Scene switches are marked by ------------------
In case you have trouble identifying anyone, here's the basic descriptions:
Kit: white tiger, blue optics
Alpha: blue pickup truck, blue optics
Omega (black seekerjet with blue visor)
Hammertread reddish-brown M1A1 Abrams tank, red optics
Driveby: white Toyota Camry (car), blue optics, has doorwings
Cable: yellow (with blue doors) Ford Festiva (hatchback), red optics
Cap: camoflauge colored Challenger-2 tank, blue optics
Beacon light grey spyplane (M-Q1 Predator) blue visor
Gunlock dark blue/dark green stealth jet, darkly tinted visor
Ty: Black Chevy Blazer with teal sidestripes ( S.U.V. that looks like Trailbreaker's altmode) , blue optics
Jade: muave and blue seekerjet, F-15, green optics
Klutch: blue Lotus Elise Sport (car) #6 on hood. blue optics. English-australian accent
Indy: red Corvette concept car (looks like a ferrari, kinda. has engine in back of carmode. Blue optics. English accent.
AngelLink: blue Porsche (car) and smaller F-22 (jet
Dust: alien-fly (jet, kinda like a cross of an F-16 and X-31), and a racecar (kinda like Mirage)
I think that's it. Did I forget anyone?
lemme know if I did.
Now then, on to the story.
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Autobot City, near the catapult room
Kit looked up at Hammertread and hugged his legs, sobbing. However, when a shot near about hit her leg, she ran inside to safty, still bawling her optics out as the picture of Alpha's dead face, her arms wrapped protectivly around Kit, and her last words played in her head over and over again.
"Stay safe, Kitten..."
---------------------------------
Prime tumbled back and hit his knees.
Megatron chuckled low in his vocaliser, and fired again.
About six miles out, Terra flew faster, trying to get herself and Cap to safety.
--------------------------------
Just inside the city's outer walls
Hammetread looked across the battlefield. He had promised himself he'd never let himself be hurt like this again. Not after what he and Driveby had been through with their relationship. He had told himself he didn't care.
He wouldn't care.
He wouldn't let himself...
Yet here he was...
"No-OOOOOOOO!!!!!"
------------------------------------
Gunlock and Beacon landed on one of the upper levels, still shooting at various Decepticons, and squinted at the dust cloud headed away from the city into the hills. she blinked at the tank. No, it wasn't Blitzing, it had to be..
"That two bit coward. He's trying to run away." Beacon noted. Gunlock glanced at him, then over at Where Megatron and Prime were scuffling.
Kit covered her ears at the howl and sobbed, curling up in a corner of the room. She sobbed for both her mother and her uncle, who she knew was already dead.
------------------------------
Several Autobots looked up at the strange howl (everybody heard) And Megatron shoved Hot Rod away, walking up to Prime, gun still aimed at him.
"I would have waited an eternity for this." Megatron grinned, standing over his defeated enemy, gun aimed at Prime's head.
"it's over, Prime"
Prime gathered the last bit of strength and delivered a powerfull two-fisted uppercut.
"..NEVER!!"
Prime knocked the silver Decepticon back Megatron was sent off the edge of the building, bounced off the next level, and hit the ground with an audible thud.
Starscream walked up smirking, and Soundwave came running.
"How do you feel, mighty Megatron?" Starscream cackled before kicking him.
The Decepticons took the hint, and made a beeline for Astrotrain's open cargo hold. Starscream stuck his nose in the air and walked away. Megatron looked up.
"Don't...leave me..Soundwave." he managed, voice raspy. His armor was cracked and leaking coolant, but he knew he could count on the cassette host. "As you command, Megatron." He genltly picked up the injured leader, and headed towards where the purple and silver train/shuttle triple changer was waiting.
Rumble grabbed Megatron's arm cannon and followed.
"Astro Train, take off!" Starscream yelled.
-------------------------------------
Somewhere about a mile from Autobot City (before Astrotrain left)
Kickback managed to jump out of the way, but Bombshell was sent flying by one huge fist. Shrapnel tried to get away, but Hammertread's huge fist closed around his throat. I'm going to tear EVERY ONE OF YOU TO SHREDS!" he snarled, grabbing two of the insects legs and ripping them off before planting a foot on bombshell who was still in insect form.
Bombshell gagged and scrambled to get away, but couldn't. He heard Shrapnel gag as well and winced.
Kickback launched an electric charge at the tank, who's thick armor insulated him against it. He took his foot off Shrapnel, and took a tep forward, backhanding the insecticon. Bombshell managed to bite his hand and get free, and the trio took to the air, Hammertread firing after them with his turret shotgun. Kickback and Bombshell both slid into Astrotrain just as he slammed his door shut for the final time. The two sighed. The boosters came on, and the train/spaceshuttle took off into the sky, other Decepticons still on the ground struggling after.
------------------------
Autobot City, Repairbay
Firstaid looked around when he heard the whisper in his mind.
"...anyone... please..."
He looked down at Cable. There wasn't much more he could do for the minispy. The wounded had been pouring in all afternoon, and some of them were almost offline. There weren't enough spare parts to go around. He feared some of them wouldn't make it. The little yellow car was leaking internally, and his fuel cyclers had allready shut down. He shook his head, wondering where Alpha was. She was supposed to be helping him! he knew he shouldn't have let her go fight.
--------------------------------
Outside, at the edge of the city
"Prime did it!" Kup annouced, "He turned the tide!" He fired a couple more shots at the retreating enemy, and looked across the battlefield for their leader. He spotted someone moving on the upper level.
Hot Rod ran back over to where Prime had collapsed to his knees. He knew he shouldn't have gotten involved! but he thought he had to help! "I'm sorry.." he said. Prime just looked up at him, blue optics dimmed, but still forgiving. Kup hurried over with Springer to help them get the red and blue Autobot to his feet and to the repairbay.
---------------------------------------
Autobot City, Repairbay
Indy tried to push farther into First Aid's mind. "Please...help"
"Who... who are you?" FirstAid's attention was averted by several Autobots running in, though. Sunstreaker limped in, carrying his brother. "Please.. .you have to help him..." The normally unemotional warrior's face was filled with worry.
"It's me...Indy...please help us..." Indy begged.
Kit stumbled into the med bay and looked at First Aid, tears in her optics. "M-Mommy can't help you..." She said, looking like the two-year old she had been when everyone first met her.
-------------------------------------------
On the opposite side of the City...
Dust sighed as the sound of bombs and weaponfire met her audios, she sat back on the giant rock in the crater she was sitting in, and turned her optics back at the unconcious Autobot in front of her. Suddenly the sound of jet-engines made her look up, seeing reinforcement to the Decepticon fly above her, she quickly pulled out her gun and fired a shot at them.
"Bye, Bye" she smirked. The shot hit the middle jet and it fell, its comrades flying down after it. Looking at the smoke from the fallen jet, Dust just sighed again. before standing up and flew up out of the crater, landing behind a giant rock.She suddenly spied a nearby Autobot, and she smiled as she aimed her gun at the Dinobot and fired.
Seeing the shot hit the Dinobot in the shoulder, Dust smiled a smile but it quickly fadede away as the Dinobot turned around with only a small burn mark on his shoulder and he looked pretty mad. "Oh Slag!" Dust yelled before trying to transforming into a jet. She was too late, though. A fireball suddenly hit her wing and she crashed down before she even could have started her engines.
"Uh!" the larger Dinobot growled of her as she force a nervous smile onto her face. "Eheh...No hard feelings?"
The reply was simple just a giant foot being smashed onto her head, knocking her unconcious.
-------------
Autobot City, Repairbay
FirstAid looked over the crowd, and the Ambulance took a deep breath "One thing at a time." he told himself. He helped Sunstreaker get Sidewipe to one of the repair berths, and started working. He wasn't sure if whoever was talking to him in his mind could hear him or not, but tried to keep thinking. "I'll send out a search team." He looked over at Kit, then at Sunstreaker and shook his head. He ran a scanner over the red lambo, and nearly swallowed his fuel pump. How was he going to tell the semi-psychotic lamborgini it could be too late. "Kit, can you help me out in here?" he asked softly. If anything, it would help the teenager keep her mind off her mother.
Blades limped in, followed closely by Streetwise. Firstaid groaned. "Not you two too.
"It's worse than that." Streetwise said sollemnley. Kup and Hot Rod came in, practically carrying Prime between them. The ambulance's optics went utterly round for a second, then he hit his comm.
"Perceptor get down here right now!"
He gave Sideswipe a second glance, then "Streets, Blades, can ya do what you can for Sides?" He helped the leader onto another recharge berth, praying things would get at least a little better.
he clicked his comm again. "Blurr, you there?"
"OfcourseI'mhereI'm-allways-here-where-else-would-I-be-but-here-I'm-certainly-not-there." came the answer.
"Look, find Springer and get a team together to look for survivors, would you?"
"Sure-thing-no-problem-consider-me-going-going-gone-I'm-outta-here-already-on-my-way." the line clicked off. The protectobot gulped. He dreaded it, but now he had to contact Magnus and let him know what was going on.
"Ultra Magnus here." Magnus answered.
Kit limped over to Firstaid and got out her tools, a gift from her mom. "What can I do?"
FirstAid glanced at Kittar while running a scanner over the Autobot leader. The medbay doors opened, and Perceptor came thorugh, his armor marred by charcoal-colored smears. Had he actually been in a firefight? the mech who didn't like fighting.
"May I inquire as to how are my skills are required for assistance?" he asked. The Protectobot simply looked over at him, then back at Prime, only getting a subdued "Good heavens!" as Percetor rushed to his side to help.
Firstaid glanced at Kit, who was hovering over Sideswipe. "Do what you can for him." He knew the teenager would do whatever she could. And he had worse things to worry with, from the looks of their leader. He gave the white tiger teen a reassuring glance, and set to work, hoping Perceptor could tell him what all was wrong.
Kit nodded, sniffled, and got to work, using what Ratchet, Firstaid, and her mother had taught her. She pulled out her wrench and screwdriver and narrowed her optics thoughtfully.
---------------------------------
Meanwhile, out in space, the two oddly colored sparks hit each other, as if in a fight, and then bounced to different worlds, one heading towards a planet made of junk and the other towards a machine planet with a sea
---------------------------------
By the time Perceptor was done looking over their leader, practically the entire rest of the army showed up, including Arcee, Springer, and Ultra Magnus.
Perceptor transformed back to Robot mode, and looked sollemly at the rest of the group. "I fear... the wounds are fatal." He gulped, knowing those five little words spelled the demise of their beloved leader.
"You can't die Prime!" Daniel suddenly appeared out of practically nowhere to grab the giant leader's hand.
Prime took in a deep breath that was filled with untold pain, "Do not grieve...soon...I shall be one with the Matrix..." He managed slowly.
"Prime..." HotRod said, taking a step fowards. His optics were begging Prime to forgive him, but everyone knew he didn't need to be begging. Prime had already forgiven him.
Prime grunted painfully as he turned his head, trying to stay in the world of the living long enough to pass the precious relic. "Ultra Magnus...it is to you, old friend, that I shall pass the Matrix of Leadership...as it was passed to me..." He continued, looking over to Ultra Magnus as he reached out to him.
"But, Prime..." Ultra Magnus said, "I'm...I', just a solider...I'm not worthy." He said, pushing Prime's hand away.
"N-Nor was I..." Prime reached out and this time, Ultra Magnus grabbed his hand, "But one day, an Autobot shall rise from our ranks...and use the power of the Matrix to light our darkest hour..." He opened his chest compartment and pulled out the Matrix. Awed, they all took a step back. "Until that day...'till all are one..." He managed, reaching to give Magnus the matrix. He dropped it, life force finally going out.
Daniel, Ultra Magnus and HotRod went to catch the precious piece of Autobot past, present, and future. Nobody noticed how the Matrix had flashed when Hot Rod caught it, but once Magnus had it safely put away, all optics turned back to Prime. The once sky blue optics went dark. The red and blue turned ash grey, and Daniel started sobbing loudly.
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Somewhere out in space, a planet-like transformer with a metal ring around him and horns roared, sending a beam of light out in front of him.
The Matrix was still alive! Unicron roared in aggrivation.
He would find a way to be rid of it. The spark of Primus had to die! It was the only thing that would stop him, and he knew it...
------------------------------
the wooded area four miles from Autobot City
Meanwhile, Blurr sped along, looking for survivors. Springer had said he'd meet him in a minute, and the blue car had gotten a couple other Autobots together to search the area.
Terra spotted Blurr and let out an echo scream, trying to get him to hear her.
the blue car skidded to a halt. "who-what-when-where-why-how-who-said-that?" he looked around then up, and spotted Terra.
Terra landed and moved Cap so they could see him. "He's hurt..." She said simply.
"Can-you-get-him-back-to-base-or-should-I-call-for-help?"
"I can carry him, Blurr...but tend to Indy and Klutch..." Terra glanced at the direction she'd come from.
--------------------------------
meanwhile, somewhere in space.
Astrotrain rocked to one side, violently throwing mechs off their feet and into each other. A chorus of "Hey watch it!" and "Get chyer wing outta my face!" Were interrupted by Astrotrain's sudden announcement "Jettison some weight, or I'll never make it back to Cybertron!"
"Fellow Decepticons!" Starscream stood, "Astrotrain as requested that we... lighten our burden..."
"In that case, I say it is survival of the fitest!" One 'Con yelled.
"All for?" Starscream smirked knowingly.
All the undamaged Decepticons yelled "Aye!"
"And against?" Starscream grinned.
Skywarp, Thundercracker, and the Insecticons shrank back. "Nay." The chorused weakly.
"The ayes have it!" starscream grinned.
"No, please!" Skywarp was the first one to cry out for help, but to no avail. The last thing he saw as the two were shoved into open space was the sirking face of their wingmate. The one he and Thundercracker had trusted in the past. (well, somewhat. A seeker trine had to be close, but it didn't mean they had to like each other.) As they floated away, they caught sight of Starscream carrying something silver to the hatch. "That slagger!" Thundercracker tried to say. But the sound wouldn't come out. He'd forgotten, sound doesn't travel in space. He just glanced at Skywarp, who had noticed, too. And the black jet replied with a look that said "I know."
"Oh how it pains me to do this..." Starscream smirked.
"Wait...I still function..." Megatron reached weakly.
"Wanna bet?" He dropped the Decepticon.
"STARSCREEEEEEAAAAM!!!" Megatron yelled as he flew through space.
The two jets realised who it was Starscream had thrown out when Megatron was caught in the push of Astrotrain's jets and sent careening towards the others. The two jets reached out and caught the silver leader, knowing they wouldn't be able to talk, but Skywarp just gave him a nod. Megatron looked severely angry for a minute, then noded back, as though to say 'thanks'
-----------------------------
six miles south of Autobot City
Hound and Trailbreaker sped along. The green scout knew at the back of his CPU Mirage was around here somewhere, but the blue ligier had dissapeared when the attack on the city started. It wasn't that he was a coward. Everyone knew Mirage didn't like to fight. And the attack on the city had probably reminded him of the violence he'd seen on Cybertron. Hound sped along, and commed Blurr. "Hound to Blurr, where are you?"
"Out-in-the-west-sector,Terra's-here-and-she-says-there's-others-out-here-too-some-guys-named-klutch-and-indy, I'll-send-you-the-coordinates-okay?."
Hound coughed. "Them? What are they doing here?"
"Maybe Blaster got through to someone, after all." Trailbreaker noted. "We'll be right there." he sped up slightly, Hound following.
----------
The forest, ten miles southeast of Autobot City
Terra landed as they approached where Indy was. She glanced up as Hound and Trailbreaker came into view. She was calmer now, but her optics had dimmed slightly, as though she was trying to hold her emotions at bay.
Before they walked up, Terra walked over and said, into Hound's audio so Indy couldn't hear, "Klutch...he's..." She paused, "He's dead...he...died fighting Devestator..." She then looked at the ground as she flew towards the city, knowing she left Indy in capable hands.
Hound and Trailbreaker watched Terra flap away, then turned back to Indy. The red car stood from where she had been kneeling beside Klutch, and looked at both of them as four helicopters appeared out of nowhere, and landed, and about 20 soldiers came pouring out. "We'll take it from here." One of the soldiers announced. Indy gave the two a look, still not saying anything, then turned on her heel and walked away. The soldiers helped Indy get her mate's body into one of the copters, and climbed in after. They took off, making a beeline for their base.
Hound and Trailbreaker looked at each other and shrugged. 'I guess she didn't need our help after all. Trailbreaker watched the helicopters move out of sight. "Come on. There's probably still some others out here that need rescued." Hound replied, and transformed.
Indy looked out the open door of the helicopter, then back at Klutch, and the various wires and tubing running into his crushed chest armor, keeping his spark alive. When he had gotten stomped by Devastator, his systems had been so severely damaged so quickly, his spark-chamber hadn't released, trapping his spark in the dead body shell. That was why Indy had been so desperate to find help. She knew if she didn't, then her mate's spark would have extinguished, without his systems online to support it, instead of going to join the Matrix.
She reached over and brushed his face with her fingertips, smiling faintly.
"Help... me..."
"Shh. I'm here, love.." Indy whispered, her smile widened slightly.
-----------------------------------------------
Back at Autobot City, the other rescue teams had brought back several more injured, and someone had found Mirage, who'd been shot in the back, but was still alive, just knocked out. Sunstreaker paced in one corner of the med-bay, waiting for his brother to wake up. Firstaid looked up as Terra came in with Cap, and Streetwise and Blades helped her get him to one of the yet-empty repair berths and start scanning to see how bad his injuries were.
Terra landed and placed Cap down as Kit glanced over as well. She mouthed 'Firstaid or Percy' before going to work on Mirage, who wasn't damaged as badly as the others.
Kit finished with Mirage and bounded, not too cheerily, to find a few of the others and offer her help seing as how Firstaid and Perceptor had everything taken care of. She spotted the Dinobots and couldn't help but sniffle at their sad faces as they heard the news about Wheeljack and Ratchet. Their creators.
Springer walked out into the afternoon sunlight, which seemed all-too cheery for the situation. After trying to comfort a sniffling Arcee, he'd promised to go help find any other injured mechs in the area. Ultra Magnus, Blaster, and Hot Rod had gotten together a team to try to start repairs on the city.
----------------
Meanwhile, somewhere in space.
Starscream smirked, and turned to face his comrades as Astrotrain's door slid shut.
"Well, a Megatron has... how shall we say... departed, I nominate myself as the new leader!"
One of the constructicons stepped forward. "Wait! The Constructicons form Devastator, the most powerfull robot, we should rule."
Soundwave stepped up. "Soundwave superior, Constructicons inferior"
"who are you calling inferior!?" another demanded.
"No one would follow an uncharismatic bore like you!" a third pointed out.
Soundwave simply ejected Rumble and Frenzy.
"Hey, nobody calls Soundwave unchrasimatic!" Rumble objected.
"Yeah, let's kick tailgate!" Frenzy yelled as Laserbeak and Ravage also ejected.
"Constructicons, unite!" One of the constructicons yelled, and the gestalt merged together, but was quickly knocked down again by Rumble and Frenzy's piledrivers. Then all the rest of the Decepticons jumped into the fight...
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Somewhere else in space...
Megatron and the others floated out to a huge planet looking thing with horns. As it talked, the tyrant flew back some.
"Welcome, Megatron."
"Who..who said that?"
"I...am Unicron." The planet said, nearly pushing Megatron back farther.
"Show yourself!"
Unicron ignored the demand, "I have summonded you here for a purpose."
"Nobody summons Megatron!"
"Then it pleases me to be the first."
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Autobot City, Repairbay
Firstaid came over, glancing over at Perceptor, who was working on some of the other Autobots. Sludge and Snarl had gotten a little dinged up, but were no worse for the wear. Perceptor winced as another wire sparked. Red Alert, Inferno, and Sideswipe had been in Devastator's path when he started his rampage on the city, and the security director had been shot and a few of his vital systems melted by the gestalt's blast. Inferno wasn't much better off.
Blades cursed and looked up. "I'm not very good at this, I might need some help over here." A red light on the console over Inferno started blinking, and Firstaid rushed over to see what was the matter, motioning for him to go finish getting the energy transfer systems on Red Alert hooked up and running. It was going to be a looong night. "Kit, can you help Cap, please." Firstaid asked without looking up.
"Yeah!" Kit yelled as she bounded over to the tank. She looked at him, then at Terra and started to work as Terra hovered the two nervously. "Terra, as much as I hate to sound like my mom and Ratch, can you please stop that?"
"Sorry." Terra landed, but continued to watch nervously.
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Outside Autobot City
Springer transformed and flew over the battlefield. There were Decepticons everywhere, most deactivated, some on the verge of deactivating. Groove and Hotspot were driving along on the ground below, putting out fires started by weaponfire, and looking for survivors.
The green helicopter crested another ridge and sighed. The black chevy Blazer femme he found had been half-buried under the burning collapsed tree. The tree had since burned itself out, but he recognised her. "Ty." he shook his head and went on.
-------------------------------
Deep Space somewhere...
"State your business!"
"Bring the Autobot Matrix of leadership to me. It is the one thing-the only thing that can stand in my way." Unicron demanded.
"Then you have nothing to fear! I have allready crushed Prime with my bare hands!" Megatron boasted.
"You exaggerate."
"The point is he's dead! and the Matrix died with him!"
"The point is you're a fool!" Unicron waited half a beat, as though trying to calm his temper. "
It has been passed on to their new leader, Ultra Magnus. Get it for me."
"Why should I!? What's in it for me!?"
Unicron paused again, then answered: "Your bargaining posture is highly dubious, but very well, I will provide you with a new body, and new troops to command."
-------------------------
Autobot City Repairbay
It happened almost too fast to stop. First Red Alert's systems went critical, making FirstAid and Perceptor rush around in a flurry of excitement, then Inferno 30 seconds afterwards. The scientist had allways suspected there was something more than friendship between those two. So maybe that was why this was happening. He didn't have time to think about that, though..
Kit looked up the moment the systems went critical. Her optics widened. No! She couldn't loose anymore friends! "Guys..." She whimpered softly.
The flurry stopped suddenly, and Firstaid and Perceptor exchanged a look. The protectobot reached over and turned the monitor off, making the room seem deathly silent against the high-pitched wail it had been filled with just a few moments ago. Firstaid shook his head and threw his handrag on the table. "how many more?..." he gave perceptor a look.
Kit clenched her fists as she looked down at the berth. Hot tears fell from her optics and she cried silently, but quickly pulled herself together before going back to work on Cap.
------------------------
Deep Space, somewhere
"And?" Megatron wasn't to thrilled with this. He wanted to see just how mush he could get from this... thing.
"And nothing. You belong to me now."
"I belong to nobody!" Megatron grated. How dare this thing even think it could claim ownership of him, the leader of the Decepticons, just by offering him repairs! Hah!
"Perhaps I misjudged you...preceed...on your way to oblivion." The planet's jaws opened and he started to suck in Megatron. Megatron covered his face against the bright red light, and a screeching sound as horrible as humans would think nails on a chalkboard would be.
He could feel the last of his energy draining from him, sucked away by the moster in front of him.
"No, wait! I accept your terms. I accept!"
Unicron let it go for just a second longer, to make sure the tyrant was being sincere.
"Gyaaah!"
Unicron patiently waited for his pained cry to end, then continued in a patient voice. "Exellent."
A grid outline appeared across Megatron, and slowly shifted and changed, becoming something bulkier, more muscular. More sinister.
"Behold, Galvatron." Unicron' deep voice boomed.
The same grid appeared on the others. "These shall be your troups. Scourge, and his huntsmen, the sweeps. Cyclonus, the warrior. And his armada...and this...shall be your ship." A door opened on the side of the planet, and a ship slid out. Black, sleek, and powerfull-looking. Galvatron fired his armcannon, using as a sort of rocket-propulsion, and headed for his new ship. "I will rip open Ultra Magnus and every other Autobot until the Matrix is yours... To Cybertron!" the reformatted Decepticon leader and his new minions dissapeared into his ship, which rocketed off towards Cybertron.