(Unknown)

Silence. 

Nothing but silence filled the air around Skyquake, who lies inside a recharging chamber. The chamber has multiple robotic arms repairing his body, while also performing long overdue maintenance.

The Predator leader’s optics finally relighted, his internal systems running diagnostics as the view static clears away. Each robotic arm store themselves into the chamber, allowing the Predator leader free roam. Skyquake steadily rose off the metal bedstead, holding his aching neural processors. 

“….Ow….” He groaned in pain, rubbing his optics then blinking twice. Looking around, he found himself in some kind of military base, sized just right for giants like him. The room he occupied appeared to be an operating space, noting the multiple built-in devices containing repair tools and metal tables shaped like hospital beds. Although based on said beds having no occupants, it looked like Skyquake was alone. 

After having grasped his surroundings, Skyquake fully stood up, patting himself of any dust. He spotted a large metal door, which led into the concrete hallway. 

The Predator strolled down the dimly lit passage, tiny cracks and holes littering throughout. His steps were deliberately slow, meanwhile unveiling his arm blasters. No one was behind or in front of him. In fact, nobody was here at all.

Now where could they be? 

Just then….

“I’m telling you, boss-those little pipsqueaks ain’t gonna tell us nothing. We might as well sick ‘em.”

“Fool! We’ve been waiting for this chance in years. Don’t tell me you’re backing out now!”

Voices……unfamiliar ones. He proceeds with caution.

“I’m not backing out, chief. All I’m asking is for an easier way outta here.”

“If we don’t commit now, there won’t be a way out of here. If you’re in objection, then leave! But just remember that I can’t easily let you go. 

Skyquake leaned against the wall, inching himself near the door. Judging by the shadows visible from outside, two figures were in here.

Two lone figures. Good. Here’s goes nothing!

3…

2….

1!

“Freeze! Nobody move!” Skyquake entered the room, pointing both blasters at its occupants, finding five guys standing around instead. Oh, and they happily displayed their impressive armaments by all of them aiming directly at him. 

Nice. Very nice.

“Who in the pits of Kaon are you?” A purple mechanoid wielding a large shoulder cannon spoke, his red eyes narrowing in. 

Bizarrely, his head resembled the late Megatron, down to the bucket-ish helmet and prominent curved brow. His body, however, bared no further similarities, as Megatron actually converted into a jet instead of a tank. The chest had the tank’s front section jutting out, its blue halved treads visible to all. His right shoulder cannon was long black barrel attached to a turquoise piece formed from the turret, also home to an orange pump-like part connected to the cannon via one cable. The legs utilized the rear, sporting tiny nubs for feet and storing its treads inside the forelegs as well. Lastly, the arms were derived from the gun turret itself, each shoulder pads containing a light purple decal with a yellow capital D and ‘X053094’ over it.

“Who am I, big bot?” Skyquake replied. “Who else but Predator leader Skyquake. Now why don’t you offer me the same courtesy, sir…?”

“Archforce.”

“Archforce,” Skyquake repeated him, lowering his blasters. “I’ve heard of you. Yes, I remember now! You’re that big shot criminal who smuggles Cyber keys and Dark Energon. Raw stuff, I tell ya.”

“Yes, I am that big shot,” Archforce happily confirmed, gesturing his troops to lower their weapons. “I’ve also heard of you, Skyquake. Your reputation as a cunning strategist precedes your tenure as Predator leader.”

“Bullscrap. I was a grunt before forming the Predators,” Skyquake corrected him, crossing his arms. “Now can someone tell me what’s going on? In case you forgot, I’ve been gone awhile.”

“Yes, why shouldn’t we explain what’s going on. Does anyone wish to volunteer their lips for an easy to understand reason?” Archforce threw the task at his troops, none of them eager to try. Except one, who raised his hand.

“Can I, boss?” Motorhead volunteered, attracting snickers from the crowd.

“Motorhead, you old can of gears! Great to know you’re taking responsibility after saving our new friend here.”

“Oh, so you found me?” Skyquake turned to the golden bot, walking over to him for a quick handshake. “Thanks a lot back there. Hope my oil didn’t stain your paint job.”

“I’m less concerned about getting scratches than getting scraped,” Motorhead said, reciprocating the gesture. “But sure, no problem.”

“Now then, shall we get back to business?” Archforce suggested. “We have much to discuss, Skyquake.”

(Holding cell)

Melissa cradled a sleeping Shaoshao, who passed out after an intense session of screaming. They sat on metal flooring, surrounded by electronic purple streams. It appeared to be a prison, for which they were wrongly convicted.

Outside, large mechanical guards stand by the door. There were two, both maroon with red visors and stood around three meters. 

“….ugh….” Shaoshao grunted, her eyes opening in hazy vision, barely making out Melissa, who still wore her hospital gown, albeit ripped at the bottom.

“Hey, Lily,” Melissa greeted her waking friend, patting her now messy hair.

“……Melissa,” the eastern beauty muttered, slowly moving up and out of her friend’s loving grasp. “You’re okay.”

“I was more worried about you,” the brunette retorted. “I thought you’d never wake up.”

Shaoshao scratched her head shamefully, her gaze lowering down. “Sorry.”

“For what? You did nothing wrong.”

“I know that, but….” Shaoshao trailed off, hesitant on her next words.

“Baby, please. Don’t beat yourself up over it. As long as we’re okay, that’s all that matters,” Melissa settled her hand on Shaoshao’s right cheek, which held a dried line of salty tears. 

The eastern beauty produced a weary smile, unsure of whether she deserved such warmth and forgiveness. “……Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Melissa leaned in on her friend, planting a kiss on her forehead. Shaoshao felt intense heat in her cheeks, crimson coloring her skin. Melissa pulled back, grabbing her friend’s hands. 

“Let’s get out of here, Lily. I don’t know where we are, but we have to find a way out.”

Shaoshao blinked, her blush soon evaporated. “How? This whole place is crawling with them.”

“I don’t know, but we’re gonna try. My dad alway said to never give up,” Melissa replied. Lifting herself and Shaoshao up on their feet. “Especially when someone tries to fuck you over.”

“-A reasonable sentiment,” the duo were then alarmed by an unfamiliar voice, turning right to find a strange cloaked figure sharing cage space. One that seems oddly familiar….

“You!” Shaoshao commented on the individual, remembering who had saved her from Skyquake.

Melissa glanced right at her friend. “Wait, you know this guy, lily?”

“I don’t,” the eastern beauty shook her head. “But he brought you to the clinic that night. He saved both of us.”

“Really?” Melissa said, looking back at the stranger. “You did that?”

“A Cybertronian was attacking you. I had to intervene,” the stranger replied. 

“Cybertronian?” Melissa repeated the odd word.

“The name of those giant robots,” the stranger explained, pointing at the two guards, both seemingly unaware of the cell’s newest visitor. In reality, they whispered to each other about their prisoners’ deteriorating mental condition. “They come from a planet fifty light years away called Cybertron, hence the name. Earth was once colonized by them millions of years ago.”

“Wait, for real?” Melissa was genuinely surprised at this revelation.

“So aliens really did come here,” Shaoshao commented, recalling that conspiracy theory many reaffirmed over the years.

“Giant alien robots,” Melissa said, unable to believe it. “We were visited by giant alien robots, lily.”

The eastern beauty glanced at her friend, raising an eyebrow. “So?”

“That’s awesome!” 

“What!? You can’t be serious!”

“Totally,” Melissa nodded. “It’s not awesome for us, I know, but pretty cool when you think about that.”

“Right now, I wanna do more than think,” Shaoshao said, focusing back on the stranger. “We need to find a way out. Whatever these guys planned for us cannot be good.”

“Agreed,” the stranger nodded his head. “And I have the key right here.”

The cloaked figure produced two items from his metallic hands, each briefly shined under the purple lighting. Both hands held one laser pistol, small enough for a human’s hand. Melissa and Shaoshao each retrieved one, the latter doing so out of slight hesitation. 

“I hope my armaments provide sufficient protection against our enemies,” the stranger said.

“Or they’ll probably backfire on us when we need it most,” Shaoshao forwardly replied, leaning in on Melissa’s ear. “Are you sure we should trust this guy? He might just be like those creeps who attacked us.”

Melissa side-eyed the stranger, looking back at Shaoshao. “You think he’s lying?”

“About getting us out? Totally,” Shaoshao whispered. “How can we trust someone we just met and looks suspicious as fuck?”

“Let me be clear,” the stranger intertwined, both girls startled by his statement. “I may be ‘suspicious as fuck’, but I mean you no harm.”

The duo briefly look at each other, then back at him. “Can we trust you?” Melissa asked, earning a nod.

The cloaked figure then produced another item on his right, holding it out for display. Lo and behold, it was the red symbol Melissa found in Mount St. Helens. “You kept this safe for me, after all.”

“Holy shit,” Shaoshao uttered in surprise. “That was yours all along?”

“I left it behind after the war,” the stranger replied. “And it’s exactly what I wore four hundred years ago.”

“Uhh….”

“Thus, I am obligated to thank you….” the stranger’s blue optics shined under his hood. “…..by leading you towards liberation!”

His left hand grabbed the grey cloak, swiftly removing it with one tug upward. As the cloak floated high, the stranger’s metal argent body was unveiled for all to see. He placed the red symbol back on his chest, followed by his whole body radiant in bright crimson lights.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” The guards spotted this event, running over to the cell. “And who the slag are you!?”

The stranger turned around, placing both hands on the cell’s electric bars, absorbing their energy for battle. With all his strength, he bent the bars open, allowing him to leapt out of captivity. The guards saw the unknown prisoner soar in ruby waves, aiming their in-built rifles at him.

Before they fired a single shot…..

“ESPORTE!” The stranger shouted, dashing towards his enemies. He avoided the first guard’s blaster, aiming for its chest. Within a single second, he penetrated the guard at incredible speeds, coming out the back in a shower of metal and oil. The super-stranger somersaulted, thereupon flying towards the ceiling. He landed on his feet upside down, seeing the second direct his gun up. 

His enemy fired multiple rounds at the ceiling, which the stranger easily dodged by rushing forward again, targeting the head now.

Concrete bits rained fiercely, some nearly colliding with the stranger. The guardsmen then switched to its in-built sword, which it lunged in a quick motion. The tiny stranger closely evaded its attack, grabbing onto its titanium blade. Using all of his strength, he RIPPED the blade in half, redirecting the broken piece at its former owner, who switched back to its blaster. 

Before it fired another shot, the stranger threw the severed sword at its head, puncturing it deep into its cerebral module. Electric sparks emitted from the wound, its arms lowered as the guardsmen tumbled backward with a loud thud. Melissa and Shaoshao watched what transpired in awe.

“Holy shit,” Shaoshao muttered, gripping the laser pistol tightly.

“That’s not all,” the stranger said, his crimson glow becoming brighter than the red moon. “Change, ESPORTE!”

In a ruby swirl of shifting energy, the stranger morphed into a larger being, one measuring at four meters tall. 

The red light flashed away, revealing a glossy crimson paint job with silver arms and black upper body. The chest’s yellow plating contained two red circulars lights above, and three black lines running down his abdomen. His shoulders were split halves of a car’s front pointed out, the front wheels facing forward. The car’s roof on his back had its windshield and rear window tucked away. Each forearm held a door as a shield, their side mirrors and window also stored inside. The car’s rear half formed his legs, both wheels folded inside the lower legs. And his most striking feature, the head, was entirely silver with blue optics, red faceplate with three lined indents, and sword-shaped antennae on his head’s sides.

Interestingly, his name was Portuguese for ‘Sports’. Odd choice for a designation, but whatever works.

“I am Esporte,” he proudly proclaimed. “A warrior from Cybertron’s distant colony of Bevarius. I am also the one who saved you from Skyquake.”

“Skyquake?” Melissa repeated the name.

“The one who attacked your home that night,” Esporte explained. “Back then, I detected an Autobot signature near where I landed, coming upon the Predator leader’s carnage. I also took you to that clinic downtown, which seemed to have treated you well.”

“So that’s how I got there,” Melissa finally connected the dots, producing a warm smile. “Thanks a lot, pal. You saved us big time.”

“And I shall repay your gratitude by freeing you,” Esporte walked towards the cell, grasping the metal ceiling with both hands. “Stand back.”

Esporte’s fingers seeped into the tough metal, slowly pulling it apart to create an exit. Metal pieces large and small poured inside, causing Melissa and Shaoshao to blanket each other with an embrace. Luckily, neither of them were hurt. Esporte then stuck his black fist inward, opening it with all fingers together.

“Quickly,” he offered a lift to the girls, which Melissa happily accepted. Shaoshao was still hesitant about Esporte’s intentions, but she too hopped onto his hand. 

With both girls in his left hand, Esporte unholstered a laser pistol from his back skirt, blasting the sliding door open. Alarms rang upon its destruction, Esporte running through the open space then down a gray hallway. Rapid footsteps could be heard from afar, indicating several troops inbound.

Time to find the exit or die trying.

(Ten minutes earlier, Elsewhere in the base)

“So….” Skyquake trailed off while shuffling a deck of porno cards. He joined a game of Cyberjack with Archforce, Motorhead and others, sitting around a circular table holding piles of Cyber-keys and Cy-gars containing the addictive dark energon in metal ashtrays.

“Yeah?” Motorhead asked, sitting across from him.

“Four million years, huh?” Skyquake replied, placing the deck back and picking out one card. “Time sure flies fast.” 

“Faster than Skywarp juiced up on synthetic, for sure! We were kicking tailpipe across the galaxy during your long-ass slumber,” Motorhead said, chuckling to himself.

Archforce perked up, sitting at the table’s right end. “I kicked more ass than anyone here, you know. And you better not forget that.”

“Boss, no offense, but that’s the 234th time you’ve said so,” Motorhead retorted, putting his cards down momentarily. “You know, we know, everybody knows. What say you, GLITCHES!?”

“We know, sir!” The others responded to Motorhead’s question with an immediate reaction. 

“Ah, right. Thank you for reminding me, Motorhead. It seems my cerebral processors have slightly degraded overtime,” Archforce sarcastically replied, standing up. “What hasn’t degraded, however, is the fact that I’M. STILL. HERE! Not just with you frags, but on this stinking planet too.” 

“Uh….” Skyquake was understandably confused.

“I’ve been trying to rebuild my empire piece-by-piece ever since Cybertron fragging blew up,” Archforce explained angrily. “No, since that dumb buffoon Optimus Prime destroyed our homeworld. One of these days, I’ll rip out his spinal cord and use it as a chain around his neck!“

“Archforce?”

“Quiet! I don’t want your concern, I just want Prime’s head hung around my neck for all to see. No, even better; I want every Autobot to see their precious leader getting ripped apart by me, then quietly surrender to their fate!”

“Arch-“

“IT WOULD BE EXTRAVAGANT!”

“Archforce!” Skyquake finally had enough. “For Kaon’s sake, calm down.”

“I am calm!” Archforce disagreed, sitting back in his chair.

“No, you just went on a rant about everything being Prime’s fault. If that’s your definition of calm, then no wonder you’re stuck here.” Skyquake’s words gave the other players shivers down their spinal cords, watching their boss twitch an optic.

“Say that again for me, please?” Archforce ‘kindly’ asked.

“You know what I said, and I hate repeating myself,” Skyquake rose off his chair. “So how about you say it instead?”

“I couldn’t quite understand what you meant, so-,” their tense conversation was abruptly interrupted by the base’s alarms. 

“Now what?” Motorhead said, getting up as well.

“Alert: Prisoner escape at sector three! Repeat: prisoner escape at sector three! Unknown intruder has infiltrated the base with prisoners in tow!”

“We have an intruder?” Archforce repeated the words. 

“Let’s finish this later,” Skyquake suggested. “Anyone willing to fight, follow me. The rest of you keep boss bot here safe while we deal with the intruder. Any questions?”

“Yeah, who made you boss?” One goon next to him asked, receiving a swift punch to the face. 

“You stay here, then,” Skyquake rubbed his sore right fist. “Everyone else, follow me. I’m rusty, and I want some action. Let’s go frag some Autobots!”

“Y-Yes, Sir!”