- COSMIC CONFLAGRATION -

Stepping on the corpses of Mirage, Brawn, and sub-commander Prowl, Brawl stood before the bodies, deploying his Death Claw and Arm Cannon. ‘Brawl smash Autobots. Brawl smash Jazz.’
Jazz groaned. ‘You still don’t learn – I will always come back to fight you, Megatron.’ He struggled up, drawing Illuminator. ‘I guess you’ll do the same thing, won’t you? You big, clumsy, ugly ogre.’ Brawl attacked, slashing the Death Claw at him. Jazz ducked and rolled forward, jumping onto Brawl’s turret and misdirecting as it fired, blasting into the throng of Dreadwing drones. Ratchet activated Drake, pickup claw clamping onto a drone and hurling it into its fellow soldiers. He fired his forearm cannon at the remainder of the Dreadwings, who were too slow to dodge. They blew apart, and he rushed to assist Jazz.
Jazz was on Brawl’s shoulder’s pummelling the Decepticon warrior, who roared and slashed wildly upwards. ‘Nope.’ Jazz somersaulted off, blasting Brawl in the head. He staggered and paused, unable to process the situation.
Ratchet stared at Brawl as the far larger Decepticon loomed over him. ‘You tried to use these children to create some bizarre Cybertronian-Earthen hybrid weapon,’ he stated. Brawl roared and send a blast of his cannon at Ratchet, but Ratchet blocked with his Energon shield, and the payload bounded off. ‘I don’t have much left, but I have plenty to take you down.’ He lunged upwards, slashing at Brawl with the remains of his axe. ‘You’re done!’ cried Ratchet, his Tomahawk making contact with Brawl’s head.
The elite Decepticon’s head tumbled off, and his body followed. Ratchet retracted Callidus, and turned to Jazz. Neither spoke. They did not have to. They nodded silently, and ran to help their comrades.

*

Wreckage towered over Arcee, deploying his Sparkblades. They spun, light bouncing off them. ‘You will never learn. You want to get sliced in half this time?’ He lunged and jabbed, before thrusting with his other blade. Arcee blocked the first and dodged the second. She leaped up, ramming her buckler into Wreckage’s extending cannon. Wreckage prepared to fire –
‘You almost killed the Autobot who gave me everything.’ She powered up her buckler, electrocuting the barrel of Wreckage’s cannon to explode. Smoke sizzled and he staggered back from the explosion. ‘I won’t let you touch him again.’ She sent another blast from her crossbow at Wreckage.
The Decepticon titan swatted it aside dismissively. ‘Enough of this rubbish. I don’t even know why I’m dealing with small fry like you.’ He grabbed her foot as she attempted to kick him in the head. He pivoted, hurling her upwards. ‘Now, stay out of the way while I finish some business with your coach!’
‘Argh!’ Arcee shot towards the ground and landed painfully. She rolled on the moon surface and lay there sprawled, exhausted.
Ironhide moved to assist her, but a blast from Blackout stopped him. Blackout transformed from his vehicle mode into robot mode and fired his missiles at Ironhide. Ironhide rolled away and fired four ion cannon blasts at Blackout before flipping around, dodging Blackout’s spray of gattling guns, and sending four Sparkfuel missiles at him. Blackout angrily blocked them with his arms, armour sizzling, and flew above Ironhide, who fired upwards. Four nuclear missiles screamed towards Blackout. Blackout deployed his Wingblade and sliced through all four, exploding them in mid-flight. ‘It’s useless, Ironhide!’ roared Blackout. ‘You can’t beat us both!’
Then, without warning, Wreckage appeared from behind and stabbed at Ironhide. ‘You bastard!’ Ironhide swatted away one of the Sparkblades and caught the other in his hand. They tussled for a few moments, Wreckage’s bulk overpowering even Ironhide. Then Ironhide smiled. ‘That cannon of yours doesn’t work anymore does it?’ Wreckage glared at him, and Ironhide suddenly turned his fists inwards, firing four missiles and four proton blasts point blank into his enemy’s chest. Wreckage’s optics widened in shock, but it was too late. A mighty explosion shook the raging battlefield, and Wreckage fell to the ground, little more than a charred piece of Cybertronian metal. The elite Decepticon warrior was finally dead.
‘Good riddance, murderer.’
As Ironhide recharged his two weapons wearily, Blackout lumbered behind him, and aimed his missile launchers at the engaged Ironhide’s back and his critical joints. ‘You’re done, old robot.’
Arcee looked up just to see Blackout release his safety catches. ‘No…’ Just as he was about to fire, she fired her last missile into him. Ironhide turned just to see Blackout reel from her attack. Stunned and enraged, Blackout turned and fired his missiles originally intended for Ironhide at her. Ironhide roared in protest, but it was too late.
She could see them coming, but they were as fast as her own crossbow. Arcee screamed as the missiles exploded into her body.
‘NO!!!’ In outraged despair, Ironhide fused his cannons together to form his 2-SW Grand Cannon, and fired all four missiles at Blackout, who turned just in time to eat the full blast of Ironhide’s ultimate weapon. The impact destroyed several nearby battling divisions of Autobots and Decepticons.
But the true reward came only when the smoke cleared. Ironhide’s target had been hit, with its full blast.
Reeling, Blackout collapsed on his knees, and slowly, his lights dimmed. Finally, after an eternity, he fell to the ground, lifeless.
Ironhide rushed to Arcee and scooped her up. His optics shone in grief, rage, turmoil, helplessness. ‘You stupid girl. Why did you do this…?’
She shook her head. The old bull looked so handsome, even more so, now that he looked so helpless, so vulnerable. She whispered as he held her closer, ‘Ironhead, I have something to confess. I did it because I love you. I want to protect you.’
‘Look at you now, Arcee. What can you do now? Nothing. Nothing, because you’re a stupid, reckless, failure.’ His broad shoulderplates heaved in sorrow as he then said it. Oh, he finally said it. ‘Don’t die, Arcee. I need you. I will get you back to base, I’ll save you. Don’t be afraid. You won’t die here.’
She meant everything to him. It was enough. She smiled weakly. ‘It’s been my honour to serve you, Ironhead. I love you, I really do.’
‘You almost died in that terrible battle at Tyger Pax,’ whispered Ironhide. ‘I never thought you would be captured and tortured. I almost lost you that day. I am not risking it today. Now shut up and get some rest.’
He immediately transformed into truck mode to transport her to safety, driving past the ruins of Wreckage, as fast as his wheels would allow.

*

Bumblebee felt his head smash along the cold rock. He looked to his right, glimpsing the corpses of Autobot warriors Wheelie and Seaspray. He felt a sharp pain to his right as he felt Starscream’s armoured toe dig in. He flew into the air and tumbled along the ground again. ‘Get up, Bumblebee,’ cackled Starscream. ‘I have heard great stories about your heroism. You can’t die now, not yet.
‘Don’t you ever shut up?’ growled Bumblebee,
‘Optimus Prime will die at the hands of Megatron, just like you will die at the hands of me.’
Bumblebee snorted. ‘Optimus Prime is the most powerful Autobot in the universe, the greatest defender of freedom this world or any other world has ever seen. What are you?’ He twisted free, and kicked Starscream in the face. ‘Just a coward living a worthless life of subordination to Lord Megatron.’
Starscream’s sneering expression twisted into one of utter rage. ‘You DARE – ’
Bumblebee fired his gun at Starscream, before letting loose with four missiles, and as his final attack, he spun and fired a volley of lasers from his cannon’s secondary turrets. Starscream activated his forcefield, and fired wave after wave of missiles and lasers at Bumblebee.
Bumblebee managed to weave past all of them, one of them narrowly brushing past his Colloid Wings, and as he neared Starscream he thrust at his chest. Starscream managed to dodge one thrust, but Bumblebee whipped around and plunged his gun into Starscream’s chest and fired before Starscream can activate his forcefield.
Starscream roared in fury, but was powerless as his body failed him. His ruined chest sizzled from Bumblebee’s final attack.
He slumped, and Bumblebee pulled out his gun, letting Starscream plummet to the ground below.

*

Vector Prime stood alongside Override, Hot Shot, Excellion, Jetfire, Omega Supreme, and Metroplex. Before them, through the slew of Autobot and Decepticon troopers, were the four Decepticon starships. ‘We must destroy them. They are the portals from which the reinforcements are coming. Destroy them, cut off the troops, and we’ll have a lot less artillery to deal with too.’
‘Metroplex! Take down Rot. Omega Supreme will destroy Tyranny, and Velocitron Elite will infiltrate Horizon. That just leaves Furnace.’
Devastator, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Ramjet hurtled towards them.
‘We have little time. There is only one thing in all the world that may defeat Megatron… yes. Override!’
‘I’m kinda busy,’ snapped Velocitron’s leader, blasting another slasher trooper into smithereens.
‘There is only one way to defeat Megatron,’ said Vector Prime. ‘My friends. I want you to hold off the Decepticons for me. I am going to exit the space-time continuum and obtain the only thing that can consume Megatron in the very thing that can destroy him – since the Allspark is already within him, only the anti-thesis to the Allspark can save us now.’
‘What in Primus’s name could that be?’
‘The Spark Singularity. The anti-thesis of the Allspark, with equal power, one that gives its user transcendence over time and space.’
‘Death?’ asked Override sarcastically.
‘In a way. Perhaps this is the only way.’
‘I hope you know what you’re doing,’ grumbled Override, firing her blaster at one of the tanks.

*

Megatron faced Prime, and he raised his claws. ‘I am more powerful than I have ever been, and the last time we fought, you barely managed to hold your own – you needed your precious humans to help.’
‘That’s strange,’ growled Prime. ‘That’s not how I remember it.’
‘Allow me to refresh your rusted memory.’ Megatron casually clapped his claws together, and his hull burst out, transforming into Dominion. He suddenly turned, and fired a shot at the bunker where Michiko and the children were sheltering in –
Prime’s reflexes were faster. A blast from Rhisling 2 redirected the shot from the fusion cannon, sending it crashing into a crater. ‘You will not touch her, Megatron.’
‘I am constantly amazed by your affection for such simple microbes. They cannot even scan into a rudimentary transport system – completely useless. Completely unable to survive in this cruel universe.’
‘They are alive,’ said Prime sternly. ‘That is enough for them to deserve a chance at life.’
‘Do you still wish to defy me? Me, the Lord High Protector of Cybertron?’
‘Once Lord High Protector. You lost that office the moment you began building your army of hatred.’ Prime charged at Megatron, firing Rhisling 2. Megatron swooped towards Prime as he thundered across the moon’s rocky surface. Prime grabbed hold of his wings, and they grappled against each other, snarling and roaring. Megatron found and opening between him and Prime, and kicked, hurling Prime back. He clapped his arms together, and formed Dominion again.
Megatron’s Fusion Cannon suddenly expanded, as two symmetrical clawed devices snapped out of either side of Dominion and began to charge energy. ‘My Obliteration Nova Generators,’ crowed Megatron. ‘These weapons are meant for planetary destruction, but if you wish to feel my full power, now is your only chance before I kill you.’ He fired, Dominion’s blast and the two beams from his Generators hurtling towards Prime. Prime fired his railgun and Rhisling 2, deflecting two of the shots. But the blast from Dominion smashed into him, and he was hurled back, crashing into an Autobot troop crawler. Prime fired Rhisling 2 again, but Megatron simply deflected the blast with Reaver. He smiled, deploying his Quasar Displacement Blaster on his right hull. ‘Taste the power of the stars themselves!!’ He fired, and the sun and several nearby stars suddenly flared, light streaming from them and shooting towards the moon. It blinded the battlefield momentarily, and the brilliant light had drawn itself into the hull of Megatron’s blaster. It reflected, firing towards Prime. He could not dodge in time, and the full power of the nearby stars shot into him.
For the first time, Prime felt his Dragon Convoy armour crack. It buckled, then shattered. His chest exploded, the windows of his truck disguise shattering. He collapsed, and Megatron lunged, kicking him in the head. Prime fell back, and Megatron swiped at him, slashing across his body. Prime reeled and fell down.
‘Your friends have fallen all around you, and soon, your remaining armies will be destroyed by my armies and mothership Furnace. You have not even seen the true extent of my power – CELESTIAL? Fleet V? Don’t make me laugh. I have starship Furnace, Tyranny, Rot, and Horizon, teleporting legions of Decepticon elite legions from Cybertron. My Decepticon war machine has overwhelmed your puny friends, and I have overwhelmed you.’
Prime groaned, Dragon Convoy smoking from the damage of Megatron’s Quasar Displacement Blaster. The Decepticon leader towered over him, deploying his chain whip Slaughter. ‘Don’t leave us yet, Lord Orion Pax. I want you to see your new homeworld burn. I want you to see your adorable human daughter-of-sorts die, her soft, weak, little fleshling body impaled on the end of my claws. Only then will I allow you deactivation’s sweet embrace.’ He suddenly paused, reconsidering, and smirking, retracted his chain whip. He slammed his hands together, and deployed Dominion. Dominion in turn expanded out to activate his Nova Generators. He turned away from Prime and away from the raging battle, and aimed them towards the blue and green Earth before them. The Generators began to gather energy. ‘With one shot from each of my weapons, the world of the humans will implode and be reduced to cosmic dust forever,’ roared Megatron. ‘Face the truth, Prime – you lose!’
Fifty-percent charged… eighty-percent… one-hundred percent. All it took was for him to unleash them.
Prime could only raise his hand in outraged anguish. ‘MEGAATROOOOON!!!!’