Galvanized

A Transformers: Armada Story

By William Rendfeld

Megatron scowled upon his throne, fingers tapping in frustration upon one armrest. "Where do we stand, Thrust?"

The Seeker stood before him with a datapad in hand, quietly going over their latest intelligence and status reports. "Since the incident with Dualor one deca-cycle ago, there has been little if any evidence of Autobot activity on Earth, and no additional escape pods from the Exodus have been detected. There's also been no sign of the Mini-Cons that managed to escape during that incident. I suspect that they…"

"Are with the Autobots." A small growl interrupted the scowl. "And no doubt Starscream is with them."

Thrust nodded, not seeing much evidence for that possibility but fully aware of the folly of arguing with his commanding officer. "At the same time, however, as a result of Dualor's actions, our strength in Mini-Cons has increased exponentially. Before, we had fourteen. Now, we have twice that number, and there's the possibility that more are…" The tactician halted as his leader rose to his feet and quietly walked past him. "Lord Megatron?"

Still scowling, the overlord approached the exit to the command deck. "I wish to be alone, Thrust. No one is to follow me."

No one argued as the doors slid shut behind him, leaving those few Decepticons present to anxiously go back to their work. Fully aware that circumstances were slowly turning against them, Skywarp quietly activated an internal comm.-line, signaling the remaining members of Starscream's conspiracy. It was past time that they considered relocating.

"So you mechs built this thing right under Megatron's olfactory sensors, and no one even noticed." Looking over the clean silver halls with an approving gleam in his optics, Side Burn couldn't help but be impressed. "Not bad, Sparkplug."

Despite having been operational for only the better part of two days, Autobase Earth had more than lived up to expectations, providing safe and secret refuge for the Autobots and their Mini-Con allies, as well as the occasional mech that had been smuggled in.

"I can't take any credit for this. Other mechs designed and built it. All I did was sign off on the design. Still, we did pretty good considering most of this was either salvaged from the Acheron or manufactured here on Earth, especially given the small workforce." Turning to face the red Mini-Con, he added, "I hear Starscream's already contacted Predacon. You looking forward to seeing him again?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. For all the suspicion Atlas had of him, Predacon's definitely one of the good guys. About the only thing he hasn't done is try to temper Skid-Z's zeal, and I'm not even sure that's possible. I almost feel ashamed of spying on him like I did."

A shrug from the yellow Mini-Con. "You had your orders. And if he's anything like you say he is, something tells me he'll understand."

"We'll see what happens, I suppose." The two paused as another Mini-Con stepped into the hall. "Rollout! I'm surprised to see you without that fancy toy of yours."

"Given we aren't in a combat situation, I don't see much point in using it all the time." The large Mini-Con shook his head. "Still, if we'd had those things back on Cybertron, who knows how things would have turned out?"

"I don't know, we all did pretty well without them, assuming my memory banks are still working properly."

Rollout smiled. "Thanks for the kind words, but I still feel like I'm better off now than I was back then. If anything, I'm letting them pick on someone their own size for a change."

A laugh from Side Burn. "Last I'd checked, size didn't always matter. Still, can't blame you for enjoying it." The three continued down the hall as he noted, "Let's just hope we don't end up getting proven wrong, hm?"

Sparkplug gave a thankful nod. "Amen to that."

Elsewhere in the facility in one of its common areas, Starscream silently stood at a terminal, casually glancing through some external views of the base. He wasn't worried about attack; if one were coming, it would swiftly be picked up either by the early warning alarms or by any of the human installations. What he was doing was simply for sheer amusement, and in a small way an attempt to hold off going stir crazy. As different as this planet was from Cybertron, Earth had a beauty all its own, and the Colorado Rockies held no less appeal than the Manganese Mountains. He smiled, enjoying himself somewhat and glad for what he was seeing.

"Looking for something in particular?"

So much for his sightseeing. "No, just looking." He turned off the terminal, then turned to the source of the voice and quietly knelt down. "To what to I owe the honor, Dr. Masters?"

"Diana's fine, Starscream." The archaeologist looked up at the Decepticon with a friendly smile. "And I don't want much, I just wanted to ask how you're settling in."

"Well enough, considering." He looked up at the walls surrounding them, some sadness on his face. "As little trouble as I have being on this planet, I do wish I was able to get out of this base for a while. My one regret in being stuck here is that I can't stretch my wings, so to speak." A small sigh, and he admitted, "Though given that I'd be spotted in an instant by Megatron, I can't exactly take a stroll outside. And the more difficulty he has in finding this facility, the better." Turning back to her, he then asked, "So, when do I get my interview? From what Optimus has told me, you're quite the curious one."

"Comes with the territory. Besides, you're never too old to learn something."

A nod. "A true statement for members of either race." Finding a nearby area to use as a bench, he moved over and sat down, gently scooping up Diana and holding her in the palm of his open hand. "Well, question away."

Diana quietly turned on her recorder before sitting down and continuing. "I know about how it all began, you and Optimus being given life in Vector Sigma and everything, and about Megatron's rise to power and attempt at conquest. I'd just like to hear about things from your perspective. I mean, you've been with him longer than my entire species has existed. That's a long time to get to know someone, even for a Cybertronian."

The Seeker sighed, for once sounding much older than normal. "Too long, in this case. From the beginning, Megatron was a military juggernaut, not at all disinclined towards conflict and unafraid to get his servos dirty on the battlefield. At the time that was considered a good thing, as he was given life during the time of the Outsider Wars, and we needed all the help we could in holding off our attackers. He quickly climbed the ranks, finding himself more and more prominent among us until he could not climb any higher. He used what influence he had all that time to prod for increased aggression against our attackers, in response to the devastation they had caused us. From what I've heard, your world's seen similar reactions."

"More than a few times." Not bothering to list all the examples she could think of, she prodded, "But eventually, he decided to stop prodding and seize power himself."

Starscream nodded. "Before his rebellion, he'd been respected, and many Decepticons and Mini-Cons, and even the odd Autobot, supported him. Afterwards, however, was another matter entirely. Hundreds of Cybertronians were killed in his insurrection, most of them Mini-Cons who refused to aid him and were unfortunate enough to be at the end of his fusion cannon. Between that and his killing of Jhiaxus, his cause was discredited, the only recruits coming since either being the gravely dissatisfied, the criminally insane, or spies like myself. Only the most loyal of zealots still believe his old propaganda of expanding Cybertronian territory in order to safeguard against our enemies and protect ourselves. The second war showed us how much he cared for his fellow Cybertronians, when so many Decepticons on both sides lost their lives. The ones who stayed with him that aren't insane or filled with malice and greed only do so because they're afraid to leave." He took a second to regain himself, then continued, "Megatron isn't interested in helping Cybertron or its people, Diana. His only interest is in obtaining and maintaining power above all else. He doesn't mourn his soldiers if they die, and his reasons for rescuing the Eclipse Team were purely for the sake of convenience than genuine altruism."

"Then why not just kill him and be done with it? I know it sounds callous and cold-blooded, but…"

"But that would be the efficient way. Nonetheless, we were always afraid that killing him would only create a martyr, not end a threat. As much as he did to discredit himself, the Mini-Con exodus and Jhiaxus' slaying and so on, we have to make certain that ones like him never rise up again. Whether that can be done, however, remains to be seen."

Despite the words coming from a mechanical entity, Diana could easily tell that Starscream was less than pleased to talk about it further. She opted to change the subject instead. "So, what about Jhiaxus? What was he like?"

A proud smile formed on the Seeker's face, grateful for the switch. "He was the best of us Decepticons. He was the bravest, the wisest, and the most capable of warriors. He was to us what Optimus Prime is to the Autobot cause. He inspired soldiers, led them to victory simply by being present. If not for him, we would be nothing. Without him, it's lucky that we aren't." He shook his head sadly. "At the time, I was more caught up in scientific pursuits than politics and warfare. My efforts were on things like energon processing and Powerlinx applications. I was confident that Jhiaxus would keep the peace, and I was wrong. The Decepticons were fractured, torn apart with his death. He tied us together, united us, made us one. After his loss, I found myself with two options, either take his place or try to avenge him. Whether it was due to anger or simply my own pride, I chose the latter, and look where it's gotten me. Straxus may have helped keep things from getting worse, but they haven't gotten much better."

"But Megatron's efforts were stymied, and a number of Decepticons previously loyal to him are now working with you. Could any other mech have done that?" Diana looked up at him and admitted, "There are a lot of times when I wonder about how my life's gone, what could have been different. I never quite let go of the niggling doubts either, but I know that what I've got is probably better than what I could have."

"The converse is also true, however."

A shrug. "Yeah. Still, there's nothing stopping you from taking up his legacy once Megatron's done for, right? As many nice things as I've heard about Straxus, and as much good as he's done to keep Megatron from gaining favor from his end, he could use a mech like you to help heal the wounds. You care for your people, you're charismatic, brave, intelligent, experienced, and you have the trust of many both within and outside of the Decepticon faction. If Jhiaxus is as much like Optimus as you say he is, then I expect he'd be proud of you doing something like that."

Starscream looked upon her and smiled with admiration. "I think you've been spending too much time around Optimus."

A grin. "Among other people. Of course…"

Diana's next words were interrupted as a flash of light appeared before them, a sudden gust of air causing her hair to whip about and prompting her to grab hold of the Decepticon's thumb for support. Starscream covered her as best he could with his free hand as he rose to his full height, his optics adjusting to the anomaly before them. As the flash subsided, a large glowing sphere of bright blue energy was revealed, pulsating excitedly as it faded from view, leaving two unfamiliar forms in its place. One was a large mech, colored similarly to Optimus Prime and built similarly to Rollout when combined with the Overload unit, two Autobot emblems on his shoulders. The second was much smaller, presumably human and wearing a suit of armor with the same emblem on the left side of his chest.

"Chronal jump complete. We made it." The apparent Autobot quickly noticed the surprised Decepticon and human, and his next words were of relief. "And it looks like we're exactly where we need to be."

Before Starscream could ask the obvious questions, they were asked for him as Optimus rushed up from down the hall, Scavenger and Vector Prime in tow. "What's going on here? Who are the two of you?"

"Optimus Prime and Starscream." In a voice that sounded remarkably familiar to Diana, the armored human looked up at his associate. "We're definitely in the right place."

The mech nodded and then turned to the Autobot leader. "Sir, my name is Sentinel Maximus. My friend and I have come back from ten years in your future to warn you of a terrible event."

"That you've come from another time I have no doubt, Sentinel." Vector looked over the time traveler uneasily, perhaps fearful of what he had to say or simply displeased by his presence, no one there was certain. "Your intentions, however, remain questionable."

Having seen more than enough science fiction involving time travel to know that this could go either way, Diana gestured for Starscream to set her down and called out to the armored human, "It might help if we could see your face." She climbed off the Seeker's hand as she reached the ground and added, "If anything, it might help me believe you."

The armored man looked at her as Sentinel lowered him. "You told me you'd say something like that." He removed his helmet to reveal the face of a young man. Diana immediately pegged him in his late teens, his reddish-brown hair and brown eyes instantly making him all the more recognizable. He gave a nervous smile and said, "Hi Auntie Di. Surprise."

Her eyes fixed on the young man before her, easily picking out the resemblance and familiar cues, and while the voice was different, it wasn't different enough. Thinking for a second that it couldn't be, then reminding herself that she was in the presence of living alien robots, she stepped forward and dared to believe what her eyes and instincts were telling her. "Kicker?"

A nod. "I'll explain everything shortly." He then looked up at the Autobot leader and said, "Optimus, you need to hear what we're about to tell you. Otherwise, you won't live to see tomorrow."

Optimus Prime knew threats. This wasn't one. "Come with us."

To say that Megatron was in a bad mood was an understatement. He was frustrated and irritated and angered as he could be as he silently looked upon the Earth from the lunar landscape. As many victories as he'd had of late, from the successful retrieval of the Eclipse Team to the strengthening of his Mini-Con reserves to the destruction of Dualor's team, it was all too clear that he lacked the advantage. The Autobots had four of the five Core Weapons, whereas he only had two facsimiles. They had numbers on their side, and even ignoring Predacon's rabble, they also had resources and support which he did not. It was painfully obvious that, despite his apparent gains, he was right back where he'd started, in a deadlock.

No, worse. The fact that an escape pod had been jettisoned with Mini-Cons aboard, and had been retrieved by the anomalous Decepticon from the earlier incident, immediately suggested an infiltrator. He had his suspicions, and no way to confirm them, but there was exactly one Decepticon who remained unaccounted for. And where there was one wolf among the sheep, there was no doubt more (damn the pervasiveness of Earth idioms among his culture, he thought as an aside). How long before they struck again and attacked him directly, emboldened by Dualor's madness? Regardless, he needed an edge, or everything he had worked towards, everything he had fought for, would be lost.

He snarled, fully aware that one would not simply spring out of thin air, and smashed a fist into a nearby rock, crushing it to bits in the process. As the dust fragments slowly drifted to the lunar soil, a voice called to him. "Such power should not be wasted on useless destruction. It has far better uses."

Megatron looked up in surprise, glancing about as he tried to find the source of the voice. Finally, he caught sight of a large mechanical bird, black and grey and red with hexagonal wings, as it fluttered past towards its master and perched on his left shoulder. The mech was tall and angular, with armor of blue, gold, grey and black, a purple optic bar displaying a neutral expression. "I haven't seen you before. And I see no symbols on your body. Who are you?"

The mech's optic bar remained fixed upon him as he answered. "My name is Soundwave, and I've been watching you and your efforts here for some time. A valiant, powerful warrior, driven by ambition, beholden to none, in a struggle for dominance against overwhelming odds. You are to be commended, no, admired for your attempts at greatness."

A smile. "You flatter me." The smile faded. "However, I lack interest in frivolous conversation. State your business here."

"Of course." Soundwave stepped forward, his voice remaining pleasant by just a twinge. "I come to offer my services. You require aid, troops, firepower. I can grant you that and more, much more."

Megatron's optics remained fixed on the unfamiliar newcomer, debating his offer to himself. "You present a tempting offer, Soundwave. But how can I be certain of your loyalty?"

"You can't, which is why I offer you something for free; information." As Megatron quirked an optic ridge, amused by his swift admission, he continued, "You have been betrayed, Megatron. Insurrection is mounting against you, the Mini-Con escape being only the first step. The only reason it has yet to go further is that a Seeker in your service, its ringleader here among your troops, is currently on Earth, safe in the hands of his noble brothers and their Autobot stooges."

"Starscream." Megatron sneered as he spoke the name, glad to have his suspicions confirmed. "I suspected as much. I'll have his hide, him and his allies."

"I'll be certain to give you a list. However, you'll require assistance. No doubt Starscream's little brigade has prepared for you. In order to destroy their expectations, you'll need greater power. I can give that to you just as easily."

Megatron considered the newcomer carefully. What was he to gain by giving him this information, this power he spoke of? Regardless of the mech's reasons or inclinations, however, the Decepticon was the last one to look a gift rifle in the barrel. "Lead me to it, Soundwave. Give me this power."

"On one condition. I give you this power. Using it, you must face, and defeat, Optimus Prime. And when he is defeated, you will destroy the Matrix of Leadership."

Megatron restrained himself from smiling – he knew there was a catch. "Why destroy such a pointless bauble?"

"My associates find that bauble, as you call it, distasteful. As do I."

Megatron attempted to keep a neutral face, but failed as a grin slowly formed upon it. As pointless a condition as it was, he saw no reason for it to not be fulfilled. "Very well. You have a bargain."

"Excellent." Soundwave then transformed into a blue stealth craft and turned in another direction on the landscape. "Please, follow me." As the newcomer zipped away, Megatron transformed and followed. Perhaps this was the break he was looking for.

"Open your mouth please." Kicker complied, and Longarm quietly swabbed the inside of his cheek, obtaining a few cells for analysis. "We've got DNA records on file for Dr. Masters and her closest relatives. If we get a match, we'll do a telomere analysis and see if you're really seventeen. Shouldn't take more than a few nano-kliks."

"The sooner the better." Diana looked to her nephew, confident that he was who he said he was. "So what prompted a hop back in time a decade?"

He looked at her in surprise. "You actually believe that? Without any proof?"

She smiled. "With the stuff I've seen and heard about over the last four months, time travel's not a big shocker."

"And not impossible." Prompting their attention, Vector Prime turned to Sentinel Maximus with a slight admonishing tone. "Doing so, however, carries greater risks than you know. The potential for disaster due to any number of small and myriad changes is infinite. There are reasons why I simply observe the flow of history rather than actively intervene."

The time-displaced Autobot gave the ancient Prime a grim look, no doubt already having heard such warnings. "If you had seen what we have, Vector Prime, you would have interfered also. Any world is better than the one we left behind."

Optimus saw little reason to doubt him, but just as little to belief him. He gestured towards a chair around the conference table. "Please, have a seat. The sooner we get an explanation, the better." The other full-sized Cybertronians took their seats, optics turning towards the Mini-Con and humans standing upon it as Longarm's DNA scanner finished its work. "Well?"

"It's a match. DNA confirms his story, telomere length suggests natural aging."

Not surprised, Diana laid an affectionate hand on her nephew's shoulder. "Everyone, meet Chad Jones, my sister's firstborn. We call him Kicker though. It's a long story that we really don't need to go into right now."

"I can see the resemblance." Scavenger turned from the two back towards Sentinel with a raised optic ridge. "But as much proof as that gives for your story, it doesn't prove you're on our side."

Sentinel gestured towards a terminal built into the table. "May I?" Optimus nodded, and he quietly entered an access code. "Five kliks ago, you received a coded transmission from Cybertron, sent by Ultra Magnus. According to it, a survey vessel called the Axalon is on its way here to Earth from what's left of Quintessa. They have information concerning Quintesson military designs, including one bearing a resemblance to a certain shapeshifting mech that you encountered a couple months ago calling himself Sideways. It's right there in the log."

The Autobot leader nodded. "And I'd just finished reading it when the alarms sounded at your arrival. But being able to access our records doesn't prove you're an ally, nor does it explain your coming back in time."

"We came back to stop Unicron." Heads turned towards him as Kicker ran a gloved hand through his hair. He had been preparing the explanation for so long, he practically had it memorized. "You guys landed here on Earth a few months back, in early September. You've been doing okay at stopping Megatron, and at the rate you're going, you'd get him soon enough. But that changed today, and the two of us are here to make sure it doesn't go down the toilet and Unicron doesn't destroy Cybertron and Earth."

Interests immediately caught, Sentinel continued on from where Kicker left off, looking to both Starscream and Optimus. "Right now or very soon, Megatron is in the process of receiving an upgrade to a newer and more dangerous body. Once accomplished, he will systematically attack those Decepticons remaining aboard the Nemesis who have allied with you, and then turn his attention here to Earth." He turned back to Optimus and continued, "Every Autobot he finds will be destroyed, along with the Ark. You faced him, and in the process you were lost and the Matrix destroyed."

"Whoa, hold it." Not believing her ears, Diana looked up at Vector Prime. "The Matrix of Leadership is one of your major relics. How could it be destroyed?"

"Not easily, but such an act is hardly impossible given enough power." The ancient steepled his hands, not at all pleased at the thought. "But with the destruction of the Matrix, Primus would be unable to defend against Unicron. Alone, any of the seven Artifacts can wound him. United, they can destroy him."

"And with even one of them out of commission, we can't destroy him, and he'd have little if anything in his path to destroy…" Starscream's optics widened in shock as he realized the full import of his next few words. "To destroy Cybertron."

"Along with every other planet and moon in its system." Sentinel grew bitter as the memories played through his mind. "And once that was done, he moved on to this one, and after six years, Earth was gone. What remained of humanity was reduced to refugees, only a few hundred million or so spread between various Cybertronian colonies and installations throughout known space."

"And they were the lucky ones, or the sane ones. A lot of people chose to stay behind, for one dumbass reason or another." Realizing his word choice, Kicker turned to his aunt. "Sorry, I…"

"No need to apologize. I can easily see that happening." Diana had heard more than one of the claims concerning the supposed apocalypse due in 2012 based on studies of the Mayan calendar, but didn't pay them any heed, due in part to incomplete data and the human race's tendency towards expecting the end of the world at any given moment. The idea that some people would choose to stay, either due to complete stubbornness or because they expected to be saved due to their religion or because of some other asinine reason, made perfect sense to her. "And they would be dumbasses for staying. But why take ten years to try and undo this?"

"Time travel is an imprecise science, and requires a great deal of power and very specific equipment. Besides, there were a number of factors against the plan, primarily from those who considered the idea insane at best. It was only after the universe started breaking apart that the idea was given serious attention."

"The universe breaking apart?" Diana immediately turned to Vector. "Explain."

Finding several sets of eyes and optics on him, the elder Prime had to take a moment to collect himself. "As many things as there are that were told to I and my siblings by Primus, there were many things we did not believe. One such claim was that there were certain things which maintained the universe as we knew it, cosmic keystones for lack of a better term, which would lead to the slow destruction of the universe itself if destroyed. Cybertron, being his physical body in this reality, is one in every universe where he has influence. Earth is another in every reality where it exists, which is considerably more, and there are countless other planets of significant influence to multiversal balance that vary from one reality to the next. Remove one, and the destruction of reality is assured. Remove more, and the destruction is accelerated."

"So Unicron destroys Cybertron, and a universe dies a faster death than normal. But stop Megatron from destroying the Matrix, and you prevent that." At her nephew's shrug, Diana asked, "You might prevent it?"

"The odds are much better with the Matrix than without them, in any case." Turning to another topic, Starscream asked, "But why not simply go to the moon and destroy Megatron, rather than bring yourselves here and tell us all this?"

"Time travel became far more difficult with Primus' destruction. Rhisling lost its powers of time manipulation as a result, and we were forced to come up with technological alternatives based on analysis of the sword." Sentinel gestured at himself. "There are a number of reasons why I look like Rollout when combined with the Overload unit. This body of mine was packed with a number of energon storage tanks and sensitive equipment, all geared towards the jump back in time. Besides, we lacked full knowledge of how Megatron underwent his upgrade. Coming to Earth was deemed the safest option."

"Then why you?" Diana looked to Kicker. "I get why a Cybertronian would come back, and I can see why bringing a human back with him would be a sensible idea, but why you specifically?"

The teen gave a bitter sigh. "It's a long story. And we've got bigger problems right now."

Not quite satisfied with that explanation, but not about to debate it, she nodded. "Another time then. But what happens once we deal with this problem? Assuming everything goes off without a hitch, won't that future of yours just cease to exist?"

"Absolutely not." Attention once more on him, Vector Prime shook his head to emphasize the point before creating a hologram of a single river branching out into multiple ones. "Their very presence here has resulted in the creation of an alternate timeline from the one they came from. And despite what science fiction would have you believe, I doubt there would be any problem in them meeting their past selves either." He turned to Sentinel and quirked an optic ridge. "Assuming, of course, you have past selves."

"I wasn't given life until after the destruction of the Matrix. Its fragments were built into my frame. And if all goes according to plan, I won't even need to be created in the first place." Turning from one Prime to another, he added, "But the sooner we address this issue, the better."

"Agreed." Optimus turned to Starscream. "We can't risk getting a signal to the Nemesis from here, but the Ark is another matter. Red Alert and Landmine are there right now preparing to move it to Area 51, one of them could do it."

"It's not that simple, Optimus. I gave Skywarp specific instructions in case I left the ship. He or Thundercracker were to only accept messages from Earth if they bore my voice code and a code phrase. And I can't fly there fast enough to guarantee getting to the Ark in time to send it."

The elder Prime smiled. "Then you will have to get there by a different method, one I can easily provide. But we cannot simply trust to that."

A nod, and Optimus turned to Sentinel and asked, "I don't suppose you have any further details you can give us?"

The time traveler removed a data module from his arm and handed it to the Autobot leader. "All the pertinent information we have on what happened is in that module. I'm afraid it isn't much. Megatron left few witnesses, and he and his few remaining free followers disappeared shortly after the Matrix's destruction."

Optimus quietly took the module and said, "Every little bit helps." He then activated his comm.-link. "Jetfire, I want the base put on high alert. Contact the Ark and tell Red not to launch until authorized otherwise. Also, I want a line to Col. Franklin at NORAD once available, there's information he needs to know."

:"On it. Mind filling me in on what's going on?":

"I'll let our new friend fill you in on the details." Optimus closed the line and motioned for Scavenger and Sentinel to follow him, exiting the conference room with Starscream and Vector following behind.

Finding themselves alone aside from Longarm, Diana turned to her nephew and asked, "So, now that the important stuff is done, you want to fill me in?"

Kicker turned to her and quietly asked, "Can we do it somewhere with a little more privacy?"

"Sure." Diana led him to the edge of the table, Longarm waiting at the controls. A chunk of the table descended down to the floor, allowing all three to climb off safely. "Just follow me."

"No doubt about it, this is the real deal." Even more in awe of what he was looking at, Swoop could barely believe the words coming out of his audio emission module. "Liquid energon. Just from the looks of it, I'd rate it at four-point-five purity."

No less awed despite greater exposure, Landquake smiled. "You're close. I've already done a full analysis. It's four-point-seven-eight."

The Dinobot whistled in appreciation. "I didn't even think that was possible."

"Numbers confusing," Sludge complained as he scratched his head. "Swoop explain them, maybe? Please?"

Swoop tilted his head as he tried to think a way to explain it as simply as he could. "Energon is traditionally analyzed and gauged for purity on a scale of one to five. The higher the number, the more energy you can get from it, the easier it is to process, and the less harmful radiation it puts out. Energon gas tends to rank low due to being mixed with any number of other gases in the air. Energon ore tends to be purer and thankfully more plentiful, but it still gets mixed in with other things like dirt due to being beneath a planet's surface and tectonic activity. Liquid energon, however, is incredibly rare in nature, and tends to resist getting other stuff mixed in."

The Dimetrodon seemed content with that explanation. "So this good stuff."

"Very good stuff, assuming of course that no one else knows about it." Swoop looked over the pool and wondered aloud, "Still, what's it doing here?"

"A good question." Landquake gestured towards the glyphs along the wall, the other Dinobots as well as those he'd purposely led down to the chamber examining them. "I suspect those may hold some of the answers. Find anything yet, Skyfall?"

"Thus far?" The Autobot jet shook his head as he called back, Skydive standing nearby. "All we have right now are more questions than answers. Case in point, these glyphs here." He gestured towards one wall where a large glyph was prominent, showing either one single large being or five pieces of one, glowing blue lines running around and connecting each component. "Aside from the glowing blue lines suggesting a link to the energon here, I can't really see what the large figure could be, or even if it's a large figure. The lines connecting the five pieces suggest one large entity, but…"

"But gaps there, suggesting five pieces into one." Grimlock walked up and reasoned aloud. "We got two-part Powerlink with larger Cybertronians, three-part with Mini-Cons, had five-part with PCCs."

"Yes, but notice the blue marks in each part. That could suggest a spark, and Power Core Combiners combine exclusively with drones. Five mechs becoming one is a different thing, far more complicated."

The Dinobot commander grunted. "Something for science mechs to work on." He turned back to the pool of liquid energon in the middle of the chamber. "Right now, that probably more important."

"I agree, but we can't just…" Landquake halted in his response and narrowed his optics as he noticed something. He knelt down and leaned over the edge, feeling along the side of the pool with one finger. He rubbed what he found between forefinger and thumb and realized what had set his instincts off. "Something's wrong. There's residue here." Anticipating further questions, he explained, "Up until fairly recently, somewhere in the neighborhood of two deca-cycles based on run-off, there was slightly more energon in this pool. Either it's being drained somewhere, or someone's come and siphoned it off. And as far as I knew, I was the only one aware of this pool before now."

Grimlock shook his head. "Sound like that need to change." He turned to Overcast. "Any luck getting word topside?"

The aerospace fighter shook his head. "We're too far down to get a communications line up. Too much interference from the subsurface materials."

"Then it time we got back up, and quick." The Dinobot leader looked among his subordinates and called, "Dinobots, roll out!"

The door slid aside, and Diana quietly offered, "So, will water be fine, or have you ended up picking up my caffeine addiction?"

Kicker laughed, suddenly remembering how much his aunt loved coffee. "Water's fine."

The two found themselves alone in the dedicated lounge area of Autobase Earth, the only portion of the base specifically meant for human use. It's design, however, didn't prevent the occasion visit by a Mini-Con, and a few had popped in for one reason or another. Their feet rested upon hardwood floors that led to carpeted areas. To their left was a well-stocked kitchenette, including cabinets filled with various eating and cooking utensils as well as a large refrigerator and freezer, an oven, a microwave, and a working sink mounted into a long counter. Beyond that was an open area containing a long blue couch and a coffee table resting in front of a plasma flat screen that could put the ones currently on the market to shame. Kicker quietly set his helmet down on the table while Diana pulled a bottle of water from the fridge, her handing it to him with an amazed look on her face.

Suddenly realizing she was staring, Diana shook her head and went to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Sorry if I'm staring. The last time I saw you, it was three days ago, and you were barely up to my chest and practically a ball of energy, your mother getting you ready for school. And now here you are, on the cusp of manhood, wearing armor right out of science fiction and acting like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders." She sat down beside him on the sofa and propped up her chin. "Of course, you do have the weight of the world on your shoulders, so to speak."

"I'm not exactly happy about it either." The young man quietly opened the bottle and took a small sip of water. It was going to be difficult thinking in between past and present tense, given that he was in a time where events hopefully (and he fervently wished for that) wouldn't play out the same way it did from when he came from. "The last ten years haven't – didn't – been really good for me, or anyone." He groaned. "Geez this is confusing." That aside made, he continued, "You didn't die. You and Mom and Dad and Sally all lived, but a lot of other people weren't nearly that lucky." His eyes wandered towards the Autobot emblem on his chest. "I can still remember what happened after the Autobots went public, after Cybertron was destroyed by Unicron. People got scared and panicked, and a lot of them blamed the Autobots after it became obvious he was heading for Earth. It didn't matter that Unicron would've come for Earth eventually if Cybertronians hadn't visited it or not, or that the Autobots were trying – had tried – to evacuate as many people as they could, or anything like that. They were still blamed. And me being the little kid that I was, I was terrified of it all."

"The giant robot equivalent of Satan coming to eat the planet would scare anyone. Scares me, anyway."

"Yeah, well, what happened afterwards didn't help things much." Kicker looked at his aunt somberly. "You ever get a weird chill go up your spine, like you can sense something's nearby? Something big and important that you can't put your finger on, but know it's important? Turns out it's the real thing with me." At his aunt's curious expression, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm a living energon detector. I don't know how it happened, something about genetic mutations brought on by long term exposure to energon radiation according to the scientists in my time, but somehow, I can sense energon if I'm close enough to it, whatever the concentration."

"And you ended up as a living dousing rod." A nod answered Diana's guess. "You go from finding out about alien robots, to finding out that you can sense their fuel source because of some cosmic fluke." Already knowing that desperate times sparked desperate responses, she continued, "Let me guess, you got roped into finding whatever energon could be found by some government agency."

"Worse." Bitterness now colored the young man's tone. "Dad volunteered me for it. He practically dragged me all over the solar system looking for the stuff. I had to deal with rock slides, blizzards, storms, people trying to kill me, and that was just here on Earth. Once, I ended up drifting alone in the asteroid belt near Ceres, no radio contact, no one in sight, just me and a bunch of rocks and…" He closed his eyes and clenched his hands on the bottle, fighting back the residual fear from the incident.

Diana gently laid a hand on his, holding her own indignation in check over what she was hearing. A small part of her didn't want to believe what she was hearing. Granted, her brother in law was a bit eccentric and far too fixated on his work, but putting his son in that dangerous a situation? Even under those circumstances, what parent would allow it? No way her future self would support something like that, and she doubted her sister's future self would even be willing to hear out the idea. A small part of her hoped that Kicker was simply exaggerating due to anger and frustration, just as she and his mother had done over some of the inconveniences they'd experienced in their youth from their parents. Still, she hadn't been there. "You don't need to say any more. You shouldn't say any more, otherwise we'll both be tempted to do something we'll regret." Changing the subject, she surmised, "So, I'm guessing that's why you wanted to come back? To make sure history didn't repeat for this timeline's you?"

"I needed to come back to help stabilize the energon reaction for the trip back in time." A sad smile formed on his face. "But what you said is why I wanted to come back."

A grin formed on her face in response. "Good. I hate to think you came back thinking that if you managed to miraculously pull your plan off, you'd end up somehow getting wiped out of existence. If your grandfather had heard something like that, he'd slap you silly, and so would I."

Kicker's eyes widened in shock. "You wouldn't!"

Diana's firm words were punctuated with a pointed finger. "You're damn right I would, Chad. There are reasons why I loudly and proudly rail against whiny, suicidal brats. Spending time as a teacher is one of them, and the odd anime that I've watched is another. Even when you've got damn good reasons to hate your existence and be frustrated with life in general, you need to have perspective and at least try to fix your problems instead of run away from them." Her tone softened, and she gently ruffled his hair like she would do to the younger Chad. "Besides, you can do more than just make sure the younger you avoids getting stuck all alone in the asteroid belt. Things go properly, you might be able to give him a better life. If nothing else, you've got one for yourself just being here."

Kicker looked to her, remembering all the times that he'd been with her, his Auntie Di. Keeping things straight on time terms was going to get difficult flitted through his mind for a brief second. A small part of him had wondered over the years how he'd have turned out if she hadn't been there, how things would have gone had she not been a part of his life. He smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it, Kicker." Finishing off her coffee, she added, "Now, let's make sure things don't go too far wrong, hmm? As much as I trust Optimus, you and I both know things don't always go smoothly."

"Yeah," came the somewhat nervous admission. Screwing the cap back onto his bottle, he added, "Oh, and thanks for not explaining the nickname."

Diana grinned. "Hey, do I look like the kind of woman who'd embarrass her favorite nephew on purpose?"

"But I'm your only nephew."

"All the more reason for me to not drive you away involuntarily." She rose to her feet, Kicker following shortly, and gestured towards the door. "Come on. Let's fight the future."

After a short time spent traversing the lunar wastes, Soundwave at last transformed and set down above a small crater, a blue glow radiating up from it. Megatron arrived shortly thereafter, transformed, and approached it slowly. Upon taking full sight of the glowing liquid within, he stood in awe. "What is this?"

"Liquid energon in its purest and most potent state. It is said that liquid Energon can reshape a Cybertronian, give them new powers and make them more than they ever were." Turning to the warlord, the stealth craft continued, "With this, you can raise an army unseen in Cybertronian history, with power like onto gods. All you need to do is take the plunge."

Megatron looked upon the liquid, and repeated softly to himself, "Power like onto gods." He smiled, despite not believing in such things. "I rather like the sound of that." He stepped forward and fell face-first into the pool, the liquid swiftly covering his entire form.

As the Decepticon was enveloped, Soundwave silently watched, his optic bar betraying nothing save for a small glimmer of triumph. His work was almost done.

"As much as I'm looking forward to settling into the new base, it's gonna feel kinda strange being without this old bird." Settling into the main navigation console, Landmine couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic, and somewhat worried. "I still don't feel comfortable letting the humans keep her, though. I like Colonel Franklin and all, but just because he's trustworthy doesn't mean they all are."

"We don't exactly have the space to store it in our new facility," Red Alert quietly reminded his comrade as he looked up from the communications console. "As uneasy as we are about it, there's more space for it at Area 51, and keeping it there is probably the best option we have for the time being. Still, I don't blame you for being a little anxious. Keeping it locked will only go so far before someone managed to sneak in."

Suddenly, a massive green gash appeared in the air before them, catching both Autobots by surprise. Both relaxed as they recognized it as Vector Prime's handiwork, and Starscream stepped through, the gash disappearing behind him. "Red, I need to contact the Nemesis, immediately."

The medic stepped aside and allowed the Seeker to do his work. "I'm assuming this is why we can't move the ship."

"It's a long story, but you'll be able to move it once my work is done." Keying in the necessary connection, Starscream tried to maintain his calm, but fear was clear in his optics. "Just pray that I'm not too late."

As Megatron floated just beneath the surface of the pool, he felt the energon slowly seep into his body from every seam of his armor, every joint in his frame, every open cooling vent and exhaust port throughout his body, all the way down to his spark. It was invigorating, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He could feel himself being changed by it from the outside in, his armor shifting in color and design, his transformation mechanisms resetting themselves. He wasn't merely changing, he was being reborn.

As he curled and flexed his fingers, he realized now that he had been weak. No – it was Megatron that was weak, who had failed. Now that would be impossible, as he was Megatron no longer. Now he was galvanized, his impurities removed like those from metal in a forge. No longer was he the weakling failure that had fought a losing battle for countless vorns. Now he was a different mech, a newer, more powerful one. And very soon, his enemies would learn that first hand.

New engines firing, he emerged from the pool and landed, looking over himself with approval. He could not see all of his new form, due to a lack of reflective surfaces, but what he did see met his approval. The single fusion cannon which had been mounted on his back, normally slung under one arm when in use, had been replaced with twin cannons on his shoulders, a pair of wide purple and black wings adorning his back. Curious about what he possessed in terms of handheld weaponry, he focused, and from subspace appeared a grey arm cannon resembling his old alternate mode, the hilt of a sword embedded inside. He drew the blade, orange and brilliant as a sunrise. This sword would herald the dawn of a new era for he and his followers, the era of their dominion.

"Well?" In all of his exhilaration, he had all but forgotten Soundwave. "How do you feel?"

A cruel smile curled upon his face, and the Decepticon warlord brandished his blade in his left hand. "Excellent… yes." He turned to his new ally and asked, "Now, about that list."

"Alright everyone, let's keep this as quiet as possible." Mudflap quietly shepherded the gathered partner Mini-Cons to Starscream's faction into the escape pod bay, glad that the ship's lack of energon reserves had left unnecessary systems such as the internal sensors offline. "The less attention we attract, the better." The doors closed behind them, and the group found themselves with most of the remaining Decepticons allied to the lost Seeker, save one exception. "Where's Thundercracker?"

"Monitoring the communications terminal just in case." Glancing over the group, Skywarp's concerns were still fixed in his processor. "Did anyone spot you?"

"No, thankfully. The others were content to ignore us as yesterday's cannon fodder." Leader-1 looked less than pleased about the escape in progress. "As glad as I am to get off this ship, can't we at least have a parting shot at Megatron before we go? Or at least leave a surprise behind?"

Inferno looked to the Mini-Con leader with surprise. "Suddenly developing a taste for sadism, old friend?"

A grim look crossed the grey Mini-Con's optics, thinking about how long he'd spent inside of Megatron's leg compartment and how glad he was to be out, thinking that Clench could keep it. "Wouldn't you want to get back at the mech who kept you penned up and ranted at length about his dominance?" Recovering himself and surprised at his words, he admitted, "A small part of me wishes Dualor's plan had worked, if only so that Megatron could get a taste of irony."

"He'll fall soon enough, after we're out of the firing line." Opening three pods, Skywarp looked over the gathered Cybertronians after doing some quick calculations. "Alright, we can't all fit in one pod, so we'll take three. These things have onboard engines and guidance systems, so once they're launched, you should be able to pilot them like sublight skimmers all the way to Earth. Assuming the Autobots are aligned with humanity, that should limit your chances of getting shot down upon hitting atmosphere, and with luck, they'll retrieve you once you make landfall. Mudflap, you're going with Sharkticon and Lugnutz in the first pod. Wheeljack, you're in the second one with the Mini-Cons. All of them, not just Windsheer. Demolishor, you're with me and Thundercracker in the third. Let's move it, mechs."

While Skywarp and Demolishor held back, the remaining Cybertronians filed into their pods. Noticing a sad look on Crumplezone's face, Blackout gave him a small nudge. "Hey, what's with the frown? Don't tell me you liked it here."

The Mini-Con tank shook his head. "I didn't, but a small part of me hoped that Starscream would be able to win Cyclonus over to him. Call me crazy, but I enjoyed being partnered with him."

A groan as they climbed inside the pod. "You are crazy, mech."

The hatch to the first pod closed and launch procedures were prepped as Thundercracker rushed in from another entrance, sealing the hatch behind him and drawing attention from the remnants. "We just got a transmission from Earth! It was Starscream! Voiceprint matched, code phrase was confirmed! It was a warning! We need to get out of here, now! Something crazy about time travelers and Megatron killing all of us and Unicron and –!"

A sudden rumble alerted them to the arrival of something within the base, prompting Skywarp to wave off his fellow Seeker's ranting. "Give me the details after we reach Earth." The first pod then deployed, activated from the inside, and he watched it launch and gain distance from the ship before firing its thrusters and rocketing towards Earth. "Wheeljack, what are you waiting for, the resurrection of the Primes?! Go!"

Before the young mech could do as instructed, the main hatch leading inside the pod bay was blown up from the outside, the cause revealed as he stepped out of the smoke. Massive legs like turbines supported the mechanoid, with a similarly-shaped chest accented by a light purple Decepticon emblem and a blood red abdominal area, twin wings emerging from his back and two orange cannons mounted atop his shoulders. Immense purple arms, the right one carrying a large and very familiar cannon, ended in clenched fists, anger pouring out from the mech's body like water from a burst dam. Molded into his purple and grey head was a crown, black as night. While the form was unfamiliar, the voice was easily recognized. "I never suspected how large this had become. Betrayed at every angle, by those I thought most loyal. It's high time that this insurrection be eliminated!" Seconds later, all three cannons fired at Demolishor, tearing off one of his arms and sending him sprawling onto the ground, inches from stasis lock. The powerful Decepticon grinned in satisfaction as he looked over the remaining three. "Does anyone else wish to continue opposing me?"

A high-pitched whine responded, and two stun batons found themselves flung through the air towards him, slamming into his body and sending a momentary shock through his system. "That answer your question?!" Without a second thought, Wheeljack grabbed hold of Demolishor and dragged him into his pod, the hatch sealing behind him before being jettisoned just as Mudflap's was.

Content that their comrades had escaped, Thundercracker and Skywarp did likewise, climbing into their pod and sealing the hatch behind them. It jettisoned as the stun batons wore off, their attacker sweeping them off his body. The electrical damage was being undone, the impact marks reforming fast enough to be seen by the unaided optic. "Fools! Run while you can – you would have escaped Megatron easily, but I am Megatron no longer!" He aimed his cannons once more and blasted open one of the airlocks, atmosphere venting out as he shot off after the last pod and emergency bulkheads closing behind him.

Digits moved across the keyboard before him as Hoist turned back. "I've got the escape pods from the Nemesis on long-range sensors. Three of them, heading for us at high velocity. Calculating trajectory as we speak."

"Good. Make sure NORAD is notified of their projected landing coordinates. Sideswipe, inform Rhinox that we'll be expecting injured very shortly." Turning away from the various monitors, Optimus Prime looked to Jetfire. "Contact Hot Shot, make sure both your team and his are at the ready. I'll head out with you in Overload just in case."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Jetfire jerked his head towards Sentinel Maximus. "Assuming our new friend is telling the truth, you going out there means you're in danger, and the way he's talking, that's the last thing we want." At his brother's adamant expression, he realized, "Of course, I'm not about to dissuade you, am I?"

The Autobot leader shook his head. "Not easily. Besides, I've got a few precautions in mind."

As activity increased inside of the base's operations center, Diana and Kicker entered, mindful to move away from the doors as quickly as possible once they had cleared them and make their way towards a waiting platform. As they ascended, the young man couldn't help but look around. He may have been older, but the place didn't look any smaller. "I keep on thinking I'll get used to this, but I never do."

A grin formed on his aunt's face as the platform reached the top of one console. "Now where's the fun in getting used to it? As long as they aren't trying to kill me, I love the odd surprise." A smile crossing her face, she added, "You for example."

Surprise was clear in Kicker's eyes. "I'm a pleasant surprise? I'm warning you about the end of the world here."

"Exactly. You're giving us a chance to prevent it." Alarm klaxons quickly sounded, and Diana's attention was diverted back to the trouble at hand. "That's not a good sound."

Large monitors flashed on, indicating a new contact on the base's sensor grid. "We've got something new. It's smaller than the escape pods, but I'm reading huge power levels from it."

It didn't take a genius to guess what that could be. Scavenger looked up at the monitors, his expression mirrored by everyone else present. "Do we have landing coordinates for the escape pods yet?"

"Coming up now!" Lines indicating the escape pod's projected trajectories appeared on the screens as Hoist reported, "They're set to crash close in Rocky Mountain National Park! Exact coordinates are…" The screen distorted slightly, and one pod's trajectory shifted significantly. "Wait, scratch that! Pod number three has shifted course! Estimated landing zone is in the area of Squak Mountain National Park, near Seattle!"

"Sideswipe, relay a message to the Ark with projected landing coordinates! Starscream, Red Alert and Landmine should be able to take care of that pod! We'll see to the other two! Scavenger, you're in command until I return!" Gesturing for Jetfire and Sentinel Maximus to follow, Optimus hoped that things wouldn't get any more interesting from here, and that the mechs aboard the Ark would be able to fend for themselves.

Within visual distance of Longs Peak, the air was calm, and very few people were nearby as twin balls of fire fell from the sky. High above, two of the three pods were slowing to a halt, breaking thrusters doing their best to slow the crafts down as they approached the earth. Finally, with a terrible crash of thunder, the first of the two crashed into the ground, skidding quite a ways before finally coming to a halt with the second doing likewise a small distance away. Even as its companion slowed, the pod's hatch burst open, leaving a battered but otherwise functional Lugnutz to stumble out, two of his comrades following. "Okay, next cat that suggests something that crazy gets a calling card from Dutch. Would it have killed you to land us on water?"

Stumbling out after the motorcycle, Sharkticon shook his head and reset his optics, attempting to regain his bearings as Mudflap stumbled out and did likewise. "I was aiming for the rough coordinates Skywarp gave me. If he's right, we should be in walking distance of the Autobot base. Besides, we'd have had just as hard a landing on water the speed we were going, if not even harder."

Opting to put aside the discussion of physics for a moment, the Decepticon crane looked about, trying to catch sight of the third pod. "Where's the…?" He soon found the third pod far on the horizon. "Never mind. Looks like we were the lucky ones."

"For all the good it's done us." Waving them onwards, Sharkticon charged towards the second pod. "Who do you want to bet's in this one – the Seekers and Demolishor, or the kid and the Mini-Cons?"

The hatch blowing open immediately answered his question, Wheeljack stumbling out slightly with Demolishor's remaining arm slung over his shoulders. Blackout and Windsheer were both linked up to the unconscious Decepticon, damaged to the point of stasis lock but still alive despite his injuries, while the remaining Mini-Cons climbed out alongside them. Taking quick note of his three comrades, he asked, "Little help?!" Mudflap quietly took Demolishor into his arms, letting the younger mech explain what happened. "We got attacked just before we could break off. Don't know who the mech was, but he sounded like Megatron."

"That explains why Thundercracker and Skywarp are suddenly off course." His thoughts on more pressing concerns, Mudflap looked among his gathered allies. "We need to get in contact with the Autobots."

"Given the mess we made coming down? Wouldn't shock me one bit if…" Sharkticon grew silent as a beam of light shone down from above near their position, a familiar trio of Autobots appearing. "And here they are now."

Blurr and Crosswise quickly arming themselves and keeping watch on the surrounding area, Hot Shot rushed over. "Wheeljack! Am I ever –!" He quickly noticed Sharkticon, then brushed it off as his optics locked onto Demolishor. "How bad?"

"Stable, but he needs a medic, and fast." Cracking a small grin, the former Autobot noted, "Good to see you too, bro."

The yellow Autobot flashed a brief smile before activating his comm.-link. "This is Hot Shot! We need immediate medevac! Prep repair bay!"

"Pods one and two have landed safely on Earth, but pod three is off-course, heading towards the Seattle area!" As the Ark slowly ascended from its hiding place near Mt. Saint Hilary, Red Alert turned to the Decepticon at the controls. "Coordinates are locked, but even with the stealth tech on, we should be noticed almost immediately by whatever it is that changed their course!"

"Then let's hope this old femme can still maneuver! Deactivating active camouflage, plotting intercept course!" His hands on the controls, Starscream kept his optics on the forward sensor readouts. "Landmine, can you bring weapons online?!"

The large Autobot's hands were already at the ship's weapons controls. "Locked and loaded! Point defenses online, autoguns set!"

Getting through the atmosphere in his new aerospace fighter mode had been marvelously easy, and maneuvering through the air just as simple. Once his sensors detected the Autobot ship, however, he laughed. So they had been hiding near the human settlement! The vessel soon targeted him with its CIWS systems, prompting him to accelerate and dodge, moving in close enough to the ship that he couldn't be tracked and disregarding the few impacts that hit. His three fusion cannons firing and tearing through the ship's hull while destroying the weapons arrays, he laughed. "Pathetic! This is nothing!"

With a frustrated growl, Landmine reported, "Autogun banks destroyed!"

"Then it looks like we'll have to handle him a different way! Red, take the helm!" Rising to his feet, Starscream turned and made his way out of the command deck and towards the nearest airlock. "It's time I settled old accounts!"

Another salvo rocked the ship, prompting Red Alert to report as he took the controls, "That last shot hit our primary reactor!"

"So we're what, five kliks away from going boom?! Great! Any ideas that don't involve us getting blown to scrap?!"

Already typing in the needed commands with his hand while retracting his medical tool on the other, the medic already had a solution in mind, a large red button rising into position. "Just one. Hang tight!"

He continued to laugh as he fired salvo after salvo into the vessel's hull, glad for the chance to give the Autobots some well-deserved revenge for his humiliations. So engrossed was he that he barely noticed as another contact appeared on his sensors, a familiar red and grey jet opening fire on him from behind and turning his attention elsewhere. "At last, the traitor faces me!" With one more burst of fire, he turned his attention from the ship to the Seeker, transforming and shrugging off bursts of weapons fire before drawing his sword.

Not even bothering to slow down, Starscream transformed and drew his own blade as he engaged the mech who had slain his sibling. "Megatron!"

Their blades met, and both Decepticons dueled in the air, one matching skill and countless vorns of practice with overwhelming power. With manic glee on his face at the thought of slaying the traitor, he bellowed back, "Correction, Starscream! I was Megatron, but no longer!"

As they continued, explosions tore through the Ark, sections being blown off with increasing intensity. After a few short seconds, the forward command section burst off, the main bridge flying from the rest of the ship as it exploded, debris scattering in every direction.

"Sensor contact with the Ark is lost!" Not believing what he was seeing, Sideswipe nonetheless repeated himself, both due to protocol and due to his own shock, "Repeat, sensor contact with the Ark is lost!"

Almost immediately on various screens throughout the command center were shifts in local and national broadcast and cable news reports, the explosion being reported throughout. Finding what he was seeing on the screens just as difficult to swallow, Scavenger turned to the lone remaining time traveler. "Please tell me this is how it happened last time."

Kicker shook his head. "I don't remember all this happening."

"One consequence of time travel is that it can have a potentially infinite number of unintended changes as a result of the purposeful ones. Such things cannot be totally prepared for, but can at least be dealt with." Turning and exiting the command center, Vector Prime declared, "Keep watch here. I will be needed very shortly."

Laughing with triumph as wreckage continued to rain down upon the forests and rocks below, the Decepticon warlord pushed away his opponent's blade. "Your allies are destroyed, Starscream! Annihilated!" As the Seeker swung his sword again, it was caught and tightly gripped in one hand. Despite the blade cutting into it, the warlord felt no pain, laughing as he clenched his hand into a fist and shattered the sword. "All that remains to be dealt with is you!"

Starscream pulled back, his optics going from his destroyed sword to his opponent's rapidly-healing hand. Fazed by this, but not about to simply give up, he armed and readied his cannons. "Whatever you've done to yourself, it won't be –!"

The Seeker's words were interrupted as his opponent opened fire with his arm cannon, tearing a hole through his lower abdomen and sending him spiraling out of the sky and into the ground below. He crashed right into trees and boulders, leaving deep gashes in the ground and his already-battered frame even further damaged in the process. As he struggled to regain his footing and keep out of stasis lock, his opponent landed and marched towards him with a smug grin of satisfaction. "And thus ends the great and illustrious Starscream, hero of the first Cybertronian War! Just as it did for your dear brother, the great and mighty Jhiaxus!" Standing over Starscream, the warlord shifted his sword so that it was pointed straight down, and held it high above the Seeker's head. "Just as it will for all who oppose me!"

Anger and frustration in his optics, Starscream stared up at his opponent. Heavily damaged from battle and severely weakened, he nonetheless managed to keep himself online. Defiance in his expression and rage in his voice, he snarled, "Just get it over with already!"

A dark chuckle, and the blade was raised slightly for the final strike. A shot blew the blade right from the Decepticon's hand, and additional salvos forced his attention elsewhere. Laughing with amusement as his injuries healed themselves, he noticed his new opponent. "I was expecting you, Optimus! Thank you for not disappointing me!"

Fully linked up with both Jetfire and the Overload unit, both shoulder cannons as well as his and Jetfire's hand weapons firing at full strength, Optimus had little trouble recognizing the Decepticon's voice. He didn't even bother to give Megatron a verbal response, keeping up the attack and hovering overhead.

"Not feeling talkative then?! Very well – I'll do all the talking!" Shoulder cannons were aimed and fired, blowing apart the cannons from the Overload unit with one clean shot and forcing the Autobot leader to rock back and disengage it, letting the weapon platform fall. "For countless vorns, you have stood above all else as the symbol of Autobot power and supremacy! The single greatest obstacle in the path of anyone who sought to rule Cybertron and its people!" Retrieving his blade, the warlord grinned savagely as he took note of the critical connection point between Optimus and his second in command as he continued firing back. "So many things have kept Megatron from defeating you! Betrayal! Self-righteous heroes! But above all, his own weakness! His own lack of power!" Disorienting Optimus with a full barrage from all three of his cannons, the warlord then charged and struck with his blade, cutting clean through the connection ports between the two Autobots and causing both to cry out in pain as they were forced to separate. As the red semi fell, Jetfire was shot at point-blank range with all three cannons and viciously slammed into the ground, his left arm all but shorn off and his left wing hanging on by mere shards. Satisfied that the shuttle was no longer a threat, he turned his attention to the Autobot leader and strode towards him. "But no longer is that the case. No one will stand in my way."

Slowly and painfully shifting back to his regular robot mode, Optimus' optics looked between his two unconscious brothers. They had support, but it wasn't going to arrive soon enough to help. He tried to right himself, but was brutally kicked to the ground, his shoulders and hips viciously stomped upon by his opponent, the occasional stab of the sword through his limbs included for good measure. After what felt like an eternity, however, Megatron stopped. Optimus only had a moment to wonder why.

"Well done." The Decepticon stepped back as a mech of unfamiliar design and familiar energy signature appeared, blue and gold with an angular construction. Giving the Autobot leader a brief glance, Soundwave noted, "You have greater power than you have ever known, and demonstrated it quite well. I've fulfilled my end of the bargain. Now, it's time you fulfilled yours."

The warlord grinned. "Very well Soundwave. A bargain is a bargain." He then reached down and grabbed hold of the Autobot leader's chest plate, tearing it off with a terrible screech of metal and tossing it aside. He turned back with a satisfied grin, expecting to look down and find the Matrix of Leadership awaiting him, but all that he found was an empty Matrix cavity, the artifact seemingly vanished. "No! Where is it?! Where's the Matrix?!"

Despite himself and his pain, Optimus couldn't help but weakly laugh. "Surprise, Megatron. We were tipped off." As the Decepticon turned to look at Soundwave, the Autobot leader continued, "Not by your friend Soundwave. Even if he'd been the one to come to us, I doubt we would've taken him too seriously, given what happened when we dealt with his friend Sideways." Megatron turned his gaze back on Optimus as he continued, "You haven't figured it out, Megatron? I'm not surprised. I only pieced things together when I saw him show up. You're being used."

Soundwave tilted his head in amusement. "Is he now?"

"You and your master have been watching for a while now, haven't you?" Despite his injuries, Optimus kept talking. If nothing else, this would buy him some time. "But let me give you both a refresher. Thousands of vorns ago, Megatron instigates rebellion and tries to take control of the Mini-Cons. He failed, and they left Cybertron, but somehow, you sabotaged the Exodus, and you yourself blocked the transmission that kept us from coming to their aid. Then you waited, thousands of vorns, for some idiot to come along and find them. You knew a signal would get out then, that by that point Megatron would be desperate to get out from under the rock I had him in. He came, he sought, and he failed at every turn. You had a perfect stooge waiting for you and your friends: Sideways, Nemesis Prime, and Unicron."

Soundwave remained silent, but the Decepticon slowly chuckled, then laughed as he grabbed hold of the Autobot leader by the inside of the Matrix cavity and slowly raised him into the air. "Unicron? You honestly believe in that old myth? Unicron and Primus are nothing! Stories, legends passed down to keep the pathetic sheep of Cybertron in line! They don't exist! I do! And I intend to make certain that you no longer do so!" He raised his sword, pointed it directly towards Optimus' head, and silently whispered, "And for the record, Megatron no longer exists. I am a new mech, with a new name, one you will never know but one which will be remembered for a billion vorns! Any last words?"

"Yes." Now it was Optimus' turn to whisper. "Behind you."

The Decepticon looked at him in surprise before a salvo of rockets and bullets, taking him completely unawares and forcing him to drop the Autobot leader. Before Soundwave could intervene, a massive green beam of energy surged in from another direction, sending the herald flying away in pain. The warlord recovered, his armor regenerating almost instantly, and glared at Optimus' rescuer as he maintained his fire. "Who –?!"

"You've sown the seeds of your own destruction, monster!" His weapons maintaining fire, Sentinel Maximus glared at the Decepticon warlord. He had seen historic videos of the reformatted Decepticon warlord's path of destruction, and now that he had the chance to avenge at least a little of that suffering, he wasn't about to pass it up. "Now you reap the whirlwind!"

High above, Vector Prime shot into view, Rhisling at the ready as he attacked Soundwave. While the herald's armor regenerated, he opened fire with his two guns, the ancient Prime weaving aside with agility that defied his age. "Hold, abomination!"

While Sentinel maintained his fire, additional support arrived. Lining up beside the time traveler came the remaining members of Jetfire's search team, Beachcomber quickly adding his firepower in support while Overhaul activated his Cyber Key ability, the members of the Land Military and Sky Defense Teams adding to the barrage. High above, Airazor, Cheetor and the Air Military Team were at work putting out the fires caused by the Ark's debris, dropping water from above and glad that the flames weren't burning out of control.

While his regenerative abilities remained, the Decepticon found that the firepower being set against him was more than sufficient to negate that particular advantage. With a growl, he shot skyward. "This is far from over, Autobots!" He transformed and shot away, climbing high into the atmosphere and far out of sight.

Far below, taking his pawn's departure as his cue to do likewise, Soundwave vanished just inches from another swipe of the ChronoSaber making contact. His opponent gone, Vector turned and flew back to the gathered Autobots, landing among them. "How are they?"

"Starscream and Jetfire are in stasis lock, but they'll heal soon enough." Lifting up the unconscious Autobot leader, Sentinel looked at him with worried optics. "Optimus, are you…?"

The red semi managed a pained laugh. "Still going. Thank you. Landmine and Red…"

"We'll find them after we've returned you to base." Swiftly creating a portal, Vector gestured to the gathered mechs and femmes, "Everyone, quickly!" The rest entered, finding themselves back at Autobase Earth with the wounded carried between them, and leaving the two Primes alone with their newest ally. "You took an awful risk coming here, with the Matrix inside of you."

Glancing down at his chest at one of the previously-hollow cavities underneath his armor, Sentinel looked to the elder Prime with pride. "I needed to be here. As vital as the Matrix is, the one who carries it is just as important. Besides, this is far from over."

"No." Groaning his agreement as the three entered the portal, Optimus continued, "Not by a long shot."

Working out the remaining kinks in his joints with a moan, Cyclonus stepped into the Nemesis' repair bay. "Ohhhh… The next time I see a Mini-Con, he's getting blasted into scrap!"

"Oh stop your whining, Cyclonus! All you got was a minor surge! You're just lucky Megatron was able to come up with a way to spare your life and slag those tiny brats!" Gesturing towards her two comrades, Thunderblast continued to chide the berserker for his complaining. "These two weren't nearly as lucky. Trust me."

Cyclonus shook his head as he glanced over the two remaining chambers. Due to the injuries inflicted upon them by the Requiem Blaster, both Slugslinger and Shortround had been in and out of the CR Chambers for the last deca-cycle. As much as he didn't want to experience a similar fate, he was still inclined to brush it off. "Yeah, well, at least they didn't get their bodies taken over by a bunch of Mini-Cons."

The femme rolled her optics dismissively. "Blah, blah, blah. You don't see Tidal Wave complaining, now do you? No wonder Megatron picked him for the combination experiments. He never –!" Alarm klaxons sounded throughout the ship, prompting the two to exit the repair bay and rush to the ship's cargo bay, meeting Tidal Wave and Thrust en-route with Brushguard lagging behind. "What's going on?!"

Where Thunderblast's voice was loud and piercing, Thrust's remained calm. "Sensors detected an incoming Decepticon spark signature. We've matched it to Megatron's, but his energy output is beyond anything he's previously shown. Aside from that, another anomalous signature is with him."

"Which is why we're rushing to meet him this time, rather than ignore it like last time." Tidal Wave shook his head. "Megatron's not gonna be happy about those three pods getting to Earth."

"I suspect that's the least of our concerns." The cargo lift was already rising up, the two unfamiliar forms harmlessly passing through the force field, and Thrust gestured for Cyclonus and Thunderblast to keep their weapons lowered. Tidal Wave had little room to attack, while Brushguard appeared disinterested. "Lord Megatron?"

A smile crossed the warlord's face as he ascended into the bay, Soundwave at his side. "That is who I once was, Thrust. Now, however, there has been a change for the better. Once, traitors were among us, hidden in our midst, but they are here no longer. Today begins a new age for our cause, and the beginning of the end for our enemies. I am stronger now, better than I ever was as Megatron. So much better am I now that the name no longer has meaning to me."

Dismissive of his leader's grandiosity, Brushguard spoke up. "Then what are we to call you, my liege?"

The warlord took one last look over his body, and with Soundwave looking on in approval, he declared, "I am… GALVATRON!"

To Be Continued…