World Beyond Time
There's always confusion
Optimus awoke either due to a sharp pain or sheer fear of the memories passing before his optics. He sat up straight hastily and with a stifled scream or grasp. The world shocked back into place, every object in perfect detail that it hurt. Optimus closed his optics, placing hands upon his head and groaning. Opening his optics again slowly, the effect faded, and Side Burn and X-Brawn came back into vision gradually. They both looked awestruck, X-Brawn holding the empty injection tube in one hand. Optimus groaned, lying back down.
"By Primus, are you okay!" screamed Side Burn.
"I'm fine," snarled Optimus, rolling onto his side in an attempt to get up. "I just need…I just need a moment to collect myself."
"You scared us half to death," X-Brawn gaped.
"I know…I know," nodded Optimus, using the nearby tree to help him stand.
"What is this stuff?" Side Burn grumbled, snatching the vial from his brother.
"Paradox medicine…" groaned Optimus, slipping from his near standing position.
"Paradox?" mumbled X-Brawn, looking at the vial.
"Ya gonna tell us who you are now?" smirked Side Burn, "I figure you owe us one."
"My name in exchange for saving my life? That seems unfair," Optimus hummed, finally getting to his feet, though using the tree as a wall to lean upon.
"To us?"
"To me," sighed Optimus. "My name comes with a rather long backstory."
"Oh?" Side Burn mumbled.
"We can handle a long story," X-Brawn nodded.
"I don't know," groaned Optimus.
"C'mon!" cheered Side Burn, jumping to his feet. "How bad can it be?"
Optimus looked at the two Autobots carefully. They seemed to be in complete contrast with one being rather happy and excited while the other was more down to earth. To explain to either would take a long series of questions and storytelling to which Optimus felt he didn't have time for. Then again, Optimus thought, they have the rest of the case of Paradox medicine. He groaned, closing his optics.
"My name is…" Side Burn perked and X-Brawn sighed. "Optimus Prime."
X-Brawn jumped to his feet by the time Side Burn had at least three questions out. X-Brawn asked one for himself, which went back to Side Burn's first. Side Burn, realizing they were both on the same page now, exchanged looks with his brother before they both shouted again, "What!"
"It's complicated," Optimus assured, "and I don't have time to explain."
"Explain anyway," X-Brawn suggested.
"How can you be Optimus? Optimus is back at base with TA-I," snapped Side Burn.
"I'm not your Optimus. I'm an Optimus," groaned the young leader, regaining himself and leaving the tree.
"What?" repeated the two.
"I told you, it is complicated!" howled Optimus, glaring at the two. "Primus! Prowl was easier to convince than you two…true there was Perceptor to do most of the explaining…"
"Wait…" gasped Side Burn, stopping Optimus from marching away. "Did you just say Prowl?"
"If I did, what would it mean to you?" mumbled Optimus, looking at Side Burn quizzically.
"He's our brother," X-Brawn nodded.
"I know. X-Brawn and Side Burn, yes?" Optimus hummed.
"Yes."
"You want a full story?" snapped Optimus.
"Yes," answered X-Brawn.
"I am an Optimus Prime from a different world. A much younger world at that. A problem arose a while back, to which I among three others were brought together," Optimus explained, walking around Side Burn. "Among those three was Prowl."
"He didn't mention any of that junk," hissed Side Burn, crossing his arms.
"Because this time line is shattered," Optimus grumbled. "The…Con, for a lesser explanation, from that original problem came back and killed all of us. He went back in time and killed your brother before he could get to the time when we killed the Con."
"You said that he killed all of you but you're still standing," X-Brawn mumbled.
"I'm not alive…not truly," sighed Optimus. "That medicine you've gave me was what keeps me real. Without it, I'm gone…lost to the broken time line. I'm trying to get to an untouched world where the original DNA for the worlds exists. I'm going to fix all of this!"
Silence fell upon the three of them as Optimus struggled to keep level footing. He didn't mean to begin shouting but then again he never really did. Not that he remembered. Remember. Suddenly, Optimus began panicking, trying to find exactly where his memory left often. Recounting his memories, Optimus couldn't get past Soundwave, though barely recalling the Decepticon as it was.
"Oh…oh no…no, no, no," mumbled Optimus. "I can't be...can't be forgetting so quickly."
Forgetting?" whispered Side Burn.
"I'm still fading away…with or without the medicine. My memories are leaving me," Optimus answered with a sigh. "I just need to reach this world before my time runs out…"
"Then we'll help."
Optimus looked back at the brothers. Each shared a sense of confidence and trust about them. They looked at him, though Side Burn smiled. Optimus, after a moment, smiled back, giving a nod. Crossing his arms, he titled his head in curiosity at them.
"You believe me?" he remarked.
"Not sure if I do, though not sure if I don't either," X-Brawn nodded.
"Plus if following you gets Prowl back, how could we say no!" cheered Side Burn.
"Right," hummed Optimus, marching off. "Best be going then."
"Where to?" Side Burn asked, following.
"This way…"
"Why?"
"I just now…"
The two stopped and glared at each other, almost in defiance of the other's leadership. Optimus smiled, and Side Burn looked away with a huff. Optimus nodded, marching again in front followed by Side Burn and X-Brawn bringing up the back.
"Optimus…I can no longer find Side Burn and X-Brawn."
TA-I looked away from the computer screens to the Autobot commander behind her. He had his back to her. She couldn't quite understand what was on his mind, since he'd been quiet to everyone for a while. Something was on his mind and she couldn't identify what.
"That's alright, TA-I," he answered, glancing back. "I'm sure they are fine."
"How can you be sure?"
"I sent them out for a reason. That reason is being fulfilled, I assure you."
She frowned at him, completely unsure of his meaning. Giving up on the thought of continuing questioning, she returned to her work tracking the other Autobots and any Predicons activities she could find.
