Chapter 600: Possibility of Resurrection (Patreon)

Transformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List

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"Mission accomplished, retreat!"

As soon as Starscream, who had lost an arm, confirmed the loss of Optimus Prime's life force, he immediately issued the order to withdraw.

With Autobots' leader dead, Starscream had no interest in dealing with such enraged and grieving soldiers.

Moreover, his delaying tactics had indeed been effective, but the cost was also substantial. As he casually glanced around, Starscream noticed that the entire battlefield was littered with Decepticon corpses. The only Decepticons still alive and capable of fighting were the six members of the Digger Tiger who had formed into Hercules and a dozen nearby Decepticon cannon fodders.

Even Baricade was down; he had to leave immediately, or he'd be in trouble too.

Astrotrain didn't need him to say much; his mission target had always been only Optimus Prime.

After Optimus Prime fell, he lunged forward, transformed into a massive black locomotive, and violently rammed into the approaching Autobots, easily breaking through their encirclement and disappearing into the distance.

Leadfoot chopped off the head of his partner, Roadbuster, who had been a bit too overconfident earlier, and had ultimately met his end with a counterattack from the dying Optimus Prime. However, the Wreckers were also an elite group under Shockwave's command, and the two Decepticons had cooperated seamlessly before, completing many missions for him. As long as they brought back Roadbuster's memory chip, there was still a chance of awakening him in the future.

"Retreat..."

A black shadow, Ravage, overtook Leadfoot, who had just transformed back into his supercar form, at an extremely fast speed.

This guy had tangled with the Arcee sisters during the battle, preventing them from coming to support Optimus Prime, which had been a small achievement.

Ravage had hardly any visible injuries on his body, indicating that he had been dominant in the fight against the Arcee sisters.

Starscream also soared into the sky at an altitude of tens of thousands of meters. He retreated only a moment later than Astrotrain.

In a matter of moments, after flying tens of kilometers, Starscream wasted no time reporting his achievements to his current "master," Lord Fallen.

"Master, we have successfully dealt with Optimus Prime..."

Accompanying the communication was a long segment of battle footage.

Lord Fallen's reaction was much greater than Starscream had expected. A huge virtual projection appeared high in the sky, showing Lord Fallen, who had been staying at the moon base all along.

"Well done, Starscream..."

Lord Fallen rarely showed a smile. "This mission, you have made me very satisfied... until Megatron returns, you shall continue to lead the Decepticons!"

"As you wish, my master!"

The projection quickly disappeared, but Starscream didn't pay much attention to Lord Fallen's "reward." He was already one of the senior commanders of the Skytiger Legion, ranking just below Megatron and Shockwave in terms of authority. Naturally, he knew that the position of Decepticon leader was not something Lord Fallen could grant with just a word; it required corresponding strength and influence.

He wouldn't be able to hold this position for long. Leaving aside Megatron's potential return, Shockwave was on his way to Earth. This meant Starscream's leadership could last for at most a few months.

However, Lord Fallen's appointment was not entirely useless. With his words, all the Decepticons currently in the Solar System would not directly confront Starscream's command, including Soundwave and Astrotrain.

"It's a pity that this leadership won't last long. If only I could get rid of Megatron and Shockwave once and for all..."

This long-standing desire, lasting for millions of years, welled up in his mind again. Yet, Starscream's speed showed no signs of slowing down as he flew rapidly toward the moon.

...

On Highway 17, the scene was now one of devastation.

Explosions and billowing black smoke had turned the area into something resembling hell.

Decepticon and Autobot corpses were scattered everywhere, though the Decepticon casualties far outnumbered the Autobots'.

The Decepticons who had ambushed them showed no mercy to their own cannon fodder, resulting in heavy losses even though they had sacrificed several times more troops than the Autobots. For them, the outcome was entirely acceptable because they had taken the Autobots' leader, Optimus Prime.

"Boom!"

Ironhide knelt beside the charred remains of Optimus Prime, his head bowed in self-reproach, fists repeatedly striking the ground.

After a while, he spoke in a somber tone, "Ratchet, you'll temporarily take command of the base... As the deputy to our leader, I failed to protect him... I will report my dereliction of duty truthfully to the parliament and accept punishment."

Ratchet shook his head, saying, "This isn't your fault, Ironhide... The Decepticons had been planning this for a long time, and none of us saw it coming."

Arcee, unconscious on the side, was flanked by her sisters, Claudia and Alita, who remained silent.

During the battle, they had been the three Autobots closest to Optimus Prime, with no more than thirty meters separating them. However, even at this distance, they had been firmly held back by Ravage.

Sideswipe silently picked up the triangular blade that had fallen to the ground and began walking away.

"Sideswipe, what are you going to do?" Shake asked when he noticed Sideswipe's departure.

"Find the Decepticons and avenge our Leader!" Sideswipe replied coldly. When he had defected from the Decepticons to the Autobots, their leader had still been Sentinel Prime, a ruthless and unrelenting leader who harbored deep-seated contempt and hatred for the Decepticons. So it was easy to imagine the treatment Sideswipe had received when he initially switched sides.

If it hadn't been for Optimus Prime's intervention, Sideswipe might have already died during the civil war.

Sideswipe not only trusted Optimus Prime but also felt grateful to him. In the recent surprise attack, like most Autobot warriors, he had been overwhelmed and engaged by the relentless Decepticon cannon fodder. Failing to protect their leader weighed heavily on Sideswipe, and he felt both self-blame and anguish. He needed to take responsibility for his dereliction of duty by pursuing the Decepticons.

Sam and Michaela sat silently next to Bumblebee, who was equally quiet, looking at the team that seemed lifeless, as if they had lost their souls.

Thinking back to Optimus Prime's care for him in the past, Sam hesitated for a moment before suddenly speaking up.

"Um... I heard that All Spark fragments can revive Decepticons. So, could the Leadership Module do the same?"

His words were met with complete silence in the room.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 601: Commander Ironhide