AN: I don't own Transformers nor Halo.
Alright, so, before we get started on this chapter, I'd like to let you all know that once this chapter is released, you probably won't see an upload for the week of the 25th and the week after due to the release of the Resident Evil 2 remake.
I've been anticipating it's release for awhile now and I kind of just want to take a small break to play it which I hope you all will understand. The little kid in me who grew up playing the original RE2 is understandably excited.
Now, with that said, let's get into this chapter.
Storm made her way towards her destination with haste and purpose. Though Sam had all but abandoned her, she could never abandon him in the same fashion. Especially not when she knew that his life was in danger.
She broke out into a full run due to her building worry, quickly turning a corner into her and The Warden's respective hangar where she spotted the Promethean titan seemingly lost to his own thoughts, arms crossed at his chest. However, he was soon distracted from them by the audible sounds of Storm's armor clad feet running towards him.
His expression shifted to one of confusion, then to concern, his orange, illuminated eyes never leaving her as she ran to his side and began to speak with urgency; sounding slightly breathless. "I need to leave immediately, Eternal. Mikaela called me and Sam is in trouble."
Now he knew why his leader was in such a hurry, the worry she was currently displaying in her posture transferring over to him. Was it an enemy?
"What is wrong?" The Warden asked her.
Storm sighed heavily, running an armored hand down her protective mask. "Sam has been having seizures after touching a shard of the All-Spark he found and hasn't told anyone. I'm going to find him and bring him back here to Ratchet, whether he likes it or not."
Once again, the Promethean titan nodded to Storm. "I understand. I will hold your position until your return."
Storm quickly thanked The Warden before opening a slip-space portal, the coordinates of her destination being the cemetary close to Sam's college.
She crossed her arms over her chest, a clawed hand placed on each shoulder as the portal began to slowly pull her in, her eyes never leaving The Warden as he lowered his arms from over his chest, speaking out to her one last time before she disappeared from his sight. "Be safe, Tempest."
...
Storm was dropped gracefully out into her chosen destination, an un-welcome sensation building in her chest as she was flooded with memories. This place only served to sadden her now due to the emotions attached to it.
However, she had no time to dwell on these negative emotions. She quickly glanced around her, surveying the area for any potential prying eyes before she phased away her protective armor. She began walking towards the road and once she'd reached it, Storm looked both ways for any incoming vehicles before darting across it into an adjacent parking lot.
She stopped in her place, once again looking around her to make sure that no humans would see what she was about to do. She began to check the various cars around her, trying to find one that had been left unlocked but to no avail. She had checked every vehicle with no luck...all except one.
Storm approached the remaning vehicle, holding her breath as she placed her hand on the handle of the driver's side door and pulled...it opened. She let out the breath she'd been holding in relief before sitting down into the seat with haste.
She began to search for the keys high and low, her previous hopes quickly being crushed. They were nowhere to be found. She balled up her fist, hitting the ceiling of the car in anger as she cursed wildly in her native language.
That's when she saw a flash of something shiny above her. Storm looked up, being met with the sight of a silver object partially peaking out at her from the sun visor. It was the key.
She grabbed it from it's place, placing it into the ignition and turning it. She was met with the sound of the car's engine and she smiled to herself. Whether it was simply human forgetfulness or the God's looking out for her, Storm was thankful nontheless.
She shut the driver's side door, placing her seatbelt over her before taking off down the road in the direction of Sam's college.
...
Once Storm arrived and had parked, she began surveying the area with her eyes for Mikaela. The onyx-haired female was nowhere to be seen. It seemed that she'd arrived earlier than the woman given her ability to teleport.
She exited from the vehicle she'd aquired, closing and leaning up against the driver's with her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for Mikaela to arrive. Thankfully enough, the woman arrived not long after, parking her car beside Storm's before exiting and proceeding to grab a strange metal box from the trunk.
Storm followed after the woman as she began walking off towards Sam's building, avoiding humans on their path as they made their way towards Sam's room with Storm immediately noticing that Leo was standing outside for some reason, the door to Sam's room closed.
The onyx-haired female ignored Leo's protests to not open the door as she placed her hand on it's handle, twisting it and opening the door with a smile on her face as she spoke. "Sam, I-"
Mikaela abruptly stopped in her sentence, her expression shifting from one of happiness to heartbreak. This shift drew Storm's attention. She peaked around the woman to see the cause and Storm felt concern for what she saw. Sam's room was covered in crudely drawn Cybertronian symbols and the boy was laying in his bed with Alice on top of him.
The chestnut-haired boy obviously hadn't expected their sudden company, now wide-eyed and stuttering to explain himself.
He wasn't able to finish his sentence, however, as he was interuppted by Alice, the petite female smirking proudly over at Mikaela as she spoke up with a audibly taunting question. "Is that your girlfriend."
Mikaela wasted no time in answering the question for Sam, her voice and expression void of emotion. "Ex."
The onyx-haired female turned away with Storm trying to follow after her, not failing to hear Sam's pleading from within his room for Mikaela not to leave though without success. She decided to let the girl go, no doubt in Storm's mind that she needed to be alone and clear her mind after what she'd just witnessed.
Storm turned back around, angrily stomping back towards Sam room as she yelled at him. "I cannot believe you, Sam! How could you-"
Storm stopped in her sentence as she watched the scene before her play out in horror. Alice's skin had begun to break apart, giving way to a small, metal body. She now understood why she had felt so suspicious of the female now. It was because she was a Decepticon pretender.
The being formerly known as Alice wrapped a long, metal tendril around Sam's neck, cutting off his air supply. Storm narrowed her eyes at the Decepticon as she dropped her camouflage response, phasing on her protective armor to take on the enemy before her.
This now apparent threat caused Alice to remove her metal tendril from Sam, her best friend beginning to scream, attracting the attention of Mikaela whom was at the end of the hallway.
The onyx-haired female turned around in response to the sound, spotting Storm who was no clad in her her protective armor. It sent up red flags in Mikaela's mind.
She ran back towards Sam's room, finding what it was that had caused Storm to reveal herself. Mikaela threw the metal box in her hands at the Decepticon before her though Alice dodged it with ease.
No metal box would be enough to stop Alice and Storm knew this. She quickly held her right arm out to her side, phasing in a weapon that had been given to her as a gift by The Arbiter long ago. A gravity hammer.
She didn't know why a Decepticon was here, but there were no doubts that it was due to the symbols drawn on Sam's walls. And she was going to make sure it stayed away from her friend.
Storm darted forward after pushing Leo and Mikaela back, Sam already far enough away that he wouldn't be affected by the following blast. She leapt into the air with speed, bringing her weapon down on Alice's head, the subsequent blast of shifting gravity flinging the Decepticon pretender out of the window behind it.
With the threat now temporarily dealt with, Storm turned around with urgency, yelling to the trio of human's behind her as Leo screamed about Alice being a "robot". However, they did as Storm had ordered, running out from the building with the Forerunner female close behind them for protection.
The group of four ran through the college campus and into it's library as Storm contacted Optimus on the current situation via her Ancilla. She could hear the worry in the Autobot leader's voice as he told her that he was close by and to hold on, that he was coming for her.
She ordered for the humans under her protection to hide on the second floor and they did so behind a book case, Storm hiding with them. There was no way the humans could take on a Decepticon no matter how small it was and she knew this. She would have to protect them till Optimus arrived or she offlined Alice, whichever happened first.
As they hid, Leo began to yell in hushed whispers, speaking to seemingly no one. "I can't believe that I almost...Oh, God. I think Im going to puke."
Mikaela ignored Leo's rambling in favor of yelling at Sam in the same hushed tones. "I can tell that you really missed me a lot, Sam!"
Sam rubbed his hands down his face in exasperation, attempting to explain himself. "Listen! Listen, I am a victim here!"
Mikaela didn't believe Sam, very much still furious. "Of what? A little eighty-pound girl?"
Sam emitted an angry, grunting noise, continuing to try and explain himself. "It was like getting humped in the neck by a mountain ox! You ever had your stomach tongued by a mountain ox with a five-foot tongue?!"
Despite the situation, Storm snorted at Sam's comparison. It was downright hilarious and she just couldn't help herself. Mikaela was not so amused, however, as she was looking at Sam in disbelief. "You didn't have to put your tongue in her mouth!"
Sam put his hands to his face, gesturing to his mouth as he spoke with an audible tone of disgust. "It wasn't fun for me, okay, Mikaela?...And it smelled like diesal! Like, a diesal-ly tinge to it!"
Storm snorted again upon hearing Sam's description and turned her head to face him. Despite her mask hiding her expression, the boy could easily hear the amusement in her voice. "Oh, chill out, Sam. You're being such a girl about it."
The chestnut-haired boy was visibly fed up. He looked over towards Mikaela and begna giving her the silent treatment. Storm couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief over how childish her friend was being, earing her a half-lidded death glare from the boy.
Storm simply shrugged back in his direction, watching as the pair before her began to argue once again. So much for staying quiet, Storm thought to herself silently.
Once the pair's arguing had concluded, Leo spoke up to Sam with urgency. "She violated your orifice with her nasty alien probe? She did it? She went in there? All her little embryo alien babies are gestating and hatching inside of you. They're growing right now, probably!...You need to vomit right now. Yak it! Yak it right now!"
Storm looked over to Leo dumbfounded and in disbelief as she spoke, this expression going un-seen due to her mask. "That's not even remotely close to how alien reproduction works, human."
Leo turned to Storm in fear due to her speaking to him, his attention soon being drawn away for the Forerunner female once Mikaela spoke to him with a question. "Who are you?"
Leo frantically responded to Mikaela's question. "I'm Leonardo Ponce De Leon Spitz, okay? I'm the key to all of this. The aliens, the want me beacuse of my site."
Storm scoffed at the human beside her due to his egocentric comments. She turned to look at him once again, annoyance resonating in her voice. "In case you've forgotten, Leo, I am very obviously an alien and I know many others. We don't want you for your website. Trust me."
Leo had opened his mouth to respond to the Forerunner female but was interuppted by an explosion not far from their location. The Decepticon pretender had found them, breaking through a wall in order to get to them.
Storm ordered for the trio she was protecting to run as she dropped her gravity hammer, the weapon disappearing in a flurry of orange particles. She couldn't use it here. Not in a area so densely packed with panicked humans.
She dove towards the Decepticon, grappling with it whilst trying to dig her clawed fingers into whatever she could get ahold of but to no avail. She simply wasn't fast enough.
Alice knocked Storm off balance causing her to fall over the railing. She wasn't about to go down empty handed, however. Storm gripped the Decepticon tightly, bringing her over the railing with her. They crashed through a set of wooden shelving, hitting the ground hard though Storm stood quickly, once again diving after her enemy as the humans around her made their escape.
She dug her clawed fingers deep into the Decepticon's chest, desperately trying to reach the sensitive spark that lay underneath but Alice was strong, digging her own clawed fingers into the sensitive Forerunner metal of Storm's arm for leverage as she struggled to fight her off.
This would only end in a losing battle and Storm knew this. She would have to temporarily incapacitate the Decepticon so that she could escape.
Storm quickly removed her hand from Alice's chest, round-house kicking her hard through a wall.
She could see sparks through the dust the damage had created. This was her chance. She wasted no time in turning around to make her escape. However, Alice had recovered faster than she'd anticipated.
A metal tendril wrapped itself tightly around Storm's neck before she was slung into wooden shelving. It was just enough to buy Alice time for her to race after Sam.
Storm's breath felt as if it'd been stolen and she was seeing stars, her ears ringing loudly. She couldn't let this stop her, however. She wouldn't let this stop her.
She leapt up from her place on the ground, running after Alice with in-human speed. It didn't take her long to intercept her enemy, the Decepticon sauntering towards a car that Mikaela was desperately trying to start in order to escape.
Storm leapt into the air, landing onto an un-suspecting Alice's back. She wrapped her hand in the wires protruding from being's head and began slamming it's head into the ground with reckless abandon.
Mikaela couldn't take her eyes off of Storm as she watched her. She was feral, ferocious in her never ceasing attacks. It translated through her actions that Storm was scared and desperately trying to protect them with everything she had.
Mikaela's sudden stop in trying to start the car drew the attention of those with her. They watched in awe as Storm stood and flipped over a disoriented Alice, punching through her chest armor that she'd weakend earlier and ripping out her spark, crushing it in her hand without thought nor remorse.
Storm watched as the red light faded from her eyes before willing back her protective mask, ensuring that the threat was dealt with before turning to the humans behind her; failing to hear the sounds of approaching rotor's over the ringing of her own ears and the frantic beating of her heart.
A grappling hook shot itself into the roof of the vehicle before her as the humans with screamed in terror. Storm ran after the vehicle as it was being lifted away, leaping onto the hood and digging her clawed fingers into it for leverage. She wasn't about to let Sam, Mikaela, and Leo out of her sight. If the Decepticons wanted Sam, they'd have to go through her first.
Storm did her best to hold on as she was carried away by Grindor to an unknown destination, soon turning her head in the direction of Sam's frantic screaming. He was hanging out of the vehicle, the only thing keeping him from falling being Mikaela's tight grip on him though the onyx-haired female was soon succsseful in pulling him back inside the airborne vehicle.
Storm felt her heart fall into her stomach as they were dropped from the sky through a concrete structure and once the vehicle hit the ground, Storm was thrown backwards by the violent force, slammed harshly into an all too familiar silver leg.
Her vision was spinning as she stared up, her gaze being met with Megatron's cold stare. Storm leapt towards Megatron's face in attack but the Decepticon leader caught her mid-air. She struggled within his un-forgiving grasp, even as he slammed her down roughly onto a slab of concrete that resided nearby, pinning her there with force.
Sam met the same fate, the vehicle the chestnut-haired boy resided in being sawed in half by Starscream before he picked him up and slammed him on a concrete slab beside her.
Megatron leaned down, his face hovering over Storm's as she snapped at him with her teeth, desperate to inflict some form of damage on the mech whom had claimed so many live's. Her actions caused the Decepticon leader to smirk as he spoke in what seemed like...pride? "You are brave for a femme...Were it not for your lack of Cybertronian form, I would spark you here and take you as my mate."
Storm's eyes widened, furious with anger in response to what Megatron had said. No way in hell would she ever do something like that. She snarled in Megatron's face, angry clicking being emitted from the back of her throat. Her actions only served to amuse Megatron, the tyrant looking down at her in condescending before turning his head to Sam and speaking. "You remember me, don't you, boy?"
Sam raised her arms above him in defense as he responded. He was scared. "Please...please don't hurt us."
Megatron slammed his free hand down over Sam's body to terrify him. "It feels good to grab your flesh! I am going to kill you slowly, painfully, but first, we have delicate work to do...Doctor, examine this specimen."
Storm continued to struggle desperately in Megatron's grasp, her eyes going wide with fear as she watched a seemingly innocent microscope shift before her very eyes into a tiny Decepticon. It climbed up onto Sam's chest as he tried to reason with Megatron. The Decepticon leader ignored all of it as the mini-con examined Sam.
Soon, the mini-con called for retrieval of a small, worm-looking organism. Storm watched on in horror as it pried open Sam's mouth and entered it, trying to find it's way towards his brain given what was being said around her.
The machine that had forced it's way into Sam's body emerged moments later the same way it'd went in. It began displaying holographic images of the strange symbols Storm had seen decorating the walls of Sam's dorm room.
Scalpel looked up to Megatron, telling him that the symbols he'd just seen would lead them to an "energy source" on Earth but for the exact location, he would need Sam's brain removed and splayed on their makeshift table.
Starscream approached Sam, transforming his hand back into a saw before lowering slowly to Sam's forehead. Storm screamed violently as she fought against Megatron's tight hold of her. Her friend was going to die and she was being forced to watch.
Before Starscream could finish what he'd started, the ceiling caved in to reveal Optimus and Bumblebee. Storm didn't miss the shift in color of Optimus' optics, cerulean blue shifting to pure white. He took on Megatron and Starscream alongside Bumblebee before ordering for the yellow scout to protect the humans and for Storm to get Sam as far away as possible.
The Forerunner female didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed Sam by the arm and hastily ran with him, leading him out of the dilapted building. She kept running, only stopping once in a nearby forest. Despite her attempts to evade them, Decepticon forces had followed them there.
She quickly scanned for an area to hide and once she'd spotted one, Storm pulled Sam roughly behind her, yanking him down with her to hide behind a large, fallen tree. They'd lost the Decepticons but not for long. They were scanning the area extensively for them.
Storm held an armored finger to her lips that was aimed towards Sam, a gesture for him to stay quiet as a familiar sound resonated throughout the forest. Four slip-space portals had opened to reveal The Warden, the Promethean hive-mind aggressively trying to push back their attackers. However, Storm knew that The Warden coudn't handle this battle on his own. He was outnumbered and therefore, greatly outmatched.
She ordered for Sam to stay behind cover before darting out from around the fallen tree to aid Eternal, phasing a Forerunner boltshot into each hand before firing them off rapidly at the Decepticons around her, trying to act as distraction from the Promethean titan so he could gain the upper hand on their enemy.
It was quickly feeling to be a fruitless endeavor as one of the Decepticons had managed to gain the upper hand on The Warden, aiming directly for the core of his body and shooting through it, effectively destroying it.
Moments later, Optimus arrived for aid, instilling hope in Storm that was previously beginning to dwindle. The Autobot leader fought against the enemy fiercely with Storm doing everything in her power to assist him.
That was when Megatron approached behind him, attempting to surprise him but to no avail. Optimus intercepted his attack, facing the Decepticon leader head on in battle as the tyrant spoke to him with a question. "Is the future of our race not worth a single human life?!"
Optimus dodged Megatron's ferocious attacks, yelling back his answer. "You will ever stop at one! I will take you all on!"
Sam slowly came out of cover to witness the fight and Storm had spotted this from her peripheral. She darted over towards Sam, knocking him to the ground roughly with both of them just narrowly avoiding being crushed by Optimus' body that had been sent flying from a powerful kick by Megatron.
Storm was horrified as she watched her friend demand that Optimus get up from behind their cover. He was badly beaten, half of his metallic face mangled and missing in patches.
The Autobot leader stood though battered and tired, ripping apart Grindor with fury, his driving force being the scared look on Storm's face and his duty to protect Sam. The other Decepticons began backing away from Optimus in retreat of the sheer power he'd displayed and once the area was clear, the Autobot leader called out for Sam and Storm.
The pair slowly emerged from their cover that was the fallen tree and Storm felt relief flood her being. She began walking towards Optimus, her heart breaking seeing what Megatron had done, neither hearing the approaching footsteps until it was far too late.
Storm screamed in shock as a sword was shoved through Optimus' chest from behind him. She felt her heart stop, time seeming to slow in that moment as she watched Optimus' body fall to the ground on his side.
She quickly ran to his side and began examining the wound. He was leaking massive amounts of energon. Storm placed her hands over the wound, trying to block any more of the vital essence from escaping his body when she froze. The signature of Optimus' spark...she couldn't feel it as strongly as normal. It was fading. Megatron had pierced the most vital component of any Cybertronian.
Storm's hands became shaky, her voice just has shaky as her movements. "Optimus...I can stop this. I can save you if we can get you to Requiem! Just hold on!"
A large, metal hand that belonged to Optimus reached out to Storm, wrapping itself weakly around her armored body as it's owner spoke to her. "Tempest, I..."
He didn't finish his sentence, Storm watching as comforting blue of his optics that she had come to love faded into black. Her eyes went wide and in that moment, Storm felt something within her break. She placed her hands on Optimus' still warm face, patting his cheek plating shakily. "Optimus?...Wake up, this isn't funny..."
The Autobot leader didn't respond to Storm's pleading and touch. She stared down at him, eyes now glazed over and void of life as she continued in her efforts to wake him. "Optimus, stop it...If this is a joke, it isn't funny...So please, just get up..."
Storm was once again greeted with silence and an absence of movement. She began to panic, tears streaming down her face as she repeatedly hit Optimus on the face. "Get up, Optimus! You can't do this to me!"
It was too late...He was gone, his soul now resting peacefully within the Domain. Storm collapsed onto Optimus' no longer living form, letting out a gutteral, long-winded scream that was full of emotion.
The Autobots rushed the area in enough time to hear Storm's emotion filled scream, pushing back what Decepticons were left in the area before locking their optics to the Forerunner female. Shock was evident on their faces. Their Prime was gone, Ratchet's spark broken seeing his adopted sparkling leaned over the no longer alive leader.
He ordered for Bumblebee to take Storm away from the scene. He didn't want her exposed to this situation any longer and the yellow scout agreed, doing as he was told. He picked up Storm from within Optimus' deceased grasp along with Sam whom was at her side.
The Forerunner struggled, screaming for him to put her down whilst insisting that she could save the Autobot leader though he wouldn't. He ran out of the forest with her and Sam held tightly within his grasp. This was her fault. She shouldn't have contacted Optimus for help. She should have done more to ensure that he stayed at NEST...It was her fault that he was gone.
Storm's breathing became rapid and un-controlled. She was hyperventilating, locked in the tight grip of a panic attack that refused to let her go as Sam tried to calm the frantic Storm but to no avail. She heard her friend's voice pleading with her to stop, un-able to respond to him, her vision slowly fading to black.
It was the last thing she heard as she was blanketed by thick, comfortable nothingness.
You know, I thought my second time around writing this chapter wouldn't be as emotional as the first. Nope. I still teared up like the overly-emotional wuss that I am.
I guess it's because I channelled all of my emotions that are still lingering from losing my dog through Storm to an extent even though I probably shouldn't have but, y'know, maybe it'll make Optimus' death scene seem more...real. I guess that would be the word for it.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and as always, thank you for reading.