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Revelation: Part Deux

Garrus-9, Sub-level.
Nemesis Prime reaches out to grab Optimus, only to feel a sharp tug on his life. His chest began to glow from the dark power within. He pushes that feeling aside, focusing on the task at hand. Optimus watches his predecessor's actions falter. The more Nemesis reached out, the more effort it took to grasp him. Prime rose to his feet, but not with out stumbling back slightly, smoke still seeping from various parts of his frame.

"What... is... happening?"

"Deep down Nemesis, is what you always feared. The thing you call the Darkness is more like our Matrix than you ever truly grasped. It seeks to pass. From Prime to Prime. It's why, Nemesis Prime, you knew I had to die. Otherwise this 'Anti-Matrix' would instinctively follow the succession. As far as it's concerned, you're yesterday's Prime."

"I command the Darkness, Optimus Prime, not you."

"It commands you!"

"NO!"

Nemesis' body explodes in a fury of negative energy & anger, lightning dances off the tips of his shoulder mounted wings. "Truth is, Prime, I don't need to be up close to rid myself of you Forever!" With an open hand, Nemesis fires a electrified blast of negative energy at Optimus, who was able to block the blast with his left forearm, but did little (if any) to deflect the constant flow of energy that continued to wreak havoc on his systems.

"Whh-Whatever you have become since, you are still a Prime! Renounce this course you have set yourself on now... before it is too late!"

"And why should do that? This is progress, Prime—evolution! We Cybertronians shall become the template for an entirely new universe. It is simply our due & fitting destiny."

"What you call 'progress' I call 'playing God.' And I will stop you at any cost!"

The Benzuli Expanse.
The Autobot science vessel, Mirror-manifold, now floating adrift after Cyclonus' relentless assault. Engines; dead. Power; near depletion. The Autobot cargo ship, Nightbird finally arrives just as Cyclonus fire the fatal blow to the fragile haul of the damaged ship. "Crew of the Mirror-manifold, prepare for emergency ship-to-ship jump!" They're teleproted out just as the message completes & before their ship disintegrates & explodes.

Inside the cargo ship, Autobots, Cloudburst, Landmine, Groundbreaker & Waverider greet the Tchnobots with a sigh of relief, knowing they cheated death. "Sorry we cut it fine. This crate isn't built for speed." Strife said calmly. "But, it comes with other refinements." Lightspeed added as he opened the four bio-containers, revealing four new armored exo-suits.

Awestruck by the Technobot's masterpieces of death. "Are those--?" Cloudburst asked before nearly trailing off as Scattershot answers his question. "Those are all your 'defensive options' in one mean, moody & magnificent package! All courtesy of the Technobots."

Outside, Cyclonus makes a quick past through the debris of the destroyed Autobot ship, discovering the lack of bodies that one would think to be present. Turning his attention to the enormous cargo ship. "Don't think for a moment you can cheat me of my rightful kill." Cloudburst & his team exit the ship from a side airlock in their new power suits & weapons drawn. "Oh, perish the thought!"

Earth.
Grindcore & Straxus have only just arrived moments ago & have begun drilling for Ore-13 as Grindcore, the part gun truck, part tank & all brawn, finishes assembling the Space Bridge before activating it. They watch the portal form while making small talk to pass the time.

Straxus, the demon winged jet with a cobra like head stands with his battle axe in hand as he looks on with a sense of accomplishment & pride, fill his being. "Soon, our universe & this will bleed into one. The process, though, requires Energon, lots of it. And this world is rich in it. Thanks, in no small part, to Jhiaxus' former understudy, Shockwave."

They suddenly feel that they weren't alone & turned to confirm their suspicions only to see two humans standing a hundred yards from them. General Roy Mustang & Major Lewis Armstrong stand side-by-side, Mustang stretches his gloves as Armstrong adjusts his custom steel fighting gloves. "And here, I thought I was worried. It's just a couple of fleshlings trying to be brave." Straxus amusingly stated.

"For one, you're naively mistaken." Mustang's words brought Grindcore & Straxus' attention to a head. "You think we're the only ones here... But in reality, we're just the first wave." They look at each other, nearly ready to laugh before being hit with a wall of water from the nearby river & swept them off their feet.

They rise to a sitting position & see one puddle of water take the form of a young brunette woman with a red tattoo of the ouroboros on the upper-left side of her chest. Surprised by her ability & feeling their anger beginning to rise, Straxus raised his battle axe & quickly smashed onto the creature before him. Her body is crushed by the weapon. Quickly regathering her fluids, she leaps out from under the weight of the axe & reforms next to Mustang, with a light smile on her face.

"Allow me to try." Mustang stands calmly as the two Cybertronians rise to their feet. Mustang snaps his fingers from his right hand. A large explosion followed, engulfing both Cybertonians in flames. The smoke clears to give way to Grindcore & Straxus, still standing tall & seemingly unfazed by the human's attempt to harm them. "Quite durable, aren't you?"

"Indeed." Straxus added.

"And no one is tougher than us."

"Glad to hear that!" The voice was foreign as well as the vehicle that was racing towards them. The red sports car transforms, revealing the robot in disguise, Sideswipe. "Because the bigger they are, the more bits there are to remove!" With all of his might, he strikes Grindcore with a hard right punch. The larger Cybertronian stumbles back before Sideswipe lays in a hard left.

Road Rocket, Skram & Warpath take on Straxus, who lowers his battle helmet as he dodges their attacks with little effort. Sideswipe's opponent lifts a large boulder over his head, evil intentions fill his mind. "Too bad for you & your equally doomed compatriots, Autobot. When it comes to sheer bludgeoning force, Grindcore has no equal!"

He readies to through the object in hand just as he hears what could only be defined as human fingers snapping, followed by the boulder above his head exploding like a bomb. "Forget about us?" Mustang asked as he lowered his arm.

The dust & smoke clears, revealing an undamaged Grindcore. "For a moment, I actually did... All you are, is more helpless targets to crush!" He makes a fast dash to the human soldiers. Armstrong slams his fist onto the ground, creating a wave of large granite spikes that seem to do little to yield his advances. "Hey now, don't just ignore me, big guy." Sideswipe said, living up to his name by catching Grindcore off-guard with a straight left, causing sparks to fly. "I'm just getting warmed up here!"

They watch Sideswipe's valor in action as Fortress Maximus & Hound approach from behind. "Sideswipe, step back. Let us take the next run at him." Max said. "No! The Space Bridge, secure that!" He answered back before laying a left hook into Grindcore. He brings a knee into Grindcore's stomach, causing him to bend down, allowing Sideswipe to drive his right fist into the back of his opponent's. Driving his face into the dirt.

He dashes to Straxus & tackles him to the ground. Laying in a barrage of lefts & rights to his face. Warpath, Skram & Road Rocket watch Sideswipe vent his frustration. "Uh, Sideswipe?" Hound asked. "For the last time... go! I can do this. I have to do this. Don't you see?"

"Honestly, no. We've had our differences, Sideswipe, and very rarely seen optic-to-optic, but... well, I was wrong about you. It's been an honor." Hound turns his attention to Mustang as they made their way to the Space Bridge portal. "Thanks for your cooperation & help with this matter. I only wish the circumstances were better."

"You're welcome... We have more help on the way. Do you need us to accompany either of you?"

Sloth looks at Mustang with disdain. "What the hell are you thinking? I don't need to travel with these alien warmongers. I've done my part for today."

"Hmm, Road Rocket, you're with me. Warpath, you & Fortress Maximus have your assignment. Skram--"

"Yeah, yeah. Go get the psycho."

"General Mustang, would you or perhaps one of your other officers join Skram? The planet is suitable for organic life." Mustang looked to Armstrong who nodded in acceptance before looking to Sloth, just as a stern glare pierces through him. "You're joking, right? I've done my part for today."

"Don't you want to make up for your past endeavors?" Armstrong asked.

"No."

Rotan
Skram along with Major Armstrong, walk through the other side of the portal with Fortress Maximus & Warpath, only to see a "somewhat" one-sided battle between the Combaticons, Arcee & Monstructor. Seeing Vortex being tossed like a child's toy, didn't settle well with Skram. "Why did I have to bring just one human? Why couldn't they've given me an antimatter cannon or a sonic disruptor rifle?"

The Decepticons are tossed to the side before Monstructor took notice of the human standing about sixty yards in front of him. Armstrong calmly picks up a large stone in his hand, waiting for the perfect moment to exploit the giant's weakness. "Now my large friend, behold the alchemy that has been past down for generations in the Armstrong family!"

He tosses the rock lightly in his left hand in front of him before striking it with his right fist, changing into a sharp spike. The projectile pierces the center of Monstructor's mid-torso area. His body trembles as electricity burst from the newly made opening. The connection nodes break free, forcing the six individual parts to revert back to their separate robot forms in one big heap of Cybertronian scrap.

"Damn, that'll work." Skram stated. They all make their way into the building that the giant was guarding earlier. Entering the large center room. They see the Nega-core as it continued to glow. "We have to secure this & prep it before sending it back through." Max stated.

"Hang on an astrosecond, who put you in charge, Autobot?" The Decepticon, Brawl's question was only met with the edge of Arcee's energy blade just mere inches from his neck. "If I were you, I'd do as he says, otherwise, you & the rest of the universe that your faction is trying to conquer, will end up as one empty & dead wasteland." Making her point, she enters the portal that was in the room, heading to fulfill her own objective.

Corata-vaz
The Wreckers hide out-of-sight from the guardian while waiting for Jetfire to gain control of their giant foe. "Springer, I am now deep in the neuroscape. I'm trying to un-mesh a buried imperative."

"Sounds painful. When do we move in?"

"Not yet. There's no interface from any external source, so it's just a matter of adapting the conditional criteria... There. It's done." With that, Thunderwing stops dead in his tracks. Standing much like a statue in his Ultra Mode. The Wreckers seize the opportunity & enter the cave. Inside, they pass the sickly group of Edward & company, but it did not go unnoticed by Roadbuster. "Hey, I remember you."

"Please help him, Edward & his father are sick!" Lust said in a frantic tone.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of them." Placing a finger to the side of his head, a small mic emerged from the lower corner of his head, near where his mouth would be. "Roadbuster to Xantium."

"Xantium here, this is Downshift, go ahead."

"We have four bio's that need immediate e-vac."

"I can't get a lock on them or you for that matter. Too much interference."

"Oh." Jetfire suddenly interrupted. His tone sounding very despondent at best. "Oh? What's, oh?" Springer asked. "There an automatic failsafe, trying to overwrite my adaptation. We may not have much time." Springer walks over to Twin Twist, who was working at the computer station that Cyclonus used earlier. "Twin, did you get that?" Springer asked.

"Yeah, and as for this thing. It's, Fissionable Compacted Matter. Nothing I've seen before. The reaction's already in progress." Twin Twist stated.

"Can you shut it down?"

"Without knowing what it is? No."

Garrus-9
"Can it be physically relocated?" Jetfire asked before the shrieking sound of metal being cut can be heard, grabbing his attention as a section of the wall in front of him crashes to the floor. From the newly made hole, the superior armored Bludgeon steps through. His grotesque face only enhanced the evil intentions in his eyes. This was the copy, but looked to have been altered somewhat. "Bludgeon! No, not Bludgeon. Jhiaxus!"

"Congratulations, Jetfire, you have graduated from an irritation to a full-blown nuisance. And in doing so, you merit an untidy death." He said in a low & yet, callus voice.

Earth
The all out slug fest continued on with Sideswipe's relentless assault. But now taking note of how difficult it is quickly becoming to kill his adversaries. They are inexhaustible, whereas he, is now low on power & ammo. However, in his mind, it all seem trivial. He has new found confidence, self-worth & pride. To him, this will be a good death.

He fires the last of his short range missiles into Grindcore's chest. Sideswipe makes a running charge at his still standing foe as Straxus rises to his feet once again. He grabs his battle axe & slowly pursues after his Autobot opponent. His progress was interrupted with the ground suddenly exploding in front of him. It was from a solid object, cannon fire no less. He turned to his left to confirm his suspicions only to fired upon with multiple cannon rounds, all hitting their mark.

Mustang looked on in some relief, but notice the amount of equipment & manpower is somewhat lower than he expected. "Only eight tanks... Where's the rest that I asked? I was expecting a small army here."

Another soldier drops from the back of one of the tanks & saluted him. Sorry sir, this is the best we can offer. Due to the destruction in Central from last week & budget cuts."

"What's your name soldier?"

"Privet Phuknut, sir."

Sloth, disguised as Juliet Douglas, did her best to contain her laughter at the name. Mustang looked around for another officer, preferably one of a higher rank. "Who is the commanding officer of this unit?"

"I am, sir. Major Woody, reporting for duty."

"I wonder how close we are to hitting rock bottom?" Mustang thought as he turned to see Sloth behind him who was still doing her best to hold her laughter. "Maybe we should just let them destroy the universe after all." He muttered while rubbing his forehead.

Garrus-9
Bludgeon looms in front of the sitting Jetfire, energy blade arched over his head, ready to cut the helpless Autobot down. Jetfire remains as a statue as the blade quickly lowers, only to stop just mere inches from his head. A smile crosses Jetfire's face, knowing truth to Bludgeon's sudden halt in action.

"What's the matter, Jhiaxus, things not quite going to plan? Too many demands on your attention, perhaps? Can't quite manage Bludgeon & be aware of what's happening elsewhere on other fronts?"

From his own control room, Jhiaxus listens to Jetfire's words as they hold a bitter truth. Watching on multiple monitors, from Corata-vaz, he sees the Wreckers doing their best to hold back the destroyer of Cybertron, but to little avail. He suddenly sees a massive array of stone hands & large chains erupt from all around the giant. Weighing the behemoth down, bring it to a stop & to it's knees. One human alchemist had done the impossible.

Sixshot was left paralyzed & Monstructor was in pieces. And worse yet, the dementional barrier had been breached. Cyclonus had failed to contain the threat outside. "Maybe you're worried, maybe you're wondering just how much we already know & how much more we'll find out... Question is, can you afford the time & effort it'll take to kill me with your entire strategy about to fall apart?"

Jhiaxus' attention was brought to another console to his right. "The Nega-cores, they've been breached! Must lock down the space bridges before--" His "out-loud" thinking was cut off, along with his right hand. Looking up, he sees the culprit. His failed experiment from long ago.

"Too little, too late."

"Ar-Arcee?"

Garrus-9, Sub-level.
Nemesis continued with his assault against the younger Prime, unaware of Galvatron lurking in the shadows, taking aim at his leader from behind. "You have sullied a proud lineage of Primes, Nova. It falls to me... to put things right."

"Such upstart arrogance! You remind me of--"

His response was cut short with the powerful blast from Galvatron's cannon. The Darkness jumps from Nemesis' chest to Optimus as he falls to the floor, smoke & flames coming from the newly made hole in his back.

Prime falls back against one of the Solar Pools, feeling the power of the Darkness spreading through his core. Speaking to him, telling him of the answers that it can provide. He tries his best to resist the urge to give in, but can feel himself begin to slip into this evil as Galvatron steps out from the shadows.

"Cold. Ancient. Terrible. Wonderful. Heart of Darkness, it speaks to me. Please no. Let me be strong."

"Quickly. You have two choices. Kill yourself. Hurl yourself into that Solar Pool before the Darkness robs you of any last remaining free will... or surrender it to me. It spoke to me too, promising answers to the riddles of who I was, what I was destined to become. It is the Final Piece of the puzzle. After all this time I shall be complete. Release it, Prime... It will come to me."

He extends his left arm & open hand, giving him his chance to relinquish the evil from within. "Choose—the crossing or the pool!" Prime wastes little time in his decision & raises his right hand to where it just hovers above Galvatron's. Feeling the evil transfer through.

"I choose..."

"Yes! Yes! It all becomes clear! The veil parts! I am--"

"...Both." Prime quickly grabs hold of Galvatron's left arm with his left & with all his might, throws him into the Solar Pool, his scream of protest was quickly silenced as he was consumed by the pools flames & molten metal.

Earth.
The brawl finally comes to a sudden halt with Grindcore & Straxus' bodies fall to the ground. Seemingly undamaged yet, they just fell dead. "Hey. How about that? I won." Sideswipe said. Mustang just shook his head in disgust. "Sure, don't mind us... Don't give us any credit." He muttered.

(Under) Gorlam Prime.
Jhiaxus. His body is scarred, his arms dismembered, running for his life with Arcee in pursuit. Psychotically cutting down his Micromaster guards. How do you stop a psycho-bitch Autobot with an obvious vendetta? He reaches the murky lake & begins to jog his way through. "There's nowhere to run, Jhiaxus."

"Wrong. Where I go now you cannot follow. Beyond lies only death & decay. Unless, Arcee, you are willing to pay the ultimate price--"

"She doesn't have to." A voice called out from the dark water.

"Who--?"

"I already did." Standing before him, was a familiar Cybertronian. The worst possible scenario had finally opened for Jhiaxus. "Hardhead!"

"Looks like all of your old ghosts have come back to haunt you!" His words were the last thing that he took in as an energy blade pierces his chest from behind, courtesy of Arcee.

Garrus-9, Sub-level.
Jetfire enters the room, Bludgeon's energy sword in hand, preparing for the worst only to catch Optimus who knelt down to turn the body of Nemesis Prime onto his back. Optimus prayed that it didn't have to end like this, but it was inevitable. "Prime, is he?"

"Gone. I wish I could find it within me to mourn your passing, Nova Prime, but in truth you died long ago."

"And in the end, you too must die." A cold & callus voice said from the shadows. Prime rises to his feet to see an unknown Cybertronian appear. He was larger than him, about Broadside's height. His body was large & serpent-like with clawed fingers & toes & his head was that of a dragon. Three others also walk out. One was large & bulky with tank treads along his arms & legs with a large cannon mounted on his back. The next was shorter with jet wings & laser guns mounted on his arms & back. The final one to step out was also jet-like with a pair of laser cannons off his shoulders & a pair of katanas off his left side.

Prime turns to see that Jetfire had be subdued by three other Cybertronians. One large & round, the second, tall & slim. The third was female with long silver dreadlocks. He noticed that they carry an insignia on their chest. Strangely enough, it was an ouroboros, but different from the homonculi's.

"Who are you? What are you?" Prime asked. Never receiving an answer, just a cold, malicious smile from each of them. "Who else is it that needs to profit from my death?"

Don't worry people, we've got more Woody & Phuknut coming your way!