Chapter 77: The Newborn Decepticons Are No Match for Starscream
"Zzzzz!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
As the saying goes ... a newborn calf fears no tiger. These young Decepticons had no respect for their superior. Without hesitation, they charged at Starscream, attacking him recklessly. Naturally, Starscream didn't hold back against these insolent creations and tore them apart in a matter of seconds.
"Ha! These newborn Decepticons are no match for you. But they're impressively aggressive right after their transformation… It seems your kind, the Decepticons, are a truly terrifying race of Transformers!"
Compared to Starscream, who wielded a full arsenal of modern weaponry, the mechanical pterosaur beside him might have been lacking in ranged firepower ... but its physical strength was absolutely monstrous.
While joking with Starscream, the beast caught a giant eagle-like Decepticon in its claws, bit off its head with its massive beak, and swallowed it whole. The metallic crunch of screws and gears could be heard as the poor "new generation" Decepticon's skull was crushed between the creature's jagged metal teeth.
But the Pteranodon didn't stop there. With movements as swift as an eagle raiding a nest, it tore apart the remaining flying Decepticons in the sky. Each time it devoured one, it gulped down two or three of their core components, its hunger seemingly endless.
Though Transformers could later replace or repair parts, Beast-type Transformers like the Dinobots had another, more primal method of strengthening themselves ... feeding.
After consuming what appeared to be scrap, the useful components were automatically integrated into their inner or outer frames, while the useless bits were melted down and converted into bio-energy by their internal reactor cores. That's why these robotic dinosaurs could fight endlessly in almost any environment.
Starscream, on the other hand, while equipped with powerful laser weaponry, couldn't modify himself through such crude "feeding" methods. Still, he wondered ... if the Transformer System within him were to fully awaken, might he one day gain similar abilities?
"Host," the Transformer System suddenly spoke,
"I'm detecting an extraordinarily powerful energy source within that golden man controlled by the Huns. If we could obtain it, I might be able to fully unlock my functions for you. For example… the devouring and modification powers of those robotic dinosaurs. Would you like that?"
The system's words perfectly echoed Starscream's inner thoughts. As grotesque as the Pterosaur's eating habits were, the effects were undeniable ... strange patterns appeared on its wings each time it devoured a Decepticon's core, immediately enhancing its speed and agility.
It was an impressive ability, and though primitive, Starscream secretly envied it. Moreover, he had already discovered that this planet contained rare metals ... even rarer than those on Cybertron. Ordinary humans might not know how to refine them, but for a Transformer, acquiring them was child's play.
"You said it yourself ... that thing definitely wasn't made by these humans. Looks like we'll have to take it apart and see what secrets it's hiding."
Determined, Starscream dived straight toward his target. But his sudden descent drew the attention of dozens of newly born ground-based Decepticons below.
Since the humans had very few functioning machines, these ground forms were strange and varied ... some resembled camels, others horses, cows, sheep, or dogs. Even more absurdly, one had transformed into a cart-mounted crossbow, launching explosive arrows into the sky as makeshift artillery.
However, this level of attack and speed was laughable to Starscream. With just a subtle shift midair, he easily dodged every projectile. But as he descended closer, the Decepticons' combined fire finally reached him ... beams of red, green, and yellow light struck his outer energy shield, making his frame shudder midflight.
Individually, their firepower was negligible. But together? It was beginning to add up.
"Rat-a-tat!"
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
"You miserable little brats! No respect for your superiors, huh? Fine then ... I'll show you the basic functions of a real fighter jet!"
As he shouted, small rectangular panels slid open beneath each of Starscream's wings. Two massive rapid-fire laser cannons powered up, their barrels glowing bright red.
Then ...
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Twin streams of red laser fire swept through the battlefield below, creating a continuous curtain of destruction in Starscream's flight path.
The shells of those newborn Decepticons were like fresh crab shells before his cannons ... fragile and soft. A single shot was enough to blow their armor apart, sending green and yellow fluids, tangled cables, and shards of metal flying everywhere. The blasted machines slammed into the ground, gouging massive craters before falling silent.
Those with unstable fuel mixtures simply exploded on impact, leaving nothing behind but scorched fragments of black and yellow metal.
"What… what's happening? These...these are the warriors our master gave us! Why...why is this happening?!"
The Dark Sorcerer, standing beside the Hun King, could hardly believe what he was seeing. His proud metallic legion ... annihilated by a single flying machine.
(End of Chapter)