CHAPTER SEVEN
--The Requiem--
"Give me a diagnostics report."
"Everything's on fire and I can't feel my legs." Packrat's voice sounded muffled and Impactor quickly saw that the Maximal was crushed between a computer and a fallen piece of the ship's bridge. The Wrecker leader sighed as he removed the steel beam and freed the blue rat.
"I don't know what I was expecting," he muttered, looking around the burning ship.
"I hope it wasn't a happy ending, 'cos I sure wasn't expecting one." Punch was situated in front of the viewport, cutting through the transparent-steel to make an opening for them. "Can someone help me with this? I don't wanna be here when this whole place blows up."
While Impactor walked over with his harpoon ready, Packrat frowned and glanced at Fractyl, who was hastily putting out a fire on his arm.
"Eh... shouldn't we look for Sandstorm and the other guy?"
"They're most likely dead," Impactor grunted as he kicked out the chunk of glass he had cut. "They were probably near the engine rooms when the explosion went off."
"Likely, probably... don't you wanna check and actually be sure?"
"No," Impactor said, already halfway out. "Because if we stay here any longer, our deaths will be for sure."
Packrat had no good argument for that. He didn't waste any time in joining Fractyl in following Impactor and Punch out of the burning ship.
* * *
Sandstorm had no idea where he was, but it was definitely not the Requiem. Or, at least, it was definitely not the Requiem's engine rooms. Last time he checked, engine rooms didn't have cell bars.
As far as he could tell, he was alone in his cell. But outside, he could see three others standing in conversation with one another. Two of them he recognized as Megastorm and Megaplex, both badly scorched. The third one was another clone of Megatron; similar in appearance to Megastorm by way of having a tank body, but with purple plating instead of green. He was looking upon the other two with a disapproving frown.
"--die in the process," he was saying. "Mother wouldn't be very much pleased with that."
"Then it is fortunate he didn't," Megaplex shot back. "Perhaps you would have liked to have done it yourself, Archforce, if you were so concerned with results."
"If Mother had chosen me for the task, then I gladly would have," Archforce replied. "But she chose you two. For better or for worse."
"At least we got him," Megastorm growled. He then gestured in Sandstorm's direction. "Now we just have to figure out what to do with him."
Archforce glanced at Sandstorm, meeting eyes with the Wrecker. The Megatron clone seemed to silently regard the Autobot as if contemplating over what to do with him. After a moment, he returned his gaze to the other two clones.
"Let me confer with Mother on the matter. In the meantime, I want you two to watch him."
Megastorm sneered. "Watch him? We're not protoform-sitters."
"No, you're guards. See to it that you fulfill the obligations of that duty."
With that, Archforce turned on his heel and strode away. Megastorm scoffed as he turned to give Megaplex a weary look.
"I don't remember him ever being this pretentious."
"Mother's been coddling him," Megaplex grunted. "She's promised him that he'll finally be able to 'make her proud' or some scrap like that."
"Even though he and Convoy turned on us by joining those pathetic adventurers?"
Megaplex shrugged. "Can you blame her, honestly? We're pretty much all she has left now. Everyone else who was in the Order has either left or died. That's probably why she's been... nicer to us."
Megastorm snorted. "If by 'us' you mean, 'just Archforce,' then yeah, sure."
When both clones fell silent, Sandstorm decided then it was time for him to speak up. "Who the heck is 'Mother?'"
"Shut up," Megastorm snarled at him. "You are in no position to ask questions."
"But I am in a position to eavesdrop?" Sandstorm replied with a wry smirk.
"It doesn't matter to us what you hear," Megaplex said dismissively. "When Archforce returns, you'll likely be sent to the recycling chamber."
"And if I'm not?"
"Well, I can't see what possible use Mother would have for you."
"Maybe if you tell me who she is, I could help you guys think of something," Sandstorm suggested.
Megastorm sneered at him. "Unlikely. Now shut up before--"
"Let him out."
Both clones stiffened before turning around to see Archforce as he reentered the room.
"You heard me," the purple clone said calmly. "Mother wishes to see him."
Megastorm and Megaplex exchanged surprised glances with each other before reluctantly complying with the command. As the cell bars slid away, Sandstorm couldn't help but smirk as he stepped out.
"See? I knew one of you would eventually fall for my--"
He was cut off as Archforce grabbed him and shoved a taser device into his neck, causing everything to go black....
* * *
"This is Outpost Three."
Red soil crunched beneath Impactor's feet as he stopped to look at Fractyl. "Come again?"
"I've been here before," the green Decepticon murmured. "When I was with the Secret Order, this was where we experimented on combiners."
"Your guys aren't still here, are they?" asked Punch.
Fractyl shook his head. "No, the base was abandoned after what went down at Garrus-13. I wouldn't expect to find anything of use."
Packrat, in his rat mode, sniffed the air. "Eh, I wouldn't be to sure. I've got a nose for these things and there's definitely somethin' on this planet."
"In which direction?" Impactor asked.
"West. There's a crater over there that seems less than normal."
"Sounds right up our alley." Impactor then transformed to his vehicle mode. "Lead the way."
"Wait, hold it," Fractyl interjected. "Do you mind if I fly over there and scout the area?"
"Why?"
Fractyl looked concerned as he looked in the direction Packrat had indicated. "Because when I was stationed here, the Order kept something rather large in that crater."
Impactor grunted. "All right, but be quick about it. Don't do anything stupid."
"Too late for that," Fractyl grumbled as he transformed and took off.
The other three watched as the green jet disappeared over the horizon. No sooner had they lost sight of him that he immediately came flying back, nearly crashing into the ground as he transformed and rolled up to the others.
"Yup, just what I thought!" he said, sounding panicked.
"What is it?" Impactor asked, returning to his robot mode.
"The Mothership; it's here. Someone from the Secret Order is here."
"Marvelous," Punch grunted. "Just when I thought we'd seen the last of those guys."
"Don't worry." Impactor scowled as he brandished his harpoon. "This time, we will."
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