"Stay back," said Fowler, keeping Jack, Miko, Raf, and June from going out. Miko peeked around the corner.
"What are you doing?" asked Jack.
"They never said we can't look around the corner," said Miko grinning.
"You are evil," said Jack, also grinning. However, Raf was able to get out of Fowler's arms.
"You!" yelled Raf as he ran towards Megatron.
"You're looking much better than the last time we met, little one. Humans…resilient," said Megatron, somewhat disappointed that he didn't kill the small human.
"Raf, he's not worth it. Come on," said Jack, after grabbing Raf in his arms and pulling him back.
"Yes, run little one," chortled Megatron. "But you," said Megatron, "I remember you, and I never forget a face, even if you are a human." Jack merely glared at the towering giant.
"You double cross anyone, and mine is the face you never forget!" yelled Miko. "I'll kill you if you do!"
"Ratchet, please obtain the coordinates from our… guest," said Optimus. Megatron and Ratchet approached the ground bridge controls while Ironhide, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee trained their guns on Megatron. While Ratchet obtained the information, the humans walked away from the situation.
"Jack." Jack turned around to see Optimus walking over to him, and then kneeling in front of him
"Yes, Optimus?"
"I have been impressed with the amount of leadership that you have been showing these past few months. So I believe that I can entrust this to you," said Optimus, taking out a blue key-card like object, which transformed to be held by a human. The key then glowed bright blue. Inside Optimus' mind, he was thinking at a very fast rate. How could this be possible? The key to vector sigma only glowed that bright of a blue when a prime is holding it. So what does that say about Jack? Is he a human Prime?
"What is this?" asked Jack.
"It the, uh, key to the ground bridge," replied Optimus. Jack didn't look it, but he didn't believe Optimus. Sunset claimed that Optimus was a horrible liar. Jack didn't believe Sunset at the time. But now, he does.
"But shouldn't Ratchet be the one to have this?" asked Jack.
"Perhaps. But as I said, I've been impressed with the responsibility that you have shown these past few months," said Optimus, before standing straight back up to walk back over to the others.
"I won't fail," said Jack. "Optimus, what will happen to you when you release the energies of the matrix?"
"Truthfully, I don't know as the energies of the Matrix have never been tested this way," said Optimus, "But I have theorized two possible outcomes. One is that I revert to my pre-prime state. The other is that I stay as my current form, but very exhausted. Neither bodes well for me."
"If you revert back to pre-prime state, we will do everything possible to bring back the Optimus that we know," said Jack.
"Thank you," said Optimus, leaving the hallway and going to join the others. Meanwhile, Jack saw that the key was pulsing like a heart pulsated.
'Interesting,' thought Jack.
"Firing up the ground bridge," said Ratchet.
"Autobots, roll out," said Optimus, charging through the ground bridge with Megatron at his side.
"Sunset, I'm going to go sleep in your bed again. I'm feeling kind of dizzy," said Jack swaying as he walked to Sunset's chambers.
"That's fine," said Sunset. "Just don't look in my dresser. I'll know if you do," said Sunset. Jack nodded and entered Sunset's room, before collapsing onto the bed. As Jack fell asleep, he drifted into a dream.
"Where am I?" asked Jack as he looked around. That's when he saw the 'bot from last time approach Jack.
"Hello Jack," said the 'bot.
"You! What am I doing here? And why do you frequent my dreams?" "I frequent your dreams because I must. Because I wish to help you." "Why?" "You wish to help Optimus. You wish to help my father." "Yes, wait Optimus is your father? Like how he's taken in Bumblebee and Sunset?"
"Yes. But unlike them, I wasn't adopted. I was born to his mate, Elita One. I still cannot come to them. Only you can show me the way. Listen to your heart Jack and you will know. You will know how to find me." "What do I call you?" "For now, you can call me Orionsson," said the bot. "Now go, our meeting is over. I will see you soon." The bot slowly dissipated into wisps of wind.
"OPTIMUS!" Jack bolted up right, before shaking his head. Jack wandered out into the main atrium, and found everyone waiting.
"Hey Jack," said Sunset, "How are you feeling?"
"Much better. Thanks for letting me use your room to sleep in."
"Not a problem," said Sunset.
"So, what do you guys want to do while we wait?" asked June as she smiled dangerously. We all stared at her in disbelief, even Sunset, who was forced to stay behind by Optimus.
"Mom, really?" asked Jack, rolling his eyes.
"Argh!" yelled Fowler, "I can't just sit here twiddling my thumbs while Unicron threatens our earth!"
"Then what would you do?" asked June, hotly.
"Anything. Get a hold of my boys at the Pentagon, and figure a way to keep the titan buried!"
"But isn't he already buried?" asked Jack, confused.
"Let him have his Army Commander time," smirked Miko. "We can crush it later after he's done ranting."
"Evil."
"In the event Optimus can't do it?" asked Ratchet, raising his eyebrows.
"Don't you mean Optimus and Megatron?"
"No one is thrilled about it, Agent Fowler," said Ironheart.
"But with Megatron and Optimus together again," said Ratchet, "We may have a chance."
"Wait, Megatron was an Autobot?" asked Raf.
"Optimus was a 'Con?" asked Miko.
"No on both accounts," said Ratchet. "There was a time when Megatron and Optimus weren't sworn enemies. Remember what I said about Optimus not always being a Prime? Well he wasn't always Optimus either. He was once a clerk by the name of Orion Pax in the Iacon Hall of Records." Jack's eyes widened. That was the name his mother had given him when his mother told him about his father. Why did they share the same name? "But as he learned more about Cybertron's past, he grew increasingly worried about the present corruption in high places. An inequality among the masses. Orion had become inspired by the words of a gladiator who had taken on the name of one of the 13 original primes: Megatronus. He was also Optimus' older brother. He had decided to become a gladiator, as he was always very good at fighting while Orion decided to forgo fighting and become a clerk, as he had always been very interested in history. Megatronus vowed to challenge Cybertron's leadership and demand all Cybertronians be treated as equals! This gladiator turned revolutionary rapidly gathered a loyal following, Soundwave chief among them. Orion began corresponding with Megatronus once again, as they had separated to follow their different paths, Megatronus had become more than just a brother to Orion, he became as a mentor to him. As Megatronus left the gladiatorial arena for the political, he saw fit to shorten his name. Before long Megatron appeared before the High Council to propose his vision for a just society. And it was here that he began to reveal his true colors, proclaiming the need to overthrow the Old Guard with force and arrogantly demanding to be named the next Prime. But Orion did not believe in violence as a means of achieving justice. The sparks and minds of the Council were moved by Orion's words, here for the first time since Cybertron's Golden Age stood someone worthy of being a Prime! But that honor could only truly be achieved by earning the legendary Matrix of Leadership. His ambitions thwarted, Megatron spitefully severed all ties with his brother and the Council, and came to wage war on all who opposed him through his growing army of followers, which he named Decepticons. He vowed to claim the Matrix for himself wherever it might lie. In time warfare consumed Cybertron, poisoning the planet to its core. Orion journeyed there, hoping to reverse the ill effects and found himself before the very spark of our life giver, Primus himself. The ailing Primus sensed the innate nobility within Orion and bestowed the Matrix upon him. It was thus that a surprised and humble Orion Pax came to be, Optimus, the last of the Primes."
"So, now that Optimus has the matrix of leadership, he's just going to give it to the Core? What's to stop Megatron from claiming it?" asked Miko.
"Only his greater desire to conquer this planet," replied Ironheart. "If the Lord of the Decepticons can ever fully be trusted." Suddenly a beep sounded from the computers. "Communication links are down, and I've lost their signals!" yelled Ironheart.
"But, doesn't that mean…" said Raf, trailing off.
"Normally, yes, said Ratchet, sitting down. "But right now, I believe that it is likely severe interference caused by electromagnetic anomalies."
"But if we can't track them, how are we going to know if they are ready for pick up?" asked Raf. Jack's heart started beating faster as he started lightly tapping the key to the ground bridge on the railing.
"Where did you get that?" asked Ratchet when he saw the key being tapped on the railing.
"Optimus. Honestly, I don't know why he gave me the key to the ground bridge."
"Jack," said Ratchet, hardly believe what he was seeing, "There is no key to the ground bridge. What you hold is the key to vector sigma."
"The what now?" asked Jack.
"You are holding one of Cybertron's greatest relics," said Ironheart.
"I shouldn't have this," said Jack, trying to give it to Sunset as she was a prime.
"No, Jack," said Sunset, "Optimus gave this to you, not me."
"But that doesn't make any sense. You are a Prime. Why me?" asked Jack.
"Because he doesn't plan on coming back," said June, realizing what was happening.
"Not coming back?" asked Jack. Jack looked to Sunset to see if she was okay, as she and Jack both looked to Optimus as a father figure. Jack because he had never had a father, and Sunset because she lost her home planet to the war, and had needed someone to comfort as she grieved for her people.
"I'll be okay," said Sunset. "But thanks for worrying." Meanwhile, Jack was having a vision.
"Megatron, be gone!" yelled Optimus.
"Soul Saver Slash!" yelled the unknown Cybertronian from his dreams, who was now named Orionsson.
"I will help you get back your T-cog!" yelled the Unknown Cybertronian.
"Welcome, Prime," said an unknown figure hidden in the shadows.
"…Jack, Jack, JACK!" Jack was suddenly snapped out of his vision when he saw Miko shaking him.
"Sorry, I spaced out for a little bit. But, Ratchet, I have a question."
"Ask."
"Did Optimus ever have a biological child? I mean one that was biologically his and not adopted?" asked Jack.
"Once. But that child no longer lives. It died when Elita One died, but I don't if that's true anymore, as the red 'bot that saved you and Sunset looked very similar to Elita One. Why?"
"Just curious."
|With Optimus and Megatron|
Optimus held up the matrix of leadership, pointing it towards the pool of energy, which constituted the primordial essence of Unicron the Chaos Bringer. He remembered what he was fighting for. He fought for his spark mate, Elita, who was lost to the reaches of space, and his sparkling. He fought for his sister-in-law, Arcee. He fought for the ones he saw as his children, Jack and Sunset. He fought for his team. He fought to protect this world. He fought for the humans that inhabited this world. And most importantly, he fought to stop all who would seek to destroy life. He raised his hands and pointed the matrix. "HA!" yelled Optimus, as a beam of blue energy hit the essence of Unicron, all of it hitting the essence, putting it to sleep. He then collapsed, unconscious. Megatron saw Optimus passed out, and unsheathed his blade and went over to finish the job before Optimus looked up and said, "Where are we Megatronus?" Megatron growled before unsheathing his blade. Suddenly, Arcee, Bulkhead, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Lightwave burst through looking for Optimus.
"Optimus!" yelled Arcee.
"Who are they?" asked Optimus, now Orion.
"Our mortal enemy," replied Megatron, before a ground bridge opened. "Come, escape, Orion. I'll cover our escape." Orion ran through the ground bridge, but not before taking one last glance at the look on Bumblebee's face. He then continued on, while Megatron shot at the feet of the autobots, before running through himself. Arcee, tiredly, called for a ground bridge. Another green portal appeared and they walked through. Then, Arcee, Bulkhead, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Lightwave came out into the base. June looked over them to see if Optimus was with them.
"Arcee!" yelled Jack, running over to her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, partner."
"Bulk!"
"'Bee!"
"Mark!" yelled June.
"Where's Optimus?" asked Sunset. "Is he…"
"Dead?" asked Arcee, "No. But he looked at us without recognizing us."
"He didn't even know his own name," said Bulkhead. Jack's eyes widened in realization, Optimus wasn't dead. He had reverted back to his pre-prime state. Optimus Prime was gone, and Orion Pax was back.