The Power of Friendship
The Power of Friendship

Matt was feeling futility creep over him. He had yet to find the core processor. The brain. Where was it? Matt slung a punch into the metal plating of Unicron's head. He withdrew his hand; it was pulsing with pain. Metalgarurumon looked at his old friend. "Matt, it won't help anything. We'll find the core processor. Don't worry. Piccolo and the others will be fine. What will you think about yourself tomorrow?" Matt listened, but he was also thinking. Metalgarurumon realized Matt was in thought, but he continued anyway, "Do you think Dinobot would give up at a time like this?" No, Matt thought, Dinobot wouldn't, he'd succeed or he'd go out with honor. It wasn't time to quit yet. His eyes noticed something on the metal insides of Unicron's skull.

Dinobot lurched up. It was somewhat painful to do so, but he wasn't in stasis lock, so something must be working. To his left was Wheeljack, scratched and scarred, but he too was functional. It was strange, Dinobot thought, to be fighting with such an ally. An Autobot, a key player in their victory in the Great War. A victory over his ancestors, the Decepticons. A player who never lived to see that final victory. Dinobot knew that in the blitz of Autobot City, Wheeljack was one of the casualties. He would never have seen Unicron or participated in his defeat. He, Dinobot, was too late for Unicron, his spark coming on line centuries later. So they both were facing an enemy neither of them knew. Where had these enemies come from? No time storms had occurred when Megatron was destroyed or any of the others, but there was no telling what would happen if Wheeljack was told how he died. An experienced warrior and engineer could have defeated the decepticon blitz on his own with accurate knowledge of the city's defenses. Dinobot shook his head. No, he wouldn't say a word. It wouldn't actually change much except that instead of him being a Predacon, he would not exist at all. To his left was the Namek, Piccolo, regenerating a leg. Piccolo looked at the Maximal. "You know, I think he's got the hang of us. We don't have much time." "Then we will stand with honor. We will go out fighting," replied Dinobot. Piccolo smiled briefly, "We'll go out one piece and together. Nothing can stand against all of us, nothing in the world. We'll do this, and that is that."

Dinobot was a little unsteady now. Before it had been easy. He was a warrior; he joined the battle. He would thrash the enemy. He had to survive. But now? Dinobot could sense the battle drawing close to its conclusion. Either Matt and the others would destroy the core of Unicron or they would all be annihilated. But what would happen next? A return to the Maximals? Or was he already "dead"? He glanced back at Wheeljack. Where would Wheeljack go? Or Unicron? Would history be altered afterward in some undeterminable way? Or was he stuck here on this famous battlefield in an unknown plain? Dinobot needed answers. He looked for someone who could provide them. Piccolo? No, Piccolo would not know. T.k.? The boy was too young. Von Moltke? The right hand seemed just as much at sea as everyone else. The girl? No, Dinobot did not particularly trust females. The general, he would have some idea of what everything meant. BEAST MODE! Dinobot became the sleek Velociraptor that had frozen Trowa in a time that seemed so long ago. He ran toward the rock where he could see the general reloading his weird weapon. His sprint was noted by MagnaAngemon, who didn't think too much on it. The Ultimate digimon turned around. Piccolo and the others had entrenched. They were tired, and needed the respite. Pushed against the wall, it did not look good at that particular moment.

"I just don't trust him," muttered Ami aloud. Spiderman looked over at the sailor scout. Whom did she mean? They were somewhat safe far from the battle with Unicron. No one else seemed to be saying anything. They just sat in a circle. Hornblower, Hawkeye, Dumars, Walker, Stiles, Hoover, and Kerensky all just sort of looking into space. Seahorse paced nervously, sorry that he had chosen to stay and guard the group rather than join Salamander in the fight. He too heard Ami's comment. "He" could be anyone, Piccolo, Dinobot, Charmander, and Von Moltke, even the general. Seahorse decided to find out who it was. "Who can't you trust?" he asked Ami. She looked down at the small soldier. "It's Dinobot. There's something evil about him. He's too brutal. And his teeth! I just know he's planning to do something awful to us." Hornblower could not see what she was saying; of course Hornblower had never really served with Dinobot. The raptor was a little indignant when he had taken control of things when the general went down. Maybe, there was more to him than met the eye. Hoover hadn't really cared for Dinobot since the beginning when the raptor entered the CR chamber. He'd seen Jurassic Park too many times to trust raptors. Hawkeye knew that Dinobot had introduced himself as a warrior. A warrior could not exist without war, without the killing that is so imbedded in it. Hawkeye hated the killing. Above else it was the killing. Walker and Dumars could not worry about this. They shrugged their shoulders and went on. Yet, this sentiment was dangerous.

Piccolo looked over the trench. It was a transverse trench, based on picture he had found in the base. But it was not the trench that bothered him; it was what the trench symbolized. A last stand. Last ditch, literally. He had never faced an opponent like this one. They had given everything they had and still he was beating them back. Got to keep things up. He knew T.K. was looking at him. He just knew it. A familiar role. He had to be a pillar of strength for others to lean on. He cracked his knuckles. That was fine. He had done so before, he could do so again. Nappa, Freeza, Garlic Jr., Cell, all had seen his power, not necessarily his fighting strength but his presence. His advantage over the field was mental. It was difficult to keep up with the Saiyans. He smiled slightly; Gohan was unstoppable now. He looked down the line. That gate was keeping Unicron from moving too quickly. Heavyarms and Sandrock were in the trench now. Wheeljack had pulled out a laser and was just peaking out from the trench. Above was MagnaAngemon; the true guardian of T.K. Piccolo wondered how things on the inside were going. Matt could be trusted to get it done. Him and his beast. Friendship, Piccolo thought, how defining. All of them, together, working as one to defeat Unicron. As much as it appeared otherwise, Piccolo knew in that moment it would end in their favor. How could they really be defeated? They would win, if only because their cause had a we and not an I.

Dinobot had made it over to the general, who was in the process of withdrawing to the trench. "Dinobot, what is it? Why aren't you back there with the others?" "I must know. From where did I come?" John wavered. It would be hard to explain to Dinobot that. "Have I already died?" This one stung John too. Dinobot sure didn't give you a chance to think. Do you remember a fiery valley where you preserved the anthropoids?" "Yes." "And beat Megatron with an axe?" "Yes." "Then you have died." Dinobot was satisfied. In this realm at least, he could fight another day. "And Wheeljack?" "Yes, he's gone too." Dinobot did not worry anymore. This was a strange world where past and present come alive. He and the general jumped into the trench. "Ok, guys, it's time to show Unicron what we've got. We'll fire at once right into his front. Then we'll settle and hold him off till the task force succeeds. No one quits, everybody moves, got it! Good. If we can get this shot off then we might just have a ticket home.

"Understood," Trowa.

"We don't have much left, but we have to do this," Quatre.

"Here it goes!" von Moltke.

"We'll fight on to the bitter end!" Dinobot.

"Sometimes I wonder how I get in these things," Wheeljack.

"Go knock down that bully!" T.K.

"He will not leave this battlefield," MagnaAngemon.

"My last shot, guess he gets it," Winston.

"Busy day," Tenchi.

"One more time," Sailor Jupiter.

"As long as we're still here there's always a chance. Let him eat things for awhile," Piccolo.

DINOBOT MAXIMIZE!

Matt knew the eye laser source most be connected to the main frame. But was it enough to send an impulse down the sensor pipe, or was something more required? He wished Izzy were there. Izzy would have some idea. He had no idea at all. It gnawed at him. He was their last chance; he could not fail, not now. Metalgarurumon could feel the tension in the air; he could cut it with his claw. His snout knew that something had to be done. He didn't want to act on his own; it was not his style. He and Matt were a team. A team within a team. "Matt what should we do?" "Do?" Something snapped. Matt was tired of being logical and rational. It was getting him and his friends nowhere. "Metalgarurumon, let him have it." Metalgarurumon charged up a blast.

METAL WOLF CLAW!

The blast ate into the sensor, they'd know in a few seconds if it…

Sage and Michelangelo saw Starscream and the two little guys trying to fight him. Sage rushed in and got a flying leap and kicked Starscream in the head. Michelangelo was with him, striking the knee. Starscream jerked back. "You idiots, you'll pay for that one!" He fired at them. A couple of flips and they got away. Starscream charged toward Sage, but he felt a metal claw in his arm. Salamander had made his move. A flame burned into the cut as Charmander made his. Sage stepped out of the way, and grabbing his sword, rushed into Starscream's side. The enemy robot flew back, only to feel a bang on his shoulder as Michelangelo chopped full force down. Starscream fell back and transformed. In his plane form he would not be so easy to stop. Sage braced himself, as did Michelangelo and the others. This insane robot would not stop even though he had no purpose there whatsoever.

Churchill loaded the caster one more time. Their blast had to come now. He looked down the trench, raised his gun, and yelled, "NOW!"

MAKONO!

"Eat THIS!" Heavyarms laid down a directed barrage.

"I'm with you Trowa," Sandrock pulled out the submachine gun and joined in.

"OAK EVOLUTION"

"HIYA!" A curved blade ran from Tenchi's sword at Unicron.

"One more TIME!" The proton gun fired with precision accuracy.

"HERE!" The eye laser from Dinobot fired.

"How bout a grenade?" Wheeljack raised his grenade launcher and fired all the rounds.

The caster fired, the final shot from the trench, simultaneously the combined blast headed toward Unicron. MagnaAngemon followed up the shot and dug in his sword. Unicron reeled backward, and tripped over his own feet. His colossal body fell slowly, effortlessly. With his feet on Big Round Top, his head was on Oak Ridge. Miles of him, literally. Piccolo could not believe it. They had tripped up the robot. Yet he was still operational and well defended. It was probably best for them to remain in the trench…

Sage got up slowly and peered around. He ached all over, but he had no real memory of what happened. Michelangelo seemed to be unconscious. Salamander was trying to get up. They all had been thrown against the wall. Charmander too, was senseless. Their recent antagonist had also been highly damaged. Sparks appeared in several places and his bruises were quite visible. There was telling what had happened really. But what had seemed to be a wall before was now the floor for some reason. Sage went to Michelangelo and shook him. Salamander had put Charmander on his back. The turtle very slowly and very groggily opened his eyes. "What happened?" in pain Michelangelo spoke slowly. "I'm not quite sure. It seems this monster was tipped over. Maybe the guys on the outside did it. We just got caught by surprise, I think. Well, he's not moving anyway." Sage pointed to the motionless Starscream. End it soon, he prayed. We can't take much more. Then a dreadful sound was heard and the pinchers moved into the chamber. Sage had no energy to fight them. He would have to rely on his armor and whatever Matt could pull off.

Matt looked down the long gash that had been Unicron's left eye laser. Down in the dark he could see something red and radiating. It wasn't the acid pit he had seen before. Instead it looked like a hundred radiating television screens. It must be the processor. Matt rejoiced silently. He could end it all, but he felt so weak… No he couldn't lose consciousness now, he and Metalgarurumon had to secure victory… Come on Matt! You can't give in now. Think of all the people you're doing this for, think of your friends. Think of T.K., Piccolo, Dinobot, Trowa, anybody, just don't give in just yet. "Metal-garurumon, Send a barrage of missiles down this hole at that television thing..." Metalgarurumon heard the weakness in Matt's voice. His freezing missiles came out and zoomed down the corridor. The missiles struck the core processor and began to freeze it. Unicron felt as his systems went off line one by one. He ceased to function as a forced stasis lock stopped his entire body. Sage watched as the pinchers fell useless around him. He was relieved. He sat down next to a recovering Michelangelo. He patted the turtle's back. They might make it after all. We are the boys no man dare dun. Matt would have liked to hear those words but he was to busy trying give Metalgarurumon his last instructions, "Good, job… Give him a Giga…" Matt collapsed. As he was leaning to peer down the hole anyway, he was not hurt. As he lay on his stomach his crest burst into action. The blue glow let up Unicron's cranium. Outside, Piccolo and Dinobot (beast mode) scouted out the seemingly motionless Unicron. Piccolo saw the gentle blue light coming out of Unicron's eyes and he knew. He turned to Dinobot. "Let's get out of here,"

"Is something wrong?" asked the raptor. "No, something's very right," replied Piccolo.

Sage had no choice; he had to get them out of there. With Unicron off line, it might be possible to break through the outer skin. He gathered his energy within his armor, raised his sword, it was time for one more. THUNDERBALL CUT! The metal that ate the green wave broke open a doorway. Sage helped Michelangelo while Salamander was still giving a piggyback ride to Charmander. The blast startled Piccolo and Dinobot, who weren't expecting to have to do anything but get to the trench. They quickly moved to help Sage. Dinobot lowered himself so that Salamander and Charmander could ride him back. Piccolo grabbed a hold of Sage and Michelangelo and flew back to the trench. Laying Sage and Michelangelo and Sage in the trench, Piccolo proceeded to talk to John. "General, I'd like to go back and make sure Matt's okay. Is this okay with you?" "Piccolo, it's your decision, be careful, I don't know how big a blast we might have," John replied. Piccolo nodded and flew off to find Matt. Dinobot walked over to the general. "Why'd you let him go?" Churchill looked at the raptor. "What else could I do?" Dinobot thought on it a moment. He nodded and turned to see how this would all turn out. Piccolo bulleted through the sky.