Shane Freak
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Chapter 584: Prelude to Chaos
🕑 Added 2023-09-15 10:51:03 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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Within Egypt's Giza Province.
The fierce battle between the Autobots and Hercules was coming to an end.
The battle had lasted for nearly an hour, and there were no significant casualties on the Autobot side. If you had to count, the only casualty was Sandstorm, who had recently arrived on Earth. His alt-mode was a heavy jeep, and during the battle, he had ventured too close to Hercules and received a heavy blow, causing sparks to fly from his body.
Looking at Hercules, whose limbs were broken and immobilized, Optimus Prime aimed at his head and muttered, "For the sacrifices in the Manganese Iron Mountains."
Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, and a laser beam shot out, piercing through Hercules's head, which had already been penetrated by Optimus Prime's earlier attacks, ending the giant's struggles.
"We won!"
Arcee approached him, offering soft consolation.
The Manganese Iron Mountains were a strategically vital location on Cybertron. Just as the name suggested, this area was rich in manganese and iron resources and had been a fiercely contested region during the civil war between the Decepticons and Autobots.
Back then, Optimus Prime, as the commander, had led Autobots in a brutal battle against the Decepticons here for decades.
It wasn't until the birth of Hercules, the massive combining Decepticon, that the Skytiger Legion took Autobots by surprise, ultimately causing the heavily fortified stronghold in the Manganese Iron Mountains to fall into the hands of the Skytiger Legion.
In order to cover Optimus Prime's retreat, a squad of elite Autobot warriors who had followed him for years sacrificed themselves in the Manganese Iron Mountains.
It had become a haunting place for him over the years. Sometimes, when he closed his eyes to rest, he couldn't help but recall the warrior and friends who had sacrificed themselves to protect him in the Manganese Iron Mountains.
"He's not that Hercules..."
After a long time, Optimus Prime shook his head slowly and went over to check Sandstorm, who was sparking all over.
Hercules, as a trump card held by the Skytiger Legion, had been replicated and put into battle during the civil war, with more than a thousand copies of Hercules. No one remembered where the Hercules that captured the Manganese Iron Mountains had died during those battles.
"Are you okay, Sandstorm?"
Sandstorm had arrived on Earth not long ago as one of the Autobots, a triple-changer with the alt-modes of a reconnaissance helicopter and a heavy all-terrain jeep.
"I'm fine, Leader!"
Sandstorm's mechanical body was unique. Not only did he possess great endurance, but he also had the ability to recover from injuries much faster than others. He was also a thinker.
While others hadn't noticed, Optimus Prime had seen that Sandstorm had positioned himself further forward because Bumblebee had become too reckless during the battle and had inadvertently entered Hercules's attack range.
Bumblebee's mechanical body was fragile, and many Autobots were aware of that fact. If Hercules had swatted Bumblebee with a single blow, his injuries would have kept him in the base for at least a month.
So, Sandstorm had intentionally obstructed Bumblebee, forcing him to withdraw slightly and create some distance.
"Thank you!"
Optimus Prime lightly patted his shoulder. Bumblebee was one of his most trusted confidants, and Sandstorm's noble act of protecting Bumblebee was a quality he greatly admired.
"Shall we withdraw for now or continue to track the target?"
Drift descended from the sky in his battle form and asked.
His spirits were a bit down as the Major of the battle. During the fight with Hercules, which he had transformed into an armed helicopter, he had fired at least a thousand rockets and missiles, depleting a considerable amount of energy stored in his Spark.
"Let's take a rest for now!"
Optimus Prime replied in a gentle tone and looked up at the sky. The Vulture had disappeared, and he didn't know when it had left.
"Okay!"
Bumblebee responded, transforming back into his car form, and Sam and Michaela, who had been shaken, returned to the car.
"Who was that big guy, Bumblebee?"
As the convoy started moving again, Sam, who had been enduring his curiosity, finally spoke up.
"That was the Digger Tiger team of the Skytiger Legion. These six Decepticons have very special mechanical bodies. They have undergone some modifications that allow them to combine into a giant Autobot called Hercules!"
Bumblebee briefly explained to him. When Hercules was first introduced in the early days of the civil war on Cybertron, he had caused significant losses to the Autobots.
It wasn't until Autobots developed their own combiners that the situation began to change slightly. Later, as they encountered Hercules more frequently on the battlefield, the Autobots gradually devised a set of tactics to deal with him.
For example, Hercules had exceptionally tough surface armor that made him a strategic weapon against Autobot fortifications. His armor could withstand heavy artillery fire.
Hercules was also incredibly strong, and not even Optimus Prime, a Leader-class figure, could directly confront him in terms of strength.
However, Hercules had his limitations. His massive and bulky mechanical body not only greatly reduced his speed but also placed a heavy burden on his Spark, much greater than that of ordinary Cybertronians. This was why Optimus Prime had employed the tactic of avoiding his attacks, targeting his weakest armor on the legs during the battle.
Although it was unclear why the other Decepticons hadn't arrived, Optimus Prime led them along a desert road for some distance before turning onto a secondary road. Following the navigation system, they traveled a certain distance and temporarily rested in a remote desert oasis.
"Arcee, I'll check the area nearby!"
"Alright!"
After seeing Arcee nod, Optimus Prime was about to chat with Sam and the others when a remote communication from thousands of kilometers away suddenly came through.
After receiving the message, Optimus Prime's arm trembled slightly, and he let out a soft sigh.
"Leader, what happened?"
Bumblebee asked.
Optimus Prime shook his head. "Ironhide just sent a message. The Decepticon Terrorcons have attacked our base in Solia, and at that time, Skids was outside installing equipment and unfortunately perished!"
If you counted, Skids and Mudflap, although not among the first group of Autobots to arrive on Earth with him, had come shortly after the Battle of Las Vegas. They were the first members of the Autobots' Sound Nest unit to cooperate with the United States Government.
It was unexpected that both brothers had fallen on Earth. With this thought in mind, Optimus Prime's mood became even heavier.
"Where in Primus's name have they hidden the Leadership Module?"
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 585: A Good Deal
