Transformers: Eradication

Part 38: Dropping Bombshell

Dead-end and Swindle are driving down the road together. They aren't speaking to each other because anything said from Swindle is met with a harsh response from Dead-end. The silence does break when they get lost.

"Hey buddy, I think we're lost."

"I'm not your friend."

"You should be."

"There are no benefits to having a positive relationship with you."

"Au contraire! It gives you a two percent discount on all of your purchases. Plus I'll back you up in a fight."

"We're on the same team. All of these purchases should be for free. And once again we're on the same team. You should always back up your team. This is great, I'm stuck with the weakest member."

"Your words hurt me so. Hold up, what do you mean by weakest?"

(hateful) "You have no skill to call your own, but you have all these fancy toys that you barely know how to use. I can take Vortex's insecurities about his relevance to the team, Dragstrip's ego, Brawl's stupidity, and Motormaster's violent tendencies, but I can't stand you. This whole salesman angle makes me absolutely indignant. I'm surprised you're even still breathing, and I'm surprised I haven't even killed myself yet."

"Geez, sorry if I've been a bother. This is all I know. It's not like I'm a bad person or anything."

"That may be, but there is only so much in this world that I can stand. Perhaps the reason I haven't ended myself is because I want to believe there is something redeemable about the universe I live in. I have yet to find it."

"Maybe that ship will have what you're looking for."

A mothership flies overhead, and Swindle gets an idea.

"I have a plan. Do you trust me?"

"I have no choice."

"Good enough for me."

Swindle takes out an energy hook that latches on to the underside of the mothership. Dead-end clings onto him and they go up and make a hole to enter. The two explore the ship together while trying not to get caught.

"This place sure is big."

"I feel like they're compensating for something."

"We could do wonders with this place."

"We should leave this place."

"The thought did cross my mind, but I'm curious to see that Motormaster vs Optimus Prime fight turn out."

"As am I. After that then we leave."

"Then we can travel the world together, forget the rest of the team."

"I think I may finally be starting to tolerate you."

"Good to know best buddy."

A horde of Vehicons and Decepticons discover them and hold them at gunpoint.

Decepticon: "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Swindle: "How rude! Where are your manners? Don't you recognize one of your own?"

Decepticon: "Excuse me?"

Swindle: "Look we have the same logo. We're practically brothers!"

Dead-end slowly facepalms himself.

Dead: (under his breath) "This will not end well."

Decepticon: "I haven't seen either of you before."

Swindle: "That's because we're new recruits. All hail Megatron am I right?"

Decepticon: "Of course. Now your friend here is being awfully quiet."

Swindle: "Don't worry about him. He's just not big on conversation. Now I got a question for you."

Deception: "What?"

Swindle: "How would you like to go home today on some amazing deals?"

Dead: (dreading) "Oh no."

Swindle: "I got guns, knives, guns that turn into knives, and knives that turn into a smaller version of that knife!"

Decepticon: "That last one doesn't seem useful at all."

Swindle: "But wait, there's more! If you buy now I'll throw in a free pet kiwi."

Decepticon: (scratches his chin) "Hmm, you renewed my interest with the kiwi."

A Vehicon cocks his head slightly and goes to a nearby monitor, touching something as he does it. Dead-end notices this and throws his sword into his neck. Swindle's eyes are big as dinner plate, and he sees Dead-end leap to the body and pulls his sword out. He also presses a button on the keyboard. The camera goes solely to Swindle's expression that turns from shock to terror. In the background the screams of Vehicons and Decepticons are heard and then die out amidst all the stabbings. Dead-end killed off the whole crew of the ship within less than two minutes.

(distraught) "What was that for?! I was finally having a sale!"

"Normally I would allow you to indulge yourself in your business adventures, but something was wrong."

"What was wrong?"

"Look at the Vehicon trooper that I first killed. When you examine his body tell me what you find out of the ordinary."

Swindle checks out the Vehicon corpse and notices something strange in his hand.

"He has a phone of some sort."

"Exactly. He was going to call this in. Our cover was blown and I saved it. Just remember you wouldn't get such generosity from Motormaster."

"Noted."

"Good thing I hit autopilot or we might me dead.... if only."

"Ill figure out how to drive this thing."

Swindle pulls out a convenient guide on how to drive spaceships. It seems that his personal port has items for literally every situation.

"Of course you'd have one of those."

In the heart of the city the Aerialbots are flying around still going about their business.

Silver: "Great work everyone. Keep it up."

Sling: "We don't get paid enough for this."

Silver: "Knowing we're taking out Decepticons is the only pay I need."

Sling: "Yeah sure it is."

Suddenly a missile out of nowhere hits Skydive from behind, and he crashes to the ground.

Silver: "Skydive!"

Fire: "Where did that come from?"

Three jet engines are heard and are getting closer. In a surprise move it is none other than the Coneheads challenging them to a duel. Thrust surprisingly gathered the courage and shot down Skydive.

Thrust: "Look guys I actually got one!"

Dirge: "What a fine shot my boy. Let's continue the trend."

Silver: "You better turn back now Coneheads, this is your only warning."

Dirge: "You don't scare me Autobots.'

Thrust: "You guys only slightly scare me!"

Dirge: "You have had your last flight."

Silver: "Prepare for anything!'"

The Coneheads have proven themselves to be quite competent in the air. No matter what maneuvers of escape the Aerialbots do the Coneheads are right now their tail. Ramjet and Thrust block Stratosphere and Dirge gets above him and blasts his sonic breaker to defeat him. The remaining four Aerialbots scramble with Slingshot bringing up the rear. Ramjet and Thrust go after the others while Dirge stays behind to take on Slingshot. He tails the young Aerialbot closely, but underestimates his wit. Slingshot transform and fires a blast from his slingshock cannon that wraps itself around Dirge and forces him to crash into a building. Slingshot rejoins the others, and the sling is crushing Dirge to death slowly while simultaneously electrocuting him. He has to act fast to escape. When Slingshot rejoins the others Thrust appears next to him and overheats his weapons. He and Ramjet both collide into him and force him down. Jetfire blasts at Ramjet but he dodges. The same can't be said for Thrust, and he gets his wing clip and takes a nosedive into the street. There is an explosion but Thrust survives. Ramjet catches up to Jetfire and crashes into him. His hard nose cone protects him, but Jetfire goes down. Fireflight goes underneath him, transforms and unleashes a full blast of fire on him. Ramjet goes down severely damaged but also survives. It seems that Silverbolt and Fireflight have won the battle. All the other Aerialbots are alive but are too damaged to fly for the time being.

Silver: "Glad that's over."

Fire: "Who would have thought those Coneheads would be decent fliers."

Dirge: "You don't give us enough credit!"

Dirge blasts out of a building finally free from the slingshock. He sends out a heat seeking missile that aims and hits Fireflight. Due to his heat-based weaponry he was an easy target.

Silver: "Fireflight!"

Fire: "I'll be fine, but it's all up to you Silverbolt!"

Dirge: "You're finished! Megatron will be most pleased to know we defeated the Aerialbots!"

Dirge chases Silverbolt everywhere he goes. He sends out more heat seeking missiles that Silverbolt barely avoids. He then tries his sonic breaker and that nearly gets him. Silverbolt fires back but Dirge counters everything he has and shoots him. Despite this Silverbolt is still flying. It's apparent that Silverbolt can't win like this, and he is forced to do the one thing he fears most. He must gain altitude. Silverbolt gets higher, and his nerves increase as well. He knows that he has to put that aside or else Dirge will kill him.

Dirge: (gloating) "Yes go as high as you wish, but it won't change your fate!"

Silver: (brave) "I beg to differ!"

Silverbolt in a daring stunt transform and punches Dirge so hard in the nosecone he spirals out of control. He transforms to try to reduce his speed, but he lands chest first on the roof of a skyscraper. He survives but is out like a light. Silverbolt flies down to help the rest of his friends to his feet.

Fire: "You finally did it. You conquered your vertigo."

Jetfire: "See? That wasn't so bad after all."

Silver: "Are you kidding? I was terrified that whole time! The only thing that kept me strong was my desire to protect all of you."

Sling: "Aww you're going all soft and mushy on us."

Silver: "I know you all are hurt pretty bad, so take a breather. Wheeljack, if you can hear us bridge us some medical supplies."

With the Aerialbots taking a break, it transitions over to Megatron driving through the streets alone. He hasn't come into contact with any sort of resistance, but that is about to change right now. As he's driving, he thought he saw something crawling along the buildings. With the aid of his mirrors he looks around, but he spots nothing. An unknown object hits him in the side and explodes, forcing him to transform and roll along the street. He gets up, and Bombshell greets him face to face.

"Megatron, I have finally found you."

"Bombshell, what a pleasant surprise."

"The pleasantry will only be momentarily. You will pay for having us imprisoned, tortured, and experimented on like we were nothing but animals. We are people just like you, and this was sick."

"You were a blight on our cause and hungry for power. Besides your biology and abilities intrigue us."

"If my powers intrigue you so much then I'll give you a private demonstration."

"Oh really? Last time you faced me it didn't turn out so well for you. Not to mention all three of you were there."

"I've grown wiser from our last meeting, and I know you are not as strong as you were before."

"Even then you still could not defeat me on my weakest day."

"Only one way to find out."

Megatron and Bombshell have a rematch, and in surprise turn of events Bombshell is winning. It seems that he has learned a lot since the last fight. Most of Megatron's attack are countered, and Bombshell's strikes usually connect. Bombshell uppercuts Megatron and knocks him down. He is about to stomp on Megatron's head, but Megatron grabs his shotgun and blasts Bombshell back. It They get up and duke it out again but now Bombshell's Energon Harvester sucks the life out of Megatron. In a last-ditch effort Megatron picks up and throws him into a streetlight. Even then Megatron finds himself falling on one knee.

"Even the mighty Megatron kneels before me."

(roaring) "I KNEEL BEFORE NOBODY!"

"It doesn't matter in the end. Unlike you I am merciful. This will be quick and painless."

Bombshell would have fired a fatal shot into Megatron, but he hears something charging behind him. A green shot of energy hits Bombshell in the back and now he's on his back. The mystery assailant grinds down the wall of the tallest building nearby, and it's Mixmaster.

Mix: "I've been waiting for my own fight scene against these guys!"

Megatron: "Mixmaster? The surprises never end."

Bomb: "You dare to attack me you low-level laborer?"

Mix: "Low-level? I'll have you know you're dealing with a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist!"

Bomb: "I care not for what you purport to be. Your days end here!"

Bombshell is about to attack Mixmaster, but someone else shoots him from behind. Now Scrapper has entered the fray.

Megatron: "And now Scrapper."

Scrapper: "I don't know about the genius part but the others I might be more laxed on."

Mix: "Nice to see you stepping in."

Scrapper: "Did you think I'd let you have all the fun? Let's take out this trash."

Mix: "We'll handle it from here Megatron. You go on about your day."

Megatron: "Then I wish the both of you good luck. I don't care whether he's dead or alive. Just make sure he isn't leaving this spot."

Mix: "You got it."

Megatron drives off, but unknown to him Snarl has spotted him, and now he chases the Decepticon leader by himself. Now it is up to Mixmaster and Scrapper to stop Bombshell.

Bomb: "If you truly wish to do this, then I will certainly comply!"

Bombshell transforms and fires a massive tank-projectile at Mixmaster. He panics and puts all of his shields in front of him. Bombshell leaps on the shields and starts devouring them. Scrapper leaps on Bombshell and starts hitting him to let go. He flies up with Scrapper still clinging on and slams him into a wall. He dive bombs Mixmaster and rolls him across the street. Bombshell transforms and punches Mixmaster in the jaw and uppercuts him to knock him down. He is about to slash his face in but Scrapper fires another shot into his back, and it allows time for Mixmaster recover. Mixmaster does a right swing that Bombshell ducks under, and he grabs Mixmaster by the arm, and swings him into Scrapper. The two get up quickly but Bombshell fires another explosive round that they both get caught in. Bombshell fires a cerebro shell, but Mixmaster again shields himself from the attack. Bombshell starts pounding on the shields and rips up the upper left one, and he hits Mixmaster's face with it. Scrapper tackles Bombshell and holds him in place for Mixmaster to punch him, but Bombshell rears his head back to hit Scrapper and fires a harvester shot right into Mixmaster to steal his life force. The two aren't done yet as Mixmaster's long arms swat Bombshell aside, and Scrapper grabs a car and slams it down on his head. Bombshell bursts out and slams his fist down on Scrapper, but he catches it with his only real hand, and his other hand fires out his flail into Bombshell's chest. He falls on his back and Scrapper takes the opportunity to slam it down on his chest. Mixmaster gets up and formulates a plan, but he needs time.

Mix: "Scrapper I know what to do, but I need about a minute."

Bomb: "Within a minute you both will be dead, and I shall laugh!"

Scrapper: "Yeah sure, I've given you complete control of my life so far and I've turned up mostly alright. Oh what the hell, go for it!"

Mixmaster transforms and concocts something while it goes to a first person view of Scrapper fighting Bombshell from the perspective of Mixmaster's windshield. The sound is muffled to give an authentic feel inside a vehicle, but Scrapper is getting wrecked by Bombshell. Scrapper can be heard making comments like "This hurts too much!" and "I am literally regretting my entire life right now!" During all this Mixmaster is whistling a tune to himself Bombshell grabs Scrapper and punches him repeatedly in the face and does a piledriver technique on him. He is now crushing Scrapper from behind when Mixmaster finishes his product.

Mix: "Done!"

Scrapper: "Finally!"

Bombshell needs to recharge again and slowly weakens, and Scrapper feels it. so he bashes his elbow three times in Bombshell's face to free himself. Mixmaster fires acid where Bombshell is walking and his legs and part of his back is melting. He tries to crawl away and hit him with a harvester blast, but Scrapper's flail crushes his arm. The now defeated Bombshell is bridged back to the Decepticon's base in a cell next to Kickback. Mixmaster reattaches his fallen shield and tries to celebrate with Scrapper.

"Well I'm glad that's over. Great teamwork buddy!"

"Yeah thanks, but is it really over?"

"What do you mean?"

"We still have the Autobots to deal with, and what about these drones?"

"They'll die out without the Insecticons controlling them."

"Yeah but they die out quickly, and yet they're still standing."

"Soundwave reports that all are dead or captured."

"We have two of them, but I think Soundwave may have overlooked the obvious.

Back in Central Park Shrapnel's body kick starts. He swims ashore panting. He is the only one left uncaptured, and now the responsibility rests entirely on his shoulders.