Disclaimer: Happy New Year, you little dingbats. Here's the next chapter of my Transformers, which continues to get more epic with every passing entry. Okay, maybe not epic. Impressive, maybe? No! I'm trying here, gimme a break.
Also, I have poll up on my profile regarding the addition of a VOICE CAST chapter, with one vote, and I think I know from whom it came. Yes, Peter Cullen and Frank Welker are on the list. No, I don't own Transformers.
Chapter: XXII
Galvatron finally succeeded in his mission. The Autobot Matrix of Leadership was now firmly in the palm of his hand. It didn't look like much to Galvatron, at least not at first glance. The blue hue of the inner jewel shown across the armor of the Decepticon leader. The one and only thing about the Matrix that made Galvatron curious was that it seemed to hold sway over Unicron. So small; so insignificant in Galvatron's grasp and yet, so threatening to someone as powerful and mythical as Unicron. Of the Nemesis crew, Barricade was a bit too curious as he came closer.
"So that's it," he asked. "That's the Matrix everyone keeps talking about? Doesn't look like much."
Galvatron glared at Barricade. "Barricade, this isn't Show 'n Tell. Back to your station." Barricade slinked away as Galvatron was then approached by Scourge.
"I'm not sure I understand the logic behind destroying Sideways and Tempest."
"Tempest was a faulty Decepticon who questioned my command far too much. She deserved her fate. As for Sideways…" Galvatron trailed and Scourge noticed a slightly amused look in his face.
"What of Sideways?" Scourge asked.
"He was never real." Cyclonus added.
"Thank you, Cyclonus," Galvatron said. "You see, Scourge, Sideways was never a Decepticon or an Autobot. He was never even a mere drifter."
"What do you mean? He wasn't real?" Slipstream asked from the helm.
"He sure looked real to me." Barricade added.
"Incorrect. Sideways was a sapient construct created by Unicron, though the reasons behind his presence were unknown," Soundwave explained. "It is plausible that he was sent to retrieve the Matrix and destroy us if necessary."
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Soundwave," Galvatron said. "The point is that Sideways was an agent of Unicron and I saw through the charade. Now that I have the Matrix in my possession, things will fall into place. Unicron will serve me, and Cybertron will at last belong solely to the Decepticons."
"I don't believe it's wise to challenge Unicron," Scourge said. "He did create us as he did Sideways."
Galvatron reached over and grabbed Scourge by the neck. "Perhaps you'd like to join Tempest and Sideways in oblivion, Scourge."
"No, Galvatron. Forgive me." Scourge said before Galvatron released his grip.
"Unicron might have created us, but I for one refuse to be subservient to any longer," Galvatron said and with a glare at the Matrix, he said, "Now, back to Cybertron."
Hotrod had lost track of how long he and Kup had been locked up in the Quintesson prison. He also spent the majority of that lost time span considering what Krenix had told him before his untimely demise. The more Hotrod thought about it, about the origins of the Transformers, the more it seemed true. Hotrod remembered the vision he'd had, and he was starting to put two and two together. He just couldn't decide whether it was all coincidence or if it was all happening to him for a reason. Hotrod glanced into the cell next his and Kup's. Elita One was pacing back and forth. Hotrod soon ended up thinking about Optimus Prime. Elita One must've known him. By the Pit, they must've been close; maybe as close as Hotrod was to Arcee. Elita One glanced at Hotrod, as if she knew what he was thinking.
"Optimus didn't really die saving your life, did he." she suddenly said, but not to Hotrod's surprise. Instead, Hotrod shook his head lightly.
"He died because I got in the way," he finally admitted as Elita approached the bars that separated the cells. "I tried to help him against Megatron and instead, I got caught and Optimus took the bullet."
Normally, Elita would've wanted to ring Hotrod's neck, but she remained calm. "I see."
"I made a mistake, okay… and I've got to live with it," Hotrod admitted, and oddly at least to him, Elita One didn't appear to show anger. "Well? Isn't this the part where you badmouth my ineptitude?"
Elita One turned away and as she did, without looking back, she said, "Everyone makes mistakes, kid. Doesn't mean you have to live with it."
Hotrod started to wonder when Elita One got so calm did, and then he heard a small jolt. He noticed Kup apparently testing the bars. "What're you going, Kup?"
"What does it look like? I'm trying to find a weakness in these bars." Kup said.
"I'm in no mood to put you back together, old timer," Hotrod said. "Beside, I'm pretty sure those bars have no weakness."
"How would you know?" Kup asked.
"It's called experience." Hotrod quipped, to an amused look from Kup.
"You're learning, kid… I like that."
The cell doors opened suddenly and a horde of Guardsmen stormed inside, quickly overwhelming the Autobots. Hotrod, Kup and Elita One tried to fight in some capacity but the energy restraints stopped their efforts. Now under the control of the Guardsmen, the Autobots were dragged out of the cell and into the court chamber. The Quintesson Judge and Bailiff awaited the forthcoming mock trial with twisted glee. Elita One caught sight of the egg-shaped Judge. Images danced in her mind of how she would love rending him, or them. The Guardsman shoved the Autobots one by one onto the narrow platform before it was lowered. Hotrod glanced down at the pit of waiting Sharkticons, swirling and eager for their latest meal. Irony set in for Hotrod; he'd spent much of his time on Earth fishing with Daniel. Now, suddenly, he was the bait along with Kup and Elita One.
"The Imperial Quintesson Magistrate calls this court to order," said the Bailiff. "Elita One, you and your collaborators stand accused of the crime of trespassing on our home. Elita One, you yourself are also charge with murder of citizens of the planet Quintessa."
The Judge was next to speak, starting with the Face of Joy. "Elita One, we are willing to set you free…" Then the Face of Joy switched to that of Sorrow.
"…Provided that you agree to serve us for the remainder of your existence."
The Face of Sorrow switched over to the Face of Fear. "There is still much work to be done. What say you, Elita One?"
"I say, stuff it up your cramp shaft, you five-faced freak." Elita said in defiance.
"Defiant to the end." said the Face of Fear.
"Before the Magistrate delivers the verdict, would you first like to beg for your lives," the Bailiff said. "It sometimes helps, but not often."
Hotrod and Kup simply ignored the Bailiff. "Dammit, I can't transform in this thing." Kup whispered.
"Me neither but keep trying." Hotrod whispered.
"Guys, I've got an idea," Elita said. "You'll have to trust me on this."
"Silence," shouted the Face of Wrath. "Or you will be held in contempt of this court."
"I have nothing but contempt for this court." Hotrod shouted back.
Elita stepped forward and said, "Judge, I've reconsidered your offer, and I accept."
"Excellent! Release the prisoner." the Judge commanded.
"What're you doing, Elita?" asked a shocked Kup. Elita didn't answer as the Executioner deactivated her restraints.
"Kup, I think we should trust her." Hotrod said. He was starting to go by his instincts, something Kup didn't see.
"Are you insane?"
Kup saw Elita looking back at him and Hotrod. Then he saw the sly smirk on her face. In the next cycle, Elita struck the Executioner in the face and again in the chest. A final, swift kick sent the Executioner tumbling from the platform and into the pit, providing the Sharkticons their first meal of the day. Elita One vaulted from the platform to the court chamber, where she stole an elongated lance and quickly dispatched the Guardsmen. Then like a bolt of lightning, Elita One was up the elevated area where the Judge hovered and held the lance against him.
"New plan, Judge: let my friends go or I'll carve your faces one at a time." Elita snarled.
But the Judge switched to the Face of Death and chuckled, "You never cease to amaze us, Elita. Did you not think we'd anticipate this reckless act?"
Then the Judge pressed a button in his body and below in the pit, the platform collapsed. Elita One could only watch as Hotrod and Kup were dunked into the pit. Angered, Elita proceeded to assault the Judge until more Guardsmen arrived with spears, axes and the like. It was hardly enough to slow Elita, who with her commandeered melee weapon was able to best the Guardsmen with little effort. A furious flurry followed until most, if not all, of the remaining Guardsmen were rendered inoperative, and Elita One stood tall. She looked back briefly at the pit for any sign of Kup and Hotrod but saw nothing. Elita feared the worst until she heard the Quintesson Judge cackling.
"What's so funny, Judge," Elita snapped. "You're not one to laugh at you own funeral."
"We are laughing at yours. Do you remember our experiments?"
"I remember the torture you put me and my friends through, and now I'm going to return the favor."
"But you've yet to see our latest accomplishments, really a marvel of scientific ingenuity." the Judge exclaimed and remotely opened a nearby wall.
Elita One didn't know or care what the Quintesson Judge was talking about, but she remained fixed on the wall. She could hear something inside, and it was big and moving closer. In the shadows, Elita could just make out the silhouettes of two insect-like creatures. The creatures emerged and thus confirmed Elita One's suspicions; they resembled giant arachnids and Elita knew enough to identify them. The smaller arachnid resemble a robotic black widow spider, with eight sickly yellow limbs and the telltale hourglass shape on it black abdomen. It hissed menacingly as it stalked Elita. The second arachnid was larger and resembled a robotic scorpion, it massive pincers snapping and it giant tail whipping back and forth. Something caught Elita One gaze, a familiarity in the optics. Then a wave of horror washed over her.
"Chromia, Firestar," Elita turned sharply at the Judge. "You monsters. What've you done to them?"
"We've stripped away their robotic form and remade them into what you see now; the first of their kind," the Judge explained with manic glee, the Face of Death remaining firm. "No longer do Chromia and Firestar exist. Witness the coming of Strika and Blackarachnia: the first Predacons."
Elita One couldn't have come close to believing that the Quintessons could go so far. She didn't time to lament either. The black widow spider, Blackarachnia, formerly known as Chromia stalked around Elita while Strika, the former Firestar remained fixed where it was. Blackarachnia struck first with a mighty lunge, missing Elita by inches and throwing its fore limbs up. Elita could clearly see the fangs twitching about as Blackarachnia prepared for another lunge. Strika rushed in and tried and failed to capture Elita with its pincers. It then attempted to skewer Elita with it tail. Elita still had the lance from earlier and used it to bat the tail away. The tail still managed to get through the defense but still missed Elita, instead striking the ground and any Guardsman unlucky enough to be present. Elita used he weapon to pole vault over Strika but was suddenly lunged at again Blackarachnia. This time, Blackarachnia caught Elita and pinned her down. Blackarachnia tried to bite at Elita, who blocked the attempt with her lance before kicking the spider away. Elita had no time to rest, as Strika attempted to sting her right there. Elita rolled out of the way and quickly righted herself. Strika tried another tail thrust that hit the ground and Elita grabbed hold of the tail. Strika whipped its tail wildly back and forth with Elita holding on for dear life. She couldn't hold on forever though, and Elita was eventually tossed into the far wall. Strika and Blackarachnia regrouped and stalked Elita One.
Elita could hear the Quintesson Judge laughing and shouting. "Finish her!"
Blackarachnia and Strika assumed their own proto forms, both appearing surprising beautiful but no less deadly. Elita began to lose hope when the low hum of a motor was heard. Another motor was heard. Elita discerned that the sound was coming from the pit and soon after, Hotrod and Kup leaped into view in their alt forms followed by countless pieces of Sharkticon fodder. They hit the ground with a clang of steel and rubber tires and stopped, and more of the Sharkticons began to lurch out of the pit. Hotrod and Kup revved their engines and raced into the herd, plowing into the Sharkticons with reckless abandon. The spectacle was such that even the two Predacons stopped to watch. That gave Elita the chance to strike with a flurry of blows to Strika and then quickly throwing Blackarachnia into the wall. Hotrod and Kup joined Elita, assumed proto form and they quickly regrouped.
"I thought you two were Sharkticon food."
"Just a little something we picked up back on Earth," Kup said with a smirk. "I think it's called a demolition derby."
"I didn't even bend a fender." Hotrod laughed.
Elita looked out and saw more Sharkticons appearing. "Yeah, well there's more Sharkticons coming our way." Elita then pointed toward the pit, where more Sharkticons were appearing.
"I'm not sure how long we can hold out, but at least we can give them one humongous repair bill." Hotrod said.
"Then let's give these can-diggin', grill-crackin' things a damn good fight." Kup said as the first Sharkticon charged.
Hotrod tensed and changed him right arm into a type of energy crossbow. "I been wantin' to try this." he said and fired a bolt.
The bolt struck the Sharkticon right between the optics, but nothing happened. "That's it?" Kup asked.
"Wait for it!"
The Sharkticon continued to charge at Hotrod but suddenly exploded in a shower of spare parts and teeth. Undeterred, the army of Sharkticons charged along with the Predacon duo of Blackarachnia and Strika. The forthcoming action was fast and furious, with Hotrod holding many Sharkticons at bay with his crossbow. Kup made effective use of a severed Sharkticon tail mace, quickly pulverizing anything stupid enough to get too close. Elita One continued to battle simultaneously her former allies turned Predacon monstrosities. All the while, the Quitesson Judge, all five faces, started laughing hysterically. The Autobots couldn't hold out forever, but they kept fighting for as long as possible. Kup kept pummeling Sharkticons left and right. Hotrod three Sharkticons at the same time at one point and even punched the teeth out of one of them. Elita moved and dodged between the attacks of Blackarachnia and Strika and forced them into either hitting hapless Sharkticons, or each other. But more and more Sharkticons kept coming and eventually swarmed the Autobots.
"Execute them." yelled the Bailiff. Then he heard a massive thud, like thunder. The Bailiff turned right on time to have the massive door collapse on top of him.
Like a massive earthquake on the move, the giant forms of the Dinobots lumbered into the court chamber. Slag clearly saw the Bailiff pinned under door trying to get free and bellowed, "EXCUSE ME!"
The rest of the Dinobots lumbered onwards, drawing the attention of the Sharkticons. Seeing the tiny creatures coming for them made Grimlock laugh. "Puny bots. Grimlock, want to munch metal.
After the Dinobot's arrival, an F35-C fighter jet appeared and transformed before Hotrod and Kup. "Hey guys, I found the Dinobots," Breakaway said and looked around. "What'd I miss?"
"Don't ask." Hotrod and Kup said in stereo.
Then the Autobots backed away as the Dinobots proceeded to further pulverize the much smaller and weaker Sharkticons. Grimlock stomped and crushed the creature unfortunate enough to cross his path. Slag and Snarl incinerated many Sharkticon and Slag even impaled some on his horns. Snarl whipped his spiked tail to and fro and thrashed more Sharkticons and several unlucky Guardsmen. Sludge stomped the ground and rattled the creatures off balance while Swoop dropped one creature onto the rest. Even Wheelie, who was seated atop Grimlock's head, took a potshot at a Sharkticon. It didn't do much other than to annoy the Sharkticon and it stupidly charged at Grimlock. Grimlock simply frightened it off. All this time, the Bailiff was getting free of the fallen door only to be greeted and then eaten by the late arriving Quickstrike. Meanwhile, Elita One found herself pinned against the wall by Blackarachnia. Strika was coming up behind her comrade with her tail stinger whipping about in the air. Elita glanced into the crimson optics of Blackarachnia and saw a slight flicker.
"Chromia, it's me, Elita," Elita tried to communicate with Blackarachnia. "I'm your friend."
Blackarachnia pulled out a heavy pistol and pointed right at Elita's face. The flicker in her crimson optics came back. "Friend!" she said. Then she turned and fired at Strika, to the shock of Elita. Strika staggered about and was pounced by Quickstrike and shredded. Blackarachnia let Elita go, staggering back in shock.
Everything from that point stopped, and Hotrod and Kup looked around at the carnage left by the Dinobots. "I never though I'd be happy to see those big bozos."
Grimlock growled. "Grimlock am no bozo. Grimlock, King."
"I'm not going to argue." Breakaway said.
"Enough," the Quintesson Judge bellowed and switched to the Face of Death. "Sharkticons, execute them." But not a single Sharkticon was left.
"You seem to be a few Sharks short of a full aquarium," Hotrod said. "Maybe you should consider surrendering. You'll live longer."
The Judge was fuming at the realization. "This isn't over, Autobots. You will see us again."
"You're not leaving, Judge." Elita said, while behind her, Blackarachnia fell to her knees.
"Farewell, Elita One. Until next time." With that, the Quintesson Judge escaped through a false floor.
Elita One rushed up the staircase but was too late to stop the Judge's escape. "Dammit. Next time, Quintesson. Next time."
Author's note: And I stop the chapter right here, and I will pick this scene next chapter.
I felt it was important first to explain why Galvatron did away with Sideways. Yeah, like we all didn't know the reason.
The court chamber skirmish was of course heavily reworked hence the inclusion of Blackarachnia and Strika, both inspired by their Beast Wars counterparts. Think of it as a glimpse of the Predacons. At least now we know what ultimately became of Chromia and Firestar.
Something else that I neglected to mention; originally, the role of Elita One was originally meant for the Autobot bounty hunter Devcon. I went with Elita instead because of her history with Optimus Prime, thus making her interactions with Hotrod a little more interesting.
Anyway, that's ends this chapter and I will pick up this scene next time so send some feedback. Until then, see ya bye.