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| - Megatron looks at Hook and yells out "Get us out of here!" Hook dutifully takes the shuttle out - crashing through the gaping hole in Unicron's eye and escaping moments before Unicron explodes in a brilliant, violent display of energy. The Decepticons cheer and Megatron, for the moment even is jovial. "Hail, Hot Rod!" The other Decepticons on the shuttle quickly join in "Hail Hot Rod!" For a flicker of time, it appears that there are no Autobots or Decepticons. They are just the Transformer race. And as they head back to Cybertron, Hot Rod is gifted with the slightest bit of hope that yes...this could be a permanent truce. But first thing's first. Upon touchdown, get out and head to their hideout STAT. "I hope someone got good footage of that explosion." Hot Rod quips, grinning now. "Must have been quite the sight back home. I have to see that." The young Autobot rubs the back of his head awkwardly. This was just WEIRD. But, a good weird. "Ugh, my head." he says suddenly. Maybe if he could fake out Megatron... "I need to - I think I can - Um, what I mean is, I need to some time to myself, after we land." Adding to the surrealism, the Decepticons are actually calling out Hot Rod's name in celebration. Megatron nods as Cybertron comes into orbit. "Of course!" He looks out the window, looking at Unircon's remains. "I hate to even say this, because I'm guilty of bringing this war as much as anyone - but... times like this - it really shows the differences between us are far less than our similarities." He adds "Maybe... it took this event to finally achieve peace." Soundwave's booming voice comes over the PA. "Iacon...approaching." The Decepticons look down at the ruinous cities. Some parts of Cybertron are literally gashed - like someone took their fingernails and ran through a few sections. Hot Rod isn't quite sure he's hearing things. "...Well, I certainly feel better knowing that Unicron's gone. Maybe... Someday, anyway, we could be united, again. Under Polyhex?" He feels sick saying that, but honestly it was the best he could come up with. He looks down at ruined Iacon, and sighs. "There's a lot of rebuilding to do." The ship finally docks. The cargo bay doors open. Hot Rod has the Matrix. Megatron plays his best poker face. He extends a hand to Hot Rod. "Indeed. We need to start rebuilding immediately." He says evenly "Thank you..." The Matrix firmly in his chest cavity, Optimus Prime's ghostly voice hits Hot Rod. "Run...now." Hot Rid gives Megatron a firm nod. "Thank you. As much as I thought I'd never say that..." He starts heading out, not daring to run, just yet. "I'm going to find the others. Tell them - tell them that the war's over." He manages a salute, and then heads straight for the ruins of Iacon. As Hot Rod leaves, Megatron coldly looks at Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Soundwave. Megatron only nods and the four Decepticons aim their weapons at Hot Rod - and fire. Megatron smirks and mutters "I haven't done this under my own power in more than a million years!" He then transforms into his frightening gun mode and drops into Starscream's hand. Starscream then sends a blast screeching toward Hot Rod. (That didn't work! Of course it didn't work, Decepticons always aim for the back!) Hot Rod runs flat out now, dodging most of the fire, but falling as Megatron's blast strikes him in the shoulder. He drops to the ground, crawling desperately. "Optimus... forgive me...." he says weakly, hoping against hope that he can somehow find a crevasse to fall into. He doesn't care how far down, as long as it takes him away from the Decepticons. Starscream quickly aims at Hot Rod's back, fearing another 'disappearance' a la Optimus Prime. *shraak!!* Megatron's cannon blasts toward Hot Rod's back! Hot Rod screams as the second blast strikes him in the back, energon quickly pooling around him. "No,,, No..." He spies what he thinks is a large crack in the ground, and hurls the Matrix away, hoping it will become lost to Megatron. He's too weak to stand, too weak to fight... Adding to Hot Rod's misery - the collective Primes housed in the Matrix, just a few minutes ago were giving Hot Rod an enormous sense of power - and even joy, now seem to cry out in woe as the tunnel toward the light is now narrowing to a speck. Megatron frowns, "Stupid fool!" He quickly spots the crack and orders Soundwave to send a small scout in the crack to find the Matrix. He then radios Hook. "Hook, come up at once! I will need the Matrix reattached to my cannon!" Megatron grabs Hot Rod and throws him into an open area. He smirks darkly as Hook arrives. Frenzy climbs out of the the crack and thinks for a moment of taking the Matrix himself, but Megatron's cannon aims at Frenzy. "I'll take that..." Frenzy nods, handing the Matrix over to Megatron with shaky hands. "Yeah..yeah boss!" "No..." Hot Rod's optics flicker. "I - won't- !" He, futilely, latches onto Megatron's leg, a last act of defiance. "You - threw everything away-! We would have followed..." he trails off, so as not to say anything stupid. What did it matter, anyway? "Until... allareone..." Megatron smirks as the Matrix is soon reattached to his cannon. Alpha Trion and Optimus Prime both cry out in anguish as what appears to be the last speck of hope has vanished. Megatron smiles, aiming the Matrix-enabled cannon directly at Hot Rod's chest. "I did not lie to you - I said after this, I would bring peace...and I have..." Hot Rod's last visual is a blinding blast of violent light from Megatron's cannon, surging directly into Hot Rod's chest. Hot Rod's scream is short, but just as anguished as the other Primes'. Megatron stands over Hot Rod's fallen form. He gestures to Hook. "Take him to the abandoned outposts. I don't care where - find the most remote, desolate area, and drop him there." Hook grins. "Not keeping this one for a trophy, Lord Megatron?" he asks, already picking up the grayed chassis. Megatron frowns "Rebuilding is my only concern. Once we rebuild, I want you Constructions to refocus your efforts on finding Optimus Prime's chassis." Megatron looks at the six Decepticons around and raises his Matrix-enabled cannon at them. "Now... as far as I'm concerned, the story went that 'I' used the power of the Matrix to destroy Unicron..." He adds "And if that story ever deviates, I will have no choice but to offline every single one of you - to ensure the responsible Decepticon was in fact punished." He especially looks at Starscream when he talks.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)