Chapter 13

Beast Machines Universe

Megatron - both Megatron´s - were now finally standing before the object they had been looking for - the Matrix... or the Allspark, like it was called in the Decepticon Megatron´s world.

But it wasn´t just any Matrix. What made the one of this reality unique across the multiverse was the fact that it was holding the essence of Unicron... that was trapped inside. But to some extend, it was also countering the presence of Primus, that was holding it prisoner.

It was a Matrix freed from both Primus and the past Autobot leader´s benevolent influence on it. With other words, the most dangerous weapon in all known universes.

"Finally, here it is," Megatron - the Megatron who was a Liege Centurio of the so called Cybertronian Empire - said.

It was less than a minute ago, when he and his double - together with their united group of soldiers - had entered a hidden chamber, deep inside of Cybertron. The place where this treasure had been kept, possibly for centuries... since the old Autobots of this world had decided to lock it away.

Of course their entrance had also activated a automatic defense system - consisting of computer controlled blaster-guns, mounted at the walls and a group of five large, ancient looking, drone-robots... all of them heavily armed as well.

But they had taken care of that quite quickly. While these defenses were powerful, they were nothing before the combined might of two Megatron´s and some of their elites.

Of course, not all of the fighters with them were such elites.

And so they lost two members of their groups. One Deception ground soldier and one of the Cybertronian soldiers. The first had been blasted apart by the combined fire of one of the drones and the automatic cannons on the walls, right before they themselves were destroyed by his comrades.

The second one was caught by one of the drone robots and slammed into the ground hard, then he got blasted and his head blown off by two other drone´s, before all three of them fell under the fusion blasts of the Megatron´s.

Seconds later it was over. The last drone and the remaining guns had been eliminated as well...

... and a triumphant Liege Centurio Megatron was taking the Matrix from the retainer it was placed in.

"Yes finally," he said. "With this, I will be able to destroy my so called master and recreate the Decepticons in our world."

"Remember, this power belongs to both of us," the other Megatron reminded him. "I will use this Allspark here to fill up and repower my troops and retake my Cybertron."

"Of course `brother´. We have an agreement after all." They had, he thought. And besides, an army of actual Decepticons on his side could actually be useful to overthrow the Liege. So he might actually honor their agreement... maybe.

xxxxxxx

Cybertronian Empire World

They attack had been swift and deadly. Despite that they were still not truly used to working together, the combined group of Autobots and Decepticons had learned to coordinate with each other quite well.

It had been seven robots, guarding the interdimensional transfer-device.

The machine was standing in the center of a large open plaza, at the outskirts of the sector. That meant there was an open field of a few hundred meters from the place they were right now hiding - between two of the closest buildings - and their target.

But that didn´t change the fact that they needed to cross this area if they ever wanted to leave this world.

The first of the guards had, taken by surprise, fallen under Arcee´s and Scourge´s precise blasts in the moment they came out into the open, before the fight had even really started.

The rest of them however were warned now and opened fire at the attacking Autobots and Decepticons as well.

It turned into a short but very brutal fight.

Rotorstorm was hit in the side by a blast and went to his knees for a moment. But only for a second, before he had to jump aside - no matter the damage - to avoid another shot.

Skywarp teleported one one end of the fighting-ground to the other to confuse the enemy and back, covering them with fire from two sides at once. But he knew he couldn´t do this for long. He was already running low on energy, after going through this entire sick game.

At least he was able to land some hits and cause some damage to their opponents, he thought.

Arcee transformed into her motorcicle mode and raced across the small battlefield, avoiding several blasts in the process. Then she changed back into robot form, closer to the enemies and blasted one of the mechs away, who Skywarp had just weakened.

One of the remaining cybertronian guards landed a hit on Getaway, who in response blasted him into the head and destroyed his brain-module.

But another one of the so called `Cybertronians´ had already caught him in his crosshairs and fired.

Unlike the last shot, this one caused more than just minor structural damage. This particular imperial warrior was the strongest out of the guard-group and their leader and he possessed a high level of firepower.

The blast pierced the Autobot´s spark-chamber and Getaway sank to the ground, dieing withing moments.

The rest of his team realized that they had just lost one of their members.

Scourge however reacted and fired from a greater distance at Getaway´s killer. As powerful as the imperial soldier was, he was no match for the Unicron created Decepticon... and besides raw power, Scourge possessed some of the most advanced sensors in his universe.

He hit his opponent from the distance as precisely, as if he were standing right in front of him... and shot the Cybertronian warrior right through his face.

Shockwave and Cliffjumper took care of another one, who was blasted by them through his fuel-pump and spark-chamber simultanously.

That left only two, who were quickly being surrounded and cornered.

"Surrender," Arcee said to them.

Both of the soldiers raised their arms in defeat.

xxx

During the fight, Jack and Miko had stayed behind inside Bumblebee, together with Sari - who both acted as something like their bodyguards.

"They have won," Jack said.

"Yeah and once again we have done nothing for it," Miko replied.

"Do you really think you could have done anything here?" Bumblebee asked her.

"No, probably not," the human girl admitted. "But... it is just so... frustrating. They are fighting and we are just sitting here."

"This here is a real fight between cybertronian warriors, not a street race with some Decepticon patrols or sneaking into a small outpost or whatever you are usually doing," Sari reminded them. "Believe me, I have done a lot of this myself, back when I still thought I was human."

"Yes, I remember some of it all too well," Bumblebee commented.

"It must be frustrating for you two as well," Jack suggested. "After all it is because you are here to guard as, that you can not help the others."

"I admit you have a point here," Bumblebee said. "I would also rather like to help the others. But..."

"But we trust them to do it on their own," Sari added.

"You can come now," they heard Arcee calling to them.

xxx

A few minutes later they all were standing in front of the interdimensional space-bridge.

Motormaster, Cliffjumper and Oil-slick were just busy, forcing the surviving guards on gun-point to activate the machine.

Soon, if everything played out, they would all return home. That meant they all would see their own worlds, their teams and their own friends again.

It also meant that they woud never see each other again.

The most important thing however was, as it became clear to them a long time ago, that they needed to warn their universes from the threat the Empire represented.

xxxxxxx

Beast Machines Universe

Meanwhile the battle around the reformated version of Cybertron was continuing.

Still were, at several places around the globe, the forces of the Maximals and Predacons defending the planet from the combined interdimensional Decepticon and `Cybertronian´ forces.

A Maximal flier was hit by a barrage of missiles and fell burning from the sky.

A Predacon was cut apart by a dozen blasts from Decepticon seekers.

But on the other side the attackers were taking their losses as well. One Cybertronian Imperial soldier had halve of his upper body blown apart by Maximal fire... and one of the seekers was blown apart by planetary-defense cannons.

And the battle was still continuing.

xxxxxxx

While all this happened, the small group of Maximals, led by Cheetor and accompanied by Optimus and Sentine Prime, was on their way to the place where a breach of security had been reported a short time earlier.

None of them had any idea just who they were about to encounter.

They had soon found the tunnel entrance where their enemies had entered the cybertronian Underworld.

"Someone is coming," Silverbolt reported.

"He is right," a Maximal tracker confirmed, "multiple robots are approaching."

Cheetor nodded.

"Take position," he said quietly to the others.

They were surrounding the tunnel entrance.

"Freeze intruders," Cheetor called out loud, as they saw the first robots approaching.

I was however at the same moment that Optimus realized who the two mechs were, who were in the center of the enemy group. And he got a feeling of complete shock.

Going by the expression on his face, Sentinel was not feeling any different.

Cheetor´s demand was answered with a fusion blast, that blow one of the Maximal soldiers apart and disintigrated his spark-chamber.

It was a picture that could have come right out of one of Optimus worst nightmares.

Two Megatron´s were standing side by side.

"Well, isn´t that a surprise?" the Megatron the two Prime´s knew stated. "Who do we have here? Optimus Prime, I had never expected to encounter you in this world. And the `other´ Prime as well. Have you two followed me here?"

"It doesn´t matter," the other Megatron said. He was the one who fired the shot one moment later, his weapon still smoking.

"Let us annihilate this `little obstacle´ here and then carry on with the plan."

I had not updated this story in a long time. But here is finally a new chapter.