CHAPTER EIGHT
--Cybertron--
"This is way out of our pay."
"Don't be a pansy," Ransack growled to Barrage. All four Insecticons were crouched on a cliff-edge that oversaw Trypticon Prison. Appropriated from the namesake Titan, it had been reestablished in Kaon a year ago to once again hold rogue Decepticons. If there was one thing Autobots were good at, it was being unoriginal.
"Come on." Ransack nudged Barrage in the shoulder. "This is nothing for us. We've pulled in Titans before, haven't we?"
"Yeah, when they were dead and not staffed with dozens of guards!" Barrage snapped. "There's no way we can do this with just the four of us."
Chop Shop chuckled. "Then what say we double that number?"
Barrage gave him an odd look just as Chop Shop split himself into five, smaller replicas of himself.
"The hell?" Ransack exclaimed. "Since when could you do that?"
"Since Gigatron modified him to," said Venom. "Lockdown had him 'fused' when he joined 'cos he didn't trust Chop Shop to not over-swarm him and take command. I helped him get separated after the Thunderwing business."
Barrage grunted. "Still, I doubt it'll be enough to help us take Trypticon."
"Barrage, I've been breaking into Autobot outposts since before you were born!" chirped one of the mini-Chop Shops.
"We're all the same age, doofus," Ransack muttered.
Ignoring him, the five Chop Shops began making its way down the cliffside and towards Trypticon Prison. The other three Insecticons all exchanged glances before following them.
--Fort Max--
"So much for being 'friendly,'" Infinitus muttered as he and Cerebros stood before the over-two dozen bots that had teleported into the control center, all with weapons drawn.
Cerebros looked between the assorted Autobots and Decepticons, his gaze eventually falling on a teal Autobot with whom he was most familiar. "Brainstorm? What's going on here? What's with all the hostility?"
Brainstorm's expression was blank as he stared at Cerebros. "What is your name?"
Cerebros blinked. "My name? Come on, Brainstorm. You know me. I'm Cerebros, remember?"
"Incorrect," Brainstorm replied. "You are Kord."
"What? No. What are you--"
"Wait." Infinitus raised a hand. "How do you know that name?"
"There is no time for this," said Astrotrain, in a voice that was not his own. "We must proceed with Apex's plan."
Infinitus blinked at the Decepticon. "Darkmoon? Is that you? What are you doing here?"
The one resembling Astrotrain glanced down at him. "Brother, would you care to enlighten Kord here of his purpose?"
Cerebros turned to Infinitus. "Do you know what's going on? Why are they calling me Kord?"
Infinitus did not answer him. Instead, he threw up his hands and cast a field of energy over the assorted bots, freezing them in place. He then turned to Cerebros with a frantic look on his face. "We have to go. Now."
"Go where?" Cerebros asked. "I can't activate the space bridge without--"
"The Lost Light's outside. We can take that and go down to Earth."
"What about Fortress Maximus?"
Infinitus shook his head. "There's nothing we can do for him right now. Come on; let's go before the effects wear off."
Seeing no other options, Cerebros followed the Titan Master out of the control room.
--The Lost Light--
Rodimus Prime slowly raised his hands as Apex trained his gun on him. "Optimus," he said quietly, "I don't know if you can hear me, but you have to fight off Apex's control."
The large red bot scoffed. "Don't even bother. I'm not directly wired to him like the others are to their hosts. I'm simply carrying him around in this suit of armor."
Rodimus nodded. "Right. Giving it the ol' Magnus try, eh? Clever move. Where did you even get the armor?"
"I know you're stalling, Prime," Apex said. "Whatever you're planning, it's not going to work. There's nothing you can do."
Rodimus grinned. "See, that's where you're wrong."
Without warning, he transformed into his truck mode and rammed himself into Apex, knocking him down before he could fire his gun. Rodimus then returned to robot mode and ripped the weapon out of Apex's hands before grabbing onto the red bot's chest.
"Let's see, if it works like Magnus' did--"
Apex roared as he kicked Rodimus off of him, sending the Prime crashing into a wall. As Apex got back to his feet, Vector Prime came barreling towards him, Rhisling raised high. The Titan Master moved to retrieve his gun but was not fast enough to avoid the swinging blade. The deadly slash separated Apex from his Transtector and the Titan Master went flying across the hall.
As the ancient Prime started moving towards his defeated opponent, Rodimus recovered in time to notice Broadside and Hardhead stirring where Doomshot had downed them. Quickly scrambling to his feet, Rodimus rushed over to Hardhead and grabbed onto the back of his head, pulling off the Titan Master attached to him.
"Agh!" Hardhead cried out, his visor flashing. "What the--? Where the hell am I?"
"Just stay down, Hardhead," Rodimus said, tossing the Titan Master over to where Firedrive still laid. "Just let me get Broadside and then we can--"
He was abruptly cut off when he was grabbed from behind by a pair of large gray arms. Rodimus thrashed in Broadside's grip as the Triple Changer pulled him off of Hardhead and raised him above his head.
"Oh no, you don't!" Hardhead got up and charged head-first into the larger Autobot. Both Broadside and Rodimus went down, with the latter quickly recovering to grab onto the former's head and freeing him of his Titan Master's control.
"There." Rodimus hurled Blunderbuss over to join Furos and Firedrive. "That's those two taken care of."
"And Apex makes three." Vector Prime walked over with the apprehended Apex. "Now then, to deal with the others."
"Your efforts are futile," Apex growled. "Even if you've managed to defeat me, the others will be commandeering the Titan and there will be no stopping--"
Outside the Lost Light, an explosion lit up in the distance. All turned to see smoke billowing out from Fortress Maximus' central tower.
"Was that part of your plan?" Rodimus asked, unable to resist a smirk.
Apex blinked in surprise. "It... it shouldn't be that difficult."
"I do believe we have company," Vector Prime noted, nodding to the Alchemor which was now flying over to the tower, numerous Decepticons and Mini-Cons spilling out of it. "Perhaps we should lend our aid as well."
"Yeah," Rodimus said. "I think that's a great idea."
"I have no idea what's going on," Hardhead muttered.
"That makes two of us."
Everyone turned to see Apex's Transtector suit opening up to reveal a smaller red and blue robot underneath. As the Autobot pulled himself out, Rodimus grinned at him.
"Opti-- uh, I mean, Orion! Glad to have you with us! Again!"
Orion Pax stared at him with a weary look. "We really need to stop meeting like this."
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