Sunny nodded at Jasmine’s statement.

Sunny: "I know it's really sad, losing something you love . . . Do you need a hug?"

Before Jasmine could answer, Sunny wrapped her arms around her tightly. Jasmine sighed, breathing gently into the little girl's hair.

Jasmine: "We'll get through it eventually . . . It'll be okay . . ."

She waited for the rest of their party to cross the land mines in single file. Soon enough, they made it through. Nici sighed with relief.

Nici: "Okay, this is where we split up. Indigo, Katana,  Sia, Vortex, Mira and Emery will take care of any defences and distract Bombshell, while myself, Soundwave, and Nova take care of the device. The rest of you take down the satellite."

Jasmine nodded, barely catching what they said.

Jasmine: "Hang on, Hon."

She stepped forward through a gate, and came out on the other side of the mine field with Sunny in tow. She would’ve loved to make the process easier and have just taken everyone through a gate, but it would’ve been time-consuming in it’s own right. Angel could move dozens of people at a time, even the base, through one of the gates, but Jasmine was restricted to only a few. It was enough to keep Sunny’s risk minimized, though, and that gave her some small comfort. She couldn’t bear to put a little girl in danger again. She’d already done so poorly with Jade . . . Her eyes flickered with that faint shade of pale green in her sorrow, clouding her vision for just a moment. She turned her attention back to Sunny, trying to ignore it.

Jasmine: "You ready to go, kiddo?"

She nodded, golden plating shrinking around her small form.

Sunny: "Ready to go!"

Jasmine nodded to Optimus and Meggy, who was mercifully quiet. When Jasmine looked at Meggy, all she could hear was the girl murmuring ‘Mommy’ the day she’d had another ‘memory spell’. She wasn’t sure exactly how much she could take in the absence of her own sparklings. Of her babies. The pain was fresh enough without having to be reminded of the only living voice that had called her by that title.

Jasmine: "Let's get this done."

She turned her eyes back to Nici.

Jasmine: "Take out that device pronto."

???: "Well really now, Sugar, were you planning on having a party without me?"

Angel strode up towards them, her blonde hair in a tight bun, a smile on her face despite the grave situation. Nici whirled around with a smile.

Nici: "I was wondering if you would show up!"

She cheered, though inwardly her stomach clenched. Her sister . . . she fought it off, the way she knew she had to. Meggy grinned.

Meggy: "We need all the help we can get."

Sunny instantly tensed. She hadn't seen Angel before, so to her, Angel looked a lot like, well, someone entirely different. And the similarity was ill-received.

Sunny: "BOMBSHELL!"

She shrieked, attempting to open fire on the blonde woman, who remained incredibly calm. She didn’t so much as flinch at the potential threat. If needed, she could easily open a gate and let the blasts travel somewhere harmless.

Mira: "Whoa! Whoa! Easy killer!"

Mira held her back, attempting to calm the little girl, attempting to reason with her, knowing her fears that were bubbling to the surface.

Mira: "That is Bombshell's twin. She is on our side! You do not need to fear."

Jasmine sighed, pulling Sunny into her arms again, holding her tightly.

Jasmine: "It's okay, Hon . . . She's with us . . . Angel's a good one. Maybe not always, but she is now. I promise she's on our side, okay?"

Angel just blinked, examining Jasmine intently, as though something were suddenly very interesting. Her eyes gave a faint glow and she smiled slightly, but then sent a glare Optimus's way.

Angel: "You and me. We need to talk. More like, I need to scold, and you need to listen. I've got a bone to pick with you, Mr. 'I'm so wise'. 'Cause you seem like an idiot to me right now."

The Prime frowned, tilting his head, utterly lost. She couldn’t believe it. Was he really so clueless? More importantly: was Jasmine? Her mind buzzed with questions, but with her lack of contact with them lately . . . She huffed under her breath, crossing her arms. Angel knew. But Orion and Jasmine didn’t.

Orion: "Excuse me?"

    The auburn-haired woman suppressed a groan. They had far more important things to worry about than a  lecture.

Jasmine: "No time! We need to take that piece of slag down today! As in, twenty minutes or less or we're all fragged!"

Nici: "Wait! How'd YOU know the timer was cut?!"

". . . WHAT?!" Everyone excilaimed. She chuckled nervously.

Nici: "Oh, nice going Nicolette."

She muttered. But that's when everything turned south. All of the sudden, the Predacon-like TOs began to growl, shriek and roar. Things certainly weren’t going their way today. And that was something they certainly didn’t need: more trouble.

Sia: "The hell?!"

Sia growled, eyes darting around rapidly, attempting to assess the situation.

Sia: "There's a sonic pulse! I can feel it!"

Nici: "Oh no not again . . ."

Nici looked around, just as they stepped from the darkness. The Decepticons. Apparently Primus, or whoever they were praying to, or supposed to be praying to, hadn’t heard their silent pleas for some sort of break or some aid.

Nici: "Oh . . . as if this wasn't easy enough!"

She counted all members, present and accounted for, PLUS drones. Jasmine bit her lip. She already hated them, but today, her rage just grew, seeing their arrogant faces. Their human faces. How on AllSpark had that even happened? Why were they techno-organic?

Angel knew. Angel knew all too well.

~~~

Megatron had woken in the middle of a crater, thirteen years ago. That was the first time he’d been conscious as his new self. He pushed himself from the ground, a low growl rumbling from his throat. He staggered slightly as he cursed under his breath and swore retribution to Optimus Prime, a swift, deadly kind.

???: “Oh, spare me!”

    That voice . . . He thought he’d been rid of her. Megatron scowled, turning to see her, but her height perplexed him. She was nearly as tall as he was. That wasn’t possible, it wasn’t logical, she was a lowly half-breed of a techno-organic and he was a blue-blooded Cybertronian. She apparently noticed the change in his expression and he swore she took an immense joy in it, though she swept it under the rug.

BS: “Prime’s long gone, Megs, and so are you! Have a look!”

    Megatron staggered from the crater and to a nearby stream. When he looked into the trickling waters, he didn’t see the metal, scarred faceplate he’d known all his life cycle. No, when he looked down, all he saw was a fleshy, soft human face. So was the rest of him. Human. Worse. A shameful mix of the two. A techno-organic. He touched the soft skin cautiously.

Megatron: “WHAT IN THE PIT? BOMBSHELL WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?”

    He leapt up and turned, facing Bombshell in all his rage and frustration. Where was his true form? Where was the body he used to fight through the pits of Iacon? This one was pitiful, to say the least. He growled at a thought that bugged the back of his processor.

    “You’re almost kind of comical. You’re so small, so fragile and so easy to snap in half.”

Megatron scowled at the brief memory; when he’d captured that human girl and used her to lure Optimus right into his grasp. And yet he’d been thwarted by some clumsy, arrogant, over-eager femme who’d landed on Earth not long before that. And Tracy had died in a car accident not long after. He was just as weak as her now. No. He was still better. He had his metal, internal enforcements. He was still superior to humans. He would always be superior to those silly humans.

BS: “I saved your life . . .”

    She sneered, obviously not too delighted in that fact. He couldn’t piece together why it was always such with her. She walked over and slid a slim finger under his chin.

BS: “After that scout drove a blade through your spark. You see, I broke free of the Unconscious Plane where my sister kept me imprisoned. And you’ll be glad to know that I alone killed your wretched pet and blew their current base off the face of the Earth! Now that my sister is in current hibernation, I used my present control to bring you and your followers back as . . . more of my type.”

    Angel was indeed hibernating. Saving Red’s life had come at a tremendous cost to her energy and while she was currently out, she couldn’t control the UP, leaving the ownership open. But just because she wasn’t all there, didn’t mean she wasn’t monitoring her sister’s every move. It was the Unconscious Plane for a reason, and it would always be her domain. She watched through a gate; well, her spirit did. She scowled; Bombshell had even brought Breakdown and Airachnid into the mix.

    StarScream’s battle suit mimicked his Cybertronian paint job, with stiletto-heeled boots. Attempting to find any humor in this, Angel thought to herself about what a femme he still appeared to be. His silver hair was combed back, a single red strip accenting it. Red eyes sat in his skull.

    KnockOut was adorned in a red battle suit, a cape gracefully hanging from his shoulders. Angel rolled her eyes and thought of what a stereotypical superhero he looked like, and what kind of mayhem it would cause if his cursed cape ever got caught in, say, a jet engine? He had red hair that mimicked Red’s, though a shade darker. His eyes remained red as well.

    BreakDown’s battle suit was a bulky metallic blue, an eye patch covering his left eye as it had in his Cybertronian body. Angel mused on how he appeared like your stereotypical pirate with that patch, and if he would ever pirate his old partner’s new, human-esque body . . . His hair appeared silver, and a bandana was wrapped around his skull. Golden eyes.

    ShockWave had long black hair, which Angel found fairly amusing given his small Cybertronian, oval-shaped helm before, and he wore a visor. It hid his eyes from everyone around him, though a single electronic, red optic gazed at them. A black labcoat rested over his black and purple battlesuit. She presumed that beneath the visor, his true eyes were red as well.

    Airachnid wasn’t much better. She had short, yet reasonably styled, black hair. Six robotic legs stuck out from her battle suit, which was purple and black, though highlighted with yellow. Purple eyes. Angel couldn’t help thinking about how she looked more like a bug than ever, and hoped that maybe a giant fly swatter would be all they needed to take care of her.

    Megatron’s battle suit was, as expected, similar to what his Cybertronian armor had been. His hair was styled similar to how his helm had been shaped with the edges jutting out over his jaw. His hair was a purple-tinted silver. His eyes were as red as she recalled.

Angel: ‘Fantastic.’

    Angel huffed, despising her sister for all this. They didn’t need any more complications. Especially not when she was locked in a temporary stasis.

~~~

Knockout: "Hello, hello."

The redheaded medic drawled, staff sheathed.

StarScream: "Miss us?"

The Seeker added, his metal claws flexing.

Nici: "Like I miss the chicken pox."

Nici growled and stood.

Nici: "Soundwave, keep working on the device! Sia, Vortex, Emery, with me!"

Emery's plating shrank around her body.

Emery: "I got the Bug and 'Tron!"

Nici: "We'll deal with Breakdown, Dreadwing and the drones!"

Sia: "I've got KO and Screamer."

Soundwave watched as they charged, a determined fire in their eyes. Jasmine rolled her eyes, hating the fact that she had to stand aside. StarBreak’s grief still sang through her every bone, begging to be used for something other than standing. She wanted revenge for what they’d done to Jay. They’d killed him. And she swore they’d pay if it was the last thing she did.

Jasmine growled, watching the carnage begin to unfold. She itched to be part of it, to do something other than just wait here. She felt useless. Worse than useless. It drove her insane. Angel occupied herself, eyes glowing every now and then as she trapped drones in the UP here and there, encasing them, but she stayed near the satellite dispatch team. Meggy stared at it. The satellite.

Meggy: "What's it using to stay energized?"

She mumbled, then something caught the corner of her eye.

Meggy: "GET DOWN!"

She pinned Sunny and Jasmine as a blast of energy rocketed just above their heads! A dark cackle sounded, and Jasmine did her best not to growl, either at Meggy or Bombshell and her horrid arrival.

BS: "Hello, hello . . . Rats caught in my trap I see?"

She emerged from the shadows. Jasmine wished the damn wench would’ve stayed there.

BS: "Perfect."

A bit of StarBreak broke, and her energy lashed out without Jasmine's consent. A ripple of energy activated the strings; and flung Bombshell back nearly a quarter mile against the metal surface.

She rose up as quickly as she fell, and charged, deflecting Jasmine's advancements.

BS: "That rage, that fury!"

She cackled, managing a good hard punch in her face.

BS: "It almost makes me not want to kill you. That beautiful negative energy . . ."

Jasmine growled, letting Star's short temper get to her. She knew she shouldn’t let it, but she was also forgetting why she should care. Bombshell had done unspeakable things. And one of them involved her babies.

Jasmine: "This fury is far too good for someone like you."

She replied, the words not quite her own, but StarBreak's. Angel scowled at her sister, quickly activating a chain from the UP to distract her.

Angel: "Oopsie."

She teased, tugging Bombshell's wrist. Bombshell snarled and yanked her wrist forwards, snapping it. Angel hadn’t enforced it at all, actually, so it wasn’t surprising. It was just a temporary distraction.

BS: "Whoops! Now was it supposed to do that, I wonder?"

She stopped, and then eyed something. In a snap, she'd thrown back a charging Sunny, who fell onto a lower level with a cry. Meggy kept hidden, trying to find a weak spot.

Meggy: 'C'mon . . . c'mon! Give me something!'

Orion rushed over to the small blonde girl, jumping down, picking her up in his arms protectively.

Orion:  "I've got you, Sunny . . . I'm here . . ."

He murmured gently. Jasmine snarled at Bombshell, Star's old rage loosening itself bit by bit.

Jasmine: "I hate you."

She growled under her breath, meaning every word of it. She didn’t hate often, but when she did . . .

Jasmine: "I hate that you have to change everything. That you have to make everything yours because you're so self-centered."

She flicked her wrists, strings holding Bombshell's arms and legs, lifting her off the ground.

Jasmine: "I hate your shame in your heritage. I hate the way you look at the world. I hate the way you look at everything. Most of all, I hate whoever made you such a damn horrible person. Assuming it wasn't yourself. And I'm going to rip you apart."

The strings began to pull; Jasmine, StarBreak, really, was intent on tearing Bombshell at the limbs. To quarter her like they would have in medieval ages. Orion hid Sunny's face in his shoulder, not wanting her to witness something so barbaric.

Jasmine: "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"

She wanted to hear Bombshell scream. Wanted to hear her cry for mercy for what she'd done to Jay. She deserved it, she-.

In a split second, Angel tackled Jasmine to the ground, breaking her control on the strings long enough that Bombshell dropped. Angel's breaths came in heavy gasps. She knew Cora was in there somewhere. Cora couldn't . . . Cora wouldn't do this. Most importantly, she had to know some part of her sister was still there before anything else happened to her. Angel knew it had been a stupid, selfish move, but it was her sister for AllSpark's sake. Cora still lived and breathed, didn't she?

Meggy gasped. She’d figured it out.

Meggy: "Jasmine!"

While Bombshell recovered, she rushed over, but Jasmine was still scowling at her lost prey.

Meggy: "JewelBlade! JewelBlade, I've figured it out. She's feeding off of negative emotions. Anger, hurt, stuff like that-."

She was cut off with a yelp as she was smashed into the satellite.

BS: "I've had ENOUGH with you all!"

Sunny meanwhile, saw something in the lower levels. She gasped and tugged at Optimus.

Sunny: "Orion!!! I see Becky! She's down there! They're hurting her c'mon!"

She squirmed free and leapt down, landing on her feet. Sure enough, she was strapped into a pod-like device, wires connected to her body as they drained her of her precious spark energy.

Sunny activated her wrist-mounted blades and attempted to cut through the glass, her eyes wide as she screamed Red’s name; the one she’d borne for the last thirteen years and the only one the small girl knew her as.

Sunny: "Becky! BECKY!”

Orion frowned, examining the structure that surrounded the redhead, looking for weakness. The best point to strike, to break it into shards; to get his first-born daughter out of there. Daughter . . . His spark ached. He wouldn't fail his daughter again; either of them.