Chapter 8: Hard Knocks

The Nemesis sailed throughout the clouds once again, its residents hard at work on their specific duties. Soundwave in particular was busy decoding the coordinates of the next relic, but he wasn't alone. Megatron was in the same room as him, and the Decepticon leader was in a rather boastful mood.

"I'm telling you, Soundwave," Megatron bragged as he turned to Soundwave, "You should have seen the look on Optimus Prime's face when his precious Star Saber shattered like glass, and with it his dreams of Autobot victory. Granted, Optimus will be more determined now than ever to finish decoding the Iacon coordinates before we can." With that, the set of coordinates Soundwave had been decoding were finally completed and came together on the large screen in front of them. "Ah, very good, I see you have already finished decoding the next set of coordinates."

"Way to step things up, Soundwave," the sly voice of Knock Out rang out as the medic entered the room, "I do hope that this relic is less sacred and more profane, like an Electron Disruptor Cannon. We could certainly use one of those."

"Indeed, Knock Out," Megatron replied, "Dreadwing, report to the bridge."

"Please, Lord Megatron, allow me to retrieve this relic for you," Knock Out pleaded.

"I'm surprised you would risk ruining your finish so soon, doctor, after your accident," Megatron simply stated. Knock Out cringed at the memories of the hunt in New York, which resulted in his paint getting severely mangled by a train and the Phase Shifter in the hands of the Autobots. "Nonetheless, I remain unconvinced that you are suited for the task, considering that you failed to acquire the Phase Shifter."

"I lacked the proper tools, but since Soundwave is currently occupied, I guess he won't mind if I borrow this," Knock Out replied as he held up the Resonance Blaster, "So I can better bring your prize, and bring some hurt on the Autobots."

…

Back at the Autobot base, Smokescreen watched as Optimus continued decoding the next set of coordinates.

"I'm going to be a great warrior someday, like Optimus," the rookie said to himself.

"Well train hard and gain some wisdom along the way and it'll happen," Bulkhead said in a reassuring voice.

"Oh it will. It's my destiny," Smokescreen replied, his tone starting to get a bit cocky. Just then, Bumblebee walked into the room.

"What's Smokescreen talking about?" Bumblebee asked.

"How so?" Arcee inquired in an irritated tone.

"Well one minute I'm working security service at Iacon, then the next I wake up on the other side of the galaxy under Optimus' command," Smokescreen answered, "I mean, what are the chances, right? Things happen for a reason."

"We get it, Smokescreen, you're really special and we're lucky to have you," Arcee said in a sarcastic manner.

"All I'm saying is that I've come a long way and this is one opportunity I don't plan on messing up," Smokescreen answered.

"And I'm sure you'll do well, Smoke," Flareup said as she walked up next to Smokescreen and tenderly placed her hand on Smokescreen's shoulder. Arcee rolled her optics at the way the femme Wrecker looked at Smokescreen. Just then, Optimus spoke up.

"Autobots, the next set of coordinates have been decoded," Optimus instructed, "Ratchet, ready the Ground Bridge." As Ratchet began typing the coordinates into the Ground Bridge, Smokescreen got excited.

"Last one to the Omega Key has to scrub the Energon tanks for a week," Smokescreen said as he ran over to the transportation hub.

"Didn't know we were keeping score," Arcee said, causing Flareup to shoot a glare at her.

"Arcee, Jazz, prepare to roll out," Optimus said.

"Wait, what about me?" Smokescreen asked before some of the other Autobots gave him a look, "I mean me and the other Autobots?"

"You and the others will remain here, in the event that I am able to decode the next set of coordinates before the others return," Optimus replied.

"Optimus is right," Ratchet added, "Given that the very fate of Cybertron itself is at stake, response time is critical."

"Keep your engines idling, kid," Arcee teased as she looked back over at Jazz, "Come on Jazz, 'destiny awaits.'" With that, Ratchet opened up the Ground Bridge, and Arcee and Jazz transformed into their vehicle forms and drove through the portal. However, if Arcee looked through her rear view mirrors before she left, she would've noticed Flareup's face changing into a look of anger. Smokescreen just looked on as the portal closed.

"Call it a pit stop," Bulkhead said as he gave Smokescreen a slap on the back that almost knocked him off his feet, "We'll get back in the race."

…

At a small lakeside beach, Arcee and Jazz's portal opened up, and the two Autobots drove out of it before transforming into their robot forms and scanning the area. When they saw that the coast was clear, they began walking down the area to find the relic. After a moment of silent walking, Jazz spoke up.

"You know Arcee, I don't know what you have against Smokescreen," Jazz said as Arcee looked up at him, "What is it about him besides his cocky attitude that makes you just real mad to be in the same room as him?"

"It's mainly because he's practically the embodiment of immaturity," Arcee shot back, "He never takes anything seriously and thinks of this war as nothing more than a game." Jazz started chuckling at her answer.

"You know I was the same way when I first joined the Elite Guard," Jazz said, "Reckless, cocky, thinking I could take Megatron down with my bare hands. But as time went on, I started to realize that war was more than just shooting things and getting glory."

"What's your point?" Arcee snapped.

"My point is that Smokescreen will grow up and learn that this war is more crucial than he knows one day," Jazz replied, "Until then, you'll just have to learn to be patient with him." With that, the two walked on in silence until Arcee spotted something.

"There's the relic," she said as she and Jazz started walking over to it. However, a voice rang out.

"Well, well, look who's here," Knock Out said as he stepped out from behind a large rock next to the relic, "Just the Autobot I wanted to see. And I see you brought a new friend with you."

"Knock Out," Jazz greeted in false-friendly voice, "I was wondering if Sunstreaker's evil clone was around this part of the galaxy." He then looked down at Arcee. "I'll handle Knock Out, you go get the Key." Knock Out then stepped forward.

"I would really like to thank you, Arcee, for the memories," Knock Out spat as he threw his arm forward and released a stream of what appeared to be sonic waves. Jazz and Arcee dodged the attack and proceeded to carry out their plan. Jazz deployed his shield-blaster and deflected the attack, while Arcee tried to outflank Knock Out and grab the Omega Key. However, before she could even come close, Knock Out turned his attention to her… by using the Resonance Blaster to pin her to the cliff behind her. As Knock Out kept applying sonic waves on her, her plating began to crack.

"Who knew sound waves could be a real knock out?" Knock Out quipped as he chuckled at his own pun. However, his distraction gave Jazz an opportunity to creep up and shoot him in the back. Before Jazz could get another shot at him, though, Knock Out quickly turned around and blasted him into a rock with another stream of sound waves, the Autobot screaming in pain as the sound began damaging his audio receptors. "What's that? I can't hear you!" Knock Out taunted.

"Cee, get the relic!" Jazz weakly called out. Knock Out turned around and saw Arcee clutching her chest and peeling herself off the wall before dashing toward the relic, Jazz doing the same.

"Scrap," Knock Out muttered before looking at the Resonance Blaster and getting an idea, "How low can it go?" With that, Knock Out aimed the Resonance Blaster at the ground underneath his feet and fired, the sonic weapon releasing a shockwave that rippled across the area and sent Jazz and Arcee flying. "Sub-woofer, or depth charge?" Knock Out jeered as he released another onslaught of sound waves, sending a thick cloud of dust into the air. When the dust cleared, Jazz and Arcee began to haul themselves out from a pile of rubble and went to look for the Omega Key, but all they found was an empty case.

"Scrap," Arcee said with a heavy sigh.

…

Back on the Nemesis, Megatron observed the relic that Knock Out had retrieved.

"It appears identical to the one taken from me by Optimus Prime," Megatron said as he took the relic from Knock Out's hand, "Perhaps this is a decoy that the Autobots allowed you to seize, as an attempt of sabotage."

"Unlikely, Lord Megatron," Knock Out replied, "They battled too desperately for it."

"Then they're pieces of a larger puzzle perhaps," Megatron said just before he heard a familiar beeping noise. He and Knock Out looked over and saw that Soundwave had unlocked. "Ah, excellent Soundwave," Megatron said, "With any luck, these next coordinates should provide us with some insight on the subject."

"Soundwave's on fire," Knock Out quipped as he readied the Resonance Blaster, "and so am I!" But just as he began walking off Megatron stopped him.

"Keep your vanity in check, Knock Out!" Megatron snarled.

"Haven't I proven myself?!" Knock Out snapped.

"Your scientific expertise remains of greater use to me," Megatron replied as he held up the relic, "Analyze our latest acquisition. I must know what it is, and what it can do."

…

Jazz was in the medical terminal getting his injuries treated by Ratchet, while Arcee was sitting by waiting her turn. Optimus then came into the room.

"I'm sorry, Optimus," Arcee said, "Knock Out was there, waiting for us. Seems like the Cons are improving their decoding skills."

"And it seems that with two keys already separated, no one currently possesses the means to revive Cybertron," Ratchet added.

"While our quest to restore our home world has reached a stalemate, recovering the remaining keys is still the most prudent course of action," Optimus said.

"Man, it must've been crazy out there going all sonic," Smokescreen said, completely oblivious to the gravity of the situation, "I wish I'd have been there. I would've…"

"You would've what?" Arcee snapped as Ratchet began scanning her injuries, "Recovered the key like the first one?"

"Maybe," Smokescreen answered, "Who knows? I just want us to fire on all cylinders now that the Star Saber's gone, and I've got a pretty good track record so far." Upon hearing this, Arcee sneered and limped out of the room, leaving Smokescreen with a confused look on his face.

"Look kid, Arcee and Jazz are no slouches, and Optimus managed just fine for eons without the big sword," Bulkhead lectured, "But you wouldn't know, since you've been locked in stasis the whole time we've been fighting this war."

"I know that, which is why I'm ready to make up for lost time," Smokescreen replied.

"When Optimus says you're ready, kid," Ironhide sternly retorted as he loomed over Smokescreen, "You need to be in this for the long haul." He then looked over to Optimus as he continued decoding coordinates.

"They're right, Smoke," Bluestreak said, "Slow and steady wins the race."

…

Within the wreckage of a fallen Decepticon ship called the Harbinger, the sounds of irritated grunts could be heard all throughout the wreck. Inside the science lab of the fallen vessel, Starscream, the former SIC of the Decepticons, was pacing back and forth and impatiently waiting for the Red Energon he had stolen from the Autobots to finish being processed. After a few minutes of pacing, Starscream threw up his hands in exasperation and leaned in closer to the processing vat.

"Well, hurry up already!" the Seeker snapped as another small drop fell into the small quantity of red liquid, "How is it possible that speed-enhancing Energon takes so much longer to process than regular Energon?!" As if on cue, the timer on the processor began beeping, indicating that it was finished. "I manage to steal a whole cluster of Red Energon and this is all I get?! There's only enough here for one dose! Maybe two!" Suddenly the Harbinger's global surveillance systems began beeping, which drew the Seeker's attention. "Decepticon movement," he said as he looked at the signal on the screen, "While speed is hardly a suitable replacement for the might of the Apex Armor, it should provide me with the means of obtaining a more formidable relic." With that, Starscream prepared to use the first of the small amount of Red Energon to make his move.

…

In the main room of the Autobot base, Optimus had just finished his next decryption.

"The next Iacon coordinates have been decoded," Optimus announced.

"Which means there's only one left to decrypt," Perceptor said as he activated the Ground Bridge.

"We're on it, boss," Bulkhead said as he, Smokescreen and Bluestreak prepared to roll out.

"I'll bring back that key," Smokescreen thought out loud before he noticed that Arcee cast an icy glare at him, causing him to shut himself up. Arcee then looked over to the other three Autobots.

"Ahem," she said as she held up an Energy Scanner, "aren't you boys forgetting something?"

"Right," Bulkhead muttered as he walked back over and received the scanner from Arcee. Before he could turn around, however, the two-wheeler caught his arm.

"Make sure you keep an eye on 'Destiny's Child,' will you?" Arcee whispered. Bulkhead looked back over and saw Smokescreen doing warm-up exercises in front of the Ground Bridge.

"Compared to watching Miko? Piece of cake," Bulkhead replied with a chuckle. With that, the three Autobots charged through the portal to retrieve their target. Arcee watched the Ground Bridge close, but if she had turned around, she would've noticed that Flareup was once again glaring coldly at her, but this time one of her flamethrowers was opened.

…

The Ground Bridge opened in a secluded forest as Bulkhead, Bluestreak and Smokescreen exited it, weapons primed and ready to fire.

"Stay close, and stay focused," Bulkhead said as the scanner began picking up energy readings.

"Gotcha," Smokescreen replied.

"We mean it, kid," Bluestreak added.

"Me too," Smokescreen said back. Bulkhead quickly shushed him and held up the scanner, leading the other two Autobots in the direction of the relic. As they moved on, all they could hear was just the wind and the occasional chirping of a bird, but then Smokescreen began picking up something in his audio receptors.

"What is that?" the rookie asked as Bulkhead and Bluestreak began hearing the sound, which was an electronic beeping. They then heard a rustle behind them, and upon turning around saw Dreadwing, who was accompanied by Blast Off; emerge from behind a grove of trees.

"One of the last sounds that you will ever hear," the Seeker coldly replied.

"Dreadwing!" Bluestreak cried as he turned his arm into a Null Ray sniper blaster. The Seeker and the Combaticon then leapt into the air, transformed into their jet forms, and swooped down at the Autobots, who narrowly managed to avoid them. As the two fliers went higher into the air, Bluestreak then noticed that the beeping sounds began to get a lot faster. The sniper knew all too well what was going to happen next.

"Bulk, let's roll!" Bluestreak shouted as he transformed into his vehicle form and sped off. Bulkhead then grabbed Smokescreen by his arm.

"We gotta get out of here, now!" the Wrecker said as he and Smokescreen transformed into their own vehicle forms and followed Bluestreak. The three Autobots drove and swerved as quickly as they could, bombs exploding left and right, each threatening to engulf them in a fiery embrace. Soon, trees began falling around the Autobots, forcing them to transform into their robot modes in order to better maneuver through their new obstacle course. After ducking, weaving and leaping over falling trees, the Autobots finally made it to an open clearing, just in time to see a massive final explosion ring out from behind them. Dreadwing and Blast Off flew in and transformed to see the results of their explosive trap. Seeing that the Autobots managed to avoid being blown up, the two readied themselves for combat. Smokescreen was about to do the same, but Bulkhead stopped him.

"Smoke, go get the relic!" the Wrecker ordered, "Bluestreak and I will handle Dreadwing and Blast Off!" He then tossed the scanner to Smokescreen.

"You got it!" replied Smokescreen, who caught the scanner and ran off. Blast Off prepared to pursue, but Bulkhead and Bluestreak intervened.

"You fliers love doing your dirty work from a distance, don't you?" Bulkhead challenged as he clanged his fists together.

"It's a real shame that you don't have the ball-bearings to fight up-close and personal with us rollers," Bluestreak taunted as he drew his Null Ray yet again. Dreadwing sneered at the two Autobots.

"In this particular case, we will be all too happy to make an exception," the Seeker growled as he and Blast Off leapt off their rocky perch. Bluestreak took advantage of this and aimed his Null Ray at Dreadwing, the sniper having been trained in shooting down airborne targets during the war. Blast Off, however, saw Bluestreak's attack coming and fired his blaster at the Autobot sniper, forcing Bluestreak to avoid the shot. Dreadwing then landed and charged at Bulkhead, the latter swinging his mace at him. Dreadwing expertly evaded the attack and stealthily planted a bomb onto Bulkhead's back. The Wrecker quickly turned around and swung a left hook at Dreadwing, only for him the catch his fist and strike back with a hard uppercut, causing Bulkhead to stumble into Blast Off, who sent him stumbling to the ground with a roundhouse kick.

"Not so tough, now, huh?" the Combaticon teased. Just then, Bluestreak tackled Blast Off and knocked him against a tree before landing a hard punch to the Decepticon's abdomen. Dreadwing leapt over and latched another bomb onto Bluestreak before grabbing the Autobot by his midsection and throwing him aside like a ragdoll. As Dreadwing prepared to finish the sniper with a stomp to the head, Bulkhead, who recovered from his earlier beating, grappled Dreadwing and slammed him against another tree. The Seeker then drove his knee hard into Bulkhead's torso, and then followed up the attack by slamming his fists into his shoulders, driving the Autobot into the ground. As Dreadwing drew out his cannon and prepared to finish Bulkhead, the airborne form of Blast Off came from nowhere and slammed Dreadwing back against the tree. Bulkhead looked behind him and saw Bluestreak standing with his Null Ray extended, smoke coming from the barrel. After the two Decepticons got back on their feet, Blast Off wiping a stream of Energon off his lip, they saw Bluestreak and Bulkhead preparing for another round.

"I gotta admit, you two are tougher than I thought," Blast Off said as he readied his blaster.

"An admirable effort indeed, but it seems that you obviously forgot how our last encounter ended, Wrecker," Dreadwing huffed as he drew out his detonator and pushed the button. To his confusion, however, Bulkhead only grinned.

"No I didn't," Bulkhead replied. Just then, Dreadwing and Blast Off heard a beeping sound coming from directly behind them. Then it suddenly dawned on them: Bulkhead and Bluestreak had somehow managed to remove both bombs off themselves and put them on their own backs instead. As the two Autobots retreated to a safe distance, Dreadwing and Blast Off frantically scrambled to get the bombs off themselves and throw them aside. However, when they threw them into the air, the bombs still detonated in close proximity to them, causing them both to feel the full force of the explosion. When the dust settled, Bulkhead and Bluestreak saw the forms of Dreadwing and Blast Off struggling to stand up, only to pass out from exhaustion. Seeing that the battle was over, Bulkhead raised a hand to his communicator.

"Smokescreen, this is Bulkhead," the Wrecker said, "The 'Cons have been dealt with. We're on our way." With that, he and Bluestreak transformed and drove off.

…

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Smokescreen was following the signal he was picking up on the scanner. He just received word from Bulkhead that he and Bluestreak had dealt with the Decepticons and were on their way, so all he had to do was find the Omega Key and wait for them to arrive. Eventually the rookie arrived at the base of a small cliff and noticed that something was protruding from the rock. Whipping out his blaster, Smokescreen shot out the surrounding rock… to reveal a Cybertronian capsule inside. Quickly pulling it out and removing the lid, Smokescreen saw his prize inside: the Omega Key.

"Hello, Omega Key #3," the rookie happily said to himself as he prepared to reach inside and extract the relic. But before he could even get a finger inside the capsule, something struck him hard on the cranium and knocked him out cold.

…

After a half an hour's drive, Bulkhead and Bluestreak arrived at Smokescreen's coordinates, but then saw that their comrade was lying unconscious next to an empty capsule. Quickly transforming and rushing to their fellow Autobot's side, Bulkhead gently grabbed Smokescreen's arm and gave him a light shake.

"Smokescreen, come on, wake up," Bulkhead said. Just then, Smokescreen groaned and slowly opened his eyes, squinting as the harsh sunlight suddenly flooded his optics.

"What... happened?" Smokescreen groaned as he slowly sat up.

"That's what we want to know, too," Bluestreak said as he helped Smokescreen get back on his feet. Smokescreen then widened his eyes and began to frantically look around the area.

"The Omega Key!" the young soldier exclaimed, "I had it! It was right there in my hands, but then… something got me from behind."

"Dreadwing and Blast Off probably had backup," Bluestreak stated, "That relic's long gone." Bulkhead then activated his communicator.

"Ratchet, we need a bridge," Bulkhead said.

"I… I told Optimus that I'd return with that key," Smokescreen said disappointedly as he looked at his hands. Bulkhead placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen kid," Bulkhead explained in a reassuring manner, "Alpha Trion said we needed all four of the Omega keys to restore Cybertron, remember?"

"Yeah, man, no worries," Bluestreak said as the trio headed for the newly-opened Ground Bridge, "We'll just hold onto the one we already have until we can find a way to snag the other keys from Megatron." With that, the three Autobots entered the Ground Bridge and the portal closed behind them. Unbeknownst to them, however, someone was eavesdropping on them. Starscream stepped out from behind a tree, the Omega Key in his clawed hand, and grew a wide smile on his face.

"The power to restore Cybertron in the palm of my hand once I acquire all four of these Omega Keys," the Seeker said to himself as he looked at his new prize. Then, just as quickly, as he arrived, Starscream fled the area, the Red Energon having granted him the power of hyper-speed.

…

"Smokescreen got sucker-punched. It could've happened to any one of us," Bulkhead told Optimus.

"But it didn't," Smokescreen moped, "Because I was the one who dropped his guard. I was the one who blew it. Some great warrior I'm turning out to be."

"You still don't get it, do you?" Arcee snapped as she approached the rookie, "A few victories aren't going to make you a legend and not every mission ends in success!"

"But it's not right for someone who's destined for greatness!" Smokescreen retorted.

"There is no greatness!" Arcee shouted, "Not for you, not for me, not even for Optimus! We've gained relics and lost some. We've gained and lost friends. Frag, we even lost a world. But this is our only chance for a do-over. We only get one shot at this and everyone in this room needs to be in perfect sync. This isn't about you or your destiny!" If anyone looked away from Arcee for even a moment, they would've noticed that Flareup had a look of pure rage on her face and was clenching her fists so tightly that, if she were human, they would be bleeding.

"Arcee, you've made your point," Optimus intervened.

"Optimus, he needs to hear this," Arcee said.

"You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you guys!" Smokescreen snapped.

"Then quit acting like a hero and start acting like an Autobot," Arcee coldly said. Smokescreen then looked at the other Autobots in the room, even his girlfriend, but her glare was focused on someone else.

"You know what? Maybe I'm not good enough for you guys, then!" Smokescreen yelled before transforming into his vehicle form and speeding out of the base.

"Hey kid, wait!" Jolt cried before transforming and driving after him. Wheelie gave Arcee a small glare before following suit.

"Next time Optimus advises you to stop, maybe you should listen to him," Ratchet said to Arcee.

"I'll go get them," Hound said as he prepared to transform, but Optimus put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Hound, Smokescreen is young and still has much to learn," the Prime explained, "He simply needs time to clear his thoughts. I believe that Wheelie and Jolt are more than capable of bringing him home, and I must finish my decoding of the final Iacon entry."

…

On the Nemesis, Soundwave was also attempting to decode the final Iacon entry while Megatron berated Dreadwing and Blast Off for their failure.

"By the time we got to the relic, it was long gone," Blast Off said, "As were the Autobots."

"Then it would serve us best to not only decode the last entry before Optimus Prime does, but also to recapture the relics being currently held by the Autobots! " Megatron snarled, "Soundwave, despite your primary task, I assume you've managed to locate the Autobot base?" Soundwave only responded with a "negative" beep from his monitor-like face as he showed a scanned image of Los Angeles. He then switched to footage of Laserbeak scouting the area above the Nevada desert.

"Good, at least we have accumulated recent evidence as to where their human allies most likely reside," Megatron said.

…

"Ah, the final entry has been decoded," Optimus said with a sigh of relief.

"Has it?" Ratchet asked. Optimus looked back up at the computer screen. It seemed as though all the codes were merging together.

"This must be another layer of decryption," Optimus said.

…

On the Nemesis, the Decepticons were receiving a similar result as they saw the data codes merging.

"The final entries are forming an image," the Decepticon leader noted, "Why would this entry be so different from the others?"

…

"Maybe it's a picture of the relic," Bulkhead suggested.

"How would that be of any use to us without knowing its location first?" Perceptor replied.

"I assume Alpha Trion had his reasons," Optimus said. Just then, the codes formed the image of an Autobot. An Autobot that no one had seen coming.

"Smokescreen?" Air Raid asked in surprise.

That's my Smokey, Flareup thought, looks like his dreams of greatness might be coming true after all.

…

"One of Optimus Prime's newest recruits is the final relic of Iacon?!" Megatron yelled in confusion.

…

"Is this that hot shot's idea of a joke?" Arcee said. That finally pushed Flareup over the edge.

"THAT'S IT!" the femme Wrecker shouted as she punched Arcee across the jaw and sent her spinning off her feet, followed by a kick that sent her skidding across the room. Arcee tried getting back on her feet, only for Flareup to bum-rush her and pin her against the wall.

"What is wrong with you?" Arcee asked as she struggled against Flareup's surprisingly firm grip.

"You are so smug, you know that?!" Flareup yelled, "You think that everyone is just another dumb soldier, huh? That we couldn't possibly survive without the great and mighty Arcee to keep us in line, huh? Well I've got a news flash for you, glitch: We can get along just fine under Optimus' watch!" Just then, Arcee kicked Flareup in the abdomen, loosening her grip just enough for Arcee to free herself and send Flareup skidding away with an uppercut.

"That's what you think this is about?" Arcee snapped, "Power trips have nothing to do with this! I did that because Smokescreen is immature and needed someone to straighten him out!"

"That's what Optimus is for!" Flareup snapped back, "And I'm pretty sure that you were the same way once. I know that Tailgate was when he first joined the Autobots." That struck a nerve in Arcee.

"Leave Tailgate out of this!" Arcee snapped.

Flareup smirked slightly, knowing that she had finally struck a chord within her rival. Before any more damage could be done, however, Ironhide walked up next to the two femmes and grabbed them by the scruff of their necks, lifted them up, and slammed their heads together. The blow left the two Autobots stunned and in a daze.

"That's enough, you two," the veteran grunted.

"Ironhide is right," Optimus said as he shifted his gaze to the two femmes, who were shaking off the blow, "Petty grudges can be settled at a later date. Right now our primary objective is to figure out how and why Smokescreen is on the list of Iacon relics." Flareup and Arcee glared at each other venomously before walking back to the group, albeit joining separate sides.

"How could Smokescreen have the last relic?" Bumblebee blipped, "He was mostly flying around through space in a stasis capsule."

"Maybe he knows where the last relic is," Warpath suggested.

"And never bothered to mention it to us," Sideswipe added.

"That's a highly unlikely scenario," Perceptor said.

"Agreed," Ratchet concurred, "A most likely possibility is that Smokescreen himself is the key and he does not know it."

"Whatever the case, he may be in grave danger," Optimus said before raising a finger to his communicator, "Smokescreen, return to base immediately." The only response he received was static.

"Looks like he deactivated his com-link," Flareup suggested.

"Let me try Jolt's," Jazz said as he activated his own communicator.

…

Jolt and Wheelie were speeding down the highway after Smokescreen, the former just now detecting the rookie's signature on his scanner.

"Looks like we got him," the junior medic said. Just as he and Wheelie were about to engage their overdrives, Jolt received something on his communicator.

"Jolt, it's Jazz," the lieutenant said, "We just found out something you're not going to believe: Smokescreen is the last relic of Iacon. It's very likely that the Decepticons have also found this out, so yours and Wheelie's mission is to find Smokescreen and get him back to base, ASAP."

"On it, Jazz," Jolt replied before shutting off his communicator, "Pedal to the medal, kid." With that, the two Autobots kicked their engines into overdrive and zoomed down the road after Smokescreen.

…

Smokescreen was continuing his drive down the freeway as he tried to clear his head. Little did he know that as he drove, three pairs of eyes were hot on his tail, and one of them was not friendly.

…

On the Nemesis, Megatron, Soundwave and Onslaught watched the footage from Laserbeak. Megatron grinned sadistically.

"It seems our little side project is now paying off," Megatron said before activating his com-link, "Dreadwing, ready the Seeker twins and prepare to bridge to the coordinates Soundwave is sending you."

…

Smokescreen continued driving when he saw two familiar headlights in his rear view.

"What are you doing out here, Jolt?" the rookie asked.

"No time to explain, kid," Jolt replied as he and Wheelie caught up to him, "All that matters is getting you back to bas-" Jolt was suddenly cut off by the sound of a Ground Bridge opening up and blaster fire raining down upon the three of them. The three Autobots transformed into their robot forms and prepared for battle. Dreadwing, accompanied by Sunstorm and his twin Jetstorm, transformed and landed in front of them.

"Three-on-three, we can take 'em," Wheelie said as he whipped out his Energon Battle Pistol. Smokescreen then remembered saying something similar in Egypt, before Megatron blasted him through a wall.

"Don't get cocky, kiddo," Smokescreen said.

"Surrender, Autobots, and you will not be harmed," Dreadwing, attempting to use his charisma to avoid a confrontation, especially since he still hadn't fully recovered from that explosion. Jolt simply brought out his electric whips.

"Like that's going to happen," the junior medic said before lashing one of his whips at the Seekers, who easily leapt aside. Sunstorm then shifted his arm into a strange kind of blaster and fired an orange beam at Jolt's chest, causing searing pain for the Autobot.

"The Solar Rifle," Sunstorm explained with a grin, "Fires a beam of energy so callously hot that it feels like the sun itself is burning on you." Wheelie tried to get a shot at Sunstorm, only for Jetstorm to blast him aside, but this beam felt completely the opposite of the Solar Rifle.

"The Cryo Blaster," Jetstorm lectured, "Capable of releasing a frigid beam of energy so cold that it can freeze open flame." The beam hit Wheelie's shoulder and encased it in a block of ice, rendering the arm useless. Smokescreen tried to help his fellow Autobots, only for a beam of sonic waves to hit him and knock him aside. Smokescreen looked up and saw Soundwave standing over him, Resonance Blaster on his left arm. The frequency of the blast was so potent that Smokescreen blacked out just moment after getting hit. Jolt swung his whips at Sunstorm, who simply dodged the attack and punched the Autobot in the abdomen. The force of the hit brought Jolt to his knees. Sunstorm then moved in and fired the Solar Rifle again, the beam hitting Jolt's head. The searing pain was overwhelming for the Autobot, as his processor overheated and knocked him right out. Wheelie, who was unable to fight due to having a frozen arm, quickly hid behind a boulder and placed his free hand on his communicator.

…

"Optimus, come in, it's Wheelie," everyone heard the youngling say.

"Wheelie, what is your status?" Optimus asked, already fearing the situation.

"We caught up to Smokescreen and were about to bring him back to the base, when Dreadwing and two weird-looking Seekers came out of nowhere and are attacking us," Wheelie replied.

"Ratchet, open a Ground Bridge at Wheelie's coordinates now!" Optimus frantically ordered, Ratchet typing in the coordinates and activating the portal; "Wheelie, we're coming your way. Just hold on."

"Just hurry!" Wheelie cried, "I don't think we have much ti-" Just then, another voice entered the communication.

"Trying to call for backup, kid?" the voice of Jetstorm said, "I don't think so." Suddenly the communication cut out.

"Autobots, move out!" Optimus ordered, not even bothering to transform and sprinting through the portal fast as his legs could carry him, the other Autobots, sans Ratchet, following suit.

…

The Autobots arrived at Wheelie's coordinates, but they only saw Soundwave, Dreadwing and the Seeker Twins dragging the three unconscious Autobots through their own Ground Bridge. Optimus quickly opened fire on the four Decepticons, but the portal had already closed.

"NO!" Optimus shouted. Flareup, not wanting to believe what she just witnessed, lost all footing and collapsed to her knees in despair.

This can't be happening again, the femme Wrecker thought as she trembled with sorrow and grief, I almost lost him once. I can't lose him like this again! Suddenly she felt someone lifting her onto her feet. Flareup looked behind her and saw Bulkhead looking at her with equal sadness and pity in his optics. Bulkhead then wrapped his arms around his fellow Wrecker and let her vent, Flareup quickly returning the embrace. The final Omega Key, and hope of Cybertron's restoration, was now in the hands of the Decepticons.

…

First of all, I just want to say how very sorry I am for not updating this story in a while, but there were so many things that I had to try and do in real life and I couldn't find enough time to write. Second of all, I can only thank your patience enough through words, so this chapter is my way of showing my gratitude. That being said, the next chapter will start the first battle for Cybertron's new life, and also the side story of a certain Autobot lieutenant headhunting a certain Decepticon Seeker after learning what he did to his partner. As always, read, enjoy, and review!