Chapter 21: Decepticon rising

The President's special guests were very special indeed, giant robots that could disguise themselves as vehicles and yet here they are revealing themselves to him warning him of a great danger which in threatening to envelop his planet just like it did theirs.

"I see, so after millions of years of conflict your planet faced certain doom once and now fearing history would repeat itself you traveled to Earth in the hope of finding new sources of energy to feed the people of your home world…incredible story gentlemen and your valor and bravery in fighting the Decepticons for so long is a thing to be commended."

"Thank you Mr. President." Ultra Magnus replied.

"But what of the Decepticons what is their interest with Earth?" the President asked.

"I can explain that" Optimus said "During the stadium attack which I am sure you're all too aware of."

"Indeed" the president replied.

"Well I was there, we tried our best to protect the innocents but unfortunately there would inevitably be collateral damage and during the chaos of battle one of my men was kidnapped by Decepticons disguised as your kind. I tried to intercept them, but for some reason I couldn't remember, I myself was abducted.

"I used to hold the Matrix, the same thing I explained to you that helped save our planet, but Megatron got his evil hands on it and while the matrix is still dead I fear he was able to 'corrupt' it."

"The core of Vector Sigma I presume?" the President asked.

"Yes of course." Optimus replied, the President enquired further about the Matrix.

"What could the Matrix actually do again?"

"The Matrix' power isn't exactly known, but it could breathe the life back into a transformer when his spark had been extinguished, it helped replace our losses in battle but after a terrible deception plan by Shockwave and Megatron, I was tricked into using its power to save our planet. With its power gone, there was no way to replace our losses…" Prime then bowed his head in shame.

"Don't blame yourself Optimus" the president said "I would've done the same thing if I was in your tires."

"Yes I know Mr. President but that is the past, now we must talk of the danger that threatens me & you today. If my guesses are correct, and they probably are, Megatron now holds the Matrix in his hands and has manipulated it so it will serve him and him only. The matrix not only able to bring machines back to life, it could create sentient life in inanimate machinery…." Optimus paused; he knew the President was smart enough to realize what he was talking about.

"…my God, you mean to tell me that maniac Megatron plans to turn every car in the United States into his cannon fodder?"

"Not just America Mr. President, the entire world. And if he succeeds in 'machinating' your planet he will have the manpower to conquer not only Cybertron and Earth, but the rest of the universe as well…."

"Gentlemen this is a Security risk of the greatest danger I must inform the governments of the rest of the world of this please wait here while I make some phone calls…"

Just then the door burst open, Chamberlain was being escorted by Agent SUV's armed with assault rifles.

"Chamberlain, what in the name of Uncle Sam are you doing? I told you not to tell anyone!"

"Mr. President as the national security advisor I am placing you under arrest. Seize him men." And his two agent bodyguards flanked the president to secure him.

"Get your wheels off me!" the president roared "Arrest, on what charges Chamberlain?"

Chamberlain grinned.

"Charges of treason Mr. President or should I say David, for fraternizing with an extra-terrestrial enemy which breaks the Roswell Act of 1947."

"Have you gone insane Chamberlain? These are the Autobots they have explained to me their story, they are here to help us against the….."

"Decepticons Mr. President?" said a green car driving into the oval office "No you got it all wrong, the Autobots have been playing you all along…David, it is the Decepticons who have come to Earth to protect it from the Autobots!"

Optimus rose to his feet.

"What the slag are you talking about Earthling?"

"Wait I know you" the President said "You're that despicable race car Chick Hicks!"

"And the Delinquent Road Hazards Mr. President." It was Boost and his crew as well.

"What are these civvies doing in my office Chamberlain? Get them out at once!"

"Sorry David but under charges of treason you are as of this moment, removed from office and stripped of your Presidency status."

"Wait" Ultra Magnus said "This is all a big misunderstanding please let the President go…"

"No we have everything perfectly understood Autobot!" said an agent SUV "Agent Thompson of Sector Seven, you will put your hands above your head and kneel on the floor now!" he shouted pointing his M-16 at the Autobots.

"Good work agent Thompson get the President out of here, NOW." Chamberlain ordered.

Thompson shook his wheel at his two fellow agents holding the president; every agent except Thompson and Chamberlain evacuated the building with the President. Optimus raised his hand towards Chamberlain.

"Let him go, this is all a stupid mistake, I demand you release him and let him…" but just as Optimus tried to walk over to Chamberlain he was met with a hideous robotic face hissing at him.

Optimus staggered back in shock.

"What in the name of Primus?"

"DRH, transform." The mysterious robot said.

To the shock of Optimus and Ultra Magnus, Boost and his crew revealed that they were Transformers! The five earth Transformers stood staring at the Autobot leaders, smiling evil like.

"Delinquent Road Hazards?" Optimus thought to himself "I remember you now, the citizens of Radiator Springs told me about you four helping the Decepticons steal Energy in that skirmish in the town" Optimus turned to the green robot that revealed himself first "and you must be Chick Hicks."

"That's Eighty-Sixter to you Cybertronian!" and at that Chick charged Optimus.

The scene outside the oval part of the White House had Optimus burst out of it with Chick clinging onto him, dust and debris fell everywhere leaving a gaping hole in the White House.

Meanwhile the DRH tangled with Ultra Magnus still inside the historic building, Boost grabbed onto his head, DJ at the torso with Snot Rod and Wingo at his legs. The White Autobot broke free of their grip and kicked Snot Rod in the face while punching Boost; this allowed him to shake off the other two easily. Retreating Outside he saw Optimus tangling with Chick.

"Optimus I'm coming!" Ultra Magnus shouted but he suddenly felt himself being picked up off of the ground.

Boost was holding onto him from behind, he was somehow flying in the sky but before Ultra Magnus could try to counter, Boost let go of him. The big Autobot fell about a Skyscraper height when he plowed into the ground leaving a small crater. The fall damaged him internally with his HUD warning him of an imminent Stasis Lock.

Optimus wasn't fairing much better against Chick, the Eighty-Sixter was fast! Before Optimus got to his feet, Chick had already landed a six hit combo on him with four punches, a spinning heel kick to the head and a leg sweep flooring Optimus again. Chick tried to end the fight quickly by equipping an Energon saber, but before he could land it he found Optimus had blocked the sword with his own Energon Axe.

The Autobot leader took advantage of Chick's confusion with an Uppercut to the evil car's face. The power of the blow sent Chick twenty feet into the air and when he landed; his HUD had been scrambled from the blow disorienting him. Optimus sought to land another blow.

But he reeled in pain before he got to within an inch of Chick, four blades from the arms of Wingo punctured right into Optimus' arm and thus saving Chick from another mauling.

"Thanks Wingo" Chick said and delivered a swipe at Optimus, the Autobot leader dodged the blade but it severed part of his shoulder right off. Holding his injured shoulder he managed to grunt;

"Ah…why are you helping the Decepticons chick?" Optimus queried.

"Never you mind Autobot, my business with the Decepticons is none of your…well…business" and Chick laughed at his stupid joke.

"McQueen told me all about you being a bad one Chick, but I thought even you would have more sense and honor not to work with an evil force like the Decepticons."

Chick just smirked.

"So I guessed right, you made little buddies with Laughing Miss Queen, how touching he finally finds a boyfriend but he's not even from this planet what a joke!"

"The only joke I see here" Optimus snarled "Is you. You and your friends have unwittingly sold your souls to Megatron to be commanded like puppets to do his dirty work." That wiped Chick's smile off of his face.

"I thought so" Optimus continued "You're not the type to be commanded, you're the one who wants to command and deep down you know what I'm saying is true. You think you could have power, but believe me kid I know Megatron better that anybody else and he has no intention of sharing ANYTHING with you, once you serve your purpose you'll be lucky if Megatron even let's you stay in the Decepticon ranks but you'll do so with the cost of your freedom, forever to be Megatron's personal as you Earthlings say 'Fender Kisser'."

"ENOUGH" Chick roared as he charged Optimus again in pure fury, but in doing so he was reckless.

In a swift move the Autobot leader grabbed the arm chick was holding the sword in, twisted it around his back forcing Chick to drop his melee weapon and Optimus then used his other arm to grab Chick in a choke hold.

"Tell me Chick, why did you join the Decepticons? I know about you and your Road Hazard friends helping the Decepticons steal fuel in that battle at the town and I presume it was also you who called them to attack the stadium because you knew it was me and my men there along with all that fuel just proved to hard for you to resist." And Prime tightened his choke hold.

"AAHH please don't!" squealed Chick "Please I'll tell you just don't hurt me!"

"Talk Decepticon!"

"I didn't want to help them, they made me do it if I told them where you were at the stadium they promised they would spare the innocents." Prime tightened the hold further.

"Liar! You know as much as I do Megatron had every intention of creating a mass Genocide inside that stadium."

"IT'S THE TRUTH" Chick screamed "Listen you said you knew Megatron more than anybody else well he knows you better than anyone as well that's why he got me to attack you, he knew you wouldn't hurt an innocent."

Optimus felt Chick pulling his strings and they were the right ones, Optimus knew that Megatron would use this kind of classic tactic to use Prime's benevolent nature against him in threatening innocents into attacking him and it was a tactic Megatron has used before and would certainly never stop using.

But Lightning had told Optimus otherwise of Chick, he said Chick was aggressive, spoilt, wicked, cunning, two faced & all the other qualities that make a car into a hated figure and all those qualities made Chick an Earth clone of Megatron and McQueen said to Prime 'It's no surprise them two are in cohorts with each other, they're like each other's reflection.'

"I don't believe you Chick"

"Believe whatever you want but I'm just an Earthling, I'm not from Cybertron like you we never wanted to be dragged into this war."

That did it, Chick pulled the right string and it snapped. Optimus knew he could never kill an innocent being from another planet, after all Chick was involved in this war because of the Transformers coming to Earth. He let the villainous car go and Chick slumped to the ground holding his throat in agony.

Ultra Magnus was fairing well against the Road Hazards despite the numerical handicap. But as much as he beat them down they persisted in their attack.

"ULTRA MAGNUS." Optimus shouted, his brother looked at him. "Stop Magnus."

"But why?"

"That's an order!"

"What is your glitch Prime they're trying to kill us!"

"No Magnus, they're being manipulated by Megatron, these are not Decepticons we're fighting they're just earthlings."

"Earthlings?" Magnus asked "You mean Megatron himself reformatted Earthlings into Transformers already?"

"Exactly"

"That fiend" UM thought "He's insane!"

"Insane like a Foxatron Autobot." Ultra Magnus felt shivers as he recognized that voice but as he turned it was too late.

'PHEEUM' came the distinct & familiar fusion cannon noise. A huge purple beam ripped through Ultra Magnus, he fell to the Earth holding on barely by an inch of his life. Optimus' optics narrowed in horror at the sight of the Decepticon leader Megatron his infamous arm cannon smoking.

"No…" he whimpered. Megatron gave the Autobot leader no look of remorse.

"Well Prime, now that one meddling Autobot is down that leaves you but as I've promised the people of Earth I am to let them take you into custody for war crimes against their planet and of Cybertron." Megatron was not alone, he was flanked by Secret Service SUV's armed with M60 HMG equipped on their roof and flanking them were the armored units of the local National Guard and SWAT police vans and in between the legs of Megatron was Robert Chamberlain.

"Optimus Prime I hereby arrest you for war crimes against the American public and for threatening the planet Earth by leading a hostile Alien force in aggressive, unprovoked attacks against civilian targets and as such you are to be treated as a hostile alien, you have therefore lost all the civil rights of your planet for attacking foreign soil."

"And you'll be sentenced for your crimes against Cybertron Prime" Megatron added.

Optimus was just simply and purely stunned, how could anyone make these claims against him? For millennia he has upheld the beliefs of freedom and peace across the universe, what crimes could he have committed to be arrested by a fully armed force like this.

"………."

"I'll take your silence as an admittance to your guilt" said Chamberlain "Boys arrest him"

"Allow us" the road hazards said as they booted the back of Prime's knee joints forcing him to fall to his knees and as he did the Road Hazards grabbed his arms to hold him down, several Police cars using what can only be described as industrial sized road clamps (probably used for trucks) welded together to handcuff Optimus. With the Autobot leader fully restrained Megatron summoned the courage to walk forward.

"Well Optimus" said Megatron loud enough for only Prime to hear (and probably the first time he's referred to the Autobot leader by his first name) "I have pictured me and you in many scenarios before, my favorite being me standing victoriously over your corpse with your head in my hand…but I never imagined let alone actually experience me standing over you as you kneel at my feet and I must admit, it pleases me a lot more to see you like this than see you dead before me."

Optimus looked up at the glorious feeling Megatron and he spoke these words sternly.

"The only reason I'm kneeling before you now Megatron is because I'm being forced to. I will never kneel to you willingly…never."

Megatron never looked more angry before, he wanted to blow the impudent Prime's head off so bad, but if he was to successfully conquer this planet and convert its inhabitants into his soldiers he had to let the Autobot live…for now in order to not blow his cover.

"N-n-nooo…" grunted Ultra Magnus grabbing Megatron heel and pointing his gun up at the Decepticon.

SLAM! An energon saber ripped into Ultra Magnus' throat, the person who executed the Autobot was none other than Chick! Optimus' steel body ran cold all over. He had been duped big time and because he let the sinister car go he killed Ultra Magnus, so ruthlessly even Megatron gave an impressed smile at the eighty-sixter.

"Such Heroic nonsense" Chick cackled.

"You….executed him!" Chamberlain said shocked.

"No he was going to shoot Megatron, I had to prevent him…" Chick said.

"Thank you Chick." Said Megatron, he raised his hand and the Eighty Sixter all too gladly shook it.

Optimus knew all too well that Chick was now a Decepticon first and foremost; he finally snapped and rose to his feet, easily snapping the inferior metal of the Earth made handcuffs and knocking the DRH to one side, after getting himself free he tried to go for Megatron and Chick….

But he was met with a wall of fire from the 155mm guns of the National Guard M1A2 Abrams tanks, the shells pounded his armor and even managed to breach it in some areas, for Earth weapons even an alien robot could not stand up to its punishing fire. Wounded Optimus Transformed to truck mode and sped for his life, having to leave his trailer behind, shells and bullets cracked and exploded all around him as he drove away.

He had to contact the Ark at all costs! After twenty minutes of evading the police, DRH, National Guard and the Decepticons, he found a secluded spot in a small car park and transformed back to robot mode, he opened an arm panel that formed his communications computer…

THE ARK 5 MINUTES EARLIER….

"Can you pick up any communication signals between Prime and Magnus Blaster?"

"No way Jose' Prowl, they ain't using any Cybertronian communications and if they did I would've gotten a signal years ago but either they ain't talking or they're in vehicle mode and trying to pick up a radio signal is way too difficult with billions of radio signals from across the planet going to and fro at once."

"Alright Blaster just keep trying." Prowl sighed, nothing had been heard of the two leaders all day, the entire Autobot force was out on patrol looking for them, the only ones left in the ark was himself, Blaster and the RS residents.

"Hang on Prowl" Blaster said "I'm getting a signal from Bumblebee, he has a possible confirmation on Prime and Magnus but he's requiring assistance, heavy traffic on the motorway is proving too difficult to get near them."

"Tell Bumblebee I'm on my way Blaster, I hate to admit it but while I'm gone I'm leaving you in charge is that understood?"

"You got it right in the corner pocket Prowl I won't let ya down!"

Prowl rolled his optics as all Blaster had to do was baby-sit some Earthlings, he transformed to police car mode and headed for outside.

"Hey Prowl" Doc asked "Where you headed?"

"I've got a possible affirm on the whereabouts of Prime and Magnus so I'm assisting Bumblebee in reaching them."

"Oh well thank goodness they're ok, when you see them tell them I say hi."

"Ok Doc I will do" Prowl smiled back and went outside onto the road.

"Well folks" Doc said "Good news is they might have found Optimus and Ultra Magnus after all."

"But why would the two leaders just take off without saying anything?" Sally asked.

"I know it's a discrace." Sarge bellowed "complete breakdown of command structure and utter recklessness"

"Dude maybe they wanted to see more of Earth, our planet doesn't just have to enlighten us it can do as many wonders for them as it does for us." Replied Fillmore.

"What get brain damaged off your hippy juice?"

"Fellas pack it in." Lightning said not in the mood for an argument "Anyway Doc that's some good news at last, whatever reason they had for leaving I'm sure it'll be for a good reason."

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Sounded an alarm from Blaster.

"The Emergency frequency!" he said "Lightning come over here quick!"

"What is it Blaster?" McQueen asked.

"Quick transform to robot mode" And Lightning did so, Blater then transformed into his radio mode and Lightning picked him up.

"Now press that button on your far left." Again McQueen did as commanded and as he did Blaster relayed the audio and video feed wirelessly to T-1.

On the screen of the Autobot super computer came the face of Optimus Prime, the background he was in was very urban looking.

"PRIME!" Lightning shouted delighted.

"Prowl?" Optimus asked panting.

"No it's me Lightning McQueen."

"Can you get Prowl for me quickly?"

"I can't he's not even here." McQueen replied.

"Aw Frag there's no time. Listen Lightning you must contact Prowl and tell him everything I am about to tell you."

"Lay it on me" McQueen replied.

"I am in Washington D.C…"

"What are you doing there?"

"McQueen please just listen don't chat back. I am in Washington D.C. me and Ultra Magnus originally came here to talk to the president but everything went wrong.

"The secretary of Defense Robert Chamberlain placed the President under arrest for reasons I can't get into but he's working with Megatron, we were ambushed by Earthling Decepticons."

"EARTH Decepticons?" McQueen squawked "Like Earth guys who can turn into robots, who are they?"

Optimus paused for a second; he knew the coming news would shock Lightning beyond belief…

"Chick Hicks and four others that I think may be the DRH."

"CHICK HICKS?" McQueen roared "He's an actual ROBOT now?"

"Affirmative"

"Did he attack you in the White House?"

"Yes."

"Oh my God." Lightning said, he was about to ask 'How?'

"That's not all" Optimus continued "He…he…he killed Ultra Magnus."

"……he MURDERED Ultra Magnus!?"

"Yes Lightning." McQueen then slammed his fists down onto the console.

"That…that son of a welder where is he Optimus? I'll rip him limb from limb!"

"You can't let your rivalry with Chick cloud your memory now McQueen, you must get to Prowl and tell him of my predicament, before I'm captured." Then the sound of helicopter gun ships could be heard in the background "I have to go Lightning please tell Prowl of my situation, I need an immediate Evac NOW!" and the line went dead.

Optimus closed the panel on his arm and he started to run. As he sprinted he felt something in him which he's never felt before, it was a number of things. Hate, rage, a lust for revenge, a lust to kill, to avenge Ultra Magnus.

"Sorry Lightning but Chick Hicks is MINE!"

Sorry the recent chapters have been short but I promise the next one will be exciting and longer  next time you can expect car chases across Washington D.C. and it might not happen next chapter but you can guarantee Lightning and Chick will duke it out soon…also next chapter we'll look more into what the Road Hazards can do.

Also this story has now gotten 36 positive reviews on and I thank you all for that it really makes me happy to know you like my writing and I hope to one day create my own original piece of literature.

Nick.