Chapter 9.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out for. He wasn't sure how much longer he could sit, buried under a pile of industrial-grade cloth, or how much longer he could block out the angry shouts and frightened screams.

“Is this what I get? For being kind to someone?” Foll asked himself sadly, as he heard glass shatter and the roaring get louder.

“You did this to us!”

“You are the cause of our downfall!”

“You're scum, just like them!”

Foll felt the cloth being ripped away, and he was bare, exposed. He could no longer hide.

Soon after that, he could no longer see, either. The noise, loud and booming around him, was slowly fading away... and soon, he wasn't there anymore.

*

It was a short while after they had arrived on Enk that Scourge stood amongst a few dozen shells of what were once living, breathing beings. He was unable to feel any guilt or remorse for his actions because, as Cyclonus would say, it's all for Galvatron. That's all that matters, after all. Gunfire and lasers still ricocheted all around him, as his Sweeps and Astrotrain dashed and chased after the few survivors in the city's centers, as though they were childbots that had a new toy.

Something flashed up on his transmitter at that point. A few words, signed off by Cyclonus. 'Can you see a structure, leading up to the planet's atmosphere?'

Of course he could. How could he miss it? 'Affirmative.'

'I'm going to activate it in three kliks. I need you and the others to fly up there and shoot into the main reactor. Three shots each should do it. When that's done, the shield should deactivate. Then get as far as you possibly can. Don't ask any questions.'

Scourge stared at this message for a while and contemplated sending a reply. Despite the curt nature of 'don't ask any questions', he did so anyway. 'What about you?'

A few astroseconds passed before he received an answer. 'Don't worry.'

You'd better not give me a darn reason to, Cyclonus. Tearing his eyes away from the communicator, he shouted to his fellow troops, who were just finishing up their job. “Follow me, Decepticons!”

*

“Have you any idea what you're doing?!” Dr. Gilliam, a blaster shoved into his back, was screeching loudly, but his metallic hands tapped wildly at the keyboard in front of the Peacemaker's control panel. “You kill us all! All of us! Even you!”

The Constructicons exchanged worried looks, which Cyclonus ignored. “I know for certain that we, the Decepticons, have nothing to worry about. But you...” He trailed off, leaving the Enkians to use the imagination that they, no doubt, had never put to use until now.

“You'll pay for this,” Gilliam muttered angrily. “You'll pay for this! The Autobots will... !”

“I'm afraid for you that this is a time where we will scoop victory from right under the Autobots' noses. For all you care, they believe we've been disposed of right now.”

This silenced Gilliam and all was quiet except for the sound of rapid tapping, until he said, finally defeated, “... There. It's done. Carry out your suicidal plan.”

“Very good. You've been very helpful, doctor.” Cyclonus nudged him and he slumped over, dragging his legs over to the small circle the other scientists had formed. Cyclonus, once sure that the doctor was not going to try anything else, pushed the blinking button marked 'ACTIVATE'.

Something whirred loudly and the monitor streaming the external camera feed showed a green, gaseous substance gradually cloak the planet. It's your turn now, Scourge.

His plans always succeeded. Always. This one was no exception, as he saw the neon flashes that indicated his fellow soldiers were carrying out his orders. The whirring was slowly dying down. It would be time, very soon.

Then, the green cloak disappeared.

“NOW, MOVE!” He shouted suddenly, causing the Enkians in the room to jump and wonder exactly what he had done to deliver such a hasty order. The Constructicons on the other hand, simply bolted from the room, Cyclonus following close behind.

But just before he disappeared from their line of sight for what the Enkians knew would be the last time, Cyclonus shouted, “Let what has happened here today be a reminder to all who dare to oppose the Decepticon cause!” And he fired into the ceiling a few times, causing it to fall and block off the entranceway. Perhaps it was unnecessary, but it was a show of how much power he now had over them.

As they raced out of the complex, flying as fast as they possibly could to the planet's surface and further, Cyclonus relished the fact that everyone on Enk would be well and truly dead now.

This was the consequence of the decisions all those involved in this incident had made. Raw hate... and revenge. Somehow, it was paradoxical then, that he had done all this for the sake of his love for the Decepticon cause, and for his master.

Cyclonus was left musing these thoughts, deep and strange for someone like him, as the blast from

Enk's explosion threw him and his men a few hundred meters forward, right into Scourge's path.

The blue Decepticon caught him, dusting him off. “You know... I was kind of worried anyway.”

For the first time since this whole fiasco started, Cyclonus laughed a true laugh of joy and amusement.

A/N: And next up, the last chapter. Well, the epilogue.