𝕊𝕔𝕠𝕠𝕓𝕪-𝔻𝕠𝕠: 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕤

Chapter Twenty-Four: Rock Bottom

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.