During the time of the next morning, Sunset had finally packed all of her things for her one-week vacation. Suitcases filled with fun clothes, hair products, books, magazines, everything. She hadn't remembered the last time she wore any of her fun stuff, especially since she was working most of the time.

"You know something Spitfire? At first I was kind of hesitant about this... but you know, I have a good feeling about this," Sunset nodded.

Spitfire grinned. "I'm glad. You need this Sunset."

Sunset finished zipping up the last suitcase and pulling up the handle, rolling it on the floor as she dragged it.

"So, do you know where you're going to find your friends?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I did some research on some of their whearabouts, which unfortunately let to a series of failures, but after so long, I did it! I found one! I know where Rarity is!"

"That's good."

Spitfire grabbed another suitcase, pulling it with her as she and Sunset walked.

"So all I have to do is find her office, and if I can, maybe talk to her, and then I can find where everyone is!"

"Good."

But as Sunset and Spitfire walked towards the Groundbridge, Sunset stopped in hesitation.

"Are you sure you can run the base for a week? I don't want to leave that much work on your plate."

Spitfire rolled her eyes, but she still smirked. "I'll be okay. We can keep this base running like a well oiled machine. Everyone will play their parts, I'll make sure nothing spirals out of control."

"Well, okay, but there are a few important things you need to know--"

"--Ironhide and Heatseeker are coming with new recruits, need to show them around and get them alt modes, and keep a constant eye on all of our Decepticon prisoners."

Sunset was stooped. "Very good. But remember, we can't let any of them out. Underbite, Clampdown, Bludgeon, Slashmark, Skulk, Flamewar, none of them!"

Spitfire nodded. "Of course."

Sunset smiled. "Good. Oh, one more thing!"

Spitfire groaned. "What?"

"Okay. Those new mechs we're working on? That are still locked up in the hangar?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatever you do, do not let any of the Wonderbolts take control of them or ride them yet. Wheeljack and Rigs are still trying to work out the bugs and wiring in them, and I don't want to know what will happen if they malfunction due to the new recruits playing around them," Sunset sternly replied.

Spitfire didn't reply back sarcastically this time. She could hear the seriousness in her tone this time, and she knew full and well how bad it would be if anything went wrong.

"I understand."

"Good!" Sunset smiled. "Now, am I just going to be walking there, or am I being accompanied?"

"I'm accompanying you, Sunset," an older voice called.

Stomping his big black feet onto the floor, was Trailbreaker. Old war veteran, very wise he was. Some said he was as wise as the great Autobot 'Kup'. Some kept messing up his name, calling him 'Trailcutter'. And Trailbreaker was always seen with an arsenal of weapons and guns on his body. One took the place in his hand, while a few rocket launchers sat on his back.

"I haven't been out in the field in years. I missed the days when things were calm, just taking a stroll into the open fields..." Trailbreaker sighed, recollecting the days before the war was back on.

Sunset blinked and tilted her head. Trailbreaker's visor eyes stared back down to Sunset, chuckling.

"Also, I believe my vehicle mode will provide the best alternative for blending in."

Trailbreaker transformed, folding his body inwards as he converted into vehicle mode. Once he transformed, Sunset could see a small sparkle and cleanliness all over his finish. Trailbreaker had converted into 1986 camper car, all in black.

"Hmm... I guess you're right. It would be good to stay hidden while I'm outside of the base."

"Better to look like everything else, so your enemies can't pick you out from the crowds," Trailbreaker added.

The back of the truck opened up, allowing Sunset to carefully place her luggage within. Once her luggage was inside, Trailbreaker closed the back.

"So, remember. Have some fun, relax, do not call, we've got this under control," Spitfire repeated.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Okay, I get it. Just try not to blow up anything the second I leave, okay?"

"Okay."

Sunset nodded with a smile. "Okay then. I guess I'll head out then. Rest Q, activate the coordinates. Direct us to Detroit, Michigan."

The medic nodded and began typing in the coordinates for them to depart.

"Oh, Sunset, wait!"

Before Sunset got into the camper, she turned around and saw four Autobots rushing over to her. And instantly she figured out why they ran up.

"Guys, I really want to take you with me, but if we're all outside the base, we're going to become easy targets," Sunset sighed.

"That's not why we high-tailed our butts over here," Jazz deadpanned.

Sunset blinked. "Oh. Well then... what is it?"

Jazz and the other two Autobots looked over to the scout, who sighed but had a hopeful smile on his face. "Tell Fluttershy I said I missed her, okay?"

Susnet smiled. "I promise, Bumblebee."

"And tell Pinkie Pie that this cat's still swingin', right?" Jazz added.

Sunset giggled, hearing his voice. "I promise."

"And tell Rainbow that her big bros are still alive and staying awesome," Sideswipe said next.

"And, also, maybe just say hi to all of them for us. Especially for Knockout and Ironhide. And, Perceptor too," Sunstreaker finished.

Sunset smiled to the four Autobots. "I promise, I will tell them you all said hi."

The Autobots smiled.

"Thanks. Oh, one more thing?" Jazz asked.

Sunset looked back to Jazz, who gave Sunset a very friendly and positive smile.

"Have some fun, okay?"

Sunset couldn't help but smile back at the old lieutenant, feeling a small warmth in her heart. After she waved her goodbyes, she got into the driver's seat of Trailbreaker, and the Groundbridge open up.

"Oh wait!" Spitfire remembered. "What if we really need you back here, pronto?"

"Send those guys!" Sunset called back, gesturing to the four Autobots who were watching Trailbreaker depart.

The window rolled up, and Trailbreaker drove. His camper mode along with Sunset Shimmer disappeared through the Groundbridge, finally off to their next location. Now Spitfire was all alone, with only the Wonderbolts, the Autobots, ex-Decepticons, and an entire base to look after. Her tall and muscular body turned around, gazing at the wide amount of space, seeing the base before her eyes.

Spitfire's eyes closed behind her sunglasses, and she took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she grew a confident smile and put her hands on her hips.

"You know what? I've got this. If Sunset Shimmer can do this, then--"

An explosion interrupted her speech. Accompanied by an Autobot collapsing onto the floor, covered in dust and smoke.

"--Oh my god you have to be kidding me, what the hell just happened!?" Spitfire suddenly ranted.

The twins and Bee looked down and all of them cringed, making a hissing sound.

"Ooh... that's gotta hurt," Sideswipe cringed.

"Bluestreak? You okay there, buddy?" Sunstreaker asked, his foot lightly tapping Bluestreak's arm.

A single thumbs-up was all that was given, making them sigh in relief.

"Wheeljack, what did you blow up this time?" Jazz shouted.

"Sorry about that! Tried to fix Blitzwing's faces!" Wheeljack shouted.

"And you only made it worse, you incompetent junkheap!"

"There is an Energon spill in the laboratory. Avoid the laboratory, if sensitive to Energon," Teletraan-2 alerted.

Spitfire turned her head around, her mouth agape. Her glasses fell off of her face, and she looked highly disturbed. Now she was starting to see a problem. But she didn't overreact.

"Okay, its not a problem. We can handle a few accidents, its not like a giant spaceship is going to come crashing down on our base," Spitfire shrugged.

"Spitfire, we have an Autobot shuttle heading down," Jazz said, staring at the monitors.

Spitfire yanked at her hair, "Oh my god, I was just joking, how!?"

Jazz's visor squinted, focusing in on the monitor. "Hey, wait a minute. That's the shuttle Ironhide and Heatseeker are piloting. They said they'd be down today! They're coming!"

Spitfire tensed up, watching the Autobots, accompanied by a few of the Wonderbolts rush out the door, running to the outside entrance. Their running made the ground shake, like an earthquake. It came to an end, and Spitfire relaxed her shoulders. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

Getting a lift from another one of the Autobots, she joined up with the Autobots outside of the base, getting a good look at the shuttle which was coming near their base. A few of the Autobots hollered and cheered, some of them raised their arms up so they could get a look. But as the shuttle drew closer, their cheering suddenly diminished.

Their cheering halted when they got a better look at the shuttle. There were noticible damages done to the shuttle, including several pieces of metal having been torn off, small fires, and a large gaping hole on the side of the shuttle as if it had been broken off. And it was hurling down towards the base with a big blaze.

"Oh scrap! Incoming!!!" A Wonderbolt yelled.

Everyone ran back inside, trying to find a space or something to duck and hide behind the incoming shuttle. But the shuttle didn't hit the front entrance. The shuttle flew over the mountain, slicing off the satellite and radar dish that was mounted behind the mountain, until it finally slammed down onto the ground, slamming onto the paved runway. The shuttle's crash tore apart the runway, decimating several amount of beautifully paved roads for the jets and flying Autobots, and now it had left a big hollow path as it finally settled down from its impact.

Once it slowed down, more pieces of metal fell off the shuttle, accompanied by a few more sparks of electricity emitting. From the hangar bay, Nitro Zeus along with some of his Decepticon friends slowly stepped out, their boots clanking as they stepped outside. Spitfire too, rushing down to see the crash.

Spitfire gripped at her hair with a seething tone in her voice.

"Could this day get any worse?"

Nitro's finger hit the side of his audio receptor, with his one eye swiveling and swirling like a radar scope. He removed his finger and turned his attention down to the captain in charge.

"Spitfire. Hoist and Grapple called, they said we just lost our satellite dish."

And at that moment, Spitfire wanted to take a sledgehammer, and whack it against anything she could destroy with her bare hands.

Next Chapter: Chapter 6: Flareup Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 49 Minutes