Chapter 79 – Turning the Tide

Prime P.O.V

Anger. So. Much. Anger.

It consumed me, fuelled me, focused me.

I landed amongst the chaos unfolding before me, having been freed by my Wreckers from the metallic web I had found myself ensnared in. I had been distracted by an unexpected comm from Phoenix, the distraction was enough for Shockwave to have time to fire a missile at me and knock me into the ensnaring wires. Knowing she was alive and well and clearly looking for me, meant she was likely to find out about the shuttle, that she was likely going to go ballistic and likely end up here at some stage. I had to shut this down NOW for a whole host of reasons.

I blast away at my enemies with my cannons before producing my energon sword and alternate between blasting and slicing at my enemies in a blind fury. I would show no mercy. They deserved none. Explosions surrounded me, shouting, metallic screams of pain and death.

I burst fourth through the smoke, fire and carnage, spying the menacing outline of Shockwave just ahead. As I approach Shockwave, he sets loose a shell aimed at me. I manage to leap over it and, as I roll to my pedes, I unsheathe fierce metallic ''knuckles'' on my left servo. Throwing all of my weight behind the punch, I rip a large portion of Shockwave's side out. His growl of anger and pain sends a small ripple of triumph through me.

I spin about to punch him and then knock him to the ground before I reach down and forcibly rip his spinal column and optic out of him as I scream, ''You die!'' I am enraged. Grabbing his arm with his cannon, I aim at the coupla that contains the control pillar and, with a single shot, bring it tumbling down.

Sentinel's cry of disbelief and anger echoes through the chaos. ''Get down here Sentinel!'' I challenge, my own voice is hard and filled with rage and vengeance.

Sentinel fixes me with an arrogant and hateful look, ''Optimus, you forget your place.'' He brandishes his lethal looking sword and uses it to slow his descent as he stabs it into the building and slides down towards the ground. He leaps the last few metres to the ground. ''I bring you Cybertron, your HOME, and still, you choose humanity!'' His words drip with distaste, disgust and disbelief as he wields his sword and prepares to engage me in battle.

I return his gaze with my own intense and firey stare, ''YOU were the one who taught me freedom is everyone's right.'' I slide my battle mask into place and produce my energon axe and blade. A feeling of indignant rage and deep betrayal course through me and I yell out loud as I rush at him, swinging my blade and my axe. I push him backwards into the building and manage to impale his left shoulder with my sword.

Sentinel is so consumed with anger and hate he barely seems to register the blow. ''I WILL retrigger that pillar!'' I continue to strike at him.

''Then you'll have to go through me!'' I growl defiantly at him as he replies by pushing me off and giving me a mighty kick in the chest plates which sends me tumbling backwards. I get to my pedes quickly as Sentinel steps forward and re-engages me. We exchange a series of blows and strikes, Sentinel's large shield is used with great effect as he manages to block most of my strikes.

Slowly, the anger and hate on Sentinel's face becomes replaced with uncertainty and a small amount of fear as he cannot wear me down and the moments tick by with his pillar disengaged and offline. Sentinel screams out, ''Reinforcements! Decepticon ships, fire at Optimus!''

I am vaguely aware of some of my Autobots and NEST teammates approaching and laying down cover fire for me. I step to the side before leaping into the air and kicking my pedes out backwards in a spinning kick as I try to knock Sentinel off his pedes. Though he easily avoids my attack and uses his momentum to reach out and grab my helm bringing it down hard into his knee. I cry out as I go flying through the air and roll into a sitting position. /THAT DID NOT GO TO PLAN!/. I sit for a moment dazed from the force of the blow and the barrage I am coming under from the ships above.

''Decepticons, trigger that pillar! Restart that Pillar!'' I can hear the desperation in his voice as he tries to fight off Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Rachet. Ironhide is fighting his way towards Sentinel too. Producing my blaster from my back I take aim at the sky hoping to do something, but it is to no avail.

I groan out loud from the effort and the intensity of fire. ''I can't hold them! The ships have us pinned!'' Several of the large ships fire upon me, a blast hitting me in the chest and sending me flying to the ground just as another blast finds its mark in the ground before me, exploding in my face. I am flipped over onto my back and I hear a gravelly, pained voice that is my own cry out, ''NO!''

I can feel victory slipping away.

Suddenly, a loud, angry and defiant metallic screech rings out above us all, cutting through the melee that surrounds us. Even Sentinel takes pause for a moment and looks skyward. A fiery ball of flame in the shape of a large, powerful bird comes into view.

/PHOENIX!/.

I feel my spark beat faster and hope surges through me, forcing me to my pedes. She hovers momentarily, her frame flaring up, like a prominence upon the sun itself before several large fireballs are sent directly into the ships that line the river. They meet their mark with deadly accuracy and are soon followed by a concussive wave of energy and flame that knocks them from the sky and shatters windows.

She swoops low with a screech of anger, heading for Sentinel and lands a blast directly in his chest as he battles Bumblebee and Sideswipe, the shot sends him flying to the ground, his chest on fire. A loud cheer rings out among the humans and my team, though there is little time for celebration. She continues along the river, taking out the remaining ships with savage fury and circles back, her enormous fiery wings covering the distance effortlessly.

She is beautiful in her terror as she uses her powers to devastating effect. Phoenix rains down fireballs and blasts upon Sentinel without remorse. The barrage is so brutal that he attempts to crawl away and transforms into his alt mode to flee the scene. Shaken from my silent witness of what has unfolded, I am stirred into action yet again as I watch Sentinel try to leave and I give chase, pursuing him, swinging my blade at him even as he drives off.

I am vaguely aware of Phoenix landing, presumably to join the fight in robot mode now she has seen off the major threats. I feel my spark torn in two as I want to run to her and be by her side, but I know I have unfinished business to attend to. I must right my wrong!

Crashing into Sentinel whilst swinging my blade, I knock him into the side of the bridge forcing him to transform and he spins around, his swords drawn and his voice shows the slightest hint of admiration though is still laced with scorn, ''Always the bravest of us!'' he admits as I land blow upon blow on him. Sentinel blocks most of them before rising to his pedes again and fighting back, ''but you could never make the hard decisions!'' As he swings ruthlessly at me, he continues to threaten me, ''our planet will survive.'' With that, he dislodged the axe from my left servo and as I swing my blade around to strike at him, he raises his shield and knocks my blade away with great force, causing me to lose my balance for a moment.

It is the opportunity he was waiting for. Sentinel kicks my sword arm roughly, forcing me to my knees and opening my stance, making me vulnerable. Without hesitation Sentinel brings his savage blade up into my right shoulder joint. I can feel it slice through wires and gears before he twists, ripping my arm off. I cry out in pain and shock, bringing my left servo up to try and clutch at my damaged shoulder joint.

Sentinel swings his shield at me and knocks me bodily to the ground before once again slamming his blade into my left shoulder joint. I groan and cry out in agony, ''NO!'' as he drags me along the ground.

Sentinel's voice is hard and icy as he reproaches me for a final time, ''We were Gods once. All of us! But here,'' he removes his blade and I turn to face him, trying desperately to lift myself off the ground. So many thoughts fly through my processor in this moment as I watch Sentinel raise his sword above his helm and I lie helpless before him.

The thought of failure hangs like a leaden weight about my spark and threatens to crush me. I have failed my team, my human allies, my new home. But most of all, I have failed Phoenix. Yet again I am about to leave her alone in this world. /NO..I can't! Please Primus no…/. I reach out my servo in a final effort to beg him to stop this madness, ''PLEASE!'' I cry out.

Sentinel savagely kicks away my hand and begins to bring his blade down. His optics are devoid of any wisdom, kindness and compassion. Instead, there is only hatred, anger and an evil resolve as he speaks, ''there will be only one!''

His fatal blow never lands. A fireball explodes squarely in his back and then his side as he his caught off guard and set upon by a livid blur of silver, red, yellow and blue as Phoenix launches into him.

''NO SENTINEL!'' she screams as she grabs his shoulder and spins him around, her right servo smashing into his helm, sending him staggering backwards. Phoenix flies at him her servos swift as lightning as she delivers a series of punches and jabs and a final hook that sends him to his knees. ''How DARE YOU!'' Her voice sounds like an angry snake hissing, venom lacing her words. She grabs his helm and using all of her strength, and some of her gift no doubt, she bodily picks him up and throws him to the other side of the bridge. He crashes into the railing in a metallic pile of ripped, dented and torn armour, groaning. I slowly begin to rise to my knees, trying to get up to help her. /Phoenix/.

She stalks towards him, fire burning in her optics. ''HOW DARE YOU! You come here and betray your friends'', she kicks him in the dermas, snapping his helm back roughly and knocking his protective head casing off, ''you threaten MY home planet and its people'', she bends down and grabs him once again raising him off the ground, her body ignites into flames as the depth of her anger and emotions consume her, ''you insult ME and call me an abomination,'' a feral snarl leaves her dermas and she brings her helm closer to Sentinel, ''and the BIGGEST mistake of all, you DARE to try and end the life of Optimus Prime,'' her voice drops to a low and dangerous whisper meant for his audials only.

I cannot hear her. I struggle to my pedes intent on reaching her.

Sentinel's optics widen in shock at her words and he tries to grab her servos, ''NO! No, it can't be… You and a Prime.. together…''

Phoenix nods and then gives a low chuckle. ''Yes, that's right Sentinel. This abomination and your Prime are together. Nothing will please me more than ending your miserable life with the knowledge that Optimus Prime not only deigns to associate with me but wants to be with me, chose ME.'' A look of horror is etched firmly into Sentinel's battered and bleeding face.

''Phoenix,'' I whisper to her as I approach, my remaining servo outstretched. She turns to face me, her features softening as her gaze rests on me.

Without any warning a blast slams into Phoenix and Sentinel and knocks me to my knees yet again, ''NO!'' I hear myself cry out as I try and gain my footing again.

Phoenix cries out in pain and anger as lay slumped against the railing of the bridge a few metres away from where Sentinel now lays. Out of the smoke comes a massive hulking figure - Megatron! He runs at Sentinel and stoops down dragging him roughly to his pedes. He punches him brutally several times and tears at his abdomen with his talon like claws. A small part of me feels sorry for Sentinel and I fight the urge to go to his defense. 'This is MY planet!'' Megatron growls assertively to the beaten and broken figure of the older Prime.

Above us, the looming figure of Cybertron seems to withdraw from the sky taking with it any remaining Decepticon ships as it seems to implode. /THE PILLAR – IT'S GONE/. I feel relief flood my systems as we take a massive step closer to victory. The final few steps that remain between us and victory stand before me on the bridge.

I cast a quick glance towards Phoenix as she lay clutching at her damaged side. She looks to me and I gesture for her to stay down, stay put. She nods weakly.

''Now, we need a truce,'' Megatron drops Sentinel to the ground and he lays there barely functional. After a moment he tries to crawl away. ''All I want is to be back in charge. Besides,'' Megatron turns his glowering red optics towards me, ''who would you be without me Prime?'' I notice Phoenix tense up and begin to sit up, preparing to help if necessary. /So brave/.

Rising to my pedes, taking with me the thought that Phoenix and with me, the world is safe, all that remains in my way is to finish this. I slide my battle mask into place and turn to face my old foe. ''Time to find out!''

Stooping to pick up my battle axe I lunge at Megatron so swiftly that he barely had time to register that I have moved. My axe buries itself in his chest and I hear him groan out in anger and pain. I rip it out as I spin about to kick him in his back, sending him sprawling forward. I swing again at Megatron and my weapon misses its mark but as I swing it back towards me, it buries itself deep in his helm.

''Brother!'' I hear him cry out in a deep voice filled with shock, anger and pain as I reef my arm backwards, dragging with it the axe and Megatron's body. I give a groan of effort as I use my remaining servo to pull with all my might, wrenching Megatron's helm and spinal column out, his lifeless body slumping to the ground in a spray of energon and fluids.

I drop my axe and with it the severed head of my millennia old foe, his red optics flicker briefly before off lining once again. I pause briefly as a range of emotions wash over me yet again at the sight of my old enemy, once my friend and someone I admired, now a crumpled and battered mess - defeated.

The sound of metal scrapping along the surface of the bridge draws my attention towards the final loose end in this mess. /Sentinel/. Crawling along the ground weakly, his voice repentant and faint he addresses me as I bend down to pick up a blaster laying nearby. ''Optimus, all I ever wanted was the survival of our race. You must see why I had to betray you.''

Walking towards him, I retort, my own voice filled with sorrow and certainty, ''you didn't betray me,'' I prime my weapon and aim it at him, ''you betrayed yourself.'' My weapon fires up in my servo.

Sentinel hears the sound, his dermas quiver in fearful recognition and he makes a final desperate plea. ''NO! Optimus!''

/I'm sorry old friend, you left me no choice/, and I pull the trigger.

The blast lands in his chest, knocking him sideways against the bridge. As he uses the last of his strength to turn and face me, I send a final shot into his helm, killing the old Prime instantly. The sight of my fallen mentor and old friend laying dead at my pedes, killed by my own servo, weighs heavy upon me.

I feel my shoulders slump with the weight of my actions. The sound of damaged plating, gears and joints creak and groan, making a sound very much like a mournful sigh. And I do mourn. I mourn what was, I mourn what could have been if it wasn't for greed, treachery and a lack of faith and resolve. I mourn what has been lost today, who has been lost.

After a moment of bitter reflection, I feel myself stand tall once again as I cast my optics around and take in what has been saved. I throw my weapon aside as I turn away from Sentinel and Megatron's crumpled forms, turn away from the past, from death, from my mistakes and look at my future; Phoenix, my NEST friends and my beloved Autobots as they walk towards us from either end of the bridge.

In a macabre twist of fate, I hear the words Sentinel spoke to me not so long ago, drift through my processor. /Never mourn the past young warrior. Thanks to you, our race survives/. Giving one last look at the crumpled and lifeless bodies of both Sentinel and Megatron, I turn on my pedes and walk towards my future.