"That thing's even coloured like that Glyph!"

"It could be any car of the brand."

"No one drives a Volks these days," Pounce assured, "and that firetruck right there - strangely Optimus Prime-coloured."

"Red is the default colour of firefighting vehicles in human society," Wingspan said, "if anything it's normal."

"And that ambulance," Pounce said, "that's the old man."

"Yeah, alright, three's like, not a coincidence at this point," Wingspan said.

"Then let's wreck those wheels," Pounce grinned, smacking fist against palm.

With that, the two began to kick the supposed Glyph, denting her and slowly but surely reducing her to a ball of scrap.

"Hey Optimus, we're kicking your pal," Pounce mocked.

"Too cowardly to emerge from your disguise I see," Wingspan laughed, "oh, how very heroic indeed! As expected of the legendary Prime himself!"

"Yeah, it's like you're not actually yourself!"

"Wait a second," Wingspan realized, "this is a coincidence. We're damaging someone's property."

"So?" Pounce asked, "we damage property all the time, how is this different?"

"Perhaps you are right," Wingspan said, "but we're wasting time, let's go look for those Autobots someplace else."

When the Decepticon twins turned around, they saw an angered old lady, donking their craniums with a single strike of her walking stick.

"You naughty ol whippersnappers! Wrecking my old car! That was the last thing my dead husband got!"

Recovering from the strike, Pounce boasted, "ha, weak human! We'll wreck your car as much as we want and there's nothing you can do to stop us! Because you're just flesh and bones compared to our superior alloys!"

"That is true," Wingspan said, "I suggest you move aside and let us continue with our job, human."

In mere seconds, they would eat their words, screaming as they were chased by the angry old lady.

"I thought humans had no powers," Pounce panicked.

"Apparently that one does," Wingspan said.


Decepticon base.

"Sorry boss, it's just been a bit ineffective," Pounce said.

"Don't 'sorry boss' me," Megatron snarled.

"We could skirt the whole planet, and the Autobots could just move to a spot that we've already combed," Wingspan explained, "that is what happened actually - every time they appear on the news in some capacity, we report to the venue and they're gone."

"Why do I keep you two around?" Megatron questioned, "there's no point in ordering a couple of fools to do anything more than tear things to scrap."

"Oh mighty Megatron, are you not the one who has known Optimus Prime even before he attained the name he has now," Starscream mocked as he stepped forward, "are you not the one obsessed with his every action?"

"What are you getting at, Starscream," Megatron growled, aiming his fusion cannon at the seeker.

Starscream flinched for a second. "You of all cons should know the values of Optimus Prime, and by extension, the values of his cause. These so-called 'values' can also be his weaknesses."

"Your implications are obvious, Starscream," Megatron said, "you would assume I have not considered the possibilities."

"Oh, please, are you afraid that the humans will do something," Starscream mocked, "they are hopeless, they are helpless. We can blast away at them and the most they would do is shoot little rocks at us. Unlike you, oh mighty Megatron, I am not one to cower at the humans, and to prove it, I will be the one to take initiative, thus proving that I am the one who truly deserves leadership."

Starscream walks off.

"Uh, boss, aren't you going to-"

"No I will not," Megatron shook his head.


Meanwhile, back at Autobot base.

"I think it's a good thing that we get to relax a bit," Cloudraker says, "no cons for a good week or two."

"Aww," Fastlane sighed, "I was starting to get used to kicking tailpipe."

"Guys, look," Push-Button pointed to Teletraan-1's screen, "new thing."

"That must be the leader of those plane guys who've been following me," Beat said.

"Your assumption is correct," Optimus said, "Starscream is Megatron's Air Commander. He leads the Seekers on missions."

"Air Commander? He's got some Guardminders on the ground too," Beat pointed out.

"In any case," Optimus said, "there is no time to lose. Glyph, Fastlane, Cloudraker, you're with me. Everyone else, stand by."

"Coordinates determined," Teletraan-1 declared, "Groundbridge opening."

"Autobots, transform and roll out!"

With Optimus' declaration, the team rolled into action through the generated portal, before it closed.

"Beatrice," Ratchet said, "I believe I- wait, where did she go?"

"Not a trace, Uncle Ratchet," Medix said.

"Oh no."


A certain city.

All was chaos. People were in panic as Seekers and Guardminders alike spewed ammunition all over the place while ramming into walls.

"Oh, what's the point of a threat without some direct casualties," Starscream grinned as he picked a random human up by the back of her shirt, before his hand was slapped with a loud CLANK and the human was caught with another hand and lowered to the ground.

"Go, NOW," Starscream's blue-hued counterpart, Thundercracker, said, before turning to the Air Commander, "Starscream, you said we would be fighting with the Autobots. All I see you doing is bringing harm to civilians."

"This is why I'm the smart one while you and Skywarp are considered scrapheads," Starscream said, "I know what makes those Autobots tick, and I'm willing to take advantage of it. You two have the edge in terms of special gifts, but what's the point if you do nothing with it?"

"I will do something with it, but deliberately attacking civilians," Thundercracker asked, "you're willing to commit these… war crimes?"

"Oh, please," Starscream said, "it's only a war crime if we lose."

"Then a war crime it is!"

"Who said that?" Starscream asked.

The firetruck that appeared before Starscream shifted its metal into a humanoid shape he would recognise as Optimus Prime.

"I expected that, but surely you've got enough of a brain module to realise that you're surrounded by an army," Starscream mocked, "and those pathetic little humans you care so much about. Wouldn't want to accidentally squish them, now would you?"

Starscream then shifted his attention to Glyph in her vehicle mode.

"Oh? Is that a holographic driver? No, that's the prize that will prove that I am the true leader of the Decepticons," Starscream said.

"Glyph, Beat," Optimus said, "comb the area and control the crowd - ensure that the humans are safe. Fastlane, Cloudraker, with me."

"Time for my starting move," Fastlane unleashed a powerful sonic blast, only for Thundercracker to shortly follow it up with a sonicboom of his own. As they clashed, both sides would be blown backwards, but not Cloudraker and Starscream - who quickly transformed and started dogfighting in the air.

"I am Air Commander for a reason," Starscream said.

"I don't see you commanding," Cloudraker mocked, before several seekers would join Starscream in their plane modes.

"Me and my big mouth..."


"When did you get in?" Glyph asked Beat.

"A bit before you left," Beat said, "there's this really thin timeframe between you closing the doors after your transformation's complete."

"Oh, you sneaky spawn of Unicron," Glyph said.

"What's a Unicron?" Beat asked.

"It's like this evil guy in Cybertronian religions. Kinda like your Devils, your Chernobogs, your Angra Mainyus, and he also eats planets," Glyph explained.

"Oh," Beat responded.

Just then, a seeker teleported right in front of them and delivered a powerful kick, sending Glyph flying. As Glyph transformed into robot mode and Beat's powered suit activated, their soles screeched across the ground.

"Skywarp!" Glyph exclaimed.

"You're gonna lose," Skywarp, as this purple seeker was called, declared.

"Don't be so confident," Glyph responded.

"Confident? I thought we were just saying obvious things," Skywarp said.

"Let's just get on with it," Glyph said, aiming a blaster at Skywarp, before he teleported behind them and attempted to grab Beat. Beat countered by using both hands to grasp his palm and slam him to the ground, before using the opportunity to slam an elbow onto him!

"This human packs a punch! I can see why Megatron wants her so badly," Skywarp said, quickly grabbing Beat and teleporting away.

"Hey, Starscream, I got the-"

Beat swiftly entered Skywarp's cockpit mid-air, before he would be collectively crushed by the combined sonic blasts of Thundercracker and Fastlane, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Ugh… my audio receptors… and my landing gear…" Skywarp said as he tried to get up, only for Beat to emerge from his partially scrapped body.

"This is some suit," Beat pondered before running off to the side of Fastlane. As she did, however, a frozen Cloudraker fell in front of her.

"Cloudraker?"

"Nevermind me, run," Cloudraker mustered.

"From what?"

"From yours truly!"

Starscream's hands grasped Beat.

"We have what we want. Decepticons, retreat!"

With that, they all transformed, flying upwards and driving away.

"I will not allow it," Optimus exclaimed as he tossed his axe at one of Starscream's thrusters, causing him to descend. Optimus would transform into his truck mode to drive towards the seeker. Unfortunately for him, Starscream was saved when a Groundbridge appeared on his descent downwards. Optimus tried to make a jump for it, but it closed before he could.

"Sorry Optimus, it… it's my fault that…" Glyph uttered.

"Taking or giving blame will not bring Beat back," Optimus said.

"Then, what will?" Fastlane asked.

"We'll need to find a way on board the Nemesis," Optimus added.

"We got lucky enough to locate it the last time," Cloudraker, being helped up by Glyph, said, "but a constant, moving ship with a cloaking device isn't something we can just find twice in a lifetime."

"Well, the rest of them flew to here and from here, so maybe they're conserving on using a Groundbridge if they don't need it. We can track where the Decepticon signals start to appear or disappear."

"Hate to break it to you," Cloudraker said, "but I'm the only one of us who can fly here and my wings are a bit clipped now. By the time they're ready again I imagine its position would have shifted."

"Glyph's idea may not be the most foolproof, but it is the closest thing to a lead for now," Optimus said, "we'll start with that when we return to base. For now, we'll call the Build Team to aid in cleaning this mess."