Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, The Owl House or their characters
"Lord Megatron." The Decepticon scientist, Shockwave, greeted as he bowed to his leader.
"Shockwave. This is quite an unexpected turn." Megatron admitted.
"Yeah, I never would've believed that you've been alive and on Cybertron this whole time." Skywarp said with a light laugh. "Not to mention hanging out with Shatter and Dropkick, who're considered two of the deadliest troopers in our ranks."
"Thanks for the ego boost, Skywarp." Dropkick replied in sarcasm. "It's nice to know you've still got a big mouth."
"None of you seemed to have changed since we last met." Shatter said with her hands behind her back.
"We've just been busy collecting Iacon relics, failing to bring our planet back to life and trying to destroy the Autobots and their pets." Breakdown commented. "You three have missed out on a lot."
"Let's not forget about going up against magical organics." Knock Out added.
"Magic? There is no logic to such an element." Shockwave said, finding it difficult to believe his old comrades have encountered beings who use magic.
"It's true. The Autobots have made friends with these young fleshlings that can use insane magical powers." Thundercracker replied. "We'll tell you all about it later."
"I'm curious." Dropkick said.
"So, Shockwave, how are you still functional after all this time?" Wildrider asked the one-eyed scientist curiously.
"Indeed. I thought you perished on Cybertron." Megatron said while shooting a stern glare at Starscream, causing him to chuckle nervously.
"Yes, yes, yes. As did we all." Starscream admitted, feeling like he was in big trouble right now.
"Reports of my demise were greatly…premature." Shockwave said, recalling the day when Arcee and Cliffjumper hijacked his Space Bridge so they could get to Cybertron.
(Flashback)
In his memories, Shockwave was seen attempting to fix the Space Bridge controls before Cliffjumper started shooting him.
"A pair of Autobots infiltrated my facility on Cybertron, sabotaging my Space Bridge." Shockwave explained.
The one-eyed scientist tried to attack Cliffjumper, but the red Autobot was able to swipe him off his feet before he and Arcee were later seen running through the Space Bridge. A laser blast suddenly blasted the floor in front of them and they turned around to see Shockwave pursuing them.
"I gave chase, but failed to accurately calculate the outcome." Shockwave said.
Arcee was seen avoiding a laser from his flashback self and then shooting him straight in the eye.
"That's where our story comes in from that point." Shatter added, getting her and Dropkick involved in this retelling. "While all of you were headed for this Earth planet, Dropkick and I had intercepted a Cybertronian ship containing four special Autobots inside."
"We made sure they didn't last long after a little bit of interrogation." Dropkick commented.
On one of Cybertron's moons, an Autobot ship was seen laying on the rock-based sphere in a flaming and damaged state. The scene then showed Dropkick standing over a red male Autobot, who looked very injured from the attacks the Con left on him.
"I've already terminated two of your Rescue Bot friends. If you don't tell me where Prime is, you're gonna be joining them." Dropkick threatened menacingly.
The red Autobot looked to his side and saw two more Cybertronians laying dead behind Dropkick, one green and one orange. The red injured Autobot looked down remorsefully for his fallen before glaring up at Dropkick.
"Do your worst. As a Rescue Bot, it's my duty to reveal nothing to Decepticons like you." The red Autobot declared.
"So be it." Dropkick said before shifting his hand into a blaster and shooting the Autobot in the head, instantly killing him. "Another stupid Autobots bites the scrap."
Just then, Dropkick heard some fighting noises nearby and he turned around before a blue Autobot was tossed right towards his feet and he saw that the one who beated him down was Shatter.
"We still have one more." Shatter told her partner.
"Perfect." Dropkick sneered, grabbing the blue Autobot and tearing off his right arm as he shouted out painfully. "I just hope this last Rescue junkheap will be cooperative."
"He just might." Shatter replied as both Decepticons turned to the blue Autobot, who attempted to crawl away while Dropkick tossed his severed arm away. "Where is Optimus Prime? He escaped the fall of Cybertron along with most of his Autobots, and no enemy is truly dead until the leader is vanquished. So where is he?"
"My name is Chase, member of the Rescue Bots and officer in the Autobot Resistance." The blue Autobot said, not giving them any info. "My duty is to prot-GAH!"
He was cut off when Dropkick brought out a blades from his wrist and stabbed him straight in the gut, causing a lot of pain for the blue Autobot.
"Wrong answer." Shatter said with a sadistic smile. "We know he's taking refuge on a distant planet with a few more of his followers. Tell us where they are and we'll let you live."
"My name is Chase, member of the-" The blue Autobot, Chase, didn't get to finish as Dropkick stabbed his blade deeper into him.
But just before Shatter and Dropkick could interrogate him further, both of them began to hear a strange beeping signal within their com-links.
"Hey, I'm starting to pick up a signal." Dropkick said, a little surprised.
"W-what?" Chase asked as he overheard this.
"Me, too. It's a Decepticon distress beacon." Shatter realised.
"Can you trace it?" Dropkick asked.
"Already did." Shatter answered as she walked behind Chase, while Dropkick pulled out his blade from him. "If you won't help us find Prime, perhaps our comrade in distress will."
"No way. You Decepticons won't win this war." Chase declared, showing strong will towards his foes.
"You're quite brave, for the last of the Rescue Bots." Shatter admitted as she grabbed Chase by his head. "You deserve a better death. Then again…"
When the red female Decepticon let go, Dropkick raised up his blade and slashed it straight down onto Chase. The blue Autobot was cut in half and both his remains fell to the Cybertronian moon's surface as Shatter let out a devious chuckle.
"Just so you know, Shatter, our ship's only got a small amount of Energon left. This next flight could be our last one." Dropkick warned.
"Then let's hope it will be worth it. Set course for Cybertron." Shatter said while looking at their deceased home.
Later on Cybertronian in the tunnel districts, Shatter and Dropkick were seen walking their way through the deserted tunnels as the blue Decepticon shined a light to make things more clear in their path.
"Looks like there's no one else down here." Dropkick said. "Are we getting close?"
"The distress beacon is coming from the nearby Space Bridge station. Whoever is down here must be important." Shatter replied, looking at a holographic map on her wrist.
The two Decepticons soon arrived at the room were the distress beacon was coming from and they saw the destroyed Space Bridge. Shatter and Dropkick looked through a pile of wrecked scrap on the ground before they both heard some movement nearby.
"That must be who we're looking for." Dropkick assumed as he and his partner walked to the source.
"We had assumed the beacon came from just one of our foot soldiers. But, we were absolutely wrong." Shatter narrated.
Shatter and Dropkick moved some scrap away to see who was buried under it, but they became very shocked to see Shockwave laying in the floor in a very damaged state.
"No way." Dropkick whispered in disbelief.
"Shockwave?" Shatter asked as the one-eyed scientist slowly looked up at them, revealing his eye to be completely fractured as the two Decepticon soldiers helped him back up.
"It is true. Shatter and Dropkick discovered me in the rubble, blinded." Shockwave said. "It soon became clear that the three of us were marooned on our dead planet, with no means of communication and no solution to refuel their ship."
A few days later, Shockwave was seen working on some experiments in his lab while Shatter worked at a nearby terminal and Dropkick brought in a crate of supplies.
"In time, I repaired my wounds and resumed my experiments. The solitude enabled me to make tremendous advances in my research." Shockwave explained. "Shatter and Dropkick were valiant in their assistance over the many days."
"It wasn't as fun as eliminating Autobots, but it was still better than nothing." Dropkick admitted.
As the three Decepticons kept working, they then heard a signalling noise and looked at one of the terminals to see an energy signal being detected on Cybertron itself.
"Until one day, my instruments detected a massive surge of unidentifiable energy." Shockwave continued.
Shockwave, Shatter and Dropkick were later seen driving through the Sea of Rust in their Cybertronian vehicle forms towards what was left of the Omega Lock.
"We all travelled towards the source of the energy signal, at the edge of the Sea of Rust." Shatter said. "That's when we encountered your salvage and the destroyed Omega Lock as Knock Out explained earlier."
"But, this was not the search party we had anticipated so long ago." Shockwave added.
At the wreck, Knock Out, Breakdown and Wildrider were very shocked to see Shockwave, Shatter and Dropkick show up as the three of them transformed into their robot forms.
(End flashback)
We then return to the present as Shockwave, Shatter and Dropkick write finished explaining their origins.
"And that is how we ended up here, right now." Shatter finished.
"We're all back in the Decepticons ranks and helping you guys fight against the Autobots and their little pets." Dropkick remarked.
"Which leaves one unanswered question." Shockwave said before he turned his attention to Starscream, slowly walking up to him in a mad way. "Why was I left for scrap? Abandoned? Why?"
Starscream felt a great wave of fear wash over him as Shockwave kept on staring at him with no one intervening.
"The-The…The explosion! It…It collapsed the power core chamber! The last thing anyone witnessed was you charging into the Space Bridge portal. No one saw you come back out!" Starscream stated as he leaned back, nervously waiting for a response.
"I find your reply to be…logical." Shockwave said, causing the air commander to sigh in relief.
"Nice save, Scream." Thundercracker commented, snickering to himself.
Shockwave then turned away and began to walk alongside Megatron, Shatter and Dropkick.
"But you will be pleased to know that I've come close to avenging your seeming demise by personally clashing with the Autobots, Arcee and Cliffjumper." Starscream told the one-eyed scientist, hopping to get on his good side.
"But, you weren't able to terminate them?" Shatter asked with her arms crossed, earning a sheepish stutter from Starscream. "That's what I thought."
"Carful, Starscream. You may dislocate a landing gear patting yourself on the back." Knock Out teased.
"Don't worry. We're gonna make sure to do what you couldn't." Dropkick said smugly, but the air commander decided to just ignore him.
"As Megatron's First Lieutenant, allow me to welcome all three of you back to the winning team." Starscream said sincerely.
"And allow me to clarify the new chain of command." Megatron announced, gaining the attention of his Decepticon followers. "While Starscream will retain authority over military operations, Shockwave will be my First Lieutenant in charge of all scientific endeavours."
"Uh, so you are saying we shall each report directly to you?" Starscream asked timidly.
"Affirmative." Megatron answered before he walked out the room with the other Cons following, except for Starscream as he slapped his side in anger.
"Completely logical, my liege." Starscream scowled to himself.
"Things are about to get interesting around here." Wildrider whispered to Breakdown, who chuckled in response.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile at a distant dirt pathway, Arcee and Luz were seen driving down the area as the sun was starting to settle. There was also a cornfield right next to them.
"Hey, you hungry? There's a town up ahead." Arcee said, thinking about Luz's health at the moment.
"Not right now. I don't have a lot of money on me." Luz admitted.
"At least you don't have to buy gasoline. I'm pulling over, anyway." Arcee replied, driving to a right corner that led to a farm. "Need to stretch my legs."
"You're not the only one." Luz said in agreement.
Once her Autobot guardian came to a halt, Luz climbed off and looked into the sunset while Arcee transformed and started flexing her limbs.
"Oh yeah." Arcee said to herself, feeling very refreshed from being able to move.
"Arcee, our whole team is scattered around the Earth. For all we know, you and I could be the last ones and they've already been caught." Luz admitted softly as the female Autobot walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't believe that, Luz. And I know you don't, either." Arcee reassured. "You've said it yourself how all of your friends are amazing with their magic. They can definitely take care of any Decepticons that find them."
"You're right. But, the Decepticons still outnumber us a hundred to one." Luz replied, not seeing a good point in their current predicament. "And we don't even have a base, anymore. I just wish Eda and everyone else at the Boiling Isles were here to help us fight back. Aren't there any other Autobots in the galaxy who can help us?"
"The war for Cybertron took a heavy toll. But there were others who escaped in the Ark." Arcee said.
"So, where are they?" Luz asked as Arcee picked up some dirt from the ground and let it get carried away by the wind.
"Scattered to the winds." Arcee replied. "So let's focus on getting back to Gravesfield. On getting Team Prime and the Hexside Squad back together."
"Right." Luz nodded confidently as neither of them still didn't notice the small purple light in her backpack.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile in a forest that was located near the road, Bumblebee and Hunter peeked out from behind one of the trees to see there were no Vehicons or bystanders that saw them.
"Looks like we're in the clear." Hunter said as Flapjack was perched on his shoulder.
"We can't stay hidden forever, Hunter. We need to find the others." Bumblebee replied.
"I know, Bee. But, we don't know how to even locate them." Hunter admitted with a frown. "How are we supposed to do that?"
"No idea. Everyone is miles away and we don't have any way to communicate with them." Bumblebee said, lowering his head. "I just wish there was someone who could help us."
As the two of them kept pondering on what to do next, Flapjack then perked up from sensing a strange noise and he chirped at Hunter in order to gain his attention.
"What is it, Flapjack? We're trying to think." Hunter told his Palisman.
Flapjack flew off his shoulder and tweeted towards something in the sky, causing Hunter and Bumblebee to follow his gaze and notice a fighter jet heading straight towards them.
"Is that Starscream?" Hunter asked, preparing for a fight.
"I don't think so. It looks like…" Bumblebee said, recognising the dark-blue jet.
When the jet slowly descended into the forest in front of the group, it transformed and safely landed to reveal himself as Dreadwing.
"Greetings, Autobot. Young Witch." Dreadwing said.
"Dreadwing?!" Bumblebee questioned in shock, bringing out his blasters.
"Bee, wait!" Hunter stated as he quickly got in front of his Autobot guardian. "We shouldn't just immediately shoot him! Let's hear why he's here!"
Bumblebee knew he could trust what his Witch friend said and put his blasters away, while Hunter turned towards Dreadwing.
"It's been a bit of a long time, Dreadwing." Hunter admitted.
"Not long enough, it seems." Dreadwing replied. "I had not expected you and the rest of the Autobots and Witches to have been separated since Megatron has established his fortress on this planet."
"Neither were we. It all just happened before we knew it." Hunter said sadly. "So, what're you doing here?"
"I have been keeping an eye on both of you ever since you emerged from that Space Bridge portal. Now that you possess no means of locating your allies around the planet, I had decided to offer you a possible solution to your problem." Dreadwing explained.
"You want to help us? Why?" Bumblebee asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Your young friend helped me turn away from a path that would not have ended well for me." Dreadwing replied sincerely. "I am simply repaying my debt to you."
"You are? Thanks for that, Dreadwing." Hunter said, putting on a grateful smile. "So, where do we go if we wanna find the rest of our team?"
"Follow me and you'll find out." Dreadwing instructed before he transformed into his jet form. "I'll make sure to lookout for any Decepticon patrols that are nearby."
"Okay then." Bumblebee said, transforming and letting Hunter and Flapjack get into his front seats.
Dreadwing flew off into the sky and Bumblebee drove his way back onto the roadway before following the former Decepticon Seeker captain.
(Linebreak)
On a different roadway, Jazz was driving his way down it at top speed while Vee was working on her laptop in the driver's seat.
"You getting any closer to finding the gang, Vee?" Jazz asked.
"Not yet, Jazz. I'm still getting stupid rubber masks and bad CGI." Vee admitted. "But I know the conspiracy website is our best chance at…wait, I think I've found something."
"What is it?" Jazz questioned.
Vee took a closer look at a photo displaying something tall in a dark junkyard and she zoomed in to see it was the same shape as a certain Autobot medic.
"It's Ratchet." Vee identified.
(Linebreak)
At Darkmount, Shockwave, Shatter and Dropkick were being debriefed with Megatron and the other Cons on recent events.
"So, we are currently attempting to find a way to reach the world in which these Witches came from." Shockwave said in understanding. "Interdimensional travel is highly difficult to accomplish, but it should still be possible if we can acquire the correct information and logic of this Boiling Isles area. The inhabitants' magic may also prove to be a powerful new tool in aiding us against the Autobots."
"If anyone can do the impossible with science, it's you, Shockwave." Wildrider admitted.
"Let's just hope that you two aren't too rusty from staying in that lab for so long." Thundercracker said to Shatter and Dropkick.
"We exterminated many Autobots during the war on Cybertron. It won't be difficult to destroy a small team of them." Shatter proclaimed.
"That's what we like to hear." Breakdown replied.
"It's really great to have you on our team, now. You're gonna be a much better lady Con to work with than Airachnid." Skywarp commented.
"Yes, I heard that you're now keeping her imprisoned in the vault." Shatter said, frowning unhappily. "It's no surprise that backstabbing spider would end up in that position. I always felt like she was trying to upstage me."
"Good thing you always got the better of that eight-legger." Dropkick chuckled.
As the Cons kept talking with each other, Starscream was at the main deck's terminal and glaring at Shockwave in jealousy.
"Arg, Shockwave's toting is so transparent. Megatron's respect is earned by deeds, not words." Starscream said to himself as he started checking the conspiracy website himself. "Useless, useless, useless. Billions of cameras in the hands of those miserable humans. One of them is bound to catch an Autobot eventually."
As he kept on searching, Starscream then found the same picture of Ratchet in the junkyard that Vee had found earlier.
"Well well well, what have we here?" Starscream asked with a smirk before turning to his master and the others. "Lord Megatron, I have found something of great interest."
(Linebreak)
"The photos was taken yesterday, in a junkyard that's just outside the woodland park." Vee told her Autobot guardian.
"You sure you wanna go find Ratchet? After…you know?" Jazz asked in an unsure tone, not wanting to say the whole thing about what happened back at base.
"Of course I'm sure, Jazz. Even if what he said was bad, we still need his help to defeat the Cons." Vee declared firmly before she started working on her laptop again. "But still, they can probably discover this, too. I just need to remove Ratchet and then replace him with…"
(Linebreak)
"So what did you find, Scream?" Skywarp asked with an uninterested expression.
"An Autobot." Starscream said, moving aside to show them the picture on the terminal.
However, the Decepticons saw that playing on the screen was actually the tap-dancing monkey. As Thundercracker, Skywarp and Dropkick let out some quiet chuckles that were left unheard, Knock Out could only laugh humorously at the sight of the dancing internet chimp. However, some looks from the others made him straighten himself.
"That is the weirdest piece of footage, ever. Of all time." Wildrider said, feeling pitiful for Starscream at the moment.
"Wait, what?" Starscream asked in surprise as he turned to the terminal. "It was just here! Surely, one of you saw it!"
"Starscream, you would do well to take a cue from Soundwave on occasions, and keep things to yourself." Megatron said while gritting his teeth.
"Vow of silence, such a cop-out." Starscream muttered as he went back to searching.
"If Starscream if finished showing us worthless human videos, Dropkick and I request that we venture to the town nearby in search of suitable vehicle forms, Lord Megatron." Shatter told her leader respectfully.
"Very well, Shatter. Be sure to return as soon as you have both acquired a new form." Megatron replied.
"Will do, my Lord." Dropkick said before he and Shatter walked away to exit the fortress.
"Lord Megatron, surely our Autobot prisoner is a better source of information than this primitive data-net." Shockwave proclaimed, referring to the website Starscream was using.
"I will have you know, Shockwave, that I have been grinding down Seaspray for days." Starscream retorted. "If he knew anything, he would have spilled it by now."
"Again…some prove to be better at holding their tongues than others." Megatron said.
"Perhaps you would have better results if instead of a club, you used a scalpel. I recommend a Cortical Psychic Patch." Shockwave suggested.
"That hasn't failed before." Breakdown admitted.
(Linebreak)
At the still-destroyed town of Gravesfield, Shatter and Dropkick were seen roaming the area for any good vehicles that they could scan.
"What makes you think we'll find some useful vehicle forms in this wreck, partner?" Dropkick questioned.
"There is always a chance of finding what you need." Shatter answered. "All you need to do is search hard enough into your surroundings."
"Sometimes, it's hard for me to get what you're saying." Dropkick muttered before he spotted a nearby drinking bar on their left. "Maybe we should check out that place?"
"Fine." Shatter said simply as they approached the drink bar.
Once the two new Decepticons arrived at the drinking bar, they looked around the parking area and they were very fortunate to find a red 1971 Plymouth Satellite car and a blue 1974 AMC Javelin car, both of which had off-terrain features.
"Now these look like a pair of good forms." Dropkick complemented, a bit impressed. "Wouldn't you think so?"
"Perhaps these forms will suit us well on this pitiful planet." Shatter said before a pair of green lasers shot out of her eyes and she scanned the Plymouth Satellite with them.
Dropkick did the exact same thing with the AMC Javelin before he and Shatter withdrew their scanners. Once they had their vehicle forms, Shatter and Dropkick transformed into exact copies of the cars they scanned.
"I'm sure to get used to this new form." Dropkick chuckled amusingly. "Maybe we can pick up some new ones later on?"
"That's if we ever find something that will serve both of us well." Shatter replied as both of them transformed back into Robot form. "But our land-based will be suitable, for now."
"AH-HA! I knew what I saw when everyone started to leave the town!" A voice shouted out.
Shatter and Dropkick looked around and they soon looked to the ground, seeing none other than Jacob glaring straight at them while decked out in his 'witch-hunting' armor.
"Everyone thought it was just a meteor shower, but I could see it with my own eyes that it was living machines that wanted to harvest our skin and learn our secrets for conquest!" Jacob yelled in an all-heroic way, bringing out a dagger from his jacket. "But, I won't let that happen! There's a reason I chose to stay! I'll stop you and every other demon or cyber monster that wants to destroy us!"
There was a very long moment of silence as Shatter and Dropkick could only stare at Jacob in total bewilderment before they eventually put on unimpressed looks.
"So, this is what a human truly is? Inferior in size and always spouting out heroic nonsense?" Shatter asked with a scoff. "It truly is a disappointment."
"These little organics are even more pathetic than I expected." Dropkick said mockingly, shifting his hand into a blaster and making it glow brightly as he aimed it straight down at Jacob.
"Now, mechanical beasts, prepare to-" Before he could do anything, Jacob suddenly got blasted apart as a pile of sticky liquid and what remained of him splashed against the ground.
"Hmm, I like the way they pop." Dropkick commented, happy to see the witch hunter wannabe was no more.
"You've had your fun, Dropkick. Let's head back to Darkmount." Shatter told him.
The two of them transformed into their new vehicle forms and they drove away, exiting the ruins of Gravesfield and making their way back to Darkmount.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile at the edge of a mountain, Willow and Bulkhead were seen sitting next to each other and watching the sun set.
"I'll be honest, Bulk, I know that Gus and Wheeljack are still alive and following this protocol of yours. But, I'm starting to doubt if Seaspray is ever coming." Willow admitted while keeping Clover close for comfort.
"Don't worry, Willow. Every Wrecker knows the protocol. Sprays will show…if he's still kicking." Bulkhead assured as they kept looking at the sunset.
(Linebreak)
Back at Darkmount in the interrogation room, Seaspray was seen strapped to a Cybertronian table as Shockwave was in front of him while preparing a Cortical Psychic Patch cable.
"Do your worst, Doctor one-eye. I'm a Wrecker, I can handle anything you use on me." Seaspray proclaimed challengingly as Shockwave inserted one end of the cable in the back of his head and approached the aquatic Wrecker.
"Trust me. You, in fact, cannot." Shockwave replied, pointing the cable's end straight at Seaspray to scavenge his mind.
(Linebreak)
Once he was done with the Cortical Psychic Patch operation, Shockwave stood before Megatron to tell him the results with the other Cons standing behind him.
"The patch failed to yield any new information on the whereabouts of the Autobots and their Witch allies." Shockwave told his leader.
"Hmm, I see." Megatron muttered in disappointment.
"Guess that means Seaspray has outlived his usefulness to us." Thundercracker said.
"You read my mind, Thundercracker. With your permission, Lord Megatron, I will see to his immediate termination." Starscream declared with a devious smirk.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile in the corridors part of Darkmount, a lone Vehicon walked by and soon made a left turn, not noticing the shadowy young figure from before peeking out from a metal edge of the walls with their Witch staff still in hand.
"So far, I've found nothing but useless junk in this place." The young figure whispered with a frustrated scowl. "This is the last time I ever decide to sneak inside a giant metal castle that's filled with killer machines."
Just then, the young figure heard some metallic footsteps nearby and she peeked out of the metallic corner to see a pair of Vehicons dragging an unconscious Seaspray, who had a pair of Cybertronian cuffs on his wrists.
"Who is that? A robot designed for swimming?" The young figure questioned as she watched the Vehicons drag Seaspray to higher part of Darkmount. "But still, he doesn't look like the type of giant living machine that would want to kill any smaller people. Should I…no way, I don't help people! They're supposed to help me!"
The young figure was feeling very conflicted in her head, at the moment. On one hand, she could let the Decepticons do whatever it is they're intending to do with Seaspray since she wasn't one to care for totally strangers. But on the other hand, Seaspray might be able to assist her in finding a way back to whatever home she came from, which might be a certain magic-dwelling land. When she made a decision, the young figure let out a loud sigh of defeat as she decided to go with the second option.
"As much as I hate it, the second choice is a little bit better. I just hope I'm not making the biggest mistake of my life by helping that hunk of metal." The young figure said reluctantly before she stood up and ran after where the Vehicons went.
(Linebreak)
At a different part of Darkmount, Seaspray groaned in pain as he was starting to wake up from his Cortical Psychic Patch experience.
"Wake up, Wrecker." A Vehicon ordered, shoving him on the side.
When Seaspray was fully awake, he found himself standing over an edge with the cuffs still on and two Vehicons guarding him, while two more were on the other side of the platform. Beneath them was an extremely hot smelting pit.
"Time to smelt." One of the Vehicons told Seaspray. "Commander Starscream wanted you conscious so you'd know precisely who ordered your execution."
"If that's the case, then where is Screamy? Does he not have the lugnuts to do this himself?" Seaspray asked tauntingly, causing the Vehicon to push him and he nearly fell off the edge.
"Jump." The Vehicon said, nudging Seaspray with his blaster.
But before Seaspray could do anything else, the young individual was seen behind them and she held a glass potion with yellow liquid inside.
"Hey, you metal-headed freaks!" The young individual yelled out.
The two Vehicons and Seaspray turned around and they laid eyes on the young individual, who stepped forward to reveal her true appearance. She was indeed a Witch, but unlike the ones Seaspray knew, she had three eyes instead of two and her hair was pink and long with a black plastic strand tied into it in the middle. She had black paint dripping down her two main eyes, orange crab-like pincer features on her head and a Witch-like sports uniform that came with a blue rag acting as a cape. Her Witch staff also had an orange grab Palisman on it.
"I don't usually care about anyone I don't even know, especially if they live in this place! But, that yellow and blue robot is my best chance at finding a way home and I'm not letting you burn him alive!" The three-eyed Witch stated with a glare before throwing the potion at a Vehicon.
When the potion landed on the Vehicon's chest and caused a minor explosion that sent him stumbling back, but not fully off the platform. Seaspray could only smirk amusingly at this as both Vehicons turned away from him and aimed their blasters directly at the three-eyed Witch, who paled in nervousness from seeing this.
"Why did I just make the worst and last decision of my life?" The three-eyed Witch questioned herself.
"Hey, guys? A little word of advice, don't pick on kids." Seaspray said before he suddenly grabbed one of the Vehicons from behind and tossed him off the platform, causing him to start descending towards the smelting pit.
The remaining three Vehicon immediately aimed their weapons at Seaspray, who simply rolled his eyes in response.
"Fine, I'll jump in." The aquatic Wrecker said casually, jumping down to the pit.
The three-eyed Witch looked on in total bewilderment at seeing the Autobot she tried to help just willing jumping to his doom, while the last Vehicon on the platform with her turned back towards.
"I'd recognise those kinds of ears. Inform Lord Megatron that we've just found a new Witch." The Vehicon said.
"Wait, what?" The three-eyed Witch asked, a little surprised they knew about her kind.
At the bottom of the smelting pit, the Vehicon Seaspray tossed off quickly transformed into his flyer vehicle form and attempted to fly up, only for Seaspray to then land ontop of him.
"Knew you were a flyer!" Seaspray remarked, forcibly steering the Vehicon up and making him fly to the platform.
As the three-eyed Witch worriedly stepped back from the approaching Vehicon, Seaspray suddenly flew over and he steered his ride straight towards her.
"Wait, what in Titan are you-?!" The three-eyed Witch began to ask before Seaspray grabbed her and placed her onto the Vehicon. "Hey! This is not what I wanted to do with you!"
"Just hold on, little lady!" Seaspray told her, flying the Vehicon down and away from the smelting pit as the Witch screamed loudly. "Yee-haa!"
The other three Vehicons transformed and flew after their targets. Seaspray slammed his cuffs on his Vehicon ride in an attempt to broke off his cuffs, while the three-eyed Witch was struggling to stay on.
"Can you stop that?! You'll make me fall to my death, you robotic idiot!" She yelled angrily.
"You've got one of those Witch staffs to fly on! Just use it if you tumble off!" Seaspray replied with a casual shrug.
However, the two of them looked behind to see the other Vehicons flying after them and they began firing their blasters.
"Thanks for the ride." Seaspray said before he grabbed the three-eyed Witch and jumped off the Vehicon, causing him to crash into Darkmount in a big explosion.
The three-eyed Witch shouted out worriedly as Seaspray landed ontop of another Vehicon and sat her on his shoulder before seeing another Vehicon flying straight at them and firing his blasters. Seaspray quickly took advantage by having one of the lasers shoot off his cuffs and he shifted his hand into his signature torpedo launcher, shooting a torpedo at the Vehicon and destroying him upon impact. Another Vehicon began to shoot at them from the left and the three-eyed Witch gritted her teeth in frustration.
"I am so done with this!" She shouted before reaching behind her cape and pulled out a ball with an eye on it.
The three-eyed Witch lit the ball on fire and tossed it at the Vehicon with all her might, hitting him on the wing and making him fly out of control before crashing straight into Darkmount.
"Nice toss." Seaspray complimented as the three-eyed Witch grabbed the ball that flung back to her.
"Of course it was. I'm at champion at using Grudgby balls." The three-eyed Witch replied arrogantly.
Another Vehicon fired at them and Seaspray quickly used the Vehicon they were riding on as cover before destroying the Vehicon with another powerful torpedo. Just then, Seaspray and the three-eyed Witch saw they were getting close to the ground and the aquatic Wrecker quickly held up the Vehicon, making him crash across the ground to soften themselves.
"Hold on!" Seaspray stated, grabbing the three-eyed Witch and jumping off the Vehicon before transforming and using his all-terrain pads to instantly drive away.
"That…was…completely insane!" The three-eyed Witch yelled, sitting in Seaspray's seat and breathing heavily. "I knew trying to help you was a mistake!"
"You always this nice to people who save you from Cons, kid?" Seaspray asked humorously.
"Don't call me that! The only thing I need you to do for me is find a way back to the Boiling Isles! I've got an importance place to be in charge of there!" The three-eyed Witch stated.
"Hate to break it to you, but I don't know scrap about travelling through other worlds." Seaspray told her. "But, I've got another idea. You come with me to find my pals and help us take down the Cons, and we'll see if we can get you back to your world. There's other little Witches like you trying to get back."
"Even if there are other Witches like me in this stupid Human Realm, what makes you think I'll help you?" The three-eyed Witch questioned, crossing her arms. "I don't do anything for anyone."
"Would you rather stay back at the giant fortress with the Cons?" Seaspray asked rhetorically, causing her to sigh in defeat.
"Fine. I'll go with you to find the rest of your stupid robot friends." The three-eyed Witch said with a scowl.
"Good to hear. Anyway, I'm Seaspray." Seaspray introduced himself. "And you are…?"
"Boscha." The three-eyed Witch, Boscha, replied simply.
"Nice to know." Seaspray said before he picked up speed and zoomed straight away.
(Linebreak)
"We just got some unexpected news, Lord Megatron." Skywarp told his leader as he and the other Cons heard about Seaspray's escape. "That Wrecker had help from an unfamiliar Witch."
"Great. One more magic organic to deal with." Wildrider muttered annoyingly.
"This is how you handle things?!" Megatron questioned Starscream angrily.
"Seaspray is not the first prisoner to escape Starscream's care." Shockwave said in an insulting way.
"Actually, master, I allowed Seaspray to escape." Starscream proclaimed.
"You what?!" Megatron demanded with a furious glare, rising from his throne.
"But the Autobot's every move, his every word, will be monitored." Starscream said assuringly, making his master raise an eyebrow.
"How do you plan on doing that?" Thundercracker asked as the air commander brought out a small device.
"Thanks to a simple tracking device implanted while the prisoner was still unconscious, following the failed Cortical Psychic Patch." Starscream explained, shooting a smirk towards Shockwave. "Now, all we have to do is wait, watch and listen. When the Wrecker and his new little friend reunite with the other Autobots and Witches, my armada will strike."
Hearing this new plan, Megatron calmed down and began smirking sinisterly.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile at the junkyard with the night sky in place, Jazz drove straight into the area with Vee still in seat as they both looked around for Ratchet.
"This is the place." Jazz said.
"He's got to be here somewhere." Vee added hopefully.
As they kept on searching the junkyard, Jazz soon came to a halt when he saw a familiar ambulance in front of him.
"There he is." Jazz remarked as he let Vee jump out and he transformed.
"Ratchet!" Vee called, rushing towards the Autobot medic. "It's me, Vee! I'm glad we managed to find you."
However, Ratchet stayed silent and this left Vee and Jazz confused.
"Uh…Ratchet?" Vee asked.
"Go away." Ratchet said simply, much to the duo's surprise.
"Ratchet, what're you talking about?" Jazz questioned.
"You're interrupting my power-down." Ratchet replied.
"This ain't no time for that." Jazz said, thinking that Ratchet was a whole different Autobot right now.
"Jazz is right, Ratchet. We need your help to find everyone else." Vee proclaimed.
"Yeah, it's the only way we're gonna take down Megatron and his Con cronies." Jazz added.
"We can't stop Megatron, not anymore. The war is over, and we…lost." Ratchet said in depression.
"What?! You're just giving up?!" Vee questioned shockingly. "But we can't give up! Not while the Decepticons are going to try and conquer all of our worlds!"
Ratchet then immediately transformed into his robot form and glared down at Vee.
"Then tell me what we can do!" Ratchet shouted. "Without communications, without a Ground Bridge, without a base of operations or resources of any kind!"
"Well, how about that ship Starscream was staying in with his old Mercenary pals?" Jazz asked, a little bit startled by Ratchet's outburst.
"Jazz is right! We know Starscream was able to use his own Ground Bridge while he was deserting from the Cons and partnering with Lockdown." Vee agreed.
"Yes, yes, he clearly had been using the derelict Decepticon ship, the Harbinger. What does that have to do with anything?!" Ratchet questioned rhetorically.
"It could have Cybertronian items we can use against the Decepticons." Vee answered.
"Scream was probably dumb enough to leave everything unsecured, too." Jazz suggested.
"Pfft! Well, resources won't be of much use. Not without someone to…lead us." Ratchet replied depressingly, obviously referring to Optimus.
"It's a start!" Vee argued.
"Then you'll have to start without me. This is someone else's fight, now." Ratchet declared.
"What're you even saying, right now?! That our world still doesn't matter and neither does Earth?!" Vee questioned frustratingly.
Ratchet seemed to be effected by this painful reminder of the hurtful words he said back at base, only to then look away from Vee.
"I never said this had anything to do with Earth or the Boiling Isles. This is a battle I shouldn't even be in, anymore." Ratchet said softly, turning to his left side.
"So, that's it?! You're just gonna turn your back on us when we really need you?!" Jazz asked with a glare.
"You're just fighting in a hopeless battle, Jazz." Ratchet told him firmly.
"It ain't hopeless while all of us are still living! But you just wanna stay here and hide away while the Cons takeover the whole Earth!" Jazz shouted, while Vee looked on in worridness. "None of us should be giving up! An Autobot like you has gotta know that!"
"This is the only option! Megatron has an army, our relics, an indestructible fortress, a warship and many more advantages over us! There is no point in fighting back, anymore!" Ratchet stated. "We have all lost the war! It's over!"
Jazz marched right up to Ratchet and he stopped when they were a small amount of feet away from each other, causing the Autobot medic to slightly move back in surprise.
"Somewhere behind all that outdated scrap is a Bot who told me the war's never truly over until you've seen it to the very end." Jazz said with a cold stare. "And I drove all this way with my little friend to find that Bot, because I believed him."
"Well…you wasted your time." Ratchet said in misery, turning away and transforming back into his vehicle form. "Now please, just let me…rust in peace."
All Jazz could do was sigh in defeat and turn away, transforming next to Vee and opening his door.
"Come on, Vee. We don't need him." Jazz told the Basilisk girl.
"Okay." Vee said with a sad sigh.
She climbed into her Autobot Guardian and he instantly drove away from the junkyard area, leaving Ratchet alone with his depression and a slight sense of guilt. But unknown to the Autobot medic, spying on them from a few yards away with a rifle-like Cybertronian weapon was Lockdown, who had Soundblaster and Exhaust by his side.
"Well, that was very nice to watch." Exhaust admitted, earning a sinister chuckle from Soundblaster.
"Turning his back on his own teammates. I never knew an Autobot was capable of such a thing." Lockdown said as a sinister smirk formed on his face. "Why don't we put him out of his misery for him?"
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile at their underground hideout, Skara and Cayenne were sitting next to the still-injured Optimus against the boulder before Smokescreen phased out of the stone walls.
"I'm back." Smokescreen said.
"Did you find anything, Smokey?" Skara asked as Optimus slightly groaned.
"Not at all. I combed through every square micron of our old base. I couldn't find Ratchet's medical kit, not even a bandage." Smokescreen replied.
"But, there's got to be some way we can heal Optimus." Skara said, lowering her head.
"The Forge…of Solus Prime." Optimus whispered weakly, earning their attention.
"It's gone, too. The Cons picked the place clean." Smokescreen admitted as his leader kept moaning, slowly succumbing to his injuries.
"Hold on a minute. Smokey, doesn't that thing have the ability to rebuild anything with just your imagination?" Skara asked.
"Yeah. If Optimus had the Forge, he can fix himself up. Power of the Primes." Smokescreen realised.
"Okay then, what's the plan?" Skara asked as Cayenne chirped in a questioning way.
"You stay here with Optimus and make sure he stays online a little longer, Skara. That hammer's gotta be somewhere in Megatron's fortress." Smokescreen proclaimed.
"That sounds extremely risky to me. That giant robot castle has got to be filled with Decepticons." Skara replied in concern.
"Hey, the two of us managed to get off the Nemesis before, remember?" Smokescreen reminded. "You've gotta trust me to do this, Skara."
The Bard Witch girl was silent for a moment as she thought about how important it was to get Optimus healed so that he could help them fight back against the Decepticons. Skara soon let out a sigh of defeat once her decision was made.
"Okay, I trust you." She said to her Autobot guardian.
"Thanks. I'll be back in a few secs." Smokescreen replied before he phased through the walls to make it to the surface.
"That Autobot makes me worried all the time." Skara said to herself, while Cayenne chirped in agreement.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, Bulkhead and Willow were seen still sitting on the mountain edge as the Plant Witch girl was fast asleep and sleeping next to her Autobot guardian's foot. Clover rested on Bulkhead's shoulder and the dark-green Wrecker kept looking out before he started to hear the sound of an approaching vehicle from the roadway at the bottom, causing him to stand up and making Willow fall down as she woke up in the process.
"Willow, wake up." Bulkhead instructed.
"I'm awake, Bulk. Why do you want me up this early?" Willow asked, stretching her arms as Clover flew next to her.
"Someone's coming." Bulkhead replied with a cautious expression, bringing out his blaster and wrecking ball.
Willow understood that he was probably referring to a Decepticon and she had Clover form into her staff, grabbing it in both hands and getting battle ready. The motor sound of the vehicle got closed and louder as the scene showed it to be a familiar white, blue and green car with a certain Illusionist Witch in the seat. Bulkhead aimed his blaster at the road and Willow's eyes glowed green as a sign she was preparing to use her Plant magic, but both of them stood down once they realised the engine sounded very familiar to them.
"I'd know the hum of that engine anywhere." Bulkhead said, grinning excitedly.
"Me, too!" Willow remarked.
Both of them raced down the hill as Wheeljack then showed up in his vehicle form and came to a screeching half, allowing Gus to Hope out of him with Emmiline and the swordsman Wrecker transformed.
"Gus!" Willow yelled as she happily tackled her friend into a big hug, making both of them fall down.
"Haha, Jackie!" Bulkhead called in happiness, crashing into his Wrecker partner playfully before pulling him into a huge hug. "Where've you been, buddy?!"
"Staying out of the Decepticons' optic view." Wheeljack grunted as he felt a bit of pain from Bulkhead's crushing embrace.
"It's nice to see you as well, Willow." Gus seethed, also being crushed by his friend's hug. "Now if I could just…breath…"
"Our bad, guys." Willow apologised with an awkward chuckle, letting go of Gus as Bulkhead did the same with Wheeljack.
"Have you two heard anything from Sprays?" Bulkhead asked hopefully.
"Not at all." Wheeljack answered. "He's not here with you?"
"No." Willow sighed sadly.
But just then, the four of them started to hear a familiar hover noise that belonged to a speedboat, and it was coming from the other side of the road.
"Wait, do you guys hear that?" Gus asked.
"Yeah. I think I know what it is." Bulkhead replied, slowly beginning to smile.
Seaspray then showed up in his speedboat form and driving on the road with his all-terrain pads. The aquatic Wrecker then stopped in front of his Wrecker friends and transformed to smile at them.
"Hey there, boys. Miss me?" Seaspray asked jokingly.
"You bet we did, Sprays." Wheeljack chuckled as he and Bulkhead gave him friendly hugs each.
"We're glad you're still alive, Seaspray." Willow said kindly.
"Same here, kid." Seaspray replied.
"Well, I guess it's safe to assume we're the only Wreckers out here." Wheeljack said.
"Not exactly. I brought a new helper along with me." Seaspray told the others. "And, big surprise, she's a Witch."
"What?" Bulkhead and Wheeljack asked in surprise.
"That's great! We could always use some more help from our world." Gus remarked.
"Well, she's not exactly a friendly person when you first get to meet her." Seaspray admitted, looking down to his feet.
"What are you tal-" Willow began to say, only to trail off and become shocked when she saw Boscha walk out from behind Seaspray's right foot.
"Alright, who are these friends you told me about earlier?" Boscha asked with a bored expression as she looked ahead, widening her three eyes in disbelief when she spotted Willow standing alongside Gus and their two Autobot guardians. "You?!"
"YOU!" Willow yelled in pure anger as her eyes instantly flashed green.
Before anyone knew it, large vines sprouted out of the ground and they wrapped around Boscha before suspending her in the air and constricting her.
"Wow, Willow! What're you doing?!" Bulkhead asked astonishingly, never seeing his Witch friend this mad before.
"Yeah, she's one of you!" Wheeljack exclaimed.
"No she isn't! She's a bully and the worst thing that's ever been part of my life!" Willow yelled.
"Put…me…down!" Boscha ordered while gritting her teeth, feeling a great amount of pain from the vines' grip
"Never!" Willow replied in hatred.
But then, Seaspray used one of his sickles to quickly slice apart the vines and he caught Boscha in his palm, who took a moment to regain her breath.
"You might wanna take a breather, kid." Seaspray told Willow calmly.
"What're you doing, Seaspray! You can't trust her!" Willow exclaimed, shocked to see the aquatic Wrecker helping Boscha.
"It's terrible to see you too, leaf-brain." Boscha said insultingly.
"Do you two even know her?" Wheeljack questioned as Bulkhead gently pushed Willow back a bit.
"Yeah, that's Boscha." Gus replied, shooting a frown at the Triclops Witch.
"You mean the three-eyed bully you've known since you were little?" Bulkhead asked in surprise.
"The very same." Willow growled before she and Boscha marched up to each other, staring intently.
"I was wondering where you've been for the past few months. I'm guessing that stupid human and traitor, Amity, are also here?" Boscha asked with a sneer.
"You guessed right. And if you insult their names again, I'll bury you under a hundred plants." Willow threatened, only for Seaspray to separate them.
"Look, I get that the two of you have a bad history, but we shouldn't be fighting each other right now." Seaspray told them. "We've gotta work together if we wanna stay alive and keep the Cons from taking over our worlds."
"You expect me to work with this three-eyed jerk who's tormented me my entire life?!" Willow asked outrageously.
"I don't work with Half-A-Witches!" Boscha declared.
"Call me 'Half-A-Witch' one more time!" Willow yelled with a threatening glare.
"Both of you, cut it out!" Seaspray ordered firmly. "You're just gonna have to put up with each other so we can take down the scrap-heads that want us all dead. Got it?"
Willow and Boscha kept on glaring at each other in absolute hatred while the others looked on nervously. As much as they wanted to not work together, they both knew Seaspray was right.
"FINE!" Willow and Boscha shouted loudly before they both walked far away from each other.
"Awkward." Wheeljack whispered while rubbing the back of his head.
"Okay, now that we're officially working together without being at each other's friends…" Gus said, specifically turning towards Willow and Boscha as they huffed. "Let's all get to work."
(Linebreak)
"What's our next move, Sprays? Do we circle back to base?" Bulkhead asked on a communication device, which the Decepticons heard from the Nemesis.
"There is no base. The Cons blew the whole place into pieces." Seaspray replied.
"I guess we'll just have to think of something else." Gus admitted.
"The dimwit played right into my hands." Starscream said with a sinister chuckle.
"I can't believe Scream managed to pull this off." Dropkick whispered.
"Let's just hope it ends with the Wreckers' destruction." Shatter replied.
"Oh, it will. All Seekers to the flight deck." Starscream ordered on the communicator. "We have pinpointed the enemy!"
A bunch of Seeker Vehicons flew from the Nemesis and they started to approach the tracking signal that was tagged on Seaspray.
"They're closing in." Thundercracker commented.
"Attack, my armada." Starscream ordered while smirking deviously.
(Linebreak)
Back at the junkyard, Ratchet was still resting miserably in his vehicle mode while thinking about what Jazz said to him earlier and what he said about his Witch friends' world not mattering. However, the Autobot medic was snapped out of his thoughts when a bunch of laser blasts started raining down on his position and he transformed to see they were coming from Buzzsaw, the yellow doppelgänger of Laserbeak.
"What? That isn't Laserbeak." Ratchet muttered to himself.
"You're right. He's Buzzsaw, Autobot." A digital voice replied from behind.
Ratchet suddenly got grabbed from the back of his head by Soundblaster, who then tossed him into a bunch of outdated vehicles. Ratchet immediately stood back up and prepared for a fight, only Exhaust to suddenly appear on his left side with his blades in hand.
"Abandoning your own team when they need you the most? Now that's not very Autobot of you!" Exhaust mocked with a laugh.
The sword-wielding Mercenary swiped his swords at Ratchet and he was badly slashed on his right arm, scowling in pain as he then used one of the rusted cars as a shield against Buzzsaw's laser blasts.
"And here we thought you would've gone with your friends to help them. But no, you pushed them away." Soundblaster snickered.
"I already told Jazz that we've lost the battle! We don't have a chance to defeat Megatron!" Ratchet stated with a glare.
"When has that ever stopped you Autobots from winning on this planet?" A voice asked as Ratchet turned around and got slashed in the torso by Lockdown.
Exhaust took the opportunity to swiftly kick Ratchet three times and Soundblaster unleashed his tentacles, which grabbed Ratchet and slammed him down on the ground hard as Lockdown stood over him.
"I might not have been around in those events, but Starscream told me all about the impossible things you Autobots have managed to do. You've stopped Megatron from bringing an undead army through a Space Bridge, you stopped Unicron of all beings from fully awakening and destroying the planet, you got back the yellow Autobot's T-Cog when it seemed extremely damaged, and you even restored your precious leader's memories when it all seemed hopeless." Lockdown said while smiling in a sly way as Exhaust pinned a remorseful Ratchet down with his foot. "No matter how bad and hopeless things become, you Autobots and your little friends always manage to find a way to seize victory. But now, you're just turning your back on them and not even trying to make things right."
As Ratchet became even more guilt-ridden from these words he heard, Lockdown approached him with his hook hand ready for a powerful blow to finish him.
"And you call yourself an Autobot. Optimus would be ashamed." Lockdown said mockingly, raising his hook up.
But just when the Cybertronian bounty hunter brought down his hook, Ratchet suddenly caught it with his bare hand and redirected it towards Exhaust so that it slashed him away. Ratchet took the opportunity to stand up and he punched Lockdown twice, who ended up flying into the wooden fence.
"I am an Autobot!" Ratchet declared before pulling out one of his blades and slicing apart Soundblaster's tentacles, which tried to sneak up on him for a surprise attack.
"Gah! Stupid medic!" Soundblaster yelled painfully. "Buzzsaw, attack!"
Buzzsaw descended down and fired two laser shots at Ratchet, but the Autobot medic avoided the shots and he grabbed the Mini-Con drone before tossing him straight into Soundblaster's face while Exhaust recovered.
"Forget this! We've got better things to do!" Exhaust stated before he transformed and drove away.
"We'll let you off easy, medic! But next time, we'll make sure you're finished!" Lockdown warned threateningly. "Soundblaster, we're going back to the ship!"
"Fine." Soundblaster replied, connecting Buzzsaw back on his torso.
The two Mercenaries transformed and they escaped the junkyard in an attempt to make it back to their ship. Ratchet simply watched them leave as he continued thinking about what Lockdown said about his team always faced impossible odds and always managed to find a way to defeat them. His Cybertronian mind then switched over to Jazz and Vee saying they were going to the Harbinger to find the others and he finally knew what he needed to do now, putting on a determined expression.
(Linebreak)
At the mountain area, Starscream's Seeker armada arrived at the tracking signal's location and they transformed, landing on the ground near a river with their blasters out.
"We're at the coordinates, Commander Starscream." One of the Vehicon Seekers informed.
"Hold fast. They're approaching your position." Starscream replied on the com-link.
The Vehicon Seekers aimed their blasters at the end of the lake and saw something slowly streaming down it, which was soon revealed to be a log. Ontop of a far away cliff edge, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Seaspray, Willow, Gus and Boscha were watching the Vehicon Seekers.
"Targets in range." Bulkhead said.
"Get ready for flip the switch, Jackie." Seaspray told the swordsman Wrecker, who held a detonator in his hand.
As the log got closer to the Vehicons, the tracking device and one of Wheeljack's grenades was revealed to be inside it.
"And…boom." Wheeljack whispered with a sly smile, pressing on the detonator's button.
"GRENADE!" A Vehicon Seeker yelled upon seeing the explosive, only for him and all the others to be destroyed once the grenade exploded.
(Linebreak)
Starscream gasped in shock when he saw that his Seeker soldiers were wiped off the Nemesis' screen to indicate they had been destroyed.
"He…he tricked us." Starscream said in total disbelief as he turned to Megatron, who scowled in disappointment.
"Knew it was too good to be true." Dropkick said to Shatter, chuckling in satisfaction.
(Linebreak)
The Wreckers team saw the explosion from their position and they stood up.
"Now that was a cool explosion." Gus commented.
"It wasn't that impressive." Boscha muttered under her breath.
"So, how did you know the Cons planted a tracking device on you?" Willow asked Seaspray, ignoring her childhood bully.
"I figured the Decepti-creeps were up to something since Boscha and I escaped a little too easy, so I did a quick search under my front hood and found that little tracker." Seaspray explained.
"Hehe, that's our Sprays." Bulkhead said proudly.
"So, what do we do next?" Gus asked.
"I managed to grab a few equipment from the FlashFlood on my way here. Boscha helped out a little bit." Seaspray said while gesturing to the Triclops Witch.
"It was just a tiny favour." Boscha retorted. "You helped me and I did the same."
"Anyway, it should be all we need for what we're doing next." Seaspray told the team before he transformed. "If you thought that was a big bang, wait until you see what I've got planned next."
"We're with you, Sprays." Wheeljack said as he and Bulkhead transformed.
"You coming with us, Boscha? Or are you staying here and waiting for the Cons to send more soldiers?" Gus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It's not like I have a choice." Boscha grumbled, walking towards Seaspray.
"Just don't come anywhere near me, got it?" Willow asked, glaring intensely at the Triclops Witch.
"Say, how'd you even end up in the Human Realm in the first place?" Gus questioned.
"I'm not answering you." Boscha said rudely, jumping straight into Seaspray's seat.
Willow and Gus rolled their eyes and got into their respective Autobot guardians before all of them left the area.
(Linebreak)
At the same time, Bumblebee and Hunter had followed Dreadwing to a very familiar stone canyon. The yellow Autobot and the ex-Decepticon Captain soon came to a halt and they both transformed.
"So, this is the place?" Hunter asked while holding his Witch staff.
"Yes. The solution to finding your allies is in this area." Dreadwing answered.
"Hold on, this is where we found the Harbinger all those days ago." Bumblebee realised, looking around the canyon.
"The Harbinger?" Hunter repeated.
"Yes. It is an extremely old Decepticon warship that crashed on this planet eons ago. I had recently learned of it when Starscream returned to the Nemesis." Dreadwing said. "It should still be operational and have equipment you need to stand a chance against the Decepticons."
"It could prove handy as a temporary base of operations." Bumblebee admitted.
"You're right, Bee. Thanks for your help, Dreadwing." Hunter said, giving the ex-Con a kind smile. "Do you think you could help us fight back?"
"I'm afraid not. The only thing I can think of is following my own path, one that doesn't involve this war." Dreadwing replied. "The dishonour it has brought to my fellow Cybertronians is what caused the end of my twin."
"We…We understand. I just hope to see you again, one day." Hunter said, sighing softly.
"I believe we shall, young one." Dreadwing assured as he kneeled down and shook Hunter's hand respectfully. "I wish you and your team the best of luck in your mission."
The ex-Con then stood up and walked away a bit before he transformed, flying straight into the sky to unknown parts.
"I guess he's a pretty good Cybertronian, after all." Bumblebee said, until he then started to hear a faint engine noise. "Wait, what's that noise?"
"I don't know, but it's getting close." Hunter replied cautiously.
The two of them turned around and saw a vehicle driving straight towards their position, which was a familiar red Dodge Challenger. It soon stopped a few centimetres away from Bumblebee and Hunter and the door opened up before Amity stepped out of it with Ghost by her side, while Cliffjumper transformed into his vehicle mode and all of them were surprised to see each other.
"Bee?" Cliffjumper asked.
"Cliff?" Bumblebee asked.
"Hunter?" Amity asked.
"Amity?" Hunter asked.
"You're alive!/You're alive!" All four of them exclaimed happily before they happily embraced.
"Man, it's a relief to see you two!" Cliffjumper remarked. "That's a nice new colour scheme you've got, Bee!"
"Thanks, Cliff!" Bumblebee replied.
"How did you even get here?" Amity asked with a smile.
"We're here to use the Harbinger as a way to fight back." Hunter answered.
"That's what we're doing." Cliffjumper chuckled.
"Perfect! Let's all head towards it together!" Bumblebee stated enthusiastically before the reunited group rushed ahead to the crashed Decepticon ship.
They soon arrived inside the Harbinger and walked along the messy corridors, only to them hear some noises from a nearby room.
"Did you guys hear that?" Amity questioned quietly.
"Yeah, it came from there." Bumblebee answered, pointing to that room.
"Get ready. We don't know if it's a friend or foe." Cliffjumper warned.
The group slowly walked towards the room to get ready for an attack and they slowly looked into the room, but were surprised to see Vee and Jazz working with some of the equipment.
"Vee! Jazz!" Hunter called happily, earning their attention.
"You guys!" Vee exclaimed in excitement, rushing towards her friends.
"Hey, you all made it!" Jazz cheered.
Vee tightly hugged Amity and Hunter while Jazz gave Cliffjumper and Bumblebee a high-five each other.
"Let me guess, you always decided to use the Harbinger as a temporary base?" Amity asked.
"We sure did. All we have to do is get the power on." Vee said.
"Why don't we help out?" Cliffjumper suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea, Cliff." Jazz agreed.
The group soon got to work on powering up the Harbinger's systems. Bumblebee and Jazz plugged in a cable that filled up a nearby container with Energon.
"The Energon is all fuelled." Bumblebee said.
"Just hold it there, Bee." Hunter instructed.
"Okay, powering up right now." Cliffjumper announced as he typed on the terminal.
The room's lights began to shimmer a bit, but then they all died out and the group could only look down in disappointment.
"This stupid Decepticon tech is so outdated." Amity complained. "It'd take a miracle to get all of it working."
"Too bad none of us are science experts." Cliffjumper admitted.
"We just have to keep trying. I'm sure we'll be able to get everything working." Vee assured, turning back to the terminal.
"Day dat dat." A familiar voice said as everyone turned to the entrance to see who was there.
"Ratchet!" Hunter exclaimed.
"You're really here!" Bumblebee remarked.
"You're miscalibrating the Energon transducer." Ratchet told them, approaching the group.
While most of the others were glad to see Ratchet, Amity simply narrowed her eyes and turned away from the Autobot medic.
"How'd you know where to find us?" Cliffjumper asked.
"I made sure to keep the Harbinger's logged on my records in case we ever needed to return." Ratchet answered, moving past his three Autobots and working on the terminal. "Now, step out of my way so I can work."
"What happened to rusting in peace?" Jazz questioned while crossing his arms.
"I was convinced by some…unexpected visitors." Ratchet admitted.
"It's still good to have you back." Bumblebee said.
"Yeah, so good to see you again." Amity muttered spitefully.
"Anyway, we've gotta work on finding the others. There's no telling if Megatron's close to finding a way into the Boiling Isles." Cliffjumper told his team.
"That is a bit unlikely. Megatron has been more focused on seizing control over Earth and squandering his forces to find us lately." Ratchet said, turning towards them.
"So I guess that means he hasn't had time to find a way there." Hunter finished.
"Well, what did you expect? Our world doesn't matter and it never will, remember?" Amity reminded, shooting a glare towards Ratchet as Vee awkwardly rubbed her arm.
Ratchet could tell the three of them were still upset about what he said back at their base, Amity mostly. All he could do was sigh softly and look down at them with a remorseful expression.
"I was out of line when I said that. Okay? I…I should have considered the safety your world and how you're unable to go there instead of just Cybertron." Ratchet said, lowering his head to show how sincere he was. "And…perhaps you magic-wielding younglings could teach this old medic how to repair a few friendships?"
Ratchet then held out his hand to Amity, Hunter and Vee to see if they're willing to forgive him. Vee instantly smiled and placed her hand on Ratchet's palm while Hunter nodded kindly and did the exact same thing. Everyone then looked towards Amity, who was still looking away.
"What do you say, Mittens?" Cliffjumper asked.
After a few more seconds of pondering, Amity let out a sigh and approached Ratchet with a small smile.
"Well…I guess everyone deserves another chance. I speak from experience." Amity said before placing her hand on Vee and Hunter's, while Ratchet smiled down at them.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, Luz and Arcee were once again driving down the road in the middle of nowhere.
"The last time we were in a completely hopeless situation like this one, Optimus entrusted me with that key card so I could restore the Matrix and his memories." Luz reminded. "Something like that could help us again."
"I know you're feeling helpless, Luz. But this doesn't need to be your burden." Arcee told her. "We're all in this together and we'll find a solution."
"Yeah, we always do." Luz said.
But then, the two of them heard a powerful engine noise from behind and a large Cybertronian ship suddenly descended over them. Luz yelped in shock as the ship turned around and brought out some landing gears before slowly arriving in the ground, while the Hispanic girl got off Arcee and she quickly transformed.
"Get ready for anything." Arcee instructed, causing Luz to quickly bring out some of her Glyphs.
A platform then began to lower down from the bottom part of the ship while released a bunch of steam from inside as Arcee brought out her blasters. Two figures were shown to be exiting from the platform and they walked out from the steam to reveal themselves. They were both Cybertronians with Autobot symbols on their chests, but they did have different appearances. One of them was completely red with silver arms and legs, a red helmet, a muscular build and his arms came with a pair of powerful-looking cannons. The second Autobot was mainly white with red highlights, but what made him different was that he had a pair of wings on his back.
"Well, what do you know? We land on this planet for a single second and we've already found a familiar face." The muscular red Autobot said as he instantly spotted Arcee, smiling brightly at her.
"Good to see you, Arcee. It's been a long time." The winged Autobot said kindly in an Australian accent.
"Ironhide? Jetfire?" Arcee asked, very surprised as she lowered her blasters. "How did you two get here?"
"We just picked up some crazy signal and followed it to this dirt ball of a planet." Ironhide answered before he noticed Luz standing beside Arcee. "Who's your little friend?"
"This is Luz. I met her a few months ago and she's very nice when you get to know her." Arcee introduced.
"A young native on this world? They're a bit smaller than I imagined." Jetfire admitted, staring at Luz curiously.
"She is pretty tiny, I'll say that." Ironhide added before he approached Luz and aimed his cannons down at her. "You feeling lucky, little lady?"
"Uh…yes?" Luz asked with a nervous grin, sweating from seeing the cannons slowly power up.
"Ironhide, take it easy. She's young." Jetfire said as he grabbed the muscular red Autobot by his arm.
"Just kidding. I just wanted to show her my cannons." Ironhide replied.
"And I'm glad you didn't vaporise me with them." Lux said as she sighed in relief.
"You two sure have a nice ride here." Arcee complimented, referring to the Cybertronian ship the new Autobots arrived in.
"It ain't ours." Ironhide told her.
"Yeah, it belongs to the commander." Jetfire added.
"Commander?" Luz repeated.
Before they could get an answer from Ironhide or Jetfire, two more Cybertronians stepped out of the ship and revealed their appearances. One of them was male and coloured in blue with red accents, while also having a slightly similar appearance to Optimus with two structures on the top of his shoulders. The other one was female with a pink and white colour scheme, a white face with pink optics and a pair of wheel-like structures on her arms.
"Hello, Arcee." The pink and white female Autobot greeted kindly.
"Luz, I don't think we're gonna need that key card." Arcee said as she smiled at the other two new Autobots, while Luz was a little bit confused. "Meet Ultra Magnus and Elita One."
(Linebreak)
Back on the Nemesis, Megatron was scolding Starscream for another one of his failures.
"So not only did you fail to destroy the Autobots, but you allowed their numbers to increase." Megatron growled angrily. "Is there no one who can bring me their heads?!"
"We just don't have any good way of tracking them or overcome whatever tricks they have." Wildrider admitted.
"If I may, Lord Megatron, during my exile on Cybertron with Shatter and Dropkick, I resumed work on a long dormant project." Shockwave said as he approached the terminal and used it to display some cybernetic DNA structures. "One that I believe may provide a solution to our current problem."
"Is that what I think it is?" Thundercracker questioned curiously.
"Cyber nucleic acid?" Knock Out asked.
"The building blocks of all Cybertronian life." Shatter identified.
"Do you two know what this secret project even is?" Skywarp asked her and Dropkick. "You did stay with him, after all."
"He said it was top secret. We were never allowed to step into that room and see it." Dropkick replied with a shrug.
"Correct. This hailed from a specimen I excavated upon our planet and had yielded promising results." Shockwave told everyone.
"The Autobots continue to evade us. What makes you think we can afford to wait for the answer to our prayers to be birthed in some Petri dish?" Starscream asked rhetorically, not going along with Shockwave's solution.
"You misunderstand. The subject had been fully cultivated and it only needs only to be transported from my laboratory on Cybertron." Shockwave replied, leaving Starscream speechless.
"If these subject of yours is able to hunt down Autobots, that's definitely something we could all use." Breakdown proclaimed.
"Then by all means, activate the Space Bridge." Megatron ordered.
(Linebreak)
In a dark laboratory on Cybertron, the Space Bridge portal opened up and Shockwave walked into his old lab, approaching a large container that was filled with yellowish-green liquid and it also had something very large within. Shockwave approached a nearby terminal and pressed on some digital buttons, causing some of the lights to switch on and a bunch of electricity coursed down into the containment tube. The large creature inside then opened it's eyes and growled lowly as the yellowish-green liquid was drained away, while Shockwave simply watched.
(Linebreak)
At Darkmount, Megatron sat on his thrown and tapped his finger against the arm piece as Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Soundwave, Knock Out, Breakdown, Wildrider, Shatter and Dropkick stood near him.
"If Shockwave doesn't get here soon with his 'secret project', I'm just gonna leave this fortress and kill those stupid Autobots myself." Dropkick said impatiently.
"You are such a child." Shatter sighed, shaking her head.
Just then, the Space Bridge reappeared in front of some Vehicons at the back area and Shockwave walked out of it before approaching the others, curtsying to his master.
"I present to you, my liege…the ultimate Autobot hunter." Shockwave announced, gesturing towards the Space Bridge portal.
At that very moment, something very large and Cybertronian slowly emerged from the portal with vicious snarls. Whatever this beast was, it had a long tail, a mouth full of unfriendly teeth, extremely sharp talons and a super long tail that was coated in spikes. Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp took some steps back in fear, Shatter and Dropkick looked at each other in bewilderment before looking back at the huge beast, and Megatron rose from his throne in absolute astonishment as the ginormous creature in front of them let out a loud roar to make it's presence fully known.
This has got to be the longest chapter I have ever done
Be sure to leave a review of what you thought :)