Chapter 173: Arc 5: Chapter 17: Secrets of War

A-0717 was a brave warrior.

In its homeland, on the land of metal of the planet Cybertron, it was a very famous warrior.

Not because of how powerful it was, but because it made a lot of miracles that many metal lifeforms would commend, be it during times of peace, or on the battlefield, with its bravery and skills.

Once before, A-0717 had thought that the war on their home planet would come to an end.

It had thought that the radical party and moderates would come to an agreement and that Cybertron would achieve peace once more after the planet was plunged into chaos. It thought that it had a chance to fix Cybertron.

It retained this fantasy until it saw Cybertron burst into a giant clump of metal trash floating in space on its escape pod.

At that moment, it knew that its home was no more.

It had nowhere to go.

The later years were of insufferable exile, it wandered across different systems and multiple worlds as it continued its battle against the warmongers. The pain and desperation of its homeworld being destroyed, transformed into fury and bloodlust in the data soul of this ever-brave mechanical lifeform.

Over a dozen years, countless radical warriors have perished at A-0717's hands.

It was different from the other rebel fighters, in that it wasn't fighting for justice and truth.

It was still as brave as it was before, but A-0717 had died along with its home planet as it perished; what was left was a shell, a walking corpse that fought for vengeance.

And until its core stops working, it cannot stop fighting! It will not stop fighting!

And if one had to ask for what reason does it fight...

The desperation of being homeless, the pain of his family and friends' perishing, the sadness of solitude...

Are those...

Enough of a reason?

---

"Dang Dang"

In the sound of metal being knocked, in the morning after the storm, the first light of dawn shines into Merlin's garage through the window.

A-0717, who has awoken from a long database restart, the information collector lights up once more in the buzzing of its weakened core.

This represents the awakening of this metal lifeform.

It, which came from Cybertron, also had the concept of dreams.

In the data dream just now, it seemed to have returned to Cybertron during its times of peace, it and its family and friends were being wowed by the statues of the Primes along with the shocking data templates that they had left.

But as its information collector began to operate, what it saw was a flesh creature standing on its head while clanking on its head armor with a wrench.

The flesh creature was not the powerful being who struck him down with lightning from last night, it was a weak...juvenile.

His eyes were full of curiosity as if this were his first time seeing a mechanical lifeform like it.

A-0717 knew not how to communicate with the juvenile, not only did it lack communication with flesh creatures, a lot of kind greetings originating from different civilizations have been erased over its extended years of combat.

In war, the only language needed was violence, and greetings were unnecessary.

But the flesh juvenile's knocking on its head armor with a wrench was beginning to annoy it, thus a few minutes later, it began to speak in its metallic, radio-like tone:

"He...hello?"

"Wah!"

Young Erik let out a surprised exclamation as he jumped off the head of the metal giant like a monkey, he waved his wrench and screamed as he ran into the repaired living room.

"Merlin! It's awake! That thing's alive! Hell! That scared me!"

"So I told you not to touch it, it's dangerous."

A scolding resounds from the living room, then, Merlin with black eye circles walks out of the living room; he comes to the garage and watches as the weakened mechanical lifeform sits up cautiously.

It had regained its rationality, and its movements were now full of intelligence.

Of course, Merlin's garage was too short for it, it has to lower its head so as not to damage this repaired garage once again.

A-0717 still retained memories of how he lost control last night, it remembered clearly how it destroyed the flesh creature's residence in his rampage from the night before.

And what was presented before it made the awakened mechanical lifeform confused.

From the information being transmitted from his information collector, it could identify that the building it saw right now was 95% similar to the building he had destroyed last night, it wonders how the flesh creature managed to repair this house.

A-0717 touched its chest armor with its remaining left arm before observing its left arm which looked as if it had just come from the assembly center.

It was also confused as to how this native lifeform of planet C-53 managed to repair its lethal wound.

Even some of the permanently damaged devices in its body due to past battles have been repaired like they've been sent to the best mechanical repair hospital on Cybertron.

How fascinating.

Mmm, it seemed to replace its exteriors as well.

After a dozen years of battle, A-0717 had a long-lost sense of nostalgia and appreciation as it saw itself in red once more.

It was as if it had treaded through hell for a dozen years before being pulled away from hell again.

"I'll confirm again."

Merlin crosses his arms as he looks at the dazed mechanical lifeform, he asks coldly:

"You've regained consciousness, correct? You won't tear down my house again?"

"Thank you, flesh man."

A-0717 browses through its database for the data template for appreciation, it then lowers its head and tells Merlin:

"Thank you for saving me, I will compensate for the losses I caused last night"

"Flesh man? What kind of a term is that?"

A dissatisfied Merlin says:

"I have a name, I'm Merlin!"

"You said last night that your codename was A-0717? How odd, do you not have a name? Also, where do you come from? And what is this Decepticon you spoke of last night? Where on Earth are they hiding?"

"I once had a name..."

A-0717 says in a deep tone:

"My friends used to call me...Cliffjumper."

"That's an even weirder name."

Merlin shrugs, he looks at the mechanical lifeform and says:

"Tell me something interesting before I hand you to the scientists."

A-0717, or to say Cliffjumper, stays quiet for a brief moment, the blue glow in its eyes flashes briefly, and in the calm posture of a warrior, it says:

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"I come from Cybertron, that is a metal planet millions of light-years away from your planet. But that doesn't matter, for my home planet has perished in a war multi-century war; the persisting mechanical lifeforms are divided into two groups, the Cybertron rebels that I come from, and the radicals that sparked war across the universe, whom we call 'Decepticons'."

"I received news several months ago that some Decepticon agents are here on your planet to hunt for B-127, who was my former comrade; I had thought it perished along with Cybertron, but it would seem that it had escaped and is currently hiding in your world."

The mechanical lifeform says seriously:

"I must find B-127 before the Decepticon agents do."

"It was once one of the adjutants of A-0103, Optimus Prime, who was the leader of the rebellion; when Cybertron fell, the powerful A-0103  stayed behind on the battlefield to buy time for us to escape, but it went missing after the final battle. If Optimus Prime is still alive, then B-127 should know its situation."

Cliffjumper explains:

"B-127 was our best secret agent, it knows many secrets and must not fall in the hands of the Decepticons."

"Mmm, I think I get what you mean."

Merlin rubs his chin and says:

"Of course, I know not if this is true or false. I have another question, what's with your wounds?"

"Decepticons."

Cliffjumper says calmly:

"2 months ago, I intercepted the Decepticons that came to your planet on a small asteroid in this system, I fought them, but I was outmatched."

"I lost, and I should've died. But the armada of the flesh creatures known as the Kree Empire passed by our battlefield, they launched a lethal weapon at us, and that bought me some time to flee."

"So you brought enemies to my planet?"

Merlin's tone becomes dangerous:

"I'm getting the feeling that I should tear you apart right now."

"That's unimportant! Merlin."

Cliffjumper lowers its head and approaches Merlin, it then says:

"You don't have a choice, the Decepticons will not listen to your reasoning, they will set their sights on your world regardless of whether or not I came here. Quickly warn your leaders, for war is coming."

"Of course, I will personally handle the trouble that I brought."

Cliffjumper tells Merlin:

"I will do my best to protect your planet from being destroyed by the Decepticons, as it is the duty of the Cybertron rebellion to do so."

"Hang on, alien robot."

Merlin was unimpressed, he says rudely:

"I still don't know if you're friend or foe. But I have my ways to know that, so you'll be staying here until I confirm the validity of your intel..."

Merlin threatens:

"I can tear you apart once, I can tear you apart twice, I've placed a mark on you, so you best not try to run! You're now my captive, so acknowledge your identity! Okay?"

"Okay."

Cliffjumper did not feel embarrassed.

This was normal, albeit it was a mechanical lifeform with its own will, it must heed tp the absolutely rational logical judgment.

It did not think that Merlin was wrong.

Plus, it was in the wrong first, it attacked first, and it was already merciful for Merlin to not execute him on the spot.

On the battlefield, failure is the greatest original sin for a soldier.

"Speaking of which, I saw your aim transform into a weapon."

Merlin looks at Cliffjumper's large body and rubes his aching forehead, saying:

"You can't always maintain this form, you'd scare my family members, they could come anytime. Can you transform entirely? Like, to a less conspicuous form?"

"Certainly!"

The information collector on Cliffjumper's head emits a blue glow like it was scanning the surrounding mechanical builds, a few seconds later, after collecting enough information, it tells Merlin:

"Being able to transform is every Cybertronian's gift, I've detected the structure of the mechanical vehicle in front of your home, do you need me to become that car?"

"You can turn into a car?"

Merlin squints his eyes.

He waves his finger at Cliffjumper, he then turns around, takes out his phone, and dials a number.

"Hello? Tuck? This is Merlin. Can you help me rent a 1970 Dodge Challenger? I want it black, and only for a day, as fast as you can."

After confirming with Tuck, Merlin hangs up the call; he turns to look at Cliffjumper, who had a confused expression on its humanized face.

Merlin looks at him, points to the destroyed car parts behind him, and says:

"You busted the car I was almost finished repairing, so as compensation, you'll be my car for the time being; you go wherever I go, It'll be easier for me to monitor you like this, any problems?"

"No!"

Cliffjumper responds directly and emotionlessly.

It looks at Merlin, and a few seconds later, it asks:

"When do you plan on looking for B-127?"

"When I confirm the validity of your intel."

Merlin yawns, he was extremely exhausted after casting nearly a hundred Reparos in a row last night, he tells the mechanical lifeform before him:

"If what you're saying is true, then I'll help you find your comrade and aid you in capturing those damn Decepticons. But if you're lying...the mechanical trash processing plant will be your final destination."

"You best waste no time, Earthling Merlin."

Cliffjumper exhorts:

"I am uncertain if this is the first time Decepticons have infiltrated your world, but if things take a turn for the worst, then you and I may have to face a destruction armada from the Decepticons; believe me, you won't be able to stop them with your current technology."

"Technology?"

Merlin shakes his head, he extends his finger and black fog intertwines his finger; he then looks at Cliffjumper and says:

"Don't underestimate our world, aliens."

"The Kree Armada that nearly killed you...was our underdog!"

 

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