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THEY SAID IT COULDN'T BE
DONE -- THE ONE CALLED "ARCEE"
IS TOO QUICK, TOO STEALTHY TO BE
CAPTURED.
WELL, HERE YOU ARE, WITH A RARE
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE HISTORY.
YOU SEE, I HAVE INTERCEPTED THIS
ENCRYPTED AUTOBOT SIGNAL, AND IF
IT'S ENCRYPTED, IT MUST BE
IMPORTANT.
DECODE IT FOR ME, AND I WILL SEE
TO IT THAT YOU PERISH QUICKLY.
[ GRUMBLES ]
SPEAK UP.
I CAN'T HEAR YOU WHEN YOU
WHIMPER.
GET...FRAGGED.
[ GASPS ]
[ LAUGHS ]
PERHAPS YOU WILL BE MORE
INCLINED TO COOPERATE WHEN IT IS
NOT YOUR OWN WELL-BEING AT
STAKE.
[ GRUNTS ]
ARCEE. BEEN A WHILE.
GIVE ME THE ENCRYPTION CODE,
OR I WILL ADD YOUR COMRADE
CLIFFJUMPER TO THE MULTITUDE OF
FALLEN AUTOBOTS BELOW.
SCRAP HIM.
I BARELY KNOW THE GUY.
OUCH.
GLAD I'M NOT THE SENSITIVE TYPE.
CYBERTRON IS LITTLE MORE THAN
A GRAVEYARD NOW.
GIVE ME THE CODE!
I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU,
STARSCREAM.
YOU'RE NO MEGATRON.
[ SCREAMS ]
[ GROANING ]
THREE STEPS, BULKHEAD?
THAT'S ALL YOU CAN MANAGE?
[ SIGHS ]
I'M SORRY, MIKO.
MY LEGS STILL HURT.
[ GRUNTING ]
WHAT DID I TELL YOU?
[ SIGHS ]
"NO EXCUSES."
EXACTLY.
TRY AGAIN.
10 STEPS THIS TIME.
[ GROANING ]
I HOPE DECODING THE IACON
DATABASE IS GOING MORE SMOOTHLY
THAN BULKHEAD'S RECOVERY.
SLOW BUT STEADY, OLD FRIEND.
[ SIGHS ]
HUMAN TECHNOLOGY.
BUT YOUR EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD
SHOULD PROVIDE ANY EDGE WE NEED
TO BEAT THE DECEPTICONS AT THIS
GAME.
I FEAR THEIR ACCESS TO
CYBERTRONIAN TECHNOLOGY MAY
PROVIDE THEM WITH EQUAL
ADVANTAGE.
[ CRASH ]
[ GRUNTS ]
NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
YOU HAVE TO COME BACK STRONGER
THAN BEFORE.
[ GROANS ]
TIME FOR A BREAK, BULKHEAD.
A BREAK?
YOU THINK THE CONS ARE GONNA
GIVE BULKHEAD A BREAK IN THE
MIDDLE OF A FIRE FIGHT?!
IF YOU PUSH A PATIENT TOO FAR
TOO FAST, YOU RISK EXACERBATING
THEIR INJURIES.
BUT --
BULKHEAD NEEDS TO REST.
[ GROANING ]
UGH!
OUT OF THE WAY!
[ BIRD CRIES ]
[ WIND WHISTLING ]
[ CRYING ]
MIKO?
OH. UH...HEY, ARCEE.
I WAS JUST...
AREN'T WE A LITTLE CLOSE TO
THE EDGE?
HEIGHTS DON'T SCARE ME.
BULKHEAD'S COMING ALONG JUST
FINE.
THANKS MOSTLY TO YOUR EFFORTS.
BUT HE NEEDS A FRIEND RIGHT NOW,
NOT A DRILL SERGEANT.
NO OFFENSE, BUT I CAME UP
HERE FOR SOME PRIVACY.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE
GOING THROUGH.
IF YOU EVER WANT SOMEONE TO TALK
TO --
I'M FINE, OKAY?
I'M NOT THE ONE HARDSHELL TRID
TO SCRAP.
MIKO, IT'S ROUGH WHEN SOMEONE
YOU CARE ABOUT GETS HURT.
CLOSING YOURSELF OFF FROM
FEELING WON'T HELP ANYONE.
WELL, YOU WOULD KNOW,
WOULDN'T YOU?
YES.
I WOULD.
ARCEE, I'M SORRY.
I DIDN'T MEAN THAT.
IT'S OKAY.
HE'S...BEEN ON MY MIND LATELY.
AFTER I LOST MY FIRST PARTNER,
TAILGATE, I PUSHED EVERYONE
AWAY, UNTIL CLIFFJUMPER CAME
ALONG.
WHAT WAS HE LIKE?
CLIFF WAS...QUITE THE
CONVERSATIONALIST.
[ GRUNTS ]
UNGH!
[ GROANS ]
CLIFFJUMPER?
ARE YOU --
[ PANTING ]
I...I CAN'T...
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY
CARE.
THE ONLY THING I CARE ABOUT
IS WHETHER YOU TALKED JUST NOW.
[ GROANS ]
ARE YOU ALWAYS THIS NICE TO
YOUR RESCUERS?
DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION.
I GOT BORED WITH STARSCREAM'S
LITTLE WORKOUT.
SO I IDLED MY ENGINES AND FAKED
SHUTDOWN.
SCREAM BOUGHT IT.
HOW DID YOU WIND UP HERE?
INTERCEPTED SOME CHATTER
ABOUT A DECEPTICON OPERATION ON
THE OLD HOME PLANET.
SO I FOLLOW THE TRAIL AND FIND
STARSCREAM SHIPPING MASSIVE
AMOUNTS OF ENERGON HERE TO
CYBERTRON.
WHAT'S YOUR STORY?
SAME.
YOU'RE QUITE THE
CONVERSATIONALIST.
[ SIGHS ]
I'VE TRIED EVERY INTERROGATION
TECHNIQUE, AND NOTHING IS
WORKING.
I WOULD JUST ELIMINATE THEM, BUT
THE CODE THEY CARRY IS TOO
VALUABLE.
IF ONLY I COULD BREAK THEM OPEN
AND JUST TAKE IT!
NO, I WILL NOT TAKE THE
PRISONERS TO THE SURFACE!
WHY SHOULD I LET HIM HAVE ALL
THE GLORY?
THE CODE THEY CARRY IS TOO
VALUABLE.
ALL RIGHT, SINCE I MUST
DELIVER THE ENERGON TO HIM
ANYWAY...
SO, THIS IS KAON, HUH?
LOVE WHAT YOU DECEPTICONS HAVE
DONE WITH THE PLACE.
THE RUINS ARE ESPECIALLY
PICTURESQUE.
SILENCE!
[ CLANK ]
HERE WE ARE.
[ GROANS ]
THAT'S NOT A GOOD SIGN.
SINCE I COULD NOT COMPEL YOU
TO SURRENDER THE ENCRYPTION
CODE, I'M FORCED TO INTRODUCE
YOU TO SOMEONE WHOSE METHODS ARE
A LITTLE MORE...PERSUASIVE.
[ FOOTSTEPS THUDDING ]
WE MAY BE IN A LITTLE MORE
TROUBLE THAN I THOUGHT.
AUTOBOTS, SAY HELLO TO
SHOCKWAVE.
DELIVERING A MOUNTAIN OF
ENERGON, INTERCEPTING AN
ENCRYPTED AUTOBOT COMMUNIQUé,
AND CAPTURING TWO KEY PRISONERS
IS IMPRESSIVE, I ADMIT.
BUT LORD MEGATRON EXPECTS
NOTHING LESS FROM HIS FIRST
LIEU--
I SHOULD LET YOU WORK, RIGHT?
[ CHUCKLES ]
NO DOUBT YOU ARE TRYING TO
CONCENTRATE.
CARRY ON.
UM, SHOCKWAVE, ARE YOU CERTAIN
YOU CAN EXTRACT THE DECRYPTION
CODE WITHOUT FIRST NULLIFYING
OUR SUBJECT'S NEURAL NET?
I INVENTED THE CORTICAL
PSYCHIC PATCH.
I AM FAMILIAR WITH ITS
IDIOSYNCRASIES.
[ CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY ]
OF COURSE YOU ARE.
[ STRAINING ]
KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME,
YOU ONE-EYED FREAK!
LEAVE HER ALONE!
USE IT ON ME!
DO NOT WORRY.
IF HER MIND DOES NOT SURVIVE THE
PROCEDURE, YOU WILL BE NEXT.
[ GASPS ]
[ GRUNTS ]
AH. THE CODE.
[ GASPS ]
ARCEE. ARCEE!
I'LL SCRAP YOU BOTH!
SHUT UP!
I'M TRYING TO LISTEN!
THIS IS OPTIMUS PRIME.
TO ALL SURVIVING AUTOBOTS WHO
HEAR THIS MESSAGE, I ASK YOU O
JOIN ME IN A REMOTE CORNER OF
THE GALAXY, ON A SMALL PLANET
RICH WITH ENERGON.
I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THIS
WORLD WILL SOON BECOME A NEW
TARGET OF DECEPTICON CONQUEST.
OUR TEAM IS SMALL BUT STRONG.
JOIN ME AT THESE COORDINATES O
THAT WE MIGHT PLAN OUR
RESISTANCE.
SAFE JOURNEYS.
AHA! BRILLIANT!
NOT ONLY DO WE KNOW WHERE TO
FIND OPTIMUS PRIME, BUT HE'S
BEGGING FOR HELP.
NOW IS THE TIME TO STRIKE!
YOU ARE NO LONGER OF USE.
HEY, SCREAM.
CURIOUS -- YOU ALWAYS LET OTHER
CONS DO YOUR DIRTY WORK?
SHOCKWAVE!
YOU ALREADY DISPOSED OF ONE OF
MY PRISONERS.
CLIFFJUMPER IS MINE.
YOUR REASONING IS HARDLY...
LOGICAL.
BUT INDULGE YOURSELF.
WHAT DO YOU THINK,
CLIFFJUMPER?
PLENTY TO CHOOSE FROM HERE.
SHALL WE GO WITH PRECISE
DISSECTION OR BLUNT FORCE?
YOUR CHOICE, SCREAM.
WHATEVER YOU PICK, I'M JUST
GONNA END UP USING IT ON YOU.
VERY WELL.
WHY DON'T WE DO THIS THE
OLD-FASHIONED WAY?
NO! NO!!
[ GRUNTING ]
THANKS FOR THE SAVE.
YOUR TURN, STARSCREAM.
WHAT'S WITH ALL THE ENERGON?
AS IF I WOULD TELL YOU!
TALK, OR YOU'RE A SCIENCE
EXPERIMENT.
I'M NOT KIDDING!
YOU SHOULD PROBABLY TELL HER
SOMETHING.
I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG I CAN HOLD
HER BACK.
I'M NO EXPERT WITH THIS
THING, BUT I HEAR ONE SLIP-UP
CAN FRY A NEURAL NET.
[ GRUNTS ] SHOCKWAVE!
HE'S THE ONE YOU WANT!
HE'S BUILDING A SPACE BRIDGE
BENEATH KAON.
IMPOSSIBLE.
SPACE BRIDGE TECHNOLOGY'S BEEN
LOST FOR MEGA-CYCLES.
AND YET HE MANAGED!
SHOCKWAVE NEVER LEFT CYBERTRON
PRECISELY SO HE COULD SCAVENGE
PARTS AND REVERSE-ENGINEER SPACE
BRIDGE MECHANICS!
AND YOU JUST DELIVERED ALL
THE ENERGON HE NEEDS TO POWER IT
UP.
WHILE IT OFTEN PAINS ME, I
TRY TO BE A TEAM PLAYER.
[ CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY ]
GOING SOMEWHERE?
TO TAKE DOWN A SPACE BRIDGE.
WITHOUT ME?
THIS'LL REQUIRE STEALTH,
NOT...CHATTER.
OH, YOU MEAN THE CHATTER THAT
DISTRACTED STARSCREAM LONG
ENOUGH FOR YOU TO FREE YOURSELF?
JUST TRY NOT TO SLOW ME DOWN.
YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING?
MY UNIT USED THESE TUNNELS
DURING THE WAR.
THEY'RE PART OF OLD CYBERTRON.
THE SOONER WE BLOW THE
BRIDGE, THE SOONER WE JOIN UP
WITH OPTIMUS PRIME.
GIVE HIM MY REGARDS.
DID YOU NOT HEAR PRIME'S
MESSAGE?
HE NEEDS US.
TEAMWORK ISN'T MY THING.
AFTER WE FINISH THIS, YOU AND I
GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS.
WHATEVER YOU SAY, PARTNER.
LET'S GET ONE THING
STRAIGHT -- YOU ARE NOT MY
PARTNER.
ARCEE, I KNOW IT'S ROUGH.
I REALLY DO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT.
TAILGATE.
TAILGATE!!
CLOSING YOURSELF OFF FROM
FEELING...
Cliffhanger and Miko: WON'T
HELP ANYONE.
SOUNDS FAMILIAR.
GOOD ADVICE IS GOOD ADVICE.
SO, I GOT TO KNOW -- WHAT
HAPPENED NEXT?
SHOCKWAVE'S LATEST WORK OF
ART.
ALREADY FUELED AND READY TO
RIP.
ARCEE -- LOOK FAMILIAR?
THE COORDINATES OPTIMUS
PROVIDED.
THEY'RE BEING USED TO TARGET THE
SPACE BRIDGE.
WHICH MEANS THE 'CONS WILL
AMBUSH OPTIMUS AND HIS TEAM
BEFORE ANY AUTOBOT
REINFORCEMENTS CAN GET THERE.
IF THE 'CONS SCORCH OPTIMUS,
THE WAR IS AS GOOD AS OVER.
WE CAN FIX THAT.
NO.
WE DON'T HAVE THE ORDNANCE TO
BLOW THE BRIDGE.
I'LL HAVE TO SABOTAGE THE
CONTROL SYSTEMS.
WHAT ABOUT ACCESS?
YOU JUST GONNA WALK UP AND ASK
FOR PERMISSION?
NO.
YOU ARE.
UH, EXCUSE ME.
I GOT SEPARATED FROM THE TOUR
GROUP.
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN
FIND THE DECEPTICON BASE?
[ WEAPONS CHARGE ]
WHOA!
DIDN'T COMMANDER STARSCREAM TELL
YOU?
[ Chuckling ] I'M ON YOUR SIDE
NOW.
THAT COWARD OPTIMUS PRIME
TURNED TAIL AND RAN.
LEFT THE REST OF US AUTOBOTS TO
FEND FOR OURSELVES.
SO MUCH FOR CAMARADERIE, HUH?
FIGURED I'D RATHER BE ON THE
WINNING TEAM, SO I TOOK
STARSCREAM UP ON HIS OFFER.
IMAGINE THE LOOK ON PRIME'S FACE
WHEN IT STARTS RAINING
DECEPTICONS -- ME WITH THEM.
REALLY, I KNOW ALL ABOUT
STARSCREAM'S PLAN.
WE CAN ALL GET ALONG NOW.
THERE'S...SOMEONE BEHIND ME,
ISN'T THERE?
ONLY STARSCREAM COULD FAIL TO
DISPOSE OF A HELPLESS CAPTIVE.
[ ENERGY CRACKLING ]
UH...IS IT SUPPOSED TO SOUND
LIKE THAT?
INTERLOPER!
AAH!
[ GRUNTS ]
YOU HAVE OVERRIDDEN THE
ENERGON-CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS,
HAVEN'T YOU?
CLEVER, BUT NOT IRREVERSIBLE.
[ GRUNTS ]
[ GRUNTS ]
[ ENERGY CRACKLING ]
[ GRUNTS ]
[ GRUNTS ]
THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO
NULLIFY A NEURAL NET.
NOT THIS TIME.
[ GRUNTS ]
CLIFF?
I KNEW YOU CARED.
IT APPEARS SHOCKWAVE'S
ARROGANCE WAS HIS UNDOING.
DESTROY THEM!
AUTOBOTS -- WHATEVER YOU DID TO
THE SPACE BRIDGE, UNDO IT NOW!
THEY SHOULD REALLY STOP
SHOOTING AT US IF THEY WANT OUR
HELP.
SEEING AS HOW OUR EXIT IS
BLOCKED AND WE HAVE AN OPEN
SPACE BRIDGE PORTAL CURRENTLY
SET FOR PRIME'S LOCATION...
YOU WITH ME?
THE SPACE BRIDGE -- IT'S
GOING TO BLOW!
[ CRACKLING INTENSIFIES ]
GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU GOT!
[ GRUNTS ]
WHOO! BULL'S-EYE!
[ GRUNTS ]
[ ENERGY CRACKLES ]
THINK SHOCKWAVE SURVIVED?
HOPE SO.
[ Chuckling ] I WANT A REMATCH.
[ GRUNTS ]
LET'S FIND OPTIMUS...
PARTNER.
[ CHUCKLES ]
RICH WITH ENERGON, HUH?
HOPE THE WHOLE ROCK DOESN'T LOOK
LIKE THIS.
REMINDS ME OF THE TIME I WAS
LOST IN THE SEA OF RUST BACK ON
CYBERTRON, EXCEPT I WAS
SEPARATED FROM MY UNIT WITH
ABSOLUTELY NO ONE TO TALK TO.
TALK AT?
ADMIT IT -- YOU LOVE THE
COMPANY!
[ CHUCKLES ]
FUNNY.
AT FIRST, I DIDN'T THINK I'D
EVER GET USED TO CLIFF'S
CONSTANT CHATTER.
NOW THERE'S NOTHING LOUDER TO ME
THAN THE SILENCE.