Questions are answered and more are asked in this second piece of the Luna story.
The heroes become the villains and villains become the heroes.
Wars are waged... And none are ended...
"WHAT?!" Thunderwing asked filled with rage. "One of my L.A.D.'s was killed?!"
Knockout sighed in frustration.
"This is what happens when you don't hook your units up to live feed." He said.
"SIR!" A Vehicon said running into the throne room.
"What is it now?" Thunderwing groaned.
"Bloodron and Macabre of lord Razorclaws council have arrived unexpectedly and wish to see you!"
"Lord Razorclaw?" Thunderwing questioned. "The Razorcl-"
"And Grand Watcher Soundwave has also arrived to meet with you. What should we say?"
Thunderwing's face made a painful look. Then he put his fingers to his head.
"Put this moon on high alert." Said Thunderwing. "Everything goes under lockdown until we find out who killed my Look Alike Drone. Until then... No one can know I'm alive.."
Kaon Borderlands:
Hungur was inside a stasis pod healing his injuries.
The rest of the Terrorcons were spread about in the abandoned Autobot base.
Rippersnapper sat in a corner gnawing the heck out of an Autobots arm from a recent battle. Cutthroat stared through a window looking bored. And Blot and Sinnertwin were gambling with a Triggercon and two Infernocons. The Triggercon was named Crankcase and the two Infernocons were called Flamefeather and Sparkstalker.
Crankcase was winning. But then Sinnertwin pulled a suprise on his turn and beat everyone. Then Crankcase started slamming Sinnertwin's head repeatedly into the table they were gambling on.
Suddenly the main blast doors of the base opened and a blue, grey, and pink Decepticon with a mechanical bird on his shoulder walked in.
Crankcase dropped Sinnertwin's head mid-slam.
"About slaggin' time ya got back Dealer." Said Flamefeather. "We thought you'd died or somethin'!"
"You really lost your hope in me?" Asked Doubledealer. "That saddens me. Honestly!"
"Yeah bird brain- WE SHOULD BE THANKING HIM FOR EVERYTHING HE'S DONE!!" Yelled Crankcase bonking the top of Flamefeather's head with his fist.
"It was just a joke." Flamefeather said wimpily.
"What's that in your hand?" Crankcase said pushing himself away from the gamble table.
Doubledealer flipped it around in his hand several times.
"It's a complete copy of all the coordinates, routes, and detours our companions will be taking in their journey through the stars." Said Doubledealer.
Everyone looked bored or dumbly looked at what it was.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Cutthroat said walking into the room.
"After you built shields against their radars-Arranged a battle strategy-stole their tech and infiltrated their ranks-you bring back a flimsy disk of nothing?!!?"
Doubledealer looked at the disk.
"If you don't want it, fine, I'll keep it. Just remember everything I gave you." He said.
"You wouldn't even have this base if it weren't for me!"
Crankcase walked over to Cutthroat and stomped on his foot!
"You idiot!" He yelled at him.
Cutthroat bounced around on one foot while holding his other one in pain.
"I'm sure it's good, right?" Asked Crankcase.
Doubledealer grinned.
He flashed the card again and started saying: "This contains a clean path straight to Earth without any interference with local star systems. Straight to Earth, the haven for intergalactic crooks as us."
"Bu- wait. Ain't Earth completely defended by th' Galactic Council?" Asked Sparkstalker.
"Yes. But ,in the past several decades of not being on that planet, we've allowed for it to grow in both technology, and energy. Reports from the galactic web say that they've built toward the skies with their cities. If we go there we can just go underground."
Said Doubledealer.
"Underground?" Asked Sinnertwin. "We usually live underground. Why would we want to go back that way?"
Doubledealer looked at him.
"Because then we'll live." He said.
"What does that mean?" Asked crankcase.
"Cybertron is dying. There's no doubt about that. And when that happens, we all die. I just want a home where I can live and stay alive." Said Doubledealer.
"How would we even leave Cybertron?" Asked Cutthroat.
"You know how." Said Doubledealer.
Everyone looked at each other.
"What?" Everyone asked at the same time.
Dealer face palmed himself.
He held his hand out and pointed to the three mile large ship sitting in the hangar next to them.
"Oh Yeah!" Everyone said at the same time. "SCORPONOK!"
Soundwave walked down the halls of the Kimia laboratory on Luna One.
Deep down he was filled with rage. But he hid it.
He didn't kill the real Thunderwing.
But... No matter. The plans are so far ahead that this is a small problem.
Everything so far has come together:
~Flashback~
On the Sky Barge a few days ago-
Soundwave stood on a balcony observing the wasteland this base hovered over.
He foresaw that one day it could be wiped clean and turned into something useful.
That is if Cybertron survives long enough.
But if it comes down to it... The whole universe and beyond is available.
It was always Megatron's desire to conquer beings weaker than him.
Soundwave just recently gained control over the Insecticon swarms. He intended to use them to wipe out the remaining Autobots. Sure he needed two compatible Autobots to merge the Dark Matrix with, and of course the Decepticon Hooligan who is one of the last remaining Cybertronians who can contain a pocket dimension within themselves.
All that needs to happen is to take two Autobots to Deathsaurus's city dead or alive and then let Hooligan do the rest.
Hooligan only needs to absorb the Dark Matrix into his pocket dimension.
Due to the way the dimension exist, the reality there is warped. Much like Limbo or the Afterspark. But the unimaginable power and energy from the Dark Matrix should consume it.
But it would also consume Hooligan. Which would more than likely result in him being compacted into a square of metal. The Dark Matrix can't be contained by only one user. It needs two.
Hooligan is just a safety measure that ensures that it wouldn't compact the other users either.
Then Soundwave will only have to unleash ultimate destruction upon New Iacon City and claim Deathsuarus's combiner before going to Luna One...
And... After that... Gigatron? Yes. There is something in store for him too.
There is true loyalty in him.
Perhaps he can be recruited.
...
At that time Soundwave thought of a plan that will take place days later.
~End of Flashback~
Soundwave was escorted by two Thrust Vehicons to a meeting room.
Thunderwing, Bloodron, Macabre, and Gigatron were all seated in the meeting room.
Soundwave took his seat.
"And we still don't know how New Iacon was destroyed?" Asked Bloodron.
"No. As I said, I knew nothing about its destruction. Me and my troops were scavenging Luna before we caught some small Autobot resistance leader." Said Thunderwing.
"Hm." Said Bloodron. "Curious we'll have to report this to Razorclaw."
That name sent an irresistible shiver down Soundwaves spine.
"Was there any sighting of Deathsaurus by any chance? His wife? Any of his family or top guard?" Asked Macabre who is also a member of a black ops squad under Razorclaws personal authority.
"Well, from reports, none of them have been spotted among the refugees coming out of the city." Said Bloodron. "Maybe he got mixed up in the crowds."
"He should be leading the crowd!" Said Thunderwing.
Bloodron tilted his head downward.
"If that's so.." He took his helmet off and put it to his chest despite his metallic beard being in the way.
He put it back on his head.
"If that's so-that means the Decepticon empire has just taken one very big loss." Said Macabre.
"Who will take his place?" Asked Bloodron.
"No." Said Thunderwing. "More importantly-do any of you know what destroyed that city? You Soundwave? Anyone?" He demanded slamming his fist into the table.
Soundwave stared blankly at him.
"Perhaps it was a scientific mistake that brought the city to its end?" Said Bloodron.
"I have an idea to what it was-because I've noticed it happening in other areas too." Said Soundwave.
Everyone looked at him. Gigatron was just piddling with a bullet, flipping it between his fingers. Not paying attention.
"What?" Asked Thunderwing.
"Recently. Deathsaurus reported to me that he was digging beneath his city in search of something. He mentioned that he found a new type of energon." Said Soundwave.
"What kind of energon?" Asked Thunderwing. "Red energon? Synthetic energon? Dark energon? Or was it actually the long lost ore-13?"
"As I said." Said Soundwave. "It is a new type. But the last thing Deathsaurus told me was that it started flooding his mines. More than likely it became explosive like most energon and destroyed the city."
"That... Should we go and extract the energon?" Asked Bloodron.
"You old fool!" Thunderwing shouted at Bloodron. "We respect Deathsaurus and leave the city alone. It is his grave. His resting place."
Soundwave grinned under his faceplate. Thunderwing is too filled with honor and respect to investigate. And if they did go to the city. They would only find poisonous energon. As Deathsaurus had told him anyway.
It would be both explosive and toxic. The creature he brought to life in that city has probably left it now and roaming the wastelands. The creature has also more than likely busted the underground pipeline leaking regular energon into the poisonous energon causing a chemical reaction. Then it would explode destroying extra evidence of his involvement.
A bit extra good luck that he hadn't foreseen. Even though Soundwave doesn't believe in luck.
"Bloodron, Macabre. Go take your Intel back to Razorclaw. This meeting is adjourned. For later. This just happened... And... I beleive each of us are working on different things?" Asked Thunderwing.
Soundwave nodded. And Thunderwing looked at his arm shaking. Then he grabbed his arm and pushed it to the table.
Gigatron or Overlord sort of smirked, then rose from his chair and left.
"Disrespectful youngster." Bloodron said under his breath.
Soundwave saw differently about Gigatron however.
And what he saw in Bloodron is age. Megatron's time or older. Just like Thunderwing and Razorclaw. But it's been proved that nowadays, trying to kill a Decepticon from a former generation is difficult and not recommended.
But as Gigatron left Soundwave saw him drop his bullet to the floor.
As Soundwave left he grabbed it.
And as he thought, it was a data recorder.
Prison block 78 on Luna One-
Rad, Smokesniper, Rumbler, Sprocket, Braver, and Laster were escorted in chains by Thrust Vehicons to an open prison cell.
The prison was big and seemingly endless. Every prison cell was right next to each other with hallways every two cells. The ceiling, walls, and floor were made of strong bulletproof glass. The metal beams connecting the glass extended below the floor and visibly connected to the ground below-which was very little. Below the prison was a sea of lava with weird islands spread about everywhere.
The prison for Autobots.
One of the most most messed up thing for Decepticons to do.
The Autobots are sent down to mines and watched over by Vehicons.
The Vehicons can do the work, but Decepticons enjoy making them suffer.
Sometimes if other Decepticons act up, they're thrown in here too.
And the Decepticons expect to get out at times, but they don't last a day because they're torn apart by vengeful and insane Autobots.
These Autobots just now arriving were just tod by their neighboring prisoner as soon as they were put in there.
The Autobot's name is Ranger.
"So what happens if we escape?" Asked Smokesniper.
The other Autobot looked at him dumbly.
"What? No one can escape. Once we're put here, we never leave." He said.
"That's not right." Said Smokesniper. "There's always a way."
"Sure." The other Autobot said sarcastically. "That's why I've been here for thirty years."
Rad sunk to the floor and groaned.
"I feel like I can do more after surviving the Sky Barge. But I need answers!" He said.
"What kind of answers?" Asked Smokesniper.
"What happened to Thunderclash and why they kept us alive." Said Rad.
"You know why." Said Smokesniper. "They want to see us mining what ever this Ore-8 or whatever it is."
"But then where did they take Thunderclash, did they kill him?" Asked Rad.
"Well.. Uh." Smokesniper said.
"It's very likely that they kept him alive." Said Braver. "They kept us alive didn't they?"
"You Elite Guard really think that there's a reason for everything don't you?" Asked Ranger from the other cell.
"Decepticons have no reasons for anything they do."
Braver and Laster looked at each other.
"It's bad wether they have a reason or don't have any." Said Braver.
"But we know they do. They're really organized and predict our moves like it's the last thing they do." Said Laster.
"They wouldn't do that for no reason. We know they hate us... But... In the millions of years we've fought them.. I've seen so many different expressions of why any of us continue to fight. What each of our reasons are."
Everyone was silent after that, even Ranger. He barely rolled his eyes then he looked away nodding.
The Sky Barge docked with Thunderwing's castle-
Leozack punched the door of the cell he was in.
"I can't believe that guy!" He yelled.
Everyone he was with were split into several cells.
With him was Deathcobra, Felbat, and Lyzack.
"Who, Soundwave? We know. See my tears?" Felbat asked sarcastically. "It's because of you we were trapped by him."
"Don't you dare say it's my fault! I was trying to get Soundwave out of our city before he did anything!" Said Leozack. "I don't know how he spawned that creature right in the middle of our city though."
"He approached me first though." He said. "He needed help is what he said."
"And I thought I could take that chance."
"Therefore it is your fault." Said Deathcobra.
"Don't talk to him like that!" Said Lyzack. "At least he tried getting rid of the threat. If we would have stayed we would have been killed by that creature."
"You would defend him." Deathcobra scoffed.
"Your his closest friend and relative, you were born and built next to each other, while the rest of us were off in another part of the city. We could have stayed and fought the beast in our combined mode and saved our city!"
"Like Dinoking did?" Asked Lyzack. "And he ended up dead."
"Two are better than one, and we could have just abandoned Soundwave if he's such a big deal and let him get stepped on or something!" Said Felbat.
"It's because Soundwave doesn't go down easily." Said Leozack.
"It takes way more if anything to take him down."
"Tsk. How to you know?" Asked Deathcobra.
"There's a reason he's one of the big guys of the entire Decepticon empire." Said Leozack.
"Yeah, don't underestimate Soundwave, Deathcobra." Lyzack said.
Suddenly the door opened and Soundwave stood there.
"Your time has arrived."
~thirty minutes ago~
Soundwave went to a hidden closet in his Sky Barge.
Then he transformed into his computer mode.
The bullet attached to a port.
Then Soundwave started seeing a video loading onto his mainframe.
The video began with Gigatron lying on the ground in pieces.
What? But he was just alive when he gave this to me.
Then the video skipped to two Humans working at a desk.
Why are humans messing with Gigatron?
One human had Gigatrons helmet to the side while he was wiring circuits in Gigatrons brain.
The other human was welding a Decepticon symbol onto a separated chestplate before she attached it to his chest.
The the video skipped to the two humans standing before a large Transformer.
Who was that? He was very tall, and he had a cloak over his face and body.
One human held something to the Transformer and he bent over to grab it.
His arm was orange and yellow.
And it... Had a symbol on it. What was it?
The video suddenly skipped to Gigatron sitting in a chair.
He looked up with his eyes glowing red.
Then he leapt from the chair and the video it out then skipped again.
Then Soundwave heard voices. They sounded the same, one was repeating what the other had said two seconds after it said it.
It said: When Luna One, Two, and Three are aligned, then it cut out to someone saying "The Allspark?! Are you insane?!" Then the video showed some sort of planet being torn apart.
Then the entire video went silent.
"I hope you enjoyed seeing how I was built first then born second, but right now I only have time to tell you one thing." Said Gigatrons voice. "Right now the Pretenders are directly beneath the Sky Barge."
~End of flashback~
Soundwave and the Breastforce stood at the edge of a cavern leading to the depths of the moon beneath the Sky Barge.
A cold wind blew up at them from it.
"So what are we doing here?" Asked Jallguar.
"I need you to combine." Said Soundwave.
Leozack scowled at that.
"We're new at this, so don't expect perfection!" Said Guyhawk.
"I don't need perfection." Said Soundwave.
"I just need you in your combined form drilling through the tunnels with your driller pike."
Leozack sighed.
"Let's do this." He said throwing his fist in the air unexcitedly.
Drillhorn and Killbison transformed into legs.
As legs they rocketed back from the feat as Jallguar transformed into the lower body and Leozack transformed into the upper body.
The body connected to the legs.
Guyhawk and Felbat transformed into arms and the body leaned forward for them to connect.
They all combined to Form Leokaiser!
Deathcobra and Lyzack went to transform to turn into the guns but Soundwave stopped them.
"You'll only interfere." He said.
Deathcobra crossed his arms. "So what do you want us to do?" He asked.
"Follow us." Said Soundwave.
Leokaiser reached down to his right leg and grabbed the drill from Drillhorns combined leg form.
The drill ( from mass displacement ) grew larger. It became the size of a normal Transformer.
Leokaiser raised the drill like he was about to throw a spear and charged the caverns.
The small cramped caverns suddenly became larger and stone and natural metal plating caved in from the collapsing rubble.
Soundwave stepped forward and followed as Leokaiser drilled deeper into the caves with Lyzack and Deathcobra following him.
On top of the Sky Barge, Darkark watched it all happen.
He growled and turned to walk away.
The prison caves-
Rad and Smokesniper attacked the stone walls with their pickaxes.
"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Asked Smokesniper.
"Because you'll be taken to the magma chambers to work in the heat instead of here in the nice cool ventilated caves." Said Ranger.
"Just keep working here and you'll be fine." He said.
"Right." Said Rad.
Rad swung harder into a rock.
"Woah, don't go too crazy with that." Said Ranger. "You don't want to wear yourself out, there's still a whole day ahead of us."
Rad stopped in mid swing. He stared past his pickaxe at someone else working across the cave.
She's so small, how can she hold that pickaxe?
Smokesniper tapped him on the shoulder.
Rad looked up at him.
Smokesniper looked in the direction Rad was looking in.
He squinted his eyes.
"Awe you've gotta be Kidding me." He said.
"W-what?" Asked Rad.
"She's Decepticon, you can't fall for a Decepticon." Said Smokesniper.
"What?! It's not like that, Smokesniper!" Rad yelled... A little too loudly.
Ranger paused.
He looked back.
The Vehicon warden who always stands on the floor above them was gone.
He got a nervous look on his face.
"Sure." Smokesniper said. "Just saying that it's a bad idea."
"That I wasn't thinking." Said Rad.
"Then why'd you look that way?" Asked Smokesniper.
"Because she caught...my eye...oh." Said Rad.
Suddenly Rad was pushed to the floor!
Smokesniper and Ranger looked at who did it, and saw a Demolishor Vehicon standing behind them with his foot on top of Rad.
"Mind tellin' me why you two aren't working?" He asked.
Ranger turned forward and started frantically smacking the wall with his pickaxe.
"Huh?" Asked the Vehicon. "Why is that. Tell me."
"B-b-because, I uh.." Rad started saying.
"Because I was telling him how you can eat slag!" Smokesniper said insulting the warden!
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!?" Screamed the warden!
Smokesniper shoved Rad into Ranger knocking them both down.
Smokesniper turned and winked at Rad before he turned and armed himself with his pickaxe.
The warden smacked Smokesniper across the ground and into a cart of dug up Ore-8!
Smokesniper got up from that shaking.
He looked up to see the Vehicon warden walking towards him.
Smokesniper then looked around.
Then he saw the Ore-8 lying on the ground.
He picked up a chunk.
He spit on it and started rolling it around in his hands.
The chunk caught on fire and Smokesniper threw it at the warden!
It exploded in his face!
The smoke faded leaving no mark on him.
The warden growled.
Two more Vehicons walked behind Smokesniper and held him down.
Demolishor walked over and started punching Smokesniper.
"Take him to the deepest brig." said the warden wiping off the energon from his knuckles.
Rad looked back at him as they took him away.
"What is he thinking?" He asked. "We could've fought him together!"
"You newbies are crazy." Said Ranger.
Rad looked at Ranger and scowled at him.
"You've clearly forgotten what being an Autobot means." He said.
"Look, Rud, whatever your name is. Being here for so long causes you to forget what you fight for." Said Ranger.
"Not when you really believe what you fight for." Said Rad.
"I'd even give my life knowing that I brought even this place down."
Ranger continued looking at him in puzzlement.
Then his face became serious.
"Your right, kid. I'd rather die than stay here forever mining dirt for their entertainment." Said Ranger.
He turned to face the warden who was standing facing everyone.
"HEY!" He yelled. "YOU!"
The warden looked at him.
Then he growled.
"I'M SICK OF BEING YOUR SLAVE!" He yelled. "THIS ENDS TODAY!"
Rad stared at him.
"This isn't what I meant!" Rad said.
The warden turned to look at the other prisoners.
He then turned to Ranger.
He raised his arm then pointed it at Ranger.
His arm transformed into a cannon and he shot Ranger.
"THAT'S WHAT'LL HAPPEN IF ANYONE ELSE DECIDES TO DO THE SAME!!" He told everyone!
Ranger hit the wall and then slid down.
His chest was smoking.
Rad looked around to see if any Vehicons were watching then he ran to Ranger.
"Are you okay?" Asked Rad.
There was no response.
Rangers eyes still glowed but he didn't speak.
"Somebody take this scrap heap to the brig too!" Yelled the warden walking away.
Rad pushed himself away as two Vehicons walked over and grabbed Ranger.
They hauled him away leaving Rad by himself.
Rumbler, Sprocket, Braver, and Laster were in a different mine.
Rad started to panic now.
He was the only one left.
A loud noise suddenly filled the caves!
"What's that?" He asked.
"Time to shift to the quiet zone!" Said a Vehicon snickering.
"What's that?" Rad asked again.
A prisoner walked past him bumping into him.
So did another.
They were all leaving through a big door.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder.
He looked back and saw the Decepticon that he noticed earlier.
She was colored grey, purple and orange.
And it seemed like she had wings. But the wings dropped down to her feet.
"What do you want?" Asked Rad.
"I just noticed...meow of your friends were taken away." She said.
"Yeah." Said Rad. "What about it, Decepticon?"
"They don't seem to know what the rules are here. And if your their friend, does that mean you don't know the rules either?" She asked.
"How about you mind your own business?" Said Rad.
"I was just saying that if your new, you could use some advice." She said.
That peeked Rads interest. But he was still not fond of talking to a Decepticon.
"Yeah, I had advice, but he was just taken to a brig." Said Rad.
"And my advice did happen to mention that Decepticons that end up here usually don't last a day." He said.
She looked offended by that.
"Y'know,mi was gonna help, but your being mean!" She yelled.
Rad rolled his eyes.
Suddenly he was pushed to the ground.
He looked up and saw an Autobot prisoner standing above him.
He had the Elite Guard symbol on his shoulder like Rad did.
He's Elite Guard?
He stood next to the Decepticon in a defensive position.
"Are you okay, Thunderblast?" Asked the Autobot.
"I am now. He was being mean." Said Thunderblast.
The Autobot who's color scheme looked to be a yellow, orange, and chrome put his foot on Rad's chest.
Then he pressed his foot breaking his chestplate.
"Don't ever-" the other Autobot started.
Then he stopped, his jaw dropping.
"Your... Elite Guard?" He asked.
Rad gulped.
"Yes" he said.
"I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you at all, your Rad right?" He asked. "The one who studied under Ultra Magnus until his death and took up as head of strategic fleet command?"
"Co head of strategic fleet command." Said Rad correcting him. "Who are you? And who is she?" Asked Rad.
"I'm Gunrunner, she's Thunderblast. She's not as Decepticon as she looks." He said.
"Oh really?" Rad asked.
"Yes, I know your skeptical, but really it's a long story." Said Gunrunner.
"How long?" Asked Rad.
"Long enough to get caught by the warden and thrown into the brig." Said Gunrunner.
"Anyway. We all have to get going to the quiet zone." He said.
"And, what's that?" Asked Rad in a more friendly tone.
"Let's just say that we should all be very quiet while mining. Very quiet." Said Gunrunner. "If we're too loud death will get you."
Not too far away-
Leokaiser cut through layers upon layers of rock and steel until he hit something harder.
Soundwave stepped forward and saw a large gateway standing in their way.
It was the door to the Pretenders.
"Open it." Said Soundwave.
"But-" Leokaiser tried.
"Open It." Soundwave said again more stern.
Leokaiser sighed.
Then he drove the drill pike into the doors.
It tore through the doors and ripped them free from their hinges.
They collapsed and turned into a pile of rubble.
An unknown amount of darkness stood before them.
Leokaiser then decombined and the Breastforce reunited and stood behind Soundwave.
"Why are we here anyways?" Asked Leozack.
""I might as well tell you." Said Soundwave. "You've heard of Pretenders right?" He asked.
Some of them nodded.
"Thunderwing trapped every single one of them within these caves. And I want control of them right now before I take this moon from him."
Everyone was shocked.
"You're taking Luna One from Thunderwing, Soundwave?" Asked Leozack.
"That's absurd!"
"Your right, Leozack, but Thunderwing doesn't deserve anything on this moon. Not the Pretenders, not his castle, not the Ore-8, and not the moon." Said Soundwave.
"Which is why I am going to kill him."
Everyone was silent.
That is the most crazy idea Leozack had ever heard.
It must be a joke.. But Soundwave doesn't joke.
Everyone just stood there.
Soundwave turned to face the entrance.
Suddenly a tentacle stretched out of the shadows at Soundwave!
Soundwave dodged it and pushed Deathcobra into his place!
The tentacle grabbed Deathcobra and dragged him into the shadows!
Everyone reacted by jumping in after him except Soundwave who was dusting himself off from the sudden movement.
When the Breatsforce went into the darkness everything lit up.
They looked up and saw hundreds of half organic and half metal creatures standing in large crowds!
"These are Pretenders!?" Lyzack questioned in disgust.
"They look worse in person than what I read about." Drillhorn muttered.
Suddenly everyone heard screams!
They looked where it was coming from and saw Deathcobra being attacked by dozens of Pretenders!
Soundwave walked into the the light and simply watched as the Pretnders tore Deathcobra apart.
The others were trying to pull them off Deathcobra but were being overwhelmed themselves.
Soundwave just watched.
Suddenly Soundwaves visor lit up.
He curled inwards and hugged his stomach.
He fell to the ground in pain.
"W-what's going on?" He asked.
Soundwave shook as he reached for a button on his chest.
He pressed it before a Pretender went to grab him and he suddenly disappeared!
"Soundwave?" Leozack questioned.
"H-he bailed on us!" Guyhawk shouted.
Soundwave teleported onto his Sky Barge.
He walked unsteadily to the bridge before collapsing.
His visor went dark.
A video started playing in his head.
"You didn't think I'd just give you what you wanted without having to pay a price? Did you?" Asked Gigatron.
"How does this benefit you?" Asked Soundwave in his mind assuming that it was actually a live video.
"It doesn't." Said Gigatron. "I just want to see you turn into a Pretender."
Thunderwing's command center-
"Has anyone found out who killed my L.A.D. yet?" Asked Thunderwing.
"No." Said Knockout. "It's basically your fault for not installing cameras in them."
"Bah, I don't have time to argue with you, Knockout." Said Thunderwing.
"It's about time I tested my new weapon."
"Is the target set?" He asked.
"Yes." Said a Vehicon.
Gigatron walked in.
"Oh this'll be good." He said.
Thunderwing walked over to a lever.
Then he pulled it.
At the same time two Vehicons pulled two other levers.
In the center of the moon a cannon barrel extended from the surface.
A red glow filled the inside and an energy beam exploded out and shot from it.
From Cybertron's perspective the laser beam light filled the sky.
The beam shot across the galaxy and smashed into a planet.
The planet was cut clean in half!
The planet then blew up.
"Complete success!" Yelled Knockout happily.
"Looks like this payed off." Said Thunderwing.
"What about the Galactic Council?" Asked Gigatron.
"Let them come!" Said Thunderwing. "I'm unstoppable now!"
"Are you?" Asked someone.
"Who said that?" Asked Thunderwing.
"I did." Said the Insecticon leader, Darkark walking into the room.
"H-how?" Asked Thunderwing. "This place is on lockdown!"
"Not anymore!" Said Darkark.
"Give usss the Pretender cure." He said.
"Why?" Asked Thunderwing.
"Do you want Soundwave to die?" Asked Darkark. "Because I know he'd rather die than become a Pretender."
Thunderwing looked to Knockout, then to Gigatron.
"Or what?" He asked.
Darkark smiled. "I'm glad you asked."
A swarm of Insecticons filled Thunderwing's command center!
Gigatron's smile faded and he grabbed a gun from an emergency armory station.
The Vehicons aimed the guns at the Insecticons but were picked up and thrust through the viewport windows of the command Center!
They screamed on the way down to the ground even though they aren't programmed to do that.
Thunderwing's arm transformed into a sword and he sliced it at an Insecticon.
It smashed into the ground as Thunderwing attacked another one.
Gigatron shot several down along with Knockout.
Darkark flew over to Thunderwing grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into a wall!
Gigatron and Knockout aimed their guns at Darkark.
But then two Insecticons aimed their guns at them.
"You don't want to do that." Said Darkark. "For his sake and yours."
They dropped their guns.
"How did Soundwave even get the Pretender virus?" Asked Thunderwing.
"Ask your friend Gigatron." Said Darkark nudging his wing at him.
Thunderwing looked toward Gigatron. So did Knockout.
Gigatron laughed.
"Really?" He asked.
"You think I have anything to do with this?" He asked.
Darkark pressed harder against Thunderwing's neck.
"OVERLORD!!" Thunderwing yelled.
Gigatron stopped smiling.
"Handle this yourself pops." He said.
He transformed into his jet/tank mode and flew out the window.
Thunderwing hung in silence.
Shocked he dropped his arms.
"I'm not sure if it will work, but the cure is five levels below us in the medical center." He said.
"Thank you." Said Darkark.
He left the room with his Insecticons following him.
"That was a close one!" Knockout said gasping.
"To you too?" He asked.
"Bring that Autobot we captured." Said Thunderwing. "The lockdowns over. Clearly the power here is Soundwave. One of my best soldiers has betrayed me. I could think he's the one who killed my L.A.D. But I know it was Soundwave."
"W-what?" Asked Knockout.
"And release the Pretenders. All of them."
The mines-
A green crystal covered creature crawled about in the mines, and from time to time snapped up one of the prisoners who made too much noise while mining.
Rad stood near Gunrunner and Thunderblast as they quietly mined.
The creature brushed past them barely noticing them.
But then they heard a scream near them.
Rad flinched at that.
Suddenly the mine filled with red light and sirens blared from speakers.
Vehicons who stood on another floor above them looked up at the noise.
"What?" They asked.
Suddenly the creature jumped up and ripped through the floor and dragged a Vehicon down to the cave floors!
Everyone looked at each other in panic.
The creature chewed the Vehicon into pieces as prisoners ran around while the red lights kept flashing!
An elevator brought Vehicons down to the cave level and they started firing their guns at the creature.
Somebody turn those sirens off!" Yelled Demolishor, the warden.
"Why are they even going off?" He asked.
The coms on the speakers turned from sirens to a crackling voice.
"All Vehicons leave the prisoners in the mines and get to the surface. Immediately!" Yelled Science commander Knockout over the radio.
The creature collapsed to the floor after being stunned a couple of times.
The Vehicons turned to the elevator.
"Copy that." They all said at the same time.
They rushed to the elevator leaving the warden Demolishor
Then elevator rose up to the surface.
Demolishor turned to the prisoners.
They all stared at him with their pics armed.
"Let's get out of here." Said Gunrunner to Rad and Thunderblast.
The prisoners all charged at Demolishor and attacked him!
Gunrunner, Rad, and Thunderblast ran down a hallway into another mine passing other prisoners on the way too.
Rad turned a corner and bumped into someone. He looked up and saw Braver, Laster, Sprocket, and Rumbler.
"We were just looking for you!" Said Laster. "Where's Smokesniper?"
"The Vehicons took him to a brig somewhere. I don't know where though." Said Rad.
"You must be Elite Guard too!" Said Gunrunner. "You're Braver... And you're Laster!"
"Yep, and your on our side now too, am I right?" Asked Sprocket.
"Yep, me an' Thunderblast here." Said Gunrunner.
Sprocket squinted at her.
"It's fine, bro." Said Rumbler. "We just need to get out of here."
Sprocket nodded. "Your right."
"We have to get Smokesniper immediately." Said Laster. "I don't like being here, it leaves a bad feeling."
"Speaking of bad feelings." Said Braver. "Somethings not right if the Vehicon guards were called off."
"Yeah, that's never happened before." Said Gunrunner.
"Then Autobot's-" said Laster. "Roll out!"
Braver and Laster transformed into cars. So did Rad, Gunrunner, and Rumbler.
Sprocket and Thunderblast transformed into hovercraft.
And they all sped through the mines in search of their comrade.
Pretender caverns-
"I'm only down here because commander Thunderwing's lost it."
"Literally-I think having a near death situation and a traitor amongst his top men caused his mind to explode." Said Knockout. "Figuratively of course."
The Vehicon drones blankly stared at him.
"Yeah, that's the only reason why I'm down here." He said.
"Anyway, once we open these doors we run like scrap."
"How does scrap run, sir?" Asked one of the Vehicons.
"You don't want to know." Said Knockout.
Suddenly he paused.
They stood before the the fallen doors of the Pretenders chamber.
Darkness filled what was past those doors.
"How, when did they get out!?" Knockout asked.
Suddenly the whole cave shook!
"Quakes!" Yelled Knockout.
Rocks and dust rained down from the ceiling of the cave as the quakes kept up.
Suddenly something emerged from the darkness.
The darkness seemed to deattach from what was emerging like water being pulled by wind off of a surface.
What emerged was a combiner!
Knockout froze.
"The Pretenders learned to combine?" He asked full of fear and shock.
"No." Said the combiner.
"Soundwave left us for scrap for us to fight these things." It said.
Knockout stood trying to process that. But then it clicked.
"Soundwave is behind this." He realized.
"And he knows about the weapon in this moon." Said the combiner. "The Pretenders were the first step in his plan. They left a long time ago."
Knockout gulped.
"This whole operation is going sideways." He said.
"Follow us." He said. "We need to report this to Thunderwing."
Thunderwing's castle-
An Autobot was brought up before Thunderwing by two Demolishor Vehicons.
"Dai Atlas, I presume?" Asked Thunderwing.
"Who's asking?" Asked the Autobot.
"I have only have but a simple offer." Said Thunderwing.
"You hunt down and kill Soundwave and I'll free all Autobot prisoners I have in custody."
"Would you really, Decepticon?" Asked Dai Atlas. "I know what you are. Deception is literally in your name!"
"You act like you don't want to see your fellow Autobots be freed from their deadly working conditions in the mines. Remember how I have them work in the magma chambers, in the frosted chambers. And I have them survive or die in the death crystal mines." Said Thunderwing. "They've forgotten what it means to be Autobots" they've been in there so long."
Dai Atlas gritted his teeth.
"You Decepticon monster!" Yelled Dai Atlas.
"So is Soundwave." Said Thunderwing. "Now go kill him."
The Sky Barge-
Soundwaves hands started turning into claws. His mouthplate started extending like a beak. Wings extended from his back too.
He was strapped down to a table. Decepticon's Chopshop, Barrage, and Venom guarded his room.
Suddenly his chest opened up and dozens of Recordicons came out turning into monsters themselves!
Ravage became an armor plated puma. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw turned into pterodactyls. And Rumble and Frenzy turned into some type of monsters with clawed hands.
Darkark walked in leading the guards with him.
"Annihilate the little onesss." Said Darkark. "There is only enough of the cure to save one."
Chopshop and Venom raised their guns and fired at the beasts roaming around the room.
Darkark walked up to the mutating Soundwave.
He looked at the cure.
He held it back for a moment then he stabbed it into Soundwaves Spark.
The beak retracted. So did the claws and wings.
Soundwave layed in stasis on the table.
Darkark stood speechless above Soundwave.
He wondered.
If Soundwave can predict almost anything.
Why couldn't he predict this?
Suddenly the whole Sky Barge shook!
Darkark ran to a window and saw thousands of Vehicons firing upon their flying base!
He looked back towards Soundwave.
"What do I do when your offline?" He asked.
Soundwave was asleep and couldn't respond.
"What do I DO?!" Asked Darkark furiously.
Suddenly an echoing voice boomed in Darkark's receptors!
He fell to his knees in agony!
"Wwwhhaaattt iiiissss ttthhhiiiissss?!" He asked painfully.
"It's me Darkark." Said Soundwave in his head.
"Hhhoww?" Asked Darkark.
"No time to explain." Said Soundwave.
"Just listen."
And so Darkark listened to everything Soundwave had to say.
"Evacuate the Sky Barge?!" Asked Darkark suprised.
"Do it." Said Soundwave.
The Sky Barge's force fields deflected almost every blaster bolt and artillery blast that hit it. But the sheilds were starting to fade away.
Knockout stood on a platform outside in a bunker watching the offense.
He just told Thunderwing what he encountered, and so he told him to lead an attack on the Sky Barge.
Leokaiser stood on top of the bunker firing his own guns at the Sky Barge.
He fired using Lyzack's gun mode.
Unfortunately Deathcobra didn't make it.
And that's... That's why they need to kill Soundwave.
As Knockout watched everything he noticed a jet flying towards the Sky Barge.
It was blue, silver, and yellow. And it had a big red glowing Autobot symbol on it.
"That must be the Autobot Thunderwing told me about." Knockout muttered to himself.
It almost seemed like a quiet battle with only the Vehicons attacking.
But nothing defended the Sky Barge.
Dai Atlas flew up to the top of the Sky Barge transforming into his tank mode then into his robot mode.
His face showed nothing but seriousness towards his mission.
When he kills Soundwave he will go back and kill Thunderwing too.
Vehicons and Insecticons were carrying boxes down into the lower parts of the Barge.
Dai Atlas charged them with the weapon the Decepticons gave back to him to fight with.
He slashed straight through one of the boxes and through the chest of an Insecticon cutting him in half.
The Vehicons started hurrying down to the lower decks instead of firing back.
It was likely that they were leading him into a trap.
But it's not a trap when you know it's a trap.
He chased after them down the ramp into the lower decks.
The Vehicons kept running away down the hallways.
No traps were in sight. But still.
They ran into a bigger room.
And he followed.
He didn't have a clue where Soundwave was at the moment. He just knew that he was here on this base.
He ran in after them and saw something unexpected!
Before him was a space bridge!
Dozens of Vehicons, Insecticons, and other more alive Decepticons ran into the bridge carrying boxes.
They're escaping!
It's more than likely that Soundwave has already left through the portal.
None of the Decepticons in the room were paying him any attention.
They were just trying to escape.
Then he realized something.
They're giving up the base.
They're letting it be destroyed.
And he was on it.
..
This base must be kept intact!
This is the ship the Autobot prisoners will escape in.
Dai Atlas ran to the bridge of the Sky Barge, leaving the Decepticon's to evacuate.
He looked for any buttons, or any generators that could keep the force field up while he works on getting them free.
There's no time to kill Thunderwing. Dai Atlas already thought of that.
The main priority is using this to save the prisoners.
He opened a door to a room and saw several more generators in there.
Two. No three. That's enough to last at least five hours. But with the constant battering of fire, maybe.. Two. Two and a half?
It's already been a day since Dai Atlas got here. Saving Star Saber and Nightbeat from Thunderwing. And he's already escaping.
There's something missing. Something that still needs to be accomplished.
But what?
The mines-
Smokesniper hung by his foot back to back with Ranger, mining the Ore-8.
Also hanging over a pit of lava.
Ranger was just informing him about half the moons core is full of lava flows.
Apparently it makes it unstable and causes massive quakes that happen quite often.
It would destroy the moon if it weren't for shields that protected the upper surface.
But that's not even a pinch of what Ranger's been talking about since he got here.
He's said he heroically stood up to a Vehicon in which Smokesniper said 'good for you.'
Unfortunately a Ranger has forgotten what sarcasm is. Even though he's been sarcastic several times...
Smokesniper just hoped that Rad was able to take the chance to make an exit after that incident.
Smokesniper rarely does things like that.
But he did. He put his life on the line to save another's.
That's what this wars been about. Considering he's an Autobot and all. But..
He just planned to live to see a reborn Cybertron.
One with natural Sparks and Protoforms being born. One with cities that glowed without ones that spread gloom and destruction.
A world-no-a universe, where we can be free. Free to live.
But now he's given his chance to-"SMOKESNIPER!"
He looked up from his upside down mining.
Braver, Laster, Rad, Sprocket, and Rumbler and two others stood above him on platforms.
"Your all alive?" He asked amazed. "And safe?!"
"I thought there were guards up above us or something?" Asked Ranger.
"I bet there were." Said Braver. "But they were all called back to the surface." Said Laster.
He started rising along with Ranger.
He saw them pulling on the chains that kept him hanging.
"Hang in there!" Yelled Sprocket.
"I'd rather dangle." Said Ranger sarcastically. "Only if that's fine with you?"
Maybe he was just ignoring Smokesniper earlier.
They pulled him up completely and helped him to his feet.
"So I assume we're escaping now?" He asked.
"We'll try." Said Rumbler.
"No. We will." Said Laster.
They rushed out of the room they were in.
Suddenly something shook them off their feet!
The whole cave was shaking!
"It's a quake!" Someone said.
Suddenly it stopped.
Everything was silent.
Everyone got up to their feet.
"Was that one of those quakes you were talking about?" Smokesniper asked Ranger.
"Yes. But bigger." Said Ranger.
They ran past another prisoner.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"Duh." Said Sprocket. "We're escaping."
The prisoner shook his head.
"That's not the way." He said.
"An outside Autobot just brought us our escape route!"
Everyone looked at each other not knowing if they could believe it.
"Follow me." He said.
All the prisoners were filling a platform grating that covered a large portion of a deep hole that led to the surface.
The sky above them was darkened by the shadow of a ship!
The group ran in and saw the ship above them.
Below them looked like an endless pit.
The Autobots stared in awe to what they saw above them.
It was the Sky Barge they just tried attacking a couple days ago!
It lowered itself into the hole.
All the prisoners cheered as it flew down.
For once Ranger was smiling.
He just stood there smiling and staring at the ship.
A ramp lowered from beneath it.
And on the ramp, a single Autobot stood holding his hand out towards everyone.
Braver and Laster gasped while everyone cheered even more.
Even other Decepticons who had managed to survive cheered.
Braver and Laster just stared directly at who it was.
Dai Atlas stood holding his hand out for them.
Braver and Laster knew exactly who he was.
He was their old leader.
Thunderwing's castle-
"The WHAT?!" Asked Thunderwing furiously.
"I said the Sky Barge just moved on top of the cannon barrel of the super weapon!" Said Knockout from his spot in his bunker.
Thunderwing growled in no apparent way.
His face calmed down as he realized something.
Just fire the cannon.
"Just fire the cannon." He told Knockout.
"I, uh, can't-sir. Your the one in range of the firing system."
Said Knockout.
Thunderwing froze.
In the corner of his eye he saw the lever to fire the cannon. Three had to be pulled at the same time though.
No matter. He thought. I can just override it.
He ran over and pressed his hand on a security scanner, and then the lever lit up.
Then he pulled it.
And through the windows he saw the Sky Barge that was half in the cannon barrel be engulfed in a red laser beam!
He shouted out in joy at his victory.
But then he saw the Sky Barge still in it!?
It wasn't being destroyed!?
"What is Soundwave doing?!" Asked Thunderwing. "And how is he doing it!?"
The Sky Barge-
The shields power was just reduced to twenty percent and was fading faster than before.
If they were lucky the time left in the shields would be the same as the percent.
The cannon kept firing at the Sky Barge.
All power had to be routed to the shields so movement was nullified.
And the cannon laser wouldn't stop firing.
It just spilled off the bottom of the Sky Barge's shields and into space narrowly hitting Luna Two!
All the prisoners were now on the ship as far as Dai Atlas was concerned.
Decepticon or not he had planned on taking them back to Katruun.
But now... It's hard to tell if the cannon will have to stop to recharge any time soon.
If not. They're all going to be killed.
He held tightly on the controls of the ship, and out of the corner of his eye he noticed something. No, someone!
It looked like an Autobot he once knew. Laster?
The Autobot prisoner was staring at him, but Dai Atlas didn't stare back.
There were more pressing problems.
All the prisoners were in the storage chambers in the center of the Sky Barge.
And as he watched them through a security screen, he noticed them fighting.
Thunderwing's castle-
"How long are you going to keep that laser going, lord Thunderwing!?" Asked Knockout still in his bunker.
"Until it destroys them." He said seriously.
"I wouldn't usually say this, but you're insane!!!" Yelled Knockout.
"There's no telling how long that Sky Barge's shields will last! And every minute that laser keeps running is every portion of electricity and energonic power that is drained from our power supplies!" Said Knockout.
Thunderwing ignored him while keeping his hand wrapped around the lever of his super weapon.
On the other side, Knockout waited for a reply.
But none came.
"IT'S SUICIDE!!" He yelled slamming his radio headset to the ground smashing it to pieces!
He ran out of the bunker, noticing all the Vehicon troops were surrounding the cannon barrel firing at the Sky Barge.
He looked up at the gestalt combiner sitting on top of the bunker.
"I'm leaving for Cybertron, you coming?" He asked.
"No." The combiner replied.
"Soundwave must pay." He said. "For destroying both New Iacon and our family."
Knockout stared at him.
Then his eyes widened.
"Your Deathsaurus's lineage, aren't you?" He asked.
The combiner nodded.
"With the single snap of his fingers-Soundwave destroyed everything. He created monsters. He let loose the Pretenders. Then he leaves us by ourselves to die."
Knockout put down his recorder.
"That's evidence enough to take to Razorclaw." Said Knockout.
"With the snap of his fingers-even Soundwave can be forgotten."
The combiner looked at him.
Then he nodded and decombined.
All seven of them nodded. "We will follow."
And they left for a ship.
Thunderwing stood keeping his fist wrapped around the lever so tightly his gears bled.
The laser beam kept shooting at the Sky Barge.
His eyes were filled with rage and insanity.
Suddenly the room shook so hard that it knocked him off his feet!
He held on so tightly to the lever that his hand ripped off.
But... So did... The lever...
The room kept shaking.
Thunderwing CLENCHED his injury as the shaking continued.
The windows shattered from the quake.
The lights flickered.
Monitors buzzed on and off and cracked.
And then it stopped.
He got up shaking from the aftermath and from his injury.
He looked out the windows and noticed the beam stopped firing from the cannon!
He smashed his other fist into a control panel smashing it apart!
But then he realized. It didn't stop firing because the lever broke off.
All the lights went out, so did all computers.
The doors locked.
The airfield went dark, and the Vehicons powered down.
All of them fell over in heaps surrounding the cannon barrel.
Their central computer unit went offline.
No. The whole moon has lost power.
Suddenly there was another quake!
It seemed like a ripple of them!
Thunderwing held onto the control panels with his good hand.
Suddenly the airfield burst!
It started caving in and collapsing into the ground!
The whole base and castle started shaking rapidly!
Panels fell off by themselves and the doors exploded.
The wall's panels crunched into themselves and the whole room started sliding downwards!
The hole where the airfield was, grew bigger.
Then the room Thunderwing was in was consumed into the planet.
Thunderwing's optics burst from the extreme heat of the core, and his armor melted. And then he melted in the core.
And then lava rose.
The Sky Barge-
Dai Atlas laughed at the sight of the beam fading. But then he frowned at the sight of the ground exploding!
Lava blasted through the explosions and tore through the ground creating more lava as the rock and metal melted feeding the destruction!
"If there's no warp engine on this ship, then Primus help us fly fast!" He said.
Other Autobots flipped switches, pressed buttons, and turned knobs!
Then suddenly the windows were filled with the light of thousands of stars passing them as they traveled at the speed of light!
Dai Atlas stopped standing and fell into the captains seat of the chair chuckling in releif.
"You haven't been here as long as the others have, so why are you laughing?!" Asked Laster.
"I'm not laughing because of that." Said Dai Atlas. "I'm just happy I saved you all."
Laster's expression softened, but he still had a certain look in it.
Dai Atlas knew that look. But he just didn't know why his old friend was giving it.
Hundreds of ships left Luna One.
But most were consumed by the fire.
Luna One started caving in on itself before it expanded and started sending debris and rubble across the solar system.
Pieces of the moon rained down on Cybertron destroying several ecosystems and former cities. Othe debris hit Luna Two but not much since it was on the other side of Cybertron.
This event, which escalated from a simple visit to the destruction of the moon-it... Will change Cybertron forever.
"Luna One is gone." Said Knockout from the seat of his ship.
He shook.
"N-nonetheless, your information must be taken to Emperor Razorclaw."
He took the ship down to Cybertron.
Then he landed it down in the middle of nowhere.
"This isn't where his territory is!" Said Leozack. "It's just the plains of Metal!"
"It's only observable when you look past this dimension." Said Knockout. "And you need a code to enter." Said Knockout.
He cleared his throat.
"Ahem... ALL HAIL RAZORCLAW!!"
Suddenly a gate materialized in front of their ship.
The doors opened.
And inside was the final destination.
Deceptiworld.