Hello again everyone. You ready for some good fights and laughs? Great, let's get started. Although, I probably should reiterate that I do not own any rights to any media. After all, this is fanfiction.
Optimus Prime strode through the halls of Fortress Maximus. He'd just finished checking on the progress of the spacebridge upgrades and was pleased to hear that the changes would be finished in less than a day. After that, it would be a simple matter of using the coordinates from the golden disk to retrieve the remaining Autobots. After all the other complications of the last two days, it would be a blessing.
Rodimus had messaged him from the United Nations stating that they would like to perform an inspection of Fortress Maximus, to prove that they were indeed benign. While Optimus could agree to that measure wholeheartedly, he knew that some of the Autobots might not take too kindly to it. Then there was the situation with the Predacons.
He'd been surprised to hear that three of the Predacons had survived the labs' destruction. The fact that Jack had managed to form something of an alliance between them and the Maximals was a feat that made him very proud. Optimus only hoped that the peace between them could be maintained in the face of their oncoming scrutiny. He was pulled from his thoughts by laughter and several loud crashes from the Maximals' new den area.
Investigating, he saw that most of the other Maximals and several Autobots were laughing as they watched a red and blue blur speed from one part of the room to another. A closer inspection revealed that the blur was really Jack in beast mode. He crouched down next to June who had a look of humor and exasperation on her face.
"June, what happened here?" Optimus asked.
"Miko." She answered with a nod of her head to the young femme. Said femme was now doubled over laughing at her boyfriends' antics. "She managed to slip Jack some catnip and it gave him the zoomies."
"Zoomies?"
"A feline instinct to run as fast as they can." June explained. She contemplated the situation for a moment. "Do you have anything akin to a laser pointer on you?" She asked, eyeing Miko mischievously.
"Yes, why?"
"I think Miko needs some payback for this." June grinned as she whispered her plan to Optimus.
Moments later the laughter increased as Jack attempted to play "catch the dot" with the laser sight from one of Optimus' blasters. The Autobot commander couldn't help but smile fondly at the young Maximal so carefree. Seeing that Miko was distracted with her laughter, Optimus aimed the laser sight at her, and waited.
Miko was blinking away tears of laughter from her eyes and didn't even know something was wrong until Jack bowled into her. The two landed several feet away with Jack landing on top of her in lion mode.
"Gah." Miko exclaimed. "Very funny!" She yelled at Optimus who was chuckling. "Okay Jackrabbit, get off me. I can't feel my legs."
"But I'm a good kitty." Jack slurred as he purred contentedly on top of his girlfriend. He nuzzled Mikos' neck and sniffed. "And you smell like pretty." He began to lick her face.
"Ugh, kitty kisses." Miko cried out as the others laughed. She hadn't counted on Jacks' lion tongue being like a real cat. "Ow, stop it!"
"You taste like pretty."
"That's enough." Optimus called fondly. "Arcee, take Jack to med bay until the catnip is out of his system."
"Copy that." Arcee replied as she went to pick up her partner/nephew. Unfortunately, she soon discovered why some people say that cats are liquid.
"Why aren't his joints locking?" She asked as Jacks' body below his shoulders seemed to flow between her hands.
"It's the catnip." June supplied. "It'll wear off soon...I hope."
As the bots and Maximals dispersed, Optimus' thoughts turned back to the upcoming inspection. This incident gave him an idea. If humans could see that Cybertronians were like them, that would help to solidify relations between their peoples. Perhaps a 'meet and greet' between human visitors and various teams of Autobots could set the stage.
Turning to leave, Optimus noticed a small wad of green leaves on the floor. Picking it up, he noticed it was some of the catnip. Examining it, he wondered how such a small plant could cause the reaction it did. Lowering the wad to his own beast modes' head, he took a little nibble.
In the forest near the Harbinger, Knockout and Starscream were carrying an oval shaped stasis pod back to the ship.
"Remind me again, why you hid this one in such a deep cave system?" Knockout asked heatedly. His finish had been scratched to the pit in back in the recovery effort.
"To keep it out of both Autobot and Megatrons' hands." Starscream answered. Entering the Harbinger, the two rouge Decepticons placed the pod with the other four. They'd spent the last few weeks retrieving the five scattered pods under the cover of darkness.
"Run your plan by me again." Knockout requested.
"Unlike the last time I left the Decepticons." Starscream began. "Returning to the Nemesis to retrieve energon would be a fools' errand with Galvatron in charge." He picked up the canisters he'd stolen when they'd left. "However, I'm nothing if not a survivor."
"Agree to disagree." Knockout muttered to himself.
"I have raw energon stockpiled." Starscream continued, not hearing his companions' comment. "However, the equipment I had to refine it was damaged when I refined red energon."
"And your solution is to create more mouths to feed?" Knockout snapped. The energon they'd been rationing was already running low. "And why are these even here, I thought you said you used all the ships' protoforms in your little 'clone war'."
"We need to steal parts to repair and upgrade the equipment to make more energon cubes." Starscream sniped back. "A difficult feat for just the two of us. To say nothing of needing additional forces to protect us if Galvatron or the Autobots come poking around." He turned to the stasis pods
"And I did use all the viable protoforms in my attempt on Megatrons' life." Starscream answered. "Those protoforms are blanks." He explained, gesturing to the pods. "Without sparks, I couldn't activate them." He nodded to the canisters. "Now however."
Knockout finally pieced together what Starscream had in mind. "You mean you want to reactivate the Combaticons!?" He exclaimed. "Do you know how big a risk that is?!"
"We need protection." Starscream argued. "And a combiner would be more than enough to protect us. However, our options are limited since Devastator is unaccounted for and Menasor was defunct after Motormaster died. That leaves Bruticus Maximus."
Knockout smirked slightly. He had poisoned the Stunticon leader after learning of the abuse he'd put poor Breakdown (and the other Stunticons) through. Something he only admitted to during his and Breakdowns' Conjunx Ritus.
"Alright, I can see your logic." Knockout admitted. "But since you were Megatrons' right hand mech when they were imprisoned, won't they turn on you?" He asked.
"Not at all." Starscream argued as he began to separate the canisters from the stasis module. "After Bruticus ran amok, Megatron ordered their imprisonment and Shockwave was the one who removed their sparks." He turned to Knockout with a smirk. "I had nothing to do with it, and in return for their freedom and an ongoing supply of energon, they should be more than willing to help."
Knockout wasn't a hundred percent convinced, but it was the only plan they had. Picking up each spark, he carefully installed them into the blank protoforms. As he did that, Starscream preloaded Earth alternate modes for each Combaticon. Having them wouldn't mean much if they stood out.
"Alright." He announced. "Here goes." With that he threw the activation switch.
The protoforms within the pods began to convulse as they were reshaped to fit the new sparks within them. Slowly but surely, the Combaticons' new bodies took shape over the course of several minutes. Finally, the current was cut off and the five pods opened, filling the Harbinger with white smoke as Starscreams' new brigade emerged. On the far right, a large, well-built mech with tank treads on his shoulders shook his head.
"Where are we man?" Brawl asked gruffly. A grey gunmetal mech with a collapsed rotor assembly leaned against his sand-colored colleague.
"Wherever we are, here we be." Vortex added in a nasally. "And we be in another fine mess indeed." Brawl shoved him backwards.
"Get off me, fool!"
"You two play nice." A tall, blue and dark green mech with a cannon on each shoulder. Onslaught looked around and spotted Starscream and Knockout. His visor narrowed in recognition. "Starscream?"
"Colonel Onslaught." Starscream replied. "Welcome back to the world of the living." Seeing the five Combaticons train their weapons on him and Knockout, he held up his hands in surrender. "At ease, we aren't looking for a fight."
"Well, you'll have to pardon us for being a little cautious." The sand beige and purple conbot Swindle replied, never taking his arm cannon off Starscream. "The last Decepticons we worked with got our sparks ripped out."
"That was Megatrons' decision, not mine." Starscream countered. "And in any case, Megatron is no longer a threat."
"Care to explain, Starscream?" Came Megatrons voice from his left, making Starscream jump. Looking in that direction he saw a black and grey mech with a pair of blasters trained on him. Seeing the mask, he realized that it was Blast Off. He'd forgotten that the mech was a Soundwave savant.
"Megatron has been destroyed or deposed, I'm not sure which for certain." Starscream began, regaining his composure. They only had Galvatrons' word on that. "The new commander, Galvatron has placed the other Decepticons under his thrall via dark energon. We managed to slip away before he could infect us with it." He half lied.
"And I'm guessing you want us to liberate them so you can assume command, right?" Swindle added.
"Not even close." Starscream argued, surprising the Combaticons. "Those weak-minded fools can rust in place for all I care." He turned to look at Onslaught.
"I know for a fact that we were not the only ones to escape Galvatron, to say nothing of our comrades scattered throughout the galaxies." He continued. "I plan to start a Decepticon commune, for those of us who do not wish to serve Megatrons' replacement, but still believe in the cause." Starscream hoped his story would be enough to convince them.
Off to the side, Brawl looked at the energon processors.
"I pity the fools who'd come here." He commented, turning back to Starscream. "You're almost outta energon and the processor is burnt out." Despite all his proficiency as a fighter, Brawl was also a skilled engineer.
"Hence the bargain I wish to strike." Starscream countered. "I know where we can steal what we need to fix it and upgrade it for larger outputs. I also know where we can get raw energon to refine."
Swindle hummed as he thought it over. "Whaddya think colonel?"
Onslaught thought for a few moments before lowering his guns. "Anyone have a Cy-gar?" He asked.
"Right here." Knockout replied, handing one to him. "What, I'm allowed to imbibe now and again." He countered at their strange looks.
"Thank you doctor." Onslaught replied as he put the Cy-gar in his mouth. "Where are we going to steal this stuff from?"
"There is a human military base nearby that specializes in research and development." Starscream explained. "They're working on a type of alternate energy source similar to energon and have the right equipment. If we do this carefully, we can sneak in and out with ease."
Onslaught thought for a moment.
"Why sneak in." He began. "When we can go right through the front door. Of course, they won't know who we are until it's too late." He held out a servo to Starscream, who shook it.
"Congratulations Screamy, you just hired the Combaticons." Onslaught replied, enjoying the look on Starscreams' face at the nickname. "You, Vortex and Blast Off will be on standby to fly the equipment out of the base."
"And I stay on the ground, right?" Brawl asked, his fear of heights making itself known.
"Swindle, you take point and talk our way in." Onslaught continued
"Right Colonel."
"And I stay on the ground, right?"
"Brawl, you will have to ride on my new vehicle modes' flatbed." He added, pointing to the con in question.
"And YOU stay on the ground, RIGHT?"
"Of course." Onslaught replied
"I mean it Onslaught." Brawl menaced. "I ain't getting on no ship. Especially with that crazy fool." He added, pointing to Vortex.
"Oh, come on Brawly." Vortex argued. "What's the worst that could happen."
"YOU CRASHED, THE SHIP!" Came Brawls voice bellowed out of Blast Offs' mask. "YOU CRASHED THE SHIP, WITH ME IN IT!"
"Worst comes to worst, we can just combine and make our escape that way." Swindle supplied.
"He's a big metamorphin dudeicus." Blast Off supplied with Vortex' voice accompanied by what sounded like hip-hop music.
"Watch it Blast Off, we all agreed that 'Hip-Hop Vortex' was to stay dead." Onslaught said, pointing his CY-gar at this surveillance specialist. "Let's get started."
Meanwhile on the Nemesis, Galvatron was having it out with his new Vehicon generals as screams echoed throughout the lab.
"Now, explain to me again." Galvatron seethed at Thrust, Jetstorm and Tankor. "Why did your drones fail to capture two lone escapees? Devastator or no, they should've been able to handle them and the humans at the VERY least."
"Hey." Thrust said with a shrug of his shoulders. "They just did what you ordered us to have them do."
"They have no individual will to drive them or help them adapt." Jetstorm added with a smirk emoticon. "Had one of us been there, we might've succeeded." She couldn't resist rubbing the failure in Galvatrons' face. Following orders 'to the letter' was always a fun way to annoy whoever was controlling them.
"In that case." Galvatron was cut off as the screaming got louder. "Do you mind!?" He yelled at Tarantulas. His 'pet mad scientist' was playing with Sparkstalker again. The poor Firecon had been whittled down to just his head and spark chamber with Tarantulas playing with his brains' pain receptors.
"Just trying to pass the time." He quipped. He had planned to make some more Predacons, but Galvatron wanted to stagger it so as not to scare the troops and cause more desertions. As they'd figured out, the weak dark energon could only control someone from only so far away.
"Please." Sparkstalker begged. "No more."
"Encore? Okay!" With that, Tarantulas began his torture again.
Galvatron rolled his optics. "In that case, at least one of you is to be in the field with your drones at all times. So as to avoid another incident like this one. Yes." Tankor made a grinding noise.
"That is a good question, Tankey." Jetstorm supplied, turning to Galvatron. "Why do you talk to yourself like that?"
"Oh, I simply have a penchant for, intelligent conversation." Galvatrons attention was called to a nearby computer console. Taking in the signals on the screen, he grinned widely.
"It appears that redemption is at hand for you three." Galvatron began, turning back to the generals. "I was right about Starscream wanting to reactivate the Combaticons. But he shall not be allowed to keep them for himself. No."
"Yes, no, maybe so?" Thrust said, breaking Galvatron out of his monologue. A beam of purple light burst out of Galvatrons' cannon and hit Thrust square in the abdomen. Standing up straight, Galvatron watched as the damage to Thrusts' torso rapidly repaired itself.
"Now, was that really necessary?"
"All three of you." Galvatron began, trying to hide his surprise and wondering if his own body was capable of such regeneration. "Take a dozen of your respective drones and detain the combaticons for me. And execute Starscream. With prejudice. Yes."
"It shall be done 'master'. Yes." Jetstorm taunted, taking off before she could be shot. The smirk emoticon never left her mask. She was swiftly followed by the other two as Galvatron stood there, fuming.
"Tarantulas, enough!" He yelled, turning back to the scientist. "Begin reintegrating the traitor. The reappearance of the original Predacon reintroduces a rouge player to the board and I believe it is time to create a counter measure."
"One feral super soldier coming up. Sucks to be you." Tarantulas taunted Sparkstalker before shutting him down. "I'll miss playing with you." He turned to the sneering, limbless, Megatron. "But I'll have more fun with your replacement."
Private Dirk Benedict had been having a dull day standing guard at the entrance to the R&D sector of the base. As much as he hated having to walk patrols around the base, at least he wasn't falling asleep on his feet.
The sound of a pair of diesel engines caught his attention. Finally, something to liven up his shift. Looking out in the distance he saw a sand beige Humvee with a purple hood (odd color choice) leading what looked like an antiaircraft truck with a tank on the flatbed. The truck rolled up to the check in and the window rolled down to reveal a very good-looking middle-aged man with blonde hair.
"Lieutenant Templeton Peck here to deliver some new vehicles to be equipped with the new camouflage system." He spoke.
"Let me check with base ops." Private Benedict answered, picking up the phone. Swindle hoped that Blast Off was paying attention. This operation would go a whole lot smoother if they could avoid detection until they got to the hangar in question. And for that, he'd have to impersonate base ops.
"All clear." Benedict reported a few moments later. "Last building on the right." Swindle moved past the checkpoint allowing his 'Templeton Peck' hologram to dissipate after rolling his window up. Pulling up to the building in question, Onslaught gave the go ahead as Brawl rolled off him.
"Alright team, let's hit it!" He shouted. The trio transformed back into bot mode and blasted away the wall to the building. Entering, Brawl trained his shoulder cannon on the humans.
"Freeze suckas." He threatened. Onslaught stood before them.
"Now, we're sorry to interrupt your dreary workday with gunfire." He began. "But it was the only way to collect the 'generous donation' your government is making to our cause without being shot. Brawl, Swindle." Onslaught gestured.
As the two began to disassemble the required equipment, Onslaught stepped outside and produced a steel net he'd brought along for the extraction. Laying it flat, he turned to aim at the scientists again.
"Oh, no need to worry." Onslaught idly commented as he gnawed his Cy-gar. "We'll be out of your hair momentarily." He turned to see Brawl and Swindle running back and forth to the net, depositing the parts. In the distance, he heard sirens.
"Uh oh."
"That's the last of it Colonel, you can call in the extraction now." Swindle commented, placing a filter onto the net.
"Which begs the question." Brawl began, advancing on Swindle. "How're WE getting outta here without a spacebridge?" He asked. "It's a long drive back to the ship." His attention was so focused on the teams' conman that he didn't notice Onslaught raise his blaster. A quick stun blast both knocked Brawl out and face first into the dirt.
"Nice." Swindle commented.
"You were supposed to catch him Swindle." Onslaught groused as they loaded Brawl into the net with the equipment.
Moments later, Starscream, Blast Off and Vortex appeared in their vehicle modes. Blast Offs' stealth Bomber and Vortex' Apache helicopter worked well with Starscreams jet mode for this mission. Connecting the steel net with their bounty between the three of them, Onslaught and Swindle sat down alongside the unconscious Brawl as they were lifted into the air. Within minutes they were out of range of the base and cloaked to avoid pursuers. As the victorious group made their way back to base, Onslaught couldn't help laughing.
"I love it when a plan comes together."
A couple of hours later, the group of six set down outside the Harbinger, the jolt successfully jarred Brawl back into consciousness.
"Where are we?" He demanded angrily. Vortex transformed and pat Brawl on the shoulder.
"We're back at base Brawl, and I hop you've enjoyed your flight on Combati-Con Air."
"Get off me fool." Brawl yelled, smacking Vortex' hand away. "I'm getting tired of you suckas' always knocking me out and flying me places. You know I die before I fly!"
"Well, you may be a little unique." Knockout laughed. He'd watched the entire mission from the Harbingers monitors. He'd laughed at the humans' reactions and outright lost it when they stunned Brawl. "But you get the job done."
"Indeed." Starscream added. "And any doubts I had about your abilities are now a thing of the past."
"As will be the rest of you." Onslaught replied as he and the other Combaticons trained their weapons on Starscream.
"What treachery is this?" Starscream asked, eyeing their weapons carefully. "I gave you your freedom."
"And we thank you for that." Onslaught countered. "However, we know your reputation."
"I have to admit." Swindle added. "Having your name become synonymous with lies and deception is quite a feat. Take it from a con man."
"We knew you wasn't being straight with us sucka." Brawl explained.
"We like the idea of a Decepticon commune though." Onslaught continued. "Just not the whole thing about you being a part of it." Starscream looked around fearfully before spotting Knockout.
"Knockout, back me up here!"
"How would you like to join the winning team?" Came Megatrons' voice from Blast Offs' mask. It was part of the conversation they'd had when the unit first joined the Decepticons.
"I, think I'll start making the repairs." Knockout answered cautiously. He backed slowly into the Harbinger.
"You miserable excuse for a medic!" Starscream shouted. "I ought to."
"At the risk of sounding melodramatic." Vortex cut across. "Goodbye forever."
Before anyone could pull the trigger, a beam of purple energy lanced out of the woods and hit the recently raided components, causing them to explode.
"What the scrap?" Onslaught yelled.
"I'm saved!" Starscream cheered. Unfortunately, this was not to be as several groups of new Vehicons emerged from the tree line to surround the Harbinger. Thrust, Jetstorm and Tankor exited the woods in bot mode.
"I'm fragged." Starscream whimpered.
"Combaticons." Thrust began. "By Galvatrons' orders, you are to be brought before him."
"Starscream on the other hand." Jetstorm continued. "We can do without."
"Sorry, no sale." Onslaught answered, taking a puff of his Cy-gar. "We didn't like how the establishment treated us."
"You misunderstand." Thrust replied. "This is a summons, not an invitation."
"Yeah." Jetstorm added. Reaching up, she removed her mask, revealing an eyeless skull face with several holes drilled into it. "We can make you see our point of view." She finished revealing the dark energon spikes inside her mask that lined up with the holes in her head.
"Your theatrics don't scare us." Starscream blustered. "We may be outnumbered, but you're outgunned."
"What do you mean 'we'." Blast Off added with Starscreams own voice.
"He's got a point though." Onslaught added as he watched Jetstorm replace her mask. "We do have you outgun." He was cut off as a dark energon hook on a chain was fired by Thrust at his head. He barely turned in time to dodge it, but the attack still found a mark.
"No more words." Thrust interjected as the two halves of Onslaughts Cy-gar hit the ground. "No more games, you are coming with us."
"That." Onslaught growled. "Was a perfectly good Cy-gar. Forget Screamy boys, let's hit it." Blast Off cut in with another 'hip hop Vortex' soundbite as they all transformed.
"Combaticons combine, kick some Vehicon behind as the big bad battlin' BRUTICUS!"
Brawl and Swindle flipped backwards as a foot grew from each of them and the fronts of their vehicle modes elongated. Vortex elongated while Blast Off folded in on himself with the two of them manifesting hands as Onslaught widened and elongated with his vehicles front end becoming their new chest with his cannons settling on their shoulders. Finally, the combiner merged and stood before the Vehicon horde.
"Bruticus Maximus, battle ready." He bellowed as Starscream smirked. This would be good.
The smirk was wiped off his face seconds later though. When he imagined presenting Bruticus as his ally, he expected shock, awe, and maybe a little envy. He hadn't, however, expected the three Vehicon generals to begin laughing. This went on for a few moments before Starscream finally snapped.
"What!"
"Sorry." Jetstorm gasped. "It's just always amusing when they think they're the only ones who can do that."
"You mean?"
"Let us show you how it's done." Thrust added. The trio then transformed. "Initiating battle protocol."
Tankors' treads seemed to flip forward and pull together as they became legs while the bulk of his body transformed into a right arm and torso. His meat grinder settling into the abdomen with his tank turret coming to rest on the forearm. The back of Jetstorms' vehicle mode connected into the top of the torso as the long neck at the front contorted into a left arm ending with a clawed hand. Thrust completed the combination by landing on top of Jetstorm and unfolding into a chest and great horned head for the combiner as it gave a bellow.
"RUINATION, AWAKENS!" The combiner glared at Bruticus before pointing at him and Starscream.
"ATTACK!" The drones then began to swarm towards the Harbinger as Ruination charged at Bruticus. The two combiners became locked in a grapple, but while Ruination was smaller than Bruticus, it was every bit as strong as he was. Turning his two shoulder cannons on Ruination, Bruticus fired at his enemy, driving them back several paces.
Ruination was undaunted, however. Delivering a roundhouse kick to Bruticus' chest as their wounds healed, they watched as the drones opened fire on the downed combiner. Seeing one objective subdued, Ruination began to search for the other. During the confrontation however, Starscream managed to slip back into the Harbinger and seal the door.
"To use a human expression." Knockout began once he saw that Starscream had made it inside.
"Don't even Knockout." Starscream snapped, cutting him off. He suddenly had an appreciation for how Megatron must've felt when Starscream pulled similar machinations. "Apparently, they weren't the 'winning team'. And don't think I've forgotten your reaction." Further arguments were cut off as Ruination hammered on the side of the ship.
"Little pigs, little pigs. Let me come in!" They called.
"Now what do we do?" Knockout yelled as the Harbinger began to shudder violently. Starscream groaned.
"Initiate, plan Z." He moaned.
"No." Knockout whispered. "You don't mean?"
Back outside the Harbinger, Bruticus had gotten back up and was attempting to take out the Vehicon drones while Ruination was after Starscream. He figured he could handle the new combiner later. Using a partially demolished tank drone as a club, Bruticus destroyed three car drones and threw the tank drone at the strafing group of jet drones, destroying five of them as well.
Turning away from the ship, Ruination fired a series of dark energon hooks at Bruticus from their meat grinder. Acting on instinct, Bruticus picked up a charging car drone and used it as a shield. The attached chains then pulled back into the grinder, taking the drone with it and grinding it up.
"Well played." Ruination called as they charged forth. Grappling with Bruticus again, they grinned at him. "Cunning and a professional soldier to boot. We can see why Galvatron wants you."
"No dice." Bruticus replied. Delivering a kick to Ruinations chest while keeping a grip on their right arm, he spun around and threw Ruination onto a pair of advancing tank drones, flattening them. Training all his guns on the enemy, Bruticus made to open fire before he himself was hit with a sonic pulse that knocked him both unconscious and back into the Combaticons.
At the head of the small group of Autobots and Maximals, Jetfire exited the partially upgraded spacebridge portal to see one combiner he'd never seen before and one he hoped to never see again. He'd seen the footage of the carnage Bruticus Maximus had caused in the early days of the war. To say nothing of the reports the Autobots had gotten after the Combaticons went rouge. Thankfully the bridge had been upgraded enough for a (relatively) short trip cross country to answer a distress call. Clinging to his wing in bat mode, Nightscream was in mild shock at the fight.
"Wow, that's brutal." He said as one combiner threw the other.
"Nah, that's Bruticus." Jetfire replied. "Alright nipper, I'm gathering he's the one we need to stop." He slowed down enough for the Maximal to transform. "Ready kiddo?"
"Ready." Nightscream called, now straddling Jetfires' nosecone in bot mode. Hopefully the rest of the team would be ready to pick up the pieces.
"Alright, scream!"
At Jetfires' command, Nightscream unleashed a sonic pulse right into the back of Bruticus' head. Fortunately for the other combiner he was fighting, it caused him to shatter back into the Combaticons.
"Direct hit winger, great shot."
Their success was short lived however as Ruination separated back into Thrust, Jetstorm and Tankor.
"We have them!" Thrust called into his comms. "Send a spacebridge." A portal opened as the remaining Vehicon drones picked up the unconscious Combaticons. As they fled through the portal, Jetstorm called out to the Autobots exiting the tree line.
"Thanks for making it easy for us, suckers." She then vanished into the portal, which blinked out of existence a second later.
"What was that about?" Goldbug asked as he stepped over a demolished car drone. They'd have to take these back for the science team to examine.
"I get the feeling that we were deceived." Drift answered, examining a downed jet drone. "Bruticus Maximus may have been defending himself."
"Then that means we just handed one of the most dangerous combiners alive over to Galvatron!" Bulkhead exclaimed. "As if Monstructor alone wasn't enough."
They were pulled out of their musings as the door to the Harbinger opened. Moments later, Starscream and Knockout exited the ship with their hands up. Seeing every single Autobot and Maximal train their weapons on them, Starscream gave a sigh.
"We surrender."
Several hours later, Ultra Magnus was stalking down the halls of Fortress Maximus. He'd just finished interrogating both Knockout and Starscream after the away team had brought them back to Autobot city. The situation was worse than he could've predicted. Not only was Galvatron in full control of the Decepticons via dark energon, but he now had at least two of the most destructive combiners in history under his command.
Magnus sighed. Thanks to the golden disk they knew what was to come, but the full scope was intimidating. He'd need to come up with a cover story to allow G.B. Blackrock to stay in Autobot city for longer periods of time. With these three new combiners on the table as well as Devastator and Blitzwing officially being wild cards, they'd need Fortress Maximus operational sooner rather than later. At least Starscream and Knockout were in holding cells for the time being.
His attention was drawn to a motion out of the corner of his optic. Thinking it was a Maximal, he rounded the corner quickly only to find Optimus crouching in his beast mode.
"Commander?" Magnus asked. Prime had been missing most of the day. They'd found most of his body in truck mode, but not the mech himself.
"I hunt you." Optimus whispered in a low growl, his optics wide and dilated. "Stealthy."
"Sir?" Magnus asked. "Are you alright?"
"I am detected." Prime whispered as he backed away. "Retreat slowly. You live today. I go elsewhere."
Ultra Magnus watched Optimus back away slowly behind the corner. What on Earth had gotten into him? The closest thing he'd heard of to this was.
Suddenly it hit him. He'd heard about the catnip that Leobolt had ingested and how it made him act strange. He also knew who had supplied it. Turning to track down Wingsaber and interrogate her, he saw Optimus had snuck behind him and had retaken his crouching position.
"I hunt you."
"MIKO!"
In the Nemesis' med bay, Galvatron watched as the Combaticons began to come around.
"Man, you guys knock me out again?" Brawl asked.
"Quite the opposite soldier." Galvatron answered, drawing the units' collective attention to him. "You were ambushed by Autobots and rescued by my new Vehicons."
"Well, if that's new and improved." Onslaught spoke, getting off his berth. "I'll stick to old and inferior. Now what do you want?" They were already there, might as well see what he wanted.
"Gentlemechs, I'd like to offer you five a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
Galvatron grinned as his dark matrix began to glow brightly, bathing the Combaticons in its' light and infecting them with a taint of dark energon.
"Simply put, the five of you serve me, you get to live. It's as simple as that."
"Nice try suckas." Blast Off said in Brawls' voice, training his guns on Galvatron.
"Stand down soldiers." Galvatron ordered and was pleased when purple electricity coursed over their bodies, causing them to collapse. "You serve me now." He grinned as he looked Onslaught right in the face.
"And I too love it when a plan comes together. Yes."
A/N: How do you like them apples? I got the idea to model the Prime-verse Combaticons after the A-Team when I was brainstorming some possible Shattered Glass ideas. Making Blast-Off like Soundwave something of a last-minute decision, but I think it worked out. Especially since it allowed me to use the Combaticons G2 toy commercial for a throwback. (Sorry if it gets stuck in anyone's head)
I planned to have the Vehicon generals combine from the start. I figured it'd make them an excellent counterpoint to both Magnaboss and Tripredacus. Having Ruination fight Bruticus was just my way of adding a bit of poetic irony.
Finally, I want to give a shoutout to the talented TC-96 on DeviantArt. The interaction between Optimus and Magnus is a parody of his Mew and Mewtwo comic "I hunt you". Check out their comics, they're worth the read.
Next time: Inspection, Meet & Greet...and Volcanicus erupts.
Until then, please: Fav, follow and review.