âŤâŤâŤâŤâŤâŤ Iron Bond âŤâŤâŤâŤâŤâŤ
Chapter 2
The Forbidden Lands. No one dared speak of that place, haunted by the many corpses buried beneath the rubble of an old Decepticon base. Once a thriving city, now nothing more than heaps of rusted metal. Situated between Kaon and Iacon, it served as a seldom-used border crossingâruined and unstable, ready to collapse on the unwary.
Yet here is where Commander Starscreamâs signal vanished. Lieutenant DemonKill and her Fourth Squadron were tasked to search the area. For over a âgroonâ (a time measure), they scoured the zone for signsâor bodies. But there was nothing. Absolutely nothingâjust the utterly ruined skeletons of buildings and a shrill whining in the wind. With her optics locked onto her high-tech gear, DemonKill turned to her squad, who struggled to keep pace as she climbed a treacherous slope.
âBoss⌠are you sure itâs this way? Arenât we kind of... lost?â Monzo panted, clearly out of staminaâhis bolts perhaps a bit rusty.
âWeâre almost there. Stay strong, soldiers,â she replied flatly, raising a fist in encouragement. The sooner she completed this mission, the sooner she could send a comprehensive report to Lord Megatron. Starscream was dead. The thought curled a slow smile across her face as she moved ahead, creating distance from her team.
Lost in thought, she suddenly stepped on a shaky metal plate at the summit. Alert, she peered down and tapped the plate repeatedly with her pede, recognizing by the hollow sound beneath it that it covered a cavity. Frowning, she knelt, pried the plate up, and tossed it aside, revealing a dark, bottomless hole. No light penetrated itâno sound either.
Leaning forward, she teeteredâand then something grabbed her, pulling her inside. None of her squad saw what happened.
âJet! Watch it! Youâre gonna stain my fresh paint...â WindSweeper grumbled, brushing dust off his chassis. Nearby, JetFireâs optics swiveled as he resumed sweeping the groundâsomething shining had caught his attention earlier.
He cleared the dusty surface with his hands, uncovering a glowing green emblem he recognized all too well. Everyone knew its significance. Neither Autobot nor Decepticonâthe symbol meant these lands were claimed. JetFire sprang upright, his optics wide with dread as he whispered something unintelligible, looking at his comrades just climbing the hilltop.
âHmm, whereâd she go?â WindSweeper wondered, punching a fist into his hip and sweeping his yellow optics over the area for the lieutenant.
âShe was right here, not even a few clicks away!â Monzo exclaimed, baffled. Throttle nudged past him, elbowing his legâgesturing that heâd better move.
Perplexed, the large mecha shiftedâand discovered a rectangular hole beneath his pede. Below, JetFire waved desperately, shoutingâthough his voice was too distant to be heard.
âWhat the hecââ WindSweeper couldnât finish as he realized he was alone at the hillâs crest. His spark fluttered as a shadow behind him froze him in place.
âNo!â JetFire finally reached him, stretching out his handâbut WindSweeper was also being dragged into the abyss, his terrified scream echoing endlessly in the pit.
Bent forward, the white-and-red seeker backed away. Should he seek help? He placed two fingers at his audio to call baseâbut when he opened his mouth, it was too late. The same force sucked him in. Silence reclaimed the forgotten ruins, the hole closing as if nothing had happened.
Darkness had claimed them.
âŤâŤâŤâŤâŤâŤ
IACON, AUTOBOT BASE
âOptimus, we have a problem.â
One of his trusted Autobots spoke, pulling the red-and-blue leader from his thoughts. The meeting room fell silent as the smaller mech hurried in to deliver his report. Every soldier turned their optics to him expectantlyâsomething urgent had interrupted this gathering.
âWeâre listening, FastBack,â Optimus said from the head of the long table.
âWell⌠sir, we received information. Megatron has returned,â he announced solemnly, eliciting startled murmurs from the council members.
âStop acting surprised. We knew heâd return eventually,â Atomizer snappedâa red-and-yellow mech whose visor and mask concealed his face. Whispering surged, but Prime silenced them with a gesture.
âContinue,â he said, placing his datapad on the table, eyes locked on the mech with more to say.
âWith a research team, we pinpointed where Megatron spent all that timeâsouth of Kaon, in a remote area,â he continued hastily, not wanting to waste their leaderâs time.
âGreat, so he was on a shopping spree? Doesnât matter whereâwhat matters is knowing heâs back in Kaon, likely planning to hit our last energon reserve,â Atomizer slammed his fist down, scattering datapads in front of him.
âCalm down, friend. It could be important,â DoubleTape soothedâa cyan-armored mech seated opposite him.
âHeâs right, Prime. We need to know what Megatron was doing so far away before planning his strike,â IronHide addedâan esteemed veteran mech everyone respected. Silent, Optimus shifted his gaze to SilverBolt, commander of the Aerialbots, who hadnât spoken yet.
âWe could fly over the area to see whatâs happening there,â he suggested with a shrug, feeling the Primeâs watchful optics.
âGood. We need to find out what Megatron is intending. FastBack, where exactly was he last seen?â Optimus asked, scanning the assembled mechs before turning back to the messenger.
âIn the ruins of Base 12 on Trypican, sir,â he admitted, voice trembling, knowing that place was taboo after the Autobotâs disastrous failure to protect it.
A heavy silence settled, shadows darkening every face. No one wanted to speakâespecially after what happened to the thousands of civilians stationed there before its destruction. Optimus rose from his chair, expression neutral.
âThis meeting is over. You are dismissed.â He waited until all mechs exited, except one.
âFastBack, Iâd like you to join the research team,â he said. When the mech heard his name, he turned with surprise.
âYes, sir,â he said with a relieved smile before leaving once sure he was no longer needed.
Alone now, Optimus gazed at a point beyond sightâterrible memories resurfacing. What was his worst enemy plotting in that place? It was nothing more than ruins among manyâa city wiped off the map by Decepticon rebellion. There was nothing left but corpses and screams imprisoned in an endless loop. Tormented by the news, Optimus Prime stared at the datapad showing images of Trypican.
His spark trembled in agony at the memory of his failure.
A few groons later, an Autobot warrior team had been assembled for reconnaissance. SilverBoltâs report hadnât helped muchâamid the rubble, they couldnât tell what Megatron sought. So Optimus formed a team to accompany him into those ruins heavy with history, hunting for traces of Megatronâs presence.
A trap? The Autobots wouldnât be surprised.
But since Megatronâs trace had been so elusive, they hoped this time theyâd be ahead. A few clicks later, the team of five arrived at the coordinates FastBack had led them toâjust before Base 12âs ruins. They halted and transformed into robot modes; the ground was too damaged to drive. Optimus followed suit and stood, surveying the silent, grim landscape.
âThis place gives me chillsâŚâ Switch commented, arms crossedâhe wore light armor and carried two swords at his hips.
âThis place⌠it hums with negative energy,â DoubleTap added from behind, his broad shoulders forming a shadow over Switch.
âLetâs not linger. My toxin sensor says there are still residues in the air,â said the teamâs medicâeyes fixed on his forearm screen. Ratchet moved to Optimusâs side to share one of his unsettling observations.
âOptimus, somethingâs off,â began his longtime friend, optics narrowed toward a gaping crater aheadâone created by a deadly bomb dropped by Decepticons. Prime glanced at the smaller white-and-red mech, noticing his normally calm expression now filled with terror.
âThe bodies... where are the bodies?â Ratchet stammered, looking around.
Frozen, the Autobots scanned frantically for the corpsesânothing. Only rubble and a heavy silence.
âWhy would Megatron bother retrieving thousands of bodies? It makes no sense!â FastBack muttered, fingertip on chin in thought.
âI have a feeling weâll know soon enough,â DoubleTap growled, activating shoulder cannons after seeing motion behind Optimus.
âWe are not alone,â he added, optics narrowing at a shape slithering among the broken walls.
âAutobots, stay alert,â Optimus commanded, masking his face and raising his forearm cannon.
At that moment, shots rang out to their left. Sharing confused looks, FastBack climbed onto a half-collapsed pillar to gain vantage. Behind him, DoubleTap continued focusing on the distant shape.
âI can't believe itâŚâ muttered the red-and-white mech, meeting Primeâs optics.
âDecepticons!â he said, pointing in the opposite direction.
âI knew it... it was a trap!â Switch hissed, unsheathing his blades.
âWaitâi think theyâre not shooting at us. They appear to be targeting something elseâŚâ the perched mech whispered, optics narrowed. Impatient, Switch climbed the pillar to see the scene below firsthand.
âAm I hallucinating, or is that a civilian fighting them?â he said in shock.
âLetâs get a closer look,â Optimus ordered without hesitation. If an Autobotâs life was at risk, he couldnât stand by. Descending into the crater, Prime narrowed his optics as he began to hear the distant clashâblade sounds and anguished moans. Behind him, the other four advanced cautiously, questions swirling through their CPU.
Reaching the next level down, Prime stepped forward enough to see clearly.
There was indeed a civilian fighting four Vehicons. No armorâjust a protoform drenched in energon and injuries. Optimus froze, his Autobots following as horror filled their optics. The small mech held a sharpened iron bar like a sword. One Vehicon lay dead in an energon puddle. White optics blazing with fury, the mech advanced on another, dragging the blade along the groundâa screeching grind that forced the closer enemy to cover its audios.
Seizing the moment, the civilian jumped onto the Vehiconâs shoulders, then leapt to another, impaling him in the head. Without pause, he decapitated the third with fluid precision. The last turned, firing shots indiscriminately. Blaster bolts tore through his fragile form without slowing his advanceâhis face smeared with energy.
âMonster⌠assassinâŚâ he hissed in a distorted, grave voice, advancing unflinchingly.
Before the Autobots could intervene, he leapt againâthis time tearing off a Vehiconâs helmet and slicing beneath his throat, detaching the head in one brutal strike. Frozen by the disorienting scene, the Autobots made no sound. FastBack raised a hand to his face to hold back nausea and turned his optics away.
Exhausted and spent, the little mech turned his head toward them. Energonic tears streamed down his dirtied cheeks.
Optimus would never forget that gaze. Filled with rage, pain, and disappointment. They exchanged it for a fleeting momentâthen the civilianâs now-blue optics darkened, and he collapsed onto his knees, raising a dust cloud.
Ratchet rushed to his side without a word, scanning his vitals and launching emergency repairs to stem the energon hemorrhage from his damaged frame. Optimus joined his old friend, concern etched on his face as he surveyed the unrecognizable figure lying on his back, energon seeping into a spreading pool.
âIs he⌠dead?â asked FastBack, approaching the craterâs center.
âHeâs in emergency stasisâbut unless I close his wounds, he wonât last much longer,â Ratchet replied, not looking up from his meticulous work.
Keeping watch at the edge, DoubleTap narrowed his optics toward another floor in the ruins. He sensed movementâthey were being watched. Moments later, something brushed his pede, forcing him to look down. His spark thudded as a thick black cable slithered toward the corpse of a freshly slain Vehicon.
The cable wrapped around the inert frame and dragged it backwardâinto the darkness.
A noise drew DoubleTapâs attention across the way. Another cable seized another body, then another. He didnât need to speakâthe others had noticed too.
âWhat is that?â Switch wondered, touching one of the cables with his blade. It twitched on contact, then yanked violently, leaving an energon trail disappearing beneath a twisted plate.
Optimus narrowed his blue optics at the eerie vanishings. Then another cable coiled around his massive pedeâheading straight for the wounded civilian in stasis. With shocking speed, it grabbed him, pulling him toward its lair and away from Ratchetâs rescue attempts. With a swift slash, Optimus cut itâbut without sound, the severed piece writhed and leaked a luminous green liquid.
âThat⌠is that what I think it is?â DoubleTap asked, crouching beside the severed lengthâits other half vanished into darkness.
âIâll take samples. Letâs not jump to conclusions,â Ratchet insisted, after finishing emergency care. He carefully extracted a drop of the strange fluid into a vial, his voice betraying his unease.
âBut⌠if itâs green energon? It could save us! The war would endâwhy fight anymore? If these things operate on synthetic energon, thenââ FastBack was cut off as Optimus raised a hand to silence him.
âGreen energon has never offered a lasting solution. It harms our systems, and its dubious origins could backfire on us,â Optimus explained gravely. He wasnât willing to experimentâit was like making a pact with Unicron.
âNoâŚâ Ratchet whispered, staring at the vial in his hand and drawing all eyes to him.
âI believe⌠Megatron intends to use it. He doesnât care about side effects. Then energon will have no value in his eyes,â Ratchet added, optics wide.
âSo Megatron plans to destroy our remaining energon sources to deprive us,â Optimus concluded, clenching his fists.
âHe means to starve us! Thatâs how he wants to win the war?!â Switch railed, slashing the air with his swords in fury.
âLetâs return to base,â Optimus urgedâthe urgency clear in his tone as he turned to Ratchet.
Immediately, the medic ordered Switch to calm down and evacuate the injured civilian. He needed intensive careâfast. But suddenly⌠the sky tore open with a violent flash and the ground trembled. Something heavy had just landed before themâblocking their path.
âŤâŤâŤâŤâŤâŤ
To be continuedâŚ



















