Megatron's monstrous form could been seen perched atop his glorious throne of jagged stones. Soundwave had returned after reportedly engaging Optimus and gave no indication that success had been achieved. And when Starscream returned without Taylor in his possession, Megatron's displeasure only grew.

Starscream could sense the silver titan's boiling rage long before he reached the base of the throne. Immediately, he began an attempt to defuse the situation. "My liege, I—"

"Silence!" Megatron snarled, his voice booming throughout the camp. His talons curled over the edge of the stones as he stood, their tips just barely scraping the surface. "I have no patience for your pathetic excuses. Not only have you managed to lose the human, you have also failed to find the location of the human-place."

Starscream took a few cautious steps back, his widened eyes glued on Megatron as he loomed over him. "B-But... the Autobots attacked! I had no choice!" He flattened his quivering wings against his back.

Megatron curled his lip, exposing rows of blood-stained teeth. "My orders were simple. Find the human-place using any means necessary, no matter the cost. Yet you still continue to act like a coward and flee at the first sign of danger!" He leapt from the throne, landing with a heavy thud in front of his second.

Starscream flinched and closed his eyes to shield himself from the cloud of dust that was kicked up. He lowered his head submissively, hoping he wouldn't be struck by the warlord's claws. "I managed to wound the Autobot leader! A-And the human girl! Surely they went to the humans for help!"

Megatron held his position, his spines practically vibrating with rage. But, Starscream's words piqued his interest.

"That is a possibility..." He mused. "But I do not believe Optimus would be foolish enough to reveal himself, especially with his precious medic."

"But they cannot possibly possess the knowledge to medically treat a human! While they are focused on their human companion, they will be vulnerable! Not to mention far from reinforcements."

A sinister smirk twisted Megatron's expression. "Then we will rid ourselves of them once and for all." He flattened his spines and turned away.

Starscream nearly stumbled over his paws trying to reach the warlord's side. "Allow me to come with you, my liege! I shall help you tear them to pieces!"

"No!" Megatron whirled around with a snarl, his teeth inches from Starscream's muzzle. "You have already failed me twice today, Starscream. I shall finish them myself." With one final huff, he unfurled his ragged wings and took to the air.

This would be the day that the mighty Optimus Prime fell.

*
*
*

"Optimus, I forbid you from carrying more than two passengers! That leg of yours is already under enough strain." Ratchet hissed in annoyance, watching Jack and Miko argue over who got to ride on Optimus's back.

Rafael gave Ratchet a light tap on the leg and smiled sheepishly when the medic looked down. "Don't worry Ratchet, I wanted to ride with you anyways." He glanced up at Taylor, who was already sitting in her designated spot between Ratchet's shoulder blades. "Hey, can you lend me a hand?"

"Sure!" Taylor said gleefully. But before she could extend her hand for him to take, Ratchet had already lifted him by his shirt and placed him down behind her.

His apparent excuse was 'I don't want your foot coverings scratching up my scales'. Taylor knew full well he was aware they were called shoes.

"Don't worry about it. He's just stubborn." She said while rolling her eyes.

Rafael chuckled and settled in behind her. As he peered over her shoulder, he noticed a bare patch of half-grown scales on Ratchet's neck with some scar tissue underneath. "What happened to him?"

Taylor turned her head to look. Bitter memories flooded her mind, reminding her of what had happened. She sighed and stared at her hands.

"He was attacked by Megatron while trying to protect me." She said, choosing not to go into detail.

It was obvious that the subject bothered her, so Rafael didn't press further despite his curiosity. "Megatron? Who is he?" He asked.

"Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons." Optimus's chimed in. "A dangerous group of dragons who wish to destroy us along with humankind."

Ratchet could tell where this was going and he didn't like it. "Save your questions for later. Let's get a move on." He grumbled.

*
*
*

The frigid air brutally buffeted Megatron as he soared through the sky. His scales acted as insulation against the cold, allowing him to fly at higher altitudes without being bothered by the bitter temperatures. He scanned the forest below for any sign of Optimus and Ratchet. Their bright colors would make them stand out against the dormant forest.

Scents carried on the wind filtered through his nostrils. He could smell the faded signatures of Starscream and the Vehicons from earlier that day, as well as his own scent marking the borders of his territory. He needed to find something that wasn't of Decepticon origin.

Eventually, his efforts paid off.

Far past the southern border of Decepticon territory—an area he had yet to investigate for himself—Megatron picked up the unmistakable scent of Optimus Prime. It was faint, meaning he was quite a distance away, but it gave him something to go off of. Soon, Ratchet's scent mingled in with the Prime's, as well as... something else.

Another bundle of scents was thrown into the mix, ones that Megatron was unfamiliar with. It didn't take him too long to realize that what he was smelling were in fact humans. But that meant...

"He has more humans with him." Megatron muttered to himself.

While he couldn't tell how old they were due to lack of human knowledge, he knew that there were four of them based on each distinct scent being different than the others. One of them was most certainly Taylor, so who were the other three?

Instead of continuing his pursuit, Megatron decided to turn back. Things just got more complicated and would require more planning than he originally predicted.