Fantastic Four and the Transformers (CONT)

by Chris McFeely

CHAPTER FOUR

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THE FINAL CONFLICT - AGAIN

Benjamin J. Grimm blinked his baby blue eyes. Once. Twice. When the large purple spots that swam in front of him had disappeared, he turned to his companions. Rodimus Prime apologised.

“Sorry about that,” he said, “Our optical circuits are unaffected - I did not think of your eyes.”

“Quite alright,” Sue said, floating up level with Rodimus and Magnus, a rising column of invisible energy beneath her feet.

Johnny looked around, and was startled by what he saw. The landscape around the small group was entirely metallic, charred and blackened. In the distance he could see explosions and fire, and more large robots like the ones standing beside him running around in a panic.

“Nice place,” he commented.

“What... what has happened here?” Ultra Magnus said, unable to comprehend the state Cybertron was in. When he and Rodimus had left, it had been in immaculate condition. Now it looked more like it had done when the Decepticons had ruled it.

“Perhaps we are too late...,” Mr. Fantastic said solemnly.

“Doubtful,” Rodimus Prime disagreed. He shook the time-jumper.

“Look out!” yelled Magnus, diving to push Rodimus out of the way, sweeping up the Fantastic four as well. Seconds later, a huge metallic hand slammed down where they had been standing, but Mr Fantastic could tell instantly that it had not been aiming at them. It did not even know they were there.

Rodimus followed the arm that was attached to the hand with his optics, fear building in his mind. The arm was long, and an orange colour, fixed to a massive body, almost the same size as Cybertron itself, decorated distastefully with purple and orange armouring. The horned head atop the body bore a ferociously evil expression, a metallic moustache twitching as the massive maw opened in an evil cackle. The hand withdrew, holding a lump of metal torn from the planet itself, and emptied it into the waiting mouth.

“Unicron,” Rodimus breathed.

“I told you that thing was dangerous!” Magnus was indignant, pointing at the time-jumper as he lectured.

“What’s wrong?” Sue inquired, still hovering, supported by her invisible field.

“The time-jumper has evidently malfunctioned,” Rodimus replied. “It's brought us to 2006 alright, but we’re too early! Unicron, the mortal enemy of all Autobots and Decepticons, is attempting to devour Cybertron. He will be repelled, but it’s too dangerous for you to stay here while this continues!”

“Don’t worry - I can protect us with my force field,” Sue informed him.

With the field erected, they all turned their attention to the situation before them. A large spaceship, shaped like a corkscrew was heading toward the malevolent Unicron with incredible speed, only to be struck by a ray of pure energy from Unicron’s eyes, neatly splitting it in two. While one half crashed to the planet, the other continued on its course, smashing through one of Unicron’s eyes. Rodimus Prime began to relate what was happening at that very moment...

Inside Unicron, the young Autobot known as Hot Rod shook his head. As he, Kup, Springer, Blurr and Arcee had fallen from the wreckage of the Quintesson ship they had been piloting, and down Unicron’s gullet, he had grabbed on to something solid on the way down, allowing him to survive. But he wondered where the others were. Looking around in the darkness, he could see a faint blue glow in the distance. Slowly, he moved towards it. With growing horror, he recognised what it was.

"The Matrix!"

The Autobot Matrix of Leadership hung, suspended across the chest of the despicable Decepticon leader, Galvatron, who looked at Hot Rod and laughed evilly at his shocked expression.

“It will do you no good, Autobot,” he said. “It cannot be opened."

“Not by a Decepticon," Hot Rod said.

Galvatron gestured at Hot Rod with the particle cannon which adorned his right arm, and then at the machinery around them - the inside of Unicron - and continued. “Like it or not, we are allies against a common foe. We must -- ARRRGH!”

Galvatron’s ranting was cut off as he screamed in pain. Unicron was exerting his hold over his traitorous creation. “Destroy him, Galvatron, now!” Unicron’s booming voice echoed inside Galvatron’s mind. “Or you yourself shall be obliterated!"

"Of course... my master..." Galvatron groaned.

Desperately seeking relief from the pain, he transformed and fired at Hot Rod, who transformed and fled the scene.

"Puny Autobot!" Galvatron screamed after him. "You lack even Prime's courage!" Hopping down from the plinth on which he stood, Galvatron moved after Hot Rod. "Come out, Autobot!" he called. "We all must die some time!"

"Not today, Galvatron!" Hot Rod cried, leaping from the shadows, and punching Galvatron in the face, knocking the Decepticon from his feet. Spinning, he transformed to his vehicle mode, and zoomed away, then quickly making a u-turn and speeding back towards Galvatron, crashing into him and toppling him again. Pulling back again, Hot Rod felt the heat from the numerous cannon blasts that exploded around him, as he sped up a ramp-like structure and spun around. Enraged, Galvatron assumed his cannon tank mode, and blasted at Hot Rod with more force, as the young Autobot transformed again, rushing forward and blasting with his own weapon. At the last second, he again transformed, and crashed down on top of Galvatron, who roared in anger, taking a hold of the young Autobot. In a vain attempt to escape, Hot Rod transformed to robot mode, but was no match for the Decepticon leader's strength.

“I will crush you with my bare hands!” Galvatron shrieked, wrapping his muscular hands around Hot Rod’s slender neck. "Die, Autobot!"

Hot Rod’s vision began to blur, and he could barely hear Galvatron’s continuing screams. “First Prime, then Ultra Magnus, and now, you! It is a pity you Autobots die so easily or I might have a sense of satisfaction now!”

Barely conscious, Hot Rod -- almost instinctively -- reached for the Matrix, which exploded with light as he touched it. Galvatron was blinded, and hurled backwards. The light enveloped Hot Rod, and he fell to his knees, in awe of such power. He could feel himself changing. The voice of Optimus Prime, the recently deceased Autobot leader, who had died less than a day ago in front of Hot Rod’s very optics, burst forth from the Matrix and echoed in Hot Rod’s head.

Optimus’s voice spoke, for only Hot Rod to hear. “Arise, Rodimus Prime.”

Hot Rod arose - but he was no longer Hot Rod - now he was the prime Autobot: Rodimus Prime!

"No...!" Galvatron exclaimed, firing his particle cannon in fear his particle cannon in fear, but the shots simply rebounded off the aura of light that had sprung from the Matrix that now enveloped Rodimus Prime. One shot successfully knocked the Matrix from his hands. Rodimus turned to Galvatron menacingly.

"This is the end of the road, Galvatron!" he proclaimed, charging forward and hoisting Galvatron off the ground, holding him above his head in both hands. With that, Rodimus threw Galvatron into the wall, which ruptured under Galvatron’s weight, hurtling him into the void of space. Rodimus lifted the Matrix high. “Now, light our darkest hour!” With an almighty feat of strength, the Autobot who had once been Hot Rod tore open the Matrix casing. A brilliant blue light exploded from within it, sweeping throughout Unicron’s interior. Not a single gear or circuit was untouched.

“...right about now,” Rodimus Prime said to his audience. With those three words, Unicron unleashed a roar of agony. With a scream, he tore his own leg off, trying to break off the affected areas, to no avail.

“We escaped through his eye...,” Rodimus pointed at Unicron’s undamaged eye, just as several sleek shapes shot through it, and made a bumpy landing on the planet’s surface. Turning to the Invisible Woman, he said, “Miss, I believe it would be wise to increase the intensity of this field, if you please.”

As Sue did so, they heard Unicron bellow: "Destiny...! You... cannot... destroy... my... DESTINYYYYYYYYY!!" Then, the sky was filled with an incredible explosion, as Unicron's body erupted in a spectacular fireball. The Thing could feel it, even through his rocky hide and Sue’s forcefield. The Torch was in awe, amazed at the power of the single explosion. Reed was sure he felt his rubber body go slightly limp in the heat. Unicron was no more.

“I think I’ve got this thing working,” Ultra Magnus proclaimed, handing Rodimus the time-jumper. “It would be best to leave now, would it not?”

“I agree,” Rodimus said, and quickly pushed the button.

As the strange group vanished once more, a familiar rectangular shape appeared in mid air. Slowly it moved upwards through the air, and the armoured form of Doctor Doom manifested itself beneath the glowing plane. The despot looked around, studying the landscape. His armour’s on-board computers had already told him where he was, and about the history of the planet. “So this is Cybertron, hmmmm?” Doom stroked his chin. “Very interesting...” He glanced upwards at the disembodied head of Unicron, floating in space, now totally devoid of consciousness. “Very interesting indeed...”