Book III
     "Into the Darkness"

     Chapter XIII
     "The Coming of the Xformers,
Part II"


     In northern Canada at the
Decepticon base, Megatron was putting
the finishing touches on the machine
that would give his new creations
life, and the power that he would use
to crush Optimus Prime and the
Autobots.  Nightbird watched as
Megatron made the final adjustments
to his new toy.
     The five robots Megatron had
built were each connected to the
device.  Also connected were five
transparent cylinders to hold the
subjects while Megatron used them to
create his minions.  Four of the
cylinders were small, about big
enough for a human, but the fifth was
larger.  In many ways it looked like
a scene from an old horror movie, but
this was no movie.
     "Are we ready to begin", asked
Nightbird.
     "Yes", said Megatron.  "For the
glory of the Decepticon Empire!" 
Megatron pulled a lever on the
device, and a high pitched wine
filled the room.  A light flashed in
the first cylinder, and a mostly
human looking being appeared.  He was
dressed mostly in yellow, and he was
not happy.
     "Where the hell am I", he
demanded, as his razor like claws
shot out of his fists.
     Megatron pressed a button on his
control panel, activating a neural
sedative beam, and the figure fell to
the ground unconscious.
     There was a flash of light in
the second tube, and a man wearing a
red and blue costume with a spider on
it appeared.
     "What the...I don't think I'm in
Kansas anymore", said the figure. 
Again, Megatron pushed a button on
his control panel, and the man fell
to the ground unconscious.
     It was much the same for the
next two individuals.  A dark skinned
Woman, and a man wearing a visor. 
Then the last container, the larger
one flashed, and a hulking orange
creature appeared inside.  Nightbird
recoiled from it.  She had never seen
anything like it.
     "What the...  Where am I.  Hey
green stuff, what do you think you're
doing", said the hulking mass of
orange muscles, pointing an accusing
finger at Megatron.
     Megatron pushed the button on
the control panel.  The creature
grabbed his head as if in pain for a
moment, and then looked at Megatron. 
"That wasn't nice green stuff."
     "This isn't possible", Megatron
said, as he pushed the button again. 
Again the creature grabbed his head
in pain.  Obviously more so than
before.
     "That does it.  I'm going to
break you into pieces", said the
creature.  He swung a mammoth fist at
the side of his prison.  It did not
break.  "Well, a challenge.  I like
that", said the creature.  It swung
again and again.  Megatron could see
it starting to give under the
monster's onslaught.  Megatron pushed
the button for the neural sedative
beam again and again.  Each time the
creature appeared to be in more pain,
and weakened, but it kept battering
against the transparent cage.
     "Damn", said Megatron in
disgust.  "I can't risk further
damage to the machine.  I will have
to kill him."  He turned the beam, up
to the maximum level, a level that
should be lethal to any living thing. 
The creature fell to the ground.
     "It's a shame", said Nightbird. 
"This creature is quite impressive. 
Too bad you had to kill him."
     Megatron examined the
instruments on his control panel.  "I
don't believe it", said Megatron. 
"He is still alive.  I have chosen
these beings well."
     Megatron started the next phase
of his plan.  He began the transfer. 
"In just a few minutes, we will have
the five most powerful weapons in the
galaxy under our control."
     Megatron began the transfer.  In
a few minutes, all was done. 
Megatron walked over to his new
creations, and addressed them.
     "I am Megatron, your master. 
You will serve me.  Now, Introduce
yourselves, and demonstrate your
powers.
     The first robot stepped forward. 
"I am Wolverine", he said.  He raised
his fists, and razor sharp claws
revealed themselves.  He slashed at
the nearest wall.  It was made of
some of the strongest metal known to
exist, but he cut through it like it
was paper.
     "Excellent.  Now, transform",
commanded Megatron.  He transformed
into a wolverine.  Megatron did not
realize any creature from earth could
look so ferocious and deadly.  He was
impressed.
     The other's showed themselves
similarly.  The next introduced
himself as Spider, and demonstrated
with the help of Wolverine his
ability to sense danger, and his
super strength.  In spider mode, he
could make webbing as strong as
titanium.  The next of Megatron's
Xformers, the female called Storm,
created a thunderstorm in the very
room in which they stood.  Her jet
mode was impressive as well.  The one
called Cyclops melted a wall with a
moments blast from his eyes.  His
tank mode was similar to Megatron's. 
Then came the last, the one based on
the creature that nearly ruined
Megatron's plans.
     "And what is your name", asked
Megatron, feeling very confident
about his accomplishment.
     "I am the Thing", said the
hulking robot.
     "Of course you are", said
Megatron.  "What do you transform
into?"
     "I do not transform.  I destroy
things."  With that, the Thing ran
towards a wall, and went clear
through a foot of solid steel.  He
did not stop.  He continued, until he
had gone through the next five walls
as well.
     "Excellent", said Megatron.
     "Megatron, could I have a word
with you, in private", asked
Nightbird.
     "Of course my dear.  Xformers,
go to the armory.  You are incredibly
powerful, but some weapons always
come in handy."  The five robots left
the room.  "What is it Nightbird?"
     "I don't want to put a downer on
your plan Megatron, but have you
noticed that they all seem to suffer
from a lack of personality?  Two of
them did not even speak."
     "I was very careful to only use
the parts of these creatures bodies
and minds that I needed.  I did not
want them to have the personalities
of these puny creatures.  They are
human, and as humans, I would not
want some sense of right and wrong to
cloud their mission, the total
annihilation of the Autobots."
     "You've covered all the bases
Megatron", said Nightbird.
     "Yes.  This time, I will be
victorious.  Now, we have to get rid
of these creatures."
     Megatron changed some settings
on his console, and started the
return sequence.  "They will never
know they were away, nor will they
remember what they saw.
     Wolverine, Spiderman, Storm, and
Cyclops disappeared, deposited right
back in there own universe.  Then the
sequence began for the one called the
Thing.  Megatron looked at the dials
on his panel.  Something was wrong. 
"Nightbird, take cover!"  They both
jumped behind some equipment, as
Megatron's device exploded.  When the
dust settled, the creature was
nowhere to be seen.
     "It must have sent him back to
his own universe.  It was the damage
he caused to the machine that caused
the explosion", said Megatron.
     "Well, now we can't make anymore
of them", said Nightbird.
     "We won't need anymore", said
Megatron.


     "As you can see", began Uatu,
"Megatron has created what he
believes to be the ultimate weapons,
and Optimus Prime knows nothing of
it.  Optimus is occupied with a
likely impending attack by the
Decepticons.  We have reached a
pivotal point in the history of
Earth, Cybertron, and the
Transformers.  Only time will tell
the outcome.  There is much more to
come of this tale.