"Cry, 'Havoc' and let slip the dogs of war."
Julius Caesar
"Annihilation will be unavoidable."
Disturbed
"You can either follow my lead or die in screaming torment."
Thunderwing
Chapter 7: An Apocalyptic Beginning.
Military HQ, Central, 20:15.
Sciezka looks at the clock hanging from her office wall & breaths a sigh of relief that she can finally put an end to her day. She grabbed her handbag out from behind her desk & shuts the lights off as she walked out of her office. "Finally, I get to go home." She said as she approached the double doors to the front courtyard. The doors are suddenly ripped from the frame & thrown to the lawn. A fifteen foot tall Thunderwing folds his wings slightly & walks in.
"Where is Bradley?" He asked sternly. "H-He's not here. He went home early for his son's birthday. He also said, he was thinking of taking a trip with the family during this time." Sciezka answered nervously. "He knew we were coming." He commented, just as he heard the sound of several footsteps approaching him. Sciezka turned to the more than a dozen soldiers armed with machine guns & rifles. Their presence suddenly gave way to the sound of a different sound of foot steps. One sounding of metal "clanging" on the tiled floor. "Oh, my God. That's... Colonel Archer." She said nervously & quietly, but Thunderwing looked on unimpressed.
"So, you're one of those alien robots that we've been hearing about... Your friends made quite a mess in Drachma." Archer said in a metallic voice. "Really, didn't noticed... Now step aside or I'll be forced to kill all of you." Thunderwing ordered sternly as he opened his wings, grabbed Sciezka & forced her behind him in an effort to protect her. "Sorry, this is as far as you go." Archer said before rotating his left arm to his new high-powered cannon. "Young lady... Leave. Now!" Thunderwing demanded. She nods nervously in compliance & runs outside.
(Begin soundtrack: Rob Zombie - Iron Head.)
Thunderwing begins to crack his knuckles, which give off a more "metallic" type sound, intimidating those in front of him. "Don't falter, just shoot it!" Archer ordered as he made the first shot, that his Thunderwing in the chest. The shock from the blast forces the near-by windows to explode from their frames. "I don't have time for this... Move out of my way or burn in the pits of damnation!" He said as he began to march forward. The soldiers started to back away, continuing to fire. But the beast showed no damage, let-alone slowing down.
"Don't let up... He'll fall soon enough!" Archer shouted as he continued to fire, striking Thunderwing in the chest & shoulders. "I admire your courage & your stubborn refusal to admit a lost cause. It's a proud trait to a soldier... But there is a fine line between tenacity & stupidity." Thunderwing stated as some of the soldiers started to hand grenades. They detonated with no effect. Thunderwing grabs one of the soldiers & slams the back of his head against the wall, killing him instantly. Blood stains the wall & the floor as his lifeless body lies motionless. "And you crossed it several moments ago." Thunderwing added coldly.
He fires a blast of energy from both hands & instantly kills two more soldiers. Blasting through their chests, leaving large & charred holes, staining the floor with more blood. "Fall back, fall back!" One soldier shouted. They all complied as Archer continued to fire. Thunderwing clapped his hands out in front of him, sending a wave of energy toward the fleeing soldiers. Tearing up tiles, cracking the drywall & knocking the soldiers around like rag-dolls. Archer shielded his eyes & braced himself as he heard the sounds of destruction & screaming coming from the terrified soldiers.
He uncovers his eyes & only to see the monster standing before him. Archer was unable to react as Thunderwing grabbed his throat with his left hand & fiercely slammed him against wall, holding him at eye level. "Copping Edward's Automail, are we?" He asked. "Well, when you think about it, it truly has its advantages." Archer said before opening his mouth to reveal his machine-gun. He was able to fire several rounds into Thunderwing's face before he started to tighten his grip. The sound of steel being crushed, resonated in Archer's ears. His body went limp & his left eye stopped glowing after a sudden "snap" was heard.
(End Soundtrack)
"Pity... I'll give you points for effort. But in the end, you're just as expendable as anyone else." Thunderwing said before dropping him to the ground. Meanwhile, Lt. Ross runs through the front doors with a small group of soldiers & stands in shock at the devastation inside the lobby. She ran down the hallway & saw the bodies of several soldiers littering the floor. She could feel her dinner wanting to come back up, especially after seeing the mangled body of one soldier sitting in a pool of blood. His mechanical limbs ripped apart & his head missing from the rest of the body.
Underground City, 20:30.
Ed & his team finally reach the outskirts of the city. He & Izumi were in shock. Never imagining the legends or myths would be true... "The people were all sacrificed to make the first Philosopher's Stone. Then afterward, alchemy was used to pull the city underground. Erasing everything that happened, but leaving enough to fuel the curious. All in hopes of making a new Stone in the future." Ed said quietly before his anger started bubble to the surface.
He calmed himself before turning to face Lust & the other homunculi. "So, where's the elevator?" He asked. "Connected to the living quarters, all the way to the back." She replied. They began their journey to meet with their giant friend, in hopes of putting this dragging nightmare to an end & hope to contain it down below & out of sight.
Decepticon Command Bunker, Dublith.
Astrotrain stands nervously near the same diamond shape container that, Starscream used to empower himself with, Ore-13. The doors open & Megatron walks out, renewed & disgusted from the day's events. "Astrotrain, report." He demanded as he walked past his subordinate.
"Well.. Remember that, Elric human? Laserbeak reported saying he saw him & four others enter the, Underground City where Soundwave had him & Ravage stationed. The reason as to why they're down there now, seems to be connected with what happened just outside." Astrotrain answered with a sense of fear, knowing that he may have said too much. "What do you mean, exactly?" Megatron asked, looking over his shoulder, giving a death stare.
"Um, a bunch of A.E. Drones showed up & Thunderwing, pretty much slagged them all." Astrotrain answered nervously. "A.E. Drones attacked Thunderwing, while he was here? And yet, he didn't attack the base afterwards?" Megatron asked, holding a hand to his chin. Wondering what kind of power does one lowly human have to control the monster?
"Afterward, they left heading for the city called, Central... Apparently, Thunderwing seems to be working with or for the Elric human. Perhaps, that's why we were never a target. I think they went after the one that ran off with the Philosopher's Stone." Astrotrain added with a sense of relief, knowing he may be able to hang on to his life a little longer.
"Hmm... Yes, the Stone. I read about in the datatracks..." Megatron added. "Also, there seems to be word going around that, Bludgeon may still be alive." Astrotrain said calmly. "Bludgeon..." Megatron said, with a growl. "For this ignominy... Heads must roll... This goes for Bludgeon's, especially... And as Prime has seen fit to introduce reinforcements, so shall I... Astrotrain, get me Sixshot!" He added. "What? You can't be serious! We've never used him at this stage. It's... Unthinkable!" Astrotrain said nervously. "I did not invite debate... Let there be, devastation!" Megatron said before walking away.
Underground City, 20:55.
Ed & his team reach the Dante's mansion, which also was the homunculi's home. "Seems quiet around here." Ed noted. "Too quiet." Izumi said, looking at the surroundings. A sudden noise comes from an alleyway about fifty feet behind them, followed by the sound of light metallic footsteps forces them to take notice. A large robotic jaguar appears & stares at the small group. A large red & white bird like creature lands on the rooftop of the building next to the jaguar.
The homunculi readied themselves for a conflict, but Ravage & Laserbeak showed no intimidation. Ed stepped in front of his group with his hands out in front, hoping to keep things from escalating. "Whoa, cool it... Let's find out what they're here for." He pleaded. "We shouldn't run the risk of trusting too many... How do we know they're not working for Bludgeon?" Lust asked sternly, grabbing the Decepticon's attention. "Well, maybe we should try to find out." Ed replied. Lust didn't think too highly of the idea, but retracted her blades out of some trust for Ed's ability.
He turns to face the two Decepticons that seem to glance at each other. Ravage sat down, showing what appeared to be a form of mutual understanding. Ed was rather surprised by the gesture, but continued to stay firm & not to show fear. "Okay, you haven't decided to attack. So, I'm going to go out on a limb & guess you're looking for something or someone, right?" He asked.
Ravage nodded his head in response. "He actually understood me?" He thought in surprisement. "Alright, maybe we're after the same thing... We're looking for Bludgeon." His word shocked the two Decepticons. They looked at each other before turning behind them & see, Rumble fly over to them & land next to Ravage.
Rumble stood & stared at the group, wondering if this was a good idea to show up. "So, you're the Fullmetal Shrimp & the Freaks." He said. They all seemed to give him a death stare at that moment as Ravage stepped aside, fearing what may come next. Suddenly, Rumble is hit hard by a flying steel chair, that mysteriously came out of nowhere & knocks him to the ground. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A BEAN SO SMALL, HE CAN'T EVEN BEEN SEEN BY THE MOST POWERFUL MICROSCOPE?!" Ed screamed.
Rumble rose to his feet, staggering slightly. "Hey, what's-" He was cut off when a large rock suddenly smashed him in the face & knocked him down again. "AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALL SO UGLY, SHE WAS REJECTED BY A TRAVELING CIRCUS?!" Lust screamed, breathing heavily. Everyone was astonished by her actions, never seeing her act like Edward.
Ed looked at her just when she realized what she did & felt rather embarrassed. "Wow, that's how I act? She's right, I do need help." He thought before he walked up to the doors to the mansion while Ravage & Laserbeak just stared at Rumble, who's body twitched on the ground.
They walk inside. An ominous silence surrounded them, almost haunting. They walked to the stairwell & started up the right hand side. At the top was a long hallway with several doors on each side. The first door they came to was cracked open. Ed pushed it open carefully from a slight distance & saw Rose sitting quietly on a couch, wearing a purple dress, holding her baby & looked at him with a blank expression in her eyes. "What the hell is Rose doing here?" He asked.
Lust walks over to her & sees Dante's "brain washing" in her eyes. She gently takes the baby in her arms & motions for Izumi to walk over. "Slap her." She ordered. Izumi looked at her wanting to question her idea, but figured it might be the best approach. Izumi bows down slightly puts a hand on Rose's shoulder. "Sorry." She said before slapping Rose across the face with her other free hand. Rose puts a hand to her cheek as reality began to set in.
"Edward? What are you doing here?" She asked. "No time. You need to get out of here, right now." He said as she got up off the couch. "Get her to the elevator & get her out of here." He said looking at Lust & Izumi. "Edward, what's going on?" Rose asked worriedly. "No time, just go." He replied as he walked out of the room & continued down the hallway with Sloth & Wrath.
Lust gives Rose the child back to her before she lead them to the second lobby. The walk to another joining hallway the ended at another set of stairs. Before reaching the bottom of the steps, they heard a loud howling noise coming from the shaft. There was a thundering crash that damaged the outer doors. The doors were suddenly kicked from their frame & onto the floor. Rose's baby cries from the noise as she herself, hides behind Izumi from the monster that is beginning to emerge from the shaft.
"What, what is that thing?!" Rose asked nervously, while trying to calm her child. "Nice work, Thunder... You just took out the easy way back to the surface." Lust said coldly. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to go up that way... At least, not until they've had a chance to clean the carpets." Thunderwing replied before tossing Archer's head in front of them. "Jesus Christ, it's Archer! What the fuck happened to him?" Lust asked, but Thunderwing only grinned mischievously.
Meanwhile... Ed, Sloth & Wrath approach Dante's room & Sloth knocked on the door. "Master, we've returned..." Sloth said, hoping for a response, but heard nothing. She slowly opens the door to a dark room. She flicks on the near-by light switch & the three were shocked when they found Dante's body lying face down on the now "blood soaked" floor. Ed placed his left hand on her cheek & felt the coldness of her skin, making him assume that she had been dead for some time.
"Alright... Let's get out of here." Ed said before grabbing the blanket off the bed & covered her body in a small gesture of respect. He turns the light off & closes the door behind him. "So, now what?" Sloth asked despondently. "Let's get out of here... We'll let Thunderwing burn everything to the ground." Ed answered as he began to walk down the hallway to meet up with the others.
Decepticon Command Bunker, 21:30.
A large green & grey transformer with wing on his upper chest, covering the face of his shoulders & on his back. Tank treads mounted to his forearms & shoulders. This is the Decepticon's living weapon. Feared by both sides. A masterpiece of destruction & death.
Sixshot stands in what appeared to be a throne room & seated before him, was Megatron. And in a displeasing mood as well. "You understand... I want them hunted down, eradicated! I want... Devastation!" He said as he slammed his left fist into his open right palm. "I get that, Megatron. It's just... I'm more of a 'Phase Six' kind of 'bot. Shape this planet's in, it doesn't look more that the early stages of 'Phase Two' to me... You sure you want me out there doing what I do, how I do it? It's just, when I'm done... They'll know it!" Sixshot exclaimed, while questioning this course of action.
"I no longer care. We are beyond the structure of phases here. Two, three... It barely matters any more. These are exceptional circumstances, Sixshot, and as such require extreme measures!" Megatron said, leaning forward in his chair. Sixshot was beginning to second guess his judgment, but decided to go along with it or end up in a body bag. "Okay. Just point me & pull the trigger." He said, snapping his fingers & giving a 'handgun' gesture to his leader. "Excellent. Your first objective, find Bludgeon & bring me his head!" Megatron said, slamming his fist onto the armrest while the other Decepticons listen from the doorway nervously.
Underground City, 21:45
Ed & the others meet outside the mansion. Edward, also not happy with the news about the elevator. "Nice job, Fatass." He said smugly. "Calm down, at least there's another way out." Thunderwing added, standing behind Rose & looking down to her baby. "So, this is a new born human?" Ed nodded his head to the giant before looking at Izumi. "Teacher, would you mind helping Rose out of here?" He asked. She nodded in compliance & motion for Rose to follow as Thunderwing walked over to Ed & the others, kneels down to discuss a new plan.
Rumble stood nervously staring at the destroyer of Cybertron, not believing this was the Thunderwing of long ago. He looks over at Ravage & gives a small smirk. "Look at him. At this size, he doesn't look so tough... I bet, I can kick his ass." Ravage shook his head, almost trying to plead with him not to tempt fate in this suicidal manner. Rumble swaggers over & taps Thunderwing's left shoulder. "Hey, Ugly Bitch!" Ed & the homunculi's eyes shot open & they stared at him in shock as Thunderwing slowly turned his head to face him. Looking unmoved by the remark.
"I don't go down so easily... I'm one of the toughest little Decepticons in the ranks, bitch... I'm one of the wreckin' crew, and I'm gonna tear you down." Rumble said in his trademark "Chicago accent". Ed & the others gazed at Thunderwing, knowing what's about to happen next. Thunderwing looks at him with a disgusted look & thinks about whether he should deal with this quickly or painfully.
P.O.V. - Fist Cam.
Thunderwing takes aim as the sight of Rumble's face suddenly shows a look of pure fear & dread. Thunderwing's fist connects & knocks Rumble back about ten feet. He lies on the ground unconscious as Ed walks over to check on him.
Normal view.
"Yeah, he's out cold... What a dumbass." He said. Suddenly, Ravage takes a whiff of the air & noticed a foul smell began to fill the air. A light vibration began to surround them. Thunderwing quickly switched to full size & stood over Ed & his fellow kin as to guard them from what may be coming. The ballroom suddenly explodes, sending debris & dust in every direction. A large samurai with tank treads on its thighs. A gold, green & purple color scheme. His face looked much like Thunderwing's, lit with an amber glow.
Next to him was a shorter transformer. Thunderwing like face, silver armor with black bands wrapped around its hands, upper chest, lower waist with a skirt like look & bands near its feet. His eyes & mouth glowed with a bright violet purple, somewhat veiled by long metallic green dreadlocks. "Hey there, Fullmetal Pipsqueak!" It said in a metallic yet, malice tone.
"Envy?" Ed asked nervously. Ravage runs off as Laserbeak grabs Rumble by the shoulders & flies off towards the exit point. "So, you've decided to turn yourself into a real monster now?" Thunderwing asked while standing firm. "Trust me, Thunderwing. If you only could remember the truth as to why you tried your experiment upon yourself." Bludgeon answered.
"I have not forgotten, Bludgeon. I know what's coming in short time." Thunderwing proclaimed as he motioned for Ed & the others to run. They gladly complied & without hesitation. "Shit, this is not good! Couldn't find Al, and now there are three Thunderwings down here." Ed thought.
(Begin soundtrack: Saliva - Ladies & Gentlemen.)
Bludgeon draws the handle to his energy sword from behind as he jumps high into the air & dropkicks Thunderwing's face as Bludgeon slices into the base of his leg's backside, leaving a deep gouge in its armor. He rolls onto his stomach as Bludgeon & Envy stood over him at opposite ends. "Give it up, Flutter-wing... You can't take us both on. Not when we are at the same level." Envy stated as he & Bludgeon stared down at their "older sibling" as Thunderwing began to slowly sit up on all four.
"Watch me." He said before lunging at Bludgeon's sword & punching him square in his face. He swings around with the sword & slices off Envy's right arm off from the shoulder. He falls to the ground screaming in pain as Thunderwing turned the blade & pierced him through the stomach. Envy changes his left arm into a dagger & thrusts it through Thunderwing's right shoulder, just missing his engine. He grabs Envy by the throat with his left hand & digs his nails deep into his carbon-steel neck.
Ed & the others peered back towards the violence behind them as they quickly ran to catch up with Izumi & Rose, who also turned & took notice of the melee in the short distance. The ceiling to the underground cave just behind Ed & the others gives way. They look up to see what looked like a large six barreled hand gun.
They look on in shock as it transformed & crashed to the ground on its feet, holding a large rifle in each hand as everyone was knocked to the ground from the impact of its landing. "Well, well, well... How convenient. Three freaks under one roof." He said as the brawl seemed to pause for the moment.
"What are you doing here, Sixshot?" Bludgeon asked as he rose back to his feet. "Under orders from Megatron, I was told to bring him your head. Whether it's attached to your body or not..." Sixshot answered coldly. "Fool, you have no idea what I have become. I am a, God... Much like Thunderw-" Bludgeon was interrupted when Envy suddenly smash onto his head, as if being used like a steel chair. "Shut your ass up, bitch! I ain't down with you yet." Thunderwing said, grabbing Envy & throwing him into the mansion beside them.
The building collapses onto him as Thunderwing turns to grab Bludgeon. He claps his hands together & places one on the ground, red lightning dances across the ground, followed by several large spikes that explode & Peirce Thunderwing's shoulders, lower abdomen & thighs. He squirmed in discomfort as this came as a surprise to everyone, even Sixshot. "Edward... He, used alchemy..." Lust said nervously as she helped Ed to his feet. "I know... And without a transmutation circle... Did he go inside the Gate or..." His eyes shot open when another horrifying fact entered his mind.
"That worked better than anticipated..." Bludgeon said as Envy dug himself free as his right arm was nearly finished repairing itself. "Don't forget, you told me his armor can self regenerate." Envy said, but Bludgeon turned his attention to Sixshot. Thunderwing's engines swing around & are aimed at Bludgeon's face. "Never take your eye off your opponent." Thunderwing stated before his engines charged with an loud hum as he began to break free from his spiked prison.
Envy quickly ran to Thunderwing's side & made a quick leg-sweep to his right leg, knocking him off balance as Bludgeon ducked & Thunderwing fired two bright green beams of energy that began to cut into the ceiling. The line explodes with near atomic force, almost deafening everyone in the room. "Uh, oh... This is gonna suck." Envy said before being struck by several boulders as was Bludgeon. Sixshot transforms to his jet form escapes through the ever expanding hole. Passing buildings filled with terrified civilians.
Ed & Izumi clap their hands & create a steel dome over the group. Thunderwing rose to his feet & threw himself over the dome just as several large boulders quickly buried them. Sixshot looks on while hovering over the area in his jet form. "Wow, this brings back some bad memories." Sixshot said to himself as memories of the past, made a quick rush through his psyche.
The dust takes several moments to clear. Sixshot uses this time to transform & looks into the hole in the Earth. "A Thunderhead Pass on this backwater rock... Also, did I just see Thunderwing throw himself in harm's way to save a bunch of flesh bags?" He thought. A large rock suddenly turned over in the general vicinity of one of the buried monsters. Beams of light shine brightly from the debris before exploding in different directions. Thunderwing slowly rises to his feet as his body continues to heal. The dome that covered Ed & the others retracted back to the ground & they viewed the damage that had been done.
The sight, smell of blood & death filled the scene. They figured the possibility of massive casualties, but the sight was still difficult to take in. Thunderwing kneels down & lowered an open hand, allowing Ed & the others to climb on. He stands & ignites his engines to give him an extra boost to leap out of the hole. He landed hard onto the ground with the sound of thunder. He turns to look at Sixshot, who was still staring down into the hole, waiting for any other movement.
(End soundtrack.)
Thunderwing looks down to his hand & was about to speak his mind, when the same feeling he had in Dublith, suddenly overwhelmed his senses. A primal instinct of uneasiness came to him. The same feeling came over Sixshot & the both started to scan the area. Thunderwing made a low growl in his throat as he confirmed his instincts. The outline of the area was now surrounded with A.E. Drones. Sixshot also takes notice, almost liking what he sees... A possible challenge.
Ed looks around & knows this is about to turn from war to Armageddon as he & everyone else looks at the sea of machines. "Hmm... This is starting to look bad." Thunderwing said calmly. "Starting to?" Lust said sarcastically. "H-How many do you think there are of these things?" Wrath asked nervously. "I'd say, somewhere in the range of, ten thousand. Give or take." Thunderwing replied. "What?!" They shouted in unison.
"Listen... This may go badly. I want you all gone." Thunderwing stated. "Hell, no! Bludgeon might be using Al to preform alchemy. Or didn't you happen to notice that?!" Ed shouted. "I did, but I can't fight & protect you at the same time... So, I made a call to Ratchet to get all of you out of here. Sorry Edward, this is too big for you now." Thunderwing added before placing a hand to the side of his head.
"Ratchet, has Wheeljack reconfigured the Orbital Bounce for transporting humans?" He asked. "Yes, everything has been set to what you requested, but we haven't had the chance to test it yet." Ratchet replied. "Well, I have seven to transport... Get them out. Now!" He ordered. Ed was about to object to this when seven cylinders of light encase him & the others before disappearing. "Now that they're out of the way, I have nothing to hold me back." Thunderwing said as his engines swung forward.
(Begin soundtrack: Axel Rudi Pell - Legions of Hell.)
"When did you get your mind back, Thunderwing?" Sixshot asked before cocking his rifles. "Who says I did? What I do now, will show that I may still be crazy." He replied as they now stood back to back. The Drones began their march forward as people began to flee, trying to avoid being stepped on. "Ready?" Thunderwing asked. "Hmpt, not that I have to be against these things." Sixshot replied confidently before nearly the first wave of Drones begin to open fire. Sixshot quickly retaliates as explosions surround them both. Thunderwing fires two large beams of energy from his cannons that destroy several Drones & many were able to dodge the attack.
Thunderwing's engines swing back around before firing blasts of fiery energy, taking out another group of Drones. "Hey, catch!" Sixshot said as he transforms into his gun form. Thunderwing grabs hold of the handle, takes aim & fires at multiple Drones that are continuing to swarm them from all around as those behind them begin their upgrade process. Explosions continue to rock the area around him as he tosses Sixshot, who quickly transforms to his "Wolf Mode" & charges at a group, slashing & tearing into anything that moved without a second thought as Thunderwing stomped his right foot down, sending a shock wave around him & knocking down a couple dozen Drones.
He grabs one by the its leg & begins to use its body like a club, smashing some Drones over their heads savagely. Those that could still fight started to clime onto him & began to pierce into his back & legs with their upgraded limbs. Black lightning cracks off his body before throwing his arms out & surrounds himself with a bright, bluish/white dome of energy as explodes around him, letting out a thunderous roar as the ground shatters like glass. Sending debris & broken bodies in all directions, buying a short reprieve for himself. Sixshot continues his own onslaught as he enjoys the fruits of his labor, proving why he is "The Living Weapon." But even he needs repairs once in a while, and the numbers are beginning to show on his armor. Small cracks show on his body from this form of prolonged fighting.
At the bottom of the hole, where the city once stood. Envy & Bludgeon, finish digging themselves free, hearing the war that's taking place above them. "So, now what?" Envy asked coldly. "If Thunderwing, refuses to join in our cause, then we must eliminate him before he can become an even greater distraction." Bludgeon answered. They leap out from the hole & land on the ground topside. Thunderwing senses their presents & catches their movement from the corner of his eye. Envy leaps into the air once again, looking to dropkick him as Bludgeon draws his sword & makes a running charge. But he was not going to fall victim to this scenario twice.
He ignites his engines as he jumps to grab Envy in midair & swings him around multiple times. Each time faster & faster, building momentum before releasing him into Bludgeon. Sending them through several damaged buildings & cutting a straight path across the ground. He lands back onto the ground & walks over to them just as Envy was wearily rising to his feet. He clasped his hands together, charges forward & hits Envy with a thunderous double-handed uppercut. Breaking his jaw & knocking him back almost five hundred yards & onto a large church.
Bludgeon started to regain his senses & was about to clap his hands together when Thunderwing slammed his left foot down in Bludgeon's right hand. He knelt down & grabbed Bludgeon's throat with his left hand "You may as well not even bother trying to pull that trick on me a second time..." Thunderwing said before cocking & aiming his right fist. "Edward... Anything you want to me to tell Bludgeon?" He asked.
Ark-19
"Yeah, tell him to go fuck himself." He answered maliciously while he & several Autobots watched the war on multiple monitors. "As you wish... Sweat dreams, Bludgeon." Thunderwing answered before his fist slammed into Bludgeon's face & drove the back of his head into the ground & almost breaking his helmet in two. "I'm beginning to wonder if we should get involved or not?" Hardhead asked as he folded his arms. "Negative... I've already called for extra support." Prime said as he walked into the room with Nightbeat, grabbing everyone's attention. "Edward, may I speak with you & your homunculan friends for a moment?" Nightbeat asked. They complied & followed him into a neighboring room.
He knelt down before them with a troubled look on his face as Prime also walked in & closed the door behind him. "So... What's all this about?" Ed asked. "In short, I've studied the 'Red Water' & it is a byproduct of Ore-13... Also, I have reason to believe that your homunculan friend's DNA may hold the key to stabilizing the flaws in Ore-13..." Nightbeat stated. "And because of this new fact, your lives are in danger. If the Decepticon were to find out about this, the course of the war would change in their favor." Prime added.
Central
Envy staggers back to his feet & realigns his jaw back into place. "Computer, download all upgrades. Now!" He ordered as a six-pack of helicopter blades appear on his upper back & his frame began to bulk out with a pair short-barreled laser cannons attach themselves to his forearms. After his transformation was complete, he now looked like a MH53 helicopter.
He quickly transformed into his chopper form & started to elevate up, but came crashing down after several missiles stuck him & left him as a flaming wreck. Thunderwing looks up & sees what looked like four fighter jets & a longer passenger jet fly overhead. "Calvary?" He asked before he continued attacking the A.E. Drones that surrounded him, who also took notice of the jets above.
"So, they sent in the Aerial Bots..." Sixshot muttered before noticing Envy's burned & mangled body was nearly finished putting itself back together again. He changes back to his robot form. "Hey, palm tree..." Envy turns & come face to face with Sixshot's laser gun form. He fires, all six barrels fire in unison, punching through Envy's already damaged armor & killing him for a second time. "You're no, Thunderwing... That much I'll say." Sixshot stated in a disappointing tone.
Though the numbers of the A.E. Drones are dwindling, Thunderwing's armor continues to show signs of fatigue. Bludgeon rises to his feet as he throws his helmet to the ground & grabs the handle to his energy sword. He makes a mad-dash while Thunderwing's back is turned. Thunderwing grabs a dead Drone, turns to dodge Bludgeon's attack before casually smashing him over the head. He kicks him over & steps on Bludgeon's left arm with his right foot again. "How was it possible that you could use alchemy? Let's just find out by checking under the hood, shall we." Thunderwing said maliciously as he grabbed the center plate of Bludgeon's chest with his right hand.
The sound of tearing metal & Bludgeon's screams fill the air before the plate is ripped away. Upon seeing the interior, he was almost slack-jawed when he saw a red glowing symbol stamped just on the outside of a round metal casing. "Ark-19... Someone answer me, quick." Thunderwing pleaded. "This is Prowl, go ahead."
"The area is almost secure... But, I need Edward back here. Now!" Thunderwing shouted before wrapping his left hand around Bludgeon's throat. He grabs his left forearm & looks at him with a sadistic grin. "This is so you can't do anything while Edward is here." He said before tearing his arm apart from the elbow, causing Bludgeon to scream in pain.
(End soundtrack)
Five green cylinders of light appear, two being much wider than the others. Just to Thunderwing's left, stood Jazz, Wheeljack, Ed, Lust & Wrath, who were just catching him in the middle of tearing Bludgeon's left arm away, followed by the screams of pain. "Jesus Christ, man. What the hell?!" Ed asked fearfully. "Don't mind me, I was just 'disarming' him." He answered coldly. "Come & examine the inside of his chest." He added before seeing Envy make a rushing charge at them with Bludgeon's sword like a crazed lunatic. Thunderwing quickly changes to his "Ultra Mode" & grabs him by his chest, before raising him up off his feet & slamming him onto the ground to Bludgeon's right with enough force that cracks the earth beneath Envy's back. Causing him to lose his grip on the sword.
"What the hell is that thing, man?" Jazz asked nervously. "That 'thing', use to be Envy." Lust answered calmly as Jazz helped her, Ed & Wrath to Bludgeon's chest while Wheeljack kept a gun to his head. Bludgeon only smirked as a sudden silence seemed to take over. Their eyes were wide with utter shock as they stared at the glowing blood-seal, not believing or able to understand how such a fusion could be possible.
"Al?" Ed asked nervously. "Brother... When I said, I wanted my body to be 'whole' again. This isn't what I had in mind. And I want that for the record." Al said, taking his brother by surprise with the statement. "Wheeljack, do you have any ideas as to how we can separate them?" Ed asked. "Unfortunately, no. Not without the possibility of killing your brother." Wheeljack replied sadly. Ed just looked down at himself as he rubbed his forehead with his left hand. "Ed, when you went inside to get your brother's soul. Did you see what happened to the rest of him?" Lust asked in a low & calming voice.
"Not really... Why?" Ed replied, looking back to her. She looked away for a moment before returning with an answer. "Open the Gate..." Ed & Wrath looked at her with shocked expressions, not believing the suggestion. "Y-You, want me to do what?!" Ed asked nervously. "You heard me. There may be a way to break the bond that Bludgeon made with with your brother... Make an arcane transmutation circle between Bludgeon & Thunderwing. We can use Envy to open the Gate & fix everything... Hopefully." She said as Envy began to struggle free.
He takes aim at Wheeljack with his left arm-mounted gun & fires a blast of energy, nearly splitting his armor down the middle & knocking Jazz back. Thunderwing quickly changes back to his original form & grabs Envy's arm just as he pointed his gun at Ed. Thunderwing crushes the barrel before hyper-extending his arm & breaking the joint. He screams in pain just before Thunderwing started to lay in a barrage of right handed punches. "Edward, hurry!" He shouted. Ed jumped down to the ground & clapped his hands. The large black outlines of the winged transmutation circle appeared on the ground, beneath Bludgeon & Envy.
"He claps his hands again & places them on the circle. It begins to glow bright red, grabbing Sixshot's attention as the area is consumed with a blinding flash of light. After a short moment, the light fades. Wheeljack stands next to Jazz, completely healed as Jazz looks at the unconscious Alphonse, sleeping in his hands. They look at the mangled body of Bludgeon. His arms, legs, shoulder pads & his sword were gone, but somehow, he was still alive. "What was that, that we saw?" Jazz asked nervously. "I don't know... But, let's get back to base. Prime's going to want to know about all this." Wheeljack replied. "Ark-19, three to beam back." He added. Two green cylinders of light surrounded them before fading away into nothing.
Bludgeon lies on the ground in silence, staring up the smoke filled night sky. His moment was suddenly interrupted by the sound of foot steps. He turns to face the sound, only to notice the end of a gun barrel staring back at him & the sight of Sixshot holding it. "Time to pay Megatron his 'dues', Bludgeon." A loud shot, followed by darkness...
From the personal Datatracks of Optimus Prime. One week later.
It has now been one Earth week since the disappearance of one, Edward Elric. The three homunculi, Lust, Wrath & Envy. And finally, Thunderwing... Our investigation into the matter has unfortunately, gone cold. However, Alphonse Elric holds out hope that his brother & everyone else still lives & vowed to help bring them home. For the human city of Central, I've offered the architectural assistance from the best of the Autobots, lead by Grapple. Which include, Hoist, Huffer, Quickmix, Landfill & Wideload. According to Grapple's latest report, reconstruction efforts are going smoothly... However, there was one distracting incident.
Military HQ, front lawn. Five days before this entry.
Mustang, who is now wearing a patch over his left eye, stands behind a large podium with a microphone attached to the top with a short, flexible support. "Ladies & Gentlemen. And robots..." He said, looking at Bumblebee, who waved lightly & was holding what look like a camcorder & Brawn, who stood by with his arms folded. "I'm proud & yet, 'nervous' to introduce to you all, the new leader of our great nation & our military... Fuhrer Adam West."
The band began to play as Mustang stepped aside & West walked up to the podium. "Who's this guy?" Brawn asked. "I got a bad feeling about this." Bumblebee replied. "Thank you General Mustang... My fellow Amestrians & miscellaneous countrymen... As of this moment, I will spread the seeds of 'peace' & bring our nation & its people closer together... I pray daily that our lost heroes, haven't been murdered, eaten or viciously raped on a daily bases, wherever they my be..." He said, forcing everyone to look at each other oddly by the last statement.
"I told the higher-ups, giving him the job would be a huge mistake." Mustang whispered to Lt. Hawkeye as she gently nodded. "Now, I know we planned on making a statue in dedication to Edward Elric & company. But I decided instead, to spend the entire budget on this golden statue of the cartoon Honey Smacks frog." Everyone looked at the unveiling of the statue in shock. Even Laserbeak, who was watching the event from from atop of a building just across the street.
Well, it could've been a lot worse...
"Oh, yes... I'm also going to bring a new wave of democracy to our nation." He added proudly.
I stand corrected...
Megatron sits in his command chair looking over his daily reports when a strange feeling suddenly grabbed his attention. He looked around the room, gaining the attention of several of his subordinates. "Something wrong, Megatron?" Starscream asked in a callous tone. "I'm not sure... I suddenly felt this rush of evil, far greater than my own." He replied.
On a more disturbing matter, the security facility on Garrus-9 has been breached. We face catastrophic fallout if certain recent... inmates end up in enemy hands. Prowl wished to debate the matter, but we the closest to respond to this dilemma. I'm leaving Hot Rod in charge of operations on this planet. I do not leave this world lightly, but for the time being... this world will have to fend for itself!"
Datatrack Entry, closed.
