Optimus growled and thrust his fist into the rock, splintering it.
"Damn it!"
(Come on Optimus, try to calm down.) Sparkplug urged.
The Minicon was sitting on a part of the rock surrounding them, looking down at his emotionally unstable partner.
"How can I?" Optimus asked the smaller mech. "Because of this--" He held up his arm to thrust the suppressor in Sparkplug's direction. "-- I don't have any weapons and I can't transform! And because of the…" he put a hand to his chest. "… I can't even control my own emotions any more! I'm useless!"
Sparkplug frowned, and jumped down from the rock to stand on the bit of metal jutting out at the top of his partner's chest. The Minicon drew a fist back and belted Optimus in the face as hard as he could. Optimus recoiled. It hadn't hurt a lot, but having never expected Sparkplug to ever try to hit him, it came as a bit of a shock.
(Primus Almighty, Optimus!) The Minicon huffed. (I thought you were stronger than this!)
"…but…"
(Shut up!) Sparkplug calmed himself down with a sigh and moved onto Optimus' shoulder. (Look, I know this is all whacked up. But, you still have your fists and feet to work with, and I seem to recall your energy projectors kicking that blue Decepticon to the Pit, regardless of the suppressor."
Optimus blinked his red optics and looked at the band on his arm. "But… I shouldn't be able to…"
(Well, maybe you just can't feel it. It certainly worked. Or maybe there was a lot of built up energy in your hands already, and you just let it out. Maybe they don't work now. I don't know. But for Primus' sake, calm down. You know that your emotions run out of control here, so you got to work harder to keep them in check!)
Optimus leant against the rock and slid down it to the ground with a groan. "Sparkplug… I just…"
(I know.) Sparkplug said, gently putting a hand on the side of Optimus' helmet. (But hey, that's what I'm here for, right?)
Optimus chuckled weakly. "Yeah… I guess so."
The black Autobot sighed deeply and leant back against the rock, before switching off his optics and falling into recharge.
Sparkplug smiled and leaned against his partner's head. (We'll work it out Optimus. You'll be able to overcome this… Just like you've been able to overcome everything else. I know it.)
- - -
Soundwave sat slumped against a wall as two smaller mechs repaired the damage to his chest.
The red one looked at his twin and huffed. "I tell ya Rumble, if I ever get my hands on that Autobot who did this…" He jerked his head in the direction of Soundwave's chest.
Rumble grimaced. "I agree. We'll rip him a new tail pipe!"
"Silence!" Megatron grunted from across the room, tired of the cassettes' constant talking. "Just do your jobs!"
The twins looked at Megatron before looking back at Soundwave. His red optic flicked on as they did so, and he nodded gently.
"Just do as he says. And… do not worry about the Autobot. He is… not someone you two would be able to counter." The blue mech said to them telepathically.
"But… Soundwave…" Frenzy said quietly.
Soundwave shook his head, and the twins looked at each other.
Megatron looked over his shoulder at the three. He frowned. He had no way of knowing what Soundwave was telling Rumble and Frenzy. But the Decepticon General could tell that he was saying something to their minds. He forced back a sigh of impatience… just… and turned back to the information that he was going over.
Across the room, Air Commander Starscream was skulking. Megatron had been defeated again. His 'Leader' had neglected to take him with him, so it was not a surprise to the egocentric seeker. But, observant as he was, Starscream could tell that it was not only the defeat that was bothering him. Starscream looked over at Soundwave as the cassettes continued to repair him. The damage the telepath had taken was the same as the damage Megatron had taken when they first confronted the new Autobot at the Ark, but, somehow it was all the more raw… as if when the Autobot had attacked Megatron, he was somehow more restrained.
Soundwave looked up at Megatron. "Megatron…" He started.
"Archeville was right then?" The warlord interrupted.
At the mention of the cybernetic scientist, Soundwave blinked, and Starscream grimaced. The Communications Officer had an advantage over the leader of the seekers however; he knew to what the Decepticon General was referring. In fact, he had been aware of the human scientist's theory before Megatron had even terminated the connection with him.
Soundwave resisted a sigh and nodded. "Yes."
"Does he know?"
"He does. He does not know how he came here, but he knows that this is not where he belongs."
Soundwave considered telling his leader the other things he found out before the other Optimus Prime lashed out at him. Like, the other Megatron. Or the Minicons.
…Probably not the best idea. The presence of the other Optimus Prime in this world might be the only collision of the two worlds that would ever happen. Megatron wouldn't need to know about it.
"Soundwave…" Megatron said quietly. "What did he do out there?"
"It is… uncertain."
Megatron turned to face the dark blue Decepticon where he sat against the wall. "Uncertain?"
"He did not seem aware of his actions as he performed them. It appeared to be an instinctive reaction to…" Soundwave trailed off, aware that Starscream was still in the room.
The seeker however did not miss the implication.
"Wait, the Autobot reacted to Soundwave's Telepathy??!" He exclaimed, stepping forward and looking at Megatron, his red optics wide. "What kind of Autobot can feel THAT??"
Megatron glanced at Starscream with a thoughtful look on his face. The seeker knew less than they, but his viewpoint on the matter was not without some value, he being the only one among them who had a background in scientific research. Megatron would never admit this to Starscream, but it was the truth.
"Apparently, it is so, Starscream. It certainly did seem like he could feel it."
"He could." Soundwave affirmed. The Communications Officer omitted to mention the intense amount of screaming pain that the Autobot had felt… pain which leaked over to him through the telepathic link.
Just then, the main communications terminal switched on.
"Megatron! Come in!"
Megatron diverted his attention to the screen. On it was a slightly battered, slightly panicked Scrapper, leader of the Constructicons.
"What is it, Scrapper?" Megatron asked, his dark voice betraying the fact that he was not in a tender mood. If he was ever in one.
"I'd… we really need some help down here! We're getting the frag kicked out of us Megatron! The Autobots outnumber us! Even Prime is here!"
Both Soundwave and Starscream were not oblivious to Megatron's reaction to the mention of Prime… his Prime, not the freaky, new Optimus Prime with red optics.
"So what?" Starscream cut in. "Just combine and --"
"Although we'd love to, Air Commander," Scrapper interrupted, pausing as an explosion saw fit to go off in the background. "We're kinda short a part… the Autobots have beat Mixmaster into stasis, so combining isn't really going to happen."
Soundwave and Starscream looked to Megatron. Interested as he was for this new Autobot, he could not ignore his Prime… not after fighting him and devoting all his attentions to him for almost nine million years.
Soundwave decided to speak up; "Megatron, the Autobot may be involved in the conflict."
Megatron nodded, and turned to Starscream. "Starscream, collect Skywarp and Thundercracker. We will head out to assist the Constructicons."
Starscream smirked. "Okay, Megatron." He said, pleased by the possibility of giving the Autobot who had humiliated him so his comeuppance, so much so that he wasn't even going to argue or discuss the matter with the Leader. Megatron was at least, grateful for that.
As Starscream exited, Megatron looked to Soundwave. Frenzy and Rumble had paused in his reparations as the situation unfolded, and under Megatron's gaze they hastily returned to their work. Megatron shook his head, choosing not to address Soundwave at all, and left the room.
Rumble and Frenzy paused and looked at the door after Megatron. After a few moments, they looked up at Soundwave.
"This new Autobot has Megatron really worried, doesn't he?" Frenzy asked.
Soundwave nodded. "Megatron attached a suppressor onto the Autobot's arm. It was supposed to repress his weapons, but…"
"But he still somehow managed to do this, right?" Rumble finished, gesturing to the damage that he had gone back to repairing.
"…Yes."
"Sounds like a freak to me." Frenzy grumbled, crossing his arms.
Not a freak… Soundwave mused. Just lost. I almost feel sorry… for that Lost Optimus Prime.
- - -
Optimus grunted and opened his optics. What in Primus' name was all that racket? He looked at Sparkplug on his shoulder, who had already woken up.
"What's all that?" He asked.
(Sounds like battle. Perhaps the Autobots and the Decepticons are clashing nearby today.) The Minicon said.
Optimus frowned and stood up.
How long can I keep running from them? He wondered. I come under Emotionally Unstable now… they might not want me around anymore because of that. And… there's also the matter of my optics… I hadn't really noticed before… the Autobots here all have blue… and most of the Decepticons have red… But… there's no such discrimination back in our universe. I mean… Blurr has red optics, and so does Red Alert. I've never paid it any mind. But… these Autobots might not want me around because of that…
Sparkplug looked over at his partner and smiled. (That nap must have done you some good, Optimus. You seem calmer than you did before.)
Optimus blinked and looked at his Minicon companion. "What do you mean?"
Sparkplug smirked. (You've been awake for five minutes and not had a fit. It's a record.)
"Ha, ha. Funny."
(Not really. So, are we going to go and help the other Autobots?)
Optimus looked thoughtful, and stood up. "Autobot is Autobot. I can't turn my back to them any more than I could to my own men. I just hope I can control myself well enough in battle."
(I'm sure you'll do fine. And I still have my pistol here,) Sparkplug said, taking out his pistol and twirling it on his forefinger. (So I can provide some sort of cover fire.)
Optimus smiled behind his mask. "Thankyou."
(Any time, bud. Now, let's go kick some alternate reality Decepticon ass.)
Optimus chuckled, and began to pick his way towards the battle.
- - -
The conflict was, on the grand scale of things, pretty average. The Decepticons were on one side, the Autobots on the other. They were near a drilling operation, where the humans were drilling for oil. The battlefield was fenced by a tall cliff face, and jagged peaks, leaving a man-made tunnel as the only way for the ground-bound Autobots to access the canyon.
Optimus crept towards the battle, and looked down from the top of the cliff. He hesitated.
(Don't stress Optimus.) Sparkplug piped up.
Optimus looked at his partner.
(The only thing that makes you different from these Autobots is the colour of your optics.) The yellow and black Minicon cast a dismissive wave in his partner's direction and smiled. (And me, of course.)
Optimus smiled under his mask. His little friend certainly had the magical ability to make him feel confident. Even when he was just talking rubbish; it always seemed to make him feel better.
"Right. Time to show them what this Optimus Prime can do."
(Right on, Partner!)
- - -
Below, the fighting was rather evenly matched. Several Decepticons had been forced to fall back, as had some Autobots. CMO Ratchet was doing a little battle-side 'patch and weld', when a large shadow was suddenly cast over him and the Autobot he was working on. Both of them looked skyward, and spotted the dark shape on top of the cliff.
Ratchet squinted. "…Optimus?"
Jazz looked at the medic quizzically. "Ain't Prime out there?" He gestured towards the red and blue Autobot still out laying waste to various Decepticons.
Ratchet shook his head. "Not him. The other Optimus Prime."
Jazz blinked, and looked up at the shape again, just as it leapt from the edge of the cliff and started falling towards the canyon floor. "I thought he deserted?"
Ratchet frowned.
Optimus shot off towards the battle no more than three seconds after he landed on the floor of the canyon. He bolted towards Prime, and Jazz was quick to notice.
"What the… He's headed for Prime!"
"No, he… couldn't be!" Ratchet whispered.
"What in The Pit happened to him?!"
Ratchet did not answer.
- - -
Prime noticed the black shape running towards him out of the corner of his optic, but was too preoccupied by the barrage of Decepticons to react. Then, as Megatron struck him in the chest and pointed his Fusion Cannon at his head, that same black shape came between them, and planted a fist in the silver Decepticon's face as hard as he could.
Megatron fell backwards, his face now sporting a very deep dent, and landed on his back, his metal body making a loud CLANG ring off the stone floor and echo off the rocks. The fighting ground to a halt, and all mechs turned their optics on the black mech that now stood among them.
Megatron sat up and looked at the mech who dared hit him, and his expression became odd, like he was trying to both widen and narrow his optics at the same time.
"YOU!"
Optimus turned to look at Megatron, red optics darkening in hue till they were a rich wine red. "Not quite what you were expecting, Megatron?" Optimus asked, his voice dark, and velvety-smooth.
Megatron growled.
The black Autobot narrowed his optics at the Decepticon, before turning to look at Prime, who was climbing to his feet.
"You came back." Prime said quietly.
"Autobots are Autobots." Optimus said. "It just took me a little while to realise that."
Suddenly, there was a rather loud string of high pitched beeps, followed by a startled cry, then a pained yelp. Everyone turned to see Skywarp, the seeker in purple, running around in circles with a small yellow and black mech clinging to his face.
"GET IT OOFFFFFFF!" He yelled.
Autobots and Decepticons alike started snickering.
"I'm not sure why," Optimus mused, crossing his arms. "…But that's quite amusing."
Way to face-glomp the seeker, Sparkplug. He thought, before chuckling lightly.
"What did he say?" Prime asked in a quiet voice, leaning closer to his counterpart.
"He said, 'Time for some heavy payback, jerk.'" Optimus replied.
"Really?"
"Well, sort of. His actual words of choice were somewhat more vulgar."
Prime chuckled.
The distraction, although amusing, did not hold Megatron's attention for long. He was seething. Now he had two Optimus Prime's to deal with in the one battle? He took advantage of the Primes' diverted attention, and raised his cannon to aim at the black one's chest.
Luck was on Optimus' side that day however, and it decided to prove it in the form of stoical Prowl. Prime's second saw Megatron move before anyone else, and fired several shots at the Decepticon leader before he could fire. The unexpected, albeit unsuccessful gunfire snapped everyone out of their humour induced daze, and Optimus moved. The blast from the Fusion Cannon grazed his left shoulder, ripping off a chunk of armour, but doing little else.
In an instant, Decepticons and Autobots raised their weapons as one, and the tension mounted.
Optimus looked at Prime beside him.
"When this is over," He said, causing the other Autobot to look over. "I owe you some apologies."
And the battle was renewed.
- - -
Jetfire and the other Autobots watched in silence as Hoist, Sideswipe and Red Alert tinkered with a warp set up. The 'tear' had gotten substantially larger since Sideswipe first led them to it. They had decided that now was the best time to try and get through using a warp gate.
Of course, Hot Shot had already tried just jumping through the tear itself, but that proved to be a fruitless effort.
Scavenger edged closer. "Are you guys quite sure this is going to work?" He asked.
"Not really." Hoist and Sideswipe answered together.
"Because you know what'll happen to us if...--"
"I've seen plenty of Warp Malfunction victims, Scavenger." Red Alert interrupted.
The trainer was not reassured. He went for one more try. "Are you sure this will work?"
"Define 'work'."
"It's done!" Sideswipe announced suddenly.
The Autobots looked over at the code breaker, who was sitting on the grass next to Hoist, grinning from audio to audio.
Red Alert looked the machine over, just to make sure, before standing up.
"This should work." He said.
Sideswipe and Hoist stood.
The Autobots looked at each other.
"Well, let's give it a try yeh?" Hot Shot suggested.
The others nodded, and moved to stand on the warp platform, and faced the tear.
"Here we go," Sideswipe said, reaching for the activation button. "Optimus or bust."
And the seven Autobots disappeared through the warp.
- - -
The battle was still waging wild. Sparkplug had long since abandoned the torture of the purple seeker, and had now taken up a position on Optimus' right shoulder, blasting Decepticons on random as his partner beat others into submission.
Suddenly, the din of battle was drowned out by a loud screech. The combatants paused, and turned to look at the cliff from where the sound had come. As they watched, optics wide, a silvery tear appeared in the air, just forward of the cliff. Then, with a flash of white, seven mechs ungracefully fell out of the tear; two of them managing to land on their feet, the rest, not so fortunate.
They looked up, and saw a few dozen mechs staring at them.
"Uh… hi?" A yellow mech offered.
"Seems we interrupted something." One of the larger members of the group stated.
The Constructicons in particular were looking at that mech.
Megatron's left optic twitched. This was just getting weird!
"Hey…" Thundercracker said. "Those are Autobots!"
Megatron whipped around to look at the seeker, before looking back at the new arrivals. The blue seeker was right!
"Decepticons, ATTACK!!!" He ordered, jumping up and resuming grappling with Prime.
The group looked at each other, before looking back at the mass battle in front of them.
"Okay, that was weird." The smallest of them mentioned.
"Oh well." A taller Autobot said dismissively. "Let's just help deal with these Decepticons, and then perhaps we can get some answers."
"Right." The others all agreed simultaneously, before jumping to their feet and joining the fray.
- - -
It took Megatron another ten minutes to realise this battle was lost. He ached all over, there were Autobots falling out of the freaking sky, and he'd just had enough. The oil from the drilling operation seemed to have little value right now.
"Decepticons, RETREAT!" He yelled, before taking off and shooting into the sky.
The new group watched the retreat with interest.
"That was new." One of them commented.
On the other side of the battlefield, Prime was helping Optimus to his feet.
"You alright?" He asked.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Prime nodded. "That's good. Now, let's go meet these new Autobots."
"I… don't have to." Optimus muttered.
Prime stopped and to look at his counterpart. "What?"
"OPTIMUS!!!"
"Oh no."
Prime had half a moment to blink before a blue and yellow blur shot past him and jumped on Optimus. He stared, and realised that the blur had been a fast moving blue Autobot, who had just glomped his counterpart with enthusiasm.
"We found you!" He said happily.
Optimus was too dazed to answer.
Prime looked back at the other new Autobots, all of whom had brought their hands to their foreheads.
"Hi…" Optimus said quietly. "Please get off…"
The blue mech blinked and jumped back as if he'd just been hugging hot coals, letting Optimus sit up. "I am SO sorry…."
"Actually," The only flier of the new group said as they approached. "We could all admit to the sentiment."
Optimus stood. "So could I."
Prime stepped forward. "You are, Optimus' men?" He asked.
The group looked at Prime in silence, then looked at Optimus, and then back at Prime.
"Weird…"
Optimus smiled to himself under his mask.
"Don't look so confused." He said gently. "Let me explain."
- - -
One rather vague explanation of parallel universes later, Optimus was introducing his soldiers to the other Autobots.
Red Alert and Ratchet scrutinised each other carefully, but were soon talking about medical equipment and techniques. You really had to be a medic to understand it.
Prowl and Jetfire got on less easily; Jetfire saw quite fit to tease Prime's second that he couldn't fly, and Prowl did not appreciate the notion.
Scavenger and Ironhide were chatting quite casually, swapping stories of campaigns they had fought in, and Decepticons they had, apparently repeatedly, slagged.
Jazz was trying very hard to strike up a conversation with Blurr, but the blue and white sniper would have nothing to do with the mech. Their personalities were, in Blurr's opinion, polar opposites.
Optimus turned to Hoist. He looked at the silver engineer closely.
"Aren't you supposed to be orange?" He asked.
"Aren't you supposed to be blue and red?" Hoist countered.
"Touché." Optimus admitted. "What happened?"
Hoist smirked. "Oh, nothing really, Megs just pegged me with the Requiem Blaster."
"He did what?!"
"Yeah, got me right here." He pat his midsection with his left hand. "Ploughed a hole right through me. Red had to rebuild me from scratch."
"R-really…"
"Yeah. And, I go by Hoist now. Smokescreen has 'departed', shall we say."
Optimus stared at Hoist dumbly, before saying, "That must have hurt."
Hoist just about fell over at the comment. He looked up into the red optics of his leader, and smiled.
"Understatement of the year, Optimus." He said, patting the taller Autobot's shoulder lightly.
Prime looked at the silver mech. "So technically, you've died once."
"Yup. You're going to want to trust me on this; it's not something you'd wanna do on a regular basis."
"Come on bro, don't be such a nuisance."
Prime and Optimus looked over to see two yellow mechs arguing, and their brothers attempting to calm them down.
"Why am I not surprised?" Both leaders said at the same time, before blinking and looking at each other.
"We have got to stop doing that." Optimus added.
"Probably." Prime agreed. "Come on, let's go stop them."
The two leaders walked over.
"Hot Shot!"
"Sunstreaker!"
The two yellow mechs paused, and looked over at their leaders.
"What are you doing?" Optimus asked.
"N-nothing sir…" Hot Shot answered.
"Just talking." Sunstreaker added.
"I doubt it." Prime said dully.
"Perhaps we should put them in a small room together." Optimus suggested. "Then they can work out their differences without bothering everyone else."
"Perhaps we should." Prime agreed.
"But, Optimus!" The two yellow mechs complained simultaneously, causing their brothers to giggle.
Optimus looked from the red Sideswipe to the blue.
"I don't believe I introduced you yet. Sideswipe," he paused, not quite sure which mech he was addressing. "Meet Sideswipe."
The red and blue mechs looked at each other curiously.
"You're the other Sideswipe?" The red asked.
"Yeah… I am." Replied the blue. "Why are you so much older than me?"
The red Sideswipe smirked. "Luck of the draw kiddo. Just like how I'm red and you're blue."
"I like being blue. Red only looks good on Optimus and Starscream." He paused. "There's a Starscream in this universe, right?"
"Yup."
"Is he red coloured?"
The two Autobot commanders looked at each other, before looking at Hot Shot and Sunstreaker.
"See, they can get along." Optimus observed.
"They're the same guy though!" Sunstreaker countered.
"So that would mean my counterpart and I are the same person also?" Prime asked.
"You're different, clearly." Hot Shot said, earning a glare from Sunstreaker. "The Sideswipes are different too…but that has nothing to do with it." He turned to face Sunstreaker. "I just don't like you."
"Why you…!"
The leaders sighed.
"It's no use." Prime said quietly.
"I give up." Optimus agreed.
Just then, Blurr strode towards them.
"What is it, Blurr?" Optimus asked.
"I'm wondering if it concerns anyone that that is still there." He said, pointing at the gash in the sky from whence they had fallen.
Optimus and Prime stared at it.
"Oh…"
Suddenly, the ground shook, and the tear bulged, before growing larger. Several mechs fell over.
"Well, that can't be good."
Then, as another tremor shook the ground, there was a flash of brilliant white light.
And the Optimus Primes were gone.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Yays for motivation! Chapter 11! Skippy Badge for whoever gets the joke in this chapter XD
Reviews of win:
Rose Gad – MORE!
Fk306 Animelover – Let's all hug the Optimus XD
Prime Revolver – Heh heh heh…
Storm Blue Lightning Saix – Nope. Nemesis Prime is all black, and is some freaky thing that has something to do with Sideways. This is Optimus' supercharged colour scheme. Just like how Starscream gets redone in blue to look like Thundercracker, and Megs turns into Galvatron.
Kaekokat – XD
PitaC89 – There's some of them here! There'll be a little bit more of them coming up too, so, look forward to it!
JML – Sci Fi doth pwn.
Thatredcar – Heh. I'm afraid I'm going to upset you when I say there is only one more chapter to go…
Tahalli – I enjoy it, that's for sure. XD
And alas, there's only one chapter left to go. D: The end is near oh noes! I will try my hardest to make the finale long, and full of awesome, and get it up in reasonable time. Thankyou so much people for sticking with me this long, especially in the gap between chapters 9 and 10…
So, I'll be seeing you soon, in the grand FINALE, Chapter 12; Twin Points of Light