Chapter Twenty-Three:
He had let the dust settle around SHOURISHA and took time in admiring the architecture of the Autobot Senate Building; he was a lot of things he knew, but culturally ignorant was not one. So, he thought, this was the mystical senate building of the first Cybertronian wars? This is where the Decepticons had driven the Autobots off the world? He smiled at the deliciousness of the situation; it was here too that he and his army would reclaim their ancestor's right. He would get his Cybertron back. Bludgeon smiled and turned to Megatron; the Predacon stood at the top of the gangplank his drone army in rows ahead of him. "What are your orders?" He asked. Megatron didn't turn to face him when he spoke.
"I thought I'd been clear on this Bludgeon." He smiled, "If anything gets in your way, kill it." He sighed, "Screw it. Kill everything."
Bludgeon turned, marched down the gangplank, his sword grasped tightly in his hand. He stopped, raising the blade high and screamed:
"Charge!"
* * *
"I don't understand."
CYBERTRON WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE TECHNORGANIC. IT WAS A CRUEL RUSE I KNOW, BUT I NEEDED YOU TO BELIEVE.
Suteneko Prime sighed, "It doesn't make sense." He rubbed his temples, his weariness showing. He had listened to Primus explain the situation over and over and every time it didn't make sense to him. Why would their God lie to them? A cruel ruse? He had gotten that right. His 'cruel ruse' had gotten almost everybody he knew killed.
IF UNICRON WAS TO SUSPECT YOUR INTENTIONS, HE WOULD NOT HAVE COME. I NEEDED YOU TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS THE WAY AS MUCH AS HE DID.
"But you could have just told us." He turned his gaze to the images flashing before him; rows and rows of drones descended upon the senate building, they moved with a purpose in unison not allowing anything there to survive. "What about Black Arachnia? Silverbolt? What are his plans for them?"
HE WILL USE THEM TO COMPLETE HIS REFORMATION.
"But how? It's not possible."
ISN'T IT? ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOW MAXIMALS, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN ONE WAS PREDACON, THE OTHER; VEHICON. THEY ARE HIS ONLY LINK BETWEEN THE FACTIONS. HE NEEDS BOTH TO BE REBORN AS TECHNORGANIC.
The pieces were fitting now, Prime understood that. "It's a virus, isn't it?" He saw Primus nod. "That's why Cybertron's dying? It wasn't meant to be. You're going to infect Unicron."
Primus turned to him, IT IS TIME. YOU WILL JOIN THE OTHERS AND END THIS.
Suteneko Prime looked at him, "Others?"
* * *
He had been surprised and admittedly a little disappointed that this had all been too easy. The Vehicon drones had moved into the building, into the inner sanctum effortlessly; the place had been seemingly deserted. Megatron could feel the intensity of the Dark Lord growing deep within his conscious; this was definitely the place. He himself could almost feel the presence of the Light God Primus, a sickening wave of good.
BRING THEM TO ME. Unicron boomed his voice louder and deafening inside his head and Megatron spun round to see two tank drones approach. Each one held a Maximal, their bodies confined by energy bonds. He saw the dulled expressions on their faces but also saw the hatred they had behind their optics. He smiled.
"Put them down," He ordered, the drones responded and dropped the two to the floor. Silverbolt fell harder, the clunk of his body resonated around the chamber they stood. Black Arachnia looked up to Megatron as he approached dragging his leg behind him as always.
"What do you want from us?" She asked, her voice track slipping, the words sluggish. Megatron stopped. He looked at her, thoughts raced around his head.
"I don't know." He said quietly and for the first time, it was the truth. The Dark Lord had kept so many secrets, so many plans from him that, thinking about it now clearly; what the hell was he doing?
DO NOT QUESTION ME.
The words boomed louder than ever before and Megatron grasped his head in his hands. His teeth gritted, he snarled. And deep within, he could feel his spark beating harder and faster than ever before. He couldn't explain it but he knew exactly what was happening;
Unicron was taking over his body, eliminating his spark for good.
* * *
The faces before him were ones he thought he would never see again. He looked around the group ahead and smiled.
"It's good to see you" Suteneko Prime walked further into the void he'd been presented with. And within the void, he was glad to see:
"What the hell's going on here?" The first voice had come from Rattrap and Prime watched as he walked forward on two legs. His wheels were gone and like Suteneko Prime, his technorganics had been stripped from his body. Light reflected from the chrome that covered his frame. Prime looked to the others, all equipped with new bodies. Behind Rattrap stood Nightscream, at his side: Buzzsaw. To her right stood Hammerstrike and Cloudburst. The Pretender had lost his shell by the looks of it but had, like the others a new body. And behind the group, stood Waspinator. A Maximal emblem painted across his chest.
"I don't have the answers." Prime said. Rattrap stared at him. Something was familiar about the transformer ahead of him. Was it. . .? "Cheetor?" He asked, "Is that you?"
"Not quite Rattrap," Prime replied, smiling. And from nowhere, they heard:
SUTENEKO PRIME. BRING THEM TO ME.
Buzzsaw leaned close to Rattrap and whispered, "He's a Prime now?" Rattrap smiled, "I thought he looked bigger."
* * *
He was alive but he knew that his control over this body was long gone; he was the observer now, Unicron was the pilot. And for some unexplainable reason to him, he couldn't have cared less. Megatron knew he could use this time, become stronger; maybe the Dark Lord would be unaware of his actions as he was his? It was a pretty bug maybe.
PRIMUS! Unicron shouted, the word echoed. PRIMUS! GIVE ME ACCESS TO THE ORACLE! The chamber sat in silence. Unicron stood in the centre, Bludgeon to his side towering over the two bound Maximals that lay at his feet. "Maybe, he's not here?" Bludgeon asked. Unicron spun round to face him, his eyes burning intensely. HE IS HERE. I CAN FEEL HIM.
And with a flash of blinding light, Primus stood in the chamber; a bright halo of golden light surrounding him. He faced Unicron.
YOU KNOW EVIL CANNOT ACCESS THE ORACLE. He said, his voice soft. Unicron laughed and reached for Black Arachnia and with one smooth motion he had slung her into the centre with him. He reached now for Silverbolt and flung him to the centre of the chamber also. Silverbolt landed hard, sliding until he crashed into Black Arachnia. He looked at her and tried to speak but the words would not come. With as much strength as he could muster, he extended his arm and grasped her hand.
Unicron bounded over, dragging his leg behind him. I HAVE A BRIDGE. GIVE ME ACCESS. The light emanating from Primus died and he stepped forward, towards the Dark Lord. WHY DO YOU WISH IT SO BADLY? He asked. Unicron followed him as he paced, his optics moved back and forth.
DID YOU THINK YOU COULD UNLEASH THIS POWER UPON YOUR OWN WORLD AND NOT EXPECT ME TO WANT IT? THIS TECHNORGANIC CULTURE THAT YOUR CHILDREN SO DESPISE . . ITS POWER IS UNLIMITED. PERPETUAL.
What was Unicron talking about? Megatron had indeed been used, his 'master' had never wanted the reformation reversal; the transformers had been pawns in his own game. But what did it matter now? Once Unicron had what he wanted, Cybertron was his. Wasn't it? Could Unicron's word be trusted?
I WILL ALLOW IT ON ONE CONDITION. Primus uttered. Unicron cocked his head. ONCE YOU ARE TECHNORGANIC, OUR WAR IS OVER. WE HAVE FOUGHT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME AND NEITHER OF US HAS PROVED VICTORIOUS. IT IS TIME TO DISSOLVE IT.
Unicron smiled, AGREED. I WILL LEAVE CYBERTRON AND THIS GALAXY TO YOU. BUT I WARN YOU, DO NOT CROSS MY PATH.
Primus raised his arms and the white hot glow of his body returned, forcing Bludgeon to cover his optics. And behind the Light God something opened. . .
He had let the dust settle around SHOURISHA and took time in admiring the architecture of the Autobot Senate Building; he was a lot of things he knew, but culturally ignorant was not one. So, he thought, this was the mystical senate building of the first Cybertronian wars? This is where the Decepticons had driven the Autobots off the world? He smiled at the deliciousness of the situation; it was here too that he and his army would reclaim their ancestor's right. He would get his Cybertron back. Bludgeon smiled and turned to Megatron; the Predacon stood at the top of the gangplank his drone army in rows ahead of him. "What are your orders?" He asked. Megatron didn't turn to face him when he spoke.
"I thought I'd been clear on this Bludgeon." He smiled, "If anything gets in your way, kill it." He sighed, "Screw it. Kill everything."
Bludgeon turned, marched down the gangplank, his sword grasped tightly in his hand. He stopped, raising the blade high and screamed:
"Charge!"
* * *
"I don't understand."
CYBERTRON WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE TECHNORGANIC. IT WAS A CRUEL RUSE I KNOW, BUT I NEEDED YOU TO BELIEVE.
Suteneko Prime sighed, "It doesn't make sense." He rubbed his temples, his weariness showing. He had listened to Primus explain the situation over and over and every time it didn't make sense to him. Why would their God lie to them? A cruel ruse? He had gotten that right. His 'cruel ruse' had gotten almost everybody he knew killed.
IF UNICRON WAS TO SUSPECT YOUR INTENTIONS, HE WOULD NOT HAVE COME. I NEEDED YOU TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS THE WAY AS MUCH AS HE DID.
"But you could have just told us." He turned his gaze to the images flashing before him; rows and rows of drones descended upon the senate building, they moved with a purpose in unison not allowing anything there to survive. "What about Black Arachnia? Silverbolt? What are his plans for them?"
HE WILL USE THEM TO COMPLETE HIS REFORMATION.
"But how? It's not possible."
ISN'T IT? ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOW MAXIMALS, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN ONE WAS PREDACON, THE OTHER; VEHICON. THEY ARE HIS ONLY LINK BETWEEN THE FACTIONS. HE NEEDS BOTH TO BE REBORN AS TECHNORGANIC.
The pieces were fitting now, Prime understood that. "It's a virus, isn't it?" He saw Primus nod. "That's why Cybertron's dying? It wasn't meant to be. You're going to infect Unicron."
Primus turned to him, IT IS TIME. YOU WILL JOIN THE OTHERS AND END THIS.
Suteneko Prime looked at him, "Others?"
* * *
He had been surprised and admittedly a little disappointed that this had all been too easy. The Vehicon drones had moved into the building, into the inner sanctum effortlessly; the place had been seemingly deserted. Megatron could feel the intensity of the Dark Lord growing deep within his conscious; this was definitely the place. He himself could almost feel the presence of the Light God Primus, a sickening wave of good.
BRING THEM TO ME. Unicron boomed his voice louder and deafening inside his head and Megatron spun round to see two tank drones approach. Each one held a Maximal, their bodies confined by energy bonds. He saw the dulled expressions on their faces but also saw the hatred they had behind their optics. He smiled.
"Put them down," He ordered, the drones responded and dropped the two to the floor. Silverbolt fell harder, the clunk of his body resonated around the chamber they stood. Black Arachnia looked up to Megatron as he approached dragging his leg behind him as always.
"What do you want from us?" She asked, her voice track slipping, the words sluggish. Megatron stopped. He looked at her, thoughts raced around his head.
"I don't know." He said quietly and for the first time, it was the truth. The Dark Lord had kept so many secrets, so many plans from him that, thinking about it now clearly; what the hell was he doing?
DO NOT QUESTION ME.
The words boomed louder than ever before and Megatron grasped his head in his hands. His teeth gritted, he snarled. And deep within, he could feel his spark beating harder and faster than ever before. He couldn't explain it but he knew exactly what was happening;
Unicron was taking over his body, eliminating his spark for good.
* * *
The faces before him were ones he thought he would never see again. He looked around the group ahead and smiled.
"It's good to see you" Suteneko Prime walked further into the void he'd been presented with. And within the void, he was glad to see:
"What the hell's going on here?" The first voice had come from Rattrap and Prime watched as he walked forward on two legs. His wheels were gone and like Suteneko Prime, his technorganics had been stripped from his body. Light reflected from the chrome that covered his frame. Prime looked to the others, all equipped with new bodies. Behind Rattrap stood Nightscream, at his side: Buzzsaw. To her right stood Hammerstrike and Cloudburst. The Pretender had lost his shell by the looks of it but had, like the others a new body. And behind the group, stood Waspinator. A Maximal emblem painted across his chest.
"I don't have the answers." Prime said. Rattrap stared at him. Something was familiar about the transformer ahead of him. Was it. . .? "Cheetor?" He asked, "Is that you?"
"Not quite Rattrap," Prime replied, smiling. And from nowhere, they heard:
SUTENEKO PRIME. BRING THEM TO ME.
Buzzsaw leaned close to Rattrap and whispered, "He's a Prime now?" Rattrap smiled, "I thought he looked bigger."
* * *
He was alive but he knew that his control over this body was long gone; he was the observer now, Unicron was the pilot. And for some unexplainable reason to him, he couldn't have cared less. Megatron knew he could use this time, become stronger; maybe the Dark Lord would be unaware of his actions as he was his? It was a pretty bug maybe.
PRIMUS! Unicron shouted, the word echoed. PRIMUS! GIVE ME ACCESS TO THE ORACLE! The chamber sat in silence. Unicron stood in the centre, Bludgeon to his side towering over the two bound Maximals that lay at his feet. "Maybe, he's not here?" Bludgeon asked. Unicron spun round to face him, his eyes burning intensely. HE IS HERE. I CAN FEEL HIM.
And with a flash of blinding light, Primus stood in the chamber; a bright halo of golden light surrounding him. He faced Unicron.
YOU KNOW EVIL CANNOT ACCESS THE ORACLE. He said, his voice soft. Unicron laughed and reached for Black Arachnia and with one smooth motion he had slung her into the centre with him. He reached now for Silverbolt and flung him to the centre of the chamber also. Silverbolt landed hard, sliding until he crashed into Black Arachnia. He looked at her and tried to speak but the words would not come. With as much strength as he could muster, he extended his arm and grasped her hand.
Unicron bounded over, dragging his leg behind him. I HAVE A BRIDGE. GIVE ME ACCESS. The light emanating from Primus died and he stepped forward, towards the Dark Lord. WHY DO YOU WISH IT SO BADLY? He asked. Unicron followed him as he paced, his optics moved back and forth.
DID YOU THINK YOU COULD UNLEASH THIS POWER UPON YOUR OWN WORLD AND NOT EXPECT ME TO WANT IT? THIS TECHNORGANIC CULTURE THAT YOUR CHILDREN SO DESPISE . . ITS POWER IS UNLIMITED. PERPETUAL.
What was Unicron talking about? Megatron had indeed been used, his 'master' had never wanted the reformation reversal; the transformers had been pawns in his own game. But what did it matter now? Once Unicron had what he wanted, Cybertron was his. Wasn't it? Could Unicron's word be trusted?
I WILL ALLOW IT ON ONE CONDITION. Primus uttered. Unicron cocked his head. ONCE YOU ARE TECHNORGANIC, OUR WAR IS OVER. WE HAVE FOUGHT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME AND NEITHER OF US HAS PROVED VICTORIOUS. IT IS TIME TO DISSOLVE IT.
Unicron smiled, AGREED. I WILL LEAVE CYBERTRON AND THIS GALAXY TO YOU. BUT I WARN YOU, DO NOT CROSS MY PATH.
Primus raised his arms and the white hot glow of his body returned, forcing Bludgeon to cover his optics. And behind the Light God something opened. . .