Exiles
00000
XIV - Armada
Beneath the Andes - March 18th, 2012 - 8:00 am
"My armada, hear me."
Hear me.
Hear me.
As if answering a great call from a great depth, nearly a thousand Insecticon pods opened and their inhabitants, of all shapes and sizes, some tall, some small, some spindley and some hulking.
But all bloodthirsty, ferocious and under Sarys's complete control.
Airachnid, now haggard, bloodied, and almost limp, stirred erratically as though she had woken from uneasy sleep.
She cried out in a choked whimper as Sarys took her by the throat and pulled.
The cufflinks which already left her wrists and ankles raw strained and nearly broke as Sarys pulled Airachnid towards her.
"You will watch this as I tear the Nemesis and all your fellow Decepticons apart. I will bring you their heads, including that little seeker and Vehicon that you seem to have a soft spot for. What were their names? Oh yes, Thunderblast and Stockade."
Airachnid's pained grimace turned into one of horror as her optics shot open.
Sarys grinned. "Yes, I do know about them. The ones whom you tolerated the most aboard the Nemesis. You may not remember, but you called for them, Breakdown included, for help."
Airachnid said nothing.
But her shame exploded all the more knowing she was so weak and vulnerable that she'd call for help.
"Those screens in front of you are linked to my surveillance drones, so you could have the best seat in the house. Aren't I a good mother?"
Airachnid said nothing.
Sarys frowned.
"Your defiance is formidable. I blame your father and that trick he married before I got my claws into him. And your sister."
Airachnid rose her head, tears running down her face, snarling murderously.
Sarys feigned sadness.
"Yes, she was a capital girl wasn't she? Blackarachnia was just too good for the universe."
Airachnid screamed in unmitigated fury, trying to get Sarys' face with her teeth.
Sarys knocked her out with a right hook.
"I suppose she'll have to watch the recording."
She tittered. "Including the part where poor Thunder got her arm torn off by her godfather."
00000
24 Hours Earlier…
Autobot Base Omega Two - March 17th, 2012 - 8:00 am
Blaster tapped away at his keyboard, checking details on any sightings of MECH agents, their constituents, Cons or anything that might resemble the mysterious spider that jumped Arcee that night.
Or the two attackers that abducted and possibly killed Breakdown and attacked Laserbeak.
Blaster swallowed.
Oh man, I never thought all those stories about the Acolytes might be true.
Three days ago, Agent Fowler had answered a call from one General Bryce for a thorough report on the 'demise' of Optimus Prime.
00000
"I'm telling you General, the bot you got in lockup is not Prime. It's a knockoff."
"We only have your word to go on, Bill. I'm in a very awkward position here, considering that this wouldn't be the first time that Optimus Prime inflicted human casualties."
"If you're talking about when Jon was being escorted, Prime was doing so at my request. I couldn't trust anyone else, not with MECH agents lurking everywhere. And they didn't give him any choice, they would've killed Jon if he held back against them. They were MECH agents, murderers and traitors to their country."
"Believe me Bill, you're not going to see a tear from me or anyone else. But politicians are nervous, Bill. Optimus Prime managed to kill at least a dozen highly-trained, war-hardened paramilitary operatives, as easily as though they were no more than bugs. That's just one bot and we have over a dozen on Earth to contend with, not counting the Decepticons. And last I checked, Prime swore to never take a human life. I personally don't blame him for going back on his word but you can see why some people might get spooked. That's another important reason why I called this meeting, Bill, to see whether or not I should put you before a tribunal."
00000
A tribunal would mean the possible termination of Team Prime and Agent Fowler facing jail time.
It was a thorough examination, naming every Bot and Con, going through their identities, their part in the war, Optimus's defection to the Cons due to his amnesia, why Megatron hasn't been terminated by now, and the threat MECH still poses to the world, despite the many things that have been uncovered as of late.
This included the true identity of Silas: Colonel Leland Bishop of Special Tactics.
And what a shock it was when his name was revealed to the team.
00000
Sierra stirred from her place on the couch, a cool towel on her forehead.
"Hey baby," June Darby said kindly as she placed a hand on the cheer captain's head. "How are you feeling?"
"What happened?" Sierra croaked, throat dry.
"You fainted," Katie said, arms crossed.
"Oh," Sierra said. "W-why did I-?"
She gasped as she began to collect herself.
"C-Captain Fanzone?"
"I'm here honey." Captain Fanzone walked up to the girl, face full of pity.
"Captain?" Sierra was in fearful tears. "You…you mentioned a name. I must've misheard you."
"Siri," Vince said, taking the girl's hand.
"No!" Sierra snapped. "Captain!" She stood up fast on her feet. "Repeat what you said! The name you mentioned before I keeled over!"
"Sierra please!" June exclaimed. "You just woke up after a swoon!"
"Honey," Fanzone said. "It can wai-"
"NO!"
Sideswipe reached out to her charge. "Hey Siri. C'mon. Take it easy."
Sierra swiped the massive hand away.
"Tell me you didn't say Leland Bishop! Please tell me that Silas isn't my grandfather!"
Some of the Bots and kids looked past shocked, disturbed, and dumbfounded.
Only Optimus, Ratchet, Jazz, Agent Fowler and Nurse Darby looked unsurprised.
They were filled in apparently.
Fanzone's response to Sierra's desperate question was a silent and very sad look.
That was answer enough.
"No," Sierra croaked, shaking her head in disbelief. "No! It's not true!"
"I'm so sorry baby," June said.
Sierra fell to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably.
Vince and Katie went to console her.
Jack and Arcee looked at each other.
They both looked up at one of the Autobot consoles.
It had opened a window showing two pictures.
On the left side was a black and white photograph of Silas.
Mid-60s. Powerful square jaw. White hair combed back. Tan skin. Two deep scars along his nose and left side of his head.
Face completely still yet his deep-brown eyes were filled with a cold, calculating militaristic malice.
Silas in all his megalomaniacal and stone-faced glory.
But on the right, a family photograph in color.
A man, his wife, and their daughter, about 11 or 12.
The man was red of hair and green of eyes. The wife, deep brown hair and brown eyes.
The little girl, red of hair and green of eyes, clearly a photo of Sierra and her parents.
But there was a fourth person, a man in his late fifties, full head of curly white hair and a full white beard.
Deep brown eyes full of love.
Even with the hair and beard, the likeness was unmistakable.
Leland Bishop.
Grandfather. Army colonel. War hero. Traitor.
Jack's eyes went huge.
"No," he whispered.
00000
Such a terrible time for all concerned.
Especially for Sierra.
To have found out that her own grandfather was a commanding officer in a deep state paramilitary group bent on world domination.
Sierra had been inconsolable for some time.
Her mother too.
Her parents had to be notified in case Silas ever came to visit, however unlikely.
This revelation was like ice water on the group.
Rust solution for the Autobots.
This war had become even more personal for all concerned.
MECH was now becoming a threat that is on par with the Decepticons.
And worse, one of their top commanders is family to one of their own.
00000
Nemesis Warship - 10:00 am
Thunderblast slept soundly in her induced coma as her arm healed itself after being reattached.
Oil Slick was checking over her vitals and Energon intake.
"It appears the physical damage is healing nicely but it seems the mental and emotional damage is far worse. As far as Thunderblast knows, her leader had mortally wounded her without warning. That is something she'll have to push through herself. I'm sorry my Lord, but when she wakes up, you're not the first thing she wants to see."
Megatron grimaced. "I see."
"I am sorry Lord Megatron."
"It can't be helped, Oil Slick. Any progress in bringing Soundwave around."
Oil Slick almost smiled. "He may come around anytime now. The electromagnetic treatment has been relatively successful. But his spark will still need healing sir."
Megatron nodded. "Good. Is that everything?"
"For the time being. I'll keep you updated, Master."
Megatron nodded and he walked out of the med bay.
00000
Earth's Atmosphere - March 18th - 6:00 am
"Captain Battletrap, we just entered the planet's atmosphere."
"I can see that. Do we have the Nemesis in our target system?"
"Yes sir, we have them."
"And Doubledealer and Ransack?"
"Their boys will be here soon. Should we wait?"
"No, we'll proceed without them. If they're late, that's their fault. Let the slaughter begin."
00000
Present…
Bulkhead stirred, a ringing in his head as he found himself face down on a cold metal floor.
"Uhhhh…" he groaned dizzily. "Huh?"
He began to come around and his blue optics widened as he saw where he was.
An Energon storage area and it was not the Autobot base.
The make of the place was dark-purple, angular and jagged, garish and ugly, a dank and hopeless place.
Bulkhead knew what that meant as he backed up in disbelief.
"The Decepticon warship?! But how did I-WOAH!"
Bulkhead's foot hit a curb and he instinctively did a 180.
There was an open hatch with no bottom.
The warship was miles above the clouds.
At least an eight mile drop from the looks of it.
Bulkhead backed up, shaken up on how close he was to falling more than 40,000 feet to his death.
"Ratchet? Don't ask me how I got here, I-"
Bulkhead heard nothing on the other end, only static.
Not good.
"Ratchet? You copy?"
Nothing.
"Scrap."
00000
Bulkhead slunk through the Nemesis, trying to be as stealthy as possible.
It's a wonder that he hadn't been seen until he bumped into someone.
Bulkhead turned fast, blasters at the ready.
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
It was Knockout, hands up in surrender and all.
Scrap!
Knockout foolishly tried to flee through an open door but Bulkhead stopped him when he grabbed him by the shoulder and covered his mouth to keep from calling for help.
"If you scream, I'll snap your neck."
Knockout whimpered behind the hand, cutting off his pleas.
"Now I need a way off this boat and you're gonna show me."
Knockout nodded fast.
Truth is, he didn't have the power to get Bulkhead off the Nemesis.
Not by his own power.
He had no access to the groundbridge, not without the access code or the approval of his commanding officer.
The escape pods could only be used if you had the access codes from two staff officers.
And Barricade's ship? He could probably steal his keys but Barricade would fill him with holes if he even tried.
Knockout would be dead either way.
So his only chance was to buy time and hope that a member of the crew happened upon them and sounded the alarm.
If only Breakdown were here.
"Move," Bulkhead said, pushing Knockout forward.
One hand a wrecking ball, the other a blaster.
"If you run, I'll blast you in half."
"You're more ruthless than usual," Knockout said. "They run out of extra rations this morning or something."
Knockout was not usually not the joking sort. Actually, he was attempting to distract himself so that he didn't faint from the terror of being made a hostage.
Ever since Breakdown 'left,' Knockout had become increasingly paranoid.
He hid it well enough but everyday, he held his breath, looked over his shoulder, fearing that one day his dirty little secret might be found out.
The secret that he conspired with Starscream to pull the plug on Megatron while he was comatose so he could be second-in-command.
Treason and conspiracy to commit murder.
A sure death sentence that Megatron would carry out himself.
And it would not be a gentle one.
Knockout mustered all his will not to cry on the spot.
Not in front of him.
Silently, Knockout led Bulkhead down to the hanger way using the passageways with the least amount of traffic.
And if avoiding detection was impossible, the ventilation system will be their best bet.
Knockout quivered at the plan, thinking how the vents will soil his finish.
00000
Nemesis Command Center - 8:30 am
"Lord Megatron!"
"What is it?"
"We have an unauthorized entry aboard the ship."
"Autobot?"
"Doubledealer."
Megatron frowned.
Doubledealer.
Now Doubledealer was a soldier under Megatron's command, for a time. But he had been a mercenary and conbot for as long as Megatron was a gladiator. When Megatron was in power on Cybertron, Doubledealer had been one of his best enforcers as well as a financier under Swindle's supervision.
However, Doubledealer had grown increasingly unsatisfied with the lack of credits he was promised at the start.
He was by all rights a grasper. Greedy to the core. Never content with what he has and always wanting more.
Not uncommon when you grow up under the old caste system.
But he did more than invest, he stole whenever he thought he could get away with it.
He took up contracts that promised decent pay, even if the target was a fellow Decepticon that he thought no one would miss.
However, considering that he eventually deserted sometime after Cybertron went dark, someone noticed.
Megatron noticed.
After a report was filed by Swindle, both Megatron and Swindle found discrepancies in the Decepticon Imperium's finances.
Doubledealer had been stealing from his fellow Decepticons, including Megatron himself.
Doubledealer had a 15,000 credit price on his head ever since.
And now he was here.
Why?
Megatron had a bad feeling in his spark.
"Find Doubledealer and bring him to me. I want him alive."
00000
Med Center
Thunderblast forced her eyes open.
Pain shot up in her shoulder.
She groaned but didn't scream as she was exhausted.
"Wha...what happened?"
Thunderblast sat up on her medical berth.
Her yellow optics widened and any exhaustion in her faded instantly when she saw Soundwave, still comatose, on a medical berth next to hers.
And then she noticed Oil Slick checking details on one of his consoles.
He didn't seem to notice her.
As her awareness came to her, fear rose up in her chest as she remembered what put her there in the first place.
And why she had a medical brace on her shoulder seemingly keeping her arm in its socket.
And who was responsible.
I gotta get out of here! No way I'm sticking around so Megatron can try and off me again!
00000
Autobot Outpost Omega Two - 9:00 am
"Blaster, have you triangulated Bulkhead's position?" Optimus asked.
"Not yet boss, but I am detecting some funky frequencies from down under."
"Of earthly origin?"
"Hard to say but too thick to be natural and check out the location."
Blaster punched a few keys and a map popped up on the screen with exact coordinates.
"The exact coordinates where we encountered that Insecticon," Optimus said gravely.
"And that new spider bot," Arcee said bitterly.
"And now she apparently has more bugs at her beck and call," Bumblebee said.
"We can't seem to get a break, can we?" Jazz said mirthlessly.
"We never do," Ratchet said gruffly.
00000
Nemesis Warship - 9:00 am
Bulkhead continued to hold onto Knockout as they made their way through the ventilation shafts.
They infiltrated the air system some time ago.
"You know what?" Bulkhead barked, irritated. "I'm starting to think you're leading me on a wild goose chase!"
"I don't know what that means."
"It means you've been leading me in circles!"
Knockout was starting to panic now.
If he called for help, he was as good as dead.
He remembered what Breakdown told him when Bulkhead almost choked him to death.
Being reminded of his best friend nearly made Knockout cry again.
He tried to contain it but a sob erupted from his lips.
And it did not go unnoticed.
Bulkhead blinked twice.
"Uh…you ok?"
Then Bulkhead stopped when he heard something.
A buzzing that was slowly getting louder.
00000
The Bridge - 9:00 am
Megatron strode through and saw someone at the bridge's main console.
A bot with a dark blue/red finish.
He turned and was shown to have a blue face, a black helm and burning red optics teeming with malice and greed.
"Doubledealer," Megatron snarled.
"Megatron," the deserter said snidely. "You look even uglier than when I last saw you."
Furious yet in complete control, Megatron wasted no time to raise his cannon and take aim.
"How did you get aboard my warship? And where's the rest of your crew, Doubledealer? I know you didn't muster up the courage to come here on your own."
Doubledealer was unconcerned as he shrugged. "Indeed. Battletrap should be here right about…now."
The sound of blasters charging hummed behind Megatron.
Megatron slowly turned to see a bronze-colored bot with a battle mask and red visor. This one had a pulse pistol, a standard but deadly energy blaster.
And at this range, it would hard to miss.
"You," Megatron growled contemptuously.
"Me," Battletrap growled mockingly. "Sorry Megatron, but you and your rabble have become an inconvience."
"Who sent you here?!" Megatron seethed.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Yes he would."
The voice that spoke was followed by a pair of pulse pistols, modified and upgraded, charging and humming directly at the heads of Battletrap and Doubledealer.
Barricade seemed to emerge slowly from the dark corners of the bridge.
Doubledealer brandished his own weapons, wrist-mounted blasters.
Megatron did not take his aim off of Doubledealer but quick lightning, a secondary blaster extended from his right arm and it was pointed at the face of Battletrap.
It was smaller than his cannon, a pea shooter in comparison but just as powerful than a pulse pistol.
It was a standoff.
"I don't like using this gun," Megatron said. "I find it void of any taste or artistry."
Battletrap chuckled. "I'm no snob."
The standoff was interrupted by the sound of loud buzzing.
It was getting louder and closer.
And it seemed to surround the entire ship.
"What is that?" Barricade demanded.
Doubledealer smirked. "Backup."
00000
Escape Pod Bay - 9:00 am
Thunderblast, carrying two cubes of Energon under her arm, paused in her attempt to prime the escape pod she was going to use to escape what she thought was an inevitable mutilation at Megatron's hands.
Tears of terror and betrayal ran down Thunderblast's cheeks.
She fought to keep herself calm and from sobbing outloud.
Just because I disobeyed his orders not to engage MECH? So he tears my arm off? Ok ok ok, don't panic. Just get into earth's orbit, call mom and she'll come pick me up.
"What are you doing?"
Thunderblast gasped, dropping the Energon cubes, and she turned to see Dreadwing, flanked by Flamewar and Stockade.
Dreadwing didn't look angry, just annoyed.
Flamewar had her arms crossed, shaking her head as though she was witnessing the stupidest thing she had ever seen.
Stockade looked genuinely concerned.
"Thunderblast, how did you get those without setting off any alarms?" Dreadwing asked.
"Well, you see-
Dreadwing held up a hand. "More importantly, why are you jumping ship?"
New tears flowing down her face, Thunderblast bared her teeth in rage. "You have the nerve to ask me that?!" She pointed to her shoulder, which still had the medical brace. "You know Megatron took my arm off and you think I should stick around anyway?!
Dreadwing no longer looked annoyed but sympathetic. "It was a MECH imposter that hurt you, Thunderblast, not Megatron."
Thunderblast paused. "Uh, oh."
"Idiot," Flamewar said under her breath.
Stockade jerked his head.
"What's wrong now?" Flamewar said, even more annoyed now.
"Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
All paused to listen and they heard something strange.
Buzzing.
And it was getting louder.
00000
The sun was being blotted out as a black swarm of a seemingly endless army of Insecticons approached the Nemesis from all sides.
Sarys led them in the form of a Cybertronian chopper.
"Remember, eliminate the crew. Take prisoners but not too many. We can't spare the Energon. It's a long trip to Junkion. And keep the warship in good condition. If you damage its core, I will not be happy."
Down below, at the very cave entrance where the Insecticons departed, a groundbridge came into existence and Optimus, followed by Arcee, Jazz, Bumblebee, and Perceptor came through.
"By all indications, we're witnessing a plan to terminate Megatron," Optimus said.
Arcee almost smirked but she shook off the bitter satisfaction.
"I get the feeling we're not going to let that happen," she said.
"Not unless you want the Nemesis, as well as its Dark Energon stores and the relics already appropriated by the Decepticons, to fall into enemy hands we don't know."
"Relics including the Forge of Solus Prime," Bumblebee added.
Arcee nodded. "Good point."
"Wheeljack will be bringing his ship around in a few minutes," Perceptor said.
"Excellent," Optimus said. "Air support will be paramount."
"I'll provide long range support then," Perceptor said.
"Bumblebee, guard Perceptor. Arcee and I will engage the enemy and draw their fire."
"Good luck boss," Bumblebee said.
Jazz grinned as he brandished his weapon of choice, an ion scatterblaster.
"And I'll search our little underground hive for stragglers and do what I do best."
Bumblebee gave the saboteur a knowing grin.
"Scrap things up?"
"You know it."
Optimus activated his pathblasters.
"Roll out."
00000
Hangar Bay
"Battlestations!" Blackout bellowed as he rushed to the hanger bay with a battalion of Eraticons flanking him.
The open bays were being swarmed by dozens and dozens of Insecticons.
"Lock down the hangers! Lock them down!"
As the doors came down, an unfortunate Vehicon tripped and fell.
The Insecticons, salivating and shrieking like mad, advanced on him.
"Help! Help me!"
Blackout felt agony in his spark.
There was nothing he could do for the trooper.
Just a kid.
The trooper cried like a child as the Insecticon hordes drew near.
THOOM!
A hot blast rushed past Blackout as a proton shell slammed into the center mass of the oncoming Insecticons, destroying several in a blast of metal and viscera, pushing the rest back.
Brawl rushed past in his tank form, transformed and barreled towards the young trooper.
He grabbed him by the arm and tossed him towards Blackout.
He caught the trooper effortlessly as the door came down and automatically locked itself.
Brawl squared off as the impossible odds of the Insecticon hordes came down on him.
"COME ON! I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!"
"Commander NO!"
The rescued Vehicon reached out but was held back by Blackout, who like all outside the hangar, watched through the shatterproof glass in horror as Brawl was covered over by the Swarm like a blanket.
00000
Dreadwing beheaded one Insecticon and cut one down the middle.
Flamewar rammed a fist into the gut of a Spitter, an ugly Insecticon with a tube-like mouth, and fired her flamethrower into it, causing it to burst into flames from every opening.
It flailed in agony as it slowly cooked alive.
Thunderblast launched several missiles from her shoulder launchers.
"Why are they attacking us?!" she exclaimed. "They're ours aren't they?! I see the Con symbols!"
"Airachnid must be controlling them!" Dreadwing barked as he tore out an Insecticon's spark and crushed it.
"What?!" Stockade cried as he blasted an Insecticon in the midsection, nearly cutting it in two.
"Uh whoa!"
My blasts are not that powerful.
"She would never!" Thunderblast screamed as she snapped the neck of a hulking brute of a bug. "She's our friend! She'd never betray us!"
Flamewar rolled her eyes. "Airachnid doesn't have any friends."
"How can you say that?!"
After the events at the abandoned Energon mine in Bolivia, even though the report said that another spider bot had been spotted and was believed to have been the one to have controlled the Insecticon that fought and very nearly beat Megatron, it could not be proven.
No one but Megatron could have seen it.
And for some reason, he couldn't remember.
And the Cons weren't about to believe a bunch of Autobots.
The black webbing was strange to be sure but another Arachnicon much like Airachnid, here on Earth?
The odds are astronomical.
Is it not more likely that Airachnid defected and commandeered these Insecticons against her fellow Decepticons?
Some believed it.
Some didn't.
Thunderblast and Stockade especially.
Before she could protest further, Thunderblast hissed in pain as she grabbed her injured shoulder.
Grasping at her shoulder, Energon leaked through her fingers.
The wound reopened.
Dreadwing acted fast.
He brandished his signature cannon and blasted back several bugs away before he put his weapon away and went to Thunderblast's side.
"We need to get you back to the med bay!"
"Why?"
"Why?! Your wound reopened!"
"Carry her if she won't run!" Flamewar cried as she brandished her flamethrowers. "Stockade, go."
"What?! No! I-!"
"Do as I say! I was born first! You go with them! I'll hold them off!"
"But sis-!"
"Don't sis me! Get moving or I'll burn you until you do! Got it?!"
Stockade took his mask off, exposing orange optics, just like Flamewar's.
He was crying.
"Stay alive."
Flamewar grinned. "It's what I do best. Well, besides burning things."
"Flamewar, no!" Dreadwing barked. "I won't let you-!"
"You don't have a choice!"
Flamewar shot the controls by the emergency door and the door automatically slammed closed, separating Flamewar from the rest of the group.
She had her back to the door.
It had a small window along the door's center.
Dreadwing snarled at the foolish and insubordinate girl.
"Come on!" He said in a commanding voice, carrying a pained Thunderblast in his arms.
Both he and Stockade took on in a run.
Stockade looked back to see Flamewar hosing down bugs left and right with waves and waves of blue fire.
The air was hot and burning metal was in the air.
Wouldn't be long before Energon started igniting.
And Flamewar would have to push through fire and blood to escape with her life.
00000
Med Bay
"FIRST WE CRACK THE SHELL! THAN WE CRACK THE NUTS INSIDE!"
Rumble, his massive batons utilized and vibrating from the power of their super-gravity generators to intensify the force of their impacts.
He smashed in the face of an Insecticon.
It dropped dead in a heap.
Frenzy leapt into the air, took aim, and launched several cybersteel shurikens.
The projectiles embedded into the brains of several bugs creeping ever closer.
Laserbeak screeched as the bugs advanced on them.
He activated his energy chain gun and shot several swarmers before they got anywhere close within shooting distance.
Soundwave, still comatose, laid on his berth.
Oil Slick stood by him, an energy saw in one hand and a scalpel in the other.
Oil Slick's skill in battle are nothing to sneeze at but he couldn't risk a misfire hitting his patient.
He had to stick with melee.
The symbiotes were holding off the bugs well, but they kept coming and the door had been broken down.
How long can they keep this up?
No one noticed that Soundwave's fingers wouldn't stop twitching.
00000
Runway
On top of the Nemesis, Blackout and every trooper available opened fire on the Insecticon swarm that plagued the Nemesis.
They were barely holding them off.
For every Insecticon shot down, three more seemed to take their place.
Insecticons carried off several Vehicons and threw them off the ship, sending them plummeting the mountains below.
Then things got worse.
Several Insecticons pressed upward on the Nemesis right protruding fin, causing it to tip over.
Vehicons lost their footing.
Without jets to balance themselves, they fell down the ship's side.
Blackout and some of the Eraticons grabbed hold of their brothers they could reach to keep them from falling.
Some of the unfortunate ones who couldn't grab hold of anything fell to their deaths screaming.
Worse still, those who were keeping their brothers from falling were helpless to the bugs.
They couldn't fight as well while holding onto their fellow Decepticons.
"Retreat!" Blackout roared. "Back into the ship!"
Then suddenly, the ship seemed to correct its level.
"What happened?" One of the Eraticons asked.
"One of ours must've shot down the bugs tipping the ship."
00000
Perceptor, on one knee, looked through his scope as several Insecticons spun downward in flames.
"Like shooting fish in a barrel as humans put it."
00000
Sarys watched in bewilderment as several of her Insecticon slave warriors crashed and burned.
"How?! No one is that good a shot!"
Utilizing her many eyes, she scanned the ground below and in 0.3 seconds, spotted a glare on a rock near the entrance of the cave.
Sarys snarled.
"Autobots!"
She sent a silent message to the Insecticon rear guard.
"Battletrap!" she shouted. "What is taking so long?!"
"Megatron's very stubborn ma'am! And he has backup! Putting them both down is gonna take some time!"
"I don't want excuses! Bring me Megatron's head!"
Sarys transformed back into her chopper form and joined the rear guard.
Prime will have sent someone to search the caves. I don't have anyone guarding that little hussy of a daughter. Better make sure she stays where I left her. I'm not through playing with her.
00000
Cave - Insecticon Hive
Jazz looked up in horror at the squirming, whimpering thing hanging from the cave ceiling over a thousand feet high.
"By the AllSpark…"
Jazz activated his commlink.
"Hey Cee, I found Airachnid."
"Is she functional?"
"She's pretty messed up…and not in a pretty way."
Arcee sighed on the other end.
"What do you want to do?"
"Well, help her of course! She's been mutilated, tortured! Probably dying! We can't just leave her like that!"
"Why not?"
"Arcee!"
"Fine, I'll be right down. Can't believe I'm doing this."
Jazz smiled.
He thought he'd really have to fight her on this.
"Thanks Cee."
Jazz looked back up.
He activated his electro-grappler.
"Just hang in there, I'm coming to getcha. No pun intended."
Jazz froze when he felt an enormous presence behind him.
What followed was a low growl and spindly clicking.
Scrap.
00000
Nemesis - 10:30 am
Bulkhead lay on his back, head swimming.
He groaned in pain.
Having been thrown across the ship after being tipped over, Bulkhead hit his head on one of the ship's many bulkheads.
Ironic.
He blinked, trying to get his focus back.
"Oh, my head gasket. Any more of these and my brain's gonna be mush."
Muffled cries filled Bulkhead's ringing ears.
"Huh?"
Bulkhead realized he was laying on his back but he realized he was lying on something alive and squirming.
Bulkhead rolled over and Knockout sat up, covered in dents and scratches.
And boy was he mad?
He looked at the nearest reflective surface on the ship he could find.
"No. NOOOOOOO!"
"Shhhhh!"
Bulkhead covered the medic's mouth. "You want those big bugs to hear you?!"
Knockout swiped the hand away.
"Airachnid!" he seethed but remembering to keep his voice down. "You traitor!"
"You think she's behind this bug attack?"
"Who else?!"
"Uh, that other spider bot? The one that snagged Airachnid and Breakdown?"
Knockout's optics went huge.
"That's impossible! There aren't that many Arachnicons left in the universe! The odds of another one coming to Earth are as astronomical as a new star coming to being in this system in an instant!"
The ship rocked again.
Both Bulkhead and Knockout managed to stay on their feet this time.
"What's going on out there?!" Knockout shouted.
"Obviously those bugs are trying to bring this ship down! And whatever they're doing to get it done, it's working!"
00000
"What's this?" Sarys said, crawling on the ceiling of the cave. "What do you think you're doing?"
Jazz shook his head to shake off the dizziness as he stood over the body of the Insecticon, his pathblaster still smoking.
Then Jazz took notice of her.
His specialized visor never steered him wrong.
"So…you're the nasty that nearly sucked Arcee dry and did that to the little lady," Jazz said, motioning to Airachnid.
"What lady?" Sarys growled. "That is just a broken toy who has longed over-lived her usefulness."
"You got a real big spark, dontcha? Now what did you do with Breakdown?"
"What's that to you? He's no friend of yours."
"Maybe. But you're clearly no friend to the Cons. And on this planet, we have a saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Sarys scoffed. "I also have a saying: anyone who touches my things is dead."
Jazz smirked. "People aren't things and that girl isn't your plaything."
"She's mine. And I will do whatever with her as I please. Her life is mine to keep and throw away. And now yours is too. Enough talk. Time to die."
Sarys prepared to spring but she was thrown off balance by a torrent of blaster fire.
It was Optimus and Bumblebee.
They fired at the insane Arachnicon but she was as agile as she was swift.
Nailing scraplets would be easier.
Sarys snarled in a hideous rage.
How dare these lower life forms meddle in her affairs.
Are they seriously risking their sparks to save this wretch?
Finally, Sarys decided she had enough.
She fired black webbing at the interlopers.
Optimus and Bumblebee leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding the super-sticky glob.
Using his grappler, Jazz launched himself so he could up and close with his scatterblaster.
Sarys turned her all the way around and the back of her head opened up like a cocoon, searing purple light flowing out of it.
Jazz, temporarily blinded by the light, not to mention utterly shocked by the gruesome sight, missed when he fired.
Fear gripped Sarys's spark.
That blast might've cut her in two at that range.
She fired some webbing and pinned Jazz to a wall.
"Scrap!"
Sarys leapt and drew in close on Jazz, mouth salivating as her fangs extended with the anticipation of sinking them into Jazz's neck.
Jazz struggled but he would never break free in time.
An energy blast sent Sarys flying.
Sarys fell to the rocky floor below.
So lost in her bloodlust, she got distracted.
She lifted her head to see Optimus Prime relentlessly advancing upon her.
Sarys screamed in rage as she leapt at the Prime.
They collided and they fell to the ground in a sort of cat fight.
Optimus smashed a boulder-like fist into Sarys's face, causing her head to be turned all the way around.
Her head opened up again.
Optimus reeled back in horror and disgust.
In the base of her open head and beyond were dozens and dozens of purple optics, all filled with sheer malice and sadistic cruelty.
"I see you," Sarys cooed before, quick as lightning, her head closed, it turned and she sank her teeth into Optimus's exposed shoulder.
Optimus cried out in pain.
"Optimus!" Jazz shouted as his struggle increased.
His embedded knife protruded from his right arm as he began to quickly cut through the black webbing.
Optimus began pounding his fist into Sarys's head as she sucked out his Energon.
Optimus was weakening.
Sarys giggled to herself as she felt her prey begin to stop fighting.
Then hot pain went up her back and she saw some of her legs fall to the ground.
"Get away from him!" Bumblebee roared, glowing blue blades protruding from his wrists.
Sarys let go of Optimus and she lunged at Bumblebee.
But she stopped when one of her many eyes saw something or someone near her prisoner.
An Autobot with a dark blue and pink finish.
The prey she was denied.
Arcee.
She was trying to remove Airachnid's shackles.
"NO! STAY AWAY FROM HER! SHE'S MINE!"
Sarys fired a line of web and hoisted fast towards Arcee.
"Arcee, watch out!" Bumblebee cried.
Arcee turned her head and in a split second, from the corner of her eye, she noticed Airachnid come to and raise an open hand towards her.
Arcee had no time to defend herself as Airachnid fired a glob of webbing.
But it did not hit Arcee.
It hit Sarys, right in the face.
Sarys screeched as she attempted to remove the webbing. "Aggh! You wretch! I will-!"
Jazz shot his grappler, snagged Sarys by one of her severed legs and pulled her down.
She fell hard into the ground with a crash.
Arcee looked back in shock at Airachnid, but she had passed out, either from the pain of her mother's torments or Energon deficiency.
That will make carrying her dangerous.
Sarys lifted her head and let out an unearthly scream.
As if in response, there was ferocious screeching which could be heard in the cave leading to the exit.
"She's calling for help!" Bumblebee cried.
"Jazz!" Optimus said in a commanding voice. "Help Arcee!" He tapped his comm. "Wheeljack, are you still airborne?!"
"Sure am, boss! But these bugs are really giving the Jackhammer a thrashing!"
"Focus your fire on any trying to return to the cave! We're about to be overrun!"
"Copy! Hey Percy! Hop on! I need someone to man my rear guns! These bugs have gotten wise to us!"
The Autobots managed to lower both Arcee and Airachnid down, using their own grapplers that Wheeljack provided, thanks to his tool-making expertise.
Airachnid, still unconscious, was laid down and the Autobots now could the extent of the damage done by Sarys's torments.
Much of her plating had been torn off, taking some cyber skin off.
Cuts and scratches blanketed her body. They weren't deep but they were at certain points which would cause terrible pain.
And her horned helm had apparently been ripped from her head, partially scalping her.
Cords of black braided steel hung from her head, which functioned as the equivalent of hair for Cybertronians.
The Autobots were mortified, almost speechless by the cruelty of this monster's handiwork.
"By the AllSpark," Optimus whispered, unable to take his eyes off the many wounds.
Bumblebee, deeply shaken himself, noticed that Arcee seemed to be gaping slightly.
It took a great deal to shock her.
Who could blame her?
This was the cruelest thing she had ever seen.
Their stunned pause was interrupted by the sound of roars and screeching in the tunnel exit behind them.
Optimus turned to Jazz.
"Is there another way out?"
"No."
Sarys pushed herself up, an insane cartoon of a smile on her face.
She spat out a glob of Energon.
"You're all dead. Those roars are your death knell."
Bumblebee whispered. "Cee, the stasis pods."
Arcee nodded.
Jazz and Optimus heard and understood the plan.
Sarys leapt out of the crater she was in and launched herself towards the Autobots.
She used a webline to accelerate herself.
Optimus bellowed. "NOW!"
The Autobots leapt out of the way.
But not before Arcee leapt on Prime's back and he threw her.
She kicked the back of Sarys's head as she sailed past her.
Jazz had carried Airachnid out of harm's way and Bumblebee blasted Sarys in the back forcing her back and towards one of the open and unused stasis pods.
Sarys stepped on it and an electronic beep sounded, indicating the stasis pod's activation.
Sarys's eyes opened wide, realizing what was about to happen.
But she was fast, faster than her hated daughter.
Before she could leap, the sound of webbing shot out and stuck her in place.
Airachnid's raised hand fell and fell back into unconsciousness.
"NO!" Sarys screamed.
The stasis pod closed and trapped her inside.
Airachnid came back into consciousness just long enough to see her mother.
Stepmother really.
Sarys's hate-filled optics fixed on her.
Airachnid couldn't understand what she was saying but she doubted it was anything good.
Probably a promise to finish what she started.
And then the stasis process kicked in.
And Sarys's hate-filled features froze in place.
Hopefully forever.
Airachnid looked away and went limp in Jazz's arms.
The screeching of the Insecticons ceased.
Sarys's hypnotic hold over them had ended.
Airachnid keened in agony.
Arcee looked at her, wanting to kick her.
But she mentally kicked herself for thinking such a thing.
I'm better than that. I'm better than that.
She tapped her comm.
"Ratchet, can you open a bridge? We have someone here who's probably dying. Ratch?"
Nothing but static.
"Scrap. Transmitter booster must've gotten damaged."
"What do we do?" Bumblebee said. "Shape she's in, it's probably not safe to move her."
Arcee looked down at her long-hated enemy and then back at the tunnel.
"Those bugs can take her back with her but they probably don't know she's here, especially if they were under that glitchhead's control."
"That would mean one of us have to call them out," Jazz said. "We'd be outnumbered and those bugs are tough."
"They value their own more than their love for battle," Optimus said. "I'll call them. Watch over Airachnid, I'll be back soon."
00000
In the tunnel
Hardshell shook his head to shake off the strange ringing and buzzing in his head.
It was like coming out of a dream.
Then he was aware that he wasn't alone.
He looked into the face of a slightly taller and slimmer Insecticon with long antennae.
"Kickback?"
"Brother? Brother!"
Kickback pulled Hardshell into a warrior's embrace.
"We're free free free!"
"Indeed," Hardshell said, patting his brother on the back. "But how? The witch? Is she dead?"
"Perhaps," a bug named Mandible said. "Lord Megatron must be responsible."
"Yeah," another named Scurrydoen laughed. "I hope he made her suffer for enslaving us."
A voice echoed down the tunnel.
"Insecticons! This is Optimus Prime!"
The bugs froze but not Hardshell.
"Prime?" Hardshell said. "What do you want?!" He called back.
"One of yours is here with me! She's injured and probably dying! It's too dangerous to move her! Take her with you so she can receive medical attention!"
The bugs looked at each other in confusion, then apprehension.
"Who?!" Hardshell called out. "Who is with you?! It's not the witch Sarys?! Because she is no ally of ours!"
"We didn't know her name but no! If you're referring to the spider who had you under her control, she's in a stasis pod! It is Airachnid who needs your help!"
The Insecticons were now very confused.
Optimus continued.
"Airachnid was this Sarys's prisoner! She was tortured! Her injuries are severe! You must act fast if you want her to live!"
"Why do you care?!" Hardshell called out. "What does it matter to you if she lives or dies?! What is she to you?!"
"A living spark!"
That took the bugs by surprise and they pondered quietly.
Hardshell scanned the area with his antennae.
He sensed Airachnid's presence and he knew she didn't have much time.
"I'm coming down!" He called out. "No tricks, Prime! Or you and your Autobots will know the wrath of the Swarm!"
00000
Insecticon Hive
Arcee knelt down by Airachnid.
She couldn't believe she was doing this but she was doing it anyway.
Airachnid was lying on her side, coughing up Energon.
Arcee heard her trying to say something.
"Try not to talk."
"Just…go away."
"Huh?"
"Why are you…interfering with this? Just leave me alone."
Airachnid was shaking.
And then she let out a sob.
Arcee realized she was crying, not just out of pain but also shame.
"Why did you come for me? Why do you wish to shame me? I would've killed you gladly if the situation was reversed. Instead you protect me? Why? We're enemies. I made you think I killed your partner and then hunted your human partner as though he were an animal. Then I did the same to him again with his mother as leverage. So why Arcee? Why?!"
"Because I'm not like you. And if I just left you here to die in agony, I'd be no better."
Airachnid choked on a laugh.
"Do you not realize that it was that kind of mercy, Prime's mercy, that is keeping this war going?"
"Maybe. But it's why you're still alive and not in that monster's clutches."
Airachnid stared at Arcee as though she were some creature she never saw before.
Optimus had come back and a hulking Insecticon followed.
Hardshell gawked at the shape Airachnid was in.
Then he saw the stasis pod with Sarys in it.
He growled savagely.
"I'll leave that to you. I don't have the bugs to carry her back to the ship. Can't risk dropping her, her breaking free and controlling us again. Take her. Kill her. Take her prisoner. I don't care. Just as long as we never have to see her again."
Jazz nodded. "We can do that."
00000
Nemesis Warship - 11:00 am
Megatron watched with curiosity as the Insecticons were on bent knees.
They declared in unison. "FORGIVE US, OUR ONE TRUE MASTER!"
"This day has certainly seen its share of thwarted intentions."
He looked down at his security officer, Barricade, who like him, had not emerged from this battle unscathed.
Blast marks riddled them.
"Battletrap and Doubledealer escaped," Barricade said, nursing his right shoulder.
"Then I'll give our new arrivals some sport to hunt."
00000
"I told you Sarys would fail."
"Yes you did, Nihilius."
"What do we do now, Scourge? Shall I engage them myself?"
"No, call in the rest of the mercenaries. Let that wretched ship be wiped off the face of the earth. Then we can move in on the Prime. We'll get that Matrix and that Key one way or another."
00000
Seven small black starships came out of nowhere and began opening fire on the Nemesis.
The Nemesis shook.
"Now what?!" Megatron snapped.
00000
Gunner Bays
"Open fire!" Blackout bellowed.
Vehicons manning warp cannons opened fire on the mercenary vessels.
Doubledealer, hiding by an open door, smirked.
"We'll see just how useful those bugs are when I give them a taste of this."
He brandished some kind of a hand held remote with a trigger.
"Oh, their ears are gonna be ringing now."
00000
Hardshell, followed by Kickback, Mandible and Scurrydown, carried Airachnid towards the medical bay of the Nemesis.
Many troopers paused, but only for a moment, to gawk at the Insecticons, at Airachnid, and the terrible shape she was in.
The Insecticons wasted no time as they burst through the doors and carefully set Airachnid on a medical berth.
"Doctor!" Hardback called out.
Oil Slick's face was like stone but he nodded as he fetched his medical kit.
Thunderblast, who was sitting upright on her medical berth, looked on in horror at the state of her commanding officer.
"Airy!" She cried as she tried to stand up.
But Flamewar pushed her back down.
"Thunder, let Oil Slick do his work! Stay on your berth!"
"You're one to talk!"
It was true.
Flamewar had not escaped the Swarm unmarked.
Dents and scratches covered her body. She had her left arm in a brace.
An Insecticon brute got lucky and snapped it like a twig.
"Where's Knockout?!" Oil Slick shouted, something he almost never did. "I need him here! Where is he?!"
00000
Nemesis Core - 11:30 am
Bulkhead and Knockout looked at the pulsing sphere that was the power core of the warship.
Destroying that will be key to bringing this ship down.
"Well, time to do what I do best," Bulkhead said as he brandished his wrecking ball.
"No!" Knockout cried. "No, you can't! You might kill everyone on this ship!"
Bulkhead scoffed. "Then the war will be over."
"No it won't! You think the war will end with Megatron's death?! Once his other commanders across the universe find out about it, you think they won't come here?! And if Thunderblast dies, her parents will tear this planet apart to find the Bot responsible! And how many humans will die because of what you did?"
Bulkhead was stunned for a moment. "And who are they?"
"Lugnut and Strika."
Bulkhead felt cold fingers grip his spark.
He ain't afraid to fight Megatron head on if he had no choice.
But there was only one bot he'd avoid if he could help it.
Air Commander Strika.
Feared and respected by all.
A force of nature that will hunt you down to the ends of the universe if ordered.
Or worse, if you so much as make her baby girl cry.
"A Con consorting with a Bot? What is this universe coming to?"
Bulkhead and Knockout turned to see a bot just across the core shaft.
"Battletrap?" Knockout said. "What are you doing here?"
"What I do best."
Battletrap brandished his wrecking ball, extending it in a chain and gave it a twirl.
He looked at the core and chuckled.
Knockout knew what was about to happen.
"No."
"Yes," Battletrap said gleefully.
He swung the wrecking ball
And the power core ruptured.
00000
The Nemesis Warship lost power and it began a nosedive.
Megatron reached the command center and a piloting officer gave him the report that their power core was compromised.
"Prepare for crash landing."
00000
The Nemesis crashed into mountains, took trees down as it descended and landed hard, very dangerously nearly going over a cliff that was a mile drop down.
00000
Nemesis Med Bay - 12:00 pm
Consoles were crashing and sparking.
Patients were groaning as the impact caused some to fall off their berths, all just a great deal of pain and discomfort.
Most of their wounds were not life-threatening.
Except for one, who was now at death's door.
"Soundwave is flatlining!"
Oil Slick acted fast, trying hard not to submit to fear.
If Soundwave died, Megatron would have his head.
He was alone in this since the other medical staff were busy making sure the rest of his patients didn't die.
Soundwave had been thrown clear across the med bay and his internal biomechanisms had suffered serious damage, including his spark.
And it was starting to break apart.
A spark bond was no longer necessary, it was critical.
Frenzy, Rumble and Laserbeak took off to find someone who could do it, someone conscious and in good health.
A spark bond was not to be taken lightly but this situation had become desperate.
Oil Slick couldn't do it because he had a spark condition and to do so would kill him for sure and there's no guarantee it would work because a spark had to be strong and healthy for it to work for sure.
And then who'd tend to the medical ward? They'd be without their chief medical officer. Many would die.
None of the medical staff could do it, not without leaving their patients who they were tending to to die.
And there was no patient, even with minimal damage, that was in any shape to give a spark bond.
Oil Slick was becoming increasingly fearful, even to the point of panicking.
But he kept in control.
"Is there anyone here who can give a spark bond?! Soundwave is dying!"
All of his medical staff looked sadly at Oil Slick, but said nothing.
Airachnid stirred on her medical berth.
She turned her head to watch the grim scene.
Soundwave was going to die, she thought.
But why should she care? Soundwave is no friend of hers?
Arcee is no friend of yours either, and yet she risked her spark to save you. You, a Decepticon she has every reason to hate.
Airachnid didn't know where that thought came from but now, it was there and she could not unthink it.
Arcee. How she hated her, the arrogant, high-and-mighty, self-righteous wretch! A disciple of Optimus Prime in every way.
And yet, Zeta Prime would never have done what she did.
He'd laugh in her face and say she deserves everything that's coming to her.
And Airachnid knew it.
She couldn't wrap her head around it.
Why?
Why?
Why?
"Get the Energon charger!" Oil Slick screamed. "We're losing him!"
Airachnid sat up and stood up from her berth.
She slowly, gradually, gingerly, using an IV rack to support herself as she walked towards Soundwave's berth.
I never thought I'd ever want to do this. I don't want to do this. But at least, this way, I can actually do something worth doing, show the other Decepticons that I'm so much more than what they think of me. An unstable monster.
Oil Slick noticed her and he almost dropped his instruments when he saw her open her chest cavity revealing his spark, glowing, pulsing weakly.
"I'll do it," she croaked, her throat dry and raw from screaming.
Oil Slick actually did drop his instruments.
The rest of the medical staff gawked in dumb shock.
Some of the conscious patients sat up and looked at Airachnid as though they either heard incorrectly or this wasn't the Airachnid they know.
Cruel, arrogant, selfish, sadistic, narcissistic, powermad Airachnid.
"What did you say?" Oil Slick said, not sure he heard correctly himself.
Few things left him speechless.
"Just tell me how it's done and let's get it over with!" Airachnid snapped. "Unless you'd prefer Soundwave dies and you as well when Megatron finds you failed to save him."
"You may not survive yourself," Oil Slick said. "Your injuries, not to mention your clearly weak spark, the shock might kill you."
"Do you care?"
"I'm a doctor."
"Then do your job. Let me do this before I come to my senses."
"Ok, alright," Oil Slick said as he applied his instruments to Soundwave's open chest cavity so nothing but his spark could be seen. "Your spark and his have to meld to make the bond and hold it there."
"Is that all?" Airachnid said impatiently.
"There must be a genuine desire to see him live, i.e. your spark must be in it."
Airachnid rolled her eyes.
She looked down at Soundwave in the throes of spark failure.
He looked pretty pathetic.
"Lower the curtain," Airachnid said.
Oil Slick pressed a button and a cybersteel curtain was lowered, concealing Soundwave's berth and its attendants.
"Show me his face."
At the very least, if nothing else, I'd like to see the face of the one I'm risking dying for.
Oil Slick hesitated as he removed Soundwave's visor.
Airachnid blinked twice.
Not what she expected.
This makes it easier I suppose.
00000
Power Core
Blue fires crackled and blazed throughout the power core of the ship.
"Get me out of here!" Knockout cried in desperate terror, pinned under so much red hot metal and debris.
"Keep your shirt on, I gotcha!" Bulkhead snapped as he pulled hard on Knockout's arm.
"What's a shirt?"
"Never mind. Human talk."
Then a high humming whistle like an alarm that was far too shrill and loud to be normal echoed throughout the ship.
"What is that?"
"Who cares?! Just pull me out!"
00000
Insecticons screeched and cried out in agony as they covered their ears.
Doubledealer grinned sadistically. "To think all I have to do is set up a little emitter, punch in the frequency just right, and presto, big brain stew. Oh, the credits I'll get for this job, I'll never have to work another day of my life."
He looked down at Megatron who was being pinned down on his belly with his arms behind his back by five massive, brutish bots with brown and black finishes.
Megatron was known as the strongest gladiator Kaon has ever trained. But even he could be overpowered if there were enough brain dead brutes to do it and if it is done once he was softened up by enough blaster fire.
Megatron, his helm dented and bent out of shape, stared hatefully up at his former financier and enforcer.
Doubledealer laughed as he saw the enraged looks on the faces of Blackout, Barricade and Dreadwing, who were being held at gunpoint.
Their captors, the crew serving under Doubledealer and Battletrap, were some of the sorriest pieces of trash the universe ever spewed out.
Some of the most insidious bands of cutthroats and scoundrels ever to hail from Junkion.
"Nothing personal," Doubledealer snided. "It's just good business. As for you, my old Master."
Megatron looked up at Doubledealer, eyes defiant and unshaken.
"All that still lives will be taken to Junkion, either as slaves or sport for the Games. But you, the boss wants your head. Just a head. Nothing attached."
"Did Starscream tell you where to find us?" Megatron asked, voice hard but their was a twinge of despair he hid well.
Doubledealer looked confused. "Starscream? I haven't seen or heard from that idiot in eons."
Megatron blinked.
If this trash hailed from Junkion, and Lockdown reported that Starscream had been taken there to be made a slave, how is it they don't know of him?
"Ah well," Doubledealer said dismissively as he pulled out his pulse pistol and took aim at Megatron's head.
"So long Buckethead, have a nice trip."
Before Doubledealer could lift the hammer of his weapon, one tentacle shot out from behind, wrapped around his gun hand, and spoiled his aim.
Another wrapped around Doubledealer's throat and pulled him back hard and fast.
Doublrdealer's red optics bugged out in surprise.
He choked and struggled as he was reeled in.
Megatron, along with his staff officers who were being held at gunpoint, stared in shock.
Soundwave relieved Doubledealer of the sonic emitter that has rendered the Insecticons helpless and in pain.
"Hold it!" shouted the mercenary holding Barricade at gunpoint. "Tentacles off the captain or we'll off your pals!"
Soundwave didn't even flinch.
"Hey! Did you hear me?! I said-!"
"Crumble before Rumble!"
The mercenary felt a terrible impact in the face as a minicon with big batons smashed him in the face.
Barricade, seeing that his captor was now distracted, wrenched the blaster from him, threw him over his shoulder, pressed the blaster over his chest directly over his spark chamber and fired.
Laserbeak came out of the rafters above and began clawing at the face of the one holding Blackout captive.
Frenzy leapt onto the back of the one holding Dreadwing captive and proceeded to fire shurikens into his back. The mercenary arched back and howled pain until Dreadwing ducked, and turned in an arc and proceeded to snap the mercenary's neck.
Soundwave with a simple silent command, he recalibrated the sonic emitter and honed it to send a painful frequency to the comm system of every non-Decepticon aboard the ship.
It worked.
The mercenaries cried out in pain as they gripped their skulls.
It wasn't long before they were killed or captured.
The ones who held Megatron however, he himself proceeded to beat them all into a garnished pulp.
Doubledealer who was pushing himself to his feet, pulled out a secondary firearm, sort of like an energy derringer, quadruple-shotted.
The sonic emitter did not affect him because he cleverly calibrated his audio receptors to Decepticon airwaves.
He aimed at Soundwave's back.
He never got the chance to pull the trigger.
BOOM!
Doubledealer was cut in half by a proton shell.
Decepticons would have to scoop him up with shovels.
Soundwave turned to see a green tank rolling through the hall, smoke coming out of the muzzle of its cannon.
Brawl transformed and as soon as he saw Soundwave, awake and apparently quite well, he grinned wide behind his battle mask.
"Soundwave! You're alive! You're awake! I can't believe it!" Then he gawked. "Hey you took your visor off. Looking good buddy!"
Soundwave's blue optics widened.
He had lines along his face under his eyes, a black ribbon on his chin that gave him a goatee look, and his faceplates, despite his age being close to Megatron's, was smooth silver.
Very handsome, so much so that Knockout would go green with jealousy.
Soundwave said nothing. He simply gave Brawl a nod of acknowledgement before turning to go retrieve his visor.
Brawl chuckled. "Why did I think he'd do anything else, much less say anything?"
00000
Outside…
Bulkhead leapt out of an open hangar bay door to the ground below.
He transformed and drove away.
00000
Autobot Outpost Omega Two - 1:00 pm
Perceptor and Wheeljack carried the stasis pod on a specialized gurney containing the nefarious Sarys inside, her face frozen in a contortion of insane rage.
A deeply conflicted Arcee sat on a storage crate, her hands folded
Ratchet stared at her, at a loss for words.
Optimus smiled down at her as he knelt down to look at her at eye level.
"That took great strength and courage, Arcee. You honor the Autobots for your decision to rescue Airachnid."
"Then why don't I feel good about it?"
Jazz put a hand on her shoulder. "Give it time baby. It hurts at first, but believe me, you'll be glad ya did it."
Arcee bowed her head as she continued to sort out the storm of emotions in her spark.
Where do I go from here? I have spent a lifetime dreaming of the thousands of ways to slowly kill Airachnid and wished for every single one of them. And now…not only do I not leave her to die, I save her? And now, I'm ashamed of ever wanting vengeance in the first place?! What's wrong with me?!
Arcee felt a lump in her throat as her emotions began to bubble over.
She clenched her hands together.
Then her eyes tightly.
Then something burst out her throat.
Arcee, feeling even more ashamed than ever, began to wail.
The long-contained pent-up emotions, her insatiable need for vengeance and closure, all of it seemed to flow out of her as it was held up in her for so long.
Jazz put an arm around Arcee and pulled her close.
Optimus put a large hand on the two-wheeler's back.
"Tailgate!" Arcee cried bitterly. "Cliff!"
"It's ok Cee," Jazz said. "It's ok."
"Why couldn't I do it?!" Arcee wailed. "Why couldn't I just leave her there?!"
"Because you were not born to kill, Cee. You were born to save lives."
Arcee continued to weep but she did so with less intensity.
The other bots remained silent.
They decided it was best to leave Arcee be to sort herself out.
Wheeljack checked his grenades' calibrations.
Perceptor returned to his quarters, conveniently remembering he wasn't finished modifying the human avatars.
Bumblebee leaned against the stairway, arms crossed, he too processing the events of today,
Ratchet respectively chose not to interfere with this deeply personal situation as he, along with Blaster, returned to his own station.
Blaster switched off the speaker on his console just as an incoming call came through.
"Base? Can anyone hear me?"
"Bulkhead?" Blaster said incredulously. "Where the heck have you been?"
That seemed to get most of everyone's attention.
Arcee kept her head down.
"My comm was busted. Bridge me back and I'll tell you the whole story."
Blaster shrugged.
He flipped a switch and the familiar green vortex came into being.
Bulkhead rushed through the groundbridge, dents and scratches all over but otherwise relatively uninjured.
"You guys! You're not going to believe the day I just had!"
The former Wrecker froze when he saw the Insecticon pod and inside, a spider-like Transformer that was clearly not Airachnid.
"You too huh?"
Wheeljack chuckled. "Wait till you hear the story behind this crazy broad."
"Indeed," Perceptor agreed. "Quite a nasty knock to the Acolytes of Unicron."
Bulkhead's optics became huge. "Whuh?!"
00000
Nemesis Warship - Data Center - 12:00 pm
Soundwave tirelessly continued typing away at his station, making up for lost time.
Laserbeak was perched just to his left.
Rumble and Frenzy were hugging his legs tightly and didn't seem to want to let go.
Soundwave apparently didn't mind in the least.
"We missed you, sir," Laserbeak said, an uncharacteristic bit of tenderness in his voice.
Soundwave's only response was an acknowledging nod.
And then he did something that his symbiotes did not expect.
Soundwave reached across and, with his long spindly fingers, petted the top of Laserbeak's head.
Laserbeak leaned into the show of affection.
Frenzy and Rumble looked left out.
Until Soundwave extended two of his data tentacles and offered them to the cassettes with a hug.
The twins tearfully accepted and held onto them for dear life.
Soundwave smiled behind his visor.
His spark was no longer but quite light.
He missed Ravage of course and he made a silent promise that even if it took the rest of his life, he'd do anything it took to get her to forgive him.
He silently checked the medical status of one of the patients.
Airachnid.
She is stabilized now and she just might make it.
"Hmm, good."
Laserbeak, Rumble and Frenzy froze.
"Boss, did you just-?!"
00000
In the core of the Nemesis power station, an odd rumbling occurred.
What followed was the sound of an attempt to convert and transform, only for the process to jam.
And then, a still small voice.
Still. Small. Yet deep as a canyon and as ancient as stars.
"I…am…I am…Tryp…Tryp…who…is…? Who…who am I?"
…..
VOICE CAST:
Sarys - Kelly Hu
Battletrap - David Sobolov
Doubledealer - Gideon Emery
Hardshell - David Kaye
Kickback - Troy Baker
Oil Slick - Michael York
Thunderblast - Hynden Walch
Flamewar - Grey DeLisle
Blackout - Noah Nelson
Brawl - Nolan North
Soundwave - Jensen Ackles
NEXT CHAPTER: Flying Mind