CHAPTER FIVE
--The Lost Light--
"One thirteen."
Swerve could hear the familiar tone of a Legislator as it marched through the halls of the Lost Light. The doors to his bar were barricaded up from inside, keeping him and his patrons safe. For now.
"Primus, I thought we'd seen the last of those lugs after Tyrest went poof," Swerve muttered. He quickly glanced at Ten, who was huddled nearby with Jackpot and Crosscut. "No offense."
"Ten," the reprogrammed bot quietly replied.
"Who could they even be after this time?" asked Riptide. "Skids went down with the others, Getaway's dead... is anyone else on Tyrest's hate-list?"
"I don't know." Swerve made another check on his First Blaster, making sure it was fully charged. "I'm half-tempted to go out there and see for myself."
"That'd be suicide!" Crosscut protested.
"Relax, I'll just sneak behind one and see where he's going."
"No offense, Swerve, but 'stealth' is hardly one of your primary functions. At least have someone like me or Trailbreaker go with you."
"Trailbreaker?" Swerve looked over to the defense specialist, who was leaning on Scoop's shoulder after having just consumed a fuel tank's worth of Nightmare Fuel. "Maybe if I was actually suicidal...."
"One thirteen."
Everyone fell silent again as another Legislator (or the same one again) passed by the door. Once its footsteps were distant enough, Scoop spoke up.
"Has anyone tried calling the bridge? Or Star Saber, perhaps?"
"The comms are dead," Riptide replied. "Either Big Bang's got 'em down for security reasons... or someone's blocking them."
"It's the latter," said Crosscut.
Riptide gave him a look. "How do you know?"
"Oldest trope in the book. Every good story uses it at least once in some way or another; it always makes for great suspense to cut the heroes off from anyone who could possibly help them."
"Hey, Mr. Playwright," Swerve said. "Think you can write up a happy ending for this story?"
"Sorry; I'm only good at writing tragedies."
* * *
"One thirteen."
Wing Saber steeled himself as the footsteps grew louder, their source drawing nearer to the bridge. Everyone had their weapons trained on the locked doors, ready for whatever was about to break its way in.
"Any luck yet, Big Bang?" he whispered to the communications officer.
"Still dead," Big Bang answered. "Something's blocking us, I bet."
"So we're on our own up here."
"Pretty much."
Suddenly, the footsteps stopped and a dead silence fell over the assorted Autobots. Wing Saber counted the seconds as he braced himself for anything. He could practically hear some of the bots shaking nervously, uncertain of what was to come.
A minute passed. Then another. When the robot outside did not make another sound, Wing Saber tentatively glanced over to Skyblast.
"Check the cams."
The white and red flier nervously stepped over to his station and brought up visuals from the security cameras. To the surprise of everyone present, the gold robot was nowhere to be seen; not just from outside the bridge, but anywhere else on the ship for that matter.
"It's like they just vanished," Skyblast murmured in awe. "We didn't even give them any trouble. Why did they just leave?"
Wing Saber frowned. "I think because they found what they were after."
Skyblast looked at him in confusion. "Why do you say that?"
Wing Saber walked over and tapped on the screen, bringing up the visual of an empty office with an open door leading into it.
"Where's Rung?"
--Caminus--
"Overhaul, what is the meaning--"
"Don't move a piston," the little green Autobot growled, the center of his chest glowing. Star Saber and the others were staring at him incredulously while Thunderclash wore an expression of amusement.
"I mean it," Overhaul went on. "Try anything funny and I'll blast you to oblivion."
"All I asked was a simple question," Thunderclash said innocently. "Do you know what a Dire Wraith is?"
"Yes, and in no scenario does their involvement mean anything good."
"Well, that's entirely a matter of perspective--"
"He's right." Vector Prime stepped forward, staring at Thunderclash coldly. "I have encountered the Dire Wraiths before. Creatures of the Dark Nebula, spawn of arcane magic... whatever they've done to you is not something to be pleased with."
Thunderclash chuckled. "You may say that, but none of you have been enlightened as I have. I have exceeded the limits of our race and become something far greater."
Vector Prime reached behind his back and unsheathed his sword. "I cannot allow this. Your presence is a danger I cannot afford."
The ancient Prime raised his blade, poised to slice the air and open a portal. Before he could do so however, the Citadel was rocked by an explosion. Caught off-guard, Vector had no time to react as Thunderclash shoved into him, causing him to lose his grip on Rhisling.
Overhaul cried out as he fired a blast of energy from his chest. Thunderclash barely flinched as the bolt struck him in the shoulder and a wicked, impossibly wide grin stretched across his golden faceplate.
"Oh, that really wasn't nice."
"Cease this violence, Thunderclash!" the Mistress of Flame commanded as her cadre of Torchbearers came to her defense. "You are held in great esteem here on Caminus! Do not squander your reputation with this senseless violence!"
Thunderclash laughed as black lines began to segment his frame, his entire body changing appearance. "With all due respect, Mistress... I have no reputation to squander."
Pivoting on his feet, Thunderclash turned to face the Mistress just as his abdomen split open to form a hideous maw, filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth and a synthetic tongue hanging out. Frozen in utter horror, the Mistress and her Torchbearers could not move in time as Thunderclash lunged and ceased the Mistress by the neck, causing her to drop her Forgehammer.
"Now..." the mutant Autobot hissed, his golden face now broken up into a hideous visage with similar teeth and glossa. "It's time for your world to burn."
"I don't think so!" Star Saber charged towards Thunderclash from behind, his sword raised above his head. Before he could deliver a blow however, a tendril burst out of Thunderclash's back and struck him across the chest, sending him crashing into Vector Prime.
Skids and the others immediately responded, unloading their weapons on the Dire Wraith Autobot. One of the Torchbearers charged and swung her cudgel into his arm. Thunderclash recoiled and released his hold on the Mistress of Flame before whirling to face his attacked.
"If you want so much to die," Thunderclash rumbled, "all you had to do was ask."
"Pyra," the Mistress spoke weakly, struggling to rise from where she had been dropped. "Evacuate the Citadel. Get everyone to safety. I shall--"
"You'll what?" Thunderclash roared, grabbing her by the helm. "You are powerless, Mistress! All of Caminus shall fall to--"
A second blast from Overhaul's chest cut him off. As the mutant released his hold on her, the Mistress quickly scrambled to recover her Forgehammer. It glowed at her touch as she swung it at Thunderclash and sent him flying into the wall. He crashed through one of the windows and plummeted towards the city below.
As the ground shook from the impact, those within the Grand Hall were given full view of what now hovered in the sky, poised to fire on the Citadel once more.
"It's the Vis Vitalis," Apelinq said. "Isn't that where--"
"Yes," Star Saber interjected. "And I'm beginning to think evacuation is a very sound idea...."
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