Chapter 3

Earth, the 30th September of 2012

It was what was going to be the last battle of the great war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, a battle in a war that was already thought to be over.

The faction of the Decepticons had broken into two halves, with most of them having decided to leave this part of the universe.

But some didn´t want to accept the end of the war and tried to continue the fighting on their own. Despite the fact that with their decimated numbers they did not even have a realistic chance to win anymore in the long run.

Instead of hope for a victory it was pure desperation driving them now.

Five months after the most of their kind had left, the fanatical Warlord Thunderwing, a former sectorial commander who had declared himself supreme leader of the remaining Decepticons, started an major attack on the planet earth.

In a surprise attack they were able to occupy several areas around the globe and so take entire cities hostage.

It was a chaotic and bloody ending for the long and devastating war.

The largest of the fighting-grounds was in Los Angeles at the American west coast.

Here Optimus and Rodimus Prime were facing up with Thunderwing himself and a group of his followers.

In another part of the town the Autobot combiner Defensor was locked in a fight with Abominus. The two gestalts were leveling entire building as they struggled with each other.

At least at a half dozen other places similar scenes were playing out.

This was the day the great war had been coming to an end.

xxxxxxx

The 24th December of 2012

His time had come.

They had said the war was over.

But the greatest, the highest truth of his way was one thing,

that the war was never over.

Today was the time he would face the enemy, one last time.

"You are crazy" he heard a voice telling him.

As he turned around he saw Skullgrin and Bomburst standing behind him. Both of them were pretenders like himself. Their robot selves were clad into bizarre looking exo-suits that gave them the appearance of being something else than cybertronian.

Skullgrin looked like a Transformer sized minotaurus and Bomburst like a mixture between a bat and a human.

Originally this "Pretender-Shells", like they were called had been developed from a variation of battle-armor that his master had invented.

In the last months the suits also had another purpose. To hide, at least at the first look, the fact that they were Decepticons.

They had by then actually started a number of raids disguised inside their shells where they had not been recognized and that were attributed to `unknown alien assailants´.

Of course it didn´t took long for the Autobots to find out who they were. But it did buy them some time.

"What you are planning is senseless", Skullgrin told him.

"You will be killed", Bomburst said, "and reach nothing", he added.

"I don´t expect you two to understand why I have to do this", he replied.

He was Bludgeon, greatest living master of metalikato, the ancient cybertronian art of fighting, former right hand of his now deceased master Thunderwing.

"If you are that insane, okay", Bomburst exclaimed. "We are following Galvatron and the others."

"Do that", Bludgeon answered casually. "If that is your decision. I will stay and finish what we have started."

xxx

He remembered the last conversation his fallen lord had with Galvatron, the leader who had deserted them.

"How can you just give up?" the Warlord asked him angrily.

"I tell you the last time Thunderwing, this war is over. In fact it has lost it´s sense years ago."

"In the last ten years we conquered Cybertron twice", Cyclonus reminded him, "and lost it as many."

"And that not against the Autobots", Galvatron said, "it was through outside influences, because of him."

"Unicron had been defeated", Thunderwing claimed.

"And Cybertron lost to us forever. Even if we continued the war, what would we truly reach with it?

Out there are many planets for us, unpopulated ones with resources ripe for the taking that we can colonize, unstable societies and worlds threatened by interstellar threats or militant neighbors that would actually welcome us with open arms just in exchange for protection.

So why should we stay here and fight with the Autobots over nothing."

"With other words, there is no fight left in you. You sound like an Autobot."

"How do you dare?" Cyclonus asked angrily.

"Stand down Cyclonus", the Decepticon leader told him. "And you Thunderwing are lucky that I don´t kill you for this insolence."

"There was a time Galvatron when you knew that we Decepticons can only truly win when the Autobots are completely destroyed. We have to fight till the last man."

"I think you mistake me for somebody else Thunderwing. I am not the out of control gone madman I have been turned into after Unicron´s first defeat."

"Well, then it is maybe a great loss that you are not longer him."

"As I see it you are doing your best to follow his footsteps", Galvatron said with open sarcasm.

"I will continue the fight and everybody who is thinking like me will from now on follow my leadership", Thunderwing declared.

"If you say so", Galvatron replied. "Whoever is willing to follow you would be useless for my new plans anyway."

Bludgeon remembered that there was a smile on his face.

xxx

That was months ago.

Now Bludgeon was standing in front of Autobot headquarters on earth, alone.

"Optimus Prime, come out", he shouted his lonely challenge.