Starscream, a dignified Commander-class warrior, likely never imagined that he would one day fall to the schemes of other Decepticons. However, dying in battle against a Leader-class warrior, at the edge of such a warrior's blade, was not a disgrace; it could be said he died a worthy death.
Ever since meeting Starscream again recently, Skygnaw had been pondering how to eliminate him. He was never one to sit idly by or limit himself to passive counterattacks. As the old saying goes, one must strike when the time is right.
However, a direct approach was impossible. He hadn't dared to kill Starscream before Megatron's resurrection, and now that Megatron was back, he certainly couldn't do the deed personally. It wasn't until moments ago that Skygnaw had a flash of inspiration. This battle with Optimus Prime provided an opportunity he could exploit.
Blackarachnia's "accidental" blunder was just one of several traps prepared for Starscream; it just happened that the first one worked. Because Starscream blocked Optimus Prime's line of sight and Skygnaw blocked Megatron's, no one but Skygnaw and Blackarachnia knew the truth behind this "accident." Even the satellites in the sky couldn't see through the natural canopy of the dense jungle.
"Lord Megatron, Lord Starscream has been killed by Optimus Prime."
As Megatron returned to the center of the battlefield, Skygnaw immediately gave a sham report, his voice tinged with feigned grief and indignation. Indeed, even though Starscream's Spark was destroyed and his consciousness faded, Skygnaw intended to use him one last time to establish his own image as a loyal and honest Decepticon—though few Decepticons would likely believe it.
"Useless! Idiot!"
"That Starscream was truly more of a hindrance than a help!"
Seeing Starscream's massive frame slowly toppling, Megatron cursed furiously, his tone reflecting the annoyance of someone who had lost face. Decepticons were inherently selfish and heartless, none more so than Megatron. He felt no grief for Starscream's death, only a bizarre rage, cursing the Seeker for his extreme stupidity.
Megatron did not blame Blackarachnia either, even though, strictly speaking, she was the indirect cause of Starscream's death. Blunders on the battlefield were common; one couldn't stop firing just because there was a chance of hitting a teammate.
Thud—
Starscream's nine-meter-tall body slammed into the ground with a massive roar, uprooting several large trees in the process.
"Optimus Prime!"
Megatron slowly approached Optimus, with Skygnaw following behind and Blackarachnia closing in from another direction. Noticing Blackarachnia looking at him, Skygnaw gave a slight nod, and she responded with a look of "understanding." Both knew that from here on, they had to fight for real. If they continued to slack off, they might accidentally follow in Starscream's footsteps.
"Optimus Prime, you killed Starscream. Did you not know he was my adjutant!"
Resurrected only a few days ago, Megatron's chassis still bore patches of rust, and after the recent fighting, his damage had only increased.
"Hmph!" Optimus let out a cold snort. A flicker of memory seemed to pass through his eyes, but his battle mask obscured his face, hiding his full expression. "Over a year ago, you killed Jazz. He was also my adjutant."
"Megatron, today, Starscream's end shall be yours!"
With one fewer enemy, the odds shifted from four-on-one to three-on-one, significantly easing the pressure. At this moment, Optimus felt his chances of winning had improved; even if he couldn't win, he felt confident in his ability to escape.
"Skygnaw, Blackarachnia, together! Destroy Optimus Prime!" Megatron had no interest in further talk.
"Yes, Lord Megatron."
Once again, Megatron led the charge against Optimus. Skygnaw and Blackarachnia stopped holding back, each exerting nearly all their strength. The battle erupted anew!
Clang—
The moment Optimus swung his sword to parry Megatron's attack, Skygnaw gripped the Black Hell Blade with both hands and thrust toward a gap in Optimus's side. Behind Optimus, Blackarachnia transformed into her humanoid form, her right hand shifting into a laser cannon fused with corrosive properties, and fired a shot directly at Optimus's back.
Faced with simultaneous attacks from three sides, the battle-hardened Optimus did not panic. He first drove a knee into Megatron to knock him back, then swung his sword with one hand to meet the black-and-red longsword. Finally, he tilted his chassis slightly and reached back with his right hand, shifting it into a particle cannon to fire at the attack from behind.
Clash—
Upon contact with the black-and-red blade, a flash of surprise crossed Optimus's eyes. Skygnaw's attack power was far greater than before. Caught off guard, Optimus was pushed back half a step. However, it was exactly this half-step that caused his particle cannon's neutron beam to miss Blackarachnia's corrosive laser.
Bang—Sizzle—
The corrosive laser cannon was a new weapon module Scalpel had specifically installed for Blackarachnia to compensate for her lack of long-range combat capability. It possessed the speed and precision of conventional laser weapons while incorporating the acidity of a chemical attack. Upon hitting Optimus, the laser immediately began corroding his armor.
"Get back!"
Wincing in pain, alarm bells rang in Optimus's mind. He retracted his right hand and fired a shot directly at Skygnaw's chest. Faced with the sudden rotation of the cannon muzzle, Skygnaw had no time to dodge. He had left no strength in reserve for that all-out strike.
Just as he managed to pull the Black Hell Blade back to guard his chest, a beam of light erupted before his eyes.
Boom—
Skygnaw was instantly sent flying.
"What goes around comes around!"
Still in mid-air and ignoring his damage, Skygnaw shifted into his photon cannon and aimed at Optimus.
Then...
Bang—
An armor-piercing photon shell struck Optimus's shoulder. Though there was no explosion, the impact immediately left a massive dent in the shoulder plating.
"Well done, Skygnaw!"
Megatron raised his left mechanical claw, which extended and shifted into a blade shaped like a rhino horn, while his right hand shifted into a fusion cannon.
Boom—
After hitting Optimus with a shot, Megatron closed in again. Following closely, Skygnaw retrieved his dropped Black Hell Blade, with heat-seeking missiles rising from his shoulders as he ran. This battle was destined to end with one side completely falling. He didn't want it to be him, so it had to be Optimus.
As the saying goes, two hands are no match for four.
It wasn't apparent when Skygnaw and Blackarachnia were slacking off, but as this new round of combat began, Optimus keenly realized things were not going as he expected. Skygnaw and Blackarachnia had clearly been hiding their strength. While he wouldn't be defeated immediately, the hope of victory was fading, and escaping now would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
In desperation, Optimus split his energy sword in two, shifting them into two shorter blades.
Clang—
Barely parrying Megatron's blade, Optimus had to hurriedly deal with Skygnaw's opportunistic thrusts while watching for the spider legs Blackarachnia occasionally stabbed from behind. Perhaps fearing another "accidental" hit on a teammate in the melee, Blackarachnia did not use her web attack this time. In close combat, the four spider legs on her back acted like four simultaneous melee weapons, making her difficult to handle.
During the fierce fight, Skygnaw noticed that Optimus's twin magma-red energy swords were short and wide, while his Black Hell Blade was long and narrow. He utilized this reach advantage, hovering at an optimal distance from Optimus's side. This ensured he could dodge Optimus's attacks in time while still being able to strike back.
Despite this being their first time fighting together, Megatron and Blackarachnia were veteran Decepticon warriors. Skygnaw gradually grasped their combat habits, and their coordination became increasingly seamless. For a time, they held the upper hand.
Under this three-sided siege, the wounds on Optimus's chassis multiplied, and his movements grew increasingly sluggish. What surprised Optimus even more was that the black-and-red longsword also possessed corrosive properties. In previous battles, Skygnaw usually hadn't needed to use the full power of the Black Hell Blade before the enemy fell or fled. This grueling siege against Optimus finally allowed the Black Hell Blade to fight to its heart's content.
As Optimus's condition worsened, the three Decepticons also began to sustain varying degrees of damage. Fighting Optimus head-on, Skygnaw—being the tallest—received a significant amount of "attention." If possible, Skygnaw didn't want a war of attrition, but there was no overwhelming power gap to allow for an instant kill.
After several more clashes, just as Skygnaw felt victory was within reach, a roar suddenly erupted:
"Autobots, attack!"
VROOM—
Skygnaw looked up to see several different vehicles speeding down the hillside—the main body of the Autobots had returned! It turned out the Autobots, having waited for Optimus to no avail, had dropped off Mikaela and Leo under Ironhide's orders and rushed back with Sam.
Rat-tat-tat—Whoosh—Boom—
Before the Autobots even reached the battlefield, each vehicle shifted into its weapons and opened fire frantically.
"Lord Megatron," Skygnaw looked toward Megatron. While it was a pity to abandon a nearly certain victory, it was better to retreat and live to fight another day.
Unexpectedly, Megatron showed no intent to retreat. While still locked in combat with Optimus, he barked an order without looking back:
"Blackarachnia, go and block those Autobots! Do not let them get through!"
"Understood, Megatron."
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