The Heart of Evil
By:
Zucca
Silverbolt stomped about the base, his mood nothing short of terrible. His opinion of Optimus had lowered by vast degrees. How could he say such things? What possessed him to become so harsh?
Rhinox came up behind him, putting a hand over his shoulder.
“Listen Silverbolt, Rattrap showed me the security tapes. Tell me, did anything happen outside before you came in? Who did you shoot at out there?” Asked the green Maximal.
Silverbolt grunted. “That cowardly spider Tarantulas. He was trying to use his stealth device, but I could… see him. He had some manner of large weapon in hand. Why are you asking me this?”
Rhinox looked grim. He took Silverbolt to the command center and showed him some peculiar readings on the screen. “There are faint signals coming from Optimus and echoing back. I’ve pinpointed it down to his spark chamber. I believe Tarantulas may have used some kind of…”
Rhinox was cut off as the screen flickered and died. The lights around the entire base snapped off, leaving the entire catacombs eerily lit by the lava pits.
“Well that’s just dandy…” Rhinox muttered. “Silverbolt, Optimus has been sequestered. The Predacons have control of him. I don’t know how, but it’s Tarantulas’s work no doubt.”
Silverbolt growled, clenching his fist. “How I tire of the wiles of the vile wretch! Of all the Predacons, he is without any doubt, the most evil.”
Rhinox sighed, nodding. “Either way, we’ve gotta stop him. Cheetor, Blackarachnia, Bounder, Waspinator and Depth Charge are all out on patrol again. Rattrap and Thundermare will be here shortly.”
“You lookin’ fer’ us?” Came Rattrap’s Bronx accented voice. “Who turned out all da’ lights, eh?”
Thundermare looked about, the lava-light reflecting off her glossy finish. “I wager we have ourselves a bit of a spot, hmm? What ought we to do, gentlemen?” She asked, brushing a strand of her long mane from her eyes.
Rhinox looked to Silverbolt expectantly.
As did the other two…
Silverbolt’s eyes widened. “I? Surely, you do not intend to place me at our head, do you?” He asked.
Rattrap elbowed him. “What’re ya’ yakkin’ about bird-dog? Yer’ a good field commandah. Ya’ can handle it. Slag… I know I did once. Ain’t my energon picnic, but you oughta go into it like Megatron’s duck to water!”
Silverbolt looked at the expectant eyes of his comrades and knew that he had a duty to them. He only hoped he could fulfill that duty as well as their beleaguered leader.
“Our first task is to locate Optimus and find a way to shut him down. Secondly, we must establish power again so we can call back our comrades to back us up. After that, we will discover where the Predacon’s are camped out. The signal was too weak to go as far as Predacon home base.”
“Maybe we should split up so we can focus on more than one task.” Offered Thundermare in her British dialect.
Silverbolt considered this. Rhinox would be invaluable in helping repair the power generators, but he would also be essential in shutting down Optimus. Rattrap was a skilled technician, as was Thundermare as they’d come to learn.
He nodded. “Very well, you and Rattrap shall enact repairs to our energy lines. Rhinox, you’re with me. We need to sever that signal.”
Rhinox nodded. “I think I’ve got just the thing. The trick is… holding him still long enough to get it done.”
Silverbolt smiled grimly, recalling how he flew the behemoth Maximal back home. “That should not be a problem. You all have your directions, comrades. Make it so.”
Rattrap stopped in his tracks before heading off. “Now where have I heard that before?”
Optimus, currently puppet of the insidious Tarantulas, opened the mighty main doors, allowing the bulk of the Predacon forces into the Maximal base. “Teeheeeheeheee…. This has almost been too easy!” He snickered, watching the Predacons file in.
Megatron looked about warily. “Precisely. Which is why we must proceed with utmost caution, Predacons.” Megatron said, a shoulder lamp emerging to light the dim corridor.
Optimus leaned down as Rampage walked in last. “Remember crab, if you want freedom, act when I give the signal.”
Rampage nodded once, not bothering to speak.
Alluvia looked about as they walked into the main chamber. “My word! The Ark! How can it survive in the middle of a volcano? The constant heat should have melted it down!” She exclaimed.
Megatron chuckled ruefully. “The Autobots were masters of shipbuilding. The Decepticons were masters of weapon creation. When they commandeered the Autobots’ ship designs, they had an edge over the vile Autobots.”
Felony smirked, looking at Optimus. “Megatron, sugah, can I have myself a little peek under this big-boy’s plating?”
Megatron let the Southern-style pet name slide. “Not yet, nooo. Only when our victory is assured. All too often we’ve lost because of procrastination.”
The vixen let out a disappointed whine and kicked a rock into the molten lava.
Silverbolt would have sworn, but he was above such things. Instead he growled softly in frustration. “They have gained entry… if only the power was on, our defenses would be online.”
The two Maximals were perched on top of the Ark’s bow, too distant and small next to the Ark to be noticed.
Rhinox sighed, nodding. “I think that was the idea.”
Silverbolt looked to the new Predacons. “Those three will be trouble… well, aside from the small brown one. She is not among the fighting kind.”
Rhinox nodded sagely. “The scientists are starting to make planetfall it’d seem. Good news for us. It’s not science Megatron can use. It’s a survey and exploration team.”
Silverbolt saw Rampage looking rather… preoccupied. He seemed uncharacteristically tense, as if anticipating something.
“What would you advise?” He asked the Maximal science officer.
Rhinox shrugged. “I dunno. We can’t engage them. They’re seven-strong and have Optimus, Megatron and Rampage. That kind of fight’s hard enough with just the three on their own, let alone then backup of the other Preds. I’d say we need to distract them though, keep em’ off Rattrap and Thundermare’s backs until the defense grid’s back online.”
At that moment, the power hummed back up. “Nevermind.” He said, shrugging.
Rhinox suddenly looked concerned. “Wait…”
Silverbolt’s ears perked up. “What is it, friend?”
“The autoguns aren’t working. The defense computer needs to reboot! Slag… If only we had Sentinel… it had an independent power source.” Rhinox muttered. “I’ll have to reset the system.”
Silverbolt nodded grimly. “I’ll cover you. Make use of the terminal right over there.” Silverbolt said, indicating one of the computers in an alcove.
Rhinox raised an eyebrow. “You against six Preds and Optimus? Silverbolt, there’s another way…”
“But not as swift! We must get the defense grid online at once! When you’ve finished rebooting the system, contact all Maximals and have them regroup here.” Silverbolt said, then shot up into the air, a look of confidence and boldness about him. “You there!” He boomed across the lava pit, his wings flapping like swords in the air. “I must insist you remove yourselves from this place at once. You trespass on grounds belonging not to you..”
Megatron laughed amusedly. “Ah, but my dear Silverbolt, your leader opened the door for us! We were invited inside!” He exclaimed, laughing.
Silverbolt growled. “He would perform no such act! You have only subverted him! That crime is beyond imagination, even for a Predacon!” He bellowed.
Megatron shrugged. “Ah me, you’ve found us out. Whatever shall we do? Ah yes, I know. Decorate the walls with your wreckage. Predacons, attack!”
Alluvia leapt behind a crate, covering her ears and whimpering. She never liked battles and discovered she was a poor shot.
Silverbolt’s world seemed to slow down. The color all drained out of it. He could sense the energy of each photon charge soaring towards him, the molecules of each missile. He moved to the side, then down, then drew a pair of curved swords, purple snakes of electricity dancing up and down the shiny blades. He blocked each and every bolt and energy ball hurled at him. To the eyes of the enemies, his motions became a blur, arms just shapeless silvery streaks.
Megatron’s eyes widened. “Pour it upon him! Concentrate your fire!” He hollered, setting his blaster to rapid-shot.
Silverbolt flew about like the archangel Michael, skillfully dodging the blasts, missiles and energy bolts, and deflecting those he couldn’t, but he could do little else, unable to return fire.
Meanwhile, Rhinox had made his way to the terminal and began typing frantically, working to reboot the defense systems. “Come on… a little miracle would be nice at this point…” He mumbled, trying not to look at Silverbolt’s dazzling display.
Rattrap and Thundermare came up behind Rhinox. “We’re back. Power restored.” Said the equine Maximal.
Rattrap stared in disbelief as Silverbolt continued to block and dodge the combined fire from all the Predacons, minus Dinobot, plus Optimus Primal. He was beginning to tire though, gritting his teeth as he flitted about.
“Thunda’! We gotta help Bolt! He can’t hold em’ off forever!” Rattrap exclaimed, then leaped from behind cover and well away from Rhinox so as not to attract attention his way. “Hey! Ova’ here!” He shouted, firing his pistol at the marauding Predacons.
Thundermare jumped behind him and began firing her wrist mounted missile launchers, two shoulder cannons emerging and adding to the cover fire.
Megatron scowled. “Dodge them! Keep our fire on the Transmetal III!” He bellowed.
Rampage laughed, arming a very special rocket he’d been saving. He launched it at Silverbolt. The thing was mirrored, so the fuzor could not see it coming. By the time his senses picked it up, he’d been hit square in the chest, sent hurling into one of the enclosed caves.
Megatron smiled broadly. “All Predacons, fire into that cave, high explosives and dousing gas!”
Each Predacon did as ordered, and Optimus fired his incendiary grenades into the hole, adding to the firepower.
The explosion would have shattered the eardrums of any human standing about. The huge firestorm swept out of the cavern, turning the whole thing into a blazing inferno. Due to the dousing gas, the flames continued to burn.
Megatron laughed triumphantly and Rampage allowed himself the luxury of joining his captor in the laugh.
But just as suddenly as it happened, a tall, silvery form ran from the flames, not a single hair on fire. The look that Silverbolt wore on his eyes would haunt each Predacon and Maximal present until the end of their days. Full of conviction and crackling with untold, terrible power, Silverbolt strode forward.
Rampage howled in fury. “WHY CAN’T YOU JUST DIE?!?!” His unholy scream echoed off the walls. Even Megatron cringed at the intensity of the infliction.
Silverbolt said nothing, drawing his carbine and continued to walk forward.
The Predacons stood there, taken aback. That firepower should have destroyed him. Either he healed extraordinarily fast, or he just wasn’t damaged.
All except of course, for Rampage, who walked towards him, heavy footfalls causing the ground to shake.
At this point, the defense grid came back online, but at present, the Predacons were too well covered to be hit by the autoguns.
The rest of the Maximals arrived, watching the conflict as they stood behind Silverbolt.
Dinobot joined the Predacons and stood beside them as the two combatants from either side faced eachother. Depth Charge snarled, walking forward and out of the Maximal group. “Get outta the ring, mutt. X is mine.”
Silverbolt glared back at Depth Charge. “Time and time again your grudge has caused nothing but trouble. Swallow your pride and allow all of us the opportunity to destroy this fiend. This battle belongs to all of us, not just you.”
Depth Charge was at a loss for words. Not because Silverbolt’s words moved him. Oh no. Depth Charge could not speak because his mind was so utterly filled with anger, outrage and contempt that he literally could not speak, as his processor power was devoted at this point to feeling and seething in the rage.
Silverbolt looked past him. “Maximals, when I subdue Rampage, we shall retake our leader! Charge!” He cried, not wishing to battle Rampage alone in a foolish duel.
Megatron growled, taking the puppeteered Optimus and Rampage back as the rest of the Predacons charged into battle.
Silverbolt locked into a melee battle with Dinobot, Cheetor and Waspinator traded shots with Inferno, whose Transmetalization gave him an even greater edge in battle.
Blackarachnia snagged Loco in her web and began pummeling him with her claws.
“Yeeowch! ‘Ey man! Watch the paint-job, you crazy spider lady!” Loco wailed. Rattrap and Thundermare began ganging up on Felony, but Alluvia summoned up her courage and leapt from behind a crate, firing her issued quasar gun and knocking Thundermare off her feet. Rattrap gasped, leaping to cover her as best as his diminutive form could while he fired off potshots at the Predacon females.
The Predacon trio came up to the Ark’s entrance, Teletron 1 protecting the doors as before.
“Quickly! Before they see us!” Megatron insisted.
Optimus cackled nastily. “Computer, access Ark related codes and decryption keys. Transmit.”
Optimus’s eyes glowed as the link was established. The doors opened and Teletron 1 stood down.
Megatron laughed, striding in once more, the door sliding shut behind him, Optimus and Rampage.
Chapter
three; Showdown in the Ark
Silverbolt spotted the entry and howled in alarm. “Maximals! The Ark has been breached! Rattrap, find where Tarantulas is transmitting from and stop him from controlling Optimus, Blackarachnia, you’re with me! We must stop him!”
Rattrap rushed off, intent on locating the signal source as Blackarachnia leapt on Silverbolt’s back upon his transformation.
“Déjà vu, huh bowser?” Blackarachnia mused as they blasted towards the doors.
Megatron took a deep breath, his olfactory sensors registering the sterile scent of the Ark. Perfectly preserved.
“Ah me, victory is finally ours.” He said, finding the original Megatron’s titanic body hunched against a crate. “My predecessor and ancestor.” Megatron said solemnly.
Rampage looked about and spotted Starscream. His spark sizzled as his optics narrowed. “Curse you for leading science to explore immortality. Curse you for granting me eternal life. And most importantly of all, curse you for existing.” Rampage fumed in his mind.
Megatron approached his ancestor and opened his chestplating. His own chestplate slid open, revealing his own spark. He chuckled as he left a small data disc in the Decepticon commander’s chest, designed to give off a weak signal when its timer ran out. A timer set for 4,000,020 years… He looked up at Optimus, knowing the true Maximal inside could still see and hear everything. “Look now, Optimus. What is that old human saying? When in Rome, do as the Romans do? Well, you’ve inspired me.” He said, smirking as his spark chamber took in the original Megatron’s spark and into himself.
Megatron began shouting and groaning in pain, his body starting to shift radically…
Optimus leaned over to Rampage. “Very soon now, crab. Megatron still has part of your spark on him. He wanted insurance in case his pet lizard was destroyed.”
Rampage glowered. “So he split my essence thrice? How diabolical. Heh heh heh.”
Rattrap had finally found where the signal was coming from… and faced a great wall of rock. He looked up apprehensively and saw, a hundred meters up, a hole in the side of the mountain. “Well if that doesn’t slice the chedda’…” He grumbled, getting out his trusty grappling hook. “Sometimes I wish I had Thunda’ closer.”
He felt hands circle around his waist as his feet suddenly left the ground. “Like right now?” Thundermare’s voice spoke as the jets in her feet lifted them up towards the cave mouth.
Rattrap looked over his shoulder at her. He’d blush, had he flesh on his cheeks.
“Ain’t the Predacons still at large?” Rattrap asked.
Thundermare smiled. “We’ve got them back into a corner. Rhinox told me to come help you.”
Rattrap grinned broadly as they set foot in the entrance to the cave. “I oughta’ thank that big lummox when we get back to da’ base.”
Thundermare nodded. “Agreed, now let’s go find that spider.”
Megatron’s body began to morph violently, parts of him shattering as a more powerful superstructure grew from within.
Optimus, still under Tarantulas’s control, looked to Rampage. “Now, crab!” He bellowed, grabbing Megatron who was writhing violently.
“What?! ARGH! What’s the meaning of this?!” Megatron hollered, crimson and gold metal armor replacing his old purple black and maroon.
Optimus cackled cruelly. “My dear friend Megatron, you’ve allowed your two greatest foes to stand at your side while you are at your weakest. Your foolishness has reached its end!”
Rampage stomped forward and grabbed Megatron’s face, crushing lightly. “Now my ‘master’, I feel the compulsion to declare my independence from you. Ahhh… at last I can taste your fear… the fear of one whose confidence was so unwavering before…
Where is it now, Megatron?” Rampage asked in his soft, menacing voice before digging a hand into Megatron’s torso, retrieving the spark box lined with raw energon.
“You all called me cruel and sadistic. I am merely responding in-kind.” He said, starting to pry at the box.
“All of you, weapons on the ground now!” Cried Silverbolt from the Ark’s Bridge door, Blackarachnia standing by his side.
Blackarachnia held what looked like a sniper laser in her hands, her aim set on Rampage.
“Oh no… Silverbolt, he’s got…” She choked out, a horrified sensation in her gut. The same she’d felt when she walked in the dark forest with Silverbolt and encountered Protoform X.
Silverbolt gasped. “No! Drop the box at once!” He shouted.
Optimus threw Megatron off behind a crate, hoping to knock him out, and began stomping towards the Maximal couple while Rampage rushed out the door, cackling horrifically.
“My, how lovely to see you two together! I can tell you love her, mutt. But can you be so sure about her feelings for you? I created her to be treacherous after all. I created her a little too well.” The Maximal Captain, controlled by Tarantulas said.
Silverbolt growled. “Your mind-games are wasted on us, you foul spider! We have both overcome death and destruction, only to find the other waiting at the end of it! Our love is what binds us, wretch!”
Blackarachnia smirked. “You’re just jealous, Tarantulas. You never had control over me. That’s all you ever really wanted, wasn’t it? Control. Love doesn’t matter to you. Well it matters to Silverbolt and I! We’re free of your webs of deceit!”
Silverbolt stepped forward, raising his hand. Blackarachnia stood beside him, both standing there as Tarantulas sent Optimus into a bull rush down the long bridge.
“I’ll rip you both into slaaag!” Bellowed the puppeteered Maximal.
“My abilities with your abilities, my beloved light in the darkness.” Silverbolt said, holding Blackarachnia close.
“And mine with yours, my champion of virtue.” Blackarachnia whispered.
Their hands outstretched, facing Tarantulas’s artificer, began to glow. The glows melded and lashed out, stopping the titanic Maximal dead in his tracks.
“We shall draw you, Tarantulas, as poison is drawn from a wound!” Silverbolt and Blackarachnia cried in unison and energy crackled through the corridor.
Optimus’s eyes glowed violently as he began screaming, clutching his head…
Rattrap and Thundermare heard the scream of the Predacon scientist echo down the length of the cave. They exchanged glances and dashed after the sounds. They discovered a mobile command center hidden in the cave, complete with a holo-imager, CR chamber and a body shell that looked vaguely like Optimus.
Tarantulas leapt out from behind it, clutching his head and screaming like mad. “YAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!” He screeched, making Rattrap wince.
The spider dashed for the cave entrance. “LIGHTS! LIGHTS! TOO MANY! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! THE LIGHTS! SO BRIGHT! THEY’RE ALL AROUND! THEY LAUGH! STOP IT! BY THE PIT, STOP!!!!” He screamed.
Rattrap was about to move to blast the pitiful mad scientist, but Thundermare stopped him. “Let him be. He’s finally gotten a taste of his own medicine. About bloody time.”
Rattrap nodded. “Yeah… Guess he ad’ it comin’ eh? Let’s get back to command and see what’s up wit’ da’ rest of da’ Preds.”
Suddenly a tremendous roar shook the very ground beneath them. Something was loud enough to make it quake.
“Give it wings, Thunda! We’ve got some serous trouble!” He yelped, jumping on Thundermare’s back after she converted to beast mode, clopping out of the tunnel…
Silverbolt and Blackarachnia leaned against each-other, panting hard.
“Not too shabby…” Blackarachnia huffed.
Silverbolt smiled. “The splendid triumph.”
They gazed at each-other, realizing that in one event, they had transcended the abilities of any existing Transformer.
Before another word could be said, Cheetor dashed in and transformed from beast mode.
“Hey guys! We’ve routed the Predacons. They’ve retreated! Where’s Megajerk? I didn’t see him leave. Oh man! And what about Big-bot? Is he going to be alright?” Cheetor said quickly.
Blackarachnia nodded. “He’ll be fine. He needs repairs though. Badly.”
Silverbolt patted Cheetor on the shoulder. “Well done, Cheetor.” He said, smiling genuinely.
Cheetor smiled back, clasping hands with the TMIII Fuzor. The recent events greatly improved their opinions of the other. Perhaps now there wouldn’t be any more strife between the two.
Their thoughts were interrupted when Blackarachnia piped up. “Actually… we haven’t seen Megatron leave either…”
The three exchanged glances and before they could speak a word, an earsplittingly loud roar, much akin to metal screeching against metal, shook them to the core…
[Music currently playing: Silica Pathways (Battlestar Galactica, 2003. Original soundtrack]
Silverbolt looked up to see a massive dragon’s head looming over the crate where Megatron had been thrown. Electrical discharges moved over the huge dragon’s body. It dwarfed even Optimus in his mighty Prime fusion.
Blackarachnia gaped in sheer, absolute horror at the gigantic monstrosity, her head shaking side to side in disbelief.
Another ear-splitting roar emerged from the huge creature’s maw.
Silverbolt leapt to the side and saw that the monster’s torso was a slowly solidifying mass of proto-matter, slowly encompassing twin sparks and…
“The Transmetal driver!!” Silverbolt howled.
Blackarachnia’s eyes shot wide open as the thoughts entered her head.
“If the driver contains so much power, what will happen when Megatron’s body fuses with and encapsulates it?”
Silverbolt faced a whirling mass of tentacles, claws, rotary masar cannons and countless eyes. Megatron had been morphed into some kind of twisted Predacon/Decepticon/Vok mutant. His torso was still forming and Silverbolt knew that if he took the Transmetal driver, the terrifying Vok enhancements wouldn’t come to pass.
Facing that terrifying mass of claws and weapons, Silverbolt spotted the cluster of sparks and Vok driver in Megatron’s amorphous torso.
The TMII Fuzor dove forward, hand outstretched.
Blackarachnia saw that Megatron was still in too much pain to pay attention to retaliate, but that could change on a moment’s notice. She swiftly wove a cyberweb and began laying it over the huge metallic monstrosity that once was Megatron.
Silverbolt plunged his hand into Megatron’s still-liquid chest and grasped on to something. He looked down and saw it was a spark. Suddenly, his mind projected the image of the ancient Decepticon leader into his vision for a split second.
“The original Megatron…” Silverbolt realized, and yanked as hard as he could.
“It is the original Megatron!” Silverbolt shouted as the mass of metal under him began to take gruesome, horrifying shape.
Blackarachnia gasped. “Quickly! Get him back into his own body! If he’s not returned, his spark will extinguish and reality will alter!”
Silverbolt realized that he had in his hands the power to destroy the leader of the Decepticons and alter reality for the better.
But would it be better? He had no way of knowing.
He flew towards the old Megatron, opening his chestplate and inserting the spark. “Until the future, you shall rest here, villain.” Silverbolt whispered as the old Megatron’s scarlet eyes flickered, then subsided as he plummeted into stasis once more.
Silverbolt looked over his head to see Megatron’s chest close up, sealing in the powerful Vok device. He watched, agape in horror as Megatron came to stand, his body so black that it almost seemed to drink in the light from around him. All that could be distinguished in the low light was a pair of scarlet eyes staring directly at him.
“Megatron!” Silverbolt howled, launching himself at the twenty-foot tall monstrosity…
[Interlude,
4,000,000 years in the future]
Optimus Prime awoke to a violent rumbling and a splitting headache. The capacitor that kept all Autobots and Decepticons in stasis had been damaged by some kind of external force.
For some reason, he had visions in his head. While his command module went about the tasks of rebooting his systems, his memory banks began to recall vivid memories that he knew he’d never experienced. Or did he?
“Defending
three comrades… flying over the landscape…seeing…myself? What in the name
of Cybertron’s moon’s happened?” He
wondered to himself.
Optimus
Prime looked about the bridge. The Decepticons who’d boarded had fled and he
could see his crew coming to as well.
A
familiar voice sounded off behind him. “All’s well here, Prime! The
Decepticreeps’ve all jumped ship!”
Prime
stood up. “Teletran 1, give me a full diagnostic, please.”
Teletran
1 took a few moments, a rapid clunking sound audible.
One
of the Autobots kicked the consol lightly, bringing an end to the clunking.
“Error.
Error. Malfunction in primary power supply. Attempting to compensate… Fusion
drive re-rout enabled. Current status of ship is unknown. Alien technology
interfering with input/output.” Teletran 1 reported.
Optimus
Prime narrowed his optics. “Alien technology? Explain.”
“Alien
tech is far more sophisticated. Reading traces of tech in primary power
conduits, coolant pumps, energon reserves and computer wiring. Analysis of alien
tech reveals Cybertronian alloys and composites.”
Optimus
frowned. “Cybertronian? Yet far more technologically advanced? That doesn’t
make sense. We are the most advanced shipbuilders on Cybertron.”
Ironhide
came up behind Optimus, a small data disc in his right hand. “Hey Prime! Look
what I found! This gizmo’s like a smaller, more advanced version of our data
discs! What’cha make of it?”
Optimus
took the disc. “Let me see…” He plugged it into his internal player, which
took some time to adapt to the small nodes, but he found no major problems.
After
a few moments, Prime’s optics widened. “Ironhide… has anyone else seen
this disc?”
Ironhide
shook his head. “Nope. Jus’ me Prime.”
“And
are there anymore left?” Prime asked.
“Nuh-uh.
Just the one.” Said Prime’s most trusted friend.
Prime
looked down at the disc and crushed it in his mighty hand. “This disc is too
dangerous for even us Autobots, Ironhide. Don’t let any of the others know of
it.”
Ironhide’s
head tilted to the side. “Why the secrecy, Prime? Don’tcha trust us?”
Optimus
Prime let his optics dim, shaking his head grimly. “Ironhide, I don’t even
trust myself with the information in that thing. Just forget about it. Let’s
go see what our situation is, alright?”
Ironhide
nodded with satisfaction, eager to go to set himself on a task to help him
forget about the disc. Still, part of him wondered… what was Prime hiding?
Prime
sat down in his quarters at the end of the day, feeling his mind whirling in
many directions at once. Who were these Maximals and Predacons? Who was this
Rhinox?
What
were beings who claimed to be descended from Autobot and Decepticon doing on
ancient Earth and lurking around the Ark’s crash site? And most importantly,
how did this tie in the ‘Megatron’ mentioned in the disc?
Optimus
Prime reviewed his memory tracks of the disc again and began to see the truths
it held.
That
evening during his regenerative cycle, Optimus’s core processor came online.
The less rational side. The living side of the mighty Autobot. It accessed the
Ark’s sole copy of the Covenant of Primus and began translating the one part
that had not yet been translated.
Upon reading the finished product, his optics widened. “Has this already happened, or is it yet to come?”
Before
his thoughts could come fully to bear on the subject, Bumblebee burst in.
“Prime! We’ve found something about this planet. It’s dominant species
have large machines and devices that would work perfectly for disguises. We’ve
already scanned a lot of them and want you to come and have a look.”
Optimus
set the book down. He’d sigh, had he lungs to do it with. “Agreed. Cultural
contamination of this world is not an option. We shall be robots
in disguise...”
Despite
the distraction, Prime could not help but wonder about his strange dreams, and
what compelled him to translate part of that ancient, forgotten text by himself.
Why
did he get the feeling that his ship was disturbed during its long slumber?
The
great leader of the Autobots would never learn the answer.
Only
because he already knew it, but did not make the connection…
Chapter
five; Ode to a once and future villain
[Music
currently playing: Furious Angels, from Matrix
Reloaded]
Silverbolt
launched himself at the shadow-veiled monstrosity, mind reeling from the
magnitude of the change in the Predacon commander.
A
massive, clawed hand swatted Silverbolt out of the way as if he were a toy.
The
Transmetal III Fuzor flew against the wall, leaving a dent in the wall before
slumping down.
Four million years ahead, Jazz would step out of the nano-chamber, admiring his classy new form and white finish, then notice a small dent in the bulkhead, silvery streaks weaving to the floor.
“Funny, how’d that get there?” He wondered aloud.
Silverbolt
howled in determination, flinging himself at the titan.
Again,
he was swatted away.
The
monster seemed bent on getting out of the Ark, running, screaming, roaring.
Blackarachnia
rushed to Silverbolt’s side. “Silverbolt! Are you alright?” She asked.
Silverbolt
looked at her forlornly. “My love… This is a fundamental problem…”
Outside,
the Maximals were cheering as the Predacons retreated, though Rampage seemed to
be taking a different route.
Depth
Charge was the only one who wasn’t jubilant, glaring at the fleeing Protoform
X, not able to give chase with his damage.
Rattrap
groaned. “Cheer up, Charlie Tuna. Yeesh… you got da’ worst habit of suckin’
da’ happiness outta da’ room.”
Thundermare
nodded. “Yeah, just like a Dementor!” She said.
All
heads turned to the horse lady.
“You
know, like from H---" Thundermare was cut off in mid-sentence as a horrific roar
echoed through the cavern as something big, dark and menacing streaked from the
Ark.
All
eyes turned to the gruesome, vaguely draconic creature that flew from the Ark.
In the light of the lava pits, they got a good look at it.
Thundermare
gasped, Depth Charge scowled, Rattrap, Cheetor and Rhinox stared, while Bounder
growled; “That’s the ugliest ocker I’ve eva’ seen!” She said in her
Aussie dialect.
Indeed,
the creature was hideous. As though all the most wretched, dreaded and violent
nightmares coalesced into a single form. Black as pitch, with blazing red eyes and
long blades extending from certain areas of the body. Eight long tentacles
ringed its back, four with digging claws, four with gatling maser cannons.
The
creature let out an agonized roar and soared out of the volcano, its scream
leaving the Maximals visibly shaken.
Optimus,
Silverbolt, Blackarachnia and Cheetor arrived shortly thereafter.
Silverbolt
looked to them all. “Has he fled?” Silverbolt asked quietly.
A
long silence, exchanged glances, then unanimous nods.
Optimus
sighed softly. “Maximals… I can’t even begin to apologize for what
happened…”
Cheetor
stepped forward, offering his mentor a pat on the arm. “Don’t sweat it,
Big-Bot. That thingy that Tarantulas threw at you is responsible. Don’t feel
guilty.”
Optimus
nodded, but was not convinced.
Blackarachnia
sighed. “We’ve got a much bigger problem on our hands. Megatron has fused
with the Original Megatron’s spark, as well as the Transmetal driver…”
Rhinox
gasped. “No!”
Thundermare
also looked distressed. “That’s… No. That cannot be… that would
mean…”
Rhinox
nodded slowly. “Yes… He’s fused with a source of power great enough to
bring the dead back to life…”
Optimus
looked up through the volcano’s chasm, up at the starlit sky.
“May
the Matrix have mercy on him…” Optimus whispered.
Somewhere,
amid the darkest shadows, part of an immortal spark rejoined its original
owner, who laughed with blissful madness…