So it's been a rough week. After three all-nighters, two failed exams, and a death in the family, I somehow found a way to finish this chapter. This is will probably be the last one for a little while, because I will need some time to recuperate and focus on my studies. Don't worry, I will return to this story soon, since we're so close to the end (only 2-3 chapters left, depending on how they go), but this is also just a hobby and I realize I need prioritize things in my personal life. Thanks for understanding.

The background information for this chapter was provided by the Youtube channel Exploring with Josh. If you like history or exploration videos, I would definitely recommend.


Frigid air greeted Jack like a slap to the face. He could feel the chill seeping into his clothes and biting his skin. He was grateful that he had put on a pair of jeans and a gray hoodie, not unlike his favorite sweater (which had long been discarded). Something crunched underneath the teen's tennis shoes and he glanced down to see fine white powder.

Snow.

With a puzzled squint, Jack looked around, only for his confusion to grow. It looked like he had been dropped off in the middle of a city. The teen stood on a wide road, the asphalt covered in ice and cracks. Tall buildings surrounded him, some marked with faded letters of a foreign language. The paint had long been stripped off others, leaving a grey husk behind. There were walls of trees in the place of sidewalks. The cold air had stripped them bare of their coat of leaves, leaving dark, twisted skeletons reaching towards the sky.

Jack remembered the first time he had been kidnapped by MECH. He had managed to escape and hid in a nearby mining town. It played on the boy's fears, knowing people had likely died there, all for a profit. Especially considering the town's decrepit state, as if the very buildings were dying. While the mining town had been filled with the sense of death, this city was frightening in its own way.

It was empty.

There was not a single soul to be seen. No one walked across the intersections, no cars drove down the avenue, no faces appeared in the shattered windows. There was no sound—not even a breath of wind—having a cold, eerie silence in the air. It was like the entire city was completely devoid of life. Like it was abandoned, left frozen in time. It was then that Jack realized where he was.

Chernobyl.

No, that wasn't right. Jack struggled to remember his lessons from history class. They watched a documentary about the nuclear accident. Chernobyl was just the name of the power plant itself, just outside the city of… what was it? Prep? Prep-yat? Prep-ee-it? No… it was Pripyat.

They had been conducting a safety test, but the nuclear reactor core overheated and it resulted in an explosion. Unable to stop the radiation from pouring out, the entire city was ordered to evacuate. And no one ever returned.

Jack had read recently that scientists deemed the radiation levels were relatively safe, after years of removing the contaminated material. But there were still trace amounts that could never be erased, so the Ukrainian government still had the city blocked off from the public. They went so far to surround it with guarded outposts. Only those with federal approval could enter Pripyat.

Jack wouldn't put it past MECH if they somehow bought off the government to allow them to "borrow" the most isolated city in the world. Yet there was no sign of the paramilitary organization.

Jack half-expected to be greeted with an army. Maybe Silas had sent him here in hopes he would freeze to death. Or that he would have a long, painful death caused by the radiation. Then he saw it: a flicker of movement along a rooftop. There was a rattle of armor and something shifted nearby. Jack heard heavy footsteps in the snow behind him.

"Hands up," an iron voice ordered, "nice and slow."

The army brat did what he was told, cautiously raising his arms above his head. He didn't move a muscle as he saw other shadows stepping into the open. The MECH soldiers were wearing full body armor and had wicked-looking rifles pressed against their shoulders, stalking towards Jack like a pack of predators. He had to suppress a whine at the faceless masks—the same ones that had been haunting his nightmares for weeks.

He was dragged back to reality when a vice grip appeared on his wrist, wrenching his arm down behind his back. His other arm received the same treatment and Jack hissed as metal cuffs bit into his skin.

"Are the cuffs really necessary?" he groaned.

"Not taking any chances with you," his captor retorted, the restraints clipped into place.

The man proceeded to pat him down, and Jack's breathing quickened at the rough treatment. He almost protested when the MECH agent took his smartphone. He just got it and now it was being taken—he really owed Lennox.

Satisfied Jack wasn't smuggling anything else, the militiaman clapped a firm hand on his shoulder. "Let's go."

The boy was shoved forward, barely managing to stay on his feet. Last thing he needed was to land face-first and make a pathetic spectacle in front of his audience. Some of the MECH soldiers fell into step beside him, keeping their rifles across their chests. He noticed others had disappeared back into the shadows.

It was then the deafening silence returned, save for the sound of the soldiers' boots stomping on the ground and the rattling of their gear. Jack quietly cycled through his breathing exercises, trying to remind himself to stay calm, even as his heart hammered against his ribs. How many times did MECH drag him around their base like this? It was all too easy to replay the gray buildings with colorless walls and the sound of his captors' breathing with malicious laughter.

Would the Decepticons be able to find him? Would the Autobots? Anyone?

Before he even realizing what he was doing, Jack reached towards the back of his mind, extending his thoughts over the blood-bond.

Megatron?

I am here, little one.

Sure enough, that familiar, dark presence pushed back, firm and dominating as always. Jack almost gasped. As much as part of him wanted to be disgusted, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. The same one he felt whenever the Decepticon visited him during those long summer nights. He found himself latching onto the blood-bond, like a frightened child clinging onto their parent. Megatron did not shove him off.

The militiamen led him through the barren streets of Pripyat. Jack tried to memorize the route, but they took so many turns that he lost count. While the teenager was completely lost, his captors seemed to know exactly where they were going. They were careful to avoid bright yellow signs that littered the city, the foreboding symbol of radioactivity glaring at them. A few times the agent in front pulled out a small device. When it beeped angrily at him, he would simply flick his wrist and the entire group would turn back around.

Jack didn't know how long they spent walking through the ghost town until finally they came to a towering metal fence. A massive building lay beyond it, stretching across the campus and surrounded by broad silos and grand halls. It almost looked like a factory. No, a power plant.

Rather than moving away, Jack noticed his captors were headed for the wide gate in front of the complex. He dug his heels into the ground.

"No, wait!"

"Move it," his captor snapped, even as he had no trouble pulling Jack along. The teenager still tried to protest.

"The radiation—"

They wanted to going the building that was the source of the radiation?! Jack vaguely remembered they had immediately shut down Chernobyl after the accident and removed its radioactive waste, going so far to seal the faulty reactor with some sort of sarcophagus. But it was still leaking, and no doubt covered in contamination. Maybe Silas really did want to kill him—

The lead agent merely glanced at his device. "It's fine."

That seemed to settle the discussion. The soldiers moved forward, and when Jack tried to resist, his captor rewarded him with a rough cuff to the back of his head. They half-ushered, half-dragged him further into the plant, walking past ruined buildings that once fueled an entire country.

The elements had weakened them enough that the roofs had caved in. One was missing an entire wall, exposing the interior like layers of a sliced cake. Debris hung from the ceiling, one piece of rafting swinging in the wind.

Wait, what—

The frigid air was completely still. How—

Jack did a double take, only to be greeted by a pair of beady, blood-red optics.

Ratbat.

The little symbiote was hanging upside down from the rafters of a crumbling building, his metallic wings curled around him. The bat's dark armor blended perfectly into the shadows, making him nearly invisible at first glance. He looked like just another piece of debris. Then Ratbat ducked his helm behind his wings, hiding the crimson glow of his optics just as a MECH soldier glanced up. The man was none the wiser that he was staring at a Decepticon, not even in proper disguise.

Had it been another situation, Jack would have laughed at his captor's ignorance. Instead, his heart pounded even faster. If Ratbat was here, then that meant—

"I said move it!"

Jack wheezed as his captor gave him a rough push, sending him stumbling forward. Unable to hold his balance, he clumsily fell to his knees with a wheeze. The army brat gritted his teeth and tried to move back to his feet, only to stiffen as a familiar shadow fell over him. He tilted his gaze up, only to meet a remorseless, hard stare. The same one in Jack's horrible dreams.

Silas stood with his arms behind his back, flanked on either side by a squad of goons. A few trained their rifles on Jack, as if daring him to take one wrong move. The false, polite tone seemed to contrast Silas's frigid stance, "Ah, Jack. So good that you've come back to us. We've been waiting for you."

The army brat could not stop his shiver at the cruel, possessive tone. The darkness in his mind growled.

You are mine.

"I'm here, Silas," Jack hissed, though he couldn't make himself look the bastard in the eye. "You got what you want."

Rather than a pleased purr, the ex-SEAL's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where are the Autobots?"

Lie.

"Coming."

Lie better.

"You've been watching me—you know the Autobots have been keeping close taps on me. They can track my phone—which last time I checked, your buddy's keeping for me." The captive shot the thief a brief glare before turning his attention back to Silas. "Once they notice that I'm missing, they'll come for me."

Approval brushed against Jack's mind while Silas merely frowned. The teen wasn't so sure the man was convinced until Silas drawled, "It doesn't matter how they get here. I'll have my Transformer, one way or another."

Jack pulled his lips back in a snarl and he had to stop himself from spitting out a retort. Silas glanced at his captor.

"Uncuff him."

"Sir, you sure that's a good idea?"

The MECH leader glared, not appreciating being questioned. "Do it. If he tries anything, shoot him."

Jack felt the statement was directed towards him more than the soldier. He stood still like a good little prisoner as the man inserted the key into the chains. As the army brat eyed the group of terrorists, he realized something was wrong.

With their masks, it was impossible to read their expressions (Jack had better luck with Soundwave), but there was a tension in their stances. No one dared to stray their gaze from him. The militiamen stood out of arm's reach, fingers resting on the trigger of their guns.

Were they afraid of him? Did they know about Silas's insane project, and really thought the dark energon made him into some sort of supersoldier? Or had they learned the details of Marcus's brutal death? Jack didn't know to feel satisfaction or horror, that the people he feared thought he was the monster.

He swallowed thickly and tried to sound brave as he demanded, "Where are my friends and my mother? What did you do with them?"

"They're fine," Silas assured, although his voice was curt. "In fact, you can see them yourself."

Jack almost jumped out of his skin as the MECH leader's arm wrapped around him, a strong hand clasping his shoulder. Preventing him from escaping.

Jack was escorted into the building to find it was in much better condition than the other decrepit interiors he had seen. The debris had been cleared and rubber mats covered the floor. The walls were in one piece and the ceiling was intact. The boy was all the more confused when the radiant light of the sun was replaced by the glare of fluorescent light.

"How do you have electricity here?" Jack wondered aloud.

He had not seen a single light bulb during his brief tour of the city. Many of the buildings were too ruined to be functional. Yet Chernobyl, the epicenter of the explosion, looked as operational as the day it closed.

Silas didn't even offer a glance as he explained shortly, "Back-up generators."

He said it as though it explained everything, even though it filled Jack with even more questions. Along with a terrible sense of dread. This was more than just a simple ambush or a clever trap, like in Paris. MECH had somehow managed to take control of an entire city. They were prepared. Was this another one of their operations? Or was this their base?

The army brat let himself be guided up a flight of stairs, hoping Silas couldn't feel his worsening trembling. Even after weeks of physical therapy, Jack decided this was the most he had walked ever since he was rescued from Airachnid, and it was beginning to take its toll. With each floor, it was getting harder to breathe and his legs felt like jelly. He yelped as he tripped over a step. He would have tumbled down the stairs if it wasn't for Silas's hold on him.

Jack's cheeks burned with humiliation, but the MECH leader must have pitied him and spared him from a mocking comment. They traveled through a maze of corridors, the walls closing in around Jack with each step. Unwanted memories kept flashing before his eyes, delusion mixing with reality. Where was Silas taking him? To his family? Or to be tortured?

Unconsciously he dug his heels into the floor, but his captor easily pushed him along. They traveled down a long corridor, finally coming to a threshold that didn't have a door—most likely knocked off its hinges long ago. Beyond the doorframe was wide room that was completely empty save for—

"Mom!"

"Jack!"

Not caring about the consequences, the teenager ripped free of Silas's and launched himself forward. June, Raf, and Miko took up the center of the room, on their knees and their arms behind their backs, put in a straight line facing the door. Jack's stomach knotted at the sight of the armed militiamen standing behind them like a firing squad.

He didn't let himself be intimidated, racing to the closest prisoner—his mother. He practically fell to his knees as he took her in a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he sobbed. "You weren't supposed to be a part of this."

Restrained, June couldn't hug him back. She could only bury her face in the crook of his neck, leaning her weight against his in an attempt to comfort him. Even as Jack could feel her trembling.

"It's okay, baby," she whispered rapidly. "It's okay."

Things were far from okay, but the son realized that as a mother it was the only thing she could say. Was she hurt? What did MECH do to her? Looking over at his friends, Jack found there was a bruise across Miko's face from when she was struck. She put on a brave facade, struggling against her bonds with a pout, but Jack could see the fear in her eyes. Raf's glasses were cracked and his cheeks red and wet from fresh tears. The elder moved to see if they were okay, to comfort them, only for a cruel grip to seize the back of his neck.

"That's enough, now."

Jack made a noise of protest when Silas yanked him to his feet and away from his loved ones. The teenager rounded on the madman, demanding, "Let them go, Silas!"

"Not until I get my Transformer."

"They'll be here. Just leave them out of this."

"You seem quite confident, considering how long it took them to find you in my custody."

Jack tried not to flinch at Silas's casual tone.

"When Raf and Miko told what happened, we didn't stop looking for you."

Yet when the Autobots finally found him, it was too late. The damage was already done. How could he convince Silas they would come for him? Jack wished he could lie as easily as Megatron.

"They learned their lesson," he told, trying to sound confident as he met Silas's cold gaze with a glare of his own.

"And what lesson would that be?" the terrorist leader retorted. "It looks like they haven't learned anything. They abandoned your friends just like they abandoned you."

"You're lying!" Miko blurted. She moved forward, fighting against her restraints. "The 'Bots are—ah!"

The rebellious teenager was interrupted when one of the agents stepped forward, slamming the butt of his rifle into her spine. Miko fell forward with a cry. Before she had the chance to catch her breath, the masked man grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her back up.

Jack flinched, naturally wanting to run to her aid, but he stopped at the number of armed soldiers that surrounded them. He forced himself to look back to Silas, finishing Miko's sentence, "They're our family."

"'Family?'" scoffed the MECH leader. "They're machines."

"They're more human than you'll ever be."

Silas narrowed his eyes at that. "Well, then, if you already have a family, I guess you don't need this one."

Without warning, he pulled out the pistol from his belt and took aim towards Raf. Rather than flinch like Jack expected, the army brat watched every muscle in the young boy's freeze in terror until he was as rigid and pale as a statue. Jack swore he heard the faintest of whimpers but it was drowned out by the bound captives' gasps.

"No, wait!" Jack protested. "That's not what I meant!"

He launched himself forward, to either rip the gun out of Silas's grip or jump in front of Raf, he wasn't sure. Only when he tried, strong hands grabbed his arms and shoulders, pulling him back. Jack growled as he struggled against the two militiamen that held him in place.

Silas didn't even spare him a glance. His voice was icily calm as he interrogated, "Where are the Autobots?"

"I already told you! They're coming!"

That didn't seem to satisfy Silas. He took a long step forward, so that the towering man loomed over little Raf. The poor thing shivered only once the madman unclipped the safety of his gun.

"I ask again: Where. Are. The Autobots?"

In his panic, Jack wasn't able to stop the words coming out, "I don't know!"

He realized instantly it was a mistake, his blood turning cold when Silas turned his glare towards him. The MECH leader's growl was low and dangerous.

"Then you tried to screw me."

"You have me!" Jack protested. "You said if I came, you'll let them live!"

"And you tried to back out of our deal. So I'll just terminate it."

Silas took another step until the cold barrel of his pistol pressed against Raf's forehead, the force of the touch tilting the boy's head back.

Finally Raf sobbed pitifully, "Jack!"

"No!" June cried.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Miko. She tried to move to Raf's aid, but her own captors kept her in place.

"Stop, please!" the army brat screamed.

He tried to force his way forward, but hold on him was cold and unrelenting. He felt his heart jump in his throat at the sight that lay before him—his loved ones captured because of him, in danger because of him. About to be killed. Because of him.

Jack reached across the blood-bond as far as he could, until his mind directly brushed up against another's. He screamed as loud as he could, both in body and mind.

"Megatron!"

Jack wasn't expecting the response to be so immediate. Suddenly the world trembled, reverberating with a terrible boom. There were startled yelps and the terrorists stumbled as the ground shook and the walls around them rattled. Then the roof caved in.

The MECH soldiers scrambled, even Silas, each trying to save their own lives as a shower of debris fell on them. One of Jack's captors wasn't so lucky. Before he had the chance to flinch, a chunk of concrete struck his head. The teenager saw his neck bend at an unnatural angle before he crumbled in the ground and was half-buried in a pile of rubble. His hold still on Jack, the momentum dragged the boy along with him and out of the other's grip. Down on the ground, all Jack could do was cover his head with his hands as the world crumbled around him.

There were the horrible sounds of groaning metal, crunching concrete, and even shattering glass as the ceiling was peeled back. Lights flickered madly, until the fluorescent glow was replaced by an ominous red glare, one Jack was all too familiar with.

He dared to unfurl himself from his tight ball, glancing up to meet Megatron's bloodthirsty optics. The mighty titan towered over the little humans, the jagged edges of the ruined ceiling framing his massive silhouette. The menacing sight made several of the MECH soldiers yelp in fright.

"What the—?!"

"Shoot it!"

"Open fire!"

Silas heard that shout, jumping back to his feet from where he had fallen. "No! Hold—"

It was too late.

The room was filled with claps of thunder as the militiamen fired their assault rifles, unleashing a volley of bullets at the Decepticon. However, the majority of the projectiles could not pierce Megatron's thick armor, some of them even ricocheting back down in a hailstorm of lead. There was a couple startled shouts of those unlucky enough to get hit and Miko shrieked as a bullet grazed her leg.

Megatron looked furious more than anything, baring his fangs in a feral look. His bloodlust echoed over the blood-bond as he flexed his claws.

Cover your eyes.

Jack didn't have to be told twice. He repeated the order to his baffled and terrified loved ones and took a still-frozen Raf in his arms. He buried the younger teen's face in the crook of his neck and closed his eyes, just as Megatron's savage snarl reverberated through the air.

Suddenly there was clanking of swiftly moving metal. There was a high-pitched scream, only to be cut off with a wet, sticky noise. The MECH soldiers kept firing, but the gunfire couldn't drown the sound of another man's choked screams. As he became more panicked and hoarse, Jack could only assume the anarchist had been caught in Megatron's crushing grip. Sure enough, there was a sickening crunch and the victim went silent.

Another shout and a heavy thud—telling the Decepticon leader had probably tossed the corpse into one of his own comrades. Jack decided his imagination was more vivid than actually witnessing the massacre around him, but he did not dare take the risk. He buried his face in Raf's shoulder, tightly holding the trembling boy against his chest.

By now MECH had realized their attack was fruitless. There was fearful yells for retreat and weapons clattered onto the floor. Silas was shouting angrily, but Jack couldn't make out what he was saying as the sounds of murder continued. The army brat didn't realize he was shaking until Megatron spoke to him.

"We need to leave. Now."

Without further ceremony, the warlord lowered his unstained servo and reached out with a claw. June let out a horrified yelp as she noticed it was nearing her, squirming to get out of the way. However, on her knees and her hands bound behind her, her balance was too poor to get any kind of leverage. The tip of the talon scraped along her back, dragging down until it sliced at her bonds. Mom gasped, staring at her freed hands with shock and disbelief.

Megatron moved on to Miko. He had a harder time with her, as the girl kept wiggling away from his touch, only so she could have a clearer view of him.

"So King 'Con is on our side now?!"

"No," Jack and Megatron answered simultaneously.

The warlord practically had to hold the rambunctious teenager down with his whole servo in order to sever her restraints. Raf was still frigid in Jack's hold, so he was the easiest to free. The youngest only let out a small yip at the cold touch of Megatron's claw.

The Decepticon then offered his open palm before the hostages, his silent order clear. Still, Jack repeated it out loud, gently pushing Raf forward.

"Get on!"

Despite the urgency in his voice, Raf stiffened once he noticed where the army brat was leading him. His voice was small and confused.

"Wait, what?"

"You want us to go with him?!" June gasped.

"Sweet!" cheered Miko.

The girl almost impaled herself as she practically leapt onto Megatron's claws. She had no trouble settling in het metal seat, her small body looking like a miniature doll in the titan's servo. There was enough room for them all, at least long enough until Megatron could get them more secured. Although June and Raf didn't share Miko's excitement.

"I'm not going with that monster!" Mom protested.

"He's trying to save our lives!" Jack argued.

The teenager didn't know for how much longer Megatron's generosity would last, judging by the impatience trickling over the blood-bond. Suddenly there was the muffled, distant roar of an engine, but noisy enough that the warlord glanced around. Only when he did, his optics flared in surprise.

Then pain exploded from Jack's side. His shout was drowned out by Megatron's ferocious bellow, so loud that the humans had to cover their fragile ears. Yet Jack could only slap his ribs and fall forward. But there was no wound.

Miko let out a wail as she toppled out of Megatron's grip, his servo suddenly ripping into the air. His frame was dragged out of sight with a deafening clash of metal on metal, which sounded like two trucks wrecking into each other. Jack could only stare in horror, the tyrant's sudden pain filling the bond. What had happened?!

"Megatron?!"


Why were humans so incompetent?!

Megatron watched impatiently as Jack bickered with his little friends, trying to convince them to take value in their own lives. Ironically, it was the loud one, Miko, that appeared to have the most sense, complying almost immediately. The little one, Rafael, was frozen with fear and Jack's carrier—June, was it?—glared at him disdainfully.

The Decepticon leader supposed he couldn't blame their skepticism, considering the feeling was completely mutual. He wanted nothing more than to snatch Jack up with his servo and take him back to the Nemesis, where he would never leave Megatron's sight again. But he restrained himself.

He sensed something across the blood-bond. It was faint, like Jack was trying to hide it from him, but Megatron felt it all the same. A sense of doubt. A seed of mistrust. It was only because of the boy's desperation he was not allowing it to grow.

Why? Did the human already forget everything the warlord had done for him?

It was Airachnid. She poisoned him against me.

Megatron found himself loathing Arcee even more, for snuffing the treacherous spider when she was his to squash. His bloodthirsty thoughts were interrupted by the roar of an engine. It sounded human. The tyrant groaned. MECH must had called for reinforcements.

He turned to the sound, raising to fusion cannon to blast the nuisance away. Only when he did, he was greeted with a semi-truck. It was barreling towards him at full speed, its headlights on full brightness as if in attempt to blind him. Yet Megatron recognized the model almost instantly, one he was all too familiar with.

What is he—

Megatron never had the chance to even finish his thought. With no hesitation, the semi-truck rammed into him. The Decepticon's bellow almost drowned out the deafening clash of metal on metal as his legs were taken out from underneath him. The top of the truck slammed into his side with enough force it left a sizeable dent and pain erupted from the sight. Megatron was only faintly aware he had lost his grip on Miko, the momentum of the attack knocking him down and away from the humans. He skidded across the ground in a shower of sparks and debris.

When the titan finally came to an uncomfortable halt, he moaned in disorientation. He heard the distant sound of transformation, but something was wrong. It wasn't the same sound of shifting gears and plates. Instead there was a loud hum accompanied by groans of metal. And it was so slow.

Normally a transformation took a few kliks at most, while the most experienced warriors could change forms almost instantly. Instead, the shifting of metal seemed to last for several moments, long enough for a disoriented Megatron to climb to his pedes. Only when he did, his optics widened in shock and disbelief at the figure that greeted him.

"Optimus...?"

But something was wrong.

Instead of polished plating and bright, regal colors, the Autobot leader's armor was made of rugged, dull gray metal. There were ugly welds across the frame and wires and gears exposed to the air, where there shouldn't be wires and gears. Ice-blue optics were replaced by a bright, pale yellow gaze that looked like the humans' artificial lights.

Megatron realized it almost immediately.

This thing wasn't Optimus Prime. And yet it was a perfect copy.

"What in the name of Primus—"

Once again he was interrupted at the false Cybertronian lunged forward, closing the distance between them at an impossible speed. Before Megatron had the chance to defend himself, the Prime—the thing landed a solid punch to his helm. He grunted as he was sent reeling back, only for his attacker to chase after him. A volley of punches assaulted him, leaving cracks and dented armor all along his frame.

Definitely not Prime.

Whenever Optimus fought, there would be the briefest of hesitance before each attack. A stagnant pause just long enough for Megatron to fight back. The thing did not allow it. Its strikes were fast and brutal, sending one right after another. It did not tire, it did not vent, it did not think. There was no sentience behind its movements, just rapid, relentless, robotic attacks.

It was then Megatron realized what the thing was. Oh, how he wished he could see Optimus's look of shock and disgust when he found out that MECH modeled their ultimate weapon after him. Then the Decepticon leader had another thought.

With a vicious snarl, he dug his heels into the ground. He braced, just as the abomination raised its fist yet again. Only to be caught by Megatron's clawed servo. Prime would never be so clumsy. A wide, cruel smile spread across his faceplates.

"I wonder…" he mused, almost nonchalantly. "If destroying you give me the same sense of gratification as destroying Optimus Prime?"