25.Nov.06
Beast Wars Symmetries:
By: Everblue
The only thing
in the universe that mattered to him now was to satiate his thirst for the
kyardis crystals. Digging his claws into his seat, the alien overlord Hauron
grinded his teeth together while his scout drone reported back to him.
“As of now,
there are no more crystals within the confines of this galaxy,” the drone
explained. “The minerals you require are not deposited within this sector.”
A low humming
sound was emitted from the two giant crystals that were attached to Hauron’s
shoulders. They were a natural extension of his body and rightfully so. After
all, he needed something to store in energy to preserve his great strength.
“Blast!”
Hauron growled. “Have I drained this solar system so quickly?”
“Affirmative,
Lord Hauron,” replied his drone. “Within mere months, you have siphoned this
sector of its resources.”
“And enslaved
all its inhabitants,” smiled Hauron. “But tell me, where can I find more of
the kyardis crystals to replenish myself?”
“As of now,
that is unknown. The probes you have sent out have not yet reported back on
their findings.”
“Hmm,”
Hauron frowned. “And I’m supposed to starve the entire time they’re not
back?”
“Technically,
you are correct, Lord Hauron.”
The next thing
the drone knew, it was laying on the floor with a hole blown through its chest.
As Hauron
stepped out into the open, his full frame could be seen. The large dinosaurian
face twisted into a scowl as his claws gripped his scepter angrily. Hauron’s
tail whipped about wildly as he walked up to his main computer. After scanning
through the files, Hauron tapped his claws together in disappointment.
“That won’t
do,” Hauron groaned. “I’ll need my kyardis crystals before the end of this
term… but where shall I find more?”
“The planet
Earth…”
“What?”
Hauron whirled around.
Almost
instantly, Hauron was perturbed. A large ghastly face floated before him with
its eyes aflame. As his defense mechanisms snapped firmly into place, Hauron
swung his tail towards the floating creature. To his shock, his blow did not
strike the face at all but went straight through it.
“What are
you?” Hauron demanded. At this point, his bionic heart beat did not slow down
any paces.
“What I am is
of no importance,” the cadaverous head replied ominously. “I have given you
the means to your survival. Only Earth is the closest planet with the kyardis
crystals you seek.”
“How do you
know about my diet?”
“You are the
most infamous Class-A criminal of this galaxy,” the pallid face answered.
“Did you really think you would escape our notice?”
“Guess
not.”
“Only through
Earth shall you survive,” the creature finished. “Now go.”
As Hauron took
a step back, the horrifying face disappeared into thin air. Even now, the alien
overlord did not know if the thing he just saw was a mere hologram or a ghost.
After a few minutes had passed, he summoned his assistant.
“Creon!”
“Yes,
master?” a small, gray alien replied through the monitor screen.
“Set a course
for Earth!” ordered Hauron.
--------------
“Megatron!
Megatron!” Scorponok burst into the Predacon commander’s chambers in a fit
of excitement. “You have to look at this!”
Resisting the
urge to scrap Scorponok where he stood, Megatron put away his rubber ducky and
glared at his sub-commander impatiently.
“Yes?”
demanded Megatron.
“Some
meteorite is about to strike Los Angeles!” Scorponok exclaimed breathlessly.
A frown soon
found its way across Megatron’s face at his second-in-command’s
announcement. After all, he was interrupted from his free time just for this?
“And why
exactly do I care about this?” Megatron aimed his mega-cannon at Scorponok’s
head.
“B-Because
the asteroid seems to be made of semi-stabilized energon?” gulped Scorponok.
“He is
correct,” Tarantulas panted as he entered the room. “Scanners indicate a
sizable amount of energon deposits within the rock!”
Megatron
lowered his cannon to Scorponok‘s relief. “This is a most interesting
development, yesss…”
After switching
on their TV screen, the three Predacons watched eagerly at the news report of
the scene.
“Luckily,
no civilian casualties have resulted,” the reporter confirmed. “Before
the asteroid landed in the heart of Los Angeles, government officials had
evacuated the entire city before the meteor could strike thanks to special
satellite warnings in advance.”
At the close-up
of the picture, Megatron’s optics widened in anticipation. What he saw were
several dozen chunks of raw energon within the meteor.
“Because
of the radiation emitted by the asteroid,” the reporter continued. “The
government has declared Los Angeles off-limits to any live persons until more is
known about this rock.”
“This would
make for a fascinating study,” Tarantulas mused.
“Yes, it
would,” agreed Megatron. “Scorponok, you and Waspinator come with me! The
energon from that rock shall be ours!”
“What about
me?” Tarantulas protested. “My skills in segmenting the crystals are much
more proficient than Scorponok’s!”
“True,”
Megatron nodded. “But nevertheless, your services would be much better
rendered here.”
Besides… I
trust the likes of you and Terrorsaur around such large energon deposits as much
as I trust Primal to put in a good word for me before the Maximal Elders!
--------------
“What a
magnificent sight to behold!” exclaimed Megatron as he held the binoculars at
full-view.
The asteroid
had finally split apart within the last hour. Encased within the meteor was a
large, uneven pyramid. To add further inspiration to Megatron‘s ambitions, its
top section was made up of a glowing red energon.
“Just
imagine…” Megatron grinned. “A pyramid of that power would do much to
further my goals in life!”
“Its energy
readings are off the scale!” Scorponok gasped. “What is it?”
“Waspinator
not feel too comfortable about this!” the Predacon scout shuddered. “Could
be bad news!”
“Silence,
fools!” Megatron growled. “To achieve power, one must take certain risks!”
Before Megatron
could continue, a loud humming sound was heard from the pyramid. To the
amazement of the Predacons, the top portion of the pyramid glowed violently with
energy before unleashing a powerful blast towards the mountains to the north.
The ensuing explosion was so loud that even Megatron was forced to tune down his
hearing processors for fear of damage. After the smoke cleared, it became
obvious to the three that the entire mountain had been leveled. A massive trail
of smoke and ash leading up to the decimated landscape could also be seen for
miles.
“As I was
saying!” Megatron smirked.
--------------
“I’m tellin’
ya!” Rattrap griped. “We ain’t gonna find nothing from a hunk of rock from
space!”
“This
meteorite had traces of semi-stabilized energon,” Optimus explained. “We
don’t want to see it falling into the wrongs hands.”
“Ol’
Mega-jerk’s probably here,” Cheetor growled. “No way he’s gonna miss out
on this!”
Finally, the
Maximal trio stopped. Aside from the abandoned buildings and overturned cars,
they were in Los Angeles through and through. After carefully stepping over
broken glass, Optimus gave the signal for them to continue their journey in
beast mode.
“Some of that
energon could still be raw,” cautioned Optimus. “Better safe than sorry.”
“You think of
everything don’tcha?” Rattrap wisecracked.
“Especially
when I’m setting up the mousetraps,” chuckled Optimus.
“The Preds
are here!” Cheetor snarled. “I can smell them!”
“Eh, I
could’ve told you that,” Rattrap rolled his optics and gestured towards the
fresh tracks on the ground made by none other than Megatron.
“Oh,”
Cheetor muttered embarrassedly.
“Sheesh,”
Rattrap groaned. “That kid’s spots go straight ‘ta his brain!”
“He’s
brought Scorponok with him,” Optimus observed the smaller tracks in the dust.
“And perhaps the flyers as well.”
“Oh man,”
Rattrap grumbled. “Why couldn’t we have brought our own?”
“Airazor and
Rhinox are with Tigatron in Siberia currently,” replied Optimus. “For now,
it’s just the three of us.”
“Yeah,
yeah,” moaned Rattrap. “All for one and one for all! Let’s just get this
over with! I got garbage to be munchin’ back home!”
--------------
“What was it
exactly that compelled you to come to Earth, your excellency?” the diminutive,
grey-skinned alien asked.
“I was
blessed with a vision, Creon,” answered Hauron. “Indeed, this planet has
more resources than I could have imagined!”
“I imagine
you wish for this planet’s takeover to be swift and without mercy?” Creon
smiled.
“Absolutely,”
affirmed Hauron as he flexed his claws eagerly.
“One
iron-fisted ruler shall be enough for this planet! I simply cannot allow another
tin-pot dictator within our midst!”
“Who are
you?” Hauron demanded.
The large
purple tyrannosaur stomped forward until he was at equal footing with the
dinosaurian warlord.
“My name is
Megatron and you, my hapless friend, have something I desire!”
“So,”
Hauron growled. “Looks like taking over this dirtball won’t be so easy after
all!”
“Do be a good
lad and step aside,” Megatron waved dismissively as he stared at the pyramid
with longing in his eyes.
“Be my
guest,” Hauron stepped out of the way.
“That’s
more like it,” Megatron nodded. “Waspinator! Scorponok! Keep watch over our
new guest!”
Scorponok and
Waspinator transformed to robot mode and trained their guns on Hauron
deliberately. Megatron, in the meantime, walked towards the pyramid with much
prolonged anticipation.
“This is
it!” Megatron yearned. “The powers of this pyramid are mine to control!”
Just as soon as
he stepped near the entrance, a large crystal formation erupted from the ground
and forced Megatron back. Several more formations soon erupted from the ground
and shook the ground all around them.
“What is
this?!” demanded Megatron as he was thrown off balance.
“These
crystals are under my control now!” Hauron cackled. “This planet and all its
resources shall be mine!”
“Not if I
have any say in it!” Megatron bellowed. “Waspinator! Scorponok! Attack!”
Hauron strode
forward coolly as the two Predacons opened fire on him. With a simple gesture of
Hauron‘s hand, a large opening beneath them cast out and trapped their feet
into the concrete ground. Soon enough, another crystal formation surrounded them
and trapped them within their new cage. Try as they might, neither Scorponok nor
Waspinator could free themselves.
“Fascinating
trick,” Megatron observed. “How do you do it?”
“See this
Terra Blaster?” Hauron gestured towards the mechanical device attached to his
wrist. “It controls the seismic activities of rock formations, especially
mineral deposits! Comes in handy when blackmailing a planet into submission!”
Without
hesitation, Megatron aimed at Hauron and fired. Effortlessly, Hauron summoned
another formation in front of him to block the full force of the blast. After
the smoke cleared, Hauron bounded forward and slammed Megatron into the cement.
Hauron raised
his claw to dig into Megatron’s face but before he could, the Predacon
commander swung his tail vise and knocked him off.
“This won’t
be so easy after all,” Hauron observed.
“Likewise!”
Megatron blasted Hauron in the chest with a well-placed shot from his T-Rex
cannon.
Hauron fell to
his knees as Megatron watched with great interest.
“Interesting,”
commented Megatron. “No organic being has ever survived a direct blast from
this weapon! This creature‘s skin is considerably more durable than any
carbon-based life form I‘ve ever seen!”
“I’m
pleased to be the first!” Hauron roared and knocked Megatron down with a sweep
of his tail.
Megatron got up
again but this time, Hauron punched him across the face viciously before
slashing him across the chest. As Megatron staggered back, Hauron saw his chance
and leaped forward. Falling back, Megatron caught Hauron with both feet and
flipped him over, throwing him against a nearby building.
In anger,
Hauron charged once again. This time, Megatron rolled out of the way and blasted
him from behind.
“Had
enough?” taunted Megatron.
“Not
quite!” Hauron hissed as the crystals on his shoulders glowed with energy.
Two giant
crystals burst from the ground as Hauron clutched to them. To Megatron’s
surprise, the power from the energon seemed to be coursing straight into the
alien overlord’s body.
“Now’s
probably not the best time to tell you,” Hauron laughed. “But these
crystalline attachments on my body aren’t a natural extension of my species!
Only through elective surgery have I gained this power!”
Cackling
uncontrollably, Hauron unleashed two powerful energy blasts from the crystals
that struck Megatron and sent him flying into the air through several mounds of
concrete and steel.
--------------
“I dunno if
this is such a good idea, Boss Monkey…”
“Yeah, Big
Bot! What if he wakes up and tries to scrap us?”
“When he
wakes up, we need to know how he got into this condition.”
Groggily,
Megatron shook his head. The voices he heard carried a familiar overtone like
the voices he had encountered before on the battlefield. Soon, it became clear
to him once he opened his optics.
“Primal!”
Megatron growled.
“Hey!”
Cheetor cried as Megatron shoved him aside and got up.
“Planning on
taking me prisoner, are we?” Megatron aimed his mega-cannon towards the three
Maximals.
“Don’t even
try it, Megatron!” Optimus threatened. “You can’t beat the three of us!”
“How did you
find me?” demanded Megatron.
“Eh, we saw
‘yer bloated tail smashin’ through the local pizza parlor,” Rattrap
chided.
“We figured
you bit off more than you could chew,” Optimus glared at his Predacon
arch-enemy. “Didn’t you see the pyramid decimate those nearby mountains?”
Megatron
lowered his weapons. “That pyramid is being guarded by an alien being of
durable strength.”
“An alien,
you say?” Optimus raised an eye-ridge.
“Yesss,”
Megatron replied. “He goes by the name Hauron. Though he is but a mere organic
creature, he also thrives off energon deposits the same way we, as Cybertronians,
do.”
“There’s a
first,” Cheetor whispered to Rattrap.
“And?”
Optimus crossed his arms.
“And I expect
the three of you to aid me in my endeavors!”
“You’ve got
to be kidding me!” Cheetor snarled. “No way we’re gonna help you, Mega-Dweeb!”
“Cheetor’s
right!” Optimus declared. “Why should we trust the likes of you?”
“Because
Hauron will enslave this planet swiftly and mercilessly,” Megatron told them.
“If your numbers tell me anything, you’ll need all the help you can
receive.”
“You’re
proposing a truce?” asked Optimus skeptically.
“A temporary
truce,” Megatron elaborated. “As soon as Hauron is defeated, I have every
intention of ending it!”
“And how’re
we gonna trust ya?” Rattrap tapped his foot to the ground impatiently.
“You can
either turn your backs to me to investigate the alien pyramid,” Megatron
chuckled. “Or you can take me along so that you may keep me under your
watchful optics!”
--------------
“Waspinator
not like living arrangements!”
“Quit
complaining!” Scorponok chastised. “Megatron will come for us soon
enough!”
“Tell me,”
Creon interrogated. “From which sector of the galaxy do you hail?”
“Like we’re
gonna tell you!” Scorponok spat.
“I ask you
this because I can tell you’re not native to this planet,” Creon examined.
“My master, Hauron, would find this most interesting.”
“Don’t
bother, Creon,” Hauron stomped forward. “It’s a waste of time
interrogating these creatures! I only want to drain this planet and move on to
the next as soon as possible!”
“But surely,
my lord, there is some room for scientific inquiry?” the grey-skinned alien
protested. “I’ve just recently discovered that they have a certain weakness
towards the raw kyardis crystals!”
One glare from
over Hauron’s shoulder was enough to frighten Creon back into complete
obedience.
“Yes,
master,” Creon bowed apologetically. “After we’re through, it’s back to
business as usual…”
“That’s
better,” Hauron nodded.
“But Lord
Hauron,” Creon asked. “What if there are more of these creatures on
Earth?”
“We eliminate
them,” Hauron replied simply.
“Speaking of
which, my lord,” Creon looked up towards the monitors. “It seems as if we
have a new visitor.”
“Let’s
greet him then.”
--------------
“You must be
one of those humans,” Hauron growled as he towered over the old man.
“Correct,”
the elderly man replied. “My name is Ecclesiastes and I come before you as the
Earth Ambassador of the Vok!”
“The what?”
Hauron demanded.
“Surely you
know of your own masters!” Ecclesiastes urged. “It has been decreed that
Earth shall be cleansed by the fires of the sky! After the great purging, we
shall enter into more prosperous times!”
“The Vok? You
mean that freak who told me to come to Earth?”
“Precisely,”
Ecclesiastes nodded. “Although for your sake, it would behoove you well not to
refer to our master in such a tone.”
“Hahaha!”
Hauron cackled. “I know I’ll be my own master once I enter into more
prosperous times! This planet‘s got enough mineral resources to last me a
decade!”
“No! No!”
Ecclesiastes shook with frustration. “You are here to eliminate the plague
that is mankind! Not hoard planet Earth’s bountiful harvests to yourself!”
“What’s
this weirdo talkin’ about?” Hauron whispered to Creon.
“Beats me,”
shrugged Creon.
“Only through
a fiery end shall the majority of humanity learn the sins of its actions!”
Ecclesiastes looked exasperated. “Please tell me you are here on behalf of our
saviors!”
“I’m just
here to collect my kyardis crystals and some natural gases,” Hauron belched
lazily and walked off. “I don’t care what happens to the rest of you
pipsqueaks.”
Ecclesiastes
looked in disgust as Hauron left. This was definitely not the Armageddon he had
been expecting. Looking down, he switched on the two-way radio he had within his
sleeves.
“Ecclesiastes
to the High Council,” the old man spoke. “It seems like Judgment Day will
postponed…”
--------------
“My, my,”
Megatron stomped forward in beast mode. “I sense an inherent lack of
trust…”
“What gave
you ‘dat idea?” Rattrap snorted.
All three
Maximals were marching cautiously behind the Predacon tyrant. Only Megatron
strode forth confidently while his interim allies were far less unwary.
Undauntingly, Megatron continued on with the rest of the Maximals following him
behind reluctantly.
“Where are
your troops, Megatron?” asked Optimus. “I thought you’d at least bring
along the flyers.”
“They were
given a temporary reprieve,” replied Megatron. “Good soldiers are so hard to
find these days…”
“Maybe it’s
because you treat them like slag,” Optimus suggested with more than a hint of
sarcasm.
“You never
hear Scorponok or Waspinator complaining,” replied Megatron with a smile.
“At least not
to ‘yer face,” Rattrap whispered while Cheetor nodded in agreement.
“I’m going
to take a wild guess and say that you want to take over the energy pyramid,”
said Optimus. “Then once that’s complete, you’ll turn on us, right?”
“Dear
heavens!” Megatron pretended to be in shock. “Whatever gave you that idea,
my dear Optimus?”
“I’ve been
around your block a few times,” replied Optimus Primal.
Megatron
chuckled deeply. Speaking of which, I wonder how those two imbeciles are
doing?
--------------
“Waspinator
not doing that again!”
The Predacon
wasp steadied himself up carefully. Due to Scorponok’s suggestion, he had
rammed himself against his crystal cage up to two times. Both times, he had been
sent flying back from a powerful surge of the energon.
“Give it one
last try!” urged Scorponok. “One more won’t hurt!”
“Why not
Scorponok do it?” demanded Waspinator. “Why make poor Waspinator test
subject?”
“Because
you’re, uh… stronger than me!” Scorponok thought for a moment before
replying. “Yeah! That’s right!”
Now, Waspinator
was fairly certain that Scorponok was playing him for a patsy. He knew full well
that the short, gray Predacon was his superior in strength.
“No!”
Waspinator put his foot down. “Scorponok do it himself!”
“You’ve got
the laser optics,” Scorponok demanded. “Try using those!”
“Scorponok
can use his own missile!” Waspinator protested.
“Yeah
right!” Scorponok cried. “That’ll blow us all to the Inferno! This cage is
too confined!”
“Waspinator
sick and tired of Scorponok telling him what to do!”
“Then finish
this up and you won’t have to!” insisted Scorponok.
“Waspinator
wish he wasn’t flyer! Always get sent on dangerous missions! Not fair!”
Scorponok took
the opportunity to whack his comrade upside the head with his claw. It certainly
seemed fair that Waspinator shouldn’t be the only one allowed to complain.
“You think
it’s bad?” Scorponok growled. “Look at all the stuff I have to put up with
from Megatron! I never hear so much as a thanks from him!”
“Scorponok is
second in command,” Waspinator shot back. “Scorponok should take it like a
Predacon!”
“And don’t
get me started on that beaked buddy of yours!” hissed Scorponok. “Did you
know when he’s not trying to overthrow our rightful leader, he’s always
making my life miserable with his singing voice?”
In truth,
Scorponok wasn’t the only one bothered by Terrorsaur’s voice. Megatron,
Blackarachnia, and Tarantulas had all complained at one point or another about
the avian Predacon’s vocal chords.
“And those
spiders… ugh!” Scorponok shuddered. “I can’t even take a CR dip without
watching over my back! They’ll shoot me up with cyber-venom if they ever got
the chance!”
“Will you two
keep it down?” Creon demanded. “Your prattling is getting on my nerves!”
“Put a sock
in it!” Scorponok shouted back. “Once Megatron comes for us, you’ll be
sorry!”
“A likely
outcome!” scoffed Creon. “Lord Hauron has defeated your pathetic excuse of a
master!”
“Actually,
they may have a point,” Hauron stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“What’s
that?” asked Creon.
“It seems as
if Megatron has survived my attack after all,” replied Hauron as he continued
to stare into the monitor screen. “My spy cameras show him along with three
other creatures similar to himself heading our way. They‘ll be here in less
than ten triangular minutes.”
“Our pyramid
contains enough power to eradicate them, my lord,” Creon asked. “Might I
suggest we erase them from existence?”
“No,”
Hauron raised a hand. “I want to see what else they’re capable of!”
--------------
“So what’s
the plan?” asked Cheetor.
All four
Transformers were lined outside the pyramid, safely hidden from view behind a
wrecked building.
“Optimus and
myself shall draw out Hauron,” Megatron commanded. “The two of you shall
stay withstand whatever else that slithering saurian throws at us.”
“Funny,”
Optimus mentioned. “I don’t remember you being in charge.”
“I’ve dealt
with him before,” Megatron glared at Optimus.
“And gotten
‘yer skid-plates kicked across town,” Rattrap reminded the tyrant.
“Do not
patronize me, rodent!” threatened Megatron.
“Back off,
Megatron,” Optimus got in front of the Predacon. “Or we send you out first
as a crash-test dummy.”
Megatron glared
at the Maximals and considered the odds. While there was a chance he’d win, he
was still dimly aware that such a battle would weaken him considerably. The best
bet he had now was to take out Hauron and then the Maximals once they had been
lulled into an unsuspecting state.
“Very
well,” Megatron composed himself. “You will hear no more protests from my
person.”
--------------
“Our scout
drones have returned,” Creon announced. “My lord, I believe our conquest of
this world will take less than a standard week.”
“Sounds
good,” Hauron gestured. “Anything else?”
“Well,
err,” explained Creon hesitantly. “They also report that the humans of this
continent intend to launch a barrage of nuclear missiles in our direction.”
“Hmm,”
Hauron rubbed his hands together. “And where is the location of their high
command?”
“The capital
of this nation is known collectively as Washington, DC,” Creon explained.
“Well
then,” laughed Hauron. “I think we know where we’re headed next!”
“You wish for
us to take off now?”
“You got a
problem with leaving early?” Hauron threatened.
Creon backed
off considerably but before he could reply, another voice beat him to it.
“Leaving so
soon? We’re crushed!”
“So,
there’s more of you!” Hauron’s fangs gleamed brightly.
“I have a
pretty good idea why you’re here,” Optimus put his arms over his chest.
“But I can assure you your chances of success are close to zero.”
“Remember,
Primal,” Megatron whispered. “Show no mercy for you shall receive none in
return.”
“I’ll keep
that in mind,” Optimus replied sarcastically.
“You two must
be the heavy hitters,” Hauron glanced at Optimus and Megatron. “This is
gonna be fun.”
“Lord Hauron,”
Creon suggested. “Shall I dispose of the two other beasts accompanying their
larger counterparts?”
“You do that,
Creon.”
Bellowing in
sadistic pleasure, Hauron charged towards Optimus at blinding speed. Reacting
quickly, Optimus stepped to the side and grabbed on to Hauron’s neck, forcing
both of them to the ground.
Before Cheetor
or Rattrap could step in, the small grey alien, Creon, stood in their way.
“Out of the
way, shorty!” Cheetor growled.
“I resent
that,” Rattrap muttered but quickly turned his attention to their opponent.
“My master
wishes to have no interferences in his duel,” Creon announced. “You shall
not enter into the fray!”
Revealing the
metal gauntlets on his arms, Creon stretched out his arms and unleashed a
massive shockwave towards the Maximals’ directions. Instinctively, Cheetor and
Rattrap leaped aside and pulled out their respective weapons.
“What the
spotted heck was that?” gasped Cheetor.
“Ultra-sound
vibrations,” explained Creon gleefully. “Generated from my gauntlets with
the flick of a wrist!”
“Follow me,
kid,” Rattrap whispered.
“Huh?”
“Just do it,
spots-for-brains!”
To Creon’s
surprise, both Rattrap and Cheetor transformed to beast mode and ran off. He
licked his lips in anticipation. This was going to be much easier than he
thought.
--------------
“Once I tear
you apart,” Hauron struggled. “I’ll enslave this whole solar system!”
With a burst of
strength, Hauron broke free from Optimus Primal’s headlock and sent the
Maximal leader flying back with a powerful backhand.
Optimus felt
ripples of pain spreading through his spinal column as he landed back first into
a street light. After getting up, he soon became aware that Megatron was not
helping him in the least. Rather, the Predacon commander sat joyously on a pile
of rubble, watching the fight between him and Hauron with momentous amusement.
Before Optimus could raise his voice, Hauron slammed into him and smashed him
against a nearby building, destroying several layers of mortars and bricks in
the process.
After the smoke
cleared, Hauron grabbed a large piece of cinderblock and destroyed it utterly
with one bone-crunching snap.
“My claws are
strong enough to tear through steel!” bragged Hauron. “My jaws can crush
titanium on impact!”
Optimus
steadied himself. Whether or not Hauron was bluffing remained to be seen.
However, after seeing the alien warlord’s first display, he was fairly certain
Hauron would be able to carry out that threat.
Hauron charged
again but this time, Optimus was more prepared. With one solid punch across the
face, he sent Hauron reeling back. Hauron looked at him in surprise but soon,
his more bestial instincts got the better of him.
Swinging
around, he caught Optimus across the face with a right hook, sending the hapless
Maximal skidding across the emptied sidewalk.
Optimus
narrowly avoided a punch that drove a deep hole into the cement and used the
opportunity to slam his foot into Hauron’s chin. After driving back the alien,
Optimus drove his fist straight in between Hauron’s eyes.
Roaring in
pain, Hauron lost his footing slightly as Optimus grabbed him by the arm and
hurled him to the ground. After landing back-first into the ground, Hauron
watched carefully as Optimus blasted forward. Using his dexterous tail, Hauron
swung sharply and struck his enemy with the full force of a whiplash that
knocked Optimus into an abandoned News 2 van.
“Well that
was Prime,” Optimus muttered as the car’s parking ticket floated on top of
him.
Quickly, he
ripped the doors from the hinges of the car and turned to Hauron. Activating his
Prime Jets once more, Optimus shot forth and used the door as a shield, slamming
into the dinosaurian and sending both of them crashing into several pieces of
broken glass and cement.
--------------
“You can’t
hide forever,” Creon called out while he walked down the outside shopping
plaza.
“Now, kid!”
Cheetor quickly
leaped out from under the escalator and fired off three shots while Rattrap
rolled forward from the trash bin he had been hiding under and opened fire on
cue.
Creon stretched
his gauntlets out and, with a high-pitched sound blast, dissipated the shots in
thin air. Without hesitation, Rattrap and Cheetor continued firing while Creon
formed a temporary sound shield around his proximity to defend himself.
Turning his
attention to Rattrap, Creon unleashed a powerful shockwave through the air and
struck the diminutive Maximal in the chest and flung him into the nearby water
fountain full of coins.
Cheetor
transformed to beast mode and sped towards Creon, hoping to take down the gray
alien as quickly as possible. Laughing off Cheetor’s attack, Creon sent a
smaller shockwave through the ground, forcing Cheetor to lose his balance as the
ground beneath him destabilized and crash directly into a smoothie stand.
“Ouch…”
Cheetor rubbed his head with his paw. “I’ll be feeling that for a while.”
“You’ve
lost,” Creon towered over him and raised one hand to bring forth the finishing
blow. “Only Lord Hauron shall inherit the Earth!”
“Think again,
sound-meister!”
Before Creon
could react, a small blast from behind him struck the back palm of his hand and
destroyed the ultra-sound blaster located in his gauntlet. Crying out in pain,
Creon turned to Rattrap and prepared to use his functional hand to attack.
Unfortunately for him, Cheetor, now in robot mode, grabbed him from behind and
yanked the gauntlet out of his forearm.
“You can’t
do this!” protested Creon.
“We just did,
pal,” Rattrap retorted and helped Cheetor to restrain the struggling alien.
--------------
Overhead,
Ecclesiastes looked down at the battle in disgust. After the two Transformers
had carted the pathetic gray alien away, Ecclesiastes cursed silently.
The Vok had
prophesized a great coming. What had transpired today was merely an illusion of
what he had expected. Judgment Day would come in the future but not for the
moment. Right now, he still needed to return to the Order of the Vok and report
his findings to the High Council. There was one thing he was certain of. They
would most definitely be displeased to hear the end results.
Still, the day
would come when Earth was released from the shackles that humanity had chained
it with. When that time came, the few remaining survivors on the planet would be
allowed to create a symbiotic paradise where man and nature would coexist in
true harmony.
That much he
owed to his granddaughter in the very least…
--------------
“You hear
that?” Scorponok asked.
“Hear
what?” demanded Waspinator.
“That
explosion, doofus!” chastised Scorponok.
“Hmph!
Waspinator have to live through explosions each day! Not see why big boom so
important!”
“It means
that help’s on its way!” exclaimed Scorponok. “Megatron’s here to save
us!”
Waspinator’s
head perked up. “Oooh! Good news at last!”
“Hurry up and
use your lasers!” recommended Scorponok. “The sooner Megatron finds us, the
better!”
“Okay!”
Waspinator took
aim at the thinnest crystal he could find and fired a direct shot.
The energon
crystal, however, deflected the laser beam and sent it flying two and fro as it
ricocheted off several more crystals. Both Waspinator and Scorponok were forced
to leap around frantically in order to avoid the shot. Finally, the beam struck
Scorponok in the chest and threw him flat on his back.
“Ouch…”
moaned Scorponok.
Waspinator
leaned down to help his comrade up. After wiping away the smoke at Scorponok’s
chest, he aided the shell-shocked Predacon in standing up again.
“Don’t
worry,” Scorponok smiled weakly. “I bet Megatron’s out there right now
kicking the slag out of Hauron!”
--------------
“You… said
you would help!” Optimus grunted while he and Hauron struggled against each
other in a deadlock.
“I did?”
Megatron feigned shock. “And here I thought I was participating in a spectator
sport!”
“Very
funny!” Optimus spat.
“Time to
finish this!” Hauron growled as the crystals on his shoulders hummed
dangerously.
“Oh, I
suppose this opportunity comes once in a lifetime,” Megatron mused before he
raised his mega-cannon and fired.
One well-placed
shot was all it took to shatter the crystal on Hauron’s left shoulder. A
tornado of energy shot out into the sky as Hauron staggered back. Quickly,
Optimus blasted out of the way before the energy vortex shot all the way into
the sky and blackened the atmosphere. A hideous howl of agony resonated from
Hauron’s throat for several seconds before it died down considerably
After the
dustbowl had cleared, both Megatron and Optimus saw the fallen body of Hauron.
He was now a morbid sight. His body had been withered and thinned to the point
that his ribs protruded from his stomach. Even Megatron had to scowl in disgust
at the sight of the moldered body. Hauron, on the other hand, was still
breathing. Even though his power source had been destroyed, he had survived his
painstaking ordeal.
“Hey, Big Bot!”
Cheetor called out. “We’re back!”
“And we got
Hauron’s little buddy too,” Rattrap shoved Creon forward.
“Curse
you!” Creon spat. “We were so close!”
“Take your
boss and go,” Optimus ordered. “Never come back to Earth again!”
“You would
show mercy to this scum?” demanded Megatron. “Scrap him and we shall both be
better off!”
“It’s not
the Maximal way!” Optimus glared at Megatron directly in the optics.
“Oh no,”
Megatron chuckled. “But it certainly is the Predacon way!”
Before any of
the Maximals could react properly, Megatron floored each of them to the ground
with three solid blasts.
Fumbling at
Hauron’s wrists quickly, Creon unlocked his master’s wrist-mounted Terra
Blaster before Megatron stood over him patronizingly.
“I require
access to your ship,” Megatron smirked. “You are a reasonable fellow,
yes?”
Creon glanced
over at the fallen Maximals. The one known as Optimus Primal was getting back up
slowly.
“Not
quite!” Creon shouted and rolled aside, throwing the Terra Blaster towards
Optimus.
Immediately,
Optimus caught the device but was still unsure how to use it. He had to dodge
another blast from the furious Megatron in the meantime.
“Press down
on the red button!” Creon shouted as he dove behind several rocks. “And aim
it at him!”
Optimus did as
he was told without hesitation. In no time at all, the ground beneath
Megatron’s feet trembled and gave way. Several spirals of concrete, dirt, and
energon rose from underneath Megatron and trapped him in several rocky columns
that fastened his limbs tightly.
“No!”
howled Megatron.
“I think the
new look fits him, don’t you?” Cheetor laughed.
“I will take
my leave,” Creon nodded and picked up the unconscious body of his master,
Hauron. “You can be assured that Lord Hauron won’t forget this
transgression!”
After Creon and
his master exited into their ship and blasted off into the cold depths of space,
Optimus and his two companions turned their attention back to the
still-struggling Megatron.
“Quite a hood
ornament you got, Megs,” remarked Rattrap.
“Let me out
of here this instant!” Megatron growled. “We had a truce!”
“Sure we
did,” grinned Optimus.
Laughing to
themselves, the Maximals took on last look at Megatron and walked off.
“No!”
bellowed Megatron. “Come back, you fools! I’ll have you skinned alive and
mounted in the hallowed halls of my living room!”
--------------
“I have a
feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore, Waspinator,” observed Scorponok.
“Actually,
Waspinator thinks we are in Kansas…”
Their escape
pod had managed to jettison them from the pyramid at the last second before it
hit the atmosphere. Its flight, however, had been knocked off track by the jet
streams left behind. After zigzagging through the air several times, the pod had
flown them to an unknown destination in a part of the continent they had never
seen before.
“You
buzz-brain!” Scorponok accused. “How do you know this is Kansas?”
The truth of
the matter was, the location they had landed in really was Kansas.
Waspinator’s guess, though accurate, was still only a lucky guess.
“Speaking of
which, this place ain’t too bad,” Scorponok glanced over.
Long fields of
grain covered the land from head to toe. It was unlike anything the two
Predacons had ever seen before.
“Waspinator
likes grain…”
“Well, better
radio back to base,” Scorponok shrugged and turned on his com-link.
“Hey,
Tarantulas!” Scorponok spoke. “Where are we right now?”
“You’re
thousands of miles away from base,” Tarantulas snickered. “Good luck
getting back!”
“Great,”
muttered Scorponok. “Just great!”
“This place
not so bad,” Waspinator fiddled with several pieces of barley in his hand.
“I got it!”
Scorponok got up. “You can fly, can’t you?”
“Waspinator
tired!” the Predacon scout protested. “Hard day’s work break
Waspinator’s back!”
“Well too
bad!” Scorponok transformed to beast mode. “Start flying!”
“Waspinator
hates scorpion-bot…”
Slowly and
reluctantly, Waspinator allowed Scorponok to mount his back before flying off
into the night sky.