Transformers: Eternal Eclipse
Chapter 3
(A Few Days after the Showdown with Lockdown)
On a small Nebraska farm a woman was headed to one of the smaller sheds where the washer and dryer were kept but she made a quick detour to one of the larger barn's where a Chevrolet Impala was nestled. She also found her two children climbing on it's hood.
"Carol, Daniel be careful," she ordered.
"Mommy Roadbuster won't play," her daughter pouted.
She sighed, "Kids what have we told you?"
"That Roadbuster has to stay hidden," Daniel answered.
"Exactly, now go play. Maybe he will tell you a story later."
"YAY!" the two cheered as they slid down the hood and ran off.
When they left she turned to the car, "I hope they weren't bothering you too much."
"Not at all, I enjoy the company," the Wrecker answered, "Thought I'm still worried about all the trouble you could get into for hiding me."
"After all you've done it's the least we can do," she assured him.
"Still I can never thank you enough."
Before she could resound her husband ran in, "You got to see this." Before they could ask he turned on the small TV they kept in the barn for Roadbuster. A news report appeared showing the attacks in Hong Kong.
"It can't be," Roadbuster whispered when scenes of his fellow Autobots appeared.
(Present)
The hunt for Hot Rod was still going on but the bitlit was evading detection. Meanwhile Ratchet had been caught up on events since his encounter with Lockdown, and. . . he was taken it a lot better than everyone had expected.
"Ratchet your taking all of this oddly well," Will noted.
"It is a lot to take in but. . . I guess I've just seen a lot of strange things."
"Is that good or bad?"
A small smile came to Ratchet's face, "I'll go with good." The medic went quiet for several minutes before he spoke again, "Though I wish I had been able to talk to Optimus before he left."
"Yeah, do you think he will come back?" Will asked.
Ratchet nodded, "I've known Optimus long enough to know he always keeps his promises."
Before more could be said Joyce walked in arguing with someone n his phone, "I know I promised transformium but. . . HEY! When you've been chased by insane traitorous government guys and Decepticons then you can get snippy!" Joyce went quiet as he listened, "Hello? Hello? Agh! Sometimes I think we should of sent the seed straight to the desert!"
"Send what to a desert?" Ratchet asked.
"The seed," Joyce said as he typed away on his phone.
"Why?"
"To make massive amounts of transformium."
"It wouldn't of worked." Everyone turned to Ratchet.
"What?" Su asked.
"The seed, it wouldn't of worked in the desert."
"Why not," Joyce demanded, "There was plenty of room-"
"Because it was missing the one important ingredient it needs to make what you call transformium."
"What's that?"
". . . Organic matter. A desert wouldn't have enough." Everyone stared at him in stunned silence for a few minutes.
"That's why it was released it on Earth 65 million years ago," Darcy spoke up.
"I'm afraid so," was the grave reply.
'Ratchet," Sam spoke up, "You always told me Cybertroians didn't know much of your past, how do you know this?"
"Because. . . because. . . because. . ."
"Ratchet?" Sam said worried. A strange blank look came to Ratchet's face, and not just him all the Autobots had glazed looks.
"Guys?" Will tried.
They finally snapped out of whatever had effected them. "What happened?" Hound said rubbing his helm."
"You guys blanked out," Shane said unhelpfully.
"Ratchet," Sam asked, "What happened?"
"I-I don't know," Ratchet replied.
In one of the building's larger hangers the small ship the Autobots had commandeered from Lockdown's ship was stored. Despite the damage it took most of the systems inside were still in working order but no one thought to check on them regularly, so no one was around when one of the terminals lit up.
The Autobots couldn't answer what had happened so they were letting it go for now and were currently watching a news report. There had been a several arrest made at Cemetery Wind and investigations were reported to still be ongoing.
"I will say this for the government, they don't like being lied to," Shane said.
"I don't get why they have to investigate?" Sideswipe grumbled.
"Not everyone there knew," Su spoke up. "It's been reported that Attinger sent most of the workers out of the observation room for 'certain Decepticons'."
Joyce wasn't paying much attention, still working on his phone, he didn't notice Gill enter looking nervous as he approached him. "Um, Boss-"
"Gill whatever it is I'll deal with it later."
"But-"
"I'm busy right now. I'm sure it can wait."
Everyone else turned their attention back to the screen as a man representing Cerement Wind was speaking in their behalf trying to excuse their actions. The group lament that he might convince people until they noticed the big screen above him turn on. Words lit the screen, THEY DIDN'T FIGHT BACK. Then footage of the Autobots being fired upon by Cemetery Wind played. Ratchet had to look away when the attack on him played.
Cade stumbled when footage of him, his daughter and poor Lucas appeared being held at gunpoint and he was begging for his daughter's life.
Joyce dropped his phone when the footage of his speech to the Autobots when they stormed his building aired, you could hear everything he said perfectly.
It also affected people in the crowd, the representative had to flee the stage when people started throwing things at him when he tried to defend the actions they just watched.
Then more news reports showed the Autobot Symbol spray painted on walls and signs all over the Chicago.
"Looks like you have more friends then you thought," Cade said.
"Yeah," Ratchet agreed.
"But whoever put that up, where'd they get all that footage?" Shane asked.
"That was footage from our systems!" Joyce cried causing everyone to turn to him.
"Yeah, that's what I was trying to tell you," Gill spoke up nervously. When everyone looked at him he continued, "We discovered someone had hacked our systems."
"WHAT?!"
Tessa decided to go for a walk, the footage had shaken her up and she needed a moment to herself. All that had happened not too long ago and the future was still uncertain. She was so lost in thought Tess walked into a storage room not noticing the cage inside.
She jumped back when one of Lockdown's monster dog's rushed the bars snapping and barking like crazy. One had been found alive but unconscious on the ship they had taken, they had decided to lock it up until they could figure out what to do with it.
"Careful there missy, you don't want it to bite your head off," Bulkhead said as he entered the room.
Tessa pushed herself up, "What is it? Some kind of dog from your world?"
"There called Steeljaw's, nasty things. Their a wild form of cyber-dog and hard to train."
"Do you know what you're going to do with it?"
Hound shrugged, "Give it to a zoo, use it for parts, I'm not sure. I'll just say good riddance when it's gone."
The big green mech left the room and Tess turned back to the Steeljaw, it had crawled into a corner as far from them as possible and curled up looking more scared then viscous. With a sigh she turned away, that's when she noticed a red helm peeking at her from behind a crate. "AHHHH!"
"Alpha Trion? How is this possible?"
The tall regal red and purple bot smiled at him, his blue optics held a wisdom and kindness Sentinel could never achieve. "The universe is a strange vast place my former pupil," the ancient mech said.
Despite his shocked Optimus was glad for his old mentor's presence even if it did raise a lot of questions. "Everyone said Shockwave had killed you?"
Trion snorted, "It would take more than that sorry scientist to end me pupil."
For the first time in a very long time Optimus smiled, "I don't know if this is real or if I'm going mad but I'm glad to see you teacher."
Alpha Trion waved to Optimus to follow and lead him to an area with several boulders big enough to sit on which he did and motion for Optimus to do the same. When the red and blue bot was seated Prime asked, "Why are you here?"
"You needed me so I came." Optimus closed his optics and sighed, a habit he picked up from the humans. The flash of pain and loss returned. Trion offered a sad smile and placed a servo on the younger bot's shoulder guard, "Talk and I'll listen."
Where to begin? "So much has happened I'm not sure where to start."
"You know," Trion said gently.
"I spent several years on a planet thinking the war might actually be over but I was a fool." Optimus closed his optics as the memories flashed by. Launching the AllSpark, arriving on Earth. Meeting Sam and eventually the other humans, facing the Fallen and learning about his past. Sentinel's betrayal and being attacked by Lockdown and his human allies. Both of Megatron's deaths. He told Trion everything, the ancient bot listened patiently. "And now I find myself on this quest to find the creators. Whoever they are, they went through a lot of trouble to try and capture me, I want to know why."
"I see you've been through much and I wish I could say Sentinel's betrayal was a surprise but I can't, there was always something in his spark that spoke of darkness."
Optimus nodded, "I guess I can't be too surprised on the humans reaction." Memories of the footage of his Autobots being gunned down appeared. "That doesn't excused what they did."
"Optimus I'm surprised at you!" Alpha Trion raised his voice like he was scolding a youngling and the Autobot leader turned to him to surprised to ask what he meant but Trion continued. "I do agree on some of them but you don't truly blame all of the planet."
"No! Of course not I. . . what I meant- I. . ." Optimus now found himself at a loss for words, he hadn't meant it like that had he. Sam shoving the AllSpark into Megatron's chest despite Optimus orders. Will and Epps leading N.E.S.T. and always standing by him and his Autobots despite losing friends on their team. Tracy and Mitch's deaths and the guilt that he hadn't been able to save them and finally Cade helping him, even attacking Lockdown on his own. "No, not all."
"I know there are times when it's hard to tell friend from foe," Trion said gently.
Optimus nodded, "But to my regret I was willing to abandoned them." Even thought he knew Megatron was back even in a twisted way. "I had blamed them, 'Cade and the others', for things they hadn't even know till a few days ago when I online," Optimus looked away.
"I take it that's not your only regret."
"No. . . I guess I'm wondering if I'm still fit to be Prime." Optimus looked at his hands as he clutched them into fists, "Two times I thought I was free of him.
"Megatron."
"Yes, the second time before his death Megatron asked for a truce and I didn't take it. Should I have?"
"After everything Megatron put you through are you really surprised at the outcome?"
Optimus frowned but he had to agree as memories of what Megatron had done; destroying their world in his mad quest for power, damaging Bumblebee's voice box, tearing poor Jazz in half, killing innocent humans because he felt superior. "Maybe not. I had always hoped he'd stop this madness but it's not to be."
There was a long silence as Optimus looked into the star covered darkness overhead. "You've grown," Alpha Trion suddenly said. When Optimus turned to him he continued, "For both good and bad. Sadly these things always come hand in hand. There will always be loss but it doesn't mean you give up because there's also happiness to find, never lose that."
Again a small smile came the Optimus face, "Sometimes I forget how much I missed you."
Trion patted his shoulder again, "You're a wise mech Optimus and your Autobots trust you, there's a reason your Prime."
Optimus nodded, "Yes and I must finish my mission so I can one day return to them."
"Ah yes, the creators," Trion said with some disband.
Optimus turned to him shocked, "Who are they? Do you know what they want?"
"I have my suspicions." Before the Prime could ask the ancient bot stood, "But I have another mission for you," he points towards a constellation, "You need to journey to the star in the center. Once you reach it the Matrix will lead you the rest of the way."
"But the creators?"
"Trust me, when all is done you'll have your answers and more."
Optimus looked into the night sky, "Alpha Trion I. . ." But when he turned to the ancient bot he was gone. Had Alpha Trion really been here, had the Matrix done this or had it all been in Optimus mind. He looked up in the direction Trion had pointed out and wondered if he should take this new quest.
Everyone watched Joyce throw a fit. They were curious about who was defending the Autobots but at the moment watching Joyce have a miner breakdown was to entertaining.
One of Joyce's technicians walked up to them, "Um, excuse me sir."
"What now?" Joyce snapped, he was in no mood for anymore surprises today.
"The-the ship, something's beeping inside."
That got everyone's attention. "Now what," Hound grumbled as the group made their way to the hanger the ship was stored in.
Inside they could hear the equipment working. Sideswipe went in the check as the others waited. They didn't have to wait long as the red mech ran out almost slamming into Dino. "Guys! GUYS!" he shouted almost hysterically.
"What?" Ratchet asked concerned.
"It's a signal. . . from deep space."
"From who?" Ratchet pressed.
"It's Prowl. . . "
