Transformers: Enslavement

Part 28: Insecticon Insubordination

Sideways is in the back of the pack and slips into the shadows while nobody is looking. Megatron calls the others that were traveling with him to his presence. But for a moment he has a lapse in his focus as he is reminiscing of a time long past. It is now back to when Megatron was in his teenage youth after he had that argument with Prima. That argument left a terrible knot in his stomach, and he felt tremendous guilt over his actions. Not only that, but a major moral dilemma has emerged. Should he heed Prima's vision of a grand, noble warrior, or should he follow in the footstep of his true father Megatronus, and carry out a plan of change and justice under a strong, unified leadership. Servant or Leader? Megatron enters his home to see if Prima is still there, though it initially seems empty. Upon closer inspection it looks like there was signs of a small break in. He spots Prima, but he is on the ground barely breathing. He is horribly disfigured as Megatron rushes to his aid.

(shaking) "Prima.... father, what happened?"

(weakly) "Nothing I didn't deserve." -cough-

(tearing up) "Who did this to you?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is that the three of you are safe. I'm not going to make it."

(breaking down) "Don't say that, you can't do this to me!"

(grabbing his hand) "Listen Megatron, I need you to know this."

"Know what?"

"That no matter what happens you were the child of mine that I was the most proud of."

"More than Orion? But he's your progeny."

"Orion will do wonderful things I'm sure, but it is you that I think can truly make a difference. Be the best man you can be, and remember to always have.... always have...."

"Always have what?"

It's too late for Prima to answer. His grip on Megatron's hand weakens until it falls limp on the ground. Prima is now dead. Megatron just stares down at him and gets up. He looks away, and a single tear leaves his face. It's at this moment that the young Orion sees Megatron. He believes that Megatron had killed his father, but we know now that this is not the case. Megatron storms out feeling lost, and eventually his life decisions created the man he is now. He hears someone calling his name, and Megatron snaps out of his flashback. Payload has been poking him trying to get his attention.

Megatron: (calmly) "Poke me again Payload and see what happens."

Payload: (hiding behind Waspinator) "I'm sorry!"

Splicer: "So what's the plan?"

Megatron: "You will be our sniper on the roofs, do as little contact with the Autobots as possible. As for the rest of you, take out any Autobots you can."

Splicer: "Got it." (transforms)

Payload: "Alright Waspinator, I'm ready to shoot these guys with my new gun."

Wasp: "Power is going to Paybot's head."

Everyone separates to do their business. Back at Rumble and Sideswipes' fight, Sideswipe is starting to get the advantage again. He does a roundhouse wheel kick to Rumble's face, and grinds the tire on the Decepticon's head. He finishes Rumble off by shooting a few mines into his chest, defeating him. Ratchet finally defeats Frenzy by slamming a car on top of his head, knocking him out. Squawkbox finds Sideswipe and starts thrashing Sideswipe. While they are traveling Payload and Waspinator see them fighting, so Payload uses the distraction to shoot Sideswipe in the back and he gloats about it to Waspinator, who couldn't care less. Mirage steps in with Ironhide to help take Squawkbox down. Ironhide takes several shots at him with his Heavy Iron to incapacitate him. That and Mirage separating the two by slicing Squawkbox in half from the upper and lower torso. Squawktalk and Beastbox retreat while the Autobots regroup.

Ironhide: "Nice work Mirage."

Mirage: "Thank you my friend, I could not have done it without you."

Side: "So what do we do now?"

Mirage: "I would advise that we (tackles Sideswipe) get down!"

Someone just tries to snipe out Sideswipe, and it would have been the end of him had it not been for Mirage.

Side: "You saved me."

Mirage: "It's what we do for one another."

Ironhide: "Where could those shots be coming from?"

Mirage: (scanning) "Guessing by the distance and the trajectory of the bullet I would have to say (shoots) there."

Mirage shoots at some fire escapes located in a nearby old apartment complex. The bullet hits the right spot that makes the whole escape collapse. Splicer loses his balance and is bombarded with all that metal, knocking him out. Ratchet and Bumblebee come soon afterward to group up with them.

Ironhide: "Ratchet you're alive."

Ratchet: (scoffing) "Of course I'm alive, I'm a doctor."

Bee: "You did some great shooting back there Mirage."

Mirage: "Thank you Bumblebee."

Side: "I don't think Splicer is going to be very happy when he wakes up."

Mirage: "I can handle a lone Decepticon."

Bee: "I'm not so sure about that one."

Mirage: "Regardless, it is best that we not linger here while there are still Decepticons around the city."

Ironhide: "Right. Alright troops, move out."

Megatron is driving around in his tank form until he meets up with Soundwave. He sees him taking all of his minions back with the exception of Buzzsaw, Ravage, and Laserbeak,

Buzzsaw: (relieved) "Oh thank the Allspark, Lord Megatron is finally here."

Megatron: "Status report Soundwave?"

Soundwave: "Matrix location is unknown, Laserbeak and Ravage are searching for it as we speak."

Megatron: "You do not look so well Buzzsaw."

Buzzsaw: (gloomily) "I have failed you Lord Megatron. I was fooled by that flying wretch Powerglide."

Megatron: "Nonsense, your service has been nothing but inspiring. We all make mistakes."

Buzzsaw: "You making a mistake? Never, unless it involves Starscream."

Megatron: "Perhaps you're right."

Buzzsaw: -sniffs- "Do you smell that?"

Megatron: "I'm afraid not."

Soundwave: (scanning) "Three signatures approaching, no ten, fifty,.... one hundred."

The three looks up and see the Insecticons and their drones flying toward them. The main trio transform and land in front of Megatron, with their drones hovering above them.

Shrapnel: (smirks) "Megatron, we have a complaint with the upper management management."

Megatron: (clenching his fist) "And what would that be Insecticons?"

Kickback: "Well for starters the service sucks!"

Bomb: "We grow tired of being treated like second-class citizens."

Buzzsaw: (condescending) "You three sicken me. We are all second-class in the presence of Megatron."

Kickback: "You're ugly and delusional, now that's a bad combo."

Buzzsaw: (roaring) "I should have your head for that. Megatron, let me take care of them for you."

Megatron: "This is my battle, you may have the honor of watching."

Soundwave: "My feeling is indifferent."

Buzzsaw: "I can't wait for Megatron to tear you apart."

Kickback: (nutty) "Oh this looks like that sitcom I always envisioned us to be in!"

Bomb: "I swear if you start singing that terrible theme song again I'm going to kill you."

Kickback: (psychotic singing) "He's a psychopath, I'm a psychopath, and he's also a psychopath! I don't think the setting really workssss!"

Shrapnel: (disappointed) "That was bad bad."

Kickback: "Look if you haven't noticed I'm nuttier than squirrel poo."

Megatron: "We've all noticed. I see that you all complain over such minor issues."

Bomb: "We were framed for that Energon incident and you know it."

Megatron: "Perhaps, but at the end of the day it does not matter."

Shrapnel: "It matters to us us."

Bomb: "We started thinking; what would happen if we called the shots from now on?"

Shrapnel: "It's much better better."

Megatron: "You know nothing of leadership, and that is why you fail."

Bomb: "If you are as tough as you keep boasting about, then show us."

Megatron: (taking out his staff) "Very well, but you will not like the outcome."

Shrapnel: "We'll see about that that!"

Kickback: (shouting) "Yeah chicken dinner!"

The three Insecticons charge at Megatron, and he simply teleports away. The Insecticons forgot about Megatron borrowing the other Decepticon's powers. He teleports behind them and stabs Bombshell in the back. Shrapnel angrily blasts Megatron with his Techvolt, which stops Megatron in his tracks as he tries to get up. Bombshell uses the opportunity to yank the staff out of his chest and reel his head back to headbutt Megatron. While this is happening Powerglide and Ace see Megatron fighting the Insecticons.

Power: "Do you see what I see?"

Ace: "Yeah I can't believe it."

Power: "We can take them out while they're fighting."

Ace: "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Power: "It's as good an idea as any. Let's make it rain."

Powerglide firebombs the area where they're fighting, forcing Soundwave and Buzzsaw to leap out of the way. Megatron on the other hand is still holding his ground.

Buzzsaw: "I'll finish the score with Powerglide."

Megatron: "No! I will take them all on!"

Buzzsaw: (in awe) "His dedication is inspiring."

Soundwave: "Or suicidal."

Kickback is now on Megatron's body. He's thumping on his head and kicking him in the back while making strange sounds along the way. Megatron grabs him and throws him into a streetlight. Shrapnel charges his antannes and blasts Megatron back with a lighting bolt. Bombshell knees him in the face while he's down and kicks him across the street. Before he can slam his fist down on him Megatron stabs him in the hand with his staff. He decks Bombshell while Kickback launches a gear straght into Megatron's back. He staggers forward a bit, but he tears the gear out of him and looks at Kickback. Kickback's antanaes droop in fear. Megatron grabs him by the head and throws him into Shrapnel. Bombshell uses his Energon Harvestor on Megatron, which wears him down, and to make matters worse, Powerglide comes back and hits Megatron with two missiles. Megatron cloaks himself, intimidating Bombshell. Bombshell is kneed to the gut and gets his left arm torn off. At this moment he calls forth the drones to attack them. Soundwave and Buzzsaw kill several while Megatron ignores them and focuses on the main three. Kickback leaps to attack but is blasted away by Megatron's fusion cannon. Shrapnel in his insect mode clamps onto Megatron's chest with his mandibles. He starts crushing him, and Megatron forces them open by ripping them off Shrapnel's mouth. He slams his fists down on Shrapnel's head, curb stomping him. Bombshell tackles Megatron, but Megatron overpowers him and slams his head on a wall. Kickback in his insect mode kicks Megatron, and he tries to repeat that, but Powerglide bombs the area from the back again. Megatron grabs Kickback and forces him to launch his gearshredder at Powerglide. It manages to make a small clip in his wing, but it does little more than shake him up a bit. Kickback bites Megatron in his insect mode to make him let go. Megatron gets shot in the back by an explosive round by Bombshell, and the other two give him a full burst of energy that sends him reeling back. He is panting as he sees Powerglide from far away starting to make a turn for another bombing. Megatron has had enough of this nonsense. Using the power of Rumble and Frenzy, he creates and earthquake that knocks the Insecticons off balance.He grabs Shrapnel and punts him right into Bomshell's face, knocking him on his back. Kickback quickly recovers and charges at him. He shishkabobs Shrapnel and Kickback with his staff, but Kickback manages to break off seeing that he's on the end. Shrapnel uses the Techvolt to create an electric current through the staff, zapping Megatron. While Shrapnel is taking the staff out of his chest Kickback is grappling with Megatron. Shrapnel decides to end the fight by charge a full scale lighting blast at Megatron. He charges and fires, but that's when Megatron shows his cunning. He wins the grapple and uses Kickback as a shield, and he is violently electrocuted by the blast. He is burnt to a crisp, and is left twitching on the street, but he's still alive. Shrapnel is mortified that he has hurt his friend, and that's when Megatron uses the opportunity to strike. He slices both of Shrapnel's arms to the point where they are barely attached. He then stabs Shrapnel in the right eye, defeating him. He survives this blow because Megatron missed the brain circuits by a quarter of an inch. Megatron hears a shot fired, and it's a cerebro circuit fired by Bombshell. In slow motion we see it approaching him, but to everyone's amazement Megatron catches it! He tosses it over to Soundwave, who observes it with Buzzsaw. Bombshell heals from his wounds, and Megatron drops his staff, wipes the Energon from his mouth, and puts up his fists. They're going to settle this like real men.

The two run at one another and begin exchanging punches. Megatron is easily dominating this fight with his superior armor, and Bombshell's organic side is wearing him down. He fires his harvester at Megatron, and it weakens him. He starts beating on him more, and then drains him again. Megatron is barely standing as Bombshell gets ready to to drain the remaining energy out of him. Megatron uses the last of his strength to grab the harvester. Bombshell fires, but it misses. Megatron screams and breaks the arm that has the weapon, points it at Bombshell, and fires it, draining Bombshell's own energy out of him. Megatron finishes the battle by punching Bombshell so hard it breaks part of his face, nearly killing him. Buzzsaw is most impressed with the battle as Megatron uses Longhaul's powers to heal himself from all of his wounds.

Buzzsaw: (clapping with his wings) "Very well done lord Megatron, you put up quite the show as always."

Soundwave: "One crisis averted."

Megatron kneels on one knee to speak with Bombshell about everything that has happened.

Megatron: "You brought this upon yourself Insecticons, had you been honest about your Energon cravings from the start we would have been able to have found a better solution than this. And thank you for that shell, that may become vital to us at some point."

Bomb: "You really mean that don't you? I suppose this could have been different, but let's be honest here. Even if you had found a way we would still be outsiders, and that tension would have come to a head eventually."

Megatron: "You may be right. (calls skywarp) Skywarp, we have some prisoners we need to bring to you."

Skywarp: "Of course, send them in."

Megatron: "Put them in the special isolation chambers, I'll figure out what to do with them later."

Skywarp: "It will be done."

Soundwave activates a groundbridge to deliver Skywarp the prisoners. Soundwave, Buzzsaw, and Megatron each carry an Insecticon.

Skywarp: (sarcastic) "Great, and this place was just mopped."

Buzzsaw: "Hope you enjoy the delivery."

The three return to the previous spot, and Megatron decides to do something surprisingly benevolent. He touches Buzzsaw,and transfers the healing powers to him. his injuries against Powerglide are healed, and so are some of his scars around his body and beak. Buzzsaw interrupts the rest of the process.

Buzzsaw: "I do want to keep a few of those for memory's sake. (feels himself) I have not felt this smooth in so long."

Megatron: "You're welcome."

Soundwave: "What is our next course of action?"

Megatron sees Powerglide starting to get closer to them, and he starts charging his fusion cannon.

Megatron: "There is one last score to settle."

Buzzsaw: "Shall we take care of him?"

Megatron: "No need."

Powerglide decides to do something risky.

Power: "Look Ace I'm going to eject you out."

Ace: "Why?"

Power: "Because I'm going to finish Megatron here."

Powerglide's insides slide open a drawer which contains a high-powered rifle of Ace to use.

Ace: "Good luck then."

Power: (boasting) "I don't need luck, I got confidence! You just got to believe!"

Powerglide ejects Ace, and he parachutes safely down. Megatron continues charging his cannon, and Powerglide edges closer and closer to him. Powerglide gets ready to burn him with his thermo-beam in jet mode, and fires it. Megatron dodges, and the cannon is ready. He fires out a large blast, and it hits Powerglide. Powerglide explodes immediately upon making contact. Ace and anyone else around sees this in terror as it starts to rain Powerglide parts. Buzzsaw in a very rare instance smiles in sadistic satisfaction and licks his lips. A kill by Megatron is like a kill for him.

Buzzsaw: "Excellent Megatron, one Autobot down."

Soundwave: "And the rest to go."

Megatron: "Let us not waste anymore time here. We must find the Matrix."

Buzzsaw goes back inside Soundwave, and now Megatron and Soundwave drive off together in search of the Matrix. Meanwhile at a different part of the city Spike and Carly are still trying to get help, but are still having trouble finding anyone.

Carly: "You know I'm liking this new you."

Spike; 'What do you mean? I'm the same guy."

Carly: "I mean you're braver than usual."

Spike: "Oh. Well it's kill or be killed, and I don't want that last part."

Carly: "Fair point , but I like it."

Spike: "I learned from watching you?"

Carly: "Really?"

Spike: 'Yeah, I learned from the best."

Carly: "Well aren't you sweet (getting scared)... and dead."

Spike: "Dead? Not the most romantic thing to say."

Carly: "Turn around."

Spike looks behind him and sees Shockwave glaring at both of them. By the expression on his eye he is probably really angry.

Shockwave: "You will not escape again. That was a makeshift explosive since you asked. That was clever, but not enough to save you."

Spike: "Oh boy..."

Shockwave: "You caught me in a monologue, a mistake that I won't make again. (loads gun) I will just kill you here."

Shockwave is about to kill them both, but he hears the sound of a horn blaring.

Shockwave: (annoyed) "What now?"

A bullet strike Shockwave in the chest, and he gets sent hurtling across the street. Spike and Carly turn around to see who fired, and it's Optimus.

Both: "Optimus!"

Prime: "I need you both to run, this is going to get ugly very fast."

The two start running the opposite direction, and Optimus gets ready for one of his most intense battles yet.