Chapter 29-The Morning Star
Bumblebee was a bot who was always eager to learn new things. Despite being born smack dab in the middle of a civil war, the death and violence had done nothing to hamper his innate curiosity. Or maybe that was his way of coping with the increasing ferocity of the war? Taking interest in all things that had nothing to do with his own culture or people. It wasn't like there was anything worth looking at back on Cybertron, nearly anything that could be seen as sacred was torched by the Cons in rebellion of the old order. Bumblebee never had any assignments off world either, so Cybertron, or what was left of it, was the only world that he knew.
Which made Terra a very interesting experience for him. Ever since he awakened on this planet, he dedicated most of his free time to learning everything this world had to offer-which was a lot. Terra's history was much more mysterious than he thought. The myth of the Arian empire, the strange beings that the Autobots had been calling the "Angels", all signs that humanity's time on Terra had been interfered with otherworldly beings. Before, this was all just for fun and sating his wonder for all things new, but now he was starting to wonder just how many secrets that Terra was hiding. It was no coincidence that a lot of these encounters had startling similarities to local myths and legends.
Hence why he was spending so much time with the girl genius Gina, his teacher in all things Terran. She had no problem with going out of her way to teach him what she knows, because it was a treat teaching this advanced alien organism about her world and its cultures. Aside from Ratchet, Gina spent a good amount of her free time teaching Bumblebee about human culture and history. Now after all the strange events that happened in the few months they had been operating on this planet, Bumblebee realized that Gina's knowledge on ancient civilizations was coming more and more handy as things started to escalate.
"I still don't get it," Bumblebee said to Gina as they hung out in the command center. The blonde was giving him a quick lecture on Arian science and technology. "If the Arians were extinct for thousands of years, then how were the golems they created still able to move? I almost got killed by two in Airlann and they looked no older than a few years at most."
"That's the catch. No one can really explain how golems work." Gina said. She brought up a photo of a large golem punching a hole into a building. "People all over the world have tried and failed to duplicate the technology used to breathe life into these automatons."
"But aren't they like Talos?" The scout asked.
"Not entirely." Gina replied. She stood up and stretched her stiff legs. "Talos started as semi-humanoid tanks which evolved into powered armor. Golems are full autonomous, like drones. But they were made in a time when there wasn't such a thing as computers or AI. So how were they made and how did they operate? Those are the key questions."
"Perhaps they are some type of primitive AI that modern science has not identified yet." Sara, who had been sitting next to Gina silently until then, spoke up. "The Arians' level of technology was obviously not natural as they were aided by the alien entities that you have battled before."
"Huh, I never thought of that theory." Gina hummed, then smiled. "Though I think that it's a more plausible than some of the other ideas that people have thought up. Like golems were really machines possessed by the spirit of Gaia, or some other evangelical crap like that."
Sara tilted her head a bit to show her confusion. "Gaia?"
"She means that spirit of the planet," Bumblebee explained for Gina. "Gaia is the goddess of Terra, which was named after her. Most humans believe that she created humans from the earth itself and breathed life into them."
"Very good Bee." Gina praised. "You've done your homework."
"It's all so interesting to me. I've been looking this stuff up ever since we got back from Brigadoon." Bumblebee said. "I also know that some humans think that the planet itself is one giant organism, with all life just small parts of one giant biological ecosystem."
"The Gaia Theory." Ratchet walked into the room carrying a datapad. "A very odd but reasonable scientific belief if I so say so myself."
"Hey Ratchet, you got back from patrol?" Gina asked.
"Yes. And as usual, we've come up empty for energon. It's getting harder each day to find a deposit that's bigger than a boulder." Ratchet sighed as he stood before the Teletan-1 terminal.
"You said that the gaia theory is reasonable, but from what I have learned about you, you are not a religious mechanoid." Sara pointed out.
"That's true, Sara, I am a practical mech of science and reason." Ratchet nodded. "But I am merely pointing out that the specifics of the gaia theory is similar to how we Cybertronian see ourselves in relation to Cybertron."
"Oh really?" Gina's eyes sparkled as she looked up at the medic with child-like glee and interest. "Do tell doctor."
Ratchet cracked a smile at her. "As you know, there are many theories that try to explain how the Cybertronian race came into being. Some were realistic while others were a bit outlandish. Our myths are no different. Our oldest legends have us speak of Primus, the god who created Cybertron and her people." Ratchet explained. "Many believe that our Sparks are fragments of Primus, and that upon death our Sparks return to him along with all the information we have attained in life. It's a widely believed myth that pretty much everyone takes seriously, even though they have no proof of Primus' existence."
"I never pegged you to be an atheist, Ratchet." Gina said. Ratchet shrugged.
"In my line of work, it's not believe in gods that save people, it's these." He held up his hands. "If I counted on my religious faith to save my patients, then I would've been discharged by now. Though an old bot like me is getting a bit up there in years."
"No way doc," Bumblebee scoffed. "You're not that old. You're…what?"
"Six million years old?" Gina smiled. "Give or take a few years?"
That made the two Autobots laugh. It was no secret that Ratchet was one of the older members of Team Prime, probably older than Ironhide. The medic himself knew this and liked to joke about it every once in a while, but Gina noticed that look in his eye whenever it came up. That wistfulness that she had seen her grandfather have when they were reminded of their age. That wish to be young again. She wondered if age was as restricting for Cybertronians as it was for humans, though Ratchet seemed to be doing pretty good. On the outside.
Their chat was cut short when Teletran-1 began sending out an alert. "Alert! Unknown energy reading detected."
Bumblebee and Ratchet looked at each other. "Looks like break time is over." The scout sighed.
"Well, Sara and I will be getting out of your hair then." Gina said. "Don't want to get in your way."
"Don't worry, Gina. You can stay." Ratchet said.
"Really?"
"Of course, you're a part of this to." Bumblebee told her. Gina smiled brightly at them.
XXXXXXX
Optimus and Prowl stood in front of the monitor analyzing the readings Teletran-1 provided. The computer had detected the readings in central Europa, where it nearly took up an entire province. They didn't know what it meant exactly, but it was strong.
"Teletran is getting the readings from a small province in Grecia," Ratchet said. "Specifically Pythia."
"Do we know what it is?" Prowl asked. The medic shook his head.
"I already had Teletran try to match it with anything in its database, but so far, no matches have come up. We have an anomaly on our hands."
"Do you think it might be energon, Optimus?" Gina asked.
"It's doubtful." Optimus answered. "We still need more information before we can make assumptions-and mobilize."
"I know," Prowl said. "Every time an anomaly like this appears, it usually leads to…" He trailed off as he realized what it meant. The other occupants in the room also made the same connection.
"I had Jetfire flying over the area." Ratchet said. "According to Comettor's scans, these readings are almost identical to the ones we found in Airlann and Midgard."
"But that's where Annie, Bulkhead and Ironhide encountered those…things and were almost killed." Gina pointed out. "And where we found that ancient transporter thing that sent us to Brigadoon."
"Which is why we need to act carefully." Optimus said. "Now that we know what to expect from mysterious happening like this, we need to be cautious, lest we end up triggering another event like our previous altercation on the island."
"From what I have seen, anomalies like this are connected to places humans have originally inhabited. Like a derelict city or a place of worship." Prowl deduced. He looked down at Gina. "Is there anything special in Pythia, Gina? Like a shrine or the site of some major battle?"
Gina was already looking up the place on her laptop before he even finished his question. "Pythia is a special place. It used to be a large city-state that was home to the Oracle. That's a woman who is said to tell one's future by communing with the gods. There aren't any other significant things about the place that I can tell, but if it helps, the Oracle resided in a cave underground, and people had to climb down into the underground cave network in order to speak with her."
"That is helpful Gina." Optimus said thankfully. "Prowl, assemble a strike team and head to Pythia at once. Jetfire will be at your position in a few minutes. We need to know if the source of this transmission is another powerful weapon or a being like Fortitudo."
"Yes, Prime." Prowl nodded and went for the door.
"Good luck, Prowl!" Gina cheered.
Though she didn't see it, her words of encouragement made Prowl crack a smirk.
XXXXXXX
Starscream stood before the door to Megatron's quarters, where the Decepticon leader had ordered to meet with him in order to have a private "chat". That didn't make the Seeker commander any less nervous, because private chats away from prying eyes tend to end in one of the two speakers getting silently disposed off without any fanfare. Damn it, Knockout had him paranoid after talking ceaselessly about old human crime movies. Curse that "Godfather" whoever he was!
No one had been in Megatron's quarters-without permission of course. Aside from Nightshade and Soundwave, no one had even dared to glimpse into the warlord's personal abode, but here he was. Standing on the event horizon. Starscream took a deep breath to settle his rapidly pulsating Spark and knocked twice on the door.
"L-lord Megatron?" He called out, cursing his stutter. "It's is I, your loyal air commander."
The door slid open, revealing a dark room. "Enter Starscream."
Starscream almost gulped but he forced his body to move forward into the room. When the door shut behind him, he was cloaked in darkness, barely able to see. It was dark, but Starscream could make out a recharge slab, a large desk with a computer monitor on it and behind that desk, what looked like a large, white wing that was black in some places. Starscream thought he saw a wing like that before, but he wasn't sure.
There was no light in the room save for the glow coming from the monitor that was on Megatron's desk. Of course, the glow reflected off Megatron's armor, making him the brightest thing in the room. But the light didn't reach his face, so Starscream could only see his red eyes glaring at him from afar. He hated how even small gestures like this could still make Megatron look like death incarnate.
"Starscream," The Con straightened up as Megatron addressed him. "Do you know why I called you here?"
"No, Megatron, I do not." He answered. "I assume it's something important?"
"Yes, you could say that." Megatron said. "I have a task for you, one that I think suits your skill set quite nicely."
"Really?" Starscream looked excited, but quickly schooled himself. "I mean, oh really?"
"Yes. You see, Soundwave just detected an energy anomaly in Europa, near the edge of the Grecian subcontinent by the Andar sea." Megatron brought up a holo-map of the region and pointed to the area near the body of water. "One that is similar to the readings that came from Nightshade's weapon, Gandiva."
"And you believe that it's another weapon like it?" Starscream inquired. He hoped that was the case. A weapon on par with one like Gandiva might be his ticket to gaining the power to match Megatron, maybe even surpass him.
"I'm not making any assumptions until we know what exactly we're dealing with." He said, leaning back in his seat.
"Of course, my lord," Starscream bowed his head, smirking. "I will complete this task with the utmost diligence."
"Oh, that's not the task I've assigned to you, Starscream, just the mission." Megatron revealed. He held back a smirk at Starscream's bewildered expression.
"Excuse me?"
"This is something less hazardous, but no less important. I want you to keep an eye on a certain individual for me, and keep them in line if need be. I'm sure you already know who I'm talking about."
Megatron pressed a button and the holo-display changed to reveal footage from the camera feed. It showed a certain two wheeler sneaking out of the energon storage vault with a couple of energon cubes in hand.
"Flamewar?" Starscream cried out. "You want me to be that witch's warden?"
Megatron didn't hide his smirk this time. "I told you it suited your skill set."
XXXXXXX
Jetfire stood on the edge of the steep cliffs looking out into the horizon. It was nearing dusk now, and the sun was a brilliant orange orb sinking into the ocean, bathing its reflective surface in a warm glow. He was always a sucker for wonderful sights like this, it reminded him of the great views he would get from flying over Cybertron early in the morning or at sundown. Nothing beats watching the world at twilight.
"It's quite the sight, isn't it?" Jetfire asked Comettor, who sat on his shoulder.
"It certainly is." Comettor agreed.
"Reminds of that time I sent my leave from the Seekers in Ky-Alexia. Spent all night whooping ass in the casinos. By the time dawn came around, they kicked me out for being too good, and then I was fortunately enough to see the sunrise." Jetfire sighed wistfully. "It was something I'd never forget. It actually got me to move to the place."
"You moved to Ky-Alexia?" Comettor looked up at Jetfire in shock. "But I thought all Seekers lived in Vos? Wasn't that like a brotherhood cult thing?"
"Yeah, it's true. You were born in Vos and died in Vos." Jetfire shrugged. "But the Seekers were being led by Deadscream back then, and she was a few Primes short of a Matrix."
"Sight-seeing's over Autobots, time to get to work." Prowl said as he, Wheeljack and Bumblebee stepped out of the ground bridge. "And I thought you were supposed to run air recon Jetfire?"
"For what? The bloody energy sig is everywhere!" Jetfire waved his arms around at their surroundings. "Comettor already tried to get a fix on its origin point, but he's got nothin'."
Prowl just sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just keep watch for any Decepticons then. You can at least do that, can you?"
"Yes sir, Prowler. We're on it." Jetfire and Comettor transformed and took to the sky, blowing dust in Prowl's face as he did so.
Bumblebee grumbled about reckless Seekers and looked over at Bumblebee, who was standing on top a hill scanning the area. "Bee, did you find anything?"
"Nope, and Jolt isn't finding anything either." Bumblebee said. "There's nothing out of the ordinary here."
"That's how it always is, but we've got to be vigilant." Prowl said. "We need to look into every detail of this place, not matter how small."
He remembered how Gina had said this city was the home of the Oracle, a sacred seer that was practically worshipped as the voice of the gods. Of course, Prowl didn't put much stock in that story, as he figured that the Oracle was an esper with precognition powers. If there was one thing he learned from traveling around this world, it was that history was not so passive as one would think it would be. If you knew where to look, there were surprises right around the corner. And some of them weren't so welcome to people stumbling across them.
"You know what would be nice?" Jolt asked as he landed on Bumblebee's shoulder. "If we actually knew what the hell we were looking for. I'm getting sick of flying circles up here trying to get a damn reception. The whole area's a hot zone for crying out loud!"
"I'm certainly not crazy for fighting another two-headed dragon, Jolt." Wheeljack said. "But you're right. We need to narrow down our search. Any ideas, Prowl?"
"Working on it." Prowl said in a tone that told Wheeljack to keep quiet and let the former PI do his thing.
Prowl had noticed how intimately connected these events were to sights that were of great importance to humans both past and present. El Dorado, the Aesir temple in Midgard, the stone ring in Airlann, even that brief event on Crete; all sights of battles and anomalies that occurred in places once inhabited by ancient humans, who obviously had contact with their fair share of otherworldly beings. So if they wanted to find what they were looking for, then they had to think along that line of thought.
'And Pythia's most important element is its oracle.' Prowl thought. "I think I have it."
"Well, don't be a stranger. Tell us what's up." Jolt said.
"We need to think back to how other missions of this nature turned out. Whenever we detect these anomalies, it leads us to places of great significance." Prowl explained. "And what is important about Pythia?"
"It's oracle." Bumblebee answered, getting what Prowl was trying to say.
"Exactly. Gina said that the oracle's abode was located in a cave of some sort, so we should start looking for ways underground. No doubt that is where the energy is coming from."
The three Autobots went in separate directions, looking for any hidden tunnels or passageways that might have been covered by the ravages of time and nature after they fell out of use. Bumblebee and Jolt stayed close to the wall that ran along the edge of the cliff, made by human hands and a little taller than the scout himself. Its purpose for being there is unknown, and probably will be for a long time, but at least it provided a border to keep wayward travelers from falling to their deaths.
"What do you think we'll find at the end of all this?" Jolt asked. "If we find anything at all."
"I don't know. After everything we've experienced, it's hard to expect anything anymore." Bumblebee replied. "Maybe we might find a powerful weapon of our own, like Nightshade's bow, or Mjolnir. It'd be nice to have some sweet firepower on our side for once."
"You could say that again." Jolt nodded. Then he noticed something strange in the wall. "Whoa. What's that?"
Jolt was pointing at the cave opening in the stone wall. There was a neat little staircase that led downward into the darkness, which was coincidentally large enough for a bot Bumblebee's size to crawl through if he tried. But what was strange was that there was nothing but open air on the other side of the wall, and yet here this cave was, going deep into the earth.
"That was not there before." Bumblebee said.
Jolt looked in the cave, not brave enough to step a foot through the entrance. And he didn't like the ominous feeling he was getting from the dark interior. "So…who wants to go in first?"
"Maybe we should call the others first." The scout suggested, putting a hand into the cave. The air felt a lot cooler than it should be, making his hackles rise. "None of this looks natur-ahhh!"
An unseen force took hold of Bumblebee's outstretched hand and effortlessly dragged him into the cave. Startled, Jolt ran after him, but was knocked back by an invisible barrier over the entrance. He watched helplessly as his partner vanished into the darkness in seconds, calling for help.
"Bumblebee!"
XXXXXXXX
"Ow." Bumblebee groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head. "What hit me?"
He stood up and brushed the dirt from his body and looked around. He was inside a large cave that had pale blue crystals jutting up from the rocky walls and the ground. It wasn't energon, but it wasn't hephaestium either-not that he knew of. These crystals were something else, something much more potent than the mineral that the humans use to power their machines. Bumblebee could tell just from standing near them that they were different. They felt energized, as if charged with electricity. Seeking to return to the surface, Bumblebee turned around, expecting to find the staircase behind him, but only saw a dead end.
"Slag." He muttered. He had no idea where he was, and his only exit was nowhere to be found. He keyed his communicator and called Jolt. "Jolt, this is Bumblebee, do you read me?" He got no reply, not even static. "Jolt? Oh for Primus' sake."
The yellow Autobot glared at the crystals, thinking that they were the reason he was getting no reception, along with being too deep underground. He remained calm, but something about the crystals, the general feel of them, made him a bit uneasy.
"Come on, Bee. You've been in worse situations than this." He told himself. "Remember your training. Just find an opening that will lead you to the surface so you can find your friends."
"Your friends cannot help you now, alien." A raspy voice intoned, causing Bumblebee to jump.
Bumblebee spun around, drawing his blaster. "Who said that?!"
There was silence, with no indication that anyone besides Bumblebee had spoken. Then the voice returned, "Deeper…"
The scout felt something tugging on his mind in the direction of the only other entrance to the cave he was in. Of course, Bumblebee was wary of moving at the behest of a creepy disembodied voice, but he had no options right now. Cursing his circumstances, he walked into the tunnel lined with smaller crystals in its earthen walls, lighting his way.
Thankfully it wasn't a long walk before he found himself in a larger cave, one drastically different. Here the crystals were snow white, and it helped increase his visibility here, but the yellow Autobot had no idea what he was looking at.
In the center of the cavern was a tall figure that was encased in a tightly wound cocoon of chains around its body. Bumblebee couldn't make out its form, but judging from its vaguely human-like face it had to be male. His skin was like granite, cracked and chipped in some places, most notably around the eyes, which were sunken and hollow like an actual skull, and had no eyeballs-just two small lights that burned in its sunken head like miniature suns.
"So you came after all," The being said, dust venting from its mouth, though its cracked lips did not move. "As I knew you would. They always come when they hear my voice."
'Oh boy.' Bumblebee thought and tried to think of something to say. It would be best to start with something simple. "Um, hi. I'm Bumblebee. An Autobot."
"I know what you are, visitor. Fortitudo's death at the hands of your people has reverberated throughout the world. It is no easy feat to defeat a Cardinal like that."
"How do you know that?"
"These crystals," He answered. "They are an extension of my senses. What they see and hear, I do as well."
Bumblebee did not know what to do in this situation. It was clear that this…thing was of the same ilk as Foritudo and his legions, but he wasn't trying to smite him where he stood just for thinking in his presence. Maybe it was the chains, which glowed a bit whenever their prisoner tried to move even a twitch. Bumblebee then realized that maybe this was a blessing in disguise. Here was an obviously powerful being restrained before him, and he was still in one piece. This might be a good time to get some answers.
"Hey, chain guy. I have some questions for you," He said. "And I am not leaving until I get a solid answer."
"That is fine. It is not like you can leave on your own otherwise, either."
Bumblebee ignored that remark. "What are you?"
The being took a moment to speak before answering, "An angel."
And already they were on a bad start. Angels didn't exist, and he knew that this guy was no angel. Still, it was something. He'll worry about the details later. "Okay then. Next question, and don't try to slag me, pal." He said sternly. "What is your name?"
"…Lucifer."
XXXXXXX
"Only Bumblebee could find something this strange and get in trouble immediately afterwards." Wheeljack sighed as he studied the cave, tapping on the barrier.
"Poor kid. Went out the lamest way in Autobot history." Jetfire said. "Oh well, I'll carve out his tombstone."
"He's not dead you moron!" Jolt yelled. "But he might be in trouble. Can you guys help him?"
Prowl hummed in thought and fired his blaster at the cave. The bolt bounced off the barrier and hit a tree, splitting it in two. "This is new. Wheeljack, have you found anything out?"
"Only that the barrier is not the product of any machine. I'm getting no readings from any hidden shield generators or hard-light projectors." Wheeljack said.
"That's not helping us Jackie, we need to know something we can do." Jetfire said. "Don't you guys have countermeasures for this kind of thing?"
"Yes, for shields made from existing technology." Wheeljack answered. "This isn't technology. Something or someone's keeping this thing active, and doesn't want anyone else dropping in on them."
"Wonderful." The Autobot flyer sighed. Comettor then had an idea.
"I think I have a solution." He said, and explained his plan. "Energy barriers usually run on a set amount of energy in order to maintain their integrity. But they have to expend even more to maintain their structural integrity under heavy fire, eventually burning out after a few minutes if that fire doesn't let up."
"So if we combine our power, then we can cause the barrier to drain its energy and fall apart?" Wheeljack finished. He rubbed his chin, nodding. "That's a sound plan."
"It sounds a bit far-fetched, but it's not like we have a choice." Prowl motioned for the other mechs to raise their weapons and point them at the mouth of the cave. "We fire on my signal. Three…two…one…"
The area was suddenly set aflame by a hail of missile fire that littered the ground with large explosions that forced the Autobots to take evasive action. They looked to the sky to see Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp land on the ground in unison, pointing their arm-mounted cannons at the Autobots.
"Don't even think about it Autobots." Starscream warned, aiming his powerlinked null cannon at Prowl. "You're outnumbered and outgunned. Just give up."
"Did you forget to count as well as fight, Starscream? It's 3 v 3, equal opportunities to slag all three of you." Jetfire said.
A black shape shot up from behind the wall, from the steep cliffs and came at Prowl from behind. It was only thanks to a pulse blast from Wheelack that Prowl was spared from a fatal attack to his head. Flamewar flipped over Prowl and landed on the Autobot's right.
"As I said," Starscream smirked. "Outnumbered."
Unshaken by how close he nearly came to getting killed, Prowl fired the first shot at Starscream. The Seeker ducked under the bolt and fired a null blast that grazed Prowl's shoulder. This ignited the firefight that sent both sides scattering amidst a storm of lasers and missiles. Thundercracker and Skywarp caught sight of Starscream's hand motion to attack and they charged at Prowl. Skywarp tried to get to Prowl first, but Thundercracker jumped in front of him and began fighting the Autobot.
"What the hell man?" Skywarp yelled. He saw Jetfire charging at him and grinned. "Hey Jetfire. I gotta repay you for sucker punching me back at Alaska!"
Skywarp teleported behind Jetfire and fired his cannons, but Jetfire ignored the mercury tipped bullets hitting his torso and spun around, firing his particle cannon at Skywarp's chest. Skywarp warped to avoid the attack, but just as he reappeared, Jetfire was right in his face and began pelting him with a series of punches that knocked him into a couple of trees.
"I thought I told you," Jetfire cracked his neck. "Don't use that trick on someone who knows how to fight it. Not that brightest tool in the shed, are ya?"
"Then perhaps I can be a challenge to you."
Flamewar came at Jetfire from behind and stabbed a pair of daggers into Jetfire's arms. The daggers released a strong electrical shock into Jetfire's nervous system that brought the Autobot to his knees, twitching from the jolts running through his circuitry. She then fired an energy net at his face that blinded him and left him open to attack.
"You think you can take him now?" She asked Skywarp.
"Shut up." Skywarp growled. He pointed his arm cannons at his former partner, but he had no chance to fire his cannons as two rocket shells hit him in the right arm and head. He cried out as he felt his metal skin start to sting and smoke and realized that he was doused with acid. "Slag!"
Flamewar felt something wrap around her leg and she was lifted off her feet. Wheeljack twirled his energo-whip, swinging Flamewar around before slamming her into the air. When he started t drag her back towards him, Flamewar cut the whip and used the momentum to send her flying towards him. She planted her feet in his face, but Wheeljack grabbed her back armor panels and threw her away. She used a tree branch to regain her balance and land on the ground with the grace of a gymnast.
"You're a good dance partner for a techie." She smirked.
"You should see me on Friday nights." Wheeljack retorted.
Prowl fought Thundercracker and Starscream at the same time with Jolt providing support. His rifle lay on the ground in half and all he had was an electrified baton that he used only for melee combat. Fighting both Seekers at the same time was difficult, if he wasn't trying to avoid getting decapitated by Thundercracker's bayonets, then he was actively avoiding Starscream's null blasts that he fired with startling accuracy.
Prowl ducked under Thundercracker's sword arm and jammed his baton into the Con's underside, sending violent jolts running through the Seeker's body. But Thundercracker, who was no stranger to pain, braved through it and grabbed Prowl's arm, pulling the Autobot towards him and punching him in the face. He tried to gore Prowl through with his bayonets, but Prowl grabbed his arms and kept the blades at bay. Meanwhile, Starscream was getting into position to take the Autobot out for good.
'Even if we fail the mission now,' He thought. 'At least I will be able to kill one of Prime's more dangerous lackies.'
He aimed his null ray at Prowl and waited for his weapon to fully charge for a kill shot. Prowl noticed this at the last minute and pushed himself out of the grapple, gaining a slash to the chest for his risky maneuver. He spun Thundercracker around and held him in a full nelson, using his body as a shield just as Starscream fired his null ray. The blast hit Thundercracker in the chest, but the EMP current washed over both of them. Having got the brunt of the blast, Thundercracker crumpled to the ground motionless, his body having gone into stasis. Prowl was still conscious, but he had little control over his limbs and he fell to his knees, suffering from what humans would equate to muscle spasms.
"Sorry Thundercracker, but you know what they say. The mission comes first." Starscream smirked. He walked over to Prowl. "And as for you…"
"No!" Jolt flew in and began pelting Starscream's head and shoulders with his artillery cannons. The Con tried to backhand him out of the air, but Jolt skillfully avoided the larger bot's limbs.
"How cute, the Minicon thinks he can make a difference." Starscream sneered and tried to take Jolt out with his null ray.
'Come on, Bee,' Jolt thought. 'Where are you?'
XXXXXXX
"How long were you trapped down here?" Bumblebee asked.
The being known as Lucifer gazed down at the yellow Autobot under him. "You talk loudly for one so small, alien."
"Answer the question!" He yelled. He was getting sick of this game he was playing.
"I do not know how long I was stuck down here. All I know is that this cave was once the abode of a human woman who could tell the future. She thought her visions, as violent and withering as they are, were messages from the gods." Lucifer chuckled. "If she knew the truth about her gods, she would've killed herself on the spot. Ancient humans had no idea of the power we had bestowed upon them. Espers, mutants, different names, same thing."
Bumblebee was trying really hard to understand what he was talking about, but most of it was going over his head. "Why were you imprisoned here?"
"That I can answer. I was put down here for trying to overthrow the Supreme Authority. The Mother of all, in all her glory. I sought to set my people free, and lead them to a future unbound by the chains and restrictions placed upon us by our Queen."
"A rebellion."
"Yes, one that I led myself. I had convinced a third of Her Host to join me in fighting for our freedom, and we were nearly an unstoppable force that even the four Cardinals could not match." Lucifer chuckled bitterly. "I was such a fool back then. To raise arms against a Queen. I would have a better chance fighting death itself. The fury with which she had struck her down was divine. I have never forgotten the terror that I felt then, even after all these centuries."
Lost in his memories, Lucifer's power leaked from his body ad began to fill the cave, enveloping Bumblebee. The scout stumbled back as his mind was very briefly linked with Lucifer's, thus allowing him to see the demigod's memories of the even that he spoke of. He saw flashes, short clips of those same stone creatures that he fought back on Brigadoon. Many were the bird-like Affinities and the hulkish Braves, but some were also humanoid, clad in red and gold armor wielding swords as long as their bodies. The whole battlefield was just a chaotic slaughter of angels killing each other for reasons Bumblebee could only dream of. It was like seeing a life angelic mural, with beings of light arranged in a circle around a shining light, like a star, in the center.
Then he saw Lucifer, who was flying towards the center, his slender body shining like a star. He raised his arm to throw a spear, but from the sun at the center, a large feminine hand that was as large as Lucifer's body reached out to him and bathed him in a blindingly white light. Then he felt pain erupt all over his body.
"Stop it!" Bumblebee cried out. Suddenly the vision cut off and he was back in the cave with the imprisoned Lucifer, his body smoking and still feeling the dull pain in his very being. "Ngh."
"My apologies. I can barely control my body these days. Had you been a human, you would've gone insane by now." Lucifer said. "But this is the power that you fight against alien. Our numbers may be low, and we may slumber in the bowels of the earth, but we still surpass you. You cannot fight against the Legion-not against Her."
Bumblebee tried to control his shaking body, and partially succeeded. He stared up at Lucifer, not with fear, but with loathing. "What the hell are you?"
"Haven't you been listening?" Lucifer's voice was mocking. "I am an angel."
A soft, barely audible boom could be heard from up top, an explosion. Lucifer hummed as he felt something pound against his barrier on the surface. More aliens.
"It seems there is a battle going on near my cave. Friends of yours, perhaps?" He asked. Bumblebee did not answer, but he knew it was true. "I see. Very well, in that case I will have to ask you to leave. I do not want intruders destroying my land with their petty squabbles."
"Wait! I'm not finished yet!" Bumblebee shouted.
"Oh, but you are." Lucifer said. "And just to make sure your friends know how serious I am…"
Lucifer's eyes glowed even brighter, increasing in intensity until Bumblebee was forced to close his eyes. He felt the warm light wash over him, searing into every pore of his body. Then he felt something entering his mind…no, someone.
"Time to see how much the world has changed after a millennia."
XXXXXX
Prowl leapt up and grappled with Starscream, forcing the null ray away from Jolt. Starscream growled and tried to shake him off, but Prowl had a tight hold on his arms.
"You're already weakened by my first shot, Prowl!" He said. "Just give up and hand over the weapon!"
"There is no weapon!" Prowl replied. "We haven't found a damn thing since we got here."
"Lies!" Starscream kicked Prowl in the chest and stabbed his bayonet into the Autobot's shoulder, pinning him to the ground. He shoved the null ray into Prowl's face and sneered. "Something is causing this anomaly and you know what it is, so tell me!"
Jetfire saw Starscream holding Prowl at gunpoint and raised his particle cannon at the Seeker. As he took aim, he hoped that he didn't sear Prowl's face off as he started to pull the trigger. But someone else beat him to the punch.
A beam of light was fired from the cave and hit Starscream in the chest. Starscream not only felt the beam nearly burn a hole to his Spark core, he could feel the beam ignite a searing pain all over his body. He screamed in agony and fell to his back, writhing on the ground as if it would dull the pain. Prowl looked up and saw someone walk out of the appearance of this newcomer caused all fighting in the area to cease at once. Bots and Cons alike turned towards the cave and saw a figure step out into the fading sunlight. Jolt, who was attending to Prowl, saw him first and thought that it was his partner. He was not wrong in that regard, but the scout was not alone.
The yellow Autobot was back in the outside world, but he was not himself. His body, his essence, was being controlled by Lucifer. Bumblebee's form was eclipsed by Lucifer's taller, radiant form-a humanoid body that sported a beautiful masculine appearance, with skin like white marble, hair that shined like gold and eyes that glittered like diamonds. His human-like face gazed up at the sun and smiled.
"The sun, the moon, the earth," He laughed. "How glorious to be able to see you all again, even for just a moment."
Jolt was almost too scared to speak, but he forced himself to stand strong. "Bumblebee?" He jumped a little when Lucifer's star-like gaze fell onto him.
"I will only say this once, aliens," Lucifer said in a booming tone, his voice overlapping Bumblebee's. "Leave this place, for it is under my control. Take your war to some other domain, far from ere. I'm trying to sleep."
"This land doesn't belong to you." Prowl said. "It belongs to humanity."
Lucifer smiled and knelt down to Prowl's level, looking at him as if he were a child who didn't know any better. "That's what you think-Prowl, was it? I'm trying to be nice here. The others, they aren't as nice as me, they'll kill you on the spot. But I'm slightly more sympathetic to you all. So run on home before I decide to get rough."
"And if we don't listen to you, bub?" Skywarp foolishly asked. "Decepticons never run from a battle!"
'And people wonder why I quit the Decepticons in the first place.' Flamewar thought. She slowly backed away as Lucifer stood up, eyes flaring.
All he had to do was flinch and his aura flared up, bathing the area in a blinding light, like a star about to go nova. Flamewar actually thought that he was going to do just that and figured that she had enough of this.
"Skywarp, grab the other two morons and warp us out of here!" She ordered.
"No way sister, we're not run-" Flamewar grabbed Skywarp and shoved her crossbow under his chin.
"We are leaving now, or you're gonna be short one brain module!" She sneered. "Now go!"
Skywarp obeyed her, not wanting to have his head blown off. He teleported Flamewar away first, before returning for Starscream and Thundercracker. Once the Cons were gone, Lucifer turned his attention to Jetfire and Wheeljack, who were pointing their weapons at him,
"We're not going anywhere without the little guy." Jetfire said.
Lucifer smiled. "You may have him. My work is done here," He looked up at the sun once more just before it fully sank into the horizon. "So beautiful and serene. I wonder how long will it be before your war sets it all on fire."
Lucifer's body released another flash of light that forced the Autobots to cover their eyes. When the flash faded away, all that was left was an unconscious Bumblebee smoke rising from his body. Prowl ran over to the scout and looked him over, flinching back after laying a hand on him. He was very hot, like he just got out of atmospheric entry.
"Is he alright?" Jolt asked.
"Yes, Bee's fine. But we need Ratchet to look him over." Prowl said. "And I need to report to Prime about this."
Prowl looked up at the cave, only to see solid rock. The cave was gone, replaced by the stone wall. Any sign of it, and Lucifer, was gone, as if they never existed in the first place.
XXXXXXX
Megatron sat still in his seat as Starscream and Flamewar gave their report on the events that transpired on the mission. He didn't say anything the entire time, and it slightly unnerved the two Cons, who were expecting him to lose his cool at some point in the debriefing. Once Starscream finished his report, he tried to save face by slandering Flamewar.
"As you can see, Megatron," Starscream said. "We failed to retrieve anything of value. No thanks to that entity and Flamewar's cowardice."
"I only did what was necessary to survive, lord Megatron," Flamewar said calmly. She knew she was not at fault here. "After seeing how effortlessly the being took out Starscream with a single attack, I was not going to let our entire team be at its mercy. Better to run and fight another day."
"How dare you blame this on me!" Starscream hissed, but a glare from Megatron stopped him before he could let his anger take hold.
"For once in your life, Starscream, you are not at fault here, and neither are you Flamewar." Megatron said. "It is clear that the anomaly was a lure to draw us there. Why, I doubt we will find out, but I do know that no one won today. Dismissed."
Starscream and Flamewar bowed their heads and made to leave the bridge, but Megatron gave Starscream some parting words.
"Oh, and Starscream? I would adivse steering clear of Thundercracker for a few hours. He is in a bad mood thanks to your little friendly fire incident."
The scowl on Starscream's face as he left certainly made Megatron's day. The Seeker commander only served to shoot himself in the foot if he continued to do stunts like that on his Seekers. The more he blundered, the more loyal his supposed brothers became to Megatron. In the end, Starscream will be left alone in his attempts to gain power, and Megatron couldn't wait to see it all crumble around him. It would be poetic for him to die at the hands of an ally just like his accursed sister.
But there were more pressing concerns to worry about. This was another event in their growing list of contacts with the angelic beings. This was happening more often than he would've liked, and Megatron didn't like it one bit. This was building towards something and he did not like how little information they had on these beings. Seeing as how intimately connected they were to Terra's past, Megatron figured that it would be prudent to investigate humanity's relationship with these so-called angels.
He wasn't going to let a bunch of talking statues that think they're gods get in his way of conquering the Autobots and this planet!
XXXXXXXX
Optimus listened patiently to Bumblebee's account of the day's events. The scout was sitting in the med bay, having just gotten out of a diagnostic check-up from Ratchet. Thankfully, he was healthy as a lamb, and had suffered no visible side effects from the unexpected possession. He couldn't remember what happened after his little chat with Lucifer, but Jolt was kind enough to fill him in on the blanks. Once he was done, Optimus and Ratchet discussed things on the side.
"The power of these angels is starting to concern me." Ratchet said.
"You're not the only one, old friend." Optimus nodded. "And this encounter only raises more questions than answers. But is Bumblebee really alright, Ratchet?"
"He'll be fine after getting some rest." Ratchet assured him. "But he's still a bit weak, so keep the conversations to a minimum please."
"I will. Thank you." Optimus turned to Bumblebee, who was sitting on the berth, lost in thought. "How are you feeling Bumblebee?"
"Tired, mostly, and a bit…shaken." Bumblebee said, rubbing his head. "He was in me, Optimus. He controlled my body, my mind…and he was so powerful."
"I know, Bumblebee. These angels are becoming more dangerous than we originally thought." Optimus shook his head. "Their powers are beyond what I had expected from physical beings."
Bumblebee was quiet for a few minutes, trying to gather his thoughts. There was a question hanging on the tip of his vocoder, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. But Optimus could see right through him and he asked what was on his mind.
"Optimus, do you believe in gods?"
"Excuse me?" Optimus wasn't expecting that question.
"I've seen Lucifer's memories, and I've seen just what kind of force we're dealing with. These things are regular creatures Optimus, their powers are immense and the way they operate," Bumblebee let out a frustrated huff. "It's like seeing those gods from the humans' folklore just come to life. It's scary."
"Bumblebee, I hold the Matrix of Leadership in my chest. It is said to hold a fragment of Primus' Spark within it, and it carries great power. But that doesn't mean I believe in Primus. Only that there may be a higher power that holds dominion over all our fates." Optimus said. "Vector Sigma, the Matrix, the Thirteen Primes, all beings of great power, but are not gods. These angels may be powerful, but they are not gods. That is just a delusion that they have made for themselves to justify subjugating lesser beings. They are mortal and vulnerable to death. Don't let your fear of them control you, Bumblebee, or they've already won."
Bumblebee nodded. "Okay. Thank, Optimus."
"Anything for a friend." Optimus patted the scout on the shoulder. "Jolt, make sure Bumblebee gets some rest."
Jolt saluted. "Yes sir!"
Optimus chuckled and left the med bay, heading towards his quarters. But his mirth died down as Bumblebee's question rang in his mind. It wasn't that he didn't believe in gods, it was that he wished that there wasn't. If there was a god to created their race, some abstract creator who sowed the seeds of strange life forms in the universe, then Optimus thought that they would weep at how far their precious children had fallen.
