Author's note: Remember Predacons Rising and RiD 2015? Forget those! This story is a continuity where Prime got a proper fourth season instead of the rushed ending that it did. And I'll admit, after just doing G1 and an AU not set in any continuity, it'll be nice to tackle another one of my favorites.

Episode 1: Return to Earth

Optimus Prime followed his fellow Autobots to the space bridge, ready to return to Cybertron. He stopped and turned to the humans he had befriended on Earth... and Ratchet. One of his oldest friends and most trusted 'bots. As much as he knew he would miss the company of his friend, he knew Ratchet was right to stay here with the humans. Optimus gave a nod to the group as if to say farewell, and a smile crept across the stoic Autobot leader's face. With that, he turned and followed the other Autobots, ready to repair their home world.

Five years later...

"My fellow Decepticons..." Starscream spoke as he stood before a group of beaten and battered Decepticons. Ever since the fall of Megatron and the revival of Cybertron, Starscream, Shockwave, and whatever Decepticons still remained online had fled to a planet not far from Cybertron, a volcanic planet known as Chaar. With no one else to lead, Starscream... less than reluctantly assumed that position. "Today it has been five years since Megatron, our leader perished at the hands of the Autobots, and since then they have been ruthlessly hunting down others of our kind. Locking them in stockades, executing them... The medic from my old team with Megatron hasn't been seen or heard from since the Autobots offed Megatron." He sighed. "But alas, as your leader, I will do what I can to tear the grasp the Autobots hold over Cybertron from them, and once more our home will be ours!" He exclaimed. Cheering erupted from the group in front of him, believing every word he spoke. Starscream bowed and left the group, resorting back to his chambers that he had fashioned from one of the caves on the planet. Once inside, he sulked down in a makeshift throne and sighed to himself.

"Command is no fun when all you have to command are grunts and half dead mechs on their last gallon of energon." He remarked, sulking down. Outside, Shockwave turned and walked into his chambers.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting anything." Shockwave said to the Decepticon leader.

"What do you want, Shockwave?" Starscream asked, not bothering to lift the hand covering his face.

"I've come to tell you that from what I have gathered, despite your speech, that morale is depleting... rapidly. I would heavily advise a course of action to repair that. An assault on a cargo ship perhaps." Shockwave explained. Starscream grumbled and looked up at the scientist.

"In our current state that would doom us all," Starscream replied. "Even their cargo ships are too heavily armed for our troops in their current state, and an attack would no doubt lead to their discovery of our base."

"Your response is... logical." Shockwave noted. "However I do advise that you should do something about the depleting morale... fast." He noted, turning and walking away, leaving Starscream alone once more. The air warrior pouted and looked up at the cave ceiling.

"Megatron... as much as I may have despised you... you were definitely better at handling these problems than I seem to be..." Starscream remarked, uttering words he never would have admitted to the face of his former leader.

The former leader in question? Laying at the bottom of the ocean on Earth. Vegetation grew over his body and the lifeless husk had been made a home to plenty of sea creatures. What Starscream, the Decepticons, or even the Autobots for that matter didn't know was... Bumblebee had missed. The Star Saber impaled Megatron, but only scraped his spark, sending him into a stasis lock, unable to move, see, or communicate, but very much alive in his thoughts.

"Five infernal years I have been stuck like this, no body, just... a voice." Megatron snarled inside his mind. "That imbecilic jet plane Starscream has probably run the Decepticons into the ground! Soundwave disappeared not long before my supposed demise, and Shockwave is... well... Shockwave seems to manage regardless of what is thrown upon him." He remarked. "But what of Megatron? Conqueror of worlds? Nothing! No troops to command, nothing but a voice with no response!" But this time, there was a response.

"Megatron, Megatron, Megatron..." A voice chuckled. That voice. Megatron knew that voice. "How the mighty seemed to have fallen." It was... Unicron.

"Unicron?" Megatron asked. "What are..."

"My blood has flown through your veins, in a way, we are one." Unicron answered. "I have listened to you moan and pout for the past five years, to be blunt, it has been insufferable."

"Five years you have listened to me?" Megatron asked. "And now you make yourself known?"

"I felt you may have been able to sense me." Unicron answered. "But alas, I gave you too much credit. You fell to an Autobot scout no less, so I suppose giving you the credit was my own fault."

"You decide to make your presence known merely to insult me?" Megatron asked with a sigh.

"No." Unicorn answered. "I made my presence known to give you an offer."

"What kind of offer?" Megatron asked.

"I am offering you a second chance, a new body." Unicron answered. "I shall fuse my lifeblood with yours and grant you a new body, a more powerful body, you will be stronger, faster, more alive." Megatron thought, surely this couldn't be without it's own price to pay.

"What's the catch?" Megatron asked.

"Your end of the bargain is that you are to do as I say, you may be commanding your army in physical form, but you will be doing my bidding." Unicron replied.

"And what could you possibly want?" Megatron asked.

"Ah ah... that part comes later." Unicron replied. "So... do we have a deal?" Megatron thought once more, the price for him was far smaller than he had assumed, this seemed like a perfect opportunity.

"I... accept your terms." Megatron nodded.

Up above, two fishermen sat on their boat, resting their chins in their hands as they sat waiting for their lines to be pulled on by fish. Suddenly, a boom erupted from the bottom of the ocean and the ocean lit up with luminescent purple for a fraction of a second, the two exchanged looks and looked out to the sea. Suddenly, crashing through the top of the ocean and into the air was a large purple robot, much like Megatron in shape, but a larger helmet with crown like spikes coming from the top. On his arm was a orange cannon, the robot grinned sadistically as he looked at his new body.

"Behold..." Unicron's voice echoed. "Galvatron."

"To Cybertron!" The Decepticon formerly known as Megatron bellowed, flying up into space. The two fishermen exchanged dumbfounded looks, unsure of what they had just seen.

"What on Earth was that!?" A fishermen exclaimed.

Galvatron hovered over Cybertron's atmosphere, looking over the thriving planet. But to him, something seemed off. "Odd... no signs of Decepticon signals, they seem to be emanating from another planet, Chaar." He remarked, flying over the planet to Chaar.

Down below, the Autobot Bulkhead sat in a room, monitoring the signals over Cybertron, but Galvatron managed to slip past him? How? Because Bulkhead wasn't paying attention, he had other matters on his mind. He looked over to the wall in his work station, on the wall was the Apex Armor disk, he had held onto it after Miko, his human partner, used it the day they beat Megatron. He liked to look at it from time to time to remember all the good times he had on Earth with Miko... with Team Prime. He hadn't seen most of the members of Team Prime since Cybertron's restoration was completed. Optimus Prime was now supreme commander over Cybertron with Ultra Magnus as his adviser, Optimus' role was was more of a figurehead thanks to how quiet the Decepticons had been, Ratchet stayed on Earth with Fowler and the kids, Bumblebee and Smokescreen had now enlisted into the elite guard, Arcee was training young bots aspiring to be espionage agents, and Wheeljack had been off planet still in search of other Autobots that may still be out there. There was only one familiar face from his days with Team Prime he still saw regularly...

"Knock knock." The familiar voice said, this was the now ex Decepticon, Knockout. Bulkhead nodded and looked back at the screens. "Oh, don't tell me, you're in another one of your moods again." Knockout chuckled, walking in.

"What are you doing here, Knockout?" Bulkhead asked. "Shouldn't you be in the medical ward?"

"You know I get bored there." Knockout replied, sitting down at a chair at the monitor screens next to Bulkhead. "I thought I'd visit an old chum."

"Old chum?" Bulkhead arched his brow. "You weaseled your way into the Autobot ranks after Megatron was destroyed, if it were up to me you'd be disassembled for spare parts."

"There's no need to be rude, we're all on the same team... now." Knockout replied. "Besides, you long for Earth, I can tell."

"Real perceptive." Bulkhead grumbled. "Look, if it's all the same to you, I just wanna be left alone."

"Fine." Knockout shrugged. "I guess I'll just go." He sighed dramatically as he left. Bulkhead sighed and looked back at the screen.

"Yep. No blips. Just like the past five years." Bulkhead muttered. Had he looked at the screen moments ago it would have been different, but since he was preoccupied, Galvatron managed to slip by. Setting a course straight for Chaar.

On Chaar, Starscream was meeting with one of his Decepticons, a tall and bulky blue and green Decepticon with a square faceplate and beaming red visor, with two large cannons mounted on his back. This was Starscream's head general, Onslaught.

"I figure we send an Autobot distress signal, say someone crashed here and needs repairs, rescue ships generally carry a bunch of energon cubes. We frag the bots on the ship, we get a bunch of energon and can wage an attack on the Autobots." Onslaught spoke to his leader.

"That's all well and good, Onslaught." Starscream answered. "But how do we fashion an Autobot distress signal?"

"I..." Onslaught paused. "I don't know, I really specialize in blowing stuff up, not planning stuff." Starscream grumbled and sunk his head into his hands, about to speak. Before he could, Shockwave entered the room.

"Lord Starscream." He spoke. "There seems to be a spacecraft approaching. Allegiance unknown."

"Scrap." Starscream remarked, knowing if it was hostile his army had no chance of overpowering them. "Onslaught, assemble your crew, their probably the best asset we have at this given moment." He ordered his general.

"Yes Lord Starscream." Onslaught nodded with a salute, leaving to rally his subsidiary team of Decepticons, known as the Combaticons. Onslaught led the harty crew of warriors, the others consisted of Brawl, a green and brown trigger happy tank, Blast Off, a reckless purple and brown space shuttle, Swindle, an untrustworthy yellow and purple SUV who had a track record of selling Decepticon tech to the highest bidder, and Vortex, a sadistic interrogations expert with a gray and purple color scheme and a helicopter alternate mode. Starscream had encountered them not long after he and Shockwave fled Cybertron on a stolen Autobot cruiser. Starscream recalled the team from his time during the war for Cybertron and was more than happy to hae them once again on his side.

"Update on the vessel Lord Starscream." Blast Off spoke to Starscream. "It appears to be too small for anyone to pilot, it's a Cybertronian."

"Well... at least there's only one then." Starscream remarked. "Be ready on the offensive." He ordered the Combaticons. Starscream looked up to the ship now approaching, the shape of it looked eerily familiar to him, but it couldn't be him... it couldn't be.

The ship transformed and Galvatron landed, looking directly at the group of Decepticons ready to meet him, he glanced at the Combaticons, then settled his gaze at Starscream and Shockwave. Starscream's eyes widened and his wings drooped, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was Megatron! But how?

"Megatron? Is that you?" Starscream stammered nervously.

"It's Galvatron now, Starscream..." Galvatron replied. "Shockwave, good to see you once again."

"It is very good to see you again, Lord Meg... Galvatron." Shockwave nodded.

"I trust Starscream hasn't run the Decepticons too far into the ground?" Galvatron asked as he walked with Shockwave.

"Nothing that cannot be repaired with your leadership," Shockwave replied. Starscream stayed behind where they anticipated Galvatron's arrival with the Combaticons. Grumbling slightly to himself, reminded by all the ways he despised Megatron suddenly.

"Boss seemed pleased to see you, 'Screamer." Swindle chuckled.

"It was wise of you not to protest when he usurped command from you," Vortex remarked. "Had you stood against it he would have blown you to dust."

"I don't think he even thought about standing his ground! He was frozen!" Brawl laughed.

"I thought you said Megatron was dead, now he's back with a new name and a neon paint job?" Onslaught pondered.

"Shut up, all of you." Starscream ordered. At that point, Galvatron hollered out to all Decepticons to meet him at once, the Comabaticons all exchanged looks before walking over to Galvatron, Starscream sighed and followed them.

"Fellow Decepticons," Galvatron spoke to the crowd, which really consisted of Starscream, the Combaticons, Shockwave, and three others, built similar to Starscream but in different colors. "For years now, we've been in hiding from the accursed Autobots, I remember a time in which the Decepticons ruled Cybertron and the galaxy with an iron fist! I say it's time we take that rulership back!" He hollered, the Decepticons in the group erupted in cheering, all but one. Starscream.

"We form an attack tomorrow, a place Optimus Prime is sure to have his eye on." Galvatron chuckled. "Earth..."

Down on Earth, Ratchet punched in ground bridge coordinates inside of Hangar E, which triggered a portal. "Alright team, ground bridge is open, now get back here with that quantum nuclear engine." He instructed.

"Will do, Ratchet. Over and out." Jack's voice spoke through the monitor. Moments later, Jack, Raf, and Miko stepped through the ground bridge, carefully hauling the quantum nuclear engine with them. The ground bridge vanished and the three took their helmets off, revealing the now adult faces of the three.

"Good work." Agent Fowler spoke through a video call on the monitor. "This ought to prolong the arrival of World War III for a few more years. Over and out." He said as the video call ended.

"Won't they just be able to build another one?" Jack asked aloud.

"Not without the blueprints and schematics." Raf smirked, holding up a USB holding said information. Gaining applause from the others.

"Yeah! Good thinking Raf!" Miko exclaimed, giving him a congratulatory pat on the back.

"Good thinking, Rafael." Ratchet commended him. "Now, let's put this engine away where it... along with the continent, can be safe." He said, lifting the container that held the engine within. "Are you coming, Rafael?" He asked the human.

"Um, if it's all right with you Ratchet, I think I'm going to stay here for now." Raf replied. Ratchet understood, he nodded and walked off with the engine. Raf turned to Miko, who had already moved to the small lounge area set up in the hangar. Jack with her. Both of them seemed rather down despite the success of the mission, and Raf knew why.

"C'mon Miko," Jack said to her as Raf walked over. "You did great out there, and if he right now, he'd be so proud of you."

"I know that, Jack." Miko replied irritably. "I just miss him," She said, in reference to her old partner, Bulkhead. "I miss all of them, Bulk', Wheeljack, I even miss Ultra Magnus now and then." She said.

"I know how you feel." Raf said. "I miss them too."

"Yeah, you aren't the only one, Miko." Jack nodded. "I mean, you think we have it bad, think about Ratchet for a second, he's known them all longer than any of us have, saying goodbye to them must have been a lot harder for him."

"It was." Ratchet's voice answered above them. "Sorry to cut in on your conversation, I have excellent hearing." He said. "Optimus Prime and I have known each other for millions of years. Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead I knew for almost as long." He sighed. "But, I knew that what I was doing was right."

"How did you know?" Miko asked. Ratchet thought for a minute, unsure of what to say. Not knowing how to respond, he chose to reply in a very typical Ratchet fashion.

"What is this?" He asked. "An interview?" He scoffed, turning to walk away. As he walked, he thought for a minute, did he really know if he made the right choice? Now he was starting to have his doubts, acknowledging now that not seeing all his old friends affected him just as much as it affected Jack, Miko, and Raf. "Say..." He spoke aloud, formulating an idea.

"What?" Miko asked.

"What if... perhaps we could get Fowler's approval to take a temporary leave... would the three of you be interested in, oh I don't know, visiting Cybertron? I could get into contact with Optimus Prime, he'd be sure to alert Bumblebee and the others." Ratchet offered. "Only if you're interested, of course." Hearing this idea, all three of the humans' faces beamed, Miko especially, who jumped for joy.

"Really!?" She exclaimed. "Yes! I would totally love that!" She said, running over to Ratchet, hugging his ankle excitedly. "Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" She exclaimed.

"Yap yap yap yap." Ratchet dismissed her. "We still need Fowler's approval, don't get too excited." He said, deep down knowing that Fowler would indeed approve of the team's leave. He was right, that evening he informed Fowler of his intentions and Fowler agreed with his idea. Ratchet contacted Optimus Prime about his intentions and Optimus was very pleased with the idea and would be sure to let the former members of Team Prime know.

The next day, Ratchet and the others prepared to fire up the bridge, which had been linked with the space bridge that currently orbited Cybertron. Upon arrival, they'd be greeted with a shuttle that would take them down to Cybertron.

"I do hope everyone is ready." Ratchet said as he typed in the coordinates, ready to fire up the bridge. Jack and Raf nodded, Miko however, looked around, seeming to have forgot something.

"Hold on! I forgot my camera, I wanna be sure to get some pics of this!" She said, running off to her quarters. "Don't leave without me, I'll be back in a minute!" She called. Ratchet sighed and waited, the space bridge had now been activated, awaiting Miko's return.

Meanwhile, Galvatron watched the large space bridge over Cybertron, the other Decepticons ready behind him. "Looks like we'll be taking the quicker way, huh boss?" Swindle remarked.

"Indeed. The coordinates match that of Earth." Galvatron nodded. "Decepticons! To the space bridge!" He ordered, the team flew forward, ready to go through to Earth. On the space bridge docks, two workers stood and waited for Ratchet and the humans to come through, both sharing a similar body type, stocky builds with a large hood over their heads, but with a differentiation in color, one was primarily orange with blue, the other blue and white. The blue one being slightly taller than the orange one.

"I tell you." The orange one complained to the other. "Four stinkin' stellar cycles we've been stationed up here after those bozos Bulkwad and Wheeljerk built this." He griped. "What did they tell us? 'Guard the space bridge!' That's it!" He exclaimed.

"Uhh... Huffer?" The blue one stammered, seeing the cluster of Decepticons approach.

"In all this time, nothing has come through here! Nothing! Certainly no Decepticons!" Huffer griped.

"Huffer!?" The blue one stuttered as the group got closer.

"Optimus wants this stinkin' thing guarded so bad, why ain't he up here!?" Huffer bickered. "No! He gets a cushy office job!" He exclaimed. "Hey, Pipes!" He called to the other. "Are you even payin' attention?" At this time, he noticed why he hadn't replied, Huffer ran up to beside Pipes, and stood in the same fear as his build twin.

"Decepticons..." Pipes remarked as Galvatron landed in front of them.

"Perceptive." Galvatron grinned as he grabbed the two smaller Autobots. "You can't... fly, can you?" He asked with a sly grin.

"No.. no sir..." Pipes stammered nervously.

"Good." Galvatron noted. "Because now you get the chance!" He said, throwing both of them off with a heavy toss. Sending the two Autobots spinning off into deep space. "Decepticons! Forward!" With that, the group of eleven Decepticons advanced through the space bridge.

Back on Earth, Miko had just gotten back with her camera, ready to go. "Finally found that infernal camera, space bridges use a lot of energon, you know!" Ratchet griped.

"Sorry." Miko said sarcastically. Just as the group walked forward, ready to enter, a Cybertronian entered before them. A Cybertronian sickeningly familiar to Ratchet and the humans.

"Megatron!?" Ratchet was taken aback by Galvatron suddenly stepping forward.

"Close, but wrong." Galvatron grinned. "Decepticons! Attack!" He commanded, the other Decepticons stepped forward through the space bridge, weapons armed and ready to fire.

"Oh scrap." Miko gulped.

Back on Cybertron, Team Prime had been gathered, awaiting the arrival of Ratchet and the humans. Minutes had gone by, surely they would have at least boarded the shuttle. Something must have gone wrong. Optimus radioed up to the space bridge dock to see what was going on.

"Optimus Prime to Huffer and Pipes. Come in Huffer and Pipes." Optimus spoke into his comlink, no answer, only static.

"What's happening?" Arcee asked, anxiety rising in her tone.

"You think it might be Decepticons?" Smokecreen asked.

"I doubt it." Wheeljack replied. "Pipes probably fell asleep at the monitor again." Just then, another Autobot ran up to the group, calling Optimus Prime's name. Bulkhead recognized him, he was his partner at the security bureau. He was a bot about the same height as Bumblebee and Smokescreen, with a flat torso consisting of his alternate mode's hood and a large shoulder cannon with a white and red color scheme.

"What is it, Red Alert?" Optimus asked the 'bot, twitching and mumbling in a fit of nerves.

"Optimus!" He stammered. "You're never going to believe this." He twitched. "But... but but there's been an attack on the space bridge!" He exclaimed. "Pipes and Huffer are nowhere to be seen on the dock, and mere astroseconds ago, eleven Decepticon signals went through! Including Shockwave and Starscream!" He exclaimed. Team Prime exchanged worried looks. Optimus knew timing was everything at this moment.

"Autobots, get to the nearest shuttle you can find. Time is precious." He ordered. Optimus, Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Smokescreen, and Ultra Magnus ran to the nearest shuttle they could find. A cargo shuttle about to take off, taking over it, Optimus flew the shuttle up to the space bridge, hoping that when the arrived it wouldn't be too late.

To be continued...