Note: I apologise for the short chapters. I wrote the draft in my notebook, and it took up about 3 full pages, but it doesn't seem to work that way on the computer. However, I will desperately try to prolong each chapter. On a good note, there are going to be 59 chapters (including the prologue and epilogue), so the story will be a worth-while read. This chapter also contains reference to the Transformers Prime episode, Minus One.

Reviews are greatly appreciated! No flames, please!

Resurrected

"Optimus! Optimus Prime!" Wheeljack hurtled down the corridor, waving his arms similar to that of a lunatic. The Autobots were sitting in their 'common room', the place where they liked to chat – and be less serious for a while. They had prevailed at the battle of Chicago – killing Megatron and the majority of the Decepticons – but the loss of Jazz and Ironhide had been taken in grief.

The addressed Prime pulled himself to his feet and looked down at Wheeljack – being much taller than the latter. "What is it this time, Wheeljack? I am not one to make assumptions, but does this have anything to do with one of your experiments?" And sure enough, the 'Bot was known for his out-of-control experiments that in more than one case, resulted in an accident.

He looked indignant. "No! Of course not," he said, glaring at Skids and Mudflap, who were sniggering in the corner. "It's bad. It's worse than bad. It's…" He started yelling in Cybertronian to express the audacity of the situation. Ratchet gave him a look. "Get to the point, Wheeljack," while shooting a look at the twins.

Wheeljack huffed, though the look of absolute dismay remained on his faceplates. "The Decepticons are back!" he yelled, before cursing in Cybertronian.

"How can you be sure?" asked the red medic, looking to his leader for guidance.

"Well, I was at Chicago, salvaging bits of metal for an experiment, then NEST tells me that those 'Con bodies have disappeared, and they're looking for 'em too. So, I run back 'ere, and check their active movements from the DNA samples we 'ave, and all of 'em are online, and planning something horrible. I knew those idiots wouldn't be offline for long…" he trailed off, turning back to Optimus and Ratchet, the latter having a shocked look on his faceplates.

"All of them, you said," Ratchet spoke. "All of them?"

Wheeljack hurriedly rephrased his words. "All of 'em except Megatron, that is. So we're not in that much trouble."

Optimus sighed and shook his helm. "They'll want to bring Megatron back. Not Starscream. Soundwave. And when he does, it'll be chaos, and the war will start all over again." The Autobots looked at one another in concern. "Where are their current locations, Wheeljack?"

"Oh," Wheeljack said, "-erm, they're outside."

"Outside?!" shrieked Mudflap, falling over at once.

"We have no time," Optimus said, "We have to go now." The Prime charged up his gun, and led the Autobots away, with the shock still etched on their faceplates.

Sure enough, the Decepticons were waiting for them, Starscream, his red and white wings visible, scowling at the expressionless Communications Chief, Soundwave. Shockwave was standing along with them. "What do they want?" asked Ratchet.

"They want to kill us!" Mudflap shrieked again, now becoming hysterical.

"Not that," the medic sighed, exasperated with his fellow comrade's low level of intellectual stimulation. "If they want to resurrect Megatron, why did they come for us?" he asked, receiving some worried expressions. "Fine," he amended. "Let's just go."

"FOR PRIMUS!" Optimus yelled, charging the Autobots at the Decepticons. Somehow, what Ratchet had said earlier had clicked with him. The 'Cons were looking for something – something that was essential in raising Megatron from the dead, and it was at the Autobot base. That was the only reason why they were facing the Autobots now, without Megatron leading, for once. But it was too late for Optimus to send anyone back to the base. He would just need to be alert. It was almost too easy without the Decepticon warlord. No one could stand in his way. But he was not an arrogant tyrant. He tried to blot out all memories of Megatron before the latter became a Decepticon…

For absolutely no reason at all, Optimus caught sight of the black and yellow scout, Bumblebee, battling Ravage and Laserbeak, who were evading all his shots. Where's Soundwave?, thought the Prime, scanning for the slender purple 'Con. He whacked two winged 'Cons away from him, and his eyes locked on the silent Communications Chief sprinting to the Autobot base. Ravage noticed Optimus's optics on his master, and emitted a high frequency sonic blast, which prompted Soundwave to flip in the air, becoming his Cybertronian jet alt mode. His audios ringing, Optimus gave chase.

He knew Soundwave would put up a fight. The 'Con had the ability to hold even the Prime at bay for a while, so Optimus wasn't going to go for the straight-on approach. He ran forwards, building up speed, leaping and managing to hold the plane by the wing, and drag it back to earth.

Optimus pinned Soundwave down, holding his wings in his servos. The blue mech's optics narrowed as he saw the carved Decepticon insignias on the third-in –command's wings. Soundwave struggled to free himself, and Optimus remembered the silent taunts that the 'Con had given him along with the smiley emoticon. He remembered the utter loyalty and devotion Soundwave had shown Megatron, willing to risk his own deactivation for his master.

The energon sword slid out of its sheath, and hovered over Soundwave's visor. "Give me a reason, Decepticon, and I will," the Prime said, his blue optics boring as well as he could into what he assumed would be the Decepticon's red ones. Why the 'Con wore a visor, he couldn't remember. Maybe he did remember, but he had blotted out all memories from his past, finding them too painful for him to remember. He turned back to the Decepticon. "You can't," the mech said in a robotically emotionless voice. Optimus glared coldly at him. "I can, and I will."

"You won't," the purple 'Con spoke, correcting himself. Optimus was partly stunned, remembering that Soundwave had broken his Vow of Silence – and both time, before he deactivated. He knew that the 'Con could read his mind. Did he know what the Prime was going to do?

The blue and red mech paused, his sword-tip dangling in front of Soundwave's visor. "Kill him!" yelled Red Alert to his commander, dodging a blow. "Just kill 'im, Prime, kill the little bit of filth!"

Turning to face the battle, Optimus saw that the Decepticons were retreating, led by Starscream, seeing that Soundwave had not made it to the Autobot base. This action made Optimus sure that they were indeed looking for something in the Autobot base, maybe to revive Megatron. But since when had Starscream ever wanted to resurrect the Decepticon warlord, and pass up the glory of becoming leader? But they would soon be back – particularly the cassettes – to bring their own master back. The optics of the Decepticons, glowing red in the gathering gloom, vanished within the darkness that cloaked them, inlaid with an ominous aura of evil.

Optimus turned back to the Autobots. "We are not going to kill him." He paused. "Not yet."