Chapter 27: Opportunity
Optimus stood just outside the entrance to the sewer duct. Staring at the sky. The sun had risen, and was shining overhead. Glimmering off the surface of the buildings of Iacon.
He knew this was the most dangerous time to be out. But he didn't care.
His vents needed air. It didn't matter if he had a new body or the matrix in his chest. He felt sick.
"It looks so normal from here, doesn't it?" A voice asked.
Optimus looked around in surprise.
Mirage appeared next to him. "It looks like our home. Like it always has."
Optimus nodded.
"The sky...rises as it does every other day."
"Yeah." Mirage replied. "You expect when something this bad happens, everything would change. But it doesn't. The sky is the same color. The buildings look the same. Our home feels like our home."
"But we aren't allowed in it." Optimus finished sadly.
"It might be the most evil thing to do." Mirage stated. "To take ones home away from them. To outlaw someone, over a disagreement."
Optimus sighed, bowing his head, taking his optics away from his city.
"I helped him, Mirage..."
"You had no choice." Mirage replied, looking at the larger mech. "You chose to spare my life. You chose to confront Zeta Prime. If he were in charge, you would be just as much an outcast as we all are now. You were put in a no win scenario. And the fact that you are still alive means that you won."
Optimus shook his head.
"Autobots and neutrals being gunned down in the streets? This isn't victory, Mirage."
"Then perhaps you aren't allowing yourself enough credit, Prime." Mirage replied. "I see every day I stay alive as a victory. Perhaps you should too."
Optimus turned to head back inside.
"Enjoy the sun, Mirage."
"I will." Mirage said happily. "And you should too, more often. It can be easy in an airtight bunker, to forget what you're fighting for. This is where I come to find...peace. And perspective."
Optimus nodded.
"You're a unique one, Mirage." He said, before walking back inside. "Don't stay out here too long."
Mirage nodded, grinning politely, then cloaking as Prime walked away.
Megatron stormed into the Citadel hangar, looking at the very cautious looking decepticons.
Daring any of them to criticize what he had just done.
The only one who likely had the courage to do so was in critical condition in the medibay.
Poor Soundwave would take some time to be repaired.
He entered the elevator and headed for his office.
Looking down at his grey frame, he noticed he still had some of Metalhawk's energon on his frame. He wiped it off with disgust.
The door slid open.
Ravage was standing in front of it.
Megatron glared down at him.
"Something you need?" He asked.
"Have you lost your mind?" Ravage asked.
Megatron walked past the panther mech. "Careful, Ravage. I'm not in the mood today."
"I noticed when you killed a neutral in front of the entire planet." Ravage replied. "I MIGHT have let that go if you hadn't beaten Soundwave half to death yesterday."
"It had to be done." Megatron stated, taking a sip of a small Engex cube.
"Why?!" Ravage demanded.
"To set a tone." Megatron stated coldly. "Soundwave understands. You should too."
Ravage stared up at the warlord.
"Just because I pop out of his chest doesn't mean I think the same way Soundwave does. You're squandering your victory, Megatron."
Megatron looked down at him and sighed.
"You are dismissed, Ravage."
"You may have the rest of them petrified of you, but I'm not." Ravage stated. "You are making a mistake. You are giving Cybertron a reason to stand against you."
Megatron finished the cube and slammed it down against the desk.
"Did you wish to die here, in my office today Ravage?" He asked, the threat very real as it left his mouth. Darkness evident in his voice.
"If that is how it is to be then so be it." Ravage replied with anger. Unshaken by the threat. "But I will not allow you to walk away from the mistakes you're making. Because if we lose what we've fought for...what we've gained...you can blame whoever you wish, but you will not blame me."
Megatron let out a long, angry vent. Collecting himself.
Then he nodded.
"You're right. I suppose we shall see." He said, as calmly as he could manage. "That will be all, Ravage. Please...I need to be alone..." He said, his head falling to his desk.
Optimus walked back into the bunker, his frame sagging.
"Alright. Come." Wheeljack beckoned, approaching from the shadows.
"Excuse me?" The Prime asked.
"Come!" Wheeljack called. "I built a thing for you."
"A...thing?" Optimus asked.
"All the time you are taking dragging this out, I could've shown you by now!" Wheeljack exclaimed. "It doesn't bite, I promise."
Optimus arched an optic ridge with some suspicion, but he followed the excitable scientist toward his workbench.
"I don't believe I've heard you speak this many words before now..." the Prime noted.
"I didn't have anything to say." Wheeljack replied simply, as he approached his workbench, and opened a drawer. "And certainly nothing awesome to show off. Yet."
The white, red and green mech reached down and lifted up a rifle.
It was jet black, with two handles, and a long, cylindrical barrel.
"I call it an Ion blaster." Wheeljack declared. "I was working on it at Kimia. It was to be a gift for Zeta Prime, but obviously he won't be needing it. It's fit for a Prime."
Optimus lifted it out of the scientist's arms and held it in one hand, feeling the balance of it as he tilted it from side to side.
"It fits...perfectly." He said, as he aimed at a spot on the wall. "Do all Prime's have the same size hands?"
"Yes, didn't you know that? It's how they select them." Wheeljack replied.
Optimus stared blankly back at him.
"I'm kidding of course." Wheeljack said with a chuckle, his earwings flickering with each giggle. "No, I measured your hands while you were recharging."
"Oh." Optimus replied, staring at the scientist longer still. "You're an...interesting fella, Wheeljack."
"He's the best scientist we have, be nice." Ratchet called. "It's not like we have Perceptor on hand."
"Hey!" Wheeljack called in jealousy. "If you wanna know how many electrons are in a grain of cesium you're holding, Perceptor's your guy. But if you want things that make other things blow up, that's my area of expertise." He said, jabbing a digit at himself. "And That Ion blaster is very good at making other people go boom if you hit them in the right spot."
Optimus nodded. "It's a fine weapon Wheeljack. Thank you." He folded it into his side. "It fits my chassis perfectly...did you...?"
"Yes." Wheeljack replied. "But if you would prefer to think all Prime's have the same size holsters, that works too."
Optimus nodded. "Wheeljack. No more recharge measurements, please."
"Meh you're no fun." Wheeljack replied, turning back to his workbench. "I'll get all your medical information from Ratchet anyway."
"Optimus, come here!" Prowl called. "Quickly!"
Optimus ran over to the main monitor.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Listen." Prowl replied, raising the volume on the control stack.
"...they've been trying to shut me down for weeks. But the truth cannot be silenced! So now you've all seen it, whether you wear the red badge or not. You've seen what Megatron is. Well I got news for y'all. He was always like this. Big angry violent guy. Well if any of you guys genuinely thought he was gonna be any different, I'm not gonna sit here and say I told you so. It's a waste of time. This dude threatens everything and everyone. Question now becomes, what are we gonna do about it?"
"Where is this coming from?" Optimus asked.
"I'm trying to find out." Prowl replied, typing furiously.
"I know that voice." Jazz called. "That's an old buddy of mine. Blaster."
"Blaster?" Trailbreaker asked. "He used to be the PA guy on Kimia, what's he doing out here?"
"He got demoted by Zeta Prime." Ratchet replied, walking up to the monitor. "Too critical of his regime. He kept his badge but he was transferred to a radio tower out Helex. He gave me a very nice gift basket before he left."
"Wait, you got a gift basket?" Wheeljack asked.
"Helex?" Arcee interrupted. "He couldn't still be there, that's con territory."
"I mean...isn't everywhere con territory now?" Jazz asked.
"Yeah." Arcee replied. "But that's a stones throw from Kaon. They had con problems before Megatron took over, who knows how out of control they are now?"
"It is a hotbed of decepticon activity." Optimus stated, looking at his new blaster. "It was even before the fall of the Citadel. We should expect the potential for strong resistance."
"Woah Woah Woah." Arcee said, putting a hand up. "Optimus, we don't know if he's still there."
"What exact use is an autobot radio dj gonna be anyway?" Sunstreaker asked from the back of the room. "Yeah I know, I'm the idiot who nobody listens to, but seriously."
"An autobot with the ability to send radio waves across Cybertron would allow us to send a message." Optimus replied. "We could show the people of Cybertron we haven't abandoned them. We could show them there's still hope."
"Assumin they even want us back." Jazz muttered. "Zeta Prime didn't exactly help our popularity."
Prowl cleared his throat.
"Hey. I'm gonna be the bad guy and state facts again." He said, leaving the monitor and standing up.
The autobots turned to look at him.
"Megatron just executed six people on worldwide television. Five of them weren't even autobots. They were neutrals commuting to work. If there is ever a time to make a statement against the decepticons, it is right now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Don't give the decepticons a chance to spin any of this. Don't give them a chance to reassert themselves. Make a statement."
Optimus nodded, giving Prowl a cautionary look.
"Agreed." He turned to the others. "We're going to Helex. It's not going to be a large group. We need to be at least somewhat unnoticed."
All the hands in the room went up.
Optimus sighed, then put his head down.
"Of course you all wanna go..." He muttered.
"Ironhide, Bumblebee, Sunstreaker, Trailbreaker." Prowl barked. "You're going. See? It's not as hard as you make it." He said, patting Prime on the shoulder.
Arcee let out an irritated sigh as she crossed her arms.
"You'll need more firepower than that." She stated.
"We got the forcefield guy." Ironhide drawled, slapping his hand down on Trailbreaker's shoulder in a teasing manner. "Don't you worry bout us."
Optimus looked at Arcee, and then at the screen.
Looking at the long speedway route that led from Iacon to Helex. He turned back to the pink and white femme.
"Keep a small team ready in case we need backup." He commanded.
"Yes sir." Arcee replied, gesturing to Jazz and Hound. "Keep your guns clean."
Optimus walked to the door.
Ironhide and Trailbreaker shoved each other as they walked up.
"Do you two have a problem?" Optimus asked, hands on his hips.
"No sir." Trailbreaker replied. "I'm used to working with lunkheads."
"Oof." Ironhide replied. "Yeah, me an forcefield been goin at it for a couple days but it won't get in the way, Pa...rime."
"See that it doesn't." Optimus replied with a firm nod. He looked at Sunstreaker.
"Can I trust you not to make too much noise? Or should I bring your brother instead?"
Sunstreaker mock saluted.
"No sir Prime sir I got this sir!" He barked.
Optimus narrowed his optics.
"You really should bring me instead..." Sideswipe muttered from further in the bunker.
Optimus ignored him, and looked down at Bumblebee.
"You ready for this soldier?" He asked.
"Yep!" Bumblebee replied enthusiastically, his insides tearing themselves apart in fear.
"Good." Optimus replied, opening the bunker door, and transforming down into his semi truck, as the other four autobots transformed down one by one. "Autobots...roll out!"