The Energon Pub

Garrus-9 – Amphitheater

Rippersnapper breathed a heavy sigh of relief once the two-headed razorbeast released its grip on the shark-former’s neck plating. Hun-Grrr then reverted to his robot mode and stood over the former actor and Cutthroat, declaring that they were both strong and worthy to continue serving under the Terrorcon Commander. Ripper scoffed internally at the notion that Cutthroat was worthy. He had only survived their fight because of Hun-Grrr's intervention. Had that not occurred, the terrorist would have torn the vulture-former apart bit by bit. But, alas, that did not happen. Regardless, Ripper was happy to be alive, having not ended up in the bowels of his vicious leader.

Rippersnapper slowly got back to his feet, keeping a close optic on Cutthroat just in case he decided to go crazy again like before and renew their battle even though it would be a suicidal endeavor. However, that also did not happen as everyone’s attention was quickly drawn to the Monstercons, who had been released from their bonds and were now combining once again into Monstructor. “Holy slag,” the former actor said as he stood just behind Hun-Grrr and gazed up to the behemoth that was now pointing his massive gun in their general direction. Ripper maintained his position, not wanting to retreat or show fear in front of his master or the other Terrorcons. In fact, very little frightened the terrorist with the exception of organic creatures, of course, and a ginormous combiner that could easily end his existence by merely stepping on him.

Drawing out his cyclone gun again, Rippersnapper prepared for the worst, but instead got a surprise. Scorponok uttered one word, ‘Fall’, and Monstructor did just that, grasping his huge cranial unit in pain as he fell to his knees, sparks flying everywhere. The shark-former then watched as the Leader of the Second Fleet gave Monstructor an ultimatum: serve him or suffer the consequences. Clearly, something had been installed in the gestalt to keep him under control by saying a single word. Ripper surmised that there were other words that could be spoken that did even more damage. Or, perhaps, the single word, ‘Fall’, was enough to weaken Monstructor to the point where Scorponok could destroy him if necessary. Either way, if was a fail safe that would prevent the combiner from running amok again.

With the threat under control, Rippersnapper relaxed and put away his weapon, keeping his optics fixated on the sight before him. Meanwhile, his HUD fed him data on his injuries, specifically to his shark mode’s left optic. The terrorist’s internal repair systems had already begun their work. It was unlikely Ripper would need to be seen by a doctor or even require a stay in a CR chamber. He was a Terrorcon for Primus’ sake and was tougher than most mechs. Damage to his beast form’s shin-guard and nose were trivial. The optical damage was more severe, but nothing his systems couldn’t ultimately handle. The former actor would simply remain in his robot mode for the time being where both eyes were fully functional until the repairs were completed. Then the shark monster would come out to play again.

Garrus 9 - Mines

"Remember Snaps? Like you know? That… eeeh… that green? Guy? The one with what that was called? Bustersomething? And that brainy buffoon with… that thing? Yeah, pretty sure this guy had… something attached to his wrist? Yeah, had to be. We mugged him pretty bad didn't we?"

"Oh yeah!" Snapdragon began to recollect as Apeface began to take a trek down recent memory lane. "Bustersomething? Hmm... Was it, Bunkerbuster? No no no! It was Roadbuster!" The interceptor chuckled behind his mouthplate as his simian comrade began to delve into the next story.

"And and… there was that..." Apeface made his best Optimus Prime imitation, "Prahme is my hero!" Prancing around with his chest puffed comically, trying to look all important, never leaving his simian alt-mode, "The big guy who had like gotten his armor re-crafted to look like his slagging idol? Hah! Recall him? His Prime act sure did not stop ol' Turmoil blasting him into pieces!””

"Oh right, him! Classic!" The Horrorcon replied to his brother-in-arms as he let out another roar of a laugh, his processor playing back the image of the Optimus Prime-wannabe trying to act all heroic and what not. "Bwahahaha! Ohhh how that made me wish to have seen the real deal! It was like an Optimus-flavored appetizer without the main course following it up!"

”And Skyhammer! The way you mauled him? Priceless! Oh those were the times.”

"Pfffft! How could I forget about THAT?!" Snapdragon responded in a manner as if he was holding back tears of joy, almost breaking into a similar state of laughter as his fellow Horrorcon was partaking in. "God, does he live up to that namesake because he sure fell like a sack of hammers after our little 'entanglement'. Hehe! I thought he suppose to be one of the Autobot's finest?!"

The interceptor's laughter began to settle back down as he lifted one of his clawed-actuators to his checks to wipe away some excess fluid that was building around his crimson optics.

"Damn, that place was fun. Good times, goooood times."



"Still our window is incredibly limited. Whirl, help prepare an ingress point. We will have to get this mission under way in short order before the Technobots are returned. Or we risk exposure of who ever is sent to the surface."

Whirl turned his singular optic towards the wannabe-Prime after he was finished with throwing the new seeker combiner in the storage locker he had previously taken refuge in. He brushed off his his claws before he approached the red and gold ranger and his new friend.

"Sheesh, as if one Prime wasn't bad enough." The former wrecker scoffed as he looked at the entry point Pyro wanted him to help clear. "What, couldn't call upon the big red himself to bless you with the strength to do it yourself? Frickin' lightweights, man..." He shifted his Amber optic down towards the petite femme Pyro had volunteered for whatever he was planning. "What, did he sucker you in as well with his 'Freedom is the right of sentient beings' talk too?"

The cycloptic mech approached the vent where the femme was standing shortly she asked for a boost and he knelt down, extending his claws out as a makeshift step for her to stand on.

"It's now or never princess!"

Garrus 9 - Mines - Miners Respite

"Ooo! Ooo who who!" Brainstorm chirped with glee, his hands rubbing together as he looked over to see Highbrow pulling several devices by their wires out from whatever hold he stumbled upon. "Converters, mag-lights, gearboxes, and- what's this?" He questioned as he reached into the entangled mess and pulled out a small cylindrical shape. "Sonar emitters? Oh man, what a find!" He quickly yanked the device from the fray of wires and cords Highbrow was holding and walked back to "his" workbench, setting the device down upon the top of the table.

"Hey just a heads up, let's uh... Let's not test anything right out quickly. We're going to have to rip open anything we find to see if they work. Last thing we need is to get detected." He stated as he gave his newfound device a small shake, listening for a rattle while also showing his compatriot that he was dealing with one of the many different kinds of tech that could in turn get them discovered. "That is of course until you and I can somehow construct a signal jammer to shroud us in here."

He reached behind his head to scratch the back of his processor, his fingertips freezing as a wave of realization feel upon him. He had nearly forgotten they were both wearing inhibitor claws which only added another piece to to this limitless puzzle of theirs. Even though the two had stumbled upon quite the jackpot of supplies given their current situation, the fact that they were outnumbered, outgunned, and constantly on the brink of being stumbled upon didn't better their odds anymore than it did if they had stayed with the group. But since has Brainstorm ever been one to considered "odds" and "percentages" when presented a challenge?

"Actually, you know what... Scratch that previous statement." He quickly interjected as he opened the casing to the sonar emitter, his Amber optics not breaking from the concentration he kept on the internal mechanisms of the device. "You work on getting us that signal jammer." He paused and removed slowly pulled the small power cells from the internal compartment of the device before he removed the fuel intake pump Lightspeed had smuggled him a few hours ago during the prisoner transfer.

"I've got some ideas for a few other things first..."

Garrus 9 - Corridor Outside Command Center

"Think there are any bots left? Maybe we should report to Scorponok."

"Well," The multicolored salvager began as he shoved the end of his trident into the ground floor, freeing his hands to scour the deposits of wreckage that littered the corridor. "That would be the logical thing to do given our situation." He paused and hefted a chunk of metal towards the light and was able to quickly identify that it used to be the central breastplate of what once was an Autobot trooper. Felt factory made... No doubt an M.T.O. Octopunch dug his clawed actuators into the charred metal and slowly pulled the Autobrand off of the chassis before slipping his prize into a subspace storage pocket he had installed along the length of his thigh armor.

Once the Autobrand was salvaged, Octopunch chucked the metal husk back onto the floor and ripped his trident back out of the ground. He turned the tentacled visage he hid behind his pressurized helmet over towards his fellow Decepticon before noticing a shadowy figure lurking just off in the distance.

"Oi, we got life down the aisle." The multicolored salvager informed the thuggish Stranglehold as he gave his trident a twirl in his hand, readying it in the event it was a stray Autobot. He slowly strolled further down the corridor until his blazing Crimson optics were able to pinpoint the violet sheen of the Decepti-brand shimmering off the mech's chassis. A few more steps and Octopunch was able to distinguish the signaturely, large pointed horns that adorned this Decepticon's helmet.

"By the Shattered Seas," he spoke out to Cyclonus in a rather hushed tone, slowly moving his hands up into the air as to not display himself as a threat should he startle the seasoned warrior. "It's Cyclonus, right? I believe we owe you and your boss a big 'thank you' for the rescue."

Garrus 9 - Amphitheater

A wave of dread and fear swept over the area. It felt like a cold wind barged its way into the prison and stole all the heat from the surrounding mechs. The already nervous Nautilator squirmed in his restraints as he stared back into the crimson optics that soullessly stared down upon everyone in the Amphitheater.

"No-no-no-no not again!" The lobster-mech screeched out in peril, struggling in his harnesses as his instincts were screaming at him to turn back into his more nautical alternate mode, only to find he was stuck in his shackles and forced to stare back up at Jhiaxus' monstrous creation. "GET ME OUT!!"

-

Sinnertwin had shifted upright back into his bipedal robot mode once Hun-Grr had settled the fight between Rippersnapper and Cutthroat. It appears the master was pleased with the vulture's display of prowess and welcomed him back into the group, though the moment was immediately cut short when the Monstercon gestalt had been joined together once more. The sentry made an attempt to reach for his gun but found the task near impossible as his basic instincts were telling him to flee instead of firing back at the combined monstrosity.

That was until the mighty Scorponok stepped forward and had uttered one word forcing Monstructor to halt. Perhaps these experiments Jhiaxus and Scorponok were conducting were much more beneficial than Sinnertwin had initially realized. But then again, who knew how long the Commander of the Second Fleet had control over his new weapon before it turned back on everyone. It took a phase-sixer and a whole mess of stray gun-fire to bring it down last time... This time they didn't seem as prepared.

Garrus-9 – Miners’ Respite

Highbrow stood back as Brainstorm gawked over his stupendous find. Truly, he was simply a mechanoid with a gift for all things including salvage. The scientist awaited his cohort to shower him with lavish praise and perhaps a small bit of groveling in his splendor. Alas, that never came. Brainstorm was simply too focused on what they could make to improve their situation. Still.

"You work on getting us that signal jammer.”

“I suppose I certainly am more suited to the task, given my profession,” Highbrow stated simply, turning to his work bench. He cleared off some dust and debris with some care. Didn’t want to be detected by causing a ruckus, did he? Highbrow collected some essential components from their little bin of basic electrical supplies and set them delicately onto the work station. There was only so much that could be done without tools.

“I don’t suppose you’ve found a few tools over there perhaps?” Highbrow asked as he fiddled with a tangle of wires in an effort to separate them.


Mines

"What, did he sucker you in as well with his 'Freedom is the right of sentient beings' talk too?"

“Not exactly,” Umbra muttered, casting her gaze to the side. She took the time it took for the cycloptic mech to walk over to the vent to nab one of the seeker’s comm units. Umbra glanced over to Pyro, gesturing to it. “We can keep in touch using these.” As Whirl extended his claws out as a makeshift step, Umbra backed away prepping for the jump.

"It's now or never princess!"

“Got it!” Umbra replied as she ran up to Whirl, jumping onto his extended claws then leaping into the vent itself. She hastily braced herself to make sure she didn’t just slide back out onto Whirl’s head. After she was secure, she glanced down at Whirl and gave the former wrecker a smile and thumbs up.

“Thanks!” Her focus now turned upward, Umbra began shuffling up the vent, attempting to work out a method that made the climb easier. She had a good way to go just straight up to get back to main level. And there was no telling where the vent would put her in the facility. Even though she’d been a prisoner here, prisoners weren’t exactly allowed everywhere. Fortunately, some of the guys down below might be more familiar with it than her. Oh, speaking of…

Stopping for a moment by bracing herself with her legs and back which let her free up both hands, Umbra installed the comm unit on her audio and switched off her internal transmitter. She could turn the Decepticon one on later when she got to the surface. Umbra wasn’t sure she could explain away crawling up a ventilation shaft to anyone that noticed that signal.

She glanced around. There were a few openings a bit further up indicated by light filtering through the grate coverings, but they were far enough for her to feel comfortable testing out the comm unit.

>>”Hello? Can you guys read me? Umbra here,”<< she stated quietly as she looked up, trying to see the end of the upward shaft. No use though. It was shrouded in darkness. Well, hopefully no Insecticon diaclones would think this was the best place to be. It was a little tight for them anyway.

Garrus-9 – Amphitheatre

“We’re all going to die.”

As much as Firewire appreciated Kronus stopping in front of her making him a lovely metal shield for her, Firewire had to try and steel her nerves in case…in case Scorpy ordered her to stop that…thing. But she couldn’t move. She was frozen in place by fear. That…that thing! She could scarcely believe that the Monstercons she’d operated on earlier were in there somewhere. But then Lord Scorponok seized control of the situation with a single word.

Monstructor fell to his knees, roaring deafeningly. The petite scientist looked up at Scorponok, feeling instantly reassured by the confidence in his face. Placing her hand over her spark, Firewire let out a relieved sigh, releasing some of the tension in her body. Words couldn’t express how grateful she was that she’d installed those inhibitors correctly. Lord Scorpy was busy dealing with Monstructor, so she figured she could deal with whoever this new arrival was.

Firewire whirled around, marched right up to Gadget, and jabbed a tiny finger at his face. “You! Gizmo, you said?” The orange femme jumped up and made to smack him across the chest – it was the highest she could reach. “Learn to read the room! What are you even here for?! I’ve never seen you before.”

Crossing her arms and tapping her foot testily, Firewire tried to figure what she could do with this one so he wouldn’t get in Lord Scorpy or rust-aft’s way. Gesturing for Gadget to follow, Firewire returned to her terminal and Kronus. She pointed down at a spot next to her. “Come here and stay. Try not to get in Lord Scorponok’s way,” she instructed, pointing to indicate the fleet commander. “Also try to stay out of his way too,” she added, pointing to Jhiaxus.

Firewire let out a huff and glanced over to Kronus. “Don’t worry, okay? Lord Scorpy’s got it under control. Oh, but you can eat Gizmo here if he does anything stupid.”



As quickly as it had almost turned into a massacre, the situation calmed down. Sort of. There was still an angry behemoth in the room, but it seemed like it could be controlled. Spinister lowered his weapons cautiously, still ready to whip them up at the slightest provocation. The aerial warrior shifted to the side, attempting to flank the giant monster while also keeping his distance.

It ended up putting near some mechs on slabs. His optics flicked down to them. Autobots. Weird. There were some Cons on slabs too. Weirder. But not important. Spinister’s optics narrowed at Monstructor, raising his weapons again, ready to fire.



When the pricking at the back of his neck increased, Blot knew something was wrong. The room got darker. He hastily glanced around and saw a huge form at the center of the darkness. Blot looked for the master. His optics locked onto Hun-Grr and he hastily moved to stand in front of the master, planning to shield him from the blast with his body if he could. But when the threat collapsed and fell, Blot stood there looking at it apprehensively. He kept himself firmly positioned between it and the master. Whatever it wanted to do, it would have to go through him to get to the master.

Blot glanced back at Hun-Grr uncertainly. “Attack?” he asked.



The display of power from Monstructor was certainly impressive. It inspired fear in the sparks of many mechs in the room, but not all. Snaptrap, for his part, remained unperturbed by the presence of Monstructor knowing full well that Scorponok would not have summoned a wild beast like that without safeguards in place. And safeguards certainly were, for the gestalt fell at a single word from the fleet commander. The Seacon Commander observed this and wondered whether such inhibitors would be necessary for his team when they underwent the process. And they would. That power would belong to the Seacons one day, but he could leave it to others to test out issues.

His optics returned to Jhiaxus quickly enough however, making certain that the ancient scientist did not attempt anything suspicious. Clearly, Scorponok did not fully trust him, which made him something of a threat. He seemed relatively complaint, yet it did not hurt to be cautious.

"GET ME OUT!!"

Ah. An all too familiar panicked screech. The Butcher of the Bog scowled under his mouthplate. He glanced over to where Nautilator was restrained on his slab. A pinch close to Monstructor. Still. He would not have his subordinate making a fool of himself in this crucial moment.

>>”Nautilator, calm down and cease your sniveling. You are a Seacon. Act like one.”<<

Garrus-9 – Amphitheatre

Firewire whirled around, marched right up to Gadget, and jabbed a tiny finger at his face. “You! Gizmo, you said?” The orange femme jumped up and made to smack him across the chest – it was the highest she could reach. “Learn to read the room! What are you even here for?! I’ve never seen you before.”

Gadget smirked at the little hot-headed analyst, "And you must be Firewire I presume?"

Crossing her arms and tapping her foot testily, Firewire tried to figure what she could do with this one so he wouldn’t get in Lord Scorpy or rust-aft’s way. Gesturing for Gadget to follow, Firewire returned to her terminal and Kronus. She pointed down at a spot next to her. “Come here and stay. Try not to get in Lord Scorponok’s way,” she instructed, pointing to indicate the fleet commander. “Also try to stay out of his way too,” she added, pointing to Jhiaxus.

"If I recall, I was ordered here for my new job. I am Gadget, not 'Gizmo' Or whatever you called me silly-grilly!" said Gadget jokingly.

Gadget then said simply to Firewire as he pulled out his electronic touch tablet to check the time, "I know you've been quite busy but I advise that you check the reports more often to see if anyone is showing up... unless I am in the wrong room which is highly possible." Gadget then put his tablet away, and said, "Lord Scorponok sure is as mighty and authoritative as I imagined, he seems like a great leader so far, he saved our asses haha."

Gadget then walked over to Jhiaxus and said simply, "So you are the genius behind that monster yes? I must say, you did a wonderful job with this technology haha, and I'm NOT being sarcastic. I am legitimately impressed."

Garrus-9--Mines

Pyro, may Primus have a hand on his spark, he sure could talk the big game. Even Pointblank, as callous as he had become over the vorns couldn't help but feel a little stirred up after his words. Inspiring little glitch.

Huh. So the femme was actually going to go for it? He wouldn't deny being more than a little impressed. Her backstory certainly left a lot to be desired, but if she had gumption to go on a mission run like this he couldn't really look at her as being completely irredeemable.

>>”Hello? Can you guys read me? Umbra here,”<< a voice crackled on the device that Pyro had surreptitiously slipped into one of Pointblank's actuators. He looked down at it and gave it a quick click.

>>"Uh, yeah. Ahem, we read you Umbra. Pretty clear right now."<<

Garrus-9--Corridors near Command Center ruins

It was an odd feeling for Cyclonus to be involved in a battle scenario where so much success and failure were so inextricably intertwined. It seemed like for every step of progress they had made, fate had forced them to take several back. They now held the prison, but at what cost? Aequitas was gone. He had to tell himself that it would elude them for only so long, particularly with Scourge on its trail. Yes, it would be victory--total victory. It was simply a slow burn to achieve it.

"By the Shattered Seas. It's Cyclonus, right? I believe we owe you and your boss a big 'thank you' for the rescue."

Cyclonus' optics shimmered in the dimness of the corridor, saying nothing for the time being as he appraised the approaching warriors.

"You do," Cyclonus said simply. "But not I. Only Lord Scorponok is deserving of your thanks. As our fleet commander, his orders freed you, and Megatron's by extension. And thank him you will, all in due time.

"I trust neither of you have encountered any Autobot stragglers? I have heard mention of a few distressing incident reports."
___

Priority-1 transmission from Scourge to Scorponok

>>"Lord Scorponok, I bring news. I have tracked Omega Supreme to the Sol system. The limited Decepticon intelligence I have been able to access indicates this was a major front for the initiation of Megatron's latest infiltration protocol. I have every reason to believe his final destination will be Sol-3 and reuniting with the Prime and the other Autobots in this region. My forces will intercept and cripple the Omega Guardian soon."<<

Garrus-9 - Mines

Good. Good. His act had gotten Snapdragon to relax. The chance of the Horrorcon interceptor exploding into immediate violence against Apeface had decreased tenfold despite of his earlier silliness on Snapdragon's expense.

”Heh, well – you don't get to nail an Autobot infiltration team commander into a wall with a steel beam all that often,” Apeface chuckled, giving Snapdragon a pat in the back.

Securing the storage container he had brought with him between his side and the arm wrapped around it, Apeface focused back on the mission itself.

”Watch my back Snaps,” he said, ”We don't want anyone snooping up what we are doing here. Top secret and all that slag.”

”If you see a bot, remove them out of the view range with any way you prefer.” He added with a wink. ”Now, let's move out.”

Garrus-9--Amphitheater

As gloriously as each previous occasion it had happened, all became one and the components of the Monstructor Six vanished and instead became the Monstructor One. A far preferable result.

Like the mighty gestalt he was, Monstructor raged against the shackles placed upon him by the gladiator. Fool. He clearly didn't realize it, but such chains would never hold. Not permanently.

"Away, wretch," Jhiaxus barked, glowering down at the Decepticon tripe that dared to address him outside of Scorponok's purview before returning his attention to Monstructor.

Still forced into a kneeling position, Monstructor's blazing optics looked upward, meeting with Jhiaxus' own. The praetor held up a soothing hand, the most calming gesture he could think of to assure the titan that his current predicament was indeed only temporary. The gladiator sought to verbally as well as physically dominate the creature. Such was the way of these backward warriors. They would see that might was not the penultimate answer. Their protracted, endless war was evidence enough of that.

When Monstructor's optics at last settled on Scorponok, it was clear that there was rage, but also recognition of what needed to be done if he wanted to remain in this plane of existence and not divided once more.

"There is....an...understanding," Monstructor growled, his deep voice reverberating eerily throughout the closed amphitheater.

At that, Jhiaxus grinned.

Oh yes. Yes there was.

Garrus-9 – Mine Ventilation Shafts

>>"Uh, yeah. Ahem, we read you Umbra. Pretty clear right now."<<

Pointblank. Umbra sighed softly, attaching the comm device to the side of her head. She adjusted the settings idly as she hung there in the shaft, glancing up at the long climb ahead. It was probably for the best that her contact was Pointblank. It had been bugging her that she hadn’t told the others…her…history, but Pointblank, at least, knew.

>>”Copy that, Pointblank,”<< she replied, pressing a digit lightly to the comm device, >>”It’s a long way up. Don’t suppose you know where I might come out? If it’s not in the cell blocks, then I don’t really know it. I wasn’t here long before…all this happened.”<<

Without waiting for a reply, Umbra shifted her weight and resituated herself to prep for the climb up. “Please let there be no Insecticons…” she muttered softly to herself. Proceeding to climb up the shaft, Umbra carefully poked her head into the light filtering in from the first grate. The first of many, she assumed. Some Autobot prisoners toiling away in the distance with some seeker or sweep guarding them. Some insecticon diaclones clustered around them curiously, and only a few roamed anywhere close to her location.

Good, good. Off to the next one then. The scout moved slowly. Carefully. As silently as she could without making any noise. She was soon well away from the grating and nearing the next level. Pausing for a moment and shifting to a more comfortable position, Umbra took a quick rest. This was rather grating on her nerves, but…hey. She’d made it through worse. This was the least difficult thing she had done all day. Still. She couldn’t really afford to waste time either.

With that, Umbra continued her arduous climb with newfound determination.


Corridors near Command Center Ruins

"Oi, we got life down the aisle."

“Huh?” Stranglehold grunted, peering at his scavenging friend disinterestedly. He trudged up behind Octopunch, scanning the corridor. He tapped his flail impatiently against his shoulder plating as he squinted his optics, trying to discern the identity of the lone mech. The violet luster of the mech’s armor made it a bit hard to spot the Deceptibrand initially, but it was there sure enough.

Stranglehold heaved a huge sigh in disappointment. “Uuuuuuuuggggghhhhh….” The wrestler was about to turn around and go hunting for Autobots in another direction, but something Octopunch made him stop in his tracks.

"It's Cyclonus, right? I believe we owe you and your boss a big 'thank you' for the rescue."

“Huh, if it isn’t the horned devil himself,” Stranglehold commented with a grin tugging at his mustachioed lips.

"You do," Cyclonus said simply. "But not I. Only Lord Scorponok is deserving of your thanks. As our fleet commander, his orders freed you, and Megatron's by extension. And thank him you will, all in due time.”

“Argh…Scorponok…” Stranglehold muttered, still a bit sore about the bet being thrown out. “Well, we sure do owe the big man a big ‘thank you’. And you too. So. Thank ya, Cyclonus for helpin’ to bust us outta this Primus-forsaken slag pit.”

"I trust neither of you have encountered any Autobot stragglers? I have heard mention of a few distressing incident reports."

“Nah, not really,” Stranglehold grumbled, “But not for lack of tryin’, believe you me.” The enforcer scratched his head thoughtfully, “Well, Bludge and the others did come across some ‘Bots holed up in a mess hall just down the way, I think…But there’s nothin’ left of ‘em now. Me and Octopunch here were out huntin’ for strays.”

Garrus-9--Amphitheater

"Away, wretch," Jhiaxus barked, glowering down at the Decepticon tripe that dared to address him outside of Scorponok's purview before returning his attention to Monstructor.

Gadget turned away from Jhiaxus and towards Firewire, "As I suspected, a pretty rude fellow." Gadget let out a quiet chuckle before looking back at Monstructor.

Gadget frowned. Much was wrong with this. "Wonderful technology, but a horrible execution," said Gadget simply. Gadget turned his eyes back toward Firewire and said, "what I mean by 'horrible execution' is, well, it's a personal thing I guess, however it cannot be but so personal." Gadget looked up at the monstrosity, "We need a defender, not a destroyer. My thoughts have always been this: Don't make a weapon for destruction, but rather for protection.

"You may not know this but, I am actually a few millions of years old, even though I feel like I am only a few hundred. It was because of that damn stasis. I still don't know how or who knocked me into stasis. Either I am a few million years old spark in a 500 year old body, or a 500 year old spark in a few million years old body. At this point, I don't know anymore. The world I'm used to is not this. I was is a world of peace. Autobots and Decepticons working beside each-other and in harmony."

Gadget put his hand on his chin in pondering, "What is war? Hmm war is as two siblings fighting over the same thing, though, this form involves killing. That's what war is. What even is the point? We are all brothers and sisters. If I had the option, I probably would have neither faction. I feel both us and them are ALL 'us'.

"The more chaos-bringers we build the more they will build, until we all die by our own monsters. We are the true monsters. Obviously I believe that weaponry to protect ourselves is understandable, and almost required. But, it takes a true monster to come up with such a horrid creature."

Gadget turned his face to Firewire with a tone of sadness, "What is the point?" asked Gadget.

Gadget fixed his glasses and said, "That damn stasis. If only... if only I never went into stasis. I would've tried my best to make peace. I feel almost as if I am partially to blame to be honest. If I was not comatose all of those millions of years, I would've made a difference. I sometimes, I wonder, could I still make a difference?"

Communications Array

"Skullgrin... let's open this place up, with whatever force you need."

Skullgrin, without word, opened fire on the panel blasting it completely away.

The assembled Decepticons watched with interest, mostly, Snarler may have been distracted by something else at this point, as the smoke cleared.

"I'm no expert..." Bomb Burst muttered as he looked at the jamming equipment. "But that equipment hasn't been used in a long time." A billow of dust kicked up from a cooling fan struggling to run, broken by time, not Skullgrin's blast.



Bludgeon sighed an irritated sigh. "It's jamming equipment, but no, it has not been used in a very long time." He said. "It's clear that the communications interruption did nor come from this facility." He took another cursory look at the decrepit equipment.

"I hardly call our mission a failure, but I loathe to return to command with..." He trailed off, truth be told, he simply loathed to returned to command, even if he had found the source of the communications black out. "With this..." His hand slightly gestured to the equipment. "... thought that something else caused it.

"Skullgrin, destroy the equipment." He concluded. "We have a visual that it was not used, we will make sure no stray Autobots can use it; and return to Scorponok with our conclusion. I refuse to waste any more time on this fool's errand."


Skullgrin leveled his gun once again at the equipment. However just as he pulled the trigger Nightbird noticed something. "Is it booby-trapped?"

...

..

.



Skullgrin had an impressive display of firepower, no one could ever argue that. However, the entire communications array lit up in one impressive explosion far greater than the capacity of Skullgrin's weaponry.

The ground shook violently. The concussion wave chased away from the epicenter with a deep circuit jaring force.

Amphitheater

"There is....an...understanding," Monstructor growled, his deep voice reverberating eerily throughout the closed amphitheater.

”Excellent.”

As if you had any other choice. Scorponok thought, staring back at the smoldering optics of the defiant giant. He could sense the hatred. The rage contained only by the unseen shackles that dug deep into the very core components of the combiner. This monster was dangerous, evil – it wanted to attack him, kill him and everyone else present within the Amphitheater. It had already tried. And it had paid for it. Most of all, it had proved Scorponok's caution to be called for. Even now, forced to kneel before him, the beast radiated an unsettling aura that even Scorponok himself could feel becoming a victim of. His precise sensors were clearly indicating a steady if small drop in his energy levels that defied his average fuel consumption. He had witnessed a weapon like this before. A weapon that had its origins tied to the very same mechanoid that had created Monstructor in the first place. Scorponok's gaze shifted from Monstructor into its progenitor.

”Jhiaxus, I salute you! You truly are as devious as the legends rumored,” Scorponok laughed out loud, ”To create this?!” Scorponok gestured at Monstructor before continuing, ”And to hide component pieces of your vamparc ribbon into the Monstercons themselves only for the weapon to be realized in their combined form?! Hah! Looks like Zeta Prime and his Omega Destructors were nothing but imitations of what you had already pioneered!”

”But enough of this.” Scorponok scowled, bringing his gaze upon Monstructor again. ”I will not suffer this violation against me any longer than necessary. ” And with that said, the High Commander of the second fleet sent out a command signal into the secondary nervous-system they had installed into the Monstercons, forcing the mighty combiner to break back into the six Monstercons it had been formed of.

”I see that Decepticon science still has much to benefit from you. This bodes well for our continued partnership.” He addressed Jhiaxus. Indeed, the chief theoretical strategist of Nova Prime clearly had so much to give to them. But he held many surprises as well and a clear dislike of the Decepticons and what they stood for. It would be only matter of time before he would rebel. And that posed the problem. Scorponok knew it had become an eventuality. Yet, getting rid of the ancient scientist before he had been able to exploit Jhiaxus' mind as long as possible would not benefit the Decepticons. The trick was to see the betrayal coming before it was too late and that was completely different matter altogether.

”Slog. Icepick, ” Turning his attention away from Jhiaxus for the time being, Scorponok addressed the pair of Monstercons whose working relationship reminded him of Hook and Scrapper of the Constructicons. ”Fear no more, for you have been granted a gift to repel the monster that has haunted you for millenniums.”

Looking down at his diminutive assistant, Scorponok spoke again, ”Firewire, see to the well being of the Monstercons.” >>”And make sure their combination did not damage what we built.”<< He transmitted through secure comm-link.

>>”The same system will have to work on future combiners. We will make it part of them. So profoundly part of their being that it becomes nearly impossible alter without killing them. While I command enough power to fight a being like Monstructor, most of our kind do not. Letting these beasts run rampart is not an option. I assure you, I do not aim for this safety measure to control the individuals that form these giants. That would be against what the Decepticons stand for. No, this has to be done to control only the combiners themselves.”<<

A priority transmission suddenly override Scorponok's comm-system, bringing forth news he had been expecting for some time.

>>"Lord Scorponok, I bring news. I have tracked Omega Supreme to the Sol system. The limited Decepticon intelligence I have been able to access indicates this was a major front for the initiation of Megatron's latest infiltration protocol. I have every reason to believe his final destination will be Sol-3 and reuniting with the Prime and the other Autobots in this region. My forces will intercept and cripple the Omega Guardian soon."<<

>>”Excellent news Scourge. Keep me updated on your progress. If Prime intervenes, do not risk your men for naught and call for reinforcements.”<< Scorponok transmitted back to Scourge, sharing the message with Cyclonus as well. Sol system? That had been the destination of Megatron's last official travel log. And the supreme leader of the Decepticon Empire had been uncharacteristically silent for some time now. While it was not unheard of Megatron to go silent for prolonged periods of time, he had not left behind any instructions either which left way too many questions behind.

>>”And while you are at it, reach out for the Decepticons forces in the system. I wish to have a word with lord Megatron. After all, we have some good news to share for once. And Cyclonus. Have Fortress Maximus brought to Amphitheater to witness first hand what his failure in defending Garrus-9 allowed us to gain.”<<

Garrus-9 Central--Medical Bay

The small line of diaclones had marched their way up from the bowels of Elba's mines, led by Shrapnel, and trekked their way through the prison proper. Their destination--the med bay--was just ahead. Reflector's orders from Scorponok were curious--providing spare parts for some tech so that he could rebuild something. Or someone. Reflector hadn't been overly clear about that point. The collective curiosity of the Insecticons had been piqued, but only Shrapnel was curious enough to leave the peaceful confines of the mines--their eventual hive--and venture back to the surface to see for himself, for all of them really, just what was going on.

Shrapnel transformed as he approached the doors, taking a couple of awkward steps as he approached. He had been in this mode so rarely of late that there was always something of an adjustment period when he used it again. The diaclones simply paused momentarily, chittering as the doors slid open, before following him inside where they began to climb the walls and fill in other unoccupied spaces.

"Scorponok sends word for us to bring resources to aid your work your work," Shrapnel said, giggling a little before motioning for the load-bearing diaclones to approach with the various Cybertronian parts they had salvaged along the way. "I trust this will be sufficient sufficient?"

Outside the Communications Array

The debris cloud from the exploding communications array was suddenly disturbed. In a minuet portion of it, the smoke and debris began swirling a bit and like an arrow, Bomb Burst's hover jet mode pierced through at top speed, his tilt fans kicking the smoke and debris in their rotation.

The cloud was again lanced by a race car, pushing at full speed, it was Nightbird's sleek altmode emerging followed quickly by Skullgrin's assult vehicle alt mode, the tank that was Bludgeon with a giant mechanical pig (Snarler) tailing behind by just a breath, emerged last.



"Okay, not that that wasn't a tremendously impressive, violently fun explosion, but next time can we check for bombs before shooting at equipment?" Nightbird asked. "If Snarler had charged through to clear a path, we'd be dead."



"I'm inclined to agree with the spy." Bludgeon said flatly.


"Birdie... I thought you lived for that kind of exit." The Vampire had a snicker in his voice. He wasn't entirely incorrect, Nightbird was a bit showy and flashy considering her occupation. An impressive escape suited her well.

He transformed mid air, now that they were far enough away from the array, lithely dropping to the ground. He looked back at the smoldering wreckage then towards Garrus 9 facility.


The rest assumed their robot modes as well. "We survived, didn't we?" Skullgrin muttered.



"I was hoping for a less noticeable exit." Bludgeon added. "What's done is done, now we have to report our findings. I'd prefer to do it in person, however, I'm not certain we will be welcomed into whatever proceedings high command may be involved in currently... so..." His optics drifted to his assembled team. "Whatever situation we walk ourselves into... weapons remain away, and vocal emitters remain in off mode. I do not wish to hear any of you speak, argue..." He looked specifically at Skullgrin and Bomb Burst. "Or otherwise look anything but respectful to whomever we find ourselves in audience of."

At that, the Metallikato master transformed back into tank mode. The thought occurred to him to take the long way back to the main facility, it had been a long time since he had been able to transform, he had missed his tank mode a bit. But there was a nagging suspicion in the back of his processor that urged him to go straight to the prison, despite the fact he had spent so many vorns there, his very spark wrenched at the thought of rolling a tread back in that vile place.

Garrus-9 – Central Wing Corridors

As it turned out, Synapse did have to guess where Deadlock might be as his patient had not yet gotten back to him on his location. However, he hadn’t wanted to hold up Lobe from gathering his specimens. After all, it had been he who had destroyed his last one. Gracious, did the psychotherapist feel ever so guilty about that. He would have to make it up to Lobe in some way. Still, the space bridge that Lord Scorponok built was ever so impressive. There was none of the disorientation of an orbital bounce.

Synapse glanced over to Lobe glancing around the fairly damaged prison. It wasn’t often he saw the aftermath of frontline operations, so it was something of a novelty to him. Lord Scorponok and his men surely didn’t hold anything back. “So where might we begin our search for your new specimens? To be honest, I also need to locate the Autobot psychotherapist’s office and grab his records. Ah, and find my patient.”

The avian psychotherapist put a hand to his audio receiver, checking the comm link for a reply from Deadlock. >>”Deadlock? I’m down on the surface now. Somewhere in the Central Wing. Is there some place we can meet you?”<< He rather hoped Deadlock got back to him shortly, though perhaps he should be the last person they collected. Lobe had a certain…intrusive scientific curiosity. Synapse did not wish to make Deadlock uncomfortable.

Garrus-9 – Amphitheatre

Firewire was annoyed. No, perhaps annoyed wasn’t the right word. Indignant sounded much better. She had specifically told this newcomer to avoid speaking to Jhaixus. And what had he done? Ignored her. But that wasn’t what had her so outraged. Clearly this mech’s nap had fried his processor. Autobots and Decepticons working beside each other in harmony? Ha! Never! That had never happened. Not to mention that he was practically a juvenile. Five hundred years old mentally? Firewire supposed she couldn’t be too harsh with him, given that he was that young and naïve.

Gadget had the gall to call them monsters as well. As much as she was willing to be patient with him because of his relative youth, there were some things that she simply couldn’t take sitting down. This…this…young upstart was so high and mighty. He believed their war pointless, did he? All that sacrifice and friends having laid down their lives for the cause? Firewire wanted it to end as much as the next mech but in Decepticon victory.

To top it all off, Gadget thought he would have made some difference in the war. Like it would have ended much sooner if he had been around. Firewire could hardly hold her tongue anymore. “Okay, first off,” she started, jabbing a digit squarely at Gadget with genuine anger in her crimson optics, “You have no right to talk about our war like that. Especially since you’ve been gone for most of it.”

“Second!” Firewire snapped, “There was no time when Autobots and Decepticons worked ‘together in harmony.’ Didn’t happen! They’ve killed scores of us for their…their Prime! The same lineage of Primes that made my life hell! Many of our lives…Their oppression. Their corrupt Senate. Their functionalist fragged to Pit caste system?! All we want is equality and peace through tyranny.”

The petite orange femme crossed her arms over her chest, “That is the point, Gadget.” She pointed at Monstructor. “That monster is our best bet at finally putting an end to this war. A protector would just drag it out more. I want it to be over, Gadget. I want to start Phase Seven. And to do that as quickly as possible, we have to use every resource at our disposal.”

Firewire took a moment to huff and puff a little and calm down. She listened as Scorponok’s booming voice resounded throughout the amphitheatre and watched as he signaled the Monstructor Six to forcibly separate. That worked too. Phew. Good. She looked up at him as he gazed down at her, her posture instinctively straightening.

”Firewire, see to the well being of the Monstercons.” >>”And make sure their combination did not damage what we built.”<<

Firewire nodded, shooting her fleet commander a smile. “Yessir!”

>>”The same system will have to work on future combiners. We will make it part of them. So profoundly part of their being that it becomes nearly impossible alter without killing them. While I command enough power to fight a being like Monstructor, most of our kind do not. Letting these beasts run rampart is not an option. I assure you, I do not aim for this safety measure to control the individuals that form these giants. That would be against what the Decepticons stand for. No, this has to be done to control only the combiners themselves.”<<

>>”I never doubted you, Lord Scorponok,”<< Firewire replied over secure comm-link, >>”Just leave it to me, I’ll take care of them!”<<

With that, Firewire looked away from the imposing fleet commander to cast one last look at Gadget, the smile dying from her face. “You wouldn’t have made a difference with that attitude,” she commented before moving forward and tapping Kronus on the arm, looking up at him with a little smile. “C’mon, bolts for brains, let’s go. We gotta check up on the Monstercons. Unless you’re scared,” Firewire quipped with a mischievous grin.

She glanced back at Gadget. “You can come too, I guess.” With that, the little analyst trotted down to the main floor of the amphitheatre to check on the Monstercons.



”Slog. Icepick.”

Upon hearing his name, the de facto leader of the Monstercons attempted to gain some semblance of awareness of his surroundings. It took him a moment. He could feel His anger at something…but he couldn’t remember at what. All of his memories of that time were hazy, dark, and nightmarish as they always were after combination. Holding his head lightly, Slog looked up at the source of the voice. Scorponok. Ah. Yes. He remembered where he was now.

”Fear no more, for you have been granted a gift to repel the monster that has haunted you for millennia.”

“What…?” was all Slog could manage at first. He remembered the devices that Scorponok’s little assistant had installed, but had they actually…? Slog checked himself for damages, then hastily looked over to Icepick then the rest of his team. There were no addition signs of injury or conflict on their bodies. Which…which meant. Scorponok had forcibly separated them without the use of violence. And the fact that He had not yet made them reform…meant…Slog’s hands shook.

Suddenly feeling quite weak as relief flowed through him, Slog fell against one of the slabs, using it as a support to hold himself. It wasn’t freedom, but Slog hadn’t hoped for as much as that. He had expected to simply be used as a weapon for the rest of eternity, but…no. It was not so. They were no longer subject to the whims of that monster. That wasn’t to say that they’d never form him again, but this certainly was…a gift.

“Icepick…” Slog managed after a moment, propping himself up a little on the slab. He looked over to his comrade with such relief in his optics. “We are slaves to Him no longer…” It was only then that he remembered proper decorum. He turned and looked up at Scorponok, the gratitude evident in his optics. “I thank you, my lord. On behalf of the Monstructor Six, I thank you. Words cannot express my gratitude.”

The Monstercon artist watched as Lord Scorponok’s little assistant trotted over to them. She didn’t seem horrified or repulsed by them even after seeing their inner demon, which was a touch strange. Perhaps it was merely because she had a job to do. She came to a stop next to him and Icepick, looking at them and the others with a critical optic.

“Alrighty, I need to make sure you’re all okay after that,” she said, moving over to an available slab. “So…who’s first? Hop on up! This won’t take long. Just gotta make sure you’re all okay.”

Slog straightened a little, standing upright and looking over to his team. “You all go first,” Slog insisted, “Please.” He wanted to be sure that the rest of his team was fine before he received any treatment himself. Perhaps a rare quality in some Decepticon special team commanders. More misfortune could come to him, but they all deserved whatever relief or happiness they could get.

Garrus-9 – Amphitheatre

“There was no time when Autobots and Decepticons worked ‘together in harmony.’ Didn’t happen! They’ve killed scores of us for their…their Prime! The same lineage of Primes that made my life hell! Many of our lives…Their oppression. Their corrupt Senate. Their functionalist fragged to Pit caste system?! All we want is equality and peace through tyranny.”

The petite orange femme crossed her arms over her chest, “That is the point, Gadget.” She pointed at Monstructor. “That monster is our best bet at finally putting an end to this war. A protector would just drag it out more. I want it to be over, Gadget. I want to start Phase Seven. And to do that as quickly as possible, we have to use every resource at our disposal.”

Gadget looked down, and with a slightly muffled voice said, "you were not the one digging your hands into both future Decepticons' and future Autobots' brains to fix them. We however were not separated by faction back then. We were Cybertronians. Our enemies were the ones who threatened our race."

Gadget then said, "I am not quite referring to all Decepticons and Autobots, but rather our leaders. I... I am..." Gadget then paused and then felt a flashback to a time, which he had not remembered before, "I, I suddenly am remembering things that I had never experienced..." Gadget then shook his head. "I suddenly remember a..." and then, as soon as he tried to say it, he had forgotten what it was that he had remembered.

Gadget then scratched his head, and then said simply, "I think I know who I am, but I am slowly realizing that I have no idea who I am." Gadget felt almost as if the flashback was premeditated, and that it was for him and him alone to see, but what was it? Gadget tried his hardest to remember. He dug into his deepest thoughts, but could not find it again, "All I know Firewire, is that something happened to me for a reason. Why was I captured? Is my memory distorted? Maybe it's possible that, whoever captured me, decided that a brain surgeon was the best option for injecting memories into."

Gadget then, said in a pondering fashion, "Maybe, it is possible that my conscious life was longer than I think it was? Maybe my thoughts are just mostly blocked? It's almost as if a firewall protects the most valuable memories, but somehow I keep my convictions. Maybe using my convictions and opinions as stepping stones will help me to find out who I truly was, and who it was who captured me..."

*Scorponok coms Firewire*

With that, Firewire looked away from the imposing fleet commander to cast one last look at Gadget, the smile dying from her face. “You wouldn’t have made a difference with that attitude,” she commented before moving forward and tapping Kronus on the arm, looking up at him with a little smile. “C’mon, bolts for brains, let’s go. We gotta check up on the Monstercons. Unless you’re scared,” Firewire quipped with a mischievous grin.

She glanced back at Gadget. “You can come too, I guess.” With that, the little analyst trotted down to the main floor of the amphitheatre to check on the Monstercons.

Gadget then got up, "oh, right, yes we must hurry. I'd rather not my first impression to lord Scorponok to be a lazy good-for-nothing deep-thinker who doesn't do anything but whine haha."

Gadget made a hearty laugh and then followed behind Firewire to where Scorponok and the Monstercons were.

______________________ ______________________

Gadget was not used to seeing the Monstercons in their own forms. Gadget asked Firewire, "are they safe besides Gestalt form?"

Corridors near Command Center Ruins

“Argh…Scorponok…Well, we sure do owe the big man a big ‘thank you’. And you too. So. Thank ya, Cyclonus for helpin’ to bust us outta this Primus-forsaken slag pit.”

At Stranglehold's response, Cyclonus could not help but smirk slightly. Capable warriors, both of them. Worthy of bearing the insignia.

"Consider your gratitude noted," Cyclonus responded in an even tone. But he had also asked a more pressing query, to which he expected an answer. Stranglehold was fortunately keen to provide it.

“Nah, not really. But not for lack of tryin’, believe you me. Well, Bludge and the others did come across some ‘Bots holed up in a mess hall just down the way, I think…But there’s nothin’ left of ‘em now. Me and Octopunch here were out huntin’ for strays.”

"Did he?" Cyclonus asked rhetorically, scratching at the edge of his narrow chin structure while he considered that reality. "I will have to-"

>>”Excellent news Scourge. Keep me updated on your progress. If Prime intervenes, do not risk your men for naught and call for reinforcements. And while you are at it, reach out for the Decepticons forces in the system. I wish to have a word with lord Megatron. After all, we have some good news to share for once. And Cyclonus. Have Fortress Maximus brought to Amphitheater to witness first hand what his failure in defending Garrus-9 allowed us to gain.”<<

Cyclonus paused as the transmission flooded into his audios, taking in all that the High Commander had said. Scourge, at least, seemed to be making better progress than he. That was something, he supposed, though it did nothing to lessen Cyclonus' frustrations at his on failures. Whoever had aided Omega Supreme in his escape efforts had done so expertly, even if the ultimate source of the interference was the Guardian himself--a reality that Cyclonus could not rule out at this stage. Scorponok's words to him, however, were even more intriguing, as Cyclonus too was curious to see just what Jhiaxus had wrought with his newfound freedom.

>>"At once, commander."<<

Cyclonus turned to Stranglehold and Octopunch.

"It seems I have new orders--as now do you. We're going to ensure the warden's safe transfer from his current location to that of Lord Scorponok."

Without waiting, Cyclonus turned and adjusted his course, heading for the centralized medical bay.

Corridors Near Command Center Ruins

Bludgeon rounded the corner to be greeted by the sight of Cyclonus, stranglehold and Octopunch.

"The comm's array was equipped with a Communications disrupter but from my observations it was not the source of the jamming signal. In any case it has been destroyed just in case, what would you have me do now"

Bludgeon's report was short and sweet looked over at Octopunch and Stranglehold

"How did you fair in your straggler hunt?"

Corridors, Command Center


Bomb Burst, Nightbird, Skullgrin, and Snarler stood silently behind Bludgeon once they reached their destination, none so bold as to even speak, no matter how much Bomb Burst wanted to get in a snide remark about Skullgrin's method.

Reports from the assassin team had slowed to a trickle, the relative quiet had descended over his little world which made him very happy.

Corridors Near Command Center Ruins

From seemingly out of nowhere, Bludgeon appeared and, unprompted, provided a summary of what he had found thus far. Efficiency, just as Cyclonus preferred it.

"The comm's array was equipped with a Communications disrupter but from my observations it was not the source of the jamming signal. In any case it has been destroyed just in case, what would you have me do now."

The results were not ideal, to say the least. More and more it appeared as if the Omega Guardian himself was responsible. But he could not rely on that fact just yet.

"How did you fair in your straggler hunt?" Bludgeon asked, directing the query to Octopunch and Stranglehold. Regardless, Cyclonus saw fit to answer as he had already gathered that information. More pressingly, he had been on the verge of sending a transmission to the Empirion's senior officer based on what Stranglehold had relayed to him. This meeting simply allowed him to issue the query directly.

"They found nothing, unfortunately. They tell me your efforts, however, were not so fruitless. What, or rather whom, did you find, captain? Anyone of consequence?"

Garrus-9 Central-– Amphitheater

”Fear no more, for you have been granted a gift to repel the monster that has haunted you for millennia.”

Icepick's mind danced between nightmares. But a calm, assuring voice cut its way through the din of terror. Scorponok. The liberator.

But his words made little sense.

Not in the face of the nightmare.

Icepick struggled to push himself up, looking down at his hands and the floor. His hands. So the monster was gone again. But for how long?

”Fear no more, for you have been granted a gift to repel the monster that has haunted you for millennia,” the words rang in his mind again, just as distant as they had been.

“Icepick…We are slaves to Him no longer…” said another voice. This one even more assuring than the first. His leader. Slog.

Icepick rolled over to one side and then slowly sat up, draping his arms around his knees, trying to make sense of everything. Every combination into that--thing--was traumatic. Every separation equally so. For him, anyway. He was reasonably sure he wasn't alone in that regard.

"Yes...m-my thanks. Of course you have them," Icepick said, looking around, not wanting to meet Scorponok's gaze directly, or anyone's really right now.

“Alrighty, I need to make sure you’re all okay after that. So…who’s first? Hop on up! This won’t take long. Just gotta make sure you’re all okay,” Firewire interjected. The medic from before. She was pleasant enough, despite the unpleasantness of the circumstances. Icepick looked at Slog, ready for him to go first, but he was clearly having none of it.

“You all go first. Please.”

Icepick looked from Slog then to the other Monstercons. Clearly no one was leaping at the opportunity to go first, Slog because of his obvious concern for his fellow Monstercons and the others, well, the others were clearly doing their own best efforts to process what they had just gone through.

"Alright," Icepick said with a groan of effort as he climbed back to his feet and then on to the slab. "I hope this is the beginning of the end."

Icepick laid his head back, looking up at the endless space visible through the transparisteel viewing windows in the amphitheater and the madmech sitting on his throne leering over them. Yes, he hoped this was indeed the beginning of the end. Either the end of this war. Or just the end. Icepick had little preference at this point.

Garrus-9 – Mines

How easy it would be to slaughter these Autobots. These Autobots allocated to Overbite to obey his every command. These Autobots toiling away in the deep and the dark, with only their shadows providing companionship. These Autobots secluded—isolated—from the next group of prisoners working in another section of the mines.

How easy it would be. How tempting. How thrilling.

The scope of Overbite's freeze beam blaster found the back of a prisoner. Unaware of the weapon being pointed at him, the guard continued with his labour, seemingly focused on his task. They were all focused, these busy little cyber-bees, the various tools they clutched in their actuators performing the precise actions required of them. The only sounds that could be heard were produced from the picks and spades excavating the rock wall in front of them. None dared to speak.

The lack of conversation, the diligence, the obedience—it bored Overbite. He wished one of them would make a run for it or come at him with their tool, cursing and shouting. Any reason for him to shoot them with his blaster, stomp on the frozen area thus shattering it, infect the remaining prisoners with terror, and watch as its symptoms caused the prisoners sufferance. A nice wish, if he did say so himself.

>>”Hey, Overbite? Can you come meet me? I got a thing for you to do.”<<

What was this? An answer to Overbite's boredom? It sounded like it.

>>“On my way.”<<

That was the best response he could muster, so delighted he was to receive his comrade's transmission. Having been granted his wish—he was sure of it—Overbite opened another channel and ordered a pair of Seekers he'd seen pass him by as they patrolled these parts of the mines to replace him in his absence. They grumbled and told him to go splash around in a puddle, but the mention of a surly Snaptrap ripping off their wings and observing how they flew without them convinced them to comply.

Once they arrived, he walked off to meet with Skalor. His pace was brisk and a smile formed under his mouth-plate, as if a hunt had commenced and the Autobots were right around the corner.



The tunnels twisted their serpentine way through the mines, but it didn't take long for Overbite to reach Skalor. The Seacon had supplied him with the coordinates as he'd sent him the transmission.

“So, what is this 'thing' you have for me to do?”

Overbite was still certain that his boredom was about to be assuaged. Confident that his instincts were correct, he waited for Skalor to answer him and confirm his assumption.

Garrus-9 - Mines

It wasn’t too long that Skalor had to wait for Overbite. Poor fragger had to have been even more bored than him. Overbite didn’t do too well on guard duty. None of them did really. Their usual assignments consisted of special operations that others were too scared to take part in. It didn’t really suit any of them to be babysitting a bunch of spineless Autobots. But, it was their job. For the moment. Pit, Skalor really hoped they got new orders soon. So he could waste time not doing them either. At least until Snaptrap threated to lop his head off. That was usually a pretty reliable sign that the Seacon Commander had had his fill of Skalor’s laziness.

Usually.

“So, what is this 'thing' you have for me to do?”

“Well, you seen those Autobots we brought in? The ones from Nebulos? I haven’t. I was just thinking…might be a good idea for us to hunt those guys down and make sure they’re not up to anything. So, you know, Snaptrap doesn’t murder us if they just happen to be. And by us, I mean you,” Skalor said, picking at some hardened ooze lodged between his teeth.

“You like the hunting thing, right Overbite? It’s all you, buddy!” Skalor cheered with false enthusiasm, clapping his teammate on the back with a filthy hand. “Let’s get goin’.”