A/N: The release of Age of Extinction totally pumped my muse back up for this fic so woo! New chapter time!

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CHAPTER 57
The Battle of Dallas: Part 3

Smoke filled his vision as Mark did everything he could to run for his life. Alexis kept close to him as he kept his hands firmly on his gun, aiming around. Sideswipe and Mirage flanked either side of him, and to his surprise, Mirage seemed to keep his optic on Alexis. Had she and the Ferari bot actually hit it off during whatever they were doing. "Kind of a rush, isn't it?" Sideswipe asked his partner from beside him. "All the firing from all sides, the smoke, the action."

"I was thinking it was kind of terrifying," Mark breathed out. "Dad!" Hound turned his head from his perch alongside one of the buildings. "How many of them are out there?"

Hound shook his head, turning around, and groaning. His optics lowered to Mark with a look of fear, and, from the looks of it, uncertainty. "They're coming by the slag-load," He shouted, looking at the others. "Sideswipe, Mirage, lead the kids to higher ground. If they're going to join the fight, I don't want them in the throng of this," He added very firmly.

Mark took steps forward, throwing his hands up. "No way, dad! We're in this together, remember?" Hound frowned at that, growling a little. "Don't give me that look, dad. I'm going in there with you if you like it or not," He then looked at Sideswipe and Mirage. "You guys can take Lexi to higher ground if it comes to that, but I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm obligated as your guardian to follow you," Sideswipe shrugged. "Even if you're going to get yourself and others killed."

Mark turned, ready to argue, but had no time. The sound of engines roaring above got his attention, though he quickly realized it was not a jet on their side. It was Cyclonus, and in his cockpit, Coulton, both looking very angry as Grimlock appeared to be distracted some distance off. "Dad, look out!" Mark shouted, the mech turned just in time to see several blasts, which hit him. "Stupid piece of slag! Eat this!" He shouted.

The shot that he fired from his gun hit Cyclonus in both wings. But, to his disappointment, it didn't do nearly as much damage as he hoped. Mark cursed under his breath, backing up, and turning towards Alexis. But she had already begun to rush forward, getting on one knee, pointing the gun towards the sky, and firing upon Cyclonus as well. "Mirage!" Alexis shouted. "I'm going to try and help fight off the others coming at Hound's left, can you cover me!?" She shouted.

Mirage grimaced a bit, seemingly unamused at the fact she was now throwing him orders. "Primus almighty girl, we team up for one mission and suddenly she thinks we're partners," Mirage grumbled, starting toward her. "But slag it all if I'm not getting a little fighting in myself."

Mark's head shot up, watching as the cockpit opened. His eyes widened at the sight of Coulton, leaping out and landing some feet away. Cyclonus came next, transforming, and landing himself. Hound looked between Sideswipe and Mark, as the latter turned his head towards Sideswipe. "Help dad take that creep Cyclonus out," Mark told him firmly. "Coulton's mine."

"This isn't gonna work that way kid," Sideswipe shook his head. "You're not taking an armed Decepticon on, not on your own."

Mark shook his head, watching as Coulton approached with vigor. Before Hound could turn to fire however, Cyclonus had leapt forward, violently slamming him into a building. "Sorry Sides, I never was a good listener," Mark ran a hand through his hair. "You want to help me out? Cover fire, that's all I need." He began a long stride towards Coulton. "But I'm taking this son of a gun out myself."

And with that, he raised his gun up, and began a rapid fire at Coulton. The mech seemed surprised, side-stepping to avoid it, but ultimately taking two hits as he approached. Sideswipe began to fire as well, rolling quickly to catch up with them. But his chance at firing at him was ended when Mark lunged violently for Coulton only a couple of feet away from him. Coulton dodged, swinging a fist violently for the back of Mark's head. Mark groaned, but this time, didn't go down, rather kicked both feet out from under him.

As Sideswipe continued to roll, he groaned in pain, sparks flying. Turning his head, he quickly caught sight of Cyclonus, who was simultaneously holding Hound off, and firing at him. "HELP HIM!" Hound snapped, his optics turning to Sideswipe with a look of fear. "Sideswipe! I can hold him off, fraggit! Mark can't!" He shouted.

But Sideswipe knew it was a lie, and instead lunged forward and towards Cyclonus. Instead activating his holoform to aid Mark, who was surprised when it appeared behind Coulton, swinging his fist violently for the back of the mech's head. "Two against one?" Coulton snarled, turning towards Sideswipe. "I thought Autobots were supposed to fight fair."

"You mess with my little bro? You're taking the "bull by the horns"," Sideswipe spat as Coulton rose from his place on top of Mark. "Come on fragger, I've been waiting for this since the first time I saw that ugly mug of yours!"

Mark rose from behind Coulton and slammed the butt of the gun into his back. The man howled, turning between the two of them, he slowly transformed into his true Decepticon form. "Very well, child, you want to play?" Coulton sneered. "Then let's play." He brought out a blade from his arm, surprising Mark, who gawked. "Shall we begin?"

As he swung, Mark deflected the blade with his gun, preparing for the fight. This was one fight he was determined to win, to make him wish he had never taken on that form to begin with. "Sure Coulton," Mark snapped. "I'm more than happy to kick your aft. Then you can go to the pit and tell that Unicron guy how you got yours handed to you by a youngling!"

Coulton was stunned by the hard smack to the side of his head with Mark's gun. The mech turned, bringing out another blade as he parried a blow from Sideswipe's blade, a grin on his features. He always had enjoyed a challenge, and now he figured that Mark would have an audience for his oncoming death. Yet as their battle continued there, Hound was barely fairing any better. To say that Cyclonus was more than a little angry with him over what happened before may have been the understatement of the century.

With each blow he swung, Hound barely dodged, firing off multiple rounds at him with great precision. The blades he swung barely managed to miss him by a hairline, but still managed to miss none-the-less. "You didn't really think this fight was over, did you Hound?" Cyclonus parried a blow from Sideswipe over his shoulder. "Not even your pet dinosaur could keep me from seeing your death through."

"I'm not gonna be dying today, Cyclonus," Hound took the chance he had to swing a hard punch at his spark chamber. "Not when I have so much to live for!"

Sideswipe groaned, trying his best to keep up with his holoform and robot forms. It was difficult, and he quickly found, impossible to do so. He screeched as he was knocked to the ground, hard, and his holoform no longer able to keep up, fizzled out. Mark's eyes widened, and he turned his head towards Sideswipe. "SIDES!"

"I'd be more worried about myself if I were you," Coulton snarled, grabbing him from behind, and throwing him back to the ground, and knocking the gun from his hand. "Come on, boy. You're the one with all the bravery and macho attitude. Let's see you face me for real!" He added with a hiss, as Mark watched his mouth begin to transform, turning into a disturbing, grinding weapon itself. "You wanna be the next Witwicky boy? You want to be the hero?" He added with a chilling screech. "Prove yourself worthy!"

Mark rolled over onto his side before the blade Coulton swung could come near him. "MARK!" Hound shouted, fear in his optics. "Mark, just run! GET OUT OF HERE!" The boy stared over, seeing quite clearly that his father, and guardian were being bested. "I believe in ye, kid. But you can't take the blows we can! We'll be okay!"

"Should have listened to daddy," Coulton sneered.

Mark groaned quietly, his eyes darting behind him as he looked for an area in which to run. After a moment, his eyes hit something, and widened. An unused grenade, probably dropped by passing NEST troops, lay in the middle of the street. Mark looked up at the open, and twisting mouth of Coulton, and the dagger-like teeth that looked ready to chomp at him as he crawled back. "You know Coulton, I'm tired of putting up with you," Mark shook his head. "If you're gonna kill me," He began to crawl back violently, reaching for the grenade. "Then do it you freak of nature!"

"With PLEASURE."

Mark's hand hit the grenade, and he violently pulled the clip, knowing he'd only have one chance to do this. As Coulton lunged for him with his blade, Mark shoved the live grenade into Coulton's exposed, and open mouth. Coulton's optics widened all too late in a sense of recognition. Taking this as his cue, Mark gripped the arm with one of the blades, and knocked the blade out. "You brat! What was that!" Coulton asked, his voice filled with fear. "What did you put into me?"

Mark grabbed the blade, and plunged it right into the terrified Decepticon's spark chamber. The mech's optics widened, and he grasped for any semblance of life he had left. "I'll give you a hint," Mark grinned. "Boom."

Coulton had no time to react as, as if on cue, his body exploded forward in chunks of metal and energon. Mark backed up violently, feeling as some energon did still manage to burn through his skin. The action, however, quickly grabbed the attention of Cyclonus. "Coulton!?" His optics narrowed at the sight of his offlined partner, flaring with anger. "You little pit-spawned disgrace for an "Autobot"!"

Cyclonus knocked Hound back violently, and quickly began the approach towards Mark. Hound quickly removed a gun, and aimed it for Cyclonus's head, a smirk on his face. "Good distraction kid," Hound grinned.

Cyclonus was shocked as half of his head blew apart, leaving him shrieking in pain. Hound next lunged forward, grabbing Cylconus, and violently slamming him onto his knee. Mark cringed, and looked away at the sound of the Decepticon's metal spine breaking, and then, with great forced, the Decepticon himself being ripped in half. "Holy frag," Hound turned his head towards Sideswipe, who pulled himself out of his stupor. "Why did the two of you even need me again?"

"Back-up," Hound replied, dropping the sides of Cyclonus to the ground. "We can't stand around like this though. More will be coming, especially if they found us so easily," He added rather frustrated. "Let's go get Alexis and Mirage and push forward. We have to regroup with Optimus and the others."

Mark nodded his head, grabbing the gun he had dropped. He took one last look back down at what remained of Coulton, a slight discomfort filling him at the sight. He had made his first kill, on a mech that had terrorized him, none-the-less. And yet, the first kill was always the hardest, they said. And he was feeling that as it all weighed heavily on him there and then. "Hey," Hound looked at Mark. "Ye did good kid, not sure I like you disobeyed my orders but... You made a 'Bot slaggin' proud the way you fought."

Mark breathed slowly, and pulled himself to his feet to the best of his ability. "Thanks dad," Mark tried to smirk. "I take after my old mech,"

Hound smirked back at him, but knew they'd have time for this later. Especially with the kill most likely weighing very heavy on his mind. For the moment, at least, he would continue on. "C'mon then," He nodded. "Let's get a move on. Are you okay enough to walk?"

Mark nodded, knowing that his body hurt like hell, and he was bruised nearly everywhere. But he would not stop going, or fighting, even with that, and the tinge of guilt he felt. He would stand, and he would continue to fight. Because as of that moment, official or not, he was the Autobot he knew he had been deep down.

...

A/N: And at last, Coulton is dead! I hope his death satisfied everyone who wanted to see him go. I tried to make it as epic as possible. :D And don't worry Sideswipe fans, being he's my favorite, he will be getting more action coming up!