Author's note: Finally, the end. If I didn't warn you before, this is where is gets silly. There's a little more of this at the end so I don't give anything away. Thanks for reading. I appreciate it. Transformers belongs to Hasbro and Takara, not me.

The Unlikely Hero
By: Quetzal1

Chapter 3

It had been a long and uneventful day. Most days patrolling the perimeter were like that. Spike supposed that he wouldn't really be of much use against any invaders, should they appear, but hanging around the Ark all day when there wasn't much else going on didn't feel particularly useful. And besides, as the Autobots said, two sets of optics were better than one. No one had called them and nothing had happened. Soon these patrols would end, but no one was quite ready to take that step yet. Now that his shift was over, Spike was considering going into town for a burger and then a few rounds of videogames at the arcade.

The only warning he received that his plans were about to radically change was a confused and startled "Hey!" from Bumblebee. Before he could ask what was up, streaks of laserfire were coming toward them and the world spun crazily as the Autobot locked his brakes and executed a perfect one-eighty on the loose dirt.

"What is it?"

"Decepticons!"

The boy twisted in his seat to stare out the rear window. The entrance to the Ark was rapidly shrinking but he was able to distinctly make out the shapes of Thundercracker and Skywarp. He held his breath waiting to see if they would give chase. It wasn't easy to do as Bumblebee was zipping from side to side in an irregular pattern to dodge the shots coming at them while trying to find cover. The yellow Autobot soon put a safe distance between himself and the enemy.

"What's going on? Where is everybody?" Spike asked helplessly.

"I don't know. I can't get anyone on the communicator. They must be jamming it." Bumblebee replied, sounding none too steady himself.

"And how did those guys get close enough to attack?"

"They must have gotten Wingnut first."

"No way. He watched those monitors like a hawk."

"We'll find out. That's where we're headed now. Maybe we can get some answers."

It was an important job. But although it carried a great responsibility, that didn't mean it wasn't boring now and then. 'Like watching grass grow,' the humans said. When he got to feeling this way, that was a sure sign it was getting close to time for him to have a couple of cycles off. He never knew who was going to relieve him until they showed up. Unfortunately, that wouldn't happen for another 13 Earth hours. He leaned back in his chair, and then nearly fell out of it when a voice startled him.

"Wingnut?" It was Bumblebee, followed closely by Spike. The small Autobot had a weapon in hand and appeared honestly surprised to find his compatriot alive and well and exactly where he was supposed to be.

"Hi guys! What's with the blaster?" Wingnut asked.

"You don't know? Headquarters has been taken over by Decepticons," Spike said.

"That's impossible. I've been sitting here and it's been completely quiet."

"And I'm telling you we're lucky to be here. Those guys almost got us when we came back in after patrol," Bumblebee replied.

Saying nothing further, Wingnut turned and tapped a button on the console. The monitor returned only static. "Huh," he said.

"All the communications are jammed. We've already tried," Bumblebee said impatiently.

"But I don't understand how this could have happened. I've been right here and…." The red Autobot trailed off mid-sentence and frowned, in deep thought.

"And what?" Bumblebee asked. He didn't care for the troubled expression on the other 'bot.

"Uh, actually, I guess I was wrong. There was a little bit when I wasn't here, but it wasn't long." He gave them a brief version of the events with the wounded animal.

"I'd bet my microchips that was Ravage," Bumblebee said.

"But I wasn't gone long and I had him in sight the whole time," Wingnut said.

"He wouldn't have been working alone and probably had help from Laserbeak or those creeps Rumble and Frenzy."

"Someone was here, all right. Check this out," Spike called from across the room. As Wingnut told his story, the boy decided to search for signs of tampering. He wasn't disappointed. "See that? The alarm wires are cut and the connections for this one light have been switched."

The larger Autobot was horrified. He began to walk in a tight circle, talking rapidly. He wasn't as fast as Blurr, but he wasn't too far off. "Oh no! Oh no! This is all my fault! What am I gonna do? The others are captured or worse! WHAT AM I GONNA DO!"

"We," Bumblebee said calmly. It was enough to get the distraught mech's attention.

"What?"

"We. What are we going to do?"

"But this is my fault and…"

The smaller 'bot interrupted not by speaking but by shaking his head in the negative, a gesture learned from his human friend.

"No, you wouldn't be the first one of us Ravage and those guys have tricked. What we have to do now is find a way to get to the others."

"How do you know that they… that they're okay?"

"C'mon, Wingnut, it'll take more than a bunch of lousy Decepticons to stop them," Spike said.

"Yeah, and Megatron likes to have all the loose ends wrapped up before he makes a move. Right now he still has a few," Bumblebee added.

"Us?" Wingnut asked.

"That's right."

"He's gotta know we're around by now," Spike said. "We better get out of here before they come looking for us."

"Good idea. But where do we go from here?"

"Let's go to my Dad's shop. He was going to be there today to catch up on things. Maybe he can help us figure out what to do."

"I know we have to do something son, but we can't go rushing in there without a plan," said William "Sparkplug" Witwicky. He had gotten the entire account of what had transpired from Spike and the two Autobots.

"If there were only a way to sneak in there," said Spike.

"Unfortunately, the only way in is through the front door," said Bumblebee.

Wingnut had gone silent. He listened to the others and came up with multiple ideas, rejecting them all without voicing them. And then inspiration came to him in the offhand remark from Bumblebee.

"And you know they'll be expecting us to act." The Autobot scout was surprised to see his comrade suddenly smiling. "What?"

"I think you're right. They'll be waiting for us so why don't we help them out?" Wingnut said, beginning to walk in a circle again.

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"It'll be tricky but I think we can make it work. First, we're going to have to get several things." He listed some of the items.

"I know where we can get all that, but what are we doing with it?" Sparkplug asked.

"Yeah, let us in on the secret," said Bumblebee. The other mech wasn't making much sense.

"Okay, here it is…. "

"I don't see why we're always the ones getting stuck with sentry duty," Skywarp complained.

He and Thundercracker were once again posted outside the entrance to the Ark and the seeker didn't care for it at all.

"You should have thought of that before you put paint pellets in Starscream's metal polish," Thundercracker said. And I shouldn't have laughed. At least not where he could see me, he added mentally.

Skywarp snickered. "It was worth it though. Did you see the look on his face?" During his off cycles he had discovered paint ball. Humans claimed to be peace loving and yet they played games that involved shooting one another. Nevertheless, once he got a closer peek at the ammunition involved he couldn't help but find ways to use it for mischief. All he had to do was teleport himself into the Air Commander's quarters and carefully add the bright green secret ingredient to the polish and then wait for the chaos to ensue.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten that Starscream had little to no sense of humor for such shenanigans. And now, whenever there was any sort of boring or dirty task to be done, Skywarp was usually the one chosen. It wasn't fair. He couldn't help it if Earth was so dull.

"If it was worth it, then quit complaining. And next time you…. " Thundercracker began.

"What is it?"

Rather than reply, Thundercracker merely pointed as if he were stunned into silence.

"Am I seeing things or is that…?" Skywarp asked.

"Yeah, I think it is."

"I don't believe it."

A lone 'bot was walking toward them, towing a car. They both raised their arms, pointing the weapons mounted there at the intruder.

"Don't shoot I'm on your side," she said.

It was a female Autobot. At least they thought so. She was larger than average and rather clunky of build when compared to others they'd seen. Even more interesting was what she had with her. The end of a long, heavy chain was wrapped around one hand and the other end was connected to the bumper of a heavily damaged yellow Volkswagen Beetle with a red Autobot insignia on the hood.

"I'm here to see Megatron. I have something for him," she said, gesturing toward her prisoner with a blaster she held in her other hand.

"Is that that one Autobot. You know… I can never remember his name," Skywarp said.

"Bumblebee," she said, with annoyance. "It is, or what's left of him." The femme placed one foot on the roof of the car and caved it in slightly, causing a rear side window to crack and then bust outward onto the ground.

Thundercracker was impressed. "Is he functional?"

"Yeah, but he can't transform or talk or much else." And then she leaned toward the car and spoke to it "But that's what you get for trying to get away. I told you not to, but no, you didn't listen." Upon standing straight again she delivered a kick to the vehicle that caused the rear end to hop sideways a couple of feet.

The seekers glanced at one another. Holy frag! She might not be much to look at, but they were intrigued nonetheless. But that aside, it didn't entirely add up.

"What's your name, and how come we haven't seen you before?" Thundercracker asked, suspiciously.

In all the preparation for this initial confrontation, Wingnut had managed to neglect that particular detail. He had fabricated fake armor panels, which Spike and Sparkplug had attached, and he made adjustments to his vocal processor in an effort to sound more like a femme (how successful that was, was debatable but it was still better than his real voice) but he hadn't considered a false designation.

"My name? It's uh… Moonfire. And I haven't been here long," He said, simply taking the names of two femmes remaining on Cybertron that he was friendly with, Moonracer and Firestar, and cobbling them together.

"Moonfire, huh?" Skywarp said. "Why are you here? Autobots don't turn on each other."

"I told you I want to see Megatron."

"Why?"

"Because. I'm sick of Optimus Prime and the others making us femmes stay on Cybertron and play it safe."

"The way we hear it, you cause all kinds of problems for Shockwave. That's not being careful," Skywarp said.

"Bah! We're only a petty annoyance at best. I'm sick of hiding and surviving day to day. I want to be on the winning side. If the Autobots won't do what it takes to get the job done, I'll fight with someone who will."

The seekers glanced at one another and then back at the newcomer. So she wanted to see Megatron. That most definitely wasn't playing it safe. Nevertheless, she had a prisoner and it wasn't up to them to decide her fate.

"Alright. Bring that little pest with you and come on," Thundercracker said, taking a kick at the disabled enemy.

"Watch it! I want him alive long enough to hand over to Megatron," said Moonfire, giving Thundercracker a shove.

Yes, she certainly had a reckless streak, Skywarp observed. This ought to be good.

The three 'bots made their way inside the Ark and out of sight. No one was left outside to see when Bumblebee and Sparkplug crept out of their hiding place behind a rock and ran for the entrance.

"I hope this works," said Sparkplug. It was a gross understatement. If it didn't the entire world was going to be in serious hurt. Above all, of course, he was scared for his son. He didn't want to let him do what he did, but there wasn't anyone else. Thus far it had gone better than he had dared to hope. In fact, as he and Bumblebee waited for their chance, he'd been practically ill with worry, feeling certain that Wingnut would get himself blown away within the first few minutes. It would be bad to underestimate the Decepticons but sometimes he felt that he gave them too much credit for intelligence.

"It'll work," said Bumblebee, although he felt less confident than he let on. His best friend and his comrade were taking an enormous risk. If Megatron or any of the others saw through the ruse before they had a chance to enact the second part of their plan, Wingnut was dead. And if none of them figured it out, well, Bumblebee didn't want to think about that, either. It was another kind of risk Wingnut was taking. A gross one at that. Spike was in grave danger too, but he had a better chance of escaping if he could make it into the cell where the others were likely confined. This wasn't the situation for negativity. He and Sparkplug needed to focus.

Optimus Prime had been in many situations that seemed hopeless, but this was the worst so far. He and the other Autobots were caught completely unaware when the Decepticons had swarmed in upon them, and in short order they had taken over. He didn't know for certain, but assumed the worst regarding Wingnut. How else could they have gotten past? Bumblebee and Spike had been on patrol when the attack came and remained free. He was sure of that because he had heard the commotion when the seekers had shot at them and then the report that they had gotten away. But how would just the two of them take on the enemy in such large numbers? There had to be a way out of this but he didn't see it yet. All of them were confined in a small cell to the side of the command center that housed Teletraan 1. Various Decepticons were standing about, others were rummaging through storage areas for items of interest or value and yet more were trying to get into computer files.

"What's the matter, Prime? You aren't your usual defiant self," Megatron said with mock concern. Oh how he had lived for this day. With the exception of two meaningless soldiers he had all the Autobots at his mercy. "How does it feel to be doomed? To know that…. " He stopped when he saw Thundercracker entering the room and Skywarp lingering hesitantly behind him in the doorway.

"I hope you have a good excuse for this interruption," Megatron said, clearly displeased.

"Yes sir," Thundercracker said. "There's somebody here to see you."

"Why don't you try making sense for a change?"

Instead of attempting to explain, Skywarp stepped aside, yanked the disguised Wingnut into the doorway and then shoved him forward. The room went silent.

Wingnut didn't pause. Better to keep them off guard. He stepped forward and bowed.

"Greetings, Lord Megatron," he said.

"And what do we have here?" Said Megatron.

"My name is Moonfire and I want to be a Decepticon."

xxxx

Across the room, the Autobots were more surprised than Megatron. They knew the true identity of the femme almost immediately, and yet they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Moonfire?" Ironhide whispered incredulously. "What's that maniac doin'?"

"I don't know, but I think it's working," Jazz replied.

xxxx

"And what assurance do I have that this isn't some kind of trick?" Megatron asked, as he looked the new arrival up and down, slowly and appraisingly.

Wingnut was doing a good job at maintaining his composure in spite of being thoroughly creeped out by the way the Decepticon was staring at him. But then he was counting on that. In fact it was crucial to his plan. Now came the hard part, which was playing up to that slight advantage.

"I brought you a gift, Lord Megatron," Wingnut said, attempting a shy smile before yanking the heavy chain, which trailed out into the hallway and out of sight. "To show my good intentions."

Murmurs of astonishment came from both sides when the battered yellow Volkswagen came into view. The Decepticons were surprised that someone managed to finally catch the little nuisance and the Autobots were outraged at the condition. Poor Bumblebee had been worked over but good…or had he?

"I don't believe it. Wingnut wouldn't do something like that," Wheeljack whispered to Ratchet.

"I don't think he did," said Ratchet.

"What?"

"I don't think that's really Bumblebee." In his position as medic, Ratchet knew the exteriors of his fellow Autobots about as well as they did themselves and something was definitely off here.

"I'm not following," Wheeljack said.

"Look closely at him. I don't think that's the right yellow."

"Hey! And I don't think the interior is the same."

"Easy, you two," Prowl said. The security expert had caught on right away and then it all made sense to him.

"What happened to him?" Megatron asked, intrigued. How many times had this pest eluded him only to be captured and apparently thrashed by a femme? On the other hand until a few moments ago she'd been an Autobot, so probably it hadn't been difficult to trap her former friend.

"The consequences of not cooperating with me when he had the chance," Wingnut said, with disdain. "He's alive but can't speak or transform."

"Oh really?" This was too much! He wasn't about to let an Autobot join their ranks, but there remained fun to be had in many ways before disposing of them all. "And why did you have the sudden urge to abandon your Autobot comrades? That's highly unusual."

"These are unusual circumstances," said Wingnut, casually. He knew the question was coming. Now he had to make the answer convincing. "But the reason I left is because I got tired of being treated like a second class 'bot!"

"Do tell."

Alright. He had to make this good. Wingnut, still holding the end of the chain, stepped forward and began pacing in front of the large cell where the other Autobots stood watching him closely. "With a war going on you'd think these guys would want all the help they could get, but no."

"I was merely concerned for your safety and - " Optimus Prime began.

"Shut up! You'll listen to me for once," Wingnut snapped. It was hard not to smile. So they had figured it out and now were helping to make his story more believable. Excellent.

"Concerned for my safety. Ha! As if Cybertron is any safer? No, we scrape by, barely surviving and having to stay hidden from the Decepticons while we do it. Instead we femmes should be here, fighting the real battle and if you're too stupid to see it, then I think I should join up with someone who's got a bit more vision." As he made the last statement he gathered his courage and went over to stand beside Megatron even going as far as to place a hand on his arm.

"The situation seems to worsen for you, doesn't it Prime?" Megatron gloated. "And now Moonfire, I think you and I need to discuss this further in private."

"Oh please!" Starscream said, unable to remain silent any longer. "You aren't seriously going to allow this, are you?

"What's the matter? You aren't afraid of being shown up are you?'

"Of course not."

"Perhaps you should be. Already she has accomplished more here on Earth than you have."

"That's the most ridiculous…" Starscream began and then changed the focus of his attack. "You there, Moonfire." He said the name with all the contempt he could get into his voice. "What did you do with the human? And what about that other Autobot who was supposed to be monitoring the perimeter?"

"I didn't see any human. He must have run away. As for Wingnut, that was more difficult, but I finally succeeded in running him off a cliff. He's scrap now."

"Is that so? And where was this?"

"Uh, it was a high canyon road about 50 Earth miles from here, but you won't find him."

"And why not?"

"Because after he crashed I made sure to bury him under about ten tons of rocks, that's why not."

"You need to learn to address me with some respect Autobot, furthermore - "

"Enough of this!" Megatron interrupted. "I am weary of your petty jealousies, Starscream. When you deserve respect, you will be treated that way. For now, shut up." And then he returned his attention to Wingnut. "Now my dear, come with me. We have much to… talk about."

Not anxious to be alone with Megatron, but also because the plan depended on it he made another request. "As you wish, but first may I have the privilege of locking Bumblebee up with the rest of them?"

"Certainly."

Wingnut dragged the imposter Bumblebee over to the cell and roughly shoved it through a temporary gap in the bars as a pair of Constructicons stood guard, weapons at the ready. He made optic contact with Jazz and gave him a tiny grin. He wished that he could wink like humans did when they were conveying a secret. Jazz gave him a nod that was almost imperceptible and then focused his attention on the others. Wingnut reluctantly joined Megatron and then the two of them left.

In order to keep up the charade, the Autobots swarmed over the car, speaking words of encouragement and carefully moving it to the rear of the enclosure. The real Bumblebee was still out there and that meant Wingnut wasn't on his own. At least, they all hoped he wasn't attempting a rescue single-handed. This hope was confirmed when Ratchet raised the hood on the car. On a real Volkswagen the engine was in the rear, but with an Autobot there were several important components housed in front and they needed to make it appear real. None of them were prepared for what they found. The interior of the trunk was lined with mismatched pieces of foam rubber and various pillows and nestled in the middle of this was Spike, sporting a motorcycle helmet and football pads for additional protection.

"What are you doing?" Wheeljack asked, trying hard to keep his voice down.

"Don't worry guys, we're going to get you out of here," said Spike.

"Yeah, this is it," Sparkplug whispered. As soon as Thundercracker and Skywarp left the entrance unguarded, he and Bumblebee ran inside the Ark. Their initial objective was a storage closet not far from the entrance. No one else was about and they easily made it. Inside the closet at floor level was a large vent that led to the main ventilation system. For the human it was like walking in a large hall. For Bumblebee it was a tighter squeeze but not unmanageable. They had to move slowly and quietly. The ventilation shaft followed the length of the main hall. It was tempting to stay and try to watch Wingnut's performance, but they needed to get moving and it was best to pass by while they were all distracted.

After a couple of miscalculations and one wrong turn, they found their true target: the weapons and ammunition room.

"Finally," said Bumblebee. "And it's better than we thought."

Sparkplug peered in the direction Bumblebee was pointing to see a large pile of blasters tossed haphazardly into the corner. Great! Now all they had to do was get all those to the rest of the Autobots so they would be ready when things fell into place. It wouldn't be easy. The first thing to do was find the ventilation shaft that went into the main control room. Once located, they could move all the weapons there and then move on to phase two.

Okay. You get everything in here and I'll go find the way into where the others are." Sparkplug said. He was smaller and quieter and could move around far more easily than his companion.

"Be careful," said Bumblebee.

"Don't worry about me, worry about Spike and Wingnut.

There was nothing like being a seeker when it came to getting somewhere fast, Starscream thought. Of course he was no mere rank and file soldier. He was the pride of the Cybertron War Academy. No one matched him for skill, speed or strength and certainly not intelligence. He should be the one in charge, not Megatron. If fortune were with him, this would be the last time he had bother with nonsense such as this. He did not trust the Autobot Moonfire. He hadn't seen her when he was on Cybertron rousting the other female Autobots out of their hiding place. And compared to them, she looked weird. She was much larger and not anywhere close to as sleek and streamlined. But then Megatron never was too picky when it came to that. Ugh. First the Nightbird debacle, and now this. However, Nightbird was a non-sentient human creation and Megatron had considered replacing the Air Commander with it. What would he do with this Autobot? If Starscream had his way, she would be executed with the rest. And the first part of making that happen would be to discredit her somehow.

He had gone out approximately 50 Earth miles and then began to circle around, searching for any canyon roads. He had found two and after a thorough visual search and sensor scan he had located no sign of the Autobot Wingnut. He continued until he was satisfied that there were no other fitting locations. Ah ha! She was lying. But to what end? And what did it matter? Starscream now had proof that something underhanded was going on. He would take that proof back to Megatron and the others and present it in such a way that would expose their leader for the fool he was. This was going to be fun.

"So you want to be a Decepticon, eh?" Megatron asked.

"If you'll allow it my Lord," Wingnut said, bowing his head deferentially. This was disgusting! His disgust, however, was overshadowed by nervousness. He had followed the Decepticon leader into Optimus Prime's office and took a seat as he was bidden and then watched as Megatron closed the door and walked over to seat himself behind the desk. He felt the sinister red optics on him. What had he gotten himself into?

"Let me ask you this: If Prime had let you fight here on Earth, would you have been content to remain an Autobot?" It wasn't that he cared, but he was curious. It was an extraordinarily rare event.

Frag! He hadn't considered that he would be interviewed for the position. Wingnut just assumed they would be happy to get another soldier for their side. The best idea he could come up with on such short notice was to tell Megatron what he wanted to hear, but only a more peaceful version. "For a while perhaps. I get impatient. Seriously, they could have achieved victory by now if they had seized the opportunities available to them."

"Such as?"

"For instance obtaining energon and the means to return home to Cybertron. This planet could easily provide both if they would take it. It could be done without harming humans. And if they insisted, they could make up for it later."

"You feel the humans should be treated as equals?" Megatron asked, his distaste for the idea obvious in his expression.

"No. I am merely saying that if one had qualms regarding the harm of humans, it is avoidable while still allowing the needed items to be collected."

Wingnut happened to glance down and managed to keep any sign of acknowledgment off his faceplate when he spotted Sparkplug waving at him from the opposite side of a grate in the ventilation system. Soon their plan would go into action.

Sparkplug was careful to remain silent as he continued on his way. For the most part it had been easy except for when he had entered a stretch of ventilation shaft that had no openings. It was pitch black and he had taken a tumble when it unexpectedly sloped downward. That was stupid of him, but he was afraid to use the flashlight he had brought for fear it would be noticed. It was a good thing he was at the bottom level of the ship. If he were further up, it would have been quite a fall. Eventually he came to a dead end and then realized it was actually a hard right turn. Success! He was now on the other side of the ship and headed where he needed to go.

There were numerous grates that faced darkened rooms but far down he saw dim light creating patterns on the floor. He tried to move as quickly as possible. There was no telling what had happened since they had last seen Wingnut. As he got closer to the first patch of light he heard the harsh rasp of Megatron's voice. It was a sound that simultaneously gave him chills and enraged him. As best he could tell, Megatron was questioning Wingnut but he wasn't angry. No, his tone would suggest he was toying with the Autobot somehow, but that wasn't entirely right. Whatever was on his mind, it made him sound even creepier than usual. Sparkplug made his way to the vent, carefully peering out until he determined it was safe to signal his friend. Upon doing so, he went on his way.

Humans were brave creatures, Optimus Prime thought. And yet they could also be foolhardy. In that way they often reminded him of young Autobots, possessing the best of intentions and too eager to put themselves into harm's way. Even so, it was a pretty good plan he had to admit that. Spike had informed them of what was going to take place, provided there were no unforeseen problems. He would have felt better if the majority of it hadn't hinged upon Wingnut. It was extremely dangerous and yet it appeared to be working.

He made sure that his troops kept up the pretense of caring for the fake Bumblebee as they waited. Jazz was designated to wait for any sign of Sparkplug and eventually he heard it: an extremely quiet hissing noise.

"Psssst!"

"Sparkplug?" Jazz said, quietly. He was sitting on the floor next to the vent and was mostly shielded from view by the Volkswagen shell and the others.

"Yeah, it's me. Are you all okay?"

"Right now everything's as cool as can be. Spike told us what you're doing and so far, the 'Cons don't have a clue."

"Good. Can you get this vent off before I get back?

"No problem. You leave that to us."

"Okay."

"Any idea how Wingnut's doing?"

"Yeah, I heard Megatron asking a lot of questions but he seemed to be in an awfully good mood. I don't know how to describe it, exactly."

Jazz had an idea but there wasn't time to go into it and why plant that disturbing thought in the man's mind? "Alright. You do your thing and we'll be ready."

"Gotcha."

Wingnut was starting to become more nervous than he'd been before. Megatron's questioning had gone on for what felt like ages. He had to focus so as not to make a fatal misstep when he answered but it was hard not to wonder how much progress Sparkplug and Bumblebee were making. He hadn't seen any more sign of the human and he'd forced himself to not show any further interest in that area of the room. If Megatron saw him repeatedly glancing there, he would catch on and they would be, as the humans said, "screwed." But even without a visual confirmation, he guessed that sufficient time had passed to where Sparkplug had made several more trips past the vent. Uh oh. Better pay attention, Megatron was getting up.

He walked over to the door. No lock. Leave it to Prime. Undoubtedly it was part of a ridiculous policy designed to foster a sense of unity and teamwork. No one is really above anyone else, or some such nonsense. It didn't really matter. His troops knew not to enter any room their leader occupied without an invitation if the door was closed. He turned back toward the Autobot traitor. Her design and construction were more… durable than he normally liked, but this was still a femme. It had been ages, literally millions of years since he'd had such an opportunity.

"You know, Moonfire, there are ways you can be useful besides fighting," Megatron said.

To his credit, Wingnut managed not to cringe at the suggestive tone the Decepticon was using. This particular aspect of Megatron's personality was what he had hinged his entire plan on. His need for conquest wasn't limited only to planets, although the end result was usually the same: A lot of damage if you were lucky and destruction if you weren't.

"You aren't going to relegate me to same standing as the Autobots are you?" Wingnut asked.

"Oh no. I have something far different in mind for you," Megatron said, walking behind his target, dragging a finger lightly across her shoulders.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Wingnut said, getting to his feet and backing away a step or two.

"No? Then let me show you."

"Alright, that's the last of them," said Sparkplug. He had traversed the ducts multiple times, dragging various blasters behind him on a large cushiony piece of insulation that Bumblebee had removed from a crate of explosives.

"The others know what to do?"

"Yeah. They're ready." It was the next part that worried him. When the signal was given and as soon as he had the opportunity, Spike was going to escape between the charged bars of the cell and then free the Autobots. In theory it ought to work, but there were all kinds of dangerous possibilities. He would have to hope for the best and concentrate because his job wasn't finished.

"So are we all set?" Sparkplug asked.

"I've got a crate of timed charges here. All we have to do is set them and wait. We'll plant a couple of these and then we'll hopefully decoy them away long enough for the others to escape."

"Okay. Let's go."

This was going to be great. The Ark was in sight and Starscream descended sharply before transforming and landing.

"Where have you been?" Skywarp asked.

"I've been off checking on the authenticity of the Autobot femme's story."

"And?" Thundercracker asked. The answer was one that Megatron wouldn't like judging by the smirk on Starscream's faceplate.

"Come with me. I want everyone to hear this."

"Are you sure that's such a great idea, there Screamer?" Skywarp asked. His wingmate's proclamations never ended without violence. On the other hand, that sometimes made them good for a laugh.

"Yeah, and besides, we're supposed to be on guard," Thundercracker added.

"I think it's a wonderful idea. Furthermore, I order you to follow me." Their doubts were taking up his valuable time and he didn't want to be delayed further. "In fact, after this, I am the only one you'll all be taking orders from."

"Riiiiiiiiiight," Skywarp muttered so low only Thundercracker heard him.

"Megatron, sir, perhaps I haven't been clear as to my intentions," Wingnut said, hastily moving sideways attempting to put the desk between him and the Decepticon. This wasn't what he had in mind at all. Or rather he hadn't intended it to go this far.

"What you appear to be unaware of is that I don't care about your intentions," Megatron said with a sneer as he feinted to the right and then moved back to his left with amazing speed, grabbing Wingnut's arm and dragging him forward.

"No! Wait…ACK!" The mech's pleas were cut off abruptly when he was slammed on his back onto the desk, scattering various objects and breaking others.

"Now I'll show what I - " Megatron began and was cut off when the door was kicked open.

"Well isn't this just typical?" A voice asked. From his position on the desk, the Autobot couldn't see the visitor but he knew that smug, screechy tone.

"STARSCREAM! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Megatron roared, releasing Wingnut.

"What a true leader should!"

How fortuitous. Wingnut didn't know if it would work, but he would try to take advantage of the confusion.

"Starscream am I glad to see you!" He said, squirming to get upright again and then running to the other mech as if for protection.

"You soon won't be," Starscream replied and then shoved Wingnut into the hall where the other Decepticons had gathered upon hearing the commotion. Instinctively they formed a loose circle around the newcomer as they watched the goings on in the office.

"I demand an explanation for this intrusion!" Said Megatron.

"While you were wasting time on your sordid little pleasures, I was out discovering the truth about this so called traitor."

"What are you babbling about?"

"Yes, she claims to have destroyed the Autobot responsible for guarding the perimeter but I went searching for the remains and there is no sign of him. If she is lying about that, then what else isn't she telling us?"

"How do you answer the allegations Moonfire?" Megatron asked.

Oh sweet Primus, was he in a world of trouble. Wingnut was unsure how to answer. Should he answer at all? Now might be the instance to make a run for it but he couldn't bail without his friends.

"Alright, it was like this - " he began.

"Who cares how she answers?" Starscream interrupted. "The point here is that anyone who allows this kind of security breach is unfit to rule."

"Ah ha! I knew it. You owe me three energon cubes," Rumble muttered to Frenzy.

"I hear ya." Frenzy said, when inspiration struck. "Double or nothin' he doesn't go on for more than a thousand astroseconds before the boss kicks his aft.

"You're on."

Starscream was gearing up for one of his usual rants but didn't get far when there was a bright orange flash and resounding BOOM.

"Alright Spike, here's your chance," said Prowl, as he anxiously watched the door.

The human didn't bother to reply. Instead he carefully slid outward between the glowing bars. When he reached the halfway point, he felt tingly all over and knew if he so much as grazed one of the bars the end result would be similar to when a mosquito flew into one of those blue bug zapper lights like his father had installed on their patio. It didn't take long to get clear and then he was sprinting across the floor headed toward the controls for the cell.

Huffer kept a lookout both for Spike and the other Autobots as the blasters brought to them by Sparkplug were distributed.

xxxxx

Out in the hall, confusion temporarily reigned. But in the usual Decepticon fashion, it wasn't long before blame was assigned.

"You! You're the one responsible for this!" Starscream shrieked at Wingnut.

"How? I haven't -," Wingnut began when another explosion knocked them all off their feet.

"Shut up, Starscream! It's obvious we have intruders," Megatron said, as he glanced all around him hunting for the cause of the blasts. Everyone was out in the hall and yet no one could see…. Everyone! With cold fury Megatron recognized the distraction for what it was. They were all out here and no one was guarding the prisoners.

"Soundwave! See to the prisoners!"

"Yes, Megatron," Soundwave replied. He took two steps before he was knocked backward by the remains of a yellow Volkswagen that came flying out of the smoke. It was quickly followed by their former prisoners.

"Autobots, attack!" Optimus ordered.

"Wait! Aren't you forgetting that we have a hostage? Or do you not care about the fate of the femme?" Megatron asked. It had not escaped his notice that she hadn't acted the least bit interested in attacking the other Autobots and he knew they would never abandon one of their own regardless of the circumstance. He was surprised when his nemesis chuckled.

"You mean you haven't figured it out?" Optimus asked.

"Figured out what?" He hated it when Prime acted smug that way. It never ever came out to his advantage.

"What he means is you've been tricked in more ways than one, big fella," Wingnut said, in his normal voice. The expression of surprise on the Megatron's face was priceless.

"And you will pay for it with your miserable life!"

Before Megatron could bring the fusion cannon up to a firing position, he found himself flat on the floor as laserfire hit him from a completely unexpected direction. Further down the hallway, Bumblebee saw what was taking place and waited for perfect opportunity to strike. The shot wouldn't kill Megatron, but it would be an excellent distraction.

Wingnut saw his chance and transformed. The process further shattered the illusion he had created by shearing off all the extra sheet metal Sparkplug and Spike had carefully welded into place. His tires screamed as they spun on the metal floor before catching hold and propelling him down the hall to reinforce Bumblebee's position. Megatron was temporarily stunned to inaction by what he saw. Moonfire, or whatever the Autobot's name was, was a mech. He had been about to …with a mech. Starscream, too, was shocked by what he saw but his reaction was different. The air commander could barely stand he was laughing so hard. He didn't care that they were almost caught in a crossfire and that they would surely be driven from the Ark and that the Autobots wouldn't be gentle in running them out. No, Megatron's mortification made it all worth it.

It was a short battle. The Decepticons put up a fight until it became painfully obvious that they were not going to overcome their tactical disadvantage. Megatron swore revenge and then called for a retreat.

The smoke cleared and revealed a lot of damage, most of which was confined largely to the big hallway.

"Is everyone alright?" Optimus Prime asked. When he was satisfied that there were no serious injuries he walked over to where Bumblebee and Wingnut were standing with Spike and Sparkplug.

"That was one of the bravest things I've ever seen, but also one of the riskiest," he said. He was proud of them but when he thought about the number of ways it could have backfired….

"Don't blame them, Optimus. It was all my idea. And it was my fault you guys were captured in the first place," said Wingnut.

"Your idea?"

Wingnut only nodded.

"Hey, don't be too hard on him. He may have came up with the plan, but he didn't have to twist anyone's arm to get them in on it," Sparkplug said.

"That's right. I'd do it again if I had to," said Bumblebee.

"Me too," added Spike.

"Wait a minute, you're telling us that you came up with the entire scheme?" Ironhide asked. He was suitably impressed, first with the sheer nerve required for the whole endeavor, and then the fact that Wingnut masterminded it. He was starting to think that he had misjudged him. In fact, he was certain of it.

"You gotta tell us the whole story from the beginning," Ironhide said, placing a friendly hand on Wingnut's shoulder and steering him toward the command center.

"Sure, but I didn't do it alone. C'mon guys, you saved my pork too."

"Bacon, Wingnut, not pork," Spike advised.

"Oh. Well anyway, I couldn't have done it without you."

Optimus watched as the others followed them. He didn't mind Ironhide absconding with Wingnut and the others. Actually he was pleased. It took a set of bizarre circumstances and a phenomenal amount of danger but it looked as if he had finally found his niche. The mech got moving. He didn't want to miss any of the story.

The End.

Author's Note Continued: Really, I don't think of them as having actual genders like organics. I think of it more as a model style like coupes and sedans in the automotive world. But the way the old cartoon worked kind of suggested they did and I needed it to make the plot work. I hope you liked it.