The Darkest Hour

by TheClownPrinceofCrime

Chapter 14: The Team-Up

Rodimus jumped in front of the group with his bow and arrow aimed at Lout. "You! Stay where you are!"

"Hey, yo, take it easy there! I'm just trying to babysit this oversensitive clown. Don't worry, you'll thank me later," said Lout, winking.

"Wait... you were apprehending Starscream? Why exactly?" Rodimus asked.

"Because I like to mess around with idiots like him. Duh!" Lout replied, smirking.

"So you're not here to hurt us or anything?" Skywarp asked.

"Heh, only if you behave like immature motorheads like this thick-chinned crybaby right here," Lout chuckled, kicking the cuffed Seeker. "Anyway, what's going on here? Is this some sort of slumber party? I love parties!"

As the heroes looked at each other, they curiously drew near to the newcomer. Rodimus lowered his weapons before he likewise got close to the escaped prisoner. "Well, we are gathered together to form a plan to stop Megatron from taking over Equastria and Cybertron; so if you even think about alerting him of our intentions, you have another thing coming for you."

"Oh please, Rodimus, helping old buckethead has really never been my thing. Besides, if I were to stop you, I would have already done so. BORING!" Lout shouted.

Rumble then flew up to Lout as he curiously asked, "If that's the case, then why are you a Decepticon?"

At that moment, Lout stared at the colt before he sadly looked down on the ground. "Well, you probably wouldn't get it, but I went through many hard times in my life before the war on Cybertron began." Then he slowly lifted his face and started to scratch his head. "Hmmm, maybe that's not the case; perhaps I come from a city where I... uhhh... hmm. Oh! Oh! Oh! I remember-oh wait, never mind. How about... nah, wrong universe. Uhhhh..."

Losing all patience, Dead End grabbed Lout and shook him violently. "Stop wasting our time! What is your deal? Why are you a 'Con? Hurry up!"

Trying very hard not to laugh, Lout nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "Hmm... don't know, don't care. How's that?"

Dead End's visor beamed brighter as his jaw was hanging open. "Excuse me? That is all you have to say? You have no freaking clue?!"

Mischievously grinning, Lout fake-snored out loud before he obnoxiously yawned.

"I literally can't stand this guy," Dead End muttered, shaking his head.

"We're wasting our time-a lot of time," Starlight said, hoof-palming herself.

"Wait, what if you can help us? Would you be willing to assist us in defeating Megatron and saving both worlds?" Rumble offered. The others, however, looked surprised at his offer.

"Me? Helping you save the multiverse? Being a hero in the process? Hmm, now that's something really intriguing..." Lout smiled.

"Are you serious, youngling?! We're gonna have to work with this annoying imbecile?!" Dead End protested.

"Oh, come on, at least he has some amazing sense of humor and a fascinating personality unlike some ponies I know," argued Discord, looking towards Starlight.

"Hey!"

"I think what Discord is trying to say is that this guy has some goodness in him; if I learned one thing from Red Alert and Twilight, it's that everypony deserves a chance at redemption... including Decepticons. If we work together as one, we will be able to defeat Megatron and his army. Through the power of friendship, we will prevail," said Rumble before he turned back to Lout. "So what do you say? Will you join us and help us end this conflict for good?"

Lout took a moment to think over his words; afterwards, he casually nodded. "Sure, why not? I really got nothing to lose. After all, messing with Decepticons is a lot more fun than screwing Autobots over. So... tell Megatron, 'Let's Tango'!"

As he shook Rumble's hoof, the latter motioned the others to huddle. "What's your name?"

"The name's Lout, a name that never ceases to give me happiness and purpose in life."

"Pleased to know you, Lout! Welcome to our team!" Rumble smiled. While Discord and Skywarp accepted the newbie, the others were frowning in disapproval.

"What have I really gotten myself into?" Rodimus groaned.

"Tell me about it..." Dead End agreed, face-palming.

"Okay, everypony, listen up. Here is the plan I have in mind," said Rumble.

---

Megatron hovered over the ruins of Ponyville in helicopter form with fires blazing across the land. He noticed below him the cages containing the princesses, the Mane Five, and Thunderlane. He transformed to robot mode and landed before them. He wickedly grinned at their helpless condition as they glared at him.

"Once again, you are imprisoned before me just like before. Only this time, I have these alicorns along with all this power. Nothing will truly save you now," Megatron taunted.

"Do your worst, Megatron," defied Twilight. "If you think we'll cower before you, you're sadly mistaken."

"Yeah, you may have the elements of harmony, but we will still beat you just like last time!" Rainbow added.

"And how will you defeat me this time?"

"The Magic of Friendship. With it, we can overcome all the enemies we face," Celestia replied.

"Perhaps your frontal lobes are malfunctioning. I have the elements, the very artifacts you used to defeat me. Without them, how exactly can you generate this... 'friendship' power?" Megatron sneered. The ponies could not answer back to him.

"Exactly. Without these artifacts, you are powerless and worthless," Megatron grinned. "You know, out of all the species I've met, yours is amongst the most ambitious with great potential albeit primitive. It's still not too late to join me."

As he slowly walked around his captives, more caged ponies were brought before him by his subordinates.

"No! Never! I'm not your friend!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"Not after what you did to Starlight and Rumble, we will never join you!" Luna added, fiercely glaring at the Decepticon tyrant.

Thunderlane gasped in shock. "What?! What did he do to my little brother?!" Luna and Twilight sadly looked down with no answer. Reading their facial language, his ears fell down and his pupils shrunk in shocking horror. "No... no, he didn't... YOU MONSTER!!!!" He stumbled as he cried his heart out with tears soaking his face.

Wickedly laughing, Megatron fired a laser beam at the Friendship Castle, blowing it up to smithereens.

"NO!!" Twilight screamed.

"You will all fall down and worship me through one way or another," he growled, optics glowing.

"What does all this destruction accomplish? How could you live like this after everything you've done? Just... just what would you really gain?" Fluttershy asked, tears falling.

Megatron stopped smirking as he approached the yellow Pegasus. "Remember when I told you how cruel and senseless the whimsical notions of love and friendship were? Allow me to expand on that: Countless solar cycles ago, I was but a gladiator in the pits of Kaon. A ruthless, daring legend I was; during that period, the Autobot Elite Guard were corrupt to the core and disguised their hypocritical agenda and debaucherously insidious dogmas as 'peaceful, just, and heroic' resolutions to every civil problem they encountered."

"The very Cybertronians, who are now my followers, were the primary victims of their corruption. They needed someone to look up to, and I was the only one who could help them. Additionally, I was destined to be the new ruler of Cybertron which almost everyone knew very well I would be. I could have easily purged the sins of those Autobot oppressors and so-called patriots if they had chosen me as their true successor, but when Ultra Magnus said otherwise..." Megatron angrily punched the ground. "...they rejected me and spurned my ideas for reformation. I realized what had to be done: declare war on them." The ponies gasped as they heard his backstory. "What would I gain, you ask? A future... a future where there are no more Autobots."

"But why would you want power? Is it so that being a mad tyrant would make you feel less emotionally hurt and show that you're capable of ruling Cybertron?" Fluttershy asked.

"SILENCE!!!" Megatron snapped. The Pegasus covered her face.

"I will make those Autobot fools pay for everything they have done especially exiling us from our rightful home. Once I am done with you, they are next. Besides, why rule only one world when I can rule two... or three?"

Suddenly, Red Alert was brought before him in stasis cuffs. Grinning evilly, Megatron lifted her head with the tip of his sword. "Well, well, if it isn't the lovely medic from Team Athenia. So nice of you to join us."

"Let these ponies go, Megatron! This war is between Autobots and Decepticons only! Leave them alone!" Red Alert pleaded.

"I don't think so, Autobot. The only way you're getting out of this alive is by surrendering yourself fully to me; otherwise, this will happen," Megatron offered, turning to Blitzwing. The triple changer brought out a staff and painfully shocked the ponies with it, gaining pained screams out of them.

"That's right! You will all perish screaming, just like your friends!" Hothead shouted. He turned to Random before he stopped shocking them. "That was quite... shocking, wasn't it? Hahahaha!!"

"So, Autobot, what is your decision?" Megatron grinned.

Comments

[Darth Wrex]

Wow, things are getting intense.

[ChazMLPFIM]

Not the friendship castle, that Twilight's home.

Meagtron will pay for this.

[CROSSOVER KING]

I should be mad at Megatron for demolishing Twilight's home, but I'm not.

Maybe it's because I never found that castle very appealing to look at.