Madalyn, Miko, Raf, and Jack were playing a couple rounds of Mario Kart Double Dash while Bulkhead and Bumblebee watched them, standing behind the railings of the living space. 

"Ha! I'm in the lead!" Raf cheered. 

"Not for long, I'm gaining on ya!" Madalyn grinned. 

"Go! go! go!" yelled Jack. 

"No fair! You guys keep getting all the good items!" complained Miko. 

Bumblebee and Bulkhead's optics were focused on the T.V. screen, waiting to see who would win the race. "Its gonna be close!" said Bulkhead. 

On the screen at the top left corner, the two racers were the first to cross the finish line and a news banner popped up that said 'Player 1 wins!'. Player 1 was Madalyn. 

"Yes! In your face!" cheered Madalyn, jumping up from the couch. 

"No fair Madalyn, you've been driving a lot longer than I have!" said Raf while giggling. 

"Beep beep bop bop beep! 'That was awesome! Do it again!" Bumblebee cheered, fist pumping. 

"Nice job, Romanoff." said Bulkhead as he gave her a high-five. 

Just then the alarm erupted across the room, the source coming from Ratchet's computer. "Optimus, you're not going to believe this!" Ratchet called. 

Optimus entered the room as the others gather around the medic, the kids standing up from their places at the couch and running over to the railings. 

"What is it Ratchet?" asked Madalyn. 

"I have just learned the location of the Decepticon war ship!" He answered. 

"How were you able to penetrate their cloaking technology?" asked Optimus. 

"I didn't. I was merely experimenting with the different frequency links when I came across it," explained Ratchet, pointing at the screen. "Even still, their ship must be suffering from a electromagnetic crash." 

"With Megatron desisted, and the element of surprise.." Arcee growled as she pounded her fists together. 

"We could cause some serious damage!" Bulkhead finished with agreement. 

Then on the screen another set of coordinates popped up, displaying the image of a second ship. Only this time it was a different colour. The Decepticon warship was red, but this new one was blue. 

"What's that Ratchet?" asked Madalyn as she pointed to the screen. 

"Hmm," Ratchet looked up at the screen, typing in a few things on his keyboard. "And on the same frequency... an Autobot emergency beacon."  

"There's more bots here?" asked Raf. 

"The Decepticons can wait. There maybe Autobots in distress." Optimus stated before looking over at the medic. "Ratchet, bring your medical kit." 

Ratchet locked on to the coordinates and opened the ground bridge. 

"Optimus wait!" Madalyn yelped. "If there is a possibility that those Autobots on that ship are still alive, then its my duty as an agent Unit-E, to bare witness." 

Optimus nodded and stretched out his hand. Madalyn climbed on and Optimus setting her down to the floor next to him and Ratchet. 

"Optimus, are you sure it's a good idea to bring Madalyn with us? Who knows what we might find in there." Ratchet advised. 

"Not to worry old friend. She's safe with me. Lets roll." said Optimus as the three of them walked through the ground bridge.

*******

Optimus, Ratchet, and Madalyn walked out of the other side of the ground bridge and arrived at what appeared to be the Sahara Desert. 

"Whoa." Madalyn spoke in awe as she stared that the crashed Autobot ship. 

"A crash landing. Buried here forcenturies." said Optimus. "Lets go take a look" said Madalyn as she ran ahead up the sand hill. She looked around and found what appeared to be a door that leads inside. She waved to Optimus and Ratchet, to let them know she found it. Optimus and Ratcet walked up to the entrance, andRatchet made anopening with his laser and kicked the door down. The bots stepped inside while Madalyn jumped in. Once she was in, she took out her pistol from her pistol pouch on herright leg, and loaded it. Ratchetheard the noise and looked down at her with a funny look. " What? Just in case. Can't be too causis." said Madalyn. Ratchet shrugged as he andOptimus turned on their flashlights. "If they traveled in statis, then their must be survivors." said Ratchet. Then all of a sudden the ship started rocking to the right abit, cause the bots andMadalyn to lose their balance for awhile. They continued moving fowarduntill they found a door at the end. It was password locked. Madalyn found the control panel, and aimed her pistol at it and shots it. "Try opening it" said Madalyn as she turned to Optimus. Optimus nodded and walked over to the door, and used his strengh to force it open. The three of them walked into the control room. Madalyn looked around while holding her gun up and aiming it at where-ever she looked.Until she looked down and found afew cybertronian skeletons. "Ahh!"screamed Madalyn. She aimed her pistol at thehead of one of them, but she didn't shot. Optimus and Ratchet heard her scream and walked over to where shewas, and they saw the skeletons. "By the allspark!" whispered Ratchet. He knelt down at one of them and started scanning it. "Optimus... what happened here?" asked Madalyn. Optimus shook his head meaning he didn't know. "Optimus! These autobots didn't die in the crash. They are displaying the effects of a virus!" explained Ratchet. "A virus?" asked Madalyn. "This is a plauge ship." answered Optimus. Optimus started walking towards one of the dead autobots but Ratchet puts his arm infront of him and stops him. "Don't touch anything! The virus could still be active!" said Ratchet. "It can?!?" asked Madalyn. Just then the ship started rocking again, and all three of them lot their balance completely and slide down against the wall. "Oww... I need to work on my posture." said Madalyn as she rubbed her head. Madalyn and Optimus looked up and a dead autobot was hanging from the ceiling. Some drops of the infected energon came falling down, and they were headed for Madalyn. "Not good!" yelled Madalyn. Optimus grabed a hold of Madalyn to protect her from the energonand he got the drops on him instead of Madalyn. "E.. ahhh... ahhh!" yelled Optimus as the energon started spreading through his circuitery and he let go of Madalyn. "No!" said Ratchet. "Oh no, Optimus!" yelled Madalyn "Raf! We need a bridge, send it fast it's an emergancy!" "Im on it." said Raf through the com-link. A ground bridge opened in the middle of the room. Ratchet helped Optimus up, and puts Optimus's right arm around him, so Ratchet could carry him through the bridge while Madalyn ran in from behind.

Ratchet layed Optimus down on one of the medic beds. He took out his scanner and scanned Optimus's right optic. It was were the virus was most effecting him. It looked like a blackish-brownish brusie on his face. "Is he going to be ok Ratchet?" askedRaf. "Whatis that virus?" asked Madalyn with a worried tone in her voice,who was standing next to Optimus's medic-bed. "It's Cybonic Plauge. Its contagious if only made contact with the infected energon." explained Ratchet. "What was a plauge doing in an autobot space ship?" asked Miko. "Its passengers were infected." answered Arcee "The virus wiped out millions onCybertron during the great war." "Millions?" said Madalyn. "Cybonic Plauge was invented and engineered in the DecepticonBiological Warfare Program." explained Ratchet "By Megatron himself." "Megatron?" said Madalyn with a scared edge in her voice. "You have a cure, don't you?" asked Raf. "Uhh...no.. cure.." said Optimus as he could barely talk. "Optimus please, save your strengh." ordered Ratchet. "Why would Megatron create a virus without a cure? What if he caught it by accident?" asked Jack. "It's not like we could ask Megatron, Jack. He's pushing up lugnuts." answered Bulkhead. "But, we might be able to access the Decepticon Database." said Ratchet "For the moment, we still have the location of their warship." " Bumblebee, come with!" said Arcee as she walked over to the ground bridge and typed in the warship's location. "Arcee... quickly." said Ratchet. Madalyn could hear Optimus'sheavy breathing. She stared at him with a sad and worried look. "Hang in their big guy. We'll find you, a cure. I promise." whispered Madalyn. Arcee activated the ground bridge and Bumblebee went through. But beforeArcee went, she turned back at Optimus and noticed Madalyn. "Hey Madalyn!" said Arcee. Madalyn turned and looked at Arcee. "Optimus as always been there for you. This time, right now, do you want to be there for him?" she asked as she waved to the ground bridge asking herif she wanted to go with them. Madalyn wiped a small tear off her face, and puts on a serious face and nods. She runs over to Arcee, and theyrun through the bridge to meet up with Bumblebee. "Arcee... Watch over her." said Ratchet as the ground bridge closed.

Bumblebee, Arcee, and Madalyn ran through and they all had theire guns out, loaded and aimed. "Lets start with the lab." said Arcee. They all walked over to the lab door slowly, making sure they wouldn't beseen by any decepticons. "There it is!" said Madalyn as she hides behind a(wall attached)pillar. Then the lab door opens and out walks Knockout. Arcee grabs Madalyn, and the girls andBumblebee hide behind two pillars that are next to the lab doors."Great! It just had to be him! Why Knockout!" said Madalyn in her mind. Knocout stoped for a moment thinking he heard something. "Eh." said Knockout and continued walking, while the autobots and Madalynslipped into the labbefore the door closed. Arcee logged in to the computer and started looking through the files. Madalyn guarded Arcee while she had her pistol aimed at the lab entrance just incase anyDecepticon's walked in. While she was doing that, Bumblebee was looking around. "Im in the network." said Arcee through the com-link. "Excellent." said Ratchet. Madalyn opened up her com-link o she could listen in on how Optimus was doing. She could hear Optimus talking to Ratchet in the background. "Ratchet?" asked Optimus. Ratchet heard him, and looked at him. "Were you or Madalyn....." before Optimus could finish his question, Ratchet answered. "Infected? No. She's alright old friend." said Ratchet. Optimus sighed and layed his head back down. "If it's here, then I don't see it" said Arcee. "Are you certain Arcee?" asked Ratchet. "I searched every file!" answered Arcee "Nothing!" "Well search again!" ordered Ratchet "Clearly you missed something!". As Ratchet and Arcee were talking, Bumblebee walked over to another door at led to the medic-bay. He looked through the mini window on it, and suddenly he got all scared. "beep bop beep 'Uh, guys?" asked Bumblebee. Madalyn heard Bumblebee beep, and she ran over to him. "What is it Bee?" asked Madalyn Bumblebee put down his hand, and Madalyn jumped on it. And Bumblebee moved his hand up, so Madalyn could see through the window. And when see saw what was inside, she was shocked. "Um Arcee? Might wanna take at this!" said Madalyn. "What is it?" asked Arcee with an angry tone in her voice. Arceee looked through the window, then she opened the door. And inside the medic-bay, it revealed who was laying down on the medic-bed. It was Megatron.

"What is it, whats going on?" asked Ratchet through the com-link. "It's Megatron! He's..... alive!" said Arcee. "What?!?" said Jack. "Thats impossible!" said Ratchet. "Well were staring right at him!" said Arcee. "Good news is, Megatron isn't exactly staring back!" said Madalyn. "Mega.. tron?" said Optimus. "He's critical." said Arcee. "Hocked uo to life support." said Madalyn "Alot of it!" Arcee aims her gun at the life support on Megatron's chest. "Time to finnish this once and for all!" said Arcee. Her blaster begins chargering. Madalyn stared at Arcee, then at Megatron, then back at Arcee, then back at Megatron. "Wait! Don't!" shouted Madalyn. "One good reason. Romanoff, and fast!" said Arcee. "Megatron may be the key to Optimus's survival!" explained Madalyn. Madalyn heard Arcee's gun decharging and she lowered her gun and looked at her. "What are you talking about?" asked Arcee. "If Megatron does know the cure, then he might be the only one who knows it!" explained Madalyn. "Arcee, listen to Madalyn, she's right. Hm, she just gave me an idea. Is Megatron displaying brainwave activity?" asked Ratchet. Arcee and Madalyn look at this computer screen and it shows Megatrons brain activity. "It's spiking hard! His sick mind is still at work." said Arcee. Madalyn shudders at what Arcee said. "Perfect! If Madalyn is right about Megatron being the only one who knows the cure. You must enter his brain. And find it!" explained Ratchet.

"Enter Megatron's brain?!? Ratchet are you out of your freaken mind?!?" said Arcee. "The decepticon lab, should contain everything you need for a cortical psyhic patch." explained Ratchet. "A psyhic patch?" asked Madalyn. "Oh no! No way! Have you even performed the procedure before?" asked Arcee. "No." said Ratchet "But I have studied the literature. It was developt by Decepticons, outlawed by Autobots." "Whoa, can't we just haul Megatron through the ground bridge until we figure something out?" asked Arcee. "Time, is one thing that Optimus doesn't have! One of you must try this!" said Ratchet. "Come on you guys! We can't allow, Optimus to pass knowing that Megatron will out live him!" said Madalyn. "Ratchet, Madalyn, I would lay down my life for Optimus. Anytime! Anywhere! But a mind, body, split..." before Arcee could finnish, Bumblebee interupted her. "Beep beep bop 'I'll do it!'" said Bumblebee. "What?" asked Madalyn. "You will?" asked Arcee. "Are you... sure Bumblebee?" asked Raf. "Don't worry Raf. Bumblebee can do anything!" said Madalyn. "Bee, is the best scout there is!" said Bulkhead.

Arcee and Madalyn found the patch to perform the procedure. Arcee hocked one end to the back of Megaon's medic-bed where is head was, while Madalyn brought the other end down to bumblebee. The autobots hid themselves in a ledge at the end of the room. When Arcee was finnished she went down into the ledge and met up with Madalyn and Bumblebee. Bumblebee gave them a thumbs up meaning he's ready. "Ratchet, were ready." said Arcee. "Iniciate cortal psyhic patch!" ordered Ratchet. Madalyn handed Arcee the other end of the patch and attached it to Bumblebee. Madalyn watched Bumblebee's head shake abit then his optic's widened, and he powered down. "Um is that part of the procedure?" asked Madalyn. "Let's hope so." said Arcee. "How's it looking Ratchet?" asked Madalyn. " Communications up-link activated. This will allow us to see and hear what Bumblebee does while he's in Megatron's mind." explained Ratchet. Ratchet also brought the up-link on Madalyn's communicator for her and Arcee to wach. "The psyhic patch worked!" said Madalyn. Madalyn and Arcee watched t screen on her communicator. "Whoa. What is that?" asked Madalyn. "beep beep beep bop 'It's Kaon, the Decepticon's home back on Cybertron.'" said Bumblebee. "Bee says it looks like Kaon. The Decepticon capitol back on Cybertron." said Raf. "Kaon?" asked Madalyn. "Ratchet, Optimus's vitals." said Bulkhead. "I know." said Ratchet "Bumblebee I know your in unknown territory, but you need to find where information might be kept in Megatrons mind." On the screen, Bumblebee walked up a set of stairs and looked around in what appeared to be an arena. Bumblebee then looked straight ahead infront of him, and he found what appeared to be.... Optimus. Bumblebee ran towards him, thinking it was the real deal. "Bumblebee that is not Optimus. Just a figment of Megatron's imagination." explained Ratchet "He cannot see or hear you." Just then in Megatron's mind, Bumblebee and the other's heard an evil laughter. He looked up at a cliff and on top was Megatron. "Optimus Prime, your autobot armies have been defeated! And your human allies are no more! Bow before your new master!" commanded Megatron. "Never Megatron!" said Optimus. When Bumblebee heard him talk he stepped back abit. "One shall stand, One shall fall!" said the illusion Optimus as he turned towards Megatron and transformed his hand into a sword. "So be it." said Megatron. He brought out his sword and jumped off the cliff and landed on the ground. The two of them charged at each other, clashing swords together. Then all of a sudden, illusion Optimus, faded to dust. "Whoa! What the?" said Madalyn. "That never happened!" said Bulkhead. "It's not a memory. We are seing Kaon as Megatron recreated it." explained Ratchet. "In his darkest dreams." finished Madalyn. On the screen Bumblebee watched Megatron from behind a hue rock. Then something started to form in the rock Bumblebee was hiding in. It was Illusion Optimus again. "Megatron! Your traitory ends here!" said the illusion Optimus as she brought out his sword again. Megatron takes back his sword, and aims his fusion cannon at the fake Optimus. Bumblebee jumps out of the rock, while Megatron makes his shot. Bumblebee tries to take the hit for Optimus but, the shot went right past him, and shot the illusion Optimus, making vanish like dust again. Megatron notices Bumblebee and walks over to him. "The autobot scout." said Megatron. "Uh oh!" said Madalyn. "A punishment for treaspassing in m domian, is your destruction!" yelled Megatron as he raised his hand to give Bumblebee a finnishing blow with his fist. But when Megatron tried to punch him, his hand went right through Bumblebee. "beep bop beep 'What just happened?'" asked Bumblebee. "How could this be?" asked Megatron. He took out his sword and started slashing Bumblebee, but it kept going through him, like he wasa ghost. "Megatron can't touch Bee?" asked Raf. "Because Bumblebee is not a creation of Megatron's mind, he is uneffected by Megatron's attacks." explained Ratchet.

"You are not wearing phase displacement armour. Your eye's track my movements, so your not a hollowgram. And I do not belive in spirits." said Megatron "So tell me scout, what are you?" "Megatron!" said a voice in the background. Megatron and Bumblebee looked to where the sound was coming from, and they found not only a fake Optimus, but a fake Bulkhead and Bumblebee as well. Madalyn facepalms her face. "Dang it! Busted!" said Madalyn. "Uh oh! Special guest stars!" said Miko. "This is not good." said Ratchet. Bumblebee walks over to the fake autobots, and takes a look at them. He then walks over to the fake Bumblebee and waves hi to him. "Beep bop 'Hello!'" said Bumblebee. Megatron growls and yells at the top of his lungs and shots at all of the illusions and they vanish into dust. "You are real, they were not!" said Megatron "ha, ha, ha, a cortical pyshic patch. How unexpected." "Oh man! Were in trouble now!" said Madalyn. "We've stirred Megatron from his oblivion. He's becoming self aware!" said Ratchet. "If this is my sub-concious, what are you doing inside my head?!?" yelled Megatron.

Back with Arcee and Madalyn, they were waiting for Bumblebee to wake up. "Come on Bee! What are you doing in there?" asked Arcee, as she had her gun out. Just then thr front door for the medic-lab opened up and in came Knockout, Starscream, and Soundwave. "Scrap!" whispered Arcee. "Not good!" replyed Madalyn as they hid themselves in the ledge and watched them. "Knockout, if you could be so kind as to provide your expert medical opinion to Soundwave. For the historical record." said Starscream. "Simply put, unaided, Megatron could remain in this deathless slumber, forever." explained Knockout. "Our master would not have wanted to be seen this way. To stand idely by while, he remaims captive in his own body, is not just." said Starscream. "if you ask me, he's just doing this so he could rule the Decepticons. And it looks like Knockout wanted in, on the action. Typical." said Madalyn in her head. Soundwave walked next to Starscream and pointed to the computer showing Megatron's brain activity. "Brainwave activity. Not signs of mer conciousness, but mainly of an endless dream, from which Megatron will never wake." explained Knockout. "Soundwave, we must face reality. Megatron is lost to us." said Starscream. "The only honnorable thing to do, would be to show him mercy." said Knockout as he bowed down his head and form his hand into fist. "Oh please!" said Madalyn in her head. "A simple throw of the switch." said Starscream. "Quick, pain-less, compasionate." said Knockout. "Ratchet, are you hearing this?" whispered Arcee. "If Megatron dies, Bumblebee's mind mind will forever be seperated from his body." said Ratchet. "We'll lose Optimus AND Bumblebee?" asked Jack.

"The only way you could have entered my mind, is via cortical psyhic patch. But the question remains! What happened to me?" asked Megatron. Bumblebee and Megatron have a flash back of when the space bridge exploded and Megatron was still there. "The space bridge explosion. And yet, if your in my head, then I am not one with the allspark! So tell me scout, do I still function?" asked Megatron. "Bumblebee we are out of time!" said Ratchet through his com-link. "beep beep bop bop bop beep beep bop beep bop 'Listen, someone has been infected with Cybonic Plauge, and this sounds crazy but I need your help!'" explained Bumblebee. "Cybonic Plauge? Someone besides myself is, unwell?" asked Megatron. Bumblebee nodded at Megatron. Megatron thinks for a moment and realizes who got infected. "Optimus! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Such irony! But after ages of endless battle, 'The mighty' Optimus Prime has fallen from a simple virus from the distant past." said Megatron. Bumblebee narrows his optics at Megatron. "And what makes you possibly think I would save the life, of my oldest enemy?!?" asked Megatron. "Beep bop beep beep beep bop! 'Because I know what you want most!'" answered Bumblebee. "Oh? And just what is it that I want most, scout?" asked Megatron as he puts his hands on his hips. "Beep bop bop bop bop beep beep! 'To destroy Optimus Prime!'" answered Bumblebee. "Ha, ha, did you not see? I do slay Optimus by my own hand! At will, whenever I desair!" said Megatron. "beep beep beep bop bop beep, bop beep beep beep bop! 'But if you stay in here, and let the plauge kill the real Optimus, you'll never get a chance to slay him yourself!'" stated Bumblebee. "Bee told Megatron, tha if he lets the plauge kill the reall Optimus, Megatron won't get the chance to do it himself." said Raf. "Smart!" said Jack. "Twisted!" said Miko.

Meanwhile back with Arcee and Madalyn, they were listening in on what the Cons' were talking about. "Soundwave, do I take your slience, meaning you conquer with Knockout's medical expertis?" asked Starscream. Soundwave's face screen was blanck. "Speak now, or forever hold your piece." said Starscream as his hand reachedand grabed the life-support tube attached to his chest. "Going, going.." as Starscream was about to pull the tube out, Soundwave pointed to the pyshic patch. "Hmmm" Starscream walked behind Megatron's medic bed and found the pyshic patch. "Scrap!" whispered Madalyn and Arcee as they ducked their heads back in the ledge.