A/N (Please Read): Good morning, one and all! Welcome back to Transformers MHA, and indeed, we're a day early! Yeah, this chapter turned out to be a lot shorter than the past several, and I had a feeling that'd be the case. Consider this one to be a breather of sorts between different storylines. With this, we bring the Internships to a close… technically. We'll be seeing the true send-off to our student's mentors in a couple chapters, but I'll explain that in the ending notes.

For now, though… I want to address a few things, namely the state of where the story is at right now. Because yes, I DO read all of the feedback that people send me, and believe me, I take it ALL into account. Yes, the story IS in a pretty lax place right now, and the villains aren't posing that much of a threat… but that will NOT last. I just want to address the concerns I've been seeing by saying, yes, there WILL be a more serious shift as the story goes on. It's just that we're still in the middle of MHA Season 2 and things are still relatively lighthearted at this point. But, if you're familiar with My Hero (or one of my main inspirations, Transformers Prime), that won't last, and we won't even have to wait until Arc 3 to get there.

Also, yes, many characters have been introduced over the course of the past 6 or so chapters. But don't worry, I plan to pull it back a little… at least when it comes to the main cast. Again, you'll see what I mean at the end of the chapter with the preview for next time. But, with that said, let's get started on this more casual chapter, shall we? This is…

Chapter 62: A Jet's Resolve

…..

Following the battle's conclusion, Optimus had ordered everyone to return to headquarters, seeing that as the easiest way to regroup. Thankfully, Strongarm, Springer and the others had already reconvened with the rest of G.I. Joe, Gang Orca, Crust and the children, so bringing their group back was of no issue to Red Alert. At present, however, the Autobots were all waiting with baited breath as their medic worked to bring back Prime's group… and needless to say, the bots were all incredibly antsy. Well, most of them, at least. Springer resigned himself to leaning against a rock with his Mini-Cons laying at his feet, all while everyone else paced around in excitement.

…Or in Flare Up's case, dash around the entire field like she was being chased down by a Decepticon jet. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH!" She abruptly stopped in front of Sunstreaker, taking him off guard as she reached up and shook him by the shoulders. "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! Jetfire! It's ACTUALLY Jetfire!"

"I-I-I know, Flare!" The yellow Lambo brother asserted. "Trust me, I-I saw him, too!"

"We ALL did." Arcee said with awe, shaking her head. "And never in a thousand years did I think he would've survived that."

Sideswipe, however, thought otherwise. "Arcee, I get where you're coming from, but we REALLY should've saw it coming!" He thrust his hands up for emphasis. "I mean… it's JETFIRE! The best flier the Autobots have ever seen! It's no wonder he managed to make it outta that supernova!"

Down below, the humans all listened intently as they described the bot, with Hawk speaking up for all of them. "Hah, sounds to me like you value this Jetfire pretty highly in your ranks. Is he that good?"

"…That good? That good?!" Sideswipe bent over, getting his face right in front of the general. "He's BETTER than "that good"! He's AMAZING!"

"Very rarely do I agree with Sideswipe, but in this instance, he's right on the shanix." Strongarm nodded wholeheartedly. "Jetfire is the whole package and MORE. He's won the Autobots so many battles over the eons; Pax Volana, Tarn, The Inferno Pit, his track record is astonishing."

"Gotta admit, he's one heck of a warrior from the scuttlebutt I've heard." Springer piped up, walking over to the group with Sawback and Fangblade at his side. "Granted, I've never seen him in action personally, but from the sounds of it, he'd make one slaggin' good Wrecker."

Airazor was particularly astounded by all of the praise being thrown around about the new arrival, her optics gleaming with curiosity. "Oh my… now I'm VERY much looking forward to meeting him!" She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps he could even give me some tips on how to maneuver through the air better in robot mode…"

Mina, Eijiro and the rest of the students were all beaming with anticipation as well. "Wow, this Jefire guy sounds totally BADASS!" Mina cheered.

"I know!" Eijiro pumped his legs up and down. "You guys are gettin' me properly hyped!"

Duke couldn't help but chuckle at the kids' enthusiasm. "Hehe, well, if anything, I hope he uses that jet mode he scanned properly. After all, the Skystriker's a work of art. Would hate to see any version of it get dinged up."

Sunstreaker quickly waved those fears away. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. There's very few who've been able to touch Jetfire in the sky, let alone outfly him."

"Huh, same can be said about our best pilot, Ace." Scarlett pointed out. "…Though I guess now, Jetfire's managed to outfly 'im."

"Ah, I'm sure Ace won't mind much." Wild Bill brushed off. "Guy's a good sport. But speakin' of flyin'…" He nodding up to Springer and saluted. "Boy, that was one HELL of a good time we had out there, wasn't it? Haha, I don't think I've had that much fun behind the stick in years!"

The Triple Changer gave a laugh of his own, pulling out a thumbs up to the cowboy. "Bill, I think your own words say it best; YEAH!" The duo shared a laugh before Springer knelt down and offered a fist. "You can be my wingman anytime, my friend."

Orca and Crust had walked up to Hawk as well, the former extending his hand. "And General, it's been an honor for us to work with you and your team. I hope our paths cross again in the future."

"Indeed!" Crust exclaimed, thrusting a hand up to the sky. "Truly, this will be a team-up worth repeating at some point!"

"Haha, oh, I don't doubt it, gentlemen." Hawk shook Orca's hand while Duke did the same with Crust. "I'm glad that we could work with some local heroes while on our extended stay…" He craned his head over to Mina, Eijiro, Denki, Tetsu and Setsuna as well. "Along with a few future prospects, too."

"Aw, shucks!" Setsuna gave a cheeky smile. "It was nothing, really, General."

Tetsutetsu stood at attention and gave a salute. "Yeah! We were just doin' what we thought would impress all of you guys!"

"Hah, well, keep it up then." Kamakura encouraged, the man having reverted to his normal form when they returned. "I'm sure all of you will make for some great heroes one day."

Tiger Claw agreed wholeheartedly. "Hm, yes. Just be sure to listen to your teachers, alright?" He got a collective "ehh…" from the teens, making the tiger man roll his eyes. "Don't give me that. They may enforce rules, but they're only trying to keep you all safe as they cultivate you into good future heroes. Keep up with your studies, stay in school, and remember—"

"Knowin' is half the battle!" Scarlett exclaimed… before taking out a small recording device from her back pocket and hitting the play button;

~G.I. JOOOOE~

…But all that did was make the teens stare at her in dumbfounded confusion, all while Tiger Claw deflated. "Oh… I wanted to say it."

Scarlet spun the recorder in her hand and pocketed it once again. "Sorry, TC, but ya gotta be quicker than that!"

"Uh, more to the point, what the heck did you just do?" Denki asked.

"Oh, she just played an excerpt from the official "G.I. Joe" theme song." Duke explained, all while Snake Eyes shook his head in exasperation next to him. "It's a classic, honestly. Made during when the FIRST G.I. Joe team was a more public figure back in the day. We only play it when someone says that phrase, though."

"What? "Knowing is half the battle"?" Setsuna asked… which prompted Scarlett to pull the recorder out again;

~G.I. JOOOOE~

The Lizard Tail Splitter user grimaced toward the redheaded woman, narrowing her eyes while Scarlett smiled sheepishly. "Okay. We get the picture." Scarlett slunk away with the recorder close to her chest, lowering her head apologetically.

Hawk chuckled and waved his hand. "Ah-ha, it's just a little inside joke amongst the ranks." Just then, the General noticed something moving out the corner of his eye, shifting his focus back toward the base. "That said, I think the guest of honor is about to show himself…"

Everyone set their sights onto the base's entrance, where Optimus, Bumblebee, Jazz, Windblade and Bulkhead all emerged. Walking ahead of them were Izuku, Kyoka, Momo Shoto, Roadblock, Jinx and Mackenzie… along with Edgeshot, who was carrying Mirko in his arms with a deadpan stare. Merissa was currently using her Quirk on the Rabbit Hero's legs, though the woman herself didn't seem to be in agony. If anything, she was as lively as ever. "HEYA, GUYS!" Mirko thrust her hand into the air, waving toward them. "You'll never guess what happened!"

"…I'll bet we won't." Denki said dumbfoundedly.

"I kicked through five layers of Con armor! AHAHAHA!"

As Mirko cackled at her victory, though, Izuku didn't seem all that impressed, eyeing his mentor with a tired gaze. "At this point, I'm honestly not surprised you'd do something like this, Mirko."

"Aw, kid, you gotta lighten up a little." Mirko reached up and ruffled his hair a bit. "Here I thought I'd rub off more on ya over the week."

"Well, you did." Izuku stressed. "Though maybe not entirely in the most positive of ways."

Mirko just scoffed and flicked her hair at him. "Pfft. C'mon kid, ya know ya love me." Izuku became beat red at that and he quickly hid his face, mumbling to himself about how unfair that move was. "Hahaha! Sheesh, can't ya take a—AUGH!"

Edgeshot abruptly dropped Mirko, putting his hands behind his back while raising his chin up. "Hmph, that'll be enough from you."

"EDGESHOT!" Marissa chided. "Her legs are still broken!"

Much to their surprise, however, Mirko just shot a thumbs up. "It's okay!" She winced out. "Edgy Boy here knows how to test my tolerances! Haha!"

Multiple veins could be seen popping out of Edgeshot's forehead, but even so, he managed to keep his cool demeanor. "…I think I should schedule a vacation soon."

Stepping over to her mentor, Momo bowed and ushered him to follow her. "Master, why don't we step away from the cause of your headache, hm?" The duo made their way over to the other group as the Creation user smiled to her friends. "Everyone, I assume you all made it out unharmed?"

"We're still standin', Yaomomo!" Mina affirmed. "…Though we WERE ready to go down in a blaze of glory."

"Thankfully, Roller and the Mini-Cons arrived just in time to snap us back to our senses." Crust rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Heh… imagine what your school would say if we all just up and died in that battle."

Denki gave his own nervous laugh. "Haha… yeah, knowing Mr. Aizawa, he'd probably find some way to revive both of you just so he could kill you himself."

"I wouldn't put it past him." Gang Orca lowered his head. "I myself got caught up in the moment as well, so I am not without blame." All the same, he set his sights up to Optimus Prime. "But regardless, where's the bot of the hour? I thought he'd be right behind you."

The Autobot leader directed his head back toward the base's entrance. "Jetfire is still inside, speaking with Red Alert. I'm sure that they'll be out—"

"GUYS!" All at once, everyone's attention was brought to Mei as she jogged out of the base, with Red Alert slowly bringing up the rear. "This. Guy. Is. AMAZING!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms out at her sides. "He's the biggest bot I've ever seen! So sleek, so aerodynamic, AND THAT JETPACK! AAH! I'm freaking out!"

The young inventor's friends all wore amused smiles at her response to Jetfire, with Kyoka scratching her cheek. "Why'd I have a feeling that'd be her first reaction. So, where IS he? Suddenly too shy or something?"

"Ha! Far from it." Red Alert denied, showing a rare smile. "He's just… having some difficulty getting used to the size of everything."

*Clunk* "Gah! *CLANG* "D'oh! Geez…" Eventually, Jetfire had made his way out of the base… and the team immediately picked up on what Red meant by what he said. Even taking the twin jet thrusters sticking up from behind his head into account, Jetfire was WAY too tall to fit through the base's exit comfortably. And even then, the scaffolding and beams along the ceiling were getting in his way. He had to bend over just to walk out, but once he made it, he returned to his full height and let out a relieved sigh. "Hah, phew! Sheesh, THIS is where you guys are hidin' out? You sure there wasn't an option that had higher ceilings?"

Momo bowed her head again. "Apologies, but this was the biggest place my family owned that was abandoned. If I had known a bot like you would come around, Jetfire, we probably would've considered more options."

"Ah, it's fine, I'm just pokin' fun. Watch this!" The tailfins of his vehicle mode rearranged to that they were lower behind his head, and on top of that, the two thrusters both rotated back down to their orientation for his vehicle mode, essentially taking off ten extra feet of height from his back. "See? I can just bring my thrusters down indoors. No worries." As his thrusters returned to their regular position, the Sky Commander couldn't help but ponder; "Though it's gonna be a pretty tight squeeze if a bot like Sky Lynx comes around. Haha! I can already see him complaining about how "this domicile doesn't even BEGIN to accompany my unbridled GLORY! I demand that we move at once!" or somethin'."

"HAHAHA!" Bulkhead let out a laugh and slapped Jetfire on the back at his joke. "You're so right, Jets! Hah, man, it's good havin' ya back."

"Jetfire!" Sideswipe and Sunstreaker rushed up to the tall Autobot excitedly, with everyone else bringing up the rear. "I-Is it really you?!" the red Lambo brother beamed.

Bending forward, Jetfire clasped the twins' shoulders, bringing them to a halt. "Hey-hey! Sides, Sunny! Good to see you two, and—WOAH!" He was suddenly cut off when, from out of nowhere, Flare Up blinked up onto his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck in an energetic hug. "Ah! Haha, I THOUGHT I spotted you zipping around down below, Flare!"

"EEEEE! Jets, it really IS you! I shoulda known ya wouldn't 've gone out that easily." The scout squeed delightfully.

Reaching up to procure her from his shoulder, Jetfire chuckled as he set her down. "Haha, well, what can I say? I'm just full a' surprises." He nodded down to Strongarm and Arcee as they caught up as well. "Cadet, 'Cee, glad to see you're still around, too."

Arcee gave a two-fingered salute to him, while Strongarm gave her standard salute. "Right back at ya, Jetfire. Okay, now spill; where in the universe have you been over these past eons?"

"Ah, still as straight to the point as ever." Jetfire raised his hands. "Can't I get a moment to take in the fresh atmosphere? I've been flyin' 'round space for at least ten decacycles. And besides, I've got so many new faces to meet!" He set his sights over to Springer and Airazor in particular. "Like you two! You guys're new! …Though I do recognize one of ya." He approached the Triple Changer, nudging his chin to him. "You're the ragtag Wrecker, Springer, right?"

This made Springer smirk and he instantly offered his hand. "Heh, seems like my reputation precedes me, even in the higher ranks."

Jetfire reciprocated the handshake with a laugh. "Haha! Well, with how often Magnus yammered on to me about you bein' a "loose cannon", how could I NOT know about ya?"

"Pfft, that stiff couldn't deal with me if he tried."

"I know. Why d'ya think I kept pestering him about it?" the duo shared a laugh at that before Jetfire moved on to Airazor, having to crane his head down quite a bit to meet her optics. "And you… you're a Maximal! Heh, haven't come across many of your kind in my travels. What's your name, miss?"

Airazor offered him a salute. "Airazor, reporting for duty! It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Hah, at ease, ma'am." Jetfire reached down, daintily taking her hand in his and giving a dramatic bowing. "The pleasure's all mine."

Just then, however, Strongarm cleared her throat, bringing Jetfire's attention back to the main topic. "AHEM. With all due respect, Jetfire, sir, you really owe us all an explanation." Strongarm reasoned. "No one just survives a supernova and lives without telling that tale."

Optimus came forward at the cadet's remark, agreeing with her. "Indeed, Jetfire. There are still many questions I have for you myself."

The Autobot jet let out a sigh and rubbed his helm, knowing that he wasn't about to get out of it. "Hah, yeah, fair enough, Prime…" He trailed off as he noticed the rest of the humans gathered around him—heroes, students and Joes alike—their eyes all full of curiosity. "…But can I at least get the introductions outta the way first? I've got a LOT of names to remember here and NOT just B-127—"

"BZZT-BZZT!"

Jetfire automatically spun around and placed his hands together, bowing toward the little yellow bot. "Sorry, sorry! Bumblebee!" Bee gave a buzz of approval, along with a happy thumbs up.

Several minutes later, once introductions were out of the way, Jetfire and the others went down to the beach, where the tall Autobot had taken a seat on a sizeable boulder. Rubbing his hands together, he prepared himself, knowing that they'd be there for a while. "Okay, so, introductions are outta the way…" He pointed out to the group. "And I'm pretty sure that I got… at least ninety percent of your names memorized." That earned him a chuckle from most of the humans, to which he raised a hand. "So please, don't be offended if I call ya by a nickname, I tend to remember those better."

That was something that Mei wasn't bothered by in the least. "Hey, ya know what? Same! Feel free to call us anything!"

"I knew I liked ya, Crazy Eyes!" Jetfire pointed double finger guns at Mei, to which she winked and did the same. "But now, let's get down to business. Because I know my fellow Autobots won't stop pestering me 'til I give a proper explanation."

"You know it." Jazz popped a squat on the ground, crisscrossing his legs as Kyoka sat next to him. "So, spill the beans, Jets. What've you been up to for the past million solar cycles?"

Windblade leaned forward intently. "And how were you not destroyed back then?"

Jetfire took a deep intake of air, ready to recount his tale. "Well, I guess there's no better place to start than where we left off with each other." He craned his head up toward the bright, blue sky, pulling the recalling that day from his memory banks. "As you know, Sky Byte managed to lure me into that dying sun's neighborhood, saying that he had a Mini-Con held hostage. Of course, that turned out to be a lie. And well… let's just say that getting out of there wasn't as easy as one might think…"

…..

~ One Million Years Ago~

If there was one thing that Jetfire couldn't stand more than Decepticons, it was being tricked by one of them. And unfortunately, this was one of the rare instances where he did. Sky Byte had successfully lured him into Cybertron's neighboring solar system, which, while mostly underpopulated, was still the home of a mighty red son… which was about to become a dwarf star. Thankfully, the residents of the solar system's one inhabited planet were advanced enough to evacuate on spaceships before the big kaboom, but if HE wanted to get out of there, he needed to hurry the frag up.

"C'mon, c'mon, gotta get into comm range!" Jetfire grumbled to himself. "Grr, THIS is why we shouldn't have shut down the SpaceBridge network!" For what felt like the millionth time, he attempted communication. "Autobot forces, this is Jetfire, come in!"

"TCHZZZZ—Jetfire?! TCHZZ—Do ya—TSCHZ—ear me?!"

A feeling of hope leapt up in Jetfire's spark. Finally, a reply. "I-Ironhide?! Do you copy?!"

"TCHZZZ—We're trackin'—TSCHZ—goin' nearly—TSCHZ—eed of sound! What the scrap 're ya—TSCHZZZZ"

"I-I can barely hear you, buddy, I—"

*CHYAAH-KOOOOOOOOMM*

All at once, that single, deafening sound made Jetfire's spark drop down into his gut, seeing nothing but a bright, white light encompassing his vision. "FRAG!" Still, he kept flying as fast as he could. He was almost at the edge of the solar system, he wasn't about to give up now. "NO! Gotta keep going! I… can… MAKE IT!" Putting his thrusters on full blast, Jetfire gave one final push… right as the shockwave from the exploding sun SLAMMED into him, propelling him forward while also dealing significant damage. "AAAAUUUGGH!"

As he was forced into his now incredibly mutilated robot mode, Jetfire was propelled into the vastness of space, slipping into stasis lock as his comm signal was cut off. Along with it, his Autobot insignia darkened, his indicator was also disabled. All he could do… was hurdle through the dark void of space.

…..

~Present Day~

"Admittedly, not my finest moment." Jetfire conceded.

Optimus hummed solemnly. "When the solar system finally calmed down, searched the entire vicinity for any remnants of your body. …We always did find it strange that there didn't seem to be any." He set his optics upon his friend. "But now, it makes sense why."

"You were thrown half-way across the ENTIRE galaxy!" Denki exclaimed in awe. "And managed to survive the whole way! Dude, that's amazing!"

Mina nodded in agreement. "Yeah! You must be REALLY durable to live through that."

Jetfire rubbed his head with a slight chuckle. "Hah, well, uh, not to toot my own horn, but I HAVE lived through countless scrapes in the past."

Windblade leaned forward intently. "But then what happened? It's obvious that you were repaired after that, but where'd you end up. Not many planets outside of Cybertron's colonies know how to properly repair us, after all."

"Hehe, well, that's where some interesting coincidences started happenin' for me…" Jetfire continued, setting his back against the rocky crag. "Like you said, I didn't go floating through space for very long. Otherwise, my spark would've gone out after several megacycles. But… the blast from the supernova was powerful enough to send me into a different solar system. And that's when I finally made planetfall… kinda."

…..

The sound of droning beeps were the first thing to grace Jetfire's audio receptors as he regained consciousness, only for him to wake up with a start. "AH!" Lurching into an upright position, the Autobot jet began breathing hard and fast, his optics snapping every which way around to try and figure out where he was. "W-W-What's going on!? What is this?!" He was in a very sterile, while room, surrounded by medical equipment on all sides. That didn't help at all. "WHERE THE SLAG AM I—AUGH!"

"Jetfire! …At ease."

The shock of being forced back down onto the medical slab was what knocked Jetfire back to his senses, allowing him to intake steadily. It was then, however, that he took notice of WHO had slammed him down. It was a mostly black and grey Autobot, built very blocky with a vented chest. He had silver and blue detailing throughout, mainly in his head which was rounded at the top with a silver faceplate and blue visor staring back at him. Jetfire could hardly believe who he was seeing. "…Cerebros?"

"Welcome back to the land of the living, my friend." Cerebros greeted, taking his hand off of Jetfire's chest. "You had us worried for a considerable amount of time."

"W-W-What the…" Jetfire lifted himself up, much slower and more deliberate this time. He took another glance around the room, recognizing the Cybertronian technology. "Am… Am I in…"

"Fortress Maximus." the Autobot scientist affirmed, clapping his hands for the nearby windows to be opened. When they were, they let in a bright light, which made Jetfire raise a hand to cover his optics. But once they adjusted, he saw that they were overlooking a sprawling, high-tech cityscape, where countless vehicles were flying around every which way. "Welcome to Nebulos." Cerebros finished.

"I… hah, holy scrap." Jetfire approached the window, seeing that Cybertronians were interacting with smaller, bipedal, green-skinned aliens with white hair down below. "So THIS is where you took your civilians…"

Cerebros approached Jetfire from behind, hands behind his back. "Indeed. After Optimus Prime ordered nearly all Titans to evacuate the planet with the innocents, my large friend and I found this secluded planet. The inhabitants were already highly advanced, but were in a time of peace." The scientist lowered his head a bit. "At first… they were rather hostile to our presence, but Fort Max and I earned their trust eventually by promising them that we would drive off the Cybertronian war should it ever come to this planet."

As much as Jetfire wanted to see the positives in that… he was too steeped in thinking about what had happened. He had only just barely managed to make it out of that supernova, while Sky-Byte made a clean get away. …At least, as far as he knew. 'Kinda hopin' he at least got damaged in that blast too, honestly.'

Before he could get too lost in his thoughts, though, Cerebros tapped him on the shoulder. "Jetfire, are you listening?"

"W-W-Wha? Oh, sorry, I… I was thinking about…"

"Hm. We detected the supernova not long before you arrived." Cerebros nodded. "I assume that's the reason you were so damaged."

Jetfire tightened his fists. "Yeah… a Con called Sky-Byte managed to trick me into it." With that, he spun away from the window and began skulking over toward the door. "Thanks for the patch-up, but I've gotta get back out there and find that yellow-plated Pred."

However, Cerebros hastily went to reach out to him. "Jetfire, wait! Please, stay here." The Autobot jet did an about face, wearing an incredulous expression. "I know, I know, the war is important, but I implore you to stay. With your background, you would be of much help here!"

"Pfft, what? As a scientist? You know full well I left that life a LONG time ago. Was never suited for it."

"Then at least stay until you're fully capable of space flight again. There's still several repairs that you desperately need before you can be airborne again."

Taking his words into consideration, Jetfire gave a reluctant sigh, slumping his shoulders a bit. "Hah, alright, fine… I'll stick around. But ONLY until I can fly again."

"Hah, thank you, Jetfire." Cerebros bowed his head as Jetfire sat back down on the repair table. "Trust me, when it comes to Fort Max, we have the best repair and medical crews…" Just then, the door opened and revealed a new pair walking in; an Autobot and a Nebulan. The bot had a mainly silver torso with blue limbs and a square, blue head, its visor glowing a bright white. …Also, sticking out of his shoulders was a red gun barrel, with another black gun barrel jutting out of each of his wrists. The Nebulan, on the other hand, was like all the others; green skin and white hair, though he wore a pair of red pants, black boots and a white doctor's coat. "Oh, speaking of which…" Cerebros nodded to the duo.

"Ah, I see our patient's awake!" the Autobot stated, giving Jetfire a nod. "Long time no see, Jets."

"Hah! Cog!" Jetfire extended a hand and the two shared a handshake. "Man, aren't you a sight for sore optics?" He craned his head down to the Nebulan. "So, guessin' you've employed some Nebulans here, too, eh?"

Cerebros knelt down and waved a hand toward the young alien. "Indeed. Jetfire, allow me to introduce Hi-Q. He's a young one, but he certainly learns fast."

Jetfire sent the young one a salute. "'Sup, kid?"

…And then Hi-Q opened his mouth.

"G'day, mate!" he returned, taking Jetfire aback by just how… strange his voice was. "Crikey, did you 'ave one gnarly tumble into our atmosphere! Covered head to toe in space barnacles, ya were! B' don't worry, we scrapped every last ona' those ankle biters offa ya!" He went over to a storage tank on the other side of the room and opened it, revealing the greyish-purple parasites all stored inside. "An' ho-ho, they won't go to waste, lemme tell ya! Gonna fry 'em up on the barbie an' Bob's yer uncle! Gonna 'ave ourselves a real rip-snorta' with these, fair dinkum!"

…All Jetfire could do was stare at the Nebulan in stunned silence, slowly craning his head back to Cerebros all the while. "…Do they ALL talk like this?"

"…Yes."

"I want off this planet. ASAP."

…..

Izuku couldn't help but stare at Jetfire incredulously "…Is that REALLY what they sounded like?"

Jetfire shuddered as he recollected that memory. "Ugh, yeah, no exaggeration on that part, 'Zuku. And, much to my horror, a lot of Cybertronian civilians had already picked up the Nebulan accent, too." He shook his head vehemently. "And I was NOT about to stick around long enough to start soundin' like THAT, NO sir!"

"Sheesh, sounds terrifying." Bulkhead commented.

"Sounds like Space Australia." Kyoka added. "…So yeah, terrifying."

Arcee rolled her optics and got back on topic. "So, you landed on the same planet as Cerebros and Fort Max. Well, good to know that they're at least doing okay by the sounds of things."

Optimus gave an affirming nod. "Indeed. It was my hope that many of the Titans and their City Speakers would be able to find peace throughout the galaxy. I am glad that was the case with those two, especially considering Cerebros' pacifist nature." Still, he tilted his head. "But… if you made contact with him, why did you not try to contact Cybertron?"

A sigh escaped the Autobot Jet as he leaned forward. "…Because I didn't want to. At the time, my main focus was finding Sky-Byte and finishing the job. Once I'd get that done, I promised myself I WOULD go back… make it a big surprise, ya know? Even made Cerebros promise he wouldn't even attempt to tell anyone." All the same, he didn't seem too thrilled recalling that. "But thinking back on it, probably wasn't my best idea."

"So, what came next for you if you didn't stay on Nebulon?" Shoto asked.

"Well, Half'n'Half… next came a pretty dark time." Jetfire said with a hesitant tone. "I'd honesty rather skip over this part, but for a while… I was fueled by nothing other than vengeance and anger. Anger at Sky-Byte, anger at any Con that just so happened to cross my path. I'd blow up Con outposts so quick, they wouldn't even get a chance to call for help. Looking back, I was… pretty callous for an Autobot during that time. But then… I came upon a planet to rest on for a bit… where I found another group of Cybertronians."

This caught the Autobots' interest fairly quick. "Another uncolonized planet?" Strongarm inquired.

"Yep, but this time, what I found weren't Autobots. …You familiar with the Circle of Light?"

All at once, several jaws fell open. "…You're joking." Red Alert uttered. "You couldn't have found…"

But Jetfire nodded to him. "Heh… yep. Dai Atlas. …Well, more like he found me. And lemme tell ya, I was not happy on the planet that his people found… not at first, anyway."

…..

"AAAAAAUUUUGHH!" Jetfire let loose a volley of rage-fueled laserfire toward a rocky outcropping on the planet of Theophany, directly above the Cybertronian settlement that the Circle of Light called home. They city—which they had apparently dubbed "New Crystal City"—was underground, but even then, he could no doubt tell that people would be hearing him beneath the surface as he threw his tantrum. He was just… so… ANGRY. Be it at Sky-Byte, Starscream, Megatron… or even himself.

With all of his energy and firepower spent, Jetfire fell to his knees, intaking air at a heavy pace as he slammed his fists against the ground. He had felt this way for a long, LONG time over the past several millennia, and each day only brought more and more anger with it. 'I'm… I'm reaching my limit.' he admitted to himself. 'I… I don't want…'

"You wish not to be angry anymore."

Jetfire gasped and rounded about on his intruder… only to be met with a bot much bigger than himself. Both figuratively and literally. "O-Oh… Dai Atlas. It's just you."

No bot could ever guess that the mountain of colorful metal that was Dai Atlas was a pacifist by nature, especially given his alternate mode; a treaded battleship with a wingspan that was at least double Jetfire's own. He stood several heads taller than Jetfire as well, his red, blue, yellow, white and black color scheme making him stand out amongst the arid, rocky planet. Dai Atlas' blue helm also had three horns sticking out of it; one on either side and another directly on top, all jutting back toward the drill-like nosecone of his vehicle mode that stuck up from his back.

But even with his imposing stature, Jetfire knew that this bot wouldn't hurt even the smallest of Insecticons. "…You seem troubled, my friend." Dai Atlas strolled over and sat down next to Jetfire, who simply stared back at him. "Since your arrival on Theophany, all you have done is blow up mountain ranges."

"Yeah… sorry about that." Jetfire sighed, rubbing his neck. "It's just… gah, I have NO clue what to do with all this pent-up anger! Sky Byte's still out there, but every which way I follow him, he always manages to give me the slip!"

"Hm, yes. I can see where your frustration stems from… but I can also tell that you do not wish to feel this way." Dai Atlas reached out and placed his hand gently upon Jetfire's shoulder. "You wish to be free of your vices, to return to the way you once were… how many of us remember you from before."

Jetfire shook his head. "…Not that simple, I think. Sure, people knew me as the Autobot high flyer who did amazing stunts and outflew Cons like it was no one's business, but… I don't know if I even CAN go back to throwin' quips around and bein' the "cool guy". Even if I destroy Sky Byte, I don't think that'll bring me peace."

A smile worked its way to Dai Atlas' face, nodding in approval. "I am glad that you already recognize that, Jetfire. It certainly makes my job all the easier…"

The Autobot jet did a double take as Dai Atlas stood up. "W-Wait, what?"

"You said it yourself; you will not find peace with Sky Byte's destruction… but putting up a front of your former self for your comrades won't do you any good either." Dai Atlas put his hand up in front of his face, keeping it straight up as he closed his optics. "What you must do is find balance within yourself. A Jetfire who can use the negative rage that festers within to fuel a more positive disposition." He extended his other hand to him. "And I believe that we can help you with that."

"…What, you mean like, join the Circle?" Jetfire raised his hand in denial. "Uh, I appreciate the offer, but I'm really not much of a swordsman. And besides, don't you and your people try to avoid conflict as much as possible?"

Dai Atlas gave a small nod. "Yes… but we are prepared for it should we deem it necessary to fend off those who try and besiege our utopia." He opened his optics as his smile increased a little. "But even then… I wasn't referring to training you to wield one of our signature Great Swords. No, I am referring to… something else. Something that I myself wield instead of a blade. Would you like to see?"

Admittedly, Jetfire's curiosity was piqued. "…Eh, what've I got to lose? Let's see it."

"I was hoping that would be your answer." Going back down to the ground, Dai Atlas sat in a cross-legged, meditative pose, pinching his thumb and index fingers together while keeping the others straight. Closing his optics once again, Dai Atlas began to focus… and before long, he was enveloped in a bright, golden light as he hummed in concentration.

"Ah! W-What the…" Jetfire could only watch as Dai Atlas began to float up into the air, without any need for his thrusters. High above, clouds began swirling into a large hole that opened up in the sky… where a golden light descended and inserted itself into a slot on Dai Atlas' back… and then it happened.

"CYBER KEY POWER!"

The gold energy surrounding the large Cybertronian came BURSTING out all at once, while arm-shaped energy constructs emerged from Dai Atlas' very being. To Jetfire, the image resembled a giant, golden optic, with Dai Atlas himself serving as its pupil. And all the while, he felt… more at ease, as if the energy were helping to healing him in some way. "Wha… What is…"

"Gaze into the Iris, Jetfire." Dai Atlas encouraged, the arm constructs moving in tandem with one another as they expelled the energy. "Experience… Tranquility." After a few more moments, the energy died down and Dai Atlas floated back down, landing on his feet to the astoundment of Jetfire. "So, what did you think?"

"What'd I THINK?! I think that was AMAZING!" Jetfire exclaimed. "What WAS that?"

Dai Atlas chuckled as he explained. "Hmhm, that, my friend, was a Cyber Key. A tiny fragment of Primus' power. It is said that every Cybertronian once the capability of summoning one in the past… but as civilization progressed, the people forgot about this power. Now, only a select few know how to do it." He extended his hand to the Autobot jet. "Would you like to learn?"

His optics going back and forth between the hand and Dai Atlas' welcoming expression, Jetfire let this all sink in… before making his choice. He reached out and shook Dai Atlas' hand. "Yes. Please, teach me… master."

…..

"And well… there you have it." Jetfire finished up. "It took me a good, long while, but I was eventually able to summon my Cyber Key, as Dai Atlas taught me. After that, I left Theophany and continued my pursuit, which is when I promised myself that I'd bring Sky Byte in to face the justice he deserved." He clapped his hands together and thrust his arms out toward the group. "And now, three hundred years after the fact, here I am!"

The Autobot jet's exclamation was met with stunned stares and jaws agape, the rest of his teammates still processing what they had just heard. The humans, meanwhile, were simply wide-eyed and silently taking it all in, though Kyoka was the one to break that silence. "So… what you're saying is that you learned how to summon a super anime power-up by achieving enlightenment from a Cybertronian monk?"

Jetfire gave a so-so motion with his hand. "Ehhh… less "enlightened", more "came to my senses", honestly. …Also, what the heck is "anime"?"

"N-Never mind, I'll tell you later." Kyoka waved off.

"Jetfire… that is incredible." Optimus uttered, still surprised by the whole story. "Not only did you find the Circle of Light, but you learned from the wisest Cybertronian I have had the privilege of meeting."

"The same one who helped Drift, no less." Red Alert commented, giving Jetfire a nod. "You're probably one of the luckiest bots to ever live. Surviving a supernova, landing on a planet that was occupied by a Titan, stumbling across the Circle of Light—"

Jetfire raised a finger, cutting him off. "And all while in hot pursuit of Sky Byte. Pretty crazy how an obsession like that can fuel a bot… but I've mellowed back out a bit, to say the least."

Meanwhile, Bulkhead was still trying to take in the news of the Circle of Light's settlement. "…New Crystal City." He shook his head in disbelief. "Hah, I've GOTTA see this place someday."

"You'd like it, Bulk." Jetfire affirmed. "They worked with what they had and what they came up with is gorgeous."

It was then that Izuku raised his hand. "Okay, so, question about Cyber Keys. If Dai Atlas' was able to give him a healing aura… and yours gave you rail guns… does that mean that every bot's Cyber Key is different?"

"Exact-a-mundo, 'Zuku." Pointing down to him, Jetfire explained further. "A Cyber Key's abilities really depends on the bot that summons them. It could give ya more offensive capabilities, be used for defense or support, heck, it could even enhance a bot's vehicle mode. It all depends on the bot and what their primary need in the moment is." The large Autobot stood up and turned around, showing off his thrusters. "And for me, it was something to help me get out all of the pent-up aggression; hence my Afterburner Blasters, as I like to call 'em."

Just then, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker clamored up to him, the duo whooping and hollering in excitement. "Ooh! OOH! Jetfire, you've GOTTA show us how to do that!" Sideswipe insisted.

"Yeah, it'd be so cool!" Sunstreaker said, gesturing to himself all the while. "After all, any Cyber Key I'd receive is bound to be just as tremendous as I am."

"…Hehe, well boys, I wouldn't expect it to be an easy process." Jetfire asserted, moving back around and placing his hands to his hips. "After all, it took me a good while before I was able to summon mine. It takes discipline, focus and most of all; hard work." He leaned down so that he was optic-level with them. "Think YOU guys can do somethin' like that?"

Sideswipe scoffed and waved him off. "Pfft! 'Course we can! Hard work's something we can do while in stasis!"

Off to the side, Strongarm couldn't help but snicker to herself. "Snrk, yeah, in his dreams, maybe." she whispered to Airazor, the duo laughing quietly to themselves.

"I heard that!" Sideswipe snapped, whirling around to stomp his way toward Strongarm. "I swear, I can't go ONE day without—"

"ENOUGH!" Hawk suddenly shouted, making both of the young bots snap to attention. "Do we really need to go through this again?"

"SIR, NO SIR!" the duo saluted.

Hawk grumbled out; "Good." before going back to Jetfire, craning his head up to the larger bot. "Well, Jetfire, that was quite the story. Honestly, kinda put a lot of things in perspective for me. It's a big universe out there, and our little marble's only a small part of it."

Duke, Scarlett and the other Joes all gathered up as well. "Yeah, really hope we get to see some of it one day." The blonde, wolf-eared man said as he nodded toward his team. "But for now, I think we've had enough adventure for one weekend."

"Yup, I'm pretty tuckered out myself after that battle." Roadblock agreed, putting his hand over his stomach. "And I'm pretty famished, too. 'Bout time we get home so I can start on that Beef Stroganov."

Pointing up to Jetfire, Wild Bill made sure to add; "Just be careful handlin' that new alt. mode a' yers, got it? The Skystriker's nothin' to fool around with."

"Haha! Oh, don't you worry." Jetfire assured. "I'm gonna be SUPER careful with it and put it to good use." He gave a salute to the Joes. "And thanks for lettin' me use it. Sorry that I didn't ask for permission first."

"Ah, it's alright, Jetfire." Scarlett shook her head. "Besides, we're just joshin' ya a bit anyway. So, what's next fer ya, lad?"

Her question made the Sky Commander hum ponderously, scratching his chin in thought. "Hmm… what next? Well, since I'm sure Sky Byte probably revealed himself to Megatron by now if he's allied with Starscream, my guess is he's gonna be kept on this planet going forward." He balled his fists and placed them back on his hips, setting his gaze out to the team. "So, by that logic, there's really only one thing I CAN do going forward…" He extended his hand out to Optimus. "…If you'll have me, of course."

"Is that even a question?" Prime rebutted, bringing his hand forward and firmly grasping his friend's. "Welcome back, old friend. We're happy to have you back."

Jetfire nodded down to Prime in gratitude. "Happy to be back, Prime. And trust me, I'm gonna pull my weight around here. You can guarantee that."

A volley of cheers came from below, the UA Students all happily celebrating the new addition to the team. "Woo-hoo! Alright!" Setsuna pumped a fist into the air. "This team just keeps gettin' bigger and better! That loser Starscream doesn't stand a CHANCE!"

Her words gave Izuku pause, however, remembering a certain interaction with said Seeker during the battle. "W-Wait a second…" He set his sights back up to Jetfire, calling out to him. "Jetfire, during the battle, you mentioned that you and Starscream were friends once. I'm guessing that was before the war broke out, right?"

"Ehhh… well, yeah… technically." Jetfire rubbed his neck. "Though for a time, he and I actually stayed friends while he was a Decepticon… namely because I was a Con at one point, too." All at once, the group of humans, students, heroes and Joes alike, all wore flabbergasted expressions, their mouths falling open in shock. "…Did I forget to mention that?"

"YES!" they all echoed, taking the Sky Commander aback.

"AH! Okay, okay, I get ya. So yes, I was a Decepticon at one point. Though, to be fair, it was only for a couple hundred years, and it was BEFORE the war broke out." Jetfire pursed his lips, thinking back to that time. "Back then, Megatron's movement was all about seeking equality for all Cybertronians. I felt restricted in my place in life, relegated to being a scientist because of my aerial alt. mode. ME, a scientist. Can you imagine?"

Tetsutetsu shook his head. "Nah, that definitely doesn't seem like where you fit in. …But why were jets automatically given scientist roles in the first place?"

Strongarm was the one to answer that question. "Many believed it was because the founder of Functionism, Nova Prime, was afraid of bots who had aerial alt. modes, and thus placed them in positions where they caused the least amount of trouble."

Jazz added on to that; "Same went for bots that had treaded alt. modes, and that included Megatron himself."

"Man, Functionism sounds like it sucks." Eijiro grimaced. "I guess I could see why Megatron wanted to remove it, but… was an all-out war REALLY necessary?"

"…I firmly believe that it was not, Eijiro." Optimus interjected. "However, when Megatron was denied his vision of becoming the next Prime by the Council, he became bitter, and his ideologies twisted into what they are now." The Prime furrowed his metal brow as he faced the ocean, his mind going to the Decepticon's end of the situation. "Right now… I doubt he is at all happy with the outcome of this battle. And I fear what we could see significant pushback as a result… sooner than later."

…..

~Cybertron~

Little did Optimus know that, in fact, said Decepticon Leader had just finished being briefed on the battle's conclusion… and he was FAR from impressed. In fact, he was disappointed… though he expected to be. Given everything that Unicronus had just told him, he had actually predicted quite a few things happening, such as Jetfire's sudden arrival. He knew the traitorous turncoat would arrive on the planet eventually in his pursuit of Sky Byte, and sure enough, it was at the exact day and time that they had planned for the operation to take place. It was no surprise to him that Jetfire's sudden appearance helped throw a wrench into things.

…However, that didn't stop things from being an absolute disaster in the first place. Sure, the Vehicons outnumbered the Autobots and their human allies, but of all things, the fact that they had gotten the human MILITARY in on their side now was incredibly disconcerting. It was no wonder the Decepticons were eventually overwhelmed… aside from the fact that the supposed "specialists" he had assigned to this team were almost all completely inept in the battle.

'Though I suppose that owes more to these "G.I. Joes" bolstering the Autobot's forces and taking them off guard.' He deduced. 'A Quirk that can affect one's luck, an electrokinesis user, and a giant stone beast in the Autobot's back pocket are NOT what I was hoping to hear, least of all the addition of that Shoto Todoroki boy to their ranks as well.' He took a deep breath, settling himself before addressing his General again. "Unicronus… I believe it's time that we set some plans into motion. The Autobots you face have now won one victory too many."

On the screen before him, Unicronus bowed in respect. "I completely agree, my lord. I KNOW that the Cons here can be capable and competent in their respective fields, but… not under Starscream's leadership." Just then, a certain sound was heard from behind the General, making him turn around and scoff. "Hmph, speak of the Fallen. Here he comes."

Megatron raised his chin as Starscream and Sky Byte hobbled into frame, the latter more than the former. Starscream was still quite significantly injured, that was to be sure, but Sky Byte made sure to keep himself low, as if hoping that Megatron wouldn't notice him at first. But, of course, that didn't work. "So…" the Decepticon leader glanced between the two, but focused more on the Seeker. "Care to explain?"

There was a short silence that followed, but Sky Byte was the first to try and explain. "L-Lord Megatron, I—"

"Ah-ah, I will address you later, Sky Byte. When I am ready." Narrowing his optics at his second-in-command, he continued; "I want to hear from Starscream first."

Starscream gulped nervously, knowing exactly what was coming. …However, he also knew that he may get off easier if he did one of the things he detested most. It disgusted him to do it, but at the moment, he had no choice. …He had to be honest. "Lord Megatron… the failure of this mission is mine, and mine alone." Starscream lowered his head to his leader, holding back the urge to bite his tongue. "I allowed my emotions to get the better of me and cloud my judgement as field commander as a result. The entire thing fell apart from there. My troops are now all incapacitated because of my failure to coordinate the battle properly."

"A surprisingly upfront answer, Starscream." Megatron spoke. "I am impressed that you are so forthcoming with your failure…" All the same, though, his glare didn't let up. "However, I'm certain that you know what I'm going to say next, correct?"

"…The away team is coming, aren't they?" Starscream winced.

"I just got through discussing the matter with Unicronus." Megatron affirmed. "I will be sending them as soon as they are finished with their current operation." He leaned forward, making sure his intentions were clear; "And Starscream, it would be in everybody's interest if you stepped down from your commanding position."

The Seeker's expression fell at the news almost instantly. "B-But Lord Megatron, I—"

But Megatron raised his hand, cutting Starscream off. "I do not know what has changed in you, Starscream, but while you were still here on Cybertron, you were an effective Air Commander. I've seen you lead Seekers into battles where you easily overwhelmed the Autobot resistances, and yet now, you can barely hold together a small battalion of Decepticons." He shook his head disappointedly. "Needless to say, I am not impressed. I do not know if it's complacency or your own ego getting in the way, but perhaps it would do you better if you were following rather than leading…"

Unicronus wore a satisfied grin at that, chuckling at Starscream's stunned face. "Hehe, I couldn't agree more, Lord Megatron. Starscream, effective immediately, you're gonna be—"

"General. I wasn't finished yet." Megatron asserted, which caught both Unicronus and Starscream off guard. "I will be sending the away team, HOWEVER… if you can achieve some significant victory in the time that it takes them to get there, Starscream, I will allow you to keep your place as co-commander of the Darksyde."

A gasp escaped Starscream's throat and he bowed to Megatron, clasping his hands together in gratitude. "Ah! Lord Megatron, thank you! I assure you, this chance will NOT be squandered!"

"WHAT?!" Unicronus rounded about to his leader, imploring him to reconsider. "L-Lord Megatron, what is this?! You've already given Starscream so many chances! Why continue to—"

*WHAM* "SILENCE!" Megatron slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair, making Unicronus and the others flinch. "Unicronus, you know just as much as I do that Vehicons are expendable, yes?" The General silently nodded. "Well, you should also know that Seekers are not. A I know that a capable Seeker is invaluable to the Decepticon cause. After all, we pride our aerial superiority over almost everything else. I will not do away with a Seeker, even Starscream, unless they can prove that they are not complete failures." He set his sights back to his second-in-command. "However… this will be your FINAL chance, Starscream. See that it does not go to waste. And I expect significant improvement in your team management in the future. Understood?"

Despite the unideal factors, Starscream knew that he couldn't afford to screw this up. He bowed to Megatron once more. "It shall be done, my lord."

"Excellent. Now…" Megatron's attention went squarely to Sky Byte, who visibly flinched a little. "Sky Byte… care to explain why you chose to lie to me?"

"M-Megatron, I—"

"Excuse me?"

"LORD! Lord Megatron!" Sky Byte hastily corrected, realizing that this was NOT a moment between friends. "I sincerely apologize for my blatant dishonesty. I… I simply did not want you to think any less of me. Knowing that I hadn't defeated Jetfire and was instead chased around the galaxy by him for all these millennia… it's disgraceful and embarrassing to think about, especially knowing you erected a statue in my honor." He hung his head in shame. "I am no Decepticon hero… I am a fraud! A charlatan!"

A shrug was all Megatron had to offer. "Perhaps that is true… but I hope you realize that I was genuinely happy to see you alive after so long, Sky Byte." His words made the Predacon snap his head up in shock. "I was only disappointed that you chose to lie to my face. If you had been honest from the start, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now."

Sky Byte clenched his teeth in frustration. "…You must be furious at me, then."

But Megatron shook his head. "Oh, not at all. In the end, your plan to acquire the energon was sound, but it was hampered by several factors outside of your control." He began counting them on his fingers; "Jetfire's arrival, MORE additions to the Autobots' human allies…" He spared Starscream a glance. "…the sheer ineptitude on display." The only response from the Seeker was a low grumble before he continued. "Your plan had merit, Sky Byte, and I would hope you keep providing this team with your skills. But keep in mind…" Megatron leaned closer to the screen. "Should you lie to me again… I will not be so forgiving next time."

"O-Of course, Lord Megatron." Sky Byte accepted the terms. "I shall continue to aid this team in whatever way I can. And I promise you, from one friend to another, no more lies."

"Good to hear. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have some calls to make. And remember; I expect results next time. Megatron out." Reaching for the control panel, Megatron pressed a button and cut off the communication, letting out a deep sigh. 'At what point should I just throw pretense out the window and go to that planet myself? …Something to ponder later.' Typing in a new code into the console, he put in a request for his next contact.

"You've reached Decepticon communications, Reflector speaking." came a trio of perfectly in sync voices over the line. "What can we do for you, Lord Megatron?"

"Reflector, make this an urgent transmission." Megatron commanded. "Put me through… to Soundwave."

…..

A/N: And there it is. I know a lot of you guys have been anticipating that reveal for a while now, but yes, Soundwave IS the leader of Megatron's personal away team. …And they'll be on their way to Earth. That said, it'll be some time before we see them (like I said, kinda toning back on the character introductions for a little bit), but once they get here, the Autobots are gonna have a REAL challenge on their hands.

But even then, they might wanna keep an optic out anyways since Starscream's been given a final chance. You know he'll do everything he can to succeed, so it's gonna be a bit tougher for them going forward.

Thankfully, though, it's not all doom and gloom with Jetfire around! And man, he's been through the ringer. Barely able to escape that supernova, being rescued by Cerebros and Fortress Maximus, living with internalized rage at Sky Byte before finding solace in training with Dai Atlas and the Circle of Light (how's that for some IDW integration?) and culminating in him getting his Cyber Key. Quite the journey he's had, that's for sure. Also, with the Circle of Light, of course that means we're gonna be seeing Drift at some point. But again, later on. Probably not even in this Arc, honestly. Arc 3 at least.

And if I didn't make it clear enough, yes, Dai Atlas IS the Zenyatta analogue when it comes to the "Overwatch" character integration. I'll say this right now, he wasn't my FIRST choice (honestly thought it would've been Yoketron), but in doing research on the Circle of Light, Dai Atlas just ended up making the most sense to be the Zen of this story. …Which means you can probably deduce how Drift is gonna be like.

…Oh, and yes, the Nebulans, much like their Unicron Trilogy counterparts, all have Australian accents. Hehehe, that's probably one of the best pieces of trivia that Ask Vector Prime ever made, and I expeditiously took advantage of that. Only here, Jetfire did NOT pick up the accent while he was on Nebulon. In fact, he downright didn't want anything to do with it. Oh, and we got some cameos from classic Transformer characters like Cog, Reflector and Hi-Q, too, so there's that.

But now, we come to the preview for next time… and honestly, I think it's time we got back into space to see how the Kimia crew is doing. Yeah, remember them? From ALL the way back in Chapter 16? Yeah, finally doing a follow-up to that chapter! And this time, it's gonna be a two-parter! Consider this a short off-shoot from the main story to help us decompress from the chaos of what's been going on with Earth. So, with that said…

And now, The Preview! We head back to the Kimia to catch up with Apelinq and the others… though unfortunately, things aren't going so well. An intruder has stowed aboard the ship; a predatory alien that's podding the residents of Kimia up left and right. This has forced Brainstorm to land on the closest planet to deal with the problem… and it just so happens to be a Cybertronian colony, too! Next Time; Of Science and Speed, Part 1. On your marks… get set… GO! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll see you all next time! Stay safe out there, and remember…

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!