A/N: I stayed up all night to get this down because the need to write is driving me nuts. Luckily, I have most of the next few chapters handwritten, so it's just a matter of reading off a page and letting the auto-correct work. Forgive me if there are spelling errors.

Synopsis:This chapter is mostly from Rachel's POV including her famous panic attacks. There is destruction! There is the creepy Shockwave with his weird flashing optic! There is Megatron laughing maniacally! And... drum roll please, someone nearly dies!

Once again, constructive criticism is welcomed, reviews given much love and I would appreciate any feedback on whether you, my readers, like or hate the story. Thumbs up or down, I'd love to hear what you think!

Story Arc 6

Chapter 6 - Collateral Damage

The moment Jetfire landed I got up out of his cockpit and snuck out one of his cargo bay doors; the others were so focused on the upcoming battle that no one looked down. Yes, I realized it was dangerous and reckless to come with them, but knowing exactly what an area looks like once the Autobots and Decepticons get done fighting, I had to try and get as much information as I could from the surrounding ruins.

I ran between the smaller tiered platforms, visually scanning the tiers as I passed them. The platforms lined the Avenue of the Dead linking the Pyramid of the Moon to the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent with the Pyramid of the Sun directly in the middle. It was the biggest building in the ruins and if I could get there before it got caught in the crossfire, I might be able to find more clues about the crystal artifact.

It was cloudy but not raining and as the fight started to heat up, I knew it would draw people. Especially the authorities. And then it dawned on me… Where were all the tourists? It was the middle of the day and this was one of the most popular places to visit in the area, yet I hadn't come across anyone running or hiding from giant alien robots. I turned another corner around the platforms and got my answer: multiple black scorch marks covered the ground and I could still detect the faint smell of ozone. I shuddered and ran past them. There was nothing I could do about that other than hope it was quick and painless death.

Megatron had started firing his cannon and the ground and platforms shook from the force of blasts that set the fields around the ruins on fire. I put my head down and ran for the pyramid. It was big enough that even if it didn't have the hieroglyphs on it, I could at least get some shelter from the blasts. At least I hoped I could.

The sky above me was streaked with lasers and missiles as I finally made it to the lea side of the pyramid. I stood there panting and looking up at the sky. The ground was now shaking as stray blasts hit the ruins, sending plumes of rock and dirt in all directions. The platform on the other side of the Avenue took a direct hit to one facet showering the nearby area with debris, but it still stood firm. I took that as a good sign; if something that was 1/10th the size of the pyramid I was hiding behind stood up to heavy weapons fire, then I should be okay. Hopefully.

I turned around and looked at the pyramid, my eyes quickly scanning the tiers for glyphs, especially any Cybertronian ones. The builders of the city had to have used the scripts on something else; the question was could I find it. I ran towards the steps for the tiers; that was where I had first seen the writing before and maybe I'd get lucky and find more. Where the steps met the ground was a lintel doorway, the frame intricately carved with birds and jaguars… And surrounded by the Cybertronian glyphs. I opened up the wireless Teletraan 1 and started to scan the stone. There was another blast, this time much closer, and I grabbed onto the frame to steady myself. The stone was so smooth it could have been finished minutes ago, but I didn't have the luxury of time to admire the craftsmanship. I did though appreciate that by grabbing onto the stone I found the glyphs traversing across the third step. I started up the steps and scanned them: third, sixth, ninth, twelfth.

There was a set of blasts and the air around me started to vibrate with an ear-splitting hum that felt it was going to shake the life right out of me. The firing had stopped, but the sky around the pyramid was now glowing a brilliant white. A chill swept down my back that even the humidity in the air couldn't warm and I jumped down the steps. Something was happening on the other side of the pyramid and it wasn't good.

And then I heard Jetfire through the bone-rattling hum yell to take cover.

I looked at the trees that were just to far away for me to run to as the white light started to pulse and the hum choked the air. There was nowhere to go. I spun around quickly looking for any thing that could remotely be used as shelter… the lintel doorway.

I ducked inside as the light expanded and burst into a blinding explosion. I threw my arms over my head and started to scream, but the vibrating air sucked away my breath as the hum leaped in decibels. Just as it felt like my head was going to explode, the force of the wave blew outwards and knocked me to the ground.

--

When he heard the Veritech traitor yell, Megatron decided it was time to make his exit. And quickly. He jumped into the air and tried to put as much distance between himself and the crystal as he possibly could. Whatever he had caused by shooting at it would serve at least some purpose: the destruction of Optimus Prime and his Autobots.

He could feel the hum from the crystal in his armor and see the light from it highlight his shoulders. Megatron tucked his head and drew his arms close to his body. If he was going to outrun the imminent explosion, then he needed to speed up and cut down on any wind resistance.

The light dimmed for a nano-second before it burst forth like a thousand super novas. He strained to get away as the blast ripped through the sky. The concussive force hit and sent him spinning, but he quickly righted himself and turned to look at the destruction he had caused. The wave was washing over the ground, liquefying the land and demolishing everything in its path including the city that he was now hovering over.

Megatron started to laugh. It was slow at first then it grew, from a low chuckle to a maniacal fuel pump wracking laugh. There was no possible way that Optimus Prime could have survived that blast. Astro-seconds passed before Megatron was able to calm down. He had won and rid the world of his archrival. The pathetic Autobot resistance would crumble and nothing would stand in his path to total domination of the universe.

As Megatron gloated over his victory he realized the two idiot Seekers were nowhere to be found. "Starscream! Where are you?"

There was no response from the Air Commander.

"Starscream, answer me!"

Still no response.

A wry grin spread across his faceplate. It looked like he got rid of two annoyances with one stone. Good riddance if the idiot Seeker got himself blown up. The warlord started to chuckle again. He had been considering replacing Starscream anyway.

--

My ears rang painfully and the dust was almost too thick to see through. Carefully, I tried to sit up only to nail my head on something hard and unforgiving. I groaned and spluttered; hitting my head made me inhale deeply and the centuries old dust clogged my lungs. I waved a hand in front of my face, trying to clear the space in front of me to see and breathe better.

I was caught inside the entrance of the pyramid; the steps descending into the ground and the lintels above had miraculously saved me from being squashed by the collapse of the pyramid. There was dusty sunlight pouring through the broken stones and just enough space for me to make sure that I was in one piece. I coughed again and strained to listen with my still ringing ears for sounds from the outside. But the only thing I could hear was the settling of the fallen stones and the occasional shower of dust.

Fear gripped my stomach in its icy cold hands: Jetfire hadn't told anyone that I had stowed away. No one but him knew I was here. If he had been hurt in the blast… I quickly shoved that thought away.

Time to get out of here and find out where the others were.

I looked carefully at my stone prison; there were good-sized gaps that I might be able to squeeze through. My wireless Teletraan 1 sat beside me under some smaller stones in the dust. I pulled it free only to find the screen shattered in an intricate spider web pattern and no energy signature flowing through it. There goes the idea to call for help. I had to do this on my own.

I pushed on the stone directly in front of me - it had a decent gap underneath that I could squeeze through. There was a brief shower of little stones and dust, but it felt solid. I slid the broken wireless through the gap and hunkered down low, slipping my right arm into the gap. Another small shower of dust and a coughing fit kept me from moving further, but once it stopped and I blinked away the dirt I continued to edge my way through. The next space was much bigger than what I had been in, but the gaps out of it were smaller. I had always wanted to be taller and bustier, but right now I was very thankful that I wasn't.

I slid the wireless again and it traveled farther this time before hitting something. That could mean more room on the other side. Gently I tested the stones, less dirt and dust and they felt solid. The gap I tried this time was slightly off to the left and in the middle of the broken stones. I would assume that it would be a hard stretch for some people, but I made it through with little difficulty. The next gap was angled oddly as the lintel had cracked in the middle and split the space into two gaps. I listened as I slid the wireless under the stones until it hit. This time it sent a dust shower that cut off visibility. Not good. I snaked my way under the broken lintel, ripping my shirt and catching my jeans on a rough corner. As long as that was the only injuries that I was going to take, I'll be a happy camper.

It felt like it took centuries to get out into the dusty sunlight, but once I was out it felt warm and welcoming. I picked up the broken wireless and had to carry it without the convenience of the strap, it had ripped when the stones had fallen. The first thing I noticed after the sunlight was that everything, minus what was left of the pyramid, had been flattened. The platforms and the once grassy fields with its verdant green tree lines were gone, as if they had been wiped clear off the earth. And through the dimming ringing of my ears, I realized how quiet it was. Eerily quiet. No noises except from the settling sound of what was left of the pyramid. Not even the call of a bird.

I walked out onto what was left of the Avenue of the Dead with the irony of the entire situation making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The blast had cleansed the area for miles leaving almost nothing in its wake. I turned around slowly. Having lived through the annihilation of Portland was scary enough, but standing where I was now was terrifyingly nightmarish.

There were still clouds of dust settling over the area and the spot where the Pyramid off the Moon had once stood was just an open void. A wisp of a breeze floated across the desolation and I thought I saw something reflect in the sunlight. I walked towards it, both dreading what I might find and hoping that it was someone who survived the blast. Another breath of wind revealed more reflections. Different colored reflections. With my heart in my throat, I ran towards the closest one. Someone had to have survived.

Without the trees to block the breeze, the gusts became bolder and started to clear the battlefield of its dusty veil. The ground was littered with metal that shone brightly in the sunlight. I ran like my life depended on it, leaping over the few remaining stones that had managed to embed themselves far enough into the ground to avoid being blown to bits. Off to my left a shining piece of red metal caught my eyes and I turned and ran towards it, hoping beyond hope that it was who I thought it was.

I skidded to a stop feet from him. Optimus Prime lay sprawled across the ground, bits of his armor torn away and his right arm at the elbow sheered off, and his rifle still clutched tightly in the hand only lay feet away from his body. I scanned his form quickly for injuries, but other then the torn armor and some minor leaks he was fine. I squinted at him, trying to see his energy signature in the light. The sun was making that difficult as it warmed his armor, but I could see his spark pulsing. He was alive.

But something was wrong; his spark pulse was the only signature coming from him.

I started to panic. He needed Ratchet and he needed him now. I had become a good medic over the past year with the Autobots, but I wasn't that good and even if I was, I had nothing available to work with. I looked around quickly; someone else had to have survived, and they could send out a call to the Ark.

Further away I saw the glitter of white on the dusty ground. Jetfire! I ran like the wind to where I saw him. If he was okay, then we could get Optimus back to Ratchet!

Jetfire was on his side at a painful looking angle, but he looked whole. I skidded into his massive arm and started to pound on him, "JETFIRE! WAKE UP! We need to get Optimus back to Ratchet!"

The Veritech didn't move.

"Nonononononononono." I ran around to his front, he had to be okay. His giant frame had minimal damage and one wing had been twisted forward. I checked for his energy signature with my mantra of disbelief thrumming in my head. Minor leaks and his spark pulse was solid, but it was also the only energy coming from him.

I turned around frantically searching the area again for anyone else. I had two mechs that were barely alive and in need of medical attention. Someone had to be awake enough to help me.

Black armor caught my eye this time and I was off again. Both Ironhide and Trailbreaker had come with the team; this had to be one or the other. But it wasn't. It was just a large piece of metal that had been so badly twisted that I couldn't tell what or who it had come from.

I spun on my toes searching again. Please please please please. Some one had to be okay.

A much larger and black form was to my left and I wondered briefly how I had missed it. I was off again and sliding into Ironhide. There was a spark pulse but nothing else, wait a second… His recovery systems spluttered to life and one cannon started to hum. His systems were rebooting.

And then it dawned on me exactly why everyone's sparks were still beating but nothing else. The wireless Teletraan 1 had been charging before we left the base, except when I tried it in the pyramid it had no charge. Part of that explosion had been an EMP blast. I tried to calculate how long I had been in the pyramid and how long it had taken me to get out and I didn't like the timeframe. Forty minutes give or take, and only now were the mechs starting to reboot? I had to do something.

I looked over the battlefield again, now clearly seeing the bodies of the Autobots as the dust finally dispersed. Sparks were working, but little else. I had to contact the Ark. They needed Ratchet here. I turned to look in the direction of Mexico City, maybe if I could get there… But the wave of destruction had swept through the city that once was visible from the Avenue of the Dead.

Power relays were slowly coming back online in Ironhide as I sat down next to him. Would everyone survive long enough for their systems to gradually reboot?

The breeze whipped up a dust devil that danced silently over the ground. I had never felt so helpless in my entire life.

--

Jazz had been too far out on patrol to make it back in time for the fight. The group had to leave quickly and could not wait for stragglers. Not that he was a straggler, but you can't be everywhere at once.

He walked through the entrance of the Ark and headed straight for the med bay; his shift was officially over and a certain beautiful young woman monopolized his free time. The doors slid open and he walked through, catching Ratchet and Wheeljack deep in discussion over the only patient in the room. "How far along are you on reworking his armature?"

Wheeljack's vocal processors flickered while he spoke. "Not very. Since the spark casing I had originally designed failed, I haven't had much time to work on anything else."

"How is the patient, doc?" Jazz walked over to the two mechs and glanced at the misshapen form on the table. "Sounds like y're designin' the six million dollar 'bot."

Optic ridges were raised in confusion and the Saboteur just shrugged "Earth TV program about rebuilin' a wounded human into a super soldier. Mildly interestin'."

The grumpy medic just shook his head. "Besides showing off your knowledge of Earth trivia is there anything you need, Jazz?"

"Jus' y're assistant." He grinned. "Not y', 'Jack. I'm lookin' for the pretty one."

Ratchet frowned, "I thought she was with you."

"I saw her last with Jetfire." Wheeljack's vocal fins flashed. "They were doing some more research on those ruins."

Jazz walked over to Teletraan 1's console and typed in his pass codes for the security cameras. "Heh, she went wit' the others." He opened a comlink to her wireless Teletraan 1, "Jazz t' Rachel, where are y' at?"

There was nothing but static.

"Jazz t' Rachel. Where are y'?"

Static.

"Jazz t' Jetfire. How goes the fight?"

Only static came over Teletraan 1's speakers.

Ratchet frowned, "Ratchet to Optimus, is everything okay? We can't contact Jetfire or Rachel."

No answer.

The grumpy medic came over to the console and accessed Sky Spy, directing it over to the ruins of Teotihuacán. The Autobot satellite couldn't penetrate the immense dust cloud that spilled over the edges of the ruins, but the fires in the flattened sections of the city and the missing trees and brush that had surrounded the area told the three all they needed to know.

Ratchet cursed, "Slag it! How are we going to get there? Jetfire went with them!"

Wheeljack's vocal processors flashed a brighter blue. "I have just the thing! Remember when the Secretary of Defense used those C-17 planes to help us? Well I've been working on one of them in my free time…"

--

The day was fading into twilight and still no one had woken up yet. Most of the Autobots systems were still rebooting, way to slow for my liking, but everyone was stable. I had fixed a few of the smaller leaks in the mechs. Without tools and the ability to move them so I could get at the damage meant I was almost useless.

I sat next to Optimus Prime watching the glow of the setting sun reflect off of his armor. At some point while doing the minor repairs, I started to talk to the offline mechs. It was an attempt to reassure them that everything was going to be okay, and sometime during that I realized that I was reassuring myself as well. And then my prattling turned silly with me recounting pranks that the Twins did and stupid jokes I had heard.

But now as I kept guard over Optimus, I was asking deep questions about how was he able to continue on in the war with the knowledge that so many of his friends and comrades have died and asking him if there was some secret to being brave. While he didn't answer me directly, I felt a little less helpless and a little more positive that everyone was going to be okay and that help would come. Someone at the Ark would realize that no one had checked in, and hopefully that would happen soon and then the cavalry would come.

I looked at the setting sun; it would be dark soon and everyone would be vulnerable. I doubted there was anything left in the area that could threaten my safety, but if the Decepticons did return it would be a long run to find somewhere to hide. And it wasn't like I could do anything for the others if they came back and tried to finish the job.

In the golden red hues that colored the western skies, I could faintly make out the shape of a bird. At least something had managed to survive the blast. I watched it as it flew closer not deviating from its path and my stomach started to clench up. And then I heard the bird's 'engines'. A Decepticon was coming back to finish the job. I looked around at my fallen friends, but no one was near being able to fight let alone be awake when the Decepticon got within firing range. I looked at Optimus Prime, he would fight no matter what the odds if it meant saving a life. His rifle was just a few feet away still in the grip of his detached arm and I briefly wondered if I could use it. It was easily twice my side and most likely weighed a ton. I sighed and looked back at the black form in the sky. I had to decide quickly: either I stayed with the others or I ran for the edge of the forest now. I sincerely doubted that I could make the tree line, but Optimus' hand was big enough that I could hide inside his palm.

I got up and tried to tug on the rifle to make room. It wiggled… but only a little bit. Hidding was still a better option than trying to run away and getting spotted by infrared. I curled up in his hand under his rifle and waited for fate to happen. Luckily his hand was turned away from the others, so I wouldn't have to witness them being shot at like fish in a barrel. I shut my eyes and put my hands over my ears and then I asked Primus to be kind to his followers and give them a painless end.

--

The modified C-17 dropped altitude as it neared where the ruins had been. The blast radius was miles wide and in the light from the setting sun the bodies of the fallen Autobots shone like multi-colored gems on the dusty landscape.

"This isn't looking good, Ratchet." Wheeljack had 'upgraded' the plane to accommodate a mech pilot and shuttle grade engines that would make trips much shorter.

Jazz had his photon rifle out and peered through the cockpit at the scene below. "Can y' tell if there are any 'cons around, 'Jack?"

"Doesn't look like it, but I'm getting a lot of life signs."

"And Rachel?"

The engineer shook his head, "Still too far away to tell."

Ratchet checked over the equipment he had brought once more; he had basically converted the inside of the cargo bay into a field hospital in nano-seconds. "Can you tell how many life signs?"

"Nah, the sensor array needs a serious upgrade. Best I can tell you is that there are 'bots that are showing life signs."

The C-17 touched down and Jazz and Ratchet jumped out before the plane came to a complete stop with Ratchet barking out orders as fast as his vocalizer could process the words. "Go to the left and start checking for the seriously wounded! I want them on the plane first!"

--

The ground rumbled and I could hear a plane touch down, but it wasn't an F-15. It was something much bigger. I crawled out from underneath Optimus' hand and peeked over to where the plane was rolling to a stop. Two mechs with familiar spark pulses jumped out and over the droning of the engines I heard a very welcome grouchy medic's voice shouting orders. I got to my feet and started to run towards them, waving my arms in the air and yelling at the top of my lungs. The distance between the most welcome sight in the world and me closed quickly and I threw myself at Jazz's legs, clinging to him as tightly as I could and spouting what had happened.

"I heard Megatron's cannon and he must have shot the crystal and then there was this huge explosion and EMP wave and it wiped out everything, but everyone is alive and okay, but their systems are slowly rebooting because of the EMP, and I tried to fix what I could, there is nothing major in damage just some torn armor, but I got most of the small leaks!"

"It's okay, Rach. Y' did good." Jazz smiled and put a comforting hand around me.

I panted for breath and nodded. "I tried so hard to do what I could, but my wireless got wiped out in the blast and I couldn't contact the Art and call for help."

Ratchet was dragging the inert form of Ironhide over to the C-17 by his feet. "Everyone looks okay, but my sensors are reading a fading life sign nearby."

I looked up at Ratchet in horror. "But I got everyone stabilized."

He passed Ironhide over to Jazz as Wheeljack ran over, "If you two can load up the others, I'm going to go check on that reading."

"Y' got it, doc."

I watched as Ratchet strode over beyond where I had worked on Jetfire to the black pieces of twisted metal. I did quick head count. I couldn't have missed someone. I wrapped my arms around me and shivered with dread that while I sat nearby someone on the field was dying.

--

Ratchet stepped through the wreckage of shredded metal and leaned over the mech that was struggling for life. The damage was so bad that he didn't recognize who it was. His once glossy armor was a charred mess. It could have been black at one point, but he had Ironhide accounted for and this mech was much taller and thinner than Trailbreaker. Ratchet carefully dug through a mass of wires that was supposed to be inside the mech and activated the stasis lock. The mech was in such bad shape; it was a miracle that he was still alive after all this time. He gently turned the mech over on his side to get a better look at him… and started swearing like he never had before.

The cracked faceplate and dim red optics that stared up at nothing gave away exactly who and what he was and Ratchet was furious that Megatron would leave one of his men out here to die like this. He gathered up what he could of the broken mech in his arms and made his way back to the plane. He would have some serious explaining to do later, but he would be slagged if he left a wounded mech to die… even if he was a Decepticon.

--

He buzzed by the Space Bridge once before transforming and touching down near the ragged guard. Weary red optics looked up at him before he stood up straight and saluted, "All hail Megatron."

Thundercracker saluted him back and the young guard's demeanor brightened. The Seeker looked the guard over; he had scorch marks across his armor and one of his rotors was bent at an unpleasant looking angle. "You look like slag. What happened?"

The young guard shuffled his feet and looked at the ground unsure of what he should say. Would the Seeker believe him if he said he had been shot by another Decepticon? Best to lie about it and hope he wouldn't see him as weak for letting his guard down. "I- I didn't have enough to pay for repairs…"

Thundercracker nodded. "Heh, tell me about it. Even if I don't get fragged in a fight I end up paying for the other's repairs." The guard's head snapped up and he nodded. He was actually talking with a Seeker and not being ignored!

"Designation and function."

With his head held high and a smile pulling at his lips the young guard promptly answered. "Cyclonus. Aerial warrior, sir!"

The dark blue Seeker nodded again, "What's your alternate mode?"

"The AH-64 Apache helicopter, sir!"

"Protoform?"

The guard's face fell along with his optimism. "Flier."

"What kind of flier?"

"…civilian transport."

Thundercracker nodded; a flier was a flier in his eyes. Cyclonus may not be happy with his previous life, but being gifted with the ability for flight was what mattered the most. "When is your guard shift over?"

"I am to remain here until further orders from Lord Megatron, sir."

The Seeker's optic ridges rose, "You're telling me you've been out here for three deca-cycles?"

"No, sir." He guard shook his head. "I've been at my post for one Earth stellar-cycle."

Thundercracker sighed. "When I get back I'll get someone to replace your post so you can get some repairs done."

"But, sir. I don't-"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be returning with new medics and I'll have one of them repair you. Free of any charges." The Seeker smirked. "And quit with the sir. Fliers are on even terms, unless you're a dirty Conehead."

"Yes, sir. Uh, sorry. What about the Constructicons?"

Thundercracker started to enter his pass codes to activate the Space Bridge. "Dead. Slagged by the Autobots." The doors slid open and he stepped inside. "I'll be back in a few solar-cycles. Oh, here. Take this." He pulled an energon cube from his subspace and tossed it to Cyclonus who looked at it dumbly. The dark blue Seeker shook his head as the doors closed and the cyclotronic generators spun to life and sent him on the first part of his mission back to Cybertron. Megatron could find another guard for the Space Bridge; he had enough groundpounders still hanging around Nemesis that would be better suited for it.

It took Cyclonus a few astro-seconds to understand all that had just taken place. He had talked to a Seeker, who didn't treat him like a pile of slag, who was going to get a medic to repair his broken rotors and had just given him an energon cube from his own stash!

He looked at the closed door of the Space Bridge in awe and then wondered if he should have told the Seeker about the Constructicon that came back with supplies from Cybertron a few days prior.

--

The blue hued walls of the Decepticon home base made Thundercracker smile and he took a deep breath. The crisp and clear air of Cybertron flowed through his intakes and his whole body felt at ease. All the dust and dirt and who knows what else of Earth's atmosphere that had been clogging his systems would be filtered out. He stepped out of the Space Bridge and saluted Shockwave, "All hail Megatron."

The dark purple Guardian paused before hailing the Seeker back, "All hail Megatron. Is the communications system of the Nemesis still malfunctioning?"

Thundercracker looked at the golden optic of the Guardian and frowned as he pulled the data pads from his subspace and held them out, "Communications aren't malfunctioning."

Shockwave took the data pads and accessed the list of items and requests, "The supplies I procured for Lord Megatron four solar-cycles ago was not sufficient?"

"What supplies for Megatron? He's only being brought back online now by Starscream."

"I do not understand, Seeker." Shockwave looked over the other data pad concerning the need for a new medical team and a gestalt. "Why does Lord Megatron need new medics? Did he execute Hook for his incompetence?"

"Execute Hook? That traitor and the other Constructicons were taken offline permanently two deca-cycles ago."

"That is impossible. The engineer and Soundwave were here gathering supplies to repair the Nemesis four solar-cycles ago."

Thundercracker gave Shockwave a bland look. "Being up here alone has made your memory glitch."

"My memory is fine, Seeker." The dark purple mech turned towards his monitors and accessed the video feed. "See for yourself."

Thundercracker stepped to the console and watched as the security camera replayed the visit of Soundwave and Hook. "What the slag…?"

"All hail Megatron. Repairs to the Nemesis are incomplete. Communications were damaged in Autobot attack."

Soundwave subspaced a set of data pads and held them out to Shockwave. "Megatron has ordered supplies to be sent to Earth for repairs."

Shockwave took the data pads and read over them. "I can procure the majority of the materials in 700 astro-seconds." He looked up at the engineer. "The rest will take slightly longer."

Without asking the Guardian's permission, Thundercracker sent a transmission to earth. "All hail Megatron. Cybertron calling Nemesis. Respond."

The transmission opened and there stood Megatron at the console, who promptly ignored Thundercracker. "Hail Shockwave, Guardian of Cybertron."

"Hail Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons. I have received your soldier and your requests, but I am confused as to why you have sent two requests. Were the supplies I sent not sufficient?"

Megatron looked between Shockwave and Thundercracker. "I have only sent the Seeker with requisitions."

"And Soundwave?"

Megatron sneered. "He allowed himself to be destroyed by mindless drones."

At this, the dark purple mech paused. "Soundwave and Hook were here four solar-cycles ago with requisitions to bring supplies to repair Nemesis. I had the materials gathered and sent back through the Space Bridge with them."

"Impossible. That traitor Hook and his incompetent Constructicons were taken offline permanently by the Autobots."

"Allow me to send the security footage to you, Lord Megatron."

Megatron glowered, "No, Shockwave. I believe you. Have the supplies and crews gathered to be sent to Earth." He turned his glare to Thundercracker. "And you, Seeker. You will journey to the Fighting Academy and bring me every warrior that can fight and not run away like cowards."

Thundercracker thumped his cockpit with his right hand and bowed his head. "Yes, Mighty Megatron."

"Good, report back to me in 7000 astro-seconds."

The monitor went black and Shockwave turned to Thundercracker, his one golden optics flashing in unmasked glee. "You have your orders, Seeker. Return promptly with them and I will have the needed supplies ready for your trip back to Earth."

Thundercracker frowned, but saluted the dark purple mech, "All hail Megatron."

--

It had been a few days after the incident at the ruins and everyone was healing up nicely. Most of the wounds were superficial and only needed minimal work, which meant that the med bay was empty except for the current patient and the unexpected new one. There had been heated words and arguments over Ratchet bringing him back to base, including a showdown with Optimus ending with Ratchet saying they would be no different than the Decepticons if they had left him to die. Except that the mech would probably die from the injuries he sustained anyway no matter what Ratchet did to try and repair him.

I sat inside Ratchet's office with the medic and Jetfire talking as I rebuilt the wireless Teletraan 1 and reconstructed the hard drive that had been damaged in the EMP wave. Jetfire had pulled me aside after he had awoken and he apologized for being terse with me. I just hung my head and said he was right, that I had acted rashly and put the others in danger. His response to me was that 'we live and learn'.

I was restringing data files from the wireless' hard drive on Teletraan 1's mainframe and slowly reintegrating them on a new drive. "The lintel and doorframe were covered in glyphs surrounded by birds and jaguars. It was really amazing work." I sighed at the loss of something important and beautiful. "Hopefully, I can salvage the images I took of them."

The gentle scientist smiled, "I hope so too. I wish we had inspected the other pyramids earlier."

Ratchet grumbled as he cleaned tools from the recent repair sessions. "Still seems odd to me that someone from Cybertron made it here and never reported their findings of life. There was medical knowledge from every race Cybertronians had ever encountered in the Medical Archives, but not one sentence about humans and Earth."

A noise in the med bay made all three of us stop and look at the door. Ratchet stood up, opened the office door and peered at his two patients. There was the sound of someone shifting on a table and Ratchet walked out of the office.

"He's awake."

--

The orange titanium ceiling was the first thing he noticed when he came back online. The second was that he was restrained on a flat surface and he could not access his weaponry. He tried to struggle against his bonds, but the noise from his movements only attracted the attention of his captors.

A door from across the room opened and a gruff sounding voice filled his fuel pump with dread. "He's awake."

Oh slag me. Out of all the places he could have ended up...

A white and red mech appeared to his right and he could feel a slight tug on whatever cables the medic had attached to his head and neck.

"If you can hear me, nod."

What did he mean if he could hear the Autobot? Of course he could. And what's with the nodding part? He opened his mouth to tell just where the grouchy medic to shove his nod, but no sound came out.

What the slag? He tried to run a quick diagnostic of his systems and found most were offline. His optics widened in surprise and he gave a frantic look to the medic.

"Well I guess you can hear me just from the look on your face."

"Is he really awake, Ratchet?" A familiar female voice also came from across the room.

"Yeah, and he's somewhat responsive." Ratchet. That was the name of the grouchy medic.

There was a sound of light footsteps running up something metallic and then the femme appeared to the left of his vision. "How are you feeling, Skywarp?"

How was he feeling? What kind of stupid question was that? He was obviously a prisoner of the Autobots and they had done something to him.

Ratchet looked over at a monitor that he could barely see out of the corner of his optics. "Most of your systems are still offline. Your internal repair and recovery systems still have a long way to go before I can do anything about the rest of your injuries." Ratchet just shook his head. "Primus must like you a lot, kid. You're lucky you're still functioning."

His optics widened again and Rachel glared at Ratchet. "Nice bedside manner, Ratchet. Decepticon or not, you're going to freak him out saying things like that."

"Pfft. It's true. If we hadn't gotten to him when we did, he would have been just another bleeding piece of scrap on the ground."

She looked back at him and put a reassuring hand on his arm. "Do you remember anything that happened, Skywarp? Just flash your optics once for yes and twice for no."

Did he remember what? He remembered leaving Nemesis with 'Screamer for a raid... Holy slag! His optics flashed twice rapidly. How was he going to ask where 'Screamer was with frakking 'yes' or 'no' flashing?

Something beeped from the monitor to his right that had gotten attention of the medic. "Hmmm. Something just sent a spike of energy through his systems."

No slaggin' kidding, genius! Where's Starscream?

Rachel patted his chest and got his attention. "You're not a prisoner, Skywarp, is that what you're worried about?"

Flash twice. That's it! Come on, femme. Keep asking me questions. You're the bright one in the whole Autobot outfit.

"No? Okay. Is it about your injuries?"

Flash twice. Come on.

She squinted at him. "The battle? Megatron?"

Flash twice.

Her eyes widened and she pointed at him, "Starscream!"

Flash! I knew you'd get it, femme!

She looked at Ratchet then shook her head. "We don't know. He wasn't found at the temple after the explosion, so he might have gotten away."

Explosion? What explosion?

He guessed the look on his face told her more than just the stupid optic flashing. And was that pity in her eyes? He didn't need her slaggin' pity. "You really don't remember, do you?"

--

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