It was an evening like the others at the autobots base until they received a call from agent Fowler.
" PRIME ! " He called
" Agent Fowler, what seems to be the problem this time ? " Optimus asked
" What in the blazes are your people doing ?! We had an agreement : no collateral damages " Fowler answered
" You must be mistaken : apart from Durerus, who is securing an energon mine, all autobots are here. " Optimus confirmed, showing the team
" Then explain why I'm getting report from two jumbo sized box mixing it up 20 miles outside Omaha ! " Fowler retorted
" It must be Decepticons, they are known for infighting. " Ratchet answered
" Megatron is failing to keep them in ranks. " Arcee added
" I'm arriving on the scene. " Fowler stated before showing them what was happening
A very familiar Decepticon was using a Gatlin gun.
" This can't be Skyquake, you and Optimus put him in the ground. " Bulkhead said to Bee
" Before Starscream rised him as undead. But who is the dance partner ? " Arcee added
Fowler showed them the con's adversary who also was very familiar.
" Wheeljack ! Jackie is back ! " Bulkhead yelled in joy
" I don't care if Abraham Lincoln is back, we must contain the situation before we all end up the 11 o'clock news ! " Fowler responded
( From them on, the episode is like it happened in the show until they are back to the base )
" Ratchet, Optimus, I just finished to secure the mine and I'm coming back with two cargos of energon. " Jack called them
" Good work Durerus, we are bringing you back. " Optimus responded before opening the groundbridge.
" You got a new bot ? " Wheeljack asked
Durerus arrived, pushing two filled wagons. Bulkhead and Ratchet went to put them in the energon storage room. It was then he saw the white wrecker.
" Oh, hi Wheeljack, when did you came back ? " Jack asked
" I do not believe we have met, kid. " Wheeljack pointed out
" We have : I was a lot smaller and absolutely not looking like this. " Durerus answered
" Wait, that voice sounds familiar. " Wheeljack responded before it came to him, with a shock. " You're Arcee's human, Jack is it ? "
" You got it right. " Jack confirmed
" What the frag happened to you ? " Wheeljack asked, still shocked
Jack and the team explained what happened to them since Wheeljack's departure.
In turn, Wheeljack explained that he did found another wrecker, Seaspray, who had been killed by the decepticon from earlier, Dreadwing, Skyquake's brother.
" If you're the new boss, Jack, then I wish for you to not become a softie like all I had to serve under. " Wheeljack then said before going on the elevator.
" Jeez, what's with him ? " Jack asked
" The wreckers were a team working outside the classical chain of command. " Optimus answered
" Like the black ops units ? " Jack asked
" Indeed, to do missions no one would, and many of them did not come back. " Optimus responded
" And this Dreadwing, what do you know about him ? " Arcee asked
" He was a commander in the seeker armada, and fiercely loyal to the decepticon cause. But he is one of the few decepticons who have honor. " Optimus answered
( Nemesis )
The arrival of Dreadwing was a huge surprise but a welcomed one. With Starscream missing and Airachnid being untrustworthy, a loyal commander was what Megatron needed.
" Lord Megatron, I live to serve you. " Dreadwing stated, kneeling in front of the warlord.
" Rise Dreadwing, Loyalty like yours us such a rare commodity. "
" Mine is deep, but it was not only this that brought me here : I am here to confirm the demise of my brother Skyquake. " Dreadwing answered
" How did you know what happened to him ? " Megatron asked
" We shared a deep fraternal bond, even across the galaxy I felt him awoke from stasis on that world, and his demise on that same world. "
Soundwave showed them the footage of Skyquake's death by Bee and Optimus hands.
" It is true the autobots killed your brother, but he wasn't under my command at the time. " Megatron said, before Soundwave showed a picture of Starscream.
" Then all those responsible of Skyquake's death will perish. " Dreadwing stated.
" Dreadwing, we must be united. The autobots may be few in numbers, but they are still a thorn in our sides. And not only Wheeljack is back, but they have a new Prime in their ranks." Megatron revealed
" A new Prime ?! " Dreadwing repeated
Soundwave showed him a picture of Jack before and after his refformatting.
" He is one of the inhabitants of this planet. His name was Jack Darby, and now he is called Durerus Prime. And he is a triple-changer. "
" But how is that possible ? " Dreadwing asked
" Optimus gave him the Key to Vector Sigma and while Jack was using it to give Optimus memories back, I shot at him. But as Jack was dying, the Matrix and the Key refformatted him into this autobot body. " Megatron explained
( The episode is still going as it went in the show, up until Wheeljack being dug out of the rocks )
( Autobots base )
" Optimus, Durerus. Bulkhead and Wheeljack's signals have been separated and Bulkhead's is following Dreadwing's. " Ratchet warned them
" I'm going to Wheeljack and we'll have a little conversation about dragging our teammates in danger. " Jack stated
" I'm coming with you this time, Jack. " Arcee stated
Ratchet opened the groundbridge and the two partners arrived near a cliff, where there was a pile of rocks.
" Wheeljack must be under these rocks. " Jack stated, beginning to clear the pile, until he saw Wheeljack
" You took your time, Bulkhead. " Wheeljack said before seeing who was before him.
The glaring Jack took his wrist and pulled him up.
" I don't care if you don't want to be part of Team Prime but that you put our teammates in danger for your personal vendetta isn't something I accept. " Jack scolded him
" With all due respect, Prime junior, Bulkhead is still a wrecker, he knew the risks. " Wheeljack replied, freeing his wrist.
" Then you'll help us saving him : Dreadwing took him away. " Arcee said, glaring at him.
The three entered the Jackhammer and Wheeljack flew it towards Bulkhead's position.
They landed near docks, and saw Bulkhead binded to containers with a bomb on his chest.
" Don't go near me guys, this is gonna explode, get back. " Bulkhead warned them.
" I can desarm it, Bulk, stay calm. " Wheeljack reassured him.
He opened the bomb but there was to many wires.
" I take it back, I have never desarmed this kind of bomb. " Wheeljack corrected
" Me neither. " Arcee said
They turned back but Jack wasn't here.
" There we go, Prime already corrupted him into being a softie. " Wheeljack said
But Arcee slapped him " Take that back now, Jack isn't a coward. If he is not here, it's because he has a plan. " Arcee defended her partner
( With Jack )
Durerus was heading towards the edge of the docks and called out Dreadwing.
" Dreadwing, I know you're there, show yourself ! Your grief is not with Bulkhead ! " Jack yelled
Dreadwing jumped from the crane he was standing on and landed, creating a small crater.
" Jackson Darby, take your two-wheeler friend and go away. The wreckers and Optimus Prime are my targets. " Dreadwing ordered him
" If you value honor and loyalty, then you are fighting for the wrong leader. Megatron will give you nothing in return for your loyalty to him. " Jack explained, drawing his blades
" You know nothing of Megatron, Earthling. " Dreadwing responded, drawing his sword and engaging the fight, with an overhead slash that Jack blocked
" Oh, I think I know quite a lot : That he treat his subordinates like trash. " Jack answered, before doing an horizontal slash with his left blade that Dreadwing blocked before he slashed at the decepticon's side with his other blade that Dreadwing caught before kicking him back
" All armies must show discipline and competence if they are to suceed. " Dreadwing replied before slashing horizontally at Jack, who leaned back
" If they are to conquer worlds that have nothing to do with their war that destroyed their own planet ? " Jack asked, noticing he touched a nerve
" We did not destroy Cybertron! We did everything we could to save it! That was the very reason Megatron formed the Decepticons, to wipe away the corruption that had spread throughout our society and restore the Golden Age! I regret what has befallen our planet, but that was not our intent! " Dreadwing responded
" Megatron may have had good intentions but he threw it all away when Optimus was deemed more worthy than him to be a Prime. Now he is nothing more than a power hungry monster. Did you know he tried to kill my friend, who is twelve years old, and he laughed at the idea ? " Jack insisted
Dreadwing did not come up with an answer this time. He just continued to block Jack's slashes.
" And did Megatron tell you that he used Dark energon to revive nearly all the dead of Cybertron to conquer my planet ? " Jack continued to ask
" What ?! " Dreadwing asked
" And did he tell you what Starscream did to Skyquake ? " Jack finished, by punching Dreadwing in the face, sending him on the ground
" What are you talking about ? What happened to Skyquake ? " Dreadwing demanded
" If you desarm Bulkhead's bomb, I'll tell you. " Jack responded
Dreadwing looked Durerus in the optics and saw he was telling the truth.
" You win, young Prime. " Dreadwing agreed, getting up and sheathing his sword
( With the other three )
Arcee and Wheeljack has been trying to free Bulkhead but his bonds were too strong.
" Arcee, Jackie, get out, it will explode. " Bulkhead begged them
" We won't abandon you, Bulk. " Arcee replied
" Not a chance, you rust head. " Wheeljack added
They turned back and saw Dreadwing arriving, with Jack pointing his rotary guns at his head.
" Jack, what's happening ? " Arcee asked
" I made a deal with him. Now Dreadwing, disarm the bomb. " Jack responded
Dreadwing nodded and took off the red wire of the bomb, which stopped its countdown.
" I was thinking it was that one. " Wheeljack snarked
" Now, young Prime, tell me what happened to Skyquake. " Dreadwing demanded
And Jack kept his word and told the shadowzone incident and Skyquake's transformation into an undead by Starscream.
" And Megatron knew all of this ? " The furious decepticon demanded
" Of course, he knew. His little lapdog, Soundwave, keep him informed of everything. He learned about this and still decided to keep Starscream in his ranks. " Jack answered
"It was bad enough my brother fell to the hands of the Autobots, but to have his grave defiled, and his body turned into such a thing?! There is no curse or words in all of the Cybertronian language that can describe what I feel right now towards Megatron and Starscream," said Dreadwing, enraged
" Then, we can help you get back at them, Dreadwing. " Jack suggested
" Betraying my kin is not the same as joining your, Durerus. " Dreadwing stated, before transforming and flying away.
" If he is smart, he won't go back to the decepticons. " Arcee stated
( With Dreadwing )
The seeker's processor was filled with different feelings : Respect for the young Prime, Sadness for his Brother's fate, Hate for Megatron and Starscream but most of all uncertainty : Joining the autobots would be betraying his ideals, but returning to decepticons would result in him being unable to control his rage and trying to kill Megatron. Which would result in his own destruction.
So there was only one choice left to him : exil.
Next time : Airachnid leaving the decepticons, another fighting between her and Arcee, and Jack having a talk with his partner.