“Dirt Boss!” hissed Override. “I think I made it clear that I’m your enemy!”
“Oh, that will change,” replied Dirt Boss.
“Yeah, we’re gonna change your mind real easy-like!” called one of his thugs in a nasal voice, a small Mech with motorcycle alt-mode kibble named Ransack.
“You’ll be one of us with Tarantulas’ machine hooked up to your head!” laughed the second thug, a brute of a mech named Crumplezone with the alt-mode kibble of a three-wheeled rocket car.
“…Boys,” hissed Dirt Boss, “I thought I told you NOT to spoil our plan!”
“…Oh,” gulped Ransack.
“Oops,” mumbled Crumplezone.
“Now I’m DEFINITELY not going with you!” snarled Override.
“You’re talking as if you have a choice. Ransack! Crumplezone! Open fire!” The three Vehicons drew their weapons and unleashed a storm of laser fire.
“Take cover!” shouted Optimus. Everyone took cover behind the chunks of road and fired back. Sonic zipped around to give them a target while Amy went behind Ransack. She then leapt up and swung her signature hammer down on his head.
“OW!” cried Ransack. He then looked around, only to see Sonic spin-dash him in the face. “Come on!” he wailed.
“Catch us if you can!” taunted Sonic as he scooped up Amy and took off. Ransack and his cohorts blinked.
“Did…did an organic…?” stumbled Ransack.
“After him, you fool! AFTER HIM!” shouted Dirt Boss as he resumed shooting at the people below.
“Ransack, HIGHTAIL!” The wheel on Ransack’s back rotated so it was vertical instead of horizontal, then his arms and shoulders folded to his front as his head sunk into the torso to make the front of a motorcycle. His legs then rotated so the wheels united and then the whole assembly met the arms and his transformation into motorcycle mode was completed. He sped off after them.
Everyone on the ground still shot at Crumplezone and Dirt Boss, although, not without critique. Override was shooting under the overpass. “Override, shoot straight, for crying out loud!” called Cheetor. “You’re missing them by a parsec!” Just then, Dirt Boss and Crumplezone felt a tremor under their feet. The road then gave way beneath them, and they fell to the ground.
“There’s more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak,” chuckled Override.
“Taking out the supports!” realized Optimus. “Fast thinking, Override!”
“Part of the job description,” replied Override.
“You know, if you keep this up, you might be the next Prime!”
“I think I’m fine as the leader of my planet. We better find Sonic and Amy, then get out of here.”
“Or they could come to you,” called Sonic as he and Amy returned.
“…That’s easy enough.” Override then turned back to Optimus. “You lead the way, I’ll catch up.”
“Right. Everyone, let’s go!” Everyone then headed off once the bots transformed and the organics rode them. Override brought up the rear…leaving her open! Tarantulas leapt at her and sunk his fangs into her chassis. Override tried to get away, but the venom that flooded her systems overpowered her and she stopped.
Override was taken to the Decepticon ship, forcibly transformed to robot mode, and hooked up to a machine with a prong aimed at her head. The venom had worn off during the transformation, so she tried to get away. Dirt Boss, Saurion, Megatron, and Weirdwolf stood by as Tarantulas made the final adjustments. “You creeps!” snarled Override. “You won’t get away with this!”
“Believe me, I didn’t want to go this far, sweetie,” replied Dirt Boss, “but your speech has caused a dip in Vehicon morale, and I won’t stand for it!”
“And Tarantulas had this device just begging to be used, yes!” chuckled Saurion. “The Transmuter, stellar-cycles in the design, but infinitely well worth the effort, Convoy, as you are about to discover, yes!”
“We REALLY need that vocal tic of yours looked at,” muttered Megatron. He then looked around. “Where’s Eggman?”
“He and Morgaine,” explained Weirdwolf, “are busy trying to open the Planet Cup.”
“Ah, something equally as important,” mused Megatron. “Well, we shouldn’t disturb them.”
“If I can just patch into her comms,” muttered Clocker as he and his group searched for Override, “I might be able to find her.”
“I say we just go after her!” urged Cheetor.
“Slow down a second, kitty-cat,” replied Sonic. “We can’t exactly do that if we don’t know where she is.”
“Sonic’s right,” agreed Goldbug.
“I got her!” called Clocker. “She’s at the…oh no!”
“Oh no what?” asked Kong.
“She’s in the Decepticon Ship!”
“So the Cons have her prisoner!” growled Amy. The comms then played Override’s conversation with the Decepticon leaders.
“If you’re going to finish me anyway,” her voice grunted, “do me a favor! Shut up and get on with it!”
“Finish you, Override?” purred Saurion’s voice. “Oh, no, we’ve only just started with you!”
“All calibrations complete, Lord Megatron!” cackled Tarantulas.
“Then activate the Transmuter!” ordered Megatron.
“Transmuter?!” yelped Clocker. “That’s a brain-washing device! They’re gonna reprogram her into a Vehicon!”
“Now we REALLY gotta save her!” urged Cheetor.
“Unfortunately,” sighed Goldbug, “we don’t have the forces needed to save her!”
The Transmuter’s prong fired a stream of energy into the back of Override’s head, causing her a massive processor-ache. The treatment lasted a few seconds until Tarantulas powered it down. The only noticeable difference was that her alt-mode canopy on her torso was red instead of blue. Her optics then rebooted into a nasty red color! She then burst free of her restraints. After that, she smiled wickedly at the Decepticon leaders. “Afternoon, all!” she purred. “This a private club or can anybody join?”
“Let me be the first to welcome you,” replied Dirt Boss. “Everyone, meet our new Vehicon soldier!” Eggman and Morgaine then entered the room via one of Morgaine’s teleport spells.
“No need for transmats, my dear,” she purred to Eggman as she stroked his mustache. The bots then shuddered.
“Oh, don’t pretend this is abnormal,” Eggman rebuked to his comrades. “Now, what’s this I hear about Velocitron’s leader coming to her senses and joining us?”
“That would be me,” replied Override, getting his attention.
“I lost her!” wailed Clocker.
“Great, now we’re hosed!” groaned Cheetor. “Imagine if someone like Rhinox were under that kind of influence! Better dead than Pred, I say!”
“I don’t think we’re all that hosed, Cheetor,” mused Optimus. A grin then crossed his face. “We just need to leave her there for a bit.”
“WHAT?!” protested Llyra. “Optimus, have you got a few bugs in your systems directory?!”
“No, but I’ve got a hunch the Decepticons may have gotten more than they bargained for.”