Robots in Disguise : Voyage of the Spark, a transformers/beast wars fanfic

Warning: There may be some plot inconsistencies. There will be heavy toy purchasing justification.

Prologue

                In the deep, cold depths of space, all seemed quiet. What seemed like a defiance of natural order, there exist planets made entirely of metal and circuitry. On these planets dwelled mechanical creatures; most have the powerful ability to transform. The inhabitants of one of these peculiar planets, Lithone, went about their daily lives. Talking, playing, working…unsuspecting.

                Inside one of the many complexes, two particular 'bots carried a tray full of dangerous chemicals down a long corridor. At the end, they entered a room full of computer systems and lab equipment. The 'bot carrying the tray gently placed it on a lab counter while the other went over to a computer console. Before he had a chance to proceed with whatever he was about to do, a small tremor coursed through the building, causing things to shake and rattle. The tremor soon grew into a large quake, sending everything not tied down through the air. The chemical beakers on the tray fell off the counter and crashed at the feet of one of the 'bots. Both of them tried to stable themselves by grabbing onto furniture solidly placed on the floor. They spoke to each other with a mechanical echo in their voices.

                "What in the Pit is going on, Kranix?!" asked one of the 'bots, yelling to get his voice over the rumbling.

                "I don't know, Arblus, but we'll be buried in here if we stay! Get outside!" responded Kranix. The two 'bots released their grips on the furniture and ran out of the room. As they dodged debris, they finally made it outside, but stopped dead in their tracks at the horror they saw.

                They watched in awe as the buildings and peoples of their planet got sucked out into space through a red light, towards what looked to be a giant, mechanical planet, even bigger than theirs.

                "No, I-I don't believe it! It can't be!" screeched Arblus, taking a few steps back in terror.

                "Open your optics, Arblus! It's Unicron!" The two 'bots ran away from each other to avoid flying debris, trying their best to keep themselves on the ground. Kranix called out to Arblus while pointing in a certain direction. "The ships! Get to the ships or we're done for!"

                Arblus heard Kranix's call and headed in the direction of the spaceport. Crescent-shaped protrusions on Unicron started to move, heading for the smaller planet. The "horns" impaled themselves into the surface, dragging the planet even closer to it. More and more of the small planet disappeared into the constant opening and closing of Unicron's awaiting maw.

                Both 'bots made it to the spaceport, heading for two different ships. They quickly climbed into their respective ships, and clumsily tried to start them up. Kranix's ship activated quickly and lifted off and away from the planet. Arblus, however, wasn't having the same kind of luck. He banged on the control board when the ship failed to start up. "Come on! Just this once, would you please activate faster?!" In response, the entire ship lit up and immediately shot up into the sky after Kranix's ship. Unfortunately, the gravitational force produced by Unicron caught Arblus's ship in mid-flight, and pulled it in. "Kranix! Help me!" Arblus screamed as his ship was pulled back, becoming just another piece of Unicron's meal. Within minutes, the entire planet had been devoured by Unicron to be converted into energy.

                On Kranix's ship, Kranix watched in horror as his entire planet, including all of his fellow people, was reduced to nothing more than a battery to serve as a source of Unicron's power. Kranix banged his fists on the control board. "Blast you, Unicron! One day, you'll get what you deserve, I swear it! You hear me?! Lithone shall be avenged!"

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Voyage of the Spark

                It is the year 2001. A group of heroic Autobots have taken residence on the small planet known as Earth. As its protectors, it is their duty to defeat the evil forces of a small group of Predacons and Decepticons from stealing all of Earth's energy. For the Predacons and Decepticons, however, as they lose more and more battles, they become more and more discouraged and desperate.

                At the Predacon command center's hangar, a certain mechanical shark paced back and forth in the air impatiently. To the shark's side, a giant skunk and a large toad watched it intently.

                "Sky Byte, you think you can stop doing that? You're going to blow a circuit if you keep that up," stated the toad.

                "Slapper's got a point. And I'm getting dizzy with just watching you," remarked the skunk.

                The shark, Sky Byte, stopped his pacing and turned to his two comrades. He waved his fins menacingly at them as he yelled. "You'll get more than dizziness if you don't shut up, Gas Skunk! Dark Scream should have reported in a megacycle ago! What on Cybertron could be taking him so long?!"

                "Maybe he ran into some Auto-junks," commented Slapper. "They have been giving us a hard time lately."

                "Correction: they've been giving Scourge and his fellow gear-heads a hard time and giving us a shove aside," responded Gas Skunk. "It's like they think we're not even worth fighting anymore. I tell ya, we get no respect, not even from Megatron anymore."

                "Will you two keep your comments to yourself?!" yelled the disgruntled shark. "I can't concentrate on worrying with all your babbling! Our jobs are resting in Dark Scream's hands! Should he fail, Megatron will cast us out for sure!"

                "If you're so worried," said Slapper, "then why didn't you go with him?"

                "Because, my sensors indicated that there is a large energy source deep beneath the crust of this planet. For the past three weeks, I have been secretly digging a tunnel so Scourge wouldn't find out. However, I dug so far that no light could ever reach where I was digging. I couldn't see, and had no idea which direction I was digging. Dark Scream, on the other hand, can see perfectly fine in the dark. So, I sent him to continue digging. My instructions were to just confirm if the energy was there, then report back. It shouldn't take this long!"

                "Not to be a nitpick-'bot, but exactly what kind of energy did you detect?" asked Gas Skunk. "It's kind of a broad subject, ya know. Heat's a type of energy, so you may have just detected some lava. The planet's filled with the stuff."

                "If it was lava, then the ground would have at least been warm."

                "Hey," Slapper spoke up, "if it was so dark, then why didn't you just take a lamp or a flashlight? Or how about one of those hard hats with those lights on 'em?"

                Sky Byte flew over to Slapper and whacked him upside the head with his tail. "You dolt, use your core processor for once! I only have one hand in robot mode, and that was holding the portable energy tracer. And you try wearing a hat with a fin on your head!"

                Slapper rubbed the large bump on his head. "Well, excuse me. I just thought that improvising was one of your specialties."

                "Hey, you guys," Gas Skunk interrupted, pointing through the hangar entrance. "Look! Dark Scream's coming back, and fast!"

                "It's about time," stated Sky Byte. He hovered over to the open hangar entrance to see for himself. Sure enough, a blue flying squirrel was heading right for the command center. However, the squirrel was coming in way too fast. Sky Byte started to panic. "Dark Scream, what are you doing?! Slow down! You're going too fast!"

                "This looks bad…" said Gas Skunk.

                "Take cover!" shouted Slapper.

                As the two small Predacons ducked out of the way, Dark Scream flew in a blur through the entrance and into the hangar. He did a few crazy aerial stunts, almost hitting the ceiling, before suddenly stopping right in front of Sky Byte. He looked like a kid who had eaten ten pounds of sugar, and even his color scheme seemed to be brighter than usual. He hopped up and down and talked so fast that his words ran together.

                "SkyByteSkyByte! Guesswhatguesswhat, thoughIthinkyouprobablyalreadyknow, butI'mgonnatellyouanyway! IfounditIfoundit! There'sawholebunchofenergoncubesdownthere, andthey'reripeforthepicking! IdecidedtohavealittletasteandIfeelbetterandstrongerandfasterthanbefore! Scourgewon'tevenbeabletoholdacandletous! Megatronwillbesopleased!"

                Sky Byte took a few seconds to process what the hyperactive had just said. When he pieced it together, he widened his optics, hardly believing the report. "Is this true? Is there really stable energon cubes on this mud-ball of a planet?"

                "Yeahyeah! Enoughtopoweranentirearmyforyears! Itellyathisismajorstuff!"

                Sky Byte once again had to take a few seconds to understand what was said. He got a hopeful gleam in his eyes as he put his fins together, obviously very happy. "This is it… The moment I've been yearning for! This'll really show Megatron that I, Sky Byte, am truly the greatest Predacon, next to him of course, of all time!"

                Slapper hopped over to his fellow Predacons. "If Scourge doesn't find out, that is."

                "I can just see it now…" Sky Byte, ignoring Slapper's comment, looked up as a thought bubble appeared over his head. In the bubble, a superdeformed Sky Byte in robot mode stood before an equally superdeformed Megatron. Megatron patted Sky Byte on the head, very pleased.

                "Very well done, Sky Byte," said Megatron in a high-pitched voice. "I never should have doubted your abilities. You're much better than Scourge ever was."

                "You are too kind, my lord. I live to serve you," said Sky Byte, also in a high-pitched voice.

                Gas Skunk suddenly got into Sky Byte's face, interrupting his fantasy. "Sky Byte, this is no time to be daydreaming. We've gotta tell Megatron before Scourge finds out and takes all the credit."

                This seemed to shake Sky Byte back to reality. "Er…of course! Right! I must go tell Megatron the good news!" Faster than the other three Predacon had seen him move, Sky Byte flew towards Megatron's central command chamber.

* * * * *

                In the command chamber, the six-changer Predacon, Megatron, was talking to the Optimus Prime look-alike, Scourge. "So, Scourge," said Megatron, "how is your search for the O-Parts going?"

                Scourge bowed his head to Megatron. "I have all of the Decepticons searching for them even as we speak, Lord Megatron."

                "Excellent, Scourge," congratulated Megatron. "Report to me once you have found them."

                "Yes, sir," replied Scourge, although sounding like he was doing everything within his power not to sneer.

                A voice from one of the corridors leading into the chamber caused both 'bots to lift up their heads. "Lord Megatron! Lord Megatron!"

                Scourge seethed with anger at the shark's sudden intrusion. "Don't you have a rock to crawl back under, fish-face?"

                Ignoring Scourge's comment, Sky Byte transformed to robot mode and kneeled before Megatron. He takes a quick glance at Scourge. "This is perfect. Not only will I make myself look good in front of Megatron, but also make Scourge look bad," he thought.

                "And what do you have to report, Sky Byte?" inquired Megatron, although a bit angered at the shark's rude intrusion.

                "Mighty Megatron, I have found the ultimate energy source, enough to power the base for a long period of time, and is unprotected by the Autobots," responded Sky Byte, barely containing his glee. Scourge narrowed his optics at Sky Byte at this statement.

                Megatron grinned evilly at hearing this, however. "Excellent work, Sky Byte. This is indeed good news. I can't wait to see for myself what you found."

                "Neither can I," said Scourge as he crosses his arms in disbelief. "I'd like to see what this supposed 'ultimate energy source' is."

                "I assure you," said Sky Byte, "you won't be disappointed, Megatron. And we won't have to waste the power to convert it into energon since they are already energon cubes."

                Megatron's grin quickly faded. "You're an idiot, Sky Byte! It has to be some kind of Autobot trick. Even you should know that energon wouldn't be able to form on this planet."

                Sky Byte flinched at that, never having taken that into consideration. "N-no! It's not a trick! I have proof! As we speak, Dark Scream is bouncing off the walls with all the excess energon he consumed there. It's perfect, Megatron! An abundant source of energon, unaltered, unprotected, and unknown by the Autobots."

                Before Sky Byte could continue, Scourge spoke up. "Megatron, please allow the Decepticons to harvest this energon and bring it back to you."

                Sky Byte started to panic, afraid Scourge will somehow take credit for all of his hard work. "Lord Megatron, why settle for that extra trip back when we can take the ship there ourselves? We should have no problem in transporting the energon."

                Megatron considered this for a moment. "Very well, Sky Byte," he said. "Program the coordinates into the computer. But if this turns into a wasted trip, you're going to pay for all the lost energy in moving our base."

                "I guarantee that this won't be a wasted trip."

                "We'll see about that, tuna-breath," thought Scourge.

* * * * *

                After Sky Byte inputted the coordinates into the navigational computer and the other Decepticons returned, the Megastar slowly floated from its current hidden resting spot towards the energon cache the mechanical shark found. Scourge watched the monitor in the control room as the scenery flew by. "Don't think you'll be rid of me by just finding a little energon, Sky Byte," he thought. Out loud he said, "You had better be right about this energy source, Sky Byte. We're completely vulnerable out here in the open if an Autobot attack were to occur."

                "No worries, Scourge," reassured Sky Byte. "I promise that by the time we've reached the energon, the Autobots won't even be a factor in our goal of conquest. I'm so excited, I'm inspired to write a haiku.

Tons of energon

All for Predacon glory

My lord reigns supreme."

                Scourge growled inwardly, "Someone should revoke his poetic license."

                Sky Byte made a sound that resembled him clearing his 'throat.' "Lord Megatron, with this much energon, we won't even need to find Cerebros."

                Megatron slowly nodded his head. "I'll be the judge of that, Sky Byte."

                "Yes, my lord. We should be at the coordinates within just a few megacycles."

* * * * *

                True to Sky Byte's word, the Megastar reached its destination, a large mountain range in southeastern Russia. After the large command base settled down, all of the Predacons, including Megatron, and Scourge descended to the ground in robot mode. Scourge looked around disapprovingly.

                "This is nothing more than a snow-covered wasteland. There can't be any energon here," he stated.

                "Ah, ye of little faith," retorted Sky Byte. "Follow me. I'll show you exactly where it is."

                "I must agree with Scourge, Sky Byte," said Megatron. "It doesn't look like anything can grow in this dump, much less energon."

                "I give you my word, my liege," responded Sky Byte, though a bit panicky, "that there is energon here. Stable energon cubes. It's all under these mountains. I myself have dug a tunnel to this excellent source of energy."

                "What about me? I helped, too," said Dark Scream, who was then suffering from a major drain of energy. His color scheme had returned to normal, and he was holding his head like he had a hangover. "Oh, my aching head…"

                "Don't you know what the word 'rationing' means, Dark Scream?" commented Gas Skunk. "You took too much."

                "Enough talk," Megatron's voice boomed over the others. "Let's just go find this energon."

                "Right away, sir," said Sky Byte. "It's this way." The shark Predacon led the others for a few minutes through the snow until they came upon a large boulder set against the side of one of the mountains. Sky Byte easily pushed the boulder aside, revealing a cave entrance big enough for even Megatron to fit through without any problems. Sky Byte turned to Scourge and said, "Scourge, could you be so kind as to transform? The tunnel will get very dark, so your headlights are just the things we need."

                Scourge looked to Megatron, who looked back and nodded. Scourge sighed in defeat and transformed to truck mode. He rolled on into the cave with his headlights on, giving ample lighting to the dark tunnel. The Predacons followed closely behind him. Scourge growled to himself, "Good job, Sky Byte. By putting me in front, I'll be the first to fall into any traps…"

                As if to answer Scourge's thoughts, Sky Byte said, "Don't worry, Scourge. I made sure that the tunnels stay level and safe enough for the Decepticons to drive through."

                "I feel so much better," responded Scourge sarcastically.

                After about twenty minutes of walking, or rolling in Scourge's case, it became obvious where Sky Byte stopped digging and where Dark Scream picked up.

                "We should be getting close," spoke up Dark Scream, breaking the silence that had grown. "I didn't have to dig that long."

                Both Scourge and Megatron growled in frustration as the quality of the digging took a turn for the worse. Scourge had a little trouble going over parts in the floor that were dug too deep or not deep enough. Megatron had to bend down, and even turn sideways, to get though the uneven walls and ceiling. Within a few more minutes, Megatron stopped dead in his tracks, a chill running up his superstructure. "Do you all feel that?"

                Scourge growled again, not wanting to admit it, "I do…"

                "Energon… I can sense a vast quantity of it. It's actually here. I can almost taste its power!"

                "I didn't believe it to be possible, but energon does exist on this planet," Scourge thought. "But how did that chump manage to find so much?"

                The group pressed on. Before long, they found their first energon cube. Megatron pried it from the wall it was embedded in to examine it. "It is indeed energon, high density at that. Excellent work, Sky Byte. This one cube will be able to power most of the Megastar's systems for quite a while."

                Slapper walked over to where Megatron picked the energon cube. He used his clawed, webbed hands to move away more rock and dirt from the wall. He found three more cubes in just a few seconds of digging. "Wow, there's more! This whole mountain range must be teeming with energon!"

                "Dark Scream and Sky Byte were right!" shouted Gas Skunk, hardly holding back his excitement from being surrounded by so much power. "With this much energon, the Auto-jerks don't stand a chance! Even Fortress Maximus won't be able to do much against a super-charged army."

                "With this much energon," said Megatron, staring intently at the energon cube he held in his hand, "the Autobots and Fortress Maximus don't even matter. Our mission here on Earth is complete."

                "Yeah!" exclaimed Dark Scream. "We can go tell the Tripredacus Council that we've succeeded in finding enough energy, and they can start the attack on the Autobots on Cybertron!"

                "We'll tell the Tripredacus Council nothing of the sort!" bellowed Megatron, causing the other Predacons to shrink back. "I'm tired of taking orders from those cowardly council members. This energon will make us unstoppable! I will cast out those sniveling idiots, and take command of all Predacons! Scourge!"

                "Sir!" the 'bot sounded.

                "Go get the other Decepticons and help them harvest this energon. You," he pointed to the Predacon trio, "are on sentry duty. Contact us if any of the Autobots show up."

                "Yes, sir!" all of them shouted, and moved about to their assigned tasks.

                Sky Byte looked around, seeing that he was the only one left beside Megatron. He looked at Megatron, pointing at himself in question. "What about me, sire? What can I do?"

                Megatron grinned at his eager second-in-command, "You, Sky Byte, are to oversee that this operation is a success. If we get out of here with all of this energon, you will be handsomely rewarded."

                "Thank you, o' great one. Your satisfaction is all I need. But, if you insist, how about a promotion? And perhaps a raise?"

                "How about being sub-commander of Predacon society once I've taken care of the Tripredacus Council?" proposed Megatron, knowing that no Predacon would pass up the opportunity for more power.

                Sky Byte gave his leader a salute. "All hail Megatron! I shall not fail you!"

                "That is good to hear," Megatron said as he turned around to head back to the Megastar.

                Ahead of him, Scourge rolled back out of the tunnel with a full load of energon in his tank. "This is not good. Not only am I stuck with taking orders from that blowhard, but now I'll probably be following that fin-head. If I were to get to Cerebros before the Autobots, then I'd be the one to command those idiots. Now, I won't even get that chance! I'll just have to find some other way…"

* * * * *

                At Autobot Headquarters, the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime, walked into the command center to find his holographic helper looking at a computer monitor.

                "I came as fast as I could, T-Ai," Optimus said to the hologram. "What's going on?"

                The holographic image of a young human female, T-Ai, turned to the giant, red robot. "Optimus, I've detected Decepticon activity in sector 5-4-7-5-3."

                Optimus Prime looked up at the screen. He saw the Decepticons moving back and forth across the terrain. "What are they up to?"

                "I'm not sure, but you can bet it's nothing good."

                "Can't be a bet if we both agree. Who's closest?"

                T-Ai turned to the computer console and started typing, "Bringing up the Member Select Program now." Profiles of all Autobots on Earth in vehicle mode flashed across the screen like a slot machine. The screen stopped on the Spychangers. "Member Select Program shows that the Spychangers are closest. Shall I give the signal?"

                "Yes, do it. Tell them to investigate, not to engage."

                "Roger, Optimus." She activated the computer's communicator. "Autobot Headquarters calling the Spychangers, come in."

                The visage of Hot Shot came up on the screen. "Hot Shot here. What is it, T-Ai?"

                "Hot Shot, the Decepticons are up to something. Move to the closest Global Space Bridge entrance and we'll send you there. Orders are for the Spychangers to check it out, but don't attack."

                On the screen, Hot Shot gave a salute, "Understood, T-Ai. Hot Shot out." His image disappeared from the screen.

                "T-Ai," said Optimus, "alert the other Autobots and have them on standby. Things may get ugly."

                "Roger!" responded T-Ai.

* * * * *

                Back at where the Megastar has settled, the Predacon trio sat on a large rock in their beast modes. Gas Skunk stretched out his arms to relax. "Ah, this is the life. Because of Sky Byte, all of the Decepticons are doing the hard work while we just have to keep our optics open."

                Getting a little restless, Slapper transformed to robot mode and reached into his subspace pocket. He pulled out one of the energon cubes and held it out for the others to see. "Hey, guys, since things might get a little boring, I managed to swipe us a little snack. What do ya say? Wanna test this stuff out now?"

                Gas Skunk stared at the energon cube with apprehension. "I dunno. I don't want to get a hangover like Dark Scream."

                "Don't worry," Dark Scream said, "I've learned my lesson. Just take a little taste and you should be fine."

                "Isn't that what you said before?"

                "I may have understated that. By 'a little' I meant about a fifth of its energy. I think at least an eighth of its energy should be just fine."

                "Sounds good to me," proclaimed Slapper. He opened up a compartment on his chest and pulls out a clear cable. He attached it to the cube, and it immediately started to siphon the energy into his body. After a few seconds, he pulled it back out and put it back in his compartment. He gave the energy a few seconds for it to spread throughout his systems. Soon, his optics lit up brighter than before. And like Dark Scream, his body's color scheme seemed to brighten. "Wow! I feel great! This stuff is incredible!"

                "Well, at least he's not acting like he's on a sugar buzz," commented Gas Skunk. "My turn!" He transformed to robot mode and followed the same procedure as Slapper.

                "Me next!" exclaimed Dark Scream.

                "Keep your torso plate on," said Gas Skunk as he hooked his own cable into the energon cube. "You're the only one left."

                Within a few minutes, all three Predacons were juiced up on energon with plenty to spare. Gas Skunk started shadow boxing, not having much else to do with the energy. "This isn't enough! I gotta have something to test this stuff on! Maybe an Autobot. I feel like I can take out one of those trains with one shot."

                "Yeah," said Slapper. "Isn't that how it goes? When we don't want the Autobots, they always come to spoil our fun. But when we do want them, they're never around."

                "There's a little reverse psychology for ya," commented Dark Scream.

                "Hey, you're right!" said Gas Skunk. "Let's give it a try!" He cleared his 'throat' before giving one of the worst acting performances in Predacon history. "Gosh…I sure do hope…that the Auto-….-bots won't show up."

                "Yeah," added Slapper. "We are doing…very bad things that can…harm the planet. If the Autobots just leave us alone, then we can take…over?"

                Dark Scream then joined the act, "With all of this energon, the Predacon forces will be invincible!" Gas Skunk and Slapper quickly put their hands over Dark Scream's mouth to shush him.

                "Quiet!" exclaimed Gas Skunk. "If the Autobots find out about the energon, then they'll come here in full force."

                "Yeah, we might be biting off more than we can chew. In case you haven't noticed, that causes a lot of downfalls," said Slapper.

                Unnoticed by the three Predacons, a mound of snow slowly moved around them. Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that it's a snow-colored camouflage sheet. Under the sheet, a black sports car with flame designs on its hood and doors watched the Predacons converse. "I was expecting the Decepticons, not these three bozos," thought Hot Shot. "What are they up to?" He moved in closer so he could hear better.

                "Sorry, guys," said Dark Scream, "I'll watch what I say."

                "I think it's best not to try to get the Autobots here," advised Gas Skunk. "Megatron doesn't need them interfering while the Decepticons are moving all that energon."

                Hot Shot's engine nearly backfired when he heard that. "So, that's it! They must have found some kind of energy source!" thought Hot Shot. "I've got to tell Optimus about this, and fast!" The snow mound faded back into the background, away from the Predacons.

* * * * *

                "Are you sure?" inquired Optimus Prime. He looked up at the screen that held Hot Shot's image.

                "I heard it very clearly, Optimus," responded Hot Shot. "Megatron has found energon here."

                "But how is that possible?" asked T-Ai, who was standing in front of Optimus. "The geography of this planet isn't fit for energon to grow naturally."

                "Nevertheless, T-Ai," said Optimus, "it's here and Megatron has it. Call all the other Autobots and have them meet me there on the double."

                "What are you thinking of doing, Optimus? An attack would be suicide with the Predacons in possession of energon, and we don't even know how much there is or how much energy it contains."               "That's true, T-Ai, but we can't stand around doing nothing when it comes to the Predacons and energy. We have to do all we can to stop them."

                T-Ai sighed, defeated. "I understand, Optimus. Please be careful."

                Optimus nodded in gratitude, "I will. Thanks, T-Ai." He turned to the exit, transformed, and drove off.

                T-Ai turned back to Hot Shot on the computer screen. "Optimus is on his way."

                "Roger," says Hot Shot. "Hot Shot out."

                After Hot Shot terminated his connection, T-Ai started typing at the computer, bringing up the Autobot brothers. "Autobot brothers, come in! This is an emergency battle protocol."

                X-Brawn's image came up on the screen. "This is X-Brawn. What seems to be the problem, little lady?"

                "X-Brawn, the Predacons and Decepticons are gathering energon in sector 5-4-7-5-3. Get your brothers and report to the battle field immediately. Optimus is already headed there."

                "Roger that, T-Ai. Don't you worry none. We'll give those varmints a swift and hard kick in the keister." X-Brawn closed out, and T-Ai proceeded to call the others.

                "I don't understand… Why didn't our sensors pick up this energon?"

* * * * *

                Within minutes, all of the Autobots on Earth, including Tow-Line and Skid-Z, had gathered just outside of the Predacon trio's scanning range. Optimus Prime looked over them all, "Are we all here?"

                Wedge raised his fists, "The Build Team is ready and raring to go!"

                "Team Bullet Train is at your service," said Railspike.

                "Time to impound those troublemakers!" proclaimed Tow-Line.

                "I'm all revved up!" exclaimed Skid-Z.

                "Sir!" shouted the Spychangers in unison.

                "We're right behind you, Optimus," said Prowl, representing the Autobot brothers.

                Optimus nodded his head, "All right! Autobots, mo-!"

                "Hold it!" shouted a voice from above, cutting Optimus off. Everyone looked up to see a large, white robot descend. He landed in front of Optimus. "Having a party without me? I'm hurt, Optimus. Is that any way to treat family?"

                "Sorry, Ultra Magnus," said Optimus. "I didn't know if you'd be coming or not."

                "I'm here, aren't I? I wouldn't miss seeing you finally have the guts to launch a full scale assault against Megatron."

                Optimus nodded his head again and turned back to the other Autobots. "Let's try this again. Autobots, move out!"

                "Sir!"

* * * * *

                Dark Scream turned his head, as if listening to something. "What was that?"

                "What was what?" asked Gas Skunk.

                "It sounded like many Transformers crying out all at one, then suddenly silenced."

                "It must have been those hot pepper burritos you had for lunch," commented Slapper. "I told you to stay away from those things."

                "Who cares?" asked Gas Skunk. "As long as it wasn't those Auto-pinheads." A laser blast suddenly struck the ground near them. They looked at the scorch mark in surprise before looking up to see who shot the blast. Skid-Z and Tow-Line were running towards them, weapons drawn and firing. Slapper and Dark Scream looked at Gas Skunk accusingly. He held up his hands in defense. "Hey, I wasn't even trying! I thought that reverse psychology junk was just some mumbo jumbo."

                "Whatever," said Slapper. "We've gotta hold them off." His right shoulder guard, which was the top jaw of his beast mode, raised, revealing a gem embedded in the underside. "Right Laser!" The crystal glowed to a high level, then fired an intense white and purple beam at the two Autobots.

                "Watch out, Tow-Line!" Skid-Z shouted as he jumped aside.

Tow-Line, unfortunately, got the message too little too late. The beam hit him dead on, sending him flying back and into some rocks. His optics faded out, indicating that he'd gone unconscious.

                "No! Tow-Line!" Skid-Z ran over to Towline to check on him.

                "You should worry about yourself, Auto-brat!" shouted Gas Skunk. "Left Laser!" A panel on his left shoulder lifted up, showing an empty hole. Out of the hole, a bright yellow beam shot at Skid-Z, knocking him down for the count. "That was just too easy. This stuff is great! And I've got a lot more where that came from!"

                "C'mon, we've gotta go tell Megatron the Autobots are here!" said Dark Scream.

                "Right!" the other two Predacons shouted.

* * * * *

                Unfortunately, the other Predacons and Decepticons didn't have to be told about the Autobot presence.

                "Barrage Attack!" shouted Scourge. The cannons on his shoulders fired several missiles at the Spychangers.

                Mirage looked up just in time. "Incoming missiles at ten o'clock, team!"

                Hot Shot raised his gun, as did the others. "Aim, fire!" All six Spychangers fired their weapons at the same time at the missiles, destroying all of them. "Got 'em!"

                "Don't celebrate yet, Auto-fools," said Scourge. He reached behind his back and pulled out a large, red sword. "Sword of Fury!" He charged at the Spychangers, managing to catch Ironhide off guard. He swung his sword at Ironhide, connecting, and sending him crashing into Crosswise. The other Spychangers reacted by scattering around Scourge, aiming their guns and firing. Fortunately, Scourge was able to dodge most of them and able to take the ones that hit. He swung his sword at the closest Spychanger and sliced off W.A.R.S.'s forearm that held his gun. He followed this up with a kick to the chest, knocking W.A.R.S. down. "That's three down."

                "Don't be so sure, Scourge," said Crosswise, who was getting back to his feet with Ironhide. They aimed their guns at Scourge, but before they could fire…

                "Shark Missiles!" The shout signaled the incoming missiles, but the two Spychangers were unable to determine where they're coming from. The missiles connected with their backs, sending them off-line. The owner of the missiles, Sky Byte, floated over to Scourge, transformed, and landed. "Don't let your guard down, Scourge!"

                "I don't need your advice, Sky Byte!" responded Scourge. He dodged another blast from a Spychanger. He looked to see that it was Mirage who fired it.

                "Slaggit!" cursed Mirage from his sniping position behind some rocks. "That was a clean head-shot."

                Scourge rushed and thrust his sword at Mirage. Nimble as the Spychanger was, he couldn't avoid being impaled with the sword's tip in his mid-section. "Your miss shall be your destruction!" Scourge shouted. He swung the sword upward, sending Mirage high into the air. When he came back down, Scourge used the sword like a baseball bat and swung, sending Mirage headfirst into R.E.V. They both went out like a light, leaving only Hot Shot to fend for himself.

                "Allow me, Scourge," requested Sky Byte as he stepped forward. "Tsunami Blaster!" A gem on his chest lit up, then sent a bright, light blue beam at Hot Shot. Hot Shot didn't even get the chance to dodge, and took the blast right in the chest. "So much for these little pests. Not even a challenge."

                "But we are!"

                "Huh?" Sky Byte turned his head to see Wedge, backed by Grimlock, Heavy Load, and Hightower.

                "Build Team!" shouted Wedge, "combine into Landfill!"

                "Right!" responded the other members. All of them transformed into their vehicle modes. Heavy Load and Hightower transformed into the legs, Grimlock the arms and back, and Wedge the head and front.

                "This should be interesting," remarked Scourge. "Laser Barrage!" The cannons on his shoulders then fired rapid bursts of lasers at Landfill. Landfill was able to take most of the attack, but was slowly wearing down. Scourge stopped firing, allowing Sky Byte a turn to get in a hit with his Tsunami Blaster. Landfill was scorched and dented, but far from being defeated.

                "You're going down!" Landfill shouted as he fires a blaster that used to be Hightower's crane. Sky Byte was hit and sent flying into some rocks.

                "I should have known my winning streak wouldn't last for too long…" Sky Byte groaned as he staggered to his feet. Scourge calmly walked to where Sky Byte had landed.

                "I have a plan on how to take that walking scrap heap down," Scourge said to Sky Byte, "but I'm going to need your help."

                For the second time in the same day, Sky Byte couldn't believe his audio receptors. "What? You need my help?"

                "Yes…" Scourge reached up and grabbed hold of Sky Byte's shark fin on his head. "I need you to act as a distraction." With an incredible show of strength, Scourge flipped Sky Byte over his head and sending him flying through the air towards Landfill. In order to stop Sky Byte from crashing into him, Landfill was forced to drop his weapons and catch Sky Byte in his arms. With the gestalt struck with confusion, Scourge moved around to behind Landfill and thrust his sword into Landfill's back, severing the link between the Build Team members. One at a time, Landfill fell to become his four components, dropping Sky Byte in the process. Heavily damaged, the Build Team struggled to get to their feet.

                "We'll never give up!" strained Wedge. "We're going to keep fighting!"

                "That's right!" exclaimed Heavy Load.

                "We'll keep fighting until the bitter end!" proclaimed Grimlock.

                "You don't understand, Auto-fools," said Scourge. "This is the end. Barrage Attack!" Scourge sent more missiles from his shoulder cannons into the Build Team, each one causing cumulative damage. The onslaught became too much, and each Build Team member fell into unconsciousness. "Sweet dreams."

* * * * *

                Elsewhere, Ruination was having a grappling match with Rail Racer, neither gaining nor losing ground.

                "This game of tug-of-war isn't getting us anywhere," stated Ruination.

                "Then allow me to pour on the speed!" exclaimed Rail Racer. The protrusions on his back that used to be Rapid Run's legs extended, emitting jet propulsion that gave Rail Racer a burst of speed. Rail Racer pushed Ruination back into the wall of a cliff hard. He disengaged the grappling, and started pounding mercilessly on Ruination, weakening the link between his Decepticon components. Soon, it looked that Rail Racer had won. He stepped back to survey the damage he'd taken.

                "I'm not through with you, yet," Ruination said as he struggled to his feet.

                "Don't you know when to quit?"

                "I'll quit when you're destroyed!" Ruination wound back his right arm, and delivered a powerful blow to Rail Racer's head. This knocked Rail Racer for quite a loop, giving Ruination the chance he needed. "Twin Laser!" He bent over and aimed the gun barrels on his back at Rail Racer. The weapon fired, hitting the other gestalt in the face, which was enough to knock him down. He walked up to where the train combiner lay to see if he's really down. "That takes care of that windbag."

                "Don't be too sure about that…" From the ground, Rail Racer swept his legs to behind Ruination's and pushed them out from under him. Ruination lost his balance and fell on his side with a loud thud. Rail Racer pulled out his blaster and aims it at Ruination. "It's over, Decepticon!"

                "Guess again, Rail Loser! Center Laser!" Following the voice, an intense pink beam struck Rail Racer from behind. Rail Racer staggered forward to keep his balance, giving Ruination the opportunity he needed to pull out his combined blasters and fire. Several of the lasers hit Rail Racer in the head and midsection, knocking him out for good this time. The owner of the voice, Dark Scream, rushed over to Ruination with his two Predacon companions. Unable to hold himself together any longer, Ruination split back into his five Decepticon components.

                "Looks like we got here just in time," stated Gas Skunk.

                Trying to get the kinks out of his joints, Mega-Octane twisted his neck in various directions. "What's going on? I thought you three were supposed to call us if there was an Autobot attack. Do you have any idea how much energon we lost when those trains attacked us while we were transporting it?"

                "We kinda got held up," Slapper said in embarrassment.

                "You bozos never do anything right," commented Movor.

                Suddenly, the sound of a truck engine caught their attention. They turned around to see Scourge driving up in vehicle while Sky Byte flew next to him in beast mode. Once the mismatched duo reached their position, they transformed into their robot modes. "What are you all standing around talking for?" asked Sky Byte. "The Autobots are here, and we must protect the energon with our lives. Scourge and I have already taken down the hard-headed Build Team and those wimpy Spychangers."

                "We won't have to worry about the trains, either," said Ro-tor

                "Nor that crazy tow-truck and race-happy Skid-Z," spoke up Dark Scream.

                "That just leaves those annoying Autobot brothers and Prime," said Slapper.

                "Let's not forget Ultra Magnus," said Sky Byte. "He'll probably combine with Optimus to form Omega Prime."

                "Well, let's get going and kick them outta here!" shouted Gas Skunk.

                "Decepticons," called Scourge, "transform!"

                "Sir!" was the response. All the Decepticons transformed to their respective vehicle modes and drove/flew away.

                "Scourge!" cried out Sky Byte as he transformed back to beast and flew after them. "Wait! I'm in charge! I should give the order!"

* * * * *

                A few minutes away, Megatron was facing off against the remaining Autobots alone in robot mode. He stared intently at Optimus Prime. "Why must you always spoil my plans, Prime?"

                "I'm not even going to justify that with an answer," responded Optimus.

                X-Brawn stepped forward toward Megatron. "Hold on, Optimus. Let us handle this sidewinder."

                "Yeah, we can take him!" boasted Side Burn.

                "We promise not to underestimate him, Optimus," said Prowl.

                "Be careful, Autobots," warned Optimus.

                "Right!" exclaimed Side Burn. "Let's do it! Side Burn, power up!" Energy coursed through his body, changing his superstructure from a cold blue to a fiery red.

                "Prowl, power up!" shouted Prowl, activating his own energy boost that changed his color scheme from white to blue.

                "X-Brawn, power up!" X-Brawn's charge changed his color and gave it a more white, sporty look.

                Megatron chuckled to himself, "Your supercharged forms won't save you from me." To prove his point, Megatron rushed the brothers faster than they'd ever seen him move. He delivered a powerful thrust to Prowl's chest, pushing him several yards back.

                "You'll pay for that, varmint!" shouted X-Brawn as he aimed his weapon at Megatron. "Bronco Blaster!" His gun fired several rapid shots at Megatron, which connect. However, Megatron seemed unaffected.

                Megatron laughed again, "I already told you, you're no match for me! Cutter Beam!" A jewel on his forehead glowed then fired a dense energy beam at the ground between X-Brawn's feet. The ground exploded, sending X-Brawn flying away.

                "Stop this now, Megatron! Blaze Blaster!" Optimus's shout alerted Megatron of the incoming attack, but the two red beams struck him anyway. Megatron staggered back, but hadn't taken much damage.

                Ultra Magnus walked up behind Optimus and extended his right hand. "Let's finish this quickly Optimus."

                "Right, Ultra Magnus. Let's combine," agreed Optimus.

                "Sure, even though it'll cost me an arm and a leg," Magnus replied with a smug grin on his face. Ultra Magnus grabbed Optimus's right hand as if just giving him a handshake, but it became more than that. "Combine into Omega Prime!" they shouted in unison. Ultra Magnus's arm disengaged from his body and wrapped itself around Optimus's. Their left hands follow the same procedure. Next, Ultra Magnus's legs disconnected from his body and transformed into new feet that fit over Optimus's. Finally, Ultra Magnus's torso shifted around until it becomes a new body covering for Optimus. Omega Prime was complete.

                "Now, Megatron," said Omega Prime, "have a taste of the fist of Justice! Omega Punch!" He rushed Megatron with a fiery aura surrounding his outstretched fist.

                "Go get 'im, Prime!" encouraged Side Burn.

                Expecting the attack, Megatron wedged his feet into the ground. He put his arms in front of him, and caught Omega Prime's fist. However, Prime pushed on, causing Megatron to drag his feet across the ground. While Omega Prime was concentrating on pushing Megatron back, Megatron took this chance to charge up the jewel on his forehead again. "Cutter Beam!" The beam fired and hit Omega Prime in the face, blinding him long enough for Megatron to move away.

                Prime took a few seconds for his vision to come back while keeping his other senses checking for another attack. "He's stronger than I thought… He must have already absorbed some of the energon."

                "Correct, Prime!" shouted Megatron. "And unlike the other Predacons, I have a much higher excess energon intake tolerance. Dragon mode!" Megatron transformed into his two-headed dragon beast mode, laughing. He aimed his heads at Omega Prime as red spheres start to grow in his mouths. "Twin-Dragon Breath!" He fired two powerful orange beams at Prime.

                Omega Prime brought out his main weapon, which used to be Ultra Magnus's Blue Bolts. "Prime Ultralaser!" The two main cannons fired off two red beams of its own. The four beams hit one another, neither gaining nor losing any ground. With the two combatants continuing to fuel their attacks, it all depended on who had the most stamina. It didn't come to that, however, as the pressure at the point where the beams met increased, resulting in an explosion that forced the two fighters back. "Megatron! Don't be foolish! You'll set off the energon!"

                Megatron's two heads smirked. "There's plenty to go around. It won't hurt us much to lose a little."

                "You know what I'm talking about, Megatron!" warned Omega Prime.

                "Frankly, I don't care!" roared Megatron. He charged at Prime, jaws open. "Twin-Dragon Breath!" He fired off two more beams, which hit Prime's knees, causing him to lose support and fall.

                "Omega Prime!" shouted Side Burn as he ran to the larger robot's side. "Are you okay?"

                Omega Prime struggled back to his feet slowly. "Things aren't looking good… But, we can't give up! The future of this planet depends on us!" With renewed resolve, he charged at Megatron once again. However, he didn't get very far as shouts from seemingly nowhere distract him.

                "Laser Barrage!"

                "Tsunami Blaster!"

                "Right Laser!"

                "Center Laser!"

                "Left Laser!"

                The attacks that came with the shouts hit the two remaining Autobots from all sides, creating explosion after explosion along with giant clouds of snow and dust. The Predacons and Decepticon who fired the shots walked into Megatron's view, surrounding the still-billowing snow cloud, ready for anything that were to suddenly come out of it. The smoke and snow cleared, revealing the inert forms of Omega Prime and Side Burn on the ground. Megatron walked up to his troops, very pleased.

                "Well done!" he congratulated them. "Indeed, this has been our finest victory yet. The Autobots are no more, and we have more energon than ever! Now, I shall personally see to it that Omega Prime is completely destroyed!" He slowly walked over to the Autobot leader's motionless form, savoring the victory. "I shall deeply enjoy this…"

                Sky Byte sighs at the anticipation of his leader's soon-to-be most famous act. "Ah, the destruction of both Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, two opposites fighting for the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Sheer poetry."

                Megatron aimed his two heads at Omega Prime's body, laughing menacingly. "Goodbye, Prime. Give my regards to the Pit." He opened up his mouths, charging his attack.

                Scourge watched with his arms crossed in disapproval. "I should be the one to destroy Optimus Prime, not this arrogant newt."

                "Twin-Dragon Breath!" Megatron unleashed the horrible inferno onto Omega Prime's chassis. Prime's superstructure started to melt away for a few seconds before the ground beneath him exploded, most likely due to an energon cube near the surface. The force of the explosion was enough to send Omega Prime and the nearby Side Burn sailing through the air and into the far distance. Megatron was also pushed back, but just by a few yards. "Not exactly what I had in mind," he chuckled, "but I suppose it'll do. Omega Prime is surely finished."

                "All hail Megatron," shouted Sky Byte, "the greatest leader in Cybertronian history!"

                "Hooray for Megatron!" cheered the Predacon trio.

                Megatron shrugged off the praise. "There'll be time for celebrations later. For now, there is work to be done."

                Sky Byte gave his leader a salute, "Of course, my lord. The Decepticons are already back at work on transporting the remaining energon cubes into the Megastar. We should be done within approximately one-point-eight megacycles."

                "Excellent. Once we're finished, we'll set a course for Predacon Satellite Colony Beta Five. The Tripredacus Council will never know what hit them!" With that said, he broke out into cliché villainous laughter.

* * * * *

                Just as Sky Byte had calculated, all but just a few leftover cubes had been moved into storage rooms aboard the Megastar in just about three hours. In fact, some of the extra crews' quarters had to be used as well. Soon, power surged throughout the entire ship from the powerful energon cubes. The engines kicked in, lifting the mighty ship high into the atmosphere. Megatron stood in the control chamber in robot mode, watching the view of Earth zoom out. "The Earth has served us well. Perhaps we should come back another time and see if we can find some more energy."

                Behind him, Scourge and Sky Byte stood quietly. "Goodbye, Koji," thought Sky Byte forlornly. "At least you'll be kept safe for now."

                "What are we to do now, Lord Megatron?" inquired Scourge.

                "We," said Megatron, "are to wait until we arrive at Predacon Satellite Colony Beta Five, which we will make our main stronghold. The colony will provide us with more troops and weapons. I know for a fact that the residents of that colony are also tired of following the commands of the Tripredacus Council. From there, we will launch an assault on Predacon Satellite Outpost Alpha Three, which the Tripredacus Council currently reside in. For now, get some rest. We will arrive at our destination within three Cybertronian solarcycles."

* * * * *

                A certain blue Autobot laid on the brink of expiration. Before he reached his time, Side Burn pondered over how his life had made it through many dangers only to end here. His voice spoke within the dark recesses of his core processor. "This is so unfair! Why must I die like this! I can't believe that I got totaled without even firing one shot! I can just see my chassis, all scratched up and dented! How can I wow all the little, red sports cars when my perfect superstructure looks like it was in a demolition derby?!" No one said last thoughts had to philosophical. In the virtual space of his mind, the 'bot spied a speck of light trying to penetrate the darkness. "What's that? Is…that the Matrix? No! I can't go back yet!" As if laughing at his protests, the light grew larger as it got closer. "I guess this is it… I wonder if there are any red sports cars in the Matrix?" The light soon engulfed his entire field of view. He gasped at what he saw in the 'Matrix.' "I was just half-kidding… But, I don't care! This is a dream come true! I'm in heaven!" With good reason to jump for joy, Side Burn found himself looking inside a Cybertronian oil-bathhouse. There were half a dozen femme-'bots gathered around the oil pools, waving at him to join them. It was obvious that their alternate modes were that of red sports cars. One of the femmes walked up to Side Burn in a seductive way.

                "Care to cool your circuits and take a lil' dip with me?" she inquired with a sweet voice, winking at Side Burn. He banged his head with his hand a few times to see if he was really dreaming. When he failed to wake up, Side Burn got a goofy look on his face as he smiled at the femme-'bot.

                "Sure... I'd love to... But, how about a little kiss, first?" Before the femme could react, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

                "Side Burn, you creep," she giggled.

                Side Burn got another goofy grin. He shut off his optics, puckered his lips, and moved in closer for the kiss.

                "Side Burn..."

                Closer...

                "Side Burn."

                Closer... Strange, her voice sounded different.

                "Side Burn!"

                Sounded familiar. Sounded like...X-Brawn?!

                "Side Burn, get a hold of yerself! Down, boy!"

                Side Burn quickly activated his optics, finding himself back in the real world, very much alive. However, what greeted him was an image of pure horror. X-Brawn's visage, which looked very angry at the moment, was just millimeters away from his face. Side Burn's lips were still puckered, and his arms wrapped around X-Brawn's neck. Side Burn screamed at his maximum volume, let go of X-Brawn's neck, and scooted away faster than he'd ever driven on the freeway. He held his chest as he panted heavily. "That…*pant* was…*gasp* scary! *Wheeze*"

                X-Brawn, even without a mouth, wais also trying to catch his breath. "Was no picnic for me, neither, little brother."

                After a few seconds of silence, Side Burn looked at his surroundings. He's back at the Autobot command center, in one of the medical rooms in fact. He looked to the doorway and found a beaten and battered Optimus Prime trying to hold in a chuckle.

                "Good to see you're all right, Side Burn," said Optimus as he walked in. Prowl followed him in a few seconds later.

                "I don't know, Optimus," commented Prowl with a chuckle, "he doesn't look so good. Perhaps he needs a little surgery to get this red sports car obsession out of his system. Of course, we'll need to apply a lot of anesthetics."

                "Prowl, never, ever attempt to make another joke," warned Side Burn, glaring daggers at his brother. After clearing his "throat," he looked to Optimus. "What happened? I thought we were all toasters for sure."

                "So did I, at one point," replied Optimus solemnly. "Fortunately, X-Brawn and Hot Shot found us and brought us back to headquarters."

                "How'd they manage that?"

                X-Brawn looked down and put a hand on his head, whether in embarrassment or annoyance couldn't be certain. "We nearly killed ourselves draggin' y'all back here."

                Side Burn blinked his optics, thinking it best not to know after all. "Forget I asked. What about Megatron and his cronies?"

                "...Gone," said Optimus with a sigh.

                "...With all the energon," added Prowl. "They're probably already on their way to Cybertron to take over."

                "What?!" exclaimed Side Burn. "Even with all that energon, one group of Predacons and Decepticons can't take over an entire planet, right?"

                "No," said Optimus. "They'll probably get reinforcements. And I don't think the Tripredacus Council is going to approve of Megatron having all that power for himself."

                "So, what do we do?"

                "We've got to warn Cybertron while we prepare here. We've still got to find the O-Parts."

                "That's right," Prowl suddenly spoke up. "Optimus, T-Ai told me to tell you that she's rigged up a device that will lock on and track the location of the remaining O-Parts."

                "Thanks, Prowl." Optimus turned his head to the three brothers. "How about it? Are you all up for a little treasure hunt?"

                "Sure!" exclaimed Side Burn. "Sounds like fun!"

                "Don't worry, Optimus," said X-Brawn. "We'll back with those O-Parts faster than an amateur falling off a wild bronco."

                "I'm counting on you," said Optimus.

* * * * *

                Three days had passed on Earth, and with much relief, the Autobots were able to locate all the O-Parts and the Orb of Sigma without any Predacon or Decepticon interference. Now, the Autobot brothers and the Build Team were walking through the dusty corridors of an ancient temple, hoping to find Cerebros.

                "Hey, guys," Wedge spoke up, breaking the silence, "exactly what are we going to do once we find Cerebros?"

                "I reckon we'll take 'im to headquarters for safekeeping," responded X-Brawn. He kept an optic on the holo-map of the temple projected in front of him. On the map, there were seven white dots indicating the Autobots. "If Megatron and his buds ever decide to come back, we're going to need Fortress Maximus." A beeping sound from the map caught his full attention. Just ahead of the seven dots, a red dot blips on and off. "Hold on, amigos. I'm reading a 'bot signature that doesn't belong to any of us. It's just a few yards away."

                "It could be Cerebros," said Prowl.

                "Gee, Prowl, how many other Autobots do you think are sealed in this place?" commented Side Burn. The group stopped in front of an old and worn-out statue depicting an ancient human warrior. "The key to an unbelievable source of power is contained within a crumbling piece of junk where practically anyone can get to?"

                "I dunno, guys," whispered Hightower, "this seems all too easy. After all the peace and quiet we've been getting, I'm expecting a Predacon or Decepticon attack at any second."

                "I know what you mean," said Grimlock, "but I'm not complaining."

                Side Burn walked up next to the statue and gently knocked on it a few times to test its durability. However, after centuries of neglect and lack of maintenance, the statue had become very frail. Its base crumbled a little, causing it to lose balance and crash to the floor. Pieces of brittle stone fly out in every direction, revealing the red robot that was cased inside. "Uh…whoops?"

                "Be careful, Side Burn!" yelled Prowl. "If you broke him…"

                "Relax, Prowl," said X-Brawn, who was kneeling next to Cerebros and checking for vital signs. "Cerebros is just fine and dandy. C'mon, let's git back to base." Heavy Load transformed to his dump truck mode, and X-Brawn gently set Cerebros in the bed.

* * * * *

                "This is most troubling, Optimus Prime."

                "If what you say is true, then it is only a matter of time before the Predacons decide to attack Cybertron."

                "Even with the aid of some energon, do the Predacons really possess the strength to attack us?"

                "Autobot Elders," Optimus Prime addressed to the transmission image of three old and battle-hardened Autobots, "it's my guess that the Tripredacus Council isn't going to like Megatron having that much energy to himself. And considering Megatron's power-hungry tendencies…"

                "In other words," said the Elder on the far left, "Megatron plans to attack the Council before us."

                "I say we let him!" exclaimed the Elder on the far right. "Let our enemies take each other out, leaving not much left of either side to launch an assault on Cybertron."

                "You forget the standing position each side is in," pointed out the Elder in the middle.

                "He's right," said Optimus Prime. "Right now, the forces and resources of the Tripredacus Council are slowly but surely dwindling. Megatron, on the other hand, is certain to have more troops where he's headed, and he's got more than enough energon to back up a full-scale assault."

                "So the Tripredacus Council is more or less finished," scoffed the Elder on the right. "It would be no metal off of our exo-structures. If the Tripredacus Council hasn't been able to take over Cybertron, then what are the chances that one ragtag group of Predacons and Decepticons can?"

                "You must take into account how both the Council and Megatron operate," said the Elder on the left. "While the Tripredacus Council uses stealth tactics and executes strategies from a more political standpoint…"

                "Megatron presses every brute force advantage he has," finished Optimus.

                "Isn't that the kind of takeover we've been preparing for?" argued the Elder on the right.

                "This bickering is getting us nowhere and is costing us precious time," said the Elder in the middle. "Optimus Prime, your orders are for you and your crew to stay on Earth until further notice."

                "But, sir," argued Optimus, "my team and I can be a valuable asset to the Autobot forces to defend against Megatron's certain attack on Cybertron."

                "Agreed," said the Elder on the left, "but your presence is needed most on Earth in case Megatron decides to return to gather more energy. Our forces will be able to hold out against Megatron's attack without you."

                "Just send us the information on Megatron and his crew that you have gathered so far. We'll take care of the rest," ordered the Elder in the middle.

                "…Yes, sirs," Optimus reluctantly conceded. He gave his superiors a salute before the transmission ended. "Primus help us all." He's about to leave until a beep from the computer console he was using to communicate with the Autobot Elders with caught his attention.

                "X-Brawn to HQ, come in," X-Brawn's voice came in from the console's communication post. Optimus pressed a button on the console to activate the two-way transmission.

                "Optimus here. What's your status?"

                "We've just picked up Cerebros and are now headed back to headquarters via the global Space Bridge. ETA: fifteen cycles."

                "Good work. I'm awaiting your return. Optimus out." He closed the transmission and sighed. He crossed his arms as a battle waged inside his core processor. Should he obey the orders given to him and remain on Earth? Or should he do what his programming was telling him to do and return to Cybertron to fight side-by-side with his fellow Autobots against the Predacon and Decepticon menace? Finding no answer, he looked up at the ceiling. "Primus, what do I do…?"

* * * * *

End of Chapter 1

Author's Note: Now, before you bash my head in and argue, "What happened to Unicron? Where does he fit in all of this?" let me assure you that he does indeed play a part in the battles to come. I have it all figured out, but I'd like your input. Did you like it or hate it? Do you want me to write more of it? Please review and tell me what you think as long as it's not in the form of an immature flame. I would appreciate constructive criticism, whether it's good or bad criticism. Thank you.