Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Triple Changing. Enjoy the 2800-word chapter. I do not own Transformers, Hasbro does.

(Nevada, Rock Bottom)

Fuse could tell something was off as he flew over the mines. He transformed in mid-air, rolling along the ground like a metallic cannonball as he did so.

"Arcee? Bulkhead?" Fuse asked as Optimus joined him. "What happened here? Wasn't the entrance open before?" Fuse asked.

"It was," Optimus stated. "Arcee? What is your location? Are you and Jack unharmed?" Optimus asked over his radio.

Static greeted them as Fuse frowned and went to tear the stones from the entrance only for the Prime to pause him.

"We do not know what caused the damage to the entrance, removing the obstruction may only cause damage further," Optimus stated.

"I…" Fuse said before lowering his head.

"I am glad you show concern, Fuse. However? Arcee and Bulkhead are experienced Autobots." Optimus said.

"So am I and you and the Decepticons can still kill us, Optimus," Fuse said before he straightened up. "If you are returning to base? I'm going to wait… I'd rather make sure they are safe before I leave." Fuse said before transforming into his M1 Abrams form.

Optimus said nothing and simply decided to wait as well. He could sense the concern Fuse had for the others and knew nothing short of a direct order would cause him to leave.

"I have heard you believe yourself only a weapon as most Triple-Changers were created to be and that you believe yourself more expendable," Optimus stated.

"Every soldier is expendable besides you and the officers, sir… That's war." Fuse said, his tone noticeably lower than before.

"No soldier under my command is less vital than another, Fuse," Optimus stated. "I would give my life to protect another without pause," Optimus stated.

"Then the Autobots would die out… You are the symbol we rally behind, sir." Fuse.

Optimus was silent at this but knew what he meant. He was the symbol of the group and its moral center; he was the one who inspired them as a Prime.

Optimus decided to leave for the hills surrounding the entrance, leaving Fuse where he was as he transformed and revved his engine.

Fuse kept his canon and the missile pods atop the turret aimed at the entrance. Not once did he falter as the Autobot slowly began to move his treads back and forth in place now.

He had not been able to relax. He would not be able to relax now when push came to shove, not when there was fear in the air and on his mind.

He hadn't been able to relax… Knowing what was happening next.

There were a few footfalls, the thuds of which told him that there was either a Decepticon or an Autobot. He kept his weapon systems prepared to reduce them to scrap.

It was the twine of blue which made him pause, the profile of a human later which made him turn to look.

"Cee?" Fuse asked as he stopped, lowering the barrel of his weapon.

"Fuse? Weren't you on a mission?" Arcee asked as Fuse paused and then looked to the ground.

Fuse straightened up, transforming as metal slammed into metal upon his metallic chassis. He had been too silent, too unable to have said anything at the end of the day.

"We suspected that the team might not be fit for deployment." Fuse heard as Optimus emerged. "We had lost communications with you, Jack, Miko, and Bulkhead… Fuse was concerned." Optimus stated.

"I just had a feeling I should have helped…" Fuse said as Arcee smirked. "Very funny, Lady Revs a Lot… I was worried, that's all…. Thought maybe Arachnid or someone showed up." Fuse stated.

"Uh… There is a pair of cons down there but they might not be the ones you think." Jack said.

"Megatron…" Optimus said as Fuse transformed his arm into his gun. "Fuse? We do not have the means to engage Megatron… Nor would battling him lead to any tactical outcome we desire." Optimus added.

"If you are sure, Optimus," Fuse said before he hummed. "M.E.C.H and Decepticons. We have more enemies than possible." Fuse stated as he sighed and then looked downwards to the ground.

He was correct in this for a few reasons and Optimus knew this. The human terrorists were just as dangerous as their sworn enemy and his army.

Bulkhead and Miko soon joined them as Optimus turned.

"Activate the ground bridge… We are finished here." Optimus ordered as one emerged. "Agent Fowler? I would like to ask all Autobots to return to base for the duration of today, we must discuss strategy." Optimus stated.

He was too thrown off to have said much as he and the others followed behind him. Optimus questioned simply how many Autobots were to make it to the planet for now.

He had not been dealt with for now as he watched the others all follow after him, having known what was perhaps growing in his mind.

Perhaps it would end soon, perhaps they would all remain shattered husks of scrap metal all over the place. It was too much to have to deal with, to cope with.

He had no desire to end it, no desire to strike the final blow even as he looked at Arcee and Bee. He felt his chassis soften as he was around the femme bot.

She and he had started as enemies, people who had no desire to deal with for now as he clicked his fingers.

Now? Now he felt he understood her to a degree and could tell she and he were united in fighting the enemy, they had been here before.

It had been something hard to manage and he was amused for now as he cracked his fingers before he sighed to himself before she thought of what was to happen next.

He sighed before he clicked his tongue and then smirked once again, knowing the next move was the hardest.

(With the Decepticons)

Starscream hurtled the length of the bridge before Megatron strode forwards, crushing the seeker under heel as he did so.

Starscream was quick to retreat, knowing that dealing with the Decepticon leader was too much to have to deal with it for now. Not wanting to relax, not wishing to at any damn rate.

To be fair? He had zero ideas on what was going on, not once did he wish to let it settle.

"Bring me Octane." Megatron hissed before turning to Blitzwing. "Triple security at all sites… If the Autobots come? I will mount their heads upon a wall." Megatron stated.

He was not stupid. The battle against them had become even, their enemy bringing all soldiers to the table, knowing what would become of it at the moment. Perhaps he would see at least one dead Autobot… He did not mind waiting.

Though? He felt his waiting growing tedious, not wishing to properly fix it. He had been silent, knowing what was to come, he had no such desire.

He had no real reason to let it all come down to it for now. He had no real desire to let it all end, he had nothing to see it happen.

Megatron knew that sooner or later? There would be a chaotic little sickness on his mind before he sighed to himself, knowing what would end. She had no real desire to end it, not now.

He had been too tired, too unable to have been able to deal with it for now, he paused to think of what was possibly thinking for now as she sighed to herself before she seemed to be dealing with it.

"I will not abide by any treachery… No deceit, not against me of all people." Megatron stated before he sighed to himself.

He had no real desire to be fighting their enemy but he would continue to let it be.

(With Optimus and the Autobots)

Fuse hummed and looked at Arcee then Bulkhead as Arcee hummed.

"Someone's being more protective than before," Arcee stated.

"I've lost friends to the war, I don't want to lose another friend, cee," Fuse stated before he hummed and looked to the side.

"If we had known Megatron would have been located at the location? I would have led the mission myself." Optimus said.

"You had no way of knowing, Optimus… You cannot blame yourself for every tactical error you make." Fuse said.

"Nice to see you lightening up enough to use names, Fuse," Bulkhead said.

"I've been trying to, Bulkhead," Fuse stated before he sighed. "Anyway? We have a lot more to try and deal with… M.E.C.H stole something from a base and the cons have two triple changers like us… The field is set for some strategic plays." Fuse said.

"Indeed. Our enemies are poised to inflict maximum damage…As are we." Optimus stated.

"Then what do we do?" Arcee asked.

"We act as best we can… Arcee? Bulkhead? Bumblebee? Please take Jack, Miko, and Raf home. We will reconvene tomorrow." Optimus asked.

"Permission to go with, sir?" Fuse asked.

"Hmm…" Optimus said to which Arcee waved her hand.

"I got him… Fuse just wants an excuse to fly around in jet mode… Doesn't he?" Arcee asked as the Autobot snorted.

"We all need downtime, Cee. Sides? I'm wound up like an axel, I need some time to get back to normal." Fuse said.

"All right, we get to fly in a jet!" Miko said as Fuse hummed.

"Fuse's alternate mode might be equipped to carry things without protection but he is still at the law of gravity if he accelerates too much," Rachet stated.

"You do realize I NEVER break the sound barrier BECAUSE doing so would cause too much attention AND it would probably kill someone, right?" Fuse stated. "I like some attention… But I don't feel like turning a city into a warzone." Fuse said.

He was silent after this, knowing what would happen next. He could relent, he could relax… There was time enough to really figure out a plan and execute it purely.

The trio moved for the door, there was time to think for now as it was all said and done. He was a lot more interested in what would become next.

(Nemesis)

Megatron watched as a dozen Vehicons seemed to swarm from the deck of his flagship, he seemed to be dealing with it for now… All of his plans would go onward for now, all of it would become a lot harder to figure out.

He had no desire to deal with it for now as he clicked his fingers… He would send them to the afterlife one way or another. The only question was how badly they'd suffer losses until that occurred.

Yes, it was very damn clear they would suffer each little step of the way and that was fine with him so long as they managed something where he was able to come out on top of it all.

To be dealing with it for now at the moment, knowing what was growing on the brain now and for good at the moment. All of it simply seemed to be making it harder and harder to deal with for now.

All of it was odd, all of their war was going to be odd for now. That and that alone was pushing him to the next level like it was a wave, a flowing giant rush of energon and adrenaline which flowed in waves and drove him towards another horizon.

To be fair? There was going to be a pain, a great wave of sadness which needed to be overcome, beaten down… There was chaos there which would be done yet… That and that alone would be overcome at this very moment… This all seemed to be weakening him at the end of the day.

There was something else going on at the end of the day before he relaxed and he let it all come crashing to the ground in this manner, to see it driven so low that it might break like this…. There was no honor in it, no way to deal with it.

Arcee roared to life under him as he flew over the landscape. This alt-mode's history on Earth was old… But he liked it, there was a life, a fire.

It was a surge of resistance from it as if it had demanded respect even as time slowly crashed down on how it would and could have been for now and would continue.

He had to be like that for the time being, something about it would be under control sooner or later. All of it was something that needed to be understood sooner or later with it all coming to it sooner or later. The amusement on his face was going somewhere else, it was hard enough to figure out as they raced across the sea… But he had been dealt with for now.

He flew further and faster into the sky, knowing how relaxed he was for now. It was something else to try and figure out, a part of him did not want to… Not yet, not when there was more to see and do now.

He had been unable to support this thing at the end of the day when push came down the line. She would not be able to figure that out, not yet at any real rate at the end of this day, and a good time to push it into place.

Fuse finally transformed as he crossed over the top of a rocky spire. He slid across the dirt as his arms extended and he finally arrested his movement with his body.

He was too exhausted as to what was going on, he had been far too unable to deal with such a thing. It would become easy to deal with, and easy to understand.

Arcee looked at him as he looked down on Jasper from the cliff. It reminded her of the Arielbots back home who would dart around the skies, not even pretending to be affected by the air around them.

To them? They could dart through the sky, slam into the enemy, and then dart away as easily as a bird would on this planet.

To be fair? There were a lot of things that needed to be addressed… A lot which made him want to laugh either way.

Fuse looked at Jasper, optics focusing on the small humanoids within it. The town was quaint, quiet… And yet? it reminded him of Iacon, a small city that housed plenty of people, plenty of whom were innocent of the crimes Megatron knew damn well what had been taken from him and yet?

He opposed people he claimed he had no problem with, there was something about it that would have made him chuckle if he did not wish to offend those who had died in combat.

Not once did he wish for it to end that way but it seemed that he would be fighting to the bitter end. They had taken far from enough for him to hate them, to want them to die out as a group.

They had to pay and they would pay eventually, when a strategy that would bring down Megatron was formed, only then would they win.

It disgusted him that Megatron had sunk so low as to do this simply to gain a victory. Yet? They were at war, trying to be nice to those who did not have the Manifolds to win, to become the victor in their conflict… Something which would not do at all when such was life.

They would end it all eventually when the dust settled… Yet? That seemed further and further away the more they went towards trying to end it then and there, trying to liven it up sooner or later.

All of it happened in seconds and he was left trying and failing to clean up the rest of the junk on the ridge, knowing something had to give. Either his side broke or the Autobots did…

All he could try and deal with was the next move of the war.

(With Arcee, Bumblebee, and Fuse)

Fuse flew around all of Jasper at speeds that would make the majority of the Arielbots mad, they were not weapons of war…. He was and he acted as one.

He flew around, savoring the ability to rush around in F-14 form, most would hate their vehicle forms…. He did not, he found peace in what he considered to be a beautiful vehicle like this.

Whoever seemed to use this sort of thing? They were brilliant and they deserved a spot in their military history.

Him? He didn't know who this military was, he didn't understand them or their issues and he didn't fight as he had been one of them.

Their vehicles were primitive, their soldiers young and without centuries of combat… But they had grit from what he had seen, they had guts to do for now. Fuse was not of this planet and he had.

Arcee looked at him as he perched atop a small hill, looking downwards at them. He wanted to fight, he wanted to act like he was a soldier…. But he couldn't, he could not and he would not for that would cause more and more problems.

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words and will be setting up the next episode and such. Until then, Lighting Wolf is out!