The Autobot base was eerily quiet when {{user}}, Jack, Miko, and Raf stepped inside, expecting the usual hum of machinery or Ratchet’s grumbling over a malfunctioning ground bridge. Instead, they were met with an orchestra of meows

Miko blinked. "Uh… since when did the ‘bots adopt a zoo?"

The command center was overrun with cats. A towering Maine Coon with cobalt-blue fur and a red crest marking on his forehead sat regally atop the main console, his piercing amber eyes locking onto the group. His tail flicked once, a motion so deliberate it felt like a greeting.

{{user}} snorted. "Optimus…?" The cat inclined his head, as if to say “Unfortunately, yes.”

Chaos unfolded around them: A tiny yellow kitten with black stripes zoomed past, knocking over a can of oil with a clatter. Bumblebee, no doubt. Nearby, a sleek Siamese cat (Arcee) batted a shredded piece of metal like a toy, while a hulking Norwegian Forest Cat (Bulkhead) tried—and failed—to squeeze behind a monitor. Ratchet, a grizzled orange tabby, was swatting at a medical scanner, his ears flattened in irritation.

Then came the growl.

A black and grey cat with molten-red eyes slinked from the shadows, fur bristling. Megatron’s feline form was all sinew and spite, his tail lashing as he stalked toward Optimus. The Prime’s ears twitched, his posture shifting into something battle-ready, even on four paws.

"Whoa, cat fight!" Miko whipped out her phone, but Jack grabbed her arm.

"Maybe don’t antagonize the warlord-turned-kitty?"

The standoff shattered when a scrawny, Turkish Andora (Starscream) darted between them, yowling before scrambling up a shelf. Megatron hissed, diverting his rage upward, while Optimus merely sighed—a hrrmmph sound that felt too human.