The Autobots' Tragedy

"Esteemed compatriots, this will be our Autobots' final battle on Cybertron. For our homeland, for the honor of the Autobots, please stand with me! We vanguards will carve a path through for everyone, but after that, you will have to rely on yourselves. Everyone knows the Decepticons' methods. Unless there is absolutely no other choice, never give up!"

This could be considered Optimus Prime's final declaration. The Autobots had always been the most pacifistic warriors, so aside from Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ultra Magnus, and the others who wore heavy armor, most Autobot soldiers were equipped only with civilian-grade armor. Their Decepticon opponents, meanwhile, were uniformly outfitted with the finest alloy equipment, and there was no comparison whatsoever between the two sides' firepower. The Autobots were essentially using eggs to smash against rocks.

Even if Optimus Prime led the few dozen well-equipped Autobot warriors under his command to open up a route to survival, the layers of blockades waiting behind them made the outcome obvious. Moreover, Megatron never took prisoners. Whenever he captured Autobot soldiers, unless they held particularly important positions, he would directly extract their sparks. Then, using the Decepticons' spark-modification technology, he would erase the memories of those once-kind Autobots and turn them into terrifying warriors to fight their former comrades. That was the most shameful thing of all!

But the Decepticon army had already reached the city walls. There was no longer any extra time for these supposedly weak Autobots to lament. When enemies met on a narrow road, only the brave could prevail. Even if only one percent of these thousand-plus Autobots escaped in the end, that would still be the last spark of hope!

In truth, the situation was not quite as dire as Optimus Prime had described. Changes had also been quietly taking place among the Decepticons. Those who feared they would lose their jobs once the Autobots were completely wiped out had secretly withdrawn part of their forces. The most obvious example was Great Dinosaur Saurus and his gang of cronies.

Starscream had been much more discreet about it. On the surface, withdrawing the air units was meant to flatter Megatron, giving him a chance to confront Optimus Prime head-on. In reality, however, Starscream's actions had completely stripped the Decepticons of their aerial advantage. Yet Megatron, immersed in the joy of impending victory, apparently saw nothing wrong with it.

"Commander-in-Chief Megatron, Starscream is getting better and better at kissing your ass. That coward is as timid as ever!"

The speaker was someone named Shockwave. Unlike ordinary Decepticon soldiers, he particularly disliked straightforward attacks. Instead, he preferred transforming into a worm, burrowing underground, and launching sneak attacks on the Autobots from the other side. Though that seemed to be the Decepticons' usual style as well!

"Heh heh, Shockwave, don't mind Starscream. He has always been like this. Go on, let me see your true combat power. Once this final battle is over, you will replace Starscream!"

At Megatron's promise, a red light flashed in the eyes of the sinister and cunning Shockwave. Then, the strange-looking Transformer transformed directly into a long, silvery-white metal object. From afar, he looked like a disgusting earthworm covered all over in barbs.

"Great Commander-in-Chief Megatron, please enjoy my performance! I will clear away all those nuisances, then deliver Optimus Prime, the final prey, right to your mouth!"

After saying that, Shockwave drilled straight down through the metal plating beneath his feet, instantly leaving behind a huge hole more than ten meters wide.

"Buzz, buzz, screech, screech, screech!"

"What was that? Something is heading toward our rear! Can you feel the vibrations beneath our feet?"

Ironhide was the first to react. He had fought Shockwave on the battlefield before, so he immediately sensed that something was wrong. Unfortunately, Optimus Prime's deputy was firmly pinned down on defensive duty. If he left, it would leave a huge gap here, and those Decepticons on the other side were no pushovers.

"Could it... could it be Shockwave? Oh no, he's going to attack the civilian convoy!"

Someone shouted, and then, roughly five hundred meters from the Autobots' front-line position, the ground suddenly collapsed. Something like a rapidly spinning drill burst from beneath the earth, covered in dirt and metal shavings. Who else could it be but the evil Shockwave?

At the spot where Shockwave burst out of the ground, a group of around eighty Autobot civilians were hurrying toward the rear. Shockwave directly overturned the super bus they were riding in, and all six wheels on its left side fell off as well.

"Invincible Bus, transform!"

It turned out to be a massive transportation-type Transformer. But aside from a huge hammer in his hands, he seemed to have no other defensive weapons. And because the attack had come so suddenly, at least thirty passengers had not yet managed to get out, hampering the bus's attempts to defend himself.

But Shockwave gave his opponent no chance. His rapidly spinning tail plunged straight into the chest of the bus Autobot, striking its fuel line dead on. In an instant, countless streams of black-and-white oil burst from the breach, while blue electrical sparks flashed intermittently from short-circuited sections nearby.

"Oh no, I'm about to explode! You... get out of here! Jump down! Hurry, run!"

Boom!

"Ahhh!"

Everything happened too suddenly. In barely five seconds, the burly bus Autobot became a ball of fire, and the thirty-odd unfortunate civilian Autobots inside failed to escape.

The massive force of the explosion also sent dozens of nearby Autobot civilians, who had not managed to flee in time, flying to the ground. Countless tires, screws, and unknown gears and other parts scattered everywhere. Even the heads of two robots flickered over there; they probably would not live much longer either...

And so, the first shot of the decisive battle between the Autobots and Decepticons was fired.

"Damn you, Shockwave! We'll fight you to the death! You vile Decepticon, you opened fire on our civilians the moment you arrived! Do you have even a shred of knightly honor?"

Seeing their comrades perish in the flames, more than a dozen Autobot warriors assigned to guard duty immediately raised their weapons and fired desperately at Shockwave!