Charlotte flinched when Megatron grabbed her wrist; his grip was painful, and Charlotte could only think of the bruises that had been on Judgement's wrist for weeks after Megatron had got a hold of her. The Vehicon forced herself to look into Megatron's eyes, and she hoped the fear that was coursing through her did not show in her eyes.
"Get the medic that works here, or I'll find her child and make sure she never ignores me again!" he roared.
Charlotte stumbled when he roughly shoved her away. Behind Megatron, Dreadwing was standing with his arms crossed, looking a little confused as to why Megatron had mistakenly threatened Steve as if he were a she, and more specifically, a vain and redheaded she. Charlotte had other things to worry about than Megatron's madness, however, and she hurried toward the back of the med-bay, rotating her wrist in an attempt to lessen the pain.
"Steve?"
There was no response. Charlotte began to panic. If Steve wasn't here, then Megatron was going to take his anger out on her, though Steve's absence was not her fault. She doubted that Dreadwing would do anything to defend her. Starscream had recently become unreliable, sometimes being helpful, sometimes lashing out at the nearest living thing; it was as if she couldn't decide whether to act like a dictating Decepticon officer or a Cybertronian with an actual set of morals.
Growing desperate, Charlotte reached out with her mind. Steve, where are you? STEVE!
Mentally shouting was rude, but it got Steve's attention. Charlie, what's wrong?
Where are you?
Just outside the med-bay. I had to patch up some injuries a few Vehicons sustained when a piece of mining equipment blew. What's the problem?
Megatron is here for you. Charlotte felt a flash of fear through the mental connection before Steve cut it off.
Trying to slow her breathing, which she was failing at miserably, Charlotte slowly walked back toward Megatron and Dreadwing. She noticed that Megatron was holding something in his hand, something which made Charlotte's skin crawl. Even Dreadwing seemed unsettled, wings twitching anxiously. Perhaps he was less concerned with the thing in Megatron's hand, but more unnerved by the box he held in his arms. He must have been hiding the little box earlier when his arms were crossed, though whether this was accidental or intentional, Charlotte didn't know.
The med-bay door slid open and Steve walked in, and Charlotte felt relieved as Megatron and Dreadwing turned their attention to him. Then she felt guilty for feeling relieved as she didn't want Steve to be hurt.
"I hope she was worth it," Megatron growled.
Steve paused, clearly puzzled. "Ah, I suppose you mean I was late getting here because I was with a woman. I was not, Lord Megatron. What may I help with you today?"
Megatron threw the purple thing onto the nearest berth, and Charlotte involuntarily took a step back as some sort of energy sparked off the chunk of glowing crystal. An almost sickening aura surrounded the shard of whatever it was. From Dreadwing's reaction, Charlotte assumed it was the thing that had him so anxious. Steve looked startled.
"Where did you find that?" he asked.
"Here, surprisingly. Perhaps Earth is more connected to Cybertron than I previously realized," Megatron answered. "I believe I will have to rule both Earth and Cybertron to reach the full potential of reigning. To rule one planet is to rule only one half the empire."
"Perhaps you should concern yourself with ruling Cybertron before you worry about the inferior planet of Earth and its Homo sapien occupants."
Charlotte jumped as Starscream appeared from behind Dreadwing, her angular features pulled into a sneer. Her red bangs were braided and clipped to the back of her head, resulting in a red braid on the right side of her head, contrasting with her raven hair. Just below the braid rested her silver circlet.
"Watch your mouth, Starscream," Megatron warned, voice low. "I will rule both planets. But you are right about concerning myself with ruling Cybertron. Soundwave warned me I would have to kill the Liaison to rule Cybertron, but given Ratchet's connection to the Prime, I believe I will only have to kill Optimus himself and she'll be so distraught – as will the rest of the Autobots – that I can dispatch of them without much of a challenge."
"Last time you fought Optimus, he won," Starscream pointed out.
Megatron snarled. Charlotte had to give Starscream credit for not flinching away. "The Star Saber does give him a bit of an edge, but I can fight against it with this." He gestured to the chunk of glowing purple. "Dark Energon, created from the spilt blood of Unicron himself."
Starscream looked at the Dark Energon. She frowned, and Charlotte thought she looked a little frightened, before turning back to Megatron. Suddenly, she gasped.
"You ingested some of it, didn't you?"
"It gives me more strength than you'll ever know, Starscream," Megatron said. He leaned forward in a threatening manner, and Charlotte noticed the purple tint to his eyes. "I could rip you limb from limb and not even strain."
"It'll kill you," Steve warned, speaking up. "Consuming Dark Energon only has a short period of gain, and the price is high."
Starscream laughed, flashing Steve a look. "Those are just rumors. Lord Megatron, if eating this Dark Energon gives you the edge to defeat Optimus Prime, then gorge yourself. There is no substantial evidence to suggest that Dark Energon is only a momentary gain."
"I intend to use the Dark Energon in a more direct way, though I do enjoy the thought of surprising Optimus with my Darkened strength," Megatron replied. "I intend to make the counterpart to Optimus's largest advantage, the Star Saber. I will create the Dark Star Saber, made from Dark Energon and the souls of dying Cybertronians, just as the Star Saber was created from the heart of a star, Energon, and the righteousness of Primus himself."
"The crafting of a Star Saber, or even a Dark Star Saber, is tricky business, and I do not believe we are equipped for such a crafting," Starscream said with a knowing smirk.
"The Forge of Solus Prime could do it," Steve recalled. He glanced at Charlotte as he said this; in his look, Charlotte could see just how nervous and uncomfortable he was.
"I stole the Forge from the Autobots some time ago," Megatron informed them. "So long ago that Optimus most likely doesn't remember that I have it."
"Or perhaps he is not worried about the Forge being in your possession as only a Prime can harness its power, same as the Star Saber," Starscream said, rolling her eyes.
"That is where you come in." Megatron turned to Steve, who looked startled to be signaled out. The leader of the Decepticons gestured to Dreadwing, and the Seeker lieutenant set the small box down on the berth, before backing up to stand beside Starscream. Megatron opened the box and Charlotte leaned forward in spite of herself to see nothing but what looked like skinny, white rocks that had been wore away by many centuries of weather. "These are the finger bones of Solus Prime herself."
"You desecrated her grave?" Steve asked, voice higher than usual.
Charlotte herself was horrified by the thought of raiding a tomb – and one of the original Primes' tombs at that! Starscream looked startled, and Dreadwing was frowning as if he was suddenly realizing just how far Megatron's madness reached.
"I want her bones in my hands. Then the Forge of Solus Prime will think I am a Prime and I can craft my Dark Star Saber," Megatron said, eyes alight with the light of a crazed triumph.
"What you are asking for is a…you'd need a real medic, Lord Megatron. Someone who actually trained at the Iacon Medical Academy," Steve said.
Megatron growled. "All those sorry excuses for medics work under Optimus Prime. You will find a way to make her bones mine or I'll make her pay." Megatron pointed at Charlotte.
Megatron may have been crazy, but he was an intelligent man, which made him all the more dangerous. He had made that comment about Steve being with a woman earlier to see what his reaction would be. Then Megatron had concluded, correctly, that the only woman Steve would be with was Charlotte. In fact, the warlord might have known that fact the entire time.
Steve shot Charlotte a look, and she forced herself to smile bravely at him, trying to ignore the digit Megatron was still pointing in her direction. Steve swallowed and then turned to Megatron. "I'll see what I can do. I won't let you down, Lord Megatron."
"See that you don't," Megatron said. He turned to Dreadwing and Starscream. "Where could I find the body of a loyal Decepticon to steal the soul from to use for the Dark Star Saber?"
Starscream and Dreadwing shared a look, before Dreadwing rumbled, "My twin, Skyquake, was a loyal Decepticon."
"I remember Skyquake," Megatron told him. He sent a meaningful look in Starscream's direction. "His death occurred when I was…recovering…from a spacebridge explosion. Could you direct us to Skyquake's grave, Princess?"
"Of course."
"We'll leave in ten minutes." Megatron turned and walked out of the med-bay. Dreadwing followed him, glancing back at the Dark Energon once.
Starscream started to leave, but she paused when Steve said, "You convinced Megatron it was safe to consume the Dark Energon. It will kill him."
"If only we were so lucky." With those final words, Starscream exited the med-bay.
Charlotte wasn't so sure how much of an ally Starscream was. Her identity had been Megatron's wife for so long that it had been a while since she had been herself. Now, she was becoming her own individual, and Charlotte wasn't so sure she liked Starscream. Megatron's wife and second in command Starscream had vowed to kill every Autobot to win the war; this new Starscream was either manipulating both sides to end the war or to continue the war so that when it finally ended she was the ultimate ruler…assuming she wasn't dead. New Starscream might fight to save Stephen's or even Steve's life, but rumor was that she was the one who had killed Shockwave. Now she was wishing for the death of her husband.
Charlotte was pulled from her musings by Steve, as he groaned and cried, "Charlie, I don't know if I can do this!"
Coming around the berth, he grabbed her hands, not bothered in the least about the ugly scars that Charlotte had contemplated covering with gloves. "You have to run. Get off the Nemesis and as far from the Decepticons as possible," he whispered.
"If I leave, Megatron will only punish you instead," Charlotte replied. "I'm staying here."
"But if I fail –"
"You will not fail!" Charlotte interrupted forcefully. "You may not have been to the Iacon Medical Academy, but Knock Out trained you, and she was trained there. You will not fail in this task, Steve. I have full faith in you."
"Oh, Charlie, I love you," Steve breathed. He leaned forward to press his forehead to Charlotte's. "At the first chance we get, we have to get away from here."
"That's not happening."
Charlotte and Steve jumped. Dreadwing stood in the doorway, red eyes staring at them.
"From now on, this med-bay is your home. You will patch up injuries here, sleep here, and eat the Energon allotted to you by Lord Megatron here," he said. "The door locks from the outside from now on. Be ready for Lord Megatron's surgery later this afternoon." He glanced at the sickly glowly Dark Energon. "If you fail, Lord Megatron could always use some lab rats."
Dreadwing stepped back and the door slid shut. The sound was infinitely louder than it had ever been before, and Charlotte could practically feel her freedom being cut off. She grabbed Steve's hand.
"Steve, you cannot fail."
"I know."
Ratchet was standing next to Bumblebee's crib, holding the baby in her arms as she gently swayed back and forth. She sang softly, and Optimus found himself smiling. He'd heard Ratchet sing a few times before, back on Cybertron before the war, but it never ceased to amaze him how good she was.
Soothed by his mother's voice and the motion of the swaying, Bumblebee finally went to sleep. It was late at night, and Optimus had been unable to get his son to settle down. Finally, it was up to a mother's touch. Her song and her presence had done the trick.
Ratchet gently set Bumblebee down in the crib and then turned to Optimus, hands on her hips. One eyebrow was quirked in a triumphant manner; she was clearly enjoying the fact that she had finally been able to get their son to sleep, while Optimus had proven to be a failure.
Before she could say anything, someone lightly knocked on the door to their room. While Ratchet checked to make sure that Bumblebee didn't wake, Optimus walked toward the door and slowly opened it to see Ultra Magnus.
"What is it?" Optimus asked.
"There's a call for you, Sir," Ultra Magnus replied. "I think you might be surprised by the caller."
Ratchet appeared at Optimus's side, which meant that Bumblebee hadn't been awoken by Ultra Magnus's arrival. Ultra Magnus didn't say anything else, but instead walked toward the main area of the hanger. Knock Out, who had been standing nearby, joined him, matching her pace with his.
Optimus followed them, aware of Ratchet as his side. He recalled his dream in which Ratchet had turned into Alpha Trion – somehow, he could see a little of his old mentor in his wife. Both were unpredictable, and both had this way of carrying themselves that suggested they held much more power than one would discern just by looking at them.
Shaking away the lingering thoughts, Optimus composed his emotions as he approached the communications console. Ratchet moved a few paces to his right, staying out of sight of the screen and whoever was waiting on the other side of the hold symbol. Ultra Magnus and Knock Out had stopped at the same point to Optimus's left. Up above the console, Jack and Miko leaned against the railing of the catwalk, looking down. Raf was sitting on the ground beside them, laptop in his lap, though he was looking at Ratchet; given the intensity of their looks, Optimus figured they were telepathically communicating, and he selfishly wished he had the telepathic capability to tap into their conversation. Fowler and June stood on the other side of Raf, Fowler's arm around June's waist.
Bulkhead and Wheeljack stood behind Optimus, their positions strategically placed so it would seem as if they weren't purposefully part of the image but would still remind the being on the other end that Optimus had backup. Their positions made Optimus a little nervous, and more anxious to know who exactly was on the other side. Arcee stood in the far left corner of the hanger, next to her motorcycle, out of the shot but still perfectly capable of hearing the conversation. Sideswipe and Smokescreen were with her, Smokescreen entertaining Sideswipe by letting the younger Cybertronian sit on his shoulders.
Optimus glanced at Ultra Magnus, who simply gestured to the console. The Prime noticed when Knock Out took a deep breath and then pulled her chin up in a determined manner. Shifting his eyes once to Ratchet, who met his gaze evenly with her own, Optimus reached forward to hit the activation button.
The swirling symbol on the screen was immediately replaced by the sneering face of Megatron. In the dark light of the Nemesis, the scars on his face had a magenta tint, and his red eyes looked very purple. His dark hair reflected back the blues and purples of the lights on the bridge; his dull gray wings offered no sheen, a direct contrast to the bright, silver wings of Starscream standing behind him. The red of her braided bangs and primary feathers were two shades darker in the lighting.
In the farthest corners of the screens, far back from the communications console on the Nemesis, were Steve and Dreadwing. A rather small gathering, Optimus noted, and he wondered just how much infighting had been going on within the Decepticon ranks and how many lives it had cost.
Knock Out's show of bravery suddenly made sense.
In response to Megatron not being alone, Ratchet moved up beside Optimus, mirroring Starscream in a sense. Ultra Magnus closed ranks, and Optimus figured Knock Out did as well, seeing as how Megatron growled and his eyes darted in that direction. Knock Out didn't gulp or run away, so Optimus felt bad for misjudging her bravery and expecting her to.
"Megatron," Optimus said, meeting his old – friend's? enemy's? – burning gaze with his own. "To what do we owe the pleasure? Are you finally prepared to call off this war and compose a truce?"
"Hardly, Optimus. I've called to announce the end of the Autobots. You will die, and your wife, and your son – and any other bot who claimed allegiance to you." Megatron's eyes darted to Knock Out again. "No matter for how short an amount of time."
Knock Out's snarl surprised Optimus, but he didn't turn to look, trusting Ultra Magnus to handle her. Optimus himself was fighting back a rush of anger as Megatron directly threatened his wife and son, both of whom had already been through so much because of the Decepticon warlord. Years of practice and an abundance of self-control kept Optimus from changing his expression. Ratchet pressed up against him, and he could imagine her expression - fierce and utterly cold with just the faintest hint of anger, the very expression that had terrified misbehaving Autobots for years.
"You must have something to have boosted your confidence, Megatron. I am interested to know if you would tell me just what it is you have in store for us Autobots as our defeat is near, or so you say," Optimus replied, keeping his voice steady.
Optimus could feel the tension in the room. Sideswipe and Smokescreen had gone silent, and Optimus imagined them watching the conversation along with Arcee. June looked worried, casting glances at the kids, who were all tense and looking down. Fowler was scowling and he pulled June closer to him, perhaps subconsciously. Jack was gripping the railing so hard, his knuckles were white.
"You may have thought you gained the upper hand when you finally claimed the Star Saber, Prime, but I have a weapon that can rival that sword of yours blow for blow," Megatron gloated. He held up a glowing, purple blade with sharp, jagged edges. The hand which held the blade was covered in angry wounds, running down his fingers and the back of his hand, following the lines of bone. "Behold, the Dark Star Saber!"
"You monkey wrench!" Knock Out cried. She was backing away now, ruby eyes alight with panic. "You've doomed yourself."
"On the contrary, traitor. I've doomed you!" Megatron bellowed.
Knock Out fled. Optimus risked glancing after her, but she had simply run over to Sideswipe and taken him from Smokescreen's shoulders to hold him in her arms. She was looking at Ultra Magnus and Optimus could see the conflict in the tension of her shoulders. She wanted to flee, to save herself and her son…but now she had something else that mattered to her. A man she loved, and friends, and suddenly caring only about herself wasn't so easy.
Optimus turned back to Megatron, dread settling in his chest as he began to realize what Megatron had done.
"Dark Energon," he said.
Megatron smiled wickedly, his eyes alight with an unnatural purple gleam. "Indeed, plucked from the center of this very planet. This blade will be able to shatter that puny blade you fought so hard for."
"But how did you build such a weapon?" Ratchet asked. "You would have needed a Prime to hold the Forge of Solus Prime to …" She trailed off and glanced at Optimus, blue-green eyes filled with dawning horror.
Optimus looked back at the recently stitched up wounds tracing Megatron's hand. In the background, Steve suddenly looked queasy, and Starscream was looking at Megatron's hand with barely concealed horror. Even Dreadwing appeared anxious and upset.
"You replaced the bones of your own hand with the bones of a Prime, just so you could have the touch of a Prime," Optimus said, horror fluttering in his chest.
"Indeed, and I dug up a loyal Decepticon to use his soul to create the Dark Star Saber, so don't think I just insulted the dead of goody-goodies," Megatron sneered. He didn't see the sudden flash of anger in Dreadwing's eyes, but Optimus did.
Starscream shifted behind Megatron, her face expressionless, but her ruby eyes spoke volumes. The deep love that had once shone in them when she looked at Megatron had turned into hatred.
Suddenly, Optimus realized something that had been bothering him the entire time, though he hadn't been able to figure it out until now. Starscream's eyes were still red…and so were Steve's and Dreadwing's…but Megatron's eyes had a purple glow.
"You've ingested some of the Dark Energon," Optimus said. He could hear the surprise and horror in his own voice. Behind him, Wheeljack squeaked like she'd just tried to repress a scream.
"I am now more powerful than you, Prime!" Megatron roared.
"Being Prime doesn't make one any more powerful," Ratchet spat. "You above all else should know that, gladiator."
"Don't talk down to me, elitist," Megatron retorted. "I've hated the Elite my entire life." Behind him, Starscream flinched, perhaps recalling that she had once been part of the Elite. Then she simply glared at the back of his head. "And the Liaisons are the worst, choosing only other Elite to lead and to keep the Elite elite, while others like Orion Pax and myself rotted in poverty."
Optimus was startled by Megatron's use of his old name. Before he could think on what it meant, Ratchet clenched her fists and retorted angrily to Megatron.
"This Liaison would have helped you set things right if you hadn't turned into a psychotic murderer."
"You claim that be the case," Megatron sneered, "but your husband was promoted to Prime and I was left in the crumbling ruins of Kaon."
"You're the one who blew Kaon up!" Ratchet yelled. "And I didn't make the choice to make Orion Pax Optimus Prime!"
"I will enjoy killing you, hypocrite, after I kill your son right in front of you. But before I send your soul to the Pit, I'll promote myself to Prime and then, as you die, I'll begin to take my revenge on Optimus Prime himself." Turning away from the fuming Ratchet – her anger was nearly attacking Optimus in thick mental waves – Megatron glared at him. "This librarian is probably the biggest hypocrite."
"I don't understand, Megatron," Optimus told him.
"You wanted to make Cybertron an equal civilization, with a single ruler who would not consider himself above the people he governed," Megatron leered. "Then you fell in love with an elitist, and you let her fill your head with elitist ideals. You joined them and gladly accepted your promotion without protest and without considering the friends you left behind, who were now beneath you."
"You're the biggest hypocrite, Megatronus!" Ratchet snapped. "You wanted a peaceful rebellion, but now you've destroyed our entire planet simply because you didn't get the power you wanted."
"Ratchet, enough," Optimus said gently. Megatron and Ratchet both had too much fire in their tempers to have a civil conversation, especially when emotions got riled up.
Ratchet yielded, but Megatron said, "Yes, put her in her place." Optimus grabbed Ratchet's hand, hoping to calm her. Immediately, the physical connection strengthened their mental bond. He could tell that Ratchet would do as he asked and not retort to Megatron, but he could sense her burning anger at the comment. The next Decepticon Ratchet saw would pay for that comment. As it was, she settled for a growl.
"Megatron, you said you called to announce the defeat of the Autobots, but I do not believe one sword, regardless how powerful it is, could ever defeat the entirety of the might of my Autobots," Optimus told him.
"Ah, but I will not use this sword on all the Autobots," Megatron replied. "You see, I'm asking for a duel – you and me, sword against sword, just as it always was meant to be. A final battle, fought by traditional gladiator rules, in which only one walks away. What do you say?"
"I say you're a Decepticon and this is going to be a trap," Ultra Magnus rumbled.
Megatron shrugged. "Bring your second-in-command and another officer. Leave the rest of your Autobots at home, safe. I'll bring Starscream and Dreadwing. We'll meet tomorrow morning at dawn at these coordinates." The coordinates flashed on the screen, and Optimus could see Raf cataloging them. "What do you say, Prime?"
Optimus hesitated. Megatron was grinning, so sure of his win, of the power the Dark Energon had granted him. But then Optimus recalled Alpha Trion's vision, the future where Bumblebee grew up to be a teenager and he and Ratchet were both alive – older and bearing battle scars, but living. Perhaps this was way to reach that future. Optimus knew that Dark Energon was curse as well as blessing, and the curse outweighed the blessing.
"I accept, Megatron," Optimus replied evenly. Ratchet let go of his hand, but Optimus didn't let it bother him. He knew she was simply trying to rein in her concern and fear and didn't want Optimus to pick up on it. "I shall met you at dawn." He hung up on Megatron, because it gave him a strange bit of satisfaction to be the one to end the call instead of the warlord.
Silence. Optimus glanced at Ratchet, but she was very carefully studying Raf. June and Fowler both looked stunned, while Miko and Jack exchanged a worried glance. They were holding hands now. Raf was typing away at his computer.
Optimus turned in the other direction. Ultra Magnus was frowning in concern, his blue gaze alternating between Optimus and Knock Out, who was standing with Sideswipe still wrapped up in her arms. Sideswipe looked mostly confused, but also a little scared, picking up on the tension. Smokescreen was now standing between Wheeljack and Bulkhead; his parents both looked at Optimus like they were wondering what they would do without him, as if he were already dead. Arcee was gazing at Optimus, her expression unreadable, but the purple ring around her pupils was blazing brighter than Optimus could recall it had in the past.
"So, you're just going to fight Megatron tomorrow, him against you?" Jack asked, breaking the silence.
"And whoever wins, wins the war?" Miko added.
"It's a trap," Fowler warned. "Megatron is going to kill everyone in an ambush. Never trust the word of a Decepticon!"
"This battle may very well end the war," Optimus concluded, "If it is Megatron that falls."
"And if it isn't, then we'll continue the fight in the name of Optimus Prime," Arcee promised, walking over. "We have the Liaison, so we can just name a new Prime."
Ratchet rounded on her. "No one is replacing anyone!"
Arcee held up her hands, suddenly ashamed looking. "Sorry, I was being pessimistic. I know that people can't be replaced, better than anyone here, actually. No one could ever take the place of my fiancé, Cliffjumper."
Optimus heard Knock Out growl deep in her chest. No doubt she was thinking about the fact that she had lost her husband, Breakdown, and that Arcee was claiming she knew loss better than anyone. The team was falling into disarray.
"Enough discussion," Optimus ordered. His tone of voice had everyone looking at him, awaiting his orders. "Tomorrow, I will meet Megatron at the arranged coordinates. We will fight, as he said. Should something unexpected happen, we'll react to that. What happens after the battle can be discussed after the battle. I will take Ultra Magnus and –"
"Don't even think about going without taking me," Ratchet said.
"- and Ratchet," Optimus concluded. "My Chief Medical Officer." He added the last part to make sure the others knew she was coming because of her officer position, as well as her extreme importance to him as his wife. "Ratchet, come with me. We need to retrieve the Star Saber from storage."
The room was silent as they walked out, which made Optimus all the more anxious. He hoped the others would drift back to their rooms, but he was worried about the stress he had put on his team. He was concerned that Knock Out might actually disappear into the night, which would jeopardize Ultra Magnus's rationale.
Ratchet must have read his emotions, because she said, "She won't leave."
"How do you know?" Optimus questioned.
"Knock Out has a sense of family stronger than you would expect," Ratchet replied. Optimus recalled that Ratchet and Knock Out had spent a lot of time together recently, so it stood to reason that she knew her old friend better than anyone else. Optimus had never once questioned Ratchet's judgement – she was always right, to some extent – and he did not question it now, but instead let her response remove some of his stress. One less thing to worry about.
"Back before I knew you, I used to be confused as to why you were almost always seen with Knock Out," Optimus said. "I thought it was a strange relationship – the girl who cared only about herself, and the girl who hated everyone, including herself. Now I realize that Knock Out cares about more than herself and that you don't hate anyone. You care for them, so much that you'd rather push them away than be hurt when they get hurt. Together, you made a team – you were the person Knock Out could care about, but pretend not to care about, and she was the person you couldn't push away with simple insults and threats."
"When did you figure that out?" Ratchet asked.
"When you tried to break up with me after Sharptack threatened me. You were willing to sacrifice your happiness to keep me safe," Optimus replied. "I'm willing to sacrifice myself to keep my family safe." He meant more than just Ratchet and Bumblebee, and one glance at Ratchet told him that she had understood.
"I'm not sure I could live if you sacrificed yourself, Optimus," Ratchet replied. Her voice was shaky. "But I would try, for Bumblebee. Our son deserves a strong mother, if he can't…in the event he loses his father."
"Bumblebee couldn't have a stronger mother," Optimus said, taking Ratchet's hand in his own. They were nearing the storage room now. "And I have no intention of leaving him without a father."
They entered the storage room and went straight to the back of the room, where the Star Saber was leaning against the wall. As Optimus approached, the silver blade began to gleam, almost emitting its own blue glow. The golden hilt flashed.
"I didn't want to be Liaison," Ratchet said suddenly. "But that position keeps coming back to haunt me."
Optimus turned away from the Star Saber to look at her, but she was looking at something sitting on top of a collapsing box. Optimus followed her gaze and noticed the ruby circlet – the mark of the House of the Liaison. He was sure they had left that on Cybertron, and he could tell that Ratchet thought the same thing. But here was her old circlet, somehow right where they would notice it.
"Alpha Trion brought it here," Ratchet said, tilting her head. "I'm not sure how or why, but I know he did."
The thought that Alpha Trion guided Ratchet just as he guided Optimus was…not really disturbing, but just made Optimus extremely curious. It reminded him of an old, half-formed suspicion that had been whispered in the corners of Elite parties.
"Tomorrow, everyone wears clothes that mark their rank," Optimus decided. "You should take that."
"I'm the Autobot Chief Medical Officer," Ratchet protested.
"You're also the Liaison. That circlet wouldn't be here if it wasn't intended for you."
The two looked at each other. Ratchet reached for the ruby circlet and Optimus reached for the Star Saber. They grabbed the objects at the same time and the blade glowed blue. The rubies refracted various shades of red over them, with some tinges of purple.
"I love you," Optimus said.
Ratchet kissed him. "Don't die," she murmured.
"I don't plan to."
Knock Out straightened the strap of Ratchet's dress. Ratchet looked at herself in the mirror, trying hard not to gag. The last time she had worn something similar, Optimus had been made Prime (which wasn't a bad thing), and Megatron had declared war, supported by Starscream (which was a bad thing), and Ratchet's father had fallen to his death (which hadn't been good or bad, just sort of sickening).
Knock Out had drug out a white, loose-fitting dress that halted just above Ratchet's knees. The V-neck was low, but not exposing, so Ratchet didn't argue too much; she even felt safe to move without being in danger of having a wardrobe malfunction. A ruby-red belt circled her waist, and her two daggers – recently cleaned so they gleamed – hung on either side. She was wearing red flats because she could actually maneuver in those shoes instead of the heels Knock Out had originally suggested. The only jewelry she had was the ruby circlet, which glittered in her strawberry blonde hair.
"Your hair was grown out," Knock Out commented. She tugged on a strand.
It had grown out, because Ratchet had been too busy in recent months to cut it. It no longer brushed her shoulders, but extended past her shoulders. Ratchet reached up to straighten her glasses, but then she drew her fingers through her hair as she lowered her hand.
"I miss the waves," Knock Out continued.
"The waves disappeared after fire damage," Ratchet replied. "I was too close to an explosion." Not entirely true, but close enough.
"You're lucky only your hair was damaged."
"You have no idea," Ratchet said.
"I managed to get Magnus to put on a nice suit this morning," Knock Out chattered. "I made him put on a lightweight breastplate under it. You can't see it, but at least will offer some protection in case Megatron is planning something devious."
In the beginning of the war, both sides had worn heavy armor. As the war continued, heavy armor had been switched out for lightweight armor that provided little protection but made maneuvering easy. Once the war moved to Earth, armor had been disbanded as the battles become more like little skirmishes that were unplanned. These days, Vehicons alone wore armor, and Ratchet figured it was because they faced more dangers in the Energon mines than they did on the battlefield. Knock Out must have given Ultra Magnus a breastplate from the time they were phasing out armor.
Walking away from the mirror and Knock Out, Ratchet picked up Bumblebee. Her son looked at him with his blue eyes. Ratchet's heart shattered, and she was suddenly fearful this would be the last time she would ever see her son. She hugged him close.
"Your mother loves you, Bee, and don't you ever forget it," she whispered, aware of how raw her voice sounded.
Drawing her emotions into her, Ratchet imagined herself swallowing them and hiding them away until she was calm and collected. The trick had gotten her through some hard times. Once swallowed, the emotions could be controlled, or perhaps they might even dissolve. Ratchet turned to Knock Out.
"If anything happens today, I want you to take care of Bumblebee," she said.
Knock Out blinked in surprise. "Me? But I'm not exactly mother material."
"You are doing a wonderful job raising Sideswipe, and I know you'll do the same for Bumblebee," Ratchet insisted. She meant it, each and every word.
"I'd be honored," Knock Out replied.
Ratchet passed Bumblebee to her. Bumblebee gurgled, and turned his gaze from the redhead to his mother. The sight was heartbreaking, and Ratchet realized there was one last thing she needed from Knock Out.
"Take care of Raf, too," Ratchet said. "And make sure Bumblebee knows the truth about his parents."
"Bumblebee will know that his parents were the bravest, fiercest, and most honorable of Cybertronians," Knock Out promised.
Not trusting herself to speak, Ratchet simply nodded her thanks and walked out. Sideswipe passed her, going to his mother, but he paused to smile broadly at Ratchet. She stepped out into the main hanger. June and Fowler were standing at the entrance, holding hands. Raf was at the command console, prepared to start up the groundbridge. Optimus was talking to Jack, and Ultra Magnus was standing alone.
Knock Out must have trimmed his beard, because his jawlines were sharp. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a gold tie. Ratchet knew he was wearing a breastplate, but she couldn't see it, as Knock Out had said. From his belt hung his hammer and his large pistol.
Optimus was wearing jeans, but he had on a red breastplate over a gray long-sleeve shirt. Usually, he would have two swords and a gun, but today he only had the Star Saber slung over his back. He looked over at Ratchet, and offered her an encouraging smile. Ratchet offered one in return and then walked over to Raf.
"You'll be careful, won't you?" he asked, looking up at her. His brown eyes were full of worry.
"You should know by now that your guardian is too stubborn to die," Ratchet said, reaching out to ruffle his hair.
"I prayed to God and Primus for good luck today," Raf admitted. "I'm not sure if Primus heard me, since I'm human, and I'm not sure if God can help you, since you're Cybertronian."
Ratchet paused and then replied, "Primus hears all who reach out to him and your God is considered a Father, yes?" Raf nodded and she continued with, "Then I imagine God will grace us, too, as a Father cares for His children's friends. He must have been able to sense your goodness and the depth of your care for us, so I imagine He will help us."
"Well, two deities are more than the Decepticons have, right?" Raf replied. She could tell he was trying to make a joke, so she laughed.
"Bumblebee is lucky to have a brother like you," Ratchet said.
Raf blinked. "A brother?" Then he smiled. "I would gladly be Bee's brother."
Ratchet just smiled. She wondered if this small boy realized exactly what she was saying. Optimus and she had always talked of having kids, but it wasn't until after they started interacting with Raf that Ratchet decided she wanted kids.
Ratchet took a deep breath and then did something she hadn't done in a while. She prayed, projecting her thoughts into nothingness instead of to a specific individual.
Primus, please protect my husband, a loyal and good Prime who lives by your ideals. God, a little bit of good grace would be appreciated, even if I am not a human.
Optimus reached out to clap his hand onto Jack's shoulder. "You remind me of myself when I was younger," he said. "I believe you will make a great man, Jackson Darby."
"Better than my father, huh?" Jack asked.
Optimus nearly flinched at the reminder of Jason Darby, whose death he had played a roll in. But he saw that Jack wasn't being accusing, and in fact, his blue eyes were shining with something like hope – hope that he would never be as corrupt and immoral as his father.
"You will never be like Jason Darby," Optimus told him.
Ultra Magnus walked up. His gaze was sharp and controlled – all seriousness today. "It's time to go, Prime."
"Don't let Megatron win," Jack said as Optimus and Ultra Magnus departed.
Optimus paused just long enough to turn back and say, "I won't."
He joined Ratchet and Ultra Magnus in front of the offline groundbridge. He took his place between them, and Ratchet stood to his left, while Ultra Magnus stood to his right. Together, they represented the top trio in the Autobot hierarchy.
The perfect way to cause chaos in the Autobot ranks, were Megatron planning to kill them.
Ratchet nodded at Raf and the groundbridge swirled to life. Stepping through the portal, Optimus found himself on a grassy plain. To the right was a dense forest, the perfect place to hide any army. To the left was a cliff. Far below, Optimus could see more forest and jagged rocks.
"I can't sense anyone in the forest," Ultra Magnus informed Optimus.
"Megatron has wings and he'll use those to his advantage. He'll try to throw you off the cliff. Don't let him," Ratchet said.
Starscream landed ten yards away in a flash of silver. The Decepticons must have also decided to dress according to rank, because she was wearing a short, silver dress with a halter-top style strap. The back was low, giving her silver wings plenty of room to move. The red primary feathers had been decorated with ruby dust, and they glittered in the dawning sunlight. Her silver heels were tall, but Optimus knew that Starscream could still move and fight in those shoes. Her long, black hair was glossy, and her dyed red bangs were braided and pinned up along the side of her head. Her silver circlet glinted, and the large ruby that hung down on her forehead shimmered.
She was joined by Dreadwing, who was oddly dressed in the garb of the Vosian Royal Guard instead of a Decepticon commander. His suit was dark blue, darker than Ultra Magnus's, and he had a yellow tie. Golden wristbands gleamed on his wrists, the mark of the Vosian Royal Guard. Like Starscream, his yellow primary feathers glittered, like powered gold had been rubbed on the feathers. The rest of the dark blue feathers were groomed so that the feathers glinted in various shades of blue in the sunlight.
Megatron landed last, in front of Starscream and Dreadwing. His dull gray wings weren't as cleaned and decorated as the Seekers' wings, but Seekers had always been prideful when it came to their wings. The Decepticon leader was wearing gray cargo pants and a gray breastplate with no shirt underneath. His boots were laced tight, and the Dark Star Saber glowed purple, held in the scarred hand of a madman.
"A fight to the death, as befits a gladiator," he said.
"Megatron, I want to know that this battle will end the war. Whoever walks away today, Autobot leader or Decepticon leader, will be the fraction who wins the war," Optimus said.
Megatron laughed. "There is no chance you will today, Optimus, but this battle will not end the war. The war will end when every Autobot is crushed under the might of my Decepticons!"
"The Dark Energon is affecting his thought processes," Ratchet murmured. She was speaking quietly, but Megatron noticed, so she switched to a telepathic communication. He's power hungry and the Dark Energon will make him anger easier. Anger will cloud his judgement and he'll make mistakes.
Sound advice, my love.
"It does not matter, Megatron, as you will be the one who does not walk away today," Optimus said, pulling the Star Saber off his back. The sword glowed in his grasp. "One shall stand."
"One shall fall," Megatron replied. And then he charged.
Optimus met him half-way between the two groups. Their swords clashed, shooting off blue and purple sparks. The two exchanged blows, parrying and striking, though neither was able to land a blow. Recalling Ratchet's observation of the cliff, Optimus kept Megatron between him and the cliff. Finally, Optimus got lucky and clipped Megatron's wing. Megatron roared in anger and kicked Optimus away. Optimus staggered back as gray feathers drifted to the ground. The wound was superficial and wouldn't inhibit Megatron's ability to fly, but there was a sense of accomplishment in being the first to wound the other.
They met again, but this time it was Optimus who was injured. He staggered away, his thigh burning from a cut down the side of his leg. Megatron rushed forward, sensing victory, but Optimus used his momentum against him, shoving the Decepticon leader past him so he could attack his undefended back. He slashed up the length of his uninjured wing. Megatron cried out and the wing went limp, dragging behind him.
Again and again they clashed, staggering apart when one was injured, until the sun was well above the horizon. Both of Megatron's wings hung limply behind him and he had wound on his shoulder. A deep gouge slashed across his breastplate, but he was uninjured underneath. Optimus's thigh was burning, and both of his arms were slashed up, dripping Energon onto the grassy ground. Both of them were breathing hard and sweaty, and Optimus figured Megatron's muscles were burning just like his. Exhaustion threatened to overpower Optimus.
It would have been easier to shift into some animal and continue the battle, but gladiator rules stated that transformations were illegal. So was taking a break, which Optimus would have been grateful for. Battles had rarely lasted longer than a few minutes in past years, and he was worried he had lost the stamina to battle all day like he had in the beginning of the war.
Pain spiked from Optimus's injured thigh and he stumbled. Megatron took advantage of his unbalance and struck, the Dark Star Saber leaving a painful gash in the calf of Optimus's opposite leg. Optimus managed to parry away a kill strike, and Megatron dropped the blade and lunged at Optimus barehanded.
Somehow, he grabbed Optimus's wrist and jerked, something snapping. The pain was instantaneous and Optimus dropped the Star Saber. He soon found himself flung to the ground near the cliff, several feet away from Megatron.
Optimus tried to stand, but his wrist and legs seemed unable to bear his weight. Megatron moved frustratingly slow, bending down to pick up his Dark Star Saber and then approaching at a leisurely walk. He grinned in triumph.
Optimus realized he had miscalculated. Megatron's consumption of Dark Energon had granted him superior strength and stamina longer than he would have thought possible. And Optimus was about to pay the price of his misjudgment. He tried to summon the Star Saber to him as he had done before, but this time the blade didn't appear in his hands.
A flash of rage passed through, sharp and overpowering. Rage that it was ending like this. Rage that he was so weak. Rage that the Star Saber wouldn't return to him. Rage that Alpha Trion had groomed him for war, only for him to lose. Rage at Megatron and everyone other Decepticon that had caused the loss of life in this needless war. Rage that he was leaving Ratchet alone. Rage that he would never see Bumblebee grow up into a young man.
"Optimus!"
Optimus looked over to see Ratchet, the Star Saber glowing in her hands. Ultra Magnus was standing behind her, looking completely stunned. Ratchet threw the sword and Optimus reached out with his good arm and caught the blade.
Just as Megatron attacked, Optimus swept the Star Saber in an arc in front of him, sweeping Megatron's legs out from under him. While the Decepticon leader was unbalanced, Optimus grabbed him, ignoring his wounds, and flung Megatron over him. Megatron yelled as he skidded over the edge of the cliff. The Dark Star Saber clattered to the ground.
Ratchet rushed over to Optimus and began checking his wounds. Optimus looked her hands, amazed to find her uninjured.
"You held the Star Saber," he wheezed. "And you're not hurt."
Ratchet jerked his wrist, putting it back in place, and Optimus winced. He really wanted to scream, but he doubted that would look very victorious. Ratchet shrugged. "I don't know how. Maybe…well, we thought the sword was semi-sentient, so maybe it could tell I was intending to help a Prime. Perhaps the Star Saber is not meant to be understood."
"Prime!"
The roar came from the cliff and Optimus looked over to see Megatron's hands, one scarred and one splattered with Energon, clinging to the edge. The rest of the warlord was out of sight. Optimus had damaged Megatron's wings so he couldn't fly, but he could still transform. Optimus got the sense he would not transform, though, because the match had not yet been settled. Both adversaries were still breathing.
Starscream rushed over and stood over the cliff, looking down at her husband and leader. Ratchet remained beside Optimus, one hand on his shoulder, the other grasping his in an almost painful grip. Optimus shifted onto his knees, in case he needed to get up. Behind him, he could hear Ultra Magnus and Dreadwing approaching.
"Starscream, help me," Megatron said.
"Wouldn't that be cheating?" Starscream replied.
"That wretched Elite already helped Optimus. I am in need of your assistance!" Megatron roared. Optimus could see him straining, trying to pull himself up, but he couldn't.
"You need my assistance," Starscream said, sounding out each syllable. She sneered. "How unfortunate."
She spread her wings and Optimus gasped as the feathers changed. They grew more metallic, literally, shifting into sharp weapons. Her wings became rows of daggers. There had always been rumors that Starscream had a Seeker ability, but nothing had been confirmed. Now Optimus knew that she had a Seeker ability, one that might appear harmless but was more dangerous than it seemed – a perfect ability for a Seeker who was viewed the same way by many.
Starscream's wings slashed down, toward Megatron. When she lifted her wings again, they had reverted to regular downy feathers. Energon dripped from her wings. Megatron's hands went slack and then disappeared. Optimus surged forward, standing and staggering to the cliff, grateful Ratchet was by his side to help support him.
Together, they watched as Megatron fell, the warlord finally defeated. He fell, dull gray feathers ripping from his broken wings. In a way, Optimus had to acknowledge that it was almost a poetic end for him.
Optimus and Ratchet glanced at each other. In her gaze, he could see reflected the same daring hope, the hope that the war was finally over, that the bloodshed had ended when Megatron had fallen from the cliff. Suddenly, her gaze shot past him and Optimus turned to face Starscream, who had approached them. Energon was splattered on her face and throat. She didn't threaten them, but simply spoke.
"I believe there is much we need to discuss."
Just a few more chapters to wrap this story up. I'm excited to finally reach a conclusion.
Thanks to all the readers who stuck with me this long :).