Note: References to my Dear friend Tyroth Darkstorm's Fanfic 'Mikey's Date' appears in this chapter, go to his page or my favouraite authors or stories page if you haven't read it already, it's a great fic!

Chapter One Hundred and Two

Buried Alive

Inside the mine, the girls and Arcee had caught up with Bulkhead and the two older turtles.

Donatello had started to examine the rocks trying to see if he could find anything interesting and Michelangelo as usual had started to pester him asking if he had found anything which started to grate on the brainy turtle's nerves.

It wasn't new to him since Michelangelo was always curious to know what his older intelligent brother was looking at or working on.

After five minutes Donatello almost thought of throttling Michelangelo when he saw Pandora and Kemeko run up to him.

"Uncle Don! Mikey!" Pandora called over.

"Girls!" Donatello said, "Why aren't you back at the entrance?"

"Ask you-know-who!" Kemeko drawled pointing at Pandora who looked a little offended.

"Why am I not surprised?" Donatello rolled his eyes.

"Hey!" Pandora protested.

"He's right though." Michelangelo said.

Donatello frowned but then he had an idea to get Michelangelo off his back and also to keep Pandora out of trouble.

"Hey Mike." He said, "Why don't you and Pandora go and have a look around the place, just don't go too far alright?"

"Sure!" Michelangelo said as he looked at Pandora then he had a thought about how the hybrid had been feeling about Culpepper and Tyroth's talk with her, and he only just had the idea of talking to her about a subject close to him.

"I'll keep an eye on our favourite Hybrid!" he winked.

"Thanks!" Donatello said a little surprised at Michelangelo jumping at the chance, then he looked at Kemeko.

"You want to help me find some treasures Lotus?" he asked, "Maybe if we're lucky I might set an assignement for you and Pandora to identify any I find."

Kemeko smiled at her uncle.

"Sure thing!" she said as she walked over to Donatello.

Arcee meanwhile looked at Bulkhead who nodded at her.

"I'll keep an eye on Michelangelo and Pandora." He said.

"And I'll watch Donatello and Kemeko." Arcee agreed to which she observed Donatello and Kemeko studying the rocks.

Bulkhead meanwhile walked further into the mine until he came to a large open space almost the same size as the main room in the Base and he saw Pandora and Michelangelo standing in the middle of it.

"Wow! Check out this space!" Pandora cried "You could fit like twice the whole lair in here!"

"Totally!" Michelangelo said then started to call out.

"Kaa Kaa! Kaa Kee!" he shouted.

Pandora then joined in laughing.

"Echo! Echo!" she shouted and clapped her hands, and the sounds flew around them.

Bulkhead watched them for a while, then he looked at his scanner which bleeped showing they had picked up an energon signal.

He quickly commed Arcee yet he couldn't get an answer from her.

"Scrap." He thought to himself "The mineral composition down here is causing interference, but still, Ratchet's gonna want a sample of what we find down here."

He looked over to Michelangelo and Pandora who had stopped shouting in the open space and were sitting on a formation of rocks talking.

The wrecker cocked his head as he looked at them and he couldn't help but listen in.

"Pandora." Michelangelo said, "I couldn't help but think about what you and Tyroth spoke about together after that Pilot gave you his details."

"Culpepper." Pandora said, "What about him Uncle Mikey?"

Michelangelo placed a hand on his niece's hand.

"That's really sweet," he said, "And it's nice you're making a new friend, and a human one at that."

Pandora smiled.

"But." Michelangelo said, "As much as I support you, I want you to be careful as Tyroth says, as this is early days, and despite the fact Culpepper along with Agent Fowler is aware of us, I don't want you to be disappointed or have your heart broken."

Pandora's smile faded.

"Uncle Mike?" she said.

Michelangelo sighed and placed his other hand on Pandora's cheek making her look at him.

"Pandora, I have a story to tell you, one I've never told you before."

"What?" Pandora asked and Bulkhead knelt on one knee and leaned in to listen.

Michelangelo sighed.

"Before you were born, must have been about a year before then, I don't really remember, but I do remember the incident like it were yesterday..."

Michelangelo took a deep breath and began to his story, yet as he did, he felt a pang in his stomach as it was something that had risen his soul but then it came crashing down when he found out the horrible truth.

"Not long after your father and mother got together as mates, I started to feel jealous in a way, well I wouldn't say jealous, but I started longing for a mate of my own, and I soon came across a girl who I thought was the one, a human woman who I saved from the Purple Dragons."

"You met a human girl?" Pandora exclaimed.

Bulkhead was also surprised yet he didn't speak.

"I know right?" Michelangelo said, "In all the years as a mutant turtle each time I tried to save a human, myself and my brothers and your mother were always met with disgust and revulsion because of our appearances, but this girl, Shari she called herself, she looked at me gratefully and without fear, then before I knew it, we began to date in secret."

Pandora blinked as she listened.

"A human actually found you attractive?" she asked before correcting herself "Sorry, I mean...I didn't."

Michelangelo laughed.

"It's alright Geisha." He said, "I know what you meant to say." He flicked her chin.

"Anyway, I thought we had a connection, and I felt confident enough to introduce her to my family, and I did, and they took a liking to her, even your Uncle Tyroth whose always cautious when it comes to the humans, even those who have been friendly towards us."

Pandora nodded as she continued to listen.

"But then what?" she asked.

Michelangelo then lowered his eyes.

"But then came the bombshell." He said, "After all the cautious steps I took, getting her to meet my family, I decided to give her the details to finding our home, and once I did, she revealed her true self."

"True self?" Pandora asked.

"Her name wasn't Shari." Michelangelo said, "But she was Ren, a spy for the Foot sent to seduce me and get me to open up my secrets."

Pandora gasped and almost jumped a foot in the air and even Bulkhead was shocked.

"A Foot Spy!?" she cried.

"And not only that." Michelangelo continued "But she was Izo Ren, the niece of Izo Arashi!"

Pandora gasped again.

"That bastard has a niece!?" she asked.

Michelangelo nodded.

"Whether she was the daughter of a brother or sister that evil man had, we never found out." Michelangelo said, "But she attacked me then started to make plans to alert the ninja to our position."

"Oh no." Pandora said.

"But I happened to have an Guardian Angel that day," Michelangelo said "My Katie, she had decided to come topside and meet 'Shari' only to see what she did to me and she fought Ren to the death then emerged the victor, even though she suffered injuries and came out alive afterwards, she did it for me, she saved my life, and I've never forgotten it." He smiled.

"Wow..." Pandora said, "That's really amazing."

"I'll say it is!" Bulkhead agreed.

Michelangelo nodded then looked serious.

"Now Pandora." He said cupping her cheeks.

"I don't want you to think that this Culpepper dude is working for an enemy or anything and given how he works for Agent Fowler, he must be genuine, but like Tyroth advised, I think you should take it slow, and get to know him, after all it took a while for me and Kate before we were ready to go onto the next step, and then there was your Uncle Jake and Aunt Amber, it always wise to take things slow, get to know each other, find out your interests, and make sure he feels the same feelings as you."

Pandora listened careful then she took her uncle's wrists.

"I understand Uncle Mike." She spoke fervently.

"Hey, who knows kid," Michelangelo said brightly "It might work out quicker than it did for me and Kate, or Jake and Amber, I mean your mother and father found each other quite quick, so it might happen to you, I'm just saying you need to be wise and careful, and I'll support you all the way."

Pandora smiled and she hugged her uncle.

"Aww thanks Uncle Mikey." She said, "I know I can count on you!"

"Anytime kiddo." Michelangelo said hugging his niece back and looking up at Bulkhead who smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Meanwhile, in another part of the cave, Megatron and Starscream had arrived in another open space.

The Warlord lead the way inside and he soon discovered three mine drills used by the Decepticon Miners and he instantly got suspicious.

"How intriguing." He said then turned to Starscream who tensed up then growled in anger to cover his anxiety.

"Incompetent Fools!" he exclaimed as he marched forward "This mining equipment should have been relocated! Why is it still here?"

"The Most Valid question." Megatron cut in making the seeker jump again and chuckle nervously and turn to his leader.

"My apologies Master." He grovelled "I believe Soundwave was in charge of coordinating transport."

Megatron snorted in distrust as he looked at his second in command.

"But in fairness." Starscream continued "During your interstellar travels we all had to assume additional responsibilities, clearly mistakes were made."

Megatron scoffed.

"Yes." he said "Clearly."

He then turned to a rock formation and punched it hard driving his servo in and Starscream watched in horror as the Warlord plucked out a handful of blue crystals, no doubt to be energon.

"Every last trace of energon extracted?" the warlord demanded.

"Lord Megatron." Starscream simpered "I can explain."

"Explain what?" Megatron growled "That you've hoarding a supply of energon for your personal use?" he asked dropping the crystals onto the ground.

"No, not exactly!" Starscream stammered "I just..." yet he stopped speaking as the Warlord crushed the crystals under his foot.

"Do not take me for a fool Starscream!" he bellowed as the Seeker stammered, lost for words and stepped away in fear as Megatron stepped towards him.
"I have been wise to your transgressions from the beginning." Megatron growled "Not only did you pluck the dark energon from my chest in a failed attempt to snuff my spark, but you tried to raise your own undead warrior with it! It's no secret that you lost an arm in the process! Which you've since had replaced!"

"You know about that!?" Starscream shrieked since he had warned Knock Out as well as any Decepticon who had been aware to not speak of it to anyone.
"Soundwave is quite competent at surveillance; I can assure you!" Megatron replied as he stepped closer to the terrified and humiliated Starscream.
"The fact is Starscream, despite your treachery, I've allowed you to carry on this long because I took a certain delight in following your string of failures."

He soon backed the seeker up against another rock face within the cave.

"But you finally become tiresome, predictable." He then held up his servo with his cannon attached and ready to fire.

"You hit Rock bottom!"

At that Starscream cowered and began to plead with his Leader.

"Master please! Give me one more chance!" He fell on his knees "I beg of you!"

"You have ceased to be of use to me Starscream!" Megatron snarled "So you will simply cease to be!"

Starscream covered his face with his arms ready for the blast that would snuff out his spark, yet as he did, he looked to the side and his eyes widened as he saw a small green figure as well as a much smaller female human at one of the cave openings.

Once more, a tall blue femme appeared next to them, but she jumped back in alarm.

At the same time Megatron looked up and he also saw what or rather who was looking back at them.

It appeared that Arcee, Donatello and Kemeko had been exploring near where Megatron and Starscream were arguing, and they had crossed paths!

A terrified scream erupted from Kemeko as she saw the two Decepticons only to have Donatello grab her and cover her mouth before pulling her to the side as Arcee jumped in to grab them and placed them hidden away from Megatron.

"Stay down!" she commanded then covered herself as Megatron started to fire at them with his arm cannon.

At the same time, Starscream was relieved that his Master's attention had been taken away from trying to kill him and he wondered whether to stay and join the fight or to run.

After a few seconds of contemplating the situation, he turned and ran towards the other opening of the cave!

Megatron heard him run off and his eyes blazed with fury.

"Starscream!" he bellowed "You dare abandon me?"

He then fired towards where Starscream had fled.

As the Warlord was distracted, Arcee saw her chance and jumped from her hiding place to fire her blasters at Megatron who fired back at her, yet as the femme fired her blasters, she made Megatron fire up at the rocky celling which proved to be a huge mistake as the ceiling cracked and huge rocks began to fall and the warlord soon saw many start to fall on him before he could move.

Arcee stopped firing as she saw the cave was starting to crumble and the ground shook like an earthquake!

"Scrap!" she cried then she saw the ground starting to crack and open up, she instantly ran back to hep Donatello and Kemeko, but she suddenly fell through the floor as it opened up!

"Arcee!" Donatello shouted then he heard Kemeko scream as she fell through the floor as it opened under them!

Donatello shouted after his niece then he too fell in after her!

Back with Bulkhead, Michelangelo and Pandora, they too had felt the vibration and rock started to fall around them.

Bulkhead stood up and wondered what was happening.

After listening to Michelangelo's story, he had started pounding at the rock formation to find the minerals Ratchet wanted but as he felt the earthquake he stopped.

"Uncle Mikey?" Pandora asked, "What's happening?"

"I don't know Geisha." Michelangelo said, "Stay close to me!" he then shouted as stones fell and he pulled Pandora close to him.

At the same time Bulkhead ran towards the turtle and hybrid and placed his body over them to protect them from the falling stones and rocks, grunting as he did so.

Meanwhile Starscream as he fled from the open space in the mine where he and Megatron had been had transformed into his Jet form to fly away as he knew he could get to the entrance quicker that way, yet he had to duck and dodge the falling debris as he flew.

He soon saw the entrance and went full throttle, yet as he did a large rock hit his wing and sent him spinning through the tunnel and he ended up transforming back into his bipedal form to escape any injury, yet he didn't manage to get to the entrance and he shouted in anguish as the rocks fell around him and the entrance was blocked preventing him or anyone else from escaping...

Whilst within the mine, Michelangelo's decided to give Pandora some advice on his own experiences regarding his niece's attraction to Culpepper, yet as I'm sure a lot of you have predicted, a confrontation with Megatron has been met with disasterous consequences for everyone within the caves!

Stay tuned for more coming soon!