Chapter 31 Megatron's Divine Aid
"Ha! I won't tell you, Sixshot. Don't you feel incredibly frustrated right now? If you really want to know, I'll give you a hint: our man is Megatron, the current highest-ranking Decepticon commander. What are you going to do about it?"
Starscream seemed to be toying with his pursuer, but a bad feeling gnawed at him. Even if he managed to shake off Sixshot, Starscream was now far from Cybertron. If Megatron questioned him, it would be hard to explain. And with Sixshot's intelligence, he could probably estimate where Starscream had been simply by checking his field logs.
Only the dead cannot speak ... yet with Starscream's current combat power, he still lacked what it would take to eliminate someone as formidable as Sixshot.
"You filthy liar! I'd rather believe you're the crafty Starscream than that you're Commander Megatron. You're trying to fool people!"
"Wow! Was my impression of Sixshot really that sharp?"
"Ha! My old friend Sixshot! How did you know I'm General Starscream? Since you've guessed my true identity, how about we drop it here? ... Stop trying to scare me! Starscream doesn't have the guts to face me!"
"Wait ... did you just say I was Starscream?"
There's a rough logic in terrestrial psychology: when you can't resolve something, you make it more ambiguous.
Because Sixshot tended to be straightforward, he didn't have nearly as many tricks up his sleeve as Starscream. Comparing the information and adding the slick talk of the previous speaker, if all this were processed in a central processing unit, Sixshot's computer would undoubtedly crash.
So he wouldn't play any games or try to find the other's weakness with questions. Sixshot abandoned everything else; he only wanted to overtake the figure in front of him and unmask him!
At that moment, Starscream's internal communications system received an order from Megatron:
"We have confirmed that Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, and his generals have escaped our Cybertronian cordon. I, Megatron, as supreme leader of the Decepticons, order all warriors of my Decepticon army to begin a search across the universe. Whether it takes a month, ten years, or even hundreds of years, whoever finds Optimus Prime and his men shall become my second-in-command!"
What a stroke of luck! Just moments earlier Starscream had been worrying how to explain his absence to Megatron, but the furious leader had handed him the perfect excuse. This Decepticon leader was clearly unhinged; mention Optimus Prime in his presence and he flew into a rage, as if infected by a virus.
Megatron's order was a blessing for Starscream, freeing him from all mental burden so he could focus entirely on dealing with his pursuers.
"Starscream, orders received. I will carry out a thorough search of the star systems surrounding Cybertron and report any Autobot movements at all times."
Though secretly elated, Starscream had to keep up appearances. His response time was practically the fastest among all Decepticons.
After completing the internal communication, Starscream shut down all his radio systems and concentrated every ounce of energy on the enemies chasing him.
"Hey, Sixshot ... I'm treating you to something special!"
Saying that, Starscream's rear fuel tank slowly opened a small vent and began spewing a large amount of fuel behind him, leaving a white-and-black trail across the sky. It was a common practice for fighters about to land ... burning off excess fuel.
Though wasteful, it interfered massively with the opponent's vision. The aircraft fuel contaminants could also disrupt Sixshot's sensitive electronics, temporarily jamming his radar systems.
"Damned bastard, you won't get away with this! When I catch you, I'll rip your spark out and throw your body into the scrapheap! I'll make you pay!"
Although Sixshot wasn't especially scrupulous, he felt deeply humiliated by the other's actions ... a grave insult to him as a Decepticon supersoldier. That was exactly the effect Starscream intended. While the enemy slowly recovered from the distraction, he unwittingly fell into Starscream's trap and followed him into a vast area of electromagnetic turbulence.
"Boom!"
"Zzzzz!"
A series of sensations ... like faint electromagnetic explosions ... would be extremely uncomfortable for Transformers, who are highly sensitive to magnetic fields. When Starscream first investigated this zone, he nearly died multiple times.
The Sixshot trailing him, though equipped with slightly more advanced weaponry, was not immune. By the time the impostor realized what was happening, the false Ultra Magnus had already vanished, replaced by a crackling, chaotic cosmic current.
That massive, chaotic magnetic field was incredibly dangerous without guidance; every radar system was malfunctioning. Relying too much on it could lead you to your death…
"Damn you, Ultra Magnus impostor, get out here! Do you think this little trick will trap me, Sixshot? I'm one of the ten best Decepticon warriors! This small magnetic field can't hold me! When I find you, I'll crush your spark on the spot, grind it again and again!" Sixshot vowed.
He knew he'd been deceived. Fortunately, he hadn't ventured too far into the chaotic magnetic zone, and retreating along his previous course should be safe. But abandoning his prey felt somewhat unfair…
(End of chapter)
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