The next few days are filled with Optimus decoding the Iacon Database. Working to find the last two sets of keys. There is much work to do and not enough time to prepare. Dreadwing began keeping a closer eye on Shelby. Not letting her go anywhere alone. He couldn't risk her getting captured again. She agreed to stay on base. It is the safest place for her to be. Knowing that Megatron had captured her again, it is a high probability that he will attempt to do it again. Smokescreen also wasn't allowed to leave base. No matter how annoying he had become. The only time he could leave was if the Decepticons were causing trouble. They couldn't risk the Cons getting suspicious. 

"The Cons are building something, but what?" Ratchet wonders out loud as the team comes back from battling the Decepticons. 

"Well, we know that both sides are trying to find the keys. We know that the keys unlock the Omega Lock that is on Cybertron. With everything they are trying to steal, it seems like they are trying to build a way to get there. Is there such a thing as a ground bridge through space?" Shelby asks as she paces back and forth, her arms crossed. 

"A space bridge. They are building a space bridge." A lightbulb goes off in Ratchet's head. 

A few dings go off in the background interrupting the two. 

"Autobots the next Iacon coordinates have been decoded. Ratchet ready the ground bridge." Optimus's voice rings around them. 

"Last one to the Omega key has to scrub the energon tanks for a week." Smokescreen says, revved up. 

"Didn't know we were keeping score." Arcee says nonchalantly. Her arms still crossed from listening to Smokescreens riveting tale. 

"Arcee, Bumblebee prepare to roll out." Optimus states. Bumblebee acknowledges the Prime and the two start to walk forward. 

"Wait, what about me?" Smokescreen cries out. Shelby can't help but laugh a little at his whininess. 

"Huh." Grunts Bulkhead. 

"I mean me and Bulkhead."

"The two of you will remain here in the event I am able to decode the last entry we need before the others return." Optimus explains. 

"Optimus is right. Considering the very fate of Cybertron is at stake. Response time is critical." Ratchet opens up the ground bridge.

"Keep your engines idling kid. Come on Bee, destiny awaits." Arcee mocks Smokescreen. The poor kid stands in the back watching them go through. 

"We call it a pit stop." Bulkhead slaps Smokescreen on the back, "We'll get back in the race." 

"Besides Smokescreen, we don't need something happening to you. You are key holder remember?" Shelby tries to brighten up his mood. 

"I know but I can still help. The cons probably don't even know about me yet." He says solemnly. 

"But they will soon. They seem to be decoding just as fast as we are these days." Ratchet admits. 

"That is true. I wish there was more I could tell you. I should have paid more attention. I'm sorry." Shelby hangs her head. 

"Don't be sorry. You gave us valuable intel." Dreadwing starts. 

"No, you don't understand. I messed up. I should know more. If I wasn't..." She realizes where she is going and stops talking. 

"You weren't what? What else happened?" Dreadwing kneels down closer to her. 

"It's nothing. Nothing else happened." She quickly says before running off down to their shared quarters. Dreadwing face saddens as he watches her leave. 

"Dreadwing, I believe more happened in her coma than she is ready to admit. It may take some time before she is ready to talk to you." Optimus puts a steady hand on Dreadwing's shoulder. 

"What else could have happened?" He wonders. 

"Let her come to you." Optimus states. 

Dreadwing nods in agreement and Optimus goes back to working on the Iacon database. He chooses not to follow her. She may need some time alone. It isn't long before Arcee and Bumblebee call for a ground bridge back. Both injured from their battle against Knockout. Unfortunately, they did not bring back the key. Ratchet works to fix them up. It isn't long before another coordinate is decoded. This time Bulkhead and Smokescreen are sent to retrieve the key. 

Shelby sits in her room. Leaning against the wall, tears streaming down her face. She knows things will turn out differently, but the ending is still the same. The Autobots will leave and Dreadwing with them. He may promise that he's going to stay, but she knows he needs to go home. What if this time she wakes up again and it never happened? What if this time, it really was a dream? The end is getting closer. Then the door opens, intrupting her thoughts. 

"The cons got the last two keys." Dreadwing says as he walks in. 

"Fuck!" She shouts. 

"You said we got all the keys back because Smokescreen got captured and was able to retrieve the other three. Are you sure thats true?" Dreadwing seems to know what has to happen. 

"We need to let Smokescreen get captured. Make sure he has the phase shifter." She says sadly.

"But we can't know for sure if it will be the same outcome." He retorts. 

Shelby gets up and rushes out to the bay. Dreadwing following closely behind. The Bots stand in a circle talking. Discussing stratagies of what they can do next. 

"Smokescreen needs to get captured. I know it's not ideal, but it's the best chance we got to get the rest of the keys." Shelby intrupts walking into the middle of them all. 

"I will not risk one of my Autobots safety." Optimus starts. His voice rising.

"I understand that, Optimus. But this is the only way. He can retrieve the other three. Then we can let the Decepticons build the space bridge. We go to Cybertron and revive Cybertron. All is good and happy again." She tries to convice him. 

"There are too many risks, that I cannot take." He stays unconvinced. 

"Then what is your plan?" She argues, her hip cocked and hands resting on her hips.  

Everyone removes their eyes/optics off Shelby and up to Optimus. No one else saying a word. Unsure of where this argument will go. Optimus is quiet for a moment. For he doesn't have a plan. He for once has no idea what they should do, but he does not want to send one of his Autobots to a Decepticon war ship. Fearing they may never return. Cliffjumper flashes in his mind. 

"We are not letting Smokescreen get captured. That is final." He orders. 

"Optimus...sir...I can do this. I can get those keys. Please let me prove myself." Smokescreen tries to convince the leader. 

"No. I am not continuing this converstaion. We will find another way." Optimus says lowly before leaving the room. 

Shelby is quick to run after him. Not sure if she wants to convince him or understand him. He is having a argument in his head. Optimus knows they have the advantage, but losing one to many Autobots keeps him from letting this plan happen. 

"Optimus!" Shelby shouts after him. Barely catching up to his long strides. 

"I am not changing my mind." He tries not to growl, keeping himself calm. 

"I know what it's like to lose a member of a team. I know risky missions, but we wouldn't sign up for the cause if we weren't willing to take those risks. I would go back to that desert again and again, if it meant my men could go back home. But the fact is, they knew what they were signing up for and so did I. I just got lucky and got to go home. Smokescreen may be young and a little inexperience, but he has heart or spark as you call it. He wants to do whatever he can for the Autobot cause. In my coma he came back. I have no doubt he will come back this time. Trust him." Apparently she made it into a more of convincing him speech. 

"I don't know if I am willing to make that sacrafice." He says, sounding defeted. 

"Would it make it easier if it were someone else? But that may make the Decepticons suspisious." She suggest. 

"I don't want any of my Autobots going." He admits. 

"What about a human? Say me?" She puts her hands behind her back, staring at the floor as she says it. 

"Shelby, that will never be an option." He states leaning down close to her. 

"If it must be done. Smokescreen will go." He finally agrees as he stands tall. 

"Yes!" A shriek is heard down the hall. 

Both Optimus and Shelby turn and see Smokescreen finishing his jump for joy. He spots them looking and quickly stands at attention before quickly turning around and leaving. Shelby tries to hide her chuckle, but Optimus notices and can't stop his smile either. They both walk back into the bay in silence. 

"We will lose tracking of him the second he is aboard the Nemisis. Smokescreen you must be prepared to not have contact with us. You will most likely be shackled, so you will have to come up with a way to get out of them and find the keys." Ratchet explained. 

"I got the phase shifter. They won't be able to hold me with this baby." Smokescreen says showing it off. 

"They will most likely remove it. So unless you can get it back. Think of another way." Ratchet says unamused. 

"Got it. I got this. How do I get them to capture me?" He asks bouncing back and forth on his heels. 

"We don't know if they know about you yet. May be best for you to drive around until they come for you." Optimus says. 

"I will send you to a different location, so they don't track you from base." Ratchet says opening up the ground bridge. 

"I'll make Alpha Trion pround, Optimus. And you of course." He then transforms and races through the ground bridge. 

"Watch his signal, keep on him as long as you can, Ratchet." Optimus says over Ratchets shoulder. 

Everyone stands around the computers. Shelby up on the platform, leaning against the railing. All of them watching Smokescreens signal trail along some open back road. 

"When you get a Decepticon signal, we will ground bridge to his location and attempt to rescue him." Optimus decides. 

Everyone looks up at him in confusion. 

"I thought the point was for him to get captured, boss?" Bulkhead asks, scratching his head. 

"He is still going to get captured. We want them to think this is real. We them to think that we don't want him to go." Optimus explains. 

"So we show up right before they are about to take him. Maybe battle a little. Make it look real. Then he gets dragged with them." Arcee concludes. 

"Exactly." Optimus says. 

"Con incoming. I only detect one." Ratchet says. 

"Autobots roll out." Optimus orders. 

The Autobots follow Optimus through the ground bridge. Shelby, Ratchet and Dreadwing watch as they arrive, but Smokescreen vanishes from the screen.