Elizabeth Wallace chewed her fingernails as she drove. She was to exhausted to realize she was borderline manic and she didn't even flinch when other cars honked their horns at her. Beside her on the seat, looking out from a beat up old cardboard box, a Gundam Sparkling watched everything intently.

For months she had scoured the garage sales and discount toy stores, snatching up ever Sparkling of other races she could find.

But the nightmare only grew worse!

Every single one of them that she set inside Jimmy's room never returned but even more horribly, some of them became recruits of that vile little bastard Megatron who had set up his domain in Jimmy's bedroom.

She could see them, zombie like and feral, watching her in the mirror or from under tables, chairs, behind the TV, in the kitchen cupboards and one time even in the bathroom!

What was going on in there? Jimmy acted as if nothing was wrong at all and he pestered her for erector sets constantly while sleeping on the couch. She was to terrified to say no! At night she could hear Megatron flying around the house. Appliances would go missing. Silverware. Batteries. She could see the purple glow stop outside her bedroom door as she lay awake terrified, listening to him prowl around. Then he would fly on.

She didn't know what was worse, not being able to know where he was at any given time, hearing him move around, or the nights she would wake up in a cold sweat with him standing on her chest.

One night he even seized her cheeks and shook her awake, demanding coffee.

But still, as she chain smoked down at the local cafe scouring the paper for toy sales, Elizabeth was fighting back in what way she could.

Under the guise of bringing Jimmy new toys, she bought everything she could find. Hoping against hope that one of them would somehow be able to destroy the mighty little tyrant and her house would be free.

Megatron never questioned the new arrivals. She felt he even enjoyed their sick little game because lately she would find bits and pieces of her purchases strategically placed around the house for her to find.

But horribly just this morning she had sat on a Sponge Bob head in the living room. The nightmare being she couldn't remember buying a Sponge Bob Sparkling!

What was Megatron up to?

Sometimes, worst of all, was that some of the Sparklings knew something she didn't. They would take one look into the ominous dark fugue of Jimmy's bedroom and turn right around, screaming to be saved and running for the light of the door.

What she supposed to do?! She had to do something to help her son and free her home!

She had to shut the door on them, and then she would clamped her hands over her ears and hum to herself waiting for the pleading and pounding to stop.

But always, every night, she could hear him flying around the house.

Maybe this one would be different. It certainly looked the part.

Elizabeth glanced down at him as she neared her house.

The Gundam looked up at her.

"Don't worry ma'am. I'll save you." his little voice spoke.

"Are you sure? Do you really think you can do it?"

"How bad could it be?" The Gundam swaggered arrogantly, scoffing as the car skidded to a halt.

It was a little worrisome that Elizabeth snatched him with both hands and ran into the house, cackling and sobbing in equal measure.

ooo

The Gundam stood just inside Jimmy's door, his scanners trying to adjust to the dark haze. Not even the bright light of the hallway could penetrate more than a foot into the room. He looked back at Elizabeth but the poor woman was just sobbing how sorry she was as she slammed the door behind him.

No matter. He knew her need. He would triumph and return light to this realm and it's grateful people!

Through the haze, far off in the dark recesses of Jimmy's room, the Gundam could see twinkling lights and hear the sound of distant machinery thrumming and pounding. As if he stood on the edge of a great foundry. The carpet beneath his feet was stained and matted down with oils as he dared take his first steps into the room. Slowly the landscape changed. The carpet changing into chicken wire and grids of erector set mesh which soon gave way completely to steel ground. Standing puddles of glowing green energon could be seen then, dotted here and there and burbling in the dark. And, as his scanners adjusted, he could even see the desiccated husks of some poor unfortunates strung up on bent coat hangers as if in warning to whoever approached what was at the other side of the room.

He seemed to be following a rough rusted road, stepping around bits and pieces of things he could not identify.

He went on guard as he sensed a presence coming at him through the black fog. He could feel it in the metal ground beneath his feet.

A tired, one eyed, dilapidated teddy bear came limping out of the fugue. The holes in his body were patched with dirty duct tape and at one time he must have been a pleasant beige color with dark brown fur, but now was dirty and stained and thumping along using a make shift crutch wrapped in bubble wrap.

He sighed as he spotted the Gundam.

"Well...welcome to new Kaon." he said.

ooo

Hank the teddy bear led the Gundam deeper into Megatrons realm, all vestiges and characteristics of Jimmy's original room swallowed up in a great sprawling mass of erector set buildings, butchered appliances, broken down electronics and hot foundries that belched out black steam. Debris and piles of scree and scrap were everywhere, under the glow of strung out Christmas and aquarium lights. Everywhere were power cables and wiring and the whole place reeked of WD40.

The place loomed larger in the Gundam's viewer than he expected it to be. The original walls and windows could not even be seen anymore, new Kaon sprawling up the sides of the room to form hazy black cliffs that were pock marked with caves and slave dwellings. Those slaves could be seen, hollow eyed and weary, trudging along on their individual tasks as they refined scrap metal for Megatrons growing city, whole lines of them following platforms and ramps that lead up higher and higher into the room until lost from view.

"That's the pit of sorrow. Sparklings that are useless for work or scrap. We feed them into the shredder to be made into insulation for the power grid." Hank motioned.

The Gundam looked over at recessed pit, watching green army soldiers trying to pry a headless Homer Simpson Sparkling out of the jammed shredder blades, the rest of the Simpson family watching while under guard and crying.

"Megatron didn't take to kindly to Homer." Hank answered the Gundam's unspoken question.

With a scream, a Lego worker fell from the heights, parting the black fog and splashing down into a puddle.

Whatever height he had fallen from it would have been a lucky thing to land where he had...if it hadn't been corrosive.

The little plastic worker struggled, beseeching other slaves as he tried to swim out, but he was already dissolving.

Hank watched impassively as the puddle swallowed him up with a pop of a bubble.

"That's the public pool. Come on." he thumped along.

"These conditions are terrible!" The Gundam spoke.

"Why have you not risen up against this tyrant?"

Hank waved him off.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, pal. You'll see soon enough though."

"Where are you taking me?"

"To see the boss, of course."

"Good! We shall see about this Megatron. For I am no easy push over! I have come to rescue you!" he called out to a few slaves nearby. They didn't even blink.

Hank stopped with a weary sigh and turned to the Gundam.

"Look pal. It's a sorry lot you've been handed here so I'll just bring you up to speed, ok? I mean it's not like you choose this when the Great Fat One brought you here but we've had all manner of fighters and warriors and military might Sparklings pass through here and not one of them made any difference."

"I can scarcely believe that!" The Gundam snorted.

"Oh really? We had some Star Wars guys show up once. Re-issue. All jazzed up like born-again toys. Pretty cocky bunch until they met the boss. He made them fight it out in his own personal arena. Eventually he ended up freezing the last one left alive."

"Carbon freezing? Like in the movie?"

"Nah man, he fuckin' froze him. He's in a glass of water in the Wallace's freezer as we speak. Upside down to boot."

"But surely this Megatron is not invulnerable!"

"Every method has been tried, man. I've only lived this long enough because I do what I'm told. Hell, the crazy lady even tried seduction one time! She sent a Barbie Doll in here all made up."

"What happened to this maiden?"

In answer Hank held up his make shift crutch and the Gundam was startled to see that it was fashioned from a Barbie Doll leg.

He stepped back a pace, offended.

"Why, you are a base coward! I thought you would at least tell me of some underground resistance. Or take a hand in the fighting yourself if you have the courage!"

"I'm a fucking teddy bear, pal. What am I gonna do? Plush him to death?" Hank answered, holding his arms out exasperated.

"As for any underground resistance. It's just that. Underground. As in buried. Crushed. Recycled. So if you wanna play hero, then be my guest. Right up that ramp, if you please."

"I shall!" the Gundam shouted and bounding forward he headed up the ramp indicated by Hank, seeing that it rose up quickly like the steps of a great Incan temple. He could see torches in the gloom up above and the sound of voices and he surged ahead, eager to confront this evil!

The Gundam bounded up onto the apex of the great new Kaon temple but skidded to a halt as he his eyes beheld a monstrous sight. The black oily temple was topped by a massive statue in Megatrons likeness made from raw scrap metal, open flames burning in holders where the eyes would be. At the base stood Megatron himself, interrogating a victim who blubbered on their knees as the wicked Decepticon loomed over them. He had them seized by their shirt front and shook them like a doll. Which they were.

Behind Megatron sat a throne, fashioned from the bent husks of hotwheels, with two cyber-dogs snarling at snapping at the end of their chains on either side of it.

As the Gundam watched they tore apart a Playmobil, with the head of Homer Simpson on a pike next to their masters seat.

Unidentifiable troops and dark energon zombies of other Sparkling races stood about in loose ranks, or guarded cages of Furbies marked for sacrifice.

The Furbies all began screaming as they noticed the mighty Gundam.

"Silence!" Megatron roared, turning from his whimpering captive. But then he spotted the Gundam, with Hank thumping up behind him, out of breath.

"Who is this? You dare interrupt?!" Megatron's eyes gleamed.

"Sorry boss he wouldn't wait. You know how it is."

"Ahh!" Megatron answered. He sounded almost pleased.

"One of those eh? Ready to go down in the sagas as the next tragic hero, hmm?" Megatron smiled wickedly.

Before the Gundam could reply, Megatron's captive turned towards Hank in the torchlight. He held onto Megatrons wrist with both hands, his face streaked with tears. He had lost his hat.

"Hank!" Woody of Toy Story cried out. "You've got to talk to your boss, fella! I'm Woody! Woody! I'm famous, man! I know people! I've been in three movies!"

"Cretin!" Megatron snarled, suddenly yanking out Woody's string and coiling it around his neck.

Woody's eyes bulged and he clutched his throat in disbelief.

"Stop!" the Gundam cried, balling his fists.

"Make me!" Megatron snarled and putting one foot on Woody's chest he gave the string a violent yank with both hands, decapitating the struggling celebrity with a pop.

Woody's head rolled to a stop at the Gundam's feet.

"Villain!" The metal warrior cried.

"That's not the half of it." Megatron's eyes gleamed and he motioned for his undead troops to light the Furbies.

Without a sound the guards thrust their torches into the cages.

The small furry fellas burst into flames, screaming and thrashing and Megatron strode forward to meet this new threat, back lit by the fire.

"Would you like yours well done?" He asked sweetly in his tiny little voice.

Hank, mortified, backed away as the Gundam leaped into the air and came spiraling down in a curling twist to land at Megatron's feet.

"Ho Kama Sen Kaa!" He cried in Japanese, slapping a sound button on his chest and then thrusting his arms into the air while balancing on one foot.

Despite himself, Megatron took a step back as a hyper-active Japanese cartoon theme burst out of the Gundam's speakers and his enemy began spinning and twirling in place, striking all kinds of different poses like a ballerina. His lights flashed and he flipped up one hand, spinning around like a top and falling back into another pose.

"What the fuck is this?" Megatron asked as he leaned around and looked at Hank.

"I think that's what passes for pre-combat rituals in Japan, Boss."

"Pre-combat what?!" Megatron stared back at the Gundam who contorted into the shape of a diving Hawk.

"Super Kinjo Warrior Sun Dash! Ah-Hahahaha!"A Japanese man's voice suddenly shouted from the Gundam's speakers over the manic music which then ended with the trilling giggle of teenage girls.

Megatron's eyes went wide and he hastily stepped forward and ripped the Gundam's head off with one hand. The body convulsed, sparks popping out of the neck, the arms dropping, and then it toppled over with a clang, the music dying away.

Megatron stood there, one hand on his chest and breathing hard. He glared at Hank, who cringed back.

"You try my patience, bear." He snarled, tossing Hank the severed head before he turned back to his crackling Furbies.

ooo

Much later, Elizabeth Wallace, her hands shaking, tilted back her stale coffee and drained it. As the murky brown liquid emptied away, her blood shot eyes beheld the severed head of the Gundam at the bottom of her coffee cup.

She spit out the coffee all over the kitchen table, dropping the cup and crying out.

Down the hall...the door to Jimmy's room slammed shut.