\u201cHow are you here?!\u201d Optimus demanded to Megatron. \u201cYou overshot Gigantion by a light-year!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, well, luckily, even the safest warp speed,\u201d remarked Megatron, \u201ccould get us here half an hour after you lot. During that time, we came into contact with Mole Dive and offered him a chance to fulfill his vengeance against the Functionist Council. Oddly enough, Shockwave here made the offer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI initially thought,\u201d remarked Shockwave, \u201cthat if I made the offer, he would refuse it out of hand on account of me being a Xitran, but he proved that hypothesis wrong when called me a Xitran Resistance Fighter instead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI heard about Shockwave and her fellow survivors,\u201d explained Mole Dive. \u201cThey actually tried to resist the Functionist Council, even though they were privileged. As she made the offer, she revealed what she learned when Metroplex was still buried on Earth!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Mobius now,\u201d corrected Shockwave, \u201cbut that\u2019s currently extraneous information. Metroplex, did you ever wonder if I ever tapped into your data stores?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d replied Metroplex. \u201cMy data diagnostics told me that you did, but I couldn\u2019t figure out what you found.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI found One of Twelve and the Heart of Cybertron.\u201d Metroplex gasped. \u201cThat\u2019s right, I know that One of Twelve, the Convener of the Functionist Council, is still alive at the organic core of Gigantion and that he possesses the Heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t be serious!\u201d called Optimus. \u201cThe Heart was lost! Xitra is dead as well as the Functionist Council!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, apparently, Metroplex wanted that lost to history,\u201d replied Megatron. \u201cWith the Heart in Decepticon possession and the last of the Functionist Council dead, this planet can finally grow to its fullest potential!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy duping the residents into serving you?!\u201d Optimus pointed to Mole Dive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m simply giving Mole Dive a chance to improve his world!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right!\u201d called Mole Dive. \u201cThings have got to change around here! And if you stand in the way of progress, you\u2019re going to go EXTINCT!\u201d He then thrust his drill into the ground and created a pulse that knocked his foes off their feet and put them into a painful sleep. \u201cThat\u2019s only gonna hold them for a couple of hours! We need to get going NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen permit me to open the way,\u201d replied Megatron. \u201cYou provided me with the lock, now I shall be the key!\u201d He aimed his left fusion cannon at the foamed-up hole and fired. The wall then vanished in an explosion. \u201cIgnition Foam, nicely mixed!\u201d he praised Mixmaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I do!\u201d cackled Mixmaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDecepticons, move out!\u201d ordered Megatron. Everyone transformed and took off with Eggman and Morgaine following close behind them. Shockwave then aimed her gun barrel to the ceiling and fired. The tunnel behind them collapsed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat should buy us some more time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe more, the merrier,\u201d replied Mole Dive. \u201cWe need to get to the First City for this layer. Once we do, we\u2019ll be able to tunnel straight down to the Central Layer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExcellent!\u201d praised Megatron<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Optimus and his allies picked themselves up about two hours later. \u201cUrgh!\u201d groaned Optimus. As they checked themselves over, they saw the collapsed tunnel. \u201cThat\u2019s gonna take HOURS to clear!\u201d moaned Optimus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot if we all pitch in!\u201d called Metroplex as he pulled out his axe\/shovel hybrid. He dug the shovel into the rubble. \u201cLet\u2019s get digging!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou heard him, Build Team!\u201d Wedge called to his team. \u201cWe gotta catch up to the Cons!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen load it all up!\u201d called Heavy Load as he transformed. Everyone continued digging and Heavy Load carried the rubble away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cQuick question,\u201d called Eggman, \u201chow far IS the current layer\u2019s First City?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAccording to the intel Shockwave downloaded,\u201d replied Mole Dive, \u201cnot far at all. In fact, I think I see the border!\u201d The city was a completed one, but an empty one. \u201cNow, if I recall right, all First Cities for each layer are built around a tunnel that\u2019s constantly built upon when we finish the previous layer. The old plug is taken out and then we put it back once the tunnel extension is finished. It should be circular.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI see it!\u201d called Megatron. The group approached a massive circular tunnel, big enough for a Metrotitan in full robot mode to slide down. It was plugged up by a strange, concrete-like material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s gonna take more than just my drill to fix,\u201d muttered Mole Dive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, there IS our combined form,\u201d mused Bonecrusher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Aye, I forgot you lot are a Combiner team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy first, if I recall,\u201d said Shockwave. \u201cHaving them in their combined state would expedite our journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAbsolutely not!\u201d argued Hook. \u201cWe can\u2019t control ourselves in that form!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s because you didn\u2019t have a Maximus. Thankfully, I have created one. I\u2019m transmitting code to you now.\u201d The Constructicons received the code. \u201cBy my calculations, the new artificial Maximus should help you control your combined state better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen now\u2019s as good a time as any to test it!\u201d declared Scrapper. \u201cCONSTRUCTICONS, UNITE!\u201d They all went to vehicle mode first, then Mixmaster\u2019s drum and rear wheels swung up as the cab formed a foot. Scrapper\u2019s arms folded to become heel spurs while his loader became a foot. Long Haul\u2019s legs deployed connectors and attached to Mixmaster and Scrapper, making Scrapper the right leg and Mixmaster the left. Hook\u2019s front and rear swung towards each other, making the right-side wheels touch each other as the crane\u2019s boom pointed towards the rear. He then attached himself to Long Haul\u2019s front end and the front folded down to make him and Hook the torso. Scavenger and Bonecrusher deployed forearms from between their wheels then attached themselves to the torso so Scavenger was the right arm and Bonecrusher was the left. The hands and head then sprouted as a set of purple wings flew towards the behemoth. They then attached themselves to the torso, completing the larger Combiner. He was, at least, just a couple heads taller than Mole Dive. Megatron whistled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd I thought Bruticus was large,\u201d he remarked. The goliath Combiner then looked himself over, then a grin crossed his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, what do you know,\u201d he purred, \u201cno more conflicting voices in my head!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStudying Bruticus and his Maximus,\u201d Eggman remarked to Shockwave, \u201cseems to have really improved your research.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy leaps and bounds,\u201d agreed Shockwave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter creation comes devastation!\u201d cackled the Combiner. \u201cWith the Artificially-made Devastator Maximus, you now look upon DEVASTATOR!\u201d The newly-christened Devastator then leapt up and punched the plug, causing it to crack and shatter. As the debris tumbled, Devastator then held his hand out. \u201cAfter you, my Lord?\u201d he offered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDecepticons, to the Central Layer!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNO!\u201d called Optimus\u2019 voice as he and his Autobots sped towards them. It was too late. The Decepticons jumped down the tunnel. \u201cAfter them!\u201d ordered Prime. Everyone jumped after the Decepticons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cHow are you here?!\u201d Optimus demanded to Megatron. \u201cYou overshot Gigantion by a light-year!\u201d \u201cYes, well, luckily, even the safest warp speed,\u201d remarked Megatron, \u201ccould get us here half an hour after you lot. During that time, we came into contact with Mole Dive and offered him a chance to fulfill his vengeance against the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1152,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,682],"tags":[146,337],"class_list":["post-4910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles-arc-21-size-matters","tag-sonic","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4910"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4911,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4910\/revisions\/4911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}