CHAPTER EIGHT
--Cybertron, Iacon, two thousand years ago--
Thunderclash's audio receptors rang with the sounds of war. Jets and rockets soared overhead; missile flew in all directions; soldiers of either faction cried out as they were shot down or consumed by an explosive. Out of all the battles he had been in over the course of his career, this was undoubtedly one of the worse.
Hunkered down in a trench with three other Autobots-- Magnum, Metalhawk, and Kup-- Thunderclash cringed as an enemy missile truck a nearby tower, which fell no more than ten feet from where they were positioned.
"Ya' know, this reminds me of the time on Verus Centralus," Kup muttered. "The 502nd and I were fighting the hostile native militia--"
"With all due respect, Kup, this is no time for story telling," Magnum interrupted the veteran. "Metalhawk's leaking badly; we should get him to safety--"
"Enlighten me on how we're gonna do that, kid," Kup said sharply. "The 'Cons have got us cornered in this trench and if we so much as poke a finger out, blam! No more finger."
"So what? We just sit here and wait to die?"
"See any other alternative?"
"Wait." Thunderclash held up a hand for silence. "Does anyone else notice something?"
The others were quiet for a moment. It came to their quick realization that everything was quiet.
"Has the battle stopped?" Magnum asked.
Before Thunderclash could answer, he heard the clashing of blades in the distance. Taking the risk, he peeked from behind the trench and saw that Magnum had been both right and wrong.
The battle had indeed stopped: Autobots and Decepticons alike had come to a standstill, their attention directed towards the grounds where Nova Point stood, where two figure engaged in a duel that would determine the fate of Cybertron....
* * *
"This is amazing," Rewind murmured, his camera light flashing as he looked down from the observatory bay of Nova Point. "Sentinel Prime and Trannis, fighting to the death, with the fate of Cybertron hanging in the balance!"
"I would think you'd already have footage of something like this," Chromedome commented, standing next to him.
"Oh, I do. But it's all grainy and taken from really far away. Here, we're getting up close and personal with the greatest battle in Cybertronian history!"
"I'm surprised your enthusiasm has not been diminished by the fact that your renowned Prime was an evil tyrant all along," Cyclonus said dryly.
"Yeah, well, it's still a great historical moment with great significance...."
Standing off to the side, preparing like everyone else for Brainstorm's inevitable appearance at this spot (it was the best vantage point he would have to take out Sentinel), Skids said to Rodimus, "So, what exactly is the plan for stopping Brainstorm? Do we have any means for restraining him?"
"Well, I told everyone to set their weapons to stun. Provided he hasn't invented some anti-stun bolt alloy to put over himself, that should do the job."
"And if it doesn't?"
Rodimus sighed. "I can tell you what Whirl has suggested as an alternative."
Suddenly, everyone fell silent at the sound of footsteps. All optics were on the door until Rodimus signaled them to move into position. Cyclonus and Whirl jumped up to hide in the ceiling rafters; Rodimus, Skids, and Chromedome concealed themselves in the shadows; and Rung, Rewind, Tailgate, WALL-E, and EVE found cover behind an inconspicuous table.
Everyone waited in silence as the footsteps came closer and closer. Then, the door opened.
* * *
Blaster rifle in hand, Brainstorm stepped into the abandoned observation bay of Nova Point. Making sure to lock the door behind him, he moved swiftly for the window on the other side of the room and broke the glass with his elbow. If either of the two dueling leaders below noticed the shards of glass falling from above, they were too engrossed in their battle to pay it any further heed.
After connecting the sniper rifle attachment and scope he had made for his gun, Brainstorm steadied the weapon on the window sill and took aim with it. As he waited for Sentinel Prime to come into range, he rested a finger on the trigger....
"Yippee-ki-yay!"
Startled by the battle cry, Brainstorm lost his concentration and dropped his gun to the floor. Before he could retrieve it, Whirl descended from the ceiling and delivered a punch to his face. The force of the blow was nearly enough to send Brainstorm falling over the sill, but he was able to grab onto it to prevent that. He then lifted his leg up and delivered a hard kick into Whirl's chest, sending the ex-Wrecker staggering back.
Once he had regained his composure and recovered his gun, Brainstorm looked to see no longer just Whirl, but also Rodimus, Cyclonus, Skids, and Chromedome all standing before him, guns aimed.
"End of the line," Rodimus said. "Officially."
Brainstorm said nothing as he glared at Rodimus, weighing his options. Unlike with Optronix, it would be more difficult to shoot Sentinel now as the Autobot leader was constantly moving in his fight with Trannis. Luckily, he had one extra card to play....
He let the gun clatter to the floor and raised his hands. "All right. You win. I surrender."
Rodimus blinked, obviously having not expected such a response. "Really? Just like that?"
"Yes. You have me cornered and my plot's been foiled. You win," Brainstorm repeated.
"I don't buy it," Whirl said. "I say we shoot him now and be done with it."
"No," Rodimus said sternly. "I hate to sound like Ultra Magnus, but it's a code violation to shoot an unarmed combatant, especially one that's just surrendered."
"Since when have I ever meshed well with the rules? Besides, I thought I was the risk taker-- and yet here you are, taking the biggest risk of all by falling for this obvious ploy of his."
"What ploy? He's unarmed, there's no room for him to change form... what could he possibly do?"
"This is Brainstorm we're dealing with here. He's a frikkin' genius! He's built a time machine, for crying out loud! Who says he doesn't have twenty cards stuffed in his cockpit?"
"Even so, we're not shooting him--"
"Tough. Because I am."
Whirl pulled the trigger and Brainstorm's head went flying off.
* * *
"Slag, Whirl! What the Pit's wrong with you?!"
For once, Whirl looked genuinely uneased by his own actions. "I... I didn't think it would-- I wasn't trying to kill him! I had my guns on low level, like you said!"
"I said to put them on stun," Rodimus scolded.
"My guns don't have a stun setting."
Rodimus sighed as he ran a hand over his face, looking at the broken window which Brainstorm's head had just fallen through. "Great. Just great. Not a week into the quest and I've already lost a crewmember-- an evil one, granted, but--"
"Um, guys?" Chromedome was looking through the broken window with a befuddled look. "I'm not quite sure how to put this, but... Brainstorm's head is running away."
"What?!"
"Brainstorm's head-- it transformed into this little robot and it's running straight for Sentinel and Trannis."
"You mean like a Headmaster?!" Rewind exclaimed. "By Primus, I thought they had all gone--"
"Let's move it, people!" Rodimus snapped. "Cyclonus, Whirl, you fly after them and--"
"But Sentinel and Trannis will see them," Skids protested. "And no amount of mnemosurgery would repair the damage that would cause."
"Gee, if only we had someone small and inconspicuous who could chase after him. That would be great."
Everyone turned to look at EVE, who had emerged from behind the table, a sly look in her optics. After an awkward silence, Rodimus gestured wildly with his hands at the window.
"Well? Don't just hover there! After him!"
Nodding curtly, and with one last look to WALL-E, EVE shot for the window and headed towards the ground below.
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