𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 ⬈ ᵒᵖᵗⁱᵐᵘˢ ᵖʳⁱᵐᵉ

━𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

— robot rumble —

"Base to Autobots. Base to Autobots!" Ratchet's voice came through Optimus Prime's commlink.

They had only been fighting for about a minute—the shots started the second they emerged from the groundbridge. The Decepticons had them surrounded from the moment, but they were making quick work of the clones and moving on to the main Decepticons.

Cloning 'Bots was frowned upon in many ways, but the Decepticons didn't care. They used the weaker clones as decoys to hold the Autobots off. And as bad as Optimus felt to tear through the clones who knew no better, it was still war, and they did what they had to do.

Optimus brought a free digit to the side of his helm, optics bright as he continued to fire.

"What is it, Ratchet?"

"The speedy human went through the groundbridge—I repeat, the speedy human went through the groundbridge. Keep your optics focused!"

By speedy human, it was obvious that Ratchet meant Astraea. Optimus's optics widened as did the other Autobots who heard his words. All of them looked around hoping to find her, alas, they made no such discoveries.

If she indeed did go through the bridge, with her speed, she could easily be many miles away by now. The Autobots had already lost her: Agent Fowler was not kidding when he said she was the hardest thing to keep tied down.

Nothing could match her speed. Even if a Cybertronian used red energon themselves (something impossible seeing as red energon was rare and had not been seen for thousands of years) was not as fast as Astraea.

"Understood," Optimus said almost in a frustrated manner himself.

But ever the patient mech, he allowed no true irritation into his tone.

Nevertheless, he made sure to keep his optics focused in case she was not as far away as he suspected.

"Autobots, report Astraea immediately if she is spotted..." He said through the comlink, all of them speaking back in acknowledgment before the fighting continued.

Optimus refused to allow the same fate befall on Astraea as her counterpart.

His processor momentarily flashed back to him holding her frail dead body in his servo.

Starscream roared in anger and ordered the clone to hurry with its drilling as he anxiously watched the Autobots fight their way closer to him. At this point, he was hoping he could get even a small canister of the stuff.

Knock Out and Breakdown were standing guard, both 'Cons racing to join the fight that the clones were losing.

When Starscream watched Knock Out get smacked down by Optimus... well, he kicked the drone out of the drilling seat and proceeded to drill himself, setting the machine the intense and dangerous speeds. Especially seeing as he was dealing with such a volatile substance as dark energon.

Regular energon was already flammable enough—dark energon even moreso.

Optimus was engaged with about three clone fighters and Knock Out. Bulkhead was engaged with Breakdown while Arcee and Bumblebee were fighting off a number of clones themselves. Starscream smiled, it looked like he would cause a leakage of dark energon from the ground before they could stop.

It would be more than enough for him to collect. And more than enough to destroy the next 20 miles of land.

If he caused a dark energon leakage, it would make the next 20 miles toxic for any of Earth's natural life to be caught in.