Chapter 7: Devastation
"Hold on there, guy." Amethyst said, "You're telling me that all of this is because of a magical horse with a horn on its head?"
Hot Rod said nothing, simply giving Amethyst a bewildered look.
"Didn't you just say that a unicorn is causing all of this?" she asked.
"Wha- No, Unicron." Hot Rod said, correcting her. "Look, I want to tell you more, but we are not in the best position right now. I've got to patch this leak, and then we need to get top side."
"What's the rush?" Amethyst asked, "You already took care of it."
"No. When it comes to Terrorcons, there is never just one."
Just after Hot Rod said that a low, guttural moan echoed through the subsection of the building. The three looked around, trying to determine that source. When nothing could be seen, Hot Rod decided that they needed to get out of there, fast. Tearing off a piece of metal from the wall, he started to work on the leak.
"I don't have anything that can weld it, but a few nails will hold it for now." Hot Rod said, bending the metal to fit around the pipe. "Keep your optics active. The last thing we need is to be surprised again."
"I say again, Terrorcon are ground side." Jazz heard over his radio.
"Oh, this aint good." Jazz said, "Optimus, did you get all of that?"
"Affirmative, Jazz. I'm sending the report to Blaster now." Optimus said, "How far are you from Hot Rod?"
"He went all the way to the bottom, so it's going to be a minute before I link up with him." Jazz told him.
"Just worry about getting to him." Optimus told him, "The main entrance to the nerve center is no longer a viable route. The north-west entrance is your best chance, but it will require you to go through Decepticon territory."
"First we get word of Terrorcons, and now we get to deal with Decepticons. It is our lucky day, isn't it?" Jazz mused.
"I will send word to their checkpoints and outposts to allow you through." Optimus said, "Ensure that our guests are delivered safely and undetected."
"Understood. Jazz Out."
"There are many questions to be had right now, but I think I'll start with the obvious one." Pearl said, "What exactly is a Terrorcon?"
"Since we're likely to run into them, I guess it's only fair that you know." Jazz said, continuing to drive, "I don't know the whole story behind them, so bare with me. They're the shells of fallen Cybertronians after their sparks have faded. Only to be brought back as something horrible. Mindless beasts that are only looking for a fight."
"That's horrible. How can that happen?" Pearl asked
"As I said, I'm not entirely sure how it happens, but it is connected with what's happening right now. Involving something called dark energon, and a creature as old as time itself" Jazz said, "These attacks have been happening for some time and, even after hearing all the details myself, I still find it hard to believe. To go over it all would require a major history lesson, and we don't have the time."
"He's right. We need to get to the others, and fast." Garnet said, "I have a very strong feeling that things are about to take a turn for the worse. We need to hurry, Jazz."
"Too easy." Jazz replied, picking up speed.
Hot Rod slammed his fist into the pipe, causing the rusty nail to sink in. The patch job that he had given it was hardly ideal, as it was still dripping, but it was the best he could do with limited time and equipment.
"Once this is over, I'll have to get this properly repaired." Hot Rod said, turning back to his two small friends. "Alright, let's get out of here."
Steven and Amethyst had been keeping watch of things while Hot Rod worked, making sure that no more of the Terrorcons came around. They couldn't see anything, but the deathly silence (which was only interrupted by Hot Rod's hammering the wall) was all too eerie.
At his words, the two turned around, watching him turn back into his vehicle mode. After he opened his doors, the two got into their seats, Hot Rod shutting the doors once they were situated. With the two of them secure, Hot Rod turned his lights on, beginning to drive through the underground.
"It's so dark I can hardly see anything." Hot Rod said.
"It looks like there's a turn coming up ahead." Steven pointed out, "Maybe it will lead out of here."
"Maybe." Hot Rod said, "I've never been down this deep, so getting back up top is going to take a while. I just hope that we don't run into anything along the way."
Hot Rod took the turn that Steven spoke of, and came face to face with a hoard of dozens of the undead nightmares that he hoped not to see. The instant that the light fell on them, they all turned and let out ghastly roars.
"You just had to say something about it, didn't you?" Amethyst said.
Hot Rod, not answering Amethyst, hooked a sharp turn and sped off in the opposite direction from the Terrorcons. He had no idea where he was going, but if it meant it was away from them, he would worry about it after.
"Dude, where are you going?" Amethyst asked.
"I don't know, but I don't have anywhere near enough photon charges for that big of a hoard." Hot Rod explained, "This will be better taken care of on the surface."
Hot Rod was going at the maximum speed that his current form would allow, but the mob behind him were far less mangled and destroyed than the previous one that he had run into. Even with the head start that he had gotten, the Terrorcon were not only able to keep pace with him, but a few were even managing to catch up.
Knowing that turning was just going to slow him down, Hot Rod kept driving forward, thinking of what to do next. Then, far off ahead of him, he saw what looked like an answer to his hopes. It was a light at the back end of the cave they were in.
Thinking that he had found a way out, Hot Rod kept going, some of the hoard drawing ever closer to him. He didn't know what he would do after he got back out into the open, but he might be able to call for backup without worry of the transmission not going through.
Yet, as he got closer, it was becoming clear that the route he was taking was not leading to anything helpful. Rather than a road or ramp leading up, the opening that he saw was nothing more than a hole in the building. Leading down to an even deeper chasm then they were already in.
With the Terrorcons following hot on his bumper, Hot Rod was left with little other choices than to keep driving.
"You guys might want to brace yourselves." Hot Rod warned his passengers, "I'm running out of road, and there's not a strong chance that this next fall will be as graceful."
While this was certainly not the news that Steven and Amethyst wanted to hear, they weren't about to simply sit back and let things happen this time. They may have been caught off guard before, but they now had at least a bit of time to plan things out.
Looking around, Amethyst noticed that there was a pillar dividing the hole into two sections. An idea was quickly formulating in her head. Reaching to her gemstone, she pulled out her whip and went to roll down Hot Rod's window.
"Amethyst, what are you doing?" Hot Rod asked.
"Just keep driving. I've got an idea." she said.
"This is hardly the time for-"
"Hot Rod, we've trusted you up to this point! All I'm asking for is the same thing!" Amethyst interrupted.
While there was a part of him that had his doubts, Amethyst did have a point. They had trusted them with their lives up until now. They had been giving them a lot of faith, so it only made sense that she asked for it back. Besides, it wasn't like they were left with many options.
"Alright." Hot Rod said, "Whatever it is you're going to do, I suggest you do it fast."
"Let's just hope I don't miss." Amethyst said, glad that Hot Rod was willing to listen.
While she wasn't doubting her own abilities, it wasn't like she had done things like this while in a moving vehicle. Her skills were best used on the ground and in fighting, but this wasn't about to deter her. It was either this or become close friends with the planet's surface.
As Hot Rod kept going, he could almost feel the Terrorcons getting closer. Coupled with this, they were only getting closer to the drop-off. He had no idea what Amethyst was planning to do, but she needed to do it fast.
"Anytime you're ready, Amethyst!" he said.
Just as they were about to hit the edge, Amethyst finally acted.
Putting herself part way out the window, she used her whip to grab ahold of the pillar. As Hot Rod rocketed out of the building, the centrifugal force on Amethyst's whip caused them to turn rather suddenly in mid-air. The force was enough to pull her a bit further out, but Steven was there to grab ahold of her.
After doing the violent turn, Hot Rod and his company were flung back into the building, the Terrorcon that were following him all mindlessly charging off the edge. Once she knew they were safe, Amethyst released her whip and fell back into her seat, partially landing on top of Steven in the process.
"Primus beneath us, that was close." Hot Rod said, yet couldn't hold back a slight laugh at how well planned that was. "Haha, nice work there, Amethyst."
"One of my better moves, I must say." Amethyst said, getting herself off of Steven.
"Maybe we can try that turn now." Steven said, dusting himself off.
"Maybe." Hot Rod said, "I hope that we can just get to the surface quick enough to not draw any more attention."
Still driving fast, Hot Rod made his way back to the opening they saw before and took it. Fortunately, it did seem to lead upwards, which did present a glimmer of hope for the trio. Although they didn't know where it would take them, they were at least getting higher up.
Farther up in the inner workings of the tunnels, Jazz and the other two Gems were trying their best to get down to the other three. Which was far easier said than done, as most of the place looked the same.
"Aside from going down, it feels like we haven't gone anywhere." Pearl said.
"It's been a while since anyone has been down here, but I think we're-… hold up." Jazz said, bringing up a screen on the inside of his cabs dashboard, "I think I've got something."
On the inside, both Pearl and Garnet leaned in to look at what Jazz was showing them. It looked similar to a radar screen, except all of the words were in a text they couldn't read. Looking for what he was talking about, they saw a red blip in the far left corner of the screen.
"You see that? That's Hot Rod's signal." Jazz said, only to have several more pop on the screen not far from Hot Rod, "Oh boy, it looks like he's got company too. No way he can take on all of those things, even with my backup. There's an exit not to far from here, but those things are blocking the way."
"Leave that to me." Garnet said, opening her door and getting on the hood.
"And what exactly is it that you're doing?" Jazz asked, watching Garnet equip her gauntlets.
"Giving us a way out." she said, enlarging her gloves, " Call Hot Rod and tell him to follow you. No matter what, don't slow down."
"Well, if you say you got this, I won't doubt you." Jazz said, revving his engine, "But the instant we get out, or if something goes wrong, get back in. Alright?"
"No problem." Garnet said, putting her fists in front of herself like a battering ram.
On the lower level, Hot Rod was trying to navigate through the maze that was the unused building. They had managed to go up quite a few floors since losing the Terrorcons, but they had yet to find anything that looked like a way back to the surface.
"Everything looks the same down here." Amethyst said, "How was anyone supposed to get around here when it was active, much less now?"
"Jazz to Hot Rod, do you read me?" all three of them heard over the radio.
"This is Hot Rod, I've got you." he said, "What's your location?"
"Not far from you, only a short drive away. But we got trouble ahead." Jazz warned, "I'm getting a lot of movement up ahead, and none of it looks friendly."
"Scrap." Hot Rod said in frustration, "Any plans?"
"Our friends have one actually." Jazz told them, "Just get yourself as close to the next room as you can without attracting attention. I'll tell you the rest from there."
Not giving any response, Hot Rod killed his lights and began to drive to the room that Jazz had spoken about. Although it was dark to the point of only being able to see the faint outline of everything, by the time that they got to the room in question, it was clear to everyone what was in that room.
The terrorcons gave off a purple glow as they milled around the enclosed space. It was unclear what they were doing, if anything. Yet Hot Rod knew that, if they were found, they would stand little to no chance.
"Jazz, whatever this plan is, I hope that it's good." Hot Rod said quietly, "There are at least three dozen of these things in here."
"Trust me, and just do what I say." Jazz told him, "Once I get in there, get behind us and stay as close as possible. Don't slow down, no matter what."
Steven and Amethyst looked at each other, the unsure looks clear on their face even through the darkness. They'd been in tight pinches before, but they usually just involved themselves and close friends. It wasn't often that they had to put so much faith in others. They had proven to be looking out for them since they initially met, but the vagueness of Jazz's idea was mildly disconcerting.
While Hot Rod was thinking much the same as his passengers, he was nowhere near as worried. He'd known Jazz for some time now, and was aware of the way that he operated. While Jazz did take risks, he was always calm under pressure and reacted well when last minute plans needed to be executed. Though he really couldn't help but wonder just what his plan was.
All three of them got their answer when there was a sudden flash of light from the other side of the room, followed by the loud blaring of a horn. All of the Terrorcons turned to look, just in time for Jazz to come flying in with Garnet on his hood.
With her gauntlets scaled up to such massive proportions, she was easily able to plow through all of the undead Cybertronians, clearing a path behind them.
The instant that he saw the opening, Hot Rod did as he was told and sped toward Jazz. He had to get through a few Terrorcons of his own, but it was significantly fewer thanks to them. Quickly catching up, Hot Rod was tailing Jazz as close as he could, hoping things would work out as planned.
Even with the clearing being made in front of them, there were still a good number of decaying, rusty hands reaching out to try and grab them. Hot Rod knew that this could only be kept up for so long, and he also knew Jazz was aware of this as well. They needed to get out of there and fast.
Thankfully, the ball was in their court this time around.
They were quickly approaching the wall of the building, and the end of the hoard that they were pushing through. Yet, unlike all of the other walls around them, this one had an opening that they could easily get through.
Finally, at the end of the Terrorcon hoard, the two Autobots and their passengers wasted no time in getting themselves out of the building. Going airborne for a short while, they managed to land on the ground adjacent to the building.
It was only after they all had landed that they realized that they managed to make it over a gap, which several of the terrorcons had not noticed and fell into.
Now that they were back out in the daylight and no longer in immediate danger, Garnet phased her gauntlets off and flipped herself back into the Jazz's passenger seat. She couldn't help but smile contentedly to herself, happy in the fact that she was able to help get everyone out of danger.
"Great plan, Jazz." Hot Rod said.
"I can't go taking all the credit." Jazz told him, "If it weren't for our smaller friend here, we may not have gotten out so unscathed."
"Just doing what I can, with what I've got." Garnet told the two.
"Well, what you got, got us out of there." Jazz said, "Unfortunately, there isn't much help you can provide for this next part."
"What do you mean?" Pearl asked.
"Most of the entrances to the nerve center have been cut off, which means that we're going to have to jump through some hoops to get to the nearest safe one." Jazz told them, "And one of them is heading through Decepticon territory."
"They just had to have a base here, didn't they?" Hot Rod complained.
"You know how it works. It's the same reason we have one in Kaon." Jazz told him, "In any case, it's best that no more of them know about our cargo here."
"He's right. The fact that Megatron knows about you is bad enough, but if any of his cronies get wind of this, it's going to be all over. Sorry to say it, but you're going to have to hide." Hot Rod told them.
"That's understandable, especially after what we saw before." Amethyst said, "But let us take care of that this time."
Hot Rod was going to ask her how, but his question was answered when Amethyst began to glow brightly, changing her form to be much smaller. With this new form, she was easily able to fit herself underneath the dash of the front seat.
"You guys are just full of surprises, aren't you?" Hot Rod said.
Seeing what Amethyst had done, Garnet and Pearl did much the same and stowed themselves underneath Jazz's dashboard. Meanwhile, Steven was still small enough to fit himself underneath without doing any shapeshifting.
It wasn't long before the two autobots got within range of the Decepticon checkpoint, and they were made aware of it by a radio transmission.
"This is Barricade of Decepticon checkpoint three." a familiar voice said over the radio, "Care to explain what two Autobots are doing in our sector?"
"Slow your roll there, Barricade." Jazz said to him, "There should have been word that we were coming."
"There was, but nobody said who it would be." The Decepticon said, "And they never mentioned a captain being one of them."
"We can go into that later, seeing as how we have more important things to worry about it." Jazz said, "We got some cargo with us that needs to be delivered as soon as possible. We just need to get through your checkpoint, and we'll be out of your way before you know it."
"While I'd normally be fine with getting Autobots out of our optics, I'm afraid that's going to be rather difficult." Barricade said, "Those Terrorcon that got reported up have decided to make themselves known in my sector. I'm not sure what they did, but our defense systems have shorted out."
"What does that have to do with us?" Hot Rod asked.
"Well, I'm not opening up our gates to let those things in. Not until we have our defense back up at least." Barricade shouted, "So here's the deal; You give us a little cover with holding these things off while we repair the systems, and we'll let you through after."
"Uh, I don't know if you heard what Jazz said, but let me repeat it." Hot Rod said, "We have important cargo, and it can't be damaged. We can't stop."
"Well, then you can find another way there, Auto-brat." Barricade said, "Because I'm not endangering my men for any of you. So you can either help out or get out."
While they weren't speaking to each other, the same thought was going through everyone's head. What were they going to do? Once again, they were short on options, and they had almost no backup this time around.
Fortunately, Jazz was already set with an idea.
"Don't go blowing a gasket on us, Barricade." Jazz warned, "Hows about this? We'll get the attention of the ones hassling you, and lead them away from your outpost. That way, we don't have to stop moving, and the problem gets away from you."
There was a brief pause over the radio. It was clear that the Decepticon was mulling things over, considering his options.
"Alright, I can work with that." Barricade said, "But I'm not opening that gate until those things are off of us."
"Fair enough. Just keep out of the way when they start tailing us. Jazz out."
"Jazz, what are you doing?" Hot Rod asked, "We just got out of a tight spot, and now you want to put us into another?"
"I know it's a risk, but we don't have much other choice." Jazz explained, "Hopefully we won't have to worry for too long. Remember who's supposed to be guarding the border between us and the Cons?"
"When has he ever been willing to help us?" Hot Rod asked.
"I think he'll make an exception this time. Especially considering that he won't have much of a choice." Jazz said.
"What are you guys talking about?" Steven asked, "And who's the captain that guy was talking about?"
"That would be me, little man." Jazz told him, "More on that later because right now we have a show to put on."
The Autobots were quickly approaching the Decepticon checkpoint, and they could see that Barricade had not been lying about their current situation. There were a good number of Terrorcons crawling about, and the cons were not going to last without some help.
"Brace yourselves, guys." Jazz warned their passengers, "This is about to get dicey."
Once again, the Gems found themselves in a position where they could only trust their new friends. While they had been doing that a lot today, they weren't used to having to rely on others this much. What was worse was the fact that they couldn't see what was going on this time.
Meanwhile, Barricade and his Decepticons were doing their best to keep the Terrorcons from overwhelming them. While Barricade was one that preferred close range combat, he was not finding this fight to be to his liking.
"Keep them back, Decepticons!" Barricade barked at his men, "Shouldn't be much longer before our bait gets here!"
While many of the Decepticon soldiers that had worked under him were used to his rigid way of running things, they knew that there was little chance of surviving this. They lost a good number of their own troops already, and things were looking worse by the second.
Thankfully, Barricade was true to his word, and their backup arrived.
Jazz and Hot Rod were speeding straight toward the checkpoint and, just as they got close enough, their vehicle forms both produced a set of weapons on the front of themselves, taking several shots at the mass group of Terrorcons to get their attention.
"Come on you ugly hunks of scrap!" Jazz taunted.
The Terrorcons all hissed, but their attention was pulled away from the Decepticons. Hopping down from the building, they all started to charge toward Jazz and Hot Rod.
"Hows about lowering that barrier, Barricade?" Jazz said to the Con.
While it looked like the Autobots had kept their promise of getting the Terrorcons off of his back, Barricade knew better than to trust things at face value. They could very easily just speed off without doing much else after, but there was little recourse. He was just going to have to go with it and hope the Autobots wouldn't try to pull one over on him and his men.
"Deactivate the barrier!" Barricade ordered.
"But sir-" one of the Vehicons tried to argue.
"Don't make me repeat myself!" he told his underling, pointing his weapon at him.
"Yes sir." the Decepticon said, not putting up any further argument as he lowered the energy barrier.
"Alright kid, let's get these creep's attention and get rolling." Jazz told Hot Rod.
"How about a little slide and dash?" Hot Rod suggested.
Rather than give an answer, Jazz simply sped up to show that he was on board with Hot Rod's idea. Nearly all of the Terrorcons were focused on them, but they wanted to make sure that all of them were in pursuit when they left. While their feelings on the Decepticons were hardly a secret, keeping their word was one of the many things that separated them from the Cons.
Several of the Terrorcons had started to grab at the speeding Autobots, some faster than others. Yet the Autobots did not slow down, instead opting to continue speeding towards them.
Once they were within a decent range, Jazz and Hot Rod sharply turned themselves in opposite directions, sliding side first into the Terrorcon hoard. While it did knock a good number of them down, it wasn't enough to kill any of the undead Cybertronians. It also left their passengers in a rather precarious position, with them trying to fight against the force of the turn.
Regaining control of themselves, the Autobots made their way to the checkpoint and passed through, the Terrorcons now hot on their bumpers. While there were still a few stragglers, the Decepticons were a lot more optimistic about their chances now.
"I think we'll be able to mop up what's left." Barricade said over the radio, "Try not to die while losing them, Autobots. We may need you for bait later."
"Next time, we may not be so generous." Hot Rod said, "Just remember that you owe us, Barricade. Hot Rod out."
"You know that he's never going to honor that, right?" Jazz asked.
"More than likely, but it never hurts to give a reminder." Hot Rod answered.
"Not that this wasn't an amazing feat that you just pulled off, but I have a rather serious question." Pearl said, "What do you intend to do now with those things following us?"
"Yeah, I'm still working on that one." Jazz admitted, "I got one major idea, but a few backups before we get to that."
"Well if it comes to having to use him, let's just hope he doesn't add us to the pile." Hot Rod commented.
"While I don't think he would, I really wouldn't put it past him." Jazz said, leaving the Gems wondering who they were talking about. "Any units in the area, this is Autobot Jazz. We're being pursued by a pack of Terrorcons. Is there anyone out there able to provide support?"
"And would you care to explain what you're doing in our territory, Autobot?" a voice said over the radio. A voice that could only be described as raspy and irritated.
"It's a pretty interesting story, Starscream." Jazz responded, "But the important part involves us getting back to our sector by cutting through yours. We got some of the Terrorcons off you boys, but now they're after us instead. Any chance you can send some assistance our way?"
"How very interesting indeed, captain." Starscream said, "But I'm afraid that will be quite impossible. My air units have their hands full with protecting our own, and we can't spare anyone."
"We ain't asking for much, Scream. Just enough fire power for us to get back into our own turf." Jazz argued.
"No can do Autobots." Starscream responded in a condescending tone, "You should consider yourself lucky to even be allowed access to our territory. We have our own issues, and my mine concerns are the skies, not the ground."
"Useless, overgrown kite!" Hot Rod shouted in frustration, "How many times have we gotten him out of problems? Now he can't even spare one quick run?"
"Can't say that surprises me. Scream has always been looking out for no one but himself." Jazz said, "Looks like we just have to keep moving until we reach the line."
"Let's just hope that our followers don't catch up in the process." Hot Rod said.
The news that they would be receiving no backup until they got back into Autobot territory was news that no one liked to hear. Steven and Amethyst had gotten a first-hand look as to how quick these Terrorcons could be, and they didn't want to get an up-close look at these things again.
Thankfully, the road ahead of them had far more obstacles than there were underground. Being able to weave in and out of fallen rubble and broken bits of road was actually helpful for once. While it may have slowed them down a bit to have to get through it all, it slowed the Terrorcons down even more.
While their drive was not a lengthy one, the constant threat at their back made it feel twice as long. Yet, finally, they were approaching the border of the Autobots and Decepticons. Unlike the other checkpoints of before, this one was not contained by an outpost or road block, and that was due to who was guarding it.
"Grimlock, come in, We got trouble after us, and we need an assist." Jazz radioed, only to receive no answer, "... Grimlock?"
"Who's Grimlock?" Steven asked.
"The one who runs this sector, but I'm not seeing him." Hot Rod said, "I hope he didn't leave his post again."
"After what happened last time, I doubt that." Jazz said, "Yet I can't fight this feeling in my gears that he's not close by."
While this conversation was going on, the road ahead had cleared up considerably. The Terrorcons were now easily able to catch up with the Autobots, and now they were almost directly behind them.
A few at the front of the pack lunged forward, attempting to jump on the two Autobots. But, before they could reach their target, a massive sword came slamming down from above, splitting them in two. The rest of the terrorcons following behind were hit with a shield of equal size, sending them flying back.
Skidding to a halt, Jazz and Hot Rod were able to turn themselves around to see their saviour. The bot in question was easily twice the size of Optimus, carrying sword and shield that were nearly as big as himself.
"Ha, never thought I'd be this happy to see you, you big bozo." Hot Rod told the mountain of an Autobot. A comment that he didn't seem to take well.
"How many times do I gotta say it to ya?" Grimlock seethed.
"Thanks for the help, Grimlock." Jazz said, "We'd have been tore up like tin foil if they caught us."
"Why ya in my sector anyway?" Grimlock asked, not dropping the anger in his voice.
"Didn't have a choice, big guy." Jazz explained, "We were making our way to the nerve center when we got sent down a different route. The only way that was open was this way. Unfortunately, the Decepticons decided to give us a problem to deal with on our way through their territory."
"Now you're putting it on me, right?" Grimlock accused.
"Well, you and your team, but that's beside the point." Hot Rod said, "We got important cargo to deliver, so we have to get moving."
Before Hot Rod could explain any further., the Terrorcon that had been following them had made it known that they were back on their feet, and did not appreciate being sucker punched. Looking over, Grimlock simply let out an angered grunt before turning back to the two.
"Gimme the details later. I got your mess to clean up." Grimlock told them, "Get going. I got this."
Curious as to what was going on, Steven dared to poke his head up from underneath the steering wheel. What he was met with, however, was nothing he could expect. The giant robot that was in front of them slammed his fists to the ground and changed shape. But, rather than a vehicle like every other one he saw, this one turned into a tyrannosaurus. Letting out a breath of fire while it let out a loud roar.
While it was certainly something to see, Steven didn't get much of a chance to look at it, as Hot Rod and Jazz got themselves going again. Yet, as they got moving, the Gems could all feel and hear what sounded like heavy footsteps.
Peeking his head out a little further, this time Steven was met with the sight of more dinosaur robots. A brontosaurus, a triceratops, a stegosaurus, and a pterodactyl. All of them were heading in the direction of the robot T-rex.
"Fight the good fight, fellas!" Jazz called out to them, "I'll be back to join you soon!"
"Alright, I think you guys are safe to come back up." Hot Rod told the Gems.
Shifting back into their normal size, the Gems got themselves situated into their seats once again. Hauling himself up, Steven attempted to look out the back window to try and catch another glimpse of the robots behind them.
"W-... Were those robot dinosaurs?" Steven asked, completely amazed.
"Dinosaures? Is that what those things are called?" Hot Rod asked, "That would explain the new name that they picked for their team than."
"What are you talking about?" Steven asked, "And why was that guy talking like he had trouble speaking?"
"Because he does, or he does now at least." Jazz explained, "A while back, Grimlock and his crew, then known as the 'Lightning Strike Coalition Force', set out to try and hunt down some energon. Unfortunately, what they found instead was a whole lot of trouble. They would up being captured by Decepticons, and they ran some pretty gruesome experiments on them. The results, as you likely saw, have now taken to calling themselves 'Dinobots'."
"Well, that's certainly easier to say." Garnet said, "But what's going on with that one you were talking to? Why was he so angry?"
"Grimlock's always been a hot head." Hot Rod said, "The experiments didn't help, and I think it actually made him worse. Not to mention, all of his functions have been switched to be primarily focused on combat. He was never the brightest bulb, but I'd say he's at about three watts after those conversations… don't tell him I said that."
"Too late, chief." Amethyst teased, "I'm using that for ammo later."
While Hot Rod was hoping that Amethyst wasn't being serious, he remained quiet. They were almost to the entrance of the nerve center. Once in there, he could start worrying about what he was going to do with them.
"Optimus, we're approaching the entrance to the nerve center." Jazz radioed out.
"I read you Jazz. I'm sending a team to meet you and Hot Rod. Our plan is still the same, so get Hot Rod and our guests in here and head back out." Optimus told him.
"Understood, I'll see you there." Jazz said.
It wasn't long before the Autobots and the Gems saw the entrance. As one might expect, the entrance was heavily guarded by both troops and automated defense systems. Yet, unlike the last entrance they saw before, this one wasn't connected to a bridge.
The group was approaching the entrance, thankful that this ordeal would soon be not as hectic. Unfortunately for them, there were some unwanted guests that caught sight of them.
A barrage of missiles and gun fire came raining down from above. Thankfully, Jazz and Hot Rod were able to stop themselves in time, avoiding being torn to shreds. Unfortunately, stopping only left them open for another form of attack.
From above, several of the airborne enemies that had been flying above swooped down, taking on their alternate forms and landing in front of the Autobots. Cutting them off from the path to the entrance.
Steven leaned forward, getting a good look at their attackers. They looked very similar to all the other Cybertronians he had seen thus far, except for one major difference. That being the symbol on the bodies. Up until this point, he had seen only two; One for Autobots, and the other for Decepticons. This one looked vastly different, almost like a demonic robot head with horns.
Hot Rod and Jazz, on the other hand, were more focused on getting themselves away. Shifting into reverse, their tires screeched loudly as they began to drive backwards. Spinning themselves around, they managed to narrowly avoid a few shots that their assailants fired off. As they drove, several more enemies landed around them.
"Optimus, we have a problem!" Jazz said, "We've been cut off by Unciron's goons. Requesting to drop cargo and deal with this."
"Granted, Jazz." Optimus said, "Just ensure that our guests are in a safe place before you proceed. I'm sending Bulkhead and Arcee to provide backup, but more will be on their way soon."
"You heard him, kid." Jazz said to Hot Rod, "No more running. We drop our passengers, then we get in the fight."
"Where should we put them, Jazz?" Hot Rod asked.
Jazz quickly scanned the area, looking for a good place to put the Gems. It would need some place with ample cover, so one of the old building would likely be best. Fortunately enough, there was one with a big enough opening that they could get in and drop their passengers off. The building was rundown and nearly destroyed, but it would work for now.
"There!" Jazz called out, driving towards the building, "Get behind me!"
Hot Rod did as he was told, following close behind Jazz as he drove into the building. The entire time this was happening, they were still being pelted with gunfire from the foes behind and above them.
Once they were a decent ways inside, both Hot Rod and Jazz opened their doors, telling the Gems to get out and get to cover. The Gems did as they requested, and the Autobots changed into the robot forms.
"Lay low here, we have to take care of our unwanted followers." Jazz instructed the four.
"Wait, we could help you guys." Steven offered, "They outnumber you by a lot."
"That is a solid no-go, pal." Jazz said, "Optimus doesn't want any other species to be involved with this war, and he would not take it lightly if he found out that we put you in danger."
"I understand following the orders of your superiors, but there is a time and place for everything." Garnet interjected, "You're grossly outnumbered and, if something happens to you two, we'll stand even less of a chance. Let us help until your backup gets here."
"Like I said, it's not my call. Prime's got the final say, and he told us to keep you out of harm's way. Stay here, and we'll handle it." Jazz than turned to Hot Rod, "You ready to kick some axle, kid?"
"I'll try to leave some for you." Hot Rod said, his voice strong with confidence.
"That's what I like to hear." Jazz said before the two of them took their alternate forms and sped toward the entrance.
There were a few of their pursuers that decided to follow them into the dilapidated building, but they soon regretted it when they saw the two Autobots come charging at them. Hot Rod and Jazz ran headlong into the intruders, forcing them back outside.
After successfully getting outside, the two Autobots took on their robot forms once again, bring out their weapons. They had been in their vehicle forms for long enough, and now it was time to take some action instead of constantly dodge it.
Meanwhile, inside of the building, Steven and the Gems were beside themselves on what to do about their current situation. Yes, Jazz had told them to stay put, but they had already given their protest about doing that.
"We have to go out there and help them." Steven said, attempting to head toward the exit, only to be stopped by Pearl grabbing his arm.
"Steven, if you think for a second that I am going to let you go out there, you clearly don't remember who I am." Pearl told him.
"Oh come on P, you know he's right." Amethyst argued, "Those guys are going to get eaten alive out there if we don't do something."
"Amethyst, you're missing the bigger picture here." Pearl shot back, "We know nothing about this planet, or the things that are attacking. Outside of the little information that's been passed on, we could be walking into something that could have adverse effects on us."
"So what, we just leave them to die?" Amethyst said.
"They are just as capable fighters as us. Do you really have that little faith in them?" Pearl retorted.
"It's not a matter of faith, it's a matter of numbers. Skill doesn't mean anything if you get overwhelmed." Amethyst said, turning to Garnet, "What do you think we should do, Garnet?"
Garnet remained silent for a second, mulling things over. There were so many scenarios going through her head, and very few of them seemed to end well. Not to mention, she could sense something coming. Something bigger than any of them.
"It's unclear as to what's going to happen, but there is one thing that I do know." Garnet said, "They've been risking their lives for us ever since we got here, and they never asked for any of this. I think that it's only fair that we return the favor."
Pearl was given pause, having to rethink everything she just said. In all the excitement, she had forgot about the sheer amount of bravery that those two had shown. Their willingness to protect them, and keep anyone else from trying to harm them was admirable to say the least. In a way, they had a lot in common with them.
"I suppose your right. After everything they've done, it's the least we can do." Pearl said.
Amethyst and Garnet both gave her proud smiles. The three of them had been through a lot before, and they always had a way of coming around when it came to doing the right thing. However, there was one important caveat that Pearl wanted to make.
"But I am not letting- … Steven?" Pearl looked around for the boy, at first not seeing him. Only to notice that he was heading to the exit.
"Oh, for goodness sake." Pearl said, pulling her spear from her gem, and chasing after him. Amethyst and Garnet did much the same, following close behind her.
Steven was running to the entrance, hoping to get there before something major happened. When he finally got back into the light, it looked like his fears were well placed. Hot Rod and Jazz were there, and so were several of those enemy robots.
In place of where Hot Rod's right hand should have been, there was now a blade that he was using. His fighting style was heavily focused on using said blade, but he also wasn't afraid to use his other hand, as well as his legs. While he did occasionally use his blaster, he seemed to be focused on using it as little as possible.
Jazz, on the other hand, didn't appear to have a close range weapon, but he was far more nimble than Hot Rod. He was easily able to dodge attacks and counter them with punches and kicks. Like Hot Rod, he kept the use of his blaster to a minimum, but he did make use of his grapple. He even managed to take down one enemy in the sky by forcing it to the ground and crashing it.
Yet, even with their skills in fighting, they weren't able to dodge everything that was thrown at them. The hits that they did receive were usually minor, but it was starting to add up. It started getting even worse when more came in and decided to use their own blasters.
Hot Rod had just finished with one enemy, running his blade through his chest, when he was very suddenly hit with a missle from an enemy from above. The explosion knocked him off of his feet, causing him to land on his back.
When he landed, he first tried to get himself reoriented to get back up but was stopped when he saw the barrel of a gun in his face.
"Join your false profit with the All Spark." Hot Rod heard the figure say.
In the amount of time that he had been alive, Hot Rod had been through many battles and almost an equal amount of close calls. There had been a few times when he thought it was the end for him, and now was looking to be like it.
He had wondered what he would do in this moment. Would he be too terrified to speak? Would he keep trying to fight to the bitter end? Right now, he could only think of one thing to do.
"The only false prophet is the one you're enslaved to." Hot Rod said.
His enemy didn't bother with a response and instead powered his blaster up. Hot Rod remained stoik, not offering him the satisfaction of begging for his life. Yet, just as the shot was fired from the blaster, something moved in front of him and deflected it.
Looking up, Hot Rod saw that shot had not only been reflected away from him but also had hit his assailant in the spark chamber, causing him to fall backward, lifeless.
Curious as to what happened, he looked down at his own chest to see what did this. The first thing to catch his attention was some that was pink and shell shaped giving off a strange glow. Beneath that there was a familiar person holding it up.
"Steven, what are you doing?" Hot Rod asked, getting himself back up and setting Steven on the ground, "We told you to stay put. And where did you get that thing you're holding?"
"I know what you said, but we couldn't just wait there." Steven asserted, "We can help."
"Kid, that's brave of you." Jazz said from a short ways away, "But you guys really don't know what it is that-"
"Jazz, behind you!" Hot Rod shouted.
Jazz spun himself around, coming face to face with another opponent ready to take a swing at him. Jazz threw his arms up in front of himself, trying to limit the damage of the blow as much as he could, but it never came.
Just as he was about to strike, Unicron's minion felt his leg give out from beneath him, sending a surge of pain through his circuits and causing him to collapse. Catching himself as he fell, he got a look at his attacker. Whatever it was, it was much smaller than him, but he didn't have time to think about it.
The instant he was low enough, he was met with a fist to the face, separating his head part way off of his neck. He collapsed, unmoving as the light in his eyes died.
When Jazz heard his enemy fall to the ground, he dropped his arms to see what happened. Looking down, he was just in time to see Garnet nearly knock the robot's head off. Once she was done, she simply turned to look up to him, giving him a thumbs up with her gauntlet.
"... Alright then." Jazz said, "I guess you guys being able to handle Bruticus should have been a good indication for us. Prime may have my head for this, but I'm willing to take that risk. Just make sure that you all don't take on something you can't handle."
"My thoughts exactly." Pearl said, looking to Steven, "Steven, get inside now."
Steven simply shook his head, having no intention of backing out of this. If they were going to fight, than so was he.
"Steven, I'm being serious." Pearl said, growing impatient, "If I have to tell you one more-"
"Terrorcon!" Hot Rod shouted.
Pearl turned around, noticing the zombified Cybertronian right behind her. Pearl readied herself to strike, but something beat her to it.
A blue streak came flying in from her left side, along with a distinctly female grunt to accompany it. The Terrorcon was sent stumbling, but the figure kept at it, landing several more hits before finally ending the creatures suffering by kicking it's head in.
"Good to see you, Arcee." Hot Rod said.
The Autobot in question turned to nod toward her comrade. Aside from being notably shorter than many of the other Cybertronian, she was also very different in appearance as well. Almost having a female figure not that different from the gems themself.
Just as several more of the flying enemies came down, another Autobot decided to make his presence known by plowing into them. This one was larger, but not as big as Optimus or Grimlock. He was green and had a lot of mass to him.
"Someone call for a wrecking crew?" he asked, slamming his fists together.
"Late as always, Bulkhead." Jazz commented.
"You know me, I always like to make my entrance big." Bulkhead said, shifting his right hand into a large metal ball.
Arcee couldn't help but roll her optics at Bulkhead's remark. Yet her attention was quickly pulled away when she looked down at the small being in front of her. She let out a sigh, not wanting to have to deal with something like this.
"Look, I don't who or what you are," Arcee started, "but a warzone is no place for-"
Arcee stopped herself from speaking when Pearl suddenly reared her spear back like a javelin. Before anything could be said, Pearl threw her spear, only missing Arcee's head by a few inches. While Arcee was wondering what was going on, the ghastly groan from behind her made it evident as to what happened.
Turning herself around, Arcee saw another Terrorcon, but with Pearl's spear in its chest. Letting out one final groan, it fell to its knees before falling face forward onto the ground, sending the spear all the way through and out its back.
Walking up to the creature, Pearl pulled the spear from it without a second thought.
"I can handle myself, thank you." Pearl said to Arcee.
Arcee merely looked down with surprise and mild amusement. She hadn't personally met that many aliens before and, when she did, she was always instructed to leave them alone or defend them. It wasn't often that she was fighting with them.
"Optimus told us that you had some cargo, but he never said anything about it knowing how to fight." Bulkhead said.
"Believe me, it was just as much of a shock to us on that planet." Jazz told him.
Another group of the flyers came down, but Bulkhead was more than ready to take care of them. While some of them went after the others of the group, one was bold enough to try and attack Bulkhead. Yet, unlike some of the other attacks on his friends, he was ready.
His enemy charged straight for him but was tripped up when something wrapped itself around his leg. Bulkhead's enemy lurched forward, tripping straight into him. Taking this opportunity, Bulkhead used his club fist to land a deadly blow to his face.
With his foe dealt with, Bulkhead looked down to see what it was that got him the opportunity. It looked to be some sort of whip, which was being held by one of the smaller members of the little group Jazz and Hot Rod had.
"Thanks for the assist." Bulkhead said.
"No problem, big guy." Amethyst said.
Several more swarms of Terrorcon and flying enemies came, but the group of eight were prepared.
Even with the increased numbers that were on them, and the added undead attacking, the Autobots and Gems were holding their ground against the onslaught. While the Autobots were handling a majority of the fighting, the Gems were not only helping them, but were also able to handle some of the hoard themselves.
Just as Garnet put another Terrorcon out of action, she had a sudden vision pass through her head. She didn't know what it was that was coming, but it was far bigger than anything else that they were currently dealing with… and it was coming fast.
"Get down!" Garnet yelled to Jazz, "Get everyone down on the ground now!"
Jazz was unsure of what she meant, but an unsettling noise from not far off made him believe that she was onto something.
"Down, everyone get down!" Jazz shouted out, to which the group obeyd.
While not everyone was sure what was happening, they knew well enough to listen when Jazz gave an order. The Autobots all fell to the ground, each one covering one of the Gems as they did so. And they couldn't have done it any sooner.
Just as Steven and Hot Rod hit the steel ground, a giant mass came flying through the air, hitting the building that they were in not too long ago. The eight all stood up, watching the building crumble from the impact.
"I guess it's a good thing you guys weren't in there." Hot Rod said, "But what was that?"
An angry groan came from the rubble. One that sounded familiar to all of them. A giant hand came out from the dust, and a familiar face pulled himself out of the collapsed building.
"Bruticus?" Arcee said, "What's going on?"
Bruticus simply pointed in the direction that he came flying from. Everyone turned to see what he was pointing at, and their eyes went wide.
Through the fog of war came a being that was just as big as Bruticus himself. The light green shading that he had certainly made him stand out, along with the fact that he too looked as though he was assembled from several different bodies. Just as he came into full view, he stopped and looked down at his new foes. His eyes having a sickly purple glow to them.
"Devastator." Hot Rod said.