Disclosure : I do not own Transformers Prime, it's characters, the storyline, or anything of the sort. I am simply borrowing it to place a piece of my mind in it. I only own my OC, and I will, in a sense, carry the one. I give full credit to those who have created this wonderful series, and Hasbro. Read and Review my loves!
- Lizzzard
It had been some time since we last heard from Jack and Arcee. The space bridge rumbled, still open as Ratchet had promised. There was a nagging at the back of my mind of something that wasn't Arcee or Jack coming through and attacking the bots. I complimented my anxiety by sitting down and taking every weapon I had down, and laying it on the ground. I had three knives, three pistols, my shotgun, fourteen grenades, and two lines of ammo. Bulkhead watched me curiously as I took each shell off the belt, and placed it back on after a quick inspection.
"What are you doing?" he asked me softly.
"Killing time," I answered, completely focused on memorizing each shell. I held the next one up, fourteenth on the belt. "This one," I stated, holding it up for Bulkhead to see. "This is the one I'm firing at Optimus when he gets his slagging brain back to him." I gently placed it back in it's hold, pretending not to hear Bulk's vent.
"Cara.." he kneeled next to me, servo reaching out to stop my peddling. "You cannot blame Optimus -"
"I don't blame him," I reassured the green mech. "But he still broke a promise. And he lied to me."
Bulkhead rolled his optics, before grinning at me wickedly. "Hey, at least you'll get another chance to yell at him,"
"You bet I will," I grinned back. "Glitch head has a lot coming to him."
Jack's voice suddenly thundered through the comm, the four of us turning to gather around the control panel. "We're being attacked by some kind of giant bot-beetle!"
"An Insecticon!" Ratchet growled angrily. I shuddered, shivers running down my spine as I made my way up Bulkhead's leg.
"What are decepticons doing on Cybertron?" Raf asked.
"A few remained in stasis - sentries - should the .. enemy return."
"Jack, GO!" I heard Arcee yell over Jack's comm.
"Seriously?"
"Without Arcee?" June asked. "But she's his guide!"
"No, June," I reminded her. "Arcee is Jack's back up. The keycard is his guide."
"Listen to her, Jack," I heard the woman assure her son after a few moments. "You've made it this far, Optimus is counting on you,"
I shuddered as Jack assumingly agreed, the sounds of the battle over the comm fading.
"Hey everyone," Jack called after a few moments of agonizing silence. I had climbed my way to Bulk's hip before he lifted me the rest of the way to his shoulder. It wasn't as high as I was used to, but I was able to see the screen now. "I'm in,"
Relief rushed over me. Soon, Optimus.
"Commencing download… I think."
"This is taking a while…"
"Of course it is," Ratchet mumbled. "We are talking about the collective wisdom of the Primes."
The other end was silent for a moment, before Jack commed back in. "Scraplets!"
I stood on Bulkhead's shoulder, looking over to see my range of weapons still scattered on the ground far below.
"What's a scraplet?" June asked worriedly.
"Why did it have to be scraplets?" Bulkhead asked while Bumblebee threw his hands to his head.
"If they chew through Vector Sigma…" I trailed off, looking to Ratchet for help.
A ground bridge roared to life, and I turned expecting Miko.
"So, Vector Sigma is more than legend." I gaped as the last con I wished to see walk through, the bridge closing behind him. Bulkhead tensed below me, raising his hand to me. I jumped in, looking at my pile of weapons in desperation. "You autobots have gone through impressive lengths to recover your leader. Be assured: I shall never underestimate you again."
Reaching the ground suddenly, I made to move towards the pile on the ground, but I was stopped by Bulk's servo. He shook his head to me, gesturing with his optics. Megatron stomped dangerously close, but even closer to my weapons. "Now," he grumbled. "I assume the one called Arcee will be stepping through that portal with a reloaded matrix of leadership in hand."
"We hold the space bridge at all costs," Ratchet ordered, the three of them charging Megatron the next minute.
I watched from the control panel as Megatron delivered a single punch to Bulkhead's midsection, sending the massive bot hurling through the air, landing just before the space bridge. Ratchet ran forward next, his servos replaced with swords. Megatron rendered them useless by simply grabbing Ratchet by the helm and shaking him around like a rag doll before tossing him off the metal platform. Bumblebee rained shots upon the mech, who in turn charged the young scout, also grabbing him by the helm and throwing him to the ground. His red optics found my eyes, and he stalked towards me.
"You're going down, buckethead," Bulkhead shouted, tackling the much larger mech off of the metal platform and crashing into the rock below.
I took this moment to charge for my weapons stash, throwing the grenade belt over my head, two of the pistols into one hand, the shotgun into the other. I moved to the sound of metal on metal, throwing the shotgun over my back, and sheathing one pistol and releasing the safety off the other. I peered over the ledge in enough time to see Bulkhead fly through the air again, landing near two other downed bots. Megatron glared at them, before returning his attention to me.
"Optimus' pet... " he growled at me I swallowed the fear, remembering what was at stake.
"Why do you have a need to call me that?" I asked, bringing my pistol forward. He slowly stalked towards me, his biggest mistake: underestimating me. I fired a shot, it missing his red optic by millimeters. The damage was still done, however, the metals slowly being ate away by a neon blue glow. He growled dangerously at me, lifting his servo to his new wound.
"You'll pay for that, fleshling," he called again, preparing to charge me the next instant. I released three more shots, connecting with his shoulder blade, the force of the impact pushing him back. I turned and hightailed it across the edge of the platform, making note of the distance between the ledge and the rock below. I heard Megatron crash to the metal, it shaking beneath me as he arrived. I glanced over my shoulder, also noting the reasonable distance between the two of us.
I paused in my steps, turning to the charging warlord. "If Optimus has been harmed in anyway…"
He slowed his progression, however didn't halt it completely. "I'm sure my troops are taking excellent care of him," he sneered at me.
I roared angrily, releasing two more shots onto the unsuspecting con before me. The blue shots connected with the purple decepticon insignia on his chest plates. The grey metals screamed a dangerous blue mas the red optics glared at me. I tossed the pistol aside, empty, and hurled myself off the ledge as the con made a grab for me. As my body made contact with the rock, I seemed to forget how to roll, bones crunching underneath my weight. I hollered as pain shot from my left arm, the bone smashed. I rolled on the ground, writhing in pain, desperately clutching at my arm. Through hazed eyes, I could see the faint glow of Megatron's optics as he peered down at me.
"Ratchet, we have the matrix." I groaned as the con turned towards the space bridge as the comm rang through. "Ratchet?"
My body screamed in protest as I hauled myself to my feet. Wrapping my arm painfully in the grenade belt, I ignored my body as I climbed onto the metal pillar holding one side of the platform up. Slowly, due to my lack of a fourth limb, I made my way up the side of the pillar.
"Come, Arcee," I heard Megatron plead with nothing. I neared the ledge, my right arm grabbing hold and hauling my chest onto it. It Screamed in protest as I pushed down, refusing to allow my body to fall off again. "So that I may end the lineage of the Primes for all time,"
A ground bridge open, and I turned to it hopeful, again expecting Miko of Fowler to charge through, weapons blazing.
"I cannot allow that to happen, Megatron."
The con whirled around in surprise as I stared at the very mech I had fought so hard to save. The graveness of his voice made me question weather or not what I saw in Earth's core was even real as he glared threateningly at the con.
"And why should you care, Orion Pax?" Megatron turned to my bot, who narrowed his optics softly. "You are no Prime."
I hauled myself over the ledge, struggling to bite back a scream of pain as my left arm raked across the ground underneath my body, the bones on the inside grinding together. I managed to allow nothing more than a slight groan escape. I turned my eyes back to the red and blue mech, who, upon contact, turned his optics away from me and back to the con. "That may be true…" he rumbled in the deep baritone I missed so much. "Or yet another deception. But this much I do know: My sympathies lie with the autobots; and you are not one of us," he threw his servos down, turning into swords, the one on his right hand broke in half. He let out a ferocious roar, one that I had heard before as he was engaged in battle, as he charged the con dangerously.
However, Megatron deflected his blow, Optimus leaving his side unguarded. Megatron sneered before delivering a single, hard punch to his chest. Optimus groaned in massive pain, falling to the ground as Megatron released him, head hung low. I quickly fumbled for my shotgun, tugging off my back.
"Your spark may be in the right place, Orion," the con sneered at him as I disengaged my safety, bringing it painfully to my left shoulder. Megatron served a blow to the back of Optimus' helm with his elbow, forcing my mech to fall to the ground, resting on his stomach. "But you have much to learn before you can ever again hope to stand your ground against me - a moment, sadly, which shall never come," Optimus looked up at Megatron with fear in his optics as Megatron lifted his arm above his helm. Taking the moment, I fired a shot, the blue racing through the air and landing on Megatron's underarm.
The warlord stepped back in anger, glaring at me dangerously. I cocked my weapon frantically as he charged me, full speed. Optimus sang pleads to the con, his helm turned towards me with wide optics. I brought the weapon to my shoulder again, wincing in pain as the bones ground together. Before I could take another shot, the ground bridge sizzed, Arcee's much smaller frame somersaulting through. She connected with Megatron's back, sending him flying over me and to the rock below. I turned back to my bot, who was watching me curiously. The space bridge singed again, Jack's much smaller form walking straight for Optimus.
I turned my attention back to the battle, where Megatron had Arcee pinned against the rock wall. "Now, if you please," he sneered. "The matrix…"
My attention fell back to Optimus and Jack. Jack was holding something up to Optimus, a line of neon blue connecting the two of them.
Arcee grunted in pain, my attention falling back onto the couple. Megatron charged for Optimus, taking a path that would pass me. I raised my weapon once more, taking aim and firing right as the con neared my position. He growled angrily as my shot connected with the faded insignia on his chest, his pedes stomping dangerously close to me. I barrel rolled out from under his pede, my shotgun forgotten behind, smashed as the con surged past it.
"No!" he shouted, raising his sheathed sword high above Optimus' turned helm.
I cringed as the sound of metal on metal thundered through the rocks. I slowly peered through my clenched eyes, to find Optimus holding Megatron's weapon between his two servos. "Megatron…" he growled, his facemask sheathing instantly. He readjusted his grip on the blade, holding it in one servo as the other closed into a fist and pulled back. "Begone!" He rose from his knees, socking the surprised warlord continuously back, making his way towards me as he did. I heard the others weakly rise to the metal platform, watching in glee at the sheer power of their leader. He served an upcut to his chin, sending the con flying backwards and into the rock face behind him. Optimus turned to me, optics scanning me quickly. They narrowed before he gently kneeled down to me, gathering me in his servos. I winced as my left arm moved, trying to force back the tears in my eyes. The others joined us as Optimus shifted me into his left hand, his right changing into his blaster. "Ratchet," he bellowed. "How did we arrive here?"
"Base to Arcee," Fowler's voice echoed. "We're reading five autobot life signals down there. Is Prime with you?"
"And Jack," she responded, the ground bridge opening next to us the next moment.
Megatron crawled over the metal ledge, growling angrily at my bot.
"Autobots," Optimus ordered, his baritone rising above the blaster fire. "Fallback!"
"This time, he's coming with us!" Bulkhead cheered as he followed Arcee and Jack through the bridge. Ratchet raced shortly thereafter, Bumblebee following before Optimus jumped through, sending a few more shots Megatron's way. The ground bridge immediately closed behind us, Optimus walking through gently.
The humans and the kids intermixed with the autobots gathered around the entrance to the bridge, watching closely as my bot stalked through. I smiled reassuringly at Optimus as he looked me over curiously.
Raf ran forward, looking at Optimus hopefully. "Optimus?"
"Hello, Rafael," he smiled down at the boy whose face immediately lightened.
"The big guy remembers us!" Miko cheered excitedly, wrapping the boys in a hug.
Optimus turned his right arm over, gazing at the decepticon signal that rested there. "Although it seems there is much i do not remember."
"Optimus," Ratchet called, approaching us. "It has truly been our darkest hour. But know this - from every indication, your spark has never ceased being that of an autobot's."
He beamed proudly, walking forward to the others. He shifted me in his hands, my left arm bumping against the metals beneath me. I cringed in pain, holding my arm close to me. I looked up at him through watery eyes. "I love you and all…" I cringed softly. "But my arms a little broken,"
June rushed forward next, motioning for Optimus to set me down. The bot transformed, gently resting me in his sleeper. Orion appeared, brushing the hair out of my eyes as June charged through the open door and rushed to my arm, calling orders to the kids behind her. Orion had my undivided attention, which he took advantage of by placing a single, gentle kiss on my forehead.
"I love you too,"
