Chapter seven
The Passing of the Torch (part II)
Mission City - Nevada
May 8th, 2007
Adrenaline hung thick in the air around them as they climbed higher and higher. Lex's legs were on fire; even Lennox's Drills From Hell, as Epps liked to call them, couldn't have prepared her for the amount of cardio she'd done today. Poor Sam is probably dying, she thought sympathetically, and the wheezing gasps she could hear from the boy in question confirmed her theory.
"I can smell you, boy!"
Lex huffed in exasperation. "That's not creepy at all," she panted, sarcasm clearly evident in her voice. Sam let out a bark of nervous laughter from where he was laboring half a flight above her.
They'd been climbing for ages. Megatron was somewhere underneath them, wreaking havoc on the poor old building, and the fear and adrenaline coursing through their veins was the only thing keeping them going.
"I think my ass is falling off," Sam whined between heavy, labored breaths.
Lex let out a humorless chuckle. "Mine fell off six flights ago."
When they (finally - Primus help her she was so going to get back at Lennox for picking this of all buildings) reached the roof, Sam passed the cube down to her to climb over the ledge. The same warm feelings from before flooded her mind and she briefly let herself get lost in the sensation before passing the Allspark back to Sam. Running even harder than before, she yelled at Sam to light the flare as helicopters circled overhead. He screamed at them, waving the flare back and forth like a manic trying to get their attention.
"Come on, come on, COME ON," Lex nearly screamed, a flutter of hope growing in her stomach as a helicopter appeared at the edge of the roof, an Airman waiting for them with outstretched arms. Sam thrust the cube out, desperately trying to pass it off to the Airman before Megatron caught up.
The Allspark was centimeters away from being safe. Centimeters.
"Watch out!" Sam screamed, pulling the cube back and diving away from the chopper. Lex did the same with a filthy curse on her lips as she spotted the freaking missile headed straight toward it.
Why does this have to be so Primus-damned complicated!?
Primus' faint amusement echoed in her mind as she dove for Sam, covering him with her body and pushing his head down to protect it from the tail of the helicopter as it swung dangerously above them.
"Hang on, Sam!"
Lex pulled the teenager to his feet and could just barely make out the form of Optimus Prime as he sped across the buildings toward them.
"Not fast enough," she muttered to herself as her grip on Sam's wrist tightened. Her eyes darted for places to hide. "Damn it, he's not coming fast enough, he's not going to make it -"
Lex's prediction came true as a giant metallic hand shot through the roof not five feet in front of them.
Megatron had caught up, and Optimus was too far away to help.
Primus, she thought, more of a desperate prayer than anything else. Help us.
She turned to Sam, ignoring the raw panic in his posture and the fear that shone behind brown eyes that were rapidly filling with tears. She placed a hand on his shoulder, the other patting his cheek to make sure he was paying attention. "Hide behind that pillar," she pointed, her voice commanding in a way that held no room for arguments - she was rapidly losing thought process to her fight-or-flight instincts, and her conditioning as a soldier was coming through. "Don't come out from behind there and no matter what happens, do not give the Allspark to Megatron. Trust me, Sam, please."
She was barely able to finish before she was running, trusting the boy to follow her orders.
As Megatron erupted from the building below, Lex hid herself behind him, hoping and praying he wouldn't turn around before she was ready.
"Is it fear or courage that compels you, fleshling?"
Lex almost lost control of her bowels before she realized that Megatron was talking to Sam and not her. Her body was nearly vibrating with adrenaline and every synapse in her brain was firing at hyper speed. Megatron's voice made her skin crawl.
Without fear, there cannot be courage, Primus reminded her absently, the majority of his focus on the events happening around them.
Thanks for that pearl of wisdom, Primus, she thought half-hysterically as she crept her way closer and closer to the twenty-foot harbinger of death in front of her.
Megatron stalked closer to Sam, Lex silently shadowing his movements. She risked a glance to where she had last seen Optimus and nearly cried when she saw that he was close.
"Give me the Allspark and you shall live to be my pet," the alien robot sneered, not bothering to hide his distaste at the thought. Lex wanted to scream at Sam not to give in but bit her tongue. She trusted him. She had to trust him.
Helicopters rolled by, and the sight must have given Sam the courage he was searching for. "I am never giving you this Allspark!"
Good boy, Lex complimented him in her head. The pride she felt for his defiance diminished, however, when Megatron snarled and raised his hand to take a swipe at Sam.
She darted in close, far too close for comfort, shoving the nose of her rifle in a specially chosen crack between two metal plates, a nearly feral war cry bursting from her lips as she did so.
A loud, metallic growl came from Megatron as his strike to Sam hit the pillar behind the boy instead and he whipped around, hitting Lex in the same blow. Sam screamed in terror as he fell off the building and sped towards the unforgiving concrete below; Megatron screamed in rage, infuriated that a mortal femme had the nerve to shoot him in the aft; and Lex screamed in sheer, blind pain as Megatron's hand shattered her ribs, sending her flying through the air and landing against a statue with a sickening crunch, her world going black.
Jotunheim
May 8th, 2007
Almost as soon as they landed on the frozen wasteland, he felt another phantom pain in his side. Wincing and pressing a hand to the affected area, he huffed, wondering just what in the nine realms was going on with his body. This was the second time today that his ribs ached for no reason. He'd done a scan when it happened earlier to target the source of the pain and his probe showed nothing out of the ordinary, only confusing him further.
His brother, despite being the idiot that he was, noticed right away that something was wrong. "Brother," the oaf said, concern lacing his voice. "Are you hurt?"
Straightening, the silver-tongued god muttered a denial before shoving the pain to the back of his mind. Once he was back on Asgard he'd look further into the matter, perhaps consult Frigga if his research turned up fruitless.
"Let's move," Thor said, starting forward determinedly.
Loki smirked.
Mission City - Nevada
May 8th, 2007
Consciousness seeped back into her slowly but steadily. She opened her eyes, and for the briefest flash she thought she was in a place covered in snow, but then she blinked and the icy wind she felt was replaced by the unforgiving Nevada sun, the snowy mountains replaced with gleaming buildings. Strange...
Nokia was crouched on her stomach, his big blue optics looking into her face with fear. Lex?
She groaned and pushed herself up, body heavy and aching but still in working order. I'm fine, Nokia. Are you hurt?
I am uninjured. Do not worry about me.
He crawled back into her pocket, assured that she was fine. Noting that the roof was empty, Lex stumbled to the edge and peered down, hope and relief flooding through her as she saw Megatron, Optimus and Sam on the ground below. She shoved the fatigue to the back of her mind and quickly made her way back to the stairwell, nearly flying down the stairs.
She still had a mission to complete. She had to protect Sam; had to help him protect the cube. Resting would come later.
You are doing well, Alexandra, Primus said gently in her mind. His consciousness wrapped itself around her fatigue and any remaining pain from her fall, blocking it from her mind so that she could focus on the task at hand. She sent him her gratitude as she ran down the stairs, taking two at a time.
It took far less time going down than it did coming up, and Lex reached the bottom with seconds to spare. As she sprinted out of the building and toward the two giant 'bots just down the street, they started to fight, the sound of metal on metal reverberating through her bones.
"Sam!" she exclaimed as she reached him, gripping his shoulders for support as she doubled over and her chest heaved painfully.
"Oh my God, Lex, are you alright?" Sam's eyes were wide as he took in her blood-spattered uniform, the hand not holding the Allspark finding its way to her arm for extra support.
"Fine - I'm fine. I heal, remember?" He nodded warily and she straightened, eyeing the two 'bots dueling it out before them. "So what's the plan?"
Sam's expression changed from uncertain to determined in less than a second. "We are going to push the Allspark into Megatron's chest and destroy it."
Lex felt uneasy at the thought, but suddenly Primus' presence in her mind expanded until he filled every crevice, saturated every thought.
Dear one, he said, his voice like coming home, this is what I have been trying to prepare you for.
For the destruction of the Allspark? she asked, the confusion and hysteria she felt dulled by his presence.
Yes. The Allspark's time in this form is complete, my child, and it is time for it to take on a new form.
The truth hit Lex so hard that she nearly stumbled in shock. ... Me? You want me to be the new Allspark?
Like I told you before, you are the gift I have waited many lifetimes to receive, dear one. With the power of the Allspark flowing through your veins and your ability to heal your fellow humans, you are the one prophecised to unite Cybertronians and humans - my two most prized creations - as one. You are the bridge between two worlds, Alexandra. I know you, body, mind, and soul, and there is no one I trust more to carry on my legacy and bring peace and balance to the universe.
She was stunned - at a complete loss for words. I - I don't know, Primus. I'm just me. I don't know if I can be what you - what they - need me to be. This is - holy shit.
And in that moment, Primus' love and support filled her entire being. I believe in you, he said, and she somehow felt the ghost of his arms around her, encircling and protecting with their strength and warmth. I must go now, dear one, but I will always be with you. In her mind's eye she saw him in all his glory, chocolate-mocha skin and gleaming silver teeth and eyes such an electric blue that they brought tears to hers. That is a promise. Now go. I have the utmost faith in you, Alexandra Howlett Stark. Make me proud.
"Lex?" Sam asked, snapping her out from inside her mind. She jerked slightly, the absence of Primus echoing emptily inside her head.
Looking down, she saw that Sam was holding the cube out to her, a fierce and hopeful look in his brown eyes. "Together?" he asked when he saw that she was back in this reality. Lex smiled, wiping away her tears. She'd miss Primus, more than she'd ever miss anything else in the world, but like he'd said, he would always be with her.
She had a legacy to carry on.
They gripped the cube in their hands, feeling a bond thrum to life between them as they held the creation and destruction of worlds in their hands.
"Together."
They shadowed Optimus and Megatron as they battled throughout the city, Megatron seeming to have the upper hand. It was hard for Lex to watch without interfering, but she knew she would only get in Optimus' way at this point. She was sore and exhausted and pretty useless at the moment.
Sam froze in his steps and grabbed her arm. She followed his gaze, hope springing to life inside of her as she saw the F-22's flying above them.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face.
They ran out to Optimus as the Air Force brought the rain down on Megatron. He was pissed, snarling and growling like a wild animal, but Lex wasn't afraid of him anymore. She knew what needed to be done and Primus had filled her with such love and support that she felt like she could do anything.
Optimus scooped them close with one hand before Megatron could reach them. Lex and Sam's hands were tightly clasped as they stood between two large, injured alien robots, each one vying for the cube they held between them.
"Allspark... Mine!" Megatron growled, looming over them with a furious expression on his face plates. One of his servos was pressed tightly to a gaping hole in his armor, the same shimmering blue liquid from Lex's dream gushing out.
"Children," Optimus panted from their other side. "Put the cube into my chest! Now!"
Sam squeezed Lex's hand and she turned to look at him. The determination on his face made her smirk and she squeezed his hand back.
Megatron crawled so that he was right above them, the blue liquid raining down around them. They gripped the cube together and with a final look between them, shoved it into Megatron's chest.
As the cube disintegrated, Lex felt its presence enter her mind one last time. Warmth and security flowed through her as the Allspark passed its power to her, searing into her veins and attaching itself to her very essence, her life force. It was painful and exhilarating, all at once, and so very overwhelming that Lex couldn't help but scream out - in agony or ecstasy, she couldn't tell.
A shard of the disintegrating cube fell onto her chest and burned as it sank into her skin, through muscle and tissue and she felt it moving deeper and deeper into her chest before stopping completely. Tears flowed down her cheeks as the many sensations became all too much before the Allspark was completely gone and everything was still.
Megatron twitched and gasped, flailing like a fish out of water and clawing at the gaping hole in his chest before falling to the ground, his red eyes dimming. Optimus stood and leaned over the fallen 'bot, his optics heavy and words laced with sadness. "You left me no choice, brother."
He then turned to Lex and Sam, who were holding on to each other tightly, their eyes wide. "Sam, Lex, I owe you two my life. We are in your debt."
"Stark!"
Lex turned and was abruptly swept into Lennox's arms as he crushed her to his chest. A laugh bubbled up and escaped her lips as she hugged him back fiercely. He pulled away and placed his hands on her shoulders, grin fading.
"Epps is hurt," he said, voice now strained. "He won't make it if we don't hurry, Lex."
Lex's mind went blank and she ran.
"Round up everyone you can find," Lex barked to the remaining soldiers after she healed Epps, "If they're injured, send them to me immediately."
And for the next half an hour, Lex sat on the sidewalk of the city she just destroyed and healed its citizens, making sure that no cut or scrape went unnoticed. They were traumatized by the things they witnessed, and when Lex healed them with her golden light and gentle words, whispers broke out among them - whispers that she was a mutant, and that mutants were bad, but they couldn't be all bad if she was here, healing their wounded and soothing their fears, right?
When the last citizen of Mission City was completely injury-free, Lex felt foggier than she ever had before. There were way more people here than there were at Mahfouz's village, and healing all of them on top of everything she'd already been through - she could barely tell which way was up and which was down.
"You did good, Mama," Epps said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it gently. Other than the usual aches and pains that came with one of Lex's healing sessions, he was completely fine and assigned himself to watching her work, making sure she didn't overexert herself.
"Not done yet," she mumbled, stumbling to her feet. Something inside of her was building - some kind of pressure, and if she didn't release it now -
"Holy shit," Epps exclaimed with wide eyes when her hands started glowing - a strange mixture between the gold of her usual healing light and the piercing, glowing blue of the Cybertronians' blood - energon, she recalled.
"I - I don't -"
The Autobots, attracted by the energy coming off of her, crowded around the two.
"Femme," Ratchet said, his optics dim as he scanned her. Due to the intensity of the power growing inside of her, she didn't even notice the invasive feeling of the scan. "The power inside of you is identical to that of the Allspark."
"How is that possible, Ratchet?" The big one, Ironhide, demanded. "The Allspark was just destroyed."
Optimus Prime knelt down next to Lex, whose whole body was starting to glow and vibrate with power. "Maybe not," he rumbled in a quiet voice. "Ironhide," he said, turning to the weapons specialist. "Place Jazz down by Lex."
Ratchet turned sharp optics to his leader. "Optimus," he said, "you don't think -?"
"We need to know."
As the two halves of the fallen Autobot was laid next to her, the power growing inside of Lex reached a peak. She cried out as the sensations rocked her - body, mind and soul - and she reached out blindly, grabbing onto the first part of the 'bot she could.
She felt infinite; almost like when she saw Primus' true form, but better because this power was hers and she could do anything; nothing was out of her grasp -
What felt like both an instant and an eternity later, it stopped, and the power snapped back inside of Lex just like that, causing her to stumble away from the silver 'bot and into Epps who caught her easily. The world tilted and blurred and she felt like she wasn't even inside of her body anymore - like she was floating somewhere above it.
There was something inside of her keeping her conscious - something that was just there, thrumming gently and filling her with warmth. When she nudged it with her mind, it expanded, and suddenly there was another presence in her head, nearly drowning her with feelings of gratitude and devotion and awe.
I am Jazz, little one, it introduced itself, and she received an image of the silver Autobot she'd just revived. You brought me back. You saved me. Thank you.
Lex rode the warm feelings Jazz was sending her into unconsciousness, a soft and serene smile on her face.
Anytime, Jazz.
a/n: hello friends ~
sorry for the wait for this chapter. i've been really sick the past two weeks or so and it's been a struggle to get out of bed, let alone write. i'm feeling much better now though so here you are!
also, i really, really don't like how this chapter turned out but i really wanted to get it out so i can get to the juicy stuff. some of these chapters are a breeze to rewrite, but this one and the previous one have been like pulling teeth. eventually i'll come back and make them better but i just needed to get them out so i could move on.
anyway, enough rambling. i hope you enjoyed! leave me a review letting me know how you're feeling about the story so far! and, as always, i don't own marvel or transformers. see you next week friends ~
-m
