Above the planet Earth, over a hundred alien vessels entered the atmosphere near the western coast of North America. Some were large, saucer-shaped vessels, many spiral-shaped and a few even rectangular-shaped. They all flew at supersonic speeds, the surface of the Pacific Ocean quivering as they swooped overhead.

The large fleet passed over a pair of fishing vessels. The occupants of those sea-ships pointed fingers at the strange flying vehicles, unable to believe their eyes. In the massive fleet, one of the smaller, rectangular-shaped vessels stopped, and then turned on a dime. It approached the sea-ships with their exuberant occupants. The people waved at the alien ship, shouting phrases like "Hello!" and "Welcome to Earth!"

Out of the underside of the vessel emerged a blue, lantern-like device. It hummed for several seconds, powering up itself. The device extended out on a robotic arm, aiming at the small sea-ships. The fishermen aboard yelled, jumping out of their ships. A blue blast fired, striking the water just a meter from the portside of one ship. The blast struck the water with such great force that a huge wall of water was blasted out, taking both ships underwater.

The alien ship then withdrew its weapon and flew off, rejoining the main fleet a few kilometers away.

On Cybertron, a special occasion was being held to honor the passing of a great Prime. At Remembrance Memorial, a three-pronged device suspended Cheetarus Prime’s non-functional body, rotating it slowly. In his arms, Cheetarus held a single gold sai, engraved upon it his name written in Cybertronian text. He looked so peaceful there, resting in eternal sleep.

The whole council of elders, Optimus Primal, and all of the other fighting Maximals were gathered around to observe Cheetarus Prime’s funeral pyre. A circle of technorganic flowers had been placed around Cheetarus by each of the Maximals.

Argos, the oldest member of the council, said his eulogy. "It is a great burden for us all to bear the passing of a great leader. Just as our Autobot ancestors honored the passing of Optimus Prime, we too shall honor the passing of Cheetarus Prime of the Maximals. We pray his spark lies with the original Optimus Prime in the Matrix, along with the greatest of Cybertron…."

The pyre activated, beautiful flames enveloping Cheetarus’ body. In a matter of minutes, Cheetarus melted down, his facial features subsiding until his entire body became an undulating mass of carbon and metal. Soon after, he completely vaporized. In the smoke a trace of gold flew out, shining in the sunlight.

Some of the smoke drifted high into the air, wafting past several of the tall Cybertronian skyscrapers. On one of those skyscrapers, RedStreak sat on a ledge, watching the entire ceremony from a distance. Still ashamed by his actions, the Maximal could not compel himself to join Cheetarus Prime’s funeral pyre.

A hand fell upon his right shoulder. Surprisingly, it was Megatron. The Predacon loomed over RedStreak from behind, breathing just slightly. "You should be down there, with the rest of your Maximal comrades."

The sight of Megatron was enough to make RedStreak shudder for a moment. His nerves calmed soon enough, giving him the confidence to actually speak. Responding to Megatron he said, "I…I wouldn’t be very welcome. After all I was the one that…." For the moment, he put aside his thoughts, not wanting to remember the events that brought about Cheetarus Prime’s demise.

Looking to Megatron, RedStreak said flatly, "You’re the last person I expected to see. Why are you here? For that matter, why aren’t you at the pyre?"

Megatron gazed at RedStreak with steely eyes. "For the same reasons as you. I do not belong there, nor do I desire to be."

RedStreak forced a chuckle. "Hiding out, just like I am."

"It seems we have become more alike, now more than ever." Megatron told him. RedStreak didn’t like the sound of that, so he turned away. Stepping closer to RedStreak, Megatron made his presence known. "Don’t try to deny it! You know very well what I’m talking about…."

For a minute, RedStreak’s body shook as he became irritated, his eyes flashing from blue-green to orange. With eyes blazing like a bright fire, he looked up to Megatron and blared, "All right! Fine! So I’ve experienced both sides of good and evil! I devastated most of Cybertropolis and even took a life, but unlike you…" he raised a finger to Megatron’s face, "I don’t…take…PLEASURE from it!"

RedStreak shivered as he looked at his hands. "I don’t like what I’ve become…not one bit. Now, when I look at these hands…I wonder what I am. Before…I was half-human, half-transformer…but now…" Glancing at his hands a second time, seeing the Quintesson technology fused with them, RedStreak mumbled, "Now I don’t know if I’m human at all…."

The Maximal transformed, no longer able to tolerate Megatron’s company. He flew off in the guise of a helicopter, heading towards another part of New Cybertropolis. Megatron remained on the skyscraper, watching over RedStreak as he flew into the distance.

Some time later, RedStreak approached the Central Command Tower at the defense complex. Hovering over a ledge, he changed back to robot mode, landing with a thud and walking in to find NightScream and Optimus Primal working on the scanners.

The two were fully entrenched in their work that they didn’t even notice RedStreak come in. When NightScream went to retrieve a set of cyber-kinetic-electrodes, he literally ran right into the larger Maximal. Falling on his butt, he moaned. "Oomph! What the…oh, hi Red. Didn’t see you there for a second…."

Optimus also noticed RedStreak standing there was well. "RedStreak! We were all starting to wonder where you were. We missed you at…Cheetarus’ funeral pyre a few megacycles ago." asked Optimus Primal.

RedStreak hesitated for a moment. "I was…occupied elsewhere. Missed it…."

It was obvious that Optimus didn’t buy it, but at the same time he himself was preoccupied with one of the computer systems. When NightScream returned and handed him the electrodes, Optimus opened up a workstation and attempted to fix some circuits. A few sparks jumped, and then all the lights in the room came on again.

Closing up the console, Optimus smiled and said, "That did it. The back-up systems are online again. We’ve got the complex security, sensors, primary and secondary core nodes…."

A light started beeping on and off rapidly. NightScream and Optimus Primal leaned over a display monitor. "Long-range sensors have detected something," said NightScream, "The signatures match that of Quintesson vessels, over various positions and cities on the Earth’s Western Hemisphere…."

"EARTH?!" RedStreak blurted out. The moment he heard NightScream mutter the E word, he charged for the computer console. Giving NightScream a hard shove, making the Maximal crash into a wall, RedStreak accessed the station and scanned the planet Earth multiple times.

RedStreak wasn’t able to believe it. "By Primus," he muttered, not able to believe it, "One hundred and thirty vessels; twenty over Vancouver, California, Arizona, Ontario; seventy spread over the old state of Illinois alone! They’re invading on a mass scale!"

The Maximal stepped away, unable to believe what his eyes revealed to him. "No," he said to himself, "I won’t let them! Not my world!" He turned around and marched straight for the balcony again. Optimus Primal stopped him, holding out his arms.

"RedStreak! What are you doing?" he demanded to know.

"Stopping the Quintessons once and for all! Now out of my way!" RedStreak bluntly said.

Optimus Primal grabbed RedStreak’s arm and held him. "This is not the way, RedStreak! You can’t take on the entire Quintesson fleet by yourself! It’s illogical and insane!"

"To the Pit with logic!" shouted RedStreak, "Those lousy Quints have invaded MY home planet, and all the Maximals have been doing is falling back! Not me! I’m drawing a line here and telling those Quintessons ‘Here! No further!’ Now get out my way, Primal!"

"No! You can’t!" Optimus told him. RedStreak used the superior strength in his body to fling Optimus Primal out of his way. Optimus smashed into a wall, leaving a crater around him. RedStreak then charged his fusion cannons, pointing them to the ceiling. He blasted out a huge hole in the triple-layered tritanium, great chunks still crumbling away. RedStreak then transformed into a helicopter and then flew off, headed straight up to the edge of the Cybertronian atmosphere.

On Earth, the bulk of the Quintesson fleet were heading east toward the metropolis of Chicago. Arranged at the city’s west perimeter was a row of tanks, cannons, and all manner of weapons pointed toward the sky.

The general looked out toward the horizon, seeing the Quintesson ships rapidly approaching their position. Turning to a lieutenant, he said, "Is everything prepared?"

The lieutenant nodded, "Yes sir. Ion cannons fully charged, as are the tri-cobalt missiles. Everything has been prepped. We couldn’t be more ready than we are…."

"What about the Cybertronian assistance?" the general interrupted.

"I…I haven’t gotten any word just yet that they’ve arrived. Not so much as a scout ship has entered Earth orbit, nor have we received any communication from their planet and stations." The Lieutenant told the general, "It’s as if they’ve turned a deaf ear to our calls for help."

The general gave a long sigh. "Nothing but diplomats they are. It was a mistake to expect them to help us." Looking back to the sky, the Quintesson vessels were drawing closer at a steady pace. "With or without them, we’re going to engage these beings. Set the ion cannons to maximum power and fire on my command…."

The human weapons targeted the large Quintesson vessels. The ion cannons arced further upwards. The Quintesson fleet slowed to a near stop over the human army, each ship hovering effortlessly above the ground. On both sides things were very still.

The general pointed to the sky and yelled, "OPEN FIRE!"

The ion cannons fired, blowing charged particles at the various vessels. The alien ships easily absorbed the blasts with their advanced force fields, receiving not so much as a scratch. Tanks, plasma rifles, fusion grenades, and missiles were all fired upon the Quintessons, and still nothing.

Out of one the larger ships a square port opened. A dark, metallic cube descended from it. For a minute, it darted about like a large gnat, observing the humans and their pitiful attempt to harm the fleet above. The cube eventually stopped above the heart of the human army, spinning slowly about its axis.

A green beam of light shined down upon the humans, a strange lantern-like device emerging from the cube’s underside. As the humans were dumbfounded as to what it was, a large, booming voice emanated from the cube.

"We are the Quintessons. Surrender yourselves and your weapons to us. Your people, your technology, and your planet shall service our Empire from this day forth. Resistance to us…is futile."

The various soldiers on the ground looked at one another and the Quintesson vessels above. Without a moment’s hesitation, they fired upon the floating cube, blowing a large hole in its side. The light from the cube fluctuated, the unshielded craft taking heavy damage. A single missile flew into its superstructure, blowing out the interior. Two seconds later, the whole cube exploded.

Just as the humans began to cheer, all of the other Quintessons vessels above them deployed lantern-like devices from their undersides. The same green light enveloped the whole army. As the lantern devices grew brighter, a voice from one of the Quintesson vessels said, "That was a mistake, humans. Prepare for obliteration…."

Beams of blue-green energy blasted out from the glowing devices. Instantly, whole rows of tanks and cannons were vaporized, huge trenches dug deeply into the Earth. Most of the soldiers began running, avoiding blasts from the Quintessons’ powerful weapons. The Quintessons continued firing until the army has scattered completely, then they resumed their path towards Chicago.

Inside the lead ship, Maral turned to Scavix and said, "That was unnecessary, you know. We could have flown past them without having to deal with them at all."

Scavix snickered. "Yes, we could have…but where’s the fun in that? Besides, if we are to make the human race our slaves, they must understand why it is unwise to cross their future masters."

"Gee," Maral said, "Couldn’t you have gone about it a bit more subtly? And what with that ‘resistance is futile’ line about?"

"Never mind that for now," Lor-Gavvon told her. He walked into the command chamber, his tentacles waving randomly. "We need to prepare for the assimilation of humanity into our fold." Moving to Scavix, Lor-Gavvon also said, "I’ve readied the procedure to create our next…weapon, Scavix. The Vector computer is online. All that we need is the desired subject…."

"Lor-Gavvon, Scavix," Maral spoke to the two Quintesson leaders, "What is this talk of creating weapons and desired subjects?"

Lor-Gavvon turned to his daughter and briefly explained. "You know about the failure of weapon R, correct? Somehow he managed to break his mental programming and betray us; now there is a ninety-seven percent chance the weapon will turn on us."

Maral’s eyes widened. "That means we could very well be…destroyed…."

"However, we have found a way to countermand that weapon, neutralize it completely." Lor-Gavvon took Maral to a large laboratory a few meters away from the command chamber. Inside the laboratory was a large circular platform, hovering over which was a giant, spheroid computer, one that gave off a mysterious green glow.

Maral looked up at the strange computer. "Is that…one of the ancient Vector computers?" she asked her father.

Lor-Gavvon nodded. "Yes. It of one of ten such devices that our ancestors took from Quinton millions of years ago. This one is called…Vector Delta."

"What does…it…have to do with creating a weapon? It gives life, not destroys it." Maral stated.

Lor-Gavvon waved a tentacle at Vector Delta. "This computer," he explained, "Is only half of what we require. The other half is this." Next, Lor-Gavvon pointed to a large congregation of crystals that gave off a strange violet glow.

Maral approached the crystals, bewildered by their mysterious aura. As she reached out to touch one, a static shock zapped her. Withdrawing her singed tentacle, she discovered a bubble of force energy enveloping the crystals.

"They are what the Cybertronians call Korlonium crystals. They are a naturally-occurring form of anti-energon that destroy circuitry…including those in your body, my dear." Lor-Gavvon said.

Maral tapped the force field twice. "Hence why they’re enveloped in a protective force field I see." Turning to her father, Maral grinned slightly. "You plan to deploy these crystals against weapon R, correct? Ingenious…."

"Yes. The energy of these crystals will nullify R’s energon-based powers, but the trick will be delivering that energy. No ordinary weapon can do the job." Lor-Gavvon elaborated, "A new weapon must be created, a living, conscious being like weapon R was. This time, however…."

Lor-Gavvon turned to Vector Delta, admiring its emerald surface. "We shall create a transformer, one whose very spark shall be ours to command…."

A holographic image appeared before Lor-Gavvon and Maral. It was Scavix, and he seemed to have something urgent to report. "Lor-Gavvon, I have discovered a subject compatible with our experiment."

Lor-Gavvon looked to his daughter, then to Scavix. "Well," he bluntly said, "Bring it aboard immediately!"

The lead ship of the Quintesson fleet hovered over a green plot of land while the other ships were busy destroying buildings and terrorizing the human populace. It was a cemetery, a large one many centuries old. A scanning beam penetrated the ground, sweeping over the various tombstones and markers until it came upon a relatively fresh plot among ones decades older. A dark green tractor beam locked on, breaking up the soil and grass, raising up a stone coffin from the ground.

Minutes later, the strange artifact was brought before the Quintessons in the laboratory chamber. With relative ease, they blasted off the cover, revealing a well-preserved body inside. An internal tractor beam lifted it out, allowing Lor-Gavvon and Maral to examine it in closer detail.

"This subject’s DNA is compatible with the procedure…but unless my sensors are malfunctioning, this body is necrotic…not alive at all," Maral pointed out.

Lor-Gavvon continued to scan the body, paying little attention to Maral. "A minor detail. Over eighty percent of the cellular structure is intact, despite any decay. Our genetic engineers from the Breeder faction will easily. Bring Wereasson in."

A small, gangly-looking Quintesson floated in. "You summoned me, Scientist Lor-Gavvon?" Wereasson asked.

"Begin your work immediately. This body must be revitalized if my procedure is to work." Lor-Gavvon told him.

Wereasson chuckled softly. "Do not fret, my patron." said Wereasson, "What you ask, shall be done." Wereasson extended a robotic arm from his body, one armed with dozens of needles, probes, and a single saw blade that activated as it neared the head of the dead human girl.

Near Cybertron, a beam of red light flew through the planet’s extensive ring system, blazing a trail through the dust and particles. It was RedStreak, flying towards the blue world of Earth at a phenomenal speed. In robot mode, his thrusters blazed with red fire as he pushed himself toward a world in peril by the same beings that turned him from a savior into a devil.

Trailing far behind him, the DarkStar pursued RedStreak as quickly as possible. Megatron was at its controls, with Optimus, Coyotek, RazorLeaf, Gold Blade, and Ursacon aboard. Megatron grunted as the DarkStar shook, "The engines can’t take much more of this punishment Primal!"

Coyotek glared at Megatron. "Just keep them running, Preddy! We’ve got a crazy friend to save!"

Optimus, hovering next to Megatron, kept an eye on the main monitor. "We’ve got to stop RedStreak before he kills himself! If he engages the Quintesson fleet alone, the odds are he won’t survive the encounter, even with his powers…"

Gold Blade, sitting at a station with a portable com-link to her ear, informed Optimus of something urgent. "Optimus! I’m receiving a distress call from the Perceptor 2 science station. Several Quintesson war ships are attacking, and its shields are falling rapidly!"

Optimus groaned. "One battle at a time please!"

Gold Blade emphasized, "But the Perceptor 2 is defenseless! There are Maximals aboard, but aren’t trained to fight an invasion force alone! Optimus…they need our help!"

Optimus Primal looked to Gold Blade, and then to the image of RedStreak. He had a hard choice to make. "Megatron," he said to the Predacon, "Change course for the science station! We’ll have to postpone RedStreak’s rescue for now…."

The DarkStar altered course, veering away from RedStreak’s ballistic trajectory towards Earth. RedStreak didn’t care much about his friends’ plans; all that was on his mind was getting to Earth and destroying the Quintessons.

Even before RedStreak was close to Earth, the Quintessons were aware of his prescence. Scavix, Lor-Gavvon, and the Breeder Quintesson, Wereasson, detected his signature on their vessel’s sensors just as they were putting the finishing touches on their latest creation.

Scavix stepped away from the table and observed RedStreak on a monitor. "As we anticipated. Our insurgent creation seeks us out on this world. It is time to instigate his destruction…" Activating the inter-ship communications system, Scavix radioed several vessels. "Weapon R is approaching the planet. Delay him for a while longer while Lor-Gavvon and I prepare for his arrival."

Three Quintesson vessels disengaged from the fleet and exited the atmosphere. They set a course to intercept RedStreak just as he would enter near-Earth space. Sure enough, in mere minutes the vengeful Maximal flew into range, the Quintessons powering up their weapons and shields in anticipation.

A transmission was sent from the ships. "Halt! We are the Quintessons. Alter your flight path or we shall open fire…."

RedStreak didn’t bother listening to the message. As he stared at the trio of ships blocking his path, he growled to himself, "I don’t have time for this…."

Focusing his powers as best he could, RedStreak created an energy field about himself. A bright blue aura around him formed, growing until he resembled an electric comet with a long tail trailing behind. He sped towards Earth faster and faster, moving like a bullet train at high speed.

The Quintesson vessels repeated their message again. "Halt! Alter your flight path or we…."

RedStreak plowed straight through both vessels forcefully, leaving huge holes in their hulls. As the Maximal punched through the upper stratosphere, he left the Quintesson ships reeling in orbit. Subsequently, they exploded violently, briefly shimmering as bright stars high in the atmosphere.

He pressed onward, swinging low over the Earth’s surface. RedStreak swooped over numerous highways, leaving passers dazzled in his wake. Flying from the east, RedStreak soared over the Great Lakes, creating massive waves as he skimmed the water’s surface. Soon enough, he saw the shores and harbors of Chicago, and in the air all the Quintesson vessels gathered together to greet him.

The Maximal was more than eager to engage in battle. Feeling rage boiling within his veins and circuits, RedStreak flew straight at them. "All right Quintessons!" he shouted boldly, "Let’s get it on!"

Sure enough, the Quintessons noticed RedStreak approaching at high velocity from the east, and were prepared. Barrel-shaped cannons deployed from the sides of their hulls, clicking into place. Glowing missiles emerged from launching platforms, aiming at the approaching enemy. Then, in one massive blast, the Quintessons fired.

In seconds, RedStreak was bombarded by all manner of weaponry. Most of the energy blasts defected off the aura surrounding him, but the firepower was so intense. A missile exploded directly in front of RedStreak, throwing him back. In that same moment, a disruptor blast got through and nicked RedStreak in the shoulder.

"Agh!" he yelled in pain. Looking to his right shoulder, he saw a dent in his shoulder plate, energon surges run through his upper arm. The pain lasted only a few nano-clicks, but it was RedStreak’s first wound in battle. He roared angrily and bolted into the fray.

He swooped over one of the larger, saucer-shaped vessels, firing clusters of energon blasts at it. Its disruptor cannons blew apart, the ship catching on fire. Ahead of him, one of the slightly smaller rectangular vessels closed in, firing beams of energy from the weapon jutting from its underside. RedStreak snarled, firing fusion blasts from his arms. For a while the Quintessons’ shields held, but their power became depleted, allowing RedStreak a chance. A single blast hit their primary weapon, forcing a back blast through it and into the ship’s heart. In a violent blast, the ship exploded, crashing into the ground as fiery rubble.

In his battle against the Quintessons, it appeared that RedStreak was winning. He looked onward amid the chaos, eyeing the one ship that was waiting for him: the command ship, waiting patiently in the distance.

Without hesitating, RedStreak transformed to helicopter mode and went for it. With incredible agility, he was able to avoid the blasts and missiles coming from various ships surrounding him. As he came within striking distance of the command ship, RedStreak targeted it and deployed all his weapons. A full volley of missiles, lasers, and energon blasts tore open a huge hole inside the Quintesson vessel, granting him a way in.

Charging for the command ship at high speed, RedStreak transformed yet again, this time to beast mode. As a giant fox, he flew through the air for a fleeting period, landing on his paws inside the blast crater he created. Now, at long last, he could have his revenge against the Quintessons for what they did.

Stealthily, he made his way down the halls and various chambers. Strangely, there were no Quintessons manning the various stations and monitors. Apparently they had anticipated his arrival, and had cleared all decks and corridors. Now RedStreak was getting worried; the Quintessons might have had a trap or two set for him. However, the fox Maximal was confident in his abilities. No Quintesson trap was going to stop him from getting justice….

Eventually, RedStreak crept into the central corridor. The lights were dim, making it an even more ideal setting for a trap. Then, RedStreak smelled a faint scent in the air. Lifting his nose up and catching a slight breeze, he smelled something resembling motor oil and grease lingering about. He growled, recognizing the stench. "Quintessons…."

Just a few meters down the hall, a large hatch opened. A bright lime-green light spewed out into the hall, casting an eerie glow. The scent in the air grew stronger, potent even. Studying the light, RedStreak thought to himself, this just has to be a trap…but where?

He jumped to the corridor wall to avoid being seen in the bright light. RedStreak assumed his robotic form, keeping his back glued to the wall, his ears perked up, and his eyes on the open door. Carefully, he inched toward the glowing portal. When he was within a foot of it, the Maximal gently extracted his sword, making sure not to rattle or make any sort of noise. Holding the blade in his hand, his ears caught the sound of tentacles slithering and a snickering near-by. It was time to make his move here and now.

"RAAAH!" The Maximal jumped into the portal, his sword shimmering in the green brilliance. He was nearly blinded by the emerald light as a giant, glowing sphere hovering inside the chamber, humming like a flying saucer from an old B-movie, confronted him. Then, out of the light, walked two beings.

RedStreak had to step back to see properly. Holding his hand out over his eyes, he squinted at the silhouettes before him. As his perception compensated for the intense light, the shadows resolved into a pair of tentacled beings hovering on purple energy beams, both snickering and chuckling to themselves. Surprisingly, RedStreak wasn’t expecting this of all things. He was expecting a much larger committee to confront like, say an army or a row of automated lasers, not just two measly Quintessons.

"Welcome, weapon R," Scavix cheerfully greeted RedStreak, "As you have guessed, we were waiting for you!"

Immediately RedStreak held out his sword, its blade gleaming. "Then your wait is over!" he told them, "Say your last words before I gut you slimy little nematodes!" As his muscles tensed, he chuckled. "Funny…I thought you’d be smarter than to invite my aboard without a decent welcoming party…."

Lor-Gavvon grinned. "Oh but we do have a party here…a reunion party for that matter. There is me, Scavix to my right, and then there is…."

There was the sharp metal scrapping of claws against the floor, echoing in the wide chamber surrounding them. A large shadow crossed the glowing sphere, one with jagged edges and skin as dark as a pitch-black night. As it came closer, its features were better unveiled. A long tail dragged along the floor, the end of it spiked with six spines. The legs were long and slender, but the feet wide and reptilian in appearance, the toes ending with long nails. What could be seen of the torso were two sets of eyes, the top set dark red, the lower set orange-yellow. Overshadowing the whole body were a pair of broad wings, semi-transparent like dragonfly wings, with red veins and arteries visible against the green lighting.

RedStreak’s eyes squinted, unsure what this creature was. "What the slag is this?" he blatantly asked.

The creature turned to a slight angle, revealing a narrow torso with an engraved dragonhead comprising the chest plate, it orange eyes staring at RedStreak from afar. "Do you not recognize me, brother Adam?" a feminine voice asked. The light traced further up the female transformer’s body, until at long last the face was visible beneath a thick, horned helmet.

RedStreak gasped. "No! No…." he simply muttered. He stepped back, not able to believe what his eyes perceived. His sword dropped to the floor with a clang, his hands shaking like leaves in a thunderstorm. "It can’t be!" he continued to say, "It just can’t! A-A-Amanda?"

The dark transformer stepped in front of the Quintessons, coming closer to RedStreak. Her face looked half-metal and half-flesh, wires and tiny circuits crossing over it. A small smile formed on it. It was a face only Adam’s memories would recognize, albeit remotely. The face, so human, so familiar to him, was like a long-forgotten dream turned into a waking nightmare.

"Amanda! No…it can’t be! You were killed during the attack on Autobot City nearly seven years ago!" said RedStreak, "I was there! This can’t be real!" Shifting his sights on the Quintessons, RedStreak aimed one of his fusion cannons and hollered, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SISTER?!"

Suddenly, sparks started flying out of RedStreak’s arm. He groaned, unable to move it, his weapons failing him. As the Quintessons watched him with great interest, the Maximal was somehow forced to kneel before them, his hands glued to the floor. He just managed to arc his neck up, looking up at his former masters.

Scavix hovered close to RedStreak, enjoying this moment immensely. "Both the lives of you, and your sister, are ours to control now, dear Adam." Scavix said, "The mental programming we implemented is so effective, that even after regaining your free-will, the programs stored far back in your memory prevent you from directly harming us."

The female transformer knelt to the floor, picking up RedStreak’s sword. Casually, she walked toward her ‘brother’ with his weapon in hand. She held it out towards him, handle outward. RedStreak reached out, coming within a centimeter of grasping it. In a flash, she withdrew it, flipping it in her hand so the pointed end was facing RedStreak. With a loud roar, she thrust the sword into his shoulder, the force throwing RedStreak into the opposite wall of the corridor.

RedStreak howled in pain, sparks jumping out and his sword vibrating in the motorized joint it was jammed into. The ‘sister’ advanced on RedStreak rapidly, grabbing him by the neck with a grip like an iron vice. "The first rule of fighting with me, brother Adam," she explained, "NEVER DROP YOUR WEAPON!"

She tossed him down the hall, sending RedStreak into the floor. Gasping, groaning, RedStreak reached over to his right shoulder and extracted the sword from it. Hearing the sounds of his ‘sister’s’ footsteps, he rolled onto his back and held out the sword in defense.

The female transformer retrieved a pole from her back as she went for RedStreak. Clicking on the handle, a long, curved blade emerged from the tip, a sickle that would make death himself envious. She swung it down at the Maximal, hoping to rip his chest plate in two. RedStreak’s sword was put up just in time to block her blow, metal clanging loudly as the two became pitted against one another.

Struggling to keep his sword up with a damaged arm, RedStreak tried to speak with his ‘sister’. "Amanda! Don’t! I’m still your brother!" he pleaded with her.

"I’m not Amanda!" she snarled, "Not anymore!" Her sickle managed to push the sword back down to RedStreak’s chest. In a split-second, she went for his left arm, gouging out a long wound stretching from shoulders to wrist, ripping through his armor and wires in a single, swift blow.

"I AM SCALEBLADE NOW!" she yelled to him.

Again the sound of RedStreak’s painful howling could be heard. The two Quintessons emerged from their chamber, delightfully following the sound like moths attracted to a light. Scavix chuckled, watching Scaleblade swing her sickle up and down repeatedly, RedStreak desperately rolling about to avoid the blows.

Finally, he managed to slide under her legs just before she slammed her sickle into the ground. RedStreak got the jump from behind her, firing a quick blast of energon at her. Much to his disappointment, the blast was absorbed by her exostructure. Scaleblade just chuckled. RedStreak stepped back, unable to believe it. He fired an even larger blast at her, hitting dead center. Still there was no effect, and Scaleblade walked right up to him without flinching.

Scaleblade’s eyes narrowed upon him. As she glared at him menacingly, her fists began to glow bright purple. With lightning reflexes, Scaleblade shot out two violet beams of energy. They hit RedStreak like a freight train, sending him flying backwards, skidding down the far end of the corridor. "Surrender," Scaleblade coldly spoke, "Resistance is futile."

RedStreak groaned, getting up slowly. "That does it mega-wench!" he said. Raising up his fists, he warned Scaleblade, "I’m through being Mister Nice-Guy! I’m gonna…." As he attempted to charge blasters, surges of energon fluxed through his limbs, all weapons unable to respond. "Ack! No! It can’t be…."

Scaleblade fired another set of blasts at RedStreak, knocking him back down. He got up onto his knees, weak and defenseless. RedStreak struggled to crawl away, his mechanical limbs clunking along. Scaleblade hit him again and again with her energy blasts, making the Maximal grow weaker and weaker until he was struggling along on the floor.

Lor-Gavvon snickered in the background. Clearing his voice, he said to RedStreak, "Why haven’t you used your unique powers? Dear me…have they…left you?" As Scaleblade continued to assault RedStreak, Lor-Gavvon chose this moment to elaborate. "When we took you in and modified your primitive cybernetic body, we discovered a unique gene that has bonded with your power circuits, giving you the ability to manipulate all forms of energon with remarkable abilities…."

Looking to Scaleblade, Lor-Gavvon added, "When we stumbled upon yours sister’s body, we discovered that very same gene imbedded in her. Like you, it grants her the same abilities…but instead of energon, her circuitry is powered by anti-energon, granting her the power to eliminate your own, making you weak and defenseless."

"The way we like to see our victims perish," Scavix smiled.

After firing another anti-energon blast at RedStreak, Scaleblade readied her sickle a second time. Gasping for air, RedStreak felt as limp as string cheese. All of his power circuits were damaged, still surging with anti-energon. Glancing down the hall, he per chance saw the same hole he made when he first came aboard, blue sky welcoming him.

He had but a split-second to do it. As Scaleblade swung her weapon down, RedStreak transformed to beast mode. When his organic muscles engaged, the Maximal bolted, leaving Scaleblade behind as he bolted for the opening ahead of him. He ran at full speed, jumping into thin air.

RedStreak fell some thirty-odd feet before crash landing on top of a near-by skyscraper. He tried to get up, but this time his body had taken far too much damage. Already weak from the fight with Scaleblade, Redstreak finally gave out, collapsing in the dent he made.

Scaleblade looked down from the Quintesson command ship, seeing RedStreak lying unconscious and heavily damaged below. With a deep-throated snarl, she jumped down. She landed with a heavy thud, her body easily taking the fall. She saw RedStreak lying just a few feet away, immobile and unaware that certain doom was near. She strode over, her sickle still in hand. Raising it up above her head, Scaleblade softly muttered, "Now…dear brother, time to die."

Without warning, a blast hit Scaleblade from the side, knocking her weapon out of her hands. In the air, there was the sound of engines roaring. Scaleblade looked in all directions, but couldn’t find where the shot came from. Then, directly behind her, electricity crackled, the DarkStar decloaking. Scaleblade stared at the large vessel for a moment, sizing it up. A large cannon deployed from the DarkStar, turned, and fired at Scaleblade. The blast threw Scaleblade back into an air conditioning duct.

The DarkStar hovered over RedStreak, the long bomb bay doors opening. Three Maximals descended from above: Optimus, Coyotek, and NightScream. Immediately they went to RedStreak, trying to wake him up. As Optimus proceeded to shake RedStreak, the smashed air duct ripped apart, Scaleblade roaring angrily.

"You shall all perish before me!" Scaleblade howled, "Face the wrath of Scaleblade!" Her eyes narrowed upon the Maximals, her optics beginning to glow a deep red. A large sheet of metal rose up near Scaleblade’s side. Scaleblade clenched her fists hard. The metal crunched, just as if a giant hand were manipulating it. Scaleblade looked at the crunched metal sheet, and then at the Maximals. At her command, the metal sheet flung itself straight at the Maximals.

"Holy slag!" shouted NightScream, "Everybody duck…."

Before he could make a move, the sheet hit him right in the face. The bat-bot flew backwards, over the edge of the building. Coyotek and Optimus Primal had ducked, the metal sheet missing them completely.

"What the heck was that?" Coyotek asked.

"Telekinesis," said Optimus, "The Quintessons must have granted her remarkable mental abilities!"

Scaleblade, feeling mischievous, turned her powers on the plating beneath her. The rivets began to rattle, pulled harder and harder until they ripped out of their holes. They next darted for the Maximals, a maelstrom of bolts, nuts, and tiny fragments pelting the Maximals.

"Ouch! Oh!" Coyotek moaned, trying to deflect the bits and pieces with his arms, "Oh man! Why is it we’re up against something big, ugly, and powerful all the time?"

Suddenly, the flying rivets stopped in mid-air, falling to the ground. Scaleblade’s eyes widened. "UGLY?!" she yelled. The female transformer began to shake, her face becoming a deep shade of red. Suddenly, she shouted out, "SCALEBLADE – ANNAHILATE!"

Her body changed dramatically. The arms folded up as her torso plate lifted up. The wings became wider, spreading out. Large claws emerged from the back. Finally, a large, crocodile-like head stretched out from a long plated neck, the eyes glowing bright orange. Now standing before the Maximals was a large, eighteen-foot tall dragon.

Her wings began to flap, lifting Scaleblade into the air. "Now Maximals," she told them, "You will all perish!" Opening her mouth and letting out a guttural roar, fire spewed out, scorching the rooftop below.

Optimus quickly grabbed RedStreak and tried to run, Coyotek already a good ways ahead of him. Optimus Primal fired up his thrusters, launching him into the air. "Hold her off until I get RedStreak into the regeneration chamber! I’ll be back to back you up!" Primal said.

Coyotek saw Scaleblade, who was looking for a fight. The Maximal sighed. "Why me?" he asked himself. Coyotek raised up his ray gun and fired upon Scaleblade. She easily dodged his blasts, her wings giving her surprising maneuverability.

A blast hit her once in the chest, but she laughed. "Ha! Ha!" she cackled, "Ticklish! This amuses me!" With a smile on her face, she swooped down and grabbed Coyotek by the shoulders. As the frightened Maximal screamed, Scaleblade lofted him high into the air. "I’ve always wondered what a coyote pancake looks like…."

"No! Not this way! Couldn’t you just run me over like normal road-kill?" Coyotek asked.

Scaleblade released her grip on him and let him plunge toward the pavement. Naturally, Coyotek hollered as he saw the ground growing closer and closer. He closed his eyes and put his hands over his face. "Oh no! Not again!" he muttered.

Just as he was little more than a meter from the ground, a flash of blue speeded by, catching the Maximal. Opening his eyes, Coyotek found himself behind held up by Optimus Primal. He laughed. "I’m still in one piece! I’m still in one piece!" he exclaimed.

A fireball came at Optimus Primal from behind, sending him and Coyotek flying apart. Optimus crashed into a glass window, his feet hanging out of it. Coyotek found himself thrown into a plant shop. Feeling a leaf on his face, he muttered, "Gold Blade?" It wasn’t. On the plant though, he found a little label reading ‘golden rod’.

Inside the DarkStar, everyone was beginning to panic. Watching the fight via sensors, Gold Blade was getting worried. "Oh no! Optimus and Coyotek are going to be slaughtered!"

RedStreak, still inside the regeneration chamber, watched from afar. "No…can’t…let her…kill them. Got to…help." He pushed at the lid, technorganic fluid sloshing around inside with him.

The computer beeped a warning. "Regeneration cycle incomplete. Regeneration sequence requires ten point three cycles before…."

RedStreak snarled, "I don’t care!" With his foot, he kicked the chamber door off. As the fluid surged out, he collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily.

Gold Blade heard the noise, and got up to attend to RedStreak. "No! You can’t fight in your condition! You still need to regenerate." she tried to tell him.

RedStreak muttered, "No…I don’t need…regeneration. Optimus…and Coyotek…won’t stand a chance…against…Scaleblade."

"Neither will you, not like this." said Gold Blade.

RedStreak pointed to a conduit on the wall. "Need…energon." he tried to say, "Recharge…power cells. My body…will…restore itself."

Gold Blade looked at the wall, and then at weakened RedStreak. She hesitated for a moment, thinking it over. "All right," she finally caved, "For Optimus and Coyotek."

In the streets down below, Coyotek was just getting out of the flower shop when a large and very mean-looking dragon descended. Yipping in terror, Coyotek transformed to beast mode and ran off. Scaleblade roared. She spewed fire right into the flower shop, roasting alive every plant inside, reducing elegant flowers down to broiled cabbage.

She caught sight of Coyotek running down the road. "Pitiful," she said to herself. However, she put a claw to her chin, suddenly noticing the tail end of the coyote. "But perhaps…cute." Scaleblade shook her head, shaking out those strange thoughts. She reactivated her internal computer, saying, "Scaleblade – Harley mode!"

Scaleblade transformed to a completely different form. The dragonhead folded back, the neck detaching from her body momentarily. Handlebars emerged from the sides of her dragonhead, and a large wheel from the neck. Her feet also folded, two more wheel popping out along with tailpipes. Scaleblade had become a huge, pumped-up motorcycle with spikes and shiny armor. Her engines roared, smoke blasting from the tailpipes in a huge blast.

She chased down Coyotek, laughing maniacally. Poor Coyotek was now terrified. "Oh man! Now I am going to be road kill!"

Then, in addition to the sound of Scaleblade’s engine humming, another weird sound filled the air. Coyotek suddenly realized what it was…but couldn’t believe it. High above both him and Scaleblade, a helicopter flew from out of the blue, zeroing in on them.

One of RedStreak’s fusion cannons targeted Scaleblade and fired. Scaleblade’s front tire exploded, causing her to swerve about, crashing into a semi-truck. She transformed to robot mode and got up from the wreckage.

The helicopter lowered itself toward the ground and shined a bright light on Scaleblade. "All right sis!" RedStreak said to her, "This is just between you and me now."

Scaleblade chuckled confidently. "Ha! You can’t destroy me! My powers are greater than your own! You wouldn’t even stand a chance!"

"No," RedStreak frankly admitted, "But I know you…and you’d never turn down a fight." RedStreak rose into the air, his helicopter blades humming loudly. "Let’s play a game!" he suggested, "Follow the leader!"

As RedStreak flew off, Scaleblade shouted, "You’re on…little brother!" Scaleblade spread out her wings and flew after the Maximal.

Coyotek, watching from the ground, muttered to himself, "Brother?" A thought came into his head, but he was confused. "Better get the others…" He ran off, seeking aid from his fellow transformers.

Toward the edge of the city, RedStreak flew on with Scaleblade tailing him not far behind. Time and time again, she fired a blast of anti-energon at him, hoping to fry his circuitry like before. This time she wasn’t successful, RedStreak darting about this way and that. He was heading north, toward a modest mountain in the distance. It would be the fighting ground.

When the two were finally over the mountain, RedStreak stopped and turned around. He transformed to robot mode, waiting for Scaleblade. She halted in mid-air as well, glaring at him with an evil gaze.

RedStreak held out his hands, "Amanda, I know you’re somewhere in there! The Quintessons have warped your mind, just as they did for me! But you can still fight it…turn to the good side!"

Scaleblade pointed her sickle towards RedStreak. "Save it!" she said, "Amanda died seven years ago! I should know…this body still retains the memories of that day!"

"I know it’s more than that!" RedStreak disagreed, "A large part of you is still human, just like with me! The Quintessons have robbed you of that! I don’t want to do this…I don’t want you to die again!"

The female transformer laughed, her eyes turning red. "Don’t worry," she said, "I’m already dead…."

Scaleblade threw herself at RedStreak, knocking him out of the sky. Both fell toward the mountain as they struggled with one another. They crashed into the mountain, boulders and rocks smashing apart. Scaleblade swung at him with her sickle, aiming to behead the Maximal as a prize for her masters.

"Stand still!" she demanded, "So I can swipe off your head!"

"Amanda please!" RedStreak begged, jumping away as Scaleblade swung her weapon yet again. "Don’t make me do this!"

Scaleblade swung her sickle into the ground hard, slicing through the rock. However, when she tugged to remove it, the blade wouldn’t budge, the rocks holding it in. She snarled, pulling and tugging. "NO! GIVE! GIVE!" she hollered at the mountainside.

RedStreak flew off while she was distracted, hovering above the top of the mountain. A large mass of boulders was hanging above Scaleblade, waiting. He knew this was his only chance, but RedStreak hesitated. Scaleblade finally withdrew her weapon, and spied RedStreak above her.

"Your turn to die, brother!" she hissed.

"No, not today," said RedStreak. He aimed his fusion cannons at the boulders. Before Scaleblade cold take off, he blasted apart the pile of boulders. The entire mountainside quaked, huge chunks of granite tumbling down. Scaleblade hollered, raising up her sickle in vain. Several hundred tons of rock poured down on top of her, entrapping her deep beneath them.

RedStreak waited for a minute, watching for any signs of movement. Nothing happened. Scaleblade was now gone, buried alive…in a manner of speaking. After all, Scaleblade wasn’t really alive to begin with in the first place….

"Goodbye, Amanda," said RedStreak, "And this time…stay buried, please."

The Maximal heard the sounds of battle in the distance. He watched as a hundred yellow streamers descended upon the city. Cybertron ships, realized RedStreak. Soon, very soon, they’d need his help. The lone Maximal transformed, flying off toward Chicago once again in the guise of a helicopter.

Below, in the rumble he left behind, Scaleblade’s sickle rested atop all the rock. Some pebbles began to tremble beneath it. Without warning…a large black hand reached out and grasped the sickle.