"And if they get all that intel, that may very well happen." Ratchet said.

:Then we'll just have to get rid of it before they can.: Bumblebee said. :I've infiltrated their base and the room's right there.:

"Bumblebee, no. It's too risky, Soundwave could still be in there." Ratchet hissed.

:I'll take that risk.: Bumblebee said then looked up at the ceiling's vents. 'Soundwave should have vents of sorts in the room to clear the water out of the communication systems.' He assumed. 'One way to find out.' He kicked up and opened the vent before wiggling through.

Being small had its advantages.

Meanwhile back at base, Ratchet contacted the others to let them know of Bumblebee's discovery. "Optimus, Bumblebee has infiltrated the base of operations within the mine and discovered crucial intel." He said.

"Can't it wait? We're *grunt* a little busy at the moment!" Bulkhead said. On the other end, said Autobot punched a vehicon away.

"No, it can't. Listen to me, right now Soundwave is gathering intel on the human children as we speak." He said.

"Why?" Arcee asked.

"To target them." Optimus said.

"I'm afraid so." Ratchet nodded grimly. "And it's not just them, chances are their entire family is in danger."

"How do we stop em'?" Smokescreen asked.

"Bumblebee's in the base and he plans on finding a way to delete the files before Soundwave can send them out." Ratchet said.

"Him alone against Slenderman?" Smokescreen asked. Had the situation been different, Miko, Jack, Raf and Evelyn would've snickered at the implied nickname/insult.

"Autobots, right now our main priority is deleting those files. Fall back and head towards the base of operations!" Optimus ordered.

They all stepped away from their cover and dashed forward. "Maximum overdrive!" Optimus ordered. They all transformed into their alt-modes and pushed their gauges to the limit.

Optimus and Bulkhead took the front, their massive sizes smashing through any vehicon foolish enough to get in their way. Arcee's alt-mode allowed her to easily slip past the vehicon, confusing them and her speed allowing her to dodge their blasts and even get some cons to shoot at their own.

Vehicons were flunged out of drills. Their only saving grace being the fact that they stayed suspended in the water, hence they did not have to worry about being run over lest they're too low and get slammed by the hoods of Bumblebee or Smokescreen.

They crashed through the doors and headed off towards the base they saw looming over them in the distance.

However, they hit the brakes and transformed back when they saw three Decepticons waiting for them along with dozens of vehicons.

"Looks like the welcoming committee's here." Arcee said.

"And with three special guest stars." Smokescreen said sarcastically as he saw Knockout, Breakdown and Dreadwing among the vehicons.

"Stand down or we will move you away forcefully." Optimus said.

"We will never step down from Autobot scum." Dreadwing spat then he brandished his sword with a roar the Decepticons surged forward.

Team Prime charged forwards to meet them head on.

Arcee leaped forward and slammed her pedes onto a charging vehicon. She back flipped off him and activated her blasters, taking another two cons out as she flipped. She landed on her pedes gracefully, the water resistance making it effortless. Turning around, she cocked her blasters and merciless opened fire on any vehicon who dared to charge towards her.

"Nice day for a dip eh?" she turned around and saw Knockout there with his energon prod in servo.

Arcee activated her blades and dropped into a fighting stance until she felt a servo on her shoulder. She looked up and saw it was Smokescreen was a rare serious look on his faceplate. "The mad doc's mine." He said.

Arcee blinked then saw that Bulkhead could use some help so she stepped aside. "Don't do anything stupid." She called after him before running off to help Bulkhead.

"So, you left your princess back in her tower this time?" Knockout said.

"Why? Jealous cuz you're still a lonely bachelor?" Smokescreen asked.

They both circled each other like two beasts, both relaxing in an attempt to lull the other into a false sense of security and feigning to rile them up.

Then Smokescreen smirked. "Later." He said before phasing through the ground.

Knockout's optics darted around and his grip on the energon prod tighten. "What's wrong? Too scared to face me like a bot?" he asked.

"Oh don't be such a hypocrite you coward." Smokescreen said appearing behind him. Knockout turned around too late as Smokescreen's blade left a long cut on his chassis. He only just leaned back enough to save himself.

"You scratched the pain!" he roared.

"Tell me something I don't know." Smokescreen said with a smug smirk. "Also, look behind you."

"Like I'd fall for that stupid tri-" he didn't finish as a vehicon was hurled and crashed into him.

Smokescreen winced. "I tried to warn him." He said before running off to deal with the remaining vehicons.

Meanwhile Bulkhead and Breakdown were deep in a brawl of brute force. Even underwater, their blows were just as devastating. Their weapons clashed, the shockwaves kicking up mud and sand turning the ocean waters murky.

Bulkhead roared and swung his mace up. It slammed against Breakdown's chin. But his victory was short-lived as Breakdown slammed a devastating left hook onto his faceplate.

Soundwave who was monitoring the battle from inside the base pressed a button and activated the defense systems.

Arcee's helm snapped around as she heard the shifting mechanisms and she spotted the missile launchers coming out of the base's walls.

"Incoming!" she warned.

Optimus ducked under a slash from Dreadwing and kicked Decepticon away. He turned around and saw the aimed missile launchers. "Autobots, fall back!" he ordered.

Smokescreen yelped and jumped away in time, just barely dodging a missile. He ran off and took cover behind a rock with Optimus.

Then Smokescreen noticed all the sand and mud getting kicked up, mixing with the waters and hindering their line of sight.

'Wait....that's it!' "Optimus, I've got a plan." He said.

Optimus looked at him and Smokescreen thumped his fist on the ground, kicking up a plume of murky mud. "A smokescreen, pretty ironic huh?" he said.

"A sound plan nonetheless." Optimus said. "Arcee, Bulkhead, we have a plan, listen carefully."

"You cannot hide there forever!" Dreadwing called out. "Surrender and we might spare you."

'Emphasis on the 'might'.' Smokescreen thought.

Optimus transformed and drove out. Soon, Bulkhead, Arcee and Smokescreen followed suit. The Decepticons opened fire on them.

Optimus shifted gears and soon, the Autobots were driving donuts around them, their tires screeching against the sand and mud, kicking them up to make the water murky.

Soon the Decepticons were surrounded in a smokescreen.

"Scrap, I can barely see anything." Breakdown muttered in frustration and tried to wave the murky water away to no avail. Then he roared and swung his mace around blindly. "Come out and fight you cowards!" he said.

"Gladly." Arcee said. She sprung out of the smokescreen like a snake in her alt-mode. As she transformed, she slid on the ground and slashed at Breakdown's pedes with her blades, leaving two deep gashes on it.

He grunted and glared at Arcee who was slowly being engulfed by the smokescreen. "Come back here and fight like a bot!" Breakdown said.

"If that is what you wish." Breakdown turned around too late as Optimus slammed his fist against his chassis, knocking the air out of his vents.

The Autobot leader stepped forward and executed an uppercut that knocked him out cold.

Meanwhile, Dreadwing's optics scanned through the murky waters for the sign of any movement. He took his plasma cannon out and held it cocked and ready to open fire. "Cowards!" he spat. "Where is your honor? Face me!"

"Why not?!" Bulkhead's mace striked out of the smokescreen and slammed into Dreadwing's helm, snapping it sideways.

Dreadwing shook his helm. He growled and blindly fired around the smokescreen. "Peek-a-boo." There!

He fired away but his blasts phased through Smokescreen who jumped up and straightened his pedes in a dropkick. Bending his knees, he used Dreadwing as a springboard and pushed himself off. As he floated back, Smokescreen blasted the con a few times to rile him up even more.

Knockout's pedes shuffled nervously and his optics darted everywhere. 'Was that them? Or was it just the water current playing tricks on me?' he asked himself.

'There!' he stabbed downwards.....and a fish zoomed away. He tsked. Then suddenly, Arcee appeared out of nowhere. He yelped in shock and lost his footing. Arcee's pedes wrapped around his neck. Her grip tightened and he released a strangled cry as her thighs crushed his neck. With a battle cry, Arcee twisted her body and her powerful legs hurled Knockout away.

Knockout grunted as he crashed back on the sand.

Meanwhile Dreadwing was still tensed and on the lookout for any other sneak attacks. "Looking for me?" he whipped his plasma cannon around to see Smokescreen standing there nonchalantly.

Dreadwing wasn't stupid, he knew with the Phase Shifter on his attacks would be useless. "Are you always going to so heavily depend on your little Iacon trinkets? Or are you too scared to face me with your own skills?" he asked.

Smokescreen pretended to think about it then much to Dreadwing's surprise- he deactivated the Phase Shifter and spread his servos out. "Come and get me then."

Seeing as to how this could be his only chance, he surged forward. Smokescreen waited and activated the Phase Shifter again before kicking his pedes, pedaling him back. "You're goanna have to move faster than that!" he said before the smokescreen began to envelope him, turning him into nothing more than a dark silhouette among the murky brown.

Dreadwing growled and gave chase.

Knockout turned around and spotted a silhouette resembling a Cybertronian body swimming towards him. He roared and struck his energon prod and felt it slam against......

Dreadwing.

The commander cried out in pain and Knockout hastily retracted the energon prod. Dreadwing scowled at him. "Sorry, wrong bot." Knockout said and tried not to wither from the scowl.

Then they heard it. They felt a shift in the current and ripple spread through the smokescreen. Knockout once again lashed out with his energon prod.......

Only to whack Breakdown on the helm. "What was that for?!" Breakdown asked and rubbed the spot where the energon prod had struck.

"Whose side are you on?" Dreadwing asked Knockout gruffly.

Meanwhile back with Soundwave......

Soundwave mentally tsked as he observed the fight. The Autobots have evidently managed to temporarily outwit them. Soundwave turned around towards the doors. 'You want something done right, you have to do it yourself.' He thought.

'Finally!' Bumblebee thought and watched as the silent con left the room. He waited for a minute to pass before he dropped out of the vents.

He walked over to the computer and instantly got to work. He selected the few files that had no firewalls first and deleted them. Then he moved on to the others.

:Hey, Raf? I could use a hand.: Bumblebee commed.

Back at the Autobot base, Raf took his laptop out. "I'll do what I can, think you can tell me the computer's designation code?"

Bumblebee sent it to Raf and he began to work his magic. "Woah, they were really being throughout." Raf said and adjusted his glasses. "Our addresses, our blood types even our allergies."

"Creepy." Miko and Evelyn said and shuddered.

"Delete.....delete....delete...." Raf muttered and began to ship away at firewalls and delete file after file.

"How much longer?" Jack asked.

"Don't worry, I've gotten rid of the ones on our family and relatives." Raf said.

"What about the ones on us?" Evelyn asked.

"Bee and I are working on it." Raf said.

"What's Bee helping Raf with?" Miko asked Ratchet.

"He can't delete the files due to all the firewalls so for the time being, all he can do is send them over to Raf so he can delete them from here." Ratchet explained.

Bumblebee pressed the button and the last file was sent. He ex-vented in relief that the files were out of the cons' hands. He had no doubt that Raf will be able to destroy them. But Soundwave himself was another thing all together. The scout hadn't encountered him much but even he knew that the silent Decepticon was a walking database.

Then he heard it, a high-pitched whirr....no a squeal like a bat's. Bumblebee whipped around and barely ducked to avoid a blast from Laserbeak. Scrap, he forgot about the mini-con surveillance drone Soundwave kept with him.

The doors opened and Soundwave himself stood there, his angular but tall body all but blocking the only entry and exit.

'Scrap.' Bumblebee thought and leaped back to dodge another blast from Laserbeak. He activated his own blasters and shot back but the drone was too fast and too small a target.

Bumblebee decided to focus fire on Soundwave instead. The communication specialist used his wing-like servos as shields and charged forwards. Bumblebee was taken aback by the speed but quickly dropped into a fighting stance.

Bumblebee charged forwards and reared his fist back. Soundwave blocked his two punches with ease. Bumblebee brought his pede up but Soundwave raised his servo and blocked it almost contemptuously. 

The Decepticon's servo striked out like a snake and his palm slammed into Bumblebee's jaw in a palm-fist strike, snapping his helm backwards.

Bumblebee staggered but regained his footing. Then he had to flip sideways to avoid a blast from Laserbeak. The mini-con flew and settled itself back on Soundwave's chest. The communication specialist simple put his servo out, palm up and curled his digits.

Soundwave was taunting him, beckoning him for a fight.

'Then I'll give him one.' Bumblebee thought and activated his blasters. He fired and Soundwave dodged them, his sleek body lithe and agile. Then his tentacles shot out, the claws on the end rotating like drills.

Bumblebee leaned back to dodge the tentacle and grabbed onto it much to Soundwave's surprise. Bumblebee wrapped the tentacle around his wrist once and yanked it forward with all his might.

Soundwave crashed down onto the floor and Bumblebee kicked him sending him rolling. The Decepticon kicked Bumblebee's shin while he was down and swept the Autobot's pedes out from under him. Bumblebee grunted and rolled away to avoid Soundwave's stabbing tentacles.

Bumblebee got back up while Soundwave loomed in front him ominously, his silence adding to the eerie deadly aura. That along with the underwater atmosphere made it truly suffocating.

Soundwave attacked first, his clawed servo swiping out like a panther's claw. Bumblebee jumped back in time but the con's sharp digits left four diagonal cuts on his chest. Energon leaked out of it, turning the seawater into a blurry blue.

Bumblebee tried to ignore the injury. The salty seawater seeped into the wound, stinging it as though he was being prodded with hundreds of needles relentlessly.

Bumblebee ducked under another swipe and kicked Soundwave away. He ran forward and gave him an hook kick on the helm before jumping and repeating the same tactic.

Soundwave shook his helm and as Bumblebee punched him, he grabbed the scout's fist and flipped him over his shoulder. Soundwave knew the water resistance would make Bumblebee's landing softer so Soundwave hurled him towards the wall.

Even the water resistance couldn't soften Bumblebee's impact against the metal walls. Bumblebee propped his pedes against the wall and kicked off them with all his might. He tackled Soundwave and the two of them tumbled in the water.

Bumblebee and Soundwave wildly swung their fists, both attempting to land a hit on the other. Bumblebee felt his fist connect against Soundwave's faceplate and took grim satisfaction from it but it was short-lived as Soundwave landed a punch on his faceplate too.

Soundwave twisted his body so that he was pinning Bumblebee down. Bumblebee wriggled around but Soundwave used his wide flat forearm to pin him down on the neck. He pressed down and Bumblebee released a broken strangled cry at the pressure on his already damaged neck.

(He tried not to think back to how Megatron had applied the same painful pressure all those years ago back on Cybertron at Tyger Pax)

Soundwave reared his other servo up and began to relentlessly pummel it on Bumblebee.

Black static burst through Bumblebee's vision as Soundwave fist rained blow after blow on his faceplate. His audio receptors began to ring and he briefly heard someone calling his name through the ringing but it sounded far away.

Finally, he managed to yank one of his servos free and he transformed it into a blaster. He aimed it and shot at Soundwave's faceplate point-blank, knocking the communication specialist off him.

Bumblebee stood up and his body racked with coughs as his neck was freed of the painful pressure on it. He looked up and saw Soundwave steadying himself, his visor now sporting a burnt mark and a spider web of cracks on the left hand side where Bumblebee's blast had hit its mark.

Even though he couldn't see the face, Bumblebee could feel Soundwave's glare drilling a hole through him. The tentacles lashed out, their claws acting as vicious blades to slash him apart. Bumblebee flipped back to dodge one but the other latched around his pede.

Bumblebee beeped as he was lifted off and pulled towards Soundwave who raised his pede and slammed it against his chassis knocking the air out of his vents, he's pretty sure he felt a pipe crack inside.

Bumblebee twisted his body, the water resistance helping somewhat, and brought his pede down, his heel slamming against Soundwave's chin.

The tentacles came back and Bumblebee leaped sideways, the tentacles slicing a cable clean through. Then Bumblebee looked at the severed cable and got an idea. He waited, crouched and ready, his body hiding his servo that was slowly grabbing onto the cable and waited for Soundwave to make his move.

The silent con lunged forward and time seemed to slow down.

This isn't the first time it's happened to Bumblebee. He found it funny how things seem to purposefully slow down in moments like these and how you suddenly notice so much. He suddenly became aware of the small grains of sand still suspended in the air, he noticed all the numbers and letters on the keyboard on the nearby console and he noticed just how many scratches they were on Soundwave's plating, symbolizing the scars he's gained from his hard life in the Pits of Kaon. It's as though time slows and allows you to notice it all lest you end up failing and die.

That wasn't goanna happen. Not today.

Bumblebee leaned sideways, dodging the drill of the tentacle that whizzed pass his helm and jammed the cable onto Soundwave's chest.

The cables were specially made so they wouldn't electrocute everyone if they were to get severed and exposed but if the exposed wires within were to make harsh sudden contact with other electrical or metallic beings however....

Soundwave's body spasmed as the electricity traveled through his circuits, shocking him to the core. It was as though thousands of needles were stabbing his circuits and twisting the cables.

:ERROR!// ERROR!// ERROR!: Flashed on his visor before he blacked out.

Then his body slumped and Bumblebee took the cable away. He stood over Soundwave, his blaster cocked and aimed ready to fire at the sign of even the tiniest twitch but there wasn't. Soundwave was knocked out cold.

Bumblebee relaxed his tense body. Then he was filled with pride as he realized he just managed to defeat one of Megatron's highest ranking subordinates.

:Does anyone read me?: he asked pressing a digit against his comm.

This time, they all heard him clearly. "We hear you, Bumblebee. What's the status?" Optimus asked.

:Raf and I have deleted the files.: Bumblebee said. :I've taken care of Soundwave, he's out for now.:

"Woah, you beat Slenderman? Nice going, Bee!" Smokescreen said then grunted as a blast threw him back.

What Bumblebee didn't notice however, was Soundwave fighting through the haze of unconsciousness just long enough to activate the protocol.

Bumblebee jumped as an alarm sounded. He turned around and saw two words displayed on every screen in the room.

^^[SELF DESTRUCT INITIATED]^^

Below the words was a countdown. 00:59....00:58...00:57

He glared at Soundwave but the silent con was gone.

Bumblebee forgot about him and ran out as fast as he could.

Dreadwing, Knockout and Breakdown received a message from Soundwave.

:Self Destruct Initiated.: a mechanical computerized voice said. Then a groundbridge opened up behind them. Knockout smirked smugly and gave them a two-digit salute.

"At least you'll go out with a bang." He said.

Just then Bumblebee drove out full speed.

"Bee!" Bulkhead said relieved his friend wasn't hurt but it was crushed and replaced with fear at Bumblebee's next words.

:We have to get outta here! This place is goanna blow!: Bumblebee said.

"Scrap." Arcee said.

"Autobots, retreat!" Optimus ordered and they all transformed and rolled out. "Ratchet, triangulate our current position and activate the groundbridge."

"Get to higher ground, things are about to get wet!" Ratchet warned, he had no time to activate the force field if the urgent tone in Optimus's voice is anything to go by, and the kids scrambled up onto the highest section of the rec-centre and grabbed their stuff along the way.

"Activating groundbridge." Ratchet said and pulled the lever down before bracing himself for the oncoming wave.

A wave of water pooled out of the groundbridge and instantly the base was flooded up to Ratchet's chassis. 'Thank the AllSpark this primitive technology of the human's are at least water-proof!' Ratchet thought as the impact of the wave of seawater sent him staggering.

"Bloody heck!" Evelyn said at the sudden tidal wave, the water splashing her and the others ever so slightly.

"Woah!" Jack briefly lost his balance as the base shook while Raf grabbed onto him for balance himself.

"Cowabunga!" Miko said leaning over to look and getting seawater sprayed onto her face.

Team Prime drove out with an ominous blue explosion in raging pursuit. As they transformed, Optimus grabbed onto the lever and turned it off himself, closing the groundbridge, stopping more water from flooding in and cutting off the explosion before it could reach the base, leaving only brief wisps of blue smoke as a reminder which quickly dissipated.

Jack released a breath of relief, the water had begun to flood the rec-centre and was only a few feet below from them.

"At...least the bots are back and the TV's still usable." Raf said.

They all took their shoes and socks off and after Jack and Raf rolled up their pants, they waded through the water on the rec-centre where the couch and TV was, the water level stopping just below their knees.

"So, had a nice swim?" Miko teased Bulkhead.

"I ain't going back there anytime soon." Bulkhead said. He opened up his chest compartment and more water spilled out.....along with a fish.

"That was awesome!" Smokescreen said and he shook his helm from side to side, sending water spraying everywhere.

'He's like an adorable puppy.' Evelyn thought recalling how she once saw a wet puppy do something similar. "You just acted like a puppy." She snickered and snapped a picture of him shaking his helm from side to side.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Smokescreen said proudly. "So you think I'm that cute huh~" he teased.

Evelyn pursed her lips and smiled slyly. "Maybe~" she said and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

Smokescreen spluttered in surprise and his faceplate turned red. Evelyn laughed. "One point for Eve." She said.

"Are the files deleted, Rafael?" Optimus asked.

Raf nodded. "They're history." He said.

"Uh....I hate to be the bringer of bad news but what if Soundwave downloaded it into his own drive?" Bulkhead pointed out.

"He's right. That guy's a walking database." Arcee said.

:I think he'll be a bit off when he wakes up.: Bumblebee said.

"Can someone please fill us in?" Miko asked.

They gave them a brief review of what happened and Raf helped translate Bumblebee's review of his fight with Soundwave while Ratchet sealed the cuts on his chest.

When Bumblebee told them how he had electrocuted Soundwave, Ratchet's blowtorch nearly went off track. "What?! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?! You could've electrocuted your own circuits!" he scolded.

Bumblebee rubbed the back of his helm sheepishly. :It was a last ditch attempt plan.: he said.

"I'll bet Slenderman isn't goanna be happy about that." Evelyn said.

"Wait, you cracked his visor?" Smokescreen asked. Bumblebee nodded. "Did you see his face?"

Now everyone, even Optimus was interested to know. But Bumblebee shook his helm.

:Not sure if i ever want to honestly.: Bumblebee said and some of them agreed.

They also learned that apparently, Ratchet once installed a 'Flush System' of sorts that allowed him to clear out the water.

"Like a giant toilet flusher." Miko joked and they all snickered.

"There." Ratchet said, finished with sealing up the last cut.

Optimus walked over to Bumblebee. "Bumblebee, what you did was reckless and rash. You should not have confronted Soundwave alone. He is a more than capable fighter than you think and could've easily beaten you." He said sternly.

Bumblebee's door wings drooped slightly. :Sorry, sir.: he said.

"However, had it not been for your actions, our human allies and their families may very well be at the Decepticon's mercy." Optimus said and his tone softened. "What you did was still highly risky but you did the right thing and it is thanks to you, Jack, Rafael, Miko and Eve and their families can continue to live without fear of the Decepticons directly targeting them."

"Yeah Bee, you really saved the day today you know." Smokescreen said.

"And we owe you one." Miko said.

"All of us do, including out entire families even if they don't know it." Evelyn chimed in.

Jack nodded. "Thank you, Bumblebee."

Raf hugged his pede. "Thank you, Bee. For protecting us."

:That's my job.: Bumblebee said proudly.

Optimus smiled and patted Bumblebee on the shoulder. "Well done, soldier." He said.

Bumblebee's chest almost burst in pride. If there was anyone's approval he sought more than anything, it was from Optimus. Hearing that was the equivalent to three cries of praise from ten people and that was more than enough for Bumblebee.