"Are you even trying?" Lio asked, a smirk under his mouthguard as he watched Cliffjumper attempt to move his arm.

"Of course I am!" Cliffjumper barked as she gave it her all to move his hand. "And quite smirking! I can feel you smirking!"

"I'm doing no such thing," Lio said, "Just like you aren't moving my arm,"

Cliffjumper growled as she applied more pressure. The autobots watched the match; Arcee shook her head as she sat on a railing, though Lio and Cliffjumper entertained her. Prowl stood by the monitor, watching silently. Hot Rod and Bumblebee were laughing at the scene while Ironhide stood behind the two watching with a smirk. Optimus was even watching the battle, smiling as she laughed softly.

Suddenly Cliffjumper begins to move Lio's arm down, and his eyes widen in shock as he tries to fight back, "Oh? Oh? Oh!?" Lio said as his knuckles nearly touched the crate.

"Haha! See, I am stronger than you!" Cliffjumper exclaimed before his hand stopped, and Lio laughed.

"Nah, just playing," Lio said before quickly returning her arm to the crate. He won within seconds.

Cliffjumper gawked, looking up at Lio. Hot Rod and Bumblebee laughed while Optimus let out another soft laugh; she glanced toward Lio.

"You didn't have to get her hopes up like that," Optimus told him.

"I couldn't help it," Lio told Optimus, "Had to crush her spirit before I won,"

Cliffjumper grumbled as she stood up, "Yeah, I was just going easy on you," She told Lio.

"Sure you were," Hot Rod said as she pushed her out of the way, "My turn."

"You sure?" Lio asked.

"Frag, yeah, I'm sure," Hot Rod placed her elbow on the crate, ready for their match.

Lio grabbed her hand, and Ironhide counted down; once she hit zero, the pair started, Hot Rod attempting to move Lio's hand but to no avail. Cliffjumper laughs significantly at Hot Rod's expense when the bot's face drops upon her sudden realization, and she tries her hardest to move his arm, but yet again, it doesn't budge.

Lio starts to move Hot Rod's arm down, and she tries to stop it, even putting her other hand on hers.

"Hot Rod, you know that's cheating," Optimus lightly chastised.

"I'll allow it; this is adorable," Lio teased.

Hot Rod's head instantly snapped, "Oh, is it now?"

Hot Rod starts to lean with her body as she tries to move his arm. Lio watched her refraining from laughing as he pushed his hand down until hers touched the table.

"Yes, it is; solid effort, though," Lio remarked.

Hot Rod huffs as she stands up. Cliffjumper patted her back. "Not so easy, huh?"

"Oh, shut it," Hot Rod hissed.

"Me next!" Bumblebee shouted as she skipped towards Lio and sat in the seat. "Try not to get distracted by my eyes."

"How does she string together words with the radio?" Lio asked

"She mainly takes voice clips from anything," Ratchet explains.

Lio shrugs, and the pair begins.

The two would start their match, and the same thing would happen to Bee. Prowl sighs, watching the same thing unfold. She turned to face it before she could make her annoyance known or hear the monitor beep.

'What is it?' Prowl asked teletraan 1.

"Got some odd signals. I don't know what it is exactly, but that bunker that Cliff and Convoy found is one of them; it seems like things are going on there….and I found a cybertronian signal here. Two of them….and one is….a protoform with a higher power signal."

Optimus stood up and walked to the monitor, looking at the protoform signal. Optimus narrowed her eyes and stood back.

"Whatever the case, we need to check both locations," Optimus said.

"To do that, we need to split up," Hot Rod told Optimus, who glanced back at her, "Oh….we're splitting up,"

"Better to cover more ground this way," Optimus answered. "The Decepticons could be moving something that we could use, and we cannot let them get their hands on a protoform."

"Why is there a protoform on this planet?" Arcee asked.

"Why is there energon on this planet, and the Allspark," Hot Rod asked, "Seems to be this random pit stop is far more important than we originally thought,"

"The answer could wait," Optimus told them. "Ratchet, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, and Ironhide. You four will accompany me to retrieve the protoform. Prowl, Arcee, Hot Rod, and Lio will head to the Decepticon bunker."

Lio looks at Arcee and Prowl, a frown forming under his mouth guard as he plans Bee's hand on the table.

"May not be working with the boss lady, but it would be cool seeing the newbie in action… at least more than I already witnessed," Hot Rod walked up to Lio.

"Yay, another wreckless partner," Lio stood up, looking down at an offended Hot Rod.

"Me? Wreckless? Absurd," Hot Rod replied.

"She is," Bumblebee answered as she stood up.

Hot Rod rolled her eyes, "Yeah yeah, but at least your two haters could see you in action," She pointed to Prowl and Arcee.

"I'm indifferent to him at best," Arcee told Hot Rod.

Prowl didn't reply, staring at Lio before glancing at Ratchet, "Did you have time to upgrade his weapon?"

"Hardly," Ratchet answers as she grabs his blaster, "maybe when that kid comes back around, we can use her key on his weapon,"

"Maybe on my weapon too? Perhaps upgrade my bow?" Hot Rod asked.

"It's not a toy," Ratchet told Hot Rod, who grumbled.

"Teletraan 1" Optimus looks at the monitor.

"Right-O," Teletraan 1 says as she opens the first groundbridge. "This one is for your prime,"

Prime nods and turns to her team, "Autobots! Roll out!" She shouts as she runs forward, transforming and driving through, Ironhide, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, and Ratchet following.

The portal closes, and the bridge activates seconds later, Prowl stepping forward.

"Let's go," Prowl says as she transforms.

"Boo," Teletraan 1 said, "How anti-climatic,"

Prowl wordlessly drives through the portal; Hot Rod, Arcee, and Lio follow after the officer.

XXXXXXX

Aboard the nemesis, Soundwave stood in front of two separate monitors, one showing the progress of the bunker and the other Sumdac's tower. Soundwave was focusing on the one at Sumdac's tower in particular. One of the drones could see a child with red hair; she held something interesting to Soundwave. A key wrapped around her neck that looked cybertronian in nature.

While Starscream was off sulking and went to plan with the humans, Soundwave dug up some more records; KSI and Sumdac aren't the only companies to try and use their technology or hold onto it. Sumdac reverse-engineered most of its technology. He would need access to either a strong cybertronian energy source or energy to do that. His production didn't entirely stop with him losing the cube, and ever since that girl returned with the key, soft cybertronian power would surge through the building before disappearing.

Whatever that key may be, they could use it to restore Megatron, take the energon they already have and return to Cybertron with it. Soundwave opened her chest plate and popped out a cassette which transformed into a raven in armor.

Soundwave pauses the footage and points to the key around Sari's neck. The raven–known as Laserbeak, hopped onto Soundwave's arm, tilting her head as she looked at the monitor; she pointed to the key and turned to Soundwave, who nodded.

Laserbeak nods her head while Soundwave opens a groundbridge behind her. Laserbeak hopped off her arm and flew through.

Turning her attention to the first monitor, she watched as the team sent there pulled out the rest of the energon and equipment to send it back to the ship. The location changed to a more private area, but she knew with the current activities going on, the Autobots would split up.

Half would head to Starscream and be attacked by the humans, while the other half would head to the bunker. Distract them from their goals on the planet; Optimus possibly expects that since she was the one to leave Megatron in that state.

XXXXXXX

Optimus and her team stop outside a base in the middle of nowhere.

"Well, this isn't suspicious," Ratchet says.

"Yeah, two Cybertronians inside a human base," Ironhide added.

"We don't know if the humans are talking with them or attempting more nefarious plots," Optimus says, "Starscream could be the one inside…and we know what she may be doing,"

"Plotting to kill us?" Cliffjumpern suggested.

"It's a trap!" Bumblebee shouted.

"Hardly," Ironhide told Bumblebee, "No real place to get a vantage point..unless they decide to attack us full-on."

"Duh," Bumblebee said, "What are you, stupid?"

"Maybe you should stop watching movies..and tv shows…and games," Ratchet told Bumblebee.

"Yeah, no," Bumblebee replies, "I'm going to get a tattoo that says no,"

"If humans attack, we can't fight them back." Optimus said, "I don't want to harm any of them…nor get them involved in a conflict they know nothing about….yet Starscream has already told them a twisted version of our war."

"They may have to get involved at some point, Optimus; this is their planet," Ratchet tells her.

"Oh, what if we sneak in," Cliffjumper said.

"And how may we do that?" Ironhide asked.

"Easy." Cliffjumper says, "The rest of you be bait, and I move in simply.

"That's the best course of action we have," Optimus said, "Autobots, drive away, do not kill anyone if they attack,"

"Seems like that if turned into a when," Ironhide told Optimus.

Helicopters and jeeps were driving toward the Autobots. Turrets on the choppers spanned up before opening fire. The bullets bounced off them, but the Autobots reversed and drove away while the buzzards fired rockets toward them, which only hit the ground beside them.

XXXXXXX

Starscream grins as she stands behind Simmons.

"See. I told you they wouldn't resist the protoform," Starscream chuckled.

"Yes, you did," Simmons drawls, "What about the others?"

"Don't worry, my associates will lead them to the trap I set," Starscream told him as she pointed to Optimus, "Get that one to transform; she is the one I want to model the protoform after."

"And what will you be doing?" Simmons asked.

"Helping, of course. Do you think all of those Autobots will flee? One of them will turn back around, and I will face them," Starscream waves him off, "We know y'all won't be able to stop just one,"

Simmons glanced at Burns before looking back at Starscream. "In that case, why not help in the attack and turn back around if one does?"

Starscream stammered a little, "Well….that's not a bad idea," Starscream grumbled before she walked out of the base.

Once she left, Burns turned towards Simmons.

"Do you think her side is the good one? Their enemies are called Autobots….what if killing them will be the wrong thing to do?" Burns asked.

"Give it time," Simmons says. "Just give it time."

XXXXXXX

Prowl was the first to transform, glancing at the bunker, vehicons carting out energon, heading through the ground bridge while Barricade and Blackjack guard the entrance with a few more vehicons.

Prowl held up a digit and pointed to the Decepticon guards. Arcee would get closer to Prowl, ducking down behind her while Hot Rod slowly walked behind Lio, peaking from his side. Lio glanced down at her before looking up at Barricade and Blackjack.

"Can't believe we're doing this right after what we went through," Blackjack grumbled.

"We're here to gather resources and continue the war, not collect flowers," Barricade growls, "Not stow the grumbling; you're a Decepticon."

A groan comes from the entrance as Knockout walks out, holding a destroyed item.

"Can't believe that her Autobots destroyed my buffer," Knockout whined.

Blackjack would look at Knockout, pointing to her as she shook her head, wondering why Knockout got a pass.

"You know why Knockout gets a pass. She's not like us," Barricade replies.

The medic dropped the remnants of her buffer, and she turned to face Barricade.

"And what the hell does that mean?" Knockout growls.

"You know," Barricade answers.

"That's the last of it," Breakdown said as she exited the cave.

"Good, you get them to the ship, then meet us at the new location," Barricade told the Vehicon miner.

"Yes, ma'am," The miner answered as she walked through.

One of them slowly bends down in front of Knockout and takes the buffer before walking through. The portal closed, leaving four guards and the other four Decepticons.

"Why do we have to drive there?" Breakdown asked.

"Because," Barricade said as she slid down with Blackjack.

"Who doesn't move speeding down several highways?" Knockout asked as she jumped down.

Prowl watched as they dropped down; turning to the Autobots, she nodded as they took out their weapons. The four Autobots sprang from the foliage as a group, opening fire, and taking out one of the vehicons with a headshot. The Decepticons ducked, quickly taking out their weapons as they shot back. Two more vehicons were gunned down while Barricade growled.

"We don't have to fight them; we just need to lose them!" Barricade shouted. "Breakdown!"

Breakdown nods and drops to one knee, her blaster comes from her shoulder, and she fires a missile at the Autobots, who leap out of the way.

Barricade and Blackjack transform, heading towards the highway while Knockout pats Breakdown's shoulder as they follow.

"They're trying to get away," Arcee says as she transforms, driving after them.

"Well, guess I get to see who's the better cop," Lio told Prowl as he stood up.

"You sound like Bee," Prowl would tell him as she transformed, following after Arcee.

"Relax, that's a good thing, now come on. Think you can keep up?" Hot Rod asked as she transformed.

"Can I keep up?" Lio scoffs before he transforms and follows them.

XXXXXXX

Barricade was the first to make it to the desolate highway, speeding down the lane as Blackjack and Knockout followed. The latter quickly caught up while Breakdown lagged behind them.

Barricade moved her side mirror as she noticed the Autobots had made it; she chuckled. "Just as planned."

"So what do we do?" Blackjack asked.

"Just drive to the waypoint, make sure they don't stop you," Barricade answered.

"Shouldn't be too hard," Knockout said, "Especially for some of us,"

The eight Cybertornians sped down the highway with no intervention, the Autobots slowly catching up to the Decepticons; the question was how they would stop them once they got close effectively.

Hot Rod got beside Knockout and rammed into her side, forcing her left side to scratch against a large medium blocking the other second of the road. Arcee got behind Barricade, two small blasters coming from her steering wheel as she opened fire on her back.

"Gah! You bitch!" Knockout growled.

"Oh, sorry, did I ruin your paint job?" Hot Rod asked with fake concern. "Here, let me fix that."

Hot Rod drove to the left, trying to get enough room to ram into her hard enough to flip her over the medium. Once she got the car enough, Breakdown crashed into her back, knocking Hot Rod off course and into Arcee; both Autobots transformed upon impact, rolling across the ground.

Hot Rod spots Lio heading their way; she outstretched one of her arms while grabbing Arcee's legs. Lio passed, and Hot Rod grabbed one of the smoke stakes; getting pulled with Lio, she maneuvered herself to get on the back of the truck pulling Arcee up with her.

"Oh, this works," Hot Rod says, "Do you mind, Lio?"

"Not at all, just take them out," Lio answered.

Hot Rod pats the top of the truck before aiming her blaster at Breakdown, and she opens fire. Arcee joins in, firing at Blackjack.

Prowl drove beside Barricade, who attempted to ram her off the road. Prowl suddenly stops, Barricade misses her by an inch, and with her now in front, Prowl opens fire on Barricade, avoiding the blaster fire from the other cons behind her. The fire slowly stops as the Decepticon's attention is pulled towards Lio and the two Autobots on him; I guess driving on an old highway has benefits, especially regarding transformation.

"Oh, that's fair," Blackjack grunts as she tries to avoid the combined blaster fire.

"Relax, just a few more miles; we'll take the left exit. The Autobots would be forced to transform and get off their big friend," Barricade told Blackjack. "In the meantime, Breakdown. Take them out."

Breakdown crackled, "Hehe. With pleasure,"

Breakdown cannon turns around, and she fires a few shots before firing missiles at them.

Hot Rod's eyes widen upon seeing them, and she ducks. "Scrap! Lio, evasion maneuvers!"

"Clearly," Lio said as he swerved out of the blaster fire. The missiles missed him easily, but for the last one, he moved to the left, doing a three sixty which gave the two Autobots a chance to blast at the Decepticons shortly before standing back up to fire.

"And here we go," Barricade grins, making a quick left.

The Decepticons follow her while Prowl stops, waiting for Lio to drive beside her.

"Hot Rod, Arcee. Transform," Prowl says, "After that point, it's back to civilization,"

Arcee nods and hops off while Hot Rod sighs.

"Fine, but that was fun," Hot Rod hops off and transforms. "You work as a great shield Lio."

"Thanks, glad to be included," Lio answered.

"Shouldn't be too hard to find those four; now let's move," Prowl told them as she drove ahead.

Arcee and Hot Rod follow while Lio takes up the rear. The Autobots drove through a tunnel, and the engines of the Decepticons were still ahead of them. Finding them would be faster than Prowl thought, but upon exiting the tunnel and heading into a city, police cars were waiting for them. As they passed the cave exit, three moved to block them.

"Uh, Prowl?" Hot Rod asked.

"Just keep driving," Prowl answered.

More cars would slowly cause the four Autobots, including SUVs. One or two helicopters appeared when each vehicle turned on its lights.

"Scatter!" Prowl told them.

Hot Rod and Arcee would make a quick U-turn heading through the tunnel while Lio and Prowl split up through the city. One of the helicopters would follow Arcee and Hot Rod and a detachment of police cars. The rest would follow split up, with the helicopter going after Lio.

"Great..they were luring us into a trap," Prowl said as she swerved through cars to avoid the police. "I could probably disguise myself with them if I could lose them…don't know how the rest would be able to escape them without harming the humans."

XXXXXXX

Back with Optimus, her team avoids missiles from Starscream, who had entered the battle. In the chaos, Bumblebee could slip away when Starscream focused on subduing Optimus. As Optimus avoided another bombing run, Prowl would come through on the comms.

"Optimus, the Decepticons lured us into a trap. Humans are chasing us down. We split up to better escape them," Prowl said, "What do we do when we lose them?"

"Hide," Optimus answered, "Once you are sure that they lost you, find the Decepticons and follow them, we will rendezvous with you,"

"Got it," Prowl said.

"That's good for them, but what do we do?" Ironhide asked.

Optimus suddenly stops, transforming while catching her blaster. Optimus quickly turns towards Starscream, who attempted another bombing run, and she opens fire. Starscream flew out of the way, Optimus managing to clip the edge of her wing. It didn't ground her, but it would keep her in the air longer until she worked up the courage to attack.

"Go!" Optimus shouted as she ran off, still firing at Starscream.

The Sector 7 agents would turn their attention to open, some still following Ratchet, Cliffjumper, and Ironhide. Optimus quickly turns around, firing into the dirt, and dust shoots into the air. Optimus would continue to fire around them, ensuring she wouldn't harm them, just throwing enough dirt onto the car's windows.

Starscream would fly in low, firing at Optimus, who jumps over the seeker, firing at her back. The blast hits her one good time, nearly causing her to crash before she flies back into the air.

XXXXXXX

Simmons watched as Optimus continued to disable most of their vehicles or get them to follow her as she ran off. Simmons quirks. He looks over her body; he nods his head.

"Well, guess we will use her," Simmons would tell Burns.

"Why don't we try to use it before Starscream gets a chance or add something to it," Burns asked.

"I don't know how we would do that," Simmons told him. "But we can agree then find a way to hurt them and take out Starscream when the time comes,"

"Sir, we got a strangler," One of the soldiers says as he gestures to another monitor, showing Bumblebee sneaking around the base.

"Recall half the convoy and bring them back at her," Simmons told him.

"Yes sir," He told him.

"And arm the new experimental weapons we got from KSI," Simmons added.

XXXXXXX

Bumblebee would quickly run through the base, avoiding any soldier walking around. Many of them would aim at Bumblebee opening fire. The bullets bounced off Bee as she quickly ran through, leaping over any vehicle that stopped before her.

A tank stops before Bumblebee and opens fire; she does a barrel roll avoiding the missile. Rolling her feet, she activates her blade and cuts the nuzzle of the tank. Bumblebee scanned the surrounding buildings.

Sporting the protoform, Bumblebee would leap over another car, sprinting towered the hangar holding it. Bumblebee would begin to pry the door open while more trucks pulled up. One loads a harpoon and fires it through Bumblebee's leg; she gasps in pain as she looks down, activating her blades and cutting the wire.

Bumblebee pulled the metal spear out and raised her leg, avoiding the next one. Quickly cutting the wire, she returned to the door and pulled it open.

As the door opened, the agents inside opened fire, Bumblebee shielding herself as best as she walked inside. The weapons stung more than the other weapons she was hit with. The rounds slowly melted into her armor and metal.

"I found the prize," Bumblebee said over the comms. "But they're coming at me hard. What to do?"

"Scan the protoform Bumblebee and get out of there. Starscream is heading back towards the base." Optimus says.

Bumblebee nods her head and looks at the protoform. Rushing through the bullets, she slides next to the protoform and looks at the chest.

Bumblebee noticed the spark was pretty bright; its power was higher than usual. Bee gasped but was shot in the back by an explosion. Letting out a groan, she turns, looking at the burn mark on her back. She turns towards the catwalk above. A soldier is loading a missile, pointing it toward Bee again, and he opens fire.

Bumblebee dodged and ran out of the hangar. The soldiers fired at her with higher-power weapons. Burning and stinging her even more. Right as she ran out the door, she was clotheslined by Starscream.

"Hello, little bug," Starscream grins as she picks up Bee. Pulling her close to her face. "Strayed away from your big friends?"

Bumblebee grabs Starscream's shoulder and pulls her closer as she headbutts Starscream; reeling her legs towards her chest, she slams her feet against Strrscreams chest. Dropping the scout, Bumblebee quickly tackled her. Starscream stumbled back and promptly hit her elbow into Bumblebee's back. Bee falls to the ground and quickly attempts to stand while Starscream aims to knee her in the face. Bee moved out of the way, firing at her with her cannon. Starscream stumbled back while Bumblebee quickly ran away as Starscream aimed at her.

Bumblebee transformed right as Starscream fired a rocket at her. Bumblebee quickly drives away, Starscream glaring at her while she drives off.

"Next time," Starscream grumbled as she walked back into the base glancing at the protoform, which went untouched, and she grinned. "Perfect."

Simmons and Burns would walk to Starscream, who glanced down at them.

"Well. We can agree that your choice is the best to use. What do we do?" Simmons asked.

"Find a truck that resembles hers in size, and bring it here," Starscream told him. "Send out all remaining agents to find those Autobots; my associates will help where we can."

Starscream walks out of the base; she leaps into the air, transforming and flying into the sky.

XXXXXXX

Lio managed to escape the Sector 7 agents pursuing him after hiding under a bridge. He managed to climb it and hang there. Finally, as he dropped, he looked around the sky before transforming.

"Finally lost them. Prowl, where are you?" Lio asked.

"I tracked down the Decepticon's location, or where they should be," Prowl answered.

"Got it," Lio says, "Send me your location. I'm on the way" Lio noticed a large metal bird flying towards Sumdac's tower. "Prowl… a metal bird is heading to Sumdac's tower."

"A bird?" Prowl mutters to herself. "Laserbeak. Soundwave possibly sent her after the key. Lio, follow her and make sure she doesn't take the key."

"Yes, ma'am," Lio answered.

XXXXXXX

At least he follows orders. Prowl would think as she lowered her fingers from her ears. She glanced back at Hot Rod, who sat in a tree while Arcee sat on a boulder.

"So, where's the big guy?' Hot Rod asked.

"Currently on a side mission." Prowl turned to face her. "We need to wait for the other Autobots before we head in."

"Do we have that long?" Arcee asked.

"They'll be here shortly; they just need to be far enough to use the groundbridge." Prowl folded her arm, "What are they planning? Why do they want that key? Why did they move."

"...You think that they're bringing her…back?" Arcee asked.

"They can't…the damages she sustained would be too great to repair." Prowl looks back at her.

"Thing the key would be enough?" Hot Rod asked.

"That's what Soundwave believes," Prowl answered.

A portal opens behind them. The other Autobots stepped through, Bumblebee rubbing her back while Ratchet was repairing her back quickly.

"Hey," Cliffjumper said.

"What happened to Bee?" Hot Rod asked.

"The humans had some new weapon they used; one got a good shot on her back when she spotted the protoform," Ratchet explains. "Where's Lio?"

"Laserbeak is going after the key," Prowl answered. "He's going to try and stop her. What did you learn about the Protoform?"

"Bumblebee said the spark was brighter and stronger than normal," Optimus said. "Starscream may have got her hand on a point one percenter."

"What?" Prowl turned towards her. "We can't let her have it."

"They won't do anything with it yet." Optimus points to the arriving Starscream. "Especially with Starscream here….and I fear what may be happening there."

The Autobots watched as Starscream walked inside a cave opening. Optimus glanced at the Autobots, and she activated her ion blaster.

"Proceed with caution," Optimus orders.