Starscream fired a missile at the wall of a aircraft museum. It crumbled to pieces. Starscream happily fired his machine gun at the fleeing humans.

"Save your ammo." growled Slipstream.

"Why are we even here?" asked Starscream.

"We're gathering a few recruits." replied Slipstream. "Ever here of Team Delta?"

Starscream stepped back in surprise. "Oh please! Your not thinking about recruiting them are you? Sunstorm is so annoying, Blitzwing is too unstable, and if I recall Lugnut is far too loyal to Megatron."

"All the more reason I'm going to revive him." said Slipstream standing in front of a large bomber. "He'll be so eager to catch the girl if it means pleasing his master." He opened her palm.

Starscream growled as he handed her an energon cube.

88

Soundwave was furious. No birth certificate, no adoption papers, nothing. He couldn't find anything on the girl. This was insulting. He was the best reconnaissance officer. He broke the code to Vector Sigma. He infiltrated the United State's government's network yet he can't find anything on that girl. Why did he even care? Most of his emotions were deleted eons ago so why was he so angry now?

88

"Why thank you oh mighty and beautiful Slipstream." said Sunstorm as he bowed. "And you dear brother…"

"SILENCE!" shouted Lugnut. "Lord Megatron has demanded that we remain in stasis! Why have you revived us against his Excellency's orders?"

"Who cares." cheered Blitzwing. "I'm just glad to move." Suddenly his face shifted to jack-o-lantern-like face. "Now I can dance!" His face shifted again this time it had a large chin. "I don't want to dance! I just want to slag the Autobots!"

Starscream slapped his face.

"Lord Megatron has ordered the capture of a human girl." said Slipstream.

Lugnut focused his optics at the mention of Megatron.

"And you are going to help us." said Starscream.

"Of course I would help someone as brilliant as you my clearly more powerful brother." bowed Sunstorm.

"If Lord Megatron commands it I will assist you." grumbled Lugnut.

88

Bumblebee drove into a large truck stop. The sun was setting and Sari needed to sleep.

"Yo man, we should get moving!" shouted Skids.

"Quiet you buffoons." growled Wasp. "We don't want to attract any unwanted attention."

"Unwanted attention from what? Some sleepy truckers?" asked Mudflap. A purple and black semi suddenly sped forward almost crashing into the Twins. It honked it's horn and drove off.

"What's his problem?" asked Sari with a yawn.

"Maybe he just has to drop something off in a hurry." replied Bumblebee. The camero parked next to the gas station of the truck stop.

Sari exited. She was holding a credit card provided by NEST. She was hungry.

Bumblebee kept a watchful eye on her. He was ready for an attack. Wasp and the Twins were parked farther away ready for a stasis nap. Bumblebee's senesces went on alert when he noticed loud engine noises coming up next to him. Sari noticed too and briefly stopped. It was just a fat man on a motorcycle.

Rather than get off his bike he simply put his foot on the ground and stared at something with a bizarre smile.

It took a while but Bumblebee figured out what he was looking at. Sari.

Sari stumbled a little as someone else swooped past her and almost smacked her with the door. She had dropped the card. She bent down to pick it up.

The biker revved his engine and made a loud whistle. Sari quickly got up and raised her middle finger digit which Bumblebee knew was an insult on Earth.

The biker just continued to whistle. Finally Bumblebee had enough. He sprang open his door and slammed it against the motorcycle making it fall down.

"HEY!" yelled the biker as he stomped over to the yellow car. "What's the big idea?"

Bumblebee remained silent.

"Why don't come out here and fight for your girl there!" the fat man yelled clenching his fist.

"Wait a minute." The biker gazed into Bumblebee's interior. No driver.

"Your one of those aliens. Than that means." He turned his head towards Sari. "That means she's the girl that skull guy wants."

Sari ran inside the gas station as the man ran after her. She held the door tight but the man continued to try and open it.

Bumblebee transformed quickly. He reached down and grabbed the overweight jerk rather violently. He was about to deliver a verbal warning his head was smacked with a crowbar.

Everyone at the truck stop was throwing stuff at and cursing at the yellow robot. A tire iron smashed into Bumblebee's optics and he dropped the man.

"GO BACK TO YOUR OWN PLANET!" yelled one of the rioters.

"GIVE US THE GIRL!" shouted another.

"Why don't you all just shut up!" yelled Wheelie.

Meanwhile another ma, the skinny man from the courtroom exited his limo with a camera aimed at Bumblebee.

"That's it." he said with a grin.

"Give me some violence."

88

"What are we doing here?" asked Nanosec inside Swindle. The members of SUV were all smushed in the front seat. Meltdown sat in the back and they didn't want to be incinerated.

"Oh just visiting an old friend." said Swindle.

Suddenly he stopped next to a police cruiser.

"The cops!" shouted Professor Princess trying to open the doors.

"It's a set up!" screamed Slo-Mo.

"Relax." said Swindle. "Why would I turn you guys in when there's a much bigger prize I need your help with?"

Swindle honked his horn four times. That was a signal. Suddenly the cruiser transformed.

The criminals stepped out of Swindle and he transformed as well.

"Barricade! You old son of a Dweller how've you been?" asked Swindle.

"Shut up!" Barricade growled. "Do you have it?"

"That depends. Do you have what I want?"

Barricade reached behind his back and gave Swindle a tracking device.

"Here you go." said Swindle. "One signal dampener for one advanced tracker. Why do you need this anyway? You gonna sneak up on the Autobots guarding the biggest bounty since the head of Optimus Prime?"

"No." said Barricade silently. "I quit."

"What do you mean you quit?" asked Swindle.

"I'm sick of being a Decepticon." growled Barricade. "I'm sick of this war. And most of all, I'm sick of Megatron."

"So what are going to do?" Swindle asked. "I mean with NEST and Soundwave around there's no way you can go undetected."

"I don't know. Maybe I'll switch sides." said Barricade. "But I'm not looking forward to ramble's from Prime."

88

Swoop sliced a dummy to dust. Sludge whipped through a wall. Snarl and Slag fired at each other.

"Me Grimlock like!" cheered the now transformed Dinobot leader waving his sword.

"Easy there big guys." said Prowl nervously hiding behind a pole. "Don't get carried away." Suddenly a stray blast incinerated the upper half of Prowl's hiding place.

"I may need some help." said Prowl.