Chapter 1: Awakened
"Awaken, Lugnut" a deep voice called out, cutting through the silent darkness I was in.
I opened my main optic in surprise and looked around. "Who said that?" I asked. "Who?"
"I am Shockwave" the voice said again. I looked down where the sound came from and saw a purple-colored bot with a single, unblinking optic in its head. "I am your creator."
"My what?" I asked. "Who am I?"
"You... Are Lugnut. My newest creation, and possibly one of the most powerful Decepticons online right now" he stated.
"My name... Is Lugnut?" I asked again. "Yes" he replied.
I tried to move my arms, but I saw that they, like my legs, were bound to the wall. "What is happening to me?" I asked again. "Why can't I remember anything? Was I just created?"
"All will be answered in due time" he said. "For now, I will let you go, so you can test the enhancements and abilities I built into you in the test area I have ready for you."
As soon as he said that, I felt the restraints around my arms and legs recede, and found myself catching myself as I fell to the ground. I took a deep intake and looked up to Shockwave. I must have been gigantic, because I noticed right off that I stood a full head taller than him, even when laying on the ground.
"Reflexes normal" Shockwave said, as if making notes to himself in his head. "Good... Now, follow me please" he said again. "Yes, my creator" I said as I got up, rearing to my full height, and followed him obediently. I was at least twice his size.
We walked through several corridors, each one I couldn't help but notice were the same color of grey metal. We soon reached our destination, a large door, which behind that, contained an even larger, empty room.
"Stay here, and be ready to show off your new abilities" Shockwave said as he departed the room, closing the door behind him.
I stood there for at least a cycle, looking at the unfamiliar form of my body. I looked at my servos first, and I saw that I had three digits on each hand. Two large fingers, and one large thumb. I then looked around my body and saw that I was a mix of purple, green, and steel in color.
What am I? I started to think, but then I was cut off from my thoughts by an announcement.
"Lugnut, I am sending in three mindless, robotic drones. Destroy them all" Shockwave's voice said over the intercom.
No sooner had he said that, three, silver robots, indistinguishable from each other, entered the room from the door at the other side.
Their arms morphed into blasters and immediately began shooting at me, most missed, from bad aim perhaps, but the rest of the shots managed to hit their mark. I barely even felt the shots as they hit my armor.
"Graah!" I roared in anger as I ran up to the one closest to me. I punched it once, and it instantly sent it flying across the room, into a wall, were it broke into several pieces.
I'm a weapon I thought proudly
I turned to the next one, and picked it up with just one arm. It was like a toy in my servo! I threw the squirming mech at the last remaining one in the room, and it just stood there like the automaton it was while it was hit by its look-alike, and both were destroyed instantly.
I stood there, in the middle of the room, waiting for further instructions, which came soon after.
"Well done" Shockwave's voice came on the intercom, congratulating me. "We have another robotic drone coming in, but this one is much bigger. Use the gravity generators that your servos can transform into."
I did as he said, and I saw my right servo's digits shift back, replaced by a single, pulsing, red "button" of sorts on the tip of my servo
The door in the back opened again, and a large bot, about the size of me, entered the room, wielding two swords attached to both its arms.
"Hit... Or should I say "Punch"... Your enemies, or the ground in front of them, to activate the pressure-sensitive pad, which will then trigger an explosion that will decimate all in its path" he said as the robot charged me.
The bot swung at me from the right, and missed me as I dodged. Before it could swing again, I uppercutted it with my right arm, hitting it square in the jaw with the pressure pad. Its entire head was blown off in the ensuing, audio-receptor numbing explosion that followed, sending the smoking, headless mech crashing to the ground as bits of scrap metal went flying into various directions.
"Heh heh heh..." I chuckled as my servo morphed back into its original form again. I heard the door behind me slide open. I turned and saw Shockwave and another, strangely familiar-looking bot enter the room.
"This is Starscream" Shockwave said as he presented the bot next to him. "He is the leader of the Decepticons, and your master" he continued. "You have been programmed to follow him loyally."
"I must say..." My new master started "This is truly a creation worthy of recognition. I still wish I had a Predacon army, but this will also do quite nicely."
"Predacons?" I asked. "What is a Predacon, my master?"
"They were an idea of the past" he replied. "But there is no need to worry about them. You're stronger than any Predacon, my loyal servant."
I nodded my head and bowed. "What is it you ask of me, master?" I asked in obedient fashion. I looked up and saw my most wise leader turn to Shockwave.
"How about a little... Field test?" He smirked. "He is ready" Shockwave replied.
"Ah, yes!" Lord Starscream started, clasping his two servos together. "How about we send you to a specific location where you can cause havoc, and then, once our enemies, the Autobots, show up, you may have the pleasure of personally offlining them, for good."
"By the Allspark, it will be done, my Lord!" I shouted. "Where is it you want me to go?" I asked right after.
"Hmm... Shockwave, how about we send Lugnut here, and a small detachment of Vehicons, to that new historical Air Force base we talked about earlier? Oh, and while he's there, maybe he can scan for a new vehicle mode?" Lord Starscream said.
"That sounds logical" Shockwave replied, turning to me. "I've already done a background check on the area, and it is my opinion that the best vehicle match for you is a B-24 Liberator-pattern heavy bomber. It is the largest plane in the area."
"I will scan it, as you desire, and then I will destroy the Autobots that dare to threaten your rule, my lord!" I shouted out as I raised my fist in the air.
"I'm really beginning to like this creation of yours" Starscream said in a very happy tone to Shockwave.
"Prepare to head out" Starscream suddenly said, turning back to me. "I can't wait to see how you do on the field, my new, living battering ram."
"If that is what you want me to be, then that is what I shall become!" I shouted in response.
Author's notes: So, what do you guys think of our new protagonist/anti-hero? Give me your honest opinion! I also promise that you WILL see Tailslide by the end of this story, and you WILL see what has become of him. Cross my spark, hope to deactivate.