Phew, I wasn't sure I'd get this chapter out in time considering the one two punch we got from hurricanes Helene and Milton. But here we are, and welcome back. I know Halloween is next week, but I think you'll like the treats in today's chapter. Shoutouts to TimeLordPrime and Jet_Blade onAo3 and NemesisPrimal86 and PhantomWorks-Stories Division on for catching the reason I set Goldbug and Bug Bite up as enemies. While everyone caught that Bug Bite in recent years has been a white Bumblebee recolor, Phantom caught that Bug Bites' original Go-Bots toy was also a yellow VW bug. And considering he was a villain; I thought the connection made sense.
In any case, please enjoy the newest chapter of Beast Wars Prime.
As he put away the final glass in his bar, Alchemist Prime heard a loud thud just outside his door. Giving a small smile, he looked up at the door. Only one of his family could make a landing that hard. The smile slipped off his face as his brother attempted to use the combiner sized door that hadn't worked since before the war. Several tugs caused dust to drift down off the ceiling.
"Just separate and come through the other door Nexus." Alchemist griped. The sound of transformation filled the air before over three dozen Mini-cons came through the door to the oil house. The Prime groaned and rubbed at his forehead. He'd forgotten that his brother could be a jackass. Moments later the Mini-con collective remerged back into Nexus Prime.
"Huh." The first combiner huffed. "Kinda hoping I'd see Optimus here. Or at least Amalgamous."
"Optimus took them the long way to Vector Sigma." Alchemist explained. "We're going to meet them there." He finished as he walked past his brother and locked the door. "Just need to remember where the entrance to the direct route was hidden."
"As much as I'm looking forward to a family reunion." Nexus began, separating into five smaller bots. "Why couldn't we have done this the easy way? We even have the party favors" The five asked simultaneously, holding up the Emberstone, Triptych Mask, and Leigian Darts.
"You know how Optimus is nowadays." Alchemist explained, leading his brother to the basement. "Always has to be the leader."
"I miss when we used to play Hoopball together."
Arcee groaned as she returned to consciousness. The last thing she remembered was fighting Slog just outside her old school. Then the strange orange beast bot making some kind of announcement as the ground beneath them gave way.
Eyes springing open, Arcee looked around to find herself in a dimly lit chamber. From what she could make out Slog was unconscious in his shell not far from here while the other Horrorcons were shackled to the wall of the chamber. Gently getting up to her knees, she tried to get her bearings before a voice echoed all around them.
"It is time."
Suddenly the chamber was awash in a golden light, causing Arcee to transform into her wolf mode for protection and awakening Slog. Looking to her left, Arcee saw the little Tasmanian Devil bot from before. It was standing on a raised platform before two other that were slightly shorter. The thing that caught her optic however was the red opticed golden bird head the size of a ten-story building looming over them. Suddenly, the reason for their return to Paradon was clear.
Chela, the golden warrior, had called them home.
"May the two rise up." The voice called out from the little beast bot. Only now did Arcee notice that his eyes were glowing like Chelas' and her voice was emanating from him.
Suddenly, Arcee found herself lifted into the air by an unseen force and forced back into bot mode. Nearby, Slog was lifted out of his shell and held aloft with Arcee before being set down on one of the empty platforms. From this distance, she could make out the telltale lobotomy scars on the Horrorcon leaders' head. This was the first time she'd seen the real Slog up close since that fateful day in her classroom. The mech looked like he was barely able to stand.
"This warrior requires a new voice for this new age." The little beast bot went on. "In the last age, the two of you opposed the treatment of my kin in different ways. One of you, shall be my new City Speaker."
"But you have one." Slog stated, not knowing whether to look at the bot or the titan. The former shook his head.
"This one is but the first born of the new generation of beast bots born on Cybertron." Chela explained. "Like a bird of prey protecting her eggs, I hid and sheltered a large clutch of sparks that will grow into beasts, hoping for a day that they could be safely born."
"Well, I certainly understand that." Slog agreed. In ages past it would've been kinder to remain unborn than be born a beast under functionism.
"Does that hurt him?" Arcee asked, worried for the little one.
"Yes." Chela answered. "I have taxed this younglings' spark long enough to bring suitable candidates to me. Once I've made my choice, I shall not tax him further."
"Then let's get this over with quickly." Arcee commented.
"Oh, come on." Slog countered. "It'll toughen him up."
"Now you see the challenge." Chela interrupted before Arcee could argue. "You both represent different aspects of being a beast. Protective." The kid nodded towards Arcee, who's memory flashed back to protecting Slog at the school. "And primal." Slog nodded in remembrance of when he and the others slaughtered the senate's Elite Guards in retaliation for what had been done to them, and all beast bots before them.
"If you want us to fight to the death." Slog countered. "I'll need my shell back." Maybe Chela could undo whatever Tarantulas did to them to make them so weak. Either way, he couldn't win a fight as is. Fair or not.
"You misunderstand." Chela replied. "I was awake for the war that ended the previous age. I felt the destruction of the Crystal City upon my golden frame." She paused for a moment. "The one of you who shall become City Speaker, must best convince me with your words."
Goldbug grunted as he hit the ground again. He had been training with the Scottish Insecticon Power Hug for almost four hours now and was rapidly getting a grasp on Insecticon fighting techniques. However, this meant he was hitting the proverbial mat more often than not.
"Reit, a wee bit mair control, and ye shuid hev it." Power Hug encouraged before he transformed out of his pill bug mode. He'd been showing Goldbug combat techniques that relied heavily on an Insecticons' beast mode. Primarily, he'd been showing him how to turn a pincer bite against the biter. While his pincers weren't as large as Bug Bites', it was enough to get the point across.
"Really putting me through my paces. Eh, Power Hug?"
"Aye lad." The Insecticon answered. "See, I won ya ta win, an honorably so."
"Why?" Goldbug asked. He'd only met the bot a few hours ago. Why throw his lot in with them.
"Tween ye an meh, Bug Bites' gotten a wee bit too big fer his carapace." Power Hug explained. "E wants prestige, ainlie without the ard work part."
"Great, an Insecticon Starscream." Goldbug mumbled.
"An, am worried about the young'uns." He admitted. "Whit kina world could tha aft port gi' them?"
"You do know that we'd be most likely transporting the hive to another world, right?" Goldbug asked. "And probably Scorponok along with them."
"Beter the hive grows in a healthy alien world then a ruined one." Power Hug replied with a wise look at the young Autobot. "Now c'mon lad, back ta training'."
Standing back up, Goldbug nodded at his current teacher. He would ensure the Insecticon hive would be born on a healthy, thriving world. Taking a combat ready stance, he watched as Power Hug transformed back into a pill bug and look him in the optic.
"Begin."
"The will of the beast bots." Slog began. "Has long been denied."
After announcing her intent to choose her City Speaker by debate, Chela elected to have Slog give his argument first. Arcee was going to object originally, but noticed that the Horrorcon leader was struggling to stay upright and thought better of it. Besides, going second had its' advantages, like poking holes in the first argument.
"From the age of wrath to the fall of Cybertron, those of us who could transform into anything that wasn't a vehicle or object have been treated as lesser than those who could." Slog continued. "Under functionism, we suffered horribly. Condemned from birth to preform dull manual labor, or worse." He paused for dramatic effect. "Used as unwilling test subjects." He gestured to the scars on his head.
"While our kind suffered." The Horrorcon continued. "Those who believed themselves our betters became corrupt, wasteful, and ultimately destroyed our world in a war so destructive, it would move Unicron to tears."
He looked up to Chela. "However, with the rebirth of Cybertron, we can begin a new age where the beasts reign supreme. With your golden might, and Monstructors' dark power, we can rid the galaxy of those who'd ever enslave us again. With only the beasts remaining on Cybertron, we can reach out to our kin on Eukaris, and rebuild our world into a primordial paradise, set in the way of the beast."
There was a moment of silence as Slog finished his speech. Arcee looked at her student in horror. He wanted to use the treatment of beast bots past to justify a holocaust of any Cybertronian that wasn't one. Slog may not have said it outright, but she could read between the lines to see his vision.
"I see." Chela said. The Tasmanian Devil bots' head turned to her. "We shall now hear your response." The words snapped Arcee out of her shock. Marshalling her thoughts, she laid out the best counterargument she ever gave.
"Only one of the original thirteen primes was a beast." Arcee began. "When the well of all sparks first came online after the death of Solus Prime, it was imprinted with elements from all of the primes." She paused before looking to Slog. "Every single one of us is a combination of at least two of them. From Prima and Solus, to Liege Maximo and Megatronus. To create a world where only the beasts' rule, would be to willfully ignore the whole of Primus' other creations in favor of a single one in a similar manor to the oppressors of yesteryear ignoring the will of the oppressed."
"In response." Arcee continues turning to look, not at Chela, but at the little bot. "Rather than seeking retribution for the wrongs of the past, we must work to ensure that both those returning to Cybertron and those yet to be born see the beast bots as equal to them. We can teach them that the beast bots are equal to any other from the smallest Mini-cons to the greatest Combiners." She looked up at Chela directly now. "
"You desire to teach them better lessons than the ones of the past." The titan began. "Yet you were not born a beast like we were?"
"I became what I am through circumstances beyond my control." Arcee admitted, not taking her eyes of the titan. "But I wouldn't trade what I am now for any other body." There was another moment of silence before she, Slog, and the little bot were lifted into the air again and set down on the ground. A wall of energy then sprang up between Arcee and the Horrorcons as Slog was reabsorbed into his pretender shell and the other five members of Slogs' team were unshackled.
"You both make valid points." Chela spoke as the Tasmanian Devil came to rest near Arcee. "I shall consider them and inform you of my decision shortly." The chamber then faded into a half light as the small bot collapsed next to Arcee.
"Hang on kid." Arcee muttered. Reaching into a side compartment on her hip and fishing out an energon goodie, she held it up to the young beast bots' muzzle. "Here you go." He sniffed it a couple of times before eating it.
"I may not agree with coddling him like that Arcee, but I can appreciate the sentiment." Slog called stepping up to the dividing wall.
"Chela herself said the bond was taxing on him." Arcee bit, picking the kid up while shooting her former student a dirty look.
"True, but that strain will only make him stronger, fitter, more able to survive in the new era."
"Slog, let's be honest." Arcee began. "This has nothing to do with 'survival of the fittest'. You just want to kill anyone without a beast mode as retribution for what happened to you. To say nothing about Monstructors' desire to kill everything they see."
"We'd be willing to spare those who'd agreeto become beasts as well Arcee." Slog countered. "You and your new family would be more than welcome here. And after the purge is complete, we shall take measures to ensure Monstructor is not an issue."
"So, join us or die." Arcee argued. "I genuinely thought you were smarter than that Slog. Maybe the lobotomy warped you from the genius you used to be, but all I see here and now, is a killer."
"We may be monsters." Slog admitted as the other Horrorcons formed up on him. "But we are the monsters that will fight for our rights and win."
Back in Scorponocks' arena, the battle for the future of the hive was about to commence. On the ledge overlooking the pit, the other members of Goldbugs' group were arranged on one side, the active Insecticons on the other. Inside the pit, Goldbug stood and waited for his opponent. A moment later, Bug Bite appeared from an opposing entryway.
Descending from the ceiling near Scorponoks' brain, Blackarachnia addressed the assembled bots.
"Visitors, warriors of the hive, we are gathered here within the presence of Scorponok to witness a battle that shall determine the fate of his hive." There was some minor cheering at that. "The hive is faced with two paths, and Scorponok has decreed that the choice shall be made in trial by combat. The challenger." She added gesturing to Goldbug to the cheers of his team and surprisingly, Power Hug.
"Yeh needn't ah worry yerself Goldbug." He called. "Yer more than capable enough ta take on Bug Bite!"
"And the opponent." Blackarachnia continued, now gesturing to Bug Bite who received polite applause from the other Insecticons. "The victor shall be decided by either submission, or death." She held the Spear of Zarak up before slamming it into the ledge with a loud bang.
"BEGIN!"
Bug Bite transformed into his Stag Beetle mode as he ran and using his wings to accelerate himself, caught Goldbug between his pincers. Lifting the warrior up into the air, he was unprepared as the wheels in his opponents heels suddenly began spinning at high speed before being forced into his face. The heat and pain of burning rubber caused Bug Bite to drop his victim.
Landing in a crouch, Goldbug somersaulted away from Bug Bite and transformed into his muscle car mode and took off across the arena with a roar of his engine. Bug Bite, upon hearing this, transformed back into his bot mode and deployed a wrist mounted pellet gun. Following the Autobots' path around the arena, he fired several pellets of nitroglycerin and was infuriated to see a lack of damage on Goldbugs' electrum enhanced armor.
Seeing the golden warrior turn and accelerate straight at him, Bug Bite took aim and waited for his moment. Goldbug rapidly switched back to bot mode and deployed a blade to attack the Insecticon only for a few well-placed glycerin pellets to hit him in the joints, where he wasn't armored. The force of the explosions knocked him backward and into the ground as Bug Bite transformed again.
Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Goldbug barely had time to get his arms up to catch Bug Bites pincers again. This time, his opponent was too close for him to use his heel wheels, and it was taking most of his strength to keep the pincers from closing completely.
"Ordinarily, I'd ask if you submit." Bug Bite taunted. "But I think it'd be more fun to kill you." He increased the pressure on his pincers as Goldbug angled his right arm.
"Thing about Autobots." Goldbug replied, deploying his wrist blaster. "We fight our best, when backed against the wall!" He fired his blaster where the left pincer connected to Bug Bites' head. The joint exploded and the force of it sent the severed pincer spinning across the arena where it embedded itself into the wall as Bug Bite yowled in pain.
"Kill you!" The Insecticon screamed as he transformed and deployed both his pellet gun and a triple bladed gauntlet from his opposite wrist. Lunging at Goldbug in a rage, he closed the gap only for the Autobot to catch his blades with his own and pin said arm behind him while driving him to the ground. Bug Bite attempted to take a shot at the warrior only for Goldbug to fire on his pellet guns' ammo pack, causing it to explode and take his forearm with it.
"I could kill you." Goldbug begins, bringing his blaster to the back of Bug Bites' head. "But I will give you a chance to submit." He panted. The bout may have been short, but it was intense.
Any answer the Insecticon could've given was cut off by an explosion in the center of the arena catching everyone off guard. Before anyone could make a move to see what was happening, a black, white and yellow Predacon that shouldn't've been there emerged and gave a predatory smile to the Autobots.
"Smellegram!" Stinkbomb laughed before the arena was filled with sulfurous yellow smoke.
"Is that Stinkbomb!?" Strongarm yelled. She remembered the noxious Predacon from footage from both Japan and Las Vegas.
"Yeah." June replied. "And you can bet he isn't alone."
"Indeed." Came a familiar oily voice. From the smoke-filled arena, Galvatron rose up and surveyed the collective Autobots and Insecticons. "Greetings, I am Galvatron, the new sovereign of the Scorponok hive."
"Hate to correct you." Blackarachnia replied, thoroughly unimpressed by Galvatron. "But your champion seems to have failed in his trial by combat." She gestured down to the arena where the smoke was clearing to reveal that Goldbug had turned away from Bug Bite and had trained his gun on the bot who'd scarred his face.
"Galvatron." Bug Bite rasped. "I can still." The Insecticon was cut off as Galvatron fired his arm cannon at the wounded bot, vaporizing his upper half to the shock of everyone watching.
"What?" Galvatron asked at their looks. "If he lived, I'd have had to honor our bargain." He turned towards Blackarachnia. "Now, I believe you have my staff."
Blackarachnia glared at Galvatron. "In your dreams grape face." She looked at Goldbug. "Consider our alliance sealed. Insecticons, for the glory of the hive!" She yelled.
"Alright, let's hit it." Sideswipe called as he and Strongarm stood up a step behind June and the other Insecticons.
"Predacons, Terrorize! Bring me that staff!" And upon his command, the rest of the 3.0 Predacons began to swarm out of the hole in the arena floor to meet the combined might of the Insecticons and Autobots.
Glowstrike transformed into her firefly mode and took off after the attacking Waspinator and Shriek.
"Ohh, glow butzzz wantzzz to play?" Waspinator buzzed. "Wazzpinator will use your dead body as nightlightzzz."
"Aww." Shriek called. "And here I was hoping for a snack." He clicked his beak.
"You two are going to." Glowstrike was cut off as Waspinator transformed and fired several shots into her side, damaging her wind and sending her into a tailspin.
"And she is going, going." Shriek crowed. Glowstrike never heard the rest before she crashed into the ground and blacked out.
"Sandstorm, go gi' Goldbug a hand." Power Hug called. Giving a nod and a chitter, the scorpion Insecticon nodded and leapt off the ledge into the arena below.
On the ledge around the arena, Sideswipe and Strongarm, were joined by Power Hug, Scarem and Vicegrip. In repelling the sudden surge of Predacons.
"Stand down Jawbreaker." Strongarm yelled at the Hyena Predacon. "I won't ask you again."
"Oh, you Autobots are always so serious." Jawbreaker laughed, transforming into bot mode. "But I didn't get the role of Predacon cut up for nothing." He hefted his axe and swung at the femmes' neck. Strongarm fell backwards to dodge the blade and put several laser rounds into the Predacon.
"Tough crowd." Jawbreaker growled as his abdomen healed. He lunged forward with the spinning saw blade in his right arm. Only for it to be caught by the femme's blasters. The hyena head he had in place of a right hand turned and began lunging for Strongarms' face. "This joke has a bit more bite though."
"You're not the only cut up in this scrap." Came a voice before a set of pincers bit into the Predacons head. Vicegrip sneered at the Predacon before looking to Strongarm. "Care to give him the boot?" He asked. Nodding with a grin, Strongarm gave Jawbreaker a double footed kick to the gut, sending him reeling into Stinkbomb.
"Nice work." Sideswipe called as he dodged Spittors' tongue. "Should I be worried?"
"About your opponents, yes." Scarem yelled as he caught Sky-Bytes' hook with his sickles.
"And you should worry more about yourself." Sky-Byte grinned as he retreated slightly. The hook on his right arm began to spin rapidly as he lunged at the Insecticon again.
"Actually." Sideswipe smirked. "I'm paying attention to both our opponents." He dodged as Spittor shot his tongue at him again. Grinning, the Autobot watched as the appendage connected with Sky-Bytes' spinning hook, wrapping around it and reeling the frog Predacon towards the shark.
"Retract your tongue you imbecile!"
"I'm twying!"
Unfortunately, they were unable to do so before they impacted at high speed, rendering them unconscious.
"Well played." Scarem nodded.
Not too far from them, Power Hug was sizing up Ravage and Snowkat.
"Weel." He began, seeing Ravage fade out of sight and Snowkat get ready to pounce. "Two oan wan, hardly seems fair." He shrugged and the two ends of his pill bug mode moved from his shoulders to his fists, allowing him to use his stinger and pincers in his bot mode. "Fur yoo."
Snowkat lunged forward, causing Power Hug to sidestep him. Holding his pincer up in his right hand he caught the invisible Ravage around the middle and with a mighty throw, heaved him into his twin. Ducking down to avoid several ice shards thrown by Snowkat, Power Hug transformed into his insect mode and curled up into a ball.
"Lemme show ye ow I roll." With that, Power Hug spun like a wheel. Tearing towards the two Predacons and smashing into them. Continuing on his way, he doubled back and slammed into Snowkat with enough force that he ricocheted of him into Ravage. Transforming back into bot mode, the Scottish Insecticon heard the twin Predacons attempting to charge him again. Crouching down and redeploying his blades, Power Hug lunged forward and delivered matching slashes to Ravage and Snowkats' torsos.
"Warriors?" He laughed as the two stopped to allow their injuries to heal. "Mair lek pussycats."
Down in the arena, Goldbug and Sandstorm were going toe to toe with two of the Predacons' heavy hitters.
"I'm gonna, enjoooy this." Tor-Loco laughed as he charged at Goldbug in his bull mode. The already battered Autobot stood fast against the deranged Predacon. Before he could ram his horns into the warrior, he was met head on by the triple pronged pincers of a scorpion Insecticon. Goldbug looked up at his savior.
"I'm guessing we're on the same side now?" He asked. Sandstorm chittered a little and gave a nod. The brief diversion was all that was needed for Iguanus to slam his chainsaw tail into the Insecticon and free up Tor-Loco. Giving a chitter, that was answered with a hiss from the Predacon, the two transformed into bot mode and charged one another.
"Figures I'd get the one that's Bulkhead sized." Goldbug muttered as the transformed bull charged him again.
Back on the edge of the arena, Blackarachnia and Kumara were attempting to detain Galvatron, who in turn was trying to either kill them or capture the spear of Zarak. Dodging a blast from Galvatrons' cannon, Blackarachnia sneered at him.
"Missed." She taunted. "And you're ugly"
Galvatron transformed into his dragon mode and sent a stream of fire at the City Speaker. Somersaulting forward, Blackarachnia delivered a slash to the dragon's snout, leaving a deep gouge and destroying his right eye. He glared at her as it healed.
"If that had been permanent, I'd have been very upset." He was cut off as Kumara shot a web ball that enveloped his head, forcing him to transform back to bot mode. Turning to lunge at the Maximal, Galvatron was forced to use his shield to block several web throwing stars which then left him vulnerable to a slash from Blackarachnias' spear.
"June." Blackarachnia whispered as she snuck past Galvatron. "We need to enact the plan now. We'll buy you time."
"But, Blackarachnia?" June replied. After accepting the role of City Speaker, she and the other spider had agreed to an evacuation plan in case this very scenario occurred. While the two femmes spent the equivalent of a week in the elders' mindscape going over everything the younger one needed to know about her new duties, Scorponok relocated every single Insecticon egg into a transport in the city above them.
"All things have their time June." Blackarachnia argued. "And your time is now. GO!" 'I'm coming Bowser.' She added silently to herself, thoughts of a familiar bird bot flashing through her mind.
June wanted to argue, they had gotten to know each other rather well in the week they'd spent in Blackarachnias' head. Even though only an hour had passed in the real world. Leaving her here to cover their escape would surely be a death sentence. However, the decision was cemented as Scorponoks' brain flashed a message that June now understood.
"RUN."
With a reluctant nod, June called out into the battle.
"Goldbug! We need to get out of here!" A moment later, the Autobot in question leapt out of the arena using Tor-Loco as a springboard. Sandstorm quickly climbed up after him, leaving the two Predacons to flounder as they worked out how to follow them.
"Ye kin run fur it lassie." Power Hug called. "Weel buy ye sum time."
"You're going with them rolling roach." Blackarachnia quipped as Galvatron finished healing and ripped the webbing off his cannon. "At least one of us needs to go and help teach the next generation."
"Buh"
"GO!" Blackarachnia yelled as the other Predacons formed up on Galvatron. Around her, Scarem, Sandstorm and Vicegrip stood alongside their speaker.
"Very well." Goldbug said, giving a respectful salute to Blackarachnia. He turned to his group, including Power Hug.
"Throttlebots." He called, using the team designation he'd settled on. "Transform and roll for it."
While the Predacons and Insecticons charge one another, the newly dubbed Throttlebots followed Kumara towards the nearest exit that would take them topside. As he was about to follow them out, Power Hug noticed the unconscious Glowstrike nearby. Making a quick detour, he gently scooped the femme up and followed after the group.
"Ah cannae leave her t'die like this." He explained at Sideswipes' questioning look. The group then made their way to the surface.
Back in Paradon, Arcee and the Horrorcons were awaiting Chelas' final decision. As the latter debated amongst themselves, the former was still tending the Tasmanian Devil bot.
"Feeling better kid." Arcee asked as the young one was finally able to stand again.
"K-kid?" The little one asked. Their voice sounded like a child.
"Oh." Arcee exclaimed softly. Apparently the little guy could talk on his own. "Yeah. I'm not sure what to call you. I think you turn into an animal called a Tasmanian Devil from a different world, but."
"Tasmanian. Kid." The youngling played with the words. "Tasmania Kid!" He exclaimed. "I'm Tasmania Kid!" Arcee smiled at the enthusiasm. She'd honestly forgotten how much she liked sparklings. She was then given a surprise as Tasmania Kid then transformed in a way similar to her own transformation, leaving a bot that was roughly the size of a human. Apparently he was equal parts beast bot and mini-con.
"Well then, welcome to the." Arcee began with a smile before Tasmania Kid hugged her around the middle. "Oh." She whispered before feeling an immense sense of protectiveness towards him that she hadn't felt since Jack. "Ohhh. June is going to love this."
"Fate seems to smile on you today." Slog called from the other side of the chamber. "You still have a youngling to call your own regardless of." He was cut off as the chamber lit up again.
"I have made my decision." Chela announced, using her own head rather than using Tasmania Kid. Slog and Arcee turned to face the Titan, the youngling staying close to the former.
"The both of you have described your vision for the future of Cybertron. One where the beasts reign supreme, one where they are respected as much as any other bot." There was a pause. "Upon reflection, the simple fact is that like Onyx Prime before me, I am just one of five Titans, and to ignore that would indeed mean ignoring the vast remainder of Primus' work."
"You mean?"
"Arcee of Paradon, I choose you as my City Speaker." Chela announced. "As such, I am entrusting you to live up to your promises to teach both the new and those returning to Cybertron. Let the message of equality be your greatest lesson."
"I-I accept the role of speaker great Titan." Arcee replied. "And all the responsibilities that." She was cut off as the light in the chamber began to fail again. With a sickening jolt, she looked towards the other side of the chamber and standing alongside the six empty shells, was Monstructor.
"It is a pity." Monstructor began in their usual soft tone. "Between my might and yours we'd have created a true paradise for our kind." They turned to Chela. "But now, you shall join the others amidst the wreckage of the past." Igniting their death touch, the combiner leapt forth to strike Chela in the head.
Before the blow could hit home though, Monstructor found themselves floating in midair.
"And so, you show your true colors." Chela called as the chamber began to shake and crumble around them. "I assumed as such, but seeing it confirmed is admittedly a disappointment." As the dark combiner hung in the air, the Titans' head retreated down a long corridor as the rest of the chamber continued to collapse. Grabbing Tasmania Kid, Arcee retreated into a fairly stable looking corridor to watch what was coming unfold.
After a few moments, the chamber ceiling unfolded (showing it was actually a piece of wing) into the nighttime sky and Chela, the Golden Warrior, stood proud amidst the wreckage of Paradon the Crystal City. Her main body was overall roughly half the size of Metroplex, but her wingspan was easily larger than the other Titan. Turning her red optics on Monstructor, Arcee felt a shiver. Part of her dreaded what would happen to them, but ultimately, it was their own fault.
With a sweep of her mighty wings, Chela lifted herself into the air, the resulting wind knocked both Arcee and Tasmania Kid to the ground as she took off. Taking Monstructor in her claw, the golden Titan took off, away from the city and gaining altitude. The Dark Combiner was little bigger than an ant in her giant claw. Once high and far away enough from Paradon, Chela addressed the combiner.
"While I understand what you went through was horrific." Chela called. "Past crimes do not excuse present ones." With that, she let go of Monstructor and watched a moment as they fell out of sight.
Back in Paradon, Arcee led her young charge out of the corridor as Chela landed.
"Thank you, Chela, for protecting us." She said, kneeling. However, she knew Monstructor wasn't gone for good. Especially if the pretender shells now running in the direction that they'd flown off in was any indication.
"I did what was necessary, my speaker." Chela replied, looking at Arcee. "Protecting a parent and child was part of that." She turned her head slightly at Arcees' expression. "It is within my power to know these things. And there is one other thing I must mention."
"And that is?"
"That your sister has been accepted as the Speaker for my twin, Scorponok." Chela answered.
"June?" Arcee asked, wondering how that happened in such a short time after she left the group.
"Scorponok and I emerged from the planet at the same moment, like Metroplex and Vigilem, albeit some believe otherwise. We are even known as twin cities." Arcee nodded at this. She grew up knowing that the cities were twins, although she didn't know the Titans were. "However, one idiosyncrasy we share is that our speakers also have a connection to one another. Be they siblings like you and the one called June, or lovers like the ones before you."
"Woah." Arcee whispered to herself. The comprehension of this knowledge made her feel quite small. So many things had to go in certain ways to reach this point, she couldn't help feeling there was a higher power at play. At least, other than Unicron.
"You should be able to reach out and feel what she is feeling." Chela added.
Arcee winced slightly. This would be highly voyeuristic in nature if she wasn't worried sick for her sister. Silently vowing never to use this ability outside of an emergency, she reached out with thought of June. What she felt was fear, panic and determination.
Something was wrong.
Back in Scorponoks' arena, Blackarachnia was beathing heavily. She and the other three remaining Insecticons had fought to what was now the bitter end, and only she was left alive.
"Really, Blackarachnia? Spare yourself the struggle." Galvatron taunted as he stepped forward. "I've already won."
"Not. While I. Function." She breathed and lunged at him again with the spear of Zarak.
Sidestepping her clumsy attack easily, Galvatron gripped the spear and delivered a kick to her midsection. He grinned at the ancient weapon in his grasp before turning back to the defeated speaker.
"Now, where exactly is my new hive?" He asked.
"Gone." She grinned back. "And the spear won't work for you." She added, rubbing salt in the wound. Unfortunately, he only grinned at that.
"Oh, I have ways around things like that." He smiled as he crouched down. "Yes."
With two swift motions, Galvatron slammed his hand into blackarachnias' chest and ripped out her spark chamber. With a squeeze, he cracked the chamber open before pouring her innermost energon onto the Spear of Zarak. Her last thoughts, were of her long dead lover in Paradon.
"Now." He began, throwing the spark casing away. "To raise a Titan." He held the stained end of the spear to his chest, and the Dark Matrix, which tainted the energon on it, allowing him to override Scorponoks' will.
"Awaken Scorponok, heed your new king and rise again!" He called. Had he been paying attention; he'd have noticed the ground beneath the fading spark heat up and absorb it into Scorponoks' body. In Paradon, another similarly reclaimed spark pulsed brightly.
"Predacons, evacuate." Galvatron ordered as the area around them began to transform with Scorponok. "We still have a hive to capture, and our newest associates shall help us find it."
"Associates, plural?" Spittor asked as he followed Galvatron out of the collapsing city of Tarn.
"Yes." Galvatron replied. Using the Dark Matrix, he reached out to where he'd left Hun-Gurr and found that his experiment had indeed born fruit. Looking out towards the horizon, he saw the tail end of a large grey transport vehicle speeding away from the rising Titan.
Right where he wanted them to go.
"Excellent." He laughed. He would reclaim the Insecticon hive and eradicate his twins' adoptive sister all in one fell swoop. Purely for theatrical reasons, he pointed the Spear of Zarak towards where they were heading as the Dark Matrix glowed. While the giant scorpion that was Scorponok shook off the wreckage of Tarn, Galvatron gave one simple command.
"Abominus, rise up, and DESTROY!"
In the canyon Galvatron left them in, Infernus and Terrorsaur felt the ground begin to shake.
"What the?"
"It is happening!"
Soon, from the far side of the canyon a large crack in the canyon wall emerged as a hand composed of dozens of ancient dead Predacons emerged from it all optics glowing purple. Gripping the side of the hole, the hand began to push until the wall gave way, allowing a second hand to join the first. With a mighty heave, the canyon collapsed entirely, creating a cloud of dust obscuring all. Through the dust, seven mad optics glowed purple as the creature emerged like a demon from the abyss.
Standing almost half as tall as Trypticon, the creature known as Abominus was composed of the corpses of thousands of ancient Predacons turned Terrorcons. The creature was bipedal and vaguely humanoid shaped with long arms ending in clawed hands on its head was a crest that looked like a cross between the Decepticon insignia and a Torosaurus' and its face possessed seven purple glowing optics arranged over its' glowing mouth. In the center of its' chest, Hun-Gurr was positioned and glowing like a bright purple star. The dark energon had consumed her entirely.
"What the pit is that thing?" Terrorsaur asked aloud. He'd never could've conceived such an abomination in his worst nightmares.
"It belongs to the royalty whatever it is, and as his regent, I shall tame it." Infernus answered.
"Come back here you idiot!" Terrorsaur called as Infernus ran out to Abominus.
"Heel, abomination! I am Infernus, regent to our queen, and you shall do as we order!" He yelled, drawing Abominus' attention to them. The super combiner looked at them before giving a gurgling laugh.
"You dare mock us!" Infernus shouted as Abominus' purple glow seemed to intensify.
"I'm outta here!" Terrorsaur yelled after transforming. He went to take off before Infernus grabbed his leg.
"You will stay and assist me in disciplining this." He was cut off as Abominus let loose a massive stream of purple fire from its' maw. It was the last thing they saw before the two Predacons were consumed by it.
Giving another gurgling laugh as it watched Terrorsaurs' arm sink into the new pool of molten metal, Abominus heard the sound of an approaching engine. Eager for the chance to destroy something else, the Terrorcon combiner began to shuffle towards the noise.
Meanwhile, in a transport not unlike a semi-truck fleeing across the wastes of Cybertron, Goldbug and Kumara were trying to come up with a new plan.
"As much as I hate to say it, it's only a matter of time before Galvatron figures out how to sic Scorponok on us." The former began as he checked their position.
"Sooner than you think." The latter exclaimed as she looked at the rearview monitor. "Look."
Looking in the monitor, Goldbug could see the remains of Tarn collapse completely as a giant purple and acid green scorpion emerged from the ground. A couple of moments later Scorponok began to follow after the transport.
"We'll head for Paradon and make our stand there." Goldbug decided, upping the transports speed. "Hopefully Arcee will have made contact with Chela by now." Activating the transports' communication array, Goldbug put out a distress call.
"Mayday, mayday, calling all Autobots." The Throttlebot leader called. "Tarn has fallen to the Decepticons and we are being pursued by Scorponok. We are trying to escape with the fledgling Insecticon hive and are in need of backup!" Before he could get a response, an explosion rocked the transport. "What was that?"
"Sir, it's Scorponok, he fired on us and took out one of our wheels." Strongarm called as she watched the Insecticon King start to get larger on the horizon. "We cannot keep our current speed."
"Aye, we can." Power Hug announced before transforming into his pill bug mode. Crawling down the outside of the vehicle, the Insecticon quickly wrapped himself around he exposed axle, turning himself into a makeshift wheel for the transport.
"Power Hug?" The now conscious Glowstrike asked in awe.
"Am. Gettin'. Ter. Ole. Fur. 'Is. Scrap!" he yelled as he spun.
"Never mind Goldbug." Sideswipe called, having witnessed Power Hugs' maneuver. "We're stabilized for now."
"Understood." Goldbug replied as he watched Scorponok stop gaining on them in the rearview. "We should be in Paradon in." The Throttlebot was cut off as a large fist slammed into the side of the transport and sent it rolling before coming to a rest on its' side.
High over Scorponok, Galvatron grinned as he watched Abominus knock the transport on its' side.
"Excellent." He said simply. "Abominus, destroy any Autobots you find. Predacons, prepare to retrieve the hive. Today shall be one of glorious victory. Yes."
Back in the transport, Goldbug and Kumara finally climbed their way out of the cab and saw what had hit them.
"What the hell is that thing?" The Maximal asked as Abominus began shuffling over to them.
"One big Terrorcon." Goldbug replied as the rest of the group formed up on them.
"Looks lek oor final stan's ere then." Power Hug announced once he'd detached himself from the transport.
"The eggs are still secure." Glowstrike added. "For what it's worth."
"It isn't much." Galavatron called as he descended through the air. "Now, I believe I shall start by cementing my place as the true sovereign of Scorponok." He added as he trained his cannon on Kumara. "Say goodbye."
Before he could fire on the Maximal, a loud bird call rent the air. Looking up, Galvatron had a brief glimpse of a large golden shape before a gust of wind blew him backwards into Scorponok. Looking up, he saw the second Titan he was supposed to enslave land between him and the transport.
"Of course, those fools failed." Galvatron griped. He'd have words with the Combaticons and Horrorcons later. Now however.
"Scorponok, destroy Chela. Abominus finish them!" He ordered, pointing towards the transport.
Hearing the order, Scorponok reluctantly transformed. The bulk of his mass including his pincers shot upwards to a ninety-degree angle. From there the arms folded downwards as his legs repositioned and raised his body up higher. The capstone was hid head turning around and the face shielding retracting to reveal a silver face and red visor. Chela took wing again as a laser blast shot from her brother's tail.
"June!" Arcee yelled as she sped up to her sister in her motorcycle mode. Tasmania Kid seemed to be enjoying the ride as he rode on her back. Coming to a stop so her new son could climb off her, she transformed into bot mode and looked at the group.
"I heard the distress call." She explained. "How did this happen in less than twelve hours?"
"Like you're one to talk?" June asked, gesturing to Chela. "And who's this?" She added with a look at Tasmania Kid.
"Let's just say I'm not the only aunt in the family anymore." Arcee replied, putting her son inside the transport. "Stay put." She ordered, thankful to see a nod of agreement.
"I want details later."
"Preferably when we don't have a giant Terrorcon bearing down on us." Sideswipe interrupted, calling their attention back to Abominus. Deploying their guns, the group took aim on the super combiner.
"Throttlebots, open fire!"
Abominus laughed as it was peppered by the blasts of its' prey. There weren't that many of them and the blasts did little against an opponent this sized. However, a concentrated bust of firepower from behind it and aimed at the left ankle did cause it to fall to one knee.
"What the?" Arcee asked. Where had that blast come from.
"Dinobots!" Grimlock called as he led the charge from behind Abominus. "Transform and kick aft!" The white Utahraptor that was now the Dinobot leader surged forth with a flock of hard light duplicates with the other dinobots, Mach Hoof and Whirl following him. Immediately they began trying to split the Terrorcon combiners' focus in as many directions as possible.
As his flock and his team kept Abominus distracted, Grimlock led Mach Hoof over to Arcee, Goldbug and Kumara.
"You stay with them." He ordered the Maximal. While she looked reluctant, she gave a grudging nod.
"Understood Grimlock."
"GRIMLOCK!?" The other Autobots cried in both relief and confusion.
"Me explain later." The Dinobot said before transforming. "We do this now." Turning back to Abominus, he fired a green laser blast from his optics as Mach Hoof added a Nucleon charge.
"Right." Kumara said, remembering the current situation. "We need to protect these eggs."
"Chela, watch out!" Arcee called as Scorponok caught one of the golden warriors' legs in his pincer.
"Yes!" Galvatron exclaimed as his Titan captured what he now realized was his sisters' "Now, destroy her." Scorponok screwed up his face as he tried to resist. "I said destroy her!" Slowly, his tail blaster rose to Chelas' face. But before he could fire, he was hit by several high-power blasts.
Turning to the source of the blasts, Galvatrons' optics widened in shock.
"The, the Ark!" He yelled. "That, that can't be!"
"Omega Supreme!" Mach Hoof called. She remembered seeing the pictures of him in Mainframes' game.
"Look like Omega have growth spurt." Grimlock said. He hadn't seen the old guardian of Paradon since the Ark took off. And he was nowhere near that size then.
"Call for reinforcements heard." A voice echoed from the giant ship. "Omega Supreme responding." A moment later a spacebridge portal opened and Ratchet, Wheeljack, Jetfire and Deathsaur emerged. It figured that they'd run the last systems check as Goldbugs distress call came in.
"Arcee, Goldbug, June." He greeted the three he knew before turning to the Dinobot. "Grimlock?"
"Talk later, fight now." Grimlock exclaimed before deflecting a blast from Abominus with his shield and returning fire along with the others. A sentiment that was followed when Omega Supreme began to transform.
The tail fin of the ship folded into the back left section before the entire back third of it split and unfolded into a pair of legs which set down on the ground. The remaining two thirds of the ship spun around before the sides split away from the main body and unfolded into a pair of arms that ended with a three clawed hand on his right arm and a cannon on the left. Finally, the nose section of the ship folded backwards into a backpack, revealing a face covered by an orange visor.
Rearing back his fist, Omega Supreme delivered a punch to Scorponoks' head and fired a laser blast that drove Abominus back several paces. Seeing that help had truly arrived, Chela decided to deal with Abominus by picking it up by the shoulders and flying it back the way it'd come from before dropping it like Monstructor. This gave Omega enough room to get a grip on Scorponoks' arm and throw him across the battlefield.
Galvatron was now seething. When Scorponok and Abominus had cornered the Autobots victory had been assured. Then Chela showed up in the company of his Primus damned sister alongside one of the strongest units in Optimus Primes' forces. And where did Omega Supreme come from? To say nothing of how he became big enough to tangle with a Titan?
He needed the backup plan.
"All forces retreat!" Galvatron ordered. He activated a remote spacebridge that would take him, the Predacons, Scorponok and Abominus to Kaon. There he would use the bridge to recover the Combaticons and Horrorcons then his forces could regroup. And he could begin meting out punishments to those who failed him.
"They have not seen the last of me. No." Galvatron muttered to himself as he flew through the portal after Abominus.
"Okay, now let me see if I have this straight." Ratchet spoke to the assembled Autobots, Maximals, and Insecticons.
After the Decepticons had left, it was decided that they would meet back at Iacon. After transplanting the hive of Insecticon eggs into Omega Supremes' cargo bay, the two Titan sized bots flew everyone back. Upon landing, Chela asked Arcee for a moment to mourn her older brothers Metroplex and Vigilem. After the moment passed Omega offered his condolences only for the golden warrior to surprise him.
"I have lost two of my brothers now, and a third is lost to an enemy. However, I am happy to have found a new Titan to call brother." This stunned Omega Supreme for a moment.
"Thank you, great one."
"Call me sister."
"So, we now have a Titan Omega Supreme as well as Chela." Ratchet continued. "Arcee is now the City Speaker for the latter as the former can communicate without one."
"To say nothing of her becoming a single mother." June added, holding her new nephew in her lap. The two sisters couldn't wait to introduce Tasmania Kid to the other Maximals. June was particularly interested in Jacks' reaction to being an instant cousin.
"You became the City Speaker for Scorponok." Ratchet added, pointing at June. "But because of Galvatron he's currently being controlled by the Decepticons."
"I'm sure I can free him once I get the Spear of Zarak back." June replied. At least, she hoped she could.
"You, found a valley of sparks." The Autobot medic said, now turning his attention to Grimlock and the Dinobots. "You were gunned down, and resurrected in a Maximal body by said sparks. To say nothing of the golden lagoon that can change someone into whatever they want."
"Me Grimlock just tough like that." The Dinobot leader replied.
"And believe me." Whirl added from the corner. "We're keeping that lagoon secret for now."
"And throw in our misadventure with Mainframe, and we have the last few days in a nutshell." Ratchet finished.
"Some nutshell." Goldbug added. "I just hope Optimus is having better luck finding Vector Sigma than we've had finding reinforcements."
Somewhere beneath the surface of Cybertron, Optimus Prime rubbed at his optics as Heinrad and Smokescreen laughed at Blitzwings' current predicament. The Decepticon Triple changer was now hanging several meters in the air upside down. Apparently the underworlders of old had set up traps to catch anyone they could. Unfortunately, this was the third trap the crazy con had triggered in as many hours. To his left, Starscream ran a hand down his faceplate.
"Unbelievable." The aerospace commander muttered as he watched Rung scale the line holding Blitzwing up to cut him loose as Magnaboss and Scourge held him steady. "Blitzwing, how do you get into these messes?!" He exclaimed.
"Just lucky I guess." Blitzwing replied, black jack O lantern face facing them.
"Amazing." Optimus muttered to himself. "Booby traps that actually capture boobies." Idly, he wondered if the others had reached Vector Sigma Yet.
Meanwhile, in the basement of Maccadams' Old Oil House, the two Primes had accidentally rediscovered the shortcut they'd been seeking.
"I, am so, sorry." Nexus Prime muttered, holding a keg of Engex.
"Okay, now listen to me very carefully." Alchemist Prime said in a muffled voice. When his brother picked up that particular keg, he'd triggered the revolving door that hid the entrance. Unfortunately, he hadn't been expecting it and had become smashed between the door and wall.
"Don't put the Engex back."
In the former Decepticon capitol of Kaon, galvatron descended towards his goal. After retreating from the Autobots, he'd retrieved his errant teams. After they explained what happened with the mission to capture Chela, he subjected the two teams to nearly twenty minutes of continuous pain to show his displeasure. After forcing Scorponok to transform into his city mode so that his troops could recuperate, he began his short journey to the heart of the city.
Galvatron nodded as he entered what was once the spark chamber of the Titan Vigilem. While he may have gotten Scorponok and succeeded in creating the superweapon that was Abominus, Unicron was still expecting him to return with two Titans. The backup plan had less to do with growing his own power and everything to do with simple self-preservation. He knew he was on thin ice with the chaos bringer.
"Now." He began as he took the Dark Matrix from his chest. "Let us see if this little experiment works." Originally, he'd hoped to use the body of Metroplex for this, but unfortunately the Autobots had set up in Iacon before he could attempt it. Besides, with all the material missing from the body, it would probably collapse under its' own weight if he tried to make a Terrorcon of it.
Putting all of his focus on the empty spark chamber before him, he tapped the dark powers of his matrix, and willed them to their destination. The Dark Matrix then glowed brightly before a beam of dark energon lanced out from it into Vigilems' empty spark chamber. Galvatron smirked as a purple mote of energy ignited and began to grow. Megatron may have snuffed out this Titans' life eons ago, but the husk of Metroplex' twin was still viable. Hearing an inhuman shriek echo around him as the city began to shake, the evil mech knew he'd succeeded.
Returning his Matrix to his chest, Galvatron turned and blasted a hole in the ceiling with his fusion cannon. Taking wing, he flew through it and using his cannon a few more times, returned to the surface as the infrastructure of Kaon began to collapse. As he landed in front of Scorponok, Onslaught and Slog ran out to meet him.
"What in the name of Primus did you do?!" Onslaught yelled as the ground began to shake harder.
"Ensured our victory!" Galvatron called out over the chaos. Turning back to the collapsing city, he was pleased to see I giant orange and blue arm with veins of purple dark energon running across it thrust upward like a zombie emerging from the ground. The Decepticon commander laughed as the arm pushed down on the ground, forcing its' head to the surface with another inhuman shriek.
Vigilem, had risen again.
"Yes, YES! Arise my Necrotitan! YES!"
A/N: Again, Phew. A lot of action in this chapter. Admittedly I threw in some extra humor to try and balance it out. I just hope it didn't seem too forced.
I know I've already described Omega Supreme as being based off the Ark Titan Transformer. Scorponok however is a little different. I tried to combine his G1 version with the Bayverse iteration. I also took some inspiration from a picture of the Kaiju Destroyah (III) by Matt Frank on DeviantArt. Chela is more or less a replica of her IDW 1.0 variant and Vigilem/Necrotitan is an orange and blue recolor of Metroplex.
Tasmania Kid is based on his legacy toy while Glowstrike and Power Hug are based on their cartoon and comic book appearances on the other hand, is closer to Deceptigod than anything else.
I decided to harken back to the days of G1 for Goldbugs' team name. I spent many a flea market trip looking for both the Marvel Comics run for Transformers as well as the toys themselves (All six Throttlebots now sit proudly in my collection). Part of me wishes that RID 2015 brought the name Throttlebots out of retirement. Not that I have anything against the name Bee Team.
Next Time: Prime Time
Until then, as always, fave, follow and review.
Until next time...bye.