Enter Dante, The Rev-9: Book 2: Revelations

Chapter 21: Inside Job

3rd Person POV

Autobot Base

"Smokescreen must have been taken aboard the Decepticon warship," Ratchet stated.

The rest of the Bots were standing in the main room while Dante sat at a computer. His exoskeleton seeped over the keyboard as he scrolled through multiple feeds around the world while simultaneously paying attention to the conversation at hand.

"Tracing his signal through its shielding will be impossible," Ratchet stated.

"Continue monitoring all frequencies," Optimus ordered. "Far more than Smokescreen's fate may be at stake."

"I don't get it," Bulkhead said. "How could Smoke be an Omega Key?"

Dante thought for a second. "Wait a minute. Smokescreen said that he was knocked out during a fight. What if Alpha Trion was the one who knocked him out, and then he planted the Key in Smokescreen?"

"The other Iacon relics were sent to Earth in pods," Arcee mused. "Why not this one?"

"Plot convenience?" Katie offered.

"It is more likely that when the Decepticons stormed Iacon, it may have been too late for Alpha Trion to launch the final Omega Key into space," Optimus contemplated. "At least by standard means."

"So... Smokescreen assumed everything went black because he was hit by Decepticons," Elita realized.

"But Alpha Trion's the one who actually knocked him out," Dante muttered.

"It stands to reason that my mentor did not want Smokescreen to know what he was carrying in the event of capture," Optimus mused.

"And with a mobile relic, Alpha Trion couldn't possibly supply fixed coordinates," Arcee said.

"So, the big A slipped us a clue instead," Bulkhead said. "Smoke's mugshot."

"Too bad the Archives didn't mention this," Dante said, Katie nodding in agreement. "That would have been a big help."

"The Decepticons got to Smokescreen first," Ratchet said. "I fear they have decoded the same clue."

Timeskip

Dante was in the middle of scrolling through some security feeds when he picked up a familiar Autobot signal.

"Guys!" he shouted. "I found him!"

The others immediately ran over.

"The kid escaped the Warship!" Bulkhead said happily.

"Smokescreen to base," the rookie called in. "I could really use a Groundbridge."

"On it." Ratchet ran over to the Groundbridge controls. "Setting coordinates... Strange."

"What's the problem?" Arcee asked.

"Smokescreen's telemetry data doesn't make sense," Ratchet muttered. "I can't lock onto his position."

Frowning, Dante hacked a satellite near where he picked up Smokescreen's signal. He froze. "Um, guys?" he said hesitantly. "I think I may know the problem."

"What is it?" Ratchet asked.

In response, Dante cast the feed to a monitor, showing Smokescreen freefalling through the air.