Chapter 153 Bonecrusher Misfortune! Starscream Ambitions! 

After transmitting the data to Starscream, Bonecrusher cut the communication and followed the tire tracks forward. Simultaneously, he pulled up a nearby map and scanned it briefly.

Following the tracks, he hacked into the surveillance cameras along the streets near the residential area and caught sight of a familiar yellow figure.

That unmistakable, flashy yellow.

It was Bumblebee!

Eventually, Bonecrusher pinpointed a location.

The scrapyard!

Bonecrusher excitement surged instantly.

After lurking on Earth for so long, he had finally spotted one of the Autobots he'd been "dying" to meet.

For a battle fanatic like him, this was exhilarating news.

Finally, a fight!

Vroom! Vroom!

Transforming into an armored vehicle, Bonecrusher sped toward the scrapyard.

On the way, a curious passerby noticed the armored car and stepped in front of it, intending to wave and greet the driver—a man with a blank expression in the seat.

But before the man could speak, Bonecrusher showed no hesitation.

Bang!!

The armored car rammed into the smaller vehicle, sending it rolling several times along the road, leaving it badly damaged.

The car lone driver sat slumped in his seat, dazed and bleeding from his head. Paralyzed with fear, his wide eyes and pale face conveyed his terror.

In plain view of everyone, the armored car sped off as if nothing had happened, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Oh, shit!"

Shocked onlookers scrambled to call the police.

At the scrapyard.

In response to Optimus Prime question, Anton remained composed and replied calmly, "The question of the AllSpark isn't something you should be asking me."

"I see."

Before arriving, Optimus Prime had studied everything he could find on Batman, Cyborg, and the Justice League they represented through the internet.

At the same time, he had also identified the older man standing behind Batman.

John Keller, the Secretary of Defense.

As for the man next to Keller, Optimus Prime hadn't been able to uncover any information yet. Clearly, digging into his background would require additional effort.

However, Optimus Prime wasn't in a rush.

Even though humanity had demonstrated surprising strength, he still had great confidence in Cybertron and the power of the Autobots.

The Autobots weren't limited to the few present on Earth.

While the capabilities of humans had caught him off guard, the technological advancements of Cybertron and the individual strength of the Transformers remained far superior.

Fundamentally, the two were not comparable.

"Since the AllSpark is in your possession, you must already understand the energy it holds," Optimus Prime continued.

"I must inform you that Megatron intends to use the AllSpark energy to turn all mechanical constructs on Earth into members of his Decepticon army. His goal is to defeat the Autobots and dominate the entire universe."

"You're saying the Autobots came to Earth to stop him?" Anton asked.

Although he already knew the answer, Anton posed the question to help alleviate some of the doubts held by Keller and the others behind him.

"That correct," Optimus Prime said solemnly. "The only way to destroy the AllSpark is to insert it into the heart of a Transformer leader."

He paused, looking at the humans before him with a heavy expression, making it clear he wasn't joking. "I've been prepared to sacrifice myself for this cause."

"Why does it have to be your heart or Megatron? Can't it be someone else?"

Anton had always wondered about this when he'd watched the movies.

Destroying the AllSpark required it to be embedded in the heart of one of the two leaders. It seemed unnecessarily specific. Was it some symbolic destiny, that one of them must perish?

"Only the energy within our bodies has the right concentration to annihilate the AllSpark," Optimus Prime explained. "If anyone else tried, their energy wouldn't be enough to destroy it. Instead, the AllSpark would kill them—it would be a meaningless sacrifice."

"I see," Anton nodded, finally having one of his long-standing questions answered.

Then, he raised a more fundamental issue.

"If the Autobots' goal is to stop Megatron, why not simply destroy him? Why focus on destroying the AllSpark instead of eliminating the threat at its source? Isn't that prioritizing the symptom over the cause?"

At this, everyone was stunned.

It made sense.

If the objective was to stop the enemy, why not destroy the enemy directly instead of the weapon they intended to use?

As Batman said, wasn't this a classic case of addressing the symptom rather than the root cause?

"Because Megatron strength far exceeds what you can imagine," Bumblebee interjected.

In his eyes, Optimus Prime was a great leader.

And, as Bumblebee saw it, the only being capable of standing on equal footing with this great leader was Megatron of the Decepticons—a terrifying force of nature.

Optimus Prime and Megatron represented the ultimate extremes of good and evil, black and white.

"Our battles with Megatron have spanned countless ages. Over the years, the harm we've managed to inflict on him is negligible," Bumblebee said gravely.

"Megatron possesses an unyielding will, persisting through every defeat without faltering. His determination may sound heroic, but it coupled with the most malevolent nature and an insatiable ambition, making him the most fearsome enemy of the Autobots."

"…Rather than focusing on destroying Megatron, it more practical to destroy the AllSpark first, to thwart his schemes."

Bumblebee long explanation not only highlighted the terror of their enemy but also underscored the greatness of Optimus Prime—who had matched Megatron in countless battles for thousands, even millions, of years.

"Is that so?"

Anton raised an eyebrow and glanced at Bumblebee with a faint smile before turning to Keller and the others behind him, arms crossed.

"Did you hear that? Megatron isn't someone to take lightly! I suggest you call back to headquarters right now and get those researchers to figure out how to destroy NBE-ONE."

He shrugged. "Of course, if you still think you can control everything about NBE-ONE, then just forget I said anything."

Keller and Thomas exchanged a glance.

From this discussion, they confirmed that Anton earlier assertions were indeed correct.

The alien known as Megatron, or NBE-ONE, was unquestionably the leader of the Decepticons—an evil faction among the non-biological extraterrestrials.

Neither Keller nor Thomas responded immediately. They planned to report the conversation to the highest levels after the dialogue with the Autobots concluded and have a unified directive issued to destroy NBE-ONE.

The president signature would, of course, be required.

Frankly, while NBE-ONE still held immense research value, its destruction was undoubtedly the safer option for Earth security.

"NBE-ONE?"

Bumblebee froze upon hearing the humans' conversation. His earlier speculation was now highly likely to be true.

"Is Megatron under your control?" Bumblebee mechanical eyes widened as he exclaimed, "You actually know where Megatron is!"

"Hm?"

Optimus Prime, hearing this revelation from Bumblebee, was equally stunned.

His gaze immediately locked onto Anton and the humans behind him—Keller, Thomas, and the other Seventh Sector agents.

"Correct," Anton admitted without hesitation. "Megatron is indeed under our control. Currently, he likely in a dormant state. Killing him should be easy."

"So your assumptions are incorrect. Even if Megatron dreams of using the AllSpark to conquer Earth and the universe, that dream will remain just that—a dream. At this moment, both Megatron and the AllSpark are under our control. How exactly do you think he plans to accomplish what you're worried about?"

Having said this, Anton stood still, his cape billowing slightly, and waited for the two stunned Autobots to respond.

Everything he said was factual.

Of course, he withheld certain key details.

How Bumblebee and Optimus Prime chose to interpret his words was not his concern.

"This…!"

Bumblebee was at a loss for words.

He had initially intended to point out that Megatron was just the leader of the Decepticons and that many of his followers were still searching for him.

Barricade, for example, had been one of those followers.

This meant Earth was still facing a potential crisis.

However, recalling his earlier conversation with Batman and Cyborg, Bumblebee realized that these humans were far from ignorant about the Decepticons.

It seemed everything was under their control.

The Autobots' intervention could inadvertently disrupt the humans' plans.

As such, Bumblebee suddenly found himself unable to argue further.

Beside him, Optimus Prime wore a complicated expression.

He had never imagined that his long-standing adversary—his countless battles with Megatron—had led to this: Megatron being "captured" by humans.

While it was unclear if "captured" was the right term, the fact that Batman admitted Megatron was under their control was no different from that.

Behind them…

Thomas and Keller exchanged glances.

They both had the feeling that Batman was bluffing, yet everything he said was undeniably true.

And now, these two aliens had been completely taken in by it!

Indeed, having a reliable teammate sometimes meant you could just be the messenger and still claim victory effortlessly.

Rumble!

Suddenly, the sound of an engine came from outside the scrapyard.

It wasn't the typical roar of a car engine—it had an odd, almost unnatural tone.

Everyone turned to look and was left stunned.

It was an armored vehicle.

Optimus Prime and Bumblebee immediately went on high alert. They both instantly recognized the new arrival: Bonecrusher, a member of the Decepticons!

Unbeknownst to them, Bonecrusher was equally stunned the moment he arrived at the scene.

Not only was Bumblebee present, but Optimus Prime as well?

Bonecrusher might have been headstrong, but he wasn't entirely reckless.

If it were just Bumblebee or just Optimus Prime, he would have rolled up his metaphorical sleeves and charged in.

But both of them together? The outcome wasn't even in question.

If he were capable of taking down these two as a team, Megatron wouldn't be leading the Decepticons.

Even Megatron wouldn't guarantee victory against the combined might of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee.

It worth noting that in Transformers, Bumblebee had a brief skirmish with Megatron. Although Bumblebee struggled, it was clear that he could still put up some resistance.

In the same film, Bumblebee also clashed with a corrupted Optimus Prime.

The outcomes in both battles weren't much different, highlighting that while Bumblebee wasn't primarily a combat specialist, his fighting prowess was far from weak.

Without a moment hesitation, Bonecrusher made a swift decision: turn and flee.

But before he could get far, a silver figure hovered about three meters off the ground, blocking his path.

Who was this?

Bonecrusher looked at the man before him, his expression filled with disdain.

A mere human!

Boom!

The next moment, a powerful sonic blast struck the armored vehicle, sending it hurtling through the air.

Crash, clang!

The armored vehicle rolled across the ground several times before transforming into its robot form to stabilize itself.

"How is this possible?"

Bonecrusher, now at the river edge, stared in shock at the human in front of him—a figure barely a fraction of his size. He couldn't believe that a single human had left him in such a disheveled state.

"Is this… human power?"

Optimus Prime was also somewhat taken aback.

He watched the man called "Cyborg" facing off against Bonecrusher, and for the first time, he directly experienced the extraordinary power of humanity.

This strength rivaled, and in some cases surpassed, that of many Transformers.

Could Batman, the other Justice League members, and even heroes like Iron Man—who had appeared during the recent alien attack in New York—represent humanity hidden strength?

As Optimus Prime pondered this, before him, Bonecrusher realized that escape was no longer an option.

His eyes glowed red as he exuded an almost human-like killing intent, launching himself at Cyborg without hesitation.

Moments later, at a Military Base.

Starscream, who was busy deciphering Bonecrusher message and investigating the identities of the humans in the photos, froze.

The dashboard in his cockpit flickered on and off erratically.

Internally, Starscream was in turmoil.

Not again!

Bonecrusher locator signal had disappeared as well!

Another one gone?

At this point, including the missing Megatron, there were only eight known Decepticon members on Earth:

Starscream, Megatron, Barricade, Frenzy, Blackout, Scorponok, Bonecrusher, Brawl.

Now, three had definitively gone missing:

Barricade, Frenzy, and Bonecrusher.

To call it "missing" would be generous. Starscream knew in his spark that these three were likely dead.

This didn't even account for the long-missing Megatron.

Starscream didn't believe Megatron was dead. He had been working with the remaining Decepticons to locate their leader.

The glasses that had been listed for online auction were a key lead.

Barricade had been sent to retrieve them, only to disappear.

As for Frenzy…

You could say Frenzy had rotten luck. Of all the Decepticons to follow, he chose Barricade.

Starscream collected his thoughts, speculating that Megatron must have encountered some significant trouble, leaving him unable to act.

"Sector Seven Agent Reggie Simmons…"

Suddenly, his investigation yielded results.

Using a general credentials to access the military base internal network, Starscream uncovered traces of Sector Seven.

Some of the information matched the data Blackout and Scorponok had found when they destroyed the military base in Qatar.

"NBE… Non-Biological Extraterrestrials!"

Starscream hesitated.

Could Megatron really have run into trouble on Earth?

Ever since arriving on Earth, Starscream had been plagued by unanswered questions.

The technological structures of Earth humans bore a striking resemblance to the technology of the Transformers.

While many technological civilizations across the universe followed similar paths, Earth technological models were suspiciously identical to those of the Transformers.

Whether it was fighter jets, cars, communication devices, circuit systems, or lasers, Starscream found it all unsettlingly familiar, as if they were reverse-engineered from Cybertronian technology.

If not for this compatibility, neither the Decepticons nor the Autobots would have been able to blend so seamlessly into Earth environment.

"If Megatron really has been captured by humans…"

Starscream processor sparked with an outlandish yet exhilarating thought: "Could they have disassembled him?"

If they took him apart…

I could become the leader!

Starscream mind spun with fantasies.

As a Transformer constantly scheming for the position of Decepticon leader, and someone who believed he and Megatron were "like-minded" in their hunger for power, Starscream had long wished for Megatron demise.

If Megatron were gone, Starscream rise to power would be unchallenged.

Truthfully, if not for Megatron terrifying presence, his deep-seated authority, and the residual fear he commanded even after millennia of absence, Starscream would have already proclaimed himself leader of the Decepticons.

"Second-in-command?"

That far beneath me.