For a brief moment, the brilliant yellow disc of the sun was partially eclipsed by a large, dark figure flying out from it.

A shadow falling over his face, Starscream cowered as he floated there helpless before the image of his former master. "Meg…Meg…Megatron!" a squeamish gasp exited his throat.

The approaching Decepticon paused for a moment to hover in the space between him and Starscream and Shockwave. The sharp angles of his limbs and torso were half cloaked by darkness and half bathed in shimmering light, wicked glints flickering off the dark symbol embedded where a heart should be.

Shockwave was breathless before Megatron, in awe over his sudden reappearance. "But…but Megatron? How can this be? We saw Galvatron perish as…."

"Galvatron," Megatron spoke, looming menacingly over both Decepticons, "Is but a mere memory now, as is the Predacon that bore my name…."

Behind the red panes of glass that were his eyes, Megatron could recall what happened in his mind. As the head of Unicron hurtled into the surface of the sun, Megatron, the Predacon, and Galvatron remained locked together in combat. Even as the very metal structure surrounding them melted like microwaved butter they punched and slashed at one another with intense hatred. Both had numerous scars and gashes so deep their sparks were exposed. Galvatron fired his blaster, the shock knocking them both away. Then, once again, they charged at one another. In the final embrace, their sparks came into contact with one another…and merged.

Tapping his chest plate, the Decepticon icon grew red, the dark spark within visibly radiating its power. "Through the power of the spark of darkness, that which was left of me within Galvatron’s twisted mind was restored," Megatron explained, "And now that the spark of darkness is purely mine to control…"

An evil smile spread over Megatron’s face. He raised up his fist and declared, "WE SHALL CONQUER THE UNIVERSE!"

Starscream was unimpressed. "Oh yes," he mocked Megatron sarcastically, "Our victory is most assured with your illustrious return!" Defiantly he flew into Megatron’s face, screaming, "YOUR CIRCUITS ARE CLEARLY FRIED, MEGATRON! WE HAVE NO FLEET OR ARMY LEFT! WE ARE…."

With a swift swoop of his arm, Megatron strangled Starscream’s throat with a single hand. "Your lack of confidence is matched only by your stupidity, traitor! For I was not foolish enough to leave Unicron empty-handed…."

Holding out his free hand, Megatron unveiled his secret prize. In the center of his palm, multi-colored streamers of energy wafted out, twirling about one another like molecules of organic DNA. In a flash, the streamers merged into a solid object that hovered in Megatron’s hand. The giant key forged from all ten Vector computers was remade before the Decepticons’ very eyes.

"The Vector key!" Shockwave gasped in amazement.

Smiling, Megatron said to Shockwave, "Yes Shockwave…the key to our ascension."

Spying the key little more than a few feet from his face, Starscream’s nature got the better of him. Grunting heavily, he pried Megatron’s fingers off his neck and delivered a swift kick with both legs into him. Bolting away, he caught the key and laughed with demented pride.

"Ha ha! Now the Vector key is mine, Megatron! I am now the leader of the…."

In his hands, the Vector key turned bright red. A sudden surge of electricity bolted through Starscream’s arms, causing him to cry out in pain. Now freed, the key flew back to Megatron where it once again hovered above the palm of his hand.

Pointing his arm cannon at Starscream, Megatron said, "Your most pathetic attempt yet! Your traitorous ways will not be overlooked this time!"

Starscream’s eyes widened when he realized his master was serious. "NO MEGATRON! WAIT!" he started to beg. A bright purple blast exploded from the end of Megatron’s cannon. Starscream’s left wing shattered, a huge chunk of it blown away.

Megatron lowered his weapon but didn’t avert his eyes from Starscream. "Betray me again, and it will be your head next!" he warned. As Starscream whimpered in pain, Megatron next turned to Shockwave, who had remained frozen in place. "Will I be able to count on…your…loyalty?" he asked with a bitter tone.

Shockwave bowed immediately. "Of course, Megatron!" Reluctantly though, Shockwave looked up at his master. "However…" he dared to speak, "I…do not understand. How will that…mere key aid us in conquering the galaxy, let alone the universe?"

Megatron chuckled with obvious delight upon hearing that question. "Heh heh heh! This key has the combined power of all the Vector computers. The key to Vector Sigma alone had the power to destroy the Earth…and now, with all ten combined as one…what is there to stand in our way?"

Shockwave joined in Megatron’s laughter, the pair flying away in tandem. With one arm over his shoulder, Starscream followed, all three Decepticons heading toward a blue planet just a couple million miles away.

Over the Earth’s atmosphere a star hopper flew, navigating the narrow boundary between sky and empty space in search of something. Sitting up front was RedStreak himself, sternly determined to find what he had been seeking before. Behind him were Scaleblade and Rattrap, both of whom were pessimistic about the mission.

"I keep telln’ ya Red," Rattrap insisted, "There ain’t no matrix floating around out here!"

RedStreak was focused entirely on the forward screen, not even glancing back at the rodent. "I know what I saw, Rattrap, and it just might be the only thing to save us right about now."

"Save us?" Scaleblade asked as she stood in her beast mode, "From what?"

RedStreak was silent for several minutes. Finally, he sighed. "I don’t know. I just…keep getting these visions." He still could vividly recall the figure of Optimus Prime and the glowing matrix of leadership. The lingering question was: what did it mean?

"Look ‘Streak," Rattrap put a hand on the fox-bot’s shoulder, "There’s nothing to worry about anymore…aside from, well, a minor Pred infestation. Unicron took the last of the Decepticons with him! So it’s over!" He chuckled a little, but then, moaning a bit, Rattrap added, "Can we go home now?"

Just as RedStreak started to turn with a weary expression on his face, one of the numerous consoles started to beep. Scaleblade’s head stretched out and looked down at it. "Uh-oh! Pred movement a couple clicks off our starboard side! We’d better head back quick!"

"Alright," RedStreak agreed reluctantly, "Moving off on vector three point six…."

Literally at the last second, something caught RedStreak’s attention. In the distance a faint light twinkled, falling toward the Earth. RedStreak’s eyes widened. "WAIT! IT’S HERE!" he shouted. With a swift jerk, he pulled up on the steering column, the star hopper tilting steeply.

"AGGGGGGGH!" Rattrap and Scaleblade hollered, flung to the back of the cabin. Rattrap grunted with an "Oomph!" looking up just in time to see Scaleblade’s rear collide with his small body.

The star hopped zoomed downwards, following the mysterious pinpoint of light from afar. Mere minutes later, a pair of Predacon ships zoomed by and followed, closing the distance from the smaller Maximal vessel every second.

RedStreak didn’t notice, his obsession with the mysterious light growing. "Computer, all sensors to maximum on forward grids! Identify and lock onto that blip two kilometers away!" RedStreak blared to the console.

On the forward screen, the blip was magnified a million-fold, revealing it to be the lost matrix of leadership. The computer beeped, "Sensor lock confirmed. Tracking and calculating object’s trajectory for orbital interception."

"YES!" RedStreak cheered, "I KNEW IT! AND YOU ALL DOUBTED ME!"

In the distance behind the Maximals, the Predacon ships continued to pursue in near-perfect silence. Aboard the leading ship, the two Cybertronian pilots flying the ships watched as a hologram manifested itself beside them. The artificial image took the form of the Tripredicus council.

"Destroy that craft," one of the council ordered, "And ensure there are no survivors."

The pilots nodded, a grin forming on their faces. One of the Predacons pushed a button built into the steering wheel. In response, a laser cannon deployed at the front of the ship, directly in front of the cockpit. Charging as electrical sparks crackled along its barrel, the cannon fired a beam of bright purple at the Maximal star hopper, blowing the tip off one of its angled wings.

"AGH! WHAT THE SLAG?!" Rattrap shouted aloud, the ship shaking.

An alarm went off, the computer beeping, "Alert! Predacon vessels within firing range! Auxiliary systems offline…."

"Like we needed ya to tell us that!" Scaleblade yelled. Turning to her fox brother, she said, "Come on Red! We’ve gotta get out of here!"

RedStreak refused to yield. "NO! THE MATRIX IS OUT HERE! I WON’T LET IT GO THIS TIME!" Reaching to a lever on the control console, the determined Maximal muttered, "I’m taking us in…."

The star hopper took a steep plunge into the dangerous close fringes of the Earth’s atmosphere. Two Predacon ships followed in turn, the remainder cruising above. The star hopper heated up, red and yellow flames flickering off its hull. Alarms started going off loudly as charts on the monitors showed dangerously temperatures rising.

"RED! PULL UP!" Rattrap exclaimed over and over again.

"NO! NOT YET!" RedStreak shouted, his eyes locked onto the glittering star just ahead. He flipped open a small glass box in the console, arming a single switch. "Time to break out the old lasso!" Flipping the switch, a narrow port at the star hopper’s node shot out a silver harpoon. Flying like a silver bullet, the harpoon sped towards the diamond-like device. Then, as it rotated aimlessly, the matrix was snagged, the harpoon flung through its open middle and latching on, smaller hooks extending out to secure the Autobot relic.

"YES! CHALK ONE UP TO THE FOX! NOW IT’S TIME TO BAIL!" RedStreak cheered.

The star hopper arced upwards, its thrusters firing hard. While the Maximals ascended back into orbit, the pursuing Predacon ships started to buckle. Inside, the piloting Predacons desperately tried to pull up, but found their systems locked up and their velocities too great. The tips of their nosecones turned from red to yellow and from yellow to white, the wings and fins breaking off from the sheer friction. Finally, both vessels exploded, their remains streaking across the sky like two meteors.

RedStreak was more than jubilant aboard the star hopper. A miniature airlock opened in the cabin, the matrix of leadership itself appearing before the Maximal. "Yes! We have it at long last!" RedStreak declared.

Scaleblade stretched her neck out, still in beast mode, and sniffed the matrix. "What is it?"

"What is it? WHAT IS IT?! IT’S THE MATRIX OF LEADERSHIP!" RedStreak blared loudly, "HAVEN’T YA SEEN THE MOVIE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD?!"

As the three Maximals stared at the strange relic, a third Predacon ship pursued them from behind. Its forward turret aimed at the unsuspecting star hopper, the long and narrow barrel centered on the boxy cockpit. With scanners magnifying the glass windows, the Predacon gunner eyed three outlines of Maximals, taking aim carefully.

A large explosion rocked the star hopper. Rattrap, Scaleblade, and RedStreak glanced at the side cockpit, finding a few burning embers and space debris drifting about near-by. A panel floated by, the Predacon symbol briefly flashing by. The star hopper itself was intact, but the same couldn’t be said for the Preds.

"You really need to learn to watch your backs more often," Coyotek’s voice said over the cockpit radio. A mere moment later, a large Quintesson vessel drifted into view directly in front of them, its drill-shaped form pointed towards them. Near its tip was a transparent cupola, with Coyotek and Maral staring at them.

Maral radioed to the star hopper, "It is unwise to remain here in space. Even with my own fleet guarding Earth it would be best to return to the planet…while we are still in one piece." Minutes later, Maral’s command ship flew off, the star hopper following close behind as they headed to New Cybertron on Earth.

Elsewhere, at the Council Citadel on conquered Cybertron, the Tripredicus Council huddled together in darkness, contemplating what to do. The three sat beneath a large red lantern that hovered over their heads. With red and yellow eyes they glared at one another with seemingly bitter expressions on their faces.

"The invasion is failing!" the first member said, "We may have Cybertron, but the Maximals have retreated to Earth, allying with the pathetic humans for cover!"

"Then we must take Earth next!" the second declared, "Maximal and human alike!"

A black fist slammed into the table, denting it hard. "Fools! Our fleet is already drawn thin, and against the combined forces of Maximal, human, and even the despicable Quintessons the Earth is an impregnable fortress! If our reign is to continue, we must first…."

Before the Predacon could finish his sentence, a tremor started within the Citadel. As they stood in bewilderment, the tremor grew stronger and stronger until sections of the ceiling started to crumble. At the apex of the chamber, the ceiling turned bright blue, the glow spreading until both the ceiling and walls were enveloped. Then, like dry bread crumbs, the ceiling broke apart, decaying so quick as to be dust when it fell upon the Tripredicus Council’s heads.

As the golden sunlight fell upon the Council, a trio of Decepticons descended like gods from the sky. Their feet thudded against the floor with a quake, startling the Council enough to back away from the metallic giants. Then, as the Predacons stood in disbelief, Megatron himself came before them, the Vector Key in his left hand glinting like a prism as he looked down at them.

"Megatron? The Decepticon?" one of the Tripredicus Council dared to speak, "But how is this possible?"

Smiling upon the Council with bright red eyes, Megatron loomed over the three lesser transformers. He said with a clearly determined voice, "It does not matter how I stand before you, but the fact that I stand here does." Kneeling on one knee to reach the Predacons’ level, Megatron further added, "I have returned after all these centuries to reclaim that which is rightfully mine."

"What is yours?" one of the Tripredicus blared, "But we conquered this planet ourselves! Cybertron itself…."

"…And you’ve done well in preparing the way for my return." Megatron’s large fist came to the single, defiant member, and with one of his steel fingers he flicked him away like a beetle. Standing up, Megatron stretched to his maximum height. Holding the Vector Key up to his face, Megatron stared through its semi-transparent form at the two remaining Council members. "Cybertron once again belongs to the Decepticons…as it was always destined to be. Our victory over the Maximals is all but secured…which leaves but one crucial question I graciously put before the Tripredicus Council…."

Staring with narrow eyes, Megatron asked, "Will you bow before I, Megatron, as your master?"

For a moment, the Council said nothing, completely astounded. One of the two growled bitterly, raising up a fist. "NEVER! THE COUNCIL WILL NOT BOW TO ANYONE!" he shouted.

The other Predacon’s eyes widened. Rushing to his counterpart’s side, he yelled, "No wait! You fool!"

Megatron shook with rage. "You…DARE to refuse me?" The Vector Key started to glow bright red in the Decepticon’s hands, pulsing with the same rage building in his spark. Megatron aimed the device at the Tripredicus Council, his anger at its peak. "If you will not bow to me…THEN YOU WILL BE OBLITERATED!"

The Vector Key turned bright maroon, blasting out a bolt of lightning the same color. The Tripredicus Council raised up their arms and hollered, their bodies turning to solid, cold steel. Lowering his left arm, Megatron next pointed the cannon on his right arm at the statuesque Predacons. The metal statues vaporized instantly, the blast blowing clear out the other side of the Citadel.

Pleased at his leader’s actions, Shockwave approached from behind. "You’ve done it! Cybertron is ours as you promised! And now with no one in our way…" He went to pat Megatron on the shoulder in admiration, but the second his hand came in contact with Megatron an aura of red went up and shocked Shockwave. The blast knocked Shockwave into Starscream, both toppling to the floor. Looking up, Shockwave saw Megatron enveloped in the Key’s energy, its power growing more and more brilliant. "Megatron! What are you doing?" the Decepticon exclaimed.

"I…am summoning our minions!" Megatron replied. Grasping the key with both hands, Megatron closed his eyes and concentrated his will. Holding it high above his head, the Vector Key became a beacon of pure blue. In a great burst of light, the key’s energy shot skyward, forming into a great sphere high above all Cybertropolis. At the heart of that sphere, the image of Megatron’s head took shape, his eyes opening to look down upon the devastated city.

"Predacons, Decepticons," Megatron’s voice boomed over all of Cybertron, "The time…our time…has come at last. After all the centuries, all the millennia…the Great War to end all Great Wars is upon us."

As Megatron spoke, the key’s powers stretched across the galaxy, reaching out to a few select worlds. On Nebulos its rays arced down into a steep canyon, touching upon the wreaked body of Devastator. The fallen giant’s eyes came to life once again, standing upright and looking skyward. From beneath his feet twin pillars of fire erupted, launching the giant into the air and higher still….

"I…Megatron…have returned once more to vanquish our enemies, to ensure our conquest…."

On a remote part of Earth, the key’s energies reached out to Mount Fuji, to a pile of dry lava. It penetrated the volcanic rock, and within minutes the fist of SkyScourge broke through. The once-dead Decepticon freed himself, standing atop the tall mountain. Instinctively he took off and transformed, flying towards Cybertron.

"The Autobots are extinct…and all that remains are their puny descendents, the Maximals, who’ve allied with aliens in their hour of desperation…."

Even on Char, hundreds of light years away, the key’s influence was present. Its light enveloped the remains of an entire city, giving it life once again. The city began to quake, whole buildings and structures moving inexplicably. The city became a giant reptile with a gold horn, the beast arching its head back to roar. Around Trypticon, dozens of bodies also came to life, a whole army of deceased Decepticons rising up. They all cheered and took off with Trypticon, all following the key’s beacon of power they felt.

Nightscream looked out a window from the command center of New Cybertron. "Whoa! Check out the light show from Cybertron!" he said, pointing out the obviously blue-violet point of light of the otherwise green orb in the sky.

Optimus Primal and all the others rushed to the windows at once. Their eyes widened as they saw multiple beams of light radiating from a single point on Cybertron. Bouncing up and down on his tires, Rattrap gripped "Hey! Lemme see! Lemme see for bootn’ up…." RedStreak and Coyotek glanced at each other, and then sighed. A whirl of transformation sounds emanated from behind the rodent. Turning around, Rattrap saw Red ‘Tek, who gently grabbed him with his large hands, raising him to window level. "Uh…thanks big red!" Rattrap chuckled politely.

Looking out the window, Botanica muttered, "This isn’t good. I get a bad vibe about those rays."

"I agree," Primal said, "And since we can’t investigate without risk of a Pred attack, we’ll have to consult with the one person who’s an expert with light rays: Perceptor."

Little more than an hour later, Optimus Primal and most of his team paid a visit to the Perceptor2 in high orbit via Maral’s ship. Once docked, Dinobot, Scaleblade, and Depth Charge remained behind in the ship while Primal, Botanica, Red ‘Tek, Tigatron, and Maral herself went to the hologram chamber.

Perceptor2 hovered over his station, a telescope lens extending out of the wall to match his holographic eyes. "Yes…I’ve already identified the radiation emanating from Cybertron. They match the same energy pattern as the key to Vector Sigma…but at a far, far greater amplitude."

"Never mind the amplitude. Can you identify the source of the radiation?" Optimus Primal asked.

"I’ll patch it into my holographic matrix," Perceptor2 said. His head vanished temporarily, replaced by a 3D image of Cybertron. The image was magnified a thousand fold, centering upon the planet’s edge near Cybertropolis. The broken remains of the Council Citadel came into view, and standing on a broken ledge was Megatron holding up a great key that glowed like a blue sun.

Optimus Primal’s eyes went wide. "Megatron!"

Tigatron and Botanica’s mouths dropped as well, Maral gasping while Red ‘Tek crossed his arms.

"By all the forces…" Tigatron said.

"It…it can not be!" Botanica said over and over, "It just can be!"

"I know that image well from my father’s records," Maral spoke, "The greatest of all the Decepticon tyrants…."

"The key he is holding appears to be the source of the energy," Perceptor2 stated, "It is acting as a form of long-range beacon…."

"What makes you say that?" Red ‘Tek asked.

Perceptor2’s viewer panned out, then focused on a cluster of ships near Cybertron. They numbered in the hundreds, all with either Predacon or Decepticon icons. In addition, there were countless transformer bodies floating in place, mostly Decepticons, including one giant one resembling a dinosaur.

"In the past thirty cycles alone," Perceptor2 informed them, "I’ve counted over fifty incoming vessels…and six hundred Decepticon-Predacon signatures…all gathering in a gigantic attack configuration of unprecedented scale. Worse still…."

When Perceptor2 hesitated to finish, Primal asked, "What else? Tell me!"

Looking weary, the hologram said, "The same key Megatron holds could be wielded as a weapon. What kind of power it wields is great…but not even my sensors can calculate the damage it could wreak."

"NO!" Red ‘Tek stepped up, speaking his voice readily. "Megatron isn’t the only one with a weapon!" Opening his chest plate, Red ‘Tek brought out the shiny Matrix of Leadership he’d been holding onto. "We still have…the matrix."

Botanica glanced down at the artifact in Red ‘Tek’s hands, but frowned. Optimus Primal and Tigatron did likewise. "The matrix it is…but it’s…empty." Optimus Primal told him. Sighing, he added, "It has no power…no light."

"No! You’re wrong!" Red ‘Tek blatantly exclaimed. He transformed, dividing into Coyotek and RedStreak, the later holding the matrix in his own grasp. "Rodimus used this once before, as did Optimus himself! That’s why I’ve been getting visions!"

"RedStreak," Optimus said, pushing the matrix down, "When the matrix was last opened centuries ago, Optimus Prime himself drained its power completely to save the galaxy. All that remains…is just an empty shell."

RedStreak stood there, on the verge of tears. "But it’s the only way! The only way!" He turned to Maral, presenting the matrix to her. "There must be a way to replenish it! Surely you can help!" But when Maral shook her head and glanced downward, RedStreak’s hopes shattered. He looked into the matrix’s empty shell, seeing his sad reflection in it.

A red light went off on Perceptor2’s instrumentation, to which the hologram checked. "I fear the worst is about to happen, Maximals. The fleet is powering up and moving towards Earth…with Megatron himself in front."

Maral looked to Optimus, as did the others. "You must contact your people quickly!" she suggested, "My people can hold of the fleet for some time, but even our advanced weaponry can’t hold an armada like that forever."

Coyotek glanced at Optimus, then at sad RedStreak. Putting a hand on Primal’s shoulder, the coyote-bot said, "My group will help out the Quintessons…buy some time for our own forces to rally."

"But…Coyotek!" Primal started to protest.

"Hey, you know I’m right. Ultra Maximus is the best chance we have right now." Coyotek stated. Looking to Tigatron, ‘Tek said, "Come on. We’d better get with Dinobot, fish-face, and ‘scales if we’re gonna pull this off." He glanced at RedStreak for a minute, who followed sluggishly as the matrix hung loosely in his hand.

Just a few minutes later, Maral’s ship pulled away, leaving the six combiner-Maximals behind in the Perceptor2’s still-open airlock. They watched as the Quintesson vessel maneuvered around and departed, its purple vapor trail fading rapidly as the ship itself headed directly for Earth.

For a long while they all watched the Earth. It was a thing of beauty at this distance, its dense white clouds hugging over its deep, blue oceans. RedStreak and Scaleblade both knew it well, and through them Coyotek, Depth Charge, Dinobot, and Tigatron knew what splendors it had to offer.

"This may be the last time we see this paradise," Tigatron pessimistically quoted.

"Stripes may be right," Depth Charge said, "This battle is going to be one for the history books, regardless of who wins."

Dinobot growled a little, focused on the battle instead of the view. "I do not like this. As much as I…love to fight metal against metal…this seems to be a doomed and desperate mission. If this…new Megatron is anything like the Decepticon he appears to be, we are in for a long, hard battle." The raptor suddenly started to chuckle, drawing out his ax. "Heh! Heh! A fitting way to enter Silicon Valhalla!"

"Hey, I’ve been dead before," Scaleblade pointed out, "Believe me, I’m not eager to take that pleasant trip again. But…I am with you guys anyway."

"Then we’re all in agreement…I think," Coyotek said, glancing at RedStreak from the corner of his eye, "Let’s do it."

Coyotek bolted out of the airlock, flying through the open vacuum of space. Scaleblade grabbed Dinobot and spread her wings in robot mode, taking off with him. Tigatron did likewise with Depth Charge, leaving only RedStreak onboard Perceptor2. He looked down at the matrix and sighed. "If only I knew how to use you," he said to it, stowing the artifact behind his chest plate. Unknown to him, as he started to close it up, the matrix gave off a weak glow next to his human heart.

The six Maximals flew beyond the Moon’s orbit, RedStreak lagging behind slightly as the main battle came into view. A fair distance away the Quintesson fleet had engaged the collective forces of Predacons and Decepticons…and were getting slaughtered. Ships on both sides were exploding to the left and right, Predacon lasers blowing chunks off Quintessons as Quintesson disruptors blasted the armor on Predacons. The very last functional Quintesson ship was snagged by Trypticon, the great Decepticon crushing it with his jaws before spitting it out into deep space as trash. The giant turned his head, eyeing the small group of Maximals ahead.

"This is it. Let’s do it." Coyotek said.

RedStreak exhaled his last breath of air, muttering to himself, "I hope this goes better than I fear."

Like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, the six Maximals linked up, conforming to specific positions and components. They awoke again in one body, as one mind and spark. Ultra Maximus opened his blue eyes and gazed upon his opponents in all their forms. One particular transformer came into view.

"Megatron," he said, readying his sword.

The fleet slowed as it neared the giant Maximal, Megatron himself hovering before him. "Get out of our way…and I may grant you a painless death once I’ve dealt with Earth!" Megatron demanded. As he expected, the great transformer blocked the circular disk of Earth, blocking his way.

Ultra Maximus tightened his grip on the sword. "By all that is good and one with the Matrix…YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" he declared. Ultra Maximus held his sword out before him, the stars themselves glinting along its edge.

Megatron narrowed his eyes a bit. "I shall not ask again…MOVE!" The Maximal hung there motionlessly, not blinking, not twitching in the slightest. Megatron grinned a little. "I expected this much from you…in which case…."

The legendary tyrant raised his arms up and shouted to his troops, "ATTACK!" Like a plague of locusts, a wave of Predacons and Decepticons descended upon Ultra Maximus. Reacting with lightning speed, Ultra Maximus desperately tried to deflect the massive wave of firepower. Still his plating was heavily pitted within minutes, his sword quickly loosing its reflective finish. As ships and missiles flew at him he swung his sword at them, slicing more each second than he could count. Explosions, fireballs, beams flashed all around him in a great blur.

As he continued to fight, a massive shadow overwhelmed Ultra Maximus, catching him off guard from behind. Giant Trypticon loomed over the warrior and roared. His huge jaws came at him, hundreds of razor-sharp teeth in his behemoth-sized mouth. Ultra Maximus turned at the last second, the monster rushing him like a tidal wave.

In the next instant Ultra Maximus was trapped in between Trypticon’s jaws, his arms and legs dangling out as Trypticon squeezed hard on his waist and torso. Groaning in pain, Ultra Maximus banged his sword against Trypticon’s snout, leaving deep gouges and slashes in the thick metal as the Decepticon flung him about. Trypticon went unphased, crunching down on Ultra Maximus eagerly.

Starscream laughed as he hovered beside Megatron. "Ha! Ha! Trypticon’s caught Ultra Maximus in his jaws! This should be more fun than watching the Constructicons argue with one another!"

"Yes, it would be amusing," Megatron said, smiling openly. He looked down at his hand, the Vector Key still at his side. "However," he said, reaching for the key, "I think I can make this all the more amusing for us all."

Holding the key firmly in his left hand, Megatron shouted to the Decepticon giant, "Trypticon! Release Ultra Maximus to me!"

"WHAT?! HAVE YOU GONE INSANE MEGATRON?!" Starscream blurted out, "TRYPTICON’S ABOUT TO FINISH HIM!"

"I intend to make a demonstration, to unleash the full power of the Vector Key," Megatron briefly explained, "Now Trypticon! Do it!"

Obeying obediently, Trypticon flung Ultra Maximus away, the giant whirling about. Megatron brought out the key and fired it. Ultra Maximus saw the bright beam coming, but was without a sword to deflect it. He had nothing…except. The giant reached into his torso, feeling around for it.

The beam bounced away, Ultra Maximus unaffected by its strange power. Megatron gasped, "WHAT?!" In his hands, the Maximal giant held the matrix of leadership, shimmering beautifully.

An intrigued smirk appeared on Megatron’s face. "So, you have the matrix with you. Ha! It will do you little good! It’s empty! But my weapon on the other hand…." Megatron fired the key again, Ultra Maximus twisting, its beam just barely missing him. The Decepticon simply chuckled, finding amusement in this. He fired again and again, Ultra Maximus trying hard to dodge until…

ZAP!!

Ultra Maximus yelled in pain. The beam hit him in the knee, and where it hit a patch of deep blue metal was spreading. Immediately his joints froze up, the infection draining the power from his very spark as it consumed much of his body. He quivered and shook, feeling cold and empty. The matrix, though in his hands, utterly useless.

But then he noticed something. His left arm…Scaleblade’s body…was unaltered, still technorganic. A thought occurred to him, which drew him to look down at his chest. A part of it remained unaltered, still organic. His eyes lit up. "Of course! Scaleblade and RedStreak!" he realized, "They’re human!" How they remained immune to the key’s power was unknown, but so long as they were joined to him Ultra Maximus could harness it.

Concentrating hard, Ultra Maximus drew upon the regenerative abilities within Scaleblade and RedStreak, using it to reverse the infection. Slowly, the course of the blue metal slowed, then stopped, and gradually reversed. It took great effort…but even that was too much. Fragments of the infectious blue metal remained on his body, scattered but leaving him extremely weak.

As Megatron gazed from afar, Ultra Maximus stared defiantly at him. "Your weapon has failed Megatron! You…can’t use it…to destroy me!"

Megatron gritted his teeth, secretly acknowledging that fact. "No matter," Megatron growled, "You may be partially immune to the power of the Vector Key, but I doubt the same can be said for any other Maximal or human, Maximus!" The key again started to glow, Megatron smiling smugly.

"Watch…your future’s end," the Decepticon coldly said.

The key he first aimed at Cybertron. Ultra Maximus and the other Decepticons watched wearily, not sure what would happen. The key grew brighter and brighter, and with a burst of blue light, its energy went to the transformer home world. It hit the outskirts of Cybertropolis first, consuming everything and changing it into pure metal, just like the key to Vector Sigma. Everything organic turned metal and started to crumble, the few intact buildings shaking and fallings apart. Eventually all of Cybertron was transformed into solid blue metal, from core to crust and pole to pole.

On Earth, Optimus Primal and a few others paused in their work at the hangers to witness the whole event. "By the Matrix!" Primal shouted in disbelief…but all too soon he learned it was just the beginning.

Great cracks began to develop in Cybertron’s crust, stretching as far as halfway around the planet. They grew deeper and broader, their walls crumbing apart as huge quakes overtook Cybertron itself. Lightning bolts erupted from the core, more lightning resounding from the atmosphere. The quakes grew stronger and stronger, tearing the planet apart. Finally the whole planet began to collapse in upon itself, shrinking dramatically in size until, in a tremendous flash, Cybertron exploded.

"NO!" Ultra Maximus screamed. When the light vanished, Cybertron was nothing but a giant rock pile of burned-up asteroids, the planet itself gone…a mere memory. Looking to Megatron, Maximus clenched his fists. "You…you monster! How dare you!"

Megatron cackled manically. "Cybertron is no more! From its ashes, we will build a new world of our own…one cleansed of all traces of Autobot and Maximal! First Cybertron, and now…Earth!"

As Megatron aimed the weapon towards Earth, Ultra Maximus grunted, flying before him. "I may not have a weapon to destroy you, I may have failed to save Cybertron, but I will not allow you to destroy the Earth and humanity too!"

"You can’t do anything to stop me! You’re no legendary Autobot, Ultra Maximus! The matrix is empty, and there is no one left to aid you!" Megatron blasted Ultra Maximus with his arm cannon, knocking him clear out of the way. "Now…to obliterate this troublesome little mudball once and for all!" Megatron declared.

The Vector Key started to glow again, its energy building up rapidly. Blue Earth floated there serenely, completely naked and vulnerable to attack. The Earth reflected against Megatron’s silvery face, as did the key’s light. Smiling, Megatron pushed his thumb against the trigger switch.

In that sole instant, the awesome power of the Vector Key rained down upon the blue world. From every city, every continent, every man, woman, child, and living being looked to the sky at the eerie blue-violet light shining down upon them. At New Cybertron every Maximal paused to looked up in horror, their bodies and the very ground beneath them turning to blue metal as the dark powers overwhelmed them.

In space, Megatron laughed more heartily than every before, watching as the Earth was transformed into a sphere of metallic oblivion. Ultra Maximus wept in disbelief, too weak to stop the devastation.

For several minutes, all was quiet on the frozen Earth. A wind blew over the silent, empty streets in the great cities, the people frozen like marble statues with arms flung up and eyes wide. For several agonizing minutes, the whole world was dead…until….

A shutter went out, a sudden change in the wind taking place. In the deepest forests, where all life was frozen solid, something happened. A small bird started to glow, and then a wolf, and then a flower. They all came to life, reverting to their previous forms. Soon other animals came to life, as did the trees and plants, a strange new energy seeping out from them.

Ultra Maximus opened his eyes…then dropped his jaw. He watched as a wave of blue-white energy enveloped the Earth, undoing the damage the key had wrought. "Incredible! But how could this have…."

A vision overwhelmed his mind, RedStreak’s vision. In the deep corners of his mind, the individual consciousnesses of Coyotek, Dinobot, Depth Charge, RedStreak, Scaleblade, and Tigatron saw the figure of Optimus Prime, the most famous Autobot of all time, with the matrix of leadership in his hands. As he stood upon the surface of the Earth, he broke the matrix in two, its light shining like a brilliant blue star. The light of the matrix spread out in all directions, and then arced down back towards the Earth. As the six Maximals watched, the light touched upon the animals, plants, even the humans they perceived in this virtual universe received its light, causing them to glow with its light for a brief moment.

The figure of Optimus Prime turned towards them and stared…as if waiting for something.

RedStreak looked down, seeing his reflection in a pound…except that it was the reflection of his human counterpart, Adam, glowing brightly. It hit him. "Of course! It all makes perfect sense now!" he declared.

"W-What makes sense?" Depth Charge asked, still confused by all this.

"Roughly four centuries ago, when Prime himself opened the matrix, its power was used to cure the hate plague ravaging the galaxy and the Earth itself!" RedStreak stated enthusiastically.

"But according to legend…" Coyotek began to say.

"No," a deep electronic voice said, "Not legend…but history."

Dinobot let out a hiss of surprise. "Optimus…Prime!"

The six Maximals looked up to see Optimus Prime himself stand before them, his body glowing white with the light of the matrix. "You see Maximals, to stop the incurable hate plague, I opened the matrix to stop the madness."

Coyotek spoke up, slightly nervous before the mighty Autobot. "But…Prime, the matrix may have stopped the plague, but its powers were lost in the process. It’s…it’s…."

Prime shook his head. "No Coyotek. Only the wisdom, not the power itself, was used to cure the plague. While its wisdom was shared with all in the galaxy, the power of the matrix itself seeped into the living life force of the Earth, becoming one with all life on it."

"That explains why me and Red weren’t affected by the key!" Scaleblade said, "It makes perfect sense!"

"And why the Earth itself gave us the means to stop Unicron!" RedStreak added.

"Yes but…" Tigatron looked to Prime wearily, "But what do we do now?"

Optimus looked down at the Maximals and said two words. "Do…nothing. You’ve done your part, Maximals. Now it is time for the Earth and Matrix to do their part…."

A second later, the Maximals reawakened within Ultra Maximus’ body, who in turn looked towards the Decepticons in all their confusion.

"What the slag just happened?" "I thought that planet was supposed to blow, not glow!" "Is that thing’s batteries still charged?" were some of the phrases beginning exchanged between the evil transformers.

Megatron himself was shaking, screaming, "NO! NO! NO! THIS CAN’T BE!"

Ultra Maximus felt something inside him start to shake and rattle. He reached inside and pulled out the shell of the matrix, discovering it to be glowing the same color as the Earth. "Whoa…I really DO have the touch…."

Megatron turned towards the Maximal, noticing the matrix’s light, then shouted, "The matrix! Stop him Decepticons!"

Ultra Maximus laughed. "Heh heh! You can try and stop me, Megatron, but you can’t stop the Matrix!" Just then, he felt the matrix shell shake in his hands, pulling and tugging as if trying to get away. "Hey, what the?" Suddenly, the matrix slipped from his hands, flying away like a mad bumblebee.

Starscream swooped in catching the matrix in his hands. "HA! I’VE GOT IT MEGATRON!" he yelled triumphantly to his leader.

"Over my, empty, SHELL!" Ultra Maximus yelled out. With his dragonhead left arm, he fired a fireball at the Decepticon. It hit Starscream square in the ankle, causing him to scream, "AGH! MY FOOT!" In his panic Starscream let go of the matrix to grab his sore foot.

"NO YOU IDIOT!" Megatron yelled, but it was too late.

They all watched as the matrix flew towards the planet Earth like a moth to a flame, readily attracted to it. Incredibly, as it drew closer, the matrix seemed to grow larger and larger. Finally, it split in two large halves, one on either side of the Earth.

"I…I don’t believe it!" Shockwave exclaimed, "The Earth itself has…transformed into one giant…MATRIX!"

The matrix shell enclosed the entire planet Earth within its crystalline structure, the blue Earth glowing like a bright sun. On the planet both Maximal and human cheered as the matrix became one with the Earth and all its life.

Ultra Maximus too felt the strength radiating from the matrix, and the metal infection vanished from his body entirely. His faceplate forming a crude smile, he said to Megatron, "Look who’s Prime now?"

The Decepticons and Predacons watched as the Earth grew brighter and brighter before them, the matrix energy build up more and more. Megatron held up his arm, blotting out the intense blue-white light. For a moment in eternity, the Earth outshined its own sun and even its whole galaxy, becoming, for a time, the shining center of the universe.

A great blast of energy exploded from the giant matrix, flung in Megatron’s direction. Though in awe, the Decepticon had enough sense in his circuits left to get out of the way. The beam of matrix energy missed him by little more than a foot, its light momentarily blinding both Ultra Maximus and Megatron until it dissipated in the distance.

When it was over, the matrix became a mere shell once again, vanishing from sight and leaving the Earth as it was before…blue and tranquil…but also defenseless. Ultra Maximus shook his head. "No! It…it can’t be!"

"Heh heh heh! Well that was certainly amusing, Ultra Maximus. But I’m afraid the light in your darkest hour has fizzled out!" Megatron boasted, "How intriguing that the key has no effect on your body, and that you had the will to conjure up the matrix for a futile assault…."

As Megatron talked, Ultra Maximus noticed something happening behind the Decepticons’ group. In the same area the beam vanished, a tiny, flickering star came into being. Watching with curiosity, Ultra Maximus noticed how it grew brighter and brighter, becoming not a star but a circular disc.

"You may be powerful, Ultra Maximus, but even you are no match for my army, nor your pitiful band of Maximals on Earth!" Megatron said to Maximus, still unaware of the blue-whit portal forming behind him.

Ultra Maximus suddenly started to smile. "Perhaps you are right, Megatron. I am no match for you…but then again…I know someone who is!"

The glowing disc erupted, transforming into a huge swirling wormhole. The Decepticons all turned around and once, unable to believe it. A formless but gigantic mass was moving through, exiting the wormhole. As it did so, it took on a physical form. The glowing mass turned bronze in color, angles taking shape as the frame of a tremendous starship.

Starscream’s eyes widened. "It…it just can’t be!"

Megatron muttered, "The Ark…."

In one obscure window on the Ark’s hull, a single spark floated over the console. Like the ship, it too took on a form. Transforming into a tall, red and silver Autobot with a blue helmet. Once fully formed, Optimus Prime spoke his legendary words, "Autobots…transform and roll out!"

Following the Ark from behind, hundreds of sparks spewed out of the wormhole all at once. Like Prime, they all took on the forms of various Autobots. Two in particular became Prowl and Ironhide, both standing in place with energy rifles in their hands. As Prowl readied his weapon, Ironhide yelled, "Autobots, charge! Time to beat these ‘Cons back to where they came from!"

Autobots of all shapes and sizes charged into battle, the Ark providing cover fire as well. Ultra Maximus watched with delighted eyes as Autobots out of Cybertronian myth fought hand to hand with Decepticons in overwhelming force. Ironhide confronted Starscream himself, delivering a fist to his jaw as Prowl took on Shockwave. In the distance Devastator contended with Superion as Trypticon fought against Metroplex.

As he watched, two sparks flew beside Ultra Maximus. They materialized, taking shape in forms Ultra Maximus could hardly believe. Cheetor, in his original form from the Beast Wars, and Springer, the last Autobot to fall, rematerialized beside the large Maximal, both smiling at him.

Ultra Maximus started to gag. "Chee…Cheetor! Springer! Is it really you?"

Springer chuckled. "You did good kid. Your great-great grandfather, Spike, would be proud."

Ultra Maximus would have blushed were he entirely human. Looking to Cheetor however made him feel RedStreak’s guilt. "Cheetor…Cheetarus, I mean. I…still feel so…so…."

Cheetor put his hand on Ultra Maximus’ arm. "Don’t take it too hard. It wasn’t your fault, so let it go. Besides…we’re all together again." Cheetor said.

Ultra Maximus’ face brightened. "Thanks…spots."

Springer smiled and pointed behind him. "Looks like the cavalry has arrived to help us clean up!" Sure enough, a dozen Maximal fighters and shuttles were zooming in, ready to join the great battle with their reincarnated ancestors.

Megatron himself fled the battle, his body dented with scorch marks on his face and legs. "Blast! Those dolts couldn’t fight the Autobots even with their combined strength!" He looked to the Vector Key in his hand, gritting his teeth. Crushing the key in his bare palm, Megatron growled, "And even with this it all my plans have come to naught! If my pathetic minions can’t defeat them, then I’ll do it…myself!"

The Decepticon’s chest plate opened wide, exposing the spark of darkness he held within. Its lurid red light shined out, casting a malevolent color upon the battlefield. In the midst of their fighting Decepticons and the few remaining Predacons were suddenly torn from their opponents, pulled inexplicably toward the source of the dark light.

Starscream saw Megatron with his dark spark exposed, his commander smiling evilly. Trying to resist, the Decepticon shouted, "M-Megatron! What are you doing?"

Megatron chuckled, "You’ll find out soon enough…once your powers and strength are my own to command!" His spark intensified, causing Starscream to shriek in pain. In the following moments, Starscream’s body was stretched and distorted, then sucked directly into Megatron’s spark.

"Yes," Megatron said, feeding off Starscream’s essence, "The power…give me the power!"

One after another, every Decepticon and Predacon fell screaming towards Megatron, merging directly with his dark spark, which grew bigger and brighter with every transformer sucked into it. As the Autobots and Maximals watched from a distance, Megatron himself grew, the combined power causing his exostructure to grow larger and larger until….

As the last Decepticon spiraled in, wailing before being consumed, Megatron’s immense shadow loomed over not only the Maximals and Autobots but also the Earth itself. Megatron was a titanic giant nearly the size of Unicron himself. His laughter made the heavens tremble in fear.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I am now one with every Decepticon that every existed…I…AM…the Decepticons! And now…there is NOTHING you can do to stop me!"

Optimus Primal’s shuttle floating in place beside Ultra Maximus, RazorLeaf said, his leaves trembling, "W-What do we do now?"

Ultra Maximus looked up at the immensity that was Megatron…finding himself confronted with something he alone could not handle. He next looked toward the Ark, looking towards Optimus Prime himself as he stood upon its bridge. The Autobot looked back into Ultra Maximus’ eyes…then nodded.

Ultra Maximus sighed heavily. Speaking out to both Maximal and Autobot, he yelled, "Autobots, Maximals, hear me now! To end this war once and for all…the time has come for us all to become one!"

Onboard the shuttle, Rattrap blared, "WHAT?! HAS HE LOST A SCREW? WHAT THE HECK DOES HE MEAN?!"

Botania spoke up, saying, "It is as prophesized. Cybertron is no more…the past and future have come to fight side by side against a greater evil. Now we must become one to end it all."

Nightscream shook his head. "I don’t like this. Are you saying we’re supposed to surrender our sparks? Our lives?!"

"More than that, Nightscream," Primal said to him, "We must surrender our will and hearts…to preserve all that is good. To preserve both Matrix and the Cosmos."

Gold Blade and Ursacon looked to one another, and then to Optimus Primal. Closing her eyes and sighing, Gold Blade reached down and pressed a button, opening her spark chamber. After a moment of pulsing, the spark flew out, hovering before her.

Optimus Primal closed his eyes and did the same, his own spark exiting his body. Nightscream, RazorLeaf, and Botanica all did the same, their sparks, lighting up the cockpit. Though hesitant, Rattrap finally did the same, his spark leaving his body and joining the others. Collectively, the Maximal sparks left the shuttle together, moving into space.

All around him, Ultra Maximus watched as numerous sparks flew out, both from Maximal and Autobots. Inside the Ark, Optimus Prime himself opened his chest, his spark the last to join a great ring of sparks forming around Ultra Maximus. Speaking through his spark, he said to Ultra Maximus, "Let not our sacrifice go in vain, good transformer."

The sparks became an energy wave that surged inward, with Ultra Maximus at the center. The Maximal gasped, overwhelmed by the memories, feelings, and experiences he absorbed from each and every spark. He trembled, the sheer intensity beyond description…the willingness every spark had to merge itself with him.

Like Megatron before him, Ultra Maximus grew to match his size. Megatron grinned, chuckling. "Ha! So…it has come down to this now, has it? One final battle between the two last transformers for rule of the universe and the Matrix with it! A battle that I alone will win…."

Narrowing his eyes, Ultra Maximus simply said, "I think not." Moving against Megatron, he grabbed him with both arms, pinning him to his own chest. The Decepticon growled, fighting against him only to find the Maximal’s strength as great as his own.

"You can not…defeat me! You can only surrender and become one with me!" Megatron yelled.

Ultra Maximus pressed his face into Megatron’s. "Oh yes, Megatron," he said, "We shall become one…but not in the way you planned!"

"What do you mean? It is useless to fight! It is a stalemate!"

Ultra Maximus narrowed his eyes, knowing something Megatron didn’t. "Not quite, Megatron, for there is one move left to play! Now!" A burst of light emanated from his chest and left arm, two white comets flying off and landing on the Earth, materializing into two new forms.

The humans Adam and Amanda found themselves on Earth, at New Cybertron specifically. They were standing beside one of several laser turrets, left to wonder how they became separated from RedStreak and Scaleblade.

"How did we get here?" Adam asked his sister.

Amanda couldn’t say. "I…I don’t know! I remember being Ultra Maximus one minute…and then in the next…."

A yell echoed from high above. "Adam! Amanda! The turret! Use it now!" the transformer shouted.

"But if we fire, both you and Megatron will be destroyed!" Adam shouted back.

Still wrestling with Megatron, Ultra Maximus simply replied, "DO IT! IT’S THE ONLY WAY!"

Adam and Amanda looked to one another, and then jumped to the platform. Amanda steadied the turret and activated its systems while Adam aimed the barrel. He sighed, shaking his head. "No…I just can’t do this. It doesn’t seem right…."

In his sights, Ultra Maximus was right there with Megatron, his back turned to them.

Megatron sensed what was happening, and yelled to Ultra Maximus. "YOU FOOL! YOU’LL DESTROY US ALL!"

Ultra Maximus replied with two words, "I know."

Amanda sat beside her brother, equally weary by what they needed to do. She put her hand atop her brother’s and gently pushed down. "God forgive me," Adam said, pressing the turret’s button.

The laser shot out from the Earth, flying into the sky directly at the pair of transformers. Even in the last moments Megatron continued to fight as Ultra Maximus held him down, knowing full well what would happen next. The single beam struck them both, the transformers exploding instantaneously.

From Earth, Amanda and Adam watched as an explosion of sparks flew out, turning the night sky from black to dark blue in their glow. It didn’t end there however; the countless sparks rebounded, falling back upon one another and merging in a great flash. For the first time in antiquity, the Matrix, the All-Spark, had joined together as one.

The face of Primus himself appeared in the skies of Earth, looking down upon its inhabitants with a smile. He saw Amanda and Adam standing there looking back up, unable to believe what their eyes saw before them.

"The prophecy," Primus said to them, "Has at last been fulfilled, and the circle of life has come anew for the Matrix. I thank you for all that you’ve done, good friends."

Adam gulped the lump in his throat. "Is this…the end of it? The end of the transformers?"

Primus replied, "It is…but the beginning. You and your world have played your part in the grand scheme…and in time, the light of the All-Spark will shine upon you once more. But for until that day…I must bid you all…farewell."

The All-Spark left. It swept through the debris cloud that was Cybertron’s remains, taking it with. The remaining moons of Cybertron followed in turn, drawn by the power of the All-Spark. A portal opened in front of them all, taking in All-Spark, moons, and debris before closing up. Earth was again left alone in the cosmos…left wondering who was out there…and when they’d return.

In a distant part of the universe, in another star system, a new sun was born from its primordial nebula, its light blowing away the gaseous filaments surrounding it. Just as it came into existence, another portal opened, the All-Spark emerging to enact its last movement.

Around the All-Spark collected the fragments of Cybertron, remerging into a new world of rock and metal. As the newborn sun’s light fell upon the planet and its moons, patches of green grew, slowly spreading to envelope the world.

On its surface, fields of grass overlaid giant electrical circuits stretching across the landscape. Flowers began to sprout, multicolored sparks housed between their pedals. And amid it all, a single, furry creature came to be, wandering over its new home.

A red fox with piston-like hind legs and whiskers that tingled with electricity pauses, turning out to look behind it. A small grin on its face, it winks before bounding over the next hill.