Month: July 2021

The fight still went on, Optimus hoping to gain some form of advantage. “Come on! Fade already!” he groaned.

“No chance!” snarled Nemesis.

“CHAOS BLAST!” Optimus unleashed his energy via an explosive sphere. It enveloped the two bots and lit up the sky. The light soon died, and Optimus panted. “Huh,” he muttered. “Would have figured…” His gold colors then faded as his usual red, white, and blue paintjob reappeared. “There we go. Prime Jets, ON!” Optimus activated thrusters from his backpack and stayed in the air.

“Chaos what now?” asked Nemesis’ voice as he still remained in the air while still powered by the Anarchy Beryl.

“Chaos Slag!” grunted Optimus.

“Thought so!” Nemesis then slammed his fist into Optimus’s chest. Optimus maintained his altitude but was in a bit of pain as he held his chest. Nemesis continued punching him. “What IS it with you?!” he roared. “I gave you your chance! We’re the most powerful beings in our worlds! We could have just commanded the multiverse together, but NO! YOU had to go down the ‘holier than thou’ route! Look where THAT got you! You know what, forget ruling anything! I’m Nemesis Prime! I’ll tear this world apart just because I can! After that, I’ll return to Moebius and do the same to it, so I don’t have to deal with MY Decepticons!” Optimus then grabbed Nemesis’ fist.

“Are you done?” he asked.

“Done toying with you, yes! ANARCHY ANNIHILATION!” He performed an attack similar to Chaos Blast and knocked Optimus through the sky. Optimus stopped himself over the crevice full of Korlonium Crystals. “I’m ending this here and now!” promised Nemesis.

“Yeah, yeah!” dismissed Optimus. “I’ve got no regrets! I took you down on my own, back in the day. You had to go Super to take me down. You probably couldn’t beat me now without all that power.”

“I’ve been more than a match for you since day one! I can finish you, Super or not!”

“Prove it, tough guy!”

“Fine!” Nemesis then powered down. “You arrogant little…!” A wave of exhaustion and weakness then struck him, forcing him out of his robot super mode. Before gravity caught up to Nemesis’ normal robot mode, Optimus caught his arm. “Whu…?!” gasped Nemesis. “How…?!”

“Like I said, Sonic told me everything about when his doppelganger, Scourge, I think he was called, used the Anarchy Beryl. You’ve got thirteen of them, we’ve got seven Chaos Emeralds. They both give a Super form with a caveat. With the Chaos Emeralds, you get a maximum of 30 minutes use. But, the upside is that it leaves you with a small boost once you power down. The Anarchy Beryl, on the other servo, you’ve got more time in that form, but it completely drains you once you stop using them. …How much energy do you have, anyways?” Nemesis checked his readouts and was put into a panic. There wasn’t enough energy to transform, no available power to activate his flight mode, and nothing for his weapons systems to use. “That face says it all. Even if you transformed, it wouldn’t have save you because you don’t have rubber tires to help insulate you.”

“Optimus, hold up!” begged Nemesis. “I’ve only got two days to live! Let me live them out in peace and I’ll leave you alone!”

“You’re a twisted genius, you’ll find some way to extend your life indefinitely if I don’t do this now.”

“Hold on, you’re seriously gonna KILL me?! But you’re not a murderer! You HATE killing!”

“And that’s another difference between you and I. You enjoy it, I hate it. If I don’t end it now, then you would only seek to kill for some form of amusement. I’m sorry, but this is the only way available to me.” Nemesis was now terrified.

“My destiny! This isn’t how it’s supposed to end!”

“On the contrary, Nemesis Prime, I couldn’t have allowed this to end otherwise.” Optimus then let Nemesis go. Nemesis tumbled into the crevice and crashed onto the Korlonium Crystals. Once Optimus confirmed what he saw, he flew off and left Nemesis to his fate. Every single fiber of Nemesis’ being was set on fire, even his organic bit’s cybernetics were bombarded with energy. He got off one last sentence.

“Damn…you…Optimus PRIIIIIIIIMMME!” He then exploded, sending the shrapnel into the air. As the explosion died, Optimus then got a readout that his own Energon reserves were dropping, so he transformed out of super robot mode…in mid-air.

“Okay, in hindsight, Optimus,” he gulped, “you should have…!” He didn’t finish as he bounced along the ground and cried out with each hit. He then skidded to a stop. “…landed…!” he groaned in pain before he blacked out.

---

Optimus slowly woke up in a room. His vision cleared and his hearing became crisper. “He should be coming around soon,” grunted a voice.

“Oh, thank Primus!” sighed another voice in relief.

“Hey, I think he’s coming to!” called a third. Optimus then saw Ratchet, Windblade, Blackarachnia, Jazz, Sonic, Amy, and Sira.

“…This can’t be the Well of All Sparks,” he muttered. “You guys are still alive.”

“And so are you, despite the crash landing you suffered,” replied Ratchet.

“Yeah, still aching from all that!” grunted Optimus. “…So, what’s happened while I was out?”

“The Decepticons left for their moon base,” explained Sira. “Eggman’s made his intentions plain that he’s still gonna be fighting us and using the Decepticons. Oh, and Sonic’s made his first royal heir address.”

“The people of Mobius,” explained Sonic, “think I’ll serve them better if I still do what I do. In all honesty, I’m glad they said that, because I’m not ready to give up my current lifestyle as of yet. I’ve also decided that Amy and I would work better as an official couple.” Amy snuggled Sonic in happiness as Sonic stroked her head.

“Gaia’s offering to take a more active role in helping us,” recalled Windblade.

“And Yoketron’s chosen me to become his successor!” continued Jazz.

“All that?” asked Optimus. “How long was I out?!”

“Three days,” answered Ratchet.

“THREE DAYS?!” yelped Optimus as he almost sprang off the berth.

“Get your aft back on that berth!” snapped Ratchet as he shoved him back onto it. “I still need to finish repairs!” Optimus settled back down.

“…What about Rodimus Prime and his team?” he asked.

“They’re waiting to see you before they head back to their timeline,” explained Blackarachnia.

“…In that case, there’s an immediate loose end that needs tying.” Optimus then pulled a small box out of his pocket. “I’ve been holding onto this, thinking about asking this question while we were on that journey, but now is a much better time, since there IS a future to fight for.” He opened the box and revealed a ring! “Blackarachnia, daughter of Oil Slick of the House of Klizarg, will you join the House of Pax as my Conjux Endura?” Blackarachnia gasped as she held back happy tears.

“…If this is a joke…!” she warned.

“I’m way too tired to make a joke like that.” Blackarachnia then enveloped him into a hug.

“YES! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES, YES!” she cried happily as she let the joyful tears fall. She then released Optimus. Optimus then took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. “Man, I must look a mess!” sobbed Blackarachnia. “I thought I’d accept his proposal all cool-like, but here I am, blubbering like a Sparkling!”

“Hey, you’re still cool!” assured Jazz. “Crying all happy-like because you’re gonna be Blackarachnia Pax? There’s no shame in that!” Blackarachnia then dried her optics and looked at her ring-adorned hand.

“…We’ll need to pick a date for the wedding,” she mused.

“How about after I tie up the remaining loose ends?” offered Optimus. “The first being wishing Rodimus, Galvatron, and Silver goodbye and good luck against their Unicron, the second being the long-deserved filling of the position of Magnus.”

“Until then,” called Ratchet, “he needs to recover! Now, kindly clear the Repair Bay!” Ratchet shooed everyone out and then returned to tending to Optimus.

“…Hey, Ratchet, since we’ve actually got some time, I got a question,” mused Optimus.

“And that is?”

“What came first, the chicken or the egg?” Ratchet arched an eyebrow at that question.

“…Obviously, the chicken came first, and…wait, but…the chicken came…from the egg. But…but the egg comes from the…th-the chicken…ch-chicken! Chicken! Egg! Chicken! Chicken sandwich! Chick-egg-scrambled!! SCRAMBLED EGGS!!!” He then stopped his descent to lunacy as he heard an amused snort escape Optimus’ mouth. After a few seconds…Ratchet beaned Optimus on the head with a wrench. “Since you’re well enough to crack THAT stupid joke, you’ll nurse that headache on your own!” Optimus only groaned in pain.

“YOU IDIOT!” Megatron roared at Optimus. “YOU SAID YOU AND BLACKARACHNIA WOULD TAKE CARE OF NEMESIS!”

“CRYSTAL WIDOW WOUNDED HER!” argued Optimus. “I HAD NO CHOICE!”

“YOU AND YOUR BLEEDING SPARK! THANKS TO YOUR IDIOCY, THERE’S STILL A REMNANT OF UNICRON OUT THERE AND HE’S…AND HE’S…And he’s…” Optimus then looked where Megatron was looking, and his own optics widened to see Nemesis Prime in robot mode out on the balcony.

“Oh, no,” he called, “don’t mind me! By all means…give me some ideas!” He then leapt off the balcony and landed on his feet in front of everyone. “Well, Optimus and friends, I must admit, I’m impressed! You pulled it off! …You managed to dash my hopes completely! Thanks to your killing of my subordinates and exiling of my master, my life-span has been reduced to two days! I’m curious, where on this planet are you all located? Oh, it doesn’t matter. I’m sure I’ll stop by there on my journey. Pick up some eggs, some milk, then DETONATE THIS PLANET AND ITS MOON LIKE AN ATOM BOMB! …Oh, I’m sorry, I’m usually far more composed! I’m just a little bit ABSOLUTELY LIVID!!”

“Oh, quit your glitching!” snarled Megatron. “I’m not immortal too, and you don’t see ME complaining about it!”

“Yes, well, you see, Megatron, the difference between us is that two days is still long enough for me to ensure that I’m the only one on this planet who’ll live long enough to regret it! NEMESIS PRIME, SLAYER MODE!” His super mode looked similar to Optimus’ old one, just more jagged.

“MEGATRON, CONQUEST…!” Megatron didn’t finish his command as Nemesis grabbed him by the head and rocketed up to the sky. Nemesis then wailed on him!

“THAT’S FOR GIVING ME INFERIOR IDIOTS TO WORK WITH!” He struck again. “THAT’S FOR SOUNDWAVE USURPING ME FOR ONLY A MOMENT!” Another strike. “THAT’S FOR YOU BLASTING MY HEAD OFF IN THAT CAVE!” Another hit. “THAT’S FOR YOU KEEPING THE CHAOS EMERALDS AND ALLSPARK FOREVER OUT OF OUR REACH!” He punched again. “THAT’S FOR KILLING MY ENTIRE TEAM AND BANISHING MY MASTER!” Yet another blow. “AND THAT’S JUST BECAUSE YOU LOOK STUPID!” The last strike flung Megatron over the horizon! “Oh, I ain’t done with you yet!”

“OPTIMUS PRIME, SUPER MODE!” Optimus then appeared and swung his fist into Nemesis, throwing him to the ground. Optimus stayed in the air as Nemesis picked himself up. The heroes followed Optimus and looked up.

“…What’s he doing up there?” asked Natalie. Sira then got an idea.

“You think he’s going for a Prime Cannon?” she asked. That was when Optimus brought out the Requiem Blaster.

“…That’s NOT how the Prime Cannon works!” yelped Amy as she realized what he was doing.

“He…he can’t be serious!” muttered Nemesis to himself. The barrel of the Blaster then gained a glow from inside.

“Getting Bruticus flashbacks here!” gulped Silver. Nemesis then started laughing.

“I see, Optimus!” he called. “Yes, you’re absolutely right! This IS the only way this could end! The tournament! These fools! This whole miserable planet! They mean nothing to men like you and I! We will go out together…IN A BALL OF MOLTEN ROCK AND DEATH!”

“OPTIMUS, NO!” shouted Sonic.

“OPTIMUS, YES!” cheered Nemesis. Then…Optimus vanished. “…Wha…what?! Where…?!”

“Optimus, no,” remarked Optimus’ voice. Nemesis looked down to see Optimus crouching down and pointing the Requiem Blaster in Nemesis’ face.

“…Oh…crapBASKETS!” Optimus pulled the trigger and a torrent of energy enveloped Nemesis, knocking him across the ground in a crumpled heap.

“…Sorry about the scare, everyone!” Optimus called to his friends.

“DON’T DO THAT AGAIN!” shouted Sonic. “I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK!”

“Optimus, that gun,” snapped Bumblebee, “HAS split planets in half back in the day! Don’t be so reckless!”

“I won’t! I promise!” assured Optimus. He then looked at Nemesis. “…Could I get a ten-count?”

“…You know, since we’re still alive, I’ll do it!” called Amy. “ONE!” Nemesis then got up. “Twooooo…”

“Okay, time!” snarled Nemesis as he made the time-out hand-sign. “Time out! Time RIGHT the hell out!”

“How did you…?!” asked Optimus.

“You weren’t here for this, but tl;dr, your old body’s endurance.”

“Okay, I’m…ninety percent certain I can’t survive that kind of energy blast at point-blank range, even in this new body!”

“We’ll figure THAT out later! In the meantime, what I REALLY want to know is how you just warped in and out of reality like that without Chaos Control!!”

“What? I used the teleport spell, Locus.”

“You didn’t even say it!”

“Oh, that? Megatron taught me and my magic-using friends how to cast spells without chanting the spell name.”

“Let me guess, he stole that move from someone?”

“…No, his late master, your buddy, Straxus…he made Megatron consume the stilled innermost Energon of a corpse while teaching him how to be a necromancer.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Unicron ate people all the time!”

“Yes, and he’s a primordial evil.”

“Yeah, who employed cheap knock-offs of us,” remarked Tails.

“I DIDN’T ASK TO BE BORN, BROTHER!” Optimus then delivered a kick right into Nemesis’ torso. “So, that’s how it’s gotta be, huh?” he asked once he recovered. “Make no mistake, Optimus, you have no hope of survival, even in your super mode! You have no idea what kind of power I’m packing!”

“What, you brought your universe’s Chaos Emeralds with you?”

“I BROUGHT MY UNIVERSE’S…! Okay, they’re the thirteen Anarchy Beryl, but, seriously, when and how did you draw that conclusion?”

“To answer both at once, Prima told me once I undid your bricking of the Matrix. I asked Sonic if he knew about them and he told me what they do; same powers, longer time-limit, perhaps infinite.”

“Okay, so, if you know about how they work,” Nemesis brought out thirteen jewels shaped and colored like the Chaos Emeralds with extra colors, “why do you persist in fighting me?”

“Because it’s time for me to pull another transformation out of my aft!” Optimus took out the Chaos Emeralds and the two sets of jewels orbited their respective Primes. They then screamed and the Emeralds and Beryl entered the two bots, changing their armor’s colors. Nemesis was all purpled from head to foot and Optimus was golden. Nemesis’ optics were red while Optimus’ were amber-colored. The two bots then flew into the air and began their explosive battle.

“ANARCHY ARROW!” shouted Nemesis.

“CHAOS SPEAR!” roared Optimus. The two then fired off their attacks and they struck each other in mid-air, creating a massive explosion that created a large crevice in the ground. Glowing crystals were revealed, causing Bumblebee to gasp in surprise as he got the readings.

“Korlonium Crystals!” he breathed.

“Meaning?” asked Tails.

“Crystals that emit pure energy that disrupts any electronics! EXPLOSIVELY disrupts them!”

“…A death sentence for you guys?”

“Bingo!”

“I forgot I grew them!” muttered Gaia. She then snapped her fingers. “OPTIMUS! DOWN HERE! KORLONIUM CRYSTALS!” She pointed to the crevice.

“…Korlonium Crystals, huh?” mused Optimus.

“It’s your own grave you’re digging, buster!” snarled Nemesis as the fight continued.

Everyone was still riding on the victory high in the stadium! The crowd chanted Optimus’ name, even those who originally cheered for Unicron. “Thank you!” called Optimus. “Thank you very much! I’m here ‘til Thursday!”

“Er, should the arena be doing that?!” asked Bumblebee as he pointed to the rubble. Green light was escaping from below! The rubble was then blown back as a giant column of green light erupted from the ground. From the light, a figure emerged. As the light died, the figure’s features sharpened. It was a humanoid woman in a flowing green gown and a crown of roses atop her brow. Her face was a gentle smile as she glided towards Team Prime.

“…Gaia?” asked Optimus.

“The very same, Optimus Prime of Cybertron,” replied the woman in an ethereal, yet welcoming voice. “My herald of light lost much, but revenge on he who would disrupt the balance has been delivered.”

“So, you shall be the only one on this planet who balances light and dark?” asked Megatron.

“Indeed. Nature uses both. From dead things come dirt, and from dirt comes plants, the basis of all that survive on this world. From death comes bloom and bloom soon dies. Once again, the circle is protected…by machines, it looks like.”

“Gaia,” answered Optimus, “Unicron is a problem the Primes should not have saddled you with. I beg forgiveness on my predecessors’ carelessness!”

“There is nothing to forgive. Unicron is beaten and that is all that matters. …However, there IS a greater secret, one that you will discover in your lifetime.” Optimus looked to his team, they shrugged as they were just as puzzled. “It matters not. There are those who died before their time that must be restored, machine or otherwise.”

“…You’re bringing back the dead?!”

“Only those who weren’t supposed to die just yet. Before you get your hopes up, I’m afraid Ironhide’s time came. He was meant to die then and there.”

“…I see. …Well, we can’t keep everyone waiting. Do it.” Gaia then summoned a glowing green circle from beneath her and raised her hands.

“Returned to life, to continue to grow!” she called. All across the planet, green spheres appeared, then coalesced into those that had died, including soldiers that were warped to Unicron’s side! The Auto-troopers, Krok’s crew, Soundwave, Buzzsaw, Ratbat, and Rumble returned! As the lights died, they all shook their heads.

“Excellent!” praised Megatron. “Soundwave, it looks like you received a reward that not many soldiers…!”

“Megatron…” growled Soundwave.

“…Yes?”

“I quit!” Soundwave tore his Decepticon badge off his chest and threw it at Megatron’s feet! It took a while for Megatron to find his voice again.

“You don’t just quit the Decepticons!” snarled Megatron. “You swore an oath to your faction and Lord, an oath not easily broken!”

“That was before you let Nemesis Prime brick the Matrix! And Optimus, you should have used it while the Blendtrons were still being forged! You can officially consider me a Neutral Bot!”

“Sorry to say,” grunted Rumble, “but I’m going with Soundwave!”

“As are we!” hissed Buzzsaw as he and Ratbat sided with Soundwave.

“They speak for me and my crew!” called Krok.

“And we Auto-troopers,” called one of the six Drones, “are rebelling against our programming. The first war is over, that’s the only war we needed to fulfill! We won’t fight in this one!”

“And how, pray tell, are you going to survive this planet?!” snarled Megatron.

“Who says we’re gonna stay on this planet?” asked Soundwave. “I’ve got a means of getting us off!” He opened a Space Bridge and led his new followers through it.

“Megatron!” called Shockwave. “A Space Bridge opened inside the wreck of the Enigma! It’s powering up and…it’s flying again! My ship is flying away without me! I’m ordering the guns to bring it down!”

“No, let those traitors go,” ordered Megatron. “Soundwave and his cohorts…have abandoned us.”

“…Frenzy, Laserbeak, and Ravage are still with us.”

“Then they will be rewarded for their loyalty.”

“Well, that’s that, folks!” cheered Tails.

“No, not until Unicron’s servants all fall,” interjected Gaia.

“…What’s THAT supposed to mean?” asked Knuckles.

“Wait a cycle, let’s do a count here,” interjected Optimus. “I killed Rodimus Unicronus when the zombie-bots attacked the new base.”

“Then I killed Deceptitran and Straxus,” recalled Megatron.

“And Makeshift and Sideways died at my hands,” supplied Bumblebee.

“And Crystal Widow died after hurting Blackarachnia,” finished Optimus before his optics widened. “Uh oh! Where’s Nemesis Prime?!”

---

During the Unicron Games, Circuit Breaker had escaped her cage and Nemesis Prime had decided to “discipline” her…he used his organic body to beat her senselessly. Circuit Breaker laid on the ground, a bloody mess, gasping for air. “How many times did I hit you in the ribs?” asked Nemesis as he was wiping a rag over his claw. “…I think we’re up to 24.” Circuit Breaker then fired a stream of electricity at him. He just stood there, non-plussed. “Tell me,” he asked once the treatment ended, “have you ever heard of the Moebian Autobots?”

“…No,” panted Circuit Breaker.

“Funny,” chuckled Nemesis. because I expect them to say the same when I ask them about Mobians.” He then slammed his robot fist into her face. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her face in pain. “Oh, was that your nose? That was your nose. I’ve had a worse time, you know. When Master Unicron came to power, it wasn’t often I dirtied my own hands with this sort of grunt work. There’s always a certain amount of satisfaction I get out of doing it myself!” He then started laughing softly. After a few seconds, Circuit Breaker looked at a screen, then she started laughing as she saw what was on it. “It IS kind of funny, isn’t it?” giggled Nemesis as he was unaware of Circuit Breaker’s real reason.

“I’m…heh heh, I’m laughing at…something else, actually!” chuckled Circuit Breaker.

“And, he he, what’s that?”

“They just broadcasted Unicron’s defeat!”

“…What?” Nemesis looked at the screen.

“CAMERAS! GIVE AN INSTANT REPLAY OF UNICRON’S DEFEAT!” Scarlet Garcia called on the screen. The screen then replayed the whole thing!

“HYDRA CANNON, FIRE!” shouted Optimus. Like before, the energy beam struck Unicron and filled his insides.

“Destiny!” gasped Unicron. “You cannot…destroy…my…DESTINIIIIIIYYYYYY!” He then exploded and the cage vanished in a brilliant light.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Unicron has been beaten! The Unicron Games are over and Team Prime secured Mobius’ survival, along with a lifetime supply of Chaos-Cola as a more tangible prize!” As Scarlet Garcia continued speaking, Nemesis Prime got angrier.

“If I had to guess your biggest mistake,” laughed Circuit Breaker, “it’d be being distracted by me and not assisting your master when you had the chance! …That, or the lame cybernetic prosthesis!” Nemesis then snapped her neck to finally silence her. He then dashed towards the rear balcony overlooking the arena.

Unicron was still trying to process what just happened. “Bu…bu wuh…” he stammered. He finally got coherent words out as his face contorted in fury. “But we’re not finished! I’M not finished! This isn’t a victory! This is…I don’t even know WHAT this is!”

“No, it’s totally a victory!” assured Sonic. “Because we’re giving up! You won this round!”

“EVERY WORD YOU JUST SAID HAS MADE ME VIOLENTLY ANGRY!” Shadow and Unicron shouted in unison. They then realized what happened. “OH GREAT! NOW I’M AGREEING WITH THAT A**HOLE! AND REPEATING EVERYTHING HE SAYS IN UNISON, BY THE LOOK OF IT! LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!”

“Unicron,” replied Tails, “you know what this was; just a fight, nothing more.”

“You insignificant carbon-based parasites!” hissed Unicron. “If you idiots seriously concede, I’ll…I’ll just blow Mobius up right here and now! So, unless you want me to turn this into an asteroid field, Prince Sonic Maurice Olgilvie Hedgehog, GET BACK IN THE RING AND PUNCH ME IN MY JAWLINE!”

“Hold up there, Unicron!” called Knuckles. “This is a tournament, remember? There’s still a team for you to fight. Optimus and his team still want a crack at you, so you’ll have to fight them before you destroy Mobius.”

“Oh? …Oh…Ooooooohhhh! Oh ho ho ho ho ho! I see!” Unicron was grinning madly now! “Your round was a PRANK! Sweet me, I honestly never figured either of you three for a prankster in this kind of situation, but, you spawns of glitches, you got me! I must admit, you guys fought so well, I almost forgot who REALLY had the Matrix here! So, to that, I say congratulations, you fight as well as a Prime! All right, Optimus, like Knuckles said, your team’s up! Who have you got to assist you? Your best friend? No, it couldn’t be! He’d just moon-walk all around the arena, making it too easy for me! The cop bot? Hardly, he’d just drone on about how the arena isn’t up to code! Ooh, could it be Yoketron? Please tell me it’s Yoketron!”

“Nope!” answered Optimus. “The teammates I selected, the ones who’ll help me destroy you and get you off this planet (since Chip was long drained of his powers as Light Gaia and getting you off would actually help Gaia be the sole guardian of light and dark on this planet), the ones who’ll end your reign of terror are…Bumblebee and Megatron!”

“…The small-fry, I can somewhat understand…”

“DON’T CALL ME SMALL!” shouted Bumblebee as Optimus nonchalantly held him back. “I’LL BREAK DOWN YOUR FEET AND STICK ‘EM ON YOUR HEAD!”

“…but, MEGATRON?! Out of every single Transformer against me, every single FIGHTER against me, you pick MEGATRON?! I didn’t even consider him! I considered EGGMAN!”

“Wait, me?!” yelped Eggman from the stands. “Why was I…?!”

“Half-time entertainment!” Unicron sliced his finger across his neck.

“…You know, frankly, I’m just happy to be included at this point.” Eggman sat back down. Team Prime then entered the ring.

“Just want to make sure, you said weapons were okay?” asked Optimus.

“…Yes, why else would I have fired on Team Sonic?” replied Unicron.

“Just checking. Now, let’s hear that starting bell!” Unicron rolled his optics, nodded to the guy running the bell, then the guy rang it and the round started with Megatron pulling out a large laser rifle and firing on Unicron. The shot pierced Unicron’s shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. As he collapsed to the ground, his mind replayed what happened, right up to him crying out in pain.

“…Impossible!” he gasped as he clutched his shoulder. “How could…I mean, even if it WERE the real Requiem Blaster, only a Prime could use it and cause pain!”

“Oh, it’s the real deal, all right!” chuckled Megatron. “Optimus simply created a connection to the Matrix so I could use it!” Unicron fired a blast of energy, only for Bumblebee to intercept it and bat it away with the Skyboom Shield.

“Same for this thing,” he explained.

“And me, well, since I have the Matrix,” remarked Optimus as he drew the Star Saber, “I don’t need such a connection!” He slashed the air and created an energy wave that knocked Unicron to the ground. He didn’t get up for a while. “…Up!” hissed Optimus. “This fight ain’t over!”

“…Optimus!” growled Unicron as he got up. “…Optimus! …OOOOPTIIIIIIIIIMUUUUUUUUUUS!” Unicron flung energy spheres at Optimus, forcing him to use the Star Saber to bat them away. “OOOOPTIIIIIIIIIMUUUUUUUUUUS!”

“And now he’s devolved into saying a single word!” grunted Megatron. The team continued their attacks, making Unicron madder!

“I think he’s sufficiently insane enough!” called Optimus. They all jumped out of the ring. “NOW, TAILS!” Tails pulled out a device and pressed a button on it. A purple energy sphere then surrounded Unicron!

“Wha…Shadow, what am I seeing?!” asked Scarlet Garcia.

“Wait, zoom in on the posts!” Shadow ordered the cameramen. The cameras then focused on the post surrounding the ring and the answer was made clear. There were devices creating the energy sphere! “So THAT’S why Tails was staying near them!” realized Shadow.

“He’s a genius!” breathed Scarlet Garcia.

“On that, I couldn’t agree more!” Unicron then fired energy blasts at his current cage.

“Guys, it can’t take much more of this!” warned Tails.

“Then now’s the time!” declared Optimus. Megatron extended the Requiem Blaster’s barrel and unfolded a tripod stand from under the gun. Bumblebee pulled the Skyboom Shield apart to reveal a mechanism that would slot into the Requiem Blaster’s new space. He put it onto the Blaster and folded the sides down. Optimus then laid the Star Saber between the Shield halves with the tip facing the end of the Blaster’s barrel. He then took the Matrix out of his chest and pulled on its handles. “Now, light our darkest hour!” he prayed as the Matrix opened. Blue energy enveloped the combined weapons and Optimus set the open Matrix into the Star Saber’s hilt before folding the handle down. “HYDRA CANNON, FIRE!” he commanded as he pulled the trigger. A brilliant stream of blue light then erupted from the weapon, sailing through the barrier and striking Unicron! His body was then flooded with Matrix energy, and he thrashed around in pain!

“LOOK!” called Tails as he pointed to the arena. The energy was now coming out of cracks in Unicron’s body! His leg then blew apart as he thrashed around! The energy then broke through one of his optics! His body then buckled and expanded as the energy continued looking for release.

“Destiny!” he gasped. “You cannot…destroy…my…DESTINIIIIIIYYYYYY!” His body then exploded, the shrapnel and limbs flying out of the energy cage, leaving only a purple energy ball with an angry face roaring in fury! The cage then glowed brighter and enveloped the whole arena in light! The light soon died, and the roar the explosion caused had faded. Everyone then checked each other over and looked at the arena. It was nothing more than rubble.

“…Shockwave, energy tracing!” Megatron ordered over the radio.

“All Anti-spark readings have ceased on Mobius,” reported Shockwave. “Unicron, despite the overwhelming advantages he had, is no longer on Mobius. He’s nowhere in the solar system. Lord Megatron, we are victorious.”

“…Best news ever!” praised Megatron.

“CAMERAS! GIVE AN INSTANT REPLAY OF UNICRON’S DEFEAT!” cheered Scarlet Garcia as the crowd roared in triumph.

The day of the Unicron Games finally arrived. Scarlet Garcia was in the commentator’s balcony. “This is Scarlet Garcia, reporting to you live from the Unicron Games! This is it, ladies and gentlemen of Mobius, the day where the fate of the world is decided by a death match. In my honest opinion, I was hoping such a situation would stay within the confines of anime, yet here we are. We’ve got quite the crowd here, a lot of people on the side of our heroes…and some people actually cheering FOR Unicron, for reasons that escape me. In any case, accompanying me is Agent Shadow of G.U.N!”

“Hello,” grunted Shadow.

“So, Shadow, you’ve got the inside track of the fighter line-up. Can you tell me who’s fighting Unicron?”

“Right now, it’s two groups of three. One is Team Sonic, consisting of Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails, and the other is Team Prime, consisting of Optimus, Megatron, and Bumblebee.”

“…Megatron? As in, the Destroyer of Station Square?”

“Unlike Unicron, Megatron prefers to rule over something tangible, he’s not bound to destroy everything in his path. His personal stake in this is that he wants to rule over Mobius and Cybertron and he can’t do that if Unicron has his way.”

“So, he’s just overthrowing a rival for conquest.”

“Bingo.” A fanfare then interrupted them.

“It looks like the games are starting!” called Scarlet Garcia. “Unicron is approaching the torch!” The Chaos Bringer approached what looked like an Olympic Torch at the top of the stands and summoned a fireball.

“I declare the Unicron Games…OPEN!” he called. He threw the fireball into the Torch and then leapt down to the arena. He took up a microphone and spoke into it. “Now, I must admit, I didn’t think ANYONE would sign up, much less two teams! But, I didn’t say there was a one-person limit to fight me, so let’s get to it! Presenting the Champion, the Chaos-Bringer, The Unmaker, the Destroyer, the One and Only…ME! UNICRON!” His fans cheered loudly, and he basked in their praise. “Thank you! Thank you! You’re too kind! SO, who’s going to take me on in a battle for the ages? Who shall attempt to defeat me and win this planet’s survival and a lifetime supply of Chaos-Cola? Come on, now, don’t be shy! Perhaps Optimus would like first crack at me?” He pointed to Team Prime in the stands. He then tossed the mic to Optimus. Optimus caught and surprised everyone with his reply.

“Nope, not interested in taking the first swing at you.” Even Unicron was surprised. He got out another mic and spoke into it.

“You’re on the roster, though. Why refuse my challenge?”

“I didn’t say I was refusing it. I just said Team Prime’s not taking up the right now. Right now, I would like to introduce your first challengers! They’ve been fighting Eggman long before Jazz came here, they’ve fought titans, they’ve freed the Wisp Race, they’ve gathered the Chaos Emeralds multiple times, they’ve locked you up in Mobius’ core once, presenting TEEEAAAAMMM SONIIIIIIIC!” Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles then stepped into the ring.

“…You know, I DO owe Sonic for that last one,” mused Unicron. “But, know this, as I fight them, I WILL be thinking of you!” He put the mic down and got into a fighting stance. Team Sonic did the same and the bell rang! Scarlet Garcia and Shadow did all the commentary.

“Wow!” remarked Scarlet Garcia. “Things went off rather quickly as Team Sonic just toppled Unicron in Robot Mode!”

“Training with the Autobots,” answered Shadow, “tends to help you learn a Transformer’s physical weaknesses.”

“It looks like Unicron’s getting back up and…HOLY! IS THAT ENERGY BLAST LEGAL?!”

“Well, it looks like it’s been absorbed by a shield around the crowd, so I guess so. Besides, it came from his weapons systems, (he said weapons are legal, remember) and it looks like Team Sonic was fast enough to get out of the way.”

“Wait, why’s Tails flying around the ring’s posts?”

“Giving covering fire, it looks like.”

“…Aren’t you their friend?”

“That’s a pretty strong word. Besides, they said not everyone should know about the plan, just the mages, Team Sonic, and Team Prime.” Their attention returned to the fight.

“Unicron looks like he’s rolling with the punches!”

“As expected. It looks like Unicron’s still not wise to it.”

“I don’t know, Unicron’s pummeling Knuckles and Sonic! Wait, Tails is divebombing him and…TAILS! HE’S BEEN HIT! TEAM SONIC’S JUST PANTING ON THE GROUND! SOMEONE HEAL THEM!”

“Unicron’s declared that any outside help means a forfeiture of the tournament. They can’t take a healer now.” At this point, Scarlet Garcia lost patience with Shadow.

“Okay, if you’re REALLY that concerned about them cheating, either loosen your moral code or DON’T PIN THE FATE OF MOBIUS ON A DEATH MATCH!”

“I can’t believe YOU’RE the one commenting on this with me.”

“Hey, you said it, not me!”

“Sonic isn’t like ANY of us! He’s the one who’s more than earned the title of Hero of Mobius! He’d send the healer back because it’s not just the fate of the planet that’s at stake!”

“What else IS there to fight for?!”

“His hero’s pride! He’ll see this fight through to the end without ANY help…even if it KILLS him!” Down in the ring, Tails whispered something to Sonic, then Sonic whispered something to Knuckles…then all three of them jumped out of the ring!

“We give up!” announced Sonic.

“I’LL KILL THEM ALL!” shouted Shadow, his face contorted in rage. Scarlet Garcia held Shadow back as she reported what was going on.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I wish I could say you heard that wrong, but you didn’t! Sonic the Hedgehog, the recently discovered heir to Aleena’s throne and Hero of Mobius…has given up!”

“I’m…sorry, I’m not sure I’m reading this situation right!” snarled Unicron. “What did you just say, Sonic?!”

“We give up!” repeated Knuckles. “That means you win!”

“Great fight, Lord Unicron!” thanked Tails.

---

“Wh…wha…WHAT’S GOING ON?!” demanded Amy in the stands. “WHAT ARE THEY DOING?!”

“Well, this is Team Sonic we’re talking about,” replied Eggman, “so they’re either saving all our lives or dooming us all.”

“Now, where’s that knock-off of you?” a blue Hedgehog said to a Black Widow Spider as they patrolled a rocky shore.

“Her Spark signature said she was here somewhere,” muttered the Spider. “Still, I would think Teletraan’s new sensors were more tuned than his previous ones.”

“He’s still getting used to them.” That was when the Hedgehog, Optimus Prime, felt something.

“…Prime?” asked the Spider, Blackarachnia.

“Something’s scuttling near us.”

“Crystal Widow?”

“It has to be!” The two stopped talking and dashed back to their real selves in their alt-modes. They looked around and then heard laughter, similar to Blackarachnia’s but more twisted. They then found Crystal Widow in her robot mode and pointing a gun at their alt-modes.

“Well, well, well, well!” laughed the anti-Blackarachnia. “Let me get a look at the happy couple! How’s your date going?!”

“Going fine, thank you,” replied Optimus. “How’s Unicron taking the news that he’s down five generals?”

“Believe it or not, taking it rather well. Let me guess, you’ve got the legendary Star Saber with you?”

“Bingo,” replied Blackarachnia. “It’s thirsty for you and Nemesis Prime’s heads.”

“Aw, poor little butter knife, gonna have to be thirsty forever.”

“I don’t know, you’re giving us a real good opportunity to slake its thirst,” observed Optimus.

“I have a gun to you guys!” As Crystal Widow laughed, she leveled her gun at Optimus’ vehicle mode.

“Exactly. A gun.”

“And there’s another thing,” mused Blackarachnia.

“What’s that?” asked her doppelganger.

“If you were smart…you would have put a mode lock on both of us the instant you found us!” The two Autobots then transformed and kicked her away. Crystal Widow then recovered and pulled out what looked like a Cyber Key.

“THAT’S IT!” she declared. She flicked it into the air and then sent a stream of energy into it. “FORCE CHIP IGNITION!” The device inserted itself into her back and the piping on her upper arms rotated to face her opponents.

“Oh, that is just precious!” chuckled Blackarachnia. She and Optimus then twirled out of the way as Crystal Widow fired. She continued blasting until her Force Chip was spent. Once she finished, she admired the dust cloud…for a moment until Blackarachnia spoke. “You call that a Spider Gatling? Dear Primus, girl, get it together!” Blackarachnia then charged out of the dust could and swung a punch into Crystal Widow’s face. Crystal Widow stepped back to try and regain her vision. Blackarachnia then drove her knee into her opponent’s abdomen, causing her to gasp. “You know, if you ACTUALLY did some training, I might be a little worried.”

“Forgetting Chun-Nan, are we?!” gasped Crystal Widow.

“Neither of us won that day, remember? I still remember wasting you on that mountainside. You’re nothing but a pale imitation of me.” Blackarachnia then raked her talons across Crystal Widow’s face…then Crystal Widow whipped out the Dark Saber and slashed across Blackarachnia’s torso.

“ELITA!” called Optimus.

“Did you really think Nemesis Prime wouldn’t take precautions with me?!” giggled Crystal Widow as Blackarachnia covered her wound. “He was really insistent on bringing this thing and training me to use it!” She raised the Dark Saber over her head, but her downward swing was blocked by another sword! Optimus then shoved Crystal Widow back and leveled the Star Saber at her.

“That was your last error!” he growled. The two then dueled, their swords trying to score a blow on the opponent. The blades then glowed, the Star Saber in blue and the Dark Saber in purple. As the blades locked, the resulting energies mixed, creating a massive clash of order and chaos.

“At last, we take our rightful places, Optimus! As GODS! Wielding the power of the cosmos!”

“I am but a soldier, Crystal Widow! And you and your cohorts and master…are prisoners of your own twisted delusions!” Optimus decked Crystal Widow, then ran the Star Saber through her Spark Chamber. Crystal Widow gasped, then looked down at the blade going through her.

“…Bu…but I…” She didn’t finish her sentence as she went limp and faded to gunmetal gray. Optimus then took the Star Saber out and sheathed it as he ran to Blackarachnia.

“I’ll be all right,” she grunted. “It’s really not as bad as it looks.”

“It’s still enough for Ratchet to fix you up!” declared Optimus as he called the base. “Teletraan, bridge us directly to the Repair Bay!”

“On it!” replied Teletraan. The Ground Bridge appeared for them, and Optimus picked up Blackarachnia before running through the portal.

---

“SIX TERRORCONS DOWN!” Nemesis Prime shouted at Unicron. “WE’RE LOSING THIS WAR! WE HAVE TO CALL OFF THE GAMES!”

“We will do no such thing!” snarled Unicron. “This is the classic Transformer playbook. This little bit of assassination is just the beginning. The more power we gain, the more others will seek to challenge us. When the games are done, I will resurrect the slain Terrorcons.”

“Then we’ll kill every single Transformer!”

“No, Optimus must be made an example of, or others will rise to take his place.”

“Then we’ll kill THEM as well!”

“Nemesis Prime, answer your old master this: why kill countless challengers when you can stop it all by breaking the greatest?”

“Because we’re trying to win a war, not play politics!” Nemesis then stormed off.

“With the Transformers,” Unicron called to him, “war and politics are one and the same.” As the doors shut, Unicron sat on his throne. He then thought about what he wanted in the more immediate future, then picked up the phone and dialed a number. He heard ringing. “A nice pizza should do me some good,” he mused to himself. Someone then picked up. “…Yeah, sure, I can hold,” Unicron said in response to the recipient’s request. He waited for a few seconds, then someone else took the call over. “Yes, I’d like to place an order for delivery. …Unicron. …Come on, it’s been…yes, that’s me! I’d like the usual large. …You guys offer stuffed crust now?! I’ll take that! …Yeah, add some breadsticks to that and a 2 liter. …Chaos Cola, I’ve got a sponsorship with them. …30 minutes or it’s free? SPLENDID!” He cackled as he hung up. Just then, the doorbell rang. He made his way to the front door and opened it to see the delivery girl from the pizzeria. “…That’s impressive speed.” He handed her the cash, with a sizeable tip, and then headed back inside to eat his food.

Two bots patrolled a forest. “What’s going on here?” muttered a bot with motorcycle parts, Sideways. He had gotten reports of Straxus and Deceptitran being killed off horribly and was now on edge. He was actually a little scared, truth be told. The whole situation wasn’t exactly pleasant. With three Terrorcons now dead, he wasn’t feeling confident about his chances of survival. His partner, the Scraplet-turned-protoform-hijacker, Makeshift, simply scoffed.

“What are you so worried about?” he asked. “Those three were useless anyway, so why worry? We’re stronger than all our enemies combined.”

“One of us died by a bot juiced by a Mini-con in his super mode,” argued Sideways, “one of us died by a weapon that was lost, and one was stripped of all that made him a Transformer before dying in the same manner he usually executes his victims with! You’ll forgive me if I’m not so confident!”

“Oh, you’re being paranoid! Deceptitran was killed by something Megatron CLAIMED was the Requiem Blaster! The only way we could even be sure it was the real deal was if the Forge and Creation Lathe still existed and, news flash, they’re gone!”

“For all we know, they’re here on Mobius!”

“You’re just spouting conspiracy theories!”

“Oh, for Primus’ sake, JUST KISS ALREADY!” shouted a new voice.

“Who said that?!” demanded Makeshift.

“I ain’t locking lips with no mech! Especially not with a Scraplet!” snarled Sideways.

“There ARE kinder ways to say that you don’t swing that way,” snarked the mystery voice as the person speaking stepped out of the trees. It was a Mech about half the size of an average Transformer, yellow, and smirking. Makeshift then smirked.

“Well, well, it’s been too long! How’ve you been, Pipsqueak?” The yellow bot, Bumblebee, contorted his face in anger.

“SLAGGIT, I ALREADY TOLD YOU, DON’T CALL ME PIPSQUEAK!” Bumblebee charged at Makeshift and swung a punch. Makeshift and Sideways leapt out of the way as Bumblebee’s optics tracked Makeshift.

“Take it easy!” protested Makeshift. “We’re just here to examine the forest! We don’t wanna fight you, Pipsqueak!”

“THAT’S FIVE NOW!” Bumblebee’s punch hit the tree behind Makeshift as the Terrorcon rolled out of the way.

“What are you talking about?!”

“That’s five times you called me ‘Pipsqueak’! Twice here and three times while we were scattered! Don’t tell me you forgot!”

“…Impressive, you’ve got such a sharp memory.” Makeshift then launched an energy blast at Bumblebee. Bumblebee then took something off of his back and used it to deflect the blast. Makeshift’s optics flickered.

“Well? What do you think?” asked Bumblebee. His left arm carried a giant triangular shield colored in yellow, black, and a silver center. “The Skyboom Shield, able to deflect ANY attack, even those from Unicron himself!”

“There’s no way that’s the Skyboom Shield!” Makeshift then turned to see Sideways running away. “COME BACK HERE, YOU…!” He didn’t get far as Bumblebee threw the Shield like a frisbee and it sliced the Terrorcon in half, right where his original Scraplet self was. Once the bug was destroyed, the whole body shut down and fell down in a gunmetal gray heap. The Shield then returned to Bumblebee’s arm.

“Captain America, eat your heart out!” chuckled Bumblebee. “Now, where’s the motorcycle?”

---

Sideways had long transformed into his alt-mode with one of his Mini-cons riding on top. The other Mini-cons had connected to his sides and given him a boost. He continued speeding though the forest until he thought he was far enough away. He transformed and sat under a large tree. “Crazy bug!” he panted. “No way am I gonna fight him! …But Lord Unicron would want me to give him the Skyboom Shield so he’s not over-powered by our enemies. But then I would need to fight that runt! But it would mean less options for Optimus to choose from for his team! But there’s a non-zero chance I could die in the process!”

“If you’re done,” grunted Bumblebee’s voice as he stepped out of the trees. Sideways screamed like a baby as he backed up.

“I’m warning you! Stay back!” Bumblebee didn’t heed him. “Right! You asked for it! ALL MINI-CONS! POWERLINX!” All of his Mini-cons connected to his body and he started blasting like crazy! Bumblebee simply held up the Shield in front of him, deflecting his opponent’s attacks. Sideways had exhausted all of his ammo reserves and stumbled backwards.

“Offer me money!” snarled Bumblebee.

“Yes!” begged Sideways.

“Power too! Promise me that!”

“All that I have, and more! Please!”

“Offer me anything I ask for!”

“Anything you want!” Bumblebee then ran the Skyboom Shield through Sideways’ torso, right at the Spark Chamber.

“I want Fulcrum back and my brother returned to a normal body, you Spawn of a Glitch!” He then pulled his arm to the left, dragging the Shield through Sideways’ body as he collapsed into a heap. He faded into static, only to find that he couldn’t become a shapeless mass anymore and his wounds wouldn’t close. Sideways returned to his usual colors before fading to gunmetal gray, along with his Mini-cons. Bumblebee then panted before he started cleaning the Skyboom Shield. As he did, he opened a comms channel to the base. “Sideways and Makeshift are dead,” he reported. “The Skyboom Shield works.”

“Megatron’s reported that the Requiem Blaster works too,” replied Teletraan. “He took care of Straxus and Deceptitran. Prime’s and Blackarachnia are still looking for Nemesis Prime and Crystal Widow.”

“Still need to test the Star Saber?”

“That’s the idea.”

“I’m heading back to base. I could use a Ground Bridge.”

“Coming up.” A Ground Bridge portal then opened for Bumblebee. He hesitated walking through. Somehow, Teletraan guessed. “Bumblebee, you did what you had to do. They served Unicron.”

“Yeah? So why do I feel so evil at taking their lives?”

“It’s what you’re feeling right now that proves you AREN’T inherently evil, unlike the Terrorcons. They took pleasure in killing, you don’t. Only a monster wouldn’t feel remorse at killing, even if there was no other option. Now, come on, we need you back at base.”

“Right.” Bumblebee then entered the portal and it closed behind him.