Rage Against the Knight
Twenty years, twenty long and painful years, had passed since the Autobots returned to their home planet of Cybertron and hadn't returned to even visit their human friends still on Earth. Nineteen years since a creature known only as Quintessa had arrived on Earth and proclaimed the human race as her property, claiming that any progeny of Primus and Unicron were her property. Of course you could imagine how well that went over with the inhabitants of Earth, but their rebellion did little to stop Quintessa in her quest to take back her property. Of course those that know of the Autobots tried to contact their allies, but with little success, and that left only one clear course of action for humanity. Victory or death, for they would not live as a slave race for any creature, no matter how powerful that creature may be. Ratchet, the only Autobot that agreed to remain behind on Earth, helped advance human weaponry on defences as best he could, but there was only so much that could be done before everything really went to hell.
You see, Quintessa didn't want the human race as slaves, she wanted to eradicate us from existence before moving on to destroy Unicron once and for all. A year and a half after her arrival signaled the simultaneous destruction of every major city on the face of the earth. Trillions of people died in waves of fire that seemed to turn them into something called cyber matter, or better known as what Cybertronians were made out of, and out of that fire was born an army meant to destroy humanity. Yet, out of all the death and chaos, there was one human that rose up above the rest and led the charge against Quintessa. Jackson Darby, a young man said to remind Optimus Prime of himself before he became a Prime and the fiercest fighter among the remaining human rebellion.
Jackson started out doing guerilla strikes against Quintessa's forces, along with his best friend and renowned Wrecker Miko Nakadai. Together, with some luck, a lot of explosives, and a few soldiers, they managed to almost halt the enemy forces advances on the entire west coast of America. However, it was in the second battle of Las Vegas that Jack was nearly lost to them when Quintessa dropped another cyber matter bomb right on their heads, destroying her own troops along with Jack's and Miko's. It was only through fate that Jack alone survived; the cyber matter changing something inside the human and turning him into something more. Many people thought it was just a freak accident, but in actuality it was because of the Key to Vector Sigma that had once been intrusted to him. Jack wasn't a Cybertronian, but nor was he human. He had become some cursed mix of both species.
Now, twenty long years after the Autobots left earth and were never heard from again, Jackson Darby stand before humanity's last chance of survival, their last chance to end the war by preventing it from ever happening.
(Jasper, Nevada: Remains of first Autobot Base)
Deep within the barley reconstructed Autobot base, the thirty-six year old Jackson Darby stood in front of what looked to be a heavily modified Groundbridge with what remained of humanity passing through it. The years had not been kind to the young man, with battle scars littering his entire body, including his right eye having been cut out of his skull at one point. He stood there dressed in what looked like plated armor, clearly Cybertronian in design, and with a sword strapped to his left side. On the breastplate of his armor Jack hand the Autobot sigil engraved and draped over his shoulders was a tattered red cloak.
"The modifications are almost complete, Jackson," came a raspy voice that, at one time, had filled Jack's mind with nightmares.
"And Quintessa's forces are almost upon us, Megatron," Jack said back, looking up at the once Decepticon leader, who had changed since his supposed death at the hands of the Autobot scout known as Bumblebee.
It had come to everyone's surprise when their former enemy had shown up on earth with the intent to help them against Quintessa, but at the time no one really had any room to complain. Since then the former tyrant had proven himself to be a much needed allie in those dark years, even going so far as to train Jackson after his incident with the cyber matter.
"Then we shall drive the foul abominations back into the Pit!" declared another Cybertronian, the one known as Predaking, as he clenched his clawed hands in determination and rage.
"One last stand, I guess you can count me in," said Miko, who came to stand beside Jackson with her infamous Apex Armor tucked under her arm.
Jackson smirked ever so slight before turning to face the four warriors behind him, "Yea, one last stand to buy us the future."
When the reached the surface above the base, the four warriors were greeted by an armor of ravenous creatures made of cyber matter, and floating above them all was the head of the snake herself. Megatron ejected the blade attached to his right arm, Miko activated her Apex Armor and smashed a fist into her open palm, Predaking turned his right armor into a deadly morning star mace, and Jack drew the sword from his waist. Within moment of Jackson drawing his sword, his entire body transformed into what could only be described as the Cybertronian version of a Knight, with even his sword transforming to accommodate his new size.
"The last of my creations, come to die," Quintessa sneered, her metallic face morphing into a sneer, as if the very sight of the beings standing against her was an insult.
"Do not forget what we fight for, do not forget the souls taken from us before their time! Let this witch never forget your battle cries, let the pages of history never forget what were are about to do here!" Jack shouted, raising his now massive sword high into the air, proclaiming that he would rage against the coming night.
"One shall stand and one shall fall," Megatron whispered, remembering his old friends words from so many years ago.
"Word will spread across the galaxy about what happens here today. They will know what merciless horrors this demon will face at the hands of four knights driven into a corner! We will be remembered till the last star fades away into the darkness!" shouted Predaking, transforming into his draconic alt-mode and letting out a blast of fire into the sky.
"It's wrecker time!"
"Kill them all!"
With those three words, the horde of slaves charged the last defenders of humanity, moving more like beasts than an actual army. Yet Jack still raised his sword and charged to his doom without a second thought, followed closely by his three companions. While Jack was the first one to charge, it was Predaking who drew first blood, leaping into the horde with the ferocity of the very creature he looked like; clawing and breathing fire on anything that got in his way. Energon coated Jack's blade not long after Predaking's rampage began, with the deadly edged weapon proving to be more than a match for these mindless husks. Meanwhile, Miko was literally using one husk as a blunt weapon against the others, especially since she didn't have to worry about defence as much as Jack, Megatron, and Predaking did.
"Quintessa, I'm coming for you!"
They would not go quietly into the night.