CHAPTER NINE
Megatron was sent staggering as Nemesis Prime threw a powerful uppercut. Quickly recovering, the Decepticon leader aimed his fusion cannon and fired. The blast contacted with Nemesis' chest and sent him flying into the wall.
At that moment, Tyrannicon lunged at Megatron, thrusting his blade forward to impale his chest. Megatron dodged the maneuver and seized the Sharkticon by the back of the neck, throwing him into the same wall as Nemesis.
"Pathetic," the Decepticon leader growled. "For an admiral, Tyrannicon, you aren't much of a fighter. Obviously you let your pets do all the dirty work for you."
Tyrannicon glared at him as he got back to his feet. "That is because my superiors told me to hold back, so that I do not kill you."
"Then your superiors are the pathetic ones if they are the ones restraining you. Rebel against their iron grip. Release your anger." Megatron grinned savagely. "Kill me. Destroy me."
"I can't," Tyrannicon murmured. "My orders--"
"Then you are a coward; a weakling. Even Prime here has at least mustered the courage to--" As he said that, Megatron froze, realizing that something was off. "Wait... where has he gone off to?"
"Behind you."
Megatron turned around to see Nemesis Prime swinging his axe at him. Unable to dodge in time, the blade of the axe slashed across his chest. Clutching the wound, Megatron staggered back and glared at his former brother.
"You've changed, Orion," he growled. "Not just your appearance, bur your personality. What have they done to you?"
"They haven't done anything," Nemesis said. "I saw a weak point in your brother's spark and... moved in."
Megatron blinked. "'Moved in?' What-?"
Nemesis chuckled. "Don't tell me you don't recognize me, Megatron. Then again, you might know me better as Scourge."
"Scourge? I thought the Autobots had you destroyed."
Nemesis laughed again, harsher this time. "And end up killing one of their own? Optimus Prime cannot survive without me... we were meant to be one."
Megatron sneered as he readied his fusion cannon. "Then I will just have to destroy you both."
* * *
"'The Leviacon hungers,' eh?" Seaspray said as he aimed his arm-mounted Hydro Launchers at the raging beast. "What does it feed on, exactly?"
"Everything," the Curator murmured, cowering nearby. "And don't shoot it! It'll only make it angrier!"
"How did it even get here in the first place?" Bumblebee asked, firing his own weapon. "Doesn't your dome prevent these type of things from breaking in?"
The Curator cast his gaze to the floor. "We... captured it and tamed it."
"Can you tame it again?" Arcee called as she plunged her blades into an attacking tentacle. "Because it's casting hungry glances at us."
"Or would you like us to put it out of its misery?" Skywarp said with a mad grin.
Spurred by the Seeker's threat, the Curator got up from his hiding spot and hurried up to the Leviacon, speaking to it in a strange, garbled language. As the Autobots and Decepticons watched him, Jazz looked up through the hole the creature had made in ceiling and saw three figures in combat. To his surprise, one of them was Megatron while the other appeared to be Optimus Prime, albeit in black and gray.
"Looks like we've found our leaders," he remarked. The others followed his gaze and looked on in surprise. Lugnut even let out an exclamation of excitement.
"Well, that is... good news," Starscream said, disappointment obvious in his voice. "He looks like he could use some assistance, but unfortunately this Leviacon is in our--"
"No!" Lugnut cried, converting his arm into its "explosive punch" position. "I shall save you, Lord Megatron!"
Ignoring the others' protests, he activated a pair of thrusters on the bottom of his feet and propelled himself towards the ceiling.
* * *
Megatron cried out in shock and confusion as he was sent flying down the corridor by a massive explosion. Although his audio receptors were now ringing, he could barely make out the Leviacon shrieking, as well as what sounded like Lugnut calling his name.
After colliding into a wall, Megatron quickly got back to his feet and peered through his flame-filled vision. Both Nemesis and Tyrannicon were down, though only the latter was online. Emerging from the flames was Lugnut, hurriedly approaching the Decepticon leader.
"Lord Megatron! Thank goodness I've found you! Are you injured? Allow me to carry you to--"
"I can carry myself just fine," Megatron snapped. "Let's just get back to the Nemesis and leave this rotten planet."
"You are not going anywhere."
Megatron turned to Tyrannicon, thinking the voice was coming from him. He then realized it was coming from a stout, blue and white mech, his emerald eyes filled with anger.
"I am not going to let you ruin everything I had planned," the Curator growled. "Do you have any idea on what punishment my masters will deliver to me if I fail?"
"No, and nor do I care," Megatron said. "I will be leaving this planet, regardless if you die as a result or not."
The Curator narrowed his eyes. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
Suddenly, the walls on either side of him burst open and several piranha-like mechanoids swarmed in, their massive jaws snapping. They leaped towards the Curator and began connecting themselves at multiple points in his body. In short time, a giant towered over Megatron and his fanatical follower.
"A verdict has been reached," it growled. "The sentence: death. Hydratron shall deliver it... personally."
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