Disclaimer: It's official; 2020 sucks and I really wish I had a time machine right about now. Anyone have a time traveling DeLorean car with a fully functioning flux capacitor?

PS: I don't own the rights to the Transformers.

Chapter XI

A burst of fire shot forth from within the hull of Skorponok. Unicron came down onto the ground and quickly recovered on one knee. Megatron followed from inside the titan, assumed his vehicle form and dove straight toward Unicron. Unicron righted himself and formed a sort of cannon from his right arm. He took a shot and missed when Megatron dodged it. Another shot came and Megatron dodged around it. Megatron flew overhead and fired off a shot of his own that hit the ground on either side of him.

Unicron didn't flinch, standing him ground amid the ensuing eruption of dirt and grass. It was no longer after that Megatron banked back and transformed. He landed a short distance from Unicron, who hadn't made a move since his initial ejection from Skorponok. Megatron stood his ground against Unicron, and he sneered at the mere sight of Unicron in the form of an Autobot, albeit with certain features associated with the Chaos Bringer. Hiding behind the guise of an Autobot was to Megatron the mark of a coward, even for Unicron.

"You disappoint me, Unicron. Hiding behind the visage of the Autobot that failed to prevent the death of Optimus Prime? Pathetic, even for you." Megatron said, blatantly taunting Unicron.

"This is but the same Autobot that threw you into the depths of space." Unicron claimed.

"That was Galvatron, and he exists no longer. Now, why not drop the false face and show yourself as you are?" Megatron demanded.

Unicron started slowly walking toward Megatron while he stated, "I shall continue to use this body as a vessel until I reach Cybertron. Then, my Anti-Spark will poison its very core, granting me a new body so I shall consume the universe once again."

Megatron's face contorted in anger and he deployed his mace. "Cybertron is my world, Unicron, and that makes it mine to rule. As for the universe, it's mine to conquer and trust me when I tell you, I will conquer it MY WAY!"

Then Megatron launches himself into the air with his mace drawn back. He came back down and swung the mace straight at Unicron, who didn't flinch as it came. Then Unicron reacted by creating a shield of pure energy. The shield absorbed the blow of the mace without fluctuating. Unicron swung the shield and pushed Megatron back. Megatron looked at Unicron as the shield vanished and, angered by the Chaos Bringer's indifference, charged forward. Unicron took a stance and let Megatron rush him.

Megatron swung his mace overhead and missed when Unicron sidestepped the blow. Unicron sidestepped another blow but Megatron wasn't about to relent. He threw a series of swings at his foe that came from every direction known. But Unicron avoided every single attack without so much as a slight retaliation. He let Megatron continue to attack while seemingly taunting him, which served to further enrage the Decepticon leader. Unicron then jumped back to avoid a side swing, and a pause came in the battle.

Unicron glared at Megatron and then motioned him forward. Megatron sneered at the gesture and fired a volley from his fusion cannon. Unicron sidestepped the shot and ducked under another one, which was what Megatron wanted. Gunning his boot thrusters, Megatron rushed Unicron and brought his mace down at full force. There was no way Unicron would've avoided the blow. Yet, when the blow came, the spiked instrument was caught in the hand of Unicron. He was down to a knee, but he glared at Megatron. Megatron exchanges have he same look and tried forcing the mace down, but Unicron was getting back with no effort at all. Then Unicron landed a single blow to the lower chassis that rocked Megatron to both knees, disabling his mace in the process.

Still, Megatron defiantly asked, "Is that it? Is that all you have, Unicron?" Then he lunged forward to deliver a straight punch.

Unicron caught the punch and completely halted Megatron in place. "Once more, you underestimate me, Megatron."

Megatron forcefully pulled free of Unicron's grip and then instantly lunges forward. He ran into a knee to the chassis that doubles him over. Then Unicron went to work in dominating his one time herald, landing hard and brutal blows that rocked Megatron to his core. Try as he might, Megatron couldn't retaliate as Unicron beat him down. At one point, Unicron blocked an errant strike and threw Megatron over his shoulder to the other side. Megatron recovered and fired his fusion cannon, and the projectile hit the ground in front of Unicron. Dirt and burnt grass went flying into the air, and Megatron briefly lost sight of Unicron.

After a tense moment, Megatron grew tired and fired off a few more shots at the dirt cloud. No immediate response came and Megatron became increasingly frustrated. Then he heard the familiar sound of shifting metal, but it also sounded warped and cringe-inducing. Megatron readied himself for whatever Unicron has planned. But he didn't count on the sudden appearance of a black and purple alien roadster speeding straight at him. The car roared forward and seemed to bound into the air, shifting back into the form of Unicron and grabbing Megatron by the face.

Unicron drove Megatron down into the ground and left a dirt trail behind him. Megatron was pinned down and Unicron pummeled him relentlessly before hoisting back up. Megatron broke free but Unicron continued beating him repeatedly, landing blow after blow without cease. One final strike landed across Megatron's face and rattled him to the point of fatigue and he dropped back to a knee. Unicron stood over Megatron and moved to grasp him. Megatron responded with an attempt blast, only for Unicron to grab his arm and his neck at the same time.

Unicron then lifted Megatron up by his neck and threw him back to the ground, pinning him there. He also forcefully removed Megatron's fusion cannon. "You've grown weak in my absence, Megatron."

Ever defiant, Megatron replied, "I was stronger before you made me into your slave, Unicron."

"Clearly, that was a mistake. But only one mistake, which I intend to rectify." Unicron declared.

"Stop," a voice called out, and Unicron looked to see Shockwave standing across the field from him and Megatron. "Release Megatron immediately."

Unicron stood up and quickly planted his foot on Megatron's neck to keep him down. He stare a hole onto Shockwave. "It is most unwise to stand against me."

"Indeed, any attempt to stand against your considerable might would be illogical. However, perhaps I may offer you a bargain." Shockwave stated, surprising Megatron.

Unicron leered at Shockwave as he slowly approached, seemingly unaware that Blackarachnia was crawling along the bushes nearby. "What bargain would a Decepticon be so compelled to offer me?"

Shockwave continued his slow approach toward Unicron, saying to him, "You desire to take Cybertron as your new body so that you might begin you consumption of the universe anew. Spare Megatron and I shall personally ensure that goal is fulfilled."

"Galvatron himself once believed he could enslave me with the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. I am not so easily duped." Unicron claimed.

"Galvatron was a psychopathic fool; I am not. I can provide you a new body, that of Cybertron itself. I ask only that you spare Megatron." Shockwave said, secretly watching Blackarachnia get into position a fair distance from Unicron.

But Unicron was already aware long before Shockwave even started and formed a bladed weapon out of his left arm. "Just as Galvatron once underestimated me, you make the same mistake and you shall suffer my wrathful hand."

"So be it. NOW, BLACKARACHNIA!"

Blackarachnia jumped out from her hiding place and up into the air. Unicron barely had a moment to react before Blackarachnia launched a web net onto him. The brief distraction was enough for Megatron to break free and roll out of the way. The web net dropped on top of Unicron and a jolt of energy coursed through every strand. Unicron felt his host body tense up and freeze in please before he dropped down to a knee. Meanwhile, Megatron recovered his fusion cannon as he rejoined Shockwave. Blackarachnia stayed away from the two Decepticons as Unicron seemed to writhe in pain.

That was how it seemed at first, but Megatron was too taken by the sight of his would-be former master in agony. Unicron seemed to go still, and Megatron couldn't keep himself away. He sauntered over to Unicron with Shockwave close behind him. They stood over the apparently fallen god and Megatron brought the barrel of his fusion cannon to bear on Unicron's head. The moment was too good to ignore… him brilliant Unicron reached out and grabbed Megatron's arm.

Unicron spun and through Megatron off into the nearby bushes before tearing through the web. Blackarachnia tried to ensnare him in another web, but Unicron instead moved Shockwave into the path of the web. Shockwave instantly paralyzed into the web while Unicron took a shot at Blackarachnia. Blackarachnia barely move clear but the blast sent her flying nearer to Unicron instead. While she was down for a moment, Unicron turned his attention to Shockwave as he was down on his knees, grasping his neck.

"Your entrapment attempt…" Unicron stated as he reached for Shockwave's singular optic. Then he forcefully ripped it out. "…proved illogical."

Blackarachnia was frozen in terror as Unicron threw Shockwave's lifeless frame aside. More of the same fear gripped her when Unicron glared directly at her. But he didn't move toward her, instead launching himself back toward Skorponok. At the same time, Megatron was recovering in the bushes as Unicron returned to the titan. Then he saw Shockwave's remains. His face awash with anger, Megatron was a hair trigger away from ambushing Unicron but before he could, Unicron had just reentered Skorponok.

Zarak had been watching the entire confrontation between Megatron and Unicron, but he was seeming frozen in time. Frozen and, at the same time, fuming with rage. Nothing that happened outside seemed to register to him; not the fight itself, the interferences of Shockwave and Blackarachnia or the sudden, brutal of Shockwave. No, Zarak's mind wandered to the revelation that Unicron, not the Transformers, was responsible for the destruction of him home world. A part of Zarak still didn't want to believe it, but the scientist in him said otherwise. He thought about what Rodimus told him about how the Transformers had never even heard of Nebulos or even set foot on the planet. Yet, Nebulos was nothing more than space debris out of the fringes of space, as if it was ripped apart. It would've something extraordinarily powerful to tear a planet asunder, and then Zarak put it all together. Rodimus had spoken the truth and he knew it but before he could act, Unicron had returned to the control room with the Predacons behind him. Zarak didn't immediately turn to face the would-be destroyer of his home, but vengeance was steadily compelling him to act now.

Unicron stepped beside Zarak and said, "Revenge is nearly at hand, Zarak. Take us to Cybertron."

Zarak hesitated, seemingly confused of his next move. Then, he said, "No!"

Unicron slowly turned his face to Zarak and asked, "What do you mean, 'no'?"

Zarak tensed himself before turning to face Unicron, despite the differences in height between them. "I will not destroy an entire race for nothing, especially now that I know the truth behind the destruction of my home."

Unicron had now turned himself completely to face Zarak and said, "You would be wise to carefully measure your next words, Zarak."

Zarak suddenly cut loose with his finger tendrils, wrapping them around Unicron. "I'm wise enough to know now that the Transformers didn't destroy Nebulos. It was you; YOU destroyed my home, killed my family."

"Indeed, and I make no apologies for my actions." Unicron stated without trying to deny it.

Zarak fumed at the cold indifference of Unicron and proceeded to squeeze him within his tendrils, but then he was knocked to the floor by Headstrong. Zarak didn't have nearly enough time to recover when Tantrum jumped on him. The possessed Predacon mauled Zarak but didn't instantly kill outright. He instead backed away, leaving Zarak bleeding grayish plasma from his face and arms. Divebomb swooped in and took Zarak into the air, then dropped him hard between Razorclaw and Rampage. The two of them took turns mauling Zarak further before Unicron waved them off. Zarak was hurt but he was still moving. Unicron picked him up and slammed against the wall with enough force to send a clanging noise echoing throughout the control room.

"You are puny and unremarkable, a momentary spec within an indifferent universe." Then Unicron let Zarak drop to the floor with a heavy thud.

Zarak struggled to move when he noticed Divebomb at the control, and he could hear the system coming online. Skorponok was waking again. "What're you doing?"

"This universe as you know it now was meant to be. It is finite, fleeting and temporary and the only true absolute is the void. I shall take Cybertron is my new form and finish what I began from the very beginning of time itself and this time no one, not Primus or his wretched Cybertronian children shall stand in my way." Unicron proclaimed.

The structure started trembling violently as Zarak attempted to stand up, but Razorclaw and Rampage loomed over him like the animals they portrayed. Unicron gave his one-time ally no further thought beyond contempt, focusing instead on the task of taking off for Cybertron. Zarak, for all his intent and determination, was now utterly powerless to stop Unicron. It had become so clear to him now that he'd been led astray, that vengeance had consumed him to the point of blindness. There was instantly nothing he could do but witness the eventual destruction of a world and a species he'd blamed for the end of his own.

What have I done?

Skorponok gunned its massive engines and started a slow ascent into the sky. A cloud of dust, dirt and uprooted shrubbery was sent upward as the titan rose up. The dirt itself was so thick that it nearly buried the newly grayed out husk of Shockwave. But Megatron and Blackarachnia were nowhere to be seen. It wouldn't have mattered as Skorponok lifted up further and further into the sky. Once it was off the ground, it took off toward the atmosphere of the jungle planet. But unaware to the parties within the titan, Megatron had clung to the hull like he'd done long ago when he first encounter Unicron. He wasn't the only grasping the titan, as Blackarachnia was in her spider form hanging on literally by a thread, albeit a strong one. She caught sight of Megatron ahead of her, but Megatron was conversely unaware of the spider. He was dead set on boarding Skorponok again to get to Unicron.

He found a still open hatch and climbed into it. He was afforded an impressive view of the jungle planet as Skorponok was leaving orbit. A breathtaking view of some random organic world was hardly of any consequence to Megatron. He was now bent on revenge against Unicron for everything the Chaos Bringer had done and he intended to exact it. No sooner had Megatron 's intentions been made clear to him alone, Blackarachnia crept into the same hatch as him. She remained in her spider form, ready to pounce if Megatron tried anything. Megatron was just about to grab the sickening spider and toss her out of the hatch, but the doors began to close beforehand. They stared at each other as the doors close.

"So, any more suicidal ideas?" Blackarachnia sarcastically asked.

"You'd do well to watch your tone, spider. Know also that this is far from over, as Unicron is now heading for Cybertron. That is where I will exact my revenge against him." Megatron claimed.

"I wonder, is that revenge for Shockwave seeing as Unicron literally ripped his optic, or is it for you? I mean, you're not one for actually giving a damn about your own soldiers, Megatron." Blackarachnia said.

Megatron stood as tall as he could given the small space he and Blackarachnia occupied, even though the latter remained in spider form. "Shockwave acted as any Decepticon would, without hesitation or fear. If you want to survive the journey, you'll want to cultivate that very same mentality."

Blackarachnia couldn't believe what she was hearing and reply, "You're a deluded sociopath, Megatron."

"I am a warrior, a survivor and now, I am the last of the Decepticons. He's taken my identity when he created Galvatron. He's taken my freedom by making me his slave. He's taken my ultimate victory by destroying Optimus Prime and now, he wants to take the very planet that is mine along to rule. Unicron has taken everything from me, and now, I will take everything from him... or I will die trying." Megatron declared.

Oh, scrud! Right then and there, Blackarachnia knew that she in for a long journey. She was starting to wish she was dead, and with Megatron as her 'travel partner', that wish wasn't too far from potentially coming to fruition.

Author's Note: Yeppers, I finally got this chapter finished amid a great deal of chaos. Sorry if I'm being all mopey but I've been kind of frustrated with everything going on in the world, but I'm not the only one. So, this chapter was pretty much all about Megatron vs Unicron while Zarak comes to grips with the truth of his home planet's fate. Yes, by the way; Unicron did in fact just kill Shockwave. But that's okay. He'll come back... right?

Anyways, leave some feedback and I'll return with the next chapter. Peace out.