As with previous battles, the Decepticons made no attempt to halt the retreating human troops.
To them, these fragile creatures were beneath notice—irrelevant.
From the moment the mutants arrived, all optics locked solely onto them.
"Mutants. You again."
A deep, gravelly voice echoed across the battlefield.
The speaker was a towering emerald-green Decepticon, standing over seven meters tall. Hydraulic pistons hissed as he stepped forward, glaring down at the team with contempt.
"That's right—us again," Slash called back, smirking as he cracked his knuckles. "Don't worry. You'll be scrap metal in five minutes or less."
The green warlord sneered. "No. Today marks your end."
Even as he spoke, a silent signal transmitted through his internal network.
Coordinates locked. Location transmitted.
"Lord Megatron! The mutants have revealed themselves!"
Starscream didn't waste a second.
"Finally," Megatron rumbled, his crimson optics flaring brighter. "Just as planned."
Around him stood an entire army.
Over one hundred twenty Decepticons—every unit not currently engaged elsewhere on Earth.
This wasn't a response. It was a trap.
Wiper's squad had been the bait.
This was the kill team.
"None of them leave alive," Megatron growled. "Especially Alex."
Several elite Decepticons immediately stepped into place, forming a perimeter.
Their arms transformed, linking together. Energy surged between them.
A massive ripple distorted the air—
And then, in flashes of blue lightning, the space bridge opened.
The air fractured with sound as dozens of Decepticons began to materialize in midair, crashing onto the streets like iron comets.
Each impact shook the ground.
One hundred twenty-four.
Steel titans surrounded the mutants from all directions—forming a wall of metal and death.
"They're everywhere!"
"This isn't real. This can't be real."
The mutants stared, frozen.
Even Alex's brow furrowed, his composure shaken for the first time. Not by fear—
but by sheer disbelief.
This wasn't an ambush.
It was a calculated execution.
"They surrounded them!"
"It's a trap! It's a f*cking trap!"
"There's no way they're getting out of this…"
Behind the barricades, civilians and soldiers alike watched in horror.
This wasn't a battle.
It was a slaughter waiting to happen.
Banshee was the first to break the silence.
"…So. Uh. Anyone else thinking this might be bad?"
Darwin grimaced. "Bad? Try suicidal."
Slash and Earthmover—usually the first to charge—stood motionless, teeth clenched.
Even Erik and Charles were pale, sweat trickling down their temples.
There was no counterplan for this.
Only one person had the raw speed to escape.
"Alex— go! " Charles snapped, voice razor-sharp. "You're the only one who can get out!"
Flight. Supersonic reflexes.
If anyone could survive, it was Alex.
But before he could reply—
A Decepticon lunged from above, its cannon arm glowing hot—
The shot lit up the street like a nuclear blast.