CHAPTER SEVEN
Captain Carmine Fanzone, chief of Detroit Police, had woken up this morning expecting the day to be an average one-- as average a day could be in Detroit, anyway. Regardless of how many crooks he had to catch or murders to investigate, there was one thing he definitely was not counting on.
Giant robots. Or, rather, phony reports of them.
He could see the damage done to the military base just fine; he couldn't deny that something had happened here. But he would believe in unicorns and flying pigs before he would believe that this was the work of giant robots.
When he said as much to one of his officers-- whose name badge read "Phil Nicholson"-- the other cop gave him a look.
"So would you believe me if I told you this was the work of Barney and Kermit the Frog?"
"Don't get wise with me, son," Fanzone said sharply. "I think we have an arsonist at hand or something."
Phil looked doubtful as he observed the damage. "If that was true, then everything would be burned down to the ground. Maybe someone got their hands on Sumdac tech and used them to make weapons."
Fanzone opened his mouth to reply but stopped when something caught his eye. Flying through the sky were two jets-- one a bulky bomber, the other a sleek fighter. The first thing that alarmed him about this (besides the fact that the fighter was purple) was that they were both military vehicles acting against regulations by flying close over the city.
The other thing was that they were heading straight for the center of Detroit's technological advancement: Sumdac Systems.
* * *
Isaac Sumdac could not ask for a better life. As one of the richest people in Detroit, he was the proud founder and CEO of Sumdac Systems and an even prouder father of a beautiful daughter. Because of him, technology was now more efficient, and if his prototype automatons proved a success, it would only improve here.
But now, as he looked out his large office window, he was beginning to have his doubts on whether he would live long enough to see it all come to fruition.
As the jets came shooting towards the tower that was the centerpoint of his business, Sumdac jumped out of his seat and ran towards the door just as the purple fighter jet crashed through the window, taking a good portion of the wall with it.
Knocked off his feet by the incident, Sumdac scrambled back as, before his shocked eyes, the jet began to shift its shape, eventually ending up as a towering metal giant. Its red optical sensors, glowing from a cool blue face, peered at Sumdac menacingly.
"Allow me to get to the point before I kill you," it said in perfect English, albeit with a slight German accent. "Where is Megatron?"
Sumdac's mouth quivered. "I--I... what?"
"Did I stutter? No, because I'm a robot." The mechanical being sneered. "Where. Is. Megatron?"
Before the scientist could answer, the bomber jet flew in next to its partner and changed shape as well. Its robot form was even larger than its comrade and, even while kneeling, nearly crushed the ceiling with its head.
"Speak, human! Or else I'll destroy you and everyone in this building!"
"No, don't!" Sumdac cried. "I don't know what a Megatron is!"
"If you insist on speaking nothing but lies, then you shall never speak again." The bomber jet robot raised its right arm and converted its fist into a pressure pad of sorts.
Before the giant could bring its arm down, something shot at it in the back. Though it seemed more irritated than in pain, the robot whirled around to see a military transport plane hovering outside the tower.
And standing on its boarding ramp were four more giant robots.
Not being able to take anymore surprises, Isaac Sumdac fainted.
* * *
"Autobots," Lugnut growled. "Just what we needed."
"Indeed," Blitzwing said as his "cold" face switched to his "angry" one. "I've been itching for some practice."
"But what about Megatron? What if the Autobots get to him first?"
Blitzwing sighed as he returned to his calm face. "Fine. You handle them while I find Megatron."
Lugnut nodded curtly before launching himself up into the air, colliding into the transport and bringing it and its Autobot passengers down to the ground. Their impact created a medium-sized crater... and probably a few crushed humans.
Once the dust had settled, Lugnut straightened up and waited for the four Autobots-- Jazz, Ironhide, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker-- to get to their feet. He could have easily destroyed them all and a good portion of the city right then and there, but he had gone over a hundred years without a good fight. He was in the mood for some amusement.
* * *
The light brown tank tore through Sumdac Tower, firing at anything that got in its way. The energon reading Blitzwing had detected earlier was there again, growing stronger as he went.
He eventually reached what appeared to be the source of the signature. Converting to his robot mode, Blitzwing smashed through a wall and ended up in a rather large chamber; large enough for him to stand up straight. Strange that humans would require this big a room, he thought.
He quickly found out why.
Placed in the center of the room, a large mass of wires connecting it to the ceiling, was the disembodied head of Megatron.
Blitzwing's mouth fell agape. "Oh, my...."
He carefully approached the head, glancing nervously at the wires. What were they connected to in the ceiling? Were they some sort of life-support for Megatron? If so, disconnecting them would surely bring an end to the Decepticon leader's life.
Not that he would necessarily miss him, but he would definitely prefer Megatron as leader rather than Starscream.
Blitzwing looked back down at the head. Megatron's red optics were glowing but not staring at anything in particular. This worried Blitzwing; was the Decepticon leader effectively brain dead?
All of these questions made Blitzwing's scrambled brain module ache. His optics searched for an answer, while his third, "random" personality threatened to take over him.
Think straight. Think straight. Unable to do so with Megatron's face right in front of him, Blitzwing hovered up from the ground with his thruster boots... and instantly came to a stop halfway towards the ceiling. It wasn't anything he saw or realized that stopped him.
He simply blew a fuse.
Switching his face to its random, Jack-O'-Lantern-styled visage, he shot up further towards the ceiling and crashed through the roof.
No comments:
Post a Comment