'Con Air
Clutching the thick cable with one hand, Ultra Magnus hung somewhat freely over the streets of Las Vegas. Cyclonus' personal yacht had been gradually ascending, putting itself well above the skyscrapers situated within the city centre. Below, the Autobot Commander caught glimpses of some kind of battle occurring in the downtown area. Explosions and tracer fire streaked across one of the main streets. A fight he should no doubt be a part of, he thought, were it not for the airborne problem above him. Cyclonus was on board and had retreated within the ship. The ramp on the ship's underbelly remained lowered, although instead of General Cyclonus standing upon it, there emerged a silver Decepticon soldier wielding a plasma cannon built within one arm. He peered over the edge of the ramp, his gaze falling upon Ultra Magnus hanging some distance below.
Ultra Magnus had his right hand on the grip of his heavy rifle. Despite the weapon's heavy calibre, his Cybertronian strength was enough to allow him to bring it up one-handed. He fired a shot at the Decepticon, the blast grazing the already wobbly ramp. The Decepticon soldier took a step back out of view and Ultra Magnus fired another shot, this one blowing a hole clean through the ramp. It also blew a hole into the Decepticon standing upon it and he came falling forwards, energon fluid trailing from the gaping wound in the Decepticon's lower chest. He fell past Ultra Magnus and towards the streets below, all the while screaming as he went, partly from the pain and partly because of the fact that he was freefalling.
The Decepticon soldier went through the roof of a small office building and busted through two more floors before he finally came to a stop, his body mangled and his optics lifeless, office furniture smashed up and scattered all around, sparks flitting from broken power cables.
Ultra Magnus put his heavy rifle to his back, clipping it there magnetically before placing his other hand upon the cable. With some effort he began to climb, his frame grinding audibly from the required exertion. These ropes would be easy enough to slide down, but climbing back up them was a whole different matter entirely. He had gravity working against him for one and even with his Cybertronian strength he found himself straining.
Nonetheless, he finally came to the lowered ramp. It hung only on three of its four support struts, the fourth having been shot off during the fire-fight on the ground. Ultra Magnus placed both hands on the end of the ramp, hearing it groan as he applied his weight upon it. Hefting himself up, he threw himself upon the ramp and gripped the nearest support, finding himself looking straight up into the belly of the beast.
Cyclonus would pay for killing Wildstrike. Ultra Magnus might have been a Commander, expected to hold certain ideals, but he was not above getting revenge for his fallen comrades. It was one of the most basic of desires, the idea of 'payback'. Chances are he would feel very little if he succeeded in carrying it out, this much he knew. Experiences in the past had proven as much. Yet, the urge to acquire vengeance was a strong one. And he was not about to let Cyclonus get away, not after all he had done. Not just here on Earth in recent days, but for his involvement in the war. The Autobots he had slain, the atrocities he had committed. Cyclonus was the one holding his ragtag army together. Get rid of him and hopefully the rest would become disorganized, maybe even surrender. It was a stretch and Ultra Magnus knew that he was partly trying to justify his own desire for vengeance to himself, but he had to take into account the possibilities.
He had been on the ship before, when Cyclonus had landed at the airstrip under the guise of seeking peaceful 'negotiation'. As such, Ultra Magnus had some idea of what the interior layout was like, or at least part of it. He pulled out his heavy rifle and started up the ramp, entering the ship's lower hold where a number of metal crates were scattered about. There was a Decepticon standing further ahead, near a set of steps leading towards a door. This Decepticon, slim and mostly a deep purple in colour, raised a heavy chain-gun and started shooting. A hail of armour-piercing rounds swept through the hold, punching through the crates and rear wall. Ultra Magnus crouched down and raised his weapon, taking the time to line up the perfect shot whereas the Decepticon had panicked and fired before getting his aim true. One of the rounds clipped Ultra Magnus in the stomach but he maintained his composure and pulled the trigger on his rifle, sending the high-powered bolt of energy straight into the Decepticon's chest. He fell backwards, fire bursting outwards as his spark chamber was reduced to a smouldering hole. Ultra Magnus rose to his feet and strode past where the Decepticon guard had come to rest. The door ahead slid open, allowing him access to the elaborately decorated hall behind.
This was where the 'negotiation' had taken place. It had not changed at all, save for the placement of the Decepticons. Two stood near the far end of the table, crouched down with their weapons pointed at the door. Another stood to the right near an energon dispenser at the wall. All three had been waiting for Ultra Magnus and all three opened fire as soon as he was through the door.
Ultra Magnus dived to the right as a hail of energy bolts shot through the air near him. He landed on his side and as soon as he was on the carpeted floor, he sent a shot from his rifle into the Decepticon soldier standing to the right. The soldier's head exploded, splattering bright blue energon fluid across the wall as the rest of his body slumped against it.
Ultra Magnus shifted his aim and put another shot in the direction of the two Decepticons at the far end of the dining hall. It hit the side of the table, causing a small explosion of blue flame, the force enough to knock one of the Decepticons backwards. The Autobot Commander moved back onto his feet, facing down the pair with his rifle raised. The standing Decepticon hit him with a standard in-built energy cannon, the red bolt catching Ultra Magnus in the left arm. He barely flinched, his mind focused entirely upon the task at hand, his desire to get to Cyclonus overriding the pain. He gunned the standing Decepticon down with a pair of blasts, one of which blew the soldier's left arm clean off. The second caught him in the stomach, causing him to fall backwards against the wall by the door at the end. The Decepticon was still alive, however, and was now frantically trying to keep his mangled entrails from falling out onto the floor.
The other Decepticon was back on his feet, his jaw clenched and metal teeth gritted as he returned fire. Ultra Magnus put a bolt of energy through his chest, sending him to the floor where he remained motionless. As the smoke cleared, Ultra Magnus walked by the still living Decepticon, who had a terrified look on his face and both hands to the smouldering gash that had been torn into his stomach area. Most of the energon coated, sort-of metal but sort-of soft organs that Ultra Magnus could see were scorched and mangled, likely beyond repair. He was surprised that this Decepticon was even still alive.
Ultra Magnus stepped by him and through the next door, barely giving the wounded Decepticon a second thought as he strolled into the narrow corridor beyond. Here, there were two sets of stairs heading down into the ship's lower level. Ahead was a door that presumably went into the ship's cockpit. It made sense to check the cockpit first, as it was most likely where Cyclonus would be. He was not mistaken, as Ultra Magnus stepped into the cockpit and found Cyclonus standing before the main controls. On a holographic overlay upon the thick cockpit windows was displayed a map of the city below. Another marker, with an Autobot emblem, was heading rapidly out of the city and into the surrounding desert. Cyclonus gazed at it, seemingly oblivious to Ultra Magnus' entrance. There was another Decepticon in the cockpit, this one rising out of a seat to the left, weapon drawn.
Ultra Magnus shot this Decepticon down immediately, his superior reflexes planting a shot into the Decepticon soldier's face. This sent him falling across the floor between the two seats.
"I have been betrayed," Cyclonus said, watching the display in front of him. He did not turn around but was no doubt aware of Ultra Magnus' presence. "Star Saber escapes with the Seal. And it appears I will not be able to repay his treacherous actions in turn." Slowly, he turned around. Cyclonus appeared unarmed, although with a Decepticon one could never be sure. The General seemed to be strangely calm. Ultra Magnus pointed his rifle towards him.
"You should get better friends," Ultra Magnus replied. His voice was stern, his patience thin. Now his wounds were starting to hurt, the rush of battle having since died down.
"I have locked out the controls," Cyclonus said. He placed one hand upon a holographic panel to his left. Ultra Magnus watched his movements closely but did not shoot. Not just yet. Part of him wanted to hear the General out. "They respond only to my life signature."
"You killed Wildstrike," Ultra Magnus said.
"A shot intended for you," Cyclonus replied. "You should understand, a warrior like yourself, that I did what I had to in order to ensure a future for my people. Working with the religious zealot Star Saber was a means to an end. Leaving the Seal in his hands is a mistake." He paused for a moment to consider what else to add. "You and I, we are much alike. We both lead armies. We both care about those who serve under us dearly. And we both fight for a cause we believe in. On the battlefield, we eliminate our foes with brutal efficiency. Surely, Magnus, if there was ever to be an alliance between the two of us, it would be now, in the face of the common foe that is Star Saber?"
Ultra Magnus did not reply. It sounded like Cyclonus was simply stalling, buying time, likely ready to draw a weapon when the Autobot Commander dropped his guard. He would not let this Decepticon manipulate him.
"You blew the chance of an alliance, General," Ultra Magnus said.
"I did what needed to be done," Cyclonus replied. "The Decepticons are not just fodder for your Autobot guns. Every one of them under my command has their own story. They are just like you, just like your Autobots. They have names and lives." He paused for a few seconds, before he added: "Tickle us, Commander, and do we not laugh? Prick us, and do we not bleed? Wrong us, and shall we not revenge?"
Ultra Magnus said nothing. He saw Wildstrike in his optics, in her dying moments and then he saw her again, when he had promised her that they would become bonded when they were back on Cybertron. He had intended to live out his life with her at his side. That hope had been dashed because of Cyclonus. No amount of moralising would change that.
"I think now, General, you might consider a different question," Ultra Magnus said. Cyclonus raised an optic ridge, curious.
"And what is that?"
"To be..." Ultra Magnus shifted the rifle in his arms, pointing the barrel towards Cyclonus. "Or not to be?" He gave Cyclonus just enough time for the reference to register before he pulled the trigger. The heavy rifle's shot was deafening inside the confines of the cockpit. Cyclonus was hit squarely in the chest, the force of the shot enough to lift him off of his feet and send him through the holographic overlay. He connected with the cockpit window and part of it broke when his head connected with it, sending thick glass shards raining down before Cyclonus' body came to a rest across the top of the main controls. Energon fluid pooled around him and trickled down the terminals.
Ultra Magnus had been right: he felt little different after doing the deed. Nonetheless, they were down one major threat. Now he only had to contend with the fact that the ship he was on had entered a sudden forward dive, shifting quickly so that its nose was pointed firmly at the ground.
The Autobot Commander lowered his rifle and rushed to the control terminals. Pushing Cyclonus' lifeless corpse aside, he found on one of the displays that someone had programmed a particular downward course into the navigation computer, to be triggered through certain circumstances. No wonder Cyclonus had locked out the controls: he had programmed the ship to crash into Las Vegas upon his death, as the scanners on board had likely been attuned to his life signature. Ultra Magnus did not have the knowledge to hack computers, certainly not Decepticon ones.
Looking ahead through the partially smashed cockpit window, he saw that the downtown area of Las Vegas was rushing towards him at an alarming rate. With little time and few options, he turned around and started running. The engines were at full bore now, propelling the ship onwards along its doomed trajectory. All Ultra Magnus could do was run for the opposite end of the ship and hope for the best.
As much as Doubletake would have liked to take down the Decepticon sniper further down the Vegas Strip, he found himself distracted by the Decepticon scout ship heading nose-first for the downtown area. Cyclonus' personal yacht, heavily armoured and thoroughly modified, had been well on its way for the city's urban centre. It was only now it had made a slight course alteration. Doubletake stood in the shelter just outside the front of a lavish and tall casino, out of view of the Decepticon sniper who was moving about the rooftops further down the street, when he looked towards the ship and saw where it was headed. It was an average-sized vessel by Cybertronian standards, with visible clamps along the sides and roof that would have docked it snugly into the far larger cruiser that Cyclonus no doubt had at his disposal, wherever it was. The ship was descending rapidly, its engines roaring at full burn as it clipped the top of a building back down the street, causing chunks of cement and shards of glass to rain down upon the street below. Whatever civilians were still out and about had taken to running in the opposite direction of the oncoming ship. It was clear to the Autobot enforcer that the vessel was not about to adjust its heading. Whoever was at the helm had set it on this course intentionally. That was if there was anyone actually manning the ship's controls.
Doubletake watched as the large black metal hulk went straight into the Vegas Strip, the front connecting with the side of one building on the corner, knocking the bottom few floors out from underneath. The whole building started to come down, brickwork crumbling and steelwork bending. A cloud of dust erupted forth as the building collapsed upon the rest of the ship as it hit the road and began to carve its way into the asphalt. Parked cars were tossed aside like toys as it swept its way along the road, going by the casino Doubletake was outside of, sending up a wave of dust and debris as it went. Despite the width of the street, it was still not quite large enough to accommodate the full size of the ship. The bottom floors of buildings across the street were obliterated, simply wiped out by the ship as it dragged itself along the road, carried forwards by the momentum the still working engines provided it. The ship travelled at a slight angle, one that took it by Doubletake's position, showering him with dust and debris before it knocked aside a row of hedges and the front of the ship went straight into the front of the lavish casino. The shelter over the facade out the front entrance was knocked aside, stone crumbling all around. Doubletake had to dive out of the way as part of it fell down by him, the air around him thick with the dust that had been brought up from the ship's path of destruction.
Still, it was not over. The ship's engines continued roaring despite the fact it was firmly stuck in the front of a casino. The entire front section of the building had begun to crumble, glass and brick falling down from several floors up. Car alarms sounded from all over the street, as did the screams of panicked humans. Doubletake heard the recognizable 'chop-chop' of helicopter blades and he looked up and saw the news helicopter that had begun to circle the site of the destruction. He was not sure whether being on camera was a good or bad thing in these circumstances. Nonetheless, he could at least rest easy for a moment, as it appeared that Cyclonus' personal ship had come to a halt. Even its engines had died, as if whatever computer that had set it on its destructive path had been disabled or had switched off the engines to conserve energy upon becoming aware of its 'stuck' state.
The rear ramp was open. Doubletake walked over to it slowly, his submachine gun clutched in his right hand. Raising it as he rounded the side of the ship and before the extended ramp, he half-expected Cyclonus to walk out. Nearby, one of the engines had cracked along the side, exposing the volatile energy core that powered it. Thick, refined energon flowed out, pooling around the rear of the ship. Doubletake avoided the noxious substance and kept his attention focused on what lay past the ramp. He could hear footsteps clanging upon the metal, uneven ones at that, as if the one causing them was hurt and struggling to move.
He recognized Ultra Magnus right away. The Autobot Commander stumbled out of the rear of the ship, his heavy rifle clutched in one hand. His optics fell upon Doubletake and a hint of relief crossed his face, if the Autobot enforcer was not mistaken. It did not last long, as Ultra Magnus keeled over, falling onto all fours as he stepped off of the ramp. Doubletake rushed over to him and put one arm around him, helping him back onto his feet before leading him into cover behind the crashed ship.
"Commander," Doubletake said, allowing him to leave his grasp. Ultra Magnus slumped against the side of the ship, his face taking on a pained expression as his wounds began to get the better of him. There were several of them, among them a few holes in his armour caused by energy weapons and a couple more from projectile weapons. That was not to mention all the other scuffs and scrapes that marred his burly form.
"Where's Cyclonus?" Doubletake asked.
Ultra Magnus looked up at him. His face was serious, as it so often was.
"He won't be a problem anymore," he stated, flatly. He closed his optics then and his head lulled to one side, his body relaxing. He had fallen unconscious. Sooner or later he would need proper medical attention. How they would get that when there were no Cybertronian medics around, he had no idea.
Doubletake looked back to the street. The devastation was extreme, to say the least, with most of the road having been torn up during the ship's crash. Wrecked cars were scattered about, buildings were wrecked and spot fires raged. Doubletake took a few steps forwards, only for weapons fire to ring out from somewhere to his right. Red energy bolts zipped by him and he jumped backwards, taking cover behind the crashed ship while he slowly leaned his head around to take a look.
The Decepticon sniper had come to check out the crash. Hardtop had put his sniper rifle to his back and had drawn a side-arm. Now he was striding towards Doubletake's position. Doubletake would have normally attempted to flank his opponent in such a situation, but a look behind him at where Ultra Magnus was made this course of action a no-go. Leaving this position would put Ultra Magnus at the mercy of a Decepticon and Doubletake was not about to let that happen.
Hardtop fired another volley, forcing Doubletake to duck back into cover. The Autobot cop considered his options, his gaze going towards the ship his back was against, specifically the top. There was a possibility there. He chewed thoughtfully on the end of the emergency flare jutting from his mouth. Putting his submachine gun away, he put both hands to the metal of the ship's armour and began to climb.
It was not too difficult, given all the little grooves and niches that covered the heavily modified ship. The armour plating was far from seamless and Doubletake was able to scramble up the side and onto the top fairly quickly. Below, near the ship's rear, Hardtop had stopped, having heard the scraping that Doubletake had inadvertently caused in his hurry to get on top of the ship. He turned to look at the ship's rear, his pistol raised.
Doubletake pulled out his submachine gun and sprang up out of cover, firing down at Hardtop who dived to one side, landing in the ever-growing pool of noxious fuel that poured from one of the engines. Hardtop landed face-first, slipping in the mess, the grass underneath providing no purchase for him to get hold of. Nonetheless, he managed to scramble onto his feet, smothered in the thick, gooey energon-based fuel.
Doubletake opened fire, two of the shots clipping Hardtop in the side. The Decepticon grunted in pain and fell to his knees, only to return fire, causing Doubletake to duck. The Autobot checked the ammunition in his weapon, finding it close to empty. Barely enough to finish off a Decepticon. He took note of the thick fuel and the fact that Hardtop was covered in it. With one hand, he pulled the emergency flare out of his mouth, an idea forming in his mind that he would have normally considered 'unconventional'. The bottom end was covered in slight indentations from where his metal teeth had bitten into it, but otherwise it was mostly intact and perfectly serviceable.
Hardtop fired his pistol several more times from where he was, all the while slowly rising back on his feet. There was a look of anger on his face, one hand to his side where Doubletake had shot him. The wounds were having an adverse effect on his aim, judging from how most of his shots were flying completely wide of Doubletake. The Autobot cop replied by emptying the last handful of rounds in his submachine gun, hitting Hardtop in the chest. He stumbled, the fresh new wounds causing him to groan, his jaw clenched.
Doubletake tucked away his submachine gun and used his now free hand to twist the emergency flare, igniting it. Red smoke and sparks poured from one end, casting him in a pulsating glow. He looked to Hardtop, who had stumbled again, landing on all fours while energon bled from his wounds. Hardtop looked towards him, his optics hidden beneath the yellow combat visor he wore. Judging from the way his mouth went agape, Doubletake figured that the Decepticon had realised what was coming.
"You have the right to remain silent," Doubletake stated, his voice cold. He dropped the flare, sending it down into the pool of thick fuel. As soon as the ignited end of the flare hit the pool, searing blue flame exploded upwards, spreading across the whole of the large puddle in seconds. Hardtop was amongst all this. He was quickly enveloped in blue flame, flame hot enough to melt his armour. The heat coming up from below caused Doubletake to step back from the edge of the ship. He did not stay to watch Hardtop burn. Instead, he slid down the side of the ship and rushed back for Ultra Magnus, who was starting to come to.
Hardtop started to scream in short order. Alight, he thrashed about in the blue flames, his armour melting off of his form, the sensitive metallic protoform flesh beneath even more susceptible to the intense heat. By the time much of that was exposed, Hardtop had fallen silent and still, disappearing amongst the burning fire.
Doubletake grabbed Ultra Magnus by one arm, helping the Autobot Commander back onto his feet.
"We should move," Doubletake suggested. The fires continued to rage at the rear of the ship, encroaching upon the engines. One streak of flame shot up into the damaged engine. Behind the pair of Autobots, there was the loud thump of a sudden and violent explosion. A blue-white fireball erupted from the damaged engine, blasting out flames that swept out onto the street.
Doubletake and Ultra Magnus had started to run while the rear section of the ship began to creak, cracks shooting through the armour plating as explosions rocked the interior. Parts of it erupted outwards, throwing searing hot pieces of metal all about the area. Heat washed over the fleeing pair as the rest of the ship promptly detonated, the concussive force enough to throw both of them to the ground. The shockwave was powerful enough to push several parked cars out of their places, shattering windows in the neighbouring buildings and the casino the ship had crashed into the base of. The rumble of the explosion was deafening, even for Cybertronian ears. The fireball rose high above the street, visible from all across the city. The front section of the already wrecked casino began to fall, collapsing across the wreck of the ship at its base.
And, within moments, it was all quiet. Small fires burned all around and metal debris littered the area. Doubletake rose to his feet. There was ringing in his head that had only just started to recede. Ultra Magnus stood up after him and the pair turned to survey the destruction. There was not much left of Cyclonus' personal ship, save for the bottom half of the ship's general skeleton. Chunks of smouldering armour plating had been thrown every which way. A few were stuck in the casino building, jutting out of it at awkward angles. The first several floors had been obliterated about halfway through, leaving the back half the structure still standing and the wrecked interior completely visible from the outside. Broken cables hung limply, sparking sporadically.
"At least now we can be sure Cyclonus isn't going to come back," Doubletake said. "He'd be nothing but dust now." He had not meant for things to get this explosive. Ultra Magnus turned to him, his optics narrowed, a frown etched upon his face.
"What exactly did you do?" The Autobot Commander asked.
"Fuel leak. Stray fire. You can see the result, sir."
There was a brief silence between the two. Doubletake considered their next course of action, as Ultra Magnus most certainly was.
"We need to find the others," Ultra Magnus said. "I'll go and get Jack and Rafael. You find Bumblebee. We need to know if he's still alive, or if he's wounded."
"And what about the rest of the Decepticons?" Doubletake asked. "I saw Skystreaker dragging Wheeljack away. She took him on board a Decepticon transport. She even took the Seal from him. They could be going anywhere."
Ultra Magnus scrunched up his face when he heard this.
"So Skystreaker finally betrayed us?" He pondered this for a moment, disgust evident in the way his frown contorted itself into a scowl. "We can still find Wheeljack. He planted a tracker in Dragstrip. With any luck, Dragstrip is on Cyclonus' cruiser. He'll lead us straight to their base of operations."
Doubletake recalled the business with the tracker. He had become so caught up in recent events that he had nearly forgotten all about it.
"Are we going to attack their base head-on? Like we did with the Taskforce?" Doubletake motioned with one hand at the destruction evident around them. "Because that worked out pretty well, I think."
"We'll think of something," Ultra Magnus replied. "For now, Doubletake, you have your orders. Find Bumblebee. I'll find Jack and Rafael." With that, he turned around and started to walk away, transforming once he stepped onto the road. He sped away, weaving around the debris and destroyed vehicles that were scattered across the street.
Doubletake watched him leave, all the while trying to think of a place to start when it came to locating Bumblebee. Going back to the Taskforce compound and working his way from there was probably a safe bet.