Chapter 187: Arc 5: Chapter 30: War Trophy

There were many deserted canyons in the deserts of Nevada. And at the bottom of some of those canyons were tunnels leading underground.

They were usually well-hidden, and since they lead underground, no one knew what was hidden in those tunnels.

In fact, there was no shortage of weird stories happening in the desert that pass through the mouths of the people here.

Merlin walks through the cold cave, the darkness could not hinder his sights as he walked across the darkness like he was walking through his own domain. He squats down, and what appeared before him were some melted parts and blood-like oil stains.

Shatter was just up ahead.

Merlin could even hear the faint noise of moving metal coming from deep into the cave.

It was already quite astonishing that it had fled this far with such wounds.

Merlin proceeds forward, he did not hide, for there was no point in doing so.

After treading a few hundred meters, Merlin reaches the deeper parts of the cave, and it was there that Merlin saw Shatter leaning against a collapsed pillar.

It looked miserable.

Its left leg was missing and had horrifying melting scars on its body, under its feet were broken wings and some complex parts.

It looked to be close to death.

But it still could counterattack.

When Merlin walked out from the darkness, in front of him was Shatter with its arm raised and its energy cannon fully charged. On its arm were torn wires and blue sparks flying about.

It stared at Merlin with its remaining eye as hate and bloodlust appeared on its melted face.

"You again!"

Shatter questions with a female's sharp tone:

"Why are you helping those Cybertronian Rebels? What did they give you?"

"At least they won't turn my world into a conquered wasteland."

Merlin replies:

"Is this good enough an answer?"

"Foolish resistance, human, it's a pity that you stood on the side of the absolute defeated!"

Shatter stares at Merlin with one eye, it then lowers its weapon and says:

"Also, do you truly think that your new friends are peace-loving? You've been fooled by their cunning disguise, human; you should take a look at Cybertron, it is our home, and you should look at the trash it's become!"

"If they truly are as peace-loving as they say, how did our world et destroyed? Do not be foolish! Human, the Rebels are no different from us Decepticons...it is in our nature to conquer and destroy, whether they want it or not, the smokes of war will befall wherever they go!"

"Interesting speech, Miss Shatter."

Merlin claps his wand and says to the Cybertronian in front of him expressionlessly:

"But we're short on time and I have no time to hear you talk about your civilization. I trust that even you know that you falling into our hands will be much better than falling into the hands of those soldiers...after all, earlier this morning, you had sent most of them into the hospital and hell."

"Try guessing whether or not they'll tear you apart."

"Foolish threats!"

Shatter closes its eyes and leans against the cave wall, saying:

"Let your hidden new friends come out, I suppose I'm unable to 'welcome' them in this state."

A few seconds later, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper walk out of the shadows, Charlie and Coulson each sat on both sides of Bumblebee's shoulders. Cliffjumper looks at the dying Shatter hatefully and says:

"A few months back, you almost killed me."

"I should've hit harder."

Shatter opens its one eye, stares at Cliffjumper, and says:

"If you had died back then, I wouldn't have had so much trouble!"

"Where is Megatron and the Allspark?"

Cliffjumper questions:

"I know you've found them"

"Huhu"

Cliffjumper laughs coldly, strange data flows appear in its remaining eye as it says while resisting the pain:

"You will never find the powerful Megatron, it's destined to awaken...it will return to lead the Decepticons; the next war will happen on your pitiful planet, and you...all of you will die! And I will see to it with my own eyes!"

"Pa"

Bumblebee immediately rushes forward and grabs Shatter's head, Cliffjumper also hurries forward and takes off Shatter's chest armor; the two Cybertronians use the data port to try to access Shatter's memory database, but a dozen seconds later, Cliffjumper says disappointedly:

"It self deleted all of its memory, we came for nothing."

"Not exactly nothing."

Merlin looks at Shatter who was unconscious due to the memory deletion and says:

"At least we confirmed that Megatron is in the hands of the DoD, as for where it is, you can search for it slowly or we can work together again."

"Right now, the DoD's search team is heading this way, I need your help to transport Shatter out of here."

"It is now our trophy of war."

---

Four hours later, in the mountains of Nevada close to California, in the outer area of Pegasus Base, several black choppers were in flight.

They hung something with metal chains and were flying toward Pegasus Base under the cover of night.

On the hill amongst the mountains, Nick Fury in his coat was talking with Merlin.

"How did you transport it here?"

The confused Director asks so:

"How did you secretly transport such a large and heavy thing all across Nevada and under the DoD's noses? This is quite astonishing."

"Magic."

Merlin says simply before waving his wand and casting Wingardium Leviosa on a nearby rock.

Fury sees the heavy rock become light as a feather and nods.

It seems that Merlin had used this to transport the heavy Cybertronian from the desert.

"As for the pitiful soldiers of the DoD."

Merlin shrugs and tells Fury:

"I've started a sandstorm to stop their hunt, I pray that they can get away from that sandstorm on time. Fury, you'll have to prepare to start haggling with the DoD, I assume that they know we're the ones interfering with their affair."

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"Relax, I won't be the one to haggle."

Fury looks back at the Cybertronian being transported by helicopters and says:

"The successful capturing of this live sample will increase Pierce's name in the WSC as well as increase his chances of becoming Director. He'll fend us against the DoD."

"After all, this incident occurred because of them."

"Indeed, the DoD, try to trade with the tiger but caused trouble beyond their abilities."

Merlin takes off his glasses, wipes them, and tells Fury:

"And there are some things you need to know, Fury."

"I've discovered some secrets of the DoD during this operation, they've known of the existence of Cybertronians for a long time now, and they even possess a dangerous Cybertronian sample, known as NBE-1; I heard that it's the leader of the Decepticons and is currently frozen, though it's hard to say when it'll wake up."

"They're researching something they do not understand, Fury."

Merlin warns:

"We have to deal with that trouble before it gets worse."

"How do we do that?"

Fury shakes his head and says:

"Storm into 'Sector Seven' and snatch that Cybertronian in front of the DoD? Then launch it into the sun?"

"That's impossible, Merlin."

The Director says pitifully:

"We can't interfere with the DoD's research openly since their backing force is as strong as ours. Not to mention, you've no idea where that Cybertronian is hiding, right? We have to take our time and do it slowly."

"I'll find that guy."

A light flashes in Merlin's eyes as he says:

"I won't let a foolish bunch of people destroy this world. Oh, and one more thing."

Merlin tells Fury:

"That Decepticon had sent a universal signal before getting captured. I suspect that it's calling for its companions, we don't know when those Decepticons will arrive, but we have to be ready for it. I mean...to fight those Decepticons, we need warriors who're familiar with them."

"You mean the Cybertronian Rebels?"

Fury says hesitantly:

"Do you have a way to contact them? And most importantly, are they trustworthy?"

"I'm not sure."

Merlin says:

"But if you have the need, I can summon them, for I've received the signal code of the Rebels from the Decepticons, and that mysterious B-127...it's unfortunate that I didn't find it in this operation."

"It's alright, Merlin, you did well."

Fury pats Merlin's shoulder and says:

"We'll find that hidden Rebel warrior, and if the Decepticons do come to conquer, we'll need their help, though that'll be for the future."

"Go take some rest, I'll give you 2 weeks of holiday."

"Of course, I'll take a trip to London."

Merlin accepts the holiday with gratitude and tells Fury:

"I have to go check on how the wizards there are fighting, and, Fury, Dropkick's wreckage has been retrieved, right?"

Fury nods:

"It's in base 084, our scientists are tearing it apart for research. The importance of this wreckage has diminished greatly after the capture of a live sample."

"Then it should be okay for me to take some souvenirs, right?"

Merlin smiles:

"This is my first time winning against a mechanical lifeform like this and I need to grab a souvenir for it."

"That's fine, just don't take too much."

Fury waves his hand, he accompanies Merlin to the helicopter parked a few hundred meters away and exhorts Merlin:

"Be careful with the time being, just because the DoD can't look for trouble with SHIELD doesn't mean they'll let you off. And while your data is confidential, it's hard to say what those guys who've learned Decepticon technology are capable of."

"Mmm, I know."

2 days later, Merlin drives his black muscle car into a warehouse by the harbor in Hell's Kitchen.

It was a warehouse under Tuck's control, and with his exhortation, the warehouse was completely empty which suited for Merlin to do some secret stuff. One had to say that the ground snake sure knew how to act.

Merlin opens the car door and walks out of it.

He was still wearing his gray suit with sunglasses, and in the container before him was something heavy that he had someone transport from Nevada.

"Hey."

Merlin pats on the engine cover of the black muscle car, saying:

"It's time to say goodbye, Cliffjumper, and I have a gift for you before you leave."

"Is this an Earthling custom?"

Cliffjumper's voice resounds in the enclosed warehouse, and in the sound of parts rattling, Cliffjumper returns to its robot form in the large warehouse; it then looks at Merlin and says:

"Expressing kindness through the giving of gifts?"

"Sort of."

Merlin raises his head, looks at the giant robot, and points at the large container, saying:

"Go take a look, though I'm not sure whether it will fit."

Cliffjumper opens the container with one arm and looks at its content, it was something metal with sharp edges, looking to be very threatening and menacing.

Cliffjumper looks at the 'gift' and was somewhat speechless, moments later, it sits down on the ground, picks it up, and says:

"This...is what I need."

"How can I thank you? My Earthling friend Merlin."

 

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