Chapter 22-Shadow Eyes
In a abandoned barn in the middle of Eastern Europe was the Peacemakers. Each of them recovering from what had just transpired. Optimus was having it the hardest at the moment, with both his crown and hammer activated the full power flowed through him, accompanied with whispers.
He excused himself from Eleanor and Megatron's company, both worried about is unnerving silence.
As the sunset air of the fields hit him he vented. But, the more he pushed back on the whispers the more loud they became.
They said many things, wonderfully horrible things, he now understood that to represent the Darkness one must keep the horrible aspects of it away. They taunted him, saying he could never control the shadows, they threatened him to end this crusade and go back to where he 'belonged'.
"No," He whispered, his optics shut. "I will not bend to you and you will not threaten me. I am in control, you will follow my will!" He hissed, the many of the voices left, but one remained.
It was one he recognized, it was his own voice but twisted.
"That maybe so, but, nothing will change the facts…." It hissed from behind the now dark mech.
He turned only for his blue optics to go wide, the voice that was his but was not, was his shadow. It stood before him, moving like water around him with glowing red eyes and a smile.
"What facts?" He asked his shadow.
"You are a traitor to your own cause." His optics stared at the shadow with disbelief.
"I am no traitor…." But he was cut off by the shadows laughter.
"Yes, you are. Even your own soldiers think you traitor!"
Optimus frowned, "How would you know that?"
"Just like you now I can manipulate shadow around me, travel to anyplace with a shadow. When you took you're newest form, I was born. I knew what I was in but a second and I knew what I wanted. So, I traveled through shadows to where you're Autobots lie and I heard and saw.' He paused as his smile widened.
'But do you want to know the best part, they chose a new leader, our precious Elita-One."
The Prime couldn't believe it, Elita was on Earth?! And, they truly thought him traitor? Even Ratchet? Optimus frowned though when he realized something.
"She isn't yours and you are not me." He growled, the shadow laughed.
"Oh but I am you and as such she is mine as well, you may be physical but I am still you in almost every aspect. But, I know how to get control of you, I will wear you down, until nothing remains and then I'll take you as a host and become real to do whatever I please."
"Never, I am in control of the shadows, you will do as I say." He lifted the hammer then let it drop again, the shadow buckled as it shuddered, it looked back up with anger red eyes.
"For now, Lord of Shadow." Optimus looked surprised. "Yes, we are that now too. It's what the other shadows call you back in the Shadow Realm."
Optimus narrowed his eyes, "Then do as you are commanded by you're Lord and leave me, Nemesis."
He laughed, "Nemesis, I like it. Very well, Lord Prime, I will do your will, for now."
The red eyes shut and the shadow returned to its place, now only mimicking the Prime's movements.
"If he could…." Optimus then realized something, if his shadow could spy on his Autobots, then why can't he?
He closed his optics, focusing on the power, after only a little bit he felt the shadows wrap around him and then movement.
He opened his optics and saw he now sat in the shadows, out of view of the room in front of him. It was the main hall, all the Autobots were gathered around and there, standing in front of them was...Elita-One.
She was starting to give a speech to his Autobots.
"Everyone, I thank you for wanting me to lead you, it's a honor. But, I have been thinking and I want to try and find Optimus Prime." Bulkhead growled.
"He betrayed us?! Why should we try to find him?!" Elita, being calm as ever gave her reasoning.
"Yes, but I want to know why, why did he chose this path? Why did it come to this? I have known Optimus in a different light than the rest of you, so this is what we are doing, understand?"
They all nodded and suddenly Optimus felt a tug in his spark, he closed his optics and when he opened them he was back in the barn in a shadow, Megatron and Eleanor were talking to themselves, Megatron still in his formatted Cybertronian form.
He walked out of the shadow startling both of the pair.
"Don't do that!" Eleanor sighed, but then noticed his troubled expression. "What's wrong?"
"Elita-One is on Earth and she is now leading the Autobots. Not only that, but now she's looking for me, for us."