a/n: So... I got plot bunnies for another RWBY/Transformers crossover. This one isn't replacing A Girl and Her Bike, but it's not connected to it either. This is an entirely new continuity.
Prologue: In the Light of the Broken Moon
Optimus Prime reclined in his chair on the bridge of the Ark as he reflected over recent events. Had he made the right call? Would the Autobots stationed on Cybertron be okay without him? Would Cybertron itself survive the coming war?
"Prime!" a yellow Autobot shouted, snapping Optimus out of his musings, "Something's approaching us, fast!"
BOOM!
The entire Ark rattled.
"Chromia! Ironhide! I want our weapons online!" Optimus ordered as he rose to his feet, "All hands, prepare for battle!"
Prowl and J-422 kept their guns trained on the smoke-filled corridor.
"Don't shoot until you see the lights of their optics," Prowl cautioned.
"Don't forget to turn the safety off, either," J-422 reminded her comrade with a smirk.
"That was one time!"
Red pin-pricks of light shone through the smoke, and the two Autobots instantly ceased their banter to open fire.
BLAM!
A red blast tore through the air and passed between the two Autobots, the tailwind knocking both Autobots off their feet.
A hovering, self-propelled gun the size of a truck, the black barrel protruding from a white platform, which in turn was held in the air by black jets.
Then, the chassis loosened and shifted, allowing the weapon to unfold into a bipedal form. The torso was white, the arms and legs were black, the barrel of the gun moved to the right arm, and a helmed head with red optics emerged between the blocky shoulders.
"Yet two more lives lost to Optimus Prime's cowardice," the newcomer remarked with a snarl as more red lights shone through the smokescreen behind him, "Decepticons! Attack!"
"Hail Megatron!" the Decepticons chorused.
J-422 and Prowl, not being idiots, transformed into their vehicle modes, a white Cybertronian racer and a black Cybertronic hovercar respectively, and retreated down the hall.
"Prowl to bridge! A boarding party lead by Megatron has breached the hull!"
"We can fight him off!" the yellow Autobot declared as she raised her fist.
"Don't get cocky, B-127," Optimus cautioned her, "There's a reason we haven't been able to overthrow Megatron even with the Matrix of Leadership."
Ka-THUNK!
"Cosmos to bridge! Several cables have attached to the hull!" a higher voice shouted over the comms, "Meteorfire and I are trying to sever the cables! But our weapons aren't doing anything!"
"Don't worry about the cables for now!" Optimus ordered, "Get out of the way of the Ark's weapons! We'll need to take down Megatron's flagship if we're ever going to win this battle!"
"Understood!" Meteorfire replied, "But I'm not sure how much good destroying the Nemesis is going to do when our enemies are already on board the Ark!"
"Meteorfire, Cosmos, you were both built for space travel, correct?"
"Affirmative!" both Autobots chimed in.
"Then I need you both to head over to that nearby planet and wait for further orders," Optimus explained as he rose from his seat, "We need to be prepared for a worst-case scenario."
"Understood!" Meteorfire and Cosmos replied, before cutting off the commlink.
"Optimus…" Ironhide opened.
"If am captured or killed, we cannot allow Megatron to take the Matrix back to Cybertron," Optimus replied, "Full power to the thrusters, we need to get into that planet's orbit, between the atmosphere and that broken moon!"
"Lord Megatron!" Soundwave spoke up as he and Megatron took cover from the Autobot volley, "Sensors indicate that the Ark's thrusters have entered full burn. The Autobots appear to be planning to ram both our ships into the surface of that planet."
"So Optimus is so desperate to win that he'll kill us all," Megatron remarked as he primed his fusion cannon, "Pathetic." He stepped out of cover and pointed his weapon at the gathered Autobots.
"Take cover!"
BLAM!
BOOM!
"Laserbeak, Rumble, Eject!" Soundwave ordered as his chest compartment opened ejecting two cartridges, "Operation: Extermination!"
"Starscream to all forces!" a red, white, and gray Decepticon shouted into the Nemesis' PA system, "Decouple form the Ark immediately! We can send an expedition to salvage the Matrix from the remains of the-"
BANG!
"Gah!" Starscream grabbed his smoking shoulder.
"Dismiss that order," blue Decepticon with a red visor relayed into the system, "Do not let Starscream's cowardice keep us from victory."
"Cowardly?" Starscream gasped, "Just what do you take me for, Counterpunch?"
"An opportunist," Counterpunch replied as he turned a hard gaze on the other Decepticon, "We all know you've been coveting Megatron's position since before the war."
"How dare you?!" Starscream snapped, "I was simply acting as Megatron would if our positions were reversed! After all, we cannot return the Matrix to Cybertron if we are all dead!"
"Both of you, shut it," another voice chimed in as a purple and gold Decepticon stepped out of the shadows, "We Decepticons have always been prepared to give our lives for Cybertron, and Megatron is no different. Even he is expendable when the future of our species is on the line. However…" The Decepticon unsheathed Penance from his left hip and pointed the blade at Starscream's neck. "… He is only to be sacrificed as an absolute last resort. Are we clear?"
"Crystal!" Starscream squeaked.
A red, blue, and silver armored truck sped down the hall alongside a yellow and black Cybertronian courier, firing on and barreling through every Decepticon who tried to block their path.
"Optimus! Are you sure we'll need to use the contingency?" courier questioned as she kept pace with the Autobot leader.
"Even if we don't, it is better to err on the side of caution," the armored truck, Optimus, replied, "B-127, I have a mission for you."
The two vehicles came upon the escape pods and unfolded into robot mode.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," B-127 replied, "Scope out the alien planet, gather data, and provide periodic status updates. Standard routine."
"That is not all," Optimus clarified as he deployed a data slug from his thumb, "I need you to set up a base of operations for us to fall back to in the event that the Ark doesn't survive this battle. We may be forced to make our last stand on the surface of this planet."
BLAM!
A nearby wall exploded.
"GO!" Optimus ordered as he shoved the data slug into B-127's hand, "I will buy you time!"
"But Optimus!"
"That's an order!" the Autobot Leader shot back as Megatron emerged from the smoke.
B-127 hesitated for a brief second as Optimus deployed his Energon Axe from his right hand.
"If you die, I will kill you," she threatened, before diving into an escape pod and ejecting.
"Planning on fleeing with the Matrix?" Megatron questioned.
"I'm tired of running," Optimus declared as he deployed his Ion Blaster from his left hand and pointed it at Megatron, "Let's end this, here and now."
"Hah! Now you're speaking my language!" Megatron replied as he deployed his Energon Flail, "Let's make this battle one that will be remembered forever in Iacon's archives! One shall stand!"
"And one shall fall!" Optimus pointed his Ion Blaster behind him and fired, propelling himself towards Megatron.
"Well, this is just great," a red Autobot with flame decals groaned as Decepticon fire pinned him and Kup down in the mess hall, a table overturned to act as cover.
"Shut yer yappin', Hot Rod!" the elderly, green Autobot taking cover next to him snapped, "This is nothing compared to the Battle of Tyrest!"
"Now really isn't the time for one of your war stories!" Hot Rod whispered as a plasma blast heated and warped the edge of the table, "Unless it can help us get rid of these Decepticons."
"Well, I'm going to need a distraction to draw their fire," Kup explained.
Hot Rod sighed.
"If I die, I'm coming back to haunt you," he warned, before folding into vehicle mode. He immediately put the metal to the pedal and swerved out of the left side of the table, leaving a trail of flames as the Decepticons turned their weapons on him and fired, completely forgetting the green Autobot still behind the table.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Three Decepticons fell, and the remainder turned their attention to Kup as Hot Rod unfolded into robot mode, pointing his wrist mounted weapons at the rest of the Decepticons.
FWOOOM!
The surviving Decepticons folded into their jet and car modes to get away from the flames, the burning ones becoming easy pickings for the Autobots taking cover.
The non-burning jets, however, flew over the Autobot's cover and took aim at the newly exposed Autobots.
BRATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!
The Autobots scattered, abandoning their former cover, as one unlucky soldier was riddled with bullets, dropping his gun as pink liquid seeped from the holes in his greying corpse.
"Dammit," Kup cursed as the airborne Decepticons unfolded into robot mode and landed around the Autobots, surrounding them.
"Surrender, and your deaths will be painless," the lead Decepticon promised, "Resist, and you will spend what's left of your lives suffering."
Hot Rod growled as smoke rose from his flame jets, the surviving Decepticons priming their weapons for execution.
BLAM!
A wall opposite the entrance to the mess hall exploded, and two figures tumbled and grappled out of the smoke.
"Look at the devastation your actions have wrought, Optimus!" Megatron shouted, "How many more of our people must pointlessly die before you'll admit you were wrong?!"
Optimus kicked Megatron off of him and rose to his feet.
"And how many of those deaths were at the hands of you and your followers?" the Autobot leader asked as he brandished his weapons, "Your reign of terror ends here!"
Kup grinned.
"Look everyone! The Arisen stands before us!" he shouted, "Watch! He has this handled!"
Dammit Kup! Optimus resisted the urge to shout as every Decepticon in the room aimed their guns at him, I can't focus on Megatron if every Decepticon in the fragging galaxy is gunning for me!
Optimus considered his options in the precious seconds afforded to him.
If the Autobots hadn't lowered their weapons and started cheering in response to Kup's words, they could have rallied against the Decepticons. If Optimus tried to order them to fight now, however, the Decepticons would easily kill most of them before they had time to react.
However, if he tried to fight every Decepticon in the room, not only would he most definitely die, but Megatron would also get his hands on the Matrix.
"Decepticons!" Megatron called out as he raised his arm, "FI-"
"What a coward you turned out to be," Optimus interrupted.
Megatron's words died in his voicebox.
"Excuse me?" he growled.
"All your talk of sacrifice, while you hide behind your weaker soldiers," Optimus elaborated, "You've sacrificed nothing! Only bled your people dry while you claim all the glory!" The Prime laughed. "Even now, you're too scared of me to fight without an army!"
"… I'm going to enjoy smelting shut that insolent mouth of yours," Megatron seethed, "HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Megatron pointed his fusion cannon at Optimus. "This one's all mine…"
BLAM!
Optimus folded into robot mode and let the blast sailed right over him.
Woosh!
The tailwind of the blast hit, lifting Optimus off the ground, but the Autobot calmly reverted to robot mode and pointed his Ion Blaster at Megatron.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Megatron spun his Energon Flail in front of him, parrying each blast with the chain.
Optimus charged forward and swung his Energon Axe at the chain.
CLINK!
The chain wrapped around the head of the axe, holding it in place.
"You've trapped yourself, Optimus!" Megatron boasted as he pointed his fusion canon at the Autobot's head.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Optimus declared, before folding back into vehicle mode.
SNAP!
The chain shattered.
Vrrrrrrrroooooom!
Optimus charged directly into Megatron's chest at top speed, forcing the Decepticon leader to grind his heels into the ground and grab onto the sides of Optimus' vehicle mode.
With a roar, the Emperor of Destruction spun around and threw Optimus at the ceiling.
The Autobot leader unfolded into robot mode and pointed his Ion Blaster behind him.
BANG!
The recoil propelled Optimus towards Megatron as the Decepticon leader raised his fusion cannon. The weapon began to hum as the inside of the barrel glowed.
Optimus swung his Energon Axe at the side of Megatron's Energon cannon.
Ka-THUNK!
The axe embedded itself in the side of the barrel, which began to sputter and smoke.
KRATHWOOM!
The blast propelled Optimus and Megatron away from each other as the Energon Axe's shards scattered throughout the room.
Optimus redeployed his right hand as Megatron skidded to a halt next to a gunmetal grey corpse, the remains of his Fusion Cannon engulfed in flames.
Megatron scanned his surroundings, before noticing something obscured by the remains of one of the overturned tables.
"Please, Optimus, show some mercy!" he begged as he reached for the obscured object.
"You, who are without mercy, now plead for it?" Optimus remarked as he approached Megatron, "I thought you were made of sterner stuff!"
"Optimus, look ou-"
"Quiet you!" Kup snapped as he clamped a hand over Hot Rod's mouth and held him in place to keep him from rushing in, "Optimus knows what he's-"
Megatron pointed the gun he found at Optimus and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Optimus cried out as sparks and shrapnel exploded from his chest with every shot.
"Not so godlike now, are you Prime?" Megatron gloated as he rose to his feet and pulled the trigger a fourth time.
BANG!
The blast knocked Optimus off his feet, smoke rising from the hole Megatron had burned in his chest.
The Decepticons cheered as the Autobots watched on in horror.
"Even if I die here, someone else will rise to stop you," Optimus warned as he tried to raise his Ion Blaster.
Megatron smirked as he grabbed the Prime's left arm.
"They will share your fate," Megatron taunted as he placed his right leg on Optimus' chest. With a grunt of effort, he ripped Optimus' left arm out of its socket, severing the cables connecting it to his torso, smoke, sparks, and pink liquid pouring from the severed limb. "Kill them all," Megatron ordered as he reached through the hole in Optimus' chest, "We have what we came for."
"All forces… Abandon ship…" Optimus forced out as the lights faded from his optics.
Hot Rod warmed up his flame jets as Megatron removed the Matrix of Leadership from Optimus' chest compartment, every Decepticon in the room pointing their guns at the nearest Autobot.
"Hot Rod! Don't be a hero!" Kup shouted as he folded into vehicle mode to dodge gunfire, many of his comrades getting their brain modules and Spark chambers blown out by Decepticon weaponry, "We can't warn the others if we're dead!"
Hot Rod, to his credit, tried to fight, but he could only torch one Decepticon before taking a shot to the shoulder and realizing he, Kup, and maybe Optimus were the only living Autobots left in the room.
"You won't get away with this!" Hot Rod warned as he folded into vehicle mode and followed Kup out of the hallway.
"I should say the same to you," Megatron taunted as he slung Optimus' unconscious body over his shoulder, "Megtron to Nemesis! We have what we came for! Prepare for the boarding party to return!"
"So, Lord Megatron actually did it," Counterpunch noted as he approached a one-eyed Decepticon. The room was primarily black and purple, with a ring taking up most of the back wall.
"Did you have something to tell me?" the one-eyed Decepticon asked as he continued his work on the terminal, "Or do you only wish to relay information I have already logged."
"Touchy," Counterpunch snarked, "What are we gonna do with the Ark, Shockwave?"
"The Autobots abandoned ship shortly after we recaptured their leader," the one-eyed Decepticon answered as he pulled a lever, "Once the prisoner has been secured, we'll syphon its core for power and return to Cybertron."
The ring hummed to life as a vortex opened within it.
One by one, the Decepticons whom had boarded the Ark spilled out.
First came the footsoldiers.
Then, Soundwave, his Deployers, and the Combaticons.
Finally, Megatron himself stepped through. His Fusion Cannon was ruined, the Matrix was in his right hand, and Optimus' body was slung over his left shoulder.
"Lord Megatron!" Counterpunch gave a quick bow, before glancing at the Autobot slung over Megatron's shoulder, "Is he…"
"He'll live," Megatron stated as the Ground Bridge closed behind him, "For now."
CLANG!
Optimus' body hit the floor.
"Take him to the brig," the Decepticon leader ordered, "He will stand trial on Cybertron, be found guilty of treason, and then executed in the Pits of Kaon after I've resolved the energy crisis." The Emperor of Destruction turned to walk out of the room. "Only when he sees that his treason was unnecessary will he be allowed the final mercy of death."
"Of course, Lord Megatron," Counterpunch promised with a bow.
Optimus groaned as he regained consciousness.
"On your feet, Prime," a gruff voice ordered as something yanked his remaining arm and pulled him to his feet.
"Punch?"
"That's Counterpunch to you!' the speaker warned as he twisted Optimus' arm around his back, before whispering into his ear, "What the fragging Pit happened?"
"Hero worship," Optimus groaned.
Counterpunch sighed as he led Optimus out of the room and down the hall.
"Any big ideas?" he asked.
"The engines?"
"Straight down that way, just past the brig," Counterpunch answered, "You sure?"
"Megatron cannot be allowed to return with the Matrix," Optimus replied, "Trapping him here is our last hope."
Hours passed.
"We're almost at the brig!" Counterpunch snapped, "This war is over." He leaned forward to whisper in Prime's ear. "Make it look convincing."
"For once, we agree," Optimus stated, before deploying his second Ion Blaster from his remaining arm.
BANG!
The recoil tore Optimus' arm free from Counterpunch's grasp, allowing him to whirl around-
BANG!
-And shoot Counterpunch in the shoulder.
Optimus didn't stick around to see if Counterpunch would recover. He simply folded into vehicle mode and drove away as two other Decepticons rushed ahead to check up on Counterpunch.
"W-459 to bridge!" One of them called over the comms. "Optimus shot Counterpunch! He's headed for the engines!"
Optimus sped along, firing the gun on top of his cabin at every Decepticon who tried to block his path, pushing his own motor to its limits until the engine-room's door was plainly ahead.
CRASH!
Optimus Prime barreled through the closed door and unfolded into robot mode, pointing his remaining Ion Blaster at the Nemesis' engine.
"OPTIMUS STOP!" Megatron barreled in after him in vehicle mode and unfolded into robot mode, "Without the Matrix, our race is doomed! Even YOU must realize that!"
Optimus glanced over his shoulder at Megatron for a split second, before turning straight ahead.
"'Til all are one!"
"NO!"
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
KRABOOOOM!
A massive explosion blew a hole in the side of the Nemesis as the thrusters sputtered out, allowing the Ark to pull her into the nearby planet's atmosphere.
The Nemesis deployed and fired all of her weapons at the Ark, disabling the other ship's engines, but it was too late.
The cables snapped from the strain of the forces exerted on them, affectively catapulting the Nemesis and Ark away from each other, the Nemesis soaring North as it plummeted from the sky.
Inside the ship, Megatron and Optimus clung to the frayed cables the explosion had exposed, Optimus hanging on with his remaining hand as Megatron struggled against the g-forces to try and pull himself back onboard.
Two red lights pierced the smoke.
"Soldier! Help me!" Megatron ordered, "Optimus' stay of execution just expi–"
BANG!
The blast struck Megatron in the shoulder, causing him to lose his grip and plummet into the blizzard below.
His screams were soon drowned out by the howling winds.
"You recovered the meteor that landed outside Mantle?" General Ironwood asked as the scientist lead him down the hall.
"It seems to have broken off from the main meteor that landed further North," the scientist answered, "But…"
"But what?" the General asked.
"I think you should see this for yourself," the scientist answered as the two of them stepped into the lab, and Ironwood's voice died in his throat.
It was heavily battered, didn't have any limbs, and chunks of metal were missing from the torso and face, but it was undeniably a giant, metal man.
"By the Brothers," he finally forced out.
"We're still analyzing it, but it doesn't appear to run on Dust," the scientist explained, "And… It has something closely resembling a human nervous system."
James Ironwood glanced up at the mechanical shape.
"This is not how I thought my first day as General would go," he muttered.
"We're currently trying to figure out what stimulus it'll respond to," the scientist explained, "Whatever this thing is supposed to do, some of the machinery inside it appears to still be-"
The metal man's eyes lit up red.
"I… Still… Function…" it choked out.
Everyone fell silent.
"Where… Am… I?" the giant asked.
Nobody made a sound.
Not until the General cleared his throat.
"You're in the Atlas Military Base," the General explained, "I am General James Ironwood, who are you?"
a/n: Okay first, credit where credit is due: W-459's name was ssjSega's idea (can't remember if it was his or my idea to call Jazz "J-422" though), and Kup screwing over Optimus was based off of an analysis of Optimus and Megatron's final battle in G1 by Matrix Dragon. She pointed out that Optimus would've lived if Kup hadn't insisted that they let Optimus fight Megatron alone. Like, all they had to do was shoot Megatron. And honestly, Megatron would've shot Optimus anyway even if Hot Rod hadn't tackled him! He would've shot Optimus even sooner if Hot Rod hadn't tackled him.
J-422 is based off of an unused idea the staff of Cyberverse had, where Jazz would've been a girl if she had appeared on screen. Alas, she was only ever mentioned.
Speaking of, everyone's favorite yellow Autobot is a girl here.
If that bothers you, then too bad.
Merry Christmas if you celebrate it, and Happy Whatever You Celebrate if you don't! If you're not reading this in the Holiday Season, then disregard that previous statement!
I'll see you all next time.
