Chapter Thirteen: On the Warpath

Steven had assumed that his endless enthusiasm for their mission would keep him warm. Steven had assumed wrong. Even all bundled up, he still shivered like crazy, trudging through the almost knee-deep snow. "I c-c-can't f-f-feel my nose!" He said, breathing into his mittened hands to try and warm his frozen face.

"Well, we did warn you this wouldn't be the most comfortable of missions," said Elita-1. She led the charge, scanning the horizon with her eyes as well as her scanner for the Predacon they hunted. "We're getting close. At least combat should warm you up a bit."

There was a large chasm before them, with the ice-covered far wall up much higher than their side. It was the perfect place for an ambush, assuming the Predacon's prey came from over there. Ultra Magnus had predicted exactly that, and had led them to this side accordingly. "It's here," he said, stopping the procession. "Get ready."

Sideswipe drew his swords, preparing for a showdown. "Oh, I was built ready! C'mon, let's get this party started!"

Magnus' rocket pods opened up, firing a barrage into the icy chasm. The impacts sent snow and ice falling into the pit, causing a miniature avalanche. After the rumbling had subsided, there was a long, tense moment of silence. Just when it seemed like there was nothing to be found there, an enormous shape burst out of the snow, spreading its wings as it took to the skies.

"Look out! It's a giant purple griffin!" shouted Steven, pointing at the airborne threat. The Predacon, which did indeed resemble just that, circled the Autobots from above as it prepared to strike. Elita scooped him up and ran for cover, firing a barrage at the aerial beast.

The griffin dove as Magnus fired another salvo, remaining eerily silent as it stalked towards him and Sideswipe. It only blocked with its wings as Sideswipe opened fire with his own guns. "Is it just me, or is this thing a bit bigger than we're used to?" he asked, its size apparent as it grew closer.

"We've dealt with bigger," Magnus said. He ran towards the beast, throwing a punch against its face. Although thrown for a moment, the griffin swatted him aside with its claw, before turning its attention to Sideswipe. It prepared to pounce, only for Magnus to slam into it in vehicle form, sending both of them crashing into a snowdrift.

After making sure Steven was safe, Elita went to rejoin the fray. "Stay here," she said. "This could get dangerous." He watched as she went off, firing her weapon as she ran.

"'Dangerous?'" he said to himself. "Sure, but weren't the other Predacons dangerous too? I handled them just fine…" Feeling a bit left out, he watched as the trio battled against the griffin. "I just need to figure out how to get bigger on command." He strained for a moment, trying to shift into his Cybertronian form, but saw no success. "Aw…why can't I be stronger?"

The griffin fought as ferociously as any Predacon, but as big and tough as it was, the Autobots were fighting smart. It soon realized it was out of its depth, too outnumbered to win. Rather than retreat, it pulled out its trump card: Steven saw it shoot up into the air on its wings…except only its front half had gone with it.

A tail folded out from the back of its front half, just as two smaller legs and a feline head had emerged from the front of the back half. The griffin has split into its component forms: an eagle and a lynx. "What in–!? Can Predacons be combiners?" asked Magnus, staring at the now two Predacons.

"I don't think so," Elita said, checking her scanner. "They should be registering as two sparks now, but I'm only seeing one. It's…somehow split between them."

Sideswipe ran at the cat half, running his swords through the snow. "Then it's two for the price of one!" He vaulted over it as it swiped at him, slicing into its back. "Or would it be one of the price of two? Are we for this or against this?" The bird half took him by surprise, knocking him to the ground and attempting to spear him with its beak. "Gah! Against! Definitely against!"

While Magnus ran over to free him, the cat half of the Predacon homed in on Elita. "Come on, kitty, show me your claws!" She fired with her blaster, goading it into pouncing. It gladly obliged, pinning her to the ground. But before it could slice her, she thrust her leg upwards, spearing its side with her blade. She tore out the blade, and the Predacon fell limp onto its side as she stood up.

Just as the bird half's talons were about to shred into Sideswipe's armor, Magnus grabbed it from behind. With a groan of effort, he tore the thing's wings clean off, dropping it down into the snow. "I'd say two for one is two too many." He helped Sideswipe up. "Elita, are we in the clear?"

Elita looked at her scanner in confusion. "I'm still getting a reading, but I couldn't find a spark in my half. Yours?"

"None here either," Magnus said, holding up part of the bird. "Maybe if we put them back together, we could–look out!"

In the nick of time, Elita rolled out of the way as the cat pounced from behind. The wound she had inflicted was healing, the metal that made up its chest being pulled back together by an unseen force. It gave them a fearsome roar, as though demonstrating its superiority. "Well, that's gonna pose a problem," Sideswipe observed.

"As is that," Elita pointed out. The bird was recovering as well, remotely pulling its wings back to its body, where they reconnected. It flapped over to perch on its twin's back, the pair preparing to engage once more. "We might need some extra firepower here."

"I agree. And I know just the one who can help." Both Sideswipe and Elita looked at him: the former with apprehension, the latter with ecstasy. "Prepare to form Warpath."

While Sideswipe did a sort of happy dance, Elita kept an eye on the Predacon, which had begun circling them. "I'm not sure that's the best idea. Warpath can be a bit…unpredictable. Remember what happened last time?"

Just then, both cat and bird struck. Magnus caught the former, hurling it away, while Elita drove the latter off with her blaster. "It doesn't look like we have much of a choice," he said. "Sideswipe, get over here!"

"Right away, boss man!" Sideswipe joyously leapt over to Magnus, and the two of them began to combine. Metal clicked into place, and energy flashed as two sparks became one. Elita, who had seen this process numerous times before, as well as knowing what came after, was none too impressed, just hoped this would all be over soon.

But Steven, who had only ever seen one Combiner in his life, was positively starstruck. "Giant robot…" he whispered, his eyes wide as saucers.

An enormous foot crashed down into the snow, revealing a towering figure that gave even the split Predacon pause. Broad-shouldered and covered in reddish-brown camouflage armor, the resulting Gestalt glowered at the two machines. "Turn your optical sensors this way, you glitch-ridden, sorry excuse for an operating platform!" Warpath bellowed, pointing at the pair. "You have one final chance to stop this tomfoolery before I come over there and personally tear out your central processors, and shove them so far up your exhaust port that smoke comes outta your ears! Do I make myself clear!?"

The Predacon paid no attention to Warpath's threats, both halves splitting up to surround him. As they prepared to attack, he looked unconcerned, his eyes darting back and forth between them.

"It would seem that I do not make myself clear. In that case, you have nobody to blame but yourselves for the complete thrashing I am about to bestow!" Warpath threw his arms back as he thrust out a chest, which Steven realized housed a cannon. With a resounding BOOM, it fired a round that blew the Predacon's cat half halfway across the valley, where it crashed into a snowdrift.

Steven was sure that Warpath would at least falter when the bird half attacked from behind, tearing into his shoulders with its talons. But the Gestalt was not phased in the slightest, simply grabbing the beast and slamming it down into the ground. Just when Steven was certain things couldn't get any more brutal, Warpath leapt into the air and transformed. A tank slammed down on the bird, grinding it further into the snow with its treads. "This seems a bit excessive…but still awesome!"

The cat half charged, only for Warpath to fire at it again. Its face burst into shrapnel as it tumbled to the ground. He transformed, as it landed by his feet. Just for good measure, he stomped on it. "Let this be a demonstration for the rest of you Predacons! This is what happens when you try and disturb the peace, thinking you can get away with it!" Steven paused, wondering if he actually thought any other Predacons could hear him.

Warpath picked up the broken remains of the Predacon's halves, and carried them over to the chasm. Both feline and avian were thrown down into the icy depths, disappearing into the dimly-lit expanse. With the battle over, Warpath dusted off his hands, and Steven raced over to speak his mind.

"That was incredible!" he gushed. "I don't think I've ever seen any of you guys take down a Predacon that fast! I-it was awesome! You're awesome!"

His reaction had Warpath turn around. "'Awesome?' 'Awesome!?' Is that any way to address your commanding officer, Private!?"

"U-um…" Steven wasn't sure how to respond.

"A mere 'awesome' is completely inappropriate for such a situation!" He began to march back and forth. "I'll settle for no less than 'astounding!' 'Awe-inspiring!' Hell, I'll even accept an 'Unbelievable!' These are the words fit to describe me! Is that understood, Private?"

"Loud and clear, Mr. Warpath, sir!" said Steven, saluting.

Elita was far less impressed. "In case you forgot, Mr. Commanding Officer," she said as she approached, "our protocol is to retrieve and store the Predacons' sparks. Throwing them down a hole like that makes it a bit more difficult, wouldn't you think?"

Warpath's eyes narrowed as he loomed over her. "Watch how you talk to your CO, Lieutenant," he said, his voice far quieter than it had been. "Our protocol, set by my predecessor, Optimus Prime, is to neutralize the Predacons to minimize risk to indigenous life." He pointed to the chasm. "I'd call that neutralized! Now, unless you want to try back-talking me a bit more, open up a groundbridge so we can all return to base!"

"And who exactly put you in charge?" she asked. "Last I checked, Ultra Magnus was acting commander."

He glared. "Ultra Magnus, who, I didn't think I needed to point out, is one of my components. Now, are we going home, or are you planning on challenging me for the title of acting Autobot leader?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, keep your armor on." She opened up a groundbridge, gesturing towards it. "Please, after you."

After waiting a moment, he proceeded into the portal. "On me, Private. You still have much to learn if you want to climb the Autobot ladder." Steven excitedly followed him, much to Elita's concern. She had seen firsthand how Warpath could be–and he was not someone to idolize.

"If I lived in any other city in the world, this would be cause for alarm," Greg noted, watching as a tank rumbled down the street towards his garage. Sure enough, his son stepped out, the vehicle transforming. "Looks like you've got a story to tell, Schtu-ball."

Steven beamed as he hopped over. "A story I do have! You know about combination, right? How Transformers can fuse together to make bigger Transformers? Well, I learned about it a while ago when Sideswipe and Elita combined into Powerglide, and now Sideswipe and Magnus fused into Warpath, and he's basically the coolest thing ever!" He gestured towards the large Gestalt.

Warpath gazed down at Greg, who couldn't quite determine his mood. "Um…nice to meet you!" he said, offering a friendly wave. Warpath nodded, barely moving his head. "He seems…friendly."

"Not to Predacons!" said Steven. "You should've seen him earlier–it was all like 'WHOOSH!' and then "BLAM!' and then there was a 'KA-BLASH!' It was pretty exciting, is what I'm saying."

"Sure seems that way!" Greg replied. "So, what brings you down to ol' Universal Repair? Your new Combiner friend need a tune-up?" Warpath glanced down, seeming to take offense to the comment, but said nothing.

Steven hopped up on a nearby shelf to sit. "Actually, I was thinking: I've been struggling with using my Transformer powers at will for a while now. They just sort of…happen, usually when I'm in danger. If I really want to practice, I'll need to get better at activating them. So, since I need to get stronger, who better to help me than the strongest Autobot I know!" He proudly gestured to Warpath once again. "What do you think?"

Something about the imposing Transformer didn't bode well with Greg, but at the end of the day, he trusted both Sideswipe and Magnus, so why shouldn't he trust the both of them together? "If you think it'll work, sure," he said. "Was my permission all you needed?"

Both Warpath and Steven glanced at each other. "Well…sort of, but not really," said the latter. "A little while ago, some of my friends were put in danger by a Predacon. So I thought, if I'm getting stronger, why can't the rest of my friends and family get stronger, too? That's why, with Warpath's help, I'm putting together the first ever Autobot Boot Camp! Autoboot Camp, for short. This way, everyone can be prepared in case another Predacon attacks! So, whaddya say? Wanna get stronger with us?"

Greg had seen what sort of fighting the Autobots did first-hand, and he frankly found it difficult to picture a human doing half of what they did. "Uh…sssure?" he said, not wanting to let his son down. Though he wasn't altogether thrilled at the prospect of training to be at the Autobots' level.

"Great! I'll go round up the others!" Warpath transformed into a tank and rumbled away, with Steven peering out of the turret. "We'll get started in an hour–don't be late!" He waved as the tank traveled down the street into town.

Waving as well, Greg wore a forced smile. "I'll be there! …Sheesh, I don't know if I even have the physique to be an Autobot. I wonder if I still have that sweatshirt I got for my birthday." He went over to his van to check.

"Now, when I agreed to be part of this Autoboot Camp, Steven promised me he would provide only the best and brightest cadets Beach City had to offer. Now, I'm not sure if this lineup says more about Beach City's standards or Steven's, but I don't think I've ever seen such a pathetic, low-down, incompetent, unimpressive gaggle of layabouts then the one my optics are currently regretting to be witnessing! In all my and my components' years of living on this crusty planet, I have come to accept the limitations of humanity–you lot, however, are far more limited than any other humans I have ever seen!"

Located inside the Ark, Steven had gathered the rest of his friends for Autoboot Camp. In addition to Greg, he had convinced Peedee, Jenny, Sour Cream, Buck Dewey, Lars, Sadie, and Onion. None of them looked exactly happy about being there–except maybe Onion, but he was hard to read anyway.

"H-hey, Warpath, maybe tone it down a bit?" said Steven. "They're here to learn how to defend Beach City, just like us."

"And it's my job to turn them into Predacon-killing machines like us!" Warpath shouted. "And seeing as I'll be doing that with a couple of scrawny children and a heavyset old geezer, I'd say I have my work cut out for me!" Greg glanced down, feeling his gut. "Normally, I'd say teaching a couple humans to take down a Predacon would be a lost cause–thankfully, I happen to be an expert at lost causes! Now, are you ready to learn?"

"Not really," Lars said.

Warpath was instantly in his face. "Is that any way to speak to your commanding officer, maggot!? When I ask you a question, the only answer I want to hear is 'Sir, yes sir!' Is that clear!?"

"...but what if the answer's no–?"

"Is. That. Clear!?"

After a momentary silence, Lars replied hesitantly. "Sir, yes sir…?" Warpath accepted this answer returning to the front of the lineup. He waited a moment, eyeing all of the cadets. Once everyone else had responded in kind, or an approximation of, he continued.

"Although we have no shortage of Predacons in stasis here on the Ark, using a real one for training exercises would no doubt result in rendering the entire thing pointless before it even began. Instead, we will be using a simulated approximation. Teletraan! Load Predacon simulation, maximum difficulty!"

"Understood. Loading training simulation." The computer projected a hologram, which soon became the recognizable form of…

"Grimlock!" shouted Steven. The mighty metallic T. Rex roared, inciting panic from the cadets. As they began running in all directions, Warpath noticed that the test seemed a little lopsided.

"Hmm…Teletraan, halve current difficulty." The holographic Grimlock halved in size, now standing about as tall and wide as a large horse. "Further quarter current difficulty." Grimlock decreased in size to that of a smallish labrador. "...Multiply by eight, and split." Seven more Grimlocks of the same size appeared. "Perfect! Engage!"

Steven watched as the mini-Grimlocks chased his friends around. "It's okay, everyone! They're just holograms, they can't really hurt you!" His words didn't seem to reassure anybody. Buck was being dragged across the floor by his hologram, while Lars had climbed up onto the console to escape from his. Onion, on the other hand, was chasing his, brandishing a wrench. "Did he bring that from home?"

"Hey, Steven?" Sadie came up to him, ignoring the miniature dinosaur gnawing on her leg. "I'm glad that you want to help us protect ourselves, but I think your new friend is a bit too…intense. Throwing us into the deep end like this isn't gonna help anybody."

Although Steven agreed with her, he still had faith in Warpath. "Don't worry, it's fine!" he tried to assure her. "Real Predacon attacks would be this scary–no, even scarier! Sure, he's a bit harsh, but that's only because he wants you to learn!"

Meanwhile, Peedee had hidden himself behind Warpath's leg to escape from the tiny tyrannosaur chasing him. The hologram turned its attention on the Gestalt, who crushed it with a single stomp. "You think running and hiding is gonna save you in a real combat situation, rookie!? Teletraan, give this wuss another one!" A fresh mini-Grimlock appeared, chasing Peedee away.

"...Oookaaay, maybe he doesn't really understand humans that much," Steven admitted. "I'll see if I can get him to tone things down a bit." He walked up to Warpath, who continued to observe the chaotic scene with clear disdain. "Hey, uh, Warpath?"

The Gestalt glared down at him. "What is it, Private!?" he snapped. "We're currently in the middle of a high-risk training simulation! Any kind of interruption could result in loss of critical functions for all involved!"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I know you have their best interests at heart, but I don't think this is the best way to teach them…" Onion, now riding his dinosaur like a steed, sped past. "Maybe we should start with something easier?"

"'Easier!?' Primus' sake, Private, I'm giving them the easiest setting this thing can go! If they can't handle a few Grimlocks the size of glitch-mice, this whole town is doomed the next time a Predacon decides it would make a nice vacation home! Need I remind you that you're the one who suggested this little exercise in the first place!?"

"Well, yeah, but…" Steven wasn't sure what to say. This was his idea, after all. He briefly considered calling it off, but Warpath knew what he was doing, right? If a Predacon did attack Beach City while the Autobots were busy, they needed to be prepared.

As it turned out, Steven didn't need to call it off, as Elita came in, taking a moment to comprehend what she was seeing. "What in–? What is going on in here!?"

Steven waved sheepishly. "Hey, Elita! I'm training everybody to defend themselves in case a Predacon attacks. What do you think?"

"Please tell me you don't like what you're seeing," said an irritable Lars, who had been dog-piled by three or so Grimlocks.

"I certainly don't! Teletraan, end simulation!" The mini-Grimlocks disappeared, much to everyone's relief (except Onion, who mostly just looked bemused). "Warpath! What exactly were you thinking, putting humans in danger like this!? This goes against everything we stand for as Autobots!"

Even before he uttered a word, Steven could tell that Warpath was seething. "Allow me to run down the following bullet points. First of all, we were specifically using holograms to prevent the humans from being put in real danger! Second, if the humans can't handle these puny things, what chance do they have against a real Predacon!? And thirdly…well, why don't you ask Steven?" He stepped aside, and Elita's eyes fell upon the boy.

"I…hi, Elita!" he said. "Y-yeah, we're helping train everyone to protect themselves from Predacon attacks! And it all was, uh, sort of my idea…" He trailed off, smiling guiltily.

Though Steven expected Elita to be angry with him, she mostly just seemed tired. "Warpath, could you give us a moment?" she asked. As Warpath nodded and stepped away, Elita sat down beside Steven. "That really is a noble sentiment, Steven. But was having them swarmed by a bunch of tiny Grimlocks your idea, too?"

"Not that part, no," he admitted. "But, Warpath's one of the strongest Autobots I've seen yet! With someone that powerful, he has to know what he's doing, right?"

"Not exactly," Elita continued. She looked off into the distance. "I've seen Warpath in action before. He has both Magnus' power and Sideswipe's…shall we say, enthusiasm. The two of them can get a bit caught up in being him. Why else do you think he hasn't decombined yet, even though we defeated the Predacon?"

It wasn't until this moment that Steven realized he hadn't seen either Magnus or Sideswipe since that battle. Warpath really had stayed all this time. "But…they…they like being Warpath, don't they?"

Elita gave a humorless chuckle. "They do, a bit too much. You see, Steven, Warpath is definitely strong, but he's also very much lacking in restraint, morals, or general leadership abilities. That's why I was so hesitant for them to combine in the first place. I've seen what happens when Warpath overstays his welcome, and it's not pretty. He really isn't the type of person you want to emulate, so–"

"Having a riveting conversation, Lieutenant?" The two only just realized that Warpath was looming over them. "What sort of insubordinate ideas are you putting in the Private's head!? You're lucky I don't have you court-martialed for that kind of behavior!"

It looked for a moment like Elita was going to fold, but she instead stood up and got into his face. "Do you know what both Optimus and Magnus had in common? Humility. They both knew when they made mistakes, and weren't afraid to correct them. You, on the other hand, are only satisfied with stroking your ego! Which is why the two of them were better leaders than you'll ever be."

Warpath's eye twitched, and his arm shot out to point further into the Ark. "Consider yourself on probation, Lieutenant! Confine yourself to your quarters until further notice! And if I catch you speaking like that again, you'll have yourself a dishonorable discharge! Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal," Elita all but spat. Reluctantly, she did as he said, returning to her quarters. She glanced back at Steven, wordlessly urging him to follow her advice before the doors closed behind her.

"Good. Now, with that sorted, we can continue our…" He looked around, finding that all of the humans were gone. "What happened to the cadets? Don't tell me they walked out on us!"

Steven hesitated. "Uh, they sorta did. Elita had a point, we shouldn't have forced them into something so scary right off the bat. Maybe they'll come back if we start with something easier?"

"'Scary?' 'Easier?' 'What Elita said!?' Private, I'm sorry to say that you've lost all sense completely! It wasn't kid gloves that won us the war, it was stone-cold determination! While it's true that it's often mistaken for cruelty, I can assure you that nothing I do is unnecessary! Now, if you want your little human friends to stand even the tiniest fraction of a chance against one of those dark energon-infested beasts, you'll go and bring them back here on the double! Understood!?"

"Yessir!" said Steven, briefly saluting before he scampered out of the ship and back into his house. It was only after he was sure he was out of Warpath's eyesight that he let out a relieved sigh, slumping against the wall. "Phew! I think Elita might be right–Warpath's getting a little intense!"

Although everyone else was long gone, Steven found that his father had stuck around, relaxing on the couch. "You can say that again! But hey, I came for a workout, and that's what I got. Just didn't expect it to include running from dinosaurs!"

"Dad! Aw, man, I'm really sorry about all of that." He sat down beside Greg, looking forlorn. "I just wanted Warpath to share some of his strength with everyone. I had no idea he'd take it so far. Guess I screwed up again, huh?"

"No, this wasn't your fault," said Greg, giving him a side-hug. "It's a good thing you did, trying to help everyone defend themselves. With a better teacher, I'd definitely give it another try. If I was better prepared for it, I'd even let myself get chased by a dinosaur again! …Uh, as long as it's a hologram."

The two laughed. "I should probably go talk to him," Steven said, getting up. "I'm sure he'll understand when I explain everything." Before he could head back into the Ark, a loud clatter came from outside.

Greg got up as well. "Wuh-oh. Are those raccoons going through the trash again?" Both of them went outside to check. "Well, I don't see anything, but–Oh my goodness!"

They found not raccoons waiting for them outside, but a pair of metallic beasts atop the Ark. A bird and a cat, the two halves of the single Predacon seemed to be searching for weak points. They abandoned their search when they noticed the two humans.

"Look out!" cried Steven, pulling his dad inside as the bird half landed in the sand. Its beak easily broke the door off its hinges, the wall creaking as it tried to force its way inside. "Quick, into the Ark!"

"Only if you come with me!" Greg shouted. "I know you want to be strong, Steven, but you're a little out of your depth with that thing!"

"But I can't just do nothing!" he said back. "I'm an Autobot! That means it's my job to help people!"

Just as the bird was ready to break into the house, likely taking the entire structure with it, it suddenly pulled back. Or rather, it was pulled back, as Warpath yanked it out of the doorframe, tossing it across the sand. The cat leapt down from above as well, but he was quicker, and it met the same fate.

Steven ran to help his dad to safety as the Gestalt prepared to fight the pair once again. "It seems my last beatdown wasn't as effective as it should have been. In that case, I will have to go all out in order to assure your destruction!"

In response to this, the two beasts merged their forms into one. Metal shifted and clicked as the giant purple griffin spread its wings once more. It took to the skies, swooping down towards Warpath. But he was prepared, firing a round from his chest cannon. It collided with the Predacon, which careened into the ocean.

Elita rushed out of the Ark, her blaster at the ready. "Where is it!?" she demanded, aiming everywhere. "This is why we collect their sparks! So they can't return to seek revenge!"

"Didn't I confine you to your quarters?" Warpath asked rhetorically. "And for your information, I have everything under control. The Predacon is wounded, and for all intents and purposes, already dead! See for yourself!"

He pointed to the beast crawling out of the water, which did indeed look rather ragged. One of its wings was dragging on the ground, all but completely severed. But things changed when it split apart once again. As soon as cat and bird separated, all damage had been repaired. Its bird half sped into the sky, while its cat half took evasive maneuvers to avoid Warpath's gunfire.

From the window of his house, Steven saw everything. "It fixed itself–it can fix itself!" He ran out the door and onto the porch. "Elita! It can fix itself when there's two of them!"

"Steven! Get inside!" Elita shouted. She had a bad feeling about this fight, what with Warpath uncaged. Still, that was a vital piece of advice; now all that remained was figuring out how to apply it.

Warpath had finally caught the cat again, tearing it clean in half and throwing both parts to either side. "Is this what you wanted!? Did you think you could handle me!?" he bellowed. "I am the pinnacle of Autobot combat! Stand against me, and be broken apart at the seams!"

Already, the two quarters of the cat half were beginning to come together, wires pulling it across the sand like tendrils. "Warpath! No matter how many times you demolish these things, they'll just keep repairing themselves!" Elita shouted. "We have to force it to re-merge!"

"And in what scenario are you the one giving commands!?" he shouted back. "There is no enemy that can't be defeated with overwhelming force–if it seems invincible, it just means your force isn't overwhelming enough!" To prove his point, he transformed into tank mode, shooting the bird out of the sky with one shot. It crashed down into the sand, seemingly defeated.

Warpath shifted back into robot mode, and was about to gloat when the reformed cat half landed on his shoulders. Apparently not heeding her warning, he proceeded to throw it to the ground, crushing it with a single stomp. He leveled his cannon at it, sending a point-blank shot into the wreckage for good measure. He let this serve as his gloat, before going after the bird.

Elita groaned–she knew she'd have to do this alone. She sprinted past the scrapped cat, which was already beginning to reform once more, opening fire on the bird.

Her smaller form meant she soon overtook Warpath. "Did I not tell you to stand down!?" he shouted. "Hmm, I suppose I didn't. Well, stand down, Lieutenant! The last thing I need right now is too many chefs spoiling the broth!"

"If you want to do this without me, you'll have to get rid of me the old-fashioned way!" she said. While keeping the bird at bay, she also had an eye behind her, focusing on the cat. She didn't have an eye on Warpath, however, who had decided to take her up on her offer. He grabbed her by the shoulder, tossing her back. "What are you doing!?"

"Removing an annoyance!" In his brief moment of distraction, the bird latched onto his head once more. In response, he ripped it off and slammed it down into the sand again. "Correction: two annoyances." He fired on it some more, making sure it was dead.

The cat was almost back on its feet, so Elita had to act fast. She raised her blaster, firing a single shot that collided with the back of Warpath's head. Though not damaged in the slightest, the insult was enough for him to freeze up for a moment, before whipping around to face her.

"What is your major malfunction, numbnuts!?" he bellowed, his chest cannon fully extended. "This goes beyond insubordination–this counts as mutiny! Treason! I have half a mind to consider you a traitor to the Autobot cause and deal with you accordingly!"

"Good luck!" Elita fired another shot, leaping to the side as Warpath's cannon blew apart the sand where she just stood. She transformed, taking to the skies, dodging more cannon-fire as Warpath now considered her a higher priority target than the Predacon. Making sure to fly above the ocean, to avoid collateral damage from his shots, she spied the two halves of the griffin drawing closer. "Come on, come on…"

Seeing as he was preoccupied, Warpath didn't notice them. "When I'm through with you, you won't even remember your own name, let alone have the capacity for betrayal!" he shouted, continuing to fire on his teammate. "Never again will you sully the Autobot name with your selfish grabs for power!"

Warpath was silenced when the combined form of the griffin was upon him. Using both its superior size and the element of surprise, it was able to pin him to the ground. Its large beak tore into his cannon, all but biting it clean off. Although he put up a fair fight, punching against its legs holding him down, all it took was a single bite to the head to put him out of commission. The sound of crushing metal filled the air, and the Gestalt had reverted back to his components.

Magnus and Sideswipe may have been back, but they likely wouldn't be in fighting shape for some time. Worse still, the griffin seemed to realize they were still a threat, placing a claw on Sideswipe and preparing to do the same to him. "Not so fast!" Elita sped towards the Predacon, using her guns to get its attention. Moments before the collision, she transformed, gliding over its head, which she leveled her blaster towards. She pulled the trigger; at the near point-blank shot, the Predacon was blown off its feet, and away from her teammates.

Elita slid to a stop through the sand, aiming her weapon at the beast. From the relative safety of his home, Steven watched with starry eyes. "So cool…" he whispered. The griffin didn't seem to think so, rearing up and screeching as it flapped its wings in a threat display. Elita held strong, opening fire as she strafed around it. The Predacon used its wings to block the barrage, slowly turning to face her as she continued to circle it.

"Magnus, you there?" she asked.

There was a slight groan from the bot in question.

"When I give the signal, fire everything you have, got it?" Magnus weakly gave a thumbs-up in reply. Though Elita's rapid fire did little to damage the beast, it had certainly got its attention. She stopped shooting–it seemed there was something wrong with her gun. As she struggled to resolve the issue, the Predacon made its move, slowly creeping towards her. Between the two was Magnus, who the griffin's path took it directly over. "Now!"

Laying on his back, Magnus fired all of his missiles right into the Predacon's underside. Twelve fiery explosions combined into one enormous fireball, more than enough to topple the beast. It fell on its side, heavily damaged from the attack–and as Steven had predicted, it didn't repair itself. Switching her gun to close-range more, Elita approached it to deliver the final blow. It let out a final screech as it attempted to lunge, but this just gave her an opening to shove her blaster into its beak. Plasma shot down its throat, and it fell with a thud, its body beginning to rust.

The battle finally won, Elita fell down into the sand. Steven hurried over, excited as ever. "You did it! Elita, that was amazing! How did you defeat a Predacon and Warpath at the same time!?"

"By being quick on my feet and quicker on the uptake," she replied. "Something your dad used to say. There's a time for overwhelming force…"

"...and a place for subtle strategy," finished Magnus. He and Sideswipe were slowly getting to their feet. "I suppose I should have remembered that before diving into the former. It seems like Warpath went overboard. Again." He went over to retrieve the Predacon's spark.

"Hey, speaking of your dad, he isn't too shaken up by bein' chased around by tiny Grimlocks, is he?" Sideswipe asked. "I'd feel pretty guilty if I ended up traumatizing all your human acquaintances…"

"Don't worry, everyone's fine," Steven assured them. "And I guess I share some of the blame, too. I was so blown away by how strong Warpath was, I sorta ignored how mean he was being. But Elita showed us you don't have to be mean to be strong!"

Magnus went over to sit beside Elita. "Well said. With wisdom like that, I'm sure you'll be as strong as your father one day. Strong enough to be gentle."

"'Strong enough to be gentle,'" said Steven, sitting down in the sand next to everyone. "I like that. Dad was really a great guy, wasn't he?"

"That's putting it lightly," Elita said, wistfully staring up at the clouds. "And I can already see a lot of him in you. You're stronger than you realize, Steven."

The four of them spent some time just watching the clouds float by. "So, uh, should we go make sure everyone's okay?" asked Sideswipe.

"Later," said Elita. "Why don't we just…stay here a while? I think we're all pretty exhausted after that battle."

"I like that plan," said Magnus. "A moment to cool off would do us some good." And there they stayed, watching the clouds as the sound of the ocean waves filled the air.