Chapter Text
December 29th, 5:00 p.m.
In the living room, the Silver Siblings except Ella were in the living room, sitting on the couch or floor, while Sue was in the kitchen, baking. The doorknob jiggled, and then Dave stepped in.
“Hey, fam! Papa Dave is in the house!” He announced.
However, the kids didn’t acknowledge him. They were too busy reading books, sleeping, or staring at the ceiling. At first, Dave thought it was normal, since they were all doing shiva, but now, he was starting to get aggravated, because they’ve been in the same spots for the past two days, not moving except to use the bathroom or go to bed, and he was getting tired of it.
“Come on, guys!” He said, trying to sound encouraging. “Sure, we lost a couple of friends when we took down that Hydra Cannon, but are you really gonna let those deaths affect you for the rest of your lives?”
His children sent him an unamused glare. Drew was the first to speak.
“Just some friends?” Drew asked. “They were more than just friends, Dad! They were family! Optimus is like a father to all his men, and I know that if he were here, he’d feel the same as us about them!”
Dave opened his mouth to say something, but shut it when Leslie spoke up next.
“I lost more than just a partner, Father,” Leslie said, tears threatening to fall. “I lost a lab partner and a second brother! I was looking forward to teaching Wheeljack so many more things, and now I’m never going to get that chance!”
Leslie started crying and buried her face in Drew’s chest. Drew rubbed his sister’s back and tried to shush her to calm her down.
“And out of all of us, Ella’s taking it the hardest,” Mickey chimed in. “She’s only five years old! She’s too young to understand any of this war or dying stuff!”
“Are you done?” Dave asked once Mickey said his peace.
“I could think of some things to say,” Sammy replied. “I’m just not in the mood to say them.”
Dave took a deep breath. “Where’s your mother?” He asked.
“In the kitchen,” Billy explained. “Baking and eating her feelings. It’s the only thing she ever does during shiva.”
“Don’t we usually order out?” Dave questioned.
He then walked into the kitchen as the siblings looked amongst each other.
“So…” Sammy began. “Who wants to go upstairs and check on Ella?”
“Wanna play Noes Goes?” Drew proposed. “Whoever loses has to go and check.”
“Dibs not!” The siblings except Billy shouted, touching their noses.
Billy touched his nose a little too late, meaning he lost.
“Dang it,” He grumbled. “Guess it’s me then.”
He stood up and walked up the stairs.
In the kitchen, Sue was taking a tray of cookies out of the oven when Dave stepped in. The kitchen counter was heaped with food, fried foods on one side and pastries on the other, with food ranging from sufganiyot, latkes, French fries, empanadas, egg rolls, frittatas, fish and chips, chicken strips, hushpuppies, cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and brownies.
“Hey, Sue,” Dave greeted. “Why so blue?”
“Why so blue? I’ll tell you why I’m so blue!” Sue snapped, slamming the tray down on the counter. “My youngest daughter is suffering from PTSD from the loss of her Autobot partner, and we just lost ours, who we just got!”
Dave was taken aback by his wife’s distress as Sue started to cry.
“Please, help yourself!” Sue sobbed.
Dave helped himself to a few cookies and walked out of the kitchen. He felt sad seeing his family acting all depressed and mopey, although understandable given nine Autobots sacrificed themselves for the greater good. Still, he knew he had to do something to cheer them up, but he didn’t know how.
Meanwhile, in outer space, a dark blue and silver ship with teal stripes emerged out of hyperspace, followed by a dark violet one. Both ships were significantly smaller than The Ark and The Nemesis, and they were both locked in a space battle. On board the Autobots’ ship, Hot Rod saw the Decepticons’ ship coming towards them via the viewport.
“Ultra Magnus, The Harbinger is right behind us!” He reported frantically.
Ultra Magnus then turned to the two ex-Stunticons. “Dead End, Wildrider, man the cannons!” He ordered.
“Yes, sir!” Dead End said seriously.
“Aye aye, captain!” Wildrider saluted jokingly.
They both ran to the cannons and aimed at The Harbinger.
On the bridge of The Harbinger, Cyclonus saw the Autobot ship preparing to fire.
“Blitzwing, Astrotrain, Lugnut, get out there and stop The Steelhaven!” He ordered.
“Aye aye, sir!” The three Decepticons shouted.
“As for the rest of you, keep the ship steady,” Cyclonus told the other Decepticons.
“Right!” They acknowledged.
Outside The Harbinger, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, and Lugnut flew towards The Steelhaven in their flight modes. Springer saw them come up through the viewport.
“Blitzwing, Astrotrain, and Lugnut are right on our tail!” He told Ultra Magnus frantically.
“I can’t deal with that right now!” Ultra Magnus said dismissively.
“Just say the word, Magnus, and we’ll smoke them,” Dead End said as he and Wildrider prepared to fire again.
“Yeah! Smoke ‘em!” Wildrider repeated eagerly.
“Ultra Magnus, we are currently coming up on the planet Earth,” Perceptor informed the acting Autobot Commander.
“Dead End, Wildrider, hold your fire!” Ultra Magnus ordered.
“Come again?” Wildrider asked, not believing what he was hearing.
“He said hold our fire,” Dead End said obediently. Unlike Wildrider, he knew when to fold.
“Gah! Fine!” Wildrider grumbled, not happy about the situation.
They left the cannons and returned to the bridge.
As Blitzwing, Astrotrain, and Lugnut approached The Steelhaven, they noticed the cannons deactivating, puzzling them.
“They’re completely defenseless,” Astrotrain noted.
“Now’s our chance!” Blitzwing said. “Fire!”
“No!” Cyclonus’ voice suddenly said over their commlinks.
“Come again, Cyclonus?” Blitzwing asked.
“Return to the ship,” Cyclonus told them. “We’re almost at the planet!”
“Yes, Subcommander Cyclonus!” Lugnut said eagerly, turning around and heading back to The Harbinger.
“Is his mojo always gonna be following orders blindly?” Astrotrain asked in annoyance.
“Just don’t question it, Astrotrain,” Blitzwing replied. “Whenever Lugnut is given an order, he always follows it, and we should too.”
The two turned around and followed Lugnut back to the Decepticon ship.
After entering the Earth’s atmosphere, The Sheelhaven and The Harbinger flew side-by-side, before taking off in separate directions. The Steelhaven went west, towards the United States, while The Harbinger headed north, towards Iceland.
As The Steelhaven flew towards Indie City, Ultra Magnus turned to Blaster and said. “Blaster, radio Prime so he can tell us where to land.”
“You got it!” Blaster gave the Autobot City Commander a thumbs-up.
He plugged himself into The Steelhaven’s computer and began contacting the Autobot base.
“Optimus Prime, Optimus Prime, do you read me?” Blaster asked. “Ultra Magnus is requesting permission to land. Where are you?”
At the Autobot base, Sideswipe, Jazz, Arcee, and Bumblebee were hanging out in the arcade room, Arcee and Bumblebee watching Sideswipe and Jazz playing on the machines, when they heard Blaster’s voice sounding throughout the base.
“Roger me! Wilco me! Anybody!” Blaster called desperately. “Hello! Hello Earth!”
“No way…” Jazz breathed.
“It can’t be…” Sideswipe let out.
“Can it?” Arcee asked skeptically.
Bumblebee beeped in disbelief, just as Optimus came in.
“Autobots, we’re receiving an urgent transmission,” He explained. “It’s from Ultra Magnus.”
Sideswipe, Jazz, and Arcee gasped, while Bumblebee beeped in shock.
“Hurry!” Optimus told them all. “The Steelhaven is running out of fuel, and they need to find a place to land!”
The four Autobots snapped out of their shock and followed Optimus to the computer room.
Once there, Optimus established immediate contact with The Steelhaven.
“Ultra Magnus, are you there?” He asked.
(The Steelhaven)
“I’ve got a signal!” Blaster called out to Ultra Magnus.
“Is that you, Optimus?” Ultra Magnus asked.
(Autobot base)
“Yes, Ultra Magnus, it’s me,” Optimus confirmed. “What seems to be the problem?”
“We can’t find your base!” Ultra Magnus explained. “And we’re running low on fuel!”
(The Steelhaven)
“Hang on, Ultra Magnus,” Optimus assured. “We’ll send Jetfire and the Aerialbots right away. They’ll guide you to our base.”
“Understood, Prime,” Ultra Magnus replied, before he took the controls. “Autobots, man your stations!”
“What else can we do?!” The big dark green robot panicked.
“Calm down, Bulkhead,” The samurai robot told him.
“I am calm, Drift!” Bulkhead insisted, although he didn’t seem like it. “I’ve never been more calm in my life!”
“I was afraid you’d say that,” Drift shook his head.
The Autobots held on to something and screamed as The Steelhaven dropped even more in height.
On the landing strip, Jetfire and the Aerialbots transformed and flew off. Once they found The Steelhaven, Jetfire, Silverbolt, and Air Raid flew on the left, and Slingshot, Skydive, and Fireflight on the right.
“Get me through to Blaster,” Silverbolt ordered.
(Onboard The Steelhaven)
“I’m picking up a signal,” Blaster reported. “It’s coming from Silverbolt.”
“Blaster! Is Ultra Magnus there?” Silverbolt asked once Blaster patched through.
“Yeah, he is,” Blaster replied. “I’ll put you through to him now.”
“Is that you, Silverbolt?” Ultra Magnus asked.
(Outside)
“Yes, it’s me,” Silverbolt replied. “Follow us. We’ll lead you to the base.”
“We’re on it, and thank you,” Ultra Magnus said.
Jetfire and the Aerialbots led The Steelhaven towards the Autobot base as they descended from the sky.
On the ground, the landing strip at the base had been cleared to allow The Steelhaven, Jetfire, and the Aerialbots to land. Jetfire and the Aerialbots transformed into their robot modes and landed on the landing strip, then quickly cleared it to allow The Steelhaven to land. The Steelhaven’s landing gear came down, and the ship landed, then the Autobots on board stepped out, Bulkhead being the first.
“Oh, sweet land!” He said in relief, collapsing onto the ground and kissing it.
Upon seeing Drift and the others looking at him weirdly, he stood up and chuckled in embarrassment.
Soon, all the Autobots were gathered on the landing strip. In addition to Ultra Magnus, Blaster, Perceptor, Dead End, Wildrider, Mirage, Bulkhead, and Drift, Hot Rod, Blurr, Chromia, Warpath, the Protectobots, the green and yellow robot, the elderly light green robot, and the green, yellow, and red robot were present, making a total of twenty new arrivals for the Autobots.
Ultra Magnus stepped towards the surviving Autobots, then approached Optimus Prime and shook his hand.
“Ultra Magnus,” Optimus began. “It’s good to see you again, old friend. How goes the war on Cybertron?”
“Not so good, I’m afraid,” Ultra Magnus sighed. “Cybertron is now but a barren wasteland, completely devoid of Energon. I’m assuming you’ve had better luck.”
“Indeed we have,” Optimus nodded. “We have taken refuge here on planet Earth. It’s human race is our ally. Well, most of them.”
“Which humans?” Ultra Magnus asked curiously.
“I took the liberty of researching human behavior before we arrived here, Prime,” Perceptor spoke up as he walked to the Autobot Supreme Commander and Iacon City Commander.
“Of course he did,” Hot Rod coughed under his breath, prompting Warpath to whack him on the head.
“Quiet!” He hissed, making Hot Rod fall silent.
“You see, not every human acts the same,” Perceptor explained. “We don’t know whether they’re our allies or foes. You said it yourself, Prime, it’s a rather thin line.”
“Well, Perceptor, I can assure you the humans we befriended are certainly our friends,” Optimus argued. “And I can prove it. We’ll go get them right now.” He then turned to Sideswipe, Jazz, Arcee, and Bumblebee. “Sideswipe, Jazz, Arcee, Bumblebee, roll out!”
The Autobot partners of the four oldest Silver Siblings looked unsure.
“Guys?” Optimus asked. “I said roll out!”
“Yeah, Optimus, here’s the thing…” Jazz began.
“I don’t know if the Silvers are ready for this kind of meeting yet,” Sideswipe explained.
“Not to mention Ella is still recovering from the death of Ironhide, her first partner,” Arcee added.
Bumblebee sadly beeped in agreement.
“I understand, but maybe meeting these new arrivals could help the Silvers heal from their wounds,” Optimus reasoned. “So I suggest you get going.”
Sideswipe, Jazz, Arcee, and Bumblebee transformed and rolled out for the Silver House.
“Hey, they got cool vehicle modes!” Hot Rod exclaimed. “Where do I get a cool vehicle mode like that?”
“I’ll show you,” Optimus offered as he and the other Autobots led the new arrivals inside the base.
Meanwhile, The Harbinger was flying above the northern coast of Iceland with its lights on, searching for any sign of The Nemesis.
“Have you found anything yet?” Cyclonus asked.
“No, Subcommander Cyclonus,” Breakdown replied. “Still nothing on the scanners.”
“Well, keep looking for them,” Cyclonus ordered.
Suddenly, Knock Out picked up something. “Wait, Cyclonus, I think I may have found something,” He said.
He zoomed in for a closer look and saw the broken front half of The Nemesis at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.
“There!” He exclaimed. “I found it!”
“Excellent,” Cyclonus said. “Stunticons, form Menasor and see if you can get The Nemesis back up to the surface.”
“We’re on it,” Motormaster replied. “Let’s go, Stunticons!”
Motormaster, Knock Out, Breakdown, Drag Strip, and Offroad ran off.
A few minutes later, Menasor was wading through the ocean, trying to find The Nemesis. It was already dark, so he used his headlights to see. He submerged underwater, found the Decepticon flagship, and tried to get a good grip on it.
“Cyclonus, we have the ship,” Menasor reported. “Ready the cables.”
“They’re on their way, Menasor,” Cyclonus promised over the commlink.
Two cables appeared in the ocean, and Menasor attached them to The Nemesis’ front end, allowing The Harbinger to lift it out, though it took a long time.
After finding a spot of land to set the remains of The Nemesis on, Menasor separated into the five individual Stunticons, and then The Harbinger landed and the other Decepticons stepped out, all of them new arrivals. Motormaster, Dragstrip, Breakdown, Knock Out, and Offroad joined Cyclonus, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, Lugnut, Staxx, Greasepit, and two more jet-like Decepticons, one olive green, dark green, and grey, the other navy, golden yellow, and dark silver, thirteen in total.
“They’re in there?” The green jet robot asked doubtfully.
“Of course they’re in there, Skyquake!” The other one replied annoyed.
“Skyquake, Dreadwing, stop it!” Cyclonus barked, silencing them, then turned to Lugnut and Motormaster. “Motormaster, Lugnut, get Lord Megatron out of there! Blitzwing, Astrotrain, help me bring the Energon.”
Cyclonus led Blitzwing and Astrotrain back to The Harbinger while Motormaster and Lugnut entered the remains of The Nemesis.
Back in Indie City, Ella was lying on the floor of her and Leslie’s bedroom with the lights off. She was wearing a black dress, with one shoe off and the other shoe on. Since he lost Nose Goes, Billy was forced to check in on her. He opened the door and turned on the lights.
“Ella?” He asked, slowly approaching his sister. “Ella, are you okay?”
He looked at Ella in the eye, seeing that she still had that thousand yard stare since yesterday, and there were noticeable bags under her eyes, like she wasn’t getting any sleep.
“Hello?” Billy asked, waving a hand in front of Ella’s face. “Ella, can you hear me?”
“Huh?” Ella blinked, breaking out of her trance and sitting up. “Oh, yeah, Billy, I’m fine. I’m in mourning. Mourning for Ironhide.”
“Is that why you’re dressed like that?” Billy inquired.
Ella didn’t answer as she laid back down. Billy sighed as he got on the floor and laid down next to her.
“Look, Ella, I know you’re still sad about Ironhide,” He told her. “I know Leslie feels the same for Wheeljack and Mom and Dad for Ratchet and Prowl. But it’s like Optimus said, they, Sunstreaker, Brawn, Windcharger, Huffer, and Jackpot sacrificed themselves because they knew what was at stake. They gave their lives for us, for our future. I get that you’re still too young to understand all that war stuff, but once we found The Ark and brought the Autobots back online, we knew that our lives would be changed forever and there was no going back.”
He then turned on his side and faced Ella, who faced him. “So would you please stop acting like such a sad sack?” He asked. “What would Ironhide think if he saw you like this?”
Those last words struck a chord with Ella. Sure, she still missed Ironhide, but whenever he was feeling sad like her, he never took it sitting down, and she knew she had to do the same. Still, she needed to get her emotions out of her system.
Finally, Ella burst into tears as she wrapped her arms around her brother, crying into his chest. Billy comforted her by returning the hug and rubbing her back. They soon separated, though, when Billy caught a whiff of Ella.
“And for God’s sake, can we get Dad to give you a bath?” Billy asked as they separated. “You smell like crap.”
Ella gasped and shot up.
“What?” Billy asked, sitting up. “What’d I do?”
“You said a bad word!” Ella shouted, pointing at her brother. “I’m telling Mom and Dad!”
She stood up and ran out of her room.
“Hey, get back here!” Billy yelled, following her.
He eventually caught up to Ella in the hallway and grabbed her by the arm.
“Ella, please do not tell Mom and Dad I said those words!” Billy begged. “I’ll do anything you want! Did you hear me? Anything!”
That piqued Ella’s interest. “Anything?” She asked.
“Yes, anything!” Billy replied.
A mischievous smile came to Ella’s face as an idea came to her mind. “Okay, there is one thing you can do for me…” She said.
Billy bent down as she whispered the favor she wanted him to do for her in his ear, and his face dropped, as he already wasn’t liking it.
Back in Iceland, Motormaster and Lugnut carried Megatron’s body out of The Nemesisand set him down, while Cyclonus, Blitzwing, and Astrotrain came over with the Energon cubes. The Stunticon leader and the loyal brute sent Megatron down, then Cyclonus lifted his head up and fed him some of the Energon cubes, which Blitzwing and Astrotrain handed to him. After three or four cubes, Megatron’s optics turned on, and he shot upright.
“Prime!” He roared. “Where is he? Where is he?!” He then noticed Cyclonus and said in surprise. “Oh, hey, Cyclonus, what are you doing here?”
“Doing?” Cyclonus asked incredulously. “What are we doing here? We came all this way to rescue you, Lord Megatron! You didn’t reply when you contacted Cybertron months ago!”
“Well, excuse me for trying to achieve universal domination,” Megatron said under his breath, before saying to Cyclonus. “So, is it just you, Lugnut, the Triple Changers, and the Stunticons?”
“Oh, no,” Cyclonus replied. “Staxx, Greasepit, and Skyquake and Dreadwing are here too.”
Megatron looked at the mentioned Decepticons who also came to Earth, who smiled and waved at him.
“I see,” Megatron let out. “They’ll be perfect replacements after we lost Redwing and Nova Storm in our last battle with the Autobots. Now, come on. We have a lot to do, and the first order of business is to get you some appropriate vehicle modes for you. The people of Earth will think your Cybertronian forms are alien.”
Megatron stood up and walked off, while Cyclonus looked at who was supposed to be his leader incredulously.
Back at the Silver House, Billy was in the bathroom giving Ella a bath, which he was not happy about.
“This stinks,” He grumbled, trying his hardest not to swear since it could lead to Ella asking more favors of him. “Why are you making me do this?”
“Come on, Billy, if I do recall from Mom and Dad, and I will, besides Drew, you were the only one who actually enjoyed giving me baths when I was a baby,” Ella explained.
“I was?” Billy blinked in surprise.
Ella nodded. “Sometimes, you would get in the tub with me, despite being 6 when I was born,” Ella explained. “At least, that’s what Mom and Dad told me.”
“Are we really talking about this now?” Billy asked.
Before Ella could reply, there was a knock at the door.
“Yeah?” Billy called.
“Billy! Ella!” Came Sue’s voice. “The Autobots are here!”
Hearing that, Billy rinsed Ella, drained the tub, took her out, and quickly dried her off, then picked up a set of clean clothes for her that was on the side and put them on her.
Down in the living room, the rest of Billy and Ella’s siblings and their parents were standing at the front door, with their winter jackets on and waiting for them impatiently.
“What’s taking those kids so long?” Dave wondered.
Drew, Mickey, Sammy, and Leslie looked at each other worriedly, hoping their parents wouldn’t find out that they played Nose Goes, made Billy lose, and forced him to check on Ella. At last, Billy and Ella came down the stairs, Ella’s hair still a little wet.
“Well, took you long enough,” Sammy told them snidely.
“So, what’s the big emergency?” Billy asked.
“Optimus Prime has an announcement,” Drew explained. “It’s important.”
“Sideswipe, Jazz, Arcee, and Bumblebee are here to take us to the base,” Mickey added.
“Did he say what it was about?” Ella asked.
“No, he just told us to come right away,” Leslie replied.
Billy put his jacket on, then helped Ella put on hers, and they followed their siblings and parents out the door. Outside, Leslie and Drew hopped in Sideswipe, Mickey and Dave took Jazz, Sue and Sammy rode on Arcee (Sue at the front and Sammy behind her), and Ella rode with Billy inside Bumblebee. They then all rode out for the Autobot base.
Meanwhile, inside The Nemesis, Megatron was trying to get the computer working again while the Decepticons who just arrived on Earth had gathered up all the others who were inside The Nemesis when it crashed. Megatron pressed many buttons, but the computer wouldn’t turn on.
“Let’s see, how does Shockwave work this thing?” Megatron asked himself.
He pressed some more buttons, but still nothing, and he was started to get frustrated. Megatron raised his fist and prepared to punch the console, when Cyclonus intervened and grabbed his hand before he could bring it down.
“Lord Megatron, wait!” Cyclonus shouted. “Might I suggest reviving Shockwave and the others?”
“I suppose,” Megatron replied as Cyclonus let go of him.
“Right, you heard him!” Cyclonus said, turning to the others. “Let’s wake these men!”
The new Decepticons fed the old Decepticons some more Energon cubes, which were thankfully the last ones from The Harbinger. The unconscious Decepticons, including Shockwave, were reawakened and stood up.
“What happened?” Starscream asked.
“Where are we?” Shockwave asked.
Soundwave then noticed Cyclonus’ Decepticons standing before them. “Cyclonus,” He said. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, good, Shockwave, you’re awake,” Megatron interrupted before Cyclonus could say anything. “See if you can find some vehicle modes for our new arrivals, okay?”
“At once, Lord Megatron,” Shockwave obliged, stepping up to the computer so he could begin his research.
When the Silvers, Sideswipe, Jazz, Arcee, and Bumblebee arrived at the Autobot base, the Silvers noticed The Steelhaven parked on the landing strip.
“What’s that?” Billy asked, noticing it.
“More Autobots?” Mickey blinked.
“It looks like it,” Drew confirmed.
“Just how many of these guys are there?” Sammy wondered.
“Given the abundance of Autobots and Decepticons that have come to Earth so far, I’d say estimates are…” Leslie trailed off to do the math before giving her answer. “A lot.”
“Well, with more Autobots, that means new friends for us,” Drew reasoned, before addressing his youngest sister. “Right, Ella?”
“Right, Drew,” Ella replied, trying to sound as happy and possible.
The Autobots rolled into the base. The Silvers stepped out, and then Sideswipe, Jazz, Arcee, and Bumblebee transformed.
“Stay close to me, Ella,” Drew told Ella softly.
Ella obliged and held her brother’s hand as they, their parents, and their siblings stepped forward and stood in front of Optimus.
“Optimus Prime,” Dave began. “We got your message.”
“I’m glad you’re all here, Silvers,” Optimus told them all. “And thank you, Sideswipe, Jazz, Arcee, and Bumblebee.”
“So, what is the big surprise?” Sammy asked.
“Sammy, don’t interrupt,” Sue chided.
“I’ve summoned you all here because more Autobots have come from Cybertron,” Optimus explained. “They’re here to help us in our fight against the Decepticons.”
The Silvers looked amongst each other. While they were still mourning the deaths of Ratchet, Prowl, Wheeljack, Ironhide, Huffer, Brawn, Windcharger, Sunstreaker, and Jackpot, they felt that they could use the extra help against the Decepticons.
“Okay, Optimus,” Dave finally said. “Bring them in. We’re ready.”
Optimus nodded and stepped out of the way, then Ultra Magnus walked past him and approached the Silvers.
“Greetings, David Silver, Susan Wexler Silver, Andrew Joel Silver, Michael Joseph Silver, Samantha Leah Silver, William Jameson Silver, Leslie Sarah Silver, and Eleanor Elizabeth Silver,” Ultra Magnus introduced himself to them. “I am Ultra Magnus from the planet Cybertron. My comrades and I have come to Earth to hunt down and eliminate the remaining Decepticons.”
The Autobots from The Steelhaven then stepped into the room, gathering around Ultra Magnus.
“May I introduce Perceptor, Springer, Chromia, Blaster, Blurr, Kup, Hot Rod, Warpath, Dead End, Wildrider, Cosmos, Mirage, Drift, and Bulkhead,” Ultra Magnus began, listing each Autobot individually. “And the Protectobots: Hot Spot, First Aid, Groove, Streetwise, and Blades.”
The Silvers were speechless, unable to say anything.
“All right,” Ultra Magnus let out. “Anyone who is in need of a new Autobot partner, step forward.”
Dave, Sue, Leslie, and Ella stepped forward while Drew, Mickey, Sammy, and Billy stayed back.
“Okay, why don’t we make this easy?” Ultra Magnus proposed. “Drift, you take David; Chromia, you go with Susan; Perceptor, you’re with Leslie; and Bulkhead, you’re with Eleanor.”
The four mentioned Autobots stepped forward and approached their new human partners. Drift stood in front of Dave, held his hands together, and bowed slightly.
“Hajimemashite, Silver-san,” He greeted.
“Huh?” Dave blinked.
“Oh, it’s this greeting from a country on your planet known as Japan,” Drift explained. “I had Perceptor research it before we arrived here.”
“Oh, neat,” Dave nodded slightly in understanding. “But I’m half and half. My dad’s family was from Ireland and my mom’s family is from China.”
“I see,” Drift said.
Sue and Chromia stared at each other curiously.
“I can’t believe my new partner is the winner of the last Iacon 5000,” Sue breathed in awe.
“Guilty as charged,” Chromia smirked, before she realized something. “Hey, how’d you know I was-”
“Optimus told me and Dave everything,” Sue explained. “How he and Megatron nearly beat you.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Chromia groaned. “They never should’ve been in that race in the first place.”
Nearby, Optimus couldn’t help but chuckle.
Perceptor bent down a little so he could be at eye level with Leslie.
“Greetings, Leslie Sarah Silver,” He said.
“Just call me Leslie,” Leslie said modestly.
“Greetings, Just Leslie,” Perceptor said again. “I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
Ella cautiously approached Bulkhead. “H-hi,” She said nervously. “I’m Ella. What’s your name?”
“Bulkhead,” Bulkhead replied rhetorically.
“Did you know Ironhide?” Ella asked.
“Yeah, I knew Ironhide,” Bulkhead sighed. “He was a good bot. A friend.”
Drew looked at Ella in worry, and was about to step in when Sideswipe intervened.
“I know you’re worried about Ella, Drew,” He said. “But sometimes, talking it out helps her get through her hurt.”
Drew nodded and stayed back. Suddenly, the alarm blared throughout the base.
“Another Energon sighting has been detected,” Optimus realized.
“I’d better go see where it is,” Perceptor said.
“Same here,” Leslie agreed.
They both ran to the computer room as the others followed them.
At the same time, Shockwave was detecting the Energon through The Nemesis’computer.
“Lord Megatron, there’s Energon somewhere in this vicinity,” He reported.
“Energon?” Cyclonus asked.
“Yes,” Megatron confirmed. “And exactly what we need to get the Decepticon army back on track. Starscream!”
“Yes, Lord Megatron?” Starscream replied, stepping forward.
“Take Cyclonus and the others with you,” Megatron commanded. “We’ll meet you up ahead.”
“Yes, my lord,” Starscream understood, before turning to Thundercracker, Skywarp, Slipstream, Thrust, Ramjet, Dirge, Cyclonus, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, Lugnut, Skyquake, and Dreadwing. “Well, men, let’s move out!”
Starscream ran outside, transformed, and flew off, followed by Thundercracker, Skywarp, Slipstream, the Coneheads, Cyclonus, the Triple Changers, Lugnut, and the Spark twins. Cyclonus’ new jet mode was a Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet; Blitzwing was a Soviet MiG-25 fighter jet; Astrotrain was a Space Shuttle orbiter; Lugnut transformed into a modified North American B-25 Mitchell bomber plane, with jet engines on the tail and bomb missiles instead of propellers on the wings; Skyquake and Dreadwing were both a Miyokan MiG-29 fighter jet.
“Yes,” Megatron smirked as he watched them fly off. “Soon, the Decepticons shall rise up again!”
“Rise up!” The other Decepticons chanted, raising their fists.
Back at the Autobots’ base, Perceptor and Leslie were tracking the Energon from the computer room.
“Let’s see,” Perceptor mused. “It must be around here somewhere.”
Leslie suddenly noticed something. “Wait, stop!” She said. “There! I see it!”
“Where?” Perceptor asked.
“There!” Leslie pointed to the screen. “The Langjökull glacier, the second-largest ice cap in Iceland!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, we’re going all the way up north?!” Sammy exclaimed.
“But we hardly even know our new partners!” Dave argued.
“Yeah, we just got to know them!” Chromia said in agreement.
“Then consider this your first field mission,” Ultra Magnus told them all. “We must stop the Decepticons from getting that Energon!”
“It’s settled then,” Optimus decided. “The Silvers, Sideswipe, Jazz, Arcee, Bumblebee, Perceptor, Bulkhead, Drift, and Chromia will go.”
“But we don’t know how many Decepticons will be there, Prime,” Ultra Magnus argued. “Therefore, I propose we bring Smokescreen, Red Alert, Springer, Blaster, Warpath, Hot Rod, and Kup.”
“What about this, Magnus and Prime?” Blurr suggested. “Why don’t you bring all of them? Oh, can I come, too? Please, pretty please? Can I? Can I? Can I?”
“Of course you can, Blurr,” Optimus accepted.
“And thanks for the suggestion,” Ultra Magnus added.
“Of course!” Blurr chirped. “Always happy to help, help a friend in need.”
“Yes!” Hot Rod cheered, pumping his fist. “I get to go on my first real mission on Earth!”
“Aw, no fair!” Wildrider complained. “We wanted to come along too!”
“I wish we could, Wildrider, but with our current vehicle modes, we wouldn’t be of any help,” Dead End argued.
Wildrider huffed, but relented, and then the Autobots and Silvers that were going on the mission ran for the GroundBridge room.
In the GroundBridge room, First Aid was preparing to activate the portal.
“I’m surprise Ratchet designed all of this,” He said in amazement. “I just hope I know how to work it. Who am I kidding? Of course I will. I mean, I was his apprentice, after all.”
In front of the portal, the Autobots were assembled in their vehicle modes. Ultra Magnus was a 1977 White Freightliner WFT-8864T cabover semi-trailer truck; Springer was a modified M1117 Armored Security Vehicle; Drift was a 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R; Chromia was a modified 1980 DeLorean DMC-12; Perceptor was a modified laser tank, with his microscope in place of a turret; Bulkhead was a modified 2010 Hummer H3; Blaster was a modified 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer; Blurr was a modified Nissan Silvia S15/Mitsubishi FTO hybrid; Warpath was a General Motors M551A1 Sheridan ARAAV tank; Hot Rod was a modified 2006 Ford GT with flame decals and a yellow spoiler on the back; and Kup was a 2011 Honda Ridgeline pickup truck. Hot Rod, Smokescreen, Sideswipe, and Red Alert were placed on Ultra Magnus’ carrier, Hot Rod and Smokescreen on the top and Sideswipe and Red Alert on the bottom. Drew was already in his Battle Suit and inside Sideswipe, so the rest of his family activated their Battle Suits and ran over to their Autobot partners.
“I took the liberty of giving us vehicle modes,” Perceptor explained, before sounding sheepish. “Sorry if my microscopic lens gets in the way, but I’m more of a scientist than a warrior.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine, Perceptor,” Leslie assured. “I’m sure I can find a way to fit. It’s only a gun turret that you replaced.”
Sue took a minute to admire Chromia’s vehicle mode.
“I can’t believe Perceptor gave you a DeLorean vehicle mode,” She complimented. “They hardly make them anymore.”
“Yeah, I got lucky, but I do look good,” Chromia bragged.
Sue rolled her eyes as she got in.
Ella walked over to Bulkhead and was taken aback by his size.
“It’s okay, Ella,” Bulkhead assured as he opened his door to let her in. “I won’t bite.”
Ella stepped back slightly, still unsure. Dave noticed this and walked over to her.
“Ella, it’s okay, Bulkhead’s your new friend now,” He told her. “He’s gonna take good care of you like Ironhide before him.”
Dave lifted Ella up and put her inside Bulkhead, who then shut his door. Dave then walked over to Drift and got inside him.
“Coordinates are set and ready,” First Aid informed Optimus. “All I gotta do is pull down this lever and… hey, presto!”
He pulled down the lever and the GroundBridge portal opened.
“There you go, all set,” He said.
“First Aid, you and the others remain on standby,” Ultra Magnus instructed. “We’ll contact you if we need anything.”
“Yes, sir!” First Aid saluted.
“Autobots, roll out!” Optimus ordered as they raced through the portal.
Once inside the GroundBridge, Hot Rod was in awe by the bright tunnel and colors as the Autobots raced through.
“This is so cool!” He whooped.
“I know, right?” Drew agreed. “It’s like racing in Rainbow Road in Mario Kart!”
“What’s that?” Hot Rod asked.
“A video game humans play,” Sideswipe explained. “I’ve seen Drew play it at school whenever he doesn’t have any assignments to do.”
“Video games?” Hot Rod questioned.
“I’ll show you later,” Sideswipe promised. “Right now, we’ve got a job to do!”
The Autobots kept racing.
Once in Iceland, the GroundBridge portal opened, and the Autobots raced out.
“Autobots, transform!” Optimus shouted as the Autobots transformed into their robot modes.
“Autobots, unload and transform!” Ultra Magnus ordered.
Hot Rod, Smokescreen, Red Alert, and Sideswipe reversed out of Ultra Magnus’ carrier, then Drew stepped out of Sideswipe before he and the others transformed. His parents and siblings then got out of their Autobot partners before Drift, Chromia, Jazz, Arcee, Bumblebee, Perceptor, and Bulkhead transformed as well. The Autobots and Silvers looked around the area and saw it completely dark.
“It’s pretty dark out here,” Ella said.
“Yeah, it is,” Billy agreed.
“Too dark,” Sue added.
“Even for our headlights,” Kup complained.
Bumblebee beeped in agreement.
“That’s because Iceland is five hours ahead of Indiana,” Leslie explained. “It’ll be impossible to search for the Energon during this time of day. Therefore, I propose that we set up camp for the night and resume our search tomorrow.”
“Well, at least I can check another item off my bucket list,” Drew joked. “Camping in Iceland.”
“And just how are we supposed to set up camp, Les?” Sammy asked.
“The electronic devices I installed in our Battle Suits,” Leslie explained. “They set up an instant campfire and instant shelter for each of us.”
The Silvers reached into their Battle Suits and took out two silver circular devices from each of them.
“Would’ve been nice if you had told us that sooner, sis,” Sammy said.
The Silvers threw the devices to the ground, instantly transforming them into campfires and tents, one for each family member.
“Well, at least we have fire now,” Mickey pointed out.
“Still, I think each of us should stand watch for an hour in case the Decepticons show up,” Dave argued. “And Drift and I will be the first ones.”
Sue and the kids got into their tents and began to get settled in for the night as Dave and Drift stood on the edge of the glacier, while the other Autobots reverted back into their vehicle modes.
Meanwhile, Starscream was still leading Cyclonus and the other flying Decepticons in search of the Energon, but they couldn’t find it.
“This is useless, Starscream,” Cyclonus said, flying up alongside him. “Think we should fly back and resume our search tomorrow?”
“You don’t know Lord Megatron, Cyclonus,” Starscream sighed. “He’s become fixated on his single-minded goal of gathering all the Energon on Earth and using it to conquer the universe.”
“Well, that’s nothing like the Megatron I knew back on Cybertron,” Cyclonus said. “Someone needs to talk some sense into him.”
“Ha! Good luck with that,” Starscream chuckled dryly. “Until then, let’s keep searching.”
They both flew off as the rest of the Decepticons flew after them.
December 30th, 11:21 a.m.
The sun rose over the ice caps as the Silvers stepped out of their tents, still in their Battle Suits.
“Good morning, world,” Drew said. “Good morning, ice caps. Good morning, Iceland. Good morning, Decepticons flying over my-”
“Decepticons?!” Dave and Sue exclaimed.
The Silvers looked into the air and saw Starscream, Cyclonus, and their entourage flying above them.
“Uh, Optimus?” Billy asked.
“I see them, Billy,” Optimus replied. “Autobots, transform and prepare for battle!”
The Autobots transformed back into their robot modes and started firing at the Decepticons in the sky. The Decepticons rolled around in all directions to avoid the blasts.
“Whoa!” Blitzwing gasped. “These Autobots sure are feisty.”
“Welcome to my world,” Was all Starscream could say.
The Silvers took a closer look and saw several Decepticons that looked unfamiliar to them.
“Who are those guys?” Mickey asked.
“Well, Sammy, that’s Cyclonus,” Leslie pointed to the Decepticon Subcommander, recognizing him from their excursion to Cybertron via the space bridge. “The rest I don’t know.”
The Decepticons flew towards the ground, and the Autobots ceased their fire as Starscream, Cyclonus, and the others transformed.
“You don’t know who we are, huh?” Cyclonus asked. “I’m Subcommander Cyclonus of Kaon City, and this is Blitzwing, Astrotrain, and Lugnut.”
He introduced each of the new Decepticons in that order.
“The Decepticons have new arrivals too?” Sammy inquired. “What is this, Decepticon Hiring Day?”
“Silence, human germ!” Starscream snapped, aiming his null ray at her. “You have no right to speak to the Subcommander that way!”
“Thank you, Starscream, but I can handle this,” Cyclonus said, lowering Starscream’s arm.
He stepped forward and noticed the other Autobots from Iacon City. “So, Ultra Magnus, I see you’ve brought your troops to Earth as well,” He noted.
“Why are you here, Cyclonus?” Ultra Magnus demanded.
“To find the Energon, what else?” Cyclonus replied.
“We’ve been searching all night, and we’re not going to let our search go to waste,” Blitzwing added.
“And once we get the Energon and bring it back to Lord Megatron, he’ll use it for something big,” Astrotrain explained.
“Yeah, very big!” Lugnut finished.
“Whatever Megatron’s planning to do, Lugnut, we won’t let you take the Energon!” Bulkhead said firmly.
“Yeah!” Chromia added. “If you want it, you’ll have to go through us to get to it!”
“If that’s the way it’s gonna be…” Cyclonus trailed off as the Decepticons got ready to fight.
“Yes, let’s fight!” Lugnut said eagerly. “And make this stupid search worth it in the end!”
The two sides prepared for battle while the Silvers got out their weapons, ready to join the fight.
To Be Continued…