Chapter Text
He drags himself painfully across the desert floor, each yard seems like a mile with his shot-up foot... battered and broken, the Deception spy, Ravage, is only kept going by a burning desire for revenge! Revenge on the one who has left him for dead, revenge on the one whom he recently called teammate, revenge on...
RAVAGE: Starscream! I'll see you destroyed for this! I'll make you suffer for daring to attack me... and for not making sure that you'd finished me off! Always were too sure of your abilities, weren't you, Starscream? You thought I'd been destroyed by your missiles. You were wrong! They almost succeeded... the shockwave took me over the cliff and threatened to tear me apart... but I wouldn't give up, like I won't give up now. I struggled... I fought for a foothold, anything to stop me from falling. And I found it! An impossible narrow ledge... but enough to keep me alive! Now... if I can just keep going a little l-long... errrr...
Ravage collapses in the sand.
RAVAGE: I can't go on. I've failed...
Or has he? A shadow appears to block the blazing sun. The shadow... of Megatron! Along with Rumble and Skywarp!
MEGATRON: Ravage?
Ravage looks up, unable to believe his eyes.
RAVAGE: M-Megatron?
MEGATRON: We have returned just in time... quickly, Ravage, which Autobot did this to you? Not that it matters, I'll kill them all anyway, but still!
RAVAGE: N-not... Autobot... was... Starscream!
Rumble and Skywarp are shocked! Megatron is not. Megatron... is angry.
Meanwhile, nearly one hundred miles away at U.S. Air Force Base Oregon Four-Alpha, the rebel Decepticon, Starscream, was continuing his campaign of terror! He shoots down every plane he sees on the tarmac.
STARSCREAM: Now begins the rightful rule of Starscream!
Doing his best to forestall Starscream's "rightful rule is the base's commanding officer, Major Gordon.
GORDON: I want every plane that's airworthy off the ground. Blow that fighter out of the air!
Starscream stops bombing things and observes what the humans are doing.
STARSCREAM: Hmmm. The humans are launching their own flying machines... no matter. I am far superior in both speed and firepower. All proceeds as planned... soon my ambition will be realized... I will be leader of the Decepticons! Yes... leader! In place of the accursed Megatron! How well I remember our last confrontation... I was forced to back down in the face of superior firepower... but the other Decepticons were unhappy with this resolution... I knew it was time to strike decisively! My play... attack the humans and draw the Autobots into battle... leaving the other Decepticons with no choice but to aid me! The Autobots would be beaten by the combined might of the Decepticons, proving me the greater tactician and leader! A superb plan... but I was overheard... by Ravage! Being faithful to Megatron, he fled. I gave chase... he was destroyed... there was now no turning back and I launched my assault on the human settlement.
While Starscream was busy fucking narrating, the military launches fighters into the air.
ALPHA: Alpha Leader to all planes... let's show this fella what we're made of at Oregon base... over.
PILOT: Roger, Alpha Leader... however good a pilot he might be, he's got to be worried now...
STARSCREAM: I'm worried! Why haven't the Autobots shown up yet?
But, on the Ark, the Autobots also have trouble in their ranks...
HUFFER: You mean to say he actually tried to destroy Sideswipe?
JAZZ: Said he'd deal with all of us if we tried to stop him!
PROWL: ...straight through the wall-
OPTIMUS: Enough!
The silence is instantaneous and absolute as the voice of the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, rings out...
OPTIMUS: Now, briefly and concisely, let's review the events that led to Brawn's impromptu exit... Mirage, you first.
MIRAGE: Oh great, narration time again. Well, he was fine until the accident... a machine we were working on exploded, he suffered a severe neuro-shock... this may account for his actions, for I found that I-
OPTIMUS: Enough! Just the facts. Sideswipe, you next.
SIDESWIPE: After he'd recovered from the accident he became moody and unapproachable... when I asked him to do some work he went mad... he threw me at a wall, then tried to throttle me! Then he smashed through the Ark's hull and left... warning us not to try to stop him.
OPTIMUS: I don't like that sound of that at all. He may mean to harm the humans. And that we cannot allow!
At that moment, in the small town of St. Petersburg... a man gets in his car and waves goodbye to his wife.
MAN: See ya later, Mabel... won't be more'n an hour...
Brawn spies from the trees as the man drives away.
BRAWN: In some incredible way, the carbon-based units have enslaved my fellow beings... and although Brawn is nobody's ally, I shall show these humans the folly of daring to use us in such a way!
Brawn transforms.
BRAWN: Take heart, my oppressed brethren, Brawn is coming to liberate you!
And, seconds later, Brawn hurtles through the busy streets...
BRAWN: Ha! There are none who can match the peerless power of Brawn! ...I'm beginning to enjoy myself!
Oblivious to such traditions as stopping at a red light... Brawn drives straight through an intersection of oncoming traffic. One driver is forced to-
DRIVER: What the-?! Gotta swerve!
He does so, as the car makes an unnatural sound.
SCREEEE!
DRIVER: C-can't hold her, she's going over... noooo-!
Indeed, the car collides with another in a fiery explosion-holy shit did Brawn just kill people? Fuck.
BRAKOOOM!
The explosion is seen by a couple of police officers.
OFFICER: Holy...! That maniac! Phil, get over there and see if you can help... I'm going after that lunatic!
He does so. Within seconds the patrol car drew level...
OFFICER: You've got five seconds to pull over before I shoot your tires!
BRAWN: Hmm... at last a being worthy of my attention! I shall free this poor, enslaved soul.
After both had pulled over...
OFFICER: Okay, fruitcake, out of the car now... slowly, with your arms high and palms forward so I can see they're-
The officer aims his gun at the driver's side window. Furious, Brawn transforms.
BRAWN: Insolent human! You dare threaten Brawn? Now go! Before you incur my wrath! And be thankful I consider you beneath my notice!
The police officer falls back in shock... then quickly remembers his fury.
OFFICER: D-don't come any closer... or I'll fire!
BLAM! BLAM! CLICK!
The officer shoots Brawn with the two bullets he has... they do nothing.
OFFICER: Oh my... my bullets have no effect!
The traffic cop fled, but already Brawn has turned his attention to the car...
BRAWN: Well? You're free! Off you go, then...
The car doesn't do anything. Immediately, Brawn becomes impatient.
BRAWN: You ungrateful imbecile! If you won't take that brand of freedom... take this!
KERRUMP!
Brawn smashes the car with his fist, then turns to the other parked cars in the lot nearby.
BRAWN: And what of the rest of you? Will you just sit here and let these puny humans rule you? No answer? Then I'll destroy you all!
KAARRACHH!
Brawn attacks the cars.
Meanwhile... Starscream destroys the planes.
WHAAM!
STARSCREAM: Ha! This is far too easy... already three of their planes have been destroyed and this last one poses no problems!
But... the last plane has homing missiles.
STARSCREAM: Hmm... homing missiles! Well, no point dodging about... I'll just take them back to their source...
Starscream leads the missiles into the path of the plane that shot them.
PILOT: Nooo!
NEWS ANCHOR: This is OBTV News... live from a U.S. Air Force base, the location of which we cannot divulge. An unidentified fighter plane has been wreaking havoc here for the past hour. And... oh! The last of the U.S. fighters has been shot down... this is terrible! Other air bases have been put on full alert and back-up planes are on their way, but... wait... the enemy aircraft seems to be coming straight at us... I think it's going to land! The aircraft seems to be hovering right in front of us... and it's... it's... transforming! Yes, it appears to be one of the huge robots that have been terrorizing parts of Oregon recently-ah shit we said where the base is. Anyway... and it's speaking...
Starscream moves right up to the camera.
STARSCREAM: Hear me, Autobots! Unless you face me, I will destroy all human life here... and everywhere! Where are you, you cowards?!
NEWS ANCHOR: So where are these "Autobots," and can they stop this being's rampage? In the meantime, we take you live to the scene of a similar riot of destruction in St. Petersburg, a small town in-
Elsewhere... the Autobots watch the news report, and see Brawn rampaging.
OPTIMUS: I have seen enough! Come... he must be stopped!
In St. Petersburg... Brawn is wrecking the place.
BRAWN: Run! It'll do you no good! I'll level this town!
At Oregon Four-Alpha... Starscream is wrecking the place.
STARSCREAM: Where are you, Autobots? I swear I'll destroy everything!
In St. Petersburg...
OPTIMUS: Stop! You must do no more harm, Brawn!
BRAWN: Who dares...?
At Oregon Four-Alpha...
MEGATRON: Starscream! Turn and face us!
STARSCREAM: Ah... at last!
In St. Petersburg...
BRAWN: You?!
At Oregon Four-Alpha...
STARSCREAM: You?!
MEGATRON: Yes, Starscream... us! Your ex-teammates... the Decepticons! And we've come to destroy you!
Indeed, all the other Decepticons are there... except for Ravage.
STARSCREAM: B-but the Autobots...!
In St. Petersburg... the Autobots have problems of their own to sort out...
OPTIMUS: We cannot allow this to continue, Brawn... you must come back with us to the Ark.
BRAWN: Over my dead body! The only way you'll take me back is in pieces! And I'll take most of you with me!