Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, The Owl House or their characters
The scene started to show the middle of a large rock-made landmark with a ginormous mountain in it, with a cave entrance being at the very bottom of this mountain. Some drilling noises could be heard from inside the mountain and it was revealed to be coming from some Vehicon minors using some drilling machines to pierce their way through the stone walls. Some Insecticons were assisting by moving away some boulders with their great strength and even digging their way through the walls. Walking up to the middle of this huge Decepticon mining operation was Shockwave, who was accompanied by Shatter and Dropkick.
"It would appear that this entire mining operation to secure the Predacon specimens that were detected here is moving along at a steady pace." Shockwave said.
"Starscream actually did something right for once." Dropkick admitted, a little upset over how the air commander was the one who detected that energy signature in the first place.
"We have the better end of this job, partner." Shatter replied as she placed a hand on his arm. "Lord Megatron expects us to recover the bones for Project Predacon to be a success."
"I'm still not sure it was a good idea for you to come all the way here instead of working in your offsite lab like you're supposed to be doing, Shockwave." Dropkick told the one-eyed scientist.
"This is a simple operation of retrieving numerous specimens requires my immediate supervision for it to be successful." Shockwave proclaimed. "Should the Autobots arrive to intervene, we shall simply evacuate through a Ground Bridge."
"Sounds reassuring." Dropkick said.
Just then, Shatter started to receive a beeping noise and looked at her arm to see it was an incoming transmission from the Nemesis.
"It seems we're receiving a call from the Nemesis." Shatter said.
"Put it through." Shockwave instructed.
Shatter nodded before she typed a few codes on her arm and it began emitting a holographic communication with Megatron and Starscream.
"Shockwave, Shatter, Dropkick, I trust that all three of you have been making sure our top mining operation has been progressing well?" Megatron asked.
"Indeed, Lord Megatron. All of our forces in the mine have operated well, thought we have yet to uncover any Decepticon bones." Shockwave replied.
"Is that so? Well then, master, perhaps you should assign me to oversee the operation instead of Shockwave. He's more suited to working in that offsite laboratory of his." Starscream said with an arrogant smile.
"That's what I said, but it isn't happening." Dropkick retorted.
"Shockwave is fine enough to be in charge of the mining operation, and he has us for extra defence against intruders." Shatter said.
"Oh, really? Shockwave must rely on the two of you for protection?" Starscream asked tauntingly. "I supposed that means he isn't as capable as-"
"Enough, Starscream!" Megatron demanded, making the air Commander shut up. "Your recent follies have made it far too clear that you're not suitable for this operation. Is that understood?"
"Ugh…yes, my liege." Starscream replied, lowing his head in defeat.
"While Shatter and Dropkick may prove to be a logical force against any Autobots that infiltrate the mine, their greater numbers have proven we require more great warriors in our ranks." Shockwave explained. "Fortunately, I have recently been able to make contact with two old assistants of mine that have been also been stranded on Cybertron for some time."
"Are these assistants of yours even capable enough?" Starscream questioned, unconvinced.
"Indeed. They were able to subdue a certain group of Autobots that proved to be far more extraordinary than I anticipated." Shockwave answered. "Soundwave should be sending a Space Bridge for them, soon."
Just then, a Space Bridge portal appeared next to the Decepticons and they all turned their attention to it
"Looks like he already did it." Dropkick said.
The Decepticons then started to hear a couple of snarling noises and emerging from the Space Bridge were a pair of Insecticons in their insect forms, but these two were much different than the normal ones. They were both coloured purple and light-green, the one on the left resembled a stag beetle and the right one resembled a grasshopper.
"Insecticons? Really?" Starscream asked in disbelief. "These creatures are your assistants that will help us turn the the tide against our enemies?"
"They are far more than the Insecticons we possess in our ranks." Shockwave replied.
"He's right about that." The stag beetle Insecticon agreed with a hiss, much to Starscream, Shatter and Dropkick's surprise.
The two new Insecticons then transformed into their robot modes. The stag beetle had his two mouth pinchers pointed upwards on his back with a few scar marks on his body and the grasshopper had a red visor and his large appendages were located on his back.
"Hello, Shockwave. It's good to be back. Back. Back." The grasshopper Insecticon said, giggling a bit.
"These two seem a bit more intelligent than the others." Shatter admitted.
"That's because we are." The stag beetle Insecticon replied. "The two of us are the great commanders of all Insecticons."
"Ah, I had almost forgotten about both of you." Megatron said, not recognising the two new Insecticons. "It is such a surprise you're both functional and still working with Shockwave."
"It's always a pleasure to see you, Lord Megatron." The grasshopper Insecticon replied.
"Wait, aren't you two those more intelligent creatures Shockwave recruited back on Cybertron?" Starscream questioned.
"Indeed. I'm Sharpshot, and this is Kickback." The stag beetle Insecticon, Sharpshot, introduced.
"That's me. Me. Me." Kickback added as he once again laughed in a psychotic way.
"Sharpshot and Kickback were two of a more evolved form of Insecticons I discovered back on Cybertron. It stands to reason they were some of the first of their kind." Shockwave explained.
"But our loyalty to the Decepticons isn't the only thing that brought us here." Sharpshot admitted.
"Sharpshot is right. Right. Right." Kickback agreed. "We know our brother, Hardshell, came to this pitiful planet and that his Spark was extinguished."
Hearing this, Megatron nodded to Shockwave and the one-eyed Decepticon started to show a holographic screen of when Hardshell was killed in his battle against Seaspray.
"It is indeed true that Hardshell perished in battle, but not by the Autobots' hands." Megatron said before the screen showed an image of Willow, making clear she was the one who killed Hardshell.
"In that case, we'll make sure to rip apart the fleshling who took our brother's life the moment we set optics on her." Sharpshot vowed with a snarl.
"That attitude of yours is quite interesting, insect." Shatter admitted.
"They do appear to be fit for joining our ranks on Earth. I trust that you and Kickback will do well in assisting Shockwave in our attempts to make Project Predacon a success, Sharpshot?" Megatron asked.
"You can count on us, Lord Megatron." Sharpshot replied, bowing in respect.
"If any Autobots show up, we'll destroy them all. All. All!" Kickback stated while laughing insanely.
"That bug's a real whack job." Dropkick whispered to Shatter.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile at Gravesfield, the rebuilding of the entire town was still going smoothly. Luz and the Hexside Squad were also here so they could assist Camila in her part to rebuild the town. Amity and Willow used their respective magic to summon Abomination arms and large vines from the ground, which then carried a bunch of wood up to the wrecked roof of the Noceda house where Luz, Vee and Camila were working at.
"Here comes a few more wood to help keep the roof sturdy." Amity called.
"Thanks, you two." Vee replied, grabbing a few wooden planks as Luz hammered some nails in.
"Man, I didn't know construction was such hard work. And it's for the whole town, no less." Luz admitted, wiping off some sweat.
"You'll get used to it, Mija. It's never easy at first." Camila said while using brown paint on the white roof tiles.
"I'd say we'll have the whole house fixed up in just a week and a half." Gus said, helping Hunter move in the new furniture.
"That sounds nice." Willow replied.
"What do you think the Autobots are up to, right now?" Skara asked as she and Boscha were smoothing out some wood with sandpaper.
"Probably looking for some more robot dragon bones." Boscha answered.
"Let's just hope they're all doing an okay job and not getting themselves blasted apart." Luz said.
"Since when has that ever happened to them, Luz?" Amity asked reassuringly.
"Yeah, Optimus and the others are going to be fine." Willow added.
"I guess you're right." Luz said, putting on a calm smile.
As the Hexside Squad kept working on the rebuilding of the house, the kids then started to hear a strange noise that was far away and sounded like growling. The Hexside Squad turned to where they heard the growl and saw it came from the woods nearby.
"Uh…what the heck was that?" Skara questioned.
"I don't know, but it didn't sound nice." Gus admitted.
"It was probably that strange creature I told you kids about. I still have no idea what it is." Camila said.
"Have you tried taking a look to see what it is?" Hunter asked.
"Every time I try to see it, that creature always manages to escape." Camila replied. "From the sound of its footsteps, it's something really grande."
"Well, we could try checking it out." Amity suggested.
"If it's something endangered or a threat, we can take care of it." Gus added.
"Are you kids sure?" Camila asked, a little surprised by their request. "You don't exactly know what that creature is."
"It can't be any worse than a Decepticon." Willow assured.
"Just let that thing attack. It'll be the last mistake it makes." Boscha said with a smirk, lighting up a small flame with her finger.
"You can trust us to be safe, Mama." Luz told her mother.
"Okay then. Just make sure that none of you get a single scratch." Camila instructed.
"We won't, Mrs Noceda." Skara replied as she and the others grouped up.
"Our Palismen are just inside. Can you look after them?" Amity asked.
"Of course, I will." Camila answered kindly.
"Thanks." Hunter said before the Hexside Squad ventured into the woods, intent on finding this strange creature that has been reported in the reconstruction site.
(Linebreak)
A little while later, the Hexside Squad was seen walking through the forest and could see nothing but lots of trees and bushes.
"I don't see anything." Vee said as she took a quick sniff. "Or smell anything."
"Camila wasn't kidding. This creature is tough to find." Willow admitted.
"Well, it's not like any of us can use Beast Keeping magic." Gus reminded.
"We've just got to keep looking around." Luz said in encouragement. "All we need to do is keep our eyes open, listen around every part of the woods and we'll be able to find this mystery creature."
"It could still take a while." Amity replied.
But then, the Hexside Squad heard some rustling noises and they quickly turned around to see it was coming from a nearby bush that moved about roughly.
"Or right this second." Boscha said, a little bit concerned.
"What do you think's gonna come out of there?" Gus asked.
"We're about to find out." Hunter replied cautiously, getting into a fighting stance.
"Everyone, get ready." Luz instructed before she brought out a few Glyphs. "This thing might be looking for a fight."
The rest of the Hexside Squad began to activate their magical abilities and prepared to face whatever was about to emerge from the bush. As the bush shook even more roughly, something then jumped out of it and the Hexside Squad yelped as they got ready to attack, only to quickly stop when they saw it was just a white rabbit. The rabbit twitched its nose a bit and then hopped away, while the Hexside Squad calmed down and deactivated their magic.
"Never mind. It was just a lovely, little rabbit." Amity said, giggling sheepishly a bit.
"Guess that means there isn't any strange creature in this place, after all." Willow commented.
"Looks that way. I can't wait to tell Mama she's been worried over nothing." Luz said in relief, only for something very large to suddenly land behind the Hexside Squad.
"Oh Titan, you've gotta be joking." Skara muttered, not liking how things were jinxed.
The Hexside Squad slowly turned around and they all became very shocked when they saw that standing behind and over them was a male Cybertronian they haven't seen before. He was coloured red on his chest with a yellow piece in the middle and his arms and legs were silver-steel. He also had a blue visor and wings on his back. The new Cybertronian groaned a little bit while stretching his arm around.
"Okay, that was a pretty rough landing. Still feels great to fly about instead of being cooped up in a cage for astro cycles." The new Cybertronian said to himself as he then turned around, only to then notice the Hexside Squad staring at him. "Uhhh…"
"S-Stay back, whoever you are!" Gus ordered nervously as he and the others got defensive with the new Cybertronian.
"Don't think about trying to kill us!" Boscha threatened.
"I'll drain your Energon!" Vee added.
"Woah, woah, woah! Take it easy there, little creatures!" The new Cybertronian exclaimed. "I never did anything to you all!"
"Hold on…" Luz said curiously as she squinted her eyes and noticed a familiar symbol on the new Cybertronian's wing. "You're an Autobot?!"
"What?!" The rest of the Hexside Squad asked in surprise.
"Hey, how the heck do you know what an Autobot is?!" The new Autobot questioned.
"Because we're friends with a lot of them, including Optimus Prime." Luz replied.
"No way! Optimus is on this planet?! That's great!" The new Autobot stated excitedly. "Man, this is the best news I've had in a long time!"
"Well if you're an Autobot, then I supposed that means you're trustworthy." Amity said as she calmed down, along with her friends.
"We're sorry for getting hostile with you." Hunter apologised.
"No worries, pal. I ain't one to hold grudges." The new Autobot reassured. "So, do you little organics have names?"
"Si, I'm Luz Noceda." Luz introduced. "The others with me are Amity, Willow, Gus, Hunter, Vee, Skara and Boscha."
"It's nice to meet you…" Skara began to say, only to realise she and the others didn't know who the new Autobot actually was. "What's your name?"
"Name's Swoop, one of the greatest high-flyers in the Autobot unit." The new Autobot, Swoop, answered in a cool way.
"That landing didn't look great." Willow said sarcastically, referring to how he crashed earlier.
"Yeah, it's been a while since I've been in the air." Swoop admitted. "I've just been imprisoned on a stinking ship for way too long."
"Really? That does sound pretty bad." Skara said.
"How long have you even been on Earth for, Swoop?" Luz asked curiously.
"Just about two or three days. It's just been me and my pals." Swoop answered.
"Wait, your pals?" Skara repeated.
"Yeah, I ain't the only Autobot who was stuck on a ship. I've got a whole team with me." Swoop said with a smile.
"Swoop!" A new voice called out.
"Where did you go?!" Another voice asked loudly.
"Speaking of which…" Swoop began to say, turning to his left side.
The Hexside Squad followed his gaze and they suddenly saw three more Cybertronians emerge from the trees. They had the same colours as Swoop, but each of them had different features. One of them had a headpiece perched behind his head that resembled that of a Triceratops, the second had red technological plates on his legs and larger ones on his back, and the third and final one had the most bulky appearance with a yellow piece that resembled a creature's head located on the top of his back.
"Hey, guys. Did you all see my sweet flying tricks?" Swoop asked.
"Don't try to get out of this one, Swoop. We were ordered to stay out of sight." The first Autobot scolded in a calm-upset way. "What if this planet's natives saw us?"
"I think they already did." The second Autobot replied, gesturing towards the Hexside Squad.
"Oh, for the love of Primus." The third Autobot muttered to himself while facepalming. "Way to be incognito, Swoop."
"It's cool, guys. They're not gonna try to hurt us." Swoop assured before he turned to Luz and her friends. "Kids, let me introduce you all to my teammates. Slug, Snarl and Sludge."
"Uh, hey there." Luz greeted, grinning nervously.
"Nice to meet you all." Gus added while chuckling to himself.
"Why do most of those little fleshlings have pointy ears, but that female one doesn't?" Sludge questioned, noticing the difference between Luz and her friends.
"Forget that. One of them's got three eyes." Snarl replied.
"Thanks for noticing, obvious bot." Boscha said sarcastically.
"Hold on, your name is Slug?" Amity questioned, raising an eyebrow at said Autobot.
"Yes. You got a problem with that?" Slug asked.
"Not at all." Hunter said quickly.
"We originally planned to call him Slag, but he kinda took it as an insult." Swoop whispered.
"Yeah, that would make sense." Skara agreed.
"Anyway, Luz is the only one who's a human." Vee told the new Autobots. "I'm actually a shapeshifting demon that's meant to be extinct and the others are Witches."
"What's a Witch?" Snarl asked confusingly.
"It's what we are." Hunter answered.
"And we're able to use magical abilities of different types." Amity said.
"Magic? Are you pulling our circuits?" Sludge asked, unconvinced.
"It's the truth." Boscha replied with her arms crossed.
"Still, it's always nice to meet some new Autobots." Luz said, wanting to ease things up. "The four of you look like a great team."
"Well, we wouldn't be a great team without our leader." Slug told her.
"Really? Who is this leader of yours?" Willow asked.
"Let's just say that he's big and mean." Swoop admitted, until they all heard some very thunderous footsteps approaching. "And…he's already here."
"Yeah, he kinda followed us." Snarl said awkwardly as he, Slug and Sludge moved away.
Stepping out from the forest was another new Autobot, but he was way bigger than the others. Even bigger than Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, to be honest. He had a black helmet piece with a red visor, a gold-yellow chest with red circular parts on the upper area and triangular shaped objects that surrounded the area of his head and kinda resembled teeth. The ginormous Autobot stood tall in an intimidating way before it stared down at the Hexside Squad, growling lowly as the children felt very nervous around him.
"Guys…I'm scared." Skara whispered fearfully.
"Skara…we're all scared." Boscha replied as there was a strong moment of silence. "…Well, except for me."
"Swoop, you made contact with organics?!" The giant Autobot asked angrily, marching up to Swoop and glaring in his face.
"Take it easy, Grim! This ain't what it looks like!" Swoop protested.
"I told you to avoid contact with natives!" The giant Autobot scolded in fury.
"Honestly, I can explain! I was just doing a bit of flying to stretch my wings, I had a bit of trouble landing and then I met these kids here!" Swoop explained. "But they're not a threat to us! You okay with that?"
"I'm not okay with any of this!" The new Autobot growled.
"You should listen to Swoop, boss. These organics are just kids, after all." Slug admitted.
"How can you even be sure?" The new Autobot asked firmly.
"You don't have to trust us straight away." Luz said, causing the giant Autobot to turn straight at her. "But, don't any of you trust Optimus or the other Autobots?"
"Optimus is on this planet?" The new Autobot questioned.
"Yeah, and we've been working with him for a long time." Amity replied. "We've even been helping them fight back against the Decepticons."
"Perfect. As if getting caught by those stupid Mercenaries was bad enough." Sludge said irritatingly.
"Wait, Mercenaries?" Gus repeated. "Are you talking about Lockdown and his crew?"
"Yeah, those guys captured us back on Cybertron and they've been keeping us locked up in their ship ever since." Snarl explained. "We only managed to escape when they landed in this area and never came back."
"That does sound pretty bad." Vee said.
"What do you think even happened to Lockdown and his crew?" Skara asked.
"We don't know and we don't care." Sludge answered.
"All that matters is that we've managed to escape and we're trying to find a way off this planet." Slug added.
"And we don't need little creatures like you in our way." The new Autobot declared, glaring down at the Hexside Squad.
"What did you call us, pal?" Boscha asked, feeling a bit agitated.
"Okay, let's all just calm down for a bit." Luz said reasonably. "Who are you again, Mr huge Autobot?"
"Grimlock." The new Autobot, Grimlock, answered.
"Well, Grimlock, we're not trying to cause you and your team any trouble. But, we could really use your help on our team." Luz told him.
"If it's a team with Optimus Prime, then I'm not interested." Grimlock said rudely, turning away.
"Does he not like Optimus?" Willow asked the other new Autobots.
"Let's just say that Grimlock's not a big fan of how Optimus commands things." Slug replied. "He always thinks it's better to destroy the enemy at the source than using more cautionary and pacifism ways to win a war."
"So basically, Optimus and Grimlock don't see eye to eye." Skara said in understanding.
"That's right." Snarl answered.
"Come on, Grim. You can't turn down an offer to join the team of the big Bot himself." Swoop told his leader.
"I said we're not joining. The only thing I want is to leave this planet." Grimlock answered in a stubborn way.
"What if we could make a deal?" Luz suggested, causing the large Autobot to stop in his tracks. "If you join our team and help us defeat Megatron, we can find a way to help you and your team leave Earth. There could also be a way to bring Cybertron back to life."
"That's nearly impossible." Sludge said.
"Nothing's ever impossible unless you give it a try." Amity replied.
"So what do you say, Grimlock?" Luz asked hopefully.
Grimlock stood silently as his team and the Hexside Squad stared at him in anticipation, wondering what his response would be. The large Autobot then turned around and stomped towards Luz, bending down at her for a closer face-to-face talk.
"I have two conditions if I join." Grimlock said while scowling firmly, which didn't intimidate Luz. "One, I only follow Optimus' orders if I agree to them. Two, me and my team get transport off this planet the second we destroy the Decepticons."
"That can be arranged, Grim." Luz replied with a nod. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Optimus and I agree to the terms of our deal."
Grimlock was a little bit surprised that this human he randomly just met was being so calm and reasonable with him, but he simply stood up and took it off his mind.
"Nice to see you're making progress, Grim." Swoop quipped.
"Be quiet, Swoop." Grimlock hissed.
"So, where exactly is Optimus and his team?" Slug asked.
"They're at a military base that's really far from here." Hunter explained.
"I'll call Ratchet to Ground Bridge us there." Gus said before bringing out his Scroll and typing in a number.
"Let's just hope they're not too busy with something." Willow said.
(Linebreak)
Back at the large mountain where the Decepticon mining operation was happening, a Ground Bridge opened up in front of the entrance and all the members of Team Prime drove out. The Autobots transformed and looked around cautiously for any enemies, only to see there were no guards.
"Looks like we're all clear." Bulkhead said.
"So, this is where the Cons have been seen mining into?" Ironhide asked, turning to the cave entrance.
"Agent Fowler's coordinates were not wrong, Ironhide. If they are indeed mining for more Predacon bones in here, we must put an end to their operation." Optimus announced.
"Let's just hope they haven't been able to dig up some bones already." Cliffjumper admitted.
"Don't you think we should've brought the kids along?" Wheeljack asked.
"They were busy with rebuilding their hometown from Megatron's attack. It's best if we leave them to it." Elita replied.
"That's a good point." Jetfire agreed.
"Now then, let us proceed inside with caution." Ultra Magnus instructed. "The Decepticons have most likely established challenging defences."
"We're prepared for anything." Seaspray proclaimed, bringing out his sickles.
The Autobots began to make their way into the Decepticon mine, not knowing that they were being watched by a Cybertronian camera that was perched on the top entrance above.
(Linebreak)
Shockwave, Shatter and Dropkick saw Team Prime entering from their position inside the mine.
"Looks like the Autobots did come, after all." Dropkick commented.
"Shall we have our forces prepare for their arrival, Shockwave?" Shatter asked as she felt battle-ready.
"Negative. I believe we should have our new recruits handle them." Shockwave answered, referring to his two Insecticon acquaintances.
(Linebreak)
Team Prime continued to make their way down the cave towards where the Decepticon mine is located.
"I'm not getting any readings. We must be too deep the the mountain for any signals to work." Arcee said while holding a scanner device, which showed only static.
"Perfect. Guess that means we're not gonna be able to call Ratchet back at base." Jazz muttered.
"Our only option is to keep our advantage of surprise so that we may be able to attack the Decepticons before they find the Predacon bones." Optimus said.
"That shouldn't be a problem." Smokescreen replied.
"We don't exactly have the best luck with stealth." Wheeljack reminded.
Eventually, the Autobots made it towards the other end of the tunnel and they quickly got behind some nearby boulders for hiding cover. They all looked ahead and saw the Decepticon mining operation a few feet away from them, with drilling machines still puncturing holes and Insecticons digging their way in.
"Well, that's some operation they've got going." Bulkhead whispered.
"It doesn't look like they've found any bones, yet." Bumblebee said.
"Then we'd better make sure they never get their hands on them." Wheeljack replied. "What's the play, Optimus?"
"Without knowing when the Decepticons will unearth the Predacon bones, we must make our move immediately." Optimus said as he shifted his hand into a blaster, causing the rest of the team to bring out their respective weapons.
"We're prepared, sir." Ultra Magnus replied, gripping the Forge tightly.
"Just say the words and we'll bring the pain." Cliffjumper added.
But unknown to Team Prime, something was crawling above them on the stone ceiling and that something was Kickback in his Insecticon form.
"Get ready. We attack on three…two…" Elita started to say as the Autobots were just about ready to attack.
"THREE!" Kickback suddenly yelled before jumping straight down and causing the startled Autobots to quickly look at him.
"Move!" Jazz exclaimed.
Team Prime quickly rolled out of the way just as Kickback landed on the ground with a thunderous stomp from his grasshopper legs. Kickback then transformed and he turned his attention to Team Prime, who surrounded him.
"Well, if it isn't the Autobots. It's been far too long. Long. Long." Kickback snickered sinisterly.
"And who're you supposed to be, bug?" Seaspray questioned.
"It's Kickback, and I've got orders to scrap all of you while my friends dig up a bunch of bones. Bones. Bones." Kickback answered.
"Why does he keep repeating his last words?" Jetfire asked quietly, earning a shrug from Ironhide.
"He's definitely got some circuits loose, that's for sure." Cliffjumper quipped.
"I'm not crazy. I just find it fun to rip apart Autobots like you and feast on your dismantled metal!" Kickback stated psychotically, laughing his head off.
"Definitely crazy." Smokescreen said.
"We don't have time for you, bug-brain." Bulkhead said with a scowl.
"Then perhaps you have time for me to give you a sidekick?" Kickback asked.
"None of us are sidekicks, we're a team." Arcee retorted.
"I meant this kind of sidekick!" Kickback stated before he transformed and knocked away Bumblebee and Jazz with his grasshopper legs.
"Autobots, engage!" Ultra Magnus ordered.
Arcee, Cliffjumper, Smokescreen, Ironhide and Jetfire started to fire their respective blasters at Kickback, who used his grasshopper form's superior jumping power to leap around the walls and avoid them. Bulkhead and Wheeljack brought out their wrecking ball and swords respectively and they both rushed towards Kickback, only for the grasshopper Insecticon to leap over them and transform before slashing at the two Wreckers with his back appendages.
"This is so much fun! Fun! Fun!" Kickback stated before laughing like a lunatic.
"See if you think this is fun!" Seaspray retorted, tossing both his sickles at the Insecticon.
Kickback couldn't react in time as he was hit by the sickles, leaving two slash marks on his body as he snarled in pain a bit. Arcee took the opportunity to strike Kickback with a few slashes from his wrist blades and Elita kicked him down on the head before Ultra Magnus charged forward and slammed Kickback away with the Forge. Optimus then grabbed Kickback by his chest and slammed him down on the ground, leaving the Insecticon in a crater as Optimus then aimed his mini-gun at him.
"Surrender now and you may stay online." Optimus told him.
"Did ya really think you could beat us all on your own, bug?" Ironhide asked tauntingly.
"You were really out of your mind, in more ways than one." Smokescreen commented, smirking down at Kickback.
"Hehehe. Who said I was alone, fools?" Kickback asked while chuckling evilly.
"What do you mean?" Elita asked in suspicion.
Before the Autobots knew it, they were all blasted with an electrical blast from behind and they shouted out in pain before the electric attack ended and they collapsed to the ground. The electric attack was shown to have come from Sharpshot, who walked up to Kickback and helped him back on his feet.
"You should've just let me do that from the start." Sharpshot said.
"Where is the fun in that? That? That?" Kickback questioned. "I wanted to play with them for a bit."
"And you nearly got terminated." Sharpshot retorted.
Just then, the Vehicon miners and the Insecticons showed uo and they all aimed their blasters at the downed Autobots, while Optimus groaned and slightly opened his eyes. The Autobot leader looked around at the Decepticon forces surrounding him and his team before Shockwave, Shatter and Dropkick walked up to him.
"Well, look what we've got here." Dropkick said smugly.
"How nice of you and your Autobots to arrive at our new operation." Shatter added.
"You and your Autobots should have been wise not to trespass in our area of operations, Prime." Shockwave told the Autobot leader. "The only logical thing for you to do now is surrender."
"If you don't, then you can watch as we tear your Autobots apart, one at a time." Sharpshot threatened while holding up Arcee by her head.
"You'd better make the right choice. Choice. Choice." Kickback snickered.
Optimus could see all the Vehicon miners and Insecticons were aiming their blasters towards his weakened teammates, threatening to shoot them if he didn't surrender. Knowing there was no other choice, Optimus lowered his head in defeat.
"Very well." Optimus said.
"Excellent." Dropkick said as he seemed to be smirking with his non-existent mouth. "Take them away and keep a close eye on them."
"Yesss, we wouldn't want them trying anything suspicious." Sharpshot said in agreement.
A bunch of Insecticons began to drag away the Autobots to a secure place so that they can remain prisoners until their mining operation was done.
"Yep. We should've brought the kids." Jazz muttered, barely conscious.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile at Unit E, Ratchet was working at the terminal and attempting to contact Optimus or any of the Autobots for a status update on their mission.
"Optimus, can you hear me? Have you infiltrated the Decepticon mine, yet?" Ratchet asked, only to get static in response. "Optimus? Ultra Magnus? Elita One? Can any of you hear me?"
Just then, a Ground Bridge opened up and Ratchet turned his attention towards it to see the Hexside Squad walking out of it.
"Hey, Ratchet. Thanks for getting my call and sending us that Bridge." Gus said with a smile.
"Yeah, we thought you and the rest of Team Prime would be too busy with other things." Skara admitted.
"Well, everyone else is currently investing an Decepticon mine that may contain some Predacon bones within." Ratchet replied. "So far, they haven't reported in."
"I'm sure they're all fine." Boscha said casually.
"Anyway, we've got a pretty big surprise for you, Ratchet." Luz told the Autobot medic.
"And we mean really, really big." Amity said, a bit more warningly.
"What would you mean by that?" Ratchet asked, slightly curious.
The Hexside Squad stepped aside and emerging from the Ground Bridge was Grimlock, Swoop, Slug, Snarl and Sludge, much to Ratchet's utter astonishment.
"This is your base?" Grimlock asked while looking around, very unimpressed. "Humans have small buildings."
"I'd say we could probably fit a few of our old stuff back on Cybertronian in this place." Slug admitted.
"It can't be." Ratchet gasped in disbelief, earning the new Autobots' attention. "Grimlock? You're here…with your team."
"Hey, look who it is!" Swoop remarked happily before he pulled Ratchet in for an embrace. "It's good old Ratchet, the best medic in the Autobot buisness! I've missed ya, pal!"
"Swoop, please release me." Ratchet grunted, not liking his personal space being violated.
"Oh yeah, my bad." Swoop apologised as he quickly let go. "It's just great to see ya again."
"So you, Optimus and a few others have been resting on this planet after the exodus from Cybertron?" Snarl asked.
"We have. And what about the five of you?" Ratchet questioned curiously. "Last I heard, all of you were at Shockwave's lab facility and attempting to shut down the Space Bridge tower he constructed there."
"Space Bridge tower?" Vee repeated.
"It's a long story." Slug replied.
"We were there and I went to the tower alone to destroy it, and settle a score with Shockwave." Grimlock said, showing anger just from mention the one-eyes scientist's name.
"Sounds like the big grumpy guy doesn't like Shockwave that much." Boscha quipped.
"That's one way to put it." Sludge agreed. "Those blasted Insecticons kidnapped my team and they took them to Shockwave, who did a bunch of crazy experiments on them. In the end, my team managed to escape by using the new alternate modes Shockwave modified onto them."
"He treated you all like lab experiments?" Vee asked horrifyingly, knowing just what it was like to be using in terrible experiments. "That's plain cruel."
"But what about you, Sludge?" Willow asked. "Weren't you with your team, too?"
"No, I wasn't. Those Insecticons decided to keep me in their underground hive to feast on my body." Sludge answered grimly while clenching his fists. "I was forced to go into stasis lock for a very long time."
"After Grim destroyed that tower and we dug him outta the rubble, we went back to the Sea of Rust to find Sludge." Swoop explained. "He was really messed up and barley had any Energon left inside him."
"Our only hope to save his life was to bring him back to the lab and fill up his Spark with all the Energon we could find." Slug added. "We had to use some special equipment to truly bring him back on online and it ended up giving him an new alternate form like us."
"But we didn't get a chance to celebrate being back together when Lockdown and his Mercenaries showed up on Cybertron and launched a surprise attack on us." Snarl admitted. "He hauled us straight into his ship and kept up locked away in cages as trophies. We were stuck there for eons."
"Fortunately for us, that all changed when those Primus-forsaken scavengers went missing in the woods and we managed to break ourselves out." Grimlock continued. "All we've ever wanted to do since then is leave and be free, without anyone trying to capture us like animals."
"I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like all five of you have been through so much trouble." Ratchet said in sympathy.
"You might say that, doc." Sludge replied.
"But now that they're here, I've made a deal with Grimlock." Luz said. "He and his team are going to help us fight against the Decepticons and we'll give them safe transport off Earth once the job's done."
"So where is Optimus, anyway?" Grimlock questioned. "I wasn't expecting him of all Autobots to be absent."
"Like I told the children, Optimus and his team are currently away on a mission to find more Predacon bones before the Decepticons can." Ratchet answered.
"Wait, Predacons?" Swoop repeated. "Aren't those things supposed to be extinct?"
"Not anymore. The Decepticons managed to clone one back to life and now they're trying to create a whole army of them." Amity replied.
"That's just the kind of thing Megatron would do." Snarl said with a scowl.
"And this might not be a good time to mention it…but Shockwave is also with them." Skara admitted, shrinking down nervously.
Everyone in the base turned their attention to Grimlock, who was starting to show signs of pure uncontrollable anger building up from hearing Shockwave was also on Earth.
"If he really is with Megatron, I'm going to tear him apart at his one-eyed head." Grimlock snarled.
"You'll get your chance, boss." Slug reassured.
"So, has Prime and the others told you if they did a successful job?" Swoop asked Ratchet.
"Not yet. I've been unable to make any communications with the team ever since they departed." Ratchet admitted.
"Do you think they're alright?" Vee asked, a little bit concnerd.
"There's only one way to know for sure. Ratchet, you've got to Ground Bridge us to where they went." Lux told the Autobot medic.
"Are you sure, Luz? There may be many Decepticons in that mine for all of you to face." Ratchet warned.
"Since when have numbers ever meant anything to us?" Willow asked with a confident smile.
"We can handle whatever those Cons use against us, Doc." Boscha proclaimed.
"In that case, we're coming with you." Sludge told the Hexside Squad.
"It's been a long time since we've gotten to take down some stupid Cons." Swoop said eagerly.
"What do you say, Grimlock?" Snarl asked his leader.
Grimlock looked down for a bit with a reluctant look on his face, making everyone else feel a bit uneasy as they thought he wouldn't like the idea of rescuing Optimus. After a few intense seconds, Grimlock let our a sigh of defeat.
"Fine, but only because I want to crush some Decepticons." Grimlock said.
"We're fine with that." Hunter assured.
"I'll send a Ground Bridge for Team Prime's previous coordinates." Ratchet informed, walking up to the terminal.
"Oh yeah! It's time to get back on the battlefield and kick some Con tailpipe!" Swoop announced.
"I can't wait to see how you five battle." Luz said, smiling at the new Autobots.
"You're gonna be in for a big surprise when the fighting starts, kid." Slug commented.
(Linebreak)
The scene once again changed back towards the mountain, where another Ground Bridge appeard near the Decepticon mining cave entrance and the Hexside Squad, Grimlock and his team walked out of it before the green vortex closed up behind them.
"So, Optimus and his team went in there?" Snarl asked while pointing to the cave entrance.
"That's what Ratchet said." Gus answered. "And I'm guessing the Cons planned an ambush for them."
"If they did, we need to get in there and save them." Luz announced. "If they manage to find more Predacon bones, they'll definitely execute Optimus and the others."
"What are we waiting for? Let's all head in there and start pounding on some Decepticon scum." Sludge said impatiently.
"We can't just go in recklessly. We need carful about how we do this." Amity instructed.
"You're sounding like Optimus." Grimlock scoffed before he stomped ahead.
"Grim, you need to wait for us. We're a team." Luz reminded.
"The only team I have is Swoop, Slug, Snarl and Sludge." Grimlock retorted.
"What is his problem?" Skara asked with a frown.
"Don't take it personally. Grimlock just likes doing things his way." Swoop told the kids. "You've just gotta give him some time."
"I hope we'll manage to get on his good side." Willow admitted.
"Easier said than done." Boscha muttered.
Just then, the team began to hear footsteps and they turned towards the cave entrance to see a pair of Vehicons emerging from it.
"Can't believe we both got assigned to guard duty while everyone else is doing the more important things back inside." One of the Vehicons said annoyingly.
"I know. I'd rather be back there and executing those Autobot fools instead of…" The other Vehicon began to say, only to trail off after noticing the Hexside Squad and new Autobots.
"Uh…how're you doing?" Hunter asked with an awkward smile.
"It's those Witches!" A Vehicon exclaimed before both of them aimed their blasters. "And they've brought some new Autobots, too!"
"Stay right where you are!" The other Vehicon ordered threateningly.
"I have a better idea." Grimlock replied while growling menacingly.
The huge Autobot extended his hand to the side and shifting into his palm was a very large Cybertronian sword that glowed orange and looked very deadly. The Vehicons started firing their blasters out of fear, but Grimlock easily deflected the shots with his sword and shouted furiously as he charged at the two Vehicons. Grimlock impaled the left Vehicon with his sword and he shouted in agony before getting tossed aside, allowing Grimlock to cleave the last Vehicon in half in a single second. The Hexside Squad could only look on with their jaws open in shock as Grimlock turned towards them.
"That is why we don't plan anything." Grimlock told them.
"Wow…you are so hardcore. And brutal." Gus commented.
"That's Grim for ya." Swoop replied.
"Okay, let's not waste anymore time. We've gotta get inside and find Team Prime." Luz reminded.
"In that case, let's get going!" Slug stated before all of them charged straight in, with Grimlock following behind.
"Can't believe I'm following a juvenile organic." Grimlock grumbled.
(Linebreak)
Inside the Decepticon mine, two drilling machines were piercing through a piece of the wall and they soon stopped once a ginormous hole has been made. The Vehicon miners stepped down from their machines and approached the massive hole to see a large Predacon bone that resembled a ribcage.
"Shockwave, we've found it!" A Vehicon miner called to the one-eyed scientist.
Shockwave walked over to the hole with Shatter and Dropkick and they looked at the Predacon ribcage.
"Now that's a good find." Dropkick remarked.
"Indeed. We must have this specimen delivered to the Nemesis at once." Shockwave said. "Contact Soundwave for a Ground Bridge extraction."
"What about the Autobots?" Shatter asked.
"Have all of them terminated, except for Optimus. Lord Megatron will want to destroy him personally." Shockwave replied.
"Sure thing." Dropkick said with a nod. "I'm guessing we're bringing your bug friends onto the ship, too?"
"Indeed." Shockwave answered, until he started getting a call on his com-link and answered.
"Shockwave! We're being attacked by reinforcements!" A Vehicon called as there was the sound of blaster fire on the other side.
"Is it the Autobots' Witch pets?" Shatter questioned.
"Yes, but they're not alone! They have some Autobots with them!" The Vehicon stated. "One of them is destroying our numbers rapidly! Nothing works against him!"
Before Shockwave could respond, he heard screaming on his com-link and the sounds of metal being torn apart before the communication ended.
"That…doesn't sound good." Dropkick admitted in concern.
"New Autobots? How could those younglings have found more Autobots on their own?" Shatter asked, not wanting to believe it.
"While there is no logical answer to that question, we must hold off the intruders and prevent them freeing the other Autobots." Shockwave instructed.
"We can handle them, Shockwave." Sharpshot assured as he and Kickback approached them.
"We've already taken down a bunch of Bots. There's always room for more. More. More." Kickback chuckled.
"Very well." Shockwave replied as he, Shatter and Dropkick began to work on extracting the Predacon bone.
Some loud battle noises could be heard from the entrance to the mine and a bunch of Vehicons were sent flying out of it with body parts scattered across the floor. The Hexside Squad, Grimlock and his team then emerged from the entrance and looked around the wide-open mine they were in.
"Well, this is a big mine." Snarl commented, a little impressed.
"I don't see anymore Decepticons." Skara said. "Guess that means we've beaten them all."
"Technically, Grimlock sliced all of them apart with his mega sword." Amity corrected.
"You're welcome." Grimlock replied carelessly.
"Okay, so where do you think they're keeping Prime and his team?" Swoop asked.
As they kept looking around, Vee managed to spot a large metallic door at the very back of the mine that was Cybertronian, which most likely meant Team Prime was being held in there.
"That's got to be it!" Vee stated while pointing at the door, causing the others to see it as well.
"Yeah, that's definitely it." Sludge proclaimed.
"In that case, let's go and get them out." Willow told everyone as she began to rush forward.
But suddenly, a bunch of Insecticon landed down from the ceiling and the team found themselves surrounded by a whole swarm that screeched viciously at them.
"Insecticons. Why did it have to be Insecticons?" Slug asked unhappily.
"These bugs never learn to just give up." Grimlock scowled while clenching his sword.
"There's a lot of these things." Boscha muttered, a bit worried about the situation she and the others were in.
"Don't worry, we just need to swat away these flies and everything will be fine." Luz reassured while bringing out a few Glyphs.
However, the team started to hear a pair of sinister laughters in the distance and they felt uncomfortable by them.
"Okay, that was a bit creepy." Gus said.
"Call me paranoid, but those laughs sound a bit familiar to me." Swoop admitted in concern.
"You're not the only one, Swoop." Snarl replied.
Flying out from two small holes was Sharpshot and Kickback in their Insecticon forms, who both flew up to a nearby rock platform on the ceiling and transformed before looking down at their foes.
"Well, isn't this a wonderful surprise. We get to meet the Autobots' Witch pets for the first time, but we also get to reunite with a few old friends." Sharpshot said with a smirk, keeping his focus on Grimlock and his team.
"We remember you, Grimlock. Do you remember us? Us? Us?" Kickback asked with a low laugh.
"Sharpshot. Kickback." Grimlock whispered, growling in pure anger.
"Wait, you know those weird-looking Insecticons, Grim?" Amity asked.
"We all do, girl." Sludge replied. "Both of them are the reasons we ended up becoming Shockwave's experiments."
"Never thought I'd see those maniacs ever again." Slug scowled.
"Hey, how're you even here, Sharpshot?" Swoop questioned the stag beetle Insecticon. "Last I checked, you're supposed to be offline."
"Wait, really?" Hunter asked in surprise. "That Insecticon should be dead?"
"He should be." Grimlock answered. "I saw to it myself."
"I remember that day, Grimlock. You left me in pieces back then." Sharpshot replied with a deadly glare. "After you rescued your precious teammate from me, I was nothing but chewed-up scrap metal. But fate gave me some luck when Shockwave recovered me and had me built back together. Now I have to live with this scarred body because of you and your stupid Dinobots!"
"Dinobots?" Skara repeated. "What are those?"
"None of you told these little Witches what you really are? Are? Are?" Kickback asked the new Autobots tauntingly.
"Hey, we were planning to tell them later!" Swoop retorted.
"Okay, now I'm curious about what those two are about." Luz admitted with a raised eyebrow.
"You won't have the chance, human! Insecticons, attack!" Sharpshot ordered.
All the Insecticons screeched and charged at their enemies as the Hexside Squad prepared to use their magical powers, only for Grimlock to suddenly stomp in front of them and glare intensely at the bug-like Cybertronians.
"Grimlock, what're you doing?!" Willow questioned shockingly.
"Get back! There's too many of those things!" Luz told the huge Autobot.
"I'm never outnumbered. You kids should all step back." Grimlock instructed firmly. "It's time I showed all of you what I really am."
Although they were confused, the Hexside Squad decided to take a few steps back and watched Grimlock.
"Here it comes." Swoop said, knowing what was about to happen.
Grimlock impaled his sword right into the ground and slammed both his hands down before he began to transform into a different mode. This caused the Insecticons to stop and the Hexside Squad gasped in total astonishment when they saw that Grimlock had transformed into a Cybertronian Tyrannosaurus-Rex, letting out a loud and furious roar at his opponents.
"Oh. My. Titan." Amity said speechlessly.
"Did Grimlock just become…a T-Rex?" Vee asked in amazement.
"He did, and that's why we call yourselves Dinobots." Slug answered.
"Wait, as in all of you?" Luz questioned.
"You got that right." Swoop said with a nod before he and the other three Dinobots transformed as well.
Swoop was a Pterodactyl that flew upwards, Slug was a Triceratops, Snarl was a Stegosaurus and Sludge was an Apatosaurus.
"Okay, that is the craziest thing I've ever seen." Hunter said.
"Guess now we know what Shockwave did to them on Cybertron." Skara added.
"Those stupid forms don't scare us! Us! Us!" Kickback stated.
"Destroy them all!" Sharpshot yelled.
The Insecticons began to charge again, but Grimlock roared at them and used his massively powerful jaws to grab them at a few times and chomp them apart like they were biscuits. The T-Rex Dinobot then slammed his left foot onto an Insecticon and swatted more away with his tail before burning an incoming flyer swarm with powerful fire breath, making them all screech in pain. Luz and her friends could only watch as Grimlock tore off an Insecticon's head with his teeth and swallowed it whole.
"That's gonna leave a bad taste in your mouth." Skara said, cringing in disgust.
"Leave some for us, boss!" Sludge called as he charged forward and slammed his front feet on two Insecticons, instantly crushing them.
Swoop dived down and smacked down some Insecticons by spinning his wings around before shooting some down with some laser fire from his eyes. Slug rammed right through some Insecticons effortlessly while stabbing another one in the chest with his horns, while Snarl used his spiky tail to swat and stab some more Insecticons away.
"Yeah! Squash those bugs, Dinobots!" Gus called out encouragingly.
"It's what we're good at, kid!" Swoop replied, grabbing an Insecticon with his metallic talons and swinging it away.
As Grimlock stabbed an Insecticon with his tail and then burned it with his fire breath, Sharpshot simply growled at the sight of his Insecticons being destroyed by the Dinobots.
"If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself!" Sharpshot scowled before he jumped down.
"I agree! Agree! Agree!" Kickback laughed, following his brother.
Grimlock burned up three more Insecticons with his fire breath, only to then see Sharpshot and Kickback land a few feet away from him.
"It's time for some revenge, Grimlock!" Sharpshot told the Dinobot leader. "I've waited a long time for this!"
"So have I!" Grimlock shouted with a roar, charging at the two Alpha Insecticons.
Sharpshot and Kickback quickly jumped to the side to avoid Grimlock's jaws chomping on them before the stag beetle Insecticon generated some electricity throughout his body and fired it at Grimlock, who quickly fired some fire breath in response. The fire and electric attacks collided with each other and started fighting back with all the force Grimlock and Sharpshot could muster. But then, Kickback jumped onto Grimlock's back and used his insect appendages to slash against him, making the Dinobot leader roar in pain before he ended up getting zapped by Sharpshot's electricity.
"Grimlock needs help!" Snarl exclaimed.
"But we still need to save Optimus and the others!" Amity protested.
"Some of us should do that while the others help Grim!" Luz stated. "It'll get things done quicker and we'll have a better advantage in numbers!"
"Sure thing, Luz!" Skara replied before all of them rushed ahead to their two targets.
Luz, Amity, Gus, Hunter, Boscha, Slug and Sludge rushed towards the large door where Team Prime was being kept while Willow, Vee, Skara, Swoop and Snarl went to help Grimlock, who was being chomped on by Kickback in his Insecticon form. Sharpshot also shot some electric blasts at Grimlock to support his brother.
"You're hurt, Grimlock! Tired and beaten! Give up! Up! Up!" Kickback told the Dinobot leader.
"Never!" Grimlock stated before he shook off Kickback and grabbed him with his jaws, slamming him against a wall. "NEVER GIVE UP!"
Sharpshot growled angrily as he prepared another electric blast, only for some laser shots to fire in front of him and the stag beetle Insecticon saw it came from Swoop.
"Back away, bug! You mess with Grimlock, you mess with all of us!" Swoop stated.
"And I have a score to settle with you!" Snarl added before swiping his spiky tail in Sharpshot's face and then ramming him away.
Kickback recovered and shook his head before he laid his visor onto Willow, Vee and Skara on his near right, readying their magical powers. However, Kickback was more focused on Willow as he gasped in realisation.
"You!" Kickback growled.
"Me? What about me?" Willow questioned.
"You're the stupid Witch that Megatron told me about! You're the one who killed Hardshell!" Kickback shouted angrily.
"Yeah, because he nearly killed two of my friends!" Willow retorted. "What did he even mean to you?!"
"He was my brother!" Kickback yelled before lunging at Willow in pure rage.
But then, Skara got in front of the Plant Witch girl and unleashed a sonic whistle that blew Kickback away. Kickback attempted to get up, but Grimlock immediately slammed his jaws around the grasshopper Insecticon and tossed him around, making him scream out.
"This sure is personal to Grimlock." Skara admitted.
"Of course it is. I know what it's like to be treated as some lab project." Vee replied.
(Linebreak)
From the other side of the huge Cybertronian door, Team Prime was shown to be sitting at the very back with their hands cuffed behind their backs and two Vehicons standing guard over them.
"Can't we get some tunes going in here?" Jazz asked jokingly. "It's kinda quiet and boring in this place."
"Not the time, Jazz." Arcee muttered.
"Can't blame a Bot for trying." Jazz shrugged.
"Just keep your mouths shut, Autobots." One of the Vehicons ordered sternly.
"Newsflash, Con, you're not the boss of any of us." Cliffjumper retorted.
"And our pals are gonna be knocking at your stinking door any second." Ironhide said.
Just then, Team Prime and the Vehicons heard some loud battling noises and the door shook a bit.
"Sounds like they're already here." Seaspray said.
"Don't get so excited. There's no way those fleshlings could defeat the Insecticon swarm we brought with us." A Vehicon replied.
"If you even think about hurting those children." Elita began to say with a glare.
The door then started to get banged on and it showed signs of moving forward a bit.
"What the…" One of the Vehicons said confusingly, until the door suddenly fell right down and crushed the two guards under it.
The Autobots became surprised to see Slug walking across the fallen door and he looked down at one of the Vehicons crushed by it.
"Excuse me." Slug said.
"Uh…who or what are you?" Wheeljack asked, a little speechless from the sight of the Triceratops Dinobots.
"Oh yeah, none of you recognise me like this." Slug realised awkwardly before transforming into his robot mode. "Is this better?"
"Wait…Slug?!" Cliffjumper asked in shock.
"Not just him." Sludge replied, showing himself and transforming.
"Sludge?! You too?!" Bulkhead questioned.
"Yeah, we ran into some little friends of yours." Slug said, looking down towards Luz, Amity, Gus, Hunter and Boscha entering the room.
"Hey, guys." Luz greeted.
"Sorry it took us a while to get here." Amity apologised with a smile.
"Don't worry, you should up at the right time." Arcee assured.
"You really could've told us that you were all going to infiltrate a giant mine." Boscha said with her hands on her hips as Slug and Sludge began removing Team Prime's cuffs.
"First of all, we were in a rush to secure that Predacon bone." Jetfire replied defensively.
"And second, you were all busy with rebuilding Gravesfield." Bulkhead added. "We couldn't just ignore your hard work."
"Helping all of you is just as important to us." Luz said.
"And we are thankful you arrived when you needed to." Optimus replied.
"Say, aren't you two part of that special Autobot squad?" Smokescreen asked Slug and Sludge. "What was the name? Lightning Strike Coalition Force?"
"We used to be called that. But, now we're Dinobots." Slug told him.
"Where are the others?" Bulkhead asked.
"They're just helping Grimlock battle those Insecticons outside." Hunter answered.
"Grimlock?! He's here, too?!" Bumblebee asked astonishingly.
"Yeah, and he's still strong-headed as ever." Sludge admitted. "He and the others are still beating the scrap out of those bugs."
"Without the use proper standard Autobot protocol, no doubt." Ultra Magnus muttered, knowing all too well what Grimlock is capable of.
"That isn't our issue, right now! They require backup!" Elita stated.
"Autobots, move!" Optimus ordered before he, Team Prime, Luz, her friends and the two Dinobots rushed out of the prison.
At the same time, Willow trapped Sharpshot in some of her vines and Swoop rammed him into a large crater with a dive-bomb tackle.
"Not so tough, are ya, you stupid bug?!" Swoop asked tauntingly.
"I'll tear you to worthless shreds yet, Dinobot!" Sharpshot shouted as he fired two electric shots from his palms, causing Swoop to avoid them.
Grimlock unleashed his fire breath at Kickback, who jumped around to avoid the flames before he suddenly felt weaker, which was the result of Vee draining away at his Energon. Snarl took this opportunity to slam Kickback onto the ground with his tail and Swoop grabbed Sharpshot by his shoulders, tossing him next to the grasshopper Insecticon. With their enemies defeated, Grimlock, Swoop and Snarl roared victoriously and transformed back to their robot forms.
"And that's the end of that battle." Snarl said before he and Swoop shared a high-five.
"I'll say this, you Dinobots are absolutely amazing in battle." Skara complimented.
"Glad you noticed." Snarl replied.
"There's still one thing I need to do." Grimlock said firmly, grabbing his nearby sword and walking up to Sharpshot and Kickback.
Team Prime and the other members of the Hexside Squad and Dinobots showed up and joined up with their teammates before noticing Grimlock approached the two Insecticons in a menacing way.
"Wow. Grimlock really is back." Wheeljack admitted.
"But…what's he doing now?" Gus asked, a little concerned.
"Nothing good, that's what." Ironhide replied.
"Grim…" Sludge began to say pacifistically.
Grimlock ignored them all and stood over Sharpshot and Kickback before raising his sword up at them.
"What are you doing?! No! No! No!" Kickback said fearfully.
"Stay away from us! You stay away!" Sharpshot begged.
"Grimlock, no! They are no longer a threat!" Optimus told the Dinobot leader.
"As long as they're still functional, they'll keep coming back! I'm doing what I should have done on Cybertron!" Grimlock stated angrily as he prepared to bring his sword down.
But suddenly, Luz ran right ahead and stood in between Grimlock and his defenceless Insecticon foes.
"Stop now, Grimlock!" Luz ordered.
"Get out of my way, human!" Grimlock demanded with a growl.
"No way! You can't do this!" Luz proclaimed. "I know what Sharpshot and Kickback did to you was very bad, but this isn't the way to fix things!"
"You don't know what it was like! They tore me and my team apart!" Grimlock argued. "They turned us into their laboratory toys and Shockwave's playthings! I'm not an Autobot because of them! I'm…I'm nothing but a freak!"
"We need to do something." Amity told everyone as she attempted to intervene, but Arcee stopped her.
"No. Let Luz handle it." Arcee said.
"You're right, Grimlock, I don't know what it's like to be turned into something terrible! But I do know someone who went through something similar to you!" Luz stated, much to the Dinobot leader's confusion.
"What do you mean?" Grimlock asked.
"Back in the world my friends live in, I had a close friend and great teacher who was cursed and would sometimes transform into a dangerous and crazy beast. Kinda like what you do with that T-Rex form." Luz explained. "She had to live with it for years, but that didn't stop her from being happy and meeting me and a fuzzy little guy. Even when she got mad after finding out the person who cursed her was closer than she thought, she ended up forging that someone and moved on. That's what you need to do, Grimlock. You need to let go of your hate and move on."
Grimlock appeared to have listened very carefully to Luz's words and grunted thoughtfully, much to everyone's worridness as they thought he was still gonna kill Sharpshot and Kickback. Just then, Grimlock held his sword high and brought it down as everyone let out words of horror, only for Grimlock to suddenly stab his sword into the ground right next to Luz.
"Fine. I'll move on." Grimlock told Luz before turning to his two Insecticon enemies, who looked at him in disbelief. "This doesn't mean I'll forget what you both did."
"Neither will I." Sharpshot snarled.
"Wow. Can't believe Luz talked some sense into Grimlock of all Bots." Cliffjumper said, surprised in absolute.
"She never fails to impress any of us." Willow said with a smile.
"Almost like she's a human girl version of Optimus." Swoop quipped.
"Let's not go that far, wing-head." Ironhide replied.
"Grimlock." A familiar voice said as Team Prime, the Hexside Squad and the Dinobots saw that standing a few feet away from them was Shockwave with Shatter and Dropkick carrying the Predacon ribcage next to him. "It is truly a great surprise to see you and your team still functional and on this planet."
"Shockwave!" Grimlock yelled, glaring at the one-eyed scientist in absolute anger.
"After seeing the combat performance you all used on our Insecticon forces, it would seem you all possess the same impressive ferocity and battle-focused minds I gifted you back on Cybertron." Shockwave admitted. "But you, Grimlock, have exceeded even my logical expectations. It is truly fascinating."
"Lucky you." Grimlock growled.
"Now how's about you all surrender that Predacon bone?!" Smokescreen asked with a glare as he and the rest of Team Prime aimed their blasters.
"Not gonna happen, Auto-loser." Dropkick replied. "You've got new recruits, we've got a new specimen for Project Predacon."
"For now, we shall just leave you in the dust." Shatter said before she, Shockwave and Dropkick fired their blasters rapidly.
Team Prime rolled out of the way, Amity and Willow shielded their friends with a wall of Abomination goo and vines, and Grimlock pulled out an orange Energon shield that deflected the shots. A Ground Bridge then appeared and Shockwave, Shatter and Dropkick retreated into it with their Predacon bone, causing Sharpshot and Kickback to transformed and fly towards it.
"Well be back! Back! Back!" Kickback declared as both Insecticons got into the Ground Bridge, causing it to then vanish.
Seeing that the Decepticons escaped, Team Prime, the Hexside Squad and the Dinobots all calmed down.
"They got what they wanted in this place." Willow sighed.
"Well, that's another loss for us." Jazz said miserably.
"I hate losing." Boscha scowled.
"But on the bright side, we're still alive." Seaspray reminded with a cool smile. "That's what matters."
"You've got a point, Sprays." Bulkhead agreed.
"You younglings did very good in helping us." Elita said kindly. "But, we should also show our gratitude to the Dinobots."
"Indeed. We are simply fortunate that you and your team were on Earth and in the right location, Grimlock." Optimus added, approaching the Dinobot leader.
"How did all of you get to Earth?" Jetfire asked.
"Long story. We'll tell you back at that human base." Snarl replied.
"So, I'm guessing you Dinobots are gonna skedaddle now that you've helped us?" Jazz assumed.
"Actually, Luz made a deal with them." Vee replied.
"We're gonna help you all kick Megatron's tailpipe and then we're gonna be leaving this planet." Swoop explained simply.
"That's easier said than done." Smokescreen admitted.
"Well, we're still going to help all of you win this war on Earth." Slug announced.
"With those crazy Dinosaur forms you have, it'll be a very big and quick win for us." Amity commented.
"Are you still in, Grimlock?" Luz asked the Dinobot leader hopefully.
"I understand we have rarely seen eye to eye, my friend. But your assistance is what we very much acquire." Optimus said. "Megatron's new Predacon had proven far too powerful for any of us to defeat, but you and your team may very well tip the balance of power in our favour. Will you please help us?"
"But only if you can learn to follow standard protocol, unlike before during the war for Cybertron." Ultra Magnus said firmly.
Grimlock muttered in annoyance after he heard that from the Autobot Commander, but he looked down to Optimus and Luz looking at him hopefully. After putting much thought into it, Grimlock came to a decision and held out his hand to Optimus.
"Very well, Optimus. I'm in." Grimlock said. "But I still intend on doing things my own way."
"Same old Grimlock." Bumblebee commented.
"And so are we." Slug added.
"Thank you all." Optimus said in kindness before shaking Grimlock's hand. "Welcome to Team Prime, Dinobots."
"This team just keeps getting bigger and bigger." Arcee remarked with her arms crossed.
"Things are definitely going to get more lively with you around." Luz said with a big smile.
"You bet your skinny fingers they will." Swoop replied, laughing a bit in humour as the Dinobots exchanged words of enthusiasm with Team Prime and the Hexside Squad.
(Linebreak)
On the Nemesis while Sharpshot and Kickback were currently having their injuries treated by Knock Out, Shockwave was informing Megatron and Starscream of what happened in the mine.
"I'm sorry, did you say you encountered Grimlock and his team?!" Starscream asked outrageously.
"Correct. The new alternative forms I infused into their circuitry have turned out to be much more powerful than I ever imagined." Shockwave replied.
"It matters not that Grimlock and his team are now with the Autobots and their Witch pets." Megatron proclaimed, narrowing his eyes. "Once Project Predacon has been completed, these Dinobots shall face a new age. The age of extinction."
The scene then changed to the hanger on the top, where the Predacon was once again viewing the Cybertronian panel for recorded footage inside the Decepticon mine that showed the Dinobots battling the Insecticons, mainly Grimlock. The Predacon growled in curiosity as it wondered if it would one day get to meet Grimlock, and hopefully battle him.
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