THE MANY DEATHS OF ULTRA MAGNUS
Simanzi, Cycle 8830
Simanzi, Cycle 8830
"Stabilize him, First Aid! His spark is shrinking by the second!"
"I'm doing what I can, Fixit!" First Aid cried as attached jumper cables to the shrinking green spark. "Maybe we can jumpstart him if we have a compatible spark."
"No use," said Ambulon. "I don't think anyone here is a Point One Percenter. And even if there was, it'd be too late."
Although he refused to admit it aloud, First Aid knew that Ambulon was right. Left with no options, the three medics simply gave up and mournfully watch as their once-friend's spark shrunk down into the size of a pebble before dissipating completely.
Ultra Magnus was dead.
* * *
"Explain the battle to us."
Seated before three high-ranking Autobots- Ambassador Crosscut, Chief Justice Tyrest, and General Thunderclash- Rotorstorm found himself unable to adopt the calm persona he always portrayed. Nonetheless, he spoke.
"It was horrible, sirs. When we got to Simanzi after receiving the distress signal, we found a giant smelting pool in the center of the city. The 'Cons had thousands of civilians poised on the brim, ready to push them in at the slightest provocation. Optimus Prime had us split up and approach the Crucible- that's what they called it- from different sides.
"I was with Ultra Magnus and Chuffer when we started to approach the Crucible's southwest side. A sniper spotted us and took out Chuffer, forcing Magnus and I to make a shortcut through the Sludge Pits."
He sighed as he recalled the terrible moment that happened next. "We were five miles away from the Crucible when a Cybernought suddenly emerged right in front of us. It fired a blast of energy from its palm and... Magnus was killed."
"We haven't received complete confirmation that that is the case," Thunderclash said. "I have faith in the medics that they'll be able to revive him."
Rotorstorm cocked his head. "Are you sure, sir? I mean... no one could have survived an attack like that."
"Trust us, Rotorstorm," Tyrest said with a smile. "Ultra Magnus has survived worse."
Clemency, Cycle 8954
Ultra Magnus braved the storms of Clemency as he led his teams towards the Nightmare Engine. Of course, the storms were most likely a fabrication, taken from his own mind. The others on his team did not seem to be noticing any storm, but were instead reacting to other unseen horrors.
"Remember what Optimus said!" he called out over the false roll of thunder. "That which is, isn't!"
"Easy for you to say!" said the Duobot Shock as he swat at an invisible swarm of cyberbees. "These things sting like the real deal!"
Ignoring him, Ultra Magnus said, "Powerdashers, the Nightmare Engine is nearly in range. I want you to disable it while we distract the 'Cons stationed there."
"Er, that may be a problem, chief," said the Powerdasher leader Cromar. "Scanners are picking up a Decepticon transport approaching our position."
Ultra Magnus looked up to indeed see a Decepticon transport hovering over them, flanked by a Seeker squadron. It almost made him wish he had his jet alt mode back to take them on. However, his days as Bolt were over; he was now much, much more.
The transport's boarding ramp lowered and he grimaced at what it revealed: at least a dozen K-Class Decepticons.
"Clear the area!" he cried out to the others just as the suicide bombers jumped off of the transport and converted into their bomb forms. Looking up again, Ultra Magnus realized that one of the K-Class 'Cons had his own name crudely painted on the bomb's shell.
It was the last thing he saw before the suicide bomber made contact.
Hell's Point, Cycle 9099
"Ultra Magnus!"
Standing near the bow of the Decepticons' experimental war cruiser that now threatened Cybertron, Ultra Magnus pummeled down two Vehicon troopers before turning to face the five imposing Decepticons standing before him: Heretech, Sixshot, Overlord, Black Shadow, and Killmaster. The Warriors Elite.
A normal Autobot would have trembled in fear in their presence. But Ultra Magnus was not a normal Autobot, and he was definitely not trembling. In fact... he was smiling.
Heretech- the unofficial leader of the Warriors Elite- narrowed his eyes a him. "What have you got to smile about? This ship is about to deploy its wormhole generator and you're smiling. Mind explaining why?"
Ultra Magnus tapped his chin. "Hmm. Perhaps because I'm standing in front of this cruiser's exhaust vent. To shoot at me, and thus it, could possible destroy the cruiser itself. I highly doubt Megatron would give you permission to perform such an act."
"Would he?"
The voice was not Heretech's or Overlord's or any of other Warriors Elite. No, it was the unmistakable voice of Megatron himself... and it was coming from the gun which Heretech now held at his forehead.
Seconds before his death, the Autobot once known as Datum, realized that, for the first and last time, a strategy of his had failed.
Cybertron, Cycle 9614
Minimus Ambus sighed as he stacked up the chairs in The Circle, closing down the joint for the night. With the war getting worse each year, business had become slow. Fewer and fewer patrons walked through the doors and even those who did come only stayed long enough to refuel.
He stared out the window to observe the darkened streets of the city. Every day, whenever he went to recharge, he dreamed about being on the front-lines, fighting alongside the likes of Grimlock, Impactor, or the immortal Ultra Magnus.
"Immortal" was perhaps an exaggeration, but he had heard plenty of tales from patrons, about how Ultra Magnus survived an encounter with a Cybernought, or with the Warriors Elite, or even the Fast-Folding Sun. He had heard the stories frequently enough to make him believe them.
Ambus heard the sound of the door opening, but did not turn to face the newcomer. "Sorry, pal," he said. "We're closed. Come back tomorrow."
"I came here knowing that you'd be off work."
Ambus turned around to face the arrival... and froze. Standing before him was Chief Justice Tyrest.
A warm smile crossed the judge's face. "Minimus Ambus, I have an offer for you."
No comments:
Post a Comment