ALL OR NOTHING!

...Optimus Prime was very clear. None of our technology must be allowed to fall into enemy hands...

Back on Earth Hot Spot is all that remains from the strike force sent to stop Megatron. Having failed in one mission now he must complete another, at any cost. Megatron left Cobra with trailer full of Cybertronian hardware, relative junk. Yet in human hands, in these humans’ hands it could cause unknown destruction. Earth must not be advanced before its time.

Meanwhile high above, Megatron at the Ark’s helm makes ready to leave the world of his rebirth to find his lost army. In the midst of questioning his reviving his most traitorous soldier, Megatron is unaware that he has unexpected company. Spike Witwicky had covertly boarded the Ark just before it left Earth. Racing through the corridors he knows what he must do. He is a Headmaster and despite his reservations he must once again merge and become one with Fortress Maximus. But the dormant form of Maximus has been dealt with and lies horrendously damaged. So Spike starts the damage control programs and waits hoping it will be enough......

Back on Earth Hot Spot too hopes he has enough. Already weakened from fighting Megatron, he must destroy the Cybertronian hardware without killing the humans. He cuts his way through Cobra’s automated tanks, but he is badly wounded and doesn’t know if he will make it.....

I’m curious, you see. Was this an arbitrary leap into oblivion or did you plan on dying today?

The words of Megatron as tears into Maximus again and again. Having found his target, Maximus instantly finds he is no match for Megatron in his state. As Megatron lays blow upon shattering blow Spike finds himself asking the part of him that is Maximus wether he is willing to die this day, because he isn’t sure he is. At the last moment he is rescued by Skydive the other stowaway on the Ark. The two had met up just before Maximus went off in search of Megatron. But Skydive was only to rescue the human scientist Megatron had in captivity and fly her to freedom. A good thing the Aerialbot isn’t good at following orders...

Down below, Hot Spot is almost out of it. Weakened and exhausted his chances look slim until the Joes intervene to give him the time he needs. With one final effort he forces the truck containing the Cybertronian technology off of the road, destroying it. But he has nothing left and when he is cornered by Cobra, Hot Spot follows his leader’s orders to the letter.... fall into enemy hands be it inanimate or otherwise.... In a blaze of fire and destruction, Hot Spot goes to his rest.

Given his reprieve Spike must make his decision. Megatron must not be allowed to escape with the Ark. Fortress Maximus steers them to the Ark’s anti-matter conversion chamber and tells Spike to leave. But though Spike has never been comfortable with his arrangement he knows his duty. United fully for one last act Fortress Maximus and his headmaster leap into the antimatter stream and are destroyed instantly. But their death signals the Ark’s demise. Skydive flee’s the Ark with his human cargo just as the ancient craft, battle scarred veteran of so many battles, winks out of existence in one last blaze of glory. Of Megatron there was no sign but that had never been an assurance in the past....

Ghosts

This story was originally printed as a Halloween special but was reprinted in this issue and has no definite fix in the time-line. In my opinion it seems to fit best in between issues three and four but even this is tentative. It basically involves Optimus Prime and the Autobots fighting Bludgeon’s Decepticons on a dead world for a stockpile of ancient alien super weapons. The battle rages while Hot Rod under Prim’s orders attempts to create a holographic distraction with the ancient computer sto turn the tide. A giant supremely powerful guardian appears and sets the Decepticons to flight but just as Prime and the Autobots declare victory Hot Rod appears stating his failure in his illusion making. The Autobots have their turn at fleeing and are back to square one.