So here it is: my 100% original Transformers fanfiction. This isn't based on any series. It's all new. It has elements from just about everything. Just remember these simple guidelines: 1. The Great Wars are over; the Autobot and Maximals won. 2. Optimus Prime and Megatron are not in this story, though they do exist in this universe. 3. The robots in this story are Mini-Cons from Gigantion's moon, Minos; they are about six to ten inches tall in general. 4. The Transformers on Cybertron are called Cybertronians; they're generally eight to twelve feet tall. 5. The Giants living on Gigantion range from twenty to fifty feet tall, but they're all but extinct; Gigantion is pretty much a dead world. 6. Gigantion and Cybertron are on opposite sides of the galaxy with Earth in between them. Now, without further ado, I give you Transformers: Battle for the Matrix.

Prologue

"I am afraid, Captain Ravage," Undermine sighed, "That I have failed you. The

Council is plotting against you. Even now, a crew of four Autobots is piloting a ship to Cybertron to retrieve the Mini-Con Matrix of All Sparks. They intend to unleash its power and use it to destroy you."

**

Ravage's spy had been as precise as possible with the report. He had failed. Ravage hated failure. If Undermine had not been a valuable asset to him, Ravage would have had him slaughtered right there and then. But he still had use for Undermine. Without Undermine's hand to sway the Council's decision, they would continue to resist his fleet's blockade on Minos. Then Ravage would not get the money he so desperately needed.

That was the most important thing in his life right now: money. Without money, his crew would desert him. Without money, he'd be living on the streets. Without money, his life just wouldn't be lively enough.

Without money, he'd be offline.

Ravage was barely functioning as it was. In the past four million years, Ravage had had nearly all of his systems upgraded, replaced, removed, altered, or modified. The only systems that hadn't yet been modified were his Central Processing Unit, his Oxygen-Intake Cooling System, and one of the sensor relays in his right thumb. With the sole exception of his OICS, those parts worked just fine. But his OICS was failing him. Lately he'd been overheating, coughing, wheezing, and having great difficulty vocalizing. It needed to be replaced, or Ravage would eventually perish. He'd known that for a long time.

He didn't have the money to pay for the procedure.

That's why he was holding his own home world hostage. He'd made many friends in the pirating business: Starscream, Cannonball, Rumble and Frenzy (the "Twins of Doom"), Grandus (the "Great"), and Skyfire (the "Scourge of the Seven Space Systems"), to name a few. All of these had helped him to pull off this stunt (for a price, of course).

But the real star of his show was the Nemesis. He'd stolen her from the Museum of the Great Wars. Nemesis was the to-be flagship of the great Galvatron, the first Mini-Con to call himself "Decepticon." Sadly, he'd never been able to fly it to Cybertron – and Megatron – to join in the Great War there.

But now, it seemed as though all of Ravage's plans to save his life were about to fall apart. The Council of Sages had decided to use the Mini-Con Matrix of All Sparks against him. Not only that, they had a new, Techno-Organic cloaking substance to mask the ship sent to Cybertron to retrieve it!

What had Undermine called the stuff?

It had sounded completely and utterly stupid…

Ah, yes. "Disappearium."

Now with the Disappearium cloaking their ship, Ravage would never be able to find those pathetic Autobots who dared to stand up against him. Unless (by some streak of pure luck) he was able to intercept them on their way back to Minos…

But what then? They would have the Matrix and they'd use it.

No, wait.

They couldn't!

According to the mythology surrounding the Matrix of All Sparks, it could be activated by only two Transformers: the current Prime or the "Chosen One."

But what if Ravage could control the Matrix? It was said to hold limitless power. Power that could restore Ravage! Not only that, it could make him strong enough to rule the entire galaxy!

And it would. All Ravage had to do was release its energy. And to do that, he needed Metroplex.

Metroplex (officially Metro Prime, but he didn't like the title) was the Prime now. No chance existed of Ravage controlling Metroplex. Not even Ravage's first mate, Scorpinok, was big enough to outfight the great and powerful leader of Minos. Metroplex towered over even the larger Mini-Cons like Scorpinok. But what of the Chosen One foretold in the Covenant of Primus?

Ravage needed to check the great book of prophecies.

"And there will be One who will light the darkest hour, the Chosen One who will release the sparks of many to destroy the scourge of the world."

"The Chosen One shall come from where you least expect, from those so insignificant and yet so important. And not even the Chosen One will recognize the receptive spark within."

"Minosia," from the Covenant of Primus

Author's Note: "Minosia" is the section of the Covenant that this passage comes from. It's the set of prophecies about Minos. The others are "Originus Transformium" (Primus and the origin of the Transformer race), "Cybertronica" (Cybertronian prophecies), "Gigantia" (Prophecies about Gigantion), and "Chaoticus" (Unicron and the end times).

Ha! He probably didn't even exist. The Covenant was full of a bunch of mystical, religious gobbledygook anyway. None of its so-called "prophecies" had ever come true that Ravage knew of.

But maybe another could control the Matrix. "Receptive spark," it said. Ravage knew of one whose spark was like no other. Rampage could activate the Matrix. Yes, the immortal, indestructible freak created by the Tripredacus Council and their scientists would certainly fit the bill of the Chosen One. All Ravage needed to do was find him.

If Ravage unleashed the power of the Matrix for his own benefit, he wouldn't need any expensive medical procedures. He could have a whole new body!

Then Ravage could have power. Then Ravage could have glory. Then Ravage could have control of the entire galaxy!

He sent for Divebomb. His third mate arrived in only a moment; apparently he'd been out for a stroll near the captain's quarters. How strange.

"I want you," Ravage ordered, "To send someone to Planet X and bring back Rampage." Divebomb seemed to smile at this, for some strange reason; Ravage could not figure out why.

With that mouth – or rather, those mandibles – it was hard to tell whether or not it actually was a smile, though.

"As you command, captain," he coolly replied, "I'll send Blackout."

Ah, good, Blackout was huge, more so than Scorpinok. Not that bright, but he could take down Rampage. Even a homicidal, immortal freak like that wouldn't stand a chance against Blackout. The trick would be finding him on that restricted planet.

Divebomb walked out with what was now assuredly a wry smile on his face.

Ravage had no idea how amused the Predacon was right now. He had no clue that the original immortal spark was walking out of the room at that moment, slipping right through his fingers.

What you should know so far: 1. Ravage is a Decepticon space pirate. 2. Minos is governed by a Council of Sages. 3. Ravage has a Predacon spy, Undermine, in the Council. 4. Divebomb and Rampage are immortal; Rampage is a failed attempt to mimic Divebomb. 5. Divebomb works for Ravage. 6. Ravage is going to die unless he undergoes a dangerous and expensive medical procedure or steals the Matrix. 7. Ravage has blockaded Minos until they give him the money for his operation. 8. They sent out an invisible ship on a rescue mission to get the Mini-Con Matrix of All Sparks. 9. The Matrix has the sparks of all "good" dead Mini-Cons inside it, along with all their power and wisdom combined. 10. Metroplex is Minos's leader and he can activate the Matrix. 11. There is another "Chosen One" who can also activate the Matrix, according to the Transformers' "Bible." 12. Ravage thinks Rampage is the Chosen One. 13. This story has a lot of detail put into it, and is a little bit hard to follow. Don't worry if this is complicated, it gets easier later on.