Darkness Rising Part 3 of 5
Airachnid was with Jack outside of Jasper, preparing to go to the Decepticon base. She was at a stop sign, Jack was riding, helmet on.
"Hold tight, Jack." Airachnid suddenly warned.
Jack barely registered the words when Airachnid suddenly accelerated, taking off up the road while performing a wheelie.
The boy chuckled, noticing a change in the two wheeler's behavior. "Whoa! What's with you, Airachnid?" Jack said.
The Decepticon stopped performing the wheelie. "Sorry for that, I thought you might actually enjoy the ride if we weren't getting shot at." Airachnid explained.
Jack smiled underneath his helmet. "Oh, bring it." He said with determination.
Not too far away, Ravage was at the top of a rocky hill, Miko was on his back, while Soundwave and the other minicons were inside her backpack.
"Ready, set…" Miko eagerly began.
"Uh, Miko, I'm supposed to be protecting you, and I'm not sure this qualifies." Ravage said.
"Ravage, I'm holding onto a robotic mountain lion with moves. I'm protected." Miko assured him.
"Okay, If you say so, here goes nothing." Ravage said as he began to run down the hill.
The only thing that came next was Miko and Ravage screaming in excitement.
Elsewhere, Breakdown was parked off the road, he and Raf were playing a video game about racing on the screen above the gear shift. Raf was in the lead, but at the last second, Breakdown passed him and won.
"AWWW." Raf groaned in frustration and defeat.
Breakdown's steering wheel spun around. "I WIN!" The Stunticon cheered.
Raf chuckled. "No fair, Break. You've been driving a lot longer than I have."
IN THE DECEPTICON BASE, IT WAS KNOCK OUT WHO WAS STUDYING THE PURPLE OOZE. HE HAD MANAGED TO CONVINCE SHOCKWAVE TO TAKE A BREAK, FOR THE SCIENTIST HAD BEEN ANALYZING IT FOR QUITE A WHILE
"As much as I like our new little friends, it is nice to have some peace and quiet." Knock confessed as he looked into a microscope.
Suddenly, he heard something like a falling wrench.
"Huh?" The medic said before he looked around for the source of the noise.
When he saw nothing, he went back to studying the purple substance.
Then he heard a scurrying along the floor.
"Guys?" He said, but then he gasped in shock when he saw a small metallic spider-like creature making a bee line for him. "By the Allspark!"
The creature leapt into the air and prepared to attack Knock Out, but he was quick enough to swat it out of the way, but It went for another try. He changed his hands into buzzsaws and tried to slice the creature, but it avoided the saws swinging, it hid behind the microscope and cut it in half. "Hey, I just buffed that!"
The creature tried to attack again, but a laser bolt blasted the creature out of the air. Knock Out turned to the shooter and his savior was Shockwave.
"Nice shot." The medic complimented, while Shockwave nodded.
But suddenly the creature jumped over Shockwave and made him overbalance and fall. But fortunately, another shot took it down, coming from Megatron's fusion cannon. The creature was getting up when Knock Out squashed it and destroyed it for good.
"And stay down!" Knock Out said.
It was at that moment Starscream, Steve and Stinger came rushing into the command center.
"We heard a commotion, what happened?" Starscream asked, entering the hall running.
"That!" Knock Out pointed to the now destroyed metal spider.
"It seems that the substance we found on Airachnid brought the broken item to life." Shockwave said.
"But that's just a piece of scrap. It can't come alive, can it?" asked Steve.
"What kind of substance is that?" Starscream questioned as he saw the purple substance oozing out.
"I have an idea." Megatron began. "Dark Energon." He was then met with five shocked faces.
MEANWHILE INSIDE THE HYBERION, THE AUTOBOT LEADER HAD FINISHED ABSORBING THE DARK SUBSTANCE, AND STILL IN HIS NORMAL STATE
"Prime, are you alright, my liege?" Strongarm asked.
"I can feel it; it's as if the blood of Unicron flows through my veins. As if I hear his thoughts. Now I know what I must do, but I require a testing ground. Fortunately, I know where to do that." Optimus said, taking another shard.
"And what can we do to assist you, master?" Ratchet asked.
"Remain in your posts. Continue energon recovery and await my commands." Optimus said as he went to the ship's hanger and jumped to Earth's surface. Just before landing, he turned into a new vehicle, an Earth heavy semi-trailer truck with his same colors.
Inside the ship, Ultra Magnus was watching him through a monitor and believed that this was his chance.
"Autobots, I fear that when Optimus has reached from the stars, he came down with a touch of madness."
"You believe that Dark Energon has infected his mind?" Bulkhead asked.
"From my point of view, Optimus Prime has not been at sound judgment since his return. We must increase global surveillance." Ultra Magnus answered.
Blaster responded by replaying Optimus's last words.
"I am not deaf! But if Megatron lives, I believe it is in our master's best interest that we ensure his enemy's destruction." Ultra Magnus shouted.
"Prime didn't order us anything related to that, we have our orders." Strongarm replied.
"Consider this an extra duty, and if we do it fine maybe our master will reward us properly by our service. So, begin the proper operations to find our enemies."
"Well, we lose nothing by trying." Nautica added.
"Fine, but don't you say we didn't warn you." Ratchet said before returning back to his laboratory.
Inside the Decepticon base, the Decepticons were placing the dead creature inside a container cylinder to dispose of it.
"If the residue Airachnid found on Wildspark brought this broken equipment to life, it would stand to reason that the very same substance brought Wildspark back from the dead." Megatron deduced.
"That could explain his signal coming back online." Knock Out theorized.
"Maybe, but dark energon? It's so scarce that it's supposed to be virtually nonexistent. What would it be doing on Earth?" Starscream asked.
"It was transported by Optimus." Megatron answered.
"For what logical purpose?" Shockwave asked.
"To conquer this planet, and every other world, even Cybertron, by raising an army of the undead."
"Well, Prime will need to break quite a few toaster ovens. I mean, besides us and his own soldiers, where on this world would he find that many cybertronian dead?" Starscream questioned.
Before Megatron could answer, the other Decepticons returned with the 3 children, all of them very cheerful. Airachnid and Breakdown transformed, while Miko unzipped her backpack and let Soundwave and the other fourteen minicons transform.
"Decepticons, prepare to...!" Megatron began until he saw the humans.
"Rise up?" Airachnid concluded.
"Remain here. Starscream, Knock Out, Shockwave, you'll come with me. Soundwave, we'll be outside of communications range for sometime. So I'm putting you in charge."
"Megatron, with all due respect, playing bodyguard is one thing but babysitting is another. Besides, Shockwave hasn't been on the field since the fall of the Nemesis." Airachnid protested.
"My combat skills may be lacking, but my auditory skills are sharp as ever!" Shockwave shouted.
"It seems that for the moment it will only be reconnaissance." Starscream added.
"Then why do I hear an edge in your voice?"
"Airachnid, much has changed in the last 24 hours, and we all need to adapt. Soundwave, bridge us out." Megatron said while Soundwave opened the ground bridge portal.
The four Decepticons went through it and disappeared.
"Ok chief, so...what's on the activities list?" Jack asked Soundwave.
"I'm going on patrol." said Steve.
"But Megatron told us to stay." Breakdown argued.
"There's nothing else to-do. Stinger, with me." Steve concluded.
"Oh, alright." Stinger complained before transforming and leaving the base with Steve.
"So, uh, what's on the activities list?" Breakdown asked, but Soundwave and Ratbat were gone.
"Where are Soundwave and Ratbat?" Asked Miko.
Suddenly, everyone heard music coming from the med-bay which was Soundwave who was playing Ratbat as a Guitar.
"Whoa, I didn't know you played music." said Miko.
Ratbat then transformed into her robot form.
"Oh, he does." answered Ratbat.
"How long has he been playing?" asked Miko.
"As long as we known him." answered Laserbeak.
"I haven't heard this song in a long time. It was sis's favorite song." said Buzzsaw.
"I like music too." said Miko, then she got an idea.
"How about, band practice?!" Miko said excitedly.
"But we're not a band." Raf said.
"Why so antisocial? Come on Raf, you play anything?"
"Hum, keyboard?"
"Laptops and techno sounds, good. Jack?"
"I sometimes mess around with a harmonica." Jack answered.
"Oh, okay, Soundwave do you and Ratbat want to join in?"
Soundwave and Ratbat nodded.
Miko and Soundwave started playing. But unfortunately, the green lights stopped them.
"It's the proximity sensor. Quick, hide!" Breakdown shouted as the children hid behind them.
The elevator reached the level and agent Fowler came out, very furious.
"Megatron!" Fowler shouted.
"Agent Fowler, he's not here. Nobody's here, except me, Breakdown, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Ratbat, Buzzsaw, Garboil, Wingthing, Howlback, Glit, Enemy, Flipsides, Overkill and Slugfest." said Airachnid.
"Where did he go? Don't tell me that he's looking for parts in a scrapyard. Now I don't know what language you speak in your planet, but Megatron promised that he would handle the Autobots, and blowing a crater in the middle of Nebraska is not what the word to handle means in English. So tell Megatron…" Fowler said, until he heard the sound of the guitar and saw it. "Do you Cons like electronic music?"
Miko knew that he already saw it, so it was pointless to remain hidden. "Hey, how are you doing?"
"CIVILIANS! CHILDREN! WHAT, BY UNCLE SAM'S STAR-SPANGLED-HAT, DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!" yelled Fowler.
"I don't know what 'KEEP A LOW PROFILE' or 'DON'T attract attention' means on your planet, but here on earth, that means avoiding civilians, NOT 'let's give three children the run of your top-secret alien base." explained Fowler.
"So, what's your amazing explanation? What possible reason do you have for endangering three children!?" asked Fowler.
Soundwave and his fifteen minicons stood up.
"THEY ARE STAYING!" yelled Laserbeak.
"They've been attacked by the autobots." said Rumble.
"And past experience tells us that Magnus is highly intelligent to target them again." added Frenzy.
"With us they at least have our protection." replied Ravage.
"We doubt your people could provide the same level of protection." added Ratbat.
"We cannot in good conscience leave their fate in your hands, Fowler." finished Buzzsaw.
"So THAT'S how it's going to be isn't it? We'll have to see what the PENTAGON has to say about this. You haven't heard the last of this." Fowler said as he walked back to the elevator.
"Scarp." Breakdown said, knowing what would happen next.
Meanwhile Megatron, Starscream, Knock Out and Shockwave were in the middle of a deserted canyon.
"Megatron, what exactly do we hope to find here?" Starscream asked.
"The site of the largest cybertronian battlefield in this galaxy." answered Megatron.
"On Earth? It cannot be, there were other more important places related with Cybertron." Knock Out said.
"Do either of you recall the period late in the war when both sides began hiding their energon spoils off world?" asked Megatron.
"Of course, It's the reason why energon deposits exist on planets such as this one." Shockwave replied.
"And the same reason battles came to be waged on planets such as this one. And I fear Optimus's memory is as long as history itself." Megatron concluded.
Agent Fowler took off his helicopter and began to travel to his military base. On his way he decided to contact his superiors.
"Sir, agent Fowler, we have a situation. I'm en-route from the Decepticon base; I'll brief you in person."
Unfortunately, Blaster managed to intercept that transmission.
"Decepticon base? HAHAHA, humans, always the weak link. This is a chance I cannot let go, if I discover the location of our enemies' headquarters alone, surely Optimus will reward me as never. Ratchet, send Sundot to bring that Fowler to me so I can make him speak, by my way!" Ultra Magnus shouted.
"Go Sundor, and abduct that human." Ratchet said as he released the purple and black bird-like Minibot.
Speaking of Fowler, he continued flying until he picked up something on the radar.
"Strange, this is not an air route."
Suddenly, he saw Sundor in the distance coming very close to him.
"What in the world?"
But he managed to evade it.
"First the roads and now the air becomes dangerous too?"
He flew near a canyon with Sundor dead on his trail, trying to take down his helicopter, but he managed to overtake it and hide. Now Fowler was chasing Sundor.
"The hunted becomes the hunter. And here is my present for you, Bot."
Fowler aimed his gun at Sundor and fired, making Sundor receive some hits and trying to get away, until he ran out of bullets. Sundor took advantage of the situation and cut off the helicopter's tail.
"There's not a Decepticon around when you really need one."
Fowler tried to stabilize the helicopter, but Sundor unleashed two mechanical legs with claws to grab Fowler. Fortunately, Fowler was able to push an SOS button before he was pulled off by the Minibot, heading back to the Hyperion, leaving the helicopter remains being destroyed. Another alarm was blazing all around the base. Soundwave and the fifteen minicons walked to the computer while the kids had their ears covered.
"My ears!" Raf complained.
"It's an SOS. From Fowler." Laserbeak said as she tried to see what was going on, but the alarm went off very quickly.
"Did Soundwave trace it?" asked Miko.
"The location scan was incomplete." answered Ravage.
"Oh well." replied Breakdown.
"Oh well, seriously?" Jack said.
"Fowler is a jerk." said Airachnid.
"Look, whether you like it or not, the Autobots may have Fowler."
"And Fowler knows your location...and our location." Raf whimpered, afraid.
"Didn't you notice how quickly Fowler backs down from a Con? The Bots will totally make him squeal!" Miko finished.
"But we lost the transmission, Fowler could be anywhere." Laserbeak reminded.
"Maybe I can narrow it down." Raf said as he opened his laptop. "About five years ago the government started microchipping their agents, you know, like owners do with pets." Everyone was impressed as Raf was typing. "What? I saw it on TV. Anyway, if I hack into the federal government mainframe maybe I can pinpoint agent Fowler's location."
"You know how to hack? But you look like...two years old." Miko said, impressed.
"Twelve…and a quarter." Raf smiled.
Meanwhile, Fowler was in the worst place of all: in the interrogation room of the Autobot warship.
"One Decepticon ally, as you requested, commander." Nautica said as she dropped Fowler to the floor.
"So you must be agent Fowler. I'm commander Ultra Magnus, the one in charge of this spaceship."
"You can consider yourself lucky; you are the first human who walks on this ship."
Fowler immediately stood up and confronted Ultra Magnus. "You treat all your guesses this way?"
"All allies of the Decepticons." Ultra Magnus responded.
"Decepticons? Oh, you're talking about the new generation of car washes." Fowler said, pretending to not know what that meant.
"Ugh, let me clear something to you, human. I don't have much patience, especially with human humor, so this is how it's supposed to be: answer my questions right and without false clues, or you're going to end up very wrong. Make our guest comfortable." Ultra Magnus ordered an Autobot soldier.
Meanwhile, in the base…
"Latitude 39.5, Longitude 116.9." Raf said.
Soundwave proceeded to activate the ground bridge.
"Come on Breakdown!" said Airachnid.
"Sure, sure." replied Breakdown before he and Airachnid went through the vortex.
"Guess the fifteen of us will be looking after you three." Laserbeak said, but suddenly she, Soundwave, Miko and the other minicons saw that Jack and Raf weren't with them. "Jack? Raf?"
The ground bridge transported Breakdown and Airachnid to a big canyon.
"Fowler? Oh scrap." Breakdown said as he and Airachnid hid behind some rocks because of something that was very near. "The whole Autobot shebang, this is not going to be easy."
The Hyperion was landed in the middle of the canyon with lots of Autobot troopers guarding the surroundings.
"Alright, what's the plan?"
"Jack! Raf!" Airachnid said shocked. Breakdown gave the two boys a signal to remain quiet.
But it was too late; an Autobot tank discovered the two boys and aimed his weapon at them.
"Halt in the name of Optimus Prime, you worthless insects."
"Oh, unwise." Raf said.
"Jack, Raf, get down!" Breakdown shouted.
The two boys managed to evade the shot, and before the Autobot could fire again Breakdown and Airachnid tackled him. The three robots began fighting, Breakdown using his fists, Airachnid using her webs and the Autobot trying to immobilize them and shot them with his cannon to the backs. Finally, Breakdown and Airachnid managed to control their enemy and stay away from the cannon.
"Hold on still!" Jack said trying to harm the Autobot with a rock, but it did nothing to his armor.
Airachnid took Jack away as Breakdown and the Autobot were engaged in an arm lock.
"Jack, look away!"
"But…"
"Turn your head away now!"
Breakdown ripped out the tank's cannon and nailed it inside the Autobot's spark chamber.
"Woau." That was Raf's answer for what he saw.
"This is too complicated for only two Cons, even for an Insecticon and a Stunticon. Better call for backup." Breakdown deduced as he took Raf with him behind a rock. "Steve, Stinger, do you read."
"Loud and clear." Steve responded with Stinger next to him.
"We have a situation here."
"What's the situation Breakdown?" Steve asked before Breakdown explained. "You and Airachnid are where?! And the boys are with you?!" Stinger said.
Inside the base, Miko, Soundwave and the minicons were very worried.
"What should we do?" Miko asked, worried.
"Jack's drawn to danger like a scraplet to cyber-matter and Raf hasn't seen the Bots in action like you and Jack." Ravage said.
"I should go. They might need me."
"(NO RAVAGE, YOU'RE NOT GOING)" chattered Soundwave.
"Why not? Is this about Prowl? I'll be with Airachnid and Breakdown! I'm not going to get caught again!" said Ravage.
"Why can't all fifteen of you go?" asked Miko.
"You can't operate a groundbridge remotely!" said Laserbeak.
"Yeah, someone's got to stay to open the bridge." added Rumble.
"Hey! Couldn't you set the coordinates to a meeting point?" asked Miko.
Soundwave thought about it and decided to let Miko operate the groundbridge. So Miko activated the groundbridge and Soundwave, Laserbeak, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Ratbat, Buzzsaw, Garboil, Wingthing, Howlback, Glit, Enemy, Flipsides, Overkill and Slugfest went through.
"Steve to base, come in."
"I'm here Steve I've sent Soundwave, Laserbeak, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Ratbat, Buzzsaw, Garboil, Wingthing, Howlback, Glit, Enemy, Flipsides, Overkill and Slugfest to help Airachnid and Breakdown. What do you need?" asked Miko.
"Listen Miko, I need you to bridge me and Stinger to the location where you sent Soundwave and the minicons." Steve answered.
"Groundbridge is online." Miko said as she opened the groundbridge for Steve and Stinger.
"Thanks Miko. Stinger, let's hurry to get there." Steve said as he and Stinger went through the vortex.
Inside the interrogation room of the Hyperion, Fowler was chained up around the arms and hanging from the ceiling, accompanied by Ultra Magnus and a couple of Autobot soldiers.
"Listen to me, agent Fowler. I have only one simple question that will save your kind the pain of grieving. Tell me the location of the Decepticon base." Ultra Magnus said as he put one of his fingers at Fowler's throat.
"No problem, but I need to ask you about something first." Fowler said.
"What exactly?"
"I got an issue with the customer service here. Can I speak to the manager?"
"RRRR GGGG, I told you that I don't have patience with your games, and no one has more authority than me! Electrify the chains!" Ultra Magnus groaned.
The chains were covered with electricity, but it seems that they affect Fowler only a little.
"Is that the best you got?" Fowler asked.
"Oh, so you are a very resistant human, the hardest to bow down, my favorite ones. Bring the energon probe." Ultra Magnus answered.
Breakdown, Airachnid, Jack and Raf were still outside the Hyperion waiting for help.
"What's taking them so long?" Breakdown wondered.
"Dude, the Bots could be putting the claims on Fowler right now. Let's just storm the joint." Jack suggested.
Suddenly they saw a ground bridge portal.
"Ah, they're here, finally." Airachnid said, but they were shocked to see Soundwave and the minicons.
"You left Miko behind back at base?" Breakdown exclaimed.
"She wanted to stay behind to operate the ground bridge." replied Ravage.
"More Decepticons, Stop them!" The Autobot squad leader ordered.
The Vehibots fired but Soundwave and the minicons avoided the blast and managed to takedown all of the auto-troopers but then they saw more of them coming. Jack's excitement soon became fear as he noticed the Autobot soldiers on the top of the ship aiming at them were controlling some outside turrets of the ship.
"Scrap." they all cursed.
Fowler was still inside the interrogation room with Ultra Magnus.
"I will ask nicely one last time. Where...is...the Decepticon...base?" Ultra Magnus said coldly.
"Sure thing, buddy. Right after you wash your teeth." Fowler answered.
"I can assure you that my teeth are more than clean." Ultra Magnus said, revealing a small device in his hand which generated blue electricity. He gave a small tap on Fowler's stomach which made him hurt. "So Ratchet was right, energon and the human nervous system don't mix." Ultra Magnus said with an evil smile.
Meanwhile in the desert canyon, the four Decepticons discovered a giant mass of dead cybertronians.
"For the first time in my life, Megatron, I had hoped that you were wrong." Starscream expressed.
Suddenly, they noticed a driving sound coming from the top of the cliff. Right there, they saw a heavy truck which turned into the nemesis of Megatron.
"Well, well. Megatron, been well? I see you brought your blind loyal second in command along with your medic and your rusty scientist. I believed that with his limited vision and only one useful hand he would be able to rust in a scrapyard by now." The Autobot warlord said.
"You must know that cybertronian tanks don't break up very easily." Shockwave said, pointing his cannon at Optimus.
"Why don't you invite him down here for a check-up?" Starscream said, pointing his missiles at him too.
"Indeed, what he said." Knock Out said, pointing his blasters at Optimus too.
"I know why you're here, Optimus." said Megatron.
"Hardly a surprise, Megatron. After all, you and I have been playing this little game of the protector and the conqueror for a very long time. But today, you shall meet your end!" Optimus declared before he threw his purple shard to the center of the battlefield.
Soon the area was being consumed by it.
"Rise, my unstoppable legion!" Optimus exclaimed as his eyes turned purple.
Soon all the dead reawakened, coming through the Earth.
"By the Allspark…" Starscream said terrified from the vision, the same as Shockwave and Knock Out while Megatron looked in horror at Optimus.
"BEHOLD, THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF UNICRON!" Optimus roared as his new undead army continued their advance toward the four Decepticons.
To be continued...