[Graphic appears, reading, "THE PADDED CELL - An EZBoard Company", then
fades out.]
[Screen titles appear then fade; "The Padded Cell presents." and "A Cell Birthday Committee Production".]
[And one final screen title.. "The Lord of the Matrixes"]
[The screen fades in with a vast, sweeping shot around the outer hull of Cybertron. As the camera pans around, echoing voices can be heard in the background, hinting at different stages of a quest pursued by a team of Autobots: to destroy the Matrix of Conquest - a tiny Black Crystal shard housing a sample of Unicron's life force - in the forging fires of the city Cybertropolis. The camera zooms rapidly down into an extremely deep cavern- like section of the planet, leading to a bridge over a crevasse, atop which Wheeljack is battling a massive winged Combiner giant, Predaking. Behind Wheeljack are his eight companions, all watching the battle. Predaking approaches the Autobot, but Wheeljack keep his enemy back.]
WHEELJACK: For the last time, go back to the Pit that spawned you! You. Shall NOT. PASS!!!
[Wheeljack fires his missile launcher, and hits every Combiner connection point on Predaking. Weakening the giant, Wheeljack fires one more missile at the bridge just ahead of Predaking, fracturing the metal and causing it to buckle - then snap - under Predaking's disabled weight. And the giant falls down the crevasse, Wheeljack turns away to join the others. but a desperation shot rings out from Predaking's cannon, striking Wheeljack and almost knocking him off the bridge end. As he desperately clings on, one of the eight - Bumblebee - rushes towards Wheeljack, but is held back by the others.]
WHEELJACK: Roll for it, you fools!
BUMBLEBEE: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
[Wheeljack drops into the precipice, but somehow finds a way to regain control of his shoulder launcher. He aims straight towards Predaking, and fires, and fires and fires, over and over. He unrelentingly strikes his massive enemy, until the combatants plunge into a vast lake of liquid energon at the bottom. At that point.]
[Immediate jump-cut to outside, where Bumblebee - accompanied by Spike in a sleeping bag nearby - sharply awakens from a rest cycle. A small metal receptacle emitting a faint dark glow - carrying within it the Matrix of Conquest - can be seen hanging on a chain around Bumblebee's neck.]
BUMBLEBEE: Wheeljack.!
[Spike awakens, and looks toward his Autobot companion.]
SPIKE: What is it, Bumblebee?
BUMBLEBEE: (long pause) Nothing. just a memory distortion glitch.
[Moments later, VW Beetle-mode Bumblebee, with Spike in the driver's seat, drive towards a dark, smoking, ominous part of Cybertron looming over the horizon. A screen title briefly appears reading, "THE TWO BASES" before fading out. A tall tower can be seen, with a fiery likeness of Megatron's weapon mode hovering overhead, like a deadly effigy. A dark grey-&-purple fortress can be seen right beside Cybertropolis's main tower. It looks easily reachable in the distance, but the twisted, convoluted road system up ahead complicates the journey. They stop and look ahead.]
SPIKE: That's the place, huh? Cybertropolis, guarded by the fortress Trypticon?
BUMBLEBEE: That it is, Spike. You can't miss the central tower.
SPIKE: Why did I come here, Bumblebee? I know I agreed to come with you on this mission, even if it meant having to leave Earth.
[While saying the above line, Spike pulls out a wallet from his shirt pocket, and opens it. Inside are two photographs; one of a middle-aged male, SPARKPLUG, the other of a late-teen blonde female, CARLY.]
SPIKE: But I don't know the first thing about traveling here. Let's face it. we're lost.
[Bumblebee fails to answer.]
SPIKE: Bumblebee?
[Bumblebee is still quiet. Spike tries to snap him out of his daze, by honking the horn on the steering wheel.]
BUMBLEBEE: Aaggh.! (pause.) Ohh..
SPIKE: You okay?
BUMBLEBEE: Maybe. I'm not sure if I can do this. The Black Crystal's growing heavier.
[Spike slips his photo-wallet in his shirt pocket, grabs his backpack and emerges car-mode Bumblebee, who transforms to robot mode and rubs his own head as if having a headache. Both sit, and search through their respective pockets, both real and subspace, for food and energon. They continue to talk while eating and recharging.]
BUMBLEBEE: You holding up okay?
SPIKE: Well, it's far away from home. And I miss my dad. And Carly. I don't think Wheeljack meant for us to come here.
BUMBLEBEE: He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen. but they did.
SPIKE: Still, it's not all bad, as long as you got a faithful companion. This mission would be lonely and unbearable if you had to go it alone.
BUMBLEBEE: Nothing ever dampens your spark, does it, Spike?
SPIKE: (eats. then pauses as if to hear something) Something's not right. I don't hear or see anything. but there's something weird.
BUMBLEBEE: (looks around cautiously) I think I know what you mean. (pauses and looks at Spike) We're not alone.
[Nightfall. Bumblebee is in car mode, while Spike rests in a sleeping bag beside him. While they're resting, a suspicious figure sneaks around from a ledge-like construction overhead. A close glance shows the profile of a blue robot with wide projections from his shoulders. His optics give off a sense of long-brewing anger, and he slowly climbs down the wall towards Bumblebee and Spike.]
COUNTERPUNCH: They're thieves. they're thieves. they're rotten, little thieves.. They stole it from usss. My. Matrix-sss..
[Counterpunch is close enough to Bumblebee, by his front window.]
COUNTERPUNCH: We wantsss it... we neeedsss it. Mussst have it.
[He rears back his fist to punch a hole through the window.]
COUNTERPUNCH: They've stole it from usss.. and we WANTSSS It!
[Suddenly, Bumblebee's headlights flash on at full brightness.]
COUNTERPUNCH: AAAAAAAAAGGGGH!!!!!
[Counterpunch pulls back, blinded. Spike is awakened by the commotion, and bails out of his sleeping bag, just as Bumblebee transforms to robot mode to engage the intruder. Counterpunch's size advantage just about overwhelms the little Autobot, but Bumblebee puts on as good a fight as he can. Eventually, Counterpunch floors Bumblebee with a solid punch, and pins him down. As he is about to crush his neck, Spike - finding his target's faceplate at a reasonable height level - interferes by aiming a powerful photon flashlight in his optics.]
COUNTERPUNCH: AAAAAAGGHHH!!!
[The intruder rolls off his prey, and writhes covering his face in pain.]
COUNTERPUNCH: It BURNS! It BURNS!!! AAACCKK!! Can't SSSEEEE! AGHH!!
SPIKE: I don't believe this! If he keeps on like this, every Decepticon on the planet's gonna track us and fish us out! Let's just hang him up somewhere.
[Bumblebee recovers, and observes the blinded Counterpunch.]
COUNTERPUNCH: NO!!! Don't kill usss!
SPIKE: You deserve it, you worthless scrapheap!
BUMBLEBEE: Maybe he does deserve deactivation.
[Counterpunch continues to pitifully writhe on the ground, and whimpers helplessly.]
BUMBLEBEE: But now that I see him, I do feel bad for him.
SPIKE: You're not thinking.!
COUNTERPUNCH: We'll do anything you want. anything. just don't kill usss or injure usss..
BUMBLEBEE: Do you know the way to Cybertropolis? Have you been there before?
COUNTERPUNCH: (gets up on knees, shielding optics) Yessss.
SPIKE: You can't trust him! Look, he's wearing a Decepticon symbol!
COUNTERPUNCH: We swearsss, we will co-operate! We swearsss... on The Matrix- sss!
BUMBLEBEE: The Black Crystal is treacherous. but I'll take your word for it. For now. Lead the way to Trypticon.
COUNTERPUNCH: As you command. and no more bright lightsss, pleasssse?
[Counterpunch transforms to car mode, and drives. Bumblebee transforms as well, taking in Spike and follows.]
* * * * * *
[At another part of Cybertron, a vast army of robot-mode Seekers is storming towards Vilnacron, the base of Starscream.]
RAMJET: Keep at ground level. Airborne travel may expose us to radar detection.
[Two of the Seekers carry a pair of Mini-Autobot captives, Cliffjumper and Beachcomber, whose hands are restrained by energon bonds. Cliffjumper is off-line, but Beachcomber is a little awake. In a spark of wit, Beachcomber issues a mental command to open a small sliding door on his back, and releases a tiny piece of blue metal, bearing the Autobot symbol. The dropping of the clue goes unnoticed by the Seeker herd.]
[Elsewhere, a trio of Autobots is in pursuit of the Seekers. A red microscope scans the area, while a white-and-black Autobot and a grey-and- gold Dinobot keep immediate surveillance.]
PERCEPTOR: I sense their pace has quickened. They may be detected our pursuit.
JAZZ: Let's burn rubber!
[Jazz picks up 'scope-mode Perceptor and places him inside himself as he transforms to sportscar mode, carrying him on the dashboard. He zips off.]
GRIMLOCK: You no speed away! Me Grimlock not meant for far travel! Dinobots are fighters! Greatest fighters! Us indestructible!
[Grimlock follows his allies. He realizes traveling on foot is futile, so he flies in robot mode instead to catch up. Moments into their hunt.]
PERCEPTOR: Stop!
[Jazz hits the brakes, as Perceptor bails out of Jazz's car mode and transforms to robot mode. He bends down to the tarmac, and picks up a fragment of blue metal. Transforming back to microscope mode, he studies the fragment.]
PERCEPTOR: Beachcomber's energy signature is strong on this specimen.. and the radiation trail is fresh.
JAZZ: They might still be alive!
PERCEPTOR: Jazz, I'll require your assistance for travel.
JAZZ: Again? Do I look like a robot surfboard? What about Grimlock? Shouldn't he take a turn to taxi you around?
GRIMLOCK: No! Dinobots no carry no one!
JAZZ: *sigh..* You win..
[Perceptor climbs aboard Jazz's roof, and the trio of Autobots speeds off. They eventually reach the edge of a ridge that their path has led them to; a vast shimmering territory sprawls out in front of them. Perceptor leaps off of Jazz, who transforms to robot mode, while Grimlock lands beside them. ]
PERCEPTOR: The Province of Polyhex. I sense that something malevolent - or worse - is conspiring to hinder our search.
GRIMLOCK: What he say?
JAZZ: He thinks somethin' bad's holding us back.
[Perceptor transforms to his larger scope mode.]
JAZZ: Can you still track 'em?
PERCEPTOR: They've turned northeast. toward the base of Vilnacron!
JAZZ: Starscream..
GRIMLOCK: Shockwave not guardian of Vilnacron?
JAZZ: The Screamer took over.
* * * * * *
[Jump cut to: Vilnacron, complete with space bridge tower. This awesome sight is dissolve-replaced with an interior shot, of Starscream in the main chamber, communicating with Megatron via Shockwave's head (a la the Palantir).]
STARSCREAM: The universe is changing. Who, now, has the power to stand against the armies of Vilnacron and Cybertropolis? To stand against the might of Starscream and Megatron. and the union of the Two Bases? Together, Mighty Megatron. we shall rule Cybertron. and then, the universe. will be ours!
[Labs and workshops with Vilnacron are abuzz with activity; multiple Cassettes, Reflector clones and Seekers constructing and rebuilding new weapons, warriors, and armies. Starscream walks amid the activity, supervising every aspect of the construction.]
STARSCREAM: (v/o) The old world will burn and dissolve in the fires of the Decepticon juggernaut. Cities will fall. A new universal order shall rise. We will drive the machine of our empire with the blaster, the launcher, and the armory of the Decepticons. We need only remove those pitiful creatures. who dare to oppose us.
[Cut to Starscream, standing amid a horde of Insecticons, all bearing torches and crude weapons.]
STARSCREAM: The Autobots of Polyhex have taken your land! They drove your people to scratch a chance for survival off the rubble of broken cities!
SHRAPNEL: Robbers! They shall pay, pay!!!
STARSCREAM: Take back the resources and lands they stole from you, Insecticons! Devour every outpost and civilian settling. It will begin in Polyhex. Too long have these low-standing civilians stood against you. But no more!
[Next scene: A swarm of Insecticons, accompanied by an army of Seekers and Reflector clones, overtake an Autobot settlement in Polyhex. Scores of Autobots gather their belongings and flee before the invaders can arrive, but some are not so lucky. Arcee sends two young Autobots off.]
ARCEE: This is important! You need to deliver this warning to Ultra Magnus in Post Omega! We are under attack! Go! GO!!!
[As the young Autobots speed off, the Decepticon army has taken the settlement, destroying building and devouring its base materials.]
STARSCREAM: (v/o) Polyhex, Mighty Megatron, will fall.
* * * * * *
[Cut to: Post Omega. Ambulance-mode Ratchet drives in, accompanied by a squad of Protectobots. They unload Ratchet's cargo - a severely-damaged Hot Rod - onto a medical bay, and Ratchet transforms to robot mode to examine him. Chromia is nearby to assist, but it doesn't look good. They leave the Protectobots to watch over the repairs, and head to the command center of Ultra Magnus, who is seated on a chair... but is motionless and voiceless, looking old, weary, and badly rusted.]
CHROMIA: It's bad news, Ultra Magnus. Your top cadet Hot Rod has been seriously injured.
[Ultra Magnus gives a barely audible moan in reply.]
RATCHET: He was attacked by Decepticons. If we don't ready our defenses, Starscream will take Polyhex unopposed.
HUMAN VOICE OFSCREEN: That is a lie.
[Ratchet and Chromia's attention are turned to a humanoid figure, part organic, part machine, with a skullcap and a metal glove. He arrives beside Magnus's position.]
DR. ARCHEVILLE: Starscream has long been our friend and ally.
RATCHET: The Decepticons are running freely all over the area! Nobody can stop them! And they're all bearing Starscream's symbol.
[Ratchet disgustedly drops a scrap of "material" bearing a Decepticon symbol, with a red ornate "SS" superimposed on it.]
ARCHEVILLE: Why do you insist of bringing your troubles to a weary old Autobot? Can't you see he's tired of your malcontent? Your warmongering?
RATCHET: Warmongering? You accuse us of warmongering?!
[Ratchet grabs the cyborg human by the front of his throat and hoists him up singlehandedly.]
RATCHET: How long has Starscream bought you off, Archeville? Did he promise you rulership over the Earth, while leaving Cybertron as a dead world?
[As Chromia departs to check on the progress of the Protectobots, A pair of Autobot guards restrain Ratchet, dropping Archeville to the ground, surprisingly uninjured.]
ARCHEVILLE: You know too much, Autobot. You are thus banned from Polyhex. under the penalty of death.
[The guards drag Ratchet from the command center, while Magnus remains powerless and wordless.]
* * * * * *
[Screen titles appear then fade; "The Padded Cell presents." and "A Cell Birthday Committee Production".]
[And one final screen title.. "The Lord of the Matrixes"]
[The screen fades in with a vast, sweeping shot around the outer hull of Cybertron. As the camera pans around, echoing voices can be heard in the background, hinting at different stages of a quest pursued by a team of Autobots: to destroy the Matrix of Conquest - a tiny Black Crystal shard housing a sample of Unicron's life force - in the forging fires of the city Cybertropolis. The camera zooms rapidly down into an extremely deep cavern- like section of the planet, leading to a bridge over a crevasse, atop which Wheeljack is battling a massive winged Combiner giant, Predaking. Behind Wheeljack are his eight companions, all watching the battle. Predaking approaches the Autobot, but Wheeljack keep his enemy back.]
WHEELJACK: For the last time, go back to the Pit that spawned you! You. Shall NOT. PASS!!!
[Wheeljack fires his missile launcher, and hits every Combiner connection point on Predaking. Weakening the giant, Wheeljack fires one more missile at the bridge just ahead of Predaking, fracturing the metal and causing it to buckle - then snap - under Predaking's disabled weight. And the giant falls down the crevasse, Wheeljack turns away to join the others. but a desperation shot rings out from Predaking's cannon, striking Wheeljack and almost knocking him off the bridge end. As he desperately clings on, one of the eight - Bumblebee - rushes towards Wheeljack, but is held back by the others.]
WHEELJACK: Roll for it, you fools!
BUMBLEBEE: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
[Wheeljack drops into the precipice, but somehow finds a way to regain control of his shoulder launcher. He aims straight towards Predaking, and fires, and fires and fires, over and over. He unrelentingly strikes his massive enemy, until the combatants plunge into a vast lake of liquid energon at the bottom. At that point.]
[Immediate jump-cut to outside, where Bumblebee - accompanied by Spike in a sleeping bag nearby - sharply awakens from a rest cycle. A small metal receptacle emitting a faint dark glow - carrying within it the Matrix of Conquest - can be seen hanging on a chain around Bumblebee's neck.]
BUMBLEBEE: Wheeljack.!
[Spike awakens, and looks toward his Autobot companion.]
SPIKE: What is it, Bumblebee?
BUMBLEBEE: (long pause) Nothing. just a memory distortion glitch.
[Moments later, VW Beetle-mode Bumblebee, with Spike in the driver's seat, drive towards a dark, smoking, ominous part of Cybertron looming over the horizon. A screen title briefly appears reading, "THE TWO BASES" before fading out. A tall tower can be seen, with a fiery likeness of Megatron's weapon mode hovering overhead, like a deadly effigy. A dark grey-&-purple fortress can be seen right beside Cybertropolis's main tower. It looks easily reachable in the distance, but the twisted, convoluted road system up ahead complicates the journey. They stop and look ahead.]
SPIKE: That's the place, huh? Cybertropolis, guarded by the fortress Trypticon?
BUMBLEBEE: That it is, Spike. You can't miss the central tower.
SPIKE: Why did I come here, Bumblebee? I know I agreed to come with you on this mission, even if it meant having to leave Earth.
[While saying the above line, Spike pulls out a wallet from his shirt pocket, and opens it. Inside are two photographs; one of a middle-aged male, SPARKPLUG, the other of a late-teen blonde female, CARLY.]
SPIKE: But I don't know the first thing about traveling here. Let's face it. we're lost.
[Bumblebee fails to answer.]
SPIKE: Bumblebee?
[Bumblebee is still quiet. Spike tries to snap him out of his daze, by honking the horn on the steering wheel.]
BUMBLEBEE: Aaggh.! (pause.) Ohh..
SPIKE: You okay?
BUMBLEBEE: Maybe. I'm not sure if I can do this. The Black Crystal's growing heavier.
[Spike slips his photo-wallet in his shirt pocket, grabs his backpack and emerges car-mode Bumblebee, who transforms to robot mode and rubs his own head as if having a headache. Both sit, and search through their respective pockets, both real and subspace, for food and energon. They continue to talk while eating and recharging.]
BUMBLEBEE: You holding up okay?
SPIKE: Well, it's far away from home. And I miss my dad. And Carly. I don't think Wheeljack meant for us to come here.
BUMBLEBEE: He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen. but they did.
SPIKE: Still, it's not all bad, as long as you got a faithful companion. This mission would be lonely and unbearable if you had to go it alone.
BUMBLEBEE: Nothing ever dampens your spark, does it, Spike?
SPIKE: (eats. then pauses as if to hear something) Something's not right. I don't hear or see anything. but there's something weird.
BUMBLEBEE: (looks around cautiously) I think I know what you mean. (pauses and looks at Spike) We're not alone.
[Nightfall. Bumblebee is in car mode, while Spike rests in a sleeping bag beside him. While they're resting, a suspicious figure sneaks around from a ledge-like construction overhead. A close glance shows the profile of a blue robot with wide projections from his shoulders. His optics give off a sense of long-brewing anger, and he slowly climbs down the wall towards Bumblebee and Spike.]
COUNTERPUNCH: They're thieves. they're thieves. they're rotten, little thieves.. They stole it from usss. My. Matrix-sss..
[Counterpunch is close enough to Bumblebee, by his front window.]
COUNTERPUNCH: We wantsss it... we neeedsss it. Mussst have it.
[He rears back his fist to punch a hole through the window.]
COUNTERPUNCH: They've stole it from usss.. and we WANTSSS It!
[Suddenly, Bumblebee's headlights flash on at full brightness.]
COUNTERPUNCH: AAAAAAAAAGGGGH!!!!!
[Counterpunch pulls back, blinded. Spike is awakened by the commotion, and bails out of his sleeping bag, just as Bumblebee transforms to robot mode to engage the intruder. Counterpunch's size advantage just about overwhelms the little Autobot, but Bumblebee puts on as good a fight as he can. Eventually, Counterpunch floors Bumblebee with a solid punch, and pins him down. As he is about to crush his neck, Spike - finding his target's faceplate at a reasonable height level - interferes by aiming a powerful photon flashlight in his optics.]
COUNTERPUNCH: AAAAAAGGHHH!!!
[The intruder rolls off his prey, and writhes covering his face in pain.]
COUNTERPUNCH: It BURNS! It BURNS!!! AAACCKK!! Can't SSSEEEE! AGHH!!
SPIKE: I don't believe this! If he keeps on like this, every Decepticon on the planet's gonna track us and fish us out! Let's just hang him up somewhere.
[Bumblebee recovers, and observes the blinded Counterpunch.]
COUNTERPUNCH: NO!!! Don't kill usss!
SPIKE: You deserve it, you worthless scrapheap!
BUMBLEBEE: Maybe he does deserve deactivation.
[Counterpunch continues to pitifully writhe on the ground, and whimpers helplessly.]
BUMBLEBEE: But now that I see him, I do feel bad for him.
SPIKE: You're not thinking.!
COUNTERPUNCH: We'll do anything you want. anything. just don't kill usss or injure usss..
BUMBLEBEE: Do you know the way to Cybertropolis? Have you been there before?
COUNTERPUNCH: (gets up on knees, shielding optics) Yessss.
SPIKE: You can't trust him! Look, he's wearing a Decepticon symbol!
COUNTERPUNCH: We swearsss, we will co-operate! We swearsss... on The Matrix- sss!
BUMBLEBEE: The Black Crystal is treacherous. but I'll take your word for it. For now. Lead the way to Trypticon.
COUNTERPUNCH: As you command. and no more bright lightsss, pleasssse?
[Counterpunch transforms to car mode, and drives. Bumblebee transforms as well, taking in Spike and follows.]
* * * * * *
[At another part of Cybertron, a vast army of robot-mode Seekers is storming towards Vilnacron, the base of Starscream.]
RAMJET: Keep at ground level. Airborne travel may expose us to radar detection.
[Two of the Seekers carry a pair of Mini-Autobot captives, Cliffjumper and Beachcomber, whose hands are restrained by energon bonds. Cliffjumper is off-line, but Beachcomber is a little awake. In a spark of wit, Beachcomber issues a mental command to open a small sliding door on his back, and releases a tiny piece of blue metal, bearing the Autobot symbol. The dropping of the clue goes unnoticed by the Seeker herd.]
[Elsewhere, a trio of Autobots is in pursuit of the Seekers. A red microscope scans the area, while a white-and-black Autobot and a grey-and- gold Dinobot keep immediate surveillance.]
PERCEPTOR: I sense their pace has quickened. They may be detected our pursuit.
JAZZ: Let's burn rubber!
[Jazz picks up 'scope-mode Perceptor and places him inside himself as he transforms to sportscar mode, carrying him on the dashboard. He zips off.]
GRIMLOCK: You no speed away! Me Grimlock not meant for far travel! Dinobots are fighters! Greatest fighters! Us indestructible!
[Grimlock follows his allies. He realizes traveling on foot is futile, so he flies in robot mode instead to catch up. Moments into their hunt.]
PERCEPTOR: Stop!
[Jazz hits the brakes, as Perceptor bails out of Jazz's car mode and transforms to robot mode. He bends down to the tarmac, and picks up a fragment of blue metal. Transforming back to microscope mode, he studies the fragment.]
PERCEPTOR: Beachcomber's energy signature is strong on this specimen.. and the radiation trail is fresh.
JAZZ: They might still be alive!
PERCEPTOR: Jazz, I'll require your assistance for travel.
JAZZ: Again? Do I look like a robot surfboard? What about Grimlock? Shouldn't he take a turn to taxi you around?
GRIMLOCK: No! Dinobots no carry no one!
JAZZ: *sigh..* You win..
[Perceptor climbs aboard Jazz's roof, and the trio of Autobots speeds off. They eventually reach the edge of a ridge that their path has led them to; a vast shimmering territory sprawls out in front of them. Perceptor leaps off of Jazz, who transforms to robot mode, while Grimlock lands beside them. ]
PERCEPTOR: The Province of Polyhex. I sense that something malevolent - or worse - is conspiring to hinder our search.
GRIMLOCK: What he say?
JAZZ: He thinks somethin' bad's holding us back.
[Perceptor transforms to his larger scope mode.]
JAZZ: Can you still track 'em?
PERCEPTOR: They've turned northeast. toward the base of Vilnacron!
JAZZ: Starscream..
GRIMLOCK: Shockwave not guardian of Vilnacron?
JAZZ: The Screamer took over.
* * * * * *
[Jump cut to: Vilnacron, complete with space bridge tower. This awesome sight is dissolve-replaced with an interior shot, of Starscream in the main chamber, communicating with Megatron via Shockwave's head (a la the Palantir).]
STARSCREAM: The universe is changing. Who, now, has the power to stand against the armies of Vilnacron and Cybertropolis? To stand against the might of Starscream and Megatron. and the union of the Two Bases? Together, Mighty Megatron. we shall rule Cybertron. and then, the universe. will be ours!
[Labs and workshops with Vilnacron are abuzz with activity; multiple Cassettes, Reflector clones and Seekers constructing and rebuilding new weapons, warriors, and armies. Starscream walks amid the activity, supervising every aspect of the construction.]
STARSCREAM: (v/o) The old world will burn and dissolve in the fires of the Decepticon juggernaut. Cities will fall. A new universal order shall rise. We will drive the machine of our empire with the blaster, the launcher, and the armory of the Decepticons. We need only remove those pitiful creatures. who dare to oppose us.
[Cut to Starscream, standing amid a horde of Insecticons, all bearing torches and crude weapons.]
STARSCREAM: The Autobots of Polyhex have taken your land! They drove your people to scratch a chance for survival off the rubble of broken cities!
SHRAPNEL: Robbers! They shall pay, pay!!!
STARSCREAM: Take back the resources and lands they stole from you, Insecticons! Devour every outpost and civilian settling. It will begin in Polyhex. Too long have these low-standing civilians stood against you. But no more!
[Next scene: A swarm of Insecticons, accompanied by an army of Seekers and Reflector clones, overtake an Autobot settlement in Polyhex. Scores of Autobots gather their belongings and flee before the invaders can arrive, but some are not so lucky. Arcee sends two young Autobots off.]
ARCEE: This is important! You need to deliver this warning to Ultra Magnus in Post Omega! We are under attack! Go! GO!!!
[As the young Autobots speed off, the Decepticon army has taken the settlement, destroying building and devouring its base materials.]
STARSCREAM: (v/o) Polyhex, Mighty Megatron, will fall.
* * * * * *
[Cut to: Post Omega. Ambulance-mode Ratchet drives in, accompanied by a squad of Protectobots. They unload Ratchet's cargo - a severely-damaged Hot Rod - onto a medical bay, and Ratchet transforms to robot mode to examine him. Chromia is nearby to assist, but it doesn't look good. They leave the Protectobots to watch over the repairs, and head to the command center of Ultra Magnus, who is seated on a chair... but is motionless and voiceless, looking old, weary, and badly rusted.]
CHROMIA: It's bad news, Ultra Magnus. Your top cadet Hot Rod has been seriously injured.
[Ultra Magnus gives a barely audible moan in reply.]
RATCHET: He was attacked by Decepticons. If we don't ready our defenses, Starscream will take Polyhex unopposed.
HUMAN VOICE OFSCREEN: That is a lie.
[Ratchet and Chromia's attention are turned to a humanoid figure, part organic, part machine, with a skullcap and a metal glove. He arrives beside Magnus's position.]
DR. ARCHEVILLE: Starscream has long been our friend and ally.
RATCHET: The Decepticons are running freely all over the area! Nobody can stop them! And they're all bearing Starscream's symbol.
[Ratchet disgustedly drops a scrap of "material" bearing a Decepticon symbol, with a red ornate "SS" superimposed on it.]
ARCHEVILLE: Why do you insist of bringing your troubles to a weary old Autobot? Can't you see he's tired of your malcontent? Your warmongering?
RATCHET: Warmongering? You accuse us of warmongering?!
[Ratchet grabs the cyborg human by the front of his throat and hoists him up singlehandedly.]
RATCHET: How long has Starscream bought you off, Archeville? Did he promise you rulership over the Earth, while leaving Cybertron as a dead world?
[As Chromia departs to check on the progress of the Protectobots, A pair of Autobot guards restrain Ratchet, dropping Archeville to the ground, surprisingly uninjured.]
ARCHEVILLE: You know too much, Autobot. You are thus banned from Polyhex. under the penalty of death.
[The guards drag Ratchet from the command center, while Magnus remains powerless and wordless.]
* * * * * *
