Flashflood and her followers trekked through the woods, eventually coming across a stretch of road.

"This is it, guys," she called, "this is where Burrowface detected the Decepticon signal. Another new convert for our cause, no doubt."

It was then they saw their target; a deep blue van was driving along, "News Channel 6" printed across the side and a dish on its roof. Flashflood stepped in front of the road, prompting the van to come to a stop. It proceeded to transform, the front windshield forming their chest as the dish was repositioned over their right shoulder.

"Soundwave, the eyes and ears of the Decepticons!" she cried excitedly, the other mech staring blankly at her. "Were you on the prison ship too? Doesn't matter, now our movement will really gain some traction!"

"Movement" Soundwave repeated-although, rather than saying anything, he simply replayed what the aquatic Decepticon had just said.

"Oh, right, we're gonna go back to Cybertron and overthrow Elita and Straxus. Optimus Prime is on this planet, which means Megatron may also be here. We gotta move fast before we lose the element of surprise."

Flashflood turned to walk off, but noticed Soundwave wasn't following her.

"Optimus Prime is on this planet, which means Megatron may also be here"

"Nah, that's not happening. I'm gonna rule Cybertron, no matter what it takes, so you just-" In an instant, she was on the ground, Soundwave planting a foot on her chest while the dish seemed to be aimed at her head. "O-On second thought, maybe what you're doing is more important, so why don't we help each other out, huh?"

The blue mech removed his foot, staring at the woods. "Ravage, eject," he commanded, his chest opening up as a black box emerged and transformed into a cat-like robot. "Operation: Reconnaissance."

Ravage complied, dashing away into the thick foliage.

Chapter 17: Deceived

Anna was joining Quatrei and Scourpuss on a trip into the woods. The two Autobots had wanted to scan the area, and the human found herself acting as a guide of sorts. Quatrei drove around in her newly-acquired short crane mode, human companion in the passenger seat, while Scourpuss ran beside them.

"This forest should be home to a lot of bird species," the redhead noted, pointing up at the trees. "If I had an encyclopedia I could name some of them for you."

"No need, I can name them perfectly," the Autobot commented, as they came to a stop under a tree where a downy woodpecker was at work. "That one up there, that's… Norbert."

"Norbert?" teased Scourpuss. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"I was put on the spot, okay?"

"Logging this specimen as 'Norbert.' Specimen logged."

"Stop it!"

Anna chuckled as the two went on. She looked around, checking for any other wildlife the two could bicker about, when she saw something that most definitely wasn't native.

It looked like a metallic black cat, with red eyes and two silver guns on its haunches. But its most striking feature was the Decepticon insignia on its shoulder. So this was definitely some sort of Cybertronian.

"Guys?" she called, pointing out the stranger.

Upon seeing this, Quatrei quickly transformed to robot mode, ushering her comparisons to hide behind her as the Decepticon stared right at the group. For the longest time, nothing happened. Then, the cat jumped up, seemingly startled, before running the other way.

"Do you know them?" asked Anna.

"Can't say we do. I'm not sure if that was a Cybertronian or a mechanimal," remarked Quatrei.

"They looked skittish, maybe I should try talking to them."

"You sure about that?" remarked Scourpuss. "My jaws can bend a metal pipe. If their jaws are anything like that, well… you're weaker than a metal pipe, that's for sure."

Anna ignored her, walking in the direction she had seen the cat run off. If this was just a wild animal, then maybe they were being used by the Decepticons. She continued her trek forward, finding the cat inspecting some bushes.

"Excuse me," she called, as they turned back to look at her. "My name's Anna. Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you." The cat walked up to the human, sniffing at her. "See, I'm not a threat."

The interaction seemed alright, so far. Still, Quatrei couldn't help but be wary of the stranger. Making sure neither of them could hear her, she opened her comm. "Quatrei to base. We've found a mechanical cat with a Decepticon logo. What do we do with them?"

In the base, it was Hot Rod and Speedstar answering the call. "Describe them for us," the former asked Quatrei. "What does this cat look like?"

"Um… Mostly black, with some silver details on their legs."

The two looked at each other. "Stay right there," ordered Speedstar. "Don't do anything to startle him, and for all that is good make sure he doesn't hurt Anna."

As the transmission ended, Speedstar walked towards the ground bridge. "I'm gonna get something from the Second Chance's armory," they said. "If this is who I think it is, we'll need all the firepower we can get."

Anna continued walking alongside the cat, looking over them. "So, where did you come from?" she asked. "Were you on the Exodus or the Second Chance?"

The cat didn't respond, but she wasn't expecting them to.

As they kept walking, she continued."If you're being forced to work for them, don't worry. My friends, the Autobots will put a stop to that."

For a while, the atmosphere seemed tranquil, like something out of a book. Then, she heard the sounds of vehicles approaching nearby, and gestured for the cat to hide. They did so, the human relaxing as Hot Rod and Speedstar drove into view.

When the two Autobots transformed, she noticed the massive weapons they held, and the rocket launcher Speedstar now had equipped to their shoulder. "Uh, hey guys. What's with the guns?"

"Have you seen a black cat anywhere?" demanded Hot Rod.

"Well… the answer depends on why you're asking about tha-"

She never got a chance to finish, as the cat lunged from hiding and held Anna in their mouth. The two immediately pointed their guns at her captor.

"Let her go, Ravage!" shouted Speedstar, as the now-named Ravage took off and ran in the opposite direction, a captive Anna held firmly in his jaws.

The Autobots ran after him, trying to land a hit on him without injuring their friend. Scourpuss tried to grab at his side, but Ravage easily shoved her off. The chase continued until Speedstar fired a blast beside the Decepticon, knocking him off balance and making him release Anna. She flew in the air before being caught by Scourpuss.

Speedstar walked up to the disoriented cat, pointing their gun right at him. "Any last words before we take you in, kitty con?" they asked.

Ravage growled, Anna noticing his hip guns swiveling until they pointed at the green Autobot. "Decepticons forever!" he bellowed, before opening fire.

Speedstar took a step back in surprise, shots peppering their frame before Ravage ran off. Hot Rod transformed to run after him, while Quatrei and Anna checked up on Speedstar.

"Cats got claws," they huffed, wincing as Quatrei placed a hand on one of the wounds. "Agh… relax, he hurt my paintwork more than anything inside."

"At least there's some good news," remarked Scourpuss. "So, that guy was a Decepticon?"

"One of the first," replied Speedstar, as Anna called Evac for assistance. "Ravage's MO is to act like some dumb beast to gather intel, then bring it back to his buddy Soundwave. But he's more than just a mechanimal. He's like you, in a way."

"Frankly, I'd like to see if he has nine lives," the scanner said.

Evac was able to patch up Speedstar enough that they could return to base. Hot Rod had lost Ravage, and so pulled in a few moments later. He didn't come alone, as he brought Matt with him.

"Anna!" he called, running towards his girlfriend. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she answered, letting him hug her.

"Good." He released the hug a few moments later, his expression turning stern. "What were you trying to do, befriending a Decepticon?"

"I didn't know if he was a threat or not," refuted Anna. "What if he was forced into it, like the neutrals?"

"But we don't know that for certain. Imagine if you told him something confidential, or-"

The sound of Optimus clearing his throat (or at least making a noise that reminded the humans of such) halted their argument in its tracks. "Anna, I would advise you to be more mindful of your interactions with Decepticons," he advised. "However, your feelings were in the right place."

"And what about you?" called Matt. "Would you trust a random Decepticon, knowing they might be a threat?"

Optimus was quiet for a moment, before responding, "If a Decepticon were to take advantage of my trust, that speaks to their character. But if I were to turn my back on a Cybertronian in need, that speaks to mine."

He turned away to address Speedstar and Hot Rod, as Matt turned to Anna. "I think you're too trusting."

He walked away as well, leaving the redhead behind. Anna watched him go, rooted in place from his words.

Back in the forest, Soundwave watched as his companion returned. "Ravage: Report operation status," he intoned.

"I am fine," replied Ravage, sauntering in circles around Flashflood and her group. "The Autobots attempted to apprehend me, but I evaded them unmolested."

"Findings."

"Nothing we didn't already know. The Exodus and the Second Chance both landed here, and it seems the Autobots have allied with the native populace."

"Findings acceptable. Return."

Ravage climbed up Soundwave's side, folding back into a box and slotting into his chest. The blue Decepticon turned to the others.

"How are you planning to find Megatron?" asked Kingrabber. "We've been here for deca-cycles and haven't seen any sign of other Decepticons."

"Decepticon signal" he repeated, transforming back into vehicle mode and driving away.

"Um… what do we do if he finds Megatron?" asked Burrowface. "You kinda told him our plan, double-F."

"IF HE KNOWSSSSSS WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT SSSSSSTRAXUSSSSSS AND ELITA, WHAT IF HE THINKSSSSSS WE'LL GO AFTER HIM TOO?" agreed Tearwing.

"Guys, relax," assured Flashflood, waving her hand dismissively. "All we need to do is get as far away from this continent as we can before Megatron finds us."

That plan did little to reassure her fellows, and truthfully, it didn't do much for her either. With any luck, Soundwave would forget all about them by the time he finished what he was up to.

Anna stepped back into her apartment, her dour demeanor catching Sophie's eye.

"What happened?" she asked. "Did you and Matt fight?"

"We didn't fight, just had a disagreement," the redhead replied. "Still… this was a pretty big disagreement. What else would we not see eye-to-eye on? I'm going to my room."

She grabbed some chips and a water bottle from the kitchen and wandered to her bedroom, Sophie watching her curiously. She didn't know what Anna's disagreement was, or what other secrets she was keeping, but she intended to find out.

Matt couldn't believe himself, especially after what he and Anna had just gone through, but he'd invited Solon to play basketball at the park. Solon was the only one interested in the sport, as the brunet chose to air his grievances.

"…listen, I'm not trying to paint you guys with the same brush, but the only Decepticon who hasn't tried to kill us is Bonecrusher. I wouldn't trust a giant metal cat to not eviscerate me, why couldn't Anna see that?"

Matt's ranting finally broke Solon's focus, and he turned to the brunet. "I've seen human films," he said. "I know all the different ways humans assault and demean each other, and I can't trust you not to do that."

"Well, I'd probably break my fist trying to do that."

"The point stands, I'm also at risk by being here. But I still answered your call, didn't I?" The teen picked the ball back up, spinning it on his finger and laughing as it spun. "Hey, hey, watch this!"

Matt turned to observe the sight, finding himself smiling at Solon's enthusiasm. He'd definitely have to find some way to make it up to Anna, but it was nice to unwind after that tense moment.

Apologies for the super long wait, personal stuff got in the way. But anyway, I'm back now, and here's some more action. The Anna and Matt storyline has more to it, but don't worry, we'll have more focus on robots for the next few chapters. Also, on a general note, Transformers is in a pretty good spot right now. Earthspark is good, Rise of the Beasts looks great, and I'm sure Reactivate will be decent (whenever it comes out). But yeah, that's all I've got to say for this one.

Next time: It's Dinobots versus Decepticons, as Agent Branson has to clean up after their mess.