Blackarachnia, transformed into her mechanical spider form, focused all four pairs of her compound eyes on Skygnaw. Skygnaw offered a curt nod, signaling that if things went south, he would prioritize her extraction. Relieved, she turned and scrambled back toward the base of the hill to hold the line.
Skygnaw knew she couldn't stop the full force of the Autobots alone, especially with elite warriors like Bumblebee and Ironhide in the mix. While a Commander-class warrior could theoretically suppress Elites, numbers had a quality all their own; enough basic soldiers could eventually grind down even a Commander.
"Optimus, don't be a coward! Our battle is not yet over!" Megatron roared, ignoring the approaching reinforcements. He continued to trade savage blows with the Prime, his taunts constant.
"Bring it, Megatron. I am with you until the end," Optimus replied. The arrival of his team had reignited his spark, and he began to move with renewed fluidity.
BOOM!
A shot from Megatron's fusion cannon slammed into Optimus's chest. Even with his power significantly diminished, Megatron remained a deadly threat. The force of the blast sent the Prime staggering backward.
Skygnaw, who had been waiting for the perfect opening, transformed into his assault craft mode and shrieked toward the falling Prime. He shifted back to humanoid form in mid-air, driving the Black Hell Blade downward with the full momentum of his descent—thousands of tons of force aimed directly at Optimus's chest.
CLANG!
"You've got to be kidding me!!" Skygnaw hissed.
The blade stopped inches from the Prime's chest, caught in the iron grip of a massive mechanical hand. Skygnaw watched in horror as Optimus stopped the strike dead in its tracks. He had miscalculated; a wounded Prime was still a god of war.
"Skygnaw!" Optimus growled, a cold light in his optics. He lunged forward while still gripping the black blade, his other hand igniting an energy sword. Skygnaw tried to yank his weapon back and retreat, but it was too late.
SQUELCH—
"Gah...!" Dark red Energon geysered from Skygnaw's mouth as the energy sword pierced his chest. Fortunately, his Orichalcum chassis absorbed the brunt of the kinetic energy, preventing the blade from reaching his protected Spark.
"OPTIMUS!!" Skygnaw roared, survival instincts overriding all caution. He grabbed Optimus's arm and locked him in place, shouting to the sky: "Lord Megatron! NOW!"
"Well done, Skygnaw!"
Megatron's jet mode plummeted behind Optimus. With a cruel laugh, a curved blade erupted through Optimus's chest, appearing inches from Skygnaw's face.
"STOP! MEGATRON!" Ironhide and Bumblebee screamed as they broke through Blackarachnia's defenses, but they were a second too late.
Optimus's weapons fell from his hands as a sudden, hollow weakness consumed his frame.
"My turn, Optimus!" Skygnaw sneered. He yanked the energy sword from his own chest, hoisted the Prime up, and aimed his integrated fusion cannon directly at the gash in Optimus's chest—where a faint blue glow revealed the Prime's Spark.
"Skygnaw, don't you dare!" the Autobots cried out.
Skygnaw ignored them with a mocking smirk. He had just looked into the abyss; he had no mercy left to give.
BOOM!
The fusion cannon flared, blasting Optimus into the air. Parts showered the forest as his chassis fell back to earth, slamming into a crater like a discarded toy.
Sam Witwicky, hiding behind a nearby tree, watched the fall with wide, terrified eyes. "Get up! Get up, Optimus! Please!" he whispered, unaware that the blow was fatal.
Megatron walked toward the fallen Prime with the measured pace of a predator. "Look at you now, my brother. I never understood why you admired these humans so much. Is the future of our race worth less than the life of a single insect?"
"Me... Megatron... you... do not understand..." Optimus rasped. His chassis was nearly torn in half, blue arcs of electricity flickering in the massive hole in his chest. He tried to push himself up, but his limbs failed him.
"That phrase again!" Megatron snarled, his "gentlemanly" facade vanishing into raw violence. "You always looked down on us with that moral superiority. But today, I am the victor! My Master will descend to this world, and Cybertron will be reborn from the ashes!"
"Your... Master? The Fallen?"
Megatron didn't answer. He raised his fusion cannon. "You won't be here to see it. Goodbye, my brother!"
BOOM!
A massive fireball erupted from Optimus Prime's chest. In his final moment, Optimus looked toward the tree where Sam was hiding and mouthed a final command: "Sam... run...".
The blue light in his eyes flickered, faded, and went dark. The towering leader was now a cold, motionless block of metal.
"Decepticons, withdraw!" Megatron commanded.
Skygnaw quickly detached from the skirmish with Bumblebee and Ironhide. He glanced at Starscream's lifeless frame in the distance, but decided against trying to retrieve it while the Autobots were in a blind, vengeful rage. "Some other time..." he muttered.
He transformed into his assault craft and rose into the sky, pausing only to retrieve Blackarachnia, who leaped up and latched onto his hull. Together, they followed Megatron's jet trail away from the carnage.
Below, the forest fell silent as the Autobots gathered around their leader. Despair and grief hung heavy in the air. Even the boisterous Twins were silent.
Sam ran from his hiding spot, breathless. "Optimus? How is he?"
Bumblebee only shook his head, his expression a mask of mourning.
"He's... he's gone? No..." Sam clutched his head, the weight of guilt crushing him. If Optimus hadn't come for him, the Prime would still be alive.
Ironhide opened his mouth to speak, to offer some words of encouragement, but found his voice-box empty. He was an arms expert, not a leader. With Optimus dead, where would they go?
Mars: The Fallen's Medical Bay.
The moment Optimus Prime's Spark was extinguished, The Fallen snapped his head up. Crimson light flared from his optics as he ripped the healing tubes from his frame.
"Finally! Finally!!" he hissed, his voice trembling with suppressed excitement. He stood up, towering over his chair. "The Dynasty of Primes is dead. No one remains to challenge me. Now... it is my turn to descend!"
30+ chapters are available now and daily updates! @patreon.com/AgentTwilight