Chapter Fourteen: The Knights of Cybertron

He should be dead.

That was the only thought in Steelbane's brain module as the dragon flailed and roared on the ground. The crash had broken one of its horns, but there was no mistaking the other three, nor its terrifying visage and color.

It was him. It was Predaking, the Dragon King, ruler of all Predacons. But how? Steelbane personally saw his demise during the War of the Primes, saw Master Grimlock deal the final blow after Cyclonus distracted the great beast long enough for the Grandmaster to crush the dragon's spark. So how could Predaking have survived and be here as if nothing had ever happened?

There was no time to ponder these thoughts. The great dragon was already pulling himself up, claws digging on the asphalt as his immense bulk rose from the ground. Though the fall was fatal to most Cybertronians, Predaking's nearly pristine armor was a testament to the dragon's might and resilience.

Steelbane glanced behind him briefly, then growled. The others had not moved yet, rooted on their spot like silent trees. "What are you all still doing here?" He returned his attention back to his quarry. "Get out of here. Now!"

That finally snapped them to attention. "We can't just leave you here," he heard Cade protested.

"The others need you all, especially Viviane. Go," Steelbane said, his gaze fixed on Predaking. The dragon had fully recovered now, bright yellow optics burning with rage and hate. Steelbane remembered that look all too well, and his fingers loosened slightly out of his sword's grasp. But he steeled his resolve and adjusted his grip.

He could not show fear. He must not show fear.

Cade said something in protest again, but Predaking's roar drowned out every sound before he barreled forward.

Steelbane charged with a fierce shout. In the background, he barely heard the sounds of altforming and the roar of engines as the Autobots withdrew. Good. Now he could fight without restrain.

Good luck, Cade, he thought as he leapt to the air and brought his sword down in a powerful swing toward Predaking's head. Metal shrieked on metal, the tip grazing the thick armor, but it barely left a scratch.

As Steelbane landed on his feet, he rolled away swiftly to avoid getting bisected by Predaking's claws, then struck at the right leg, hoping to sever it at the joints. But the dragon moved to the side, too fast for his size, almost as if he had anticipated the attack.

The sword struck empty air. Steelbane kept going, twirling around to deflect a flash of teeth. Predaking's head jerked back with a hiss. His tail lashed out, forcing Steelbane to hop backwards lest the spikes hit him. He ducked from a swipe, then swung at the claws just as they passed overhead.

The ringing sound nearly deafened him, but he smiled when he saw the small gash at the base of the second claw. So this beast still had the same weakness. That gave Steelbane some measure of comfort. He might be alone in this battle, but he was glad that he did not have to change strategy much. If he could recreate the last battle he and his brethren had with the Predacon leader, he could kill him even without help.

Predaking charged this time, but Steelbane was ready. He sheathed his sword and altformed into his beast mode, roaring in defiance before twisting around and surging into the air with powerful strokes of his wings. As the ground dwindled below, he heard Predaking roar followed by a blast of wind.

The beast had taken the bait, taking into the air.

Smirking, Steelbane climbed higher in the direction of a cluster of clouds. He could feel the slow but more powerful beat of Predaking's wings, and the knight rolled away just as a jet of flame shot past him, hot as a smelting pit's fires. Weaving through the inferno, he burst into the clouds where moisture clung to his armor and everything was black. Behind him, Predaking roared.

Quietly, Steelbane banked left, using his senses to navigate his dark surroundings. He put up a burst of speed and emerged from the cloud, then twisted around so that the sun was at his back. Below him, Predaking's dark form was visible inside the cloud, growing larger as he drew near.

Steelbane folded his wings and let himself fall just as Predaking pierced the cloud, growling. Steelbane altformed into his robot mode and drew his sword. Gravity dragged him down toward Predaking like a falling meteor. His sword flashing in the sunlight, Steelbane swung with a shout.

Predaking snorted and twisted, and Steelbane went past him without landing a single blow.

The knight gasped. It was a sound strategy, one that he and his brethren had used to take down the beast and so many others like him. Had Predaking remembered that?

Cursing in Ancient Cybertronian, Steelbane reverted to his dragon form. It was foolish of him to think that Predaking would forget the nature of his demise, and now he was paying the price for his arrogance with the dragon behind and above him this time. But it didn't matter. If the previous strategy wouldn't work, he just had to devise a better one.

Tucking his wings again, Steelbane aimed his snout toward the ground, keeping his body as straight as an arrow. The world rushed toward him with blinding speed, the clouds zooming past him. But he kept going. Briefly, he risked a glance over his shoulder and saw Predaking mirroring his movement.

Steelbane returned his gaze to his approaching doom, smirking as he spread his wings to their fullest, letting the wind catch on the techno-organic membranes and bringing them down with a mighty stroke that propelled him away from a grizzly death.

Moments later, there was a deafening boom that seemed to shake the entire city.

Steelbane felt the shockwave, sending him tumbling down across the shattered ground. All around him were total destruction, the buildings reduced to piles of rubble. He altformed with one final roll, groaning as he rose unsteadily to his feet. He shook his head, his vision flickering briefly. When he regained focus, he gazed at his handiwork.

A dust cloud billowed from where Predaking had crashed, obscuring Steelbane's vision. But there was no sound coming from the beast. Had he succeeded? He was not sure, so he drew his sword as a precaution and warily approached the center, hoping to find an unmoving corpse.

Something glinted in the darkness, and it was only Steelbane's instinct honed from countless battles that saved him from being impaled. He caught the claws with his blade, straining against the overwhelming strength. It was like holding an entire mountain, and Steelbane soon found himself being pushed back, his feet gouging the ground.

A darker shadow loomed over him, two yellow orbs shining brightly. Before Steelbane knew it, a long and thick appendage struck him from the left. He held on to his sword as he sailed out of the dust cloud, plowing through a row of houses before his back struck a foundation.

Steelbane weakly attempted to push himself off the rubble, but even the slightest movement pained him. Nevertheless, he forced himself to move. And just in time to see Predaking leaping toward him, claws extended.

He rolled out of the way, but the dragon's landing released a blast of wind that buffeted him, pushing him forward and sending his sword spinning out of his grasp. Steelbane cursed again and dove for it, barely avoiding a swipe from Predaking's tail. He grabbed the hilt, and while still on the ground, rolled to face his adversary, only to find the dragon standing over him with a snarling visage.

Like a striking snake, Predaking's neck darted and his jaw clamped onto Steelbane's right leg. The dragon lifted him, shaking his frame like a rag doll. Steelbane struck the head with his sword, but it was clear that Predaking barely paid it any attention.

With a final shake of his head, Predaking hurled Steelbane in another direction. He landed on his back in the streets, the sword slipping free from his weakened grip and sliding out of reach. Grimacing in agony, Steelbane raised his head and glared at the dragon standing a hundred feet away. No matter what happened, he would not beg for mercy.

Predaking's chest glowed orange. As the dragon opened his maw and a stream of flames shot out, there was only a single thought in the knight's processor.

Till all are one.

A flash of green, followed by an azure blur dropping from the sky. The flames parted around a magnificent golden shield.

Steelbane blinked once before his optics grew so wide that he was shocked they didn't pop out of their sockets. What in the Allspark…?

The mech was as tall as him, his dark blue armor trimmed with gold shining from the torrent of flames passing harmlessly on either side, his cape billowing in the wind. Steelbane sat up straight despite his state. He recognized those horns! And the curve sword resting across the mech's back, wickedly sharp.

"Dreadwing?" Steelbane asked in disbelief.

The knight known as Dreadwing glanced at him with a smirk and said, "Instead of sitting there, why don't you help us deal with this monster?"

A dark green shape, also accented with gold, slammed onto Predaking's back with a mighty roar, forcing the dragon to snap his jaws shut and end the stream of flames. It was another mech, identical to Dreadwing except for the color scheme. He carried a broadsword on his back, which he drew and used to slice at Predaking's neck.

"For Cybertron," he bellowed, raising his sword again for another blow.

Predaking was ready this time. The dragon buckled, throwing off his attacker. The mech arched in the air and landed nimbly to the left of Dreadwing, his sword held tightly in his grasp. He saw Steelbane and grunted. "Steelbane, get up and lend us a hand."

At this, Steelbane chuckled. "It's good to see you again, Skyquake." What weariness he had had now vanished, and he reached for his sword with renewed strength. Rising to his feet, Steelbane took his spot to the right of Dreadwing. "How did you two get here?" he asked.

Dreadwing shook his head. "Master Strafe's Groundbridge. But we don't have time to talk about that."

The trio faced their greatest foe from the ancient days, and the dragon growled in annoyance. "The usual?" Skyquake asked.

"I tried the usual; it didn't work," Steelbane said. Predaking obviously remembered their past battles.

"That's because you fought it alone." Dreadwing smirked. "But you have us with you now."

Steelbane nodded, his eyes never leaving Predaking. "On three?"

"Three," Skyquake shouted as he sprinted to the left while Steelbane went in the opposite direction.

The dragon snarled and stomped his right front leg, swiveling his head to the left and right. Steelbane grinned. Facing three opponents would still be too easy for the strongest Predacon, but even he could not keep his attention focused on all three at once.

Dreadwing advanced, the golden shield still in front of him. Predaking continued following Steelbane and Skyquake's movements, then snarled and swept his tail toward Steelbane.

The knight vaulted over the tail, then landed back on his feet and spun, expecting a counterattack. But the tail kept going for Dreadwing, who braced the shield on the ground. The tail struck, but Predaking stopped, his gaze fixed on Skyquake.

With a roar, the dragon leapt toward the green-and-gold knight.

Skyquake swung his sword, roaring back in defiance. The flat of the blade smacked the dragon sideways in the snout, and the force of the blow sent the beast reeling. Steelbane exploited the opportunity and jumped onto the dragon's back, where he slashed wildly at the thick armor. To the right, Dreadwing drew his curved blade after slinging the shield across his back, then charged with a mighty yell and attacked the legs.

Balancing precariously along Predaking's spine, Steelbane swung at the chinks in the overlapping armor. Sparks flew where his sword grazed them, and he knew it was barely a scratch. But he kept going while his brethren pressed their assault.

Predaking reared his neck like a serpent, and Steelbane felt the rise in temperature. "Watch out!" he said.

Skyquake stepped back, and Dreadwing rushed in with the golden shield to protect his twin just as a torrent of flame blasted out of Predaking's maw. The scorching heat was too much for Steelbane, so he leapt down from the dragon's back.

Thus, he did not see the tail coming for him. And by the time he knew it, he had already crashed onto the twin knights. They tumbled across the seared asphalt, ending in a pile of tangled limbs and capes.

"Get off me," Skyquake groaned somewhere to Steelbane's right. When he turned to look, he saw Dreadwing sprawled crosswise on his belly atop his brother.

"Yes," Dreadwing grunted. "But tell Steelbane to get off me first."

Steelbane glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, he was lying across the shield, which had somehow found itself wedged between Dreadwing's legs. He tried to sit up, but a warning growl drew his attention.

Predaking stalked toward them, his tail scraping across the ground. There was a victorious glint in his optics, his fangs bared in a terrifying visage. From the looks of it, Steelbane knew that the dragon would never show them mercy.

"Move," he shouted. But it was no use. Predaking was so close now that Steelbane could feel the heat of the churning flames in the dragon's belly. Nevertheless, he and his brethren scrambled to their feet, hoping to at least mount a defense, even if a futile one.

Predaking spread his wings wide and crouched low, poised to pounce… and froze. He cocked his head, watching as a massive swirling portal blossomed to his right.

And from within charged out three familiar metallic beings, beings that sent relief straight into Steelbane's spark. They towered over him and the twins, majestic and terrifying titans of old, heavily armored from their head all the way to their feet, wielding massive weapons of destruction. One wielding a warmace rammed at the dragon with the full force of an entire mountain, bringing his weapon down at Predaking's right front leg, then swinging his sword to slice off one of the dragon's horns.

Predaking yowled in pain, but the Grandmasters were not done yet. The second one lashed out with his whip, taking a chunk out of the dragon's right wing. Then he vaulted over him, landing on the other side and spinning around to deliver a blow against the dragon's head. There was a roar of agony, and Steelbane smiled in satisfaction and awe at the energon dripping from Predaking's snout.

The last one, and the largest among them, approached the three knights, who had finally gotten to their feet. Planting a fist in the center of their chest, they bowed and said, "Master Grimlock."

Grimlock nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on the battle. "Go and help the little ones deal with the Combiner," he rumbled in Ancient Cybertronian. "Strafe is on the way and will be assisting you."

"Yes, Master," Dreadwing said, switching to their native language. He grabbed the Skyboom Shield and slung it behind him.

"What about you, Master?" asked Steelbane, even though he already knew the answer.

"I will deal with an old foe," was all Grimlock said.

Steelbane nodded. If there was someone who could defeat this new Predaking, it would be him. And so he and the twins transformed after another bow. As they flew toward another part of the city, Steelbane glanced back while they soared higher into the sky, watching as Master Grimlock charged at Predaking with his war club raised high.


It was probably not a good idea to be the bait, or so Prowl thought.

He grunted as another blast of plasma struck near him, so close that he could feel the searing heat in his armor. But he kept going and darted under Bruticus's legs, barely avoiding a swipe from the Combiner's enormous hand.

Prowl altformed and drove off, passing by the smoldering remains of the British Army's soldiers and vehicles. Though his spark ached at so many casualties, he could not dwell on that right now. Bruticus was hot in pursuit, and Prowl had to lure him into the trap.

Where was Drift anyway? His companion had taken to the air earlier and told Prowl his plan, but the former assassin still had yet to appear. And Prowl was almost at the site of the trap. Has Drift actually betrayed him again?

Gunning his engines, Prowl continued while avoiding Bruticus's shots. The brute had been firing for more than ten minutes now, and yet there seemed to be no end to it. Bruticus must have brought enough ammunition to wipe out three human brigades.

Soon he saw the collapsed towers of Westminster Abbey, pulverized by Bruticus's rampage. The rubble around Prowl proved to be advantageous; the gestalt slowed down, carefully picking his way among the obstacles and crushing anything he could under his feet.

As Prowl continued, he saw light reflecting from something red, twenty meters to his left, and a flash of yellow on the opposite side.

Prowl quickly altformed and vaulted over a crumbling pillar lying on the road, then turned and pulled out his blaster just as Cliffjumper and Bumblebee opened fire from their hiding spots. Overhead, Drift's helicopter form emerged out of a low-hanging cloud, diving straight for Bruticus's head.

The Combiner bellowed, more in fury than pain, though he actually stopped to shield his face from the energon and plasma blasts with his whirring helicopter blades. With the giant Decepticon's vision impaired, Drift altformed and landed on his right shoulder, slashing wildly.

Bruticus tried to swat him away with his free hand, but Drift leapt once more into the air and reverted to his helicopter form. He climbed higher and opened fire with his autocannons and rocket launchers, but the projectiles barely affected Bruticus. The gestalt took a step with his right foot, and for a moment, his weight shifted onto that side.

Prowl narrowed his optics. That foot was Swindle. He looked up at the towering Decepticon, and a plan began to form in his processor. He searched for Bumblebee and found him hiding behind a collapsed building. He waved, catching the scout's attention, and pointed toward Bruticus's right foot.

Bumblebee understood at once. He aimed his plasma cannon and fired thrice. Two struck the thick armor with fiery bursts, but Bruticus was still standing. The third splashed just above the first two, and there was a groan of metal. Bruticus bellowed in pain, his right leg buckling at last. His arms flailed as he tried to keep his balance.

Seeing the gigantic Decepticon stumble forced Prowl to move out of the way. It was not a fatal wound, but at least it would give them an advantage. He sprinted away, Bumblebee following behind him with Cliffjumper not far. In the sky, Drift continued his assault.

Another roar sounded. Prowl glanced over his shoulder and his optics widened. Bruticus had already collapsed on one knee, but his left arm transformed into a flamethrower, and he sprayed the sky with scorching fire. Drift tried to swerve away, but the blast caught him head-on, and he started to spin out of control as flames licked his rotors.

Prowl cursed, but it was Bee who moved first. He watched the scout turn back and dashed toward Drift, firing his cannons to distract Bruticus while Cliffjumper provided covering fire.

"Hey, ugly! Over here," Cliffjumper shouted.

Bumblebee was still too far, but Drift was in a controlled descent now, aiming for him as he fell. Prowl sprinted after them. Bruticus was starting to recover despite his injuries; it would not be long before the gestalt exploited their situation, and Prowl was not sure if they could continue holding him off.

Drift was soon low enough to altform, and he fell the rest of the way until Bumblebee caught him and gently set him to the ground after putting out the fires with an extinguisher. The swordsbot was blackened with soot, but except for minor burns across his frame, he looked fine for someone who had endured a blast from Bruticus's flamethrower.

Just as Prowl reached them, however, Bruticus finally rose back to his full height with an obvious limp in his right leg. His crimson eyes were blazing with fury, and there was a hum as his cannons began to charge, filling Prowl's spark with apprehension.

And then a huge shape dropped down from the clouds with a piercing cry.

Prowl gasped, as did the others. The two-headed, lithe creature was as massive as Bruticus. It tackled him, talons digging into the giant's chest and toppling him on his back, wrapping the brute in its enormous wings, and the force of the impact sent the entire team detaching from one another. They tumbled onto the ground, battered and badly damaged. Swindle had his right leg completely severed, and Onslaught's chest bore deep gashes, sparks exploding from his exposed circuits.

But the creature was not done. It grabbed Onslaught with its feet and soared into the sky until they were mere specks amidst the blue expanse. Then Prowl saw a speck detaching from the other one, growing larger and larger as it plummet to the ground. And accompanying it was a shrill scream that Prowl would never have thought to hear in his life; the scream of a terrified Onslaught.

"Blast Off! Vortex!" the Combaticon leader roared.

There was the immediate sound of transformation, and Prowl braced his feet from the sonic boom when the two flyers soared to save their leader. They quickly reached Onslaught, who grabbed Blast Off and Vortex's hands, bringing his fall to a halt with him dangling under the two flyers.

On the ground, Brawl was hauling Swindle onto his back as he shouted, "Brawl to Thundercracker. We need immediate extraction now!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Cliffjumper was about to fire again, but Prowl strode to him and pushed his blasters down, shaking his head. "Oh, come on!" the warrior grumbled.

"Both sides have suffered injuries," Prowl said, even as a groundbridge opened behind Brawl. "There's no point in pursuing them."

They watched as Onslaught was lowered to the ground, and he and his team rushed to the swirling green vortex. It would not be the last time Prowl would see them, he knew, but the injuries they have sustained should prevent the Combiner from participating in the next one, whenever that would be.

The groundbridge soon closed, and the only sounds were the flapping wings of the creature that had saved them. Except it was no mere beast, as Prowl came to realize. It dove toward their direction, extending its wings in full to hover above them, buffeting them with gusts of wind, before it altformed into a towering being whose form Prowl had only seen in ancient records.

"A pity," the being said as he landed lightly on his feet, his glossy black-grey armor glistening in the afternoon sun. "That Combiner seems tasty." He gazed down at Prowl and the others, standing in awe at his sight. When his gaze landed on Bumblebee, he smiled. "Ah, hello there, little scout. It's good to see you alive and well."

Bumblebee trilled a response, which made the Knight laugh heartily. "As you can see, I'm very much in a good condition. But," he paused and knelt on one knee, inspecting Drift, "this one doesn't look well."

"I'm fine, Master Knight," Drift said reverently.

"Master Strafe," the Knight corrected with a smile. A panel in his left arm slid open, and a scanner beam shot out, blanketing Drift in blue light. When the scan was finished, Strafe looked on in surprise and relief. "Well, it seems that some bots of this generation are made of stronger metal."

"You're a medic, sir?" Prowl asked.

"Yes," Strafe answered as he stood up. "I was the only one who knew the art of repairing among our order. At least until we started accepting apprentices. And since I'm a flyer, I am the best mech for the job."

The sound of flapping wings drew their attention, and they all turned to see Steelbane and two other dragons flying behind him. They were blue and green, respectively, though both were trimmed with gold. They looked identical too, and their armor was the same as Steelbane; Prowl had no doubt that they were Knights Apprentices.

The trio soon landed and altformed, the green-and-gold one immediately drawing a greatsword with a snarl, his optics darting around. "Where is it? Where is the enemy?"

"Whoa, calm down there, big guy," Cliffjumper raised his hands in a placating manner. "The enemy is gone, see? No need to wave that big ass sword of yours."

The knight glared at him, but sheathed his sword when he realized that Cliffjumper was right. "Who are you?"

Cliffjumper gave him a mock salute. "Name's Cliffjumper, but you can call me Cliff. The serious one is Prowl, the yellow one is Bumblebee, and the injured one is Drift."

"They are allies, Skyquake," Strafe said with an assuring nod. "And they have fought bravely as far as I could see. How goes the fight with Predaking?"

The blue mech who looked so much like Skyquake shook his head. "Master Grimlock sent us here to assist you. He and the others were still fighting the Dragon King when we left."

There was a loud roar in the distance. Rising out of the ruined buildings, Predaking sped across the sky, heading for another Groundbridge portal high in the clouds. He entered the green vortex, letting out one last roar before he was swallowed within its green depths, and the portal finally closed.

"I guess it's over now, huh?" Cliffjumper said with a relieved sigh, slumping on the ground. His exhaustion was clear in his face, but Prowl knew their fight was far from over as he stared at the road ahead.

"I'm afraid it's not over yet, Cliff," he said grimly as he watched a line of armored vehicles approach them. There were two dozen in all, most with mounted heavy support weapons and missile launchers. But drew his immediate concern were the six towering bipedal weapon systems that they had brought with them and the inverted V with three letters underneath printed on their sides.

TRF.


The ground trembled, forcing Cade to stop briefly and grabbed onto an abandoned motorcycle for support. He wished that Bee and Cliff were still here to help him, but he had told them to drop him off as soon as they were a safe distance away from that monstrous robotic dragon, just so they could help Prowl and Drift..

A mistake he now regretted when Shatter flew in in her jet mode and landed in front of him with a cruel smile.

It was a deadly cat-and-mouse chase after that, made even more difficult by the never-ending rubble and broken cars blocking the road. For Shatter, it was a minor distraction as she easily flung them out of her path. But for Cade, it was proving to be a major hindrance to his escape, even with the Apex Armor granting him immense strength and some protection.

After the shaking stopped, Cade resumed his flight, heading in the opposite direction of the church where Viviane and the rest were hiding. He called Fowler for backup, but only now did he realize how bad of an idea it was; after all, Fowler would have to leave Viviane and the Omega Key unguarded.

Cursing his own stupidity, Cade ducked under a swipe from Shatter's hand and kept going. He grabbed a van, whirled around to briefly face Shatter, and brought it down with a mighty swing. Shatter blocked it with her arm, but Cade did not stay to look. He ran past a collapsed police station, then hurled another vehicle at the Decepticon assassin.

Cade heard the ear-splitting sound of shredding metal along with Shatter's laugh. "Really, human? This is the best you could come up with?"

He ignored her and slid under the debris. Why didn't he bring his equipment? In hindsight, this could have been easy if he had some of his weapons. But there was no use in thinking about it right now. But once this was over, Cade vowed to bring them at all times.

He saw the street corner coming into view, and an idea struck him. Glancing over his shoulder as he ran, he saw Shatter approaching at leisure pace, her smile still present. She must have thought she had him already cornered.

She thought wrong. Cade disappeared into the corner and slipped inside the nearest door, looking around. He was lucky; it was a convenience store. The merchandise was scattered across the floor, but Cade saw most of the items he needed.

Shatter's footsteps drew near. Cade immediately snatched every item he could find from the floor, dumping them in a cloth bag before rushing to the counter and hiding behind it. He needed to work fast. Shatter would not be fooled for long.

As Cade worked, Shatter's voice drifted from outside the store. "You know, it's rude to keep a lady waiting. Why don't you come out so we can have some fun?" He risked a peek over the counter, clutching the shaving cream canister in one hand and a couple of batteries in the others. Shatter had stopped in front of the store, and Cade waited with bated breath until she bent over.

He quickly ducked out of sight, sweat beading his forehead. Shatter hummed, then her footsteps receded. After a minute of heavy silence, Cade glanced at the entrance once more—she was gone.

He released a sigh and continued, his hands working deftly, connecting copper wires into each component until Cade had something in his hands. The finished product was crude, but it would serve its purpose. Now all he needed was a high spot.

Thankfully, the store had a side entrance. Holding his invention, Cade exited the door and emerged into an alley. There was a steel ladder going up a three-story apartment with a rooftop. After a quick glance at the road, Cade began climbing with the contraption safe within the cloth bag over his shoulder.

He took two rungs at a time, proceeding cautiously to avoid making too much noise. Finally he reached the top, and pulled himself over the railings, landing on his feet and lowering to a crouch. Slowly he made his way to the edge where he could see Shatter three blocks away, peeking over each building she passed.

Cade took a deep breath, then shouted, "Hey!"

Shatter immediately turned in his direction, her smile broadening. "There you are. What took you so long?" She raised her arm, and it transformed into an autocannon.

In response, Cade lifted the shaving cream canister, now wrapped in wires and a dozen batteries with a small igniter, and hurled it toward Shatter with his armored hand. "This," he said.

Shatter fired just as Cade moved out of the way. He didn't look back to check if his makeshift bomb had worked, doing his best to avoid the hail of shells. But he knew it had done the job after a loud explosion followed by Shatter's yell of shock and fury. He glanced in her direction as leapt over the building's edge, using his armored right hand to slide down the wall, cutting a long, jagged line and crushing red bricks. Shatter's eyes were covered in foaming cream.

"What's this? What did you do to me?" she bellowed, wiping away the obstruction in her vision.

Thankfully, Cade had already landed onto the ground and was on his way out of her sight. Shatter roared behind him, but he ignored her and continued until he heard the sound of engines. He turned just in time to see Shatter's car mode racing towards him, intent on running him over.

Without hesitation, Cade thrust his arms forward and slammed them onto her front fenders, bringing her to a halt. For a moment, they were locked in a contest of strength, Shatter's wheel kicking up a dust storm as she pushed with all her strength. Cade was not deterred, gritting his teeth as he pushed back, his muscles straining.

Then with a yell, he lifted the Decepticon off the ground and hurled her to the nearest building. She transformed mid-air, her feet touching the wall before she burst forward using her momentum, her face twisted in a vicious snarl as her hands reached out for Cade.

He let her come, dodging her fingers and swinging his first right into her chest. The blow struck, sending her back to the building with a powerful crash. She groaned, her body stuck deep into the wall. But she pulled herself free and glared murderously at Cade.

"When I'm done with you, there will be nothing left but the fabrics you wore," she vowed.

Shatter took a step, then cocked her head and looked to her left just in time to see a rocket speeding toward her. She cursed in Cybertronian and sliced it off with her blade, and cursed again as she stared.

Cade followed her gaze, and his brows furrowed. Closing after Shatter were a hundred soldiers in familiar black uniforms. They used the debris as cover, firing their assault rifles at the Decepticon, who had found a car and used it as a makeshift shield while retaliating with her autocannon.

After a few seconds of exchanging fire, Shatter glanced at Cade and growled, "This is not over, Cade Yeager." Then she threw the car at him while transforming into her jet mode and blasting toward the sky.

Cade punched the car, watching it crash into another one. He stared at the TRF troopers approaching him warily, their guns aimed in his direction. Unfortunately, there was no way out of this, and turning his back on them to escape would certainly mean a lot of pain.

Then the soldiers parted, and a man with his lower face covered approached him. He was not aiming his gun at him, but Cade did not miss how his right hand was resting casually on the rifle's grip.

"Cade Yeager?" he asked, pulling down his face's cover to reveal a handsome man hardened by countless battles. Cade recognized him at once and scowled.

"I'm not your enemy," Cade said, not moving from his spot. "And neither are the Autobots."

The man looked guilty as he shook his head. "I know, but I have orders to follow. Come with us, and I will guarantee yours and their safety."

"Like how you guaranteed the safety of Ratchet?" Cade retorted with a growl. "Leadfoot? Sideswipe?" He did not know them personally and only heard about them from Hound and the others, but he knew they were good mechs—heroes who saved the world one too many times. They didn't deserve their fate, their sparks resting in a dark room in Wyoming.

William Lennox grimaced, and Cade saw his gaze wavered for a moment. But the former N.E.S.T. commander's expression hardened. "If you don't come with us, we will have to force you. There are a hundred of us, Cade. This is not a battle you can win."

For a moment, Cade considered punching the man. But he knew there was no point in resisting. He was exhausted, and he could not fight all the soldiers even if he wanted to. "Fine," he said at last. He slowly gestured at his armor, making sure not to make any sudden movement that would provoke the soldiers. "Can I get this off first, though?"

Lennox nodded. "Where did you get that anyway?" he wondered curiously as Cade pressed the Apex Armor's button. Some of the soldiers whistled in awe as it retracted, returning to its form as a metal armband.

"A friend," Cade answered as two men rushed by his side. They did not grab him, but their presence made it clear that he could not run away.

Nodding in satisfaction, Lennox waved his hand, and the soldiers finally lowered their weapons. As they led him away, Cade had a sinking feeling in his stomach that the battle was far from over, and he hoped that the others were in a much better situation than him.


WHEW! That was a very long chapter, and I'm still not sure if I did it right. So sorry for the long wait! I have a lot of projects going on, and I have even started playing Axie Infinity for the extra cash. Nevertheless, the Battle of London is finally over!

Before I answer the reviews, let me talk about the various plot elements in this chapter. First, yes, the Dinobots are here! And as some of you may have noticed, they are not exactly the same Dinobots from most Transformers series. Their design is exactly like the Bayverse, and they are the ones from Age of Extinction since this fic is based off of TLK, but their personalities and roles are of my own take on them. First and foremost is making Strafe a medic. Initially, my first choice was Slag. But given his aggressive persona, I chose Strafe instead. It fits because like Jetfire from RotF, I also made Strafe have a Groundbridge, though it functions more like the one in Primeverse. And since he could fly, it makes sense for him to be a medic.

Next, Dreadwing and Skyquake as members of the Knights of Cybertron! I'm quite certain that no one expected this major change, and frankly, this is one aspect of the story that I'm proud to write. In most fanfics involving Primeverse characters, both of them are true to the canon source, loyal warriors of Megatron before Dreadwing switches sides and/or Skyquake bites the dust, etc. So I thought, why not change that and make them Autobots from the get-go? And Knights of Cybertron too. Of course, this does mean that they will be slightly different from their original versions, though I will do my best to retain their personalities and quirks while adding my own spin on them.

Third, the Skyboom Shield as a relic. Yes, this is almost the same one from the Armada series, though I will confirm now that this is NOT a Minicon trio. Think of it as similar to the Star Saber, and if you go back to chapter one, I have already hinted it along with another relic. Can you guys guess what it is? ;)

Lastly, the Cade vs Shatter scene. This one is actually the hardest part to write since I didn't know at first how I would make Cade a capable fighter without relying on a weapon. He has the armor, yes, but even that has its limitations due to its nature in this fic. Then inspiration struck me in the form of Iron Man 3. Cade is an inventor much like Tony Stark, and he did not need weapons; he just have to build one. Thus, the convenience store and shaving cream bomb.

Now, it's time for the Q&A!

In response to Wacko12's review, of course, we will definitely see Autobot flyers. Though I'm afraid they will not be appearing until the third act of this story.

In response to Autobot-Wolfsketch's review, thanks for the suggestion. But I really didn't want to veer away too much from what the movies had shown. And since the first film named the tank as Devastator in the translation, I will go with that.

In response to Julien Caeg's review, first, yes, more Predacons will show up. And if you remember, Sky Lynx was already mentioned. As for the Combiners, you just have to wait and see what I have in store. Regarding the Dinobots and Grandmasters, they are basically one and the same, at least in this fic.

In response to a Guest review, I really don't want to confirm anything at this point. But rest assured that this story will have more references to other franchises, and some may be quite obvious. In fact, if you go back to chapter 3, I have edited the last part to include one not-so-subtle reference to a famous anime series.

Anyway, that should be it. My schedule is in shambles right now because I'm still learning the ropes of Axie Infinity, as well as my other ongoing writing projects, so I don't think I can release another chapter before Christmas. But rest assured, there will be another chapter before New Year's Eve.

Please Read & Review! Until next time!