Multiverse: Deathstroke-Chapter 505: Cybertron Civil War

The truck driver was bewildered. The client’s orders were to wait, pick up the cargo, and deliver it—man and all—to the most remote spot possible.

It was getting late. Dropping a car in a forest felt ominous.

Some new murder tactic?

But the pay was hefty. For cash, he’d go far. Plus, the crane operator was with him—no problem, right?

Inside Bumblebee, Su Ming stayed silent, humming a tune, tracing the Autobot logo on the steering wheel.

Truth be told, his first American cartoons were Tom and Jerry, then Transformers and Ninja Turtles. Superhero stuff came later.

Cartoon worlds were tamer, but Transformers comics were dark.

Humans, outmatched by Autobots’ strength, bred cunning villains—master schemers manipulating governments, public opinion, isolating foes, holding Earth hostage, and wielding black-tech surprises.

Autobots on Earth were practically enemies of the world.

Also, IDW’s crossover rules differed from Marvel or DC.

If editors wanted popular characters in one comic, their worlds merged, gradually blending.

Before crossing, Su Ming heard Transformers and G.I. Joe were fusing. No clue if it happened.

If it did, G.I. Joe’s enemy, Cobra, existed here too. As snakes, they rivaled Hydra.

Cobra’s Rise could erupt anytime, maybe with nanite warheads—metal-eaters, perfect against Transformers.

Funded by the U.S., no less.

The future looked rough, but did Bumblebee need to keep spraying wiper fluid? The windshield was a blurry mess, like a runny nose.

Gross.

Two hours later, the truck reached a secluded canyon.

"Boss, how’s this spot?"

"Good. Unload the Chevy, then come get paid."

Su Ming scanned the area. Decent—no satellites would notice unless they made a scene.

Trees offered cover, and the terrain favored small, human fighters. Strategic choice by the driver.

Soon, it was just Su Ming and Bumblebee in the quiet valley.

Leaning on the hood, arms crossed, his suit melted away, revealing yellow-black armor. His tie shifted, becoming a black cape.

His red-masked eye turned to Bumblebee.

"Contact your leader. We’re grabbing the star map and my gear."

Bumblebee’s logic fritzed. Earth life was carbon-based—how could this guy transform?

His armor’s metal was unknown to scans.

And he knew Bumblebee was an Autobot. What now?

Rapidly processing, Bumblebee chose—play dead.

The night stayed quiet, only insects chirping.

Su Ming smacked the hood, annoyed. Wasting time! "I’ve clocked you, kid. Hiding’s shameful and useless."

"Stop pretending. Decepticons are on Earth. Barricade’s locked onto Sam. When Megatron’s revived, what’ll you do?"

Bumblebee, young for a Transformer, knew older ones, fueled enough, were tougher.

Only Optimus could match a warrior like Megatron.

The car’s lights flicked on, radio flipping channels, stitching words. His voice module was damaged—radio was his only speech.

"Human... Cy... ber... tron..."

"Stop. Use your Autobot badge to call them. Get Ratchet to fix your voice module. No more radio noise."

Su Ming stepped back, signaling Bumblebee to hurry.

If it could sigh, Bumblebee would. This human predicted his every move.

Not just recognizing him but knowing Autobots, Decepticons, Barricade, Ratchet.

Outmatched, he called the boss.

With clanking metal, he transformed, standing over ten meters, yellow paint faded, clashing with his high-tech frame.

He detached his Autobot badge, raising it skyward. A red beam shot up. Soon, fireballs streaked across the sky.

Optimus’s Ark II was near Earth, as was Starscream’s Nemesis II.

Both factions orbited, playing cat-and-mouse, unable to catch each other. Ground battles would settle it.

"Tch, too loud. Can’t pass this off as a meteor shower. Optimus lands, we move fast," Su Ming muttered, wincing.

Did Transformers think Earth was still primitive? Their existence wasn’t secret to real power players.

Megatron had been studied for a century, just hidden from civilians.

As meteors fell, trees ignited, and dirt flew like under cannon fire.

Amid clattering transformations, tall figures emerged from the woods, approaching Su Ming.

The leader, tall with red-blue paint, was unmistakable.

"No fear. We’d never harm humans. Freedom is every sentient being’s right," he said in fluent English, his learning module pulling from the internet. "We’re autonomous mechanical lifeforms from Cybertron. I’m Optimus Prime."

Optimus, gentle, knelt to lessen his height, bringing his face closer, as if worried Su Ming was scared.

"This is my lieutenant, Jazz; security chief, Ironhide; medic, Ratchet; and you’ve met Bumblebee. Are you Sam Witwicky, descendant of Explorer’s Captain Witwicky?"

Instead, the strange human rose, as if lifted by an invisible hand, leveling with their heads, cape billowing.

A raspy voice answered.

"Wrong. Not Sam. Deathstroke."

"..."

Silence deepened, broken only by crackling flames. Optimus froze, as if powered down.

Autobots’ expressions were human-like. Optimus’s mask hid his face, but his eyes showed confusion, disbelief, bewilderment.

Humans like this? Why didn’t intel match? How was he floating?

Where was Sam? The star map? The AllSpark?

"What’s going on, Bumblebee?" Optimus turned, stunned. Hadn’t they planned this?

Bumblebee and Hot Rod scouted Earth, investigated, found the star map’s holder, then called the team.

What was this?

"Don’t ask him. Get Ratchet to fix his voice module—landing broke it. I don’t want radio static," Su Ming cut in, circling Optimus, sizing up the Autobot leader.

"And this isn’t the place to talk. Satellites might’ve locked on. We head to the city."

Jazz agreed. Unless they wanted to shoot down satellites, crowded areas were safer.

Optimus didn’t hesitate. With Decepticons closing, they needed Sam.

"Autobots, roll out!"

Transformers couldn’t shrink, ruling out sewers, but they found a bridge underpass near Sam’s house.

Su Ming briefed them and proposed a deal. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"You’ll take on Megatron? He was Cybertron’s military commander, fighting millions of years," Ironhide scoffed, doubting. Size, weapons, experience—all gaps.

Su Ming just eyed Optimus. His strength? Decepticons would learn soon enough.

Rip Starscream apart barehanded, maybe.

"You want to borrow the AllSpark. Why?" Optimus asked, more concerned.

The AllSpark, Cybertron’s life source, drew stellar energy, birthing Transformers.

When Cybertron faced an energy crisis, Megatron planned to drain other stars to sustain it.

One star per system—destroying it killed all life in that system.

Optimus couldn’t allow it.

Civil war erupted. Autobots and Decepticons razed Cybertron.

Population loss eased the crisis, but enmity was sealed, and fighting continued.

Optimus outsmarted Megatron. Ironhide attacked the Peace Hall, Bumblebee hit the garrison, while Optimus and a science team sneaked to the AllSpark’s vault.

As Megatron pummeled Bumblebee, the science team fueled a rocket with Cybertron’s last energy, launching the AllSpark into space.

Optimus hoped to abandon it, reconcile, and find a new path for Cybertron.

But Megatron, obsessed, ditched Bumblebee, chasing the AllSpark in a ship.

Knowing countless lives were at stake if Megatron got it, Optimus led surviving Autobots in pursuit.

The AllSpark couldn’t be tracked by space bridge, only chased. They flew for millennia.

Decepticon warships outpaced Autobot science vessels.

Megatron reached Earth first but crashed, energy depleted, buried by history, later shifted near the surface, found a century ago by explorers.

Now, the Autobots’ ship reached the solar system, trailed by another Decepticon warship.

Starscream seemed half-hearted about finding Megatron, lagging behind, letting Autobots land first.