Normal POV
Luke was kidnapped by Lockdown to his ship and it left signs on everyone in the base. However, after Lockdown's attack, there was much to fix and so Autobots with help of Dinobots reconstructed the destroyed base. The most destructed parts were the roof and Optimus' office. Because Optimus' office was hit by the missile, Optimus gained major injuries. Ratchet had to put Optimus in stasis in order to repair the damaged parts of Optimus' body. One day, Ironhide entered the medical bay.
"Ratchet? How is his state?" Ironhide asked and Ratchet continued fixing, "I stabilized him. There are still some injuries but mostly on surface of his body." Ratchet said and Ironhide stepped next to him, "What do you think, Ratchet? What will happen to Luke now?" Ironhide asked and Ratchet opened Optimus' spark chamber, "What are you doing?" Ironhide asked more and Ratchet looked at the center of shining spark chamber, "I think we have lost Luke for good, Hide." Ratchet sighed.
"What do you want to say?" Ironhide asked, "We don't know where Luke was taken, our technologies can't locate him and if we have some chance against Decepticons, we can't allow them to kill our leader." Ratchet said and approached his servo to reach for Optimus' spark. All of sudden, Ironhide grabbed Ratchet's servo, "You want to cut that connection between them…" Ironhide asked and Ratchet nodded, "That's insane! You know it means certain death for both of those who carry the connection!" Ironhide said but Ratchet remained calm.
"Ironhide, Luke is lost! We can't do anything to save him! Without Optimus, we don't have any power against Lockdown or Megatron!" Ratchet said, "And you would kill Luke to save Optimus?! What is wrong with you?! I saw how you treated the boy with love! Now you give up on him?!" Ironhide told Ratchet off, "As much as I miss Luke, we can't prefer him to safety of our leader." Ratchet said, "Ratchet! Listen to what you say! Do you think that Optimus would be proud of what you are saying?!" Ironhide glared at him.
Ratchet looked at Optimus' chest and after thinking few minutes he decided to close the spark chamber. Ironhide put his own servo on Ratchet's shoulder, "We will find Luke… now repair Optimus' armor so he can lead." Ironhide said and left Ratchet in medical bay. Meanwhile in lair of Decepticons, Lockdown landed his ship on the rocks and brought Luke in cage in the main cave, "What do you bring us, Lockdown?" Megatron said and looked at the cage, seeing sleeping Luke inside. His eyes widened, "That boy?!" Megatron growled.
"Yes, it's that boy. And now, I want my bounty…" Lockdown muttered. He noticed a bag of his bounty, "You served us well, Lockdown. You deserve the bounty." Sentinel said and stood behind Megatron. Luke's eyes opened and he noticed that he's among Decepticons so he listened to their conversation, "Thank you, Sentinel Prime. Goodbye…" Lockdown said and left. Luke was surprised by the name Lockdown mentioned, "Sentinel Prime?!" Luke thought to his consternation that he has already heard that name before.
"Megatron, take him!" Sentinel ordered and Megatron pulled Luke by his legs out of the cage. Luke stared at the cave full of Decepticons with fear, "We meet again, boy!" Megatron said, "Don't mess around, Megatron! Put him on the magnetic wall!" Sentinel said and Megatron tied Luke to the magnetic wall after Starscream turned it on, "Finally I can see the fleshing my descendant protects so much." The big red Decepticon said while he faced Luke, "You're… you're Sentinel Prime!" Luke asked and Sentinel nodded.
"Clever fleshing you are… I know you are different from other fleshings. Not only by the information about you, but you also contain something special for us. The AllSpark shard!" Sentinel said, "Sentinel… why are you doing this? Why do you cooperate with Decepticons…?" Luke asked, "Because I need to defeat Optimus!" Sentinel said, "What did Optimus ever do to you?!" Luke asked, "Optimus Prime is my student, I am his mentor… I thought he was suitable for being Prime but if he works with fleshings and let them control us, he doesn't deserve that title!" Sentinel grumbled.
"Optimus is a great Prime! He will prove it once he gets here with other Autobots to kick your asses!" Luke shouted. Then he got electrocuted by the wall, "I don't doubt about your predictions, little one. I will help to motivate him." Sentinel said, "And how do you want to do it?" Luke said hoarsely and Sentinel chuckled, "What is so funny…?" Luke asked, "Does your connection with him still work?" Sentinel asked and Luke froze on place. He knew that Sentinel planned torture.
Optimus' POV
I woke up in the bed at medical bay, Ratchet nowhere. I saw each of my Autobots working on the base outside. When I realized what was going on, a deep feeling of sorrow got into my spark. Luke was gone. He was gone and it was my fault that I couldn't secure the base enough from Lockdown. I felt something definitely wasn't right with Luke. Ratchet entered the medical bay and ran to me, trying to lay me down, "You need to rest, Optimus!" He said but I just pushed his servos off of me.
"Ratchet… as Prime I order you to call each Autobot in the hangar, don't forget about Dinobots either… we have to act!" I said, "Optimus but it's too soon to…" Ratchet tried to argue, "There is no time for arguments, Ratchet! Do it!" I said and Ratchet ran to the hangar to call everyone inside. As I tried to stand up on my own feet, I fought the fatigue which wanted me to collapse. I managed to get myself out of the medical bay and stand in front of them. Autobots listened to my speech. Now it was matter of time when we would find Luke!
Normal POV
It has been six months since Luke was kidnapped. Autobots had no clue where to find him even they were spread all over the world. Slowly the hope at base was decreasing, the desperation was increasing but only Optimus tried to keep the hope at base. Meanwhile, Luke was still dealing with Decepticons' torture. For whole six months, Luke was connected to wires providing him rehydration but no food. Luke was supported only with water and his body became anorectic. Ribs were visible through the skin and cheeks were making dimples in his face.
Eyes were bogged down deeper in his skull and while he was tied to the wall, breathing became painful. His body was mostly metallic already due to the AllSpark. "Master?" Megatron asked Sentinel who watched Luke closely, "What is it, Megatron?" Sentinel asked back, "It's been six months… I don't think Optimus will come…" Megatron said and Sentinel came closer to Luke, "Well, boy? Are you still sure about Optimus?" Sentinel asked but Luke remained silent. No answer from him, not even an eye contact. Eyes empty, face empty, full of hopelessness.
Luke's POV
Where is Optimus? Where are Autobots? Where is my hope? I was waiting for Optimus and Autobots for six months. I still convinced Decepticons that they will come, but as the time was running, my efforts and hopes were fading away. I kept telling myself that it will be over and Optimus will show them who's the right Prime. I was still tied to the wall and with some injections and wires connected to my body. I could feel all the energy vaporizing out of me and my body part by part becoming metallic as the AllSpark did that effect.
"Sentinel, be wise. Optimus is not coming and that boy is useless already…" Megatron snorted. Sentinel looked at me, "I guess you are right, Megatron… but before we throw him away, let's just get what belongs to us." Sentinel said and that was something I was afraid of him to say. Sentinel was able to control telekinesis so it was no problem for him to find the shard in my body. He just hovered his hand over me and I could feel how the shard in my body tried to make its way through my tissue, "AAAARGH!" I shouted of pain.
The pain what shard made in my body was impossible and my body reacted to it as well. The same reaction as in Pentagon, my body created energetic beam of light and it sent electromagnetic wave all around.
Ratchet's POV
"Don't give up! We must be clo…" Optimus said but he was interrupted as sudden electric shock ran through his body, "Optimus?!" I ran to Optimus but then I felt my body not listening me. All my body parts started random transformations and I could do nothing, "This feeling…! Not again…!" I said, "Ratchet! Something happened with the shard!" Optimus said. Random transformations stopped as quickly as they started. Ratchet knelt on the ground, "Optimus! Look at the map!" I pointed at the map.
Optimus looked at it and talked through the communicational link, "Autobots! It's time to strike! Open portal heading to the coordinates I will send you! Roll out!" Optimus said.
Normal POV
Each Autobot opened the portal to the battle field. Sentinel had Luke in his grip, "You served your purpose well. Now you're useless…" Sentinel said and threw forceless Luke in back of the cave. Luke lost the shard and so the metallic part of his body reduced. Half of his body was diagonally metallic, the other one remained flesh and the former metallic part left only red tissue, "Sentinel! Autobots are here!" Megatron said and Sentinel followed Megatron outside of the cave. They left Luke lying there on the ground.
Optimus was standing on the other side of gap, "Sentinel!" Optimus shouted, "Optimus! You've decided to come, finally!" Sentinel said, "Where is the boy, Sentinel?! What have you done to him?!" Optimus growled, "I did what I intended to do to bring you here…" Sentinel continued in cold manner. Optimus growled in anger and then put on his battle mask. Optimus jumped over the gap and with his sword he attacked Sentinel who pulled out his blade as well, "Come on, guys! Optimus can't do it alone!"
Ironhide said and jumped over the gap, helping Optimus with getting Megatron away from him. Other Autobots got to the rest of Decepticons trying to handle them, "You don't deserve the Prime title! You're working with fleshings!" Sentinel shouted at Optimus as he was swinging his blade against Optimus' sword. Sentinel kept pushing Optimus backwards and then it came. Optimus fell off the cliff but he was in time to grab the rock to hold himself from falling down. Sentinel kneeled above Optimus, putting blade on the other side of rock.
"Poor Optimus… if I knew you won't be able to beat me, maybe you would have not become Prime. I know what I am talking about. Your soldiers need better and stronger leader, and that is me. Unfortunately for you, I am afraid that you wi-… Ugh!" Sentinel was silenced by Optimus' blade stuck in spark of Sentinel, "Optimus… you…" Sentinel coughed out energon, "Prime who is fond of pact with Decepticons doesn't deserve Prime title. Prime who would let weak one perish is not worth of being Prime! Sentinel Prime, you have been blinded all the time!"
Optimus said and pulled his sword out. Sentinel smiled at Optimus in his last seconds of life and then fell into the abyss of the gap. Optimus watched his fall and then he pulled himself up from the gap. He joined his Autobots and all of them entered the cave full of Decepticons' equipment, "It's so dark in here… but where is Luke?" Chromia asked, "I am right here…" Luke said hoarsely from the deep darkness of the cave, "Luke…?" Arcee asked and Bumblebee turned his reflectors on.
The cave was illuminated and Autobots spotted Luke standing at the end of the cave, "L-Luke…?" Bumblebee stuttered as he saw Luke's state. Luke looked like walking undead corpse with ribs visible through skin and red tissue left after the metal part of his body, "For Primus' sake!" Hound gulped, "Luke, I am so sorry…" Optimus apologized, "Sorry? Sorry for what, Optimus? Sorry for the fact you couldn't defend me?" Luke asked, "We were trying to find you. There were no signs of you… I wish I could have done more that night…"
Optimus regret, "It was six months… six of the most terribly fucked months of my life! I can't believe that I am still standing here and living! Do you understand?!" Luke shouted, "I know, Luke… all that time I was worried about you. I was the only one who was hoping to see you again… please Luke… I promise Decepticons without their leadership will not do anything like this again!" Optimus begged but Luke turned himself to face the rock, "How can I be so sure?! I am not a human, neither Cybertronian… I am just mistake of nature!" Luke complained.
Luke cried from his human eye as the other one was metallic. He didn't pay attention as he felt pair of arms wrapping around his waist. It was Bumblebee, "P-Please… I wish to end this…" Luke begged desperately, collapsing in Bumblebee's embrace.