Once they had returned from spending time with the Rescue Bots on Griffin Rock, TurboRacer and Mystery Inc. explained to the Autobots about Hayden, and he then explained to them about his silver energy powers. To say the Autobots were stunned by this revelation is an understatement - Ratchet was now curious about Hayden's powers, as is Indominus. Optimus was also curious, especially when Hayden showed his powers to them while hovering around them.
After taking a scan, Ratchet began to examine the unique energy readings. "This doesn't seem to make any sense..." He muttered.
"What is it?" Velma asked curiously.
"Found anything?" Ash inquired.
"Well, according to the scans, it shows Hayden is 100% human, but these energy constructs he can create..." Ratchet shook his helm. "It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. There's nothing ever seen or heard of before in Cybertronian history like this."
"That's unexpected." Fred commented.
"Agreed." Ash walked up, his spear weapon retracting away. "But with what Hayden could do, who knows what else he can perform." He stated.
Hayden lands on his feet, his silver energy wings now fading away from sight. "Well, I've only been able to do some things here and there, especially given my whole living situation before I met you guys." He shuddered.
Elita walked over and gently scooped up Hayden into her arms, holding him close to her breastplate. "It's alright, Hayden. Take deep breaths." She said softly.
"Alright." Hayden sighed in relief. "Thanks for that."
"So, what now?" Wheeljack now asked. "Especially with Hayden and his new powers?"
"I think it be best if we keep this under wraps and not say anything about it." TurboRacer suggested to them. "We can't let anyone else know about this, especially of those like Silas and MECH."
"Especially the Decepticons." Ash grunted. "None of them, especially Megatron, must not know. After seeing me in action and do some serious damage to Zurg, he's no doubt waiting for an opportunity to ambush."
"Indeed." Optimus agreed, with Hayden nodding back. "Hayden's gift is something we must keep hidden. Nobody outside of the walls of this base must never know."
"Agreed." Everyone else acknowledged back.
~*~*~
A little later, Ash was walking down the long, dark corridors, remembering where he was thanks to the tour Bumblebee and the others gave on his first day here. It took him a few minutes before he reached his destination: the SAFE.
The SAFE is a training room that is able to project hard-light constructs of Vehicons, certain Decepticons, or really anything that someone can spar against. It's a perfect place to keep in shape and be ready. Ash walks through the door to see everything in the room; the floor, the walls, and the ceiling were shrouded in bluish-white square plates. Ash turns left and looked up to see a metal control panel on the wall over fifteen feet high. No way a human could reach that high without some ladder or lift... at least no normal human.
The red-eyed teen couldn't help but smirk, him now whipping out his wings and flying up toward the panel. He stepped up to the panel and examines the controls. It wasn't too complicated. In fact, after a minute of examining it, he pretty much understood it. "Hmm... let's start off with easy, then we'll work my way up."
After inputting the commands, the bluish-white panels around the room became more vibrant. Suddenly, a single solid image of a Vehicon trooper appears in the middle of the room. Ash turned his attention to it and tightens his hands into fists, leaping down off the control panel and landing on the ground. His skin began to harden and darken, now becoming metallic-like, with black and red armour scales covering his body, his head covered in the black/red helmet.
The Vehicon and human-Predacon stare down at each other for a few seconds. Immediately, the Decepticon drone shifts its right forearm into a blaster and started to fire a fusillade of red energy blasts. Ash didn't even bother trying to dodge the blasts, considering the projectile couldn't pierce his tough hide. Though he did feel a slight stinging sensation, his Predacon endurance made him ignore it. Ash let out a vicious snarl as he charged full steam ahead at the drone, transforming into his armoured humanoid Predacon form. The Vehicon didn't stand a chance as the mass of Predacon muscle delivered a powerful right clawed hook into its helm. The drone was decapitated, the banged-up helm rolling to the side before it and the rest of the body faded away.
Indominus let out a gruff 'Hmph'. "Well... that was anticlimactic." He noted.
Without warning, five Vehicons appeared out of nowhere. The purple and black robots form a circle around Indominus and hastily deployed their blasters.
Indominus looked side to side, no intimidation present anywhere on his expression. "Level two? Here we go."
Just as the hard-light constructs prime their weapons, Indominus leaps at the nearest one and tackles it to the ground. He grabs the drone's right arm and easily ripped it off. Picking it up over his head, he tossed it at another, with drones were thrown off the right instantly. The remaining three aimed their guns at the black/red humanoid Predacon and discharged a folly of crimson blasts. Indominus bent his knees and jumps high in the air over the blasts. Surprisingly, the brute lands right in front of one of the Vehicons and delivers a nasty haymaker into its visor. Just like before, the helm was punched clean off of its metallic shoulders. The other two aimed and fired away upon Indominus, but the energy weapons had no effect on him. Indominus grinned under his helmet as he increases his size of twenty to thirty feet. He grabs the Vehicons by the waists and slammed them together, crushing them like cars in a scrapyard.
After the five drones were defeated, as expected, more began to materialise all around Indominus. This time, however, there were ten Vehicons. Indominus merely grinned, seeing as he dwarfed the solid-grams by at least ten feet.
The next five minutes went by quick. After literally trashing the 10 drones, over 15 more appeared. Needless to say, Indominus took care of them without mercy. Afterwards, twenty phased into existence, and after that thirty. But like the previous levels, Indominus easily took them down. The fact that their weapons couldn't harm his Predacon armour and he could throw them around like rag dolls, gave the human-Predacon a great advantage. In the end, Indominus had defeated 80 drones in a time span of ten minutes. Indominus took this moment to catch his breath for a moment before the next level would startup.
"Have to say, I'm impressed." Indominus turns around to see Arcee leaning against the door frame of the SAFE entrance. The blue femme had her arms crossed over her chassis and looked at the human Predacon with a smirk.
"Arcee." Indominus nodded back. "How long have you been there?"
The smirk on the femme's face grew bigger. "Long enough to see you take down 80 Vehicons in 10 minutes. Got to say, that's not bad at all."
"That's nothing, really." Indominus grunted, then shifts himself back to human form. "One thing for sure, any Vehicon won't stand a chance."
"Don't get too cocky." Arcee stated, Ash walking over. "That can get you killed in the battlefield."
"I've survived as a Predacon for most of my life, Arcee." Ash stated as if pointing it out. "But out of all of us, you and the others have survived for much longer, given the fact you've lived throughout an entire war."
"Very true." Arcee shrugged her shoulder plates as she and Ash walk into the main room.
Ash does a parkour technique and lands up on the deck with the other humans. "Besides, I know when to get involved into a fight or not." He then took notice of two people amiss. "By the way, where are Daphne and Hayden?" He asked. "I haven't seen them."
"They've gone on a drive with TurboRacer." Velma answered, who's over with Ratchet at his workspace. "Plus, I'm a little busy with Ratchet."
"On what, exactly?" Ash wondered.
"It's regarding Hayden's energy constructs." Ratchet answered. "The way he can manifest these constructs on his own, it's unlike anything I've ever seen before, let alone at all in Cybertronian history."
"So, this is something new." Fred commented. "Like never seen before at all?"
"Not by any account." Ratchet acknowledged back. "It's on par with Ash and his Predacon form Indominus. By all accounts, the best way to describe him in the way that makes sense would be that he's now a techno-organism." That now got the attention of everyone else as they look to the wise medic.
"A techno-organism?" Shaggy questioned.
"Rhat is that?" Scooby asked.
"In a technical sense, techno-organisms incorporate both organic and technological components into their construction; these unique upgrades run the gamut of technological sophistication, from basic cybernetic implants all the way up to a true cellular symbiosis that can be classified as an entirely new kind of life-form." Ratchet explained to them.
"Huh. That's something new." Ash wondered, then he looks to his body. "So, in a technical sense, I have more than one form to transform into, thanks to my techno-organic body."
"You could say it like that." Ratchet nodded his helm. "It is all based on what you think within your mind."
Just then, the computer's bleeped as a transmission came over the intercom. This gets the attention of the group, as they made their way over to the communications section.
"Base from TurboRacer." TurboRacer's voice called on the Comms, and it sounds like he's driving about at a reckless speed, the sound of laserfire also being heard in the background. "I have a situation."
"What's going on, Turbo?" Ironhide asked quickly.
"It's Starscream. He's ambushed us at a valley area about 60 klicks away from Jasper, Nevada." TurboRacer answered back, Ratchet now receiving the coordinates. "I can't risk both Hayden nor Daphne to get caught in the crossfire."
"You won't have to." Ash spoke back, now becoming his humanoid Predacon form, running over to the Groundbridge controls. "Just keep Starscream busy."
"Indominus, what on Cybertron do you think you're doing?!" Ratchet called, just as Indominus gets the Groundbridge fired up.
"TurboRacer and the humans need my help, and I'd be slagged to death if I'm going to let them be harmed by someone like Starscream." Indominus snarled out. With that, he sprints off through the Groundbridge portal, just as it closes down.
"Whoa..." Was all that Ironhide, Bulkhead, Shaggy, and Scooby could comment on what just happened.
"Ash really has some backbone." Fred stated.
~*~*~
Back to TurboRacer and the humans, they were still on the move, with Starscream overhead to gain on them once more. Daphne looked back to see the grey F-16 jet trying to close in, while arming its missiles to fire.
Hayden now leaned forward in his seat, one hand on the steering wheel. "C'mon, Turbo! Pedal to the metal!"
The speedometer needle began to rise up, shooting past 100, 110, 120 and settling on 150 miles per hour. More rockets soar past them, leaving behind the thick scent of industrial smoke. Suddenly, Daphne and Hayden were thrown from their seats and straight through the open doors as the cab started to shift, Hayden going for a tumble in the grass. Daphne had no chance to say anything as TurboRacer obtained his robot mode, Daphne clutching within his left hand. TurboRacer landed on his back and opened his hand, Daphne rolling out of it onto the hard tarmac, then onto a field adjacent to the road. He brought his legs over in a backwards roll, his right foot landing mere inches away from Daphne. The forced of his landing provided enough momentum for him to slide backwards along the grassy ground, one knee bent. Daphne rolled along violently underneath him until his right foot slammed into the front of a rock, the rock cracking up but barely budging from the impact. His head came down to look at the redhead.
"Stay down." TurboRacer didn't give Daphne time to answer, his battle mask sliding smoothly across his face as he saw Starscream fly in and transform into robot mode, the landing making a heavy impact in the ground.
Up on the hillside nearby, Hayden had made his way over, and he could see both Cybertronians down below ready to fight against one another. He knew he had to try and help in any way he can, but what? He knelt down and he took a deep breath, just as his body now began to glow in its white aura of light...
TurboRacer stood up protectively in front of Daphne at his full height, growling softly. Starscream crouched to get a better view of Daphne. TurboRacer responded by presenting his blue energy sword, but it did not appear to deter Starscream in any way.
"TurboRacer, I had no idea you were so protective of this planet's..." Starscream paused, as if seemingly searching for the right word. "Vermin." His voice uttered the last word like velvet and Daphne's blood turned to ice within her veins.
"You lay a single digit on her, it'll be your last move." TurboRacer threatened.
TurboRacer sudenly charged at Starscream, the impact of the pair landing on the ground producing a tremor that Daphne felt in her feet, as she scrambled for cover behind a large rock, the sound of metal crashing surrounding her. She peeks out a little, just as she could see TurboRacer and Starscream fighting left and right, the Autobot Gladiator practically decimating and knocking the seeker. All of a sudden, Daphne was then snatched up into the air and clutched protectively against TurboRacer's chest, just as they were sent airborne by an explosion from Starscream's missiles, knocking TurboRacer off of his feet. He shielded the redhead from the oncoming debris and landed on his back, making a huge hole in the earth. Starscream was there, a hand reaching out for Daphne, a sinister smirk appearing on his facial plate, Daphne squeaking out in fear. But before his talons can even reach out to her, TurboRacer kicks him square in the chest and he sent the seeker flying a few metres away.
"Hey, flyboy!" Starscream now looked over to the hill, and he saw Hayden standing on the hillside. Before the seeker could respond, Hayden shoots a beam of light right at Starscream's optics, blinding him!
"AGH! My optics!" Starscream yells out, flailing his arms to try and block out the light, but Hayden kept the shine on.
"What good is a Decepticon that can't fly blind?" Hayden mocked.
TurboRacer suddenly charges in, bashing Starscream left and right, then he ripped off the seeker's left arm from its socket, Starscream screaming out in pain, just as TurboRacer proceeds to repeatedly slap the seeker back and forth with the severed limb, before he then bodyslams Starscream away, sending him flying into some trees.
Starscream grunted in pain, looking at his ripped-off arm and picks it up, his torn appendage and shoulder joint leaking Energon in the process. "Argh!!! Why am I bothering to scrap you, anyway? Once I tell Lord Megatron of your new vermin, he will be most satisfied with my reconnaissance. He will scrap the both of you!"
"Not on your life, Decepticon backstabber!" TurboRacer grunted.
Suddenly, a Groundbridge portal opens up behind Starscream, the seeker turning around to see, only to be met by the charging form of Indominus' Predacon form!!! Starscream could only scream out as Indominus slams into him and sends him flying through the air, slamming into the rock wall nearby, yelling out in pain from landing on his injured shoulder components. Starscream got up with clenched denta, glaring at the Triple-Changer Autobot and Predacon, just as he calls in a Groundbridge and runs into it, the portal closing.
"That seeker is definitely a piece of work." Indominus grunted, stepping up alongside as Daphne and Hayden appear from hiding behind rocks. Hayden doesn't look hurt, though Daphne has mud covering her leggings, shoes, and dress, along with some of her face. "You two alright?" Indominus asked them.
"Been better." Daphne admitted softly. She was a little shaken from earlier, but she was alright. At least she wasn't caught by Starscream.
"Nice work with that flash of blinding light, Hayden." TurboRacer said to Hayden. "Good move."
Hayden shrugged back. "Thanks for that. Plus, I had to think on the fly." He then looks to Daphne. "How about you? Are you alright?"
"I've even better." Daphne now looked down at her mud-stained clothes. "Though my clothes are definitely going to need a deluxe-wash and shine."
TurboRacer and Indominus chuckle to one another in response to this, the former getting on the Comms. "TurboRacer to base."
"TurboRacer, are you and the humans alright?" Ratchet now asked over the Comms.
"We're alright, Ratchet. A little battered, but we're all fine." TurboRacer reassured to Ratchet. "Which is less than can be said about Starscream."
"Especially after I slammed myself right into him." Indominus grunted.
"You did what?" Bulkhead echoed.
"He ran headfirst into Starscream and sent him flying." TurboRacer clarified. "That seeker didn't even see him coming."
"Alright. I'll reopen the Groundbridge." Ratchet reported in. A second later, the green/blue portal opens up, with TurboRacer and the humans to make their way inside.
Indominus, however, he stares out in the direction of where the Decepticon Groundbridge was earlier, as if he were looking on and waiting for anything to happen. He gave a grunt before he then turned back and enters the portal, the Groundbridge closing up.
~*~*~
Back at the Autobot base, TurboRacer was explaining to the others about what happened with Starscream, As for Daphne, she had been given a grey tracksuit for the time being until her clothes had been cleaned and washed. She didn't mind the tracksuit, it was the colour that she didn't like mostly. But she knew it's that or her muddy clothes.
"Thanks for the change of clothes, Hayden." Daphne thanked to him, giving him a small hug.
Hayden smiled softly. "It's the least I can do for you." He then looked to see Ash in the S.A.F.E in his Berserk Beast form. "Though I've noticed that Ash has been acting kinda... scary."
"Maybe it's from what happened earlier." Velma took a guess.
Daphne carefully walked up to the S.A.F.E, with Elita alongside her just to be safe. Indominus had heard the two approaching the S.A.F.E, so he then began to calm himself down, now transforming back to human form, his eyes glowing before they calm down, a faint blue pulse emanating from within his mouth and down his spine.
"Ash... are you...?" Daphne began to say.
"I'm fine, Daphne." Ash sighed as he exhaled, smoke coming from his nostrils as if he were a bull. "Just had to vent off some anger."
"We noticed." Elita spoke up. "Was it about Starscream earlier?"
"Yeah. He attacked you, Hayden, and TurboRacer with nothing regarding honour or dignity." Ash grunted, his memory serving him well. "From what Hayden saw from his perspective, at least. He even tried to snatch you up while his enemy was incapacitated at the time."
"Ash. Decepticons have no honour, unless it's to the one they follow." Elita stated back, kneeling down to the two beings.
"Megatron..." Ash all but snarled under his breath.
"True." Elita nodded her helm, then gently patted his back. "But in the end, you did scare Starscream off."
"But how long will that little surprise attack work?" Ash interjected. "If we are to survive, we need a strategic advantage over our enemies."
"We will, in due time." Optimus reassured to Ash as he steps up after hearing the conversation. "Until then, it be best that we be patient."
Ash sighed and rolled his shoulders in understanding. He knew that Optimus was right, and they need to be careful and strategic with their decisions and actions. Still, what he would give to show the Decepticons and even MECH and Silas what for...
As this is happening, Hayden began to make a blue energy construct of Bulkhead's wrecking ball weapon. He smiled to Bulkhead as he shows him this, the Wrecker giving him a thumbs-up, Hayden now forming another energy construct of Ironhide's cannons on his forearms. The red Wrecker gave a nod and gruff smile to Hayden, the latter smiling back as the constructs fade away.
"Getting there, but you'll have to do better with those constructs." Ironhide said to Hayden, gently patting his head.
"Thanks." Hayden smiled with a shrug. "As they say, practice makes perfect."
"True indeed." Daphne nodded, then she goes off to get her muddy clothes cleaned.
As she walks off, Ash watches her go. Within his mind, Ash was wondering about what Ratchet said regarding his techno-organic genetics, especially with his unique ability of transformation and the energy signature his body gives off. Thanks to his Predacon instincts, he can sense the Sparks of Cybertronians around him and know if they're Autobot or Decepticon. For Daphne, Ash could sense some kind of faint energy from within her, but he wasn't sure of what it could be. It made Ash wonder mentally about what it could be...
'Hmm....' Was all Ash could think, then he unfurls his metallic wings, flying up to the upper levels of the old missile silo base to meditate.
~*~*~
Meanwhile, up on the Decepticon flagship Nemesis, Starscream was being tended to by Knockout, the seeker getting his severed arm reattached and fixed up in the process. Starscream was staying silent during this, his systems seething in anger after being humiliated yet again by the Triple-Changer Autobot Gladiator, though Knockout was enjoying the moment.
"So, you attempted to ambush the Autobot gladiator, only for him to beat you down into the ground, then he tore off your arm, and beat you senseless with it, and finally, the Autobot's pet Predacon ambushed you." Knockout said amusingly after he finally reattached Starscream's arm.
"I'd rather not speak of it again, Knockout." Starscream snarled out. "That Autobot has humiliated me one too many times now."
"You just don't seem to get the message, don't you?" Knockout stated back bluntly. "You can't win against TurboRacer."
"I can win! I will defeat him and regain the glory of the Seekers once again." Starscream proclaimed, then fell back onto the medical table in pain.
"Resting comfortably, Starscream?" Knockout and Starscream look at the door to see Megatron stomp in. The Decepticon warlord has a small hidden smirk on his facial plate. "And you got another thrashing from TurboRacer, did you not?"
"What of it, Lord Megatron?" Starscream grunted out. "That Autobot has caused more trouble for any one of us, and yet, you tell us not to confront him."
Megatron's blood red optics narrowed at his second-in-command seeker. "Hold your tongue, Starscream. Or you may lose it, along with your voicebox." He steps into the light, his warlord form silhouetted by the light overhead. "As I've told you before, TurboRacer is not like any other Autobot you've ever faced against. You would consider yourself lucky that he didn't tear out your Spark chamber when you gave him the chance."
"And yet, you do nothing about it!" Starscream yelled out.
Megatron snarled darkly, silencing Starscream. "It is called waiting for the right moment." He stated to him, then looks to Knockout. "Make certain his arm is reattached." He then looks back to Starscream. "But know this, dear Starscream. No matter what you attempt to do, TurboRacer will be done with you within an inch of your Spark."
With that, the gladiator Decepticon stomps away out of the medical wing, leaving Starscream to vent in anger while Knockout continues to repair his wounds.