Equestria Girls: Transformation

by The Bricklayer


Part 31: Beginnings and Endings

The ground shook as the gestalts footsteps stomped towards the Autobots. They could only look up in terror at the horrifying sight at this colossal giant, merged at last. They still remembered the horror on Breakdown's face as he was forced into the transformation, now one with Bruticus.

“Bruticus, angry!!!” Bruticus roared at the top of his voice. His eyes hummed with pure energy as he looked down towards the Autobots. “Autobots... DIE!!!”

“Take cover!” Prowl ordered, ushering everyone to jump just before Bruticus' foot came crashing down like a falling tree.

The girls rushed to take cover as well, thankfully saved by the hands of some fellow Autobots.

“Maybe you girls should stay out until you have official safety orange,” Road Rage quipped just before avoiding slammed into a mountainside from the giant's ankle.

Lemon looked back up at Bruticus with a look of horror. “I take back what I said! This isn't fun at all!” she screamed as Bruticus took one massive swing with his Energon Saber.

“...Welcome to my world,” Road Rage muttered, having been able to recover from the mine and was now taking pot-shots at Bruticus’ joints with her rifle. The idea was, hit one of the joints that connected one of the arms or the legs to Onslaught who if you may remember formed the torso and force Bruticus into disassembly. Trouble was, this little idea had been thought of and the joints it turned out were some of the most well-protected parts of the entire gestalt. With a loud rumble, Bruticus turned towards Road Rage grunting out his displeasure and her optics widened. “...Oh boy,” she whispered.

He swung his sword, and Road Rage braced for death but it never came.

CLANG!

Amazingly, using sheer strength or Primus only knew what else Prowl stood holding the Star Saber in both hands and was holding back Bruticus’ own blade. He slid back a few steps in the dirt as sparks flew from both blades as they ground together, Bruticus’ overwhelming might pushing him back.

“Move it, all of you! Run! Now!” Prowl barked out. “That’s an order!”

“Sorry, but we’re not leaving you to just get slagged!” Road Rage replied still taking a few shots with her rifle at the massive combiner. No effect, but it did seem to slow him down a little.

“But logic dictates that-” Prowl began.

“Screw logic for once. You’re our commander, and we do not leave anyone behind!” Road Rage barked back. “Besides, we owe it to Breakdown at least a little to save him don’t we?” she asked, and up above with a sheer sharp cry the sunlight glinting off her armor Airazor swooped down and fired twin missiles at Bruticus. Amazingly, he staggered backwards long enough for Prowl to pull away from the blade lock.

“Fine… But… But if we live through this you’re all going on report!” Prowl replied. “You’ve all got Petro Rabbits in your logic and self-preservation circuits…” he muttered and if Road Rage didn’t know better she could have sworn she detected a hint of fondness in his tone.

“Noted.” Airazor said before she swooped in for another pass, muttering: “She stoops to conquer…” before she sliced into Bruticus’ armor with her wingtips.

A powerful backhand from the gestalt sent her crashing into some trees, wings bent at an unnatural angle.

“You alright?” Juniper asked to the fallen falcon, beginning to tend to her wounds.

“...Been better, but I’ll live. ...By Onyx, this brings back no small amount of memories. Like being in the Gladiatorial Pits, this!” Airazor muttered with no small amount of sarcasm.

“Not sure I really want to know…” Juniper muttered as she took out a medkit.

“Is there a plan here?” Offroad asked, taking a missile launcher out of… somewhere and firing it at Bruticus making him turn his attention to him. “Or do we plan to just hold this guy off for however long till he slaughters us?”

“Firstly,” Perceptor stated. “Despite a distinct tactical deficiency…” he began as he transformed into his half-track mode. Next, he began driving around Bruticus in circles making the massive Decepticon not sure where to look or who to target.

“In English please?” Trixie requested.

“He means… we’re outnumbered and outgunned!” Sugarcoat stated, having transformed into a second rifle for Road Rage.

“Here, over here you big lug!” Road Rage shouted as she continued firing on the Decepticon, running both left and right to avoid both his weapons and the Autoguns. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m who you want!”

“...We confuse the big lug,” Perceptor stated. “Then, we commence an operation to disassemble him. Madam Spitfire? Can you give us any sort of backup?”

“Sorry!” Spitfire answered tending to Fowler. “Right now… Not a thing I can do. Got stripped of any and all communication devices and even if I had my phone it’d take far too long to scramble anything.”

“Lovely…” Perceptor murmured. “Ah well, I can manage. Howlback, if you don’t mind?” he asked before the felid Predacon leaped out of his front seat and began clambering up Bruticus.

“Kitty… Kitty get off!” Bruticus raged.

“Sorry, no can do big boy!” she laughed, before biting into his connection joints with her sharp claws, creating a small hole. “Now Perceptor!”

“Commenci-” Perceptor stated before a kick from Bruticus knocked him onto his side. “...I seem to have been disabled as of the moment.”

“You have a gift for stating the obvious,” Outback stated and he wanted to try and right the scientist but he then noticed Bruticus striding towards him. “...Oh, Primus...” he muttered before a shot dinged the side of Bruticus’ head.

Smallfoot and Road Rage, rifles in hand were firing on the Decepticon vying for his attention. It worked, and he swung his blade at them. Both dived to the ground even as Outback pulled out a very familiar pistol after righting Perceptor.

“...Is that…?” Howlback trailed off not sure if she could believe her own optics.

“Yes, I do believe it is,” Perceptor stated. “I believe Hound would have wanted someone to have used it even after he died, so I held onto it till I found out whoever would be right to use it. And then Outback came along.”

Outback nodded. “Hound, this is for you mate…” he whispered before firing off a projection. Bruticus’ optics widened at who he saw before him. Massive in size, possibly even taller than Bruticus -and that was no small feat you must understand given the combiner was the size of a small skyscraper himself- and bristling with weapons with a truly titanic Autobot symbol on his chest gleaming as red as the evening sun against a white torso.

“Metroplex heeds the call of the Autobots…” the figure stated in a booming echoing tone walking towards Bruticus. If he were smarter, the combiner would have noticed the figure left no imprints in the ground as a robot of his size was sure to do. But sadly or not depending on one’s perspective, Bruticus was as dumb as a bag of rocks.

Bruticus lurched backwards as Metroplex’s fist closed in on him. He did so long enough for Perceptor’s central rooflight to flip forwards revealing what normally was a shoulder cannon. The cannon fired, and it fired a single silver piercing harpoon into the spot Howlback had ripped open.

Groaning and straining, Perceptor pulled the giant forwards and eventually Bruticus let out a roar of pain as Breakdown was disconnected from the combination. Crashing to the ground with a thud, Breakdown took the message and transformed into his vehicle mode driving through a nearby groundbridge.

“Alright, we’re moving! We are not staying any longer!” Prowl ordered as everyone followed after him as quickly as they could. “Go, go!” he barked out as the now one-armed Bruticus picked up his fallen sword and began swinging it in a great rage. Metroplex had conveniently vanished, and while Bruticus was stupid he was no fool. Combine this with him losing a limb, and he wasn’t exactly… pleased. Needless to say, retreat was the only viable tactic.

“Get in!” Swerve shouted to the rescued humans as they climbed inside. “Now, let’s go boys go! The faster the better! I don’t want to be around here any longer than I have to be!”

Meanwhile, far and away back in Lebanon, Prya Magna went metal to metal with her former teammate clashing blade with warhammer.

“Look at you, hunting down ancient artifacts,” Dust Up/Shatter mocked. “Isn’t that what you used to do? And now, here you are using one in a way it was almost most certainly meant to be used!”

This much was true, during the time before the war broke out Nominus Prime had assigned Pyra Magna and her team of Autobots to regain lost relics of the Primes hidden away on other worlds. It was a good paying job, even if Pyra hated the bigoted Prime’s spark with a fervent passion. She had been quite happy -even if she never voiced it aloud- when during a political rally he’d been assassinated. Conveniently, the sniper had never been found. Pyra suspected it to be one of her own troops, but she never voiced her suspicions.

“Yes, well… Needs must right?” Pyra asked as she slammed the Forge right into Shatter’s head, a battle mask flipping down over Shatter’s faceplates to avoid serious injury. Didn’t stop her from being sent flying into the ground ripping up a wheat field though.

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose,” Shatter asked as she picked herself up off the ground leaking energon. “Isn't… isn't that right Commander?”

“Don't call me that. You don't have the right…” Prya growled.

“Look at yourself,” Shatter remarked having fully embraced her new role as a Decepticon and landing a powerful series of punches that made her former commander stagger back. “You thought you honestly could win forever? Nobody wins forever,” she commented, in a tone that if Pyra didn’t know better she could have sworn Dust Up was talking about herself. You honestly thought you could run and hide? Nobody can hide forever… Our demons, they always catch up to us. You just deluded yourself into thinking yours wouldn’t…”

Nearby, Dropkick and Knock Out were going head to head, with Knock Out spinning his energon prod around in a masterful and downright artful display of ability. Dropkick was amazingly actually on the defensive, knowing full well what kind of pain he’d be in if Knock Out just landed one blow from that prod. He’d sparred with the medic a few times back onboard the Darksyde and he’d seen the effects of that prod on a few unfortunate Decepticons back on Cybertron.

“Let me ask you this,” Knock Out stated, Dropkick using his wrists to block blows from the energon prod. “What do you get out of becoming a Decepticon, what’d those idiots tell you you’d win? Vortex and Blast Off right? That’s who probably did it am I right?”

“How… How did you…?” Dropkick whispered throwing a punch which Knock Out simply sidestepped out of the way to avoid before kicking Dropkick in the face.

“Oh, I’ve read historical records. The Autobots named Dropkick and Shatter simply vanished from Cybertron on the day the Van De Graaff launched all those years ago. A day I knew all five Combaticons were seen as well. Whatever they told you,” Knock Out stated punching the slightly taller Decepticon in the face. “I’m here to give you your five-o'clock wake up call. Here’s the reality. YOU GET NOTHING! YOU LOSE! GOOD DAY, SIR!” Knock Out shouted finally landing a blow with his energon prod pumping Dropkick full of electricity making him fall backwards. Knock Out snorted. Dropkick… dropped.

“Pyra, we’re pulling out!” Prowl radioed. “We’ve got the humans, rendezvous at the designated coordinates.”

Seeing a Groundbridge open up, Pyra transformed with Knock Out soon to follow. Letting out a scream of rage, Shatter fired her arm cannons into the portal even as it closed. “DAMN YOU!”


Templo Mayor

Deep beneath the old streets of Mexico City rested a familiar den of serpents. Neither Steeljaw, Filch nor Breakdown imagined they’d be returning here anytime soon but yet here they were. Breakdown knew his odd but newfound allies would need a place of refuge and so he had suggested the tunnels below the temple.

“Ugh… Can’t say I’ve been in worse places, but still…” Chrysalis muttered to herself as she stepped out of the groundbridge and into the Predacon tomb.

“Hey, I was in Iraq getting shot at while you were a mere paper-pusher!” Lennox remarked in a teasing tone his rifle resting on his shoulder. “So, this place right here? Well, it’s peanuts compared to over there…”

“...How do you know I was a paper-pusher?” Chrysalis asked. “I could have been doing stuff that would have made your skin crawl…”

Howlback facepawed before calling out: “Is everyone here? No missing pieces, no leaking energon? Sound off!”

Various beeps and whirs accompanied that, letting her know everyone was still in one piece. Then, another groundbridge opened and weapons were readied before they were soon lowered as Knock Out and Pyra stepped through closing it behind them.

“So, I hear we have you to thank for our new status…” Pyra said, the Forge back to resting on her back. Breakdown visibly flinched at the sight of the massive hammer. Pyra simply chuckled. “Relax, I’m not going to hit you with it. Fact is, we owe you our lives. Perceptor told us enroute that you knew of this location.”

“...Yeah, suppose I did,” Breakdown admitted sheepishly rubbing the back of his head before turning to a familiar face in hopes of making nice. “Knock Out, I-”

“Save it,” the Stunticon muttered still more than a bit miffed that Breakdown had sold out a few of his comrades even if it was to save him. “Not the slightest bit interested in talking to you right now…”

“Oh boy, looks like there’s a bit of trouble in paradise…” Xiraia muttered to herself before asking: “So, question, are we going to stay down here forever, or are we actually going to… y’know, fight back? Row, row! Fight the power, go up against the man and all that?”

“I’m… I’m actually content to stay right down here if you ask me…” Twilight whispered having seen the massive gestalt and the battle that followed. Lemon nodded along in agreement.

“I agree with Twilight… The chances of us going up against that… thing again? I don’t even want to face it, no sir!” Lemon whispered before she stood up. “Why didn’t you tell us the Decepticons could combine? Why didn’t you!?!” she asked, eyes narrowed.

“We… We didn’t know, honest!” Road Rage stated holding her hands up defensively. “We thought with not all of the Combaticons on Earth, it’d be impossible for Onslaught to form Bruticus!”

“Well, I coulda guessed,” Swerve muttered. “It’s like I said to Hound when he was alive, Decepticons are obsessed with combining. Put enough of them in a room… Besides, what did you think would happen Rage? It’s not just the Combaticons we have on Earth, but a few of the Stunticons as well!”

“...I’m… I’m honestly not sure if I want to help you guys in this war anymore,” Lemon whispered. “Not after this. We’ve been becoming irrelevant anyways, as more and more of you guys join the team. Who needs a few super-suited humans when you’ve got metal bodies to just throw at the ‘Cons and back you guys up?”

“Hey, unless you forgot,” Trixie said pointing to Juniper. “It was two super-suited humans Zest, that actually got the Autobots reunited and forming a counterattack against Cemetery Wind and the Decepticons. If you want to go, fine. Door’s that way. But for me and Juniper, we’re going to continue the fight. This is our planet too you know!”

“But-”

“It’s her choice ultimately,” Indigo said softly in support of her girlfriend. “But honestly, whatever she chooses I’ll be cool with it. I go wherever she goes.”

“Indy…” Lemon whispered her lip quivering before she hugged her.

“Hey, if you ask me,” Swerve said. “I may not be happy with all of this, humans getting caught up in the crossfire but kids like you? Well, you keep us honest, remind us exactly what we’re fighting for. So props to you!”

“Yeah, you little guys?” Outback asked. “You’re alright by me. Apologies for what I said earlier, the heat of the moment and all that.”

“Yeah, it’s no biggie,” Trixie said waving him off. “Trixie understands. Us humans weren’t exactly in our best showing were we?” she muttered, ashamed for her race at the moment.

“If Trixie’s staying, I’m staying,” Twilight stated. “Besides, can’t let my girlfriend go off and do something stupid without my guidance first right?”

“...Gee, thanks Sparkle…” Trixie muttered with a hint of fondness in her tone.

“Well, if that’s the case…” Lemon sighed. “If you’re all staying, then so am I. In this all the way, no matter where it takes us. If us little guys keep you honest, then I’m cool with that, and I’m scared yes, but I’m willing to fight for my planet!”

“Well, aren’t you full of spunk?” a voice asked as a massive winged figure stepped into view. Breakdown and Steeljaw’s optics widened as did Filch’s.

“Thunder Clash!” Filch said hugging the ‘creator deity’ so pleased beyond words to see he was up and about again after his little bout with Onslaught. “I’m so glad you’re alive!”

“Same to you little bird,” Thunder Clash rumbled in that voice of his before he looked around the chamber and shook his head. “...Leave you guys to go off on your own to find a friend of mine -and I see that you did- and what do you come back with?” Thunder Clash asked with in an unreadable tone as he eyed the humans -but not before giving Airazor a fond smile- making everyone very uneasy. “A bunch of above grounders. If I’d known I’d be playing host to guests once more I’d have prepared myself,” he remarked.

“...Uh, who’s he again?” Lemon asked nervously quite intimidated by the massive Predacon. Because really, what else could he be?

“Lemon Zest,” Airazor introduced. “Meet Thunder Clash, or as you humans might know him… Quetzalcoatl.”

“No way…” Lemon whispered in awe as Twilight ran up to the ‘god’ and began asking him a thousand questions speaking about a mile a minute as Trixie chuckled fondly at her girlfriend’s antics.

“Is she… Is she always like this?” Thunder Clash asked, his crystal-blue optics blinking out in confusion. “This small one?”

“Yep. Granted, I can’t say I quite blame her…” Sugarcoat noted as she adjusted her glasses. “Quetzalcoatl himself, in the… er, not quite flesh but you know what I mean.”

“Yes, I can imagine it would be surprising for you humans to learn one of your ancient gods isn’t all he’s quite cracked up to be really…” Thunder Clash chuckled. It was a low rumble that filled the chamber.

“So, this is our life now,” Chrysalis quipped. “Gods and alien robots… Eh, can’t say I’m complaining. Life was starting to get boring before you guys came along really…” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Lennox walked up having got off the phone. “Apparently our arrival in Maine and the ensuing battle didn’t go unnoticed. GI Joe satellites picked up your groundbridges and tracked them to here. A team should be arriving within the hour or so.”

“...Lovely, just when I was hoping for some actual peace and quiet.”

“So, we’re running again?” Sunny asked nervously tossing a glance towards her father who was still rather out of it.

“You, soldier! You're out of uniform! Put on some pants!” he barked at nobody in particular.

“No, we give ourselves up,” Prowl stated with a resigned sigh. “We’re done running. We could only do it for so long really… Hopefully we can convince this GI Joe team of yours that we are no threat to humankind or this planet.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure a word or two from us will go a long way, right?” Chrysalis asked, her lips quirked in a small smirk. “That is why you rescued us, is it not?” she asked and Prowl nodded.

“...I see there is a lot I have missed,” Thunder Clash noted crossing his arms before taking a look at the looks exchanged -or lack thereof- between Knock Out and Breakdown.

He walked over to Knock Out, massive footsteps echoing through the chamber.

“Something I should be aware of?” he asked. “I’m not normally one to take an interest in such things but you two… well, you two intrigue me. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen a Sparkmate pair really.”

“...Which is soon to change if I have any say in the matter,” Knock Out huffed and crossed his own arms. Thunder Clash raised an eyebrow before Knock Out sighed and explained the whole sordid affair.

“Did it not occur to you at any point that Breakdown here was trying to protect you?” Thunder Clash asked.

“No… Yes… Well… I…” Knock Out stammered awkwardly. “It’s just, when I heard he sold out his teammates…”

“He was doing it to spare your life. They probably would have killed him, if he did not speak. Then killed you. I’ve seen stranger and more difficult things done for love, believe me. Maybe not this day, maybe not this hour but someday, maybe you’ll find it in your spark to forgive him,” Thunder Clash lectured. “You are a great warrior, even if you never wanted to be. But you’ve still got a lot to learn Knock Out of Cybertron. So ask yourself: do you know it in your head, or just your gut? You're a great fighter, Knock Out. But you have to be more than that to be a great warrior. Sometimes listening is harder than fighting. A true warrior must do both. Think about this, understood?” he continued.

“Yes… Yes, I will…” Knock Out trailed off sparing a glance towards Breakdown. Before anyone could say anything else, the rumble of tank treads and the sound of multiple helicopters was heard somewhere overhead.

“Within the hour, eh Lennox?” Swerve remarked.

“Guess we better go meet our friends…” Prowl stated. “No matter what happens from here on in, it’s been an honor. I could never ask for a better team,” he said to his troops. “I just want you to know that.”

“Oh, so you do have a heart,” Road Rage laughed. “Who knew?”

As they emerged from the tunnels, the Autobot/Predacon force was met with Mobat Tanks pointing their main cannons at them and Eaglehawks pointing their mini guns at them. A troop transport was being readied for the humans.

Prowl took a deep breath and began holding up his hands in a surrendering motion as Fowler was helped by the Joe member named Lifeline into an ambulance. “I am Prowl, leader of the Autobot Elite Guard of Cybertron and I mean you no harm…”


Miles away, Onslaught’s group was trudging away from the Darksyde, looking upon its distant form from a mountain pass. The roar of human jets -GI Joe Skystrikers- was heard overhead.

“So, what do we do now?” Flamewar asked her commander.

“Firstly…” Onslaught said pulling out a detonator and pressing down on it making the base explode in one massive fireball that lit up the night sky. “We erase all traces of our presence. Our location is compromised,” he stated transforming into his vehicle mode. “Next, we find a place to hide until a new staging area can be found.”

“And then?” Flamewar asked pulling up alongside him in her motorcycle mode.

“We go on the hunt.” Onslaught chuckled darkly. “I do not intend to let this defeat and humiliation go quietly into that good night. No, the Decepticons will rise up again another day, and on that day there will be no stopping us…”

With that, he drove off into the darkness...

END