Shane Freak
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Chapter 893 - Reunion 5 (Part Two)
🕑 Added 2023-12-09 11:21:24 +0000 UTCTransformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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After the meeting, the Autobots dispersed in different directions.
Jack remained silent, heading towards his own laboratory.
The once-familiar laboratory had now completely transformed.
Many experimental devices were in the process of being dismantled.
As he gazed at the chaotic state of the lab, Jack let out a sigh.
"I should have left with Ironhide and the others back then!"
Shaking his head, he now deeply regretted his past hesitation.
Despite being a scientist, Jack was not ignorant of politics.
On the contrary, when Optimus Prime and the others rescued Sentinel Prime from the moon, he had faintly sensed that something was amiss.
The subsequent changes in New Iron Fortress City had confirmed his suspicions.
As the leader who had ruled over the Autobots for millions of years, the former king of Primus, Sentinel Prime had a staunch following within the Autobot ranks. They blamed Optimus Prime for their defeat, believing that his incompetence had led to the Autobot's defeat and forced abandonment of their home planet, Cybertron, to eke out a meager existence on a satellite.
Furthermore, Optimus Prime's command for Autobots to voluntarily scatter across the Milky Way in search of resources and a new homeland for their kind had offended many Autobots who were unwilling to leave their homelands.
Add to that the Autobot Parliament's constant attempts to seize power from behind the scenes, and various dissatisfactions piled up, ultimately causing the young Autobot leader Optimus Prime's prestige to plummet within the Autobot ranks after their defeat, with his reputation suffering as well.
As a result, Sentinel Prime's return immediately divided a group of Autobots who had previously believed they had no choice.
Having lost their home planet, Cybertron, they had had enough of wandering through the dangerous Milky Way like nomads. They, like the Decepticons, desired to use force to conquer Africa and even the entire Earth, claiming all of Earth's resources for themselves in order to rearm and strengthen the Autobots.
It was evident that Optimus Prime's attempts to seek a peaceful coexistence with humans and even the Decepticons were not going to satisfy these Autobots who had been traumatized by war and had become increasingly radical.
His fate was easy to predict—self-exile was the best choice Optimus Prime could make under the circumstances.
"What a pity!"
New Iron Fortress City, what a beautiful name it was. It should have had a brighter future, but war had inevitably descended upon it, and Jack could no longer see his own future.
Walking over to a pile of materials, Jack was just about to begin working when suddenly he felt movement in a shadow within the laboratory.
Turning alertly to look, Jack immediately recognized a familiar figure.
"It's you!"
The figure that appeared before him was none other than Autobot Drift.
Jack had interacted with Drift quite a bit. When Drift, originally a Triple Changer from the Decepticon camp, defected to the Autobot side, Sentinel Prime had assigned him to the Academy of Sciences, where he had been studied for a considerable period of time. At that time, Jack had also been a member of the Autobot Academy of Sciences and had participated in the research project on Drift.
However, their relationship was far from good. After all, Sentinel Prime's treatment of the Decepticons back then had determined that the first group of Decepticons who had defected to the Autobots did not receive particularly favorable treatment.
In addition to the apparent preferential treatment, they were secretly considered suspicious individuals and were like lab rats under close surveillance by the Autobots.
As a result, many of the former defectors, especially Triple Changers like Drift, were dissatisfied with Sentinel Prime. They were also at odds with the Autobot scientists who had studied them.
And now, when Jack saw Drift approaching him voluntarily, his intelligent mind quickly formed a guess.
"Are you here to ask me to leave New Iron Fortress City with you?" Jack inquired.
Drift nodded calmly. "Jack, I know you're not a belligerent person. Sentinel Prime has gone mad, and the Decepticons' arrogance and belligerence have already destroyed our home planet, Cybertron. Now, Sentinel Prime has taken on the very qualities he used to despise and wants to incite a war with the humans."
The first group of warriors who had defected from the Decepticon camp to the Autobot camp were all individuals with a yearning for peace.
Drift was one, and so was Sideswipe. While they were not afraid of battle, they also longed for peace.
If they had never experienced the light, it might have been bearable. However, during the time when they had worked under Optimus Prime's leadership to rebuild New Iron Fortress City, they had enjoyed a rare period of peace and tranquility.
It was like a warm ray of sunshine in their lives. Although brief, it had brought genuine happiness to every weary Autobot warrior.
And now, Sentinel Prime had ousted Optimus Prime and embarked on various reforms in New Iron Fortress City, almost completely overturning some of the development plans from Optimus Prime's era.
He had reignited the engine of war, preparing to lead the Autobots into an endless quagmire of warfare.
Such actions were unacceptable to Drift.
Perhaps he wasn't a match for Sentinel Prime, and he couldn't stop Sentinel Prime and his fanatical followers. But Drift was ready to leave this city that had lost hope and follow the true Autobot Leader.
"This city has no hope left. Come with us. Follow the real leader, Optimus Prime, by tracing Ironhide's path!"
When Optimus Prime had left previously, Drift happened to be on an assignment. Upon returning and learning of this, he had already entertained the idea of leaving to follow Optimus Prime.
Before he could put that plan into action, Ironhide and the others had already left.
Today's war mobilization meeting organized by Sentinel Prime had agitated the nerves of many Autobot warriors who were growing weary of battle. That's why, as soon as the meeting ended, Drift had come to see Jack.
Jack cautiously glanced around to ensure that no other Autobots were nearby, then shook his head and sighed.
"Drift, I won't tell anyone that I've seen you before. If you want to leave, do it soon. If you wait too long, it might become difficult for you to leave."
New Iron Fortress City was currently undergoing war mobilization, and the entire city was being fortified. Once the transformation was complete, it would be much harder to enter or leave New Iron Fortress City without being noticed.
"Aren't you planning to leave with us?" Drift asked. Among the Autobot scientists who had studied him, Jack was one of the few who treated him as an equal rather than a lab rat.
That's why he had come to ask Jack before leaving, not wanting to see him get caught up in Sentinel Prime's war machine.
"Me?" Jack shook his head, a bitter expression on his face. "I can't leave. Sentinel Prime needs me, and if I disappear, it might even affect Optimus Prime. After all, most of the scientific research and weapon development in New Iron Fortress City currently relies on me."
Drift looked at him deeply for a moment, then without any hesitation, turned and left.
Leaving behind Jack, who sighed, he stood there for a while before finally starting to clean up his cluttered laboratory.
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 894: Meeting (End)
