CHAPTER EIGHT
"Fearstorm has ceased responding."
Viral did not respond to this new, delivered by AUTO. There was simply nothing to be said: Fearstorm was dead, and shouting at subordinates would not bring him back. Besides, it hardly mattered now. Nearly all of the BnL ships had arrived. At any moment he could activate the Transwarp drive built into the Axiom and bring this fleet of dreadnoughts to Cybertron. There was nothing the Autobot and his companions could do to stop him.
So he simply stood there, and waited.
* * *
Skids groaned as he awoke from the coma Fearstorm had put him in. Hovering over him, having been the one to revive him, was EVE, while WALL-E stood nearby. Both robots had downcast expressions, but he was nonetheless pleased to see they were alive with only minor injuries.
"Hey, guys," he mumbled, struggling to recall what had happened before he was knocked out. "What did I miss out on--"
He stopped when his optics fell on the lifeless body of Fearstorm, the Vehicon's head blown to smithereens.
"Oh. Wow."
"Wow," WALL-E repeated flatly.
"Okay, so...." Skids rubbed the back of his head. "We're gonna have to make our way to the bridge again. There's something about this ship that's more than meets the eye and the only way to find out its secrets is to access the main computer. Luckily, now that Fearstorm is... out of the way, Windtrail and Viral will be easier to take out."
"You... sure?" EVE asked.
"Well, I at least hope so. Windtrail is a moron, and Viral is no warrior, so they shouldn't be a problem." He looked around the corridor. "Are there any other access points to the bridge besides the main elevator?"
EVE thought for a moment before saying, "Garbage chute."
"Is it big enough to fit me?"
The two Earth robots looked at each other before shaking their heads. "Small," WALL-E said.
Skids rubbed his chin. "How about from outside, then?"
EVE tilted her head. "Outside?"
The Autobot grinned at her. "Call me crazy, but I think I've got a plan."
* * *
"Escape Pod B-503 has launched," AUTO stated in his typical monotone.
If Viral had any eyebrows, he would have lifted one at this statement. So the Autobot was fleeing, he thought. That had not been something he was expecting, but it hardly mattered; as long as the interlopers were out of his way, everything would proceed as planned.
"Disregard it," he told AUTO. "Have all of the ships arrived yet?"
"All but one: the Enterprise."
"If it is not here in five minutes, then we will have to proceed without it. Besides, four of these type of ships will be more than enough."
Sitting against a wall, restrained by stasis cuffs, Windtrail sneered at Viral. "Your plan is doomed for failure. Shockwave knows what these ships are capable of and thus would have a failsafe at hand in case they were used against him!"
"That's just it, though," Viral said coldly. "You are his failsafe. He knew that you had too little ambition to turn on him, which is why he tasked you with this endeavor."
He stared out the viewport, admiring his fleet. "He didn't account for me, though. He thought I was just a typical mad scientist with a few screws loose... and that may be true. But he also thought Fearstorm was your average Vehicon trooper. I suppose it just goes to show that looks can be deceiving."
"Sir," AUTO cut in. "Incoming call from the escape pod."
"Put it through," Viral said.
From the Axiom's comm system came the voice of Skids. "Hey, Windtrail. I would like a word with you."
"I'm afraid Windtrail is currently indisposed," Viral replied. "You'll have to make do with me."
"Fine, whatever. Anyway, I've figured it's by time that I get some answers. What's this brilliant scheme of yours?"
Viral rubbed his chin in thought before saying, "Very well; I might as well humor you. It all started a hundred years before the present day-- our present day."
"Oh, great, it's gonna be one of those long ones...."
"You asked. Anyway, thirteen years into our cold war, Shockwave already began formulating a plan for conquest. Having developed a means for time-travel via a Transwarp drive, he installed one into Windtrail and sent him, myself, and Fearstorm on a voyage to set things in motion."
"Set what in motion?"
"This, of course," Viral said. "We influenced the humans across time so that, in the event of global disaster, they would create these dreadnoughts disguised as cruise ships. Then we would arrive to take control of the ships and bring them back to Shockwave. Or at least, that was the original plan."
"Let me guess: you're gonna use the ships for your own schemes."
"Correct, though that was something Fearstorm and I decided on our own; Windtrail had no part in it. Which reminds me...." Viral turned his attention to Windtrail, who glared back at him. "I really don't have any more use for you. I needed your Transwarp drive to get to this time, but since the Axiom and its sister ships have Transwarp drives of their own...."
A look of fear quickly fell on Windtrail's face. "What? No! What do you think you're--?!"
Viral converted his thin right arm into a blade. Without hesitation, he thrust it through Windtrail's chest and straight into his spark. The Seeker's optics widened and flickered briefly as he coughed up energon before they went dark for good.
Pulling his blade-arm out of Windtrail, Viral returned to the comm system. "So, Autobot, any last words before I enact the climax of my plan?"
"Yeah, I just want to point out two things," Skids said. "One: That plan of yours is utterly stupid and convoluted to an extreme, but hey, that's timey-wimey stuff for you. And two: I hate to rain on your parade, but you and your new toys aren't going anywhere."
Viral scoffed. "How can you possibly stop me now? You're running away, aren't you?"
"Fat chance, 'Con. In fact, I'm doing the opposite."
Before Viral could question the Autobot, he caught movement in his peripheral vision. Looking out the viewport, he saw that the escape pod which had just launched was now heading straight for the Axiom's bridge.
The Decepticon had no time to seek cover, for, in an instant, glass and metal were blowing into his face and the vacuum of space was taking hold of him....
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