#transformers sunbow

By Jim Sorenson

Way back when transformers was first starting out with the Sunbow G1 comics, Bumblebee wasn't the sunshine child character who was part of the main cast. In the character profiles Bumblebee function was put as Espionage, meaning Bumblebee was a part of either the Spec Ops or as an spy(agent), or both. However, when the T.V. series of transformers was created and aired Bumblebee was put in the main cast by him having a friendship with Spike, making him popular with kids.

And since, Hasbro focuses on toy sales, Bumblebee who was the more friendly and sunshine character in the G1 T.V. series led to them having that role be the basis for Bumblebee's character.

I admit, since the Sunbow comics came out a long time ago, I don't have the full on stories. However, forums discussing and going over the comic issues have helped. In fact, while yes Bumblebee does have some issues regarding whether the team needs him, he is actually really cunning, and as one forum put it manipulative.

There were several moments in which Bumblebee and then as Goldbug showed this. Using the "Cute little autobot" act to his advantage. Such as when he exploited Blaster who wanted to get even with Grimlock. Or that time in UK "Victory" when he had shamed a broken Ultra magnus to the point that Ultra was pushed to fight Galvatron again.

Really, Bumblebee character should be one that is always wearing a mask, putting on an act, and in the background. Still having that curiosity, Courage, and need to prove himself to his fellows. However, Bumblebee character acted like they were in their 30's which suits them, not a late teenager, or type of Hot Rod/Shot character.

Bumblebee character isn't a kid. Nor is he Optimus prime's child. The characters that fit that role would be Hot Rod or Hot Shot.

Also, Bumblebee is supposed to be one of the shortest and weakest characters. Seeing a lot of the more recent continuities give the character a bigger size and alt mode, seeing tfp Bumblebee be taller than Acree had me going "wait what!?" It makes more sense for Bumblebee to be the motorcycle and Acree as the car.

Carzap w/ G.B.Blackrock

Function : Forward Patrol

“ Think of tomorrow’s victories before today’s failures ! “

A young warrior born from the G2 Project started on Earth. Because he was created in the Blackrock Corporations’s “ Block Town “ unit of the Japanese Tsukuba Laboratory, he holds a deep affinity for the culture of Japan. Carzap’s outlook on life was greatly affected by his fascination with races at the nearby Dia Speedway but he is by no means brash : to him, life is much like the loop of a racetrack. Even if he misses one opportunity, he remains optimistic that given time, the chance will present itself once again

His ability gained from Forestonite allows him to multiply the speed of his mental circuits by 6 for a period of just one minute. With this power he refers to as “ Phase 6 “, he can calmly judge the flow of battle and take the appropriate counter-action. He holds a great deal of respect for his new group leader Autobot Rapido, who combines a kind exterior with a coolly-plotting mind but Carzap’s Japanese-influenced English often results in miscommunication between them. On the racetrack, his agility has earned him the nickname “ Ame-no-habakiri “ and he likes to invoke his Japanese heritage by claiming he has “ the speed of a shinobi “

Strength - 4, Intelligence - 7, Speed - 10+, Endurance - 6, Rank - 5, Courage - 8, Fireblast - 5, Skill - 10. Total : 55+

Nacelle

Function : Aero-Engineer

“ Blasting you is as cathartic as streamlining one’s fuselage “

Nacelle is almost as much at home on the battlefield as he was back in his old laboratory at Tesarus. He has a keen mind for the sciences having worked alongside Bitstream and Hotlink under Starscream’s Helex-Yuss Decepticon Research & Development team. Upon the Nemesis’s departure to Earth, he was assigned as a lab assistant to Shockwave. During that time Nacelle engineered the modified wing designs used for the second wave of Earthbound Seekers, eventually adapting one of the prototypes into his own chassis. Due to his longing to return to his laboratory work, Nacelle can become absent-minded in the midst of battle. Nacelle’s overall effectiveness however outweighs any liability he may cause. He can fly at speeds up to Mach 2.7 and his high-powered turbines can double his speed for up to 1 minute

Strength - 5, Intelligence - 9, Speed - 8, Endurance - 4, Rank - 5, Courage - 7, Fireblast - 4, Skill - 8. Total : 50

Serpent O.R

Function : Tactician

“ I remember crossing the Alps on Elephant-back, outflanking the Maginot Line and marching ‘cross the Rubicon. What hopes then have mine enemies ? “

After his encounter with four Autobots rekindled his lust for domination, a washed-out terrorist tracked down the discarded body of a Sweep and used it as a recipient for data from an old Cobra project to combine the military acumen from the greatest strategic minds of Earth’s past. The E.D.C disrupted the operation but in the process General Clayton “ Hawk “ Abernathy was knocked into a Brainwave Scanner and his personality uploaded to the amalgamated consciousness. The result is a being who, normally, identifies with Cobra and their occasional allies, the Decepticons, and yet finds himself sympathetic to the cause of the Earth Defense Command, which he remembers founding and leading. This dissonance hampers his otherwise brilliant tactical mind but even his divided processor is capable of generating ruthless, inventive plans of incredible subtlety. Carries a twin-barreled “ Strike “ attack gun and a laser-powered heat ray, capable of instantly heating any metal to 3200 centigrade

Strength - 7, Intelligence - 10, Speed - 8, Endurance - 7, Rank - 9, Courage - 10, Fireblast - 7, Skill - 9. Total : 67

Tarantulas w/ Arachnoids

Function : Scientific Analysis

“ The secrets of the universe are coded in every Cybertronian’s Spark...and I won’t stop cutting until I find them ! “

Predacon Tarantulas is a being without a history. In his rush to remove Jhiaxus’ clones from his laboratory before the Autobots discovered its location, Sky-Byte mistakenly extracted four stasis pods of unknown origin. The emergent robots immediately declared for the Predacon cause, some might say suspiciously quickly. Of the four robots, Tarantulas has since discovered an endless fascination with experimental science, especially seeking any opportunity for vivisection. Rumors persist that he engages in cannibalistic practices with the mech-fluids he extracts from his hapless victims. His knowledge of cyber-anatomy is unparalleled and has enabled him to create a variety of tools and inventions, including his Arachnoid minions. Converts to a motorcycle for short bursts of great acceleration, though his range is limited. In combat, he likes to hack his opponents to pieces with his nuclo-titanium axe, the more messy, the better

Strength - 6, Intelligence - 10, Speed - 7, Endurance - 4, Rank - 5, Courage - 6, Firepower - 6, Skill - 9. Total : 53

Starscream

Function : Air Commander

“ I’ve conquered death ; nothing is beyond my grasp ! “

After floating aimlessly for what seemed like eons, the indestructible Spark of Starscream awakened in a new corporeal form. His solitude did nothing to temper his treachery or vanity as he’s only become more unbearable and cruel. These are traits he feels will be put to good use in this new time and place

Starscream is just as proficient in aerial and hand-to-hand combat as ever and uses his null-rays to disrupt the flow of electricity in his victims. His alternate mode – despite looking archaic – is capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 4.5. Even with his new strengths and speed, Starscream is well-aware that his new body is not as invulnerable as his eternal Spark. This can sometimes lead to him hesitating to take risks that he wouldn’t have before

Strength - 7, Intelligence - 9, Speed - 10, Endurance - 7, Rank - 9, Courage - 6, Fireblast - 8, Skill - 8. Total : 64

Krok w/ Gatoraider

Function : Agitprop

“ Know the game and you can win a battle, know the players and you can win the war “

Millions of years ago, Krok was a celebrity mecha-soccer player, leading Polyhex City to championship after championship. After he was recruited by Megatron, his sophisticated demeanor and easy charisma made for a smooth transition from endorsing products to advocating for the Decepticon cause. Believes that a few powerful personalities can do more to win a war than a battalion of Blitz Engines. Though he was a formidable presence on the pitch, is gun-shy during actual combat and prefers to maintain his distance in his stealth bomber configuration. If forced into hand-to-hand combat, his legs are powerful enough to kick an opponent into orbit or topple a building with a single stomp. His partner, Gatoraider, is a techno-suchus synthesis whose 37,000-PSI bite can snap through solid tritanium

Strength - 8, Intelligence - 8, Speed - 6, Endurance - 10, Rank - 7, Courage - 4, Fireblast - 7, Skill - 8. Total : 58

Nightracer w/ Shakar

Function : Gunner

“ A good shot is worth more than a big mouth “

Cool, composed and deadly-accurate, Nightracer is quite possibly the best sharpshooter in the Decepticon ranks but she sees no reason to brag about her skill – her results speak for themselves. She can shoot out an Autobot’s optics in pitch darkness from 10 miles away, hit a speeding target the size of a gnat and can drop a selected quarry in a milling crowd while leaving all bystanders unscathed. In vehicle mode she emits rapid-fire twin laser blasts that can shatter nearly any obstacle in her path and her Micron partner, Shakar, can release a flammable chemical to leave an inferno in her wake. On a personal level she shuns the camaraderie of her fellow Decepticons – the lone exception being Shakar who was assigned to her by Megatron. This aloofness is often mistaken for arrogance. In fact she is justifiably her own ability and has no need of outside validation – she feels that interpersonal connections hamper her clarity of thought and action. Despite this outward appearance, her dedication to the Decepticon cause as well as her regard for Megatron’s leadership are beyond question

Art by Christopher Colgin

Story by Jim Sorenson

It was the year 2005. The treacherous Decepticons had conquered the Autobots’ home planet of Cybertron. But, from secret staging grounds on two of Cybertron’s moons, the valiant Autobots prepared to retake their homeworld

As both factions planned their plans and schemed their schemes, a different sort of confrontation was brewing in Maccadam’s Old Oil House. Sideways, dimensional scoundrel extraordinaire, had spilled his oil when bumped from behind. Irked, he turned around, only to spy a mechanoid who did not belong in this region of time / space. That Sideways himself did not belong was neither here nor there ; his optics locked on the rather blocky white-and-blue mech before him. « You’re a bit far from, what is it, the Gargent Cluster ? » - he asked

The boxy mech arched a mechanical brow, his face more expressive than most Cybertronians could manage. But then, he wasn’t Cybertronian, was he ? - « One could say the same about you, hehehehe. You’re from, what, Level 44...oh, I’m sorry, you prefer to call it the Viron Cluster, don’t you ? »

Sideways smirked - « I admit nothing », but the tension was broken. The two pulled up stools and began to talk shop, under the wary eye of the mustachioed blue bartender. It soon became apparent that both were slumming it in this Primax reality, waiting for an opportunity for mischief. Gong, as the Gargent-native called himself, soon began boasting about how well the natives of his timestream would deal with the upcoming challenge. Sideways scoffed, but Gong was undeterred - « Care to make it interesting ? ». Soon they settled on an amount and the parameters of the contest. They would synch the Primax stream they were inhabiting with a Gargent stream via Omega Lock manipulation and compare results. Sideways set forth for Gargent 186.0 Gamma and Gong began the trek into Cybertron's interior

The bartender sighed. He had known that Unicron would soon be impacting local space-time but hadn't expected a pair of interlopers to exacerbate the situation. Their actions placed themselves outside of his purview but there was another more suited to the task. He left the bar and folded himself into a lotus position, mentally seeking out the protector of all of space and time

*****

Inside the Autobot command module on Moonbase One, Optimus Prime walked about nervously. The time was close, he only needed a few more days before he could initiate his big push and finally liberate Cybertron from the scourge of Decepticon tyranny - « Ironhide, report to me at once ! »

Ironhide was no more patient than his commander - « Every time I look into a monitor, Prime, my circuits sizzle. When are we gonna start bustin’ Deceptichops ? »

Optimus intended to use that. « I want you to make a special run to Autobot City on Earth--» - Ironhide protested, but Optimus continued - « Listen, Ironhide, we don’t have enough Energon cubes to power a full-scale assault. Ready the shuttle for launch »

As Ironhide transformed and drove towards the shuttle, Optimus turned to his second-in-command for confirmation that it was safe to launch. Jazz affirmed that there was no Decepticon activity, then checked in with Moonbase Two. Bumblebee and Spike gave the all clear, so Optimus ordered a countdown. As the ship blasted into the void, Optimus reassured his men - « Now, all we need is a little Energon and a lot of luck »

Unbeknown to him, Laserbeak has observed the entire exchange. The Decepticon spy launched into the endless night, bound for Megatron

*****

Deep in the core of Cybertron, Gong stretched forth his senses, connecting to the Omega Locks that kept Cybertron’s place in the cosmos stable. He mused on Cybertron’s unique nature, a stable axis upon which a universe spun. No wonder Unicron in all its incarnations sought its destruction. Gong favored no such carnage, merely seeking mischief. He found the frequency at which the one-dimensional strings that make up all of this particular reality vibrate, then, ever so gently, he nudged them towards that of his home dimension. The change would be invisible to the natives. As far as they were concerned, the conjoined reality would be their history, their reality. He giggled to himself, wondering what changes were taking place on the surface of Cybertron and beyond

*****

Unseen by all, unfelt by all, the universe wavered and a new history imprinted itself on all inhabitants. The war between Renegade and Autobot was at a critical turning point and Cy-Kill hoped his spy’s mission would prove fruitful

Fitor peered out into the Cybertronian gloom, the two Autobot moons an ominous dagger pointed at his lordship’s accomplishments. He spied the flare of a returning jet, then smiled - « Snoop returns, Cy-Kill »

A smirk filled Cy-Kill’s face. « Welcome, Snoop ! » - he glanced pointedly at Zero - « So nice to have warriors I can actually rely upon ». Zero looked hurt at the barb, but quickly covered it up

The gentle whir of Snoop’s conversion filled the base as she landed with aplomb. « I aim to please » - she flipped a cartridge to Cop-Tur - « Hey, rotor-boy, play this »

His claws nearly missed and he fumbled with the cartridge for a moment before catching it - « Oooo-kaaaaay »

Cy-Kill’s frown at his subordinate’s clumsiness soon turned to undisguised glee as he watched Optimus Prime order a shuttle to Earth. As the Autobot muttered about needing luck, Cy-Kill gave a huge laugh - « More than you imagine, Optimus Prime ! ». The rest of the Renegades joined him

*****

Onboard the Autobot Command Center, Ironhide and his crew manned the instruments as they made their way to Earth. Suddenly, it shuddered and a huge hole was blown in the side of the ship. Brawn was the first to react as Cy-Kill mangled his way onto their ship - « Cy-Kill...RENEGADES ! »

« Let’s finally put an end to this tired dance ! » - energy flared as Cy-Kill's fist shot a bolt of energy directly into Brawn’s shoulder, toppling him. Cy-Kill aimed at the remaining three Autobots, his fist swaying back and forth as they took what minimal cover they could from their chairs. Renegades poured into the ship : Sky-Jack, Zero, Twin Spin, Gunnyr and Blades

Prowl made his move, standing up and firing an acid pellet without aiming. It whizzed by Twin Spin’s face, who took aim and unleashed a blast that caught Prowl directly in his throat. Flames poured out of his mouth as his eyes dimmed

The remaining Autobots made their last stand, firing blast after blast at the Renegade intruders. Cy-Kill and his five Renegades took the occasional glancing blow, but their superiority in numbers and position proved overwhelming. Shot after shot rocked Ironhide and Ratchet, and they soon fell. As they did, Slicks, Psycho, Crasher and Cop-Tur flew in and took their seats at the Command Center’s controls

Cy-Kill surveyed the scene. « This was almost too easy, Zero » - he noted

His sub-commander looked upon the bodies with disdain - « Much easier, almighty Cy-Kill, than attacking the real threat. The Autobots’ Moonbase ! »

A deep laugh was Cy-Kill’s answer. « Don’t be such a wet blanket, Zero. When we slip by their early warning systems in their own Command Center and destroy Autobot City, the Autobots will be vanquished forever ! » - his triumph was interrupted, momentarily, by the dying Ironhide attempting feebly grapple with Cy-Kill’s boot. Cy-Kill just shook his head with contempt - « Such Autobot idiocy. Crasher, lock him in the hold. I may yet have use of him »

*****

At an idyllic lakeside just outside of Autobot City, Hot Rod and Nick Burns sat fishing. Nick had a dejected look on his face, though Hot Rod was as enthusiastic as ever - « Fish are jumping today, eh, Nick ? »

Nick sighed - « I guess so ». He looked up, seeing the Autobot’s optics wide with concern

« Hey, what’s the matter ? »

Human and Autobot sat side-by-side. They’d known each other a long time. Nick fidgeted a moment longer, then gave in - « I guess I just miss Matt and Anya. I’m not used to staying behind »

The red Autobot nodded with understanding - « Hey, don’t worry, those two will be back soon--oh, hey, I caught something ! ». Indeed, the line had gone taut. Hot Rod reeled him in with steel sinews and hydraulic musculature

His consternation forgotten, Nick admired the catch. It was enormous, at least a foot long - « Wow, that’s quite the catch ! »

Hot Rod nodded in agreement, although the fish was miniscule compared to his missive metal frame - « Yup, it’s a whopper all right »

A beeping noise interrupted their exchange. Nick pulled a scanner from his pocket - « Oh, hey, the Command Center’s coming down. Wanna watch it land ? »

The Autobot considered for a moment. « Sure, why not ? » - he tossed the fish back into the lake and converted to his Cybertronian sports car configuration - « Hop in ! »

The pair rode back towards the city, only narrowly avoiding a roadblock being erected by Kup when Nick warned Hot Rod to dodge around it. To the top of Lookout Mountain they ride, Nick eagerly hopping out of Hot Rod as he skids to a stop near a high-tech pair of binoculars. The human’s excitement quickly turned to icy fear - « Hot Rod, look, there’s a hole in the ship ! »

A magnification package slid over Hot Rod's optics, confirming what he was starting to fear - « Renegades ! ». He began to open fire, aiming for the hole in the Command Center and catching Zero off-guard

From below, Kup looked up at Hot Rod blasting into the ship. « What’s that darn fool doin’ ? » - he wondered, but soon his question was answered. A hit on the Command Center’s engines prompted Cy-Kill to fly out and begin his assault on Autobot City before he was quite inside the city’s defensive envelope

The Renegade commander beckoned with his arm theatrically - « Come, comrades, now is the time. Our assault commences ! ». Renegades spilled forth from the smoking vessel, firing blasters at Autobot City. Two turned their attention to the Autobot who had spotted them, Destroyer and Fly Trap

Destroyer landed with a heavy thud and raised his fists at Hot Rod - « Come on down, ya mug ! ». He fired, damaging the platform and sending Hot Rod and Nick into freefall. Hot Rod caught Nick and landed, squarely in Destroyer’s sights. The Renegade converted to his tank mode and took aim...only for Kup to leap onto his turret and yank the Renegade’s barrel aside. Destroyer’s shot caught Fly Trap and the damaged mech collided with Destroyer’s tank mode, flipping it over

Hot Rod was impressed - « Not bad for an old-timer ! »

Kup was not amused - « Old-timer ? That’s something you’ll never be if you don’t get back to the city »

At that moment, Stallion flew overhead, strafing them both and causing them to dive for cover - « Save it, Kup ! Let’s burn rubber ! ». Both Autobots converted to their car modes and made haste for the city

*****

Inside the city, Perceptor converted to his microscope configuration to get a better look at the oncoming horde of Renegades. It wasn’t good...it appeared that Cy-Kill had brought nearly 40 of his troops with him on the assault. The scientist switched back to his humanoid form, spied Ultra Magnus and ran to the City Commander - « Ultra Magnus ! A cursory evaluation of Renegade capabilities indicates a distinct tactical deficiency »

The commander clearly didn’t have time to decode all that - « In other words, Perceptor ? »

Springer got there first - « We’re outnumbered ! ». He raised his arm and fired off a shot at Water Walk, zooming by overhead and firing wildly. The shot went wide and the Autobots were forced to dive for cover

The Autobots rallied under an awning and Ultra Magnus took command - « Springer, you and Arcee transform Autobot City. Perceptor, tell Blaster to radio Prime for reinforcements ». Blurr babbled something about wanting to help and Magnus told him to help alert the rest of the Autobots

Springer grabbed Arcee’s hand, hurrying her towards the transformation circuitry - « Come on, Arcee, let’s go ! »

She resisted, for a moment - « But Hot Rod and Kup are still outside the city ». She pressed a button on the side of her head and lowered a magnification lens, spying her friends dodging blasts from Stinger

He renewed his effort - « We can’t wait, they’ll have to take care of themselves. Come on ! »

Frantically, they rushed to the controls to initiate the transformation from energy-gathering metropolis to hardened battle fortress. Gears whirred, sprockets turned and the city began to fold in on itself. They rushed to the next station, even as the ground under their feet shifted and reconfigured. Zero caught sight of them and fired several shots, pursuing them into the bowels of the reconfiguring superstructure - « Autobot wimps ! You can’t escape Zero ! ». They ducked into a hatchway as it sealed and he realized that he was about to get caught in the mechanism. He launched himself vertically, but his left foot snagged on a closing panel. He quickly shut off his pain receptors and blasted at the panel, catching his ankle with the backblast but otherwise escaping the city unharmed - « You’ll pay for that »

The city, meanwhile, completed its transformation, Autobot workers scurrying behind massive plates of armor and huge artillery pieces snapping into position. Cy-Kill realized that he had lost the element of surprise, but still had the Autobots off-balance. He fired several blasts into a bulkhead, to little effect. « Screw Head, Crain Brain, Spoons...breach their pathetic excuse for shelter » - he majestically commanded

His Renegades set to their task, with Screw Head drilling through a plate, Crain Brain lifting the debris away with his crane arm and Spoons hauling it away in his forklift mode. « Tote that barge » - began Crain Brain. « Lift that bale ! » - replied Spoons enthusiastically. Just then, a bridge connecting the bulkhead they were attempting to breach with the land beyond the river powering much of the city’s hydroelectric works began to retract and Spoons found himself awkwardly pulled to the other side with it. He converted back to his humanoid mode and tried to catch his balance

Kup and Hot Rod approached the chaos at full speed. « Those Renegades are in our way » - Kup worried

« Wrong » - declared Hot Rod with confidence - « They’re our way in ! ». He slammed into Spoons and, incredibly, used the Renegade as a ramp, jumping the river with ease and even sending Crain Brain tumbling into the river below. Kup, with considerably less aplomb, attempted to duplicate the maneuver, though he crushed Spoons beneath his treads and landed squarely on Screw Head in the process. As the Autobots entered the safety of the fortress, a secondary plate of armor closed the breach

The battle raged in earnest. Renegades swarmed about, utilizing their flight to good advantage and unleashing shot after shot at any Autobot who dared poke his head out from the safety of the city’s ramparts. Spoiler, Decker Decker, Tank, Loco, Stretch, Vain Train and Geeper-Creeper could all be spied flying in, firing a blast, then darting to safety out of the range of the fortress’ guns

Jig Saw flew close to the city’s communication pod, fired a shot, then dodged the response. Inside, Blaster returned fire - « Look out and shout, ow ! ». He noticed Perceptor had climbed into the room - « Hey, Perceptor, what’s shakin’ ? Other than this fortress ? ». Perceptor quickly informed him that he was to call to Cybertron for backup and he complied, converting to his boombox mode and sending a directed tachyon signal to Cybertron - « Optimus Prime, do you read me ? The Renegades are blitzing Autobot City. We’re really takin’ a pounding. Don’t know how much longer we can hold out »

Cy-Kill spied the active tachyon relay - « Dr.Go ! Jam that transmission »

Go nodded. « Jawohl, Herr Cy-Kill » - he turned to the Dread Launchers nearby - « You drei, destroy ze mechanism ! »

Re-Volt, Chaos and Traitor launched at the pod. Chaos and Traitor grabbed the dish and tore it from its mounting, while Re-Volt took aim at the transparent aluminum separating him from Blaster and Perceptor. « Autobot buffoons ! Time to eat beak ! » - he converted to his twin alt-modes, a launcher platform and a mechanical hawk. The hawk pecked at the protective covering several times, making a filigree of cracks. Then the launcher opened fire, blowing a huge hole in the pod. Re-Volt converted back to his humanoid form as he and his two companions leapt into the room. He grabbed Perceptor and put him in a headlock, prompting Traitor to punch the scientist several times

Chaos made a run at Blaster, who initiated a roundhouse kick that sent the Dread Launcher flying. « Not this time, Renegade slime ! » - he touched a button on his chest and Eject, Rewind, Ramhorn and Steeljaw burst forth - « Sic ‘em ! ». Ramhorn charged into Traitor, knocking him to the ground, while Eject and Steeljaw circled Re-Volt, who released Perceptor, eyeing the cassettes warily. Rewind jumped on Chaos as he tried to get to his feet, hanging off the neck of the much larger bot

Perceptor got unsteadily to his feet, adjusting his neck - « Do you think you got through to Prime ? »

Blaster steeled himself to aid his cassette companions - « Let’s hope so. ‘Cuz if I didn’t, we’re all gonna look like burnt out toaster ovens ! »

*****

In another reality, Sideways made his way past Van Guard and Defendor, guarding an entrance to Old GoBotron. It was here, in the most ancient part of the planet, that Sideways would find what he sought. The Omega Locks, ancient artifacts predating the evolution of the Go-Beings, were in reality a small part of the essence of Primus, that ancient – he supposed “ god “ was the only apt descriptor – ancient god who had inhabited their world, subtly guided the GoBeings into the forms they had at present, that they might one day be able to battle the Chaos-Bringer. Sideways had felt this reality’s substrate waver and grow insubstantial as it was tapped by the Primax reality Gong was currently toying with

Well, two could play at that game ! He dodged the ancient, shambling GoBot Wrecks and some pitiful mutants, then entered the chamber and allowed himself to become one with the Locks, intent on disrupting the new reality equilibrium Gong had established - « Time to make things interesting ! »

*****

The uneasy fabric of reality again shifted, as a constant in the distant reality imprinting itself upon this universe flipped a sign. In an instant, the inhabitants became participants in a never-ending struggle between heroic Guardians and evil Decepticons ! A crucial battle raged in that war, one whose fate might determine the fate of their entire reality, though none present knew the stakes were quite so high

It was twilight and the Decepticon attack showed no sign of slowing. Tork, Tri-Trak and Throttle each manned one of three windows, firing down at the Decepticon advance. « We’re getting overrun » - noted Tork morosely

Tri-Trak took aim and fired, winging Dirge - « Don’t let it get you down, Tork. We can hold ! »

In a bunker nearby, Bent Wing and Super Couper took shelter from the onslaught, dragging with them the bodies of Sparky and Professor Von Joy. Super Couper, normally an irreverent prankster, took a moment to mourn his fallen comrades. Bent Wing had no time for it - « Come on, Super Couper, we need to get this Boomer into place. Megatron’s on a rampage and it’s up to us to stop him ! »

At that moment, Tail Pipe and Raizor joined them, with Daniel in tow. « Keep at it, guys » - encouraged Raizor - « The Robo-Rebels are together again ! »

The four of them put their backs into pushing the Boomer into position and even Daniel lent a hand. Bent Wing glanced over at the newcomers - « I was afraid you’d be trapped outside the city »

Tail Pipe gave an exaggerated gulp - « Me too ! »

The damaged Boomer finally slid into position and Daniel climbed a ladder build for being much larger than himself. What he saw filled him with dread. Megatron and a large number of troops had gathered below one of the artillery pieces, including...he counted...all six Constructicons - « Constructicons, merge for the kill ! »

He swiftly called for his Guardian companions. Super Couper got there first - « We’re hosed »

Indeed, the six Constructicons united into the massive form of Devastator and began advancing menacingly upon a Hitch Hiker drone. The drone’s weapons cast about, attempting to get a lock, but the massive Decepticon warrior shattered it effortlessly

Bent Wing rallied the Robo-Rebels - « Come on, Guardians, we can do this ! ». They fired shell after shell into Devastator, knocking him back but causing no real harm. He tore off a huge armored plate from Guardian City and hurtled it at the Rebels, who scattered lest they be destroyed with the Boomer

The battle raged through the night. Though the Guardians fought valiantly, the Decepticon advantage was too great. More than a dozen Guardians fell before Megatron’s remorseless assault. Dirge strafed Dive-Dive ; Astrotrain demolished Apollo ; Starscream obliterated Ace, Royal-T and Spy-Eye ; Soundwave and his cassettes tore Hi-Way apart and blasted Street Heat into oblivion ; Thundercracker and Skywarp cornered Man-O-War and annihilated him ; Ramjet knocked Spay-C out of the air and into Good Knight, leaving both critically injured ; Thrust caught Wrong Way outside of the shelter of the city and threw him into a turbine ; and Megatron himself personally accounted for Beamer, Sky Fly and Guide Star when the neophytes were foolish enough to engage him. When added to the three deaths in the shuttle : Pumper, Hans-Cuff and Dart, with the injured Dumper trapped in the wreckage of the shuttle Megatron had commandeered, the Guardians were down nearly half their total combat strength. It was a dark day indeed

As dawn broke, things seemed hopeless for the Guardians. Megatron smirked, confident in victory. The last of the automated defenses had fallen, leaving Guardian City ripe for plunder. The Guardians’ will had, at long last, been broken and he meant to press his victory - « Their defenses are broken, let the slaughter begin ! »

But he had spoken too soon ; at that moment, a Guardian shuttle from Cybertron arrived, piloted by Leader-1 and Jack Attack. Leader-1 observed the carnage below him with concern ; the biggest threat seemed to be the combined form of the Constructicons - « Bolt, Scratch, Dozer, Staks...form Courageous and cut that Decepticon down to size ! I’m going to deal with Megatron »

The four Guardians donned their Power Suits and exited the craft, alongside Leader-1. They quickly initiated the combination protocol, combining with the shuttle to form the arms and legs of the mighty Courageous. The massive Guardian flew into Devastator and punched him back several steps, but the Decepticon quickly recovered his equilibrium. The titan unleashed a savage blow that sent Courageous reeling, following up with an uppercut that knocked the Guardian combiner to his back. He planted his foot on his stunned adversary and bellowed to the heavens in triumph

Flying above the scene, Leader-1 witnessed the defeat of his combiner and the bodies of his men below. « I’ve got to put a stop to this, now ! » - he vowed. He swooped down, crashing the nose of his F-15 Eagle configuration into Thrust and knocking him aside effortlessly, then bowling Shrapnel over and forcing Blitzwing to dive out of the way

By this point the Decepticons had spotted him and unleashed a fusillade of energy. He summoned his forcefield to deflect it, then converted to his humanoid mode even as one last burst from his jet engines propelled him into the sky. He fired off blast after blast, striking Ramjet, Thundercracker and Soundwave before coming to a landing. Before Kickback or Dirge could react, he mowed them down as well before turning to face Megatron, casting a long shadow in the dawn light

« Leader-1 ! » - exclaimed Megatron

« Your tyranny comes to an end, Megatron » - the Guardian declared

« Why throw away your life so recklessly ? » - inquired the Decepticon

« The only thing I’m throwing away will be the key, after I lock you up for good » - retorted Leader-1

Megatron started to raise his fusion cannon, then checked himself - « No ! I’ll crush you with my bare hands ! ». He leapt at the Guardian and they fell together in a shower of sparks

Tri-Trak rushed to help, with Major Mo close behind him - « Leader-1 needs our help ! ». His mentor shouted after him that this was Leader-1's fight

The silver Guardian hurled Megatron into a wall. Ever adaptive, the Decepticon picked up a sharp piece of debris and hurled it at the Guardian, piercing his side. Tired of the brawling, Megatron lifted his fusion cannon and unleashed its fury, prompting Leader-1 to again activate his forcefield before returning fire from his clenched fists. Megatron was struck dead-center in the chest and hurled back against a wall, his cannon shaken loose and buried in debris. Leader-1 took a moment to pull the chuck of metal from his side, a tactical error that Megatron took advantage of by summoning an Energon saber and striking the wound, causing Leader-1 to back away while clutching his injured side. He nearly stumbled off a ledge but caught himself. Meanwhile, Megatron threw himself into the air and came down, sword first, but incredibly Leader-1 side-stepped the blow and unleashed a savage uppercut, knocking Megatron to the ground. Megatron quickly reversed things with an expertly-timed kick from both feet and then they were grappling

« I’ll rip out your optics » - he growled. Leader-1 worked a hand around Megatron’s neck and threw him to the ground, causing him to skid to a rest next to a pile of debris

Tork and Tri-Trak rushed up. « Great work, Leader-1 ! » - enthused Tork - « Let’s get this villain behind bars »

Leader-1 nodded. « Good call, Tork » - he raised his fists, covering Megatron - « Let’s get some energy cuffs on that blackguard »

For his part, Megatron was not ready to concede defeat. A laser pistol lay on the ground just a few paces in front of him, concealed from Guardian view by the damaged landscape

« No more, Leader-1. I concede defeat. Allow my Decepticons to go honorably into exile » - he crawled forward as he did so, eyes pleading, inching ever closer to the weapon

« Decepticons, honorable ? » - asked Leader-1 - « I’ve fallen for too many of your ruses, Megatron »

Megatron knew he had to act. He snatched the weapon and began to take aim. He hadn’t counted on Tri-Trak, though. The Guardian raised his fists and unleashed twin energy blasts. Megatron instinctively raised his left arm and activated an energy shield, deflecting the bolts into Leader-1. The Guardian leader was pushed back several steps, but still managed to raise his fists. He and Megatron fired simultaneously and energy lanced into Leader-1’s wounds and Megatron’s chest. Megatron fell backwards, off the nearby precipice, bouncing off of the wreckage of the level below before slamming, hard, into the metal ground below. Leader-1 attempted to stay on his feet, but collapsed

Tri-Trak ran to his fallen leader - « Leader-1...I’m sorry ! »

Decepticons gathered around Megatron’s shattered body, energy freely sparking about his wounds. Starscream, dripping with contempt, inquired as to his health, before unleashing a brutal kick to his sovereign. Several Decepticons winced - « Astrotrain, transform and get us out of here »

Megatron looked to his most loyal subordinate, Soundwave and begged him to carry him to safety. Soundwave acknowledge the order and gently, ever so gently, picked up his fallen commander

Astrotrain converted to his train mode, expanding as he did and the Decepticons scrambled aboard, many carrying their damaged brothers. Bent Wing could barely believe it - « The Decepticons are retreating ! »

Tork fired off a blast as they withdrew - « Leader-1 did it. He drove them off »

Art by Christopher Colgin

Story by Jim Sorenson

On GoBotron, in another reality, Vec-Tor played a game of Tadek with Zeemon. The politician’s moves were subtle and his windshield unreadable. Vec-Tor thought he saw what his opponent was driving towards, but it was difficult to be sure. Best to play it safe, he thought and pushed a small stack of tiles into a defensive position

« Ah, Vec-Tor, I’ve already half-beaten you, haven’t I ? »

The Guardian of Space and Time laughed - « I suppose you have, old friend. No one sees all the angles like you do ». They both chuckled, but then the moment was interrupted by Vec-Tor’s chest panel flashing - « Sorry, friend, I need to take this »

Zeemon stood - « Quite all right. Besides, the game is over now anyway ». With that he gently slid a stack of three tiles into the center-north square, causing holographic towers to appear all over the map. He had indeed won

Once Vec-Tor was alone, he pressed his chest - « What is it, brother ? »

« Bad news...you have a dimensional visitor intent on altering Omega Lock frequencies »

Vec-Tor nodded - « Understood. He won’t get far, not on my watch »

Vec-Tor transformed to his GoBotic ship mode and flew off, towards Old GoBotron and the ancient Omega Locks few Guardians or Renegades had ever heard of

*****

Inside the ruins of Guardian City, the Secret Riders and Robo-Rebels gathered around Leader-1. Tail Pipe finished his examination and looked at his companions. They could see it wasn’t good news

« How bad ? » - asked Major Mo

« Bad » - whispered Tail Pipe - « Maybe the Last Engineer could save him, if he were still with us, but I can’t »

Tri-Trak, feeling guilty, stormed out of the room. Tork went to follow him, but Throttle put a hand on his arm - « Let him go, eh ? He needs to work through this himself »

Bent Wing put a hand on Leader-1’s shoulder - « How long does he have, Tail Pipe ? »

Tail Pipe shook his head - « I’m not sure. Honestly, I’m surprised he’s even still with us. There must be something sustaining him that most Guardians don’t have »

Leader-1 weakly raised an arm - « It’s...it’s called the Matrix. The Guardian Matrix of Leadership »

The Guardians were stunned. They had heard of such an artifact, but never seen it. Leader-1 struggled to continue - « Major Mo, I pass command of the Guardian forces to you and with them, the Matrix »

The Major clutched Leader-1’s hand - « If that’s what you think best, Leader-1 »

He coughed, then brought his hands to his cockpit chest - « I do ». The chest cracked open and a blue light spilled forth. The assembled Guardians stepped back instinctively. « It is prophesied that one day, a Guardian shall rise from our ranks and use the power of the Matrix...to light our darkest hour » - he reached into his chest and removed the artifact, handing it to Major Mo. He whispered as he did so - « Until that day...till all are one ». With the Matrix removed from his chest, his vitals began to flatline and the Matrix tumbled from his hand and dropped to the floor. Raizor picked up the crystal and handed it to Major Mo, who opened his own chest and inserted it, readjusted it and then closed his compartment

All optics turned to Leader-1, whose lifeless body turned grey. Daniel clutched his hand and allowed himself to cry, the unselfconscious grief of the very young

Elsewhere, a cosmic god adrift in the night observed this exchange. When the Matrix passed into view of his sensors, it unleashed a mighty roar of frustration

*****

Sideways observed the events a dimension away with great amusement. So far, not much had changed. The details, sure, but big-picture, things were still proceeding according to script. He wondered if he couldn’t shake things up a bit. Maybe tune in a Uniend Cluster reality, get some Predacons in the mix. He allowed his senses to open, prepared to access the Locks, but instead noticed another presence...Vec-Tor ! He cursed out loud, then allowed the Locks to reset to their equilibrium state. No need to advertise his presence, only...there were a few sticking points. The analogy was starting to break down. No matter, it gave Vec-Tor more of a mess to clean up. He converted to his motorcycle configuration and roared out of the Omega Lock chamber, moments ahead of Vec-Tor

*****

The tortured fabric of the universe again shifted, attempting to find an equilibrium position...and failing. Guardians and Autobots now coexisted, as did Renegades and Decepticons. The implications of this new development were ominous, for those few who had the perspective to understand or even observe, such things

Onboard Astrotrain, the Renegades licked their wounds, miserable in their defeat. An unexpected bit of gravitational interference showed up on Astrotrain’s scopes and he burned his thrusters to compensate. It was no good...there was too much mass aboard - « Jettison some weight or we’ll never make it to Cybertron »

Zero wasted no time. He stood up and spread his arms wide - « Fellow Renegades, Decepticons...Astrotrain has suggested that we lighten our burden »

« In that case, I say it is survival of the fittest ! » - Crossword raised his voice out of the crowd

« Do I hear a second on that ? » - Zero inquired of the others

The healthy, relatively-undamaged Renegades and Decepticons voiced their assent

« And against ? » - asked Zero, smirking. The damaged Renegades raised a feeble cry of protest

Zero smirked - « Well, well, well...looks like we’re in for a culling ». The Renegades too weak to fight were pushed out into the void, their bodies tumbling end-over-end into the void. Zero picked up the battered and broken body of Megatron and carried him to the door. His voice was a study in sarcasm - « Oh, how it pains me to do this ! »

The Decepticon pleaded with his Renegade subordinate - « Wait...I still function ! »

Zero released his body, which floated helplessly away from the ship - « Not for long ! ». Megatron cried his betrayer’s name even as Astrotrain’s thrust carried him inevitably away from Megatron’s grasp

The atmosphere in the room turned tense. Megatron had been the Renegade leader for millions of years and now he was gone. Zero took no time stepping into the void - « Well, as we’ve finally gotten rid of that Decepticon deadweight, I nominate a new leader…ME ! »

Tic Tac stepped forward - « Wait...my troopers form Puzzler, the most powerful Renegade...I should rule ! »

Dr.Go snorted in laughter - « You fancy yourself quite ze thinker, Tic Tac, but compared to my intellect you’re nothing »

Tank scoffed - « Who’d follow an egghead like you ? Any of us could break you in half with our pinkies...and a lot of us don’t gots pinkies ! »

Tic Tac had had enough - « Form Puzzler ! ». The six GoBots united into one enormous Renegade, straining Astrotrain’s mass-shifting abilities to their limits. But Dr.Go was having none of it, pulling forth a shrink ray and knocking them back to normal size. Before he could take advantage of the now-shrunken gestalt, Snoop tackled him and soon the Renegades and Decepticons were in a free-for-all, even as Astrotrain inched ever closer to the safety represented by Cybertron

*****

Consciousness flickered in Megatron’s optics. He...he wasn’t dead. A booming voice echoed in his head and he felt himself pushed backwards in space - « Welcome, Megatron »

Megatron looked about...he was in the gravitational grip of a small planet and the voice seemed to be coming from some sort of raging inferno of energy on the surface of the world - « Who...who said that ? »

The reply again knocked him backwards - « I am Unicron ». Megatron demanded Unicron to show himself, but the voice proceeded undaunted - « I have summoned you here for a purpose ». Megatron was enraged, but the voice ignored his objection - « This is my command : you are to destroy the Guardian Matrix of Leadership. It is the one thing, the ONLY thing, that can stand in my way »

This I could live with, thought Megatron. He was planning to do that anyway. Besides, the deed might already be done - « You have nothing to fear, I have already crushed Leader-1 with my bare hands ! ». The voice scoffed, calling him on his bluff. Megatron continued, undaunted - « The point is he’s dead and the Matrix died with him ! »

The booming voice intensified and the energy waves buffeted Megatron about - « No. The point is you are a fool. The Matrix has been passed to their new leader, Major Mo. Destroy it for me »

« Why should I ? What’s in it for me ? »

« Your bargaining posture is highly-dubious ! But very well. I will provide you with a new body and new troops to command »

Megatron waited a beat - «...and ? »

At this point, the voice seemed to get angry for the first time - « AND NOTHING ! You belong to me, now »

Megatron allowed his own rage to build - « I belong to nobody ! »

The voice, “ Unicron “, became resigned - « Perhaps I misjudged you. Proceed on your way to oblivion ». Mighty teeth the size of mountains opened and Megatron found himself staring into oblivion

« No, no, I accept your terms ! I ACCEPT ! »

The world turned inside out. Megatron found himself reduced to his barest essence and rebuilt - « Behold...GALVATRON ! And these shall be your minions »

Galvatron looked on as Spoons was deconstructed and rebuilt - « Deadlift, the tracker and his huntsmen, the Sweeps ». Crasher underwent the same metamorphosis - « Fracture, the warrior and her armada »

A panel on the side of the planet slid open and a purple vessel emerged - « And this shall be your ship. Now go, destroy the Guardian Matrix »

Galvatron reveled in the new power coursing through him - « I will rip open Major Mo and every other Guardian or Autobot, until the Matrix has been destroyed ! To Cybertron ! ». He fired his plasma cannon, using its backlash to propel him to the nose of the ship and set forth for revenge !

*****

On Cybertron, at the Renegade Hall of Heroes, the surviving Renegades and Decepticons gathered to witness the literal crowning of their new leader...Zero

Zero looked out over the assembled crowd of Renegades and Decepticons with pride. Yes, he thought, I’m going to do great things. Perhaps first I’ll hunt down the traitor Steamer--trumpets blasted in his audio-receptors, interrupting his train of thought. « Get on with the ceremony » - he groused. The six members of Puzzler looked at each other, then continued their playing. Zero raised a fist and destroyed their instruments with a blast of directed energy

« My fellow Renegades and Decepticons, as your new leader, I--» - at that instant, three Decepticons flew violently into the open space hosting the ceremony. « Who disrupts my coronation ? » - he demanded

The purple Decepticon glared at him - « Coronation, Zero ? This is bad comedy »

Zero’s eyes widened - « Megatron ? Is that you ? »

Galvatron converted to his cannon mode - « Here’s a hint ! ». He unleashed the fury of Unicron upon the upstart Renegade and energy sizzled through the night. When it faded, Zero was drained of all color. He crumbled to ash, obliterated and his crown bounced to Galvatron’s feet. He glanced down and crushed it, a meaningless bauble beneath his contempt - « Will anyone else attempt to fill his shoes ? »

Clutch turned nervously to Warpath - « What did he call himself ? »

Their new leader raised a fist - « GALVATRON ! »

The Renegades and Decepticons swallowed their fear and cheered this new Decepticon, wondering what if any relationship he had to Megatron and what his presence meant for their future

*****

At GoBotron’s Omega Locks, Vec-Tor tried to understand what his senses were telling him...they were set to their normal resonant frequency, but his finely-attenuated sense suggested that they had, until recently, had several key terms inverted. Worse, some of the variables were stuck. Vec-Tor tried returning the Omega Locks to their previous settings, to see if he could clear the jam. He’d give it a few moments, then attempt to return to default. The controls were jammed, though, resistant to change. He redoubled his efforts

*****

At Moonbase One, Turbo and Night Ranger turned to the sky. A planet had intruded at the outer edge of Cybertronian space, closing in fast

« Aww, where’d that pesky planet come from ? » - asked Turbo

Night Ranger shrugged - « I’d be more worried about where it’s going...straight at us ! »

The planet’s mandibles tore into the moon, crushing huge parts of it and the gravitation field caused debris to rise towards the intruder. Turbo grabbed the controls, hoping to warn Earth

« Come in, Earth. Leader-1, you copy ? Anyone ? »

In Autobot City, the Autobots and Guardians were starting the slow, tedious process of rebuilding some part of the defenses. Though the Renegades and Decepticons had been driven off, they wouldn’t stay gone forever. Blaster dropped a relay tube as his instruments, tied to the city’s damaged but functional sensor grid, picked up a message - « I’m picking up a faint signal ! Maybe in my tank mode I can tune it in more clearly ». The Guardian converted to his missile-tank mode and Turbo’s voice boomed through it - « This is Turbo. Some kinda funky planet-monster just came outta nowhere and it’s turning our Moonbase into a buffet ! »

Unnoticed by all, the universe rippled and personalities shifted, Autobots and Guardians shifting places

Cliffjumper chimed in - « And it’s attacking Moonbase One ! »

The universe wavered again, as Vec-Tor’s efforts altered the fundamental constant of the universe bleeding into the current dimension. Rapidly it oscillated, though none within save Gong or perhaps Unicron, could possibly have noticed

Ultra Magnus cried out in concern - « Jazz, Night Ranger ! ». It was too late, the signal was gone

As the moon around them disintegrated, Jazz and Cliffjumper fought their way to a Space Hawk. Night Ranger’s hands danced across the controls. « Got to blast free, if we can » - cried Jazz

Cliffjumper fired up the engines - « Ignition, and--»

« Time to go ! » - declared Turbo and the Space Hawk tore free of the planet’s surface…

…only for the engines to stall in the focused gravitational field

Night Ranger tried to keep the edge of panic from his voice - « Jazz, we’re not gonna make it ! »

The engines finally failed and the Autobot frigate was pulled inside the vortex

Back in Guardian City, Major Mo had managed to find a working video monitor. Moonbase Two reported on the destruction - « This is Spike and Scooter, up here on Moonbase Two »

Scooter chimed in - « You guys aren’t gonna believe this...Moonbase One was just swallowed whole by some kind of mechanical planet ! »

« And it’s heading this way » - Spike added

« We’ll try to slow it down » - noted Bumblebee

Matt got the last word in, with Anya held nervously in his arms - « But you’d better get here pronto, because we’re not gonna--», and the signal cut out again

Nick and A.J looked at the static-filled screen, askance. « Matt ! » - they both cried, in unison

On the moon, Matt, Anya and Bumblebee did their best to initiate self-destruct. Anya plugged in a final connection, then gave Matt the thumbs up - « We’ll either destroy it or give it the worst case of indigestion in history »

Scooter motioned for his friend to follow him - « Spike, the explosives are live ! We gotta get outta here ! ». He converted to his motor scooter configuration and Spike hopped on. They rode to a crescent-shaped Autobot frigate and flew free, headed towards Earth. The three occupants watched, silently, as the planet’s enormous pincers impaled the moon, pulling it inexorably into the “ mouth “ of the world. The moon was halfway inside when the countdown ended and a world-shattering explosion blanked out all their sensors

The Space Hawk was buffeted by shock waves caused from the destruction of two worlds, sending it tumbling. Bumblebee managed to regain control. He and his two human companions enjoyed a moment of revelry, until Anya spied a monitor...the planet, still existing, was still in Cybertron’s orbit - « Nyet, is not possible ! »

Spike and Scooter looked at where she pointed. « There’s not a scratch on it » - the Guardian whined

Then the gravitational field expanded and the frigate was pulled backwards towards the maw. As the ship was sucked inside, Matt cautioned his companions - « Hold on to your hats, guys, looks like we’re going in »

From Cybertron, Galvatron observed the proceedings with rage - « How dare Unicron ? Cybertron and all its moons belong to ME ! ». Suddenly, his world was awash in red agony and he tumbled to his knees

« Yes » - opined Deadlift - « But remember, WE belong to HIM »

Galvatron held onto his defiance for a moment longer - « I belong to nobody...». The agony became unbearable - « I will obey, Unicron ». He stood, taking a moment to recover his equilibrium - « Renegades, Decepticons, to Earth ! »

*****

Vec-Tor gave up. Whatever damage Sideways had done, he couldn’t fix it...here. He’d need to travel to the source universe and correct the Omega damage there before he could heal his own universe. But he couldn’t leave Sideways here, free to do harm. His old adversary was close, he could feel him. He set off through the maze that was the most ancient part of Old GoBotron, hunting a trickster, as the reality tapping into his own ceased its oscillations and settled into a resonance frequency

*****

Major Mo looked out over the assembled faces - « Autobots, Guardians, this new menace is more dangerous than every Decepticon and Renegade put together. Somehow we must destroy it before it devours Cybertron »

Nick and A.J shared a glance. A.J gave voice to their shared concern - « But what about Earth ? We can’t leave it undefended »

Major Mo attempted to be reassuring - « We’ll leave Blaster behind and there’s always General Newcastle and UNECOM »

Springer wasn’t so sure - « And what are we gonna do when we get there ? That thing crunches moons it’ll make short work of us »

Major Mo did his best to keep a calm tone of command - « Maybe the Matrix can stop it »

« You’re right, it can ! » - Hot Rod blurted

Kup looked at him questioningly - « What do you know about it, lad ? »

The youth started to answer - « I just got this feeling--», but was interrupted by Springer, pointing into the sky and shouting. Laser fire rained down on the assembled Autobots and Guardians. The Decepticons and Renegades had returned !

Major Mo pointed towards the landing pads on the east side of the city - « To the Command Centers ! »

Galvatron, Deadlift, Fracture and a number of Renegades watched in delight as the Autobots and Guardians below them scattered. Galvatron spied the target of his wrath and let loose a blast, which Major Mo managed to dodge - « I, Galvatron will crush you just as Megatron crushed Leader-1 »

Major Mo raised his fists into the air and fired off a blast, striking Galvatron but causing little damage - « And you’ll die trying, just like Megatron ! »

Galvatron shook a fist at his opponent - « Guardian scrap ! »

Deadlift flew next to his leader - « You want me to gut Major Mo ? »

Galvatron shook his head - « There are plenty of Guardians for you. Major Mo is MINE ! »

At the Command Center, Motosan and Bullseye struggled to convince the Dinobots to board one of the two ships available to them. Major Mo arrived, exasperated - « You two, get the Dinobots on the shuttle ! »

Bullseye threw up his hands in exasperation - « These beasties are impossible ! ». Motosan nodded in agreement

« Fine, you two with me. Kup, Hot Rod, you guys get the Dinobots aboard and get out of here ! »

The Dinobots were no more cooperative for the Autobots than they were for the Guardians. They destroyed several of the green Deadlift clones before intensifying laser fire forced them into the ship

Meanwhile, Springer ran towards the second Command Center, alongside Nick and A.J - « Looks like we’re shipmates, guys »

A.J laughed - « The more things change...»

«...the more things stay the same » - finished Nick

The Autobot picked up his two companions, one in each hand and ran into the ship. Major Mo followed them on, then ran to the controls next to Springer. « Hurry » - he urged. And the Command Center’s engines started to power up

A.J glanced out the hatch, then shouted - « Hang on a second, guys, we’re down one ! ». Indeed, Arcee was running for the hatch, which was starting to lift off-the ground. Springer abandoned his controls and reached out, urging her to jump. She crouched and maxed her hydraulic systems, propelling her into the sky just high enough for him to catch her and drag her in. Nick hit the button to close the hatch, smiling at the two Autobots as they flirted with each other despite, or perhaps because of, the danger

The Command Center joined its fellow in slipping the bonds of Earth’s gravity well and they set course for Cybertron

*****

Darn that Guardian, thought Sideways. He was closing in, making Sideways feel claustrophobic among GoBotron’s ancient tunnels. Vec-Tor had unusual powers and the Decepticon had no desire for a straight confrontation with the Guardian

Sideways looked left-and-right, hoping for inspiration. Then, unexpectedly, it came ! He heard voices from a grill above his head. Could he be that close to the surface ? He removed a panel and crawled into the ductwork, seeking a path up. The ancient dust clogged his filters, causing him to suppress a cough. One passage seemed promising, but narrow, so he wormed his way up, slowly but steadily gaining ground. Once he got to the surface, he could trans-phase to Cybertron and team up with Gong

Finally, he came to the top of the shaft he was in. He braced both legs against a panel that looked loose and kicked with all his might, knocking it forward. As he started to squirm out, two Guardians stepped into view, Bullet and Mach-3. They raised their fists and powered their blasters - « Vec-Tor warned us to watch out for you. You’re coming with us ! »

*****

In space, the Autobots and Guardians tried to relax into the voyage through hyperspace. Onboard Command Center 33, Kup amused the Dinobots by spinning tall tales of Zod and Scales, while Hot Rod honed his skills, battling a Ridge Runner drone for practice. Their respite soon ended when the hull shook, impacted by laser fire from what appeared to be a highly-augmented Thruster

Kup yanked the controls, attempting to dodge an incoming spate of moleculon missiles and Hot Rod took his place as co-pilot. « They’re closing on us ! » - he remarked

« Yup » - agreed Kup - « Like the Quick-Steps of Zeeros ! »

To Hot Rod, that observation offered a thin strand of hope - « How’d you beat them ? »

Kup cast his mind back - « I’m trying to remember, we lost a lot of good Autobots on Zeeros...oh, yeah, we re-routed the gravity dampeners ! »

Fingers dancing across the controls, Hot Rod did what Kup suggested, creating an artificial gravity field directly aft of the ship. The missiles slammed into them, detonating prematurely, though the explosion rocked the Command Center

« All right » - sighed Hot Rod with relief - « We survived that ! »

« Yeah » - observed Kup - « But will we survive THIS ? »

Inside the Thruster, Galvatron worked the controls. The Command Center was damaged and would be easy prey - « Fracture, finish them ». Fracture launched herself from the Thruster and closed with the damaged Command Center, even as the Thruster engaged the undamaged Command Center

Fracture closed with the Command Center and unleashed blast after blast, each one causing more and more damage. Warning lights blared and a collision alert sounded. Kup wrestled with the controls, trying to drop from hyperspace or change trajectories. The ship was completely non-responsive - « I can’t control it ! »

Hot Rod yanked the motivator from the controls and the ship finally dropped from hyperspace...too late ! They smashed into an asteroid orbiting a dangerous, rocky world with an angry atmosphere

In Command Center 09, Springer turned to his leader - « Kup and Hot Rod just bought it »

Major Mo nodded - « We shall grieve for them later. Right now, survival takes priority »

Springer glanced at Motosan, who shrugged. Neither saw a way out - « You have big plans for that, boss, I suggest you share them with us »

The Guardian commander steeled his nerves - « Springer, prepare for emergency separation »

« That’s too dangerous ! » - Bullseye objected

« It’s not a suggestion, it’s an order. Initiate on my mark...now ! »

Even as the control module separated from the rest of the ship, moleculon missiles honed in on their quarry. As one, they slammed into the hull and the superstructure of the ship erupted into a short-lived new sun

Deadlift smirked - « The Autobots and Guardians have been terminated »

Galvatron shared in the sense of triumph - « Excellent...and the Matrix with them ». His satisfaction was short-lived, for blinding red agony returned. In that instant, he vowed that, no matter how powerful Unicron was, Galvatron would bend the mysterious being to his will...and then terminate him. He ordered his subordinate to take him to Unicron as soon as Fracture was aboard and the agony subsided

Story by Jim Sorenson

Back on GoBotron, Twister stared at the strange mech Vec-Tor had asked him to guard. « Don’t take your eyes off » - was the exact phrasing the mysterious old Guardian had used. Sideways didn’t look like any GoBot he’d ever seen before. Something about him gave the Guardian the willies. Fortunately, his shift was over any minute

The door chime announced that his relief was here. He turned to let Heat Seeker in. « Got a live one, I hear » - his relief remarked

Twister nodded and gestured to the energy cage with his thumb - « Yeah, really creeps me out too. Good luck ! »

Heat Seeker looked baffled - « What really creeps you out...an empty cage ? »

Twister turned and sure enough, the energy cage was empty ! « Oh, no no no ! » - he ran over, but there was no sign of Sideways - « How could he have gotten out ? I only took my eyes off him for a minute ! »

Heat Seeker entered the security office. « Maybe there’s a clue in the cage » - he reached for the controls

At the last instant, Twister realized his error. « Nooooo ! » - he cried out, but Heat Seeker’s fingers inevitably made contact with the power button, de-energizing the controls

Sideways dropped his trans-phase mode and reentered perceptible reality. Unpowered, the bars of the cage were simple steel and he battered them aside as if they weren’t even there. The two Guardians fired off bolts at him, but he grabbed Twister and slammed him into Heat Seeker, knocking both unconscious. Then he slipped out of the GoBotron Fortress, enveloped himself in trans-phase energy and transited to another universe

*****

Kup and Hot Rod stood at the end of the platform over the Dactyl pit, having been led here by two more Monster GoBots, Vamp and Creepy. Klaws stood ready to drop them to their doom, but took the time to explain that they could beg for their lives if they liked. Kup whispered to Hot Rod that he couldn’t transform, a side-effect of the energy bonds no doubt

From his platform, high above the proceedings, the Master Renegade looked down on them - « If you won’t play the game, little Autobots, I’ll have no choice but to terminate you now »

« Game ? » - Hot Rod’s reply was pregnant with contempt - « I’ll give you games ! Let me go and we’ll see how tough you are ! »

The Master Renegade gave a deep laugh - « I suppose we will ! Klaws...destroy them ! »

Klaws pulled the lever and the platform fell out from under them. As it did, their bonds released, but they were now surrounded by countless hungry Dactyls. Hot Rod converted to his Cybertronian car mode and began to drive the perimeter of the pit, using centripetal force to drive up the very walls themselves and escape the pit. Kup, meanwhile, landed on the back of a Dactyl, infuriating it. The Autobot hung on for dear life as the beast followed its fellows in climbing each other’s backs to escape the pit and pursue their escaping prey

As the battle spilled into the absurd parody of a courtroom, the Monster GoBots did their best to flee the ravenous beasts. Hot Rod derived some small satisfaction from that, but didn’t see how he was going to escape becoming Dactyl chow. He fired off charge after charge at the beasts, driving them back or destroying them, but more kept coming. As his weapon ran out of power, he converted to car mode, smashing into Dactyl after Dactyl. Sooner or later, he knew, he’d get the angle wrong and cause himself serious damage and that would be that. Kup, meanwhile, had learned to direct his Dactyl by creating two small wounds on the creature’s carapace, one on either side and applying a mild pressure. His beast was proving quite effective against its fellows - « I think I’m starting to like this guy ! »

Hot Rod converted back to his robot form and picked up a piece of a Dactyl’s leg, using it as a makeshift flail - « Glad you’re having fun. May as well go down swinging ! »

Hot Rod backed away from a Dactyl whose beak got within a fraction of an inch of decapitating him, only to get jumped by several Dactyls who had maneuvered behind him. « DESTROY THEM ! » - bellowed Klaws, only to get crushed by the enormous door of the compound bursting inward

The Dinobots, each of them ridden by a RoGun, tramped into the melee. Slag took a moment to apologize to the pinned Monster GoBot. Grimlock also had Squirt in his undersized Tyrannosaurus Rex arms and was firing indiscriminately at the Dactyl horde. The Dactyls immediately turned their attention from Kup and Hot Rod to these much larger intruders. The Dinobots used their bulk to good effect, kicking, stomping, smashing and burning any Dactyls that got near

From atop his dais, the Master Renegade shouted down at the suddenly recalcitrant Dactyl swarm - « What are you waiting for, mindless beasts ? Obliterate these Cybertronians ! »

Grimlock roared and stamped his foot, sending tremors throughout the compound - « Me Grimlock say obliterate HIM », pointing to the scrawny cyborg. The Dactyls looked left-and-right, their tiny processors weighing this new option that had suddenly presented itself. With a shrill CAAAW, they started swarming the walls, climbing the bodies of their fellows to get at their former master and current target

Kup, still on Dactyl’s back, smiled with satisfaction - « I think the problems on this planet will be solved very shortly »

Hot Rod looked up - « Yeah, cowboy, but what about our problems ? We need a ship »

Pistol jumped from Grimlock’s back - « That’s where we can help each other. The Master Renegade has a craft close by. We can take you there, if you get us off this planet »

Hot Rod leaned down to get a better look at the diminutive mech, hands on his knees - « Who are you guys ? »

Grimlock answered, proud to know something Hot Rod didn’t for a change - « Them RoGuns. Them friends ! »

« Great » - quipped Hot Rod - « Any friend of Grimlock’s is a friend of mine. This ship, it’ll get us off this rock ? »

Scope nodded - « I’ve scouted it out. It’s a bit, um, grungy, but it’ll do »

Kup urged his Dactyl towards the ship - « To the Grungy ! »

*****

In the bowels of Cybertron, Gong was bored. He had expected more movement from Sideways, more alterations to the Omega Locks. Ok, sure, there were a few minutes there where things were in crazy flux, but Sideways hadn’t touched them since. Gong had half a mind to just completely overwrite the reality Sideways was inhabiting with this one and see how the two-faced Decepticon liked that

Then Gong heard Sideways urgently cry his name - « Well, speak of the devil ! I was just wondering what was up with--»

« Save it, Gong ! Vector Prime is onto us »

Gong froze - « Oh, scrap ! »

*****

On Quartex, Bullseye managed to locate the battered and dented form of Major Mo. The Autobots and Guardians gathered around him. Arcee was the first to his side - « He...he’s alive, thank the Last Engineer. But...but he’s lost the Matrix »

Motosan’s head fell into his hands - « Without the Matrix, we have no chance against that planet-smasher »

Springer bent down next to Major Mo - « Well, I guess we start by repairing our leader and--»

Nick interrupted him, pointing at a ridge which was now festooned with living rock - « LOOK ! »

Magmar, realizing he’d been spotted, sounded the battle cry - « Rock Lords...ATTACK ! »

The Autobots and Guardians were in no shape for a fight. Wordlessly, they began to flee, Springer hosting Major Mo’s battered form onto his shoulder. They were surrounded, though, with two camps of Rock Lords on either side of them and hordes of treaded rock drones cutting off their retreat down the valley

With little choice, they stood and fought. Arcee fired off several shots, hitting Brimstone and Saberstone, but they merely converted to their boulder modes and rolled backwards with the shot, before converting back to their humanoid configuration and advancing again

« It’s not hard to knock ‘em down » - observed Springer - «It’s getting them to STAY down that’s the trick ! »

More boulders converted to humanoids and soon Rock Shot and Stone Hook were grappling with Motosan and Bullseye

« They’re indestructible » - worried Arcee, as Spearhead managed to snag her blaster

« And they’ve got us surrounded » - observed A.J, who had to take several steps back, lest Sticks’n’Stones grab her. At their failure, they began grumbling at each other

Springer spied Magmar, directing the battle from atop his Stone Wing jet and charged with his sword, knocking aside Stoneheart on the way. Magmar barely had time to raise an axe and the two engaged in a brief but savage melee

Things seemed hopeless...until three huge bestial shapes rode over a hillock. Two were rock creatures, the Rockasauruses Terra-Roc and Spikestone, the third was...Kup, riding his pet Dactyl

« I’m thinking I’ll name this guy...Gnaw » - he said. They weren’t alone. With them came half a dozen friendly Rock Lords, charging into battle, three Jewel Lords, hanging back and directing the Rockasauruses and the enormous Fossilsaurus. Boulder directed the battle, riding his Rock Pot vehicle. Action Shock Rock drones, of Blast Rock and Stun Stone varieties, rounded out the reinforcements

Magmar wasted little time in sounding the retreat. The Autobots and Guardians looked at the new rock faces before them, stunned. Hot Rod hopped off of the Rock Pot

« Autobots, Guardians...allow me to introduce Boulder ! » - he gestured up at the tungsten Rock Lord - « We tracked your Command Center module to this planet, but had to put down on the other side of it. Luckily, when we bumped into Boulder and his pals, we decided to try out the old Universal Greeting. Boulder had been wondering what drew Magmar out of Stonehead in such force. Turns out, it was you »

Boulder stretched forth a hand and Springer took it gladly - « Never been so glad to shake hands with a rock ! »

Boulder introduced his fellow warriors - « I’m the leader of this tribe. This is Granite, Nuggit, Marbles, Pulver-Eyes, Crackpot and Rock Roller. The Fossilsaurus up there is Rib Cage, Jaw Bone, Hip Bone and Tail Bone. And the Jewel Lords are our trusted allies, Solitaire, Flamestone and Sunstone ». At that moment, a Narly jumped into Arcee’s arms. She was startled for a moment, but then stroked its soft fur - « Oh and that’s our pet Narlihog. Unlike most of the Narlies on this planet, he’s tame »

Grimlock stomped forward, Pistol still riding him - « Me Grimlock bored of handshakes. Me say we need big party ! ». The Autobots, Guardians, RoGuns and Rock Lords laughed, happy to be able to take a moment to catch their collective breaths. Crackpot converted to his boulder mode and Pulver-Eyes began to play him like a drum. The Dinobots began dancing with Fossilsaurus, who soon separated into his component parts. Rib Cage waltzed with Grimlock, Hip Bone boogied with Sludge, Tail Bone tangoed with Swoop and Jaw Bone broke it down with Slag. Flamestone took Arcee’s hand and Springer took Sunstone’s, before they traded partners. Nuggit tried to imitate the breakdancing style of the RoGuns. Kup was somehow able to make his Dactyl, Gnaw, do a two-step and Hot Rod spun Rock Roller around. Motosan and Bullseye showed off their moves to Granite. Marbles even kissed Grimlock on the nose, much to his consternation

The moment was soon broken, though, as Major Mo returned to a weak consciousness - « You...you’re all alive »

Hot Rod asked the question on everyone’s minds - « The Matrix ? »

Major Mo confirmed their fears - « It’s gone »

Kup shook his head, sadly - « And with it, all hope »

Autobots and Guardians bowed their heads in grief, convinced that their world was forfeit. Only Hot Rod remained defiant - « No. I refuse to believe that. There’s only one place Galvatron would take the Matrix...Cybertron. We’ve got to get to Cybertron ! »

Solitaire coughed - « Quartex is not without recourse when it comes to space travel ». She pointed to a beautiful, gleaming crystal spire close to the horizon

« That’s a ship ? » - Kup exclaimed

Hot Rod had a broad grin - « Who cares, as long as it flies ? »

And so, four races, Guardians and Autobots, RoGuns and Rock Lords, made their way to two ships to do battle with Galvatron, retrieve the Matrix and defeat Unicron

*****

Vector Prime entered the Omega Lock chamber cautiously. Gong may have been more a prankster than a villain, but this close to the essence of Primus, he was still incredibly dangerous - « Come out, Gong, you know not the forces you’re playing with »

The ancient Autobot attempted to sense Gong’s presence, but the overwhelming energy of Cybertron’s multiversal frequencies drowned out all lesser noises. The shadowy corridors, dating to Cybertron’s very formation, filled Vector Prime with an unaccountable sense of dread. Something was very wrong here

He turned a corner and spied Gong’s back. Perhaps this could end without undue harm. « Gong. You’ve had your fun. Now, it’s time to come with me » - Gong remained eerily motionless. Vector took a tentative step forward - « There’s no reason to belabor this, Renegade. Come quietly, I promise you fair treatment ». No reaction. Tentatively, Vector Prime reached out a hand

The instant he made contact with Gong’s shoulder, Gong’s head spun 180 degrees around - « Let’s get this party started, hehehehe ! ». Gong’s whole body magnetized and Vector Prime found himself stuck

« What are you hoping to accomplish, Gong ? You’ll have to release me if you want to take any significant action »

At that moment, Sideways stepped from the shadows - « He might, but I won’t ». Vector realized his predicament, immobilized in the face of Sideways’ wrath. Sideways fired off a missile and struck Vector in the side, causing damage and throwing him and Gong backwards

I need a miracle, thought Vector Prime

Then the world shuddered in the largest cyberquake it had ever known. Instantly, Vector knew what had happened. Galvatron had attempted to use the Matrix and failed, and Unicron was beginning his assault on Cybertron. If the Omega Locks were to be fixed, now was the time

Fortunately, the juddering walls afforded Vector Prime the opportunity to push Gong into a suddenly-exposed power conduit. The resulting surge shorted out Gong’s electromagnet and allowed Vector Prime to wrench himself free. Gong was unconscious, at least for a few minutes, but Sideways still stalked the tunnels. Vector was torn, but opted to head back for the Locks. Ensuring Cybertron survived the next few minutes had to take priority !

*****

The Grungy and the crystal ship emerged from hyperspace, confronting the inhabitants with a clash on the scale of the gods. Unicron, now in his humanoid form, straddled Cybertron and was engaged in a pitched battle with the entire Renegade and Decepticon armies

Onboard the Grungy, Springer voiced what they were all thinking - « I don’t believe it »

Hot Rod nervously attempted to lighten the mood with a joke, asking what this reminded Kup of, but, for the first time anyone could remember, his endless repertoire of war stories had nothing remotely close. A.J swallowed - « Moonbase Two is gone...do you suppose Matt--»

« That’s what we’re gonna find out » - Hot Rod vowed. He grabbed the controls and the Grungy engaged Unicron, raining fire on the titanic figure. He retaliated with a huge torrent of energy, blasted from his mouth, which clipped the crystal ship but caused little damage the industrious Rock Lords couldn’t repair. A glancing blow on the Grungy proved more damaging and Hot Rod had little choice but to aim for the eye and hope for the best

*****

At the Omega Lock controls, Vector Prime forced himself to be calm. Though Cybertron was wounded, the controls still seemed to be responsive. One-by-one, he eased each constant of this reality back to its nominal state. Seven constants remaining...six...three...one…

Before he could repair the final constant and sever the link between this reality and the Gargent world of Vec-Tor, he sensed an incoming missile and dodged. Sideways wasn’t letting him succeed without a fight

« Sideways, think, if Unicron destroys this reality, he destroys you with it ! » - Vector’s optics darted, trying to catch sight of his adversary

A voice echoed from the darkness - « And you think I fear death ? I WELCOME death ! The sweet embrace of oblivion is a nectar most dear to me »

Vector slowly circled away from the controls - « Did Gong realize that was the goal all along ? »

The echoing staccato of Sideways’ laugh filled the dusty corridors - « Gong was an idiot. He had no clue what the endgame was »

That’s it, thought Vector, Just keep talking. Out loud, he shouted - « You are too late, knave. Reality is saved. You may as well depart this dimension and hope for better luck in the next world »

« YOU LIE ! » - roared his adversary

Vector had moved so he could observe the Omega Lock controls without being seen. He put as much arrogance into his voice as he could - « Try me »

*****

As Sideways and Vector Prime battled deep inside Cybertron, so too did Galvatron and Hot Rod struggle over the Guardian Matrix of Leadership. Galvatron was immensely powerful and Hot Rod did his best with hit and run tactics, but found himself getting the life choked out of him. « I will crush you with my bare hands » - growled the Decepticon - « Die, Autobot ». As he felt his life slipping away, Hot Rod found an absurd thought in his head - What’s a Guardian ?

*****

Above, the Junkions and Dinobots faltered, the last bit of resistance Cybertron had against the Chaos-Bringer crumbling. Below, Vector prayed Sideways would fall for his bluff. Come on, he thought, You can’t risk that I might be telling the truth. Just as he began to despair, Sideways cursed and ran for the controls. Vector summoned the Rhisling from subspace and charged, putting a large gash in Sideways’ side. Death he might seek, but pain...pain was another story. Sideways yelped, converted to motorcycle form and drove away

Vector ran to the controls, praying he could unlink this reality from the Gargent stream before disaster struck

*****

« First, Prime, then Ultra Magnus and now, you » - growled the Decepticon - « It’s a pity you Autobots die so easily or I might have a sense of satisfaction now ». At that instant, Hot Rod’s fingers closed around the Guardian Matrix of Leadership. He tugged at it, but nothing happened and he felt his Spark slipping away…

No, he resolved, One more try, I have to open the Guar--the--the Autobot Matrix ! Incredibly, Hot Rod felt the power of the artifact coursing through him, invigorating him, making him invulnerable, filling him with wisdom. From the depth of its interior, he felt as much as heard the voice of his beloved fallen leader, Optimus Prime, urging him to rise as Rodimus Prime

Galvatron panicked and fired off several shots, shots which bounced off Rodimus Prime’s chest but did knock the Matrix from his hand

Rodimus was undaunted - « This is the end of the road, Galvatron ». Rodimus charged to Galvatron and, seemingly effortlessly, lifted him off the ground and hurled him out of Unicron and into deep space. Almost serenely, Rodimus retrieved the Matrix and willed it to open. « Now, light our darkest hour » - he reverently intoned. Its cascading energies ripped through Unicron, destroying the dark god from the inside out

Somehow, Rodimus knew he had only minutes to locate his friends and lead them to safety and he set forth to his task

*****

From the surface of Cybertron, Vector Prime observed another death of Unicron with equanimity. What should have been a straightforward battle had nearly turned into disaster, thanks to a nihilist and a trickster. Who knew when or where the next multiversal disaster would arise or what might precipitate it

Vector Prime converted to his starship mode and roared off into the night

*****

With Unicron defeated and the Decepticons in retreat, the Autobots and Junkions pledged their friendship as Rodimus Prime declared victory over a broken planet. It wouldn’t stay broken for long, Rodimus vowed. He would take the momentum he had this day and clear the planet of all Decepticons, rebuild, reaffirm the Autobot alliance with Earth and generally make the galaxy a safer place

Below the surface, Sideways willed his nanoswarm to repair his injuries, but the bite of the Rhisling was resistant to his normal methods of autorepair. « So close » - he muttered - « I was so close to victory. Ah, well, maybe next time »

A shadow fell over him. He glanced up, but it was only Gong - « Hey, Renegade. This was a fun effort. Maybe next time...». He trailed off as he saw fury in Gong’s eyes

« So I’m an idiot, am I ? Well, this idiot is going to teach you a thing or two, hehehehe ! »