Lessons Learned...
Part III
by: Matt Black
The purple and black transformer leaned back into the shadows as he studied the control console. Images and data flashed across the screen faster than the human eye could follow, but he was much more than human. The brooding robot glanced over at his specimen, a much smaller robot, covered in a black and purple chitinous exoskeleton. The robot's innards were exposed, and little probes and grasper arms flitted about, searching and exposing the robot's secrets.
The quiet voice of the computer reported, "Probe complete. Data compile."
The large transformer stood and walked over to his prisoners body. He lifted the limply hanging tail, a scorpion's tail, with a finger that was nearly as large.
"Fascinating," mused the massive transformer,"small, agile, strong, and composed of biological flesh and blood. This Cybertronian is years ahead in technology. A definite improvement over... that." the last he spat as he glared at a pretender suit that stood against the wall. "With this technology, I can rid myself of that mockery that HE has forced upon me." He walked over to the suit, it bore a skull like face, a semblance of the last leader of his troops, a leader that he had killed. It seemed to mock him with it's leering grin and gaudy purple and orange armor. "With this technology I can rise from this lab and show that traitor who is true the master, and who is but fodder."
As he walked back to the computer, a russet colored monstrosity lumbered into the shadowy room. The creature's tentacles were flicking over numerous blast marks and rips in it's slimy skin. "My master."
"Report Slog."
"There are more the those beast bots. I engaged them in battle. They are not as powerful as the group that encountered the humans, but i could not hold them alone."
"Indeed? It is of no matter. This one is more than my computers needed to recreate the process that will give us a new edge. Soon, I will rise again and show that half-baked crackpot who is truly the leader...." The large robot swung toward the suit and let loose a blast from the massive rail cannon on his shoulder that incinerated the pretender shell on the wall.
"Soon, I shall again stand as LORD MEGATRON LEADER OF ALL DECEPTICONS!!!"
Megatron swung back toward the computer module. "Reprogram the 'Predacon' to be subservient to me, and put him back together..." a cold grimace spread across his face, "and begin DNA scanning and replication."
The Maximals now stood in a large underground cavern, recuperating their wits. After a very brief introduction, Grimlock, the leader of the Autobots, decided that any further questions would wait until they had returned to their base. So, the Maximals had been scooped up by the huge Autobots and carried back to this place.
Now, the Maximals watched as the Autobots stood against the wall, and chest cavities opened up, revealing more familiar Cybertronian robots surrounded by te suit's complex wiring and circuitry. They each stepped free of the Pretender suits: Grimlock, the largest, a huge silver and gold robot; Jazz, a white robot who appeared to be able to transform into a ground vehicle similar to those in the city above; and Bumblebee, the smallest, whose golden chrome marked him as the youngest of the three.
In the base, humans scurried about between the massive computers that took up on side of the base. All around there were the shambles of a camped community. Children ran about playing and crying as parents cooked on campfires. People lay curled up on the floor, trying to sleep or heal... Their numbers seemed pitifully few for such a large city.
Dinobot turned toward Polar Claw,"This Grimlock, I have heard of him. He was once a valiant commander, and for a time, leader of all Autobot forces, but..."
"But what?"
"But, I have never heard of this era of destruction. If that is Grimlock, he spent a great amount of time on a planet called Earth with Optimus Prime and the other Autobot forces."
"We could be at any time. Past, present, future..."
"And I suggest that this should be our first priority. To learn what we can of when we are."
The two Maximals were interrupted as the three Autobots came over to join them. Even without their Pretender suits, the Autobots loomed over the Maximals at three or four times even Polar Claw's size.
"Grimlock," Polar Claw started, "what... is the date?"
"Huhn? No thought that'd be first question. Hadn't thought 'bout date for long time. On this planet it is... 2032 A.D." He also spat out a date in relation to Cybertron.
Dinobot's eyes narrowed as he took a step toward the Autobots, "Unlikely, what planet are we on?"
Grimlock looked down at the small dinosaur, "We on Earth. Now my turn... Where you from, why you no know this..."
"That is IMPOSSIBLE!!" Dinobot snarled, "Earth never fell to nuclear attacks of this magnitude. Where are the other Autobots? Optimus Prime? Rodimus Prime?"
"PRIME IS DEAD!!!" roared the huge transformer, then regaining his composure, he continued, "I know no 'Rodimus Prime', but Optimus Prime... Optimus was killed around thirty years ago, shortly before this world was wasted."
"Dinobot! Control yourself!" bellowed Polar claw as he clamped a large paw over the velociratptor's mouth, "Grimlock, I'm not sure we understand. How could Prime be dead? Thirty five years ago on earth..."
Dinobot jerked free of Polar Claw's grasp, "Thirty five years ago, Optimus Prime defeated the Swarm here on earth, and the Autobots and Decepticon's entered a new, albeit temporary truce!"
Grimlock scratched his metal faceplate and his red visor seemed to flash in contemplation, "Jhiaxus was 'defeated', but not be Prime. The last report came from Megatron and Starscream as they ran from the Jhiaxus' warship, the 'Twilight'. Minutes before the Twilight had unleashed a blast against the earth, me no know what was in that blast, but it hurt the world bad. Radiation spread from the part of the world it hit, but that didn't cause all this... The swarm had destroyed nearly half the outer hull of the Twilight, and Megs had a clear view inside. Jhiaxus stood over Prime and ripped the matrix free of his body... then he smashed it with his bare hands. Then Swarm took over, It destroyed what was left of Prime, and took care of Jhiaxus as well."
There was shocked silence as the Maximals listened to this new version of history. Cheetor was the first to speak, "But... what about Cybertron? What about Unicron and Rodimus Prime?"
"I know not what happen to Cybertron. We made final stand here on earth. Autobots and Decepticons, fighting together for the first time in centuries. Megatron showed up with the Rheanum gas he stole from the Twilight, it made metal denser, heavier. Swarm found us hardr to chew, but not impossible. We were forced to fall back. Swarm started to destroy all metals on earth. Human's panicked. Can't blame 'em. They no believe in us till then, not really. They fired their nuclear capacity at Swarm in an attempt to stop it. It worked, sorta. The Swarm was broken up into smaller, weaker clouds, Swarmlets. They no ose real threat anymore, but the nuclear explosion caused an unexpected side effect when mixed with the Swarm's energies. It formed into huge bubbles of radiation, the atmosphere turned poisonous, and everything started dying. There were only a few of us left in the Autobot and Decepticon alliance, and me and Megs were in charge of it all. We try to help earth, try to call Cybertron, but nothing worked. Starscream showed back up too. He had changed. He was linked to the matrix, and a battleship called the Warworld, for a time shortly before their destruction. Matrix rebuilt him. he more powerful. it left some kinda link too, but that linked was destroyed with matrix. It made Starscream go mad. He attacked and defeated Megatron, took Decepticons and began systematic destruction af human life on planet. He blame them somehow for matrix, and he nearly destroy them all."
"How many humans are left, Grimlock?" Polar Claw slowly ventured.
"Grimlock turned from the Maximals, "Less than five hundred thousand." He replied almost in a whisper.
Rattrap spoke up, "Holy slaggin' inferno's... Hey klondike? You don't think we'z responsible for all dis... I mean we ain't exactly in our own time slot or nutin..."
"What he mean?" Grimlock spun and glared at the small rat.
"Quiet, veeermiin!" hissed Dinobot.
"No, it's okay dinobot." Polar Claw turned to Grimlock, "We are from over three hundred years in the future. We came here through a transwarp portal, a portal through time and space, as did those others you saw earlier. We are Maximals, decedents of the Autobots. The others are Predicons..."
"Descendent of the Decepticons." Interrupted Grimlock, "Then could your arrival be responsible for this world's problem?"
"I doubt it. We arrived a day ago. Not thirty years in the past. It's more likely that we have entered an 'alternate universe." It was know to happen during the Time Wars several centuries ago."
"If what you say is true, why you here, and what you propose to do?"
Rattrap stepped past Polar Claw, "Ehhh, I personally plan to get the smelter out 'o here as soon as my little pink toes can carry me."
"I agree with rattrap." spoke up Wolfang, "We must leave this place before we can cause any damage here."
Razorbeast stepped up, "But to do so, we need one of those cyber bees of Scorpinok's"
"And Scorpies been bagged by whoknowswhat!" finished off Cheetor.
"How many Autobots are in this city?" asked Polar Claw.
Bumblebee chuckled, "You're lookin' at it big guy. Me, Jazz, and Grimlock. Slag, there's only about five or six other Autobots left on earth. The three of us travel from city to city, following Starscream and his cronies, makin' sure they don't kill off the rest of the human populace. "
"Yeah," grumbled Jazz, "after all, we're the ones who brought all this mess down, We gotta do somethin' to fix it." He gave a long sigh, and finished glumly," Even if we all end up smelted in the process."
"Cheer up buddy." Bumblebee piped back in,"We're all a little worse for wear. You see, a lot of things have happened in the past three decades, a lot of friends have died. We try to leave one of us by each of the large population centers. There was a guardian for this city even. But he was destroyed a few days ago. We only salvaged part of him, and his spark and brain modules were nowhere in the wreckage."
"The column..." mused Dinobot, "Your comrades body lies in the stadium."
"Then maybe we can still save him!" blurted out Bumblebee.
"Let him rest!" snapped jazz, "Jetfire's fought as long as any of us, and he deserves to rest in piece."
"ENOUGH!" bellowed Grimlock, "first we deal with the beast warriors, then we deal with our dead."
"What do you propose to do with us?" asked polar Claw.
Grimlock studied the group of small mammals for a long minute,"Help you."
Megatron flexed the covering of flesh-like muscles that was covering his body. "Interesting."
The process was only half way done, and there was work to be done. From inside the repair chamber, Megatron activated his commlink.
"Wildfly."
"Yes, my lord."
"Find the other Predicons. Propose a joining of forces, and then return with them here to begin your rebuilding process."
"Yes, my lord."
"I do not believe this to be a tactically wise decision." muttered Dinobot. Polar Claw had agreed to allow the Autobots to do a full scan of one of the Maximals as proof that they told the truth.
Polar claw shook his head, "For the last time... We have to make friends here or else we will not survive, and we most certainly will not make it home."
Dinobot scratched his jaw, "Then, allow me to be the victim."
Polar Claw looked at the other Maximal in surprise, "Okay, agreed."
Dinobot was Maximized and strapped down to a large pallet. Wires, electrodes, and probes were clamped to exposed circuitry from where his chestplate had been removed.
Bumblebee looked back one last time from where he was standing by the control consol," Everything's a check, okay. This shouldn't hurt a bit." He threw the master switch. Dinobot blacked out.
Bumblebee watched the images and technical information flash across his iew screens. This was definately a Cybertronian, and his programming was coded as Maximal. He found a history database and correlated several points with what the Maximals had told them. Then he found something he had never dared to hope for.
"Holy, slaggin'.... GRIMLOCK!!!"
"What?"
"The robot's got a matrix pulse!"
"Ehuhn?"
"The Creation Matrix, the Matrix of Leadership. Within every transformer it created, it leaves a connection, a piece of itself that's always linked to the actual matrix. Our's died when the matrix was destroyed, but these Maximals still have a pulse inside of them!"
"Then they no lie. If Matrix still courses inside of them. It not be from this universe, or at least this time."
"What if we can harness the pulse? Recreate the matrix here..."
"Start experimenting. Run tests, see if possible. If it is..."
"NO!" suddenly Jazz stood up and interrupted, "What right do we have to bring the matrix back into this universe! What did it ever do but create a race of machines of destruction! All it ever did was create things to destroy, and it nearly destroyed us as well! Man, all the matrix caused was war and suffering... Didn't we already learn our lesson?"
"You wrong Jazz," Grimlock spoke in a steady, patient voice, "Matrix meant to stop wars. To stop destruction. It fell and this is what happened. If we remake matrix, we can stop Starscream, stop war... maybe save this world any more torment. Maybe find home."
"I know how to create a new matrix..." every head in the room turned toward polar Claw. He took a deep breath and began, "There is a way... a command code. It was almost a laughable one because it would have to be activated the instant the matrix was terminated. It weaves together several matrix pulses to create the programing neccessary to charge a spark with the matrix's codes. It has to have at least ten transformers to be completed."
"We got ten here, if we can salvage Jetfire." interrupted Grimlock.
"No. It has to be ten that are still matrix linked. From what I understood, the link doesn't disappear immediately, but rather it fades in a matter of cycles. The code was created for just such an instance, a backup. Optimus Primal told me about it once. It could only be activated after the matrix was terminated, it had to have ten Cybertronians who would end up being destroyed in the process, but they had to have the pulse inside of them..."
"But it possible."
"It... is possible. But...I can not activate that code for you."
"Why not!?"
"It would mean, not only the sacrifice of this entire group under my charge, but also another alteration in this universe's history. What, if by activating this change, some other Maximals activate a change in our universe? Or what if it's the Predacon's? I can't take that chance unless it is absolutely necessary."
"I... I understand." Grimlock's face was unreadable under his faceplate. He sighted. "I would do the same."
Polar Claw sighed a breath of relief.
"What you need to do first, then?"
"If we plan to return to our own time, we need to find Scorpinok and his cyberbee."
Cheetor spoke up, "But the big bad bug's been bopped."
"Yeah, an' ah... we dunno who took 'im!" added Rattrap.
"If we don't have him, and your Predacon's don't have him... then only one other could have him."
"Starscream and his Decepticons." Murmured Bumblebee.
"We call and find out." grunted Grimlock.
"Wouldn't he just lie?" asked Razorbeast.
"He weird sometimes, give away too much. He not all there remember."
"What if he traces the signal back here?"
"He try, but we relay off about twenty sources. He no can trace that while we talk. Too encrypted, take to much power. He try in past, get about half way, but we switch it up so he start trace from beginning every time.
Comm officer. Open channel to Starscream's home base."
A human rushed over to a small seat next to the huge computer panel and sat down at a downsized set of controls that ran across the foot of the computer.
Roadblock walked over to the flashing panel. He was in his smallest form, without his two Pretender shells, that of a golden robot. Still, he was larger than Bumblebee and Jazz put together.
"Lord Starscream, incoming message."
"Is it Megatron?"
"No, my lord. It appears to be that slag brained Grimlock and his secret commandoes." He replied with a ridiculing snarl.
-Where are you 'mighty' Megatron? What exactly is your game?-- "No matter. Patch them through Roadblock... And prepare that tracer lock Slog has been trying on them. Add in the random pass check."
"Yes my lord."
The huge viewscreen that dominated the wall of his control chambers flickered into life with the steely black faceplate of his most hated nemesis.
"What is it now Grimlock? And this better not be another of your boring threats about Slog and Wildfly's raids on your little charges. You really shouldn't bother with the fleshlings. You will soon be relieved of your duties to them." A sneer spread across the massive transformer's face.
"We looking for friend we think you got, Starscreech."
"Friend? Who exactly are you looking for?"
"If you have him, you know."
-What is he hading? Who could we have?-- "If you're looking for Jetfire, his scorched remains have been made into a beautiful sculpture by my loyal friends..." -He wouldn't call for that, stupid, stupid, stupid!-- "but surely we don't have any prisoners of any ... importance." -Try to sound innocent!-- "But if you don't believe me, of course you are welcome to come take a look for yourself, dino-dolt. We will be waiting to rend you and your pitiful fleshies limb from limb... then Slog will make me a throne from your leftover parts!!!" -calm, calm, calm- "If there is nothing else...? See you in the inferno."
With a small hand signal, Roadblock spun toward the computer and began the trace.
The screen went blank for a micro segment, then a large purple symbol appeared, the Decepticon insignia. A bright silver line appeared over half of the edges of the symbol almost immediately, and then proceeded to trace the rest of the edges at a frightening pace.
"He has a signal lock and is tracing!" yelled Bumblebee.
"SHUT IT OFF!!" Grimlock roared at the panicking human comm officer.
"I'm trying sir, b...but he picked up on half of the rely points immediately, it's let him get some kind of lock on our signal output. It won't shut off!"
"Then kill the power flow!"
"I can't!" The human was frantically pounding on the controls, "The signal is like some kind of virus, it's attacking the code stucture of the command modules!"
"MOVE!!" was all the warning Grimlock gave as he pulled his gun and leveled it at the communication consol. A thunderous explosion threw the communications officer as he leapt out of the way. Jazz ran over to the smoking and flaming rubble. His fist slid up into his arm, and a foam began to pour out and douse the flames.
"Anyone see how far that trace went?" quietly ventured Wolfang.
"It kinda almost made it all the way around, but I think he stopped it in time." Replied Razorbeast.
"You THINK. That's the best you can say?"
"Hey! At least I was lookin' wolfie."
Polar Claw grimaced and cleared his throat, "That will have to do. We had best make our next plan rather quickly and move on it."
"Hmm. If signal did get through, he call forces. Probably got a couple hours."
Jazz stood looking down at something amid the smoldering foam. "And yet again we kill in our rush to survive."
The charred remains of the human communications officer stared blindly up at him.
"Matrix help us all..." Grimlock muttered under his breath as he put a large hand on the smaller transformer's shoulder.
Jazz looked at the beast warriors, "We've always brought death. Ever since we arrived on this world, and I nearly killed our only friend by trying to detain him... I didn't understand how fragile these humans were. Look at what is left of their world now. No music, no culture, no family, just stupid hopes that their metallic heroes will lead them out of the darkness."
Cheetor looked up at the larger robot, "You're a lot of fun at cocktail parties, aren't you?"
"We've all been affected by this destruction." Spoke up Bumblebee, "Jazz here saw all that he loved about this world burn and dissapear. It's made him considerably darker than he used to be. I've had to grow up and become a warrior. I used to be the little kid of the bunch, now I struggle to keep 'ol Jazz here from offin' himself. Grimlock gave up his wishes for power, and took on responsibility for his troops, and his actions. He's become a real stand up leader!" he ended cheerfully.
Then all chaos broke loose.
Starscream had watched as the screen went blank. "Roadblock?"
"Connection confirmed my lord. Coordinates locked. Shall we wait for backup?"
"No. Send a signal. Even to Megatron, perhaps he still has the common sense to come when summoned to my aid."
"But... won't we be outnumbered?"
"Indeed. Just remember that the robots are not our objective."
"By your command."
A series of explosions shook the walls and ceiling. Chunks of rock and cement starte raining down on the Autobots, Maximals, and human refugees. Grimlock began yelling orders to evacuate and run for all that they were worth, as he and the other two Autobots donned their Pretender suits. The Cybertronians made their way out through the excape tunnels to the surface, and when they got there they were greeted with the sounds of battle.
Already groups of humans were scattered about, dead and burning, and in the center of the carnage was a great tank-like vehicle. It was grey and aqua green, with six wheels and a double barreled cannon that was raised and pivoting around, spewing death to those in range. Each of the wheels were as wide as Dinobot was tall. Bumblebee pulled the massive Pretender suit's cannon and began to fire on the tank immediately. It rolled forward, a huge bulldozer-like scoop pushing rubble and bodies out of it's way. The Maximals joined in just as another huge human-like Pretender shell flew over them and dropped a series of bombs into the base. The new Pretender landed. It stood even slightly taller than Grimlock did.
The Maximals and Autobots tore into Starscream and Roadblock. After a few seconds it was obvious that the two Decepticons were badly outnumbered. Roadblock's outer tank shell was smoking and shattered, he was force to eject, this time in a humanoid shell of purple and black. The shell itself transformed into a jet craft and screeched off as Starscream leapt inot the air and followed it.
"That's it!? The cowards are fleeing!? We still stand!!!" growled Dinobot.
"Yeah, we stand, but we not what they came for." Grimlock gestured to the ground around them. It was littered with the bodies of dead humans. Few if any had escaped the destruction. "They not care about 'bot-'con war now. They just massacre te humans."
"What now, then?" asked Polar Claw.
"Now... we need help. Can you take us to Jetfire?"
Starscream extinguished a small flame that still clung to a wing as he stepped through his command door. Roadblock was just behind him, also still smoking from battle. The smaller golden robot looked up and cleared his throat, "My lord, we seem to have company."
Starscream jerked his head up and looked at the grouping that stood around his command room. They were all smaller, like the robots in the battle, and there were six of them. There were also two larger ones that he didn't recognize. They stood to either side of the far doors in the control room.
"Who are you and what do you want here?" blurted out Starscream.
"Our lord wishes to have a word with you," spoke one of the larger ones. He was a strange purple color, wit grey arms and a yellowish head.
"S...Slog? Is that you!?" almost whispered roadblock.
One of the doorways slid open and a massive shape stepped forward, still cloaked by shadow. Two slants of red light glinted in the darkness of the room, "I have a matter to settle with you, Starscream," the robot rumbled. Starscream could almost swear he saw the glint of two fangs as the robot spoke. Then cold recognition dawned.
"M...M...Megatron!?!? Roadblock..."
"This fight is one for leadership, Starscream. I don't believe roadblock would interfere...?" Roadblock stepped away from Starscream in response. Starscream turned and glared at the golden robot, "Traito! ALL of you... TRAITORS!!!"
"Come now Starscream, you never did bother to know your warriors and their attitudes. Roadblock believes that a leader must prove himself the best... Yow could you expect your troops loyalty if you didn't even know these simple facts?"
"I... I am injured, this is no fair fight!"
"Your damage is superficial, it should not interfere with your combat capabilities. Now stop whining you simpering fool. It is time for me to reclaim what is mine!" The huge robot stepped out of the shadows.
The stadium was abandoned when they reached it. The column stood dark and silent as the team of Transformers set to work on extracting the rest of their comrades body from the sculpture. A large cart stood beside of it with the other remains that were salvaged from Jetfire's last battle, as well as being loaded down with repair equipment.
The work took hours.
Rattrap found it tedious, but kept to it dilligently. He found a weird substance on the inside of the wire, and when he asked about it Bumblebee replied...
"Replace it... all of it. Jetfire was a bit of a scientist, and he was always testing new gadgets out. I haven't talked to him in years. So, there's no tellin' what he's got working in here."
"I thought you all traveled together?"
"Naw. Me, Jazz, and Grim's keep on the move, city to city, trying to keep p with Starscream and his bunch. When they settle in a city, we settle in a city and try to keep it's inhabitants alive. Sometimes they get there ahead of us, so, some of the Autobots have taken to being city guardians... Like Jetfire here. We didn't get here in time to help him though."
The worked continued as they moved feverishly to recreate the wiring and power flows for the huge jet. Soon the frame began to take shape, a grey robot, covered in grey camoflauge. One huge arm ended in a robotic claw. His face was a yellow, t-shaped visor. A grey-blue color was on the upper arms and legs, and the bottom of the wings on his back were black. The nose of the jet became the chest plate. He stood as tal as Starscream had, taller than Grimlock. Wire soon ran to machinery that they had jumbled together, pumping vital energon into his systems.
And then a spark of life glowed in the face-plate, turning the yellow into a dep golden hue.
"Jetfire?"
"Bumblebee... Jazz... God, I'm stiff. How long?"
"Bout a week, buddy." spoke Jazz quietly.
"Then you got here in time to save the humans!?"
"No."
The light in the faceplate seemed to dim for a second. Then it flared up in a brilliant glow. "Then we find Starscream now, and when I find him, I rip him from top to bottom."
Grimlock joined the group, "Whoa, first we get you down undrground. We need Pretender suit 'fore you shut yourself down. You no good in battle as chunk of spare scrap."
"Wait, system diagnostics."
"Systems at seventy-five percent capacity and building. All systems operational at partial levels."
"And cleansing agent?"
"Energon flow is smooth. Cleansing agent covering one-hundred percent of system."
Rattrap snapped his fingers, "That's what that goup was. Some kinda polymer to coat the energon from dat radiation!"
Jetfire cocked his head at the minute robot."And who... or what are you?"
Grimlock began the introductions.
Soon, the six Maximals and four Autobots found themselves outside of the building that had been made into Starscream's fortress. The building was once som kind of skyscraper, but now looked as though some of the floors were carved out and thrown into the parkind lot, where the team stood. Another building had been knocked over and welded to the main one, making a wider base for the Decepticons.
A wide setting of glass doors and windows, long since blackened over with soot and dust, lined the entrance atop a side set of steps. No defenses had been encountered since they had set out toward the building, and the Transformers were staring to feel a little edgy.
"Rattrap, Cheetor, move up to the front entryway and see if you can make our the building's lobby." whispered Polar Claw.
"Here we go, send in da rat... how's come every..."
"Stow it verrrmin and do your job!" hissed Dinobot.
"Heeeey, I's gonna show you exactly why I woul..."
"Rattrap." interrupted Polar Claw.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm goin'."
The giant rat and his feline partner stalked carefully up toward the large glass planes. The charred black glass stretched nearly two stories up, and every inch was darkened and opaque.
"Oh, great." whispered Cheetor, "Now we gotta stick our butts into the door, and hope that there's no momma death ray in there to toast our fuzz!"
Rattrap stepped up to the glass and peered into it. Only a dull blackness shown back. He rased a short rat and rubbed the glass as hard as he could. He was rewarded with a small patch of clear glass, just enough to stick one optic up to.
Looking in he saw two throbbing red lights suspended in the darkness. "Ah, slag! Two autocannons're scopin' the doorway!"
Cheetor looked over from where he had been ready to nuzzle open the door. "Uhm... Cheetor, Maximize." He reverted to his robot mode. "Gimme some directions ratboy." Cheetor asked as drew his quasar cannon.
Rattrap rattled off some vectors, and Cheetor took aim.
"You, uhm, know, if you miss... we're toast."
"Aww, come on Ratface. It's the boy wonder you're talkin' to... I never miss."
Rattrap dove for cover.
With lightning recoil, Cheetor let off two powerfull blasts to each of the spots he was directed to. A couple of explosions, and then silence signified success.
Rattrap stuck his head up from where he had ducked and gave a weak smile and a thumbs up. Cheetor smirked and returned the signal.
Grimlock and the Autobots were too large to fit through the front doors, "No doubt Loudscream got 'nother set of doors for big fat chasis."
They ended up smashing their way through the front glass to enter the lobby. The interior of the building was tall and wide enough to fit them all in, even Jetfire. The group began to make their way through the restructured mass of buildings.
Rattrap scanned the energy flows in the hallways and found them leading to and from one area. He traced it back, and soon the group found themselves standing in front of two large doors, with the Decepticon symbol emblazoned across the surface.
"Yup, this...uh... looks like da place." Rattrap announced . He tapped the scanner on his arm and it slid back into it's place, "This seems to be were all the energon's leadin' us. Gotta be some kind'o control room, maybe ev'n the command center."
Grimlock looked doubtfully at the door. --Easy, too tooo easy. Starscream weird, not stupid.-- "Power up combat modules , then. We go in ready for trap. Bumblebee, the door."
The yellow armored humanoid began to tap away on a control pad that accessed the door. As the group prepared, no one noticed that Rattrap had left the hallway.
--Man, oh man! How come you doin' dis ol buddy.-- Rattrap thought as he scampered through the remnants of an old air duct. His scanners could show him how to find a back entrance to that command room. Maybe he could get the drop on whoever was in there. --Or, maybe 'I' could get dropped.--
He made it in a matter of segments, and his scanners picked up something directly below him, just outside of the room...
The doorway slid open to reveal a darkened control room. In the center stood a raised dais on which there sat a large throne-like chair. On it sat Starscream.
"Hold it Scumscreech." Bellowed Grimlock as the purple armored humanoid raised his cannon at the seated form.
No reaction.
The party entered the room, flanking out to cover all the dark corners.
Still no reaction.
Grimlock walked up the dais to the throne.
He touched Starscream, and the deactivated carcass fell to the floor.
Rattrap looked down through the vent grate below him. He could see a doorway, leading into the control room, and behind it a darkened corridor. In the corridor's darkness sat the six the Predacons from earlier. Scorpinok had rejoined his comrades as well.
--Oh slag. Better Maximize!-- He could barely change in this confined space, but he did so, and then pulled a squeeze box detonator from his demolitions pack. --Here goes nothin'!--
He pushed the grate out and tossed the detonator to the floor, moving away as fast as he could.
The Autobots and the Maximals all saw the body hit the floor, and they didn't even pause in their reactions. They crouched down with backs to the nearest walls, waiting for all the inferno to break loose. Just as they were positioning, a blast shook the room. One of the two doorways
on the far side of the command room opened, and the Predacons came pouring out, firing weapons. They were all smoking and charred a bit.
There were now six of them, with Scorpinok missing, but none of the
defenders had time to notice that at the moment.
Rattrap looked back and jumped down as the Predacons left the hallway. --Heh, thought I left didn't ya!-- Two sharp snaps behind him was all the warning he needed to duck. Scorpinok's missile sped past him and smashed into the far wall, sending scrap metal flying in a cloud of shrapnel.
Rattrap pulled his own weapon and laced into Scorpinok, who quickly fell.
A large hole in his chest marked the spot where the bomb had just detonated a few seconds earlier, --Just like the Pred's to toss a teammate down on a bomb...--
Rattrap grabbed a handful of Scorpinok's innards and began to splice wires together, "Man, oh man! No time for a permanent vacation now Scorps. I gotta find your little bee buddy, or else we'ze all stuck here!"
The battle in the command room was going well for the Maximals and the Autobots. They outnumbered and outgunned the Predacons, easily.
Then the other door opened.
First, out walked the massive purple form of Roadblock's humanoid pretender shell. Then, the Maximals watched in horror as two, newly flesh covered transformers moved out of the doors. First a purple armored bug, with large pinchers snapping threateningly at the combatants. Then out floated a blue, flesh covered animal, a huge manta ray.
"MANTA RAY, TERRORIZE!!"
"BEETLE, TERRORIZE!!"
The two immense monstrosities reverted into huge robotic forms, standing as tall as Roadblock or any of the other Cybertronians.
Then, a thunderous noise caused a complete halt to the entire battle.
A earthshaking plodding and a deep slithering announced the arrival of the third Cybertronian. An alligator, that was twice as long as Grimlock was tall, dragged it's tremendous bulk into the room with frightening ease.
"Megatron, terrorize." came the quiet and calm voice command.
The alligator changed form. The head became the robot's chest. The tail swung over the head like a scorpion's stinger, and converted into a cannon. Two blood red eyes glared over the battle that was frozen in awe as a toothy smile showed glistening white fangs.
Then he struck.
His tail ripped into Grimlock, throwing the huge Autobot back in a shower of sparks.
The battle rejoined.
Now, things were going badly for the Maximals.
"So, awful Clawful, whose been screwin' wit yo brain module? Rattrap muttered as he worked on Scorpinok's memory circuits. "You ain't got a scrap'o free will left to speak of. Not that it would make much diff' witch you! But hey, maybe you could be a bit of help... All we gotta do is make you MY obedient little servant... liiiiike so!" A shower of sparks flew off of the control circuits as he worked, "Now, to get you up an' runnin' real quick like. Of all the times for you to actually have the slag beat out of ya!"
Grimlock was down.
So was Jetfire.
Bumblebee and Jazz had their hands full with Roadblock.
Snapper was fighting Razorbeast.
Buzzsaw and Insecticon had both fallen.
Wolfang was taking on Waspinator, and Polar Claw was fighting Inferno.
Cheetor and Dinobot were desperately trying to fight Manta Ray and Beetle.
Onyx Primal stood beside Megatron, watching the fight.
Rattrap walked silently back in with his new zombie. "Here's for tha cause!" He let loose with a round of shots into Onyx Primal before the latter noticed his presence.
Onyx Primal was unimpressed. He turned to shoot at the rat, but Scorpinok hit him squarely in the face with one of his megamissiles. The black transformer hit the ground, smoking.
That gave Rattrap the break to fill Polar Claw in REAL quickly, "The way I see in, an ' I don't believe dis' is comin' from me, we leave here and these Autobots are yesterday's slagpile. An' it's cuz these Decepticon's got holda Scorpy here and figured out some of our
technology!"
"Agreed, but what do you think we can do about it?"
"Let's recreate the matrix. If Grims over there had it, well... He'd stand a chance of patching this world back together."
"But we need TEN bot's. Even with Scorpinok, that only makes seven!" He let loose with a volley of missiles to hold Inferno down.
"Yeah, but you forget, Scorp's is Megatron's second in command. He had the command codes for the other Pred's!"
"Onyx Primal, Insecticon, and Buzzsaw!"
"Exactly, " Rattrap paused to shoot at Snapper, who had wandered too close, "They're unconscious, no chance of them overriding our commands!"
"Maximals!" Polar Claw shouted into his comm link, "You reading all this!? Any objections?"
All the Maximals quickly radioed their approvals.
"I'll do it only if we absolutely HAVE to."
About that time, Jazz and Bumblebee both fell to Roadblock, who was now in his golden robot form, and even then he was badly damaged.
Scorpinok was missing an arm, and Beetle was about to rip off another one.
Razorbeast could barely move, as his legs were little more than smoking char from the lightning quick attacks that Snapper was delivering.
All the other Maximals were either badly damaged, or hovering on the brink of unconsciousness.
"WHAT MORE DO YA WANT! We're gettin' eaten' up in here!!"
"Ok, here goes..." Polar Claw stood up and opened a channel to the entire room.
"Code seventy two, K I L Alpha Tri Mega, command name, Polar Claw."
And the world seemed to shatter into a million pieces.