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Maximal vs. Predacon Tournament (War in the Wastes): Narrative - Part 5 - Power Unleashed=================================
Note: Part 6 will be the final piece of story which will prepare for the 4 faction conflict in rounds 4 and 5. After that, I intend to have one more part to cover that whole set of shenanigans.
Offer still stands if you want to help contribute; otherwise happy reading! (me hopes
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Tomb of the Brightsoul Matrix, Catacombs“Oh slag, oh slag…” muttered Ghostbusters as he and his three companions raced through the underbelly of the Sonic Wastes. He, his commander Airstorm Alpha, and the two Predacons Archistrategos and Zadakiel have successful recovered the Brightsoul Matrix and now are rushing out of the narrow tunnels that made the artifact’s tomb. The previously silent defense mechanisms are now spinning up either on command to keep the Brightsoul within or merely responding to its emanating power. Each of the four could feel the intensity through their circuits as they moved; Ghostbusters who carried the Matrix was not handling the overload of energon and stress well.
Airstorm Alpha was on point with the Predacons flanking the Matrix carrier. The Maximal lead took them back through the tunnels following the trail of claw marks the pack made while descending. Tracking back out was proving easier than coming in as on each smooth wall the embedded panels of light began again to glow with brilliant blues and white. The pack would have enjoyed the effect of light and energy, as no part of Cybertron had displayed such youth in ages, except that the renewed energy began turning cameras and turrets towards their escape.
The first rounds of fire came from behind, and Archistrategos was burdened with avoiding or taking the fire to keep the artifact and team moving out. As soon as fire began from behind Airstorm and Zadakiel began taking out inactive turrets as they passed from ahead, realizing that they were activating from the Brightsoul’s presence alone. Zadakiel thought then that maybe his commander was right to believe this artifact could renew Cybertron.
At three-quarters the way out turrets from the forward caught up on the power surge and assaulted the team. Driving themselves forward the four kept pressing on until Airstorm, now taking the worst beating, took a strong hit and stumbled. He touched a trigger panel and felt the floor beneath him fall out.
Zadakiel, next in line, leapt the gap and caught the other ledge but could not catch Airstorm. Ghost hurled the Brightsoul up to the other side of the pit and caught his commander, using every drop of energon in his wings to keep afloat. Zadakiel rushed forward, collected the Brightsoul, and cleared the hallway of any near blasters.
Coming up slower behind because of his wounds Archistrategos pushed his servos to their limits and thrust himself at Airstorm as Ghost lost his grasp. Crashing into the far wall of the pit claw and fang crushed into the metal and held the two from falling. Slowly the three lifted and pulled Airstorm out then Archistrategos behind. They paused in the hallway now, all near turrets disabled, and saw each other’s faces in the Brightsoul’s glow.
Airstorm spoke through the pain, “So... traitorous Predacon... this is the power you think can restore our world. When your forces began rolling through ours we thought the Matrix was a ploy just to start a slaughter.” He laughed. “Now we find the Matrix is real and the whole renewed War is the ploy!” They all laughed at the horrible irony, even those who instigated the false conflict. After a further pause, Ghost and Zadakiel stitched their wounded commanders together so their circuits and fluids would keep themselves on the inside and began again, slowly now, making their way out.
Taking each corner carefully now, they used cover fire, debris from their rampage, and blitzing speed to make it through the remaining halls. Mere cycles later the four emerged in the center of the stone courtyard, again on top of the central building’s roof, and found the brilliant white and blue light emanating from between the stones. Zadakiel, Brightsoul still in hand, transformed to take in the tranquility of the scene with two normal optics. The scene was amazing surrounded by the light.
Distracted by the brilliance of energon they heard the whine of the falling shells too late.
Tomb of the Brightsoul Matrix, Courtyard OutskirtsBithckrieg had been joined by Redlock and had transmitted their location and intentions to Exitium, not Predacon, command. Waiting in the debris of a fallen skyscraper that reached deep into the courtyard the two were prepared to win this war now and claim the recovered Brightsoul. The ground below them had begun glowing white and blue through the cracks in the stone surface. Most brilliantly at the courtyard center as the more consistent gaps in the smaller stones shone so much more light through; a pillar of light had pushed itself high into the clouds above from around the central building.
Redlock sniffed and questioned the ground as it glowed, stepping as lightly as the behemoth could over and around the cracks. “No trust funny lights...,” sniffing them again, “they not from anything yummy...”
Bitchkrieg was amused by her companion, but concerned greatly by this change. She wanted the Brightsoul desperately now, knowing it could have such raw power, but knowing it was in her adversary’s hands only meant they could use it against her. Processing through options and knowing where the traitors and Maximals had entered the central building she concluded an immediate bombardment on their reemergence was critical.
Cycles passed granting ample time to calculate trajectory on multiple shells. Then the four emerged. Redlock began pacing, waiting for orders to go forward, as Bitchkrieg let fly her bombardment. At the fifth shell launched she rolled forward. “Come Redlock! We go hunting!”
Tomb of the Brightsoul Matrix, Courtyard Center“Look out!” was cried too late as shell after shell demolished the central building. The four attempted to retreat off the top. Zadakiel, distracted most by the change in his home, was caught dead in the chest by a falling shell as the other three scrambled off. On impact he and the Brightsoul here hurled back. From the point of impact a wave of energon rippled out over the courtyard blinding all present. The wave continued out through the Wastes and the spire of light erupted as a bright beacon. All in the Wastes witnessed the brilliance – and from that moment all things changed.
The Maximals came to Zadakiel’s aide and found him struggling to his two feet, sparks flying from his chest; he transformed to his beast form and clutched the Brightsoul. They all saw that it missing a shard from its core. Archistrategos came to his warrior’s side, and seeing the gash in the Brightsoul’s core, scattered with the Maximals to recover the missing piece.
More shells fell from Bitchkrieg’s persistent cannon as Redlock emerged from around the fallen building side charging his fellow Predacons, roaring “Traitors!” The Maximals found the glowing shard splintered off near the rubble of the building but were cutoff from returning to their Predacon pack mates by the bombardment. Archistrategos met Redlock head on, locking his claw into Redlock’s gaping mouth, and barked orders for retreat.
Zadakiel limped away but the Maximals were still cutoff from rejoining; they fled North, deciding the alliance had served its purpose. They were armed with the next step from the datapad the Predacons had shared and would let Maximal command decide the next step. Ghostbusters fumbled with the pad as they fled, ensuring it was undamaged and quickly downloaded its contents. An aerial explosion though knocked it from his hands onto the stones below.
As three of the targets ran out of her range Bitchkrieg took notice of the falling object from the Maximals and rolled to its recovery. She recovered the pad and turned her attention to the remaining conflict – Redlock and Archistrategos. She rolled quickly to engage and apply her rage to at least one traitor but the very ground halted her approach. The escaping power of the Brightsoul was not yet finished with its tomb.
The very boulders and stones of the courtyard began levitating, revealing metal underbellies and hidden auto-guns and turrets. Archistrategos and Redlock disengaged and the traitorous Predacon immediately ran over the uneven terrain toward his ally ignoring the fact that their Maximal compatriots had gone another direction. Redlock rejoined his teammate as the two were bombarded by fire and explosions.
Tomb of the Brightsoul Matrix, Courtyard Outskirts“Slag!” Bitckrieg yelled into the Exetium comm-link as she and Redlock escaped the defenses. They reached the courtyard’s outskirts and continued deeper into the unlit debris to seek cover. A kilometer in they turned, no longer receiving fire, and saw the glow of the courtyard fade back to dull grey; they saw no more floating adversaries or fleeing enemies. Bitckrieg again cursed.
“Exetium! We have a problem,” she bellowed into the link. “Mobile all Predacon forces to the North-West of the Wastes; Armageddon’s Hollow is the convergence point.” Redlock only heard the one side of the conversation as Bitchkrieg reviewed the recovered datapad and relayed the commands. “No! I did not fail. If I had failed we would have nothing to go on. Armageddon’s Hollow, where Megatron fell with Prime, is where our traitorous Predacon friends intend to go next. There we’ll see who fails!”
