7. Crafting The Last Words Of The War

The mood as we returned through the ground bridge was much more upbeat than the last time the team had went Key hunting. Starscream had been a Primus damned pike in everyone's side for eons, and Dreadwing hadn't been much better. Having both killed, and securing the final Omega key in the same sortie was quite the moral booster. As the others celebrated in their own ways, I caught Ratchet's eye and the two of us slipped out of the command center. Cocking his head at me as we walked down the hallway, Ratchet said "I still believe that this is a most foolish decision Smokescreen."

"That may be Ratchet, but it IS our best one. I can't just stay in the base for who knows how long until the Nemesis' cloaking drops for whatever miraculous reason." I said firmly.

Ratchet sighed and said "I hate it that you are right. Optimus will NOT be pleased though."

"Probably not, but I can live with that." I said with a shrug. Ratchet sighed again but didn't say anything as we moved into the workshop where he did his more…touchy projects.

Thirty minutes later, I was bolting down the highway at a respectable clip of seventy five miles per hour. I had just ignored Optimus' order for me to return to base, not even acknowledging that I had heard him when my rear view mirror spotted a small object trailing me in the air. 'There you are.' I thought to myself before I begin rapidly swerving in order to avoid the shots Lazerbeak was firing at me. I kept dodging for a mile before I transformed, rolling to my feet as I did so and took a few shots at the nuisance. I actually managed to clip the thing's wing before a wall of sound slammed into me and threw me into a nearby rockface. As I groaned I thought 'Well that part of the plan worked…oooow.' The last thing I saw before darkness took me was Soundwave with the Sonic Resonator Blaster aimed at me.

When I came to, I was welcomed by the sight of Knockout looking over me much closer than in the show. Grinning, he said "Wakey, wakey." In response, I immediately snapped my head forward and slammed it into his own face. The doctor's shout of pain and consequent staggering back a couple of steps as he clutched at his face was extremely satisfying.

Megatron's dark chuckle of amusement had me turning my optics towards him as he said "Ah Smokescreen, I do appreciate that fighting spirit of yours."

I let out a snort and said "Really Megatron, if you wanted to see me so badly, there ARE other ways to get my attention. The humans have made this lovely thing called E-Mail, maybe you should give it a try someday."

Megatron let out another chuckle and said "Spirited to the end I see." Turning serious, he stomped forwards and said "I am oh so tempted to kill you where you stand, you have managed in the short time you have been on this planet to be almost as much a thorn in my side as Optimus Prime has been. However, I have decided that business must come before pleasure." He took a few last steps to the table that I was bolted to and said "Hand me the final Iacon relic, now."

I shot the guy a grin and said "Don't know if you've noticed or not big guy, but I'm kind of tied up at the moment." I gave a demonstrative strain against the restraints on my arms and legs before I jerked my head at Knockout who was fingering the Phase Shifter on his arm and continued "And old Knocky there has the Phase Shifter. Besides, that was the only one I was packing."

Knockout sneered at the nickname but didn't say anything as Megatron looked behind him and said "Soundwave."

Soundwave's visor turned on showing a pixelating image and I put a frown on my face as I said "I'm not the one you want Chief. I may have been posted at Iacon back on Cybertron, but I don't know the decryption they used for the Iacon Database, it was WAY above my paygrade."

"Aaw, but you misunderstand, the final entry has been decoded, by us!" Megatron said with a grin before looking over his shoulder at the image as it cleared up to show me and said "And as you can see, you are indeed 'the one I want'."

"The question is," Knockout said, bringing attention back to him, and more importantly the scanner tablet in his hands as he continued "What is it that you are still 'packing'?" Holding it over me, the tablet beeped and he brought it down to shown his grin as he said "Why, hidden treasure of course!" Knockout walked over to the display monitor by my medical slab and as he put the image up I saw an Omega Key in my chassis outlined in red, right next to where my Red Energon container was located.

Knockout let an inquisitive hum as his optics narrowed at the device attached to one of my Energon tubes but Megatron apparently wasn't interested in the container as he frowned and said "Yet another one of these identical relics?" Turning his head to Knockout, he said "Remove it swiftly."

Smirking, Knockout formed his saw blade in his right hand and said "With pleasure, I do so resent a finish flashier then my own." I resisted the urge to make a comment about that not being a hard thing to do as he brought the rotating saw towards me. What I didn't resist was the urge to try to get out of the bindings as he brought the saw closer to my chest, the closeness of that blade overriding the knowledge that he most likely didn't plan to use it. Thankfully, the blade DID stop, and as he turned it back into his hand, he said "Hah, made you squirm!"

I gave him a dark look that he ignored in favor of experimenting with the phase shifter, putting one hand through the other's arm, and stomping the floor a couple of times as he said "Trippy, and intuitive! Proper grounding ensures that its user won't phase through the floor."

Megatron though wasn't feeling patient for experimentation as he said "I said swiftly!"

Wisely, Knockout quickly drew back his right hand before he reached through my torso and I gritted my teeth as he dug around a little before he grinned and said "Annd, gotcha!"

He pulled the Omega Key out of my torso and showed it to Megatron who gave a small sneer at it before he turned towards me and said "Tell me the function of these relics."

I gave him the most demented grin I could and said "I'm pretty sure that they were made to remove those steel pipes up your Con tailpipes."

Megatron growled but his eyes flicked towards Knockout as he hmphed and said "A pity this little gadget won't let me reach into his brain pan and pluck out the info!"

Taking a step closer, Megatron smiled down at me and said "Fortunately, we possess a device that can."

Grinning in order to hide my slight nervousness, I said "Ooh, you don't want to go digging in there old Meggy, it's full of spinning Tasmanian devils and talking rabbits." I knocked my head back on the slab I was pinned to making a few knocking sounds and continued "Too many hours of watching Looney Tunes you see."

"Is that so? Well then, this should be rather interesting to see." Megatron said in amusement before he walked over to the closest unoccupied slab, and Knockout quickly walked over to a shelf to put down the Omega Key where I finally noticed my knives were held in their magnetic sheaths before he grabbed a certain cable and put it on the back of my head and the back of the slab Megatron was laying on top of. Then my sight was once more overcome by darkness.

Scene Change: My Mindscape

Darkness surrounded us and a Megatron with his original arm back looked around curiously as he called out "I see no animated animals Smokescreen."

"They must be on coffee break." I called from behind him and he turned around with a confused look as he looked for me. Smirking, I called out "Down here, big boy."

Megatron glanced down and he took a confused blink as he said "What the?"

Grinning up at him, I put my human right hand in the pocket of my unzipped Carhartt jacket and gave a nonchalant wave with my left as I said "Yo."

"Smokescreen?" Megatron asked in confusion before his optics narrowed and he asked "Why is your mental avatar that of a human?"

My grin grew and said "That is for me to know, and you to lose dozens of sleepless nights wondering. But me being human in here isn't what you should be worrying about."

"Oh, and what is?" Megatron asked with a raised eyebrow.

My grin grew slightly demented as I pointed up and said "THAT is!"

Megatron turned his gaze upwards and when he took notice of the MASSIVE armada of thousands of space ships that were a combination of Cybertronian, ships taken from the various franchises I had read or seen, and just whatever the hell my mind could come up with, all protecting a properly scaled model of Cybertron, took a satisfying step back as he asked "W-What the?"

"Yeeeeah, turns out that being in stasis mode for a few eons while the escape pod I had been in traveled to Earth gave me plenty of time to work on my mindscape. Pretty impressive isn't it?" I asked with a grin.

Megatron looked back down on me and said with grudging respect in his voice "It is at that Smokescreen. However, it will not stop me from finding the information I seek."

I grinned at him and said "Knock yourself out pal. After all, everything that I know is somewhere on that planet. And to get to THAT, you have to deal with THEM." I gave Megatron a cheerful wave and said in a sing song voice "Have fun~" and warped away to the planet surface. Immediately after, turbolasers and other long-range weaponry began slamming into Megatron's position even as swarms of fighter craft were launched.

Scene Change: Knockout's Medical Bay

As Knockout watched what was going on inside of my head on one of the monitors, he whistled and said "Wow, that's one heck of a mental defense system he's got there." He winced as a bright flash of red light took up the screen and he heard Megatron's roar of annoyed fury. "Glad I'm not in there." The medic muttered to himself.

Scene Change: Back In My Mindscape

Despite my words, I DID actually intend for Megatron to find what he was after. It just wasn't going to be the right version of the information. Misdirection was the key here, and while it was true that I couldn't manipulate the content of my memories, I COULD choose which memories Megatron would find in my Mindscape first. And to that end, the massive armada of ships overhead were constantly leading Megatron towards a certain part of the planet even as they made it seem like they were doing their best to destroy him. An opening of a fighter swarm here, a couple of out of placement ships there, it was all to make Megatron go where I wanted him to.

And where I wanted him was one of the dozens of Iacon Hall knockoffs I had spread over the planet that dealt with my TV show knowledge, more specifically, my Transformers Prime Knowledge. Not that getting inside of that Hall was going to be any easier than getting to the planet surface had been of course. As a smoking and scorched Megatron finally slammed into the ground in front of me with an enraged growl, I grinned and said "Hiya Meggy! Have fun?"

"Your fleets put up an admirable effort Smokescreen, but your defenses have inevitably failed." Megatron sneered down at me as he started striding past me and towards the hall.

Glancing over my shoulder at him, I smirked and said "Oh come now old chap, you really think that those were all of my defenses?" When Megatron stopped and turned slightly as he glanced over his own shoulder with a raised eyebrow, I continued "Those were just the space naval forces, you still have the ground forces to deal with. Hope you're ready for Round Two."

The doors of the Hall swung open and out stepped the seven Gundams of Gundam Wing, flanked by a dozen each of the other types of mobile suits from the show. Openly cackling at the growl Megatron gave at the sight of the mechs, I called out "Ladies and gentlemen, LLLLLEEEEEETTTT'S GET READY TO RRRRRRRRUUUMBLLLLLEEEE!" Deathscythe ignited its namesake at my words and launched itself forth with the intent to tear Megatron a new one and the Silver Gladiator let out a war cry as he brought out his sword and made a charge of his own. What followed for the next thirty minutes was the best episode of BattleBots I had ever seen.

As expected, the non Gundam mobile suits were pretty much cannon fodder for Megatron, only their sheer numbers giving him trouble. But with each suit he destroyed, the easier he destroyed the rest, when he wasn't being attacked by a Gundam at least. But eventually even they were destroyed through vicious combat until only Zero was left. Zero of course could have ended the fight with its colony busting blasters, but I didn't want Megatron defeated so it had left the gun in the Hall before coming out to fight. That did not stop it from being an absolute beast with the pair of beam sabers it had. Megatron let out a roar of pain as he sacrificed his non-sword arm to one of those beams sabers in order to stab said sword through Zero's torso before yanking it up and through its head.

As Zero dropped to the ground with a crash, I gave a slight wince and said "Well that happened."

Megatron panted for a bit, hand going up to his stump of a shoulder as he grinned at me and said "Your last defenders put up just as admirable an effort as your space forces Smokescreen, but now they are no more. You cannot stop me." And with that, he strode over the scrapped remains of my mech guardians and into the Hall. I trotted after him and watched as he walked over to the computer terminal in the center of the entrance hall and said "Let's see what the search words of Final Iacon Relics turns up."

What popped up was a video clip that I had purposefully put at the 'front' of the computer system and Optimus' voice came from the speaker "While I am unfamiliar with the lore of these Omega Keys, Alpha Trion knew many secrets, and the ancients possessed technology that has long been lost to what we consider modern science. Whatever their function, this much is certain. We cannot restore Cybertron without all four Omega Keys in our possession. The future of our home world depends on it."

As the video ended, Megatron glanced back and down at me and viciously grinned as he said "No wonder you fought so hard to keep this information from me."

I had no chance to say anything due to the world turning dark again as Knockout disconnected us.

Scene Change: Knockout's Lab

I came to as Knockout walked over to Megatron and disconnected him. The Silver Gladiator's eyes snapped open and he grinned as he said "The power to remake Cybertron as I see fit." Stepping off the platform the slab was mounted on, he continued "I will pry the other two keys from Optimus Prime's lifeless fingers." Starting to walk towards the Omega Key next to my knives, he said "We must find the exact location of the Autobot base. Patch in and tear apart Smokescreen's mind, if you must."

"Me?!" Knockout said, and the panic in his voice was heard loud and clear.

"Who else? Did you think I would entrust you to see this key safely to the vault containing the other one?" Megatron asked as he held up said key and Knockout looked to the side subdued.

But as Megatron walked to the doorway, I called out "Oh Meeggggy! Aren't you forgetting something?"

The tone of my voice had Knockout taking an instinctive step away from me even as Megatron turned around with an indulgent look in his optics as he said "And what might that be Smokescreen?"

My demented grin returned as I said "I was a guard at the Iacon Hall of Records before I came here, worked as Alpha Trion's bodyguard even until the day we got attacked and I was taken prisoner. You really think I wouldn't have known what I was carrying? And do you think that I wouldn't actually give such an important object to Optimus the moment we were in a safe location?" I VASTLY enjoyed the look of understanding then rage in Megatron's optics as he realized he was holding a fake relic. But before he could open his mouth to demand where the real relic was, my grin grew and I distinctly said "Ban-Kai."

Flashback: A Few Hours Ago, Ratchet's Workshop

Ratchet and I strode in and over to a work table that held an exact replica of the Omega Key I gave Optimus the first day I came to Earth. Gingerly picking it up out of the cradle it was in, Ratchet turned and presented it to me as he said "Here you are Smokescreen, metal shell made out of the same material as the Omega Keys, filled with cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine wrapped around a Cybertronian grenade core, hooked up to a voice activated detonator set to the command word you requested. I must reiterate my question of your sanity for wanting this inside of you."

Cackling a little as I opened up my chest compartment, I said "Oh believe me Doc, I know how crazy this plan is, but that's why it's most likely going to work. After all, how are the Cons ever going to see this coming?"

End Flashback

There was no cliché beeping sound giving any warning, the C4 in the 'Omega Key' just exploded igniting the Cybertronian grenade core in the process which eagerly added its power to the ensuing fireball. Megatron roared in pain as he lost his OTHER hand and was flung backwards, and Knockout got hit with the concussive blast and thrown into the wall by my slab.

I didn't pay that any attention though, as soon as I had said the detonation command, I activated the topped off Red Energon canister inside of me and began rapidly moving my limbs around against their bindings. They gave up the ghost by the time Knockout actually touched the wall and I leapt off the slab and grabbed my knives, slapping their sheaths onto my thighs. Glancing around the room, I noticed that Soundwave had at some point during my little battle of wills with Megatron left the room. Shrugging, I darted over to Knockout's airborne form, grabbed the phase shifter, put it on my wrist, then pulled out my knives and stabbed them through the sides of Knockout's neck. I then rushed over to Megatron's form and did the same, putting my knives through his optics as well for good measure.

I didn't stay to watch the two hit the ground. Instead, I gave a sharp nod then rushed down the hallway, stabbing everyone I saw in the neck as I made my way to the bridge. Sure enough, Soundwave was there, overseeing the drones stationed there. And wouldn't you know it, that was when my first dose ran out. Soundwave quickly spun around when he detected my presence on the bridge, cables shooting out towards me sparking, but I injected my second dose of Red Energon and they immediately slowed the scrap way down. Grinning, I walked forward and sliced the claw ends off before I continued walking and just had a stab fest on him with one knife and Laserbeak with the other, putting as much holes in them as a chain link fence before I turned my attention to the drones in the room.

When the last of the Red Energon wore off, all of the Cons fell to the ground, sparks erupting out of the holes I put in them and a steadily growing Energon puddle started forming under Soundwave. Grinning to myself, I made sure the autopilot was active so that way the ship wouldn't crash into anything then strode out of the bridge whistling. It was time to make a Genocide run.

Two hours later, I was the only Cybertronian alive aboard the Nemesis. My Phase Shifter had been put through its paces, not only did ALL of the Insecticons have those Fuel Rod Cannons, but more than a few of the vehicon drones had rifles that reminded me of Ultra Magnus' gun when he raided Dark Mount and this very ship in the Season 3 Finale. Those two facts puzzled me since I couldn't see Megatron spending all that time making so many weapons with the Forge of Solus Prime until halfway through securing the ship I found a giant machine that did the actual making. An automated hand would stick a chunk of energon and a set amount of metal on one of two conveyor belts, and a Fuel Rod Cannon or Energon Rifle would pop out the other side where another automated hand would move them to a cart that a vehicon drone was waiting next to, obviously to bring to one of the armories of the Nemesis. Needless to say, as soon as I found the thing, I shut it down, though I left its destruction for when Optimus arrived, who knew, we might actually need those big guns further down the line.

Still, everyone else had been dealt with on the ship, even a patrol of fliers that had returned halfway through my one man crusade. There were still all of the Decepticon mines we'd have to clear out of course, but time was certainly something we had in spades now so I didn't worry too much about the thought. Instead, once more on the bridge, I headed for the communications center and set up a video feed with Omega 1.

Ratchet was quick to answer and his usually stern face erupted into a grin as he said "Smokescreen, you're alright."

"Aaand with Omega Key number two." I said holding it up before I turned serious and said "The Nemesis is secured, Megatron, Soundwave, and Knockout are all dead, as are everyone else on the ship."

"Wait, you're telling me you took on everyone on the Con Warship and came out on top?!" Miko asked in amazement, and I noticed that along with all of the Autobots who were looking relieved to see me, Jack, Miko, and Raf were there as well.

I let out a hum of assent at that and Arcee's optics were wide as she asked "How did you pull THAT off?"

Holding up my left wrist, I grinned and said "Phase Shifters are OP." Dropping it back down, I said "Ratchet, I'm sending you the ship's current coordinates and flight path. You guys should bridge up here, we've got a lot to talk about."

"Indeed we do Smokescreen." Optimus said sternly and I didn't bother to hide my wince even as I sent the necessary data then turned off the communications link. Something told me that I was NOT going to enjoy the upcoming conversation, but with Megatron and his inner circle now dead, leaving only Shockwave on Cybertron to deal with, the war was over, and thus, the need to hide what I was as well.

Giving a sigh as the Ground Bridge activated in the Bridge of the ship, I straightened my shoulders and said "Time to nut up or shut up."

END

Author's Notes: Poll and Update Schedule on my Profile.

Whew, well, this SHOULD be the second to last chapter guys. Once this story is done then it will be time to have another poll about what takes this story's slot, so make sure to have another read through of my potential stories so you know what you want to vote for when that poll comes out. I've added one or two since the last one and I have a few extra story ideas running around in my brain pan that I might put up as well.

For now, this is Tac signing out.