"Soundwave, locate the Allspark immediately. We cannot afford to fail," Megatron ordered coldly, his crimson optics locked on Optimus Prime across the battlefield.
Behind him, the Nemesis began releasing what could only be described as a swarm of Decepticons—hundreds of them taking to the air and diving toward the fray.
"I don't know why the Allspark is on this planet," Megatron continued, his tone heavy with grim resolve, "but I will do whatever it takes to reclaim it… and end this war."
***
"Optimus, are you certain about this?" Arcee asked in disbelief.
"Yes. I can feel… something wrong with the Allspark's energy. It is him, without a doubt," Optimus replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
Before they could say more, Bumblebee let out a sharp alert tone—warning of an incoming attack. The Autobots dove for cover as searing energon blasts zipped through the air.
Hitting the ground, Optimus shifted his arm into a cannon and fired, taking down one of the attackers. "Autobots, our priority is to reach the Allspark!"
"And how are we supposed to do that? We're completely exposed here!" Bulkhead shouted, blasting back at a cluster of Decepticons.
One of the towers was hit directly and began to collapse, its structure creaking as it gave way.
"Fall back! Now!" Optimus commanded.
In an instant, the Autobots transformed into vehicle mode, racing clear of the collapsing tower just in time—but the Decepticons weren't about to let them escape.
Bumblebee skidded to a halt, shifting back to bipedal mode. His arms morphed into cannons, clearing a path with precise shots before transforming again to rejoin the formation.
Optimus pushed his speed to the limit, bulldozing straight through a group of enemies. Using the momentum, Arcee sprang off one of the downed Decepticons like a ramp, transforming mid-air and grabbing onto a flying foe. She fired point-blank into his vital systems, sending him spiraling into another aerial target. The collision ignited a fiery explosion above as Arcee landed smoothly in motorcycle form.
Without breaking stride, Optimus shifted back to robot mode mid-run. He leapt, blasting enemies still mid-transformation, then landed, his arm morphing into a sword. With one swift thrust, he drove it into a Decepticon's abdomen, spun, and pressed his cannon to the enemy's face—firing the finishing shot.
Bumblebee darted past, transformed, and slid low, sweeping an enemy's legs. As the Decepticon toppled, Bumblebee spun on the ground and shot him in the back of the neck before he could recover.
Bulkhead used his vehicle form as a wrecking ball, ramming through any foe in his way. When enemy fire started pelting him, he rolled into robot mode and smashed a Decepticon down with a steel-ball fist.
Then, without warning, a portal opened behind him.
"Time for the hammer, big guy!" Breakdown shouted, emerging with a sadistic grin. His arm had already shifted into a massive hammer, which he brought crashing down on Bulkhead's back, sending him flying several meters.
Bulkhead groaned, forcing himself up, his optics narrowing in recognition.
The two charged at each other like gladiators, their collision unleashing a shockwave that blasted dust and wind in all directions—pure brute force against brute force.
Aerial fire struck Bulkhead's shoulder, dropping him to one knee. He grunted in pain, trying to rise.
"It's over for you, Bulkhead," Breakdown taunted, activating the missile on his shoulder.
But before it could fire, Optimus appeared—catching the projectile in mid-air and hurling it back toward its owner. The explosion sent Breakdown sprawling.
"Once again, you saved my hide, Optimus," Bulkhead said gratefully, pressing his wound.
A towering figure emerged from within the smoke—Megatron.
He delivered a brutal punch to Bulkhead's face without warning, sending him flying. With his arm blade activated, Megatron charged toward Optimus.
"History will not repeat itself again!" Megatron snarled, striking down only to have Optimus block with his own blade.
"Even if the past insists on returning, I will not let you lay your hands on the Allspark!" Optimus countered.
"Our planet is on the brink of extinction because of you!" Megatron retorted, forcing his blade harder against Optimus's.
"You destroyed Cybertron. You burned our home for selfish gain."
"And yet you condemned it by casting the Allspark into space!" Megatron spun, unbalancing Optimus, then drove a powerful knee into his abdomen. Following up, he slashed part of Optimus's armor with his sword. "And in the end… your head will be my trophy alongside the Allspark!"
"MEGATRON!!!"
A deafening roar shook the battlefield. The sound of heavy footsteps thundered closer, so forceful that Megatron turned his head in curiosity.
It was the last thing he saw before a colossal punch smashed into him. The impact was so devastating that he spat energon and crashed into a boulder with an echoing boom across the area.
Optimus, dazed, looked up. It had been a long time… but he recognized that unmistakable presence.
"Grimlock…" he murmured in surprise.
"Prime," Grimlock replied with arrogance, his red optics blazing. "You're still as weak as ever."
Optimus stood up, meeting the massive Dinobot's gaze without blinking, ignoring the size difference between them. "It's good to see you're still alive," he said with respect, even knowing Grimlock despised his leadership.
"Whatever," Grimlock growled. "Right now, I have an extermination to finish." His glare shifted to Megatron with pure contempt. "Stay out of my way, Prime."
"Grimlock, the other Dinobots… are they on Earth as well?" Optimus asked, a logical question given the shock of seeing the giant again after so long.
Grimlock hesitated at the question. Since waking up in the Sector 7 facility and encountering the Allspark, he hadn't thought about his other compatriots.
"After I crush Megatron, I'll find out if my team is still alive."
At that moment, Megatron reappeared, stumbling out of the wreckage where Grimlock had hurled him. Still dazed by the Dinobot's raw force, for a brief second the Decepticon leader truly thought he had died.
"Filthy… scrap heap," Megatron spat, his mouth stained with energon. "What is this monster doing on this planet?!"
He wiped the bluish-purple fluid from his mouth, teeth clenched. Anger began to overtake the pain.
"You're nothing but a failed experiment! You'll never defeat me!" Megatron marched toward Grimlock, his fury fueling every step.
The mere mention of his origin made Grimlock growl in rage. Memories of what Shockwave had done to him, the pain, the experiments, the forced mutation—flared back into his mind like fire.
"You and Shockwave wanted a super-soldier, right? Then let me show you the result of your experiment!"
Grimlock slammed both fists into the ground, cracking it into craters. His body began to transform—parts rotated, armor plates shifted and retracted. A massive tail emerged from his back as a deep, primal roar shook the battlefield.
Grimlock transformed into his alternate form: a 40-foot-tall metallic Tyrannosaurus rex, a living war machine fueled by pure hatred.
He roared with savage fury, spewing fire, and charged at Megatron. The Decepticon leader's optics widened—it was the first time he had seen a Dinobot in action, and it was nothing like the archives.
Megatron activated his cannon, firing energon blasts straight into the creature's chest. But Grimlock barreled forward unfazed, shrugging off the hits as if they were nothing but gusts of wind. His armor was nearly impervious to such weaponry.
Megatron leapt, narrowly avoiding a bite that could have torn him in half. He swung his arm blade, slashing Grimlock's leg—leaving nothing but a scratch.
Grimlock spun and lashed out with his tail like a whip, striking Megatron with such force that he flew through the air like a broken toy.
Megatron jammed his sword into the ground to slow his momentum, preventing an even worse crash. Staggering, he muttered, "Damn it… I never should have let Shockwave experiment on Autobots."
He opened a comm link. "Soundwave, focus the Nemesis's cannons on the Dinobot!"
Grimlock prepared to strike again, but was suddenly hit by heavy firepower from the ship above. Explosions erupted across his body. Even with his incredible resilience, he was not invulnerable to anti-ship cannons.
Roaring in pain and fury, Grimlock spat fire and retreated, realizing staying in open ground was suicide.
"That damn Dinobot is going to complicate recovering the Allspark…" Megatron grumbled, feeling his joints falter—Grimlock's blow had deeply damaged his frame. "Damn it…"
A portal opened behind him, and a group of Decepticons emerged to provide support to their leader, opening fire on Optimus immediately.The Autobot leader rushed toward Bulkhead, who was still wounded. He helped him to his feet, seeing how hard it was for him to stay upright.
"Ratchet, open a portal to my coordinates. Bulkhead is injured," he communicated, preparing to face yet another wave of enemies.
***
Ratchet pulled the lever firmly. A deep hum echoed through the base as the ground bridge circuits began to energize with pulsating streams of energon.
"Coordinates locked," Ratchet said, his deep voice heavy with urgency. "Raf, when I say so, close the portal without hesitation."
"You got it!" Raf replied, eyes glued to the notebook screen, where navigation and energy data flashed frantically.
Miko paced back and forth, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor. Her expression was tense, barely able to hide her fear."He's gonna be fine, Miko. Bulkhead's tough as nails," Jack tried to reassure her with a forced smile. But Miko didn't answer. She didn't even seem to hear him. Her gaze was distant, her mind far away—probably on the battlefield, where her best friend was fighting for his life.
Then, the portal burst open with a thunderous roar, revealing the distorted glow of the other side of the bridge. Ratchet didn't wait.Transforming his left arm into a gleaming blade, he ran forward with surprising speed for his age and leapt directly into the war zone.
***
On the other side, chaos. A chain of explosions lit up the cloudy sky. Amid the smoke and wreckage, Optimus was holding the line with lethal precision, firing energon blasts at the Decepticons with unshakable accuracy. Behind him, Bulkhead lay on the ground, firing his own cannon, but far from his usual effectiveness.
Ratchet slid to the brute's side and knelt beside him, quickly assessing the damage."Jaw dislocation… optic damage… possible compromise at the base of the neck…" he murmured, as his scanner swept over his comrade. "Blunt force… probably Megatron—or something even more destructive…" He guessed it was an injury from pure hand-to-hand impact.
Without wasting a second, Ratchet had Bulkhead lean on his shoulders and began carrying him back. Optimus kept the Decepticons at bay with heavy covering fire, his shots so accurate they took out enemies before they could even get close.
As soon as they crossed the portal, Ratchet shouted, "Raf! Now!" The boy reflexively pressed the keys, and the portal closed with a blue flash.
He carried Bulkhead to the medical bay, quickly checked his injuries, and assured him that he wouldn't die. "I'm going back to the battlefield. Bulkhead, hold on until I get back."
Even though he wasn't in his best shape, Bulkhead raised his arm and waved his hand, as if to say, "Finish them off for me."
Ratchet reappeared seconds later with the portal reopening, now with both hands transformed into twin blades, ready to slice through the Decepticons."Optimus, where's the Allspark?!" he demanded, eyes full of determination, dodging a shot that nearly grazed his face.
"I can sense its energy, it's here… but volatile. It's moving… west of my position," Optimus replied, still fending off waves of enemies. Grimlock's colossal roar echoed across the plains, making the Decepticons hesitate for a brief moment.
"Grimlock?!" Ratchet's optics widened. He turned just in time to see a mutilated Decepticon being hurled like a projectile into an aerial squad, knocking them down like dominoes. "Primus… what's that maniac doing here?! I thought he was dead!"
The battlefield lit up with Grimlock's metallic fire. In his tyrannosaurus form, he breathed flames over a group of enemies, melting their armor in seconds. It was brutal. It was magnificent. It was the living fury of a warrior deep in a vendetta.
"Grimlock is holding… but not for long. That kind of strength has a limit," Optimus said, concern in his voice.
Ratchet clenched his jaw, eyes still fixed on the colossal creature."Great," he said sarcastically. "Let's just ignore that little detail for now…"He spun his blades, ready to advance. "We have an Allspark to find. And a war to win."