Prophecy of the Ancients Character Guide

These are characters from a fantasy story I made way back in 2009-2010. I plan on posting it on my blog eventually.

Note: You might find some names lifted from Power Rangers (and other franchises). I made this story a long time ago back when I was having trouble coming up with original names.

PROPHECY OF THE ANCIENTS

Earth Alliance

Supreme Commanders
   Anubis (male)
Team Dion
   Jason McKnight (male)

   Daniel Dion Thompson (male)-- commander 

   Drake Bradley (male)

   Conner (male)

   Leonard Corbett (male)

   Ethan James (male)

Team Nova-Epsilon

   Tom Stone (male)-- commander

   Steve Carmel (male)

   George Stone (male)

   Joe Stone (male)

   Robert Stone (male)

Others

   Chad

Ten Kingdoms

Kingdomia, the Gold Kingdom

Rulers

   Oam (male)-- First Age King

   Mao (male)-- Second Age King

   Peter IV (male)-- Third Age King

Knights

   Aurus (male)-- Captain of the Guard
   Danju (male)
   Dion (male)
   Jayko (male)

   Orion (male)
   Santis (male)

   Zuuban (male)-- Guardian

Other residents

   Alia (female)-- healer
   Leon (male)-- archer

   Mical (male)-- healer

   Sento (male)-- sage

Albia, the White Kingdom

Rulers

   Azulon I (male)

   Albus Azulon II (male)

Knights

   Xemer (male)

Ankoria, the Black Kingdom

Rulers

   Maluman (male)-- First Age King

   Keldor I / Lord Mallake (male)-- deceased

   Drascus (male)

   Lord Valdek (male)

   Keldor II (male)-- Third Age King

Knights

   Lerok (male)

   Norok (male)

Barania, the Brown Kingdom

Rulers

   Vires (male)

   Favirus (male)

Other residents

   Brevis (male)-- villager

Glacia, the Light Kingdom

Rulers

   Sapienia (female)

   Prudenia (female)

   Sato (male)-- Third Age King

Kokia, the Red Kingdom

Rulers

   Fortis (male)

   Edward (male)-- Third Age King

Knights

   Adric (male)

Morcia, the Blue Kingdom

Rulers

   Leo (male)-- First Age King

   Mathias I (male)

   Orlan (male)

   Mathias II (male)-- Second Age King

   Jayko (male)-- Third Age King

Knights

   Enroh (male)

   Tahkon (male)-- formerly

   Taron (male)-- formerly

Venia, the Violet Kingdom

Rulers

   Lexia (female)

   Eve (female)-- Second Age Queen

Knights

   Wallace (male)-- AKA Terrorsaur; deceased

Virdia, the Green Kingdom

Rulers

   Laescus (male)-- Second Age King

   Harry (male)-- Third Age King

Knights

   Elric (male)

   Kentis (male)

   Leric (male)

Heralds of Virlux

Guardian Council
   Matris (female)-- Grand Mistress
   Alaela (female)-- Air Guardian
   Aquia (female)-- Water Guardian
   Casuius (male)-- Wisdom Guardian
   Flamus (male)-- Fire Guardian
   Grondus (male)-- Earth Guardian
   Nixeia (female)-- Ice Guardian
   Voler (male)-- Storm Guardian
   Niella (female)-- Gatekeeper

Heralds
   Leaders
      Photus (male)-- deceased
      Daggeron (male)-- deceased
      Calorak (male)
   Aduro (male)
   Aetan (male)-- formerly
   Calindor (male)-- AKA Imperious; formerly
   Cerus (male)-- deceased
   Leanbow (male)-- AKA Koragg; formerly
   Madia (female)
   Merik (male)-- formerly
   Usus (male)
   Zarin (male)-- deceased
   Zuuban (male)

Dark Empire

The Majin
   Majin Zarak (male)-- Supreme Lord of the Majin; deceased
   Majin Gorma (male)
   Majin Viron
Dark Army
   Tao Zanto (male)-- the Dark Lord, AKA Rio; deceased
   Rinshi
      Bai Lai (male)-- deceased
      Barzoka (male)
      Camille (female)
      Carden (male)-- deceased
      Chouda (male)
      Crustasco (male)
      Gyuya (male)-- the Buffalord; deceased
      Mantor (male)-- deceased
      Pangolin (male)-- deceased
      Slickagon (male)-- general; deceased
   Fear Cats
      Benglo (male)-- deceased
      Cheetar (male)
      Mig (male)-- deceased
   Others
      Deviot (male)
      Kamador (male)
      Terrorsaur (male)-- AKA Sir Wallace, traitor; deceased
Imperious Army
   Leaders
      Calindor (male)-- the Imperious; deceased
      Zen-Aku (male)-- exiled
   Koragg (male)-- AKA Leanbow; deceased
   Bellow (male)
   Boran (male)
   Fightoe (male)
   Intren (male)
   Janak (male)-- general
   Korusca (male)-- general; deceased
   Necrolai (female)
   Nimtra (male)
   Sharik (male)
   Warmix (male)
   Creatures
      Behemoths
      Chimeras 
      Hidiacs
Demons
   Demon Lords
      Onimi (male)-- Supreme Lord; deceased
      Triskull (male)-- Death Lord; deceased
      Calxia (female)-- Earth Lady; formerly
      Hydria (female)-- Water Lady
      Igneous (male)-- Fire Lord
      Tehemus (male)-- Earth Lord; formerly
   Others
      Ferus (male)-- general
      Ignis (male)-- servant
      Karzon (male)-- Dragon Rider; formerly
         Drascus (male)-- dragon; formerly
Legions of Xenotome
   The Phantom Lord (male)-- deceased
   Valdek (male)-- deceased
   Ryggu (male)-- general
   Viscus (male)-- general; deceased
   Vorens
Others
   Drascus (male)-- dragon; formerly
   The Heralds
   Karzon (male)-- the Dragon Rider; formerly
   Viperan (male)-- scientist; deceased

Zerumian Empire

Rulers

   Valtheran (male)

   Sfear (male)-- deceased

   Alr'kin the Warfang (male)

   Paladin (male)-- deceased

   Paladar (male)
Lords
   Hirotengu (male)-- Lord of Tengu

Warriors

   Atrox (male)

   Destreader (male)

   Kerotox (male)-- AKA Aetan

   Taakhen (male)

The Ancients

The One

Great Ones

   Eonus, the First

   Gaia 

   Kronon, the Time Lord
   Maja 
   Matris
   Navinus, the Navigator 
   Tonza
   Trion, the Prophet
   Virlux, the Peace Keeper
   Xal, the Dark One 
   Xenaku, the Exile
   Zarn

Kingdoms of Thustra

Surface Kingdom

   Rulers

      Dekluun (male)

      Alaric (male)-- deceased

      Homizz (male)-- deceased

      Vakama (male)

   Members

      Jaller (male)-- knight; deceased

      Kapura (male) 

      Malumarbor (male)-- Thustran Trees leader

      Navi (male)-- knight; deceased 

Underground Kingdom

   Rulers

      Tehumus (male)-- King
      Calxia (female)-- Queen  

   Members

      Senfusa (male)-- elder; deceased 

Others

Guardians of the Shield
   Audia, the Soundless
   Caescus, the Sightless
   Serebros, the Mindless
   Vosin, the Speechless
Horsemen of the Apocalypse
   En Sabah Nur, the Apocalypse
   War
   Famine
   Pestilence
   Death
Kraton Dragons
   Azurahn- ruler
   Drascus
   Shekchai
   Traxxis
Seven Sins
   Irav / Wrath
   Avar / Greed
   Lothar / Apathy
   Gloron / Pride
   Cron / Desire
   Envis / Envy
   Seris / Crave
Valtheran Tribe
   Taron (male)-- founder; deceased
   Tahkon (male)
Others
   Akamai and Wairuha
   Gajadom and Ryuuwon
   Jarrod (male)-- Rio's father; deceased
   Salar (male)- ruler of the Underworld; deceased
   Serpia
   Vivada (female)-- Rio's mother

ARDAN-GAIA

Ancients

First Pantheon / Great Ones

   Ardan (male)

   Gaia (female)

   Kronon (male)

   Virlux (male)

Second Pantheon / Dark Ones

   Xal / Majin Zarakar (male)

   Majin Gorma (male)

Five Kingdoms

Oamon Kingdom

   Rulers

      Tyroan I (male)

      Tyroan II (male)

      Oamon I (male) (F.A. 255-305)

      Oamon II (male) (F.A. 305-330)

      Oamon III (male) (F.A. 330-410)

      Oama I (female) (F.A. 410-425)

      Oama II (female) (F.A. 425-456)

      Oama III (female) (F.A. 456-500)

      Oamon IV (male) (F.A. 500-556)

      Oama IV (female) (F.A. 556-607)

      Oamon V (male) (F.A. 607-667)

      Oamon VI (male) (heir; never assumed throne)

      Maos (male) (S.A. 1-)

   Viziers

      Keldor (male) -- Vizier to Oamon I, AKA Mallake

      Nomaos (male) -- Vizier to Oamon I & Oamon II

   Others

      Maos'nam (male)-- Captain of the Guard

      Namosa (female) -- priestess of the Church of Virlux

      Soma (female) -- Captain of the Guard

Morcian Kingdom

   Rulers

      Orlaan (male) (S.A. 1-)

Ankorian Kingdom

   Rulers

      Mallake (male) -- AKA Keldor

      Drakus (male) (S.A. 1-)

Elven Kingdom

   Rulers

      Vitus, Adria, and Nirvan (F.A. 1-198)

      Malus (male) (F.A. 198-258)

      Navitus (male) (F.A. 258-357)

      Tavita II (female) (F.A. 357-457)

      Vivita (female) (F.A. 557-650)

      Hadrian (male) (F.A. 650-659)

      Lavitus (male) (F.A. 659-667; S.A. 1-)

   Tavita I (female)

Dwarven Kingdom

   Rulers

      Favria (female) (S.A. 1-)

Dark Empire

Legions of Xenotome (Majin Zarakar)

Heretics of Irvan (Majin Gorma)

   Irvan (male) -- Lord of Norion, former elf

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VIII, Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

   "I should have figured you'd be bringin' an extra crew member back on board," Ironhide said with a smirk as Optimus Prime, his landing team, and Spiral stepped onto the Ark's bridge.

   Optimus nodded. "Yes, though we've seemed to have lost a crew member in return. Side Burn is missing."

   "Side Burn?" Sideswipe repeated. "I thought he was down in his hab suite with Brawn."

   Optimus tilted his head. "He told me that you sent him down as backup out of concern for our safety."

   "If we wanted to send backup, why would we have sent a flake like Side Burn?" Jazz asked. "You sure weren't seeing things, Prime?"

   "No, because we saw him, too," Bumblebee said. "Until he vanished, of course."

   "Maybe he's got some teleportation device," Windcharger suggested. "But if so, then he could've told us... it'd be real useful in a fight."

   Optimus sighed. "Let us worry about it some other time. We've got to get a move on before the Decepticons find us."

   "Where to next then, Boss-bot?" Sideswipe asked.

   "Gigantion, the Giant Planet," Optimus said. "There have been several tales of Titans residing there, thus it might have something to do with the AllSpark."

   As Sideswipe set in the coordinates, Ironhide said, "It seems pretty frivolous chasing silly myths to me."

   "For the longest time, Ironhide, I thought the Matrix of Leadership was such a myth," Optimus Prime murmured. "Now I know better, of course."

   Catching his meaning, Ironhide fell silent and returned to his duties. As the others did so, Optimus Prime looked out the viewport to see the stars stretch before it. Who knew how many AllSpark shards were out there, but he could only hope to reconstitute the life-bearing power source and restore Cybertron.

   It was the only hope their world had.

*  *  *

   The Nemesis was primed and ready for take off. As Megatron walked across the hangar bay to board his flagship, he caught sight of Shockwave approaching him from behind. This unsettled him because it could only mean one thing....

   Whirling around to face the cyclopian Decepticon, Megatron snarled. "Explain to me how, despite the Autobots being near-defenseless and vulnerable, your invasion was able to fail."

   "It was not the Autobots who defeated us, my lord," Shockwave said calmly. "Rather, it was a powerful Cybertronian who calls himself the Fallen."

   Megatron raised an eyebrow, smirking. "The Fallen? Well, if it were a true fanatic, he would have dared to call himself Megatronus instead."

   "That is besides the point," Shockwave said coldly. "This neutral being may prove an obstacle in our conquest of Cybertron. As such, I am proposing an 'alliance' with the remaining Autobots to eliminate this threat before getting rid of the Autobots themselves."

   "I see. In that case, do things however you see fit, just as long as, in the end, the Autobots are no more and Cybertron is ours."

   "Fear not, Lord Megatron. I shall not disappoint you."

   Megatron sneered. "I hope so, Shockwave, for your sake. I do not take repeated failures lightly."

   "Neither do I," Shockwave murmured, though Megatron was already headed for the Nemesis and thus did not hear him.

*  *  *

   So much needed to be done and yet there was little time.

   He had only managed to capture four of his twelve targets. Two he knew of were on Cybertron but too dangerous to reach, and the others he was uncertain of. But he would find them, no doubt about it.

   The Fallen cast his gaze to the rising sun. Dawn was breaking on Cybertron, a new day having begun.

   He would make sure it was the last one.

*  *  *

   Despite being a Velocitronian, Clocker often found it nice to stop moving for a moment and simply admire Velocitron's landscape, especially the regions not covered by race tracks. The Diablo Desert, in particular, was a sight to behold, the setting sun making the dunes stand out somewhat.

   Nothing could break him away from this scenery. Save for the fact that a giant ship was landing over it.

   Clocker stepped back as sand blew into his face, the ship's rear thrusters sending it flying everywhere. Without the ship even properly landing, the boarding ramp lowered and a tall mech in blue and white appeared, emerald eyes glowing on a face covered with loose wires formed like a beard. When it spoke, it did so with a gruff, scratchy voice.

   "Bah-weep-graaaagnah wheep ni ni bong."

   Clocker hesitated a moment before returning the universal greeting. "Er, bah-weep-graaaagnah wheep ni ni bong."

   Glowering, the strange mech leaped from the ramp and landed before Clocker, looming over him.

   "Where is Double Clutch?" the stranger growled.

   Clocker stammered a response. "I... who are you-?"

   "I asked first, you insolent protoform," the mech snarled, grabbing Clocker by the neck. "Now tell me: where is Double Clutch?"

   "Right here, Thundertron."

   The blue and white mech looked up to see a stout, blueish-silver mech approaching him. Releasing Clocker, Thundertron stormed towards the former Velocitron leader. "Where is it?"

   Double Clutch smirked. "Where's what?"

   "Don't play ignorant with me," Thundertron snapped. "Where is the shard?"

   "I don't have it."

   The large mech's mouth fell agape. "What...?"

   "I don't have it," Double Clutch repeated. "Not anymore. It's long gone from Velocitron."

   Thundertron seethed with fury. "Who has it now?"

   "Like I would tell you. Unlike you, Thundertron, I care about the well being of a fellow Cybertronian."

   Thundertron roared out in anger as he brought out an energy blade and plunged it into Double Clutch's chest, instantly extinguishing his spark and killing him. As Clocker backed away in horror, the savage mech whirled around to face him and growled.

   "If you happen to come across any accursed Cybertronian, tell them that the Star Seekers are on the hunt and that Thundertron shows no mercy!"

   And with that, Thundertron converted into a mechanical beast and leaped back onto the large ship as it blasted off into the evening sky.

TO BE CONTINUED

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VIII, Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

   "If it's all the same to you, Nitro, we shall be taking out leave," Optimus Prime said to the Velocitronian leader as the former's team stood at the Autobot shuttle's boarding ramp. "I have made peace with Double Clutch and he has entrusted me with a special... gift in return."

   Nitro smiled. "I am glad to hear that you have eased old tensions. However, must you leave so soon?"

   "I'm afraid so," Optimus said. "Cybertron is in urgent danger and we must be quick to save it."

   Nitro nodded. "I understand. In that case, I bid you farewell, Optimus Prime."

   "Wait."

   The two leaders turned to look at Spiral, who stood at Nitro's side with Backtrack and Oval.

   "I was wondering if... I could come along," the blue Velocitronian said.

   Optimus raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

   Spiral shifted her feet. "Well, I've always dreamed of leaving Velocitron but never had the opportunity to do so. You guys are my first and possibly only chance."

   Optimus stared at her for a moment before turning to Nitro. "If it's all the same to you...."

   Nitro grinned as he held his hands up. "Hey, the entire population could leave with you and I wouldn't mind."

   Optimus nodded and returned his attention to Spiral. "Very well. Welcome aboard, Spiral."

   The young Velocitronian let out a small little cheer and hurried onto the shuttle, followed by Bumblebee and the others. Optimus then gave Nitro a nod of farewell before boarding the ship as well. It was only when they were all on board and the shuttle was taking off that he realized something disconcerting.

   "Where's Side Burn?"

*  *  *

   Makeshift watched as the Autobot shuttle departed from Velocitron. Even though Megatron's orders had been for him to infiltrate the Ark, he figured that a tracking device and a signal to the Decepticon  leader would suffice. Besides, the last thing he needed was the Autobots suspecting him upon seeing two Side Burns....

   As he stepped back onto his cloaked ship, he reverted to his true form and sat in the pilot's seat, preparing the vessel for take off. He then established a communications channel to contact Megatron himself.

   "You better have good news this time, Shifter," the Decepticon leader growled.

   "I do, Lord Megatron," Makeshift said. "I was not able to board the Ark, but I have attached a tracking beacon to one of the ship's shuttles. I am sending you the frequency now."

   A few minutes passed before Megatron spoke again. "You are to be commended for your work, agent. This will no doubt lead to a great moment in Decepticon history."

   Makeshift smiled to himself. "All in a good day's work, Lord Megatron."

   "Indeed. Now then, I have a new task for you to perform."

   The spy's face fell. He should have known that a double agent's work was never done. "Name it, my lord."

   "You are to go to the planet Messatine and place yourself as a medic at the facility Delphi."

   Makeshift's spark leaped. Although Delphi was Autobot-run, it was dangerously close to the territory of the Decepticon Justice Division. And, despite being a Decepticon himself, Makeshift was fearful of ever crossing them.

   Nonetheless, he said, "Consider it done, my lord. However, what am I to do once there?"

   "There have been... rumors of an Autobot spy hidden within the Justice Division's ranks. We have reason to believe that he may be a Shifter- much like yourself- and thus you would be the perfect one to weed him or her out."

   And to suffer the D.J.D.'s wrath, the spy knew Megatron wanted to say. He was entirely aware of where he fell on the Decepticon food chain.

   "Very well, Lord Megatron," he muttered. "It will be done."

   However, turning around in his pilot seat, he knew that Megatron had already ended the connection.

*  *  *

   "So all this time, you've been a little mech inside armor?"

   Minimus Ambus sighed as Remedy helped him reattach his Magnus Armor. "That about sums it up, Wing Saber."

   Kup grunted as he puffed on his cy-gar. "You know that just opens up a whole lotta cans of driller worms. I've got more questions in my processor now than I've got war stories."

   "Yes, none of which I have time to answer," Ambus said. "Listen, there's a third party of sorts at work, one which is responsible for the disappearance of Grimlock."

   "Not to mention Alpha Trion and Beta Maxx," Wing Saber said. "Red Alert reported that to me a few cycles ago."

   "Right," Ambus murmured. "Anyway, Shockwave has proposed a temporary truce- one which I suppose will go into effect whenever Megatron is out of the know- and will only last long enough for us to get rid of aforementioned third party."

   "I don't like the sound of that," Kup muttered. "Once this mysterious faction is out of the picture, the 'Cons will crush us like mecho-gnats."

   "And the Fallen will crush both factions and thus any hope for Cybertron."

   Wing Saber blinked. "Wait, did you say 'the Fallen?' That guy's just a-"

   "I know," Ambus said sharply. "That's simply what he calls himself. Whether he's the real deal or not, I don't know. But his power is undoubtedly considerable. He must be stopped regardless of the cost."

   "I suppose there's no use arguing that," Kup said with a sigh. "After all, the shots are still for you to call, even if you aren't really Ultra Magnus."

   Ambus frowned as Remedy handed him his helmet, which bore the face of the original- and long since deceased- Ultra Magnus.

   "I apologize for having to deceive you. But for necessity's sake- and until we have time to sort all this out- I will need to go by 'Ultra Magnus' for a while longer."

   Wing Saber smiled assuredly. "Hey, for all we know, the real Ultra Magnus could have been a Mini-Con walking around in armor, too."

   Minimus Ambus smirked as he donned the helmet. "I suppose we could all be a bit more than meets the eye."

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VIII, Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

   The six Autobots and their Velocitronian companions entered Double Clutch's abode to find a light blue-gray mech awaiting them. Unlike other Velocitronians, Double Clutch did not have a sleek, fast build and instead appeared bulky and slow. A cracked blue visor regarded Optimus coldly as he stepped forward.

   "That's far enough, Prime," the former Velocitronian leader said. "I want this meeting to be short-lived."

   Optimus Prime came to a stop and crossed his arms. "What do you know about the AllSpark?"

   Double Clutch said nothing and instead held up a glowing blue shard.

   "What... is that?" Bumblebee asked.

   "The AllSpark," Double Clutch said. "Or at least, a part of it, from what I've been told."

   "A part of it?" Arcee echoed. "How did it get broken?"

   Double Clutch shrugged. "Got me there. It's been passed along to Velocitronian leaders for as long as anyone can remember."

   "Until you ended the trend and kept it for yourself," Optimus said.

   Double Clutch sighed. "I had my reasons. Mainly I didn't want to make Nitro into a victim."

   "What do you mean?" Hot Rod asked.

   The Velocitronian paused briefly before speaking quietly. "What do you know about the Star Seekers?"

   "I've heard of them," Optimus muttered. "They're a group of Transformers hailing from one of the colony worlds, pirating across the galaxy."

   "Yes, and they also hate Cybertronians for what the Great Wars have done to Cybertron and other worlds," Double Clutch said. "Anyway, they're after the AllSpark's shards so that they can destroy them."

   "Destroy them?" Optimus said, alarmed. "What for?"

   "Because without the AllSpark, Cybertron would not have been born. And without Cybertron, there would be no Cybertronians."

   "That's... kind of a stretch," Arcee said. "Destroying the AllSpark won't make every single Cybertronian in existence drop dead."

   Double Clutch nodded in agreement. "I don't know it all for a fact, but I don't want to risk not believing it." He then handed it to Optimus. "Thus, I am entrusting it to look."

   A wry look of skepticism showed through Optimus' optics. "Putting the Star Seekers on my tail rather than yours, are you?"

   Double Clutch smirked in kind. "Just ensuring that the fate of Cybertron is in good hands."

*  *  *

   Minimus Ambus scowled at the one-eyed Decepticon looming over him. Despite being heavily damaged from the crash, Shockwave managed to look somewhat menacing.

   "You're giving out an order to surrender? Just because you've lost your flagship?"

   Shockwave's gaze was unwavering. "Not surrender, no. I am simply recalling our forces back to New Kaon."

   "A retreat, then. My second question still stands."

   "It has nothing to do with your Autobots' resistance. Rather, it's the sheer power this 'Fallen' person displays."

   "I'm sure the fire thing is merely theatrical-"

   "Perhaps," Shockwave interjected. "But I have no doubt that it was he who crashed the Victory."

   Ambus' metal brows furrowed. "I had assumed that was the Dynobots' doing."

   Shockwave shook his head. "No. There is a third part at work, one with power beyond either of our comprehension. One who is working against both factions."

   "Don't tell me that you, of all people, are proposing an alliance, Shockwave."

   "No. Not yet. At least not until it is necessary and logical. And even then, only when Megatron is out of the picture."

   Ambus regarded him skeptically.  "You say that as if it'll be certain."

   "It will be," Shockwave said. "He will be departing from New Kaon soon to pursue Optimus Prime and his Ark. Once he is gone, perhaps then we can negotiate a temporary truce."

   Ambus sighed. "Your logic is certainly impressive, Shockwave... to the point where even I think it is sound."

   He was almost sure that if Shockwave had a face, it would have smirked. "If I was still capable of such emotions, I would be amused by that statement."

   He then turned and converted into his ship mode, flying off into the nighttime sky. Not long after, a red and gold jet bearing the Autobot insignia appeared, converting into the Aerialbot known as Fireflight. The Autobot flier's optics dilated in shock upon seeing Ambus.

   "Ultra... Magnus? I... what happened to you?"

   A grim expression crossed Ambus' face. "I suppose I have a lot to explain."

*  *  *

   Two down. So many to go.

   The Fallen stood on a cliff that oversaw the ruins of Iacon, watching the Autobots gather their wounded and dead, and account for the missing. All of the Decepticons, save for the ones the Wreckers had captured under Virtue's Forum, had all retreated from the battle. He no longer had a useful diversion.

   Not that it would make much difference.

   Setting his sights on the ruined Hall of Records, the Fallen used his teleportation abilities to transport himself to the entrance. He then raised his arm cannon and blasted out an opening. Down the main hall, stationed at a monitor, was the Autobot historian and archivist Alpha Trion, accompanied by the Mini-Con Beta Maxx.

   The former turned around in shock, his optics widening upon seeing the intruder. "Primus preserve us...."

   "You only wish," the Fallen muttered as he readied his arm cannon again.

   At Alpha Trion's beckoning, Beta Maxx transformed into jet mode and attached himself to the sage's arm, forming a small, double-barreled gun. Alpha Trion then fired it the same time as the Fallen fired his own, creating a large explosion between them.

   As it cleared, the Fallen saw Alpha Trion charged towards him with an ancient blade in hand. The ancient Prime responded in kind by bringing out a spiked mace and bashing it into Trion's face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

   "I honestly don't have the time nor the patience to battle you, Alpha Trion," the Fallen muttered as he approached the ancient Autobot. "We have places to be, old friend."

   Alpha Trion looked up at him weakly. "Do I... know you?"

   The Fallen chuckled. "You will soon remember."

   And in a flash of light, all three mechs were gone.

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VIII, Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

   Optimus Prime and his group came to a stop before an isolated building on the outskirts of Delta. Once they had converted into their robot modes, Optimus carefully stopped towards the front entrance only to be instantly greeted by a voice on a loudspeaker.

   "That's far enough, Optimus Prime."

   The Autobot leader stopped and looked up at a security camera aimed at him. "Double Clutch, I mean you no harm."

   "Oh, but you did three centuries ago? Because that was the message I got when your Autobot ships appeared in Velocitronian space."

   "We were trying to save you from the Decepticons," Optimus said pointedly. "We had absolutely no intention of attacking you."

   Double Clutch snorted. "What made you think we weren't fully capable of defending ourselves?"

   "Blurr said that violence wasn't tolerated on Velocitron," Hot Rod said. "Wouldn't that mean you have no weapons?"

   "It hardly negates that," the former Velocitronian leader muttered. "We did not need your assistance. You only brought more unneeded chaos. Nothing you say can make us forgive you."

   "No offense, Double Clutch, but I don't think you can speak for all Velocitronians," Optimus said. "Nitro, for instance, was willing to give me the benefit of the doubt, as do Spiral and her comrades here."

   Double Clutch laughed harshly. "I'm not surprised that the younger generation sees you as the infallible hero. But we older ones see your drastic flaws as a leader. I am amazed that nearly an entire millennium has passed without Decepticon victory."

   Optimus felt his hands ball up into fists. "You're one to talk for someone who lost their own leadership in a mere race."

   "Optimus," Arcee said quietly but warningly.

   Undeterred, Double Clutch went on. "At least I could clearly see my flaws and relinquished command with dignity."

   "By holing yourself up, secluding yourself from public life?" Optimus said scornfully. "Doesn't seem very dignified to me."

   "Optimus, I think that's enough," Arcee said sharply. "We should leave."

   "Your Autobots are bold, Optimus Prime," Double Clutch said. "They don't even bother referring to you by your rank or any title of respect."

   Optimus took in an intake of air to cold down his burning internal systems. "Forget it," he said coldly. "I see that we wasted our time coming here."

   "Don't tell me you came all the way to Velocitron just to 'apologize', Optimus. Don't you have a war to fight?"

   "We do. And we need the AllSpark to win it."

   Double Clutch was silent for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice lacked its previous scorn. "The AllSpark? Why do you seek that?"

   "We believe it can repair Cybertron," Optimus said. "It's in... dire straits at the moment."

   There was another pause until the door to Double Clutch's abode slid open.

   "We may not be on good terms, Optimus Prime," the former Velocitronian leader said. "But I may be willing to help a fellow mech out."

*  *  *

   Jetfire felt his spark drop as the Victory went down in flames and crashed. For a brief second, he had felt elated knowing that Shockwave was surely dead. But then the realization that Ultra Magnus had been on board dawned on him and his spirits fell. Without Ultra Magnus, and with Megatron still in the picture, their destruction was without a doubt ensured.

   "Why are you down in the dumps?" Wing Saber asked him as he flew up to his side. "Their flagship is going down. Shockwave must be dead!"

   "And Ultra Magnus with him," Jetfire murmured.

   Wing Saber's face fell. "Oh. Right. But hes survived through so much, right? A Cybernaught, a K-Class bombing, the Fast-Folding Sun...."

   "Everyone has their breaking point," Jetfire said. "For some reason, I have a hard time believing that he survived that crash."

   Wing Saber opened his mouth to reply but stopped when an orange flare lit up the nighttime sky.

   "Huh. Would you look at that; they're surrendering."

*  *  *

   Ultra Magnus awoke in a pile of rubble.

   Check that; Minimus Ambus awoke in a pile of rubble. Thanks to the crash, several pieces of his Magnus Armor were missing, save for the ones still attached to his legs. As such, it was difficult to lift himself up due to a lack of weight/mass distribution.

   "You have no idea on how disappointed I am."

   Ambus looked up to see a large bot standing before him, flames surrounding him. On one arm was a large cannon not unlike Megatron's, and in the other was the unconscious Grimlock.

   "Honestly," the stranger muttered. "I had thought the tales to be true; that you were immortal, impossible to kill. But now I can see through your pathetic deception."

   Ambus narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

   "You may know me as the Fallen."

   Ambus shook his head. "No. Impossible. The Fallen is just a myth."

   "Am I?" the Fallen asked. "Am I not standing before you right now?"

   "You're a zealot," Ambus said. "A delusional one at that, styling yourself after the Fallen of legend."

   The Fallen chuckled. "How can you possibly know so much about me? How can you tell if I am a mere, harmless little mech possessing armor... or the real deal?"

   Before Ambus could respond, the Fallen turned his back to him, still carrying the comatose Grimlock.

   "I shall leave you here for your fellow Autobots to find. From the looks of it, it would appear the battle is over."

   Ambus raised an eyebrow. "It is? Just because Shockwave is dead?"

   The fiery being shrugged. "I wouldn't know. And I wouldn't be so sure of Shockwave's death."

   And in the blink of an eye, the Fallen and Grimlock were gone, and Shockwave stood in their place.

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VIII, Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

   "Double Clutch, eh?" The old black and gray mech called Brakedown scratched his chin. "Been stellar cycles since I last saw him. Why do you ask?"

   "I seek an audience with him," Optimus Prime said. "It primarily concerns the Asphalt Wars."

   Brakedown grunted. "Understandable. He used to be pretty cheerful until that went down. Anyway, last I saw him, he lived out on the outskirts of the city, though I don't think he takes visitors too kindly."

   "He'll have to make an exception this time," Optimus said. "It's rather important."

   The old mech raised an eyebrow. "What, the war thing? I wouldn't fret about it."

   Optimus shook his head. "It's not exactly that. It's... something concerning Velocitronian history."

*  *  *

   "And the way you outran that motorcycle guy... man, that was awesome!" Hot Rod exclaimed, him and the other Autobots gathered around Blurr.

   Blurr chuckled. "You mean Backfire? Yeah, that was a pretty cool move. If only I could have seen it for myself."

   "Aw, but you lived it! I wish I had been on the race truck with you guys!"

   "Um, I think we need to cut this conversation short," Arcee said, nudging Hot Rod with her elbow. "Prime's here."

   The others turned to see Optimus Prime approaching them. Nodding in acknowledgment to Blurr, he then said, "I hate to ruin the moment, but we have to leave. I have a meeting with Double Clutch on the outskirts of this city and I want you bots to be at my side."

   Bumblebee grinned. "You can count on us, Prime."

   "Wait," Windcharger said. "Why do you need us at your back? Is Double Clutch hostile towards visitors or something?"

   "It's a possibility," Optimus murmured.

   "Violence is not accepted here on Velocitron," Blurr said. "Heck, that's the whole reason I decided to make my living here; to get away from most of the fighting."

   "Maybe so," Optimus said. "But all of this talk about Double Clutch's absence has me concerned. If it's all the same to you, I would like to proceed with caution."

   "Then we should come along," Spiral said, signaling to herself, Oval, and Backtrack. "If Double Clutch does attack you, he'll be too fast for you to stop him... but not for us."

   Optimus nodded. "Very well. Autobots, transform and roll out!"

*  *  *

   Makeshift had been barely within a few feet reach of the city when he saw a group of eight vehicles, led by a red and blue Cybertronian truck, driving in the opposite direction from the city. Swerving around, he accelerated to catch up.

   "Optimus Prime! Wait up!"

   "Oh, spark...." he heard a blue motorcycle mutter under his breath.

   "Side Burn?" Optimus Prime said. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on the Ark?"

   Makeshift sighed inaudibly; once again, he should have thought this plan through. "Er, yes, sir," he said. "The others were worried about you and sent me as back-up."

   "And out of all the Autobots on the ship, why did they pick you?" the blue motorcycle asked bitterly.

   Before the spy could respond, Optimus said, "No matter. We might as well get all the help we can get."

   "Uh, yeah, exactly!" the faux Side Burn said. "Wait, what are we doing?"

   "We're going to meet with Double Clutch," said a yellow courier. "Who may or may not be happy to see us."

   "Gotcha," Makeshift said. "Don't know why anyone would be ticked with Optimus Prime though."

   "Trust me," Optimus said. "There are too many such people for me to count."

*  *  *

   Springer groaned as he came back online, his entire back structure aching. He looked around to see that his fellow Wreckers- and temporary Decepticon allies- were either waking up or still unconscious. Blitzwing and the fiery being who had unleashed him were nowhere to be seen.

   As he finally got to his feet, Springer heard his communicator chime and he quickly answered it. "Springer here."

   "Springer?" Jetfire's voice came through. "Thank goodness, I thought we had lost you guys. Where are you?"

   "Underneath Virtue's Forum, as ordered, but with a few unconscious Decepticons. Oh, and Blitzwing's escaped."

   "Blitzwing? Oh, scrap, how did he-?"

   "Some bot- whose on fire for some reason- broke him out," Springer replied. "He knocked us out and we've since lost track of them."

   "That's not good."

   "I appreciate the understatement, Jetfire, but what are we going to do now? The fire guy gave us all a good bashing and he's now on the loose."

   "Well, right now, we're getting a good bashing from the Decepticons here, so we would appreciate the assistance," Jetfire said.

   Springer sighed. "Understood." Turning to the other Wreckers, who were just now coming back online, he said, "Let's roll."

*  *  *

   The bridge of the Victory was in chaos.

   Clearly not satisfied with their assault from down below, the Dynobots had decided to drop down onto the flagship and crash through the viewport. The crew scurried for cover as Slipstream barked orders to them, only to be ignored. She then cried out as the Dynobot known as Sludge slammed into her and sent her flying into the wall, knocking the Seeker out unconscious.

   "This is child's play," Snarl muttered as he bashed together two Vehicons' heads. "Were those Eradicons we totaled really the best they had?"

   "Say, where's Shockwave?" Swoop asked. "Wasn't he supposed to be leading their invasion?"

   Slag snorted. "Who cares? Let's just blow this ship up and get this over with."

   "Wait," Grimlock growled, grabbing his fellow Dynobot by the shoulder. "I hear something."

   "What you hear, Grimlock, is your impending doom."

   Suddenly, before the Dynobots' very eyes, a large mech surrounded by flames appeared out of thin air and made a straight beeline for Grimlock, pushing the others back without even touching them. He then seized the Dynobot leader by the neck and, ignoring his resistance, spoke quietly.

   "You need to lighten up."

   And, with a mere gesture from him, the Victory was in flames.

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VIII, Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

   To Optimus Prime and his Autobots, the Speedia 500 had ended extremely quickly, with Nitro being the victor. Of course, going by the reactions from other Velocitronians, it had actually been long and suspenseful. Either way, Optimus at last had his chance to speak with Velocitron's leader.

   Letting Hot Rod and the others to stay behind and meet with their old comrade Blurr, Optimus slowly approached Nitro, who was meeting and greeting with fans and news people. After waiting a few minutes for the crowd to disperse, Optimus carefully said, "Nitro?"

   Not turning to face him, Nitro said, "Sorry, not taking anymore autographs right now. Try again-"

   "I'm not here for an autograph, Nitro."

   At this, the Velocitronian leader whirled around to face him and narrowed his eyes. "Ah. Well, if it isn't Optimus Prime. What brings you here to Velocitron?"

   "Quite a few things," Optimus replied. "First of all, I would like to apologize for bringing your world under threat during the Asphalt Wars."

   To his surprise, Nitro smiled slightly. "Heh, I'm not the one who needs to be apologized to about that."

   Optimus raised an eyebrow. "Then who does?"

   "My predecessor, Double Clutch." Nitro sighed. "Don't ask me why, but he handled the conflict the worst. He had put a lot of faith into you when you succeeded Zeta Prime, whom he wasn't much fond of. Then the war happened and...."

   "I understand," Optimus said. "Where can I find Double Clutch?"

   Nitro shrugged. "You'd need to ask around. He's pretty much shielded himself away from public eye ever since I beat him in the Speedia 500."

   "Hm, and Spiral said that Excellion was a 'sore loser.'"

   Nitro laughed. "Oh, you haven't even met Excellion yet. You won't know the very meaning of 'sore loser' until you have. Mark my words."

*  *  *

   Makeshift had lucked out; while his persona's "boyfriend" was among the crowds of people wanting to get an autograph from Nitro, he excused himself by returning to work, but was in actuality returning to his ship to change into a different body.

   Once he was back on his cloaked ship, he immediately shifted into his true form and went to retrieve the corpse. At that moment, his communicator rang- no doubt Megatron calling to check on his progress.

   "Oh, great Primus, of all the-" Cursing to himself, the spy answered the call. "Agent Triple-Seven, here. What is it, Lord Megatron?"

   "It's been nearly two mega-cycles," Megatron growled. "Why have I not received the Ark's signature yet?"

   Makeshift bit back a sharp retort. "My apologies, my lord. I rant into an... unforeseen inconvenience."

   "Then make it right this time," the Decepticon leader snarled. "I grow tired of waiting."

   "Understood, my lord. It will be done."

   Ending the connection, the spy began to swear in Old Cybertronian, Neocybex, Nebulanese, and all of the languages he could think of off the top of his head. He was better than this, he knew. Perhaps he required a different approach.

   He searched his internal databanks for a previous form he had adopted in the past. Perhaps if he took the color scheme of one and applied it to another....

   Makeshift grinned as he morphed into his new form. Perfect.

*  *  *

   Ultra Magnus awoke to find himself alive, surprisingly. Granted, his body ached like Pit, but he could tell that he was still functioning properly.

   Craning his head up, he found that he was still in the Victory's hangar bay, though Shockwave was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a lone Vehicon stood guard. As Magnus slowly got up, the trooper moved with a start.

   "Oh, sweet Mortilus," the Vehicon murmured. "The rumors were true; you are immortal!"

   "Well, I'm still not immune to pain," Magnus grunted. Storming up to the Vehicon, he growled, "Where is Shockwave?"

   "On the bridge, but I can't let you go there!" The Vehicon cowered in Magnus' presence. "He'd scrap me if I did that!"

   Magnus glowered at him. "I'll scrap you all the same, so ask yourself: who would you rather die at the hands at?"

   As the Vehicon attempted to stammer a response, Ultra Magnus grabbed him by the neck and threw him into a wall before storming down the corridor for the elevator that led to the bridge. He was barely a few feet away when the doors slid open to reveal Shockwave.

   "Believe me when I say this," the one-eyed Decepticon said coldly. "I am actually glad you survived."

   Magnus moved to attack only to be suddenly restrained by metal arms extruding from the walls.

   "That way," Shockwave went on, "I can find out what exactly makes you immortal."

   Ultra Magnus scowled. "Then believe me when I say that you'll only be disappointed."

   "I am prepared for that," Shockwave said quietly. "I can hardly recall the last time I was pleased with something."

   Suddenly, the Victory shuddered violently, nearly knocking the two mechs off their feet. Regathering himself, Shockwave barked into his comlink, "Slipstream! What is going on?"

   "We're under attack, sir," Magnus heard Slipstream reply. "Courtesy of the Dynobots."

   Keeping his gaze on Ultra Magnus, who found himself fighting back a smirk again, Shockwave said, "Deploy the Eradicons."

   Slipstream acknowledged the order and ended the connection. At that moment, Ultra Magnus broke free from his restraints and lunged at Shockwave, sending them both crashing into the elevator. The Decepticon commander snarled as he extracted a blade from his right arm and plunged it into the left side of Magnus' chest. The Elite Guardsman winced at the pain but continued his assault, pummeling Shockwave's face with his large fists.

   The mono-eyed Decepticon attempted to fire his arm cannon, but it did nothing to halt the attack. Only when Shockwave stopped moving did he stop.

   As the ship shuddered again, Ultra Magnus stepped back, appalled with himself. It would be a long time before he would move away from the scene.

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VIII, Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

   Optimus Prime stifled a yawn as he and the others watched Velocitronian cars zip down the race track. He had never been much fond of racing sports, finding them repetitive and boring, but it was a small price to pay so that he could speak with Nitro.

   At least some of his comrades were enjoying themselves.

   "Wow, look at that guy go!" Hot Rod exclaimed as a blue-colored racer moved ahead of a white and red motorcycle. "He's just as fast as Blurr!"

   "That is Blurr," Arcee muttered.

   Hot Rod blinked. "It is? I thought that other blue car was Blurr. The one who crashed."

   "That was Excellion," said Spiral, sitting next to the Autobots. "Biggest sore loser on the planet. I'd avoid him after the race if I were you."

   "How did Nitro become leader of Velocitron?" Bumblebee asked. "I thought Double Clutch was leader during the Asphalt Wars."

   "He was, until Nitro beat him in the Speedia 500. Here on Velocitron, it's pretty much survival of the fastest. The faster you are, the better your chances are becoming leader."

   "So no one has been able to beat Nitro in the Speedia since he first won it?" Optimus asked.

   Spiral shook her head. "And until someone does, he's leader of Velocitron for life."

   As the racers ran the lap again, Arcee asked, "Which one of them's Nitro?"

   "He's gray and black with a red flame deco, though you've probably missed him." Spiral chuckled. "If you think Blurr's fast, then you've got another thing coming."

   Intrigued, Optimus raised an eyebrow at this discussion. Despite his lack of interest in them, he would be watching these races with a more attentive eye....

*  *  *

   Makeshift shifted through the packed stands, intent on making his way towards where Optimus Prime and his Autobots sat. Several spectators snapped at him as he accidentally stepped on their feet but he turned out their grousing voices. 

   Not wanting to get too close to the Autobots to arouse suspicion, he finally took an empty seat between two mechs- one old and in black and gray, the other younger and in red and gray. The former gave Makeshift a disapproving look that worried him.

   "Shouldn't you be at work, Offshoot?"

   The spy blinked and then relaxed a bit. "I... got off early."

   The older mech narrowed his eyes. "Hightail never lets his bots get off early. And don't you dare say it was because of the race- we're already on the fifth lap now."

   Makeshift feigned guilt. "Okay, so I ditched work. Sue me."

   "Ah, lay off her, Brakedown," the younger bot said, putting his arm around Makeshift's shoulders. "You know how she always misses out on these. Cut her some slack for once."

   The spy's mind raced. He had no idea the Velocitronian he was impersonating was female. Note to self: think things through next time.

*  *  *

   "You certainly are a brave one, Ultra Magnus."

   Stepping off of his ship, which had been dragged into the Victory's hangar bay, Ultra Magnus looked up to see Shockwave standing before him, his cannon arm trained on him. The Autobot commander narrowed his eyes.

   "Shockwave. I'm a bit offended that you didn't set up a 'welcoming party,' especially since you went through the trouble of dragging my ship in."

   Shockwave's single optic rotated slightly, though his gaze never wavered. "And waste my resources? I should be the offended one, if you think me that stupid."

   Ultra Magnus felt a smirk tug on his lips but he fought against the urge. He could not make the same mistake he- or rather, someone before him- made centuries ago.

   "No matter," he finally said, bringing out his trusted warhammer. "Shall we get this over with?"

   Shockwave responded by firing his arm cannon. Ultra Magnus narrowly dodged the blast before charging towards the mono-eyed Decepticon, swinging his warhammer at his chest. The attack was enough to send Shockwave staggering back a few stand but hardly deterred him. The purple Decepticon then fired his cannon again, hitting Magnus square in the chest and knocking him off his feet.

   While Magnus struggled to get back on his feet, he heard Shockwave say, "There have been rumors about you. They say that you are immortal, having survived a K-Class bombing run, an encounter with a Cybernaught, and even a confrontation with Megatron himself."

   Ultra Magnus moved to stand up only for his head to hit the barrel of Shockwave's cannon.

   "Shall we find out how much truth those rumors have to them?"

*  *  *

   "So, are we like buddies now or what?" Sandstorm asked as he and the other Wreckers drove alongside Nightracer's team of Decepticons.

   "Don't get your hopes up," Duststorm scoffed. "We're simply uniting to handle a single objective. After that, we'll be back at clawing at each others throats."

   "I'm down with that," Scoop muttered. "Now, unless there's another guy who's set himself on fire, I think I see our buddy up ahead."

   Sure enough, the Wreckers and Decepticons were instantly greeted by blaster fire. They quickly transformed to their robot forms and took cover behind pre-established barriers.

   "You guys thought of everything when you designed this place," Treadshot muttered.

   "We sure did," Twin Twist said. "Rule number one hundred and thirteen of being a Wrecker: always be prepared."

   "I thought that was rule number three hundred and thirty-two," Topspin said.

   Twin Twist shrugged. "It's somewhere on the list."

   "Cut the chatter!" Springer snapped, returning blaster fire. "We need something explosive. Roadbuster, got anything?"

   Still weakened from their enemy's attack, Roadbuster handed him a frag grenade. "All I've got. You sure it'll do much good though? I mean, he's already on fire."

   "It'll have to do," Springer muttered as he threw the grenade. It went off as soon as it landed, creating a violent explosion that sent shrapnel flying everywhere. When the smoke cleared, Springer tentatively looked back...

   And saw a violet and tan brute charging towards them.

   "Blitzwing," Sandstorm muttered, glancing at Nightracer. "I take it he's the reason you were trespassing on our territory?"

   "Yes," Nightracer murmured. "Though we wouldn't have freed him like that."

   "You've left me with no choice," said the voice of their opponent. "Since you insist on getting in my way, I have no choice but to have you all killed."

   With a bellow of rage, Blitzwing charged towards the Wreckers and Decepticons, none of their attacks being able to stop him.

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VIII, Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

   "Welcome to Velocitron," an orange-colored mech said excitedly as Optimus Prime and his team stepped down from the shuttle, having landed at a local spaceport. "My name's Oval. We hardly ever get visitors here. If you'd like a tour, I'd be happy to-"

   "That won't be necessary," Optimus said politely. "I would like to speak with your leader instead."

   "Nitro? I'm afraid he's busy. He's always busy when the Speedia 500 starts to crop up. If you really want to see him, we can pass the time by taking a tour-"

   "Lay off them, Oval," said a blue and silver femme as she and another mech approached the visitors. "You might drive them off with your repetition."

   Oval crossed his arms and huffed while the female Velocitronian took over for him.

   "Welcome to Velocitron," she said. "I'm Spiral. This here is Backtrack and you've already met Oval."

   Optimus nodded. "Pleasure to meet you. I am Optimus Prime, and these are my teammates Bumblebee, Arcee, Hot Rod, and Windcharger. We would like to speak with Nitro."

   "Wait a nanoklik," the green mech called Backtrack said. "You don't mean to say that you're the Optimus Prime, do you?"

   "I do."

   Backtrack cracked a grin. "Oh, boy. I'm not sure if you really want to meet with Nitro-"

   "Mute it," Spiral snapped, hitting him with her elbow.

   Optimus raised an eyebrow. "What is he talking about?"

   Spiral continued to glare at Backtrack before sighing. "Many on Velocitron- including Nitro- are a bit... bitter towards you about the Asphalt Wars."

   "How is that Prime's fault?" Hot Rod asked. "He's not the one who sent the 'Cons to your doors."

   "Even so, Nitro's disapproving to both Autobots and Decepticons. I don't see your meeting with him lasting for very long... or going very well."

   Optimus nodded solemnly. "I understand. Nonetheless, can you tell me where he is?"

   "He's getting ready for a race," Spiral said. "If I were you, I'd wait until he's done to speak with him."

   "Fine with me." Optimus then smiled behind his mouthplate. "Any chance we can get tickets?"

*  *  *

   "Commander!"

   Shockwave stirred slightly at the urgency in the Vehicon's voice. "What is it?" he asked irritably.

   "There's an Autobot ship fast approaching us!"

   "Size class?"

   "It's... it's the Enforcer, sir."

   Shockwave's single optic narrowed. Ah, Ultra Magnus. Bold to the last.

   "Activate the tractor beam," he ordered. "Have him dragged into the hangar bay. I would like to be the one who personally finished off Ultra Magnus."

   The Vehicon nodded and set off to work. In mere seconds, the tractor beam was activated and dragging the Enforcer towards the Victory. Shockwave couldn't help but watch with a mild- extremely mild- sense of glee, a remnant of his previous self before the Decepticons altered his personality. By eliminating Ultra Magnus, and without Optimus Prime present to lead them, the Autobots would be even easier to defeat.

   "Slipstream, control things on the bridge for the time being," he said to a purple and teal Seeker. "I shall deal with Ultra Magnus."

   "Sure you can handle it?" Slipstream asked. "He's got a reputation for being pretty much immortal."

   "I do not believe in such childish myths." With that, the Decepticon commander made his way off the bridge and towards the hangar below.

*  *  *

   Landfall winced as he landed hard on his back. He had to give credit where credit was due; the Wreckers sure did packed plenty of punches.

   Getting back to his feet, he flipped out his dual arm cannons and charged towards the one known as Roadbuster, who had just knocked out Treadshot. Upon noticing him, the green and orange Wrecker angled one of his shoulder cannons and fired a rocket, which Landfall narrowly dodged and responded to by firing his own cannons.

   Roadbuster grunted under the assault and charged towards Landfall, slamming into him with his arms. As Landfall staggered back, he saw his Wrecker opponent reel his arm back for a punch only to suddenly stopped. The Decepticon watched him with apprehension and confusion.

   What the Pit are you waiting for? he thought. Just finish it!

   He then realized that Roadbuster was apparently looking at something behind him. Tentatively, and preparing himself for a trick, Landfall craned his head to look over his shoulder.

   It was the last thing he would see for a while.

*  *  *

   Roadbuster shook off his brief stupor as the large, mysterious figure somehow dispatched his Decepticon opponent by barely touching him. Tall and broad-shouldered much like himself, coils of flame framed his figure, but did not seem to cause the being any pain.

   After staring in awe at the stranger, Roadbuster muttered, "Who the Pit are you?"

   "I am what the Pit birthed," the figure growled as he cast a simple gesture and sent Roadbuster crashing into a wall. The other Wreckers and Decepticons turned in alarm and aimed their weapons at the stranger.

   "Okay, you're clearly not Autobot or Decepticon," Springer said. "In that case, who are you and what do you want?"

   "You know what I want," the fiery being growled. "Why else would I invade a worthless underground base such as this?"

   "Sorry, but we're all out of Nightmare Fuel," Whirl said. "We've got a can of Mood Whiplash if you-"

   The blue Wrecker was cut off as the stranger raised an am cannon and fired, sending Whirl flying into the others. He then converted into a large tank and sped down the tunnel, evading the Wreckers and Decepticons' shots at him.

   "Where the heck is he going?" Topspin yelled over the blaster fire.

   "I think I might know," Springer muttered. "And it's far from a good sign."