The Energon Pub

PART 141

The Ark

——Enemy inched his faceplate as near to his cell’s energy bars as he could.
——“Psst, Breakdown!” he hissed. “I just received a pulse from Soundwave. He says that he’s figured out a way for us to escape… and you’re the key!”
——Breakdown rose from his bench stooped and nervous. “M-me…? H-how can I help?”
——“Transform! Then rev your engine as hard as you can!”
——Breakdown’s parts shifted, engine roaring as his last part slid into place. ——Enemy felt the vibrations under his feet. Reflector, in the cell nearest to Breakdown, felt something inside him shake loose and rattle around inside his chest cavity. Their prison bars blinked until the projectors imbedded in the ceiling stopped emitting the beams that incarcerated them. The barriers were down now, and incredibly, no alarms had been tripped.
——“So much for Autobot security!” crowed Breakdown.
——The prisoners charge out of their cells like a mob and gather in a loose circle in the middle of the cell block. Breakdown explains that he couldn’t pull the same trick with the detention center’s steel door. Causing a sliding slab’s locking mechanism to malfunction—and more importantly, to release—would require a more intense vibration than he was capable of producing. He reverted back to robot form inquiring as to what their next move would be. Certainly someone had to have plans beyond this point.
——The answer came in the form of knuckles, heels, and elbows as they beat him unmercifully until he lay on the floor offline.
——Enemy flexed his hands, checking for dents. Then he flipped up his secret, secondary communicator in his forearm and spoke into it over the soft buzz of Breakdown’s short circuiting body.
——“We put him into stasis just like you told us to do, Soundwave. Now send me the access codes so we can bust outta this joint! Ah, Soundwave…? Are you there, Soundwave? Soundwave! Answer me, you dirty double-crossing piece of scrap! We did what you asked, now YOU keep YOUR half of the bargain! DO YOU HEAR ME?”
——Suddenly the steel slab shot upward. For the most fleeting of moments, Enemy thought that the spymaster had made good on his promise and transmitted the codes to their freedom over the airwaves—automatically activating the door. Then he saw who was standing in the doorway.
——“WE hear you.” Blaster said, with one finger on the trigger and another on the eject button.

——The Nemesis

——The protective aura around Optimus Prime dissipated. The imprisoned Autobot leader stood up, surprised. His captors were anything but.
——Rumble swung his fist into the palm of his hand. “Looks like they did it, Soundwave! This is the moment we’ve been waitin’ for!”
——“Rumble. Bring Megatron,” ordered Soundwave.
——The door whisked open and Rumble sprinted out. Optimus Prime drew the sword that he had been unable to wield while the mysterious aura clung so closely to his armor. He was inexperienced in its use, but it was the only viable weapon available to him. Deploying his axe would reduce his dwindling energon reserves to dangerous levels, and Optimus wanted to conserve all his fuel for the fight ahead.
——The hand that held the blade trembled violently. At first Optimus thought it was some sort of glitch. He had suffered a lot of damage during his battles with the Stunticons and Insecticons before Megatron’s arrival. He believed it to be an old injury playing up, until he saw a ball of light rising from the tip of his sword.
——Vertical lines roll across Soundwave’s visor. The Decepticon was recording the phenomenon. He wasn’t struck with awe—as was his high-profile prisoner—but rather intrigued. The orb continued to elevate slowly until it was shoulder height with Optimus Prime. Then it expanded briefly, and Soundwave recognized a familiar faceplate and hood-belly in its scattered light pattern. It belonged to the Autobot known as Trailbreaker.
——Optimus Prime raised his hand to try and touch it. “Trailbreaker… I’m sorry,” he began. “I’ve failed you—“
——“No time for apologies, Prime! I fought for ya, died for ya, and then continued to fight on afterward. Listen, those Stunti-creeps shields were based on my old force field projector. While I was trapped in Motormaster’s sword, I was able to use the power of the Matrix to sync up with their tech and provide you with some protection. Now that the force field’s gone there’s nothing ta stop my Spark from movin’ on. It was a pleasure to serve you, Prime.”
——“And I, you, Trailbreaker.”
——“Oh, before I go… here’s a partin’ gift from your predecessors.”
——The Matrix of Leadership flared brightly inside Optimus Prime’s chest until his entire body was enveloped in a cocoon of light. When the light faded, Soundwave noted that Optimus Prime appeared as if he had just rolled off the assembly line. All of his injuries had been instantly repaired. He seemed reinvigorated… reenergized. Soundwave’s olfactory sensors even indicated that he smelled new.
——“Bring it on, Decepticons.” growled Optimus Prime. “I’m ready!”

(to be continued)

PART 142

HOT SPOT

——Nighttime. We’re on a beach, speeding towards the shoreline. There’s six of us disguised as emergency Earth vehicles. We’re gonna bring Optimus Prime back home. Functional. Any mech standing in opposition to that goal is going to get totaled.
—-Blades hovers above us, illuminating this obstacle course of dead Seekers. They were Air Warriors who were turned into guinea pigatrons. Unwitting test subjects for a poison developed by Shockwave. Pawns. They shut down after a victory against a unit led by Prowl—their foul Sparks extinguished by the energon flowing through their own fuel lines. Then they were forgotten… junked. Their wings will make excellent cover if we get fired upon.
——The Nemesis’ tower rises as we reach the shore. The water ceases to cascade from the top of this ugly, foreboding structure the moment it reaches its full height. When it creaks open, Decepticon jets take off in every direction.
——“Hunker down!” I order. “Stay in alt! Wait for the lull!”
—— Bullets rain down on dead metal, perforating rusted armor plates.—— First Aid’s side window shatters.
—— A cluster bomb explodes nearby, shaking me to the chassis. A missile blows away some of my cover.
——More bullets.
——Someone stifles a scream.
——Streetwise loses half his light bar.
——Rook grunts in pain.
——I hear the sound of fuel spilling out onto the sand behind me. Somebody’s hit bad. I want to give the order to transform, but I have to stick to the plan. If I don’t, my Protectobots surely won’t.
——The lull comes a second later. Twin explosions light up the night sky. Blades’ smart rockets score double hits. Two Seekers begin a fiery descent from above. Their brethren converge on Blades. We transform and rush into the waves.
——I hate water. Ironic, considering my alt-form. I select a target between big, clumsy splashes. The fireball sizzles through the air… a slow blazing projectile. A Seeker takes evasive action, then he puts me in his sights. We dive, disappearing beneath the waves. The ‘Cons bullets can’t find us. Their beams fizzle out in this new, wet alien environment.
——We re-emerge in quick succession at different points around the tower. A quintet of grappling hooks squiggle upwards toward the tower’s ringed rooftop. Five lines are pulled taut after five confirmations are heard. The grappling reels deployed from our forearms spin, and we’re yanked toward the sky.
——The lighter ‘Bots ascend faster—Groove followed by Streetwise. We should reach the top in less than a minute. We don’t have a minute.
——Blades takes a hit to the tail rotor and goes into a spin. He reverts back to robot-mode in mid-air, then slams solidly down onto the rooftop with both feet. The Seekers vector in, changing shape as they come for him. I can hear Blades firing above, fighting for his life. Hang on… help is on the way. Groove’s almost there. He’ll be the first to respond. I’m weighed down with Combiner tech, I’ll be the last.
——A Seeker slams into Groove just as he reaches the top.
——Ramjet?!?
——Can’t be. Intel says he’s in Carbomya… plus the colors are all wrong. Black, teal, and purple. Another Decepti-creep opens fire on Groove as he falls. He hits the water in pieces—a leg, an arm… bits of metal. I’m shaking… I’m mad. Gotta keep a level head.
——Seconds pass. No one else meets their maker. They all go over the top. Streetwise, First Aid, then Rook. Everybody’s in the mix now except for me. A ‘Con peeks over the edge. I fry his face before he can aim his arm-rifles.
—— I see Seekers battling my ‘Bots when I reach the rooftop. Everyone looks like scrap. Blades can barely stand. More Decepticons descend and transform. It’s sheer pandemonium. I join the rush of Deception reinforcements. Crazy, I know, but it’s part of my plan.
——I take a blast to the back.
——I can feel the burn behind my chest plate.
——I stumble into Rook coughing up smoke.
——“Protectobots—kaff—combine… into Defensor!”

(to be continued)

PART 143

——In a rush of reconfiguring parts and interlocking connections, five Protectobots become one gigantic robot. The Decepticons scattered around Defensor’s feet recoil in fear. Those who had witnessed the destructive might of a Combiner before this night considered fleeing. Those who had not, deciphered the panic projected on the veteran Seeker’s faceplates like a pulse that read “we’re scrap.”
——A trio of Air Warriors took aim and fired up at this strange, new composite Autobot. The giant raised his foot, and neither their null rays or argon lasers slowed it’s descent. The Seeker in the middle was crushed beneath a rectangle-shaped sole as his squad mates to his left and right transformed and took flight.
——One of the survivors locks onto Defensor’s chest, launches his missiles, and ignites his afterburners. In one swift move, Defensor swats the warheads with one hand, reaches up, and catches the Seeker with the other. Then he pulls the Decepticon jet apart, raining down short circuiting parts dripping with pink energon.
——“YOU DUMB DECEPTI-CREEPS DON’T HAVE BRAINS, BUT YOU DEFINITELY GOT GUTS,” grinned Defensor. “LOOK! THEY’RE ALL OVER THE FLOOR!”
——With a burst of synthesized sound, Skywarp teleported onto the scene in jet form. He fires heat-seeking missiles at the Autobot behemoth as he flies by. Defensor’s force dome spreads over his head like an umbrella, detonating the missiles before traveling downward to the deck plates. Then the Combiner begins to walk, and his invisible shield moves with him, shoving Seekers fifty feet forward with every step. When he reaches the center of the docking tower’s roof, he kneels and proceeds to bash it in with his rifle butt.
——Decepticon jets crisscross the force dome furiously, firing bullets, dropping bombs, and launching missiles. Defensor ignores the bombardment and continues to break into their ship.
——In the midst of the Seekers’ most intense barrage yet, Thundercracker unleashes a deafening sonic boom, weakening Defensor’s force field for the briefest of moments. The force dome blurs, allowing high caliber bullets to penetrate its shielding. Within seconds the force field springs back up to full strength, but the super warrior within seizes—unsure whether to finish demolishing the docking tower’s roof, or swat the stinging flies pestering him.
——Skywarp appears out of thin air once more, this time in robot-form right in Thundercracker’s flight path.
——“Do it again, Thundercracker!” he shouted, with clenched fists. “He felt that one!”
——Thundercracker accelerates directly over the Combiner, shattering his protective dome with pure sound. The sonic strike also yields an unexpected result—Defensor begins to sink under the Seekers’ blistering barrage. Even with using Blades’ spinning rotor as a shield, the giant wilts under the intense artillery hailstorm. Then suddenly, he’s gone.
——Skywarp hovers over the shaft that swallowed a whole Combiner, hoping to see the behemoth separated into a heap of damaged Protectobots at the bottom. Instead, what he saw was an instrument of destruction reactivate and resume its rampage… this time INSIDE the Nemesis.
——“Ooo Megatron’s not gonna like this.”

(to be continued)

PART 144

——Decepticon jets scream toward Defensor. The bullets that riddle his armor contain a highly flammable material that ignites on impact. With his chest plate pock-marked by searing, chemically induced flames, Defensor levels his weapon and fights fire with fire. The gigantic blue fireball that rolls out of the Combiner’s cannon is impossible to evade in the Nemesis’ tight quarters. His enemies are incinerated mid-flight, the wall at the end of the passage is blown into molten splatters.
——Defensor spies a figure charging through what’s left of it’s charred and glowing framework.
——“Decepticon engineering,” sneers Megatron, bursting into view. “Our designs are all over you… who are you?”
——“I’M WITH SANITATION!” the Combiner quips. “I’VE COME TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH!”
——Megatron smirks, there is no fear on his faceplate, just a sinister gleam in his eye. The tickle of a light beam upon his back distracts Defensor. Shockwave lurks within an entranceway, gun-arm extended, scanning with his singular optic.
——A blast from Megatron’s fusion cannon opens a chasm in the Combiner’s chest. Shockwave’s steady X-ray beam pierces his flank with a surgeon’s precision, seeking to disable vital systems.
——“Crossfire,” Defensor computes through the pain. “Must destroy targets… simultaneously!”
——His right index finger squeezes the trigger of his weapon, his left hand launches from his wrist. Megatron drops to one knee and deploys an energon shield from his forearm. Blue flames turn the area around the despot red hot. The fist Defensor let fly wedges in the doorway behind him, collapsing it. A living boulder blocking Shockwave’s access to the battle.
——“IT’S JUST YOU AND ME NOW, MEGATRON!”
——Defensor fires again. Megatron leaps out of its path, hits the floor rolling, and takes refuge behind a tall slab of melted steel.
——The Decepticon leader winces in pain, half his foot is gone—liquified when he foolishly chose to deflect Defensor’s flame blast rather than evade it. The armor on the right side of his body is still smoldering. Megatron’s bravado—born in the pits of Kaon—has backfired. He touches two fingers to a triangle on the upper part of his chest plate.
——“Shockwave,” he rasps into the comlink, “where is this infernal creature’s weak spot?”
——“Target the head,” replied Shockwave. “The Autobot Gestalt is modeled after Menasor, but it possesses a fatal flaw. Much of its durability has been sacrificed for increased speed and intelligence.”
——Emboldened, Megatron stood up and fired a blast from his fusion cannon. Defensor blocked it with his forearm and then tore after the tyrant. Megatron turned and ran. His heavy footsteps were drowned out by the Combiner’s thudding footfalls. Even hobbled, the ex-gladiator sprinted through doorways and passageways with the speed of a Transformer half his size. Defensor burst through walls like an out of control lob-ball, leaving a trail of destruction—and the occasional trampled Decepticon warrior—in his wake.
—— More than once, the Combiner lost track of his quarry, only to catch sight of him seconds later after he smashed into yet another leaking section of the Nemesis. It was obvious to him now that the feared Decepticon leader would rather flee than fight.
——“Ignore Megatron. Rescue Prime,” protests a voice within his shared consciousness.
——“OVERRIDE THAT COMMAND,” Defensor says aloud. “MEGATRON’S OUT OF PLACES TO RUN!”
——Defensor demolishes the last wall by plunging his fingers into it, ripping it open, and then rending it down the middle with his stump. A continuous arc of electricity from a broken power cable illuminates the dark chamber he tears into. A lone Seeker stands in the center of the room pointing a pistol.
——“WHERE IS THAT COWARD MEGATRON?” demands Defensor. “TELL ME, LITTLE DECEPTICON, AND I WON’T TEAR YOU INTO MORE THAN TWO PIECES!”
——“He’s right here, dummy!” laughs Skywarp, as he pulls the trigger.
——A particle beam pierces the space between Defensor’s optics, setting his cerebral circuits ablaze. Then his field of vision shrinks down to a tiny dot.
——<Offline>

(to be continued)

PART 145

——The Protectobots awaken scattered across the chamber, stuck midway between being Combiner components and robots. The gun that caused Defensor to separate flips out of Skywarp’s hand. The steel floor shakes as the rapidly changing weapon lands in its true form. Megatron stands proudly… chest out, knuckles connected to his hip plates, victorious over the sensor-scrambled would-be hit squad writhing before him.
——“An admirable effort, Autobots… you nearly destroyed me. I did not expect your current leader to sanction such a bold attack. I’ll be sure to show my appreciation by moving Jazz to the top of my termination list… after Optimus Prime, of course.”
——Megatron grabbed Rook by the throat and held him aloft. The mode locked Protectobot wriggled helplessly in the grinning Decepticon leader’s grasp. His arms were tucked into his torso, and his legs were joined together to form a massive misaligned rectangular block. Megatron drew back his cannon and angled it up at Rook’s faceplate, forcing him to stare into the energy swirling at its center.
——“Now that you Autobot scum have my undivided attention,” continued Megatron. “I wonder… what will you do with the audience you’ve earned? Beg for your miserable lives…? It won’t help you, but I would like to hear your whimpering modulations nonetheless.”
——Rook shook his head “no.”
——“What a shame,” smiled Megatron. “Very well then, let’s get started.”
——Silence fell upon the room like a heavy shroud. If the Protectobots were human, this would be the instant that they held their collective breaths. Smiling with glee, Skywarp sidestepped toward the bot-sized limb that was Streetwise and aimed an arm-rifle at his head. The sadist planned to wait until Megatron had at least performed his second execution before joining in on the festivities.
——Suddenly the comm light on Megatron’s chest plate began to blink.
——“Oh, what is it Shockwave?!”
——“Optimus Prime has escaped confinement. I am moving toward his last known position with a contingent of Seekers as we speak.”
——Hot Spot, transfixed in torso mode, looked on. He fully expected Shockwave’s message to fill Megatron with a sense of urgency. Instead he noted that the murderous Decepticon’s mood seemed to brighten upon hearing the news.
——Megatron relinquished Rook to the floor with a heavy thud. Then he backflipped into gun-mode, landing in the palm of Skywarp’s outstretched hand.
——“Take me to Optimus!” he commanded.
——“Later, losers!” jeered Skywarp, as he changed into a jet.
——The fact that the Seeker flew from the chamber instead of teleporting told Hot Spot that the Decepticons didn’t know Prime’s exact location. This meant that there was still time to save him.
——“C’mon, team! Snap out of it! We gotta trash these Decepti-creeps before they can get to Prime!”
——“Love to, Hot Spot,” yelled Blades. “But we’re busted! We can’t transform!”
——“NNNG!” Streetwise grunted, through gritted teeth. “I can feel you guys—MMMF—straining your parts!”
——“We’re still connected,” said First Aid. “Even though we’ve been split apart.”
——“H-how… do we f-fix that?” stammered Rook, visibly shaken by his brush with death.
——“Working on it, my friends,” replied First Aid. “It seems that our sudden separation caused a glitch in our Transformation Cogs. Everything’s still filed as “Defensor’s arm”, “Defensor’s leg”, excetera. I’m going to try a remote reboot. Hold still.”
——Hot Spot looked uncomfortable as his parts shunted into his primary configuration. Seconds later, Rook, Streetwise, and Blades were forced into their robot modes as well.
——“Well, that felt weird,” said Streetwise, rising shakily from the floor.
——“Good work, First Aid. But what about you?” questioned Hot Spot. “You’re still in limb mode.”
——First Aid transformed from an arm into a battered ambulance. Then he activated his roof lights.
——“I was making certain that our alt-modes were accessible. We’re going to need them.”
——“Right! Protectobots transform!” commanded Hot Spot. “And roll for Prime!”

(to be continued)

PART 146

——Soundwave fled when Optimus Prime began hacking his way to freedom using Motormaster’s sword, so the Autobot leader’s current whereabouts were unknown. The Decepticons knew only that Prime was still somewhere on their vessel, and that he must be recaptured or killed before he could do the latter to them.
——Thundercracker, with a squad of six identical Air Warriors in tow, clanked past the Nemesis’ noisy engine room, rounded a corner, and collided head-on with their quarry. The speeding red truck sent the Seeker hurtling down the hallway. With Optimus Prime’s own momentum halted by the impact, the Air Warriors swarmed before Thundercracker ceased sliding across the floor.
——Close-quarters combat would quickly come to favor the mighty matrix bearer’s complement of weapons. A sweep of Optimus’ sword while in mid change eviscerated one assailant; ignition of his axe upon full configuration resulted in the formation of the weapon inside the cranium of a second. As the two halves of the head fell away, Optimus uprooted the energy construct from the smited Seeker’s spinal column and planted it in the shoulder of a third opponent.
——The injured Seeker raised his good arm to fire, but Optimus lunged forward, finishing him off with a sword thrust so forceful that the eruption of the blade from the Seeker’s back caused a cascade of crackling components.
——Thundercracker had seen enough.
——”Get back…! Gimme a clear shot!”
——Using the impaled Decepticon as a shield, Optimus Prime spun in Thundercracker’s direction. The hapless Genericon screamed as his wings and limbs were turned into six streams of molten metal by his fellow Seeker’s flame blast.
——Thundercracker froze… mouth agape, arm mounted rifles extended, shocked by what he had done. Decepticons like Starscream and Shockwave were capable of inflicting harm upon their own kind without compunction, but not him. Thundercracker relegated himself back to the position of observer, hoping that the others had what it took to bring down a Prime. If they didn’t, well… that’s when he might consider stepping in. Maybe.

(to be continued)

PART 147

——Blades struggled to keep pace with the Protectobot convoy in his damaged state. His tail rotor rotated intermittently, hampering control as smoke spewed from his sputtering engine. The wind gust generated by a jet shooting by at Mach 1 sent him scraping into the tunnel wall, ruining his rotor blades in big bursts of sparks.
——The Seeker dubbed G2 Ramjet by his fellow Decepticons streaked over the speeding Protectobots as if they were parked cars. “If it flies, crash it!” was the real Ramjet’s motto, and if this reprogrammed robot were him, Blades’ body would be a crumpled mess rolling over the roofs of his comrades.
——Upon G2’s bizarre introduction, Shockwave touted that this new version of a Seeker mainstay possessed all the daring and durability of the original, minus his addiction to airborne collisions. So when Thundercracker witnessed him plow into Optimus Prime and his fellow Seekers—leveling the lot of them—he saw it as a deliberate act.
——The clone reverts back to robot mode propped up against the damaged durabyllium steel door that abruptly halted his aerial assault. Thundercracker cautiously approaches the still form of Optimus Prime, crunching scattered circuit boards underfoot. The Autobot leader lay face down, surrounded by flames and broken bodies.
——Thundercracker placed the blazing hot barrel of his arm-rifle to the back of Optimus’ head. G2 Ramjet smirks, anticipating the execution of a Prime.
——The kill shot doesn’t come. An unsettling thought invaded Thundercracker’s neural net before it could send the electrical impulse to fire his weapon. Yes, he would be rewarded for killing Optimus Prime, but what would be his fate afterward? Megatron may grow to resent him for stealing his moment to shine… a moment he waited a million years to come to pass. Thundercracker: hero of the Great War, is how he would be known to the masses moving forward—much to Megatron’s chagrin. One solar-cycle the Decepticon leader might just decide to quietly dispose of him out of envy. Some rattletrap robot eager to rise up the ranks would have no problem doing the deed.
——“Nuts to that.”
——“Huh, Thundercracker?” inquired Ramjet 2.0. “What did you say?”
——“Uhh, I said you do the honors.”
——Thundercracker changed form, leaving the Conehead to watch as his thrusters whined away into the ship’s bowels. G2 stood up, shook off the ringing in his audio receptors, and then aimed an arm-mounted missile at Optimus Prime. The sound of shifting parts and squealing tires proceeded the moment the lethargic Seeker was struck by his target in alt-form. Optimus Prime swiftly returned to robot mode and the two Transformers wrestled, straining their servos as each attempted to overpower.
——Optimus head butted Ramjet and it felt to the Prime as if his forehead had just slammed into the hull of a spaceship.
——“I didn’t even feel that,” the clone grinned through gritted teeth. “That the best you can do, Prime?”
——”No,” replied Optimus. “This is.”
——A heavy knee buckled the Seeker’s midsection like a battering ram, bowling him over. A hefty down thrust elbow hammered him to one knee. The energon axe that flashed from Optimus Prime’s wrist socket split him open from cockpit to cone. Fuel spurted from his chest as he toppled over. Four Protectobots rolled up just as the dispatched Decepticon’s parted face met the floor.
——First Aid was the first to transform, rushing over to render aid.
——“Are you alright, Prime?”
——Optimus rubbed the circular scorch mark on the back of his cranial casing. “I’m fine now,” he replied. “Thundercracker was about to terminate me… I felt the heat of his weapon on the back of my head.”
——“And he didn’t shoot…?” asked Hot Spot incredulously.
——“No,” answered Optimus Prime. “It’s curious… something prevented him from doing so. Perhaps we’ll never know what it was.”

(to be continued)

PART 148

——Blades limped into an area full of wrecked Seekers and antsy Protectobots.
“Looks like I missed all the fun.”
——“Nahh,” replied Streetwise, loading his photon pistol. “The party’s winding down, but the night’s not over yet.”
——“We have to keep moving, Protectobots.” warned Optimus Prime. “We don’t know how many Decepticons are converging on our position.”
——“According to Perceptor, there’s a hangar bay on this level.” Rook said. “The shuttle in there is nowhere near spaceworthy, but it can fly us back to the Ark at least.
——“That’s good,” grumbled Blades. “Because I can’t even fly MYSELF back to the Ark!”
——“Then transform,” Hot Spot ordered, turning back into a fire truck. “Let me transport you to the shuttle.”
——Streetwise watched as Blades changed into a rotor-less helicopter.
——“Yeah, looks like our air supports been officially grounded.” he wisecracked.
——First Aid jabbed him with an elbow for the insensitive remark.
——“A mechanical being in need of repair is no laughing matter!” he hissed.
——“Now Rook, Streetwise… hoist Blades on top of me,” directed Hot Spot.
——The two Protectobots each took a side, squatted, and grabbed Blades’ skids. When Streetwise lifted his side up, his forehead exploded. Blades crashed to the floor lopsided—his door splattered with mech fluids. Optic sensors traced the beam’s trajectory to the Seeker holding the smoking gun. A tenth of a second later, the killer was gone.
——First Aid jerked towards Streetwise’s body, stopping short when he realized it was just that—a body. Hot Spot and Blades reassumed their robot forms, weapons ready.
——“Slaggin’ Skywarp!” cursed Blades.
——“Armed with Megatron,” alerted Optimus Prime.
——“But why ace Streetwise?” Rook inquired. From a tactical standpoint, it didn’t make sense. Commanders are always the primary target.
——“Megatron wants me to watch as he picks you off one by one,” answered Optimus.
——Blades whirled to the sound of Skywarp materializing behind him and was shot point-blank in the face. Blades seized up, then toppled over like a statue. Once again Skywarp teleported away, leaving guns pointing at the empty space above another slain Protectobot.
——Optimus Prime and Hot Spot attacked a triangular door with axes. Rook and First Aid looked over their shoulders nervously, and then at each other. Skywarp would choose one of them next and they both knew it.
——Hot Spot spun around as he and Prime were almost through and flung his axe away. It whizzed past Rook, striking sparks off Skywarp’s shoulder pylon as he reappeared. With a yelp of surprise, the teleporting assassin vanished without a victim.
——“Figured he’d pick you,” Hot Spot said.
——“Protectobots, roll out!” commanded Optimus Prime.
——Rook and First Aid roared through the jagged exit in their vehicular forms. Hot Spot—knowing his leader would insist on going last—shoved Optimus in after them and transformed. Rook—with his extensive experience in evacuating wounded Autobots out of war zones—maintained the lead, speeding down the middle of the two-lane passage.
——Laserbeak jinked in from the hangar bay ahead, scoring Rook’s armor with beams that left twin burn trails along the length of his alt-form. Rook’s roof-mounted claw swung in Laserbeak’s direction, clamping down on the avian Decepticon like alloygator jaws as he shot by. The impact from the capture reversed Rook’s momentum and momentarily stunned his captive.
——“Halt!” commanded Optimus Prime.
——The convoy came to a screeching stop and transformed. Rook sprang from alt-mode, still holding Laserbeak in the grip of his hydraulic clamp-gun.
——“They’re here,” informed Optimus Prime. “In the hangar bay… all of them.”
——“What do we do, Prime?” Rook inquired.
——“We protect Optimus with our lives, that’s what.” interjected Hot Spot. “Either he gets out or no one gets out. That’s the mission.”
——The Autobot leader nabbed Laserbeak from Rook’s gun by the neck. “No, my Protectobots… I’ve watched enough of you perish for me. It’s me you want, Megatron,” he said, turning to address the shadows lurking in the hangar bay. “Let my soldiers go and I will release your scout.”
——Megatron’s cannon arm led the rest of his body into view.
——“Laserbeak… will be missed,” he replied.
——Astrotrain, Skywarp, Soundwave, Rumble, and several Air Warriors stepped into the light. Shockwave hovered over the massive firing squad in gun mode. Laserbeak locked eyes with Soundwave, cawing for mercy he knew in his Spark would not be granted. Soundwave stared back, emotionless.
——Megatron gave the order. “Fire!”
——Optimus Prime threw Laserbeak at Shockwave just as gamma energy ballooned out of his barrel and burst into a tight beam. Laserbeak’s body exploded when it came into contact with the beam, dropping nearly every Decepticon in close proximity. The disoriented warriors that remained standing faced an onslaught of fireballs and photon bursts.
——Pain electrified First Aid’s leg. “Gunshot?” he thought, glancing down. “Did I get hit…?”
——Laserbeak’s beak was imbedded in First Aid’s thigh. A minor injury. Frankly, the fact that he had just shot two damaged Decepticons discomforted him more.
——“The shuttle!” screamed Hot Spot. “Go! Go! Go!”
——The Autobots stampeded over short circuiting bodies as they ran, trading shots with the few Decepticons still functional enough to raise a weapon.
——Optimus Prime looked back as he boarded the shuttle. Megatron rose from a tangle of shrapnel covered Seekers. Several more enemies recovered from systems shutdown and sprang to life. Optimus deployed his energon axe.
——The sorrowful look on Hot Spot’s face said it all. “Think of the ‘Bots who lost their lives to save you. Don’t throw away their sacrifices.”
——Optimus Prime nodded, then entered with Hot Spot. The door whisked down behind them.
——Megatron watched the thrusters on the stolen Decepticon shuttle ignite. The craft rocketed up the ramp, blasted a hole in the ship’s hull, and then continued on into the ocean’s depths. A flood of water came rushing down to the lower levels; steel barriers slammed shut to stop the tidal wave.
——Megatron’s ship was sealed tight. However, his hated enemy had slipped through the cracks.
——Shockwave’s eye turned on. He arose, armless and aimless, with his memory banks fragmented.
——“Megatron… w-what happened…?”
——Shockwave’s inquiry was answered with a fist to his flashing yellow optic, followed by the sound of sheer frustration.
——“RRAAAGHHH!”

(to be continued)

PART 149

——Perceptor stood outside the Ark with Optimus Prime’s Ion rifle in his outstretched hands.
——“Welcome back, sir.”
——“It’s good to be back. Thank you, Perceptor.” the Autobot leader said, upon collecting his weapon. “I shall put this to good use shortly.”
——“I anticipate that you will. Blaster is waiting to brief you in the staging area.”
——Perceptor’s gaze returned to the shuttle Optimus Prime arrived in as he entered the Ark. Three Protectobots exited the craft. That was it. No comrades being carried out. No circuit slabs with damaged ‘Bots being wheeled down the ramp. Just three… where before there were six. Perceptor’s smile faded.
——“Apparently my modifications were inadequate,” he confessed to the tattered remains of the team. “My apologies… and my condolences.”
——Hot Spot placed a hand on Perceptor’s shoulder.
——“We were in pursuit of Megatron as Defensor. First Aid wanted us to break off the chase and rescue Prime. The others weren’t in agreement. I stayed silent. My inaction allowed more… aggressive personalities to sway our actions.”
——Rook dropped his head, even though he owned only a fraction of the blame. He had a chance to literally grind Megatron under his heel. Who would pass up a once in a lifetime opportunity like that? First Aid, that’s who. Rook felt the shame of his inadequacy flow through him like a bad energon infusion.
——“Defensor lost focus,” Hot Spot continued, “and Megatron took us down with a single shot to the head. It’s not your fault that half my team died, Perceptor… It’s mine.”



——“Well, awlright!” Blaster exclaimed, upon seeing Optimus walk in. “It’s Prime time! Gimme a second Prime, we’ve got Autobot teams in two cities. I’ll get the commanders linked in.”
——The communications officer’s fingers blurred over Teletraan-1’s console. Optimus watched until his attention was torn away by a door shooting up on the other side of the chamber. Sideswipe stormed in.
——“I lost track of my brother in Los Angeles, Prime. But now I’m refueled and ready to resume the hunt.”
——“Pump your brakes, Sideswipe. I want you to accompany me to Carbomya. We have more pressing concerns there.”
——“Glad to be of service,” Sideswipe replied. “When do we roll, er, I mean fly?”
——“As soon as we find out what we’re flying into. Ready, Blaster?”
——Blaster started the countdown. “3,2,1 and we are live with Jazz and Smokescreen!”
——Two sound waves appeared on the screen. The bottom one—Smokescreen—spoke first.
——“Prime, a crack commando unit has got us holed up inside Omega Supreme. We managed to nab half the Space Bridge before they took out half the team. Luckily they can’t get in, but we can’t get out. Should I tell Omega to blast off with the sections we have?”
——“Negative, we can’t risk the Decepticons refabricating the other half of that Bridge. Jazz, are you able to provide Smokescreen with reinforcements?”
——“Workin’ on it, Prime! Ratchet and Wheeljack are reprogrammin’ some ah, aerial-bots to fly over an’ bail ‘em out.”
——“Aerialbots…? Jazz, what is the status of the unit you deployed with?”
——“One M.I.A, Powerglide’s out searchin’ for ‘im now. We took the structure where Swindle’s storin’ his WMDs… only thing is, Swindle has us trapped in here surrounded by an angry mob.”
——“Smokescreen, Jazz… hold your positions. I shall be arriving within the hour.”

(to be continued)

PART 150

——Devcon rarely smiled. But this solar cycle, as he sat in front of a monitor in his apartment on Monacus, his cheeks made his optic sensors narrow until they were bright blue slits.
——“Smokescreen, old friend! I’m sorry I missed your previous attempts to contact me. I was at the center of the universe, collecting a substantial bounty on a creature named Primacron. I hope all is well and that you find yourself in good working order?”
——“Ask me again tomorrow,” grinned Smokescreen. “I have a lead on that Decepticon arms dealer you’ve been chasing all over the galaxy.”
——“Swindle…?”
——“Yeah, he’s here… on Earth—a little planet located in the Milky Way’s outer spiral arm.”
——“Wow. I can’t believe the Great War spread that far…”
——“Believe it.”
——“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Be careful. Swindle is wanted by the planetary government of Paradron for stealing Combiner technology. If Swindle and whomever he’s hired get desperate enough, they may decide to use it on themselves.”



——Jazz could hardly believe the words coming out of his communicator.
——“You wanna run that by me again, Smokescreen? You say Swindle might’ve upgraded himself with Combiner tech?”
——“Yes. I just heard it from a reliable source.”
——“Swindle’s an arms dealer, man. Not an engineer.”
——“It’s possible,” said Wheeljack. “Initial reports had Swindle allied with a Junkion named Detritus. I don’t know how the Junkions do it, but those mechs make miracles happen. Creating a Combiner out of four soldiers of fortune and a munitions expert might be considered light work for one of ‘em.”
——“Those same reports say Skyfire sent Detritus to the scrap heap,” argued Jazz.
——“That would explain why these jet troopers we found weren’t finished,” deduced Ratchet. “Swindle’s mechanic was killed before he could complete his work.”
——Wheeljack pointed to the largest aircraft in the hangar—a white, gold, and red XB-70 Valkyrie. “The Aerialbots are a hodgepodge of Autobot and Decepticon hardware. Take that big ‘Bot there for example—his alt-mode used to be a slow moving, low-level hover barge. Detritus added in parts from some spacefaring ‘Con, now he’s a high-flying supersonic jet that can outrun anything on this planet!”
——“Primus only knows where that deranged Junkion procured Sparks and brain modules,” vented Ratchet.
——“Probably the same place where he dug up Megatron’s old Space Bridge,” Jazz surmised. “Trypticon prison.”



——A driverless Jeep bounces over a sea of sand dunes toward four giant robots.
——“It’s Swindle!” Vortex squealed with glee. “Now the fun can start!”
——Swindle transformed. His brow was furrowed. He was anything but happy.
——“News flash, you military morons! If we don’t get those Space Bridge sections back, I don’t get paid! Which means YOU don’t get paid!”
——“I don’t care about the money!” Brawl bellowed. “I’m in this for revenge!”
——“But we can have it all,” reasoned Blast Off. “There’s FIVE of us now.”
——“Yes,” agreed Onslaught. “I love it when a Combiner comes together. Combaticons… combine to form Bruticus!”
——Swindle and Brawl changed shape, becoming the lower legs of a titan. Onslaught turned into a torso and thighs that connected itself to those legs. Blast Off and Vortex’s parts shifted as they flew through the air, attaching themselves to the Gestalt as its right and left arms. A winged shield unfolded from the Combiner’s chest, then a massive head with a face only its maker could love rose up from its neck cavity.
——“UHRRRUUHHH! BRUTICUS… ANGRY! AUTOBOTS… STEAL FROM BRUTICUS! BRUTICUS… DESTROY AUTOBOTS!”

(to be continued)

PART 151

THOOM
——“Goodness!” exclaimed Hoist. “This rocket ship’s gone wonky!”
——“Wonky my hook!” Grapple retorted. “All my structures are sound!”
——“Something smacked us!” shouted Smokescreen.
THOOM
——“ASSESSMENT: CORRECT,” Omega Supreme informed the trio within him. “COMBINER ATTACKING. STABILITY: COMPROMISED.”
BOOOOM
——The last tremor slammed Smokescreen shoulder first into a wall, then to the floor. “Jazz, we’re under attack!” he yelled into his communicator. “The Decepti-goons… they’ve merged into one! Send help!”
——Outside, Bruticus punched Omega Supreme’s rocket module like a boxer hitting a punching bag. The craft shook with each blow, but refused to break. Bruticus looked at the rotor on his left arm and an idea leapt into his logic center… make it spin, then use it. The blades began to whirl until Vortex’ rotor became Bruticus’ shoulder mounted saw blade. The Combiner bent his arm and leaned in, showering the area around him with sparks and metal shavings.
——The sound was deafening even by Cybertronian standards. If Omega Supreme expressed any audible admission of pain, it was lost in the din of his own demolition. Three quarters through the upper half of his rocket module toppled to one side. Bruticus kicked the lower portion over like it was a bucket full of toys, sending playset pieces and action figures flying.
——The green robot that tumbled out transformed into a tow truck. The orange one, a crane. The green tow truck reversed, latched onto a Space Bridge section, then peeled away. The orange crane hoisted up another Space Bridge section, then sped off in the opposite direction. Bruticus froze, not sure of which one to follow.
——A third figure—a burgundy, blue, and white robot—lay dazed before him, surrounded by scrap metal.
——“YOU!” pointed Bruticus. “BRUTICUS… CRUSH YOU!”
——Bruticus reached down to grab him and a plume of black smoke rose up from the tail end of his target’s shifting parts.
——“Gotcha!” taunted Smokescreen, as he raced away in alt-form.
——The Combiner stood up, clawing at the soot cloud clinging to his face. “UHRRRUUHHH… BRUTICUS CAN’T SEE! BRUTICUS MUST… SEPARATE!”
——In the rear view mirrors of the fleeing Autobots, it looked as if the thrashing giant was falling apart… until they realized that those cast off pieces were coming after them in a variety of vehicular modes.

(to be continued)

PART 152

Meanwhile, in Betah.

——“I found it!” Beachcomber called out from the back of the warehouse. The sensor in the geologist’s index finger tingled as he outlined the trap door leading to the heretofore hidden missile silo.
——“Can ya get in?” inquired Jazz.
——Beachcomber was already descending the ladder. “Yeah,” he shouted vertically. “I’m inside the shaft. It’s deep!”
——“What d’ya see down there?”
——“Five photon missiles, stacked one on top of the other.”
——“In launch position?”
——“Ba ba buh da bu… primed for the end of paradise.”
——“Hold tight!” hollered Jazz. “Imma get Wheeljack to—“
——Suddenly Jazz’ comm lit up and a panicked voice filtered through it. “Jazz, we’re under attack! The Decepti-goons… they’ve merged into one! Send help!”
——“Dang it! I’ll see what I can do! Ratchet! Wheeljack! How soon ‘til the Aerialbots’ programmin’ is complete?”
——“Programming…!?” sputtered Ratchet. “We haven’t even finished wiping their memory banks yet!”
——“The data dump is at ninety-seven percent,” explained Wheeljack. “The reprogrammin’ is done in other parts of the brain… and that’s a little under fifty.”
——“Screw it. Activate ‘em.” ordered Jazz.
——Ratchet turned to Wheeljack. Wheeljack simply shrugged.
—--“He’s the boss.”
——“Jazz…” Ratchet pleaded. “As a doctor, I strongly advise you to—“
——“Do these mechs know whose side they’re on?” interrupted Jazz.
——“Well, yes… but—“
——“Good. Can they form one big robot?”
——“Yes.”
——“Then they’re ready,” concluded Jazz. “Bring ‘em online.”
——“We’ll do this in two stages,” explained Wheeljack, grasping one of two levers on an instrument panel. “Mind first. Then body.”
——A torrent of energy traveled from a rusted block of Junkion-built machinery into each of the Aerialbot’s cockpits. The lights on their displays lit up, prompting Jazz to step forward and present himself.
——“My name’s Jazz. I’m your mission leader. To my right is Doc Ratchet, to my left, Wheeljack. They’re the ‘Bots responsible for draggin’ you flyboys outta mothballs. In a moment Wheeljack’s gonna pull the lever that’ll let you to bust a move. Once you transform, I want each of you to state your names and functions.”
——Jazz cued Wheeljack to lower the second lever. The five jets shook violently when the second jolt of energy surged into their inert forms.
——Then nothing.
——Ratchet and Wheeljack searched each other’s faceplates for the answers neither of them possessed. Suddenly the sections on one aircraft, a black F-15 Eagle, separated and then reconfigured.
——Jazz was taken aback at the Aerialbot’s appearance. The Cybertronian had worn the earthly disguise of a common Seeker, so that’s what Jazz was expecting to see reflected in his robot form—not a standard sized ‘Bot sporting much of his alt-mode on his back.
——“I’m Air Raid,” announced the new recruit. “Function: warrior. When do I get to fight?”
——“Soon.” Jazz replied. “Most mechs don’t ask that when first activated,” he assessed internally. “Good attitude for the situation we’re in right now. Might be a problem later.”
——A second Aerialbot shifted from an F-4 Phantom II into someone who looked lost.
——“This isn’t Chaar, and… this isn’t me.” said the confused ‘Bot, lightly touching the Combiner column set into his torso. “Where am I?”
——“Earth.”
——“Is that a place, or a base?”
——“It’s a planet. I’ll clue you in later. What’s your name?”
——“Um, It’s Fireflight. My function’s reconnaissance.”
——The third jet—a F-16 Fighting Falcon—transformed with his arms crossed, analyzing the three Autobots who were analyzing him.
——”Name’s Skydive. Function: Air Warfare Specialist.”
——“How can a ‘Bot that’s just been built be a specialist in anything?” pondered Jazz. “Especially off of three percent of memory? His data storage capacity must be no joke.”
——The forth Aerialbot practically leaped out of alt-mode and demanded everyone’s attention.
——“I’m Slingshot. The best of the best. With me up in the sky, MY team’ll cream anyone—high OR low.”
——The largest of the group—an XB-70 Valkyrie—converted while questioning Slingshot’s statement.
——“You’re our Air Commander, Slingshot? I wasn’t aware anyone held that position.”
——“Powerglide’s your Air Commander,” clarified Wheeljack. “You’ll meet up with the big blowhard soon enough.”
——Ratchet chose this moment to test the tall Aerialbot’s cognitive ability with a simple question.
——“And you are…?”
——“Oh sorry, I’m Silverbolt. And uh, I’m not sure my function is applicable anymore.”
——The medic stared at Silverbolt with a blank expression. The results of his cursory examination were inconclusive.
——“Listen up Aerialbots,” said Jazz. “We got some friends in a jam not too far from here. I need ya to provide them with air support.”
——“Not like we have much of a choice in the matter,” mumbled Skydive.
——“When we open the doors you’re gonna see a buncha small creatures rush in here,” warned Wheeljack. “Ignore ‘em.”
——“And try not to squash any of them.” added Ratchet.
——In preparation, Ratchet and Wheeljack placed their palms on opposite sides of the hangar’s doors, ready to slide them apart. Jazz stood poised with a hand in the air. Then, like a flag waver denoting the start of a race, he dropped it.
——The mob poured in as Wheeljack and Ratchet pushed the doors outward. The Aerialbots charged at the humans, appearing as if they were about to disobey orders and trample them under their clanking heels. Ratchet braced himself for the sounds of crunching skulls and squishing noises. Just before the first Aerialbot’s foot could turn his fear into reality, the quintet transformed, taking flight as the crowd surged beneath them.
——“And they’re off!” shouted Jazz.
——“Good for them,” replied Wheeljack. “But what do we do about these guys?”

(to be continued)

PART 153

——Jazz dived down palms first like a breakdancer about to show off his floor moves. In the span of a second he was a Porsche, deploying a pair of purple speakers from his trunk. 180 decibels of sound slammed into the human army like a physical force, instantly reducing them into a lake of brown slime littered with automatic weapons.
——“Whoa!” exclaimed Jazz.
——A lone survivor—soaked kaftan clinging to his slight frame—rose wide-eyed to his feet, then stumbled screaming from the hangar.
——Wheeljack squatted to swab a specimen of squirming protoplasm out of the pool with his index finger.
——“Humans ain’t supposed to melt are they?”
——“Burn? Yeah,” answered Ratchet. “Melt…? No.”
——“Looks like they were synthoids—minus that one dude who high-tailed it outta here,” observed Jazz. “I suspected as much,” he said, returning to robot form. “But we couldn’t take the risk.”



——Warpath stood in front of a shuttered warehouse, staring blankly into blighted streets.
——Powerglide rapped his knuckles on top of the gunner’s head. “Hello? Anybody home? Warpath! What’s wrong with ya?”
——“Er, I’m… well. Thank you for asking, friend. How are you doing on this fine day?”
——Powerglide recoiled in shock at his pal’s sudden lack of techno-Tourettes. “Whaa…?”
——Jazz’ voice blared through his comm. “Ay, Powerglide! Good news, man! You just got a promotion!”
——“Got some greenhorns headed your way,” Wheeljack could be heard shouting in the background. “Lead ‘em ta victory!”
The Aerialbots’ newly minted Air Commander looked up as five jets shot by. “I found Warpath,” he radioed. “He’s close by. He sounds a little funny, but otherwise he’s A-okay. I’m sending him over to you guys.”
——“10-4. Good to hear he’s still generatin’. I was startin’ to miss all the random sound effects,” joked Jazz.
——Powerglide placed his hands on Warpath’s shoulders. “Head to the hangar, pal. Then let Ratchet check you out.”
——With a last look, Powerglide took off running, then he transformed and soared upwards into his element yelling, “hey, wait up! Wait for me, fellas! That’s an order!”
——The metal gate behind Warpath creaked upwards slowly. Headmaster Sunstreaker ducked out from under it to join him in the hot sun.
——“The coast is clear, Starscream.” the stolen Autobot reported. “This… Powerglide did not suspect a thing.”
——“Then roll out, Doctor.” Starscream directed from the shadows. “I’ll be right behind you.”

(to be continued)

PART 154

TOBRUK

——“Five combining commandos versus an architect, a maintenance bot… and me,” calculated Smokescreen. “To be honest, I’d rather try my luck in Lord Gyconi’s Pit of Destruction! We can keep ahead of the rollers, but the fliers will overtake Grapple and Hoist before they can find cover. They’re the ones the Decepti-creeps really want—I’m surplus to requirements. Ah well, how’d that song go on my stereo? You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk awayyy… and know when to ROLL!”
——The diversionary tactician’s tires spin, spitting sand in their wake. He swerves in behind Grapple, transforms, and fires both shoulder mounted missiles at the space shuttle pursuing his comrade. The projectiles explode in bursts of black smoke and debris, unsuccessful in diverting the Combaticon’s dogged trajectory.
——Then, a wave of electrical interference washes over Blast Off. His guidance system tells him to disregard the feed from his optic sensors, arguing instead that up is down and down is up. As the horizon line rises above Blast Off’s windshield, he tilts his nose cone towards the sky and away from his quarry.
——“Scratch one ‘Con,” smirks Smokescreen. “Now let’s see what I can do about his buddy!”
——Across the sands, a helicopter easily matches a tow truck’s speed. Hoist drops the Space Bridge section he’s towing and accelerates. Above, Vortex’s rotary cannons open up like storm clouds, raining down fifty caliber bullets. Smokescreen fires his electro-disrupter rifle. The crackle of the beam striking its target supplants the sound of machine gun fire. Vortex’s main rotor stalls. He converts as he falls. The incensed Combaticon lands with feet planted firmly, already aiming his weapon.
——”I see you, Auto-trash!”
——A missile whistling past Vortex spoils his shot. When the projectile—packing the equivalent of two hundred pounds of TNT—hits its target, the earth shaking explosion leaves nothing behind but a bonfire burning over Hoist’s charred remains.
——“HOOWEE!” exclaims Brawl in tank form. “Good thing I had yer six! That wreck dropped you like a rock!”
——“That pile of parts wasn’t the shooter, bolt-brain!” screams Vortex. “He is!”
——A rally car roars past, covering them in a cloud of exhaust fumes. Brawl blindly rotates his turret in the rally car’s direction, tripping up his teammate in the process. His audio receptors register the sound of a mouthplate meeting the sand.
——“You big—kaff—dummy!” coughs Vortex. “Get the slag away from me!”
Vortex lashes out with a kick, overturning his fellow Combaticon’s alt-form. Brawl reconfigures to robot mode, swinging wildly in the smog. “I’ve had it wit’ you callin’ me outta my name, Vortex!”
——Two pairs of rough hands drag the dueling dimwits out of the darkness and into the light.
——“Hey! You’re both dummies if ya ask me!” scolds Swindle.
——“I concur!” adds Onslaught. “While you two imbeciles fight amongst yourselves, the Autobots are making their escape!”

(to be continued)

PART 155

——High above Carbomya’s capital, six Aerialbots soar!
——Two outbound,” radioed Powerglide. “Whoa! It’s Smokescreen and Grapple! Aerialbots, hold your fire!”
——“We know who the bad guys are!” Slingshot shot back.
——“Yeah!” added Air Raid. “The question is when do we get to perforate ‘em?”
——“Right. About. Now!” answered Powerglide. “We’ve got a helicopter, a Jeep, an anti-aircraft truck, and a tank. Let ‘em have it!”
——Air Raid accelerated toward Vortex, ventilating him with high caliber bullets until the Combaticon could no longer claim the sky. Air Raid streaked onward as Vortex spun toward the ground.
——“Reckless…” radioed Powerglide, “But effective! I like it!”
——“Hey, if you look first, you may not leap,” joked Air Raid.
——Skydive’s laser-guided missiles locked on to the Jeep. The Jeep’s gyro-gun spun in the missiles’ direction. A burst of energy from its barrel sent one missile spinning off course. The other exploded near enough to catapult the vehicle into the air. Swindle reconfigured his parts in a panic. He landed on his skid plate, yelling “Cover me, you clowns!”
——“Quit yer whinin’ Swindle!” Brawl radioed, rolling towards him in tank form. “I’m comin’!”
——Another bomb whistled from the sky. It’s impact opened the ground in front of the agitated arms dealer and sent dirt flying in every direction.
——“Wait for it… wait for it…” teased Slingshot, circling above the mushroom cloud.
——Brawl drove directly into the crater Slingshot created, upending himself.
——“Bam! Now who here thought a brain dead Decepticreep WOULDN’T do that?” laughed Slingshot.
——Onslaught lost his composure. “Overconfident fool!” he bellowed. Brawl’s stupidity, coupled with his enemies’ surety had become too much to bear. In their day, the Combaticons were an elite unit feared throughout the galaxy. He refused to see that reputation sullied by some unknown squad of Autobot jets.
——Two projectiles split into six the moment they were clear of Onslaught’s cannons. Incredibly, Slingshot evaded them all. Six sidewinder missiles zigzagged to an explosive finale without a single hit.
——“Close, creep!” taunted Slingshot. “But no cy-gar!”
——Powerglide led the aerial assault against Onslaught. “Attaaack!” His thermal beam raked the roof of Onslaught’s alt-form on the dive down. A trio of concussion bombs blew apart his foe’s anti-aircraft guns as he soared back upwards. “Direct hit! Got ‘im!”
——Onslaught transformed in time to aim at the next would-be bomber and was enveloped in flaming fog before he could pull the trigger. He shielded his face from the intense heat, involuntarily giving voice to his discomfort as his metal skin reached its melting point. “AAAIIIIIEEEEE!!””
——“Good one, Fireflight!” cheered Silverbolt. “You made that stuffy old ‘Con scream! Now let me show you what I can do!”
——A bolt of lightning crackled from Silverbolt’s nose cone and electrocuted Brawl as he charged out of the crater in robot mode. Then he fell back into it, glitching uncontrollably.
——Fireflight was overcome with laughter at the spectacle. “HAHAHA… hey buddy… HAHA what’d you say your name was again?”
——“It’s Silverbolt!”
——“Blast Off!” Onslaught sputtered into his comm. “Where are you?!?”
——“Inbound.” Blast Off radioed back. “From your tone, Commander, I assume that you believe we are in danger of losing this battle. Allow me to assuage those fears.”
——Air Raid and Skydive were wing to wing as they returned for a second pass. The space shuttle that overtook them forced them in different directions. “Whoa!” exclaimed Air Raid. “Where’d HE come from!?”
——“I’m more concerned about where he’s going!” cried Skydive. “Fireflight…! Look out!”
——The beam fired from Blast Off’s nose cone flashed through Fireflight’s fuselage, stalling an engine. After a brief struggle to stay airborne, he crashed, leaving pieces of a shattered wing scattered in the sand.
——“That new guy just downed Fireflight!” exclaimed Powerglide. “Silverbolt! Get on his tail fin! I’m going after Swindle!”
“Will do, commander!”
——Silverbolt went full thrust, firing as he closed in on Blast Off’s afterburners.
“You’re swift in the air!” said Blast Off as another beam crackled over his cockpit. “Let’s see how well you perform in space!”
——Blast Off aimed for the sun. Silverbolt followed… and then abruptly broke off the chase.
——“AHH!” yelped Silverbolt. “I-I can’t do it!”
——“My aim was to take you out of your element… but I seem to have uncovered a most debilitating defect instead!”
——Blast Off continued to taunt Silverbolt as he retreated. “An air warrior that’s afraid of heights-! How droll! Stay out of the skies, coward! You will find them to be anything BUT friendly!”
——Below, a badly leaking Swindle cowered behind a boulder, purple optics shifting from left to right. The attack he was anticipating came from above, reducing his refuge to rubble. The red plane that dropped its payload on his head circled back. “Blast Off, HELP!” he radioed.
——“Never fear!”
——Blast Off’s devastating ion burst triggered Powerglide’s transformation cog. The Autobot ace transformed in mid-air and spiraled toward the sand. The metal-crunching collision with the ground scrambled his sensors to the point where he felt as though he was still falling.
——“Gotta get it together!” he mumbled through the malfunction. “Whaa?! I’M BURNING!”
——Powerglide sprang to his feet, but there was no time to extinguish the flames. Swindle was standing just a few yards away soaked in energon. Powerglide’s targeting system locked on for the shot that would’ve wrecked the wounded Combaticon before he could react.
——“C’mon… one blast,” he gasped. “Just gotta… raise my arm.”
——His shoulder creaked toward Swindle. Swindle’s smirk widened into a grin.
——“You’re gonna plug me with that, huh pal? A nub?”
——“Huh…?”
——Powerglide’s arm was gone, blown off at the bicep. There was nothing left but wires dangling out of a blackened stump. His sensory circuits however, kept telling him that he had an arm—and that it was holding a pistol.
——“Heyyy, you’re damaged pretty badly… malfunctioning. But don’t worry, I ain’t gonna kill ya,” Swindle said, jerking his thumb back towards the titan looming behind him. “He is.”
——Swindle backflipped and became a leg. Bruticus slammed his thigh down on him, becoming whole. With electricity still surging at the knee where the connection was made, the gestalt menacingly raised his foot.
——“UHRRRUUHHH… BRUTICUS WILL… STOMP YOU!”
——Air Raid, Skydive, and Slingshot attempted to come to Powerglide’s rescue, strafing Bruticus with bombs, bullets, and missiles. Bruticus seemed unbothered by their niggling attacks—if he truly noticed them at all. The ground shook when the giant finally decided to put his foot down. When he lifted it again, what remained of Powerglide underfoot was unrecognizable.
——“WHO’S NEXT?”

(to be continued)

PART 156

——The stolen Decepticon shuttle shuddered toward the Carbomyan coastline. Wind rushed in through holes in its battered hull, creating a howling whirlwind inside its metallic interior. Optimus Prime sat behind Sideswipe, gun in his lap, unmoved by the forces of Mother Nature.
——“Sideswipe!” he shouted above the din. “How much longer until we reach our destination?”
——“You mean IF we reach our destination! This crate’s barely holding together!”
——“Prime!” Blaster’s voice blasted through the shuttle’s speakers, drowning out Sideswipe’s concerns. “I just picked up a live broadcast from Carbomya! Our side is outmatched and about to be dispatched! Look… see for yourself.”
——The dashboard monitor lit up, and on it Optimus Prime saw the monstrosity his Autobots were up against. Pieces of Powerglide lay crushed behind Bruticus as he lumbered towards his next victim. The combined firepower of three aircraft left nothing but little plumes of smoke on his armor. So insignificant were their efforts that Bruticus didn’t even bother to swat them on his way to trample their teammate.
——Fireflight returned to online status in the shadow of Bruticus’ foot. Instinctively, the imperiled Aerialbot raised his hands in fear. “Oh no no no no…”
——Optimus saw Silverbolt fly under Bruticus’ heel just before the Combiner stomped down. He vented a sigh of relief when Silverbolt burst from the dust cloud surrounding Bruticus’ foot with Fireflight hugging his undercarriage.
——“He’s safe. Thank Primus.”
——The monster from the monitor appeared on the horizon.
——“Woww!” exclaimed Sideswipe. “Look at that thing!”
——“Continue onward to Betah, Sideswipe. I’ll handle the situation here.”
——“That Combiner looks pretty tough! You ‘Bots are gonna need all the help you get… you sure Prime?”
——When the pilot didn’t receive a reply, he waited a few more seconds before glancing over his shoulder. Prime’s seat was empty. The shuttle’s bay door was wide open. The Autobot leader had already leapt into action.

(to be continued)

PART 157

——Powerglide destroyed Onslaught’s anti-aircraft guns on the penultimate bombing run before his destruction. When the Combaticons formed Bruticus, the absence of those armaments left a gaping hole in the Combiner’s back. It was a weak point that the Autobot plummeting toward him intended to take full advantage of.
——Optimus Prime’s glowing Energon axe snagged the ragged rim of Bruticus’ wound, arresting his fall from the shuttle. He aimed his rifle upwards and squeezed off two shots into the injury before a giant hand swung around to crush him. The axe dissipated and Optimus met the ground in alt-form, wheels already spinning.
——“Aerialbots! Retreat and regroup on my position!” he commanded.
——Slingshot, Skydive, and Air Raid swung into formation behind the red truck rumbling beneath them.
——“Who’s this guy?” inquired Slingshot.
——“A Prime, maybe?” guessed Skydive.
——“He sure fights like a Prime!” added Air Raid.



——Optimus Prime and the five Aerialbots regrouped in the hills overlooking Tobruk. Bruticus stood like a titanic monument miles away in the distance, awaiting his adversaries’ return.
——“We’re going to need a new Air Commander if we’re going back out there,” said Skydive.
——“I appoint Silverbolt,” announced Optimus Prime.
——“What?! That ‘Bot’s scared of heights!” Slingshot shouted, pointing at Silverbolt. “Get this—the biggest, fastest jet in the whole bunch gets the drop on a Decepticreep, but then freaks out when he flies too high! What’d you used to be back on Chaar, big guy? A hover barge?!?”
——All the Aerialbots erupt in laughter.
——“Silverbolt is selfless,” objected Optimus Prime. “While the rest of you sought to destroy your foe, Silverbolt saw a friend in need. His concern for your safety will distract him from his acrophobia.”
——“I dunno,” sighed Skydive.
——Fireflight stood up from the rock he was sitting on to shake Silverbolt’s hand. “You think you’re up to the job?” he smiled. “I do.”
——“Well, Silverbolt?” inquired the Autobot leader, awaiting an answer.
——“I won’t let you down, Prime.” Silverbolt said, with all the confidence he could muster.
——“Eh. We’ll see,” sneered Slingshot.
——”Aerialbots transform!” ordered Silverbolt, ignoring the barb. “Diamond formation. You too, Fireflight! You’re with me!”
——Fireflight ran and hopped on Silverbolt, straddling his nose cone as he began to roll at the tip of the formation.
——“We can do this, Aerialbots!” shouted Silverbolt. “Let’s finish what we started!”

(to be continued)

PART 158

——“Form Superion!” commanded Silverbolt.
——The Aerialbots merged in mid-air into a two hundred ton giant. Superion’s extended fist collided with Bruticus’ mouth plate at Mach 2, knocking the monster off his feet. Bruticus’ hand moved toward his face to assess the damage. His fingers informed him that it had been flattened. The cables sparking around his neck confirmed what his cerebral circuits suspected—a near decapitation. The voices in his head scream at each other to get up and fight.
——Superion stood above Bruticus as he attempted to rise, hammering him back down with a blizzard of blows. Bruticus’ rotor arm began to spin as Superion’s fists fell upon him. A shower of sparks turns into spurts of fuel. Superion stumbles backward, stanching a gash down his side with an open palm. Bruticus stood to his feet, blinded by rage and spurred on by the smell of spilled energon.
——“BRUTICUS WILL DISASSEMBLE YOU!”
——“BIG WORDS,” gasped Superion. “COME. BACK THEM UP.”
——Superion’s right hand reconfigured into Fireflight’s thrusters and lit Bruticus’ charging form aflame. The titans grappled as an inferno spread over both their bodies. Superion’s knee slammed into Bruticus’ mid-section, loosening his lower abdominal plates. Bruticus retaliated with a headbutt that fissured Superion’s forehead.
——Dazed, Superion’s sensors fail to feed him information. When sensory input returned a second later, he found himself on his back, visor obscured by cracks after being scooped and body slammed. He rolls away from a stomp meant for his head, then halts another downward thrusting heel with both hands. Bruticus leans in, shifting all his weight to one foot.
——“BRUTICUS CRUSH YOUR FACE!”
——Superion’s clasped hands sink to his face plate. His antennas pick up the faint sound of laughter emanating from the leg component crushing him. Suddenly, Bruticus’ back stiffens as he’s struck with an ion bolt. A second shot sends shockwaves through his internal mechanisms. Onslaught feels the others start to drift. Through sheer force of will he pulls them back into a cohesive unit. Then he supercharges them with the singular focus they need. There is another enemy begging to be obliterated first.
——Bruticus spun around to face this new foe. Optimus Prime’s ion blast blew off the tip of Bruticus’ thumb as he reached down for him. He felt the giant’s four enormous fingers snap around his body like a steel trap. The broken fifth digit’s exposed electrical artery overloads his system on contact. KAkZZZZzzkk!
——Caught in his grasp, Optimus Prime felt as if he were being elevated to the top floor of a Cybertronian skyscraper.
——“YOU HURT BRUTICUS,” the monster told him optic to optic. “NOW… YOU DIE!”

(to be continued)

PART 159

——An arm that is half harrier jet grabs Bruticus from behind in a headlock. The other arm—comprised of an F-4 Phantom—digs its fingers into the side of Bruticus’ neck and pulls with all his might.
——The Combaticon Combiner’s head comes off in a fit of sparks and smoke. Stunned by his own strength, Superion drops his grisly prize. The impact generates a foreshock which proceeds the earthquake caused by the collapse of Bruticus’ body. When the dust settles, Bruticus lay sprawled on his back. Standing over him is Superion, fist raised in victory.
——“SUPERIONNN… SUPREME!”
——The synthesized blip that follows is all too familiar to Optimus Prime. Skywarp appears out of nowhere firing missiles into Superion’s face. Superion stumbles, holding a flaming optic sensor with one hand while swatting at Skywarp with the other. The Seeker teleports away as Astrotrain rockets in from the east. Optimus Prime struggles to free himself from Bruticus’ hand, but the fallen giant’s fingers won’t budge.
——“Superion! Look out!”
——Astrotrain didn’t open fire on Superion as Optimus expected him to, but instead air dropped Rumble onto the Combiner’s head. The diminutive demolitionist’s piledrivers pounded furiously, spreading cracks across Superion’s already compromised cranium.
——Rumble dodges between oversized digits as Superion reaches upward to pluck him off. He lands on the gestalt’s shoulder and begins striking the metal beneath his feet once again, seizing Superion’s right arm. A moment later the locking mechanism within that arm succumbs to seismic forces. The limb detaches, dumping a shrinking, semi alt-formed Fireflight onto a sand dune. Superion screams in auto-tuned agony at the abrupt amputation.
——Next, the sight and sound of a sonic boom propagating through the clouds heralds Thundercracker’s arrival. The circular sound wave collides with its target like an explosive shell, shattering Superion’s steel skullcap to reveal the cerebral circuitry blinking beneath. Rumble laughs as he rides the beaten behemoth down into the dust cloud that rises as they descend.
——Restrained in his four fingered prison, Optimus Prime can do nothing except lower his head. “Superion… no.”
——The sound of shifting parts puts an end to the tremors caused by tons of toppling Combiner steel.
——Rumble sprints out of the brown cloud that swallowed him up seconds earlier. Slingshot makes his exit from the cloud in alt-mode, riddling Rumble with bullets before angling upwards to join the already ascending Air Raid, Skydive, and Silverbolt.
——The Aerialbots meet Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Astrotrain head on. There is a brief exchange of bullets, rockets, and rays between the two groups, ending in Astrotrain’s expulsion from the skies. Air Raid and Slingshot barrel roll back to harry Thundercracker, while Silverbolt and Skydive split off to handle Skywarp.
——Astrotrain lands on the ground as a locomotive, chugging to a stop before the immobilized leader of the Autobots. Out of the Triple Changer steps Optimus Prime’s opposite number.
——“Finally,” grins Megatron, as he levels his fusion cannon at Optimus’ head. “It feels like I’ve waited an eternity for this.”

(to be continued)

PART 160

——“You’ll have to wait awhile longer, Megatron!”
——The shot meant for Optimus Prime’s head struck Bruticus’ pinky finger as he was once again being elevated into the air. Megatron continued to fire at his sworn enemy from the ground, leaving charred holes in Bruticus’ immense hand. ——Megatron didn’t recognize the headless Combiner clutching his target. He wasn’t certain if Optimus Prime was somehow controlling the Decepticons who comprised it, but what he did know is that he was quickly losing control of the situation.
——“MEGATRON!”
——Megatron spun around, ready to destroy the interloper who dared take such a commanding tone with him. He was surprised to see that it was Bruticus’ detached head.
——“YOU IMPRISONED US!”
——Megatron had taken the Sparks of many during his rise to power, but he’d stripped away the freedoms of only a select few.
——“Ahhh… the Combaticons! Foot soldiers who amounted to nothing more than a footnote on the data track of Deception conquest.”
——“RRR. NOW… BRUTICUS WILL CRUSH YOU… WITH HIS FOOT!”
——To Megatron, it felt as if an asteroid had hit the earth behind him. The Decepticon leader found himself thrust into the air, deafened by the sound of steel striking stratum. He landed on his hands and knees, pelted by falling rocks and pebbles.
——“So… Bruticus can control his body in his current state,” thought Megatron. “But his aim isn’t precise. Still… the head distracted me while the body sprung a trap. These Combaticons are not to be underestimated.”
——Furious at missing his target, Bruticus threw Optimus Prime at Megatron. Megatron deployed his shield and yielded ground to the force of the impact. Upon recovery, both faction leaders thrust their weapons in each other’s faceplates.
——“I might survive this,” said Megatron, staring down the barrel of Optimus’ ion rifle. “But you won’t.”
——“That is a sacrifice I’m willing to make, Megatron!” said Optimus Prime from a similar position.
——The roar of Bruticus’ fist rocketing out of his wrist socket ended the standoff. Megatron tucked and rolled while Optimus Prime transformed and rolled out. The titanic fist smashed deep into the terra firma, bombarding everything in its blast radius with concussive force.
——Megatron’s helmet rung like it was hit with a wrecking ball. His optics scanned the rubble for some sort of an advantage. “Astrotrain…! To me!”
——“I can’t, Megatron,” answered Astrotrain. “I’m stuck!” The Triple Changer’s legs thrashed around while his upper body shuddered just shy of completing the transformation to robot form.
——“Useless,” muttered Megatron.
——Optimus Prime rumbled toward Megatron in truck mode. Megatron aimed his fusion cannon at his grille, intending to stop his engine and slow his momentum.
—— Bruticus intervened before the shot could be taken, blowing the interfering Autobot skybound with his arm-mounted rotor blades. Megatron let the particle beam meant for Optimus Prime fly towards Bruticus’ forehead crest. The monstrous head suffered little damage from the attack, and in short time Megatron found himself back to dodging blows from Bruticus’ body.



——A quarter mile away, Optimus Prime reverts to robot mode after a rough landing in the Carbomyan mountains. “Smokescreen… where are you?”
——“Heading towards the action, Prime.” Smokescreen radios back. “And I invited a friend.”

(to be continued)

PART 161

——A stomp from Bruticus created a fissure under Megatron’s feet, sending the tyrant tumbling into its depths. The tremors he felt at the bottom of the crevice were the footsteps of the Combiner coming to complete his destruction.
——Megatron waited, and when the pit grew overcast with shadow, he discharged his fusion cannon into the darkness. The searing energy struck Bruticus squarely in the chest, sending the giant stumbling backward out of view.
——“Ungainly pile of reject parts,” dismissed Megatron.
——The self styled “Slag-Maker” sunk his hands and feet into the sides of his prison and began to climb towards the light. Halfway to the top, the sun was blotted out once more… this time by an immense forearm reconfigured into a cannon.
——“GOODBYE MEGATRON!”
——SKOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!
——Flames flickered in Bruticus’ neck cavity and black smoke billowed from the wound on his back. The dive bomber behind the sneak attack, Devcon, circled back for another run. For a moment it looked like the Combiner was close to collapsing, but then the Combaticons who comprised him righted themselves. Seeking immediate retribution, the mechanical monstrosity retaliated with a blast from his wrist cannon. Sonic waves spread out from the barrel-socket, blurring the sky as they hammered Devcon’s hull with hurricane force.
——Grapple radios his astonishment ahead to Smokescreen as the duo speed toward Bruticus.
——“My word—! Bruticus has better aim than most Decepticons who still have a head!”
——“Yeahhh, I can’t argue with that. I think I see the problem though. Gimme a second to fix it.”
——Smokescreen zoomed past Bruticus’ enormous decapitated dome, draping it in inky black exhaust. The effect was immediate.
——“UHRUHHH! BRUTICUS… CAN’T SEE! BRUTICUS IS… BLINDED!”
——Robbed of sight, Bruticus’ body thrashed around wildly, lashing out at enemies who weren’t there. Optimus Prime transformed from a truck to a rifle wielding robot running towards the blind gestalt. Three shots fired into the open wound on Bruticus’ back staggered him, but failed to do significant damage.
——Grapple transformed and took a potshot at the goliath that he didn’t expect to yield any results. “Bruticus is as durable within as he is without! We simply do not have the firepower to destroy him!”
——“You don’t, Autobot…”
——Grapple recoiled in fear as Megatron emerged from the pit.
——“… but I do!”
——“A truce then, Megatron!” proposed Optimus Prime. “Together, the two of us will bring an end to this monster’s rampage!”
——“Agreed. For now… ONLY for now.”
——Megatron leapt, shrinking and changing in mid-air. He landed as a pistol in Optimus Prime’s outstretched palm. Optimus fired one shot into Bruticus’ back, severing his spinal structure in a fiery explosion. The falling Combiner’s shadow loomed large over Grapple like a collapsing skyscraper, threatening to crush him.
——“Grapple!” shouted Optimus Prime. “Get out of the way!”
——It was too late to run. The architect covered his head with his arms. Fortunately for him, the forecast changed and the sky hailed significantly smaller Combaticons.
——Optimus Prime waved his Megatron gun from left to right, ready to shoot any of the fallen that dared rise after Bruticus was razed. The Combaticons lay defeated, writhing in pain as energy pulsed through their systems.
——Devcon changed form as he descended from the sky. Bent and battered, he appeared more than a little miffed at his current condition. Smokescreen shifted out of alt-mode and shook his hand.
——“Thanks for your help.”
——“Thank you for boosting my bank account,” replied Devcon.
——“You’re welcome to stay,” offered Optimus Prime. “Let my medics repair your injuries.”
——Devcon grabbed Swindle by the spare tire on his back. “Thank you, but no. I’ll be passing the planet of Junk on my way to Paradron with this piece of trash,” he said. “The Junkions have some of the best mechanics in the universe. I’ll touch down there for refueling and repairs. This place reminds me too much of Cybertron… and the reason why I left,” the bounty hunter said, as he stared at the bodies laying around them. “Good luck with your war. I’ve got to get going.”
——The Autobots watched as Devcon transformed and took off, hauling Swindle in a black net behind him.
——“How noble… a freelance peacekeeping pacifist,” Megatron said wryly. “You can unhand me now, Prime. The monster has been dealt with.”
——“That… is a matter of perspective,” replied Optimus Prime.
——Megatron caught the meaning of Optimus’ words. He strained, but the raw strength in Optimus Prime’s hand prevented him from enlarging.
—— “Oh no… not yet, Megatron. You and I have many things to discuss.”
——Several yards away, Smokescreen trained his weapon on the spot where Astrotrain’s head would pop up if the Triple Changer ever completed his conversion.
——“We’re taking prisoners, Prime?”
——“Of course, Smokescreen. It’s a mercy the Decepticons wouldn’t extend to us if the roles were reversed… but we are not them. Grapple, start gathering materials to restrain the Decepticons.”
——“Right away, Prime. The Space Bridge section that I stashed will bind them quite uncomfortably once I’ve broken it down into strips.”
——Grapple turned to transform. Optimus’ arm shot out and Megatron blasted him in the back. Grapple collapsed with his mouth agape and the light gone from his optics.
——“No—!”
——Megatron reveled in the Autobot leader’s anguish. “Optimus Prime: Autobot killer!”
——Optimus’ arm jerked sideways and extended towards Smokescreen. The tactician gasped, thinking his life at an end. Optimus flung Megatron away, freeing him. The murderous Decepticon lands crouched and ready for combat.
——Optimus Prime drew his rifle. “ENOUGH! One shall stand…”
——“…And one shall fall.” concluded Megatron.

(to be continued)

PART 162

OPTIMUS PRIME

——Megatron’s particle beam atomizes the paint on my chest as it passes. A near miss only because I knew what he would lead with. Eject’s data tracks of Megatron’s gladiatorial matches have—in part—prepared me for this moment.
—— My opponent anticipates my response as well. A rectangular shield comprised of energon solidifies on his cannon arm, deflecting my retaliatory shot. He will shut down the shield in favor of the cannon. I’ll be ready to rush him when he does.
——The shield dissipates. Megatron swings his arm forward to fire. I shoulder into him, throwing off his aim. The cannon discharge burns through the air. Smokescreen dives for cover. The subsequent explosion shakes the ground, knocking me off balance—a grim reminder that Megatron possesses enough power to destroy an Autobot with a single blast in BOTH modes.
——Megatron’s follow up, a left hook, nearly snaps my neck. A blow to the chest feels like it shoves my fuel pump into my spinal assembly. I latch onto his fusion cannon with both hands and fling him into a rock formation. It crumbles on impact. Megatron leaps to his feet. He’s furious. I’m ready for his charge.
——I halt his advance with a right cross to the chin. We grapple. My right hand retracts into my forearm. A spike of energy replaces it, piercing Megatron’s side and expanding to form an axe within his chest cavity.
——“ARAAGHHH!”
——“Do you yield, Megatron?”
——“No! Never!”
——I twist, compelling him to reconsider. He clenches his teeth.
——WHUNK
——That noise..!
——WHUNK
——Megatron’s errant shot must have jarred Astrotrain’s transformation cog! He’s holding on to Smokescreen with one hand while striking him the other.
——WHUNK
——I hear the heft in the blow. Astrotrain stands as tall and wide as a Seeker, but with the additional weight of a third mode packed in. Pieces fly off Smokescreen with every punch. His faceplate is cracked, gone. Two circular optic sensors stare up at Astrotrain as he lands another blow beneath them.
——WHUNK
—— I try to break away from Megatron, but he won’t release me. Madness! I’m killing him! I turn to look him in the optics and reason with him—spare him… and I stare into two soulless sockets of absolute darkness instead.
——WHUNK
——Somehow Megatron has tapped into a black hole! I wasn’t aware he possessed this ability! With this surprise he gains the advantage. Anti matter energy swirls at his fingertips. His hand dissolves my armor like acid, burrowing into me… corrupting my systems. One by one they begin to shut down...
——“It’s over, Prime.”
——BOOOM!
——An explosion separates us. One initiated by neither I nor Megatron. Smokescreen detonated himself. The stench of nucleon sears my olfactory openings. Smokescreen must have felt that his chances of survival were slim, so he secreted a bomb inside his body. I’ve seen this tactic implemented too many times before during the most desperate of battles. I pray to never see it again.
——Astrotrain staggers away from Smokescreen’s remains. He creaks into shuttle mode and blasts away from the battlefield, leaving Megatron and I to iron out our differences.
——KAFF
——My old enemy lies on his back, choking on his own fuel. I aim at his head. I have no more words for him. The only thing that matters to me in this moment is his end.
——Skywarp appears, arms wrapped around Megatron, shielding him as I pull the trigger. An ion burst rips through both of them mid-transport. Two fading screams intermingle into one. The sound is everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
——Skywarp may have spirited Megatron away, but my audio receptors assure me that neither villain will rematerialize unscathed. I vow to destroy Megatron when next we meet. If he still functions.
——A battle rages in the skies above… albeit one-sided. My Aerialbots can handle Thundercracker. It falls to me to secure the scattered sections of the Space Bridge. But first…
——“Jazz, report! What is the situation in Betah?”
——“Hzzzzzzzzzzzz”
——“Jazz! Come in! Are you there?”
——“He’s busy right now…”
——That shrill voice over his comm—!
——“…call back later!”
——Starscream.

(to be continued)

PART 163

SIDESWIPE

——Dashboard’s flashing… It’s Prime!
——“Sideswipe, what is your location?”
——“Two miles from the hangar. The shuttle’s engines gave out—I bailed before it crashed! I’m driving the rest of the way.”
——“Proceed with caution. The hangar has been taken over by the Decepticons. Starscream is present with an unknown number of hostiles.”
——“Affirmative. Sideswipe out.”
——Starscream…! The ‘Cons second in command. I already blitzed Blitzwing, if I scrap Starscream too there won’t be any doubt who the Autobot’s greatest warrior is! Bring it on!
——There’s the hangar. It’s wide open. Something’s wrong.
——I can see Sunstreaker’s body standing with ‘Screamer and WARPATH?! Everybody else looks wrecked. Wait an astro-sec…! Where’s Jazz? Down in front of Starscream… he’s being interrogated.
——I transform and launch a rocket before my transformation’s complete. Starscream turns his head. That look on his faceplate…! Classic! Sunstreaker dives outta the way… Bye bye, ‘Screamer!
——KOOOM!
——I hear pieces of him hit the floor. Fire… .smoke… can’t see who’s still standing.
——Warpath bolts outta the haze, eyes red… ready to rumble. His rage gets cut short. A photon blast to the back knocks him on his turret. Ha! Looks like Jazz’ trigger finger is still functioning. I hear grunts and clanks as the rest of the gang mixes it up with Starscream.
——A punch to the back of the head tells me that I’m up against the body thief. He’s coming at me knees and knuckles… basically all my brother’s moves sped up. I weather the storm. Nothing lethal. Yet. He’s setting me up for the kill shot... I duck electron bursts and tackle him ‘round the waist. Elbows to the back of the head—OW! OW!—that’ll leave some dents. Ignition… and away we go!
——“Enjoy the ride, Earth-germ! It’ll be your last!”
——My rocket pack sends us toward the ceiling. I let go before I crash through it. The human however, hits hard enough to snap steel girders. I spiral into a wall and land on my feet—barely. Reckless stunts like that always threw Sunstreaker off balance during our sparring sessions.
Arkeville is using my brother’s hand to rub his blocky head. Stupid. That’s not the way to stabilize scrambled circuits! My opponent may have access to Sunstreaker’s combat files, but our type of pain isn’t something he’s used to feeling.
——Should I yank him off or just blast him? Prime said not to hurt the humans… but this creep’s not really human anymore. He’s a Cybertronian as far as I’m concerned. Fair game. He killed my brother. Then he added insult to injury by stealing his body. He’s escaped from our detention center once already… and he put Prowl on a slab!
——I’m gonna end this. It’s what ‘Streaker would do.
——I squeeze the trigger at close range. Pieces of faceplate fly. A moment later the fake head falls. It unfolds on the floor… a mix of burnt steak and circuits.
——It’s over. Sunstreaker was right all along. THIS is the way you deal with threats.
——Uh oh, it’s Starscream!
——I zoom in on a face twisted by fear and anger a split second before he transforms. The thrust of his afterburners knocks us off our feet. My optics see a Decepticon jet soar into the sky, but my audio receptors argue that it isn’t gone.
——“Take cover!” yells Ratchet.
——No time. Cluster bombs bring the hangar down on us. My vision glitches before everything blinks out. Too many hits to the head, can’t stay conscious…
——My memory bank rewinds to the exact moment I fry Doctor Arkeville. Except the ‘Bot standing over him isn’t me… it’s the ‘Bot I should be. Black paint job, spiked tires, and holding engine blocks that spit bullets.
——This is the Autobot Earth needs. One that’s willing to continue on where Sunstreaker left off.
——In a flash that world disappears. I’m online again. Back to reality. Warpath comes to right after I do. He’s covered in dust and confused about why he’s reactivating with a gun in his face.
——“Whoaa… Heyy Sideswipe! ZOWIE! It’s me, Warpath!”
——“You’re a traitor, Bro!”
——“Who me!? No way! Last thing I remember was Starscream giving me the ZAP! Next thing I know I’m laying under a BOOM! building.”
——Mind control. I must’ve freed him when I terminated the human. Lucky for him.
——Beachcomber’s sensors say the WMDs are buried under a crater full of rubble. Wheeljack says we’ll probably wind up stationed here until we can figure out what to do with them. Jazz agrees. Carbomya and everything in it is too valuable for the ‘Cons to just leave it be. Fine. Whatever. I’ll stay as long as I have something to shoot.

(to be continued)

PART 164

THUNDERCRACKER

——These stinkin’ Aerialbots are all over me! Cowards… zippin’ in and zippin’ out before my sonic booms can put the hurt on ‘em! This stupid dogfight fight’s pushin’ me past the city limits—which is probably just what that slime Prime wants!
——“YeeOOW!”
——Electric bolt from the big ‘Bot clipped one of my tail fins. These guys are getting to be a pain in the aft! Luckily I’ve got Soundwave along for the ride. Personally, I can’t stand ‘im. Professionally… he’s as good as Skywarp in a scrap.
——I snake a cable outta my instrument panel towards his alt-form. “Gimme a boost, Soundwave!”
——“Affirmative. Increasing amplitude.”
——KrakkaBOOM!
——Whoa! Even I felt that one! That rattled ‘em! HA! They’re strugglin’ to keep up!
——“Standby, Soundwave. Those Aerialbozos seem confused about who rules the skies. I’m gonna go back so we can clear the air.”
——“Negative, return to base.”
——“What-?”
——“Abort mission. Megatron has been defeated.”
——“Where’s Starscream?”
——“Whereabouts unknown.”
——Huh. Starscream went radio silent right after he left with the Coneheads—that’s the reason why we’re even out here in the first place. Megatron smelled a retro-rat and decided to see what was going on in Carbomya for himself. We weren’t expecting to see Autobums when we got here. No one’s seen or heard a blip from Starscream. With Megatron beat, Screamer’s sure to pop up to make his power play.



——My thoughts distract me while I leave contrails clear across the planet. Before I know it, I’m on the other side of this mud ball in Decepticon airspace.
——“Ayyy, what gives? Tell Shockwave ta raise the tower!”
——“Transmission sent. No response.”
——“What the heck is going down there?”
——Alert! Insecticons approaching.”
——Soundwave detected and identified these bugs before they even appeared on my radar. Bombshell and Shrapnel buzz me on both sides. I don’t know where their buddy is and I don’t care. I’ll crack their shells if they try anything stupid. I got too much pride to flee from Insecticons.
——“Be wary, Thundercracker.”
——“Yeah yeah, I hear ya Soundwave. Hey, you…! Bug! Whadda ya want?”
——“Follow us us.”
——I let the robo-roaches take the lead. They guide me to a rock formation. I overshoot their position to get the lay of the land. Huh. Starscream’s down there with Astrotrain in shuttle mode. The beach is wet with energon—probably Astrotrain’s from the look of ‘im. Then again, some of it could be Starscream’s. Whoever he crossed paths with did a real number on him!
—— I circle back and transform, ejecting Soundwave mid-change so we can both land at the same time. If this is an ambush, we’re ready for it.
——Soundwave doesn’t ask questions. He storms past Starscream right up the ramp into Astrotrain’s cargo hold. I’m right behind him.
——Skywarp’s on the floor… sparks flickering inside a big hole in his faceplate. Geez… blasted through the back of the head. He’s still alive. Barely. Megatron’s laying face down alongside ‘im in some sorta transparent state… like a ghost. I guess this explains why Screamer hasn’t offed him yet. He can’t.
——“Soundwave—! What happened to our mighty leader?” Starscream demands to know. “You were with him in Carbomya’s capital, were you not?”
——My optics are physically incapable of rolling back in my head further than they already are.
——“Affirmative. Cause of current state unknown. Analysis: Megatron is stuck mid-warp.”
——Starscream smirks. I have a feeling that he’s gonna make sure Megatron stays that way. The missing Insecticon, Kickback, launches himself out of the brine and onto the beach. The ugly bug has everyone’s attention as he shifts out of that joke of an alt-form.
——“The Nemesis is sealed up tight!” he informs us. ”I can’t chew through the hull without activating the automated defenses! Shockwave’s shut us out!”
——“He’s holed up inside there snug as a bug in a rug,” adds Bombshell.
——“What do we do now, Starscream scream?”
——Shrapnel just deferred to Starscream. That means they’re in cahoots. Why am I not surprised?
——“Megatron has fallen. We are without the means to restore him, and due to Shockwave’s treachery, we are also devoid of shelter. But what we do have is transportation. We’re going home. We’ll marshal our forces and return to deal with our enemies later!”
——Always thought I’d be returning to Cybertron as a conquering hero, not with my head held down in defeat. Life’s fulla surprises.

(to be continued)

PART 165

STARSCREAM

—— Soundwave, Thundercracker, and myself sit on one side of Astrotrain’s cargo hold opposite our Insecticon allies. We’re returning home. Damaged. Dejected. DEFEATED.
——Megatron led us to this.
——The Autobots would’ve lost eons ago if I’d been calling the shots.
——Mega-FLOP and Skywarp lay in the middle, neither of them conscious. Our fearless leader flickers between a state of intangibility and dead weight due to a teleportation accident.
Energon pools beneath Skywarp. Astrotrain opens a vent to drain the spillage as if it were an offering of blood on an altar.
——THAT was a bad omen. Sacrifices will be made in the near future.



——“I’m leaking energon. I’ll need more or we’ll never make it to Cybertron,” announces Astrotrain.
——A gleam of acknowledgment in Soundwave’s visor verifies something I’ve suspected for a long, long time—HE CAN READ MINDS.
——I thrust my fists forward, armaments blazing at the Insecticons. Three bodies seize up before they’re burst open by a barrage from Soundwave’s shoulder cannon.
——Astrotrain unlatches additional vents to ghoulishly ingest the energon gushing from the Insecticons’ wounds. Thundercracker’s head jerks back in open-mouthed awe at the carnage.
——Ohh but it’s not over yet. The hits keep on coming.
——A spike thrusts upward from the floor through Skywarp’s chest. It crackles like a lightning rod—infused with energy from Skywarp’s Spark—before it retracts into Astrotrain’s internals.
——Thundercracker leaps up as if a fresh spike were about to penetrate his aft.
——“Astrotrain—! Skywarp was a fellow Decepticon! Like us!”
—— Thundercracker is sentimental. How nauseating to know that beneath that gruff exterior beats the fuel pump of a Seeker with a conscience.
——“Survival of the fittest,” I remind him. “We MUST make it back to Cybertron. The future of the Decepticons depends on it!”
—-Skywarp’s death yields an unexpected reward. Megatron solidifies. I smile as I collect a broken mandible from the floor. The edge is razor sharp. I yank Megatron’s head back and run the dagger across his throat.
——The energon flows from Megatron into Astrotrain, illuminating every instrument inside his interior. Megatron regains consciousness as the last bit of fuel dribbles out of him.
——“Starrscreammm—!”
——In shock, I release my grip. He’s dead before his faceplate hits the floor.
Thundercracker backs away.
——“You… you just murdered Megatron!”
——“I did it for us, you ingrate!”
——”Nuh-uh! I don’t want any part of this, Starscream!”
——”Suit yourself. Soundwave…! Send the message!”
——Astrotrain’s side door whisks open and the wrecks are sucked into space. Soundwave and I unload on Thundercracker with null rays and concussion blasts. Shattered, he somersaults out of the cargo hold to join the crowd of corpses floating in the void. Good riddance to so much bad rubbish!
——I did it! I KILLED MEGATRON… but I did it in front of three witnesses. Not a very smart—or safe—thing to do given the amount of pathetic loyalists Megatron has lurking around. So with a loud thought and a high speed pulse, I turned two of the witnesses into accomplices and sent the third one packing.
——“Thank you for your assistance, Military Strategist Soundwave and Air Commander Astrotrain. Under my reign—ah, I mean LEADERSHIP—the Deception army shall reach unfathomable new heights!”

(to be continued)