As U.S. soldiers fought back, the two Transformers that had been focusing solely on destroying tanks and heavy vehicles turned their firepower on the soldiers firing at them. Their combat programming kicked in, prompting them to scan a nearby armored vehicle.
In mere moments, they transformed into exact replicas of the armored vehicle and began moving swiftly across the base. The mounted Gatling guns on their roofs unleashed a relentless hail of bullets at the surrounding troops. Using their disguise as a U.S. military vehicle, they roamed the base, ambushing soldiers and even infiltrating the weapons depot to gather ammunition, conserving their own energy reserves.
Only when faced with heavily fortified tanks did they revert to their robot forms, blasting the tanks apart with energy cannons.
In just five or six minutes, the two Transformers had decimated nearly 300 soldiers out of a thousand stationed at the base. The remaining troops either fled or hid in terror.
With resistance dwindling, the Transformers began demolishing the base's barracks and other structures. Watching the fleeing soldiers scatter across the base, William chuckled.
"Haha! Sunday, I think I've grown fond of these crazy Transformers," William said with a grin.
"Thank you, sir. As long as you're satisfied," Sunday replied.
"Oh, I'm more than satisfied."
Once the Transformers entered the weapons depot again, and with most of the base already reduced to rubble, William snapped his fingers and teleported them back to X17.
"These two maniacs should have calmed down a bit by now," William remarked. "Sunday, see if you can establish communication with them."
"Understood, sir."
Though the fighting had ceased, the damage inflicted on the U.S. base was catastrophic. If the attackers hadn't been Transformers, the U.S. might have launched an all-out campaign against William by now.
The news of the attack quickly reached the United States. When high-ranking officials and generals saw footage of the shape-shifting robots, they were both devastated and filled with excitement.
No one suspected William's involvement this time; most believed that the attack was retaliation by the Decepticons for the earlier skirmish in the Sahara Desert.
The destruction of the base marked one of the most significant military losses the U.S. had suffered in decades. Within hours, they decided to form a special task force dedicated to combating the Transformers. This new unit was largely composed of former members of "Sector 7," the division that had once been responsible for containing and studying Megatron.
Though many Sector 7 operatives had been killed during the Predator attack orchestrated by William, enough had survived to rebuild the unit. Having lost friends and comrades—and with their division disbanded—they harbored deep hatred for all extraterrestrial beings.
Armed with years of experience and technology developed from studying Megatron, Sector 7 eagerly seized the opportunity to exact their revenge. They soon achieved their first success: hunting down and destroying a Transformer.
With official support and funding reaching new heights, the task force intensified its operations. Over the following months, both Decepticons and Autobots found it increasingly difficult to operate within U.S. territory.
Decepticons retreated to Africa and other remote deserts, while the Autobots made a surprising choice: most fled to Cuba. However, Bumblebee secretly made his way to Folger Castle in England.
This development practically guaranteed that Optimus Prime and other Autobots would also arrive in England sooner or later.
For the English, this was far from good news.
Regardless of their noble intentions, the Autobots brought conflict, destruction, and chaos wherever they went. Battles with the Decepticons inevitably caused widespread collateral damage.
At this moment, however, William had no knowledge of the events that would soon unfold. He remained unaware that his decision to retaliate against the U.S. for attempting to steal his technology had set off a chain of events that would drastically alter the fate of the Transformers.
The attack on the Qatar base caused a significant shift in U.S. policy. Many within the American government now opposed any further provocations against William, especially given the ongoing threat from alien robots.
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin and other military contractors, frustrated by their lack of progress, resorted to hiring multiple mercenary teams to infiltrate the Sahara base. One by one, these teams vanished without a trace. The mounting casualties discouraged any further mercenary recruitment.
The U.S. military also hesitated to send additional troops. Losing dozens of men in just a few days made it clear that entering the base without a solid plan was suicidal.
Even the powerful defense contractors—those who had initially pushed for aggressive action—began to have second thoughts. After reviewing the carnage at the Qatar base, many executives were shaken.
While no concrete evidence linked the attack to William, the timing was too suspicious to ignore.
Some companies quickly withdrew from the effort, citing concerns about unforeseen risks.
Justin Hammer, believing himself to be on the same side as these retreating executives, tried to join their ranks. However, reality hit him hard once again.
The older men merely offered him polite smiles before instructing their bodyguards to block his path.
Watching from a distance, Obadiah Stane smirked. Once Justin left the area, Obadiah stood, straightened his clothes, and addressed the remaining executives.
"If I were you, I'd give up now," he said bluntly.
The representatives from Lockheed Martin refused to back down. For a company whose core business was aerospace and defense, abandoning this opportunity would mean forfeiting a chance to dominate future technology markets.
"I see you're not going to listen," Obadiah sighed. "Fine. One last piece of advice: with William Devonshire's personality, if he wanted that base destroyed, he'd have done it by now.
"The fact that he hasn't suggests he's toying with you. You might get away with your schemes for now. But if you try anything after he returns, expect to face complete annihilation—either you wipe out the entire Devonshire family, or he'll do the same to you. And honestly, I'd bet on him.
"If I were in his shoes, I'd hide out on Mars, spend a few billion dollars, and make sure you'd never see the light of day again."
With that, Obadiah bid them farewell and left the room.
Outside, he spotted a dejected Justin Hammer. Smiling, Obadiah strode over and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, Justin, thanks for the entertainment," he chuckled.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Mutter"]
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]