Hello! Long time no see, eh?

This is something I've been working on for, like, a week, and it was taking longer than I anticipated to publish. So, I decided to break it into small parts so I can share it with you guys and, once again, not have a 10,000 word part. Though I have to ask, do you prefer I post it all in one fell swoop, or would you guys prefer smaller parts? Let me know for next time!

Anyways, I may be on break now but I have traveling plans, family, and studying for the MCAT to get accomplished before January, so I won't be as active as I like. Sorry about that. :/ Growing up sucks ya'll.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy part one!

"I got darkness in my head,

Don't believe a word you said,

Still I let you in my bed, my bed,

Got too many different sides,

Got dishonor in your eyes."

>><<

Kyra cheered and jumped off of the couch in excitement, causing her sire to nearly leap out of his armor.

"In your face!" She pointed at Jack, her eyes glittering in triumph. The young man threw his head back with a massive groan of disappointment.

"I almost had you!" He protested, ignoring Shiro's demand for the video game controller for a second. "If you hadn't gotten that power-up -"

"Boo-hoo," she grinned, sitting back down on the couch. "Now c'mon, it's Shiro's turn to get his a- butt kicked."

Megatron watched them settle again with some amusement, intently watching as they played their "video game." The base was quiet, as per usual, and Jack had brought his son to spend some time at the base. Due to Kyra being Jack's "adopted" sister, it would have been difficult to explain away her oddities to Shirogane when he was older. With permission from the American government, the young boy was allowed to be exposed to the Autobots - all one of them, unless Megatron himself was now counted.

He only inquired about Dana's immediately family once, and it was Agent Fowler who actually explained it to him. Dana had wanted to keep them in the dark for as long as possible, which of course had its limits in her at-the-time current condition. Finally, her family was placed in the loop, but Fowler believed they had gone about it the wrong way. They were most likely overwhelmed by the idea of another alien species, and her parents were given the news that their daughter had not only interacted with such a species under their nose, but then had accidentally fallen pregnant from one of them. It did not sit well.

At first her parents attempted to take her away, but because Dana was eighteen they had no power. So instead they attempted to "sue" (whatever that meant) the government for putting their child in danger. It worked, and they received monetary compensation, but still Dana's condition required she stay with Ratchet for the best possible medical care, which her parents abhorred. Of course, this all climaxed with the death of their only daughter.

Kyra was rejected by her organic grandparents, and Ratchet was forbidden to attempt to contact them, even to give his condolences. That left him not only a single father, but with no help from Kyra's immediate family to raise her and give her a semi-normal life as a human, of which she took most of her visible traits from. At the time Agent Fowler and June were only considering dating, but when this problem was presented the two of them decided to raise Kyra together. Like many things about her life Kyra knew this, and though it was sad she did not allow it to bother her. She had never seen her mother's family.

Jack made an effort to visit when he could, and Miko as well, to give Kyra that sense of "family visit" normality. Agent Fowler and June did the same, which Ratchet was visibly grateful for.

A beep interrupted the humans' playtime and Megatron's train of thought, Ratchet pressing a few buttons.

"An incoming call . . . from Cybertron," he said, a little worried. These calls were not unusual, but normally they received only monthly updates. This was out of character for who he assumed to be Ultra Magnus. Ratchet answered the call, and after a brief moment of hesitation the identification of the caller popped up.

"Hey doc, long time no see!" Rodimus Prime chirped across the line. "Listen, we've got a bit of a situation and was wondering if your resident Decepticon has heard anything about it."

"Not a Decepticon," Megatron growled softly. "What is it?"

"So, apparently, we've got a bunch of rogue 'cons that are headed towards Earth, some of them talking about 'the Fallen rising again.' That wouldn't be a reference to you, would it?"

Deathly silence filled the room as Ratchet stared at the screen, Megatron doing the same and rising to his pedes as he did so. Rodimus had to have stuttered, or be joking; there was no possible explanation for what he had just said.

"I, uh, am gonna take that silence as a no. Great, fantastic. So, yeah, just a heads up. The Fallen might be headed your way, or is already on Earth as we speak."

"Who is the Fallen?" Kyra asked, her sire glancing her way before his gaze settled back on the screen. He was visibly panicked, which only caused his daughter more distress.

"What are we supposed to do?! Fight?" Ratchet asked, distressed. "There are only two of us here on this planet! We cannot possibly make a stand against a corrupt Prime and tens, if not hundreds of Decepticons!"

Rodimus sounded a bit too calm for Megatron's taste, but he supposed the youngling did not have much to worry about. He was on Cybertron, the opposite direction of where the Decepticons were heading. "I know, I know. I'm getting Team Prime gathered up as we speak, as well as a few others who might be useful for diplomacy and combat. We've got spies trying to figure out what the Fallen's - or at least his impersonator - might be planning, but whatever it is it can't be good."

"There were Decepticons here," Megatron realized, glancing at Ratchet. "Barricade, Lugnut, and Dropkick. They had retrieved an energon harvester, which is now in our possession. Do you think they acquired it for more malicious purposes than survival?"

Ratchet frowned. "Perhaps," he did not like the sound of that, though. "However, they did not mention the Fallen or attempted to persuade you to support whatever it is he may be planning."

"Hey, guys, could you fill me in?" Kyra was getting increasingly frustrated that she was being ignored. Jack gently placed a hand on her elbow, a silent reminder to keep her cool. She was clutching her controller a little tight. "Who is the Fallen? What is going on?"

"Regardless, we'll be at your coordinates in a jiffy," Rodimus ignored her questions in the background. "Bumblebee says your base isn't that big, so, it might be a tight fit. Be ready to make room!"

"We've made some upgrades since then," Ratchet said gruffly. He was not one for house guests. "We are expecting your arrival, then."

"Rodimus, out!"

Ratchet turned to Megatron as the connection was broken, giving him an accusatory look.

"This better not be some grand scheme of yours to conquer Earth," he growled.

Megatron was briefly offended, but he brushed it off with relative ease. He returned the look with that of a lazy predator's, as if he could not be bothered with the idea of doing such a thing. "Rest assured, medic, I have no such schemes."

The pair then turned their attention to Kyra, who had gotten up and marched her way over to the railing. Like her mother she was not one to be ignored, having placed her controller down and ghosting from one end of the human's social area to the other. Jack had his hand on Shiro's shoulder, worry creasing his brow as he wondered if he should call Miko, his mother, and Agent Fowler. He remembered Dana making mention of the Fallen, but it had been quite a long time ago. More than twenty years.

"Kyra," Ratchet said her name in a tone Megatron had never quite heard before. It was both stern and yet soothing, as if the medic was reminding her to remain calm. "I know you're agitated. I am too. But this is a very serious situation and I need you to stay out of it."

"Is that why you won't tell me who this guy is?" She asked, almost demanded. "And why can't I help? I can do something, can't I?"

Ratchet took a deep breath, the young woman wearing his patience thin in this already tense situation. "He is extremely dangerous, Kyra, and he will seek to destroy you. You were lucky that Barricade had not managed to crush your entire body, or worse!"

"The Fallen is a prominent figure in Cybertronian history whose name was shunned from all text, save for those that were ancient," Megatron interrupted the pair and ignored Ratchet's annoyed glance. He instead gave one that told the medic to be quiet. It was a part of Kyra's history too, after all. "But, he was named Megatronus, and is known for not only dealing the blow which put Unicron into nearly-permanent stasis, but for then betraying his fellow Primes in his quest for power. He slayed his lover Solus Prime and was exiled to the stars, supposedly to be never seen again."

"He was also known as the first Decepticon, though that might have just been Decepticon propaganda," Ratchet added with a surly look on his face.

Kyra was flabbergasted. "He's a Prime?"

"Not anymore. He was stripped of that title after his betrayal." Megatron gazed at her. "However, that is not to say that he isn't incredibly powerful, as his spark comes directly from Primus himself."

"Hold on," Jack stood up, his face becoming nearly white as sheet. "And he's coming to Earth?!"

"Supposedly, but the odds that such a being has somehow emerged from exile to target Earth specifically, and not Cybertron, is unlikely," Ratchet pointed out. "Until we learn more about this supposed 'rise of the Fallen,' I would not worry too much."

"Well, Rodimus says he already has spies working on it. Surely they'd find something?" Kyra pointed out.

"Perhaps, if they possess the adequate eyes and ears," Megatron glanced at Ratchet. "But I know someone who may be better up to the task. However, I have yet to find his whereabouts."

"Soundwave?" Jack asked, trying to not let his heart leap in his throat when the former tyrant focused his soul-piercing gaze on him. "He's, uh, stuck in the Shadowzone. We discovered it by accident one time and used his Groundbridging trick against him to place him there. Uh . . . no idea if he's still there."

"And I do not have the means for such a thing," Ratchet gestured to the Groundbridge and Spacebridge hybrid. "As I only have one generator."

Megatron thought for a moment, his sharp processor piecing together a plan. "Then perhaps we can use the transport of our allies to our advantage," he suggested cryptically.

Ratchet paused, his optics looking Megatron up and down in suspicion. "What do you have in mind?"

>><<

The base was indeed full. There was all of Team Prime, save for Optimus rest his spark, Megatron, Soundwave, and three others that tagged along to return to Earth: Rodimus Prime, Knock Out, and Drift. That wasn't including both the Jackhammer and the Iron Will. Jack had quickly gone to Jasper with Shiro to alert his mother and Agent Fowler about what had happened, Miko and Rafael also called to get the scoop. Soon, all six - seven including Kyra - humans were also huddled in the base, Fowler taking the reins again as liaison.

"Hey, tiny," Arcee knelt down to greet her partner, Miko rushing to Bulkhead and Rafael to Bumblebee. Her soft blue and pink optics focused on Shirogane, a maternal smile gracing her lips. Jack had been sending her baby pictures almost daily, since the little human was born, and she had met him only twice. Both were for just visits, nothing as serious as this.

"Ar-cee!!" Shiro shrieked his greeting, excited to see her. She let him hug a digit while Jack leaned against her leg, smiling up at her.

Bulkhead was given quite an earful from Miko, but he was just pleased to see her face-to-face again. Wheeljack also joined in on the conversation, sharing a fistbump with Miko and giving her the rundown of what he and Bulkhead had been up to.

Bumblebee and Rafael were content to share little stories back and forth, catching up but remaining otherwise a bit quiet.

Smokescreen also went to greet Jack, who had helped him become accustomed to Earth; something Arcee was still on-edge about. Ultra Magnus received updates from Ratchet about what was going on, the commander sharing a brief exchange with Megatron as well.

Rodimus Prime was not afraid to get up close and personal with the former tyrant, grilling him on everything he knew and overall being almost intentionally annoying. Megatron took it with astounding patience, eventually the young Prime leaving him alone and making his way to Ratchet and Ultra Magnus, leaving the tyrant to focus on his former medic - who was speaking with Kyra.

"- and I thought it would be nice to come back and see Earth. Not to mention if this really is the big-bad we're talking about and a whole horde of Decepticons, we should have as many available medics as possible." He drawled, leaning against the wall whilst looking at her. "But I'm not so sure about this whole 'the Fallen shall rise again.' I certainly have never heard about it."

Kyra frowned a little. "But is it a possibility?"

"Anything is, really," he waved a dismissive servo. "But until Soundwave finds some concrete evidence, I still have my doubts."

He nodded over to where the silent mech was working, his extensions plugged into various ports as he scoured both human and Cybertronian frequencies for information, working almost twice as fast as any of Rodimus' spies could. He was, of course, silent as he worked, refueled and ready to serve his master.

Drift, the last of the group, greeted Ratchet once everyone else important had spoken to the medic. They exchanged a hug and spoke briefly, the medic introducing his daughter to the mech, who only knew of her existence through second-hand knowledge. Though he would never admit it out loud, as such a thing was a bit shameful to admit, he was interested in her from a curiosity standpoint. He also did not dare to ask Ratchet how that happened, as Arcee had given him a stern warning to not mention anything about Kyra's mother.

"Autobots," Ultra Magnus interrupted conversations to bring their attention to him, the stern commander assuming leadership - a risky move, given that Megatron was also in the room. "While Soundwave looks for the threat, I think it would be best if we divided up into scouting squads, and search all known energon mines as fast as possible. We can assume that whoever is behind the amassing of Decepticons is going to require fuel."

A few optics settled wordlessly on Megatron, Soundwave, and Knock Out. Receiving the message, the former tyrant turned his attention to his third-in-command.

"Soundwave, provide them with a list of all energon mines on this planet," he instructed. The communications officer was prompt, used to his master's impatience for information. He had become quite skilled at providing hundreds of bytes of data within seconds in order to not keep Megatron waiting.

Ratchet took his usual post at the computers to access this information, noting how it was already organized not only from largest to smallest, but also by proximity.

"Great. The largest and most likely source is in the Arctic," Arcee huffed, her servos on her hips. "I can't say I've had the best of experiences on that end of the world."

"Likewise," Megatron replied tersely, addressing Ultra Magnus. "If there are Decepticons, it would be best if I made an appearance. They would be more inclined to listen to what their former leader has to say."

"You just want to see who 'the Fallen' is," Rodimus accused, his tone still light as if it was a joke. "And you aren't going alone. We're going to do this buddy-style. So, pick your partner."

Ratchet was immediately protesting before Megatron could even get a word out, having seen his optics settle on Kyra.

"No, not a chance!" He snapped. "After the last stunt she pulled, Kyra is not allowed back into the field!"

She immediately whirled, feeling a bit betrayed. "But sire -"

"No buts," he told her, his words final. She flinched just a little, but immediately simmered down. However, it was clear she was unhappy with his orders. "I am the only one aside from the Fowlers who can administer proper medical care should something happen to you. I will be in the field myself, and will not allow you to take that risk."

"Who's going to man the computers, then, if you're gone?" Rodimus asked.

"Don't worry, the doc's got excellent backup," Wheeljack jerked his thumb toward Rafael, who raised his hand and waved. "Besides, I thought tall and silent was going to stay at the base to keep monitoring for any useful info."

"I can read Cybertronian proficiently and can man the computers from my own," the young man pushed up his glasses, holding up his laptop. "I can also access the Groundbridge as well, since the tech is compatible."

The Prime raised an optic ridge, impressed. "Huh. Neat." He looked at Soundwave. "And that does make sense. I guess Soundwave will stay at base."

"We still need to divide up into teams," Ultra Magnus brought them back on topic. "Megatron, you wish to go to the Arctic. I would prefer if an Autobot accompanied you; someone with experience in the terrain."

Arcee groaned. "Why can't I go someplace tropical for once?" She huffed, but was otherwise not complaining. It was almost comical to have the largest Cybertronian in the room paired with the smallest, however no one said that out loud for fear of inciting Arcee's wrath.

"Bulk and I will take the one in that mountain range," Wheeljack pointed towards the Rockies. "Less human interference in case I need to blow something up."

Slowly everyone took a partner and an energon site: Ratchet would go with Drift, Bulkhead and Wheeljack, Megatron and Arcee, Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen, then Rodimus with Bumblebee. That left someone partnerless.

"Looks like I get curbside duty with Soundwave," Knock Out drawled.

"We still need people out there looking for any sign of Decepticon activity. Your solo presence is perfect," Ultra Magnus countered. "As you could easily fool them into thinking you are searching for 'the Fallen,' whoever it may be."

The medic groaned. "Of course," he grumbled. "I pull the short stick."

"Autobots! Prepare to roll out!" Magnus instructed, indicating Rafael should begin plugging in Groundbridge coordinates. Megatron and Arcee set out first, striding out with alternate modes, as it was unlikely any humans would be on the scene. Each pair quickly left, Knock Out being the last one.

With a slight smirk he transformed and went through the Groundbridge, arriving on an isolated dirt road.

"Your sire is going to kill me when he finds out you snuck along."

Kyra rolled her eyes, looking at the Decepticon symbol in the middle of his steering wheel. "Believe me, he's definitely going to kill me; but it's only if he finds out. Now, where's this energon mine?"

>><<

Knock Out rolled to a stop in front of the entrance, letting Kyra slip out before he transformed. The medic placed his servos on his hips, looking far from impressed.

"Great," he muttered, looking at the pile of rocks which blocked their entrance. "There isn't even a mine to explore." His bright red optics scanned the area, sighing. "It's a shame Breakdown is no longer here. He could have broken through these rocks no-problemo."

"Well, I guess that means this mine isn't going to be used any time soon?" Kyra asked, essentially guessing that their mission was done.

"I suppose so," he put a digit to his audio receptor, but was abruptly interrupted by the shriek of a jet flying overhead. The medic flinched and looked up, his stance slipping into a defensive pose Kyra was surprised he knew. He did not strike her as the combat-ready type. As the jet transformed and revealed its true origins, he quickly swiped up the techno-organic.

"Stay still, half-fleshling," he stuffed her in his chest cavity. "Or we're both dead, and it won't be that Autobot medic who gets his servos on us."

"Knock Out," the jet purred, sounding genuinely surprised. Kyra pressed her ear against his internal armor, noting that the Cybertronian had seemed to miss her presence entirely. "What a surprise. I did not expect you of all mechs to answer the Fallen's calling."

"Starscream," he greeted, sounding overly enthusiastic. "I was actually investigating such a thing. Surely not the Fallen has come to Earth?"

A thud alerted Kyra to Starscream leaping down from the outcropping of rock down to Knock Out's level. She searched for a slit or something to look out, but unsurprisingly his body was airtight. It made sense that his armor was fully clamped down in the traitorous Seeker's presence.

"Indeed," Starscream declared. "Our lord, the first Decepticon, has come to Earth! He promises to annihilate Earth and our enemies, the Autobots, so that his first task of destroying Unicron is fulfilled. Perhaps then he will earn his rightful title of Prime back, and be the true ruler of Cybertron."

"How . . . ambitious," the cherry-red medic was clearly uncomfortable with that idea. "So, how does he plan to destroy an entire planet?"

There was a pause. "Perhaps it would be best if I brought you to him," Starscream suggested. "So you may hear it for yourself, and believe."

The suggestion sent chills down Kyra's spine, but she could not openly protest Knock Out leaving. If he refused, that would sound suspicious; but if he went, what would happen to Kyra?

It was no secret she would be viewed as a freak by almost all Cybertronians. The Autobots she met were, luckily, compassionate individuals, and though Knock Out was disgusted by the idea of human interfacing (with a Cybertronian, even), even he saw it unfair to her to reject her creation. He wasn't just a medic because of his skill, but he did have a shred of empathy.

"I . . . suppose. How will we get there?" He questioned.

Starscream grinned wolfishly. "Skywarp!" He called, another Seeker teleporting into view. "We have another recruit for our lord to sway. Care to escort us to him?"

"My pleasure!" Skywarp chirped, and before Knock Out could protest, he and Kyra were pulled and popped into an unknown location - likely to never be heard from again.