BUCKY O'HARE TRANSFORMERS Storm clouds were already gathering as the Autobots reached the clearing. A few drops of rain fell from the sky. JENNY: At least we'll be under cover in the cave. ARIES: I would not advise against that idea. HIRO: Unless you want to risk getting electrocuted. JENNY: Huh? BAYMAX: Affirmative, electrocution occurs when lightning strikes an unsuspected person without warning causing instant death. JENNY: Oh, sorry I brought it up. BUCKY: There's an overhang cliff there. We'll be out of the storm but still able to witness the test run. As soon as mutants and humans were in position the mutant ram again called upon his powers. Slowly the slender mast of the lightning rod collector rose from its hiding place. The clouds began to swirl around the lattice as the first rumbles of the thunderstorm sounded in the distance getting closer. In the gathering gloom, no one noticed Fiona and Drago enter the cave entrance undetected. Fiona stopped in the center of the cavern and looked about her. FIONA: Well now what have we here? DRAGO: What is that thing? The ceiling and walls were bare rock. The floor was paved with smooth plastic sheeting. In the center of the cavern stood the lightning energy convertor. Fiona walked all around it from every angle. FIONA: So this is what the Autobots built as a secret radio system. Very interesting. From each corner of a head-high stone base there rose a smooth silver column. Each supported a silver sphere-globe forming a square pattern. Between the columns was a complicated mass of insulators and cables connected to the machine. Nothing moved, it was silent. DRAGO: So how do you want this to be destroyed? FIONA: It's not doing anything. It doesn't work! And our leader thought it was a radio system! DRAGO: Duh, I don't see anything funny. All of a sudden another voice rang out startling both terrorist mutants who froze where they stood. TRIAX: Traitor! It was Kahn himself, standing there with his fusion cannon pointed at the vixen in black attire a glaring expression on his face. With him was Kale, Romero, Zephyr, Ninjara, Sleuth, Al. TRIAX: Against my direct orders you would destroy this machine? FIONA: Yeah! So Bucky Hare and the Autobots cannot use it against us! TRIAX: Is that so? Didn't I hear you say it does not work? Or was I mistaken instead. We saw they have extended their antennae as we came without being seen. AL: Whoa, look at this piece of art. SLEUTH: I wonder how it functions. ZEPHYR: If it is a radio then how do you turn it on? ROMERO: I don't know... KALE: Very interesting work of alien technology. NINJARA: Whoever built this must be a genius. TRIAX: No doubt at this very moment they are preparing to send or receive signals from Warren. If they have friends or allies, I want to know. Then we will crush them all! And at the same time...from the shelter of the overhang, the Autobots and Big Hero 6 peered up at the mast as the storm passed overhead. Lightning flashed among the thunderheads. It glared blue-white making reflections against the lattice structure of the lightning rod collector. JUDY: Very pretty, I'm sure of it. NICK: When is it going to do something useful? ARIES: We must be patient and wait. FRED: Holy mother of Megazon! SALLY: Aaaaaaugh! With an earsplitting crash, a jagged bolt of lightning shot down out of the clouds and struck the tip of the mast. GOGO: It's working, it's working! WASABI: It's alive! BUCKY: Oh my god... Another bolt of lightning struck the mast, followed by another strike. HIRO: Look at it go. HONEY: Now the next step... ARIES: Yes, the electricity will be converted into energy. In a swift ripple of blue fire the lightning raced down the length of the mast and into the cave itself. Inside the cave at that same time Kahn and his minions were suddenly knocked off their feet by a powerful unseen surge of power. There was a roaring in the air like a pride of lions on the hunt. From the energy convertor there came the sounds of crackling and spluttering as the device instantly came online receiving the lightning charges one after another. The cavern was now illuminated with a blue-white light from the machine as the spheres pulsed and glowed brilliantly with power. One by one the evil mutants regained their footing. ROMERO: Holy smokes! DRAGO: Did that machine turn itself on? ZEPHYR: What is going on here... SLEUTH: I got a bad feeling about this. TRIAX: So it does nothing? It doesn't work? NINJARA: FIONA: How was I to know?!! TRIAX: What are they saying? What message are they transmitting? KALE: I cannot tell my lord! All I hear is static. All of a sudden there was a loud hiss like angry snakes about to strike and bullwhip crack! A long blue arc of electricity shot from the convertor and struck the ceiling of the cave! The electricity ran across the ceiling, then down both walls. They glowed and flickered with the blue light as though alive. None of the Decepticons dare get too close even though they readied themselves for anything. All at once it was Drago who got stung by the bolts as he tried shielding himself with his dark-magic, the sudden shock caused him to fall to the cave floor momentarily stunned. Then he transformed into his disguise of Ford Saleen S281 Police Cruiser although he did not command the powers within to change himself. DRAGO: Ah nuts! NINJARA: Oops, not good. Then it was Sleuth Dog his so-called blood brother who got zapped as well then accidentally changed into his disguise of the NASCAR Intimidator #3 Dale Earnhardt. SLEUTH: Oh great! I got zapped too. NINJARA: Definitely not good. At the same time it was Fiona who decided to do what she planned on doing all along as she took aim at one of the silver columns. FIONA: If this machine can be started, then it can also be stopped. TRIAX: No, you idiot! But too late as the vixen in black attire let go with her laser rifle a burst of laser bullets into the column. Unfortunately it had the reverse opposite effect in which the bolts rebounded right back at her! Gasping in alarm, eyes wide Fiona attempted to protect herself throwing up a magic shield about her person yet the impact of the bullets striking the shield staggered her off-balance making her sit down on her ass. TRIAX: Grrrrmph... Now look what you did, fool. It's an Autobot trap meant to destroy us...RETREAT! Kahn led his minions to the cave entrance. The air now seemed alive with electrical energy. It arced and sparked from the walls as if it had a mind of its own. By the time the Decepticons reached the opening, the flickering light shot across the cave's mouth, forming a curtain of electrical energy. ROMERO: We got to go through that?!! ZEPHYR: You got to be kidding me... TRIAX: Forward! Use the dark-magic to protect yourselves, follow me! KALE: You heard him, let the dark-side protect you from harm. As one the evil mutants battled through the barrier the dark-magic shielding them from the electrical bolts lashing out like striking cobras occasionally stinging them making them yell and shout in pain. Unfortunately they were spotted. BUCKY: The Decepticons? Where did they come from? DEAD-EYE: Thundering typhoons! LUPE: What were they doing inside the cave, did they not know it was dangerous? JUDY: Sounds like they're getting electrocuted. Sure enough the evil mutants were getting the ultimate shock of their lives in a matter of speaking. At last the Decepticons rose into the sky flying away back to their hidden base until gone from sight. ROCKET: I thought I sensed an evil presence at first but I was not quite sure. KEN: So what possessed them to show up at a worst possible time? This doesn't make sense. HIRO: Maybe they thought the lightning energy convertor was a radio transmitter. FRED: Trying to unlock its secrets. ARIES: Impossible! I never built such a thing. JENNY: Well they got the message the hard way. GOGO: Serves them right those bullies. HONEY: Hey the storm is moving away. Sure enough the thunderstorm was moving away to other parts of the planet leaving behind a clear twilight sky of stars and full moon shining down. NICK: So how did the test run perform? ARIES: I'll check it out. Soon he was back with good news. ARIES: It worked! The convertor created energy out of the lightning strikes it received. That brought forth cheers of victory from mutants and humans alike. BUCKY: Well done Aries, I salute you. Okay, back to base to celebrate. Autobots, transform. Judy, Nick, Sally, Ken, Lupe, Aries, Dead-Eye, Jenny magically changed into vehicles and with Big Hero 6 proceeded on their way back to headquarters except for Bucky who hung back briefly gazing into the heavens above. BUCKY: Energy from the sky will help us return to our own world soon enough. It will also be our gift of goodwill to the people of Earth after we have gone. Then he transformed into semi mode and hurried to catch up with his fellow warriors. THE END OF CHAPTER 1