TMC 12-3

The green Chaos Emerald sat on a pedestal in the middle of a set of ruins. G.U.N had already arrived there and awaited the arrival of the team. A Ground Bridge opened to deposit Optimus, Grimlock, Scattershot, Stormclash, Sonic, Rouge, and Sergeant Lansworth the Cobra. They were led to the Emerald’s resting place and Rouge’s eyes lit up. “Hello, Darling!” she purred. “Mama’s been after you for a while!”

“Down, Rouge,” snarked Lansworth.

“Who’s the one in charge?” asked Optimus.

“Me,” called a voice. Alexis the Fruit Bat then stepped up. “Been a while, huh, Red?”

“Too long,” agreed Optimus. “I wish the circumstances were better.”

“Can we hurry this up?” grunted Grimlock. “I feel eyes on us!”

“Someone’s paranoid,” chuckled Scattershot.

“War does that, Young One,” rebuked Stormclash.

“Grim’s right, where’s the rendezvous?” asked Optimus.

“About 19 kliks east,” answered Alexis. “You should be able to secretly open a Ground Bridge there.”

“Let’s get to it,” declared Optimus. The Autobots transformed and Rouge took the Emerald before settling herself on Grimlock.

“I’m NOT the most comfortable ride, lady,” remarked Grimlock.

“Maybe, but everyone wants to ride a T-Rex when they’re kids,” replied Rouge.

“I doubt one made of metal’s on kids’ minds.”

“I need to show you some of the comics of this world. Robot T-rex’s are a delight of a kid’s fantasy.”

“Can we please focus?!” snapped Stormclash.

“Come on! I’m waiting!” groaned Sonic.

“All right, roll out!” ordered Optimus. Everyone then moved out, heading in an easterly direction. Rouge then regretted riding Grimlock as his beast mode’s stomping made her bounce.

“Can’t you go smoother?!” she hissed.

“Lady, I warned you about…!” Grimlock’s sentence was interrupted as an explosion erupted near him. Rouge almost fell off before she flapped her wings and caught herself. Unfortunately, she dropped the Emerald. Sonic snatched it up as the Autobots transformed and everyone prepared for a fight.

“I’d say it was a nice shot,” remarked a voice, “except for the fact that I missed.”

“You’ll have plenty of opportunity to correct that, my dear Clench,” replied Megatron’s voice.

“Because, of course, you guys would be after them!” growled Optimus as everyone turned to see Megatron, Ratbat, Onslaught, and Clench. “I see you’ve got a Mini-con on your side now.” Grimlock’s face betrayed surprise.

“Clench?!” he yelped.

“You know the little guy?” asked Sonic.

“Megatron, you’re playing with fire!” Grimlock continued. “Cyclone Mini-cons can’t be trusted! Take it from someone who worked with that specific Cyclone!”

“So your cure was gonna cost a few lives, big whoop!” answered Clench. “You still need me to control your beast mode.”

“Actually, runt, I don’t!”

“…Say what?”

“Optimus and his team cured me. I can transform normally again!”

“…Well, scrap.”

“Optimus, I’m going to make myself very clear!” called Megatron. “That Emerald is ours!”

“Molon labe!” challenged Optimus.

“…Clench, you don’t mind taking care of the organics, do you?”

“Not at all, Lord Megatron,” answered Clench. “Need to start small before I take care of the big guys. Just as long as we try that ‘trick’ during the fight.”

“As you wish! Decepticons, ATTACK!” Megatron and Optimus charged at each other as Onslaught transformed and fired on Grimlock while Ratbat buzzed Scattershot and Stormclash.

“SCRAM!” shouted Stormclash.

“Make me!” taunted Ratbat.

“STORMCLASH, TRANSFORM!” Stormclash’s transformation was similar to Vortex’s, even down to a similar helicopter alt-mode.

“RATBAT, TRANSFORM!” Ratbat turned into his hover-bike alt-mode and moved in an erratic pattern to stay out of her line of fire. …He forgot Lansworth. Lansworth pounced on him and wrapped her tail around him. “GET OFF!” shouted Ratbat as his holo-form vanished. Lansworth then grabbed the handlebars and yanked hard to the left, crashing him into Clench as she leapt off. The two Mini-cons picked themselves up and returned to the fight. Sonic and Rouge fought with Clench. Like Rouge, Clench usually attacked with kicks. The only difference between them was that Rouge could fly. However, Clench was nothing if not resourceful. After throwing Sonic a good distance away, he found his aerial target.

“CLENCH, BURNOUT!” Gun barrels then swung from the back of his legs as his arms folded to his chest to give his alt-mode’s tires a chance to touch the ground while his leg assembly swung to the back as a canopy covered his head. He turned into a buggy with twin-mounted cannons on top and targeted Rouge. “Say good night, you lame bird knock-off!” He fired a concussion blast and knocked Rouge out of the sky, making her crash into Sonic and making him drop the Chaos Emerald. Clench transformed back into robot mode and dove for it, successfully grabbing it! “Come to Papa!” he cheered.

“Hand it over, pipsqueak!” called a voice similar to Optimus’. Purple energy then knocked the fighters down. Clench sat up to see Nemesis Prime standing over him.

“…Er, some ‘dark’ form, kid?” he asked.

“I’m from another universe, fool!” snarled Nemesis. “Unicron saw my talent and wisely recruited to restore him in this one.”

“Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Saying his name?! Are you nuts?!”

“I already said it before. Now, the Chaos Emerald! I won’t ask again!”

“Slag off, Bulk!”

“Have it your way, runt!” Nemesis raised his foot to step on him, but Optimus tackled him to the ground.

“The situation was bad enough WITHOUT you, Nemesis! Leave!” demanded Optimus.

“I won’t return to Unicron empty-handed!” snarled Nemesis.

“Hardly your choice now! OPTIMUS PRIME, SUPER MODE!” Optimus’ trailer appeared and turned into its battle-frame configuration, then Optimus slotted himself into it as the chest armor folded down and a larger helmet covered his head. He deployed his mask and punched Nemesis HARD! Nemesis picked himself up and goggled at Optimus.

“How long have you had that?!” he demanded.

“Since I landed on Mobius!” Optimus charged at Nemesis, forcing him to roll out of the way. As the two brawled while everyone else held Ratbat and Onslaught at bay, Clench scurried towards Megatron.

“How’s that phrase go, ‘two birds with one stone’?” he asked the Decepticon Lord.

“…A capital idea,” rumbled Megatron. “Do you still have the Emerald?”

“Right here!” Clench fished the Chaos Emerald out of his subspace pocket and handed it to Megatron. The taller bot accepted it and put it into his own pocket. “Now, just say that wonderful phrase!”

“As you wish. Clench, POWERLINX!” Clench’s transformation completed itself above the waist, but his legs only came together and deployed the gun barrels. He then attached himself to Megatron’s Fusion Cannon, the barrels lining up with each other, and Megatron leveled his arm at the two Primes. He clenched his fist and fired his cannon while Clench’s guns gave off rapid-fire rounds. Optimus and Nemesis were knocked back and Megatron swung his arm across the battlefield while still firing. The Autobots and their allies scattered. “Onslaught, bridge us back!” ordered Megatron. Onslaught pulled out a device and pressed a button, making a Bridge portal open and the Decepticons retreated with Megatron covering the rear. When they all went through, the Bridge closed.

“…Did he just…yeet himself out of here?!” snarled Nemesis. “With MY Emerald!”

“Unicron ain’t draining them!” declared Optimus.

“At least your Spark will make a nice consolation prize!” Nemesis charged at Optimus, a look of insanity in his optics.

“Teletraan! Ground Bridge! Now!” The Ground Bridge portal opened. “Autobots, fall back!” Optimus covered the rear as Nemesis was pelted with laser fire. “Oh, by the way…” Optimus got a wicked grin before he leaped into the portal. “YEET!” The portal closed, leaving Nemesis Prime alone.

“…Unicron’s gonna have my aft for this!” he gulped.

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Below Mobius’ crust, a primordial evil bellowed. It was angry and knew of Nemesis Prime’s failure. “NEMESIS, YOU SHALL BE PUNISHED FOR THIS!” it promised.

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In another area, a statue of a woman stood alone, surrounded by purple mist. The mist simply caressed the statue…then the eyes flashed red briefly. “My time is coming!” called a voice.