After dealing with Trypticon taking over the Nemesis and obtaining four decoded Iacon coordinates from him the Autobots and the humans were discussing their next course of action.
"So Five Relics on five different continents," Hot Rod stated as they looked at the five locations.
"If we are to have any hope of recovering the Iacon relics before the Decepticons do, we must divide our resources." Optimus said.
"But, Optimus, when it comes to numbers, even with the Autobots we have, we are at a grave disadvantage." Ratchet reminded.
"Under the circumstances, swiftness of action is paramount. This is one race that we absolutely cannot afford to lose." Optimus announced.
Meanwhile, the Nemesis continued to fly above New York while hiding in the clouds to avoid detection. Megatron was informing Soundwave of his plan to recover the relics as Soundwave worked at the terminals.
"Dispatching multiple squadrons will enable us to pursue all four coordinates simultaneously." Megatron said before Knock Out walked through the entrance with a squad of Vehicons miners.
"Lord Megatron, I've assembled the mining detail you requested for the first set of coordinates." Knock Out said as he walked in. "Breakdown and I enjoyed previous success retrieving Iacon relics. In memory of my fallen comrade I intend to do the same again." He said proudly.
Megatron approached him. "This is a mission, not one of your racing excursions. Stop your priding! Move quickly and operate with a surgeon's skill! Did you understand me, Knock Out?!"
Knock Out chuckled nervously. "Explicitly, Lord Megatron." He answered.
"Now, since the unfortunate loss of Breakdown has left you rather vulnerable, you will require appropriate support," Megatron said.
Knock Out looked behind him to see an Insecticon looking at him. "How very…repellant, my Lord." Knock Out said uneasily.
Back on Metroplex, the Autobots was still discussing what to do for the first set of Iacon coordinates before Fixit noticed something on the main console.
"Here's a twist. It would appear that the Decepticons have retreated from Manhattan." Fixit told the others.
"They just up and left?" Acree questioned in confusion, as were the others.
"I don't get it, they're pulling away from the Relic?" Firestar asked.
"It is more likely that Megatron has already set course for the second set of coordinates, having dispatched a unit to this relic's underground location." Optimus assumed.
"Without busting up a city block to get to it?" Crosshairs questioned with a brow.
"They're use Subway tunnels." Jack spoke up. "New York has a whole network of them running beneath the city."
"Since the human population no longer seem directly threatened, maintaining our disguise will be necessary." Optimus said as he turn to the Autobots. "Jazz, Bumblebee, Prowl, and Hot Rod, you four are best suited to navigate through such a densely populated area."
"Optimus, New York has more than 8 million people." Jack spoke up again. "The odds of at least one of them are pretty high. Even if they are going underground." He warned.
"Where ya going with this?" Jazz asked.
"You're gonna need a face man." Jack said as Optimus gave a thoughtful look. "For someone who can speak on their behalf, a human who can run interference if their cover gets blown."
"Well, I actually been to a subway station," Miko said, walking forward, "I grew up in a major metropolis unlike Mr. 'I've-never-been-outside-of-Jasper-Nevada'." She added, giving Jack a look.
"I have been to Cybertron." Jack reminded.
"Cybertron doesn't have subways." Miko retorted before she gave a thoughtful look. "Does it?"
"Kid, you think our wheels are the only way we get around?" Kup questioned with a look.
"Children, I'm sorry but Agent Fowler's field experience makes him the best candidate for this mission," Elita said as they turned to Fowler who was on a medical bed.
"BUAAANANA FISH!" Fowler yelled out before immediately falling unconscious again as Elita gave a brow.
"If he weren't still recovering from his encounter with Trypticon." Ratchet admitted.
"Which we survived, without incidents." Miko reminded with a smirk.
"Cause you had me." Grimlock said while gesturing to himself. "We barely manage to pull it off."
"Well this time, we'll have four awesome bots with us." Miko said, gesturing to Prowl, Jazz, Bumblebee and Hot Rod.
"Very well." Optimus noded, seeing their point. "Miko and Jack will accompany Hot Rod, Prowl, Jazz and Bumblebee."
"Yes!" Miko cheered with her fist raised.
"Hot Rod, you shall lead," Optimus added as Hot Rod nodded, "Initiate transport, and triangulate coordinates of the other four relics." he ordered Ratchet and Fixit.
In New York City, a Ground Bridge opened up in an alley as the four Autobots and humans rode in while Jack was inside of Hot Rod as he looked at the big city. "Whoa." He muttered in awed as Miko stuck her head out from Bumblebee.
"Of course it's no Cybertron." Miko said with a look.
"Miko, now's not the time." Hot Rod spoke up as Miko grumbled and crossed her arms in Bumblebee. "Alright, Jack, how do we get underground from here?"
"Well you can't jump the turnstile," Jack started before Prowl sounded his Siren.
"I found something." Prowl said as the others went towards him and Jack and Miko looked down to a maintenance tunnel. "Looks like there's on going construction here."
"A defective life in the big city." Miko said with a smirk.
Soon, the four Autobots and the two humans are walking down the tunnel while Hot Rod takes the lead before Jack notices a spot he was about to step on. "Hot Rod, don't move!" He called out, which made Hot Rod stop as he noticed the spot on the rail he was about to step on sparked up.
"Whoa! What's up?" Hot Rod asked.
"It's a third rail, it carries electricity to power the subway trains." Jack explained.
"On touch, and zap, you're fried!" Miko added.
"Whoa! Thanks for the heads up!" Hot Rod said as he carefully got off the rail and into the middle of the tracks. "Okay, new rule, nobody touches the rails."
"Whatever you say, HR." Jazz told him as he, Prowl and Bumblebee watched where they stepped.
"He must've learned that on TV or something," Miko commented.
Meanwhile, not far from there, the Decepticon miners have already started to mine in a wall with a drill and the latter's fists. Once the path was clear, the miners got inside to retrieve the rubble.
"Could we please pick up the pace? The humidity down here is threatening to corrode my undercarriage." Knock Out complained. "Mining seems to be quicker when we had Breakdown." He then heard a growl and turned to an Insecticon they brought with them, "Must you hummer?" He questioned as the Insecticon just hummered some more.
The Autobots and the two human were walking down the subway while Hot Rod used the scanner to track the relic. "Are we getting any closer?" Jack asked Hot Rod.
"Triangling the coordinates is one thing, but figuring it out to get to it in these solid walls is another iss-" Hot Rod tried to say before they heard drilling sounds at one end of a tunnel that has an entry point, "Drilling," He said seriously.
"Cons?" Jazz wondered.
"Unknown." Prowl said as he gave a curious look. "I'm not hearing any footsteps. And in these tunnels, we would've heard from the entrance."
"Only one way to find out," Bumblebee told them.
"Let's go!" Miko said as she rushed forward.
"Miko!" Jack exclaimed before he followed after Miko while the Bots stood back cautiously as Jack caught up with Miko. "Miko, what is your…"
"Hold it right there!" A man's voice, who is a construction worker, spoke up as a light shined at the two from a vehicle while speaking through a megaphone.
"Scrap." Both Miko and Jack muttered while covering their eyes.
"What are you kids doing down here?" The construction worker questioned as he stepped forward to the two teens.
"We're, on a field trip, with our school." Miko lied with a nervous smile. "But we got lost."
"Oh really?" The construction worker questioned suspiciously.
"I told him we should stay with our group, but Lander here insisted we search for fossils." Miko said while gesturing to Jack.
"My bad." Jack said with a shrug, playing along.
"I wanna go home. Can you help us?" Miko innocently pleaded. "Mr…"
"Vogel." The man said as he stepped forward. "But you may call me Vogel." He said as the two teens gave confused looks. "So, ever ride a sweeper train?" He asked while gesturing to his sweeper train.
The two teens turned back to the entrance when they saw the four Autobots peaking up. "Face." Jack whispered to them while gesturing to Vogel as the four bots knew they couldn't help as they watched the teens enter the sweeper train and took off.
"Well, there goes one problem." Jazz commented.
A bit later, the train sweeper was riding down the tunnels. "And this section, was added in the thirties as part of a public works project." Vogel said two teens.
"Fascinating." Miko said in boredom as she yawned.
"These old tunnels have a dark side too." Vogel said to them. "Strange creatures have been said to lurk down here. Giant snakes, albino alligators, even mole man." He said as the two teens shared a look.
"But those are just people who live down here because they have no place else to go, right?" Jack asked.
"That's what the media wants you to believe," Vogel said with a smile. "But I say, they're from outer space." He said as Jack gave a surprised look, since that part was mostly true before he turned and saw Miko was gone as he turned to the back of the train as she waved to him.
"I'm telling you, Area 51's got nothing on this place." Vogel said as Jack sneakingly walked to the back. "The aliens are down here, building up their army, plotting to use us humans as slave labor." He continued as Jack and Miko got off the sweeper train from the back as they watched it go.
"Aliens, huh?" Miko asked as she gave an amusing chuckle. "If he only knew." She added as Jack gave a smirk, knowing that is true.
With the Autobots, Hot Rod kept the lead as she looked at the scanner. "I'm picking up a locator beacon close by." He said to them.
"The cons must have unearthed the relic." Jazz stated.
"This will be our only chance. Let's roll." Prowl said as the four rushed off to a corner before they stopped as they armed their weapons when they heard a drilling as they turned the corner and saw Knock Out and some Decepticons drilling through a wall.
"Well? Let me see it already." Knock Out demanded, pushing one of the miners aside before seeing the relic's container.
"Okay, bots, lock and load." Hot Rod whispered, but then the Insecticon came up from the ceiling behind them with a growl.
Jazz heard the sound and turned to the Insecticon, "Scrap!" Jazz called as the others turned and jumped out of the way when the Insecticon pounced. The four Autobots then started blasting at the Insecticon, but their weapons hardly fazed it as it returned fire and created some explosions.
The noise of the battle made Knock Out get out of the hole alongside the miners and see the Autobots battle the Insecticon. "Attack already!" He ordered to the miners, who rushed into battle.
"Bee! You and Jazz handle Bugzy!" Hot Rod ordered Bumblebee, "Prowl, you're with me, we're going for the relic!"
"Got it!" Prowl nodded as he and Hot Rod fought through the Vehincons and blasted or knock them back with their skills before looking for signs for Knock Out, before said Decepticon appeared behind them and saw bladed them from behind. "A cheap hit for a cheat finish barer!" Prowl mocked.
"Well, I always thought you had impressive features, Prowl, perfect for a painful little procedure I like to call the 'Nip and Tuck'." He taunted as he swung his saw blade down, which they barely avoided before Hot Rod quickly kicked Knock Out back.
"And I call that 'dodge and kick'." Hot Rod quipped with a smirk as he rushed up to the container and tried to pull it out, but it was really stuck. "A little… tight…" He grunted.
Jazz and Bumblebee are having trouble keeping the Insecticon back as they kept firing their blasters at it before it swatted them to the wall. "Ow! That sparks!" Jazz exclaimed while rubbing his head before he and Bee noticed the Insecticon jumping off the ceiling and slashed at them.
Hot Rod was still struggling to remove the container as he kept pulling. "Won't… budge!" He cried out as he kept on pulling, but then he screamed when he got electrocuted as he fell from the side as Knock Out held his electric stick with a smirk.
"Shock and drop." Knock Out quipped with a smirk.
"Hot Rod!" Prowl called as he transformed and rammed Knock Out.
"Hey! Watch the finish!" Knock Out exclaimed as he wrestled with Prowl.
In another part of the subway, Miko and Jack were walking around while seeing two paths. "Uh…" Jack muttered while trying to pick the right path.
"This way." Miko said as she picked the one on the right, much to Jack's disbelief.
"How do you know?!" Jack questioned as he rushed up to Miko and stopped her. "Miko, let's think this through."
"Why?" Miko questioned as she swatted his hand away. "Because you think I don't know what I'm doing?" She added with a look. "'I'm Jack! Optimus picked me to go to Cybertron so I must know everything!'" She mocked.
Jack gave a frown. "Okay, Miko, seriously?! If that's what's bugging you then why didn't you say something before?" He questioned.
"I've been holding it in." Miko said as she turned away with her arms crossed.
"Since when did you hold anything in?" Jack questioned as he gave a sigh. "Look, it's not like you don't contribute. Just yesterday, you helped take down a psychotic Decepticon Titan! This isn't a competition! It's a matter of life and death!"
"Lost ehh," Vogel said, shining a light on the two. "You two are gonna have to explain yourselves to the New York Transit authority." He said firmly.
Jack and Miko gave concerned looked, "I think we should tell him the truth," Miko told his friend.
Jack gave a sighed. "Right. The truth is… we lost our dog." He lied.
"You're wasting your breath." Vogel said to him.
"The real truth." Miko said to Jack before turning to Vogel. "We're trying to prevent aliens from digging up a powerful ancient relic so they can't use it to destroy our planet."
Vogel then gave a look of realization, "I swore I heard something weird and high pitch earlier today," He said looking down to the tunnel, "Something that wasn't the crew drilling over at tunnel five."
With the Autobots, they were being dragged by the Insecticon before being pilled up while Knock Out held up the relic container with a smirk. . "Now, shall we see precisely what you are and what you do? Then, we'll bring you back home with us, alongside our new volatile treasure." He opened the container and took out a small object with three claws before looking at the Autobots. "And what better way to learn your power than to conduct an on-site experiment." He said with a smirk.
At one end of the tracks, Vogel, Jack, and Miko rode the sweeper down the tunnel before catching sight of the Cybertronains, much to Vogel's shock. "Mole men! Metal ones!" He exclaimed in shock.
"Actually, Decepticons." Miko corrected in worry.
"And they have Hot Rod, Jazz, Prowl, and Bumblebee." Jack said in worry.
"Vogel, does this thing have another gear?" Miko asked hopefully.
"Abso-freakin-lutely!" Vogel nodded with a smirk before he got his sweeper train into high gear.
Knock Out gapped in shock as the Insecticon leaped out of the way as the train rammed into Knock Out, skidding him against the wall before he slipped off with a big scratch on his finish. "Hey, watch the Finish!" Knock Out called, shaking his servo as the Insecticon fired it's blaster at them.
The Insecticon armed its blaster and started firing at the sweeper train before noticing the Autobots standing up and started firing at them, which Hot Rod and Prowl fought off the Insecticons.
"Hate to run, but I just missed my train. Haha!" Knock Out taunted as he transformed and rolled out as Jazz and Bumblebee watched him go.
"Bee and I will go for the Relic! Prowl, Jazz, you save Jack and Miko!" Hot Rod instructed.
"Check," Jazz told him as the four split up as the Insecticon followed Prowl and Jazz while Hot Rod and Bumblebee went after Knock Out.
With the humans, the train sweeper was still going as Vogel tried to stop it, but couldn't. "Not good. Breakline must've been torched!" Vogel said in worry.
"We can't stop?!" Jack asked in worry.
"No big deal." Miko said in a bit optimistically. "These tracks go around for miles, right Vogel?"
"Not this one!" Vogel stated as up ahead they were heading towards a dead end.
"This tracks deadends?! As in crash and burn?!" Jack exclaimed in worry.
"I'm really starting to hate trains!" Miko exclaimed, having experienced the train crash before.
Soon, Prowl and Jazz drove up to them as they transformed and jumped forward as they grabbed onto the train, which caused it to shake. "Whoa! What was that?" Vogel asked as Jack and Miko turned and saw Prowl and Jazz, which Vogel noticed as well as he looked in shock and quickly grabbed an axe. "Welcome to Earth!" He yelled as he charged forward to the two Autobots.
"Vogel no!" Jack exclaimed.
"They're the good guys!" Miko added as Vogel looked surprised by this as he lowered his guard and looked surprised.
"Prowl, Jazz, the breaks are shot!" Jack exclaimed.
"Is there an emergency override?!" Prowl exclaimed in worry as Vogel stepped forward.
"No, sir." Veogel said. "But there is a switch track control up ahead. If either of you adjust the pull rod…" This made the two Autobots confused by that. "You'll know it when you see it. It will reroute us from another line."
"Then let's roll to it!" Jazz called as he and Prowl jumped off and went into their vehicle modes.
"Did they just turn into cars?" Vogel asked in awed at what he just saw as Prowl and Jazz drove forward ahead of them.
Vogel and the kids then saw the Insecticon behind them. "Uh oh." Miko muttered.
"And that would be?" Vogel asked nervously.
"Trouble," Jack said in concern.
On another track, Knock Out kept driving before he saw Bumblebee and Hot Rod. "Well, well, look who got his treads back." Knock Out said with a smirk, remembering his last encounter with Bumblebee as he drove forward while the two Autobots kept their pursuit.
"Good thing our tires protect us from that third rail, punch it!" Hot Rod told Bumblebee as they kept chasing after Knock Out, making a tight turn down another tunnel.
With the other half of the group, Jazz and Prowl sped faster down the tunnel as the humans turned and saw the Insecticon getting closer as it shrieked before the two Autobots made it to the end of the tunnel. "Uh, what are we supposed to pull?" Jazz asked as they franitcally look around.
"Vogel said we'll know it when," Prowl then saw a lever on the side of the track, "See it!" He said before grabbing the lever and pull on it but it barely moved, "It's stuck!" He grunted.
"Come on, let's pull together!" Jazz called as they pulled onto the lever together, but they accidentaly broke it. "Scrap!" He exclaimed.
"Oh, oh!" Vogel cried out in concern as the two Autobots placed their foot down on the rails and then tried to move them as hard as they could before they manage to move it to the side just as the sweeper train came by as they moved to one side as it passes them as they sighed in relief.
"Yes!" Jack cheered in relief that they didn't crash.
"Alright!" Vogel cheered next.
"Sweet!" Miko added.
As they watched the train roll away, Prowl and Jazz turned to the Insecticon yelled and charged at them before they jumped out of the way as it crashed into the wall before seeing the third rail, which gave them an idea as they nodded to each other and moved aside.
"Come to papa, bug." Prowl said with a smirk as the Insecticon transformed and slammed a fist at them, which they avoided as they fired their blasters at it, which they avoided the hits many times and fought it many times before it pounced at the, which they moved out of the way as the Insecticon skidded to the ground and got electrocuted from the third rail before it was offline.
"Shock and drop." Jazz quipped with a smirk as he and Prowl shared a fistpump.
With Hot Rod and Bumblebee, they were still chasing Knock Out as the doctor tried to shake them but the rails were interfering. "Now, Bee ,grab him!" Hot Rod told Bumblebee as they transformed, flipped and grabbed Knock Out and threw him away, forcing him back into robot mode and dropping the relic.
Knock Out saw the dropped relic as Bumblebee and Hot Rod made a dash for it. Knock Out rushed beside him as the three started push on each other as they made their way to the relic.
With the humans, they are still going. "Phew. We're in the clear." Miko said in relief.
"We still need a way to stop." Vogel reminded her. "Besides slamming into a wall I mean."
Knock Out and the two Autobots continued to wrestle for the Relic as Bumblebee managed to grab it, "I got it!" Bumblebee beeped before Knock Out pounced on him and they tumbled across the rails.
"Give me that!" Knock Out demanded as Bumblebee managed to slip out of his grip but lost the relic as it activated and Knock Out pulled him away from it.
"'Scuse me!" Hot Rod called, flipping over Knock Out, grabbed the relic and flipped onto his feet as the relic started glowing before it latched onto Hot Rod's wrist. "Huh? It's, a watch?" He muttered in surprise as he looked at it, not seeing the sweeper train coming up behind him.
"Watch out!" Jack exclaimed.
"Hot Rod!" Miko exclaimed as they brace themselves as Hot Rod turned around and saw them.
"Sweet Solus Prime!" Hot Rod yelled as he braced himself, but shockingly, to the humans' surprise, the train went through Hot Rod as he looked at himself and saw he was unharmed and looked at the relic. "Huh, so that's what it is."
Jack, Miko and Volger were amazed before they saw Knock Out and Bumblebee, "Bumblebee move!" Miko shouted.
"Scrap!" Bumblebee exclaimed before dove out of the way.
Knock Out however, was hit by the train hard as he started skidding across the tracks with a scream as the sweeper train finally came to a stop as the humans looked at seeing Knock Out down.
"Hot Rod! Bumblebee!" Miko said in concern before Hot Rod and Bumblebee stepped forward.
"We're okay." Bumblebee assured.
"Dude!" Miko cheered they rushed up to them.
"Talk about cutting it close," Hot Rod commented as Prowl and Jazz arrived.
"H-How are you not mashed?" Jack asked, still amazed by what just happened.
Hot Rod showed them the relic as Prowl recognized it with a smirk. "That's a Phase Shifter." He said as he tried to place a hand on Hot Rod, but it passed through him. "Handy to pass through solid objects, or vice versa."
"Or when you want to avoid getting road scrapped," Hot Rod joked, taking off the Phase Shifter.
Knock Out then got up and looked at his reflection and saw he was badly scratched up and his face had black skid marks. "No. NOOOO!" Knock Out yelled in horror.
"Hey Knocks, that look's working for ya," Jazz joked with a smirk.
Knock Out growled as he pushed the sweeper train back in anger. "You scratch my face, I scratch yours!" He warns as Bumblebee stops the sweeper train and the Autobots ready their blasters at him. Knock Out growled in anger since he knew he couldn't win this fight as he quickly transformed and took off at high speed down the tunnel.
The two teens watch Knock Out go while Vogel watches in awe as they give sheepish looks as they turn to the four Autobots. "He knows." Jack said as the Autobots gave concerned looks. "Do we have to take him with us?"
"To the mothership?" Vogel asked in wonder and a bit of concern.
"I've got a work around," Miko said, getting an idea.
At Metroplex, a fully-recovered Fowler was busy assisting one of the Autobots' team on their mission.
"That's right, soldiers! Dump that rock and come on home!" Fowler stated encouragingly.
However, his phone began to start ringing and he answered the call.
"Fowler. Miko, what is it?" Fowler questioned before hearing what the rebel girl had to say. "What in the Sam Hill? I'm in the middle of a crisis here and you want me to…uhh, put him on the line."
Miko gave Vogel the phone as he listened to it. "Mr. Vogel, this is special Agent William Fowler of the United States government." Fowler said. "You are herby deputised as honorary agent for the department of, umm, Interstellar Relations."
Vogel gave a smile in joy by that. "Thank you, sir!" He said before he gave the phone back to Miko. "So, you folks will be in touch?"
"Abso-freaking-lutely!" Miko answered with a smirk.
"Ah, ah." Hot Rod spoke up with a firm yet smiling look. "But until then, we need to maintain complete radio silence." He said to Vogel.
"It's been an honor," Vogel saluted as the bots saluted back.
"Now, let's get back to base." Hot Rod said to them. "Autobots, lets roll" He said as the team walked down the tunnel while Vogel watched them go.
"Good call, face." Jack said to Miko with a smirk.
"Hmp, I understand big city people, who spend way too much time below ground." Miko said with an awkward look.
"Well, that's one relic down, four to go." Jazz said with a smile.
"Let's hope some of the others are having better results than we were," Prowl said as the Autobots transformed, Jack entered Hot Rod while Miko entered Bumblebee and the Autobots rolled out of the tunnel as Vogel watched them go.
"Robots who turn into vehicles," Vogel said in wonder as he turned to his train sweeper and gave a thoughtful look, thinking that it might be a disguise robot as well after what he saw today.
Well, First Iacon Relic, the Phase Shifter, captured.
Now you might have noticed Arcee wasn't on this team, it's because I have much different plans for her.
Post in the comments what you think that means, stay tuned as Optimus leads his team to deal with not one, but two first lieutenants of Megatron in "Triangulation".