All Hail Megatron Adapt Part 4

   "Listen, all of you. I can take things from here." The duffel bag containing the Skywatch-developed weapon slung over one shoulder, Spike looked among those who had volunteered to help him and couldn't help but think of the men he'd already lost. "You don't need to risk your lives for my sake."

   None of the gathered trio looked like they were about to budge, Sarah being the only one to speak up. "We've come this far, haven't we? Why not finish the job?"

   Explosions sounding nearby prompted the Air Force officer to note, "From the sounds of it, the EU forces have started fighting our friends out there. Something tells me that nuke won't be stopped no matter what we do. If we're going to die anyway, we might as well finish off one of those things before we go, right?"

   Sufficiently discouraged from arguing any further, Spike relented. "Alright. Stay close to me, and keep moving."

   As one, the four sprang to their feet and charged out from their hiding place. High above them, fighter jets of all sorts sweeping through the air around him like flies, Devastator roared, swatting down planes and fighting them off in fury. At his feet, the Decepticons had regrouped, the power struggle having been forgotten in the wake of the human counterattack.

   "If I didn't know any better, Megatron, I'd say the timing of this attack seemed a little convenient!" His arm-mounted weapons firing into the air, Starscream nonetheless kept close to his leader.

   "It was hardly unexpected!" A shot from his fusion cannon destroying one unfortunate Typhoon, the tyrant continued, "This is the combined might of their remaining military forces, the last dregs that remained unharmed from across their oceans!"

   "You let them remain alive so that they could attempt to wipe us out?!" The Seeker's optics flashed red as he looked to his leader. "What madness is this?!"

   "Madness, Starscream?! This is a demonstration of their hopelessness!" He paused in his fire to regard the Seeker. "From the beginning, I knew that if I was to wipe away the corruption that festered on Cybertron, I would need to create an army of monsters! Ruthless, vile, and totally without mercy or conscience! Once the war was won, that madness would be purged, and we Decepticons would at last take our rightful place in the galaxy! This battle will do exactly that, and it has been planned down to the last detail! Nothing in the past megacycle, especially your attempt at usurping power, has surprised me, and nothing will!"

   The Decepticon leader found himself corrected as blaster fire rained down from above, he and the Seeker barely avoiding being hit. He looked up in disbelief to find the one thing he hadn't expected or planned for. Falling from a massive spacecraft, their weapons firing and their armor repaired, were the Autobots, Optimus Prime himself at their head.

   The gathered Decepticons turned their attention to the Autobots as they landed, charging them as they approached. Spectro soon found himself on the receiving end of a knee to the chest from Springer, the Wrecker knocking him aside with ease while his old comrade grappled with Astrotrain, various other members of the opposing factions squaring off in similar fashion.

   Starscream couldn't help but comment on this unexpected turn of events. "I don't suppose you planned for this, did you?"

   Megatron opted against answering. "The Autobots' return doesn't matter. Their formation is scattered, and they're trying to overwhelm us with sheer numbers rather than with any real strategy. We must regroup quickly and regain control, and then the battle will be ours." He turned to the Seeker, optics flashing with conviction. "Starscream, one cycle you no doubt will lead us, once you have crushed me beneath your heel and earned it. But that cycle isn't now – right now, they and you are mine. When the Autobots are defeated, then you will have your chance to try again, but only then and not before. For now, join with me and bring about a new age!"

   The Seeker maintained his silence. Was this some ploy of the tyrant's to buy himself some time, to convince him to call off this attack and let him live? Or was this a genuine admission that he would be a successor? Either way, he was right – no matter who ruled the Decepticons, the Decepticons would not rule so long as the Autobots remained standing. He swiftly opened a comm.-line and barked, "Attention Decepticon ground forces! I want all troops to regroup and form a solid front immediately behind Devastator! Air units will form up on me in the air! Concentrate fire on the humans and provide defense for our ground troops! Today, we end this once and for all! All Hail Megatron!"

   Their earlier struggles forgotten, the Decepticons did as ordered, those confined to the ground marching on the Autobots while the Seekers took to the skies and held off the human pilots. From their positions in the rubble, the gathered Autobots looked up at Devastator, those who had faced him before remembering their recent encounter and Ironhide already dreading what was coming. "They're closin' in! That giant's gonna be on us in nano-kliks!"

   "Hold steady, Autobots!" His voice galvanizing his troops, Optimus kept up his fire despite the approaching Decepticon forces. "Blaster, jam their communications! I don't want to spoil our surprise!" The gathered troops maintaining their fire, their leader waited for a few moments before calling out, "Split, now! Two groups, down the center!"

   His soldiers followed his order, dividing and appearing to flee from the approaching Decepticon force. Watching them run, Astrotrain laughed even as an ominous shadow formed over him. "They're fleeing, the cowards!"

   The shadow growing ever greater, Cliffjumper turned back and yelled, "We aren't running, you idiot Triple-Changer! We're making room!"

   Not a single Decepticon caught the significance of his words until it was too late. They started to pull back, but soon found themselves scrambling out of the way as Omega Supreme landed in the streets with a resounding smash, grabbing hold of Devastator by the chest and then carrying him skyward, out of the city and far from the main battle.

-

   The sight of the massive Autobot carrying his capture was not lost on Col. Witwicky, who watched with amazement even as the rest of his troops evacuated from their base camp. "What the… There's two of them?!"

   Hawke quickly reached him. "Sir, that second one attacked the other giant, and if the reports we're getting from our allies are right, it brought a mess of other robots with it, and they don't look too happy with our guests!"

   "Two batches of robots fighting each other?" The colonel had some difficulty making sense of it, but if this skirmish between alien robots could help get his troops to safety, he'd take it. "Continue with the evacuation!"

   "But sir, these new robots could be on our side! This changes –!"

   "It changes nothing, colonel! We've still got a bomber headed our way with a nuke onboard, ready to make Manhattan look like Hiroshima! Good robots or no, we're pulling out!"

-

   Taking the chance to resume his earlier fight with Astrotrain, Roadbuster charged and sent the Triple-Changer flying into the rubble of an old building. He stood over his opponent, stasis lock having claimed him, and gave a small laugh. "Lightweight."

   The Wrecker was blasted aside with a shot from Megatron's fusion cannon. Before the tyrant could continue, he was struck in the side of his head, sent stumbling back before turning to face his counterpart. "Prime."

   "This is enough, Megatron."

   The Decepticon leader laughed. "I don't know how you managed to cheat death again, Prime, but you won't be so lucky this third time. Why even bother coming back, knowing that you'd be facing me yet again? Either I'm missing something, or you're more foolish than I'd ever imagined. It can't be this pathetic world or its inhabitants. You already abandoned them once before, and they're a few small steps away from annihilating themselves just to be rid of us." A grin formed on his face. "This must be about the Matrix. Why else would you risk your soldiers but for that old –?"

   Megatron was interrupted as Optimus slugged him hard in the face, causing him to stumble back seconds before the Autobot leader retracted one hand and activated his energy axe and continued his assault. He wasn't about to explain his choices to Megatron, that the threat of the Expansion and the Dead Universe was bigger than anything the tyrant could present. However, he was more than happy to tell him this. "You can keep the Matrix, Megatron, but not this world! I'm done seeing innocents die in this pointless war of ours! It ends here!"

-

   As the rest of his troops and vehicles kept up their evacuation, one of the missile carriers veered off course and halted off-road. Col. Witwicky ran up to it and yelled at the surprised operator, "Move it! We need this thing out of here now!"

   "I'm trying sir, but it's not responding!" The soldier looked at his commander in surprise as he explained, "All of a sudden, it just went – whoa!"

   The soldier was thrown from the driver's compartment as his vehicle shifted under him, the colonel grabbing hold and partially dragging him out of the way as the machine shifted and changed, finally standing up on two legs, half a missile battery on each arm, and looked down at the humans with disgust in his deep purple optics. Finally glad to be out in the open and able to act, Dropshot took aim at the retreating soldiers and opened fire, destroying trucks left and right.

   Backing away with the shaken soldier, the colonel looked up in shock. That missile carrier had been among them the entire time, and they hadn't suspected a thing. Where else could they be hiding?

-

   Flying high above the Arctic Circle, payload nestled inside his cargo hold, Tankor kept flying, confident that he would be able to do his job and be done with it. The humans had thought wisely when they decided to go with an old propeller-driven bomber to deliver the nuke, but they clearly should have looked a little more closely. He just hoped that he'd succeed and be able to go home a hero. Perhaps then he could go back to his old name – he liked being called 'Octane' much more than he did being called 'Tankor'.

-

   One arm converted into a piledriver, Sideswipe smashed hard into Kickback's head, sending the Insecticon to the ground with one solid blow. "Sunstreaker would smash you apart for what you did to him! But since he isn't here, I guess I'll have to do it myself!"

   The Autobot paused as Bombshell jumped upon his back, hands wrapped around his neck. "I thought I recognized the resemblance. As simple as it was, it was most satisfying to use the human to manipulate your friend. Such a shame you Autobots will never be able to avenge his or the hybrid's…"

   A quick paralysis bolt from Ratchet silenced the Insecticon and forced him off the red Lamborghini, and bought enough time for Kup to punch Bombshell hard in his segmented optic visor. Cy-gar in his mouth, the old mech gave a satisfied smirk. "Oh, we'll avenge them alright, you twisted little –!"

   Kup was interrupted as Skywarp teleported in, grabbed him, and shot into the atmosphere like a rocket, knocking the cy-gar loose in the process. "They still keep you around, old-timer? Rumor had it you went crazy, slagged a bunch of your own! I figured you'd get thrown in the scrap-heap by now!"

   It didn't take long at all, but the effects of the cy-gar, an artificial variant of the radiation he'd become addicted to on that planet, wore off in his system. Kup couldn't get to one of his backups, and he couldn't rely on Perceptor to give him another. He could start to hear the voices call out to him, and he couldn't have that happen, not now, not while this Decepti-punk still had him. "I'll show you crazy, you mouthy little glitch." Reaching over, he wrenched one of the Decepticon's arm cannons from its mount and while Skywarp was startled, spun himself about and shot the Decepticon with his own weapon as he fell to the ocean below.

   As the black Seeker fled and the old Autobot splashed into the bay, Devastator and Omega Supreme continued their brawl, their fight having taken them to Liberty Island. The Decepticon gestalt shoved the Autobot colossus into the statue, damaging Lady Liberty in the process. The damage was nothing that couldn't be repaired, but it was more than enough to make anyone watching infuriated at the sight.

   "You are ancient!" the titanic Decepticon screamed as he punched Omega, each word and each blow doing further damage to the statue. "Worthless! Scrap! Nothing!"

   The last punch was caught by the massive Autobot warrior. "Wrong." His head spun about, the cannon mounted at the other end charged and firing straight into the combined Decepticon's optics. "I am Omega Supreme!" His head turned back around as the titan grabbed hold of his cannon arm, and the massive Autobot kicked his opponent hard in the chest, the force of the blow tearing Scavenger and Bonecrusher from their connections and sending them flying into the sea. "And you are devastated!" He finished the job with one more blast from his arm cannon, blasting what was left of Devastator back into his component parts and scattering them to the winds.

-

   Even as the Autobots pressed their attack against the Decepticons, the remaining US ground forces desperately attempted to hold back Dropshot as he continued against them. A rocket-propelled grenade flying into one shoulder, the Decepticon missile launcher growled and turned his attention to his attacker, Col. Witwicky. "Pathetic little fleshling! You think you can stop me?! You think anything on this planet can stop me?! I've been stuck among you little worms for days, spying among you, watching you go about your disgusting little lives, and there isn't a single thing in this universe that's gonna stop me from leaving all of you as paste in my wake!"

   A laser shot lanced through his right arm, severing one of the missile launchers. He turned about in shock to find Kup, replacement cy-gar in his mouth and Skywarp's gun in one hand, his musket laser in the other. "Care to put that to the test, punk?"

-

   Having managed to get to a rooftop a small distance from the ongoing battle, Spike and his friends looked over the battlefield and prayed that no one so much as bumped into the building he stood upon. One good bit of contact, and that'd be the end of it.

   "Looks like the red and blue one's getting in some good licks on our big silver friend." Looking over at the Ranger as he readied his weapon, Andy asked, "You sure you want to go ahead and blast him? What's stopping Big Red from picking up where he left off?"

   "No clue, and right now, I'm not too worried." Spike was fully aware of the old adage about the enemy of his enemy, but even if the newcomer wasn't a friend, he and the robots he'd brought with him were definitely evening the odds. If only he could get a clear shot…

-

   The two leaders continued their brawl, Megatron having deployed his energy flail in response to Optimus' axe, the former being batted away by the latter. "You wish to save these insects, Prime? They captured one of your own, tortured him, used his likeness against you! They would sooner see you and your pathetic troops destroyed than welcome you like heroes! Slag, even as we speak, they send one of their own nuclear devices, which will annihilate their kind still in this city, in the pitiful hopes that they can wipe us out! They are anything but innocent, Prime!"

   Despite these words, the Autobot leader refused to give in. "You would have me judge a race of billions, on the actions of a few, motivated by greed and manipulated by one of your own? What sort of fool do you take me for?!" Deactivating his axe, he dodged a swipe of the flail and grabbed hold of his enemy's fusion cannon, wrenching it from its moorings with a terrible screech before bludgeoning his opponent with it. "They're no different from us, Megatron! But unlike you, they have the potential to be more than they are! That they would risk such measures to defend their world, while self-destructive, is nonetheless admirable! They deserve the chance to grow and achieve their potential, and I will not stand by and allow you to rob them of that chance!"

   Despite the loss of his fusion cannon, Megatron kept fighting, deactivating his flail and opting to simply punch Optimus hard in the face. "And how are you supposed to do that?! Your forces have been annihilated throughout the galaxy, your strongholds destroyed, your troops wiped out in one glorious –!"

   "Haven't bothered to check in, have you, Megatron?!" Despite his injuries, the Autobot leader rose again and punched back, then began to grapple with his foe. "We received reports on our way back here from Cybertron! Some outposts fell, some lives were lost, but at great cost to both sides! And many of my Autobots held their ground and won, despite impossible odds! We haven't lost anything yet!"

   Megatron simply head-butted the Prime, taking advantage of his momentary disorientation to lift him up over his head and throw him into a nearby building. "Then we'll simply have to finish what we started!"

   "Big Red's down, Spike." Glancing at the fancy space gun as it was aimed at the Decepticon leader, Bridge asked, "What are you waiting for?"

   "A full charge."

   Totally oblivious to the humans, Megatron activated his comm.-link. "Tankor, proceed with the bomb drop. Rendezvous with us when you're done."

   :"Understood, Megatron. Already on my way out.":

   That task done and Optimus defeated at his feet, the Decepticon leader turned and called, "Decepticons, withdraw to the mobile command center! We're leaving!"

   The only one closest to his commander, Blitzwing called back, "But what about the wounded? And the space bridge?"

   "We have other worlds. We can regroup on one of them, rebuild there, and return for this pathetic mudball later. The Autobots won't bother us much longer in any case." He turned back to his old rival with a sneer. "Thank you for letting me keep the Matrix, Prime. I think I will."

   His back turned, Megatron didn't even notice as the single shot from Spike's rifle was fired. He did, however, feel the blast penetrate the back of his skull, cutting clean through his central processors and leaving an exit mark on his forehead as he cried out in pain. Distracted, he didn't even notice as Optimus regained his footing, picked up his own weapon, and smashed it hard against his head. The tyrant fell, his optics dark.

   Those Autobots and Decepticons around looked on in surprise, amazement, shock, joy, fear, and many other emotions. Even though his enemy lay at his feet, Optimus had to struggle to stand, and couldn't tell one way or another if Megatron truly was dead.

   He wouldn't get the chance to find out one way or another, however, as Starscream charged in and collected his fallen leader's body. "Decepticons, we've been given our orders! Withdraw at once!" As the remaining Decepticons fled, the Seeker turned to the Autobot leader and asked, "You wish to save the fleshlings, Prime? Or finish us off? Choose wisely!"

   The Autobots gathered around their leader, Ironhide and Prowl helping Optimus to stand. He quickly verified that there was indeed an explosive falling upon them from high velocity, catching it in his sights from a distance. His comrades looked up, the strategist asking the same thing as the rest of them. "How do we stop that thing? Perceptor?"

   The scientist-turned-sniper shook his head. "If I were to detonate it at that distance, we would still have fallout. We would be safe, but the humans would be hopelessly irradiated. We'd be trading a quick death for all of us for a short death for them."

   "Then someone's gotta fly up there and stop it." Springer quickly stepped up. "I'll…!"

   "No. Me." Optics turned to find one last Decepticon among them, all of them surprised to see Thundercracker step up. "None of you can fly in robot mode save Omega Supreme, and this requires finesse, something he can't do." His engines kicked in as he rose above them. "Don't take this as me joining you, Prime! There was no sense to attacking these people, no reason! As grateful as I am that Megatron didn't wipe them out from orbit, what we did here wasn't combat, it was slaughter! I won't see more of that done, and have what little pride I have left in my cause destroyed!" Casting his optics towards Drift, he added, "And I refuse to betray my cause! I am a proud Decepticon, and I refuse to be anything else! When your historians record this cycle, have them remember that!"

   His peace spoken, the blue Seeker shot skyward and caught the bomb, adjusting his flight path to slow its descent before turning about and carrying it upwards, high into the planet's atmosphere and finally out of it. In the weightlessness of space, he gently pushed the bomb forward and watched it travel a small distance. He looked downwards, and could see the mobile command units around the globe take off, ascending into the atmosphere and no doubt leaving more than a few Decepticons behind. Thundercracker didn't know how many were still left on Earth, or if his comrades would return. What he did know was that if any of them knew of his actions, he'd be branded a traitor forever, his loyalty to the cause forgotten.

   It was a good thing he was making this quick, then.

   He turned his attention back to the bomb, watched it float through space until it reached a safe distance from the planet's atmosphere, and then boosted himself forward, making certain that it wouldn't touch this world.

   He turned about and shifted to vehicle mode, preparing to re-enter the atmosphere for a controlled descent and hoping that he would catch one of the last ships out. He didn't hear Skywarp teleport in nearby, couldn't hear him mouth the word 'betrayer', didn't hear his weapons fire. All he felt was the explosion as it tore into him from behind.

-

   From far below, the gathered Autobots watched the explosion high in the air. While he wasn't about to consider the Seeker an ally, Optimus was nonetheless willing to silently thank him for his apparent sacrifice. "Perceptor, will there be any fallout from that explosion?"

   "That would depend upon the payload and the construction of the device. I suspect, however, that it is far enough up in the atmosphere that there will be little damage to anything here on Earth. The humans may need to replace a satellite or two, however." The scientist looked up, zooming in as best he could. "Unfortunately, I cannot tell if Thundercracker escaped the blast radius or not."

   "I hope he did. Optimus?" Hound quietly approached, Spike and his group in tow. "I found the sniper who saved your life. Meet Captain Samuel Witwicky, United States Army Rangers."

   "Spike's fine," he corrected the Autobot jeep.

   Optimus knelt before the gathered humans, gratitude in his optics. "Spike, thank you for saving my life. I know my words will do little good, but I would like you to know this; I and my Autobots had no desire to see harm come to your people or your world. I truly wish that the Decepticons had not found your planet, and that it had not become another front on our endless war."

   The soldier looked up at the Autobot leader. He heard his words, and as much as his instincts told him that the robot before him was being genuine, he couldn't forget what he'd seen in the last few days. "Doesn't change the fact that it did."

   The Prime's optics dimmed sadly. "No, it doesn't. However, if your people would allow us, we would gladly help in rebuilding your world."

   "That's not my call to make. And as grateful as I am for the offer, I don't think we can accept. Too much has happened, too much blood and oil, or whatever you guys have, has been spilt. I get that you guys didn't want this to happen, but it has, and any chance of an alliance between us is all but gone."

   The Autobot leader sadly nodded with the young man's words. "I fear as much. Still, our offer stands. I hope that those who can make that decision choose wisely, for your people and mine. Regardless, you will always have my gratitude." He rose to his feet and signaled his troops. While this battle was done, the war effectively changed and arguably over, there was still much left to be done. "Autobots, prepare for departure. Wheeljack, Perceptor, Ratchet, check over the wounded and…" Optimus couldn't help but notice a few of his soldiers were missing. "Where is Ratchet? Sideswipe? Kup?"

   Reviewing his sensor logs, Perceptor quietly answered, "Ratchet and Sideswipe are investigating the remnants of the Decepticon command post a small distance away. As for Kup…"

-

   "So, outer space huh?"

   "Yep." The old Autobot sat atop the remnants of Dropshot, the colonel sitting beside him and a number of his troops nearby and watching. While they doubted the robot would attack their commanding officer, they nonetheless kept their guns at the ready, just in case.

   "So, what's with the cigar?"

   "Wha-? Oh, this thing." The veteran laughed. "They keep me sane. Long story, one of a mess of 'em sitting in my memory banks. Odds are you've got a few yourself, colonel."

   The old man laughed despite himself. "Yeah, that I do. You robots want to hurt us?"

   "Me and my kind? Nah, we're happy to leave you be, unlike these idiots." The old mech wrapped his knuckles against the dead Decepticon's head. "Besides, we've got one enemy already. Don't want to go creating more if we have a choice about it." Kup got back to his feet and turned to the colonel. "For what it's worth, your people fought like heroes out there. If there's a next time, I hope I get to fight beside 'em."

   His peace spoken, the old mech saluted the colonel and then transformed to his vehicle mode and drove off to rejoin his comrades. The soldiers watched him go, one looking up to the colonel. "Do we follow them, sir?"

   Witwicky dropped to the ground. "No – I figure we've got enough on our hands. Besides, these 'Autobots' are happy to leave us alone, and if I had my choice, we'd do the same. Right now, we've got a world to rebuild."

-

   The hatch to the remains of the Decepticon command post slid open, Sideswipe forcing them with Ratchet's help. "You think he's still in here?"

   "Maybe, but just pray that he's intact." The medic entered, the warrior following. "I don't want another… By the Allspark." He stood aghast at what he saw. "Hunter."

   The two Autobots were greeted by the sight of their human ally, hooked up to numerous machines and support monitors. He was still alive, if the heart monitors were any indication, but there was no clear way of telling if he could be helped, or even if he should.

   Ratchet remembered meeting the boy, his being separated from him, the reunion, and ultimately the operations undertaken to separate him from Sunstreaker. Despite all that, he could have done more, should have done more. But instead, that mad Decepticon bug used him and abused him like some sick toy, then tossed him aside when he couldn't play with him anymore. This was the true tragedy of it all.

   "So, is there anything we can do for him?"

   The medic shook his head. "No. I wish we could, but no." His optics found the cut-off switch. "I'm sorry, Hunter. If that heaven you people believe in exists, I hope you find yourself there."

   With the press of a button, life support was cut off. The medic hated himself for doing it, and prayed he wouldn't need to do the same for Verity or Jimmy, wherever they were. He carefully removed what he could of Hunter's corpse from the wall, prompting Sideswipe to ask, "What are you doing?"

   "We're going to pay him one last bit of respect, something the Decepticons would never give him in a million vorns. He needs a proper burial." He handed the body off to the warrior, and then transformed to vehicle mode and opened his back hatch. "Put him inside, carefully."

   The red Autobot did as he asked and then closed the medic's rear doors. As Ratchet drove out of the structure, Sideswipe transformed and followed, their grim task done. Both silently hoped they wouldn't have more of this kind of work in the near-future.


The End