After the investigation of the energon cave, a plan was set the following day. That plan was to enter the cave, and brace ourselves for a fight.

Everyone gathered in the spacious Autobot base, except for the few dozen Vehicons who were set to the arduous task of rebuilding the city. Besides the Vehicons’ current occupation, other reasons why they were not going to come along was because they didn’t possess adequate fighting skills, and only seemed to know how to serve as decoys and follow orders - so long as the orders weren’t too complicated. Standing next to Knock Out, I looked over his shoulder at the three screens he was entering information into. One contained the cave’s coordinates, one showed the life signals of each Autobot preparing to set forth on this mission - myself, Ultra Magnus, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Smokescreen, and Wheeljack - and another showed a radar that displayed the energon levels emitting from the cave. It was the single location on Cybertron that showed energon levels of any kind, and it was of utmost importance that we made sure it was not in control of a wrongdoer, otherwise known as Shockwave. That energon was needed by all Cybertronians who wished to see the planet return to what it once was before the wars destroyed it, and we were all willing to give our lives for this cause, just like Optimus had given his.

“Stay on guard for hidden explosives, and stay together unless I say otherwise,” Ultra Magnus said, narrowing his optics at Wheeljack.

The Wrecker, who was in an animated conversation with Bulkhead about methods of attack and self-defense, quieted down when Ultra Magnus spoke, giving him an unwavering glower. “You got it, sir,” he said, putting emphasis on sir like it was an insult.

I could feel the tension between these two rising. Just what we need, Wheeljack being a smart-aft. Ultra Magnus could try to not be so instigating. Breaking the silence, I stepped between the two. “Understood. Now can we get going?”

“The ground bridge is ready for action,” Knock Out chimed in, his back to the rest of the Autobots. He pressed the ground bridge activator/de-activator button, and the bright greenish portal opened up, stationed near the main screens.

Wielding the Magnus hammer, Ultra Magnus turned towards the portal, his expression grim. “Let’s move.” With that, he was gone.

“C’mon Jackie, don’t let him get to you.” Bulkhead slapped Wheeljack on the back as they entered the ground bridge together, the clang of armor against armor echoing through the base. Before I could hear Wheeljack’s response, he and Bulk had already vanished. Smokescreen and Bumblebee were right behind them.

“Wait.” Knock Out grabbed me by the servo. He wasn’t the largest mech around, being the same size as Bumblebee in rough comparison. Then again, I’m the shortest out of all the Autobots, so he still had quite an advantage on me in terms of height. He took me in, his optics softening for a brief nano cycle, then leaned down and kissed me, causing “butterflies” - as humans would call it - to tickle my gas chamber. When I opened my optics, his usual mischievous expression was back. “Now you can go.”

Scoffing, I dragged myself from him and entered the ground bridge.

The cave was built into the face of an enormous cliff wall, miles away from Iacon. Our first notion that someone was residing in it came from the Vehicon standing guard at the entrance. The rest of the team and I hid behind the cover of the metal boulders that were strewn about the metallic plain.

“Bingo!” Smokescreen exclaimed, peeking over the side of the boulder and eyeing the guard with indignation. “Those Vehicons are traitors. We never should have -”

Bulkhead dragged him astern. “Hey! Don’t blow our cover!”

Sheepish, Smokescreen backed down. “Sorry. But get this. I could use my phase shifter and take him out easy. He won’t even see it coming!” he cast a hopeful look at Ultra Magnus. The tall leader crossed his arms and nodded an affirmative. Jumping with joy, Smokescreen activated the phase shifter he always kept strapped to his wrist and ran straight into the cliff wall, as if the wall was only a ghostlike hologram, and disappeared from view. Even though I knew the phase shifter would keep him from slamming into the wall, I couldn’t help but flinch watching him run headlong towards it.

“We’ll have to do something about our Vehicons when we’re done here,” Bulkhead said, keeping an intent watch on the cave guard.

“Indeed,” Ultra Magnus agreed. Not much longer, a muffled shout was heard. Moving ahead of the group, I could see the Vehicon, who lay motionless on the ground. Smokescreen stood beside the ‘Con, looking this way and that before signaling with a wave that it was clear to proceed. Ultra Magnus led the way from behind the cover of boulders, stopping when we reached Smokescreen.

“The path in there,” Smokescreen jerked his head towards the cave, “looks pretty straightforward. Shouldn’t be too hard to find the base of operations.” He nudged the unconscious Vehicon with his pede.

“Let’s go.” Ultra Magnus continued onward into the nebulousness of the cave entrance. Smokescreen and I followed him in. Bulkhead and Wheeljack were behind us, and Bumblebee took up the rear.

It wasn’t long until we made it to Shockwave’s hidden laboratory. Energon lamps spaced throughout the area provided decent lighting, and the first thing that caught my attention was the giant computer screen built into the wall. Across from this in the center of the lab, vertical holding tubes that could fit a Predacon within them stood like pillars, all filled with a clear, thick-looking liquid substance. There were two operational berths and a long table cluttered with small objects in the far corner of the lab, and in another corner was a smaller tunnel than the one we’d just came out of, leading deeper into the cave. Shockwave was nowhere to be seen.

“Proceed with extreme caution,” Ultra Magnus ordered. Keeping our weapons at the ready, we followed him in. I started for the operational berths, checking out the contents of the table. Most of it consisted of surgical tools, but there were other devices mixed in that served darker purposes. I shuddered, trying to keep my mind clear of the flashbacks of my experiences with torture.

“You okay, Bumblebee?” I could hear Bulkhead asking from somewhere behind me. “I haven’t heard you say a word since we left.”

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Bumblebee sounded distracted. “Trying to focus on the mission, is all.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

A long silence followed. Ignoring the guilt that was poking at me, I picked up an energon capsule that was among the things on the table, rotating it in my servos. It wasn’t transparent like all energon capsules were, and it was quite a bit heavier than it looked. A label, dirtied and undecipherable, was stuck near the lid. Rubbing a digit against it to get off some of the grime, I squinted my optics and read the single word that made my spark cold with fear: tox-en.

“No…” Wheeljack voice reached me. I looked over to see the rest of the Autobots crowded around the computer screen. Their complete attention was fixed onto whatever was on that screen, and behind them at the mouth of the smaller passageway, a hulking purple figure aimed its frightening cannon straight at them.

“Watch out!” I dropped the tox-en and tore towards the group. Bumblebee was the first to see Shockwave. He darted out of range of the Decepticon’s fire and shot at him. Wheeljack activated his face mask and, unsheathing his sharp-edged swords, ran straight at the attacker. Myriads of Vehicons flooded into the lab from the tunnel, shooting their laser guns without mercy.

“Autobots, fall back!” Ultra Magnus roared over the commotion, grabbing a fallen Vehicon and chucking it at a group of assailants, causing them to scatter. I aimed with near-perfect precision and landed headshots almost every time I fired, but the ‘Cons kept coming, overwhelming us with sheer numbers. I dodged a shot directed at me and scanned the crowd. The Autobots were together and edging towards the exit as I was… all except for Wheeljack, in close combat against Shockwave.

“Wheeljack!” I backed towards the team, casting anxious glances at the Wrecker. With a final fierce blow at Shockwave, he jumped away from the Decepticon, hacking and slashing through the Vehicons until he had enough space to transform into his alt. mode. He raced off into the tunnel we’d came in through, and the rest of us did the same. The sound of speeding vehicles reverberated through the cave, and my audio receptors screamed in protest. The Vehicons, some of which used flying alternate forms, gave chase close on our heels, firing with pitiless ferocity.

“Knock Out, this is Ultra Magnus to base, requesting a ground bridge to the immediate right of the cave’s entrance,” Ultra Magnus called into his comm. link, accelerating in the form of an 8-wheeled truck. The light from the cave opening was within sight. I sped ahead of the others without even reaching maximum speed as a glowing bullet grazed my back tire, racing next to Bumblebee. Turning to the hard right, tires screeched against metal, we made it out and into the ground bridge.