CHAPTER EIGHT
--Luna 2--
Skids was rarely ever angry. Usually when something of frustration came up, he took it in stride or laughed it off. Not so here. As his fists collided in Rollbar's face, there was no denying that he was angry.
"Come now! Is this any way to treat your prisoners?" Rollbar's mocking tone only infuriated Skids further. He seized the white mech by the neck and lifted him off the ground.
"It's the best way to treat you," Skids said through gritted dental plates.
Rollbar choked out a laugh. "Really? And what would your superiors think of your actions right now?"
"I don't see them here, do you? What they don't know can't hurt them."
He then punched Rollbar hard in the face before dropping him to the ground and kicking his fallen form. In response, Rollbar simply laughed.
"Enlighten me, please," he said in between chuckles. "What have I done to deserve this?"
Skids glared at him with baleful optics. "Fifty years ago."
Rollbar smirked. "And? What, did I miss out on your Forging Day?"
The Autobot agent clenched his fists. "You framed me. For a murder I did not commit."
"What about it?" Rollbar sneered. "Didn't they prove your innocence and put the bounty on me after that?"
"Clearing my name did nothing to heal the wounds you dealt me." He then proceeded to repeatedly kick the white mech, punctuating each one with his spiteful words. "You tarnished my reputation. You ruined my life. This. Is. Payback!"
Suddenly, before Skids could deliver what would have been the finishing blow, Rollbar grabbed his leg and yanked on it, bringing him down. In an instant, Rollbar was back on his feet, having turned the tables.
"That's enough." The former Autobot's voice had lost all sense of its sick humor. It was almost as if it was no longer his voice. "It's been fun playing with you, but I am needed elsewhere."
"Oh, don't tell me that you let me capture you and beat the scrap out of you! That just totally suck the fun out of it!"
Rollbar sneered at him in contempt. "I'm sorry to ruin your day. Then again, it's only just the start of it."
Just as Skids got back to his feet, Rollbar was gone in a flash of light. In the sky above, Cybertron burned....
--Cybertron--
"General Shockwave? General Shockwave!"
Slipstream nearly shrieked into her communicator. It was not that she cared for the one-eyed mech's survival-- he could burn in the Pit for all she cared. But his logical thinking and strategic mind were key to winning this battle, even if the Autobots' defeat was certain.
Turning to the ship's communications officer, Slipstream ordered, "Get me through to Lord Megatron."
In moments, a visage appeared on the viewscreen, but it was not that of the Decepticon leader.
"Soundwave?" Slipstream exclaimed, incredulous. "Get me Megatron, now!"
"I am afraid Lord Megatron is currently indisposed," Soundwave replied. "I am currently in command of the Nemesis and thus the Decepticon fleet."
Slipstream fumed. "You?! You're not even a general! What kind of slag are you--"
"Lieutenant, I highly suggest that you get off the line this minute if your sole intention is to waste my time."
The Seeker gritted her teeth before saying, "We've lost contact with Shockwave."
"How unfortunate. I suppose this leave you in charge of his forces, General."
Slipstream's optics dilated. General?
"Carry on the assault," Soundwave went on. "For the glory of the Decepticons."
With that, he vanished from the viewscreen, leaving Slipstream in a stunned silence.
--Nemesis--
"Great, he's already handing out promotions," Knock Out said sardonically. "Think I can get myself made Chief Scientist?"
His comments fell on dead audio sensors as his fellow Decepticons mulled on recent events. Lugnut and Blackout were visibly fuming at the disappearance of Megatron, Skywarp looked fearful, Barricade and Thundercracker seemed uncertain, Blitzwing was being his usual self, and Brawl was apathetic as always.
As usual, it's up to me to be the responsible one. Stepping forward, Knock Out cleared his vocal processor to get Soundwave's attention.
"Excuse me, er, commander, but are we just going to stand around and watch you play Fullstasis with the world, or are we going to actually make ourselves useful?"
"You are free to participate in the battle," Soundwave said in his typical monotone.
"What about the Autobots?" Barricade asked. "Don't you need someone to keep an optic on--"
Before he could finish, Soundwave flicked his hand and sent the captured Autobot falling through a portal, just like he had done to Megatron and Optimus Prime.
Once they were gone, Blitzwing switched to his Random face. "I guess they should have called you 'Handwave' instead! Ha ha ha!"
Knock Out huffed. "Is there any normal 'bot on this ship?" he muttered to himself.
--Cybertron--
The explosion could have been seen from afar. It was bright enough to distract everyone from fighting, even if just for a moment. No one knew for certain what it meant, but a few had an idea or two. None of them hopeful.
As he pulled his sword out of a Vehicon's chest, Springer surveyed the battlefield. The first few waves of Decepticons had been dealt with, but more were on their way, toting weapons large than themselves.
"We have to fall back," he said to the other Wreckers, who had all regrouped. "We're running low on ammo and-- Scattorshot, what's our body count?"
Scattorshot grimaced as he brought up a readout on his HUD. "Five: Scoop, Leadfoot, Topspin, Twin Twist, and Fastfix."
"Five casualties in more or less an hour." Springer shook his head in despair. "A record I didn't want to make. Let's move."
He transformed to his armored car form and the others followed suit without complaint. When Autobots as gritty and resolute like Whirl and Roadbuster were rendered silent by the despair they were facing, one knew that this battle was unlike any they had faced before (though Simanzi came close).
And the clock was still ticking.
* * *
"Generals!" Dreadwing rushed to the newly-formed crater created by the explosion. His optical sensors were still adjusting from the bright light that had briefly obstructed his vision, but he could still tell that the Pit went deeper than any on Cybertron.
Reaching the threshold of the crater, Dreadwing looked down to see Shockwave, Obsidian, and Strika at the very bottom, alive but badly injured.
"Mudflap, let's get them out!" Dreadwing called.
The large Decepticon crane came forward and began lowering its hook. Dreadwing and two other Decepticons-- Terradive and Treadshot-- then jumped down into the pit to assist their superiors.
As he helped Obsidian up, Terradive said, "Where's the Autobot?"
"It would appear... he took the worst of... the blast," Obsidian said, his damaged vocal processor sputtering. "Not sure... what he was... trying to accomplish."
"No doubt trying to take a few highly-ranked Decepticons down with him," Strika grunted, shakily standing on two ravaged legs while Treadshot supported her. "He failed, obviously."
"When Ultra Magnus is concerned, I wouldn't go too far," Shockwave said, his single optics dangling from his face.
"Well, with him out of the picture, our victory is assured," Dreadwing said confidently. "Right?"
Before Shockwave could answer, the sky was suddenly torn asunder and death rained down upon them....
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