Chapter 71: Surface

The sky was clear, with fluffy white clouds drifting lazily. At the border of Nevada and Arizona, the mighty Hoover Dam, serving purposes like flood control, irrigation, power generation, navigation, and water supply, echoed with a massive explosion.

Members of the Decepticons, with Blackout transformed into an F-22 Raptor jet, streaked through the distant sky in supersonic streams, leaving a white trail across the deep blue heavens. They soared beneath the bridges of the Hoover Dam, transformed mid-flight into humanoid mechanical beings.

With a swift motion, one of them deftly grasped the bridge, and with the other hand, they opened a bay for precision-guided cluster missiles. These missiles rained down on the power distribution network, causing widespread destruction to communication and power systems.

The startled passengers at the Hoover Dam screamed as the explosions rumbled around them. The Sector 7's security forces sounded the alarm, hastily assembling to defend the Hoover Dam. Jeep vehicles, armed with heavy machine guns, were obliterated by a precise cluster missile launched by Blackout, effectively disrupting multiple gatherings of human defenders. The suddenness of the assault, coupled with the pinpoint precision of the strikes, rendered the guards helpless against the decepticon.

"Help!"

"Save me, please, save me!"

"I can't feel my legs."

"I don't want to die, I don't want to die."

"Ah... my hand..."

Chaos, gunpowder smoke, the cacophony of war, and the deafening roar in the ears. Under the merciless sun, it seemed as though space itself was contorting in pain. The agonizing cries of despair were overwhelming to human flesh and blood.

The ashes of humanity now paved the path of conquest.

Blackout's mechanical head scanned this wailing wasteland, showing no mercy. With two more cluster missiles in hand, targeted a large-scale power facility, causing a massive explosion and a towering inferno.

"Have you secured the AllSpark?" Blackout inquired over the communication channel between attacks.

He appeared imposing and magnificent in his mechanical form, with sleek lines and a mechanical aesthetic. However, within him, there was nothing but cold and ruthless calculation. Despite being Megatron's deputy, his immense ambition drove him to seek more. He harbored aspirations to one day replace Megatron as the leader of the Decepticons. Numerous attempts at rebellion had failed due to his insufficient strength and a lack of support.

His current concern wasn't whether Megatron had emerged from his icy prison. Instead, he was preoccupied with the matter of the AllSpark.

"Decepticons, retreat! Retreat!"

"Decepticons, retreat! Retreat!"

"Decepticons, retreat! Retreat!"

Confused and panicked voices filled the communication channel.

However, all he received in response was confusion and fear, "Decepticons, retreat! Retreat!"

"Idiots! It seems that Megatron has encountered an unexpected situation," Blackout muttered in disdain.

"Hmph, as I suspected, I am destined to be the leader of the Decepticons."

He coldly snorted, arrogantly asserting his leadership within the Decepticons over the communication channel.

"Decepticons, assemble! Full speed ahead, we must breach the underground and retrieve the AllSpark."

"And also to rescue our leader, Megatron."

"Silence! Megatron has encountered trouble down there. For now, I am the leader of the Decepticons."

"You're just temporary."

"I said silence!!"

Blackout's dual red optics flared with anger as he roared furiously. He vowed that when they arrived, he would dismantle anyone who dared to oppose him. He intended to hang the rebel in front of his own room's door as a warning to others. Even those who showed the slightest disrespect would face severe punishment.

"I, Blackout, am the leader of the Decepticons! There's no room for argument!"

At that moment, the ground trembled violently.

H'el burst through the earth like an arrow, sending soil flying as he emerged and gazed toward the sun. The unique warmth of the sun once again bathed his body, eagerly absorbed by his hungry cells. The gentle sunlight filled his body once more.

Around him, dust particles danced in his eyes, the scent of gunpowder and smoke filled his nose, and a thick column of black smoke and flames rose from a nearby power plant. Distant cries of agony reached his ears.

H'el paid no attention to the battlefield; it had no relevance to him. He shielded himself from the environmental distractions, keeping the black AllSpark suspended in his left palm. His black combat suit clung to his muscular frame as he stood in the sunlight, his black cape billowing in the breeze. The sunlight accentuated his perfect facial features.

He looked up at the sky, searching for the human laser carvings that had been released into the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Blackout, who was fuming and looking for an outlet for his anger in the communications system, suddenly noticed activity in the direction from which H'el had emerged. Without hesitation, he unleashed his rage.

His right hand's cannon rotated, launching precision-guided cluster missiles with blazing white trails towards H'el's location. His actions were quicker than thought and sight.

As the missiles soared, Blackout spun around and, in an instant, his optics locked onto the AllSpark held in H'el's palm.

The moment of astonishment overwhelmed him.

"I, Blackout, am truly destined to be the leader of the Decepticons!"

It was Cybertron's hope!

It was Cybertron's destiny!

I am the chosen one!

While Megatron was captured by humans, I have casually stumbled upon the AllSpark.

The precision-guided cluster missiles streaked toward H'el, preparing to explode.

Just as they were about to detonate, Megatron's transformed fighter jet burst from underground, sending a plume of soil flying. During his ascent, he completed his transformation, and with his right hand, he extended a steel claw from his wrist, revealing a chain mace. He swung the chain mace toward the incoming cluster missiles, smashing them prematurely.

The cluster missiles exploded into a massive fireball and black smoke. From within the fiery cloud, the towering mechanical figure of Megatron emerged, his dual optics gleaming with cruel red light. His voice was deep and filled with anger as he advanced toward Blackout.

"Blackout, have you once again revealed your foolishness?"

Megatron's imposing mechanical form approached the momentarily stunned Blackout. In a single punch, he sent Blackout's mechanical components flying, leaving a dent in his facial structure. Green energon splattered, and Blackout staggered backward.

This was the Decepticons' way of communicating.

Feeling that he possessed leadership abilities and wanting to assert his dominance over the power-hungry Blackout, Megatron delivered a punch. Once the anger had been released, he turned away and addressed H'el.

Blackout, who had been through countless battles with Megatron, was intimately familiar with his opponent's actions and words. Megatron was never one to willingly submit to the will of others unless they were vastly superior in power.

But even then, once Megatron gained the strength to resist, he would overthrow his masters and claim the throne for himself. Why could Megatron forgive Blackout's repeated rebellions? Part of the reason was that he saw certain aspects of himself in his personality, allowing him to empathize with his subordinate's nature.

Of course, the main reason was that he could never match Megatron's strength. With this unspoken understanding, Megatron and Blackout once again stood as united Decepticons, comrades-in-arms against their common enemies.

Blackout received Megatron's message and, with various scanning optics piercing through the swirling dust and black smoke, looked in H'el's direction.

"Him... him... he..."

As soon as he saw H'el, Blackout's internal fire of anger blazed with panic, and it felt as if his throat had been constricted. A carbon-based life form barely over two meters tall possessed the power of a star contained within his diminutive frame. The immense energy imprisoned within that small form was unimaginable.

He could be certain that the entire Earth would be annihilated, and even he had no way out. How could such a monster exist? How could a carbon-based life form possibly be this powerful?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

°°°

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