Transformers: Robots In Disguise
Season 2
A Battle Between Life and Death
Part 4
The Delivery
Scourge: Last time on Transformers: Robots In Disguise, trouble came to
the Autobots in a new form. The Oriocons, robot mercenaries. They
engaged the Hyper Force in battle and totally defeated them. Let's see
how the Autobots get out of this.
The Noriyama Power Plant in Northern Japan blew up in an incredible show
of fireworks. Not far away, the source of the explosion could be seen. A
giant robot laughing maniacally.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha, this is the most fun I've had in a long time. And the best
part is there's no force on Earth that can stop me!"
"That's where you're wrong, Terrorion," a voice called. A fire truck and a
blue car carrier came out of a blue portal behind them.
"Autobots?" Terrorion guessed.
"Close," said the blue car carrier. "Your worst nightmare. Ultra Magnus,
transform!"
"Optimus Prime, transform!"
"Combine into Omega Prime!" The two robots combined into one. "You may
have defeated the Hyper Force, but you don't stand a chance against me."
"We shall see." Omega Prime and Terrorion rushed at each other and started
grappling. Omega Prime pushed Terrorion away and flew into the air. The
Oriocon gestalt ducked as Omega Prime flew by. Terrorion jumped up and came
down on Omega Prime.
"Omega Blast!" The weapons of Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime fired at once.
"Reflection!" Terrorion sent the blast right back at him. Omega Prime dodged
it. Terrorion launched a flying side kick at Omega Prime who countered by
dropping low and doing an upper cut. Terrorion flipped out of the way.
"Sword of Death!" Suddenly Terrorion pulled a sword that looked remarkably
similar to Scourge's except for the obvious fact that it was huge.
"Where did that come from?" Omega Prime asked.
"You should worry more about where it's going," Terrorion cracked as he swung
it at Omega Prime.
"Omega Force!" Omega Prime launched a blue sphere of energy at Terrorion. To
the Autobot's surprise, the sword absorbed the energy which caused the sword's
blade to glow.
"Right back at 'ya," Terrorion quipped as he swung the blade at Omega Prime.
The energized blade hit Omega Prime head on and the Autobot fell. "Thanks for
the semi-entertaining workout, Omega Prime." Terrorion separated into the
Oriocons and they all drove off.
The fight was being watched by Skywars, Starscream, Gateway, Doom Buggy, and
Motorcross.
"Look at them," Starscream said to the others with disgust. "Acting like they're
all high and mighty."
"They have a good reason to act that way," Gateway said. "They already took down
the Autobots' two most valuable fighters. It'll be a protoform's play to take out
the rest of them."
"I certainly wouldn't want to cross them," Doom Buggy said and Motorcross nodded.
Starscream motioned to Skywars to follow them. The two flyers transformed and
left Unicron. They flew to the Earth's moon.
"What is it?" Skywars asked.
"I'm worried. Those Oriocons are almost too perfect."
"So?"
"How do we know they won't betray Master Unicron and try to take him out."
"Because Master Unicron is their meal ticket," Skywars commented. "If they tried to
take him on now, they won't get paid."
"Well think about it this way. Do you realize that if the Oriocons succeed, Master
Unicron will have no need for us!"
"That's insane! We've been serving Master Unicron for thousands of years! He knows
we would never betray him. Are you telling me he'll replace us, his forever loyal
servants in favor of those miscreants?" Starscream nodded. "Well, what do we do
about it?"
"For now, nothing. If we go against them now, Master Unicron will surely destroy us."
"Starscream... what is the worse case scenario here?"
Starscream stared long and hard at his comrad. "The worse case is that we would have
to rebel against Master Unicron." Skywars gasped.
Back at Unicron, the others were busy involved in a different discussion.
"Hey, where's Database?" Motorcross asked.
"I think I saw Starscream take him to Earth about a day ago," Gateway replied.
Doom Buggy let out a smirk. "He's probably still looking for that crystal thingie of
his. He'll never find it, why does he even bother?"
"Database is a stubborn one," Motorcross mused. "I think his ego is the only thing
bigger than Master Unicron." The other two chuckle.
Unicron watched all this with amusement. He agreed with Motorcross that Database would
do anything to redeem himself. But Unicron knew, because he knows all, that Database's
pride would be his downfall. He hoped that the Autobots would teach him that at least.
==========================================================
"Mom, Dad!" I cried as I ran into the house, almost slipping on the freshly mopped
floor in the process. "It's here, it's finally here!"
"That's great, Koji!" My Dad said.
"Don't just keep us in suspense," my Mom said. "Open it." I hurried to rip open the
envelope, unfold the letter and read out loud. "Dear, Mister Onishi, we are pleased to
inform you that you have been accepted in our international foreign exchange program!"
My Mom screamed in delight and kissed my forehead. My Dad clapped me on the back.
"Congratulations, son," my Dad said. Unfortunately, he wasn't as spry as he used to
be so he couldn't express the same enthusiasm as me and Mom. "You'll get to stay in
America.
I frowned as a thought came to me. "But... the Autobots... I won't see my friends
ever again."
"But you'll make so many new friends in America," my Mom said. "Human friends."
I turned towards her, my eyes were about to boil over with tears. "But I don't want
to forget the Autobots."
"Koji, the chances of you forgetting the Autobots is slim and none and slim's packing
a suitcase," my Dad quipped. "Nobody wants you to forget them or stop being friends
with them, all your Mom and I want you to do is make more friends."
I smiled, my Dad was always encouraging me, even when he was lecturing me. "Right,
Dad. Gee, I don't know what would happen if I ever lost you again."
"Let's hope we never find out about that, Koji."
=========================================================
Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus limped into Autobot Headquarters and saw they were not
the only ones who felt the force of the Oriocons. Crosswise, Midnight Express, Sideburn,
W.A.R.S. and R.E.V. were also having injuries treated by Tai, Tow-Line, and the Build
Team.
"Not you two also," Tai complained when she saw them. "Hold on, I'll be with you in a
minute."
"This just hasn't been our week," Ultra Magnus grumbled as Optimus helped him onto a
diagnostic bed. "Those Oriocons are probably worse than the Decepticons."
"I believe that," Optimus Prime agreed. Ultra Magnus gazed into his brother's optics.
They were both thinking the same thing. The Autobots just hadn't been the same since
Koji died. And now that this new, more powerful force has arrived.
Instead, Optimus turned to Wedge who was wielding W.A.R.S.'s arm plating into place.
"Wedge, how is the Hyper Force?"
"Firestar's up and around but the rest are still down and out," the Build Team leader
replied.
Optimus Prime called for Tai. The A.I. was immediately by the Autobot Leader's side.
"Don't worry, Optimus, I'll treat yours and Ultra Magnus' next."
"That's not it," Optimus Prime said. "Has... Has anyone told Doctor Onishi or Miss
Connor about Koji?"
Tai lowered her head. She couldn't cry so this was her equivalent. "Yes... I informed
them. X-Brawn is bringing them and Wayne by today."
"You do realize that Onishi is going to blame you for his son's death," Ultra Magnus
pointed out.
"Yes and I'm prepared to take full responsibility."
"Optimus, Koji's not one of your soldiers," Wedge said.
"I'm aware of that, but I'm still taking responsibility."
The sound of an engine interrupted the group. X-Brawn had driven in. Dr. Onishi
climbed out of the driver's side door. From the passenger's side came George Connor.
Wayne was in the back. Dr. Onishi looked a lot older than when Optimus last saw him,
after the final battle with Galvatron. His hair was showing signs of graying and he
limped when he walked. Obviously time hasn't been good to him.
Or maybe it was the circumstances.
The three humans gasped as they saw the Autobots being treated. They apparently weren't
expecting so many damaged Autobots.
"Doctor Onishi," Optimus addressed. "It is good to see you again."
"You too, Optimus," Dr. Onishi commented. "Although I wish it was under better conditons."
"As do I. As you can see, the Oriocons haven't exactly been lenient on us." Optimus then
turned to Miss Connor who was trying to take in all the sights. "Welcome to Autobot
Headquarters, Miss Connor. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."
"Uh... nice to meet you," Miss Connors said distractedly.
"Optimus, I'd like to... see my son, if that's all right."
"Of course, I would imagine that you would. Firestar..." The single active member of Hyper
Force came up, the scratches left by Buzz's blades still visible in his chest. He led the
Doctor away.
"Oh man," Wayne gasped. "When Karen called and said that the Autobots were getting hurt by
these Oreocons, she really understated the fact."
"True," Tai agreed as she came in. "Except their name is Oriocons."
"Oh, right, Oriocons, sorry, Tai."
At the mention of the name, Miss Connor turned towards her. "So you're Tai. Koji tells...
told me so many good things about you."
"Thank you," Tai said giving a little bow. "I am honored to meet Koji's foster mother at
last."
"Hey, Tai, where's Karen?"
"She's been helping me in the control room, monitoring Oriocon activity. I thought that
maybe something to do would help take her mind off of things."
"Has it?" Wayne asked. Tai shook her head. "Oh." He turned to X-Brawn. "Um... X-Brawn,
can you take me home?"
"Of course," the eldest Autobot Brother responded. He knew why Wayne wanted to go, he didn't
want to be reminded of the seriousness of the situation.
As Firestar and Doctor Onishi walked down the hall, Firestar asked, "Doctor, if you don't mind
me asking, do you hate Optimus Prime for what happened to Koji?"
The Doctor lowered his head. "Well... a little. I understand it wasn't his fault but I thought
that he should've done more of an effort to keep him alive. However..."
"Yes?"
"After seeing the Oriocons' handiwork, I realize that Optimus has already been through a lot,
putting the blame squarely on him isn't going to make things better."
"I think I understand." Firestar opened a door and ussured the Doctor inside. "This is our
Stasis Pod chamber. When the Autobots first arrived on Earth, they were in stasis pods like
these." Firestar gestured to a large (by both human and Autobot standards) cylindrical container
standing up along a wall. In the center of a room was a human-size version of the stasis pod.
Firestar pressed a button on the side and a third of the container popped open. Koji laid there,
eyes shut, body absolutely still.
"Oh God..." Dr. Onishi dropped to his knees. "Oh Koji... son..."
"Would you like me to leave you two alone?" Firestar asked.
"No, Firestar. At the very least, I feel comfortable having someone here."
"Of course..."
Dr. Onishi took one of Koji's hands and held it in his own. "Koji, I'm sorry I wasn't there for
you. I can only hope that... huh?"
"What's wrong?" Firestar asked.
Dr. Onishi ran his hand up Koji's arm. "This is strange. Firestar, you said that Database
attacked Koji three days ago?"
"That's correct."
"And he died on the same day?"
"Yes. Is something wrong, Doctor Onishi?"
"Normally, when a human dies, their body grows cold and decomposes. For some reason, Koji's
body still feels warm."
"Perhaps it's the stasis capsule we put him in," Firestar suggested.
"Perhaps, but..." Dr. Onishi stared long and hard at Koji's face. He couldn't hear any
breathing and his chest remained still so why did...
Suddenly, he saw something and his eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. He rapidly turned
to Firestar. "Firestar, tell Tai to bring some scanning and medical equipment to me right
away!"
"Huh? But..."
"Hurry, Firestar, time is of the essence!"
"Right."
When Optimus Prime returned to the room, he saw all Autobots who were there before except for
one.
"Wedge, where is Ultra Magnus?"
"He said he didn't want to wait around just to get a few dents fixed so he took off. Rather
hurriedly."
"What could he be up to?" Optimus asked.
The Oriocons sat in the lounge on their spaceship toasting their latest victory.
"Ha-ha, did you see the way those humans scrambled when we appeared?" Crash and Burn asked.
"And the best part was there were no Autobots to interfere with us," Sideswipe added.
"Yeah." Hauler noticed that one of their members was missing. "Hey Buzz, where's Breakdown?"
The mute robot shrugged.
Database was down on Earth, still searching for his data crystal. He made a silent oath to
redeem himself in the optics of Master Unicron at any cost! He pushed over a trashcan and saw
something glimmer.
"Ha-ha!" He cried as he picked up the small crystal. "Finally, mine! All mine! And with
this, Master Unicron shall rule the world!"
"I'll take that," a voice said just before a blast of energy struck him in the back. Database
knew the voice, but didn't see the owner of it before he was knocked out.
"Tai, Oriocon activity detected!" Karen shouted.
Tai, who was busy fixing Crosswise's shoulder, hurried over to Karen's station. "Looks like
they're attacking another power plant, this time in the Nevada desert."
"Any villages in the area?" Optimus asked.
"Yes, sir. One village, population 450."
"Tai, contact Skid-z, have him lead the Oriocons out of the village, then report back here. No
fighting, we don't need any more casualties." Optimus sat on a diagnostic bed and held his head
in his hand.
Skywars was in his quarters, thinking about the earlier conversation between him and Starscream.
Would they have to betray Master Unicron to save him? The thought seemed practically absurd
and yet...
"Skywars."
"Yes, Master Unicron?"
"Find Starscream and go to Earth, I want you two to aid the Oriocons in battle."
"Master Unicron, not to question your orders, but I thought the Oriocons could handle the
Autobots all by themselves."
"I have no doubt that they can but I want you to aid them just to be on the safe side."
"As you command, Master Unicron."
The Oriocons drove up to the Power Plant.
"Whoo-hoo, another place to trash," Crash And Burn shouted in joy.
"No time like the present. Hauler, transform!"
"Crash And Burn, transform!"
"Sideswipe, transform!"
"Breakdown and Buzz, transform!" The Oriocons drew their weapons and charged the Power Plant.
Hauler and Breakdown led the attack breaking down the wall with their swords and bolo hammer
respectively. Then Crash And Burn and Sideswipe burst through the front lines and let loose
with their guns. The few security guards were killed with relative ease.
"All right, let's combine and trash this place!" Crash And Burn cried.
"Where's the fun in that?" Sideswipe asked. "It's not like we have to be anywhere soon."
"Sideswipe's got a point, let's have some fun," Breakdown agreed. The Oriocons began breaking
into the building, killing and frightening the workers there.
Skid-z pulled up to the outer wall of the power plant and transformed.
"Shoot, I'm too late," he grumbled. "I'll have to get them away from the power plant before any
more people get hurt."
Suddenly, something was wrapped around Sid-z's neck. He felt something hard, pointy, and
metallic place up against his neck. It was Buzz. He stayed behind to watch for any enemies.
He brought Skid-z up to Hauler.
"Well, well, well, looks like we have another Autobot to deal with," he said.
"I say we kick his can right now," Crash And Burn recommended.
"CAB, CAB, CAB," Hauler said. "First things first, let's trash the Power Plant and then kick
his can."
"See, Buzz," Breakdown told the mute Oriocon. "It pays to prioritize."
"Optimus!" Tai called out.
"I see it, Tai. Where is Ultra Magnus?"
"Don't get your circuits in a rut," Ultra Magnus said as he stepped into the control room. "I'm
here. I just had to take care of a couple of things."
"Eager for some payback? Skid-z is in trouble."
"Optimus, I think I'm actually beginning to like you," Magnus said dryly.
"Better stop yourself or you might start calling me brother," Optimus said jokingly. The two
laughed then transformed.
Tai smiled despite herself and placed her hand on her head. "Boys," she simply said.
"Tai!" It was Firestar. He came running in like Galvatron himself was on his tail.
"What's wrong, Firestar."
"You're not going to believe this."
Wayne typed furiously at his computer, trying to knock out a report before Monday. He kicked
himself for not finishing it when he had the chance. Although the subject was something he was
actually interested in, ancient Egypt, his mind just wasn't on it. Actually, it was on the
Autobots. They looked so frail, laying there on diagnostic tables. And one of them, Firestar,
he looked like death itself.
Wayne shivered. First his best friend Koji dies, then his other friend Karen has a nervous
breakdown, then these new bad guys appear and start trashing the Autobots. It doesn't look
like the Autobots will be able to win this one, how can...
Wayne's internal pondering was interrupted by a knock at his front door. Actually, it was
more of a combination peck and scratch. Wayne went down and opened the door. Nobody was there
but a strange cylindrical package was at his doorstep. It was wrapped in brown paper. The
label with his address was printed, no clue as to whether or not it touched human hands.
Wayne picked up the package. It was about as large as a broadsword and shaped like an obelisk.
Wayne tore the paper off. It was a strange crystal, felt heavy in Wayne's hands.
Suddenly Wayne's world went black. He wasn't in his house, he was on a suburban street. It was
night out. Wayne's vision panned left and right of its own free will then his vision looked
down at a watch. It was late, probably around 2:30. But Wayne noticed something odd, the watch
label was in a language he didn't understand. It looked like one of the Asian languages.
"What am I doing here?" He heard a voice ask. The voice wasn't his. Wayne's vision
automatically panned left again and saw a fire truck come down a road. He took a look at the
license plate. C-01. He recognized it.
"Optimus Prime!" Wayne called but the Autobot leader didn't hear him. Optimus pulled up to him
and opened his passenger door. Some force pulled Wayne into it. His vision panned left again
and saw the empty driver's seat. Wayne felt a jolt of shock, like he just realized that this
wasn't a normal fire truck. He then saw his reflection.
It wasn't him, it was Koji!
In a flash, Wayne was back at his home. He just saw something through Koji's eyes. How was
that possible? Did it have something to do with this crystal? He would have to bring this to
the Autobots.
Wayne went into his pigsty of a room and searched for his communicator.
Hauler slammed his fists into Skid-z's stomach. He then kneed the Autobot in the head and
elbowed him in the shoulder.
"What's wrong, Autobot, too pacifist to fight back? Or too weak?"
"Maybe both," Sideswipe suggested.
"How about neither!" Optimus Prime said as he and Ultra Magnus came rushing in.
"Haven't you two learned you can't defeat us?" Breakdown asked.
"Maybe not as Omega Prime," Optimus Prime said.
"But we can send you guys crying back to Cybertron as we are," Ultra Magnus added. Optimus
Prime transformed into his battle mode and Ultra Magnus drew both his weapons. Skid-z used
the distraction to escape.
"Blizzard Storm!"
"Ultra Laser!" The two attack knocked Crash And Burn and Buzz down.
"Time to hit and run," Ultra Magnus said. He, Optimus Prime, and Skid-z transformed and
drove off."
"Follow them!" Hauler commanded. "Transform!"
"Transform!" The other Oriocons shouted. They turned into their vehicle modes and chased after
them.
"Tai, open the Space Bridge now!" Optimus Prime commanded. A blue portal opened up and the
three Autobots drove through leaving the Oriocons in the dust.
"There it is again," Dr. Onishi said excitedly.
"You're right, Dr. Onishi," Tai agreed. "They were probably too spaced apart for the machine
to register them."
Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, and Skid-z walked in. The remaining active Autobots were huddled
around Koji's capsule. Mrs. Connor was comforting Karen, who was crying into her shirt sleeve.
"What's going on here?" Optimus asked. Tai turned to face him. She had an expression on her
face that Optimus hasn't seen in a long time: happiness.
"Optimus, Koji's still alive!"
"What?" The three Autobots said at once.
"When Dr. Onishi saw Koji's body, he noticed that it still felt warm," Tai explained. "So he
set up some diagnostic equipment and... well look." Tai pointed to the ekg machine, which was
still showing a flatline. Suddenly the bar spiked then went flat again. About two minutes
later, it spiked again. "Because the beats were so far apart, the machine couldn't pick them up,
but Dr. Onishi recalibrated the machine and it looks like his body is still alive, but won't be
for long."
"What do you mean?" Skid-z asked.
"Right now, Koji is fighting a battle, a battle between life and death if you want to use
metaphorical terms. We can help him by finding that data crystal and re-inserting his memories!"
"There's just one problem," Ultra Magnus pointed out. "We don't have the data crystal. Which
means that..."
"Hey, guys," Wayne called. X-Brawn had brought him in. "I found this weird thing on my
doorstep. Do you know what it is?" All the Autobots gasped at what Wayne held in his arms.
It was the data crystal!
To Be Continued
Firestar: We finally have the data crystal to restore Koji's memories and bring him back to life.
But Unicron isn't going to let us keep it without a fight. He summons all of his forces together
for one massive confrontation. It will be a battle unlike any other in the next episode of
Transformers: Robots In Disguise. A Battle Between Life and Death Pt. 5: To Light Our Darkest
Hour. So get ready for the most ultimate Transformer battle of all time. Roll out!
Season 2
A Battle Between Life and Death
Part 4
The Delivery
Scourge: Last time on Transformers: Robots In Disguise, trouble came to
the Autobots in a new form. The Oriocons, robot mercenaries. They
engaged the Hyper Force in battle and totally defeated them. Let's see
how the Autobots get out of this.
The Noriyama Power Plant in Northern Japan blew up in an incredible show
of fireworks. Not far away, the source of the explosion could be seen. A
giant robot laughing maniacally.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha, this is the most fun I've had in a long time. And the best
part is there's no force on Earth that can stop me!"
"That's where you're wrong, Terrorion," a voice called. A fire truck and a
blue car carrier came out of a blue portal behind them.
"Autobots?" Terrorion guessed.
"Close," said the blue car carrier. "Your worst nightmare. Ultra Magnus,
transform!"
"Optimus Prime, transform!"
"Combine into Omega Prime!" The two robots combined into one. "You may
have defeated the Hyper Force, but you don't stand a chance against me."
"We shall see." Omega Prime and Terrorion rushed at each other and started
grappling. Omega Prime pushed Terrorion away and flew into the air. The
Oriocon gestalt ducked as Omega Prime flew by. Terrorion jumped up and came
down on Omega Prime.
"Omega Blast!" The weapons of Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime fired at once.
"Reflection!" Terrorion sent the blast right back at him. Omega Prime dodged
it. Terrorion launched a flying side kick at Omega Prime who countered by
dropping low and doing an upper cut. Terrorion flipped out of the way.
"Sword of Death!" Suddenly Terrorion pulled a sword that looked remarkably
similar to Scourge's except for the obvious fact that it was huge.
"Where did that come from?" Omega Prime asked.
"You should worry more about where it's going," Terrorion cracked as he swung
it at Omega Prime.
"Omega Force!" Omega Prime launched a blue sphere of energy at Terrorion. To
the Autobot's surprise, the sword absorbed the energy which caused the sword's
blade to glow.
"Right back at 'ya," Terrorion quipped as he swung the blade at Omega Prime.
The energized blade hit Omega Prime head on and the Autobot fell. "Thanks for
the semi-entertaining workout, Omega Prime." Terrorion separated into the
Oriocons and they all drove off.
The fight was being watched by Skywars, Starscream, Gateway, Doom Buggy, and
Motorcross.
"Look at them," Starscream said to the others with disgust. "Acting like they're
all high and mighty."
"They have a good reason to act that way," Gateway said. "They already took down
the Autobots' two most valuable fighters. It'll be a protoform's play to take out
the rest of them."
"I certainly wouldn't want to cross them," Doom Buggy said and Motorcross nodded.
Starscream motioned to Skywars to follow them. The two flyers transformed and
left Unicron. They flew to the Earth's moon.
"What is it?" Skywars asked.
"I'm worried. Those Oriocons are almost too perfect."
"So?"
"How do we know they won't betray Master Unicron and try to take him out."
"Because Master Unicron is their meal ticket," Skywars commented. "If they tried to
take him on now, they won't get paid."
"Well think about it this way. Do you realize that if the Oriocons succeed, Master
Unicron will have no need for us!"
"That's insane! We've been serving Master Unicron for thousands of years! He knows
we would never betray him. Are you telling me he'll replace us, his forever loyal
servants in favor of those miscreants?" Starscream nodded. "Well, what do we do
about it?"
"For now, nothing. If we go against them now, Master Unicron will surely destroy us."
"Starscream... what is the worse case scenario here?"
Starscream stared long and hard at his comrad. "The worse case is that we would have
to rebel against Master Unicron." Skywars gasped.
Back at Unicron, the others were busy involved in a different discussion.
"Hey, where's Database?" Motorcross asked.
"I think I saw Starscream take him to Earth about a day ago," Gateway replied.
Doom Buggy let out a smirk. "He's probably still looking for that crystal thingie of
his. He'll never find it, why does he even bother?"
"Database is a stubborn one," Motorcross mused. "I think his ego is the only thing
bigger than Master Unicron." The other two chuckle.
Unicron watched all this with amusement. He agreed with Motorcross that Database would
do anything to redeem himself. But Unicron knew, because he knows all, that Database's
pride would be his downfall. He hoped that the Autobots would teach him that at least.
==========================================================
"Mom, Dad!" I cried as I ran into the house, almost slipping on the freshly mopped
floor in the process. "It's here, it's finally here!"
"That's great, Koji!" My Dad said.
"Don't just keep us in suspense," my Mom said. "Open it." I hurried to rip open the
envelope, unfold the letter and read out loud. "Dear, Mister Onishi, we are pleased to
inform you that you have been accepted in our international foreign exchange program!"
My Mom screamed in delight and kissed my forehead. My Dad clapped me on the back.
"Congratulations, son," my Dad said. Unfortunately, he wasn't as spry as he used to
be so he couldn't express the same enthusiasm as me and Mom. "You'll get to stay in
America.
I frowned as a thought came to me. "But... the Autobots... I won't see my friends
ever again."
"But you'll make so many new friends in America," my Mom said. "Human friends."
I turned towards her, my eyes were about to boil over with tears. "But I don't want
to forget the Autobots."
"Koji, the chances of you forgetting the Autobots is slim and none and slim's packing
a suitcase," my Dad quipped. "Nobody wants you to forget them or stop being friends
with them, all your Mom and I want you to do is make more friends."
I smiled, my Dad was always encouraging me, even when he was lecturing me. "Right,
Dad. Gee, I don't know what would happen if I ever lost you again."
"Let's hope we never find out about that, Koji."
=========================================================
Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus limped into Autobot Headquarters and saw they were not
the only ones who felt the force of the Oriocons. Crosswise, Midnight Express, Sideburn,
W.A.R.S. and R.E.V. were also having injuries treated by Tai, Tow-Line, and the Build
Team.
"Not you two also," Tai complained when she saw them. "Hold on, I'll be with you in a
minute."
"This just hasn't been our week," Ultra Magnus grumbled as Optimus helped him onto a
diagnostic bed. "Those Oriocons are probably worse than the Decepticons."
"I believe that," Optimus Prime agreed. Ultra Magnus gazed into his brother's optics.
They were both thinking the same thing. The Autobots just hadn't been the same since
Koji died. And now that this new, more powerful force has arrived.
Instead, Optimus turned to Wedge who was wielding W.A.R.S.'s arm plating into place.
"Wedge, how is the Hyper Force?"
"Firestar's up and around but the rest are still down and out," the Build Team leader
replied.
Optimus Prime called for Tai. The A.I. was immediately by the Autobot Leader's side.
"Don't worry, Optimus, I'll treat yours and Ultra Magnus' next."
"That's not it," Optimus Prime said. "Has... Has anyone told Doctor Onishi or Miss
Connor about Koji?"
Tai lowered her head. She couldn't cry so this was her equivalent. "Yes... I informed
them. X-Brawn is bringing them and Wayne by today."
"You do realize that Onishi is going to blame you for his son's death," Ultra Magnus
pointed out.
"Yes and I'm prepared to take full responsibility."
"Optimus, Koji's not one of your soldiers," Wedge said.
"I'm aware of that, but I'm still taking responsibility."
The sound of an engine interrupted the group. X-Brawn had driven in. Dr. Onishi
climbed out of the driver's side door. From the passenger's side came George Connor.
Wayne was in the back. Dr. Onishi looked a lot older than when Optimus last saw him,
after the final battle with Galvatron. His hair was showing signs of graying and he
limped when he walked. Obviously time hasn't been good to him.
Or maybe it was the circumstances.
The three humans gasped as they saw the Autobots being treated. They apparently weren't
expecting so many damaged Autobots.
"Doctor Onishi," Optimus addressed. "It is good to see you again."
"You too, Optimus," Dr. Onishi commented. "Although I wish it was under better conditons."
"As do I. As you can see, the Oriocons haven't exactly been lenient on us." Optimus then
turned to Miss Connor who was trying to take in all the sights. "Welcome to Autobot
Headquarters, Miss Connor. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."
"Uh... nice to meet you," Miss Connors said distractedly.
"Optimus, I'd like to... see my son, if that's all right."
"Of course, I would imagine that you would. Firestar..." The single active member of Hyper
Force came up, the scratches left by Buzz's blades still visible in his chest. He led the
Doctor away.
"Oh man," Wayne gasped. "When Karen called and said that the Autobots were getting hurt by
these Oreocons, she really understated the fact."
"True," Tai agreed as she came in. "Except their name is Oriocons."
"Oh, right, Oriocons, sorry, Tai."
At the mention of the name, Miss Connor turned towards her. "So you're Tai. Koji tells...
told me so many good things about you."
"Thank you," Tai said giving a little bow. "I am honored to meet Koji's foster mother at
last."
"Hey, Tai, where's Karen?"
"She's been helping me in the control room, monitoring Oriocon activity. I thought that
maybe something to do would help take her mind off of things."
"Has it?" Wayne asked. Tai shook her head. "Oh." He turned to X-Brawn. "Um... X-Brawn,
can you take me home?"
"Of course," the eldest Autobot Brother responded. He knew why Wayne wanted to go, he didn't
want to be reminded of the seriousness of the situation.
As Firestar and Doctor Onishi walked down the hall, Firestar asked, "Doctor, if you don't mind
me asking, do you hate Optimus Prime for what happened to Koji?"
The Doctor lowered his head. "Well... a little. I understand it wasn't his fault but I thought
that he should've done more of an effort to keep him alive. However..."
"Yes?"
"After seeing the Oriocons' handiwork, I realize that Optimus has already been through a lot,
putting the blame squarely on him isn't going to make things better."
"I think I understand." Firestar opened a door and ussured the Doctor inside. "This is our
Stasis Pod chamber. When the Autobots first arrived on Earth, they were in stasis pods like
these." Firestar gestured to a large (by both human and Autobot standards) cylindrical container
standing up along a wall. In the center of a room was a human-size version of the stasis pod.
Firestar pressed a button on the side and a third of the container popped open. Koji laid there,
eyes shut, body absolutely still.
"Oh God..." Dr. Onishi dropped to his knees. "Oh Koji... son..."
"Would you like me to leave you two alone?" Firestar asked.
"No, Firestar. At the very least, I feel comfortable having someone here."
"Of course..."
Dr. Onishi took one of Koji's hands and held it in his own. "Koji, I'm sorry I wasn't there for
you. I can only hope that... huh?"
"What's wrong?" Firestar asked.
Dr. Onishi ran his hand up Koji's arm. "This is strange. Firestar, you said that Database
attacked Koji three days ago?"
"That's correct."
"And he died on the same day?"
"Yes. Is something wrong, Doctor Onishi?"
"Normally, when a human dies, their body grows cold and decomposes. For some reason, Koji's
body still feels warm."
"Perhaps it's the stasis capsule we put him in," Firestar suggested.
"Perhaps, but..." Dr. Onishi stared long and hard at Koji's face. He couldn't hear any
breathing and his chest remained still so why did...
Suddenly, he saw something and his eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. He rapidly turned
to Firestar. "Firestar, tell Tai to bring some scanning and medical equipment to me right
away!"
"Huh? But..."
"Hurry, Firestar, time is of the essence!"
"Right."
When Optimus Prime returned to the room, he saw all Autobots who were there before except for
one.
"Wedge, where is Ultra Magnus?"
"He said he didn't want to wait around just to get a few dents fixed so he took off. Rather
hurriedly."
"What could he be up to?" Optimus asked.
The Oriocons sat in the lounge on their spaceship toasting their latest victory.
"Ha-ha, did you see the way those humans scrambled when we appeared?" Crash and Burn asked.
"And the best part was there were no Autobots to interfere with us," Sideswipe added.
"Yeah." Hauler noticed that one of their members was missing. "Hey Buzz, where's Breakdown?"
The mute robot shrugged.
Database was down on Earth, still searching for his data crystal. He made a silent oath to
redeem himself in the optics of Master Unicron at any cost! He pushed over a trashcan and saw
something glimmer.
"Ha-ha!" He cried as he picked up the small crystal. "Finally, mine! All mine! And with
this, Master Unicron shall rule the world!"
"I'll take that," a voice said just before a blast of energy struck him in the back. Database
knew the voice, but didn't see the owner of it before he was knocked out.
"Tai, Oriocon activity detected!" Karen shouted.
Tai, who was busy fixing Crosswise's shoulder, hurried over to Karen's station. "Looks like
they're attacking another power plant, this time in the Nevada desert."
"Any villages in the area?" Optimus asked.
"Yes, sir. One village, population 450."
"Tai, contact Skid-z, have him lead the Oriocons out of the village, then report back here. No
fighting, we don't need any more casualties." Optimus sat on a diagnostic bed and held his head
in his hand.
Skywars was in his quarters, thinking about the earlier conversation between him and Starscream.
Would they have to betray Master Unicron to save him? The thought seemed practically absurd
and yet...
"Skywars."
"Yes, Master Unicron?"
"Find Starscream and go to Earth, I want you two to aid the Oriocons in battle."
"Master Unicron, not to question your orders, but I thought the Oriocons could handle the
Autobots all by themselves."
"I have no doubt that they can but I want you to aid them just to be on the safe side."
"As you command, Master Unicron."
The Oriocons drove up to the Power Plant.
"Whoo-hoo, another place to trash," Crash And Burn shouted in joy.
"No time like the present. Hauler, transform!"
"Crash And Burn, transform!"
"Sideswipe, transform!"
"Breakdown and Buzz, transform!" The Oriocons drew their weapons and charged the Power Plant.
Hauler and Breakdown led the attack breaking down the wall with their swords and bolo hammer
respectively. Then Crash And Burn and Sideswipe burst through the front lines and let loose
with their guns. The few security guards were killed with relative ease.
"All right, let's combine and trash this place!" Crash And Burn cried.
"Where's the fun in that?" Sideswipe asked. "It's not like we have to be anywhere soon."
"Sideswipe's got a point, let's have some fun," Breakdown agreed. The Oriocons began breaking
into the building, killing and frightening the workers there.
Skid-z pulled up to the outer wall of the power plant and transformed.
"Shoot, I'm too late," he grumbled. "I'll have to get them away from the power plant before any
more people get hurt."
Suddenly, something was wrapped around Sid-z's neck. He felt something hard, pointy, and
metallic place up against his neck. It was Buzz. He stayed behind to watch for any enemies.
He brought Skid-z up to Hauler.
"Well, well, well, looks like we have another Autobot to deal with," he said.
"I say we kick his can right now," Crash And Burn recommended.
"CAB, CAB, CAB," Hauler said. "First things first, let's trash the Power Plant and then kick
his can."
"See, Buzz," Breakdown told the mute Oriocon. "It pays to prioritize."
"Optimus!" Tai called out.
"I see it, Tai. Where is Ultra Magnus?"
"Don't get your circuits in a rut," Ultra Magnus said as he stepped into the control room. "I'm
here. I just had to take care of a couple of things."
"Eager for some payback? Skid-z is in trouble."
"Optimus, I think I'm actually beginning to like you," Magnus said dryly.
"Better stop yourself or you might start calling me brother," Optimus said jokingly. The two
laughed then transformed.
Tai smiled despite herself and placed her hand on her head. "Boys," she simply said.
"Tai!" It was Firestar. He came running in like Galvatron himself was on his tail.
"What's wrong, Firestar."
"You're not going to believe this."
Wayne typed furiously at his computer, trying to knock out a report before Monday. He kicked
himself for not finishing it when he had the chance. Although the subject was something he was
actually interested in, ancient Egypt, his mind just wasn't on it. Actually, it was on the
Autobots. They looked so frail, laying there on diagnostic tables. And one of them, Firestar,
he looked like death itself.
Wayne shivered. First his best friend Koji dies, then his other friend Karen has a nervous
breakdown, then these new bad guys appear and start trashing the Autobots. It doesn't look
like the Autobots will be able to win this one, how can...
Wayne's internal pondering was interrupted by a knock at his front door. Actually, it was
more of a combination peck and scratch. Wayne went down and opened the door. Nobody was there
but a strange cylindrical package was at his doorstep. It was wrapped in brown paper. The
label with his address was printed, no clue as to whether or not it touched human hands.
Wayne picked up the package. It was about as large as a broadsword and shaped like an obelisk.
Wayne tore the paper off. It was a strange crystal, felt heavy in Wayne's hands.
Suddenly Wayne's world went black. He wasn't in his house, he was on a suburban street. It was
night out. Wayne's vision panned left and right of its own free will then his vision looked
down at a watch. It was late, probably around 2:30. But Wayne noticed something odd, the watch
label was in a language he didn't understand. It looked like one of the Asian languages.
"What am I doing here?" He heard a voice ask. The voice wasn't his. Wayne's vision
automatically panned left again and saw a fire truck come down a road. He took a look at the
license plate. C-01. He recognized it.
"Optimus Prime!" Wayne called but the Autobot leader didn't hear him. Optimus pulled up to him
and opened his passenger door. Some force pulled Wayne into it. His vision panned left again
and saw the empty driver's seat. Wayne felt a jolt of shock, like he just realized that this
wasn't a normal fire truck. He then saw his reflection.
It wasn't him, it was Koji!
In a flash, Wayne was back at his home. He just saw something through Koji's eyes. How was
that possible? Did it have something to do with this crystal? He would have to bring this to
the Autobots.
Wayne went into his pigsty of a room and searched for his communicator.
Hauler slammed his fists into Skid-z's stomach. He then kneed the Autobot in the head and
elbowed him in the shoulder.
"What's wrong, Autobot, too pacifist to fight back? Or too weak?"
"Maybe both," Sideswipe suggested.
"How about neither!" Optimus Prime said as he and Ultra Magnus came rushing in.
"Haven't you two learned you can't defeat us?" Breakdown asked.
"Maybe not as Omega Prime," Optimus Prime said.
"But we can send you guys crying back to Cybertron as we are," Ultra Magnus added. Optimus
Prime transformed into his battle mode and Ultra Magnus drew both his weapons. Skid-z used
the distraction to escape.
"Blizzard Storm!"
"Ultra Laser!" The two attack knocked Crash And Burn and Buzz down.
"Time to hit and run," Ultra Magnus said. He, Optimus Prime, and Skid-z transformed and
drove off."
"Follow them!" Hauler commanded. "Transform!"
"Transform!" The other Oriocons shouted. They turned into their vehicle modes and chased after
them.
"Tai, open the Space Bridge now!" Optimus Prime commanded. A blue portal opened up and the
three Autobots drove through leaving the Oriocons in the dust.
"There it is again," Dr. Onishi said excitedly.
"You're right, Dr. Onishi," Tai agreed. "They were probably too spaced apart for the machine
to register them."
Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, and Skid-z walked in. The remaining active Autobots were huddled
around Koji's capsule. Mrs. Connor was comforting Karen, who was crying into her shirt sleeve.
"What's going on here?" Optimus asked. Tai turned to face him. She had an expression on her
face that Optimus hasn't seen in a long time: happiness.
"Optimus, Koji's still alive!"
"What?" The three Autobots said at once.
"When Dr. Onishi saw Koji's body, he noticed that it still felt warm," Tai explained. "So he
set up some diagnostic equipment and... well look." Tai pointed to the ekg machine, which was
still showing a flatline. Suddenly the bar spiked then went flat again. About two minutes
later, it spiked again. "Because the beats were so far apart, the machine couldn't pick them up,
but Dr. Onishi recalibrated the machine and it looks like his body is still alive, but won't be
for long."
"What do you mean?" Skid-z asked.
"Right now, Koji is fighting a battle, a battle between life and death if you want to use
metaphorical terms. We can help him by finding that data crystal and re-inserting his memories!"
"There's just one problem," Ultra Magnus pointed out. "We don't have the data crystal. Which
means that..."
"Hey, guys," Wayne called. X-Brawn had brought him in. "I found this weird thing on my
doorstep. Do you know what it is?" All the Autobots gasped at what Wayne held in his arms.
It was the data crystal!
To Be Continued
Firestar: We finally have the data crystal to restore Koji's memories and bring him back to life.
But Unicron isn't going to let us keep it without a fight. He summons all of his forces together
for one massive confrontation. It will be a battle unlike any other in the next episode of
Transformers: Robots In Disguise. A Battle Between Life and Death Pt. 5: To Light Our Darkest
Hour. So get ready for the most ultimate Transformer battle of all time. Roll out!