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Chapter 699: Deceitful Machinations (Part 1)
🕑 Added 2023-10-07 07:32:01 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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Prowl stared at the motionless Bumblebee on the ground, his expression devoid of emotion. Bumblebee had temporarily lost consciousness after being struck by a specially designed electromagnetic paralysis grenade.
Calmly, Prowl approached and performed some procedures to prolong Bumblebee's unconscious state.
After completing these actions, Prowl retrieved two custom-made electromagnetic handcuffs and secured Bumblebee's hands and feet together.
Simultaneously, he attached a special device to Bumblebee's forehead, temporarily isolating his ability to send remote communications.
With these tasks completed, Prowl climbed back into the spaceship.
In a room within the spaceship, distorted and unrecognizable from the impact of the crash, Prowl calmly reported to a communicator mounted on the wall.
"Your Majesty, there is a danger of our plan being exposed prematurely. Just now, the nearby warning systems I set up were triggered. Bumblebee has found this location, but I cannot confirm whether he is alone or if there are more Autobots with him."
Inside the spaceship, the Autobots' intelligence chief, who had been missing for over a month, waited respectfully for a response.
He didn't have to wait long before a cold, aged voice echoed.
"Did you wake me up suddenly just to deliver this bad news, Sneak? Why did Bumblebee find this place? Has a Decepticon betrayed me?"
Sneak was Prowl's former name when he served as the Chief of Cybertron's Internal Security Forces during the Council of Primes era, essentially Sentinel Prime's intelligence head.
This unique relationship earned Sneak a great deal of trust from Sentinel Prime, so during the first Civil War, Sneak had been ambushed by the Decepticons during a mission.
At that time, the technology for resurrecting Cybertronians was not yet mature, so Prowl's body was not extensively damaged by the Decepticons, which later gave him the opportunity to be awakened again.
When Prowl gained a second lease on life, he had undergone significant changes compared to his former self.
In the past, during missions, he would efficiently eliminate anyone who obstructed the mission, even if they were Autobots. However, the current Prowl did not eliminate Bumblebee because he was responsible for selecting and training intelligence personnel for the Autobots, and Bumblebee could be considered his protégé.
Moreover, Bumblebee's mechanical body had been created based on the foundational data designed by Autobot scientists during Prowl's resurrection.
In a sense, Prowl, Bumblebee, and even Barricade could be considered brothers. Among the Autobots faction today, only Prowl still used his former name, a loyal servant of Sentinel Prime.
Sentinel Prime's questioning silenced Prowl for a moment, and then he replied, "At the very least, I can confirm that the leaker is not Megatron. Two months ago, during his feigned death, a conflict erupted between Autobots and Decepticons around his body. Ironhide detonated a high-explosive bomb before retreating, hoping to completely destroy Megatron's remains."
"I know about that. You already reported it to me before coming here. Megatron is now reduced to just a head. So, do you suspect Starscream discovered my agreement with Megatron?"
"It's possible, but I suspect the issue may lie with Soundwave. According to my recent investigation, Decepticon turncoat Frenzy, in league with Starscream and Optimus Prime, devised a trap and used the opportunity to eliminate Soundwave and Astrotrain."
"It seems a lot has happened during this time! How long has it been since you awakened me the last time?"
"39 Earth days."
"Only that much time has passed? Damn Megatron, how much longer does his body need to recover?"
"Your Majesty, based on my knowledge of Starscream, it is very likely to take one or two years or even more!"
The icy voice of Sentinel Prime carried an unmistakable trace of aging. Born during the Council of Primes era, he had grown old over the years.
To play along with Megatron's charade, he had to hide inside a life support pod of a crashed spaceship. To avoid arousing suspicion, he had spent most of his time in stasis, leaving many of his injuries untreated.
This unhealthy condition was precisely what Cosmic Rust, a cosmic fungus favored by Sentinel Prime among Cybertronians, thrived on. Sentinel Prime's mechanical body was now covered in rust, with large areas of alloy corroded and decaying due to the fungus's invasion.
Continuing to be infected by Cosmic Rust could lead to Sentinel Prime contracting Cosmic Rust, a disease that even someone as powerful as him could not survive.
Yet, he endured it all, all for one purpose: to utterly eliminate Megatron and the Skytiger Legion, and restore the former glory of the royal lineage of Primus.
After a moment of silence, Sentinel Prime's voice once again emanated from the communicator, "Have you dealt with Bumblebee?"
"No, not yet. I'm worried he might have companions nearby. Bumblebee's sudden death could raise their suspicions."
"Hmm... hand Bumblebee over to Megatron. Then, tell him that regardless of the methods he employs, he must first ascertain Optimus Prime's actions and prevent the Autobots from approaching the moon. At least until Shockwave arrives on Earth, we cannot allow Optimus Prime and his team to discover this location!"
Prowl remained silent for a moment before respectfully replying, "Understood, Your Majesty. I will take care of it."
"Good. Do not awaken me again until the plan is in motion; the energy within the Spark is running low."
"Yes!"
The communicator fell silent, but Prowl continued to stand there, lost in thought.
After some time, he finally emerged from the severely damaged spaceship due to the crash.
In the impact crater beneath the spaceship, Bumblebee, who had been rendered unconscious by Prowl's earlier attack, still lay there, completely unaware.
Prowl approached, lifted him up, and dragged him out of the crater. He then headed towards the Decepticon base that Bumblebee had deliberately avoided earlier.
The straight-line distance between the two locations was only a few tens of kilometers, and the moon's gravity was only a fraction of Earth's.
Prowl soon arrived near the Decepticon base, and because he wasn't concealing his presence, Decepticon Barricade had been waiting there for some time.
Upon seeing Prowl dragging Bumblebee, a mocking smile played across Barricade's face.
Like Bumblebee, Barricade had once been an intelligence operative for the Autobots and had undergone training under Prowl.
However, during that time, Sentinel Prime had been the Autobot leader, and for a period, he had ruled with extreme cruelty and ruthlessness to transform the peaceful, timid civilians into soldiers capable of facing the Decepticons. This had made the Autobots feel that they were worse off than the Decepticons.
As a result, during that period, a significant number of Autobots chose to defect to the Decepticon faction. They were willing to undergo dangerous modifications and join the likes of Starscream and Shockwave in order to obtain Decepticon status.
Barriacde was one of the Autobots who defected during that time.
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 700: Deceit and Stratagem
