Disclaimer: 2021... you had one job. JUST THE ONE! Excuse me... here's the latest chapter of the story and believe me when I tell you we are close to the end. In the words Doctor Stephen Strange... we're in the endgame now.
As usual, I don't own the rights to the Transformers franchise. I've also discovered an anime called Sekirei. Tsukiumi is my favorite. Sorry... I just wanted to say that for some reason.
Chapter XXIII
When the hailstorm of debris comprised of the remnants of Unicron's head finally ended, it took an extraordinary level of effort for Optimus Prime to recover. He felt battered and nearing some degree of exhaustion from dodging flaming projectiles from space as well as having battled the Chaos Bringer himself. Then, Optimus Prime remembered what had happened prior to destruction of the once ominous satellite. He quickly got up to one knee and scanned the surrounding area. Megatron was nowhere to be found; neither were Optimus Primal or the Allspark. Each of those scenarios filled Optimus Prime with dread until he gazed across the field from himself. Unicron was across the field from him and face down, but Optimus didn't see Unicron. He saw Hotrod, knowing that his one-time ally had attempted to break free of Unicron's control.
Hastily, Optimus Prime rushed the side of the fallen god but hoped to Primus it was actually his friend. Upon reaching Unicron, who was faced down, Optimus quickly and carefully turned him over. His optics were dimmed and his frame, motionless. Optimus Prime feared the worst but hoped for the best. There was a small measure of movement out of the corner of Optimus Prime's own optics, and he turned to see Primal emerging from the Well of Spark with the Allspark in hand. Megatron was still missing, and Optimus Prime wondered if Megatron was even still functional. Then Unicron started to move, but the tone of voice within his groans of pain sounded different.
"Optimus?" he said, and Optimus knew it was Hotrod speaking to him.
"I'm here, Hotrod. Just hold on and everything will be alright." Optimus Prime said reassuringly.
Hotrod was starting to recover just as his familiar blue optics lit up, then he jumped to his feet and grabbed hold of Optimus. "No, it's not alright, Optimus." he frantically replied.
"Hotrod?" Optimus Prime asked confusingly.
"Optimus, you have to stop Unicron. You've got to stop him now." Hotrod said.
Optimus helped Hotrod to his feet and held on to him. "Hotrod, you've subdued Unicron. It's over."
"You don't understand, Optimus," Hotrod said while forcibly pushing Optimus Prime away from him. "It's not over yet. Unicron is still in my head and he's trying to trick you."
Before Optimus Prime could inquire further, he suddenly heard the sonic boom of an engine following by an enraged bellowing of... "UNICRON!"
Megatron was coming down in his spacecraft form at full velocity, and he was dead set on crashing directly on who he thought was Unicron. Hotrod, even though he still had some control of his own body, was ironically frozen in place as Megatron was closing on him. Seemingly at the last miniscule moment, Optimus Prime tackled Hotrod out of the way of Megatron's kamikaze maneuver. Megatron rose back up to the sky while Optimus Prime and Hotrod hit the hard metal surface. Banking back down toward the surface, Megatron transformed and stuck the landing before readying his fusion cannon. Optimus Prime was quick respond in kind with his plasma rifle. The two rivals found themselves in a standoff.
"Get out of my way, Prime." Megatron demanded.
"Stand down, Megatron." Optimus Prime claimed.
"Unicron is clearly vulnerable and that gives us an opportunity to end this madness. I don't plan on wasting it, so I'll say it again; out of my way." Megatron demanded again.
"That's Hotrod that you're attempting to kill, not Unicron." Optimus Prime claimed, looking back briefly at Hotrod.
Megatron wasn't backing down and coldly replied, "I'm not going to say it again, Prime."
"Nor am I." Optimus retorted.
"Optimus..." Hotrod called out weakly. "Megatron's right."
Optimus looked back at Hotrod in disbelief. "What did you say?"
Before Hotrod could explain, everyone involved in the standoff heard the faint roar of an engine approaching from the distance. The familiar alternate form of Arcee raced in from afar, nearing and possibly intentionally missing Megatron by inching. She drove passed Optimus Prime completely without coming close and transformed midway toward Hotrod. She stopped briefly to look on in shock at what Hotrod had been turned into by Unicron. Hotrod looked up at Arcee and managed the most minute smirk he could muster, only to then bow his head in shame. Arcee rushed to Hotrod, completely heedless of the potential danger, and she knelt down beside him.
"Hotrod, I'm here." she said in an attempt to comfort him.
Hotrod barely looked up to meet Arcee's shimmering blue optics. "Arcee?"
Arcee took a horrified look at Hotrod's warped body. Yet, she managed to remain calm and playfully exclaimed, "I've got to say I'm not liking the new look."
Hotrod managed to chuckle at the comment before he suddenly grabbed his head in agony. Then came his voice, "Exterminate her. Exterminate them all."
"Hotrod?" Arcee said.
"You have to go, Arcee. You have to get away from me." Hotrod said amid the pain and agony.
"I don't understand."
"It's Unicron; he's still in my head. You have get out of here right now." Hotrod pleaded.
"No. No, I'm not leaving you, Hotrod." Arcee declared.
"Arcee, you're not safe with me. You've got to…" Hotrod suddenly screamed in pain and grabbed his head, and Arcee grabbed hood him.
Optimus Prime appeared frozen in place, but Megatron started his approach. "Enough of this nonsense." he snapped.
Again, Optimus Prime stood against Megatron and declared, "You will go no further."
"You heard him just as I did, Optimus Prime," Megatron claimed in reference to Hotrod's previous claim. "Now, get out of my way so I can finish Unicron."
"I will not let you near Hotrod, Megatron." Optimus Prime declared.
"I will not let you stop me, Optimus." Megatron retorted.
Hotrod doubled over while still grasping his head, and he laboriously called out, "Optimus, listen..."
Optimus was clearly torn between keeping his optics on both Megatron and Hotrod, and he said to the latter, "Just hang on, Hotrod."
"NO..." Hotrod shouted in a tone that seemed eerily similar to Unicron. "Optimus... you have to... you have to kill me."
"What," Arcee whispered in shock. "Hotrod, stop talking. You're losing it."
"I'm sorry, Arcee, but it's the only way. You've got to go, now," Hotrod said before he screamed in pain again. "Optimus, do it now."
Optimus again was frozen, for once not knowing what he supposed to do. "I can't, Hotrod. I won't."
"Optimus..." Hotrod begged and doubled over again.
Arcee grabbed Hotrod and held him close. Then, she felt the violent thrust of a bladed object going right through her chassis. Her optics flashed blue as the shock of being stabbed through her body became evident. Hotrod seemed to have his head facing down, not even trying to look up at Arcee. Arcee was already starting to slip away. She was confused. She was genuinely scared, and then Hotrod started lifting his head to face her. Arcee was even more terrified to see the green glow in his optics, and she knew then that it wasn't Hotrod but Unicron staring back at her. At the same time, both Optimus Prime and Primal were left in complete shock. Even Megatron was alarmed by what he'd witnessed.
((In his psyche, Hotrod screamed out, "NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOO!"))
Back in reality, Unicron hoisted Arcee up in the air and sneered, "Feeble little weakling."
Then Unicron tossed Arcee aside without a second thought. Arcee hit the hard metallic surface and her blue optics dimmed to black. Her broken body became gray and lifeless. Unicron didn't care, once more making his way toward Primal and the Allspark he protected. Two steps into his approach, Unicron stopped short of an enraged Optimus Prime flying right toward him. Optimus Prime landed a single punch that stunned Unicron. There was no plasma rifle to shoot and no Star Saber to swing. This was pure rage from Optimus Prime that not even Megatron expected.
Unicron was staggered from the first strike, and Optimus Prime wasn't letting up. He threw punch after punch without pause, pummeling the Chaos Bringer with a relentlessness never seen before. There wasn't any of the noble, compassionate leader to be seen. Megatron started to move in on the assault but he was actually hesitant to intervene. He could only wonder where this Optimus Prime had been all the times they'd battled.
Optimus Prime kept beating Unicron to a proverbial pulp without fail, finally landing a hammer strike that brought Unicorn to his knees. Still enraged by the sight of Unicron using Hotrod to kill Arcee, Optimus Prime deployed his rifle and prepared to pull the trigger. He hesitated for a split second, and Unicron took advantage. He fired his optic blast that Optimus point blank and sent him flying backward. Unicron was back to his feet and once again tried to make his way to Primal.
Primal quickly took advantage of the distance between himself and Unicron and fired his shoulder cannons. He sustained a steady blast that barely slowed Unicron down, but it did distract him enough for Megatron to get into the fight. Firing his fusion cannon, Megatron managed to get Unicron's attention before lunging at him. His energon mace deployed, Megatron started bashing Unicron while maintaining a short distance from him. Primal fired another blast from his cannons that struck Unicron in the back. Unicron fired his optic blast in response and hit the surface in front of Primal, knocking him down.
Unicron once again made his way toward the Allspark but a large almost futuristic truck rammed into him. The truck transformed into Optimus Prime, who quickly deployed the Star Saber and went on the attack. He attempted a series of a slashes and swipes, some striking Unicron and some missing. Megatron came back into the fray with his mace. Unicron morphed his arms into spiked weapons and battled back again both leaders in a wild battle of wills. Optimus Prime quickly deployed his battle axe from his left hand and pushed harder into his attack. Megatron was quick to join the fight again and the two leaders and rival continued to fight with every shred of their being. For a brief time, it seemed as though Optimus Prime and Megatron were gaining ground before Unicron blasted at both of them.
Optimus and Megatron quickly disengaged before reengaged Unicron as he tried again to move for the Allspark, stepping in front of the Chaos Bringer and locking hands with him. They wrestled for a moment and Unicron appeared to gain the upper hand, but Primal surprised him with a shot to his back from his shoulder cannons. Optimus started to gain ground just as Megatron joined him in wrestling Unicron. Primal was left unsure of whether he should aid Optimus and Megatron, knowing that failure could result in Unicron acquiring the Allspark. Instinct seemed to take hold and Primal started to make his move.
"Primal," Optimus suddenly shouted out, "Get that Allspark to the core, now."
Unicron quickly wrestled Optimus and Megatron down before turning his attention to Primal. Holding his hand out, he said, "Give me the Allspark and you may live to be my new herald."
Megatron threw himself onto Unicron and snapped, "No one knows better how you agonize your heralds."
Unicron quickly threw Megatron down, but Megatron was back up and challenging him again. "You were my creation once, Megatron. You were Galvatron and you belonged to me."
"Galvatron is dead. I am Megatron and I belong to nobody."
Optimus Prime recovered and looked to Primal. "Now's your chance, Primal." he shouted.
Primal knew he couldn't waste any more time and he grabbed the Allspark and rushed to the edge of the Well. He looked back briefly to catch Optimus Prime and Megatron still fighting Unicron. Tempted as he was to help, Primal knew what had to be done. Gunning his back thrusters, he launched into the sky above and then backed right back down. At the same time, Unicron continued to fight off Optimus Prime and Megatron and he caught sight of Primal diving into the Well with the Allspark. As he moved to act, Optimus and Megatron confronted him and continued the fight. They both knew from that point onward that they were in the endgame.
Primal was already a short distance away from the surface and he stopped to look back. He instinctively wanted to return to help Optimus Prime and Megatron, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. The Allspark and the very fate of the entire universe was hanging in the balance. He, Optimus Primal, a young and untested Maximal, knew that he literally had the fate on the entire universe in his hands. It was now or never. He also was aware of what Optimus Prime had told him of this trek to the core potentially being one from which Primal might not return. There might not be any coming back. With that thought weighing so heavily on him, Primal gunned his boosters and continued his straight dive down into the Well.
The saving grace of the apparent once way trip was that Primal didn't have to worry about being followed by Unicron or any other possible dangers. He focused solely on the journey to the core and in essence, the literal center of Cybertron. He maintained a death grip on the Allspark as he flew onward, or more accurately, downward. Primal also surveyed his immediate surroundings, which were made up almost entirely of darkened walls with little to no light to illuminate the way down. Primal continued further on, staying focused on the task at hand.
Down and down the young Maximal went, seemingly without an end in sight. Primal had no idea how much time had passed even though it felt like he'd only just begun his journey. The straight downward seemed to go on forever, and Primal was starting to wonder if he would ever reach the core. He knew he had to keep going and he did. The walls seemed to be closing on him, narrowing to the point where it was becoming more difficult to fly for Primal. If the walls closed in any further, Primal assumed he would've been trapped. Then as quickly as the walls were closing on Primal, they fell away almost instantly.
Within a matter of moments, Primal found himself in a wide-open area that seemed to stretch as far as his optics could see. Primal stopped short, making sure he still had the Allspark in hand. He surveyed his surrounded a second time and could only marvel at the sheer size and scope of what he could assume was a massive chamber. Primal eventually caught sight an enormous orb-like structure at the center of the chamber. The structure itself was inert and lifeless, but Primal was quick to surmise that it was indeed the core of Cybertron.
He flew toward the great structure with the Allspark in hand, slowly and cautiously but with poise and purpose. Primal reached the nearest solid surface to the core set the Allspark close to his side. He studied the core's structure intently. He noted some faded runes along the surface, as if they'd been depleted of every single ounce of energy all at one time long ago. It wasn't that surprising to Primal, considering that Cybertron had been shut down for eons. So, why did Primal having the feeling in his own Spark that the core was still active? The answer came to him in the form an ethereal glow from his chassis, and Primal realized that the glow was coming from the Matrix of Leadership that Optimus Prime bequeathed to him.
Retaking the Allspark in his hands, Primal hovered up toward the center of the core. He didn't know what he was supposed to do until he discovered a small chamber within the core. A very fate light semed to shine from within the core itself, and Primal surmised that the Allspark was supposed to be place inside. The Allspark itself was pure energy trapped within a container, so Primal surmised that he needed to empty the Allspark into the core from the container. That was exactly what he set out to do as he opened the container. The energy seeped from the container as if it had a consciousness of its own, and it slipped in through the singular chamber of the core and vanished. Primal waited for something, anything, to happen. But the core didn't seem to react at all, and Primal wondered if he didn't something wrong, or potentially even irreversible.
"Welcome, Optimus Primal." a voice suddenly spoke out, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Primal looked around the entirety of the great chamber but he couldn't pinpoint the source of the voice. "Who said that?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: So yeah, this is going to be a multi-part event to cover the finale and... DID UNICRON JUST KILL ARCEE? USING HOTROD? Sorry, I forgot I was the author. Yeah, that happened among other things. It's getting down to the wire here so stay tuned for the next chapter and don't forget to review. Peace out and stay safe.
