The Combaticons are offered a Faustian deal.
Synopsis
The damaged Combaticons wake up to find themselves in a Decepticon dungeon. Swindle notes that the tech powering the energy bars is impossible to disrupt, but Brawl ignores him, shocking himself in the process. Blast Off and Vortex wondered how they managed to get captured, causing Onslaught to insist that the Decepticons got lucky. The others begin to blame their leader for their imprisonment, but Onslaught shuts them up, telling them that they'll have to wait until someone comes along to make a break for it. Still, Brawl keeps shocking himself on the bars, exasperating his leader.
Sometime later, two Decepticons, Falcon and Vanquish, greet the Combaticons. They insist their imprisonment was a mistake, and that they were brought here as guests for their leader. As the bars shut off, Onslaught is quick to restrain the angered Brawl, telling him to be patient. The Decepticons proceed to escort them to their master, Deathsaurus, who is eager to talk to the Combaticons. Swindle is quick to spot the riches surrounding the Decepticon warlord's throne, while Vortex notices the oil carried by Deathsaurus' servant, Lyzack. Onslaught, however, knows that the Deathsaurus has them in a trap. Deathsaurus tells the five that they are free to go anytime, but insists they stay for a drink, noting that his oil is thrice refined. Additionally, Deathsaurus insists on repairing the Combaticons to apologize for his troops' "mistake", and even has some upgrade for them, pulling up some holograms; Blast Off is quick to note that his upgrade has a third land mode, and is excited by the prospect of being able to contribute more. Deathsaurus has Lyzack bring out a datapad with more details, but Onslaught insists that the Decepticon's generosity is a trick, insisting that kindness is for the weak. Deathsaurus notes that while he is right, the Combaticons are hardly in the position to refuse being coddled. This angers Brawl, who insists they can take care of themselves. Deathsaurus notes that their reports show they were always partnered with another team, angering Brawl enough for him to break Onslaught's hold on him, punching the Decepticon straight in the face. Deathsaurus, however, ignores the attack, insisting that he's just telling them what he's seen: a team that is far from the best the Elite Guard has to offer. As Lyzack returns with more oil, Deathsaurus notes that while Onslaught may be a master tactician, he and his troops were easily captured, and that no matter what he says, there is no luck in war. The Decepticon continues to goad Onslaught, noting that while he was one of the best at Omnihelix Academy, his strategies now are quite dull, shaking the Autobot. Deathsaurus tells them that he can give the Combaticons back their strength, brandishing a datapad. As Blast Off grabs it, Onslaught questions Deathsaurus if they will simply be puppets for him. The Decepticon insists that the Combaticons are better than either faction, and that serving one is below them. All they have to do is take his offer, and use it do destroy the Elite Guard, an action that will show their true might, a combined force that will stop any rebellion before the war can drag on. Blast Off gives his commander the datapad, and as Onslaught looks over it, he decides to take Deathsaurus' offer...
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
Quotes
"...Why me?"
- —Onslaught hates leading a team of morons
Notes
Continuity notes
- This story takes place prior to "A Team Effort", as Falcon is still alive.
- Onslaught's education at Omnihelix Academy was mentioned in his profile in issue #33 of the Club magazine.
Transformers references
- Deathsaurus' underlings include Falcon, a Predator who was among one of the European-exclusive Transformers toys; Vanquish, a Micromaster Combiner (though he is depicted as full size here); and Lyzack, sister of Leozack from the Victory manga. She's repurposed from his BotCon 2009 toy.
- Blast Off's potential upgrade is based on the Classics Astrotrain figure.
- Brawl asks Deathsaurus if he thinks they're "mewling turbofox cublings"; turbofoxes were originally mentioned in Mirage's tech specs.
- Deathsaurus' datapad has the pattern seen on Frenzy/Rumble's chest.
Real-world references
- Brawl sarcastically tells Blast Off that they're in the Robota Inn at Iacon, referencing the Ramada hotel chain.
- Swindle notes the green energy bars holding them are Oan technology; Oa is the planet that serves as the headquarters for the Green Lantern Corps from DC Comics.
