Unknown Territory (TFP)

24.

ENTRY:7/5/2021

"Ratchet! Prepare sickbay for Ioa! Her life signals are getting weaker as we speak!" Optimus said as he rushed towards Ratchet, Ioa in servos. He placed her on the medbay as Ratchet prepare for energon transfusion for Ioa. "Her pulse is getting weak! Quick, help me here!" Ratchet barked orders as they fought hard to stabilise Ioa once more. Finally, Ioa's life signal was back on track as he sighed in relief.

"Her energon levels were below average starvation, it is a miracle she's still alive." He said, shaking his helm. "Optimus! The kids! We can't seem to get through them!" Arcee said as she tried to contact Jack but to no avail. Suddenly, Bulkhead notices Miko's phone blinking as he switches it on and read the message, only to realise the kids are stuck in a... shadowzone? He relayed the situation to Ratchet as the medic tries to find a way to get them out of there. "I'll send you guys back there to find them as I find a way to open back the same groundbridge!" he said, getting the groundbridge ready for them. "Autobots, get ready to roll out! We have to find our human friends at all cost." Optimus said as they transform and roll out, going back to the location where they last saw the human kids.

Ioa's dream

"Hello?" Ioa called out as she stands in the dark void. "Is anyone there?" She asked, not liking the eerie silence. "Ioa..." A voice spoke, startling her. Lightblade looked around but saw nothing. "Where are you? I can't see you!" she cried as she tries to look for the mysterious voice. "Ioa..." It spoke once more, freaking her out even more. "W-What do you want from me?" she said, absolutely scared shitless. "Help them..." the voice spoke gently. "Help who? Who's them?" Ioa asked uncertainly. "Family Ioa... Your family..." the voice spoke and as a bright orb appeared and dances around Ioa. Lightblade felt the tiny orb was warm and... welcoming? The orb hovered in front of her and suddenly showed her a footage of the human kids getting chased after by... Skyquake? "Save them, young one..." The orb spoke as it hovers around her. Steeling herself, she looked at the orb, optics furrowed with determination.

"How do I get out of here?"

Back in the Autobots' base.

"Ioa's processors signals are spiking! She's awakening!" Ratchet said as he typed something frantically on the computers. 'Primus have mercy on Ioa! Let her live I beg of you...' He thought worriedly as he types away on the computer, keeping an optic on her. "Help... humans..." Ioa spoke. "Ratchet! Ioa is awake!" Fowler said, making Ratchet drop whatever he was doing to check on her. "Ioa! Can you hear me?" he asked, scanners at bay. "Groundbridge... take ... kids... home...help..." she said, still motionlessly laying on the medical berth as she whispered softly to no one. "Ioa can you hear me?" Ratchet repeated his question as he scanned her, Fowler at the catwalk looking down, concerned. Out of nowhere, Ioa grabbed Ratchet by the servo as she got up. "IOA!" Ratchet and Fowler said at the same time.

Ratchet was going to hold her down, only to see Ioa's paintjob inverted as her voice was lower by a few octaves once more. "Save... Autobots..." 'Ioa' mindlessly spoke as she all but vanished into thin air, leaving Ratchet and Agent Fowler dumbfounded.

"BY THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER SHE CAN DO THAT?!"

Location: Skyquake's tomb.

The Autobots were back at the location they last saw the kids, calling them out as they spread out and searched. All of a sudden, they saw Starscream looking around for something, making their energons boil in anger. "Starscream!" Arcee yelled as she transformed and raced towards him and unleashed her anger on him, as he scrambles to fight back. Arcee was about to land a blow to Starscream's helm when he scratched her faceplate, making her wince and recoil as he sends a harsh kick to her abdomen. He was about to finish Arcee when he was barely able to dodge an energon wave slice past him, the boulder behind him splits in half as he shrieked and took a few steps back, turning around to find the culprit.

"Watch it! You could have-" his words halted as he saw a familiar-yet-not bot standing in front of him. A dark blue and white femme with hints of gold on her servos stared back at him coldly, indigo optics staring into his very soul as he started to tremble. "You Autobots have a new member!?" he screamed as he started to back away, scared of the bot in front of him. The bot turned away from him as they summoned a groundbridge, the familiar dark blue and green portal appeared as the kids rushed out. Starscream took a closer look at the portal only for a servo crashing to his faceplate, making him shriek again and retreat, calling base for an emergency groundbridge. He made the mistake of looking back only to see an energon wave hurled to his direction as he hurriedly ran for his life into the groundbridge, just in time to miss the fatal blow.

The kids came out of the shadowzone safely only to meet the same bot they described earlier staring back at them stoically, void of emotions. The other members of team Prime quickly gathered around the kids as they had a staring contest with the bot in front of them, the mysterious bot only keeping away her weapons in reply.

"It's Ioa! See! We told you guys!" Miko said, pointing at the bot, said bot in reply stood still. "Ioa! We are sorry for being mean and doubted you! Please come back to us!" Raf said as he pulled a Miko and ran towards Ioa. Alarmed, Bumblebee tried to stop his friend only to realised Ioa bent down and patted his friend's head softly as Raf sobbed uncontrollably on her peds. The other two kids rushed to her too, Miko also in tears as she hugged Ioa's peds, Jack rubbing his eyes quickly as he too rushed in, joining the hug. The bots said nothing as Ioa comforted them and picked them up gently, the three kids on her servos as she held them close to her spark chamber. She walked towards the Autobots as she returned the kids to their respective charges. Without any effort this time, a groundbridge appeared with only a flick of her wrist. She signalled them in as she walked into the groundbridge, no words spoken. The bots looked at each other for a moment before walking through, going back to base.

They have a lot of asking to do.

The bots arrived back at base only to see an exasperated Ratchet and a freaked-out Fowler. "BY THE ALLSPARK WHERE IN FRAGGING PITS DID YOU GO!?" Ratchet all but yelled at Ioa, only to look up and saw his teammates back, the kids in their servos. He looked at Ioa incredulously. "Y-You... brought them back?" he asked, not believing his optics, which Ioa only nodded in reply. "They needed help." Was all Ioa said, as she turned to look at the kids. Optimus took this chance to speak to Ioa. "Lightblade, we want to thank you for helping us once more. We would also like to express our apologies Lightblade, we should have never doubted you in the very first place." He said, only to receive a confused reply from Ioa.

"Who is Lightblade? My designation is Shadowglyde Ioa."

A/N: DUN DUN DUNN! Ioa is not Lightblade but Shadowglyde? WHUTTT?? CLIFFHANGER!! Guess you'll know the truth in the next chapter... or not? ahahahha

As always, thank you for reading, commenting and voting! Stay safe and healthy everyone! Enigma signing out!