Finally, Lennox turned his attention to the three identical motorcycles in the convoy, each a different color.
"I don't know what Skids and Mudflap are doing in there, but Arcee sisters, your size is an advantage. I need you to enter the factory with ."
"Copy that. No problem."
The Arcee sisters shifted into their humanoid forms, each balancing on a single high-speed tire instead of legs. This configuration allowed them maximum agility in tight spaces. Since the heavy losses three months ago, the trio had been proactive in every Decepticon suppression mission. While they lacked the raw power for a head-on clash with heavy hitters, they were far more capable than human soldiers and excelled at specialized scouting and pursuit.
Lennox did a final check of the deploynt. "Move out!"
Inside the factory, Sideways and Demolishor were lying low in separate sectors. Following their return to Earth with Skygnaw, they had crossed the ocean to return to this familiar hiding spot. Neither realized that the countdown to their sparks extinguishing had already begun. Though they felt uneasy about the sudden silence in the usually bustling 24-hour facility, they hadn't yet sensed the trap.
Outside, the heavily ard NEST strike team flooded the complex, with the Arcee sisters bringing up the rear. After a systematic sweep, they reached a small construction site in Zone D.
"Sir, Zones A, B, and C are clear."
"Copy. Everyone stay sharp!"
Lennox stayed low, waving his n into cover as he hurried over to Robert. "Anything? Robert, do you have a reading?"
Robert held a portable thermal scanner—a custom-built device provided by Ironhide. A deep red thermal bloom flickered on the small screen.
"Oh, no..." Robert muttered, watching the readout. "Lennox, we've got a massive heat signature. Right ahead."
"Got it. I know the drill." Lennox pointed at several soldiers. "You, you, and you—on ."
They moved toward the construction site. But before they could even get close, the screech of heavy chanical gears filled the air. A massive white hydraulic excavator parked in the center of the yard suddenly jerked to life. Its bucket swung upward as the massive treads shifted into limbs.
"Contact! Decepticon!"
Lennox and the soldiers imdiately opened fire, their rifles spitting lead.
Rat-tat-tat!
"ROAR!"
The twenty-ter-tall Decepticon let out a deafening howl, slamming its massive shovel-arms into the ground and sending construction materials flying like shrapnel.
"Struck!" Lennox ducked as a concrete pipe shattered above him. He looked around at the soldiers pinned down by debris and yelled at Robert, "Confirm the ID and call for air support!"
"On it!" Robert uploaded the tactical imagery. The database pinged back instantly. "Lennox, it's Demolishor!"
Demolishor didn't stay to fight. He shifted his lower body into a singular, massive wheel and used his long arms to propel himself forward, tearing out of the factory at high speed. Human soldiers in his path weren't so lucky; several were crushed into a pulp by the swing of his chanical limbs.
"Hunter One, we need imdiate fire support!"
At the Pentagon command center, the officer in charge sighed and nodded. The comms tech replied imdiately: "Helicopters are on station. Support is inbound."
Attack helicopters roared over the factory, unleashing a barrage of rockets and chain-gun fire on the fleeing giant. Demolishor ignored the hits, his massive wheel churning through the streets.
Just then, at the edge of Zone E, the engine of a matte-grey Audi R8 roared to life.
VROOM!
The supercar tore out of the shadows, heading straight for the NEST line. Lennox pivoted his attention. "New contact! All units, focus! We have a second target!"
"Arcee twins, he's headed your way!"
The Audi seed to be acting as a distraction for Demolishor. As it neared the effective range of the human weapons, it pulled a violent u-turn and sped away.
"It's a Decepticon!" Elita-1 recognized the signature imdiately.
"It's Sideways!" Chromia added.
"After him!" Arcee commanded.
Transforming into three Ducati F4R motorcycles, the sisters tore after the silver car. Using his knowledge of the facility, Sideways wove through the narrow corridors and alleys. Soon, only Arcee was close enough to maintain pursuit. Sideways had no intention of fighting; he just wanted to clear the area, providing whatever cover he could for Demolishor.
The chase reached the edge of Zone E. Suddenly, a red-and-white ice cream truck pulled into Sideways' path.
Sideways didn't slow down. He transford mid-jump, leaping over the truck and crashing through a residential building directly ahead. Inside a third-floor apartnt, an old man in a white undershirt eating noodles felt a slight vibration. He tilted his head, listened for a second, and then went back to his al.
Arcee, stuck in alt-mode, couldn't transform fast enough. She slamd into the ice cream truck, T-boning it and sending it spinning.
Looking at the gaping hole in the building where Sideways had vanished, Arcee snapped, "Skids! Mudflap! Your timing is atrocious! When are you two going to learn to stay out of the way?"
"Sorry, Arcee!"
The two halves of the ice cream truck transford into the bickering twins. Mudflap, composing the rear half, patted his head. "We blew it. But hey, we're not hurt!"
Skids, the front half, punched him in the face. "This is a formal combat op! What were you doing?"
"? You're the one who turned into the—"
"Enough," Elita-1 said, pulling up. "Arcee, get the word to Lennox."
"Fine," Arcee sighed, used to the twins' antics.
Lennox received the update and imdiately patched through to Sideswipe. "Sideswipe, we have a runner leaving the factory. I need you to intercept!"
[Copy that. I'll show you how we do it clean and fast.]
The silver Corvette Stingray waiting outside the gates screeched into gear, quickly closing the gap on Sideways.
"Decepticon, your ti is up!"
Sideswipe accelerated and perford a high-speed transformation, vaulting into the air. Mid-flight, he deployed his twin arm-blades. As he descended over the matte-grey Audi, he drove the blades downward.
SHINK!
The blades pierced the hood, and as Sideswipe hit the ground, he held them steady. The montum of the car did the rest. The Audi was bisected perfectly down the middle.
"Damn, I'm good," Sideswipe mused, sheathing his blades.
anwhile, Demolishor had reached a massive highway bridge, crushing civilian cars and swatting vehicles into the river below. Lennox, pursuing in a HMMWV, realized they were about to lose control of the situation. If this continued, their "secret" op would be global headline news.
"Air support, authorization Nine-Alpha! Drop Pri. Now!"
[Confird. Approaching drop zone.]
A massive C-17 transport plane banked over the bridge. The tail ramp dropped.
[Drop countdown: Five, four, three... one.]
A red-and-blue Peterbilt truck slid out of the hold, supported by three massive parachutes. As he neared the ground, Optimus Pri transford, his massive fra casting a shadow over the fleeing excavator.
"Autobots, I'll take this one."
"Pri! No!" Demolishor realized the end was near and pushed his engines to the redline.
Optimus cut his chutes and slamd onto Demolishor's head.
BOOM!
"ARGH!"
Optimus deployed his heavy blaster. Demolishor rolled like a drunken giant before crashing off the bridge and into a shipping pier below.
Monts later, Optimus, Ironhide, and Sideswipe surrounded the fallen giant as Lennox and the soldiers moved in. Ironhide leveled his cannons at Demolishor's chest. "Flimsy Decepticon. Any last words?"
Demolishor's neck was twisted, and only one optic remained functional, but he managed to look at the gathered Autobots and humans.
"Optimus... this planet is not your territory."
"The Master has returned. The Decepticons will rise again!"
"Whoa," Robert muttered, lowering his rifle. "Sounds like we've got fresh trouble."
"Maybe. But not today!" Optimus said.
Ironhide's cannons flared, and a single blast tore through Demolishor's chest, extinguishing his spark forever.
"Target neutralized. Mission complete."
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