Chapter 13: Earth
The Nemesis had a built-in space-bridge, so, it could warp from Cybertron to Earth without the use of external space-bridges. When they were at a safe distance from Cybertron, Soundwave entered the coordinates, and in a few seconds the star-ship was engulfed by a brilliant blueish-white light, arcs of energy dancing around its edges.
And that was all that it took.
Glancing through the windows, Eleonor could recognize again familiar constellations in the firmament. And Earth was visible in the distance, like a blue and white marble suspended in a sea of darkness and lights.
Cybertronian technology never ceased to amaze her.
"Soundwave, put in contact with the Autobot Base." Megatron ordered, and took a seat in front of the main terminal. It took several minutes, but finally, the video feed came to life, revealing the Autobot Leader, his face-plates set to a deadly serious expression.
"Megatron. It's been a while." The voice of the Autobot Leader was as serious as his glare.
"Indeed it has." Agreed Megatron, intertwining his claws, a small smirk creeping into his features. "How have you been?"
"I've been fine. And you?" Replied Optimus, deciding to play along with Megatron and his oddly polite conversation.
"Pretty well, at least until the human arrived." Said Megatron. "I have to admit that she has a special talent to make things get... interesting."
"Eleonor? Is she alright?" Optimus looked concerned.
"Oh, for Primus' sake." Megatron huffed. "You, fleshling. Come here and say hello." He commanded in a harsh tone. Starscream brought her to the main terminal, and she looked to the Autobot Leader through the video feed.
"Hi, Optimus. I'm fine." She said with a sheepish smile.
"Do I have to squish her to make it more believable?" Asked Megatron grumpily.
"That won't be necessary." Optimus replied quickly, risking a small smirk. "Why are you here, Megatron?" He asked, back to seriousness.
"We need to talk." Megatron replied seriously.
Optimus was shocked in silence for some brief seconds.
"You have came all the way here, with the Nemesis, just to... talk?" Said Optimus, shaking his helm in disbelief. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"
"Starscream came here alone, in peace, and he got a scorched wing, and he is faster than me. I am not risking my integrity, thank you very much. I come with a small team and my warship."
"What do you want?" Asked Optimus, warily.
"I want to talk with you. Don't make me repeat myself."
"Excuse me if I find it hard to believe." Optimus narrowed his optics to a thin sapphire line.
"Look. One: I had the opportunity to finish you three years ago and I didn't. And I have not changed my mind so soon. Two: I have Cybertron. Why would I want a stupid resource-less planet like Earth? Three: I don't give a frag about humans. Four: If I wanted to attack you, why spoil a surprise attack calling you first, giving away my position, my ship and my forces?" Megatron snapped back, tired of been polite. "Should I go on?"
The Autobot Leader sighed and pinched his nasal-bridge, a gesture that he had picked up from humans.
"You still are not allowed to be on this planet. It is not our decision. The human governments would not agree with the idea."
"Easy. Don't tell them." Megatron shrugged.
"It is not that easy. Their scanners and satellites will pick you the moment you approach the atmosphere." Said Optimus.
"Did you forget the fact that I kept the Nemesis hidden in that planet for almost a year?" Megatron chuckled. "They won't see us coming, I assure you."
"And when you are here, what?"
"I'll leave my ship in your parking lot, what else?"
"This is going to give me problems with the human authorities." Optimus sighed.
"We could always try the other way. We go fetch you, and we speak aboard the Nemesis." Megatron smirked evilly. "If that makes you more comfortable."
Optimus seemed unconvinced either way. The Decepticon Leader awaited in silence.
Eleonor timidly rose a hand and looked up to Megatron.
"What do you want, human?" Megatron growled.
"May I suggest something?" She asked meekly.
"Speak."
"The Autobot Base has the status of an embassy. Optimus should be able to bring there whoever he wants. As if it were a piece of Cybertron. He shouldn't have to explain anything to the local authorities." Eleonor recalled.
"Is that so?" Megatron said in disbelief.
"Human terminology confuses me." Optimus admitted. "Please, Prowl, check that information in the legal property documents of this base and its lands."
The Autobot Second in Command was in silence for some minutes, checking the legal documents.
"It's true, Optimus." Said the serious voice of Prowl off the screen.
"Ah, the trickery of human fine print." Megatron chuckled. "So, what do you decide, Optimus?"
"Do I really have a choice?" Optimus asked with a grim tone.
"No." The Decepticon Leader smirked. "But I feel generous. I'll let you decide the terms."
"Fine." Optimus nodded, and was some seconds in silence, thinking. "The Nemesis will land next to our base, and will not move until you leave. You won't be allowed to leave our base or our airspace. You'll have to give me the list of you team members. And, of course, you'll have to agree to a ceasefire. If you break any of these rules, we will use whatever means are necessary to stop you."
"I hope that that ceasefire works both ways." Pointed out Megatron.
"It will." Optimus nodded. "Will your forces be up to it?"
"They have been specially selected for that purpose." Megatron nodded. "So, do we have a deal?"
"We have a deal." Optimus agreed after some seconds.
"Excellent."
"Are you sure about this, Optimus?" Prowl never questioned Optimus' decisions. This time, however, he couldn't help the pressing urge to ask. The blue and red mech was in silence for some seconds before answering.
"No." Optimus shook his helm. "But just in case something happens, I prefer to have the Decepticons here, were we can intervene quickly, than on the other side of the globe."
"That's... another way to put it."
"Megatron has not tried anything dishonest since he left Earth, and has given me no reasons to distrust him. However, I am no suicide either. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, but I'm not letting my guard down." Optimus explained. "Having a pair of seekers around is far different from having a whole Decepticon team and a battle cruiser. We must be cautious."
Prowl nodded and was lost in his thoughts for some minutes before speaking again.
"What would Megatron possibly want to speak with you about? If that's true, of course." Prowl wondered.
"We will find out soon." Replied Optimus, and after that, he was in silence for a while, his gaze fixated in a distant point, lost in his thoughts. The memories of the War still echoed in his processors, and sometimes they made him doubt about his ability as Autobot Leader. "Did I do well in accepting Megatron's terms?" He wondered, in a grim tone.
Prowl stopped typing in his terminal, recognizing Optimus' distant tone. He was not speaking about today. He was speaking about that time, more than three years ago.
"Even I have to admit that it was not the best outcome of the War for the Autobots, but it was the best for the cybertronian race as a whole and for our planet. Cybertron is no longer dying away, despite been under Decepticon rule." Prowl admitted. "The most important thing is that it was an end for the War. Some of us would have fought until our last circuit was crushed, but others were just tired. So tired of endless battles, losses and suffering. On both sides." He added, lowering his voice. "Besides, Earth is not so bad after all. It's a good second home." Prowl let the briefest ghost of a smile cross his features very briefly. He had never been very prone to show any emotion, but Optimus needed some reassurance.
"I thought that you hated humans." Optimus returned the brief smile, feeling better after hearing his Second in Command's encouraging words.
"Hate is such a strong word. They can be obnoxious and stubborn creatures at times. For not mentioning highly illogical and a little annoying... But I do not hate them."
"So, are you reconsidering working with Mearing?" Optimus asked. Charlotte Mearing was the Director of National Intelligence of the United States. A strong and independent woman, very capable and confident of herself, but extremely overbearing, controlling and impatient about her duties.
"Not in a million of stellar cycles. She is worse than Megatron." Prowl quickly replied, and Optimus tried very hard to keep a straight face. "Anyway, speaking of Governments. Are you going to tell them about the Decepticons paying us a visit?"
"No. Not for the moment." Optimus shook his helm. "Only the N.E.S.T. members will know. The Government will find out eventually, but I was hoping that by the time that happens, the Decepticons will be gone again." Explained Optimus. "And they will only know because they will see the Decepticon ship in our base. Their arrival and departure from Earth will by clouded by Soundwave, I am sure of it."
"That mech creeps me out, Ah tell ya." Intervened a new voice. Jazz had arrived to the communications room of the Autobot base. "Ah had just received yer comm., Boss'Bot."
"Good, we have some preparations to do, and a whole base to inform about the matter at hands." Said Optimus.
Sheltered by the night, the Nemesis approached to Earth. Making a slow entry in the atmosphere prevented the ship of glowing like a comet and betray its position. And to cap it all, Soundwave had had the precaution of hacking the artificial satellites of that half of the globe, effectively blinding the human surveillance.
The roaring sound of inhumanely huge engines tearing the silence of the barren landscape was the only thing that signaled the arrival of the Nemesis in the last hours of the night.
Optimus was standing outside the base, accompanied by Prowl, Jazz, Ironhide, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. The rest of his troops had assumed defensive positions in the nearest buildings and hangars. And the N.E.S.T. members were in the most heavily armored bunkers. Every precaution was small against the infamous Decepticon flagship.
Finally, the ominous shadow of the massive battle cruiser came to a halt, its support points burying in the desert ground and engines humming lower until they completely stopped.
The sun was peeking behind the horizon, its first rays of sunlight casting a gradient of reds and oranges over the terrain. The main entrance ramp of the Nemesis descended, and the imposing figure of the Decepticon Leader appeared, disembarking from his ship, followed by his small team.
The group of Decepticons approached to the awaiting Autobots, slowly, but unwavering. Their optics locked onto their old enemies, never loosing sight of each other, sensors tuned to the maximum, scanners sharpened.
And finally, they stopped at a prudent distance of about fifteen metres. Megatron stood proudly, flanked by Soundwave and Shockwave, who seemed impassive and emotionless. Starscream stood menacingly, flanked by Thundercracker, who was watching everyone with an uninterested expression and Skywarp, who had a devious smirk. Behind them were Knock Out, who was looking at everything in excitement, Breakdown, who was stiffly looking at the Autobots, and Barricade, who seemed annoyed with the whole situation.
"Megatron." Saluted the Autobot Leader after a long minute of exchanging glares.
"Optimus." Saluted back the Decepticon Leader, his glare never softening.
A small awkward silence followed.
"Aren't you missing some of your troops and a human?" Prowl observed, nonchalantly.
"They are still waiting in the ship, just in case someone decided to open fire on us." Replied Starscream, locking his gaze onto the Autobot Second in Command.
"How considerate of ya." Intervened Jazz.
"I could had always used the human as a living shield, do you prefer it that way?" Retorted the beige seeker, growling dangerously and lowering his wings in a threatening pose.
"Starscream." Megatron calmly warned, not even raising his voice. The seeker reduced his sulking to glaring. Prowl and Jazz also stopped their complaints, after receiving a warning glare from the Autobot Leader.
"You can call them here if you wish, Megatron." Suggested Optimus, his deep baritone voice as regal and calm as always.
The Decepticon Leader used his comm. link to address the rest of his troops, and a minute later, the ship's entrance ramp descended again. This time, a tall old mech made his way slowly to the group of awaiting Autobots and Decepticons, flanked by Soundwave's symbionts and a human female.
Laserbeak flew graciously through the morning breeze and landed over his master's shoulder-plates, puffing his metal feathers proudly before flattening them again to their normal position. Eleonor, watching the tense stances of the mechs around her, didn't know where she should position herself. So, she finally opted for remaining beside Ravage and Frenzy. The old Librarian, however, seemed oblivious to the stiff expressions of the mechs around him, and approached to the blue and red Leader.
"The Librarian?" Asked Optimus in disbelief. The Autobot Leader had worked at the Hall of Records for a long time before the War, and he remembered the old mech.
"Greetings, young Optimus." He said with his trademark affable smile.
"I thought that you had died." Confessed the younger Prime.
"Apparently not. Megatron found me in stasis at the ruins of Iacon. You must thank him for that." Explained the old mech. Megatron snorted slightly in annoyance.
"That is... a big surprise." Optimus was honestly and pleasantly surprised. It didn't sound like Megatron to do that kind of things. At least the Megatron that he had known during the War. Definitely, his brother had changed, and he was gradually turning to be the old Megatron that he remembered from before the War. The true High Lord protector.
Glancing down to Eleonor, Optimus caught sight of her relaxed stance. She was not afraid to be surrounded of Decepticons, and she certainly didn't show any sign of having been mistreated.
"I see that you have grown to be a fine Leader for your people." Said the old mech.
"I try to do my best every day, with all my spark." Optimus nodded, solemnly.
"You should really listen to what Megatron has to say. He brings important news." The Librarian said calmly, caressing his long beard-like face-plates.
"I am listening." Optimus turned to look at Megatron, his optics narrowing slightly.
"In private." Megatron pointed out.
"So that you can back-stab Optimus without any interference? I highly doubt that." Intervened Ironhide, tired of keeping up appearances and giving in to his grouchy nature.
"That is not your decision." The Librarian frowned at the weapons specialist.
"You don't know who you are speaking to, old mech." Snapped the black mech growling low.
"No, you don't know who you are speaking to." Retorted back the old mech, emphasizing his point with one of his trademark smacks to the helm. The loud clang echoed through the cold morning desert breeze, and almost everymech stiffened in reflex.
The grouchy weapons specialist was stunned in silence, his expression a mix between surprise, outrage, disbelief and suppressed murderous intentions.
Starscream made a great effort in keeping a straight face, while internally taking note of Ironhide in the list of mechs that had received a smack to the helm from the ancient Prime. Currently, it only had Megatron, Ironhide and himself, but he was sure that the list was going to grow exponentially pretty soon.
"Well, that was more effective than Ratchet's wrenches." Murmured Sunstreaker, making the Autobot medic glare at him.
"Can we just... calm down and think this through, carefully?" Intervened Prowl, in his cold and calm tone.
"Megatron." Optimus said, attracting his former enemy's attention. "I agree to speak to you in private in one of our hangars." The Decepticon Leader smirked triumphantly. "But we both will be unarmed."
Megatron stopped smirking and locked gazes with Optimus. He had that determined look in his azure optics. He was serious about it.
"As if I needed weapons to kill you." The Decepticon Leader snorted, and shifted and readjusted the armor plates in his right arm, detaching his fusion cannon and handing it to Shockwave. Then, he did the same with his left arm, disassembling his blade and handing it to Soundwave.
Optimus did the same, dismounting his blasters and swords, handing them to Ironhide.
"Over here." Said Optimus, pointing to one of the empty hangars of his base. Megatron nodded, and walked beside him, heading for the building.
The rest of their respective troops watched them disappear behind the heavy doors. After that, they resumed their glaring contest.
Everything fell into an awkward silence for long several minutes, until Sunstreaker and Sideswipe burst suddenly in giggles, breaking the seriousness of the moment.
"And what now?" Barked Ironhide.
"N-nothing, 'Hide." Managed to say Sideswipe, between giggles. "Skywarp just sent us the result of one of our pranking ideas on the Decepticon side. You know, we exchanged some ideas on his last visit."
"Wait." Exclaimed suddenly Thundercracker. "The prank with the feathers?"
"Yes!" Exclaimed Skywarp, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker at the same time.
"Skywarp, I spent three joors picking feathers out of my joints and air-intakes. Three. Slagging. Joors." Thundercracker's voice was deadly cold. "Are you telling me that it was your doing, but their idea?"
"Ahem, yes." Admitted the black seeker sheepishly.
"I am not going to jeopardize this mission right now by shooting those two pranksters, but you are oh so dead when this is finished." Thundercracker almost growled. And he never growled.
"I empathize with you, Thundercracker. These twins pulled the same prank on me." Intervened Prowl.
Starscream relaxed his stance the slightest. It seemed that both sides were reluctant to start another skirmish.
"So, who gets to inherit Megatron's fusion cannon when Optimus is done with him?" Asked the beige seeker, smirking.
Shockwave gave him a withering look.
Meanwhile, behind them, Breakdown was making a huge effort in not squirming on his spot.
"They are all looking at me." He whispered to Knock Out.
"They are looking at all of us, sweetspark." The red medic replied, with a smug grin. "After all, we have been battling against each other for a long time." Breakdown seemed to calm down a little. "Come on." He added, and walked cautiously to the front, stopping beside Ravage.
"Knock Out." Hissed Ratchet, as he caught sight of the red medic.
"Hi, Ratchet." Saluted the Decepticon medic with his trademark smug grin.
"You know each other?" Asked Eleonor, who had been very quiet until then.
"Yes, from the medical academy." Replied Ratchet. "But unlike me, that wannabe-physician only does his work because he revels in other people's agony."
"So, what's the difference again?" Sunstreaker piped in, making even Ironhide snort a laugh.
Knock Out's grin couldn't get smugger.
"And what side are you two in, you pranking glitches?" Ratchet huffed.
"Aw, come on, Optimus told us to be nice." Sideswipe whined.
"So... if we can't shoot each other or maintain a civilized conversation... what can we do to pass the time?" Asked Skywarp.
"Well... we could go racing to the salt flats... that place is within the Base's lands." Suggested Sunstreaker.
"Woohoo! Now you are speaking my language!" Knock Out cheered and dropped into his flawless Aston Martin DB9 alt-mode. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe did the same, sporting identical Lamborghini Aventador alt-modes, one golden and the other silvery, revving their engines in excitement.
"Oh, you have changed your alt-modes!" Exclaimed Eleonor, watching the twins.
"Yes, it's the last Lamborghini model! Aren't we sweet?" Replied Sunstreaker, his engines purring.
"You can be sweet, but I'm fabulous!" Added Knock Out.
"Show off." Huffed Barricade, crossing his arms over his chest-plates.
"Wait, are you seriously going to the salt flats to race?" Barked Ironhide.
"Why not? We do it every morning. The only difference is that today we have more participants!" Replied the silvery Lamborghini. "Besides, we are not breaking any rule, and you know it!"
Revving his engine, Sideswipe sped off, followed by his brother and the Decepticon medic.
"Would you care to grant me a rematch, Autobug?" Said Barricade, unexpectedly, dropping into his police car Ford Mustang Saleen alt form. "This time without pesky humans bothering us." His engine purred teasingly.
Bumblebee frowned and gave a low series of beeps and clicks. He transformed into his Chevy Camaro alt form and revved his engine, accepting the challenge. The police car laughed cruelly, and sped in the same direction that the other participants had followed, with Bumblebee trailing close behind.
"No fair! I can't race in my jet mode on the ground!" Wailed Skywarp.
"Who says you can't?" Frenzy Piped in. "Have you ever tried how fast can you go on your landing gear without taking off? You could even invent a new racing discipline." The small silver mech suggested.
Skywarp hummed, tapping his chin-plates, actually considering the idea.
"Don't you even think about that! Not on my sight!" Growled Starscream. "That's undignified for a seeker!"
"Don't be such a killjoy, 'Screamer!" Whined the black seeker. "I'm still going to do it when you don't look..." He murmured.
Eleonor tried to suppress a smile, and turned to look at the Librarian, who had been very quiet since the faction leaders had abandoned the group. He was staring into the horizon, with a distant look in his optics.
"Are you alright, Librarian?" She asked softly.
"Yes..." He replied absently. "I was just... learning things about your planet..." He explained. Eleonor gave him with a confused look. "I have discovered the Internet."
"Oh, my... Primus..."
Meanwhile, in the nearest hangar, Optimus had finished reviewing the data-chip that Megatron had brought for him. On it, he had noted all the recent discoveries, from detailed scans of the Covenant of Primus to the recent revelations from the Librarian.
"The Librarian is one of the Thirteen..." Optimus murmured, in astonishment. "I didn't know..."
"Well, that's an interesting piece of information, but I am more concerned about the whole 'Unicron paying us a visit' matter."
"Of course." Agreed Optimus, back to business, reading again the transcriptions of the Covenant relating the dark menace.
"And we still don't know why, but it was written that we should protect human kind too. That they were going to be important in the future, or something like that." Added Megatron. "Ironic, isn't it?"
Optimus regarded his former enemy with a sympathetic look. Before him was no longer the ruthless warlord of the Decepticons. He was again his old brother. The one that ruled beside him in their old planet and shared his hopes about the future. His worries about their race. The one that usually stopped to share an energon cube with him and speak about their duties after their shifts ended.
"What happened to you, Megatron?" He asked, all seriousness. Megatron didn't had to ask to know what he was referring to.
"The Fallen happened." The Decepticon Leader replied. "But that doesn't change anything."
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I do not remember how much he influenced me. Which ones were my decisions and which ones were his." Megatron shook his helm. "It doesn't matter now. I did terrible things. No one is going to forgive me, and I do not expect them to do it." He looked right into Optimus' azure optics. "But this, I can do right. It is not a matter of factions anymore. Our whole race is in danger, Cybertron is in danger. Even your beloved Earth." Megatron sighed. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I need your help."
Optimus gave a hint of a smile.
"We cannot change the past, but we can work for a better future." He said.
Megatron smirked in reply.
"Who writes your scripts?"
The Autobot leader openly smiled at that. Megatron's sarcastic sense of humor was intact after all those stellar cycles.
"Actually, was Miss Eleonor who gave me that piece of advice, some time ago." Replied Optimus.
"Yes, it sounds like her." Megatron smirked. "I have to admit that she gives good advices, to be a puny human. Don't tell anyone, though."
"I won't." Optimus shook his helm and hid a smile. "So, back to business. The Requiem Blaster and The Star Saber."
"The Blaster is located. The hard part is the Saber. It was divided into five pieces and scattered across the galaxies. The first one is on Cybertron. But it is protected by Vector Sigma." Megatron explained, in a quick summary of what Optimus had already read.
"That is why you are here. You need the Key." Finished Optimus.
"Precisely." The Decepticon Leader nodded.
"I don't have it."
"..."
A very long and very awkward silence followed the Autobot Leader's confession.
"What do you mean by 'I don't have it'?" Megatron managed to say, after taking a couple of deep air intakes, trying to calm down. "Did you loose it? Was it destroyed? Did you give it to somebody else?"
"It is in Cybertron." Replied Optimus, nonchalantly.
Megatron's right optic twitched.
"Are you telling me that I have came all the way down to Earth for nothing? That the item I was looking for has been in Cybertron all this time?" The Decepticon Leader was about to strangle his former enemy.
"Yes."
"Give me the coordinates. You don't have to worry any longer about us been on your precious Earth. We are leaving." Megatron replied in a tone that could have made energon and blood freeze in lines and veins.
"I'm going with you." The Autobot Leader said suddenly. Megatron stopped dead and looked back at Optimus. He had that determined look in his azure optics.
"No."
"You need me to retrieve the Key." Optimus frowned.
"What's so hard about giving me the coordinates?" Megatron growled, coming closer to the blue and red mech and looming over him in a menacing gesture.
"Omega Supreme has the Key." Revealed Optimus. Megatron's optics widened. "So, unless you wish to risk a fight with an Autobot that is almost as big as the Nemesis, I'd suggest you to take my offer, and let me accompany you. Omega will listen to me, and we will be able to solve this problem without risking lives. Decepticon lives, if I may observe."
The Decepticon Leader howled in frustration.
"You are serious, aren't you?" Megatron was bristling. And Optimus still had that determined look in his optics. "You are insane! I can't guarantee your safety in a planet full of Decepticons!"
"You managed to do it with a human, why not with me?" Optimus shrugged.
"That's different! She is small and does not have spark signature to betray her position!"
"Then, I will not go alone. I'll bring some of my soldiers as protection, to discourage any resentful mech from attacking us."
"You have the worst ideas, Optimus. I honestly don't know why you kept gaining the upper servo all those years of war." Megatron snapped. "You... you... arhg! I can't even come up with a decent insult! I'm out of here." He yelled, and stormed out of the hangar.
Optimus hurried to follow him.
Outside, what remained from the group of Autobots and Decepticons were looking at their faction leaders in several degrees of astonishment. They had been very worried since they had heard the frustrated howl of the Decepticon Leader. But both of them had came out of the hangar unharmed.
"Well, it seems that I won't be inheriting that fusion cannon today." Starscream said with a devious smirk, earning another murderous glare from Shockwave.
"Thanks Primus. I won't have to repair anyone today." Added Ratchet.
"The day is far from ending." Added Prowl quietly.
"Don't get too comfortable." Barked Megatron, once he arrived near the rest of his mechs. "We are leaving."
"What? So soon? But we have just arrived!" Whined Skywarp.
"Megatron, please." Said Optimus, his tone firm and unwavering. "Reconsider it."
"There's nothing to reconsider! Autobots and Decepticons teaming up and working together? That madness will never work!" Megatron growled at the blue and red Prime. "And where the frag are the rest of my troops?" The Decepticon Leader was bristling as he turned to regard what was left of his team with a withering look.
"Huh... racing, my Lord." Replied Starscream, taken aback by his Leader sudden surge of rage.
"But they are already coming back, I called them via comm. link." Added Shockwave, efficient as always.
It was not long until a group of five cars came into view, engines revving and roaring. When they arrived to the group of awaiting Autobots and Decepticons, they could notice that their colors had changed. Now, they were almost completely white. Only some parts of their upper hoods and roofs resemble a little their original colors.
"My beautiful cherry-red paint-job! All ruined and covered in dust!" Wailed Knock Out, transforming back into mech form. He shook his frame, white dust and salt coming out of his chassis. "This is going to take forever to clean out of my joints and cogs!"
Knock Out was fuming, but Breakdown was secretly amused. They way in which his red partner had shaken all his armor plates, making the dust flew in a small cloud, had been extremely cute. He should make sure that the red medic got dusted more often.
"At least you didn't end up in a pile of photosynthetic organisms! I think my transforming gears are stuck!" Complained Barricade, still in car form.
"Aw, 'Cade, that's the advantage of knowing the terrain!" Sideswipe said smugly, transforming back to mech form at the same time as his twin brother.
"But I must admit that it was worth it! I won! Hah!" Said the police car, proudly.
"Yes, you've won an Autobot insignia!" Cheered Sunstreaker, and both twins literally jumped over the Mustang and started to draw Autobot insignias over his salt-covered chassis.
"Hey! Get your dirty Autobot servos off me!" Barricade complained, revving his engine.
Bumblebee was clicking in laughter, his vocalizer still out of service. The police car had proven to be faster than him, but loosing had his good things, like seen his former enemy swerve too fast in a curve and skid, ending up in a pile of bushes. And he was going to save that clip in his memory banks until the end of his days.
"Fine, have it your way!" Barricade gave up with his threats to the twins. He endured the 'branding' torture and then he transformed back to mech form with a sickening sound of branches been crushed accompanying the normal transformation whirrs. "But in repay I want the bug covered in Decepticon emblems!" He smirked, pointing to the Autobot scout.
Bumblebee beeped in alarm and tried to escape, but it was futile. The lambo twins jumped over the yellow Camaro, preventing him from fleeing or transforming. In a second, Barricade was over him, drawing Decepticon emblems all over his hood while Sunstreaker and Sideswipe kept him pinned down.
"What were you saying about Decepticons and Autobots working together?" Optimus pointed out.
"You really have a death wish today, don't you?" Megatron snapped back, glaring daggers at the Autobot Leader.
"What is the problem?" Asked the Librarian, eager to help, with his old affable voice.
"I want to accompany Megatron back to Cybertron to help him." Said Optimus, loud and clear.
Every present mech and human stiffened and stopped what they were doing to look back at their faction leaders.
"You have quite the nerve to announce that in front of everyone." Megatron hissed dangerously.
"So, what is the problem?" Insisted the old mech.
"The problem? That he is going to get shot the moment he lands a foot on Cybertronian ground." Megatron huffed. "And I already have many problems to care about Optimus getting killed and causing another war because of that."
"But we are here right now, and we are not killing each other." The old Prime pointed out. "And I am sure that the rest of the Decepticons back in Cybertron will understand it if you explain it to them. They respect you. They trust you. They will obey you."
The Decepticon Leader ran a servo down his helm, actually reconsidering the idea.
"Megatron." Said Optimus, approaching and placing a servo on his brother's shoulder-plates. "I have faith in you." He said, looking at him right into his crimson optics. Megatron's glare softened by the briefest of seconds.
"Arhg! Fine! But don't come back to me whining when you get blasted!" Megatron gave up with an aggravated sigh and a face-palm.
"Wait, what are you speaking about? Are you seriously going to Cybertron with them, Optimus?" Ironhide barked.
"Yes." Optimus replied, all seriousness. Ironhide recoiled a step. Jazz grabbed Prowl's shoulder, sensing that the tactician was about to glitch.
"But... WHY?" Ironhide cried.
"Because Optimus and Megatron are getting married. Human style." Skywarp suddenly piped in.
Everyone fell in the umpteenth awkward silence of the day.
A silence that was broken by the sound of Prowl collapsing onto the ground. Jazz was so shocked that he completely failed at stopping the fall of the Autobot Second in Command.
"Hah, I told you I could do it, Frenzy!" Chimed the black seeker.
"Oh my Primus, that mental image is going to haunt me in my recharges forever!" Wailed Sunstreaker.
"With Optimus in the white dress and Megatron in the black suit, or the other way around?" Asked Sideswipe.
And that was when the silence of the morning was shattered by a much louder crashing sound as another cybertronian collapsed onto the ground.
"Shockwave!" Exclaimed Megatron, glaring daggers at the black seeker and then at the silvery Autobot, who were both trying to muffle their laughter.
But Alpha Trion was quicker than anyone, and rewarded the snickering mechs with well earned smacks to the helm, at the same time, one with each servo. The feared 'double-smack-to-the-helm' of the ancient Prime.
Starscream did a great job at keeping a straight face, and added Skywarp and Sideswipe to his growing list of mechs who had received the punishment of the old Prime. 'Oh, and I think that I may have discovered for whom Shockwave cares for', he thought for himself, amused.
"It seems that after all, my med-bay is going to be used today." Ratchet gave a long sigh.
"Well, I think that we all need some explanations before we start drawing hasty conclusions." Sighed Optimus.
"Explanations?" Murmured Megatron. "Vacations. I need some vacations from all this madness." He continued grumbling.
[A/N]: Woah, this was a fast update, but it is because I was looking forward since the beggining of this fic to write this. The whole part about the Decepticons coming back to Earth. And I have tons of ideas I still have to write for the next chapters. I hope this turned out fine and I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. Eleonor had not had a lot of prominence in this chapter, and Soundwave had not said anything... but they will have more things to do in the next chapters, I promise. Let me know what you think! I appreciate all the comments and I always reply to them!