Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers: RiD/Robots in Disguise (Car Robots), Armada (Micron Legends), Energon (Superlink), Cybertron (Galaxy Force), Beast Wars II or Victory. Read & Review, please!

Plot – Kicker makes an engagement to Misha and as Koji sees this while learning as to why T-Ai resigned her duties from Teletran-1, she gets into an argument with him. Then, M-Ai swears revenge by acquiring a new technique and kidnapping Bud from the Autobot base. Also, T-Ai confesses to everyone about her resignation by becoming a human from Cybertronian Surgery.

Chapter 23: Revenge of M-Ai

Inside his dormitory, Kicker was sitting on the bed and in deep thought. He recalls his last moments with his mother, before her unfortunate passing. By pulling out the ring she gave him from his pockets, he glanced at the diamond figure. It was shining brightly upon moving the ring. He later sighed. "How am I going to confess Misha?" Then, it hit him. He remembered the time he was facing her in battle, when she was consumed by Dark Energon from Galvatron. In which, he has indeed confessed but she wasn't aware. "Heh. She doesn't know." He stares at the ring. "Once the time comes, she won't be alone anymore." There were a few knocks on the door and by hearing the sound, he quickly placed the ring back into his pockets and answered. "Come in."

When the sliding doors were opened, Misha walked inside.

"Oh, hey Misha."

"Hi," she said, glumly.

Kicker became concerned. "What's the matter?"

She turned to him and calmly responds. "It's just that both my aunt and uncle had already left after your mother's funeral."

"Any idea as to where they went off to?"

She shook her head.

He felt sorry for her by reading her expression. It was filled with sorrow. He placed his hand on her shoulder and tipped her chin up. Her crystal blue eyes were filled with tears, but that didn't bother him. "Hey, I know that you're worried about me but, I'm worried about you as well. So, don't get yourself involved in this matter more than once."

"But, Kicker..." She tried to finish, but instead, he interrupted.

"No buts, Misha. Besides, even with your Sword of Purpose, it's too much of a risk. Let alone, you getting infected by Neo-Dark Energon."

Misha turned her head away in shame upon understanding the possibility of falling under Galvatron's power again.

As Kicker sees her upset, he walked up to the door and entered the locking mechanism code. Insuring that no one would get in or interfere. It then said 'door, locked and secured.'

She became surprised after hearing that notification. "Kicker, what do you think you're doing?"

"Relax, Misha. It's nothing serious."

Not knowing of what he's really up to, she wipes her tears. "Then, tell me. What's this about?"

With a small sigh, he offered. "Misha, hold out your hand."

Her eyes blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

He rolled his eyes and grunted. "Just do it."

"O-Okay." She extends her arm out, where Kicker held her hand gradually.

From there, he pulls out his ring that his deceased mother had given him. "Allow me." He places the diamond-shaped ring into Misha's left middle finger.

This had made her very startled, while a hint of redness was shown on her cheeks and gazed at Kicker. "Is this..."

By nodding his head with a smile, he replied to her. "Yes. I love you, Misha."

At that very moment, she could feel her heart singing with pure joy. This was the promise that he had made to her after the Energon wars against Unicron and the black hole incident. Tears had filled up her eyes once again with a huge smile on her face. She threw her arms around his lower back. "Oh, Kicker! I can't imagine how long I've waited for this."

There was a brief silence between them. They looked into each other's eyes and as they leaned closer, their lips have met in a warm feeling. They release the kiss and held onto each other.

In the meantime at Decepticon HQ, M-Ai sat in a cold room with her arms crossed. Her head was down and her purple, red and black aura appeared via surrounding her body. As if that wasn't enough, her fists clenched in pure white. She recalls the incident from before and when she did, she starts to rant. "I thought that I had her on the ropes, but no! She cuts my face! This time...this time, I'll drag her down to hell!" She throws a purple and black projectile by forming a ball into her hands and right up against the wall. It left out a huge gaping hole with some smoldering smoke. She became awfully surprised of the impact that she had left, due to the amount of rage that was building up inside of her. However, that meant nothing to her. She later grunted. "If it wasn't for that accursed Landfill, I would've infected her for sure!"

Later on, a loud booming voice had erupted. "What's up with all this racket?"

When she turned her head around, she's staring at Galvatron with a look of hatred in his optic sensors.

He muttered to her. "Explain your actions, M-Ai and I want it clear."

"Affirmative. Misha slashed my face with that Sword of Purpose and to add insult to injury, I couldn't penetrate Cerebros' bio-recognition command block when he linked up with Fortress Maximus. Even with that cyber-chip that we stole from Koji, I was unable to break through and control him."

Galvatron answered. "So, that's it. His blockade is far greater than I'd expected. We'll need to further enhance the cyber-chip and penetrate its command block."

M-Ai grinned with a suggestion. "Then, I'll use my Neo-Dark Energon to increase its capacity."

But the Decepticon leader has a different option. "No, it will override the system and the cyber-chip will be rendered useless." He then glared at her face carefully. It was a mixture of anger and hatred with her hands pumped into cold hard fists. "I see that you're searching for some payback."

She nods her head. "Yes, indeed. Attack me if they dare, I will crush them!"

"Very well. Go about your own way. But first, we must deal with the cyber-chip" he told her.

"Of course."

Meanwhile, inside Autobot HQ, Optimus, Rodimus and Dr. Jones are surveying their previous battles with the Decepticons on the Main Computer System.

"Lately, they've been after Koji and Fortress Maximus back and forth."

"And yet, their actions have become more bizarre as of late."

Also joining them is Ultra Magnus with his arms crossed and a stern look on his robotic face. "They're like a pack of wolves, just willing to sink their Neo-Dark Energon onto Koji and anyone else that they come into contact with."

Dr. Jones countered. "Let's not forget about M-Ai. She is one tough customer to be dealt with. I hate to be in my son's shoes, if I met up with her."

"Speaking of Kicker, where is he?" Rodimus asked.

Before one of them could even answer, somebody had interjected.

"Over here."

As soon as they turned around, they see Kicker attending with Misha and holding their hands together.

For Magnus, on the other hand, he noticed that there is something uncanny with their smiling expressions. "Hey, what's up with that look of yours?"

A hint of redness appeared on Kicker's cheeks. "W-Well, you see...the thing is..."

Just as he was about to clarify his reason, Misha interrupts him by showing them the ring on her middle finger. "Kicker has engaged to me!"

His cheeks became highly red in embarrassment. "Misha!"

"You what?" all four of them shouted in unison.

Rodimus smiled with greatness. "I'm glad that it's finally happened between you two."

Dr. Jones examines Misha's ring and became very bewildered of whom it originally belonged. "Is that Miranda's?"

"Yes, it was. She gave it to me, before she passed on" told Kicker.

"That's right. She had an unknown disease and we don't even know how."

"I think, I have a theory." Magnus said. "Perhaps that disease your mother had suffered must've been accidental."

"You mean someone had caused her to go ill?" Misha wondered.

"That's most likely the case."

"It couldn't have been M-Ai or could it?" thought Kicker.

From across the hallway, Koji was leaning against the wall and overheard the conversation surrounding Kicker's engagement to Misha. A look of grief had filled up his handsome face. He was silent for a moment until he felt someone touched his shoulder and asked.

"Koji?"

He slowly turned his head and saw that it was his mother, Noriko. He made a sigh of relief. "You almost scared me, Mom."

She became suspicious about her son's recent behaviour. "You don't seem to be yourself. Is there something wrong?"

Koji stared back at the Main Computer System from behind the wall, where Kicker was discussing with the Autobots and then he went back to her by explaining the reason behind it. "It's all because that Kicker has engaged to Misha. In a way, he gave her the ring that his mother used to have until her unfortunate passing."

"Oh, dear. How did it happen?" Noriko thought.

"No idea. I wonder, if the Decepticons had to do with it" he said.

Noriko later retraced the events that had transpired with him utilizing his armor transformation in the middle of a battle. "Koji, about what I saw, is it true that you can actually fight the Decepticons?"

"I know that it sounds very peculiar and dangerous, but I can't just sit around and allow Galvatron to corrupt my mind with Neo-Dark Energon" Koji retorted.

She was confused with his last sentence. "Neo-Dark what?"

He continued. "Neo-Dark Energon. It's the opposite of Energon, but with dark energies of hate and anger, the sparks of the Predacons and even Unicron's blood. That's about as worse than me not controlling Fortress Maximus anymore."

"And why is that?"

Koji countered. "It's a long and difficult story. Although, I can't help but wonder as to why T-Ai resigned her duties."

"I can tell you why" says a new voice.

He whirled around to see T-Ai with her arms folded.

"T-Ai, what really caused you to resign?"

She replied. "The reason behind my resignation is because Rodimus had appointed me to step down from Teletran-1. Long before I had my Cybertronian surgery and Galvatron invading the Earth again."

Koji winced his eyes. "Cybertronian surgery? I remember once you telling me that. How long did it took?"

"It took two decades to transform me from a computer and into a human."

His jaw had dropped. "What? Two decades?"

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Due to the advancement of the new Space Bridge, he decided to let me go" told T-AI.

"I see. I don't think that your resignation had to do with me. Even if it is, it wouldn't make any difference" he said.

This resulted T-Ai throwing an outrage at him. "No difference? Koji, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Eh?"

T-Ai fired her anger from off the top of her lungs. "Of all the nerve for you to say that about me! What were you thinking?"

He tried to explain. "T-Ai, that's not I meant."

She kept protesting at him, while Noriko looked on. "You think that I'm better off as a computer than I am, right now?"

"Y-Yes." He quickly shook his head. "I mean, no."

She gritted her teeth and questioned Noriko. "Ms. Onishi, who do you believe is right? Me or him?"

"You, of course."

"You see? I told you!" T-Ai stopped herself with a brief pause, along with Koji. It than broke off, when she starts to walk away. "Now that I'm done, I'll be on my way."

Koji tries to reason with her. "T-Ai, wait! Let me explain."

Unfortunately, she refused to listen and kept on walking without looking back. "I don't want to hear anything from you."

After she left, Koji scratched his head. "Aw, man. Why did I say that to her?"

Noriko responded. "You should've think first, before you say it."

He sweat dropped as a result. "Good grief."

Back to where T-Ai was, still walking down the hallway while she muttered to herself. "That was so rude of Koji! To think that I'm better off as a hologram than a human? Give me a break!"

She had her head down during her walk that she had failed to notice Rad, Alexis and Carlos as she bumped into them. After she brushed herself off, she resumed her walk until Alexis intervened.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, next time!"

T-Ai yelled back. "Oh, be quiet!"

This had made Alexis all shook up with T-Ai's remark.

Rad defends her by asking T-Ai. "What is up with you? Did you woke up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"That's none of your damn concern!" she shouts.

"Huh?" he was left rattled.

Carlos countered. "Hey! Do you have a problem?"

She briefly answered. "Want to know? Ask Koji. He'll tell you why." She sticks her head up and continues to walk, leaving them very confused.

Except for Alexis. "What could've caused the commotion between her and Koji?"

T-Ai resumed her walk and was able enough to walk past Bridget, Kelly, Karl and Jenny with a disgruntled look on her face. "Quit staring."

Kelly blinked her eyes. "Wh-What did I miss?"

Bridget detects T-Ai's unusual behavior. "She's probably upset about what Koji had said to her."

"Really? You can tell?" thought Karl.

"Very. She is certainly not herself."

Back to where T-Ai was at, nearly heading outside the Autobot base. That is, until it was blocked off by the three Autobot Brothers.

"Where do you think you're going, T-Ai?" asked Prowl.

"Yeah. What's up, little lady?" added X-Brawn.

She became fumed with his remark about herself. "I already told you, I'm not a little lady! So, back off!"

Sideburn turned to Prowl. "Is it just me or has T-Ai gone off the deep end?"

"Interesting question." Prowl kneeled down on one knee and posed a question. "T-Ai, be honest with us. What caused you to feel this upset?"

She turned her head away from him and hid the truth with a false answer. "I don't know."

"Oh, I know what's going on" says a new voice.

As T-Ai whirled around, she sees Ga'Mede attending with Sally. "Ga'Mede? How would you know? You barely have any knowledge about me and Koji."

Ga'Mede replied. "Heh. Like I've heard that before from my home planet of Xeptos. The way I see it, you're trying to abandon him by going back to your original duties as a hologram. If it were him, he either wouldn't have the time to think about you or purely focusing on his work just by abandoning you."

She gasped upon listening to his harsh statement. "Wh-What?"

"That must've hurt really bad" said Sideburn to X-Brawn.

"Tell me about it."

T-Ai stood there frozen after realizing the harsh truth from Ga'Mede. "What...What have I done?"

While she's suffering the effects of her blatant actions, back over at Decepticon HQ, Galvatron has completed the operation on M-Ai with some assistance from Cryotek.

"There. You may rise, young one."

"Tell us, how do you feel?"

M-Ai got up from the stretcher and flexed her fingers, before forming it into a fist. "I feel great. In fact, I've never felt better." She later concentrated her Neo-Dark Energon strength and as her body is wrapped in a purple, red and black aura, she grinned evilly by shouting these words: "Neo-Dark Energon...Teleportation!" She than vanished.

Galvatron became amused with the startling result. "Ah, she can now imitate Koji's teleportation technique. How wonderful."

She later re-appeared inside a storage unit. It had various weaponry and other utensils. When she marvels the place very carefully, she realized that she is at the enemy's location: Autobot HQ. "This is fabulous! I'm inside the Autobot base!" Fortunately, she hears some voices coming from down the hall and once the sliding doors were opened, she hid herself behind the wall without being seen.

Walking inside were Coby, Lori and Bud discussing about Neo-Dark Energon and the Decepticons; thus including Kicker, Koji and Rad's armor transformations.

"Did you see the fusion technique? It was awesome!"

"I know. But yet, odd."

Bud raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

As M-Ai watched while remaining hidden, Lori continued.

"I mean, look at it this way. One, they're not trained professionals. Two, they're not Autobots and three, how did they learn to gain their armor transformation and later fuse together into one entity? It doesn't make any sense."

M-Ai was also questioned with Lori's remark. "She does make a very good point. Moreover, how did the other two men achieved the same powers like Kicker?"

Along the way, Coby felt something is wrong. He starts looking around the storage room with suspicion on his face.

Lori blinked her eyes. "What's the matter, Coby?"

"Yeah, what's up?" added Bud.

"I'm getting the feeling that we're not alone. Let's explore."

And so, Coby, Lori and Bud carefully inspect the storage unit to see if there are any intruders lurking around.

Coby and Lori checked over on the far left side and saw nothing but, weapons and other accessories.

"Nothing here. How about you?"

"Not a trace. Bud, did you find anything?"

Bud was on the far right side and sees only scraps of junk lying around. "I don't think so. Just keep searching." But little did he know that he was in the same spot that M-Ai is hiding.

She smirked. "Now's my chance." She sneaks up quietly behind Bud with every footstep she makes. With him distracted, she strikes by covering his mouth and restrained his arm.

Coby hears his brother's muffled cries and turns around to see M-Ai holding him. "Lori, look! It's M-Ai!"

"He's got Bud! Let him go!"

She countered. "Here's my answer: Neo-Dark Energon Teleportation!" With that, both she and Bud were gone in a flash.

"What the heck? They've disappeared!" Lori mentioned.

"I'm not sure of how she got in, but we've got to warn Optimus, now!" says Coby as they headed back to the Main Computer System about Bud's kidnapping.

At Deception HQ, Galvatron and Cryotek are awaiting the arrival of M-Ai and to where she last teleported.

"What's with her delay? She couldn't have taken this long."

That's when Cryotek senses M-Ai's presence. "Wait. I believe, she's here."

In an instant, she returned but did not come alone. She released her hold on the young boy and threw him to the floor. "Hello, boys. I've brought someone for the ride."

As Bud stood up, he gasped in fear upon seeing Galvatron and Cryotek.

"Well done, M-Ai. This young human will make an excellent Neo-Dark Energon warrior."

"So, let us proceed."

But, M-Ai has come up with a different response. "Hold on. I have a better idea." A small gleam appeared in her eye, while staring at Bud with a cold glare.

Back at Autobot HQ, Coby and Lori have told Optimus and Rodimus about the current situation that had just occurred.

"M-Ai did what?" bellowed Optimus.

Coby countered. "That's what I said, Optimus. M-Ai had infiltrated the base by using a teleportation move and abducted my brother."

"She teleported? How did she..." And then, it hit Rodimus right in the head. He recalls that particular move, when Koji first used it to get inside Fortress Maximus. "Oh, no! It couldn't be."

"What is it, Rodimus?" asked Kicker.

"M-Ai must've copied Koji's teleportation technique in order to invade our base and kidnap Bud. Right before she snatched the miniature cyber-chip from inside Koji's head."

Misha's crystal blue eyes widened. "Bud's been taken hostage? Oh, this is very bad."

Just then, a flashing red light from the Main Computer System started blinking and alerts the Autobots by listening to its signal.

"Let's find out what it is" says Rodimus and as he inputs the data, the viewing monitor was turned on to show Galvatron's face.

"Greetings, Autobots. Galvatron, here."

"Where's Bud? What have you done to him?" Coby demanded an answer.

As Galvatron laughed, he moved away to show his brother, Bud tied up with Energon chains and M-Ai restraining him.

"Galvatron, release him this instant!" told Optimus.

"I think not, Prime. Here's what me and Cryotek have in mind: Meet us at the abandoned shipyard, tonight. Otherwise..." He hoists the bound Bud in his hand and glared back at him. "Your puny human will have a taste of Neo-Dark Energon!" He ended his sentence with a sick laugh as the viewing monitor screen changes back to the Autobot insignia.

Rodimus piqued up a question. "To my knowledge, I believe that they're setting us up."

"But, we don't have time to think! My brother's life is at stake here!" cried Coby.

"Don't worry, Coby. We'll get him back" told Kicker.

Minutes later, Koji walked in with his mother. "Hey, have any of you seen T-Ai, lately?"

"We've searched everywhere."

Magnus spoke. "Oh, really?" He points to them at something. "Then, what do you call that?"

When Koji and the others turned around, they see T-Ai being escorted by Ga'Mede, Sally and the Autobot Brothers.

This had ignited Optimus' curiosity. "What's going on?"

Sideburn explained. "It goes like this, Optimus: Koji and T-Ai got into an argument, when she told him about her resignation from Teletran-1 and that her relationship with Koji isn't connected."

"Sideburn!" shouted Prowl and X-Brawn altogether.

"Wh-What did I say?" he said franticly.

Koji walked up to T-Ai and asked about her real reason behind her resignation from Teletran-1. Before that, he apologizes. "T-Ai, I'm sorry and be honest. Why did you resign? Is it because of me?"

She took a deep breath and answered. "With deep sincerity, Koji, my resignation does involve you and I couldn't stop thinking about it."

During all of this, Rad, Carlos and Alexis had pitched in by listening to T-Ai's explanation.

"What exactly are you trying to say, T-Ai?" Rad wondered.

T-Ai continued. "The point is every time when I was working back on Planet Cybertron day and night, my memory of him just keeps popping up. Therefore, when the Space Bridge was expanding..." She turned to Lori and Coby who nodded their heads and went back to everyone. "My original programming from Teletran-1 was becoming far more advanced and too powerful for me to handle. If I'd continued on, then I would have to be either deleted or replaced."

"T-T-Ai..." said Koji softly.

"With everything that's happened, Rodimus had requested me to step down from Teletran-1" she said.

"And that's when you had your Cybertronian surgery" says Optimus.

T-Ai nodded. "Yes."

"I see. So it really was your connection to Koji, since you have feelings for him. But, why didn't you tell me this sooner rather than later?"

She countered. "I was afraid that you would strip me of my duties from Teletran-1 or assign me to a different program. I mean, if it were Koji, he wouldn't do the same procedure."

As everyone were left baffled, another message had came in from the Main Computer System.

Rodimus patched it in and out pops the screen to show Galvatron's face again.

"Oh, Autobots. We're still waiting for you. If you don't show up soon, then your friend will feel the brute force of Neo-Dark Energon!" He shows to them the captive Bud tied up to a hook fifty feet high.

"Coby! Lori! Help me!"

After Bud's distress message, the screen was reverted back to an Autobot insignia.

"Alright, everyone! We're heading to the abandoned shipyard and rescue Bud immediately!" Optimus instructed.

"Yes, sir!"

"Autobots, roll-out!" Optimus transformed into a fire truck and heads to the Space Bridge. Followed by the Autobot Brothers, Rodimus, Magnus, Magnificus and Ga'Mede, including SnowCat.

Demolisher was the last Autobot until he was called up by Coby and Lori.

"Demolisher, wait! Wait a minute!"

"Hold on!"

He halted by applying the brakes and questioned them. "Huh? Are you saying that you want to tag along? It's going to get rough out there."

"I don't care! Bud is my only brother and I can't just sit and watch" Coby said.

"I agree. He's also my friend. So please, take us" Lori pleaded.

With no other choice, he reluctantly opened the door for them. "Oh, okay. Get in, quick!"

As Lori and Coby got inside Demolisher's seats, he accelerates through the Space Bridge.

Elsewhere, Galvatron and Cryotek are anxiously awaiting the Autobots to arrive at any given moment and still holding the captive Bud.

"This is certainly slow for us."

"Yes, it has. It's already been half an hour and still no sign of those wretched Autobots."

"Hey!" M-Ai called to them. "What should we do with him?" She points out to Bud being tied up and hanging on the hook, while making a slight grin and narrowed her hat. "Maybe, we should infect him now then later. Don't you agree?"

"Go right ahead. He's all yours" smiled Galvatron.

Just as M-Ai could make her move on Bud, the Space Bridge had appeared and out comes Optimus and his fellow troops.

"Optimus Prime, Transform!"

"Ultra Magnus, Transform!"

"SnowCat, Transform!"

"X-Brawn, Transform!"

"Sideburn, Transform!"

"Prowl, Transform!"

"Rodimus, Transform!"

"Magnificus, Transform!"

"Demolisher, Transform!"

"Ah, how nice of you to drop in, Autobots. For another minute or so, your friend would've become a new member to us" told Galvatron.

Optimus calls out to Bud. "Hang in there, Bud! We'll get you out of there!"

"Don't bet on your Matrix yet, Prime. You forget that we still have the Spy-Changers. Show yourselves!" Cryotek shouts as every member of the Spy-Changers pop-out from their hidden posts and point their guns at the Autobots.

"Aw, man! This again?" whined SnowCat.

"They're still under the effects of Neo-Dark Energon. Remember?" Rodimus mentioned.

"Why am I not surprised?" thought Kicker.

In the midst of the scuffle, a mysterious woman with long red hair watches this from behind the warehouse and noticed Bud being tied behind the hook. From there, she snapped her fingers and headed to the left.

Back to the standoff, Koji detected a small scar on M-Ai's right eye and was curious as to how she obtained it. He asks Kicker. "Hey, Kicker. M-Ai looks much different from when we last met her."

As Kicker takes a closer look at M-Ai's face, he became shocked with her new complexion. He turns to Misha. "Misha, did you..."

She cuts him off and replied softly. "Yes, I did."

"But, what for?"

She countered. "After what she did to you a long while back, I took out my frustration on her with my Sword of Purpose."

"You cut part of M-Ai's face, because she infected Kicker?" Rad asked.

"That's right."

M-Ai recognizes the young female with her sword in hand. She yelled loudly and points at her. "You! I'm going to make you pay for what you did to me!" She concentrated her powers from within herself and was able to summon her Sword of Fury by clutching it in her hands. "Here I come!"

She leaped into the air with her weapon and proceeded to strike down on Misha.

But luckily, Kicker pitched in and blocked M-Ai's attack with his Energon Sabre.

This infuriated the Deception gal, while her sword is in a direct conflict with Kicker's. "Stay out of this! I want to put the hurt on your girlfriend!"

"Oh, yeah? Over my dead body!"

Rather than being intimidated, she sneered. "I find it funny for you to mention that."

"What?" he wondered.

As M-Ai breaks up her sword from Kicker's Energon Sabre, she moved away.

Kicker demanded to know what's what. "Why do you think that it sounds funny?"

At first, M-Ai started to laugh. Then, she retorted with an evil smile. "You're so pathetic and weak. Clearly, your mother has molded you in her image."

"What does Kicker's mother got to do with this?" Ga'Mede asks.

She replied. "It's simple. While you were testing out the Sword of Purpose, I've decided to have some fun."

"Some fun?" says a confused Koji.

"What do you mean?" added Rad.

M-Ai snickered. "I'll tell you. It was I who put her away with Energon Gas!" She concludes her dark confession with a sickening laugh.

Everybody gasped in sheer horror upon learning Miranda's true cause of death.

Dr. Jones and Sally's faces were frozen with fear that it was M-Ai who actually took the life of Miranda Jones.

"That...That can't be!"

"N-No way!"

"That was you? Damn you to hell! Kicker, Transform!" He yelled in anger and frustration by armor transforming over the fact that M-Ai had slain his mother. He later charged at her.

As a result, Galvatron issues the command. "Spy-Changers, open fire!"

They fired their weapons, but Kicker was able to dodge them and confront M-Ai head-on as their swords clashed once again.

Cryotek turned to Galvatron. "Perhaps, I should send in the fleet."

"I believe you may."

"Decepticons, attack!"

Optimus and Rodimus gasped in unison. "Ambush!"

Sure enough, they all sprang into action and battled each of the Autobots.

The Autobot Brothers were facing off against Sunstorm, Dread Wind and Axer, while SnowCat and Demolisher are fighting Bludgeon and Wind Sheer. For Magnificus and Ga'Mede, they're having difficulties handling Ruination before Rodimus joined in and assisted them. Whereas Koji and Rad, they're dealing with the ferocious Bruticus by avoiding his razor sharp tail, teeth and projectiles.

The only ones remaining are Coby and Lori as they survey the battlegrounds and figure out a way to rescue Bud in one piece after Demolisher dropped them off earlier.

"Somehow, we need to get past the Decepticons and retrieve my brother."

"Indeed." That's when Lori saw someone in the distance. "Hey, you there!"

It than ran off to the right, where Lori and Coby pursue the mysterious stranger.

In another section, Kicker and Misha are still struggling against M-Ai with their swords against her Sword of Fury after what went down about Miranda Jones.

"M-Ai, I'm going to make you pay for what you did to her!"

"So, what? I could care less! Now, it's time for me to end this charade!" She later breaks off the conflict from Kicker, before blocking Misha's sword by punching her in the gut and throwing her to the ground. Her hand had glowed black, red and purple. "Sorry, chump. But, this is where it ends!"

"Take your best shot."

M-Ai grinned. "Don't say that I didn't warn you." She threw her black-red-purple projectile straight at Kicker.

Misha weakly got up and saw the oncoming object heading into Kicker's direction. "Kicker, no!"

But strangely, it went past him and it left him rattled. "Hey, you missed."

She raised her eyebrow and pointed her finger. "Oh, did I? Look again."

As soon as he does, both he and Misha gasped in total shock by seeing M-Ai's black-red-purple ball heading straight at Bud. Right around the same time when Coby and Lori had located the stranger, it collided with Bud in a huge explosion.

Coby screamed his brother's name out in anguish. "Bud!"

To Be Continued...

End of Chapter 23