Chapter 118: Ironhide's Maintenance
"It seems you've got big ambitions! But tell me why are you collecting all this scrap metal?"
Ironhide could tell Scorponok was boasting about his achievements, but as an Autobot, he never wasted an opportunity to gather intelligence. After all, Transformers stored memories in permanent sequence data units records that could be retrieved at any time if needed. And who could ever predict the future?
Still, when he saw the mangled body of the Steel Giant lying nearby, Ironhide's curiosity grew. The pile of metal looked insignificant, but the spark emanating from it felt strangely familiar. Yet, he dared not say too much in front of Scorponok no one truly knew what went on in that Decepticon's mind.
"You mean this one?" Scorponok replied with mock surprise. "He was one of the unlucky warriors you fought earlier a Decepticon who's now just a heap of parts. So you didn't finish off that little tank unit, did you? Interesting. Seems you're not the only Autobot operating in this sector. But that's none of my business. I just thought this little tank's spark was strong and might be useful for my future plans, so I gathered up all this scrap. You don't mind, do you?"
Scorponok spoke frankly, not bothering to conceal anything. Though the two seemed to be getting along for now, Ironhide knew that if Megatron gave the order, he'd be reduced to molten metal in an instant.
"I'm not interested in your Decepticon politics," Ironhide replied. "Didn't you say you were going to repair me? Have we arrived?"
His tone was short and direct. He had already gathered all the information he needed. For now, his priority as an Autobot was to evade Megatron's pursuit. As for fighting Scorponok and his Headmaster army that was a matter for the distant future.
"No problem we're here. Allow me to show you my exclusive, state-of-the-art modification and cleaning facility!"
Seeing that Ironhide didn't press further, Scorponok looked a little disappointed. He seemed to have wanted to use this meeting with his old rival to leak key secrets to the Autobots perhaps to undermine Megatron's control.
But Ironhide's focus was elsewhere. He cared only about becoming stronger. More battles awaited him, and he needed to be ready.
Click, click, click!
With a dramatic flourish, Scorponok revealed an enormous repair and modification chamber. It looked like a custom-built room within his warship his private sanctuary. The chamber was fitted with high-precision laser-guided weapon systems and ultra-transformable platinum Peptide-19 alloy: the most resilient defensive armor ever used on a Transformer.
"You sure you want to give me all this?" Ironhide said skeptically. "You'll be in deep trouble next time we meet. I'd think twice if I were you!"
As an elite warrior, Ironhide instantly recognized the sophistication of the equipment. This kind of technology was usually reserved for Autobots of Optimus Prime's rank.
Even among the Decepticons, materials this advanced were strictly restricted. Scorponok wasn't just repairing Ironhide he was upgrading him into a powerhouse.
"Why so many questions, old friend?" Scorponok said with a smirk. "I got these materials behind Megatron's back. You'd be a fool to refuse. Don't waste my generosity! Besides, I can tell you the real purpose behind Megatron's grand offensive. I'm sure you can guess what I mean."
Ah, there it was the classic Decepticon tactic: use someone else to do the dirty work. Scorponok clearly intended to manipulate Ironhide into persuading the Autobots to organize a counterforce one strong enough to destroy Megatron and prevent the legendary Fallen from returning to Cybertron. It was practically an open secret.
"Heh. Since when did you start relying on tricks like this?" Ironhide scoffed. "If you wanted to beat Megatron, you should've done it yourself instead of expecting the Autobots to do your job!"
Despite his scorn, Ironhide's body betrayed his exhaustion. He sank into a reinforced chair as a swarm of small mechanical arms began to repair and strengthen his armor.
Seeing this, Scorponok leaned in close and whispered mysteriously:
"My old friend… don't you recognize me? If I'd ever had the chance to face Megatron one-on-one, I would've done it long before you Autobots fled Cybertron. But now, I'm a Decepticon Lord. If I challenge him openly, I'll be branded a traitor an enemy of all. And that fool Dinosaur Salas is in a similar position. You must have noticed something during your retreat, didn't you?"
Indeed, the number of Decepticon pursuers that had abandoned the airspace around Salas and Scorponok was noticeably higher than in other sectors that much was undeniable.
Whatever the reason, one thing was certain: Ironhide had escaped right under Scorponok's nose, and it looked like another confrontation was already on the horizon.
"Fine," Ironhide said at last. "I'll take your advice. Now tell me what exactly is Megatron planning? If your intel checks out, I'll contact my fellow Autobots to help you deal with your kind. But if you can't give me a reason to care, I won't waste my time with your Decepticon power games."
On the surface, Ironhide seemed uninterested but deep down, he was already intrigued. The surviving Autobots had noticed Megatron's strange activity across multiple sectors of the universe, but none had uncovered concrete details. That uncertainty had been gnawing at Ironhide for cycles.
"Hahaha! Don't be so impatient, old friend," Scorponok said, eyes glinting. "You'll definitely want to hear this. It's the tale of the Decepticons' founder the Fallen and the ancestor of your own Autobot kind. Here's how it all began…"
Though Scorponok hadn't been personally invited to Megatron's secret campaign, his intelligence network was unmatched. He had managed to obtain the entire operational plan and now Ironhide was hearing it, word for word.
The veteran Autobot was stunned. The information was shocking, but he instinctively knew one thing this revelation could determine the future survival of the Autobots.
(End of Chapter)