Chapter 2

It took Spike and his dad roughly forty-five minutes to reach Chip's house. Upon arriving, they noticed the front door was cracked open. This struck them both as being somewhat odd, and at the same time disturbing, because Chip never left his front door unlocked-let alone cracked open.

"I don't like the looks of this," Spike said in a hushed tone. He made his way to the door, remaining silent in hopes of hearing any type of movement from inside. Sparkplug placed his hand on Spike's shoulder, and mouthed that he was going inside first.

Sparkplug felt his body tense up as he pushed the door open the rest of the way. There were no lights on in the house, another sign that there may be trouble present. It was now ten past nine o'clock. Dark enough for the automated lights located above the front door and just within the walkway to turn on. Feeling somewhat uneasy, Sparkplug reached into his pocket and pulled out a box knife. A feeble weapon at best, but it provided at least some feeling of protection. "Chip?" he cried out, in the loudest whisper he could muster. The sight of Chip's empty and overturned wheelchair heightened the fear in Sparkplug's heart. "Chip?" he repeated.

Spike heard some faint groans coming from the kitchen area. He tapped his dad on the shoulder, and pointed in that direction. Spike took the lead and walked quickly towards the kitchen. "In there," he whispered to his dad. "Come on."

There, tied to a chair at the kitchen table, was Chip. He had been bound and gagged. His left eye was swollen badly, and cuts covered his right cheek. Blood from his nose and mouth had stained the shirt he was wearing. "Dear God!" Spike yelled, running towards his friend. "What the hell happened?" he asked, while removing the ropes and rag that had him restrained and silent.

Chip's voice was rough and weak sounding, a result of the beating he had endured. "They showed up... right after I called you," he said.

"Who showed up, Chip?" Sparkplug asked, helping hold Chip in the chair, so he wouldn't fall to the ground. "Who were they?"

"I don't know," Chip said, motioning for Spike to hand him a glass of water. His throat begged for something to drink. He waved his weak arm in the air, drawing their attention to the damage done to the rest of his home. "They started going crazy... they were looking... for something... I don't know what... they destroyed my computer... and everything else, it seems like."

Spike looked at his dad, and felt fear come over him. "I need to try and reach Carly again, and make sure she's all right," he said as he headed over to Chip's phone.

"They cut the phone lines," Chip muttered. "That's why I couldn't call the police."

"I'll use my cell phone," Spike said. Before he finished dialing the number, a strange voice boomed from behind them.

"It'll do you no good, boy. She isn't home." The deep, commanding tone startled all three of them. Sparkplug quickly flashed his box knife in the stranger's direction, prompting an evil laugh from the intruder. "Ha, ha, ha,... a box knife?" he mocked. "Rest assured, if I were going to kill any of you- you'd be dead already."

"Where's Carly?" Spike yelled, fighting back the urge to jump at the stranger.

"They took her right after they came here," he informed them. "She's gone."

Spike was overcome with concern. "Where is she?"

"Be quiet, boy!" the stranger demanded. "The people who did this don't want you snooping around in their affairs. And they took your play-thing to insure you left well enough alone. I know, because I know who is behind all of this."

Sparkplug lowered his knife, and put it away. "Just who in the hell are you?"

"I am the one man who knows why the Transformers were destroyed," he began. "I am the one man who knows who did it... I am the one man who knows where your beloved Carly is..." The stranger walked closer to them, slowly, and stopped once he was in front of the kitchen window, where the light of the full moon reflected off his silvery head. "And I am the one man... the only man... who can help you fix things so that all is where it should be."

Spike felt shock come across his face. This man... this monster, was quite intimidating. Standing straight and firm, with his muscles showing through his custom made black apparel. In all his most crazy thoughts and darkest nightmares, he never dreamed he would ever utter the name he was about to speak. "Destro."

It had been 18 hours since the incident at Marshal's Air Base. In that time, Chip Chase had been severely beaten and his home ransacked. Spike's fiance Carly had been kidnapped. The entire world of all involved had been turned upside down, and their fate was in the hands of a known killer; the secret power behind the Military Armaments Research System, or MARS as it was also known by. Now, deep inside a hidden floor contained in the MARS plant, the Witwicky's and their friend Chip await the arrival of their uncanny host.

"This place gives me the creeps," Chip admitted.

"I suppose it was the only way we could talk at length," Sparkplug guessed. "I'm pretty sure if we had stayed at your home any longer than we did, who ever was responsible for all of this would have returned."

Spike nodded. "And I'm certain Destro doesn't want them to know he's talking with us."

Heavy footsteps were heard behind them, growing louder with each one taken. "You are correct," Destro said. "That is precisely why I have had you gather here, under my protection."

"Why are you doing this Destro?" Spike asked. "Why do you care about what's going on? I would think you'd be supportive of this entire ordeal."

Destro entered a number sequence into a control box mounted on a nearby wall, and a metallic table and three chairs rose from the floor. He motioned for them to have a seat. Chip pushed his wheelchair up to where the others were sitting, and waited on Destro's words. "I support war, boy," Destro corrected. "This is madness."

"What exactly is happening here?" Sparkplug asked.

Destro leaned back in his seat, looking rather comfortable to be sitting in a chair made of metal. "Do not take my intervention as a sign of caring, because I do not. But I am unable to act on this personally; the risk of being found out if I was directly involved is one I am unwilling to take."

"You're afraid of what your boss, Cobra Commander, would say!" Chip mocked. His knowledge of the Cobra Organization was admirable, as was his understanding of the top secret G.I. Joe unit operating under a veil of secrecy within the U.S. military.

"I have no boss, boy!" Destro yelled, jumping back into an upright position in his chair, and slamming his fist against the table. "I work for myself! If, from time to time, a business opportunity arises that would benefit both myself and the elusive Cobra Commander, than so be it! But make no mistake- I am my own man!"

Sparkplug could feel the anger coming off Destro, and tried to calm him down by asking him to continue what he was saying. "Please, Mr. Destro... continue."

Destro realized that his temper had gotten the better of him, and nodded towards Sparkplug in a silent 'thank-you' type way. "Cobra, in case you were wondering, is not behind this. However, those responsible happen to be very close with Cobra, and therefore if it was known I had anything to do with what is about to happen, we'd all be dead in a matter of hours. Me, you," He looked Spike right in the eye. "And Carly."

"The organization has been active for several years, but this is the first time they have ever posed a serious threat to civilization."

"To civilization?" Sparkplug asked, somewhat stunned by the severity of that choice of words.

"They have waited in the shadows for the right time to strike, and that time was roughly 18 hours ago," Destro continued. "This organization is comprised of men and women from all walks of life, including people from your own military and your own politicians. For what ever it's worth, though twisted and distorted it may be, Cobra has always followed a code of ethics. The organization that is behind this act- follows no code."

The situation became even more volatile with that statement. If Cobra, who kills without remorse and cheats to attain victory follows a 'code of ethics', then this new enemy may very well be the devil himself.

"They want to act as gods," Destro said. "They will wipe out entire countries if they don't concede to their demands. They will destroy anyone who does not bow down before them. This is why they must not succeed in their plans."

Destro paused, making sure he had their undivided attention. He did. "Cobra is in a rebuilding stage, and is not aware of the organizations plans. G.I. Joe is too busy focusing on their new space program and playing 'global sheriff'." He typed another number sequence, this time into a control box located on the table, and a holographic screen appeared in the middle. All eyes gazed upon it, as Destro generalized aloud what appeared as text on the image.

"They lured the Decepticons to the Air Base, knowing that the Autobots would soon arrive in an attempt to stop them," Destro said. "At first, their plans called for just wiping out the Autobots, but they decided that trying to work alongside with Megatron and his Decepticons would prove futile. When it was clear that the entire scope of both rosters had arrived, a super charged magnetic pulsar burst was detonated. This produced a complete over-ride in both Autobot and Decepticon. It basically fried their insides and melted their brains- for lack of a better description. They have been taken back to the Ark, where they are being stored until they are ready to complete phase two of their plan."

Chip didn't like what he was hearing. "And what exactly is phase two?"

"They are going to strip them of all vital energy-containing parts, and rebuild them into a single super machine. This machine, when completed, will be able to produce more firepower than a hundred nuclear weapons. Unlike nukes, however, there will be no fall-out. No radioactive isotopes. Only destruction. And once that machine is built, nobody will be able to defeat them."

Sparkplug shook his head in disbelief. "If all that is true, than how are we supposed to stop them? We're normal people-"

Destro interrupted the elderly Witwicky. "You ceased being normal people the day you assumed a first name basis relationship with the Autobots." He turned off the holographic image. "The Ark is heavily guarded, but I'm sure you can find a way inside. Once inside, you will make your way to Chamber 4B. Contained in that room, is the master switch which has been keeping the Transformers in stasis lock since the incident. They have to keep the juice flowing just enough to keep them from going off-line completely, because Transformer technology is still a mystery, for the most part. If they were completely shut down, then the organization would have no way of doing what they want to do."

His knowledge of the Ark's schematics bothered his guests, which prompted a slight grin from the arms dealer. Truth be told, there wasn't much of anything Destro didn'tknow about. "Flip the switch when you find it, and the Transformers will begin to power back up. Within a few minutes, they will be back to operating at normal capacity. And just in case you get any noble ideas, the Decepticons and Autobots are linked together in their present condition. If you inflict any type of mischief on Megatron and his legions, you inflict it upon your beloved Optimus Prime and his troops as well."

Spike spoke out. "No."

This caught Destro completely off guard. "What?"

"We're not going to do it."

Destro got to his feet. "You ungracious brat! I have spared your lives, and you-"

"Not unless you get Carly back, safe and unharmed," Spike demanded.

Destro laughed. "That is impossible! I don't have the time to go rescue damsels in distress."

Spike got up and walked over to Destro, looking him eye to eye. "Listen to me, you tin-plated freak," he started. "Seeing as how we're the only ones who actually have a chance of pulling this off, and you need us to pull this off- then you're going to rescue my girl. Or we all die together." He waited for an answer, and for a few seconds, he thought Destro might actually kill him right there where he stood.

"You have guts, boy," Destro finally said. "And if I wanted, I'd rip them from you as I'm speaking. You go to the Ark and flip that switch. I'll get your baby doll out of harm's way."

Spike stood his ground. "How do I know you'll keep your end of the bargain?"

"You don't," he grinned. "This meeting is over. You know what you must do, and what will happen if you fail. We will not meet again until I see fit." Destro began to head back towards where he came from. "A helicopter will return you to a location near your home. Current intelligence reports state that phase two will be completed within the week, so time is of the essence. Now, I strongly suggest you be on your way."

Sparkplug paused for a moment before yelling out after Destro. "And what if we fail? What is phase 3?"

Continuing walking and without turning around, Destro yelled back his answer.
"Armageddon."

end of chapter two.