IMPORTANT NOTE:
This is my P_A_T_R_E_O_N link please support me. Thank you guys
patrèon.com/Tony_stark_3000
remove the è and put a normal e.
If Patrèon is not your cup of tea, then buy me a coffee 😉.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sorry for the delay over the last few days, guys.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Optimus Prime, your choice." Jack's gaze was steady as he locked eyes with the towering Autobot leader.
Optimus Prime's voice was like rolling thunder, filled with conviction. "I fight only for freedom. I will never submit to anyone. Jack, if you dare trample even a single step upon freedom, you will stand as my enemy!" His tone left no room for doubt—he would rather die than compromise.
Jack didn't flinch. His expression remained calm, almost indifferent. "This matter… it is something that must be handled by me. No one can stop it. Optimus Prime, I will not kill you today. Walk away." His words were light, yet carried undeniable weight. He wasn't sparing Prime out of mercy; it was pure calculation. Killing Optimus now would waste valuable resources. The blood of Prime wasn't worth the loss. Jack had a greater plan—to let Optimus clash with Galvatron and the man-made Transformers, draining them both.
Optimus Prime narrowed his optics, lingering on Jack as if memorizing his face. Then he turned his massive frame away. "Jack, if your existence ever threatens freedom itself, I will hunt you down. I will not let you go."
Jack's lips curved faintly. "Is that so?" His voice was soft, but carried a dangerous edge.
"From this day forward, I am no longer an Autobot," Crosshairs suddenly declared, his tone filled with resolve.
Jack turned to him without hesitation. "Crosshairs, then." He raised the Sword of Judgment and tossed it toward him.
"Eh?" Crosshairs caught the blade, stunned.
"This weapon is of no use to me anymore. It belongs to you now. Stay here and await my orders, Crosshairs." Jack's command was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Crosshairs hesitated. "Aren't we going to join the fight?"
Jack shook his head slowly. "The time hasn't come yet. Our strength is limited—we cannot waste it recklessly. Let Optimus Prime and Galvatron wear each other down first. Only then will the battlefield be ours."
Crosshairs tightened his grip on the sword, then gave a small nod. "I understand."
Jack's eyes gleamed. "Now… it's time I took a look at the Seed." His voice boomed, echoing like a battle cry. His massive black form began to dissolve, fragmenting into countless crimson Transformium particles. Layer by layer, the giant frame disassembled until, in a shimmer of red light, Jack reformed into his human body once more.
The four Dinobots cried out in astonishment, their roars filled with unease. They had never imagined that this terrifying black Transformer could so easily shift into a human.
Crosshairs muttered under his breath, unable to hide his amazement. "Incredible… a seamless transformation between human and Transformer. Truly mysterious."
"Strafe!" Jack called out sharply, leaping onto Grimlock's back.
The two-headed, two-tailed Pteranodon shrieked in response, diving down from the clouds. Jack jumped with perfect timing, landing on Strafe's back, then waved at Tessa and Su Yueming. "What are you standing there for? Get over here!"
Su Yueming and Tessa exchanged a quick look, then ran toward him, scrambling onto Strafe's back with careful, nervous steps.
"Crosshairs—stay here. Await my command." Jack's final order rang out before Strafe screeched and shot into the sky, wings slicing through the air.
As they soared high above the battlefield, Su Yueming and Tessa found themselves staring at Jack. His presence was different—more powerful, more dangerous, yet oddly graceful.
Jack noticed their eyes and smirked, brushing his hair back with a flourish. "I know, I know—I'm striking. But you don't need to stare at me like I'm a work of art."
Su Yueming frowned. "Jack… are you human now, or a Transformer?"
Jack's gaze turned serious. "I have fused with Transformium. That gives me the ability to become a Transformer whenever I wish. But don't mistake that for my true self. At my essence, I am still human. That is something that will never change."
Su Yueming nodded, though confusion lingered in her eyes. "I… still don't really understand."
Tessa reached out, touching her sister's arm. "Elder sister, it doesn't matter. What matters is that he is Jack. That's enough." She looked straight at Jack as she spoke, her voice filled with certainty.
Su Yueming shook her head. "You silly girl… even deceived, you still defend him."
Far below, the sounds of war shook the earth. Explosions thundered across the city center. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Hound, and Drift were locked in ferocious combat against Galvatron and fifty man-made Transformers.
Galvatron's army had the advantage in numbers, but their quality was lacking. Stinger was formidable, but the rest were pale imitations. Compared to the skill and experience of Bumblebee or Drift, they were clumsy, brittle machines.
From above, Strafe circled. Jack's sharp eyes caught sight of movement on a nearby rooftop. "There. I see them. Time to go down." He grabbed both women and leapt from Strafe's back without hesitation.
"What?! No!" Su Yueming and Tessa screamed in unison as they plummeted.
On the rooftop, Harold glared at Joyce, his face dark. "Joyce, you wanted the Seed. We bled and struggled to bring it to you, and now you're turning your back on us?"
Joyce's voice was bitter. "Not for me! The Seed was meant for Galvatron! Harold, if you still have even a shred of conscience, you should—ahhh!" She never finished. Jack, Tessa, and Su Yueming crashed down from above, smashing into her.
Su Yueming blinked in surprise. "Wait… why doesn't it hurt? The ground feels… soft."
"Because you landed on me." Jack grinned wickedly.
"Seriously?" Tessa gasped, staring down.
Joyce lay beneath them, her body twisted, blood flowing freely. She coughed once, eyes full of pain. "Su…" she whispered weakly, before her voice faded forever.
Jack shrugged. "Well, she made a fine cushion. To die as my landing pad—that's an honorable end."
"You monster!" Su Yueming's eyes blazed with fury.
Tessa's gaze hardened with hatred. "If not for you chasing us back then, my father would still be alive!"
Harold and James sneered, exchanging a look. "Your father's death? He deserved it. That was his fate."
"Hateful!" Tessa clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Jack's voice was calm, but carried a razor's edge. "Tessa, do you want to kill them yourself?"
Tessa hesitated only a moment before nodding firmly. "Yes." She was no longer the naïve girl she once was—the timid seventeen-year-old student was gone. What stood here now was someone hardened by loss and vengeance.
"Good. Then I'll let you do it." Jack strode toward Harold and James.
The two men panicked and opened fire. Bullets whizzed past, but Jack's movements were too fast. He blurred forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
"Aghhh!" Both men screamed as Jack's strike sent them flying.
He stooped, grabbed a discarded gun, and aimed it steadily as Harold and James tried to crawl away.
Bang! Bang! Two shots echoed. Their legs exploded in pain, and both men collapsed, writhing and howling in agony.
"Tessa—come here. They're yours." Jack tossed the gun to her feet.
Tessa picked it up, her hands trembling slightly, but her eyes were steady. She stood over Harold and James. "You never imagined you'd die here, did you? But now… it ends."
Bang! Bang! Bang! The shots rang out, each one tearing through the rooftop. Blood pooled as their screams faded.
"You'll die for this! Lockdown will come for you! He'll kill you all!" Harold spat his last words with hatred before falling silent forever.
"Lockdown?" Jack's smile turned cruel, almost eager. "I welcome his arrival."
Su Yueming dragged a heavy black sack forward, her face pale. "This… this is the Seed. We've obtained it. What are you planning to do now?"
Jack's eyes glimmered, his expression unreadable. "Now? Naturally, we're going to make a very big move. Something the whole world will never forget."