After Optimus tackles Megatron off of the building, the two collide into the ground, Alpha Trion following soon after. The two grunt as the asphalt crumbles beneath them and Optimus wrestles Megatron, his servo grabbing at his helm and pressing it into the ground. Before Optimus can do anymore damage, Alpha Trion kicks at Optimus, throwing him off of Megatron.
"Optimus... you forget your place!" Alpha Trion calls out to him. Optimus groans as he gets back up. "I bring you Cybertron, your home, and still you choose humanity!"
"You've grown soft, Optimus," Megatron taunts, spitting out energon as he gets up from the debris. "You really would choose the humans over your own kind?" Optimus' optics dart between Alpha Trion and Megatron as the two approach him.
"You were the one who taught me freedom is everyone's right," Optimus replies, glaring at Alpha Trion. He brandishes his energon axe. "Where is that sentiment now, Alpha Trion?" he asks.
"It vanished when our planet became a barren wasteland!" Alpha Trion says, activating his double bladed weapon. The two charge at each other, their blades meeting. Optimus swings at Alpha Trion, hitting him with the blunt end of his axe before swinging again. He slams Alpha Trion against a building. "Cybertron WILL survive, Optimus!"
"Not at the cost of human lives!" Optimus snarls, raising his axe to swing at Alpha Trion again before he kicks him away. Optimus stumbles back, an energon mace hitting him from behind as Megatron begins to attack as well. Optimus yells out in pain before he rolls to the side, not wanting a repeat of a few years back. There's a shot that zips past Optimus and hits Megatron in the shoulder. He yells out in pain as it shoots through him. Megatron growls as he looks at his assailant. His optics meet with Jazz' visor as he sees him reload his sniper rifle for another shot.
- We got your back, Optimus! - Jazz' voice comes through the commline.
- We'll keep Megatron busy while you take care of Alpha Trion! - Ironhide says.
- You're not alone in this again, Prime! We got you.- Sideswipe says. There's the rev of various engines driving onto the Chicago street, Ironhide's red GMC Topkick speeding down to collide into Megatron as he readies his cannon to shoot at Jazz in retaliation.
Megatron is thrown back as Ironhide rams into him. Optimus lunges at Alpha Trion again before giving a thankful nod to Ironhide.
"Decepticons! Fire at Optimus!" Alpha Trion commands. The Seekers nearby fly into the area and begin to fire down towards Optimus as soon as they dive in. "Restart that pillar!"
"You've always been a pain in the aft, Megatron!" Ironhide grits out as the two fight. Bumblebee's engine revs as he goes in to help Ironhide, swiping Megatron's pedes from underneath him. Megatron growls out of frustration as he swings his energon mace at the two.
"Once this planet is mine, you and your Autobots will be great material for rebuilding our planet!" Megatron spits out.
"It'll be a while before I'm scrap!" Ironhide exclaims, lunging towards Megatron and punching Megatron's jaw from below in an uppercut.
"Take cover!" Optimus yells out as the Seekers go in for another dive. "I can't hold them! The ships have us pinned!" One of the blasts hits near Optimus and he's thrown to the ground. "NO!"
- We got backup coming in, Optimus! - Lennox' voice comes through. The sounds of military aircraft off in the distance and missiles whizzing past the buildings gives some reprieve as they collide into the Seekers. A few of them collide into the ground and into the buildings nearby. It's only a matter of time before more Seekers come in to rain fire upon the Autobots.
"URGH!" Optimus yells out as another shot hits him nearby. "If we do not get rid of the Nemesis, they'll continue their onslaught!" Optimus calls out.
- Percy and I got a plan! - Brainstorm replies. - We're going to infiltrate the Nemesis! Hang tight! - Off in the distance, Brainstorm's teal and orange frame shoots off into the sky and towards the large Decepticon ship that looms above the city.
"Alright, let's see what we're working with," Chrys says, turning her attention to the control pillar. She briefly glances up towards the Nemesis that is growing closer and closer to their position. She sees Brainstorm flying up towards it from below. "Shit, we gotta do this quick," she says, standing up from her spot, she fastens the boom stick onto the control pillar. After pressing the activation button, she grabs Wendy's arm and the two bolt out of there, heading towards the roof access door. "Come on, come on," she says, watching as Wendy holds the door open as a shield. She peers from the side, waiting until the boom stick finally goes off with a loud noise. It blasts the control pillar apart and the beam of light shooting from it that was keeping the portal open dissipates. "YES!" Chrys yells, pumping her fist.
"NO!" Starscream's voice comes from aside. Chrys whips her head around to see Starscream's return without his trine. "You little INSECT!" he yells.
"Time to go!" Wendy says, yanking Chrys this time and shutting the rooftop access door as the two run sprint down the stairs, the door being blasted through with Starscream's nullrays. Debris sprays down onto the two as they continue to run down. There's another blast, stronger this time, as it shakes the whole building.
"He's seriously not gonna blow the building up, is he?" Chrys asks quickly as they descend the stairs.
"I am NOT staying to find out!" Wendy says as there's another shake from above.
"Percy, we're gettin pretty close to the shields!" Brainstorm calls out.
"I almost got the frequency disruptor down!" Perceptor exclaims as he presses various buttons at Brainstorm's control panel. "NOW!" they yell. Brainstorm lets out a barrage of shots, piercing through the Nemesis' hull and the two squeeze through into the interior of the ship. Perceptor is let out and Brainstorm transforms.
"Think they know we're here?" Brainstorm asks. The ship immediately goes on red alert, the lights flashing red. He takes out two small guns.
"Of course they do!" Perceptor exclaims.
"Well, let's see if this immobiliser works," Brainstorm says, tossing another to Perceptor.
"Setting phasers to stun," Perceptor replies. Brainstorm laughs.
"I love when you talk Star Trek." The two run down the ship's corridors, ready to take the Decepticons head on. A few crewmates approach them, running towards them and Brainstorm takes aim and blasts one of them with the Immobiliser, Perceptor shooting the other. The two bots freeze in place and Brainstorm lets out a laugh of triumph. "IT WORKS!" he says.
"Wonderful, now let's get to the engine room!" Perceptor says, the two running past the crewmates.
- The portal's down! - Starscream informs Alpha Trion. Alpha Trion growls out of frustration and faces Optimus. Optimus attempts to get up from his spot as Alpha Trion approaches him.
"Once again, you've doomed your planet, Optimus," Alpha Trion lectures. "All for this measly planet! Always the bravest of us!" he taunts as he swings his double blade at Optimus, Optimus getting up and blocking it with his axe. "But you could never make the right decisions!" Alpha Trion says. Optimus yells out as he pushes Alpha Trion off of him.
"I tire of what you deem is right, Alpha Trion!" Optimus snaps, continuing his onslaught of blows, Alpha Trion blocking some of them. The two continue to duel, making their way on top of a bridge. The ground shakes briefly as a large object collides onto the ground. Alpha Trion looks over to see the Nemesis had crashed off in the distance. He yells out in frustration before turning his attention back to Optimus.
"Our planet will survive!" Alpha Trion yells as he gains the upper hand with his rage and lodges his blade into Optimus' shoulder.
"NO!" Optimus says, yelling out in pain as Alpha Trion pulls and dislodges Optimus' arm from his frame. Optimus falls, unable to get up as Alpha Trion continues his blows, stabbing him through his other shoulder panel.
"You have destroyed our only hope of bringing our planet back," Alpha Trion says, dragging Optimus across the bridge before retracting his blade. "The Autobots will be no more, Optimus," he says, raising his blade. Before he can deal the final blow, blasts from above shoot right through Alpha Trion.
A blue and white Seeker flies in, sending two missiles towards Alpha Trion and throwing him off balance.
"THUNDERCRACKER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Starscream yells.
"Something I should have done LONG ago!" Thundercracker yells back. He transforms and points his nullrays towards Alpha Trion. Optimus' optics brighten as he rolls out of the way and gets back up. He grunts in pain as he stands, struggling to stay up. Thundercracker makes eye contact with Optimus, nodding towards him. Megatron grunts as he throws Ironhide off of him.
"TRAITOR!" Megatron bellows.
"It's over, Megatron! The pillar is destroyed," Thundercracker says, looking at him. "How many more do we have to lose?" he asks. Megatron glares at Thundercracker before his optics dart towards Alpha Trion and Optimus.
"You're right..." Megatron says, looking at the two Primes. "Alpha Trion is no longer of any use to us..." He lifts up his arm, cannon warming up. "We can kill two Primes at once." Alpha Trion's optics widen as he sees it pointed directly at him.
"NO!" Optimus yells out as Megatron blasts through Alpha Trion's chassis. Alpha Trion collapses onto the ground, his frame falling forward. Starscream takes this chance to grab Thundercracker and the two fly off, out of the area to go tend to Skywarp.
"You still feel for your mentor despite all that he's done to you?" Megatron calls out. Optimus glares at him, standing up fully.
"You know if you kill me, my allies will only bring me back again," Optimus says.
"Ah, of course... your little pet..." Megatron says. "Then we need a truce."
"You have no room to bargain here, Megatron," Optimus replies.
"Perhaps... but who would you be without me, Prime?" Megatron asks. Optimus bristles.
"Time to find out," Optimus replies. He goes to snatch his axe from the ground and swings it at Megatron, catching him off guard. He slices Megatron's cannon off. Megatron growls as he gathers himself and retaliates, swinging his mace at Optimus. It wraps itself around Optimus' axe and Optimus pulls with his remaining arm. He yanks at it and rips the mace along with Megatron's arm off before swinging his axe once again and slamming it down onto his helm. Megatron yells out as Optimus grips onto the handle tight and spins, ripping his helm off along with it. Exhaling steam, he slams his axe down onto the bridge.
Optimus then kneels, watching the Seekers and remaining Decepticons retreat. The Autobots and NEST agents approach him carefully, Ratchet being the first one to have entered the area to grab Optimus' arm. His optics land on Lennox, Epps and Noah as the three go up to him.
"Where is Kaede," Optimus asks.
"He's out of city limits in an ambulance, he's in good hands," Noah replies. Optimus gives a grunt before standing back up. The Autobots draw near, Jazz looking at the crowd to see if he can find Chrys. When his optics land on her, he transforms, the driver's door opening with his holoform. He sprints towards Chrys and Chrys stops as she sees Jazz running towards her before eventually running towards him. The two meet, Jazz lifting Chrys up before setting her down and the two hug each other tightly before Chrys goes and kisses him, pulling him close.
As the two pull away, Chrys gives an awkward chuckle before looking down.
"Sorry," Chrys says quietly. Jazz grins and the two laugh, tears of relief leaving Chrys as they press their heads together, leaning into each other as Jazz cups her cheek.
Wendy looks around worriedly, not seeing Arcee.
"She's online," Ratchet reassures, walking beside Wendy. "Unfortunately the damage she took is severe, she's on her way back to HQ," he says. "You fought well," Ratchet then says to her before patting Bumblebee on the pauldron.
"Where's Percy and Brainstorm?" Chrys then asks, holding hands with Jazz. She has a worried look on her face before she hears the sound of a sputtering jet.
Brainstorm transforms, Perceptor hopping onto the bridge near the rest of the Autobots.
"We're back!" Brainstorm says cheerfully. "Sorry to have worried you-" He stops as he sees Chrys hugging one of his legs.
"DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!" Chrys yells. Brainstorm grins and shakes his head before activating his holoform to hug Chrys, goading Perceptor to also join.
Optimus steps off to the side, looking at the destroyed city in front of him with a frown. Ratchet, Ironhide and Jazz go to his side, looking at it.
"This never should have happened," Optimus says, the sight reminding him of Cybertron. "I was a fool to have trusted Alpha Trion," he laments.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Prime, we never knew he'd betray us," Ironhide comforts.
"He betrayed himself," Optimus says, frowning beneath his mask. "The fact that war has changed even the great Alpha Trion..." he trails off. There's a moment of silence that falls upon the four.
"I'm worried about how the humans will see us after this," Jazz says, frowning. "We may have our allies... but this... This doesn't bode well for any of us," he says. Optimus hums in agreement.
"...Then I hope that they understand that we will never forsake this planet and its people," Optimus replies.