Skids and Mudflap lived up to their reputation as the Autobot twins; beyond merging into a single vehicle, they were capable of pulling off erratic "combination moves" they had invented themselves.
"That hurt..." Skids mumbled, rubbing his head as he scrambled up from the dirt. "Next time, it's my turn to step on you."
"Next time? Brother, what next time?" Mudflap feigned innocence.
"You—"
"Hey! Could you two focus on me for a second?!" A voice interrupted the bickering. Jolt was struggling to hold off Carnage and Famine by himself, his chassis nearly rattling apart under their combined assault. The twins quickly pivoted to bail him out.
"Not good, more Decepticons," Mudflap noted.
Two silhouettes appeared in the distance, followed by the roar of a yellow Camaro on the opposite flank. Skygnaw's Horsemen, seeing the reinforcement and remembering Skygnaw's orders to stay clear of the main battle, transformed into their jet modes and withdrew.
Bumblebee ignored the departing jets and sped directly toward Sam and Mikaela, drifting to a stop in front of them. "Sam, get in!"
"Thanks for coming for me, Bee. I shouldn't have pushed you away," Sam panted as he threw the door open. He felt a wave of intense regret for making Bumblebee leave; if his guardian had been with him, they might have avoided this nightmare entirely.
VROOM!
The Camaro tore away, leaving a trail of dust.
"Whoa... wait!!" Leo, who had finally caught up to the pair, stood frozen as the yellow car disappeared. "Hey! I'm not in! I'm not in the car!"
Fortunately, Sideswipe slammed his brakes nearby, sliding to a halt in front of the panicked roommate. "Get in, kid! Now!"
Optimus Prime's goal for this mission was purely the rescue of Sam Witwicky; he had no intention of fighting a war of attrition today. Since they were acting without NEST's permission, they had no human support or backup. Numerically, the Decepticon strength far exceeded their own. If they didn't leave now, they wouldn't leave at all.
As he passed Skids and Jolt, Sideswipe slowed slightly. "Optimus says retreat! Move it!"
Inside the factory ruins, Optimus Prime sent Megatron flying with a heavy blast, sprinted through the debris, and transformed into his Peterbilt alt-mode to make a high-speed exit. Shortly before, Ironhide had also forced his way past Blackarachnia's attacks to withdraw.
As the roar of the engines faded, the shattered warehouse was left only to Skygnaw and his companions. It was only then that Megatron realized the human boy had vanished.
"Decepticons, hunt them down! Do not let Optimus escape!"
Interrupted by the ambush, Megatron shifted his strategy. He realized Optimus was the primary obstacle between him and the boy. To extract the AllSpark's secrets, the Prime had to fall.
"Yes, Lord Megatron," Starscream chirped, ever the sycophant. Ignoring his own damage, Megatron transformed into his Cybertronian jet mode and shrieked into the sky.
Skygnaw didn't rush. He ordered the Horsemen to return to Base One and then turned to Blackarachnia. The battle ahead was no longer for scouts or grunts.
Not far from the factory sat a hill covered in dense forest. As the Peterbilt sped along the winding road, the Decepticon jets caught up.
"OPTIMUS!"
Megatron roared as he dove from the sky, a predator hungry for blood.
"Bring it, Megatron!"
Before impact, Optimus transformed, his dual Energon swords igniting with an orange hum. Through the initial skirmish, he had sensed that while Megatron was resurrected, his power was a shadow of its former self. This realization gave him a surge of confidence. One-on-one, he had the chance to end this war right here in the forest.
"Die!"
Megatron slammed into him, and the two titans tumbled from the road into the woods, flattening ancient trees like matchsticks.
"Megatron, you have grown weak!"
They clashed again, sparks showering the forest floor as fragments of metal were shorn off their frames. While both were masters of melee combat, Optimus's strength grew as the fight progressed, while Megatron struggled to hold his ground. With a sudden opening, Optimus drove a massive fist into Megatron's head, shattering his faceplate and sending the leader staggering.
"You are a disappointment!"
Optimus seized the moment, twisting his body to put the full weight of his frame into a thrust with his Energon sword.
"Argh! Optimus! Damn you!!" Megatron let out a howl of agony as the blade pierced through his midsection. "Skygnaw! Starscream! Where are you?!"
Skygnaw, still circling above, locked onto the Prime and unleashed several heat-seeking missiles.
BOOM!
The blast didn't seriously damage Optimus, but it forced him to break his stance, giving Megatron a moment to breathe. Starscream arrived seconds later, landing and immediately fluttering around Megatron. "Lord Megatron! You're hurt! It breaks my spark to see you suffer—"
"Save your crocodile tears, Starscream," Blackarachnia hissed, stepping into the clearing on her eight mechanical legs.
"Blackarachnia, you—"
"Enough!" Megatron's roar cut through the bickering. "Focus on Optimus! Forget the boy for now!"
"Yes, My Lord."
"Optimus Prime," Megatron raised his claw, his optics burning. "Today is the day you fall!"
The four Decepticons formed a tightening circle around the Prime. Skygnaw drew his Black Hell Blade and exchanged a silent, fleeting glance with Blackarachnia. She caught the signal instantly and intentionally slowed her pace.
Knowing there was no escape, Optimus gripped his twin blades—forged from rare Cybertronian alloys that had served him for millennia. Facing a Leader and three Commanders at once, he allowed himself no room for error.
"Decepticons, kill him!"
Megatron lunged first. In a battle of this scale, the Leader had to be the primary attacker; the others were merely support. One does not simply "touch" a Prime-class warrior without the strength of a Commander at the very least.
CLANG!
Optimus parried Megatron's claw, shoved him back, and swung his blade to meet Skygnaw's downward strike.
SHING!
The sheer force behind the block sent Skygnaw staggering back several steps, his blade vibrating from the impact. So strong... Skygnaw was inwardly stunned. Despite being mentally prepared for a Prime's power, the direct encounter exceeded his expectations. The smug satisfaction of his recent promotion vanished, replaced by cold focus. This would be a fight for survival.
Blackarachnia and Starscream followed up, closing the circle. They were at each other's throats, but with Megatron watching, they had to maintain the facade of a unified front.
Clash—Clang—
The sound of metal on metal was constant as the five combatants moved deeper into the woods. Massive trees were shorn in half; others were uprooted as the titans slammed into them. On the surface, Optimus seemed to be holding his own against the four of them. But in reality, Skygnaw and Blackarachnia were pulling their punches, making a lot of noise while doing very little damage.
Megatron, consumed by his duel, didn't notice the slackening of his allies. However, he did notice Starscream's erratic behavior—circling in the air and diving back down as if avoiding direct contact.
"Dammit, Starscream!" Megatron roared after being knocked back by a heavy blow. "Get out of the sky! Your shots are hitting my face!"
"My apologies, Lord Megatron!"
Starscream landed and transformed, blocking Optimus's path. At that exact moment, a web of silver-white silk shot from behind Optimus toward him.
WHOOSH—
As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Optimus twisted his frame, the webbing sailing past him.
"What?!"
The silk, having missed its target, caught Starscream instead. Because Blackarachnia was a bio-mechanical hybrid, her webbing wasn't just hardened wire—it was infused with a biological adhesive that contracted automatically upon contact.
"Blackarachnia! Have you lost your optics?!" Starscream shrieked, frantically clawing at the tightening web. He suspected she had done it on purpose.
Optimus Prime wasn't about to waste an opening provided by his enemies' incompetence. He raised his Energon sword and charged the struggling Seeker.
Thud-thud-thud!
In the moment of crisis, Starscream finally tore the webbing away. Just as he prepared to defy Megatron's orders and transform to escape, a pulse of shimmering energy hit him from behind.
ZAP!
The light hit Starscream dead center, locking his systems and pinning him in place.
SQUELCH—
Optimus Prime didn't hesitate. He drove his Energon sword clean through Starscream's chest and yanked it upward. A burst of dimming Energon sprayed across the grass.
"Sky..."
Starscream's frame shook uncontrollably, green coolant and fuel geysering from his mouth. He looked down at his shattered Spark chamber and then turned his head slowly.
There, standing behind him, a silhouette holding a glowing scepter offered a small, knowing smile. A silent farewell formed on the robot's lips:
"Goodbye, Lord Starscream."
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