Chapter 18: A Discovery of Horror

CONTENT WARNING: Gore (again, depending on what you consider gore)

Two of the three Decepticons just in Tennessee return to their faction's lair, location still unknown. Dropkick is a bit way behind them since he can't fly as of now. They present the Allspark fragment to Megatron.

Megatron: Impressive. Most impressive. I commend the both of you.

Shatter: Thank you Lord Me-

Lugnut: (Interrupts) IT IS AN HONOR TO BE PRAISED BY A BOT OF SUCH GREATNESS SUCH AS YOURSELF, MY LIEGE!

Megatron: (Yells) Lugnut, you know there is a difference between undying loyalty and overloyalty! Overloyalty is when you cannot shut the everloving scrap up about your superior to the point where even he hates it! If you are so undyingly loyal to me, then you will shut up about me!

Lugnut: (Quietly) Yes, my liege.

Clockwerk: Megatron, when will my new parts arrive?

Megatron: I cannot open a Spacebridge portal to Cybertron as that would take up too much Energon, but I did place down an order for all your necessary parts. What I did do is open a portal far enough out into space and sent Astrotrain out to get the parts. We will then portal him again back here when he is far enough when coming back from Cybertron. With those new parts, I am hoping and praying to Primus that you will finally be ready to prove yourself worthy as my new Decepticon second-in-command.

Clockwerk: It is such an honor that you have had much faith in me. I will do my best.

Megatron: I know you will. I guarantee it!

As Megatron is observing the fragment, Shockwave comes in.

Shockwave: Megatron. I have received word that you have retrieved a new fragment.

Megatron: Yes, so?

Shockwave: I know your likely answer if I ask you this….but can I borrow it? It's for an experiment. An ambitious one at that.

Megatron: What kind of experiment?

Shockwave: (Walks up close to Megs) one that involves….

He whispers into Megatron's ear….or whatever the Cybertronian equivalent is. What he whispers to him is unknown, but the look on Megatron's face when hearing it basically says "This could work well towards our cause in the long run".

Megatron: Normally, I wouldn't trust anyone with an Allspark fragment, but your idea sold me on giving it to you and you are one of my most loyal subjects…..that isn't insufferable! Plus, even if it doesn't work, there are still search parties out there looking for more fragments. They are bound to find something.

Megatron hands Shockwave the fragment.

Shockwave: Thank you Lord Megatron. I will not disappoint you.

Shockwave gets back to his lab. Penelope is there out of her Baronite body tinkering with things.

Shockwave: Penelope. I have been tasked with something important and will need your help.

Penelope: Alrighty, what is it, Shocky?

Shockwave: First things first. Before we start with it, your Baronite body needs a T-cog.

Penelope: You mean we can finally make it transform? Cool! But I thought we were low on those because of that transplant the other day?

Shockwave: Let me tell you that we actually have a secret stash of extra T-cogs. Megatron knows this. That transplant the other day and him saying that we were out? He just wanted Starscream to suffer….. as usual….. I am sending you to a secret room you have never been in. (hands her a code) You will need a code to get in.

Penelope in her Baronite body walks down the lair halls until she finds the entrance to the hidden room with the alleged T-cog stash. She enters the code and the doors open. It's dark, so she turns on the body's lights and what she sees next absolutely terrifies her…..

Dead. Autobot. Bodies.

About a dozen of them lay around. Lifeless. Some have torn off limbs as if they are being used for spare Decepticon parts. Most have their mouths wide open, as if their last moments were either them screaming or pleading for mercy. Although pretty scared, Penelope braves up a bit and just wants to get the T-cog and get out of there. She salvages the body of a short red Autobot that somewhat resembles Bumblebee. She finds the cog and gets out of there and back to the lab as quickly as possible.

Shockwave: You….saw them…..didn't you?

Penelope: How cou-...Did you…?

Shockwave: No, I did not kill any of those you saw. I have not been in a battle in quite a while. It's not that Megatron does not allow me, I just feel more comfortable here.

Penelope: (Gulps) Same.

Shockwave: Now get your Baronite body over here, so I can install the cog.

As Shockwave begins work on the installment, Penelope can't help but feel extremely nervous about what his motives are with her. She knows the 'bots and 'cons war and kill each other, but hasn't been in a fight since she started her involvement with the Decepticons. She has never experienced the brutality first hand. The mouse girl also notices the machine Shockwave recently built being charged up by an Allspark fragment.

Shockwave: Okay. It is installed. What we need now is something for it to scan for it to transform into.

Penelope: Does it matter how big it is? Like for example….

She pulls out one of her old RC cars.

Penelope: If the body were to scan this, would it shrink or grow when transforming or would it be way bigger that fits the body?

Shockwave: In our case, your body would transform into a humongous version of the RC car, though the way you described size changing through transformation is something we call "Mass shifting".

Penelope: Alright. Let's try it.

She gets into the head of the Baronite body and scans the tiny RC car. This causes parts of it to start appearing on the body.

Penelope: Cool!

Shockwave: Wait. Don't transform just yet…. And don't get out either. Sit the body over there.

Penelope moves the body over and onto the bed. Shockwave quickly hooks up cables to the body connected to the Allspark fragment charged machine. Penelope is still inside the head.

Shockwave: Now put the body in stasis mode.

She does so.

Penelope: Can I get out now?

Shockwave pauses for a moment, then he uses his multi-purpose gun hand to weld the opening of the Baronite head shut, trapping her inside.

Penelope: Sh-Shockwave…. What are you doing?

Shockwave: What is about to happen…I'm sorry my dear…..