Chapter 6

Let Him Go

Elita was taken back to the main room to await Prime's arrival. She was already feeling low because her long lost beloved was about to walk into a trap because of her. Her mood was made worse, however, by the sight that greeted her when Starscream led her back to the control room.

Shockwave had arrived to meet the other Decepticons and see Elita One for himself. He almost didn't believe she could have survived for so long without anyone noticing, but when he saw her in person there was no mistaking the confidence in her gait or the fire in her optics. This was definitely the femme leader.

Elita hated Shockwave with every fiber of her being. He was no Megatron when it came to battle, but Shockwave was still a cruel and efficient dictator in Megatron's absence. For 4 million years Shockwave had been the face and the ruling force of the Decepticons, and he was responsible for the deaths of so many of her comrades. She only wished she could shoot him down in that very moment.

"Has the prisoner divulged any useful information, Commander Starscream?" Shockwave asked immediately.

"That is none of your concern," Starscream admonished the scientist, "This is my operation, and I will thank you to keep your meddling in check."

"Megatron has ordered Optimus Prime destroyed. I don't see the harm in this being a team effort," Shockwave reasoned.

"Enough!" Starscream shouted, and Elita was taken aback by the forcefulness in his tone, "You couldn't even defeat a group of scattered femmes! You honestly believe you've earned the right to be involved in this mission? I will destroy the Prime and his mate, and everyone will see that I am the most qualified to lead! Astrotrain, keep an optic on the prisoner."

With that Starscream roughly pushed Elita into Astrotrain's waiting arms. She growled and glared at Starscream, but after a moment she stopped; realizing her spark was no longer in it. How could she hate him after knowing who he used to be? Her son was corrupted by Megatron, and most would believe he was irredeemable. She was sure her real sparkling was in there somewhere, however. She just had to figure out how to appeal to his sense of decency.

One thing that left her confused about her feelings was Starscream's rant toward Shockwave. On the one hand she enjoyed seeing someone, anyone, lash out at Shockwave and get away with it. The problem was that this was Starscream, and she knew from the stories that his motivation above all else was power. It still didn't seem right, that her son was the power-hungry psychopath from the horror stories told around strategy tables and scrap can fires.

A moment later the space bridge opened and deposited Optimus Prime, who was on guard to see if he could spot Elita One or her captors. The moment he stepped foot inside the building, however, he was immediately trapped in a force field cube! The first thing he saw once he realized what had happened was Astrotrain and Shockwave holding his precious mate; his Elita.

"Elita…" Optimus grunted as he struggled to get as close to her as the force field would allow.

"Optimus!" Elita shouted desperately.

There was no way she was going to allow these creeps to harm her bondmate, even if she didn't survive rescuing him. She elbowed Astrotrain to get him off of her, and then kicked him in the chassis for good measure! She raised her gun to break the force field holding Optimus, but a shot from Starscream's null ray sent her sprawling to the floor!

"This should finish you off!" Starscream yelled triumphantly as he stood over her and aimed his weapon, and Elita felt certain she would die by her own son's servo, but an unlikely mech saved her in that moment.

"Wait! I have a better idea," Shockwave told Starscream; a sinister edge to the cyclop's voice.

Optimus wanted nothing more than to get those monsters away from his femme, but he was helpless; trapped behind a barrier. All he could do was watch in horror as Ramjet and Astrotrain took Elita One away. He didn't even have the willpower to fight back as he was released from the force field and led away by Starscream and Shockwave.

Elita One was led down several corridors by the Decepticons. Astrotrain and Ramjet stayed close to her every step of the way, and Rumble walked ahead of them holding a vibroblade. She heard Starscream's voice long before she saw where they were going. It seemed to be one of the lower levels, possibly a dungeon, and she could tell that she was being led to where Optimus was; possibly to watch him die.

"Enjoying the view, Prime?" Starscream taunted Optimus, and Elita could see that Optimus was hanging over a pit of boiling acid, "How fitting that the Decepticons have finally captured Optimus Prime under my leadership."

Starscream then turned around to see the Decepticons and Elita One standing there behind him. Rumble took his place next to the roll of chain holding Optimus, and Elita's optics went wide in terror when she realized what Starscream had in mind.

Once Starscream realized he had an audience, he decided to give them a little demonstration of what he had in store of the Decepticons' most hated enemy. He took a lead pipe from the ground and dipped it into the acid, and when it came back up it was red hot and mostly melted!

Elita couldn't allow Optimus to be melted down like a hunk of scrap, but now she faced an internal conflict, because she couldn't just attack Starscream. If she was only worried about the danger to herself she would've simply shot the SIC's helm off and let herself die at the servos of the other 'Cons, but it wasn't that simple anymore. Starscream was her son, her only creation, and she couldn't allow herself to hurt him. She could only do one thing now; try to reach his spark.

"Please, let him go," Elita begged as she struggled against the other 'Cons to try to get closer to Starscream.

Starscream smirked when he heard her say this, and said "Very well, my dear. Let him go...into the acid!"

Rumble heard the order and prepared his vibroblade to cut the chains holding Optimus in place, and Elita felt her chances slipping away. She had to say something to stop this; anything!

"No! Don't! Take me instead!" Elita cried out in wild desperation as she pulled against her captors.

Starscream casually walked up to Elita and held her chin in his hand. She looked in his optics, but couldn't see anything resembling light or feeling. All she saw was the egotistic overconfidence of a predator that had its prey at its mercy. She didn't know how her own son could've turned into such a sparkless evil being.

"Don't be so anxious, Elita One," Starscream purred as he smiled down at her, "You'll have your turn, right after Prime. Now, Rumble!"

Rumble swung the blade, and the chains broke! Elita watched as Prime's body drew swiftly closer to the acid, and her horrified scream filled the room! She couldn't use force, she couldn't use reason, but she did have one way left to save Optimus's life.

Everything around Elita One began to distort as she activated her special power, a sigma ability that caused her to move at hyper speed; causing everything around her to appear frozen in time. She could already feel her energy draining and her circuits overheat, but she only needed a moment and it would all be worth it.

She dragged Optimus Prime down from a mid-air fall and placed him gently next to the deadly pool. She placed some scrap metal in the acid to fool the Decepticons and make them believe Optimus was dead. She then touched Optimus's face plate so that she might share a little of her power with him...so that they might have a moment alone for her to say goodbye to him. She knew she most likely wasn't going to survive this.

"Wha- What happened?" Optimus asked in a daze, but before Elita could answer him she fell backward.

Optimus caught her, and it took all of her remaining strength to stay conscious.

"Elita…" Optimus's optics were filled with so much sorrow, yet Elita couldn't feel guilty about that, because she knew she saved him.

"My special power…" Elita croaked, trying with all her might to explain, "...A weapon of last resort. It drains all of my...life force."

"No," Optimus gasped as he held her closer to him.

Elita was sure she was done for, but she did think of one way to save herself. It was a long shot, but if anyone could get her there in time it was Optimus.

"Take me...to Alpha Trion," Elita rasped blearily; her consciousness fading, "He's the only one...who can save me."

"We shall find him," Optimus vowed as he scooped his beloved up in his arms.

He then ran for the exit with Elita held securely to his chassis. He knew Elita's power would wear off soon, so he had to hurry if they were to remain undetected by the Decepticons. The last thing Elita recalled before passing out completely was being lifted into Optimus's cargo hold by a claw. Her last thoughts before succumbing to oblivion was of how grateful she was that Optimus was alive...and how sorry she was that they never had the chance to raise their son to be a good mech.

Elita barely remembered fading in and out of consciousness in the back of Optimus's trailer. When she finally woke up she was in Alpha Trion's lab with Optimus and the old mech Alpha Trion himself standing over her. Optimus looked troubled, but she couldn't really blame him. After all, they had almost lost each other.

"Elita, how are you feeling?" Optimus asked with such tenderness in his voice that it made Elita smile despite everything they had been through.

"Better now," She replied honestly, "Optimus, I thought you were dead. I thought I would never see you again. Where have you been all this time?"

"I spent hundreds of thousands of vorns in stasis lock," Optimus explained, "On a planet called earth. I would have tried to contact you, but I was certain you had died during the attack on the Ark. You have no idea how relieved I am that you are here with me."

"I think I can imagine," Elita replied cheekily, but then turned serious as she said, "I suppose our reunion will have to wait though. The Decepticons are still attacking our forces, and we have to save them. I have to get back to my base and see if any of my friends survived the quake."

"You always did know how to keep our priorities straight," Optimus replied fondly as he held her hand in his.

Alpha Trion wished them well (after chiding Elita for using her special power), and the couple drove off into the night to fight the Decepticons. Elita knew they would win. She and Optimus were an unbeatable team. The 'Cons might have tried to use their bond as a weakness, but Elita knew deep down that their bond was their strength. That still left one vital problem though. She still didn't think she could fire her weapon on Starscream knowing what she knew. She also knew if Optimus knew who the Decepticon SIC was that it would impair his ability to fight him.

Elita made a decision in that moment on the road with her beloved. She would never tell Optimus that Starscream was his son. It was the only way to keep the Prime's spark from being broken.

Author's Notes: I know. Another time when I stick the Author's Notes on the bottom, but I have a good reason for it this time. Now that you have read this chapter I would like your opinion. Should I continue the "Search For Alpha Trion" storyline in the next chapter, or should I leave it here and move on to the rest of the fic? I don't know if this is a good ending or just a cliffhanger, so I'll let you guys decide. Whichever answer is the most popular determines how the next chapter plays out :)