Chapter 1: Dark Alliances A small craft glided through space. It was wedge shaped, with two triangular wings protruding from the sides, propelled by a single thruster on the rear. It had been painted a reflective black to blend in with darkness of space, yet the cockpit was illuminated with a white light, revealing two figures seated inside. One of the characters was blue in color, and had a slender frame. He looked to the larger figure sitting next to him, who was a dirty red and blue with a muscular build. A dark brown cloak covered most of his torso, and a hood had been draped over his head, hiding his face in shadow. Only a glimmer of blue light from his eyes pierced through. "This is a bad idea, Prime" The smaller figure said, breaking the silence. "We don't have a choice, Mirage. We can't lose this opportunity." Out the window the of the cockpit, Prime and Mirage could make out the shape of a jagged rock and metal formation in the distance. It had at one point been an asteroid, but was split in half centuries ago. The magnetic properties of the rock resulted in an everlasting violent storm of metal shards in its atmosphere. "Derlis, once set on a crash course with Cybertron. Mirage, we will have to plunge through the storm, brace yourself!" Prime yelled, and grabbed hold of the two controls in front of him. "Activating energy shielding!" Mirage yelled, as he tapped his fingers on a holographic pad above. He spun around in his seat and grabbed a lever as Prime forced the control sticks forward. The ship was gaining speed quickly, moving closer to Derlis. "Ready?" Mirage yelled over the roar of the engine "Ready!" The craft slammed into the storm. Mirage was knocked back into his seat, Optimus jerked sideways, sending the craft reeling to the left. The window was glowing blue from the mass of debris hitting the energy shielding surrounding the craft. "Alter course! We are going to smack into the side of the asteroid!" Mirage yelled, watching prime yank the controls back to the right. The sound of metal being vaporized created a loud buzzing noise, which quickly turned into the clangs of metal hitting the hull. "Our shields aren't going to hold!" "They will hold! Get ready for the landing!" Prime replied, and pulled back on the controls. The ship began to slow down, and suddenly the noise stopped. They had passed through the storm- quickly, Mirage yanked back on the lever, activating the ship's wind-brakes and landing gear. "This is gonna be close!" Before Mirage could continue, the craft hit the ground. The landing gear scraped the ground while the nosecone dug into the rock. They were quickly approaching a rock formation near the edge of the asteroid's surface. Optimus slammed his fist down on a holographic panel near the dashboard, opening the canopy. He pulled himself out, walking along the top of the craft to the back, and grabbed onto one of the rear tail fins. He let his feet hit the ground, and began to adjust as they were being dragged along. Mirage looked back to see Prime attempting to hold onto the ship and slow it down. He placed his hand on the control panel, and fired the ships weapons, carving out a section of the ground. The landing gear took hold of the rivets, and it came to a jarring stop. CLANG. Optimus slammed into the rear of the ship, his face nearly missing one of the white-hot thrusters. "Prime! You alright?" Mirage asked as he jumped out of the craft. Prime grunted as he got to his feet. "I'm fine. I just hope the ship will handle the return trip out of here.." The two figures began to walk toward a landmark situated at the very center of the asteroid. It was singular mountain structure with a large arched door at the base. Mirage clenched his fists, and with the cue of a quiet mechanical noise, turned completely invisible. Prime continued to the archway while Mirage hid by a ledge nearby, overlooking the structure. Minutes later, Prime had reached the entrance. He knew his weapon was secured to his back, yet didn't reach for it. After a couple steps forward, he took a more confident stride into the building. "Primus..." Optimus whispered to himself. The rooms, which had been carved out of the large, mountainous structure, were lined with small glass cases, a glowing crystal set in each. The walls extended upward, matched by strategically placed ladders, and seemingly had no end. "Optimus Prime" The voice echoed throughout the room. It was deep, with a rough metallic tone behind it. Optimus turned to see another being twice his size, staring down at him. One of his eyes was gleaming a bright red, while the other was clearly badly damaged - or badly repaired. His entire body was a mess of mismatched armor plating, varying in colors, shapes, and materials. "Who are you?" Optimus replied, almost startled by the abomination in front of him. "I am a refuge for the lost souls of the Cybertronians. I am a museum of history for the galaxy. I preserve what might be lost, if it ceased to exist. I am the Collector." "Then it is your assistance I seek. These crystals on your shelves, are they-?" "Sparks. Thousands of them. When a transformer is brought down in battle my scouts rip the sparks from them, and deliver them to me. It's a simple business, you pay a small fee for the service of the spark, and resell it for a larger fee. In the meantime, what is not sold becomes a memorial of history." The Collector walked over to one of the shelves, and removed one of the cases. "Ah, here is a true legend. Bludgeon. Such skill and finesse, and the fearlessness to back it up. It's the wonderful thing about a spark- They contain the memories of any Cybertronian. In essence, Bludgeon is here with us, right now." He set the case back down and lifted his arms to point to all of the cases around him. "They all still function, Prime. And every once in a while, someone is willing to pay the price to get one back." He smiled, revealing a set of rusted teeth. "It doesn't matter who you have aligned yourself with. Autobots, Decepticons, all of you are here. Sparks, weapons, armor, I have it all. Now, what can I do for you, Optimus Prime?" The Collector moved to sit in a chair that had been carved out of the wall. Optimus glanced up at the thousands of sparks that lined the inner walls of the mountain. He shuddered as he imagined what monstrosities were here, being preserved to kill another day. "I need to purchase a spark." He replied. "Ha, ha, ha!" The Collector's voice rumbled through the mountain. "Even the majestic leader of the Autobots is willing to pay a price to bring back one of the lost. Don't forget, Prime, that a spark is merely the memories that are left. It remembers how it died, who it hated, and what it can do. Those things can drive it to insanity, and your old friend is no longer what it used to be. Not that I care, but I believe my customers should know what they are buying. You know, Optimus, there is quite a price on your head. But you already knew that, didn't you? You're cloaked, but nothing will hide who you truly are. I hope that one day, your spark may rest here in my collection." Optimus frowned, clenching his fists. "Don't fret, Autobot. I only collect the spoils of war. Now then, onto business! I accept many forms of payment. Energon, cybercredits, I'll even consider a trade. Who's spark are you looking to purchase?" Optimus closed his eyes for a moment, and let out a sigh. "I need the spark of Megatron." ------------------------------------------ And there we have it, the start to my brand new fanfic. The Collector is a character that I had always had an idea for in my head, and while I never intended for him to resemble the collector from marvel, Marvel did inspire me to simply name him the collector instead of giving him a cybertronian name. This will be a very long fanfic and I have a ton to pack into it, but I'll mostly keep each chapter focused on one story arc each, to avoid putting too many scenes in each post.
Mirage waited impatiently from his sniper's nest. Although he was cloaked, there was still a looming sense that he was being watched. It wasn't long ago that Optimus had told Mirage of the almost absurd plan that they were now carrying out- to retrieve the spark of the most demonic and dangerous cybertronian he had ever known: Megatron. In his time, Megatron had single-handedly created an empire destined to rule Cybertron and to bend it's technology to his will using the volatile substance known as dark energon. However, his war had taken a toll on Cybertron. The planet was left in a near-death state, and the combined force of the Autobots was barely enough to bring the tyrannical leader to his end. A war-torn planet, the shattered force of Autobots, and the end of Megatron's reign. As he stayed within his protective cloak, he knew that it wouldn't protect him from the horrors of this planet. This was the Graveyard, a place where an incredible amount of sparks had been stored away. How many of my friends are locked away in there, being sold off? He wondered. The Autobots knew that this place had existed, but none dared to try to stop The Collector's antics. He had an incredible network of hunters and defenses, and given the technology that he had collected over the years, the weapons he had at his disposal were too unpredictable and created an immeasurable risk if anyone were to fight him. It was also no secret that The Collector had double-agents working for him. Any previous quarrels or plots to attack the Graveyard were quickly foiled because he always saw the attack coming- undoubtedly due to moles within their factions. A moment of relief washed over Mirage as Optimus exited the fortress. He was carrying a large black box, which likely contained the weapon of mass destruction that they had come out here to retrieve. Prime placed the box into the rear cargo space on the small ship as Mirage decloaked behind him. "Is that it?" He asked, moving around Prime to view the box. It was a ceremonial coffin of sorts, a protective casing that the spark had been placed into. "It came at a high price," Prime replied tensely, "we have 30 sun cycles to surrender the Ark to The Collector." "We can't give him that! We had credits to offer, we can't give up any of our war assets! Especially not with what is about to unfold." "We aren't giving him the Ark. But he wanted technology, so I had to give him the answer he wanted. Once we begin Operation Spark, everyone will be against us. I don't really care if The Collector comes after us too, we will stand our ground and defend against anyone or anything that tries to break us." Mirage leaped back into the pilot's seat and initiated the launch of the shuttle. It sputtered before roaring to life, and pieces crumbled off of it as it rose from the crater it had created upon it's landing. He threw it forward, carrying the small group back through the dangerous environment that had threatened to kill them on the way here. *** As Prime left the fortress, The Collector transported himself to a separate but much smaller room at the top of the mountain. Here, a multitude of screens, controls, and other information consoles lined the walls. He sat himself down in the central chair, just as another figure entered the room. This figure was slender but well-built, and was almost equal in height to The Collector. His face was littered with war paint, and his body appeared decorated with spoils of hunting. A jagged, chrome silver hook had replaced his right hand, a compliment to the multitude of spikes that covered the rest of his body. "He had a scout outside, cloaked." The figure replied in a deep, yet clear voice. "I had figured the great Optimus Prime would bring reinforcements, but only one? What a disappointing show. And yet, to purchase the spark of Megatron, what an unexpected move that is." "We shouldn't have brought that spark here in the first place. If the Decepticons find out you sold it to the Autobots, we are going to have a war on our hands. They've been loyal customers so far, but the one that leads them now is far too observant and calculating. I doubt it'll be long before he comes up here asking questions. We need to go off the grid, change our plan." "You are a hunter. You hunt. But I? A manipulator. Let the Decepticons come if they may. I will have Sideways inform them that the Prime has their leader. The fallout from this discovery will fuel the war once more. We need their confrontations to stay profitable, do we not? Now go, follow the Autobots and figure out what they plan to do with that spark. My own curiosity... it kills me, sometimes." "Fine. Let's just hope your mistake doesn't unravel everything we've built." The figure turned away, as a helmet shifted from his back to snap down around his face. "Thank you. Oh, and Lockdown? Make sure they pay me my damn ship." ---------------------------
Chapter 2: Iacon Orion awoke from his stasis nap. "What...?" He examined his surroundings. He was in a hexagonal shaped room, high atop Iacon tower. A large window overlooked the city to his right, illuminated by the daylight. Only a short while ago, he had entered this room to rest and recharge, but it had felt like a millennia. He rose from his seat, and slowly moved toward the window. The outside world bustled with life. Iacon was one of the most highly populated cities on Cybertron, built atop the mines that made it what it is today. Behind him, the door to the room slid open, as another figure entered. "Mind if I join you?" The figure asked "Elita! Sorry, you startled me, I was... somewhere else." Orion replied. "Oh?" Elita asked, moving to stand next to Orion. "Have you ever had... visions?" Orion asked, his gaze turning back to the window. "I've thought about what it would be like to be on the High Council at times, to be a part of Cybertron's leadership." "Hmm, not exactly what I meant." "Why? What did you see?" "I don't know. In my vision, I was someone else, "Optimus Prime." The world was destroyed, I was on a mission to get Megatron's spark for some reason." "Megatron? The mine commander?" "Strange, isn't it? And in this vision, I had thoughts, memories about him. He was dangerous." "Has he cased you any trouble in the mines?" "He's a tough leader, sure, he doesn't accept excuses and always demands more, but I've never thought of him like I did in this vision." "And who is Optimus Prime? I don't know of anyone on the High Council under that name." "All good questions, Elita. It felt unlike any though I’ve ever had. More like, a premonition of the future, or some alternate reality.” "I can get you some time with the Council, if you want. Maybe they would have some knowledge about this. Or speak to Megatron on your next shift about it?" "My shift! Slag, I'm late for work!" He placed his hand on Elita's shoulder. The two exchanged a nod, and he bolted out of the room. Iacon Tower was built directly above one of the largest Energon mines on Cybertron. At one point, the planet was rich with the resource. From powering cities to healing the wounded, Energon was essential to life on Cybertron. Thousands of mining operation take place every day in search of the coveted resource, and those who were willing and able to traverse the dangerous mines worked tirelessly to obtain it. Orion rushed to the nearest grab lift, and began descending toward the lower levels of the tower. As he arrived at the lowest floor, a bulky, heavily armored figure stood at guard, his arms crossed. “You’re late, Pax.” “Sorry Demolisher. I was-“ “Yeah yeah, save it for Megatron.” He stepped aside, allowing Orion passage into the mines. A short distance later, Megatron stood atop a raised chunk of rock, surrounded by other mining bots looking up to him. “You - where have you been? What’s your name, bot?” Megatron asked, his voice booming through the cavern. All else was silent. “Sorry sir, I was having the weirdest vision.” “Your name?” “Orion Pax, sir. I’ve been a part of your crew for over twenty years.” “You expect me to remember your name, when you can barely remember to show up for your shift?” Before Orion could respond, Megatron held up his hand. “Off with all of you. We are already behind, you know your quota.” As the group grabbed their gear and proceeded into the mine, Megatron leaped down from his perch to meet a figure that had been standing in the shadows. The figure stared blankly back at him with a single optic, matched to his single hand, which was presently grasping a holopad. “The High Council have requested a status briefing, commander.” “No, it’s far too soon. We’ve barely found enough Energon to power a scrap rat!” “Energon reserves in this sector are depleting quickly. Surely he will understand that our chances of meeting this quota is only .14%.” “No, he won’t. That is why we must present an alternate solution. Have you done the research I asked?” “Indeed. Dark Energon is completely self sustaining. It’s ten times as efficient as standard Energon, and has the ability to form new crystaline structures in seconds. And I’ve discovered how we can create it.” *** Man, three posts over the course of 6 years. Truth be told, I’m interested in a lot of fandoms- Marvel, DC, Mass Effect, Bionicle, my own universe, etc. As a result, I tend to get idea for cool stories that go in phases as my interests move around throughout the year. So projects get ignored pretty quickly. But this story was one that I always wanted to continue, I have huge plans for this universe, and wanted to make sure I had a solid idea for where this is going.
