"Watch your step." Bee said as he and the other Autobots walked through a bunch of rubble. Bee picked up a broken rod. "Who made him leader?" Smokescreen asked. "Bee did snuff Megatron." Cyclonus said. "I'm not leading." Bee said. He knelt down and examined an Energon puddle. "I'm scouting." He said.
"Fair enough. But you do realize we're nowhere near where we found those Predacons, right?" Smokescreen asked. "We're not looking for those Predacons. I followed this Energon trail, which means he was wounded, and I know we aren't the ones who wounded him." Bee said.
"Whoa, you mean we've been tracking -" Bulkhead stopped when they saw the Predacon form of Predaking appeared and spread his wings as he roared. "Predaking?" Bulkhead finished.
The Autobots aimed their weapons, and Predaking roared as his neck glowed. "Hold fire! Recognize this, Predaking?" Bee asked and held the rod, hoping it would work. Predaking stopped growling.
"You served aboard Megatron's warship. Surely you remember this little treasure from his vault. The Immobilizer. It causes instant Stasis Lock, though the victim remains fully conscious. A living death." Bee said. He then kneeled. "But we didn't come to fight, your highness."
Predaking transformed. "Then why have you violated my refuge, Autobot?" He asked. The Autobots lowered their weapons. "We need answers. Do you know of any other Predacons currently on Cybertron?" Bee asked.
"Indeed, legions of them. Behold. My subjects." Predaking motioned to the thousands of Predacon skeletons littered across the valley.
"A countless multitude, rendered extinct ages ago by the Great Cataclysm. Unearthed by the shifting of plates during our planet's restoration." Predaking explained. "Yeah? well, me, Cyclonus, and Ultra Magnus just about got scrapped by 3 living Predacons. Know anything about them, your highness?" Smokescreen asked.
"3? Where?" Predaking asked. "We came to ask your help in finding them." Bee said. "For revenge?" Predaking asked.
"No. Optimus Prime would deem it a tragedy to stain Cybertron's fresh soil with any newly spilled Energon. So help us prove what Megatron was never willing to, that more than one race can peacefully coexist on our planet." Bee said.
"You assume that because I turned against Megatron, I can forgive the Autobots their role in the destruction of my brethren on Earth? Leave me be, and dare not trespass here again." Predaking ordered. The Autobots departed, and Bee tossed the fake Immobilizer behind him.
A familiar jet flew around an abandoned area at night. It transformed into Starscream, who held a Predacon bone. The Seeker walked into an abandoned building, which was one of Shockwave's labs.
It housed a Predacon clone inside an incubator. "I have returned, partner." Starscream announced. "I trust you haven't strained yourself tinkering in your lab while I was toiling in the field like a common drone?" He asked as he put the bone down onto a table. "I mean, I seem to supply old bones faster than you grow new clones." Starscream said.
"Starscream, given our lack of infrastructure and frequent need to relocate in order to avoid detection, it is not logical to expect greater productivity at this point in time." Shockwave said. "At least your new clones lack the arrogance of your last effort. The one who named himself Predaking." Starscream said and held an Energon prod.
He heard stomping and saw the 3 Predacons that attacked the Autobots earlier enter the lab. Their names were Skylynx, Darksteel, and Firestar. They accidentally knocked over a few Energon canisters. "Be careful, you clumsy brutes! Where have you been?" Starscream asked. "Gutting Autobots." Skylynx said. Darksteel laughed. "They started it." Firestar said.
"What?! You were ordered to avoid all contact with the enemy!" Starscream yelled and zapped the two Predacon mechs. "Sire, please!" Firestar begged but was electrocuted as well. "I don't hear you laughing now, Darksteel." Starscream said. "We weren't followed." Skylynx said.
"Fools! Now that they know of your existence, we have lost the element of surprise!" Starscream shouted. "The Autobots are weak." Darksteel giggled. "They fled like cowards. We have no need to fear them." Skylynx said. "Perhaps, Skylynx. But we must not underestimate them either. Their treacherous scout was able to fell the mighty Megatron. Rest his Spark." Starscream said.
"As such, it is paramount that we harvest the cna necessary to clone more of you. Many more of you." Shockwave added. "So that we build an army of beasts great enough to eradicate the Autobots and conquer Cybertron in Lord Megatron's memory and name." Starscream said.
"What makes you think we'll find Shockwave's cloning lab here?" Arcee asked as they approached a structure identical to Darkmount on Earth. "Yeah, wasn't Darkmount Megatron's military hq?" Smokescreen asked. "If the intel I received from Knockout is accurate, we'll find a map of Shockwave's entire lab network in the citadel's databank." Bee said as they all transformed. Cyclonus was left on the Nemesis to help Ratchet.
The alarms started blaring. "Not good." Wheeljack said. Optimus flew around the asteroid belt and found the container housing the Allspark. "Optimus, plasma storm incoming." Wheeljack reported. Optimus flew for the Allspark. "Get out of there. That Allspark container may be indestructible, but you aren't." Wheeljack said. "I am too close to turn back." Optimus said.
"Lord Smokescreen. Emperor of Destruction!" Smokescreen said as he sat on the throne. "How can you sit there? That's some bad mojo." Bulkhead said. "What do you know? Knockout actually shot straight for once." Bee said.
"What'd you have to do? Buff his finish?" Arcee asked. "Close. Let's download the data and get out of here." Bee said. "Hey, something's heading our way." Bulkhead informed. A dark object was quickly approaching them. "Predaking?" Arcee asked. "Moving too fast." Bee said. "Starscream?" Bulkhead asked. "Too big." Chromia said.
The object then transformed into a stronger, almost unrecognized Megatron. The Autobots stared in shock as Smokescreen stood up from the throne and scooched aside. "Minions of the Prime, prepare to be obliterated!" Megatron said with a different aspect to his voice.
To be continued...