Twist

Chapter 29: Advantages

In the Autobot base, Temptest had a crowd of cybertronians around her, everyone hanging off her every word. All except for Megatron, who had been detained elsewhere for cautionary reasons, and Starscream, who was hog-tied in the Decepticon base. Temptest finally finished telling them about Starscream's revelation and shut her intake. She left out the few tidbits about Megatron's motives, but only because Megatronus would take it the wrong way. She'd tell Optimus later. He would help.

The others paused, taking a moment to soak it all in. Her Decepticon comrades seemed bothered, but the Autobots were taking the news worse.

"So..." Arcee was the first to speak up. "Ultra Magnus is dead and the rest of our team is in imminent danger."

"In another dimension, where we can't get to them," Bumblebee added with a scowl.

Megatronus shook his helm. "We must find a way."

Ratchet glared. "And how do you propose we do that? Without that relic, there's no way to get in touch with our friends at all, and I highly doubt the mech with it is going to come over here until after he's done something to them."

"He's been running around, setting everyone up for failure, so what's the endgame?" Airachnid questioned. "Who is he really working for?"

"We are going to find out," Optimus announced as he stepped forward. "Starscream may not know all of Ultra Magnus or his leader's intentions, but he knows far more than we. He is our best shot."

Arcee tapped her chin and frowned. "He also said he wanted to get back to the Nemesis. How was he planning on getting there?"

"I know."

Everyone turned around in surprise, and the Autobots rose their weapons, pointing them at the newest addition to their meeting. Megatron, no longer wrapped in about three tons of chains, webs, or stuck to a wall, grinned at everyone and strode forward confidently.

"Starscream may be a glitch, but he is highly intelligent," Megatron informed them. "So considering the fact that Princess Hothead left him unguarded, he's probably already gone."

Megatron settled in front of Optimus and smiled boldly up at the Prime. "Lucky for you, I know another cross-dimensional location on this planet."

"How would you know anything?" Bumblebee demanded, jamming his blaster into Megatron's face.

"I would tell you," Megatron purred, "but you'd have to propose an alliance first. All I want to do is help, but I can't do that with your blasters in my way."

Optimus narrowed his optics, but the warlord only responded with smug glee. The room around them immediately erupted in complaints as everyone noticed Optimus considering his proposal.

"Enough," Megatronus ordered sharply. "Ratchet, open the groundbridge so we can determine whether or not Starscream has actually escaped."

"It's unlikely," Temptest crossed her arms. "I know Starscream biology. He can't do scrap with his wings pinned."

Ratchet glanced at his leader. "Optimus?"

"Do it," the Prime agreed, still locked in a staring contest with Megatron.

The warlord laughed and looked away to mock his doppleganger. "Oh, wise words for a newspark."

"Stop insulting him," Knockout glared. "He's better than you by a landslide and you know it."

"Yeah, you turned out to be a piece of slag," Temptest scoffed. "Megatronus is a hero."

Knockout frowned. "But I don't get why he keeps changing his name. This is like the seventh time."