It was almost pitch black out, minus the blue glow coming from the metal earth. Nothing moved, before a quick blur of purple went from one of the buildings to another, hiding before dashing out and under a different one, closer to the main building.

An energon storage system. For any energon that's left over from the energon depots, very dangerous.

The dark purple blur slinked under a small module that sat next to the main building. It's body wasn't completely of metal, it's main body covered in fur that went in shades of red to purple to black at random patterns.

A spiky exoskeleton spine went up her back and ended at the back of its head. Two large ears continuously shifting while in between them a set of black horns angled back sat in a row of four. It's furry face bare, two burning purple and red eyes glaring around as it slowly crept around the large circular structure. It's jaw was lined with sharp metal fangs that, every few seconds, seemed to flicker. A sign that if a Cybertronion was purposely bitten, they would get electrocuted.

The fur on the top of the creatures head seemed to be pulled forwards, slowly getting longer before quickly shortening in a sort of punk style. It's metal legs lined with small spikes and sharp ridges with its paws having ridges on the knuckles and sharp, retractable talons. Slung around its back was a sort of bag, made of small metal rings in chain mail.

But what stood out like a diamond among dirt, was the Decepticon insignia branded on the creatures left shoulder. Marked in a brighter but still dark purple.

Low, rumbling growls came from the creatures throat as it continued to circle the building that was full of energon. The double doors were closed, but the bots who controlled the place left them unlocked.

" idiots. " creature snarled with a smirk as, clearly, she pushed open the door, a blue glow emitting from within.

With her ears continuously swiveling for any sounds of guards or alarms, she slowly went over to the energon. It was in sections, one side was energon boxed to be shipped to any depots, another had it in liquid form, the last was containers of the crystals.

The creature quickly went to the energon crystals, rising onto her hind legs and unslinging the pouch off her back and unhooking its cover. The only items in it were a few things; a small visor that had a broken web stretched across it but still intact, a black piece of metal that had a few glowing yellow spots, a small and useless sliver of dark energon, a few small blue and yellow star-shaped grenades, and...

The creature grabbed the last item and hooked it on her front paw, where it seemed to extend and emit a small click before the purple-red end started to glow.

With one paw, that had the weapon, holding the bag open, the other was grabbing crystals and shoving them into the back which held the items that were already in it.

Clink. Cli-clink. The crystals were being stuffed into the bag till there was almost no room left.

" what's that? " The creature gave a silent snarl of fury before hastily digging into the bag, not even try to keep quiet anymore, and grabbed one of the star shaped explosives. " over here! "

Smacking it down on one of the boxed energon cubes, the beast gave a loud snarl before dropping down to all fours and running out at a quick pace. " what in pit is that!?"

The thumping of pedes gave slow chase after the fleeing, techno-organic creature. But, unfortunately for the two guards, as soon as they passed the explosive given to the creature by the one and only Dreadwing, it blew.

BAM! The blast sent the beast forwards a few feet, but stayed balanced and upright as she continued running until the complex power area, a sort of with energon tanks and multiple power poles.

The wailing sirens of security and rescue sounded and the rogue couldn't help but smirk as the buildings erupted in blue flames.

' may you rest with your brother, Dreadwing ' she solemnly prayed as a few smaller secondary explosions erupted because if the multiple separate piles of energon.

Quickly, from a separate pouch around her waist, the intelligent creature grabbed a metal can of spray paint that was stolen from the street market where merchants were selling finish supplies. Of course the beasts old comrade Knockout was there.

Shaking the can and ripping the lid off, and with an open wall, the dark energon purple paint was sprayed across the creatures canvas in the sharp and accurately painted shape.

The Decepticon insignia

She quickly grabbed a black hood which she threw over her body, concealing her in the darkness as she jumped down and moved a small distance away to watch the drama unfold.

A rumbling laugh growled from her throat as police and news ships arrived, spotlights illuminating the scene and finally, on her masterpiece. The paint having dripped and made it seem more ominous.

And with a satisfied hum, the beast dropped down to all fours and quickly but calmly fled the area.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" this is the fifth time this orn that an energon storage unit has been attacked and destroyed. Officers say that the exact same symbol that had been painted at the scene was there after the explosion that killed two guards who were in the building. More news late- "

Silverbolt sighed, he never thought that after 12 years after he ended the decepticons, one would still persist.

Shaking his helm the large mech sat on the metal berth of his room, taking from under the metal of his left palm, a metal feather. It's black metal glinted in the dim light as the ex-leader spun it between two if his digits, thinking deeply as he studied the ridges of the feather.

Echo had given it to him, said it was a 'bond of friendship' before everything went to hell. The little Simbiot's image flooded his mind, the way she would taunt Ravage whenever she beat him in a game or contest, the determined look she always carried when sent on a mission or onto the field, and the neutral face she had when she was totally done with dealing with something or tired.

Silverbolt hung his helm. The last he saw of the simbiot was when Unicron had taken control of his body to destroy Cybertron. He remembered the horrified look on the simbiots face as the dark energon hammer smashed into her body when she protected Predaking who had just been struck unconscious by the powerful being that had taken over him.

The silver mech looked back at the portscreen that still had the incident being talked about, the image split between the smoking wreckage of the energon storage unit and the painted Decepticon insignia.

With a sigh, the portscreen was turned off.

~~~~~~~~~~

" I need you to find someone. " 

" and do you have the credits to persuade me? "

" does a thousand meet your expectations? "

" depends on who I'm supposed to be finding. " a blade was spun through the air and the owner caught it flawlessly, twirling it between their clawed digits.

" the Decepticon whose been attacking the storage units. "

" do you know which Decepticon? It definitely isn't a vehicon and Starscream's ugly mug was found at darkmount. "

" with knowledge from the deflected vehicons and knockout, we believe it's Soundwaves last remaining cassette. "

" a cassette? Your joking. You got a plan or do you think I can make one up within the time that's been given to me and most likely not succeed? "

" yes, we've been tracking all the places it's been and we know that area it will be in. "

" wonderful. "

~~~~~~~~

Echo slowly walked on the side of the street, a few civilians out at the market that was just opening, her softly glowing eyes sweeping the stalls where merchants were selling goods.

One booth caught her eye. It's owner was an older femme, with different types of thin braided wire wrapped around her digits and helm.

Echo checked her hood and made sure her body was covered before crossing and approaching the stall, the owners optics turning to her and softly smiling when the hooded figure stopped at her booth.

" anything catching your eye? Most of these items were made from artifacts and famous ships that crashed during the war. " her voice was slightly raspy, but beautifully so. Starscream sounded horrendous.

" autobot ships? "  Echo rarely used her voice, but at times like these and no one hostile around, that she could detect, she spoke to the bots around.

" some, others Decepticon ships and a few neutral. I even have a few from the Nemesis. " that perked her interest as the the femme pointed to a pair of black and silver wraps.

" how did you get stuff like this? " Echo asked, her eyes brightening as they studied the jewelry made from the ship she had lived in all her life.

" I'm a trader, during the war a neutral. If I find something that I believe has beauty within, I make it so. When the Nemesis was just getting moved from its crash sight, I managed to get a piece from the power core. It was just enough to make these two. " she again gestured to the wraps.

" is it alright if I take a closer look? " I ask, studying the way the wraps were shining. " my sire worked aboard the ship before he died. " I explain to the elder when I glance her curious face. She nods and tentatively picks them up and I hold out a paw, where she places them.

" it was never a trait I liked. " I explain my paws as I delicately handle the jewelry, tilting it at different angles.

" how much? " I ask, handing them back and detaching the chainmail pouch attacked to my hip containing silver round coins with symbols printed on them.

" twenty five credits. but I must admit, when you spoke about how your sire worked aboard the ship they are made of, I could see the sadness in your eyes. For you, they are fifteen. " she says with a small smile which I return, the light glinting off my retracted teeth.

I hand her the three coins and she hands me the jewelry made from the metal of my first home.

" thank you, very much. " I say with my accented voice before turning away and crossing back over the street, going down an alley.

I didn't even notice the large blue eyed silver mech watching from my left, nor the reptilian golden eyes watching from another alley. One astonished. The other, grinning wickedly.

~~~~~~~

Home. Once a large and intimidating ship, now a deserted basement under a building complex in the nicer parts of Kaon. 

It was one large room with a ladder leading up to a trapdoor, which opened up to a area in an alley intersection.

There was an old metal berth in the corner, a tall mirror which had a few cracks in the corner, multiple shelves with different trinkets on each, and a large container which contained multiple energon crystals.

The black cloak was hung by the ladder on a jagged piece of metal with the bag on a hook beside it.

Echo sat in front of the cracked mirror, her legs crossed while she carefully slung the silver and black jewelry she had bought that morning around the two largest horns on her head.

Wrapping the silver wires tightly around the black horn before clasping the ends to the closest circle, attaching it in place.

Studying herself in the mirror, Echo couldn't help but be proud of the white, red, and light blue scars that crisscrossed across her body. Some from ones she trusted at first, some from enemy's, the rest from mistakes. The marks that shown clearly through her fur.

On her face, the long white scar then went through her left eye, across her nose, and ending at her right. The ugly plague mark that was on her cheek that showed her teeth through her flesh. The clipped end of her left ear. The three identical marks of the opposite cheek of the melted side.

One dragged across her throat.

One on her chest across where an exoskeleton rib should be. Another raking down from her collar bone to her side, across her stomach. She didn't even want to deform her wings from her back, the image already still clear in her mind.  On her side seemed to be a large divot, the metal exoskeleton ribs crushed in and cracked while the rest sunken in.

Her legs and tail had a few scratches, a few small pieces of metal missing, but that was it.

Looking at a small portscreen and seeing the time, growled and quickly slung the bag around her neck and shoulder onto her back while grabbing the hood and throwing it on before climbing the ladder and out of the trapdoor into the alley.

It was the middle of the night, only feint lights from the ground and the stars illuminated the dark. The only sound was the clicking of Echo's feet on the ground as she made her way to her destination, the remains of the gladiator pits.

The statue of Megatron had been blown apart when the planet was brought back to life, but the arena was on hold for repairs. The doors open and the millions of seats bare, the chain dome around the top silent.

Echo walked through the doors and made her way to the center of the ring, not noticing the large lithe shape hiding in the shadows.

Echo whipped around with a snarl when the doors slammed shut. And the lights went out beneath.