Everyone was stunned... Their presence, their history.
"It's not the future... it's something else..."
"It's an alternate universe, yet we had not seen ourselves in that time just yet..." Prime muttered to Ratchet's wonder.
"This is going nowhere!" Megatron shouted. "Omega Scion, shall we see another?"
"You will. In three...two...one..."
Aboard the Axalon, Primal heard a knock on the door and replied "Enter.", apparently he was frustrated at Silverbolt's inaction towards Blackarachnia.
Silverbolt came in the door asking "You wanted to see me?"
"I did." Primal replied but then asked Silverbolt after he approached to Primal's office "I don't know how long this has been going on, but it stops right now, understand?"
"Ooooh, the boss monkey's found out that Maxie-Bolt's dating Black Widow! Busted!" Jazz laughed.
"Then again, I wanted to see how can he get out of this situation. Perhaps Blackarachnia can change after all." Smokescreen pointed out.
Arcee just shook her head.
"I'm not certain to what you are referring." Silverbolt said playing dumb. Yet Primal would not buy the act.
"I'm talking about you and a certain female Predacon. Or am I wrong?" Primal interrogated.
"Tell me I'm wrong and I'll apologize right now." Silverbolt offered formally.
"Well, that's just prime." Primal sighed.
But Silverbolt propped up his proposition "Sir, I believed that I can bring her around-"
"Oh, don't be an IDIOT!" Primal shouted. "She may have been made from Maximal parts but she is a Predacon to the core!"
"As was I once..." Silverbolt pointed out.
"Is that why you believe you have much in common with her, grandson?" Silverbolt asked. "Don't be a fool."
"YOU didn't KNOW better!" Primal argued. "Silverbolt, you are one of the noblest individuals I have ever met. That is your strength. It is also your weakness. Blackarachnia is USING you!" he pressed on his argument.
"If she was using him, why didn't she just shoot him when they attacked the Darksyde?" Ultra Magnus asked.
"A good question, Magnus." Knockout quipped.
"I do not believe that, sir." Silverbolt refused adamantly.
"Whether you believe it or not is immaterial." Primal coldly pressed. "The fact is your emotions have jeopardized our situation far more than you realize." He began to speak with an incensed tone "If we weren't holding Megatron..." He cuts off mid-sentence upon realizing his anger rising. "You're confined to quarters. I'll send Cheetor to bring in the spider-woman."
"I don't think that would be a good idea." stated Ratchet.
"Sir!" Silverbolt objected.
"You have something else to say, Silverbolt?" Primal asked.
"Sir!" Silverbolt tried to come up with a suggestion "Optimus... I believe that Blackarachnia will not hurt me. But she would have no such compunction about Cheetor. For his sake if no other, please, send me instead. I will bring her in."
Yet Primal would not budge and pressed on the punishment he gave to his Fuzor subordinate "You're confined to quarters, Silverbolt." then hailed via communications "Cheetor. Report to me at once."
Silverbolt then left out of frustration.
"I know what you mean, Silverbolt, but he is right. You're allowing your feelings for Blackarachnia interfere with your ability to act." pointed out Dreadwing.
Meanwhile, as Megatron remained a prisoner of his own ship, under Ravage's custody, he hammed. "So.... the Tripredacus Council still smooches the skidplates of the Maximal Elders... Is it any wonder I rebelled?"
"Yes, you rebelled against the will of the council just for your personal ambition that you so crave for so much. How pathetic." Megatron spat out.
"The Predacons will have their moment. But you? I served under the original Megatron. You have his name, but not his army." Ravage pointed out.
"Perhaps." Megatron spouted "But what does it matter, if your ship is too Energon-depleted by battle to return to Cybertron."
"The Maximals-"
"Have nothing!" Megatron cuts Ravage off. "They were expecting rescue. I, on the other hand, have a secret store of Energon cubes, yess." then began to press his offer "Release me... and it is yours."
"Ooooh yes, the negociation. Yet Ravage wouldn't be that foolish to just take that offer as if it's fresh Energon ready for service." Starscream pointed out.
The Renegatrons frowned, they knew that Starscream was too experienced for that knowledge.
"I think I will take it anyway." Ravage refused.
"It's location is encrypted. And my minions have fled." Megatron assured.
Yet Ravage pulled out a screen "Remember the defense shutdown that triggered your capture?"
"Yess." Megatron replied inquistively "How did you...?
"Permit me to introduce-" Ravage cuts him off "Lieutenant Tarantulas of the Predacon Secret Police!"
The Renegatrons were shocked. Tarantulas was an undercover agent all along. It explained his treachery against Megatron from the start.
The Autobots and the Predacons were stunned as well.
"PLOT TWIST!!!" Knockout quipped.
"A mole! Within my own organization all this time! And I never suspected." Megatron was shocked at the revelation. Sure, Tarantulas was a traitor, but it never occured to him for once that he was actually an agent for the Tripredacus Council.
"Energon cache located, Covert Agent Ravage." Tarantulas called out to his fellow agent.
"I'll have the Maximals retrieve it right away." Ravage replied.
The Autobots could not get much incensed than that. To think that a covert agent would use the Maximals as pawns for his mission was certainly a new low never imagined by them before.
"Yes. You do that." Megatron spat out.
Back with the Maximals, Cheetor was about to deploy per Primal's orders. "On my way, Big Bot! Aw right!" but as he walked towards Silverbolt's quarters "Silverbolt?
"Yes?" the grounded Maximal Fuzor replied.
"I just kinda wanted t'say I'm sorry about all this. And... Well, I... I promise I... I'll bring her in with... minimal damage, okay?" he said sincerely.
"That is very considerate of you, Cheetor." Silverbolt replied "And I am sorry too."
Confused, Cheetor asked "Sorry? For what?"
"For... this!" Silverbolt smashed a fist through the door and into Cheetor's face.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" asked Bumblebee.
"He knows Blackarachnia would not be lenient to Cheetor as he is. He's taking over Cheetor's place for the mission to prevent any harm to her." Prime said.
"Cheetor!" Silverbolt walked out of his quarters and approached the dazed young Maximal "How do you feel?"
"Li'l dizzy... but... I'll be okay..." Cheetor replied.
"Then I am... again sorry." Silverbolt apologized sincerely.
"Wha...?"
Silverbolt then launched another fist to Cheetor's face, knocking him out, yet Rattrap witnessed the assault.
"Why you sucker-punchin' spaniel!" Incensed at what he considered a traitor, Rattrap pushes a button that raises the alarm at Silverbolt, so he ran, throwing one of his explosive feathers at the hull of the Axalon and flew out, in disobedience of Primal's orders.
Ultra Magnus scowled. "And now you're willing to desert the Maximals for one Predacon?!" he yelled.
"Love makes you do crazy things, as so the humans say." Knockout stated.
"Perhaps, but I believe this is when he follows his Spark, not his mind." Ratchet stated.
"Then again, we had moments of courtship like that, did we?" Jazz asked.
No one replied.
Primal regrouped with Rattrap, apparently despondent at Silverbolt's insubordination.
"I useta be young like that." Rattrap commented.
Primal glared.
"What?" Rattrap then tried to change the subject "I... I mean we got trouble!"
"Oh yeah. Trouble..."
"-with a capital "B"!" Silverbolt departed by flight, away from Maximal defenses.
"You're doing this for her?! You- You-"
"Calm down Bolt. You've already busted three nerve valves at this point. Blackarachnia can get around, I know she will!" Jazz assured.
Silverbolt muttered. To think that his descendant would dare defy the Maximals for a Predacon that he loved.
Later, Primal and Cheetor departed by flight, not to find Silverbolt but to find Energon.
"How's the head?" Primal asked.
"More fatheaded than fractured, Big Bot." Cheetor replied, unhappy about Silverbolt's assault on him. "Man, I'm a cat! I oughta know better than t'trust a dog!"
"Yes, because cats and dogs never get along with each other." chuckled Knockout.
"Silverbolt believed he was acting in your best interests." Primal reasoned.
"Yeah? Well I look forward t' returning th' favor! KaPow!" Cheetor boosted forth.
"There's the cave. Let's get that Energon. The sooner we get Megatron off this planet the better." Primal ordered. By the time he and Cheetor arrived on the cave, they prepared their weapons, which Cheetor took point and nodded, letting Primal go next. Primal then returned the nod to allow Cheetor to go next. Before long, they encountered a relatively moderate deposit of Energon.
"Strange. That cave looks apparently empty. Primal and Cheetor may walk into a trap or an ambush considering that the Predacons may anticipate what they would do." Prime assessed.
"What do you mean, Commander?"
"The Maximals have been manipulated by Ravage to gather Energon so that Ravage may leave the Earth with Megatron in tow, and he had Tarantulas to convey the orders for them, but given the circumstances in which the Maximals will not get the aid they wanted, it seemed Ravage would use them for this fool's errand in which the Maximals will be left stranded on Earth." Prime clarified.
"Cold, very cold of you, Ravage." Megatron commented.
"Then again, he was sent by the Council to eliminate that fool and his rabble, not aid the Maximals." Predaking added.
"Awww, MAN!" Cheetor moaned.
"What is it?" Primal asked regrouping with Cheetor.
"Th' energon's here, but it's RAW! No good for us... Megabrain musta made a mistake."
"Not if I know Megatron." Primal then heard a presence coming and ordered "Weapons online, Cheetor! Prepare to fall back!"
"What?" Before long, Inferno flew in, leaving Cheetor confused "Eh, what is this?"
"By Royal Command!" Inferno yelled and fired at both Primal and Cheetor.
"AMBUSH!" Warpath yelled. "GET OUTTA THERE MAXIES, IT'S A TRAP!"
"We know that Warpath! Calm down!" Ironhide chided.
Meanwhile, on a hoverboat that Blackarachnia was comandeering to follow Waspinator since she cannot fly, Silverbolt caught up with her aside.
"Whata...?" spat out a confused Blackarachnia as she heard howling of the wolf.
"Ma'm, pull this vehicle over...please." Silverbolt begged.
"No! Get out of here! I'm busy!" Blackarachnia rebuffed.
Cliffjumper snorted. It reminded him of his job as a patrolman where he stopped Cybertronians attempted to speed far beyond the speed limit of 30 mph.
"Get out of here... pfft! Instead of just shooting him because he's a Maximal, she just tells him to buzz off like he's the annoying neighbor." Vortex pointed out.
The Combaticons laughed. While Onslaught just shook his head. Barricade had the same job as Cliffjumper's so he laughed. While Breakdown tittered.
"Oh dear, love in the air! Even though the black legs is denying it!" Blast Off laughed.
"Very well then, prepare to be boarded." Silverbolt then boarded Blackarachnia's hoverboat transforming to Robot Form. She responded threateningly with her crossbow at the ready "And you can prepare to be blown away if you don't leave!"
"Blackarachnia, I want you to return with me to the Maximals." Silverbolt requested sincerely.
"SAY WHAT?!" shouted Arcee and Silverbolt.
"Is he serious in wanting her to join the Maxies?! She's a backstabbing bug!" Grimlock objected.
"Chances are, she would betray the Maximals for her personal agenda." Predaking spat out.
Blackarachnia refused "Get a clue, you canine cretin! I'm a Predacon! I'm evil!" and continued threatening Silverbolt "I'll shoot you!" but she appeared MUCH hesitant in really wanting to fire at the Fuzor.
"No." Silverbolt replied, not believing that the woman he loved would go through with her threat. "My heart tells me that you will not."
"Oh yeah?" Blackarachnia then fired her crossbow at Silverbolt's leg.
"OOOOOOOH!" said the Combaticons and Breakdown.
"I'LL THROW THAT BUG INTO A SMELTING PIT!" yelled Silverbolt.
"I'm in." Arcee silently agreed.
Silverbolt gasped in pain nigh-dramatically as he spouted "You shot me!" though he noticed that the shot was not even close to mortally wounding him.
"Wait, she didn't even blast his head off? Was that a dud she fired?" asked Sideswipe.
"Looks like she is. Silverbolt may be right. She can't do it." pointed out Perceptor.
"No duh, dogboy!" Blackarachnia spat out obviously. "I'm evil! Now do you believe me?"
"No one believes you, legs." commented Jazz.
"I believe redemption is not too late for her." Ratchet said next.
"And yet...you ensured the wound would not be mortal. Your inner Maximal goodness prevented..." Silverbolt began to speak to reach out to her yet...
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Blackarachnia angrily cuts off.
"Hehehe, lover's quarrel, am I right?" Jazz questioned.
Bulkhead, Sideswipe and Wheeljack laughed.
"I'm surprised these two didn't just kiss already and get it over with." Cliffjumper stated.
"I still don't believe it, Cliff." Arcee objected.
"Aww, but the couples you read in that novel of yours was believable for you? Was it because they made love and get married even if they're spies of different nations?" Cliffjumper teased.
Arcee just slapped him hard in the face to keep his mouth shut about her secret.
Yet Silverbolt sensed her unease "I know how you're feeling. You don't know whether to kiss me or kill me."
"I'm a black widow spider, you idiot! I can do both!" Blackarachnia shouted furiously. And yet she kissed Silverbolt. Again.
Jazz cooed, Arcee, Silverbolt and Bumblebee gagged in disgust, Prime and Ratchet looked with intrigue, while everyone else either kept silent or just laughed their afts off.
"Waspinator has reached coordinates. But where is-" he got cut off when Blackarachnia's hoverboat rammed him to pieces, sending both her and Silverbolt off the boat.
Silverbolt witnessed his lady screaming and so he caught her falling. So they landed to the ground safely.
"Oh no, you're not saving my life again? Even after I shot you?" Blackarachnia gasped sarcastically.
"You should have just left her to scrap." Silverbolt spat out.
"It's my duty, m'am. As a Maximal, and as a Heroic Character." Silverbolt himself stated.
"You know, I like 'em big and stupid, but you're really pushing it." Blackarachnia stated spitefully.
"Now you're just denying that you're in love with him~" teased Jazz.
Elsewhere, Cheetor and Primal took cover from Inferno's manical gunfire. But along the way, Cheetor notices and points out "Look! He's got Energon buildup!"
While overwhelmed, Inferno was not taking it lying down even as his enemies converge on him "For...the...ROYALTY!" he aimed at the Energon deposit instead and fired a stream of flames, obliterating it in one shot and causing a chain reaction that caused detonation to draw near.
"What in the Primus-cursed?" Perceptor looked and realized. "In all my years as a researcher, I never thought that overheating Energon was possible."
"Cheetor! It's gonna blow!" Primal and Cheetor fled, leaving a manical Inferno laughing as the Energon then exploded, destroying the rock formation protecting the Energon.
Taking to flight, Primal hailed "This is Optimus Primal calling Ravage! Come in!"
Ravage then began interrogated "So. It was a trap."
"Oh no. Really?"
"You are a piece of work." Ravage complimented. "Even imprisoned, you still operate your own agenda." as a pair of turrets retract and take aim at Megatron."
"I am not naive. You have no intention of returning me or any of us to Cybertron alive." Megatron pointed out.
"That is true, the orders were to destroy them with explicit prejudice." Brawl pointed out obviously.
"Why thank you for the reminder, Mr. Obvious." Vortex stated.
"That is true. But your crew is scattered and I want no witnesses." Yet Ravage questioned. "Still... why should I tolerate your existence any longer?"
"Did you ever wonder why I stole the Golden Disk in the first place?" Megatron countered.
"You were looking for Energon." Ravage answered.
Soundwave frowned. Ravage was cunning but not the smartest Minicon.
"That was a bonus." Megatron retorted. "It allowed me to recruit a crew, and gave potential for power. But the real reason was this. The Golden Disk was launched from Earth aboard the Voyager Spacecraft just as the secret war between the Autobots and Decepticons began. The original Megatron, your commander had every intention of winning. But like myself, he covered his bets. He inscribed a secret message into the Golden Disk. A message which I myself discovered and decoded." the imprisoned lord clarified.
Megatron was stunned. The eons of war and battles he clashed with the Autobots had muddled any of the secrets he may have conspired to use against the Autobots.
"Megatron, what have you done?" asked Prime.
"I... do not know. In all the years since I clashed with the Autobots, I've been delved into so much fighting that I couldn't remember anything else but the most atrocious of battles that I prevailed over with skill and strategy alone." Megatron explained.
"But that implies that you have stolen the Golden Disks and tampered with them to give your descendant a message." Ratchet pointed out.
"Even if I did such a thing, Ratchet, I could not remember it entirely yet." Megatron stated.
"I am expected to believe you? You said yourself the disk was destroyed." Ravage then ordered the systems "Arm autoguns."
The autoguns loaded for bare. "Target the prisoner." Ravage ordered.
[Targeting.]
"Release the powerbonds." The Autoguns fire at the powerbonds, releasing Megatron from his grasp.
"The disk was destroyed. But a fragment remains." Megatron pulled out a fragment of the Golden Disk that Dinobot destroyed.
Everyone was shocked.
"No... Megatron, you couldn't..." Prime muttered.
"And I'm not expecting YOU to believe ME." Even if it was a fragment, Megatron then managed to play the disk, showcasing his 'ancestor' in his Prime form, where he gave the message...
"This is Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. And if you are hearing this, it means I failed this time. But I know that Transwarp technology is being developed. And so I leave this message to any Decepticon descendants that may find..." but the message was cut off shortly after due to insufficient data.
Megatron was shocked. The message became clear. He tried to close his eyes remembering the time he carried out such a thing... and so he did... which was roughly 80 days before transwarp technology was forever lost, replaced by space bridges. He carried out the message to anyone who was a Decepticon descendant in the hopes that they can carry out the legacy of oppression for him.
"Lord Megatron?" asked Soundwave.
"I want you in charge of finding the Golden Disk, Soundwave. Use what you've learned from the Transwarp tech we've lost long ago. Find that Disk and bring it here to Cybertron."
"As you command."
Convinced, Ravage ordered "Autoguns offline. Retract bars."
[Complying.]
"Now. Let us talk." Ravage offered.
"Not fair." Megatron then stepped out of his cell to prepare talks with Rampage, although he did not appear pleased.
"Waspinator minding own business when BANG! Gets whole stasis pod right up the kazooty..." as the pathetic Predacon crawled away.
"That may have been the device Blackarachnia was working on." Perceptor pointed out.
As both Blackarachnia and Silverbolt investigated the cave-in caused by Inferno.
"It doesn't make sense. It appears someone dug this tunnel, and then blasted it shut." Silverbolt deduced.
Blackarachnia turned to Silverbolt for a hint "This give you any clue?" when she held a piece of metal.
"Megatron?" he replied unsurely.
"Got it in one. Now why don't you haul your hero hiney outta here?" Blackarachnia stated. "I don't recall inviting you to the picnic."
"I will not leave without you." Silverbolt refused.
"It's dangerous. Probably a trap." Blackarachnia pointed out.
"Aww, she's showing concern for her lover. How adorable." teased Jazz.
"Your inner Maximal goodness shows concern!"
Irate, Blackarachnia prepared her weapon at Silverbolt "Thaaaat's it. Vital circuits this time!"
"Should have known when to watch your words, Maxie-Bolt." Grimlock said.
"My apologies. I...I won't call your bluff." Silverbolt apologized.
"Then you'll leave?" Blackarachnia calmed down.
"Not without you." Silverbolt replied adamantly.
"All right, then make yourself useful." Blackarachnia then pointed to the boulder. "See that big boulder right there? Think you can take it out?"
In his bursting display of chivalry, Silverbolt declared "Stand back, citizen!"
"Hehe, that knight act never gets old." commented Bulkhead.
and destroys the boulder with a pair of missiles, obliterating it entirely. Though Blackarachnia just shook her head groaning while standing behind Silverbolt.
En route back to the Axalon, Primal hailed. "Optimus to Maximal Base. What is your status? Report."
"Well, I got good news an' bad news, Fearless Leader." Rattrap reported.
"All right, what's the good news?" Primal asked.
"Well, th' GOOD news is we don't haveta kowtow t'that stinkin' Decepticon any longer."
Knockout snorted. "Kowtow. Humans do have weird ideals to bow to their lords."
"And the bad news?" Primal asked.
"And the bad news is he's switched sides!" Rattrap announced.
All while Ravage's cruiser kept up with both airborne Maximals with Megatron at the top.
"DECEPTICONS FOREVER!" Ravage proclaims transforming into a casette then jumped right into the cassette player.
The Renegatrons cheered.
While Soundwave couldn't relay emotions, he innately elicited a smile.
"You have served well, Ravage." he whispered.
and Ravage's cruiser then opened fire at both Primal and Cheetor.
But the Orb cuts of mid-way before it can go any further.