Glyph woke up in what looked like outer space, but she certainly felt a floor beneath her. She sat up and tested the floor. It seemed to extend in all directions. There was a bright light directly behind her. “…Scrap,” she mumbled. “We failed.”
“Did you?” asked a motherly voice. It was then that Glyph noticed a noise like a hammer striking an anvil had been in her ears since she woke up. She turned her head to the noise. The source of the noise was a femme at a forge.
“…Prime?” asked Glyph as she picked herself up.
“Which one?” quizzed the femme. Glyph arched an eyebrow at that question. …Her optics widened when she started putting together the clues before her.
“…Sweet Solus Prime!” she gasped.
“I’d hardly call myself sweet,” chuckled the femme as she set her tools down, “but it’s a nice sentiment. Nice to meet you, Glyph Stinger.”
“You can’t be…THE Solus Prime!” said Glyph as she shook Solus’ hand. “I mean, you’re the Prime that created the original Three Powers and she’s…” A horrible thought struck Glyph.
“Gunmetal gray?” finished Solus Prime.
“…Does that mean…I’m also…” Glyph wobbled and almost fell into the light behind her. Solus quickly grabbed her!
“Nope! Nononono! Don’t wanna do that!” she said. “You go into that light now, you really WILL be gunmetal gray!”
“I…I just…I can’t believe this! You’re the greatest smith of all time!” praised Glyph. Solus chuckled.
“I think Vector Sigma said it best once when he and the Matrix fully united. I am she who introduced creation, the very aspect Primacron forgot, to the Transformers. But being a smith works just fine.” Glyph then looked around.
“Where are we?”
“This,” explained Solus, “is the Realm of the Primes.”
“I thought only Primes could enter this place and ordinary bots like me-.”
“Under normal circumstances, you couldn’t come here. But these AREN’T normal circumstances. For the entire multiverse, even.”
“…I…I don’t…have the strength to fix the multiverse.” Solus arched an eyebrow and looked at Glyph. “When I leapt onto Nemesis Prime, all I could think about was avenging Uncle Optimus.”
“Hey, I can relate,” soothed Solus. “I wanted to avenge the murder of my brothers. But unlike you, I attacked the wrong bot. Dragged Megatronus into darkness for no reason and didn’t learn of Liege Maximo’s deception until it was too late.”
“Does that make us as bad as Nemesis?” asked Glyph.
“What?!” laughed Solus. “You been hitting Alchemist Prime’s Engex?!”
“Well, Nemesis wanted to make a kingdom for himself! We’re trying to save the multiverse and keep it as it is! Is…Isn’t that the same thing?! Don’t these feelings come from the same place?! Don’t-?!”
“You assume that Nemesis Prime’s goal comes from a genuine place,” said Solus. “But that pale imitation of Optimus and Tails can’t see that his desires ultimately will bring about a hell-scape he never conceived of. Because of that blindness, he fears what he can’t control, much like he feared Unicron.”
“…And now that…that same fear’s gonna…gonna win…” Glyph was gasping. A vision of Nemesis Prime then appeared in the sky above them.
“First Optimus dies!” he cackled. “Then you bots get separated! Now YOU die! It’s a pity the Transformers of your universe die so easily or I might have a sense of satisfaction!”
“Ah, scrap!” swore Solus. “I thought there was more time to ease you in. But Nemesis will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. …You ready to stop him?”
“What?!” asked Glyph. “What can…can I do?!”
“Well, you were brought here for a reason,” replied Solus. “So, what say we reveal that reason to you, hm?” Thirteen lights of various colors flashed behind Solus and turned into Transformers. Glyph goggled when she recognized all the shapes.
“…The Thirteen!” she said. She then looked at the one that stood out. “…Uncle Optimus?!”
“Hey, Green Bee,” chuckled Optimus as he strode up to her and hugged her.
“…Optimus, are you sure…I’m worthy?!” asked Glyph as tears rolled down her face.
“Well, you needed some initial polishing,” replied Optimus, “but I can safely say you will be a worthy successor to me. But I don’t have the power to make you a Prime and the Thirteen can’t give you that power unless you accept it. So, what will your choice be, Glyph Stinger?” Glyph thought for a moment.
“…I can’t exactly continue a Prime’s goals of peace if I’m dead,” she said. “…I accept!” Optimus smiled, then turned to the Primes.
“She’s all yours, my Primes,” he said. Prima then stood forward.
“Like Optimus Prime before you,” he said, “you will stop a great evil! You are worthy to ascend to Primehood!”
“What’s the matter?!” taunted Nemesis as Glyph gasped. “Can’t laugh at me again?!” Nemesis started laughing himself. Glyph then found new strength and grabbed the Matrix! The instant her fingers wrapped around the handles, the crystal inside the Matrix shone bright enough to blind Nemesis and force him to let go of Glyph’s neck. Glyph then kicked Nemesis off, breaking the chain around the Matrix, stood up, and held the Matrix above her head.
“ARISE, SOLARA PRIME!” came fourteen voices. Everyone heard them and gasped as Glyph began changing! She grew for a start, then her alt-mod kibble became more angular until it resembled a long, futuristic sedan! Her helmet gained antennae as her fingers became pointed.
“…Optimus…” whispered the new Solara Prime as she held the Matrix. She then opened her chest and placed the Matrix inside her, then closed her chest and stood defiantly in front of Nemesis Prime.
“…It won’t matter, kid!” laughed Nemesis. “Your Primehood will be short!”
“No,” replied Solara. “This is the beginning of my Primehood. But as for YOU, this is the end of the road, Nemesis Prime!” Solara then activated spikes on her knuckles that sparked with electricity and scored a blow directly into Nemesis’ chest, frying the suit AND the pilot. Nemesis was thrown to the floor.
“GET HER!” he shouted.
“Dad, hammer!” Solara called to Goldbug.
“Right!” Goldbug tossed the Magnus Hammer to Solara. Solara keyed in a button code on the handle and it compressed into the Forge of Solus Prime.
“There’s no Creation Lathe here!” laughed Nemesis.
“Don’t need it for what I’ve got in mind!” replied Solara. She then swung the hammer into Nemesis’ chest and a sand timer appeared briefly before it vanished. The remaining Terrorcons then swarmed Solara. Solara fought with the usual tactics of Batman, going for knockout blows, then hammering them in the chest. The sand timer appeared whenever she struck, then vanished. Solara was then beginning to tire out.
“PRIME!” called Megatron as Straxus raised his cudgel to bring down into Solara’s head. He fired a blast from his fusion cannon. The shot obliterated Straxus’ head and the rest of his body fell, fading to gunmetal gray. Nemesis’ optics went wide.
“…No!” he pleaded.
“Yes! You’re mortal again!” confirmed Solara.
“NO QUARTER!” Galvatron ordered his Decepticons. The Autobots joined in. Deceptitran, he was shot by Goldbug. Makeshift, he fell to Sky Runner’s sword. Sideways was incinerated by Hot Rod. Shockwave punched straight through Rodimus Unicronus’ chest, tearing his Spark Chamber and Spark out and killing him. Blackarachnia stuck her fingers into Crystal Widow’s neck and injected a fatal dose of her cyber-venom. Crystal Widow reached out to Nemesis.
“N…Nemmy!” she gasped. Nemesis, too scared to fight, transformed and sped off! That feeling of betrayal was the last feeling Crystal Widow had.
“AFTER HIM!” called Solara. “LET’S REV AND ROLL!” The Transformers cheered as everyone transformed, allowing Mobian passengers into their vehicle modes, and sped after Nemesis!