Co-Authered by Ultra Rodimus Prime and Omicron Of Ice

Guardians' Quest

Pinion stood in the entrance to the cavern, the mech's dark frame letting him blend in the best as he stalked forward soundlessly. With his optics dimmed he was almost unseen, after scouting around carefully, but again finding no signs of life he rapped the end of his blade on the ground as the all clear while pulling out a light-globe, setting it to give off a light that most cyber beasts couldn't see.

Ultimus vented air slowly through the vents on his neck and back, optics sweeping the darkness as he followed Pinion. He'd tucked Jack a bit closer against his neck to keep her shielded as best he could now that they were out of known territory. These were places the big mech hadn't seen in a long time.

A low rumble came from ground level, the croc pacing with his tail lifted as the off-light reflected green off his scales. Venting air through his mostly closed jaws, "I 'mell vugs."

"Bugs?" Blue-and-tarnished-coppery armor clamped tight to Ultimus' frame, an instinctive reaction to protect the sparklings hiding underneath. His scarpmetals, riding on Outrack's back, tensed, lifting their laser cannons.

"Over here," Pinion called softly, stooping down and lifting a round thing by one end, and slicing it open with his blade, just catching the gray, Insecticon shell that fell out, "Looks like the poor scout was caught by a mecha spider. "

"Looks like some of the cyber-predators are still active. At least the small ones." Ultimus peered down at the Insecticon shell. "Hopefully the spiders will be having a field day with scraplets."

"Depending on their size," Nightspin came up to crouch down by another bundle, opening it to check. Oddly he liked the Insecticons, "Something seems off..."

"What is it?" The former gladiator champion crouched down, looking at the bundle.

Nightspin held the Insecticon up out of the bundle like cocoon, "Look at the frame, this, and the one Pinion has aren't scouts these are the worker class bugs, the ones that stay in their colony and rarely come out, even for us."

"What are worker-class Insecticons doing here? There's no colony that I'm aware of in this area." Picking up another cocoon, Ultimus used a claw to crack it open, inspecting the contents.

"Did this war the Oracle mention, would it have upset the colonies?" The pink optic mech asked, not liking the thought of a hive being upset.

"Da vugs aren't da only dead 'ere," Outrack called , working his jaws to get the sparklings into a position not to be hurt before grabbing something with the end of his muzzle to pull the half transformed corpse of an advanced mecha spider, it had spears from Insecticon warriors in it.

"I would be surprised if it hadn't, considering the scale of the conflict." The former gladiator frowned at the dead spider. "What in Primus' name happened here?"

Pinion jumped, catching the edge of an out of place wall before standing up there for a vantage point. The black mech almost stepped back off, "Dear Primus... I think I found what happened."

Ultimus looked at the other guardian, then eased over to the wall, using a quick burst from his flight boosters to jump up and have a look for himself. "I assume it's nothing good."

Grabbing the hovering sphere, changing the setting Pinion tossed it out into the void that had a purple glow. The scene that lit up, mostly, was that of chaos. Evidently a hive had been right above on the bottom of the next level, the wide open space might have been used for flying lessons in ages passed. Now the advanced mecha spiders, led by a queen had collapsed the bottom of the hive and its treasured heart tumbling down.

A war like and unlike what happened with the Decepticons had promptly taken place, the spiders hadn't realized the increase of warrior and guard class Insecticons, so many of them had fallen as well as the weaker Insecticon workers and helpless larva.

But what dominated the scene, were the two giants that towered over the Guardians, and all the dead. The Queens.

Insecticon Queens had been made by Vector Sigma, the spider Queens were altered by the Quints long ago as predators to Insecticons and normal mecha alike. Both types of the Queens normally never leaving a small area once becoming adults, or sub adult stage, with massive colonies being built around them instead.

Normally.

Out of the two opposing Queens, the black and red sider was better at fighting, but the green and sliver Insecticon Queen was far from helpless. The battle had involved more than just biting, and ended with a move that might have let the green and silver giantess winning, by driving her powerful mantis like fore-arms into the sider's soft under side of her frame. In the end, she hadn't been able to move to help her followers, but was frozen in place by being caught in two veins of Dark Energon.

Tiny survivor micro-Insecticons where fluttering around her head, trying to wake their queen up with bribes of offered energon cubes, but she wouldn't respond to them. For the Queen was neither alive nor dead now, with the dark crystals locking her many joints up.

The sickly smell of the Dark Energon's corruption made Ultimus sneeze several times, trying to clear it from his scent receptors. Clamping a hand over his nose, he chose to intake air through other intakes, ones with much fewer scent receptors. "By Primus..."

"I don't think I've ever seen a bug queen fight before…" Nightspin breathed when he joined the other two, Outrack was attempting to scramble up, to hold the edge and peer over.

Pinion was the first one to let out a keen, the sound rose to a soft song to honor the green and silver queen that died fighting for her colony and hundreds of offspring.

"Usually they don't have to... The colony's warriors keep intruders or threats well away from the queen." Ultimus gazed down at the frozen tableau. "I'm not sure I want to know what that Dark Energon's done to her."

"Her colony is still loyal," Nightspin noted, seeing the three fluttering micros, "What's left of it..." his pink gaze drifted upwards and he eyed the new opening, "We can get up through the hive I think."

Ultimus sneezed again. "Gah, the reek of corruption's swamping my scent receptors. I can't smell anything." He eased forward a bit, looking for the best way up. The movement dislodged a chunk of debris, sending it clattering loudly down into the destroyed hive.

"Little help?" Came a growl from rusty colored mech, his claws dug into the wall the others were on, but had no leverage with his large and very heavy tail, and the scrapmetals still on his back and tail. Pinion turned and grasped at red shoulder guards to pull their forth up as well.

Ultimus shifted aside to make more room on the ledge, turning to look up at the gaping hole to the next level. He leaned out as far as he could without toppling over, checking for places where claws could be driven into metal as handholds for the climb. As he shifted, another chunk of debris bounced down into the massive hole, clanging loudly off the shell of a dead Insecticon warrior.

The micros fluttered in confusion at the sound, some drifting towards the guardians.

"We should take them with us," Pion said, looking at them, "They have energon, and Primus if they're not good at sniffing out more."

"How do we catch them?" The redhead blinked at the other guardian, shifting as one of his tame scrapmetals scuttled up to his shoulder.

"Can anyone mimic a queen, or a drone...or a bug at all?" The only beast mode mech asked as he finally stood up once the others had moved to make room for him.

"I've never tried," Ultimus admitted. "Though some of them used to think I was a drone, back before the slag hit the fan. They'd come and try to groom me."

"Same, but its been a long time," Pinion hummed thoughtfully, cycling a deep breath he made a sound as close to animalist as he could.

Nightspine snorted.

"You try it," Pinion demanded crossing his arms.

Ultimus blinked, tilting his head. After a moment, he attempted his own version of the sound, ruffling his plating slightly.

There was some more fluttering from the little Insecticons, burden with their cubes it wasn't easy staying up in the air. But as Ultimus tried, Outrack glanced to the side at the slightly taller Guardian, and then he lifted a hand.

Smack!

The thump to Ultimus' back, rattled some of the loosened armor but the sound that was forced out of the mech midway through his attempt was more insect like now.

"You're all too deep, bugs are high," The rusty colored mech explained, grinning at Ultimus.

Ultimus squawked in surprise, scrabbling for a moment to regain his balance, driving his claws into the wall. Turning, he glowered at Outrack.

The croc gave a wide fang filled smile back at him, arching an optic ridge.

"Let's head up and try and get the bugs on the way," Pinion put in, being the peace maker.

"Was that really necessary?" the blue and coppery-gold mech asked grouchily, glowering at the cheerfully unrepentant grin before turning back to examining the wall, choosing the best places for handholds.

"Got you in a higher pitch," Outrack pointed out, staying on the wall as he looked for someway up with his bulk. He snorted as Pinion and Nightspine both fired thrusters to lift up slowly. Not the most graceful but still... the guardian blinked and grinned as one of the micro Insecticons, not having energon but it still fluttered around Ultimus' head with soft squeaks.

"There are probably better ways to have done it than nearly shoving me off the ledge," Ultimus pointed out, digging both sets of claws into the wall. Then he froze, head tilting to one side. "Did anyone else just hear something?"

"Look up on your helm," Pinion's voice had repressed laughter.

That got Pinion a sour look. "My optics don't go up that far." Freeing a hand from the wall, he reached up to touch the top of his helm.

There was a fluttering feeling against his hand before something light and wispy feeling grasped around his forefinger. Sweeping transparent wings had a faint blue-white glow on the edges, and feathery insect antennae twitched towards the mech's face.

"Well, we got one." Outrack said as he fallowed after Ultimus.

"That tickles," he told the Insecticon, then resumed climbing up the wall. Bits of metal flaked down as his claws tore gouges into the wall, wedging the tips of his footplates into the gouges and pulling himself up toward the next level.

The Insecticon sneezed, fluttering back to hang onto the mech's helm. Its soft little voice scolding him for moving it, content to ride for now.

Pinion hovered behind Ultimus and Outrack, "Night' is going to look for a ledge for you two-"

Crack!

The sound echoed and then re-echoed through the enormous chamber, a massive splintering sound that almost had Pinion's thrusters cutting out.

Ultimus froze just below the gap to the next level, armor clamping tight to his frame. Slowly, he turned his head, looking for the source of the sound.

Pinion spun around, grasping at the level debris that could support him holding on and bracing his weight against it. Above Nightspin was out of sight where he had crouched and tensed in place, staring at the other three guardians.

The frozen tableau of the war between the two colonies was unchanged. At least at the first glance, at second glance Outrack noted that all but one of the micro-Insecticons were hurrying upwards.

"That didn't sound good." Ultimus inched up one more handhold, staring down at the frozen battlefield. His armor clamped down even tighter, creaking in protest, as he noted the movements of the micro-Insecticons.

Crack!

This time with the four watching they could see the Insecicon Queen's head jerk to one side, the mandibles opening.

Yellow optics went wide. "Oh slag... This is not good. Very not good." Ultimus checked how far he was from the next level, then looked around to locate the other three guardians.

"Move," Outrack said from below, the end of his tail twitching rapidly. "Up Ulti, move, she's waking up!"

The blue and copper mech let go of the wall, his jet engines igniting with a roar. Hot engine exhaust blew small chunks of metal in all directions as the big mech grabbed the closest of his companions and shot upward, to the next level. "I won't be able to do this again, but it's the fastest way to get out of here!"

The Queen gave a murring sound that rose to scream as her whole body wrenched, to one side, the crystallized dark energon vines shattering. Her frame itself was rippling, the dark energon changing her from the inside out in reaction to the active sparks nearby.

Ultimus spat something extremely rude in an ancient dialect as he dove back down, grunting as he pried Outrack off the wall and raced back to the next level. "Run! We have to get away before she gets free!"

"Up here!" Nightspin called from above, stooping down to catch Pinion's hand as the mech jumped and after a scramble, with confused micros struggling to grab onto Guardian armor as he was pulled up. The oldest mech turned and took off through the twisted tunnels of the hive to make sure the way was clear as the other guardian bent and offered his hand to the two below once they were on semi solid ground again.

Ultimus landed with Outrack, his engines whining as they shut down. He paused long enough for the micro-Insecticons to land and latch on, then bolted down the tunnel, bounding from semi-solid to semi-solid piece of ground as best he could.

The heaver mech growled as he fallowed right behind, stopping only long enough to crouch under a wall and ledge that Pinion was at. Lacing his fingures to give Ulimus a boost up with his thrusters over heated. "Come on, you first, than my tail."

The redhead nodded, accepting the boost. He leaned down to help the next mech up, glancing nervously back down the tunnel toward the Insecticon hive.

The world collapsed then, or at least that's what it seemed like as the lower levels of the Hive shook and broke apart. Outrack lunged for Ultimus, scrambling to get his heavy frame up and over, and he reached back just in time to yank his tail up and over as well as massive mandibles snapped close where it had been.

"Primus!" Outrack yelled, using a foot to stomp on the Queen's head as she attempted to work closer to the two. "Those are bigger fangs than ours!"

"Bigger, sharper, and definitely nastier!" the yellow-eyed mech agreed, pulling on the other mech. "Let's just hope we're faster than she is!"

The rusty mech stumbled, struggling to get his feet before finally snarling and shoved Ultimus off and collapsed into his beast mode, squeaking came from his tightly closed jaws. Pinion's voice called the mechs to fallow Nightspine's trail, staying with his shoulder to a weakened arch way.

Ultimus growled back at Outrack, sprinting through the archway. His optics glowed bright yellow as he glanced back at the snapping jaws of the corrupted queen, sneezing as the scent of the Dark Energon wafted through the corridor.

The cyber-croc slowed long enough to turn and then lashed out with his armored tail, the blow to the arch way crippled it farther. Pinion roared an old battle cry as he collapsed the arch way, the Queen's scream a counter point to the roar as she was blocked off from the Guardians. Pinion stumbled out of the dust cloud, snorting to clear his intakes.

"If that doesn't slow or stop her I think we're scrapped." he gasped out.

Ultimus leaned heavily on a wall, lifting one leg to take a look at his turbines. "That's it; I won't be able to fly anymore until my engines get repaired. Let's hope we don't need flight capability again on the trip... and let's hope I didn't just jinx us."

"There's Nightspin and I that have booster thrusters still." Pinion said as he trotted over, "Let's not test our luck, I don't want to stay and find out if the newly reborn Queen can figure out how to use those killing claws to dig."

"Agreed. Let's get as far away from her as we can." Lowering his foot, the blue and coppery mech pushed away from the wall, peering down the dark corridor ahead.

Pinion nodded to the reddish movement, "Fallow the tail... hmm. How are your sparklings? Allaccounted for inside...where's Jack?"

Ultimus reached back and pulled his red braid over his shoulder, pointing at a lump in the middle just under his helmet. "She has her ways of clinging on." He said proudly before blue and coppery armor flared open to reveal three pairs of optics peeking out.

"Good thing she's staying small," the other mech smiled, ruffling his armor to hear the reassuring chirps from those hidden inside. "At least there's another use for this thing too," he pointed at the braid, "Other than making you turn on the brakes that is."

"It has its uses," the redhead replied with mock-dignity. "The fun part is trying to untangle her when she's particularly wiggly getting into it. It also lets her sleep while I'm moving without having to worry about falling off."

"Neatly tangled mmm?" Pinion chuckled but his optics were scanning along with every other sense he had. He frowned as they caught up with the other two, picking up on a new sent that wasn't old bug, or debris. It was familiar but...not.

Ultimus' air vents hissed as he inhaled, frowning and peering down the dark tunnel. "What is that?"

Nightspin looked up from checking on his mechling tucked safely in his armor, the old Guardian sniffed, "I know that... that is someone we know."

A low growl came from Outrack, twitching his tail then flattening it on the ground, "There's vibrations from below as well..."

"We should keep moving." Ultimus eased down the corridor, shifting armor plates to expose his ground vehicle alt's headlights and shining them down the tunnel. "If that's a level-collapse down below I don't want to fall back down should the floor give way."

"Or that poor Queen finding us again." Pinion sighed, tucking the wing like panels down, and another set of lights joining, then a third from the oldest Guardian. He glanced to the side as Outrack stalked forward to walk beside Ultimus, using his tail to feel for vibrations. Plus Ultimus tracking, they should have enough warning.

Small claws scrabbled on armor as Ultimus' pet scrapmetals climbed back onto Outrack, their small but powerful laser guns aiming forward. One of them chittered to the others, climbing onto Outrack's head for a better viewpoint.

"Another hazard I'd rather avoid... I don't know what getting bitten by a corrupted Insecticon queen would result in, and I'd just as soon not find out." Ultimus eased down the corridor, testing his footing as he went. Wisps of smoke were still curling from his turbines, evidence of something having burned out.

"Considering how many teeth queens have in their mandibles, it would hurt even us just with that," Outrack gave his armored scaled helm a little shake, clawed paws flexing as he moved.

The scrapmetal on the cyber-croc's head protested the movement with indignant chittering, holding on tighter and hopping up and down a bit. Ultimus laughed at the other guardian, pausing to eye a pile of wreckage where a wall had collapsed. "Watch your step here..."

Nighspin slowed, letting Outrack poke and prod his clinger-ons onto his back before transforming. Soft chirps came from between the croc's jaws, little optics peering out before he closed them protectively and switched to coms.

Pinion sniffed and vented, "That scent's getting stronger."

Ultimus sneezed suddenly. "Fraggit... Something's burning under that gap, don't breath in the smoke. Whatever's burning down there stinks." He sneezed several more times, giving another rent in the wall a wide berth. "Gah, can't smell a thing now..."

Pinion reached over and pulled Ultimus clear, his vents shut off for now, and purged them once they were another two chambers away, "Are you alright? Did the smoke get under your armor?" he was instantly concerned over the sparklings.

"I've been keeping my armor flat to my frame since that queen came after us. It's just in my air passages and sinus cavities. Keep clear of it." Ultimus vented air heavily several times. "That was nasty..."

"What was it?" Outrack asked, his sense of smell in beast mode greatly reduced.

"Smelled like burning wires, tainted energon, and corrosion. Dunno what else. But it burns the sinuses. Keep your vents closed and armor tight until we get away from it. I don't want that poison getting near the littles." Ultimus eyed the gap where the smoke was coming from, keeping a wary distance.

"Then let us move on," Nightspin said as he ran his hands over a wall, then with a growl broke through the thin wall, pulling chunks out in a way that would have put worker Insecticons in all sorts of tizzies had they still been around.

"What is it?" Ultimus peered over the other mech's shoulder, blinking at the wall where Nightspin was tearing through.

Nightspin carefully sniffed, peered up then down, extending a hand out beyond the opening, "Its a heat shaft, if I remember most hive lay outs the top should open into a hatchling chamber."

"Another way out of here?" Ultimus finally got his nasal passages clear, inhaling carefully to make sure his systems weren't damaged or clogged.

"Yes," the elder mech nodded, pulling some more chunks out to lean out and look down, then up, "Maybe there might be a few unhatched or undamaged eggs up there was well. Even young Insecticons are useful."

"Will this support us though," Pinion asked, using the toe of a pede to nudge at the debris.

"My engines are shot; if anyone falls I won't be able to catch them or fly them up," the redhead added, peering at the debris with a critical optic. "It'll be slow, very careful going."

"Mine are still working," Pinion offered as he took his turn to look in, reaching a hand out to scratch at the inner walls. He chuckled, "It was one of the things I had my Wreckers work on last time they came by."

"I'd intended to have some maintenance done, but things went to the Pit before I could get to it." Ultimus leaned over Pinion, peering upward. One of the micro-Insecticons still clinging to his helm shifted, feathery antennae sweeping briefly across his vision, and squeaked.

"Hmm..." Pinion shifted, turned and offered his arms to the mechs behind him to be supported as he leaned back into the open. Nightspin clasped forearms with him to let the truck to aimed his lights upwards.

Yellow optics followed the beams of the lights, eying the way up critically. Ultimus sank his claws into the debris, climbing carefully around it and onto the wall of the heat shaft.

"Mark a path if you can for Outrack's big scaly aft," Pinion chuckled, keeping his lights bright for Ultimus.

Ultimus glanced back over his shoulder. "Might be best for him to follow right behind, so he can use hand- and footholds that we've already dug out. I'll try to find the path of least resistance on my way up."

"Would vike a tunnel to get into..." The cybercroc grumbled.

"All of which are too small or collapsed in these lower parts of the hive." Nightspin pointed out. "Ultimus, see if you can cut the top if it isn't already open to the incubation chamber. I cannot tell from down here.

"Better keep your heads out of the way, since it's likely to fall back down the shaft and I'll never hear the end of it if it hits someone." The redhead resumed climbing, checking to make sure the walls were still stable as he went. His lights reflected off dull metal as he went, peering upward to see if he could find the top of the shaft.