The moon shined brightly above one of the new NEST bases. Slowly a car drove outwards, where there were Sergeant Epps, Major Lennox and Special Agent Spitfire. Although not known to the world like the U.S Army, NEST, or aka Non-biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty, is an elite army formed with every soldier recruited from everywhere in the world whose mission is to keep the planet Earth safe and unaware of the intergalactic civil war between two factions from Cybertron: the Autobots, the patriots, and the Decepticons, the vicious cold-blooded predators. With the defeat of the Decepticon leader, Megatron, the evil empire was taken by is second-in-command, Starscream, over his throne, making Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, prepare for any of his tricky dirty moves, including creating more bases like that one.
“Do we really have to check all the bases every time they get built?” growled a bit Spitfire “It’s like the most boring thing ever.”
“Hey, ya signed up for this remember?” said Epps “The rules say that we have to check every new base and that includes you, Spitfire.”
“Whatever,” she said as she put on her sunglasses.
“Hey knock it off you two,” said Lennox to both “I know it’s not exciting as fighting Decepticons, but it is our duty. Besides it’s better than staying on home and do nothing, right?”
“Well...I suppose so,” she said.
With that answer, silence fell inside as everyone looked at the outside, watching the road as only sighs of boredom are heard. Lennox, hearing such sounds, turned up the radio his favorite song started to playing, causing him to hum to the tune with a smile. As the music kept going, it soon consumed both Spitfire and Epps as they started to smile a bit and hum the song as well. As they enjoyed their musical trip, a mysterious big vehicle activated its headlights, catching everyone by surprise as the light nearly blinded them.
“What the heck, man!” growled Spitfire as she shielded her eyes even though she had her sunglasses.
“Oh great,” sighed Lennox as he opened the window and moved his hand “Go around, pal!”
Hearing his words, the semi truck increased his speed, and passed behind them, he hit the bumper, making everyone inside jump as their vehicle spinned before he hit the brakes, leaving them dazed for a time.
“Did that guy just tried to kill us?!” shouted Epps completely shocked.
Once more the headlights blinded them and the truck stood in front with its engine roaring like a lion. With the moonlight partially helping their eyes, they were able to see all the details. The paint job, the design and the familiar symbol on his grill as the big machine drove towards them like an angry bull ,their eyes like as they all shouted one name before they drove backwards.
“Prime?!” they shouted.
In the Ark…
With their focus all turned to it, Wheeljack and Sari worked on their special project all afternoon, each one sweating from working over and over on their new invention that not even Twilight Sparkle could come inside of his workshop. In fact, she found a way not to bore herself with wait, since Optimus was out of the Ark on a mission, she decided to watch with the others the new challenge between Rainbow Dash and Applejack, which was to see who would win a race with remote-controlled cars, driving them through the command bridge. The Rainbooms and the Autobots cheered for one of them to win, but from all of them Hound and Arcee shouted loudly trying to top one another . Both girls pushed the buttons of their controllers very hard second after second, making the little cars drive faster, occasionally crashing against each other in a way to push one of them off the tracks.
“Kick her tailpipe, AJ!” shouted Hound.
“Teach her some respect, Dashie!” shouted Arcee as well.
Both girls glared at one another as their small vehicles started to get closer to the finish line, giving them more speed and pushing against each other. Applejack and Rainbow Dash grit their teeth because neither could surpass one another. Suddenly the green alarm turned on, making everyone, except Dash, who grinned as she saw that Applejack wasn’t focused in the race. Taking this advantage, Rainbow’s car pushed her friend’s one out of tracks very hard right in the moment Wheeljack ran in with Sari on his shoulder, crashing the small toy under his big foot with a loud crack that made everyone look to see their blue friend win the race.
“YEAH!! I WON!!” shouted Rainbow Dash very happy.
“Hey! That’s no fair!” growled Applejack as the Autobots answered what surely was a call “Ya cheated, Rainbow!”
“Prime!” said Spitfire “Do you read me?”
“I’m sorry, Agent Spitfire,” answered Ratchet “ but Optimus isn’t here at the moment.”
“Then that explains why on Earth he is trying to kill us!” shouted Epps, making everyone look at each other shocked and confused, mostly Twilight.
“Um did I heard the words ‘kill you’?” asked Wheeljack “Cause that’s something Optimus wouldn’t do.”
“Tell that to my car!!” yelled Lennox, stomping the accelerator with all his strength.
As he is driving away from the red semi truck, Lennox lead the car through a bridge the fastest he could. But Optimus was much faster and was right next to him, pushing them against the bridge’s sides. Sparks erupted like a volcano as the Major’s vehicle’s metal scratched against the divider while driving. Moving to his side a bit, Prime crashed against its side once more, making the car spin like crazy this time while everyone inside held against their seats they started to feel dazed. The car crashed against and through the bridge’s divider, breaking it into millions of pieces as it hung precariously there.
“Come on, Lennox!” shouted Epps as his friend tried to reverse with no success “Take us out of here before…”
But it was too late. The car was pushed little by little as if the truck was enjoying their fate slowly coming to an end. Spitfire gulped as she the ground below them. It was surely a big fall to their painful deaths. She looked back to see their attacker, the supposed “heroic” leader know as Optimus Prime pushing them forward second after second, making her more scared.
“Prime…No...” she said.
Suddenly, a blue portal opened some feet away, from it drove out Arcee, Hound and Bumblebee. As he saw the big bunch, Optimus Prime started to push a bit faster making Bumblebee drive faster. Once he was getting close and in the moment the car was about to fall, ‘Bee transformed into his robot mode as Fluttershy held herself against his shoulder and jumped to grab the rear of the car, making everyone inside fall forward holding against the seats. For a moment, Fluttershy could have sworn that she heard the truck growl as he started driving away, but soon her thoughts were interrupted as her yellow Autobot bleeped to her to take Lennox, Epps and Spitfire quickly while he still could hold the vehicle, replying to him with a nod she carefully started climbing down his arm. Behind them, Arcee and Hound transformed as Rainbow and Applejack landed next to him in the moment their supposed leader was fleeing away from the bridge, still the Bots and the girls were able to see the details that were exactly the same as their brave leader.
“Wow…” said Dash and AJ at the same time.
“Well he sure looks like Optimus.” said Hound very surprised.
“No, he doesn’t,” growled Arcee “Primes never run. Let’s go, Dashie,” she said as she transformed into her vehicle mode.
“Let’s get that guy and kick his butt!” she said with a grin as she jumped on the blue superbike.
“Rainbow Dash, wait! It’s too much…” said Applejack, but it was too late as Arcee drove away with her human, who shouted with excitement “Ah shoot…” she growled.
With nothing else to do, the orange girl ran with her green Autobot to the side of the bridge, looking down as they saw Bumblebee looking at them while Fluttershy tried to reach Spitfire’s hand, holding into the Bot’s arm as he kept holding the car’s rear.
“That’s it...Almost there, Spitfire...” said the yellow girl in a way to calm her friend down “Almost…”
A loud metal breaking along with the vehicle tilting scared Fluttershy, making her release a big gasp as she hugged tight to Bee’s arm, such as Lennox and his friends. Bumblebee looked down in that moment and saw that the car’s bumper was slowly starting to detach, caused for sure by the weight of the passengers. Quickly as he could, the scout tried to deliver the car to Hound, who has extended his hands to it, but the bumper finally decided to giveout and released the car to its doom, leaving itself in Bee’s hand as everyone gasped. Lennox, Epps and Spitfire screamed in panic as their “prison” kept falling to the ground.
“Hound!” shouted Applejack as a quick reaction.
“On it!” he replied.
With a jump, Hound extended his full body down, his face target to the ground, he fell a lot quicker than the car, hearing the screams of everyone inside it as he pass by it. The green Autobot landed perfectly in his feet and just in time to catch the car, slowly putting it on the ground. He immediately checked everyone’s status inside the car: all were trembling and panting scared, but still alive and in one piece.
“You alright in there?” he asked.
“We...We will be fine…” replied Lennox in the moment the airbag popped out of the steering wheel and from the glove compartment, hitting hard in his and Epps’ face that made Spitfire giggle a bit, still scared of course.
Elsewhere, Arcee drove with Rainbow Dash to a place that looked like an abandoned fuel pump. Both looked around as the superbike used her headlights to search for Optimus or what she believed to be just an imposter trying to make her leader a bad guy. Dash looked around as the lights moves from one place to another, finding no clue or the truck anywhere else. She growled for she knew that it was too late and she didn’t like to lose.
“Dammit...We lost him,” she growled.
As Arcee was about to reply, a group of lights turned on towards both of them, blinding them for a few seconds.Her eyes quickly adjusted to the bright illumination, Rainbow Dash gasped as the only thing she could do as she and her Bot didn’t have time to react to the grey grill from their target crush and run into them, leaving them seeing only black.
Later…
Pain was the ruler of Dash’s body as she only saw an endless mass of darkness. Slowly her ears started to come back as she could hear muffled voices, still not able to understand every word but she knew it was her friends speaking probably of what happened. As soon as words became more clarified, her eyes slowly started to slowly peek open but enough for a moving light to blind her for few seconds. Soon she realized that Sari was checking her as she woke up, pointing her small flashlight right into her eyes as they keep opening, only seeing blurs.
“Yes, that’s it, Dash,” she said as she moved her flashlight “Follow the light.”
“Are you crazy?!” shouted Pinkie as she grabbed Sari’s suit by its collar before letting her go and grabbed Rainbow’s shoulders while shaking her a lot “Dashie, whatever you do, don’t follow that light!! You hear me?!”
As it seems her shakes made her feelings come back into place, Rainbow Dash quickly woke up and when she did the first thing she did was hold her head in pain, feeling that a bandage was around it. She then looked around and saw Ratchet taking care of Arcee’s wounds, next to Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer were Lennox and Epps having a discussion about what happened minutes ago, a discussion which Spitfire didn’t wish to be part of so Fluttershy rubbed her shoulders in a way to make her relax from the crazy night. Sitting up, Rainbow Dash rubbed her head hurt more as she thought what had happened: Optimus Prime...really went bad? I mean he wouldn’t run over them both before.
“You weren’t there, Sparkle,” said Epps “That truck was Prime himself trying to kill all three of us. We were lucky that no one was there to see his attack then we would have problems explaining this to the President. Don’t tell me you don’t believe cause he’s your BFF, right?”
“Well maybe?” replied Twilight very offended “Besides he is our closest friend here in the Ark, so we all know him much better than you do.”
“She’s right,” said Sunset “Optimus is not a bad guy and he will never be. We know very well he wouldn’t just stab his friends in the back for no reason. Something is wrong here...”
“Maybe he got caught by the Decepticons when he was out there…” said Fluttershy as she then shuddered as she thought more “And turned him into a bad guy…” she said scared.
“Or maybe the real Optimus Prime never existed and all this time we have been following a Decepticon double agent that worked for Megatron” said Pinkie Pie as everyone glared at her “Um...Sorry?”
“What matters is if Prime has gone off rails for any reason,” said Lennox “then we all have a serious problem.”
“This is absurd. I have known Optimus since the Golden Age of our planet and he never would react like this,” said Ratchet as he walked to the computer as he pressed buttons, using Teletraan-1’s scanners “A quick check on his signal will prove that he...In fact,is returning right now.”
Turning around, everyone in the room looked at the door as it opens in the moment a red and blue semi-truck drove into the bridge as it transformed into a big red and blue robot wearing a faceplate as he walked towards them, making everyone’s eyes and optics focus on none other than Optimus Prime, looking at everyone with a confused look as he moved his head to see their look.
“Is there something wrong, my friends?” he asked.
“Nothing, Optimus, we were just…” said Rarity as she looked at the others before looking at him again “Well, darling, wondering where have you been? We...Well we couldn’t call you.”
“I have been outside of our communication range..” said Optimus as he started to reach his back.
With that sudden move, the Autobots, except Ratchet and Wheeljack, aimed their weapons at Optimus Prime while Lennox and Epps pushed the Rainbooms behind them, fixing their looks on him too. They were all nervous from what happened before and they did not wish to let the same thing happen again. Optimus rose his hand to them in defense as he grabbed what he wished to show them. He slowly revealed the object that was a big piece of raw Energon which had been cut from its original part with Prime’s sword no doubt. Arcee and Hound looked at each other as they saw the piece.
“...From an underground Energon deposit,” he finished as he looked more confused.
“Come on, guys,” said Twilight as she teleported herself to Optimus’ shoulder and hugged him “Can’t you see it’s him? Our big red and blue best friend?”
The Autobots remained with their weapons and guard up but soon they changed their blasters back into their hands as Arcee stepped forward, slowly looking down in shame as she didn’t have the circuits to look at her leader in his optics. Taking a deep breath she finally looked at him, who waited for her to say what she wanted.
“I...I’m sorry, sir…I mean we all are...” she sighed as she rubbed her arm while the others nodded in shame “After what happened tonight...Well…”
Optimus rose up his hand to interrupt her “Apologies accepted, my friends,” he said as he then looked at them all “Now I wish to have all the information of the supposed situation that has happened during my absence.”
“I think that might be our task, Prime,” said Spitfire as she stands between Lennox and Epps.
Later, in the Nemesis…
“Oh this was so brilliant!” laughed Starscream in his throne as he saw the red and blue semi-truck in the big screen of the warship “Activating that old Protoform project was the best plan I ever had in my new post as leader of the Decepticons!”
“Yeah because I have found it in our factory under those brute’s control,” growled Knockout as he worked on a yellow crown “And you know how rude the Insecticons can be to us without their three bosses.”
“Shut up, Knockout, and keep working in that crown,” said Starscream as he didn’t take away his optics from the screen with a grin “So where should we attack next to humans so they blame Optimus Prime?”
“How about that military human base from where that car came from?” asked Snow Cat.
A grin grew in his face while he rubbed his chin “Oh I know where to send it,” chuckled Starscream “That military human base from where those insects have come is perfect. I’m such a genius,” he chuckled once more as Snow Cat rolled his optics and Barricade facepalmed himself.
Receiving his orders in his screen, the Protoform made his way to the one base that his master has chosen to attack and which he spotted within minutes on the road he had taken. As the guard was occupied reading his newspaper in his post, a loud honk caught his attention as he looked to side and yelped as he could only see the big vehicle crash the big door fences, making him quickly turn the alarm as then many jeeps, tanks and choppers went after him. The Protoform drove like crazy inside the base, crashing into the new jets and helicopters in his way as he was chased by the soldiers. Suddenly he stopped right in the middle of a big area as the soldiers surrounded him, their squad leader shouting to him to surrender or else. They had him, no way out...That’s what the humans thought as he slowly chuckled.
In that moment...
“And that’s how it all happened, Prime,” finished Spitfire as she crossed her arms.
“Hmmm…” Optimus slowly crossed his arms and closed his optics as he processed over the situation “Starscream has unleashed one of his plans by using Protoforms as his own clone squad, but they all had one different problem as you reported to me, girls,” he said as he looked at the Rainbooms.
“Yes, they were all like a bunch of different Starscream’s brain things,” said Rainbow Dash “One was the ego, other the liar and many more here and there, but they were all idiots,” she chuckled.
“And thinking the fact that the Decepticons may have collected your CNA from many battles,” said Ratchet “it is possible they have cloned you during these past few days.”
“But that cannot be possible,” said Wheeljack “If they did that in few days, then this Protoform would be good as your personality is. Right, Optimus?” he asked a bit unsure.
“What if they have been planning on this more than just a few days?” said Sari as everyone looked at her “I remember seeing a Protoform, abandoned in the factory’s conner on the Moon when we journeyed there. Maybe they have been working on this clone to make him perfect.”
“Well time for theories is over, everyone,” said Lennox as he finished a call he had before, “Just got a call from our boss. Our new NEST base is under attack...by Optimus Prime.”
“Wait, you mean the truck that put me and Dashie down?” asked Arcee.
“No,” he said with a dramatic look “This time it’s the Bot itself.”
Everyone gasped when they heard that and that also made Optimus frown just from hearing it. What makes it more dangerous than an evil clone in his vehicle truck is him in his robot mode, with his weapons systems fully available for destruction.
“Girls, you remain here with Lennox and the others,“ he said as he looked at Sari “Sari, you will come with us since you have noticed him for the first time,” he said as Sari nodded while Teletraan-1 opened the Ground Bridge to the new NEST base “Autobots, transform and roll out!”
Changing into his vehicle mode along with the others, as well Sari changing into her battle suit and activated her jetpack, he drove through the Ground Bridge as he lead them, exiting out to the military base as they transformed back into their feet and already armed, looking around as they only saw jeeps, choppers, jets, tanks and many things burning, the flames being recently made. In the ground remained wounded soldiers, making Ratchet walk to them and check for their vitals. He sighed in relief, they were all alive just wounded and unconscious, giving a thumbs up at Optimus who nodded back in reply. Suddenly an explosion was heard as many soldiers drove away with their jeeps from the smoke, shooting at a big familiar robot that came running from it blowing them away from their vehicles, making the Autobots gasp. The robot was so much familiar to Optimus Prime, actually was like looking to his twin brother.
“Um, you sure he looked like that, Sari?” asked Wheeljack surprised.
“Well..He kinda looked more like ‘naked’ when I saw him,” she answered as she rubbed the back of her head completely surprised as well.
Changing his blasters back into his hands, the clone slowly looked at them and, in that moment, his optics fixed in one Autobot as his systems scanning and recording everything in his memory core. He was so similar to him, like looking into a mirror. He then clenched his fists as he was ready to fight as suddenly a familiar and annoying voice spoken in his audio receptors.
“Protoform, you are still not ready to fight the Autobots,” said Starscream from the com-link “Return to the Nemesis right now!”
The Clone Prime growled as he hesitated to the orders, but soon as he heard the sound of three choppers coming closer to their location, making him run and transform, driving out of there as the Autobots focused on the flying vehicles that were suprised to see that the soldiers were not pursuing the truck, but going to them instead. Suddenly, without any warning, one of the helicopters fired two missiles at them, making the Bots yelp as they jumped away and hit the ground heavily with a tremor. As a reaction, Hound and Wheeljack aimed their blasters at their human attackers, but Optimus grabbed their weapons and pushed them down, making both Bots look surprised at him.
“Autobots, return to base!” he said as he turned to them “We must not inflict human casualties!”
The Bots hesitated a bit, but they know that arguing with their leader about his orders was a battle that they couldn’t win so they nodded to him. With the soldiers firing at them from above, Sari quickly opened the Ground Bridge again as the heroic robots ran through, flying back to the base with Prime as the portal closed behind them. In the Ark, as they step out of the Ground Bridge, they looked at the girls, shocked to hear about what happened, including Twilight who looked at him with a surprised and confused face while behind her Lennox talked with his superior, defending and saying that the Autobot leader was innocent, victim of a Decepticon plan to blame him.
“But sir….Yes, I understand...” he said as he let out a sigh before turning off his call “All military personnel have strict orders to take down any and all Bots in sight.”
“Are you kidding?! Their innocent!” shouted Twilight offended for what she heard “Optimus was accused!”
“Though unfortunate,” said Optimus “the military order changes nothing. Our imposter clearly poses a great threat to humanity.”
“ I hate to admit it, but they really did it,” said Ratchet “Those Decepticreeps have finally broke the code and built the perfect clone on this entire planet.”
“And all fault will go to none other than to him,” said Sunset Shimmer as all looked at Optimus, who slowly frowned his optics thinking in what will be Starscream’s next move from his evil scheme “I think we need to have a chat with our ‘friend’, Starscream, about this. And I might know a way.”
In the Nemesis…
Cleaning and repainting “Optimus” Prime’s armor in his lab, Knockout growled as he felt more like a drone than like Starscream’s second in command after he had rose up to the power with Megatron’s defeat. While he did that, Snow Cat slowly poked the clone’s head with his finger like a little sparkling in a way to make him react against it, but no success. Barricade, who was resting his back against the wall with his arms crossed, opened his closed optics in the moment the door next to him opened as Starscream and Soundwave walked into the lab, the Seeker having his arms crossed behind his back.
“Impressive, don’t you think?” he said as looked at the clone “My best soldier I ever created with the CNA of Optimus Prime, the most powerful Autobot leader that was ever created. I am such a genius!” chuckled Starscream.
“Careful, Starscream,” mocked Barricade “you might dislocate a landing gear by patting yourself in the back.”
“Oh, am I hearing some jealousy amongst my team?” mocked Starscream.
“I think he just a bit like me and the rest of us all, Starscream,” said Knockout as he stood up “Using a CNA of our biggest enemy, along with all his power, and give him a evil personality doesn’t actually give a good feeling to us all, including the army.”
“Oh, no need to be such a coward, Knockout,” said the Seeker as he stepped forward, gazing into Prime’s offline optics “He is here in the Nemesis, surrounded by thousands of Decepticons. If something happens, he would never have a chance against us.” he laughed as poked his optic with his finger to mock more.
“Starscream, I am receiving an SOS from one of our Energon mines,” said Soundwave as he heard the Decepticon distress signal through is comlink “The Autobots are attacking the location. They need reinforcements at once.”
Starscream looked at Soundwave from the corner of his optics and then rolled them with a sigh along with a growl as he turned away from the clone and walked away from the lab, the other Decepticons in there followed them as the only robot left was Optimus, who remained offline this time. Suddenly, his fingers slowly twitched as his body powered back on, his head slowly moved his head till he focused on Knockout’s paintjob machine and all his working tools in the table as replays of his encounter with the real Autobot leader many times in his memory core, checking his colors, movements and even words. A small grin grew under his faceplate as he walked to the tools, staring at them with his new red optics.
“Time...for a change…” he said as he grabbed a blowtorch and activated it.
Elsewhere…
Crushing the com link, Hound chuckled as he stood up and crossed his arms as he stared at the cuffed Decepticon miners as they struggled to get free while Pinkie Pie made fun of them by sticking her tongue to them, making them growl at her and making Wheeljack chuckle too. Rarity and Fluttershy remained sitting on an offline elite Vehicon, talking about their stuff with Spike in the middle of them. The rest of the Autobots remained with their humans, chatting with each other as Optimus and both Twilight and Sunset, in his shoulder, looked at the sun slowly going down, the skies getting darker with time.
“You think he’s coming?” asked Twilight as she looked at him“ Or even sent that clone? I mean, Starscream really is an ignorant idiot.”
“He will come. Starscream may be a lot different than Megatron or even the Autobots, Twilight,” said Optimus as he moved his head to her “but one thing we have in common is that Energon is like a treasure to all Cybertronians, including in this time of war. Besides, this is Sunset Shimmer’s plan, correct?” he said as he looked at Sunset, like saying through his optics that it will work.
“Well yeah” replied Sunset as she rubbed her head blushing “I mean I guess?”
Before anyone else could reply, a purple Ground Bridge opened from far away, making Team Prime and the Rainbooms stand up quick, as many Vehicons stepped out of it with their weapons ready, along with Team Nemesis, following by a red, blue and white jet that transformed into Starscream, still wearing his new crown. A big silence remained between the two factions as they glared between each other, each side not firing a single blast from their guns. Suddenly, some laughs caught everyone attention as all optics focused on Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie holding to each other as they keep laughing a lot and hard, causing some tears to fall from her eyes.
“Um what’s so funny, girls?” asked Arcee confused.
“Sorry, Cee, but..” said Rainbow as she laughed more.
“That’s da most hilarious hat Ah ever saw!” laughed Applejack along with Pinkie Pie, who was holding into her as she was caught into laughing.
“HOW DARE YOU?!” shouted Starscream as some of the Decepticons chuckled silently too “THIS IS NOT A HAT!!”
“Starscream, we have figured out your plan!” said Optimus “Surrender the clone right away and you may walk away from this...alive.” he finished as he changed his hand into a blaster as well did the Autobots.
The Seeker chuckled “Well we know I won’t give him up so easy, Prime,” he said “You see, every cybertronian scattered across the galaxy and beyond knows your actions across Cybertron during the war. To the Decepticons, you are nothing more than a nuisance always getting in our way,” said as he grinned “But for the Autobots and your allies, you are a miracle, their hero, their hope.”
“And by cloning him you think that will give you more power?” growled Sari “That isn’t a very smart plan, Starscream not that I would expect anything more coming from your micro-brain.”
“Oh really?” chuckled Starscream “So far, my plan is going as I predicted. Soon, after many attacks, this planet and all its primitive bugs will have no choice but to hunt down every single Autobot that lives here or even come here.” he laughed “But since you wish to see him so much…”
Suddenly, a purple Ground Bridge opened over the Autobots and the Decepticons in a cliff, making them look surprised, including Starscream since he was going to call for one right away to bring his “super-soldier” to him. As the surprises kept coming, a Vehicons head flew from it and landed right in front of Snow Cat’s feet, who slowly picked it up confused. Steps were then heard as a new figure walked out of the Bridge, making everyone gasp loudly shocked as they saw who it was. His armor was midnight black as well his head and his windows on his chest was smeared crimson red blood. His shoulders had now Decepticon symbols and tailpipes, making him more dangerous than before as he glared at all. It was the clone, but with a new, different and scarier look, making everyone nervous.
“Well at least he doesn’t look like you anymore, my dear,” said Rarity to Optimus.
“You see what I meant now, Starscream?!” said Knockout “Giving that thing a different personality would create us problems!”
“Wait, you created a clone with a different personality?!” shouted Ratchet “You insolent fool! Do you know how dangerous that is?!”
“Shut up!!” growled Starscream “It was my idea!! So it means it is perfect!! I am the supreme leader of the Decepticons, the true Emperor of Destruction! I am--ACK!!”
A red laser blast hit right into Starscream’s shoulder, making him spin around as the force threw him backwards to the ground, making everyone gasp as they looked up to the cliff. The hand of the black Prime was turned into a gun, the tip was hot as smoke came from it, showing he was the one who fired the weapon. Growling in pain, the Decepticon leader held his shoulder as he was helped to get up by his Decepticons, slowly scared by the glare of the clone as he charged up another blast, threatening them more. Soundwave had no choice but to activate their Ground Bridge. That was a battle that could not win, not even together.
“Wow! We just made a new friend! Yay!” cheered up Pinkie Pie until the Decepticon landed right in front of them, shattering the ground, making her happiness turn into concern “Right buddy..?”
The evil Prime only grinned under his faceplate with a tiny chuckle as his tailpipes in his shoulders moved down and started to spin as they charged, making them gasp and jumped away as bullets fired into the Energon behind them, making it explode into a blue fire, throwing everyone away as they held onto the ground with the girls in their arms as all growled. The “Black Convoy”, as Pinkie Pie called him in her head, deactivated the tailpipes minigun as they get back in place, glaring at Optimus as he slowly walked to him just to get his arms grabbed by both Ratchet and Hound, as well their girls who fired right at his armor. Applejack and Rarity gulped nervous as all the shots were nothing but waste, making the clone growl angry as he used all his strength to smack both Autobots together like trash, making them yell in pain before throwing them away. Both girls restarting firing their Harmony Cannons this time at his face, making him growl more as he slapped them away onto a rock. Arcee, Bee, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash fired their blasters right in his back, bothering him to where it made him roar loudly as he turned around and activated his blasters, firing crazy at them sending them flying backwards. With that mistake, Optimus grabbed him from behind, locking his arms around his shoulders and his hands locked behind his head. Sunset and Twilight fired at his chest, slowly breaking his windows as Sari flew around around like a fly, firing her hand blasters right at his face.
“Release me now!!!” growled ‘Black Convoy’ as he struggled to free himself.
“Twilight, Sunset! Go help your friends!” said Optimus “I’ll deal with the imposter!”
Both nodded and ran towards their friends, just before the dark clone freed himself and grabbed Optimus’ right arm and threw him towards the ground hard, slowly chuckling as Prime stood up glaring at him. Changing his hand into his blaster, Optimus fired at his “twin”, which quickly changed his hand into his own Ion Blaster and fired at the same direction, both Energon blasts hitting and destroying each other. Optimus growled and turned his left hand into his orange sword and swung it at the Decepticon, but he blocked with his red blade. Swing after swing and shot after shot, they both fought against each other, their attacks being parried by one other. Optimus was surprised for his tactics. It was like fighting a mirror. He hated to admit, but the Decepticons really did a good job.
“How can this be possible..?” he said.
“Don’t think too hard, Optimus Prime,” said the clone as both their blades parried each other “I know each and every move that you have and learned. After all, we are the same bot,” stepping back, he kicked Prime’s face hard to the ground.
Growling, Optimus stood on one knee as he rubbed his faceplates chin “We are not alike, Decepticon,” he said as he glared at him.
“You’re right,” said the Decepticon “The Cons are always saying you are the best of every cybertronian across the galaxy, even better than the so ‘mighty’ Megatron himself,” he said as he charged up his Ion Blaster “But I am better than you, Optimus. Unlike you, I don’t have your fatal weakness...”
As he aimed his blaster at his head, Optimus growled and grabbed his arm and pushed it away, holding him as they both struggle against one another as the clone fired a red blast from his weapon towards the wrong direction, hitting and blowing up the cliff on top of Sunset Shimmer as she helped Fluttershy to get up. When Twilight turned around after helping the other girls, she gasped as loud as she could as the rocks fell towards the both of them. Using her teleporter, she appeared next to them and quickly pushed them away hard as one of the rocks hit her head, knocking her down to the ground as the rest brutally smashed both her legs, making her scream loudly in pain, catching everyone's attention, including Optimus’, who gasped as he looked and saw her while holding his clone.
“Twilight!!” he shouted worried “Autobots! Hold the Decepticon down!”
Holding his arm around the evil Prime, Optimus puncheg him repeatedly in the face and jabbed his knee right in his torso, leaving him dizzy as he was pinned in the ground by Hound and the rest of the team jumped on him like in American football while the Autobot leader ran towards the girls as he knelt down and looked at the situation: Sunset was holding Twilight’s hand with all her strength while Fluttershy tried to calm her down while holding her head on top of her knees as she sobbed in pain. It was bad.
“Help...me…” growled Twilight more in pain.
“Can’t you teleport from the rocks?” asked Fluttershy.
“No, it’s too risky. It might cut her legs clean off,” said Optimus as he thinks “I’ll take these rocks off her. Get ready to pull her out of it.”
With the nod from both, the girls held Twilight by her shoulders as Optimus grabbed the rocks. They were many, but he pumped the Energon into his hands and arms circuits as he grunted, the big debris slowly moving up releasing the Princess of Friendship’s legs from the immense pain they were causing. Taking this chance, Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy dragged Twilight Sparkle out of there, shocked by what they saw: a big trace of blood, caused by the accident that happened. The purple girl growled in pain as her legs couldn’t move thanks to the broken bones. After Prime dropped the rocks, he knelt down and held her head with his fingers. The other girls ran to them and gasped surprised for what they saw.
“Oh no...Twilight…” said Applejack very worried.
“Optimus, is she going to be okay?” asked Sunset as she looked at him worried.
“She will survive, Sunset,” said Optimus, showing signs of concern as well “But her legs need medical attention quickly.”
As he was about to pick her up, the loud screams of the Autobots being thrown everywhere were heard as two quick hands grabbed Optimus’ shoulders and smashed his knee against his back, making him growl in pain before the clone threw him away. All the girls gasped in surprise just before the “Black Convoy” slapped each girl away, leaving only Sunset protecting her wounded friend.
“Don’t you dare touch her, you twisted fiend!” she shouted.
Yelling her battle cry, Sunset fired her Harmony Cannon as she ran to the Decepticon, who just rolled his optics and kicked the red haired girl away into the rocks, falling onto her knees in pain and then her chest, remaining bashed to the ground. The giant robot knelt down before Twilight as she tried to crawl away, watching her fear him, many questions came to his memory core: why Optimus Prime didn’t finish the battle? Why is she so important? As he heard the Autobots slowly getting up, the imposter grabbed Twilight and stood up, turning to the Bots as he held the girl hostage in front of him, making Optimus and the rest gasp as he stopped. Twilight was too weak from the pain that she couldn’t teleport or shout for help, and she was close to passing out.
“Twilight!” shouted the Rainbooms.
The evil clone only grinned under his faceplate as he started to back away and, in a blink of seconds, he turned around and ran away before transforming into his truck mode, making everyone gasp as they wished to chase him, but with Twilight at his grasp and his hostage, it was dangerous for an attack. From all the heroes, Optimus growled as his hand clenched and trembled, making Sunset look and feel guilty. After all, she could have done anything else to defend her best friend. Within the truck, the young Princess started to slowly close her eyes, the pain overwhelmed her body making her pass out as she saw and felt nothing but darkness.
Later, somewhere else…
Opening her heavy eyes, Twilight blinked a lot growling from the pain woke up, looking around as she was confused. She was no longer in the truck, but it looked like one of Earth’s abandoned factory. As she tried to move her legs, she felt pain, making her scream in pain as she slowly looked at them, her legs broken as her blood covered the ground under them. She started to remember everything that happened before she passed out. She then tried to move her arms, but nothing happened, making her wonder why since she hadn’t broken them. As she looked down, she saw chains wrapped tight around her body, pushing her back into a large pillar. Twilight struggled to get free or at least reach her warp belt to teleport herself out of there, but whoever wrapped those chains around her was strong enough to make sure she wouldn’t go anywhere.
“Come on….Come on…” she said as she struggled more “I escaped worst things than this…”
“I wouldn’t struggle if I were you, Twilight Sparkle…” said a dark voice.
Twilight gasped as she heard that, looking around to see who talked to her. As an answer to her doubt, heavy footsteps were heard as the ground shook, a dark tall figure with red eyes stepped out of the shadows, revealing his evil form as he stared at her while holding in his hand her warp belt before he threw it away to the corner of the room. Twilight only got worried as she recognized her kidnapper, the same imposter who has been making her big friend and guardian look like the true villain all this time. Twilight stopped struggling and just glared at him as well, both remaining silent until finally she decided to speak first.
“So are you going to tell me your name or what?” said Twilight “Because for an hostage situation, this looks awkward.”
“My...name…?” said the clone as he started to think as he gazed at his hands, moving his fingers “My...creators have brought me to their warship to do what I am now...and I am supposed to represent the opposite of the most powerful Autobot leader…” He then with a cold look he stared at her again “You may call me...Nemesis Prime.”
“Really?” mocked Twilight with a grin “I expected something more original like Scourge or something a little more different than that.”
Nemesis chuckled a bit “Oh, your humor is as weak as your body, Sparkle,” he said as he knelt “just like that weak Optimus Prime.”
“You are really not that smart, aren’t you?” mocked Twilight again “Then let me warn you about something: Optimus will beat you into tiny pieces of metal when find this place, comes here and rescue me from you, jackass.”
With those words, Twilight spit some of her saliva right into the faceplate, making Nemesis slowly look at the sticky liquid in it as he started to chuckle a bit with his finger he cleaned it off from his mask, glaring at her with a grin, a glare that actually frightened her. With his index finger, he slowly pressed it against both her legs, making her shriek and growl in pain as she tried to hold it back. Her pain only pleased the Decepticon more then ever, making his grin grow within the faceplate.
“We shall see..” he said with a dark voice “You know, I really want the Autobots to find where we are. I even will help them find this place. I want to be ready when they come, so I could then destroy them all before fighting Optimus,” he slowly chuckled “And it will be so much...fun.” he then laughed evil, scaring Twilight she screamed when he wounded her more.
In that moment, in the Ark…
As everyone stared at the map on the big screen, Sari typed the keyboard the fastest she could as Teletraan-1’s drone to try and find the new Decepticon and Twilight Sparkle, but it was hard to find somebot that they never faced before. They didn’t know his tactics. Optimus and Sunset Shimmer were very worried while they watch the brunette girl working fast as she could. After all, Prime is her Autobot guardian and Sunset Shimmer is her best friend but she blames herself. Suddenly, multiple vehicles drove and stopped next to them, letting their girls and Spike out before they transformed into their robot modes.
“Status report, now,” said Optimus as he looked at them.
“Sorry, Optimus, but no luck,” said Hound “Not even a signal on my scanners.”
“And not even a clue in the abandoned Decepticon mines…” said Fluttershy with a sad voice as Bumblebee rubbed her back, making her smile a bit.
“It’s my fault…” said Sunset as she rubbed her arm sad “If I was able to stand against the Con longer…”
“Do not blame yourself, Sunset Shimmer,” said Optimus “We were surely not prepared for this surprise attack, but I swear to Primus and the 13 Primes that I shall rescue Twilight from the claws of that criminal scum.”
“Wow, I’ve never seen you act like that, OP,” said Pinkie Pie very surprised.
“Pinkie Pie is right, Optimus,” said Ratchet as he stepped close to him placing his arm in his shoulder “You must control your rage or that clone freak will surely use that against you.”
Optimus looked a bit aside as he started to think. He knew Ratchet was right, but seeing his best human friend wounded and taken by the enemy without knowing what he will do to her leaves him with too much worry, it actually scared him. Suddenly, the computer’s alarm turned on, making everyone jump,as on the screen Teletraan-1 locked the coordinates to what looked like a signal being transmitted from an abandoned factory, but that wasn’t all. What the Autobot AI also discovered was a message that was only broadcasted into their own signals. A horrible message…
“This is a message for you, Autobots, and mostly you, Optimus Prime,” said an evil voice “My name is from now on Nemesis Prime, your greatest enemy, and I have your precious pet, Twilight Sparkle. Don’t worry, she is alive...for now. I’m impressed by her strong will can handle all this pain,” he said as a sudden familiar scream was heard, making everyone gasp loud “I love that sound...So here’s the deal, Prime: I want you to come here and face me, optic to optic, so that I can prove I am a better Prime than you are. Bring your pathetic teammates if you want, I don’t care. I just want you…”
With an evil laugh, the message ended, leaving everyone completely frozen in horror and realization.They now know this “Nemesis Prime” was no joke. He was truly ruthless just like Megatron once was. Optimus started to get worried, more than usual. Growling, he turned away as he started to walk away until Bumblebee placed his hand in his big shoulder.
“Bzzt-brpdo-brpzt?” asked the yellow scout.
“I’m going after that Decepticon…” said Optimus.
“Darling, it’s obvious a trap,” said Rarity “That brute is planning something bad.”
“Rarity is right, Optimus,” said Sari as she stepped forward “Nemesis Prime must have set up everything. We have to be ready for him and anything.”
“Hmmmm I think it’s time I give that present to Sunset you and I have been making,” said Wheeljack as he reached his back and showed a small device, similar to a grip, that he gave to her “Now give it a try, girl.”
“Okay then?” said Sunset confused, as she pressed the trigger in it and suddenly the grip revealed to be a big sword surprising her a lot “Wow!”
“I call it a ‘Decepticon Hunter’,” said Wheeljack “So far, I made one for you but I’m thinking of making more for the rest of the girls.”
“Impressive work, Wheeljack,” said Optimus “Perhaps this will helps us in our rescue mission. Prepare yourselves, Autobots. We have a Decepticon to hunt...”
Later…
Driving to the entrance of the factory’s property, the Autobots transformed with their guns ready as they aimed around. The girls walked also aiming their weapons in any direction, waiting for some kind of trap that Nemesis Prime may have created for them. Few seconds passed and nothing happened. It was much too quiet and they learned that when a Decepticon is too quiet, something bad is going to happen. Optimus discharged his weapon, looking at his team.
“Alright, Autobots, you know the plan,” he said “We split up, making Nemesis Prime look for us, while Sunset Shimmer and Sari go rescue Twilight within the factory itself. Speed, stealth and high alert is the key for the victory of this mission,” said Optimus as he looked at the Sunset “Sunset, make sure that Twilight comes out of there alive. That is all that I ask. And...be careful.”
“Don’t worry, Optimus,” said Sunset with a smile “Just make sure you make that Con pay,” she said with a wink.
Smiling under his faceplate, Optimus nodded as he then started to walk into a direction different than the others, everyone obeying his orders and the girls went with their own guardians, no one noticing a camera spying them all the time. From within the factory, Nemesis watched the Autobots using the human cameras from his factory. He chuckled as he heard Optimus’ plan. So much desperation to save his best human friend that makes him do his worst mistake ever from that moment. Behind him, Twilight’s breath was weak from the pain he has been inflicting, trembling as her legs were dark red caused by his finger and they hurt even more that made some tears in her heavy eyes.
“Autobots...Idiots in the moment they wish to rescue their friends,” he mocked as he looked at Twilight “Now you stay here, little bug. I have things to do now…”
Changing into his truck mode, Nemesis drove way into the dark corridor towards the exit, leaving the Princess of Friendship alone and in pain. Outside, Bumblebee and Fluttershy walked through the place with their weapons ready, the moon was their only light that makes them company while they moved. Fluttershy stayed the closest she could to her guardian, her arm trembling as she looked around. Suddenly, a new footsteps were heard, making both stop and charge up their weapons as they aimed it at the place the sound was coming, both nervous if it was friend or foe. A familiar figure walked in the shadow, but they didn’t know who it was: Optimus or that evil clone?
“Optimus?” asked Fluttershy worried “Is...Is that you?”
“Yes it is me, Fluttershy, don’t worry,” said the figure “Bumblebee, I just want you to be on your guard. My double can be anywhere in this place.”
Bumblebee slowly moved down his blaster, but still he didn’t deactivated. He knew something was wrong, including Fluttershy. Why would Optimus come to him instead of talking over the comlink. Something wasn’t right. Then Bee had an idea and starts asking to the supposed “Optimus” a question that only the real and true one would know.
“I’m sorry, but who is Ariel?” he asked confused “My only true love is Elita-1, Bumblebee.”
Bumblebee’s robotic eyebrows frowned a lot as he rose up his arms and fired his blasters, hitting in Prime’s chest as he growled in pain and stepped back. Fluttershy gasped by the sudden attack until she saw the Autobot leader growl as his optics turned red. She then understood that it was a trap and started firing at the clone. Shielding with his arms, Nemesis ran towards them and start swinging punches at the yellow scout, who ducked over them as the yellow girl kept firing. Growling, Prime slapped away his gun and then smashed his fist in the back of his head, jabbing his knee right in his face and threw the Bot backwards to the ground. Fluttershy gasped as she saw her guardian getting knocked out so hard that she didn’t have time to react to Nemesis’ hand grabbing her tight, holding her close to his face as she struggled to get free before smaling her into the wall, dropping her unconscious as he walked away. Somewhere else, Hound and Arcee walked together with Rainbow Dash and Applejack, as they looked around, making sure that they were not attacked by surprise. While she walked, Rainbow Dash started to have a bad feeling like something terrible has happened to someone in there, someone close to her just found the clone. Slowly, AJ touched her shoulder, making the blue girl look at her.
“Ya okay, Dash?” she asked “Ya seem a little worried about somethin’.”
“It’s...It’s nothing, AJ,” said Rainbow Dash “I just have a bad feeling since that ‘Nemesis Prime’ weirdo appeared and just got me thinking...does Optimus really hold back something like that within him all the time?”
“Optimus wasn’t always perfect when he was a soldier,” said Hound as he knelt down behind the girls “Sometimes there are dark thoughts that he wished to forget.”
Suddenly, two big headlights shined their dark path, revealing to them a, midnight black truck hidden in the shadows aiming his tailpipes miniguns at them as he starts to fire them towards them, some shots taking away some paint from the Bots’ armors as they grabbed the girls and jumped away from his weapons range. The truck drove forward at full speed and transformed into his robot mode and attacked Hound, who fired his shoulder minigun against Nemesis’ strong armor with no effect as he grabbed the weapon and ripped it from his shoulder, and started smacking his face with it, cracking some of his metal and making Energon spill from his mouth with every hit.
“Hound!” gasped Applejack as she ran towards the two robots.
Suddenly, she jumped on the back of the Decepticon’s head, using her Harmony Cannon to fire onto his helmet, making him growl as he let go of Hound and grabbed the farm girl, throwing her away right into Rainbow Dash’s arms. Energon bullets hit his back making him growl he looks back, seeing Arcee firing at him many times, the shots scraping away bits of the paint of his armor as he ran towards her, activating his Energon sword swinging it up, and cutting the fembot’s arm, making her scream while he grabbed her severed limb and smacked her away.
“Arcee!” shouted Rainbow Dash before she growled “I’ll tear you apart!”
She angrily fired her weapon along with Applejack at Nemesis, their bullets started to hurt him so he threw them the arm, making both jump over, but with no time to react of him throwing the wounded Arcee right at them, crashing their backs against the wall and her body imprisoned their legs to the ground, making them struggle as they try to break free from her metallic weight. With the Autobots and the two girls out, Nemesis slowly walked away until he saw Wheeljack, Ratchet, Pinkie Pie and Rarity looking for him, he slowly grinned at his new preys.
In that moment…
Inside the factory, Sunset Shimmer and Sari ran through a big corridor looking for Twilight. The place was big so she was somewhere, wounded by Nemesis Prime. They finally arrive to some big room, maybe the storage of the factory, since it was large enough to keep a Transformer inside of it and do whatever he or she wanted like keeping a human hostage. They saw many screens of what surely was supposed to be the security cameras, showing the outside and also some other horrible images of their friends, both Bots and Rainbow Rocks laid wounded on the ground as Optimus checked their conditions when he found them, while in the other screen showed Nemesis attacking Ratchet and Wheeljack as well Pinkie and Rarity. Sunset only clenched her hands, both trembling of what she had witnessed.
“This...This is horrible..” said Sari as she deactivated her battle mask.
“We need to find Twilight and fast so we can end this..this madness,” said Sunset Shimmer.
Suddenly, a weak but still audible sound was heard behind them, making both girl turn around and gasp they saw nothing more than Twilight Sparkle chained to a pillar, with her legs painted in her own blood faintly breathing. They quickly ran to her and Sari cut the chains with her blade, releasing Twilight as she slowly falls to Sunset’s arms, the red haired girl holding her carefully. When they started to pick her up, a big door closed their exit hard and loud, making the two girls gasp as the screens turned all red showing a big white number ten slowly turning into a nine. Twilight, slowly opening her heavy tired eyes, looking at the same screens as six turned into five.
“Trap...Bomb…” she said weakly “My belt...Quick…”she slowly pointed to the corner of the room as the five turned into into a four.
The girls looked and saw her belt, the same one she use to teleport herself all the time, as the timer turns to three Sunset and Sari held Twilight and dragged her the fastest they could towards the belt. Another number turned into two, making Sunset gasp and go faster, her hand reaching to the belt with the help of Sari using her jetpack. Then jumped with her friends as the time ran out, time slowed down for them all as flames started to erupt from everywhere, both their hands reaching into the belt’s button.
In that moment…
“This is Optimus to Sunset and Sari,” said Optimus to the comlink “Nemesis Prime has taken out all of our team. What’s your status?” he asked, but no answer came, making him worried “Sunset, Sari, come in. What’s your--”
Suddenly, an explosion is heard, filling the sky with big black smoke he stood there shocked, his optics trembling of the horrific sight that lied before him. Twilight, Sunset and Sari...they died. A evil laugh was heard behind him, making him growl as he turned around and saw Nemesis Prime just standing there.
“You will pay for this, Decepticon…” said Optimus as he activated his blaster and aimed at his target.
“Oh really?” he said as his hand turned into his Ion Blaster “Then this shall be fun…”
Both glared at each other until they stepped forward, starting to run towards each other and fired their blasters, the shots scratching their armors they get closer and closer until they stopped and clenched their fists, delivering at the same time their punches that connected with an extremely heavy amount of force, causing a massive tremor that sent them backwards. Somewhere else, a big purple flash appeared as three girls fell to the ground hard, trickles of smoke coming off their backs as they growled in pain. Sunset shook her head while Sari rubbed her own. The red hair girl quickly looked at her friend and quickly checked her. She sighed in relief as she was still alive but weaking. Suddenly a loud noise was heard, making them gasp as they saw Optimus and Nemesis fighting each other in a struggle until the evil clone throw him away from the place.
“Optimus…” said Sunset as she then looked at Sari “Take care of her.”
Sari nodded she held Twilight while Sunset ran towards their far away direction. As Optimus stood up, Nemesis ran towards him and swung his sword only to be blocked by the Autobot’s sword Optimus kicked him in the torso,sending him backwards he held him against the ground with his hands growling he then recovers and run towards the good leader, punching him many times.
“Give up, Optimus!” said Nemesis as he kept fighting “I posses all your strength, speed and even firepower!”
After hitting Optimus’ chest with his elbow and those words, Nemesis activated his blasters and start firing at him he dodged bullets and jumped on top of him, both tumbling as then they separated from each other, at the same time, they turned their right hands into their own Energon Swords and clashed them together, fighting with all their strength their weapons creating sparks in their struggles and swung for deadliest blows, making both dodge and duck. In a swing, Nemesis ducked and quickly moved his sword’s tip into Optimus’ torso, making him growl in pain then grabs his orange sword and pushes the blade deeper, making the Autobot’s optics grew wide in pain as Energon slowly falls down his red sword.
“But the key difference between you and me?” said the clone as he looked a bit at him from the corner of his optics “My body can’t feel PAIN!”
He then turned the sword very hard and quick, making Optimus growl in agony as he felt the sharp blade twist and cut some of his circuits within his torso, causing more Energon to leak onto the ground. Nemesis then started to pull the sword, forcing Optimus to hold his bleeding wounds in pain as he falls in his knees, trembling as the clone grabbed his head forcing him to look at him as he showed his red blade covered with his blue ‘blood’.
“And after I’m done with you, I won’t stop..” said Nemesis “Starscream will be the next to fall offline at my feet, so then I can lead the Decepticons and destroy every Autobot or human that exists..But I want you to know one thing, Optimus..” his words turned into whispers “That their deaths..will be all because of you..”
The red blade starts slowly moving up and as it started to move down, a bright flash made both their optics blink by the light as Sunset Shimmer came yelling her battle cry as she flew over Optimus’ head, she swung her sword, blocking Nemesis’ blade stepping back by the power of her new weapon. Optimus slowly stood up and looked at her, surprised just like Nemesis, as he holds his wound while his internal systems slowly fixed the bleeding, leaving only a blue painted cut in his side.
“Sunset...Thank Primus,” he said “You survived. So that means..”
“Twilight and Sari are alive too, Optimus,” she said with a smile as she looked at him “What do you say about we ruin his day more?”
“Sounds perfect, Sunset,” said Optimus as he clenched his fists.
“WHAT?!” growled Nemesis at them, making them surprised “My plan was perfect! You are surely bluffing, meatbag!”
Yelling his battle cry, Nemesis Prime turned his right hand into his Ion Blaster and his left hand into his Energon Sword as he ran towards them, swinging the sword at Optimus, who blocked with his own sword, and fired his gun at Sunset, who jumped away in time and fired at him many times, making him growl. With him distracted, Optimus used his other hand to punch his belly, disoriented and in pain he stumbles backwards, rubbing his gun against his painful torso the Autobot ran towards him just to get slapped in the face by Nemesis’ blaster, throwing him against the ground he stood in on knee, shaking his head stunned by the hit. Then the clone swung his sword towards him, but the red and blue robot dodge, making the tip of the weapon sink into the ground while Optimus fired his gun, the blue blasts hit his back that he growled in pain and falls on one knee, giving time for Sunset to run on his sword like a ramp and jump, using her Decepticon Hunter to directly stab his right optic, yelling in pain once she pulled the blade from the shattered eye, she jumped away, making Energon leak like tears. With one of his human girls landing next to him, Optimus glared at Nemesis Prime stood up after breaking the tip of his red blade, growling aiming his tailpipes and blaster at them as he open fired, making both gasp and quickly jumped for cover while he kept firing, laughing crazy as many empty shells fall.
“Crap! We are stuck in here! How are we going to--Whoa!” she shouted as Optimus picked her up quickly “W-What are you doing?”
“As humans say: improvising..Trust me,” said Optimus as he looks at her while he stood up “Be sure you take out his Ion Blaster, Sunset.”
With those words, Optimus jumped out of his cover and chucked her towards his target before he was hit by a platoon of bullets, growling in pain as he was sent backwards, but those same bullets couldn’t hit Sunset yelling scared while flying through the barrage of red blasts as she held tight the grip of her sword and swung her blade, slicing deeply into the Decepticon’s blaster destroying the circuitry causing a reaction of miniature explosions inside his arm, roaring in pain and holding his newly melted and damaged appendage with Energon leaking to the ground while the red hair girl tumbled across the ground of a bad landing, shaking her head once she stopped tumbling and laid on her belly as Nemesis glared at her, ignoring the pain.
“Y-You little glitch!” he snarled as he aimed his miniguns at her while she stood up.
Suddenly, two blue hands grabbed his miniguns, crushing them and ripping them from his shoulders, he quickly turned around only for his face be slapped by the same guns, used now like “maces” by Optimus Prime, his faceplate getting hit over and over again, cracking it slowly before he was kicked hard in his chest, shattering his windows , as he sent him tumbling towards the edge of a cliff, stopping in time while he slowly stood up holding his destroyed arm, panting in pain while both heroes stood in front of him with their weapons ready and aimed towards him. He was trapped, between the deadly bottom of the cliff and their blasters, as well wounded from this unexpected conflict. A silent moment fell between the three until Sunset slowly lowered her Harmony Cannon, making Optimus look at her, holding his once more bleeding side, and Nemesis look at her confused with is only working optic as the other bleeds.
“Look, you don’t have to do this, Nemesis..” she said as the Con remained silent, listening to her like the Bot’s “I know how it is to have those dark thoughts. Trust me, I really do..But I learned there were better ways, better paths than the one I was and you are even following now..You say you have everything about Optimus, then prove it you can BE like him..”
“Sunset Shimmer is right,” said Optimus as he lowered his Ion Blaster, making Nemesis look at him now “You might have done many horrible things, but with time we can learn to forgive you. You have nowhere to go and also betrayed Starscream..” he steps forward and slowly holds his hand to him “If you say you are a Prime, then prove it and join the Autobots.”
A silent moment fell between them Nemesis just looked at the pair and considered the offer but instead swatted his hand away. “Don’t mock me with your soft words, Optimus! Look what you are doing now: trying to change me, put me away like you did over this years...” He glared at them with pure hatred in his optics “Look at Cybertron! Once a glorious advanced planet in the entire Universe and look what happened: now a destroyed world, the biggest scrapyard of millions of dead Autobots, Decepticons or even innocent Neutrals! Their sparks gone because you didn’t had the guts to finish Megatron or others by yourself!”
Optimus remained silence as Sunset looked at him worried as Nemesis coughed “I know how you think...All those dark, horrible ways to kill him or any other Con, but you cast them away deep inside your spark...Making sure this crazy war spreads across the galaxy and beyond…Now look what your mistakes made: me, your ‘twin’ evil brother..” he chuckled.
“Nemesis, we both know Starscream has something planned for his new reign,” said Optimus “Please help us…”
“Not this time..This time...YOU WON’T CAST ME AWAY AGAIN!” snarled loud has his optic shinned more red.
Suddenly, his only hand changed into his Ion Blaster as time looked slown down as he charged up his gun and moved towards Prime, making him and Sunset gasp as they moved their weapons to him. Before anyone could react, a red Energon bullet shot through the Decepticon’s chest, both heroes gasped surprised as the blast shattered his chest windows into many pieces with an explosion as it knocked him off the cliff, his loud scream could be heard as he fell into the deep trench along with many rocks. Sunset closed her eyes tight once she heard many loud splashes in the river. Optimus let out a sigh as the girl looked at him, seeing how sad he was, making her concerned as that moment of silence remained.
“He is right…” said Optimus, breaking the silence “Cybertron and many planets destroyed, our specie close to extinction...Because I could not do what was needed to be done…” he slowly looked down.
He then felt a warm touch on his leg’s metal as he looked at his leg, seeing Sunset giving him a soft smile. No words were needed for her to say, he could see in her eyes she didn’t blame him for what happened and that she knew everything he was doing was to make sure the same didn’t happened again. Under his faceplate, he smiled a bit as his big hand slowly picked her up and laid her in his shoulder as he walked away from that cliff, far away both being watched by the scope of Barricade’s weapon, who smirked hidden in the bushes. He puts away his sniper rifle and pressed his two fingers against the side of his head.
“Hey, Soundwave, tell the boss to move in,” he said “We got a lot of scrap to catch…”
Later, in the river…
Ravage jumped from rock to rock, his claws holding into one to not slip by the water as he snarled at some Vehicons, making them walk towards him and both pick up a huge wrecked leg, releasing drops of Energon and sparks, from the water as other Decepticons, including Starscream, walked in the river to retrieve of what remains of their super clone. The Decepticon leader smirked once he saw the big portion of the bloody body, mostly his upper body, arm remained with the head that has a disfigured face. He knelt before him, the others watching him, as he chuckles.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk..Such a shame,” he said in a mocking voice “I had such great plans for you, my dear clone, but now look what your ego did…” he slowly grabbed the head pulling it closer to his face, not noticing the twitching hand “Now I will honor your metal by using it to make my new shinny throne..”
Suddenly, the corpse hand moved quickly with the body, grabbing his neck as he gasped loud like everybot else, many drops falling from the armor as the one working optic slowly turned on, Starscream trembling in fear as all pointed their blasters at Nemesis Prime, back from the dead as everyone could see his twisted spark beating as he glared at his leader as he slowly speak with a damaged creepy dark voice.
“Not..done...yet…”
