Two weeks later, outside of a cave dug into a rocky hill in the USA, Daphne and Velma were waiting just outside of the entrance. Daphne was sitting on a pile of boulders, while Velma seemed to be pacing back-and-forth.
Daphne was recalling what had happened in the last two weeks. During the middle of that week, she remembered being sent out on an Energon scouting mission with Hayden and Ash somewhere in the North of Canada. The three friends, after a few hours of searching, had stumbled upon a small untapped Energon cache, which was excellent for the Autobots. They won't have to worry about any injuries or fuel for at least another month. Now, they had picked up a faint Energon source emanating from this cave that once served as a Decepticon mine. Elita-One and Bulkhead went in, ordering both Daphne and Velma to stay behind due to the mine's instability. Daphne wasn't worried about it: but Velma wasn't so lucky, so she was okay with staying behind to watch her.
Daphne yawned, fighting back the urge to groan. Velma had been complaining since they all had bridged to the side. She found it ironic, considering that she tagged along. "Come on, come on...
"Relax, Velma." Daphne waved a hand. "Bulkhead and Elita will tell us when they're done, then you can take a look at what they've found."
Velma was about to retort, until both Elita-One and Bulkhead step out of the cave. "By all signs, the mine has been stripped clean." Elita stated. Daphne understood it: though they're not in dire need of it right now, Energon was very hard to come by these days, and that stuff is the Autobots's lifeline.
"But, my scanner is definitely getting a signal from in there." Bulkhead objected, looking back at the scanner in his hand. "And it's clearly Energon."
"But this doesn't make any sense." Elita muttered. "This operation had been abandoned for how long? Four or five years? And Decepticons never leave Energon behind."
As the two Autobots talked, Velma jumps off the rocks, and she ran into the cave. Daphne, who was listening to Bulkhead and Elita's conversation, didn't notice until she saw the orange-clad girl had run through the entrance.
"Uh, guys?" Daphne called out. The two looked down to the redhead, who was pointing to the cave, and they saw Velma running deeper into the cave tunnel.
"She went into the cave?" Elita sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Unbelievable."
Daphne got off the boulder she was sitting on before during her dress off. "I've known her for a long time, Elita. Velma can do some crazy things." She shrugged.
Bulkhead groaned. "Velma! Get back here!" He ran into the cave, chasing off after the brainiac teenager.
"It would be nice to see what the cave looks like." Daphne hunted, staring innocently to Elita. "You know, if it were..."
"Safe?" Elita knelt down to Daphne. "Daphne, a stripped line can be structurally unstable."
"Well... it would be the first mine that was unstable I've gone into." Daphne replied with a shrug. "But, I promise to step lightly."
Elita thought about this for a moment, and sighed.
"Okay. Just don't tell Turbo or Optimus, okay? He won't be happy if he found out."
Daphne nodded to the orange and white femme, and with that, they headed off into the cave.
Barely a minute after both Elita and Daphne walk off into the cave, a silver and purple alien jet aircraft and a grey jet fighter soar down from the sky. The two aircraft transform into the forms of Megatron and Starscream. The two land outside of the cave. The Decepticon lord turned to the tunnel with a neutral look, while the arrogant seeker displayed nervousness and confusion.
"Uh, Lord Megatron." Starscream started. "Far be it from me to question your intentions, but... I do not understand why we have returned here... alone." Megatron ignored Starscream and proceeded into the cave. The seeker's optics widened. "Every last bit of Energon was extracted long ago. There's nothing left."
The warmonger gladiator stops ominously, and turns back to face Starscream, his blood red optics burning into Starscream's. "Indulge me, Starscream, won't you?" He demanded rather than requested.
Seeing no other option, Starscream hesitantly followed his master into the cave.
~*~*~
In between taking glances at the entrance of the cave, Daphne was also admiring the large cave. She noted the tunnels were huge, big enough to fit Optimus at full height, maybe even someone at 65ft. She stared up at the glittering pillars, stalactites, and stalagmites on either end. It truly was a spectacular wonder.
"Whoa." Daphne breathed. "This place is incredible."
Elita stopped, holding a finger to her comm-link next to her helm. "Bulkhead? Do you hear me? Bulkhead?" After a moment, she shook her helm. "Scrap..." The femme took a second to study the caves walls. "The mineral composition in these caverns is causing too much interference. I can't contact Bulkhead."
Daphne was fixing to reply until, from the depths of the cave, she thought she heard something. "Hang on a second... I think I heard something, Elita. Maybe it's Bulkhead and Velma."
~*~*~
Meanwhile, Megatron and Starscream had entered a vast cavern section within the old mine. As they did so, the gladiator warmonger eyed three Decepticon drilling machines not far ahead, and he thought of great suspicion of his Second-In-Command.
"How intriguing. " Megatron spoke darkly, now turning to Starscream.
Starscream stuttered, then he growled in annoyance.
"Incompetent fools." He walked forward, eyeing the mining drills. "This mining equipment should've been relocated. Why is it still here?!" He asked very annoyed, closing his talon hands.
"A most valid question." Megatron replied back, Starscream jumping at his voice.
"My apologies, Lord Megatron." Starscream turned to face the former gladiator. "I believe Soundwave was in charge of coordinating transport." Megatron growled and narrows his optics. "But, in fairness, during your interstellar travels, we all had to take extra responsibilities. Clearly, mistakes were made." Starscream clarified.
Megatron stayed quiet for just a short moment. "Yes.
Clearly..." Suddenly, he punched his right arm into the rock wall beside him, scaring Starscream at this. Then, Megatron pulls out a large chunk of blue Energon from the rock strata. "Every last trace of Energon extracted?" He asked in suspicion at his S.I.C seeker, raising a metal eyebrow.
"Lord Megatron. I can explain." Starscream reasoned.
"Explain WHAT?!" Megatron snarled. "That you have been hoarding a supply of Energon for your own personal use?" He dropped the Energon at his feet.
"Lord Megatron, it's not what you think. You see, I-" Starscream didn't get to finish, as Megatron suddenly crushed the Energon under his large foot, Starscream jumping back 10 feet.
"DO NOT TAKE ME FOR A FOOL, STARSCREAM!!" Megatron roared at his Second-In-Command, his voice echoing around the mine. He then started to stalk towards Starscream, who was backing up in fear. "I have been wise of your transgressions from the beginning. Not only that you have desperately attempted many times and failed to snuff my Spark to take my position as leader of the Decepticons, but you also attempted foolishly to take down the Autobot gladiator TurboRacer. It's no secret that you lost an arm in the process, which you've since had replaced." He snarled.
"YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!" Starscream yelled in shock.
"Soundwave is quite competent at surveillance, can assure you." Megatron reassured to Starscream. "The fact is, Starscream, despite your treachery, l've allowed you to carry on for this long because I took, a certain delight in following your string of failures. But, you have become tiresome. Predictable." Then, he aimed his fusion cannon at Starscream, which started to prime up. "You've hit rock bottom."
"NO! Master, please!" Starscream pleased, his hands together in a praying position. "Give me one more chance." He got on his knees, whilst Megatron still aimed his cannon at him. "I BEG OF YOU!!!"
~*~*~
Elita and Daphne walk along further into the cave, Daphne leading ahead. However, the redhead froze as she came up to a cavern. She can see the silhouette of Megatron, pointing his fusion cannon at Starscream's head, who was on his knees begging. From what Daphne could piece together so far, Megatron was going to shoot his S.I.C!!
"You have ceased to be of use to me, Starscream." Megatron's gravelly voice said. "So you shall simply... cease to be."
Elita now walks up behind Daphne, and she froze after seeing the two 'Cons. Suddenly, Starscream and Megatron looked directly at Daphne and Elita, the human's eyes widening in fear. A moment of silence passes as the two groups stared at each other. Finally, Megatron yelled out as he held up his cannon and began firing at the two!! Elita swiftly scoops up Daphne out of the line of fire, and dodges behind a pillar. The pink and white femme placed Daphne down behind the pillar, and deployed her right arm blaster.
"Stay down!" Elita yelled, standing up.
The silver warlord continues to open fire at the pillar mercilessly without letting up. Blades opened fire at the Decepticon warmonger. But then, Megatron turned around, and saw Starscream fleeing for the exit.
"STARSCREAM!!" Megatron bellowed. "You'd dare abandon ME?!"
Megatron then began firing at the tunnel at which Starscream had dashed away to. Taking the opportunity, Elita shot at Megatron's back. The warmonger turned around, growling while returning fire. Several shots collide with Megatron's cannon arm, forcing it up, until he fired at the ceiling. All of a sudden, the cavern began to rumble, shaking violently. An enormous slide cracked off from the ceiling, burning Megatron beneath it. Cracks began to form in the ground and snaked their way to where Blades was standing.
"Scrap!" Was all Elita could say, as the ground gave in where she was standing.
"Elita!" Daphne called out, seeing the Autobot femme go down quickly made her get up to her feet.
Unfortunately, the teen couldn't do anything, as the cracks snaked up to her. She helped, as the Earth swallowed her up, as she was buried under tonnes and tonnes of rock and dirt, the whole mine collapsing under its weight.
~*~*~
Moments later, the rocks and dust from the cave-in had settled down. There seemed to be an air of silence in the area that was once the location where Daphne, Elita, and Megatron were beforehand. Then, something seemed to move underneath the rocks, as a female hand pushes through the rock.
Daphne crawled out of the rocks, waving her arm in front of her, getting the dust away from her. She coughs out the dust, and looked at herself. She was covered from head to toe in dust, but nonetheless, she is okay. She winces softly from a pain in her left upper arm - she may have injured herself when she landed in the wrong position or got struck by falling debris.
"Elita!" Daphne shouted. She waited for a moment, and heard nothing but silence. "Bulkhead! Velma!" Again, the redhead had heard nothing. "I must've gotten separated during the cave-in." Then, she thought back to the silhouetted Decepticon warlord that aimed its cannon at Starscream. 'That... that was Megatron.' She thought to herself, and shivered at the thought, on top of the nightmare she had much earlier.
Daphne then stopped, seeing the colossal sized boulders that were now blocking the pathway. There was no way she was going to climb up the walls, let alone dig through the rock. She surveyed the cave, and she spotted something in the corner. It was a Decepticon mining drill. The drill was covered in dirt and dust, but albeit, it still looked undamaged and could be useable.
Daphne walked up to the drill, climbed up to get to the platform, and jumped up onto the command console. "Okay... no big deal." Daphne assured herself half-heartedly. "Just like riding a bike... a big, two-tonne, alien drilling bike."
Daphne presses a button, hoping it was the right one, just as a touch screen came to life to show the systems and operations of the drilling machines. The machine started up with a low rumble, as the drill began to spin. Daphne gently pulled down a lever, which caused the drill to drive forward, letting the drill eat away at the rock wall in front of her, and create a new tunnel.
A thought came to Daphne's mind, making her grin. "Roll out." With that, she began to drill a tunnel out of the cave, and headed off to look for her friends.
~*~*~
Elita's optics flutter open. She awoke to see a large cluster of rocks lying upon her chassis. She pushes the rocks off her, then she stood out from the rubble. After stretching her limbs, she scanned her surroundings, and she was inside of a long mining tunnel.
The sportscar femme smiled, knowing that she had lucked out, and got out unscathed. But, her smile quickly faded, when the thoughts of Daphne, Velma, and Bulkhead's fate came to her processor, and the fact Megatron was also down here. Elita strolls forward, heading off deeper into the tunnel, hoping to find Daphne and her friends as soon as possible.
~*~*~
Velma coughed out, backing out the dust in her throat. Small bits of rock from the ceiling fell around her. She and Bulkhead had been going through the cave, the latter from to bring her back, until the mine began to collapse around them. When she finished hacking out the dirt, she stood up, looking at the huge pile of boulders blocking their exit.
"Uh... Did I do that?" Bulkhead asked innocently. He really hoped he didn't.
"I don't think so." The brainiac teen girl answered.
"You okay?" Bulkhead asked, concerned for his friend.
"Of course. What about you, Bulkhead?" Velma turned around, and saw Bulkhead literally holding up the roof, as if he were the statue of Atlas holding up the globe. Bits of rock and dust fell from the cracks in the roof. His headlights on his chest were turned on, illuminating the area around them.
"Peachy." The green and black Wrecker Autobot deadpanned.
"Whoa!" Velma spoke in awe and worry.
"Don't worry, Velms." The green Wrecker reassured her. "I got it under control."
The girl in orange nodded. "What do you think caused the cave in?"
"Who knows?" Bulkhead shrugged a little. "Let's just hope Daphne and Elita are okay. We could definitely use an assist."
"Keep holding up the roof, Bulkhead. I'll try and get us out." Velma declared, pointing to herself.
Velma turns back to the rubble in front of her. After rolling up her sleeves, she took a deep breath and got on her knees, and started to lift a small rock out of the way. She repeated this process for a few minutes, not even putting a dent in the wall of rocks.
~*~*~
Outside of the mine, there were the sounds of moving rubble, as the rocks in front of the now collapsed entrance shifted away.
All of a sudden, a metallic, talon-like hand busted out of the rock, as the form of Starscream crawled his way out of the cave, hacking and coughing while he did. His body was covered in scratches and a layer of dust. He continued coughing, clearing his vents of all the dust. When he finished, he looked back at the pitch-black opening he formed upon crawling out.
After a few seconds, Starscream lets out an evil laugh. "Predictable, master?" He taunted. "Is that what you called me?!" His grin widened. "Well, now who had hit rock bottom?!" The seeker placed a hand to his audio receptors. "Huh? What's that? I can't hear you underneath all that rubble!" He exclaimed, still laughing his aft off. "Farewell, Lord Megatron!!" He said in glee. "May you rust in peace!"
With that said, Starscream turned on his heel, and walked away. However, after a few steps, he froze, as a sudden thought entered his processor.
"But, you have survived far worse." Starscream noted. "If you managed to free yourself, then you would blame me for your setback." He gasped, as fear overtook him. "And there would be no place I could escape your wrath!" Then, another thought came to mind. "Or worse yet, your mindless followers will come looking for you." He then clenched his fists in anger. "And take credit for your rescue, credit that could rightfully be mine!"
Starscream held his helm in frustration. "GRRAA...
MEGATRON!!!" He bellowed out into the sky.
~*~*~
Down below, drill continued to shreds through the rocks and debris. Daphne smiled, as she felt the machine rip through the wall of stone. She stopped the drill, pulled back a lever, and turned the drill to pull alongside the hole. She was expecting to see either Bulkhead or Velma, or maybe even Elita.
A silver-greyish head slowly turned in the rock, deadly red optics casting an eerie glowing in the dark caverns. Daphne gasped, as she froze in fear. She had stumbled upon Megatron inside of her friends.
"So... you're the female of TurboRacer that Starscream mentioned of? I have to admit, I am most surprised you got through to him. I fail to see his fascination with you." Megatron's expression then grew dark. "But, I suppose helping those less fortunate would be... completely out of the question?"
Daphne didn't speak; she froze. Only seeing the Decepticon's head this close was scary, but when she saw him before the mine collapsed, she couldn't see most of his body. She looks at the Decepticon warmonger. The teen has heard many accounts of the evil and dark crimes Megatron had commuted on Cybertron, the Autobots, and many other worlds. Daphne knew Megatron didn't deserve to live, none of the 'Cons do. Nevertheless, she knew she couldn't destroy Megatron, at least, not like this. It wouldn't be honourable.
Megatron could tell Daphne was thinking hard, guessing from the dark look on her face. "If that is the case, you might as well use your drill to finish me. I guarantee you will never have a better opportunity... than. Right. Now."
Daphne hesitated, but remained firm in her place.
"Well... what are you waiting for?! Think of the glory!
Seize the day! TurboRacer would..." Megatron grinned, knowing that will urge the redhead teen.
The redhead teen's glare at Megatron intensified. How DARE he assume TurboRacer would do something like that!!! "No... he wouldn't. Not like this."
"You know him that well, do you?! You, who have only known him for a few months, whereas I, whom have known him for thousands of your Earth years?!" The Decepticon warlord spoke out at her.
"I am good at figuring people out." Daphne countered. She then started the drill back up, and continued forward, leaving the demented Decepticon behind her, as she cuts through the stone, wincing softly as she held her left arm.
"I'll be sure to share the details of our conversation to TurboRacer and Optimus, the day I rip out their Sparks!" Megatron yelled.
As the redhead female drove away, she never heard or noticed Megatron steadily move his servos up, pushing away the rubble that encased him.
~*~*~
Hours had passed by, as Velma slowly peeled away at the rubble. She had ditched her wooly sweater, leaving her now in an orange sleeveless tank top. She was panting hard, her stamina running low, as sweat dropped off her forehead: nonetheless, she persevered as she continued heaving up rocks and throwing them to the side. One heavy rock in particular made her arms quiver. Velma dropped the rock, and she fell back on her rear, panting heavily.
"Velma!" Bulkhead called in concern.
"Whew... I'm okay, Bulkhead. I'm fine." Velma replied panting, getting up from the ground, heaving pretty badly.
"No, you're not." Bulkhead stated.
"I... just need to, whew... rest for a minute. " Velma reassured, breathing hard. "That's all." From the lack of air in here, her legs suddenly gave out. She fell to the floor with a grunt of pain.
"Velma, listen to me. There's no fresh air down here." Bulkhead explained. "If you use up all the oxygen in here, you could suffocate. You need to stop."
Bulkhead was beginning to struggle to hold up the ceiling of rock. Suddenly, he heard something. He realised it was the sound of a Decepticon drilling machine. Whoever it might be, Daphne or Elita was looking for them!!
"Velma, do you hear that?" Bulkhead asked.
Velma let out an exhausted sigh. "Y-Yeah... sounds like..."
"Drilling!" The Wrecker finished. "It has gotta be Elita and Daphne."
"We're... in here." Velma yelled softly.
Bulkhead didn't want his friend expending herself as much as she already has, but he didn't have a choice. "Velma. Grab something and bang it against my foot. Can you do that?"
Velma looked up, and she rolled up onto her knees. She lifts up a rock next to her, and stumbled over to Bulkhead's right foot, panting as she did so. She stared up at him. "I don't want to hurt you."
The green Bot, touched by her concern, however, it was redundant. "I know it's hard to believe, but I'm much tougher than I look." He said jokingly. "Now, hit it! Give it all you've got!"
The auburn-haired girl nodded to Bulkhead, picked up the stone, held it above her head, and began banging it against his foot. A loud bang echoed through the cave.
She repeated this process for a couple of minutes.
"Attagirl. Keep at it, Velma." Bulkhead encouraged.
Velma then rests for a moment, but then, a loud metal-on-metal screeching sound filled the cave, now making her freeze. "What was that?" She asked, looking left and right in worry.
The duo was silent for a moment, unto the sounds of shifting rubble from the collapsed entrance caught their attention. Velma looked up with a happy smile. Bulkhead gazed at the blocked exit, seeing boulders being pushed away.
"Ha-ha, yes!" Bulkhead exclaimed excitedly.
"Elita found us!" Velma cried out in happiness.
One of the boulders fell forward, and a gravelly voice and cackle could be heard from the new opening. The dust around the entrance settles, and revealed the form of Starscream!
"Put any doubts of my allegiance to rest." Starscream said. Then, a look of shock appeared on his facial plate, as he saw both Bulkhead and Velma.
Their happiness soon vanished. Velma stood up, breathing in the reviving fresh air pouring in from the opening. "What's he doing here?" He demanded in fear.
"Velma, get behind me." Bulkhead ordered. She looked at him hesitantly. "NOW." He yelled out then.
Velma stood up, and she ran behind the Wrecker's leg. Rocks were shoved forward, as Starscream broke through the rubble barrier, accomplishing in seconds what Velma had tried for hours.
"Well, well." Starscream said, his tone overflowing with evil enjoyment. "If it isn't Bulkhead, and his pet vermin." He took notice of Velma and sneered. Starscream stepped forward, taking note of the massive boulder over their heads. "My, my. Don't you have your hands full, Autobot?" He smirked.
"Do whatever you want to me, Starscream. But, let the human go!" Bulkhead yelled at him.
"No. I'm not leaving you! I'm not afraid of this coward." Velma stated confidently, though on the inside, she was shaking.
"It appears the human wishes to remain." Starscream mocked, Velma running to keep her distance from the seeker, who walks about Bulkhead.
"Starscream, don't push me!" Bulkhead grunted in anger.
"You like playing around with the big robots, don't you, little girl?" Starscream mocked at Velma.
Velma stops for a moment to catch her breath, then turns and screams to see Starscream standing before her. The seeker chuckled sinisterly and attempted to grab Velma, reaching out his talon hand. But, Bulkhead then kicked the Decepticon in the facial plate, which sent him into a wall.
Starscream growled, and snarled at the green Autobot. "That's IT, Autobot! I will-"
"WHAT?! You'll do WHAT? Make me bring down the whole damn ceiling on top of all of us?!" Bulkhead snapped back at the cowardly seeker. Then, he turned to Velma. "Run, Velma!"
But Velma, feeling fear and sadness inside her heart, not wanting to leave her friend behind, shook her head to Bulkhead, and stood her ground.
"Yes. Run, Velma. I would like to see you try." Starscream down sneered at Velma, and closed one of his taloned hands. "Really, I would..."
All of a sudden, another wall collapses nearby, as the Decepticon drill broke through, knocking Starscream down in the process. It shuts sown, and once the dust clears, an angry Daphne Blake could be seen standing by the console. Though she was covered in dirt, she looked relatively unharmed. A serious glare was directed at the cowardly seeker.
The Decepticon S.I.C stopped, when he felt a blaster against the back of his helm. He then heard the sound of said blaster priming up. He slowly turned around, only to see Elita-One standing there, her blaster pointed directly at his facial plate.
"Don't. Even. Move. Starscream." Elita threatened, then saw the others. "Hey, Bulk, Velms, Daph." She greeted, happy they were all right.
"Hey, Elita." The trip replied simultaneously.
The pink and white femme returned her attention to Starscream, her expression hardening. "Claws in the air." She ordered.
Starscream backed away slightly, searching for a way out. Seeing no escape, his wings and his arms droop, as he let out a pitiful whimper of defeat.
~*~*~
Later, a green and black 4x4 SUV, along with a pink and white sportscar drove out of the reopened cave's entrance. By now, it was nighttime. They drove a few hundred yards before skidding to a stop, letting their passengers off. Daphne and Velma both climb out of Elita and Bulkhead, allowing them to transform.
The four turned their gaze to the dark entrance. "We could finish them, here and now." Elita said.
"A shame I didn't bring any grenades." Bulkhead grumbled, punching his fists.
"Would... Optimus finish them?" Daphne asked, looking up at the two.
Elita-One and Bulkhead looked at each other for a second. "No." The former admitted. "He wouldn't... not like this, anyway."
"But... Optimus wouldn't rescue them either, right?" Velma implied innocently.
They were silent for a short moment. "Let's go home."
Bulkhead then walked away.
Daphne followed Bulkhead and Velma, but saw Elita still glaring at the cave. She sighed, before turning around, walking beside her friend, as a Groundbridge portal opened before them, and they enter the portal, and it closed after them.
~*~*~
Inside of the abandoned mine, Starscream was in a cave, holding up the incredibly large boulder over his head that Bulkhead held up earlier. His skinny arms and legs were beginning to shake from the heavy weight overhead, aching from the strain he was putting on himself. The seeker whined pathetically from the pain he was feeling.
Suddenly, Starscream noticed someone by the entrance. He turned to see Megatron standing there, his blood red optics honed in on him.
"L-L-Lord Megatron." Starscream stuttered fearfully. His fear then grew into excitement. "You are alive! Praise the AllSpark!"
Megatron continued to glare maliciously at his SIC; his intentions could be seen from the look within his optics. Starscream saw this, making the fear return to his face immediately.
"I did not abandon you master!" Starscream exclaimed. "I had returned... to save you!"
"Save me?" Megatron growled, looking at Starscream as he knelt at him.
Starscream whimpered. "Look deep into my Spark, Lord Megatron. My intentions were true! Please!" He begged. "Have mercy!"
Megatron continued to glower at the silver seeker. After a moment, his frown turned into a malicious smirk.
~*~*~
Later, minutes after arriving at the Autobot base, Daphne and Velma were up in the human area of the base, whilst Elita and Bulkhead were retelling what happened in the mine to Optimus on the other end of the command centre. The ones present in the human centre were Hayden, Ash, Scooby, Shaggy, and Fred.
Upon seeing Daphne and Velma stepping up to the platform, Scooby, Hayden, and Fred noticed both of them were covered in dirt. "Whoa, what in the world happened to you two?" Hayden inquired, getting up from the couch.
Daphne rubbed the back of her neck. "We... kind of had an incident at the mine. No big deal." She answered.
Velma crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Daphne. "No big deal?!" She yelled incredulously. "We almost got crushed to death by rocks, I almost suffocated, and we're all covered in dirt!"
The lavender purple eyed teen held up her hands in a placating manner. "Okay... maybe it kind of was a big deal. But we're alive." Thundering footsteps shook the ground. Daphne looks to see Optimus and TurboRacer approaching the human centre.
"Are you and Velma alright?" TurboRacer asked softly.
"We are. Just a little dusty." Daphne shrugged back. She then winced from the pain in her upper left arm, making her clutch her wound.
"Daphne, what's wrong?" Hayden asked in concern. He then saw the scrape on her dress' left arm. "Are you alright?!" He asked in concern.
"It's just a scratch... a rock must have gotten me during the collapse." Daphne replied, clutching to it.
"Let me see it." Ash asked. Daphne protests but he insisted as he rolled up her black sleeve on her left arm. When he did, Ash's eyes widened as he looks on in surprise, the others gasping in shock of what they saw on Daphne's arm. "What in the name of...?" Ash trailed off.
"No way..." Was all Hayden could mutter out.
"What? What's wrong?" Daphne looks down at her left upper arm which let out a shrieking gasp, everyone else all looking on.
The skin on Daphne's arm was torn off, and it was bleeding blue... but it's also revealing robotic circuitry underneath, and it leaking Energon.
Everyone inside of the Autobot base all stare on in shock and disbelief, Daphne mostly at what she was looking at. She looks on at the circuitry within her arm, along with the concealed pipes, pneumatics and joints, all of it made out of metal. Daphne staggered back and hugged herself, trembling in shock, her whole body quivering as she looks to everyone. Nobody could even find the words to describe what they've just seen, let alone even comprehend what to even think about this...