NCM - 4 - Epilogue

NCC Dungeon

The blues and violets that blanket the city darken here, edging into midnight blue and indigo. The suffusing, scintillating light dims, and only scraps and snatches of illumination are available, hinting at forms rather than revealing the truth of structure. Will-o-the-wisp lights flicker in and out, suggesting sparking wires or perhaps the sinister optics of the security cameras. When activated, the translucent turquoise force fields cast more light than anything else. The long shadow-silhouettes of bars fashioned like rib cages are cast on the ground. The filigreed manacles are deceptively slender, but pound for pound, their grasp is far stronger than spider-silk, nigh unbreakable. From the ceiling hang the various tools of torture, perhaps the teeth of an iron maiden here and the cage of a gibbet there.

Contents: Galvatron

Obvious exits: South  leads to NCC Arena.

Onslaught screams as his tormenters thrust electrified prods at him, two guards being very liberal about delivering the Combaticon commanders daily punishment. The arcing blue streams of power snaking about his form as the gestalt leader cries muffled shrieks past his faceplate.

"GRAAARGH!" A moment. "I swear to Unicron this won't end well for you two!"" The guards laught and continue. "GRAAAH!"

It's been the better part of two months since Onslaught's appaling stunt to sieze control of the Absolution, through guile and trickery, fooling Soundwave and Galvatron alike. He was so close to exacting his revenge. So close. But it was not to be thanks to the Dinobots, Astrotrain, and a handful of Seekers.

"That's enough... for now!"

Galvatron steps into the dungeon, then, and the guards straighten, saluting awkwardly. Clearly they weren't expecting their Emperor to arrive. With a dismissive wave, Galvatron says, "Leave us." The guards bow their heads, placing their torture implements back on the racks before they scurry away.

"Hm," Galvatron says, mouth upturned in a disappointed frown. "You know, Onslaught, I've been meaning to have this chat with you for some time, but, well, you know, the duties of Decepticon Leader and all that. I hope you weren't tortured too badly while I was dealing with more important things, hm?" The tyrant grins, sizing Onslaught up as he he walks around him.

Onslaught blinks. "Galvatron!" He seems... happy? "At last!" His fist clenches. "Tell these morons the mistake-" Onslaught narrows his optics. "Fatal mistake, they have made in imprisoning the Commander of the Decepticon military!"

One of the guards shrugs. "My lord, he's been playing ignorant for a while now." The generic Decepticon gumby lets crackle the tip of his electrified pod. Onslaught shrinks away. "Personally, I think it's a trick!" The guard jabs Onslaught, who in turn shrieks.

Galvatron glares murderously at the guard. "I said STOP, you fool! Can't have a proper conversation with him if he's being electrocuted, now, can I? And anyway, YOU won't be needed for any further disciplinary action--not today." Galvatron hmmms thoughtfully at Onslaught. "Just a big mistake, you say? Oh, dear, well, we'll have to rectify that mistake *straight away.* Gosh, and you've already promoted yourself into your old job! I guess I'd better let you go!"

Galvatron scowls. "Please. Who do you think you're dealing with? I spent millions of years dealing with the most infamous traitor of all time before this day. Do you really think you're going to trick me, Onslaught?" The guards look past Galvatron as a new face enters the scene. By the small frame and cautious steps forward, this one is not likely a guard. Shady Medic continues towards the gathering. He coughs. "Ah, erm... a thousand apologies for intruding your royal purpleness, but I think I should bring something to your attention."

Onslaught looks up. He recognized Shady Medic from days past, coming and going, scanning him. But his visits and their intervals were few and long, he mentioned something about being stationed in Darkmount... more like complaining actually. "I know not even what I am accused of! You must believe me, Galvatron!"

Galvatron stares at the medic for a moment, brow raised. "SILENCE, Onslaught!" he yells as the Combaticon protests. "If you've been tortured so badly that you can't even remember what you did to deserve it, that's no problem of mine! Now..." He scowls at the medic. "You. You're that Shady Medic, aren't you? You're interrupting my FUN, so this had better be important. Spit it out, already, or I'll throw YOU on the rack, right next to HIM!" Shady Medic eeks. "Ah so I was checking his systems after his capture and noticed something incongruent with past medical records that I overlooked on my previous repair of him which was during the Southron incident where he had to be rebuilt from the ground up and I think I might have reset him to his original state prior to certain behavioral modifications Megatron placed upon him after Starscream's treachery in utilizing the Combaticons to usurp the Decepticon leadership years ago and I reset it but now it's back in place and all is well and he remembers nothing and won't do it again I promise." Shady medic throws his arms over his face in terror. "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"

Galvatron listens to what the Shady Medic says with a deep, angry frown. "Let me get this straight. The reason that I had the commander of the Combaticons go rogue, hijack our FLAGSHIP, and try to wipe out all of our holdings on the Earth is because YOU flipped the wrong damn switch with your quaking fingers!?!" His optics twitch, and he clenches his fists hard enough to audibly strain the metal. "THAT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!?!? I. Am. Surrounded. By. IDIOTS!" Shady Medic screams and drops his datapad, falling on his knees trembling. "I'm /so/ SORRY!" He quickly shuffles on all fours for Galvatron's boot, blubbering for mercy. "A thousand apologies, my lord, please... please, don't feed me to the Terrorcons!"

"Truth be told, I didn't even discover the error myself. It was /so/ small! It was Backbone of NCC who obtained Onslaught's body after the Absolution attempted to crash into Earth." Shady Medic looks up hopeful. "It was /HIM/ who didn't even report it to you! The fool has been blackmailing me for more supplies from Darkmount to NCC. It is /HE/ who is disloyal and teacherous, let Blot feast on his lasercore!"

The guards and Onslaught, for once, look to each other with the same sentiment. Surprise and disgust at the weakness before them. They await Galvatron's response.

Galvatron sneers, half-kicking, half-pushing the medic away with his boot. "Ugh, get away from me! So it's all Backbone's fault no one told me Onslaught was back to his old self? I have trouble believing that. But fine, whatever." He rubs his forehead, sighing warily. "Alright, then, Shady Medic. Can you verify for me, with absolute certainty, that Onslaught won't betray me again? Because I'm going to release him from his bonds. And if he pulls another stunt that threatens the Empire... do you know what's going to happen to you?" Onslaught resounds a howl and cackle so terrifying that the his imprisoned peers in the adjacent cells cringe. "NYAHAHAHAHARGH..." The combaticon commander thrashes about in his chains. "Release me!" Optics fall on the guards. "So I can /kill/ you..." A cautious glimpse to Galvatron. "I mean- so that I may return to my duties at once... mmmyes."

Shady Medic nods emphatically as he rises on his two feet. He's already commited, no sense in double backing now with the orange cannon so close in proximity. "A hundred percent, my lord, I swear, I swear!" Shady Medic looks longingly to Onslaught. "Right?"

Onslaught growls. "You did this to me! I should kill you too!"

Shady Medic emits a nervous chuckle. "That means yes."

Galvatron scowls down at the Shady Medic, but replies to Onslaught. "No, we can't kill him now, Onslaught! After all, after his little screwup he's now the most qualified individual to keep you... yourself. And I trust he WILL do just that, or..." He raises his cannon up to the Medic, as if to blow off his face, but instead he whirls around and fires on the bonds restraining Onslaught, using just enough power to release him. "Welcome back, Onslaught," Galvatron says dryly. "You may resume your duties."

Onslaught rubs each wrist as his shackles corrode in plumes of smoke. "Of course, Galvatron, at once." Onslaught gives the guards a long hard glare, shifting his gaze to the medic momentarily. He moves away from his former keepers towards their leader. "And of what of Backbone, shall I deal with him, sir?"

Galvatron shrugs, grinning cruelly. "Backbone? Oh, if what the Medic here said is true, you may do with him *whatever* you like. Well, I suppose I'll have to find some other means of spending my time this evening..." He sighs, and begins to walk out of the Dungeon.

Onslaught cackles. "With pleasure, Galvatron."

Optics narrow. "With pleasure..."

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==================== Decepticon ================================= Message: 2/149                    Posted        Author Return to Duty                    Mon Jan 18    Onslaught --

Onslaught appears, he looks quite banged up, but not nearly as much as an unconscious Backbone laying sprawled across an NCC medical table. The triage, itself looks like it saw some action.

"This is Onslaught. By Galvatron's will, I have returned to my former post as commander of the military. The incident with the Absolution has been... resolved." Onslaught peers back to the limp medic. "Oh, and Backbone will be out of commision for some time. We'll need a replacement until then... and a cleaning crew. Onslaught out."

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THE END