Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Tip of a Feather. Enjoy the 3600-word chapter. I do not own Transformer, Hasbro does.
The Autobots and Maximals sans both Primal and Prime gathered around the body of Bantor. Airazor hung her head as she frowned, her beak pointed like a knife.
"There are so few left of us…" Airazor stated before Wheeljack and Cheetor looked at the skyline.
A beam of light, invisible to humans but easily seen by their optics cut through the sky. They all looked, they all knew.
"End of the line, ain't it?" Wheeljack asked.
"No… It ain't." Contrail said. "Go talk to Prime… I'm going to wait." Contrail said to which the others did so for a moment, the Maximals following.
"How bad is it if Unicron shows up?" Contrail asked.
"This planet and all upon it will die," Airazor said.
"Then we die either way?" Contrail asked.
"I do not… You intend to fight Scourge?" Airazor stated.
"I think we all do… I've lost plenty of family fighting Decepticons, Airazor… Bantor won't have died for nothing, Optimus isn't like that." Contrail stated.
He was right and she knew it. neither Prime nor Primal would even dare to let Earth die, their sparks were too pure.
She looked at him, seeing the resolve to fight… And to act written upon his faceplate.
"Do you have a plan?" Airazor questioned, tilting her skull.
"No… But he does." Contrail stated, pointing at Optimus as he approached.
(2 minutes later)
The remaining Maximals and Autobots gathered around a map that shone and showed what they were up against.
"The control panel must be at the foot of the tower." Primal stated.
"Just past Scourge and his entire army," Arcee stated.
"Then we take down his entire army," Mirage said.
"Yeah, sides… Stealth ain't a plan, not for us." Contrail said.
"Airazor… I know you have the access code… And Elena knows one half, you both must reach the tower." Primal stated.
"Then we need to take down Nightbird… That's her name, right?" Contrail asked as Airazor nodded. "She's the flier… Scourge and his buddy can't stop her if we focus on them… Problem is? I'm sure their notice her dropping in to say hey." Contrail said.
"Contrail… Can you…?" Prime asked.
"I'll do what I can… Even if it takes my spark to do it, sir." Contrail stated.
"We have lost enough Autobots to Scourge…" Optimus stated.
"So, the plan is to fight everyone?" Cheetor said.
"Why? Got a problem?" Contrail asked before he looked at Rhinox. "If we live through this? I got some questions about you all… I want to ask them." Contrail said.
"Live… And I will tell you them." Rhinox said before he turned to let Arcee leap atop them.
"Cool… I and Airazor are going to light up what we can… But I'm going straight for Nightbird. If she gets to Airazor? The plan is screwed… That just leaves the giant monster who's backing up Scourge." Contrail stated.
It was true and she knew this. If Scourge found out that she could subvert his entire plan? He would kill her first to deny them the ability to do so.
They all looked at the portal… Then as one? every Autobot transformed into their vehicle forms before racing towards it, Maximals doing the same as Contrail flew alongside Airazor.
"What are the odds we can fight their entire army and walk away from this?" Contrail asked before Airazor hummed.
"We will win this," Airazor said.
"Watch my back, I'm going to soften them up," Contrail stated before he sighed. "I know I haven't met you guys for long… Like maybe a day or so? And I know we're probably going to die fighting this… But I'm glad to be fighting with you guys." Contrail stated.
"It will be an honor to fight by your side." Primal stated.
"Agreed," Airazor stated before she and he surged over the hill.
They were greeted with a thousand Freezers. Hundreds of them were spawned from the tower, fueled by the energy of the key and Unicron's dark energy.
The Autobots sans Arcee transformed, drawing their weapons before opening fire as Contrail and Airazor swooped over the battlefield.
Fire surged from her beak, scorching scores of them as Contrail opened fire with both his Vulcan machine gun and a half dozen AGM missiles which tore through them, ripping them to pieces as if they were toys.
Explosions and fire followed their wake as Contrail spun, scanning the battlefield for but a moment…. And then he spotted whom he was after.
Contrail finished off his air assault by dropping a bomb from a hatch on his fuselage, watching as an explosion cratered the battlefield.
Contrail swooped out of the fires of his strafing run as Airazor circled the battlefield. Neither could accomplish their part of the plan while Scourge was in front of the control panel. That and they knew damned well that if they attempted to fight him? He'd rip them both apart.
"Maximals, Maximize!" Primal roared as he and the others began to shapeshift, metal clanging against one another as their forms began to transform.
Contrail watched as Cheetor and Rhinox stood up, their metal forms transforming into something different yet similar to them… It felt like their family had expanded.
Contrail felt something slam into him as he was thrown to the side, it was a flying form… But it was not Nightbird who was still picking herself up from the ground.
He shook himself loose and was greeted by a bug… A giant metallic insect that resembled a purple and green wasp.
"SCOURGE, GIVE ME THE KEY!" He heard as he was greeted by the giant dragon from before.
Megatron… And his army had come and it was clear they were not aligned with the others in their goals of trying to recover the key from Unicron.
He flew off as the four-way battle seemed to expand, thousands of Freezers greeting them on the battlefield as if Unicron's army hungered for the battle itself.
He would give them it and he would not allow them to win, victory for him at the end of it all for now at the end of the day and he would not let them kill off his friends.
No, he had to focus on battle itself, on the act of drawing them off. the plan was still on, there was nothing left, nothing beyond the fight and he knew it had not changed, there was just more to it now than there was before.
That and that alone drove him to fly, revving his engines to escape and flying as high and as fast as he could.
Airazor followed, knowing without her? They would have no code and she could not risk a fight with it, risk a fight with anyone at the end of it, there was something else to try and deal with for now as she clicked her fingers.
She sighed to be dealing with it and then flew up into the sky. Nightbird finally flew after them, eager to kill them both for annoying her… Yet? She would not allow it this time.
Contrail finally transformed, spinning over Airazor, cannon firing and throwing Nightbird off Airazor before she looked to the side.
He slammed both downwards, forcing her as deeply off Airazor as possible. She knew he would not survive her, very few had.
So? She did the only move she could see making a difference… She slammed into Nightbird and transformed, maximizing into her true form as she did so.
Contrail felt in awe as she did so, watching as metallic feathers turned into battle armor, wings folded onto her back, allowing her flight while continuing to allow her to act, and her head morphed into a metallic skull like his.
Finally? Her talons became clawed feet which slammed Nightbird into the ground as the Maximal flapped her wings and slowed her descent.
"We fight her together, Contrail, that is how we will win," Airazor said, reaching for her hips as a pair of metallic swords unsheathed themselves from armor panels.
"Uh… Sure…" Contrail said as the Maximal smirked.
"Keep up… Purdy Birdy," Airazor said before she flew off, smirking once more.
She did not know what to do but she did know they had to fight… She could and would and she would protect her fellows as best she could before she sighed.
He was right about now, knowing what he did once more as she paused once again, there was a lot more as she paused to try and figure out it for now.
He was ready to end this, to see it all done. Yet? He knew such things were hardly the end of it, the end of something that needed to be dealt with for now at the end of it… This sort of pain was chaos which would end for now.
He had been able to try and figure it out. This seemed to be dealt with for now and until the end.
He flew upwards, knowing that he would be in for hell sooner or later. He watched Airazor in awe that only seemed matched by her speed.
She diced a half dozen freezers in half, her blades shredding them into pieces as she tossed several away. Contrail could only meagerly follow with some gunfire and slashing a few to the ground as he paused to think of what to do next.
Nightbird let out a roar, a hiss of anger torn from her spark at the idea of them managing to do something which had angered her.
She had been denied a good fight until now and her enemies dared to try and deny her what was owed to her master. She would not dare let them do that for now or for good reason.
It was odd enough trying to see and do something about this, a clash like this was rare… It was untamed chaos and it permeated every single sense of their bodies, there was something here, all of it was intense, it was biting…
It was primal, it was a war for the fate of the planet and none of them wished to be denied at the moment, there was a fierce desire to win and prosper…
And he could not afford to fail here or for any reason, he could not let them down and he could not let anyone else die in vain. He flew into battle with her, knowing very well that he would die here.
There was comfort in that, in risking his life for another, he could live with the knowledge he might save a life if even someone, he might be able to protect another even.
To him? he would die an Autobot and that was a good death for him, he could die with a clear conscience.
He flew into battle alongside her as he fired missiles and blasted away Freezers as if they were flies. He watched Airazor dance through them, pausing only to transform into her alt mode to better fly.
She watched him as he stared at her in awe and yet he fought as he didn't know what to do at this moment.
This was good for him, good enough for him to regain his composure for the second. He fought through more and more Freezers as both transformed back into their other modes and bombarded the Freezers. They had torn a hole in the defenses and there would be no stopping them now.
Still? This battle was not yet decided, it would not be until only one side remained. The two watched as the other Maximals and Autobots rejoined the fight.
Contrail watched as Battletrap, the large and hulking robot was tossed to the ground, Optimus and Primal ripping apart his armor, Optimus stabbed his side as Primal crushed his skull, shattering his armor like it was made of tinfoil.
He seemed to be prepared only for combat, only for it to be thrown to the side, an idea that seemed to be done with for now.
Two Terrorcons left, he watched as the flying Predacon chased after him, knowing that he had to be faster… So he did go faster, flying as fast he could through the hordes of gunfire and violence.
He looked over at her as she and he shifted midflight, missiles firing from Airazor's wings as she and he flew up.
"If you can fly in your robot form… Why didn't you throw one of them down the mountain?" Airazor heard as Contrail and her opened fire upon the rows of Terrorcons.
"One maximal against Scourge and his group will not win… Look at Air Hammer, he is the strongest in the sky besides me and Silverbolt… And I still did not see us come close to winning." Contrail heard.
"One of the Terrorcons is down… I think you're overselling the Terrorcons, Airazor." Contrail said before looking at the panel. "Optimus? Airazor is heading towards the panel… I can't back her up with the Predacons attacking us all." Contrail stated before he sighed to himself.
He looked towards the portal and understood that such things were going to be very tough on it when it came down to it.
There was a lot more to this, a lot more chaos before it was all said and done… He had dealt with it for now and he would deal with it all too soon.
He looked at Airazor… He knew that she was going to be dealing with the worst of it alone and he cursed himself. the best he could do was provide air support and the second that Scrouge zeroed him? He would fall like scrap metal being melted into fragments…
He knew his end was coming and he did not fear it. He feared only letting his friends down now. He had to win… They had to win, yet he saw little in the way of a victory.
"Get to the controls… I am going to clear a path." Contrail stated as he sighed to himself.
The death of himself was nothing… But what he would gain if he let his friends down? He could not bear; he would not bear… He would fight… And die, if need be, but he would die a Autobot and that meant being willing to sacrifice even if it meant he tossed away his life, little as it was and as little as it would be.
That and his desire to end it was all that kept him going even onwards, that and his fight with the enemy, it was a cutting blow which they would end, even if he needed to end it now and with good reason.
There was going to be sone he had to do anyway as he dived back downwards into the mass of Terrorcons, ripping into them with his engines and swords… The Maximals ripped through them as well.
Megatron roared at Scourge and slammed into him, attempting to grab at the key before he went slamming into the wall.
Airazor took her chance, swooping down only to look at Mirage, his shattered corpse being blasted to bits… A warrior to the end but a soldier who had fallen to Scourge as any would.
She gave him a nod as she began to input the code to shut the key down. Air Hammer seemed to send Inferno along the ground as if he was made of tin foil while Primal and Optimus engaged Scourge.
She turned to see more Freezers come her way before a familiar F/A-18 Hornet pass overhead.
Contrail passed overhead in jet form before she nodded.
"Thank you, Contrail," Airazor stated as she finished keying in the code. "Elena, it is up to you…" Airazor said before a familiar war cry split the air.
"DIE ALREADY!" Nightbird hissed, flaying her swords at Airazor who turned and parried them, kicking her aside.
Contrail turned and slammed into her as two flying Predacons transformed in front of them… Airazor knew them as both Terrorsaur and Waspinator… Two of Megatron's henchmen.
"Hand Waspinator key, Maximal!" Waspinator hissed as Contrail transformed, slamming him to the side.
"Sorry, we need it…" Contrail stated before looking at Airazor. "Nobody is taking over Earth or turning it into food… Not while we're kicking." Contrail stated as he turned to Airazor.
He and she shared a nod as both kicked backward and transformed, soaring into the clouds as Contrail dropped another bomb onto the platform to cover their retreat.
"How long until the key stops turning?" contrail asked.
"A few minutes… But I do not believe we have the time… Silverbolt!" Airazor yelled as an eagle like Maximal flew past him.
"More backup?" Contrail asked before looking at Primal's team. "We need to take out Nightbird… The small ones aren't as dangerous… But Nightbird and Scourge are too much." Contrail stated.
"Agreed, I'll order the rest of my team to…" Airazor started to say before a spark of light slammed into her.
Nightbird roared, trying to stab her before Contrail tugged her away, she slashed Contrail, making him howl as the blade tore into part of his armor.
"Contrail!" Airazor yelled as she transformed, finally having enough. "No! No more dies today besides the spawn of Unicron!" Airazor yelled as she stabbed her blades into Nightbird.
Nightbird screeched as dark energon dripped from her armor, she turned towards Airazor only for a weight to yank her down.
Airazor tossed her away as Contrail grunted, his armor rented as his self-repair systems tried to fix the damage as best they could.
"Are you hurt?" Airazor asked to which Contrail nodded.
"Yeah… But I'll live… Go get your team… I'm going to take out one of those Predacons so we can fly around better." Contrail said before he grunted. "You wouldn't happen to know a good mechanic, would you?" Contrail asked.
"I do… But I am sorry they cannot help your friend… Mirage has fallen." Airazor said to which Contrail frowned.
There was anger on his face… But he pushed it aside, Mirage had done what he needed to and he knew the time for mourning was later. Now was the time for action.
"Scourge, I'll slag you for denying me that key!" Megatron roared as the two fliers looked down to see the Predacons and Terrorcons fighting.
"I almost say we leave them and take the key…" Contrail stated before an object slammed into him.
Nightbird grabbed at him only for him to kick around her as he gripped her arms again.
"I've had enough of you!" Nightbird yelled as Contrail snorted.
"Well, I've felt like we should split!" Contrail said before Airazor gripped her legs.
The two pulled, Contrail's thrusters firing as he and her pulled in different directions. There was a loud crash and then a snap as the Terrorcon screamed, her armor, torn as it was. Cracked more as the two pulled in separate directions.
Finally? The Terrorcon could not stand it and with an explosion? Nightbird was torn in two as both halves separated. She exploded with a final cry, spilling dark energon and metal all across the battlefield.
Airazor tossed her lower half away with barely concealed disgust as she looked for Contrail.
"Airazor, behind…!" Contrail said pushing her out of the way.
A blast from Scrouge who finally noticed the two, slammed into Contrail's thrusters, blowing them apart as the flying Autobot dropped towards the ground.
"Contrail!" Airazor yelled as she flew toward the lifeless Autobot, transforming in mid-air as she did so.
The two slammed into an ashy hill, tumbling down it as they did so. She turned towards Contrail who grunted.
The Autobot smoked as his armor barely seemed to work. He grunted, his back an ashy mess of twisted metal and wires as she could see the damage all across his chassis.
"So… This is how Fuseluge felt…" Contrail said before he looked at Airazor. "You, ok?" Contrail asked.
"Contrail…" Airazor stated as he waved her off.
"Take care of the bad guys… I did what I had to do…" Contrail stated.
"I will not let Unicron take another friend from me…" Airazor stated.
"He'll take them all if we don't get the key… Go pull it while there's still time… Then come get me." Contrail said.
"I am… Sorry." Airazor said before she transformed and flew off.
"I… Ain't." Contrail said before he glanced up. "He died to save me? I died to protect others… That's what a bot does." Contrail said, watching as a massive ball began to enter through the portal.
He watched as shells fell from this ball, either missiles or drop pods… Contrail grunted as he devoted the rest of his remaining power to not going offline. He knew damn well he was in no shape to get back up and there was nothing further he could do. Even without his men? Scourge was too powerful for him or Airazor to confront…
That? And the Predacons just meant more people to fight. While Megatron getting the key might not be as bad as Scourge? He doubted they had better intentions.
"Optimus? I'm sorry… But I'm down for the count right now." He reported over the radio.
"Contrail, I can…" Prime said.
"Don't ANY of you focus on me, sir… Just kick that scrap heap in his manifolds and do what you got to do…. I'm a Bot, sir… If I die? I die doing what I signed up for." Contrail stated.
He watched as the freezers and some sort of scorpion-like robots approached him and shapeshifted his arm into his canon… Deformed as it was.
"Come and get me… Slag heaps."
Author Note
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be delayed. It will also show more of the final battle and the arc after that. Until the 900–6500-word chapter, Lighting Wolf out!