"Sparkling Of Mine"
Summary: The Bots and the Cons fight yet another fierce battle; when Optimus expects nothing more than destruction and loss, he stumbles upon the opposite—life and hope.
WARNING: lots of cute fluffs, violence, tragedy and other stuff you'll soon see. Rated M overall
Transformers © Hasbro
Little sparkling © me
Chapter 4~~
The Autobots homed in on their location as they neared the end of the tunnel, slowly beginning to incline. Judging by the riding of elevation and the familiar scent of certain metals, they were quickly approaching Crystal City. The medical officer Ratchet tagged along to help with injuries should the Autobots receive any, and his keen sense of smell picked up the scent of the Decepticons. They were, too, approaching Crystal City, at an astonishing rate.
"We need to hurry, Optimus," he warned his leader. "If we do not make haste, the Decepticons will destroy Crystal City, and everyone in it!"
"I understand, old friend," Optimus said. "Pick up the pace, Autobots! We are nearly there!" Then came the sound of machinery whirring and metal clicking as the other end of the tunnel opened.
"I can see the light," said Autobot Mirage.
"I know," an Autobot named Cliffjumper sighed, "I see my life flashing before my eyes, too, and the fight hasn't even started. We're already done for!"
"No, I mean, I see the end of the tunnel, right up ahead!"
Ironhide glanced up ahead at an orange glow and frowned. "That's no light..."
They were all shaken from the floor of the tunnel when a tremendous explosion sounded on the surface above them. Many of the Autobots rolled onto their sides, transformed and sprawled out before quickly jumping to their feet. A cloud of smoke started to fill the tunnel, blocking the entrance. Optimus transformed and raced onward, sliding his mask over his face to protect his airways from the smoke, with the Autobots charging right behind him.
Once they reached the surface level, they saw a wall of fire surrounding Crystal City, and immensely spreading to the structures and homes of families. It was Optimus's worst fear come to reality; the Decepticons have already started their attack on Crystal City, and the Autobots were one moment too late. But he prayed there was still time. He would not stand to witness the destruction of another metropolis, nor listen to the cries of mourning families and the silence of the dead. "What's the play, Prime?" asked Ironhide as he walked up and stood beside his leader.
Optimus turned to his Autobots and ordered, "Help any remaining civilians evacuate before any harm befalls upon them! Their survival is our number one priority!"
"And then what, sir?"
"We drive the Decepticons back."
"But, Optimus, we can't take on the warships! The nearest Autobot ship is in Iacon, blown to smithereens!" Cliffjumper pointed out. "We're as good as dead if we fight them head-on."
Optimus was well aware of the stakes at hand and the risks that needed to be taken. He hoped none of his men would perish today, but the Decepticons are unpredictable, so anything could happen. He sighed and glanced down at Cliffjumper. "Now is not the time to think about that, Cliffjumper," he said. "Right now, I want you to focus on those families in Crystal City, in danger of invasion. Are you wanting to be responsible for their demise?"
"No, sir," Cliffjumper said, shaking his head.
"That is what I thought." They felt the ground beneath their feet tremble again when another bomb was dropped near Crystal City, causing the fire to spread even faster. "We must hurry, Autobots! We must evacuate all personnel! Immediately!"
"Yes, sir!" the Autobots grunted, transformed, and sped off towards Crystal City, Optimus following close behind. They dodged the blasts from the warships by maneuvering out of the way; those who were nearly hit were blown off course a little and hurried to catch up. Luckily, so far there were no casualties or severe injuries.
Successfully avoiding the attacks from the Decepticon warships, they came upon the outskirts of the city. Through the flames and smoke, the Autobots could see civilians either running in various directions to escape their impending fate or the fiery blaze destroying their beloved homes and sanctuaries. Much to his disappointment, Optimus could see a number of bodies lying motionless on the ground as their armor smoldered or they were crushed by collapsed buildings. But Optimus would not give up. "Hurry, Autobots!" he roared as powerful as he could. "Lead the survivors out of the city to the tunnel!"
"Yes, sir!" they roared and did as they commanded, leading families and civilians away to safety. Optimus followed, protecting the others from blasts, aiding them out of the city and away from certain death. Soon, Decepticons started to drop from the warships in squadrons, armed and ready to fight. The Autobots quickly split into two teams; one team hurried to get the civilians to the tunnel they used to arrive while the other fought off the Decepticons so they couldn't bring harm to the Cybertronians of Crystal City. Optimus Prime took part in both teams, guiding and fending off the enemy.
Then a deep, anguished cry came to his audio receptors. He turned back towards the collapsing city. Was there someone still trapped? The destruction was increasing, but if someone was still caught, he was not about to abandon that poor soul. "Cliffjumper! With me, now!" he ordered and they raced back into the city. They followed the cry to a collapsed home, nearly consumed by fire. They lifted and tossed away the debris and saw a shaking arm stick out. They dug away a little more debris and grabbed hold of the hand, pulling free a badly wounded mech.
"Take it easy, sir," Cliffjumper said, "you'll be alright." But the mech was wildly shaking his head no. "What is it?" Cliffjumper asked.
"M-My sparkmate...s-sparkling...!" the mech coughed and choked on his own Energon. "S-Still trapped...! Please...save them...!"
The mech clung to Optimus and looked at him with dying, pleading optics. In those optics, Optimus saw a familiar mech, haunted by the fear of loss. He saw pain and horror, and right then he knew. He had seen such a look before. "Cliffjumper," he said, "get this mech to safety, now!"
"What about you?" Cliffjumper asked.
"I will follow you, soon."
"No...my family...!" the mech cried.
"I will save your family," Optimus assured. "Do not worry. Go, Cliffjumper!" He watched Cliffjumper lead the mech to safety, then resumed removing debris in search for the mech's family. After a while of digging, he reached the compounds of the mech's home. He dropped down inside, shielding himself from the fire, and started the search for the missing family. What he found in the main living area—or what was left of it—made his spark sink.
On the floor, crushed by debris, was the mech's sparkmate. Her body was nearly flattened, Energon puddle around her, and parts of her armor were burning. Optimus knew she was beyond saving, and the sparkling was nowhere to be found. He sighed deeply and shook his helm, getting ready to turn around. He had failed once again to save the life a family from the Decepticons. He dreaded the moment he would have to tell the mech his family didn't survive.
A sound made him stop in his tracks before he could climb out of the debris. It came from the living area. He frowned as he returned there, looking around. Had he imagined it, in hopes of not letting himself or the mech down? He waited.
It came again, louder this time.
His spark leapt in his chest cavity and he re-entered the living area, searching frantically for where the small, weak sound came from. It was light, high-pitched, and panicking. Looking around and following the voice, he realized it was coming from the lifeless femme. He knelt down beside her, and that was when he saw something move under her body. Lifting away the debris and gently removing the femme's body, his optics widened as he saw the little sparkling, completely unharmed. Optimus's spark pounded and leapt for joy. How did this tiny, fragile creature survive the ordeal?
It was crying very weakly, and it had no strength. Optimus knew what that meant. With one carrier deceased and the other critical, it could die without any immediate medical attention. He had to get the sparkling to Ratchet. Carefully lifting the sparkling and its mother's body, he hurried out of the home before it could collapse on him. He climbed up and out and raced for the tunnel, trying to evade the attacks of the Decepticons and their warships. The other Autobots had already left through the tunnel with the survivors, and a number of Decepticons laid dead on the battlefield. However, a majority of them still fought on, and their blasters were aimed directly at him.
"You are dead, Prime!" a Decepticon hissed and fired at him. Optimus ducked down, rolled, jumped to his feet and took off again. He'd gain more speed if he was in vehicular form, but with two Cybertronians in his arms, he had no choice but to remain on two legs. His mission was to get this sparkling to safety, no matter the cost. The tunnel was a little bit further, and it was beginning to close; he just had to avoid getting hit until he got there. He saw Ironhide at the mouth of the tunnel, waving to him and standing at the controls.
"Hurry it up, boss!" he shouted. "I can't keep this open for much longer!"
"I am almost there!" Optimus replied and picked up the pace, holding the femme and sparkling close to his chest. The tunnel was closing, fast. Once it was closed, it could never be re-opened from the outside, and it would be too dangerous to re-open it from the inside. He had only one chance.
"Warship 4! Concentrate your fire on the Prime!" a Decepticon ordered, and one of the warships charged up its blaster, creating a vibrating, dull tone as it powered on and fueled up on energy; once it was fully charged it fired, emanating a deafening blow, following Optimus's path and catching up.
The Prime ran his hardest, just barely staying ahead of the blast as he raced for the tunnel, which was now close to sealing shut. He was too slow; he would never make it. It was then he made a difficult decision. He let go of the femme's body, hugged the sparkling with both arms, and leapt through the gap as the blast hit the tunnel. As he curled inward and rolled, the tunnel sealed tight shut, the sound of gunfire echoing through the walls.
Optimus panted and unraveled himself, glancing down at the sparkling. It was still weakly crying and wriggling, and he could feel its spark starting to slow. He got to his feet and cradled the little one to his spark to keep it warm. "Hurry, Ironhide," he said, "we must get this sparkling to Ratchet immediate or else it will perish."
"I hear you, Prime," his weapons specialist said and hurried alongside him. "By the way, who was that you dropped back there?"
Optimus hung his head as they ran back to base, eyeing the crying sparkling, as he softly replied, "Its mother..."
A/N: IT'S ALSO ALIVE! ^^ what do you think?
