Caring Dead End

[dragoness_e]

(This entry got long enough it couldn't go into a comment.)

The red Lamborghini missed Dead End by a hair's breadth; his photon cannon did not--but Dead End's forcefield rendered it moot. Sideswipe streaked on past; his real target was Motormaster, an equally pointless target.

Why did I bother showing up for this battle? Megatron has a new weapon, Starscream calls his plan idiotic, the Autobots show up to break it, we have a big fight, they get smashed up, we get smashed up, the thing gets broken, Megatron calls for a retreat. I could have just stayed back at base and watched it on the monitors for the same effect--if I cared that much.

Sideswipe's real target was not Motormaster. As the red Autobot accelerated toward the gray semi, he changed to robot mode, jumped, flipped on his rocket pack and pogoed off the top of Motormaster's trailer toward the Annihilator Cannon. Surprised, Motormaster threw the brakes on and turned hard, trying to bring his guns to bear on the wild Autobot. Too hard--Motormaster skidded, jack-knifed, and flipped, throwing up a huge cloud of dust as he rolled. Sideswipe sailed over the Annihilator Cannon on his rocket pack, firing downwards--

Megatron screamed in rage.

It exploded.

An expanding pulse of dark purple light. Sound, sight, sensation all halted for one terrible instant, then rushing back in as the shock wave hit.

Dead End rolled, tumbling across the sere desert grass like another tumbleweed. By the time he came to rest, he knew two things: Megatron would not be sounding the retreat, and Dead End had underestimated how far he needed to stay away from this particular weapon. Half his major systems had diagnostic alarms blinking at him, and.. his forcefields were down.

And Megatron's latest plan comes to its inevitable end. No forcefields; I wonder how long it will take one of the surviving Autobots to shoot me into scrap metal? I hope they can at least shoot straight and not prolong things too much.

At least he could still move; in that, Dead End was ahead of most of the Decepticons here and several of the Autobots. All those close to the crater that used to be the Cannon were down, if not permanently deactivated--Dead End assumed the latter. Megatron, Soundwave, Motormaster, the Constructicons, the Autobots Sideswipe and Bluestreak, Breakdown--

Dead End focused on Breakdown; the cream and blue Stunticon had landed upside down, half inside the crater, unable to move without transforming--and very likely unable to do so. If he was even online. And if Dead End's forcefields were offline at this range--

Breakdown? He's helpless!

Dead End started his engine and gunned it, throwing up a cloud of dust as he bounced across the desert floor. Off to his left, he could see a yellow car streaking towards the blast crater--

That's NOT Dragstrip! Now, are my guns online, or am I going to die pointlessly?

Dead End's guns were online. Laser bolts streaked toward Sunstreaker's flank; the speeding Lamborghini swerved and bounced off the hummocky desert grass, nearly losing control. Dead End skidded to a halt between Breakdown and the yellow Autobot and transformed, his rifle aimed between Sunstreaker's headlights. Dead End fired. Sunstreaker transformed and jumped, the shot cleanly missing him, dumping off two missiles as he hurtled through the air--

Dead End's second shot hit him square in the chest. Sunstreaker tumbled to the ground to land beside Sideswipe. Dead End's third shot blew one of the missiles out of the air, and he threw himself to one side just in time to avoid the other missile. Dead End afforded himself a quick glance back; the missile had missed Breakdown. According to his combat radar, Starscream and the other seekers were still in play, and Wildrider and Dragstrip were coming back fast from wherever they'd gotten to. There were Autobots closing in, too--Ratchet and Jazz at the least.

Sunstreaker got to his feet, grimacing in pain at the smoking hole in his chest. His missile launchers reloading as he rose--

I can't have him firing those things toward Breakdown. Perhaps there's another way... He'll kill me anyway, but if I can get Breakdown out of this--

"Go ahead, attack me again. Watch your brother die to Starscream and my brothers. Or..." Dead End said in his calm, slightly British accent. His gun was still up, but not aimed directly at Sunstreaker.

That got his attention!

"Or what, you walking piece of slag?" Sunstreaker snarled.

"Or take him and get out of here now." Dead End pointed the muzzle of his rifle at the sky.

Sunstreaker glared at him for an instant, then grabbed Sideswipe and with a single powerful heave, flung him over his back. "Your time will come, Stunticon." Then he was gone, running to meet the approaching Autobots.

"Of course it will." Dead End shook his head at the bland obviousness of the threat as he knelt to check over Breakdown. He was mildly surprised and pleased to find the cream and blue Lamborghini still functional.

"Dead End, that you?" Breakdown said weakly. "Are we both functional or both dead?"

"Still functional for some reason," Dead End answered gently. "Let's get you out of here," he said as Wildrider and Dragstrip drove up.

The radio crackled. "Megatron has fallen! I, Starscream, am your new leader. Decepticons, retreat!"

Comments

[elven-poet.livejournal.com]

Very well done. I like how you write Dead End's character. ^_^ And Starscream is so silly.

[raisedbymoogles.livejournal.com]

Aww, a moment between warriors. *snugs Dead End lots* :D