CHAPTER FOUR
--Unknown--
The last thing Nightbeat could remember before passing out was heading straight into a black hole.
Not the best of ideas, now that he thought about it.
The ship had been plunged into darkness, the red light of an alarm being the only source of illumination. In the seat next to his, Hardhead was completely unconscious. Nightbeat shook him and said his name, but got no response.
The he looked out the cracked viewport. At first, all there was to see was a black voice. Then, he instantly looked away when an explosion of blinding colors erupted before his optics, forming strange, impossible shapes that threatened to break his sanity.
Okay, definitely not the best of ideas.
Doing his best not to look into the madness outside, Nightbeat got up from his seat and moved towards the exit. Lowering the ramp, he stepped outside to see that they had actually crashed, rather than ended up floating in a voice.
He would have greatly preferred the latter scenario, however, because then there would not be a hundred dead faces staring up at him.
Nightbeat flinched from the sight before steeling himself and tentatively putting a foot out onto the ground. It screamed in response and he instantly recoiled.
Great, he thought. It's gonna be one of those places.
--Cybertron--
"So you return to me with failure to report."
Dark Scorponok bowed his head. "Forgive me, Lord Galvatron. We... ran into an unforeseen--"
"Spare me your excuses," Galvatron interjected, pacing before the Heralds' pawn. "It matters not to me how you failed, only that you did. The allied forces will be upon us any moment now and we have already lost ten percent of our army."
"Unicron is fast approaching," Cyclonus muttered. "Perhaps he will be able to even the odds."
Galvatron was about to speak until he cast his gaze towards the sky. Amongst the stars, he could see ships jumping out of hyperspace, one by one. The enemy's fleet had arrived.
"Let us hope you're right, Cyclonus," Galvatron said. "For all of our sakes."
--The Steelhaven--
"I had forgotten how desolated Cybertron had become," Prowl murmured as he observed the wasteland planet that Cybertron had become.
"It's only gotten worse since you last saw it, lad," Kup grunted. "And it'll only get worse from here."
Optimus Prime looked upon his homeworld with great sorrow, knowing that the veteran Autobot was right. He could detect several thousand Terrorcons dotting Cybertron's surface with their violet glow, and beyond the planet itself, he could see the approaching Unicron. He dreaded as much as anyone else what was to come.
"Prime." Blaster turned in his seat to face the Autobot leader. "Incoming transmission."
"Answer it."
Blaster did as told. Optimus was not the least bit surprised when Galvatron's visage appeared on the viewscreen.
"I am going to make this as brief as possible, Optimus Prime," Galvatron said darkly. "It doesn't have to end like this. You can all simply surrender, pledge yourselves to the Chaos Bringer, and no one will have to die today."
"Or we can fight you to the death and retake Cybertron." Optimus folded his arms. "That is an option for us as well."
Galvatron frowned. "If that is your choice, then I shall do nothing to persuade you from it. Know only that this has been brought upon yourself, and that we could've had a peaceful outcome had--"
"Are you going to keep talking or will you fight us?" Optimus snapped. "Because right now, I'd rather face whatever you have in store for us than listen to you drone on."
Galvatron smirked. "Then allow me to grant your wish."
The viewscreen went dark and the mass of purple lights which dotted Cybertron began to shift. In seconds, the entire crew all knew what was coming.
"Nice going, lad," Kup muttered.
--Dead Universe--
It had take some time for him to muster enough courage, but Nightbeat had finally set out to explore the strange realm he had arrived in, leaving Hardhead behind in the ship. It was a large risk to take, but he had faith in his friend to fend for himself when he woke.
If he woke up....
He had walked at least thirteen feet from the ship when he was forced to stop. As if the screaming field of corpses wasn't enough, now there was a swirling mass of parts taking shape before him to set him on edge.
After a few seconds, the parts began to amalgamate into a single figure. Despite being colored in black and white, Nightbeat instantly recognized him by the distinctive wing-like cape and helmet crest.
"...Nova Prime?"
"Yes... and no." The ancient Prime slowly approached Nightbeat, his red optics boring into the detective's. "I am Nova Prime, yes, but my body is also home to another Prime, one who predates all of us; one who, like me, has long since succumbed to the Darkness."
"And that Prime would be...?"
"The Fallen." Nova Prime's optics briefly flared orange. "I believe we've met before, haven't we?"
"We didn't meet, no. Thankfully," Nightbeat said bitterly. "But I do remember you."
"Excellent." His optics returned to their normal red. "Now then, why have you come here?"
"To find the original Ark, as well as the source of you and your crew's corruption."
"You have come to the right place then, though I would not have any hope in finding the Ark. It has long since become one with this realm."
"I see," Nightbeat murmured. "What is this realm, by the way?"
"It is known as the Dead Universe. Those who come here only have a day before being corrupted by the Darkness and becoming an extension of Unicron's will. It was this place that corrupted myself, Galvatron, and the others and made us into the Chaos Bringer's Heralds."
"And, what, you simply stumbled upon it?"
"More or less. We had recently colonized Gorlam Prime before discovering the anomaly near it that led here into the Dead Universe. Being ever the explorer, I sent the Ark straight into the anomaly. The rest, I'm sure, you can piece together for yourself."
"So what happened to Gorlam Prime? Is it just gone?"
"It has recently been consumed by the anomaly. It's primary purpose was to serve as a gateway for the Heralds between the two realities. But now that our endgame is fully underway, there was no longer any need for it."
Nightbeat crossed his arms. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me how to use this... Darkness thing against Unicron."
Nova Prime laughed harshly. "How can one use something's own essence against itself? It would be like trying to get a turbofox to eat its own tail."
"Hey, I'm always open to a challenge."
The ancient Prime suddenly stepped closer to the detective, looming over him. "I don't believe you grasp the gravity of your situation. Unicron cannot be stopped. Your friends are doomed. There is no other hope for you, other than to submit to Unicron's will."
"You're talking to a detective," Nightbeat said. "You can't expect me to just take your word for it."
Nova Prime snorted, his figure beginning to fade away. "Fine. Search for what you seek, regardless if it exists or not. After all, you only have all of eternity."
As Nightbeat started off on his venture, the fallen Prime's voice continued to carry through the wind.
"Your friends, on the other hand-- heh-- they only have until the last sunset."
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