(I read a rumor somewhere on the internet that originally Sentinel Prime's character was going to be called Ultra Magnus. I don't know about anyone else but if that happened and they made Ultra Magnus the main villain of Dark of the Moon, I would have been pissed.)
Skywarp tapped his fingers on the rooftop, beginning to leave holes. This job was extremely boring. Watching the two creatures talk, shutter in fear, and the always disgusting cuddling made the Decepticon want to vomit energon. He almost wanted to flick the two insects off the building right now and be rid of them. But Megatron wanted to make sure that Optimus could watch them die.
Suddenly, a noise caught his attention. He glanced upwards to see a motorcycle flying off the upper roof of the building right towards him. Before Skywarp could react, it hit him square in the face. The blow knocked him off balance, falling off the building. He managed to regain his sense in time to grip the rooftop, hanging off the side.
Sam couldn't believe his eyes as a blue motorcycle came to a halt next to him and Carly. A moment ago, it knocked a Decepticon several times its own size off the building. Arcee may have been smaller than most of the other Autobots but certainly not in guts.
"Get on," said Arcee. Sam and Carly quickly complied as Skywarp started to climb back up. Two straps wrapped around their waists, holding them in place. "I'm afraid we're taking the quick way down,"
"Wait a minute, quick way?" gulped Sam as Arcee rolled towards the edge of the rooftop. Two thrusters transformed behind her. "Oh no no no no no," said Sam, realizing what she meant.
Arcee tilted over the edge and her thrusters fired up. Sam and Carly both screamed as Arcee shot downward, literally riding down the side of the building. Skywarp fired his pulse cannons and missiles, shattering windows and walls sections around them. Towards the bottom two flaps opened up on Arcee's sides and fired, causing her to level out with the ground as she hit the pavement at the bottom.
They were still going incredibly fast and rightfully so, Skywarp dropped in behind them. Arcee drove into a subway entrance as Skywarp crash to the ground, driving his hand through to grab them. Sam screamed as the Cons fingers closed in but stopped at the last second. His hand couldn't fit through any further.
Sam found himself still screaming though as Arcee came to a stop as the subway platforms below. A moment later, he managed to get himself under control. Carly threw him a look, she stopped screaming a while back. "You scream like a guy," said Arcee.
"That…was…insane," said Sam, somewhat shaking.
"Well if I have to do it again, you're buying a ticket first. Maybe I can start a business wall grinding," laughed Arcee. She drove them into the subway tunnels, almost pitch black except for Arcee's headlights.
"Where are we going?" asked Carly.
"I'm getting you two off the island. Now that you two are safe, Optimus and the others can stop playing secret agents and start kicking some exhaust ports," said Arcee.
"I knew he was coming," smiled Sam. His smile quickly faded when Arcee's lights caught movement up ahead. Something massive was moving through the subway tunnels. Correction, the tunnels weren't big enough for it so it was moving through walls and the tracks. The massive object turned its head, a leech-like mouth filled with moving blades. It was Shockwave's Driller.
"Wrong way wrong way," gulped Sam.
"Hang on!" yelled Arcee. She turned around and sped off, the massive Driller ripping through the tunnels behind them. Despite Arcee's speed, the massive monstrosity was gaining on them.
"There's a platform up ahead," said Carly. As soon as they reached, Arcee fired her rocket boosters launching them right onto the platform and cruising up the ramp way. They shot out of the exit just before the Driller exploded through the concrete a second later. Despite its speed underground, Arcee managed to weave around buildings. Mobility the Driller did not have.
Arcee finally came to a stop when the Driller was no longer in sight. "No offense but I'm not buying tickets to that ride again," said Sam.
"Optimus I've got them," reported Arcee over the com. Optimus emerged from an alleyway, no longer hiding.
"Get Sam and Carly off the island," he ordered. He pulled out his ion blaster and transformed his other hand into an axe.
"What about you?" asked Arcee.
"I'm going to have words with Sentinel," said Optimus. He walked down the streets, every machine quickly scrambled out of his way. None of them dared attack him. Either they were afraid or Sentinel wanted him to come to him.
"Prime that's insane. He's probably got himself surrounded with the Cons and Megatron. You won't stand a chance," protested Ironhide.
"This ends now," said Optimus before cutting off his com.
"Prime do you read me? Prime? Dammit it!" yelled Ironhide. Optimus was going to get himself killed. He turned back to Bumblebee, Epps, and Lennox.
"What do we do?" asked Epps.
"Like it or not, we need to stick to the plan. We need to find the rest of the Autobots and free them. Hopefully Optimus can hold out until then," said Ironhide. Then he noticed someone was missing, correction two were missing. "Where's Wheelie and Brains?"
"Oh man how could you get us lost?" yelled Wheelie.
"I don't know!" snapped Brains.
"How could you be lost in a city that has streets names like 34th Street? Second Avenue? You know, streets with numbers for names? Not to mention, how hard could it be to follow a bunch of giant twenty plus foot robots?" shot back Wheelie.
"I could ask you the same thing," replied Brains.
The two continued arguing back and forth and came to a halt when they noticed they next to Battery Park. Still beached onshore was Omega Supreme.
Skywarp was thrown into the side of a building. Megatron stepped forward and kicked him in chest, sending him flying once more. The Decepticon leader didn't take news of Skywarp's failure well. "You incompetent useless scrap metal! I give you one simple assignment and you failed me!" yelled Megatron.
Megatron picked Skywarp up, holding him by the neck. "Find those fleshlings and bring me back their heads or don't bother returning," he ordered.
"Yes master," gasped Skywarp as Megatron tossed him aside. The Seeker transformed and shot into the air.
"Useless," growled Megatron as he headed back to where Sentinel was standing alongside Ultra Magnus. They watched the Cube begin to get brighter, a sign of its power increase.
"Having trouble with your grunts?" chuckled Magnus. Megatron sneered at him but said nothing.
"It is almost time," said Sentinel. Starscream dropped down beside them, transforming into his robot form.
"I don't mean to interrupt but Optimus has been sighted. He is heading here," said Starscream.
"Then signal the…" Megatron said before Sentinel stopped him.
"No. I will deal with him," said Sentinel.
Optimus walked down Broadway, passing by Protoforms of various size and shape. They all moved aside, none of them daring to challenge him. Then they all transformed into their vehicle modes and left, leaving only Optimus and one other transformer on the street. Sentinel Prime.
"Optimus I knew you would come," said Sentinel.
"Why Sentinel? How could you turn against everything you swore to uphold? Everything you taught me?" asked Optimus.
"Things like freedom and rights are illusionary concepts Optimus. They don't exist in nature, only in our minds. They may sound good but when they become detrimental to survival, they must be purged," said Sentinel.
"That's not what you taught me. You said freedom was the right of all sentient beings. That all life was precious," countered Optimus.
"You think I enjoy the death and damaged I've done? It brings me no joy to see what is happening but I will carry out my duty to my race. Remember your oath Optimus? To keep fighting until all are one? I am about to fulfill that oath. Reuniting the Autobots and Decepticons, ending the Great War, rebuilding our race and our world. You most of all should understand that. You should be at my side, helping me restore Cybertron to its glory," said Sentinel.
"You've twisted our oaths. Can't you see what you've become Sentinel? Look around you, you've become the very thing you fought against in the Great War. You've become Megatron," said Optimus.
"Megatron was right Optimus. Look at the histories of our race and that of the humans. How many times have we all killed one another for the most pointless of reasons? The most heinous of crimes? The only cure for the madness is to take away freedom," said Sentinel.
Optimus lowered his head, knowing he couldn't talk his friend out of this. "I had hoped to talk you out of this old friend. I'm sorry it has come to this," he said.
"As am I Optimus. But if you will not join me or stay out of my way, I cannot let you stand," said Sentinel, with the same look of regret in his face that Optimus had. Sentinel drew his Rust cannon but held it to his side. He held it up and dropped it to the ground. He was challenging Optimus to a duel, no firearms. Optimus tossed aside his Ion Blaster and transformed his gun hand into an axe.
"One shall stand one shall fall," said Optimus. Sentinel pulled out his shield and double edged sword.
Sentinel was the first to strike, charging forward. He swung his blade high, aiming for Optimus's head. Optimus ducked underneath it and swung his axe hand. Sentinel blocked it with his shield and brought his blade up in an uppercut motion. Optimus stepped back, avoid the slash but Sentinel continued spinning and used the momentum to deliver a back-kick that knocked Optimus into a nearby building.
"It is time for your final lesson my student. You were always the bravest of us but you could never make the hard decisions. That is why you were never the right one to lead the Autobots," said Sentinel. He dashed forward using his shield to block another attack from Optimus and shoved him against a building, trapping him. Sentinel attempted to stab the trapped Optimus but he managed to grab Sentinel's blade arm, stopping it.
"You have to be born a Prime. That was what we were all taught but they were wrong. A Prime is chosen by whomever follows the legacy of our ancestors. You're no Prime Sentinel, you're nothing but a Decepticon," shot back Optimus. The comment angered Sentinel and allowed Optimus to kick against the building, shoving Sentinel off him.
Sentinel staggered back, using his shield to block Optimus's barrages of attacks.
"Once we reach the river, just hold on tight. I don't expect the Cons to give us a peaceful swim," Arcee told her two humans passengers. They had been moving slowly through alleyways and back roads towards the East River, hoping to avoid attention.
"Can't you just transform into a jet ski or something?" asked Sam.
"Yeah but that still doesn't mean…" Arcee said. A series of explosions knocked Arcee into the air, sending Sam and Carly flying of her. When Arcee's managed to regain her senses, she saw Skywarp dropping from the sky. He put one foot on top of her, pinning her arms as well as starting to crush her.
"What's wrong? Don't like surprise attacks when they happen to you?" laughed Skywarp. The Decepticon turned his attention to the humans. They started running only for two more Cons to drop from the sky. Starscream and Thundercracker.
"I hope you don't mind. I brought a few friends with me," smirked Skywarp.
"Two live human autopsies coming up," laughed Thundercracker, transforming his hands into chainsaws.
"No where left to run boy. This time you die!" yelled Starscream.
A jet came flying in behind Starscream, hitting him at full speed. The blow shot the Seeker forward, sending him crashing into Thundercracker. The jet when transformed and delivered a kick to Skywarp's face. The blow knocked the Con off of Arcee, freeing her. Air Raid had arrived. "You Cons give a bad name to target practice," he laughed before transforming and flying off.
"After him!" yelled Starscream. The three Seekers transformed and chased after the Autobot. Sam and Carly quickly rushed to Arcee's side.
"Are you alright?" asked Carly.
Arcee tried to get up but it felt like her chest was breaking up. She dropped back down. "Skywarp did more damage than I thought. I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be able to get you two out of here," she said.
Ultra Magnus climbed up a building, seeking a better perspective of the battle. He could only watch in horror as Optimus and Sentinel exchanged blows, each one attempting to gain the upper hand and then go for the killing blow. Magnus didn't root for or against either one of them.
Optimus swung his axe again, Sentinel deflecting it aside with his sword. But this time, Sentinel brought his shield up in an uppercut and knocked the axe out of Optimus's hand. Still in motion, he spun around into a tornado kick that hit Optimus in the face. Optimus stumbled back into a building. Sentinel launched forward, sending his sword right into Optimus's shoulder and impaling him to the building.
With a simple motion, Sentinel pulled his sword along with Optimus's arm right out of his socket. Sentinel then slammed his shield into Optimus's face, knocking him to the ground. "You were my greatest student. The prodigal son I was always proud of but if killing you brings about the salvation of our kind then I have no choice," said Sentinel. He raised his sword, ready to deliver the killing blow.
(I'm evil for stopping at a cliffhanger like this but that's the point of cliffhangers. Hope you enjoyed and as always review.)