Chapter 8: Death Trap
Back in the Autobots base in Retoris, Ultra Magnus talks to the Autobots about Doomsayer and how it's shocking that he and his followers are back from their exile and now Doomsayer is the new leader of his New Decepticon Empire, not to mention that they heard the voice of Starscream and now he's probably working for Doomsayer.
"Autobots, Doomsayer has returned. Now that he's confirmed that he's the new leader of the Decepticons, he will not stop until he gets his hands on Unicron's Anti-Spark in order to bring back the Chaos Bringer himself." Ultra Magnus said to the Autobots. "And now that we know where to find the enemy, we must go to the Badlands and put a stop to the Decepticons' uprising before they begin their quest for revenge."
"How is it possible that Doomsayer came back from his exile, not to mention that he's still alive after all this time!?" Bulkhead exclaimed. "We thought that buckethead, Megatron, had him and his followers banished from Cybertron millions of stellar-cycles ago!" he said.
"Who is Doomsayer?" Orion Eclipse asked Bumblebee.
"Doomsayer was one of Megatron's former Decepticon generals." Bumblebee answered Orion's question, "Millions of stellar-cycles ago, during the Great War, Doomsayer was known for killing more than 300 Autobots. Doomsayer is a genocidal sociopathic criminal with a thirst for power. Let's just say he's a Decepticon you DON'T want to encounter!" he explained.
When Knockout heard the news that Doomsayer has returned from his exile, he was shocked and horrified. Orion Eclipse noticed the frightened look on the medic's face and Bumblebee could read the terrified expression on Knockout's face.
"Knockout? Are you alright?" Smokescreen asked the medic.
"I...I gotta go!" Knockout answered in a frightened tone of voice before he ran to his room to hide.
"What's with him? Is he...?" Orion Eclipse asked Bumblebee.
"I think he's just as shocked to hear about Doomsayer's return as we are." Bumblebee replied.
"I think we ALL are shocked. Who knows what Doomsayer is going to do next if he gets his hands on Unicron's Anti-Spark!" Springer exclaimed.
"What's an Anti-Spark?" Orion Eclipse asked.
"The Anti-Spark is Unicron's spark which was located in the center of Earth. When a Cybertronian who placed Dark Energon in their spark chamber dies, they are bound to Unicron's Anti-Spark instead of the AllSpark." Ironhide told Orion before he explains what a spark is, "And a Spark is the heart of every Cybertronian, which Energon flows through. It is a Transformer's soul and life force that resides within the chest and is protected by the Laser Core, the spherical shell that protects the Spark and connects it to the neural system. Every Cybertronian has one. If they don't, then they are probably deceased, unless they turn into a Terrorcon. It is shown that a spark has a heartbeat like those of humans and that Cybertronians are able to share their split spark with their fellow siblings."
"Wow. Now I've learned a LOT about Earth and humanity, but now I'm starting to learn more about alien robots from another world, which I just so happen to be born from." Orion Eclipse stated.
"We are called 'Cybertronians' because we were born and made on our planet, Cybertron," Springer said, "And we're also called 'Transformers' because we can transform into things like animals, vehicles, air-crafts, and even weapons," he told Orion.
"You don't happen to have a vehicle mode, do you?" Smokescreen asked Orion Eclipse.
"A what?" Orion said, confused. "Can you transform into something? Like a plane, a jet, or a car?" Smokescreen asked. "Um, no. I don't think I can transform into anything." Orion Eclipse replied. "Hmm. It would seem that you don't have a vehicle mode, yet you had a fusion cannon with you the whole time." Ironhide stated. "Now that you mentioned it, where did you Autobots put my fusion cannon exactly?" Orion asked.
"We put it in the weaponry chamber while you were out cold." Bumblebee answered. "We can give it back to you, but only for target practice." he said. "Don't you trust me?" Orion Eclipse asked. "We do. But we have yet to get to know more about you since the spirit of Optimus Prime you're our last hope at defeating the Decepticons and their new leader." Bumblebee said.
"That fusion cannon is not just a weapon, it's a part of my body." Orion Eclipse remarked. "We know. Don't worry; we'll give it back to you. Would you like to know more of Cybertron and it's history?" Bumblebee asked. "Do I? Sure." Orion replied.
Meanwhile, Ultra Magnus walks up to the Autobot medic, Ratchet, and he orders him to activate the ground bridge to the Badlands so that he and the Autobots could find the Decepticons' hideout and defeat Doomsayer and his armada.
"Ratchet, activate the ground bridge so that we can go to the Badlands." Ultra Magnus ordered the old medic.
"Are you sure, Ultra Magnus, sir?" Ratchet asked. "I might have a bad feeling that this could be a death trap set up by Doomsayer himself." He presumed.
"You may be right. However, Megatron is no longer an active threat since Doomsayer has taken his place as the new leader of the Decepticons. He could be plotting to lure us into his lair and then try to figure out where the Autobot base is." Ultra Magnus said.
"So let's just say that Doomsayer is asking for a fight or even a second Great War on Cybertron!" Bulkhead remarked.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's find Doomsayer and the Cons and make scrap out of them." Arcee said.
"Autobots, transform, and roll out!" Ultra Magnus said, using Optimus Prime's line.
Ratchet activates the ground bridge and the Autobots led by Ultra Magnus enter the portal before they left their base along with some Vehicons and they make their way to the Badlands. As for Orion Eclipse, he begins to learn more about Cybertron, Transformers, and other things with Springer and Ironhide teaching him. The Autobots that stayed in their base while their leader was on a mission to stop a new active threat have decided to treat the young Decepticon amnesiac with honor and respect. Orion Eclipse starts to befriend Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Ironhide, Springer, and Knockout before the Autobots take the young bot to the archives where they do some studies with him.
Meanwhile, Ultra Magnus and his Autobot troops have made their way to the Badlands which is located on Cybertron's eastern hemisphere, below the Hydrax Plateau. This was where the lower castes worked in the mines and industrial cities of Kaon, Blaster City, and Slaughter City, where gladiatorial combat began, and where Megatron created the Decepticons, where they expect to find Doomsayer and the Decepticons at their base, only to find the destroyed Omega Lock. The Autobots proceeded to search with caution while preparing to use their weapons to blast any Decepticon that would attack them.
"Keep an eye out for any Decepticons." Ultra Magnus told the Autobots.
"Yes, sir." Wheeljack agreed.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Bulkhead said.
Ultra Magnus, Bulkhead, Arcee, Wheeljack, and the Vehicons investigate the Badlands to look for any Decepticons as well as Doomsayer himself when they suddenly hear a strange noise that echoed in the distance. The noise sounded like a robotic shriek and the Autobots turned their heads to find the source of the noise when suddenly, danger happens as a Decepticon leap out of hiding and attacks one of the Vehicons.
"Decepticons!" Wheeljack yelled. "We're under attack!"
The Autobots looked at the random Decepticon and it looked a lot different than any of the Vehicons that used to work for the Decepticons and Megatron. The evil-looking Cybertronian's color scheme was black, gray, and dark purple with red eyes just like Doomsayer's. It was bigger than any of the Vehicons, its weapons consist of electro whips, claws, laser cannons, and immense strength. The Decepticon itself looked a lot more threatening than any of the Vehicons who were intimidated by it before the monster robot itself ripped a Vehicon's head off, spilling a few amounts of its Energon, much to the Autobots' shock.
"AAAAAAaaaagh!!!" one of the Vehicons screamed in terror.
"Autobots! Aim your weapons and FIRE!!!" Ultra Magnus ordered his comrades.
Ultra Magnus and the Autobots shoot their lasers at the Decepticon before more of its kind showed up to ambush our heroes. It was then that the Autobots realized that Doomsayer was lying when he said that the Decepticons base was located in the Badlands.
"It's a trap!" Bulkhead exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Doomsayer was in his actual lair while watching his enemies fight against his own Decepticons which he re-created into the more chaotic and dangerous types of robots. The warlord chuckled in sinister delight at the dismay of the Autobots as they struggle to fight against the New Decepticons that were a bit more difficult to destroy. Starscream smiled evilly as well as he had waited a long time for this moment: seeing the Autobots suffer while trying their hardest to defeat the New Decepticons.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You were right, Master! This deathtrap you set for the Autobots is brilliant, just BRILLIANT!" Starscream told Doomsayer before he continued to cackle.
"See? I told you exactly why I led the Autobots to where the destroyed Omega Lock is located at." Doomsayer said before he continued, "I wanted to see if the Autobots could ever stand a chance against my New Decepticon armada since I've made them stronger and faster than those worthless Vehicons." he stated.
"I can see why you actually FOOLED Ultra Magnus and his scouts into believing that our lair is located in the Badlands," Starscream replied.