Transformers: Eradication

Part 42: You Will Be Missed

Motormaster polishes his sword thanks to a handy tool from Swindle. Vortex is now piloting the ship due to having no clear direction in autopilot.

Swindle: "So I'll give that service to you for free because I like you."

Drag: "And you're as terrified of him like the rest of us."

Swindle: "That too."

Dead-end activates the comm links to listen in on Decepticon activity.

Vehicon: "Optimus Prime sighted heading East."

Vehicon 2: "Roger that, we will be there soon."

Vehicon: "No offense, but I want to live. You can handle it right?"

Vehicon 2: "No way! You see how well he fights against Megatron. We're just some generic goons."

Vehicon: "You make it sound like our lives are worthless."

Vehicon: 2: "They really are."

Vehicon: "Copy that. I know where we're not going."

Motormaster scratches his chin in interest.

Motor: "According to those grunts my target is not weak after all."

Brawl: "And when you fight him we'll stand around and talk about the fight like in every anime ever."

Motor: "You heard where he is. Set a course for the East!"

Vortex: "You got it!"

While the Eradicons begin actively pursuing Optimus a major event is now going to unfold. Mirage, Sideswipe, Jolt, and the soldiers have found themselves in a sticky situation. All the paths are blocked by debris. All except for one, and it's in a crowded alleyway. They go through and see that the exit is blocked off.

Ace: "Just our luck. Now what are we going to do?"

Mirage: "We climb."

Side: "Couldn't we do something cooler than that?"

Mirage: "We want to respect the human's architecture."

Side: "Right, we have to be boring."

The three Autobots transform and are almost about to climb the walls, but the sound of something large makes them get on guard. A large figure jumps down in front of them, and it's Overload.

Overload: "Overload is here to sue Colorado because on the map it looks just like Wyoming."

Tyrone: "Of course out all the people to encounter it had to be this guy."

Mirage: "Prepare for anything."

Overload: "Overload must warn you about the dark one."

Jolt: "What do you want?"

Overload: "To train your poodles."

Mirage: "Move aside, Overload."

Overload: "Overload can't do that. If you can't listen then you must be destroyed."

Jolt: "Bring it on! You don't scare me."

Side: "And like that we're dead."

Overload fires his encephalo ray, and everyone gets blown back. Mirage grabs all the humans in the air and drops them down safely. They start firing at Overload but it doesn't exactly do much. Jolt tries to whip one of his many legs, but one of the other legs swipes him into the wall behind him. Sideswipe fires a few mines at his head to distract him. Overload grabs him and stuffs Sideswipe's head into a nearby wall. Mirage fires a sniper shot that bounces off Overload's body, and he gets blasted back. The humans continue firing and Overload jumps to send a small shockwave to knock them down. Jolt recovers and wraps his whips behind Overload to try and hold him in place. Sideswipe frees himself and starts shooting at him. Now everyone fires at Overload. The whips do seem to be holding Overload in place, so he starts spinning his body around so Jolt keeps hitting the nearby walls. He is still holding on, and now there seems to be damage taken from Overload. Mirage now has his blades out, and Overload senses what is about to happen. Mirage climbs the tallest building and jumps up, preparing to take off his head. overload in a panic does something unexpected.

Overload: "Activating life lock."

The lights in Overload's eyes fade, and his body starts to tilt until he falls over through one of the buildings. Overload lays limp, and everyone else seems confused.

Fowler: "Can someone explain what just happened?"

Side: "Is he dead?"

Jolt: "He just stopped all of a sudden."

Mirage checks Overload's body to see if he has a pulse.

Mirage: "He's alive."

Ace: "Then what just happened?"

Mirage: "I've heard stories about special individuals that can turn themselves off into a protective coma. Once they're down they're extremely difficult to wake up."

Jolt: "So what do we do now?"

Side: "I know he tried to kill us, but he's not a bad guy either. I'd hate to just leave him there."

Ace: "Can we help him somehow?"

Mirage: "If I knew what to do I would help him. Let's just hope his friends find him and know what to do. His sacrifice has given us a clear path. I suggest we stop pondering and go."

With that they leave Overload's body just lying there. Around the time he deactivated the Constructicons have reunited with Mixmaster and Scrapper. Longhaul is driving with them, but he is having to cart the still unconscious Rampage on his bed. Rampage suddenly wakes up screaming Overload's name and falls out of Longhaul's bed.

Longhaul: "What's going on with you?"

Rampage: "There's something wrong with Overload. I can feel it."

High: "What now?"

Rampage: "I don't sense his life signature."

Scrapper: "Then he must be dead."

Rampage: "That's impossible."

Scavenge; "I can't believe it really happened."

Mix: "The poor fellow. I hope he went out easy."

Rampage: (angrily) "How can you accept this so easily?"

Scrapper: "Who says that we're accepting this easily? He was one of us and now he's gone. We have to accept it and move on. If he really is dead then he's not coming back."

High: "What a sad loss."

Scrapper: "At least now if we combine we can have more control over Devastator."

Rampage: "He's alive. I know it."

Mix: "Sorry buddy, but it's time to move on."

Rampage just can't move on. How could he? A big portion of his life was spent searching for Overload. It was the half-brother he never knew he had. When he finally did find him they made a vow to always stay together. Rampage knows that Overload is still alive, and he knows he will return by either his powers or some other forces. But who knows how soon that will be.

Back in the air Starscream is flying high to get a better understanding of the city. He is completely unaware that a green jet with a satellite dish is tailing him. Of all the people it just had to be Airraid. He starts firing at Starscream, and he starts being chased throughout the city.

"Get lost, Autobot, I don't have time for you!"

'Better make time because I'm taking you down."

Their chase eventually leads to the more industrial part of the city. Airraid must have fired the perfect shot because once it connects with Starscream he forcibly transforms. There is a violent movement in his chest, and the Allspark is forcefully separated from him and begins falling in a separate direction. Starscream fires out a bunch of Null Ray blasts, and one finally hits Airraid's turbines, setting it on fire. Now the two fall together to the industrial plant below...