Quickstrike reluctantly lead the way as the Predacons walked on in silence.
Tarantulas suddenly spoke up from behind Megatron. "Where is Rampage? I would have thought that all the Transmetals would have accompanied you."
Megatron only growled, but Quickstrike turned to answer him. "That crab-bot done disappeared right through the wall like it wasn't there!"
"Interesting," Tarantulas replied, appearing to have mostly returned to his normal state of mind.
"You do not ask the questions here," Megatron stated flatly. "You've only been allowed to stay with us to provide information."
"And if I don't want to?"
"Then survive on your own. Although something tells me that you prefer our company, especially knowing that Rampage is free. I know that you did not enjoy your first encounter with him, no," Megatron sneered. Tarantulas didn't answer, so Megatron continued. "Now, I will ask the questions from now on."
"As you wish," Tarantulas replied disdainfully.
Megatron ignored the spider's tone. "What have you learned about this place in your time here?"
"That it is probably a vortex...a whirlpool of energy. And these caves are situated at its exact center. Normally it lies fairly dormant, its energy levels high, but static." Tarantulas chuckled. "But certain elements are combining to make it a superpower. Tonight, if my calculations are correct."
"The planetary alignment," Megatron finished.
"Exactly."
"Boss!" Quickstrike suddenly said. "Somethin's weird here!"
"What is it?" Megatron was annoyed at the interruption.
"Take a look that-a-way." Quickstrike gestured with his snake towards the other end of the corridor. "Does it look like it's gettin' smaller to you?"
Megatron looked and rolled his eyes. "It's simply perception, fool. This corridor is longer than the others."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Tarantulas said.
"Continue on," Megatron ordered. "It is useless to go back the way we came. This is the only way through."
Tarantulas laughed outright, again sounding more insane than Megatron was used to.
Megatron pushed Quickstrike forward, and the Predacons continued down the corridor. Soon Megatron found the ceiling right over his head. It was not long before he was forced to stoop.
"What did I tell you?" Tarantulas chuckled.
Megatron growled. "Quickstrike, scout ahead and see if it opens up again."
"By myself?" Quickstrike asked shakily.
"Just go!"
Quickstrike gulped and bent down as he went farther into the dimming corridor. After being forced to crawl after only a couple of meters, he called back. "No more room, Boss! It closes up all the way, and pretty quick too!"
"We can't risk firing any weapons in here. I suppose we have no choice but to turn around." Megatron was not pleased.
"For all the good that'll do," Tarantulas muttered.
"Cease your useless ramblings if you have nothing worthwhile to contribute," Megatron growled. "We are wasting time."
They started back the other way, but it was not long before Quickstrike stopped dead. "Boss...it's happenin' again."
Megatron reached up and felt the ceiling just above his head. The corridor was closing in on them once more. "No! This is impossible!" He turned back to Tarantulas. "What is going on here?"
Tarantulas only giggled madly and took off running in the other direction, towards what should have been the tight dead end from which they had just come.
"Tarantulas!" Megatron bellowed. He ran after him. Not wanting to be left alone, Quickstrike followed. To their surprise, the corridor did not become smaller but instead opened into another of the grand caverns. They found Tarantulas standing in the middle of it.
"Did you think that what happened to Rampage was simply a random event?" Tarantulas cried. "Why do you think that I have not been able to find my way out for so long? Reality is not what it seems in this place!"
Movement above them suddenly caught Megatron's eye, and he looked towards the ceiling of the cavern. He could not help but gasp at the sight. Tendrils of something were writhing and coiling on themselves in an enormous mass. They began to reach down towards the unsuspecting Tarantulas. Megatron stood dumbfounded, staring at the tendrils. They looked like they were made of a combination of energy bonds and a grey material that matched the colour of the stone that made up the caves. Flexible stone?
"What in tarnation is that?" Quickstrike shouted, gesturing towards the things on the ceiling that were beginning to snake downwards at a fairly rapid pace.
Tarantulas looked up, but it was too late. The tendrils were upon him. One coiled around his neck and another around his arm, while still more reached for him. The spider-bot screamed and struggled as the others looked on, agape. "M-Megatron, do something! Help me!"
Megatron started towards him, and a closer look at the tendrils made him realize what it was that they resembled. "This is your webbing!"
More of the mutated webbing had wrapped itself around Tarantulas, and he tried furiously to rip it off. "No! It was a simple web trap left at the entrance of the cave! This can't be!" His feet left the ground as the tendrils began to pull him upwards towards the writhing mass on the ceiling.
"How many more traps have you set?" Megatron demanded, furious at the thought.
"Boss, don't ya think we oughta do somethin'?" Quickstrike cried.
Eyes narrowed, Megatron powered up his jets so that he could reach Tarantulas, who was now halfway to the high ceiling. But he had barely made it two meters into the air when he felt a sudden pain and the jets stopped. "What?!" Megatron cried out as he fell back to the ground. He twisted his head around to see what had happened, and saw with horror that his jets had been half melted and re-formed. Their original round shape was almost indiscernible through the mass of twisted metal "icicles".
Tarantulas called out once more, and Megatron looked up to see him now almost completely enveloped in the webbing. The spider-bot was laughing insanely and had all but given up any attempt to free himself. Megatron stood, but could do nothing more than watch as Tarantulas disappeared into the living tendrils on the ceiling. Once he had been consumed, the tendrils began to solidify. After mere moments it was as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever transpired there.
"L-let's get outta here. C'mon, Boss, how 'bout we just get outta here?" Quickstrike's eyes were as wide as he could make them, and his voice shook.
Megatron pulled his gaze away from the ceiling. He looked back towards the entrance that they had used, but it was no longer there. There was now only one exit from this cavern, and it was on the other side. Megatron started towards it, and Quickstrike stayed right on his heels. They couldn't help but quicken their pace as they passed under the middle of the ceiling.
*
"Cheetor! Snap out of it!"
As if waking from a dream, Cheetor's eyes suddenly flickered. He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked around. In front of him, Optimus was struggling with something on the ground. Cheetor shakily stood to get a better look at what was going on. His jaw dropped at the sight before him.
"It's going to pull you in as well!" Silverbolt cried, now sunken into the floor almost up to his neck.
"Just hold tight to me! Don't let go!" Optimus was pulling with all his might, to no avail. He looked back towards Cheetor. "Cheetor, help us!"
"What's happening?" Cheetor blurted.
"Slaggit, Cheetor, just help!" Optimus shouted as he suddenly slipped closer to the melted ground. He was now right on the edge.
Cheetor lunged forward and grabbed Optimus with his good arm, trying to keep him from sliding further. But even his extra strength was not enough, as all three Maximals were pulled closer to the half-liquid floor.
One of Silverbolt's hands slipped from Optimus' grasp. "Optimus, don't let it take you and Cheetor! Just let go!"
"No!" Optimus grunted, straining to hang on to the Fuzor's other hand. "Hang on! We'll get you out of there!"
Silverbolt looked up at him once more, and the fear in his eyes was painful to see. Little by little, his fingers slid out of Optimus' hand. Optimus tried to tighten his hold, but it was no use.
Silverbolt's hand pulled away as his head disappeared beneath the surface.
Optimus and Cheetor fell backwards. "NO!" Optimus cried. "Silverbolt!" He righted himself as quickly as he could and scrambled back towards the spot where Silverbolt had sunk. When he touched the floor, it was solid once more.
"Silverbolt!" Cheetor cried. He knelt beside Optimus on the floor and began scraping and pounding at the stone. "No! Give him back! Silverbolt!"
Optimus grabbed Cheetor's hands to stop him. The young bot was only making his injured arm worse. "Cheetor! Cheetor, stop!"
"We have to save him! Silverbolt!" Cheetor was screaming now.
Optimus held Cheetor tightly, trying to calm him. "Cheetor, listen to me! We can't panic; not now! We'll find him! We got you out of the mirror, so hopefully…"
"Where did he go? Why is all this happening?" Cheetor's voice had softened to a whimper.
"I don't know," Optimus said. "But we're going to find the others and get out of here."
It was then that Cheetor noticed for the first time that he and Optimus were alone. "Where's Rattrap?" His voice rose in panic once more.
Optimus sighed. "He was following us, and then he was just…gone. But we'll find him too. Just stay calm, all right, Cheetor? Can you do that?"
Cheetor slowly nodded, but his eyes looked far away.
Optimus tried to swallow the fear that he felt rising within him. "We'll get out of here."
*
Dinobot paced back and forth inside the ever-widening barren circle. He was nearly fenced in now; the fallen trees were beginning to build a wall around the caves. The air around him was charged with energy, and even in beast mode Dinobot could feel the occasional twinge in his internal circuitry. How could the others be still alive inside the caves if there was this much energy outside?
A flash in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and he turned his head to see a ball of light whizzing through the air. It darted back and forth a few times before shooting upwards beyond the caves. Bemused, Dinobot followed it visually until it had completely disappeared from sight. In only a few moments, a new ball had begun to form around the boundary of the cave mouth.
Dinobot warily retreated a few steps. This orb was bigger than the last. It traveled around the cave opening, then suddenly shot towards him. Dinobot threw himself to the ground to avoid being struck, and the sphere hurtled over him before suddenly changing direction in midair to slam into the cave wall.
Dinobot quickly got to his feet and cautiously went over to inspect the spot where the sphere had disappeared. The wall had been scorched. Obviously these things were not just light.
Dinobot gasped as another ball flew past him. There were several of them now, zigzagging around the area. Dinobot watched them with a growing feeling of unease. Again one of the spheres changed direction and floated towards him at a fairly high speed. He ducked, letting it glide over him, but it abruptly shifted, turning on him once more. It was then that he noticed the other balls beginning to do the same.
Dinobot ran. The orbs followed, nearly keeping pace with him. Dinobot tapped his comlink. "This is Dinobot. I am under attack!" Static was the only response, and Dinobot cursed himself for forgetting that his comlink was useless within the barren circle.
Thinking quickly, Dinobot turned and raced towards the forest. He glanced over his shoulder at the approaching spheres, and then back at the wall of fallen tree trunks in front of him. At the last moment, he maximized and vaulted over them. Two spheres impacted a dead tree, burning through it almost instantaneously. Already feeling the effects of the energy fields, Dinobot reverted to beast mode and kept running. There was a sudden loud bang behind him, followed by several more. When he looked back, there was only one orb left, which exploded in front of his eyes.
Silence fell over the area once more. Dinobot stood in the forest, panting and more than a little unnerved. He opened his comlink.
*
Rhinox entered another string of equations into the computer. "Run simulation," he said, his voice sounding tired.
Polaris watched over his shoulder. She had not been able to offer any more help than the initial information, but she had not yet left his side.
"Are you sure you can't find out anything else?" Rhinox asked again. He had been running his calculations over and over for more than a megacycle now, but the simulations had not yet been able to arrive at any conclusion on the overall effects of the different energies.
"No. I have already told you all we know. This combination of events has never occurred before." She paused, and her tone changed to one that seemed almost disappointed. "All life on this world avoids the Vortex. We had thought that this natural aversion would have been present in Strangers as well."
"Not likely." Rhinox startled slightly as the comlink suddenly came to life. He pressed the button to respond. "Dinobot? What's your status?"
"I…encount—…—strange…" The static was even worse than before, and Rhinox could barely understand him.
"Dinobot, you're going to have to move farther away from the cave. You're breaking up." Rhinox waited a few moments, and the transmission began to clear a little. "That's better. Now what have you encountered?"
"Strange energy spheres. They formed around the cave, and seemed to have almost a life of their own. They attacked me and forced me back into the forest before self-destructing." There was a small growl. "More continue to form at the caves at this moment."
"Energy spheres?" Rhinox pondered that for a moment. "It sounds like a phenomenon called 'ball lightning' that can form under high-energy conditions."
"Lightning? They changed direction to pursue!"
Rhinox couldn't help but chuckle. "They'd be attracted to your electrical systems, Dinobot. I suppose the beast mode doesn't hide them completely." Rhinox switched the viewscreen to one of the roof-mounted cameras and pointed it in the direction of the caves. He could see strange flashes of light in the sky far off on the horizon. "I think I see some of it from here. Interesting."
Dinobot growled. "You would not be so dismissive if you had experienced it yourself. This place is—" He was suddenly cut off by a loud crackle of static.
"Dinobot?" Rhinox tried to bring back the transmission, but couldn't. "Slag, it's just getting worse out there. I should really go there myself."
"No. Stay here," Polaris said, her tone imploring. "You will be safe here."
The computer suddenly beeped, and Rhinox turned to it. He looked at it for a moment, and his eyes widened. "Oh, no."
"What have you found?"
Rhinox looked over the results of the simulation. "This is bad. The computer has finally managed to reach a conclusion that incorporates all the kinds of energy, and if this is actually true…" He trailed off for a moment as he reset the simulation. "They're in trouble."
*
Rattrap carefully peered down the next corridor. Every moment he was afraid that Rampage would suddenly appear in front of him. He had gotten lucky the last time, but he knew that it wouldn't last forever. Somewhere along the line, he was either going to run into Rampage or this place was going to wake up again and do something worse than just shake the floors.
He shuddered as he thought about what had happened to Cheetor in the mirror. Were his friends experiencing anything else like that? He wanted to call out, to find out if he was anywhere near them, but he couldn't take the chance of Rampage finding him. Nope, he was all alone on this one. He stepped around the corner.
Not that way, something inside him said. It's dark.
Rattrap stopped. There it was again, that inner voice that reminded him of his recent possession. He had heard its warning right before entering the caves. "I'll go where I want," he muttered, resenting its presence. But he didn't enter the corridor. Something in him knew that the voice was right. That way would be dangerous.
So, what, then? Turn back the way he had come? That way led nowhere… "Except the walls move around," he couldn't help remarking aloud. He shrugged and turned back.
As he walked, Rattrap made sure to note his surroundings. Everything was still the same as when he had passed it moments ago. But up ahead, something shimmered for an instant. Rattrap blinked, but the shimmering had stopped. When he reached the spot, he saw that there was now an open cavern in front of him. Peering inside, he listened carefully to his instincts and to the inner voice. There was nothing, so Rattrap proceeded slowly.
Even though the voice had had a calming effect, the fear would not abate. Perhaps the voice might help him find his way, but Rattrap wasn't sure if it would be of any use in avoiding Rampage. And there was something else. The cavern wasn't just reacting to the different kinds of energy within its walls…there was more to it than that; he could feel it. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was growing stronger. It was almost as if there was something else in there with them.
For one night…for one night they can enter this world…
Clear as anything, he suddenly knew this. Shaken, Rattrap began to walk faster.
*
Rampage lurked.
"Come out and play, mouse," he said, his voice low as he looked around a sharp corner. To his surprise, there was a wall there. A small sigh of annoyance escaped him, but was quickly replaced by a chuckle. Rampage liked this place. True, it had taken the rat from him at the last moment, but Rampage was sure that he would get another chance to exact his revenge. In the meantime, he was enjoying his freedom and the simple feel of the place.
At first he had caught only a small sense of it—what was happening in these caves was mostly due to nature at its most powerful and terrifying. But when Megatron had squeezed the Spark Box, there had been an exchange of energy between his Spark and the walls. And in an instant Rampage had understood. He had realized just how powerful this place was…and also that there was much more to it than the others had ever suspected.
There was something about this particular night, and it was not just the planetary alignment. Rampage had begun to sense this on his own, but the exchange had made it even more clear.
"I know you're here," he said aloud to the walls. "I can feel you gathering."
Almost in response, the walls around him began to shimmer and pulse.
Rampage laughed maniacally. "Yes, this is your night! The darkness of this place is yours!"
Shapes began to appear in the walls, forming and then disappearing just as quickly. Indistinct faces screamed silently, and the cave itself appeared to hum.
"Yes!" Rampage reached out to the wall, feeling the darkness within it and himself. He had never felt more connected to anything. But as he touched it, something suddenly lashed out at him. He was thrown backwards.
Unnatural! Leave! The thoughts filled his head, more a sense than actual words, repeating themselves over and over. Rampage gasped. They had planted those thoughts in his mind. When he looked again at the shapes in the wall, they did not seem as welcoming as he had hoped.
"I will not leave!" Rampage barked at them. He stalked away from the crawling wall, angered that he had not been accepted here. Then inside he began to laugh. He understood the power of this place and what was fueling the brewing darkness. The others would not. If this place had rejected him, it would certainly reject them. He wanted the rat himself, but as for the others, all he had to do was sit back and wait…if the caves would let him. For he knew that they were no one's ally.
*
The simulation ended, once more showing the same results. Rhinox shook his head slowly. "If these simulations are correct, then the energy in there is able to distort the properties of matter…and any matter within its vicinity will be subject to this. It's only going to get stronger as we approach perfect alignment. But once the peak of it passes, the energy will decrease quickly and substantially. Any matter that's been changed may not be able to revert back to its original form."
Polaris only stared silently.
"It means that if they don't get out at the peak or very soon after, they might be trapped in there."
"What can be done?" Polaris sounded concerned, if only because she seemed to be mimicking Rhinox's worried tone.
"I'm not sure. If they're even still functioning, I have to try to get a message to them. They need to know that there's a deadline."
"Midnight," Polaris said.
"What?"
"You speak of the movement of the planets as being the control on this situation. It is only one part. I have told you about this night and its power, yet you appear to be ignoring it."
"But even if it is possible, how would that affect the energy fields?"
"The dead can have influence over certain energies."
"'Influence' as in 'control'?"
"Anything may be possible in the Vortex."
Rhinox sighed. "Well, I really don't know how to fit that into my calculations. All I know is that we have to find a way to get through to them and warn them about all of this. But the comlinks aren't going to work through the energy fields. There has to be another way…" He trailed off, already lost in thought. "Gotta be something low-tech enough to get around the energy fields," he murmured aloud. For a long moment Rhinox was silent, then his eyes suddenly brightened. "That's it! Polaris, can you help me? I need you to deliver a message to Dinobot…"
*
Optimus tread carefully through the corridor, with Cheetor close behind. The younger Maximal had refused to let Optimus get more than an arm's length ahead of him. Optimus knew that Cheetor was not faring well. The initial shock of what had happened to him in the mirror had abated somewhat, but losing Silverbolt and Rattrap had been too much. Now he practically clung to Optimus; tense, fearful and shaking.
"This isn't real; it can't be real." Cheetor was mumbling to himself again. "It's just a nightmare. I just have to wake up."
Optimus heard the whisperings. "How are you doing?" he asked, hoping to take Cheetor's mind off his fear for a moment.
"Okay." The answer was quiet and sullen.
"How's your arm?"
Cheetor strained, but the arm barely moved. A spark flew from his shoulder. "Not so good."
Optimus sighed. "I'd fix it, but we can't take the chance of using a welding torch in here. We don't know how this place will react to any energy output."
There was only silence in response.
"We'll find them, Cheetor," Optimus tried to reassure him.
"Sure," Cheetor replied, barely audible and without conviction.
Optimus suddenly stopped in his tracks as they reached a blind corner. "I hear something," he whispered. Keeping Cheetor behind him with one hand, he drew a mace with the other.
Someone stepped around the corner, and Optimus gasped. "Megatron?"
"Primal," Megatron growled. "I knew you had to be in here somewhere." He made no move to draw a weapon.
Optimus noticed that Quickstrike was right by Megatron's side, staying as close to his leader as Cheetor had been to his own. Optimus lowered his mace slightly.
Megatron peered around him at Cheetor. "This can't be all the troops you brought with you," he remarked, noticing Cheetor's damage.
"I could say the same about you, Megatron."
"Then I assume you have seen what this place is capable of?"
Optimus sighed and glanced at Cheetor before turning back to Megatron. "Unfortunately. And I assume that you're also trapped and lost?"
Megatron's eyes narrowed. "We have both underestimated the power of this place."
"This is your fault!" Cheetor suddenly blurted. "If you hadn't had to come in here—"
"And you had to follow?" Megatron sneered.
"You know we couldn't just let you have all this power, Megatron," Optimus stated flatly. "Now it's your move. I'm sure you know, as I do, that firing a weapon in here could be very dangerous."
"Indeed." Megatron paused. "A truce."
"I know your kind of truce, Megatron." Optimus narrowed his eyes.
"Be that as it may, I believe that there is safety in numbers. Or haven't you noticed that we are being separated, one by one?"
"So you figure that sticking with us will give you a better chance at survival."
Megatron smiled slyly. "Astute as always, Primal."
Optimus raised an eyebrow. "So you're just going to abandon your search for the power source?"
"I have realized that this power cannot be possessed. Its source cannot even be located. Neither of us will control it. I'm sure that you share in my desire to simply leave."
Optimus shook his head. "No. Our friends are in here somewhere, and we're going to find them."
"Are you a fool?" Megatron thundered. "If this place has swallowed them, then they are not coming back! I say we should cut our losses and leave while we still can!"
Optimus faced off against him. "You would. But I'm telling you now; we are not leaving until we find our friends. You can go if you want—on your own."
The two leaders glowered at each other for a long moment before Megatron backed off. "This is a fool's chase, Primal. Do you have any idea what we are up against?"
Optimus sighed slightly. "Some. Somehow this place is able to change the properties of matter and energy—to distort reality."
Megatron nodded. "Yes. Tarantulas called it a 'vortex'—a whirlpool of force."
Optimus considered this. "That would make sense. I'm guessing that any energy we produce would just be added to the mix. I know it's dangerous to touch any part of this place, but I didn't want to take the chance of using my jets."
Megatron growled. "I would not recommend it." He turned, showing Optimus the state of his own jets.
Optimus and Cheetor couldn't help but gasp at the sight.
Megatron faced them once more. "There seems to be nothing we can do against the power of this place." He stared into Optimus' eyes, his expression hard. "Forget your friends. We should focus on finding a way out."
Optimus returned his gaze, grim determination in his eyes. "You're free to leave whenever you want, Megatron. But right now, we're going to find our friends. Follow us if you like." He gestured to Cheetor. "Let's go."
"We have just come from that way, Primal. You are wasting your time."
"This place changes around all the time, Megatron. You must know that." Optimus started walking, and Cheetor followed.
Megatron and Quickstrike grudgingly did the same, staying close.
*
Dinobot held his position in the forest, watching the caves from afar. The orbs had abated somewhat, but there were still a few moving about the area. None had come after him since he had lost contact with Rhinox.
Until now.
A brilliant white orb descended from the sky towards him, its movement slower and smoother than the others' had been. Dinobot narrowed his eyes and ducked down a little farther behind a fallen tree, preparing to run again if necessary.
"Dinobot," a voice said haltingly. "Do not run."
Dinobot growled slightly, unnerved by the voice in his head. He watched the orb as it took form and finally stood up straight again, staring into the face of Polaris. "You."
"I bring a message from friend Rhinox. The others are in danger inside the Vortex. You must make them understand."
"The comms do not function."
"A code," Polaris said, her voice as emotionless as ever as she relayed a message of which it was obvious she understood nothing. "Use the echoes. Tap the code on the walls. They must leave within one…one…"—she searched for the word—"Megacycle. They must disrupt energy flow to escape. Do you understand?"
"Code? Which code?" Dinobot demanded.
"Tap the code," Polaris said again. "Do you understand?"
Dinobot's eyes suddenly went wide with recognition. "Understood."
Polaris' form suddenly shimmered. "I cannot stay here. The energy is too strong. Good luck, warrior." And then she was a glowing orb once more, returning to the sky.
Dinobot made his way back to the cave, determinedly ignoring the feeling of chip flashes as he picked up a large rock.
*
Silverbolt awoke with a start. For a moment he could remember neither where he was nor how he had gotten there. And then it all came flooding back. He had been separated from his friends, pulled through the floor…but to where?
He groaned and tried to open his eyes. Panic crept in. He couldn't see. It was as if he was not quite sure where his eyes were any more.
He was not in pain, but Silverbolt knew that there was something terribly wrong. He turned his focus to staying calm, but the fear only multiplied when he realized that he could barely move. Fingers flexed, feathers moved, and elsewhere, a foot kicked. But that was all.
"What's happened to me?" He spoke aloud, mostly to make certain that he could still do so. Confusion and panic swept over him. For he could still feel; still sense every part of himself. Every circuit, every gear was still connected and still functioning. And then Silverbolt realized what was wrong.
He was no longer whole.
Silverbolt's howl echoed through every wall of the caverns.
*
Tarantulas stared in mute horror at the opposite wall, his mind barely able to process what he was seeing.
Parts of the Maximal Silverbolt were visible, protruding from the wall. A hand here, a wing there, a foot over there…Only half of the face was free, but the one eye Tarantulas could see was fused shut, partially covered with stone.
These were the only parts of the Maximal that were intact. The rest had been twisted, warped and half-trapped in the rock. Veins of active circuitry coiled in and out of the wall.
Through this sight, Tarantulas realized the horror of their situation. Had his own mouth not been inside the stone, his scream would have been as long and loud as that of the Maximal.
*
The Maximals and Predacons walked on, through corridor after corridor. They stayed as close to each other as possible, all trying to fight off the fear of what could be lying around every corner. Optimus led, and Megatron had not contested that. None of them really wanted to go first.
Optimus slowed suddenly as the cave began to widen into another chamber. Cheetor slowed as well, causing Quickstrike to bump into him from behind. Already on edge, Cheetor let out a startled cry and whirled around. When he saw that it had been Quickstrike, his expression changed from fear to anger. "Don't touch me," he hissed.
"I don't take no orders from you, tinhorn," Quickstrike spat.
"Stop!" Optimus ordered.
"But Optimus, he—"
"No…stop." Optimus' voice sounded strange. "Don't come any closer."
Cheetor noticed for the first time that Optimus was a few meters inside the chamber. He stood motionless, facing the others who were still in the corridor.
"Why?" Cheetor asked shakily, feeling his fear return.
"Something—…I can't move." As he said that, some invisible force pulled his arms up until they were pointing towards the upper corners of the chamber. He began to slowly rise off the ground.
"What is happening?" Megatron demanded, pushing his way past Quickstrike.
"I think…magnetic force…pulling me on all sides…" Optimus strained to speak.
"I'll get you!" Cheetor cried.
"No! Stay…out!" A piece of Optimus' superstructure suddenly tore off of him and flew towards the wall with such force that it embedded itself near the ceiling. Optimus gave a grunt of pain as more parts of him began to strain.
"Optimus!" Cheetor practically screamed the name as another piece went flying from Optimus' chest. "What can I do?" He reached towards Optimus, but was much too far away. Still, a force pulled at his arm and he jerked it back in surprise.
"Just…stay back…" Optimus' feet left the ground completely as he was pulled upwards. In a few moments he was hovering in the exact center of the chamber.
Frustrated at his helplessness, Cheetor turned to the Predacons. "Do something!"
Megatron tore his gaze away from Optimus and narrowed his eyes. "Why should I?"
"You're supposed to be helping us!"
Megatron chuckled. "I don't believe that word was ever part of the agreement."
Optimus let out a cry of pain as a large part of the metal plating on his thigh was ripped off.
"No! Optimus!" Cheetor struck out at Megatron. "How can you just stand there and watch this, you—"
Megatron suddenly seized Cheetor by the throat and threw him against the wall of the corridor. Cheetor slumped to the ground, stunned.
"Panic is useless," Megatron growled as he turned his attention back to Optimus' plight. He paused for a moment, thinking, and then took his tail weapon from his arm and hurled it towards Optimus with all his might.
The weapon slowed in the air before reaching him, but still struck Optimus hard enough to knock him backwards. He landed heavily on the floor while the weapon remained suspended in his place.
For a moment, there was silence. Then Optimus stirred and slowly sat up, wincing at every motion. "Thanks."
Megatron ignored the gratitude. "Is there another way out of that chamber? The wall has sealed itself behind us."
Optimus looked around, moving slowly. It was obvious that the magnetism was still an issue. "Yes, this way." He looked up at the weapon that was still hanging in midair. "But what about—"
At that moment the weapon exploded into tiny fragments. Optimus ducked as the pieces went hurtling towards the walls and ceiling. When he raised his head again he found that he could do so easily. "Well, that answers that question," he said. "Come on, it's safe now."
Cheetor scrambled to his feet, giving Megatron a wide berth as he ran over to Optimus. "Big-Bot, are you okay?"
Optimus groaned slightly as he stood. "I'll be all right."
Megatron looked impatient as he strode across the now harmless chamber, Quickstrike at his heels. "If you're able to walk, then do so. We should—"
All four of them froze as a terrible howl echoed through the cavern. It reverberated in the walls as if the cave itself was producing the sound.
"Silverbolt!" Cheetor cried as the sound finally began to die down. "Optimus, that's Silverbolt!"
"Silverbolt!" Optimus called. "Where are you?"
There was no answer save for the dying echo.
"That there sounded like it came right from the walls!" Quickstrike exclaimed.
"Optimus, he's still alive! We have to find him! He sounded like…like…" Cheetor trailed off. He had never heard such horror in a scream before.
"We'll find him, Cheetor," Optimus replied with steely determination. He began leading out the chamber's only exit, and the others followed.
*
