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A/N The chapters are starting to come out at a slower pace. That isn't exactly good for me or my readers or else my periodic updates may start ending up with major delays. Hopefully, I will soon get over these frustrating bouts of writer's block I keep getting.
Chapter 15: Encounter with Devastator
Meanwhile Harry and Ron were in Southern France at the base of the Alps investigating the mysterious site where the driverless construction vehicles were seen. Climbing over a ledge, Harry and Ron peered into a ravine and saw the site.
It looked a lot like a quarry from its rectangular shape and sloping hills along the sides. Toward the bottom of the quarry, opening into the mountainside was the entrance to a vast cavern, nearly seventy feet high and wide. About fifty or sixty humans were working in the quarry and the cavern entrance. Harry noticed that about twelve of them were wearing black robes. The most noticeable thing about the quarry however were the six emerald green construction vehicles: a front load shovel, a bulldozer, an excavator, a concrete mixer truck, a truck crane, and a dump truck: all operating without drivers.
"There they are," said Harry. "That's them, it's got to be."
"Definitely Cybertronians again, right?" asked Ron. "Not a bunch of nutcase wizards charming these things to move about and all that?"
"Oh it's them all right," said Rodimus's voice. Harry and Ron jumped as they suddenly realized that Rodimus and Bumblebee were crouching on either side of them.
"How did you get here so quietly?" whispered Harry.
"When you've been fighting as long as we have you learn to operate on a level of stealth beyond silence," said Bumblebee. He looked down at the quarry. "Yup, Scrapper, Bonecrusher, Scavenger, Mixmaster, Hook, Longhaul: the whole gang's right here."
"This is terrific," muttered Rodimus. "Believe me I really am not in the mood to face up against Devastator."
"I don't think anyone ever is," said Bumblebee.
"So these are the Constructicons you mentioned?" asked Harry.
"Yeah. They're the Decepticons' engineers," said Bumblebee. "They build things."
"What about the humans? Why would they be working for the Decepticons?" asked Ron. He took a closer look and said, "Come to think of it they look like they're in a trance or something; like the Imperius though a little different."
"Must be the work of cerebro shells," said another gruff sounding voice. Surprised, Harry and Ron looked behind to see that they had been joined by Ironhide and another robot. Although Harry didn't recognize the other robot at first, several tyrannosaur molded shapes in the armor helped him realize it was Grimlock in robot form. "Bombshell's cerebro shells allow the Decepticons to control brains whether human or robot and make them their slaves," continued Ironhide.
Ron frowned and asked, "Did you just say Bombshell?"
"Hey Ron," said Harry, interrupting Ron's train of thought. "You notice something about the humans, the ones wearing black cloaks?"
Ron observed them and his eyes narrowed. "Yeah, they're all Death Eaters! Juniors and wannabes but still Death Eaters."
"I always thought things were a tad too quiet after Voldemort was killed," said Harry. "I wonder if they were captured by the Decepticons immediately after the war. It would explain..." Suddenly, the mountain peak immediately above them exploded.
"LOOK OUT!" shouted Rodimus as he pulled Harry and Ron out of the way of the resulting rock slide.
"Leakin' Lubricant!" exclaimed Ironhide.
"What was that?" asked Harry.
"That!" said Bumblebee pointing toward the entrance of the cavern. At the entrance was a giant howitzer style purple cannon of alien design: it had shot off the mountain ledge. The cannon transformed to reveal itself as Shockwave.
"Do not even consider hiding. It is illogical to do so," he said in his calm, calculating voice. "You have been detected. The logical thing to do would be to accept defeat and receive termination."
Grimlock growled. "Me Grimlock, crush Shockwave with teeth!" he declared.
"What the heck is that tin can on?" exclaimed Ron. "I mean, 'accept defeat and receive termination'? What kind of order is that?"
"One that only Shockwave would make," said Rodimus. "Oh no."
Rodimus's last phrase was in response to the dark blue F-117 that flew out of the cavern from behind Shockwave. The jet flew up in the air, made a sudden dive toward the wizards and Autobots, and transformed into Soundwave as he landed on the other side of them. The group was now surrounded by Shockwave on one side and Soundwave on the other. The Constructicons had also transformed into their various robot modes while the enslaved humans continued working as if nothing was any different.
After Soundwave, a MiG 35 flew out of the cavern and landed next to Soundwave transforming into Blitzwing. "Well, well," he said, "How nice to see you again, Harry Potter."
Ironhide and Bumblebee readied themselves facing Soundwave and Blitzwing while Rodimus and Grimlock faced toward Shockwave.
"Hey, you know that trick you wizards use for blocking minds?" asked Bumblebee. "What was it again? Oc... Oc..."
"Occlumency?" said Harry.
"Yeah, that," said Bumblebee. "You may want to start using it: Soundwave's a mind reader."
"Can't transform to escape with the way we're surrounded," said Rodimus. "You two can Apparate though. You should escape."
"Heck no!" exclaimed Harry, whipping out his wand. "I'm not about to turn tail and run here. I'm a Gryffindor for a reason! If we're going down I'm going down with all of you!"
Ron pulled out his own wand and said, "Yeah, what he said."
Grimlock actually looked impressed. "Not bad," he said.
"Your actions defy logic," said Shockwave. "Nevertheless, should you desire termination it would be the logical thing to do at the most efficient level. Constructicons!"
"We're on it," said the front load shovel robot. "Everyone... Scrapper!"
"Bonecrusher!" growled the bulldozer robot.
"Scavenger!" hissed the excavator robot.
"Hook!" declared the truck crane robot.
"Mixmaster!" cackled the cement mixer truck robot.
"Longhaul!" grumbled the dump truck robot.
"Constructicons," yelled Scrapper, "form into... DEVASTATOR!"
The six Constructicons leapt up into the air, changing, transforming into forms that Harry and Ron had never seen before: limbs, a torso connecting one by one. Finally, they fell to the ground with an earth shaking rumble, combined into a single one hundred feet tall, monstrous robot: Devastator.
Harry and Ron took a step back. "That would've been totally wicked if it wasn't one of the bad guys," muttered Ron.
"Do not show any restraint," said Shockwave. "Finish them quickly and efficiently."
Devastator let out an ear splitting roar and smashed his fist downward. The Autobots dispersed and avoided the blow which left a large crater where they had been standing. Devastator continued pounding away at the ground as the Autobots speedily dodged the blows.
"Ha! Shows how effective Devastator is!" cackled Blitzwing. He pulled out a large scimitar sword and declared, "Let's see how well you face against Blitzwi... ACK!" Blitzwing was shot in the face and knocked over into the ravine courtesy of a blast from Ironhide.
"That should shut him up for a while," muttered the well armed Autobot. He turned his attention back on Devastator whom was trying to smash the other Autobots.
"We've got to help out!" exclaimed Harry. "Reducto!" The curse hit Devastator square in the chest. The giant Decepticon however only grew more enraged.
"If you're going to attack, aim for the joints!" shouted Bumblebee. "If you hit him in the right spot he'll break up into the six robots."
"Right!" exclaimed Harry. He and Ron leveled their wands at Devastator only to find themselves needing to dodge a blast from Soundwave.
"Must not allow interference," said Soundwave in his metallic voice, "Ravage, Rumble eject. Operation Wizard Termination." His chest compartment burst open and out popped out a stereo system and a bright red Sony Boombox. The stereo transformed into Ravage while the boombox transformed into a four feet tall robot nearly identical to Frenzy, only he was red in color and had pile drivers in place of arms.
"Rumble is here!" cackled the red humanoid, "And ready to POUND!" He pounded on the ground with his pile driver arms causing a tremor that knocked Harry and Ron off of their feet.
"Aw crud," muttered Ron. He and Harry scrambled to their feet just as a growling Ravage charged toward them. Harry and Ron started desperately fending Ravage and Rumble off with their reductors.
Soundwave was about to come in to lend assistance to his minions when he was tackled by Rodimus. "Oh no you don't! Not on my count!" snapped Rodimus. Soundwave was not pleased. Within seconds, the two had delved into an all out street brawl as their metallic fists pounded on each other, the echoes of metal hitting metal echoing through the ravine.
Ironhide and Bumblebee took on Devastator. "Come on big 'bot, show us what ya got!" growled Ironhide. He used a pair of his cannons to launch himself into the air. Twisting in a double helical spin over Devastator's head, Ironhide started raining cannon blasts over the combined Constructicons. Bumblebee started making high speed dashes around Devastator, peppering him with shots from his own guns at sporadic moments.
"Your efforts may be valiant but they will fail in the end," said Shockwave. "It is beyond all reason for you to be able to walk out of this situation alive. The logical course of action would be for you to accept termi..." The purple Decepticon suddenly found himself face to face with Grimlock.
"Me Grimlock crush you," growled the Dinobot.
"Grimlock," said Shockwave, "Time and time again I have defeated you. Yet you continue to challenge me no matter how much it defies logic. You cannot defeat me: it is illogical of you to not accept this."
"Me defy Shockwave always!" yelled Grimlock. He swung his fist at Shockwave only for the Decepticon to easily avoid the blow.
"Very well," said Shockwave. "Since you insist on fighting it seems that it falls to me to finally terminate you once and for all." Shockwave leveled his cannon arm at Grimlock and fired. Grimlock rolled out of the way and pulled out his scarlet sword. Shockwave scoffed. "You continue to wield your Energon blade against me no matter how useless," he said. "Though destructive as a blade it is obsolete! Energon is most efficient when use as a fuel source... such as like this!" Shockwave transformed into a cannon and fired.
The blast hit Grimlock square in the chest, slamming him into the rock cliff behind him. Grimlock however shrugged it off and dashed toward Shockwave. He slashed at the cannon only for Shockwave to transform back into his robot form and dodge the attack. Shockwave started blasting away at Grimlock with his arm cannon. Grimlock either dodged the blasts or deflected them with his sword.
"It is always the same pattern with you Grimlock," said Shockwave. "You have incredible strength and resilience yet your simple mind always allows me to pick you off easily. I can calculate your every move and perform the counter for it before you even have the chance for imploration."
Grimlock only grew angrier but was still not able to even get close to Shockwave through the blasts. He finally managed to close in within a few feet only to be blasted away by the cannon arm. Grimlock grunted as he struggled to regain his footing.
"Reducto!" shouted Ron as he blasted Ravage away. "There's got to be a better way to fight these guys than with just reductors!"
"I'm still thinking on it," said Harry. "Reducto! Maybe something like transfiguration." Rumble was just about to charge Harry when he managed a complicated transfiguration spell. Ivy sprouts started emerging from Rumble's pile driver arms.
"What!" exclaimed Rumble. "Oh no you don't. Transforming..." Rumble started concentrating on his arm as it started fluctuating. Eventually, the vines completely disappeared and were back to normal. Harry however took this time to blast Rumble away.
"To a certain extent," muttered Harry, "Looks like their transformation technology cancels the transfiguration out though."
"Yeah, what you said," replied Ron as he continued blasting away at Ravage.
Rumble stood back up and growled, "I have had it with you pesky humans!" He started pounding on the ground with his pile driver arms.
Harry and Ron managed to keep their balance amidst the ground shaking. However Ron couldn't help but notice the state of the ground with each pound. "Er... Harry," said Ron.
"What?" snapped Harry as he continued firing blasting hexes at Ravage.
"Is the ground supposed to be all cracked up like that?" asked Ron. It was just at that moment that their footing gave away. The ground broke apart into pieces and Harry and Ron disappeared into the chasm that had suddenly opened.
A/N OK, I suppose the title of this chapter was a tad misleading. Sure, they encounter Devastator but it wasn't the focus of the chapter like I made it seem like it might be. Still, I suppose I was able to showcase some of the other characters as the cast continues to expand.