"So you're telling us that the Satellite is directly above us? We can just fly up and hit it? Seems too good to be true" Sideswipe snarled, turning his attention to Optimus.
"Do we believe him? He is a con" Jazz hissed at Barricade.
"Was" Barricade pointed to the scratched off logo on his arm. Optimus rubbed his chin.
"Look, I can understand you not trusting me, hell I don't even know what I'm gonna do after this. All I know is...Megatron can't be allowed to just lay waste to this planet. My issues are with my own kind...Not humans" Barricade sighed at the irony of his life.
"Barricade...what you said shows that your ways are truly behind you. You faced the irony in your words head on, and were willing to throw your Decepticon life away to help us...I thank you" Optimus said to him. Barricade gave a humble nod and smile.
"Here, a tracker I planted on old Screamy's back. It should let you know exactly where the station is. Go hit it..." he handed the small beeping device to Optimus. He looked at Jetfire as he walked over, opening a comm link to Magnus as he flew the huge ship overhead.
"Ultra Magnus, This is Optimus Prime. Megatron plans to drop a rod on Washington. You will stay and help evacuate the last civilians"
"Yes sir"
"Rafael, Ratchet. I want you to be on immediate ground bridge rescue if we fail to stop the rod. No more Autobots die under my command"
"Sure thing Optimus" Raf responded. Optimus lowered his finger from his antenna.
"Autobots. Until further notice, work on evacuating as many as possible. This ends here" Optimus's jet pack wings extended out and his back thrusters warmed up.
"Will do sir. Autobots lets move out!" Jazz nodded as all the bots agreed, scattering outwards.
"Jetfire! Let's roll!" Optimus proudly exclaimed as he blasted up into the sky, followed by the huge jet form of Jetfire. The two beings roared up through the icy cotton of the clouds, rolling over itself as Optimus blasted through, followed by Jetfire.
Meanwhile back in Washington. A now calmed down Grimlock walked over to the Autobots, smiling at them.
"Hey Grim! Good fight I hear" Smokescreen chuckled. Suddenly a loud crackle of jet engines broke the happy reunion. Coming in hot from the clouds, pulling up and racing towards them was the very large Cybertronian fighter of Skywarp, blasting straight at them, a final attempt on Jazz's life.
"Ah man" Jazz said as he stepped back, defending the group of terrified humans as the families huddled, waiting for the inevitable death. Bulkhead snarled at the sight, raising his wrecking ball fist.
Grimlock looked over his shoulder at the Autobots, turning and stepping forward down the straight road.
"Hey Grimlock! Err now might be a really time to get angry" Smokescreen huffed. All the Autobots stepped back as Skywarp's jet grew nearer and nearer. The loud rumbling now deafening. Grimlock continued to stroll forward. He peered back.
"That is me Grimlock's secret Smokey" He stopped walking and turned to face them, Skywarp now only a few yards away.
"Me Grimlock always angry" He turned, as if in slow motion, transforming into his titanic dinosaur form, slamminghis head against the huge Jet, crushing the front of the cockpit and crumpling the plane as he dug his huge Dinosaur toes into the concrete, ripping and crumbling around his feet as he slid back, roaring in anger the whole time. Grimlock chomped down on the Decepticon's wing, slamming the huge jet down into the ground, biting and tearing the wing off as Skywarp cried out in agony, transforming into his robot form. Grimlock released his bite and bellowed a huge roar at Skywarp, lifting his head up, his mouth filling with fire.
"No! No! Barricade help!" He tried to scuffle away. Barricade stood silently watching. Skywarp locked eyes with Jazz.
"For Thundercracker!" He roared as he lunged, Grimlock blasting a wall of fire over the Ex-Seeker. He writhed in pain, still walking forward as to get to Jazz. He dropped to his melting glowing knees as he oozed heat, the metal of skin white hot, his body now soft and malleable.
"Go ahead...argh...finish it" Skywarp groaned. Grimlock stood staring at the kneeling Seeker.
"FINISH IT!" He bellowed at the Dinobot.
Grimlock roared, swiping his tail around, decapitating Skywarp's head. The hot metal head bounced along the road and the rapidly cooling body slumped back with a bang. Now only one hunter remained: Blitzwing.
"Consider that...my resignation from the hunters" Barricade nervously chuckled, Grimlock snarling at him. Jazz pat his back.
"Welcome back where you belong"
Barricade smiled and nodded. He then sighed. "But that's just it Jazz. I don't belong. I mean what; I take my brother's place? Nah...Not my style. Maybe...maybe I'll do what Airachnid did...go solo, for good I mean, not evil. You guys ever need a hand...I'm not gonna be too far away" Barricade knew he could never rehabilitate into the Autobots. Jazz nodded and respected his choice.
"Thanks for your help...See ya around. Don't make us kill you"
"Don't worry...A new leaf, as Optimus told Prowl once...ha!" Barricade smiled as he turned away, transforming into this black mustang.
On his rear wheel arches, what once said "to punish and enslave" now read "to protect and serve"
"See you bots around"
"No doubt" Bumblebee smiled as Barricade drove off with Frenzy in his passenger seat.
"You reckon he'll stay on that path?" Bulkhead asked Jazz.
"I hope so Bulk. I really do"
The moment was broken by a cry. "No! Grimlock! Drop it!" They all turned with raised eyebrows at the huge T-Rex munching on Smokescreen's Energon rifle.
"Drop it! Gri-" a swat of his tail sent Smokescreen flying backwards as Grimlock barely bat an optic, enjoying the gun. Bumblebee, Ironhide and Bulkhead laughed as the rookie rubbed his head, sitting up. Jazz smirked and shook his head, looking up at the sky. Wheeljack looked up as well.
"Hopefully, they can get it done"
"Yeah...I really hope they do" Jazz sighed.
...
The blue abyss of the sky started to turn black as they breached the atmosphere, roaring up towards the now visible super weapon. It was titanic in size, the huge barrel aimed at Earth, Washington in particular. The parts of the Harbinger used to create this monolith of dread and destruction.
"Jetfire, I see the weapon"
"Primus, it's huge! How do we destroy it?"
"I don't know, not yet. Keep moving!" Optimus roared as he blasted higher up into the orbit of Earth, dodging slow moving debris and satellites, the littered orbit of Earth making it difficult to manoeuvre. Jetfire scraped his underbelly along a satellite as he cleared the debris field, the vast emptiness of space becoming more omnipotent.
They neared the massive space station, a group of huge plates at the barrel moving and shifting as the barrel extended, humming.
"Jetfire, we are out of time, they are about to drop the rod!"
"We won't make it in time! Optimus what do we do?"
Optimus narrowed his eyes at the bridge of the satellite, a red eye gleaming. Shockwave was at the controls.
"Lord Megatron, Optimus is attempting to assault us? What shall I do?"
"DROP THE ROD!" Megatron roared, clenching his only fist and teeth. Shockwave nodded, pressing the button. Inside the barrel a mechanism activated, and a set of small mechanical arms lowered the glowing rod, around the size of a truck, into the barrel, holding it, ready to release. Suddenly it did, the rod falling from the station, beginning it's decent.
Megatron smirked. "Save them now Optimus!"
Optimus gasped at the sight, boosting towards the rod. Jetfire tried to assist when a huge being slammed into him, forcing him to transform as he hurtled away. When he finally steadied himself, Blitzwing swung his sword, Jetfire dodging it. He grasped Blitzwing's wrist, staring at the monster.
"Tell Silverbolt I said hello!" He laughed demonically, pushing Jetfire over the mental edge. He swung the sword.
"Tell him yourself!" Jetfire roared, swooping to the left, slamming his fist into Blitzwing's side, tearing out his T-Cog. He pressed his boots on Blitzwing's pain filled chest and pushed with all his might as Blitzwing hurtled off out of control unable to transform.
"NOOOO!" He screamed as he was lost to the depths of space, unable to ever transform, destined to drift on his own, forever, alone with his monstrous thoughts for all eternity; A fate worse than death. His own inescapable Asylum.
"Don't worry, I'll tell him" Jetfire smirked, finally the monster was gone. Jetfire turned as he floated in space, seeing Optimus hurtling toward the rod.
"Optimus! No!" He cried.
Optimus raised his palms and pressed them against the rod as it forced down on him, pushing him back down to Earth. Optimus forced his jetpack into overdrive, roaring back up, slowly lifting from Earth's gravitational grip. Megatron raised an eyebrow over Shockwave's shoulder.
"Where's the big explosion?" Starscream asked. Megatron's optics widened in sheer horror as he saw Optimus holding the rod over his back as he flew up towards the station.
"Whoa! Decepticons! Flee!" He roared as Soundwave opened a bridge to the Nemesis, Megatron clambering through, along with Starscream and Knockout, finally Soundwave. Shockwave stayed seated, looking at Optimus as he neared.
"Everyone has to die sometime Shockwave" Optimus groaned as he released the rod, the vacuum of space pulling it on its trajectory towards the station.
Shockwave stayed in the empty bridge as he watched the rod near the window.
"Oh" Shockwave let out a faint chuckle. "That was...logical" He congratulated Optimus as the reflection of the rod gleamed on his red eye. Soundwave's bridge closed immediately.
Suddenly the rod slammed through the bridge, exploding in a titanic fireball, collapsing the station as it blew apart, the entire compartment of stored rods erupting as well. The entire station plumed outwards in a colossal explosion, the shock wave blowing Optimus out of control towards Earth's atmosphere. Chunks of the station fell past Optimus as they were devoured by the atmosphere.
Jetfire raced after him as Optimus set on fire, hurtling unconscious through the atmosphere.
...
On earth, In Washington, the evacuations were complete and all the Autobots cheered at the actually visible explosion in orbit, high above the earth. Ironhide, Bulk and Wheeljack thumped fists and hugged, knowing the rod threat was no more.
"This is Jetfire! Optimus is out of control, I can't reach him! Does anyone copy?" Bumblebee raised his finger to his ear.
"This is Bumblebee! Can you reach him at all?"
"No He's too far, gah I'm trying!"
Everyone heard, ceasing their cheers and looking up as a faint black dot became visible in the blue sky.
"He's falling fast!"
"He won't survive that fall!"
"What do we do?" The Autobots fell into disarray as their leader fell.
Optimus fell through the clouds, hurtling to the ground. Just as he was sheer yards from the ground, A massive being leaped up, grabbing his waist and falling down on his back with a thud, protecting Optimus as he slid to a stop by a shop window. It was Grimlock.
Grimlock sighed with relief as he rolled Optimus over. All the Autobots ran over.
"Nice job Grimlock! You save him!" Jazz congratulated as he checked Optimus over.
"Me Grimlock help family" He groaned as he stood up.
"You did good" Hound smiled. Grimlock felt warmth in his chest. He felt truly part of this group. Jazz looked over Optimus as Jetfire arrived, landing on his feet after transforming.
"Is he okay?" Jetfire asked, worried for his leader. Suddenly Optimus gasped awake. All the Autobots sighed with relief, lowering their tensed shoulders and heads.
"Where am I? Did we stop Megatron?" Optimus asked all at once.
"Yeah, he's fine. Up ya get Prime" Jazz chuckled as he grasped his leader's hand, hauling him up to his feet with a groan, staggering slightly.
"Autobots...you honor me with your incredible bravery. Thank you, for helping us in our desperate time of need"
Ultra Magnus landed after taking the last civilians to safety. He exited the ship and walked over to Optimus.
"The battle is over. Excellent work" Magnus smiled.
"The battle truly is. But the war still rages, as long as Megatron lives. But, for now...this is a victory for the Autobots"