aimed to strike it right in the middle. The group watched helplessly as it soared through the air, only a few meters away.

Suddenly, right before it made contact with the Genetic Exchanger, Agent 000 leaped into the air. The blast struck him right on the side, sending him flying into a nearby wall. His sword dropped onto the ground with a clang and he soon followed. He lay on the ground, unmoving and unresponsive as a faint line of smoke floated from his burned fleshed.

"Jack!" Arcee cried out, falling to her knees in defeat.

Optimus too felt the wave of loss hit him, but he also knew that his sacrifice would not go in vain. He leaped forward, smashing the Forge against the Genetic Exchanger. A blue aura surrounded the relic as metal started to shift around. The small console on the artifact lit up and a beam of light shot out, scanning Smokescreen's body.

The Genetic Exchanger started to rumble, finishing its scan as another light started to shine. This one started out small, growing bigger by the moment. The Autobot turned humans crowded around the relic knowing that it only works in close proximity as the light engulfed them.

Megatron looked and tried to shoot another blast at the relic, but it was too late.

"No!"

A light engulfed the entire room.

First there was light.

Then there was darkness.

..

Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, I know. I didn't publish yesterday and I'm sorry about that. These last couple chapters are significantly longer and are much more tedious to write. I'll try to trudge through the last couple ones so bear with me.

Also, just wanting to respond to Silverwolf and anyone else who has anymore ideas, the human turned Autobots thing is over. I know I missed a lot of opportunities to write some good stuff like getting them to shave or their first time at the barber shop. I'm beating myself up for missing these chances but whatever, what's done is done. Maybe I'll create a little "Author's cut" so that I can incorporate anything that I missed. I don't know, I'll think of something in the future.

Thanks again for reading and I'll try to get the next chapter up by tomorrow. Reviews are appreciated and have a great rest of the day.