Transformers
Robots in Disguise

110 - A Step Ahead

by Mike Watson

	"How much longer does he need in the CR chamber?" Prowl asked.
	Sideburn looked up from the computer console next to the CR chamber.  "At least 
another two mega-cycles," he said grimly.  "We're gonna be outnumbered even more for a 
while."
	"I'll be fine," Rail Spike said, though clearly he wasn't.  He had his arm around 
X-Brawn for support, and one of his legs was injured so he had trouble walking.  "I just 
need to let internal repairs go."  He sat down on the floor, very slowly, pain visible on 
his face.  "That's all."
	Sideburn looked down at Rail Spike, who weakly smiled at him.  "Just don't do 
anything strenuous," he said.  "We need all the Autobots we can get right now."
	"What exactly is the problem, Sideburn?" X-Brawn questioned.
	"Megatron has a pretty fair amount of energon cubes in his obsession right now," 
Sideburn said.  "I'm willing to bet the first thing he's going to get online with them 
is the radar and scanning systems of the Vertigo."
	"Which means-" X-Brawn trailed off when he realized.
	"Which means," Sideburn continued X-Brawn's sentence.  "He'll be able to find this 
base, and eventually destroy it."
	"He can't get the scanners and weapons online with that little energon though," Prowl 
said, a trace of hope in his voice.
	"Yeah, which is why I'm sure he's going back for more," Sideburn said.  "Which is why 
we need to defend that lake."
	"I'm with you!" Rail Spike said, standing up.  Everyone looked over at him, quite 
surprised.  Rail Spike looked at them, confused.  "What?"
	"You aren't going anywhere," Sideburn said.
	"You need me," Rail Spike said.
	"We can't afford any more casualties," Prowl said.  You're going to have to stay behind 
and watch over the base.
	Rail Spike looked at Prowl, then at Sideburn.  "Well how can I man the base if I can't 
even go into the field?"  he asked.
	"Simple," Sideburn said.  "You'll have help."  Sideburn slid his chair over to a 
different console where he pressed a single button.  A large metal box slowly came out of the 
top of the console.  Sideburn pressed a button on the side of the box as well.
	"Meet, Sentinel 4," Sideburn said.
	"Four?" Rail Spike asked.
	"Yep," Sideburn said, quite pleased with himself.  "The first one was on the Axalon, 
the Maximal ship that crashed here during the Beast Wars.  The next two were used during the 
Autobot/Maximal war by first the Maximals, then the Autobots.  I worked on the third one, and 
I saved the schematics.  Just a little something I've been saving."
	"I've got to hand it to you, Sideburn," Prowl said.  "That's pretty cool."
	Sideburn looked up at Prowl.  "I know," he said.  He then looked at the Autobots in 
the room, a more serious look on his face.  "Okay, gather everyone else up, we've got energon 
to protect!"

					* * * * * *
					
	"Well, can it be done?" Megatron asked, impatient as usual.
	"Yes, but we will need more energon if you want to do anything else," Dark Scream 
said.  "This much will get the scanners online, but it isn't enough for the weapons, and the 
tractor beam will need more as well."  Megatron was always trying to get something from nothing.   
It could be done sometimes, but usually it was impossible.
	"Very well," Megatron said.  "Then I shall get more."  He grinned at Dark Scream, 
who wasn't sure what to make of the gesture.  He weakly smiled back and turned back to his 
work.
	Megatron clicked his communicator.  "Mega-Octane, report," he said.
	After a brief second there was a reply.  "Yes, sir?"
	"Ah, repaired, I hear.  Gather up the remaining combaticons, we have work to do," 
Megatron said.  "Megatron out."
	Dark Scream looked up from his work.  "What about the Autobots, sir?" he asked.
	"What about the Autobots?" Megatron smirked.  "There are four in fully functioning 
states.  With myself, the remaining four combaticons, and Bruticus, we outnumber them enough 
that they won't be a threat."  Dark Scream said nothing.  "Go ahead," Megatron said.  "Tell 
me your objections."
	Dark Scream paused for a second, searching for the right wording so as to not get 
thrown across the room.  "I was just thinking, you shouldn't underestimate the Autobots," he 
finally said.
	Megatron looked at Dark Scream, a slight smile on his face.  "Who says that I am?" he 
asked.
	"Okay, sir," Dark Scream said, turning back towards the computer.  Without a word 
Megatron walked out of the room, leaving Dark Scream alone.

					* * * * * *
					
	"This sucks," X-Brawn broke the silence.  They had been by the lake for a while now, 
and no one had spoken since they got there.  "It's like waiting to get ambushed and overpowered," 
he remarked.
	"Who says they're going to overpower us?" Midnight Express asked.
	X-Brawn looked at Midnight Express.  Youth.  It must be refreshing, never to have 
seen war.  Never to know when you're outnumbered, when there's a chance you won't make it.
	"Hey," Sideburn said.  "If you're so worried about being overpowered, why'd you join 
the Autobot rebellion?  On Cybertron we're outnumbered worse than we are here."
	X-Brawn thought for a second.  Sideburn made a good point, though it was different 
here.  "On Cybertron we're the ones doing the ambushing, though."  X-Brawn argued.  "Now it's 
the opposite, only we don't outnumber them."  He started to add something, but stopped.
	"And?" Prowl asked.
	"And Prime's not here," X-Brawn said quietly.
	"I know, XB," Sideburn said.  "We all miss him."  Just then what sounded like a jet 
engine was heard overhead.  No one said a word, or even looked at one another.  They knew 
who it was.  They drew their weapons and prepared for battle.
	The looming shape of Megatron in jet mode appeared over them.  He hovered for a second, 
then two figures jumped off him.  Bruticus and Rollbar.  Then in front of them Mega-Octane 
appeared, hauling Armorhide.  Behind Megatron, Movor flew in and transformed.
	"Megatron, terrorize!" Megatron yelled.  He transformed to robot mode, still hovering 
over the Autobots.  "Ah, I see you predicted my move," he said.  "No matter, you will be scrap 
in a matter of clicks.  Attack!"
	Bruticus quickly pounced Prowl, who tried to dodge but was not quick enough.  With his 
front legs positioned on Prowl's arms, Bruticus used his larger middle head to bite into Prowl's 
chest.  Sideburn attempted to help Prowl, but was overtaken by Movor and Rollbar.  They 
surrounded him and quickly took him down.
	"You help Sideburn," Midnight Express muttered to X-Brawn.  "I'll take care of Prowl."
	"We've got other problems," X-Brawn said, motioning towards the approaching Armorhide 
and Mega-Octane.
	Mega-Octane charged Midnight Express, connecting with his shoulder right into the 
chest of Midnight Express.  X-Brawn, however, had better luck with Armorhide, who he was able 
to hit in the leg, causing him to fall.
	"X-Brawn, get out of here!" Sideburn yelled, held by Movor and Rollbar.
	"But, the energon-" X-Brawn trailed off.  Megatron had landed.
	"Yes, Autobot," Megatron said in a very bitter tone.  "Protect the precious energon.  
Don't allow me to get it."  Megatron laughed.  "You can beat me."
	X-Brawn looked at his captured comrades, then back at Megatron.  It appeared he had 
no choice in the matter.  He drew his sword.  "Let's go, Predacon," he said.
	Megatron chuckled.  "Fine, have it your way," he said, drawing his swords.  He and 
X-Brawn both charged each other at the same time, both of their swords coming into contact at 
the same time.  The force made X-Brawn fall back a little, however.  He had never quite 
grasped the size and power Megatron had.
	Megatron swung down at X-Brawn, who was able to block it.  The next three attacks he 
was also able to block, though every one pushed him backwards.  It was clear Megatron was 
in control of the battle.  The fourth attack connected, though X-Brawn got out of the way, 
leaving a gash in his chest.  X-Brawn stumbled backwards.  He had his back up against a tree.  
He looked at the looming figure of Megatron.
	"Well, you almost put up a good fight," Megatron said.  He swung one of his swords 
to his side and made a motion intended to cut off X-Brawn's head.  X-Brawn, however, ducked 
the attack, so Megatron only succeeded in slicing through the tree.  He then had to jump out 
of the way as the tree fell forward.
	X-Brawn saw his chance.  He grabbed the tree, which was leaning on the stump behind him, 
above his head, and, with what strength he had left, swung at Megatron.  Megatron, who wasn't 
completely sure what was happening, was unable to dodge and was pushed to the side by the tree 
trunk.
	Megatron let out a grunt.  The blow had hurt his pride more than anything else.  He 
quickly got up, but was taken down again by X-Brawn, now in vehicle mode, driving into his 
legs.  This time he was hurt.  However, X-Brawn was as well.  Megatron, from his knees, fired 
a shot from his staff at X-Brawn, which hit the Autobot in the back of his vehicle mode, pushing 
him forward.
	Megatron growled.  "You will pay for that, scum," he snarled.  "Dragon mode!"  Megatron 
transformed into his two-headed dragon mode and walked over to X-Brawn, and put one of his 
feet on X-Brawn's roof.  "It was nice to know you, Autobot," Megatron said darkly.  He lowered 
one of his heads to tear through X-Brawn's roof.
	Suddenly he fell over.  A searing pain was in the head that had attempted the bite.  
He had been shot!  Megatron looked to his side with the still functioning head to see Optimus 
Prime, fully in his armor.
	"That's enough, Megatron," Optimus said.  He aimed both his wrist guns at Megatron, 
ready to fire.
	"Sorry, that's not going to happen," Megatron said, standing up.  He motioned a small 
dragon arm at the captured Prowl, Sideburn and Midnight Express.  "Unless you want to lose 
half your following."
	Optimus stared down Megatron, then looked at his captured friends.  It seemed he had 
no choice.  He lowered his arms.
	"And I win again," Megatron said.  He looked over at Mega-Octane.  "Mega-Octane, scrap 
him."  Mega-Octane walked over to Optimus, who raised his arms again.  "Ah ah ah," Megatron 
scolded.  "No fighting back, or your loyal followers get it."
	"You are scum," Sideburn said.
	Megatron looked at Sideburn with his good head.  "Excuse me?"
	"You heard me," Sideburn said, louder this time.  "You're nothing but a pile of 
slag, a coward."
	Megatron was enraged now.  "Terrorize!"  He transformed.  "You dare to insult me 
like that, Autobot?  I could extinguish you in a nano-click!"  Megatron grabbed Sideburn, 
lifting him off the ground, ignoring the pain in his leg the whole time.  "You.  Are.  Nothing," 
he said.
	Then there was more pain.  This time in his side.  He fell over, dropping Sideburn.  
Standing to the other side was Rail Spike.  "Blast you, Autobots!  Is there no end to this?!"  
Megatron tried to stand, but fell to his knee again.  He looked around, then back at the 
Decepticons.  "Retreat, there is nothing more we can do."
	"Sir?" Mega-Octane said, surprised.
	"You heard me!" Megatron yelled.  Then, quickly, Movor and carried the injured Megatron 
off with him, with some trouble.  Mega-Octane and Rollbar transformed, Armorhide and Bruticus 
jumped on Mega-Octane and they all drove off.
	"Excellent work, Rail Spike," Optimus said.  Rail Spike nodded.
	"We should probably get back to base, huh?" Sideburn said.  "It's kinda unmanned."
	"No," Rail Spike said.  "Rapid Run's there. Offline, but there."
	"Nice," Sideburn said.
	
					* * * * * *
					
	Outside the Vertigo Megatron sat on top of Mega-Octane's vehicle mode flatbed.  Dark 
Scream was tending to his injured leg.
	"So you were unsuccessful?" Dark Scream finally spoke.  He could see no energon.  
	"Hardly," Megatron said.
	"But sir," Mega-Octane piped up.  "We retreated.  We failed," he stopped.
	"No, Mega-Octane," Megatron said.  "We didn't.  You see, being a great leader means 
being one step ahead of the opposition.  I knew the Autobots would defend that lake to no 
end, I merely needed to make them believe they were victorious."
	"But how?" Mega-Octane asked.
	Megatron smiled and clicked on his communicator.  "Scourge, report to me at once."
	"En route," Scourge's voice came in over the link.  A few minutes later Scourge, in 
vehicle mode, pulled up to the scene.
	"Scourge, be a good Decepticon and show Mega-Octane what you've harvested," Megatron 
said.
	Scourge transformed and opened a hatch on the top of his tank.  He reached in and 
came out with a handful of energon cubes.  "Good times," he said.
	"So you see," Megatron said.  "We have an even greater advantage in our favor now, 
Mega-Octane.  With this energon we can power up the tractor beam and the main weapons of the 
Vertigo.  Then we can destroy the Autobot base.  This little skirmish is as good as over.  
Take that to the power cells, Scourge."
	Scourge nodded and transformed back to vehicle mode, driving into the depths of the 
Vertigo.  He smiled to himself.  What little energon he would be keeping for himself would 
not even be noticed by Megatron.  The general was paranoid, but he was not always one step 
ahead of everyone.  Scourge would have his day.  Time was all he needed.

THE END