//------------------------------// // Plotting in the Shadows // Story: TRANSFORMERS: Darkness Rises // by TheClownPrinceofCrime //------------------------------// BACK IN THE NEMESIS Sinnertwin and Blot were in the laboratory by themselves just finishing their work in filling every container with the liquidized dark energon. They had nothing else left to do besides idling around, awaiting for Shockwave’s orders. “Um, Blot? Your lubricants are reaching to my legs.” Sinnertwin warned. “Oh, sorry. I’ll just move over.” Blot replied as he did so. He slightly slipped on the floor in the process but did not fall. “It’s been days and Shockwave’s done nothing!” Sinnertwin complained. “My circuitry cannot endure long-lasting hunger!” “What’s the point? It’s not like any of those Decepticons care about us anyway...not even me.” Blot said with a depressed tone. “I’m useless here.” “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Blot. You are the strongest and most dedicated Terrorcon, you know. That’s why Hun-Garr respects you very much.” Sinnertwin encouraged. “Thanks, brother. I needed to hear that.” Blot said, feeling better. “Terrorcons! I have received new orders from Shockwave!” Hun-Garr announced while entering the room. The two other Terrorcons listened attentively to their leader in response. “We are finally going to revive our dead Terrorcon brethren with the dark energon we grounded to liquid! We are to start now!” he eagerly informed them. “YES! Finally, we shall have our army again! And we all shall have our abundant food for ourselves! Mmmm-mmm!!” Sinnertwin rejoiced while licking his chops. “Yeah! Our enemies will crumble before us!” Blot added. “...before we eat them all!” All three Terrorcons wickedly laughed together. “Come on. Let’s get to work, shall we?” said Hun-Garr. Nemesis Prime and his crew were guarding Twilight, Celestia, Luna, and Cadence in the dungeon. They tried to blast the bars to pieces but they were magic-resistant. All that they could do was sitting there in utter helplessness. Twilight was quietly sobbing over the death of her other friends such as Thorax, Ember, and several others. She had high hopes that her closest friends were safe and sound with Jetfire. The other alicorns did all in their power to set themselves free from their bonds, but the more they struggled to free themselves the more exhausted they became. They lowered themselves as they needed to rest from their fierce attempts. “Struggle all you want, princesses. You will only manage to exhaust yourselves even more.” the evil scientist spoke while approaching the cells. “You won’t get away with this, Shockwave. The Autobots will defeat you all just as Grogar was defeated.” Celestia defied with a glare. Luna and Cadence nodded in agreement while also glaring at the Decepticon cyclops. “Your courage is admirable but illogical.” said Shockwave. “You see, we Decepticons need Cybertron to be reborn again, and it cannot be revitalized if it doesn’t have the required energy to make that possible. It would be logical if you four alicorns were to fulfill that task for us by releasing all of your magic so that we may combine it with earth’s energy.” “We will NEVER take orders from you, Decepticon!” Luna angrily shouted. “We would rather sacrifice ourselves for our friends than to succumb to your evil plots!” Cadence added. “Such a pity. Here I thought creatures like you were more willing and considerate. How illogical of me.” Shockwave said, disappointed. “I’ll just have to take your magic...through experimentation.” “No! Leave us alone! Don’t hurt them!” Twilight begged. “Do not worry, child. You will do a great service to the Decepticon cause. After all, Cadence did say you four would rather sacrifice yourselves, did she not?” Shockwave mockingly taunted. Cadence mentally slapped herself for uttering those words. Shockwave then turned his back on them and faced the Orb Ruby he had in his hand. “Nemesis and his team have proven themselves to be a powerful force. With them on our side, our Autobot foes won’t stand a chance against us.” said Shockwave. Suddenly, the doors of the dungeon opened, revealing Starscream. The scientist noticed that the Seeker did not have Sunset Shimmer by hand. “Starscream, I notice that you failed to retrieve the human girl. What happened?” Shockwave demanded. “GRIMLOCK!! That’s what happened!! I was looking for her until those insufferable Dinobots showed up and ruined everything!” Starscream complained. If Shockwave had a face, he would’ve displayed a look of shock and surprise. The alicorns, however, were exceedingly happy to hear of Grimlock and the Dinobots again after being gone from Equestria for some time. “Grimlock? Dinobots? On earth? How is that possible?” he questioned. “How am I supposed to know?! All I know is that they kicked my tailpipe! Surely, they’ll all pay after humiliating me like that!” Starscream yelled. “If Grimlock and the Dinobots are protecting the human girl, there will be no way for us to get past them. You know how powerful Grimlock is; he is ten times stronger than any of us.” Shockwave said. “Ughh, please don’t remind me. I still have trauma from the way he held me in his firm grasp many years ago.” Starscream said while internally cringing. He did not want to keep that image in his processor. “Wait...I almost forgot.” Shockwave uttered before facing Nemesis Prime and his lackeys once again. “Nemesis, because you and your team have proven yourselves to be more powerful than the Autobots, your new objective is to hunt down Grimlock and his friends, eviscerate them, and bring this girl to me.” he commanded while holding a hologram of Sunset Shimmer in his grasp. “As you command, master, so it shall be done.” Nemesis said while kneeling in compliance. He and the four others left the dungeon hall. “NO! Leave them alone! And don’t you dare hurt Sunset Shimmer! She’s my friend!!” Twilight cried out. Her name caught Shockwave’s attention. “Sunset Shimmer? So that’s her name then...an intriguing name at that.” commented Shockwave. “It’s logical considering that the sun of a new age will be shimmering over Cybertron and the sun of doom will be forever set, never more to rise.” “You want her magic too?! Why is it that every evil being wants our magic?! Is it like an addiction or something?!” Luna shouted in irritation. Shockwave ignored her and left the dungeon. Starscream went with him. But before he left, he stored the Orb Ruby in a glass container just in front of the alicorns’ cages. “I got to figure out a way to destroy that Ruby! It might turn Optimus and the others back to normal! But how will I get past those anti-magic bars?” Twilight thought as she tried to create a plan. “Our Terrorcon army will send an atmosphere of darkness in all of planet earth. The creatures shall know and worship the name of Decepticon; for the age of darkness and death in the earth shall be our source of strength and light. If our world must live, theirs must die.” monologued Shockwave.