Bumblebee has been a very busy bot. On top of his official duties as an officer of the law and an ambassador to both Earth and Nova Terra, he is also in the middle of locating the mech known as Doubledealer and, subsequently, the one who offered a private contract to hunt down and capture Steeljaw and Ramulus. The main problem being Steeljaw's past. As in, no one seems to know anything concrete.

He closes out of one tab and is about to open another when he receives a call from Griffin Rock.

"By the Primes, please don't let it be Thunderhoof."

Bumblebee steels himself for the oncoming news and answers. The feed sizzles to life, and Heatwave appears on-screen.

"Hello there, Heatwave. What can I do for you?" Bumblebee asked.

"We need to talk," Heatwave says. "You need to get here, now."

"What's wrong?"

Heatwave averts his gaze, mumbling something under his vents. Bumblebee strained his audio receptors in order to hear, but couldn't.

If this was about Thunderhoof, then Heatwave wouldn't be hesitating, right?

"Honestly, I don't really know. Can you please just come over?" Heatwave asked.

"Alright, I'm on my way," Bumblebee said, before ending the call. He leaned back in his seat and covered his face.

"Why can't it ever be good news?"

– timeskip –

"By the Primes…"

When Bumblebee exited the bridge and was led to the common room, he wasn't expecting to see Blades patching-up Thunderhoof, who was leaning on Boulder for support, and everyone else keeping their distance.

"What happened?"

Blades moved out of the way just then, giving Bumblebee full visual access to Thunderhoof, and he was baffled by what he saw.

"Thunderhoof, I could've sworn I told you to stay out of trouble. How did you bang yourself up this badly? Where did you even get a mark like that?"

Bumblebee pointed to Thunderhoof's cracked chassis. It looked like he was hit by a controlled beam of immense heat and power.

Were there hostile Cybertronians on the Island?

"To set things straight, I was lookin' for the bitlit," Thunderhoof said. "I looked everywheres I could, and then I discovered the tunnels."

"And you thought it was a good idea to go down there without telling anyone?" Bumblebee questioned.

"I panicked! I know what will happen if I don't find her!"

Bumblebee vented. He couldn't really argue against such a statement. He understands where Thunderhoof is coming from. Both of them have been on the receiving end of Steeljaw's bad mood, and with Ramulus, chances of being killed have skyrocketed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Bumblebee replied. "So, you went into the tunnels looking for her. Is that where you were shot?"

Thunderhoof nodded.

"Was it another bot?"

If Bumblebee hadn't been paying close attention, he would have missed the light smirk that adorned Thunderhoof's face for a brief second.

"Human."

The ensuing silence is deafening. Nobody believes the Ex-Con.

"Humans, actually."

A pit formed in Bumblebee's tank. Humans – plural – with access to weapons that can harm Cybertronians, can only mean one thing. His worst fears have come back to haunt not just him, but every single person and bot – Thunderhoof included – on the Island.

"I would have told 'em more, but I figured I'd save the details for the expert," Thunderhoof said.

"That's why I called," Heatwave said. "I don't believe a word of what he says, but I can't ignore a threat to my team or the Island, so if you have something to say, I suggest you tell us."

"I really wish I didn't have too, but I guess I have no choice," Bumblebee said. He spared Thunderhoof a glance before answering.

"A few years ago, when I was still under Optimus' leadership, we came across this underground military unit called MECH. They showed an interest in Cybertronian technology and biology. They posed a threat to both Autobots and Decepticons alike, performing invasive experiments and…"

Bumblebee vented. He couldn't tell them about Breakdown. He'll just have to hope beyond hope that things won't escalate to something so horrendous.

"Anyway, they were destroyed. At least, we thought they were. After their leader died, we believed they disbanded, but…"

"Some of them may have gone underground and waited until the heat was off them," Boulder said, his nerves making him unintentionally squeeze Thunderhoof's upper arm and shoulder.

"Eyo! Easy!" The Ex-Con exclaimed, jerking in the tightening hold.

"Sorry!"

"Great, now what do we do? Call the government or something?" Kade asked, throwing his hands in the air.

"I can handle that, the rest of you need to go and make sure everyone gets somewhere safe," Bumblebee said. He pointed at Thunderhoof.

"You are staying here."

"In case you've forgotten, I still have a bitlit to locate!" Thunderhoof snapped.

"And we will find her, but I can't have you up and about in your condition."

"The copter fixed me up enough. I'm fine."

"Thunderhoof, don't make me restrain you."

The Ex-Con wasn't happy, but he did relent, moving to lean against the wall since Boulder was already up and leaving with the other Rescue Bots and their human partners. They wished Bumblebee good luck and took the elevator up.

Giving Thunderhoof a look of warning, Bumblebee turned and headed straight for the communications room. He put in the call and anxiously waited until a very familiar dark brown face appeared.

"Well what do you know? This is certainly unexpected," Agent Fowler said.

"Nice to see you, too, Fowler, but I'm afraid there's no time for pleasantries," Bumblebee said. "I am currently on Griffin Rock, and we have a huge problem."

"Please don't tell me it's Deceptiocons?"

"Worse. I believe MECH is back."

"Are you kidding me? That can't be possible. They've been dead for years!"

"The main group, yes, but maybe there's a subgroup that we missed?"

"An underground cell, huh? Well, this will be a treat for my bosses."

"Are you coming over or are you going to work things from your end?"

"I'll let you know after I've made a few phone calls."

"Will be looking forward to hearing from you."

The call ended, leaving Bumblebee alone. He vented, glad to have seen an old friend again, but wishing it could have been under better circumstances.

Bumblebee hears someone approaching, but before he can react, is hit upside the head. His helm crashes into the console before his frame hits the ground. His vision is staticy, but his hearing is still in perfect working order.

"I ain't gonna say sorry cause both of us know I don't mean it," Thunderhoof said, standing tall over the Lieutenant's limp form. "I am going out and finding that bitlit, and ain't no one gonna stop me."

Despite his injuries, Thunderhoof took off.

– timeskip –

"C'mon, bitlit, where are you?"

Thunderhoof knew he was going to be in a whole heap of trouble once Bumblebee regains control of his systems and inevitably comes after him, but that wasn't at the top of his list of grievances right now. His main concern is finding Steeljaw's daughter, especially now that he knows that there are dangerous humans on the Island. He remembers what Bumblebee told him, what information he didn't pass onto the Rescue bots.

In retrospect, not telling the others about corpse desecration and what followed suit in that one instance was probably a good idea.

There is a hole up ahead, big enough for Thunderhoof to walk through. He steps out on a steep, grassy hill somewhere in the forest. Clouds are rolling in and the wind is picking-up, signaling an incoming storm.

"Great, just great. Steeljaw owes me big time for this!"

Thunderhoof limps out of the tunnel and starts exploring the area. Trees, rocks, shrubbery, fallen logs; he looks in, under, and around everything, but can't find any signs of Steeljaw's daughter, and what's worse, the wind is blowing stronger. Leaves, nuts, and branches snap off and hit Thunderhoof, who does everything he can to protect his chassis from further damage. He was tempted to go back, but continued to convince himself to keep searching.

He did, for at least another hour.

When he heard vehicles approaching his location, Thunderhoof decided it would be best to head back to the tunnels, just in case it wasn't one of the Rescue bots or Bumblebee. He stomped back to where he originally came out, stopping short when he thought he heard voices. He waited a couple minutes before moving forward. He stopped once again at the treeline, wanting to stay out of sight until he determined who else was here.

"Cody, are you sure this leads back to the Bunker?" A dark-skinned, human girl asks, hugging her blue jacket close to her body.

"It's on the map, so it should, I hope," Cody said, sounding not at all sure of himself.

What are a couple of kids doing all the way out here during a storm?

If Thunderhoof had to guess, the human girl with Cody must be Frankie. He was so focused on the children that he didn't notice who else was there.

"You hope? It better be after the wild goose chase you had me on!" Frankie snipped.

"It wasn't exactly a wild goose chase…" Cody trailed as Steeljaw's daughter ran out of the bushes to join them. "I just didn't expect her to disappear so easily and needed an extra set of eyes to help keep track of her."

The bitlit! She was with the kid the whole time? I should've expected that.

"You still haven't told me much of anything about her," Frankie said.

"I will, I promise!" Cody said. "But maybe we can save this for later?"

Thunder rumbled and lightning strikes, hitting a weak spot in the mountain. A boulder was dislodged and crashed down the slope. The youngsters were too startled by the thunder and lightning to notice sudden death looming over them. By the time they did, it was almost too late.

Cody rubbed his eyes and blinked. He looked around, barely able to make out Frankie and the pup. They were still standing, so they were most likely unharmed.

"Frankie, are you alright?" Cody asked.

"I…I think so," Frankie gasped, taking deep breaths. "That was a little too close for comfort."

"Yous have no idea."

Scared out of their wits, Cody and Frankie jumped and swerved around, looking for whoever spoke. The former quickly recognized the voice and looked up. Thunderhoof was crouched above them, straining against an unseen force. While Frankie was speechless, the pup couldn't be happier to see her guardian, tail swishing pleasantly from side-to-side.

"Thunderhoof! What are you doing here?" Cody asked.

"Keeping yous from gettin' squished, apparently," Thunderhoof grunted. He jerked his helm towards Steeljaw's daughter.

"And lookin' for her since she disappeared on me."

"You didn't know where she was?"

"Yous think I would be out here if I did?"

"Cody…"

Frankie's voice drew all attention to her. Her arms were crossed across her chest, and her expression clearly showcased annoyance.

"You have a lot of explaining to do."

"Sorry, but we had to keep them a secret," Cody replied. "The situation is a little complicated, and we're still figuring some things out…"

"How's about you finish talkin' inside?" Thunderhoof interrupted, struggling to hold the massive weight on his shoulders due to his injuries. "Ya know, where it's safe?"

"You're going to come with us, right?" Cody asked, worried about the Ex-Con.

"Course I am! Just need to get this hunk of rock off my back, first."

Thunderhoof tried to lift the boulder, but the way he caught it, and the way he is holding it, are making it nearly impossible for him to move.

"This might take a while. Yous just go on ahead."

"Thunderhoof…" Cody started to protest, but the Ex-Con wasn't having it.

"Ain't nothin' you can do 'cept get to safety…" Thunderhoof took note of yellow optics staring at him. "And keep an extra careful eye on the bitlit. She's turnin' out to be quite a troublemaker."

As much as he didn't like having to leave Thunderhoof behind, Cody also knew that the Ex-Con was asking a great deal of him. For the time being, he will adhere to the mech's wishes. Cody, Frankie, and the pup enter the tunnels and flee.

When he can no longer hear the youngsters, Thunderhoof groans and falls to his knees. He keeps a tight grip on the boulder, not wanting to let go for fear of dropping it on his injured hoof, or damaging his uninjured hoof. He had to think of another way that didn't involve crippling himself further.

Thunder continued to rumble and lightning to strike, but the latter was always further away while the former sounded like it was getting closer. It was consistently getting louder. The earth shook, and soon, a pair of high beams found residence on Thunderhoof's plating.

"THUNDERHOOF!"

A yellow and black car sped out of the tunnel and into the open, managing to avoid hitting the Ex-Con. Bumblebee transformed and turned on Thunderhoof, radiating anger and frustration.

"The Pits be damned, what was that back there? You know I could arrest you for that!"

"Among other things," Thunderhoof grumbled.

"Believe it or not, I'm on your side here, Thunderhoof, but I can't help you if you continue to break the rules!"

"If I didn't break the rules, then the kid, his friend, and my charge would have been killed."

Bumblebee stilled, his face going blank. He blinked a couple times, processing the information. Thunderhoof snorted and rolled his optics. He tilted his helm back, gesturing to the boulder he was still just barely managing to keep a hold of.

"Oh, so that's…" Bumblebee trailed.

"Yeah," Thunderhoof huffed. "You're welcome, by the way."

Bumblebee vented and shook his helm.

"Alright, considering the outcome, I'll let this slide. Don't make it a habit, though."

"Yous have your reasons, I know," Thunderhoof dismissed. "Now, yous gonna lend a servo or what?"

Bumblebee rolled his optics and walked over. He wrapped his arms around the boulder and lifted it off of Thunderhoof's back. He took a few steps away from the Ex-Con before putting his load down.

"Better?" Bumblebee asked.

"Yeah, thanks," Thunderhoof replied, rolling his shoulders and rubbing his neck. "Probably gonna be sore for a while."

Bumblebee chuckled.

"Well, consider yourself lucky. It could have been worse."

He stopped laughing and slapped his forehead.

"Scrap, I shouldn't have said that!"

"What are yous prattlin' on about?" Thunderhoof asked.

Before Bumblebee could answer, an energy beam shot through the space between the two mechs, hitting the mountain and sealing the tunnel. Thunderhoof and Bumblebee shielded their optics from flying debris and backtracked rapidly from the mountainside, not wanting to risk being buried. Partly blinded and audials ringing, they didn't see the humans sneaking up on them, aiming their military-grade weapons, and firing. An EMP wave disrupted their systems, forcing the mechs into temporary stasis lock. When they collapsed, it felt like an earthquake, and, much to the humans' luck, the thunderstorm canceled out the sound of the fall.

"An oldie and a newbie. This is sure to make the boss happy."