The Cycle of O
— Hello-o! Anybody home? — Miko's voice for once sounded quiet and and (unbelieveable!) a bit confused
— Bulkhead? Bumblebee? Jack? Where are you? — she peered hopelessly into the thick shades of the passage which led away from the control room… There was no one here. Neither autobots, nor Jack nor Raph… Nor even Ratchet, who has always been here, guarding the Ground Bridge! Miko had an unpleasant feeling along her spine as she thought of it. This all just was not right...
— Hello? — she tried one more time
— ...Oh-oh-oh — the echo monkeyed — Oh-oh-oh-oh-... -clank!
It was definitely a footstep. A huge metallic footstep. A footstep somewhere very far from the control room — but definitely within the base. And, if Miko knew anything about huge metallic footsteps, this one definitely sounded like the one of Optimus Prime.
— Clank — went another footstep, a bit closer — Clank-clank-clank…
— CLANG! — suddenly thundered another one so close Miko could feel its aftershock with the soles of her feet.
Something huge appeared in the darkness of the passage... And a moment later Bulkhead cannoned into the control room, clanging like an avalanche of armoured trashcans.
— Bulk... — she started.
— Miko, RUN! — and he was deadly serious about it.
— But...
— JUST RUN! — a huge ten-ton arm pushed her gently, directing towards another passage. Bulkhead rolled over his shoulder, transforming into green SUV on-the-go and darted back into the shadows he came from.
— Run... But where to? — Miko muttered to herself, slowing down two hundred meters away from the control room. — And what the hell is going on here?
A moment later something blue-and-black and lightning fast shot from above embracing her and pulling her up towards the ceiling so fast she hadn't even time to squeak.
— Please! Be silent! — whispered Arcee barely audible, leaning so close, that she almost touched Miko's forehead with her lips. — And don't move until he goes away!
And this all was also grave serious. So serious, that Miko laid aside her questions about mysterious "him" and and just went silent for now.
— Clank — a footstep sounded just below.
Arcee squeezed Miko's forearm alarmingly, watching her intently with pleading eyes.
— Clank — went another footstep down in the passage. — Clank... Clank...
Miko held her breath. Through the grille beneath she could see the scratched metallic floor and a huge shadow, laying over it. A huge shadow with features so familiar, that she would have sworn it was Optimus, if not only Arcee's expression of sheer terror.
— Clank...
And then the stranger just retreated, clanking more and more silently as he was striding away.
— Come! — Arcee whispered when the footsteps grew silent enough. She slid the grille aside and lowered herself down into the passage with a single smooth silent movement.
— But who was it? — Miko whispered back.
— Hush!
— But...
— Hush! He might hear us! Come. — Arcee reached up and carefully put Miko on her shoulder
— But who was it? — Miko whispered as silent as she could, pressing her lips to the side of Arcee's helmet (in the absence of visible ears); now, when the stranger left she could not hold her curiosity any more.
— Please, I shall be silent then! Who? Who was it, Arcee? Please!
Arcee arms shot up in desperation
— Ohpleasepleasepleaseplease!
— Okay! — Arcee finally gave up — But no more questions right now.
— Deal!
— It was... OHSHITHOLDON!
The next moment Miko's arms were almost pulled out of shoulder joints as Arcee pirouetted transforming into bike simultaneously — away from something huge and red-hot that swished through the air just above.
The bike's engine roared wildly and the last thing Miko saw before everything turned into speed blur was a piece of leg armor, colored in red-and-blue flame pattern.
— We almost got pinched. — Arcee shaked her head helplessly, lowering Miko down onto the dusty floor. — I never thought he could be THAT cunning!
The room they were into was dusty and dark, its walls and ceiling were all covered with lots of tiny variously colored lucent dots. The room was also very small, and narrow: Ratchet, who was standing tall in the middle, was only few inches shorter than the room itself.
— It was my fault. I'm sorry... — added Miko sheepishly, shrinking under Ratchet's stern look.
— No — Arcee shaked her head again, now with certainty — He had already been there, waiting for us to show up. I was just lucky to see him in time...
— And now he knows Miko is here. — said Ratchet gloomily — He can get some funny ideas about other kids, you know...
— Let's just hope he won't! — rumbled Bulkhead over Ratchet's shoulder.
Even now, sitting tightly into the corner, Bulkhead was a bit taller than Doc, so he had to tilt his head a little in order just to fit in. This way Bulkhead looked especially big. And a bit more funny. And, somehow, miserable at the same time.
— And what if... he does?... — Miko asked carefully, moving her gaze from one bot to another.
But before anyone could find the right words to answer her... The whole wall suddenly blinked with a brilliant greenish light! And then just disappeared, uncovering huge and brightly lit control room. And the backside of a tall figure right in the middle. The backside was covered with red and blue flame pattern and wore features of a big truck.
— Whooosh — frightenedly hissed Arcee, staggering back
— Ooohhh! — groaned Bulkhead in his corner
— Hhhyyaaaa! — shrieked Miko, just in case. It all happened of a sudden, yes, but... it was Optimus just over there, right? Or... Oh, come on, who else it could be?
— Optimus? — called Miko and made a step forward. And ran her nose right into the invisible wall that still was there. Not a wall really, she finally understood. A screen. A huge wall-sized and a bit greenish screen just like the one of the main computer of the autobot base.
— Not Optimus! — Ratchet snapped harshly in reply. — THIS one is not Optimus, you...
He abruptly stopped and stared at Miko, abashment and regret on his faceplates.
— But... — Miko started slowly, taken aback with such distrust.
And again she did not stand a chance to get answers!
First, the screen blinked again and showed Bumblebee. Bumblebee was saying something, but no sound could be heard.
The next moment "Not-Optimus" was already at the Ground Bridge Controls, his hand on the lever.
And then the tiny hideout filled with the painfully loud mix of moans, groans and shouts like "No!" and "Get away!"; huge hands
And then Miko found herself totally alone.
The fight was short, furious and with no chance to success. "Not-Optimus" was too fast, too strong and too experienced fighter for every one autobot and all together of them!
Miko watched — first hoping, then outraged and then desperate — and as he easily deflected Arcee's shots, parried Ratchet's blows and evaded Bulkhead's furious attacks, all while holding Bumblebee in the air by his helmet.
Ratchet caught a blow in the chest and collapsed on the floor. Bulkhead tripped over the masterfully placed leg and got a slash of flaming sword along his back.
Arcee had a good chance to deliver a blow or two... but Not-Optimus suddenly released Bumblebee and Arcee flew right into his grasp! She hit his arm once or twice... But then Not-Optimus hit her heavy against the wall and Arcee fell sagged unconcious in his hands.
Everything was over!
Ratchet yet tried to raise his weapons... But Not-Optimus cast Arcee over his shoulder, and leaped into the still active Ground Bridge. Several second later laser impulse flashed from the shining portal and burned the controls; the portal collapsed.
The time passed slowly in the hideout. Or did it pass at all, Miko wondered? She was tired of calling and kicking and pushing the heavy door of the hideout and panicking in general. Now she just sat on the floor with her back to the screen.
— Okay — she complained to the autobots who could not hear her — Maybe one day you will find my white skeleton in here and be sorry! Be very sorry!
As if in reply to her tirade, the door opened wide with a "whoosh" of air rushing in. There were autobots there. All three of them: Bumblebee, Ratchet and Bulkhead.
— Miko! — Bulkhead rumbled
— We need to talk seriously. — Ratchet finished
— Beep — Bumblebee added, pointing his hand towards the screen behind Miko. And then the screen showed some kind of forest from above. There was Not-Optimus there, still with Arcee on his shoulder. And the decepticons too — every one of those Miko already new, including some stupid vehicons.
The only thing about this all was... The only thing was that there was no fight. They were just talking. Not-Optimus smacked Arcee's lower back occasionally like he was some kind of action-movie badass kidnapping a cutie. He was also shaking a bit and was a bit unsure in his legs... Really he looked like a man being drunk.
— His cycle is almost over — said Ratchet from behind.
— You mean, he's gonna... pass? — Miko inquired, looking at him with astonisment and disbelieft — All by himself? This terrible Not-Optimus-Prime you hid from?
— No — Bulkhead rumbled instead of Doc — He's gonna faint. And then he will get up and will be good old Optimus again. Now you know.
— He... WHAT? — Miko's mouth swung open
— It's all about cycles. I never managed to understand that part! — Bulkhead complained
— But... But he fought you! He hit you! He's taken Arcee away! — Miko cried out in despair to understand what she just heard. It all was a little too much...
— Yes. — Ratchet said simply. — But he's Prime.
— BUt... but... but... — Miko felt her world shatter and crash under her feet — But you said the Prime is always the most decent of you! He must be kind, he must be just, he must be brave...
— Yes. — Ratchet nodded. — He is an ultimate leader. But, you see, the ultimate things cannot exist in a real world. As simple as that.
— But... But he is, isn't he? — Miko entreated. — I saw him to be honest! I saw him to be kind!
— Yes. — Ratchet nodded again — He is. He has the Matrix of Primes and it helps him always act good and choose the best. But it also means that the bad half of him is always supressed. And sometimes the Matrix decides that it is time to let off the pressure. We call this the Cycle of Prime.
— You mean... — Miko voiced slowly — You mean your leader is always a shizo?
— Just Prime. — Ratchet snapped. — It is not a disease.
— And the thing is... — Bulkhead added — He does not know, y'see. He never remembers a thing. Not a single thing!
— And why don't you tell him? — Miko asked. She still could not understand…
— Because he would have kept his Cycles in his memory if he could! — Ratchet said severely. — And this really is the point of the whole talk!
— You understand, right? — Bulkhead inquired with hope
— Beep? — added Bumblebee.
— Yes. — Miko said slowly. — I think I understand now...