Category: Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 22: Battles of Cybertron)

“HOW! DO YOU LOSE! THE HEART OF CYBERTRON?!” Skywarp asked Starscream once he was repaired and met with him and Sunstorm.

“Microbots, if you can believe it,” replied Starscream.

“Was that a joke?! Was that REALLY a joke?! Screamer, I’m the guy who does the jokes here! Here and now is neither the place, nor the time, for a joke!”

“I’m not joking. They shrunk a team of Autobots down, that team infiltrated my body, they disconnected the Heart, and now here we are.”

“Primus looks unfavorably upon us!” wailed Sunstorm.

“If they or Megatron’s followers manage to breach the Vector Sigma Chamber, so will Unicron!” gulped Skywarp.

“Lord Starscream!” called Deathsaurus as he entered the room. “We have a big problem! The operative word being ‘big’!”

“They didn’t fix the Metrotitans, did they?” asked Starscream fearfully.

“Unfortunately, yes!”

“Then we have no choice! Contact this city’s Emissary! Trypticon City MUST get to Kaon immediately!”

“At once, My Lord!”

---

“How’re your bodies handling, you two?” Optimus asked Fortress Maximus and Metroplex over the comms.

“Back to normal, thank goodness,” replied Fortress.

“And ready to go full Titan at a moment’s notice,” supplied Metroplex. “Though I wish I don’t need to.”

“Well, we may not need your titan modes,” hoped Optimus. “Scorponok’s missing Black Scar and Zarak and he’s a normal-sized Predacon.”

“Approaching Megatron’s position!” warned Teletraan. Optimus stood up for a speech.

“All forces, this is Optimus. As many of you know, Megatron’s forces are going to breach the Vector Sigma Chamber and enter it before the Solstice. What many of you don’t know is that I’m pursuing him and Starscream will most likely pursue us. I know this is considered sacrilege, but by locking us out, Starscream has tried to tell us that we’re not allowed to know all the aspects of our culture, a greater sin than what Megatron and I are about to commit. If any of you have any objections, make them now. They will be noted.” Not one person said a word. “…I’m a little surprised at that, but happy to know you’re behind me. As I said, I’m going into the Vector Sigma Chamber if Megatron manages to breach it. I want you all to know that you are the finest soldiers in all creation, and I could not be prouder of you all. Let’s get to it.”

---

“Lord Megatron, Shockwave has reported that the Transtector is ready,” reported Thundercracker.

“Then we have our Metrotitan again,” mused Megatron. “Excellent. Thunderhoof, how soon until we breach the chamber?”

“We’re actually ahead of schedule, see?” replied Thunderhoof in his tractor mode with his threshing fork serving to convey his emotions. “A few more cycles an we’ll be in da Chamber, ready to take a few secrets, you know?”

“I DO know. You have performed admirably, Thunderhoof.”

“Ey yo, jus doin our bots a favor.”

“Lord Megatron!” called Scorponok as he ran up to the group. “The Autobots and their Metrotitans! They’re coming!”

“No, not yet!” complained Megatron. “I’m busy!” He then called every single troop on his side. “Decepticons, the Autobots are coming! We MUST breach the Chamber before the Autobots defeat us! Keep all breaching crews protected! Their survival is your survival! We WILL obtain the secrets needed to take Cybertron! Peace through tyranny!”

“Peace through tyranny!” replied Megatron’s forces.

“Scorponok, now is the perfect time to test out the Transtector.”

“Oh, I thought you’d never ask!” cheered Scorponok.

---

“Approaching the entrance to the Vector Sigma Chamber,” reported Fortress.

“And there’s Megatron’s forces, right on que,” supplied Metroplex.

“Hold up, what’s that by Scorponok?” asked Optimus. The screen magnified on the object. It looked like a headless bot.

“…Something seems…off,” remarked Fortress. On screen Scorponok grinned. He then struck the same pose Zarak once did before he became Black Scar’s head. He then mouthed something…then Scorponok turned into a head and attached to the headless bot. Fortress then got a nasty idea. “No!” he gulped. The bot then did the same posing as Scorponok did, then he became the head as the Decepticon ship turned into Scorponok’s old titanic robot mode! Scorponok was back!”

“Galen, Cerebros, Fortress, Metroplex, you have permission to engage!” ordered Optimus.

---

The Autobot forces poured out of the Metrotitans and fired on Megatron’s forces. Galen and Cerebros flew up and Galen posed his usual announcement pose, but he and Cerebros had an idea.

“MASTER HEAD ON!” they called.

“FORTRESS MAXIMUS, TRANSFORM!” Galen quickly turned into Cerebros’ head and Cerebros transformed into Fortress’ head as Fortress transformed to bot mode. Once the head attached to the body, Fortress drew his sword and attacked Scorponok. Scorponok blocked with his shield, keeping his head covered by any means necessary.

“You won’t catch me off guard again, old friend!” the scorpion based Metrotitan cackled.

“How did you regain your old size?!” demanded Fortress. “Zarak and Black Scar are dead, and you were turned into a Predacon!”

“Sorry, Shockwave’s little secret!” Scorponok then slammed his claw into Fortress’ chest.

“I need to help him!” growled Metroplex. He transformed to vehicle mode, then parked himself onto a platform. Clamps then held him down. “Titan Mode!” he called. As a roof and walls lowered over him, the gun by his bridge flew off while the comms tower swung down. One of the ramps then retracted into the launch bays below the bridge tower and it closed itself. The launch pads on the bow then swung up and folded onto the rear of the pads, making a pair of legs and deploying feet. The assemblies at the sides of the launch bays then swung down and deployed hands. The pipes by the bridge tower then swung up, bringing up a door and revealing a face. Metroplex then caught the gun in his right hand, then braced it with his left and leveled it at Fortress and Scorponok’s battle. “HIT THE GROUND!” he shouted. Fortress whirled out of the way as Metroplex fired. Scorponok raised his shield and deflected the shot.

“Did you really think that would stop me!” he cackled. Fortress then saw an opportunity and scored a blow…below Scorponok’s belt. …Yeah, he could still feel pain down there. As the shock forced him into a silent scream. Metroplex fired again, this time knocking Scorponok to the ground.

---

“Ooh, I felt dat,” winced Thunderhoof. He then saw something approaching. Trypticon City was coming towards them. “Ey yo, heads up!” he called. “Starscream’s mooks incoming!” Megatron saw them and groaned again.

“Seriously?” he muttered. He then turned up to see Scorponok picking himself up. “Scorponok, enemy inbound!” Fortress and Metroplex then swung a punch. Scorponok caught them and held them in place.

“I’M A LITTLE BUSY RIGHT NOW!” he shouted. Trypticon City then fired its guns at the three Metrotitans as Starscream’s forces poured out.

“LEAVE NO SURVIVORS!” shrieked Starscream as he and his Trine bombarded the area. “Trypticon, get on their level!”

“With pleasure!” laughed a cruel, deep voice, a voice that made Metroplex stop and turn slowly in fear towards Trypticon City.

“…No!” he whispered.

“Oh, yes, old friend! It is I!” laughed the city. “The one Metrotitan that never needed an Emissary mode!” Metroplex turned to Fortress.

“I’ll keep him off your back! You take care of Scorponok!”

“Good luck!” wished Fortress as he charged and resumed his duel with Scorponok. Metroplex then fired on the city, prompting it to laugh.

“Did you forget how resistant I am to firearms?!”

“Doesn’t mean you’re invulnerable, Laddie!”

“Eh, fair point. In that case, Trypticon, TRANSFORM!” The sides of the city swung up and folded into legs. The sides of the city’s front split away and deployed three-digited, talon-like hands as the rest of the front folded down. The arch running from the Main Square to the rear fell away from the Square and unfolded into a tail. The bottom of the front then fell away on a joint as angry, red optics glowed and dorsal spines popped out of the backside. Standing in place of Trypticon City was Trypticon himself, a Decepticon Metrotitan that vaguely resembled a giant monster from a Japanese movie franchise. Trypticon smirked evilly as he stared his rival, Metroplex, down. “Your move, my friend!” laughed Trypticon. Metroplex fired his gun, only for a gun to sprout from between his optics and fire to engage in a beam clash. Trypticon’s beam then overpowered Metroplex’s and knocked the Gigantion leader down. “No one escapes from the talons of Trypticon, Metroplex!”

---

As the fight raged on, Thunderhoof, long having transformed to robot mode, checked on the status of the breaching team. “Ey yo! How close are youse guys?!”

“We’re almost dere, boss!” replied a crab-like Decepticon, Clampdown.

“Dat’s what youse said ten minutes ago!” snarled Thunderhoof. “And da ten minutes before dat! And da ten minutes before dat! How long’s dis gonna-?!”

“Boss!” called a bot. “We’re in!” He pointed to the remains of the door to the Vector Sigma Chamber.”

“Finally, some service!” Thunderhoof then called Megatron. “Ey yo! Da door’s down! Not that I wanna tell youse what to do, but youse better hustle, see?!”

“Understood! Good work, Thunderhoof!”

---

Megatron ended the call and ran straight for the Vector Sigma Chamber. Optimus saw him running. “OH NO, YOU DON’T, YOU EDGE-LORD TWERP!” he shouted. He then ran after Megatron and fired on him. Megatron fired back as both bots entered the Chamber. Starscream saw the whole thing and goggled in horror!

“YOU IDIOTS!” he shrieked to his forces. “YOU LET THEM GET AWAY!” He then chased after the two bots. Suddenly, the door fixed itself after Starscream and shut itself. Everyone was stunned and stopped fighting for a bit.

“…I guess we wait for them,” muttered Sonic.

“What is it?!” called Shahra.

“The brain impulses are conveying orders to the necessary weapons systems to fire the Heart of Cybertron!” explained Perceptor. “If we follow them, they’ll lead us straight to it!”

“And given how many went down his neck,” continued Grimlock, “it’s clear that he’s really going to town on the Autobots!”

“Let’s hope they’re buying us enough time!” muttered Drift. She then sensed something behind her. “Here come more! Follow them!” They all dived down the hole and followed the brain impulses’ path.

“THERE IT IS!” cheered Perceptor. Right below them, though massive to them, was the Heart of Cybertron, wired up just above Starscream’s Spark Chamber! The brain impulses then entered the Heart.

---

Starscream continued firing the Heart of Cybertron at the Autobots. They were being knocked down left, right, and center! He was clearly enjoying himself. “This ain’t good!” grunted Optimus as the medics got the wounded to the Repair Bay. “We’re losing too many! Activate the force-field!”

“Prime, what if Perceptor didn’t get enough time?!” argued Sonic.

“We have no choice!” Optimus then activated the force-field. The generator summoned a yellow energy dome and surrounded the two.

---

“Let’s rip the wires and get out of here!” urged Grimlock.

“No!” hissed Perceptor. “Look at the wiring! He’s turned himself into a bomb! One wrong move, and the area’s rubble!”

---

Starscream advanced on Optimus and Sonic. “Do you think that a mere force-field can stop me?!” he laughed. “The Hero of Mobius and the Youngest Prime, the greatest cowards of all! That thing can’t withstand my power for long! Are you too special to fight?! Well, if you won’t come out…I’ll just have to break on through!” He raised his hand, ready to fire the Heart.

---

Perceptor grabbed a wire and yanked it away from the Heart. Nothing happened yet, both good and bad. Deadlock then yanked Perceptor away as brain impulses entered the Heart.

---

The energy erupted from Starscream’s fingers and struck the force-field. It didn’t even budge. “Hm, I guess I need to use a little more power,” he mused.

---

“Thanks, Deadlock,” panted Perceptor. He ripped another wire away from the Heart.

“Perceptor, DUCK!” called Grimlock. Perceptor dove out of the way, but he still accomplished what Grimlock wanted as more brain impulses ran into the Heart. This time, they didn’t stop coming, making Perceptor pull his hand back more than once when he reached for the last wire.

---

Starscream continued his assault on the force-field. “We’re losing it!” called Sonic.

“Come on, Perceptor!” prayed Optimus as he adjusted the force-field’s frequency.

---

The brain impulses wouldn’t stop rushing past the team. “Starscream must be pounding the living daylights out of them!” gulped Grimlock.

“Come on!” Perceptor urged himself. “One last wire!” The background energy was overwhelming him. “Can’t…make it!”

---

Starscream was still firing the energies of the Heart at the force-field. Just then, the force-field cracked and shattered, the whole thing dissipating into thin air. “HAH!” cheered Starscream. “Say hello to oblivion!”

---

The brain impulses finally stopped. Perceptor picked himself up and crawled towards the wire. “Got to…disconnect it!” he strained as he reached towards it.

---

“It’s all over, Prime!” cackled Starscream.

“Not until everyone who resists you is erased from the universe, Starscream!” challenged Optimus.

“My sentiments exactly! You’re finished!” Starscream raised his hands above his head, then swung them down as if he were throwing something…but nothing happened. Starscream was confused, so he tried again, and again, and again, then he stared at his hands in horror. “What in…?! Diagnostics! Why isn’t the Heart responding?!”

“The Heart of Cybertron,” explained his onboard computer, “has been disconnected by microscopic organisms of similar shapes to Autobot Perceptor, a human woman, Dyno-bot Grimlock, and assassin Deadlock.”

“WHAT?!” yelped Starscream. Optimus only saw the horror on his face, but he guessed correctly on what happened.

“Perceptor did it!” he cheered. Starscream then glared at Optimus.

“You shrunk them down and had that Maximal throw their container at me so they could infiltrate my body!” he accused.

“Bingo!” confirmed Optimus. “Now the Heart of Cybertron can’t be controlled by you!”

“Well, if I die, at least they die with me!” Starscream then fired his null rays.

---

“Ha HA! We did it!” cheered Deadlock, smiling for once. Then, something odd happened.

“Hey, is it my imagination,” asked Grimlock, “or is everything closing in on us?!” The room looked like it was shrinking!

“Oh no, it’s us!” realized Shahra. “The spell’s wearing off! We’re returning to our normal size! We gotta get out of here!”

“Deadlock, TRANSFORM!” Deadlock’s shoulder pads swung up and came together to cover her head, then her arms folded into the shoulder pads, then her feet and legs folded to become her vehicle mode’s rear. After transforming, she hit the gas and barreled forward towards a wall. Grimlock managed to get a hold on the Heart and hoisted it above his head. She broke through and her teammates followed her out of Starscream. Once outside, they all grew to normal size and saw Starscream clutching the wound Deadlock gave him from inside.

“Um, excuse us!” apologized Shahra.

“YOU FILTHY RETRO-RATS!” shrieked Starscream. He then transformed and flew off in a rage.

“He’s getting away!” called Sonic. “Stop him!”

“No! Wait!” replied Deadlock. “We’ve got the Heart of Cybertron!”

“But Starscream’s use of it during his assault,” continued Perceptor, “has caused it to destabilize! It could explode at any second!”

“Get rid of it!” ordered Optimus. Grimlock threw the Heart into the air and Perceptor transformed, his microscope lens tracking its trajectory.

“One thousand miles!” he reported. “Fifteen hundred miles! Two thousand miles!” He then fired a laser blast at it. The Heart of Cybertron then exploded causing a brilliant light to fill the sky. Praxus was safe. Optimus released a breath.

“And that’s why you’re a sniper,” he praised as Perceptor transformed.

“Do you realize we just saved Starscream’s life by doing that?” asked Shahra.

“Someone saved ALL our lives,” replied Grimlock.

“Who?” asked Optimus, expecting a remark about how he saved the day.

“Ask Perceptor all about it.” …Optimus rebooted his audio receptors to make sure he heard that right. “And make sure you ask my buddy politely, more so than I did, because anyone who thinks he isn’t a hero is gonna have to answer to ME!” He wrapped his arm around Perceptor’s shoulder, unnerving the poor bot at this change of behavior.

“Erm, Grimlock…” he gulped.

“Perceptor, I owe you an apology. I was wrong about you. I thought only the smartest of my Dyno-bots were scientists worth respecting and you just proved me wrong today. Scientists of all types demonstrate their courage with their brains instead of their brawn.”

“So, you now hypothesize that courage IS in my “fancy” vocabulary?”

“…Yeah, and I got all the evidence I need to support it.”

“Splendid! Apology accepted!”

“You all did good today,” praised Optimus. “Perceptor, Shahra, Deadlock, and Grimlock, you just saved Cybertron and took down a major threat. Now we can concentrate on getting into the Vector Sigma Chamber before Megatron does.”

“When do we move out?” asked Deadlock.

“Our Metrotitans are all fixed up, so we leave once our medical staff fixes everyone.”

“Good. Then there’s only one problem to address.”

“…What’s that?”

“My name. With this act, I finally cast off the name of ‘Deadlock’. I have now drifted away from the Decepticons. Deadlock is gone. My name…is Drift!”

“Then welcome to the Autobots, Drift!”

“Move it!” called Grimlock as the team ran from the electro-sanitizer. They then ducked behind a gear, then noticed it follow the guiding wire upwards. Another electro-sanitizer then followed it.

“I’m tired of hiding!” hissed Deadlock. “Stand clear and let me deal with this!” She then jumped and overtook the electro-sanitizers, then landed on a ledge. The electro-sanitizers detected her and ran straight up to her. “That’s it, come meet your demise!” she declared as she drew one of her swords. She then sliced one in two and threw the remains at the other, destroying it. Grimlock simply nodded.

“Not bad,” he remarked. He then heard a new electro-sanitizer from behind him. “Now you get to watch how an Autobot handles those things!”

“GRIMLOCK, LOOK OUT!” warned Perceptor. Grimlock transformed to beast mode and swung his tail into the electro-sanitizer, breaking it and making it explode, taking the guiding wire with it in the process. “…Well, that bought us some time,” breathed Perceptor in relief. “We better utilize as much speed as possible. We’re in Starscream’s shoulder joint. His chest should be around here somewhere.”

“Thanks for telling us,” snarked Grimlock. “I never would have figured that out myself!”

“Just hope he doesn’t make any sudden movements,” gulped Perceptor. They climbed up the gears, pullies, and levers that made up Starscream’s internal shoulder mechanics.

---

Starscream felt something tickling the insides of his shoulder. “…Stray dust probably,” he muttered to himself. He moved his arm to get the “dust” towards electro-sanitizers.

---

The team tumbled as the mechanisms moved suddenly. Shahra and Deadlock landed on a gear with only bumps, Grimlock managed to get himself onto a hydraulic tube, and Perceptor was hanging on a ledge over a set of cogs that were moving. “Jump, Perceptor!” urged Deadlock. Perceptor let go, then Grimlock tackled him to a safer area.

“Some hero!” he grunted. “Next time, stay home! You could have guided us through the mission!”

“I hate to be a pedantic bore,” replied Perceptor, “but that option wasn’t a viable one. Talking to miniaturized bots always made radio communication impossible. The range on a bot’s personal radio shrinks in proportion to the bot.”

“So, you didn’t have a choice, huh?!”

“Not if you want to succeed, no, I didn’t!” Deadlock then swung her Great Sword to the floor right between the two mechs.

“If you idiots are done!” she hissed. “Let’s move!”

---

Starscream saw Airazor fly down towards a city-state and grinned. “Praxus, eh? I always loved scaring a Praxian!”

---

“Prime, this is Airazor!” called the falcon Maximal over the comms. “Starscream and I are about a hundred miles and closing! ETA, ten minutes!”

“Understood,” replied Optimus. “Bots, we’ve got a force-field to set up!”

---

“Where are we now?” asked Shahra.

“Somewhere in Starscream’s neck,” replied Perceptor.

“Wait, his neck?!” asked Grimlock. “How come it’s so hard to tell which way we’re going?!”

“What do you mean?” asked Shahra.

“Grimlock’s right,” remarked Deadlock. “If we were in his neck, then, ideally, the only option we would pick is down if he were upright. Meaning…”

“He’s horizontal!” realized Perceptor.

“Please tell me that means he’s asleep!” gulped Shahra.

“Asleep, nothing! See those lights along the walls?” Perceptor pointed to a group of lights as they flashed blue. “Those are a Transformer’s robotniks, our nerves, if you will. Each one has a specific color code. That particular shade of blue tells us that he’s flying in robot mode!”

“And that’s bad news for our guys!”

“Hey! What’s that glow?!” called Grimlock as he pointed out a cavern with a strange light in it. Everyone followed it and saw a glowing sphere.

“Okay, I know enough Transformer biology,” said Shahra, “to identify that thing! That’s Starscream’s brain!”

“…How come it’s so quiet?” muttered Grimlock.

“He must not be engaging any major brain functions, like communications or moving,” guessed Deadlock.

“Isn’t he flying?” asked Shahra.

“For a flyer, that’s not a major brain function,” replied Perceptor.

“Well, I’ve got a honey of an idea!” declared Grimlock. “Let’s bash brains!” He raised his fist to the brain.

“NO, GRIMLOCK!” called Perceptor.

“Not without me!” supplied Deadlock as she drew her swords.

“Put them away!” urged Perceptor as he and Shahra held their teammates back. “It’s too dangerous!”

“Listen to Perceptor, you two!” pleaded Shahra. “He’s right!” Just then, the brain chamber shook as it rotated. Everyone fell towards a wall.

---

“The force-field’s all set to go,” reported Tails, “but it’s only gonna last five minutes against Starscream.”

“That’s five minutes more than we’d have without it,” replied Tails.

“INCOMING!” called Airazor as they swooped in to join them. Starscream landed shortly after.

“We gotta buy Perceptor more time!” declared Optimus as he switched his comms on. “All available Autobots, move out!” Hardhead and Duros rolled out first and fired their arsenal on Starscream. The smarmy Seeker simply shrugged it off.

“Head on!” called Duros.

“Hardhead, CENTRALIZE!” Hardhead and Duros transformed, then Hardhead’s head connected to his body, and he dashed towards Starscream.

“Oh, that is just too precious!” chuckled Starscream. He raised his hand, ready to fire the Heart.

---

Once everyone regained their footing, Grimlock and Deadlock advanced on Starscream’s brain. “If you destroy his brain, he’ll fall!” pleaded Perceptor. “The impact could detonate the Heart of Cybertron!”

“It’s our only chance!” argued Grimlock. He and Deadlock raised their swords, then the brain glowed and multiple snake-like creatures with electricity surrounding them leapt out of the brain and circled the team.

“What are they?!” yelped Shahra.

“Brain impulses!” replied Perceptor. “EVIL brain impulses!” The brain impulses then charged downwards through a hole in the floor.

---

Starscream fired the Heart of Cybertron right into Hardhead’s chest, knocking him to the ground. Hardhead’s head fell off and he transformed to vehicle mode while the head turned back into Duros. Starscream then fired on Duros. “I guess today WASN’T an honorable day for battle,” snarked Starscream. He then saw Rhinox preparing his guns. “Oh no! The Chain Guns of Doom!” mocked Starscream.

“Sarcasm doesn’t become you!” growled Rhinox. The rhino then fired. As expected, the shots bounced off Starscream. Starscream yawned, then fired the Heart again, bringing Rhinox down.

---

Starscream’s brain impulses would not stop swarming Perceptor and his team! They nearly ripped Shahra apart! “What are they even for?!” roared Grimlock. He dared a peek down the hole, then realized they went down Starscream’s neck. Perceptor then joined Grimlock and looked down the hole, then they both got the same idea!

“The Heart!” they cheered.

Airazor waited by a container that their talons could wrap around. Tails checked the contents to see the miniaturized Starscream Bodily Infiltration team standing by. “You guys ready?” he asked.

“Ready and waiting!” replied Perceptor. Tails then closed the lid on the container.

“All set, Airazor!” he announced.

“They stoop to conquer!” replied Airazor as they beat their wings and took the box in their talons. They then flew off to Trypticon City.

---

“This is insane,” Grimlock grumbled inside the container. “In all my years, I never thought I’d actually crawl inside a bot’s body at such a tiny size.”

“On the other hand, it’s a new experience,” mused Shahra.

“Yes, this would make a fascinating entry for the Autobot Mass Induction Journal!” chuckled Perceptor.

“We need to succeed first before you write that paper,” remarked Deadlock as she sharpened her swords. Grimlock then noticed the giant one sheathed on her backside.

“Is that a-?”

“A Great Sword? Yes. It belonged to Dai Atlas.”

“…Have you ever used it?”

“Once, against Gigatron. Damn near made my Spark fade when I tried to avenge Dai Atlas.”

“How’s that?” asked Shahra.

“Great Swords draw on their wielder’s Spark energy to create attacks. It’s said that only the Faithful can fully utilize them without significant damage. I’m clearly not one of the Faithful.”

“…Is that what made you leave the Cons?” asked Grimlock.

“…Something like that.”

“We just entered Trypticon City limits,” Airazor called from outside. “No signs of being detected so far.”

---

No one was manning the necessary stations to detect the intruders. Everyone was gathered at the Main Square with large cubes of Engex. Starscream was the last to receive his cube. When he did, he began his speech. “My fellow Decepticons, Optimus’ brazen attack on my estate proved that he no longer considers Megatron a major threat. His actions have proved that he’s terrified of us now. With fear running rampant throughout the Autobot ranks, I propose a toast! To the imminent destruction of the accursed Autobots!”

“To the Autobots’ destruction!” cheered the crowd.

“Energy!” cackled Sunstorm. “We won’t need to conserve it after tomorrow! We can bleed the universe dry!” Everyone then drank half of their Engex. Soon, they all felt the inebriating effects of their drinks.

“Boy, theesh are good!” slurred Deathsaurus. “I needed ta refool! Energy!”

“ENERGY!” cheered the Decepticons as they all downed the rest of their Engex like drunkards.

“Boy!” mumbled Skywarp. “Thish shtufsh th gradesstsh!” He then fell to the floor in a drunken heap, as did many of his compatriots.

“Ah, thosh were th goodol daysh durin th ol war!” rambled Starscream. “Didn haff to shneek aroun in ugly Earth dishguysheshs!”

---

Airazor approached the Main Square, the container still in their talons. “All right, better glide now. Airazor, MAXIMIZE!” They went to bot mode and glided lower. They then saw the scene of drunk Decepticons sprawled across the square. “What in the world?!” they muttered.

“GO SHYBERTRON! LAND OF TH MEDDAL MOOoooonnnssshh!” Starscream passed out after his declaration.

“No wonder it was so easy!” chuckled Airazor. “They’re all over-energized! An opportunity like this only comes once in a lifetime!” They pressed a button on the side of the container.

---

“They’re getting ready to drop!” called Perceptor as the interior flashed green. Everyone then fastened themselves down, bracing for landfall.

---

Airazor flew as low as they dared and released the container. The container then fell onto Starscream’s chest, bouncing a couple of times before settling down. “Whuzzu?” he mumbled.

---

“Get us out of here! Fast, Grimlock!” urged Perceptor as everyone unfastened themselves and got up. Grimlock shoved the container’s lid open, and everyone ran out.

“Into the shoulder joint! Quick!” urged Deadlock. Everyone dashed towards the joint and jumped into it.

---

Starscream picked himself up and looked at the container, bringing it centimeters to his face so his bleary optics could focus on it. “What th…?” He looked around and saw Airazor. His drunken mind managed to reach a general conclusion. “Audobod addack!” he slurred. He then raised his hands and fired at Airazor. They converted to beast mode and flew off. After a few shots from the Heart, Starscream was back at normal operational status, able to think and speak more clearly thanks to burning off the excess energy. “Decepticons, ATTACK!” He was answered with snoring from his troops. “…Unbelievable! Bah, no matter! I’ll finish the Autobots myself!” He took to the air in robot mode and kept well behind Airazor. Unfortunately, Airazor could still sense his presence. They radioed the Autobot base.

“Base, this is Airazor! Be advised, Starscream’s following me! You better have that force-field ready!”

“This is Optimus. Warning received. We’re ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.”

---

Inside Starscream’s body, Perceptor led the team on their path. “The Heart of Cybertron would logically be located in Starscream’s chest, since his Spark would serve as a good distributor for its energies.”

“Well, we better hurry!” urged Shahra. “We’ve got less than two hours to get to it!”

“Why’s that?” asked Deadlock.

“The shrinking spell isn’t permanent. Once it wears off, we return to our normal size.”

“Oh, NOW you tell us!” grumbled Grimlock.

“Yes, Starscream isn’t big enough for the four of us,” remarked Deadlock.

“If we can’t locate the Heart,” decided Perceptor, “then we let the spell wear off. The resulting increase in size will cause Starscream to be torn apart.”

“Yeah, and we die with him!” argued Grimlock.

“If it frees Cybertron, so be it,” replied Deadlock.

“…Yeah, fair point,” conceded Grimlock.

“Not so fast, that’s just a last resort,” urged Perceptor. The team then found a green wire that sat suspended in front of them.

“What’s that?” asked Shahra. Perceptor gulped.

“A guiding wire for electro-sanitizers!” he explained.

“Incoming!” called Deadlock. A green ring held around the wire by electric energy and firing off electric blasts approached them at an alarming rate. The team then ran from it.

“What’s the deal with them?!” asked Shahra.

“They’re part of a Transformer’s immune system!” replied Perceptor. “They protect the body from microscopic impurities, like a human’s white blood cells!”

“Oh, great, and WE’RE the impurities!” gulped Shahra. The electro-sanitizer continued on its deadly mission to purge Starscream’s body of foreign contaminants, pursuing them relentlessly.

Once his repairs were finished, Optimus had to take care of business of his own. He was at the entrance to Maccadam’s Old Oil House in hopes that the person he would meet would be there. He saw the person in a booth, a femme with the alt-mode kibble of a white Nissan Silvia S15 and a grim expression. “Deadlock, is it?” he asked as he sat down. He then heard a gasp.

“…Why don’t you say that a little louder?” snarked the femme, Deadlock. “I don’t think they heard you in KAON!”

“Okay, sorry!” gulped Optimus. He then sighed and leaned in. “You said you had information you wanted to give me. What is it?”

“First, I need your word that I will have asylum among your team as a member of the Autobots,” Deadlock began. Optimus’ optics flickered.

“You’re…leaving the Decepticons?”

“A shadow of disgrace has fallen upon them. The Decepticon cause is one I no longer wish to be a part of.”

“Then you have my word that you’ll be an Autobot. Anything else?”

“Only that you use the information wisely.”

“You have my word there. Now, what’s going on?”

“Megatron’s attempting to breach the Vector Sigma Chamber in Kaon before the Winter Solstice.” Optimus’ optics widened at Deadlock’s news.

“What?! That’s blasphemy!”

“He received word that Starscream’s trying to keep Cybertron away from it during the Solstice.”

“Wait, Starscream can’t do that! What’s going on?!”

“He believes that you hold the key to unlocking some great secret.” Optimus then remembered something.

“Gaia said that I would discover a great secret in my lifetime. …Is that what Starscream’s trying to guard?”

“Gaia?” quizzed Deadlock.

“I’ll explain on the way to base. If you want protection from any assassins after what you did to the D.J.D, we need to go now!”

“Understood.” Deadlock then followed Optimus out of Maccadam’s.

---

“It’s taking DAYS to heal them all!” complained Swoop as he, Perceptor, and Ratchet tended to Optimus’ team.

“Keep going with Rattrap over there,” directed Ratchet. “Optimus is gonna need him.” Grimlock scowled at Perceptor.

“Funny,” he growled, “you don’t have a scratch on you! I wonder why!”

“Grimlock, lay off Perceptor!” barked Optimus as he and Deadlock entered the Repair Bay. “If I hear one more word against him, you’ll answer to me!”

“Optimus, what are you doing bringing HER here?!” yelped Swoop.

“Deadlock!” growled Grimlock.

“Deadlock’s left the Decepticons,” explained Optimus. “She willingly underwent a Cortical Psychic Patch to prove herself. Right now, I need her to coordinate with Teletraan 1 to prepare for anti-Starscream defenses. I only came here to tell you that Deadlock is to be treated with respect. I know her reputation precedes her, but she’s trying to atone for her sins.”

“…I’m watching you, Deadlock!” warned Grimlock.

“I’d be insulted if you didn’t,” remarked Deadlock.

---

“I hate to rain on y’all’s parade,” muttered Teletraan, “but, according to the data we’ve got, a forcefield won’t stop Starscream for long.”

“It’ll be better than nothing. How soon can we get underway with construction?”

“Immediately. Good thing too. I just intercepted a news broadcast that Starscream and Sunstorm are fully recovered from the assault.”

“Get to it, then.”

---

“So Thunderhoof forgot that I command the Decepticons as well as all of Cybertron, I see,” mused Starscream as Skywarp finished his report.

“And Nightbird’s Megatron’s wife?!” asked Sunstorm.

“It was a secret wedding before he busted us out of prison seven years ago,” explained Skywarp. “There’s more. Apparently, Nightbird’s the one who turned Megatron onto his current path.”

“It matters not,” remarked Starscream. “I must say, I never would have thought Megatron would try to enter the Vector Sigma Chamber before the Solstice. I guess he figures I’m hiding something. It won’t matter. The only one who has the key to finding out is Optimus and he’s only made moves against me, not Megatron. I must admit, it was clever of him to collapse the ceiling on us, but he only succeeded in postponing the inevitable!”

---

Perceptor finally finished fixing up Teletraan’s ground-based systems for the base. “There we go, Teletraan!” he cheered. “Good as new! Good thing you’ve been backing yourself up lately.”

“Yeah, had a scare on that front before the Harbinger arrived on Mobius,” replied Teletraan. “Brought the Ark across the Quintesson Neutral Zone too. Metal Sonic took control of me back then, so they had to reinstall me from a backup.”

“That…actually explains a few cryptic remarks.” Just then, the lights faded. “Wha?!”

“Sorry, Perceptor,” called Optimus as he and Grimlock entered the room, “but we’re diverting all essential power to the force-field generator.”

“But that’s absurd!”

“You got any better ideas?” asked Grimlock. “Or is your intelligence as fleeting as your courage now?”

“Grimlock!” snarled Optimus.

“As a matter of fact, I DO have a better idea,” replied Perceptor. “Get inside Starscream and disconnect the Heart of Cybertron.”

“Are you defective?!” protested Grimlock. “How are we gonna do that?!”

“Simple. We use either an external matter inducer beam or a shrinking spell to bring us to a microscopic size. Then we crawl into Starscream and rip the blasted Heart out!”

“What do you think of his intelligence now?” Optimus asked Grimlock. The Dyno-bot leader simply folded his arms and scowled.

“I reserve judgement.”

“You, Shahra, and Deadlock go with him. We’re gonna go with the shrinking spell option.”

---

Optimus visited Airazor after they came back from a patrol. “Hey, Airazor,” he said, “I’m about to ask you to do something crazy.”

“Any crazier than Starscream’s ambitions?” asked Airazor.

“I need you to throw a small box containing four of our guys shrunk down to microscopic size at Starscream so they can climb in and disconnect the Heart of Cybertron from him.”

“…Okay, maybe slightly crazier, but not a hard job.”

“So, you’re willing to fly some more?”

“Like a bird!”

---

Night was starting to fall as Shahra, Perceptor, Grimlock, and Deadlock got ready for the shrinking spell. Shahra was going to be the one casting it. “Is everyone ready?” she asked. They all nodded their readiness. “Then let’s do it.”

“Yes, let’s do it!” agreed Perceptor. “Now we’ll show Starscream that bad things come in small packages!” A golden cloud surrounded them all and they shrank down to the size of a pin.

“You’re telling me that Thunderhoof disobeyed me and put a hit on the D.J.D’s assassin?!” Starscream demanded of Skywarp the next day.

“The assassin’s Nightbird. Despair not,” assured Skywarp. “I’m actually due to visit Thunderhoof. Besides, he’s become an annoyance. Last I heard, he’s chatting with his little ninja after she let her target get away. I just need to tell them they’re going after an…innocent bot, as determined by police.”

“Then you can take care of this problem?”

“And have fun while doing so yet get the results you want. That reminds me, do you want him dead or alive?”

“Dead. He’s too much of a loose cannon.”

“And his little assassin?”

“…She may be of use. It was brought to my attention that her husband is on Cybertron, within Megatron’s faction of Decepticons. Word gets out of you taking care of the Thunderhoof Mafia’s head and Megatron loses an ally, pinning the blame on Nightbird and her husband.”

“Gotcha. All right, see you later, barring any Autobot interference.” Skywarp then ran across the runway that served as the balcony to Starscream’s home and jumped, transforming to jet mode, and taking off towards the north. Sunstorm then came out of the shadows.

“We must spare nothing as we destroy the Autobot heathens!” urged the Covenant-thumper. “You have the Heart of Cybertron! Its full power must be unleashed and-!”

“No, no, no, that won’t be necessary,” replied Starscream. “Moderation MUST be exercised here. I mean, yes, I can feel the Heart’s power coursing through my circuits-”

“You’ll need every bit of it, Starscream!” called a new voice. The two Seekers turned to see Optimus and his team after they burst into the room! “Autobots, ATTACK!” called Optimus. Sonic opened with a spin-dash to Starscream’s face and temporarily knocked him silly. He recovered quickly to see Sunstorm duck behind a couch to avoid the weapons fire. Starscream rolled his optics.

“Okay, I guess moderation’s out the window if YOU’RE gonna be a home invader, Floptimus Prime!” He then fired magenta lightning from both hands and struck Optimus square in the chest, sending him sprawling into a wall.

“PRIME!” called Rattrap. Thankfully, his paint didn’t fade to gunmetal gray.

“Come on, Autobots!” taunted Starscream. “Follow your leaders orders and ATTACK!” He fired again.

“Oh man, this is bad!” gulped Rattrap.

“There’s only one alternative; ATTACK!” snarled Slash. “We storm his position and-!”

“You’re on the wrong wavelength there, Lizard-lips! WE RUN!”

“Oh yes? And just where do we run, Rodent?!”

“Anywhere but here! He’ll blow us away if we attack!”

“He’ll blow us away if we just stand here!” growled Grimlock. “CHARGE!” Everyone rushed at Starscream, only for him to fire a blast that knocked everyone to the floor. Sonic got himself ready to run.

“Hope I get lucky!” he wished himself. He ran around Starscream, creating a tornado with the Seeker in the center.

“Ah, running around, hoping to deprive me, a robot, of air,” Starscream purred. “A cunning strategy. …No, wait, what’s the opposite of cunning?”

“Stupid?!” asked Sunstorm.

“That’s the word!” Starscream then fired a small blast at the floor, scorching Sonic. Shahra spotted him and raised her hands. She used her magic to lift Sonic out of the way and then healed him.

“Thanks, Shahra,” panted Sonic. “Now go help Optimus.”

“Right, Mas…Sonic.” Shahra then headed to Optimus and healed him. His optics flicked back online. “Prime, can you hear me?!”

“I’ll be okay, Shahra,” replied Optimus. He then saw how badly the battle was going. “No! The reports were right! He’s got the Heart of Cybertron! We’ll be slaughtered! We need time to fall back!”

“Your wish is granted!” called Shahra. She fired a cloud of smoke at Starscream and Sunstorm. Shots then escaped from the cloud with no way to aim them.

“CAN’T SEE!” shrieked Starscream.

“AIM FOR THE CEILING!” ordered Optimus. Everyone shot at the ceiling and made it out of Starscream’s home while Starscream and Sunstorm were buried under the ceiling’s rubble. Once they made it outside, everyone caught their breath. “That should hold them for a while,” panted Optimus. He then turned to Grimlock. “Damage report.”

“We’re all banged up,” reported Grimlock. “We could use some repair time.”

“Shahra, get us out of here.”

“Got it!” replied Shahra. A golden cloud surrounded everyone, and they all vanished.

---

Meanwhile, Thunderhoof, a Decepticon with moose-antlers on his head and the alt-mode kibble of a tractor, was talking to Nightbird. “Youse tellin’ me dat you let Deadlock get away?!”

“I didn’t ‘let her get away’, Thunderblast got in my way!”

“Ey yo, youse better talk right about her, capisce? I get upset real easy, see? Nothin’ upsets me more dan some broad talkin’ bad about my doll!”

“I know, right? A ninja should be more respectful to a client’s main squeeze,” remarked a new voice.

“Youse should listen to dat guy, he…” Thunderhoof then realized who it was and saw Skywarp! “…EY YO!”

“YOU?!” snarled Nightbird as she drew her sai!

“That’s right, Vito Corleone and Uzumaki Hinata!” laughed Skywarp. “Make a scene and summon the press, why don’t you? What a photo-op! The Mafia Mech, the Cyber-kunoichi, and their wacky Seeker pal!”

“Youse ain’t no friend of mine!” Skywarp’s face fell.

“Oh, Thunderhoof!” he protested. “I’m crushed! How the high and mighty forget! Don’t you remember? You, Young Nightbird here, me, and the rest of the gang?”

“Ey yo, what’re youse talkin’ about?! I never met ‘em OR you! I worked for Cryotek! I didn’t know what he was doin’!”

“Oh, but you knew about it afterwards! And put it to good use, I see! Why else would you be seeking Starscream’s favor?”

“…What do ya want?”

“To find out why you disobeyed Starscream and put a hit on Deadlock!”

“Ain’t ya read da news?!”

“Thunderhoof’s right,” remarked Nightbird. “That drifter killed the D.J.D!”

“BZT! Wrong!” replied Skywarp. “It ain’t Deadlock. Nope, nope, nope! That’s why Starscream said no hits on her! I’ve seen the guy, and I do mean GUY! He looks more like a Praxian, nowhere near as cute as Deadlock!”

“Youse sayin’ it’s someone else?” asked Thunderhoof.

“Yeah. Someone who wouldn’t mind seeing our old pals out of the way.” Skywarp then gasped as if a horrible thought struck him. “Maybe…gulp, sob, me too! That’s when I thought about YOU, Boss Thunderhoof! An important, upstanding mech like you would find it…awkward if certain secrets were revealed about his past?” Thunderhoof then looked nervous.

“Wait a cycle here, youse ain’t sayin’ I-!”

“No, believe it or not, I’m saying you ordered that hit to keep the guy quiet and all those secrets locked away.” Just then, Thunderhoof’s intercom buzzed.

“Mr. Thunderhoof, Nightbird’s husband is on the line,” reported his secretary.

“Ah, that’s right, you got a hubby!” Skywarp remarked to Nightbird. He then pressed the accept button, then held a finger to his lips to both of them.

“…Y..Yes, sir?” asked Thunderhoof to the person on the other end.

“Thunderhoof, I came to call about Operation: Chamber Breach,” rasped the familiar voice of Megatron. Skywarp goggled, then looked to Nightbird as she nodded in confirmation.

“…Er, we hit a bit of a snag,” gulped Thunderhoof to Megatron. “Nothin’ dat can’t be cleaned up, but it needs to be on da down-low. It might make us later dan projected.”

“How late?”

“Only a couple a’ cycles at worst!”

“…That’s fine.” Nightbird’s face then relaxed as she ducked down. “Now, I would advise you to keep your head down!” Thunderhoof heard the roar of jet engines getting closer, then went as flat to the floor as possible while Megatron burst through the window in jet mode, clotheslining Skywarp and then transforming while grabbing Skywarp’s neck. “Any words you wish to say to him?” asked Megatron. Thunderhoof got up and dusted himself off before he began.

“Did ya really t’ink de idea to put a hit on Deadlock was all my idea?!” he snarled. “Megatron got a mnemosurgeon to examine da stiffs’ memories!”

“Hold on, a mnemosurgeon AFTER death?!” argued Skywarp.

“Yes, the individual details were sketchy,” remarked Megatron, “but we strung them together and pieced together what happened.”

“Dey sent me da reports and badda bing, badda boom, I placed da hit on Deadlock, since Starscream wasn’t too keen on following up on a concerned citizen’s needs. So, I remembered da ol’ sayin’ ‘Always bet on da leader,’ and told Megatron about what youse guys was havin’ me do!” Skywarp teleported out of Megatron’s grip, then fired his weapons before transforming and flying out of the building. “EY YO!” snapped Thunderhoof. Megatron looked out the hole in the wall and growled. He then relaxed and smiled.

“Thunderhoof, you are to be rewarded for your loyalty. Perhaps a new office nearer to Kaon?”

“Ey yo, dat ain’t a bad idea! Thanks, Lord Megatron. Oh, and Nightbird, about what I said before we were rudely interrupted-”

“We both worked on that script, Thunderhoof,” reminded Nightbird. “Your life is still yours.”

“Thanks for bein’ understandin’.”

“Now, Thunderhoof, about that snag…” mused Megatron.

“Like I said, it’s only gonna put us back by two cycles at worst. We’ll still get inside before the day is out.”

“Excellent! Despite this set back, we’ll still breach the Vector Sigma Chamber before the Solstice!”

Fanfare erupted from Trypticon City’s Main Square. Starscream, His Mini-con partner Zapmaster, Skywarp, and Sunstorm were standing on a pedestal with a femme holding a crown. The femme had strange alt-mode kibble, parts of it were like a bullet train while other parts were like a shuttle. She held the crown over Starscream’s head, only to think twice and pull it back. The trumpets still blasted, but Starscream became annoyed. “Get on with the ceremony, Astrotrain!” he snarled. The femme, Astrotrain, hesitated, then she raised the crown over Starscream’s head, then she pulled it back once again. Starscream shot the trumpets out of the musicians’ hands in frustration. Astrotrain took the hint and placed the crown on Starscream’s head. He turned his head to check the weight, but it felt surprisingly light to him. He took it as an omen that ruling Cybertron was gonna be a breeze. He turned to the crowd. “My fellow Decepticons, as your leader, I-” his speech was interrupted by the sound of two jets coming in for a landing! The jets barreled through the crowd, then stopped. “WHO DISRUPTS MY CORONATION?!” demanded Starscream. The two jets transformed into Thundercracker and Megatron. Thundercracker was easily recognized by Starscream and his Trine, but Megatron looked a lot different than last time.

“Coronation, Starscream?” asked Megatron. “This is bad comedy!” Starscream’s optics flickered as he recognized the voice.

“Megatron?” he quizzed. “Is that you?”

“Here’s a hint!” Megatron activated both fusion cannons and fired at Starscream. Starscream smirked and batted the shots aside, making them explode harmlessly in the air!

“Did you not think to secure the Heart of Cybertron after the crash?” chuckled Starscream. “I had it implanted in me while you were busy fighting the Autobots. Now, granted, I DO believe in moderation, so I won’t tap into all of its power…but even a fraction of its power is enough to best you!” He proved his point as he fired magenta-colored lightning at Megatron from his hands. The bolt struck Megatron in the shoulder and sent him flying into a wall. Thundercracker dashed towards his Lord and helped him up. They then flew out of the coronation venue.

“They’re gonna try and leave Trypticon!” called Deathsaurus. “I’ll give the order to pursue!”

“No,” dismissed Starscream. “Put your efforts into locating Optimus. Megatron returning to his faction in such a manner will weaken morale.”

“Megatron fought in the Pits of Kaon,” argued Deathsaurus. “He’ll recover and rally others to his cause.” Starscream glowered at Deathsaurus.

“The Matrix is more important than that badge Megatron parades around. Optimus has ways that can give him insight into us while Megatron only has a mere power enhancer. Put your efforts into locating Optimus.”

“…At once, Lord Starscream.” Deathsaurus headed off. The crowd dispersed and Skywarp and Sunstorm spoke to him.

“He IS right, to a degree,” remarked Skywarp. “Megatron’s good at public speaking. He’ll definitely get more to his cause.”

“He’s only got crackpots on his side,” replied Starscream. “Optimus, meanwhile, he knows how to treat his men, making him a leader of integrity, unlike Megatron. If all goes well, the Autobots are still repairing one another.”

---

“Well now, little microchip,” Perceptor muttered to himself as he examined the microchip in his alt-mode’s tray, “what seems to be the matter with you today? Let me get a closer look.” His holo-form adjusted the zoom lens and found the problem. “Hm, a blocked linkage.”

“Quit talking to that circuit and fix it!” complained the owner of the microchip, Airazor, as they laid on a repair berth in robot mode. “I can’t remember a thing without it!”

“Yeah, Perceptor, there’s REAL work to be done around here!” growled Grimlock in beast mode. Perceptor set aside the microchip.

“This IS real work,” he remarked as his holo-form vanished while he transformed to bot mode.

“Real work’s crushing Cons, not fussing with chips!”

“If I didn’t fuss with chips, you couldn’t crush Decepticons.” Perceptor placed the microchip into a machine and keyed a command into the nearby console. The machine then fired a stream of energy at the microchip, making it grow to a size where Perceptor had to hold it with both hands. Once the beam shut off, he took the chip and placed it onto a tray, then he fired a laser beam at the blocked linkage and started his welding job.

“Oh, BAH! Any putz could do that!” scoffed Grimlock. “It takes a real bot to actually fight!”

“Hey! Lay off him, Lizard Lips!” snarled a woman’s voice. Shahra came into the room. “Perceptor’s as important as any of us!”

“So where IS he when we’re fighting?!” argued Grimlock.

“It takes more than muscle to fight,” remarked Perceptor.

“Yeah, it takes COURAGE! Or maybe that word’s not in your fancy vocabulary!”

“Leave him alone, Grimlock,” warned Shahra as she charged up her magic, “or you’re gonna tangle with me!”

“Oh, I’m shaking in my proton boots!”

“Still blaming me for the goat incident?!”

“You laughed at me before you turned me back!”

“You SHOULD be angry at Merlin! He’s the one who turned you into it!”

“That’s enough, all of you,” called Optimus as he entered the room. “Shahra, Grimlock, we’re rolling out. Perceptor, finish repairing Airazor, then both of you join us.”

“But Prime, I can’t go,” replied Perceptor. “I have too much to do here, such as setting up the food synthesizers for our organic allies!”

“HAH!” scoffed Grimlock. “That’s a good one!”

“All right, Perceptor, stay with Tails,” directed Optimus. “He’s working on that project and could use some help since Swoop’s joining us.” Everyone then left the room, but Grimlock couldn’t resist getting the last word.

“So long, hero!” The door then closed.

---

The team consisted of Optimus, Sonic, Shahra, Goldbug, Cliffjumper, Grimlock, Swoop, Rattrap, and Slash. “What’s the sit-rep, Prime?” asked Goldbug as everyone was following Optimus at top speed.

“An energy discharge signature was detected at Trypticon City,” explained Optimus. “The signature matched that of the Heart of Cybertron. If Starscream’s using it, we need to stop him and lock that Heart up.” Sonic gulped.

“That thing nearly toasted us on Gigantion!”

“And I won’t have it toast us again!” The cavalcade poured on the speed all the way to Trypticon City.

Optimus and his bots were fighting Megatron and his forces at a massive ring standing on one of its sides. The firefight was intense, with neither side gaining ground. Megatron finally made a call. “This is Megatron! Decimator! Revenge! Whale Shark! Aerial support!” The three ships then appeared and fired their weapons at the Autobots. Eggman then beamed down.

“We need that thing open NOW!” he urged.

“Go work with Shockwave! She’ll give you the coordinates!” Eggman then made his way to Shockwave at the controls.

“The work is going slowly,” she reported. “These kinds of calculations require absolute concentration, no margin for error. Keep the Autobots off my back as I work.”

“Of course, my dear,” replied Eggman. He then made a call to the ships. “Decimator, Revenge, Whale Shark, unite into the Fatal Consequence!” The Decimator maneuvered itself behind the Whale Shark as the Revenge hovered above the Decimator. The Decimator’s prow then swung down, then forward as the Whale Shark attached itself so the Decimator’s prow rested under the Whale Shark as the rest of the ship nestled onto the rear. The Revenge’s saucer section then separated from its stardrive section and then replaced the Whale Shark’s bridge tower while the stardrive section attached itself to the Decimator’s rear.

“Combination sequence: complete,” droned Eggman’s computer. “Fatal Consequence: online.”

---

“Eggman’s ships can do THAT?!” yelped Arcee. Her continued surprise was interrupted by Rhinox’s weapons.

“Never mind their capabilities!” he advised. The Fatal Consequence unleashed a volley of missiles, scattering everyone. “This is suicide!” called Rhinox to Optimus. “We gotta pull back!”

“Fall back!” Optimus ordered everyone.

---

“Now that’s what I want to see!” chuckled Megatron as the Autobots pulled back. The Fatal Consequence was doing an excellent job at keeping the Autobots at bay. Sonic and his team then arrived.

---

“Splendid!” chuckled Eggman darkly. Shockwave then turned to him.

“Communications with Robotropolis have been established,” she reported. Eggman then headed to the communications screen to see Onslaught grinning.

“Been too long, Dad,” he greeted.

“FAR too long,” agreed Eggman. “Can you give the necessary data for a Space Bridge to account for planetary movement?”

“Transferring now.” The data came through and Shockwave checked it.

“The portal will open over the dark side of the moon,” she replied. “Right where we agreed.”

“Megatron, we’re ready!” called Eggman.

“Open the Space Bridge!” ordered Megatron. Shockwave keyed in a command and a massive portal opened! “Eggman, get to Mobius and start making arrangements for our arrival!”

“On it,” replied Eggman. He beamed onto the Fatal Consequence…then it all came together. The Transformer crewmembers were beamed onto Cybertron’s surface, right at Megatron’s position. Megatron was puzzled, to say the least. He turned to Thundercracker.

“Lord Megatron, I swear, this was NOT my idea!” urged Thundercracker.

“The ship’s going through the portal!” called Shockwave. Megatron then made a call to the Fatal Consequence.

“What’s going on here?!” he demanded. “Eggman, get back here now!” No response. “…Eggman?! Dr. Eggman, respond!”

“They’re launching magnetometric charges!” warned Shockwave. Once the portal closed, the Space Bridge blew up.

---

“HIT THE DECK!” called Optimus to his men. Everyone took cover and waited for the rumbling to stop. It lasted for a few minutes, then it faded into silence and stillness. Once everyone confirmed their friends were okay, they looked at the site where a Space Bridge portal generator stood. “Hold on, what?!” asked Optimus. “The Decepticons, sans Eggman and Morgane, leave their ship and blow up the Space Bridge when it could have brought Eggacon troops over?!”

“It looks like Megatron’s just as confused,” remarked Sonic as he pointed to the Decepticons angrily demanding answers.

“I don’t understand what’s going on!”

“Hey, guys!” called Teletraan 1 over the comms. “A prerecorded message just popped up on the Blue Typhoon. It’s addressed to Sonic and Megatron. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Megatron got the same message.”

“Beam us up!” directed Sonic.

---

The message was from Eggman. He was grinning like a maniac. “Hello, everyone!” he greeted as the crew of the Blue Typhoon watched on the main screen. “Now, if Sonic and Megatron are watching, you should know that you’ve all been had! Yeah, Morgane and I went along with the Decepticons, but only to make sure you couldn’t follow us back to Mobius. You see, I’ve had my fill of Transformers for one lifetime, and I’ve been trying to get rid of Sonic, so I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone. With Sonic and his meddlesome pals out of the way, Mobius will be easy pickings. Yes, yes, you lot left an Autobot presence behind, but I think the Combaticons can handle them. I would like to say it’s been a pleasure, Sonic, my old nemesis, but let’s be honest, we BOTH got bored of our little war. So, with you stuck on an alien world without a Space Bridge home, you won’t be able to get back in any reasonable time. With the Metrotitans currently down for the count, there’s no transwarp for you! Rot in peace, Sonic the Hedgehog! As for you, Megatron…!”

---

The Nemesis’ bridge was saturated in anger as Eggman’s message continued. “…let’s be honest, I’ve always hated you and this was the perfect opportunity to make sure you stayed out of my way! How long is it gonna take to fix the Space Bridge? With Starscream around, you certainly can’t get it online in any reasonable time. The game’s over, Megatron! You bet it all on black when you should have picked-” he then pulled a bit of his jacket away and let go quickly- “red!” Eggman laughed his usual laugh. As he did, Megatron shot the screen with one of his fusion cannons.

“When I get back to Mobius,” he promised, “I’ll see to it that Dr. Eggman is reduced to a red smear on my heel!” He then took a deep breath. “But we’ll leave that for the future. Right now, we need to focus on showing Cybertron who the REAL Lord of the Decepticons is. After that, we rebuild the Space Bridge.”

“Starscream’s ‘coronation’,” reported Ravage, “is being held at Trypticon City.”

“Then we need to buzz that area. Thundercracker, once everyone is rested up, you and I are going to Trypticon City.”

“Understood, Lord Megatron,” replied Thundercracker.

On the surface of a world of metal, three massive structures lay in an area covered in rust. The structures were intended for flight, but the action was clearly impossible now. As they lay in the rust, robots searched them. Three of them, all built the same, with jet parts, oversaw the search. One was white with dark reddish-orange trim, one was black with purple trim, and one was corn-yellow with dark red trim. The white one looked angry. “You’re telling me you can’t find it, even with your equipment tuned for its power signature?!” he snapped at a bot with jet parts that looked like a gryphon.

“I’m sorry, Lord Starscream,” apologized the bot, “but the Heart isn’t here!”

“There’s no way that they could have taken it after that ruthless of an evacuation,” remarked the black jet-bot.

“Primus is not looking too highly on you,” mused the yellow bot.

“Get back in there, Deathsaurus, and find the Heart of Cybertron!” screeched the white bot, Starscream. “I won’t have us lose the greatest weapon of all time!” The gryphon-jet bot, Deathsaurus, bowed and returned to the search. Starscream ran his hand down his face.

“And to think the tax-money goes to pay for jerks like him,” chuckled the black bot.

“Not one more snide remark, Skywarp,” grunted Starscream. He then turned to the yellow bot. “Sunstorm, go aid in the search. Perhaps your mystic tuning to artefacts like that can help speed up the search.”

“You ask me to do Primus’ work,” cheered the yellow bot, Sunstorm, “and I shall obey!” He joined in the search.

“Screamer,” remarked, “you DO remember that’s all in his head, right? I mean, you and him WERE two sides of the same bot once.”

“Don’t be absurd, of course I know that,” dismissed Starscream, “but it might encourage the others to search faster.”

“Lord Starscream!” called a bot with the alt-mode kibble of a snow-terrain truck as he ran up to him. “We found it! We found it! We found it!”

“Specifics, please.”

“My Lord, we found the Heart!” Starscream goggled in surprise.

“Are you sure?!”

“I have it right here!” The bot opened his hand and revealed the Heart of Cybertron. Starscream grinned wickedly as he took it.

“Snow Cat, you have performed admirably!” praised the Seeker. “You and Demolisher are welcome to stay at Kolkular Castle.”

“Thank you, Lord Starscream! …Er, what are you gonna do with the Heart now?”

“Implant it inside me, of course. Inform the medical staff to have me prepped for surgery.”

“That’s not happening, Screamer!” challenged a new person.

“…I know that voice,” muttered Starscream.

“I know that body!” yelped Skywarp as he pointed to the crash site’s edge. “Specifically, that shade of blue!” Standing where Skywarp was pointing was a small, organic creature with blue fur, green eyes, white gloves, and red sneakers. The creature grinned in a cocky manner.

“Hey, Starscream! Long time, no see!” greeted the creature.

“SONIC?!” screeched Starscream.

“So you DO remember me!” laughed Sonic the Hedgehog. Starscream then smirked.

“I’m afraid our economy isn’t prepared to accept refugees at this point in time.” Sonic snarled at that.

“One, heartless much? Two, I’m not a refugee.”

“Why else would you be here? Unicron managed to make your world his body, didn’t he?”

“Actually, he failed miserably. Optimus, Megatron, and Goldbug, you knew him as Bumblebee, took him down with the Three Powers.”

“Nonsense!”

“It’s true! I saw the Star Saber, Skyboom Shield, and Requiem Blaster combine into the Hydra Cannon! Mobius still lives!”

“Impossible! They were destroyed eons ago! They can only be reforged with the Forge of Solus Prime and the Creation Lathe!”

“You mean the Magnus Hammer and Optimus’ desk?”

‘ENOUGH! Decepticons, ATTACK!”

“Let’s do it to it!” At Sonic’s command, every single being from Mobius and Nebulos flooded out of the cracks and unleashed hell! Starscream’s forces fired their weapons, though they clearly weren’t taking them seriously.

“What are you idiots doing?!” snapped Starscream. “Stop underestimating them and actually kill them!”

“My Lord, they’re just organics,” replied a soldier. “What harm can they do?”

“They’ve caused near Spark-failure for me on numerous occasions! Now treat them like Autobots and eviscerate them! At the very least, hold them off while I report for surgery!” The soldiers then started taking Sonic’s forces seriously.

“CHAOS SPEAR!” called Shadow. He flung his signature ranged attack and made a few heads explode. Starscream and his trine managed to leave. “HEY!” Shadow called to Sonic. Sonic looked up and spotted the Seekers. He then made a call.

“Optimus, this is Sonic! The Heart’s in Starscream’s possession! He’s heading north!”

“Understood, Sonic!” replied the young, yet commanding voice of Optimus Prime.

---

The call, sadly, was intercepted by Sunstorm. “I don’t believe you’ve ever let me out around him,” he chuckled.

“No, I didn’t,” confirmed Starscream.

“And Optimus is alive,” reminded Skywarp in an uncharacteristically serious tone. “That HAS to mean Unicron’s been beaten.”

“Beaten for now, but he’s probably asleep in Mobius’ core again.”

“Hold it, they’re still talking!” called Sunstorm.

“-join us in Kolkular,” continued Optimus. “We need to secure the Space Bridge.”

“We can’t let them do that!” yelped Skywarp.

“Sunstorm, get to Kolkular!” ordered Starscream. “Skywarp, follow me back to Iacon! We have a Heart to implant inside me!” Skywarp’s holo-form grinned, then he launched into a song.

“When a man’s an empty kettle,

He should be on his mettle,

And yet I’m torn apart.

Just because I’m presumin’,

That I could be kind of human

If I only had a heart!”

“STOP THAT!” snapped Starscream.

---

A passenger train went along its journey to its next stop. All sorts of bots sat inside the coaches. Outside, a navy-blue vehicle was running alongside the train. Its front then split in half and became legs with the front bumper becoming feet. The rear wheel wells became shoulders as the arms swung from the undercarriage and pushed the bot up while the rest of the rear folded down to reveal a femme’s head. She wore her battle mask, so one could only see her determined red optics. During her transformation, she jumped between cars, then stood up straight. She was ready to open the door, then it opened from inside the car! She was slow enough for a purple, yellow, and gray femme with the sides of a speedboat acting as wings step out and grin at her. “Thunderblast?!” yelped the navy-blue femme. Her optics then narrowed in annoyance. “What in the Pit are YOU doing on this train?!”

“Well, it’s nice to see you too, Nightbird,” replied the boat-femme, Thunderblast, as she shut the door.

“There’s never been anything nice about you,” hissed the navy-blue femme, Nightbird.

“Now, now, let’s not get nasty, Nightie.”

“Call me ‘Nightie’ again and my sai goes into your head.” With surprising speed, Thunderblast grabbed Nightbird and slammed her into the other car, forcing her mask to drop and reveal a scar running from under her right optic to past the left-most edge of her mouth.

“Well, stop acting like an idiot!” snarled Thunderblast. “I know what you’re up to! You’re shadowing Deadlock in the hopes to kill her later after she killed the entire D.J.D!” Nightbird swatted Thunderblast’s hands aside.

“What business is it of yours?”

“She’s MY kill!”

“Deadlock? Falling at the hands of a dropout like you? Yeah, right. I’ve already claimed the contract.”

“You couldn’t touch her!” Nightbird reactivated her mask, shoved Thunderblast aside, and opened the door. “She’s better than you!”

“I’m the one who took over the dojo after successfully killing Bludgeon. Nobody’s better than me. You ought to know that at the very least.” Nightbird then entered the coach, then turned back for one last barb. “Besides, the court says you aren’t supposed to come within a hundred fifty metrons of any and all students of the dojo, so back off!” She shut the door.