AMPHIBIA-BOTS
a fan-fiction by Slogokonnor99

Chapter 9: Above and below

The day carried out normally, for the most part; Ratchet had helped all day to re-build the Plantars' home, while Optimus and Sideswipe were busy designing their own base a mile or two away.

-Well, that should be everything so far- said Sideswipe as he finished wiring a receiver -how about a little test, Optimus?-, -Calm your engines, Sideswipe- Optimus replied -we still need to implant new communicator chips on our bodies, and for that, we may need a Drone connectivity chip-, -But wouldn't that make us vulnerable to Drone attacks?- Sideswipe nervously asked -I thought those things send signals to other Drones-, -Ratchet will help re-purpose the chip and mass produce it- Optimus reassured -which is why I sent Bumblebee and Ironhide to retrieve it-, -I thought you told them to help Hop Pop with his boat- Sideswipe argued -you even got Sprig to tell them to get a thruster-, -Well, maybe they did manage to find one anyway- Optimus hoped.

Moments later, Ironhide and Bumblebee arrived with more parts from the wrecked Drone, -Order up, Prime!- Bumblebee stated -we got some goods!-, -Did you by any chance manage to find a Drone connectivity chip?- Optimus asked Bee, -Well… I did try and find it- Ironhide answered -but there was none in its head-, -How odd- Optimus acknowledged -we'll have to find one if we're to settle our new communication system-.

-Why did you bring back a thruster?- Sideswipe asked Bee, -I thought the Plantars would need it- Bee replied -they wanted to build a boat after all-, -Well, don't you see we have much more important matters than that?- Sideswipe angrily stated, -Have you all finished building the signal tower already?- Ironhide asked, -Not yet- Optimus replied -the base is ready, but we need a connectivity chip-, -Well, when we took the last viable parts of that thing, we didn't found one- Ironhide replied, -I personally think it's for the best- Sideswipe stated -we may need that part, but if that thing had one… there could be more on their way-, -You make a good point there, Sideswipe- Ironhide agreed -wouldn't it be logical to just leave this place and build it further away-, -What about the frogs though?- Bumblebee replied -we can't leave them behind!-.

-While our main priority is to build our station and request a way off this planet, we must also help our other alien friend get back home- Optimus acknowledged -I do believe that with some help from other surviving Autobots we may be able to build a teleportation device, and so get Boonchuy back to her world-, -Optimus, you do realize that if we use a bridge the Decepticons could find us too?- Ratchet implied, -Wouldn't sending a signal alert them too?- Bee asked, -A message can be encrypted safely, Bumblebee- Ratchet stated -A portal's blast… impossible-

-Well, let's circle back to the topic at hand- Ironhide stated -where else can we get that chip we need, because if we go after another Drone, there's higher chances than its signal could alert other dormant ones-, -I'm afraid going for another Drone may be our only option- Optimus reluctantly replied, -And how are we suppose to find one without that chip?- Sideswipe asked, -That is going to be hard, I'm afraid- Optimus acknowledged -We'll have to divide and conquer if we're to find one-, -Oh sweet!- Sideswipe stated in excitement -where to first?-, -Ironhide will guard the north while you guard the south part of the swamp- Optimus replied -Bumblebee will guard the west region, and me and Ratchet will stay here to guard and survey the base-.

-What about Boonchuy and the Plantars- Bee asked -or the townsfolk?-, -Bumblebee, they'll be fine without us- Ironhide replied -I doubt they would even ask for our help, given the place seems as quiet as a rock-, -But… didn't the Drone also targeted her?- Bee asked, -The attack towards Boonchuy is still a theory for now- Ratchet replied -besides, Prime and I are next door, so if a Drone attacks the town, we'd be the first line of defense-, -Before you three depart, you must remember: if any of you spots a Drone, do NOT engage on your own- Optimus ordered -Give everyone a call and we'll take it down as a group, understood-, -YES, SIR!- Bee, Sideswipe and Ironhide said in unison, -Then let us start our search- Optimus commanded -Autobots, ROLL OUT!-.

Meanwhile, in the village, Sprig and Boonchuy were up to their regular shenanigans yet again. -You're ready to go out bug hunting?- Sprig asked Boonchuy as he gave her a bug net, -What are we going after again?- Boonchuy asked, -We're going to go to a particular part of the swamp where there's beetles- Sprig answered -I heard there's beetles as big as boulders over there-, -And you think one of those can be caught with one small net like this?- Anne asked in utter confusion, -Oh, we're not going after the adults- Sprig replied -we're catching the babies, and they're way smaller and safer to catch!-, -That sounds… a bit awful- said Anne, -Oh, don't worry- Sprig reassured her -there's like thousands of them, I doubt a dozen could affect their population-.

-Are you two plannin' on going unprotected?- Hop Pop interrupted them, -Oh no, no, no!- Sprig replied -We're going to ask Bumblebee to guard us-, -By protection I didn't mean an adult, Sprig- Hop Pop clarified -I meant materials-, -Oh, yeah- Sprig replied -I have already that covered-, -You better- Hop Pop warned him -there's been recent mantis activity now that winter is coming, they're gonna try to hunt everything they can before going into hibernation, so BE careful-, -Got it, HP!- Anne replied.

Sprig and Anne soon departed back to the house to find Bumblebee, with Anne beginning to have second thoughts about this expedition. -Sprig, what kind of protection did Hop Pop refer to?- Anne asked him, -Oh, he usually tells me to bring mud and a sort of home-made repellent- Sprig replied -You and I may have incapacitated one when we first met, Anne, but with these things we'd be guaranteed to avoid being noticed-. -Well, if that's the case… why are we trying to get Bee involved?- Anne asked, -I thought you'd like to spend some time with him- Sprig replied -he's a really nice Autobot-.

The two soon arrived back at the house, only to find an eerie silence surrounding it. -Well… at least Ratchet finished repairing it after those small gremlins attacked- Anne stated, -Huh, I thought Bee would be around- Sprig thought, as he couldn't find him.

-He probably went on a scout mission- Anne thought out loud -let's just try and get those materials and go-, -You plan on going somewhere without me?!- Polly suddenly interrupted them, -I'm not sure if you want to go to the beetle grounds- Anne told Polly -Hop Pop said there could probably be mantises lurking around-, -Well… if he warned you, then why are you going anyway?- Polly asked, -We're bringing protective measures- Sprig replied -and also find Bumblebee to see if he can guard us just in case-. -Well, all I know is that Bee went to see Optimus this morning- Polly stated -he probably got in trouble for the house incident in the end-.

Bumblebee soon emerged from the forest, having been sent to guard the north end of the swamp by Prime, -Hey, Bee!- Sprig called him -can you give us a ride?-, -Sorry, Sprig, but Prime sent me on a scout mission- Bumblebee replied -where were you trying to head to anyways?-, -I was going bug hunting with Anne near a beetle breeding ground south of here- Sprig replied -is there anyone who's near there?-, -Well… someone is heading over there- Bee replied -but… he's not very fond of you two-, -Who is it?- Anne asked, -Sideswipe- Bee replied -and he's not very fond of you and your family, if I'm being honest-, -Nah, I doubt he'd mind- Sprig replied.

With that said, Bumblebee, Anne, Polly, and Sprig parted ways. -I'm gonna be honest: I have a bad feeling about this- Polly stated, -Oh c'mon Polly! We're bringing enough protective stuff for the three of us- Sprig replied, -It's not about the protection- Polly replied -but why would Bee or even Sideswipe be sent to the edges of the swamp-, -Well, Bee said it was for a scout mission- Anne replied -so it's probably just some exploration-related stuff-.

-But… they've been here for a long time- Polly asked -don't they know this place like the palm of their hands?-, -Just because they're old doesn't mean they need to update their knowledge, Polly- Anne replied -I'd even dare say Hop Pop needs to retrace his map, remember how we got lost trying to find ingredients for that pizza I was trying to make?-, -Don't even remind me!- Sprig stated in annoyance.

It took the trio almost an hour to reach their destination: A crater filled with lush vegetation and water; everyone slid down the steep walls of the crater and once down Sprig quickly made its way inside the lush jungle, hopping around the trees and catching small beetles with his net as he went.

-C'mon Anne!- Sprig hurried her up -these beetles ain't catching themselves!-, -Coming!- Anne replied as she took out her bug net; meanwhile, Polly decided to wonder around with some repellent just in case, -Wish I had legs to catch up with those two- she stated to herself as the other two disappeared in the distance.

Anne and Sprig ran around the place, catching beetles with their nets, when suddenly both of 'em heard some grunting nearby; Sprig quickly took out the repellant thinking it was a mantis, but Anne held her ground.

-Don't move- Anne quietly told Sprig; she then pointed towards a dead log and signaled Sprig to hide there, to which Sprig quickly obeyed as Anne approached where the noise was coming from.

The grunting noise soon ceased as Anne made one final step; there was a moment of silence, as if both Anne and whatever was making the noise knew that they were one step apart; Anne then made her move, and as soon as she did a giant beetle rammed towards her.

-ANNE!- Sprig yelled in panic as Anne was flung into the air; Anne landed on her back and quickly regained her footing before the beetle could charge, but instead, the beetle took flight. -What an asshole!- Anne said on her head, -Are you OK, Anne?!- Sprig worryingly asked Anne, -I'm OK- Anne replied -just a small backpain from that landing, but I'm fine-.

Suddenly, another grunting call was heard; Anne and Sprig quickly took cover, and like last time, another beetle emerged from the bushes, except this time, the reason of why the other one took flight was made clear: the beetle was being chased by a mantis. -OK, at the count of three, we book it!- Anne told Sprig, -Book what?- Sprig asked confused, making Anne facepalm, -Never mind, just… run- Anne replied.

Anne and Sprig made a swift break for safety; the beetle tried to ram them, but that's exactly what the mantis was waiting for: in the blink of an eye, the mantis seized its chance and hooked its forearms onto the backside of the beetle. It then pulled it upwards, revealing its soft underside, and delivered a killing blow.

-Ouch- Anne thought out loud as the mantis began to eat the beetle alive, -That's nature at its finest- Sprig stated -c'mon, lets just find Polly and see if we can catch some more before leaving-.

A few meters from the battle scene, Polly was trying to find something to do while Anne and Sprig were frolicking around, -When are they gonna come back?- Polly asked out loud -I'm beginning to get hungry-. Suddenly, Polly heard the leaves move; she quickly hopped as fast as she could to find cover, and stayed as quiet as possible. A beetle emerged from the bush, but unlike the two that tried to attack Anne and Sprig, this one was limping and had its frontal horn broken.

-Poor thing, don't you think- Sideswipe stated as he emerged from the vegetation -got beaten by a much stronger male, and now, he's left alone-, -Surely there's a chance that he'll recover… right?- Polly asked, -You clearly don't know the law, right?- Sideswipe asked sarcastically, to which Polly only frowned an eyebrow.

-The strong prey on the weak- Sideswipe stated -the classic rule of nature-, -Oh- Polly replied, -Anyways…- Sideswipe changed topic as he deployed his sword and pointed it towards Polly -why are you here?-, -Hey! Why the instant threat?!- Polly asked angrily, -Honestly, I expected a much fearful response- Sideswipe said to himself before turning his attention back to the pollywog.

-I asked why are YOU here?- he asked Polly -this isn't your house after all, so answer!-, -I am only here because I followed Anne and Sprig, Ok- Polly answered annoyed, -Sure, I can fall for that- Sideswipe stated -State. Your. Business!-.

-Hey Polly! We caught some colorful bee…- Sprig called her as he and Anne emerged from the bushes, but he stopped talking as he saw Sideswipe pointing his sword at his sister. -Oh wow, you were actually right- Sideswipe silently apologized to Polly as he retracted his sword, -What are you doing to Polly?!- Sprig asked angrily, -Do I need to repeat my question to you, frog?- Sideswipe angrily asked back as he re-deployed his sword and aimed it at Sprig's throat, -HEY!- Anne yelled at Sideswipe and stood in front of him -what did he do?!-, -You three shouldn't be here AT ALL!- Sideswipe yelled at her as he retracted his sword once again -Prime sent me here to scout over the place for Drone activity because APPARENTLY they're after YOU!-.

-What?- Polly asked herself -why would Optimus think that?-, -Well… even so, that's not a reason to try and cut Polly or Sprig!- Anne argued -What's wrong with you?!-. Sideswipe ignored Anne's question and proceeded to alert Optimus about the "intruders". -Prime, I got a situation here- Sideswipe stated, -What's your status?- Prime asked, -Nothing important to report at the moment- Sideswipe replied -just letting you know I have three stowaways with me-, -Are they injured?- Prime asked, -Not really, it's just the Plantars and their pet- Sideswipe replied, -Abandon your post and bring them back immediately!- Prime commanded him -they cannot stay outside Wartwood or a Drone could attack them!-.

Sideswipe was about to answer back when suddenly, the ground trembled, and from the bushes, beetles and other bugs alike began to run away from something. -WATCH OUT!- Sideswipe warned Anne as she nearly got rammed by another beetle, again. He quickly scooped her out of the way with her sword, just in time, but the Plantars weren't so lucky; as they got separated from the group by the stampede.

-ANNE!- Sprig yelled as he couldn't spot Anne amid the rampant bugs -ANNE!-, -WE NEED TO MOVE!- Polly yelled at Sprig, and the two quickly climbed up a tree. Once safe, Polly tried to spot Anne or Sideswipe through the mass of insects, but she instead noticed something odd. -Sprig, there's mantises running too- Polly stated, -Oh, who cares about what's in the stampede!- Sprig replied in desperation as he was still trying to find Anne, but Polly, having a keen eye, spotted something moving quickly on the background.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the stampede, Sideswipe held Anne tightly as the insects stampeded next to them.

-Thanks- Anne thanked Sideswipe -but I think you're squishing me a bit too much!-. Sideswipe let her go and rubbed his hand in sign of disgust; he may have saved her life, but he was still pissed at her and the Plantars for being in his work area.

The stampede soon began to dwindle as the bugs were taking flight; Anne spotted Sprig and Polly and told Sideswipe to get to them. -Let's move quickly, then!- Sideswipe stated -we gotta get you out of here in case…-, before he could finish his sentence, a large flow of water surged towards them. Sideswipe tried to grab Anne, but she got swept away, and as for the Plantar kids, their tree got swept away along with other vegetation.

-HOLD TIGHT, POLLY!- Sprig yelled at her as he and her sister drifted violently across the now flooded crater; on the other hand, Sideswipe, who was much heavier, could only try to use his swords as anchors as the current was strong.

While the three were trying to withstand the current, Boonchuy was nowhere to be seen, and soon, things got worse: As Sideswipe was holding tightly onto the lake bed, he saw the glow of a dorsal fin.

At first, he thought it was a weird fish, as there were plenty of those on this planet, but it then performed a swift turn and lunged towards him. Sideswipe dodged the attack and identified its attacker: a large, robotic mudskipper.

-Optimus! This is Sideswipe!- Sideswipe quickly called Prime as the Drone prepared for another strike -I got a code red! I need immediate backup!-. From the other end, Prime could only sigh at that last piece of information, but he knew he had to act fast; -I copy, Sideswipe- he replied and immediately switched transmission -Ironhide! Bumblebee! Abandon scout posts immediately and head to Sideswipe's coordinates!-.

The Drone then lunged at Sideswipe, but instead of dodging, he transformed into a vehicle to try, and tried to drive out of the way; the strategy didn't work, however, as he couldn't get any grip on the floor, and as a result, the Drone rammed him into a still-firm tree.

Back on the surface, as the water began to slow down, Boonchuy finally emerged into view as she breached the surface and coughed up some water. -Sprig! Polly!- she weakly screamed -Anyone?!-. Suddenly, the Drone breached into view with Sideswipe gripped tightly on its jaws, and splashed near Boonchuy, sending her once again below the water.

Nearby, Sprig and Polly also saw the incoming wave and held tight to the tree; the wave crashed towards it and sent Sprig into the water.

-Climb! Climb! Climb!- Polly cried out, and Sprig quickly leaped back onto the tree. Underwater, Sideswipe was trying his best to not be fully crushed by the Drone's jaws, and so he impaled one of its eyes with his sword; the Drone screeched in pain and let Sideswipe go, who in turn took the chance to hide behind a sunken tree.

-Optimus! Where are the reinforcements dammit?!- Sideswipe stated as he called Prime on the intercom, -They're on their way- Prime replied -just hold your position-.

Sideswipe looked around as the Drone was trying to recover from the hit; he saw a chance to strike it, but was unsure if the Drone was faking it; after all, they're non-sentient, strategic machines.

-Ah, screw this! I'm going in- Sideswipe alerted Prime, -Sideswipe, do NOT engage- Optimus warned him -Ironhide and Bumblebee are on their way-, but Sideswipe ignored the warning.

He tried his best to get a grip on the floor, and by turning one of his swords into a double-edged lance, he speared the Drone right on one of its rotors, clogging it. -C'mon you metallic beast!- Sideswipe taunted it -do you fear me or what?-.

The Drone, now one-eyed, locked its sight on Sideswipe, and using its pectoral fins, it charged towards him; Sideswipe prepared to use his remaining sword to pierce its other eye, but just as it was about to make contact with him, the Drone stopped cold.

-That's… not what I expected- Sideswipe thought out loud; he closed in to check on the drone, still with his sword deployed, and as he was about to touch its broken eye, the Drone snapped and slapped Sideswipe away, making him get stuck in some trees.

Above, Boonchuy emerged from the water and grabbed onto a log as she gasped for air. -I… Am… Never going… To a lake… Ever again!- Anne thought out loud, -ANNE!- Sprig yelled as he spotted her -OVER HERE!-, -Yeah!... I hear you!- She replied -Just… Give me… A minute-.

Sprig, being the impatient frog he is, decided to come to her aid, with Polly on toe; -Anne! Are you OK?!- Sprig asked her, -Does it look like?!- she replied, still tired from being tossed about by the waves -Where's Sideswipe?-, -We don't know- Polly replied -we last saw him with you, I thought you'd know-, -You really think… I, after being tossed underwater for ages, could spot SOMETHING down there?- Anne angrily stated -Have some logic, Sprig!-.

The place was silent, and there seemed to be no trace of Sideswipe anywhere; Anne tried to sit up on the log to try and see where they were, but the whole area was now covered with vegetation debris, making it difficult to know where the edge of the crater, or even the middle of it was. Polly suddenly spotted a tall rock and thought it'd be a good idea to reach it to gain higher ground.

-Hey guys- Polly alerted them -shouldn't we try and seek higher ground to find an exit? Because if so, there's a rock over there-, -What rock?- Sprig asked in confusion, -That one over…- Polly replied, but was taken aback when she noticed it was gone -that's odd, I saw a stone over there-, -You're probably imagining things too- Boonchuy stated, -No, I swear I saw one over there!- Polly argued, -Well, there is one over there anyway- Sprig stated as he pointed out another stone -let's go and take a look-.

The trio began to move over the rubble and reached the stone, but just as Sprig climbed onto it, the thing snapped and submerged.

-What in the world?- Anne asked, confused, -Yeah, that is no rock- Polly nervously stated. The thing once again popped up and locked its view on Boonchuy; she knew what it was, and her heart was racing.

-GO! GO! GO!- Boonchuy yelled, and everyone scattered in different directions; the Drone tried to spy hop to see where they went, but given it could only see with one eye, the task was easier said than done.

Meanwhile, underwater, Sideswipe was trying his best to get out of his spot, but one of the tree branches had become tangled with his left leg.

-THIS is why I hate water!- Sideswipe stated out loud as he tried to break free -I swear I'm gonna ask Optimus to swap places with Bumblebee after this!-.

As he tried to detach himself, the Drone kept on spy hopping over the rubble on the surface in the hopes of catching up to Anne; she, however, was struggling even more to move given the terrain.

-C'mon Anne!- Sprig yelled at her -we have to move!-, -Don't you notice I can't go as fast as you?!- Anne yelled out loud as she tried to get a foothold among the rubble; suddenly, the Drone breached its head over the surface and hit Anne with the tip of its snout.

-ANNE!- Polly yelled as Anne was flung into the air; the Drone submerged, as it didn't notice it had hit his target, and Anne landed on her side, hurting her right leg.

-Anne! Are you alright?!- Sprig asked as he approached Anne, -No I'm not!- Anne furiously replied as she tried to stand up, Sprig and Polly tried to help her get up, but just as they were doing so, the Drone breached the water once again, and this time, it did spot them.

-RUN!- Sprig yelled, and the trio tried to get away; the Drone dived down and propelled itself where it last saw the group, breaking the surface and launching them in separate directions.

Underwater, Sideswipe used his sword to free himself and threw it afterwards at the Drone, but it ignored the attack.

-What is it with this thing?- Sideswipe asked out loud -is it going after something else or what? , it was only then that he remembered what Prime had theorized; -Oh for spark's sake- Sideswipe stated to himself.

The Drone was now splashing around Anne and the Plantars, trying to cut any escape routes, and leaving them stranded in a small chunk of vegetation. -Any ideas how to get out of this one?- Sprig openly asked; it was then that the three heard some voices behind them.

-Boonchuy! Plantars!- Bumblebee yelled from atop the crater, -That's Bee!- Polly recognized the voice -BEE! WE'RE DOWN HERE!-, -Where is Sideswipe?!- Ironhide asked, -WE DON'T KNOW!- Boonchuy replied -PLEASE GET US OFF THIS PLACE!-.

Bumblebee fired a rope from his left blaster and it pierced firmly onto the platform the Drone left them on.

-Quick! Climb up!- Bee ordered them; Sprig carried Polly as he climbed up the wire, and once in reach, Ironhide grabbed them both.

-Alright Boonchuy! Your turn!- Bumblebee shouted, but before Anne could grab onto the wire, the Drone breached out of the water and slammed into the platform, sinking the vegetation and Boonchuy with it.

Sideswipe, who was still stuck underwater, witnessed from afar how the Drone sank the debris; -C'mon! Just break already!- Sideswipe said to himself as he tried to break the branch stuck to his leg.

With a swift move of his sword, he sliced part of it off and tried to catch up to the Drone, but having only sliced part of it off, the rest of it was now clogging some gears on his leg, reducing his mobility.

Boonchuy was also having trouble, as her leg still was in pain, and thus it wasn't allowing her to swim that efficiently; she managed to reach the surface and gasp some air, but keeping afloat was now a challenge.

-BUMBLEBEE!- Anne yelled -HELP!-, Bumblebee tried to fire a rope towards Anne, but he did it too late, as the Drone gulped Anne whole; the Drone then lied down on the lake bed, having captured its target, and began to send a signal which Anne could hear the beeping of.

Sideswipe saw this action and took the chance to finish off the Drone, as it pounced over its back and impaled it with one of his swords; the Drone then reactivated and, in a panic, opened its mouth while Anne was inside, gulping a large amount of water.

The Drone then lunged upwards, violently thrashing itself to get Sideswipe off his back as he had hit a critical component on its mechanical body: its core.

-C'mon you mechanical horror!- Sideswipe yelled in thrill as he used his other sword to get a firm grip on its back; the Drone splashed violently, making the water inside it splash about and knocking Anne from side to side.

-GUYS! DO SOMETHING!- Polly yelled as she saw Sideswipe latched onto the Drone; Bumblebee descended down the crater wall and tried to aid Sideswipe, but the Drone thrashed Bee out of the way.

-Get out of here, Bumblebee!- Sideswipe warned him -I got this!-, -But Sideswipe!- Bee replied as he tried to grab onto the raging Drone too -Boonchuy is inside the Drone!-, -WHAT?!- Sideswipe asked back in shock, and his reaction made him loose focus, something the Drone took advantage of.

In the blink of an eye, the Drone dove down into the lake bed and rubbed its back for a while until Sideswipe lost his grip; Bumblebee saw this and tried to hook onto the Drone, but the mechanical beast dodged the shot.

-CONGRATS, BEE!- Sideswipe angrily stated -you committed another of your Bumble-stumbles!-, -I'M ONLY TRYING TO HELP HERE!- Bumblebee replied, -I. DON'T. NEED. IT!- Sideswipe insisted.

The Drone circled back and prepared to thrash at them. Sideswipe had no weapons to which defend himself, so he had to be resourceful; the Drone lunged, Sideswipe pushed Bee out of the way, and by using the piece of broken branch he had kept, he scratched its remaining eye. It may not have been a big injury, but that made the Drone panic and let its guard down as it tried to turn for another attack; Sideswipe jumped onto its side and grabbed one of his swords back before the Drone tried to escape.

-OK, you got your weapon back, now…- Bee tried to argue, but before he could speak, Sideswipe grabbed his arm and made him shoot his grappling gun onto the Drone's jammed rotor; he then used his sword to cut the wire and roped it around his hand before the Drone tried to swim away. -Go back to the surface!- Sideswipe ordered Bee before being pulled away by the Drone -I'll get that pet back!-.

As the Drone swam away, Sideswipe, who was being pulled by the wire, began to pull himself towards the Drone's back; the mech, however, began to feel weight on one of its sides, and so it tried to shake to get rid of whatever was weighing him down. He tried to get closer to the Drone, as he knew that at this rate, if he let go now, he'd have no other shot of saving the Plantars' pet.

The Drone tried to go faster, in hopes of shedding the weight, but Sideswipe kept his grip, pulling himself closer to the Drone's back. Inside, Boonchuy was enduring all the turbulence inside the Drone, but all the movement was also tiring her, making her struggle to stay above the water. -Well… looks like… this is where my life… ends- Boonchuy said to herself as she tried to stay afloat -I wished… I at least… I had found… my friends-.

Suddenly, Anne sensed that the waters were shaking less, and that the lights inside the Drone were becoming dim; the backstab Sideswipe had made on the Drone was now taking its toll on the machine, as it was now running on low power.

Sideswipe, having sensed the change too, reached the back of the Drone and stabbed it right on the previous spot to make the wound worse. The Drone screeched in pain as it felt its core cut short and shatter; it knew that there was nothing else it could do but surrender.

Soon, the Drone's energy ran out, and dropped dead into the lake floor; Sideswipe quickly made more stabs to the side of the Drone, hoping to make an opening that helped Boonchuy to get out. Inside, Anne, now floating on her back to save energy, heard metal bangs on top of her, which were beginning to annoy her.

-HEY! THERE'S SOMEONE STILL INSIDE YOU KNOW!- she yelled, -I know!- Sideswipe replied -now if you could knock on the metal so I can find you, I'd be thankful!-. Anne then began to knock on the wall of the "stomach" of the wall; and Sideswipe tried to pierce through it with his swords, but the wall was too thick for his weapons to penetrate.

-Wall's too thick!- Sideswipe stated -can you spot any other soft areas inside?-, -Nothing besides the mouth entrance- Boonchuy replied. Sideswipe sighed as he went to check on the head of the Drone; its eyes were still moving, but it was now paralyzed.

-This is going to be gross- he stated to the Drone -be glad you won't feel the pain at least-; having said that, Sideswipe cut open a section of the Drone's throat and stuck his head inside to see if there was a place to access the chamber Boonchuy was in.

-No good- Sideswipe stated as he pulled his head off the hole he made -the access to your chamber is strongly reinforced-, -Perhaps you need some help with this- a voice stated; Sideswipe turned around as he saw Bumblebee approaching him, -Brilliant- Sideswipe said to himself as he also saw Ironhide and Ratchet behind him.

Working together, the Autobots dismantled the Drone's stomach without breaking the chamber Anne was in, and then Ratchet sliced it open with one of his saws, releasing Anne into the water.

-Why are her cheeks puffed up?- Sideswipe asked as Ratchet grabbed Anne and transformed, -Boonchuy can't breathe underwater, Sideswipe- Ratchet replied -Ironhide, get the chip before we leave-. After pulling part of the head clean, Ironhide tore a section of the Drone's head off and transformed into a vehicle in order to carry it; Sideswipe then tried to transform too, but some of the remains of the branch were still stuck on his leg, and in turn, it made the process painful. -You need help, Sideswipe- Bee asked him, -Just go- Sideswipe stated in annoyance -I'll catch up-.

It took almost two hours for Sideswipe to get back to Wartwood, as he still had that piece of a tree branch stuck in his gear; he approached the house as he was looking for the rest and saw Ratchet and Ironhide implementing the new parts into the receiver antenna.

-Prime is awaiting you, Sideswipe- Ratchet stated -he does seem like he's going to scrap you into pieces-, -Oh please, he'd be doing me a favor- Sideswipe replied before heading to where Prime was.

Optimus saw Sideswipe approaching with an annoyed face, much to his worries. -Sideswipe, your actions were very reckless- Optimus pointed out as Sideswipe approached him -I ordered you to not provoke the Drone and you still went on the offensive-, -You wanted that chip, didn't you- Sideswipe argued -if I didn't destroy that Drone you wouldn't have it-; -This doesn't change the fact that I ordered you to await reinforcements- Optimus continued -you put Anne and the Plantar children in a dire situation because of your incompetence!-, -They would've been in danger regardless if that mass of water hadn't appear out of nowhere!- Sideswipe replied -or even if the bugs that were in that place stampeded towards them!-.

-I agree that those moments would've required an instinctual response- Optimus agreed -but while I do praise those acts of courage, you still must understand that…-, -I shouldn't always rush into action without thinking twice?- Sideswipe annoyingly finished the sentence -you've told me that like countless times-, -And you still haven't caught the memo- Optimus replied.

To make matters worse for Sideswipe, Boonchuy soon appeared in the scene, having also been called by Prime. -You called me, Optimus?- Anne asked, -Why is the pet here?- Sideswipe asked, annoyed, -She has also made a mistake- Prime replied -and so have her frog friends-, -then why am I being called out for if its their mistake?!- Sideswipe angrily asked Prime, -I'm not scolding you for simply committing a mistake, Sideswipe- Prime replied -it's your attitude that ups my nerves!-, -Then why are we hiding among them again, Optimus?!- Sideswipe asked, getting angrier by the minute, -Don't start an even bigger argument, Sideswipe- Optimus warned him -, -WELL THEN DON'T BLAME ME FOR THOSE FROGS AND THEIR PESKY ANIMAL GETTING IN MY WAY, ALRIGHT!- Sideswipe lost it -YOU SENT ME THERE TO SCOUT THE AREA FOR DRONES! NOT TO BE A BABYSITTER!-.

After saying this, Sideswipe left angrily and headed towards the nearby forest. Prime only sighed as he left the scene; he's known Sideswipe for a while now and knows he's not a bot that likes change of plans, but even so, he couldn't be that angry at him, given the cause of the inconvenience.

-Is he always like that?- Boonchuy nervously asked, -Ever since we arrived here, I'm afraid- Prime replied -during the war that consumed our planet, he was always in the front lines and ready to battle, but when we arrived here… he didn't took kindly the lack of attention between crewmates, he didn't like the Amphibians at all, and because of those factors he's simply… lonely-.

-How has he not left you guys behind then and gone solo?- Anne asked, -As angry at us as he may be, a friend bond can never be shattered, no matter the distance- Optimus replied-and in the times we were hunted, being alone was a death sentence as well-, -Well that makes sense- Boonchuy concluded.

Ratchet suddenly alerted Anne and Optimus, telling them that the tower was now ready. -Guess we gotta see what has Ratchet been cooking- Anne stated before she and Prime went out to meet him.

As soon as they arrived, Ratchet greeted Prime and proceeded to inform him of the tower's status. -Our new signal tower seems to be working fine for the moment- Ratchet stated -I've even managed to encrypt the Drone communicator chip to detect any approaching Drone within a 1000 mile radius-. -Well done, old friend- Optimus praised him -and what are the current setbacks?-, -The communicator chips will require more Drone materials, and I'm afraid the drone Sideswipe killed is situated in an almost inaccessible place- Ratchet stated -We'd need to seek out more Drones to get more parts, and we might need to work all at once to achieve this-, -I'm sure all of us can be up to the task, Ratchet- Optimus affirmed -for now, let us relax before next morning-.

With the day ending and the meeting over, the Autobots went their separate ways around the house, but Boonchuy, instead of heading back inside the house, started to walk towards the forest; she was hearing the call once again, and with all her senses being mostly blinded by such noise, she began to walk deeper into the vegetation. However, her hypnotic walk was suddenly interrupted by something in the way.

-Do you mind?- Sideswipe asked, still annoyed; Boonchuy snapped out of the trance and saw Sideswipe looking at her menacingly. -Oh… uh… sorry!- she tried to apologize, but Sideswipe just ignored him and sat down in his spot and hid his head.

-Are you OK?- Boonchuy asked him, but he ignored her; -I… I owe you one after what happened earlier- she continued -I probably would've died if it wasn't…-, -You should've died- Sideswipe stated -that would've made our lives easier-.

Boonchuy felt hurt by that statement, but she insisted on the talk; -Well… if you had let me die, Prime would've scrapped you- she tried to argue, -An Autobot doesn't kill another Autobot, fool- Sideswipe replied -that would be backstabbing, now go play with your frog friends and leave me alone-.

Sideswipe really expected the human pet to leave him alone, but Anne, rather than obeying him, sat down next to him, much to his annoyance.

-Were you always this distant from the rest of the Autobots?- Anne asked, -If I answer you now, will you just leave?- Sideswipe threatened her -or do I need to send your head rolling back to that scrap pile of a house?-; -I'm just trying to understand you- Anne replied -I could hear everything from the inside of that Drone, y'know? I heard you talking rudely to Bee, Why?-.

-All the other Autobots love to be away from Cybertron by the looks of it- Sideswipe replied -Bee being the most excited of them all-, -And why not you?- Anne asked, -Because of what I left behind- Sideswipe replied; -Oh…- Anne stated, but she had misunderstood his explanation, -I feel sorry for you having to leave your home- she replied -I know leaving your birth place is always hard but…-, -I'm not talking about my home- Sideswipe cleared up -I left my brother back there, alone, and I don't even know if he's survived the fall-.

That last sentence impacted Anne more than what he said to her earlier, and she couldn't feel more sorry for him than she had before. -I… Sorry- she vaguely replied -I do feel sorry for you-, -You don't need to- Sideswipe stated -it's not like I could probably feel sorry for you having to be away from your family to hide here too-.

-HEY!- Anne finally snapped -DON'T INSULT MY PARENTS LIKE THAT! IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT I'M STUCK HERE!-, -Well then, how did YOU get here then?- Sideswipe asked her -if you ended up here for a reason, it had to be for something, or am I wrong?-.

Anne was left thinking on how to answer that question, but she felt like she had to answer it somehow if she was to keep the conversation going.

-Well… I- she tried to think of something -I always hear a call that makes me go into this forest, but that's been happening since… probably more than a month now-, -You're probably hearing a mating call- Sideswipe joked, but Anne replied with a little nudge on his feet.

-Oh stop it! I'm being serious- she replied as Sideswipe giggled -I hear something call me, and that's not all: I've been having weird dreams, my food consumption has been altered, I talk to myself like a crazy person…-, -Sounds like you haven't accustomed to the planet's atmosphere that well- Sideswipe joked once again, but Anne saw a bit of sense on this; -Yeah, you could probably be right- Anne replied -but… I still feel like it could be something else-.

-Well, whatever it is, you'll figure it out before you kick the bucket here on this planet- Sideswipe stated -I doubt you'll probably survive long enough to go back home-, -I'd say the same with you- Anne replied to his rude statement, triggering Sideswipe to aim his sword at her; -If I survived long enough to be annoyed by you, then that alone should be proof that I'm more of a survivor than you- Sideswipe tried to humiliate her, -Well… if you are a survivor, then how did that Drone nearly kicked your robo-butt before it went for me?- Anne backfired.

Sideswipe and Anne now were looking with a smirk into each other's faces, waiting for one to give up the bluff, and to Anne's surprise, it was Sideswipe who gave up first. -OK, creature, I'll admit: I may have been kicked by that thing- he admitted -BUT! I did kill it in the end, so that rules it out-, -Sure…- Anne replied -probably if I asked Prime about it…-, -DON'T!- Sideswipe warned her -DON'T YOU DARE TO TRY THAT!-, -Fine, I won't- Anne joked, and Sideswipe thought she was being serious… until she started running.

-CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, SWIPER!- Anne yelled as she ran back towards the Plantars' house with Sideswipe on toe, -Oh, you little…- Sideswipe angrily replied as he gave chase

-COME BACK HERE YOU PUNNY ANIMAL!-.