It was impossible to believe what Shockwave had devised. According to the information on his computer, he’d found a way to create a toxic energon nuclear bomb, and in the side notes he’d typed with this formula, his intention was to leave Cybertron in irreparable ruins, to the point where it was forever uninhabitable from lethal radiation. His cave was teeming with the toxic energon, and the fact that our group hadn’t seen any of it while we’d been there gave us the affirmation that it was located deeper within the tunnel. Though he was still in the process of creating the bomb, it wouldn’t be much longer until it was finished. We had a month, maybe longer, to figure out how to stop him, and after he was finished with the first part of his plan, he would move on to Earth and “recreate an ideal Cybertron, eliminating Autobot obstruction” as he had worded it. To be frank, all of us were dumbfounded.

            “If he follows through with this, he’ll obliterate Cybertron,” Bumblebee said, aghast. He narrowed his circular turquoise optics, trying to contemplate the thought, then shook his head. “It’s insane. He’s gone insane!”

            “He must have lost his reason when the Decepticons fell apart.” Bulkhead was staring at the computer screens.

            Wheeljack stepped forward, his burly servos clenched into tight fists. The wings on his back stood up with an aggressive edge, adding to his already extensive frame. “Let’s take him down now! Before he finishes the bomb! Doesn’t that seem like the easiest thing to do?”

I stood across from Wheeljack, next to Smokescreen and Knock Out. Ultra Magnus was the only one missing from the circle of Autobots, pacing back and forth near the wall as if in a trance. Like him, I hadn’t been listening to everyone’s distressed conversing. The concept of Shockwave’s bomb left an empty sense of dread inside me, and I was forced to fight back a wave of nausea that came from it. Why is he doing this? Didn’t he want Cybertron back just as much as we did?

“Didn’t you see how many Vehicons there were?” Bulkhead said in response to Wheeljack’s outburst. “We all know they’re pushovers when they’re alone, but when they’re massed together like that… things can get bad.”

“Shockwave says he’s sending ‘Cons to Earth to gather more energon, since there’s not enough on this planet to fuel his bomb,” I said, somehow managing to find my voice. An idea had come to me, and a very small ray of hope was lighting my overwhelming trepidation. “Some of us could track them down and stop them. If we act now, we have a chance.”

There was a brief period of quiet, but I could see that my proposition had the others thinking. “You’re right,” Ultra Magnus said, and all optics were on him. He had stopped pacing and was heading towards the rest of us, his brows furrowed. He moved his way to the middle of our formation, uplifted by a positive change in spirit. “Four of you will use the space bridge to travel to Earth, and the rest of us will stay here and deal with the remaining Vehicons in our possession, as well as keep a close watch on Shockwave. We’ve defeated the Decepticons every other time before now, and by the AllSpark, if they think they’re going to band back together and take us out now -” he paused, a promising gleam in his optics. “ - they’re wrong.”

I looked around at the faces of the Autobots, strengthened by a new sense of resolution. We could stop Shockwave, and I knew that every single mech here with me would use this chance to the best of their abilities to fight back and defend the fate of our planet, and Earth’s as well. No matter what happened, I knew we could stop him as long as we stayed together.

“For Optimus,” I said, chilled by a pang of grief for our former leader. He rested in peace in the Well of AllSparks, his ending to a long-lived existence having been bittersweet. With his self-sacrifice came the chance for Cybertron to thrive once more, but it also brought an intense feeling of anguish to the few Autobots left, and the realization that a Prime quite like him would never come around again. I raised my voice, the hurt I felt intermingling with and strengthening my courage. “For Optimus! For Cybertron!”

“For Optimus!” the others shouted in unison. Knock Out, who had the only pair of red optics among the shades of blues and greens, was enthusiastic as he joined in on the vitalizing cheer. “For Cybertron!”

It was no doubt that the other Autobots had their suspicions of Knock Out now that him and I were becoming closer, and it was obvious they didn’t have a liking for his conceited personality, but he was a part of us now, and so far he had done nothing but benefit us. If the Decepticons were returning, they had a huge disadvantage in not having a medic of their own.

* * * * *

            “Bulkhead, Arcee, Bumblebee, Knock Out.” Ultra Magnus looked each of us in the optics. We stood in a line at the space bridge machine outside of the Autobot base. The sky above was darker than ever, and only a few of the shimmering stars were visible in their efforts to be seen. Another metal building, less than halfway constructed, stood to one side of us, casting a long shadow. “The restoration of the city-states must wait. I’m counting on all of you to do what’s right, and to do it with superb efficiency. The very fate of Cybertron rests on our shoulders. Keep that in mind with every second that goes by.”

            Out of everyone, the four of us that were chosen to leave had the most experience with living on Earth – or, in Knock Out’s case, hanging out among humans under the disguise of an alt. mode. During Megatron’s leadership over the Decepticons and their countless attempts at taking over the planet, we had developed knowledge of Earth’s geography and discovered countless energon locations. Plus, Knock Out had reminded everyone of the immense supply of energon in Greece that still remained at large, and so that was the first place our team would go in hopes that the Vehicons hadn’t got there first.

            Ultra Magnus flipped the space bridge’s power switch, and the teleportation device came to life, producing a bright swirling portal similar to a ground bridge, the only difference being the distance of travel that it provided. Bumblebee and Bulkhead went in first. Knock Out was up next. Not wanting to waste precious time, I went to the bridge last.

            “Arcee.”

            I looked over. Ultra Magnus nodded solemnly. “Good luck, sharpshooter.”

            With a smile I dipped my head to him and continued on my way, thinking to myself, We’ll need all the luck we can get.

                                         * * * * *

            The blinding sun shone in the pale blue sky, with not one cloud in sight. Earth’s sky amazed me every time I looked upon it, because it displayed far more beauty than that of the dullness of Cybertron’s, as did its varying environments. Here in Greece, there were expanses of grassland and tall trees alongside dry, sandy excavation sites, most of which were run-down and hadn’t been used by any human in years, and it was within these excavation sites that crystalline energon remained - hopefully - untouched. Even if a human were to stumble upon energon in any form, he or she would have no idea what it is, and wouldn’t know what to do with it nonetheless.

            Standing before us were ancient relics, of what could have been remnants of a society long extinct. Crumbled pillars and cracked sandstone walls made up most of what was left, and there was no roofing of any kind. Knock Out surveyed the area, poking at a decapitated statue piece that appeared to be a female human’s head with his energon prod. “Nice décor here.”

            “They’re called ruins for a reason,” I said, checking the small built-in screen in my arm that showed a map of our current location. “We’re close, and there’s definitely still energon around here. Lots of it, according to these readings.”

            Somewhere within the ruins an explosion erupted, causing the ground to shake. I looked up at the tops of the walls and saw a cloud of dust forming at the vicinity’s far end. Raising an optical ridge, I gave Bulkhead a glance, then Bumblebee. Bolting for the entrance that was by some miracle big enough in height and width for all of us to fit through, I took the lead to find the source of the occurrence, though a sure idea of what it was had already came to my mind. I jumped over fallen rubble and climbed up chipped stairs of stone, skipping four to five steps at a time with ease. I’d already transformed my arm into an energon gun, and my circuits were pulsing with the anticipation of a battle. Knock Out and Bumblebee were right behind me, followed by a heavy-stepping Bulkhead.

            The stairs and tiny rooms - tiny when compared to the size of us Autobots – offset by such gaping entryways, finally gave way to a clearing at the top floor. From where we had been at the bottom of the ruins, we couldn’t see what was now revealed to us due to the area being surrounded by walls. A group of Vehicons had been drilling into the face of an imposing rock wall, but were now crowded around one of their allies who was collapsed on the ground, having reaped the result of shooting at energon in its raw liquid form. The energon that was contained in the rock wall was solid and crystalline, which was the way it was found on the most common occasion.

            “Need a little help there?” Bumblebee called out.

            A few of the Vehicons turned in our direction. “Autobots!” one said, his voice rising in alarm. His cry was cut short as we surged to intercept them, and though they outnumbered us three to one, I could tell from the start that they wouldn’t stand a chance. Teaming up with Bumblebee, we stood back-to-back as we fired at our enemies. I threw a quick glance at Knock Out; he was standing over the body of a fallen Vehicon, electrocuting the scrap out of the unfortunate thing with his prod, bright blue sparks dancing around him. Bulkhead, on the other hand, was using brute strength to take out the ‘Cons, which had always been his favorite battle method. He slugged one of them on the side of the head, sending him flying backwards, and started for two more of them that he’d cornered.

            Up on a high-rising ledge, a black and purple figure blurred and transformed from the air, landing with grace. If he possessed facial features of any kind, they were concealed behind the dark visor he wore.

            “Soundwave.” I glared. So he had gotten out of the Shadowzone. He must have been the leader of these ‘Cons. For a brief moment he was still as he surveyed the scene below him. Then, figuring that the Vehicons were good as dead, he swung around in the opposite direction and disappeared from view over the top of the ledge.

            “Oh no you don’t,” I said, running from Bee’s side. He only had two ‘Cons left, and Bulkhead and Knock Out had three between the both of them. They could finish them off without much effort.

            As I’d started climbing up the rocky wall, Bumblebee noticed me leaving. “Arcee! Where are you going?” He had to shout to be heard over all the gunfire and commotion.

            “It’s Soundwave! He’s up there!” I indicated with my optics. “Cover me?” A shot was fired as I spoke, hitting the wall a digit-length away from my servo and causing a spray of pebbles to fly in every which direction.

            “We’ll be right behind you!” Bumblebee replied before somersaulting to avoid a shot.

Without another word, I continued on my way, finding holds on the wall and making it to the top. Sand gave way to green grass, and a forest of firs and pines stood before me. Soundwave was nowhere in sight. I searched the clear sky for any sign of him, but it was empty as well. Resolute, I pushed by the rough tree branches, keeping up a fast pace. I traveled so far into the woods that the sounds of the fight were now only a distant undertone. The only noises were the crackling of a pine cone or a branch every once in a while when I stepped on one, and the rustling of the wide-spaced trees that the slight wind produced.

            “What do you think you’re doing, Arcee?” Knock Out’s irritated voice came in through my comm. link, making me jump. “Don’t you know how much danger you’re in? This is Soundwave you’re dealing with.”

            I sighed, trying to clear away the alarm I’d felt from him calling me. “I’ll be fine. Besides, looks to me like he’s already up and left. No sign of him anywhe-”

            A rough shove from behind forced me to the ground. Landing on my servos and knees, I grunted and twisted around. Before I could react, two long tendrils darted straight at me with claws extended, gripping me on both sides of my neck with painful might. Soundwave stood over me in silent triumph, digging his claws into my armor until they pierced through and reached my sensitive protoform. I choked, unable to make a sound as pain seared through me, and I could feel energon leaking from my new wounds. I was flailing and grasping at the tendrils in an attempt to rip them off, but his hold on me was strong. All of a sudden, jolts of electricity shredded through my body, frying my circuits and filling me with agonizing pain. My vision blacked out, then came back, then threatened to offline again, hazing over with colors that were too bright and blurring in a frenzy.

            “Arcee?! What’s going on? Arcee!” Knock Out sounded frantic through the comm. link. His fading voice was the last thing I heard before the pain became too much, and at last stasis overcame me.