Author: Samuel Vinton

While the chaos on the Dominus unfolded, Optimus, Ultra Magnus, Arsha, and Discornia were moving towards the main factory. Optimus and Ultra Magnus changed their alt-modes to delivery trucks of Shocker Rift design and changed their holo-forms into Combatmen. Arsha and Discornia were wearing perception filters so they would look like Combatmen as well. Optimus and Ultra Magnus drove up to the entrance of the factory. They were stopped by a pair of guards. “I don’t remember seeing you two on the manifest,” barked one of the guards. “What’s your intention here?”

“We were on a supply run,” explained Optimus. “We’re carrying a shipment of Taraxium in our trailers.”

“Hey,” the other guard whispered to the first, “Hiro-sama DID say that there’s a pair of truck out there getting Taraxium.”

“That run’s not supposed to return until 5:00 tonight,” replied the first guard. “Get a search going.”

“Sir, the Taraxium is urgently needed,” urged Optimus. “I would hate for you to explain to Hiro-sama why it was delayed.”

“Hiro-sama will understand in this instance,” hissed the first guard. “There’s chaos going on aboard the Dominus now and he needs to focus on that. Directive 12, subsection 3: any and all deliveries during a crisis will be stopped and searched so all attempts at resistance will be curtailed.” A Search Party arrived and the first guard laid out his instructions.

“This is bad,” gulped Arsha. “If they get too close, they’ll know!”

“You there!” called a voice both Autobots knew.

“And, of course, Megatron’s here,” groaned Optimus. Megatron stormed up to the guards.

“What’s going on?” Megatron demanded of the guards.

“We’re searching these vehicles,” explained the first guard. “A supposed Taraxium delivery has arrived too early. I have reason to believe it’s an attempt at resistance with all the chaos going on aboard the Dominus.”

“I’ll scan them, thank you,” barked Megatron as he took out a scanner wand and tablet. He waved the wand over the two Autobots and the tablet flashed red. Megatron examined the readings a bit, then put the scanner away. “Let them through,” he ordered. “They ARE carrying Taraxium.”

“Excuse me?!” snapped the first guard. “We’re supposed to…!”

“We cannot afford to delay the delivery, considering we’re running low on Taraxium in the first place!” countered Megatron. “All deliveries of Taraxium are given Alpha Priority, meaning nothing, not even a security check, must hinder them! Check what I said, if you must, but you are ordered to let them through! Is that clear?” The guard checked, then blanched when he realized Megatron was right. He turned to Optimus and Ultra Magnus.

“My apologies,” he bid. “I had no idea.”

“You were doing your duty,” dismissed Optimus. “Forget about it.” The guard waved Optimus and Ultra Magnus through and they headed to the loading bay. As they passed him, Megatron smirked. Optimus saw it in the rearview mirror. When they arrived, they helped unload the Taraxium and waited until the loading bay was cleared before dropping their disguises. The Autobots’ returned to their Mobian vehicle modes and Arsha and Discornia took off their perception filters. “He knew,” hissed Optimus as he and Ultra Magnus transformed to robot mode.

“You’re sure?” asked Discornia.

“Positive,” insisted Optimus. “He’s got a trap in mind.”

“Well, we can’t afford to speculate so much,” urged Ultra Magnus. “We have to free the rulers.”

“Come on,” directed Optimus. They snuck their way through the factories and found all the Master Builders toiling in chains.

“Just when I thought I wouldn’t see this kind of barbarism,” hissed Arsha.

“This universe’s Batman and Watevra Wa’Nabi must be around here somewhere,” mused Discornia. “If we free them, the Master Builders may be inspired to revolt against Shocker Rift.”

“Did you say you were going to free Batman and Watevra Wa’Nabi?” asked a voice. Everyone looked to see a dingy construction worker near them.

“Emmet, right?” asked Optimus.

“That’s me, the Special,” replied the construction worker, Emmet. “Listen, they’re being held right above us!” He pointed to the ceiling. Everyone looked to see that universe’s Batman and an amorphous blob of pink, red, orange, and yellow with a feminine face held in a cage above the workers. “On top of that, we’ve got termination implants in us! If we revolt, then we die!”

“We gotta find the counter frequency for the termination implants,” muttered Optimus.

“All I know is that any files related to that can be accessed from any console if you’ve got the right codes,” sighed Emmet.

“Then stand aside,” declared Optimus, “and let me work!” He connected to a console and began his work. It took a good while before Discornia cleared her throat.

“Well?” she asked.

“This IS taking a while!” hissed Ultra Magnus.

“Don’t rush me, guys!” whispered Optimus. “You rush a coder; you get rotten work! …Wait, I got it! …It looks like the termination implant frequencies vary from division to division. I found the frequency for you guys…and the Decepticons…and Dr. Borg and her gang? Hiro’s enslaved them?!”

“So, what do we do?” asked Ultra Magnus.

“…I got it,” declared Optimus. “That’s why Megatron wanted us to go through. He knew I could free him. Got the counter frequency for those types of implants…let’s see, first some Navajo, then a little Ig-pay Atin-lay…”

“We call that Boar Fae,” giggled Arsha.

“And now, since Megatron was an Autobot before,” continued Optimus, “a little Autobot Military…now to press send…he’s got it! Now to free everyone else!”

---

“What in the…?” muttered Megatron when he opened the message and translated the Autobot Military. “…What kind of words…? Eshklay ehdzay a-keh-di-gliniyay ehdzay esh-cheenay a-wohyay oe-ihglay o-chintlay a-emay e-ahs-jahnay o-da-ihnay ah-loszyay a-wohyay oe-ihglay e-ahs-jahnay a-wohyay oe-ihglay o-chintlay a-wohyay e-gahtsay ah-nes-tsaday ah-nahyay ehdzay a-e-donin-eetsay a-chiyay a-keh-di-gliniyay ehdzay eshklay ehdzay a-keh-di-gliniyay ah-nahyay ahtsay ah-jahyay intkay ah-tadyay e-gahtsay an-ziethay an-ziethay oe-ihglay a-khayay o-chintlay ahtsay ah-jahyay ibehday intkay al-na-as-dzoh…oh, Ig-pay Atin-Lay. Then that makes it… klesh dzeh a-keh-di-glini dzeh…Oh, Navajo…aha, the Counter Frequency! Now to apply it…7, 2, 4, 2, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 2, 1, 6…termination implant disabled! Thank you, Prime! …I can’t believe I said that.”

---

“Master Builder termination implants…disabled!” reported Optimus. “Now, to do something that will sound the alarm!”

“…Prime, no!” begged Ultra Magnus.

“PRIME, YES!” cheered Optimus as he leapt up to the cage, broke it open, got Other Batman and Watevra Wa’Nabi out, and landed in the middle of the factory floor. “MASTER BUILDERS, I HAVE SECURED FREEDOM FOR YOU!” he announced. “YOU CAN NOW ESCAPE WITH US!”

“No, they won’t!” called a Combatman. “They revolt; their termination implants kill them!”

“Try it,” challenged Optimus. “I already sent the counter frequency to their implants!” The Master Builder became a little more hopeful.

“A bluff,” scoffed the Combatman as he pressed a button. …Nothing happened. “What the?!” spluttered the Combatman. “Something’s wrong!”

“Told you!” taunted Optimus.

“Is Prime always like this?” Arsha quizzed Ultra Magnus.

“Frequently,” he sighed.

“GET THEM!” called Other Batman. The Master Builders then went on the attack! Constructing various weapons out of any object they could find, they managed to overpower the Combatmen. The enemy fled and Optimus led everyone out of the factory…at least, part of the way. He stopped everyone when he heard a voice.

“I wonder what the alarm is all about?” called the voice in mock ignorance. Optimus deployed his battle mask as the source of the voice rounded the corner. Everyone leveled their weapons at the speaker.

“You’re coming closer to being shot, Megatron,” warned Optimus.

“I wanted to make sure that nothing happened to this universe’s Batman and Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi,” replied Megatron.

“Hoping, no doubt, that your ‘concern’,” hissed Ultra Magnus, “would curry a political favor with them?” Megatron dropped the act.

“I suppose YOUR reasons for coming here,” he hissed, “are motivated STRICTLY by patriotism to your Prime?”

“I can assure you, I’m well aware of Ultra Magnus’ patriotism,” snarled Optimus, “and the sacrifices he’s made and continues to make so peace can be achieved once more! So, why don’t you go back to Hiro and…play butler?”

“Because the remaining Combatmen are deploying mechs,” replied Megatron. “You WILL need my help in getting around them. It’s only fair since you freed me from slavery. Who would have thought that all three Pax brothers would be fighting side…” he joined Optimus and Ultra Magnus and pointed his fusion cannon down the hall, the same direction as Optimus’ firearm, “…by side?”

“…Just remember,” warned Arsha, “when you fire that thing, you’re aiming it at one of the supposed mechs.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind, Your Highness,” chuckled Megatron. “For now, we must leave.” Megatron led everyone to the factory’s main outdoor yard and met with Combatmen and the mechs Megatron had warned everyone about. The battle really got heated as everyone fought.

“I must say, I find combat quite distasteful!” called Arsha as she summoned a fireball and flung it.

“I suppose you prefer the simplicity of a ball!” snarled Megatron as he ran his sword through a mech.

“I have to admit, that sounds a lot more civilized!” remarked Optimus as he fired on a few more mechs.

“Eyes upwards!” called Discornia as she pointed out multiple objects dropping from the sky.

“Missiles?” gulped Optimus.

“No, escape pods from the Dominus,” remarked Megatron. “I take it the chaos on that ship was a diversion for something?”

“You’ll find out later,” replied Optimus. “For now, we need another ship.”

“Did someone say they need a ship?!” asked a man in a blue astronaut suit.

“We do,” answered Arsha. “Got one in mind?”

“I’ve always wanted to build this particular ship!” cheered the astronaut. He then got busy using the factory and mechs to make the ship. “Spaceship! Spaceship!! SPACESHIP!!” called the astronaut. As the ship was being built, Guard and his teammates ran up to everyone.

“Need a hand?” asked Guard. He then spotted Megatron. “Prime, stand real still! I’ll get him!”

“He’s helping us get past the mechs!” yelped Optimus. “Don’t shoot him yet!”

“You DO know who that is, right?” asked Guard. “You know he’s committed a few atrocities, yes?”

“Your FACE committed a few atrocities!” hissed Optimus.

“…Wow, Prime, really?” remarked Megatron.

“Sadly, he’s still not the best at insulting his friends,” remarked Ultra Magnus.

“So sad,” sighed Megatron. He and his temporary allies then noticed the shadow that loomed over everyone and gazed upwards. “…No…not HIS ship!” Everyone turned their heads up and goggled. Optimus and Guard were grinning beneath their facial protection.

“A Constitution-class starship!” cheered Optimus.

“Look at the registry!” called Richard. “NCC-1701! No A, B, C, or D!”

“She’s magnificent!” Optimus replied in a reverent whisper.

“Why Kirk’s Enterprise?!” protested Megatron.

“17 separate temporal violations,” muttered Sh’Kar. “The biggest file the Department of Temporal Affairs has in their records. A menace to both the Federation and the Klingon Empire.”

“Again, why that ship?” asked Megatron. He was then decked in the face by Optimus and rendered unconscious.

“Ark, are all the Master Builders clear?!” called Optimus.

“All Master Builders clear,” replied Prowl’s voice.

“Then we gotta get out of here!” declared Richard. “Teletraan, can you take control of the Enterprise?”

“Already hooked up,” answered Teletraan. “The Enterprise will follow until Discornia takes control.”

“Discornia, I must ask one last time,” urged Guard, “are you ABSOLUTELY sure?”

“I am prepared to cover the retreat,” replied Discornia.

“It’s a suicide run,” warned Optimus.

“I am prepared,” insisted Discornia.

“Then we have nothing more to say,” sighed Guard. Just then, he gasped as it felt like the air was pushed out of his lungs. A Combatman had stabbed him in the back! The Combatman then yanked the knife out as Guard’s transformation was cancelled and he slumped to his knees as blood came down Richard’s back.

“VIRGINIA!” shouted Batman as he applied pressure to the wound. “MEDICAL BEAM OUT DIRECTLY TO SICK BAY!” Everyone was transported and arrived on their respective ships. Emily just entered Sick Bay and assessed the situation in a second.

“GET HIM ON THAT TABLE! FACE DOWN!” she ordered. Batman did so and Emily got her surgical instruments while preparing the scanner. “Not good! It looks like whatever stabbed him hit his lung! I have to…what the? Batman, are YOU seeing this?”

“The wound healing almost instantaneously?” asked Batman.

“Now I wish you DIDN’T see it,” muttered Emily. “I would have been assured I was going crazy right then!”

“Ow,” groaned Richard. “Is the anesthesia wearing off now?”

“Richard…I don’t know how to tell you this,” gulped Emily, “…er, you know Wolverine and Deadpool’s healing factor?”

“…What about it?” asked Richard.

“I think you’ve got it,” replied Emily.

“…Are you SURE your medical degree came from an accredited university?” asked Richard.

“Your wound just closed itself,” supplied Batman.

“That’s impossible!” argued Richard. “I felt the knife hit my back!”

“And it pierced your lung,” Emily went on, “but the lung healed, the skin healed with no scar tissue, and I didn’t even use my scalpel. It healed itself in a matter of seconds.”

“But…how…?” muttered Richard.

“I’m gonna need to ask you to stay here so I can examine you,” directed Emily. “I wanna know how you survived that.”

“No arguments from me, Doc,” replied Richard. “I wanna know myself.”

Hiro was sitting in the throne room of the Dominus, awaiting new dignitaries from a universe he had never heard of. Megatron and Dr. Borg flanked his sides. “Where did they say they were from, again?” asked Dr. Borg.

“From Universe M-0-R-0-N-1-C-4,” explained Hiro. “They should be here any…” Very loud fanfare blasted throughout the throne room, startling the three. A pair of acrobats then cartwheeled into the room. One was an elderly woman while the other was a young man. Both had blue skin and pointy ears. They performed a variety of tricks with a long stick, the final of which was the young man grabbing one end and the old woman grabbing the other and raising the young man up to the ceiling as he posed on his end of the stick. He then jumped off after holding the pose for a few seconds and landed on his feet before both of them bowed. Hiro, Megatron, and Dr. Borg clapped, amazed at the old woman’s strength.

“If a lady her age can do that,” muttered Megatron, “maybe the species as a whole is a strong one.” Fanfare played again as seven more of the blue-skinned people came in. They wore elaborate costumes and one of them wore round glasses, carrying himself with an air of importance. They were six men and one woman. One of the men, wearing an eyepatch, stepped forward.

“We are the Moronican assembly!” he announced. “Presenting the Maha…”

“Aha!” called the man in glasses. “Lazbanye ah benia foochi…!”

“Raja!” hissed the first man. After the Raja zipped it, the first man returned to introductions. “The Raja of Moronica, the incredibly wise tyrant of our land! As you can see, he speaks truly little of your language, so he has graciously employed me, the Djinn of Rummy, as his interpreter!”

“What does the Raja wish to discuss with me?” asked Hiro.

“He brings rare gifts of great value,” answered the Djinn.

“And they are?” asked Hiro.

“We shall see,” replied the Djinn. He moved towards the Raja and sat next to him. “Maha?” he asked.

“Aha?” asked the Raja.

“Rasbanyi yah pena pucci,” explained the Djinn, “The, how you say, beatnik, he aski taski whati fotsaiek yoo gotit?”

“Neatiink!” replied the Raja.

“…Neatiink?!” gulped the Djinn.

“Paska lar par yah pe te harojii, rubibia fee neatiink!” elaborated the Raja as he produced a ruby.

“Oh boy!” breathed the Djinn. He then presented the ruby to Hiro. “The Maha…”

“Aha!” interrupted the Raja “Lazbanye ah benia foochi…!”

“Raja!” snapped the Djinn. The Raja then went quiet. “The Raja says that he has brought our greatest treasure, the Ruby of Neatiink, as a token of goodwill.” Hiro accepted it and laid it on the throne’s armrest.

“You used the plural of gift earlier,” recalled Hiro. “Does the Raja bring other rarities?”

“We shall see what we shall see,” assured the Djinn. He returned to the Raja. “Maha?” he asked.

“Aha?” inquired the Raja.

“Rasbanyi yah pena pucci,” explained the Djinn, “tha, how you call, ironhead, he aski taski whati projesaia inganzomen gota somtink els keedo?”

“Yas bathen anfegar perha deheronji pamara DEEN he maheeha,” replied the Raja. He presented a large knife of obsidian. The Djinn took it to Hiro.

“The Maha…” he began.

“Aha!” interrupted the Raja “Lazbanye ah benia foochi…!”

“Quiatzen, Raja!” snarled the Djinn. The Raja closed his mouth. “The Raja also bears our most sacred ceremonial knife, the Deen of Maheeha.” Hiro took it and admired the workmanship. Megatron was not convinced.

“From the display of acrobatic tricks from the old woman,” he mused, “I can only conclude that your people are strong, but that is nothing without visual acuity. Can the Raja demonstrate such talents of eyesight, even with those glasses?”

“We shall see,” replied the Djinn as he returned to the Raja. “Maha?”

“Aha?” asked the Raja as he stood up.

“RAJA!” shouted the Djinn. “Squartee voo!”

“Shutzee van lippins!” snapped the Raja as he sat down. “Ras panee noo haffee too!”

“Rasbanyi yah pena pucci,” explained the Djinn, “thaan scrapheap, he aski taski yoo gottee treek?”

“Pas nyanee mar ta heroonjeem majeen rasheenos!” declared the Raja.

“Rasheenos?” yelped the Djinn. “Yoo goonaay heet da?”

“Rasheenos, Aye goonaay smaji da!” boasted the Raja.

“Oh boy!” praised the Djinn. He turned back to Megatron. “The Maha…”

“Aha!” interrupted the Raja “Lazbanye ah benia foochi…!”

“SHUTZEE VAN LIPPINS!” shouted the Djinn. The Raja glared, but did as was asked. “The Raja says he can hit a raisin placed on the top of your head with only a pistol!”

“Get a raisin and put it on my head,” Megatron ordered a Combatman. “Tell me, did the Raja bring a pistol?” The Djinn balked before returning to the Raja.

“Maha,” gulped the Djinn.

“Aha?” asked the Raja.

“Rasbanyi yah pena pucci,” muttered the Djinn, “yoo breengee thee peestolas?” The Raja then balked, then searched his robes.

“No peestolas!” he gulped.

“Uh oh,” whimpered the Djinn.

“Maha,” called the old woman.

“Aha?” asked the Raja.

“Peestolas,” replied the woman as she produced an antique pistol that looked like it was recently restored.

“Oh!” cheered the Raja. “Goodee!” The old woman bowed as a Combatman came back with a raisin and placed it on Megatron’s head. Megatron then stood up to his full height as the Raja aimed, pulled the hammer back, then fired! The bullet made a line across the top of Megatron’s head as it hit the raisin! Megatron cried out in pain.

“I’VE BEEN SCALPED!” he shouted. When he recovered, he glared at the Raja. “Why you…!” he snarled as he aimed his fusion cannon. The Raja yelped in fear. Megatron then realized he heard that yelp before! “…Computer, analyze the genetic makeup on these people,” he ordered.

“What for?” asked Hiro.

“Genetic makeup analyzed,” replied the computer. “Evidence of genetic engineering is present.”

“Run a projection algorithm on them, remove all traces of genetic engineering and display projections,” ordered Megatron. The Raja gulped.

“Projection complete,” reported the computer. “Displaying projected original forms.” The true forms appeared on the screen as the Stooges, Batman, Wyldstyle, Gandalf, Hongo, Richard, and Sh’Kar!

“INTRUDERS!” shouted Hiro as he leveled one of his guns.

“Hey, that gun’s pointing where you are,” the Raja, Curly, whispered to the Djinn, Moe.

“You mean it’s pointing where I WAS!” yelped Moe.

“CHEESE IT!” shouted the younger acrobat, Richard. Everyone ran through the Dominus and found a safe place to hide.

“Okay,” sighed the older acrobat, Sh’Kar, as she loaded a hypospray, “genetic modification’s not a good idea anymore.” She used the hypospray on her teammates and they turned back into their real selves. Moe turned to Curly.

“This is YOUR fault!” he snarled. “If you hadn’t yelped, we wouldn’t be in this mess! Now we’re in a tough spot!”

“Yeah, it’s gonna take brains to get out of this,” supplied Larry.

“That’s why I said we’re in a tough spot!” growled Moe.

“Boys, arguing’s not going to get us anywhere!” snapped Richard. “Batman, please tell me you have a contingency plan!”

“I do,” replied Batman.

“…Okay, your cowl makes it hard to read,” muttered Richard. “Do you really have a contingency plan or are you just saying that?”

“I have a contingency plan,” assured Batman. “We need to clear out the computer room and disrupt ship-to-ship communications.”

“Leave that to us!” offered Moe.

“Oh?” asked Sh’Kar as her forehead ridges returned.

“We got something in mind when we took care of a boat full of Nazis,” explained Larry.

“This better work!” hissed Batman.

---

The Stooges took up positions outside the computer room. Larry and Curly flanked the door while Moe stood in front of it. He opened it and called into the room. “Okay, you Ratzis, come on out!” he taunted. A Combatman came out and was immediately clubbed by Larry and Curly. Larry dragged the Combatman away as Moe called into the room. “Hey, you limburger destroyers! This is the beginning of the Second Front!” A Shocker Rift Dalek glided out as Curly shoved his club into the gunstick.

“EXTERMIN…!” the Dalek didn’t get far as it exploded from trying to fire its weapon. Larry shoved it out of the way and retrieved Curly’s club. Moe called into the room one last time.

“Okay, skunks, come on!” he challenged. A few more Combatmen then came out. Curly and Larry knocked one out each while Moe decked the third in the face. Richard as Kamen Rider Guard: Ascendant Batman Steel then swooped in and knocked out the third with a kick.

“Nicely done,” remarked Batman’s voice. Richard’s voice took over.

“Well, I do hit the gym,” he replied. “I still don’t understand why people don’t get that there are fat people that exercise and still maintain the weight they have.”

“Never mind that,” rasped Batman as Richard took Batman’s i.d. tag out and returned the Dark Knight to his original form. “We’ve got work to do.” Everyone dashed into the room and Batman got to work. “All right, uploading the virus now,” he announced. “It shouldn’t take long.”

“I hope so,” muttered Guard. “With the whole ship looking for us…ah hell! We’re made!” Dr. Borg flew in, her hands up in a defensive manner and accompanied by three Combatmen.

“Welcome to the Dominus,” she greeted. “I trust you are prepared to die?”

“I’m prepared to claim victory, if that’s what you mean,” challenged Guard as he drew his sword.

“No, it wasn’t,” replied Dr. Borg. She then grinned. “I must say, I’m eager for the thrill of battle!” The two then clashed white the Stooges were attacked by the Combatmen. They were overpowered and the Combatmen drew their swords, ready to give them a haircut at the neck!

“Wait a minute, fellas!” begged Larry. “You don’t wanna do this! I’ve got a mother! You’ve got a mother! Your mother and my mother are both mothers! I’ve got a father! And a grandfather! And a grandmother! And a little sister!” By then, he had brought the tears. “And a little brother this high!” he indicated how high the little brother was with his hand, hovering just below his chin. He then brought the hand down lower. “And a little brother this high!” Lower again. “And a little brother this high!” His hand was down to his knees by then. “And a great, big brother…” he clenched his hand into a fist and drove it into the Combatman’s chin, “THIS HIGH!” The Combatman was sent, literally, flying through the air until he landed on a piece of pipe, still unconscious.

“That was a shot, boy!” cheered Moe.

“That was a shot, boy,” repeated a voice. Moe turned and glared at the person speaking.

“Why don’t you mind your own business?” he snarled. “I just said that!” He then realized that the person that mimicked him was one of the remaining Combatmen. As he screamed in terror, his hair flew up like a fan had turned on beneath him. He then ran from the Combatman and was immediately chased by him. He then noticed a pipe on a string and swung it into the Combatman’s head. The face screen on the helmet cracked and the Combatman removed it as Moe caught the pipe again.

“HEY, YOU!” protested the Combatman as he waved his ruined face screen. “DO YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE…?!” The Combatman didn’t get far as the pipe came back for another pass and hit him square in the head. The Combatman passed out and fell to the floor.

“A winner every time!” cheered Larry as he handed Moe a cigar. “No blanks!”

“Oh, thanks!” praised Moe. He bit the end off and lit it, then put the other end into his mouth and smoked it for a bit.

“Hey! What about Curly?!” asked Larry. The two then watched Curly’s fight with the last Combatman.

“…There goes Curly with a right jab!” called Moe. “…There goes Curly with an uppercut! …There goes Curly!”

“You mean here comes Curly!” yelped Larry as Curly flew towards his friends. He landed on top of them, nearly flattening them. They picked themselves up and Moe saw that the cigar was smashed.

“You cement-head!” snapped Moe. “You ruined a genuine Havini!”

“I’m the cement-head?!” protested Curly. “That guy’s MADE of cement!”

“Think, boys! Think!” directed Moe. “How can we beat him?!” Curly then started banging his head on a control console for a good minute.

“I got it! I got it!” called Curly.

“What?!” quizzed Moe.

“A terrific headache!” groaned Curly.

“Wait, I got it!” cheered Larry. He pulled out a music player and pressed the play button.

“What good’s music gonna do?” hissed Moe. The song was an instrumental version of Pop Goes the Weasel. The instant the music hit Curly’s ears, he started panting, then he ran his hands down his face multiple times, then he got up and stamped his feet as if he were about to charge. He whooped a few times, then went to town on the Combatman! “That’s it, kid!” cheered Moe. “Hit in the head! Now the chest! That’s the way!” Curly finished by picking the Combatman up and tossing him into a large pipe, knocking him out. Larry stopped the song and he and Moe ran up to calm Curly down.

“What happened?” asked Curly.

“You did it!” cheered Moe. “Success!” Curly saw the unconscious Combatman and realized what happened. He and Moe then shook hands, saluted each other, then mimed kissing each other. Larry tapped Moe on the shoulder and actually kissed Moe once he turned around. “I’m poisoned!” gagged Moe. He then slapped Larry. “What’s the matter with you?!”

“Let him alone!” snapped Curly.

“What are you butting in for?!” snarled Moe as he hit Curly on the nose.

“GANGWAY!” called Guard. The Stooges ducked as Guard sailed over their heads and landed on a control console. Dr. Borg then turned towards Batman.

“Got it!” called Batman. “Let’s pick up Sh’Kar and…”

“You’re going nowhere, you knock-off vampire!” roared Dr. Borg as she dashed towards Batman. Guard then picked himself up and got Dr. Borg in a choke-hold. Dr. Borg slammed him against a pipe, but he didn’t let go. Batman threw something at Dr. Borg’s cybernetic limbs. Guard released Dr. Borg, correctly guessing that they were explosive batarangs. They went off and Dr. Borg’s prosthetics were destroyed. “YOU MISERABLE REPROBATES!” shouted Dr. Borg. “It’s going to take me two hours to get my limbs fixed! …Wait a minute, I use my feet too! FIVE HOURS! YOU OVER-SIZED APES! I’LL KILL YOU WHEN I’M FIXED UP!” She flew off and went down the hall in one direction while Batman and his group grabbed Sh’Kar and made it to the escape pods.

“Here’s hoping that virus works!” gulped Guard.

“Sir, Madam,” a Transformer-sized War began as she, Skyfall, and Quake Hammer stepped onto the bridge of the new flagship, “welcome aboard the Ruthless!” The bridge…was NOT as opulent as either bot imagined. It was a bare room with grid lines.

“It’s…er…” floundered Skyfall.

“Unimpressive, dull, and boring as Hell, I know,” chuckled War.

“You seem happy,” muttered Quake Hammer. “Honestly, I’m not too sure about the décor or bareness of this bridge.”

“That’s all part of the design, I promise you,” assured War. “X-PO, decloak Omni-console!” X-PO and the device he was attached to shimmered into view. “Presenting the Omni-console. It can turn into any form of control console as I wish. Since I don’t have the support of my old colleagues, I decided to go with a single control console handling everything.”

“What happens when that console explodes?” asked Quake Hammer.

“There ARE other Omni-consoles that will come out of the walls and take over,” assured War. “Now, to explain why the room looks the way it is.” War keyed in a command and a bowl of fruit appeared.

“…A holo-deck for the bridge?” realized Skyfall.

“Using Cybertronian hologram technology,” continued War, “I can make the bridge look like anything I want. So, let’s say I’m eager to try my hand at a Daedalus-class starship, I just key in a command and…” War demonstrated by keying in a command and the room became the bridge of Linkara’s ship, Comicron-1. The Omni-console then turned into the main console under the viewscreen.

“So, you can turn it into anything you want?” asked Skyfall.

“Yep,” confirmed War as she headed to the main console. “So, let’s say I’m feeling a little Klingon,” she keyed in another command and the bridge turned into the bridge of a Vor’cha-class Klingon Bird-of-prey as the Omni-console became the main console again, “or I want to explore time and space,” another command was keyed in and it turned into the current TARDIS interior, complete with the Omni-console becoming the TARDIS’ console, “or I’m in the mood for something weird,” the next command turned the bridge into the set of Jeopardy! as the console became Alex Trebek’s lectern, “or I just want the comforts of my old office,” the new command turned the entire bridge into War’s office and the Omni-console turned into War’s workstation, “and we should be all set! So, if anything should happen requiring non-essential power to be turned off, the bridge will turn into its bare design and the Omni-console will go back to its original shape, so our rears should be covered.”

“Makes me wonder why you don’t just move your office to the bridge,” muttered Quake Hammer.

“If a pack of internet reviewers have had bad experiences with houses being turned into starships,” replied X-PO, “I don’t think turning your office into the bridge of a ship is a good idea.”

“I believe that’s everything,” mused War. “All set for this ship’s maiden flight.”

“Control to Ruthless, all lights green,” called a person over the comms. “You are go for launch.”

“Excellent!” cheered War. She then typed something onto the keyboard. The ship’s lights then lit up like a Christmas tree and the mighty engines roared to life. As the smaller dock ships lined up for a makeshift runway, the Ruthless glided slowly out into the vastness of space, inspiring her allies and frightening her enemies.

---

Megumi looked over her homework in the Captain’s Ready Room on the Virginia. She seemed to be stuck on a math problem. “What am I getting wrong?” she muttered. She decided to read the problem aloud. “5(-3x-2)-(x-3)=-4(4x+5)+13…Come on, work, brain! You’re at least better than Usagi at Math!” The door chimed. “Come in,” she called. “I’m getting nowhere with this.” Richard entered.

“Megumi, there isn’t a delicate way to say it, so I’ll just say it straight,” he declared. “Your psychological evaluation is subpar. The medical staff and our visiting doctors all agree that you need to be relieved of command.”

“NO F***ING WAY!” roared Megumi. “I’M FINE!”

“All of our doctors say otherwise!” argued Richard. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been acting WAY out of character for a while! When did you decide making Hiro hurt was our end goal?!”

“He’s taken too much from us!” snarled Megumi. “I intend to show him how much!”

“That kind of talk wasn’t exactly used in Chima!” countered Richard. “Tanisha told me about how you wanted to give Hiro mercy before he exploded! And, lest we forget, you offered him mercy when Igura died! Losing Mickey, War, and Turretorg made you lose your sense of mercy!”

“So you’re relieving me of command,” hissed Megumi.

“And we all feel you should return to Vorton,” continued Richard. “We can handle Hiro ourselves, believe it or not.”

“…Fine, I’ll take a shuttle back to Vorton,” grunted Megumi. She picked up her homework and stormed out of the Ready Room, making a beeline to the hangar. Richard sighed as he returned to the bridge.

“How did it go?” asked Hiroki.

“As well as can be expected,” sighed Richard. “Mikhail, see if Megumi’s heading back to Vorton in a shuttle.”

“A shuttle’s requested permission to go to Vorton,” reported Mikhail. “Megumi’s onboard.”

“Give that shuttle permission to go,” ordered Richard as he sat in the Captain’s Chair. The shuttle left the hangar and made its way to Vorton. Mikhail got confirmation that the shuttle made it to Vorton and relayed the message to Richard. Richard sighed. Removing Megumi from command was going to be awkward, no matter what he did.

---

The shuttle arrived back on Vorton and Megumi stormed to her room. She flopped into her chair and spent 20 minutes staring at the ceiling with an expression that would make a pair of holes above her. She heard her door chime. “Go away!” she snarled.

“Not a chance, Megumi,” replied Scorpainia’s voice as she came in.

“I know your language,” hissed Megumi, “has a variation of the phrase ‘Leave me alone’, so go away.”

“No,” countered Scorpainia. Megumi then glared at Scorpainia. “I want to know why you’re acting the way you are. I’m perfectly content to sit here and stare at you for as long as you stay silent.” Megumi returned to staring at the ceiling in anger, as if she were calling Scorpainia’s bluff. This lasted for a good half-hour before Megumi became uncomfortable with feeling Scorpainia’s eyes on her. She sighed before speaking.

“They’re going to get themselves killed,” she muttered. “I’ve fought Hiro more than they have. Only I can understand how he works. Only I can beat him! He’s taken too much from us and I intend to show him how much it hurts! I intend to show him pain!” Scorpainia just listened to the rant. “…Well?!” asked Megumi. “Opinions?!”

“You’re not going to like it,” warned Scorpainia.

“Tell me!” roared Megumi as she shifted into Tora-Onna.

“…All right,” resolved Scorpainia. “You’re acting way too much like the daughter he intended for you to be.”

“…You’re right, I DON’T like it!” snarled Tora-Onna.

“Look, I, of all people, understand how evil Hiro is,” continued Scorpainia, “but I’m seeing him bring out a side you usually have under control. I see someone who is turning as vindictive as the person she hates the most and has forgotten her greatest weapon; mercy.”

“You’re overstating the case here!” hissed Tora-Onna.

“Am I?” asked Scorpainia. “Megumi, when was the last time you thought back to any of the good that has happened in your life?” Tora-Onna opened her mouth…then her eyes shifted, trying to recall what she heard, then what she saw. “Was it any time recent?” continued Scorpainia. “And, when your career started, did you ever think you would ever talk about taking revenge?” Tora-Onna’s eyes continued shifting along the left, then she shut her eyes in shame. “Megumi, you once believed that the best way to seek revenge is NOT to seek revenge. If you, of all people, would throw that out, then what hope is there for us?” Tora-Onna then brought her knees up to her chest and hid her face behind them, shaking as she cried. “…All right, I think I’ve made my point,” sighed Scorpainia. “Do you need anything?” All Scorpainia could see was Tora-Onna shaking her head as she cried. “…Very well,” she sighed as she departed.

---

Richard sighed as he sat in the chair in the Captain’s Ready Room. He was thinking about what happened earlier. The comms interrupted his thoughts. “Yes?” he asked.

“Optimus wants to talk to you,” reported Mikhail.

“Put him through,” ordered Richard. Optimus’ head then appeared on the small screen. “What can I do for you, Prime?”

“I wanted to discuss something with you,” explained Optimus. “I’ve only known her these past few months, but I don’t think Megumi’s behavior is exactly like her.”

“It isn’t,” confirmed Richard. “I just relieved her of command and sent her back to Vorton. Her psych eval was subpar.”

“…Que the flashbacks of when Ratchet had to relieve me of command for a bit,” muttered Optimus.

“You? Relieved?” asked Richard.

“Twice,” replied Optimus.

“That doesn’t speak well of your command,” remarked Richard.

“Well, the second time, I asked to be relieved,” recalled Optimus.

“Why?” asked Richard.

“I was seeing things that weren’t there and hearing things that no one else could,” elaborated Optimus. “When I got confirmation that the other Autobots didn’t see or hear what I did, I got the impression that I was hallucinating and figured it wasn’t good for a commander to have hallucinations, especially on the battlefield. So, I asked Ratchet to relieve me of command.”

“What happened the first time?” asked Richard.

“Much like Megumi, I was letting my anger and self-loathing dictate my command decisions,” answered Optimus. “Megatron had just revealed he was the new Decepticon Lord. He hid his intentions too well and I felt like I was supposed to have seen it coming.”

“Angry at both Megatron and yourself,” Richard summed up.

“To put it mildly,” muttered Optimus. “In any event, I was going to tell Megumi that our Sky-Spy has determined the enemy fleet to be too large for our ships to handle.”

“Then we need to figure out a sneaky way to disable it,” declared Richard. “Get Sh’Kar out from your holo-deck. I’ll get Arsha and we’ll all figure out a plan of attack that doesn’t involve a suicide run.”

“Sh’Kar’s gonna be disappointed,” mused Optimus.

---

Optimus, Arsha, Sh’Kar, and Richard met in the Ark’s conference room. “No, I don’t feel disappointed,” called Sh’Kar as she looked at the size of the enemy fleet above Wyldstyle’s home. “A suicidal battle like that will not secure victory. I’m sure you would know what Kahless would have said in this instance.”

“‘Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory and ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat’,” quoted Optimus.

“Exactly,” confirmed Sh’Kar. “What do you have in mind in terms of a sneak attack?”

“The old disguise bit,” replied Richard.

“I have various spells to help with that,” offered Arsha.

“I can just scan a vehicle mode and change my holo-form,” supplied Optimus.

“And my Chief Engineer revealed the secrets of her people’s genetic alteration procedures,” finished Sh’Kar.

“…Genetic alteration?” asked Optimus.

“What race in the Federation was she from?” quizzed Richard.

“She wasn’t from the Federation,” explained Sh’Kar. “She was from Cardassia Prime.”

“You had a Cardassian as your Chief Engineer?!” yelped Richard.

“She didn’t agree with the government during the Dominion War,” replied Sh’Kar. “She started a new life on Earth, had a letter of recommendation approved by Starfleet, and moved up the ranks so that she became Captain of the starship Voyager-B.” Optimus whistled in praise.

“So, you know a thing or two about Cardassian genetic alteration,” he summarized.

“Well enough,” replied Sh’Kar.

“All right, here’s what we’ll do,” declared Richard.

---

Marvin the Martian grumbled as he cleaned a glass at the new Shocker Rift bar set up in Wyldstyle’s home. “I was a highly respected Commander of the Martian Empire!” he grumbled. “Now, after a few failures from the Earth duck and Earth rabbit, I’m just a bartender and a servant instead of a commander! How fair is that?!”

“Excuse me,” called Megatron’s voice as he sat at a table for someone his size. Marvin rolled his eyes and activated the hover pad he was standing one.

“What can I do for you?” he muttered when he was eye to eye with Megatron.

“Might I trouble you for a glass of Engex?” requested Megatron.

“You can have the whole bottle, if you want,” grumbled Marvin. “On the house.”

“That’s rather generous of you,” mused Megatron as Marvin piloted his hover pad to the bottle of Engex. He activated two arms, one to grab the bottle and the other to grab a cubical glass, then returned to Megatron’s table and set them down. “Tell me, what ails you?”

“My position, that’s what,” grunted Marvin.

“I take it you have the implant as well?” guessed Megatron.

“Unfortunately,” grumbled Marvin.

“I’m not exactly free of it myself,” muttered Megatron as he poured a glass of Engex. “I should have taken my cousin’s advice. She said to me ‘There’s a bright future in teaching now that the war’s over!’ No teacher on Cybertron ever goes broke. But, did I take her advice? No. Why? Because I wanted to command something! I prefer trying to change societies and see what happens! I prefer to gather information on people, like you and I are doing with each other right now!”

“You know people like me all too well,” observed Marvin.

“When you’re teaching others, though,” continued Megatron, “all you’re doing is relaying knowledge and enforcing a status quo.”

“Your ideas would only fall on deaf ears,” guessed Marvin.

“Exactly!” hissed Megatron as he sipped. “And now, I’m a slave to a glorified monkey that thinks it’s the greatest thing since the discovery of planets orbiting a sun. Meanwhile, my cousin has her own mansion on one of my planet’s moons! You know what the worst part of it is? I’m actually praying for my brother, Optimus, to beat Hiro so I can get out of slavery! My younger brother, an idealistic child, and he’s my only hope of salvation!”

“As someone who teamed up with his arch-nemesis on more than one occasion, I know EXACTLY how you feel,” sympathized Marvin.

“…Marvin, tell me,” mused Megatron, “did you ever try any Earth drinks? Beer, for example?”

“No, I can’t say that with honesty,” replied Marvin.

“Perhaps you should at least try a sip,” offered Megatron.

“I don’t know,” muttered Marvin.

“Come on,” urged Megatron. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?” Marvin sighed, then directed his hover pad to the bar and poured the tiniest shot of beer he was prepared to stomach. He sipped it…then he gagged and coughed the instant the alcohol entered his…er…mouth. “Well?” asked Megatron.

“Vile!” coughed Marvin.

“I know,” muttered Megatron. “It’s so angry and fiery and leaves a bad taste in your mouth.”

“…Much like Hiro,” realized Marvin.

“You know what the worst part is?” asked Megatron. “If you drink enough of that, you begin to feel only that just so you can drown out whatever pain you’re feeling. It pretends to be your friend, but it’s just slowly killing you.”

“It’s insidious,” supplied Marvin.

“Just like Hiro,” confirmed Megatron.

“Do you think your brother will save us?” asked Marvin.

“I hope so,” sighed Megatron. “I really do.”

There was only a week left in the break all 3V2R participants had received. Richard looked out the window of one of Vorton’s conference rooms and sighed, contemplating Megumi’s current mood. He was there when she asked for help, but both could tell that he, for reasons escaping both of them, wasn’t helping her out much. She was currently seeing her mother and brother to try and help her. At the moment, Richard felt useless. His thoughts were interrupted by the door sliding up. He turned to see Thengo come in. “Counsellor Lortora, right?” he asked.

“Just Thengo, please,” requested Thengo.

“What can I do for you?” asked Richard.

“I’m concerned for your wife,” explained Thengo. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but she’s skipped out on 3V2R planning meetings with Optimus and Arsha.”

“She’s also been taking meals alone and she doesn’t have much energy to do what she enjoys,” interjected Richard. “I’m aware of her condition at the moment. She’s visiting family right now.”

“She hasn’t confided in me,” revealed Thengo, “so I hope she’s seeing another counsellor.”

“She is not,” muttered Richard. “She believes that she’s betrayed War just as much as War betrayed us by doing what she’s doing.”

“She told you this?” asked Thengo.

“No,” answered Richard. “I’ve seen this kind of thing before.”

“You mean this is frequent for her?” inquired Thengo.

“Thankfully, no,” replied Richard. “But, it can last a long time. This is her third time.”

“If you don’t mind my asking,” quizzed Thengo, “what happened in the beginning?”

“Five years ago,” began Richard, “someone named Lord Vortech had seized control of Foundation Prime, the very center of the multiverse. He was sending minions to retrieve the Foundation Elements; objects that hold great significance to a universe and command great power. It was just us Vortex Riders originally, functioning on prototype Vortex Drivers. Vortech had also taken our parents hostage and we set out to rescue them. We picked up Batman, Hongo, Wyldstyle, and Gandalf, but didn’t tell them about Vortech. A tactical blunder, in retrospect. We almost died at Vortech’s hands before we were returned to Vorton. When it came out that those four were recruited for a reason, like we were, Megumi broke down. She felt like she had betrayed everyone.”

“And this was the first incident?” asked Thengo.

“The second incident happened three years ago,” continued Richard. “We had just welcomed Colleen, Moon-Kyung, Victor, Alesandro, and Liam. We voted on whether or not we’d tell them about Megumi’s breakdown and the results said we wouldn’t. During the adventure to protect the Sources, the sources of power for the Horsemen, we found out that X-PO tampered with the results and were called as witnesses for the prosecution during his trial. Our testimony and his outburst declared him guilty of willfully endangering innocent people and he was sentenced to 100 years in Multi-Max with no chance of parole. Megumi felt guilty for the past three years. She almost disbanded the F.N.S.”

“And now, she feels as if she’s failed War by kicking her out,” guessed Thengo. “She’s attached to those she considers friends.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” replied Richard. “She needs a counsellor. Could you help her?”

“That’s what I do,” answered Thengo, “but how easy is she around…well…these?” She indicated her legs.

“She’s comfortable holding normal-sized spiders, right up to our world’s biggest spider, the Goliath Birdeater,” assured Richard. “She’s also fine with talking to Melandra. I don’t think you can scare her away.”

“Then I’ll help her in any way I can,” declared Thengo.

“Thank you,” bid Richard. “In the meantime, I need to…” His planning was interrupted by a shriek. “MEGUMI?!” he yelped.

“Nope, Melandra,” sighed Thengo. “And I think I can guess why.” They left the conference room and saw Megumi with a cage in her hand and Melandra shaking and gibbering on the ceiling.

“What in the multiverse is the matter with you?!” protested Megumi. “One look at a new pet and you, of all people, scream and hide!”

“That thing’s face is all wrong!” wailed Melandra.

“Megumi, what did you do with your family?” asked Richard.

“We went on a small walk around After Academy,” explained Megumi. “We passed by an exotic pet store and my eyes settled on this beautiful girl. I felt a little at ease, still not over what I did to War, and so we decided I needed a pet.”

“…So you got a Tarantula?!” protested Richard as he saw the new pet. It was a Mexican Red-knee Tarantula. Richard then remembered the gibbering mess clinging to the ceiling and had a theory about Melandra. He turned to Thengo for confirmation.

“Yes, he’s arachnophobic,” confirmed Thengo.

“…A Drider? Arachnophobic?” asked Richard.

“There’s supposed to be an upper torso where the face is!” wailed Melandra. “I hate spiders! Those things crawled all over me when I was a kid!”

“Fine, I’ll take it home,” sighed Megumi.

“Megumi, Thengo’s offering her services,” called Richard. “I strongly urge you to accept her offer.”

“…You told her, didn’t you?” guessed Megumi.

“You clearly need help and I’m failing in that regard,” answered Richard.

“You’re doing fine,” dismissed Megumi. “I’M doing fine!”

“Not fine enough for both our tastes!” argued Richard. Megumi turned and snarled at Richard. He didn’t even flinch. The tension could be cut with a knife.

“…Fine, I’ll see her tomorrow,” sighed Megumi.

“That’s all I ask,” replied Richard. Just then, the comms sprang to life.

“Megumi, Emily, the Tarlaxian ship Beentar is requesting permission to dock,” reported Rusty. “They’ve got wounded.”

“Tell them to dock!” ordered Megumi.

“I’ll be at the airlock with plenty of stretchers!” replied Emily’s voice. Megumi dashed to her room to leave her new pet there while she met with Emily. She, Henry, Ratchet, and Marshii were tending to the patients. The Tarlaxian First Officer, Spidarachnimpa, was clutching her arm as Henry bandaged it.

“What happened?!” asked Megumi.

“We were contacted from universe 5-T-4-R-T-R-3-K to help a retired Starfleet Admiral visit us again,” explained Spidarachnimpa. “Shocker Rift ambushed us. We barely made it out in the condition you found us in.”

“Who’s the Captain of your vessel?” asked Megumi. ”I need to talk to them.” Spidarachnimpa’s heads turned away from her.

“It…it was Turretorg,” she mumbled. “He…he was…” Wailing interrupted her explanation. Megumi followed the source to see Discornia kneeling next to a stretcher with a shrouded body on it. Megumi ran up to the stretcher and pulled back a bit of the shroud to see Turretorg’s hand. She then realized what Spidarachnimpa was trying to say and stumbled backwards while Discornia wailed in grief, pleading with her gods to spare Turretorg. Unfortunately, Death came for him both metaphorically AND literally. Death sighed as Megumi looked to her for confirmation.

“How?” asked Megumi.

“Hiro attacked the Beentar with the intent to kill everyone on board,” replied Death. “His first target was the retired Starfleet Admiral, recently named a Dahar Master. Turretorg tried to fight him, but…”

“Hiro blinded him!” snarled a voice. Much to the protest of Marshii, an elderly Klingon woman entered the room. The face had more wrinkles and she sported silver hair, but it was still a recognizable face.

“Sh’Kar!” cheered Megumi. “A Dahar Master?”

“Why not?” asked Sh’Kar, former Captain of the Enterprise-G. “I trained 1000 warriors after I retired from Starfleet and they survived and won 100 battles each, gaining a few songs of how I made the Empire stronger by learning from outsiders. The Emperor was all too happy to give me such a title.”

“You said Turretorg was blinded,” recalled Megumi.

“I did,” confirmed Sh’Kar. “Turretorg was trying to defend me while rubble had me pinned. He fought well, but Hiro stuck him with a virus that severed his optic nerves. Only after it was confirmed that Turretorg couldn’t see him did Hiro deliver the killing blow. Even then, he did so from behind Turretorg! A brave warrior, and he was forced to die like a dog without seeing his killer! I will see to it that Hiro pays for this!”

“Killing him will only be an escape,” hissed Discornia. “I want him to suffer!”

“…Yes, killing him is too quick,” agreed Sh’Kar. “We must do something to make him regret his actions.”

“I believe I have such a method,” offered Megumi. “Were you in a universe when this ambush happened?”

“We were in Wyldstyle’s home,” replied Sh’Kar. “He’s seized control of it.”

“Then we’re going to wrest it from his grasp!” declared Megumi. “He most likely intends to use the Master Builders to make weapons for his own ends. Well, not today! Emily, when you’re finished, everyone will be meeting in the Gateway Room. It’s time to make Hiro hurt again!”

---

“And why are we here again?” asked Oak once everyone assembled.

“Megumi’s got something up her glove,” remarked Optimus.

“Minna,” called Megumi, “I’ll make this brief, Wyldstyle’s home is under threat from Hiro. It’s more than likely he’s roped Megatron and Dr. Borg into helping him.”

“Wait, MY home?!” yelped Wyldstyle. “What’s he doing there?!”

“Rounding up the Master Builders as Lord Business did,” replied Richard. “His organization needs weapons and he’s forcing the Master Builders to make them. He’s got a fleet hanging over…Syspocalypstar?”

“It looks like he’s got that universe’s Batman and an amorphous blob called Watevra Wa’Nabi as his hostages,” continued Megumi.

“The current rulers of Syspocalypstar,” explained Wyldstyle.

“We MUST get rid of that fleet!” declared Jandro.

“And we have an old friend to help us out,” replied Megumi. At that moment, Sh’Kar came out.

“A Klingon?” asked Optimus.

“For those that are new,” introduced Megumi, “I’d like everyone to meet Dahar Master Sh’Kar, daughter of Stomek of the House of Noggra. She has helped us before when she commanded a Prometheus-class starship that had the honor of being named Enterprise.” Optimus whistled in appreciation.

“A Starfleet Captain commanding a ship called Enterprise AND a Dahar Master?” he called. “That’s no easy feat!”

“My helping Megumi defeat Vortech was a big help in the Emperor granting me such a title,” replied Sh’Kar. “I believe I know you; Young Optimus, the child, the shape-changer, the one who is leading his faction in a war against his brother…” she frowned grimly, then smiled, “and skilled in the bat’leth. A pleasure to meet you. Anyone who backs up his talk with masterful action is a friend of mine.”

“As you mentioned, I’m a child,” remarked Optimus. “I’m hardly masterful.”

“Could have fooled me,” chuckled Sh’Kar.

“Sh’Kar, before we called this meeting,” interjected Megumi, “I asked you to get in touch with Starfleet and the Klingon Empire. Could either of them spare a ship?”

“I’m afraid not,” sighed Sh’Kar. “We’re on our own this time.”

“In that case, we’ll have to enlist Benny’s help,” declared Megumi. “We need Starfleet or Klingon firepower. Maybe he can build a ship in that vein.”

“Just one ship?” asked Batman.

“I’ve secured help from the Tarlaxians and our own ship will be in the vicinity,” replied Megumi.

“You have my ship’s help,” proclaimed Optimus.

“And mine,” offered Arsha.

“Thank you,” bid Megumi. “I’ve gotten ahold of our enemy’s position. Study this carefully.” She projected a map with the enemy fleet in position over Syspocalypstar. “We need to get rid of the fleet,” continued Megumi, “and take care of the ground forces and we need to do it in a way that makes Hiro hurt!”

“…Er, Mr. Saunders,” gulped Thengo.

“I’m concerned too,” whispered Richard.

---

“Dr. Borg, a word,” Megatron called to Dr. Borg.

“What is it?” grunted Dr. Borg as she continued her welding.

“We have to find some way to accelerate our plans to find Caan,” remarked Megatron. “Hiro’s distracting himself with these side-quests!”

“On that, you have no argument from me,” agreed Dr. Borg as she set down her welding and raised her helmet. “He seems obsessed with hurting Megumi. Last time I checked; she was supposed to be an annoyance.”

“Well, his priorities seem to have changed,” muttered Megatron. “I don’t know about you, but my bargain with him was to conquer an old…acquaintance’s universe.”

“I was there when he made the offer to you,” answered Dr. Borg. “I believe the ‘acquaintance’ was called Nemesis Prime. You feel as if that goal is no longer worth it?”

“At the moment, no, it IS still worth it,” replied Megatron. “It’s just that I want him to remember our original bargain. I intend to give him an ultimatum; he either forgets about Megumi and gets on with hunting Caan or my part of the alliance will dissolve and we’ll go back to our own universe.”

“Hiro offered me a means of building up my empire,” supplied Dr. Borg. “So far, he has not upheld his end of the bargain. I shall make the same ultimatum with you.”

“I knew I could count on you,” praised Megatron.

“No one is getting anything until Megumi is dead!” snarled Hiro’s voice. Both Megatron and Dr. Borg rolled their eyes before giving Hiro their full attention.

“You came to us to ask for our help to hunt down Caan!” snarled Dr. Borg. “We are nowhere near finding him, especially since he has one of our allies with him!”

“Either you end this obsession with Megumi or we leave,” declared Megatron. “Your choice.”

“You’re in no position to make demands!” roared Hiro.

“I beg your pardon?!” growled Megatron.

“I give the orders around here!” continued Hiro. “I decide what everyone does! You belong to me now!”

“I BELONG TO NOBODY!” roared Megatron as he aimed his fusion cannon at Hiro. Hiro then keyed in a number on his phone and pressed the button. Megatron and Dr. Borg then pricked their ears up. “What is that noise?” grunted Megatron.

“I hear it too,” muttered Dr. Borg. The noise they heard then became painful. “Ugh! I think…it’s in my head!” strained Dr. Borg as she got to her knees while clutching her head.

“What…IS this?!” howled Megatron as he fell to his back, clutching his head.

“That, Megatron, is a Shocker Rift Termination Implant,” explained Hiro. “I installed one into both of your ears a while ago. They play a frequency that the target finds HIGHLY painful!” Dr. Borg and Megatron howled in pain as the noise got louder and louder. This lasted for a few seconds before Hiro keyed in another number and ended the treatment. “Just so you all know,” warned Hiro, “ALL of your soldiers have such an implant. You DO belong to me now. You are Shocker Rift property.” He left the room as Megatron and Dr. Borg snarled.

“First chance I get,” he declared, “I’m slitting his throat!”

Everyone was in Castle Nerd Skull’s hangar as they waited for War, even Amavorte and the Chizaran Princesses. When she arrived, X-PO came with her. He caught sight of POmega. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” he remarked.

“After you were sentenced,” explained POmega, “I was constructed to do your job WITHOUT the manipulation of my friends.”

“So far,” hissed Elphaba, “she’s done a fantastic job.”

“I see,” muttered X-PO.

“Hello, Pup-X5,” greeted War as she saw the robot dog. “I haven’t seen you around here.”

“I’ve been busy,” read Pup-X5’s tablet.

“A pity that you’re not so busy on Vorton!” growled War.

“War,” interjected Amavorte, “we have reason to believe that you attempted to gain access to the Chizaran Satellite network.”

“And you’re correct,” grunted War. “Unfortunately, X-PO’s run into some difficulty in securing that access. Apparently, you lot don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“That’s what none of us get,” interrogated Megumi, “WHY is it a good idea to invade their privacy?”

“Don’t play games with me!” growled War. “You wouldn’t have put me in this circus trial if you didn’t know EXACTLY what I’m trying to do here.”

“Most of it is speculation,” replied Oak.

“Using their satellites COULD be helpful in finding Mickey and Caan,” began Bumblebee.

“Eggman too,” interjected X-PO. “I’ve intercepted various transmissions from Shocker Rift. Apparently, Eggman’s working with Caan too. He’s the reason Shocker Rift is losing allies.”

“Going back to the original topic,” continued Megumi, “those of us who are technically minded and I thought like mad scientists and wondered what one could do with various levels of access.”

“Hacking into places where one originally couldn’t or SHOULDN’T,” theorized Rosadera.

“Monitoring things beyond the scope of what one would normally expect,” continued Optimus.

“And, if we’re being generous to the mad scientist train of thought,” finished Arsha as she fiddled with the hairpiece she had long transferred to her waist, “space-based weapons of mass destruction with perfect targeting systems!”

“Thus, we have two questions, one leading to the other,” continued Lacey. “Are our guesses true, and, if so, why?” War sighed as she shut her eyes, trying to keep her temper.

“Your guesses are true,” she answered. “As to why, Vorton and Foundation Prime are public knowledge. They were once the best kept secrets in the multiverse, and now, after Vortech exposed their location, they’re sitting ducks waiting for anyone to make a grab for power!”

“We’re building more defenses for both locations!” argued Death. “Vorton has weapons installed on it! That was the initial reason to upgrade it from a few floating rocks with life-support to the space-station it is now!

“We’re using second-hand resources,” countered War. “We barely understand half of it! We need more aces, we need more options, and we need the full fury it can deliver if the need arises! Caan will make a grab for Foundation Prime, I’m positive of it! As such, I’m not going to let that happen!”

“War, there are other ways!” urged Lacey. “We can build a fleet of our own!”

“That will take years!” dismissed War. “Half of Vorton’s superstructure is made from salvaged materials!”

“We don’t have any timeline of events!” snapped Arsha. “It could be that long before Caan makes that kind of move!”

“I’m not prepared to wait that long!” snarled War. “We need to be ready sooner rather than later! Caan’s going to replace Vortech in terms of being a demigod with delusions of power!”

“War, we’re not going to let you go through with this lunacy!” hissed Rojenthi.

“That’s why I didn’t tell you in the first place!” replied War. “I WILL be getting access to those satellites with or without your permission!”

“War, we can’t let you go through with this!” snapped Thangred. “This is wrong!”

“You once said,” continued Lacey, “that we keep you from stepping out of line!”

“You know it’s wrong! We know it’s wrong!” urged Ultra Magnus. “Don’t do this!” War sighed again, frustrated that no one saw her way of thinking.

“…These are NOT hypotheticals,” she finally said. “This ISN’T a moral debate! This isn’t us arguing over what COULD happen! Caan struck at our vulnerable spots just as Vortech did! He WILL become the next Vortech! We can’t afford to debate this! If the price for keeping us all safe is me, so be it!”

“War, you don’t need to…!” argued Flora.

“Flora, let me finish,” interrupted War, “because this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done since my inception. This is MY decision. This is NOT up for debate. None of you were there when Vortech tricked me as the Vortech Wars started! None of you listened to Vortech butter someone up into falling in line with him! None of you have to live with the fact that you inadvertently helped someone nearly end everything! I did, and I refuse to do that again. Now, all of you can either stand with me and back me up on this…or you can sever your ties with me. I’ll do it myself if I have to. Make your choice NOW.” Everyone sat in silence for a good minute.

“…War,” muttered Megumi, “this kind of behavior will NOT be tolerated in my alliance. I never did this before, but I see no other alternative. Have you anything else to say before your status as an F.N.S member is revoked?”

“…Nothing that would please your ears,” muttered War.

“Then, as Queen of the Feudal Nerd Society,” declared Megumi, “I hereby strip you of your title and privileges. You are no longer a member of our group. You will have to earn my respect again if you want to rejoin us.”

“…Goodbye, Brief Mortals,” hissed War. “X-PO, we’re leaving.”

“One rift home, coming up,” sighed X-PO. A portal opened and War and X-PO entered it, letting it shut behind them. The room was uncomfortably quiet once again.

“…Given what’s just happened,” sighed Rosadera, “we’re extending the week-long break to three months in your universe.”

“…Thank you,” mumbled Megumi. “This meeting is over.” She got up and headed to the door. Richard followed her and they both headed home. The Stooges had finished painting the house the correct color. They were gone and left a note saying where the couple should send the check. They checked to see if the Stooges messed anything up during the painting, Thankfully, all was right. When everything checked out, Megumi sat down on the bed in their bedroom. Richard sat next to her.

“Er, Megumi…” ventured Richard. Megumi sniffed. Richard could see a tear coming down her cheek and sighed, a few theories on why she was crying leaping to the front of his mind. “Do you need anything?” offered Richard. “Something to eat, maybe?”

“Just hold me,” sniffed Megumi. Richard wrapped his arms around her and she adjusted herself so she hid her face in his chest. When she finished, she finally started sobbing. Richard shut his eyes as his own tears came down. This was a dark day for the F.N.S.

---

Blancalmarem and Nemengra were broadcasting again. “Hey all,” began Blancalmarem. “I know this is sudden and a little unusual in how we opened this broadcast, but, due to some of our recent winners suffering a loss, the beginning of the Quarterfinals has been extended to three months relative to your universe’s time scale.”

“In respect to what happened, we won’t say who’s suffering right now,” supplied Nemengra.

“All we can say is this, our hearts go out to you and we will give you time to heal,” continued Blancalmarem.

“We thank you all for understanding,” finished Nemengra.

---

War sat in her house, far away from After Academy and Beyond City. She had invited Quake Hammer and Skyfall to see her. When they arrived and were taking in the Energon she had offered, War recounted what happened, leaving the married bots in stark horror. “This…” mumbled Skyfall. “I mean, this is…”

“You had a right to know,” assured War. “You two are under no obligation to help me and X-PO.”

“It’s just…just give me a cycle!” breathed Skyfall.

“There HAS to be another way,” urged Quake Hammer. “I mean, you’re hunting a mouse here!”

“I’m hunting a former Dalek as well,” countered War. “You know what Caan was capable of when he led Davros and the Daleks to create the Reality Bomb based on the TV episodes alone.”

“It’s just the scope of it!” answered Skyfall. “I mean, I’m just a lone Autobot scout, for crying out loud! My husband’s only a grunt in the Decepticon ranks!”

“Maybe, but you may be some of my only friends here,” replied War.

“But you’re building your own fleet!” argued Quake Hammer. “A fleet that doesn’t need crews for the ships!”

“That fleet will be the first line of defense,” muttered War, “but I know Caan. He’s clever and always three steps ahead of his enemies. We need more than just an automatic fleet if we’re gonna stop him.”

“Quaky, sweetie,” interjected Skyfall, “she may need our help. I mean, we DID fly ships in our day.”

“…All right, fine,” sighed Quake Hammer. “Someone as unhinged as Caan trying to make a grab for that kind of power? No, we need to stop him. We’re with you.”

“Thank you,” bid War. “I’ve been forced to move up my timetables a bit. Since the Campus Safety Commission haven’t been knocking on my door as of late, I don’t think my colleagues told them.”

---

“The fleet will launch within the month and I’ll, hopefully, have access to the Chizaran Satellite Network by then.” The instant War said that, Azuliterii switched off the systems that were listening in on War. All of the Chizaran rulers, both princesses and Princesses, were listening in.

“Nicely done,” praised Vioazira.

“Well, I DID make the satellites,” remarked Azuliterii. “It only makes sense that we should use them for spying in case of this kind of emergency.”

“Then, the question becomes, what do we do about it?” asked Blancalmarem.

“We should probably tell the Campus Safety Commission,” offered Amartonadii.

“Unfortunately,” sighed Azevordem, “Lilly’s not answering her calls. Her business is currently booming and she’s swamped at the moment.”

“Look, are we really okay with all this?” asked Griforina. “Going up against War?”

“She has to be stopped,” supplied her toner-grey princess clone, Greterey, the family leader.

“Preferably,” continued the neutral-grey princess clone, Graneutall, the time leader, “before she does something that will spark a war.”

“If we can talk to her,” surmised the warm-grey princess clone, Grilcaldo, the fire leader, “perhaps we can get her to see reason before she accesses our satellite network.”

“Fortunately, her personal security measures aren’t operational yet,” called Marrulem.

“Meaning, while she’s onboard her personal flagship, launching the fleet,” supplied Rojenthi, “we can access her ground-based systems with zero difficulty.”

“What good will that do?” asked Verdutha.

“X-PO still doesn’t have his full computational abilities,” explained Nemengra.

“Until he’s plugged into the fleet’s shipboard computers,” continued Naratelto, “he won’t be able to coordinate effectively between the ships and War’s home.”

“And, fortunately,” supplied Moradelia, “the main data-cores for each ship’s computers won’t be operational for another three months.”

“Without X-PO’s full computational abilities,” Amavorte went on, “War will have to rely on him coordinating the action from her house and that’s not as effective in accessing our satellites.”

“We disable the ground-based systems,” realized Verdutha, “then War will be stopped! Brilliant!”

“Let’s just hope she’ll be reasonable about all this,” muttered Blancalmarem.

“Unfortunately,” sighed Rosadera, “if our conversation at Castle Nerd Skull’s hangar was any indication, if she WAS reasonable, we wouldn’t need to do this. …Get me Scorpainia, we may need her help.”

---

“I must compliment you and your gall, Scorpainia, ” grunted War. “One day, you must tell me how you came to the decision to not join me.”

“My Lady,” interjected Turretorg before Scorpainia held up a claw to silence him as her other claw rested on her baby-laden belly.

“How I made my decision doesn’t matter,” remarked Scorpainia.

“I think it DOES matter!” snarled War. “So will my allies!”

“War,” urged Scorpainia, “I want you to cease all operations concerning the Chizaran satellites.”

“…So what do you propose to do instead?” asked War. “Standby and allow Caan to seize Foundation Prime?!”

“You have no proof that Foundation Prime is Caan’s ultimate goal,” replied Scorpainia.

“Him duping Mickey is all the proof I need!” argued War.

“And what if you’re wrong?” asked Turretorg.

“That would be unfortunate,” answered War, “for Caan.”

“Lady War,” interjected Scorpainia, “the Council has made it clear to me that they cannot support your plans to control Foundation Prime. It was one of the few decisions that was unanimous. The people fear it will spark another war, something we can’t afford. I can’t say I blame them. You do not have the support of the Tarlaxians.”

“…Are you saying that you will do NOTHING while I risk everything to protect the multiverse?!” roared War.

“We will NOT participate in an unprovoked invasion,” answered Turretorg.

“Then you will not share in the victory spoils!” declared War.

“War, I would advise you to reconsider,” urged Scorpainia. “If this attack goes forward, it will be seen as an insult towards us. We would consider it a reminder of when Vortech invaded my mind and conquered our previous home.”

“…Believe me,” replied War, “I do not wish to antagonize you like that.”

“Then call off the attack!” demanded Scorpainia.

“…I will have to consult with my allies,” affirmed War. “You will have our decision within the hour. X-PO, I require a rift home.” War left via a portal. It shut behind her and Scorpainia sighed in frustration.

“She’ll go through with it,” she muttered.

“Are you sure?” asked Turretorg.

“I’m positive,” confirmed Scorpainia.

“My lady,” called Discornia as she came into the throne room, “the Chizarans are contacting you.”

“Put them through,” directed Scorpainia. “I need their help.”

“So, what do you think?” asked Optimus as he finished giving Arsha and Megumi a tour of his base. They were at the Command Center.

“I’m impressed,” praised Megumi. “I could only imagine so much on Richard and Sonic’s descriptions alone.”

“I must say, it reminds me of home, somewhat,” sighed Arsha happily.

“Pst! Hey!” hissed a voice in a falsetto.

“Who was that?” asked Megumi.

“Over here!” urged the voice. The source was from behind the couch. They looked behind to see Mickey!

“Mickey! What are you doing here?!” yelped Megumi.

“Megumi, we need to talk!” whispered Mickey.

“Mr. Mouse,” interjected Optimus, “why shouldn’t we toss you to the cops after the stunt you pulled?”

“Because most everybody knows me!” replied Mickey. “Megumi, especially, knows I wouldn’t do this unless I had a good reason!”

“How fortunate that I know you as well, Mickey Mouse!” growled War’s voice. War, in her Rider form, approached the group with someone familiar floating behind her. It was a flying box with no legs, a single purple eye, an antenna, and arms with pincers on each side!

“X-PO?!” yelped Megumi. “What are you doing here?! You’re supposed to be in prison!”

“And ‘hello’ to you too,” replied the former Gateway Operator, the Experimental Portal Operator, X-PO. “To answer your question, War bailed me out on the condition that I would serve her.”

“I needed his computational abilities,” continued War, “to find either Caan or one of his allies. It looks like we came up with the latter. Good work, X-PO.” She drew her sword and leveled it at Mickey.

“War, we’ve got this!” hissed Megumi.

“No, I’VE got this,” countered War. She then gave her attention to Mickey. “Mickey Mouse, you’re coming with me and you can explain to the whole class why…” A portal opened beneath Mickey and got him out of there. “X-PO! TRACE IT!” shouted War.

“They’re continually scrambling the endpoint!” replied X-PO.

“Clever squid!” snarled War. “Oh well, we’ll find him another time. Get us home.”

“War, what is all this about?!” snapped Megumi.

“That’s not important,” dismissed War.

“Yes, it is!” snarled Megumi.

“This does NOT concern you three!” urged War. “Just concentrate on the 3V2R!”

“You’re in my base,” hissed Optimus, “so I say it DOES concern us.”

“We won’t be in your base for long,” answered X-PO.

“Teletraan! Lock them here!” ordered Optimus.

“HEY! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” shouted X-PO as he turned to the main monitor.

“Not while there are questions unanswered!” snapped Teletraan as his avatar blew a raspberry. “He can’t access his portal-making abilities! They’re stuck here!”

“Good work!” praised Optimus.

“Release your hold on X-PO’s portal functions!” roared War.

“I’m sorry, War,” replied Teletraan in a HAL-9000 impression, “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“I have no intention of staying here a second longer,” snarled War, “and risking letting Mickey slip away!”

“You’re not leaving until we get answers!” insisted Megumi as she equipped her Vortex Driver. “I don’t want to fight you, but I WILL beat the information out of you if I have to!” She grabbed her i.d. tag and inserted it into the belt. “Henshin!” she called. She spun the wheel and became Kamen Rider Royal.

“You never beat me when we were training!” declared War as she drew her sword.

“I was shackled by the idea of a fair fight!” hissed Royal as she took out her Ascendant.

“Then let’s see you fight unfairly,” challenged War as she charged at Royal. Royal pressed the button on her Ascendant as she dodged the attack.

“Ascendancy!” it announced. She then inserted it into the Vortex Driver and folded it down onto the wheel. “All set!” it called. She pressed the button again and the wheels spun, changing her armor from blue to silver with gold trim. “Full Ascendance!” finished the Ascendant. Royal was now Kamen Rider Royal: Ascendant Base. She summoned her sword and blocked War’s next swing. She then kicked War’s knee, causing her to hold onto it.

“X-PO!” snarled War.

“Keep your sabatons on!” snapped X-PO. “I’ll get us out of here! This oversized Nintendo Switch isn’t all that sophisticated!”

“Oversized Switch?!” shouted Teletraan. “I’ll Switch you!”

“This is getting out of hand!” hissed Royal. “Hey, Optimus! I’m borrowing your power!”

“Go ahead!” replied Optimus. Royal touched Optimus and retrieved his i.d. tag. It came out gold instead of blue.

“Huh, so this is when we get gold i.d. tags,” mused Royal as she remembered her adventures with Godzilla and her 70-year-old self. She then inserted the i.d. tag into the chamber on the front of the Ascendant.

“Ascendance: Optimus Prime!” called the Ascendant. Then, it happened! From the feet up, Optimus turned into red mist!

“HEY! HEY! HEY!” protested Optimus as he fully changed into mist. The red mist then formed hard armor evoking Optimus’ helmet, flight jets, shoulders, hands, and feet! They attached themselves to Royal and her eyes flashed electric blue, then the usual baby blue.

“…That’s new,” mused Royal.

“Well, I got my limbs back,” sighed Optimus’ voice as he folded his arms…at least, he thought they were his arms.

“Er, Prime,” gulped Royal, “why did you fold my arms?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Optimus, “they’re MY arms. …Why do I feel squishy?”

“Did I just gain some extra machinery?” asked Royal.

“Er, guys,” gulped Arsha as she pointed to Royal, shaking a bit in fear at what happened to the Kamen Rider.

“Impossible,” breathed War. The eyes on Royal’s helmet alternated between baby blue and electric blue. They showed confusion, then they guessed, then panic set in.

“…GATTAI SHIMASHITA!” (loosest translation, We’ve combined!) shouted Royal in both Optimus and Megumi’s voices. Optimus’ voice then took over as the eyes turned electric blue.

“This is so weird!” he wailed. “Let me out!”

“This never happened before!” yelped Royal in Megumi’s voice as the eyes went to baby blue. “Usually, the Ascendant projects a clone body and it turns into mist and unites with me, not the actual person!”

“Wait, when you tested this thing out,” asked Optimus as he took over, “was the person the i.d. tag was based off of in the same room as you?”

“…No, but I see your theory,” mused Megumi as she took over.

“There’s rift control again!” cheered X-PO. “…And I lost it again.”

“I’m not THAT unsophisticated, Toaster!” snapped Teletraan.

“Okay, that’s it!” snarled War. “Ending this now!” Her sword was raised.

“Uh oh!” yelped Royal in Megumi’s voice. The sword came down and Royal managed to summon Optimus axes to block them! Both were surprised, then a wicked looked entered Royal’s eyes. “Prime,” Megumi called, “do you mind taking over? I want to see how you use these things.” The eyes then turned electric blue.

“Delighted,” answered Optimus. Royal then shoved War back and went on the offensive. War was taken aback that Royal was so skilled with dual wielding axes, so she changed her tactics accordingly. She grabbed one arm on an upswing and held the other at bay with her sword, leaving the chest open for her to drive her knee into it. Royal dropped the floor and saw War’s foot prepare for a kick, then she combined the axes into their staff mode and tripped War up. War was floored and Royal got up, raising the axe above her head. War then converted her blade into a hand-held cannon and fired. The shot knocked Royal off her feet and allowed War to get back up. Royal then summoned Optimus’ gun and fired. War wasn’t even fazed as she stormed up to Royal. Royal then got out a human-sized Cyber Key and flicked it into the air before she fired energy from her hand into the Cyber Key. “CYBER KEY POWER!” invoked Royal in Optimus’ voice. The Cyber Key inserted itself into the back of the gun and rotated, allowing the barrel to split, and let the axe split into two again before inserting themselves into the barrel. The new weapons configuration was a Spark Drinker Axe and Royal swung it so hard that it flung War into the wall. When War got back on her feet, Royal was the same way.

“We better end this quickly,” remarked Megumi as she briefly took over, “War’s highly adaptive. She’s learned your fighting capabilities.”

“Any options?” asked Optimus as he resumed control.

“HEY! ROYAL! TAG IN!” called Arsha. Royal looked back, then nodded. She dashed towards Arsha and got her i.d. tag, golden like Optimus, and swapped out i.d. tags. The Optimus armor turned into mist and reformed into Optimus in normal robot mode. Royal then inserted Arsha’s i.d. tag into the Ascendant.

“Ascendance: Arsha Royana!” called the Ascendant. Arsha turned into pink mist and the mist formed pink pauldrons, nine tails, and a rose helmet piece on the back. Royal then allowed Arsha to take over and the fight turned magical. Royal was firing magic blast after magic blast at War, who had to resort to blocking with her blade.

“It looks like she’s weak enough,” remarked Arsha’s voice as the eyes turned pink.

“Now’s our chance!” declared Megumi’s voice. Megumi took over and pressed the Ascendant’s button again. The wheel turned on the Vortex Driver.

“Final Attack!” called the belt.

“RIDER ROYAL ARSHA ASCENDANT KICK!” shouted Royal in both Arsha and Megumi’s voices. She leapt into the air and extended her foot. Transparent versions of Royal in her base form and Arsha in her armor flanked the corporeal Royal and followed her in Rider Kicking War. War hit the wall again and fell to the floor, her transformation being cancelled. Royal then picked War up and brought her to her face.

“Well?” asked Royal in Arsha’s voice. “Are you going to talk?”

“…I knew Mickey would try to contact you lot,” replied War. “Needless to say, I’m keeping tabs on everyone.”

“Is it gonna turn out,” quizzed Royal in Megumi’s voice, “that you tapped my phone?!”

“Caan may have used some sort of mind-control garbage on Mickey to get him to work to his ends,” continued War. “He might have done the same to you guys. I’m keeping tabs! This is bigger than you or me, guys; this is the fate of the multiverse here!” Royal released War, then removed Arsha’s i.d. tag so Arsha could return to a corporeal state, then took out the Ascendant, then removed her own i.d. tag from the Vortex Driver and returned to being Megumi.

“You get out of here!” she snarled.

“Teletraan, release your hold on X-PO’s portal generation functions,” ordered Optimus.

“Sir, you can’t…!” protested Teletraan.

“That’s an order,” insisted Optimus. Teletraan sighed. X-PO then perked up.

“Portal generation functions restored,” he reported. “Let’s get out of here!”

“Capital idea,” agreed War as a portal opened.

“War,” called Megumi, “when we return to Vorton, we’re ALL going to have a long conversation about this!”

“Until then,” dismissed War, “farewell.” She and X-PO entered the portal and it closed behind them. For a few minutes, no one said a word. As they sat, Teletraan got something.

“Vorton’s calling,” he reported.

“On screen,” directed Optimus. Emily appeared on screen.

“Sorry to disturb you all,” she began, “but Amavorte wants to talk to Megumi after the Advancement Ceremony for the Second Round.” Megumi sighed.

“Now what?” she groaned.

---

The Advancement Ceremony for the Second Round was in full swing. This time, there were eight floats dedicated to the winners. They were Buncho, Queen Phury, Elizabeth, Bolt Boy, Optimus, Mr. Drendar, Megumi, and Arsha. Blancalmarem and Nemengra were commenting again, accompanied by Julia Caesar and Ultragingana. “I am Blancalmarem, the white princess of Chizara and the life leader,” began Blancalmarem.

“I am Nemengra, the black princess of Chizara and the death leader,” finished Nemengra.

“And we’re accompanied by Julia Caesar and Ultragingana as we witness the Advancement Ceremony for the Second Round!” continued Blancalmarem.

“And what a round that was!” cheered Nemengra. “Some of the bouts really said something about the character of some of the fighters. I’m sure Ultragingana could tell us stories about her quarterfinal bout in the 300,029th 3V2R.”

“I’d rather NOT remember,” muttered Ultragingana. “I still have bad dreams about it!”

“It looks like the floats have made it to their designated parking areas,” observed Julia. “The winners are coming down and receiving their torches from the Princesses!”

“There they go, lining up, ready to light the Closing Torch!” cheered Blancalmarem.

“And there it goes!” cheered Nemengra as the Torch blazed high. “Perfect! And there’s Rosadera, ready to make her speech!”

“Friends,” began Rosadera, “this has been an excellent second round. The spirit of good sportsmanship is well represented by the competitors, even with those we might not consider so…civil.” Optimus rolled his optics, thinking that what Rosadera said was an understatement considering Ms. Furella. “However,” continued Rosadera, “such people can only be pitied. They’re missing out on the good stuff. So,” her face adopted a mock saddened expression, “we must burden ourselves by enjoying such good things without them.” The crowd chuckled at the joke. Rosadera dropped it and returned to her speech. “We can only expect more spectacular bouts in the future, so let’s move ever onward! We shall take a week-long break relative to your universe’s time scale once again, so plan well and rest up!” The winners stepped off the platform and prepared to go when someone whistled. A woman in a yellow green outfit came up to Megumi and Rosadera.

“Ah, Amavorte, yes?” quizzed Megumi.

“Amavorte?” muttered Rosadera. “What can I do for you?”

“I need to speak with Megumi,” explained the woman, Amavorte, the yellow-green princess of Chizara and the earth leader. “In private, preferably.”

“…And you were expecting her?” Rosadera asked Megumi.

“I was,” confirmed Megumi.

“Very well,” muttered Rosadera, “just let me know when you’re finished talking to her so I can send you home.”

“You guys go on ahead,” Megumi assured Optimus and Arsha. “I’ll see you on Vorton.”

“I hope you can get answers,” gulped Optimus.

“See you later,” bid Arsha. Megumi’s fellow winners then vanished in pink light with Rosadera. Megumi and Amavorte teleported to Amavorte’s private castle in yellow-green light.

“What did you want to talk about?” asked Megumi.

“Can you explain why War is trying to access our satellites?” inquired Amavorte.

“What?!” yelped Megumi.

“Your reaction just said everything,” remarked Amavorte, “you’re as surprised as I was to hear that.”

“I was inundated with how much you Chizarans value privacy before my first bout,” muttered Megumi. “I presume War was when she competed?”

“She was,” confirmed Amavorte. “We fear that there are those that would use our brand of power and immortality for ill deeds if they learned our secrets.”

“But she’s the anthropomorphic personification of war,” remarked Megumi. “I doubt she needs your kind of power. Unless…uh oh.”

“You have a theory?” asked Amavorte.

“Do you mind taking me to the Grand Castle?” requested Megumi. “I need to ask the Princesses something.”

“Very well,” replied Amavorte. Yellow-green light then took them to the library of the Grand Castle, where the Princesses usually hang out. As it happened, all five were there.

“Megumi?” yelped Azuliterii. “What brings you here?”

“Does it have something to do with War trying to access our satellites?” asked Moradelia.

“I’m afraid so,” confirmed Megumi. “I’m calling for a mandatory meeting for all my friends the day after tomorrow on Vorton. Could you five and Amavorte attend? I think War has a more nastier deed in mind for the satellites than spying on you all.”

The F.N.S, Endeavor crew, Autobots, Tarlaxians, and Stooges met in the Gateway Room. “All of them?!” asked Megumi as she got confirmation that every Chronicle Driver was destroyed.

“Not a single one was spared,” answered Dell.

“Can’t we make new ones?” asked Richard.

“The materials were declared unsafe by the Tarlaxian Science Commission,” replied Lukas. “Sludgiona risked losing her doctorate in building them.”

“Can’t she make them with safer materials?” inquired Jandro.

“She’s tried,” sighed Lukas, “but the reaction core was a newer type that held more power. Safer materials just didn’t make the energy flow as efficient.”

“Then why make it at all?” asked Megumi.

“She was more focused on ‘could’ than ‘should’ at the time,” explained Lukas.

“The point now stands,” interjected Mickey, “we former Chronicle Riders need to get used to Vortex Drivers.”

“Well, you’ve got sixteen people willing to help with that,” offered Megumi.

“Thank you,” replied Mickey.

“All right, let’s pass out the new Vortex Drivers,” called Megumi. Dell passed them around to every former Chronicle Rider. “All good?” asked Megumi.

“We got them,” answered Alesandro.

“Hiroki, if you please,” offered Megumi

“All right, the first thing we do,” began Hiroki, “is set the Vortex Driver to our waists.” Everyone followed along and the belt strap wrapped around everyone’s waists and adjusted for their respective size.

“Vortex Driver!” announced the belts. After that announcement, an i.d. tag popped out from the top of the buckles. The new guys stepped back in surprise as the i.d. tags hovered in the air in front of them.

“Go on,” urged Hiroki. “Once you touch them, they will read off your genetic signature.” The new guys then cautiously grabbed the i.d. tags. At first contact, the i.d. tags formed a picture of their Rider forms’ helmets.

“Hey, they look like they haven’t changed our armor’s appearance!” called Alesandro.

“Then you’re still using the armor you’re used to,” chuckled Hiroki. “All right, now, insert the i.d. tag into your belts.” The new guys did as requested. “Now, strike your pose, then spin the wheel to your right.”

“I presume, before spinning the wheel,” mused Jandro, “we say ‘Henshin’.”

“That’s right,” confirmed Hiroki. The new guys then took their poses.

“Henshin!” they called. They then spun the wheel and the wardrobe appeared while their clothes were being converted into the undersuit.

“This is familiar,” observed Jandro. The undersuit then fully formed and the armor was attached to the Riders’ bodies. “Now this is more gentler than the Chronicle Driver’s method,” mused Jandro as he became Kamen Rider Cloak again. All former Chronicle Riders kept their old armor.

“Hey, there’s a progress bar on my helmet’s HUD,” called Alesandro, Kamen Rider Striker.

“I have one too,” interjected Dell, Kamen Rider Construct. “It says it’s reading the i.d. tag library.”

“That’s the Vortex Driver generating your i.d. tag collections,” explained Hiroki. “Megumi’s got the power to gain i.d. tags and store it into a special subspace pocket on her belt so it can be copied and given to every Rider. On the right of the belt is the Tag Purse where you store the other i.d. tags.”

“How do we exchange Steels without cancelling the transformation?” asked Moon-Kyung, Kamen Rider Lance.

“There’s a button on the right of the wheel,” lectured Hiroki, “that releases the i.d. tag without dismissing your armor. Your personal i.d. tag goes into a slot on the left of your waist.” Jason, Kamen Rider Turf, decided to try it. He pressed the button, placed his i.d. tag into the slot Hiroki described, fished a new i.d. tag out of the right side, and inserted it into the belt. “Now, spin the wheel to your right again,” directed Hiroki. Turf did so.

“Grand Zi-O Steel!” called the belt.

“Grand Time!” announced the Ziku Driver’s voice. It then sang a small song. “Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki, Faiz, Blade! Hibiki, Kabuto, Den-O, Kiva, Decade! W, OOO, Fourze! Wizard, Gaim, Drive! Ghost! Ex-Aid! Build! Iwae! (Rejoice!) Kamen Rider! Grand Zi-O!” Turf’s new armor pieces were gold and had the upper torsos of all the main Heisei Riders with Zi-O’s on the top of his head.

“Now THIS is fresh!” praised Turf.

“So, how does one cancel the transformation?” asked Colleen, Kamen Rider Slam.

“There’s a button on the left of the wheel that will eject whatever i.d. tag is being used and dismiss the armor,” explained Hiroki. The new guys tried it and returned to their civilian forms.

“Well, that’s not as complex as I thought,” chuckled Jandro. “It looks like there are more Ascendants on the way.”

“I DO see that in the future,” agreed Dell.

“Then we should start right away,” declared Lukas.

“Oh, speaking of,” called Richard, “I successfully tested mine out. Wanna see?”

“Of course!” cheered Megumi.

“Here we go!” called Richard as he equipped his Vortex Driver. It announced what it was and he inserted his i.d. tag before striking his pose.

“Henshin!” he called. He spun the wheel and became Kamen Rider Guard. He then took out his Ascendant and pressed a button on top.

“Ascendancy!” it proclaimed. Guard inserted the tab into the slot on his buckle and folded it down so the two smaller gears’ teeth lined up with the Vortex Driver’s wheel. “All set!” announced the device. Guard then pressed the button again and the two smaller gears spun the wheel. As they spun, Guard’s armor color changed to silver with gold trim. “Full Ascendance!” finished the Ascendant as the wheels stopped.

“Kamen Rider Guard: Ascendant Base!” proclaimed Guard.

“Sugoi!” (So cool!) breathed Megumi.

“With this kind of power, nothing can stop us now!” boasted Guard. Just then, War appeared with a group of police men. “Er, can we help you?” asked Guard.

“Mickey Mouse, you are wanted for questioning!” snarled War.

“Questioning?!” protested Megumi. “On what charges?!”

“We have proof,” explained one of the police officers, “that Mickey Mouse is willingly aiding and abetting the former Dalek, Caan.”

“What?” asked Guard. “You’re joking! Mickey saw what a normal Dalek did to his home! He wouldn’t join with Caan!”

“We’ve intercepted a transmission between Mickey and Caan,” argued War. “In it, he proclaimed that the virus worked. Now, Mickey, you’re coming with us!”

“I’m afraid I’m not,” replied Mickey. He activated the Gateway and dashed into it!

“Hey! Stop!” called Guard as he charged after Mickey.

“Richard, wait!” called Megumi. Too late. The portal closed. “…Mickey? With Caan?” asked Megumi.

---

The portal was set for Chima. Laval was surprised to see Guard and Mickey come flying out. Mickey readied his belt and got his i.d. tag out. “Henshin!” he called. He spun the wheel and became Kamen Rider Lux.

“Wh…Guard?!” spluttered Laval. “I haven’t seen you since…!”

“Later, Laval!” snapped Guard as he chased after Lux. Lux summoned his motorcycle and sped to the forest. Guard did the same and pursued him. He converted his sword to rifle mode and fired on Lux’s tires. The bike flipped over and tossed Lux off. Guard then parked his bike and drew his sword, Lux summoned his Keyblade and the two Riders dueled. Being a Keyblade Master, Lux had something of an advantage over Guard. Guard acted rather animalistic and leapt into the air while raising his blade. Lux reversed his grip on his Keyblade and blocked Guard’s blow. Guard attempted to push Lux’s Keyblade back, but Lux was stronger than he looked for a mouse his size. “Mickey,” grunted Guard, “if Caan’s got you in some sort of trouble, you know you can talk to us, right?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you why I’m working with Caan right now!” replied Lux. “Rest assured, you WILL know my reasons why.” Just then, it happened. Guard screamed and temporarily turned photonegative as a Dalek blaster bolt hit him. He crumpled to the forest floor, panting all the while and his transformation cancelling automatically. The person who fired was Caan himself.

“Strange, I had this thing set for maximum extermination,” he muttered. “How could I not see his survival happening?”

“I thought we needed everyone alive!” protested Lux.

“Richard is too troublesome,” dismissed Caan. “Still, we’ll be long gone before he or his friends can do anything about it. Come. I DID see that we would leave together right about now.” A portal opened and Lux turned back with regret in his eyes before following Caan. A few seconds later, a portal opened and deposited Emily. She waved a scanner over him, then hoisted him onto his shoulders to take him back so she could treat him.

---

When he recovered, Richard told everyone what had happened in Chima. Laval was also on Vorton for a visit. Rusty and her team checked for Mickey, but nothing came up. Everyone gathered to hear the report. “Not a single trace of that mouse,” sighed Elphaba.

“I suppose it would make sense,” muttered Arsha. “If Caan’s been hiding from you all, it would stand to reason that he would hide his allies.”

“Why would they be working together anyway?” asked Optimus. “Caan was once a Dalek and Mickey already faced one, from what Michael told us.”

“Caan can see into the future,” remarked Richard as he strung a theory together, “Mickey has powers beyond our understanding. If they think a threat’s coming, it only makes sense that they would work together.”

“Is there any evidence that Mickey planted the virus into the Chronicle Drivers?” asked Megumi.

“Unfortunately, yes,” sighed Dell. “He left a log open in his office at Disney Castle.”

“I’m still amazed,” muttered Richard, “that Mickey Mouse, of all people, would side with Caan.”

“I’m not!” snarled War.

“Pardon?” asked Arsha.

“Keeping secrets and having it blow up in your face seems to be a trait shared by everyone here!” replied War.

“War, what are you talking about?” quizzed Death.

“Megumi and her team never told Batman, Wyldstyle, Gandalf, and Hongo about Vortech!” began War. “They decided to keep that bit a secret from the first of the Chronicle Riders! Optimus got cocky with his power! Jansha was supposed to be a member of the Endeavor’s crew! Arsha was plagued by self-doubt! Amy never told her friends she was the Scarlet Specter! Is there ANYONE who wasn’t afflicted by not telling anyone their problems?!”

“Yo,” offered Blackarachnia.

“You spent most of your time on Mobius,” snarled War, “pretending to be a Decepticon and only told Optimus it was you when you were discovered! Don’t pretend you’re exempt from this, you poison-spewing junk-heap!”

“Go frag yourself with a laser scalpel and take a swim in the Smelting Pools of Polyhex, Tiny!” snapped Blackarachnia as she crossed her fingers in anger.

“Lieutenant, easy,” urged Optimus. He then turned his attention to War. “While a little rude, she DOES have a point; half of that was out of our hands!”

“It STILL happened, and I’m flat out tired of it!” growled War. “I’m tired of Vorton being invaded! I’m tired of us being blindsided by the enemy! I’m tired of seeing people like the Tarlaxians beaten down! And, most especially, I’m tired of us needing to use Vorton in a war-time emergency!”

“Well, I can agree with you on the whole ‘Vorton Gets Invaded a lot’ front,” supplied Lukas. “The good news is that we won’t have that problem anymore.”

“We didn’t think to ask other universes for defense tech,” continued Dell. “The Autobots were generous with their technology and it integrates well with the tech we have here. Not to mention, we didn’t really have a good frame of reference for Vorton’s main power core until we met Arsha. Half of it is magic-based and so is the Endeavor’s central battery. With the help of her engineers and artificers, we’ve managed to fully tap into the power core and now we have 50% more defensive power with plenty to spare for security. It’s just taking a bit longer to install the Cybertronian tech.”

“Look everything over again,” commanded Megumi. “If there’s even a hint of Mickey having tampered with it, strip it down and start over. We’ve all been knocked back by what Mickey did. It’s time to pick ourselves up and get back into the fight.”

---

“I told you we needed everyone alive!” Mickey shouted at Caan.

“Richard barely contributes to help his wife,” dismissed Caan.

“You don’t know him as well as I do!” argued Mickey.

“In any event, it doesn’t matter,” continued Caan. “He somehow survived my weapon when it was set to maximum.”

“Maybe it’s not as powerful as you think,” muttered Mickey.

“I’ve looked it over,” called Dr. Eggman as he left the lab. “It’s working perfectly.”

“…Then…how did Richard…?” asked Mickey.

“It doesn’t matter!” snapped Metaltron as she came into the room. “What matters is that we need them all to do as we say!”

“We’ll get that,” assured Caan. “We just need to be subtle.”

“I hardly think shooting someone,” hissed Mickey, “is a good representation of ‘subtle’.”

---

It was time for a 3V2R update and Blancalmarem and Nemengra were sitting in their usual spots in their garden. “I am Blancalmarem, the white princess of Chizara and the life leader,” began Blancalmarem.

“I am Nemengra, the black princess of Chizara and the death leader,” finished Nemengra.

“This particular bout of the Second Round ended on a rather electrifying note,” joked Blancalmarem, “as Bolt Boy defeated Southern Belle!” The audience groaned and booed at the pun. “Oh, come on, the opportunity was there!” replied Blancalmarem with an unrepentant grin.

“Awful pun aside,” groaned Nemengra as she pinched the bridge of her nose, “the two electric-powered heroes engaged in a test to see who could generate the most electric power for a neighborhood.”

“The betting boards believed that Bolt Boy would lose on account of him being only a fourth grader of the American school system,” continued Blancalmarem, “but, surprisingly, he powered more of the neighborhood than Southern Belle.”

“We took the liberty of interviewing Southern Belle,” Nemengra went on, “to see what she made of Bolt Boy.” The giant screen displayed the two Chizaran women interviewing a woman in the stereotypical southern belle outfit, complete with fan and hoopskirt.

“When you laid down the terms of the bout,” began Blancalmarem, “you looked a little apprehensive. Would you care to elaborate on that?”

“Well, Blancalmarem, Darling,” drawled the woman, Southern Belle, “I’m not a lady who is too keen on fighting a child. For all the power his dossier said he had, he IS still a boy.”

“Then what could have prompted him to win?” asked Nemengra.

“That, as God and y’all are my witnesses,” explained Southern Belle, “was me underestimating how much control he had over his powers. For just a young boy of nine years, he’s surprisingly very well-trained in his mastery over electricity.”

“Any opinions on him fighting evil at his age?” quizzed Blancalmarem.

“Only that he shouldn’t dedicate his entire childhood to combat,” answered Southern Belle. “He needs some time to play and explore.”

“So, you’re saying he needs to be a child sometimes?” asked Nemengra.

“Everyone needs to be a child at some point in their lives, Nemengra,” replied Southern Belle, “Most of you Chizarans can attest to that. Now, as I’m a God-fearing woman, I would NEVER say that he shouldn’t oppose evil, just that he needs to balance the good fight out with exploring his world.”

“Well, thank you for your time,” called Blancalmarem, “We know you have a busy schedule with running your mansion and fighting your rogue’s gallery.”

“Hopefully, we’ll see you here soon,” finished Nemengra.

“If y’all want to visit my home, just give me a call and we can take tea in my garden,” offered Southern Belle. The screen went dark and Blancalmarem and Nemengra turned back to their audience.

“Her tea-time is to die for,” sighed Blancalmarem happily.

“While she does like the American Southern Antebellum style,” continued Nemengra, “she’s not totally period in a few respects.”

“For a start, she’s the head of the house instead of her husband,” Blancalmarem went on.

“Her husband is black,” supplied Nemengra.

“Her workers are paid twice the federal living wage,” continued Blancalmarem.

“And the worker population,” finished Nemengra, “is a mix of all ethnicities. She once said that paying her workers and making sure the population wasn’t totally black was her way of being better than her ancestors.”

“Marrying a black man and treating him as her partner in every aspect,” Blancalmarem, “is also a step in the right direction.”

“We’ll be back with the final bout,” Nemengra wrapped up, “but first, a word from one of our sponsors, the Disney Domain!”

“Want to experience the magic of childhood and afford it?” asked the announcer. “Mickey Mouse has a whole universe modeled after Walt Disney World that only costs a stud for entry and staying as long as you wish! Disney Domain: the Most Magical Place in the Multiverse!”

The crew of the Endeavor was working tirelessly to make sure everything was ready for their bout. Everyone was in their duty uniform and triple-checked even the most minute of insignificant wires. “All decks, reporting ready,” reported Shalvey.

“Then all we need to do,” declared Arsha, “is wait.” A flash of cool-grey light then appeared before forming into a woman. “Ah, I take it Ultragingana is ready,” guessed Arsha.

“No, not yet,” replied the woman. “I’m just here to see the types of vessels that will be used in this bout. I’m Griforina, cool-grey princess of Chizara and air leader, yada, yada, yada, you’ve heard all that before. This ship, it’s a Dauntless-class vessel, right?”

“Yep, all two hundred forty billion stonaks of it,” confirmed Arsha.

“Let’s see, using the measurements Megumi’s used to…” mused Griforina, “…six million metric tons! This is NOT a small ship!”

“Nope,” replied Arsha.

“And its dimensions?” asked Griforina.

“25,640 zarruks long,” answered Arsha, “5,320 zarruks high, and normal flight width of 18,920 zarruks. Combat width, when you factor in the extendable wings, is 23,480 zarruks.”

“641 meters long,” translated Griforina as she wrote them down, “133 meters high, 473 meters wide when in normal flight, and 587 meters when in combat. That’s roughly the dimensions of Ultragingana’s ship. This thing has 42 decks, right?”

“Yep, and a normal crew compliment ranging from 1,000 to 7,000,” replied Arsha. “When we’re evacuating an area, the maximum amount of people that can fit in here is 17,000.”

“And 500 fighter craft rest in your hangar,” finished Griforina.

“Don’t forget the 500 drone fighters resting in their own launch bay,” interjected Arsha.

“Thank you for reminding me,” bid Griforina. She wrote down the last few notes and then set her notepad aside as she held her hands near her head. “Ah, and Ultragingana’s ready!” She snapped her fingers and the scene outside the Endeavor changed to the skies above the Autobot base. Another ship was floating near the Endeavor.

---

Megumi and Optimus’ teams decided to observe the fight from the Autobot base’s command center. “They’re both here,” reported Teletraan.

“Those are NOT tiny ships,” observed Jazz.

“No, they aren’t, are they?” agreed Optimus.

“This looks familiar,” chuckled Richard.

“Nice place,” complimented Megumi.

“You ain’t kidding,” agreed Griforina’s voice. Everyone yelped and whirled to see Griforina standing there with a flying camera near her. “So, everyone got their seats?”

“Er, yes, we do,” mumbled Richard once he caught his breath again.

“Then we shall begin,” declared Griforina as she turned to the camera. “I am Griforina, the cool-grey princess of Chizara and the air leader! The combatants are ready for their next bout! Representing K-4-1-J-U-G-0-D-D-3-5-5. We have Ultragingana and her ship, the Osaka! Representing T-H-3-T-H-R-3-3-R-3-4-L-M-5, we have Captain Arsha Royana and her ship, the Endeavor! Optimus Prime has graciously allowed the combatants to use his base’s airspace as neutral battleground. I say ‘allow’, because, after Ms. Furella’s first bout in Megumi’s home,” Megumi growled as she remembered the mess her house was before the Stooges got to work on it, “competitors seeking neutral space must now ask for permission to use another competitor’s universe for their fight so they don’t destroy where a competitor may live. This fight shall be a battle simulation between the Endeavor and the Osaka. Both will engage in a mock-battle to see who can lead their ship to victory in the least amount of damage. No live weapons-fire will be used and both have requested the use of our simulation-regulators so there can be no doubt in acknowledging that their ship was hit so their shields can be compensated to show the hit. As this universe is a hot one with Optimus leading his Autobots against the Decepticons, the Autobots will monitor for any Decepticon activity and make sure the war game is uninterrupted. Arsha, are you ready?”

“All decks report ready,” confirmed Arsha on the monitor.

“Ultragingana, are you ready?” asked Griforina.

“Ready to go,” answered Ultragingana.

“On my mark…BEGIN!” declared Griforina.

---

“Hard to port and fire starboard side mana cannons!” ordered Arsha.

“Hard to port!” confirmed Nazay.

“Firing starboard side mana cannons,” reported Malak. “Computer reports minor damage to their starboard shields.”

---

“Starboard shields down by three percent,” reported Ultragingana’s tactical officer.

“Attack pattern Hana,” ordered Ultragingana.

“Attack pattern Hana, yes, Ma’am,” confirmed her helmsman.

---

“They’re getting on top of us!” called Malak. “Their underside torpedoes are away!” The computer chimed. “Topside shields down by twenty percent!”

“Her weapons are more powerful than we thought,” grimaced Shalvey.

“Pattern Te,” ordered Arsha.

“At this range?!” yelped Nazay.

“Captain…!” protested Oak.

“Pattern Te, now!” insisted Arsha.

---

“Are they trying to ram our underside?!” yelped the tactical officer.

“Hard to port!” ordered Ultragingana. As the ship moved hard to port, the computer registered a few hits.

“Torpedoes in a full spread pattern!” reported the tactical officer. “Keel side shields down by thirty percent!”

“Clever girl!” praised Ultragingana. “Launch drone fighters! Have them target the engines!”

---

“Drone fighters, inbound!” called Malak.

“Launch ours!” ordered Arsha.

---

“They’ve got drone fighters too?!” snapped the tactical officer. “Theirs are keeping ours at bay!”

“Fire Neutrino blasters!” ordered Ultragingana.

---

“Aft shields down to thirty percent!” reported Malak.

“Captain, now may be a good time for Pattern Fo!” suggested Oak.

“I didn’t want to do it this early,” muttered Arsha, “but we have no choice. Pattern Fo!”

---

“They’re charging us again!” reported the tactical officer.

“Fire Neutrino blasters at their forward shields,” ordered Ultragingana.

---

“They’re firing again!” reported Malak. “We’ve lost forward shields!”

“NOW!” ordered Arsha.

---

“They’re going starboard!” called the tactical officer. “We’ll fire again and…DRONE FIGHTERS WITHIN OUR SHIELD PERIMETER! THEY’RE CUTTING INTO THE HULL!”

“Hard to starboard! Get them off!” ordered Ultragingana.

“Hull breach in Engineering!” reported the chief engineer. “Those buggers hit the central battery! They’re keeping us from rerouting power! We’re about to experience a battery breach! There’s nothing I can do!”

“…Can you dump the battery?” asked Ultragingana.

“…I can,” replied the chief engineer.

“Dump it and signal our surrender,” ordered Ultragingana.

---

“They’re dumping their main power core,” reported Malak.

“Captain, Ultragingana wants to discuss terms for her surrender,” called Shalvey.

“Now THAT was gutsy!” praised Oak.

“Open a channel to her ship,” ordered Arsha with a grin.

“Channel open,” answered Shalvey.

“On screen,” directed Arsha. Ultragingana appeared on screen.

“Captain Royana, remind me to never make an enemy out of you,” remarked Ultragingana. “I’ll have to make some new strategies based around drone fighters following a ship into our shield perimeter.”

“I can give you pointers, if you wish,” chuckled Arsha. Griforina then appeared on Arsha’s bridge.

“This contest is over!” she announced to the camera. “The winner is Arsha Royana! Ultragingana, you will be returned home. Though you have suffered a defeat, know that it only brings as much dishonor as you feel necessary. Would you care for an interview with Blancalmarem and Nemengra?”

“I think I would,” replied Ultragingana.

“Then I will take you to them once your ship and crew are returned home,” declared Griforina. She and the Osaka then vanished in cool-grey light.

“Captain, the Autobot base is hailing us,” called Shalvey.

“On screen,” directed Arsha. Optimus and Megumi appeared with a grin on their faces.

“That’s two down!” cheered Megumi.

“Next up are the Quarterfinals,” recalled Optimus.

“I wonder who’s moving on with us?” mused Arsha. She then noticed Megumi was distracted. “Hey, is everything all right?”

“I’m still a little worried about my house,” muttered Megumi.

---

The Stooges had finished with painting most of the house. All that was left was the front porch. Moe and Larry had set up the ladders so they could take care of the porch roof while Curly took care of the supports. “All right, gentlemen, this is it!” cheered Moe. “We’ve just got to finish this up and we’ll be done!”

“Hey, after this,” inquired Larry, “can we get some lunch?”

“Sounds wonderful!” replied Moe.

“Perfect!” praised Curly. “I can see it now! A delicious meal of burnt toast and a rotten egg!” Moe and Larry did a double-take when they heard that.

“Burnt toast and a rotten egg?” asked Moe.

“Certainly!” answered Curly. “I got a tapeworm and that’s good enough for him!” Moe and Larry then nodded as if they understood Curly’s…er…logic. They then took a can of paint and climbed up the ladders while Curly set his paint can near the supports. They dipped their brushes and started painting. As Curly painted, he didn’t pay attention to how many support beams there were. Moe was just minding his own business when he felt something on his leg. He looked down and saw Curly painting his leg!

“HEY!” shouted Moe as he placed his empty hand onto the porch roof to steady himself. Curly yelped when he realized his mistake.

“I didn’t mean it, Moe,” he explained. “It was an honest mistake.”

“Yeah, well, watch it!” snarled Moe. He then felt something on his hand and turned to see Larry painting over it! “That goes for you…!” he snapped until he felt his leg being painted again! He looked down to Curly. “What’s the matter with you?!” he barked. The Stooges then went back to work and Moe felt his leg being painted once again! He then kicked Curly’s face! Curly yelped in pain, then looked up and waved his paintbrush in a threatening manner at Moe. Moe had turned to Larry as Curly waved his brush. “That’s how you tea…!” He was interrupted by Larry’s paintbrush hitting his face while his mouth was open! Moe then swatted the paintbrush out of Larry’s hands.

“HEY! WHY DON’T YOU…?!” admonished Larry until he saw Moe’s currently sky-blue face. “I’m sorry, Moe! I didn’t mean it!”

“Oh, that’s all right,” replied Moe. “Couldn’t happen again in a million years.” The two then laughed until Moe angrily grabbed Larry’s suspenders and shook him! The shaking caused the ladders to stand upright! Moe and Larry then grabbed each other and cried out in fear! Curly looked up and shook his head.

“I do everything around here and they play games!” he grumbled to himself. He put his brush into the can and went behind Moe and Larry. “Hey fellas!” he called. “Lean this way and I’ll catch you!”

“Okay, but hurry!” begged Moe. He and Larry then leaned backwards and Curly moved backwards to catch them, unknowingly knocking a can of paint over. They landed on him and they all picked themselves up and dusted themselves off.

“Did it hurt?” asked Curly.

“Not at all!” cheered Moe.

“That was quick thinking!” praised Larry.

“Keep it up and we’ll give you some c-a-n-d-y!” offered Moe.

“Moe, I don’t smoke!” answered Curly. They then saw the spilled paint can and yelped.

“LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO THE LAWN!” shouted Moe. He then grabbed a saw and ran it along Curly’s scalp. Curly howled in pain and held his scalp until he saw what happened to the saw.

“Oh, look!” he called as he pointed to the ruined saw teeth. Moe growled as he threw the saw down.

“You’re lucky we don’t need it now!” he snarled. “Go on, get some water and wash the lawn!”

“I resent that!” snapped Curly.

“Well, what are you gonna do about it?” hissed Moe.

“Get some water and wash the lawn,” replied Curly. As he turned, Larry slapped the back of his head. Curly barked at Larry before getting some water.

“Where do you get off hitting him?!” demanded Moe. “You started this!” He slapped Larry. “Come on, get that ladder set up!” He and Moe then set the ladders back up and returned to work.

---

“Well, we can’t spend all our time worrying,” declared Megumi. “We better rest up and train for the Quarterfinals.”

“An excellent idea,” praised Arsha. “Optimus, my ship will return to Vorton. Do you mind if I stick around and get a tour of your world?”

“Don’t mind at all,” answered Optimus.

---

“Damn this thing to blazes,” muttered Dell as he tossed the Ascendant aside. “I just want this thing to work for Chronicle Drivers too, but NO! It has to be a Vortex Driver-only gimmick!” He leaned back in his seat and looked up to the ceiling. “…I’m feeling parched,” he mused to himself. He then took out a toolbox and opened it. Instead of tools, it unfolded into a lawn chair with a tray of beer bottles and a metal umbrella. He laid onto the chair and grabbed a beer bottle, tipping it towards his mouth to get the alcoholic contents into him. After a few gulps, he set it down and breathed deeply. “Life of Reilly, mm,” he sighed. He was about to take another swig of beer when a faint blue light shone on his workbench. He stared at the light for a few seconds before looking at the bottle and tossing it aside. “What in Sam Hill…?” he muttered as he saw the light get brighter and form shapes. The light died and it revealed 16 Vortex Drivers and a note! “Okay, what in God’s name IS this?!” Dell snapped as he took the note. “Let’s see…’To anyone who usually wears a Chronicle Driver,’” he read aloud, “‘I’m sorry to report that they’re all about to explode due to a computer virus laced into their coding recently. Don’t worry, the new Vortex Drivers will serve you better in the coming battles.’ …Is this some sort of prank?” Just then, he felt a buzz in his pocket. He took out the source of the buzz, his Chronicle Driver, and examined it closely. After a few seconds, he saw smoke coming out from the belt! “Ah, HELL!” he yelped before throwing it away from him. The Chronicle Driver exploded into tiny pieces, unsalvageable, regretfully. “Dagit nagit, nabit dagit!” he snarled before activating the comms. “Hey, y’all! Come meet me in the Gateway Room!” he announced. “I got some news that’ll hurt us all!”

Optimus drummed his fingers as he awaited his judge to take him to Ms. Furella’s home universe. “Just you wait, lady,” he grumbled, “I’m not gonna make it easy on you!” A flash of orange light then announced his judge’s arrival. It formed into a woman in an orange outfit that had a belly indicating she was at least six months pregnant. “…Er, are you the judge for my bout?” asked Optimus.

“Sure am!” replied the woman. “I’m Naratelto, the orange princess of Chizara and the fertility leader.”

“I see,” muttered Optimus.

“Yeah, I’m kind of obsessed with being pregnant,” chuckled Naratelto. “I must have mated with everyone in my generation 500 times each.” Optimus’ optics went wide. “In any case, that’s not why I’m here. Ms. Furella is ready on one end of her universe’s Washington, DC. You’ll be on the other end.”

“Got it,” confirmed Optimus as orange light surrounded them and changed the scene to Washington, DC. Instead of humans using the streets, the city was populated by humanoid animals with humans as the lowest class and treated as such.

---

“They’re about to announce the bout,” called Richard. Megumi then seated herself onto Richard’s lap, wiggled a bit to get comfortable, then let her husband wrap his arms around her.

“You two are adorable,” sighed Emily happily as Joshua massaged her shoulders.

---

“Wow, look at the scene,” muttered Bumblebee.

“Any Transformers in that universe?” asked Ultra Magnus.

“Not according to Ms. Furella’s dossier,” reported Teletraan.

“Good, the inhabitants would have been conquered by the Decepticons in an instant,” declared Ultra Magnus.

“I am SO glad the animals we know,” praised Blackarachnia, “are more polite than those savages!”

“Calling them savages would be putting it mildly,” muttered Amy.

---

“The more I see that society of Anthros,” gulped Arsha, “the happier I am that they’re not from OUR universe.”

“I think the judge is about to begin!” called Bashoon.

---

“I am Naratelto, the orange princess of Chizara and the fertility leader!” introduced Naratelto. “The combatants are ready for their next bout! Representing 4-N-1-M-4-L-1-5-R-3-G-N-4-N-5, we have Ms. Furella with home turf advantage! Representing T-R-4-N-5-F-0-R-M-3-R-5-M-0-8-1-4-N-C-H-R-0-N-1-C-L-3-5, we have Optimus Prime! The fight shall be a game of hide-and-seek. Optimus must hide in vehicle mode somewhere in this city while Ms. Furella will use her connections to find him within 30 minutes. Optimus MUST remain in vehicle mode while Ms. Furella may use all of her tactics at her disposal. Ms. Furella, are you ready?”

“Start the match, already,” replied Ms. Furella’s voice.

“Optimus Prime, are you ready?” asked Naratelto.

“T-cog’s ready to go,” confirmed Optimus’ voice.

“Begin!” declared Naratelto. Optimus transformed and sped down the streets of a different DC.

---

Ms. Furella pulled out her phone and called one of her contacts. “Jim, get the squad,” she ordered. “I want a sweep of the city, pattern 7.”

“Got it, Mistress,” replied Jim, her enforcer. As she waited, one of her pets, a human, put her fur coat onto her. Another human, of Asian descent, drove up in a red sports car.

“Stop!” she ordered as she tugged on her pet’s leash, prompting the poor girl to kneel. The car stopped and she opened the rear door. Her pet entered first, then she did. “Get me to Washington International School and make it snappy,” she ordered the driver.

“Y…Yes, Mistress!” gulped the driver in an accent. He then drove off. The drive took about 10 minutes.

---

“Oh, now that’s just mean,” chuckled Jazz.

“Which part of this are we talking about?” asked Prowl.

“…Okay, yeah, enslaving humans is bad,” conceded Jazz, “but I was thinking about what Prime’s doing right now.”

---

“Wait…is…is that…Optimus?” asked Arsha.

“…Spark signature confirmed,” reported Shalvey once she got the results. “It IS Optimus.”

“But I thought…” muttered Arsha.

---

“You don’t think it’s his t-cog, do you?” quizzed Henry.

“I mean, it makes sense,” replied Agus.

“T-cog?” asked Jandro as he and Brendan looked quizzically at them.

“Transformation cog,” explained Wilson. “It’s an essential part of Transformer biology, allowing them to change shape and scan a vehicle mode.”

“…Biology?” muttered Swalmu.

“They’re naturally occurring robots,” explained Flora.

“Just like the Change-a-trons of my world,” chuckled Twaldar.

“Wait, you have a toyline like Transformers?” asked Flora.

“It’s got a central story and everything,” confirmed Twaldar. Just then, they heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” called Twaldar. Charline then came in.

“Charline, what can we do for you?” asked Brendan.

“Twaldar, I need your lap,” replied Charline.

“…I beg your pardon?” inquired Twaldar.

“I’ve seen many of my classmates sitting in the laps of their lovers and I want to find out what that’s like,” explained Charline.

“Er, okay,” answered Twaldar as he offered his lap. Charline sat down and wiggled a bit to get comfortable. She then appeared to be in thought.

“Okay, I can see the appeal,” she mused. “So, Twaldar, you single?” Twaldar was taken aback by the forwardness.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” he answered.

“Looking for a romantic partner?” asked Charline.

“Yes, but I’ve had no luck with them,” sighed Twaldar.

“Want to try with me?” quizzed Charline.

“…You know what, why not?” chuckled Twaldar as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Oh, I hope you two are happy together,” wished Flora. She then observed how much time was left. “15 minutes, good grief!” she breathed.

---

“Okay, robot, you’re good, I’ll give you that,” called Ms. Furella. “But the game will end soon and I will win.”

“Will you?” asked Optimus’ voice. The driver and Ms. Furella’s pet looked around in fear.

“Quit panicking,” ordered Ms. Furella, “he’s just throwing his voice somewhere. Going on that piece of data, we can only conclude he’s still in the immediate area.”

“A good guess,” replied Optimus’ voice.

“There’s no shame in admitting defeat in the presence of your better,” purred Ms. Furella.

“There is if they’re not my better, you stretched-out rat!” snapped Optimus’ voice.

“Did you just call me ‘rat’?!” hissed Ms. Furella. She turned to the driver and her pet. “DON’T JUST STAND THERE! FIND HIM!” she bellowed. The three then took off in separate directions.

---

“You know, the ferrets of my world,” mused Sonic, “would take offense to that.”

“Who enslaves humans like that?!” protested Amy.

“Look in our history,” remarked Richard. “White folks alone could tell you stories about our slave-owning ancestors. Although, in my world, that really depends on the specific white person you ask. There are those who think we need to go back to slavery, some being REALLY vocal about it, even in our political offices.”

“I suppose I COULD, in a miniscule way,” sighed Amy, “understand where she’s coming from. Humans and animals, in my world, didn’t have a good relationship at the start.”

“And there’s a terrorist organization that wants to ‘take back the power that animals stole from humans’,” recalled Richard.

“I take it you’ve heard of MECH?” asked Sonic.

“During our little dimensional mix-up,” answered Richard, “the Nazgûl attacked some MECH soldiers. That was when Twaldar and Swalmu became Kamen Riders.”

“10 minutes left,” reported POmega.

---

“WHERE ARE YOU?!” bellowed Ms. Furella as she and all of her contacts turned the now-ruined White House upside down. “SHOW YOURSELF!”

“Galling, isn’t it?” taunted Optimus’ voice.

“What’s galling?!” snarled Ms. Furella.

“How your crusade isn’t fully supported,” explained Optimus.

“You mean those weaklings that want to make peace with humans?!” asked Ms. Furella.

“Yes, your sister, especially,” taunted Optimus.

“…TEAR THIS DISGUSTING MONUMENT TO THE HUMAN’S FORMER POWER APART!” Ms. Furella ordered her gang. “I WANT THAT MACHINE FOUND!”

---

“Tear the White House apart?!” yelped Emily. “She ain’t messing around!”

“Dios Mio,” (My God,) swore Xiomara, “this is brutality at its finest!”

---

“Five minutes, Mistress,” reported Jim.

“Not as easy as you thought?” taunted Optimus’ voice. “In fact, this world is not as stable as you thought! You, Madam, are personally responsible for everything that happened under your command! You want to destroy humankind!”

“FALSE! I wanted to save them!” argued Ms. Furella.

“What do you offer as evidence?” asked Optimus.

“So, Judge Optimus wants evidence?!” shouted Ms. Furella. “By the time I got to where I am today, humankind had been bowing to us for almost a century! But, they STILL aren’t ready to accept the truth! When I became an assassin as my predecessor wanted, it was clear we needed the situation dealt with! In my early days, I was convinced that a gentler hand was needed to deal with the humans. I figured that being kinder would deal with the terrorist group, Unus Annus.”

“Latin for One Year,” remarked Optimus. “I read about them; their victories take a year as they know the fight for their freedom will be long.”

“When I finally gained enough administrative power,” continued Ms. Furella, “I ordered all labor camp commanders to reduce their output quotas by 50%. I reorganized the camps themselves; child labor was gone, medical care was improved, food rations increased, all of these things dropped the death rate by 30%! So, how did Unus Annus react to all this?! On my one year anniversary, they blew up a dock, killing 200 of my men, soldiers and workers who had families!”

“So, you had to order a response,” growled Optimus.

“Exactly!” confirmed Ms. Furella. “But, it had to be a tempered one! 200 animal families lost one of their own, so 200 human families had to lose one to make things even!”

“That’s murder! Evil!” shouted Optimus.

“No, that’s justice!” argued Ms. Furella. “Because, even though I had killed them, I still wanted peace! So, I tried again! And what was my reward? An assassination attempt during my visit to the capital! I had to order another round of executions, courtesy of Unus Annus! On and on it went, year after year! Time and again, I would reach out with an open hand only for Unus Annus to slap it away! …WELL?! Are you listening to all this?!”

“TIME!” called Naratelto’s voice.

“What?!” yelped Ms. Furella.

“This contest is over!” cheered Naratelto. “The winner is Optimus Prime!”

“WHERE IS HE?!” demanded Ms. Furella.

“Right here,” answered Optimus’ voice. Ms. Furella then noticed the driver was leaning against the sports car with a smirk on his face.

“…No!” breathed Ms. Furella. The driver’s hair then turned blue!

---

“Wait a minute, that’s not…?” asked Emily.

“No way!” gasped Richard.

---

“I fragging knew it!” cheered Jazz.

“Altered the old alt-mode and holo-form!” confirmed Prowl with a grin.

---

“You sneaky bot!” chuckled Arsha.

---

“YOU CAN’T BE!” argued Ms. Furella.

“I can,” replied the driver in Optimus’ voice. “OPTIMUS PRIME, TRANSFORM!” The headlight sections of the car’s front split away and pulled the door sections away with them as the driver vanished. The rear then unfolded and released feet as it split apart and extended. The rest of the car’s front then folded downwards to form a chest and reveal a head. Hands then came out of the new arms as antennae flipped upwards from the back. While the body was a little different, the head-sculpt was colored the same and revealed everything about the new robot, even its name. The robot, Optimus Prime, flashed his cheeky grin. “More than meets the eye,” he chuckled.

“YOU CHEATED!” accused Ms. Furella. “I FORMALLY SUBMIT AN APPEAL ON THE GROUNDS THAT OPTIMUS PRIME CHEATED!

“You said you would find me no matter where I hid,” countered Optimus. “You never said how I should hide.”

“His ability to scan a vehicle mode and alter his holo-form,” supplied Naratelto, “WAS included in his dossier. With what Optimus and I have just said, your appeal is rejected.

“Let me make sure I heard you right earlier,” continued Optimus, “YOU’RE not responsible for the squalor humans currently live in, Unus Annus is.”

“Yes!” confirmed Ms. Furella. “Yes, exactly!”

“Then why,” asked Optimus, “do you think they don’t appreciate this rare opportunity you’re handing them, hm?”

“Because humans are blind, ignorant fools!” answered Ms. Furella. “If only EVERY human cooperates with us, we can turn Earth into a paradise! From the moment we animals became what we are today, it was clear that we were the superior races, but humans don’t accept it! They want to be treated as equals when they most certainly are not! Biologically, culturally, and combatively, we were superior in every respect! We didn’t choose to evolve into a superior race, nature forced that role onto us! And, it would be so much easier if the humans would accept their current role, but no! Day after day, they cluster in their religious houses like backwards freaks! Night after night, Mark Fischbach, the leader of Unus Annus, plants bombs outside our homes in some perverted attempt to free his people! …Pride. Stubborn, unyielding pride. From the servant girl that cleans my room after my trysts, to the condemned man toiling in a labor camp, to the terrorist skulking in the shadows of the States that make up New England, they all wear their pride like some twisted badge of honor!”

“And you hate them for it,” concluded Optimus.

“OF COURSE, I HATE THEM FOR IT!!” shrieked Ms. Furella. “I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM! THEIR SUPERSTITIONS AND THEIR CRIES FOR SYMPATHY, THEIR TREACHERY AND THEIR LIES, THEIR SMUG HISTORY AND THEIR STIFF-NECKED OBSTINACY, THEIR RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY AND THEIR BARELY-USEABLE FINGERNAILS!”

“You should just exterminate every human on Earth,” hissed Optimus.

“Yes, yes, that’s the Final Mission of Ms. Furella, isn’t it?!” called Ms. Furella. “I KNEW IT! I ALWAYS HAVE! I SHOULD REMOVE EVERY SINGLE HUMAN PEST IN EXISTENCE! …I should order their immediate extermination! You live among animals yourself; you know how verminous humans are! You’ve seen animals hate humans!”

“And that hatred is smacked down by their own kind!” replied Optimus. “Where I come from, humans and animals learned how to coexist! It wasn’t an easy road for either side, but there’s peace and minimal hostility between humans and animals of your caliber. No, not of your caliber, that would be an insult to them! They are, far and away, millennia ahead of your world! I can only conclude that your people are the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth! You have proven yourselves inferior to Mobians in EVERY aspect! Hence, I will keep my company with Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends.”

“Optimus, you will be returned to Vorton,” interjected Naratelto. “Ms. Furella, though you have suffered a defeat, know that it only brings as much dishonor as you feel necessary. Would you care for an interview with Blancalmarem and Nemengra?”

“Not a chance, you backwards freak!” shouted Ms. Furella.

“I was rather hoping you’d say that,” hissed Naratelto. She and Optimus then traveled to Vorton in orange light. “Congratulations, Optimus,” bid Naratelto, “I’m sorry if your victory was spoiled by her racism.”

“She’s the one who needs to apologize, not you, Ma’am,” assured Optimus. “But, I appreciate the sentiment. I need to talk to my friends.”

“Of course,” replied Naratelto. She then vanished in orange light as Optimus called up a few people on his comms.

“Megumi, Arsha, Sonic, can I talk you guys?” he requested. “I need some friendly faces now.”

“Happy to be one of those faces,” replied Megumi.

“See you in the Gateway room,” finished Arsha. The call ended.

Megumi waited in front of the building with her old crown in her hand. Beatrice arrived at the building with a woman in a blue-green outfit. “I am Azevordem, the blue-green princess of Chizara and the water leader,” introduced the woman to a floating camera. “The combatants are ready for their next bout! Representing Universe U-M-1-N-3-K-0, we have Beatrice, the Golden and Endless Witch! Representing her new home of 8-3-Y-0-N-D-C-1-T-Y and a permanent student of the multiverse’s leading educational institute, After Academy, we have Megumi Hishikawa with home turf advantage! The fight will be a hunt. Beatrice must find Megumi’s old crown within the storage building, always stuffed with supplies for the campus. Now, Beatrice has an hour time limit and must find the crown without magic. No help is permitted as well. Beatrice, are you ready?”

“I’m always ready!” cackled Beatrice.

“Megumi Hishikawa, are you ready?” asked Azevordem.

“Just say the word,” answered Megumi.

“If you would kindly hide the crown,” directed Azevordem. Megumi ducked inside and found a good spot for the crown. After 30 seconds, she came out of the building. “The hunt begins in 3, 2, 1!” Beatrice ducked into the building and started looking first around the floor. She spent roughly 5 minutes on it before moving upwards.

---

“Don’t you dare find it!” hissed Richard as Megumi’s friends watched from the Gateway room.

“Beatrice IS crafty,” muttered Emily as she remembered Beatrice’s dossier. “She may try a new method.”

“Okay, normally, I’d agree with you,” mused Twaldar, “but this woman uses magic on a daily basis. She’s at a huge disadvantage.”

“Much like you when you can’t find your keys normally?” chuckled Swalmu.

“Go rain on someone else’s parade,” snarked Twaldar.

---

“No magic for Beatrice?” chuckled Optimus. “She’s gonna give up in 10 minutes.”

“Don’t be so sure,” countered Blackarachnia. “She’s already 15 minutes into her hunt. She doesn’t stop until she’s secured victory. The only time she’s ever lost is when other witches took control of the game. When she’s in control, the game is hers to command.”

“Hence why I don’t think we should be worried,” assured Optimus. “This is Megumi’s plan.”

“Beatrice let someone else set the rules of the game?” quizzed Blackarachnia. “That’s not like her. …Oh no.”

“‘Oh no’ what?” asked Optimus.

“Beatrice did some scouting of After Academy,” explained Blackarachnia.

“Oh no!” realized Optimus.

“She’s still at something of a disadvantage,” remarked Prowl. “Look at her face.” Optimus and Blackarachnia did as Prowl asked and could make out irritation.

“Funny,” muttered Blackarachnia, “she never wears that face unless…oh!”

“A theory, Legs?” asked Optimus.

“She didn’t get the full lay of the land,” chuckled Blackarachnia. “That building wasn’t scouted!”

“She’s still got a chance of losing!” realized Optimus.

---

“Man, Beatrice’s looking madder than a PO’d Fairy pollination squadron,” chuckled Malak.

“30 minutes into the contest and she’s not found it yet,” sniggered Arsha. “…Wait, I think it’s…oh, Megumi, that’s just mean!”

“Is that her crown above the exit?” asked Shalvey.

“It is,” confirmed Elmar.

“Okay, that’s a little cruel!” giggled Bashoon.

---

“She must have gotten that from Hiro,” joked Emily.

“Now, now, let’s not compare your sister-in-law to her hated enemy,” remarked Xiomara.

“She’s cultivated that brand of meanness on her own,” chuckled Richard.

“I suppose you would know,” conceded Emily. “Tell me, does that apply to your private chambers?”

“Hey, I don’t ask you what you and Joshua do in the bedroom!” snapped Richard. “Whatever sexy time happens between me and her STAYS between me and her!”

---

“It’s now 45 minutes into the contest,” announced Azevordem, “and Beatrice STILL hasn’t found the crown. The betting boards are saying she’ll find it within the last 10 minutes. Let’s see if they’re right. Of course, there IS one option that most competitors don’t like. Let’s see if she will take it. Beatrice, will you yield at this point in time?”

“NEVER!” snapped Beatrice. “I WILL find it!”

“Very well,” answered Azevordem. “Continue. You now have 13 minutes.” Before the communication channel closed, the furious tossing of items could be heard. “…Dang,” mused Azevordem, “she’s not messing around.”

---

“Primus,” swore Optimus when 10 minutes had passed, “she don’t look happy.”

“I should say not,” remarked Blackarachnia. “She’s got three minutes left and she’s in an area where she can get a view…uh oh!”

“I see it too!” gulped Optimus as Beatrice could be seen going down the massive clutter pile. She then stopped halfway and picked up the shiny object that caught her eye. The Autobots sighed in relief when she stopped, tossed aside the trophy she saw, and resumed her search.

---

“That was too close!” breathed Xiomara.

“You ain’t kidding!” agreed Richard. “There’s still two minutes left! This could still go either way!”

---

“I just noticed, apropos of nothing,” mused Bashoon, “minutes of most universes are 60 seconds instead of 50 like us.”

“And hours are 60 minutes,” supplied Arsha. “I found that odd myself.”

“You’d be surprised to learn,” offered Elmar, “that only 24 of their hours make one day.”

“No kidding?” asked Arsha.

“Speaking of time, Captain, Ma’am,” interjected Bashoon, “30 seconds left!”

“Come on!” Arsha begged all of her home’s gods. “Let her win this one!”

---

“20 seconds!” gulped Emily.

“Don’t look at the door yet!” Richard begged Beatrice.

---

“10!” counted the Autobots.

---

“9!” continued Azevordem. “8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! TIME!” Beatrice howled in frustration when she heard it.

“WHERE IS IT?!” she demanded. Megumi then came in and whistled to get her attention. Beatrice then turned and followed Megumi’s finger to the top of the door. Her jaw dropped in surprise and frustration. “Are…you…KIDDING ME?!” she finally shouted when she found her voice.

“I DO have the cunning of a cat like you do,” chuckled Megumi. Beatrice’s face contorted in rage and she looked ready to throttle Megumi…then she took a deep breath, produced her pipe, then curtsied.

“Good game,” she bid. “Perhaps, next time, I should pick the contest if I ever face you again.”

“I look forward to it,” returned Megumi as she curtsied back.

“This contest is over!” cheered Azevordem. “The winner is Megumi Hishikawa! Beatrice, you will be returned to your home. Though you have suffered a defeat, know that it only brings as much dishonor as you feel necessary. Would you care for an interview with Blancalmarem and Nemengra?”

“I must respectfully decline,” answered Beatrice, “but thank you. Until we meet again.” She was then returned home in a flash of blue-green light.

“Congratulations, Megumi Hishikawa, on your victory,” praised Azevordem. She then vanished in blue-green light as Pestilence appeared.

“That was tense!” she wheezed happily. “How did you know she wouldn’t see it?”

“I didn’t,” replied Megumi as a rift opened, letting her husband, Optimus, and Arsha through. “I just showed her the wrong big picture.”

“Clever,” praised Optimus.

“I must extend my congratulations,” supplied Arsha.

“Thank you,” bid Megumi. “Now, forgive me if I don’t invite you all to a party just yet, but I need to check on how my house is doing.”

“I was about to suggest that,” offered Richard. “Shall we?”

“We’ll leave you to it,” declared Optimus.

“Ms. POmega, we’d like a rift back to Vorton,” called Arsha on the comms.

“On its way,” answered POmega. Optimus and Arsha then went through a rift as Richard and Megumi called for a cab. One arrived and the two got in.

“Where to?” asked the driver.

“2974 Angel Robe Drive, 960792,” replied Megumi.

“Right,” replied the driver. He then recalled something. “Wait, are YOU the people that asked those three to…?”

“I asked without looking up their pictures,” explained Richard. “Could you please hurry?”

“Got it, one Stooge Check-up package, 2 silver studs each,” answered the driver. Richard pulled out the amount and handed it over. “Fasten your seatbelts,” directed the driver. Once they were secure, the driver set his cab for the fastest air route and was cleared for take-off. His cab picked up speed and the wheels retracted into the undercarriage while the sides sprouted wings. The flight took two minutes. “Sir and Madam,” called the driver, “we’re making our approach to your home.” The cab then landed right in front of the house. Megumi and Richard dashed out of the cab and ran up the driveway to see that the house was built as they remembered it with only one exception, the exterior was bubblegum pink. Moe then came out of the front door to greet them.

“Ah, there you are!” he cheered. “Come in, come in!” Megumi and Richard then came in to see that the house on the inside was exactly as they left it, even to the colors. “As you can see,” continued Moe, “we’ve got the place all fixed up as you wanted it!” Richard turned the kitchen faucet and it worked exactly right.

“You’ll forgive us if we inspect the entire house,” muttered Megumi.

“Please, go right ahead,” answered Moe. The inspection took about an hour before Megumi and Richard approached Moe as Larry and Curly joined them. “What did we tell you?” chuckled Moe. “Your house is perfect!”

“It’s sensational!” boasted Larry.

“It’s even mediocre!” supplied Curly. Moe then showed his open hand to Curly.

“Pick two,” he ordered. Curly picked Moe’s pointer and middle finger, then received an eyepoke. He yelped, then rubbed his eyes to clear his vision.

“It IS as we remember it,” Megumi interjected, “but there IS one flaw.”

“No!” the Stooges gasped.

“Oh, nothing major,” assured Megumi.

“It’s just that the original exterior was powder-blue,” continued Richard. Moe and Curly then turned to Larry.

“You were the one who said they needed it to be pink!” he protested to Moe.

“I said we needed them to be tickled pink when we’re done!” snarled Moe as he smacked Larry’s face.

“OW!” protested Larry as he shut his eyes. His eyes still stayed shut. “Moe! I can’t see! I CAN’T SEE!”

“What’s the matter?!” yelped his friends in concern.

“I got my eyes closed!” replied Larry with a grin. Moe then yanked out a bit of Larry’s hair and presented it to him.

“Go stuff a mattress with it!” he snarled. He then turned to Megumi and Richard. “Now, don’t you worry,” he assured, “we’ll get your house the right color.”

“How much would the job be?” asked Richard.

“No charge at all,” answered Moe.

“Oh, Moe-san, we couldn’t do that,” replied Megumi.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got enough money right now,” assured Moe. “We’ll have your house looking right in no time!”

“Thank you so much,” bid Richard as Moe got Larry and Curly moving. He then called up a rift and they returned to Vorton. “For a minute there,” he muttered to Megumi, “I thought we’d have to buy a new house.”

“It’s been a concern of mine too,” replied Megumi. “Well now, that’s two rounds in the bag for me, let’s see what catches our fancy next.”

---

Back in Megatron’s home universe, Eggman made his way to the moonbase’s command center. He had a tablet in his hands and read the contents of the document that was given to him. It was nothing important, just the usual reports of Energon production and troop drilling results. He then looked up to the main monitor. “Alchemax, activate a secure channel to…” he began.

“Eggman vocal test confirmed,” interrupted Alchemax. “All access revoked until further notice. All exits have been shielded. Eggman, you are wanted for questioning.”

“QUESTIONING?!” roared Eggman. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, YOU OVERSIZED…!”

“That’s enough!” hissed Hiro’s voice as he, Dr. Borg, and Megatron stepped out of the shadows. “Where’s Caan?!”

“What are you talking about?!” demanded Eggman.

“We’ve been keeping tabs on you,” explained Megatron. “You gave Soundwave a challenge, but we have our proof that you’ve been working with Caan!”

“You left a security hole open to Soundwave,” continued Dr. Borg. “We intercepted your conversation with Caan.”

“Furthermore,” growled Hiro, “you’ve disappeared for weeks, made yourself invisible to Soundwave’s sensors, and, when you reappear, you carry a rift signature similar to the one Caan uses! Now, I will ask you one last time, WHERE IS CAAN?!”

“…I have nothing to say to you,” hissed Eggman.

“We’ll just see about that!” snarled Hiro. “My best interrogator will get you to talk! So, unless you want to feel the lash for two straight hours, start…!”

“Intruder alert!” warned Alchemax. “Caan is…” She went dead.

“…Caan’s where?!” demanded Megatron. “Alchemax, report!”

“She can’t,” replied Caan’s voice. Judging by the fact that it sounded like it was run through a ring modulator, it was safe to assume he was in his Rider persona of Kamen Rider Dal. Dal came out from behind a control console and fired over Hiro’s head. Hiro, Dr. Borg, and Megatron ducked behind consoles and fired at Dal’s position. Eggman then went to join Dal. “Metaltron, is the virus ready?” barked Dal into his communicator.

“Metaltron?” asked Megatron. “But that Dalek committed suicide!”

“The virus is ready,” reported Metaltron. The voice surprised Megatron further.

“Rose Tyler?!” he yelped.

“Activate emergency escape rift!” ordered Dal. “Eggman is returning with me!”

“I obey,” replied Metaltron. A rift opened and Dal and Eggman went through it. It closed before Hiro could follow them.

“DAMN YOU!” Hiro wailed uselessly.