Well, you guys might not like the ending to this chapter in particular! But it gets better and not as bad as it seems.

Guest: Thank you! I'll definitely keep it in mind at least.

Gry20: I'm sure it will come up sometime! As for your other idea, that sounds hilarious!

Adby1: Thank you so much!

Shado Kitsune: Thank you very much!

JJ: Not for the last time either, haha.

Snake Screamer: Thank you!

Anna walked through the ground bridge, sipping on an Energon cube. She had to dance around Fixit as she almost stepped on him. "Sorry, Fixit!"

Fixit smiled at her before going back to what he was doing. "It's okay, Anna."

Anna smiled and followed the tugging in her spark, soon finding Bumblebee walking towards her. She smiled at him, noticing he recently waxed himself. "Hey, Bee."

Bumblebee instantly brightened up when he saw her, walking a bit faster to get to her. "Hey, Anna."

Anna smiled and leaned in, kissing the side of his helm. "Do you need me to do anything?"

Bumblebee shook his helm, "I already assigned everyone everything that needs done."

Anna nodded softly before smiling down at Bumblebee. "Raf sent me another letter today."

Bumblebee tilted his head, "Why can't he just call you?"

Anna realized she never told him what Raf was doing. "Oh… Raf's been in basic training for two months."

Bumblebee gaped up at her, "Raf is? Your little brother, Raf? He's going to be in the Army?"

Anna sighed sadly, "Bee… You've been gone for five years of our lives. We've changed." She brought up a projection of Rafael's picture before he went to base. "Rafael isn't little anymore. I helped train him the year after he graduated high school so he'd be ready."

Rafael was just at her height now. His brown hair was cut very short for base regulations. He did have his new military issued glasses on in the picture which hid how attractive he had become. Anna remembered tons of girls asking her for her brother's number, it was quite annoying. A major change that caused this was Rafael was no longer lanky. He had tons of muscle from Anna's rigorous training sessions. Not to mention Rafael was just as smart as Anna, or close.

Bumblebee stared at the picture before looking at Anna, "That can't be little Raf."

Anna smiled sadly. "It's him." She turned when she heard crashes. She dropped the hologram and ran to where the sounds came from, Bumblebee following her. They got there in time to see multiple broken stasis pods on the ground, another good one ready to fall right on top of Fixit. "Fixit!" She and Bumblebee both ran faster, catching the pod just inches away from Fixit's helm. Anna laid the pod to the side, turning to Fixit. "Are you okay?"

Fixit nodded, "Yes. Many spanks, clanks, thanks you two." He then laid his servo on the pod, "I'll finish stacking these stasis pods immediately."

Bumblebee frowned softly down at the mini-con. "Fixit, didn't I ask you and Sideswipe to work on this together?"

Fixit looked up at him, "Well, yes, Sir, but Sideswipe's stabilizer is sore, so he thought it might be better if I did it myself."

Anna and Bumblebee both looked up to see Sideswipe at the end of the aisle. He was dancing while listening to music with headphones on. They could hear the dubstep type music from where they were. Anna was only a little surprised that Sideswipe liked dubstep music.

Bumblebee vented as he looked back down at Fixit. "You know, I think Sideswipe might be taking advantage of you."

Fixit laughed softly, "Heh, hardly, sir. Sideswipe offered to cover my elephant cage cleaning duties for the next five cycles. Fair trade."

Bumblebee looked down at him, shaking his helm. "Aw, Fixit. We don't have any elephants…" He then walked off to where Sideswipe was.

Fixit frowned, "Oh…" He then looked horrified, "Then what have I been cleaning?"

Anna grimaced, "I don't think we want to know." She then walked over to where Bumblebee and Sideswipe were. She saw Bumblebee bobbing his head to the music, the headphones on his audial receptors now.

"Oh! Oh, I love this song!" He then began dancing and humming to the beat. He turned and saw both Anna and Sideswipe looking at him. "Uh…" He took the headphones off and gave them back. "Uh, the music on this planet is pretty great. The melodies are complex and the lyrics frequently have multiple meanings."

Sideswipe grinned at him, "I like the oonce-oonce parts."

Anna chuckled, shaking her head. "That's hilarious."

Bumblebee laughed softly, "Yeah..." He then got serious again, turning to Sideswipe. "Well, in any case, we need to help our teammates, okay? We don't get the better of them."

A ding sounded across the compound, signaling there was a customer. Denny and Russell both ran up to them, Denny conforming the ding sound. "Customer!"

Anna, Bumblebee and Sideswipe transformed where they were. Anna activated her holoform while Fixit froze in place like a garden statue. Anna walked closer to Denny and Russell, watching as a blue vehicle drove up to them.

Three people got out, all wearing similar outfits. They had on jeans, a red shirt and blue wrappings. They also had moose like antlers on their heads, though they were made of metal. One of them motioned to the others before turning to them. He held out his hand, trying to act mysterious. "Give us what we desire." He frowned as his antlers slipped sideways on his head. He quickly fixed them before continuing, "Or the Kospego shall destroy you all!"

Anna and Russell both frowned, "Kospego?"

Denny looked at them both, motioning as he talked. "Local legend. Some kind of giant cranky elk-like creature, walks on two legs and has the strength of a thousand humans, right?"

The man brought his fingertips together, "I too thought the Kospego was but a myth." He then spread out his arms for emphasis, "Until I saw it!"

Ironically a cuckoo clock tweeted behind Anna, Denny and Russell.

"The Kospego said: 'I need stuff, and youse gonna get it for me. Or else I'm gonna break some junk. And by junk, I mean youse.'" The man then motioned to the others behind him. "I shared the story with others. They came to witness the Kospego, and now they too are believers! We must all follow the Kospego's commands or-" Together all three men mimicked bones cracking.

Anna frowned lightly at them, wondering if someone was brainwashing these people or if they were just crazy.

Denny smiled nervously at the group. "Uh-huh. And will the Kospego be paying cash?"

The man shook his head, "Oh, no. Arnold will. Uh, that's me."

Denny grinned at the man, "Then what can we get for you and the Kospego, Arnie?"

Arnie snapped his fingers, one of them men handing him a scroll. He then unrolled the scroll, it rolling past Sideswipe, Bumblebee and almost past Anna's vehicle form. "We have already found many things, but the Kospego still demands 15 pounds of soldering lead, 441 two inch nails, 37 yards of steel cable and one high voltage electrical generator." He then laughed nervously up at Denny.

Denny patted the man on the shoulder, "Okay, just, uh, stay here, and we'll see what we can find for you." He and Russell then headed out into the scrap yard to see what they could find.

Anna stared the group down until she got a comm from Bumblebee.

This Kospego is building something… Don't let them get a generator.

Okay.

Anna motioned for the men to stay there, following Denny. She found him putting boxes of nail onto a cart. "Denny."

Denny turned to her, smiling. "Anna! Can you help me with this spool of cable? It's a little over 100 feet which is what they need."

Anna picked up the spool, placing it down easily. "Sure, Denny." She wiped her hands on her jeans before turning to Denny. "We can't sell them the generator."

Denny frowned softly, "We have one in the back though."

Anna nodded, "Bumblebee is worried, as am I. These aren't just random things. So just lie and say you don't have one."

Denny nodded his head, "Alright." He tilted his head before he checked what was in the cart. "Now just 15 pounds of soldering lead?"

Anna walked over to the little spools of the stuff. She picked one up and tested its weight. "One of these is a pound." She picked up a bunch in her arms, placing them on the cart. She then placed the rest of them on the cart, turning to Denny. "I'll pull it back, I know it's going to be ridiculously heavy."

Denny grinned at her, "Thank you, Anna. I was a little worried."

Anna smiled and pulled it with her, Russell running up to them and placing the other boxes of nails on the cart. Anna pulled the car beside the strange men, walking back to Denny.

Denny motioned to the men, "Well, here's most everything. We sold the last generator yesterday?"

Russel looked up at him and then at Anna. "We did?"

Anna nodded, "Yes. To Bee."

Arnold frowned, "Oh."

Denny rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry."

Arnold frowned, "Hm. The only other high-capacity generator in the area is at the dam, and, heh, well, that's not for sale. The Kospego will not be pleased. He may very well kebab us on his antlers." The three men winced before hooking the stuff up to the back of their vehicle, driving off. "Off we go!"

Anna dropped her holoform, transforming with the other two. She stretched out a little as Fixit rolled up beside her.

Denny chuckled as he looked around at everyone, "Boy, is somebody taking those poor saps for a ride, pretending to be the Kospego." He then looked up at Bumblebee, "So why couldn't I sell them a generator?"

Bumblebee frowned softly, "Because, Denny, I suspect-" He trailed off as they heard Strongarm approaching.

Strongarm drove up to them before transforming, looking up at her lieutenant. "I'm back, Lieutenant. But the mission was a complete failure. I didn't find anything at the crash site that we hadn't seen previously, except this." She held up what looked to be another weapon. Only this time the weapon began firing in her grip, a large beam hitting one of Denny's refrigerators. The poor thing was sliced cleanly in half before the beam shut off.

Denny whimpered as he ran over, falling to his knees in front of the pink fridge. He looked up as Grimlock hovered beside him. "Well, this thing won't be bothering us anymore." Denny just frowned at him, sighing.

Sideswipe grinned as he watched the fridge be sliced in half. "Whoa! I bet that could totally take down a Decepticon."

Russell looked up at them curiously, "What is it?"

Fixit strolled up behind him and to Strongarm, taking the weapon from her. "It's a Decepticon Hunter." He then looked up at the red 'bot. "Sideswipe. How is your stabilizer feeling?"

Bumblebee tilted his helm slightly, "Um, Fixit? A little more info?"

Fixit nodded, "Oh, right. Uh, Sideswipe damaged his stabilizer, so I-"

Anna smiled down at Fixit, "Not on Sideswipe, on the Decepticon Hunter."

Fixit gasped, "What? We have a Decepticon Hunter? Where?" He looked at his hand, gasping again. "A Decepticon Hunter!" He let Sideswipe take it, only for Strongarm to rip it from his servos. "Careful! It can be quite dangerous. Decepticon Hunters were standard issue on all prison ships."

Russell motioned to him, "What's it do?"

Fixit looked at him, "The Decepticon Hunter connects to its user's neurotransmissions so whatever combat device is imagined, the Decepticon Hunter generates, within certain parameters."

Russell grinned, "That doesn't sound dangerous, it sounds awesome!"

Anna looked over at Bumblebee, raising an optical ridge.

Do you ever get the feeling we're the parents here?

All the time. All the time…

Strongarm held out the weapon, "Protoblaster!" It turned into a large sword, cleaving a blue fridge in half. "I said Protoblaster!" She held it out again only it turned into a flail. The spiked ball crashed into another fridge, destroying it as well. "Hey!" She tried again, "Protoblaster!" This time it turned into some strange weapon Anna had never seen before. It shot out a beam at another fridge, crumbling it up into the size of a tin can. Strongarm frowned, looking at the thing. "I must be doing it wrong."

Sideswipe walked up to her, tapping his helm. "It's because it's tied to your thought process. You actually have to be able to think to make it work."

Strongarm glared at him, "You're lucky I'm able to think about sunshine and rainbows right now!"

Anna stepped in between them, taking the weapon from Strongarm. "Children, children." She then handed the weapon to Fixit for safekeeping.

Bumblebee nodded, "Best stop now before someone thinks something they'll regret."

Denny sighed, ignoring his ruined fridges and turned back to Bumblebee. "So why couldn't I off-load the generator, Bee? I could've used the space to display my vintage refrigerators. My poor, poor refrigerators."

Bumblebee walked over to him, "That list from the Kospego. Those items may have seemed random, but they weren't. I suspect the Kospego is one of our Decepticons, tricking humans into thinking it's your creature of legend, using them to help jury-rig a Space Bridge."

Anna frowned, crossing her arms over her chassis. "Oh scrap." She couldn't even name off all the horrible possibilities running through her processor. Building a Space Bridge was extremely difficult. Anything could go wrong.

Strongarm seemed excited, "A Space Bridge? We could go home to gather reinforcements."

Sideswipe smirked, "Home or anywhere else."

Bumblebee nodded, "We could, if we thought this Space Bridge would work." He flinched at the angry look Anna was giving him. "Not that I would, Anna." He motioned to the others. "The slightest misalignment of the components will create a black hole-like phenomenon that could badly damage or even destroy Earth."

Everyone but Bumblebee and Anna gasped, both already having known this.

Grimlock was classic Grimlock. "Which would be bad."

Fixit looked down at his datapad, looking up the description. "The Alchemor's prisoner manifest does list a Decepticon named Thunderhoof matching the general description."

Strongarm looked up at her lieutenant, "We better make sure the generator at the dam stays where it is."

Bumblebee nodded, "Roger that." He turned and began walking, everyone following behind him. "Autobots!"

Sideswipe turned to them, whispering, "Here comes another stinker." He winced as Anna flicked the back of his helm. "Hey!"

Strongarm shook her helm, "Nope. This time he nails it."

Bumblebee turned to them all, grinning and pointing at them. "Let's rev, rock and rumble!" Strongarm winced, Sideswipe looked like he had just smelled a human's diaper. Anna was biting her lips, looking away from him so he wouldn't see her laugh. Bumblebee frowned, his shoulders drooping. "Aw, really? I kind of liked that one."

{X}

Bumblebee and the rest of the team pulled up outside the fence of the dam just after dark hit. "Sideswipe, Anna and Grimlock stay here to guard the generator. Strongarm and I will make a circular seep of the area."

Anna transformed with Sideswipe, watching as the other two took off. She then chuckled softly as Sideswipe groaned, standing in front of the fence. Grimlock transformed and got into a ready position, looking out for anything. Anna let them stay there, walking back and forth along the fencing to keep an eye out for anything. As time went on she could tell Sideswipe was getting fed up, he kept sinking closer to the ground with every pass she made.

The next time she came to Grimlock, Sideswipe wasn't there. "Where did he go, Grimlock?"

Grimlock frowned at her, "He said he was going to scout the perimeter."

Anna vented, rubbing her helm. "Even though Bumblebee said to stay here."

Grimlock nodded. "Sideswipe said 'here includes right here and the perimeter around right here."

Anna shook her helm again. "Great." She patted Grimlock on the arm before standing beside him, keeping a look out. She looked over when she spotted headlights. "Grim."

Grimlock frowned, "Who's there?" He stepped back as the vehicle was coming too faster, "What are you?" He couldn't see anything but horns and lights.

Anna had to roll out of the way as the vehicle plowed right into Grimlock. She got to her feet, hearing Grimlock crying out before falling to the ground. She turned to see a Decepticon transform, turning to her. "Grimlock!" She glared at the 'con when she didn't hear a response from her friend.

"And who are you?" The 'con sauntered towards her, grinning. "I'm Thunderhoof. It's nice to meet you."

Anna smirked, "Let me introduce you to my fist!" She ran at the 'con, ducking when he swiped at her. She used this to her advantage, jumping up and punching him in the helm. The 'con was sent sprawling on the ground. Anna didn't see him moving so she assumed she knocked him unconscious. Her servo was hurting enough to prove the point. She ran over to Grimlock, gently shaking his arm. "Grim, Grim!" She heard an engine rev, just able to turn when she felt something smack right into her. She cried out as she crashed through the fence, rolling around the ground. The last thing she saw before passing out was Thunderhoof walking towards her, smirking.

{X}

Bumblebee frowned as he yanked Sideswipe's headphones off, "Sideswipe!"

Sideswipe turned around, glaring at him. "You have got to stop doing that!"

Bumblebee got closer to him, "Why are you here and not with Grimlock and Anna?"

Sideswipe laughed nervously, "Funny story, I-"

They all three paused when they heard Grimlock over the radio. "Who's there? What are you?" They heard Grimlock crying out before it was silent.

Bumblebee felt his spark freeze in his chest. "Grim, Anna!" He transformed and booked it back to their position. On the way back everyone felt their sparks freeze.

Anna's cries came over Grimlock's radio and then silence again.

Bumblebee quickly found Grimlock, transforming beside him. "Grimlock!"

Grimlock was groaning, mumbling. "Anyone see where that bus went?"

Bumblebee looked around, not seeing Anna. He then turned back to Grimlock. "Those humans wouldn't have been able to do this."

Strongarm frowned, helping Grimlock stand up with Bee. "It had to be Thunderhoof, sir."

Bumblebee then turned to Sideswipe, glaring. "Who might not have attempted an attack if there had been three guards on duty, like I ordered." Sideswipe looked guilty, biting at his lip. Bumblebee then turned to Grimlock, frowning. "Are you alright?"

Grimlock groaned before nodding, "Of course I am!" He leaned forward again, Bumblebee having to push him upright. "Hey, where's Anna?" He saw their expressions and frowned, "Whatever that thing was… It felt like I was thrown through a mountain, only painful-er."

Bumblebee frowned up at him, "Did you see what hit you or what happened to Anna?"

Grimlock shook his helm, "I only saw horns coming at me. I remember her trying to help me and that's it until I saw you…"

Bumblebee looked around again for Anna, frowning darkly. "That 'con must have taken her." He then turned to Grimlock. "Head back to the scrapyard and have Fixit take a look at you."

Grimlock nodded, "Okie-dokie." He then began flapping his arms, hopping like he was trying to fly.

Bumblebee quickly stopped him, smiling faintly. "Oh, Yeah. You can't fly, pal." He turned to Strongarm. "Strongarm, help him back."

Strongarm huffed, "Me?" She motioned to the other 'bot, "After what Sideswipe-"

Bumblebee nodded, not in the mood. "Yes. Grimlock can't make it back on his own and I obviously can't trust Sideswipe to take responsibility for anyone or anything."

Sideswipe crossed his arms, frowning. "Oh, come on!"

Strongarm nodded her helm, knowing Bumblebee was also worried about his sparkmate. "Call if you need help." She then wrapped Grimlock's arm around her, walking back with him.

Grimlock looked down at her, "Since when can't I fly?"

Bumblebee turned to Sideswipe, frowning. "We're down three team members against an enemy strong enough to knock Grimlock silly. He's also taken Anna because she didn't have backup."

Sideswipe frowned, "I know I messed up, okay?"

Bumblebee shook his helm, "Look, I can't be wondering how to contain targets and my own team members, Sideswipe."

Sideswipe sighed, "I said I know!" He transformed before driving off.

Bumblebee quickly followed him, following the little tug he felt from Anna.

Anna? Anna, please, answer me.

Bumblebee felt worse when he didn't hear back from her.

{X}

Anna woke up and groaned, rubbing her helm. She sat up, seeing she was somewhere else in the forest. Anna remembered Thunderhoof knocking her unconscious, looking around. She froze when she heard someone transforming behind her. She quickly got to her feet, aiming her gun right between Thunderhoof's optics. "Don't come any closer, Decepticon."

Thunderhoof looked from her optics to her gun pointed right in his face. "This is funny. The little femme thinks she can take me, Thunderhoof!"

Anna stepped back slowly, adding some space between them both. "I know I can."

Thunderhoof smirked, walking towards her as she stepped back. "Can you kill me though? Have you killed anyone? I bet you've lived a sheltered little Autobot life. Your guardians aren't here, though."

Anna activated both of her guns, glaring at him. "I didn't go through the Cybertronian wars but I've been through my own fair share of hell." She groaned as her vision blurred a little, her shot missing Thunderhoof and just hitting him in the abdomen.

Thunderhoof winced at the shot before lowering his head. "That's it!" He charged at Anna, knocking her into a tree and knocking it over. He turned his head, hearing silence from the construction site. "What the scrap is going on." He turned his back on the down femme, transforming and racing off.

Anna groaned as she sat up, rubbing the back of her helm. "Do 'bots get concussions? I think I have one." Anna tried to contact Bumblebee but couldn't. "And my comm unit is busted." Anna focused, ignoring the ache building in her processor. Soon a ground bridge opened in front of her. She quickly closed it before getting up. "At least I can do that…" She tried to step forward and stumbled, falling to her knees.

Anna groaned, rubbing her helm. "Come on, Anna. You've been through much worse and made it. You can stop Thunderhoof." She paused when she felt a burst of emotions over her bond with Bumblebee. She could feel fear from him. She transformed, ignoring the pain it caused, racing towards his direction.

It wasn't long before Anna drove into a clearing, the ground bridge now turned into a black hole. It had such a strong gravitational force it was pulling everything into it. Bumblebee and Sideswipe were in front of a generator, using it as a shield. Anna focused back on the black hole. She needed to make it collapse in on itself, that would require something to release more energy than the black hole.

Anna looked back at the generator, a plan forming. She quickly drove up to the others, sliding in between them. "Guys! We need to push this generator over. We can talk after!"

Bumblebee pressed back against the generator, "I'm glad you're okay!"

Sideswipe gave it all he had, feeling horrible for what happened. "Me too!"

Anna quickly backed up when the generator tipped over, watching as it fell into the black hole. She quickly reversed to where the others were, watching as it exploded. After the light faded there was only a small flame left. At least all the evidence was gone.

Bumblebee and Sideswipe both transformed. Bumblebee looked down at Anna and then at Sideswipe. "You had me worried there for a minute, you two."

Sideswipe smiled at the two, "I'm on the team." He then vented, looking guilty. "But I can see how it hasn't always seemed like it." He turned to Anna, "Are you okay?"

Anna transformed, stumbling once she was on her on feet. "Not really."

Bumblebee quickly picked her up in a bridal hold. He looked down at her, frowning worriedly. "What happened?"

Sideswipe moved closer to them, "Did Thunderhoof do this?"

Anna nodded her helm softly. "Yes. He took me here. I tried to fight him but I think I have a concussion. Or whatever you guys can get… He knocked me into another tree and my comm system is broken. I'm really dizzy and walking is difficult."

Bumblebee frowned, hugging her closer to his chassis. "You're going to Ratchet. I don't trust Fixit with you…"