The Belly of the Beast

The five bots slowly moved deeper into the hall. Despite this section of the base being where the savages lived, it still appeared dilapidated, even since Scorcher and Celina walked down these very halls only a few cycles ago. Scorcher scoffed at the state of his home, angry that he had even let Warlord take the mantle of leadership. The other four could sense his anger, but kept their optics open and scanning the other corridors they passed.

"I'm surprised that we haven't ran into-" Trouble began to say, keeping his neutron assault rifle level with his torso. Scorcher moved back and wrapped a hand around Trouble's mouth, causing him to shut up. The other three stopped as well, their metallic brows angled to make their faces angry towards Trouble.

"Shut up! You don't want to set off a flag!" Scorcher angrily murmured, "If you don't say anything, nothing will happen. If you will a thought into the world, there is a certain chance that it will happen!"

Celina decided to step in at this point, her blaster still in one hand while a small data pad occupied the other. "Sir, technically that is impossible. Whether or not Trouble says anything has no effect on whether or not Warlord has more men deeper in the base. The odd are in favor of this negative thing happening anyway." Scorcher glared at Celina, who was only doing what she did best and was about to explain to her that she just screwed them when deeper into the base came a unanimous war cry of soldiers.

Defeated, Scorcher released Trouble and prepared for a fight. "Thanks. I was hoping to reach Warlord without a slaughter." He complained, raising his revolvers. Train Trek laughed as he aimed his Ion blaster towards where the war cry came from.

"Stop being a baby, Scorch! Making these bootlegs scrap is a beautiful art form!" The large Bot shouted, getting a chuckle from A.M.Y. as well. A.M.Y.'s Ion Displacer begins to spin as she prepared to unleash hell upon the enemies. Trouble raised his EMP Shotgun, making sure it had a full charge. Celina herself places her data pad away and holds her blaster with both hands, steadying her aim.

Scorcher groaned, grabbing the blaster he holstered and aimed. "This better be done fast. I don't want to give Warlord the chance to run away." He slowly began to approach the end of the hall with his weapons up, seeing shadows growing larger along with the sounds of yelling. Scorcher pulled the trigger when he saw the first deranged face come into view, landing a solid hit between the savage's eyes. The hall soon filled with axe wielding menaces charging down the hall towards the team. Scorcher and the squad opened fire upon the swarm, his team mates quickly following up behind Scorcher. They mow down a large number of the enemies with their fire, but the more they kill, the more come to replace their fallen. Scorcher, growing a little frustrated, holsters his blasters and grabs two axes from the dead bodies they have reached. He began to swing at the savages that grew too close, black liquid covering his face as the axes tore through their metal flesh. Train Trek took a similar path, bringing out his hammer and joining Scorcher at his side, smashing the enemy into bits.

The other three stopped moving forward, Steadying their aim as Train and Scorcher moved through the horde. Eventually, they were enveloped in the horde, having let some of Warlord's soldiers pass and continue charging. "What do you think they're charging at? It isn't us obviously!" Trouble shouted over the echoing fire.

"Possibly ordered to hunt down the escaping Wardens!" Celina commented, effectively taking down all of her targets with a single shot to their head. "Which is all the more reason to hold these monsters back. I've never seen Cybertronians so wild!"

"As long as I get to use my Arsenal, I'm happy!" A.M.Y. shouter, forming an Ion Displacer with her other arm. She slowly moved to the center of the hall, mowing down the swarm, creating piles of scrap metal.

Train Trek and Scorcher continued to move through the swarm, finally reaching the end of the hall, and seeing the end of the swarm run past them, leaving them in a large empty chamber. Train Trek and Scorcher scan the room and Scorcher notes that the large double doors on the other side of the chamber. Scorcher points to the door, drawing Train Trek's attention to it. "Warlord is behind those doors. He's gonna be a tough frag to kill." Train Trek replied to Scorcher with a simple grunt, putting his shield away and holding his hammer properly.

As soon as the two began approaching the large door, it opened slightly and a few more stable looking warriors came out, axes in hand and eyes glowing an eerie purple. Strange crystalline spikes protruding from their bodies which also emitted a strange purple glow. Ten of these soldiers came out, followed by Raider, half of his body being made up of the strange crystal substance. Scorcher began to worry, for he had seen similar crystal residue when Megatron was facing Omega Supreme.

"Ah, the False Warden returns home." Raider uttered, his voice sounding much different compared to when they first spoke. Before his voice was rough and low, but now it almost sounded like he was speaking through a river of Energon, his words gurgled and strained. The crystal substance must be doing something to him, but Scorcher was not sure of what exactly. "Come back to end this charade?"

Scorcher's brow furrowed, and his teeth began to grind, producing the faintest of scraping sounds. "I came to reclaim my rightful title from the usurper. The Wardens were proud defenders of Cybertron, but now he's made them no better than bandits." He gripped the two axes tightly, looking to rid of these crude weapons as soon as possible. "This will end in Warlord's demise, and your own!" Scorcher then threw one of the axes directly into one of the minion's heads, dropping one foe down. He charged at Raider, who began running to Scorcher as well. The nine remaining henchmen ran towards Train Trek, who was eager to fight all of them on his own.

Scorcher threw the second axe at another savage, leaving only eight for Train to deal with. Then, pulling out his sword, he heard Train say something as he swung his hammer, dismantling another who was hit in just the right spot. "You stop taking away my entertainment!" Hearing his friend complain made Scorcher laugh, getting into the fight by holding his sword up to parry Raider's axe head. The weapon bounced off the sword, causing Raider to stagger slightly, and Scorcher swung at his target. His blade hit its mark, but strangely became stuck within Raiders side, the crystal material seemingly repairing itself with the sword stuck within. Scorcher tried to remove his sword, which only caused Raider to laugh, grabbing the bot by the throat and picking him up. Scorcher forgot about his sword and reached for Raider's corrupted hand, which began to glow ominously.

"Soon, you'll be just like me whelp, and then you will kneel to your brother!" Raider shouted as purple light flowed through his arms. Scorcher, with his throat being crushed, began to hear static. Then as the light almost reached Raider's hand, the entire world became static.

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Suddenly, The arm of Raider was shot clean off, pulling Scorcher from the static and dropping him back into reality. The arm fell away from his throat and onto the floor, and Scorcher reached for his throat. Looking up to where the blast came from, Scorcher was shocked to see who had fired the shot.

There, holding a smoking Sonic Cannon, stood Soundwave, his featureless face staring at the wounded Raider. "Dark Energon corruption, Scorcher. It would have been unpleasant." The Decepticon said, approaching Scorcher and offering his hand. Scorcher, being injured, took it, standing up with Soundwave's aid. The con then removed Scorcher's hand from his throat and studied it for a moment. "Your components were not compromised. You will survive." Soundwave then moved away from Scorcher, focusing back on Raider, who was coughing up purple fluid.

"You Piston Head! Megatron will have your head for betraying him!" Raider shouted, wincing as Scorcher grabbed his sword and began to pull. Raider grabbed the blade, stopping it from being removed.

"I can not betray Lord Megatron if Lord Megatron is not the being I truly serve. I simply work for him because my true master commands it. I hold no loyalty to Megatron or his cause. Besides, It is highly unlikely he would hear it from you." Sound wave replied.

"Why, because of the Dark Energon, or because he works with the Wardens, or-" Scorcher began to ask, being cut off as Soundwave placed a few shots into Raider's head, leaving nothing but his jaw.

"No, Scorcher, because he will be non functional." Soundwave replied, walking over the hunk of scrap. Scorcher watched as Soundwave moved to the double doors and waited for the two, reloading his weapon. Scorcher turned to look at Train Trek, who had finished off his group of soldiers. Looking up, Train saw Scorcher over the dead Raider and nodded, approaching the same door. But when Scorcher focused on the door again, Soundwave was gone, no trace of him was there.

Scorcher, hearing the faintest trace of static, removed his sword from Raider's body and joined Train Trek at the door. The two looked to one another and nodded, kicking the door open and entering Warlord's chambers.

There they saw a sight they never thought they'd see.

Warlord shaking hands with Sentinel Prime.