Chapter 8

Autobot city earth

Seekers and Sweep drones were flying over the place and shooting lasers and missiles at the defending Autobots.

Piranhacon was ripping another wall down and shot several blasts into the structures of the city as another combiner team finally got active. The Protectobots merged into Defensor and confronted the enemy gestalt. While the two super robots struggled with each other, several other fights were taking place.

The Decepticon Doomsday had transformed into his tank form and was shooting at a group of Autobots who were hiding behind a few large pieces of rubble. His partners Eraser and Tracer were standing beside him, backing him up. One of his shots broke through their cover and two of the robots behind it were slammed to the ground.

"This Autobots have not the slightest chance", Doomsday commented as he changed back into robot mode.

"Yes, they don´t know it yet but their days are numbered", Eraser said.

xxx

Jazz and Blaster behind him were running out of the command building to help fighting off the attacking Decepticons.

"Have you send the message?" Jazz asked him.

"Yes, but I don´t know if it got through", the other Autobot answered.

"Then let us just hope that it did", he replied.

As they arrived outside they saw that the entire city had already been turned into a battlefield. They exchanged a few shots with a few Decepticons who were getting close to the building and managed to drive them back.

"Jazz", Blaster shouted to him and pointed in a certain direction.

He knew instantly why Blaster had warned him. In some distance he saw the large green form of Megatron or whoever he really was, walking to them.

xxx

Thundercracker and Skywarp were flying as F15 jets over the embattled city. They were under fire from the three Autobots Trailbreaker, Tracks and Grapple on the ground beneath them, but the two seekers avoided their shots without greater problem.

Skywarp transformed into robot mode, teleported at the other side of the Autobots and he and Thundercracker attacked them from two sides.

One of Skywarp´s blasts hit Grapple into the shoulder who sank to his knees, holding his wound.

Tracks transformed into his "flying car" mode and engaged in an air fight with Thundercracker. Despite that the seeker had by far the technological advantage against him, Tracks had much experience in the air and had already won fights with Decepticon fliers.

Trailbreaker had activated his force field that, as long as it worked, made him nearly impregnable to damage. To that came the powerful laser-gun that was in place of his left underarm. But he was also also one of the slowest Autobots and was completely outmatched by Skywarp´s teleport-ability, who easily evaded all his counterattacks.

xxx

Megatron was involved in a fight with the Autobots Jazz, Blaster and Warpath. The three had encircled him and were shooting at the Decepticon leader from a save distance.

"This is really a interesting new configuration", Jazz shouted over to him, hoping to get some information out of his enemy. "Are you Galvatron in a new body or some sort of well made fake?"

"Neither the one or the other Jazz. I am the only real Megatron and I have finally returned to remove the impostor and take back my position as Decepticon leader", he lied.

"We will see about that", Jazz replied as he fired at him.

xxx

The sweep called Carnage was leading his group of drones over the southern part of the city.

On the ground several human guards were fleeing in panic from them, a few were already lying motionless on the floor, killed by the fire of his followers.

He saw two nameless Autobots shooting at them, obviously trying to give the humans cover to flee. Carnage transformed into robot mode and aimed his blaster at the two. A well placed shot hit one of the robots in the right arm and a second blast into the left side of his stomach. The damaged robot had to be dragged away by his comrade to bring him out of the line of fire.

Carnage smiled. The new Sweep leader took great pleasure in fighting the Autobots and humans under them and cutting them down.

xxxxxxx

Cybertron

The group of mechs around Optimus was in a heavy fire-fight with the Decepticons who had trapped them. As soon as they had realized that Soundwave´s troops had surrounded them, they had tried to break out and were now mostly fighting one to one battles against the attackers.

Optimus, Springer and Punch were standing literally with the back to a wall and were trying to fight a number of opponents off.

Springer was caught in a duel with the triple changer Talon and was drawn more and more away from the others, exactly as Soundwave had planned.

Optimus and Punch were now facing a group consisting of Soundwave himself, his cassette Rumble, a little robot with arms that could transform into pale-drivers, a seeker of the same type as Skywarp and Thundercracker whose name none of them knew and another Decepticon with a car alt mode. Four against two, not a bad chance when one of the two was Optimus and one of the four a small cassette.

The only problem was that Optimus couldn´t trust his last ally. But that was something he didn´t know yet. In fact the tactic of the Decepticons had it been from the beginning to scatter the Autobots even further, so that Counterpunch who had orders to stay close to the Autobot leader would in the end be the only one left with Optimus.

And their tactic worked perfectly. In the moment Springer and everyone else was driven far enough away from them Optimus was looking directly into the gun of his supposed partner. He saw that for some reason Punch had transformed back into his Decepticon mode.

xxxxxxx

Autobot city earth

Thundercracker had hit his enemy with a shot in the wing and the flying car was side slipping.

Trailbreaker hadn´t been significantly damaged by Skywarp´s attacks, but the Autobot had been constantly losing ground and his energy reserves that he needed to keep his force field active were growing out.

Skywarp and Thundercracker saw that two of the black sweeps had come and were backing them up. Trailbreaker was seeing that too and was now falling back, taking the injured Grapple with him.

The two seekers realized that the area below them was now cleared of enemy forces. They transformed back into robot mode and were levitating over the place in mid air.

"Like in old time, right Thundercracker?, Skywarp said to him. "When we were still fighting the Autobots and not world destroying monsters."

"Yes, like in old times", Thundercracker replied dryly, "before everything went to hell in our world."

Thundercracker hadn´t said it loud, but he had great doubts about this entire plan from the beginning. He could only hope that the wouldn´t make things worse than they already were. They were basically trying to take the place of their counterparts who had been turned into unicronians. He could only hope that this wouldn´t backfire.

xxx

In some distance to them one of the black Sweeps was flying an attack on the Autobots Bluestreak and Cliffjumper. The Sweep was fast, even if it was not able of independent thinking and was so able to avoid the shots of the it´s opponents for some time. Until a load of Cliffjumper´s freezing gas hit him in the side and covered a part of his armor with ice.

Then a shot of the missile launchers Bluestreak had on his shoulders hit him and the Sweep crashed into one of the storage buildings of the city, that then completely blew up.

"Yes, we have taken one of the bastards out", Cliffjumper yelled.

"Don´t be too happy", Bluestreak replied. "I have watched this guys. Except the leader, none of them had so far said a single word or showed any emotion. And by the way they fight I would say they are all mindless drones."

"That's not uncommon for Decepticons, right?" Cliffjumper stated sarcastically.

Bluestreak only wanted to role his eyes at his partner´s overconfidence. Before he could say anything else to that matter however, Starscream attacked.

"Destroying drones is one thing Autobots", the seeker yelled, "we will see if you can also hold yourself against me."

xxxxxxx

Cybertron

"Punch what?", These words were all Optimus was able to bring out.

Through his mind however went a dozen possibilities. Their double agent could have turned traitor, he could be mind controlled or been reprogrammed or he could have been replaced with a double. He thought about all this in a few seconds. But it changed nothing in the end. He was now alone against five enemies.

"Optimus Prime surrender", Soundwave´s voice told him.

"What have you done with Punch?" The Autobot leader asked them deficient.

"The question should better be what have your people done with him", Rumble replied.

"My people?" Optimus asked and looked at Punch.

"You see, we have found out that a few of your men had planted two personalities into this poor fellow and manipulated his mind to control him", Rumble told him. "We have just reversed the process."

Optimus was now looking at Punch or rather Counterpunch in shock and sorrow.

"Punch, listen to me, whatever you have been told, you are an Autobot. You are one of us", he said.

"My name is Counterpunch, I am a Decepticon", the robot replied. His voice sounded hollow and emotionless."

"I am not your enemy, I want to help you."

"It is senseless", Soundwave said. "Your own treacherous followers had done a far too good work with him."

Optimus could nearly swear that there was actually something like sympathy in the monotone voice.

"Surrender now", Soundwave told him a second time.

He was surrounded, Optimus knew. Their weapons were all aimed directly at him and ready to shoot. He had barely a chance.

Suddenly a shot struck the seeker under Soundwave´s followers in the back. It was a particle blast that ripped right through the body of the robot, came out of his chest and hit the wall before them.

Before anybody of them had a chance to react, a very large mechanoid jumped out of his hiding place. Optimus saw that the newcomer for some reason seemed to be wearing a green vest, he had replaced his right hand with a cannon and his face resembled the skull of some sort of humanoid lifeform and he was attacking the Decepticons.

He landed right in front of the others. In the moment he landed, he shot the car robot in the head before he could even draw his gun at him and with another movement kicked Soundwave in the chest, shattering the glass shield of his cassette compartment and sending him into the wall. Rumble saw that he was hopelessly outmatched and took cover.

The mechanoid was now standing before them. Optimus saw alarmed that the attacker was now aiming at the double agent. He placed himself between Counterpunch and the stranger.

"Ah, Optimus Prime right?" The mechanoid said. "It is a honor to finally meet such a famous robot. My name is Death Head, heard of me?"

"The known bounty hunter?"

"I prefer the term freelancing agent", Death Head stated casually, "don´t like the word bounty hunter."

"Why are you here?" Optimus asked. "Do you want me."

"I never talk about a contract in public, is bad for business. A far better question by the way, since when is the Autobot leader protecting a Decepticon?"

"He is not really a Decepticon, he was mentally manipulated to work for them." Optimus didn´t mention that it were possibly rogues of his own side who did the manipulating in the first place, but that was too much detail here.

"A really tragic story, yes", Death Head replied, "but whatever he is, right now, he is in my way."

Death Head raised his weapon and pointed it at Optimus. The Autobot leader dodged quickly, slapped Death Head´s weapon aside so that the shot went miss and then tackled the bounty hunter. For a few minutes they were caught in hand to hand combat. His enemy was strong Optimus realized, very strong, possible more than Megatron ever was.

Then Death Head managed to land a punch at his opponent and threw him back for a few seconds. He used that time to remove the blaster from his right hand and replace it with a battle axe. Optimus caught the first swing of the new weapon with his hands and stopped it. Then he threw himself at the bounty hunter and slammed him in the ground. In the few moments his enemy was down, he activated a function which he hadn´t used since years and transformed his own right hand into a similar weapon as Heath Head was using it.

"Oh, I see", the bounty hunter simply commented before they clashed their weapons together. Optimus had to admit he didn´t know if he could win this fight. His enemy was strong, incredible strong and skilled.

A few meters from them Counterpunch was unsure what to do. A part of him wanted to help the Autobot leader, another wanted to destroy him. The two were working against each other. A third, still rational part refused to be any ones marionette. It was clear to him by now that something was obviously wrong with himself and that not only since Soundwave.

Finally he had made his decision.

Soundwave had by now come back up again. He was watching the fight between Optimus Prime and the stranger. Death Head, he recognized him, one of the most infamous bounty hunters in the galaxy. His two enemies were tearing into each other. The only question was, who should he help? If he should help one at all. Maybe he should just stand by and watch how the two were destroying each other. The matter was simple. What were the consequences for him?

He knew that Optimus would give him the chance to surrender. Death Head on the other hand had already killed two of his men and had attacked them without provocation. He had made his intentions pretty clear. Soundwave activated his sonic weapons to the highest level and directed them at the bounty hunter.

Optimus saw that his enemy had suddenly stopped fighting, he realized that Death Head was under a heavy assault of sonic waves, Soundwave.

At the same time Death Head was struck by a hit in the shoulder. Counterpunch had come to assist him too now, Optimus saw. The only question was did he do that because he wanted to help him or was he following Soundwave?

Rumble came out of his hiding place and was attacking Death Head from the other side. The bounty hunter saw that he was now far at the disadvantage. All four Transformers were aiming their weapons at him. Even he was outmatched here.

He was searching for a way how he could still do his job.

They heard someone coming. The question was who. Had the Decepticons won or had the Autobots driven them off for now.

Whatever it was, Death Head saw that he would not have a real chance anymore if he had all of them against him.

It were Springer and Skyfire who came around the corner. Their side had made it, at least for now.

"I understand", Death Head said, "I fear we have to delay our fight for another time Optimus Prime", he told him.

The bounty hunter was drawing back, with his gun aimed at the Autobots.

"Let him go", Optimus said. "We have other problems and we can not risk another fight right now."

As he had reached a safe distance, Death Head slipped into one of the corridors between the building and was gone.

"Are you back to yourself Punch?" Optimus asked the Autobot double agent.

"I admit I am not right sure. But I have my own will right now and at least for the moment you can count on me."

The Autobot leader pointed his weapon at the communication officer and Springer his at Rumble.

"As you had said it a short time back Soundwave, surrender", he said.

"I surrender", the Decepticon replied.

"We have to get to earth", Optimus told them.

xxx

Galvatron and Cyclonus had landed on Cybertron´s surface. As they had gotten in contact with their forces, they found a number of scattered and to a great part damaged troops who had been chasing after the Autobots.

"What had happened here?" Galvatron asked a seeker who seemed to be the nominal leader of the group he was facing right now.

"We were encircling the Autobots like planned, but some idiot opened fire too early and they managed to break out. They had separated in several smaller groups and we were trying to follow them, but the most of them escaped", the seeker informed him. "We seemed to have lost a greater number of troops and we have lost contact to Soundwave", he finished his report."

"I understand", Galvatron said. "It seemed the entire plan had failed", he stated to Cyclonus.

"Yes mighty Galvatron, that much is obvious", his second replied.

"We have to find out how bad the situation is at this place and we have to find out what is happening on earth."

"I will start gather the troops here and find Soundwave", Cyclonus told him.

"Do that", he said.

xxxxxxx

Autobot city earth

Bluestreak was still involved in a fight with Starscream.

Cliffjumper saw now a large purple Decepticon standing in some distance. He readied his weapon and prepared to attack.

"Wait", someone was holding him back. He saw that it was Capback, another Autobot.

Capback was a Minibot like himself, from the stature similar to Brawn and Outback.

"Don´t do that", he told him, "you have no chance against him, believe me."

"No chance, are you kidding? Come we will show this Con that we can do", Cliffjumper replied and stormed off into the fight.

"Okay", Capback said, "if you truly want to die."

He saw Sideways in the eyes for a moment and then lowered his glance. That fool Cliffjumper had no idea what he was getting himself into, he thought.

"He Decepticon", Cliffjumper yelled and opened fire.

"Ah I remember you worm", Sideways said, "You have managed to escape me the last time. This time you won´t have as much luck." He smiled at him.

"What the hell are you talking about? I have never met you before and don´t call me that", Cliffjumper shouted and shot him several times at the arm.

To his satisfaction, he saw that his blasts had ripped a deep wound. But then, to his shock, the damage was suddenly repairing itself in just a matter of seconds. The wound was being closed after a few moments.

"What? How have you done that? What in the world are you?" he screamed.

"It seems you have seen too much little worm", Sideways now had a feral smile on his face, "too bad for you.

He grabbed Cliffjumper by the throat and threw him on the ground, he aimed his gun directly at the Autobot´s face and fired. The body of the Autobot sank lifelessly down.

"Cliffjumper, no", Bluestreak, who had seen what happened, screamed. He ran over to his fallen comrade.

Starscream, who was now not longer occupied, landed beside Sideways.

"It seems the little maggot had found out too much", he commented with a smile.

xxxxxxx

New York city

EDC commander Marissa Fairbourne had arrived at the place of the incident.

"Had something happened so far?" She asked one of the police officers who were guarding the area.

"No, he had simply landed and is now just standing there", the man told her.

It was ca. 10 minutes ago, Marissa thought, that a Sweep had landed on top of one of the skyscrapers in New York city. The Decepticon had not attacked or showed any other hostile move, actually he had made no move at all. He had simply landed and was standing motionless on top of the building since then.

"We are getting a new report commander", a lieutenant, who was standing behind Marissa informed her. "It seems the exactly same thing had happened in Los Angeles a few minutes ago."

"What in the world could be the meaning of this?" Marissa asked.

xxxxxxx

Autobot city earth

The greatest part of the city was already lying in ruins, exactly like the last time.

But like the last time, reinforcements were arriving for the Autobots. The rocket form of Omega Supreme was descending from space.

On board were Optimus Prime, Springer and the twins Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. As they heard that Autobot city was under attack, they had volunteered to come with Optimus, just like the last time.

As the giant rocket had landed in the middle of the city, the air locks opened and the four Autobots drove out. A second later, Omega Supreme transformed into robot mode and went to help Defensor.

The gestalts were still fighting against each other. Alone in the fight between this two opponents, nearly a quarter of what had once been the city had been leveled.

But now, against two super robots, Piranhacon had no longer the slightest chance. After Omega joined the fight and landed a number of shots at the weaker point of the combiner, the gestalt was falling apart into the individual Seacons.

Sideways and Megatron saw what was happening and smiled. It was all going according to plan.

Regarding Death Head. This story plays in the cartoon continuity a few years after season three. Death Head exists, but everything what happened in the comics is alternate universe. That means he was never send after Galvatron, Rodimus or Cyclonus and Scourge. This version of Death Head had actually never met any of them before.