I live! Despite ice storms and a complete lack of internet in my building (I'm in the laundry room next door, using theirs) I have returned with the next installment of Prime: Beast Saga! When last we left the Maximals, they were about to battle the Decepticons. The Autobots are struggling to survive in the gladitorial arena, and the human children are investigating a mysterious energy reading deep in the heart of a glacier.
As can be imagined, I own nothing but my words and imagination. Transformers are copyright of Hasbro, the plot (minus one or two very minor details) belongs to Brave Kid.
Little is known about the substance known as angolomois, save for that it was once incorrectly assumed to be the literal blood of Unicron. Limited access to the volatile chemical suggests incredible regenerative powers and extreme energy output. Galvatron frowned thoughtfully and shifted. "Expand description," he murmured. Access denied. The tyrant raised an eyebrow. An ancient datapad was denying him access? "Class: Alpha. Protocol 51-1-Calyx-12. Expand description." he repeated. Information restricted: further knowledge is forbidden. A lesser Predacon might've destroyed the valuable data scroll out of petty frustration, but the Emperor of Chaos was not victim to such emotions. "Munnin, bring me the records of the occult. Anything forbidden, anything corrupted, any alchemist's manifesto you can find, bring to me." There was too much potential in this angolmois to let the matter lie. "My lord?" a soft hiss echoed from the doorway. "Speak," he acted as though he were completely interested in the old scrolls, feigning disinterest in the figure at his chamber door.
"The little one is to be tested in the Dimachaerus ring this solar cycle. Did you wish to see?" The dragon shook his helm. "No, just relay to me whether or not he survives. Do not disturb me until it is time for the Prime to be tested. If he survives, he faces me. If not..." he let the sentence hang with a careless shrug. "As you wish, master." the misshapen shadow retreated, shutting the door behind him.
Arcee swung her arm experimentally and flexed her servos. There was still a twinge of pain amongst the cable clusters of her shoulder joint, but it was eons better than it had been before. She could hear them out there, announcing some sort of "grudge match". It was to be assumed that the Predacons intended to send her out to fight Horri-bull again. The small femme sighed. "Headin' out?" Razorback asked sleepily from the back of the cell. "I think so," she replied, stretching. "Remember what I told you," the warthog warned, somewhat more alert now. "I know, I know. Speed and agility." The portcullis slowly lifted and two Cruellocks stomped in to drag her out. They needn't have bothered: Arcee refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her afraid or reluctant. She strode forward angrily and answered the audience's boos with a smirk and an old Cybertronian signal that probably would have gotten her reprimanded had Prime seen it.
Horri-bull stood in robot mode at the end of the ring, oil dripping from his jaws. At the sight of the apparently cocky gladiatrix, his optics went red and he dropped into beast-mode with an enraged bellow. This time, Arcee started running even before he charged. Use what Jazz taught you, she reminded herself, casting her processor back to the early days of the War. She remembered the easy-going saboteur picking her up after a nasty fall and brushing her off. "Don't sweat the heights, kiddo. It ain't as bad as it looks! Just tell yourself you can do it, and you will. Tell yourself, "I'm going to get hurt!" and you will. It's all in the processor." "It's all in the processor." she muttered, and with a burst of speed, darted halfway up the wall. Kicking off the rough surface, she vaulted over the Predacon's horns like a bull-jumper of ancient Crete. Landing on his back, she snapped open her Tulwar blade and made a swift, decisive slice across the back of his neck.
Horri-bull shrieked and crashed to the ground, coasting to a stop at the south wall with the Autobot femme still on his back. She stood, brushed off her servos, and walked to the same corner she'd used the first time. "Who's next?" she asked calmly. She pretended not to see Archadis in the stands as he winked at her. With one hand, he tossed a rose at the warrior, and with the other hand he collected bets from fellow Predacons. "Always bet on the underdog!" he cackled, "It's never steered me wrong yet!"
Snow-covered boots hit the hard-packed ice with a soft crunch as Miko and Jack landed at the bottom of the ravine. "We're at the end of the cliff," Jack gasped breathlessly into his comm, "We're gonna start looking for that relic now. Oh gosh. So much climbing." Miko shook her arms and legs and tottered along the newly-formed canyon. "I can't feel my arms." The two waited until they'd regained at least a little balance before pulling out their scanners again. "Well," the girl announced, "Whatever it is we're looking for, it's close!" She trudged along, following the beam of Jack's flashlight as the soft pinging of the handheld device began to grow in frequency and intensity. When the pulse settled into a long, steady tone, they stopped at a wall of ice. "Whoa." Miko gasped. The circle of light wavered, reflecting off of ice and metal. Something long and jagged, covered in glyphs floated in place, frozen through the years. "What is that?" Jack asked, laying a gloved hand on the ice.
"Ratchet, we found the source of the readings, but we have no idea what it is," he reported. "Lio and Polar Claw are too busy to help you," the medic answered shortly, "And Airazor's still with Fowler. I'm sending the penguin!" The teenagers snickered at Break's indignant reply, lost in the roar of the Bridge. Once through, said penguin switched to beast-mode and launched himself across the ice and snow. Arctic environments were Break's specialty, given his choice of animal form. Like a bullet, he shot past the startled Vehicons and over the rise, sliding on his stomach. "Hang on, guys!" he shouted cheerfully, "I'll have you out of there in a—uh oh." Down in the ravine, Miko raised an eyebrow beneath her goggles. "In an uh oh? What's going on up there?" "Uh...guys? An Insecticon just burrowed into the glacier. It's definitely bigger than the ones back home! It's headed your way." Miko huffed, sending a puff of clouded air out before her mask. "Great." Jack groaned and leaned back against the frozen relic. "Please not Bombshock, please not Bombshock," he half-chanted. He met Miko's gaze and squared his shoulders. "Well," she asked, "Ready to add another bug to the score?" The boy grimaced and crossed his arms. He wished he had her confidence.
Grotusque stopped briefly during his rounds to examine the holding pens for the Cestus circle. "And 'ow's our favorite "champion", eh?" he snuffled patronizingly to his prisoner. The lanky form in the cell stretched luxuriously and slipped two wicked-looking spiked over-gloves onto his servos. "Ah, can't complain mate. Gettin' a little bored though. When were you plannin' on sending me a challenge?" Grotusque laughed, a nasty, phlegmy sound. "What do ye know about 'istory, Maximal? I 'ope at least something, cos you're fighting an Autobot today!" The red diamond patterns on the top of the mech's helm twitch slightly in interest and green optics glowed. "An Autobot? Ace! About time we had something other than these bodgy bludgers, I say!" One of the guards peered around the corner with a strange look. "He does realize he's fighting his own side, don't he? Shouldn't he be upset or sommat?" Grotusque shook his helm. "Nah, this'un always was a bit peculiar. 'E likes 'is fights, Star Upper does."
The gates opened and the form of a large kangaroo hopped out into the Cestus ring. Standing opposite him was a small, quaking mech-youngling with an eye-catching black and yellow paint job. The wardens had evidently decided to put Bumblebee through Cestus before moving him to Dimachaerus, by order of some unknown higher-rank Predacon. Star Upper transformed and stared at the young Autobot, dumbfounded. "Ah, you gotta be kidding me. That's your Autobot? Nah, mate. Don't waste my time!" He waved a spiked glove dismissively at Bumblebee. "Run home to your Carrier, ankle-biter." Bumblebee's servos clenched into fists and he buzzed urgently, recognizing the Maximal badge. He motioned to the stands, then to the gates, desperately trying to get his point across. "Now why would I do that? See the crowd here, they like me. What's more, they give me a challenge! So don't mess with my act here, ankle-biter, come on, put 'em up! I'll cream ya!" Bumblebee forced his posture to relax and opened his hands, clearly demonstrating that he had no intention of fighting. He shook his helm at the kangaroo and made a series of disgusted beeps.
"Who's a sellout?!" Star Upper growled. "Alright. Now I'm upset. I was gonna let you off with a warning wallop, seeing as you're just a kid, but now..." he raised his fists and bounced lightly on his pedes. Bumblebee turned his back on the Maximal and began to walk away. Imagine fighting for an enemy audience just for a challenge! Didn't he know there was a war on? "Hey! Get back here!" Star Upper shouted behind him. The scout ignored him and kept walking. "I'm talking to you!" A flying kick suddenly sent Bumblebee sprawling across the sand, to the amusement of the spectators. The young Autobot bit back several choice words for the boxer and stood slowly. Narrowing his optics to a sharp focus, he whirled and fixed a silent gaze onto him. The scout took several deep vents, willing himself to calm down, then accessed his battle computer.
(a/n: the next scene is taken from a movie I like. Bonus points if you recognize it!)
Guarded stance, raised fists. Clearly proficient in the Nebulon style of kickboxing. I can't let this effect me emotionally. He shifted into a ready stance, optics never leaving his opponent's. First: distract target. He wouldn't be fooled by something as mundane as dust in the eyes, it would take something more akin to—ah, yes. That overhanging banner would do nicely. Block blind jab with cross to faceplate. Avoid powerful legs. Star Upper and Bumblebee circled each other warily as the younger mech continued assessing. Discombobulate. Swiftly, he checked to ensure that his energon stingers were still operational. They were. Enraged, will attempt wild haymaker. Employ joint-block and body shot. Quickly, he stepped back a pace to avoid a light, testing punch. Block side kick, weaken wrist joint. In his processor, he could hear the splintering of metal. Now fracture. Break stranglehold, throw right cross out of balance. Traumatize t-cog. Dislocate wrist entirely. The youngling slid smoothly to the right, as if readying himself to spring. Heel kick to vocoder. In summary: audials ringing, wrist fractured, four plates cracked, two broken, voice box leaking. Full physical recovery: six cycles. Threat: neutralized.
The sounds of the ring seemed to flood back into his audial receivers with a roar as he exited the battle simulation. He straightened, and with a groan, grabbed for the banner, using it to wipe grime from his shoulders. Star Upper narrowed his optics. Kids these days! Then the banner was up in the air, and—experienced though he was—Star Upper spared it a glance. It was over in precisely thirty-eight seconds. For the most part, the scenario had played out exactly as Bumblebee's battle computer had projected, with the exception of Star Upper's speed. He had come out the worse, but he had certainly managed to land some pretty damaging hits on the Autobot. As he lay on his back in the sand, the Maximal began to chuckle. "Finally! Someone who knows what he's doing!" Bumblebee nursed a fractured and buckled mid-plate and politely acknowledged his opponent's skill, added to a short query. "Nah, I'm fine. No worries, mate," Star Upper laughed as Cruellocks came to drag them to the prison medic. "I reckon we've both moved up a ring though." He coughed, sending a spot of energon onto the nauseated guard's back. Bumblebee trilled in amusement and did the same, noting the horrified look when their captor turned around. "Y'know what? I like ya, kid. What's your name?" Star Upper reached a glove over to lightly knock against the younger mech's cheek. "Bumblebee, eh? Well the pleasure's all mine, Bumblebee. Name's Star Upper! Star to his friends."
Well, an ally gained was an ally gained, each thought to themselves, procured via smackdown or otherwise.
The sounds of blows being traded echoed over the howling winds as two titans battled both each other and the elements. Lio Convoy caught Megatron's fist on crossed forearms and pushed back with a feral snarl. Quickly, he lashed out with a high roundhouse kick. Megatron broke off his attack to catch the kick with an elbow block, knocking Lio off balance. With a low sweep of his leg, the gladiator sent the Maximal crashing to the ground. As he fell, the young Convoy locked both arms aroung Megatron's fusion cannon and used his momentum to bring the silver mech down with him. The impact sent a spray of snow high into the air, and Lio switched to beast-mode so as to camouflage himself amid the drifts. Megatron scrambled to his pedes and spat out ice. "Where are you, warrior?" he murmured. A dark smile crossed his faceplates and he spread his arms out, addressing the frozen wastes. "I see that your philosophy of battle differs somewhat than the average Autobot. I noticed that you also lack the brand of either Autobot or Decepticon. I can only assume that you hail from one of the colony worlds—I daresay you had your origins among the Animatronians. Primus help you if it was so, those beings are—" he made a face and tapped the side of his helm.
He knew the false-organic being was still in the vicinity, but the ice accumulating on his optical sensors prevented him from making any positive visual contact. "Very well." he resolved to employ methods he had not been forced to use since the days of combat late in his career as a gladiator. Shuttering his optics, the warlord took in a deep vent of cold air and sat cross-legged in the snow, perfectly still. Wind, snow, the distant sounds of Vehicons being bludgeoned with their own limbs—there! Almost too soft to be heard, there was a faint rasp of paws in the snow. Megatron remained motionless and waited. In the dangerously low temperatures, he could feel one spike of heat, relatively close. His optics snapped open and in one swift movement he whirled and caught the lion mid-spring, hurling him to the side. "Well, you're no novice," he mused as the huge beast righted itself and paced, snarling. The Convoy leaped, transforming in midair, and pinned Megatron to the rock. This was nothing like fighting Galvatron: here, his foe was on equal footing with him, and—irony of ironies—more likely to fight with honor. The Decepticon struggled in his not-inconsiderable grip, squirming until both shoulders were above the Maximal's claws. The Convoy shifted his hold, leaving one of Megatron's hands free. He fired his cannon, sending the lion tumbling across the ice.
Lio skidded several feet before digging his pedes into the surface, finding purchase long enough to charge back in, firing repeatedly. "How much longer, little ones?" he grunted as the warlord's talons caught him across the chestplates. "I don't know, Lio," Miko's voice sounded tense. "We've got an Insecticon in here, and I don't think he's been out long enough for the sub-zero to get to him." Break's voice chipped in, announcing that he was nearly through the outer wall of the glacier at precisely the same time that Polar Claw called in asking for backup. "I do not have time for this!" Lio growled. He made as if to bring his knee up to ram Megatron's midsection. As excpected, the Decepticon shifted slightly to the right and back a step. The claws at the end of the Maximal's pede caught in the gap between plates at Megatron's knee joint and twisted into the sensors as he kicked his foot down. The Decepticon let out a sharp cry and cursed the pain. He'd gotten complacent. He would not make the same mistake again.
Bumblebee sat cross-legged on the stone next to the only berth in the cell, curiously watching his new companion. "Ah, don't look so down, mate!" Star Upper grinned and shifted uncomfortably on the slab. "I've taken worse from bigger mechs than you!" He rolled to his side, shaking out his still-tender wrist joint. "Tell ya what though, I haven't seen anyone use a battle computer so quickly on this planet. Not even Stampy, and that kid's pretty fast!" Pleased, Bumblebee ducked his helm and chirruped bashfully. "So." one spiked glove came up to playfully bump the scout's chin. "How'd ol' Lizard Lips get a real live Autobot in the arena?" The reality of his situation came crashing back down on Bumblebee, and his doorwings drooped with a mournful electronic hum as he attempted to explain his predicament to the boxer. "You're pullin' my leg! You crossed dimensions with Optimus Prime? The real Optimus Prime?" Star Upper kicked out and rocked himself into a sitting position. "That's ace, mate! No wonder Galvatron was as mad as a cut snake up there!"
He laughed, delighted, and ruffled the scout's helm. "Y'know, I've been waitin' for the right chance to break out of here, biding my time and gatherin' info. You and your gang might be just the ticket for wreaking some good old-fashioned havoc on the Darksyde!" He winced a little as he stood, but quickly shook it off and helped Bumblebee to his pedes. "Stick with me, ankle-biter. When they move us up to Dimachaerus, the security's a little more lax since most mechs don't live to move on to Secutor. We'll break out from there and find your pals, whaddya say?" The young Autobot clasped his hand with a determined nod. One step closer to Raf and home, he thought.
Break blasted a hole through the weakened ice on the far side of the glacier, hoping he wouldn't attract the attention of the Vehicons that were still drilling. He climbed through and let out a short whoop, flailing his arms. The young Maximal stood upon a precipice, overlooking a long, dark chasm. Presumably, this was the same crack the humans had climbed down into. "Oh...okay, gonna be one of those days," Break muttered. He ran a hand over the white plume of feathers cresting his helm and sighed. "Here goes!" The penguin-bot stepped off the ledge and let himself plummet, spreading his limbs to catch the narrow walls and slow his fall. "Ow! Owowowowowowowowowowowowow!" ice chips buried themselves into the hinges of his servos and under his armor as he slid down. "H-hang on, guys! I'm coming!" he hollered. By the time he'd landed, he vaguely resembled the abominable snowman. "Nice of you to join us," Miko said dryly. "Oh, and by the way, duck. Now!" Break crouched just as a clawed fist swiped through the space where his helm had just been. "Whoa!" The Maximal rolled forward and repositioned himself protectively in front of the humans.
"The good news is, it's not Bombshock," Jack informed him, "The bad news is, it's hungry." Break gulped. "You guys have each killed an Insecticon, right? How did you do it last time?" The teens glanced at each other. "I had Vector Sigma and a nest of scraplets," Jack offered. "I had rockets," Miko added. Break stared blankly at them. "By Sigma, you really are crazy!" he breathed. "Well, obviously we don't have any of those things going for us right now." He dropped into a fighting crouch, glancing about their limited space for a way to use the environment. "Anybody got a plan?" Jack looked from the Maximal to the Insecticon, then to the relic trapped in the ice, and made a decision. "We use his size against him. He doesn't have enough room to make quick turns: we'll make that work for us. Miko?" The girl nodded sharply. "I'm on it. Break, get his attention!" She scrambled up to cling to the Maximal's shoulders, balancing precariously. "Those feelers around his mouth are pretty sensitive. Don't broadcast your attacks." Break surged forward, one hand open and one clenched in a fist. The open hand drifted across the space before the Insecticon's faceplate. As the beast's optic band moved to track it, Break brought up his other fist in a stunning blow to the jaw.
"Blind spot attack! Saikou!" Miko threw the youngling a thumbs up before leaping from his shoulder to the Insecticon's. "Keep him busy!" The girl slid down the lumbering Decepticon's back and darted across the dark floor to the wall that held the metal spar. Break threw up a high kick before the Insecticon had time to recover, knocking it off balance slightly. Enraged, the creature swung its club-like arm in a wicked backhand, throwing the penguin against the wall with a crash. As it shuffled forward to finish the young Cybertronian off, something bounced harmlessly off of its side with a clatter. The Insecticon turned to follow the movement and found Miko standing a little ways off, fists clenched. "Hey scrapheap! That's right, I'm talking to you, In'zek'tik'n!" The reverberating screech of the angered mech nearly deafened the humans. "Hurry it up, Miko!" Jack muttered under his breath, "We're running out of time!"
"Airazor to base: I'm with Fowler, and we're ready to bring in air support as soon as you give us the all-clear." Ratchet frowned at the speakers. "Negative, Airazor. Jack and Miko are still in the vicinity. See if you can help the rest of your team distract the Decepticons. We need more time!" June paced the gantry like a caged tigress, arms crossed over her chest. "Time is exactly what we don't have, Ratchet!" she growled. At his surprised look, she pointed to the monitors. Raf nodded and adjusted his glasses. "Maybe the Maximals are functioning well in the cold, but their energy levels are dropping fast. If they don't refuel soon, they could collapse." He looked back up at Nurse Darby, noting the grim set to her jaw. "They're handling the temperatures, but Jack and Miko are not." Ice blue eyes narrowed and focused on the two open files in the database, connected to the life-sign monitors. "They have about five minutes until the effects of hypothermia set in."
The Secutor ring.
It was not so much a display of combat as blatant slaughter, reserved for only the most grievous of crimes or most honored of foes. Divebomb-class Predacons circled overhead, scattering fresh sand across the arena to absorb the energon that had been spilled during the last "contest". Optimus Prime watched with a heavy spark as the drones carted away the shattered remains of what had once been a mighty griffin. His only crime had been compassion: he had openly defied his commanding officers in order to save the lives of a human family that never even saw them. "Be at peace, Grimwing," Optimus murmured as the fading green pile of armor was pushed past his cell. "Til all are one." They had been placed in neighboring cells, and the younger mech had found comfort in the words of the elder. "I do not regret what I have done. I never shall," the noble Predacon had whispered through the bars with shaking voice, "But I am afraid to die!" Optimus had ignored the sting of the laser lines and had reached through to place a hand on the warrior's shoulder. "Grimwing, you are young. It is only natural that you should wish to go on living, but death is no great terror either. The threat of the grave may circle and poison like a scorpion, my friend, but for a spark such as yours it holds no sting."
He'd promised the griffin that he would not be forgotten, that he would be avenged. Optimus Prime raised his helm and his battle mask snapped shut. There was a time for peace and a time for war. A time for life and a time for death. A time to stand your ground and—as the Predacons had evidently not learned—a time to retreat. In the dank hallways between the ring and the cells, several familiar faces—and a few unfamiliar—were dragged past and thrown into nearby cells. "Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, it is good to see you alive," he said gravely. "For now," Bulkhead grumbled. He shot the Prime a sheepish look. "I finally bugged the wardens enough to make them sick of me. Guess that's what I'm doing in the death ring." Arcee laughed from the cell opposite him. "Sounds like you. I ran out of 'Cons to offline...and I got tired of Archadis trying to flirt with me over the barriers." The other Autobots set up a concerted groan. He's worse than Knock Out! Bumblebee laughed as he broadcasted the exasperated glyphs to his companions. Arcee shrugged. "Maybe. I've seen worse, I guess." her grin turned mischievous. "I won't deny that I like ruffling his feathers though—and I mean that both ways. He gets so upset if you mess with his plumage."
Beneath the mask, Optimus smiled. "Whatever lies ahead, Autobots, I am glad of your company." Oh! Optimus! This is Star Upper. He's going to help us escape...provided we don't, y'know, all die or something. Bumblebee shoved forward a lanky red and purple mech with a star-crested helm. "And that's Razorback," Arcee gestured to the semi-featureless Maximal brooding in the corner of the holding pen beside hers. "If we're getting out, he's coming with us." Optimus nodded once and turned his attention to the opening gate before him. "Go get 'em, Optimus!" Bulkhead's tone was encouraging, but grim. None of them expected to last the night.
Cerulean optics dilated and refocused, adapting to the harsh light as Optimus stepped out into the Secutor ring. He could see Galvatron sitting regally amongst his subjects in the stands, no doubt waiting to see whether the Autobot was strong as the legends claimed. An earsplitting roar shook the air as the executioners were released into the arena. The first lumbered along in beast-mode, an earth-shaking Cruellock more reminiscent of Godzilla than an actual dinosaur of Earth's past. It shook its powerful neck and shrieked a warning to the sky. Following it in quick, nervous movements were a pair of hyena-like beasts, clicking to each other in garbled tongues. Cindersaur. Scourge. Vertebreak. They were the "finishers", the firing squad any survivor of the other four rings had to face in order to win their freedom. Optimus narrowed his optics and strode to the wall. He eyed it critically for a moment and then ripped a sheet of metal from the lining, to the surprise of the onlookers. He would not face these creatures without a shield of some kind.
The Prime moved to the center of the Secutor arena, blade extended from one wrist, shield in the other hand like a samnite of old. From the cells, Bulkhead could just barely see what was going on in the ring. "Three against one," he relayed to the others glumly. Outside, Optimus took a moment to look into the optics of each Predacon. Calmly and seriously, he said, "I give you this one chance to end this peacefully. If you are intent upon fighting, then whatever follows be upon your own head." Scourge transformed with a screech and dove forward, claws extended. Optimus dodged and flipped up his makeshift shield to bludgeon the creature. While it was dazed, he seized it by the back of the helm and delivered a kick to the joints of its knees. Scourge cried out and Vertebreak hissed angrily. The orange and yellow Predacon charged from the side, firing his hyena cannon. As soon as he got within three feet of the Prime, Optimus crouched, rammed his shoulder into Vertebreak's midsection, and straightened, throwing the beast over his other shoulder and into the sand. Vertebreak began to stand up, but had Scourge hurled into him a moment later, sending them both skidding to the wall.
Cindersaur, by this time, had tired of waiting. He roared and swung his tail, knocking Optimus back several steps. The second swing sent him to the ground, one shoulder guard fractured. Scourge and Vertebreak had recovered by this time and joined their companion in circling the half-kneeling Prime. In the stands, Galvatron leaned forward, servos steepled. This would be the deciding moment. The Autobot shook his helm. "I will not surrender my spark here, knowing that three of my own are somewhere in the multiverse, separated from their guardians." He cast the shield aside, half-burying it in the sand. "I'll take you all on," he growled, a sudden, feral light in his optics. This time, he was the instigator. Optimus caught Vertebreak by the helm and threw him down onto the sharp edge of the forgotten shield, severing his helm. Scourge attempted to avenge his brother and received a gash across the chestplates for his trouble.
Cindersaur lunged, intending to crush the Autobot between his jaws, but Optimus whirled, sank both blades into Scourge's chassis, and spun the unfortunate Predacon into the oncoming teeth of Cindersaur. Energon stained the sand and Optimus leapt from the ground to the Cruellock's helm and buried both blades into the top of its head. With a grunt of exertion, he forced the blades apart, splitting the Predacons helm. The last of the three executioners fell with a splintering crash, echoing in the deathly silence of the crowd. The entire thing had taken place in only three minutes.
In the cells, Bulkhead's jaw hung open, optics wide. "What happened? What's going on?" Arcee demanded, unable to see. The Wrecker stuttered uselessly for several minutes. "I don't—I don't even—he demolished them! Scrap, there's just pieces left! I didn't know you could do that!" The guards gingerly escorted the energon-covered Prime back to the cell so that the arena could be cleaned. He offered no resistance, but they were clearly terrified all the same. "How did you do that?" Arcee asked in a hushed tone. The Prime offered her a half-smile, tainted somewhat with regret. "One learns many things in Kaon." Optimus looked down at his hands, coated in blue, and flexed the servos slowly. "No, brother. That's no good!" He shut his optics, remembering.
Megatron's rough laugh echoed around the abandoned stadium. "Hold your arm like this. Good!" He stepped away from the young archivist and examined him critically. "Megatron, I was never meant for combat!" Orion complained. He shifted awkwardly, internal cables straining and hissing under the weight of the heavy shield. "I'm a data clerk, not a warrior!" The revolutionary shook his helm and moved to stand slightly behind the younger mech. "You've no less right to defend yourself than I. And with that smart mouth of yours always getting you in trouble with Barricade, you may have greater need of defense than I!" He playfully jostled Orion's arm, unbalancing him slightly. "Barricade doesn't scare me," the archivist protested, "I can outrun him, physically and mentally! I don't need weapons!"
Seeing that the newest recruit to his movement still looked a little doubtful, the gladiator became serious once more. "Orion, there will come a day when you have to fight. When that day comes," he took hold of Orion Pax's arm and helped him raise the shield high, "remember that when you carry a weapon, you carry the lives of everyone you care about. Now: do as I do."
Optimus shook the memories away and moved to the back of the cell, somewhat unwilling to let his Autobots see him in such a barbaric state. "So..." Star Upper elbowed Bumblebee. "I take it the legends are true?" The scout nodded, compassion filling his optics as he watched his silent leader.
"Miko, move!" Jack shouted as the girl led the Insecticon closer to the wall, "He's building up speed!" He dashed forward and pulled Miko out of the rampaging Decepticon's path, as per their plan. "Break! Give him a boost!" Miko ordered. The Maximal youngling fired at the shell of the insectoid creature, sending him careening out of control towards the side of the cliff. With a mighty crash, he rammed the wall. "Now, Break! Between the helm and shell!" While the Insecticon tried vainly to extricate himself from the ice, Break vaulted up onto its shoulders and fired into the armor gap. The Insecticon hissed and crashed backwards, paralyzed. "Do we finish him off?" the penguin-bot asked, priming his blaster for another shot. Jack shook his head. "Leave him. Our temperatures are dropping too fast to stay here any longer. Just get the relic and we'll call for a Bridge." Break reached into the cavity left by the force of impact and carefully extracted the metal shard. "This thing looks like part of a sword!" he remarked. Miko turned away, teeth chattering as she accessed her comm. "Lio, 'Claw, we got the relic! We're Bridging out, meet you back at base!"
Lio dodged a laser blast as he acknowledged Miko's transmission. He could feel his movements becoming more sluggish—he was running out of fuel. "Time's up," he hissed. With the remains of his strength, he focused every instinct and subroutine on one thought: repel him. "You are tiring, warrior!" Megatron laughed, "Did you use all your tricks too soon?" He raised his cannon, preparing to end things once and for all. As it charged up, the animalistic mech's optics began to glow with an uncanny light. In a considerably scaled-down version of the attack that brought down Galvatron, Lio threw his hands forward, shooting out the shining lion's head beam. It collided with the laser blast and the recoil sent both mechs flying backwards. Being the younger of the two combatants, Lio Convoy was on his pedes first. With a powerful leap, he landed next to the Decepticon and held a blade to his spark casing before he could get up. "Legendary warlord or not," he growled, "If you come near my people or my team again, I shall see it as an act of war and respond accordingly. Do I make myself clear?"
He stood and backed away, patiently waiting for Megatron to rise. The gladiator chuckled suddenly, a harsh sound that was neither scorn nor amusement. There was a grudging respect behind his optics as he answered, "Your message is received, understood, and heartily returned in kind! I look forward to extinguishing your spark in our next meeting, Warrior!" The Maximal nodded politely and moved slowly to the Ground Bridge that appeared behind him, never once taking his optics off of Megatron. How wise of him, the warlord noted.
"Move!" June unceremoniously pushed Rattrap out of the way as the Ground Bridge opened. Break stumbled through, carrying the shard in one arm and the kids in the other. "H-h-h-h-hi, M-m-m-m-m-mom," Jack grinned, despite his rattling teeth. "We g-g-g-got the r-r-r-r-relic!" His mother smiled weakly back at him as Break set them down on the ground. "Your internal temperature is in the danger zone, both of you. Come on, let's get you to defrost," she sighed, leading the two away into one of the back chambers of Outpost Omega. Lio and Polar Claw stepped through the vortex moments later. "Boss! You're okay!" Stampy let out a sigh of relief. Airazor, having arrived earlier with Agent Fowler, walked over and began brushing snow off of Break's helm in a playful, sisterly way. "You look a fright!" she teased. A sudden gurgling noise made everyone jump, and Stampy's ears drooped. "Sorry," he blushed. Fowler laughed. "Was that your stomach, son?" he ran a hand over his hair. "Well, now I've seen everything." Ratchet frowned at the Maximals.
"Our supply of energon is exceedingly low," he warned, "I'm afraid I'll have to ration supplies." He glanced down at the tiny hand tapping his arm. "It's okay, Ratchet," Raf said brightly, "If they stay in Beast-mode, they can get by on organic food!" The medic leveled an incredulous stare at the boy. "You must be joking." Raf shrugged. "I wish I was! Stampy destroyed my mom's garden!" From the back of the chamber, the youngling cried, "I said I was sorry!" to the amusement of the others. Before long, the rough equivalent of the entire produce and meat department of the local grocery store had been delivered to the base's supply room. "You fellas are going to eat us out of house and home!" Fowler gulped when he read the bill. "Here's hoping you can hunt!" Lio Convoy nodded gratefully as he passed the man. "That is what we are accustomed to doing, Agent Fowler," he said calmly. The government man cracked a smile at the familiar form of address. "I'm still a little fuzzy on how you all got here, but...thanks, for watching out for the kids, that is. We were all pretty worried." Lio looked away humbly. "I am certain your Prime would have done the same, had the Cubs' counterparts been sent here."
Fowler made an affirmative noise and sat in silence for a while, watching the Maximals eat. It was slightly unsettling, and a little like being in a zoo, he decided, but at the same time comfortingly familiar. The smack of bare feet on the cement heralded the arrival of Miko, hair wild and wrapped in a blanket. "Cold!" she squeaked, darting across the room to snuggle close to Polar Claw's fur. "Little girl, you are supposing to be thawing out with doctor-woman!" the bear scolded. At the sound of leather shoes marching purposefully down the hall, Rattrap smirked. "Duck and cover, squirt! Here she comes!" The rat casually moved to block June's view of Miko as she poked her head into the room. "Bill, have you seen Miko?" she asked, "she slipped out before I could give her the fire cider." Fowler made a horrible face. "Sweet mercy, woman! Fire cider?! That stuff burns if you're not used to it!" June crossed her arms. "All the better to deal with cold! It also clears the sinuses and aids digestion, I'll have you know!" Behind her, Jack edged stealthily around the doorjamb, careful to avoid being noticed. Airazor caught his eye with a grin and stretched her wings with a yawn, momentarily distracting June and Fowler long enough for Jack to dodge inside and climb up onto Lio's shoulder.
"Jackson," the lion said in a gently scolding tone, "Did you cooperate with Nurse Darby?" The boy opened his mouth to say something, but only a hoarse noise emerged. Miko cackled, ruining her hiding place. "He's already had the fire cider. That's why I ran!" Her giggles turned into a yelp as June marched over and grabbed her. "Rattrap, given your attitude, I'm surprised you were hiding her!" the woman observed. Rattrap leaned back with his arms behind his helm. "Lady, I've made a career out of outrunning the medic. It was the least I could do for a fellow shot-dodger!" Apparently, aiding a fellow "shot-dodger" only extended to hiding places, as the rat merely smirked and waved as Miko was dragged out of the room. "Help meeee!" she comically pleaded. Shortly thereafter, an alarm began to buzz through the comm systems. "That's an energon spike!" Jack rasped in surprise. The Convoy crouched so that the boy could slide down off his shoulders, then transformed. The other Maximals followed suit. "Would you like us to investigate?" he asked. Fowler frowned. "Your call, Prime." Glowing optics widened fractionally at the title. "I am not a Prime," he said softly, "Only a Convoy."
The human smiled up at the warrior. "I may not know a lot about Maximals, but I know a Prime when I see one." Jack patted the bewildered Convoy's foot as he moved to join the agent. "Well, you do have an Energon matrix. That's kind of like the Matrix of Leadership, from what you've told me." Airazor snickered at her leader's startled expression as he utterly failed to find the words to reply. "They've got you there, Lio," she gave him a friendly nudge as she left to investigate the siren. "And why not?" Break asked cheerfully, "It's not like there have been any Primes for the last century or two." The moment was unceremoniously ended when Ratchet hollered down the corridor, "Energon spike in the Pine Barrens! I need 'Bots!" The Maximals, plus Fowler and Jack, returned to the main chamber to find the Ground Bridge already open. "I'll go!" Airazor volunteered, "Rattrap, Stampy, come on. You need to get outside." Both mechs groaned piteously, but followed her and Lio Convoy through. Miko, still wrapped in the blanket, wandered over and leaned casually on Jack's shoulder.
"Airazor's going to the Pine Barrens?"
"Yep."
"Ten bucks says we get at least two new sightings of the Jersey Devil after this."
"
There!" Stampy spotted the cause of the energy surge first. It was an escape pod, half-buried in the side of a hill beneath the trees. "Let's hurry this up, boys," Airazor ruffled her feathers uncomfortably. "I've got a feeling that we're about to have company!" Rattrap waved her off with a rude noise and opened the control panel on the side of the pod. "Eh, we've got a sleeper. Faction...unknown. The pod's Decepticon though." Stampy rolled his optics. "Great." Suddenly, his sensitive audial receptors twitched in warning. "Incoming!" he shouted, whirling to face the trees. He fired instinctively and was rewarded with a startled whoop. Knock Out jumped from behind the trunk. "Are you insane?! You could have scratched my paint!" he yelled. The Maximals on the ground stared at him. "What. The. Heck." was all Rattrap managed, shielding his optics from the dazzling finish. Knock Out sniffed. "What the heck yourself, shrimpy! What are you anyway? A weasel?" His optics burning crimson, Rattrap stomped forward. "Dat's it, the dandy's getting' a poundin'!"
Knock Out jumped backwards and blew a sharp whistle. "Not so fast, tiny! I brought backup!" Five Eradicons landed behind him, blasters out. "Now, to find out who's in the pod..." He started forward, but was quickly given more reasons to scream as a pair of taloned claws wrapped around his arms, lifting him into the air. "Jersey Devil! Jersey Devil!" he squealed, being unable to see anything but the wings. Airazor deposited him high in a tree and snorted. "You're not so angelic yourself, honey." She dropped from the branch to land amidst the Eradicons. "Boo." Lio quickly stabbed one, and while he stumbled back to recover, Airazor peppered another with a series of punches. Beside her, Stampy kicked out with his powerful legs so rapidly that his feet were a blur as they caved in another Eradicon's midsection. The last two were quickly put paid to with a series of plasma balls thrown by Rattrap. They exploded on contact, leaving a wall of pink flame around the Maximals and the pod.
"Knock Out, requesting emergency Ground Bridge!" the miserable medic mumbled from his perch. Airazor drew her pistol and stalked over to the pod. "Now, let's see who's in here, shall we?" The protective barrier slid back, revealing the powered-down form of a mech no older than Stampy. "Another flashy one," Rattrap sighed, tapping the red, white, and blue armor. At the sudden contact, the mystery mech's optics snapped open, blindingly blue. He looked about, attempting to get his bearings, and homed in on Airazor's faceplate. "W-what? Where...am I?" he groaned, slowly raising a hand to his helm. "Am I on one of the colony worlds?" With a shake of his helm, Lio Convoy—or was it Prime now?—easily lifted the young mech from the restraints and set him on the ground. "No, this is Earth, in the Solaris galaxy. Rest easy, you are among friends. What is your designation, young soldier?" the comforting basso asked, even as he remained vigilant for more Decepticons. The Autobot let out a long vent and ran both hands over his helm before answering.
"S-smokescreen, sir. My name is Smokescreen."
to be continued.