Chapter 15: Going Away Present
"Bumblebee! Get up!" Outback shouted, walking into the mech's quarters, as a light flashed in the hallway outside.
"What? Wassup?!" Bumblebee asked, scrambling to get up, and toppling off his recharge slab. He hastily lifted himself up and stood at attention.
"We have a situation in Iacon, the Citadel just cut off all comms, but they reported a decepticon attack. I need ya lad." Outback replied, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Bumblebee frowned. "Me?! Why?"
"Because my scouts haven't reported back yet." Outback explained, worry in his optics. "I need a scout, badly. And you fit the profile."
Bumblebee rubbed his tired optics.
"Um...Alright. What do you need me to do?" He asked hesitantly.
"Drive to Iacon, report back what's going on at the Citadel, then we send in the cavalry." Outback said, patting his helm. "You got this, mate, I promise."
"That's it?" Bumblebee asked.
"Yeah, real straightforward. I believe in you kid."
Bumblebee stood up, and stretched out his frame.
"Alright. Yeah. I got this. I won't let you down." Bumblebee said, as excitement flowed through his frame. Outback led him out in to the hall, past rifle laden soldiers, toward the main gate.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker swept the hall, listening to music on their shared audio phones as the siren wailed.
"Whatcha think the flashing lights are about?!" Sunstreaker yelled, pointing at the red alert lights.
"What?!" Sideswipe asked, focusing on a pesky scrap of rust on the floor.
"I said what do you think the flashing lights are about!" Sunstreaker shouted.
"I can't hear you!" Sideswipe shouted back irritably.
Sunstreaker pulled out his earbud, and then pulled off Sideswipes.
"I SAID..."
The sound of laser fire rang out. The two brothers paused, and looked around, as the siren also assaulted their audios.
"Oh slag." Sunstreaker muttered.
The two stood awkwardly, watching planes fly past the window. They exchanged a glance.
"What do janitors do when the Citadel gets attacked?" Sunstreaker asked, as the hallway continued to flash.
Sideswipe shrugged. "Beat up cons right? We can do that."
The door next to them was blasted open, and a big red mech walked in.
He had an autobot badge on his chest.
"Hey! What's going on?" Sideswipe asked, stepping towards him.
Ironhide turned to look at them and sighed.
"Sorry bout this fellas..."
He walked over and slammed Sideswipe head first into the wall, knocking him out.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Sunstreaker exclaimed.
Ironhide turned and grabbed him.
"Like I said. Sorry." He head butted the mech, who dropped to the floor instantly.
He looked down at the two unconcious mechs, then opened his comm link.
"We're clear, Prowl, bring them in."
Zeta Prime punched Orion to the ground swiftly, then turned his attention to Megatron.
"Oh Zeta. To think we all believed in you once. For a few hours you really looked like you could handle authority." Megatron teased.
"You dare judge me, terrorist?" Zeta asked, raising his arm gun.
Megatron chuckled.
Zeta fired and Megatron turned to dive out of the way, the gun blasting apart some railing on the balcony's edge.
He raised his fusion cannon.
"Let's see just how much of a Prime you really are."
He fired, at the same time Zeta did, the two beams meeting in the middle.
One blue beam versus one purple beam. The surged against each other, sparking, sending off bursts of energy.
But the purple beam was faltering.
The blue beam won. Megatron's optics widened as the beam hit him directly in the chest and sent him flying back, smashing against an intact section of railing, and sliding to the balcony floor.
Zeta smirked under his helmet. He turned, to look at Orion, as the small mech lifted himself up.
"Don't think I've forgotten about you, traitor."
He turned, and stomped toward the weak mech.
"The only traitor here is you." Pax replied sharply, forcing himself to stand. "What happened to you, Zeta?"
"What happened?" Prime demanded, lashing out, and backhanding Pax across the face.
"Nothing 'happened' Pax! I always cared about Cybertron more than selfish interests. More than myself, more than you or Prowl or anyone! This is the most unselfish thing I could ever do! I'm sacrificing one city to save an entire world! An entire race!"
He lifted Pax up by his chestplate, and punched him hard across the face.
"And I thought If anyone would understand, it would be you." He spat, as he slammed the red and blue mech against the floor, then kicked him in the side.
"I won't apologize for loving Cybertron, and for being willing to save it." He looked down at his wrist. "No cost is too great for my world!"
Orion shook his head weakly, as he tried to pick his crumpled frame up. He looked up in horror at the Prime.
"3 minutes until salvation, Pax. I wish you would've been on my side to see it." Zeta lamented.
Jazz and Hound kicked down a sliding door, and led the two decepticons into the tower.
"Who has the charges?" Hound asked, rifle aimed around the corner, and relieved to find the hallway was empty.
"I do." Blitzwing replied, pulling out a bundle of explosives. "We better do this quick, they'll have firing strength in three minutes."
Jazz snuck around a corner, gun pointed.
"We have to stop the firing sequence before we blow this thing to hell." He said. "No way we can safely lay those bad boys down in three minutes."
"Agreed." Blitzwing replied. "Do we know where the central control is?"
Jazz punched up a holomap.
Then he turned and shot the lock on a side door, and tried to pry it open.
"Nah. Allow me." Brawl boomed, changing form into a tank, and blasting it open.
"Much obliged." Jazz said with a tip of his helm. He snuck in, and seeing the room was clear, made his way to the command console.
"Can you stop the firing sequence?" Blitzwing asked nervously.
Jazz sat down in front of the keyboard, optics analyzing the controls, as the timer counted down on a monitor in front of them.
"I sure as hell can try."
Ironhide and Prowl made their way along the corridor. Ironhide ripped off a panel, and blasted a bundle of circuits, sending sparks flying.
"Elevator's shut down, Pax and Megatron ain't gonna be havin visitors." Ironhide drawled.
"Primus does this feel wrong." Prowl muttered.
"You're tellin me." Ironhide agreed, turning down the hall.
As they went around the corner they came face to face with two guns.
Ultra Magnus and Arcee stood, rifles pointed.
Ironhide and Prowl quickly raised their own.
"Don't try it." Magnus warned. "You're in deep enough as it is."
"What the hell are you guys doing?" Arcee demanded. "You're here with the decepticons? Really?"
"It's a temporary truce." Ironhide replied angrily. "Somethin to do with Zeta Prime tryin to have us killed."
"We know." Ultra Magnus replied, nodding sympathetically. "And we understand you're upset..."
"Upset?!" Ironhide asked. "I took a pay cut to join the autobots, Magnus. I left private security. I came here cuz I wanted to do good. Instead I got set up and marked for death, along with four other good mechs."
"Enough." Prowl snapped. "I know how this looks, but listen. Zeta Prime has a weapon of mass destruction charging up right now. He plans to destroy Kaon, and the whole population. Are you okay with that?"
"Of course not." Arcee replied. "But you and Pax are in over your heads. Do you really trust Megatron or the cons?"
Prowl turned to look at the twins, and Motormaster, who glared back at him.
"Of course not." He replied. "But being an autobot means taking a stand. And this is us taking a stand. I don't even believe in what Pax is doing, destroying this weapon. But he does, and I know regardless of how I feel about it, if he's for it, it must be the right thing to do."
Arcee and Magnus exchanged looks.
"No autobots have been killed." Ironhide stated. "You have my word."
The two enforcers slowly lowered their guns.
"What's your plan?" Arcee asked.
"Make sure Jazz has time to destroy the rust cannon, and make sure no one goes upstairs." Prowl replied.
Ultra Magnus sighed, and rubbed his nasal ridge, the stress of the situation overwhelming him.
"Do I want to know what's going on upstairs?"
"Megatron and Orion are takin on Zeta." Ironhide replied worriedly.
Orion punched into a section to Zeta's armor, his fist not even denting the white and gold metal.
"Primus, you're a terrible fighter." Zeta remarked, kicking him across the face. "It's such a shame. You had such a spirit to you. Such a waste." He grabbed Orion by the throat, and slammed him against the balcony floor, before pounding down on his chest, causing the metal to buckle.
"You...won't win..." Orion muttered weakly.
"No?" Zeta asked. "Because the cannon is at firing strength. Any moment now, it'll be over. All of it. Cybertron's future will be secure."
As Orion tried to stand, Zeta grabbed him by the helm, and squeezed, causing the mech to cry out in pain.
Prime ignored his whimpers, and dragged him across the floor, toward the balcony's edge.
He reached a corner of the balcony, and kicked it, sending the guardrail plummeting down toward the energon river below.
"You, Orion Pax, are a traitor to the autobot cause, and have been sentenced to death. It is my burden to carry out that sentence." He said, as he lifted the struggling mech over the edge.
Orion's whimpers turned into angry growls as he struggled against the armored Prime's grip. Zeta watched with what almost looked like amusement, from under his helmet.
"Any final words?" He asked
"Yeah..." Orion muttered. "He doesn't fight fair..."
"What?" Zeta asked, before a purple blast erupted from his chest, sending energon and fragments of armor flying through the air.
He let out a cry of pain, as Megatron charged up behind him, grabbing his hand, and forcing him to release Pax, who landed against the edge of the balcony.
The decepticon's fusion cannon was smoking, and he let out a growl, as he grabbed Zeta's helmet, ripping it off, and tossing it over the balcony.
"You Primes and your blasted armor!" He shouted, grabbing the ornate shoulder blades of his primal battle armor and yanking it back. He began tearing it apart, piece by piece, as Zeta tried helplessly to defend himself.
But Zeta Prime could not match Megatron's savagery.
He grabbed a seam in the middle of the Prime's armor, and cracked it open, exposing the mech's blue and gold frame.
"Pathetic!" Megatron shouted, punching the mech down into the ground, as he tossed the two halves of his armor aside.. "You went down even easier than Sentinel."
Zeta Prime reached for the arm blaster, which had been part of the armor, desperate for anything he could use against the decepticon, but Megatron stomped down on the mech's hand, crushing it and causing him to cry out in pain.
Zeta pulled what was left of his hand from under the mech's leg, and tried to crawl away, but Megatron stomped down on his back this time.
"I'm not...finished...yet..." Zeta muttered. "You can't stop it."
Megatron reached down and grabbed his throat, then lifted him up, crushing his neck metals with his strong grip.
He lifted the Prime off the ground, an angry look on his face.
"Its a pity you Primes die so easily, or I might have a sense of satisfaction. Now..."
Before Zeta could manage a word, Megatron grabbed his neck with both hands and pulled up.
Zeta's optics widened, as he felt his metals breaking apart, and he let out a cry of pain.
There was a horrendous crack, as the mechs head, and metal spinal strut were ripped free of his body, energon spraying up from where his neck had been.
His headless frame dropped to the balcony floor. Megatron glared at the mech's helm with disgust, then tossed it aside.
Jazz pressed the final command button, and the firing sequence was terminated. The screen went from red to blue and he let out a sigh of relief.
"Is that it?" Blitzwing asked anxiously.
Jazz cracked his knuckles and nodded.
"Yup. We just saved the day."
"Good work autobot." Blitzwing said with a congratulatory pat on the back.
"No problem big fella." Jazz replied, turning around just in time to see a gun in his face.
Hound saw it too.
Jazz grabbed the gun, and twisted it out of Blitzwing's hand as it fired, blasting the wall.
The mech stood up, and punched him hard enough to send his head smacking off the floor.
Hound turned and grabbed Brawl as he too reached for his rifle, and began pummeling the mech's head.
Jazz came flying in and jumped forward, kicking him in the chest and knocking him back into some electrical relays.
The massive green decepticon let out a cry as his frame was shocked with the tower's electricity, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.
Hound and Jazz exchanged a tense look, and Jazz opened his comm link.
"Orion, Prowl, Ironhide listen to me. We've been double crossed, do not trust Megatron, I say again, do not trust Megatron, the decepticons used us, everybody get clear now."
Ironhide and Prowl heard it, and turned to look at the group of decepticons behind them.
Motormaster let out a sigh, as he reached for his rifle.
"Spoiled the surprise..." he muttered in disappointment.
Before he could fire, Prowl turned and punched a button in the hall, and an emergency bulkhead slid down, sealing them off.
Orion groaned as he stood up slowly, his frame dented and beaten.
He looked down at the drop beneath him, and spit out some energon.
"Did we win?" He asked.
"Yes." Megatron replied quietly. "We won."
Just then, Pax's comm went off.
His comm was damaged, having been partially crushed by Zeta, along with the rest of his arm.
"...crossed...trust...megatron...used us! Everybody get clear, now!"
Orion's optics, one flickering, one not, widened, and he slowly turned around.
Megatron stood next to Zeta's headless corpse.
His fusion cannon raised. Pointed directly at Pax.
"I'm so sorry." Megatron stated, his optics hardened.
A look of genuine sadness on his face.
Orion shook his head slowly.
"Megatron...please...don't do this..."
"I must." Megatron replied, grimacing as he spoke. "Only I can save Cybertron, Orion. Anyone who stands in my way, who could ever stand in my way, must be eliminated."
Pax shook his head rapidly now, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"No. This isn't you, Megatron, please...whatever you're planning, don't do it."
"I'm so sorry, brother." Megatron said, looking away. "I'm sorry that you came between me and destiny. You will be remembered as a hero, I can promise you that."
Orion dropped to his knees, fear wracking his frame.
He had made a horrible mistake.
"Don't do this..." he begged.
"Turn around, Orion. Please." Megatron asked.
"No." Orion replied firmly, his shaky voice finding some confidence.
"Turn around!" Megatron commanded. "I will make it painless, I promise you!"
Orion shook his head again, tears beginning to drip down his face.
"No. If you want to kill me, Megatron, you'll have to look me in the optics. I won't turn around."
He grabbed the edge of the balcony, and stood up slowly, his legs shaking.
Megatron's face contorted with sadness, and he looked away again, before wiping his face.
"Why couldn't you have just been a decepticon, Pax? We could've been the greatest of allies." He lamented. "We could have stood together. Nothing could've stopped us. Nothing would have."
Orion stood firm, trying to stop himself from shaking.
"I am what I am, Megatron. And you are what you are. And I...I know you're more than this." He said, standing tall, in front of the mech.
Their optics locked on each other's.
They stared at each other a moment longer.
Then, with a horrid blast, a purple shot surged from Megatron's fusion cannon, leaping forth and tearing through Orion's chest.
He felt the intense burn as it passed through him, shredding his insides, sending red metal fragments flying through the air, sending energon spraying out his back.
He was knocked back a step, both of his blue optics flickering.
With one final, incredulous look at Megatron, he fell back over the edge, and plummeted down the Citadel, toward the energon river below.
"Sorry to disappoint you." Megatron said softly, turning and walking away from the balcony's edge, toward the Prime's office. He opened his comm link, his optics narrowing.
No more emotion. No more hesitation.
"Soundwave, the plan has succeeded. Zeta Prime is dead. Bring in the second wave now. Send word to all soldiers, all autobots are to be terminated on sight. I want Iacon secured."
"As you command, lord Megatron." Soundwave replied.