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Gobotron was silent.

Renegades and Guardians roamed the surface of Gobotropolis, navigated its airspace in silence. Few had spoken since the change. Leader-1 left explicit instructions for every Guardian, making it a point to see them individually before departing on the journey to Cybertron. Those that passed one another exchanged uneasy glances, remembering Leader-1's words to them. Blane had pulled aside only a few Renegades, Night Fright, Warpath and Loco, and left them with orders of his own. Order number one: avoid the Guardians. Blane stressed that they would take care of business when he returned, and only when he returned. Until then they were under the rule of his elite trio. They celebrated their augmented abilities for a while, but as the time passed they too fell silent, waiting for Blane's inevitable return.

Tri-Trak of the Guardians' Secret Riders rumbled down the street, a red spot against the landscape. His new body sported three all terrain, rounded treads instead of regular tires, his nameless vehicle mode a cross between a motorbike and armored car. He glided easily over the surface. Tork rolled beside him, now an armored truck sporting an impressive arsenal atop his curved, studded roof. His deep blue metal looked black in the fading light. Twister hovered above them and kept speed. He was silent, too concerned with the task at hand to fully enjoy his new body.

Tri-Trak drifted in his mind, back to that sterile room where Leader-1 lay in pieces after the change, his body ravaged and barely recognizable. His voice so weak.
"I don't understand Leader-1, why didn't you change?" he pulled his gaze away from his broken leader, unable to maintain eye contact.
"Don't... worry, Tri-Track. I need... to be like... this, for now." Leader-1 raised a feeble hand and beckoned him to come closer. Tri-Trak obliged and knelt beside him.
"What are you doing, Leader-1? I know you're planning something, why won't you tell us?"
"Shh..." Leader-1 closed his eyes, sparks crackled across his chest. "We've been lucky... to get... another chance. I need you to trust... me." He opened his eyes and looked at Tri-Trak, his eyes suddenly sharp, focused. "Do you?"
Tri-Trak felt his throat tighten, his eyes stung as he placed a hand over Leader-1's. "Of course I do, I just..."
"I need you, and the Secret Riders to..." he drew Tri-Trak closer and whispered something in his ear, then let go. Tri-Trak looked at him, confused. "That's it? I don't undestand-are you sure?"
Leader-1 nodded. "Need you to understand... I... failed you all once... won't fail you... again."
"Dammit Leader-1, no one blames you for-"
"Please send... Tork."
Tri-Trak hesitated, frustrated, then nodded. "Yes Leader-1."

He came back to himself with a start, the memory of his last encounter with Leader-1 fading. Some of the Guardians boarded the new Command Centers and left with Leader-1 when the time came, the rest remained on Gobotron, every one of them moving with a purpose. They were all told not to tell the others what their instructions had been, to keep any and all communication limited to one or two word exchanges, preferably hand gestures if they could do so. Most importantly, they had all been told to keep their minds as clear as possible. Worry, doubt, fear, had to be pushed aside in favor of the task they were given. Leader-1's words echoed in their minds "Give Unicron nothing, that gives us a chance."
They didn't understand, Tri-Trak certainly didn't understand, but he would do what was asked of him. Because Leader-1 had asked him to do this, and if a Gobot couldn't believe in him, what could they believe in?
He turned a corner, Tork beside him, and drove towards a towering spire that loomed against the night sky. Gobotropolis was covered in these things, they sprouted from the surface like weeds, noticably larger numbers were near the connection points of the ring projected from the small sphere. They looked strange, jutting from the ground only a few feet from actual buildings. Two other Guardians passed him, heading in the opposite direction. They flashed their lights twice in unison and continued. Tri-Track neared the spire and rolled to a halt. Tork kept driving, leaving Tri Trak behind as he rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. Glancing up, he saw Twister shoot off towards another building and circle it. He was joined by Wrong Way, who, for the first time Tri Track could remember, was not going the wrong way. He shook his head and walked towards the spire, raised a closed hand, and tapped the side three times.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Instantly, it came alive with lights that grew from the base and curled up the length of metal. Small grooves carved into the structure lit up, flickered, and then died down to a faint glow. This one sounded hollow. Odd. He noted the difference, tucked it away in his memory, then cleared his head. Tri Trak stared a moment, trying to keep his mind empty but couldn't help but wonder why Leader-1 had asked him to do this. What was to be gained by knocking on these spires? None of the tasks really made any sense, when he tried to think about what everyone else might be doing, it did little more than give him a headache. He peppered his thoughts with ancient Gobotronian speak, running the words backwards through his head until he decided he'd taken long enough. He shifted back to his vehicle form, started his engine, and sped off as the lights faded completely. He was less than a mile from the spire when Tork rejoined him, the light 'whup-whup-whup' of Twister's chopper blades told him the trio was complete again-until the next go-round.

***********

Leader-1 stood in a small empty room. The scar on his chest no longer sparked, but the subsiding pain didn't make him feel any better. He waited, anticipating.
Then it came.
Leader-1 dropped to his knees, hands clasped around his head as the pounding behind his eyes felt like it would split his skull. It was Unicron, boring into his mind- or rather, trying to. Leader-1 tried to fight the searing pain jolting his mind with every thought he tried to form. He arched his back and screamed at the ceiling. He barely recognized the sound, it was so primal, the guttural roar of a frightened but deadly animal. It scared him. He felt his hands grow hot and could smell the wisps of smoke rising from the joints in his body. Unicron said nothing, the pain arcing through Leader-1's body made the Gobot wonder why the demon was torturing him yet again, but then it dawned on him; Unicron was growing frustrated.
It was more than his impatience to have Cybertron, his anger stemmed from his annoyance at the Gobots themselves. The Guardians crawling across Gobotropolis-his new center of being, were acting strange, every one of them moving in a disjointed, yet almost organized pattern. Their thoughts came in short bursts, clouded by words pulled from their nonsensical ancient tongue. And yet their actions meant nothing to him, they were simply...irritating static. True, he could punish them, but for what? It would have been a waste of precious energy to torture the Gobots for technically doing nothing, so instead his anger manifest itself as a painful reminder to Leader-1.
"Why am I still waiting for Cybertron, Leader-1?"
"We..." he gritted his teeth, pushing the words out in short bursts, "...willl...just...need...to be... patient..."
"Speak not to me of patience. When mine runs out, so will the time of your pitiful race."
-----------------

They clustered around the room, listening to Leader-1's side of his conversation with Unicron. Heads bowed, their eyes searched the floor. SmallFoot's mouth turned down, she tried her best to stifle the tears stinging her eyes and failed. Leader-1 had accepted Unicron's terms on their behalf, but in remembering the pain it caused them to hear Unicron speak, he asked the dark being to communicate with him, and only him. He was funneling a message they were all supposed to hear as well as the pain. They could tell from his screams, it was excruciating. Because it was meant for all of them. And yet he never complained, content to accept the burden. Whe she couldn't take anymore she broke away and retreated to the bridge. Turbo motioned for Scooter to go with her and he obliged.

-------------------

Leader-1 lay on the floor, curled into a fetal position, eyes wide and blank. He stared at his hand, watching the pinky twitch as he thought about what had happened on Cybertron. The sickness clenched his inner circuits, made him want to vomit. That hand. He'd shot Optimus Prime in the back with that hand. Optimus, whose voice swelled with compassion when he heard about the Gobots' plight. It made what he had to do so much harder...
A jolt of pain ripped through his system, he curled tighter, relaxed as it passed. He sighed.
"I... deserve... this." He managed a feeble whisper.
He had lied to Prime, feigned ignorance of Cybertron and their people, pretended to be surprised by Prime's explanation of the Matrix and what it was. He already knew, just like he and Blane knew about all the Autobots and Decepticons. Unicron had seen to that, loading the two leaders' minds with names and faces. How else could they have known who to send where? How else would they have been prepared to deal with the likes of Fort Max?

He waited for the worst of the pains to subside, then forced himself slowly to his feet, ignoring the sharp pangs of soreness racing through him. He straightened up as best he could, eyes closed in an attempt to steady himself. His head swam as he reached for the door and slowly pulled it open. Turbo stood before him.
"Hey, you alright?"
Leader-1 was quiet a moment, then, "Yeah, fine."
Turbo stared at him, worry permeating his expression. He couldn't tell what Leader-1 was thinking anymore, the bot hadn't been the same since Unicron decimated their armada. True, they were all different now, just look at Scooter and SmallFoot, but still... "I..." Turbo stumbled with the words, he wasn't good at pep talks, he was used to getting them... and he didn't even know if pep was what Leader-1 needed right now. "Leader-1, ya know we're all behind ya in this, right?"
Leader-1 felt his eyes heavy on him and sighed. "I just can't help but think that maybe... maybe there was some other way. What if I'm wrong, about everything?"
"Hey," Turbo swatted Leader-1's shoulder, "If there was another way, I know you woulda thought of it! We're in this with ya, to the end." he hesitated, "And I ain't just sayin' that. You've got a whole buncha Guardians sayin' the same thing."
Leader-1 tried his best to smile, but it faltered. Instead he nodded. "I appreciate it Turbo, you have no idea how much."
"Just keep doin' what you're doin'. We don't want to lose you. Not to Unicron, not to Prime... and not to yourself."
He gave Leader-1 another swat on the shoulder and pointed towards the bridge.
"Now what say we tell the Renegades to beat it? Scoot says they haven't heard nothing from em since we split from Gobotron, and they ain't answerin' anyone's hails."
"We do need them off Earth," Leader-1 felt the strength in his legs returning, the sickness pulling away. Good. He had be peak efficiency when dealing with Blane. "They should have done enough damage to the Decepticons by now, it's time for phase two."

***********

AJ and Nick sat on the edge of their bed, early rays of the morning sun shone through the drapes and checkered the floor. AJ looked down and adjusted her wedding band. She always did when she was thinking, unaware that Nick noticed her doing it more and more over the last few weeks.
"I don't understand, what's a Transformer? How is it we've never heard about them until now?"
"The same reason they've never heard of the Gobots, or us I guess. Matt said it's like a split personality, one can exist for years without knowing the other one's there."
"But how could we not know about the world being in danger?"
Nick sighed, "I think we knew, just, we probably assumed it was the Renegades. I mean, isn't that who it usually turned out to be?"
Nick shook is head. "Matt's told me some wild stuff. Remember the ripples of displaced time rifts that appeared a few years ago?" AJ nodded.
"Wasn't caused by the Renegades. It was something else. Same thing for the atmospheric disruptions in 99. The Guardians were away on a mission, and someone had to have solved the problem."
AJ sighed and pulled a braid of hair from her face.
"I don't understand how they could never have run into each other, or didn't know about each other until now.
"They've never had a reason to, they've never looked for each other. They both disguised themselves as cars, planes, whatever. They've probably passed each other dozens, probably hundred of times and never known it."
"So, what's changed?"
"Something-or someone named Unicron. The Transformers encountered him years ago and managed to beat him before he devoured their world. But he came back, and when he did, he took over Gobotron. Now, to get him to leave their planet, they have to give him Cybertron."
A.J was aghast, "What?! There's no way Leader-1 would go along with that!"
Nick shook his head. "It seems like he has, but from the sounds of it, things are a little more... complicated than they seem. He's asking for our help A.J, we have to help him, help the Guardians."
"No!" she stared at him as if he'd sprouted horns, "Since when is it okay to sacrifice others for your own sake?!"
Nick sighed, "A.J, if some madman kidnapped you and I didn't know how to get you back..." his eyes met hers, his face stern, "I'd do things I wouldn't be proud of. So help me A.J, I'd do it and try to live with the guilt."
"That doesn't justify it at all! Besides... Leader-1 would have found another way..."
"Maybe he did, I don't know... Matt doesn't know. AJ, things are really bad now. He said he needs us, said they need us. How many times have they saved not just us A.J, but the world? We owe it them, we have to go."
"They need us?!" A.J's hazel eyes flashed with anger, They left, and then Matt, that self righteous creep, kicked us out of UNECOM!" She looked at her hands, turning them over and examining the palm. "After we outranked their top guys..." she grimaced, "After they peeled off our skin and..."
"That's why he needs us. No one else can help like we can." He reached for her and pulled her close. "I love you more than anything. But... if you don't want to do this," he paused, placed a hand to her chin and turned her face to his. He kissed her deeply, "then neither do I. I'll call Matt right now and tell him to stick it."
A.J drew back suddenly, stood and walked around the bed towards the door. Nick couldn't help but admire her figure as she leaned against the doorframe, head bowed, arms crossed, braided hair falling against her face. She brushed it aside absently, then let it fall back. She was lost in her own head, thinking about the times the Guardians had been there to help them, rescue them and save the Earth. How could she say no? But then again, hadn't they just left without so much as a goodbye? And what about the life she was hoping to build with Nick? Four wonderful years they'd had together UNECOM free. They'd bought a house, a quaint little home where they could settle down, live life, start a family. The doctors said if they just kept trying, eventually they could-
Something warm touched her cheek.
Her eyes snapped open and she saw Nick standing before her. He was wiping a tear from her cheek. She looked at him. He would do it. If she told him no, he really would call Matt and tell the old badger to shove it. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Call Matt."

**********

Jazz cast an angry eye at the communicator in his hand labeled Earth Base II and thrust it at Blaster with his good arm.
"Here, YOU talk to him, I give up."
Blaster transformed and looked at the comm like Jazz just tossed a mini sharkticon at him, but took hold and tapped the speak button, unlocking a string of words from Blurr that had apparently not stopped since Jazz put him on hold.
"-we'reunderattack here onEarthMAYDAYMAYDAYMAYDAY!"
"Okay, calm down Blurr and- ok, ok they're- wait- they're what?!"
Blaster looked about the room, eyes growing wide as his processors dissected what sounded like a single multi-syllable word pouring from Blurr into sentences. The Throttlebots arrived, following Topspin and Twintwist through the hole in the wall serving as their door. They looked on silently while Perceptor, Roadbuster and Whirl crowded nearer, all sharing the same mask of confusion. Jazz turned to Blaster, his expression visible despite the visor covering his eyes.
"There's been an attack on Earth. Different guys but..." he hesitated, then, "Says they may have lost Defensor, doesn't know how many others..." The distress call ended with a 'click', Blaster looked at the communicator, wondering if things on Earth had been as bad as they were on Cybertron.
Fastlane, who had been leaning against the wall and listening, looked the most shaken of the Transformers present. He barely raised his head and asked "What... what are we going to do?"
"We go after them."
All heads turned to the doorway that framed Optimus Prime and Elita-1. There was a hardness in his voice that made Jazz flinch. Prime turned to Blaster, "How many Autobots can you reach?"
"Don't know, most of our communication towers were pretty banged up, and with the suddenness of the attack, we're scattered. Anyone not here's going to be using the emergency frequencies, but I'll try 'em all if I have to."
Prime considered the situation for a moment, then, "I want you to send word to Shockwave, he's to protect Cybertron while we're gone. We are officially on high alert. Nothing gets in, and no one leaves unless myself or Shockwave knows about it."

"Ah'm... goin' with you." They all turned and saw Ironhide shakily getting to his feet, a hand pressed against the wall to keep himself up.
"No Ironhide, you're too damaged."
"I owe that rasberry skidmark of a robot, Prime." His good eye flared, surprisingly vibrant in the gloom, "And I intend to pay 'im back in full."
Prime regarded Ironhide, debating.
"Count me in too Prime." Inferno had propped himself up on an elbow, the hint of a smile on his lips. "It's gonna take more than they've got to keep me down." His sentiments were echoed by more Transformers in the room, they sat up and got to their feet, every one of them struggling to stand tall and show Optimus their dedication. This war was only beginning, and they intended to see it through to the end.
Prime looked around at his troops. They were bruised, battered, but they were the farthest thing from defeated. He nodded approvingly. "Fine. Perceptor, you're coming as well. Anyone who still requires repairs can have it done on the shuttle. Roadbuster, you and Whirl get the nearest shuttle ready for launch."
"Yes sir!"
"That won't be necessary Optimus." Skylynx's voice crackled through one of Blaster's speakers. "I'm already fueling up, twenty minutes and I'm ready to go."
Prime crossed his arms, "Blaster, after you contact Shockwave, send out a looping message to Autobots across all the frequency bands. Anyone who reports Skylynx in ten minutes comes with us."
"Can do!" Blaster transformed and lit up the channels, broadcasting Prime's messages as Perceptor made his way over to their commander.
"Optimus, what about the Guardians?"
"These simultaneous attacks aren't a coincidence. If this conflict has spilled over to Earth, I guarantee the Guardians will be there as well." He turned towards the door, the Autobots rising and falling into step behind him. "And I intend to greet them when they arrive."

**********

"You want me to do what?!" Blane yelled to seemingly no one on the battlefield. In truth he was receiving a transmission from Leader-1, but in the midst of a battle, the order was none too welcome. Blane replied silently through his link-up.
{No way I leave Earth Leader-1, you can suck my exhaust hose-}
{We follow the plan Blane! Remember who's calling the shots here.}
{It sure as spit ain't you, ex-hero.} Blane growled, but started making provisions to comply with the request.
{We need the second part of this to happen now if this is going to work.} Leader-1's voice carried a sharp edge, {Cybertron's no doubt on full alert and making preparations to fight Guardians, not Renegades. You want to assert your dominance, that's fine, but do it on Cybertron, the Decepticons there have to be neutralized.}
"Yeah, whatever," Blane laughed out loud, Galvatron's helmet clasped firmly in his hands, "Who needs Cybertron, I got the ‘con I want right here." He glared at Galvatron.
"Congratulations, you've officially bored me. Heads up, and off." He began to channel energy into his fingers, intent on unleashing it in a single burst into Galvatron's dome when he heard-
"If you not drop him, me take YOUR head off."
Blane's audio registered the sound of something a lot deeper in pitch and a lot more commanding than Cyclonus or any of the Sweeps in Galvatron's little armada. His eyes dropped to Galvatron, whose teeth were clenched in a shaking grimace as he tried fruitlessly to remove Blane's hands from his head. The sound of heavy footfalls came from behind, and as Blane's head swiveled around his eyes caught sight of the first Autobot he registered as a potential threat since arriving on this crusted dustball of a planet.

Grimlock stood behind the foreign robot that held Galvatron in his grasp. He didn't recognize him, nor any of the other robots running around with that strange 'R' symbol plastered over their bodies. And he didn't care. Right now Grimlock knew two things. One; Galvatron, at this point in time according to Prime, was NOT the enemy, ergo- friend. And two; Prime had specifically asked Grimlock to keep the peace on Earth- no matter the cost. Losing Galvatron meant losing the peace.
"Me not ask twice." With a single motion his sword was drawn and powered, sending ragged waves of crimson energy surging through his weapon of choice. He drew it back and glared with disdain at the robot who dared turn a mad smile on him. Blane couldn’t resist, even though he already knew the answer.
"And you are?"
"Grimlock."
He said the name, then swung his weapon.

**********

Blane had never been swung at without warning, his years fighting the Guardians both on Gobotron and Earth had come with long drawn out speeches before battle, and even in the most daring attack there had never been such a level of ferocity with which this attack was leveled. Had he still been Cy-Kill, he'd be dead.
Good thing he wasn't.
Blane's head dropped down a split second before Grimlock's blade made contact with it's intended target. It whizzed over him with a whoosh. The disruption in focus caused the power collecting in his right hand to ignite, exploding against Galvatron's head in a brilliant explosion. Galvatron's vision went white with pain as his metal absorbed the heat, he pitched backwards and fell as Grimlock advanced.
"Whoa!" Blane yelled, and barely got the word out before Grimlock swung again, this time driving the weapon in a downward arc, missing Blane's shoulder by inches.
"SONUVA-!" Blane half yelled, half growled as Grimlock prepared his next strike. "You did NOT just try to-"
Grimlock's sword buried itself in Blane's midsection, biting angrily into the Renegade's metal. Blane's sentence twisted into and wild snarl as he, raised his left hand, unloading the second batch of collected energy. The shot went wild, missing Grimlock and careening into the near distance. The explosion stormed yellow lights behind his hulking form, and as Blane stood his full height he realized he still had to stare up to meet the eyes of the Dinobot commander. For a moment they just stared, Blane's fist curled and glowed yellow.
"You want a piece of me, Dinodolt?!"
Grimlock leaned back as a brilliant, purple blast of plasma slammed into Blane's chest, lifting him off the ground with a scream and sending him hurtling backwards. Galvatron rested in cannon mode, shuddering, a wad of smoke billowing from his barrel.

Blane careened through the air and felt himself suddenly halt. His chest was marred by a wide, rounded and blackened wound that still crackled with purple lines of energy. He sneered and glanced back, the renegade mutant Bladez hovered behind him in flight mode, purple and black, a circular craft similar to Pathfinder. A ring of extended spikes poked along the edges, smaller pockets of guns resting above them. Two of these were active and glowing green. Blane's eyes glanced up and saw Vamp lying atop the craft, like Bladez was an oversized beach towel.
"Low level magnetic manipulation." She ran her thin claws across Bladez's side, "A pleasure to assist you Blane." Bladez lowered himself, allowing Blane's feet to touch the ground. The sneer hadn't left his lips. "Whatever. Now pull off, we're out of here."
"Certainly Blane, I-" Vamp's words froze when she stole a glance in the direction Blane came from. Grimlock stood beside Galvatron, sword drawn, a look of murder blaring in his optics when he caught her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, eyes growing large as she pulled herself to her knees and leaned forward.
"Oh myyyy..."
Grimlock was making his way towards them, his intent clear.
"Yesss." Vamp purred, a smile working its way across her face, head beginning to tilt, "Do come... you could please me greatly."
Bladez growled, his voice thick, "I'll rip his head off, for you Vamp, then-"
"NO!" she stabbed a finger into him, "You won't touch him. That, my little Bladez, is no mere machine. That... is perfection."
Tux approached Blane's side, the long metal side-flaps of his longcoat lifting to reveal twin sonic cannons. He leveled them towards Grimlock and Galvatron.
"Give the word,” his voice was flat, devoid of expression, “…and I will."
"No." Blane's head raced, "we're past due to be off this mudball. Plenty of time to play later."
With that he took to the air, opening a link to the remaining Renegades. "Renegades! Back it up."
They responded at once, Thruster pulled free of Metroplex and changed modes, her onboard weaponry firing continuously as she did so. Metroplex managed to raise his arms in time to block the shots, they struck his siding and exploded. Monstrous clasped both claws around Abominus' hands and pried them off his neck. His mouth opened wide and sprayed an expanding column of flame that would have struck the Terrorcon gestalt in the face had he not pulled back. Monstrous separated, each member assuming their craft mode and blasting off towards Thruster. Vamp was visibly disappointed, Bladez was silent as he rose, anger and jealousy radiating from his being. He caught sight of Pincher and Scorp carrying Crasher and Cop-Tor, Bugsie towed an unconscious Screwhead and Psycho behind him.
Blane dropped his gaze back to Grimlock.
"As for you..."

The ground behind Grimlock quaked with a violent thunder that sounded more like a roar than anything produced by nature. The earth splitting beneath his feet confirmed it as an orange metal beast tore free of its subterranean hiding place. Scales, the Renegade beast of torture pulled its massive saurian body from below with a mechanical snarl and immediately set its eyes upon Grimlock. Grimlock's glare followed Blane as he ascended to the Renegade Thruster. In a single motion the Dinobot commander drew his sword, bathed in a dull crimson glow and he spun in a wide arc, burying the shimmering blade in Scale's extended throat. The beast's head jerked back violently, the wound sprayed a thick yellow fluid and it roared. Its head lashed out again and clamped its jaws on Grimlock's leg, jerking him off his feet. It opened its mouth and clamped down with a fierce resolve. Grimlock growled himself when he heard a thunderous collision. Scales screamed in pain and jerked forward. The lower half of its front leg raced away from the main body, seemingly of its own accord until it turned and revealed Slag, his horns buried deep in the appendage. He shook his head and sent the limb flying. Grimlock swung his sword, burying it to the hilt in Scale's eye. A piercing shriek escaped the monster, it dropped Grimlock and reared up on its hind legs. Another collision sounded, one of its rear legs twisted on a horrible angle and snapped in two. A flash of gold revealed Snarl, his spiked tail still raised from the followthrough. He backed up as Scales began to fall towards him when Swoop cut through the air, releasing a barrage of missiles that exploded against Scale's back and sent him crashing in the opposite direction. The ground shook as Sludge lumbered towards the beast, rearing up on his back legs and lunging, allowing his bulk to smash down across Scale's back. The Renegade monster howled, but still thrashed about wildly, arching its head back and attempting to lock its jaws around Sludge's neck. It's claws dug into the ground when it caught sight of Grimlock changing his own form, a massive T-Rex that roared a savage cry before racing forward. Grimlock's jaws wend wide and he collided with the side of Scales' neck, teeth digging into its metal and pushing through to his inner mechanisms. He clamped down and pulled back, coming away with a mouthful of alien metal and oil. Scales shuttered, head lolling to the side as its eyes clouded with internal smoke. Grimlock heard a familiar roar, and stepped back instinctively as Slag charged forward, smashing into Scale's head. The force drove Slag past the creature's shoulders and halfway into its chest before stopping. Fiery red fuel splashed across Slag and spattered his comrades, black steam plumed from what remained of Scale's body. Grimlock thundered a triumphant roar as he and the Dinobots resumed their robot modes. He looked up, hoping to see Blane's face after the display, but the Renegades were gone. Just like that.

Springer dropped from the sky, transforming as he landed beside Grimlock. His hands still shook slightly, racked with pain from his encounter with Cop-Tor, but he managed a smile.
"Never thought I'd be so glad to see you, you big lug."
Grimlock tilted his head down towards the green autobot. His response carried no humor.
"Where Magnus?"

***********************************

Ultra Magnus' eyes switched on suddenly. He sat upright and sprang to his feet, fists clenched, slightly hunched to avoid any stray energy blast that might be-
Wait, he could move? He put a hand to his forehead and tried to clear his thoughts. He remembered now, the fight, the black ship, something biting his neck... He wasn't aware that his hand had slipped down to his throat until he felt the puncture marks. He brought his hand away, observing his fingers. They were dirty, but had no trace of the strange liquid that had crystallized and immobilized him. He scanned the ground, noticing a few faint dark spots on the ground, little else. He shook his head and felt his body's aches, they were minor. His eyes looked over the arm Psycho had used as his personal chew toy. Okay, maybe not so fine, but he was functional. He looked around and saw Metroplex-only Metroplex.
"They left?" he muttered, eyes traveling across the scorched battlefield until they found Galvatron. The Decepticon commander looked worse for wear, but he was moving, and Magnus was amazed to find himself thankful for his continued existence.

Scourge landed and raced towards his leader as the Sweeps placed hands on Galvatron's shoulders, attempting to steady him. He threw them off with an angry grunt, trying to ignore the sparks fizzing from his joints. He wanted to collapse, held up only by his pride. He could see Cyclonus descending, trails of smoke drifting from large dents across his jet body. His transformation sounded painful as he landed, barely able to stand on his own.
"What..." he breathed, "Is going on?!"
Ultra Magnus' voice came from behind "We, just got caught with our pants down." They turned and saw him, fingers caked with dirt from the long climb out of the chasm, grime clogging the corners of his armor. He limped towards them with a sour expression. And I don't aim for it to happen again. Galvatron, we need to-"
Grimlock was in his face, glowering down at him. "Magnus need to explain what just happen! What you do in Metroplex all day, chase own trailer?!"
Magnus' lips curled back slightly, Grimlock had been like this ever since Prime ordered him to enforce the peace between the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth. He'd show up unannounced, cast a few verbal barbs at Magnus, and leave. Primus help him, he swore the Dinobot was trying to goad him into a fight.
"Now isn't the time Grimlock." Magnus' voice was low and even, "If you want to question how I handle Metroplex and Autobot City II then we'll discuss it later-"
"Now is perfect time!" Grimlock boomed, eyes flashing, he pointed his sword towards the burning remains of Scales, Magnus hadn't noticed until he followed the tip of Grimlock's blade. "Thanks to you, almost was no later!"
"We were taken by surprise, they used one of our own ships to-"
"Catch by surprise! How Magnus NOT know attack coming?!"
Magnus' fists clamped shut and shook "I had friends on that shuttle dammit, you think I WANTED this to happen?!"
"Could have fooled me."
"Last I heard that wasn't a very hard thing to do."
Grimlock growled and made for Magnus, who moved to meet him in kind, but found something green blocking his way. He looked down and saw Springer, banged up but functional.
"Magnus, glad to see you're up and running buddy!" he nodded towards Grimlock, "Grimmy said he's been looking for you, and he's found you, so now," he pointed towards something in the distance stumbling towards them. Hot Rod. Arcee hung limp in his arms, "Now we can all see how badly Hot Rod's hurt and get some help for Arcee." Magnus and Grimlock traded glares over Springer's head, then backed away from each other.

Galvatron watched the scene with disinterest. He waved his troops towards their craft.
"That braggart Blane mentioned Cybertron. We're not about to give them the chance to wreak havoc there as well. Cyclonus, get aboard and hail Shockwave, I need to speak with him."
The Decepticons turned as one and walked towards their transport, the Terrorcons joining Galvatron's side. Despite their wounds, they practically vibrated with excitement, energon still rushing through their circuits from their battle. Clearly they wanted another chance to finish what they'd started.
Galvatron glanced back at Magnus and Grimlock. "Get your house in order Autobots. This conflict is far from over."

To be continued...

Description
Gobotron was silent.

Renegades and Guardians roamed the surface of Gobotropolis, navigated its airspace in silence. Few had spoken since the change. Leader-1 left explicit instructions for every Guardian, making it a point to see them individually before departing on the journey to Cybertron. Those that passed one another exchanged uneasy glances, remembering Leader-1's words to them. Blane had pulled aside only a few Renegades, Night Fright, Warpath and Loco, and left them with orders of his own. Order number one: avoid the Guardians. Blane stressed that they would take care of business when he returned, and only when he returned. Until then they were under the rule of his elite trio. They celebrated their augmented abilities for a while, but as the time passed they too fell silent, waiting for Blane's inevitable return.

Tri-Trak of the Guardians' Secret Riders rumbled down the street, a red spot against the landscape. His new body sported three all terrain, rounded treads instead of regular tires, his nameless vehicle mode a cross between a motorbike and armored car. He glided easily over the surface. Tork rolled beside him, now an armored truck sporting an impressive arsenal atop his curved, studded roof. His deep blue metal looked black in the fading light. Twister hovered above them and kept speed. He was silent, too concerned with the task at hand to fully enjoy his new body.

Tri-Trak drifted in his mind, back to that sterile room where Leader-1 lay in pieces after the change, his body ravaged and barely recognizable. His voice so weak.
"I don't understand Leader-1, why didn't you change?" he pulled his gaze away from his broken leader, unable to maintain eye contact.
"Don't... worry, Tri-Track. I need... to be like... this, for now." Leader-1 raised a feeble hand and beckoned him to come closer. Tri-Trak obliged and knelt beside him.
"What are you doing, Leader-1? I know you're planning something, why won't you tell us?"
"Shh..." Leader-1 closed his eyes, sparks crackled across his chest. "We've been lucky... to get... another chance. I need you to trust... me." He opened his eyes and looked at Tri-Trak, his eyes suddenly sharp, focused. "Do you?"
Tri-Trak felt his throat tighten, his eyes stung as he placed a hand over Leader-1's. "Of course I do, I just..."
"I need you, and the Secret Riders to..." he drew Tri-Trak closer and whispered something in his ear, then let go. Tri-Trak looked at him, confused. "That's it? I don't undestand-are you sure?"
Leader-1 nodded. "Need you to understand... I... failed you all once... won't fail you... again."
"Dammit Leader-1, no one blames you for-"
"Please send... Tork."
Tri-Trak hesitated, frustrated, then nodded. "Yes Leader-1."

He came back to himself with a start, the memory of his last encounter with Leader-1 fading. Some of the Guardians boarded the new Command Centers and left with Leader-1 when the time came, the rest remained on Gobotron, every one of them moving with a purpose. They were all told not to tell the others what their instructions had been, to keep any and all communication limited to one or two word exchanges, preferably hand gestures if they could do so. Most importantly, they had all been told to keep their minds as clear as possible. Worry, doubt, fear, had to be pushed aside in favor of the task they were given. Leader-1's words echoed in their minds "Give Unicron nothing, that gives us a chance."
They didn't understand, Tri-Trak certainly didn't understand, but he would do what was asked of him. Because Leader-1 had asked him to do this, and if a Gobot couldn't believe in him, what could they believe in?
He turned a corner, Tork beside him, and drove towards a towering spire that loomed against the night sky. Gobotropolis was covered in these things, they sprouted from the surface like weeds, noticably larger numbers were near the connection points of the ring projected from the small sphere. They looked strange, jutting from the ground only a few feet from actual buildings. Two other Guardians passed him, heading in the opposite direction. They flashed their lights twice in unison and continued. Tri-Track neared the spire and rolled to a halt. Tork kept driving, leaving Tri Trak behind as he rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. Glancing up, he saw Twister shoot off towards another building and circle it. He was joined by Wrong Way, who, for the first time Tri Track could remember, was not going the wrong way. He shook his head and walked towards the spire, raised a closed hand, and tapped the side three times.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Instantly, it came alive with lights that grew from the base and curled up the length of metal. Small grooves carved into the structure lit up, flickered, and then died down to a faint glow. This one sounded hollow. Odd. He noted the difference, tucked it away in his memory, then cleared his head. Tri Trak stared a moment, trying to keep his mind empty but couldn't help but wonder why Leader-1 had asked him to do this. What was to be gained by knocking on these spires? None of the tasks really made any sense, when he tried to think about what everyone else might be doing, it did little more than give him a headache. He peppered his thoughts with ancient Gobotronian speak, running the words backwards through his head until he decided he'd taken long enough. He shifted back to his vehicle form, started his engine, and sped off as the lights faded completely. He was less than a mile from the spire when Tork rejoined him, the light 'whup-whup-whup' of Twister's chopper blades told him the trio was complete again-until the next go-round.

***********

Leader-1 stood in a small empty room. The scar on his chest no longer sparked, but the subsiding pain didn't make him feel any better. He waited, anticipating.
Then it came.
Leader-1 dropped to his knees, hands clasped around his head as the pounding behind his eyes felt like it would split his skull. It was Unicron, boring into his mind- or rather, trying to. Leader-1 tried to fight the searing pain jolting his mind with every thought he tried to form. He arched his back and screamed at the ceiling. He barely recognized the sound, it was so primal, the guttural roar of a frightened but deadly animal. It scared him. He felt his hands grow hot and could smell the wisps of smoke rising from the joints in his body. Unicron said nothing, the pain arcing through Leader-1's body made the Gobot wonder why the demon was torturing him yet again, but then it dawned on him; Unicron was growing frustrated.
It was more than his impatience to have Cybertron, his anger stemmed from his annoyance at the Gobots themselves. The Guardians crawling across Gobotropolis-his new center of being, were acting strange, every one of them moving in a disjointed, yet almost organized pattern. Their thoughts came in short bursts, clouded by words pulled from their nonsensical ancient tongue. And yet their actions meant nothing to him, they were simply...irritating static. True, he could punish them, but for what? It would have been a waste of precious energy to torture the Gobots for technically doing nothing, so instead his anger manifest itself as a painful reminder to Leader-1.
"Why am I still waiting for Cybertron, Leader-1?"
"We..." he gritted his teeth, pushing the words out in short bursts, "...willl...just...need...to be... patient..."
"Speak not to me of patience. When mine runs out, so will the time of your pitiful race."
-----------------

They clustered around the room, listening to Leader-1's side of his conversation with Unicron. Heads bowed, their eyes searched the floor. SmallFoot's mouth turned down, she tried her best to stifle the tears stinging her eyes and failed. Leader-1 had accepted Unicron's terms on their behalf, but in remembering the pain it caused them to hear Unicron speak, he asked the dark being to communicate with him, and only him. He was funneling a message they were all supposed to hear as well as the pain. They could tell from his screams, it was excruciating. Because it was meant for all of them. And yet he never complained, content to accept the burden. Whe she couldn't take anymore she broke away and retreated to the bridge. Turbo motioned for Scooter to go with her and he obliged.

-------------------

Leader-1 lay on the floor, curled into a fetal position, eyes wide and blank. He stared at his hand, watching the pinky twitch as he thought about what had happened on Cybertron. The sickness clenched his inner circuits, made him want to vomit. That hand. He'd shot Optimus Prime in the back with that hand. Optimus, whose voice swelled with compassion when he heard about the Gobots' plight. It made what he had to do so much harder...
A jolt of pain ripped through his system, he curled tighter, relaxed as it passed. He sighed.
"I... deserve... this." He managed a feeble whisper.
He had lied to Prime, feigned ignorance of Cybertron and their people, pretended to be surprised by Prime's explanation of the Matrix and what it was. He already knew, just like he and Blane knew about all the Autobots and Decepticons. Unicron had seen to that, loading the two leaders' minds with names and faces. How else could they have known who to send where? How else would they have been prepared to deal with the likes of Fort Max?

He waited for the worst of the pains to subside, then forced himself slowly to his feet, ignoring the sharp pangs of soreness racing through him. He straightened up as best he could, eyes closed in an attempt to steady himself. His head swam as he reached for the door and slowly pulled it open. Turbo stood before him.
"Hey, you alright?"
Leader-1 was quiet a moment, then, "Yeah, fine."
Turbo stared at him, worry permeating his expression. He couldn't tell what Leader-1 was thinking anymore, the bot hadn't been the same since Unicron decimated their armada. True, they were all different now, just look at Scooter and SmallFoot, but still... "I..." Turbo stumbled with the words, he wasn't good at pep talks, he was used to getting them... and he didn't even know if pep was what Leader-1 needed right now. "Leader-1, ya know we're all behind ya in this, right?"
Leader-1 felt his eyes heavy on him and sighed. "I just can't help but think that maybe... maybe there was some other way. What if I'm wrong, about everything?"
"Hey," Turbo swatted Leader-1's shoulder, "If there was another way, I know you woulda thought of it! We're in this with ya, to the end." he hesitated, "And I ain't just sayin' that. You've got a whole buncha Guardians sayin' the same thing."
Leader-1 tried his best to smile, but it faltered. Instead he nodded. "I appreciate it Turbo, you have no idea how much."
"Just keep doin' what you're doin'. We don't want to lose you. Not to Unicron, not to Prime... and not to yourself."
He gave Leader-1 another swat on the shoulder and pointed towards the bridge.
"Now what say we tell the Renegades to beat it? Scoot says they haven't heard nothing from em since we split from Gobotron, and they ain't answerin' anyone's hails."
"We do need them off Earth," Leader-1 felt the strength in his legs returning, the sickness pulling away. Good. He had be peak efficiency when dealing with Blane. "They should have done enough damage to the Decepticons by now, it's time for phase two."

***********

AJ and Nick sat on the edge of their bed, early rays of the morning sun shone through the drapes and checkered the floor. AJ looked down and adjusted her wedding band. She always did when she was thinking, unaware that Nick noticed her doing it more and more over the last few weeks.
"I don't understand, what's a Transformer? How is it we've never heard about them until now?"
"The same reason they've never heard of the Gobots, or us I guess. Matt said it's like a split personality, one can exist for years without knowing the other one's there."
"But how could we not know about the world being in danger?"
Nick sighed, "I think we knew, just, we probably assumed it was the Renegades. I mean, isn't that who it usually turned out to be?"
Nick shook is head. "Matt's told me some wild stuff. Remember the ripples of displaced time rifts that appeared a few years ago?" AJ nodded.
"Wasn't caused by the Renegades. It was something else. Same thing for the atmospheric disruptions in 99. The Guardians were away on a mission, and someone had to have solved the problem."
AJ sighed and pulled a braid of hair from her face.
"I don't understand how they could never have run into each other, or didn't know about each other until now.
"They've never had a reason to, they've never looked for each other. They both disguised themselves as cars, planes, whatever. They've probably passed each other dozens, probably hundred of times and never known it."
"So, what's changed?"
"Something-or someone named Unicron. The Transformers encountered him years ago and managed to beat him before he devoured their world. But he came back, and when he did, he took over Gobotron. Now, to get him to leave their planet, they have to give him Cybertron."
A.J was aghast, "What?! There's no way Leader-1 would go along with that!"
Nick shook his head. "It seems like he has, but from the sounds of it, things are a little more... complicated than they seem. He's asking for our help A.J, we have to help him, help the Guardians."
"No!" she stared at him as if he'd sprouted horns, "Since when is it okay to sacrifice others for your own sake?!"
Nick sighed, "A.J, if some madman kidnapped you and I didn't know how to get you back..." his eyes met hers, his face stern, "I'd do things I wouldn't be proud of. So help me A.J, I'd do it and try to live with the guilt."
"That doesn't justify it at all! Besides... Leader-1 would have found another way..."
"Maybe he did, I don't know... Matt doesn't know. AJ, things are really bad now. He said he needs us, said they need us. How many times have they saved not just us A.J, but the world? We owe it them, we have to go."
"They need us?!" A.J's hazel eyes flashed with anger, They left, and then Matt, that self righteous creep, kicked us out of UNECOM!" She looked at her hands, turning them over and examining the palm. "After we outranked their top guys..." she grimaced, "After they peeled off our skin and..."
"That's why he needs us. No one else can help like we can." He reached for her and pulled her close. "I love you more than anything. But... if you don't want to do this," he paused, placed a hand to her chin and turned her face to his. He kissed her deeply, "then neither do I. I'll call Matt right now and tell him to stick it."
A.J drew back suddenly, stood and walked around the bed towards the door. Nick couldn't help but admire her figure as she leaned against the doorframe, head bowed, arms crossed, braided hair falling against her face. She brushed it aside absently, then let it fall back. She was lost in her own head, thinking about the times the Guardians had been there to help them, rescue them and save the Earth. How could she say no? But then again, hadn't they just left without so much as a goodbye? And what about the life she was hoping to build with Nick? Four wonderful years they'd had together UNECOM free. They'd bought a house, a quaint little home where they could settle down, live life, start a family. The doctors said if they just kept trying, eventually they could-
Something warm touched her cheek.
Her eyes snapped open and she saw Nick standing before her. He was wiping a tear from her cheek. She looked at him. He would do it. If she told him no, he really would call Matt and tell the old badger to shove it. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Call Matt."

**********

Jazz cast an angry eye at the communicator in his hand labeled Earth Base II and thrust it at Blaster with his good arm.
"Here, YOU talk to him, I give up."
Blaster transformed and looked at the comm like Jazz just tossed a mini sharkticon at him, but took hold and tapped the speak button, unlocking a string of words from Blurr that had apparently not stopped since Jazz put him on hold.
"-we'reunderattack here onEarthMAYDAYMAYDAYMAYDAY!"
"Okay, calm down Blurr and- ok, ok they're- wait- they're what?!"
Blaster looked about the room, eyes growing wide as his processors dissected what sounded like a single multi-syllable word pouring from Blurr into sentences. The Throttlebots arrived, following Topspin and Twintwist through the hole in the wall serving as their door. They looked on silently while Perceptor, Roadbuster and Whirl crowded nearer, all sharing the same mask of confusion. Jazz turned to Blaster, his expression visible despite the visor covering his eyes.
"There's been an attack on Earth. Different guys but..." he hesitated, then, "Says they may have lost Defensor, doesn't know how many others..." The distress call ended with a 'click', Blaster looked at the communicator, wondering if things on Earth had been as bad as they were on Cybertron.
Fastlane, who had been leaning against the wall and listening, looked the most shaken of the Transformers present. He barely raised his head and asked "What... what are we going to do?"
"We go after them."
All heads turned to the doorway that framed Optimus Prime and Elita-1. There was a hardness in his voice that made Jazz flinch. Prime turned to Blaster, "How many Autobots can you reach?"
"Don't know, most of our communication towers were pretty banged up, and with the suddenness of the attack, we're scattered. Anyone not here's going to be using the emergency frequencies, but I'll try 'em all if I have to."
Prime considered the situation for a moment, then, "I want you to send word to Shockwave, he's to protect Cybertron while we're gone. We are officially on high alert. Nothing gets in, and no one leaves unless myself or Shockwave knows about it."

"Ah'm... goin' with you." They all turned and saw Ironhide shakily getting to his feet, a hand pressed against the wall to keep himself up.
"No Ironhide, you're too damaged."
"I owe that rasberry skidmark of a robot, Prime." His good eye flared, surprisingly vibrant in the gloom, "And I intend to pay 'im back in full."
Prime regarded Ironhide, debating.
"Count me in too Prime." Inferno had propped himself up on an elbow, the hint of a smile on his lips. "It's gonna take more than they've got to keep me down." His sentiments were echoed by more Transformers in the room, they sat up and got to their feet, every one of them struggling to stand tall and show Optimus their dedication. This war was only beginning, and they intended to see it through to the end.
Prime looked around at his troops. They were bruised, battered, but they were the farthest thing from defeated. He nodded approvingly. "Fine. Perceptor, you're coming as well. Anyone who still requires repairs can have it done on the shuttle. Roadbuster, you and Whirl get the nearest shuttle ready for launch."
"Yes sir!"
"That won't be necessary Optimus." Skylynx's voice crackled through one of Blaster's speakers. "I'm already fueling up, twenty minutes and I'm ready to go."
Prime crossed his arms, "Blaster, after you contact Shockwave, send out a looping message to Autobots across all the frequency bands. Anyone who reports Skylynx in ten minutes comes with us."
"Can do!" Blaster transformed and lit up the channels, broadcasting Prime's messages as Perceptor made his way over to their commander.
"Optimus, what about the Guardians?"
"These simultaneous attacks aren't a coincidence. If this conflict has spilled over to Earth, I guarantee the Guardians will be there as well." He turned towards the door, the Autobots rising and falling into step behind him. "And I intend to greet them when they arrive."

**********

"You want me to do what?!" Blane yelled to seemingly no one on the battlefield. In truth he was receiving a transmission from Leader-1, but in the midst of a battle, the order was none too welcome. Blane replied silently through his link-up.
{No way I leave Earth Leader-1, you can suck my exhaust hose-}
{We follow the plan Blane! Remember who's calling the shots here.}
{It sure as spit ain't you, ex-hero.} Blane growled, but started making provisions to comply with the request.
{We need the second part of this to happen now if this is going to work.} Leader-1's voice carried a sharp edge, {Cybertron's no doubt on full alert and making preparations to fight Guardians, not Renegades. You want to assert your dominance, that's fine, but do it on Cybertron, the Decepticons there have to be neutralized.}
"Yeah, whatever," Blane laughed out loud, Galvatron's helmet clasped firmly in his hands, "Who needs Cybertron, I got the ‘con I want right here." He glared at Galvatron.
"Congratulations, you've officially bored me. Heads up, and off." He began to channel energy into his fingers, intent on unleashing it in a single burst into Galvatron's dome when he heard-
"If you not drop him, me take YOUR head off."
Blane's audio registered the sound of something a lot deeper in pitch and a lot more commanding than Cyclonus or any of the Sweeps in Galvatron's little armada. His eyes dropped to Galvatron, whose teeth were clenched in a shaking grimace as he tried fruitlessly to remove Blane's hands from his head. The sound of heavy footfalls came from behind, and as Blane's head swiveled around his eyes caught sight of the first Autobot he registered as a potential threat since arriving on this crusted dustball of a planet.

Grimlock stood behind the foreign robot that held Galvatron in his grasp. He didn't recognize him, nor any of the other robots running around with that strange 'R' symbol plastered over their bodies. And he didn't care. Right now Grimlock knew two things. One; Galvatron, at this point in time according to Prime, was NOT the enemy, ergo- friend. And two; Prime had specifically asked Grimlock to keep the peace on Earth- no matter the cost. Losing Galvatron meant losing the peace.
"Me not ask twice." With a single motion his sword was drawn and powered, sending ragged waves of crimson energy surging through his weapon of choice. He drew it back and glared with disdain at the robot who dared turn a mad smile on him. Blane couldn’t resist, even though he already knew the answer.
"And you are?"
"Grimlock."
He said the name, then swung his weapon.

**********

Blane had never been swung at without warning, his years fighting the Guardians both on Gobotron and Earth had come with long drawn out speeches before battle, and even in the most daring attack there had never been such a level of ferocity with which this attack was leveled. Had he still been Cy-Kill, he'd be dead.
Good thing he wasn't.
Blane's head dropped down a split second before Grimlock's blade made contact with it's intended target. It whizzed over him with a whoosh. The disruption in focus caused the power collecting in his right hand to ignite, exploding against Galvatron's head in a brilliant explosion. Galvatron's vision went white with pain as his metal absorbed the heat, he pitched backwards and fell as Grimlock advanced.
"Whoa!" Blane yelled, and barely got the word out before Grimlock swung again, this time driving the weapon in a downward arc, missing Blane's shoulder by inches.
"SONUVA-!" Blane half yelled, half growled as Grimlock prepared his next strike. "You did NOT just try to-"
Grimlock's sword buried itself in Blane's midsection, biting angrily into the Renegade's metal. Blane's sentence twisted into and wild snarl as he, raised his left hand, unloading the second batch of collected energy. The shot went wild, missing Grimlock and careening into the near distance. The explosion stormed yellow lights behind his hulking form, and as Blane stood his full height he realized he still had to stare up to meet the eyes of the Dinobot commander. For a moment they just stared, Blane's fist curled and glowed yellow.
"You want a piece of me, Dinodolt?!"
Grimlock leaned back as a brilliant, purple blast of plasma slammed into Blane's chest, lifting him off the ground with a scream and sending him hurtling backwards. Galvatron rested in cannon mode, shuddering, a wad of smoke billowing from his barrel.

Blane careened through the air and felt himself suddenly halt. His chest was marred by a wide, rounded and blackened wound that still crackled with purple lines of energy. He sneered and glanced back, the renegade mutant Bladez hovered behind him in flight mode, purple and black, a circular craft similar to Pathfinder. A ring of extended spikes poked along the edges, smaller pockets of guns resting above them. Two of these were active and glowing green. Blane's eyes glanced up and saw Vamp lying atop the craft, like Bladez was an oversized beach towel.
"Low level magnetic manipulation." She ran her thin claws across Bladez's side, "A pleasure to assist you Blane." Bladez lowered himself, allowing Blane's feet to touch the ground. The sneer hadn't left his lips. "Whatever. Now pull off, we're out of here."
"Certainly Blane, I-" Vamp's words froze when she stole a glance in the direction Blane came from. Grimlock stood beside Galvatron, sword drawn, a look of murder blaring in his optics when he caught her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, eyes growing large as she pulled herself to her knees and leaned forward.
"Oh myyyy..."
Grimlock was making his way towards them, his intent clear.
"Yesss." Vamp purred, a smile working its way across her face, head beginning to tilt, "Do come... you could please me greatly."
Bladez growled, his voice thick, "I'll rip his head off, for you Vamp, then-"
"NO!" she stabbed a finger into him, "You won't touch him. That, my little Bladez, is no mere machine. That... is perfection."
Tux approached Blane's side, the long metal side-flaps of his longcoat lifting to reveal twin sonic cannons. He leveled them towards Grimlock and Galvatron.
"Give the word,” his voice was flat, devoid of expression, “…and I will."
"No." Blane's head raced, "we're past due to be off this mudball. Plenty of time to play later."
With that he took to the air, opening a link to the remaining Renegades. "Renegades! Back it up."
They responded at once, Thruster pulled free of Metroplex and changed modes, her onboard weaponry firing continuously as she did so. Metroplex managed to raise his arms in time to block the shots, they struck his siding and exploded. Monstrous clasped both claws around Abominus' hands and pried them off his neck. His mouth opened wide and sprayed an expanding column of flame that would have struck the Terrorcon gestalt in the face had he not pulled back. Monstrous separated, each member assuming their craft mode and blasting off towards Thruster. Vamp was visibly disappointed, Bladez was silent as he rose, anger and jealousy radiating from his being. He caught sight of Pincher and Scorp carrying Crasher and Cop-Tor, Bugsie towed an unconscious Screwhead and Psycho behind him.
Blane dropped his gaze back to Grimlock.
"As for you..."

The ground behind Grimlock quaked with a violent thunder that sounded more like a roar than anything produced by nature. The earth splitting beneath his feet confirmed it as an orange metal beast tore free of its subterranean hiding place. Scales, the Renegade beast of torture pulled its massive saurian body from below with a mechanical snarl and immediately set its eyes upon Grimlock. Grimlock's glare followed Blane as he ascended to the Renegade Thruster. In a single motion the Dinobot commander drew his sword, bathed in a dull crimson glow and he spun in a wide arc, burying the shimmering blade in Scale's extended throat. The beast's head jerked back violently, the wound sprayed a thick yellow fluid and it roared. Its head lashed out again and clamped its jaws on Grimlock's leg, jerking him off his feet. It opened its mouth and clamped down with a fierce resolve. Grimlock growled himself when he heard a thunderous collision. Scales screamed in pain and jerked forward. The lower half of its front leg raced away from the main body, seemingly of its own accord until it turned and revealed Slag, his horns buried deep in the appendage. He shook his head and sent the limb flying. Grimlock swung his sword, burying it to the hilt in Scale's eye. A piercing shriek escaped the monster, it dropped Grimlock and reared up on its hind legs. Another collision sounded, one of its rear legs twisted on a horrible angle and snapped in two. A flash of gold revealed Snarl, his spiked tail still raised from the followthrough. He backed up as Scales began to fall towards him when Swoop cut through the air, releasing a barrage of missiles that exploded against Scale's back and sent him crashing in the opposite direction. The ground shook as Sludge lumbered towards the beast, rearing up on his back legs and lunging, allowing his bulk to smash down across Scale's back. The Renegade monster howled, but still thrashed about wildly, arching its head back and attempting to lock its jaws around Sludge's neck. It's claws dug into the ground when it caught sight of Grimlock changing his own form, a massive T-Rex that roared a savage cry before racing forward. Grimlock's jaws wend wide and he collided with the side of Scales' neck, teeth digging into its metal and pushing through to his inner mechanisms. He clamped down and pulled back, coming away with a mouthful of alien metal and oil. Scales shuttered, head lolling to the side as its eyes clouded with internal smoke. Grimlock heard a familiar roar, and stepped back instinctively as Slag charged forward, smashing into Scale's head. The force drove Slag past the creature's shoulders and halfway into its chest before stopping. Fiery red fuel splashed across Slag and spattered his comrades, black steam plumed from what remained of Scale's body. Grimlock thundered a triumphant roar as he and the Dinobots resumed their robot modes. He looked up, hoping to see Blane's face after the display, but the Renegades were gone. Just like that.

Springer dropped from the sky, transforming as he landed beside Grimlock. His hands still shook slightly, racked with pain from his encounter with Cop-Tor, but he managed a smile.
"Never thought I'd be so glad to see you, you big lug."
Grimlock tilted his head down towards the green autobot. His response carried no humor.
"Where Magnus?"

***********************************

Ultra Magnus' eyes switched on suddenly. He sat upright and sprang to his feet, fists clenched, slightly hunched to avoid any stray energy blast that might be-
Wait, he could move? He put a hand to his forehead and tried to clear his thoughts. He remembered now, the fight, the black ship, something biting his neck... He wasn't aware that his hand had slipped down to his throat until he felt the puncture marks. He brought his hand away, observing his fingers. They were dirty, but had no trace of the strange liquid that had crystallized and immobilized him. He scanned the ground, noticing a few faint dark spots on the ground, little else. He shook his head and felt his body's aches, they were minor. His eyes looked over the arm Psycho had used as his personal chew toy. Okay, maybe not so fine, but he was functional. He looked around and saw Metroplex-only Metroplex.
"They left?" he muttered, eyes traveling across the scorched battlefield until they found Galvatron. The Decepticon commander looked worse for wear, but he was moving, and Magnus was amazed to find himself thankful for his continued existence.

Scourge landed and raced towards his leader as the Sweeps placed hands on Galvatron's shoulders, attempting to steady him. He threw them off with an angry grunt, trying to ignore the sparks fizzing from his joints. He wanted to collapse, held up only by his pride. He could see Cyclonus descending, trails of smoke drifting from large dents across his jet body. His transformation sounded painful as he landed, barely able to stand on his own.
"What..." he breathed, "Is going on?!"
Ultra Magnus' voice came from behind "We, just got caught with our pants down." They turned and saw him, fingers caked with dirt from the long climb out of the chasm, grime clogging the corners of his armor. He limped towards them with a sour expression. And I don't aim for it to happen again. Galvatron, we need to-"
Grimlock was in his face, glowering down at him. "Magnus need to explain what just happen! What you do in Metroplex all day, chase own trailer?!"
Magnus' lips curled back slightly, Grimlock had been like this ever since Prime ordered him to enforce the peace between the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth. He'd show up unannounced, cast a few verbal barbs at Magnus, and leave. Primus help him, he swore the Dinobot was trying to goad him into a fight.
"Now isn't the time Grimlock." Magnus' voice was low and even, "If you want to question how I handle Metroplex and Autobot City II then we'll discuss it later-"
"Now is perfect time!" Grimlock boomed, eyes flashing, he pointed his sword towards the burning remains of Scales, Magnus hadn't noticed until he followed the tip of Grimlock's blade. "Thanks to you, almost was no later!"
"We were taken by surprise, they used one of our own ships to-"
"Catch by surprise! How Magnus NOT know attack coming?!"
Magnus' fists clamped shut and shook "I had friends on that shuttle dammit, you think I WANTED this to happen?!"
"Could have fooled me."
"Last I heard that wasn't a very hard thing to do."
Grimlock growled and made for Magnus, who moved to meet him in kind, but found something green blocking his way. He looked down and saw Springer, banged up but functional.
"Magnus, glad to see you're up and running buddy!" he nodded towards Grimlock, "Grimmy said he's been looking for you, and he's found you, so now," he pointed towards something in the distance stumbling towards them. Hot Rod. Arcee hung limp in his arms, "Now we can all see how badly Hot Rod's hurt and get some help for Arcee." Magnus and Grimlock traded glares over Springer's head, then backed away from each other.

Galvatron watched the scene with disinterest. He waved his troops towards their craft.
"That braggart Blane mentioned Cybertron. We're not about to give them the chance to wreak havoc there as well. Cyclonus, get aboard and hail Shockwave, I need to speak with him."
The Decepticons turned as one and walked towards their transport, the Terrorcons joining Galvatron's side. Despite their wounds, they practically vibrated with excitement, energon still rushing through their circuits from their battle. Clearly they wanted another chance to finish what they'd started.
Galvatron glanced back at Magnus and Grimlock. "Get your house in order Autobots. This conflict is far from over."

To be continued...