Oddball peers up at the combiner, having leapt off Maximus beforehand and landing atop one of the wrecked Vex fighters that had been brought down earlier.
So he could combine the whole time and never told me? Man, I thought we were friends!
Meanwhile, Backbreaker retracts his battle mask and smirks at Iota. He points the end of his sword down at the Vex, and offers him an ultimatum:
"Either you know you’re not winning this fight, or you’re a fool. I oughta run this sword through that glass dome of yours for everything you’ve put us through, but I’m an Autobot, war or no war.
“I’m gonna give you a choice: tell your goons to back down and let us leave; or don’t, and we kill you, them, and everybody else who tries to stop us- because one way or another we’re getting off this prison planet. The only thing that’s up to you anymore is how much it’s gonna cost you in collateral damage.”
“Alright alright!”
Iota said, raising his hands above his head.
“I’ll admit it. You’ve bested me. But I am begging you, for all of our sakes, you cannot leave.”
The behemoth behind the predacon gestalt raised its fist to swing a punch. He reached back and grabbed the giant’s arm before it could swing, and lifted it over his shoulder. Smashing the war machine into the one Oddball had previously disabled.
Simulus pulls the sword out and then adds some additional hardlight to make it into a chainsaw sword. He swings it back into the cut and starts attempting to saw through it.
“Not an option,” Backbreaker flatly refuses. “We’re nobody’s entertainment; we’re living beings with lives to get to. And being your slaves isn’t part of anybody’s bucket list here.”
“Trust me, entertainment is the farthest thing from my mind. As shockingly coordinated you savages have proven to be, you could not have chosen a worse day for your rebelion!”
It cut through the leg, but slowly. This method would be rather insufficient.
The predacon gestalt punched the behemoth in the face, causing it to stumble back. He then tackled the giant head on, causing both to fall to the ground.
Grimlock then leaped over the both of them, and crashed into the behemoth that was behind the combiner.
Well with at least the one leg gone, Simulus figures that giant should at least be sufficiently disable. Unless it proved otherwise, with all the larger giants around having a ball, he figured it was time to back off. The small guy killing titans is great and all until one steps on you.
“You can have fun with the leftover boys!” Simulus says as he walks off.
He checks to see how Backbreaker was handling Iota, seeing the warden pretty well handled. Though he only manages to catch him complaining again about how terrible of a day this all was. But unlike Backbreaker, he didn’t much trust the game master holding up his hands like that.
After Backbreaker says this, Simulus fires an optical laser blast at Iota. It is aimed so that it should only cut across the palms of his raised hands. He hopes that is enough to disable the gamemaster’s hand blast trick.
“Perhaps so Cybertronian, but the question is then, whom are the others that have a say? If it’s not Iota and he doesn’t think it’s us, then who is it that’s coming with the say?” He asks.
This is sufficient in scaring Iota, and burning his palms. He lets out a shocked yelp.
“I’ll dismiss my guards, but the behemoths can’t be shut off!”
Iota said in a panic.
“It’s ancient technology. Very difficult to control! And besides, I sincerely think it would be in your best interest to stay! The queen of my people is on her way as we speak. She’ll likely be here within the hour! If she sees you trying to escape she’ll have the lot of you obliterated! After the mess you’ve made, we’ll all be lucky if any of us gets to keep our heads!” @Chromeharpoon
“Must you be so dense! Your reckless actions have put all of our lives in danger! You cannot possibly imagine what you’re dealing with!”
The predacon gestalt continued his battle with the giants. He balled up a tight fist, and lightning surged all around his hand and forearm.
“Midgard, SMASH!”
He swung his fist and punched the giant square in the chest. There was a bright and thunderous flash of lightning on impact. The force of the punch sent the behemoth hurtling back and crashing into the colosseum. A large portion of the front of the building came crumbling down over the war machine.
Iota whimpered as he witnessed the destruction of his property.
“It’s simple. Our queen sees you as war hungry savages. I see war hungry savages who can turn a profit. I kept you locked up this long haven’t I? I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to figure out how you managed to pull this off.”
“I got most of these things up and running. But making an opening big enough to fly them out could prove to be a problem.”
Hotshot replied.
“How many times must I say this. You fools are going to get… Yourselves…”
Iota trailed off as a shadow was cast over the courtyard. A great Vex spacecraft broke threw the clouds and covered the light of the sun. The ship as large as a small building. It’s vast wings displayed regal golden details molded in. On the front of the craft was a very distinct sigil, also molded in gold.
Simulus almost comments that Iota won’t ever figure it out. To this day, how they managed to destroy Unicron was still confusing to him. Cybertronians have a special talent, that’s for sure. But looking up and seeing the Vex ship incoming, he had a better idea. Simulus stares down into Iota’s faceplate, his optics starting to glow, preparing to fire.
“Would you rather talk to her yourself…” Simulus pauses, using his holograms to change his face to look like Iota’s. “Or me?”
The face drops back to his own, optics still glowing.
“If you want to live, I’ll send a copy to chat, you need only give me the words to feed it. If not, it will be a shame you’ll never see how you destroyed your own legacy in so few words.”
Tie-Grabber looks around, trying to find exploitable weaknesses in the building structure to make that opening. It was something he had a nack in doing, though not necessarily as something of this scale. Perhaps the whole the giant dragon ship made could help in finding that point to break it open.
They could sacrifice one ship to make a large opening, if he can find that spot.
Oddball and Backbreaker turn to look at the new ship. Backbreaker groans, shaking his head, while Oddball recognized the sigil on its front from the play he had seen. He whistles a low electronic note, as dread flooded through his circuits.
“My my. You certainly have outdone yourself this time.”
Spoke a feminine voice from within. Foot steps could be heard, and from the shadows came a towering figure, as tall as any giant on the battle field. Her presence was nearly angelic.
“Children, do your mother a favor and clean up this mess. I have a business meeting to attend to.”
From the darkness came two more Vex figures. One male, one female. Both roughly the size of Iota.
“Yes mother.”
They both said.
The male had four arms like his mother, but with a build clearly focused on physical strength. Large arms and a well armored body.
The female however was built more like her mother. Agile and elegant. She only had two arms however, and unlike any other Vex seen before, she had eyes instead of a glass faceplate. Rather expressive eyes at that.
The two took to the air. The male flew to the war machines. He swung a punch at the one farthest from the group. With but a single blow the war machine crumbled. As if it were as durable as a tin can.
“What the-”
The predacon gestalt was about to exclaim. But was cut off as he felt his arms forced to his sides, and his legs bound together. Spinning magenta glyphs appeared around his body, keeping him restrained. He tried to struggle, but it was completely useless. Looking up he saw the Vex female. She hovered above him, her arms stretched forward and her palms glowing.
“Sorry!”
She said.
The Vex queen looked down at Iota. Her body language portrayed great disappointment.
“Oh Iota, what am I going to do with you.”
She lamented.
“You break my laws, time and time again. All for your little gladiator games. Now here I find you, your colosseum in ruins, and in possession of forbidden technology.”
“My queen! Please, grant me mercy! I beg of you!”
Iota pleaded. Any dignity or composure he once had was gone without a trace.
“Oh I have given you mercy. Many times in fact. I showed you mercy when you broke my laws and abducted cybertronians, bringing them into our territory. I showed you mercy on the dozens of occasions where your pathetic excuse for security wasn’t able to handle a break out attempt, and I sent my own royal guard to clean up your mess. No Iota, I have shown you more than your fair share of mercy. Now you will suffer the consequences of your actions.”
“Your majesty, please! If you just allow me to-”
The queen lowered her hand, pointing a single finger at Iota. From the tip shot a thin beam of purple light right into Iota’s faceplate. The ray cut a small and perfectly circular hole in the glass. Iota’s body trembled as his essence was pulled through. The gas flew from his body and traveled right into the palm of the queen’s hand, where it was absorbed into her. Iota’s body collapsed to the ground. A dark, lifeless husk.
The Vex queen then looked down to the smaller cybertronians before her. She was about to say something, when a larger figure caught her attention.
“Me Grimlock smash big Vex lady!”
The powerful dinobot came charging full force at the queen. He pulled his fist back to throw a punch, but just as he got close the queen acted first. With one effortless movement, she struck Grimlock with the back of her hand. The mighty champion was sent crashing down. The strength of the attack sent him clear to the other end of the large courtyard. The force of his body moving across the ground was so great that it carved a shallow trench in the concrete. The champion did not move, nor did he make any sound. He simply laid there, motionless.
The queen then turned back to the others.
“Now then, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to speak with you all.”
She said calmly.
“Make it quick,” Backbreaker says, powering down his cannon. It was good to see Iota get his comeuppance, though he was disappointed he didn’t get to dispense justice himself. Now he just wanted to get off this planet.
“I’ve had more’n enough of this world, and your people.”
Oddball looks up at Backbreaker, silently pleading for the gladiator to mind his tone to the royalty. He then shifts his attention over to the queen, and beeps out an apology on Backbreaker’s behalf.
The queen knelt down, leaning in to get a closer look at Oddball. Just her head was almost as large as the small bot’s entire body.
“I beg your pardon?”
She asked, looking at Oddball curiously.
The Queen’s daughter flew over to the two, and gently landed next to Oddball.
“He seeks forgiveness on the behalf of his larger friend. It’s evident that he doesn’t entirely grasp the situation.”
The queen stood back up.
“Oh, I see then.”
She said awkwardly. Surprised that her daughter was able to understand him.
“Well, thank you for the translation Thea. And consider my forgiveness granted. While very few have spoken to me so brazenly, I cannot in good conscience hold you at fault for it. Given all you’ve been through.”
She then looked up a bit so that she was addressing the entire crowd before her.
"And it is for that reason that I, Queen Titania, 3rd Matriarch of the Vex race, on behalf of my people, this planet, and that insignificant, inordinate fleck that brought you all here, I extend my most sincere apology I can give.
“Had Iota ever had the capacity to obey my laws, none of you would have even known we existed. However, as unfortunate as your situation is, I cannot allow you to leave my empire. You are free to leave this planet whenever and however you like, but you will not be allowed to move beyond the boundaries of my territory.”
A small little white robot walked up curiously to the larger being with wide eyes. Penecilia slowly lifted up a sign etched with rudimentary Vex text, “Hello, my name is Penecilia, what is yours?” Granted a misspelling was quite apparent, and the characters were quite off. Her face mask was askew revealing a hint of damaged misshapen teeth and glowing light. Clearly, that was not meant to be that way, but considering how small the bot was it was too be expected in the hectic events.
