Hi everyone, I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas. We are here now with the last chapter update of 2022, and this is one I've been wanting to write since I first started this story. The long-waited assault on the Geass Order begins now! But before it starts off, I wanna say a few things…
First, I currently have a poll on my profile page as to whether or not I'd make Nunnally and Alice a couple. To be honest, I wasn't originally planning on that when I first wrote this. But the more I thought about it, the more it just seemed to resonate. Other than Lelouch or Suzaku, we really don't see Nunnally forming a meaningful connection with any other Code Geass character in the whole story, with the exception of Alice from the 'Nightmare of Nunnally' storyline. So with my poll, we seem to have majority in favor of them being a couple later on, but I'll keep my poll up until the next update in case anyone else wants to vote, but based on the current results, we'll be getting a NunnllyXAlice pairing.
Second, a lot of you have pointed out your complaints in how the Star Saber was shattered in the canon TFP series after only making its appearance the episode before. Well, there is a reasonable explanation, which a few people have pointed out to me through reviews and PMs. It's because the Star Saber is old. Like, really, really old, as in early days of the whole freaking universe old! It doesn't matter how powerful a weapon is, it's not immune to the effects of time. And if you take into account the possibility of Megatron making a weapon of equal or greater power, you also need to factor in the fact that it's literally brand new. So age was the critical factor for the reason of the Star Saber breaking in the canon. I hope that makes sense.
Now as for whether or not it'll happen here… you'll just have to see. Don't forget that Optimus has the Sky Boom Shield too, so that needs to be taken into account as well.
Third, to the guest reviewer that's constantly telling me to try and make a crossover between "Transformers Prime" and "Jurassic Park: Camp Cretaceous", I'm not going to be able to make something like that. Primarily because I do not think the franchises would blend well together, and I have other stories currently planned so I don't have time for any others. Thank you.
Now then, with that being said, let's get started!
War on Geass
Megatron stood on the bridge of the retreating Nemesis vessel in silence. Behind him were Starscream, Steeljaw, Soundwave, and Schneizel, all looking to the back of the Decepticon leader that had yet to even make a move or a sound. One couldn't necessarily blame him as they all saw the same thing. Optimus Prime, their greatest enemy, now wields a weapon of unimaginable power, one that could have sliced the entire vessel that they were still standing on in half. Why he didn't was anyone's guess, but they were at least grateful for the fact that they were alive.
After what seemed like an eternity, Steeljaw was the first to step forward. "Lord Megatron, while our retreat was unfortunate but necessary, I believe now may be the best time to begin planning a counterattack."
"'Counterattack?!'" Megatron questioned loudly as he finally turned around to address his subordinates. "Perhaps you've failed to notice Optimus Prime, cleave through an entire mountain with a single blow! With the Star Saber in his possession, my enemy can eliminate us all with the wave of his hand!"
"There is also the fact that Optimus and his Black Knight pets have rallied nearly all the other humans of this world under their banner." Starscream added. "That being said, perhaps it is best for us to simply… leave Earth. Let's forget about this speck of dirt and just leave it all behind."
"They will simply follow us!" Megatron stated. "Lelouch is not one to leave loose ends, he and Optimus will take the Ark and their forces and follow us to the other side of the universe if they wish! What we must do, is find a way to tip the balance of power back in our favor!"
"Do we not also possess a similar artifact?" Schneizel recalled. "A Relic of the so-called Primes?" Soundwave responded to that by showing an image of said Relic on his visor. "Yes, that is it."
"The Forge of Solus Prime." Steeljaw confirmed. "While it is not a weapon like the Star Saber, it has the capability to forge such weapons. In fact, lore says that it was used to forge the Star Saber in the first place."
"Unfortunately, the Forge is completely useless to us." Starscream said. "It will only respond when in the hand of a Prime."
It was that choice of words that got Megatron's attention. The hand of a Prime? A smirk fell on his face before he chuckled, getting the attention of his subordinates, before his chuckle turned into full on laughter as he had been struck with an epiphany.
"It's so simple… I'm ashamed I didn't think of it sooner." Megatron's laughter died down. "Starscream, for once you may have actually provided a solution to our current predicament."
Horai Island
"Oh my… just… oh my!" Lloyd was giddy like a schoolgirl as he, Cecile, Rakshata, Fixit, Anna, Nina, and Perceptor studied the Star Saber in the base's scientific laboratory.
"You've been saying that for the last hour now." Perceptor pointed out.
"Well, I can't blame him." Rakshata grinned. "Afterall, it's not every day that you study a weapon that could be considered god-like."
"I still can't believe it…" Anna looked over the footage of Optimus Prime wielding the Star Saber to slice the mountain that would have crushed him in an instant. "It was a clean cut, too! The amount of power to not only create such a slice, but also overpower the inertia and momentum gathered from a giant mountain that was rolling down…"
"I can't think of anything, human or Cybertronian, that can actually stop something like that…!" Cecile said. "Not to mention the energy that was used to send off that ranged attack…" They looked at the footage that changed to Optimus wielding the Star Saber to send a wave of energy directly toward the retreating Nemesis.
"What kind of energy even is that?" Anna asked.
"It is said to draw power from the Matrix of Leadership, which contains not only fragments of the Sparks of the original Primes… but even a piece of Cybertron's core." Fixit said.
"So this sword is essentially powered by the core of a planet?" Lloyd said before grinning like a madman. "Have I mentioned how much I just love Cybertronian technology? I mean, all those weapons we've seen since first contact in Area 11 are trinkets compared to all this Prime stuff!" He sighed as if he had just fallen in love. "Oh… what I wouldn't give to live among those Primes."
"Perhaps we should best focus on the now." Nina said as she was looking at a monitor hooked up to a machine that had scanned the Star Saber. "Primarily how there appear to be fissures on this weapon."
That got everyone's attention. "Fissures?" Cecile asked.
Perceptor brought up the data on his own monitor, showing an image of the Star Saber itself before zooming in on a microscopic level to reveal several small cracks and fissures all across the blade.
"It's true… though they may be small and invisible to the naked eye or optic, they are still there." Perceptor said, as everyone looked worried.
"Well… if you believe the legends Optimus had said, these Relics of the Primes were created around the early days of the universe." Rakshata said. "Which is around thirteen billion years old."
"Which means the Star Saber is quite an old weapon." Cecile commented.
"That's an understatement." Lloyd added as he sighed sadly. "Unfortunately, nothing is immune to the effects of time."
"Wouldn't that mean the Star Saber could break?" Anna asked worriedly.
"That is unlikely." Fixit said. "Though the Star Saber is very old, it is still incredibly powerful. In order to actually deal any significant damage, even with all those fissures, you would require a weapon of equal or greater power. The only thing that really comes to mind is a supernova."
"So, unless Megatron decides to blow up our sun, I think we're good." Lloyd said.
"And here's hoping you didn't just jinx us, Lloyd." Rakshata told him.
"Wait… Can Megatron destroy our sun?" Cecile asked. Now that she thought about it, if he would go so far as to poison his own home planet and even desecrate the dead, destroying a star doesn't seem too out of character for him. Now she was looking worried.
"Rest assured, the Decepticons do not have that kind of firepower at their disposal." Perceptor said, causing the group to sigh in relief.
"At least not yet." Lloyd said, causing Cecile to stomp on his foot. "Ow!"
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Black Knight-Autobot alliance had gathered on the bridge of the Ark, consisting of Lelouch, Optimus, Cera, Ohgi, Tohdoh, Leila, Ironhide, Wizard, Cornelia, Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, and Marrybell, as Jeremiah presented all the information that he had on the Geass Order as well as the Thought Elevators. T-AI was actively showing world maps on the main screen to help illustrate Jeremiah's descriptions. Sayoko was present as well, if only to protect Lelouch should something happen.
"There were once eight Thought Elevators in total." Jeremiah explained. "One is located in what was formerly the E.U. city of London, which was briefly conquered by Britannia and later the Decepticons before the former Empire could designate it as an area. The second is at Area 20 in the former African country of Congo. The third is located in the former Area 18. The fourth is in Euro-Britannian territory, within the upper peninsula formerly known as Russia. The fifth is located in Antarctica. While the last one is stationed within the Geass Order itself, which is located underground within Taklamakan Dessert in the Chinese Federation."
"That is only six. What of the other two?" Optimus asked.
"One was in Area 11, Kanime Island specifically. But you destroyed that." Jeremiah answered to the Prime. "The other was underneath Pendragon, but that was also was destroyed when the palace fell, collateral damage."
"Can we be certain you weren't fed false information?" Tohdoh questioned.
"We had run a thorough scan over Jeremiah multiple times." Ratchet replied. "I believe the information he has is valid."
"General Bartley once believed that the primary reason for Britannia's invasions was to secretly obtain the Thought Elevators, but nobody could confirm it." Jeremiah said.
"Asplund did bring that up." Lelouch recalled.
"So, all this time, all our conquests… the lives we ruined…" Cornelia did her best to conceal her anger. "It was all for this?"
"Yes." Cera confirmed. "Everything Britannia did, it was all based on lies and false promises concocted by Charles, his brother, and his closest inner circle within the Geass Order."
"Why go that far though? What he could he possibly want with all these Thought Elevators?" Ohgi asked. "What even is a Thought Elevator anyway?"
"I'm… not certain of their origin." Cera explained as best as she could. "Perhaps they were built by that first civilization that Vector Prime had shown us." She, Lelouch, Leila, Optimus, and Marrybell all recalled that particular instance. "As for what Charles and V.V. wanted from them… They believed they could shatter the boundaries between this world and what they perceived as the afterlife, or C's World. This was their plan, what they called… Ragnarök."
"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that term. What is Ragnarök?" Ultra Magnus asked.
"The twilight of the gods." Leila explained. "Norse Mythology depicts an event where all humanity lose their sense of sanity, and all gods and mythological figures do battle with one another that lays waste to the world around them, while also setting the stage for a new world to be reborn from the ashes."
"Simply put, it's the apocalypse." Marrybell translated.
"So, my late father's goal was to destroy the world." Lelouch deduced, his fists clenching in anger.
"Britannia was well on the way to doing that already." Ohgi said with disdain clearly in his voice. "Not to mention Megatron could probably destroy the planet anytime he wanted since he destroyed Cybertron, why would they need these magic elevator things to do it?"
"Because they believed Ragnarök could unite all humans together, both living and dead." Cera stated, getting all their attention. "Charles and Victor both believed that humanity was incapable of change, that they were deceitful and chaotic by nature, that peace, co-existence, equality… virtually everything that you believe Optimus…" She said as she looked toward the Prime. "…Was a lie and impossible to achieve. This would unite all humanity, alive or dead, into one single being. At least that's how they thought."
"In a sense, it would literally destroy the individuality and free will of all humanity." Optimus surmised.
"Pretty much." Cera confirmed.
"Till all are one…" Lelouch muttered. "A dark and twisted version of it…"
"You seem to know a lot about this Ragnarök." Tohdoh pointed out.
All eyes set on Cera. Many of them had long since got a general idea that Cera had some form of association with Charles and V.V. at one point, they still didn't know the full story. Optimus had especially been patient with her, allowing her to explain it all at her own time. But it would seem that time is now.
"Because I helped them with it." She revealed, getting everyone's attention. "I was one of the leaders of the Geass Order alongside them. I helped them prepare for Ragnarök when they were still young, and I worked alongside them for many years."
"Why would you help them with that?" Marrybell asked.
"Because I saw it as a way out." Cera stated, turning around, not even bringing herself to face them all. "I've lived longer than any human on this planet… I may even be older than Britannia itself. I've honestly lost count of the decades I've walked this Earth. I have seen war after war, times of peace here and there, I've seen people grow, change, love and hate one another, I've seen people die peacefully, and I've seen innocent lives taken for every reason you can possibly think of. Yet I remain the same. I'm unable to form any kind of attachments with anyone, because any kind of connection I had was quickly lost. They live their lives, they grow old, they die… while I remain the same. Because of that… I can't even find someone to love, to start a family with… to live alongside…" She was on the verge breaking down, yet still didn't turn to face any of them. "I used to form contracts with people, give them Geass… so that they could master it… and one day… remove this curse of immortality that I have. But each and every time… they all failed. I saw Ragnarök as a way to escape all of that. A way to finally end. I didn't view humanity the same way as them, I just wanted to finally… I just wanted to die. Or at least have an end in sight…! I… I…" She couldn't bring herself to finish before she fell on her knees and covered her face, sobbing.
Everyone, even the most normally stoic and hardened warriors, looked to the immortal girl with sympathy and pity. Leila and even Marrybell were in tears themselves. Lelouch and the Autobots already had a good idea that Cera's past was something like that, she more-or-less hinted it to them several times before. But it was still heartbreaking to hear.
Lelouch stood up from his spot and walked to the crying immortal and extended her his hand, much to her surprise.
"You have that now, don't you?" He began. "When we first met, I was the same. I was going through the motions, unable to truly live, thinking this world could never change. You helped open my eyes, showed me that I could find a reason to live just as they gave me a purpose." He looked towards Optimus specifically before looking back at her. "And I wasn't the only one who changed, you did too. You're even going by your real name now, you're no longer C.C. You might still be immortal, but you're still human too. We'll find a way to remove that curse from you, if there's nothing on Earth that can do it, maybe there's something out there that can."
Optimus instinctively thought of Vector Sigma. Once this was all over, he could return to Cybertron and find that sacred relic of knowledge, perhaps it could give him an answer. Or at the very least, point him in the right direction. He didn't need to say it, but he wouldn't give up on Cera either. She was one of them, and she deserved to have a life of happiness just as Lelouch and everyone else did. He would see to it she found that happiness, no matter what.
Cera gave a laugh as she wiped the tears from her eyes and accepted his hand. "Who would have thought that the same pessimistic, vengeful boy would turn into such a fine man?"
"I guess I grew up." Lelouch shrugged.
"A lot faster than the rest of us, that's for sure." Cornelia joked earning some laughs and a few smirks from even Tohdoh and Ultra Magnus.
"Immortal or not, you're still one of us, kid." Ironhide told her. "Don't you forget it."
Lelouch then smiled toward Cera. "Now, are you ready to tear it all down? To end this all together? Because we're not just doing this to deal a blow to the Decepticons, we're going to destroy Geass altogether. This power has cursed our world for too long, and it is time for it to end."
"Lelouch is correct." Optimus added. "The Thought Elevators, the Geass Order, even Geass itself… it is this power that has allowed the late Charles and Megatron to commit such atrocities. Whatever reason Charles hoped to achieve with this Ragnarök, it also stands to reason that Megatron will use that to his own ends as well, and if it is truly capable of what you say it is… that is one abusive power that we absolutely cannot allow."
"I agree." Cera said in agreement as she clasped Lelouch's hand with a determined expression. "You're right. It's time for Geass to finally meet its end."
"So, we are destroying all the Thought Elevators, as well as the Geass Order. Is that correct?" Leila asked.
"That is our plan." Ultra Magnus confirmed. "We cannot allow even a trace of this power to continue existing, or else we run the risk of it repeating all over again."
"How much could the Decepticons truly achieve with just a pile of rubble?" Wizard asked.
"With Shockwave at the helm of this study? Virtually anything." Ratchet said. "Next to Megatron himself, Shockwave may be the most dangerous Decepticon to ever exist."
"He has absolutely no morality, no emotion, no standards… everything he does is based solely on his cold and twisted sense of logic." Ironhide added. "He'll do anything to see his goals come to light, and I do mean anything. Who do you think turned Grimlock into a Dinobot?"
"Which means, we'll expect heavy resistance." Optimus said. "All of the Thought Elevators are located within Decepticon-controlled areas, and the Geass Order itself should be heavily guarded."
"That's putting it mildly." Jeremiah explained. "Shockwave's turned it into a fortress. T-AI, if you would, please show them?"
"Of course." T-AI brought up a three-dimensional hologram of the Geass Order, which had the appearance of a small city with cube and rectangular shaped structures that made up the entire fortress. There was also a dome that encircled around the citadel.
"With defenses only rivaled by New Kaon, it is protected by a barrier that not only hides it from view but is virtually impenetrable by any kind of weapons on the outside." Jeremiah explained. "That barrier is projected by an anti-Groundbridge device that was previously used by Starscream and Schneizel while they were in the Chinese Federation, but it has since been moved there."
"There was one that was used when Steeljaw and Shin's forces attempted to attack us in the EU." Leila recalled. "But we destroyed that as well."
"The only other one remaining is at New Kaon." Jeremiah confirmed. "It prevents anyone from jumping in for a surprise attack."
"Clever." Tohdoh commented. "But should the shield fall, what defenses does this fortress have exactly?"
"It has fortress-grade mounted turrets at these specific locations." Jeremiah said as several spots on the hologram lit up along the perimeter of the fortress. "But should those fall, Shockwave still commands an army of Dark Pawns, there's also the Dark Fafnir which serves as the vanguard for the citadel."
"And with that Driller monster as well as Nemesis Prime, those defenses are likely even stronger." Cera noted.
"We're going to need a lot of firepower to bring that down." Ohgi said.
"Actually, we won't need that much." Lelouch said, getting all their attention. "For this plan to work, we need to strike all our targets at once. The Geass Order and the Thought Elevators, all at the same time."
"You already have a plan in place?" Ultra Magnus asked.
"We'll have several strike teams hit each of the five Thought Elevators across the planet." Lelouch explained, turning to the map on the bridge's screen that showed the locations of each target. "Ohgi, you'll lead the Zero Squad and Aerialbots to London. Ultra Magnus, you'll take the Elite Guard to Area 20 in Congo. Leila, you and the Black Wyverns along with Sideswipe, Grindcore, and Strongarm will go to the one in Euro-Britannia. Tohdoh, Marrybell, the Black Dragon and Crimson Knights will go to Area 18. Ratchet, what is the status of the Wreckers?"
"Nearly all have fully recovered, including Warpath, Wheeljack, and Nonette, with the Galeschin fully rebuilt, as well as the Raiden." Ratchet answered. "However, Bulkhead and Rai are not yet cleared for duty and need more time to recover."
"Alright. Aside from them, Ironhide will take the remaining Wreckers to Antarctica." Lelouch said. Though it pained him to especially sit Rai out from this as he knew his half-brother would want to help tear this all down too, he wasn't going to put him back on the field when he wasn't ready yet.
"What about the Geass Order itself?" Wizard asked.
Lelouch smiled knowingly. "You, along with Optimus, Cera, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Alice, and Orpheus will join me as we attack the Order directly."
"Lelouch, I know that this team of yours has some of its best, with Grimlock especially being powerful, but it'll still be an uphill battle to say the least, if what Gottwald has said is true about the Geass Order's defenses." Cornelia advised.
"Which is why Optimus will be wielding the Star Saber and Sky-Boom Shield." Lelouch revealed, much to everyone's surprise. "The ultimate weapon and shield of the Primes. As dangerous and as smart as Shockwave is, I doubt he has a counter for all of that."
"Lelouch, even with the Star Saber and Sky-Boom Shield providing us a valuable edge, we must also take into account the innocent lives that are being held captive against their will within the fortress." Optimus advised. "One of them being Shirley's father, who helped to deliver this message to us."
"I know, along with Anya and Alice's friends." Lelouch replied. "Where are they exactly?" He asked Jeremiah.
"Should be right here." Jeremiah pointed to hologram, specifically one of the smaller buildings within the middle area. "There's also a handful of other scientists there that previously worked with Code R, Clovis' old research team, including General Bartley. Shockwave tends to keep them all close to better keep an eye on them."
"Then you'll be leading an extraction team to pull them out." Lelouch told him. "Sayoko, you will join and provide support."
"As you wish." She bowed.
"How do you plan on them getting past the barrier, though?" Marrybell asked.
"T-AI, based on the data provided by Jeremiah, do you believe the Star Saber can shatter the barrier protecting Shockwave's fortress?" Lelouch asked.
"After seeing it cleave through a mountain, as well as considering all the data the research team has given… Yes, one hit should destabilize the entire barrier." T-AI confirmed.
"Excellent." Lelouch said. "But right before the barrier falls, one Autobot and a small group of Black Knights that'll serve as the extraction team will infiltrate the facility with that Phase Shifter that was retrieved from Paris. It is crucial though that the team gets to their target right when Optimus breaks through. That way, Shockwave will divert most of his forces to counter the threat, while the extraction team pulls out all the scientists and captive pilots before they're deployed. And with the barrier destroyed, they'll be able to escape via Groundbridge swiftly enough. Though I'm certain the Star Saber, as well as Grimlock's raw power, will be enough to cut through most of Shockwave's forces, once the other teams destroy the Thought Elevators, they'll need to be transported immediately to the Geass Order where we'll overwhelm Shockwave and obliterate the entire citadel, including the last Thought Elevator there."
Everyone took a moment to process this plan. It had just as many moving parts as expected, nothing they would expect less from Lelouch of all people. It seemed to cover all their basis, though there were some clear risks, many of them were unavoidable.
"I want to ensure the best possible scenario here." Lelouch said. "And this is the best way I can think of. We can't afford to wait much longer though. We have the advantage now with the Star Saber and the other Relics we've acquired, but I don't expect Megatron to just sit and wait for us to come to him. He's going to find a way to level the playing field with us."
"You really think he has something that can counter the Star Saber?" Ohgi asked.
"If he doesn't yet, he will find something soon." Lelouch said.
"I have to agree. We've all seen how far Megatron is willing to go to get what he wants, including desecration." Ratchet added with a scowl.
"Then we must embark on this mission as soon as possible." Optimus said. "Prepare all our forces to leave immediately. I too fear for what Megatron may do to counter us, as our advantage may not last forever."
The Nemesis had left the Earth and was now making its way toward the planet's only moon with Megatron standing outside on the deck of the ship alongside Starscream, Thundercracker, Sky-Byte, and Steeljaw.
"Earth's moon." Starscream spotted the small celestial body and looked almost reminiscently at it. "The very place where our beloved Nemesis was once trapped as we guided Britannia for more than fifty Earth decades. I'm almost getting nostalgia."
"Nostalgia aside, I fail to see how the moon will solve our current predicament." Steeljaw pointed out.
"The moon is neither our solution, nor destination, Steeljaw." Megatron corrected as the Nemesis flew around and past the moon.
It didn't take long for the Decepticons on top to spot what it was they were really heading toward. A large portal-like device that remained hidden behind the dark shadow casted from the other side of the orbiting moon.
"A Spacebridge…?" Sky-Byte looked in surprise.
"Our very own." Megatron explained. "The dark side of the moon is hidden from prying human eyes, and by extension, outside the Autobot's reach."
"I worked with Shockwave and Soundwave to specially designed it's frame so that the Spacebridge remains hidden on the moon's dark side." Thundercracker added.
"Come Thundercracker, Sky-Byte." Megatron instructed. "We shall travel to the one place in the galaxy which may provide us with a means of defeating Optimus Prime and Zero. Starscream, Steeljaw, you are in command until I return, but make no moves against our enemies until then."
Briefly caught off-guard by Megatron's willingness to give him command, Starscream grinned as he bowed. "I would be honored, master."
"You can count on us." Steeljaw added as he bowed as well.
With that, Megatron transformed as did Thundercracker and Sky-Byte before all three flew toward the Spacebridge, which quickly activated, allowing them to travel across the galaxy in mere seconds.
Starscream smirked as he saw him leave. 'No. It's too soon for Schneizel and I to make our move. We shall wait until our 'master' returns and see what he's acquired. Perhaps it may serve us more.'
Of course, they weren't the only ones who saw them leave. Having gotten out through a duct on the side of the Nemesis, Hot Shot was on one of the smaller wings on the haul of the Decepticon warship as he saw Megatron and his lackies leave.
"What are they up to?" Seeing as he was outside the ship, it seemed like a good opportunity to send a message as he quickly accessed his comms. "Hot Shot to base, Megatron has left Earth. The Cons have a Spacebridge behind this planet's moon. I don't know where he's going, but it can't be good. Be ready for anything. Hot Shot out." He quickly turned off his comms and made his way back into the Nemesis, hoping his friends and allies heard his message.
Meanwhile, back on Horai Island, Orpheus, Oldrin, and Marrybell sat across from Toto in a small room where the group could speak in private. It may have been last second given the mission they would embark on at any given moment, but she had to tell them. So, she did. She told them her whole story. Needless to say, Marrybell and the Oz twins were more than shocked.
"Y-you… were in the Geass Order…?" Marrybell questioned.
"…I was." Toto nodded, her head down as she couldn't even bring herself to look them in the eyes, specifically that of Oldrin as she couldn't find the words to reply to her.
"How come I never saw you?" Orpheus asked as he had the same story as her.
"I guess V.V. wanted to keep all of us separated, that way we couldn't form bonds with each other and try to escape…" Toro said with a shrug. "At least that's what I think, I don't know for sure."
"So… what's your power?" Marrybell asked.
"If I make direct eye-contact, I can erase memories." Toto answered. "It's not like the late Emperor's where he had the power to alter them, I just straight up wipe them. I was sent into the Zevon household in order to make sure that Oldrin and Orpheus never met, and if they did, I would erase their memories of that very encounter. Don't ask me why, I never figured it out. One of their hundreds of little plans that all led to grand design… which we now know as Ragnarök."
"Did you… ever do it…?" Orpheus asked, sparking a glance to his twin sister, who's hair had covered her features as he couldn't even read the expression she had on her face.
"No." She shook her head. "I never had the opportunity, because you two only met after the Decepticons had taken over."
"Why not just do it then? Why not follow the orders you were given?" Orpheus asked.
"…Because I…" Toto stuttered a bit before she gave her answer. "Because I love Oldrin… like family." She clenched her fists on her lap, keeping her head down as she couldn't face any of them. "I was… just following orders at first but… she showed me such kindness… treated me like I was part of her family…. And I… somewhere down the line I… I actually felt that… felt like I… really was part of her family. In a way I… I'm glad that the Decepticons destroyed it all… I know that makes me sound horrible and selfish… and maybe I am but… this was the first time I…" Tears were already falling down her eyes. "…I had a family! I didn't want to lose it! I'm so sorry! I know you hate me now and I don't blame you… but… but… I…"
Toto was interrupted as Oldrin leapt at her to wrap her arms around her, completely catching her off guard.
"…I could never hate you… Toto."
She couldn't believe the words that came from Oldrin's mouth.
"…I don't care where you came from, or what you were in the past." Oldrin continued as she cried as well. "You are my family! You, and the rest of the Glynda Knights… you're all my family, no matter what!"
"I… I don't… how can you…?" Toto questioned.
"It may have been the mission you were given." Marrybell spoke up next as she came up and hugged Toto too, pulling in Oldrin as well. "But you chose to defy it, chose to fight alongside us, and you chose to confide in us the truth now. That alone makes you a far better person than you think you are."
Orpheus stood up as well. "Speaking as someone who knows what it's like to love someone, and to defy everything and everyone for their sake… I know how you feel." He placed a hand on Toto's shoulder and gave her a smile. "That little prick, V.V., can go suck it. Forget that mission he gave you, he's got no hold on you anymore, just as he doesn't on me."
Oldrin pulled away and looked Toto in the eyes with a tearful smile. "I've confronted the man took my mother away… the man I swore to kill… and I saw the eyes of someone who had nothing but regret. I may not have forgiven him but… I still gave him a chance. And considering everything you've done already, it would be unfair of me if I didn't give you one too." She reached out and caressed Toto by the face. "No matter what happens Toto, I'll always love you. We're family. And family stays together."
Toto couldn't believe it. She expected Oldrin to shout and scream hateful things at her. Hell, she even thought that she might execute her right then and there. But she didn't. There was no hate or anger in her eyes, only sympathy and love. For that reason, Toto was ready to break down, but she forced her tears back as she still had something to say.
"…Thank you…!" She fiercely wiped her face. "…And my feelings now… are telling me what my next choice is. And that's part of the extraction op on the assault in the Geass Order!"
That took all three of them by surprise.
"What?! You can't be serious!" Marrybell exclaimed.
"I'm very serious." Toto insisted.
"You think you have homefield advantage or something?!" Orpheus questioned. "It's not V.V.'s home turf anymore! The Cons probably made that place into something you won't recognize!"
"I'm aware of that!" She replied. "But I still have to do it! I'm not Knightmare pilot, but I need to take part in this! If I can do something that can help bring that horrible place down once and for all… and maybe even spit in V.V.'s eye, even that Shockwave's, I have to do it. I'm sorry, but my mind is made up and you can't stop me."
"Toto…" Oldrin looked into her eyes and saw the unwavering conviction. She was dead serious about this.
"That makes two of us." Orpheus said with a slight smile. "I volunteered to join the assault team alongside Lelouch, Optimus, and Grimlock. As soon as I heard it from that Jeremiah-Orange guy, I stepped up immediately. I would love to finally tear that god forsaken place to the ground, so let's do it together. Deal?" He offered his hand to her with a smile.
Though surprised at first, Toto smiled as she clashed his hand with hers. "Deal."
"…I can't stop you." Oldrin said in reluctant acceptance. "But… promise me one thing. That you'll come back. I can't lose another member of my family. Please, promise me that, Toto."
Toto reached with her free hand to grasp Oldrin's as she smiled at her. "I promise."
With that, Oldrin pulled Toto into another hug as they both let their tears fall again. Marrybell was quick to join in as well. Orpheus couldn't help but let look at them with a sincere smile… that is until his sister pulled him into the group embrace too.
"Oh, you get in here, too!" She said as all their arms wrapped around him as well, much to his surprise.
"What…? But I…?"
"Hey, you're family, too." Oldrin said with a smile. "So, you better come back as well, or I swear I'm going to chase you into the afterlife and kill you all over again! You got it!?" She said in-between laughs and sobs.
Orpheus let out a small chuckle as he, probably for the first time in his life, embraced his twin sister. "I promise. Sister."
As the four of them shared their moment, Oiagros had heard everything from around the corner. His mask was off as he smiled, happy that they were able to work things out and form such loving bonds with one another. His niece and nephew were truly happy with the friends they made, and that was enough for him. He too would be joining them on this mission, and while he couldn't control what happens with Toto and the rest of the extraction team, he would make certain that Orpheus made it back in one piece. With a solidified resolve, he put the mask of Wizard back on once more.
'Yes. Let us end that god forsaken place. Together.'
"So, these are the two humans actively working for Shockwave." Optimus noted as holographic projections of Arkveille and Madd were shown to him as well as the group of Lelouch, Ratchet, Lloyd, Rakshata, Alice, Sayoko, Cera, and Jeremiah.
"Yes." Jeremiah confirmed. "Colonel Madd, a former Britannian military-man. Though he wasn't much of a combatant, he was a competent strategist. He's mostly in charge of the physical training for any soldiers in the Geass Order. The other…"
"Doctor Arkveille." Rakshata recognized him.
"You know of him?" Ratchet asked.
"We share something of a history, though not as thorough as Lloyd's over here." She gestured to the scientist next to him. "He's always been one to enhance human bodies with cybernetics."
"Wasn't that the field you were in?" Lelouch asked.
"For medical purposes." Rakshata replied. "He believed technology was the next stage of human evolution."
"Yes, he actually had the idea of turning human soldiers into Knightmares." Lloyd added. "Basically, putting human brains into the frames themselves. A certifiable nutjob this guy."
Cera stifled a chuckle. "If you think he's crazy, then you know something's wrong."
"That said, if we could capture them, they would be essential sources of information. Notably of what Megatron intends to do with this Ragnarök." Optimus said.
"I'd be fine with just killing them." Alice said darkly, getting everyone's attention. "Those two have put my friends and I through all kinds of hell. I'd love nothing more than to ring their necks."
"Just as Grimlock would for Shockwave." Lelouch said. "I understand your anger Alice, believe me I do. But it would be more beneficial to us if we bring them in alive. I can use my Geass to get all the information they have."
"That is if they do not have Geass Cancellers as I do." Jeremiah said.
"Would have Shockwave have one as well?" Optimus asked.
"He was the one who invented it, so highly likely." Jeremiah confirmed.
"Unsurprising." Ratchet rolled his eyes.
"Hey guys!" The group turned around to see Bulkhead limp his way onto the Ark's bridge with Rai, Shirley, Nunnally, Milly, Rivalz, Nina, and Misty right behind him. The green Autobot wasn't limping as bad as before, but the fact he was more-or-less dragging his right foot around was still noticeable. Rai, on the other hand, was looking much better. His prosthetic arm didn't seem to be doing so bad as there was no twitching or anything.
"We heard about what's been going on." Rai said. "Looks like we're all set to leave."
"We'll be departing at any moment." Optimus noted. "Is there something you need?"
"Yes." Nunnally spoke up. "We want to be put on the extraction team."
"What?!" Lelouch and Alice both exclaimed in surprise as Cera, Optimus, Sayoko, and Ratchet were all more than a little shocked. Rakshata and Jeremiah looked serious while Lloyd had his casual smile.
"Ah ha, well this is quite a twist." The former earl commented.
"Absolutely not!" Ratchet exclaimed. "You are asking to go right into heart of arguably the most dangerous place on this planet, controlled by a monster?! A monster who wouldn't hesitate to turn you into one of his twisted experiments?! None of you would last ten seconds against Shockwave!"
"Isn't that why you're luring him outside to fight him yourself?" Rivalz asked.
"That's not the point!" Lelouch stated. "Look, you may have helped us retrieve the Phase Shifter, not to mention brought in Jeremiah, both of which were instrumental to us, but that does not qualify you for a mission this dangerous! Rai, Bulkhead, you two shouldn't even be on the field yet!"
"I'm not piloting a Knightmare though." Rai replied. "Just providing escort."
"And maybe I'm still limping, but I can still transform." Bulkhead did just that as he transformed into his vehicle mode and drove around the bridge a little bit for emphasis, showing he was steering just fine before transforming back.
"We'd be strapped in tightly behind ten tons of metal muscle. We'd be pretty well protected if you ask me.' Milly added.
"Lelouch, I know you want to protect us… but that's my father in there!" Shirley said firmly. "My father… whom I thought to have been dead for almost a whole year! Now I know he's alive… I… I have to be there! I couldn't be there for him when he was taken… now I have a chance to be there for him now!"
"And I'll be there to make sure she's safe." Rai put his only organic arm around her, showing his full support.
"I promise we'll bring him back." Lelouch said. "But I cannot…"
"Please, Lelouch you have to let us do this." Nunnally spoke up.
Alice was quick to get down to the floor of the bridge and get up close to Nunnally, put her hands on her shoulders and speak up. "No. No. No. Just no. You haven't been there. I have. It is… it is pure hell. Nunnally you… I can't even imagine the thought of you being there. With even the slightest chance of that one-eyed monster getting his hands on you."
"Don't you mean hand? Ya know, cause he only has one hand?" Rivalz tried to joke.
"THIS IS NOT A JOKE!" Alice screamed, causing Rivalz and most of them to balk. "You haven't seen what he can do… I have."
"As have I." Ratchet stated. "Shockwave's experiments… his so-called projects… to say they are the stuff of nightmares would be a vast understatement! Just look at Grimlock or the Insecticons if you want a prime example of the horrors that he's capable of!"
"There's also V.V." Lelouch added as he too stepped down to look at his friends, brother, and sister. "Nunnally, he took our mother, he took your legs…" He looked at the braces that enabled her to walk. "You're getting those off in just a few days… in just a few days… what was lost to us for eight years… lost to you… will be restored. If he sees you there… he'll take more than just your legs again. And Rai…" He turned to his brother "What he did to you… I… I already lost my mother to that monster. I don't want to lose the rest of you… any of you." He looked towards his friends.
"That's exactly why I have to go." Nunnally said. "Because he took our mother from us, and so much more. You… everyone…. You're giving your all to see these monsters get brought down. What good would I be if I just sit on the sidelines and only watch. Yes, I know I'm not a soldier, and I don't know what this Shockwave is capable of. But… if I can help just a little bit… help to bring down what they built… what V.V… what our father built from all this bloodshed…" She looked at Lelouch and Alice with a firm expression. "I'm going. You can't stop me. You can tie me down and lock me up, but I will find a way to go. Without or without your permission."
"Same goes for the rest of us." Shirley stepped up along with Rivalz, Rai, Nina, Milly, and Misty, all having the same expressions as the former princess, even Bulkhead who stood behind them. "I'm going to save my father, but it's not just that. We're all Black Knights here, we're the protectors of this world. It's time for us to step in and start protecting."
"I've even installed a special communication device in Rai's new arm on his request." Nina added. "This way we can not only still communicate with him, but I can also even track his location."
"It would only be two minutes. Just go in, grab everyone, and Groundbridge back." Rivalz also said. "In and out."
"Shockwave and V.V. won't even know what hit them." Milly said. "And Toto from Marrybell's group is coming with us too."
"I was part of the Geass Order myself." Misty put in. "Maybe it changed considerably the last time I was there, but I'm just as much a part of this as everyone else. The least I can do is lend a hand in bringing it down with everyone else."
"Lelouch, I promise… you have the word of a Wrecker, an Autobot, and your friend… I'll keep everyone safe." Bulkhead said before looking to his leader. "Optimus… I can do this. You're gonna need everyone in on this and you know I can help."
Lelouch and Optimus shared a glance with one another, the former hoping the latter would have an answer that would make him feel more at ease. But he could tell that Optimus felt just as concerned as he was and for good reason.
"Excuse me… may I say something?" Jeremiah spoke up.
"Of course." Optimus encouraged.
"Maybe they're not exactly soldiers… but I've seen what these young heroes can do." Jeremiah began. "I've looked into each of their eyes, especially Lady Nunnally's, and I saw a spark. The very same spark I once saw in Lady Marianne." The mention of his mother got Lelouch's attention. "A spark that couldn't be put out by mere words. The spark that would drive them to complete their goal and would not stop until they were finished. Yes, they are entering what I can only describe as Hell on Earth, having been a victim of it myself in that regard. But, as I am part of the extraction team, I give you my word, I will help to guide them through that Hell. I'll do everything in my power to see that our mutual goal is accomplished, and everyone is brought back safe. I may have failed Lady Marianne, but I will not fail her children."
"I will be there as well." Sayoko stepped up, putting her hand on Lelouch's shoulder to draw his gaze. "Lelouch, I have protected you and your sister since you were young. I vowed that both of you would be kept safe and I will not shirk from that. I will see to it that Nunnally and all your friends return home, safe and sound."
Once again, Lelouch looked toward Optimus for an answer. His only response was a single nod, and that was all he needed.
"You come back." He said to all of them, especially Nunnally as he put his hands on her shoulders. "You swear on our mother's grave, right here and now, that you will come back."
Nunnally leapt at her brother in a hug. "I promise. I swear on the grave of our mother Marianne, that I will come back to you." He didn't hesitate to hug her back.
"We all will." Shirley added, referring to herself and everyone else.
Alice wanted to shout 'no' to all of them. She wanted to scream her lungs out and do everything she could to stop them. She had the physical strength to literally hold them all back. She can even grab Nunnally and put her away somewhere safe and secure. But she knew how stubborn she was. Once Nunnally put her mind to something, there was no changing it, no matter how much she wanted. It was one of the reasons that she loved her.
Suddenly, Alice's thoughts were interrupted when Nunnally hugged her as well. "Don't worry Alice. I promise to come back to you too."
Alice hugged her back. "You'd better. Or else I'll never forgive you. Do you hear me?" She nearly choked up, causing Nunnally to smile tearfully as she tightened her embrace
Ratchet looked towards Optimus, who nodded to him as well. "Very well…" The Autobot medic sighed. "Bulkhead, Rai, you two are hereby cleared for duty."
"Yes!" Bulkhead pumped his fist as he kneeled down to share a high-five with Rai, which he gave with his robotic hand to Bulkhead's finger.
"Under my supervision, because I will be accompanying you!" Ratchet quickly added, much to most of their surprise. "You may require a medic just in case. That, and given the number of people we'll be rescuing, you could use an extra escape vehicle."
"Very kind of you, old friend." Optimus smiled, to which Ratchet smiled back.
"Question." Lloyd raised his hand. "I thought the Phase Shifter could only work for the Autobot that it's attached to."
"If both subjects are connected to each other at the time of the device's activation, even if it's something simple like a tether line, both should be under the effects of the phase displacement." Ratchet explained.
"Oh. Cool." Lloyd shrugged.
"You are so casual about this." Cera pointed out.
"Hey, sociopath, remember?" He reminded with a smile.
"Yes, you keep reminding us." Rakshata said with a half-smirk.
"Everyone!" T-AI's holographic form suddenly appeared to them. "I just got a message from Hot Shot! Megatron and a small group of Decepticons have just left the planet! There is a Spacebridge hidden behind this world's moon. Though Hot Shot doesn't know exactly where Megatron is going, he thinks he's looking for something to tip the odds back in his favor."
"Then we have no more time to waste." Optimus said with a determined expression. "We must begin the assault as quickly as we possibly can."
A Spacebridge vortex had opened briefly to allow the jet-modes of Megatron and Thundercracker, along with the flying shark-mode of Sky-Byte, to arrive at their destination: the dark and cold airspace of the now-dead Cybertron. What was once a mighty world, now reduced to a graveyard. The broken and ruined city beneath the trio of flying Decepticons was nothing short of heartbreaking.
"…Our home…" Sky-Byte muttered. He remembered how often he would be looked down upon and ridiculed for being a Sharkticon, a creation of the Quintessons, one of the few survivors and left behind by the greedy creators after their invasion was repelled by the Cybertronians before the Great War. He saw Megatron in the gladiatorial arena, as well as all his speeches and vows to change Cybertron and demand that all of their kind be treated as equals. That is what made Sky-Byte want to follow him in the first place. Even before war broke out, when he approached his soon-to-be leader with the desire to join him, hoping that he would have a future in the new Cybertron, despite being a Sharkticon, that he'd stand among this world's populace as an equal. And to his delight, Megatron accepted him. Even when war began, Sky-Byte didn't hesitate to follow his leader into battle, hoping that the new Cybertron would be reborn from the ashes of conflict. But sadly, it didn't come to be. All Sky-Byte had left now was his duty to his leader.
"Seeing it like this… it makes my Spark darken." The flying Sharkticon said.
"Cybertron may be lost to us, Sky-Byte. But a new future awaits us, one grander than ever before!" Megatron proclaimed as they flew toward a familiar ruined city that Thundercracker recognized.
"Wait a moment… this is Iacon! What are we doing here?" The blue Seeker questioned.
Megatron didn't give an answer right away until they arrived at the Hall of Records, now a broken and ruined building before he transformed and landed on the ground, his subordinates following his head.
"Orion Pax and Alpha Trion would often bring me here, to try and teach me the lessons of Cybertron's past." Megatron explained as they entered the broken building. "I admit, much of it was quite fascinating. But there was one particular place that the former Prime showed me that caught my interest… the one place that will now grant us what we seek. The means to obliterate our enemies once and for all."
It took some time, but Megatron led Thundercracker and Sky-Byte into the basement of the Hall of Records, specifically to a vault door that looked as if it hadn't been opened in a very long time. Using his strength, Megatron was able to pry open the door and force it to the side, allowing the three to enter the room.
All that was in it was a metal sarcophagus attached to the floor.
"This is a tomb." Sky-Byte realized.
"Not just any. This is a tomb of one of the original thirteen." Megatron revealed as they entered the room. "Liege Maximo, one of the few who had any remains to bury, at least according to Alpha Trion."
"Lord Megatron, I know what you said, and I do see the logic here, but… there are valid reasons here as to why I don't believe that this will work." Thundercracker began. "First off, it's only a hand. The hand of a Cybertronian long-since dead. Even if he was a Prime in the past, his Spark has faded eons ago. Perhaps a Prime's Spark is what's needed to activate the Forge."
"There's also the fact that this body is quite old." Sky-Byte added. "It's remains may too rusted, too corroded for you to properly use."
"That Dark Energon flows through my veins will remedy that." Megatron replied. "Once this limb makes contact with my own body, the Dark Energon's regenerative properties restore what has been lost."
"And that's another thing." Thundercracker said. "What if the Dark Energon corrupts the link to the Prime. I may not be an expert on the Prime's, but you know I've studied Dark Energon for years alongside Starscream, even during the war before we sided with you. The so-called Blood of Unicron could prevent you from properly using the Forge."
"Thundercracker may have a point, my liege." Sky-Byte put in. "I know that desperate times call for desperate measures, but there are many valid points here as to why this may not even work."
"Your points are noted, and I do see the logic myself." Megatron granted. "But time is not on our side. The greater risk is doing nothing at all, in which we give Optimus and Zero all the more reason to destroy us."
Thundercracker and Sky-Byte shared concerning glances, despite both their protests, they also knew that if they had to have any chance at winning this war, they had to take such risks, even with the odds being against them.
"Alright." Thundercracker accepted as he got on end of the sarcophagus with Sky-Byte on the other. With their combined strength, they were able to move the top of it to the side and open the coffin, revealing what was left of Liege Maximo inside.
His body was a faded green color, his remains were indeed rusted and corroded. But what stood out the most was how this body no longer had a head. But that didn't matter to Megatron. Both hands were still here, and that was all he needed.
Drawing his blade, Megatron severed the right arm before reaching out to take it.
The Geass Order on Earth, while it wasn't nearly as big as the more recent base Shockwave had back on Cybertron that surrounded the Spacebridge tower, as well as the Insecticon hive that lay beneath it, the citadel itself was quite impressive. A series of metallic buildings all made up the area on the surface that was constantly protected by a barrier that shielded it from visible sight, all other forms of detection, as well as an offensive assault. Within each structure was one of many small experiments that Shockwave's automatic systems currently conducted and catalogued.
However, the central project that he had spent most of his devoted time toward was underground, at the very center of the citadel and underneath all the structures. The Thought Elevator looked exactly like the ones that were at Kanime Island and Pendragon before both were destroyed. A tall door-like object embedded in the wall with ancient hieroglyphics on it, as well as the faded emblem of a Geass on it.
Shockwave himself had stepped toward the object that was slightly taller than even him as he observed it, caressing his metallic fingers from his only hand down its surface for a moment before making his most recent log.
"Project Log 947. Study of the Thought Elevators has yielded promising results. While their origins still remain a mystery, I believe I have gained a perfect understanding as to how they function. Geass itself connects to the individual's mind, whether be it the power that is used by its wielder, or the recipient. These Thought Elevators appear to be the source of the energy that is known as Geass, perhaps this is where the power originated from. However, the origins of Geass and Thought Elevators are irrelevant. With the ability to connect to one's mind, comes the ability to manipulate their will and even sentience. Lord Megatron's plan for Neo Ragnarök nears completion. Soon, the concept of conflict itself will be erased entirely."
After returning from Cybertron to the Nemesis, Megatron had brought his acquisition to Knock Out's laboratory. The severed hand of Liege Maximo was now in a tank filled with a special kind of nanotech solution that would clean and restore much of its internal nervous components, though Megatron was certain that once it was attached to him, and his own Dark Energon flowed through the limb, it would quickly be restored.
Megatron had told Knock Out what he wanted from him, and while it was within his capabilities, it was arguably the most unusual procedure that he had done yet.
"…Yes, I can do it, Lord Megatron. If you're certain that's what you really want." Knock Out said to his leader as he laid down on the procedure table.
"Like nothing I've ever desired before, Doctor." Megatron confirmed.
"I shall induce stasis…" Knock Out was prepared to put him to sleep.
"No!" Megatron ordered. "I wish to bear witness as you attach my new appendage."
Though a bit disturbed by that request, Knock Out did as requested as he placed a firm hand on Megatron's right arm. "Just one thing to note… this is the arm your Fusion Cannon is attached to. Given how old your… 'new' one will be, I'm uncertain if I'll be able to properly connect it."
"Should this work as I envision, reattachment of my cannon will be a simple manner. Now, begin." Megatron told him.
"Coming up." Knock Out converted his free hand into its buzz saw as he began to cut away, causing Megatron to wince slightly, but he would bear witness to this. He would endure all the pain, for it will be all the worth if as he sees the looks of terror in Optimus, Lelouch, and all their friends as he finally brings them to their knees.
Sitting behind cover of a large dune, the group consisting of Optimus Prime, who had the Star Saber and Sky-Boom Shield on his back, Grimlock, Bumblebee, Zero, Cera, Alice, Orpheus, and Wizard were ready and waiting, with the humans having respective Knightmares with the Shinkiro, pink Akatsuki, Pegasus, Byakuen, and Agravain.
"We're in position." Zero said as his Knightmare's screen picked up the small desert mountain that was just beyond this dune. One quick scan, and he could see that it was all hologram protecting their target. "Extraction team, report in."
"This is the Extraction team. We're ready to move in at any moment." Ratchet informed.
"The second that barrier goes down, you go in. Just a quick in-and-out." Zero reminded.
"Understood." Ratchet replied before signing off.
"Optimus to base…" The Autobot leader contacted their headquarters. "We are ready to begin the assault on your mark."
"Understood Optimus." Euphemia stood at the bridge of the Ark alongside Kaguya, Claus, Fixit, Lloyd, Rakshata, Cecile, Diethard and all the other military officers below them monitoring the entire operation that would soon be occurring all around the world. "All teams, be ready for deployment!" She spoke over the communications to the assembled teams just outside the Ark. "The moment Optimus and Zero begin their attack, you'll all use Groundbridges to get to your respective locations. You'll go in, destroy the Thought Elevators and report your status, and we'll bring you right back!"
"Acknowledged." Ohgi reported.
"Ready for deployment." Ultra Magnus signed on
"Understood." Tohdoh responded.
"Rodger." Leila reported.
"Ready." Ironhide added.
"Everything is set." Kaguya said. "All teams are ready to move in on our mark."
"Well, who gets the honors of giving the go-ahead?" Claus asked.
"Considering it was the late Britannian Emperor basically manipulated his entire country into staging world-war in order to get his hands on all this occult stuff, it's only fitting one of his kids should have the honor of destroying it all." Lloyd said.
"Especially when this one in particular was against his ideals from the beginning." Rakshata added. "So, I suppose it all comes full circle."
"Well then Euphemia?" Fixit asked. "Shall we begin."
That was right. She had always been against Britannia's oppressive and destructive regime, though she never did voice her opinion because of the grip her father had on everyone, and that most of her siblings were in favor of all of this as well. But now, she was part of something more, something bigger than Britannia ever was, something that would prove Charles Zi Britannia wrong and show the world that peace and co-existence was possible. And it begins with the destruction of Geass itself.
With a firm resolve, Euphemia gave the order. "Go."
"Finally!" Grimlock stated as their team received the order.
Optimus drew the Star Saber as he and everyone else stood up from behind their cover, the bright blue sword glowing brightly. Optimus then raised the mighty weapon and, with a powerful yell, and as much strength as he could muster, Optimus swung the Star Saber downward, sending a vertical wave of the bright energy straight forward.
When it looked like it was about to impact the mountain, the wave struck something else that caused not only the hologram of the mountain itself to vanish, but also reveal the barrier that surrounded the Geass Order, as well as creating a massive crack that caused the entire barrier to collapse and reveal the fortress beneath it.
Optimus wasn't done yet though. As he charged forward, Bumblebee, the Shinkiro, Grimlock, the Pegasus, the Byakuen, and the Agravain, all beside or above him, the Autobot leader swung the Star Saber again to send another wave forward which blasted away the front most part of the fortress, shaking the entire Geass Order and causing the alarm to sound off.
On the other side of the now-exposed fortress, Bulkhead's vehicle mode drove forward, with Ratchet's ambulance mode right behind him, connected via a steel cable. Jeremiah sat in Bulkhead's driver seat with Rai in the passenger seat next to him. Sayoko, Nunnally, and Shirley all sat in the back, while Milly, Rivalz, Misty, and Toto were in Ratchet's ambulance.
"There's our distraction! Hang on, kids!" Bulkhead told the group as the Phase Shifter, connected to his hood, activated.
A Groundbridge portal opened above the ruined city of London, specifically above the River Thames where the devastated Tower Bridge once was. The flying Decepticons patrolling the area didn't get a chance to radio this in as the Aerialbots: Silverbolt, Jetfire, and Windblade were the first to open fire and destroy the flyers.
Ohgi's Gawain Nerion was in the air alongside the hovering Autobots as they transformed, while the Guren, Arcee, the Lancelot, and Elita went straight toward the river.
"Alright, the Aerialbots and I will keep things covered up here! You guys destroy the Thought Elevator!" Ohgi ordered.
"Got it." Arcee replied.
"Leave it to us." Elita answered.
"This shouldn't take long." Suzaku stated.
"Be careful Ohgi." Kallen told him.
All four dove into the water as the four in the air began to form a perimeter around the river to ensure nobody interfered.
The Inga Falls on the Congo River, as well as the surrounding African jungle, seemed undisturbed for the most part. The only things that stood out was the battalion of Vehicon guards all around the area surrounding the waterfalls.
Suddenly a Groundbridge portal opened behind the Vehicon that stood at the top of the falls before the vehicle mode of Ultra Magnus slammed into him to ram him off the falls. The other Vehicons were quickly alerted as the Florence Nero, customized Vincents piloted by Cornelia and Chigusa respectively, and Guilford's Akatsuki flew above the falls and quickly shot down all the Vehicons that were furthest away from the falls. At the same time, Jazz, Prowl, and Smokescreen had appeared by Magnus' side as they used their respective Energon blasters to gun down the remaining Vehicons, right before Smokescreen himself jumped down off the falls to land on the last Vehicon before gunning him down.
"Commander Magnus, the area is secure." Guilford reported.
"We must move quickly." Ultra Magnus instructed. "Jazz, Krushevsky, enter the falls and destroy the target. The rest of us will cover you."
"Got it." Jazz saluted as he and the Florence Nero went straight into the falls while everyone else worked to establish a perimeter around the area.
The Lut Desert, also known as the Emptiness Plain, was a desert in conquered Britannian area of Area 18 before the Decepticons took over. Most of the area had been mined and excavated for Energon, with a particularly large tunnel that was dug into one of the desert mountains that blanketed this general area. Like the others, this area was guarded by a group of Vehicons.
The quiet was quickly brought to a halt by the sudden appearance of a Groundbridge as Drift's Vehicle mode, along with the twelve Knightmares that made up the combined group of the Black Dragon and Crimson Knights, all piloted and owned by Tohdoh, Marrybell, Xingke, Chiba, Senba, Asahina, Ashley, Oldrin, Sokkia, Leonhardt, Makira, and Jean all entered the scenes.
Guns fired and swords were unsheathed as the Knightmares flew and rolled across the area, quickly cutting down any Decepticon that got in their way. They had to be quick to cut off any alerts, but even then, they couldn't take their time.
"Alright, let's keep this area secure! Nobody gets in or out!" Marrybell ordered.
"Drift, we'll neutralize the Thought Elevator!" Tohdoh ordered.
"Very well." Drift accepted as he and the Zangetsu drove down the tunnel within the desert mountain.
The Russian mountains were exactly what one would expect. Cold, with the tall natural mountains covered in ice and snow. The terrain was rather rough, so the Vehicon patrol mostly consisted of helicopters and fighter jets.
However, one helicopter-mode was quickly shot down before a fighter jet followed, and so did many others before the other Vehicons realized what was going on. The perpetrator was none other than Yukiya in his Alexander Valiant with his long-ranged rifle. He saw the remaining flyers coming down right toward him, which only caused him to smirk.
"Yeah, that's right. Keep your eyes on me."
Suddenly, the Tristan Divider shot out from the cloud cover below to fly up and cut down two jet Vehicons before coming up from behind and firing its Slash Harkens, which came together to form an energy cannon that obliterated the others.
"Who would have thought a Knight of the Round in action would actually be a good thing for us." Ryo commented as the other Alexanders of the Black Wyvern squad, along with Sideswipe, Strongarm, and Grimlock appeared together around a cave that led into the innards of one of the tallest mountains.
"We got things out here, you guys go on ahead." Ayano said.
"Understood." Leila nodded. "Akito, Sideswipe, you two are with me."
"Yes." Akito nodded firmly.
"Sure you don't mind the third wheel?" Sideswipe teased, causing Leila to blush.
"Let me know if you see anything in there that needs punching!" Grindcore said as the two Alexanders and Sideswipe entered the cave.
A group of Vehicons marched across the thick ice of Antarctica, standing right next to a large cliff. The one Vehicon that was closest to said cliff noticed a shadow over him, causing him to look up in time to see the falling Wheeljack, wielding both his swords, come down to swiftly decapitate him before landing dramatically on the ice below.
"Wrecker fact number seventeen, guards never look up." Wheeljack smirked as he drew the attention of the Vehicons, who immediately opened fire on him as he used his swords to dodge and parry. With their attention focused on Wheeljack, they failed to notice that one-by-one, they were all sniped in the head by Chromia, who remained perched on the cliffside. It didn't take long for all the Vehicons to killed.
Chromia, and the remainder of the Wreckers, consisting of Ironhide, Warpath leapt down from the cliffside with Nonette's Galeschin and Tamaki's Wrecker Akatsuki hovering down beside them.
"Ah man, I so wanted to try out this new cannon the docs gave me!" Warpath commented, gesturing to his new chest cannon that resembled more like that of a modern-day tank with Cybertronian features.
"You can get your chance when you blow the Thought Elevator." Ironhide told him. "You and Tamaki go ahead, while the rest of us guard things from up here."
"Yeah, now we're talking!" Tamaki grinned. "Rai may not be here, but I'm gonna blow that damn thing to kingdom come for his sake!" He fired his Wrecker Akatsuki's rockets into the ice, blowing a hole into the deep water below as he drove his Knightmare downward with Warpath leaping in right behind him.
"Hey, why are there so few of us on this team?" Nonette asked. "Not that I'm complaining, but the other teams are rather big."
"Because Antarctica is barren." Chromia answered. "Unlike the other spots that are in mostly Decepticon-territory, they need a bit of a larger escort to cover them."
"Hopefully we can get this done quickly enough." Ironhide said. "I don't trust Megatron or Shockwave to leave stuff like this completely unguarded."
"Don't worry about it, old timer." Wheeljack assured. "And worst-case scenario, I get chance to break in this new arm." He moved his replacement limb around for emphasis, which looked exactly like his old one, nobody would even know the difference.
Back at the Geass Order, four large and heavy-grade turrets, all automated, had appeared on several of the buildings and quickly locked onto the approaching intruders.
"We have incoming!" Zero warned.
"Those are fortress-grade turrets!" Grimlock stated. "Just one of those could punch a hole in a ship!"
"Get behind me! Now!" Optimus ordered as they stopped their advance, the Autobot leader drawing the Sky-Boom Shield as he stood at the helm.
The turrets all fired powerful spheres of destructive energy that shot right at the group. With the Sky-Boom Shield in hands, Optimus channeled it's power as its surface glowed the same kind of blue that emanated from the Star Saber before an energy barrier extended around himself and the entire team to encase them in a dome just as the blasts made contact.
*BOOM!*
A massive explosion encompassed the entire area. The smoke would soon clear, revealing that the barrier generated by the Sky-Boom Shield, and the group inside, were completely unphased.
Keeping the Sky-Boom Shield in his left hand, he drew the Star Saber in his right hand as Optimus Prime swung it again, creating a horizontal arc of energy that struck the base of the two towers near the center, causing them to fall along with the turrets stationed at the top.
The Shinkiro and Agravain flew out towards the sides as they engaged the further-most turrets simultaneously. Wizard aimed his Knightmare's Hadron cannons at the base of the turret and fired. The blasts struck that area near the top of the tower, causing it to explode before the massive gun on top fell and would crash on the ground beneath it. Zero aimed the Shinkiro's central cannon and fired straight at the remainder turret, which carved through the barrel at the back containing the Energon, as Lelouch had planned. The whole turret exploded soon after.
"[Hey, save some for the rest of us!]" Bumblebee joked.
"You'll get your wish." Orpheus said seriously.
"Yeah, Shockwave's got plenty more horrors awaiting us." Alice said as well.
"Bring it on." Grimlock growled. "I'll tear through all of them to get to Shockwave… then I'll rip. Him. To pieces!"
Shockwave walked through the underground tunnel as he saw from a holographic screen on his turret arm the situation outside. Nearly all the outer defenses had been destroyed, but what really drew his attention where the glowing sword and shield in Optimus' possession.
"The Star Saber and the Sky-Boom Shield." Shockwave noted. "This may indeed be a challenge, with or without Grimlock." He then accessed his communications. "Nemesis Prime, Dark Queen, Dark Fafnir, deploy immediately. Arkveille, Madd, prepare." He stopped for a brief moment as the ground around him shook just before the Driller monster appeared underneath him, seemingly consuming Shockwave, but rather just placing him within the safety of its insides before burrowing back down to head out.
Meanwhile, Joseph Fenette, General Bartley, and a number of other scientists were being held in a tall room, one big enough to hold a group of Cybertronians. Even deep within the fortress, they could feel the sounds of battle outside, the former Britannian general looking the most terrified.
"W-what… what in god's name is happening out there…?!" Bartley exclaimed in a panic.
Joseph held his locket deep in his pocket, looking toward the ceiling, hoping beyond hope that it was their salvation. Or at least righteous judgement on this horrible place and the monsters that were in control of it.
Suddenly, a green truck phased through a nearby wall, with an ambulance connected by a steel cable right behind it. The captive humans were all startled as they looked in surprise to see the two vehicles enter the room without causing any damage whatsoever.
"Hey, anybody need a pickup?" Bulkhead asked as his and Ratchet's doors opened up, allowing their passengers to step out.
"A-Autobots?! Here?!" Bartley didn't know whether or not he should celebrate. On one hand, it looked like they were here to save them. But on the other, they were Britannia's greatest enemy and one of the reasons why it feel.
Joseph however was beyond glad to see these two Autobots as they transformed to reveal themselves in all their glory. So much so that he didn't even notice a certain someone until she spoke to him.
"Daddy…"
All time stopped in an instant for him as he recognized that voice. His heart almost stopped beating as he looked with wide and circular eyes to see the brunette hair and green eyes of his teenage daughter. Her eyes were just as wide as his, so much emotion reflecting in both of them. This was the first time any of them had seen each other in what felt like an eternity. Shirley had, for a long time, thought her father was dead. But now, here he was. Very much alive.
"Shirley…"
Hearing her father say her name was enough for her to break out in a sprint towards him, where he opened up his arms to welcome her embrace. Both held each other so tightly, afraid the other would disappear if they let go as tears fell from both their eyes.
"Daddy… you're alive… you're alive…"
"I'm here… my sweet little girl…. My Shirley… I'm here…!"
Nunnally, Milly, Misty, and Toto were moved to tears at such a reunion, even Sayoko had to wipe a single tear from her own eye while Rivalz struggled to keep them back and maintain his tough-guy expression. Rai couldn't contain his own tears, nor did he bother, seeing his beloved Shirley in the arms of her father, the very man that he felt responsible for his supposed death, it made him feel beyond happy for them. He happened to glance up to Bulkhead, who gave an encouraging smile. Even Ratchet couldn't help but give a smile himself.
"H-how… how are you all even…?" The stunned-Bartley couldn't form a complete sentence.
"That would be thanks to me." Jeremiah revealed himself, much to Bartley's shock. Joseph, while still holding onto his daughter, opened his teary eyes as he smiled towards Jeremiah, who gave a nod back.
"J-Jeremiah! I had thought you were destroyed!" Bartley stated. "Your signal went offline on your last mission!"
"All part of the illusion." Jeremiah explained.
"And we don't have time to go into the details." Nunnally said, stepping forward. "Shirley, I'm very happy for you, but we need to leave."
"Of course…" Shirley wiped the tears from her eyes as she and her father let go. "You're right, Nunnally. Dad… there's so much I want to say to you… I…"
"It's okay, Shirley." Joseph nodded with a smile. "We'll have all the time in the world to catch up."
'Wait a minute… did she just say 'Nunnally'?' Bartley got a good look at the girl. The sandy-brown hair and violet eyes that looked so familiar. He then remembered when he served under Clovis and saw the paintings of his deceased half-siblings. That's when he recognized her.
"P-Princess Nunnally Vi Britannia?! Y-You're… alive…?!"
"She no longer refers to herself as such." Sayoko stepped forward firmly in-between Nunnally and the fat general. "Simply 'Nunnally' will do."
"Wait… she's really the princess…" Even Joseph was caught off-guard.
"There is no time for any of this!" Ratchet stated. "We must leave now before Shockwave or anyone else notices our presence!"
"Wait… hold on a sec, Doc." Bulkhead looked around. "Aren't we missing some people?"
Everyone else got a chance to look around as well before they noticed it too. "Yeah… where's Anya?" Rivalz asked.
"What of Alice's friends?" Misty asked as well.
Rai couldn't explain it, but a pit formed in his stomach as he got a bad feeling about all this. "Something's not right."
Back outside, after dealing with the last of the defenses, Cera flew on ahead in her pink Akatsuki. "I'll scout the area from the sky!"
"Be careful." Lelouch told her.
However, she didn't get very far as her Knightmare's sensors picked up an incoming object. Jerking back her Akatsuki just in time, something big and fast shot up from one of the Order's buildings. She looked in shock to see what it was that was flying above her.
It was the frame of Nemesis Prime, but it was different than before. Installed in various parts of its body, such as its back, shoulders, forearms and the back of its legs, were a total of seven red crystal-like objects that had a red electric aura being produced by them, connecting to each crystal to form a sort of energy field around it which enabled the body to fly.
"I've got you now… C.C.!"
"Victor…" Cera knew it was him. She flew back to try and regroup with her friends, Nemesis Prime flying after her. And he wasn't the only one. Two other rooftops opened up as the Dark Fafnir and Dark Queen unit flew up into the sky and entered the fray.
Meanwhile, the ground surrounding the rest of the team began to shake and shift. Though the Shinkiro, Agravain, Pegasus, and Byakuen were all airborne, Optimus, Grimlock, and Bumblebee were suddenly knocked into the air by a powerful tremor-like force that sent them all flying backwards and tumbling across the sand.
Emerging from the desert ground was none other than the Driller monster, unveiled in all its unholy glory. Lelouch and the others had their eyes widened in shock, this was the first time they saw it.
"That's the Driller…?" Orpheus muttered. "It's a whole lot bigger than I thought it would be…"
Lelouch's attention was then caught by Cera's approaching pink Akatsuki with Nemesis Prime flying right behind her. A glare formed on his face as he fired the Shinkiro's Hadron canons at Nemesis Prime, who halted his chase to bring his arms together, causing the electric barrier around him to surge even more and act as a makeshift shield and block the attack.
"We have incoming!" Alice warned as the Dark Fafnir and Dark Queen appeared, the former firing a bombardment of missiles, forcing the flying Knightmare to fall back and avoid the resulting onslaught. Several missiles converged down on the Autobots, but Optimus was able to use a barrier from the Sky-Boom Shield to block all of that as well.
The Shinkiro, Optimus, pink Akatsuki, Bumblebee, Pegasus, Byakuen, Agravain, and Grimlock all grouped together as they faced off against the hovering Nemesis Prime, Dark Queen, Dark Fafnir, as well as the Driller that encircled around them, it's 'face' emerging from the front near the flying enemies, its mouth opening up as the Decepticon scientist at the head of all of this revealed himself.
"Shockwave…!" Grimlock's eyes were already burning with rage.
"Welcome to my base of operations." Shockwave greeted in his usually cold fashion. "An attack on the central Geass Order was expected and logical." He looked toward the Shinkiro in particular. "I am assuming that Knightmare belongs to Zero, an alias for Lelouch vi Britannia, also known as Lelouch Lamperouge, former prince of Britannia turned leader of the Black Knights resistance army, ally and partner to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. This is the first time we've ever met, and yet I know all there is to know of you."
"That so?" Lelouch's eyes narrowed back. This too was the first time he saw Shockwave face-to-face. He had heard the horror stories from the other Autobots what this so-called scientist was like and how far he would take his experiments. Needless to say, it was hate-at-first sight for him.
"Such as how you and your sister, Nunnally, attended the now-destroyed Ashford Academy." Shockwave went on. "Alongside Kallen Kozuki, Suzaku Kururugui, Milly Ashford, Rivalz Cardemonde, Nina Einstein, and Shirley Fenette, the daughter of Joseph Fenette, one of the human scientists under my supervision, of which his daughter and a band of Autobots and Black Knights now attempt to rescue at this very moment."
Lelouch gasped as the eyes and optics of the rest of his team all widened in shock.
Suddenly, multiple energy-turrets appeared along the walls, and they all aimed at the extraction team and the captives, much to their shock.
"Incoming!" Bulkhead warned as the turrets opened fire, blasting Energon all over the place. Bartley was unfortunately caught up in a blast and incinerated, as were a couple other scientists. Fortunately, Bulkhead was able to shield Nunnally, Shirley, her father, and the rest of the humans, using his bulky body to cover them as Ratchet went to the nearest wall, his arms converted into blades to slice off the turrets before moving to the wall next to him and doing the same, repeating the process as all the turrets were quickly dispatched.
"What the heck was that?!" Rivalz exclaimed.
"Bulkhead, are you okay?" Rai asked with concern, the green Autobot standing up once the onslaught was done.
"Peachy." Bulkhead said, ignoring that his back was smoking a bit.
"Welcome to the Geass Order." A familiar voice greeted over the speakers in the area, alerting everyone. "It'll be the last place you ever visit."
"Who is that…?" Milly asked, but Jeremiah and Joseph both recognized it.
"Arkveille…!" The latter's fists clenched.
"Ah Jeremiah, so good to see you again." Arkveille greeted as he sat in a separate room, his cybernetic brain hooked up via cables to a giant machine attached to the ceiling, one that projected several holographic screens of various locations all around the Order, including the chamber where the extraction team was located.
"I'd say I'm surprised to see you alive again, only I'm not." Arkveille continued. "Shockwave sends his regards, by the way."
Upon realizing they were caught, Ratchet tried to call for an evac. "Extraction team to base! We need a Groundbridge…!" He was cut off as all he got from the other end was static.
"Don't bother calling for help." Arkveille said. "Your communications are currently being blocked. You know what's so great about those Thought Elevators? They also serve as a pretty good power source, particularly for the communications jammers that were established at each one to prevent all your friends from calling in any back up or evacuations, all while the other Headmasters and our forces are intercepting them as we speak."
London
At the bottom of the River Thames, just as Arcee, Elita, the Guren, and the Lancelot reached the Thought Elevator that had been excavated from the riverbed, they found their way blocked by Anya Alstreim in the Dark Mordred, who was accompanied by two Dark Pawns. But unlike the other Dark Pawns they've seen before, these two had a red glow to them that was emanating from their featureless heads, as well as their inner parts underneath the outer armor.
The very same type of new flying Dark Pawns that made up a group of five that was now engaged with the Aerialbots and Ohgi above the river in aerial combat.
"Anya…!" Suzaku's eyes widened in shock once he saw her Knightmare.
"I am sorry… to all of you." Anya said tearfully. "But this is the end of the line for you…" She fired her Dark Mordred's Hadron cannons.
Congo
Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen fired at the two flying Dark Pawns, that were also glowing red, all moving at insane speeds and literally flying circles around them, while Prowl, Cornelia, Guilford, and Chigusa were forced on the defensive as four more of these glowing red Dark Pawns engaged each of them.
At the same time, Monica's Florence Nero and Jazz had found the Thought Elevator that was at the back of an excavated tunnel behind the Inga Falls, but they weren't alone. Standing guard beside the Thought Elevator was the Order Headmaster Unit piloted by Sancia.
"Anybody else smell a set up?" Jazz grumbled.
Area 18
Marrybell grunted as her Knightmare was knocked out of the sky by a speeding red Dark Pawn, the six others that were accompanying it were engaging the rest of the combined unit of the Black Dragon and Crimson Knights, but they were flying and moving so fast that any shot fired missed completely.
Inside the tunnel, having already reached the Thought Elevator there, Tohdoh and Drift were both forced back by the relentless onslaught of heavy machine gun fire from Lucretia's Land Headmaster unit.
Russian Mountains
Gino's Tristan Divider brought its right blade toward a flying red Dark Pawn, but it swiftly avoided his slice before kicking him back, knocking him toward the mountain where Ayano's Alexander came to cover him as Yukiya's and Strongarm tried to shoot down two other flying Dark Pawns, but they too were moving faster than normal while airborne.
Grindcore swung his massive fists towards one on the ground, but it was able to easily dodge his strike before moving behind him to deliver a flying kick to the back and knock him down. Sideswipe and Ryo were both forced back-to-back as they each faced off against a glowing red Dark Pawn of their own.
Inside the cave, Leila and Akito were understandably scared as they came face-to-face with the Thanatos unit that keep them from advancing any closer to the Thought Elevator that served as their target.
"I'm sorry Akito, but this is where we finally part ways." The cybernetic Shin Hyuga Shang grinned evilly.
Antarctica
Chromia attempted to shoot down a flying red Dark Pawn, but it was too fast to even get a lock on with her rifle. Another one tried to ambush her from behind, but the Galeschin flew to try and intercept it with a point-blank blast from its VARIS, but that Pawn easily avoided the blast before pushing Nonette's Knightmare into Chromia, knocking them both down.
Ironhide fired his cannons at a flying red Dark Pawn that flew ever closer to him, flying at such speeds that when the Dark Pawn rammed into him, Ironhide was sent flying into the cliffside. Wheeljack couldn't even find an opportunity to strike back at the one he faced, using his swords to block and parry, and even then, he couldn't block all of it and was literally backed into a corner.
Meanwhile, underwater, Tamaki and Warpath did manage to find the Thought Elevator they were looking for. But it was unfortunately guarded by Dalque in her Power Headmaster Unit.
"Aw scrap." Tamaki muttered.
Meanwhile, back at the Geass Order, Colonel Madd was in the same kind of room that Arkveille was, albeit separate, as his body was hooked to a similar device via wires and cables that attached to his head and spinal cord. He too had multiple holographic screens around him, only these ones showed all the ongoing battles at the various Thought Elevators.
"That Red Energon the Combaticons secured was quite impressive." Madd said sinisterly. "Unfortunately, we only had so little that we could manage a single dose for an individual that would only last about five minutes. However, Shockwave was able to use that sample and combine it with the formula for his Synthetic Energon formula to create a new substance. Although this doesn't provide hyper-speed as natural Red Energon does, our new formula does provide the Dark Pawns with twice the speed and reaction time as before, making them even more deadly. And it is that very formula, now converted into raw energy that allows our Nemesis Prime to fly and granting it greater speed and power than before! And the best part? They aren't simple drones! I control them all with a thought from this very center! Now go, my Red Pawns! Wipe this scum from the face of the Earth!" Madd ordered as he laughed with such insanity and jubilation.
"What the hell is going on out there?!" Claus questioned as multiple alerts were picked up at each of the locations. They had even lost visual contact as all the screens turned to static.
"We're being jammed!"
"We can't even pick up any signals! Ally or enemy!"
"Communications are unresponsive!"
"This interference is too strong! It's not from a normal jamming process!"
"Can we pull them out?!" Kaguya questioned. "Send a Groundbridge to bring everyone out!?"
"No! Any attempt to lock on is blocked! We can't open a single Groundbridge!"
Euphemia shook with fear as she, Diethard, Lloyd, Fixit, Rakshata, and Cecile all looked more than a little worried.
"They were waiting for us…" Rakshata said in clear nervousness. "I don't know how… but they were…"
"This whole thing is a trap…" Diethard stated.
"Yeah… we're in trouble…" Lloyd gulped.
The walls all around Bulkhead, Ratchet, and the rest of extraction team, as well as the remaining scientists all opened up to reveal the rest of the Geass Order's internal structures, comprising of hundreds of machines far too advance for anyone to describe, with the exceptions of countless mounted guns that appeared nearly everywhere and aimed directly at them.
"Time to bail!" Bulkhead quickly transformed, as did Ratchet, before everyone quickly rushed to pile into the two Autobots' vehicle modes. A cable shot from Ratchet's front and magnetized to Bulkhead's rear as the Phase Shifter activated and they drove off, right as the guns opened fire. Fortunately, all the blasts appeared to phase right through them as they literally drove through everything.
"Run! Run as fast and as far as you can! You'll never escape this place!" Arkveille laughed through the speakers. "But it'd be fun to watch you try! Cute even!"
Lelouch, Optimus, Bumblebee, Alice Orpheus, Oiagros, and Cera's eyes all widened in horror and absolute shock, while Grimlock seethed with rage. Shockwave had basically told them everything as he and his creations all faced the intruders.
"Your plan to divide and conquer, to neutralize the Thought Elevators and destroy the Geass Order in one strike, was very logical." Shockwave acknowledged. "And yet, quite predictable. Your allies all over the world, even those within my headquarters, they will not survive this."
"Then we'll just have to do this the hard way!" Grimlock transformed into his T-Rex mode and unleashed his fire-breath on the Driller that descended upon him.
"This is it Lelouch, Optimus…!" V.V. began as he sneered inside the hovering Nemesis Prime. "For your crimes against me and my brother… for your very sin of existing… for the sake of my vengeance…" His robotic body surged with an intense red electric aura from his newly built-in crystal generators.
"…YOU WILL DIE TODAY!" Nemesis Prime roared as he shot forward, the Dark Queen right beside him while the Dark Fafnir launched a volley of missiles.
In response, the Shinkiro and Agravain fired it's long ranged weapons while Bumblebee, Alice's Pegasus, and Cera's Akatsuki charged forward as Optimus held the Star Saber in one hand and the Sky-Boom Shield in the other, his optics narrowing with his weapons glowing brightly.
Walking into the vault on his warship that contained the Forge of Solus Prime, Megatron approached the mighty hammer that hadn't even been touched since it's acquisitioned some time ago. Ever since then, it's just sat there on the table and gathered dust. But that was about to change.
Megatron took a moment to feel his new appendage. His original right arm had been severed at the joint near the elbow and replaced with that of Liege Maximo. True to his intent, thanks to the regenerative properties of the Dark Energon within his veins, his new arm looked just that, brand new. He felt his fingers and could feel this arm as if it were his very own.
"Ah… yes." The leader of the Decepticons chuckled as he reached forward to grab the Forge with his new limb.
The second the stolen hand made contact with the Forge, it activated. Its inner mechanisms moved for perhaps the first time in eons while energy sparked from inside. Megatron lifted the active Forge high above his head as he couldn't contain his excitement.
"At long last… the power of the Primes belongs… to me!"
Done.
Yeah, just like that, Lelouch's well thought out and clever plan has gone sideways in perhaps the worst possible way. Shockwave had anticipated Jeremiah's defection and planned accordingly: stationing Shin, Anya, and the other Headmasters at each of the Thought Elevators with the newly upgraded Red Pawns, controlled remotely by Madd. The Thought Elevators themselves are being used to power a jammer-device that prevents the teams from communicating with their base and each other, as well as prevents any Groundbridge extractions. The extraction team within the fortress now has to deal with Arkveille who basically controls the entire Geass Order with his brain; while Optimus, Lelouch, and their group have to contend with Shockwave, the upgraded Nemesis Prime, and his most dangerous creations. Even with the Star Saber and Sky Boom Shield in his possession, it's sure to be an uphill battle.
I want to clarify something real quick, just to make sure you understand. Shockwave's formula of a Red-Synthetic Energon does not provide the same kind of hyper speed that the natural one does, but it's still incredibly fast as one of them can handle a veteran Autobot in single combat. Naturally, the same kind of energy that is now being used to generate an electric field around Nemesis Prime also provides him with a boost in speed and the ability to fly.
But what's worse, Megatron can now use the Forge of Solus Prime! He's taken the hand of Liege Maximo, one of the Thirteen (and yes, his hand is green here as opposed to red, I don't know why the animators didn't just make it green, it shouldn't have been that hard). And yes, he will have his Fusion Canon installed into his new arm, with the Forge's power it shouldn't be that hard. But we all know what the first thing he'll make is.
How will our heroes manage to prevail in this harrowing battle? The most epic clash in this series so far has begun!
Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there.
(Also, don't forget to look at the poll)