Chapter 2

Scourge´s P.O.V.

It was now a few minutes ago that Scourge had suddenly woken up in this strange place.

He knew instantly that he had been captured by someone. In his now two lives he had seen more than enough jail-cells to recognize one when he was inside. Even if he admitted that this was a particular large one.

Scourge had to confess however, he had no idea how he had arrived here. The last thing that he remembered was this space-phenomenon their long range scanners had discovered a few days earlier.

By the analyses of their techs, that meant Soundwave and the others, it was nothing else than a rift in time and space itself. They had no explanation however where it came from or why it appeared. It was something that had never been seen before and it was clearly dangerous, very dangerous.

And that meant it was interesting, possibly a new potential source of energy for the Decepticons or maybe there might be a way to utilize it as a weapon.

So they had send him and Cyclonus, together with a small group of seekers out to `research´ it. Research meant in this case basically so much as flying as close to it as possible, take readings and hope not to get killed in the process.

Scourge remembered how one of the seekers had literally been ripped apart by one of the gravitational and energetic bursts of the anomaly. He silently hoped that at least Cyclonus had gotten away from there in one piece.

He himself certainly did not, instead he had landed here.

xxx

This was all only because Galvatron was not longer around, because he had vanished right after the battle against Unicron, Scourge thought. The last that they had heard was that the new Autobot leader Rodimus Prime had thrown him out of the giant´s body and into deep space.

That was now over ten years ago. Since then things were not longer like they used to be.

It was a short time later that Shockwave had taken over. The one eyed Decepticon officer was a cold and calculating planner and a very effective mastermind, Scourge at least gave him that.

But leader of the Decepticons? He couldn´t have cared less about him in that regard.

It was clear to Scourge that he saw his troops merely as expandable resources. Of course you could argue that to some degree every Decepticon commander was like that. None of them were picky when it came to choose between success of the mission and the lives of their underlings.

But others, like Megatron or later Galvatron, at least knew how to show their appreation for their warriors. For Shockwave on the other hand you were only a cog in the machinery and he made you feel that. In the end he was more a glorified administrator and not a real leader of an army.

If he was honest, he often wished the blasted cyclops would have also died in the battle against Unicron.

Okay, he admitted, a part of his resentment may also come from the fact that Shockwave were pretty much shortselling him and Cyclonus.

Under Galvatron they had been the two top ranked officers of the Decepticon army. With Shockwave, they were not much more than just two other warriors. They still held officer rank, but not really any more important than any of the staff-officers or the combiner group leaders, not longer Second and Third in Command.

The one eyed freak had pretty much sidelined them, Scourge growled.

xxx

He remembered how the anomaly was just about to swallow him. Then there was only darkness. It was not hard to figure out what had happened. The anomaly had indeed swallowed him and he had landed her. He must have somehow fallen right through it and this was the other side. Someone must have found him then and thrown him into this oversized cage.

Of course it could have been worse. It was actually a wonder that he was still in one piece after this. Scourge knew he should have been dead, or more like wiped from existence. He guessed in a strange sense, he was lucky. Instead he was here, where-ever that was.

Shockwave, he cursed that name once again. He had of course to send them directly to the anomaly without knowing more about it.

This was of course nothing new. It had been like that for a few years. Shockwave probably hoped secretly that they would be killed on one of his bogus missions.

But that was not his worry right now. He was a prisoner and he was at some unknown place. There was no telling where he had landed after falling through the time-space rift.

"Hey you," he heard someone address him loudly.

In the moment as Scourge turned around, he got the shock of his life, as soon as he recognized the owner of the voice.

"Skywarp?" he stammered.

That was impossible. Thundercracker´s old flying partner was gone, for years now. After the by now infamous battle of Autobot City, he had been reformated by Unicron, just like himself.

Of course he was still around, still working with him. They were still partners. But none of them was exactly the same anymore since Unicron. That was now over ten years ago.

Yet Skywarp, just like he used to be, was standing directly before him.

"Yes, do I know you?" the black seeker asked him.

One thing was for sure, he was not longer at home, Scourge thought.

"Oh yes, to be honest, we have met before, in some way at least" he stated. "I am Scourge. But I wasn´t going by this name back then or was in this body."

"Ah, I see," Skywarp replied, "so it´s a complete make-over, new body and all. I´ve heard about something like this a few times. Rare, but it happens."

A smile formed itself on the seeker´s face now. "So will you tell me who you have been or do I have to guess?" he asked.

At this moment however they were being interrupted.

xxx

"I think all of us should introduce themselves," they heard someone saying. It was one of the Autobots who had spoken to them.

A bit surprising actually, but ultimately they were all prisoners here after all, together. So maybe it wouldn´t hurt to cooperate, at least to some level, for now.

"My name is Scourge."

"Skywarp." They told the other prisoners their names.

xxx

It was in this moment that a stranger entered the room, followed by a group of the guards they already knew. He introduced himself as Rook, an a bit unusual name, and said he was belonging to something called the Cybertronian Empire, that was currently holding them.

Cybertronian Empire? What was that supposed to be? Cybertronian, that was them, the Autobots and the Decepticons. Aside from that there was only a small number of empties. So what kind of organization was calling itself this?

The strange robot didn´t say much else, even less anything useful.

"You all have been chosen to take part in a very special tournament that is taking place here in the Capital," Rook informed them. "For this reason you have all been transported here by us. You all come from different worlds, from different realities, but we have brought you here together." A few of the locked up robots exchanged unbelieving looks as they heard this.

"It is a great honor to be chosen and I hope you all will proof yourself worthy," Rook declared proudly.

He made it sound as if they were honored guests, while in fact they were all locked up in a oversized cage, Scourge thought. They were all prisoners here, there was no doubt about it, no matter how much this guy tried to sweet-talk it and whatever `game´ they wanted them all to play was certainly only for their own purpose...

...or maybe just for their entertainment. If he was honest, all this here reminded him all too much of what he had heardabout the Quintessons and their sick experiments.

And different realities? Well, it shouldn´t really been a surprise, since he had just fallen through a time-space rift.

"Does any of you have any questions?" Rook asked then, his optics wandering around between the different captives.

Most of then were only looking at each other in confusion, before Longarm stepped forward.

"Yes, you said that we all were brought from different realities. I guess you mean that means that you possess some sort of interdimensional transport? That would also be the reason why many of us are not able to recognize any of the others from their data-banks."

Rook in return gave him something that was probably meant to be a warm smile. But for the most who saw it, it only looked creepy.

"Yes indeed," he stated. "Some of you might remember certain incidents with space-bridges or in some cases temporal anomalies, just before you came here. You all had been in very dangerous situations, that could have very likely led to your death. We have however intercepted your signals and transported you here instead. Essentially you could say we rescued you.

In gratitude for your lives however, we hope that all of you will willingly take part in the coming Games."

If they had truly been rescued, why were they still locked up? some of the captured Autobots and Decepticons thought. No, they were prisoners.

All of them had overheard the exchange. To say they were shocked would have been an understatement. Most, if not all of them knew about the concept of parallel universes. Some of them had even heard of methods of interdimensional travel in their own worlds.

But to think of what this robot had just actually stated? That they had all essentially been `kidnapped´ from different realities. It sounded absurd, at least at the first look. Still it matched with the facts of their current situation.

Cliffjumper, he really wasn´t the same person she had known, Arcee realized. He was a double from another world.

"You mentioned the Cybertronian Empire, what is that?" Rotorstorm asked now.

"The united government of Cybertron of course, the central power of our great civilization," Rook answered him. This time the pride in his voice was definitely genuine.

"United? You mean the Autobots and Decepticons together?" Cliffjumper wanted to know.

"Autobots, Decepticons, such concepts are long outdated in our world," Rook responded. "Yours may still follow these ways, competing and fighting over primitive philosophies. Our Empire is based on unity, order, growth and prosperty," he stated.

"If you want me to take part in your `Games´, what about my human friends?" Arcee asked him. She gestured to Jack and Miko.

The robot just gave the two humans a short emotionless cold look and then his gaze went back to her.

"The `organic infestation´ that was accidentally transported with you is of no consequences for the Games," he told her. "But if you think that `they´ would hinder your performance, we can if you wish hand them over to the guards for extermination."

Arcee´s expression turned into one of shock.

The two humans in question had listened to his words as well.

"Hey what are..." Miko nearly blurted out. But Jack held her back and actually put his hand on her mouth.

"I don´t think it is a good idea to challenge this guy as long as we are locked up here Miko," he whispered to her.

Arcee at this point was nearly bursting from anger herself. She crinched her metallic teeth. Organic infestation, that is all he saw her friends as?

She recognized the barely hidden grin on his face. He was basically using the two humans as hostages to ensure her cooperation for whatever he was planning. So much for civilization, she thought. For someone who thought of the Decepticons as a outdated concept, he certainly had no problem acting like one himself.

"No, that won´t be necessary," she spoke out loud. "They won´t be a problem."

"Good," Rook responded, sounding satisfied with the answer. "Then we will now prepare for the start of the Games."

xxx

"So does anyone of you happen to know anything more about our captors?" Skywarp asked the others.

The blue colored femme known as Arcee only gave him a short angry look.

"It seems everynody in this room only remembers that they had suddenly woken up here," the Autobot named Longarm told him, "but not how they had arrived."

"That means they know nothing," Scourge replied.

"Exactly."

"We will have to try to find out, Con," the femme calling herself Arcee stated, still quite aggressively.

"If you say so," Skywarp responded smugly.

By the way the blue femme reacted to both him and Scourge, it was obvious that she didn´t like Decepticons at all.

He didn´t knew what exactly her problem was, but since they were at war with each other and that obviously in her world as well, it was not that hard to guess.

xxx

Arcee´s P.O.V.

Arcee was just turning back around to the other Autobots and her human friends. For the moment at least she had truly enough of talking to the Decepticons.

She saw the one named Rotorstorm and this other Cliffjumper standing together, obviously involved in a conversation. He was not her old partner, he was not her friend, actually he had never met her before or she him for that matter.

xxxxxxx

In that way it continued for the next few hours. The prisoners were just there, waiting for something to happen.

Then finally the doors were being opened once again.

And once again they were confronted with Rook´s smiling face.

"Honored participants," he addressed them. "Your time of waiting is over. The first phase of the games is starting soon. The guards will now accompany you all outside."

Like he had said, the prisoners were all being led outside in small groups, with guns pointed at them.

"Who does this guy thinks he can fool," one of the lined up Autobots murmured.

They were really on Cybertron. All of them could see the metallic landscape, the large cities filling the horizon. Some of them who were not completely sure so far had now confirmation. But it was a different Cybertron from that any of them remembered.

This one was not controlled by Autobots and Decepticons, but instead by a mysterious force calling itself the Cybertronian Empire.

They were all being led to a large open field. Before them laid a wide unpopulated area, but filled with various liveless constructions, metallic ramps and lanes and automatic machinery, forming a giant maze.

All in all it looked quite similar to various combat trainings-courses they had seen on their own Cybertron´s, only on a much larger scale.

This was obviously the place where the `Games´ were about to beginn.