Uh this doesnt seem like a battle the bots will win. Hold on while i get my popcorn  

 

Signs of the Judgment​

The sky was black with thousands of Decepticons charging towards Orion and his little group. They were all massive looking, and quite clearly well trained. Orion took a step backwards, observing the huge force that Megatron had sent against him. First came the Stunticons, then Lugnut, now this.

"You know," Air Raid remarked, "I gotta give Megatron credit on this one. He sure knows how to top himself!"

"Now is not the time for jokes, Air Raid!" Silverbolt reprimanded. "Slingshot, Skydive, you two need to take Orion to a safe place, far away from here. Air Raid, Thundercracker, and Lugnut, you're all going to help me hold these guys off."

"Do you even know who you're up against?!" asked Thundercracker. "Megatron sent out his heavy hitters, the Combaticons! Every single one of them is an experienced killing machine!"

"Then we don't have much time to waste! Orion, get out of here, now!"

The two Arielbots grabbed him by the arm and flew off as far as they could. Meanwhile, Silverbolt and the rest who stayed behind braced themselves. Suddenly, the team found themselves surrounded by the Combaticons. There was shooting and shocking and blasting, all with no end in sight. The hoard smothered Silverbolt and tore him to pieces. First they took off his wings, then his arms, then legs, and finally his head.

Air Raid managed to fight quite a few Combaticons off, but he just wasn't quick enough, and one random Combaticon blew a huge hole through his chest. He dropped dead instantly, and he, too, was torn to pieces.

Thundercracker flew higher and higher and engaged several Combaticons in a fantastic dogfight. Several of the flyers blasted at Thundercracker's wings, creating large bullet holes. He was growing irritated, so he transformed and clapped his hands together, creating a large sonic boom. This was enough to send his enemies falling to their doom.

Lugnut wasn't affected in the slightest by the Combaticons. He just stood there, dumb and motionless. Thundercracker could see that he was awaiting his next orders, and to him at least, Lugnut only had one option.

"Lugnut! P.O.K.E.!"

Now the order Thundercracker gave Lugnut was essentially a death sentence. The P.O.K.E. was an untried atomic blast activated by a well places punch. It was never used before, but it would more than likely kill the user as well as the victim. Still, Lugnut obeyed his orders.

The massive Decepticon charged into the crowd of Combaticons who instantly began dogpilling on him. He was waiting until enough were within his range, and finally, he slammed his fist to the ground, killing them all.

The result was a large empty crater. Thundercracker looked on in disbelief of what he just saw, but it was what he was about to see that was more unbelieveable. There were still more Combaticons coming!

"Orion," Thundercracker whispered. "Forgive me. I'm going to return to them, for now at least."

The Decepticon raised his arms in surrender to his attackers and them took him prisoner. He knew that he was going to face a torturous punishment, but he didn't care. He wanted to face Megatron again.

The surviving Arielbots did manage to bring Orion to safety. Once all the chaos died down, Skydive volunteered to survey the area. He returned, telling Slingshot and Orion that no one was left. The Combaticons had left, and their friends had all perished.

"So it's just the three of us," Orion said grimly. "Just the three of us, because Megatron doesn't want any competition for his empire. How many more lives are going to be lost because of his selfishness?" Orion asked, now seething with rage.

"Calm down there! At least Magnus is still alive," Skydive said.

The Arielbot went over from behind a rock and dragged Magnus's still offlined body over to Orion. The Autobot fell to his knees and placed his hands on Magnus's fading spark. Finally he let out a terrible, terrible cry. He refused to be consoled, and just sat there, sulking for a good while. All the stresses of his situation were finally getting to him. His best friend and girlfriend were dead. His newfound allies had failed him. Megatron was after him, and would obviously stop at nothing to get what he wanted. It was truly Orion's darkest hour.

Finally, the small Autobot stood up and said with great bitterness in his voice, "Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost."

 

This is how fighting in the shade should be !!!!

 

This one is short, sweet, and to the point.

Wake Up Call​

Due to all the chaos and confusion at the ransacked Autobot HQ, several injured patients had been forgotten and pushed aside. Bots were trying to do everything at once, but several important things slipped through the cracks.

"What's going on?" whimpered the weak fembot.

No one gave her an answer. She sat up from her bed and looked around the room. She was apparently in the middle of an upgrade, but someone, it seemed, neglected to finish the job.

"Orion?" she said quietly. "Orion? Are you there?"

 

Wow didnt see that coming.............

 

A Chance Encounter​

Ever since the Combaticon attack, Orion was a changed bot. He trudged on through Thunderhead Pass without stopping, despite the fact that he had to carry a semiconscious Magnus on his back. Skydive and Slingshot were getting a little bit worried about their friend, but they said nothing. They didn't want to break his focus.


Delta had decided that he had had enough of his exile. Yes, the mistake he made was a big one, but should it really have earned him a banishing? He had reached the ruined city of Kalis when suddenly a large gathering of undead Cybertronians gathered around him!

"I thought we got rid of all you guys!" he shouted, knocking away one of the zombies from his arm.

They were as merciless as they were mindess. One tore into Delta's arm. Another started clawing at his torso. Another still began gnawing at his leg.

"Well, this isn't how I figured I'd go. Sla--"

And then time froze around him. The zombies stopped in their tracks, and Delta effortlessly pushed them aside. He looked around too see if any more were coming, but none were. He was glad that he assault had ended, but it confounded him that they just...stopped.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Delta saw an innocent little fembot looking at him weakly. She had been wandering around for a while, as it seemed, and was quite lost.

"Bit dangerous for you to be here, don't you think, ma'am?" Delta asked politely.

"I...I don't know. Where am I?"

"Kalis, the Dead City. What's your name?"

"Well, it was Ariel, but I don't think that name fits me anymore."

Now Delta got a good look at the fembot. She was quite clearly the one he had been taking care of before. She was the reason he was exiled.

"So.....what do you think my name should be?"

"Oh, I don't know. Say, have we met before?" he asked, trying to get her to remember him.

"We might've. The truth is, I don't remember much."

"You mentioned an Orion. Who is he?"

"I don't know. He's just this faceless name that keeps running through my head."

"Maybe your new name should be Orion?"

"No, no. I'll think of some name, I guess. Could I travel with you for a while?"

"Oh, sure. Name's Delta, by the way. Not sure if you remember me. I was taking care of you a while back. You had some nasty injuries. Glad to see you're doing better now though."

"That...that was you? Oh, thank you!" she said.

"Not a problem," he replied, not telling her of his exile. "I'll take care of you, I promise. Just one question. Was that you that froze time?"

"Maybe," she said with a grin.

"You'll have to teach me how to do that sometime," he smiled back.


Thundercracker was put in stasis cuffs and chained to a wall for his punishment. Megatron had already given him a verbal lashing, and now he called on one of his big bruisers, Runamuck, to handle the physical aspect. He didn't want Thundercracker to actually die, only to wish for death. Megatron was furious that one of his own betrayed him, and he wanted to make sure no one else followed in his footsteps.

After Thundercracker was beaten to a pulp, he was thrown into a dark cell and again put into chains. He was stripped of his weapons and armor, making him a mere skeleton of a Decepticon.

"So, now I get a roommate?"

The Decepticon, being close to death, didn't hear him.

"Boy, you must've done something awfully bad to upset Megatron so much."

"W...wh.....wh...."

"Who am I? I'm Trailbreaker, at least last time I checked. I got thrown in here when I refused to give Megatron the blueprints I was working on. I can only imagine what he'll do to me, especially if he does something like this," he said, holding up Thundercracker's chin, "to one of his own."

"Ghhhhhhhhh....."

"Don't strain yourself. You should probably save your energy for later, okay? We can talk more then."

 

Breakout​

"Hey, wake up."

Thundercracker was still sore from the punishment Megatron and Runamuck had dealt him, but at least now he was slightly conscious. He gave a little stir at Trailbreakers words, but he didn't verbally respond. The Autobot pushed his shoulder gently.

"Come on. I think they're coming to get me. They're gonna wan me to build my forcefield for them. Now's our chance!"

"Our...chance?"

"Come on, pal. You gotta stand up. We're getting outta here!"

Both bots turned their heads as the door in front of them opened up. Waiting on the other side was Runamuck again, and his was holding stasis cuffs in his hand.

"Time to go, Autobot," he demanded.

The Decepticon took Trailbreaker by the wrist and started to put the stasis cuffs on him. It was at this point that Thundercracker noticed that the chains holding him down were off! Trailbreaker must have been busy.

"Whatever you say, sir. I guess this is goodbye, friend," Trailbreaker said slyly to Thundercracker. That must have been the signal!

Without thinking, he stood up and slammed both fists into the temple of Runamuck's head, knocking him out.

"Run!" Trailbreaker instructed.

The two rushed down the hall, only to be stopped by Thundercracker's old "friend," Skywarp.

"Where do you two think you're going?" he said viciously. "Megatron is looking for you, Trailbreaker!"

The pair tried to run the other way, only to learn that Skywarp had the ability to teleport right back in front of them again! He surrounded them at every turn, and he was just too fast!

"We're gonna have to fight him!" Trailbreaker said.

"I...I can't! Do you know what Megatron will do to me if I do?!"

Finally, Skywarp proved to be more than a match for the two of them. Thundercracker had no weapons and Trailbreaker was still weak from being locked up for so long, and eventually they both fell. Skywarp looked down on Traibreaker and gave him a quick kick to the side. After that, he grabbed him by the head and started dragging him to Megatron. Thundercracker continued to lay there on the ground, crushed both physically and emotionally.

"Trailbreaker....." he uttered. "I'm so sorry."

 

Iron City​

Orion and the two remaining Arielbots entered Thunderhead Pass and immediately Slingshot and Skydive had nervous breakdowns. Orion had patienly stopped and waited, occasionally patting them on the shoulder and saying calming things to them.

On other occasions, Orion would suddenly have a flashback of him and Ariel, and he would be the one in need of assistance. Of course, the Arielbots were happy to repay their friend for his kindness and patience towards them. It was a very strenuous and emotionally draining journey, and it didn't help that various Decepticons would come and attack at random. Having Orion carry Magnus on his back was a bit of a burden as well.

At one point, the trio just decided to lay down and rest for a while. They had had more than enough, and needed a break. Orion gently set Magnus down, and they went offline, only to be brought back on by an Autobot they had never even met before!

"What is wrong with you, going offline and leaving the Matrix unguarded like that?" he scolded. "Kid, Alpha Trion had some faith in you. Don't you dare let him down!"

"Woah woah woah, slow down, sir!" Orion interjected. "First of all, who are you?"

"He's my Second in Command, Orion. Be nice to him."

The biggest grin came upon Orion's face when he saw the bot walking towards him.

"Metalhawk!" he exclaimed.

Orion jumped up from his operating table and began to shake his old friend's hand.

"Oh man, I'm so happy you found us! There was no way we could've made it to Iron City all by ourselves!" Orion exclaimed.

"Yeah, I ended up having to haul all four of you!" the old Second in Command snarled.

"Right, sorry. What's your name again?"

"It's Blacker, kid."

"Well, Blacker, how are my friends doing?" Orion asked, trying to stay on the old bot's good side.

"Our medic's looking after them. The one who looks like you was in pretty rough shape."

"Magnus? Yeah, he had a run in with a Decepticon that made short work of him."

"Orion," Metalhawk broke in, "you said you were trying to come here to Iron City?"

"Oh, yeah."

"What for? Surely you didn't traverse through Thunderhead Pass just to pay a visit to an old friend!" Metalhawk joked.

"Sir, if I may?" Blacker requested.

"Of course."

"Orion here is currently holding the Matrix of Leadership. I was speaking to Alpha Trion several days ago, and he told me that the kid was chosen by Primus himself to deliver the Matrix to the next Prime!"

"The next Prime? So he came here?" Metalhawk said, putting the pieces together now. "Orion, do you mean to give me the Matrix?"

"Indeed I do. Here, one second."

Orion opened up the cavity in his chest and removed the glowing artifact from inside. He carefully handed it over to Metalhawk, who stared at it in awe.

"Wow," he whispered. "Just look at it. So old. So....powerful. Orion, I'm honored that you've given this to me."

The blue and gold bot opened up the cavity inside his own chest and placed the Matrix right in. Something wasn't right, however. Suddenly, Metalhawk started seizing! His body shook back and forth violently and his arms flailed about wildly. Blacker tackled his commander to the ground and pried his chest cavity open to remove the Matrix.

"Well," he said coldly. "I guess you're not the Prime the Matrix was looking for."

Metalhawk gave a look of dissapointment to Orion as he handed the Matrix back to him.

"Why, Orion," he asked, "doesn't the Matrix do that when you put it into your chest?"

"You want it too?" Orion asked, trying to relieve some of the tension of the situation. "Honestly, I don't know."

"Hmmmm....that's something to look into. In the meantime, we better go check up on your friends, all right?"

"Whatever you say, Metalhawk."

 

The Meet Up​

All was quiet around Delta and not-Ariel as they traversed their war torn planet. Delta noticed something strange about his new friend as they went on together. When he was with her, time quite literally stood still! He reasoned that it was the Wreckers' doing. They must have given her this bizarre ability to stop time (temporarily at least) when they were rebuilding her.

"Hey, Ariel?" he asked.

"I told you that's not my name anymore!" she joked. "What is it?"

"Do...do you remember me?"

"What?"

"Do you remember me?"

"Well, I know that you were one of the bots that helped rebuild me, but you told me that. Why?"

"We've never met before?"

"No, I'm pretty sure we haven't. Is something wrong?"

Delta just stopped walking and sat down, as if deep in thought. He didn't look at her for a long time, so finally she went over and touched his shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" she repeated.

"It's just that...you seem like someone I've met before, in some other time. I think I was bad."

"Bad? What do you mean? You seem like a pretty good bot."

"No, I was bad, very bad. I just...oh...I don't know. Here, let's stop at Iron City for a while. It's close anyways. I think you can let time resume now."

"Oh, right. You know, it sort of drains me. So do you really think you were bad?"

Delta at this point had stood up and began to make his way towards the city. The conversation, it seemed, was over. In just a short period, the two were standing outside the city gates. They were stopped by a large Autobot named Dug Base, who forbade Delta from entering.

"Sorry, apparently you've been exiled. That means no entering. Sorry."

"Oh, come on!" Delta protested. "Was what I did really exile worthy? I did what I did for a good reason!"

"I'm sure you did, but rules are rules. Beat it."

"Gaaah, come on, Ariel. We're outta here."

It was then that Ariel caught a glimpse of a certain bot from the inside of the city. He looked familiar, but he was too far away to be clearly identified. She tried to get a closer look, but failed. She was about to give up when Dug Base told her that she was allowed in.

"If he stays with me, can he come in too?" she asked sheepishly.

"Nope, just you. Go on in."

"Sorry, Delta. I just have to see something."

She started making her way in, but once she was standing behind Dug Base, she did something that caught Delta off guard. She froze time again! Standing there with a smile, she beckoned for him to come in.

"Come on, it's not like they can get you when they're frozen!" she said cheerfully.

Delta just shook his head and laughed as he entered, unhindered, into the city. Once they were a good enough ways in, Ariel allowed time to resume. She let Delta go and wander off as she went to search for the familiar bot.

She kept searching and searching for the bot she saw earlier, but to no avail. There were several that looked like him, but none of them were the right one. Ariel just about gave up when the Autobot she was looking for came up right behind her!

"Ariel, is that you?"

She turned and looked. There he was, alive and well. She had found him.

"Orion! You're safe!"

 

Yay a reuninian!

 

Bitter Feelings​

Everyone onboard the Stunticon flagship, Hellspawn, was on edge. They had been humilated by that simple records clerk. They had victory within their grasp, but Orion snatched it away from them! Sure, Big Bang had fallen, and Megatron had more than likely sent in even more Decepticons to make sure Orion was properly done away with. Still, it left a sore spot.

"Why can't you maggots do anything right?" boomed Motormaster. "One bot. Just one lousy fragging bot, and you four screw it up!"

"It didn't help that you were taken out so quickly either, Motormaster!" snapped Wildrider. "I almost with Big Bang would've sliced your neck open then and there, so I wouldn't have to fragging listen to you go on like a whiny little fembot! I hate you! I hate you all!"

"Oh, what's the point, guys?" muttered Dead End. "Orion will die eventually, if he isn't dead already. We all will. It's just a fact."

"I bet I'll die before you guys!" broke in Drag Strip.

"I can help you with that, if you want," taunted Wildrider. "Someone hand me something sharp and rusty!"

The only one remaining silent was Breakdown. He was going back and forth from switch the Hellspawn from manual to Autopilot. You see, he didn't want to pilot it himself, because then he wouldn't be able to watch his back when his Stunticon "friends" eventually would turn on him and kill him. He didn't want Autopilot either, since it had the suffix "Auto," like "Autobot." It was quite obviously an Autobot conspiracy.

"Look at us!" Motormaster boomed again. "We're supposed to be one of Megatron's elite teams, for Primus's sake!

"Uhh...sir?" squeaked Dead End.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I just picked up a transmission from someone named Metalhawk in Iron City. He was trying to communicate with Alpha Trion, saying that Orion had stopped to see him, not that it matters. Sigh. You know what's sad about iron? It rusts, just like we will some day. It's just another reminder of our unavoidable deaths."

"Slag, Dead End! I think I agree with you, for once! We all gotta die sometime, and for Orion, sometime is gonna be reeeeeeeeeal soon. Breakdown!"

"Please don't kill me sir!"

"Quite your cowardly sniveling and set course for Iron City!"

 

Love Triange​

Orion and Ariel held hands as they walked around Iron City, just the two of them. For the first time since this whole adventure, Orion was truly happy. He told Ariel of his battles, his new friends, and his mission. She was quite impressed. In turn, she spoke to him about her new friend, Delta.

"Sounds like he's quite the Autobot," he said with a slight tone of sarcasm.

"Oh, he is!" she replied, not catching his tone. "He fixed me up and made sure I was all right, even when the Decepticons attacked Autobot HQ!"

"Decepticons did what now?!"

"They ransacked the whole place, but Delta kept me safe!"

"Oh. That's....great."


Meanwhile, Delta and Metalhawk were getting to know each other better.

"So there I was," Delta explained, "no more ammo, and my systems were failing. This guy named Gutcruncher kept telling me how he'd rip me apart, piece by piece and all that. So what I did was I looked him in the eye and just stared him down. He was so busy focusing on our little staring contest that he didn't even notice my pal, Cliffjumper, sneaking into the room with his huge bazooka!"

"No way!"

"Seriously! You should've seen the look on Gutcruncher's face. It's gone now, but you should've seen it when he realized what was gonna happen to him!"

"You know what? I can top that. I'll tell you how, but you have to tell me something first."

"Oh really now? What?"

"How did a slagmaker like you get yourself exiled?"

"It's stupid, really. I was supposed to watch a bot named Trailbreaker while he worked on this top secret project, but I got distracted by Ariel. I...I just had to make sure she was okay, and I left Trailbreaker unguarded. The Decepticons were apparently planning on ambushing HQ that day, because they attacked and, well, they got TB."

"Slag, that's rough. And if I didn't know better, I'd say you had a thing for Orion's girl."

"Well....."

"Forget I said that. So you know what I'm gonna do for you? I'm gonna talk to Alpha Trion and get it your ban lifted, okay?"

"You can do that? Awesome!"

Metalhawk left the room for a breif moment and when he returned, he had a massive grin on his face.

"So?" Delta asked anxiously.

"Trion made it very clear how upset he was over the situation. He said, however, that Primus had instructed him to lift your punishment. Lucky you have friends in high places, huh?"

"Yeah! Oh man, thanks so much!"

"No problem. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to check in with Blacker. He's tending after Orion's friends."

"His friends?"

"The two Arielbots."

"Only two left? There were five when I first met them! Unless something terrible happened to the other three."

"From what Orion has told me, they were killed."

"Then it's a good thing I had a plan in case something like that would happen!"

"A backup plan?"

"Yes. It wasn't easy, but we had the five sparks of the Arielbots cloned. They're back at Wreckers HQ. Perhaps I should talk to Springer about sending them over here to Iron City?"

"Yes, yes! Orion will be very happy to hear about this!"

The happy feelings were short lived, as suddenly Metalhawk was informed of a building in Iron City that was bombed down. Then another. Then another. The city was under siege!

 

Going to Pieces​

Orion had grown increasingly quiet. He was deeply afraid that he was going to lose his beloved Ariel to Delta, and he just didn't know how to handle it. Ariel eventually caught on that he was distressed, so she decided to stop talking as well. The two went on in silence. It took the whole of Iron City being bombed to break the silence between the two of them.

"Ariel, look out!" Orion screamed.

He grabbed her arm and jerked her away just as a missile was about to hit her.

"There," he said. "Now we're even from when you saved me at the Archive."

"Look out!" she screamed.

She tackled him out of the way just as a giant piece of flaming debris was about to fall on him.

"Now you owe me again."

The pair continued to watched each other's back as they made their way back to the city's capital. It was a nightmarish experience. Everywhere they looked, innocent bots were on fire, screaming in pain, running about, dying.

"Who's behind this? Who's behind this?" demanded Orion.

The two burst through the capital door, exhausted. Metalhawk hurried the the couple down into an underground shelter, but Orion was insistant on staying and fighting.

"No, you have to stay safe. Delta, Blacker and I have things covered."

"Delta?! Gah, forget it. What about the Arielbots? And Magnus?"

"They've already been brought down. Don't worry about them. Just get your skidplate to safety!"

Then the ceiling came crashing down and the team assailing Iron City entered in. From the dust emerged Motormaster and his Stunticons.

"You again!" Orion said in disgust. "How's your hand?"

"About to be around your neck. Now give me the Matrix!"

"Never!"

"Orion, back down. Blacker, you take the red and yellow ones. I'll take the other three!"

Blacker charged in towards Dead End and Drag Strip, guns a'blazin. He knocked Drag Strip on to his back and slammed his arm into Dead End's face. Motormaster tried to push his way past Metalhawk, but he wouldn't budge. Wildrider and Breakdown did their best to pry Metalhawk away, but they were quickly blindsighted by Delta.

"Oh, come on! Pretty boy's getting all the fun!" Orion complained.

"What did you just call him?" Ariel asked angrily.

"Nothing. Let's just head to the defense bunker."

"I could just freeze time. Wa--AAUUUGHH!"

"Ariel, what's wrong?"

"I...I can't use my power! Orion, I feel weak!"

"Ariel? Ariel? Are you going to be okay?"

The fembot suddenly fainted, crashing down the flight of stairs. Orion chased after her and cradled her in his arms. He sheltered her from all the noise and chaos, completely unaware of all the carnage that was going on just above their heads.

"It'll be all right. I'm here. I'm here."

And that's when things really got out of hand. On top of the Hellspawn's bombings, Iron City was suddenly bombarded by the Combaticons. They were destroying everything the missiles and bullets failed to destroy. No one was spared. All to quickly, Iron City became as war torn and ruined as Uraya. Metalhawk, Delta, and Blacker were quickly losing energy, and they hadn't even met up with the Combaticons yet. They were still struggling with Motormaster and his gang!

"Gnn....hey...Delta?" Metalhawk grunted while being crushed by Motormaster?"

"AUGH! Watch the leg! Watch the leg!" Delta protested as Wildrider attempted to contort him into all sorts of configurations. "What is it?!"

"You know how I never told you how I've--GRAH--topped your story?"

"Hnn...yeah."

"That's because I haven't....yet."

"Yet?"

"Watch this."

Summoning up all of his strength, Metalhawk grabbed Motormaster's fists, lifted him from off the ground, and threw him across the room.

"Come get some!" he shouted.

The five Stunticons all tried to take on Metalhawk at once, but Metalhawk managed to accomplish something Big Bang never could have. He overcame them. He demolished them. He broke and tore them up until they were nothing but a pile of scrapmetal.

At least, that's what he saw in his mind. In reality, they subdued him, but didn't kill. They wouldn't show him that mercy. They captured him and brought him on board the Hellspawn and took off. Delta and Blacker fell down in defeat and cursed their lives.

"Perhaps this will be enough for Orion to come to us," Motormaster thought aloud.

Meanwhile, Iron City crumbled by the hands of the thousands of Combaticons. It was only a matter of time before they found Orion. Until then, Orion thought, he would just enjoy the last few precious moments with Ariel he had.

"The Matrix has brought me nothing but pain, Ariel," he whispered. "You alone can light my darkest hour."

 

Later today I'm going to update with "Reversal," revealing the fate of Orion, Iron City, and Delta! Stay tuned!

 

sweet

 

Nevermind, I'm back now!

Reversal​

All was quiet in the underground bunker, but this was mostly due to the fact that most of its inhabitants were only half alive. Slingshot, Skydive, and Magnus remained strapped to their operating tables while Ariel rested in Orion's trembling arms.

Above ground, the Combaticons had made their way to the capital of what used to be Iron City. Several of them formed a living wall for the others to climb up. Delta and Blacker were still exhausted and badly injured from their fight with the Stunticons, so they barely had anything left in them to fight.

"It sounds like it's getting louder up there," Orion thought to himself.

Suddenly there was a loud crashing noise, followed by what sounded like hundreds of laser blasts going off. The battle above Orion's head was getting more and more intense....but how? Could Delta and Blacker really be holding their own so well?

Orion remained still, cradling Ariel and not making any sound. Suddenly things got eerily quiet, as though the fighting had stopped. Orion thought for sure that the Combaticons had finished off Delta and Blacker and left, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking!

"Anyone down there?" came a voice. When it didn't get a response, it spoke again. "Hey, did you hear me? Is someone down there? You have nothing to be afraid of!"

Orion refused to budge, but his Energon ran cold when the bunker door opened up.

"Hey, Orion, get up here already!" yelled Delta. Delta. Delta! He was alive!

Quickly, Orion took up Ariel and tried to make his way up the stairs. Several other bots surrounded him and helped carry him, Ariel, and the rest of the offlined bots up to the surface.

"You're...you're alive!" Orion exclaimed. "But how?"

"Kid, look around you!" instructed Blacker.

Orion went to the large, gaping hole where a wall formerly was and looked down. The sight that met his optics was a humongous crowd of Autobots who broke into shouts and applause upon seeing him.

"Big crowd, huh?"

Orion knew that voice! He spun around and there before him was none other than....

"Ironhide!"

"Glad to see yer doin all right, kid. Where er the Arielbots?"

"They're....they're..."

"They're on their way over here," Delta broke in. "Orion, it's actually something I've been meaning to talk to you about. It's not important now though."

"Why not?"

"You have a whole army on your side now, Orion. Do something with them!"

"I still don't know how they all got here!"

"Well you see," explained Ironhide, "word got out that you were here in Iron City when Metalhawk contacted Alpha Trion. Speaking of which, where is he?"

Delta looked down in shame.

"Did something happen?" asked Orion. "What happened to Metalhawk?"

"The Stunticons," Delta whispered. "They've got him."

"No...."

"Now Delta," consoled Ironhide.

"No! I showed them mercy, and look what they did! Those...those monsters!"

Now filled with a fire that was all to familiar to him now, Orion went over and addressed the massive crowd of Autobots.

"My fellow Cybertronians," he shouted, "the Decepticons, I see now, are nothing but cruel, heartless monsters. They--"

"Orion, ya may be layin it on a bit thick now. Settle do--"

"Don't tell me to settle down! Autobots, I know how we are to defeat Megatron and his evil minions. It is my plan to give Megatron....."

Then the crowd bursted into saying words to finish Orion's sentence.

"Pain!"

"Justice!"

"Oblivion!"

"Destruction!"

"Wrong," he told them all. "I'm giving to Megatron the Matrix!"

At this, the crowd went into an uproar. Even Delta was dumbfounded. Ironhide was the only one who caught on to Orion's plan.

"You know, Orion," he said. "It was my idea first."

"Then do I have your permission to use it?" Orion asked in mock-timidity.

"Sure, go right ahead, so long as yer sure it'll work."

"I'm positive, Ironhide. Very soon, Megatron will get a taste of The Gauntlet."

 

The Answers​

"Okay, Ironhide, Delta's telling the troops what the plan is, so you tell me how you all got them here."

"Ya sure we have enough time?"

"Yes, the Autobots won't be prepared to unleash The Gauntlet for quite some time, and Ariel and the others are still recuperating. Tell me how you did it!"

"All right, all right. So you remember how I trained you, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, when you were bein trained, you had some.....spectators."

"Spectators?"

"Bots who saw some potential in you. Ya see, that little trinket ya have in yer chest is kind of a big deal. I still don' understand how Megatron could've overlooked it killed Sentinel."

"He thought it was destroyed with Sentinel, but it was hidden away behind his spark, rather than in front. Sentinel gave his spark go protect it."

"Is that so? Well anyways, you were kind of a big deal. When you went off on yer journey, some bots decided to follow close behind."

"What?!"

"Not stalkin ya or anythin creepy like that. They just wanted to be there for you if the Arielbots failed...which they did, it seems."

"They did not! The Combaticons ganged up on them. They couldn't defend themselves! They--"

"Settle down! Yer kind of a hothead, aren'tcha?"

"Sorry. I just...."

"Ah, Orion, that passion of yer's is part of the reason so many bots saw such great potential in you. Ya Care. Ya stand up for what's right, even if it means hurtin yerself in the process. When ya started off fer Uraya, the Cyber Ninja Corps pretty much paved the way fer ya. Its leader, Jazz, lead them into the city before ya got there and had an all out battle with these guys called the Predacons. That explains why it was so wrecked up when you got there."

"Is--was--Big Bang a member of the Cyber Ninja Corps?"

"I don' think he was, but it is a shame he went down the way he did. Anyways, word spread about yer mission from one of the CNC members, and eventually you had a bigger an bigger following. A communications expert named Blaster kept everyone updated on how you've been doin, and its probably because of yer following that ya haven't been blown to bits yet!"

"Really?"

"You have no idea how many Cons were stopped dead in their tracks by yer invisible guardians, Orion. They've saved yer skidplate more times than I can count! They really believe in yor seen as the light in the darkness, believe it er not."

"The...the light?"

"You've given the planet hope, Orion. I know it seems like you've lost a lot, but Cybertron'll lost a lot more if you don't succeed."

"They're really counting on me to pull through, aren't they?"

"They know you will. They know yer gonna be the one to kick Megatron's skidplate across the galaxy, kid!"

"I really wish I could."

"Well, yer gonna get yer chance soon enough."

"I better. The Cons took away Dion, Metalhawk, the Arielbots, and so many others from me. They won't get away with their actions. None...of...them...will."

"Somethin wrong?"

"It's just...I'm thinking of this one Con who helped me out, even though it meant certain death for him. Thundercracker was his name."

"Thundercracker? Really?"

"He saved me, Ironhide, and right now he's probably either dead or being tortured! Oh, Ironhide! I just...."

"Orion?"

Delta had apparently managed to enter the room and neither Orion nor Ironhide noticed.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Your troops are awaiting your command."

"Heh, me, a commander. Here I thought I was just the delivery bot. Tell them I'll be there in a moment. I want to check up on Ariel first."

"Sounds good, Prime."

"Thank y--wait, what did you call me?"

"I...I don't know. It just sort of slipped out."

"You called me Prime!"

"I guess I did. It just seems right for some reason. Anyways, you better go see your girl now."

 

Let's Make a Deal​

"Blaster, is the communication line set up now?"

"Yes sir, Orion! Head right on in there and do your thing!"

Orion had debriefed his soldiers on what his plan was over and over again, determined to make sure everyone played their part perfectly. Two by two, he sent them all out to their positions in Thunderhead Pass and commanded them to conceal themselves. The trap was almost set.

"Decepticons, come in Decepticons."

In the Decepticon HQ, Soundwave picked up on Orion's transmission and redirected it to Megatron.

"Decepticons, come in Decepticons."

"This is Decepticon Commander Megatron. Who are you and how did you get this frequency?"

"Never you mind how I picked up on this frequency. It's Orion, Megatron. The bot that whose life you left in ruins. I've lost everything because of you, except the Matrix, that is."

"Ahh yes, Orion! What do you want?"

"Peace. I just want to be left alone. If I give you the Matrix, will you leave my life alone?"

"Is this a surrender that I'm hearing?"

"It's a proposition. I will be at Thunderhead Pass with the Matrix in my hands. All you have to do is come and get it, then leave me. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Orion, you seem fairly intelligent, for an Autobot, that is. Therefore I must ask you....DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A FOOL?!"

"What?"

"I know a trap when I see one. You're fooling no one, Orion."

"Megatron, are you telling me that you don't believe that I would give up the artifact in my chest that has brought me so much pain? Do you know how many of my friends have died trying to defend it? Now I am offering you to remove this curse from me. All you need to do is go to Thunderhead Pass, take the Matrix, and leave, totally intact."

"It is a curse to you, Orion? You want nothing else in exchange for the Matrix, other than your old life back you say? Nothing at all?"

"There is one thing, actually," Orion said, ashamed that he hadn't thought of it before. "Your Stunticons have taken my friend, Metalhawk. I demand his safe return and your word that you will leave me and my friends alone if I give you the Matrix."

There was a silence between the two of them then, as Megatron mulled over his options. Orion seemed sincere, but it was still obvious that there was a trap somewhere. Finally, Megatron had a solution.

"Orion, I will take you up on your proposition, so long as I needn't come alone to Thunderhead Pass. I will bring one thousand of my soldiers, in case you decide to do something I won't like."

At this, Orion felt a brief but powerful wave of fear go over him. One thousand soldiers. That was far more than Orion had anticipated. He had faith in his plan, however, and agreed with Megatron's terms.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Orion said calmly. "I will see you at Thunderhead Pass shortly."

 

Back Off!​

"Blaster, is the communication line set up now?"

"Yes sir, Orion! Head right on in there and do your thing!"

Orion had debriefed his soldiers on what his plan was over and over again, determined to make sure everyone played their part perfectly. Two by two, he sent them all out to their positions in Thunderhead Pass and commanded them to conceal themselves. The trap was almost set. Meanwhile, Delta went into the underground bunker to check up on Magnus, the Arielbots, and Ariel.

"Oh, it's just you, Delta. You startled me."

Tending after the injured bots was a fembot named Med Alert. She was training under Ratchet, but she was still just a beginner.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Delta asked rudely.

"Yes, of course I do."

"Sorry, I'm just....."

"Worried about her, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you're in luck. She's the only conscious one of the bunch."

"Then may I speak with her?"

Med Alert briefly left only to return wheeling Ariel in on a medical bed.

"Hey, Ariel," he said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"I told you not to call me that," she said with a weak smile.

"Well then, have you found a new name for yourself then?"

"When I find the best name, I'll be sure you're the first to know."

"Best...first. You know, there might be something there! Anyways, you still haven't told me how you're feeling yet."

"I'm still weak. I think that using my powers over time takes a lot out of me! At least I have my memory back now. It all came flooding back when I saw Orion again!"

"Orion, yeah."

"What's wrong? Is Orion okay?"

"Yes, but he's under a lot of stress right now. He's negotiating with Megatron as we speak."

"Megatron?"

"Yes."

"There is no negotiating with that monster! He--"

"It's okay, Orion has a plan."

"I sure hope so."

"Ariel, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"What....what do you see in Orion?"

"Pardon me?"

"What does he have that I don't?"

"Delta, are you telling me that you--"

"Yes. I'm sorry. There's just...something about you. It seems like we were meant for each other. When I saw you for the first time, something went off inside me. I felt like I knew you already. I'm so sorry."

Ariel stared at him blankly, unsure of what to say. She extended her arm out and caressed Delta's face soothingly.

"Delta, you're a great guy, but my spark belongs to Orion. We can never be together."

"Okay, I'm just glad you were honest with me."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I really don't know, Ariel. I really don't."

Just then, Orion came bursting through the door, still with that fire in his eyes. He had just finished speaking with Megatron and he wanted to tell his girl all about it. What he didn't expect was to see Delta making eyes at her!

"What in the Pit to you think you're doing?" Orion demanded.

"Orion! I just...uhh..."

"Ariel, what did he do to you?"

"Nothing! He just came to check up on me and--"

"Ariel," Delta stopped her. "You can tell him the truth. Orion, I have feelings for her, as it turns out. You guys are great together though, so I--"

"Shut up!"

Orion took a swing at Delta's face, but the bot dodged his blow.

"Take it like an Autobot!" Orion shouted.

"Listen, you're losing control of yourself! Don't do this, not now!" Delta protested. "If you want to be the slag out of me, you can. Just do it after we've dealt with Megatron!"

At this, Orion stopped his fist from smashing into Delta's torso. His eyes fell to the ground in shame.

"Fine. Ariel, I hope you recover soon. Delta, get your skidplate up to the surface. We have to be at Thunderhead Pass soon. Go."

Delta brushed past Orion, not looking at him or Ariel as he left.

"Orion," Ariel scolded, "you didn't have to do that. Don't you trust me?"

He gave her no answer. Med Alert returned to the room, blissfully unaware of all the drama that had just occurred. She calmly wheeled Ariel back to her own room, and Orion left in utter shame and embarrassment.