Once Soundwave was able to wrangle her into the large cylinder, he saunters out of the prison. She has since stopped struggling, as in the moment from trying to run away from the communications officer, he grabbed her too tight and broke her arm. Now she is doing all she can not to cry out in pain. Attempting to prove to herself that it doesn't hurt that much. The con could care less for her at this point. They only need her alive. It doesn't matter if she is injured or not. He takes her to another room where they are joined by Starscream and Knockout. She gasps in surprise as she sees what they are holding. Three identical cylinders and they are filled with the children. 

"Raf, Miko, Jack!" she cries out. 

"Shelby!" the three say in unison. 

"Where are the Autobots?!?" She asks, trying to lean up to get a better look at them. 

"No idea. They never came to pick us up from school. Then we got snatched." Jack explains. 

"Enough talking!" Starscream shouts, shaking Jack's cylinder. 

"Watch it, Starscream." Shelby growls. 

"Or what? You can't do anything while trapped in there." Starscream gloats, his free hand on his hip. 

"You better hope I don't get out of here." She warns, pulling her good arm back and punching at the glass. 

Starscream jumps back in surprise, attempting to hide his whimper. Knockout only scoffs at the lieutenant's weakness. Shelby doesn't hesitate to send Knockout a glare. He said he was coming back, but never did. She wasn't going to let that one go easily. He looks to the ground, not able to look her in the eyes, but he has a plan, he just can't tell her yet. 

"We must go. Megatron is waiting." Starscream composes himself together. 

Soundwave opens up a ground bridge and the three cons walk through the swirling vortex. Shelby can't help but close her eyes. She isn't ready to see what could be on the other side. Inside she knows exactly where she is going. Why else would they put them in these containers? The kids gasp around her and she slowly opens her eyes. A war zone is in front of her. Flash backs from her time overseas hit her full force. The fighting, the gunfire, the dead all blast in front of her eyes. It's like she's back there. Her friends, brothers, dying in front of her eyes. The enemy rushing forward, explosions landing around her. The screaming of pain and agony. She can only imagine what happened to this planet. But her imagination isn't wrong. 

"So, I may hand over the humans." Megatron smirks. 

The cons stop a ways from a large metal structure, glowing with a blue hue. The only thing in the area that isn't rusted and degrading. Standing under it are the Autobots. All of them staring back her and the children. The cons are playing a dirty game at this point. Her eyes find Dreadwings, his shocked looked slowly turns to anger as he lays his eyes upon her. He grabs is sword and is ready to fight for her life when Optimus immediately stops him. 

"It would be to risky." The leader says to him. 

The former con huffs, but understands. He puts his weapon away and glares at his former leader. 

"And If we refuse?" Optimus carefully asks. 

"Then I will have no choice but to open the pods. Exposing your pets to Cybertons toxic atmosphere and then we can all watch them instantly parish together." Megatron walks over to Optimus, getting in his face, sneering his sinister words. 

"Starscream." Megatron calls the seekers name, giving him a look of go for it. 

"Jack, it's time to come out and play." Starscreams whiny voice rings out, his claws scraping down the sides of the container. 

"Go ahead. The autobots were prepared to sacrifice their lives for our planet. I'll do the same for theirs." Jack said proudly. 

"Me too! Creepy." Miko spats at Knockout. 

Raf says nothing, but nods in agreement. Gulping in anticipation. 

"Don't give him the Key's, Optimus!" Shelby shouts. 

"Shelby!" Dreadwing starts, his servo reaching out towards her, hurt bleeding through his eyes. 

"Your planet is more important than me. Than any of us. Do not let Megatron win." She pleads to him. 

"So noble. Coming from a soldier, one that has also been through a war of her own." Megatron speaks, his words acidic, "What will it be, Optimus?" 

It took all Shelby had not to scream up at him that she is a Marine. Her glare would have to work for now. Optimus stood there for a moment, staring at the four of them. When his optics landed on her, she tried her best to plead to him with her eyes. Not to let the warlord win. She lets go of her bad arm and places a hand on the glass. Unfortunately, she knows Optimus won't let any harm come to them. He has been trying to keep them as safe as possible for a long time. He wasn't going to let them be noble, die for their world. 

"If my decision dooms the future of the Autobot cause on Cybertron, so be it. But I will never forsaken our human allies." With that Optimus brings the star saber back over his shoulders and thrusts it into the metal ground of Cybertron and slowly walks backwards to the rest of the Autobots. 

The other Autobots follow his lead. Removing their weapons and throwing the relics towards Megatron and the cons. Megatron smirks, happy it's going his way. The Autobots hold tightly to the keys, not ready to give them up, but know they have to save the humans. Then one by one, they slowly walk to exchange the keys for the humans. 

"Hand me the key, I will get Shelby." Dreadwing holds his hand out to Smokescreen. 

Smokescreen doesn't hesitate and hands his key over to Dreadwing. Never looking at each other as he does. 

"Soundwave would you allow me the honor of handing Shelby over to Dreadwing?" Knockout ask the communications officer. 

Without a word, Soundwaves obliges Knockout and hands over the girl. Shelby gives him a quick look, wondering why he would want to do this. He only sends her a wink, he has a plan. The two meet in the middle. Shelby looks up at Dreadwing, shaking her head. Telling him not to do this. Unfortunately, it's to late, she is the last one and Dreadwing has the last key. As Knockout hands her over something slips from his servo into Dreadwings. Their optics lock for a moment, like a silent agreement. Neither of them speak as Dreadwing drops the key in the cons servo. They back way from each other, going to each others respective sides. Shelby has a feeling she knows exactly what Knockout slipped Dreadwing. 

Then a ground bridge opens, Decepticons come rushing through the bridge, surrounding the Autobots. Dreadwing grips tightly to the pod, a snarl gracing his face. The other three holding their precious cargo tightly as well. Megatron, including Starscream, Soundwave and Knockout, circle the Omega Lock. 

"Optimus we can't let them do this." Shelby tries to plead one more time. "You know what's going to happen."

Optimus looks down at her. She told them what will be happening next if Megatron turns those keys. He thinks about what she had said. Their base getting blow up. All his Autobots being sent around the country to hide. Darkmount. He has to stop it. His optics grow increasingly angry as watches the cons put the keys into the Omega lock. He must stop it. 

"Behold the age of the Decepticons." Megatron exclaims, staring up into the glowing blue matter raised above him. 

A red signal appears on the Omega lock and Megatron willingly press it. A light shoots out of the Metal ring above them and sheds light upon a decrepit building off a ways.  They watch as broken pieces that lay before it begin to rise, coming together, rebuilding the structure. A blue hue shines brightly around it as the building becomes new again. Shining against the sunlight rising. 

"By the Allspark." Optimus utters. 

Everyone's jaws drop, taking in the sight of the reborn. The power of the Omega lock proves to be more than anyone thought. 

"You have what you want, Megatron. This conflict is between Autobots and Decepticons. Allow me to to return the humans to Earth." Optimus tries to reason. 

"Optimus..." Shelby starts, already knowing where this is going. 

"Ohh, I wouldn't recommend it. They will be far safer here." Megatron  responds. 

Optimus's optics go wide. Even though Shelby told them what was going to happen. It is far worse seeing it come true. 

"Dreadwing open this thing up!" Shelby starts to try and climb her way out, even with a broken arm. "Give me my suit."

Dreadwing thinks for a moment, unsure if there would be time for her to get it on before dying from Cybertons atmosphere. She eagerly struggles, getting him to make up his mind quick. He opens the pod, pressing the button on the suit as he tips the pod upside down. The suit quickly wraps around her body. She gasps for air once the helmet encases her head. Thinking happily to herself that it worked. Her blasters come out and she starts shooting. Taking down the vehicon's that surround them. It was enough distraction for Optimus to move forward. Dreadwing, Hot Rod and Smokescreen join in the fight. 

"Open the space bridge!" Megatron orders over the firefight. 

"Noooo!" Optimus roars, reaching the star saber. 

Once it is within his grasp, he whips it's energy towards the Omega Lock. Megatron blocks it with his dark star saber. Raging, Megatron rushes towards Optimus, the two swords clashing against each other. With one swipe Optimus brings the sword down on Megatron, slicing off the dissected arm of a former Prime. The warlord growls in pain of losing the limb. It does nothing to stop Optimus. He rushes forward, evading the shot being sent his way. Starscream holds up his arm, ready to send a missile, Dreadwing comes out and tackles him to the ground. Starsceam squealing from the shock. With his arms above his head, the star saber in the air, Optimus jumps forward and slams the sword into the Omega lock. A blast exploding from the device, sending everyone in the vicinity to the ground.  

When the wave clears and only fire remains, Optimus calls for a ground bridge. He walks towards his Autobots, with the star saber on his back. Hot Rod holds tightly to Shelby from grabbing her just before the blast hit. The ground bridge opens and the Autobots run through it. Starscream screaming after them.