Chapter 22 – Point Of No Return
On the battlefield, the Decepticons and Autobots continue to blast away at one another. But the Autobots start to notice their energon packs wearing out in their weapons. Jazz and Cliffjumper pinned down in one of their dirt mound protections begin to realize this almost immediately.
"Damn...we can't keep this up for much longer Jazz." the red mini Autobot says as he takes a shot and scrunches down.
"You got that right man. I'm nearly drained on my blaster..."
"What about you Mirage?" Cliffjumper says as he turns to face him. "Hey! Where is he? Where's Mirage?"
Jazz takes a few shots and then lowers his head.
"I dunno, the guy just up and boogied on out. You don't think he's hiding again do ya?"
"He'd better not be..." Cliffjumper scowls. "Or else he'll find my high glossed foot up his tail pipe!"
Across the fields, Trailbreaker has created a force field around him, Prowl and Smokescreen. Small openings appear as they shoot and quickly close as soon as it passes through. Trailbreaker stands and has both arms held over his head as the dual generators on his arms pulsate. The hazy, blue energy surrounds them all like a closed in dome, as waves of energy surges ripple along the half sphere.
"Guys!" Trailbreaker says out of breath. "I can't hold this up for much longer...I'm slowly losing power."
Smokescreen looks up at him as he's crouched down for shooting.
"Just hang on bud! Give us all you can...we don't want to end up on the scrap heap!"
Prowl shakes his head as he stands beside the black bulky robot creating their only means of shelter.
"This is a tight spot we're in. Trailbreaker can't keep protecting us for long Smokescreen sooner or later we're going to have to let him stop."
"Jeez...there's nothing to protect us out there. If we lose his shields we'll be goners!"
"Then we'll have to improvise won't we..." The black and white security chief says.
Trailbreaker looks down at him.
"How? It's not like we can just rush them..."
Prowl looks at his gun and notices the energon gauge, the electronic indicator is showing a low energy status and flashing red as a warning. The Autobot sighs and lowers his gun.
"Yes we can. Kup said to me once, 'when you're out of ammo and your back is to the wall...there's only one thing to do...'"
Both Autobots looked at Prowl with curiosity.
"Well?" Trailbreaker asks. "What was it?"
Prowls eyes flashed and clenched his fist.
"Transform and start a demolition derby!"
Trailbreaker and Smokescreen smiled and nodded to one another, as they liked the sound of that plan.
"As humans say...LET'S ROCK!!" Smokescreen screams loudly.
Trailbreaker disengages his force field and all three of them transform into their vehicle modes. The Autobots then rush towards the attacking Skywarp, Thundercracker and Frenzy, causing them to fire at them more intensely as they drive closer. Trailbreaker instantly runs down Frenzy, as the bot's reflection in his grillwork is the last thing the tiny robot sees, like a hit and run accident, the impact sends the mini-disk robot spiraling in the air.
"BAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" He screams as he hurls helplessly.
Smokescreen tries to hit Thundercracker but misses him as the blue robot jet dodges his attack. Skywarp still tries to fire upon Prowl as the Autobot roars towards him at break neck speed, but as soon as he lands on the surprised black and purple jet warrior, he transforms back into his robot mode and begins pounding away on him with his fists.
"This one is for Kup! And for the Autobots! And this one is from me!!" He howls away at the Decepticon as he thwarts him.
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe watch the three boldy attack the Decepticons that had been shooting at them, and quickly get the same idea as they gaze back at one another.
"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Sideswipe smirks at him.
Sunstreaker sighs and looks at his reflection in his well-polished yellow paint.
"Oh well, I suppose some sacrifices have to be made. Guess it's better to go out fighting then to stay here and get all dusty."
"Now you're talkin'!" Sideswipe laughs.
Together they leap out of their crumbling dirt shelter and transform. The sleek red Lamborghini Diablo GT and the chrome rimmed yellow Pagani Zonda C12 S Hardtop Roadster both spin their wheels and speed for both Soudwave and Starscream. The air commander gasps at the rushing Autobots and fires his side-mounted weapons furiously.
"Die Autobots! DIE!!"
The null rays miss the two as they swerve, and then as Sideswipe gets close enough he transforms with a mid-air kick to Starscreams chest. The hit throws the grey jet robot backwards and makes him smack into the side of the ship. Landing safely to the ground, Sideswipe stands ready in a fighting pose as he looks at Starscream gasping to recover.
"How dare you hit me!" Starscream shouts at him.
Sideswipe smirks at the Decepticon jet and taunts him by moving his finger in a 'bring it on' fashion. This enrages Starscream as he lunges at the cheeky Autobot with both fists out front, activating his back legs equipped with the jet engines, the Deceptcion manages to tackle the Autobot and both begin giving fist on fist blows to one another. Sunstreaker is still out maneuvering Soundwave in his vehicle mode as the one eyed robot continually fires at him.
"Stand still coward!!" Soundwave shouts in his monotone electronic voice.
Sunstreaker spins around to face the robot and revs his engine.
"Coward?! That does it...nobody calls me that and lives!"
His tires squelch as he spins them in the dirt; a sudden thrust of power races him straight for Soundwave as he takes aim with his gun. Using his headlights, Sunstreaker blinds the towering Decepticon by using his ultra bright high beams. The intense light causes Soundwave to shield his vision as he raises his arms, and as he peers through his fingers, all he can see is Sunstreaker transforming quickly and his sliver polished fist flying straight for him. The punch drives the blue mini disk player robot to the ground as the impact nearly knocks him unconscious.
"Now look what you've gone and made me do...it took me days to get the gloss on these fingers just right!"
Watching his warriors fail was very embarrassing to Megatron, seeing the Autobots leap out and attack his men with little resistance made his circuits fizzle. As Starscream managed to kick Sideswipe off of him, the evil leader shouted at him as Prime continued to blast away at his position.
"Starscream! Stop fooling around and counter attack them already!!"
"I'm doing just that Megatron!" He says back in his shrill of a voice.
"You're an air commander for Cybertron's sake! Transform and attack you stupid dolt!!"
Starscream realized that Megatron was right and quickly did as the infuriated leader commanded. In his F-19 mode, Starscream propelled himself to the sky and shouted down to his fellow jet warriors who were busy battling Trailbreaker, Smokescreen and Prowl.
"Thundercracker! Skywarp! TRANSFORM!!"
The two robots heard their commander and quickly converted into their jet modes, unable to get a solid hold Skywarp, Prowl soon found himself being left on the ground alone. Looking up at the fleeing black Raptor stealth jet, he shook his fist in the air.
"Get back down here! I'm not finished with you yet!!"
Thundercracker swoops in overhead and unfolds his weapons from their hidden compartments, the wings now hold two multiple rocket launchers and fires a shot directly at Prowl.
"But we're done with you!" The blue angel F-18 shouts down at him.
The impact smacks the black and white Autobot in the chest causing a massive explosion; Smokescreen transforms into his robot form and rushes over to the smoldering security chief as he drops to the ground.
"PROWL!!"
Taking hold of his head, Smokescreen looks at him as Thundercracker rises back into the sky.
"Talk to me buddy! Say somethin'..."
Prowl looks up at him as the smoke billows out of his mouth.
"Ow."
The Autobot chuckles at him as he hears him utter that word.
"At least your humor chip is still functioning."
Prowl giggles back and then flinches from the internal pain that must be going on in his shredded circuits.
With no one looking at the ship, or high above it, the slow rising elevator reaches the ship's doorway with no one on it. Inside the newly constructed vessel, a few heavy steps are heard as if metal is hitting metal. A few feet into the control room and soon the footsteps stop. An ambient green light flashes with the outlined shape of a robot. As the light gives way and the robot becomes transparent again, we soon see that it is Mirage, gun in hand and carrying a cluster of miniature devices in the other hand. The devices look about the size of a credit card and roughly about the same in width, three small buttons are grouped on it just below the liquid crystal screen display at the top of them. As Mirage walks in, he points his gun ahead with caution, checking every corner and behind every door he walks through. Walking deeper into the ship, through the long spacious corridor, he finds the door that leads into the energon storage bay.
"My, my, my..." He merely utters as he gazes at the massive collection. "Busy little Decepticons weren't we?"
Setting his gun down on the floor as he kneels, he begins programming one of the card-like devices as he scrolls with the buttons. With the flashing light on the last button, he reaches over to the lower end of the energon collection and starts to place it on the side of it very gently. Suddenly a gun barrel appears to the side of his head and the Autobot stops moving immediately.
"Naughty, naughty Autobot." The person carrying the weapon says to him. "Didn't anyone tell you its not nice to plant bombs on someone else's ship?"
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The battle continues to heat up as the Autobots all do their best to stop the Decepticons from leaving Earth. Optimus Prime and Megatron both look at their weapons and realize that their energy is getting low on them. Megatron continues to hide behind his ever dwindling cement barrier, and Optimus Prime is nearly exposed as his self made trench.
"Prime...are you still alive?" Megatron shouts with curiosity.
"Well I wouldn't be answering you if I wasn't Megatron." Prime shouts back. "This shooting is getting us no where Megatron...why don't you stop hiding and come out to face me Autobot to Decepticon. Or are you afraid..."
Megatron's left eye twitches after hearing that, he growled under his breath and stood up to see Prime rising up to face him.
"I am not afraid...not even the likes of you can cause me to quiver in fear Optimus Prime!!"
"Prove it Megatron." Optimus says to him. "Show me that you don't have to hide behind the lives of humans, dense cement walls...or even your own dense soldiers. Let's finish what we started on Sherman's Dam...but without the energon weapons."
The Decepticon leader lowered his arm cannon as he was aiming it at the Autobot as he stood up. The evil robot snickered with delight at Prime's offer and clenched both fists tightly.
"A test of strength Optimus? Bold...very bold of you. But foolish. If you wish to die by my hands...then so be it!"
Prime readies himself for the Decepticon leader, holding up his fists and crouching in a position like a boxer.
"Enough of your endless posturing Megatron...lets get this war over with."
Megatron rushes in screaming at the Autobot leader, a quick swing with his right fist misses Prime as he moves out of the way. As Megatron goes past him, Optimus gives him a sharp elbow blow to the back. Megatron nearly drops but recovers fast from it as he swings around with his other arm. Optimus leaps out of Megatron's reach and lands back onto his feet a few meters away from him. Megatron whips himself around to face the Autobot again and this time leaps up into the air with his right leg jutting out as he comes back down fast. The split second reaction of the evil leader was too quick for Prime to move out of the way again. This time he got a full jaw full of the silver leader's foot and while he stood there dazed for a second, Megatron landed in front of him and head butted him to complete his attack. Prime falls to the ground in pain with the sound of Megatron laughing at him.
"I told Optimus...it's foolish to think you could best the likes of me."
Prime lifted his head up and stared at the leader standing over him.
"And I told you Megatron...ugh...I'd finish you no matter what!" the Autobot says as his blue eyes flash with a surge of power.
Prime clasped his legs together as he lay there and kicked upwards to the Decepticon in a forceful thrust to his chest. The kick was so intense that Megatron hurled across the battlefield screaming in pain. Bumblebee and Brawn watched the leader fly by their heads and past the other Decepticons they were fighting.
"Looks like Prime is getting a 'kick' out of Megatron" Brawn giggles at Bumblebee.
As the Decepticon leader finally impacts on the ground, the sheer force creates a small crater around him that he has to climb out of. Megatron's hand rises up and grips the edge of it as he pulls himself out. Dirty and dented, the leader rises up in anger; his red eyes burn with pulsating energy as he watches Prime slowly walk up through the crossfire of lasers.
"You're DEAD PRIME!!! Do you hear me? DEAD!!" The leader screams at him.
Prime walks through the laser fire calmly as if no one is even targeting him, the Autobots are managing to keep the Decepticons preoccupied separately while the two leaders duke it out.
"Is that all you have to say? I've heard that one before...face it Megatron, this is the end of the road for you."
Megatron sprints over to Optimus Prime and the two leaders lock in hands as they clash. Both trying to now over power each other as they used every ounce of their strength to pull the other one apart. Breathing heavy and groaning from the stress they both stare at each other while they fight.
"Ggggaaah...this isn't the end for me Optimus. Nnnnaaaah! It's the final battle for the Autobots and their failed leader. As the only survivors of a doomed race, your kind will now join them in total obliteration!"
"Rrraaahh! I've watched kill so many Megatron...if we have to die to stop you then so be it. Aaarrggh! A small price to pay to end your miserable tyranny and liberate the galaxy from the likes of you!"
Megatron snickers as he continues to struggle with the Autobot leader.
"There will always be some one like me out there, Optimus...some one that will bring the universe into submission...and rule by the fist."
"Never..." The Autobot leader says as his eyes squint hard. "NEVER!!"
He picks the Decepticon up in a massive burst of strength and holds him up in the air as if he was going to drive him down headfirst. Megatron gasps at being lifted and soon realizes what Prime is trying to do. Megatron quickly switches his mid-section around, spinning his lower torso and folding his legs down in the opposite direction. The gravity of the evil leader's legs dropping behind causes Prime to be lifted up into the air, Megatron grabs hold of Prime's arms as his feet return firmly on the ground again. Optimus Prime now lifts overhead of Megatron and the evil leader rotates himself back into his front position. The Decepticon leader holds the squirming Autobot leader high above him and looks up at him. Megatron laughs out loud with joy as Prime struggles to break out of his grip.
"One turn deserves another Optimus! Let's see how well an Autobot can fly!!"
Megatron chucks Optimus Prime across the battleground just as the Autobot leader did to him before. Optimus now hurls across the Decepticons and the Autobots as he hits a distant cliff wall back first. The leader smacks against it, causing him and the rock face to slide down, as he strikes the ground below the rock and debris fall on top of him. Megatron places his hands on his side and laughs with delight.
Bumblebee looks at the sight where Prime lays, buried under tones of rock and only seeing his blue hand sticking out of the rubble.
"Optimus!", he says in a low gasp.
As the Autobots all witness their leader being tossed like a rag doll to the cliffside, they increase their firing at the Decepticons and move in closer as they attack. Hound, Jazz, Ironhide, Huffer and Bluestreak continue to shoot at the Constructicons they've managed to pin down. As the six green Decepticon builders regroup behind another one of the ship's concrete struts, Rumble joins them as they all check their weapons.
"This...this is bad!" Rumble complains. "We're getting our tails whipped here."
"Indeed" Scrapper nods in agreement. "We can't keep them held back for much longer"
Starscream flies in and transforms behind the barrier just as a laser shot misses his head. Ducking down with the others he points at the others sitting there looking bewildered.
"What are you fools doing?!" He shouts. "Transform into Devastator and end this already."
Scavenger looks at the air commander and yells back at him.
"Look who's talking...you aren't even doing a good job either."
"He's right though..." Haul now says to them. "Let's form Devastator and kill them all!"
Mixmaster snickers at Haul and points out the obvious.
"That would be the ideal thing. But you're forgetting we're missing a man here. Where the hell is Hook? We can't form Devastator without him here."
Rumble snaps his fingers.
"I bet I know where he is...give me some covering fire and I'll go fetch him."
"You?!" Starscream laughs. "Why should we bother to cover your sorry steel hide? You should be laying down suppressing fire for the likes of me and my jet squad!"
"That would be a good idea Starscream...if you guys actually DID ANYTHING!! You guys are just hovering around dropping the odd bombs at them while we're getting creamed on the ground!" Rumble screams as he shakes his fist at him.
Starscreams eyes lower in anger and grabs the lippy robot.
"Fine...I'll do something right now!"
As the Jazz and the others continue to fire away at the concrete wall, Rumble suddenly appears out from the barrier as if he was chucked out. Landing on the ground between the two forces, Hound looks up and grins.
"They must be running out of ammo...they're throwing out the duds!"
Hound transforms into his combat Hummer and leaps out towards the small robot still trying to get up. Jazz sees Hound speeding in and shouts at him.
"You crazy fool! Get back here!!"
Rumble shakes his head from the impact and suddenly sees the Hummer Autobot rushing in; he changes his arms into his massive pile drivers and beings to pound the Earth. The shockwave is causing Hound to lose balance and swerving all over.
"Oh no you don't...not this time!" Hound says.
He targets the mini bot and shoots him with his mounted missile launcher sticking out from the rear of his roof. The strike knocks Rumble off of his feet and lands on his back, the Autobot Hummer jumps above him and transforms into his robot mode in mid-air. Landing back down hard, he pins the small Decepticon with his knees and looks at him with anger.
"I owe you one from Sherman's Dam, Rumble! And one from my good human friend Spike!"
Hound gut punches the Decepticon mini bot repeatedly as he lays helpless to his attack. Rumble tries in vain to stop him as each hit becomes increasingly painful. As Hound is preoccupied with him, Starscream lurches out and takes aim at the Autobot fully exposed in the open. Snickering with evil, he points his right arm cannon at Hound's head and prepares to fire. Jazz and the others see him taking aim and quickly jump into action to save him. Jazz transforms into his Sportec model car and zooms over to Hound. Bluestreak, Huffer and Ironhide give him covering fire as they shoot up the wall Starscream is using to protect himself.
"Baaah!! I can't get a clear shot!!" Starscream screams as he covers himself with his arms from the attack.
Jazz finally reaches Hound and transforms. Leaping into the air he grabs the Autobot and rolls along the ground with him as if to save him. Rumble now free, jumps up and flies away from Hound's reach. Jazz helps his friend up and then strikes him in the head with a fist tap.
"You got lead in that head! Starscream nearly had you dead to right out here."
Hound pushes him away.
"Don't tell me what to do! I had Rumble in my grasp and you let him get away!"
Jazz ducks as a laser shot barrels past him from the Decepticons, transforming quickly, the sleek Autobot rides back to the others waiting.
"Fine! Stay out here and get killed then...see if I care. Just don't come crying to me if you get a blast hole in your noggin'!"
Hound's anger soon fades as he suddenly realizes he's out in the middle of the battlefield all by himself. Slapping the top of his head with his right hand, the Autobot transforms into his Hummer mode and heads back to the Autobot side.
"What the hell am I thinking? Jazz is right...I'm a sitting duck out here." Hound mutters to himself.
As Bumblebee continues to look over at Prime trapped underneath the massive pile of rock, Ravage jumps down from the top of their dirt mound and tries to slash his claws at the three Autobots sitting behind it. Another shot rings out from beyond and soon the black cat is hurled out of their trench as the blast hits him. Running up with his weapon, Cliffjumper slides down with the others and knocks Bumblebee on the head.
"Wake up stupid! You nearly got your arm torn off by Ravage!"
Bumblebee looks at the red robot and just gives him a blank look.
"We have to see if Optimus is ok."
This time Brawn smacks the yellow robot on the head and points at him.
"This is not the time to go out and check! We've got a major battle on our hands incase you haven't noticed! Optimus would want us to push through no matter what!"
Gears looked as if he was thinking about that very thing, the sound of the rushing laser fire overhead made him remember the number of battles he was in and how Optimus Prime was the only Autobot leader he'd ever known that was willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. The mini bot looked at his weapon and saw how old it looked, chuckling slightly to himself, he seemed to remember a time when he was just a rookie and had to keep the Decepticons at bay with his trusty rifle.
"You're right Brawn..." Gears said aloud to them.
Brawn looked back at him and smirked.
"Did you say something you cranky old timer?"
"I may be old...and set in my ways." Gears replied. "But dangnabbit! I don't want to sit here all day and wonder what a world without Decepticons would be like. I didn't think much of Optimus when he first appeared as our leader. I thought he was too young and hot headed...it burned me that such a young whipper snapper like him got command so quickly and I had to climb over endless promotions and dead friends to get the rank I had then. But you know...he turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to us...."
As Gears looked up at them all, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper and Brawn were all nodding in agreement and smiling at the old Transformer as he babbled on.
"Without the likes of him and his spirit...we would have been destroyed long ago by Megatron." Gears continues to say. "Come on Autobots! Hiding is for weak...plus my joints are getting rusty just sitting here. Let's meet our fate head on..."
Gears rises out of his crouch and suddenly runs over the dirt mound protecting them all.
"Till all are one!" He shouts as he leaves.
"Wait! GEARS!!" Brawn shouts as he tries to stop him.
Bumblebee and Cliffjumper gasp in amazement as they watch the crabby robot leap out for attack. Gears fires his weapon at the Decepticons trying to shoot at him and transforms into his blue, red and grey colored Smart Roadster-Coupe. Dodging the laser fire with grace and speed, Gears manages to leap over the cement wall hiding Starscream and the others and runs them down like bowling pins. The Constructicons weren't prepared for such a swift attack and found themselves being run over by Gear's tires. Cliffjumper and Brawn laugh out loud as the watch him.
"How do you like that? There's still some spunk in that robot's wheels after all." Brawn says.
"Now there's a guy who knows how to fight the right way!" Cliffjumper muses. "COME ON!"
The two quickly leap over the mound and fire their weapons as they appear. Bumblebee still stays behind as he becomes uncertain about the method they are all using. He thinks their insane for leaving their cover and trying to out race the Decepticon's fire, but mainly he's still focused on Optimus Prime as he turns to see Megatron standing over the debris pile the leader is lying in.
"Aaaah, Optimus Prime." Megatron says as he stares down at the rocky mess. "It seems that I've given you the proper ending that so many before you had. Quick and easy...so much for the great leader of the Autobots."
Taking aim with his fusion cannon arm weapon, he targets the boulder like rocks that cover Prime and prepares to fire.
"So long Optimus..."
Suddenly, Prime's fist comes rising out of the rocks and manages to punch the Decepticon leader in the face. The impact drives Megatron into the air and then quick return to the ground flat on his back. Shrieking in agony, the Decepticon leader looks up to see Optimus Prime rising up out of the rock.
"Oh, it's not over yet Megatron. Far from it...I'm just getting warmed up!"
Megatron gasps at the sight of Prime still living and watches the Autobot pick up a massive boulder near by and raising it over his head. The shadow of it eclipses the evil leader lying there and screams in fear, as he has no place to run in time. Prime slams the huge rock down onto him with all his strength and makes the boulder drive down into the ground causing it to nearly crack from the sheer impact. Seeing the Autobot leader alive and attacking Megatron, makes Bumblebee cheer loudly and brings back a sense of hope to him again.
"Alright Optimus!!" He shouts.
Gears spins around and transforms again as he hears Bumblebee scream out Prime's name. The old mini bot sees the leader as well and gives a thankful smile that Optimus isn't dead. Brawn and Cliffjumper shout out with joy too as they look quickly to see him. But then Brawn turned around and shouted at Gears with panic.
"Gears!! Look out behind you!!"
Gears looks behind and sees the tri-group Reflector standing over him as they fly in and land. Pointing their weapons down at him, the three chuckle in unison.
"Out with the old...it's time you retired permanently!" The three say together.
Their guns fired at the surprised Autobot, as he stood there with his mouth open in shock. The blasts ripped into him with deadly accuracy and send him flying a few feet back from the weapon blasts. Bumblebee watched in horror as if everything was happening in slow motion. The guns ripping through his structure, the sudden gasp from the old robot as he felt their lasers pierce his chassis and the three Decepticons laughing as they shot him together. Bumblebee's eyes widened and screamed with anger.
"GEEEAAAARRRRSSS!!!"
The smoldering body of old Autobot crashed to the ground, as Cliffjumper, Brawn and Bumblebee watched him fall, it almost seemed like his 'thud' echoed in their heads. Bumblebee's lip quivered as the flood of horrible memories flashed over his mind. The war on Cybertron, the human casualties and now his friend Gears being blasted by three Decepticons. The feeling over powered him, the rage inside built up and suddenly came screaming out just as his voice was doing. The little yellow Autobot jumped over his dirt mound and began wildly shooting at the Decepticon tri-group that killed his friend as he ran forward. Cliffjumper also joined Bumblebee in his rage, the two mini bots continually fired on Reflector as the three unified team backed away from their laser blasts. Brawn rushed over to see Gears as he lay there dying, and held his head up with his hands.
"Don't die old buzzard!" Brawn commanded. "Come on now...stay with us!"
Gears was burning and his body riddled with fractures and blast marks. The exposed parts within him were now tweaking with sparks and smoke. Reflector had done the Autobot in for good, Brawn could see that his wounds were too far gone for repairs and sat there helpless as the old warrior opened his eyes at him for the last time.
"I...I...sure would have like to have seen Cybertron...one...one last time." Gears spoke in a garbled electronic voice.
"You will Gears...just don't die." Brawn said as he sniffled.
"Don't tell me how or where to die dangnabbit! And stop fussing over me and get them...them...Decept..."
Gear's final words sputtered and faded, his eyes became dim and his body became lifeless as the sound of his power core shut down. Brawn's face showed his sorrow at first, but then snickered slightly after his passing.
"So long old timer. A cranky old bastard to the end...may Primus lead you to the never-ending spark. Just don't piss him off, huh?"
Brawn laid him down gently and then rose up cracking his sliver polished knuckles.
"Time for some payback...Brawn style!"
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As the video cameras of the human reporters focused in on Brawn running in and launching himself into a flying upper cut to one of Reflector's clone triplets, grainy footage of it soon panned over to Bumblebee still firing away at the rest of the Decepticons like a madman as he screams away.
"Hot damn this is good stuff!" the cameraman says as he zooms in.
The reporter standing next to him gazes in awe at the battling robots, in fact every reporter and camera crew assembled on that cliff top ridge is enthralled with the massive war going on a few miles away. As Jerry McLane rises up after his few minutes of unconsciousness, he wipes nose smeared with blood and flinches as he discovers it's broken. Suddenly seeing all the men and women media facing the ongoing battle distracts him. Walking over to his cameraman named Phil, he taps him on the shoulder and scowls at him when he turns his way.
"We've got to get down there and film this close up! Now get your ass in that van and lets move!"
As the two start to walk away from the edge Jerry points at him while trying to use a wad of Kleenex to stop his nose from bleeding.
"Oh and remind me to sue that Spike kid, I've got a good mind to have him sent to jail for this!"
"Uh...Jerry?" The cameraman says with hesitance.
"What? What's your problem now?!"
Phil points ahead and shows him that the van they came in is no longer sitting there. The reporter looks down the roadway and sees it driving off down the narrow path they all came up on. Jerry angrily throws down his blood soaked tissue and starts to rant and curse, shaking his fist he screams at them as they drop out of sight.
"I'll get you for this you goddamn punks!! Just you wait and see!!"
Now he storms over to Phil and grabs the man rather roughly and shouts at him.
"Idiot! You should have stopped them from stealing our van! Now we'll have to borrow one of the other newsmen's van."
Phil shakes loose and shouts back at him.
"Hey! Hey! I don't have to do dick for you...besides I don't think we're going to get very far in anyone else's van either."
Jerry laughs, "Oh really? And what makes you say that?"
Pointing to the other vehicles tires, he shows the reporter why.
"Cause they took out all the tires while we weren't looking...that's why!"
As he inspected each news van it was very apparent that he was speaking the truth. Spike and Carly had managed to deflate all of their tires by slashing them on the side. Once again the reporter when into a madman fury and kicked the dirt with his foot. The cameraman stood there and shook his head at the twit, he simple chuckled at the guys' bad luck and looked over at road where Spike and Carly had drove of from and gave a thumbs up.
"Nice one kids. Good luck to ya."
On the battlefield, the Decepticons and Autobots continue to blast away at one another. But the Autobots start to notice their energon packs wearing out in their weapons. Jazz and Cliffjumper pinned down in one of their dirt mound protections begin to realize this almost immediately.
"Damn...we can't keep this up for much longer Jazz." the red mini Autobot says as he takes a shot and scrunches down.
"You got that right man. I'm nearly drained on my blaster..."
"What about you Mirage?" Cliffjumper says as he turns to face him. "Hey! Where is he? Where's Mirage?"
Jazz takes a few shots and then lowers his head.
"I dunno, the guy just up and boogied on out. You don't think he's hiding again do ya?"
"He'd better not be..." Cliffjumper scowls. "Or else he'll find my high glossed foot up his tail pipe!"
Across the fields, Trailbreaker has created a force field around him, Prowl and Smokescreen. Small openings appear as they shoot and quickly close as soon as it passes through. Trailbreaker stands and has both arms held over his head as the dual generators on his arms pulsate. The hazy, blue energy surrounds them all like a closed in dome, as waves of energy surges ripple along the half sphere.
"Guys!" Trailbreaker says out of breath. "I can't hold this up for much longer...I'm slowly losing power."
Smokescreen looks up at him as he's crouched down for shooting.
"Just hang on bud! Give us all you can...we don't want to end up on the scrap heap!"
Prowl shakes his head as he stands beside the black bulky robot creating their only means of shelter.
"This is a tight spot we're in. Trailbreaker can't keep protecting us for long Smokescreen sooner or later we're going to have to let him stop."
"Jeez...there's nothing to protect us out there. If we lose his shields we'll be goners!"
"Then we'll have to improvise won't we..." The black and white security chief says.
Trailbreaker looks down at him.
"How? It's not like we can just rush them..."
Prowl looks at his gun and notices the energon gauge, the electronic indicator is showing a low energy status and flashing red as a warning. The Autobot sighs and lowers his gun.
"Yes we can. Kup said to me once, 'when you're out of ammo and your back is to the wall...there's only one thing to do...'"
Both Autobots looked at Prowl with curiosity.
"Well?" Trailbreaker asks. "What was it?"
Prowls eyes flashed and clenched his fist.
"Transform and start a demolition derby!"
Trailbreaker and Smokescreen smiled and nodded to one another, as they liked the sound of that plan.
"As humans say...LET'S ROCK!!" Smokescreen screams loudly.
Trailbreaker disengages his force field and all three of them transform into their vehicle modes. The Autobots then rush towards the attacking Skywarp, Thundercracker and Frenzy, causing them to fire at them more intensely as they drive closer. Trailbreaker instantly runs down Frenzy, as the bot's reflection in his grillwork is the last thing the tiny robot sees, like a hit and run accident, the impact sends the mini-disk robot spiraling in the air.
"BAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" He screams as he hurls helplessly.
Smokescreen tries to hit Thundercracker but misses him as the blue robot jet dodges his attack. Skywarp still tries to fire upon Prowl as the Autobot roars towards him at break neck speed, but as soon as he lands on the surprised black and purple jet warrior, he transforms back into his robot mode and begins pounding away on him with his fists.
"This one is for Kup! And for the Autobots! And this one is from me!!" He howls away at the Decepticon as he thwarts him.
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe watch the three boldy attack the Decepticons that had been shooting at them, and quickly get the same idea as they gaze back at one another.
"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Sideswipe smirks at him.
Sunstreaker sighs and looks at his reflection in his well-polished yellow paint.
"Oh well, I suppose some sacrifices have to be made. Guess it's better to go out fighting then to stay here and get all dusty."
"Now you're talkin'!" Sideswipe laughs.
Together they leap out of their crumbling dirt shelter and transform. The sleek red Lamborghini Diablo GT and the chrome rimmed yellow Pagani Zonda C12 S Hardtop Roadster both spin their wheels and speed for both Soudwave and Starscream. The air commander gasps at the rushing Autobots and fires his side-mounted weapons furiously.
"Die Autobots! DIE!!"
The null rays miss the two as they swerve, and then as Sideswipe gets close enough he transforms with a mid-air kick to Starscreams chest. The hit throws the grey jet robot backwards and makes him smack into the side of the ship. Landing safely to the ground, Sideswipe stands ready in a fighting pose as he looks at Starscream gasping to recover.
"How dare you hit me!" Starscream shouts at him.
Sideswipe smirks at the Decepticon jet and taunts him by moving his finger in a 'bring it on' fashion. This enrages Starscream as he lunges at the cheeky Autobot with both fists out front, activating his back legs equipped with the jet engines, the Deceptcion manages to tackle the Autobot and both begin giving fist on fist blows to one another. Sunstreaker is still out maneuvering Soundwave in his vehicle mode as the one eyed robot continually fires at him.
"Stand still coward!!" Soundwave shouts in his monotone electronic voice.
Sunstreaker spins around to face the robot and revs his engine.
"Coward?! That does it...nobody calls me that and lives!"
His tires squelch as he spins them in the dirt; a sudden thrust of power races him straight for Soundwave as he takes aim with his gun. Using his headlights, Sunstreaker blinds the towering Decepticon by using his ultra bright high beams. The intense light causes Soundwave to shield his vision as he raises his arms, and as he peers through his fingers, all he can see is Sunstreaker transforming quickly and his sliver polished fist flying straight for him. The punch drives the blue mini disk player robot to the ground as the impact nearly knocks him unconscious.
"Now look what you've gone and made me do...it took me days to get the gloss on these fingers just right!"
Watching his warriors fail was very embarrassing to Megatron, seeing the Autobots leap out and attack his men with little resistance made his circuits fizzle. As Starscream managed to kick Sideswipe off of him, the evil leader shouted at him as Prime continued to blast away at his position.
"Starscream! Stop fooling around and counter attack them already!!"
"I'm doing just that Megatron!" He says back in his shrill of a voice.
"You're an air commander for Cybertron's sake! Transform and attack you stupid dolt!!"
Starscream realized that Megatron was right and quickly did as the infuriated leader commanded. In his F-19 mode, Starscream propelled himself to the sky and shouted down to his fellow jet warriors who were busy battling Trailbreaker, Smokescreen and Prowl.
"Thundercracker! Skywarp! TRANSFORM!!"
The two robots heard their commander and quickly converted into their jet modes, unable to get a solid hold Skywarp, Prowl soon found himself being left on the ground alone. Looking up at the fleeing black Raptor stealth jet, he shook his fist in the air.
"Get back down here! I'm not finished with you yet!!"
Thundercracker swoops in overhead and unfolds his weapons from their hidden compartments, the wings now hold two multiple rocket launchers and fires a shot directly at Prowl.
"But we're done with you!" The blue angel F-18 shouts down at him.
The impact smacks the black and white Autobot in the chest causing a massive explosion; Smokescreen transforms into his robot form and rushes over to the smoldering security chief as he drops to the ground.
"PROWL!!"
Taking hold of his head, Smokescreen looks at him as Thundercracker rises back into the sky.
"Talk to me buddy! Say somethin'..."
Prowl looks up at him as the smoke billows out of his mouth.
"Ow."
The Autobot chuckles at him as he hears him utter that word.
"At least your humor chip is still functioning."
Prowl giggles back and then flinches from the internal pain that must be going on in his shredded circuits.
With no one looking at the ship, or high above it, the slow rising elevator reaches the ship's doorway with no one on it. Inside the newly constructed vessel, a few heavy steps are heard as if metal is hitting metal. A few feet into the control room and soon the footsteps stop. An ambient green light flashes with the outlined shape of a robot. As the light gives way and the robot becomes transparent again, we soon see that it is Mirage, gun in hand and carrying a cluster of miniature devices in the other hand. The devices look about the size of a credit card and roughly about the same in width, three small buttons are grouped on it just below the liquid crystal screen display at the top of them. As Mirage walks in, he points his gun ahead with caution, checking every corner and behind every door he walks through. Walking deeper into the ship, through the long spacious corridor, he finds the door that leads into the energon storage bay.
"My, my, my..." He merely utters as he gazes at the massive collection. "Busy little Decepticons weren't we?"
Setting his gun down on the floor as he kneels, he begins programming one of the card-like devices as he scrolls with the buttons. With the flashing light on the last button, he reaches over to the lower end of the energon collection and starts to place it on the side of it very gently. Suddenly a gun barrel appears to the side of his head and the Autobot stops moving immediately.
"Naughty, naughty Autobot." The person carrying the weapon says to him. "Didn't anyone tell you its not nice to plant bombs on someone else's ship?"
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The battle continues to heat up as the Autobots all do their best to stop the Decepticons from leaving Earth. Optimus Prime and Megatron both look at their weapons and realize that their energy is getting low on them. Megatron continues to hide behind his ever dwindling cement barrier, and Optimus Prime is nearly exposed as his self made trench.
"Prime...are you still alive?" Megatron shouts with curiosity.
"Well I wouldn't be answering you if I wasn't Megatron." Prime shouts back. "This shooting is getting us no where Megatron...why don't you stop hiding and come out to face me Autobot to Decepticon. Or are you afraid..."
Megatron's left eye twitches after hearing that, he growled under his breath and stood up to see Prime rising up to face him.
"I am not afraid...not even the likes of you can cause me to quiver in fear Optimus Prime!!"
"Prove it Megatron." Optimus says to him. "Show me that you don't have to hide behind the lives of humans, dense cement walls...or even your own dense soldiers. Let's finish what we started on Sherman's Dam...but without the energon weapons."
The Decepticon leader lowered his arm cannon as he was aiming it at the Autobot as he stood up. The evil robot snickered with delight at Prime's offer and clenched both fists tightly.
"A test of strength Optimus? Bold...very bold of you. But foolish. If you wish to die by my hands...then so be it!"
Prime readies himself for the Decepticon leader, holding up his fists and crouching in a position like a boxer.
"Enough of your endless posturing Megatron...lets get this war over with."
Megatron rushes in screaming at the Autobot leader, a quick swing with his right fist misses Prime as he moves out of the way. As Megatron goes past him, Optimus gives him a sharp elbow blow to the back. Megatron nearly drops but recovers fast from it as he swings around with his other arm. Optimus leaps out of Megatron's reach and lands back onto his feet a few meters away from him. Megatron whips himself around to face the Autobot again and this time leaps up into the air with his right leg jutting out as he comes back down fast. The split second reaction of the evil leader was too quick for Prime to move out of the way again. This time he got a full jaw full of the silver leader's foot and while he stood there dazed for a second, Megatron landed in front of him and head butted him to complete his attack. Prime falls to the ground in pain with the sound of Megatron laughing at him.
"I told Optimus...it's foolish to think you could best the likes of me."
Prime lifted his head up and stared at the leader standing over him.
"And I told you Megatron...ugh...I'd finish you no matter what!" the Autobot says as his blue eyes flash with a surge of power.
Prime clasped his legs together as he lay there and kicked upwards to the Decepticon in a forceful thrust to his chest. The kick was so intense that Megatron hurled across the battlefield screaming in pain. Bumblebee and Brawn watched the leader fly by their heads and past the other Decepticons they were fighting.
"Looks like Prime is getting a 'kick' out of Megatron" Brawn giggles at Bumblebee.
As the Decepticon leader finally impacts on the ground, the sheer force creates a small crater around him that he has to climb out of. Megatron's hand rises up and grips the edge of it as he pulls himself out. Dirty and dented, the leader rises up in anger; his red eyes burn with pulsating energy as he watches Prime slowly walk up through the crossfire of lasers.
"You're DEAD PRIME!!! Do you hear me? DEAD!!" The leader screams at him.
Prime walks through the laser fire calmly as if no one is even targeting him, the Autobots are managing to keep the Decepticons preoccupied separately while the two leaders duke it out.
"Is that all you have to say? I've heard that one before...face it Megatron, this is the end of the road for you."
Megatron sprints over to Optimus Prime and the two leaders lock in hands as they clash. Both trying to now over power each other as they used every ounce of their strength to pull the other one apart. Breathing heavy and groaning from the stress they both stare at each other while they fight.
"Ggggaaah...this isn't the end for me Optimus. Nnnnaaaah! It's the final battle for the Autobots and their failed leader. As the only survivors of a doomed race, your kind will now join them in total obliteration!"
"Rrraaahh! I've watched kill so many Megatron...if we have to die to stop you then so be it. Aaarrggh! A small price to pay to end your miserable tyranny and liberate the galaxy from the likes of you!"
Megatron snickers as he continues to struggle with the Autobot leader.
"There will always be some one like me out there, Optimus...some one that will bring the universe into submission...and rule by the fist."
"Never..." The Autobot leader says as his eyes squint hard. "NEVER!!"
He picks the Decepticon up in a massive burst of strength and holds him up in the air as if he was going to drive him down headfirst. Megatron gasps at being lifted and soon realizes what Prime is trying to do. Megatron quickly switches his mid-section around, spinning his lower torso and folding his legs down in the opposite direction. The gravity of the evil leader's legs dropping behind causes Prime to be lifted up into the air, Megatron grabs hold of Prime's arms as his feet return firmly on the ground again. Optimus Prime now lifts overhead of Megatron and the evil leader rotates himself back into his front position. The Decepticon leader holds the squirming Autobot leader high above him and looks up at him. Megatron laughs out loud with joy as Prime struggles to break out of his grip.
"One turn deserves another Optimus! Let's see how well an Autobot can fly!!"
Megatron chucks Optimus Prime across the battleground just as the Autobot leader did to him before. Optimus now hurls across the Decepticons and the Autobots as he hits a distant cliff wall back first. The leader smacks against it, causing him and the rock face to slide down, as he strikes the ground below the rock and debris fall on top of him. Megatron places his hands on his side and laughs with delight.
Bumblebee looks at the sight where Prime lays, buried under tones of rock and only seeing his blue hand sticking out of the rubble.
"Optimus!", he says in a low gasp.
As the Autobots all witness their leader being tossed like a rag doll to the cliffside, they increase their firing at the Decepticons and move in closer as they attack. Hound, Jazz, Ironhide, Huffer and Bluestreak continue to shoot at the Constructicons they've managed to pin down. As the six green Decepticon builders regroup behind another one of the ship's concrete struts, Rumble joins them as they all check their weapons.
"This...this is bad!" Rumble complains. "We're getting our tails whipped here."
"Indeed" Scrapper nods in agreement. "We can't keep them held back for much longer"
Starscream flies in and transforms behind the barrier just as a laser shot misses his head. Ducking down with the others he points at the others sitting there looking bewildered.
"What are you fools doing?!" He shouts. "Transform into Devastator and end this already."
Scavenger looks at the air commander and yells back at him.
"Look who's talking...you aren't even doing a good job either."
"He's right though..." Haul now says to them. "Let's form Devastator and kill them all!"
Mixmaster snickers at Haul and points out the obvious.
"That would be the ideal thing. But you're forgetting we're missing a man here. Where the hell is Hook? We can't form Devastator without him here."
Rumble snaps his fingers.
"I bet I know where he is...give me some covering fire and I'll go fetch him."
"You?!" Starscream laughs. "Why should we bother to cover your sorry steel hide? You should be laying down suppressing fire for the likes of me and my jet squad!"
"That would be a good idea Starscream...if you guys actually DID ANYTHING!! You guys are just hovering around dropping the odd bombs at them while we're getting creamed on the ground!" Rumble screams as he shakes his fist at him.
Starscreams eyes lower in anger and grabs the lippy robot.
"Fine...I'll do something right now!"
As the Jazz and the others continue to fire away at the concrete wall, Rumble suddenly appears out from the barrier as if he was chucked out. Landing on the ground between the two forces, Hound looks up and grins.
"They must be running out of ammo...they're throwing out the duds!"
Hound transforms into his combat Hummer and leaps out towards the small robot still trying to get up. Jazz sees Hound speeding in and shouts at him.
"You crazy fool! Get back here!!"
Rumble shakes his head from the impact and suddenly sees the Hummer Autobot rushing in; he changes his arms into his massive pile drivers and beings to pound the Earth. The shockwave is causing Hound to lose balance and swerving all over.
"Oh no you don't...not this time!" Hound says.
He targets the mini bot and shoots him with his mounted missile launcher sticking out from the rear of his roof. The strike knocks Rumble off of his feet and lands on his back, the Autobot Hummer jumps above him and transforms into his robot mode in mid-air. Landing back down hard, he pins the small Decepticon with his knees and looks at him with anger.
"I owe you one from Sherman's Dam, Rumble! And one from my good human friend Spike!"
Hound gut punches the Decepticon mini bot repeatedly as he lays helpless to his attack. Rumble tries in vain to stop him as each hit becomes increasingly painful. As Hound is preoccupied with him, Starscream lurches out and takes aim at the Autobot fully exposed in the open. Snickering with evil, he points his right arm cannon at Hound's head and prepares to fire. Jazz and the others see him taking aim and quickly jump into action to save him. Jazz transforms into his Sportec model car and zooms over to Hound. Bluestreak, Huffer and Ironhide give him covering fire as they shoot up the wall Starscream is using to protect himself.
"Baaah!! I can't get a clear shot!!" Starscream screams as he covers himself with his arms from the attack.
Jazz finally reaches Hound and transforms. Leaping into the air he grabs the Autobot and rolls along the ground with him as if to save him. Rumble now free, jumps up and flies away from Hound's reach. Jazz helps his friend up and then strikes him in the head with a fist tap.
"You got lead in that head! Starscream nearly had you dead to right out here."
Hound pushes him away.
"Don't tell me what to do! I had Rumble in my grasp and you let him get away!"
Jazz ducks as a laser shot barrels past him from the Decepticons, transforming quickly, the sleek Autobot rides back to the others waiting.
"Fine! Stay out here and get killed then...see if I care. Just don't come crying to me if you get a blast hole in your noggin'!"
Hound's anger soon fades as he suddenly realizes he's out in the middle of the battlefield all by himself. Slapping the top of his head with his right hand, the Autobot transforms into his Hummer mode and heads back to the Autobot side.
"What the hell am I thinking? Jazz is right...I'm a sitting duck out here." Hound mutters to himself.
As Bumblebee continues to look over at Prime trapped underneath the massive pile of rock, Ravage jumps down from the top of their dirt mound and tries to slash his claws at the three Autobots sitting behind it. Another shot rings out from beyond and soon the black cat is hurled out of their trench as the blast hits him. Running up with his weapon, Cliffjumper slides down with the others and knocks Bumblebee on the head.
"Wake up stupid! You nearly got your arm torn off by Ravage!"
Bumblebee looks at the red robot and just gives him a blank look.
"We have to see if Optimus is ok."
This time Brawn smacks the yellow robot on the head and points at him.
"This is not the time to go out and check! We've got a major battle on our hands incase you haven't noticed! Optimus would want us to push through no matter what!"
Gears looked as if he was thinking about that very thing, the sound of the rushing laser fire overhead made him remember the number of battles he was in and how Optimus Prime was the only Autobot leader he'd ever known that was willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. The mini bot looked at his weapon and saw how old it looked, chuckling slightly to himself, he seemed to remember a time when he was just a rookie and had to keep the Decepticons at bay with his trusty rifle.
"You're right Brawn..." Gears said aloud to them.
Brawn looked back at him and smirked.
"Did you say something you cranky old timer?"
"I may be old...and set in my ways." Gears replied. "But dangnabbit! I don't want to sit here all day and wonder what a world without Decepticons would be like. I didn't think much of Optimus when he first appeared as our leader. I thought he was too young and hot headed...it burned me that such a young whipper snapper like him got command so quickly and I had to climb over endless promotions and dead friends to get the rank I had then. But you know...he turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to us...."
As Gears looked up at them all, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper and Brawn were all nodding in agreement and smiling at the old Transformer as he babbled on.
"Without the likes of him and his spirit...we would have been destroyed long ago by Megatron." Gears continues to say. "Come on Autobots! Hiding is for weak...plus my joints are getting rusty just sitting here. Let's meet our fate head on..."
Gears rises out of his crouch and suddenly runs over the dirt mound protecting them all.
"Till all are one!" He shouts as he leaves.
"Wait! GEARS!!" Brawn shouts as he tries to stop him.
Bumblebee and Cliffjumper gasp in amazement as they watch the crabby robot leap out for attack. Gears fires his weapon at the Decepticons trying to shoot at him and transforms into his blue, red and grey colored Smart Roadster-Coupe. Dodging the laser fire with grace and speed, Gears manages to leap over the cement wall hiding Starscream and the others and runs them down like bowling pins. The Constructicons weren't prepared for such a swift attack and found themselves being run over by Gear's tires. Cliffjumper and Brawn laugh out loud as the watch him.
"How do you like that? There's still some spunk in that robot's wheels after all." Brawn says.
"Now there's a guy who knows how to fight the right way!" Cliffjumper muses. "COME ON!"
The two quickly leap over the mound and fire their weapons as they appear. Bumblebee still stays behind as he becomes uncertain about the method they are all using. He thinks their insane for leaving their cover and trying to out race the Decepticon's fire, but mainly he's still focused on Optimus Prime as he turns to see Megatron standing over the debris pile the leader is lying in.
"Aaaah, Optimus Prime." Megatron says as he stares down at the rocky mess. "It seems that I've given you the proper ending that so many before you had. Quick and easy...so much for the great leader of the Autobots."
Taking aim with his fusion cannon arm weapon, he targets the boulder like rocks that cover Prime and prepares to fire.
"So long Optimus..."
Suddenly, Prime's fist comes rising out of the rocks and manages to punch the Decepticon leader in the face. The impact drives Megatron into the air and then quick return to the ground flat on his back. Shrieking in agony, the Decepticon leader looks up to see Optimus Prime rising up out of the rock.
"Oh, it's not over yet Megatron. Far from it...I'm just getting warmed up!"
Megatron gasps at the sight of Prime still living and watches the Autobot pick up a massive boulder near by and raising it over his head. The shadow of it eclipses the evil leader lying there and screams in fear, as he has no place to run in time. Prime slams the huge rock down onto him with all his strength and makes the boulder drive down into the ground causing it to nearly crack from the sheer impact. Seeing the Autobot leader alive and attacking Megatron, makes Bumblebee cheer loudly and brings back a sense of hope to him again.
"Alright Optimus!!" He shouts.
Gears spins around and transforms again as he hears Bumblebee scream out Prime's name. The old mini bot sees the leader as well and gives a thankful smile that Optimus isn't dead. Brawn and Cliffjumper shout out with joy too as they look quickly to see him. But then Brawn turned around and shouted at Gears with panic.
"Gears!! Look out behind you!!"
Gears looks behind and sees the tri-group Reflector standing over him as they fly in and land. Pointing their weapons down at him, the three chuckle in unison.
"Out with the old...it's time you retired permanently!" The three say together.
Their guns fired at the surprised Autobot, as he stood there with his mouth open in shock. The blasts ripped into him with deadly accuracy and send him flying a few feet back from the weapon blasts. Bumblebee watched in horror as if everything was happening in slow motion. The guns ripping through his structure, the sudden gasp from the old robot as he felt their lasers pierce his chassis and the three Decepticons laughing as they shot him together. Bumblebee's eyes widened and screamed with anger.
"GEEEAAAARRRRSSS!!!"
The smoldering body of old Autobot crashed to the ground, as Cliffjumper, Brawn and Bumblebee watched him fall, it almost seemed like his 'thud' echoed in their heads. Bumblebee's lip quivered as the flood of horrible memories flashed over his mind. The war on Cybertron, the human casualties and now his friend Gears being blasted by three Decepticons. The feeling over powered him, the rage inside built up and suddenly came screaming out just as his voice was doing. The little yellow Autobot jumped over his dirt mound and began wildly shooting at the Decepticon tri-group that killed his friend as he ran forward. Cliffjumper also joined Bumblebee in his rage, the two mini bots continually fired on Reflector as the three unified team backed away from their laser blasts. Brawn rushed over to see Gears as he lay there dying, and held his head up with his hands.
"Don't die old buzzard!" Brawn commanded. "Come on now...stay with us!"
Gears was burning and his body riddled with fractures and blast marks. The exposed parts within him were now tweaking with sparks and smoke. Reflector had done the Autobot in for good, Brawn could see that his wounds were too far gone for repairs and sat there helpless as the old warrior opened his eyes at him for the last time.
"I...I...sure would have like to have seen Cybertron...one...one last time." Gears spoke in a garbled electronic voice.
"You will Gears...just don't die." Brawn said as he sniffled.
"Don't tell me how or where to die dangnabbit! And stop fussing over me and get them...them...Decept..."
Gear's final words sputtered and faded, his eyes became dim and his body became lifeless as the sound of his power core shut down. Brawn's face showed his sorrow at first, but then snickered slightly after his passing.
"So long old timer. A cranky old bastard to the end...may Primus lead you to the never-ending spark. Just don't piss him off, huh?"
Brawn laid him down gently and then rose up cracking his sliver polished knuckles.
"Time for some payback...Brawn style!"
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As the video cameras of the human reporters focused in on Brawn running in and launching himself into a flying upper cut to one of Reflector's clone triplets, grainy footage of it soon panned over to Bumblebee still firing away at the rest of the Decepticons like a madman as he screams away.
"Hot damn this is good stuff!" the cameraman says as he zooms in.
The reporter standing next to him gazes in awe at the battling robots, in fact every reporter and camera crew assembled on that cliff top ridge is enthralled with the massive war going on a few miles away. As Jerry McLane rises up after his few minutes of unconsciousness, he wipes nose smeared with blood and flinches as he discovers it's broken. Suddenly seeing all the men and women media facing the ongoing battle distracts him. Walking over to his cameraman named Phil, he taps him on the shoulder and scowls at him when he turns his way.
"We've got to get down there and film this close up! Now get your ass in that van and lets move!"
As the two start to walk away from the edge Jerry points at him while trying to use a wad of Kleenex to stop his nose from bleeding.
"Oh and remind me to sue that Spike kid, I've got a good mind to have him sent to jail for this!"
"Uh...Jerry?" The cameraman says with hesitance.
"What? What's your problem now?!"
Phil points ahead and shows him that the van they came in is no longer sitting there. The reporter looks down the roadway and sees it driving off down the narrow path they all came up on. Jerry angrily throws down his blood soaked tissue and starts to rant and curse, shaking his fist he screams at them as they drop out of sight.
"I'll get you for this you goddamn punks!! Just you wait and see!!"
Now he storms over to Phil and grabs the man rather roughly and shouts at him.
"Idiot! You should have stopped them from stealing our van! Now we'll have to borrow one of the other newsmen's van."
Phil shakes loose and shouts back at him.
"Hey! Hey! I don't have to do dick for you...besides I don't think we're going to get very far in anyone else's van either."
Jerry laughs, "Oh really? And what makes you say that?"
Pointing to the other vehicles tires, he shows the reporter why.
"Cause they took out all the tires while we weren't looking...that's why!"
As he inspected each news van it was very apparent that he was speaking the truth. Spike and Carly had managed to deflate all of their tires by slashing them on the side. Once again the reporter when into a madman fury and kicked the dirt with his foot. The cameraman stood there and shook his head at the twit, he simple chuckled at the guys' bad luck and looked over at road where Spike and Carly had drove of from and gave a thumbs up.
"Nice one kids. Good luck to ya."