Skids and Mudflap hopped off the ship just as the dust began to settle.
"Optimus is invincible! I knew those Decepticons weren't a match for you!"
"That's our leader! Good job, Optimus!"
The twins acted like a two-man hype squad, shouting their praises at the top of their vocal processors. The Arcee sisters hadn't joined the mission; their combat effectiveness was too low to be useful in a direct Decepticon suppression, so they were usually kept out of these heavy frontline engagements.
Optimus ignored the twins, instead urging William Lennox to move quickly.
"On it, Optimus."
At Lennox's command, soldiers carrying specialized salvage tools filed off the ship, followed by several tanks rolling down the ramp to secure the perimeter.
"Hey, dummy, we're leaving!" Skids called out, seeing Optimus heading back into the ship.
"Wait! Don't leave me!" Mudflap dropped the severed Decepticon limb he was poking and scrambled after his brother.
Moments later, the ship ascended, engaging its jump drive. They arrived over Mount Jasper in Japan seconds later. But the scene below wasn't the battlefield they expected. Instead, a massive plume of volcanic ash choked the sky. Mount Jasper was waking up.
The black cloud loomed over the entire region, turning the sky a sickly grey. It looked as if the mountain might vomit lava at any second. Optimus was forced to bring the ship down low, searching through the haze.
They touched down near a small village. Surveying the wreckage and the various puddles of colored fluids staining the earth, Optimus knelt to pick up a piece of jagged metal.
He recognized it immediately. It was a section of Sideswipe's arm.
"Optimus? What is this?" Lennox asked, rifle slung over his shoulder. He felt a gnawing sense of dread; that piece of metal looked far too familiar.
"William... Ironhide and the others have met with disaster." Optimus's voice was heavy. "Perhaps this operation was a mistake from the very beginning."
[Mount Jasper's 300-year slumber ends abruptly; what is the cause?]
[Live Exclusive: Edo City News reports from the scene...]
Skygnaw sat in the command center of Base One, watching the news of his handiwork. Almost immediately, a high-priority communication from Clarice flashed across his HUD. It was a "reprimand."
[Mr. Skygnaw, you gave me your word! Why did NEST suffer such heavy losses?]
He smiled thinly, typing back a calm response.
[Madam, the items you requested have been placed at the drop-off point you specified. You can send your people to collect them now.]
Two minutes later, a second message arrived:
[Very well, Mr. Skygnaw. Let's ensure there isn't a next time.]
"See? That simple," Skygnaw mused, tilting his head. "A politician is a politician. Since when do they actually love their soldiers—"
[Skygnaw, excellent work.]
The new message interrupted his thoughts.
[I expect you to use those Autobot prisoners to trade for Lord Megatron's remains.]
"Who does this guy think he is?" Skygnaw muttered, shaking his head and dismissing the alert.
Soundwave certainly had a lot of nerve, acting like he'd already decided the fate of Bumblebee and the others. Did Soundwave think Skygnaw didn't know how to handle his own prisoners?
Perhaps because Skygnaw had snapped at him before, Soundwave's tone was noticeably more respectful this time, acknowledging Skygnaw as a fellow Commander-class warrior. But no matter how many pings Soundwave sent, Skygnaw ignored them all.
It wasn't that he was trying to preserve the "original plot." It was that Soundwave's plan was pure fantasy.
In the original history, Optimus was willing to die to stop Megatron. The scout and the veteran were important, but Optimus would never hand over Megatron's body for them. If Skygnaw even suggested it, Optimus would just spend the rest of eternity hunting him across the galaxy for revenge.
"What a garbage idea..." Skygnaw squinted at the ceiling.
Truthfully, he hated having that "eye in the sky" watching him. Soundwave's surveillance capabilities far exceeded any human satellite. Back when Skygnaw was just an Elite, it didn't matter much. But now that he was a Commander with his own private interests, that constant gaze was a nuisance.
"Pity." He shook the thought away. Decepticons were allowed to kill each other, but Soundwave was Megatron's most loyal shadow. Touching him meant a death sentence.
Soundwave didn't hold his position as Chief Communications Officer just because of his combat power. He possessed a unique ability: long-range electronic interaction. Often called "mind-reading," it allowed him to intercept the weakest signals and relay commands across an entire star system. That was why he spent most of his time floating in orbit; Megatron couldn't afford to lose him on the front lines.
Diego Garcia: NEST Base
Optimus and Lennox returned to a bombshell: Bumblebee and Ironhide had been captured.
"Lennox, the Decepticon is waiting. Get over to the war room, fast."
Lennox didn't stop for questions. He and Optimus sprinted toward the massive Information Warfare Center. Behind them, Lawrence watched with a secret, cold satisfaction.
This two-pronged operation was a disaster—or at least half of one. As the mission architect and commander, Lennox would have to take the fall. This was Lawrence's chance to expand his influence and, eventually, replace him.
"Onslaught!"
The moment they entered the war room, Optimus saw a familiar head on the main display. It was the escapee, Onslaught.
"Optimus Prime. I bet you didn't expect this!" Onslaught looked downright gleeful. Escaping the Prime and seeing his plan come to fruition had clearly boosted his mood.
"Onslaught, cut the chatter. Do you have Ironhide and Bumblebee?" Optimus's optics flashed with a cold light. He regretted letting the strategist slip away.
"I do. They're right here." Onslaught adjusted the camera feed.
The screen shifted. Bumblebee, Ironhide, Sideswipe, and Jolt were sprawled on the ground, unmoving. Black metallic disks were clamped to their chests. Nearby, Robert and a few bedraggled soldiers were huddled in a corner.
"Robert!" Lennox gasped.
Optimus recognized the devices immediately. Stasis Cuffs.
"Onslaught, speak," Optimus said, his hands curling into fists. "What is your price?"
"No, no, no," Onslaught wagged a finger. "Don't be in such a hurry, Optimus. Don't you want to know how we caught them?"
Onslaught was meticulous to a fault—a perfectionist who loved explaining his handiwork to his victims. "This was all thanks to the brilliance of Lord Skygnaw. I simply provided... a little assistance. You see, while I was distracting you, Skygnaw was busy—"
"That's enough, Onslaught. Don't waste time. Let's talk business."
A new voice cut through the feed. Onslaught didn't look annoyed; he looked submissive. "Yes, Lord Skygnaw."
"Skygnaw?" Optimus paused, confusion flickering in his processors. "He's an Elite. How could he—"
"No, Optimus. That's in the past." Onslaught's voice rose with excitement. "Skygnaw has ascended. He is now our fourth Commander-class warrior!"
The camera panned. Sitting on a massive metal throne was a jagged, terrifying Decepticon.
"Optimus," Skygnaw said, his jaw-plates clicking. "I apologize that we have to meet again like this."
"Skygnaw... you've reached Commander-class?" Optimus ignored the mock politeness, focusing entirely on the power levels he was seeing through the screen.
"I have. I suppose I should thank you Autobots for the motivation." Skygnaw stood up. Even through a screen, his massive frame exerted a suffocating pressure on everyone in the room.
It wasn't just sarcasm. Without the threat of the Autobots and the weight of Optimus Prime's shadow, Skygnaw might never have pushed so hard to evolve. But now, as a Commander, he finally felt he could move without looking over his shoulder.
Optimus felt a sinking realization. He had split his forces believing there were no Commander-class threats left on Earth. He had calculated that Ironhide's team could handle any Elite. He hadn't accounted for Skygnaw.
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