Wazup y'all!
Welcome back!
Now we have finally arrived at what you have come for. What is this mysterious artifact in the summary of this story? What is its significance? Is it even real? Time to find out!
Enjoy and please review!
"Have Corruptor's acquaintances been captured?" Megatron asked.
"Indeed. They are being held in a cell. Persecutor is separate from them." Shockwave replied.
"Good." He replied.
"My liege, if I may, how exactly do you plan on actually acquiring the Heart? If Corruptor and his group are not deemed worthy by it, they will be killed immediately just like the countless other teams we have sent."
"Corruptor is something of a different breed of Decepticon. He is not loyal to his cause." Megatron replied. "Soundwave has retrieved video surveillance evidence of how he and his team really feels about the Decepticon cause just a Solar-cycle ago. The Corrupted Heart needs a host that is a 'neutral evil' for lack of a better word. Corruptor does not agree with my leadership, yet does not agree with the Autobot cause either. The only reason he joined the Decepticons was to avenge his brother, it was a necessary evil to fulfill his purpose. He is a blend of will and hatred, he is the perfect host."
"So… what will you do once they return? The only way to draw power from the Heart is for someone to become possessed by it, becoming the blend of purity and rage according to legend. If that is the case… Corruptor may become something of a problem."
"A problem we can control. Once he kills his brother and teammates, he will come for me first because of the Dark Energon in my veins. According to the Heart, my state is biologically impossible and is tipping the balance of the universe. Once I overpower him, we will contain him in your lab and extract the power of the Heart from him. Then we can commence with the operation."
"Soundwave has arrived at the interrogation room with Corruptor," Shockwave reported afterward.
"Good. Tell him I'm on my way."
– – –
We all walked toward a maze of caverns in the distance. Knockout was being annoying as usual claiming that if he has to walk another step, he's going to "Internally combust".
"Is it at all possible for you to shut your trap for more than 5 Astro-cycles?" Trench exclaimed.
"Can we at least drive? Then at least it'll be a little fun." He replied.
"No, we can't. The collars are preventing us from transforming." I replied, observing Laserbeak flying high in my peripheral.
"What exactly are we retrieving, why is Megatron sending his prisoners on a shopping run?" Impactor asked.
"Don't know, must be something he doesn't care too much about but still would want to have?" Trench asked.
"That doesn't make sense. He might only be telling us there's something for us to get him but he's really just sending us into an Insecticon hive or something." Knockout replied.
"He's sending us on a suicide mission to retrieve one of the most valuable things he can obtain." I interrupted abruptly.
The others stopped and turned to me, stunned.
"Keep walking. If we stop, we die." I continued in the same serious tone.
"Care to develop on your earlier statement, Corruptor?" Impactor asked.
"He is sending us to retrieve an artifact that he doesn't want to send his own troops to because it's too dangerous. He said it didn't matter if we came back with the artifact or if we died trying to find it. Either way, he wins."
"There doesn't seem to be a bright side for us." Knockout replied.
"There never was." Persecutor grumbled behind us. He's been so silent I almost forgot he was here. I'm still stunned that he's alive and that even Megatron is so sick as to fake someone else's death and enslave them just to cover his tracks.
We approached the maze of caverns, which from our perspective looked like large random cracks throughout a flatland of metal and rock.
Knockout approached the edge of the cavern wall and let out an enthusiastic "Oooohhhh" followed by an "Echo!"
"Quit playing games. We have work to do." Persecutor ordered as he leaped off the edge without hesitation. I followed suit after him.
The others landed strongly on their peds behind me, while Knockout just slammed into a nearby rock on his back.
There was a groan followed by a pained "nobody saw that… ok?"
Trench huffed in a chuckle and continued walking.
As we walked I heard Knockout complaining about how his paint is scratched and that being stuck in a cell was better than this.
We traveled the maze of caves until Trench noticed something. He walked up to a small cluster of purple crystals and asked rhetorically, "Dark Energon?"
Then he began to try and pick up a shard.
"Don't touch it. It's very unstable, it could kill you." I warned.
"And how would you know, tough guy?" He asked.
I took out my rifle and shot the ground in front of his peds. The Dark Energon fueled bullet boiled in the ground. "How do you think?"
"Keep moving," Persecutor ordered again.
"What's his problem?" Impactor asked.
I did not answer. I didn't want to even attempt to ignite that conversation. However, after evaluation, my curiosity overpowered my focus.
"Brother, is everything alright?" I asked him away from the others.
"Listen K, I've been stuck in a cell for vorns by that tyrant I used to call my master. I am far from alright. All that's been going through my mind right now is focusing on what we have to do. If we get whatever the hell we're looking for, Megatron will probably execute us afterward, if we don't die here. I don't see a way out of this."
"We'll figure something out," I replied.
We kept walking through the maze for what seemed like Solar-cycles. As we trekked deeper into the cavern maze, more Dark Energon clusters were seen in larger quantities.
We eventually came to the end of a cavern, in which we saw something very peculiar.
In front of us was a massive cluster of Dark Energon, but floating atop the cluster, was a green orb.
"Is that our artifact?" Impactor asked.
I looked up to Lazerbeak on the cliffside above us. Once we made eye contact he flew away.
"Yes it is, Impactor. Exercise extreme caution." I replied.
We began to climb on top of the cluster, Knockout complaining about the shards scratching his paint the entire time.
As I was getting closer and closer to the orb, I was able to see more detail. It was very reminiscent of a Cybertronian spark, other than its colour. One thing was definitely off, as I got closer, I felt more drawn to the object.
The other four seemed to have the same reaction, as they also had bland yet curious expressions on their faces.
As soon as we got within a metre of the orb, it flashed. Then it flashed again. Then it expanded in all directions into microscopic shards, but they did not drop to the ground. The tiny shards remained floating as they were when they still composed the orb.
At the centre, where the orb used to be, was a ball of blinding white light. A spark essence. It almost seemed like it was… looking at us.
The shards then quickly came back together to form the orb, but shattered in a million different places. Then large stones cracked around the cluster and raised from the ground. One after the other until large rocks were levitating around us.
Then the light from the orb shot into all five of us. Once it made contact, the fear within me stopped. It was almost as if… I was at peace… yet in pain at the same time.
We all began to levitate at the exact same altitude in unison, rising higher and closer to each other.
Then cracks began to form in the rocks around us. They began to break apart and slam into us, but they didn't break upon impact, instead, they were giving us a sort of coating.
The rocks continued to enclose us, until we were a large ball of rock, levitating above the orb.
We then felt ourselves begin to shift and merge inside our coating until we were something new.
The orb then rose to our height, and slammed into the rock, bringing us back to life.
Beams of green light shot through the crafts of our casing until we broke from our rock bonds and revealed ourselves. The stone knight of Prima, and Megatronus. The body of the Corrupted Heart. (1)
We slammed into the ground and stood high, we felt the will of Prima within us, and the hatred of Megatronus. We are no longer separate, we are one. I am one. The heart pulsated in my chest. Exposed, yet not in any danger. (2)
I lunged off of the Dark Energon cluster, onto the ground below. I now need to take back what is mine. I leaped high into the air, higher than Seekers fly,(3) and crashed into where my creator's corpse still lay still, after all these vorns. Prima, without a spark.
I knelt down to pay my respect to my creator, my purpose. I then looked to my right to see none other than the great Star Sabre of legend. I then lifted it and examined it.
The essence of Prima then escaped my body for a moment and circled the sword.
"Thank you… father." I murmured before plunging the sword far into the rock, where even the handle was buried.
I then ripped the sword out of the ground for it to emerge as my own, it now coated with rock. The Heart's power surged through my arm until it reached the sword. Now with the power of Megatronus and Prima, it is no longer the Star Sabre. It is no longer pure of will but now courses with rage and hatred. It is now… Executioner.
With Prima's final mission now complete, his essence then disappeared into the night to find the Allspark, to finally be free.
I then lifted myself back up and stared into the distance. I must fulfill my purpose, to maintain balance in the universe.
Wait. What is this? I can... sense something. Something... wrong. Not a something... no... this is someone.
I… feel him.
I feel his presence, the one side of the scale, the chaos to the peace. I feel… Unicron.
But… It's almost like… an extension of him. A herald? No… this is something else. Something… different…
Megatron.
I dashed toward Darkmount where Megatron is located. I can sense his constant location like a radar in a Seeker.
I ran faster than any Cybertronian in history, I passed cities in Astro-cycles. As I approached Darkmount, I leaped into the air and crashed through one of the higher levels of the tower where Megatron was located.
I landed on my peds perfectly in a dark part of the room so I would not be seen immediately by any in my vicinity, and slowly rose to observe my surroundings. My flaming green eyes scanned the room.
I was in an empty room with a long table with only two chairs on opposite sides, the interrogation room.
I knew this place, we were here before we became one. I have such mixed feelings about this place… fear… anxiety… dread… but we all had one emotion in common… rage. That is what gives me power.
I walked up to the table and smashed it with both my fists. As soon as I did so, I noticed an alarm began to blare in this room and then the hallway outside the door. I backed away from the light and hid in the darkness, awaiting their arrival.
The door opened and five scouts emerged.
"This is where the alarm was triggered. Stay on guard." One of them directed while looking at a holo screen on his arm.
The other four immediately noticed the smashed table.
"What in Primus' name did this?" One of them asked.
"Why would anyone break into Darkmount to smash a table?" Another asked.
Then none other than Shockwave entered the room.
"Because he was filled with rage by his memories of this room, and destroyed from what his rage was derived."
"Who was it?"
"There are only five possibilities, but the most likely… Corruptor."
"You're telling me the Silver Bullet is in this tower smashing things?" The first asked.
"That may not be his only goal." The scientist replied.
"That's it. This is way above my pay grade. I'm getting outta here before anyone gets killed." One of the scouts said as he backed away from the table and ran out of the room.
I watched as Shockwave examined the table. That rotten Decepticon. He's the real mastermind behind all of Megatron's weapons. He's the one who created the Energon harvester. That sick emotionless robot.
As all of this was going through my head, I began to growl from rage.
Shockwave immediately noticed and stood slowly from the remains of the table.
"Corruptor? Is that you?" One of the scouts asked.
"No." My deep voice bellowed from the darkness, "Corruptor is dead. I am what emerged. I am the light and the dark. The peace and the chaos. The good and the evil. I am the final word against those who have sinned."
I then emerged from the darkness, now they all see me, the stone knight.
"I am the Judgement." (4)
Shockwave immediately began to fire at me. I charged fast, knocking the scouts away as I approached. Shockwave did not run, for the genius he made himself to be, that was not very smart. He's lucky I'm not going to kill him.
I grabbed him and pinned his arms to his body with one hand. Then I slammed him hard enough into the wall to make an indent of his body and my fist.
"Shockwave," I growled.
"You can't kill me." He wheezed.
"What more do you know?" I demanded.
"Enough. You can't kill me because I am obeying the laws the universe intended for me, however, my master is not. I know your next target is Megatron. Allow me to give you some advice."
"Give me one good reason why I would listen."
"Because if you don't you will live out the rest of your days in a glass box with your spark being drained little by little until there's nothing left."
I dropped him suddenly, making him crash to the ground with a grunt.
"Megatron's plan is to ambush you where he is currently located, then overpower you and force you into a custom stasis pod I designed, similar to the new Energon harvester we just installed. Do not stay in that room, he has defenses that will aid him. Overpower him in your own element." Shockwave suggested.
"Why help me? You are one of Megatron's most trusted officials." I asked.
"You were not the only one who had doubts about Megatron. If he obtains the power within you, there will be no stopping him. No one should have that much power."
Without a word, I dashed out of the room toward Megatron.
I burst into the room and checked my surroundings.
Ahead of me was none other than the Decepticon leader himself, wielding a tri-pronged blaster. He fired the weapon and an electric fueled bola wrapped around my legs and arms. I lost balance and smashed to the ground.
"Hello again, Corruptor." Megatron mused as he stepped on my chest.
"You like this?" He asked, gesturing to the weapon, "This is one of Shockwave's new prototypes. The 'Slingshock' as he calls it. Not really my style but I thought I'd give it a test anyway."
He leaned over me, observing my new form. "I see you've had a few changes recently." He mused as his gaze shifted to the Heart. Exposed in my chest.
"Ooh! What's this?" He asked sarcastically.
He attempted to grab it, but the power from the Heart refused him and shot a bolt of energy into his arm.
He exclaimed and backed away.
He checked his arm to find no damage, "Well, it was worth a try." He mused.
Megatron then lifted my shoulders and began to drag me to another end of the room. There was a large stasis pod behind me as Shockwave mentioned, so I need to act now.
The power of the Corrupted Heart gives me the ability to fulfill my purpose no matter the situation, giving me any ability I need to do so.
I grabbed Megatron by the chest and flung him away, sending him into the far wall of the room. I then absorbed the electricity from the bola and ripped it off of me. Then I stood and turned to Megatron, now also standing, aiming his fusion cannon at me.
He fired at me in my left shoulder, the same way he shot Corruptor. I was pushed back slightly, but I absorbed everything.
As I stepped forward, Megatron's expression changed from a smug victorious look to that of surprise and fear.
I then channeled the energy I absorbed from the electric bola and the fusion cannon and sent it back at Megatron, shooting him through the wall.
The blast I sent was so consistent it stayed straight like the round of a railgun, pushing Megatron far enough for it to be out of sight, but not for me. (3) He was eventually fired into a cavern wall, about a day's journey away from Darkmount for a typical Seeker.
I jumped through the hole I created from the blast and landed near the caverns. It took me a couple of Astro-cycles to walk right where Megatron landed, I figured I'd give him some time to recuperate so that he will be conscious for his death.
Once I arrived, Megatron was embedded in the cavern wall, conscious, but unable to move. I grabbed him by the chest and ripped him out of the wall, flinging him a short distance in the other direction.
"I knew the Corrupted Heart was strong," He grunted as he lifted himself from the ground, "But this is insanity." He then chuckled out of hysteria.
"You're one to talk," I muttered.
"You're right, I am. Some call me insane, some even say I'm a sociopath. Perhaps there is some truth to their words, but no matter. My purpose is clear. I must cure this planet, and no one is going to stop me."
After Megatron's speech, I began to approach slowly.
"Megatron, you have tipped the scales too far. Your sins will not be forgiven. Prepare for termination."
He stepped back in a fighting position as I approached.
As I walked, I noticed a rock wall right beside me on my left. I looked at my sword, and then Megatron's fusion cannon. I then plunged my left fist into the rock and, with the power of the Heart, pulled out my new accessory. A shield of an impenetrable material created only for my purpose.
Megatron fired several blasts from his cannon, but my shield only absorbed his power and transferred it to me. I then raised my sword and pointed it at him. In an instant, a beam of green energy shot from the tip of my sword, the same energy absorbed from his fusion cannon.
Megatron dodged the blast and deployed his sword. He charged without hesitation. He leaped into the air and slashed at me twice, I blocked it easily. Megatron then prepared a downward slash which I dodged and sent him back with a slash of my own with Executioner.
"Megatron, do you not see that your fate is inevitable? I have judged you and I find you wanting. But take this to heart; I am the judgement, jury, and most importantly…" I then slammed my sword into my shield, causing the shield to merge with my sword turning it into a large axe. (5) "…I am the executioner."
I then lifted my axe into the air, and slammed it into the ground, causing the ground itself to move and spikes to erupt from the ground toward my prey.
Megatron was sent into the air from the impact, groaning once he came back down to the ground.
"I… cannot lose…" He muttered in hysteria. "You… cannot… kill me!"
"It is my purpose," I growled.
I then walked up to him as he was on his hands and knees and held my axe high above my head.
Megatron let out a battle cry and sent an upward slash with his sword. It had enough force to cause me to back away. Megatron then turned and sent three rounds of his fusion cannon at my chest, all of which were absorbed.
With a frustrated outcry, Megatron tapped the screen on his arm and charged his cannon again. This time when he fired, he fired a continuous blast like a railgun.
I gradually stepped back slowly from the force of the impact, the Heart fighting against the Dark Energon.
I then stopped myself and began to push back. I began to send the power of his fusion cannon back at him with my own beam of green light. As I began to step forward, the beams' length began to fluctuate, each overpowering the other constantly. I then began to cry out from the amount of power being sent out of me, my eyes now flaming. I then pushed everything out of me, all the power I had left, and sent it all at Megatron.
The beam of green energy obliterated the purple beam and backfired on Megatron's fusion cannon, causing it to explode. Megatron was sent backward, flat on his back.
I stormed up to him and grabbed him by the chest plate. I hefted him up so he was eye level with me as I held my axe in hand.
As I began to lift my axe, Megatron cried out.
"Wait wait wait!" He pleaded, "I am not your target!"
"Explain yourself," I demanded.
"What you are trying to destroy, is what resides within me." He panted weakly, "I possess the blood of the god of Chaos. Dark Energon flows through my veins."
"I am aware. That is why you must be destroyed. I must level the scales." I replied firmly.
"But you see, I am not your target. Unicron himself is the source… He has awakened."
"How do you know this?" I demanded.
"How do you think? I am connected to him. He has broken free from his slumber and is thirsting for revenge, he is coming… for Primus. He must be contained or chaos will unleash, once he is defeated, I will no longer have the power I possess."
"Why do you lie?" I exclaimed.
"How did I lie?" He asked.
"You said that you strive to cure Cybertron, to make it a better place for your race. And yet you help Cybertron's greatest adversary to their goal by becoming his servant! You are not only insane, you're a hypocrite!" I accused.
"You cannot deny your purpose. Unicron must be contained, or the scales will tip too far, and you will have failed." He sneered.
I tightened my grip on his chest and neck and stared at his beaten face.
"You will not win. Your defeat is inevitable." I growled
"I'd be willing to bet otherwise." He wheezed.
I dropped him to the ground, where he vomits some of his Energon immediately after.
I stared at his pathetic state and mused, "Remember this day you tyrant. Fear me and the day you lay your sight on me again, because I will be the last thing you see."
Alright, I got a lot of AN's to get into for this one. *cracks knuckles*
(1) Basically, this stone knight is Unicron and Primus 2.0. Unicron and Primus, being the pure opposites that they were, were the two sides of the scale that balanced the universe. Their endless battles created the universe, creating life. Peace, fighting Chaos, hatred fighting will, rage fighting purity. The stone knight is a second chance for the universe. Being the creation of Prima and Megatronus (basically Primus and Unicron jr if you think about it), he is the judgement of anything tipping the scales, he is the final word against those who have sinned. He is the universe's judgement.
(2) I imagine the stone knight to look extremely similar to the Tailsmen Knights from TLK, but with the Corrupted heart exposed at the center of his chest similar to Iron man's arc reactor.
(3) As was revealed near the end of this chapter, the Corrupted Heart gives the host any power or ability it needs to complete its next goal in its never-ending mission, even if it's just for convenience such as enhanced sight. Its power is almost limitless. This can give the host the ability to leap impossible heights, absorb and redirect energy, and channel impossible strength... just to name a few.
(4) So the stone knight was kind of a bland name. I think 'the Judgement' is a bit more fitting... lol
(5) Any monster hunter players here? Ok well I don't know much so don't harp on me if I'm inaccurate about this at all. Anyway, there's a weapon in Monster hunter (don't know which game specifically) called the Charge Blade. It's basically a sword and shield that can turn into an even bigger sword or an axe. That's kinda the same as what Judgement did here, I was heavily inspired by the charge blade for this scene.