Megatron found the half-conscious Optimus floating a good distance away. The EMP had burst his propulsion pack, the concomitant explosion stripping off his back panels, damaging his circuitry. Oh this was too delicious for words.
But Megatron was bored with space combat. And Soundwave did claim they held the ship. And what better symbol of his victory than to finish off his mortal enemy on the bridge of his own ship? Delicious.
"You shall say farewell one last time to your beloved Ark," he murmured, in Optimus's audio, as he snatched him out of the sky and raced to the ship's open hangar.
"Where's slaggin' Blackout?" The two jets and Barricade were hunched under the communications array, in the shadow of the large dish. Allegedly a confabulation of cortexes designed to unfrag this mess. Thus far…a bitch session.
"I believe he is taking the yellow mute to the shuttle. He said he had its coordinates."
"Yello—slag it. They're gonna be picking out wedding china." Barricade frowned at the looks from the larger jets. "What? Don't either of you think it's a bit unnatural for a copter to have a thing for a grounder?"
"Jealous much?" Thundercracker smirked. "You'd be all over it if he had a thing for you."
Barricade squirmed. He did NOT have a thing for the fraggin' copter! Nor the jet. Nor anyone. There was room for only one mech in Barricade's tiny, bitter, twisted spark, and that was…Barricade. "Shut up."
Starscream prodded one of his shoulder tires. "Am I going to have to be jealous, Barricade?" he teased.
"Shut UP! Can either of you perverts bother to remember we're still in a bit of a situation here?"
"We are?" Thundercracker looked mildly surprised. "Everyone's out of commission. For spark's sake, we could fly to Vegas and no one would be any wiser."
"It is true," Starscream tapped his chin with one talon. "And tempting. And the Autobots have certainly made enough errors in following out your plan that they deserve what happens to them."
Barricade growled in frustration. "Not supposed to talk me into it, slaggin' jet. Supposed to talk me out of something."
"Out of what?"
Barricade held up the Neptunium chunk. It was small—small enough he could close even his small fist around it. "Not big enough to chain reaction the ship, but could make an impressive door-blow."
"And the door you're planning on blowing?"
"You saw Megatron take Optimus inside."
"You're not going to blow up Megatron."
Starscream's optic glowed. "It would perhaps not be a half-bad idea. And I am surprised you are so hesitant, Thundercracker. Your loyalty issues are…not exactly a secret."
"This is not how you take command, Starscream."
"Is it not? Megatron is a terrible leader. Even you have admitted that I would be better."
Thundercracker frowned. "Yes. All right."
"And what do we do?"
Barricade's hands shook. This was…way bigger than he ever intended on getting. But he'd fragged this whole thing up so bad—they all had—it was instant death as soon as Megatron pieced things together. Soundwave would eventually dish on them. But if there was no one to dish to…. Yes, it was tacky and deus ex machine as all slag, but, Barricade's more creative plans thus far had been abject failures. Maybe cliché and tacky would actually work. "We could kill the Autobots, too," he mused.
"No," Starscream said. "If we are to take over the Decepticon leadership, we need to have some semblance of honor. We made a deal with the Autobots, and they shall remember how we have held our end of the bargain."
"Won't have to worry about what they remember if they're dead," Thundercracker pointed out.
Starscream frowned. "If we must make a new start, let it be with honor."
"Yeah, because blowing up the guy ahead of you is…totally honorable." Thundercracker held up his hands. "Yeah, I know. And I am on your side. And if anyone does deserve it, it IS Megatron."
"I do not mean to be disloyal," Starscream said, pertly. "However, surely you have noticed that since his return he has been…erratic."
No argument there.
"So…what would you do as leader." Thundercracker leaned back against the comm dish's support pillar. "Sell me on this."
Starscream frowned. "I would stop pointless battles. There is nothing for us in this solar system beyond this Neptunium. Nothing here we cannot find in a hundred other star systems. I do not see why we continually bang our heads against this one planet, and against Optimus Prime, when other places are ripe for the taking.
"Cowardice. Running away."
"Is it?" Starscream's optic slitted. "Is a megalomaniac's pursuit of one enemy preferable? I have no insane grudge against any one Autobot, not to the point where I would throw my own mission into disarray in headlong pursuit of my petty vengeance."
"So…we leave."
"We stop wasting our time in battles we cannot win that, even if we did win, cost far too much."
Thundercracker looked impressed. "All right. Got my vote. Only I'm going to hold you to it."
"So," Starscream said, pushing himself to his feet. "We are agreed. Thundercracker and I shall find the Autobots and put them in the CR pods for retrieval. This will remove the Autobots' thoughts of pursuit and revenge. They shall see, truly, that a new dawn has come for the Decepticons, a rule with honor, and justice, and—"
"Painful long-windedness," Thundercracker cut in. "Can we just do this thing? I'll be glad when it's over."
"I'm just glad," Barricade muttered, to break the sudden silence, "the copter's not here."
Inside.
"Optimus," Megatron gloated. "Wake up so you may feel the full agony of death." He looked up, impatiently, at Hook, who shrugged.
Optimus stirred. "Megatron."
"Nice to hear your processor is online. I would hate for you not to know who it was who took you out of this world."
"Megatron."
Megatron looked up, frustrated. Was the Autobot glitching? Couldn't he say something else? Half of his satisfaction, if not more, would be lost if Optimus was unable to beg for his life. "Yes, I. Megatron. I have awakened you so that I may kill you with my own hands."
"My death…serves nothing."
"Your death serves everything," Megatron insisted. "Most of all, my satisfaction at finally being able to tie up this loose end."
"Others will rise. Others will stand against you."
Megatron snorted. "Let them. I shall cut them down even more easily than I have taken out their Prime." He gestured around the hangar bay. "Do you like it? Is this a fitting place for you to die? Your own ship?" He was a little disgruntled that the bridge was such a disaster—so much more fitting to do this there, but dying amid the signs of an Autobot resistance might give Optimus hope. The hangar was barren and sterile, a hopeless place. Suiting the occasion entirely. He gloated at the look of naked dismay on his enemy's face.
Hook muttered something about 'efficiency,' and left. Megatron watched him go, a little disappointed that the audience to his triumph was diminished. This was his moment of triumph, though. It didn't matter if the universe did not witness it now. He would know.
