CHAPTER NINE
--Earth, Metroplex--
“What am I looking at?”
“It’s the Lost Light,” Jetfire replied, indicating a spot on the screen near where the Vis Vitalis was positioned. “We can’t pick up its energy signature, since it seems to have been completely powered down, but we can get enough of a reading to figure out its size and it matches that of the Lost Light. The Vis Vitalis seems to be attacking it.”
“Those must be the actual reinforcements Rodimus sent,” Elita murmured. “So, what are our options?”
“Well, obviously option #1 is to take Metroplex and blast the Vis Vitalis to the Pit,” said Springer.
“Except that would likely alert the Decepticons to our presence,” Primal Major pointed out. “Plus, we have a bunch of humans still with us and I don’t know how well they would fare in space travel.”
“Is letting them go not an option?” Springer asked.
Primal shrugged. “Depends. Would the Decepticons want to go after them?”
“Sari may be a potential target,” Elita said. “Then again, I don’t think she’s wholly human, so it may be safe for her to travel into space... though I’m still not exactly keen on putting her into danger.”
“But our friends are already in danger,” Springer stressed. “Are you really going to prioritize the safety of one human – or whatever she is – over nearly two hundred Autobots?”
Elita sighed, realizing this wasn’t going to be an easy choice. At the same time, she knew she would have to make one quick as the Vis Vitalis drew closer and closer to the powerless Lost Light. For all she knew, the number of bots on the latter ship may have already been greatly reduced from two hundred.
Her processor worked on automatic as she spoke. “Jetfire, call up Bumblebee and have him take all of the humans outside – including Sari. Have Grimlock, Sideswipe, and Strongarm go with him to provide support in case the Decepticons show up. Springer, go ahead and get Metroplex up and running.”
The two Autobots nodded before carrying out their orders. Primal glanced at Elita and asked, “Anything you need me to do?”
“Just the same as before,” Elita replied. “Get your Maximals ready for the fight of their lives.”
--Tyrest’s Worldsweeper--
Tyrest cried out from under the barrage of firepower Skids was unleashing on him. As he shielded himself from the assault, he attempted to press the button on his staff that would activate his “weapon of mass suggestion” and render Skids virtually paralytic. However, the theoretician spotted this move and shot at the judge’s hand, causing him to cry out in pain and drop the staff.
Fearstorm chose that moment to move, lunging at Skids even as he brought himself into the line of fire. The two bots collided and fell to the ground, with the Vehicon poised over Skids as the former brought a gun to the Autobot’s head.
“The receiving end, Autobot,” Fearstorm growled. “How does it feel to be on it?”
“I wasn’t the one who blew up your head last time, moron,” Skids grunted.
“Yes, but the one who did isn’t here right now, so I suppose you’ll have to do.”
Before Fearstorm could fire his weapon, Skids twisted his body and threw the Vehicon off him, causing him to shoot into the ceiling. As he got back up, Skids saw Tyrest reach for his staff again. Diving forward, Skids grabbed the staff before rolling up to the Chief Justice and plunging it through the cockpit in his chest. As Tyrest screamed in agony, Skids pulled the staff out and kicked the judge to the ground, letting him fall with a resounding thud.
Before he had a chance to revel in this brief victory, Skids heard Fearstorm getting back up behind him and dove to the side just as a blaster bolt zipped past him. Fearstorm then let out a raged cry as he charged towards Skids and threw himself into the Autobot, sending them both crashing into a wall. Pinning Skids there with one hand, Fearstorm converted his other into a blaster again and pressed it up to Skids’ head once more.
“You are gravely mistaken if you think there’ll be an outcome to this that won’t end with your death,” the Vehicon said darkly.
“Oh, I’m perfectly open to that scenario,” Skids replied. “Just let me free my friend and then you can have your fun.”
Tyrest’s staff still in his hand, Skids pressed a switch on it and the ray shield to Rung’s cell instantly vanished. Alarmed by this, Fearstorm pulled away from Skids, pivoting on his feet. This gave the Autobot agent the opening he needed to raise his arm guns and blast the Vehicon in the head. Disoriented, Fearstorm had no time to react as Skids ran the staff through his abdomen and out his back, spilling out energon and circuitry. The Autobot then shoved him into the opposite wall, puncturing it with the other end of the staff and pinning the Vehicon there.
While he left Fearstorm there to writhe in agony, Skids rushed over to Rung’s now-open cell, removing the teleport gauntlet from his hand. It would be a loose fit on the psychotherapist’s skinny arm, but Skids didn’t worry about that as he fit the glover over Rung’s orange servo.
“There,” Skids said. “Just snap your fingers, and you’ll be back on the Lost Light.”
Rung looked up at him in confusion. “What...?”
“Brainstorm didn’t say whether or not it can teleport two bots at the same time,” Skids went on. “I imagine it can, but... I’m really not in the mood for taking chances. I came here to rescue you and I’ll be blasted if I don’t succeed in that.”
Rung shook his head. “But... but what about you? You can’t just stay here!”
Skids smiled at him. “Don’t worry about me, Eyebrows. I’ve gotten out of stickier situations than this. Remember Grindcore?”
Rung continued to shake his head, fiddling with the gauntlet. “No. I won’t allow this. I won’t let someone sacrifice themselves for me. I’m not... I’m not worth it.”
“Yes, you are,” Skids said firmly. Conscious that Tyrest was beginning to stir, he grabbed Rung’s arm and reaffixed the gauntlet back onto his hand. “Please, just snap your fingers and be gone. I don’t want to have gone through all this for nothing.”
Rung could not muster any words to argue; instead, he grabbed Skids by the arm. The larger Autobot did not resist.
“You’re coming with me,” Rung said quietly. “I have confidence that Brainstorm designed... whatever this is to work for both of us.”
Skids smirked. “Well, who am I to argue? If you think it’ll work, Eyebrows....”
He saw Tyrest’s hand roll into a fist as he began to rise from the deck.
“...then what are you waiting for?”
Rung bit his lip as he raised his gloved hand, pressing his middle finger to his thumb. He took one last look at the burning rage in Tyrest’s optics before completing the snap, at which point the whole world turned to white.
--The Lost Light--
Star Saber winced as he crawled on the floor of the bridge, reaching for his discarded sword. Just as his finger brushed against the hilt, a golden foot landed on his servo, causing him to scream as it applied its weight. A laugh rumbled from his opponent, his fanged visage twisting into a sadistic grin.
“Oh, how I had wished for more of a challenge,” said Thunderclash – or, rather, the Dire Wraith who possessed the once-famous Autobot. Star Saber had no idea if Thunderclash himself was still in control. “If I had known this was the best you were capable of, I would have killed you all back on Caminus to spare you this humiliation.”
While Thunderclash continued to taunt him, Star Saber’s optics roved around the room to see how the rest of the bridge crew were faring. The results were not very encouraging: Wing Saber and Big Bang were wrestling with a Dire Wraith-possessed bot who looked suspiciously like Devcon while Signal Flare and Skyblast were trying to keep two other Dire Wraiths at bay. Everyone else who had been on the bridge were either dead or converted into a Dire Wraith, which seemed to be the fate Thunderclash had in mind for all of them.
“But why should this all end in doom and gloom?” Thunderclash went on, removing his foot from Star Saber’s hand. “There’s still time for you and your friends to become as enlightened as I have.”
Star Saber slowly rose to his knees, flashing the possessed Autobot a look over his shoulder. “’Enlightened?’”
“When I merged with the Dire Wraiths, my eyes were opened to the endless possibilities of the universe. There are creatures – beings out there who are capable of things that we machines are not. By joining with them, we can become so much more than what Primus made us to be. We can become... transcendent.”
“If you and your buddies are so ‘transcendent,’ then why are you slaughtering my crew?” Star Saber bit back.
“Because they stand in the way of the Grand Architect’s plan,” Thunderclash replied. “By attempting to delay our success, they delay our chance to access the Higher Realms.”
“Your pitch would be a lot more enticing if it didn’t sound so fragging stupid.”
Thunderclash frowned. “And here I was hoping to spare you a terrible fate. No matter....”
Before the Dire Wraith-possessed Autobot could make a move, Star Saber seized his sword and jumped to his feet, swinging the blade at Thunderclash’s head. A screech teared out of Thunderclash’s voice box as the sword caught into his neck; before Star Saber could finish the decapitating move, Thunderclash grabbed the sword and wrenched it out of his assailant’s hands and his neck. As energon leaked from the gashing wound, Thunderclash reoriented the sword until it was pointing at Star Saber’s chest.
“Just for that,” the Dire Wraith growled, “I’m going to make sure that each and every last one of your crew dies a slow, painful death as my brothers feast on your corpses!”
Star Saber stared defiantly into Thunderclash’s eyes, unfazed by the possessed Autobot’s words. “We’ve braved worse than this, you know. Thunderwing, the Fallen, Unicron... if you think we’re not capable of handling you, then you are greatly mistaken.”
Thunderclash laughed. “Oh, no. I’m afraid it is you who are mistaken, about a great many th—”
He was cut off by the Lost Light suddenly shaking without warning, causing him to lose his balance and drop Star Saber’s sword. As the captain quickly retrieved his weapon, he heard what sounded like large footsteps making their way towards the bridge. Star Saber glanced at Wing Saber and the others as well as the other Dire Wraiths; both parties seemed to be as equally confused as the expression on Thunderclash’s face.
“Well then,” Star Saber murmured. “I guess we’re both in for a few surprises.”
* * *
“What’s that sound?”
Psychokhan paused with his sword raised over Bluestreak’s head. He tilted his head to look at Lord Imperious Delirious. “What?”
Lord Imperious raised a hand for silence. As he did, Bluestreak could hear the distant sound of what sounded like footsteps. Large footsteps; not the kind he would associate with an average Cybertronian, not even someone like Bulkhead or Lugnut. He glanced at Trailbreaker, who simply gave him a discreet shrug in response.
“How intriguing,” Lord Imperious murmured. “It would appear our enemies have discovered a new way of fighting us.”
“Want me to tear them apart?” growled Bruton.
“Actually, I believe it would be more strategically viable for all of us to address this unexpected development directly,” Lord Imperious replied. “Besides, it’s not as if we can’t return to these three later.”
“At least let me take this one’s head,” Psychokhan growled, running his blade across Bluestreak’s neck.
“Preserve your energy, my friend. You will have your fun.” With that, the Destructon leader made a motion with his hand and the other two fell behind him as they departed.
After they had left, Bluestreak looked over to where Atomizer had been smashed into the ground. He instantly recoiled at the sight; there was no way they would be able to bring him back from his flattened, utterly mutilated state. Forcing himself to look away from the gory sight, Bluestreak got to his feet before helping up Trailbreaker and Pipes.
“Let’s see if we can regroup with any of the others, while these guys are distracted,” he said.
“You sure you don’t wanna see whatever it is that’s stomping around?” asked Pipes.
“Whatever it is, it’s definitely not on their side, which means it’s just earned my respect. C’mon; let’s go before they lose interest in it.”
* * *
“I think she’s gone.”
Brainstorm slowly raised over his head over the repair slab, peering at the heavily-stabbed door to the lab. Indeed, there was no sign of the serpentine Destructon; in fact, by enhancing his audio sensors, he could hear what sounded like her slithering away. While he was no expert on Destructon tactics, he doubted she was trying to pull some kind of trick on them; it legitimately sounded like she was leaving for one reason or another.
He was about to get to his feet only to fall down again when the ship made a violent shake. It sounded – no, felt like something or someone very big had just found its way onto the Lost Light.
“Want to make any guesses on what the hell that just was, Percy?” he asked Perceptor.
“Not without more substantial details,” Perceptor replied.
“Do you think it’s safe for us to go out there?” asked Lug.
“’Safe’ takes a suicide fall out the window when the Destructons are involved,” Brainstorm muttered. “I mean, you guys can do whatever the heck you want, but I arghh!”
The Autobot scientist shielded his optics as a bright light filled the room. It dissipated just as quickly as it had appeared, and all five bots were left staring at the solitary orange bot standing in the center of the room. As a charred metal gauntlet fell from Rung’s skinny arm, Brainstorm carefully approached the silent therapist.
“Uh... hey, buddy,” the scientist said quietly. “Where’s, uh, where’s Skids?”
Rung said nothing as he fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands.
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