by Stormtalon » Fri Sep 30, 2022 9:49 pm
Author's Note: Inspired by the Speedia 500 subline of Transformers Legacy, this imagines that race in the Nexus of Legacy, a vast and weird wasteland.
Team Xantium
<Knock-Out>: Twelve teams, but only one winner. Who will grab the checkered flag and claim the title: King of the Road!
<Tracks>: This is the Lightning Cup. Lets meet one of the teams compete. From the obscure movie dimension, CN-AMA, comes a team of rough and rowdy Autobots. They call themselves Wreckers, but on the track they are Team Xantium. Sparky is down on the track to tell us more!
Sparky: Thank you, Tracks. I’m with the support staff for Team Xantium. Twin Twist and Whirl. So Whirl? What can we tell us about Xantium?
Whirl: You mean beyond they’re being absolute nuts?
Sparky: Unpredictable. That can help on the racetrack.
Whirl: No, I said nuts I mean NUTS. I’ve served on and off with the Wreckers. I know my crazy from my insane.
Sparky: How can they be that bad?
Twin Twist gave a manic laugh.
Twin Twist: You want to see. Come down to the finish line and see for yourself.
* * *
Sparky: Okay, we’re down at the finish line. Racers just started their final lap. So who am I looking at?
Twin Twist: Eh, the red one with a target on his hood is Leadfoot. The green one riding his bumper is Roadbuster. And the blue one bringing up the rear is, ugh, Topspin.
Sparky: Sounds like some bad energon between you two.
Twin Twist: Sorta. In my home dimension, Topspin is my brother. He shares his name and ability to get on my nerves, but that’s it.
A series of loud pops drew the camera and their attention back to the track. Topspin went through a semi-transformation. His hoods and front quarter panels split open and sprouted a mini-arsenal. Tracer fire arced over Roadbuster trying to hit the leader. Leadfoot began serpentine to avoid getting his. Entering the final curve, it was still Leadfoot, Roadbuster and Topspin. But the gap was narrowing.
Roadbuster saw an opening and gunned it for the inside line. Topspin trained his fire on the new target, but Roadbuster was having none of it. His trunk panels folded out revealing a set of weapons. Smoke belched from his exhaust and needle shot whistled out behind him. Topspin swerved to avoid the projectiles and collided with Leadfoot. With Topspin heading up the embankment and Leadfoot diving down, Topspin spun out.
Coming out of the curve, it was Roadbuster in the lead, Leadfoot close behind and Topspin in third. Topspin was still spinning. Now he opened fire. Blaster shot flew every where. A few hit the finish line. That was hint enough for Sparky and Whirl who transformed and speed away.
Barreling towards the finish line, an errant blast landed in front of Roadbuster. The resulting chuckhole tossed his front end up. Roadbuster flipped and landed on Leadfoot’s roof. Roadbuster fired a missile behind him to hit Topspin. Topspin fired one more blast. It connected with the missile causing an explosion. All three racers flew across the finish line landing in a heap. For the briefest of seconds it looked like they bought it. Suddenly, they stood up punching and shoving each other.
Leadfoot shouted: I won!
Topspin: Your motherboard. I won!
Roadbuster: All you won was third place.
Pushing leads to shoving and soon it is a three-way brawl.
Sparky stepped back into frame.
Sparky: And there you have Team Xantium. One of the teams in the Lightning Cup. Can they win before they kill each other? Its 50/50 from where I stand.
Leadfoot: Bayhem!
As he tossed Roadbuster their way. She ducked in time but the camera-bot wasn’t as fast. Lying on the ground it caught a sideways picture of Roadbuster charging back into the fight. Sparky picked up the drone.
Sparky: Make that 70/30. Sparky out!
Team Xantium
Racer: Leadfoot Origin: Live-action movie – Dark of the Moon
Racer: Roadbuster Origin: Live-action movie – Dark of the Moon
Racer: Topspin Origin: Live-action movie – Dark of the Moon
Support: Twin Twist Origin: Prime Wars – Titans Return
Support: Whirl Origin: Fall of Cybertron
Team Menace
<Knock-Out>: Twelve teams, but only one winner. Which team will grab the checkered flag and claim the title of: King of the Road!
<Tracks>: This is the Lightning Cup. Lets meet one of the twelve teams competing for this most storied of chalices. Coming from the Prime Wars dimension, these racers will do whatever it takes to win. On the battlefield, they were called the Stunticons, but on the track they are Team Menace. Take it away, Knock Out!
Knock-Out: Seriously? You’re sending ME? So because I was once a Decepticon, I’m the... senior Decepticon correspondent? The Decepticon whisperer? Fine. Lets go, camerabot.
Knock-Out and his hovering camerabot came up from the underpass into the in-field of the speedway. Three racers ran laps while tall, gray Motormaster glared on.
Knock-Out: Greetings, fellow Decepticon. The name is Knock-Out. Mind if I ask a couple of question for the Lightning Cup.
Motormaster looked annoyed and turn his back on Knock-Out. On the track, a yellow race car led a white, red and blue exotic and a black and red-tinted sedan. Motormaster waved them in. As a unit, they drove in to the pit.
Dragstrip: Wow-wee! What do we have here?
Before Knock-Out could reply, Motormaster answered.
Motormaster: Says he’s a Decepticon. *snort* Doesn’t look like any Decepticon I’ve ever seen.
Knock-Out: Well, this is the Nexus. Transformers from all realities wind up here.
Breakdown: Maybe he’s a spy.
Wildrider: Or one of those lowlifes like Runamuck or Runaround.
Knock-Out: Excuse you, but I’m NO lowlife.
Motormaster grabbed the floating camerabot. He toyed with it and then squeezed it in one of his massive palms. The camerabot sparked and squealed in pain. Motormaster grinned evilly and flicked the orb at Knock-Out. The red doctor looked over the camerabot.
Knock-Out: Not too much damage. Why don’t you power down and reboot?
As the camera faded to black, Wildrider could be heard.
Wildrider: Lets run him over already!
* * *
Camerabot: online
Audio: online
Video: online
The camerabot’s internal chronometer showed 4 cycles had passed. As the image stabilized, Knock-Out was in center frame with all six Stunticons in a neat semi-circle.
Knock-Out: We’re back! So can you share any strategies for victory?
Motormaster ground his teeth and looked away.
Motormaster: Nah, just get to the finish line first.
Knock-Out: Uh-huh. How about you racers? Dragstrip?
Dragstrip: I’m going to bust them up.
Motormaster seethed. But Dragstrip was too eager to show off.
Knock-Out: *chuckle* I know you will. What about you, Dead End?
The black sedan with red windows looked from a simmering Motormaster to a smiling Knock-Out.
Dead-End: *silence*
Knock-Out: I understand you have someone named Breakdown in your group.
The white and blue lambo raised his hand tentatively. Like he was afraid his arm would get torn off.
Knock-Out: You know, I had a friend named Breakdown. Same name, but so different.
Breakdown looked down a bit puzzled.
Knock-Out: Oh, it’s ok. You not my type, but I’ll still be rooting for you in the race to come.
Knock-Out: Well, that is Team Menace. They can be a handful but with a few lesson in manners, they can be quite charming. Good luck to you on the Lightning Cup. Back to you, Tracks!
Team Menace
Racer: Dragstrip Origin: Legacy
Racer: Breakdown Origin: Combiner Wars
Racer: Wildrider Origin: Legacy
Support: Motormaster Origin: Legacy
Support: Dead End Origin: Combiner Wars
Team Ark
<Knock-Out>: Twelve teams, but only one winner. Who will claim the checkered flag and the undisputed title: King of the Road!
<Sparky>: This is the Lightning Cup. We are about to meet another team competing glory. Today, should be surprising. Why don’t you take it from here, Tracks?
Tracks: Fair is fair, Knock Out. I’m at the speedway to interview another team. Strange. I hear racing but don’t see anyone.
Camera-bot pans over the empty race track.
<Unseen Voice>: Maybe the sun is in your eyes.
Tracks: Hold the comm link. I know that voice. Mirage?
Mirage de-cloaked revealing not just the blue racer, but Jazz and Smokescreen transforming into bot mode on the race track.
Jazz: Hey Tracks! What’s happening?
Tracks leapt over the partition and tackled the trio in a big hug. Jazz and Smokescreen returned the enthusiasm. Mirage untangled himself and stood off to the side, but was still beaming.
Tracks: This is incredible. I thought I was the only one here.
Jazz: The Nexus is strange and inexplicable and you thought I WOULDN’T be there?
Smokescreen: I kinda have the opposite problem. There are two other Smokescreens I keep getting mistaken for. But, it could be worst, I could be Sideswipe.
Mirage: It is nice to meet you, Tracks. I’m Mirage, but we haven’t met yet.
Jazz: Oh, yeah. This our Mirage, but from years and years back. Apparently, the Nexus doesn’t just scoop up Transformers from different dimensions, but also different points in time. I’m guessing I am from your future. We just won the battle of Autobot City?
Tracks: We have a city?
Smokescreen: Mirage and me haven’t been to Earth yet. We are salvaging the Ark to escape the Siege of Iacon. Make sense?
Tracks: I think so. I’m part of the force fighting for Earth. So that puts me in Jazz’s past and your guys’ future?
Jazz: Now, you’re getting the hang of it.
Tracks: So you guys are in the Lightning Cup?
All three nodded.
Smokescreen: It’s a nice break from the constant fighting in the west: a chance to take a break and relax a bit.
Mirage: I was a successful racer before the war. So getting back to the Life was easy.
Tracks: Any strategy you want to share? This is me as a reporter. I still have to do a job.
Smokescreen: I think we have a good team composition. Mirage is our ace of the circuits like the Speedway. Jazz is versatile enough for the road rallies. I can handle the street racing. And if we get into any trouble Wheeljack and Hoist can think of something.
Tracks: Wheeljack and Hoist are your support team? Where are they? I’d love to say ‘hello’.
Mirage: Wheeljack is scrounging up parts for some new device. You know how he is. Hoist is getting last minute instructions from the race officials.
Jazz: Don’t worry, now that we know you’re covering the Big Race. We’ll find you when we get a spare moment.
Mirage: Not to be a buzzkill, but we should get back to practice. We have a half hour left before the next team shows up. And you both could work on your cornering.
The other two groaned, but got up.
Mirage smiled: It’s great meeting you for the first time again.
Smokescreen: I’ll see you on the track, Tracks.
Both transformed and speed off. Jazz hung back.
Jazz: Have you spotted Optimus?
Tracks nodded: Too many. I’ve run into about 13 Primes and just as many Megatrons.
Jazz: Any of them figure out how we got here or better yet how to get back?
Tracks: No, but they are on the case with an army corps of Perceptors, Skyfires and Shockwaves working on it. They’ll find something.
Jazz: Hopefully. I got to catch up with the others. If you find any others from home, send them our way. I’ll get with a Blaster and set up a network so we can keep up with each other trapped here in Wonderland.
Tracks: Will do. Good luck on the race.
Jazz smiled and then his face fell. He looked on the verge of tears. He turned away, but when he looked back he was all smiles.
Jazz: See ya around, my man.
Jazz transformed and tore down the track.
Team Ark
Racer: Jazz Origin: Studio Series – The Transformers: the Movie
Racer: Mirage Origin: War for Cybertron: Siege
Racer: Smokescreen Origin: War for Cybertron: Siege
Support: Wheeljack Origin: War for Cybertron: Earthrise
Support: Hoist Origin: War for Cybertron: Earthrise
