Exiles
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XIII - Nemesis Prime
Tucson, AZ - March 5th, 2012 - 3:00 am
Agent William Fowler pulled out of the MacArthur paramilitary base in his dark-brown 2010 Ford Crown Victoria sedan.
He had his phone to his ear.
"How's Sari?"
"She's healing fine, Bill. She's starting to walk on her own. That boy who dresses like Arthur is being plenty supportive, I guess."
Fowler cocked an eyebrow. "Arthur? You mean Raf?"
"Yeah, I mean Raf."
"Oh c'mon Carm. It's been months. Raf has been nothing but a perfect gentleman. You gotta know that."
"What I know is that boys have one thing in mind. That boy is no different. I've seen the way he looks at her. And…I've seen the way Sari looks at him too."
Fowler grinned. "Isn't that cute?"
"Oh yeah, real cute," Fanzone said sarcastically.
Crash!
The impact caused Fowler's face to slam into the steering wheel, causing him to drop his phone.
It fell onto the floor of the passenger side.
"Bill?! Bill?!"
Fowler looked into his rearview mirror to see a huge semi tailing him.
"Who is in Sam Hill?!"
As the semi came into the light of one of the Interstate street lamps, Fowler gasped to see an Autobot insignia on the truck's grill.
"Prime?! Have you flipped your metal wig?!"
The big rig slammed the gas and came in for another go at Fowler's bumper.
Fowler hit the gas and made a U-turn, narrowly missing the incoming collision.
He took a detour off-road.
The big rig relentlessly pursued.
Using all of his flexibility and then some, Fowler unbuckled and reached for his phone, outstretching his right arm.
He felt pain as he pulled a muscle.
"Carm! I'll call you back!"
"Bill, what-?!"
Fowler hung up and speed-dialed.
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Autobot Outpost Omega Two - Denver, CO - 4:02 am (MST)
Jazz's head went upright when he got a call.
"Yeah, sup?"
"Jazz?! I'm in big trouble! Prime is trying to run me off the road!"
Jazz almost laughed at what was clearly a bad joke but he heard the fear and alarm in Fowler's voice.
"Jazz?" Jon Fowler said. "What's wrong? Is it dad?"
Jazz held a finger up.
"Yo Blaster."
"Yeah?"
"Trace Fowler's position and open an emergency groundbridge."
"Jazz?" Jon said, now starting to sound pretty scared.
Jazz pressed his comm.
"Prime? Where you at?"
Nothing but static.
Jazz knew this wasn't a good sign.
Either Prime turned his comm off or he's underground.
"This is a priority call to all Autobots," Jazz said in a dead-serious voice Jon never heard before. "I need as many of you I can spare. Someone who appears to be Optimus Prime is attacking Agent Fowler in Tucson, Arizona. Be prepared for emergency groundbridge."
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Tucson - 3:10 am
Fowler reached a bridge overlooking a drop of over a hundred feet.
The big rig that looked like Optimus Prime rammed into Fowler and the car went over the bridge's edge but the muffler of the undercarriage managed to snag the safety railing, preventing the car from completely falling.
Fowler, having hit his head against the steering wheel, now bleeding from his head, tried to unbuckle.
But he stopped short when he realized where he was.
Now in a full blown panic, Fowler screamed.
Heights.
His childhood phobia.
Fowler started experiencing mild vertigo.
Due to the minor concussion, Fowler passed out.
The rig pushed Fowler's car ever so slightly.
And the car went toppling over and fell straight down.
Bulkhead and Jazz leapt over the side of the bridge.
Jazz fired his grappler and caught Fowler's car.
He pulled himself in and grabbed hold of it by the trunk, which had been broken off sometime during the chase.
Ripping off the driver door, Jazz very gently removed an unconscious Fowler from the vehicle.
He grappled himself and Fowler back up and onto the bridge.
Before they hit the pavement, Jazz placed Fowler by his midsection, transformed, and Fowler landed, as gently as landing into a pillow, right into Jazz's front seat, seat belt and all.
Down below, Bulkhead had landed on the rocky terrain of the ground and caught Fowler's falling car.
No sense in leaving a smoldering car at the bottom of a bridge so that the human authorities start asking questions.
"Fowler will be glad to have this back," Bulkhead said. "Even if it's not in one piece."
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Bumblebee and Arcee pursued after the big rig that looked an awful lot like Optimus.
"There's no way that's him," Bumblebee said. "He would never attack Fowler like this. Or ever. Besides, the paint job's all wrong."
It was true.
Optimus may have had a black and silver paint job for a time.
But this one, it was darker, no sheen, just pitch black with more grey than silver.
Like the night on wheels.
Like a death rig.
They pursued the mystery rig into a dark part of the county, not very well lit at all.
Arcee found herself at a fork in the road.
A lit gas station to her right and a payphone to her left beneath a lamp post.
No sign of the rig.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of something speeding toward her.
Arcee did not see it until it was right on top of her.
The big rig slammed into her.
And Arcee knew no more.
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Autobot Outpost Omega Two - 4:00 pm
Arcee groaned as she forced her eyes open.
"Easy, follow the light."
Arcee blinked when she saw a little light in her eyes.
"Not the best choice of words, Ratchet."
Bumblebee helped her by the hand out of the medical chamber.
The children, including Rafael, stood on one of the topmost platforms.
All of the bots were present, with the exception of Blaster's symbiotes and Optimus.
Blaster's symbiotes stayed in Detroit to watch over Sari.
"Are you alright?" Jack asked.
Arcee shrugged. "Well, I did just get hit by a huge semi which was almost the spitting image of our leader, but other than that, I feel great."
Captain Fanzone crossed his arms. "You seem to be taking the fact that your fearless leader just tried to off you pretty well."
Bumblebee got angry, as did many of the bots.
"Now hold it-!"
"Bee, take it easy!" Jack said in a severe voice.
This surprised the other humans and all the Autobots, especially Arcee and Bumblebee.
Jack looked at Captain Fanzone with a very unimpressed look.
"Captain, we don't know for sure that Optimus did this."
"Don't we?" Fanzone exclaimed skeptically. "You heard what Arcee said."
"After she got crashed into and was almost killed. For all we know, it was some big rig made to look like Optimus."
"Or maybe he thinks he's a Decepticon again," Raf said fearfully.
"That seems very unlikely," Katie said.
Jon pointed a finger in the air as though he had a brilliant idea. "Maybe the Cons put a chip in Optimus's brain while he was their amnesiac prisoner so that he'd be their mindless slave for life."
Everyone blanched at that.
Ratchet sputtered. "Bwah-buh-buh-that's impossible! I thoroughly examined him when we got back! I'd know if they planted something like that if they did!"
Katie, Miko and Vince looked at Jon with an extremely startled and befuddled look.
"Sheesh dude!" Miko exclaimed. "What kind of shows have you been watching?!"
Jon shrugged. "I watch a lot of sci-fi."
Everyone was snapped out of their stupor when they heard the heavy engine of a semi approaching from the mountain driveway.
Everyone was on the defensive now as the familiar black and silver Freightliner Argosy came up through the driveway.
Optimus transformed and stood before his Autobots.
He paused upon seeing how on edge they were.
And how Captain Fanzone stood in front of the children with one arm holding them back.
"Is something wrong?"
"We didn't know where you were," Arcee said, on edge.
"We…had trouble reaching you," Bulkhead said hesitantly.
Optimus furrowed his brow suspiciously. "I was outside our normal communications range…"
He reached for something behind his back.
The Autobots reacted immediately.
All but Jazz brandished their blasters.
Captain Fanzone pushed the children further back.
Optimus held up a hand placatingly as he revealed a huge chunk of blue crystal.
"…in a subterranean Energon deposit."
The Autobots paused, looked to one another, looking quite shaken and very ashamed.
They put away their weapons.
"We're…sorry," Arcee said humbled.
Optimus did not look angry, just thoroughly confused.
Then he noticed something that alarmed.
In the medical area reserved for humans, there was Agent Fowler, bedridden, in medical scrubs, bandaged around his head, tubes in his nose and sound asleep with Nurse Darby standing over him, checking his pulse.
Optimus was mortified.
"What happened to Agent Fowler?"
The Autobots settled down, their suspicions sated.
The human present sighed in relief.
Even Fanzone seemed satisfied.
"Well, in my experience, your acting skills were not great, because that would've been the best performance I've ever seen."
Optimus cocked an eyebrow.
"Jazz, an explanation?"
Jazz filled Prime in on all that had happened that night, from Agent Fowler nearly getting knocked off by a knockoff of him and Arcee getting run down after being pursued.
Optimus looked angry, angrier than usual.
Who could blame him? Someone impersonated him and tried to kill two of his friends.
Captain Fanzone's phone went off.
"Sorry, gotta take this."
Fanzone answered the phone and not five seconds later did he start screaming again.
"What?! General, that's impossible! I'm looking at Prime right now!"
"What's going on?!" Jazz asked.
"The MacArthur base in Arizona is being attacked by that knockoff rig!"
"The truck?" Jack asked.
"The bot."
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Nemesis Warship - Just over the South Pacific - 4:20 pm (PST)
"Lord Megatron, it appears that Optimus Prime is attacking a human military facility," Stockade said, sounding very perplexed.
Megatron looked at his officer, confused.
"Impossible."
"Well, Laserbeak has a visual. Prime just vaporized two human soldiers and stepped on the legs of another."
"Show me."
Stockade accessed one of the servers and opened a window to a live visual of one of many of Laserbeak's surveillance lines.
The screen opened to show overhead view footage of a smoldering and burning human facility and a dead ringer for Optimus Prime causing havoc and wanton destruction.
Flamewar approached from behind, arms crossed and a lop-sided grin on her face.
"Well well well, looks like his high and mightiness has finally snapped, has he?"
Megatron didn't even look at her.
"That's not him."
"Huh?"
Stockade was equally confused.
"But Master, if that's not Prime, then who-?"
Stockade stopped when something caught his optic.
"Wait, since when does Prime run away?"
The footage had shown 'Optimus Prime' transform and then him fleeing from the human military base.
"Prime never runs," Megatron said.
The footage now showed a green vortex explode in the midst of the ruined facility.
Optimus, followed by Jazz, Bumblebee and Bulkhead, entered the base, weapons at the ready.
The human military opened fire on them.
Megatron chuckled.
"These humans are not very sharp."
"Yeah," Flamewar agreed. "Clearly they can't tell that they're clearly different Primes."
"Yeah," Stockade said. "And his optics were red, not blue."
Megatron shook his head.
The footage now showed that the Autobots fled the way they came, through their groundbridge.
"Looks like we got a shapeshifter like Makeshift on Earth," Stockade said. "We'd better get a hold of him and invite him onboard. With your approval of course, sir."
"No."
Both Flamewar and Stockade stared as Megatron turned and walked away, clearly displeased.
"But why, Master?" Stockade asked.
"Because that's no shapeshifter and that's no Decepticon. Any sensible Decepticon who would expose us like this isn't fit to serve in my army. And a shapeshifter cannot just take any form, they have to be in direct contact with whom they are impersonating. And the idea of any Decepticon, much less a shapeshifter that is as rare as Primes and their descendants? Ludicrous."
Megatron's face changed once he realized.
"That leaves one culprit."
Stockade and Flamewar looked at each other, shocked.
"You mean..?" Stockade said.
"Yes."
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Autobot Outpost Omega Two - 4:30 pm (MST)
"MECH," Optimus growled.
Perceptor nodded, equally grim. "The butchers who abducted Breakdown, Ravage and Brawl and made guinea pigs of them."
Arcee sat on a medical slab, still sore from having been run over. "Including me."
Although, not sure how I feel about being referred to as a guinea pig.
"By all indications," Ratchet announced. "MECH has deconstructed both Brawl and Breakdown from cranial chamber to heel strut."
All concerned shuddered.
"Yeah, that was gruesome," Bumblebee said. "And I thought Flatline was cruel."
"Who's that?" Sierra asked.
"No one you need to be concerned with right now," Ratchet said, sending a warning glare to Bumblebee who flinched under the doctor's severe eye.
The other bots looked deeply perturbed.
Bumblebee looked ashamed for a moment.
"Evidently," Optimus said, wishing to move on. "MECH has acquired a T-Cog. However, how could have rendered the virus that would leave it inoperable and toxic?"
"It's highly unlikely that they could override it," Ratchet scoffed.
"More like impossible," Blaster insisted. "Only a high-skilled Decepticon scientist could override it."
"And there's no way Megatron would align with MECH," Sunstreaker said. "Not after what they did to Breakdown and Brawl. And most certainly not after what happened to Soundwave."
As far as anyone knew, Soundwave was still comatose after the symbiotic connection with Ravage was restored and the collective agony and despair of the torments she endured for almost thirty years at MECH's hands, not to mention the betrayal Ravage felt when she thought she had been abandoned, had resulted in such emotional agony that Soundwave shut down completely.
He had been in a coma ever since.
"Is it possible MECH's prowess for adapting to our tech is that advanced?" Perceptor asked.
Bumblebee rubbed his helm. "I bet Raf could do it, I mean he's never tried but you should see him work."
Raf blushed.
Ratchet shrugged with a smile. "Perhaps. I certainly never tried."
"All of which is moot," Optimus said. "The fact is MECH did acquire a working T-Cog."
"Which they evidently installed in a knockoff of you," Arcee said.
"Which in turn scanned an appropriate vehicle form," Ratchet said.
"Fill the tank with Energon," Jack said.
"And say hello to Nemesis Prime," Miko said enthusiastically.
Jazz pointed. "That's pretty good, but it's taken."
"Then let's hunt down those tech heads and fast!" Fanzone barked, hands on the railing, knuckles white. "Their base can't be far right? I mean it's not like MECH has a groundbridge of their own."
"Yeah, that's right!" Jon exclaimed. "I mean MECH can't be that good at adapting to Cyber-tech, right? And even if they could, how would they get all the material?"
Raf adjusted his glasses quizzically. "And how could they launch it without its energy surge being detected?"
Optimus nodded and smiled at the resourcefulness of the boys and the captain. "It stands to reason therefore that this Nemesis Prime could only travel in its vehicle form."
"So we're sticking with that name huh?" Jazz said.
Ratchet tapped one of the mapping screens of the Autobot mainframe.
"Therefore, it can only mean that MECH's base of operations is somewhere close by and within driving distance."
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100 miles east of Tucson, AZ - 8:00 pm
At the western base of Chiricahua Peak, the Autobots carefully make their way to an abandoned water sanitation plant.
It took nearly the entire afternoon before they tracked Nemesis to this location.
"Approach with extreme caution," Optimus said. "Maintain vehicular cover until it is absolutely necessary."
After the attack on MacArthur base, all armed forces were given strict orders to shoot any Autobot on sight.
That much was clear when the military fired on the Autobots.
A phone call from the brass confirmed it.
Therefore, capturing the imposter was key to clearing their names.
Jazz spoke up.
"If we're going to split up, we'd better do so in teams in case tall, dark and murderous jumps any of us."
"Good call, Jazz," Optimus said.
The team of eight began to split.
Optimus went with Jazz.
Bumblebee proceeded with Arcee.
Bulkhead with Wheeljack.
The Twins obviously.
"Be on guard, all of you," Optimus said through his commlink. "If you see the imposter, alert the rest of us. Do not engage alone. Are we clear?"
He said this sharply so his soldiers know how serious he was.
They all responded obediently.
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Laserbeak flew overhead, unseen by the Autobots.
"Remember Laserbeak, survey but do not engage. Not MECH or the Autobots."
"Yes Lord Megatron."
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Nemesis Warship
Megatron and Dreadwing watched the surveillance footage as the scene unfolded.
"No sign of that imposter yet, my liege."
"MECH is illusive, I'll give them that."
"Indeed," Dreadwing said. "But is it wise to allow Thunderblast to take part in this reconnaissance mission?"
Megatron looked uncertain but he nodded.
"She's a capable scout and she knows the consequences if she exceeds her orders."
Megatron brandished a bronze rod that extended into a cane with the skull of some kind of predator for a handle.
"The Bronzebolt cane," Dreadwing uttered with amazement. "The heirloom of Commander Strika's house."
"Exactly, and I have her parents' permission to use it."
Dreadwing grimaced.
To distract himself from the startling and very awkward situation, Dreadwing pressed a key on one of the servers.
"Blackout, what's your status?"
"No change, Commander. This spider is a skilled hunter. She's as good at leaving a false trail as covering her own. It will take some time to search these tunnels beneath the Andes thoroughly.
"Any sign of Airachnid or Breakdown?"
Megatron cocked an eyebrow at his acting SIC.
There was hesitation in Blackout's voice before he answered.
"Aside from her horned helm and Breakdown's arm, no Commander."
"They may yet live, Blackout. Keep looking."
"Will do."
Megatron said nothing.
He wasn't about to alienate his newest addition to his personal army by discouraging the search for his missing SIC or his presumably dead Frontliner.
If you're strong, you live. If you're weak, you die. It is the way of the universe. Always has been.
00000
Optimus and Jazz turned the corner of another sanitation tank.
"Yo Swipes, been real quiet. You ok?"
No answer.
Just static.
"Scrap! MECH must be scrambling our comms."
"Be on your guard, Jazz. My double could be anywhere."
"Op…mus…read me?!"
"Ratchet! MECH is scrambling our comms!"
"Signal…two-hundred…your position!"
Optimus couldn't make heads or tails of it at first.
Two-hundred in meters or yards from my position! But what direction?!
"Yo. Prime."
Jazz pointed.
And Optimus turned.
There he was.
His imposter.
Standing tall.
Big as life.
Black blast armor and optics blood red.
Nemesis Prime.
"Optimus Prime, we meet at last."
That doesn't sound like Silas.
"Silas?"
"No, he's been reassigned. I am Joker."
Jazz bared his teeth in anger.
"He's the one who abducted and tortured Brawl."
"And stole Bumblebee's T-Cog," Optimus said, voice low with controlled fury. "The Deception ends here Joker."
"I think not. Silas, engage."
Heavy footfalls were coming in fast.
Jazz had no time to react when a three-finger fist slammed into his face.
His visor cracked, seeing stars momentarily, Jazz barely managed to find his footing.
"Who the-?!"
Jazz stopped dead.
"Breakdown?!"
It was Breakdown or was it?
Finish was right.
Both eyes were yellow too.
"Wait, didn't you lose an eye before? And why are you working with MECH?"
"Breakdown isn't here."
Optimus growled. "Silas."
"Silas?" Jazz exclaimed but then it clicked. "Oh, that is seriously twisted, man."
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Nemesis Warship
"What?!" Megatron roared.
"Impossible!" Dreadwing cried in utter shock.
"It can't be!" Knockout shouted, as confused as he was relieved.
"Lord Megatron! I don't detect Breakdown's life signal! I don't think that's him!"
"Of course, an imposter!" Dreadwing snarled. "MECH has produced a doppleganger of Breakdown as well!"
Knockout fell to his knees with shuddering wounded sobs. "No! No!"
"Wait, Thunderblast! Stop!"
The footage showed a white/purple jet descent to the human facility and transform.
"Thunderblast!" Megatron exploded. "Disengage! That is an order!"
"How dare you?! You will pay for wearing my friend's face!"
Megatron snarled.
She may not be very bright but she's every bit as ferocious as her mother and father!
"Open a groundbridge immediately."
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Jazz blocked the hammer from Silas's overhead attack.
Breakdown's hammer or rather another false image.
A high-pitched manic scream filled the evening air as the two turned their heads to see a white and purple blur barrel towards them.
Jazz leapt out of the way as Thunderblast crashed into Silas, rear thrusters causing her to move break-neck speeds.
And she wanted to break Silas's neck.
They crashed straight through a sanitation tank.
And Thunderblast proceeded to pound the ever-loving scrap out of Breakdown's doppleganger.
"I'm so sorry, Breakdown!" Thunderblast cried, tears flowing down her silver cheeks. "But I have to kill you!"
Thunderblast was about to throw another punch when a massive hand grabbed her by the arm above the elbow and was pulled back.
"Huh?!" Thunderblast pulled back and brandished her blaster.
Before she could aim and fire, she stopped,
Thunderblast was stunned for a moment, then she smiled nervously.
"Oh hey, Megatron."
Megatron grinned evilly as he threw Thunderblast to the ground.
The force was so great that the concrete cracked and sunk into a crater.
Thunderblast was dazed and then her optics grew huge as she felt her arm being pulled.
And pulled hard.
Megatron had planted his foot on her stomach and he was slowly pulling her right arm.
"No! No! What are you doing?! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Thunderblast screamed in pain as Megatron ripped off her arm.
Thunderblast fainted from the pain.
Optimus and Jazz watched in horror.
"Megatron!" Optimus boomed. "What have you done?!"
"What are you talking about, Prime?
Optimus blinked.
That came from behind him.
Both Jazz and Optimus slowly turned.
Jazz was once again dumbfounded. "What the-?!"
Megatron, it seems, had just turned the corner of one of the sanitation tanks.
He was unamused by the stares of the two Autobots before him.
"What are you-?"
Megatron stopped when he saw past the pair and saw what appeared to be Thunderblast, on the ground, unconscious, and bleeding out.
Megatron's optics were open wide with shock.
And then his optics flared with rage when he saw who was responsible.
Himself, or rather MECH's perversion of himself.
"YOU DARE?! YOU DARE?!"
Megatron launched forward, broadsword at the ready, and with a roar of furious anger, swift as lightning, he effortlessly cut off the imposter's head.
False Megatron's head rolled across the sanitation grounds and his husk fell backwards.
It would've landed on Thunderblast if Megatron's hadn't tossed it aside before it completed its descent.
Megatron looked down at Thunderblast, who was twitched in the throes of her mortal dismemberment.
Megatron saw Laserbeak overhead.
"Laserbeak, send for Oil Slick immediately!"
Optimus detected a twinge of anguish in Megatron's voice, something he had never heard, not since…
The Rust Plague.
A cycle before we stood before the High Council together.
"Hey, where'd that other you go?" Jazz asked.
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A man in full body armor and a face mask with a painted smile stood in a virtual control station, VR goggles over his eyes, wireless gloves and boots that allowed him to control Nemesis Prime as easily as a glove.
"Sir, don't you think it's time we evacuated?" A MECH soldier flanking Joker said.
"In our moment of triumph? I think not. We will see this thing to the end. Even if we are unsuccessful in breaking the Autobots and the Decepticons, we have done much to show just what we're capable of and how far we're prepared to go to accomplish our goals."
"Our goals?"
Joker flinched at the sudden transmission through the intercom.
"Yes, our goals, Verminus. MECH's ambitions did not start with you. And they will not end with you."
"Do not forget who made it possible to acquire all those transformation cogs. I made your small army of dopplegangers possible and I can put an end to it just as easily."
"Of course, sir," Joker said, seething inside.
"Of course sir you say? An awfully strange way to address what you regarded as mere machines."
Joker said nothing.
"We deal with Prime and Megatron. Once the head of the snake is cut off, the Bots and Cons will scramble like ants without their queen."
Verminus chuckled derisively. "Good luck."
00000
Optimus climbed on top of a sanitation tank in hopes of having a vantage point so he could better spot his double.
MECH has become more dangerous than I ever thought possible. If the Decepticons are not helping them, that can only leave the Acolytes.
His instincts screamed at him to duck and Optimus did so.
A black sword swiped over his head.
It was Nemesis or rather Joker controlling Nemesis.
Optimus grabbed the wrist of his enemy and attempted to grab his other arm, but Joker slipped out of his hold, came in close and stuck Optimus in his midsection.
Optics huge, Optimus froze as the sword sank in, cutting deep into his inner circuitry and bio-mechanisms.
"A living machine with the ability to feel pain. You almost seem alive."
Joker cruelly pulled the blade out, causing even more pain.
Optimus fell to the floor, gripping his wounded belly.
"I will throw your husk at the feet of your comrades. I will keep your head as a prize."
Joker raised his sword above his head.
And he brought it down.
Joker felt gleeful triumph rise up in his chest at the sight of Energon staining the floor around Optimus Prime's head.
Then Joker's triumph turned to disbelief upon seeing that the Energon came not from Prime but from the stump where his sword should be.
It had been cut off.
But how?!
"Your body can't feel pain. How unfortunate."
The voice behind Joker caused him to freeze.
"There are fools who claim feeling pain is a weakness but that isn't true. Pain is a defense mechanism that lets your brain know that you are in peril. If you haven't overlooked this, you'd know at this very moment the trouble you are in right now."
Joker brandished his blaster with the hand that wasn't bisected and turn fast but Megatron was a hair faster.
He grabbed the blaster arm and snapped it off as easily as snapping a twig.
Megatron grabbed Nemesis Prime by the throat and lifted the imposter off the ground.
"I know you are not the real Optimus and I know you are somewhere far away and safe so that any damage done in no way reaches you, Joker."
He brought Nemesis in close and he whispered.
"But I will savor this all the same."
Megatron lifted Nemesis above his head.
And proceeded to rip him in two.
Megatron dropped the husk to the floor at his feet and looked down at the real Optimus Prime, who was still down, nursing the wound in his belly.
Megatron smirked. "If I recall correctly, Optimus, I was in a similar position and you allowed me to walk away alive."
Optimus did not break eye contact with his most bitter enemy.
Megatron smiled.
Defiant to the end. As expected.
Megatron, as quickly as he had torn Nemesis in two, reached down.
Optimus flinched but no more pain came as he saw that Megatron reached into the bisected torso of Nemesis and ripped out its T-cog.
Megatron transformed and flew away without another word.
Perhaps Oil Slick can determine how MECH managed to not only acquire so many T-cogs but also how they managed to override the virus that renders the T-cogs completely inoperable upon the death of their original owners so that no one but Decepticons can use them.
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Autobot Outpost Omega Two - March 7th - 10:00 am
Ratchet had just finished welding Optimus's wound closed.
"So how'd it feel being sucker punched by someone who almost looked like Optimus?" Miko asked.
Bulkhead looked like his brain was fried. "Trippy."
"Almost as bad as getting smacked down by whom we thought was Megatron," Sideswipe said, rubbing his sore helm.
"Or Breakdown," Bumblebee said.
Bulkhead lowered his head, thinking of the implications.
Breakdown…dead? I…I can't believe it.
Agent Fowler, now up and about, with only minor bandaging on his right temple, embraced his son, who was openly crying.
"I'm alright, son, I'm alright."
"Hey Bill," Captain Fanzone said, looking quite pleased with himself.
His knuckles were bruised slightly.
"Just thought you should know, I clocked a few MECH troopers for you," Fanzone said, clenching a fist to illustrate his point.
"And Joker? Silas?" Fowler asked.
"Both gone," Fanzone said, looking a bit disturbed.
Fowler looked confused when he saw the look on Fanzone's face.
"Something you want to get off your chest bud?"
"Silas, I remember him," Fanzone said, his voice hollow as though he had the shock of his life. "From a previous military campaign in South America."
"Really?!" Fowler said, intrigued. "You have a name?"
Fanzone nodded. "Colonel Leland Bishop of Special Tactics."
The sound of thump got the attention of everyone in the room.
"Sierra?!" Katie cried.
"What happened?!" Sideswipe and Vince cried in unison as they checked the poor girl over.
"I don't know, she just fainted!"
"Again?" Arcee asked.
00000
On the edge of Outlaw Space…
A stump, where an arm used to be, flinched in its energy cufflink restraint.
"Whuh-huh?! What?!"
"Ah, awake are we?"
"What?! What's happening?! Where am I?! What is this?!"
The hulking shadow struggled in his restraints.
From his place in some sort of prison hold, he could see a cockpit with two seats.
He couldn't see the drivers but judging by the ship and how it reeked with refuse and disorder, it was clear it was some kind of cargo freighter.
A freighter now turned into a transport for outlaws and slavers.
"No! No! Not again!"
There was a mad giggle coming from the cockpit.
"Ignore him, Novakane. Focus on steering and navigating."
"Oh sure, Freezer, give the prisoner our names, why don't ya?"
"What does it matter? It's not like he's ever gonna leave Junkion to tell anyone who's trapping and shipping slaves."
The hulking shadow froze.
Junkion?! Slaves?!
"It's gonna be tough selling him since he's only got one arm," Novakane whined.
"Won't be our problem for long. We're getting paid either way to make him disappear. Whatever we get for him is a bonus."
A sudden turbulence.
And then a sudden halt and shaking.
The hulking figure cried out as he thrown off balance, his cufflinks keeping him from hitting a wall.
"What the scrap was that?!" Novakane cried.
"I think we're being boarded."
"Boarded? By who?"
A door converted open and the sound of weapons charging hummed in the air.
Novakane and Freezer stood up.
They were spindley fellows, Insecticon-like, multiple red optics and four-armed.
"What are you doing here?!" Freezer demanded.
Whoever stood at the door gave no answer except in the form of two shots of stunning bolts.
Said bolts nailed the two pirates in the chest and they went down, out cold.
"Clear," said a deep voice with an Australian accent.
Walking in was a tall bot in a bright green finish with armor that almost seemed like he was wearing a trenchcoat.
He had a thin piece of shrapnel in his teeth.
The newcomer smiled as he saw the hulking captive in the prison hold.
"Looks like you could use a hand."
The hulking captive snarled.
"Unlock these cuffs and I'll trade you for one of yours!"
"Ho ho ho, you're a feisty one!"
"Crosshairs, stop it. This is a rescue, not one of your hazing endeavors."
The new voice was calm, collected, proper, archaic and almost like how a noble would speak to a member in their court when they spoke out of turn.
Crosshairs stood up straight and saluted respectfully.
"Ship secure, Captain."
Captain?
An even taller bot walked in.
This one was broad-shouldered, built like a titan but quite young.
Perhaps a few megacycles older than the scout, the hulking captive thought.
The young titan's armor was polished black and grey, but the entire front of the armor was riddled with weld marks, scratches, and blast points.
Not a mark was on his back.
A warrior that never turned his back.
The hulking captive could see that, even with just one eye.
But the kid's face was completely clean, save for the scar running across his left optic and just past his mouth.
Note to self. Do not refer to him as a kid.
"Hot Rod," said the young Captain. "Cut this one free."
"Oui, mon kapitan!"
The captain pinched the bridge between his optics as a red and yellow bot strutted in.
He carried himself as though he were on top of the world.
He had what looked like a bronze bow on his back.
"That accent is getting on my nerves, First Mate of mine," the Captain said.
"You know you love it."
"Rod…"
"Ok ok, I'll stop now."
The one called Hot Rod approached the hulking captive.
"You won't hurt me once I've turned you loose, right?"
"Why would I do that? You just saved me from being made into a slave like Starscream."
"Who?"
"Never mind. Just get me out of this thing."
Hot Rod brandished a small energy blade and with two quick swipes, the captive fell to the floor but managed to catch himself with his one arm.
"Easy big fella," Hot Rod said as he helped up the captive. "You ok?"
Without being seen doing so, the captive reached for his Decepticon insignia and without making a sound, dug into it and ripped it off.
He dropped it without a sound or being seen.
"Hardly," the captive scoffed. "What happens now?"
"Well, you could come with us," Crosshairs suggested. "We're starting a revolution on Junkion. Or we can just leave you with this ship and you can find your way back to wherever you came from."
Now that caught the captive completely by surprise.
"Revolution? What revolution? I thought Junkion was under the complete control of Sadistus."
The Captain gave him a tight smile. "No longer. Apparently some slave managed to pull off an exemplary escape and killed one of his most elite warriors. It's caused quite the impression. We're tasked breaking down his slave trade."
"Who are you guys anyway?"
Hot Rod grinned.
"Blinky, that is Captain Nexus and we are the Black Ravagers."
Nexus rolled his blue optics.
"So you know who we are, stranger. What's your name?"
The one armed brute stood up slowly and shrugged.
I got nothing to go back to, not after getting captured twice. At least these guys went out of their way to rescue me, which is more than what Megatron has ever done for me. I just hope Knockout can fend for himself without me.
"You can call me Breakdown. As for this revolution…"
A grin grew on the former Stunticon's orange features, an excitement filling his spark in a way he hadn't known since that first offer to take down Zeta Prime was given him.
"Where do I sign up?"
…..
VOICE CAST
Agent Fowler - Ernie Hudson
Jazz - Khary Peyton
Joker - Sam A Mowry (Infamous, 2009)
Verminus - Brian Drummond (Death Note, 2009)
Thunderblast - Hynden Walch
Breakdown - Adam Baldwin
Novakane and Freezer - Dee Bradley
Hot Rod - Rob Lowe (Young Justice, 2010)
Crosshairs - John DiMaggio
Nexus - Sam Witwer (Clone Wars)
NEXT CHAPTER: Armada