Author's Notes: I've given you my own Sonic universe, I've given you my own Batman universe. Now I have given you my own Transformers universe with this new fanfic!
For details about this universe and what to expect, please visit my DeviantArt account for a four-part essay detailing what my version of the Transformers will be like and which characters we'll be seeing: gallery/64197522/Cybertron-8643-My-Transformers-Universe
There will be differences to other continuities and I hope you'll like them and what I have in store for this series. Oh and this'll be a pretty dark fanfic too so don't expect it to be like your usual Transformers. Think of it, tone wise, as Transformers Prime…only darker. And there won't be any humans in this story either, this fanfic is to be placed SQUARELY on Cybertron. We will not be visiting Earth at all in this series. So Transformers fans sit back, relax and enjoy as we begin Transformers…The Cybertron Wars!
Prologue
Kaon City. Once a proud city that was an example of Cybertron's gleaming architecture and cybernetic atmosphere. Once a huge example of an industrial place and the heart of Cybertron's city network. Nowadays, Kaon had a more fearsome reputation. Nobody would ever think highly of this city now it had become a symbol of oppression. A symbol for war…
The lone Autobot that was approaching the city was aware of this already. She knew what Kaon City stood for now. It was the capital city of the arch-enemies of her faction, the ones who had started this war and carried it on to its second decade. Kaon City was now the capital city of the Decepticon faction. The Autobot could see its evil symbol glaring out at her from the huge tower that stretched up from the centre of the city. The symbol itself seemed to drip with evil thanks to its four-pointed head and evil, triangular eyes. Legend said that this symbol was based upon the features of one of the Thirteen Primes, known to the Autobots as "The Fallen". He had become the first Decepticon and the Autobot could easily see some resemblance to the fallen Prime in the symbol. She hated seeing that symbol and hoped that sometime soon, they would tear it down and never have to hang it up again.
The fem-bot leapt over a huge bump in the road as she continued approaching Kaon. As she moved, a soft whirring sound emitted from her hover pads. This wasn't her normal form, but it was an example of just how highly-advanced her race was. The people of Cybertron, known as Cybertronians, had a very special gift. They were gifted with the ability to shape-shift. The fem-bot was in her alternate, or "vehicle mode", right now. In this form, she was a dark purple hover-cycle with pink linings around the hover pads and windshield. Of all Cybertronians who could transform into hover-cycles, this one was the fastest. Her speed would be crucial to her mission and she knew it. This was Decepticon territory and she'd need to make a quick getaway if necessary.
The hover-cycle pressed forward, the city of Kaon growing bigger and bigger the closer she came. She weaved around a huge hole in the road to avoid falling down it and sped up towards a piece of metal that was sticking up from the road. It was like riding up a ramp and the fem-bot felt a wave of exhilaration as she briefly became airborne. She came down quickly but never touched the road thanks to her hover pads. She turned off to one side and drove towards a more shadowy area around the city. She was hoping the shadows would make her harder for any Decepticons on duty to spot. No missiles or lasers came her way so far. Now then, where was that sewer hole she'd been directed to? The Autobot kept on driving, keeping a look out for the specified area she had set out to find. Her intel had found her a way into the city and she was hoping to find it quick. Being out here with Decepticons just ahead was risky as any one of them could shoot before she knew it.
The fem-bot let out a gasp and quickly rushed behind a chunk of debris that had fallen from a spaceship a while back. She had spotted the Decepticon's flagship vessel, The Nemesis, flying over the city and was now praying to Primus she hadn't been spotted. The Nemesis was a colossal, metallic beast of a vessel with a lot of pointy fins, wings and powerful jet engines that allowed it to travel far and fast without any problems. The front of it seemed to have eyes too, giving anybody who saw the ship the eerie implication it was "watching" them from above. The Autobot waited to see if The Nemesis would leave. A few minutes passed before the ship turned around to watch over another section of the city. Sighing with relief, the hover-cycle started up again and sped off.
Her windshield blipped as the crosshairs of her scanners homed in ahead of her and circled a section of the road with the words "Target Found" flashing in front of her. She had found the way in! The alien machine stopped just in front of a huge grate with the Decepticon logo printed in the centre and quickly transformed so she could open it up. The process was like a scientific magic trick. One minute she was a hover-cycle, the next she was now a tall, slender robot with a humanoid appearance and a feminine figure. Parts shifted and folded all around her as she took form. The fem-bot had a design that radiated agility and speed, but also beauty and grace. Her blue optical sensors ran over the grate she had been instructed to find and she grabbed a hold of it, pulling with all her might. A bit of worry flickered in her spark as she did this. What if some alarm went off once the sewer was open? She pulled the grate open but nothing happened. Maybe it was time those Decepticons upped their security!
The fem-bot quietly slipped into the sewer, closing the hole up behind her by letting the grate quietly close. She splashed down into a shallow pool of scummy water that swept through the tunnel. Why were sewers always dirty, smelly places? Was there ever such thing as a clean sewer? Ignoring the stench, the fem-bot placed a finger to the comlink in her audio receptor.
"Beachcomber? This is Autobot Leader Arcee. I'm in the sewage tunnel that you found and gave me the coordinates to. Over." she said.
Her intel was meant to reply to let her know that everything was going according to plan. But Arcee was met with only the tell-tale sound of static. She tried again.
"Beachcomber, its Arcee! Please respond! Over."
Still no reply. What on Cybertron could have happened to that Autobot? Arcee began to feel the first stirrings of worry well up in her pistons. Could it be…?
"Scrap…I hope you're still alive by the time I get to you Beach." the fem-bot said grimly.
She walked on into the tunnels. She didn't dare transform in case the sound of her transforming and the whirring of her vehicle mode drew attention to her. Arcee would just have to make the journey on foot. She thought back to what had drawn her here. Beachcomber had been on a scouting mission and found a way into the Decepticon base. He had marked it to Arcee and requested her to come in and join him in this espionage mission. The Autobots were concerned on what the Decepticons were up to next and Arcee wanted to be the first to find out their plans. It was her duty as Autobot leader to find out whatever the Cons are up to. She roamed through the tunnels for a few minutes before coming to a few streaks of light shining through a barred grate up above. Arcee approached it and looked up. She could just make out a wall, showing she was inside the building. Would she open the grate and walk into a hall of Decepticons?
Arcee grabbed hold of the grate and eased it open slightly. The hall was empty, the only sign of any life being that of a worker drone walking around the corner and heading down another corridor. Arcee climbed out of the sewer tunnel and into the hall. She was in! Now where to find the Decepticon leader? She began to slowly traipse through the hall, making sure nobody could see her. Still no Decepticons coming so far. Arcee swept her optics around the hall, looking for any signs that the bot in charge of the cons was around. She came across a door and was curious to see where it went. Unfortunately, it required a handprint to open it and Arcee knew for a fact it would register her. Only Decepticons would get through THIS door. She could hear footsteps and frantically searched for a place to hide. She saw a hatch in the ceiling and opened it up quickly. She just managed to pull herself up and swing the hatch shut before a worker drone walked by and approached the door. Luckily for her, it was going to enter this room. It pressed its hand against the scanner pad and waited for a moment as a purple light swept over its hand. It recognized the Decepticon signature and the door opened, allowing the drone in. Seizing her chance, Arcee opened up the hatch and jumped down, rolling forward through the door before it could close.
She was in another corridor, but she could see that there was a huge door with a Decepticon logo perched above it. The drone was heading to that door. Maybe something important was behind it! Arcee crept up to the drone as it opened up the door, watching the two halves separate and slide away to let the drone in. She tried not to look at the Decepticon logo just above. Arcee hated seeing that symbol everywhere. She always had the sinister feeling that it was somehow watching her, that the Cons could see her every move through that symbol. She slipped inside and crouched down, making herself look as scarce as possible. She saw a table nearby and quickly crawled under it. With any luck, nobody would see her under the table.
Arcee balked at the scene that lay before her from under the table. She was in a huge laboratory that had massive tables all lined with various cybernetic equipment and machinery all over. The walls had moving purple lights that slowly swept up from the floor to the ceiling, making the lab seem almost organic, as if it was alive in some way. And the lab wasn't empty. Arcee saw the one Con she had expected to see in a place like this. She could feel the floor shudder as giant footsteps pounded down with every step taken. She glanced up to see a giant purple Cybertronian with twin antenna standing up on either side of his head, a single circular red optical lens and a massive cannon in place of one arm. This was the Decepticon leader himself…Shockwave. Taking over from the late Megatron, Shockwave was the Con who was carrying out all Decepticon operations and the Con Arcee hated more than any other. Just looking at him made her feel sick. Anyone who actually supported Megatron and wanted to rule in his stead was deserving of being scrapped to her.
She resisted the urge to attack Shockwave right now and waited, listening in as he approached the drone that had entered the lab.
"You brought the specified materials I asked for?" Shockwave asked.
He had a deep voice and spoke in complete monotone, sounding emotionless and more like a stereotypical robot that any other Cybertronian out there. If anybody could speak and somehow sound lifeless, it was Shockwave.
"Everything you asked for master." the drone said, handing over a crate containing various chemicals.
Shockwave took the crate, effortlessly holding it aloft in in his one hand as if it weighed nothing. He placed the crate down on a table and opened it up to scan its contents. The drone had brought in everything he had asked for. Satisfied, Shockwave began to unpack.
"Good work." he muttered, "With these chemicals to add to the formula, we shall develop the biological weapon that Megatron had planned to create all these years ago. With it, we shall wipe out the Autobots."
"Would you say the Biological Warfare Programme will be a success if this plague works?" the drone asked.
"Affirmative." Shockwave replied, "Megatron's death only delayed the programme's work. Now I shall see it to its fruition. The plague will be our key to the Autobot's destruction. It is only logical to use a weapon that'll be unexpected and can kill millions in one fell swoop than to keep relying on senseless firepower."
"And you're gonna make a cure for that right?" the drone asked, "I mean, what if we caught it by accident?"
"Your statement is logical. And that is why Megatron also had that contingency." Shockwave agreed, "Once testing is successful, I shall develop a cure to counteract the plague. It would be foolish of us to create a virus without a cure."
He picked up a jar of some kind of luminous, pulsating liquid.
"You can leave now." the purple Con ordered.
The drone obeyed and left the room, leaving his master to work in peace. Arcee had to take a moment to let her computerized brain absorb everything she'd heard. A plague? Bringing back the Biological Warfare Programme? An idea from Megatron himself?! The Autobot knew that she couldn't let this hideous experiment continue. Whatever this "plague" was, it was going to destroy the Autobots and she wasn't going to let that happen! But what to do? She could always hope Shockwave was going to leave the lab and then destroy his work. But how long should she wait? Could she even wait for long? What about Beachcomber? He could still be in trouble! The she-bot made her decision. She could destroy the plague later. Beachcomber's life mattered more. Arcee would warn the Autobots about it when she returned. The Bot leader quietly slipped out from under the table…and screamed as she was suddenly seized and hauled up onto her feet by some unexpected thing.
"Ooooh hoo, hoo, hoo! What do we have here? A juicy little fem-bot for me to scrap!"
Arcee cringed, recognizing the horrible, slithering voice of Carbide. Carbide was the Decepticon's chief interrogator, and known to be highly sadistic, imploring torturous killings and finding ways to make her victims suffer. Of all Decepticons to capture her, why her?! Carbide was female like Arcee, only more evil looking that beautiful with her spiked shoulders, bladed arms, bladed kneepads and wicked smile. She had a bar spinner on one arm that could slice through anything and she was clearly itching to use it. The devious Decepticon cackled, baring her claws.
"Well, well, well…thought you could snoop in here did you?" she sneered, "You should know better than to think that you can infiltrate Shockwave's lair and escape with your life!"
Arcee struggled in the interrogator's grasp, trying to break free. She gasped in horror as Shockwave suddenly approached, having been interrupted from his work by Carbide's catch. His optic seemed to flash with what looked like anger, though Arcee couldn't tell. He was not at all happy to see her, even if he made his emotions hard to read.
"You have only seconds to explain yourself Arcee, before I end up vaporizing you where you stand." the Decepticon muttered, his tone flat but somehow still sounding menacing.
Arcee had no choice but to speak. If she could stall for time, she might just find a way out of this!
"I broke into this place to find my friend, Beachcomber." Arcee explained, "He had found a way in, and directed me to it."
For some reason, mentioning Beachcomber's name seemed to make Carbide break out into fits of hysterical laughter. There was no humour in her laugh though, only cruel delight and pleasure.
"Beachcomber?! You mean that puny little scout I just scrapped seconds ago?!" Carbide screeched, "Ha, ha, ha! You should've seen the look on his face when I threw him into my torture chamber and watched as the Scraplets devoured him alive! My assistants are still cleaning up his parts now!"
Arcee's spark sank. It was just as she'd feared. Beachcomber had been captured and killed. Another Autobot victim of the Decepticon faction. Her eyes closed as she allowed herself a moment to grieve for her fallen comrade. His cheerful attitude would be deeply missed. Shockwave glowered at Arcee, his singular optic focused squarely on her.
"You were foolish to come here alone Arcee. Most illogical. And now you're going to join Beachcomber in death." Shockwave said stoically, "Carbide, you may take her away to do with as you please."
"Oh thank you so much Shockwave!" Carbide cried excitedly, "Ha, ha, ha! What a pleasure this'll be, getting to kill the Autobot leader herself! I do hope she screams good and loud when I bring out my equipment!"
"You don't need to torture me Carbide." Arcee spat, "Just listening to you talk is torture enough."
Carbide ignored her prisoner and hauled her out of the lab, leaving Shockwave to continue working. But just at the last minute, Arcee managed to deploy one of her arm-cannons, take aim and fire at Shockwave's worktable. The single shot slammed straight into the table, destroying much of the contents on it and spilling chemicals everywhere. Shockwave leapt back in alarm and turned, clenching his one fist in rage. Arcee smirked. It always felt good to see the one-eyed freak mad. Carbide growled angrily, throwing Arcee down onto the floor and pinning her with her foot. She pressed down hard on her back to keep her from moving.
"You bitch! Whatever Shockwave was working on, you've gone and ruined now! I'm gonna rip you apart right here, right now and donate every piece of you back to the Autobots!" she snarled.
"Leave some of her for me to use." Shockwave ordered, "It would be a great disservice to this heathen if I was to use any part of her in my experiments. And given she destroyed what would've been my plague…I would be happy to watch her die Carbide."
"Then allow me to give you the great pleasure of watching this scrapheap die at my blade!" the interrogator cackled.
She started up her bar spinner, the sharp weapon spinning up to about 5000RPM within two seconds. Arcee grimaced as a haunting, high-pitched hum emitted from the blade. If death could be heard, it would sound like that blade. Carbide began to bring it down towards Arcee's back, intending to cut her to pieces while the Autobot was still conscious. How long would she last before her spark gave out on her? But as the blade came near, Arcee turned her head and smirked at the Cons.
"Before you scrap me, just one question." she said coolly, "Did you two REALLY think for one minute that I would've come here alone?"
Carbide stopped spinning her blade and looked at Shockwave, who looked back at her in puzzlement. Arcee had raised a good point, how did they allow themselves to be stupid enough to think she would come here alone?! Too late, they had realized, they had been tricked! The room suddenly lurched and the two Cons found themselves stumbling to one side and crashing into the wall. There was the sound of a loud explosion outside that followed what had happened. The base was under attack! It sounded like somebody was launching missiles of some kind at the base. Shockwave understood what Arcee had done. She had set up an ambush in the event of her capture so she could escape! He glared at the fem-bot, who picked herself up as if nothing was happening.
"Most logical of you to have a contingency plan." he stated, his tone matter-of-fact, "But do not expect to leave this place alive."
He aimed his cannon arm at the Cybertronian and fired a single shot powerful enough to blow her entire head off. Arcee just had time to dodge, crying out as the sizzling plasma blast hurled right over her. It hit the wall, blowing a chunk out of it as if it was merely plaster. Arcee drew out a pair of katanas she had stored in pouches on her thighs and ran towards Shockwave, roaring viciously as she scythed towards him. Carbide was the one she ended up hitting however as the she-Con shielded Shockwave from the blow. Arcee's katanas raked across Carbide's arms but did no damage. All they did was create sparks. Arcee sliced again with her katana, nicking Carbide across the cheek. The Decepticon just sneered as if it didn't hurt and she swiped back with her clawed hands. Arcee clashed with Carbide and kicked her in the stomach. The Decepticon retaliated by throwing an uppercut into the Autobot's chin. Arcee's head snapped backwards and she almost toppled over. She recovered and slashed at Carbide with her katanas again. Carbide held up the arm with the bar spinner, a mighty clanging sound ringing through the room as the two fem-bot's weapons hit.
Carbide then spun up her spinner, the sinister hum filling Arcee's audio receptors once more as it quickly picked up speed. Arcee swiped with her katana, showers of sparks leaping up into the air as the spinning blade and her swords hit. She knew she couldn't do this too much or Carbide would simply snap her blades in half. She leapt back as her opponent tried to cut her up, but wasn't quite fast enough and received a large slash across the abdomen plating from the sadistic fem-bot. Arcee grimaced, but held her pain enough to dodge another attack from Carbide. Arcee leapt into the air, spun around and roundhouse kicked Carbide in the face. The fem-Con grunted from the impact, trying to ignore the pain enough to prepare for another attack. She didn't quite recover fast enough as Arcee suddenly lunged forward with her katana and impaled her through both shoulders. Carbide cried out but her pain quickly turned to laughter as she cackled mockingly.
"You think you can harm me?" she sneered, "I'm the Mistress of Torture! I'm resilient to most forms of pain!"
"Then maybe I can find a form of pain that even you will think is too much." Arcee scoffed.
She then raised one of her legs and kicked Carbide in the stomach, sending her tumbling backwards. She didn't quite go down and Arcee decided to make sure that she finally did. She ran towards her opponent, intending to knock her down onto the floor. But as she swung around in another roundhouse kick, Carbide lashed out at the same time with her bar spinner. Arcee howled in agony as the destructive weapon ripped her entire foot off. It had been quick and effortless as if she was made of paper and not metal. Arcee collapsed, groaning with anguish as she clutched the stump where her foot had once been. Laughing with glee, Carbide sliced Arcee across the shoulder, nearly ripping her entire arm off. The Autobot leader screamed again, making Carbide cackle all the more.
"Oooooh how I LOVE the sound of your screams!" the torture master crooned, "I wonder how much longer you'll be screaming for when I put you of your misery!"
She raised her arm and lunged forward, the bar-spinner aimed at Arcee's head. She missed her target by millimeters as the fem-bot rolled to one side to dodge her attack. She picked herself up and plunged one of her katanas into Carbide's shoulder once again. This time, Arcee kept the sword in and held on tight. The furious Decepticon began to writhe around, trying to shake Arcee off. She swung her bar spinner towards the Autobot leader but Arcee caught her wrist and held her arm away, just feeling the air brush over her fingers as the weapon continued to spin. The two females struggled with each other, both pushing down and holding on to keep one another from attacking. Shockwave could see that his comrade needed help and took aim, hoping to hit Arcee. Unfortunately for him, that was what Arcee had expected him to do. Smirking, she quickly let go of Carbide and fell to the floor literally a millisecond after Shockwave fired his cannon. The plasma blast hit Carbide squarely in the shoulder, blowing her entire arm off. The interrogator howled. She clutched her empty arm-socket, screaming in anguish. This was the most pain she had felt in a long, LONG time. Shockwave didn't seem that concerned for her. He ignored the screaming Carbide and took aim at Arcee again.
The Autobot leader leapt to one side, avoiding another blast and watching a section of the floor was kicked up upon impact. She picked up the floor panel and threw it at the Decepticon like a frisbee. Shockwave was expecting the move and simply reached up with his one hand and caught the panel. He then proceeded to throw it back at Arcee. Unfortunately for her, Shockwave was stronger and thus, could throw harder than she could, meaning she had less time to dodge than her opponent would have. The panel hit Arcee, denting her head and knocking her down onto her back. Arcee winced and clutched her head where she had been stricken. Shockwave strolled up to her, not even in a hurry to finish her off. He seemed cool and collected, as if this was a walk in the park for him than an actual fight. He picked Arcee up by the leg and hauled her up off the floor as if she was a feather. He then swung her down, slamming her hard into the floor. Arcee cried out and then Shockwave threw her across the corridor, sending her crashing and spinning off the floor several times before coming to a stop just by the door she had come through. The Autobot grunted, straining as she tried to pick herself up. Her pistons pumped but she couldn't find the strength to stand. She had suffered too much damage.
Her optics widened as her worst nightmare approached, his footsteps like thunder. Shockwave advanced on his target, his singular optic bearing into her. Arcee just glared back at him, showing defiance. Not even close to death would she show fear to this evil Cybertronian!
"An admirable effort. But you are no Optimus Prime." Shockwave muttered, "If you hadn't destroyed my work, I would've happily kept you as a test subject to use my plague on. As is...the most logical course of action would be to finish you off now."
He aimed his arm cannon, preparing to fire the final shot that would kill Arcee and end her career as Autobot leader. The Autobot had just one last hope that she could survive. If she could shoot him in the eye before he could execute her, she might just be able to leave alive. But luckily for her, the cavalry had arrived. Shockwave found himself thrown off his feet as a huge mace suddenly swung right into him, walloping him hard and sending him flying. The attacker was a huge, green robot who looked like he was wearing a military helmet and had a portly figure. For a Cybertronian, this type of figure radiated power and strength rather than a lack of fitness. He wasn't alone though. Another Autobot was with him. This one was silver in colour with red linings and seemed to have wheels in place of actual feet. He also had a pair of blades attached to his arms but also carried twin pistols if he needed them. Arcee grinned with pleasure, recognizing the two.
"Good timing Bulkhead and Sideswipe. Shockwave was about to bore me to death with his logic." she said dryly.
"Looked like he was gonna do worse than that leader." Sideswipe, the silver wheel-footed bot, sneered.
"Everybody's out there shooting at this base!" Bulkhead, the bulky bot with the mace, informed, "Just as you planned Arcee, we've grabbed enough of the Decepticon's attention so we could sneak in and get you out!"
"And lucky too." Sideswipe muttered, glancing over at the one-armed Carbide as she still lay on the floor in pain.
"I've got the intel I need. Let's get back to base before we lose anyone else." Arcee ordered.
"What about Beachcomber?" Bulkhead asked.
"He's dead. Carbide got him." Arcee said grimly, "Let's not have his death be in vain by joining him."
Sideswipe and Bulkhead understood. It was better to lose one comrade than several. Beachcomber's death was unfortunate, but they could at least honour his passing by escaping with their lives. Bulkhead picked Arcee up and carried her off with Sideswipe whipping out his pistols and shooting at Carbide and Shockwave to make sure none of them tried to follow. Carbide stayed down so she wouldn't get hit while Shockwave shot back, forcing the wheel-footed bot to use evasive tactics to avoid being hit. Once he was sure that Bulkhead and Arcee were far enough away, he turned and sped off after them, his wheel feet allowing him to move quicker than any Cybertronian could possibly move. Shockwave began to run after him, moving surprisingly fast for a Con his size. He continued to shoot at Sideswipe, determined not to let any Autobot escape alive. He watched with annoyance as the speedy Autobot disappeared down the grate that he and Bulkhead had broken into the base through. He peered down into the sewage tunnels, now understanding how Arcee had gotten into this place earlier. He would make sure no Autobot would get in this way again. For now, making sure Arcee didn't escape with his secrets to spill was his top priority. He activated his comlink.
"Soundwave. We have escaping Autobots. Their leader, Arcee, has found out about the cybonic plague we're creating. She must not be allowed to get away. Kill her before the Autobots bridge back to base."
Outside, the Decepticon base was bombarded by yet another volley of missiles. The Autobots weren't as heavily armed as their Decepticon enemies, but they could still pack a punch if needed. And it was precisely this kind of ambush as to why Arcee had set up the Autobots with the most powerful weapons to shoot at it. They wouldn't quite bring the base down, but it would still give the Decepticons something to worry about instead of them for a while. This squadron consisted of Autobots named Ultra Magnus, Ironhide, Warpath, Wheeljack, Jetfire and a flying team of Autobots known as the Aerialbots. They were all carrying missile launchers or firing torpedoes at the base, weapons definitely guaranteed to cause a lot of damage. The Decepticons had reacted immediately, shooting back at the Autobots ambushing their territory but the team had taken up strategic positions and were using a lot of hiding places so the Cons had a hard time even pinpointing where anybody was. The Aerialbots and Jetfire were also in vehicle mode and flying around constantly, never staying still long enough for them to be shot at. They fired missiles at the ground, forcing the Decepticons below to dive for cover and thus, lowering the amount of weapons trained on the ground troops. To try and counter attack, the Decepticons launched an air strike of their own to try and keep the flying Autobots busy. As of now, the sky was full of flying machines and firing missiles as the Decepticon Seeker team fought against Jetfire and the Aerialbots.
Ironhide could see this from down below and aimed his missile launcher at one of the Seekers. He fired, the missile screaming out of its socket and homing in on its prey. It was not an ordinary missile, but a heatseeker. The targeted Seeker would have to fly smart and fast to avoid being hit. The Seeker realized there was a heatseeker missile approaching and quickly banked to one side, abandoning his target. The missile followed as if attracted to the flying Decepticon. Ironhide smirked, pleased to see how well this missile was working. He watched as the Seeker failed to outrun the missile and was blown apart as it caught up to him. It hadn't been anybody important, but it still lowered the opposition at least.
"How lucky for us these heatseekers work like a charm!" he barked, speaking in a heavy, Southern accent.
"It's fortuitous for us that I finally managed to create an invention that works." the one known as Wheeljack said, sounding pleased with himself.
"My missile launchers plus your heatseekers make for one hell of a Con-wrecking crew Jacky!" Ironhide cried enthusiastically, firing another missile.
"I just hope Bulkhead and Sideswipe have managed to rescue our leader." Wheeljack said grimly.
Just as he said that, the Autobot known as Warpath turned his head and pointed excitedly.
"Hey look, look! Here they come!" he hollered, "They're coming right to us!"
Ironhide and Wheeljack turned to see where Warpath was looking and both their faces lit up to see that indeed, Arcee, Bulkhead and Sideswipe were zooming towards them. All three were in vehicle mode. Sideswipe's car mode was of Cybertronian design with smooth curves, sleek lines and a flat appearance, making him look fast and sporty. Bulkhead's alternate form was a Cybertronian vehicle resembling a 4X4 vehicle. Both Bots had wheels but they were folded down so they could hover. The surface around them wasn't smooth enough for them to use their wheels. All three were coming in fast, keen to flee as quickly as possible. The leader of the squadron, the mighty Ultra Magnus, saw the approaching Autobots and turned to Ironhide.
"They have retrieved our leader. Once they reach us, we'll fall back and bridge back to base." he said, his tone formal and brisk, "No need to hang around any longer than we have to."
"Aw, don't we? I'm having fun here!" Warpath cried, "KAPOW!" he bellowed as he fired his trademark chest cannon at another Decepticon that was shooting back at him.
"You'll follow my orders without protest soldier!" Ultra Magnus barked irritably.
"Whatever old timer, but I better be on the front-lines for the next fight we have!" Warpath retorted, firing his cannon again with a shout of "BLAM!" It was something he did a lot of for some reason, shouting words like "Kapow" or "Blam" when fighting.
The elderly Autobot didn't even bother to reply. Arguing with Warpath could be like trying to stop a grenade from exploding at times. His optics widened as he saw something soaring towards them. He quickly gestured for the others to get down as a volley of laser fire began kicking up the dirt around them. There was a Decepticon coming towards them and this one was in vehicle mode. It looked like a spy drone, but this one somehow managed to look more sinister than the real thing. The Autobots felt their sparks sink in despair for they recognized this Decepticon. They watched as it banked to the left and flew towards Arcee, Bulkhead and Sideswipe. It began to fire at them, forcing the three Bots to separate. The moment Arcee turned away, the Decepticon turned in her direction and dive-bombed towards her. Arcee cursed and turned quickly to try and shake off the approaching Con. But the flying machine was a manoeuvrable one and wasn't shaken off so easy. It then fired another shot, hitting the ground just behind Arcee and sending her hurling into the air. She hit the ground, transforming back to robot mode, and grunted from the impact. The Decepticon transformed and landed behind her.
Arcee turned to see one of the scariest Decepticons ever standing before her. This one was slender, but in a way that made it look sharp and like it could cut you open just by looking at it. It had no face, just a visor with no features whatsoever. Much like The Fallen, its face resembled a Decepticon logo in some way, carrying the same four points on its head as the symbol itself. It also had a chest plate that looked removable. Arcee growled angrily, aiming her arm cannon at the Decepticon.
"Soundwave." she said coldly, "Trust Shockwave to send you after me. I'm giving you one chance to just walk away and spare yourself any damage."
Soundwave didn't seem to be willing to comply with the offer. He instead lashed forward and back-handed Arcee across the face. Soundwave moved at surprising speed, being still one minute and a blur the next. He had stricken Arcee so hard and so fast that she barely had time to register what had even happened. Sideswipe charged in angrily, both blades deployed and ready to slice up the Decepticon. That was a mistake. Soundwave saw him coming and deployed a tentacle from his chest. The long reaching tendril reached out and grabbed hold of the speedy Autobot, stopping him dead in his tracks and lifting him off the ground. Sideswipe cried out in surprise and yelled as he was swung down straight on top of a fast approaching Bulkhead. Both Autobots lay sprawled on the ground, groaning. The attack had hurt Sideswipe more than Bulkhead though given how solid the Autobot was. The heavyweight Cybertronian climbed back to his feet and deployed his mace hands, eager to smash Soundwave into the ground. He lumbered forward, making the ground shudder with every footstep he took. Soundwave didn't even look intimidated by his opponent. He just lashed out with his tentacle again and planted it squarely in the centre of Bulkhead's chest. The Autobot didn't even have time to register what had happened as he was brutally electrocuted into unconsciousness by the Decepticon spy.
Arcee managed to pick herself up and pounced on Soundwave, katanas in hand in aimed for a stab in the back. She had timed her attack well and Soundwave didn't seem aware that he had an opponent heading his way. Arcee touched down, plunging the katanas straight into...empty ground. Arcee was so shocked at the impossibility of the fact that she had missed that she didn't even have the time to dodge as Soundwave karate-chopped her in the face. The Decepticon spy was far more alert than anybody could possibly estimate and had heard Arcee approaching, even if she hadn't made much of a sound. Arcee sprawled on the ground, wincing in pain. Soundwave advanced on her, one of his hands forming into a blade. The Autobot leader turned to see her opponent poising himself, ready for a stab. Reacting quickly, she deployed her arm cannons and began blasting Soundwave in the torso. The shots didn't seem to faze the Decepticon, though they made him back away a little. Sideswipe then zoomed up behind the communications expert and sliced him across the back with one of his swords. Soundwave visibly flinched, though it seemed more a reaction to the attack than actual pain. He spun around in anger and clashed blades with Sideswipe. Sparks flew from every blow exchanged and both opponents swung their weapons at blinding speeds. To Arcee, who watched, it was like watching blurs move between the opponents with how fast they moved.
She ran over to her katanas, which were still stuck in the ground, and tugged on them so she could pull them free. Sideswipe continued to parry with Soundwave, blocking one blow with his own sword and thrusting with the other. He just managed to lightly scrape Soundwave's side as he weaved to one side. The communications expert then unleashed one of his party tricks. His chest plate suddenly detached itself from his body and struck Sideswipe, knocking him down onto his back. The chest plate unfolded, now resembling some kind of robotic bird, and began to fly around the battlefield. The chest plate was in fact, Soundwave's Mini-Con partner named Laserbeak. Laserbeak was just as much of a danger as his master was and he showed why that was as he began shooting at Sideswipe. He blocked each shot by swiping his swords but there was one shot fired that he wasn't quite fast enough to block and he cried out as he was hit in the leg. He dropped down on one knee, clutching his leg as Soundwave advanced on his opponent. He only said four words as he prepared to finish off the Autobot speedster:
"Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior."
He grabbed hold of Sideswipe's shoulder and prepared to shove his blade through the Autobot's spark. He didn't get the chance to finish him off for Arcee suddenly sprang on him from behind and plunged both katanas into his back. Soundwave flinched, but made no sound, as he was penetrated. Arcee yanked both katanas out of his back, leaving Soundwave to grimace in pain as she helped Sideswipe up on his feet.
"Come on, let's go before we get scrapped!" she ordered.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Sideswipe agreed.
Arcee turned to the other Autobots and yelled as loudly as she could.
"AUTOBOTS! RETREAT!"
The command was heard and the firing squadron stopped shooting and began to fall back, transforming into vehicle mode so they could flee faster. Jetfire could see that the team was leaving and ordered the Aerialbots to follow suit. The Decepticons continued to shoot at them and some even began to chase after them, hoping to snuff another spark before they could leave. But the Autobots were all going to escape with their lives this time as a portal of green and blue opened up ahead and the Autobots filed in through it, both ground and air. Arcee had called ahead for a GroundBridge so they could escape. Once the last Autobot had entered the portal, the GroundBridge closed, leaving the Decepticons with nothing to do but contemplate their failure in capturing or killing any Autobots. Soundwave in particular looked very annoyed to have failed his objective. How would he explain this to Shockwave...?
"The Autobots escaped, their leader included. That is...most troubling."
Shockwave had been debriefed on the whole fight with Soundwave playing back what had happened on his visor. The Decepticon spy had a habit of recording visions and sounds, acting like a living recorder machine more than a Cybertronian at times. He often preferred to communicate this way instead of actually speaking. Shockwave had taken in everything Soundwave had told him and hadn't liked it one bit. The only thing scarier than Shockwave being displeased was how he would under-react and act so eerily calm about what's happening. It made him unpredictable and his Decepticon cohorts were never fully sure what he would do next. Soundwave showed no signs of fear.
"Arcee was in my lab when I was talking about the plague. She will no doubt pass on that information and the Autobots can work on foiling my plans." the Decepticon leader murmured, "Plus she destroyed the batch I was working on, thus delaying my work. This is most distressing. The Decepticons have been hit hard this day."
"You seem awfully calm about this Shockwave! You're acting like it's no big, slagging deal!"
Shockwave wheeled around to face the bedbound Carbide, who was lying on a medical bench and being treated for her injuries and severed arm. Shockwave had retrieved the arm so he could reattach it. She was very cranky, sore over being bested by a potential victim she could have fun with and wasn't understanding why Shockwave seemed so complacent. She understood he wasn't very emotional, but surely he'd be a big angrier over this blow to the Decepticon cause?! The scientist walked up to his patient, his posture casual.
"That is because it is not, as you said, a "big, slagging deal"." he purred, "Just because the cybonic plague is going to be delayed, it doesn't mean the Autobots have won. The plague will still be a success. We just have to unleash it when they least expect it."
"So instead of using it like we planned, we wait a while and make the Autobots think we're not gonna use it and thus, catch them unawares?" Carbide thought aloud, "Ha, ha, ha...no wonder you're the replacement leader for Megatron. You were always a smart bot."
"You say "smart". I say "logical"." Shockwave said nonchalantly, "My plans and calculations always derive from the most logical course of action. And in this case, it's delaying tactics that are said logical course of action."
"I just hope I get to frag that bitch, Arcee!" Carbide snarled, clenching her one remaining hand, "I am going to make her suffer more than any Bot I've scrapped for humiliating me like this!"
"Do not worry, if we ever capture the Autobot leader again, you will be the first to have your way with her." Shockwave promised, "For now, we'll have to triple security and make sure no Autobot gets in this facility again. And in case they do, I'll make sure they never find a way to tamper with the formula for the cybonic plague."
"Got any ideas how?"
Affirmative. I'll have all data about the formula erased and its cure erased from our records. Only my brain will contain the formulas. And next time I make it, I'll concoct it in a more secluded area, one where I'll be unlikely to be found."
Carbide nodded. Those seemed like good ideas. How can the Autobots fight against a virus they can't find the info for? And if Shockwave couldn't be found then nobody could interfere with his work. The virus was going to work even with this setback! The Decepticons were far from defeated!
"Then we have nothing to fear master." she purred softly.
"Affirmative. Soundwave, see to it that all data about the cybonic plague is erased from all Decepticon databanks." the scientist ordered.
Soundwave nodded and began doing just that. He strolled over to one of the computers in the lab, started it up and began immediately working on erasing the data. The job would take a while and he'd be doing a lot of work but Soundwave wouldn't stop until his task was completed. He was a Con who did everything to the letter, no matter how taxing. As he worked, Shockwave strode over to Carbide's right side so he could work on reattaching her arm. He picked up a welding tool as a hydraulic arm holding Carbide's arm positioned it in the correct place so it could be fixed back on.
"Do you wish to be sedated while I operate?" the purple Con asked.
"Fie! I refuse to show weakness to anyone!" Carbide retorted, "I'll happily remain conscious while you reattach my arm."
"How silly of me to ask. You're not one to be afraid of pain, as I should know by now." Shockwave sighed, wondering why he has bothered asking.
He activated the tool, a small tongue of blue flame extending out of the pipe as he prepared to weld the arm back in its right place...
Meanwhile, at the Autobot base, Arcee was getting some medical treatment of her own. Once the Autobot team had warped back to their base in the city of Iacon, any Autobots in need of medical treatment had been whisked to the medical bay as fast as possible. Thankfully, there weren't many Autobots needing repairs this time around. Aside from a slashed shoulder, some scratches, dents and a missing foot from Arcee, most of the Autobots didn't have anything serious to attend to. Bulkhead had been brought back out of unconsciousness with a quick dose of Energon to revive him and Sideswipe's leg wasn't seriously damaged. As usual, it was Arcee with the most amount of injuries that needed seeing to. She found herself in the medical bay so often that the doctors had jokingly said they should name it after her. The "Arcee Medical Centre" perhaps.
The doctor seeing to Arcee was the best medic an Autobot could ask for. There was no injury he couldn't patch up, no damage he couldn't fix and no part he couldn't replace. He was known as Ratchet. Ratchet looked surprisingly powerful for a mere medic thanks to a rather bulky body and large arms. He looked more like a warrior than a doctor and yet was more likely to be seen here than on the battlefield. He was also easily recognized thanks to his trademark white and orange colours. He was also known to be cranky, but there was no sign of it here as he tended to Arcee's injuries. He was just politely interested in what had been going on.
"So what got you all banged up this time?" he asked, his comment a slight snide at how frequently Arcee ended up here.
"Carbide." Arcee spat venomously as if the very name was poison to her.
"Say no more..." Ratchet muttered as he picked up a new foot to attach to the fem-bot, "You're lucky that a missing foot is the extent of your injuries. That monster usually does much worse."
"She did do much worse." Arcee said grimly, "She snuffed Beachcomber. Said she tossed him in her chamber and let a bunch of Scraplets eat him alive. At least his intel proved useful to us so his death wasn't wasteful."
Ratchet shook his head sadly. Too many Autobots had fallen to the Decepticons in this war. How could be go on knowing that more would end up in the morgue as this senseless conflict went on?! He knelt down before Arcee to test if the replacement foot, which looked identical to her one remaining foot, would fit.
"At least. You managed to find the way into the base he found. Did you pick up anything we need to know about?" the medic asked curiously.
"Most definitely. I've told Ultra Magnus to pass it onto our troops." Arcee explained, "Shockwave's planning to create a plague. I know it sounds ludicrous since we're not biological beings but if he's creating a plague, it means it'll effect us. I destroyed a batch he was working on so hopefully, it'll delay him until we can find out more about this plague."
"The Decepticons are now working on biological warfare?!" Ratchet exclaimed incredulously, "By the AllSpark, just when we think they can't sink any lower! Is there ANYTHING they won't resort to in this war?!"
"We're talking about Decepticons Ratchet. There IS no low they'll sink to." Arcee retorted.
"True. Very true..." Ratchet agreed, "I shouldn't even be surprised at this point. So once you're all fixed up, we'll have to find a way to combat this plague, or even stop Shockwave from making it at all. If we could just..."
He was interrupted by the sound of clattering metal. The sound came so suddenly that both patient and medic looked up in alarm. There was a nurse who had just picked up a tool and had accidentally knocked over some other tools onto the floor. One of them, a frame-welding tool, had managed to break. She looked very ashamed of herself for doing so. Ratchet knew that this nurse meant well and that it was an accident but he couldn't keep himself from losing his temper. He exploded before he even thought about what he was going to say.
"Red Alert, I needed that!" he complained angrily.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so, SO sorry Ratchet!" the nurse, Red Alert, exclaimed frantically, "I didn't mean to do that! I-I-I-I'll fix that f-f-frame welder for you!"
"Very well, just PLEASE be careful in future Red!" Ratchet ranted, "I can't afford to have broken tools in this medical bay!"
"Yes Ratchet, of course Ratchet, sorry Ratchet!" Red Alert piped.
She began to scoop up the dropped tools and put them back onto the table. Once that was done, she gathered up the pieces to the broken frame-welder to put it back together. Ratchet sighed sympathetically, turning back to Arcee.
"I hope my mentoring of the nurse will make her less of a klutz in the medical bay." he said, "Red Alert has potential to be a great medic, and I encourage that in her. But sometimes she can be a bit...careless."
"Go easy on her, she means well." Arcee said softly, "She just wants to be like you."
"I know..."
Ratchet didn't have much else to say. He was beginning to feel guilty for yelling at his protegee. He would make it up to her later though, he had work to do. He positioned the new foot for Arcee and prepared to weld it back on.
"I hope this doesn't hurt too much." he said.
He activated his tool and began pressing the flame between Arcee's ankle and the new foot, sealing the gap shut between them. Arcee didn't seem to be in pain. She just lay there, taking it as the foot was reattached. Another case of needing a new body part. How many times had she needed new limbs and pieces now? She'd lost count. Arcee began to think back to the past. Not just any past though, but the far past. Back when this whole war had began. It had been a decade, maybe two decades, since the fight had begun. And a decade on Cybertron was much longer than a decade on Earth given a year on Cybertron was longer than 365 days. In Earth years, this war had been going on for almost five decades now. How long it had felt since it had began! And to think it had all started when a lowly gladiator had decided he wanted to have the power of the Primes.
Arcee closed her eyes for a moment, thinking back to the beginning. The beginning of the Cybertron Wars...
Now that's what I call an opening! :D So we have the Autobots and Decepticons at war with each other. But how did it all begin? There are different reasons per continuity but how did it begin in THIS universe?
The war's been set up, and now next time we will get a ten-part miniseries detailing how this war started, how the characters got where they are now and why Arcee and Shockwave are the leaders of their factions instead of Optimus and Megatron. Next time, we get the "Eve of War"...
Oh and if anybody out there is going to be annoying and post a review saying "Great chapter. Update Batman I Am The Night please", then don't. Every time I upload a new chapter to a story outside of that fanfic, I keep getting this annoying spammer posting the same comment over and over again. Posting that comment is NOT going to make me update Batman I Am The Night, it's just going to piss me off and make me NOT want to update it instead. I'm also going to keep deleting that comment too so why waste your time posting it? Not to mention it's annoying getting the same damn comment over and over again so whoever you are, PLEASE STOP SPAMMING ME WITH THAT COMMENT! I'm sick and tired of getting it over and over and all that will do is make me NOT want to post any content with the thought that I'll receive that annoying as fuck comment! Spamming. Does. Not. Make. You. Look. Clever. Or. Funny! It's just really fucking annoying! So whoever you are spamming me with that comment, KNOCK IT OFF OK?! If you keep spamming me with it, I'm going to stop uploading new chapters because I don't want to keep getting that comment and that'll upset me and all my readers. So please stop it! X(