Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Tip of a Feather. Enjoy the 2600-word chapter. I do not own Transformer, Hasbro does.
Airazor crushed one of the Scorponok robots under her talons, tearing its head off with her beak. Despite the dozens, she had slaughtered? Unicron continued to drop more and more of his soldiers onto the battlefield… Prime had gone off to stop Scourge and the Predacons seemed to be focusing on securing the key.
"Airazor… Are you ok?" Primal asked to which she nodded. "Where is your friend? I saw you both fall after you destroyed Nightbird." Primal stated.
"Wounded… He saved my life from Scourge." Airazor stated. "He is all right… But I fear there might be another Autobot lost today." Airazor stated.
"Armordillo, find him and evacuate him… Airazor? I need you and Silverbolt to deal with Unicron's reinforcements along with Air Hammer… The battle is becoming meaningless without the key… I shall retrieve it with Optimus… Simply keep Unicron's army off us." Primal stated.
He felt silent, knowing what was going on at the end of the day, there were a lot of things that he seemed to embrace.
"Primal… Of course, you'd be here, tell me… Do these Autobots also want that damned key? I can give it to you… After I am done conquering the galaxy." They heard.
Megatron rose from the corpse of a Scorponok drone, tossing its skull aside.
"Neither you nor Scourge shall have that key, Megatron!" Primal roared before he tackled the Predacon ruler to the ground.
Airazor flew into the sky, finally prepared to fight and sacrifice if it meant ending this.
She would not let it all end for now… There was chaos, a pain that needed to be dealt with it for now.
Primal knew even if they won today? It came at the cost of losing comrades… He knew both Mirage and Contrail had fought to the end as they were loyal to Prime and yet willing to throw their lives if it meant saving others.
He slammed Megatron into the ground, watching the Predacon ruler laugh as he flew off, firing off every single weapon he had on his body.
And Primal could only question if it was better to stop him or focus on the key… But he tried to get the key once more.
(With Contrail)
Contrail blasted every drone that came near him as he felt his weakened body whimper in pain. He could barely move… The crash had done worse than simply disable his thrusters, for now, it had damaged him to the point he was almost dead.
And yet? He had been too eager to return to the fight… His life was meaningless, Prime needed him and so had the Autobots.
He sighed to himself; he was going to be unable to keep the Terrorcons off him eventually.
There were a lot of things that he would settle for… A nice trip away from the fields of battle, a nice way to end this but he would fight sometimes.
(With Contrail)
Contrail grunted and then pulled himself for now up. He felt pain… He felt a lot of pain, he had been able to try and deal with it.
"Contrail… Are you ok?" Airazor asked over his radio.
"Shooting the guys who want to pull my spark out… Why? I cannot move… That fall took out my leg servos… Or at least messed them up… Get the damn key. If I die? It will not matter since everyone dies if they lose." Contrail said.
The irony in throwing his life aside was not lost on him… However? He knew 1 life was not the same as losing the entire planet… If he died helping protect a billion lives? That would be worth joining the Allspark.
"I will not throw one life away… Give me some time… Primal and the others are handling the key…. All I can do is keep them away…. I cannot stop Scourge but I can attempt to reclaim the key and then retreat." Airazor stated.
"Why can't your boss explain fighting for a planet means stuff like this?" contrail said before he sighed. "Fine… But get the key… One life is not worth an entire planet. I signed up for a war, meaning I signed up for the risk of dying if I fail." Contrail stated.
He sighed to himself before he relaxed. He made peace with death internally and then thought of what happened.
He could not do much even if he was not half dead. He would not be able to try. He did not wish to try and deal with it; he did not wish to understand for there was nothing sort of a mirage where he walked away.
He sighed, knowing what was growing on his mind. He would be ready to try and figure out a future if he did not die… If Earth did not die.
"Sir? You, ok?" Optimus heard as he paused.
"I will handle it… Contrail? Retreat…. I will not lose another Autobot." Optimus stated.
"Not until we win or lose, sir. That is the mission. We do not win by backing down, you taught me that." Contrail stated.
"I also taught you when to choose to survive and fight again…" Optimus stated. "Wheeljack, Arcee? Close your positions…" Optimus stated.
Contrail sighed and simply fired at the enemy, knowing that his death would not change things either way… Nor would getting off the battlefield.
He wanted to help but he felt like it was a losing battle either way, he was of no further use. If he could stand? He would be a little better than air support… And taking out Nightbird was the only thing he seemed to have done with it for now.
That? And due to how little he had mattered during the initial waves and droves which it had and would exist… Initials that needed to be delivered straight up for now.
He sighed as he watched a ball tear through the lines of Terrorcons and toss aside Inferno… Either way? He couldn't protest… He wasn't in a mood to protest nor a state to relax.
(With Optimus)
Optimus slammed into Scourge truck mode first, tossing him to the side as they tumbled from the tower. Optimus transformed as he did so, slamming a fist into the Terrorcon commander's horrid visage.
"I will not let you consume this world!" Optimus hissed as Scourge struggled to his feet.
"How many times must I tear you down for you to die, Prime?" Scourge asked.
"More times than it is possible." Optimus hissed as he rushed at Scourge.
He swept his axe through the lava, flinging some off at Scourge which singed his optics, he followed it up by slamming his axe into Scourge's face and using the back half to toss him down the tower.
"Optimus, hold him at bay… I almost have the key!" Airazor yelled as she flew overhead.
"NO! THIS PLANET WILL DIE!" Scourge yelled as he went to shoot at her only for Optimus to tackle them both down the slope.
"No, only you…" Optimus hissed before a massive explosion of fire tossed them back.
"Away with you, Prime. The honor of tearing his spark out is mine." They heard before a metallic beast landed. "Your master promised me things… But all he did was take, Scourge… Take my lackeys, take my power… Take my LEADERSHIP OF THE GALAXY!" Megatron hissed.
He turned towards them both, transforming and dwarfing them both.
"Never make a pact with the dark god that only honors his end." Scourge stated.
"I'll rip your skull out, Scourge… PREDACONS, BRING ME THE KEY!" Megatron roared at the top of his audio processors. "You are out of henchmen, mine are fresh from war," Megatron stated.
"I will not let either of you have the key… Not when it dooms Earth." Optimus stated as he drew his sword. "Or the galaxy," Optimus stated as his mask slammed over his mouth and he charged both.
(With Airazor)
Airazor landed, transforming as she realized there would still be a challenge to escape with the key.
She had to escape; had to flee somewhere they could not go now. It was fun, it would always be done with it until it came crashing down to it. There were a lot of things that came down the line and this? This took the cake.
He had a lot more on his mind, something which missed him either way, he would be done and dusted… He had a lot more to see and do next. There was a lot of chaos that he could not allow.
She looked over and to the side, questioning Contrail's fate. He, Bumblebee, Mirage… Bantor. How many more would fall in the war against the darkness, to begin with? There was more to this, there would always be more to this at the end of the day.
All of it reminded her that her allies were willing to die, throwing away even their lives if it saved another… And she had not once heard a complaint from them about this raw deal.
They were soldiers, they were soldiers who had been willing to let it all go to hell and back. That and that alone was scaring him.
She gripped the crystal, energy crackling from it as she tugged, attempting to rip it from its housing.
"NO!" Scourge yelled as Airazor looked to see him aim his cannon at her. "I will not let you impede my master's PLANS!" scourge yelled, screaming as he shifted his arm into a cannon and fired.
He was tackled down the slope before long as the soldier within her conjured the strength to tear one-half of the key from the portal.
It was then she looked and noticed where the portal shot had been and was flung back by an explosion that almost ripped her apart and sent a shockwave across the battlefield.
Both sides paused as the portal, already damaged by Scourge and Optimus's battle, began to collapse, sending a pulse of energy through Unicron as the dark god recoiled, raw power equal to his cutting through him.
The dark god ignited in a massive fireball as the portal cut out, the power too unstable to stop him.
Scourge screamed in anger as he transformed, pushing the two away and soaring away as he did them.
"Scourge! Damn it." Megatron hissed, looking at Optimus. "This not yet over, Optimus… This war has only begun." Megatron stated before he transformed, knowing that the battle would turn against him.
Optimus watched one-half of the key fly across the ground, landing at his feet. He looked up at Unicron, seeing he was wounded… Only by a collapsing portal upon him, this battle was not entirely over and he knew that.
He turned his attention towards Mirage and Contrail… Hoping they were all right.
'One battle ends today… And another begins.' Optimus stated before he sighed.
(With Contrail)
Contrail paused, thinking of what was going on within his mind before he relaxed once more. He had been too eager to fight… And now? He saw they had won.
Well, he took solace in that…. But Mirage was dead, and he supposed he would soon join him. At least, he supposed he would. Nothing was stopping him from dying at the moment and he would not be long for the world either way.
"Hey, bud." He heard the rolling ball stop in front of him. "Name's Armordillo… I'm going to fix ya up a bit for Rhinox to work on later." Armordillo stated before he sighed to himself.
It was followed by the Autobot sighing to himself, knowing that either way? He did not have a choice when it came down to it, knowing all of it was going to be dealt with either way.
He had not the desire to argue with that when push came to shove as now. He could only laugh, contorted in pain just a bit but he could still laugh. He could and would need to let it all come to an end either way, he had to let it come crashing down to the ground.
He grunted in pain, knowing that it wouldn't be over so easily. Yet? He was entirely ready to fight and to cut through a mountain of energon… Something like that had been entirely easily beaten down… There was nothing left, nothing that would require his attention anytime soon.
He grunted, sparks flying from his chassis as he sighed and then slowly and yet surely nodded.
Scourge watched this before turning and retreating.
"This isn't over… Autobots."
(5 minutes later)
Optimus looked at Noah and Elena, singed slightly and yet alive… And then at Mirage who was a shattered corpse… And he looked at Contrail who held scars of battle not too easily removed from his chassis.
He sighed before he looked at Airazor. The explosion had destroyed the portal… And almost totaled the key according to Primal. It would take many years to fix.
"Unicron is out of commission for now." Primal heard.
"It will not kill him… Evil such as him is not killed so easily, Cheetor… And it shall remain that way for a good reason." Primal stated before he looked downwards at the time being.
He knew what was going on in his mind as he clicked his fingers before he looked at Optimus seemed to be tired and thought more and more of it in his way.
"What shall you do now that this threat has been beaten?" Optimus questioned.
"I shall remain with half of the key…. It must be safeguarded as it has been for eons." Primal stated. "Rhinox believes the other half might be safer with you… Even if I do have some misgivings about it." Primal stated.
"I shall guard it with my life… As I shall our new home… Perhaps one day we can return to the stars…" Optimus stated.
"Uh… What about Contrail? He's all beaten up." Wheeljack said. "And I… Don't have the tools to fix him all up." Wheeljack said.
"We can assist in that… If you allow us." Rhinox stated.
"Hey, watch the… Ow! Airazor!" Contrail yelled from the jungle as Arcee and Bumblebee, repaired by the wave of raw energon he had been placed upon… Laughed.
"Be silent. I will pull your arm circuits out if it helps Rhinox… You could have died… I have lost enough comrades in battle; I will not let your annoying heroics cost me another friend." Airazor stated.
"She can be… Protective of friends… I can think of no better a second in command." Primal stated to which Optimus nodded.
"He is welcome to return when you are done… Wheeljack will inform me if that is all right. I feel he will be speaking to you more often as the local Autobot here." Optimus stated before turning.
Stratosphere transformed, allowing him to finally turn and let the Autobots board.
"Optimus?" Primal asked as the Autobot leader turned. "Do not forget… We have fought together once… And I will be honored to do so again if the darkness comes." Primal stated.
"As will I… Till all are one."
Author Note
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out in next chapter that I might have rushed the fight… But I don't plan to end it that easy. The next chapter will set up the aftermath and next arc of the story as more of Airazor and Contrail bonding, until the 900–6500-word chapter in 900-6500 words. Lighting Wolf out!