"Lord Megatron." Shockwave bowed. "Shockwave. This is quite an unexpected turn. I thought you'd perished on Cybertron." Megatron said. Yes, as did we all." Starscream sputtered.
"Reports of my demise were greatly premature. A pair of Autobots infiltrated my facility on Cybertron, sabotaging my Space-Bridge. I gave chase but failed to accurately calculate the outcome. I awoke in the rubble blinded. It soon became clear that I was marooned on our dead planet with no means of communication. In time, I repaired my wounds and resumed my experiments. The solitude enabled me to make tremendous advances in my research. Until one day, my instruments detected a massive surge of unidentifiable energy. I traveled to investigate its origin at the edge of the Sea of Rust, where I encountered your salvage team and the smoldering wreckage of the Omega Lock. But this was not the search party I had anticipated so long ago. Leaving one unanswered question." Shockwave told.
He then looked at Starscream. "Why was I left for scrap, abandoned, why?" Shockwave asked. Starscream grew scared. "The-The explosion, it-it collapsed the power core chamber. The last thing anyone witnessed was you charging into the Space-Bridge. No one saw you come back out." Starscream nervously sputtered.
"I find your reply to be..." Shockwave moved his horns in thought. "... logical." He said. Megatron and Shockwave turned around. "But you will be pleased to know that I avenged your seeming demise by personally terminating the Autobot Cliffjumper." Starscream nervously chuckled and fluttered his wings like a butterfly to appear unworthy of termination.
"Careful, Starscream. You may dislocate a landing gear patting yourself on the back." Knockout said and rolled his red optics flirtatiously. "As Megatron's first lieutenant, allow me to welcome you back to the winning team." Starscream said. "And allow me to clarify the new chain of command: While Starscream will retain authority over military operations, Shockwave will be my first lieutenant in charge of all scientific endeavors." Megatron said.
"So you are saying we shall each report directly to you?" Starscream asked and lowered his wings. "Affirmative." Megatron said. He, Knockout, Soundwave, and Shockwave left Starscream in the room alone. "Completely logical, my liege." He fumed to himself.
"Hey, you guys hungry? There's a town up ahead." Arcee said. "Pizza!" Anna said happily. "Maybe not. I'm running low on cash." Jack said. Elsa and Anna groaned. "At least you don't have to buy gasoline. I'm pulling over anyway. I need to stretch my legs." Arcee said.
She pulled over to an old farmhouse, and the kids got off. Arcee transformed. "Oh, yeah." She said as she stretched and squeaked her metal skin. "Arcee, Team Prime is scattered to the winds. For all we know, we could be the only ones left." Jack said.
"I don't believe that, Jack. And I know you 3 don't either." Arcee said. "Maybe not, but the Decepticons outnumber us 100 to 1, and Megatron is basically a God with Elsa's magic. Aren't there any more Autobots out there who could help?" Jack asked. "The war for Cybertron took a heavy toll, but there were others who escaped in the Ark." Arcee said.
"Where are they now?" Elsa asked. Arcee grabbed a servo-full of dust and opened it. "Scattered to the winds." She said as the wind blew the dust out of her servo. "So let's focus on getting back to Jasper. On getting Team Prime back together." She said.
Bee buzzed at Raf. "Nada, Bee. Just the same old masks and bad cg. But the susual conspiracy websites might be our only chance to - Whoa! I found something! They're Ratchet, Chromia, Jetfire, and Cyclonus!" Raf said and looked at the four Autobots on the computer.
"Shockwave's toading is so transparent. Megatron's respect is earned by deeds, not words." Starscream said. "Useless, useless, useless. Billions of cameras in the hands of those miserable humans. One of them is bound to catch an Autobot eventually." He muttered as he searched the web, then found a picture of Ratchet, Chromia, Jetfire, and Cyclonus. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" He asked.
"Lord Megatron, I have found something of great interest." Starscream called.
"The photo was taken yesterday in a junkyard outside Woodland Park. I'd better scrub Ratchet, Chromia, Jetfire, and Cyclonus and replace them with." Raf clicked his keyboard.
"A few Autobots." Starscream moved aside, but the picture was a video of a tap-dancing monkey. Knockout laughed. Megatron, Shockwave, and Soundwave looked at him, and he immensely stood straight up. "Wait, what? It was just here! Surely, one of you saw it." Starscream said.
"Starscream, you would do well to take a cue from Soundwave on occasion and keep things to yourself." Megatron said, irritated. "Vow of Silence. Such a cop-out." Starscream grumbled. "Lord Megatron, surely, our Autobot prisoner is a better source of information than this primitive datanet." Shockwave said.
"I will have you know, Shockwave, that I have been grinding Wheeljack down for days. If he knew anything, he would have spilled it by now." Starscream said. Again, some prove to be better at holding their tongues than others." Megatron said. "Perhaps you would have better results if, instead of a club, you used a scapel. I recommend a Cortical Psychic Patch." Shockwave suggested.
Bulkhead and Miko sat at the base of a mountain. "I don't think he's coming." Miko said. "Don't worry, Miko. Every Wrecker knows the protocol. Jackie will show. If he's still kicking." Bulkhead said.
"Do your worst, doc. I'm a Wrecker. I can take it." Wheeljack said. "Trust me. You, in fact, cannot." Shockwave said and held a cord.
Later, Shockwave approached Megatron at the top of Darkmount. "The patch failed to yield any new information on the whereabouts of the Autobots." He said. "I see." Megatron said as he sat on his icy throne. "Ah. Then, it would seem that Wheeljack has outlived his usefulness. With your permission, Lord Megatron, I will see to his immigration termination." Starscream said.
Wheeljack groaned. "Wake up, Wrecker. Time to smelt." A Vehicon said as they approached a smelting pit. "Commander Starscream wanted you conscious, so you know precisely who ordered your execution." The Vehicon said. "Where is Screamy? Doesn't have the bearings to do this himself?" Wheeljack asked.
Another Vehicon pushed him closer to the edge. Jump." The first Vehicon said. "Hey, are you a flyer?" Wheeljack asked. The Vehicons looked at him, confused. Wheeljack kicked him and threw him over the edge. Two other Vehicons on the other side aimed their cannons. "Okay, I'll jump." Wheeljack said.
He leaped over the edge. The falling Vehicon transformed. Wheeljack landed on him. "Thought so! Yeehaw!" He said.
The other 3 Vehicons transformed and chased Wheeljack. Wheeljack pounded his cuffs on the Vehicon when the other 3 fired. "Thanks for the lift." He said and jumped off the Vehicons right before it smashed into a wall, and Wheeljack landed on another. The other 2 Vehicons circled around and fired. A blast took Wheeljack's cuffs off.
Wheeljack fired at a Vehicon, and he exploded. Another Vehicon fired, but Wheeljack used his ride as a Cybertronian shield. Wheeljack shot the Vehicon 'till it exploded. He then lunged the last Vehicon into the ground, transformed, and retreated as the Vehicon exploded and searchlights around Darkmount activated.
"This is how you 'handle' things?!" Megatron growled. "Wheeljack's is not the first prisoner to escape Starscream's care." Shockwave said. "Actually, Master, I allowed Wheeljack to escape." Starscream said. "You what?!" Megatron growled and stood up. "But the Autobot's every move, his every word, will be monitored." Starscream said.
He then held up a tracker. "Thanks to a simple tracking device implanted while the prisoner was still unconscious following the failed Cortical Psychic Patch." Starscream explained. "Now, all we have to do is wait, watch, and listen. When the Wrecker reunites with the other Autobots, my armada will strike." He said. Megatron grinned maliciously.
Bee entered an old junkyard. "They got to be here." Raf said. Bee suddenly stopped, and Raf saw a car, two jets, and an ambulance. "Ratchet! Guys, it's me, Raf!" Raf said and stepped out of Bumblebee, and he transformed. "Uh, guys?" Raf asked.
"Leave us." The blue fighter jet said. Bee buzzed. "You're interrupting our power down." The ambulance said. "Come on, guys. We need your help to find the others." Raf said. Bee buzzed in agreement. "We can't stop Megatron. Not anymore." The black jet said. "The war is over, and we lost." The car said.
"You're giving up?! We can't just give up!" Raf remarked. Jetfire transformed. "What brilliant idea do you have that we can use, Raf? Without communications, without a Ground-Bridge, without a base of operations or any resources of any kind." He said. Bee buzzed again.
"Bee's right. We know Starscream had access to a Ground-Bridge while he was operating solo." Raf said. "Yes, yes, he'd clearly been using the derelict Decepticon ship, the Harbinger. What does that have to do with anything?" Jetfire asked. "It could be full of Cybertronian tech, and it's probably abandoned again now that Starscream's back with the 'Cons." Raf said.
"Well, resources won't be of much use. Not without someone to... lead us." Ratchet scoffed. "It's a start." Raf said. "Well, unless you wanna stay here with us, you'll have to start without us." Cyclonus said. "This is someone else's fight now." Chromia said. "There is no one else, Chromia. Just us. Just the team. But how did you guys find each other, though?" Raf asked. "Ratchet sent a heavily encrypted message to nearby 'Bots, and we were evidently the only ones who decrypted it. Now, if you please, just let us rust in peace." Cyclonus said, and Jetfire transformed.
"Come on, Bee." Raf said, and Bee transformed, and Raf entered.
Smokescreen phased back into the cave Optimus was in. "I'm back." He said. Optimus groaned as he awoke. "I combed through every square micron of our old base, I couldn't find Ratchet's medical kit. Not even a bandage." Smokescreen said.
"The Forge of Solus Prime." Optimus wheezed. "It's gone too. The 'Cons picked the place clean." Smokescreen said. Optimus kept wheezing. "Wait, if you had the Forge, you could fix yourself up. Power of the Primes. Optimus, hang on just a little longer. That hammer's got to be somewhere in Megatron's fortress." Smokescreen said and phased into the wall.
The Sun came up as Bulkhead intently watched the road. Miko leaned on his pede. She was asleep. Bulkhead spotted something on the road. "Miko, wake up." He said as he stood up and Miko fell on her side.
"Why?" She lazily asked sleepily. "Someone's coming." Bulkhead said and readied his cannon and mace. He aimed his cannon but powered it down. "I'd know the hum of that engine anywhere!" He said. The car transformed into Wheeljack.
"Jackie! Where you been, buddy?" Bulkhead asked and hugged the white Wrecker. "Catching up with a few old dance partners." Wheeljack said. Miko took a picture of the two Wreckers. "Good to see you, kid. Safe to assume we're the only three Wreckers around?" Wheeljack asked. "So what are we waiting for? Let's do some damage." Miko said.
"What's our next move, Jackie? Circle back to base?" Bulkhead asked. "There is no base. 'Cons blasted it to dust." Wheeljack said on the Decepticon monitor. "The dimwit played right into my hands." Starscream said. "All Seekers to the flight deck, we have pinpointed the enemy." He ordered.
A squadron of grey Vehicons transformed and flew to the enemy. "Attack, my armada." Starscream commanded. The Vehicons transformed and activated their cannons. "We are at the coordinates, Commander Starscream." A Vehicon said.
"Hold fast. They are approaching your position." Starscream said. The Vehicons aimed their guns and noticed a piece of driftwood coming toward them on the river. They deactivated their guns.
Bulkhead, Miko, and Wheeljack were kn a cliff above them. "Targets in range." Bulkhead said. Wheeljack held a detonator.
Inside the log was the tracker attached to a grenade. "And boom." Wheeljack said. "Grenade!" A Vehicon yelled, but they were all engulfed in a blue fireball. "He tricked us." Starscream gasped. Megatron scowled.
"How'd you know the 'Cons planted a tracker on you?" Miko asked. "I figured the 'Cons were up to something, so I did a little poking around under my hood." Wheeljack explained. "That's my Jackie." Bulkhead chuckled.
"So what's our next move?" Miko asked. "I salvaged some munitions from the Jackhammer on my way out." Wheeljack transformed. "You thought that made a loud noise? Just wait." He said. Bulkhead transformed, and Miko entered.
At the remains of the Harbinger, Bee hooked up a tube to a pedestal holding Energon containers. "Hold it right there, Bee." Raf said and jumped around and pressed a few buttons. "And powering up." He said. The room started glowing but lost power. "Keep trying. We'll figure it out." Raf said. "Yep, yep. You're miscalibrating the Energon transducer." A familiar voice said.
Ratchet, Chromia, Jetfire, and Cyclonus stood at the entrance. "Guys!" Raf said happily. "Now, step out of my way so I can work." Ratchet said. "Wish we had some Dark Energon to fix this ship." Jetfire said. "Remember what happened when Megatron used that to fix the Nemesis?" Chromia asked.
"We could remove the Dark Energon and replace it with regular Energon the second the Harbinger can fly." Jetfire said. "Even if we did that, where are we gonna find Dark Energon?" Cyclonus asked.
"The last time things looked this bleak, Optimus slipped me and Elsa those key cards. Something we could hang our hopes on." Jack said as they drove down the road. "I know you're feeling helpless, Jack. This doesn't need to be your burden." Arcee said.
An alien ship flew past them. "Whay was that?!" Anna asked. Arcee stopped as the ship descended to the ground. The humans climbed off as Arcee transformed. "Stay behind me." She said. She aimed her cannons as somebody exited the ship. He looked suspiciously like Optimus. "Guys, I don't think we're gonna need those key cards." Arcee said and deactivated her cannons.
"Who is that?" Elsa asked. "Meet Ultra Magnus." Arcee said.
"So not only did you fail to destroy the Autobots, but you allowed their number to increase! Is there no one who can bring me their heads?!" Megatron roared. "If I may, Lord Megatron, during my exile on Cybertron, I resumed work of a long, dormant project. One that I believe may provide a solution to our current problem." Shockwave said and displayed an image on the screen.
"Cybernucleic acid." Knockout said. "The building blocks of all Cybertronian life. This hails from a specimen I excavated upon our planet and has yielded promising results." Shockwave said. "The Autobots continue to evade us. What makes you think we can afford to wait for the answer to our prayers to be birthed in some petri dish?" Starscream asked.
"You misunderstand. The subject has been fully cultivated and need only be transported from my laboratory on Cybertron." Shockwave said. "Then, by all means, activate the Space-Bridge." Megatron commanded.
Shockwave entered his laboratory on Cybertron. He typed something and yellow electricity coursed into an incubator containing a dragon-like beast. Its yellow optics opened. Shockwave watched the yellow Cybernucleic acid be drained from the incubator.
Megatron patiently tapped a digit on his icy throne as a Space-Bridge opened, and Shockwave came through. "I present to you, my liege, the ultimate Autobot hunter." Shockwave said. Out of the Space-Bridge came a beast. The Decepticons backed away, and Megatron stood up in shock as the beast roared.