October has come once again, my friends. You can feel the chill in your bones. The horrors of humanity stalk the earth in search of what they themselves can never claim. Hold tight to your sanity as the monsters reveal themselves, be they Godzilla-sized or from under that cozy, warm bed of yours. Watch your back on the streets as they prowl for something very, very sweet! …That, and make sure you can actually see said monsters when they’re running around, ringing doorbells to get some candy from random strangers at the end of the month. Halloween is coming, my friends, and in the future, it’s a very fun day! In our planet’s future, during the Mobian era, the Autobots and their organic compatriots were getting their Halloween on to make up for last year. This time, they were dressing up. Amy was dressed as a bloody bride and had convinced Sonic to be her bloody groom. Rouge was in a slinky red dress, had put red feathers around her wings, wore a white feather boa, and had a pair of devil horns and a fluffy, red halo, making her a devil and angel hybrid. Shadow had a suit of black knight’s armor on and a spiky black crown with red jewels at the tip, making him an evil king. E123-Omega dressed as a rather bulky Metal Sonic. Cream was a cute little witch. Jazz had managed to get some Michael Jackson clothes in his size. Ratchet took the whole Mad Scientist thing and made himself into a patchwork Mad Scientist. Ironhide was a demonic cowboy. Bumblebee dressed as the Joker and Cliffjumper was the Riddler. Optimus had sharpened his dental plates, got a black and red paintjob, and a black cape for a bot his size. They were all ready for some October fun at G.U.N. Just then, someone knocked on the door. “I’ll get it,” called Amy. She opened the door and let Knuckles and Tails in. Tails had dressed up as a well-dressed ghoul and Knuckles was a mummy.
“Hi, everybody!” greeted Tails.
“Ghastly greetings, my friends!” cheered Optimus as he swished his cape.
“And to you, Prime! Ready to roll out?” asked Knuckles. He then looked around the room. “Hey, where’s Prowl? I thought we were all meeting before we headed to G.U.N.’s party.”
“He sure is taking his sweet time!” hissed Bumblebee.
“Excuse me for a klik,” bid Optimus.
“Mind if I tag along?” asked Amy. “I haven’t seen his costume yet.”
“Sure,” replied Optimus They headed to Prowl’s quarters and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” answered Prowl’s voice. The door opened to reveal Prowl at a mirror, dressed in the standard Deadpool outfit, and fiddling with the accessories.
“Prowl!” yelped Amy. “We’ve got to go any second now!”
“I’m having problems!” replied Prowl.
“Okay, either you’re getting into character,” chuckled Optimus, “or you really are procrastinating.”
“A policebot does NOT procrastinate!” protested Prowl. “This is a tactical delay.”
“All you have to do,” reminded Optimus, “is make some small talk for about an hour. I’m the one who has to make a speech commemorating our 1-year anniversary on this planet!”
“I don’t enjoy social events!” admitted Prowl.
“It’s standard fare for an Autobot,” replied Optimus and he made the adjustments to Prowl’s accessories. “There.” Prowl stopped fussing as he realized he was beaten.
“I don’t see the point in these ridiculous outfits,” he muttered.
“It’s all in good fun,” answered Amy.
“Optimus’ cape makes him look like he’s wearing a dress,” hissed Prowl. He ignored Amy’s icy gaze but didn’t escape a rebuke from Optimus.
“That was an incredibly sexist and outmoded comment!” he rebuked. “I’m surprised at you!” He turned to the door, but before he left, he said, “Besides, you’re just jealous that I can pull off a dress.” Amy grinned as Prowl turned to glare at Optimus.
“Need any cooling packs for that burn?” she snarked. Prowl rolled his optics and put the mask on, following Optimus and Amy out.
“Deadpool?” asked Bumblebee when he saw Prowl. “Straight-laced Prowl…picked the craziest guy…in all fictional history.”
“It’s Halloween,” replied Optimus. “He can dress how he wants, even as a Disney Princess.”
“You’re not gonna let my comment about your cape go, are you?” sighed Prowl.
“What did he say about the cape?” asked Shadow.
“He’s already got an earful,” answered Optimus. “Besides, that conversation took place in Prowl’s quarters. As such, we’re gonna drop it. Teletraan, the Ground Bridge to G.U.N. HQ, if you please.”
“Yes, Master!” slurred Teletraan, his avatar in full Igor gear. He then pulled a huge switch on the screen to open the Ground Bridge.
“Going as Igor, I see,” chuckled Tails.
“It’s pronounced ‘Eye-gor’,” corrected Teletraan.
“I…thought everyone calls that guy…Igor,” stumbled Tails.
“Well, they were wrong then, weren’t they?” asked Teletraan. “See you guys there.”
“How?” quizzed Sonic.
“We set up a link for Teletraan 1 to access G.U.N.’s main computer network,” rasped Shadow.
“Huh,” muttered Sonic. “Kind of creepy, if you ask me.”
“Let’s just roll out before things get weird,” suggested Ironhide.
“Agreed,” replied Optimus. They went through the Ground Bridge and arrived at the main building. “Happy Halloween!” greeted Optimus. The guests’ reactions were…puzzling to say the least.
“Prime?” muttered a red female cobra in Egyptian Pharaoh clothes. “Didn’t you already arrive a few minutes ago?”
“What?” quizzed the now confused Autobot leader.
“You mean just now, right?” asked Sonic.
“No,” answered the cobra, “I meant what I said. You went to Storage Barn 19.”
“The place with the explosives?” inquired Optimus. “What would I be doing there?”
“You tell us,” replied Commander Tower as he was made up like a zombie.
“Sir,” called a male kangaroo, dressed as the Demoman from Team Fortress 2, “movement’s been detected on a course with the Command Center. It bears Optimus’ Spark signature.”
“But I’m right here!” yelped Optimus.
“What’s going on here?!” called Jazz.
“I’m gonna meet this guy,” declared Optimus, “and give him a little scare.” He then brought his cape up to his face. “Wait here, my children of the night.” He then walked outside, laughing.
“I think watching him would be a very good idea,” suggested Tails.
“Corporal Lansworth,” called Tower to the cobra, “put him on the main screen.”
“Yes, Sir!” obliged Lansworth as she brought up the feed. Optimus, in the meantime, had managed to run into his doppelganger.
“Velcome, my child!” he said, in a horribly exaggerated German accent. “Are you, perhaps, looking for a place to stay? I can assure you zat a military base is not my first choice, especially vun zat has many spooks and…!”
“Will you just shut up, Floptimus Prime?!” snapped the other Optimus. “By Anarchy, even back in my universe, you love the sound of your own voice!”
“Erm…okay…confused,” mumbled Optimus. “Aren’t you my double?”
“Hardly,” dismiss the other Optimus.
“Who else could you be?” asked Optimus.
“Why, you don’t know?” chuckled the evil Optimus. “It’s me, Miles Prower!” Optimus’ optics went wide.
“Tails?!” he yelped. “But he’s…!” That was all he got out before “Miles Prower” decked him and rendered him unconscious.
“Oooogh!” groaned Optimus. He then noticed he was in Storage Barn 19, bound to the ceiling by his feet. “All right, who’s trying to do the Wampa scene from Empire Strikes Back? We all know how this is going to end.”
“Oh, goody,” sneered a voice, “you’re online. That means I have to listen to you talk.”
“Oh, hi evil me!” called Optimus. Then, for the third time that night, confusion crossed his face. “I’m probably still dizzy from the punch, but I think you said you were Tails.”
“Miles Prower, yes,” replied Evil Optimus. He then looked at a mirrored sheet of metal. “Hm, this color scheme doesn’t suit me at all.” He then snapped his fingers and purple slowly oozed over the red chassis, black flowed over the blue helmet, the optics faded from blue to red, and the red Autobot symbol on his shoulder turned purple as well. “Much better,” he said.
“Gotta say, Tails,” remarked Optimus, “looks like you put on a few pounds…and became more…metaly…is that even a word?”
“Miles…Prower!” hissed Evil Optimus. “And if it’s proof you want, it’s proof you shall have!” Evil Optimus turned to face Optimus completely. A hissing sound escaped Evil Optimus’ torso, like air escaping pipes. That’s when the vehicle mode canopy lifted up and chest panels opened outwards like doors to reveal the inner workings. What Optimus saw disturbed him for the rest of his natural life. Instead of a Spark chamber with the Matrix of Leadership glowing whitish blue behind it, a young fox kit was grafted into the torso, showing only the head and shoulders, with the Matrix’s crystal glowing an ominous purple. The fox looked a lot like Tails, but it had pale yellow fur, icy blue eyes, burning with ambition, and a greyish black, greaser hairstyle. The robot face went neutral and the optics faded to black as the fox gave an evil grin. To say that Optimus was disgusted would be an understatement.
“Primus!” he gulped as he held back his Energon. “It looks like you skinned me and made a suit out of me! What possessed you to do that?! Where are you from that that’s okay?!”
“Glad you asked,” replied the Tails lookalike. “I’ve always wanted to recount this thrilling tale. To answer your last question first, I come from a parallel world. You might call it ‘opposite land’. In my home universe, my Sonic, though he called himself Scourge, had effectively conquered my Mobius, ‘Moebius’, as it’s called. That reign was brief as Scourge was brought to a multiversal jail by Sonic. Through my puppet, Alicia Acorn, I had taken over in Scourge’s stead. Somehow, Scourge broke out and returned home to try and wrest power from my grasp. It was then that my universe’s Jazz had landed on Moebius. Unlike you, my universe’s Cybertron was in a 4-million-year peace between the planet’s two major factions, the ambitious Autonomous Robotic organisms, and the intellectually minded Deceptive Constructs. The Autobots were simply trying to expand Cybertronian reach, but the Decepticons wanted no part of it. They believe that the ends must only be justified by diplomatic means. Weaklings, all of them! They turn their heads from the truth! Power is all that matters! The end results always justify the means of achieving said results! If there are idiots to stand in your way, brush them aside like meddlesome fleas!
“So, in your universe,” simplified Optimus, “the Decepticons are liars because they seek peace? How is peace a lie?”
“Because those that seek peace are simply burying their head in the sand so they can’t see the truth!” snarled Miles. “Conquest and Power are what shape civilizations!”
“I must disagree,” remarked Optimus.
“Bah!” dismissed Miles. “At least, before his Ember was snuffed out, my universe’s Optimus had ambitions that reached to the ends of my universe! Anyway, I digress. The peace between the Autobots and Decepticons was chafing to Optimus, so he sent Jazz to scout out a potential planet he could convert into his stronghold. Once Jazz caught sight of us, he said that the planet will be easy pickings. That’s when Optimus gathered more troops. Prowl, Ratchet, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Cliffjumper, they all accompanied Optimus, thus their campaign began. My ‘friends’ and I were the last line of defense. It was a tough battle, but, bravely, I faced the Autobots.” Liar, he was running scared. “I lured them deep into our fortress,” another lie, he didn’t know where he was going in his panic, “into a secret chamber with something I had hoped would be there,” half-truth, he hoped he would find that something, but he didn’t know it would be there, he just tripped over the something which proved to be, “a weapon capable of piercing Cybertronian steel. In fact, it pierced this body that I now control. The Autobots couldn’t believe that such a weapon exists and so, they fled. In the chaos that followed, Scourge had written me off as dead. His error, my gain. With the ruins of our last fortress all to myself, I had dissected this body and discovered genetic code woven into the metal. I then came up with a theory. If an organic had been grafted into the Transformer, it would gain the power of said Transformer. I set to work grafting myself into the slain Optimus and gained not only control of his body, but it also gave me some of his memories and his connection to the Grid of Domination, the opposite of your Matrix of Leadership.
“If that’s true, you must have gained our weaknesses as well,” guessed Optimus.
“Yes, like all other Transformers,” sighed Miles, “I short out after continued exposure to excessive amounts of Energon radiation. In any case, once I had completed all final checks, I visited the Autobots, showed them who was boss, and led an assault on my former comrades. None survived, even the mighty Scourge the Hedgehog became a bloody grease spot under my heel. The Autobots were about to rejoice that the planet would be theirs, until I set them straight. They wanted to conquer the universe in the long run, an ambitious goal, but then I revealed to them that one universe is too small in the grand scheme of things. I told them of my previous exploits in this universe and said to them ‘Why rule just one universe when the multiverse is our playground?’ Some were slow in the head, but soon they caught on. And with that proclamation, I made myself the very nemesis of the multiverse!
“So, what should I call you?” asked Optimus. “Nemesis Prime?” The chest panels and vehicle mode canopy slid back into place as Miles snarled. The lights in the optics turned back on and the newly christened Nemesis Prime started roaring.
“BE QUIET, YOU INSUBORDINATE PIECE OF MALFUNCTIONING GARBAGE!” he shouted. “EVERY TIME YOU OPEN YOUR MAW, IT SOUNDS LIKE A CAT IS DYING! HOW ANYONE CAN BEAR TO FOLLOW YOUR SHRIEKING, MEWLING NONSENSE IS BEYOND EVEN MY SUPERIOR COMPREHENSION!”
“No, please, go on, tell me how you really feel,” joked Optimus. Nemesis then grabbed him by the throat and started squeezing.
“What I feel,” he growled, “is nothing but rage every time I look at you! I want to cut that chest of yours open, just to hear you scream as I dissect you to see how similar you are to this frame!”
“Why don’t…you just…do it?!” choked Optimus.
“Oh, I shall,” replied Nemesis. He then released Optimus’ neck. “Not yet, though. We still have some unfinished business.” Optimus stared at Nemesis for a while.
“Go shove an electromagnet up your exhaust port,” he hissed.
“I never said that you had to cooperate,” chuckled Nemesis. “You see, even with my newfound perspective of life, there is still something I cannot understand, nor combat against, magic. I’ve learned how to access the axe, but I can’t find the access port to the part of my subspace pocket that holds the gun. Which access port is it?”
“Like I said,” remarked Optimus, “electromagnet. Up the aft. They’re magic pockets; you’ll get it when you need it.” He then grinned. “I loved that game when I was 42 in human years!”
“Then it looks like I have to do this the old fashioned way,” sighed Nemesis as he opened a panel on the back of his wrist. He then took a cord out and plugged it into Optimus’ forehead. A brief spasm of pain jolted through Optimus. “I’ve manually entered your memory core,” explained Nemesis. “I’ve already seen the file I needed and now I need to compare it with this frame’s memories. They fragmented when he went offline. Accessing subspace port 1.” He put his hand into the subspace pocket. “Negative results. Accessing subspace port 2. Negative results. Accessing subspace port 3.” Optimus felt he was going to be there for a while, so he called up his internal video library.
“Accessing subspace port 107. Negative results,” hissed Nemesis. He then whirled to Optimus. “Will you turn that infernal thing down?! I can’t even understand what they’re saying!”
“Get Rosetta Stone,” remarked Optimus as he mentally paused the video he was watching. “You’ll learn Japanese in a flash.” He was watching Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, which was adapted to be Power Rangers: Dino Charge and Power Rangers: Dino Super Charge. He was on the episode where the ninth member of the Kyoryugers had revealed himself. He resumed playing the episode.
“Watch out!” warned the Red Kyoryuger, Daigo Kiryu, to the old man, Doctor Ulshade, up on the roof of a building. “Run away, Doctor!”
“Run?” asked Doctor Ulshade. He then chuckled. “You should say that to the enemy, Daigocchi!” He then flexed his, admittedly, impressive muscles. The rest of the Kyoryugers gawked under their helmets.
“No way!” breathed the Blue Kyoryuger, Nobuharu Udo.
“Let me show you,” called Doctor Ulshade as he gripped his dinosaur themed gun, the Gaburevolver, “my magnificent transformation!” He then took out a purple battery with the number 9 on it and a white image of a Plesiosaur. “Brave in!” he said as he pressed a button on the battery, turning the dinosaur image from white to purple. He then put the battery into the gun and put his left hand on top, shouting “GABURINCHO! PLEZUON!” Then he pressed down on the gun, making the teeth on the side come together. The gun then repeated what the doctor said. He then pointed the gun into the air, near his head, with the chamber facing out. “Kyoryu Change!” he announced as he spun the chamber. Samba music then started playing as he danced for a bit, then he spun on his feet, pointed the gun into the air and shouted “FIRE!” When he pulled the trigger, a holographic, robotic, purple plesiosaur head came out of the gun and flew around the doctor before chomping on him to form his suit and chomping on his head to form the helmet. The rest of the Sentai gawked and oohed and aahed at the change. The new purple Kyoryuger then jumped down from the building and landed on his feet. “The seas of Earth are my seas!” declared the doctor. “The seas of space are also my seas! The Oceanic Brave! KYORYU…,” the backdrop then fell behind him. “Huh? Crap.” He then recovered and finished. “VIOLET!”
“Aha!” cheered Nemesis Prime. Optimus then paused the video again. “Subspace port 123! Positive results!” Nemesis Prime then fished out the gun he was looking for. He disconnected from Optimus. “Now,” he chuckled as he leveled the gun, “I have no further need of you.”
“Just wait a sec,” called Optimus. “Mind if I tell you something?” Nemesis smirked.
“Why not?” he chuckled. “Go ahead.”
“Next time you wanna tie someone up,” suggested Optimus as he pulled out his own gun, “tie up more than their feet.” He then shot at the restraints and he came crashing to the floor. “Ow,” he winced before picking himself up. Nemesis just smirked.
“You wouldn’t dare shoot in here,” he boasted. “It might cause an explosion.”
“You’re right,” replied Optimus. “However,” he then got Nemesis in a bear hug and pointed his gun at the ceiling, “I’ve no qualms taking this outside.” He fired at the ceiling. “Prime jets, ON!” he announced. They launched into the air and Optimus threw Nemesis into the ground. Optimus then shook his rear at Nemesis.
“Will you stop messing around like you’re some masked hero?!” snapped Nemesis.
“Funny you should mention ‘Masked Hero’,” called a voice. Both Primes turned to see Jazz grooving his way up. He had something in his right hand. It was grey, had four slots with a monitor in the middle, red tab switches on the outside of the slots, and a handle on the right side.
“Jazz!” cheered Optimus.
“Oh sweet Anarchy!” hissed Nemesis. “The Jazz of this universe is from ‘da hood’.”
“Wow, stereotyping much?” muttered Jazz. “I just thought the ‘black’ voice sounded cool. In any case,” he held the device up, “it’s time to give the Fourze Driver a try.” He then took out small devices and put them into the four slots. The Driver announced them as they were inserted.
“Chain Array, Beat, Gatling, Shield,” it announced. Jazz then put it on the front of his waist, letting it attach to him, and flicked the little red switches. The monitor showed a humanoid image with a shuttle themed helmet. The Driver started counting. “Three,” it called as Jazz gripped the handle. “Two,” it declared as Jazz got his feet in a ready stance. “One!” it counted as Jazz crossed his left arm in front.
“Henshin!” he announced. He then pulled the handle and then thrust his right hand into the air as his helmet changed from his usual Praxian style to a shuttle themed one with glowing, orange insect eyes. “Uchū KITAAAA!” shouted Jazz under the helmet as he thrust his arms into the air.
“Translation:” replied Optimus, “Space is here! And ‘henshin’ means ‘transform’.”
“THE HELL?!” yelped Nemesis as his view on logic was thrown out the window.
“Jazz is a huge fan of the Kamen Rider franchise,” explained Optimus, “and I’m a fan of Super Sentai. On his 124th Forge Day, that’s about 148.12 in Mobius years, I gave him a little gift; a magically altered toy Fourze Driver. I used a spell to let the representation of the object become the actual object.” Nemesis just glared. “You said you wanted to see magic, well, Jazz is wearing something that’s magically charged.”
“And now,” cheered Jazz, “I’m playing Kamen Rider Fourze. Let’s do this Mech to Mech!” He then flicked the Beat Switch.
“Beat on!” announced the Driver. A red set of speakers appeared around his right leg. Jazz then started dancing and singing to Michael Jackson’s Bad. As his foot hit the ground, the speakers produced sonic waves that were deafening. Nemesis held his hands to his ears.
“What’s the matter? Only like medieval music?” taunted Jazz. “Fine, we’ll go with shield and mace.” Jazz switched Beat off and turned on Chain Array and Shield.
“Chain Array, on! Shield, on!” called the driver. Jazz swung the ball and it struck Nemesis right in the chest. He looked winded. He could feel a sense of smarminess from Jazz.
“You think this is funny?!” he snarled.
“Well…” mused Jazz.
“YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?! IT’S NOT FUNNY…unlike your face,” chuckled Nemesis. He then revealed a chassis that was undented. Jazz was confused and started swinging the ball around right into Nemesis’ sides. Nemesis started laughing. He then drew out his own axe and combined the handles to make the staff. “Say goodbye to existence!” shouted Nemesis as he swung the axe into Jazz’s sides. The transformation was cancelled as Jazz’s helmet went back to normal. He started clutching his Energon leaking sides. Optimus called for Ratchet, who arrived on the scene with the other Autobots and G.U.N. Ratchet dealt with Jazz, who was, rightfully, going on about how the black guy always gets shafted in these kinds of situations.
“That was a mistake!” snarled Ironhide. He charged at Nemesis but was promptly stopped with a right hook to his jaw. He was quickly knocked out. Bumblebee and Cliffjumper tried an attack which had Bumblebee in the air and Cliffjumper on the ground, but a stamp of Nemesis’ foot launched Cliffjumper into Bumblebee. Prowl tried the Taser that was built into his hand, but Nemesis sent the current back to him. He then flung Ironhide, Prowl, Bumblebee, and Cliffjumper into Ratchet and Jazz. The impact caused Jazz to go into emergency stasis so he could be spared until his wounds were healed. The only bot that wasn’t unconscious was Optimus.
“Pathetic,” sighed Nemesis. “You spend every waking moment distracting yourself from true power that’s right outside your door by bothering to fight for these ants! You want reality? Here it is! You will die! By my hands! By these very weapons! Death…at the hands of a superior being.”
“Wow,” griped Optimus, “egotistical much? Besides, you haven’t seen me at my peak.”
“And, that concerns me, how?” asked Nemesis.
“Well, you said you killed my double too quickly and Sonic’s double died under your foot,” remarked Optimus. “I would have figured you would want to play with your prey.” Nemesis arched an eyebrow.
“You know, the thing is, I know you’re playing me,” he grinned, “but, you’re right. Let’s see your peak.”
“Trust me, Nemesis Prime, great things are about to happen,” assured Optimus. He then got into a ready stance. He then started humming. Nemesis arched an eyebrow. His annoyance grew. Prowl soon woke up.
“Prowl,” hissed Teletraan in a soft whisper, “can you fix Jazz? Optimus has a plan to throw Nemesis back into his universe. I had some help with Tails to tune the Ground Bridge to reach other universes, but Optimus can’t command Nemesis to drop his weapons without help.”
“So it IS processor over matter,” mused Prowl. “If it’s a Cyber Ninja he needs, I can fill the part.” He sat Japanese style and started humming.
“And now the police bot hums!” snarled Nemesis as he drew his gun. He was about to fire, but his trigger finger wouldn’t respond. Suddenly, his grip was slowly loosening! He tried to regain control, but it was no use! “What’s…happening?!” strained Nemesis Prime. Prowl paused in his humming to explain.
“I’m sure you are familiar with processor over matter,” he answered. “It’s actually easy when you’ve mastered it.”
“You…idiot!” gasped Nemesis as the gun fell. “Now… you won’t…know…true power!”
“Maybe, but you’re a bit of a jackhole,” replied Prowl. “Teletraan, Optimus and I can’t hold him for much longer!”
“Found his universe!” called Teletraan.
“Who’s…Teletraan?!” asked Nemesis. Optimus then stopped humming.
“Are you telling me you don’t have an artificial intelligence?” he quizzed.
“No!” said Nemesis. That’s when a portal opened behind him.
“Pity,” sighed Optimus, “you might have won with an A.I.” He charged at Nemesis, picked him up, and tossed him into the portal. Teletraan quickly closed it. Optimus let himself fall.
The Autobots soon woke up in an empty storage barn with technicians working on them. Prowl was the first one up and soon got everyone awake. Once they were given final checks, Optimus explained to Sonic and his friends who Nemesis was. “Scourge is…dead?” gulped Sonic.
“My evil double too,” mumbled Amy as she hugged Sonic’s arm, the fake bloodstains on her dress getting onto him. Sonic didn’t notice. Tails felt sick.
“I can’t believe he did that,” he gagged. “Miles could have been something more than a new evil person.”
“Let’s not dwell on him too long,” suggested Optimus. “Now that we’ve dealt with him, things should go smoothly for the party.”
“You’re still on about that?!” snarled Shadow.
“I think that keeping the party going would be good for morale,” replied Prowl. Optimus and Amy looked at him quizzically. “In the past, I might have turned my nose up at Halloween, but I see why it’s celebrated. It’s to look at fear right in the face, and have fun, despite it being there.” Optimus grinned. Amy gave a smile. They then gave each other a thumbs-up.
“Okay guys, you’re clear to go,” answered a technician. Optimus led everyone back to the Command Center and took the stage.
“Humans, Mobians, and Autobots,” he began, “I think this whole incident has proved one of many things we have in common; we all can laugh in the face of danger. Evil was about to tear us down and laugh as it did, so what did we do? We laughed at it. We all knew that it’s impossible to surrender to evil if we all can see our goal and see how to achieve it. Evil feeds on giving up, so we just starve it by persevering and continuing to be merry with each other. That’s what this holiday is about, and that’s what N.E.S.T. was built on this past year. Here’s to many more years of working together.” There was applause and cheering at that message. It was short and sweet, and it was awesome. “Now,” continued Optimus, “let’s have some fun! Jazz, music please!”
“Thriller, coming up!” called Jazz. As the music of the King of Pop played, the party got underway. Happy Halloween, my friends!
Epilogue: Moebius.
“So I’m about a hairs’ breadth from killing Optimus,” snarled Nemesis to himself as he stomped around the forest of his home, “then that universe’s Jazz shows up and decides, ‘I’m just gonna play Japanese superhero!’ Then Optimus fakes me out with that humming. Apparently, that’s part of a Cyber Ninja’s arsenal! Gotta look into that later! But, at the very top of this long list of stupid questions is HOW DID I LOSE?! I HAD EVERYTHING! OPTIMUS PRIME, I SHALL SEE YOU FALL!”