“Megatron, what are you up to?!” demanded Cruiser.
“My friends and I,” explained Megatron while he, Dirt Boss, and Saurion were on the bridge with Override in restraints, “thought we’d give you a present for being so nice to us during our stay on your planet.”
“If you’re trying to offer me a bribe-!” snarled Cruiser.
“A bribe? Don’t be silly. I intend to present you with the Planet Cup, the…Power Key, and Override as a gift!”
“Planet Cup?! How did you-?!”
“Oh, never mind the particulars. All you should know is that I’ve got the Planet Cup, the Power Key inside it, and the current Nitro Convoy. Don’t believe me? She’s right here.”
“Cruiser, don’t give in to-!” Override then had a mouth clamp attached to her. Dirt Boss chuckled darkly after performing the deed.
“There, you see?” asked Saurion. “She’s alive and well, yes!”
“And we’re going to be giving all three of them to you,” continued Megatron. “Now, isn’t that nice of us? Of course, there IS a slight delivery charge of, let’s say, …the entire Energon Crystal formation in front of your city! Surrender all ownership rights to us or we kill Override, destroy the Planet cup, and take the Power Key for our own!”
“When the Autobots get their servos on you-!” threatened Chase.
“Autobots?! What have I to worry about them?! They’re too busy holing up for a potential siege and trying to placate you lot! No, you might as well forget them and start focusing on our Energon.”
“Good Evening, Megatron,” came another voice over the comms.
“…Optimus? You’re on the line too? …Wait a cycle, YOU, of all bots, aren’t hiding out in the Commissioner’s office, are you?!”
“I hope you and your friends don’t mind,” replied Optimus. Megatron, Saurion, and Dirt Boss then laughed.
“My baby brother, now too afraid to face me!” howled Megatron. “Well, you had better stay there, Optimus! Because if I catch you on my ship, I’ll be sticking your antennae into your optics!”
“I understand, Megatron. What’s this I hear about you having Velocitron’s Omega Key?”
“Oh, it’s so wonderful! Now we’re making up for the deficit you gave us on Animatros! Hidden within the Planet Cup is the Omega Key!”
“You don’t say!”
“…I DO say. Why did you say that?” Override giggled behind her mouth clamp. Dirt Boss undid the clamp and was met with a grin from Override.
“Turn the wings on the front of the cup counter-clockwise three times,” she explained. Saurion took the Planet Cup and did so. The lid then popped off and the three villains looked inside. Dirt Boss’ face contorted in fury as he grabbed Override.
“Where! Is! The! Power! KEY!!!” As Dirt Boss demanded answers from Override, Saurion dropped the Cup in disbelief, making the rock fall out of it. Megatron turned his fury to Optimus.
“YOU CRIMSON IMP!” he shouted. “YOU KNEW THERE WAS NO OMEGA KEY INSIDE! YOU MADE US LOOK LIKE FOOLS!”
“Wasn’t that hard,” remarked Optimus. “Besides, unlike many schemes before, it was easy to anticipate your every move this time! This caper was more obvious than most!”
“You can say that over the comms, Optimus!” snarled Saurion as he regained his senses. “Know this, if you were here, I’d melt you down to worthless slag, oh, yes indeed!” Megatron then ended the call.
“…Start melting us then, Scale-face!” called Optimus’ voice. Everyone looked up to see Optimus and his team jumping down from the bridge’s ceiling! Cheetor freed Override and she jumped into the fray!
Optimus had left his commlink on so Cruiser and Chase could hear the fight. “Ah, it’s music to my audio receptors,” sighed Chase happily.
“In this cheapo era, it is, indeed!” agreed Cruiser.
Override slammed a foot into Dirt Boss’ face, blinding him temporarily. Optimus and Sonic spin-dashed Megatron into a wall. Kong Primal slammed his fist into Saurion’s chest while Amy brought her hammer down on his foot. “Guys! We got Override! Let’s go before we’re swarmed!” called Clocker.
“Great idea! Everyone out!” ordered Optimus.
“We have to take the base, though!” protested Cheetor.
“That’s an order, Cheetor!” replied Kong. Everyone then jumped up into the ceiling and crawled through the ventilation ducts to get outside. By then, the ship activated its weapons and fired, but the Autobot team stayed ahead of the shots.
Megatron roared in frustration. “OF ALL THE BIGGEST WASTES OF ENERGON AND TIME, THIS TOOK THE OIL-CAKE!” he shouted. “…Well, at least Ransack and Crumplezone should be getting a copy of the formula by now.”
“…Why would we wanna ruin business like that?” asked Dirt Boss.
“Pardon?!”
“I told them to destroy all work concerning the Synth-En stuff, and they did it.” That was the last straw for Megatron.
“You told them to destroy Velocitron’s copies of the formula?! DO YOU HAVE ANY NOTION OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR BLUNDER?!”
“But, My Lord!” gulped Dirt Boss. “We can’t let our Energon business go to scrap!”
“YOU’RE THE IDIOT WHO SIGNED YOUR ORGANIZATION’S DEATH WARRANT! Override handed the Autobots a copy of the formula while we have none! Meaning they have the ability to outlast any siege we inflict on them!”
“Lord Megatron, it’s Fortress Maximus!” called Shockwave as she burst into the bridge. “They’re taking off! The Lost Light is joining them!”
“AFTER THEM!” Everyone assumed their post with Dirt Boss, Ransack, and Crumplezone’s small ship, the Business Opportunity, entering the hangar.
Fortress Maximus went into transwarp faster than the Decepticons did, so they managed to get some lead time ahead of them. Among those who joined Override on the Lost Light were Clocker, Blurr, a mech named Racemaster, an old mech named Autolander, and Kup and Hot Rod were rebranded with the Accelion Symbol, joining them as crew members of the Lost Light. Override sighed as she got a chance to relax in her new quarters on Fortress Maximus. “Much better,” she whispered. Her door then chimed. “Come in,” she called. Optimus, Kong, Llyra, and Sonic came into the room. “A leader’s summit, is it?”
“Just checking to see if you were okay,” replied Llyra. “Being brainwashed like that…we can’t imagine what it was like.”
“…It ain’t something I would wish on my worst enemy,” replied Override. “I’m seeing Snarl for it, though.”
“Snarl IS the best counsellor we have,” mused Optimus. “Good to know that you’re taking care of yourself.”
“It’s what a racer needs to do.”
“It’s what anybody needs to do,” supplied Kong. “It’s good to have you back.”
“Good to BE back. In any case, I got some insight on the enemy’s mindset.”
“Well, give us the scoop!” urged Sonic. “What’s it actually feel like being a Con?” Override grinned as she gave her answer.
“Like you’re three terabytes of attitude on a two-terabyte hard drive! No wonder they’ve got personality problems!” Everyone in the room laughed as the Autobot fleet sped towards the next stop before Cybertron, the world of Gigantion!