*Chapter 21: Matrix of Blood*
Bumblebee returns to Sam and Camron as he transforms with a sad look in his eyes. He told them about Mayu, and Camron's jaw dropped to the ground. Sam had his hand over his face, sighing. Mayu will be missed. Then, Optimus drove up and transformed to see Bumblebee with the boys. He can see sadness in them.
"Bumblebee, where is Hope?" He asked. Bumblebee looked at the leader. Camron came up to Optimus, holding back tears.
"Optimus...Mayu's dead." He said. Optimus made a shock look, his shuts his optics. He opened them again.
"Mayu was a brave young soldier." He said. "She will be dearly missed." Camron nodded, rubbing his left eye. He couldn't believe that he lost a friend already. Too soon. He wondered how Hope reacted to it.
"If only we make there in time." Bumblebee said. "Hope was very upset. She went to the city to fight off Black Widow." Optimus didn't say a word. He transforms into a truck to drive to the city to find Hope. Bumblebee turned to Sam and Mayu. "I have to go with Optimus. You two stay put." He said.
"Wait, Bee." Sam said. "I'm coming with you. I helped you before, and now I have to help my little cousin out there."
"If you're going, then I'm going too. She's my sister!" Camron said. "She's out there with no help!" Bumblebee transformed and Sam got inside as Camron got in the backseat. "Let's go!" So, they drive off to the city. "We have to fight to save our planet. And for our family and friends we have lost so much because of the Decepticons." Camron said. Sam smiled a bit at him.
Malam ran up to the tank and climbed on it when Soundwave transformed and got on the street. Malam aimed with her crossbow until Evac appeared behind her and started to shoot Soundwave. Malam pulled the trigger and shot Soundwave's eye out. Evac jumped on the Con to wrestle with him, and then aimed his cannon at his head. Malam looked up and saw Black Widow flying down towards Evac, so Malam quickly loaded her arrow and shoot her in the leg, making her scream and fall on the street. Soundwave pushed Evac off of him and came to Black Widow.
"I got the human! You take down the Autobot!" Black Widow ordered with a growl. Soundwave nodded in understood and got up to fight with Evac, but was shot by Malam was again in the other eye. Before Evac could kill Soundwave, Black Widow made a scream at him, making him back away and cover his head. She is walking towards him, but Malam jumped on her and begin to choke her.
"You bitch!" Malam yelled. "You killed my family! And now, you will die!"
"You want to die just like Mayu?" Black Widow asked with a smirk. She kicked Malam off of her. "You will be joining her soon, dear." Malam sat up and crawled away a bit. Just then, a giant metal hand strikes Black Widow away from Malam. Black Widow screamed and crash against the building. Optimus had his sword out, glaring at her. Malam grunted and stood up as she watched Optimus glaring at Black Widow who is on the ground, grunting.
"Enough of this, Black Widow." Optimus growled.
"Hello again, Prime." Black Widow said. "Never found Unicron? That's a shame, because he is looking for you as well. Which is more important to you? Me or Unicron?"
"We can kill you both. You have made the others suffer for too long." Optimus replied. "Time to make you regret everything you have done. Especially what you have done to my mate back at Cybertron!" He swings his sword at Black Widow who dodged him and got on his back and uses her purple laser bullets on him, but Evac grabbed her and throw her off. "Evac, take Malam out of here! She cannot be around Black Widow!" Optimus said. "I will fight her!"
"But, all of us here need your help, Optimus!" Evac said. "One of the soldiers is injured, and Ratchet was busy fighting with Barricade! We need you right here, right now!" Before Optimus could reply, Black Widow got and made a charge at him, but then the force field blocked her from getting near Optimus and Evac. Black Widow was bounced back. There's Hope standing behind Black Widow with a look on her face. Arriving behind her is Bumblebee, Sam, and Camron.
"Leave the Autobots alone, Black Widow!" Hope said.
"Hope! Get out of here!" Optimus says with a look in his optics. "It's too dangerous to be here!" A chuckle was heard from Black Widow. She got up and stares at Hope. But then, Hope got on her knees with a groan. Camron came to his sister.
"Hope? What's wrong?" He asked, but Black Widow approached with a smirk.
"She's growing weak by using her power for too long around her Autobot friends. But, she refuses to undo the force field now." She said. "If I were you, I would stop now. You don't want to grow more weak and die soon, do you?" Hope undo her force field, and Optimus was about to approach to Black Widow.
"Don't get any close to the younglings, Black Widow." He warned. "I promised Primus that I will kill you myself and Unicron and the Cons."
"Unicron is way too powerful, Prime." Black Widow said. "He has so much. Only except that there is a piece of the All Spark missing back the colosseum and there is a Matrix out there!"
"You mean these?" Hope asked, taking out the Matrix and the All Spark. Black Widow gasped a bit. Hope stood up and Camron took a step back.
"What the...? How did you get the All Spark?!" Black Widow asked. "You give that back to me...!"
"No." Hope said with a glare. "What would happen to a Psyche like me once I use the All Spark? Will I die? Or use the power of it?" Black Widow glared at her. The Matrix began to glow in Hope's hands. Hope dug her hand in the All Spark, and dips of blood fell on the ground next to her feet. Black Widow's eyes grew wide.
"What are you doing?!" She asked. Hope opened her hand and the All Spark was covered in blood. Suddenly, it fades away in the air. "What?! Noooo! What have you done?!" Black Widow shouted and took out her blade. Hope held on the Matrix with a glare. "Give me that..." Black Widow growled.
"Then come and get it..." Hope said in a low voice.
"Hope! No!" Optimus shouted. Black Widow made a fast move and charged at Hope with her blade, and then everything around them is turn bright and a scream is heard from Black Widow. Camron and Sam covered their eyes from the light. Moments later, the light dies, and there is Black Widow on the ground, but unharmed. Optimus opened his optics and look down in horror. Hope was on the ground on her side. On Black Widow's blade, there is blood. She stabbed Hope in the light! Sam came over to Hope and rolled her and found the Matrix stabbed into her chest, and blood is stained on her sweater. Optimus bent down and gently picked up Hope in his giant hands. Hope sacrificed herself to save him and everyone? Why did she do this?
"Hope...?" Camron whispered, forming tears. Bumblebee chirped in sorrow. Optimus had energon tears falling from his optics when he looked at Hope. A groan was heard from her, she's alive, but...she is weak from blood loss. She opened her eyes a bit to see Optimus' face.
"Optimus... I'm...so sorry I had to do this..." She said in a whisper.
"Why did you do this for us? It was foolish of you to do such a thing! Especially to a Psyche." Optimus cried. "Why Hope?"
"I didn't sacrifice myself to save everyone and you. I sacrifice myself to...save those who we have lost. Mayu...my family...and yours..." Hope replied. "Mayu didn't deserve to die back there, Optimus. She is our friend and she is a Psyche like me...but...she said I'm the true Psyche that the Cons wanted. Not her or the ones who are."
"Hope..." Optimus whispered.
"Optimus...I'm sorry. But, there's something I want you to know..." Hope says, gasping for breath. "I...l-love y-you...Optimus Prime." The leader of the Autobots didn't even react, but inside his spark, he was shocked. The young human loves him. "Take care of my brother..." Hope said, letting out her breath. Her life is slowly going away.
"No..." Optimus whispered. "No, Hope. No!" Evac and Malam listened to the leader's sorrow. Malam had tears in her eyes. Hope is dead, like Mayu. Black Widow groaned a bit and look up to see Optimus crying over Hope in his hands. She recalled what happened in the light. She killed Hope... Before she could smirk in victory, Bumblebee angrily grabbed her with his hand, glaring at her.
"You did this!" He said. "Hope was our friend!"
"It needs to be done, Autobot. Now that little human was out of the way, our Psyche that Megatron and I have created will be powerful than yours!" Black Widow said. Optimus lowered Hope to the ground where Sam was before. Optimus stood up and went over to Bumblebee. Black Widow was dropped to the ground and Optimus uses his hand to pin her down.
"You will die, Black Widow." He said in a low voice. Before he could kill her, a bullet shot Optimus on the side. Bumblebee turned to see Megatron coming towards them with a gun. Sam picked up Hope and went over to Malam and Evac. Malam told him that Evac will take Hope's body to the safer area. Camron came to Optimus as Bumblebee stood in front to protect his human friend and leader.
"Get your hands off of my lady, Prime." Megatron warned him. "I would feel pity for your little human pet, but she is nothing but trouble. Cyrinn, our Psyche, is twice as powerful as her, Prime." Optimus stood up again and glared at Megatron. Black Widow got up to be by Megatron's side. Camron came by Bumblebee's side with a hatred look in his emerald eyes.
"You have to get through us if you plan to kill our friend, Megatron! And I am not afraid to fight you or Cyrinn!" Camron said. Megatron laughed.
"You have a brave spark, little one." He said. "I could easily squash you like a little bug!" Malam appeared next to Camron with her crossbow.
"We are not afraid to die, Megatron. You and your lady friend will be stopped by us! We may be small, but we are strong!" Malam said. Optimus formed a small smile, but frowned at Megatron who snorted in disgust. Optimus had lost Elita-1 years ago back at Cybertron, Mayu, and now lost Hope, his human he is close to. Black Widow will pay for everything she had done.
Evac placed Hope laying against the boulder outside of the city of Rome. He pulled out the Matrix from Hope's chest. After he did that, Hope's chest began to glow... Evac can see that her chest is slowly healing. That must mean...
"Hope? Can you hear me? Are you alive?" Evac asked, bending down to look at her face. Her hands on her sides twitched a bit. "Oh Primus, you're alive! You're really alive!" Evac said in relief. Hope's eyes are still shut, but she keeps making groaning noises. "Hope? Can you hear me?" Evac asked.
"...Who...is there...?" Hope asked in a weak voice.
"It's me, Evac." The Autobot replied. "Hope, open your eyes! Hope, can you hear me? Hope?"
Hope was walking in the darkness and found a light ahead of her, and a deep voice was heard in front of her. Appearing from the light is a giant bot. So giant, bigger than Optimus or Megatron. Hope watched it kneel down to look at her awe expression.
"Am I...dead?" Hope asked the giant robot. The robot smiled gently at her.
"Yes and no, youngling." He said. "You used a Matrix to see me. A Psyche uses it to see a Primus. Which is I." Hope's mouth opened. This the God of Cybertron, Primus. In respect, Hope made a bow by placing her hand over her chest and lowered her head and made a half curtsy.
"It's an honor to meet you, Primus." She said. She can hear him chuckle a bit at her. She stood straight up again to look at him in confusion. "What's so funny?"
"No need to be formal with me, Hope." Primus said. "And I am sorry for your loss of your family and friends, child. Unfortunately, the Matrix won't bring them back. I wish I could help you, but...their souls are at peace in their own world above." Hope frowned a bit. Primus smiled a bit at her. "Remember this, youngling. They will always be in your spark. And you are a Psyche I chose since you are born. I have been watching you from the very beginning and knew in my own spark, you are the only one who could bring peace to Earth and Cybertron. A Psyche Warrior." He said.
"Warrior..." Hope repeated. Primus reached out his hand towards her.
"You must go back, child. The Autobots, even Optimus Prime, needs you." He said. "Take my hand, Hope. Fulfill your destiny. One touch...and you will be a warrior for your world and our world." Hope stares at him in silent. Her destiny is in her now. A Psyche Warrior. That's who she is, and Primus chose her to be one. But, she needs to know why. But, her answer is in her heart. Her heart is strong, and she is a fighter. Never be afraid. So, Hope reached for Primus' hand. As she touched it a bright light appears around them. "A Psyche Warrior must finish the fight..." Primus' voice said in Hope's mind. "Do not be afraid. And do not forget...you have a brave spark."
In reality, Hope's eyes shot open and gasp for breath. Evac came to her in shock. Hope's chest began to glow. Blue aura appeared around her and she was lifted off the ground. Evac watched her above him in confusion. Flames appear around Hope, and there are two pieces of clothing on her. A metal top with a red bow with a silver star gem, black short sleeves, and a blue mini skirt with flames on the bottom. High heeled boots with flames. On the back of her hair, there is a hair bow with a Autobot logo. Silver arm bands, and a energon sword appearing in her hand. Hope floats down on the ground and stood up, looking at her transformation uniform.
"Hope...what happened to you?" Evac asked. "And...how did you survive?" Hope looked at her hands and her sword. Primus made her come back and become a Psyche Warrior. So, it begins.
"Evac, take me to Optimus Prime. We have a war to finish off." She said. "I'll explain everything later."