Chapter 14

Gagestown, Oregon

Optimus Prime and Megatron were stuck in close hand to hand combat. They were currently fighting in a park in the center of the city. A small group of Autobots had managed to infiltrate the town that was under siege by the Decepticons. To their bad luck their enemies had already reached what they wanted.

The fight had actually become senseless. But at that point the Autobots and Decepticons in the town were already shooting at each other. The warriors of both sides were so deepened into their fights that they didn´t have their senses on other things.

Both Optimus Prime and Megatron knew all too good, that it was nearly impossible to stop an already on-going fight. Megatron would say the only safe solution was a shot in the spark chamber.

It was also a question of common sense. In the moment you stop fighting you risk to getting shot by your enemy.

At first Megatron had wanted a short fight with the Autobots, to give his troops some entertainment and to keep their opponents occupied. But that was already taking too long. And a major clash with Optimus and his elite troops had he certainly not wanted. It could simply go too much wrong.

So the two commanders were fighting a duel, some of their troops were targeting each other in the city and some were still outside the town.

This of course endangered the citizens. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

And that, despite nobody really had a reason to continue the battle after this point, it was continuing. That was the tragic of the situation.

It was by far not the first situation like that in this war and would certainly not be the last.

Since Optimus and Megatron were in a close fight they used short range weapons instead of their blasters. Megatron was wielding a lightsaber while the Autobot leader had transformed his hand into a battle axe, similar to their duel at the Sherman-Dam over two years ago. Missed strikes of both of them caused damage to the buildings around them. Optimus was careful not to do too much destruction, but he still had to put up a fight. He knew he couldn´t hold back against a foe like Megatron.

The rest of the Autobots and Decepticons were stuck in their own individual struggles. Prowl was fighting Starscream who was trying to attack him from the air. Mirage was engaged with Skywarp whose heat seeking missiles proofed to be a great threat to the invisible Autobot.

Hound had created a number of holographic clones of himself to confuse the Decepticons, Soundwave however, with his highly developed sonic transceivers, was able to identify the real Autobot and attacked him.

The fighting had been going on for some time now, without a side gaining a clear advantage.

Then after a few minutes Megatron was able to land a hit with his lightsaber. He slashed clean through the armor of Optimus shoulder. The Autobot leader was on the disadvantage now and began to draw back. He was quickly getting in the defensive.

Megatron lifted his weapon, hoping to land another hit on his enemy, as he was suddenly stopped in his movement.

A Autobot, one he recognized all too well, had seemingly appeared out of thin air and was blocking his sword with a battle staff. He remembered the robot who had foiled his entire Kalis project by informing Prime about his plans.

Optimus too was more than surprised. "Cronus", he exclaimed.

"It is good to see you Optimus Prime", the Autobot said.

Cronus was one of the lost ones. Nobody from Cybertron thought that they would ever see him again.

"You have left Cybertron millions of years ago. How did you came here?" Optimus asked incredulous.

"Something has occurred Prime, something that forced me to return."

Over them the seeker Thrust was hit by a blast and was about to to crash.

"By the way, I brought somebody with me", the mech told him.

As the two leaders turned around they saw Elita One standing a few hundred meters from them. Prime was more than happy to see his companion again, he only wished it had been under better circumstances.

The female commander had shot one of the Decepticon jets down and was now helping the others to confront Megatron. Both of them had entered the town while everyone else were involved into their respective fights.

Cronus was, thanks to his special ability, able to reach the city core without any notice and Elita had joined the Autobots at the border and was fighting her way into the center.

With the reinforcement for the Autobots and the Decepticons who had already been taken out of the fight, the balance was shifting in their favor. Elita and the fighters she had teamed up with had already severely damaged a few of Megatron´s men.

Bruticus was being cornered by Defensor and the Dinobots. The only reason the two Autobot groups had not taken the gestalt out yet was that they were holding back to protect the town.

Actually Optimus was impressed how disciplined the Dinobots acted in this particular situation. Despite their wild nature they did everything to keep the human settlement intact.

Megatron was slowly losing hold of himself. First the Autobot who had once ruined one of his most important plans had reappeared out of nowhere and now Prime´s mate on top of that. He had the situation under control until this two showed up. But now things were sliding out of his hands.

And he wasn´t someone who just let the things roll all over him.

In fact he was someone who took charge of the situation and formed his environment into what he wanted it to be, at least at the most times.

Admittedly, since they had landed on Earth things had seldom actually been under his control. Many of his plans had gone wrong till now.

But the Kalis project, his failed attempt to transform Cybertron into a giant space ship that ended with the planet being thrown out of it´s orbit, was one of his most important missions of all times. Millions of years back, it had been his personal dream.

And he hated to be reminded of this particular disaster.

He was angry, very angry. Megatron raised his fusion gun and fired at Optimus.

Prime could barely dodge the shot. The missed blast however completely leveled a house close to them. Luckily nobody was hurt because all humans had already left this part of the city, something that was ironically Megatron to thank for.

He wanted to shoot a second time, but before he could, Cronus had dis- and reappeared right beside him and sliced his arm with his staff. The dangerous energon-blade at the end cut the metal open and caused a sharp pain. At the same time it ruined his aim and the blast went harmlessly in the air. With a second move, the Autobot tore his weapon over Megatron´s breast plate what brought him off balance.

Elita had seen this and was already taking aim at the Decepticon leader and shot him three times. The lasers hit his chest area and burned a hole into it.

Even Megatron´s, admittedly already damaged, armor couldn´t take three blasts from a high level Autobot without receiving significant damage.

He went to his knees. Optimus already had his gun drawn. He was standing a short distance before him.

"No", Megatron whispered, "not like that, not like that."

Not in this miserable way, he thought. It was supposed to be him against Optimus. He should been fighting the Autobot leader, not go down against others who had suddenly gotten involved. If he died, it should have been him against Prime. Then yes, every ruthless tactic, every dirty trick would have been acceptable.

But not like this. He had been robbed of his fight with Optimus, he hadn´t been defeated in a fight, he was simply getting murdered against three opponents.

This were three of the strongest Autobots, even he could not hope to fight all of them at once.

He was already beaten, Megatron knew this, too damaged. He couldn´t even hope to fight Optimus alone in this state and now he was outnumbered three to one. Against other opponents he could have done it, but not against this three.

But he, Megatron wouldn´t just go down and die.

He managed to stand up again and attacked the Autobots. It was an act of pure desperation, ultimately senseless, this was completely clear to everybody.

But he had to.

Optimus balled both his fists and hit the Decepticon leader. Megatron was slammed to the ground close to the next buildings.

xxxxxxx

Decepticon base

A few Decepticons were sitting on a transformer sized table and were playing a cybertronian form of card game. The Stunticons and two of Soundwave´s cassettes were left behind to protect the base and guard the prisoner.

While Wildrider and Dragstrip were watching Hotrod´s cell, the rest of them were currently without a actual occupation for their time.

In short words the warriors who Megatron had left behind were bored out of their minds. So they were trying to spend their time somehow. While the Stunticons were sitting on Transformer sized chairs around the table, the small cassettes, who were far too small for them, were simply sitting on the desk.

"You are." The Stunticon Breakdown reminded one of the cassette-robots.

"Why had Megatron of all Decepticons to leave us behind?" Frenzy complained.

"Why d´you ask me?" Rumble replied in his typical manner.

"Because you both are two annoying little runts with big mouths", Motormaster fell in, "that´s why and now go on with the game."

"Overloaded jerk", Rumble growled under his breath.

"We should just accept our fate", Dead End said to the others, "and that is boredom", he added ironically.

"What is this Dead End, your attempt at humor?" Motormaster addressed his team-mate. "I just wish something would happen", he exclaimed.

Breakdown suddenly ripped his eyes open and looked with an open mouth into the room. The Stunticon leader was about to make a comment about his other team member too. Honestly, one was a complete fatalist nut-job and the other was paranoid like hell. Sometimes he thought he was the only normal mechanoid in the team.

After a few moments he realized that everybody had started to stare at the wall behind him. As he turned around he saw right behind him two large red eyes hanging in the air. They looked as if they belonged to a invisible face, floating in the room.

"What the pit", Motormaster cried out.

A moment later a energy shock was sent through their systems, all five Decepticons fell unconscious.

The way was free now. Hotrod didn´t have any problems to get out of the base. All he needed to do was walk right over the inactive Decepticons.

After a few minutes he reached the mountain-side at the outside. He was fee now, at least for the moment, but he still wasn´t very fond of the situation.

It wasn´t very hard to figure out who had helped him escape.

"I know you are here", he called out, "show yourself."

Like the times before Cabal´s face appeared in the air.

"Why did you help me to flee?" Hotrod wanted to know. "I know that it wasn´t for my sake."

The creature answered him. "I have my own plans Autobot and that you being free is a part of them."

"I understand", Hotrod growled.

A moment later the face before him disappeared without another word.

Cabal, who and whatever he was, wasn´t on his side or the one of any other Transformer. He didn´t want to play along in his plans, but he couldn´t just go back to his cell either.

He couldn´t let the time-machine in the hands of the Decepticons. Hotrod knew he had to do something, no matter what this creature was planning.

There was only one thing he could do right now. He needed to get the device back from the Decepticons and he had to hope that this wouldn´t play this "Cabal" right into his hands.

But how? He didn´t knew where Megatron had stored it. It could be everywhere in the base or in any other place. He would never find it before the other Decepticons returned.

Or for all he knew Megatron could carry it around with him.

Hotrod knew there was only one thing he could do.

xxxxxxx

Gagestown

Megatron was defeated, there was no doubt about it anymore. He was lying on the ground as Optimus Prime, Elita and Cronus were standing around him.

They had won.

Megatron was heavily damaged, a number of the other Decepticons was already out of the fight and the rest were hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned.

They had won this battle or at least they thought so.

xxx

There was also another who had seen what had happened. Starscream watched from the sky as the two Autobots had helped Prime and brought Megatron down and he couldn´t be happier.

xxx

Megatron was trying to support himself with his arms to lift his body up, but the damage was too great for him to stand.

Optimus had still his gun in his hand.

Cronus stepped at his side.

"That is it Optimus. This is your chance, kill him."

Optimus realized that he hesitated. The other Autobot urged him to do it. In some sense it wasn´t fair. He hadn´t even defeated Megatron himself.

But he knew exactly what kind of a threat Megatron was for them. This was war and war wasn´t fair. But something in him held him back.

xxx

Someone else also saw this a chance for himself now.

"Decepticons, Megatron has been disabled. I am taking command" Starscream announced to the others. "Soundwave, Skywarp, Thundercracker, do you hear me? he asked.

xxx

"Optimus, you have to kill him. You can not capture him alive, we are surrounded by civilians and Decepticons who would try to free him. We would never get him out of this town without causing a massacre, you know that.

You will maybe never get this chance again, you must destroy Megatron now, as long as you can."

Optimus Prime saw his enemy on the ground, attacked and wounded by multiple foes. He had been outnumbered without a real chance and now he laid helpless in the ground.

How could he kill him now?

All this thoughts came to him in only a few seconds.

xxx

Starscream wasn´t able to reach the most of the others or they simply didn´t want to answer. That wouldn´t surprise him, especially with Soundwave and his trine-mates.

Not one of these three respected him or his position. Well, he would show it to them soon enough.

It didn´t matter right now. He had reached who he truly wanted.

Starscream was flying in jet-mode next to the Combaticon gestalt.

"Bruticus come with me", he called out. He flew as a jet in shoulder height past the combiner robot.

In this moment he gave the order to the entire group.

"Decepticons, hear me. I want you to destroy this city. Do you hear me? Open fire with all you have and eradicate it from this world."

xxx

Optimus gripped his weapon again.

Every fiber in him wanted to show mercy, but no, Cronus was right.

They were fighting a war. Sparring Megatron would only mean endangering more lives.

Another small part of him wanted to defeat him alone and all by himself.

But that wasn´t important right now either. He would do what he had to do, even when he hated it.

"Optimus", Elita quietly called out a single word, his name. She didn´t seemed happy about the situation, but she also knew it.

Even Megatron knew. He saw his old opponent in the eyes. They both knew what was going to happen.

"Yes Optimus, do it", Cronus said. He was behind him and the Decepticon.

Optimus still felt terrible about killing a defenseless being, but he knew it was for the best.

While Optimus aimed his weapon at the Decepticon Cronus draw his staff behind his back, ready to strike.

Then they were suddenly all caught in a storm of shrapnel and fire. Optimus and Cronus were both knocked down by a explosion close to them. Elita was still standing, but she barely saw anything.

They realized what was going on. The Decepticons were bombing the city.

Till that point the fighting had caused only minor damage since the most Transformers had been fighting outside the town. But now this changed drastically.

xxxxxxx

Bruticus was attacking the town from the distance with all his firepower, every building that was hit by his blasts was completely annihilated and reduced to ashes.

Entire blocks were wiped out under the assault of the gestalt.

Starscream flew over the city. He fired his missiles. Several houses exploded or were set on fire.

The town was turned into an inferno in only a few seconds, houses, streets and people were blown apart by the explosions.

The fighting was ended instantly, some robots were caught in the line of fire, others were shocked and hesitated, nobody was fighting anymore.

The battle was ended by Starscream´s attack and replaced by a massacre.

xxxxxxx

Optimus and Cronus had been thrown from their feet. They were barely missed by some pieces of rubble that were flying through the air.

The place around the was caught in a firestorm. They had lost sight of Megatron and could barely make out each other.

"We have to get out of here", Optimus ordered, "and try to get as many humans out as you can."

xxxxxxx

"Carly do you see that?" Spike asked his girlfriend in shock.

The two humans had been left by the Autobots in a safe distance to the town. From there they had seen what had happened.

"My god!" Carly called out.

Both of them had seen a lot of Decepticon attacks in the last years, but nothing that came even close to this.

xxxxxxx

The Decepticons Soundwave, Skywarp and Ramjet were flying over the city. This situation had gone completely out of control since Starscream had taken over.

None of the was really surprised by this.

"Megatron is down there", Soundwave said in his typical monotone voice.

They had been trying to locate their leader in the chaos and bring him out of there. The three Cons descended down to the place where Optimus group had been only minutes ago.

Soundwave found the damaged body of his leader. The Autobots had been separated from him, obviously by the explosions. One of the rare good points of this mess.

"Megatron", he spoke to him. This time his digital voice somehow managed to sound actually concerned, nearly.

He was barely conscious, but unable to move by his own. Soundwave lifted him up and carried him while his two seeker companions covered them from possible enemies.

They flew off and brought Megatron and of course themselves out of the fighting zone.

xxxxxxx

The city Gagestown was now only a sea of flames and debris.

Starscream knew that a few Transformers were still inside the town. He changed back into robot mode and landed on Bruticus shoulder.

"Very good, we simply destroy it all. With some luck we will get a few of the Autobots too", he called out,

"and hopefully Megatron" he said quietly.

In that moment Bruticus was being tackled from the side. Starscream was caught off balance and thrown off.

Defensor and the Dinobots had reacted and were trying to stop the Decepticon combiner. It took them less than a minute, but with the firepower the Decepticons possessed it was far too late.

The Protectobot gestalt tackled the other super-robot hard and simultaneity the Dinobots combined their fire on Bruticus.

"Defensor, grab him from behind" Grimlock yelled. "Dinobots attack."

At this, Sludge, Snarl and Slag slammed with full speed into the combiner and threw him from his feet. They were closely followed by Grimlock himself who assaulted Bruticus with teeth and claws.

Starscream was now floating beside the fighting robots. Even he realized that Bruticus was loosing and there was not much to win for his side anymore.

And besides, now that Megatron was, at least temporary, out of the way, it was the ideal chance to get this mysterious machine back into his possession and find out it´s secrets for himself.

"Decepticons retreat", he shouted, "back to the base."

xxxxxxx

Optimus, Elita and Cronus had finally made it out of the town. They all could only stare at the massacre behind them.

"By the Matrix", one of the Autobots said horrified.

"I promise we will get Starscream for this", Ironhide yelled angrily.

In that moment they received a message.

"Autobots, do you hear me? This is Autobot Hotrod, my identification code is ERT0173. I need help. I had been held prisoner in a Decepticon base in the Rocky Mountains, but I could flee. I sent you my coordinates. The Decepticons are still in possession of a very dangerous object that could be a threat to this entire planet. Please come fast, I need help."

The Autobots all looked shocked and some dumbfounded.

"What should we do Prime?" Jazz asked him.

"Optimus, Hotrod was with us on Cybertron. We have met him just before we left", Elita explained.

"I think I have a explanation for all of this," Cronus informed the others.

"That is something I am really curious about", Prowl said quietly.

xxxxxxx

Hotrod hoped he did the right thing. If he calculated right this should be around the time Elita and Cronus came from Cybertron. He remembered the last time he met them at their depart. Hotrod didn´t knew what exactly happened back then.

Nobody of the Ark crew had ever actually wanted to talk about it.

He knew what kind of risk it was to involve the past Autobots, but he had no choice.

They had two enemies now who were both after the time-machine.

And the device was obviously far more dangerous than he had originally thought.