A bit of a longer update this time. Enjoy.
Chapter Twenty-Seven:
The chamber lay in darkness and the beast within lay silent. The transformer entered, his footsteps echoed loudly; resonating in his audio receptors. Frenzy walked slowly along the gantry that ran adjacent the Decepticon battle bases' head; its cold eyes reflected what little light there was here. And although he himself had served missions with the beast, he found the Decepticon unreliable, unpredictable; and he was here to resurrect it. Frenzy sighed and grasped the panel that sat behind Trypticon's left eye and pulled. It popped off with a hiss of escaping gas and beyond, he could see the control keys glowing dully. The machine still had power and Frenzy began the start up sequence.
* * *
The Quadrix sector of the Delta Hub had been built over so many times since the time of the Cybertronian Wars that Metroplex lay virtually unrecognisable beneath its surface. The transformer had been taken offline long before the time of the Maximals and stories of its greatness were those of legend. Nightscream found himself wandering the quiet halls of Metroplex's mind. The place lay in darkness and the silence that surrounded unnerved him. All he needed to do was find the access panels but this was proving harder than he had thought. He could only hope that Frenzy had had more luck and bought them some time.
* * *
"I don't see the benefits of this", said Black Arachnia as she moved across the dead technorganic field, the city of Cybertropolis looming larger now as Unicron waded through it. Suteneko Prime continued ahead of the group of seven, his optics transfixed on the technorganic monster miles in front.
"It buys us time," He said his gaze never leaving his objective. Cloudburst hurried through the others, past the three jets (Waspinator still nursing his shattered wings) and towards the Maximal. "At what cost Prime? The city'll be destroyed."
"The stakes are higher now." Prime stopped and turned. The group halted, Cloudburst turning behind the Maximal. "Sacrifices have to be made. We don't have a choice."
* * *
Unicron's fist ploughed through the building with ease' its steel frame twisted in his hands, the glass of the exterior exploded outwards, the shards bouncing from his body; the foundations crumbled away. He pulled his talon from it and watched as the falling building threw up clouds of dust around his feet. The Dark Lord smiled. He would find Primus' children, even if it meant ripping each hub apart.
Something made him cease.
Something was moving towards him, he could clearly hear the whine of its approach. What the hell was it? He asked himself as he turned to see:
The first missile flew under his arm, catching the falling building behind. It exploded in a blaze of light, kicking up the residual dust around the God of Chaos. He swiped his hands through it, dispersing the cloud enough to see the second of the missiles as it shot by narrowly missing his face; close enough though to feel the burn of its booster. He snarled as he watched the weapon decimate the recreation hub.
WHO DARES CHALLENGE UNICRON?!? The Dark Lord swung round catching the first glimpse of the oncoming behemoth.
The Decepticon symbol on its chest was pitted with a rich history of battle but somehow it still glistened in the light. As did its body, though it too was pitted; the black finish of the beast was dusty and cracked in places.
Unicron recognised the battle base as Trypticon, once it had been one of the Decepticon's greatest weapons and it had never before posed a threat to him but –
No, he thought, it doesn't, even now. It was time to put his technorganics to the test against this walking heap of old technology. And he would win; he had no doubt of that. The Dark Lord reached behind him, grasping at the stump of the building that had stood there only moments before. With a fist full of twisted metal he brought it up.
And threw it.
Trypticon stood motionless as the shards of metal bounced from his body, the sharp edges digging into his carapace.
Why didn't he fight back? Thought Unicron.
* * *
Nightscream found the silence of Metroplex's internal systems unbearable as the voice on his communicator burst into life. It startled him and it took a moment to realise what the sound was. He raised his wrist to his mouth.
"Report," he said, the words bounced from every surface. A hiss of static before:
"Trypticon's online. I've disconnected him from his main systems, he's a zombie." Nightscream smiled, the thought of having Trypticon raging around town on his own agenda had worried him, "How's Metroplex?" Frenzy asked, his voice distorted somewhat. Nightscream sighed.
"Silent unfortunately." The silence that followed was longer than he had expected before the comms link hissed again, "I'm coming over," the transformer on the other end said.
* * *
The battle base evaded the first of the Dark Lord's attacks but at the cost of the Hall of Heroes Information Centre and within a few seconds it had exhausted its entire right bank of missiles upon Unicron. The God of Chaos growled as he unloaded SHOURISHA's missile bays upon the Decepticon. Trypticon stumbled backwards, his feet coming down upon the rows of small shuttle craft that sat in the parking lot of the centre. They exploded around him; the flames flickered around their bodies as the Dark Lord continued his assault.
Trypticon raised his arms, the oncoming horde of projectiles detonated in his palms, sending pieces of the transformer to the ground below. He growled and brought its artillery guns online.
* * *
"Metroplex, can you hear me?" They stood in what must have one day had been a bridge for the Autobot base but now looked slightly worse for wear. Many of the consoles had been ripped from their moorings and that worried Nightscream. If they were unable to bring the city online. . .
It didn't bear thinking about. He watched as Frenzy circled the wires that he had dragged from the exposed walls. He looked at nothing in particular when he talked.
"Metroplex, can you hear me?" He repeated.
"Yes, I hear you," The voice screamed from the speakers that were dotted around the room; the words were heavy, distorted but identifiable. Frenzy smiled and looked over to the Maximal who smiled also. Whether this was good news however, remained to be seen.
"Run a system diagnostic. Report." Nightscream said, finding that his voice no longer resonated which was of small comfort to him. Around the room, dials turned, buttons flashed and he realised that this truly was old technology. Everything was so mechanical and noisy, it had an almost primeval urgency to it that he found fascinating. He had always dreamed of being back in the day of the Cybertronian Wars; the time that his race had spent on Earth.
"Power at 82 percent. Internal systems running at medium sufficiency." Metroplex paused for a moment, "I don't feel well." He said. Frenzy laughed.
"It'll have to do," He said, "I just hope that luck is on our side."
* * *
Unicron pushed forward, his claws grasping at the Decepticon battle base, despite the heavy barrage of gun fire that exploded against him. He gritted his teeth and found purchase with Trypticon. His right hand had clasped the left side of the Decepticon's head and Unicron forced his thumb round and into the eye of the battle base. He howled as he pushed forward and:
Trypticon's eye exploded around the Dark Lord's digit as he forced the thumb further. He could feel the beast's inner casing begin to crumble until:
He hadn't expected the sucker punch that he received and Unicron released his grip, stumbling backwards. Something had changed with the monster; before Unicron had sensed nothing from the Decepticon, he was just a mindless minion, but now. . .
Trypticon could feel his synapses fire once again and with speed, he was regaining control of his body. The pain from his damaged eye shot through him, but within seconds he had severed his sensors from that section. He would repair it later but for now, he had business to attend to.
* * *
"I don't like the look of this," Silverbolt commented forcing the group to stop. They had watched the fight from the other side of the city as they had finally entered its limits. Suteneko Prime turned to the two functional jets.
"Silverbolt, I want you and Buzzsaw in the air. If it comes to it, try and steer the fight away from the Outer Colonies." He looked to the duelling bots in the distance as the two jets transformed and soared into the sky. And from nowhere a shadow descended upon them.
The group turned slowly, each of them arched their necks, stared with awe as above them:
The Autobot city known as Metroplex moved over and past them in one giant bound, his colossal foot came down before them, rocking the ground.
* * *
Trypticon swung his tail at speed, the thick metallic trunk cut through the air before smashing into the Dark Lord, knocking the God from his feet. Unicron's bulk hit the street hard, his mass kicking up the rubble that lay there as he tumbled through it. He lay for a moment before. . .
Twisting his body, he arose and began his charge at the Decepticon battle base. Each heavy footstep shook the streets of Cybertropolis; shattering glass in buildings as he passed. And suddenly, he stopped. There was someone else here, he thought and turned his gaze away from Trypticon to see:
The blast hit him square in the chest, the flash of the missile explosion momentarily blinding him. Unicron snarled. This is getting interesting, he thought as his optics came back online and he saw the Autobot city before him. Unicron brought SHOURISHA's secondary defence system online and over his shoulders swung two giant plasma cannons. Each one hummed either side of his head and he smiled before:
Metroplex caught the blast in his right shoulder; the white hot laser had cut away his armour there, exposing three storeys of what was once a tracking station. Computer consoles and communication equipment bled from the hole, falling to the street below. Metroplex brought his right arm up; it juddered and shook (more than superficial damage? He thought) and levelled his giant blaster at the Dark Lord. He tried to hold it steady but could feel it sway as he fired.
Unicron calculated the velocity and angle of the blast and merely stepped aside. It shot past him, a loud whine ringing in his audio receptors as he turned to see its destination.
Trypticon howled as the blast caught him above his left knee, forcing him to double over; the weapons lining his back came online instantly, firing in all directions.
Unicron covered his optics as the buildings around him were flattened by the battle base's barrage; glass, metal and all manner of debris bounced from his body. And behind him, he could hear the Autobot city gain ground.
Metroplex fired once, twice, a third time each blast struck the Dark Lord, sending him spinning to the ground. And with three steps, the Autobot city was above him. Metroplex brought his foot down hard against Unicron's neck, pinning him to the street. Unicron grasped the colossal foot with both hands, but although he struggled and his internal motors whined, he couldn't move the warrior from him. He gritted his teeth as the Autobot city brought his blaster down, level with the God of Chaos' face; Unicron stared into the black abyss of the barrel as deep within, he could see the weapon charge.
* * *
Nightscream moved through the halls of Metroplex quickly, his footsteps loud in the chrome interior. He turned corner after corner, ran down corridor after corridor until he finally reached the bridge where he found Frenzy busy at work at the consoles that still remained here.
"We've got him," Nightscream elated, the excitement in his voice rang loudly, "Finish him."
Frenzy continued working the consoles, "I don't think it's gonna be that easy," he said, pointing to the monitor. Nightscream glanced and the look of joy and his face slid away.
* * *
A shadow fell across Unicron's face as he struggled, forcing Metroplex to avert his gaze to see:
Trypticon raised his fist and thrust it forward; it connected with the Autobot city's face and he could hear the contours of his face crumple under the pressure. He stumbled backwards, taking his foot from the Dark Lord's neck. He fell to the streets below.
Unicron glanced up, could see the Decepticon battle bas tower above him, looking down with his one good optic. The Dark Lord smiled and before Trypticon could react, he had flipped his legs up, twisting them, locking them around the battle base's neck. He snarled as Trypticon grasped his legs, all attempts to pry them from his self. But it was to no avail. The God of Chaos rose up on his arms and with a howl; he flipped the battle base over himself and into the streets below. The crash was immense; the shockwave sent more buildings to the ground, kicking up even more clouds. Unicron would use this to his advantage. He released his grip upon the Decepticon and fumbled in the street for:
His fist curled round what had once been the top floors of an exclusive apartment building. Though now, of course it was just scrap. He raised it above his head and brought it down upon the battle base's face. The first impact took away the armour from the right side of Trypticon's façade, exposing the circuitry beneath. Unicron brought the rubble down again; sparks flew from the Decepticon's wounds as the Dark Lord continued his attack, the third strike forced Trypticon's one good optic to blow out in a volley of flames and the Decepticon howled in pain. Unicron continued however, a rabid look upon his face now. And with the fourth strike, Trypticon went offline. The fifth strike took away the top of his head, the sixth decimated his jaw, the seventh forced the Decepticon's processors through the back of his crumpled head. Unicron raised the rubble again, ready for another go as:
He stopped, letting the debris fall to the ground. He breathed heavily and looked over his handy work. It wasn't as clean as the kills he had made with his previous body but it proven effective none the less. He reached down, grasping the remains of Trypticon's head between his hands and pulled; Unicron could hear the snapping of wiring, the sharp sound of metal as it tore away from the body and within a moment, he held the Decepticon's head in his hands. Unicron stood and admired it.
* * *
Flames rose around the two transformers on the bridge of Metroplex, sparks burst from anywhere they could causing Nightscream to cover his optics. And from within the din, a voice rose.
"Access Denied."
Nightscream could see Frenzy still fruitlessly working the controls amidst the flaming consoles. "What is it?" He yelled. Frenzy turned to him, moving to another part of the bridge.
"We've lost all weapons. That punch knocked out a lot of his internal relays. I say we abandon, let him duke it out."
Nightscream nodded reluctantly and the two transformers left the bridge.
* * *
Smoke rose from Metroplex's wound in his chest and within his head; he could hear the klaxons that sounded throughout his body and knew that his time was short. He struggled to his feet and could see Unicron ahead but there was no sign of Trypticon. No, wait, that wasn't right. He could see him now. His headless body lay in the centre of the city, smoke rising from the open wound in his neck. Metroplex couldn't say that he felt sorry for the beast; he had fought him on many occasions and he knew that he didn't have the strength to take the battle base on as well as the one they called Unicron.
Nightscream transformed into his new jet mode and opened his cockpit, allowing the smaller transformer to crawl aboard. Flames licked at his boosters as he departed from the giant Autobot city.
Metroplex threw down his blaster and raised his fists. Unicron looked to him and grinned and within a moment he had crossed three blocks and landed the first punch upon the Autobot. Metroplex stood his ground, rolling with punch that although hurt, it caused him little damage. He swung his fist but the Dark Lord was too fast, dodging it instantly and retaliating with a claw to the Autobot's open wound.
Unicron dug his talon deep into the Autobot city's shoulder wound, causing the transformer to scream in pain. He twisted it round and round, shards of Metroplex fell to the floor and Unicron began to laugh. After a few agonising moments, he withdrew his claw and pushed the transformer backwards.
His pain sensors were working overtime and his power output was decreasing rapidly but through all of this he felt he couldn't give in. He would fight to the end, however soon it came. Metroplex regained his balance and through his degrading sight, he could see the Dark Lord come round for another bout.
Unicron leapt towards the transformer and swung his fist again, catching Metroplex in the midriff and through his technorganics, he could feel the metal of the Autobot city's body give way until he felt his talon slip into his abdomen. He looked into Metroplex's cracked optic visor.
Metroplex could feel the talon inside him and raising his arms he began to push against the Dark Lord's body in an effort to force him away.
Unicron unfurled his fist within the Autobot and grasped at anything he could. He struggled against the force of Metroplex's hands on his body. For an obsolete piece of technology, this Autobot was still strong and proved to be an admirable foe. His fingers curled round something and he allowed himself to be pushed away from the transformer.
Metroplex felt his insides leave his body as he pushed the God of Chaos away and was startled to see them curled in his fist, mech fluid dripped from him in gallons; and in his head he heard the words that he dreaded:
"Stasis Lock Imminent."
Unicron pulled at the Autobot's innards and the transformer fell to his knees, throwing up large chunks of the road. Metroplex raised his head and through a distorted view, he could see the Dark Lord standing before him, his entrails in his hand and laughing. So this was the end for him? He had always thought that he would die in the heat of battle, not reduced to the primitive punch up that had transpired. This was not a warrior's death. And then, something inside him made him stand again. Unicron looked to him, the smile on his face dropped to a grimace.
"Self destruct sequence cancer black," The voice inside the Autobot's mind said, its words echoed throughout his body. "Silent countdown."
Metroplex reached out grasping his own innards, could feel the mech fluid run through his fingers, and pulled. Unicron flew off his feet, the look of surprise on his face caused a sense of delight within Metroplex as he grasped the Dark Lord and clasped his arms around him.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?! Screamed Unicron.
* * *
Nightscream stood atop one of the tallest buildings in the nearest Outer Colony and had watched the proceedings from this viewpoint with Frenzy, who stood by his side.
"What's he doing?" asked Nightscream. Frenzy shrugged and shook his head, "Hell if I know."
* * *
Metroplex looked down at the Dark Lord struggling between his arms and smiled, mech fluid ran down one corner of his mouth and his face had been somewhat distorted courtesy of Trypticon but it was a smile for sure. He could feel the change within him; the building of the reaction and now, he thought even Unicron could sense it. He had stopped struggling.
"Til all are one," The Autobot said.
* * *
The explosion was devastating; it encompassed the city centre in the brightest fireball Nightscream had ever seen and soon after the shockwave threw him to the floor.
* * *
Silverbolt plummeted from the sky as the shockwave hit, sending him spiralling out of control.
* * *
The shockwave hit Buzzsaw hard and as she fell, she ploughed through one of the buildings here coming to rest in a smoking pile of rubble.
* * *
Suteneko Prime ducked swiftly as the fireball whooshed overhead, he could feel the heat of it and it burned like a thousand suns; he was certain that his body would not withstand it. He looked over to the others as they all followed suit, their screams drowned out by the growl of the flames.
And in a second, it was over.
* * *
Nightscream stood, his sensors rattled but otherwise the shockwave had caused no damage. He saw Frenzy, who stood further along the roof, his arms on his head.
"It isn't possible" The transformer said as Nightscream joined him by his side and his optics cleared he could now see what concerned the smaller transformer.
Unicron stood in the centre of the city, laughing.
Chapter Twenty-Seven:
The chamber lay in darkness and the beast within lay silent. The transformer entered, his footsteps echoed loudly; resonating in his audio receptors. Frenzy walked slowly along the gantry that ran adjacent the Decepticon battle bases' head; its cold eyes reflected what little light there was here. And although he himself had served missions with the beast, he found the Decepticon unreliable, unpredictable; and he was here to resurrect it. Frenzy sighed and grasped the panel that sat behind Trypticon's left eye and pulled. It popped off with a hiss of escaping gas and beyond, he could see the control keys glowing dully. The machine still had power and Frenzy began the start up sequence.
* * *
The Quadrix sector of the Delta Hub had been built over so many times since the time of the Cybertronian Wars that Metroplex lay virtually unrecognisable beneath its surface. The transformer had been taken offline long before the time of the Maximals and stories of its greatness were those of legend. Nightscream found himself wandering the quiet halls of Metroplex's mind. The place lay in darkness and the silence that surrounded unnerved him. All he needed to do was find the access panels but this was proving harder than he had thought. He could only hope that Frenzy had had more luck and bought them some time.
* * *
"I don't see the benefits of this", said Black Arachnia as she moved across the dead technorganic field, the city of Cybertropolis looming larger now as Unicron waded through it. Suteneko Prime continued ahead of the group of seven, his optics transfixed on the technorganic monster miles in front.
"It buys us time," He said his gaze never leaving his objective. Cloudburst hurried through the others, past the three jets (Waspinator still nursing his shattered wings) and towards the Maximal. "At what cost Prime? The city'll be destroyed."
"The stakes are higher now." Prime stopped and turned. The group halted, Cloudburst turning behind the Maximal. "Sacrifices have to be made. We don't have a choice."
* * *
Unicron's fist ploughed through the building with ease' its steel frame twisted in his hands, the glass of the exterior exploded outwards, the shards bouncing from his body; the foundations crumbled away. He pulled his talon from it and watched as the falling building threw up clouds of dust around his feet. The Dark Lord smiled. He would find Primus' children, even if it meant ripping each hub apart.
Something made him cease.
Something was moving towards him, he could clearly hear the whine of its approach. What the hell was it? He asked himself as he turned to see:
The first missile flew under his arm, catching the falling building behind. It exploded in a blaze of light, kicking up the residual dust around the God of Chaos. He swiped his hands through it, dispersing the cloud enough to see the second of the missiles as it shot by narrowly missing his face; close enough though to feel the burn of its booster. He snarled as he watched the weapon decimate the recreation hub.
WHO DARES CHALLENGE UNICRON?!? The Dark Lord swung round catching the first glimpse of the oncoming behemoth.
The Decepticon symbol on its chest was pitted with a rich history of battle but somehow it still glistened in the light. As did its body, though it too was pitted; the black finish of the beast was dusty and cracked in places.
Unicron recognised the battle base as Trypticon, once it had been one of the Decepticon's greatest weapons and it had never before posed a threat to him but –
No, he thought, it doesn't, even now. It was time to put his technorganics to the test against this walking heap of old technology. And he would win; he had no doubt of that. The Dark Lord reached behind him, grasping at the stump of the building that had stood there only moments before. With a fist full of twisted metal he brought it up.
And threw it.
Trypticon stood motionless as the shards of metal bounced from his body, the sharp edges digging into his carapace.
Why didn't he fight back? Thought Unicron.
* * *
Nightscream found the silence of Metroplex's internal systems unbearable as the voice on his communicator burst into life. It startled him and it took a moment to realise what the sound was. He raised his wrist to his mouth.
"Report," he said, the words bounced from every surface. A hiss of static before:
"Trypticon's online. I've disconnected him from his main systems, he's a zombie." Nightscream smiled, the thought of having Trypticon raging around town on his own agenda had worried him, "How's Metroplex?" Frenzy asked, his voice distorted somewhat. Nightscream sighed.
"Silent unfortunately." The silence that followed was longer than he had expected before the comms link hissed again, "I'm coming over," the transformer on the other end said.
* * *
The battle base evaded the first of the Dark Lord's attacks but at the cost of the Hall of Heroes Information Centre and within a few seconds it had exhausted its entire right bank of missiles upon Unicron. The God of Chaos growled as he unloaded SHOURISHA's missile bays upon the Decepticon. Trypticon stumbled backwards, his feet coming down upon the rows of small shuttle craft that sat in the parking lot of the centre. They exploded around him; the flames flickered around their bodies as the Dark Lord continued his assault.
Trypticon raised his arms, the oncoming horde of projectiles detonated in his palms, sending pieces of the transformer to the ground below. He growled and brought its artillery guns online.
* * *
"Metroplex, can you hear me?" They stood in what must have one day had been a bridge for the Autobot base but now looked slightly worse for wear. Many of the consoles had been ripped from their moorings and that worried Nightscream. If they were unable to bring the city online. . .
It didn't bear thinking about. He watched as Frenzy circled the wires that he had dragged from the exposed walls. He looked at nothing in particular when he talked.
"Metroplex, can you hear me?" He repeated.
"Yes, I hear you," The voice screamed from the speakers that were dotted around the room; the words were heavy, distorted but identifiable. Frenzy smiled and looked over to the Maximal who smiled also. Whether this was good news however, remained to be seen.
"Run a system diagnostic. Report." Nightscream said, finding that his voice no longer resonated which was of small comfort to him. Around the room, dials turned, buttons flashed and he realised that this truly was old technology. Everything was so mechanical and noisy, it had an almost primeval urgency to it that he found fascinating. He had always dreamed of being back in the day of the Cybertronian Wars; the time that his race had spent on Earth.
"Power at 82 percent. Internal systems running at medium sufficiency." Metroplex paused for a moment, "I don't feel well." He said. Frenzy laughed.
"It'll have to do," He said, "I just hope that luck is on our side."
* * *
Unicron pushed forward, his claws grasping at the Decepticon battle base, despite the heavy barrage of gun fire that exploded against him. He gritted his teeth and found purchase with Trypticon. His right hand had clasped the left side of the Decepticon's head and Unicron forced his thumb round and into the eye of the battle base. He howled as he pushed forward and:
Trypticon's eye exploded around the Dark Lord's digit as he forced the thumb further. He could feel the beast's inner casing begin to crumble until:
He hadn't expected the sucker punch that he received and Unicron released his grip, stumbling backwards. Something had changed with the monster; before Unicron had sensed nothing from the Decepticon, he was just a mindless minion, but now. . .
Trypticon could feel his synapses fire once again and with speed, he was regaining control of his body. The pain from his damaged eye shot through him, but within seconds he had severed his sensors from that section. He would repair it later but for now, he had business to attend to.
* * *
"I don't like the look of this," Silverbolt commented forcing the group to stop. They had watched the fight from the other side of the city as they had finally entered its limits. Suteneko Prime turned to the two functional jets.
"Silverbolt, I want you and Buzzsaw in the air. If it comes to it, try and steer the fight away from the Outer Colonies." He looked to the duelling bots in the distance as the two jets transformed and soared into the sky. And from nowhere a shadow descended upon them.
The group turned slowly, each of them arched their necks, stared with awe as above them:
The Autobot city known as Metroplex moved over and past them in one giant bound, his colossal foot came down before them, rocking the ground.
* * *
Trypticon swung his tail at speed, the thick metallic trunk cut through the air before smashing into the Dark Lord, knocking the God from his feet. Unicron's bulk hit the street hard, his mass kicking up the rubble that lay there as he tumbled through it. He lay for a moment before. . .
Twisting his body, he arose and began his charge at the Decepticon battle base. Each heavy footstep shook the streets of Cybertropolis; shattering glass in buildings as he passed. And suddenly, he stopped. There was someone else here, he thought and turned his gaze away from Trypticon to see:
The blast hit him square in the chest, the flash of the missile explosion momentarily blinding him. Unicron snarled. This is getting interesting, he thought as his optics came back online and he saw the Autobot city before him. Unicron brought SHOURISHA's secondary defence system online and over his shoulders swung two giant plasma cannons. Each one hummed either side of his head and he smiled before:
Metroplex caught the blast in his right shoulder; the white hot laser had cut away his armour there, exposing three storeys of what was once a tracking station. Computer consoles and communication equipment bled from the hole, falling to the street below. Metroplex brought his right arm up; it juddered and shook (more than superficial damage? He thought) and levelled his giant blaster at the Dark Lord. He tried to hold it steady but could feel it sway as he fired.
Unicron calculated the velocity and angle of the blast and merely stepped aside. It shot past him, a loud whine ringing in his audio receptors as he turned to see its destination.
Trypticon howled as the blast caught him above his left knee, forcing him to double over; the weapons lining his back came online instantly, firing in all directions.
Unicron covered his optics as the buildings around him were flattened by the battle base's barrage; glass, metal and all manner of debris bounced from his body. And behind him, he could hear the Autobot city gain ground.
Metroplex fired once, twice, a third time each blast struck the Dark Lord, sending him spinning to the ground. And with three steps, the Autobot city was above him. Metroplex brought his foot down hard against Unicron's neck, pinning him to the street. Unicron grasped the colossal foot with both hands, but although he struggled and his internal motors whined, he couldn't move the warrior from him. He gritted his teeth as the Autobot city brought his blaster down, level with the God of Chaos' face; Unicron stared into the black abyss of the barrel as deep within, he could see the weapon charge.
* * *
Nightscream moved through the halls of Metroplex quickly, his footsteps loud in the chrome interior. He turned corner after corner, ran down corridor after corridor until he finally reached the bridge where he found Frenzy busy at work at the consoles that still remained here.
"We've got him," Nightscream elated, the excitement in his voice rang loudly, "Finish him."
Frenzy continued working the consoles, "I don't think it's gonna be that easy," he said, pointing to the monitor. Nightscream glanced and the look of joy and his face slid away.
* * *
A shadow fell across Unicron's face as he struggled, forcing Metroplex to avert his gaze to see:
Trypticon raised his fist and thrust it forward; it connected with the Autobot city's face and he could hear the contours of his face crumple under the pressure. He stumbled backwards, taking his foot from the Dark Lord's neck. He fell to the streets below.
Unicron glanced up, could see the Decepticon battle bas tower above him, looking down with his one good optic. The Dark Lord smiled and before Trypticon could react, he had flipped his legs up, twisting them, locking them around the battle base's neck. He snarled as Trypticon grasped his legs, all attempts to pry them from his self. But it was to no avail. The God of Chaos rose up on his arms and with a howl; he flipped the battle base over himself and into the streets below. The crash was immense; the shockwave sent more buildings to the ground, kicking up even more clouds. Unicron would use this to his advantage. He released his grip upon the Decepticon and fumbled in the street for:
His fist curled round what had once been the top floors of an exclusive apartment building. Though now, of course it was just scrap. He raised it above his head and brought it down upon the battle base's face. The first impact took away the armour from the right side of Trypticon's façade, exposing the circuitry beneath. Unicron brought the rubble down again; sparks flew from the Decepticon's wounds as the Dark Lord continued his attack, the third strike forced Trypticon's one good optic to blow out in a volley of flames and the Decepticon howled in pain. Unicron continued however, a rabid look upon his face now. And with the fourth strike, Trypticon went offline. The fifth strike took away the top of his head, the sixth decimated his jaw, the seventh forced the Decepticon's processors through the back of his crumpled head. Unicron raised the rubble again, ready for another go as:
He stopped, letting the debris fall to the ground. He breathed heavily and looked over his handy work. It wasn't as clean as the kills he had made with his previous body but it proven effective none the less. He reached down, grasping the remains of Trypticon's head between his hands and pulled; Unicron could hear the snapping of wiring, the sharp sound of metal as it tore away from the body and within a moment, he held the Decepticon's head in his hands. Unicron stood and admired it.
* * *
Flames rose around the two transformers on the bridge of Metroplex, sparks burst from anywhere they could causing Nightscream to cover his optics. And from within the din, a voice rose.
"Access Denied."
Nightscream could see Frenzy still fruitlessly working the controls amidst the flaming consoles. "What is it?" He yelled. Frenzy turned to him, moving to another part of the bridge.
"We've lost all weapons. That punch knocked out a lot of his internal relays. I say we abandon, let him duke it out."
Nightscream nodded reluctantly and the two transformers left the bridge.
* * *
Smoke rose from Metroplex's wound in his chest and within his head; he could hear the klaxons that sounded throughout his body and knew that his time was short. He struggled to his feet and could see Unicron ahead but there was no sign of Trypticon. No, wait, that wasn't right. He could see him now. His headless body lay in the centre of the city, smoke rising from the open wound in his neck. Metroplex couldn't say that he felt sorry for the beast; he had fought him on many occasions and he knew that he didn't have the strength to take the battle base on as well as the one they called Unicron.
Nightscream transformed into his new jet mode and opened his cockpit, allowing the smaller transformer to crawl aboard. Flames licked at his boosters as he departed from the giant Autobot city.
Metroplex threw down his blaster and raised his fists. Unicron looked to him and grinned and within a moment he had crossed three blocks and landed the first punch upon the Autobot. Metroplex stood his ground, rolling with punch that although hurt, it caused him little damage. He swung his fist but the Dark Lord was too fast, dodging it instantly and retaliating with a claw to the Autobot's open wound.
Unicron dug his talon deep into the Autobot city's shoulder wound, causing the transformer to scream in pain. He twisted it round and round, shards of Metroplex fell to the floor and Unicron began to laugh. After a few agonising moments, he withdrew his claw and pushed the transformer backwards.
His pain sensors were working overtime and his power output was decreasing rapidly but through all of this he felt he couldn't give in. He would fight to the end, however soon it came. Metroplex regained his balance and through his degrading sight, he could see the Dark Lord come round for another bout.
Unicron leapt towards the transformer and swung his fist again, catching Metroplex in the midriff and through his technorganics, he could feel the metal of the Autobot city's body give way until he felt his talon slip into his abdomen. He looked into Metroplex's cracked optic visor.
Metroplex could feel the talon inside him and raising his arms he began to push against the Dark Lord's body in an effort to force him away.
Unicron unfurled his fist within the Autobot and grasped at anything he could. He struggled against the force of Metroplex's hands on his body. For an obsolete piece of technology, this Autobot was still strong and proved to be an admirable foe. His fingers curled round something and he allowed himself to be pushed away from the transformer.
Metroplex felt his insides leave his body as he pushed the God of Chaos away and was startled to see them curled in his fist, mech fluid dripped from him in gallons; and in his head he heard the words that he dreaded:
"Stasis Lock Imminent."
Unicron pulled at the Autobot's innards and the transformer fell to his knees, throwing up large chunks of the road. Metroplex raised his head and through a distorted view, he could see the Dark Lord standing before him, his entrails in his hand and laughing. So this was the end for him? He had always thought that he would die in the heat of battle, not reduced to the primitive punch up that had transpired. This was not a warrior's death. And then, something inside him made him stand again. Unicron looked to him, the smile on his face dropped to a grimace.
"Self destruct sequence cancer black," The voice inside the Autobot's mind said, its words echoed throughout his body. "Silent countdown."
Metroplex reached out grasping his own innards, could feel the mech fluid run through his fingers, and pulled. Unicron flew off his feet, the look of surprise on his face caused a sense of delight within Metroplex as he grasped the Dark Lord and clasped his arms around him.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?! Screamed Unicron.
* * *
Nightscream stood atop one of the tallest buildings in the nearest Outer Colony and had watched the proceedings from this viewpoint with Frenzy, who stood by his side.
"What's he doing?" asked Nightscream. Frenzy shrugged and shook his head, "Hell if I know."
* * *
Metroplex looked down at the Dark Lord struggling between his arms and smiled, mech fluid ran down one corner of his mouth and his face had been somewhat distorted courtesy of Trypticon but it was a smile for sure. He could feel the change within him; the building of the reaction and now, he thought even Unicron could sense it. He had stopped struggling.
"Til all are one," The Autobot said.
* * *
The explosion was devastating; it encompassed the city centre in the brightest fireball Nightscream had ever seen and soon after the shockwave threw him to the floor.
* * *
Silverbolt plummeted from the sky as the shockwave hit, sending him spiralling out of control.
* * *
The shockwave hit Buzzsaw hard and as she fell, she ploughed through one of the buildings here coming to rest in a smoking pile of rubble.
* * *
Suteneko Prime ducked swiftly as the fireball whooshed overhead, he could feel the heat of it and it burned like a thousand suns; he was certain that his body would not withstand it. He looked over to the others as they all followed suit, their screams drowned out by the growl of the flames.
And in a second, it was over.
* * *
Nightscream stood, his sensors rattled but otherwise the shockwave had caused no damage. He saw Frenzy, who stood further along the roof, his arms on his head.
"It isn't possible" The transformer said as Nightscream joined him by his side and his optics cleared he could now see what concerned the smaller transformer.
Unicron stood in the centre of the city, laughing.