Transformers Regenerated: Lost Light V, Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

--Garrus-16--

    It was at times like these that Skids wish he had a backup plan -- or any sort of backup.

    True, he had taken on things bigger than these Decepticons, such as Tyrest's Legislators -- but those things had lacked brain modules. These bots, on the other hand, knew what they were doing and had everything coordinated.

    As Skids performed a backflip to avoid a charging Buffaloid, he was suddenly pouunded on in midair by a toad-like Amphiboid. As the frog Decepticon had him pinned down, a quilled porcupine-type bot came forward holding some sort of syringe. Before he could inject it into Skids, Ratchet lunged at the brown Decepticon and socked him in the face. Distracted by this, the Amphiboid loosened his hold on Skids, allowing the Autobot to push him away.

    Just as he got back to his feet, Skids saw a large, primate-like mech charging towards him, smashing the floor with his massive fists. Jumping to the side, Skids narrowly dodged the brute's swinging arm and launched a flurry of missiles as the Decepticon. Although they didn't bring him down, it was enough the stall the 'Con, buying Skids enough time to grab the porcupinebot's syringe-quill and hurl it at the brute.

    The results weren't quite what Skids had been expecting. While the quill succeeded in halting the Decepticon's assault, it did so by inexplicably rendering him into a simpering mess, making sounds and gestures usually found in very primitive species.

    Before Skids could marvel at this, a tentacle suddenly wrapped around him from behind and he soon found himself being hoisted up in the air. Looking to his left, he saw that Ratchet was similarly encoiled.

    While the octopus-like Decepticon had them ensnared, Overlord walked up to the two Autobots with a humorless smirk. "That was fun while it lasted. It's a shame you two lost so easily; it was just starting to get interesting."

    He then motioned to a nearby Skunkticon, who handed him a chainsaw. "Now then," he said as it roared to life, "I believe it is time we ended our little game. You two can sit back and relax while I kill your comrades. Then, we can draw energon sticks to decide which one of you dies next. Does that sound good to you?"

    "No."

    The response had not come from Skids or Ratchet, but rather from Ariel, who had been hiding in a corner throughout the entire conflict. The defiant look in her optics would have looked convincing were it not for her shaking body.

    Turning to face her, Overlord let out a mirthless chuckle. "Oh, now this is just precious. The little one thinks she can take on a dozen Decepticons, all twice her size. It's like a Mini-Con trying to pick a fight with a Titan."

    Ariel's optics narrowed as she clenched her trembling hands. "No hurt friends."

    "Oh, I'm going to hurt them all right. And you're going to have the honor of watching it all up close and personal."

    "I said...." Ariel opened her mouth and Skids could see a pinprick of blue light glowing withing, growing larger by the second. "No -- hurt -- friends!"

    She screamed the last word and that was the last Skids heard before a sonic scream assaulted his audio sensors and turned his vision white.

--The Lost Light--

    "Sweet motherboard of Primus, what is going on?!"

    Blaster had taken the words straight out of everyone's mouths as everyone on the bridge stared in astonishment at the light show going on down below. Mainframe zoomed in on the spectacle and they all watched as Garrus-16 was shredded apart by an invisible force.

    Noticing that Blaster had suddenly clamped his hands over his audio receptors, Ultra Magnus asked him, "What's wrong?"

    "I'm picking up this... massive frequency," Blaster said through gritted teeth. "I think it's some sort of... sonic bomb that's tearing that place apart."

    Ultra Magnus frowned as he looked back down at the prison facility. "Bring us down," he eventually said to Mainframe.

    "Are you sure?" the pilot asked. "I mean, if both Rodimus and Drift are gone, then--"

    "I said bring us down."

    The sharpness in Magnus' tone was enough to get Mainframe to obey as he piloted the ship towards Talrus' surface, prepared for whatever they would find.

--Garrus-16--

    Drift groaned as he came back to his senses. Static roared in his ears and his optics were taking their own sweet time to readjust from the blinding light they had just experienced. Once his motor systems had returned to him, he clumsily got back to his feet, at which point his vision finally cleared.

    What he saw next almost made him wish he had stayed asleep.

    The mech standing before him had to be at least the size of Ultra Magnus, maybe even bigger. Adorned in rusted yellow and teal armor plating, his scarred and pitted chassis indicated that he had seen his fair share of destruction, and no doubt had a number of casualties on his hand. The visible Decepticon insignia on his chest was Drift's final incentive to draw his sword.

    However, the massive Decepticon did not seem to even notice him, his gaze focused on the sky instead. With glowing red optics, the mech uttered a single word:

    "Shockwave."

    And with that, he was gone in a flash of light.

    Before Drift had time to process what had just happened, he heard Hound call his name. As he turned around, he realized that something was off; he didn't recall his feet being on the ground earlier. Than he looked back up.

    "What the spark just happened?" Drift exclaimed as he looked upon the wreckage which used to be Garrus-16. The facility had been all but torn apart, shredded to the point of non-recognition.

    "Believe me, I've been wondering the same thing," Hound said as he rushed up to Drift. "But that's besides the point; Rewind says he's spotted Rodimus and the others... they're with Overlord."

    "Overlord? You mean Caldoon-4 Overlord?"

    Hound nodded. "It looks like he's been knocked out, so if we hurry--"

    Drift did not need to hear anymore, already running as fast as he could for his fellow comrades.

*  *  *

    Skids could not believe he was alive. Of course, he had found himself feeling that way at more than one point in his life, but this time, what with the destroyed facility and unconscious Decepticons all around, he found it very much a miracle that he was still functioning.

    The next thing his mind went to was Ariel. Seeing the young femme laying amidst a pile of rubble, he rushed over to her and started inspecting her damaged body. To his relief, she was still alive, albeit barely. If he didn't get her to a medibay soon, he wasn't sure how much longer she would have.

    As he gently picked her up in his arms, he turned around to see Ratchet getting back up as well. Rodimus and others were also waking up, now free from their entrapments thanks to the blast Ariel had unleashed.

    "That... was a dream I never want to have again," Rodimus muttered.

    "Be grateful that it was just a dream," Skids said dryly. "I just lived through a nightmare -- it's a wonder I'm even still alive."

    "I'll say," Nautica murmured, looking at the wreckage surrounding them all. "What just happened?"

    "And here I was about to ask the same thing."

    Everyone turned to see Drift rushing up to them, followed closely by Hound, Chromedome, and others. "What could have caused this much damage and yet not any casualties?" Drift asked.

    "If I had to wager a guess: a sonic scream." Skids nodded at the unconscious Ariel in his arms. "I don't know the exact science of it, but my theory is that she unleashed a sound wave strong enough to tear down walls but not Cybertronians. But I'm no Perceptor or Brainstorm."

    "Speaking of which," Getaway said as he looked around. "Where is Brainstorm?"

    "Search me. I didn't see him when I woke up, and I didn't run into him at any point."

    "Wait, I see someone," Hound said, pointing at two figures stumbling towards them through the wreckage. "Neither of them look like Brainstorm though...."

    Without warning, Getaway suddenly got to his feet and charged towards the two newcomers, one of which Skids realized was Viral.

    "You slag-licking backstabber!" Getaway exclaimed as he reached Viral and delivered a punch into the Decepticon's visor. "Turning on us like that... I ought to turn you into a heaping pile of scrap!"

    "Oh, don't tell me you've never been used by your superiors," Viral said coldly. "But before you take out your frustration out on me, shouldn't you get your friend here some medical attention?"

    Getaway looked at the other mech with Viral, realizing that he was relying on the Decepticon for physical support. "Wait... Fortress Maximus? It's Fortress Maximus, right?"

    "Don't expect him to answer you; he's been tortured and traumatized to the point of muteness. He was only of any use when your scientist had a remote control on him."

    "Our scientist?" Rodimus repeated. "You mean Brainstorm? Have you seen him? Where is he?"

    "I saw him a minute ago, just before I came to you." With his free hand, Viral produced what appeared to be a data slug. "All he told me was to give this to someone named Nautica."

    "Me?" Nautica stepped forward and tentatively took the data slug from Viral. "Do... do you know why he wouldn't give it to me in person?"

    "No, and I honestly couldn't care less." Viral let go of Fortress Maximus and Rodimus and Drift rushed over to support him themselves. "I've done my part. Now, what is it going to be? Are you going to let me free, or are you going to make me a prisoner again?"

    Rodimus gave Viral a long and careful look. Finally, he said, "Magnus is probably going to lecture me for this, but I'm going to let you go. If you cross any lines, I'm sure there'll be other Autobots out there to deal with you."

    "And what about the other Decepticons?" Skids asked. "Are we just going to let them go free?"

    "Same case scenario; it's not our job to serve as Decepticon wranglers. We have a quest on our hands, after all. We'll just send Cybertron a message and ask them to deal with it."

    Windblade frowned at this. "You're taking a big risk, leaving 'Cons like Overlord and Gigatron at large."

    "We'd be taking an even greater risk keeping them on board," Rodimus replied. "Come on; let's get back to the Rodpod -- provided it hasn't been destroyed."

    "Wait," Skids said. "Earlier I ran into three other Autobots: Kick-Off, Skyfall, and Over-Run. We should find them and take them with us."

    "Kick-Off is most likely dead," Viral said quietly. "I... saw him take a blade to the abdomen. The sonic blast might very well have taken him offline."

    "And the other two?"

    "I wouldn't keep my hopes up. If they haven't rejoined us by now, then odds are they both met their fates."

    "Then we're probably wasting our time staying here any longer," Ratchet said. "Let's get going."

    "Right." Turning back to Viral, Rodimus gave the Decepticon a parting nod. "Thank you for your help."

    "I do not need your thanks," Viral said sharply. "But... I accept it, nonetheless."

    "Enjoy it while you can," Getaway said darkly. "'Cos you're not gonna get any from me."

    Viral tilted his head at him. "I'd watch where you step, Autobot. You never know what will kill you."

    "All right, enough with the banter," Rodimus said, already headed for the Rodpod with Drift and Fortress Maximus. "It's by time we got off this rock."