Transformers Regenerated: Prime Wars X, Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

--Censere's Log, entry 720--

    Having been at this for so many millennia, I sometimes ask myself: Why am I so disconnected from society? Then I look at the state of the history records today, and I remember: Because I am the one Cybertronian out of millions that knows the truth.

    I remember the truth.

    I was forged early on during the Bronze Age. My home -- the High-Ceiligned Manifold -- was a highly contested location for the warring tribes. It was fortunate then, that the following year saw to the union of the Primes.

    The title of Prime has been something vied over ever since the Knight of Cybertron departed. Derived from the name of Primus himself, it was seen as the most divine name one could be bestowed. As such, many claimed the mantle for themselves, and by Cycle 1000, there were well over a dozen who called themselves Prime.

    Of course, not every prominent ruler carried the title. The Forgotten Plains were ruled over by the Triumvirate, consisting of Imperator Maximo, Praetus Maximo, and Liege Maximo. After Imperator and Praetus fell, Liege Maximo was left the sole ruler when his territory was conquered by Megatronus and his Darklanders.

    "Megatronus" was simply one of many names that Omega Trion went by, albeit the most well-known. Like his brother Alpha, he eschewed the use of the name Prime in favor of advocating the atheism he professed by deriving the name from an apocalyptic figure depicted in the Covenant of Primus.

    For the past decade, Megatronus and his Darklanders had been making their conquest all across Cybertron, toppling the lesser Primes and warlords. After conquering the Forgotten Plans, the Darklanders made their way to Protohex and annexed the land as theirs, with Megatronus throwing Septimus Prime into his own gladiatorial pits.

    Megatronus soon set his eyes on Crystal City, recently established to house an alliance of Primes consisting of Vector, Solus, Alchemist and Nexus Prime, as well as Megatronus' own brother Alpha Trion. On the eve of the Darklanders' invasion, the Primes were joined by their dark brother Onyx and his newfound ally Liege Maximo. Together, the unified forces of the Primes waged their battle to destroy the invading forces of the Darklanders.

    The Battle of Crystal City was brutal. So brutal, in fact, that it disturbed the slumber of three Titans that had remained behind on Cybertron when their brothers departed. The emergence of such legends brought the battle to a halt, allowing Onyx Prime to recognize Megatronus among the Darklanders and call for a truce.

    I won't pretend to understand the friendship between Onyx and Megatronus, other than that it was enough for the other Primes to join forces with the Darklanders. In time, they were joined by five others -- Prima, Micronus, Amalgamous, Quintus, and the one simply called the Arisen. These thirteen were all recognized as Primes -- even though three of them did not bear the name -- and Cybertron was at last unified under their rule.

    Over the following centuries, Cybertron developed into thirteen distinct tribes, each ruled by a Prime. Some lived outside of these tribes of course, and some Primes outside of the Thirteen rose in unexplored territory, such as Logos Prime. But all lived in peace nonetheless.

    A peace, alas, that was not to last.

    Over time, the Primes became decidedly more and more arrogant. Each had a Titan at their command and a powerful artifact in their possession. While the Tribes kept the peace, the Primes made it very clear that they saw themselves as superior over all Cybertronians. Some of the Primes even began to profess their superiority over the others.

    On the ninth chord of Cycle 1500, Megatronus obliterated Solus Prime with his Requiem Blaster. The alliance was broken. The War of the Primes had begun.

    I did my best to remain neutral during the conflict. When my home was destroyed, I lost any faith I had in any of the Primes and so I retreated to a remote planet a friend of mine had told me about, but I was still able to keep tabs on events as they occurred.

    In Cycle 1984, the war was brought to an end when one of Megatronus' followers destroyed Nexus Prime. Forced to recognize their own mortality, the remaining Primes realized they had been deceived and banded together to put a stop to Megatronus and Liege Maximo's machinations. Prima sacrificed himself to banish Megatronus while Liege Maximo was betrayed by his own followers and incarcerated within his own Titan.

    Following this tumultuous battle, the surviving Primes departed from Cybertron aboard their Titans. Only Alpha Trion remained behind -- some records today remember him as the Sigma Prime, but I have never known him to go by that name. 

   Leadership of Cybertron eventually fell to Primon, who is remembered as Alpha Prime. He was followed soon after by Galactus Prime, who made great efforts to bring Cybertron out of its Bronze Age, leading to the rise of the Cybertronian Empire and the start of the Galactus Crusades.

    In Cycle 2814, after enduring five hundred years of Galactus' tyranny, Nova Major -- a veteran of the Prime Wars -- led a rebellion against Galactus and toppled his regime. With the death of Galactus, Cybertron was divided once more and the Thirteen Tribes made their resurgence, vying for control.

    Joining forces with Alpha Trion and Galvatron, Nova Major was able to bring the tribes together, unifying Cybertron under one banner. The Autobot banner. Under Nova Prime, the planet at last entered its Silver Age.

    This is where the lie began.

    In order to prevent the Thirteen Tribes from forming again, Nova Prime had Alpha Trion rewrite the history records to portray the Thirteen as divine figures rather than historic players. This bolstered his own claim to Primehood, garnering him even more support. He was also quick to ensure the silence of anyone who did remember the Thirteen and even had Alpha Trion's memories altered to make him forget he was ever one of them.

    By Cycle 3000, two millennia after the union of the Primes, the Thirteen as they truly were had been all but forgotten.

    As of this writing -- Cycle 8419 -- I am, as far as I know, the only one who knows the truth; who remembers the Primes. What difference does it make? Probably none. It simply saddens me to see how so easily someone -- no matter who or what they are -- can be forgotten.

--Censere of the High-Ceiligned Manifold

*  *  *

    Nightbeat extracted the data slug from his helmet. Holding it in his hand, he stared at it as if it was the most baffling thing he had ever seen. "That was...."

    "Mind-blowing, right?" Rewind said to him.

    "I was going to say something more along the lines of fascinating, but sure, let's exaggerate while we're at it."

    "Oh, come on!" Rewind said, taking the slug back. "Don't tell me that wasn't the most mind-boggling thing you've ever read!"

    "Don't get me wrong, it certainly explains a lot," Nightbeat said. "I was just hoping to get a more... personal account from Censere. Like, what were each of the Thirteen like? Who were their Titans? Why did--"

    "Sorry, guys, I have to go," Ratchet said, pushing past them. "Prime's chiming me crazy. Usually he only does that when things are really not good...."

    The two bots watched the medic as he hurried down the hall. Once he was gone, Rewind glanced at the stasis pods in the room, containing those of the Disappeared.

    "Do you mind if I..." he started to say.

    Nightbeat shook his head. "He's not in there."

    "Wh-what?"

    "Dominus Ambus. He's not among them. If that's what you were going to ask."

    "You mean... you've already checked?" Rewind asked.

    "I didn't, Chromedome did," Nightbeat replied. "He was just leaving when I got here. He told me to tell you in case I--"

    "Why didn't he tell me? He could've told me! I'm... I'm his...."

    Nightbeat simply watched as the archivist ran back down the hall, dropping the data slug along the way....

Transformers Regenerated: Prime Wars X, Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

--Necroworld--

    "We can't avoid him forever, you know. We're gonna have to face the music eventually."

    Skids dipped his chin as he and Getaway stood in the shadow of the monument dedicated to the Disappeared. From afar, he could see Que deep in conversation with Brainstorm and Perceptor; no doubt it had something to do with the briefcase that Censere got from Nightbeat... who got it from Skids.

    What a circuitous adventure it had been.

    "You said the nudge gun got rid of anything regarding our encounter," he murmured.

    "I'm not talking about Que," Getaway said. "I'm talking about Prowl. Once Prime's done talking with the guys in the big frikkin' ship, he's sure to contact Cybertron and Prowl's gonna be one of the bots he talks to."

    "I just...." Skids shook his head. "I just can't believe that Prowl would still blow up his agents for disobeying an order. I mean, before, during the war, I could understand, but now... wouldn't things be different now? Heck, does Prime even know about it?"

    "Well, we all knew what we were getting signed up for."

    "I know. But... he can't be that callous, can he?"

    Getaway said nothing, instead nudging Skids with his elbow. The other mech looked up and saw that Que was walking straight towards them.

    "Oh, scrap...."

    "Yeah, I'll let you handle this," Getaway said, quickly stepping away. "You're more of a people person than I am."

    "Thanks, buddy," Skids said dryly. "Remind me to bomp you later."

    As soon as Getaway had gone, Skids was joined by a cheerful-looking Que.

    "Skids!" the scientist said in greeting. "I've been looking for you."

    "Uh, have you?" Skids replied, shifting uncomfortably.

    "Yes. I just thought I'd let you know that Prowl and the rest of the Secret Service are on their way here."

    Skids' optics flickered. "They are?"

    Que nodded. "I figured since Prime would be preoccupied with this Megatron business, I would take the opportunity to summon Prowl here, especially given the Secret Order business we've just dealt with."

    "Right, right. Good... good thinking." Skids rubbed the back of his head. "I'll be sure to tell Getaway."

    "Before you do...." Que motioned him to follow. "There's someone I'd like you to meet."

    Skids frowned, not liking how cryptic that sounded. "Who?"

    "A fellow agent. He had been captured by the Secret Order a month ago, but they've since released him now that, well, they're no more. Come along."

    Skids tentatively followed Que to the impromptu camp outside the Necrobot's fortress, made up of the ships the Secret Order had arrived in. Standing outside one such ship was an unassuming mech in black and yellow-orange, arms folded across his chest. As Skids and Que approached, he lifted his red optics to them but said nothing, his face impassive.

    "Skids, this is Agent Unit-3," Que said in introduction. "Unit-3, this is Skids--"

    "I've heard of you," Unit-3 interjected, staring at Skids. "You survived Grindcore."

    "Uh, yeah." Skids smiled weakly. "Yeah. That was me."

    "I was there," Unit-3 went on, fixing Skids with a steely gaze. "The 'Cons had had me there for thirty years, along with the rest of my unit."

    "I'm sorry to hear that. Did you... I mean, did you and your unit manage to get our all right?"

    "All of my teammates were taken away to be teleported to a Decepticon colony," Unit-3 said. "I never saw them again."

    Skids did not move for a time, his optics focused on nothing in particular. Que tilted his head at him, his face filled with concern.

    "Skids? Are you all right?"

    All of their voices sounded distant, including his own. "It was nice meeting you, Unit-3." The words flowed out of his mouth without much thinking. "I'm sorry to hear what happened."

    With that, he pivoted on his feet and trodded away, leaving behind a confused Que and a dispassionate Unit-3.

*  *  *

    "...And that's the long and short of it."

    The wheel-shaped robot called AUTO stared at Optimus Prime from the viewscreen, rotating its (his?) spokes. When the captain of the Axiom spoke, his voice carried an amused tone despite its monotonous inflection.

    "That is quite the tale, Optimus Prime. One I would be willing to disbelieve were it not for Dion vouching for you."

    Optimus chuckled. "I'll admit, it's taken me some time to believe it all as well."

    AUTO adjusted his position. "Even so, Star Command is still under orders to apprehend Megatron. We cannot leave without him."

    Optimus sighed. "And we cannot let you have him -- not when he still has the Matrix of Leadership."

    "Can you not remove the Matrix from him?"

    "Not without killing him."

    AUTO was silent for a while and he seemed to be conversing with someone else on the Axiom. Returning his attention to Optimus, the captain said, "Perhaps we can reach an arrangement."

    "What do you mean?" Optimus asked.

    "The Alliance is already planning on sentencing Megatron to death. Perhaps, if allowable by my superiors, we can bring you with us back to the Alliance, have Megatron tried, and then you may remove the Matrix, therefore ending him."

    Optimus frowned. AUTO did not seem to be picking up on the fact that he did not want Megatron to be taken, let alone executed. "What purpose would my presence serve?"

    "To ensure the Alliance does not confiscate the Matrix or mishandle it. Plus, as leader of the Autobots--"

    AUTO was cut off by someone else on the bridge. The wheel faced in their direction, his single optic dimming.

    "Is everything all right?" Optimus asked.

    "Odd," AUTO murmured, almost to himself. "Something appears to be--"

    Without warning, the wheel-bot blinked out of existence before Optimus' very optics. Outside, the Axiom itself did the same....

*  *  *

    "That can't be good."

    Brainstorm stared at the space where the Axiom had just been a second ago. While everyone else gawked at the phenomenon, he ran for the fortress, intent on finding Dion. Maybe Skids, too; after all, he had been on the Axiom before.

    However, upon reaching the fortress' entrance, Brainstorm found himself unable to move any further. It was as if an invisible wall had been erected in his path.

    "You shall not pass."

    Slowly, Brainstorm turned around and found himself staring at a tall bot of archaic design. Large white shoulder pans extended over his arms while a cape made up of ship bits and translucent blue wings swept behind him. A red sphere glowed within a blue crevice that adorned his midsection while gold and maroon markings decorated his white torso. From beneath a sloped helmet, red optics gazed sternly on Brainstorm, the worn plates of his face fixed in a perpetual frown.

    "You have eluded me for the last time." The bot's voice sounded as old as the stars, yet carried the power of a thousand suns.

    "I'm sorry," Brainstorm said. "Do I know you?"

    "You have. And you will. And you will never."

    "Those are all different things."

    "Yes," the bot said. "Because I myself am no longer sure at this point. All thanks to you and your... endeavors."

    "I'm not sure I follow."

    "Good. Now you know what it's like to be in my treads."

    Brainstorm shook his head. "I'm sorry, I still don't... who are you?"

    The bot blinked at him. "You mean you don't recognize me? Have you never seen a depiction of me?"

    Brainstorm squinted his optics. "If I have, it clearly didn't grab my attention enough."

    The bot's shoulders heaved as he sighed. "Right then. My name is Vector Prime."

    Silence reigned over the two mechs. Brainstorm stared at him for a moment before slowly nodding.

    "Okay. I don't see-- oh! Wait!" He snapped his fingers. "You're one of the Fifteen!"

    "Thirteen," Vector Prime tersely corrected him.

    "Close enough. So, what are you doing here?"

    Vector stared at him as if he was the stupidest being in the universe. "I'm the guardian of time and space," he stated.

    "Okay? So what-- oh." Brainstorm's shoulders drooped. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

    "Yes," Vector Prime exhaled. "Yes, you are."

Transformers Regenerated: Prime Wars X, Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

--Cybertron--

    It had been a long time since Soundwave had last seen Cybertron.

    In truth, this was his first time seeing it with his own optics. All of his memories of the planet belonged to the original Soundwave. They were still his, of course. He was still Soundwave. It just felt... different.

    Perhaps a major part of it was because he was no longer the Soundwave that served Unicron. He no longer had a portal to the Dead Universe in his body, nor could he sense the other Heralds (of course, most of them were dead now). Now, he was virtually no more or less unique than the average Cybertronian save for the powers he retained from his Soundblaster body.

    The clone body had since been replaced upon returning to Cybertron. Shockwave had prepared a new body for him in his secret lair, one that bore the blue colors of his original body while also carrying the portable Ground Bridge he had as Soundblaster.

    It was far more than he could have ever asked for. Shockwave could have easily kept him in his clone body, but he instead went to the length of doing this for him. Soundwave wasn't sure whether to be grateful or suspicious. Was Shockwave only doing this to keep him loyal? After all, he never showed care towards any of his subjects.

    But then again, Soundwave had worked for Shockwave since the start of the Golden Age. Perhaps Shockwave simply saw him worth keeping around and would do anything to ensure he remained effective.

    A sudden weight on his shoulder broke Soundwave from his thoughts and he glanced up to see Laserbeak perch on his shoulder. At the same time, he felt something rub against his leg and saw Ravage at his feet, head held up expectantly. 

    Soundwave felt a pang of sadness. Ever since being 'awakened' as the Heralds' sleeper agent, he had neglected his... minions (he hated that term, but what else were they?). It was honestly a miracle they had even bothered to return to him -- even Frenzy and Rumble had come back to him, despite being the most delinquent of his... prospects (no, that still wasn't right).

    Of course, not all of them had returned....

    Shaking the thought, Soundwave looked between the two animal Mini-Cons. He could sense Buzzsaw perching on a nearby ledge, and he could hear Rumble and Frenzy snickering at some crude joke one of them had made.

    They were all together, as a group, for the first time in... forever. It felt right. Perfect. He could not think of anything that could make him happier.

    There was so much he wanted to say, to apologize for. But there was no need for words. All that needed to be said was already conveyed through their connection. Anything else would have been superfluous.

    Soundwave enjoyed the moment for a few more minutes. Then, upon hearing the sound of footsteps, he summoned them all back into his subspace compartment. He then turned to see Shockwave -- in one of his more standard-sized bodies -- walk up to him.

    "Enjoying ourselves?" Shockwave intoned.

    Soundwave said nothing. The other mech did not wait for a response, instead moving to the window Soundwave had been standing at.

    "A lot has transpired in the past month since I was last here," Shockwave went on, changing the subject as if there had never been one to begin with. "Changes have arose where I have not accounted them to be."

    Soundwave inclined his head, inviting the mono-eyed Decepticon to continue.

    "A preliminary council has been established to govern Cybertron. Currently, only three members sit on it: Elita-One, standing in for Optimus Prime; Metalhawk, representing the neutrals; and as representative for what few Decepticons live on Cybertron... Starscream."

    Soundwave visibly reacted in surprise. Shockwave glanced at him, conveying no emotion as always.

    "Apparently after our Megatron clone deposed him, he fled to Cybertron and informed the Autobots of what had transpired. They kept him locked up until after the Nimbus incident, when he convinced them that he was their best bet at keeping the local Decepticons in line."

    Soundwave tilted his head quizzically.

    "Well, consider: All high-ranking Decepticons are either dead or building up power bases. Starscream is the only one who seems genuinely interested in peace. And for all his foolishness, he is still an effective speaker. What he spouts may be nonsense, but he does know how to string words in an appealing manner."

    Shockwave turned away from the window, pivoting to fully face Soundwave.

    "It will be near impossible for us now to proceed with our original plan, such as it was. Our resourced have been vastly depleted. Too many players are on the board: the Council, Prime and Megatron, Deathsaurus and Tarn... and then there's the matter of Delta Magnus and her true superiors."

    Soundwave glanced up at Shockwave as the latter stepped closer to him. In their current forms, Shockwave was a head taller than him.

    "There's no sense in pretending otherwise, Soundwave. When I copied your memories, I copied everything; that includes your memories up until and before I found you in the Dead End of Rodion. So tell me, Logos Prime... what could your brothers and sisters possibly be planning?"

    Soundwave regarded him from behind his visor. "What makes you think I know anything about their current statuses or their plans? I haven't seen any of them in nearly ten thousand years."

    "At the very least, you should know them well enough to accurately speculate on their motives," Shockwave said. "For example, which of them would be the most likely to support our endeavors."

    Soundwave's shoulders heaved in a sigh. "That depends on what our ultimate goal is."

    "It is what it's always been: restoring Cybertron to its proper glory, as it was before the High Council devolved into corruption. When the Primes reigned supreme over all."

    "You want someone like Nova Prime. A dictator."

    "Not the word I would use, but yes."

    Soundwave sighed, lowering his gaze. "I... know of a few who would suit your vision. But of the three, one is locked away, the second has been missing for some time, and the third is dead."

    "Dead," Shockwave repeated, tilting his dead. "Are you certain of that?"

    Soundwave glanced back at him. "Do you know something I don't?"

    "Well, I am aware of the fact that one of the Secret Order's commanders was obliterated by someone using the Requiem Blaster."

    Soundwave stiffened. "Impossible. He... he perished with the Dead Universe. I'm sure of it."

    "Perhaps we can acquire an explanation for his return by seeking him out ourselves."

    Soundwave's shoulders sagged. He finally understood what Shockwave was getting at, why he had kept him around. He only hoped he didn't regret doing what he was about do do.

    "Very well," he said. "Let us go find him. Shall we bring our two prisoners along?"

    "Leave them here for now. No one will be able to find them."

    With a nod, Soundwave transformed to his transport mode and Shockwave followed suit. Together, the two Decepticons departed from what had once been the Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technologies.

*  *  *

    Across the galaxy, far beyond Cybertron, the Titan known as the Mothership floated aimlessly through space. Teleported at the last second from Necroworld's atmosphere through unknown means, it bore the scars from when it momentarily burnt it. Cities once pristine were now charred black.

    Any crew the Titan once had had long since deserted. The Combaticons, Fractyl, Offroad... all of them had either left with Shockwave or taken one of the shuttles. Magnum was nowhere to be seen and Hydra still hung lifelessly from her harness, presumably deactivated.

    As far as she knew, Powerdrive was the only living soul on the Titan.

    Her Magnus Armor lay discarded on the floor, its pieces carelessly scattered. Sitting on her knees, she bowed her head in reverence to the altar situated in front of her.

    "Forgive me, master," she murmured. "I have failed you."

    Silence pervaded the room. Beneath her feet, the Titan rumbled softly.

    "The other Primes are on the move and yet I have done nothing to prepare for your return. I deserve any punishment you deem necessary for me."

    The altar flashed, prompting Powerdrive's head to snap up. That had never happened before. Was it the Titan speaking to her? Or....

    "Master?" Rising to her feet, she stepped closer to the altar. "Are you--"

    The alter flashed again and Powerdrive screamed as a flood of words and images invaded her mind. Collapsing to the floor, she clutched her head in pain.

    Earth. Staff. Find it.

    Powerdrive gritted her teeth. "But... how? You told me it was stolen from you, hidden where you could never find it."

    Knights know. Stole. Hid.

    "The Knights? They only answer to Primes. How can I--"

    You. Suffice.

    Powerdrive's mouth fell agape as the altar began to glow. Before she knew it, she was being lifted up into the air as the pieces of her Magnus Armor telekinetically rejoined her, merging with her body as it reshaped itself, taking on all new form....

Transformers Regenerated: Prime Wars X, Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

--Over 800 years in the future--

    "Captain? For you."

    The captain of the Axiom made a sound akin to a sigh, turning to face the crew member. "Is it Blix again? Please tell me it's not Blix. I can only take so much from him."

    "No, captain. It's Pox."

    "Oh, even better," the captain said dryly. "I wonder what it is this time. Another anti-virus package? More visual modules? I already rejected their request for a French maid outfit."

    The crew member stifled a laugh. "Um, no, captain, nothing of the sort. Shall I put them on?"

    "Go on. They're still better company than Blix."

    The officer complied and in minutes Pox was projecting before the captain. The holographic avatar bore the appearance of what was known as a "surfer dude", complete with long sandy hair, sunglasses, swim trunks, and an overly long and completely unnecessary surfboard.

    "Dude!" Pox said in greeting. "How's it hanging?"

    "I'm having an unspectacular day right now, Pox," the captain replied. "Please make this worth my time."

    "Not to worry, dude! I've just got a rockin' call from our good friend Dion!"

    "Dion? Wasn't he sent back to retrieve Megatron?"

    "Correct-o-mundo!" Pox pumped their fist in the air. "He's finally gotten back to us! And he's found Megs!"

    "Finally. I was starting to worry he had made himself comfortable in the past again. Never send someone back home if you expect them to come straight back to you."

    "Um... right," Pox murmured, adjusting their shades.

    There was a moment of silence. The captain shifted slightly, studying Pox.

    "So... when is he coming back?"

    "Uh, that's the problem," Pox said. "He can't. He needs someone to pick him up."

    "And what do you expect me to do about it?"

    "The Axiom has a Transwarp drive, doesn't it?"

    "Do you seriously expect me to bring the Axiom and its crew of thousands all they way back through time without causing a -- what do you call it? -- a butterfly effect?"

    "Relax, we won't have to stay long. We'll just pick up Dion and Megs and be on our way."

    "And if we encounter resistance?"

    Pox frowned. "I'm... I'm sure Dion will have isolated him away from any potential trouble."

    The captain let out another sigh. It still needed some work. "I don't know, Pox. It's extremely risky."

    "Let me put it this way: Dion is friends with WALL-E and EVE."

    "I know."

    Pox pulled down their shades, revealing pearl blue eyes. "Really good friends."

    "I am aware--"

    "Like, they literally made him their kid's godfather."

    "I get it, Pox." The captain spun around to the viewport and made another disgruntled sound. This one sounded more genuine. "What year?"

    Pox raised an eyebrow. "Eh?"

    "What year is Dion in?"

    "Oh." The avatar grinned. "2015."

    "Activate the Transwarp drive," the captain ordered. "We have a tyrant to arrest."

--Now--

    "How many?"

    "Captain?" the bridge officer responded.

    "How many Cybertronians are down there?"

    The officer looked over the scanner. "Uh... a lot."

    "Give me a number. Words do nothing for me."

    "Over two hundred, at least. Might be closer to three hundred. It's hard to tell."

    The captain glanced at Pox, who had their eyes behind their shades. "So much for isolating him."

    "This is bogus, man," Pox murmured. "Surely Dion would know better. This screws everything up."

    "Well, so long as we keep physical contact to a minimum, we shouldn't be too badly off." The captain turned to another crew member. "Patch us through to Dion."

    In moments, the viewscreen was covered with Dion's face. The Autobot offered the captain a very weak smile.

    "Um, hey, AUTO. Glad you could make it."

    "Dion." The captain of the Axiom rotated his wheeled frame as he affixed his scarlet gaze on the Cybertronian. "We have a lot to discuss. But first: Megatron."

    Dion rubbed the back of his head. "Um, yeah, about that...."

    "Don't tell me you don't have him...."

    "No, no, he's here. He's just... in stasis right now."

    "No matter. We can simply beam the both of you on board."

    "It's... not quite that simple," Dion murmured.

    "What do you mean?" AUTO asked. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

    "Do... do you mind if I put someone else on? I feel that I can't properly explain this without him."

    Before AUTO could answer, Pox said, "Go ahead."

    The autopilot glared at the A.I. and was about to reprimand them until he saw a new face join Dion's on the viewscreen. It was one AUTO had been made familiar with thanks to the history records; one that was just as well-known and remembered as Megatron's.

    "Optimus Prime." AUTO's single optic dimmed as he regarded the famous Autobot leader. "Very well, Dion. You have my attention. Please, explain."

*  *  *

    "He actually took my advice."

    Ratchet glanced at Nightbeat as he stood over the pod containing Roller. "Pardon?"

    "Before we left Necroworld the last time we were here, I gave Censere the briefcase, telling him to put it to good use." Nightbeat gestured at the numerous stasis pods containing bots that had been thought dead or lost. "Evidently, he did as I asked."

    "Did he now?" Ratchet raised an optical ridge. "Because I'm seeing a lot of bots who honestly should have stayed MIA."

    Nightbeat shrugged. "I'll admit I should have been less broad in my request. At least we know he wasn't discriminatory."

    "In any case, they're all going to be locked up here for a while," Ratchet said. "It seems the bots Censere rescued suffered side-effects from the temporal displacement. That's why he placed them in these stasis pods."

    "Any idea as to when they'll be back online?"

    Ratchet shook his head. "Could be anywhere from a few days to a month. It might even vary from bot to bot." He raised a hand to cut off Nightbeat from speaking. "And before you ask: no, we can't remove the pods from here. They're all part of the fortress' structure."

    "So what do we do with them once they wake up?" Nightbeat asked. "I mean, the Autobots will be simple enough, but the 'Cons and even some neutrals? I mean, I guess we could use Megatron...."

    "I'll take to Prime about it. In the meantime...." Ratchet glanced at him. "I know you can't ask him yourself now... but have you been able to get the answers you were after? About the Primes?"

    Nightbeat grinned. "Rewind's going through his database as we speak. He says he'll compile everything he can find and give it to me on a data slug."

    Ratchet nodded. "All right. I mean, it's not like I care about that kind of stuff, but as long as you get what you were--"

    "Nightbeat! Nightbeat!"

    Both bots turned to see Rewind run up to them, waving a data slug in his hand. Scooting to a halt, he handed it to Nightbeat, practically bounding on his feet.

    "I did it! I found everything I could. A lot of it doesn't go into much detail, but even on the surface, it's... it's...."

    "What?" Nightbeat asked, taking the slug. "What is it?"

    "It's beyond words. It reveals that everything we've known for the past seven thousand years has been one giant lie. Everything you know... is wrong."

THE GREATER GOOD

Part 3: The Stains of Time

The Transformers, Issue 80: Final Conflict, Chapter Seven

CORRUPTED DYNASTY, PART 1

    (The Autobots all stare in shock as the traitorous Rodimus Prime looms over the dying Armorfist)

    Armorfist: Rodimus... you... you can't have joined the Decepticons.

    Rodimus Prime: I already have. (He takes out Armorfist's eye, causing Skids (who's... never shown up until now) to attack)

    Skids: No!

    Rodimus Prime: Ah, Skids. (He blasts off his arm) I'm truly sorry it must end like this.

    Optimus Minor: It doesn't need to.

    Rodimus Prime: Really? What else did you have in mind? Shockwave has a plan that'll surely bring an end to Unicron and this war.

    Optimus Minor: And how does killing your fellow Autobots solve this?

    Rodimus Prime: We mustn't have any witnesses. (He then blasts a hole in the base) Now for that space bridge. (Armorfists lunges at him only to be blown away for good) I never did like your type. And now that I have what I need. (He transforms and drives off) So long, brothers. [so uh about that "no witnesses" part...]

    Optimus Minor: Armorfist... I'm sorry.

    Blurr: With Rodimus gone, there's no hope, no hope at all.

    Optimus Minor: I'm sorry, father... I'm sorry I've failed you.

    (After a brief, pointless flashback to "Baby Optimus", we find the Decepticons at their camp)

    Megastorm: The Dread have not returned yet, Shockwave. I thought Rodimus Prime would be here by now.

    Shockwave: He is coming, Megastorm.

    Rodimus Prime: I'm already here. The others got in the way. And unfortunately, your Dreads didn't make it.

    Shockwave: Welcome, Rodimus Prime.

    Megastorm: Wait, he's actually working with us?! Willingly?!

    Shockwave: Yes. I had found out Rodimus Prime survived when he teleported on Cybertron. We made a truce and a deal so we could save Cybertron. [I'm not quite clear when this would've taken place since we just saw Shockwave moping around after or just before Rodimus showed up]

    Rodimus Prime: And now the time has come. (He joins the space bridge with the others) The circle is now complete. The process will take a while, but so long as the Autobots do not interfere... Cybertron shall be ours.

    (Elsewhere in space, we find Nova Prime monologing. Ho boy)

    Nova Prime: What legacy did I leave behind when I left Cybertron? How did my successor, Zeta Prime -- these days known as Nominus -- turn Cybertron into what it is now?

    Alpha Prime, of course, was perhaps the greatest, for without him, none of us would be here.

    Virtus Prime was believed by many to have been Prima's son. His death left Cybertron in disarray.

    Galaxy Prime attempted to bring our society back together, but failed to do so.

    It wasn't until Guardian Prime became our leader did a new age of peace reach Cybertron. Alas, it was doomed to end eventually.

    When the Destrons struck, it was I who defeated them. I then left Cybertron to carry out my plan.

    It all makes sense... as the Primes went on after my leave, they became more corrupt, with only Optimus as an exception [aw he really does like him] but even he didn't see what was needed.

    Thus it's up to me to bring back peace to Cybertron... or else we're all doomed!

    (Back on Earth, the Autobots mourn over Armorfist)

    Wheeljack: I still can't find the Wreckers' signal.

    Prowl: Keep trying, Wheeljack. They must be somewhere out there.

    Optimus Minor: Why couldn't I save him...?

    Prowl: It's not your fault, Optimus. You didn't know Rodimus would turn. Besides, we need a leader now...

    Optimus Minor: I'm sure you'd be a great one.

    Prowl: Heh. I only fill in sometimes. No, you're the leader we need.

    Optimus Minor: But--

    Prowl: Who lead Team Orion to Velocitron and Earth? Who helped defeat Shockwave in that alternate universe? [I'm sure anyone could've done those things] We need you, Optimus. You're our last hope. [but what do i know]

    (Within Unicron, Starscream tries to find a way to escape while Alpha Q taunts him. He eventually blasts his way out and flies over to Earth, where he follows the space bridge beam to the Decepticon camp)

    Starscream: Oh. Hello, Shockwave.

    Shockwave: Greetings, Starscream.

    Cyclonus: Starscream! You betrayed us and Megatron! (He lunges only to be socked in the face)

    Starscream: Yes, I did. But that was years ago, and besides, Megatron's dead. Can't we forgive and forget?

    Shockwave: While I doubt Cyclonus will forgive you, I never truly cared about Megatron either.

    Starscream: I take it then I'm with you lame'os again....

    (Meanwhile, the Wreckers are driving around)

    Springer: See anything, Whirl?

    Whirl: Nothing yet... wait, I'm picking up Decepticon signatures. It's Bludgeon!

    Bludgeon: Well, Banzai-Tron, I think it's time you made yourself useful.

    Banzai-Tron: Prepare to meet your fate, Autobots!

    Roadbuster: Bring it, Decepti-Punk!

    Banzai-Tron: With pleasure-- (then he gets shot in the face!)

    ???: Gee, of all the cheesy exchanges... that was pretty lame.

    (Oh hey it's Drift, Arcee, and uh Road Rocket. Um... yay?)

    To be continued

FEATURED CHARACTERS

    Autobots: Arcee, Armorfist, Blurr, Bumblebee, Drift, Ironhide, Optimus Minor, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ratchet, Road Rocket, Roadbuster, Rodimus Prime, Sideswipe, Skids, Springer, Topspin, Twin Twist, Wheeljack, Whirl

    Decepticons: Banzai-Tron, Bludgeon, Cyclonus, Megastorm, Scourge, Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream

    Others: Alpha Quintesson, Nova Prime

Transformers Regenerated: Kick Start My Heart

TALES OF THE DISAPPEARED:

KICK START MY HEART

Cycle 9351, during the Siege of Massunstrad

    "I'm fine."

    "You're not. Stop saying stupid stuff."

    Kickstart exhaled through the vents of her mouthplate, an act which really hurt her chest. Her entire body spasmed, calmed only by the gentle touch of the bot crouched next to her.

    "Try not to do that, okay?"

    Kickstart stared at her partner through her cracked visor. "If only that were so easy."

    A soft smile graced beautiful blue lips. "Just hang in there, okay? Meltdown will be here soon."

    "Whirlwind...." Kickstart's voice crackled when she spoke. It became filled with more static with each word. "In case I don't make it--"

    "Shut up. You'll be fine."

    "But I need to tell you--"

    She was cut off by the blare of sirens. A yellow rescue vehicle came rolling across the battlefield, unfolding into an animated mech.

    "I'm here! Nobody panic!" Seeing Kickstart, Meltdown quickly got to repairing her. "How are we doing? You feeling all right?"

    Kickstart's only response was a blast of static.

    "I hear ya." Meltdown glanced at Whirlwind. "We've just brought down the outer wall. Prime is making the push to Megatron's compound."

    Whirlwind nodded as she stood up. "Great. I'll go join them." She glanced at Kickstart and winked at her. "Take care, Kicks. Try not to give Meltdown too much trouble."

    Kickstart simply watched as the green jet transformed and flew off to join the others.

*  *  *

    "She's fading again! Fetch me those cables, Triage!"

    Kickstart's body jolted as her systems booted back up. Her vision was blurry but she could make out Meltdown standing over her. Her audio receptors were still ringing, but she could make out most of what he was saying.

    "Still at 75 percent. I don't understand...."

    "I'm checking her files," another doctor said. "It says here she was constructed cold in Polyhex circa 8263."

    "What does that have to do with anything?"

    "That was a year after Governor Ratbat curtailed fuel sources for Con Facilities in Polyhex. As a result, all bots produced from that point on were built with weak, low-yield sparks. That's probably why we can't get her to full power."

    "So what do we do then?" Meltdown asked. "I'm not letting anyone die on my watch."

    "We'd need someone with a compatible spark type to properly reboot her. I don't know of anyone here with a Ferrum-positive--"

    "I do." Through her bleary vision, Kickstart saw a familiar green figure come into view. "Hook me up."

    "You're injured, Whilwind. I can't--"

    "It's just a dent, Triage. She's a lot worse off. Come on. Hook me up."

    Before she could process what was happening, Kickstart was jolted again, this time coming to full strength. As Meltdown unhooked the cables from her spark, she turned her head oping to see Whirlwind but Triage blocked her view, preventing her from seeing the green beauty that had saved her life.

*  *  *

    She should have listened. She should have stayed at the medbay. She shouldn't have gone back out.

    It had worked, of course. She and her team had been able to free Optimus Prime from the antimatter chamber Megatron had trapped him in. It simply came at the cost of everyone on her team dying.

    With great effort, she pushed Heavyfoot's body off of her and hobbled to her feet. Gray corpses of Autobots and Decepticons alike littered the abandoned compound. The sight of dried up fuel told her that the battle had long since finished. She wondered who had won.

    Limping out of the deactivated antimatter chamber, she stepped over the body of a winged female. Her spark skipped a pulse until she saw the Decepticon insignia on their broken wing. Exhaling in relief, she continued onto the compound's entrance, its door long since ripped away by the Dynobots.

    Stepping out into the moonlit night, she was greeted with the sight of even more bodies, most of them Decepticons. The Autobots must had already picked up their dead. Clearly they hadn't gone much further than what remained of the outer wall. Maybe they would come back for her....

    A cold wind brushed over her. Silence was all that graced her audio sensors.

    She tried accessing her comm but could not get a signal. Maybe they had gone to the other side of the planet. Maybe the 'Cons had gotten pushed back. She definitely did not want to consider the alternative. They wouldn't have abandoned her.

    Would they?

    Minutes passed. Then hours. She tried calling again. Nothing.

    She repeated this process for the next ten hours. Slowly, she was forced to come to the harrowing realization.

    She was never going to see Whirlwind again. She would never hear her voice or see her smile. She would never be able to thank her for saving her life or tell her how she really felt.

    If only she had just let her speak.

    "Take my hand."

    Kickstart yelled out at the sudden appearance of the spindly, cape-wearing robot that materialized before her. Losing her balance, she fell off her feet and plunged into darkness.

FIN

Transformers Regenerated: Prime Wars IX, Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

--Necroworld--

    "So. What's your count?"

    Crankcase glanced at Misfire, sitting next to him in the shadow of the latter's statue. "What?"

    "Come on, don't be coy." Misfire smirked. "I saw you counting over there. How many flowers does Crankcase of Scowlex have?"

    The Triggercon sneered. "I wasn't counting--"

    "Can I guess? I wanna guess. Is it in the double digits? Triple?"

    "Shut up--"

    "198. That's my guess," Misfire said. "Am I warm? Cold?"

    Crankcase huffed as he crossed his arms. "396."

    "Whoa, nice!" Misfire grinned proudly. "I've got over a thousand."

    "Shove it up your aft."

    "I'm not sure that would be--"

    "Hey, guys!" Fulcrum waved to them from where he stood on an empty plinth. "We've got more company!"

    "Oh joy!" Misfire exclaimed, looking up to see a large white ship fly towards the fortress. "I wonder if they're here to kill us too!"

    "Doubt it," Crankcase grunted. "Looks like an Autobot ship."

    "How can you tell?" Fulcrum asked.

    "No obvious guns. Boring colors. It just screams Autobot."

    "Hey, Fulcrum, you posing for your statue?" Misfire called over to his fellow Scavenger. "If you are, make sure Spinister has his chisel. Last time he lost it and had to use his finger. Poor guy had to buy a new middle finger."

    "Nah, I already found mine," Fulcrum said, jumping off the plinth. "Besides, this one's already got a name on it."

    "Oh, yeah? What's it say?"

    Fulcrum scratched his head as he read the plaque. "Huh. That is one unwieldy name. I've never even heard of Celestica Tetracornacapria."

*  *  *

    "Will he be all right?"

    "He'll live," Ratchet said, studying his scanner. "The Matrix still has some juice left in it; so long as it's still glowing, so will he."

    "And Cyclonus?"

    "Velocity has him in stasis lock. No way of telling if Galvatron will emerge from him again or if the Matrix erased that part from him."

    Optimus Prime sighed as he lay on his repair berth. "I'm still not sure what happened. When I came to, all of Galvatronus' components had disconnected and Megatron was in critical condition. I'm not sure if what he did 'killed' Galvatronus or simply disconnected him."

    Ratchet shrugged. "I'm no expert on that subject. You're the Prime, not me."

    "He's the one with the Matrix...."

    "There's no way in the Pit am I considering him my Prime."

    Optimus exvented as he rolled his head to the ceiling. The Necrobot certainly had an interesting taste in architecture; the blue sky was as vivid through the glass ceiling as outside.

    "You said the Titan vanished?" he then asked the medic.

    "Yup," Ratchet replied, adjusting Megatron's life support systems. "One minute it was crashing towards the planet, the next...."

    "The next...?"

    "I refuse to use the 'word' Rodimus used to describe the phenomenon. It's not even a word, just... an onomatopoeia."

    "Was it plif?"

    Ratchet stared at Optimus in bemusement. "How did you--"

    "I used to say it in my academy days," Optimus said. "Kup once made me do a hundred transformations for it. Never said it since."

    Ratchet shook his head. "You know, it honestly scares me how much you two are alike sometimes."

    "You mean me and Rodimus?" Optimus asked.

    "Yeah." Ratchet glanced at Megatron. "That too."

*  *  *

    "Anything?"

    "No sign of him, general," reported the Decepticon Seeker -- formerly aligned to the Secret Order -- as she landed before the awaiting Strika, Obsidian, and Ultra Magnus. "We'll keep searching, but I doubt we'll find him."

    "Her," Magnus corrected. "Delta Magnus is... not quite who she seems."

    "Indeed," Obsidian muttered. "I remember serving with a Powerdrive at the Battle of Iacon. She had been in my division of the Primal Vanguard but resigned shortly after the First Great War."

    "It's very possible that she's no longer on Necroworld," Ultra Magnus went on. "If her armor's anything like mine, it will have a recall trigger that can take her back to whoever holds the source signal. Tyrest had mine... Primus knows where her's is."

    "Regardless, continue your search, Tempest," Strika said to the Seeker. "We can not risk allowing him -- her -- to strike again with our guard down."

    "Tarantulas is also missing," Obsidian said while Tempest took off. "Have you seen him since landing here, Strika?"

    "His ship did not rejoin us after the Labyrinth was dismantled," his consort replied. "Darkstar thinks he's gone to Animatron. He had been adamant about choosing that planet as our new location rather than Necroworld, but Quickswitch and Delta overruled him."

    "So that's three masterminds unaccounted for," Magnus muttered. "Shockwave, Delta, Tarantulas... one can only wonder what they're planning next."

    "That still leaves us," Obsidian said, glancing pointedly at the Autobot. "How are we going to proceed from here? Do we go back to Cybertron and warn them about Shockwave?"

    "We should wait until Prime and Megatron recover. I'm not comfortable in making decisions without their counsel."

    "Even Megatron's?" Strika asked.

    Ultra Magnus did not answer her.

*  *  *

    "...So that's how your friends at Carcer are doing. No idea about Ultra Trion, but... yeah."

    Sentinel Major continued to stare at the sky as he and Rodimus stood on top of the Lost Light, looking over the crowd of Autobots, Decepticons, and whatnot mingling about. Seeing Galvatron still had him shaken... and learning of Magmatron's current status certainly did not help.

    "And one of your crew is still being held captive?" he asked quietly.

    "Yeah." Rodimus rubbed his neck. "I want to rescue him -- of course I do -- but Carcer could be anywhere in the galaxy and--"

    "That's not his name."

    Rodimus glanced at him. "Eh?"

    "Carcer... that's just an alias. Short for incarceration. His real name is Vigilem."

    "Oh."

    "He's the Titan of Liege Maximo."

    "Oh." Rodimus blinked as he processed this. "...Wait, what?!"

    "It's a long story -- and Magmatron doesn't know that I know." Sentinel let out a sigh. "I realize I have a lot to explain... but I want to save it until I can see Optimus Prime."

    Rodimus slowly nodded as he stared at the would-be Prime. "Yeah... that's probably for the best. I will admit, this past month... it's been a doozie."

    "A what?"

    "Never mind." Rodimus waved a dismissive hand. He then looked up to see a turquoise jet flying towards them. "Brainstorm?"

    A very nervous-looking Brainstorm transformed and landed next to his captain. "You're going to be mad at me."

    Rodimus frowned. "What--?"

    "Look, I meant well, okay? I honestly did. It's just that... when you're in the heat of the moment, you do things you regret later. Like kissing that bot you think looks cute. Or opening a box that says very plainly 'Do Not Op-'"

    "Brainstorm," Rodimus interjected curtly. "What did you do?"

    His question was answered by the sudden appearance of a massive ship in the sky. The large silver vessel bore a winged emblem on its side as well as its very name: Axiom. As the Axiom descended towards the ground, a loud voice emitted from it via speaker. 

    "Megatron of Tarn, in the name of the Galactic Alliance, under Section 20, subsection 8 of the New Earth Accords, you are under arrest."

    Between this and the vulgarities Rodimus was shouting at Brainstorm, Sentinel really wished that, just for once, he understood what was going on.

TO BE CONTINUED

Transformers Regenerated: Prime Wars IX, Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

--Mothership--

    "Megatron, please tell me you didn't do anything to Hydra to get ourselves free."

    Megatron grunted as he slammed a Vehicon into the wall. "Would you even believe me if I said I didn't?"

    Optimus Prime said nothing as he took a deactivated Vehicon's hand and placed it on the scanner in the wall. He was denied access again and he tossed the trooper aside.

    "Hand me another one."

    Megatron peeled the Vehicon he was fighting off the wall and pushed him over to Optimus. "Are you sure they're in here?"

    "I saw them being taken here while I was being taken to my cell," Optimus said as he planted the Vehicon's hand onto the scanner. "Shockwave went in as well, so be prepared for--"

    The scanner lit green and the door slid open. Releasing the Vehicon, Optimus straightened up and stared into the room to see...

    "...Nothing."

    "What?!" Megatron stormed forward and pushed Optimus aside. Indeed, the room had very little of note, save for a lone table and scattered supplies. The former Decepticon leader gritted his teeth. "You must have been mistaken."

    "No." Both leaders glanced at each other before looking down at the Vehicon that had opened the door. He rose weakly from the floor, his cracked visor regarding them balefully. "They were in there. Just not anymore."

    "You mean they've left?" Optimus asked.

    "You don't see them, do you?"

    Megatron snarled and grabbed the Vehicon by the neck, hoisting him off his feet. "Where are they now?!"

    "Hell if I know," the Vehicon grunted out. "That Soundwave clone opened his portal and he and Shockwave went through it."

    "Did they take anyone else with them?" Optimus asked.

    "Yeah. A femme and some scary looking bot."

    Optimus sighed. "Then we're too late. They're out of reach now."

    "Indeed," Megatron said before throwing the Vehicon into the wall. The trooper did not get up again. "There's nothing for us here then. We should leave before--"

    Suddenly, the entire ship shook violently as everything went dark. Both leaders reached for something to grab onto but, in the darkness, found nothing and they tumbled to the floor....

--The Lost Light--

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa! We're back in business!"

    Rodimus straightened up in his seat as Blaster and Mainframe worked frantically at their stations. "You mean we're in control again?"

    "Yes!" Blaster beamed. "Communications are back online!"

    "We're out of the stasis field they put us in," Mainframe reported. "Everything's running smoothly."

    "Awesome!" Rodimus pumped his fist in triumph. "And what about that Titan? Where's she--"

    "Uh, about that," Mainframe said. "By the looks of it, it's lost all power and is on a crash course for Necroworld."

    Rodimus' excitement quickly turned to dread. "Where the others are?"

    "Yes."

    "And Prime and Megs are still...."

    "Yes."

    "Well what are we waiting for?!" Rodimus cried out. "Full speed ahead!"

    "We don't have control of Metrotitan though," Mainframe said. "Just the Lost--"

    "I don't care! We still have to do something! Just go!"

    Pressured by their captain, the bridge crew started up the engines and soon the Lost Light was taking off from Metrotitan and flying towards the Mothership.

--Mothership--

    Megatron wasn't sure how he had managed it, but Optimus was able to find a hatch that led them out onto the Titan's surface. As they emerged into the coldness of space -- a coldness that was gradually growing warm -- it didn't take long to assess the situation.

    "We're crashing," Optimus murmured.

    "How very perceptive, brother," Megatron grunted. Rising up, he prepared to transform to his jet mode. "You aren't heavy, are you?"

    Optimus looked at him. "What?"

    "I suppose it doesn't matter when we're in space, but--"

    "Megatron, we can't leave just yet!" Optimus protested. "Hydra and Magnum are still--"

    "We can't save them, Prime," Megatron snarled. "They've brought this upon themselves. Let them pay for their mistakes."

    "But they're--"

    "They're what? Our caretakers?" Megatron sneered at him. "Are you seriously still that attached to them? Even after all this time?"

    "I care about the people who are important to me," Optimus replied.

    "You care about everyone."

    "Is that so wrong?"

    Megatron threw his hands up. "There it is. The same vapid, self-righteous scrap that I've been hearing from you for over a thousand years. When will you give it up, Prime? When will you realize the universe does not share your optimistic appraisal?"

    Optimus shrugged. "Probably never. You of all people should know that by now, Megatron."

    Megatron opened his mouth to retort but could not find the proper words. He stared at Prime, wondering if maybe -- just maybe -- he had been going about all this wrong all this time. Maybe there was something to consider about his brother's view.

    After all, Matrix or not, Optimus was still Prime instead of him. He had succeeded where Sentinel and Zeta failed. Maybe there was a reason for that....

    Megatron was broken from his contemplation when the Mothership began to enter Necroworld's atmosphere, causing things to become hotter. He quickly converted to his jet mode and Optimus clung onto him as the two took off from the crashing Titan.

    As they flew away, Megatron spotted the Lost Light flying towards them. Kicking on his thrusters, he advanced towards the ship. Maybe if they were quick, they could stop the Titan from crushing those below.

    Because they were in space, Megatron did not hear the combiner fly up from behind them.

    Because they were in space, Megatron had no control when the combiner swung a hand at them and sent him spiraling into the blackness.

*  *  *

    Optimus cried out as he was grabbed unexpectedly by the combiner. Shooting straight over the Lost Light, the gestalt flew for Metrotitan. Upon entering the Titan's gravity field, Optimus was thrown onto the ground as his assailant towered over him.

    "You have no idea how good that felt," the combiner growled.

    Optimus froze in the midst of rising. That voice... it can't be.

    "Galvatron?" he murmured, staring up at the gestalt.

    A harsh laugh rumbled from the monster's mouth. "It's Galvatronus now. But yes, it is I. Miss me?"

    "But..." Optimus groaned as he got to his feet. "But you're dead."

    "Well yes, I am, technically. I tasked my fellow Heralds in making preparations should I perish." Galvatronus grinned wickedly. "Clearly they've succeeded in that regard."

    Optimus narrowed his optics as he realized that all four of Galvatronus' limbs bore resemblance to Autobots he had served with: Hound, Sunstreaker, Trailbreaker, Smokescreen....

    Galvatronus seemed to notice his consternation as he let out another cackle. "Oh, I'm sorry. Has my choice of components offended you? My apologies."

    Without warning, he picked up Optimus in one swift swoop and threw him back into the ground.

    "Dear me!" the gestalt guffawed. "Such insubordinate behavior! In my day, an act like that would have earned swift execution." He bore down on Optimus again, casting a shadow over the battered Prime. "Are you like that, Optimus 'Prime?' Are you like the Primes of old? Or are you just a spineless pretender?"

    "He's neither."

    Snarling, Galvatronus turned to see Megatron, in robot mode, flying towards him. Adorning his right arm was an impromptu cannon made from the wings of his alt mode, crackling with energy.

    "He's better."

    Aiming his weapon, Megatron fired at the gestalt, scoring a large dent in its chest. Roaring in anger, Galvatronus lumbered forward and grabbed at the Decepticon, only for him to fly out of reach.

    "Don't think I've forgotten what you did to me!" Galvatronus bellowed. "I remember our last confrontation vividly!"

    "Good," Megatron said. "Then you'll remember this."

    He fired again; this time, he aimed for the gestalt's left arm connection, severing the joint and freeing Trailbreaker from his forced configuration.

    Howling with fury, Galvatronus lunged again, kicking on his back thrusters. Megatron attempted to fly away only to be caught in the combiner's grip. Galvatronus then flung him back down and the Decepticon joined his brother on the ground.

    "I tire of this game," Galvatronus rumbled, returning to loom over the pair. "It's time that the Age of Primes ended."

    Groaning, Megatron reached up to his chest and pulled it open. The Matrix of Leadership glowed brightly within.

    Galvatronus raised his remaining fist. "Any last words, Optimus Prime?"

    "Prime..." Megatron reached over to his brother. "The Matrix. Take it. Now."

    "Nothing?" Galvatronus sniffed. "So be it."

    "Prime?" Megatron shook Optimus. The Autobot leader did not stir. "Optimus! Answer me!"

    The fist came down. Megatron had no time to think as he, Optimus, and Galvatronus were all consumed by a giant flash of light.