by Henry921 » Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:44 am
- Motto: "All I have to be is exceptional."
- Weapon: Battle Blades
Summary: Seeking to rebuild his empire, Scorponok launches an assault on Luna 1 to seize an army of sparks for his future conquests.
Author's Note: This story takes place in current IDW continuity, following the events of MTMTE #21, and concurrently with Dark Cybertron. Be advised that there are spoilers regarding events following the 'Remain in the Light' arc.
Prologue
The one universal constant, my only certainty... is change.
"Where do you think you can crawl to?"
I was once a king. More, even than that, I was a symbol of power. I was what all Cybertronians should be.
"There's no escape from the reckoning, Scorponok."
Megatron fell in battle. I took my rightful place at the helm of his Decepticons, and punished him for his weakness.
And then he returned. He brought his friends with him.
"Now you may feed. But leave enough of him intact his pain centers continue to function."
The Terrorcons ripped me apart. The pain seared my cerebral cortex with endless jolts. The sight of the other Decepticon soldiers, watching my ignominious defeat, burned in my memory even brighter.
I fled. I searched, over and over, for the weapon that would make me stronger than Megatron. Megatron hadn't even bothered to send the DJD after me; what need had they to chase down a failure, when no Decepticon would ever follow him again?
-
"Lord Scorponok," the helmsman chimed in. "We've found a refueling station, mostly intact."
Scorponok mused in his command chair. "Where?"
"Drawing up astro-navigation," the helmsman replied, fumbling the controls a bit with his claws. "Temptoria, in the Argon Nebulae. The capital city of Sensenica was being used as a pink alchemy depot."
Pink alchemy. An inefficient process... but any suitable energon substitute would suffice. "Bring us in, Windrazor. Keep the weapons systems online and get me a visual."
"Lord Scorponok?" Twinstrike approached from his left. "Encrypted communication coming in."
"Point of origin?" Scorponok asked.
Twinstrike consulted his datapad. "Coming right at us."
Scorponok allowed himself a smirk. "Phase Sixers always have to make an entrance..."
-
"Dante, are you ready?"
"More than you could say. I have a whole new lease on life."
To conceal myself from Autobot and Decepticon alike, I left no evidence of my actions. Yet Ultra Magnus had left me wounded, as vulnerable as I had been after my defeat at Megatron's hand.
But I survived. I escaped. I continued.
Because I am strong. Because I can.
"As soon shall I. This pitiful existence will be tolerated no longer."
I made a pact with Abraham Dante. I made him wealthy on his planet, and he gave me my army and resources. I would have a planet rich with energon and a myriad of alternatives for substitutes. I would oust Megatron and the Autobots and forge a new Decepticon empire in fertile ground.
All I needed was time.
-
Scorponok lifted from his command chair and stood. His two subordinates cowered, rightfully terrified of his presence.
"Open the cargo airlock and allow the unidentified vessel to enter," Scorponok instructed. "Maintain your heading to Temptoria in my absence."
"Yes, Lord Scorponok."
He had been fortunate. Two Decepticons, left aimless following Megatron's defeat on Earth, had brought their ship right to him, searching for survivors in the barren wastes around G-9. They offered their assistance. Scorponok turned that offer to complete submission, and a display of his titanic power served as a statement of purpose.
Scorponok stepped to the edge of the port side of his small vessel. It was hardly ideal transport, but it was fuel efficient and inconspicuous, and enough to serve as his personal ship.
His new guest, however, was quite a bit taller. He barely squeezed in through the airlock, his bulky frame towering over even the mighty Scorponok.
"Welcome, Sixshot," Scorponok greeted. "I trust you have it?"
Sixshot glared at him. "I do not fail."
"Yes, I know," Scorponok smirked. "That's what I like best about you. But to business- do you have it?"
Sixshot reached back in the airlock behind him, dragging another heavy metal frame. "It was mostly intact. The scientist Jetfire had to leave in a hurry*, it seems... though it was designed for only one brain module at a time."
"I'll handle the modifications," Scorponok answered simply. "One subsumed by my will... no one will ever again go astray."
"A shame you'll have to remove the nega-core from my cortex," Sixshot replied, gaining some confidence. "You won't have any way to keep your weapon in line."
"Are you challenging me, Sixshot?" Scorponok asked. "I thought you'd learned your lesson."
Even though it was impractical to battle such a powerful combatant in a confined space, Scorponok could not quite conceal his taste for it. Years of isolation and torture had left him spoiling, hungering for a fight.
"Not today," Sixshot replied simply, resuming his composure. His face mask betrayed no emotion, no desire for battle.
"Good," Scorponok answered. "Then join us for planetfall."
"Yes, Scorponok."
Scorponok turned his back to him, leaving himself vulnerable as he dragged the axis cradle away. "Lord Scorponok."
Sixshot could barely stomach the words. His struggle to speak, combined with his impotence in the present situation only made Scorponok savor the moment more. "...Lord...Scorponok."
-
"My empire lies in ruins- because of you! But there's always revenge... sweet, langorous revenge."
"Yes! But it shall be mine."
The Dinobots had destroyed his Machination Empire, shattering my plans for Earth and conquest in a single attack. And now Shockwave interceded?!
I could not focus on the pragmatic. There was only revenge. Only rage.
I let instinct take over, and remembered my original training under the Decepticon banner. Remembered the credo: no one gets out alive.
But Shockwave... his persistence... my hatred of Grimlock and his mand subsided, when that self righteous senator began his attack. I would have his head!
"Vengeance? What do YOU know of vengeance, Shockwave? I always thought such emotional vagaries were alien to you."
"I learned. Evolved. A new subroutine, birthed in combat..."
He struck, with that powerful blaster of his. Whatever flaws Shockwave possessed, I could not deny there were moments he proved he was a warrior.
"...forged in fire."
-
Sensenica, Temptoria
Scorponok pointed at the remnants of the pink alchemy processor. "The dead are to be scavenged. If any still function, bring them before me."
Scorponok turned his claw to Sixshot. "You're more mobile than the others. Bring the remaining fuel stocks into the ship."
Such basic duties would offend even rank-and-file Decepticons. Making a warrior elite perform menial tasks only further enraged Sixshot, further goaded him towards rebellion.
Rebellion Scorponok could end with the flick of a switch.
Sixshot grunted and complied, stepping into the facility and beginning transport. Twinstrike returned first, in his beast mode, carrying a cassetticon and another beastformer in each mouth.
"These two are in stasis lock, my Lord," Twinstrike stated after spitting each to the ground. The cassetticon transformed into some bipedal theropod creature, and the larger beastformer was some unrecognizable monster, leaking lubricants from places where he wasn't wounded.
Almost like...
"Blot?" Scorponok wondered, lifting the beast with one claw. But on closer inspection... no, not Blot.
Blot had ripped out his fuel pump. Scorponok could not forget his mouth after that. This one resembled Blot... closely resembled.
But then, Windrazor and Twinstrike bore uncanny resemblance to two other members of the Terrorcons. Ordering them around had been quite therapeutic; helped his rage to subside.
And he was in need of new soldiers...
Scorponok turned to the cassetticon. Overkill. A vicious fighter, despite his small size. He had no ambitions but slaughtering whatever stood in his path.
Perfect.
"Any others?" Scorponok asked.
"Lord Scorponok?" came Windrazor on his communicator. "I've found a few conscious on the northern side of the facility."
Scorponok turned on his commlink. "Bring them before me. I'll offer them the usual choice."
-
Defeat. Again.
At the hands of Shockwave?
Impossible...
"I am... more powerful than you... I...will..."
"Yield."
A cannon in my face.
Death, right before my optics.
Again.
"At this distance, a focused ion blast will penetrate even your armor plating. The creature at the heart of you will perish. As I have no overriding imperative to truncate your existence, it would be logical to stand down your weapons systems immediately."
Abraham Dante felt pain. Fear. Whatever asset he'd been in battle before, now his weaknesses stood out. He'd lived all his life in comfort and safety, even when battling alongside Scorponok. Now... now he begged for his life. His fear was my fear. His weakness... my weakness.
Glorious death in battle, like a gladiator, or another defeat... a defeat from a calculator who never shut up.
"As you say... logical..."
Decepticons did not show mercy. Shockwave allowed me to live because I was outside of his plans. He cared for nothing, only that I was removed from his path.
I dragged myself up. Felt Dante's relief. Tried to shut out the feeling.
"I assume you have an exit strategy."
"Of course."
"Then USE it."
Grimlock wanted to continue. If nothing else, I could deny him the satisfaction. I could lick my wounds, as I had before.
Lick my wounds and start again.
-
Scorponok stepped to Windrazor's side, Twinstrike following at his heels. He stood over three survivors... one flier he could not recognize, and two beastformers he could never forget.
"Hello, Hun-Gar," Scorponok gloated, standing over the gluttonous Terrorcon commander. "Bad day?"
"Get fragged, Scorponok," he answered defiantly.
Lying beside him was Rippersnapper, unconscious. The flier was awake, watching events carefully.
"Defiant to the end?" Scorponok asked. "Good." He looked around, taking in the sight of the broken down, battle-scarred facility. "You were in command here?"
"Jointly," Hun-Gar answered. "Snaptrap was taken by the Autobots."
"Autobots?" Scorponok repeated. "So, you were defeated, then?" He laughed. "How the mighty have fallen..."
"Give me the opportunity to recharge, Scorponok, and I'll show you how mighty I can be..." Hun-Gar assured him.
The flier beside him quickly tried to interrupt. "Please... Scorponok? We're grateful for your help-"
"Shut up, Tailwind," Hun-Gar snapped. "Meet your end with dignity."
"End?!" Tailwind squeaked. "Please, Scorponok... I may have been cut**, but I still function! I can be of use to you!"
"Really?" Scorponok asked, still looking down at Hun-Gar. "Have you killed any of the Autobots your commander here failed to stop?"
"I... no..."
"No?" Scorponok repeated. "So you were defeated. You failed."
"I... uh..."
Scorponok lifted his left hand, each pincer on either side of Tailwind's head. "Pity."
He squeezed, and the flier said no more.
Hun-Gar continued to look up at Scorponok. "I won't give you the satisfaction."
"Oh, but you will," Scorponok assured him, turning his attention to the unconscious Rippersnapper. "Because it's not you I'll make example of next..."
-
Captured. Imprisoned.
Worse than death; left in the Autobots' hands, forced to endure their pontification and the stigma of being a prisoner of war.
But that torment was not his only one.
Denied the mercy of spark extraction, I rotted in my cell... while Abraham Dante rotted away.
"So thirsty..."
I had endured long stretches without fuel before. I'd stubbornly refused to let it get to him.
Yet here, Abraham Dante's suffering became my own. His final moments became my own.
Garrus-9 had no provisions for humans. No methods for their survival. Even connected to my life support systems, not all his needs could be met.
He withered away, slowly... and I felt each moment of his torment. Our torment.
I clawed at the walls. I wailed for help. I debased myself, begging the Autobots for mercy. Begging for help... for anything at all.
"Please..."
"Please..."
"...help me."
Abraham Dante had never gone without. His wealth had protected him.
Now he was dying alone, imprisoned, light years from his home planet.
"This is all your fault, Scorponok."
I did not pity him. I did not share his weakness. He was a means to an end.
But I felt his fear. His pain. My pact had come due.
Abraham Dante died, in the thrall of torment. I fell against the cell wall, immobile.
I died too.
-
Scorponok hoisted Rippersnapper in the air, holding him with both claws.
"I remember you Terrorcons being fierce hunters," Scorponok noted, Hun-Gar forced to watch. "Think all those trips to the far corners of the galaxy made you strong enough to hold together?"
He began to pull.
"Or do you break, like any other weak bot?"
Hun-Gar watched, trying to maintain his composure. Trying not to yield.
Remembering.
Hun-Gar fell to the ground, keeping his head low. "Please..."
"Please WHAT?" Scorponok demanded.
"Please, don't kill him, Scorponok..."
"Lord Scorponok."
Hun-Gar had stood before him and refused to acknowledge his command. Hun-Gar had once had Scorponok at his mercy, only reigning himself in at Megatron's order.
Scorponok would savor every moment of watching him beg on bended knee.
"Lord...Scorponok..."
Scorponok smiled and tossed Rippersnapper to the ground. "Excellent. I'll see that you and your Terrorcon friend are repaired."
"Why?" Hun-Gar asked.
"I have uses for you," Scorponok answered simply. "Letting you live to follow my every whim... that is a revenge I could scarcely have hoped for."
Scorponok pointed his right hand at Hun-Gar. "But hesitate in following even my simplest order... defy me even once, and I will kill every last one of your subordinates. To remind you of your place.
"To remind you who the strongest among us truly is."
-
Discarded. Left in the cell, immobile.
Left in darkness and death.
But I could not die. I was stronger than those who held me captive. Stronger than those who'd bested me.
I was a survivor. An example of what a Cybertronian should be.
Even death was not enough to stop me.
I would erase the shame of defeat, by scorching every last Cybertronian who remembered it.
And from their ashes, my empire would rise again.
I clenched my claw and lifted myself up.
Even death was not enough to stop me.
-
Windrazor and Twinstrike dragged Hun-Gar and his subordinates aboard, tossing them into one of the available CR*** tanks. Sixshot loaded the remaining fuel stock into the cargo bay.
Scorponok took his seat at the command chair, looking over his three subordinates.
"Resume your posts," Scorponok instructed. "And give me a new heading."
A phase sixer at his beck and call, a ship, a modest supply of fuel... and now, the next step in his grand design.
The axis cradle recovered from Jetfire, and now... the perfect test subjects for it.
A new empire was forming, with the lessons of the past fresh in his mind.
"There's no escape from the reckoning, Scorponok."
No, there was no escape. But there was a response.
To overcome. To be stronger.
And that, Scorponok had done.
The plan was in motion. All that remained was to find a staging ground.
And then his new Decepticon empire could be born.
-
* Transformers: Revelation
**More Than Meets the Eye #12: Before and After
*** Cryogenic Restoration
Last edited by
Henry921 on Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.