This Cephalon was different from the ones Skygnaw had encountered earlier. Not only did it possess independent thought and a clear capacity for communication, but it also featured a nose, a mouth, and anthropomorphic facial features.
"And if I insist on entering your Holy Ground?" Skygnaw asked, unmoved by the warning.
Seeing that Skygnaw didn't take him seriously, the Cephalon's expression in the projection twisted. He snarled, "Then you make an enemy of the Cephalon race! We will not let you go! Furthermore, the Holy Ground automatically attacks invaders—those missiles were your final warning!"
Cephalons?
Skygnaw ignored the threat, his interest piqued by the name. Given their hodgepodge of biological parts, the name "Cephalon"—the all-encompassing—seemed fitting.
"Why don't you tell me about this planet and your people?" Skygnaw decided to use the opportunity to gather intelligence.
"Very well, traveler from the stars," the octopus-headed figure stared at Skygnaw for a long moment before speaking. "As long as you stay away from the Holy Ground, I don't mind sharing our history. I am Eri, the leader of the Cephalons. The planet beneath your feet is Rubicund. We are the only living race here, having survived for ten thousand years since we—"
The only living race?
Skygnaw's optics flickered. Certain suspicions were beginning to solidify.
"You have likely seen other Cephalons," Eri continued. "But they are not 'true' Cephalons. They are merely soldiers, mass-produced through cloning and modification technology."
"And the mechanical insects?" Skygnaw interrupted. "I saw a swarm of them earlier. Your soldiers were being slaughtered."
A flash of unease, mixed with sheer terror, crossed Eri's face. "You mean... the Black Shucks?"
"You call those Insecticons 'Black Shucks'?" Skygnaw raised an optic ridge.
"Yes," Eri whispered, clearly terrified of the machines. "They appeared on Rubicund suddenly, just a few months ago. They attack us on sight."
A few months ago? That would coincide roughly with when Skygnaw left Earth. He watched Eri closely; his intuition told him this "leader" was hiding something significant.
But it didn't matter. Skygnaw waved a hand at Dirge and the others. "Well, Eri, thanks for the history lesson. But I have business to attend to. Specifically, I'm going into your Holy Ground to see what's actually inside."
"Wait!" Eri panicked. "I thought you weren't going!"
"Did I say that?" Skygnaw asked innocently. "I don't recall making any such promise."
Eri looked stunned, realizing Skygnaw had indeed never agreed to his demand. "No! You can't! If you do, I will send my entire army to destroy you!"
Skygnaw remained unfazed by the bluster and reached to cut the transmission.
"Wait! I'll tell you the truth!" Eri shouted, pivoting to a softer tone. "The Holy Ground is actually a prison. A blood-sucking monster sleeps within, and his power is terrifying."
A blood-sucking monster?
Skygnaw paused. He knew Eri was holding back. First it was a "Holy Ground," now it was a prison for a vampire.
"Leader Eri," Skygnaw said, feigning curiosity. "How do you know what's inside?"
"Because... because I've seen people like you be... No, long ago, many of my tribesmen were killed by it. He drained them dry."
"Oh, really?" Skygnaw smiled playfully. "So you're worried I'll be killed?"
"Yes," Eri nodded solemnly. "If you barge in, you will wake him. Then not only will you die, but the Cephalons will have nowhere to hide."
Skygnaw scoffed internally. A blood-sucking monster? He'd like to see any creature try to bite through his Orichalcum plating. He wasn't afraid of vampires; he wouldn't even fear a werewolf at this point.
"Thanks for the tip, Eri." Skygnaw was done talking.
"No! You mustn't—"
Click. The projection vanished mid-plea.
Looking at the four Horsemen already hovering over the Cybertronian Spire, Skygnaw felt a sense of amusement. Calling a standard Cybertronian tower a "Cephalon Holy Ground"—Eri certainly had some nerve.
Three hundred kilometers away, inside a Cephalon fortress.
A figure stood alone, surrounded by various high-tech consoles and several unmoving Cybertronian frames. Strangely, those frames felt hollow. Though their exteriors were intact, they gave off the sensation of having had something vital plucked out of them at the moment of death.
"That bastard..."
Eri stared at the dead comms link, his face flushed with rage. Before he could erupt, a Cephalon soldier burst into the room.
"Leader Eri! Leader Eri!"
"What is it?"
The soldier was breathless. "It's... it's the Black Shucks! A massive swarm has been detected to the southeast! They're heading straight for us!"
Eri's face went pale. "Has that woman found us already? Dammit!"
Ignoring the strangers at the spire for the moment, Eri barked out orders. "Mobilize everyone! Prepare for battle!"
"My Lord, it's done."
By the time Skygnaw landed at the base of the spire, the Horsemen had already blasted a hole through the roof.
"Good," Skygnaw nodded. "Let's see what's inside."
The Rhombic Spire was the most common building on Cybertron due to its simple, modular design and multi-purpose functionality. Pushing open the heavy main doors, they were greeted by a vast hall supported by metallic pillars.
Unlike the pristine exterior, the interior was a wreck, looking as if it had been the site of a brutal struggle. On one pillar, white, rope-like silk was wound tightly around the metal.
Skygnaw drew his weapon. "Check the perimeter. Don't touch anything unusual."
Scans indicated this spire had been here for at least thirty thousand years. Skygnaw didn't know exactly what the Iacon relic looked like, but he knew he'd recognize it the moment he saw it.
"Dirge, Carnage—take the upper levels. Famine, Catastrophe—check the wings."
Skygnaw stepped forward. The moment his pedes touched the inner floor, a trigger seemed to trip. A scream filled with pure, murderous intent echoed through the hall.
"ROAR—!"
The entire spire shuddered as if a beast were being unleashed from the depths.
"My Lord, look out!" Dirge shouted.
Skygnaw snapped his gaze forward. A jet-black blur was sprinting toward him at impossible speeds.
BOOM!
He barely had time to cross his arms over his chest before the impact sent him flying out of the spire.
THUD!
The two massive frames—both over ten meters tall—plowed two long furrows into the red soil of Rubicund.
"What the hell is that?"
Skygnaw rolled to his feet, instantly creating distance. He focused his optics on his attacker: a Cybertronian so black he seemed to absorb the light around him.
Does black paint make you move faster now? Skygnaw wondered.
The stranger was hunched over on all fours, twitching violently. Unlike Skygnaw's own chassis, which had a metallic sheen and secondary accents, this bot was a matte, void-like black.
"My Lord, are you alright?" The four Horsemen landed in a defensive line in front of him, weapons leveled at the twitching enemy.
"I'm fine." Skygnaw shook his head. There really was something wrong with this tower. He wondered if this was the "monster" Eri had mentioned.
The black Cybertronian stumbled to its feet and turned, its optics glowing with a mindless, bloodthirsty hunger.
"Tsk... you've got to be kidding me."
As Skygnaw caught a clear view of the creature's front, the words died in his throat.
In the center of the black Cybertronian's chest was a gaping, hollow hole. There was no Spark. No energy signature. No life.
The frame felt like... the living dead. A husk that had died eons ago, yet somehow still moved. Skygnaw wasn't even sure if he could still call this thing a Cybertronian.
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