CHAPTER THREE
--Constancy--
"Misfire, just how stupid are you?"
"What was that, Fulcrum?" the magenta Decepticon called back to his fellow Scavenger, running ahead of him with his arms full of energon cubes. "I can't hear you over those crazy organics chasing us!"
Fulcrum sighed exasperatedly. "We make a drop here to get energon for Trypticon. You obtain the energon through less than legal means and end up on the Galactic Council's death row. I bust you out, you get the energon back... and now you're eating it!"
Halfway finished with a cube, Misfire froze when Fulcrum said this and not-so-conspicuously placed it back in the pile in his arms.
"Sorry, just... got a little hungry there."
The two Scavengers reached the edge of the seaport they had been running through. Before them was a bottomless sea; behind them, a vicious horde of alien police officers. His spark pulsing in panic, Fulcrum brought out his communicator.
"Krok, this is Fulcrum! I've got Misfire and the energon! Where's our pickup?!"
"Hold your turbofoxes."
Suddenly, emerging from the water below, was a massive ship shaped in the form of the Decepticon insignia. As the alien officers backed away in alarm, a boarding ramp lowered from the vessel and the two Scavengers quickly jumped on board. In moments, the Weak Anthropic Principle was off.
While Fulcrum tried to calm his jittery self and Misfire dumped the energon cubes onto the deck, Krok emerged from the bridge with a cross look.
"You two are thirty cycles late. What was the holdup?"
Before Fulcrum had the chance to speak, Misfire said, "Oh, everything was going according to plan until Fulcrum here got the munchies and took us on a detour to--"
"Everyone shut up!" Crankcase rushed into the room from the bridge. "I've just picked up a transmission... from New Kaon!"
Fulcrum gave the blue Decepticon a bewildered look. "New Kaon?! Has High Command finally remembered about us?"
Crankcase snorted. "More like they're looking for expendable soldiers. They're calling in all of the Decepticons from across the galaxy to take on our new overlords."
"Wait, you mean the Heralds?" Misfire said. "I thought we were supposed to like them. Now we don't. What gives?"
"Apparently Megatron's taking charge--"
The ship suddenly rumbled at the mention of the Decepticon leader's name. "I would sooner die than take orders from that betrayer," Trypticon rumbled.
"Well, we have our options," Krok said. "Either we heed the call and fight for Decepticon glory, or we can continue to go across the galaxy scouring for scraps like we've always had."
"I'm all for the second option," Fulcrum murmured.
"Are you kidding?" Misfire exclaimed. "This is our time to prove that we're not lowly Decepticons who scour for scraps! ...Even though we are."
Crankcase shrugged. "Eh, fine by me. Blowing up stuff is a lot more fun thank picking up after it."
Krok nodded. "Agreed. So that's three for and two against. I believe that--"
"Wait," Fulcrum interrupted. "What about Spinister? I know he doesn't talk much, but shouldn't he--?"
"Autobots go boom," Spinister called from the pilot controls.
Fulcrum's shoulders sagged. "Never mind."
The ship rumbled again. "I do not recall the Decepticons having ever been a democracy. But seeing as I still require your services, I have no choice but to succumb to your wishes."
Misfire rolled his optics. "Such a dramatist...."
"That settles it, then," Krok said, heading back for the bridge. "We're going to New Kaon."
--The Lost Light, the brig--
"The brig's all secure," Red Alert said to Elita, after having quadruple-checked the ray shield controls of Pharma's cell. "Not as good as the Steelhaven's brig, but... pretty secure."
Elita nodded. "Thank you, Red Alert. I appreciate you coming on board to provide security."
"It's the least I can do, especially after seeing the types of 'bots that were getting on board. I'm pretty sure at least a quarter of them having been in prison before."
Elita smiled. "I wouldn't worry about it. Between you, me, and Magnus, I'm sure most of them will be kept in line."
--Swerve's bar--
"Grenade!"
Nightbeat ducked as a metal sphere shot over his head. Alarmed, he blocked himself with his arms, preparing for the explosion... an explosion which never came.
"Ha! Made you duck!"
Scowling, the detective turned around in his seat to see Swerve and a crossbow-carrying Autobot in red and orange. The former went to retrieve the dud grenade.
"Sorry, 'Beat. Just a little game of hand grenade tag."
"Swerve, shouldn't you be-- oh, I don't know-- working the bar?" Nightbeat asked bitterly.
"I'm on break," Swerve said. "Riptide's covering for me."
Nightbeat looked over to see a flustered Riptide behind the counter, frantically working to keep a drunken Trailbreaker satisfied.
"You are cruel," the detective muttered. "And Atomizer, you'd better not let Magnus catch you with that crossbow. You know how he is when--"
"Okay, okay," the red and orange Autobot scoffed. "Sheesh, who died and made you my proto-batch initiator?"
Nightbeat simply rolled his optics behind his optics as Swerve and Atomizer resumed their game. The detective then returned his attention to the datapad he was viewing, grimacing at the contents of its main screen.
Hab Suite 208.
--The Steelhaven--
"We're all set for take off," Prowl said to Optimus, the two of them standing on the bridge. "The Dinobots and Wreckers have already departed, and the Lost Light is already starting to lift off."
"Very good," Prime replied. "We'll wait for Elita's crew to leave before taking off."
"Understood." Prowl was silent for a moment as he viewed his datapad before saying. "So... about that transmission from New Kaon."
Optimus sighed. "The Decepticons want a truce."
"They're not going to get one," Prowl said immediately. "Not after everything they've done."
"I know," Optimus murmured. "But as Megatron told me in our conversation, desperate times call for desperate measures. We may need the Decepticons' help to take on Unicron, even with the aid of the colonies."
Prowl frowned at him. "And if it's a trick? If the 'Cons abandon us to Unicron's wrath, what then?"
"Then we would be no better off than if we declined their offer."
Prowl fell silent, momentarily staring out the view port as the Lost Light shot off into the sky. Then, in a quiet voice, he said, "You don't think... that he could come back, do you?"
Optimus did not reply for a long while. When he did, his voice was no louder than a whisper. "I don't know."
--Combatron, down below--
"They have no idea what is upon them."
The blue and gray mech staggered across the barren landscape, watching as the Autobot ships took flight. He had been residing on this world for years now, ever since the Decepticons had abandoned his services following the cataclysm. Even the Heralds of Unicron, whom he had also been in league with, had ceased all contact with him. He was well and truly alone.
"They have no idea... what chaos shall be brought upon them."
Mindset collapsed to his knees, his spark pulsing its last in his chest.
"The darkest hour... has just begun."
His optics flickered briefly for a moment before going out completely and the former Autobot ceased functioning....
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