PROLOGUE
--The Ark, 113 Years Ago--
"Systems failing! Our engines are losing power!"
"Divert energy from the shields and stabilize them!"
"But that'll leave us vulnerable--"
"Just do as I say!"
He could hear the frantic cries of his crew. All around him, the Ark was in chaos as Decepticons swarmed in. Everything was falling apart.
Brandishing his axe, Optimus Prime charged into the front lines, wildly swinging his weapon and cutting down Decepticon troopers. Regardless of how much damage had already been done, he would do what he could to ensure his teammates' safety.
"Such heroic nonsense."
He froze at the sound of the voice. Whirling around, he saw a gray and black figure striding towards him, armed with a mace and a primed fusion cannon. Scarlet optics flaring, Megatron sneered at his age-old nemesis.
"Why do you continue fighting? Why do you insist on living?"
Optimus narrowed his eyes at him. "Because I have something worth living for, Megatron. Can you say the same?"
With a snarl, the Decepticon leader lunged.
--Earth, September 2013--
The black SUV drove over rocks and pebbles as it cautiously approached the volcano. Sitting shotgun, Joshua Red felt tempted to rebuke the driver of the vehicle for venturing this close to a volcano, but decided against it, considering the volcano was not due to erupt for another six months.
Bringing the SUV to a stop, Alexander Powers quickly undid his seat belt. "You have to believe me, Agent Red. If it was a prank, I would never take you all the way to Oregon to fall for it."
"Your reputation says otherwise," Joshua said bitterly.
Alexander rolled his eyes as he got out of the car. "Yes, but I've matured since then. Just come on...."
Exiting the SUV as well, Joshua followed Alexander around the base of the mountain. The sun was shining bright and he could tell that something embedded into the volcano was gleaming in the sunlight. As they reached the other side of the mountain, he saw what it was:
A massive starship, its orange hull worn with rust, jutting out stern-first.
As he stared wide-eyes at Alexander's discovery, Joshua's fellow agent turned to him and smirked. "Does this make up for the incident in Lincoln?"
Ignoring him, Joshua said, "Contact High Commander. We're going to need--"
Suddenly, the ground rumbled. Both men looked up to see the mountain sharking, smoke coiling out of its crater.
"What the-?" Alexander was astonished. "I thought Arkeville said--"
"Even the best of us are wrong," Joshua said, rushing back to the SUV. "If your discovery here gets destroyed by the eruption, then this never happened, correct?"
His fellow agent was too panicked to respond.
CHAPTER ONE
--The Ark, 113 Years Ago--
"We've lost the engines!"
Shooting at Vehicons from behind a fallen-over chair on the Ark's bridge, Jazz turned to Sideswipe incredulously. "What do you mean we've lost the engines?"
The red Autobot glared at him from the Ark's controls. "They're gone. They're not working. I can't control them. I can't phrase it any other way, Jazz."
As he fired a shot at a Vehicon over his shoulder, Jazz cursed under his breath. "Could we get Huffer and his pals to fix 'em?"
"I doubt it," Sideswipe said grimly. "They're busted. Totally."
Jazz grimaced. "Then I guess we soon will be as well."
--The Nemesis--
"We've penetrated the Ark's shields at one hundred percent," Soundwave reported from his station on the Nemesis' bridge. "Their engines are--"
"Don't bore me with the details, Soundwave," Starscream snapped. "Just keep firing on their ship until it's nothing but scrap."
"But Megatron's still on it," Skywarp protested. "Shouldn't we wait for him to return?"
"Oh, of course," the Air Commander said dryly. "Let us wait for our glorious leader while the Autobots get away."
"I highly doubt they're in any condition to do so," Barricade noted. "I'm sure we have plenty of time."
Starscream's eyes narrowed. "Regardless, press on the assault. I'm sure Lord Megatron will make it out in time."
--The Ark--
"Weak!" Megatron roared as he threw a powerful punch into Optimus' face, shattering a piece of his mouthplate. "Nine centuries of war and you still don't know how to properly fight!"
As Megatron threw another fist at him, Optimus dodged and shoved himself into the Decepticon leader, sending him into a wall. Megatron retaliated by grabbing either side of Optimus' head and smashing it with his own. As the Prime staggered back, Megatron raised his right arm and fired his mounted fusion cannon, hitting his nemesis square in the chest.
"In our previous conflicts, you've always relied on your fellow Autobots to save you," the Decepticon tyrant growled as he stormed towards Optimus. "But where are they now? They're throwing away their lives for a lost cause- your cause, Prime. Their deaths are on your shoulders."
He then sneered. "You say that you have something worth living for. But how can you live with yourself?"
The reaction he received was exactly the one he wanted. Optimus cried out in a rage and lunged at his former brother. They collided and went tumbling to the floor in a tussle, Optimus pounding his fists into Megatron's face. The latter simply laughed.
"Yes, brutality! Excellent, Prime! You would have made a fine Decepticon!"
"No!" Optimus shouted, lifting Megatron's head up from the floor. "How dare you say that! I will never be one of you!"
He then slammed the Decepticon's head back into the floor, though this did not stop the tyrant from laughing even more.
"Oh, come now! We both had similar outlooks on life: we were both tired of the Functionists' system, we both wanted to forge a better world." He grinned like a madman. "There's little difference between you and me, brother."
"Liar!" Optimus cried, punching Megatron in the face again. "I'm nothing like you! And you don't deserve to call me 'brother' ever again!"
Just as he was about to finish off the Decepticon leader, the Ark suddenly shuddered violently and everyone on board was sent toppling over. Snapping out of the blind fury he had fallen into, Optimus broke away from Megatron and spoke into his comlink.
"Bridge control, what's going on?"
"We've been hit by an asteroid!" Sideswipe frantically replied. "We're on a direct crash course for some uncharted planet!"
Overhearing this, Megatron laughed sadistically. "Looks like you've failed again, Prime! Now the deaths of a hundred Autobots are all on you!"
Optimus felt his anger boil again, but he kept it in check. Turning to face his nemesis, he said, "What did they do to you, Optronix? When you reappeared after vanishing at Straxus' domain, you were completely changed. What did they do?"
"They changed me for the better," Megatron snarled, rising to his feet. "They tore me apart and rebuilt me, better and stronger."
Optimus sighed. "Then I was right. Optronix truly did die all those years ago."
Megatron sneered. "If you miss him so much, then prepare to join him!"
With that, he lunged and collided into Optimus again, even as the Ark trembled.
--The Nemesis--
"The Autobot ship is going down."
His gaze glued to the Nemesis' viewport, Starscream watched as the Ark slowly went down in flames, spiraling on a gravitational pull towards a blue-green world up ahead. As he watched, a single thought ran through his head: Is Megatron still alive?
What followed were visions of grandeur, born of his ambitions.
Quickly breaking out of his reverie, Starscream calmly said, "Soundwave, try to make contact with Lord Megatron."
The communications officer did so. All he received was static and then silence.
Starscream masked his glee with a solemn expression. "Then I fear we must accept the truth: Megatron has perished."
"Impossible!" Lugnut bellowed, storming forward. "Megatron is invincible! Unstoppable!"
"Vehicons, please restrain him," Starscream ordered. "You know how he gets."
As five Vehicons moved in to restrain the Decepticon brute, Starscream nodded to Brawl, the ship's chief gunner. "Fire at will."
The Nemesis' cannons were ablaze, pounding the Ark with their firepower. Flames erupted everywhere on the Autobot ship and its plummet went out of control. Eventually, Starscream signaled Brawl to cease fire. All of the Decepticons then watched the Ark hurtle towards the planet as a fireball before vanishing from view.
Breaking the heavy silence, Starscream said, "Fellow Decepticons, today is without a doubt a dark day. Our magnificent leader, Megatron, has perished. With him, however, went Optimus Prime and over a hundred Autobots. Thus, our victory in this war is assured."
He then turned to face the others. "Nonetheless, it is with a heavy spark that I assume the mantle of Decepticon leader, if only to ensure that Megatron's vision of a prospering empire does not waver."
He then turned his back on them again, allowing himself a rueful smirk to cross his face. "All hail Starscream."
PLANETFALL
Part 1: Down to Earth
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