Back in the freezing Arctic, the Predacon was trapped in ice. Then, its yellow optics glowed as the ice broke off. The Predacon roared as it spread its wings and took off for the Nemesis.
"Is it really wise for Shockwave to spawn an army of beasts here in this laboratory or within any part of this warship? I mean, not even the lone beast we had was compact enough to stroll these corridors without tearing them asunder. Which reminds me, I am so very sorry for your loss." Starscream said.
"I was referring to my off-site laboratory, which we have erected expressly for the cloning procedures." Shockwave corrected. "You think of everything, don't you?" Starscream asked. The Nemesis shook. "We are under attack! Autobots?" Starscream asked.
"Illogical." Shockwave said and accessed the computer. "Though there appears to be an enormous mass upon the upper hull." He said.
The 3 Decepticons opened up the door to the flight deck, and there was the Predacon. "How did it find us?" Starscream inquired. "Predacons possess precise homing instincts." Shockwave explained. "And astonishing resilience. Starscream, assume command of my beast." Megatron said.
"Me, Master? I mean, I wouldn't dream of seizing such an honor from its very creator." Starscream said. "Military command of the Predacon is most logical since my services are required elsewhere." Shockwave said, and he and Megatron left Starscream with the Predacon.
The door closed, and Starscream put his servos on it when the Predacon growled, and he shrieked.
Ultra Magnus' ship arrived at a cave containing the Predacon bone in Scotland. The hatch lowered. "Alright, beast hunters. According to our Intel, the Decepticon should be excavating for Predacon bones directly beneath us." Ultra Magnus said.
"On it, chief." Wheeljack said and took off. "Does Wheeljack not comprehend the chain of command? I didn't authorize him to advance without proper cover." Ultra Magnus said. "Yeah, I'm sure Jackie's just trying to prove himself now that you and he are serving together again, sir." Bulkhead said.
"YEEHAW!" Wheeljack shouted and lept off the cliff. Ultra Magnus glared at where he was. As Wheeljack was climbing down, rocks hit his helm, and he looked up. "Jackie, wait up. Ultra Magnus wants us to -" Bulkhead started. "Blah, blah, blah." Wheeljack said.
Bulkhead made a shushing sound and pointed at a Vehicon coming out of the mine. Ultra Magnus watched from above and sighed as he readied his cannon. "Wrecker fact number 17," Wheeljack started. "Guards never look up." Bulkhead finished.
His pede slipped a little, and a few rocks tumbled down below. The Vehicon turned around as Wheeljack lept off the wall, swords drawn, and sliced the Vehicon's helm off.
Bulkhead snickered, but Ultra Magnus scowled at Wheeljack. Wheeljack saluted Magnus with his sword, but then more Vehicons poured out of the mine. "Scrap." Wheeljack said. The Vehicons fired, but Wheeljack deflected the blasts with his swords and sliced a Vehicon apart as Bulkhead came down and bashed more in.
Ultra Magnus came down while shooting, then grabbed the Forge of Solus Prime from his back and smashed it into the ground and Bulkhead bashed another as Magnus smashed a Vehicon into the wall. "That's why we wait for cover." Ultra Magnus said.
"Ahh, bolts." Wheeljack said and opened his chassis, and Miko came out, gasping for air. Wheeljack set her down on a rock. "Forgot you were in there, kid." He said. "At least I didn't heave on any floor mats this time." Miko said. She then held her mouth.
"You miserable beast, I am your commanding officer, and I order you to crawl into your kennel now!" Starscream commanded. The Predacon gently growled and looked away. "I said go already!" Starscream ordered and zapped the Predacon's leg with an Energon prod, angering it. It released a stream of fire, and Starscream ducked, but his horn wasn't spared from the onslaught.
Starscream growled but noticed his horn was on fire and patted it until it cooled down.
"And what could have possibly compelled you to bring the native?" Ultra Magnus asked.
"Yo, can I come with?" A memory of Miko asked. "Why not?" Wheeljack asked.
"Are your circuits impaired, soldier?" Ultra Magnus asked. "Prime told you to lead the Wreckers on this one, I assumed he meant all of them." Wheeljack said. "Are you mocking your commanding officer?" Ultra Magnus asked.
"Wouldn't think of it, sir. The kid's a full-blown Wrecker. Isn't that right, Bulkhead?" Wheeljack asked. "Well," Bulkhead started. "Look, she may be small, but she saved my tailpipe. Snuffed an Insecticon all on her own." Wheeljack said.
"Outside standard protocol, no doubt." Ultra Magnus said. "The point is, I can handle myself, sir." Miko said. "Miko has been through worse, and we've drawn out the enemy and cleared passage." Bulkhead said.
The Predacon was sleeping when Starscream came to it in the Apex Armor. "Okay, now, in you go." He commanded and pointed at the hall leading into the Nemesis. The Predacon hissed. "Do your worst. The Apex Armor is virtually-AHHH!!" The Predacon grabbed his arm and started thrashing him around, then threw him at the wall above the door. "Starscream, are you with the beast?" Megatron asked.
"Yes, Master. We've been reviewing attack maneuvers. He's doing quite well." Starscream lied. "One of the excavation teams has failed to report in." Megatron said. "I shall assemble my Seeker armada immensely and -" Starscream started. "I would prefer that you lead our newly returned asset on this mission so that we may see if our Predacon is as adept at fetching bones as it is hunting Autobots." Megatron said.
"Is this it?" Miko asked and held a rock. "No, that is a rock." Ultra Magnus said as they ventured further into the cave. "Just like old times, huh, Jackie?" Bulkhead asked. "Except back then, I didn't need permission to pick my partners." Wheeljack said. "Come on, we're all on the same team. Hey, beast hunters, right?" Bulkhead asked.
"During all those cycles it took me to travel to Earth, all I could think about was getting our band of brothers back together. But this isn't the lineup I had in mind. You did the smart thing, Bulk, leaving the Wreckers when you did while we were still bringing our a-game before the rust set in." Wheeljack said.
"Wait, I thought Wheeljack was the one who left the Wreckers." Miko said. "Jackie basically deserted once the Wreckers fell under Ultra Magnus' command. I transferred out before that to join up with Optimus in the battle of Thunderhead Pass. Sometimes, I think Jackie feels like I deserted him." Bulkhead said.
"You don't want to be the one who breaks up the band, Bulk." Miko yelped when the cave started rumbling, and Bulkhead caught her. "What was that?" Bulkhead asked. They heard roaring at the entrance. "Whatever it is, it's big." Wheeljack said. The thing hissed again as the light in the entrance vanished. "And it's coming fast." Wheeljack said.
The Predacon stormed through the tunnel. "The Predacon. Let's roll!" Ultra Magnus ordered. They all transformed, Miko inside Bulkhead, as the Predacon chased them down. "It's back?" Miko asked.
The Predacon's neck glowed, and it released a stream of fire, but the Autobots moved aside before they could be roasted. Ultra Magnus noticed another tunnel. He steered into it, and Bulkhead and Wheeljack followed as the Predacon kept following while roaring.
It then got stuck in the tunnel and released more fire. "Accelerate!" Ultra Magnus commanded. They entered a large room and moved aside as the flame pierced through the tunnel. They transformed. "That rock won't hold it forever. We need to contact base and request reinforcements." Ultra Magnus said.
"Wreckers don't call for backup." Wheeljack said. Bulkhead, Miko, and Ultra Magnus looked at him. "What Jackie means is, we can't get a commlink signal this far underground." Bulkhead said. Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack glared at each other. "Miko, I have to get you out of here. Gonna need you to climb." Bulkhead said, and he and Miko looked at the way out in the ceiling.
"No way, I want to help." Miko said. "And you will. Your mission: Reach my ship so you can contact Optimus Prime." Ultra Magnus said. "Yes, sir." Miko said and saluted Magnus. She started climbing the rocks.
The cave rumbled, and more roaring could be heard from the tunnel. "Not sure I like the sound of that." Wheeljack said. "So, uh." Bulkhead started. "We make our stand." Ultra Magnus said and grabbed the Forge of Solus Prime. "Here and now." He finished. Bulkhead and Wheeljack readied their cannons.
Miko finally reached the surface and ran for the ship, but the hatch started lowering, and she ran off. "Given that the ship is currently unoccupied, it would seem the Autobots did stumble upon our little mining operation. No worries. My Predacon is no doubt dismantling the interlopers as we speak. It was a challenge, but I managed to tame the savage beast. Taught it to heed my ever command." Starscream said.
"Come on, come on." Miko muttered. "You're not wearing the armor to protect yourself from it?" A Vehicon asked. "From my beloved pet? Of course not. In fact, it's getting rather warm in here." Starscream pressed the center, and Miko watched the Apex Armor deform around the user, and Starscream took it off his chassis. "Ah, ventilation." He sighed and stretched his metal skin.
The Phase entered the cave and ran at Ultra Magnus but got bashed in the helm by the Forge of Solus Prime. "Open fire!" Ultra Magnus commanded. Bulkhead and Wheeljack started firings at the Predacon. It swung its tail at the green Wrecker, but he ducked, and his back was scratched by the tail.
The Predacon released streams of fire at Wheeljack and Bulkhead, but they jumoed away. Ultra Magnus bashed the Predacon with the Forge again, and it swung its tail at him, but Bulkhead caught it. "No, you don't." He said.
The Predacon flung Bulkhead into Ultra Magnus. Wheeljack shot it from above. "Hey, hot head!" Wheeljack threw his grenade at the Predacon, and just as it was about to enter its mouth, its tail tossed it away. Wheeljack watched the grenade clatter around and land near Bulkhead and Ultra Magnus. It shined red. "Oh, scrap." Wheeljack said.
The bomb exploded, and a bunch of dust poured out of the hole in the ground. Starscream and the Vehicons approached the hole. "Oh, that'll do some damage." The Seeker said. Miko bolted for the ship, but a stiletto-heel blocked her path. Starscream was above her. "Miko, is it?" He asked.
The Predacon burst out of the rocks and looked for the Autobots, but its optics landed on something shiny. It pushed a boulder away, revealing an optic. The Predacon stared at it and had a vision of the Predacon the optic belonged to.
"Oh, I'm sorry, were you trying to reach this ship to call for help, perhaps?" Starscream asked and pressed a button, and the hatch was lifted. Miko ran for the hatch. Starscream tried to stab her with his claws, but she jumped behind him and kept running, then leaped at the hatch and climbed up. She stabbed Starscream's claw again and jumped to the Apex Armor. It started forming around her, and Starscream looked in fear.
"What's the matter, Screamy? Can't pick on someone your own size?" Miko asked.
Starscream looked up. As did Miko and the Predacon optic clattered off her and landed in front of Starscream. "What do you know, it does fetch." Starscream said. Miko turned around and saw the Predacon in front of her. "Scrap." She said and screamed as she started running, but the Predacon pinned her down.
Bulkhead, Ultra Magnus, and Wheeljack pushed the rocks off their bodies. "Well, that didn't go exactly as planned." Wheeljack said. "That's because any first cycle cadet knows better than to detonate a grenade in a confined space." Ultra Magnus said. "Even if I intended the confined space to be the belly of the beast?" Wheeljack asked.
"Uh, sir?" Bulkhead started. "Your actions continue to be just one step removed from getting us all scrapped." Ultra Magnus said. "With all due respect, sir, the Predacon's lose, and Miko's out there alone." Bulkhead said as he activated his mace and ran out the exit. "Permission to provide cover, sir?" Wheeljack asked.
The Predacon started clawing at Miko. "Go ahead, make a wreck of her as you no doubt did the Wreckers!" Starscream cheered. "Starscream, status report." Megatron said. "Master, we have secured the bone, and pur Predacon is dealing with the Autobot's pet human as we speak. On my command, of course." Starscream said.
"I will not risk losing a precious commodity to your arrogance." Megatron said. The Predacon threw Miko into the ground. "I'll tear you apart!" She threatened. Starscream watched the Predacon torch Miko. "Have the beast return with my prize immediately. You can stay behind and finish the Autobots." Megatron ordered.
"Yes, Master. Assuming I can coerce the brainless brute into -" Starscream gasped when the Predacon hovered above him. It pinned him to the ground but noticed the Predacon optic. It grabbed its prize in its mouth-plate and flew away. "But you never obey my commands!" Starscream huffed.
"You heard our master. We must locate the Autobots. As soon as I retrieve what belongs to me." He said and approached the fallen Miko. "Even the strongest armor can't protect the weakest of creatures." He said, then Miko grabbed him. "Protected you, didn't it?" She asked.
She threw the Seeker into one of the Vehicons, and the other fired, but the Apex Armor was impervious. Starscream watched Miko bash the Vehicon away. He fired a missile, but Miko caught it, and it exploded. Miko jumped out of the smoke cloud and kicked Starscream away.
The Vehicons tried to attack, but Miko bodied them, kicked them, and punched them like ragdolls. The Wreckers climbed out of the hole and saw Miko in action. "Who's wrecking who now?" Miko asked and bodied the Vehicons again. "Miko?" Bulkhead asked. "Perhaps you weren't wrong about the human after all." Ultra Magnus said.
Miko kicked the last Vehicon away. "You do know that I vanquished Cliffjumper, don't you?" Starscream asked and raised his claws. "Big whoop. I snuffed Hardshell." Miko said. They stared each other down until the Wreckers came to Miko's aid. "Retreat!" Starscream commanded. He and the Vehicons transformed and flew away.
Miko groaned. "They got away with the bone." She said. "Hey, you brought your a-game, kid. Like a true Wrecker." Wheeljack said. Miko smiled. Wheeljack looked at her and Bulkhead. "And I want to remember us just like this before the rust sets in." He said and started walking away. "What? Where's Wheeljack going?" Miko asked.
"Solo." Bulkhead said. Miko stammered. "Again?" She asked. "Jackie just broke up the band." Bulkhead said. Miko, Ultra Magnus, and Bulkhead watched Wheeljack leave in silence.