Chapter 25
"Lord Megatron, Soundwave has deciphered the next Iacon coordinates."
The Decepticon warlord turned from the ship's open window and peered at the monitor. On screen was a digital version of Earth with a small red dot blinking around the upper area of Canada.
"Very good Soundwave. Continue decoding the rest of the Iacon database" Megatron commanded and the communications chief nodded.
"Knock Out, Breakdown, the last time I sent you to retrieve a relic, you failed miserably, losing not one, but two precious Cybertronian artifacts. I am giving you a chance to redeem yourselves by bringing me this newly found relic."
The two of them bowed.
"Thank you Lord Megatron, we will not fail you" Knock Out said.
"Good, do not come back empty handed, otherwise I will reconsider your usefulness to me."
The two Decepticons nodded, grabbing the Shield Generator they had retrieved on a much earlier mission. They awaited a groundbridge to bridge them over to the coordinates and stood there awkwardly, not wanting to look Megatron in the eyes.
Once the green vortex appeared, the partners walked forward. They would not fail Megatron again, for if they did, the warlord would most definitely snuff out their sparks.
...
"Optimus, we're picking up two Decepticon signals coming from Nunavut, Canada." Ratchet announced, showing two small dots that had appeared in the area.
It was a Saturday and everyone was in the base, looking at the two dots appear on screen.
"You think they're going after another relic?" Arcee asked.
"Most likely. Megatron would not have any other reason for dispatching two of his own to such a obscure area."
"Ratchet, contact Agent Fowler so he may give us details on the area. Meanwhile, we will send in our drones to see whether the Decepticons did indeed uncover a new relic." Optimus commanded and his medic quickly got the drones online.
"Sir, if I may, I believe sending the rookie and I would be a smart decision. If the Decepticons did indeed find another artifact, it is crucial that we gain possession" Ultra Magnus said, with Smokescreen nodding behind him.
Optimus seemed to be considering his lieutenant's words and nodded his head. "You make an excellent point, old friend. Smokescreen, you will accompany Ultra Magnus for the duration of this mission. Be warned that we do not posses any means of sending reinforcements, therefore you two must act with caution."
Smokescreen straightened his back and saluted. "No problem sir, we'll bring the artifact back."
"Wise up soldier, we're heading into battle. Follow my lead and stay close to me" Ultra Magnus ordered.
Ratchet activated the groundbridge and sent in the drones to do a quick scan of the area before the two Autobots went in. Once he knew that they would not be ambushed, he nodded, telling them they were clear to go. Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen ran into the swirling green vortex, determination plastered onto their faces.
The team was counting on them and they would not let them down.
...
The icy winds of the north blew across the barren tundra, not too cold to affect their biology but cold enough to send shivers down their backs.
"Should have brought a scarf" Smokescreen joked, wrapping his arms around his chest.
"Optics up soldier, the Decepticons could be watching us at this very moment" Ultra Magnus ordered.
The two of them trudged through the snow, following the two signals on the scanner. It was a rough first mission and definitely not what they were expecting. Nonetheless, they were determined to complete it, no matter what the weather was.
"Omega One to Ultra Magnus, do you copy?" came Ratchet's voice in the com-link.
"Loud and clear, medic."
"You are nearing the two Decepticon signals. I will send the drones ahead to scout out the area."
The four drones lent to them by the military flew forward, spreading out in a line to get a better view. The four machines reached a mountain side, scanning the area for any way up. Not finding one, they continued their search, flying straight up.
The drones kept flying upwards until they reached a small cave-like area carved into the mountain side. There was an overview of the cliff which led to the overhang of the rest of the mountain. The most important thing they saw was the two Decepticons working away at a nearby ice rock.
"You better hurry Breakdown, Megatron will have our heads if we don't get back with the relic" Knock Out said, twirling the Shield Generator.
His partner grunted, smashing his hammer against the ice over and over again. Eventually he managed to smash off a piece from the top, revealing a circular plate. Breakdown stopped working and studied the artifact, looking at the ice very closely with his one working optic. He frame work of the artifact revealed to be that of a hammer, but much larger than any he's ever seen.
The bleu mech grunted. "I don't get it, all this chipping away with my hammer, just to bring Megatron another hammer?"
Knock Out looked at the relic closely. "If it was stored inside the Iacon Hall of Records, it must be important. Let's just get this thing back to the boss so we don't have to freeze our backsides off."
Breakdown nodded and continued his work, smashing away at the ice.
...
Meanwhile, the group of humans and Autobots watched closely as the drones zoomed in, getting a closer look at the artifact.
"That is no mere hammer" Optimus stated, recognizing the artifact immediately. "That is a sacred relic of the thirteen original Primes; the Forge of Solis Prime. It possesses the power to mystically infuse raw material with working mechanisms."
"Wait, so you're saying if we had it, we could pound scraps of metal into any weapon we could dream of into existence?" Bulkhead asked, thoughts of different weapons swirling around in his mind as he gave a goofy grin.
"Or, possibly repair the Genetic Exchanger in mere seconds" Optimus said.
The Autobots widened their eyes at the thought of returning back to their normal selves. If they could fix the Genetic Exchanger in seconds, rather than waiting another couple months, any risk would be worth it.
"Ultra Magnus, did you hear that?"
"Yes sir, we understand the importance of retrieving the Forge." Came Ultra Magnus' voice through the com-link.
"Be aware old friend, I believe Knock Out and Breakdown do not realize the power the Forge wields. It would be wise to keep this information from them." Optimus warned.
"Yes sir."
...
Knowing what lies in front of them, Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen quickly started to scale the mountain side. The rocky cliff made it difficult to climb but they didn't notice. The Forge was far too important to lose to Knock Out and Breakdown, and they were not about to return empty handed.
In no time at all, the two Autobots reached the platform, keeping themselves hidden from the two Decepticons.
"Yes, finally" Breakdown exclaimed, exhausted from the constant smashing of his hammer. He reached down and picked up the Forge, surprised at how heavy it was.
"Nice job Breakdown, I'll get us a groundbridge so we can get out of here."
Knock out held two servos to his com-link, turning it on. However, before he could say anything, his arm was blasted away, making him flinch at the burn mark on his forearm.
"Autobots! You'll pay for that!" Knock Out yelled, turning to look at where the blast came from. At that moment, Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen hoisted themselves up, activating their blasters.
The doctor raised his Shield Generator, ready to fight when he realized he didn't recognize these two Autobots. The taller one looked similar to Optimus, yet still had striking differences and the smaller of the two was completely unknown. "You're not Optimus, who are you?"
Breakdown answered his partner's question, recognizing the Autobot lieutenant from the war. "That's Ultra Magnus, Optimus' little lap dog. I ran into him plenty of times during the war. I don't know who the little squirt is though."
"Little squirt?!" Smokescreen asked, unhappy that he was being treated like a newbie. He charged, shooting at the two Decepticons.
Knock out saw him coming and quickly activating the Shield Generator. A light blue force field shot out from the artifact that blocked all of the blasts headed their way.
"That all you got?" the doctor teased, moving forward while still activating the shield.
While those two were busy with each other, Ultra Magnus and Breakdown studied each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. They did indeed face each other plenty of times during the war and knew each other's strengths and weaknesses by heart.
"It's been a while shoulder pads, where've you been hiding?" Breakdown teased.
The Autobot lieutenant didn't answer; instead using his opponent's lowered guard to his advantage. In one swift motion, he activated his blaster and shot Breakdown's arm, making the mech drop the Forge as he stumbled back. Ultra Magnus charged with surprisingly quick speed, dodging blaster fire and landing a hit to Breakdown's jaw, lifting him up and throwing him to the ground.
Breakdown recovered quickly, growling as his anger grew inside of him. He activated his hammer and charged at Ultra Magnus, landing a hit to his face and one to his shoulder that dented his armor. The lieutenant changed his position, dodging a third hit and rolling on the ground. Jumping up to avoid another hit, Ultra Magnus grabbed the Forge off the ground, landing on his feet and bringing the hammer up to block Breakdown's own hammer.
"Aww, miss your little Magnus Hammer? Too bad I crushed it during the battle of Kyger Falls" Breakdown said.
Ultra Magnus snuck a punch underneath the hammers and making contact with Breakdown's chin, making him stagger back. He then brought the hammer back, using momentum to bring it forward, clashing against the blue mech's chest. The hit was so powerful, it sent him flying into the mountain.
While Ultra Magnus laid a beat down on Breakdown, Smokescreen was having a much more difficult time. Knock Out was bearing down on him and all of his blaster fire was doing nothing.
"What's wrong newbie? Too scared to fight back?" Knock Out teased when Smokescreen stopped firing back.
"Well maybe if you stopped hiding behind your little shield, we could have some more fun" the rookie countered.
"Who says I'm not having fun right now?"
The doctor smirked, pushing forward even more, the blue force field blocking all ways around it. Smokescreen backed up slowly, not quite knowing what to do. He suddenly felt his foot slip and jumped forward, looking behind him to see the edge of the cliff and little rocks fall all the way down. He gulped, it was not a small drop and he was not looking forward to seeing just how far down it really was.
"Any last words newbie?" Knock out asked, having way to much fun with this.
"Yeah, I do actually. ULTRA MAGNUS, HELP!"
The Autobot lieutenant heard his name being called and turned around, widening his eyes as he saw Smokescreen struggling to stay away from the edge and the force field. Quickly, he changed directions, moving away from the fallen Breakdown and instead running towards Knock Out. The doctor was to engulfed with what he was doing to notice him come up from behind.
Ultra Magnus grabbed the doctor's shoulder, startling him and throwing him up into the air. Knock out screamed, flailing his arms as he came down. Instead of hitting the ground, he was welcomed with a swing from the Forge, sending him into the mountain side.
Knock Out groaned, feeling himself for any injuries. Other than a dent where the hammer had hit, his paint was fine and he actually sighed in relief. Then he noticed the little broken pieces of metal that once was the Shield Generator, now scattered across the ground.
"Megatron will have my head for breaking that!" Knock Out yelled out angrily but quickly sunk back down when he saw the two Autobots approaching him.
"Any last words?" Smokescreen teased, quoting Knock Out's words as he slammed his fist into his palm. The rookie grinned at the fallen doctor and was now having some fun.
Suddenly, a blast was fired, hitting Ultra Magnus in the shoulder that sent him into Smokescreen. Breakdown walked forward, helping his partner up as they got into a defensive stance. The two Autobots recovered from the blind side, also getting into a stance as the two sides squared off against each other.
The northern wind blew across the ground but the four Cybertronians didn't notice. All was silent for a moment, only the sound of nature's breathing and the chilly winter weather.
All of a sudden, Breakdown and Knock Out yelled, charging at the two Autobots. The four of them battled it out, pairing up with their previous partners as it was hammer versus hammer, and fists versus fists.
Breakdown swung his hammer, only to have it blocked by Ultra Magnus' arm. The lieutenant followed up with a swing from the Forge that hit the mech on the side. He tried to send another hit to his face but Breakdown ducked underneath the Forge, sending his own hammer into Ultra Magnus' face.
While those two were fighting, Knock Out and Smokescreen also shared hit for hit. The rookie actually held his own, returning every punch with one of his own. The doctor swung, clipping the rookie on the head but not before earning a kick that sent him stumbling back. Smokescreen swept his leg to take out Knock Out's but the doctor saw it coming, jumping up and grabbing the rookie by the chest. He picked him up and threw him down, sending Smokescreen bouncing on the ground before he recovered, jumping into another stance.
"Not bad newbie, but you'll need to know more than basic combat to play with the big boys" Knock Out sneered.
"I don't need to know anything to take out a little princess like you" Smokescreen countered, attacking the doctor with two punches to the chest, followed by a kick.
Knock Out tried to throw a hook but he was too off-balanced, connecting only with air. He saw Smokescreen run towards him, jumping up and kneeing him right in the face. The doctor was thrown back, landing on the ground with a thump as he groaned in pain.
"And the winner is, Smokescreen!" the rookie celebrated, dancing around.
"Soldier! This is no time for celebration!" Ultra Magnus yelled, blocking Breakdown's hammer. The Decepticon used his other hand to activate a second hammer and landed a powerful hit to Ultra Magnus' chest.
Smokescreen stopped boasting and jumped into action, turning his hands into blasters. He fired shot after shot, pushing Breakdown back but not really hurting him too much.
"Come here you little pest" Breakdown sneered, pushing through the blaster fire to get to Smokescreen.
"Scrap, I gotta get Ratchet to give me a power boost when I get back" Smokescreen mumbled to himself. He grit his teeth and put everything into his blasters but nothing was working. That's when he noticed Ultra Magnus get up and sneak behind Breakdown. The lieutenant nodded to Smokescreen, telling him to 'keep him distracted'.
"You want me? Come get me" the rookie said to Breakdown, turning around for a second to wave his backside to the mech. Smokescreen's little antic fueled his anger and Breakdown yelled in rage, charging blindly.
It was because of his anger that Breakdown didn't notice Ultra Magnus behind him. It's also why he was completely caught off guard when the end of the Forge of Solis Prime collided with his lower torso and sent him crashing into the mountain once again. Breakdown hit the wall, falling face first onto the ground as a pile of snow fell on top of him.
Smokescreen couldn't help but point and laugh at the humiliated Decepticon. He made sure to get a good look at him so Bulkhead could watch his video processor later. He knew about their rivalry and also knew that the green wrecker would love to see Breakdown like this.
"Sir, we have retrieved the artifact" Ultra Magnus said into his com-link.
"Good work old friend, we will be sending a groundbridge to you soon" Optimus replied.
A green vortex appeared in front of the two Autobots and they walked towards it, happy that they succeeded their first mission.
"Wait! I haven't sent a groundbridge yet!" Ratchet yelled into the com-link and the two Autobots froze. Smokescreen raised his blasters and aimed at the portal.
"Scrap, that means that's-"
"Well, this is a surprise." A silver and purple mech stepped out of the groundbridge, with a huge cannon strapped on his right arm. Megatron looked around, seeing Knock Out help Breakdown up and the two Autobots in front of him.
"Me-Me-Me-Megatron!" Smokescreen stammered, slightly backing down. He had only heard stories of the warlord and had never actually met him in person. The stories and descriptions of him were nothing compared to the real thing.
The Decepticon warlord merely peered at Smokescreen before turning his attention back to Ultra Magnus. He noticed the Autobot lieutenant holding the artifact and grinned. "Ah, the Forge of Solis Prime. Bring it to me Ultra Magnus, and I will spare your pitiful life."
"This rightfully belongs to Optimus. If you think I will just give it to you, you are truly mistaken."
Megatron smirked. "Very well then, perhaps I should remind you of our last encounter."
The warlord ran forward, blocking Ultra Magnus' swing with the Forge and lifting the lieutenant up by the throat. He then flexed his servos and brought it into Ultra Magnus' torso as he gasped.
"Now tell me Magnus, where is Optimus hiding?" Megatron asked, taking out his hand and taking the Forge out from the lieutenant's weak hand.
"That is none of your concern" Ultra Magnus responded.
Megatron smirked and tightened his grip around his throat. "Well, if you are not willing to share any information, perhaps you can pass on a message. Tell Optimus that his disappearance has not gone unnoticed and that many will suffer from his cowardliness."
With that, the warlord lifted Ultra Magnus higher. With all his strength, Megatron threw him forward, his body flying high into the air before plummeting off the cliff.
"No!" Smokescreen yelled as he watched his commander fall. Suddenly, a blast from behind knocked the rookie forward as he too started to fall from the massive height.
"Very nice shot, my lord" Knock Out said, approaching Megatron.
"Silence, you have failed me once again. If we had not received an incomplete transmission, the Autobots would be in possession of the Forge."
"But my liege, I purposely contacted the Nemesis so that we could attack the Autobots in surprise" the doctor lied. "My plan worked and we retrieved the artifact!"
"Do not take me for a fool Knock Out!" Megatron warned, leaning in. "Return back to the ship and get yourself repaired. I will not punish you this time but be warned, I will not be so sympathetic next time."
"Th-thank you lord Megatron" Knock Out said, quickly going through the groundbridge with Breakdown right behind him.
The warlord turned to walk into the vortex when something caught his eye. He stopped and turned to his right, just as the drone backed up behind a rock. Megatron smirked and walked forward as the groundbridge closed behind him.
...
Starscream stood in front of his five clones, each of them resembling him in every way possible.
"Esteemed members of my armada," Starscream started, walking across to look at his clones. "You now stand on the very precipice of glory, to meet the destiny I have worked so tenaciously towards. D-"
"Dynamic leadership of the Decepticons!" One of his clones exclaimed, cutting him off.
Starscream was surprised that his clone knew exactly what he was about to say. "Eh, um, I am... glad that we are on the same page."
"We are as one commander." One of the clones said.
"We share your memories," said another.
"You're very feelings," stated another.
"Even your insatiable quest for power." The last one finished.
Starscream once again was shocked at his clones' knowledge. He cleared his throat. "I see."
"Do not be worried commander; we are at your service."
"Yes, you are our creator and we only serve you."
"All hail Lord Starscream!"
"All hail Lord Starscream!" the clones said in unison.
Starscream smirked, happy to know that he was still in command. "Well then, I believe we all know what must be done."
He walked towards the control console, typing in a command that brought up a hologram of the Earth. Moving slowly across was a purple dot and they all knew what that was.
"Tomorrow, we attack the Nemesis. We will bring Megatron to his knees and he will beg for mercy. Then, I will personally snuff his accursed spark and take command of the Decepticons!"
All six Starscreams cackled evilly, each of them wanting to end Megatron once and for all.
...
"Rafael, the blow torch please."
"Here you go Ratchet."
The medic quickly took the tool from Raf's hands and started working on Ultra Magnus' injuries. It was something new that the medic never thought he would have to do, seal an Autobot wound while standing on their chassis. The blow torch was smaller and the wound looked much bigger, of course that's because he himself got smaller but it was still very strange.
"Sir, I apologize for having an unsuccessful mission. I understood the importance of retrieving the artifact, and yet I allowed Megatron to pry it from my hands." Ultra Magnus said in a sad tone. Other than his stab that he received from Megatron, the lieutenant had dents in his armor from both Breakdown's hammer and the long fall. They were minor injuries that could be healed over time.
"This is not your fault old friend. You're well being is much more important than the artifact, and while the possession of the Forge would tip the balance of power in our favor, we must remember that losing one of our own is much worse than losing a relic." Optimus stated.
Ultra Magnus mustered up a smile, something he rarely does in front of anyone but his closest friends. "Thank you sir. How is the young soldier doing with his own wounds?"
"Smokescreen has sustained minor damage to his armor. I believe he will be fully recovered once he awakens from stasis. It would be wise to do the same old friend."
Ultra Magnus nodded slightly and shut his optics, falling into stasis as Ratchet finished up welding the three cuts shut. The medic wiped the leaked energon up with a towel and slowly scampered down from the lieutenant's body.
"Ultra Magnus will be fine once he awakens and injects some energon. We are lucky that he did not sustain any major injuries, otherwise I would not have been able to repair them in this form" Ratchet said to Optimus. The Prime nodded and left the medical bay along with the medic.
As soon as they appeared in the command center, the group of Autobots and humans ran towards them.
"Are they ok? Are they going to survive? How many dents do they have?" Miko asked quickly.
Ratchet held up two hands, stopping he girl from asking anymore questions as he explained their status. "Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen will be completely recovered by tomorrow. Their injuries were not severe and will no doubt be repaired by their regenerative programs."
The group let out a sigh of relief knowing that they're newest members would be fine. However, they were still not out of trouble yet and they all knew what they had lost today. The Forge of Solis Prime was now in Decepticon hands and there was no telling what they would use it for. Not only that but Megatron had threatened the team that if he did not see Optimus soon, someone would suffer. The only way Optimus could show himself was if the Genetic Exchanger was fixed, and for it to be fixed soon, they needed the Forge of Solis Prime. The team was at a stalemate and had no idea of what to do.
"Optimus, what do we do about Megatron's threat?" Bulkhead asked.
"I mean the guy didn't give us specifics, he only said someone would suffer. Maybe he's bluffing." Wheeljack quipped, adding some optimism to the conversation.
"I have known Megatron for centuries and he has always lived up to his words. For the time being, Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen will remain in hiding. I have also contacted Agent Fowler to alert their government officials of possible attacks" Optimus said. "Perhaps Megatron may be only threatening me, for I do not see any reason for him to attack a city."
"Well it's not like the guy doesn't have the fire power to do that. Now that he's got the Forge, he could probably make any weapon he wants!" Bulkhead said angrily.
"That may not be the case Bulkhead. The Forge of Solis Prime is a special artifact, given to Solis Prime during their war against Unicron. Unlike the Apex Armor, the Forge was created for the Thirteen specifically. If my knowledge is correct, for the Forge to be used to its full potential, it must be wielded by a Prime and no one else. Megatron may be in possession of the artifact but I do not believe he possesses any means of using it."
"So you're saying he's got a dud artifact?" Miko asked.
"That is correct" Optimus said.
"Huh, I wonder how he's dealing with that right now."
...
Back on the Nemesis, the five Decepticon officers watched as Megatron brought the Forge of Solis Prime down onto scraps of metal. The warlord was getting frustrated with the lack of accomplishment from the Forge and swung down harder every time.
After another couple swings, Megatron stopped, lowering the Forge to see if he had succeeded in creating his weapon. The pieces of metal didn't seem to have been changed. Instead, they had been crushed together and a little indent was made where the Forge made contact.
Knock Out came closer to give the metal a close examination. "Hmm... it doesn't look like a Fortress Maximus-grade nucleon shock canon."
"It is as I suspected, without the power of a Prime to activate it, the Forge is merely another addition to our tool chest." Megatron declared, placing the Forge down.
"One must nonetheless keep as far away as possible from the reach of a Prime."
...
