Once his repairs were finished, Optimus had to take care of business of his own. He was at the entrance to Maccadam\u2019s Old Oil House in hopes that the person he would meet would be there. He saw the person in a booth, a femme with the alt-mode kibble of a white Nissan Silvia S15 and a grim expression. \u201cDeadlock, is it?\u201d he asked as he sat down. He then heard a gasp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Why don\u2019t you say that a little louder?\u201d snarked the femme, Deadlock. \u201cI don\u2019t think they heard you in KAON!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay, sorry!\u201d gulped Optimus. He then sighed and leaned in. \u201cYou said you had information you wanted to give me. What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFirst, I need your word that I will have asylum among your team as a member of the Autobots,\u201d Deadlock began. Optimus\u2019 optics flickered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re\u2026leaving the Decepticons?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA shadow of disgrace has fallen upon them. The Decepticon cause is one I no longer wish to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen you have my word that you\u2019ll be an Autobot. Anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnly that you use the information wisely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have my word there. Now, what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMegatron\u2019s attempting to breach the Vector Sigma Chamber in Kaon before the Winter Solstice.\u201d Optimus\u2019 optics widened at Deadlock\u2019s news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?! That\u2019s blasphemy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe received word that Starscream\u2019s trying to keep Cybertron away from it during the Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait, Starscream can\u2019t do that! What\u2019s going on?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe believes that you hold the key to unlocking some great secret.\u201d Optimus then remembered something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGaia said that I would discover a great secret in my lifetime. \u2026Is that what Starscream\u2019s trying to guard?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGaia?\u201d quizzed Deadlock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll explain on the way to base. If you want protection from any assassins after what you did to the D.J.D, we need to go now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstood.\u201d Deadlock then followed Optimus out of Maccadam\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s taking DAYS to heal them all!\u201d complained Swoop as he, Perceptor, and Ratchet tended to Optimus\u2019 team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKeep going with Rattrap over there,\u201d directed Ratchet. \u201cOptimus is gonna need him.\u201d Grimlock scowled at Perceptor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFunny,\u201d he growled, \u201cyou don\u2019t have a scratch on you! I wonder why!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGrimlock, lay off Perceptor!\u201d barked Optimus as he and Deadlock entered the Repair Bay. \u201cIf I hear one more word against him, you\u2019ll answer to me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOptimus, what are you doing bringing HER here?!\u201d yelped Swoop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDeadlock!\u201d growled Grimlock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDeadlock\u2019s left the Decepticons,\u201d explained Optimus. \u201cShe willingly underwent a Cortical Psychic Patch to prove herself. Right now, I need her to coordinate with Teletraan 1 to prepare for anti-Starscream defenses. I only came here to tell you that Deadlock is to be treated with respect. I know her reputation precedes her, but she\u2019s trying to atone for her sins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I\u2019m watching you, Deadlock!\u201d warned Grimlock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019d be insulted if you didn\u2019t,\u201d remarked Deadlock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hate to rain on y\u2019all\u2019s parade,\u201d muttered Teletraan, \u201cbut, according to the data we\u2019ve got, a forcefield won\u2019t stop Starscream for long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be better than nothing. How soon can we get underway with construction?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cImmediately. Good thing too. I just intercepted a news broadcast that Starscream and Sunstorm are fully recovered from the assault.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGet to it, then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo Thunderhoof forgot that I command the Decepticons as well as all of Cybertron, I see,\u201d mused Starscream as Skywarp finished his report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd Nightbird\u2019s Megatron\u2019s wife?!\u201d asked Sunstorm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a secret wedding before he busted us out of prison seven years ago,\u201d explained Skywarp. \u201cThere\u2019s more. Apparently, Nightbird\u2019s the one who turned Megatron onto his current path.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt matters not,\u201d remarked Starscream. \u201cI must say, I never would have thought Megatron would try to enter the Vector Sigma Chamber before the Solstice. I guess he figures I\u2019m hiding something. It won\u2019t matter. The only one who has the key to finding out is Optimus and he\u2019s only made moves against me, not Megatron. I must admit, it was clever of him to collapse the ceiling on us, but he only succeeded in postponing the inevitable!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perceptor finally finished fixing up Teletraan\u2019s ground-based systems for the base. \u201cThere we go, Teletraan!\u201d he cheered. \u201cGood as new! Good thing you\u2019ve been backing yourself up lately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, had a scare on that front before the Harbinger<\/em> arrived on Mobius,\u201d replied Teletraan. \u201cBrought the Ark<\/em> across the Quintesson Neutral Zone too. Metal Sonic took control of me back then, so they had to reinstall me from a backup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2026actually explains a few cryptic remarks.\u201d Just then, the lights faded. \u201cWha?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry, Perceptor,\u201d called Optimus as he and Grimlock entered the room, \u201cbut we\u2019re diverting all essential power to the force-field generator.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut that\u2019s absurd!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou got any better ideas?\u201d asked Grimlock. \u201cOr is your intelligence as fleeting as your courage now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGrimlock!\u201d snarled Optimus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a matter of fact, I DO have a better idea,\u201d replied Perceptor. \u201cGet inside Starscream and disconnect the Heart of Cybertron.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you defective?!\u201d protested Grimlock. \u201cHow are we gonna do that?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSimple. We use either an external matter inducer beam or a shrinking spell to bring us to a microscopic size. Then we crawl into Starscream and rip the blasted Heart out!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you think of his intelligence now?\u201d Optimus asked Grimlock. The Dyno-bot leader simply folded his arms and scowled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI reserve judgement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou, Shahra, and Deadlock go with him. We\u2019re gonna go with the shrinking spell option.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Optimus visited Airazor after they came back from a patrol. \u201cHey, Airazor,\u201d he said, \u201cI\u2019m about to ask you to do something crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAny crazier than Starscream\u2019s ambitions?\u201d asked Airazor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI need you to throw a small box containing four of our guys shrunk down to microscopic size at Starscream so they can climb in and disconnect the Heart of Cybertron from him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Okay, maybe slightly crazier, but not a hard job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, you\u2019re willing to fly some more?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike a bird!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Night was starting to fall as Shahra, Perceptor, Grimlock, and Deadlock got ready for the shrinking spell. Shahra was going to be the one casting it. \u201cIs everyone ready?\u201d she asked. They all nodded their readiness. \u201cThen let\u2019s do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, let\u2019s do it!\u201d agreed Perceptor. \u201cNow we\u2019ll show Starscream that bad things come in small packages!\u201d A golden cloud surrounded them all and they shrank down to the size of a pin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Once his repairs were finished, Optimus had to take care of business of his own. He was at the entrance to Maccadam\u2019s Old Oil House in hopes that the person he would meet would be there. He saw the person in a booth, a femme with the alt-mode kibble of a white Nissan Silvia S15 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1058,"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":[98,683],"tags":[146,337],"class_list":["post-4953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles-arc-22-battles-of-cybertron","tag-sonic","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4953","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=4953"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4954,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4953\/revisions\/4954"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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