Transformers: A Matter of Fate

DEVASTATION

A/N: A tiny author's note. As you know Mark is appearing in the story Battlecry by PrincessAura273. Just to clear things up, they are NOT in the same timeline. That version of Mark is simply an alternate version of Mark in the future. :) He will have a very different future if I ever make further stories.

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CHAPTER 46
Devastation

Mark seated himself down on Hound's hood in the middle of the group of cars early in the morning a week later. He didn't know why Optimus had called the meeting, all he knew was that he had wanted him there. Once Optimus had arrived however, he stood to his feet so that his foster father and the other Autobots could easily transform. "Everything alright, Prime?" Crosshairs questioned, his optics traveling up to his leader. "Don't tell me it's another long mission. After all the chaos, I don't think this is the best time."

Optimus shook his head, and then looked over his Autobots slowly. There was a silence as they all waited, one that Mark noticed rather easily. It nearly stunned him that even Crosshairs, who usually never could keep his mouth shut even stayed silent. "There has been a... Situation," Mark didn't like how Optimus looked at him after that. "Mark, please understand I only tell you this so you do not hear it from anyone else," He blinked a bit. "The Decepticons led an air strike late last night on the neighborhood of DC that you once occupied."

Mark might have fallen over in shock if Hound hadn't held out his hand to catch him. They had attacked his former home? He had friends in that neighborhood, there were a lot of families in that neighborhood. Innocent lives, people who had nothing to do with the war, and who may not have even known him. "W-What?" Mark finally breathed out. "They, how? Why? Didn't you guys try to stop them? Couldn't we have done anything?"

Hound had dreaded giving this bit of information to Mark. He'd been told when it happened, and he knew Mark wasn't going to take it well. He had mentioned the ties he had to his friends there, they had even been in contact all the time. "I'm sorry son," Hound tried to tell him gently. "It was a massacre, and it happened too fast for us to do anything," His engines revved slightly. "They wanted to send a message, and nothing was going to stop them. I think a few families made it out, one of them was that of a friend of yours that you've mentioned. Melissa, I believe her name was? But otherwise..."

Mark felt tears sting his eyes, he couldn't believe this had happened. Why would they attack so many unarmed people? He didn't live there anymore, they knew he didn't live there anymore. "I can't believe it," Mark finally spoke again, his voice low and filled with disgust. "Why would they do something like that? If they want to send a message, why not come after me again? Those were innocent people, those were families!" His voice raised louder with each passing moment.

Hound took a few steps forward. "Mark, they've done this before, many times," Hound shook his head. "They saw an advantage to hurt us, and you," He shuttered his optics, and cocked his head to the side. "I'm so sorry you had to find this out. But there was no way around it," He explained, the boy seemed to just be silent. "Prime, you might want to get on with the point."

"Indeed," Optimus shifted a little. "Considering our charge's ties to this neighborhood... Myself, a few of you, and members of NEST will be going to help with the effort. Recovering what we can, helping to locate undiscovered bodies." Mark looked up at Optimus as he said that. "And any survivors in the rubble that may have been missed as well," He then added. "I will need volunteers-."

"I'll go," Sideswipe threw a hand up. "Don't need to ask me twice. Any friend of Mark's is a friend of mine, I'll be happy to help."

"You know I'm in," Crosshairs raised his hand slightly, stepping forward. "Bloody Decepticons think they can pull a stunt like this," He growled low, in a manner that almost scared the heck out of Mark.