CHAPTER FOUR
--Earth--
Dion grunted as he hit the ground, hard. A heavy foot pinned him there, pushing his face into the dirt. The former Autobot had only his hearing to rely on to know how his fellow Space Rangers were faring. The results were... not pretty.
While Lucky hollered in pain and Marcus fired his gun in a futile attempt to shoot down the energy vampire, Fearstorm knelt down until his faceplate was up against Dion's audio sensor.
"I will admit," the mutated Vehicon said in a low tone. "This has all been very amusing for the past few years. Spreading fear, sowing discord, all while undoing the progress these fleshlings have made up until this point, and the fact that you guys keep coming back, despite failure after failure... I am not ashamed to admit that I underestimated you."
He then grabbed Dion by the helm, causing the Autobot to cry out as he tightened his grip.
"But now it's gotten to be annoying," Fearstorm went on. "We've got work to do, and you guys getting in the way? Let's just say, I don't have the patience to--"
The Vehicon abruptly went quiet, though Dion could not see or hear what could have interrupted him. Several seconds passed by until Fearstorm suddenly let go of his head but kept a foot pinned to his back.
"Viral, do you copy?"
"Yes, Fearstorm," a voice crackled out. "And yes, I see it, too."
"What in Primus' name...."
"Evidently, an unforeseen hindrance to our plan."
"This can't be happening." Fearstorm growled to himself before pulling Dion to his feet. "Congratulations, Autobot: You get to live another day."
"What?" Dion sputtered dirt from his face. "Why? What's going on?"
"Someone's decided to throw a spanner into the works... and you're going to help me get it out."
--The Axiom--
"Raise shields to maximum capacity!"
AUTO had barely issued the command in time when Trypticon slammed himself into the Axiom. The ship shook violently and several of the robots on board were knocked around the bridge. AUTO moved quickly and made his way to the main console.
"Ark, Voyager, fire on the Titan. Exodus, proceed to Sector 4H."
As the Earth ships moved into position, Krok stumbled over to the autopilot, his hands still shackles. "Is your transmat pad still working? Maybe if--"
"You and your comrades will remain silent until the threat has been vanquished," AUTO said coldly.
"Yeah, that won't be happening anytime soon," Krok muttered. "Listen, the others and I are familiar with this giant. If you can teleport us to him, then maybe we can--"
"Can what?" AUTO retorted. "Commandeer him so you can cause further havoc?"
"He's already doing a good enough job of that on his own," Misfire commented as Trypticon fired his guns on the other ships. Even now, their shields were barely holding up; it was only a matter of time before they were completely obliterated.
AUTO rotated his frame frantically, realizing that alternative options were virtually non-existent. As another explosion rocked the Axiom, he finally relented.
"Fine. Probe Five, lead them back to the transmat pad. You, Probe One, and Load-Lifter One will accompany them, if only to ensure they don't turn on us." AUTO then swiveled to Pox. "Can you get a lock on the Titan?"
"It'll be tricky, but I'll see what I can do."
"Make it quick. I don't think we have much time."
At AUTO's behest, the two probe bots -- EVE and Violet, as they were called -- unshackled the Scavengers before leading them back to the transmat pad. While they got into position, Pox proceeded to work at the console to get them in range.
"I will warn you," the hologram said. "Once you're gone, there'll be no getting you back -- unless you find another transportation device or whatever."
"Spacewarp's got her Transwarp Blaster!" Misfire said. "So if we ever need to deus ex machina ourselves out of this mess, we can!"
"You realize I can't determine where the Blaster sends you, right?" Spacewarp said. "There's a high chance it would just throw us all into a black hole."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Spinister grunted.
Pox sighed. "Right then. Are you guys ready?"
"As we'll ever be," Krok replied.
"Then off you go."
Pox pressed the command and, in a flash, the seven Decepticons and their three companions were gone. As the Axiom continued to sustain damage from Trypticon's onslaught, AUTO angled himself to look at Pox.
"We're doomed, aren't we?"
"Yup."
--Earth--
The sharp claws digging into his arms caused Dion to wince as he was dragged through Axiom City by Fearstorm and his pack of energy vampires. Rose floated right beside him, her fins permanently locked into her body. Marcus and the others were long gone....
Fearstorm stood at the front of the party, having since been joined by the spindly Viral. Dion was aware that the latter had been involved in the same plot that had threatened Earth decades ago... but he could have sworn that Viral had been taken back to his original time. What was he doing here?
As they passed under a deteriorating bridge, Dion decided to take the risk of speaking up. "Where are you taking me?"
"If I wanted you to know, I would've already told you," Fearstorm retorted.
"I'm just trying to make sense of all this. First you force Earth's population to abandon their planet, then you fiddle around fore a few years, and now you're scared by a giant robo-dinosaur and need my help for some reason. There's just... no logic to it."
"There is no logic to anything," Viral intoned. "Only chaos."
"Ah, Viral, how I missed your insightful commentary." Fearstorm inclined his head to Dion. "Keep your questions to yourself and they just may be answered. Otherwise, we will simply find an alternative solution."
Dion rolled his optics but grudgingly remained silent as he followed the two Decepticons (as if he had any other choice). They eventually reached a section of the city that was sprawling with large empty buildings and towering skyscrapers. As they began to approach one of the buildings, Dion couldn't help but note its particularly alien -- yet familiar -- architecture.
"I don't recognize this part of the city," he murmured. "Isn't this where Capital Hall was?"
"It was," Fearstorm said as he led them all inside. "It is. Not much has changed; we merely... turned it over."
Dion scowled. "Deface it, you mean."
"Oh, no. I consider it to be more of... an unveiling. Peeling the surface, if you will."
Before Dion could question the Vehicon, he caught sight of a golden glow emitting from down the entrance hall. As they drew closer to it, Dion continued to see more and more details that rang a familiar bell in his head; details that pulled up memories that had been buried due to his complicated, time-travel-fueled history.
"I know this place," he whispered.
"Of course you do," Rose replied. "It's Central Hall."
"No, no. I mean... I've been here before. Well before...."
"Enough," Fearstorm growled. They reached the end of the hall and Viral proceeded to input a command into the control panel. Fearstorm then grabbed Dion and dragged him towards the now-open door.
"You wanted to know what interest we have in Earth? Here you go."
Dion's jaw dropped as his optics beheld the massive glowing cube of circuitry before him. "Is that...?"
"The Underbase," Fearstorm confirmed, pushing him closer to the fabled device. "And you're going to help us destroy it."
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