The warrior crouched in the shadows of the second story of Iacon's Great Library. He looked directly forward, never diverting his gaze to glance at the huge shelves full of the glittering gold and silver of the knowledge they held for even a moment. His target was ahead, and ahead he would go.

He crept to the edge of the massive hole that allowed those in the second story to look down into the lower floor and carefully peeked over, as not to be seen and studied what was below. Shelves lined with data pads and V-Sigma Canisters filled most of the room, the center had a large lighting well with a holographic fire projected inside it. Around the light, Seven rounded desks were positioned and around those thirteen chairs, two to each desk except one. The largest desk had a single chair that had its back to the warrior. In the chair, a large Red and Purple cybertronian sat with a rather fancy quill pen in hand and writing in a large book.

He scanned the old bot to be sure that it was his target. Upon verifying that it was indeed who it seemed to be, the warrior reached onto his back and grabbed a stick like device, which upon being sent a mental signal, silently extended into a bo-staff. He stood to his full height, backed away from the edge a little and took a running leap. He held his bo-staff in front of him so it would make contact with his targets skullplate before he himself did.

But moments before he succeeded in taking down the Elder, everything went horribly wrong. The chair turned around, and the seemingly old and frail bot held up the book it had been writing in, which nearly immediately projected a hard light shield from under its cover. The bo-staff bounced off of the strange armor and the warrior only barely landed on its feet behind the Elder. The older bot whipped around, holding the quill pen in its right servo. The pen's "feather" projected a hard light blade and the warrior gasped in horror as his intended victim drove the glowing blue blade through his back plating and into his spark. The old bot deactivated his blade, and the warrior fell to his hands and knees.

"Well done Smokescreen," the older bot told the warrior, offering him a servo to help him up. Smokescreen rolled onto his back and grabbed his teacher's servo.

"I lost," he stated bluntly as the Elder helped him to his feet.
"Yes, but you came closer to succeeding than you ever have before."

"I shall never be as great a warrior as you Alpha Trion," Smokescreen stated with obvious disappointment in his voice.

"On the contrary, in time you will be able to fight against more powerful bots than I, and stand victorious. Do not despair, you will prove yourself when you are ready."

"Well he better be ready quick. The Forged are knockin' at the Decagon's main gate, it won't be long until they find their way here," a gruff, southern sounding voice responded.

Alpha Trion and Smokscreen turned to the entryway of the library, where a heavily armored mech stood with arms crossed, staring at them. His red paint was covered in dings and scratches beyond count, and one optic was dimmer than the other. Each arm had a large cannon affixed to it, and a scatter blaster was slung across his back. His name was Ironhide, first lieutenant of the Wreckers.

"They're packin' Furmanite 'nades too. And on the way here I found a Autotrooper, half eaten. That can only mean one thing"

"Insecticons," Smokscreen growled.

"Exactly," Ironhide turned to Trion, "Sir, I heavily suggest that we get the Pit outta here, follow me"
The three of them rushed out of the library into the large main hall of the Iacon Arts and Science building, which housed both the Library and the Decagon. They ran down the hall until the reached the first intersection of the main hall and a secondary hall. There, five Autotroopers joined them, armed with the Anti-organic weaponry that had proven so effective against Insecticons in the past.

"You two," Ironhide pointed at two Troopers, "scout ahead, and radio me if you encounter any Forged or Insecticons"

"Yes sir," the troopers said in unison before dashing down the hall to the next intersection.
One trooper radioed all clear, and the rest of the party moved to his position. The other continued on to the next intersection, checking for enemies.

"Clear...Clear...Clear...Cleeeaaaaahhhh!" the trooper screamed as a powerful Furmanite blast explosively neutralized all the Energon in his frame.

"Ah frag!" Ironhide shouted, raising his cannons to aim at the supports of the last intersection the trooper had checked before his demise. The five remaining Troopers did the same,"Fire!"
The Troopers and Ironhide all fired, the lasers and missiles streaking towards the supports. An Insecticon and two Forged turned the corner and took aim at the Autobots. Ironhide's Missiles made contact, and the supports cracked and a large section of the roof fell into the hall, smashing the Decepticon's into scrap.

"That will hold their comrades off for a few minutes, hopefully long enough for the two of ya to escape. Go down this side hallway to the right. It leads to the main hangar. In the hanger you will find a Wrecker dropship, take it and get the scrap away from here. Iacon is under attack, so don't even think about landin' 'til ya get to someplace that ain't under Con control."
Alpha Trion stroked his beard for a moment and then asked, "What about you commander?"

"Me and the boys are gonna hold the Pit spawned bugs off long enough for ya to escape," Ironhide saluted, "Its been nice servin' with ya Sir. Now go!"