Chapter 21: Optimus Prime's Final Gift
"I don't care what you think of me, Optimus Prime. Remember this star map I'm about to show you. That red dot marks the greatest weakness in the Decepticon defenses. Whether you Autobots can escape or not—it all depends on your luck!"
The escape point Starscream suggested was actually within the defensive circle of the Great Dinosaur Thalas. Since he had been the first to face Megatron, there were no Decepticons stationed in that area. If Optimus Prime and his companions could reach that location precisely, perhaps some of their elite warriors could escape to other universes from there.
Then came the issue of trust. Through Optimus Prime's internal Autobot communication channel, he and Ironhide—along with the other Autobot leaders—had already received the map. The decision was now theirs to make.
"Starscream, I don't know whether to believe you or not, but I can't shake the feeling that you're hiding something from us!"
Although Starscream's reasons sounded convincing, Commander Meng remained doubtful—and who could blame him? After all, Starscream had never exactly been friendly toward the Autobots in tens of thousands of years.
"I don't care what you think. I just hope that thing inside your body doesn't know about our conversation. Did you remove Shockwave's brain chip? Why isn't he moving?"
"Starscream, don't doubt this. My level far surpasses Shockwave's. Even though I'm nearly out of energy, I can still subdue him! Now, I want to give you a gift—one that will allow you to speak with Megatron. I hope that star map you brought us proves to be worth it!"
Heh—this Maverick was a sentimental robot. To give Starscream an explanation for when he returned to Megatron, he planned to sacrifice himself as a gift.
The main plot was simple: Starscream would attack the central command module of Maverick's robotic body, pretending to rescue Shockwave in the process.
Of course, this was just a ruse. Aware that his time was running out, Maverick had already constructed a teleportation device within his spark core—one that would self-destruct upon activation.
When Maverick's energy reached zero, his spark would automatically transfer to Optimus Prime, accompanying the legendary Autobot hero into another universe.
Maverick's massive, lifeless body would make the perfect trophy for Starscream, wouldn't it? Once the Decepticons saw Starscream defeat the mighty Autobot supersoldier, who would dare question his true motives?
The entire exchange occurred within mere seconds—just enough time to guarantee Starscream's safety until the thick smoke cleared.
But if, after all these theatrics, this so-called Decepticon Air Commander achieved nothing, suspicion would quickly follow.
"Mighty Marshal, you really are..."
"Damn you, Decepticons! I'll never forgive you! I, Mighty Marshal, am the last line of Autobot defense! I won't let you take one more step!"
Although Mighty Marshal appeared to be blocking Starscream's way, his eyes clearly said: "Hurry up and shoot me!"
At this critical moment, when the entire Autobot race faced extinction, was Mighty Marshal truly planning to sacrifice himself?
Seeing his opponent's expression, Starscream suddenly understood.
"Hahaha, so that's what this was all about! You were just hanging on! If you hadn't captured that fool Shockwave earlier, your energy would've run out long ago, right? Let me show you the power of Starscream's laser cannon!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
As the smoke slowly cleared, the thunder of artillery and missile explosions echoed across the battlefield. At the same time, everyone heard Starscream's mad laughter and the Marshal's final roar:
"Curse you, Starscream! Even if this is my last breath, I'll turn you into scrap metal! And that damn Megatron—you're all sinners of Cybertron!"
"Shut up, you pile of junk! You dare slander Lord Megatron in front of me? You must be tired of living!"
"Zap! Zap! Zap!"
"Boom!"
A new round of explosions erupted. Several air-to-ground missiles streaked across the sky, their trails briefly visible through the haze.
"Ah—how could this happen?!"
"BOOM!"
A deafening explosion followed—stronger than all the previous blasts combined. The smoke that had begun to dissipate was consumed by an even greater blast wave. And before the new smoke could rise, most of the Decepticons present witnessed a shocking scene.
The seemingly invincible Autobot supersoldier, Macho Man, was bursting with massive sparks from his chest, arcs of blue lightning dancing around him. It seemed Starscream had accidentally struck the Autobot's temporary central control system.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"No... I... I can't fall... I am Macho Man, I..."
His body erupted in a series of explosions, lightning surging wildly around him. Before the eyes of both Autobots and Decepticons, the incredibly brave Autobot supersoldier finally collapsed heavily between the two armies. Who could have imagined that this legendary warrior would fall to someone as seemingly insignificant as Starscream?
"Well done! Starscream has done us a great favor! Decepticons, listen up! All forces—attack! Nothing can stop us now! Decepticons, advance!"
Although Megatron still wasn't entirely convinced that Maverick had truly betrayed Starscream, ever the opportunist, he immediately launched a full-scale assault. After all, with Maverick gone, the pressure weighing on Megatron had greatly lessened. If he couldn't completely annihilate Optimus Prime's Autobots under these circumstances, it would truly prove the incompetence of the Decepticon leader.
(End of Chapter)