"Sometimes, I wish life was easier."

Pan sat beside Raf in the base, the younger teen silently signing to her about what had happened in her absence.

Pan’s face only grew continuously in concern with each sentence what he signed.

‘Now Megatron’s back,’ Raf finished a frown present on his face.

‘It wasn’t your fault,’ Pan shook her head at him, knowing what was going through the boy’s mind, ‘Even Ratchet and Optimus didn’t notice that Megesy was in ‘Bee’s helm.’

Raf choked, “What?”

Jack and Miko’s heads took a glance up from the video game they playing at Raf’s outburst, “Say what now?” Miko asked them, her head tilting slightly.

“Nothing,” Pan typed into her phone quickly, “Go back to losing to Jack.”

Miko peered at them seriously before Pan’s words sunk in and her head turned back to the TV where she saw Jack’s avatar attacking hers, “Hey! Cheater!”

Jack merely grinned at Miko, “Snooze you lose, Nakadai.”

Miko sneered at him before ferociously attacking his avatar in retaliation.

Raf chuckled at them with Pan before remembering what his outburst was about, ‘What did you say?’

Pan smiled innocently, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

Raf pouted, ‘Pan,’ he almost begged.

Pan shoo her head, ‘Nope.’

Raf then used his adorable puppy eyes. The light shimmering off his glasses, making him look even more adorable, ‘Please?’

Pan’s playful determination was destroyed within seconds, ‘I called him “Megesy”,’ she sighed in defeat.

Raf giggled at both Pan’s nickname for the warmonger, and his defeat of her, ‘Hilarious,’ he signed as Pan grinned.

“I had hoped that my growing expertise on the subject would remain purely academic,” Ratchet’s voice made the four human teens look up from their places on the human mainstreamed platform, “But though faint, this is clearly a dark energon signature, and it’s moving fast.”

Optimus and the rest of Team Prime had found themselves looking at the computer from behind Ratchet, “Megatron,” Optimus sighed.

“Where'd he find more of the bad stuff?” Arcee asked, a warily hint to her voice.

Bulkhead spoke up next, “And what's he gonna do with it,” He asked, “Recruit a new army of the undead?”

“Zombiecons?” Miko whispered excitedly making the remaining three teens shared nervous looks.

Optimus sighed, “We cannot rule out the possibility,” he said, “Especially since Megatron seems to be heading to a familiar site.”

Optimus paused, his optics clouded slightly in thought, “Megatron has barely emerged from stasis, and it seems he's already making up for lost time. Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Ratchet, prepare to roll out,” he commanded them.

“Me?” Ratchet stuttered slightly out of shock making Pan’s eyes dart to him in concern.

Optimus’ derma twitched slightly, “If we are dealing with dark Energon, I may well require your expertise.” he then explained swiftly to him before looking towards the femme, “Arcee?”

“Bridge operator. Got it.” Arcee agreed quickly

The four ‘bots made their way to the ground bridge, “Go get 'em Bulkhead. Bring the hurt!” Miko said in a slightly bored voice as she drew(Jack and her having turned the PS4 off when Ratchet started talking).

Jack narrowed his eyes at Miko as Raf and Pan joined him on the couch, “That's not like Miko to not want to go,” he said making Pan humm in agreement.

Raf nodded his head in agreement as well, “She's definitely up to something,” he said.

As the ‘bots left the base, Miko’s head perked up, noticing that Arcee wasn’t looking she jumped up immediately.

Pan’s eyes widened.

Jack sighed slightly before chasing after her, “Making a break!” he said as Miko got to the ground and ran towards the still open ground bridge.

Raf and Pan shared a quick glance before they chased after the two.

Jack maged to grab Miko’s forearm before she left the safety of the base, “It's not safe!” he tried to reason with her.

“I am not gonna miss my first Zombiecon throwdown!” Miko snapped at him before yanking her arm out of his grip and racing through the groundbridge.

“Miko!” Jack shouted before he, Pan and Raf chased after her.

Arcee not noticing the four leaving shut the groundbridge shortly after the four teens left.

The four teens made their way up a small(to the Cybertronians at least) rock.

“That's not Megatron.” Bulkhead scoffed as the humans made their way up onto the edge.

“Rise, Skyquake! Rise!” Starscream shouted.

“Let's see some fight of the living dead, already!” Miko whispered excitedly.

“Miko, what were you thinking?” Jack snapped/hissed her.

“She wasn't.” Raf said nervously as a small smile twitched at Pan’s lips that she quickly hid from Jack.

“Hey, I totally missed out last time.This could be my only chance to take some snaps.” Miko protested as she patted herself down for her cellphone, Pan's nose wrinkling as she thought the last accident that she somehow managed to find herself at instead of with Raf and Jack, “My cell phone! I must have dropped it back at the base,” she pouted.

“Starscream!” Optimus called to the con.

“Autobots!” Starscream scowled as he turned around to see them.

“Stand down.” Optimus ordered the seeker.

“You stand down! You cannot harm me while dark Energon flows through my veins!” Starscream shouted before Optimus sent a shot towards the seeker and made his arm fall off as it clipped his wing.

“You clipped his wing. He's grounded.” Bulkhead told Optimus who nodded to the ex-wrecker.

“Come on. Come on! Rise already!” Starscream shouted at the tomb of Skyquake before seeing the Autobots nearing him, “This is commander starscream requesting emergency ground bridge to my coordinates.” Starscream said hurriedly as the autobots came closer.

“Ugh, I can't believe you made me lose my phone!” Miko shouted at Jack making the bots look back at the four humans.  

Pan facepalmed as Raf sighed. Both of them feeling a little awkward with all the eyes on them.

“Uh, h-how is this my fault?” Jack asked the enraged girl. His own narrowed glare, glaring at her.

“Oh, no.” Bulkhead muttered, drawing the two who ever fighting to the attention of their audience.

:[Base to Optimus: The kids are missing]: Arcee com’ed Optimus who sighed and reported back.

“We have a visual. Send the ground bridge immediately.” Optimus told her.

Pan winced under the gaze of her guardian and immediately averted her eyes.

Two ground bridges appeared suddenly, bafulling the bots.

“Two?" Ratchet's optics almost seemed to widen out of his faceplates, "You four, into our ground bridge -- Now!” he ordered the human teens.

Miko pouted instantly, “Come on,” Jack grabbed Miko’s arm before she could protest, as they ran to the ground bridge. Pan and Raf shared a look as they chased after the other two.

Suddenly the ground bridges started to react with each other.

“Ratchet, what is happening?” Optimus asked the medic, worry for the four humans in his voice.

“The dueling ground-bridge portals must be feeding back on each other.” Ratchet told the Prime, his optics deep in thought, not catching the look his friend gave him.

“Miko.” Bulkhead realized, and Ratchet finally realised what Optimus had been meaning with the odd look in his optics, “We got to get the kids out of there!” he shouted as he went to go to the ground bridge but was pushed back by an explosion. The bridge then exploded fully, sending a shockwave that pushed the Autobots back.

Ratchet couldn't help but worry for his charge as he found himself thrown back.

Here's Chapter Thirty Four.

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