Chapter Twenty-One: The Sword of the Primes

A blast grazed Grimlock in the left shoulder, but he kept going. It had come from Megatron's fusion cannon, so he was not worried. What he should fear was the other one in the warlord's other arm, for a single weapon from that would have meant certain death for him.

The Omega Keys had long since spilled from Megatron's vile hands, scattered somewhere behind them. Grimlock didn't have the time to get them, unfortunately, and he trusted Cade to do it. The human was a true Knight of Cybertron at heart.

For now, he had to keep Megatron occupied. And so Grimlock attacked ferociously, swinging his war maces together, never giving his enemy even a moment's respite to use the Requiem Blaster. It needed time to charge a blast—precious seconds that Grimlock took for himself. Another blow caught Megatron in the chest and he hurtled into the air for the second time.

Grimlock charged with a roar. Midair, Megatron shifted into his aircraft mode, intent on flying away. But Grimlock closed the distance in three great strides, and his larger mace crashed into Megatron's left wing with enough force to bend it.

Megatron roared and spun erratically before striking the ground in a cloud of dust. He reverted to his bipedal form, glaring at Grimlock with enough intensity to match the heat from the Requiem Blaster. He rose from a kneeling position, gnashing his teeth, and bellowed, "I'm Megatron, the strongest gladiator from the pits of Kaon! I will not be defeated by a beast!"

Slamming his mace to the ground, Grimlock altformed. Metal plates shifted. Arms became legs wider than trees. Shoulders turned into powerful jaws. And as his tail sprouted, Grimlock reared his massive head and a roar, louder than Megatron's, filled the battlefield.

He charged with a snap of his jaws, flames gusting between his gigantic teeth. A few Decepticon grunts came from the left to bar his way, but they were nothing more than metal scraps in his optics. He barreled past the line, crushing everyone under his feet before they could even raise their weapons.

Megatron had fully recovered now, and he was aiming both cannons in Grimlock's direction. As if that would save him from his wrath.

Grimlock lowered his head. While the Requiem Blaster was indeed a formidable weapon, even it had its limits; rapid shots and quick bursts were no more powerful than a shot from a regular weapon. He could use that to his advantage.

Megatron fired, and kept firing. All of them splashed on Grimlock's head, but he would not be deterred. He opened his maw and spewed a stream of fire, one that Megatron was quick to avoid. He jumped to the side, rolled once, and rose just as Grimlock leapt to his spot.

Thud! Megatron's scream was music to Grimlock's audio receptors. His tree-like legs pinned the warlord to the ground, with his right arm bent at an awkward angle. Megatron tried to fire his fusion cannon, but Grimlock latched onto the arm with his massive jaws and tore it savagely from its socket.

The screaming grew louder.

He spat out the cannon, now a lump of unrecognizable metal, and spat it out to the side. Grimlock bared his teeth at Megatron's face, and he saw terror filled the warlord's optics. A terror that was… quickly replaced by madness.

Megatron laughed, a sound that chilled Grimlock's spark. The laughter grew louder, and with it, his purple optics blazed with power. Purple lightning wreathed around his form, and Grimlock leapt away and reverted to his bipedal mode. An ominous aura surrounded Megatron, one that Grimlock had not felt since the war against the Fallen.

Slowly, Megatron rose. Sparks flew from the stumps of his severed arm, and Dark Energon splashed across the ground, hissing as it slowly melted the asphalt. And yet he continued to laugh, as if his injuries barely affected him. His severed arm, lying nearby, flew to him and rejoined his body in a crackle of purple lightning, shifting and molding until it was fully restored. His injuries had healed as well, and the coldness in Grimlock's grew.

"Dark Energon," Megatron said with a chuckle. "It's amazing what it can do." He stared at his arm in marvel, flexing his clawed fingers. "This cannon has gone through many forms, even after my previous resurrections. It has served me well back in Cybertron too. With it, I brought down the High Council. With it, I forged a bloody path for a brighter future—a future that Optimus stole from me, time and again."

Grimlock growled. Hearing his name uttered in such a manner by this vile being made him want to tear the warlord apart as slowly and as agonizingly as he could. But he could not move, not with Megatron possessing the power of the Chaos Bringer. He had to bide his time.

Megatron continued and switched his gaze to his other arm, where the Requiem Blaster gleamed. "As for this… Well, the Requiem Blaster is truly a marvelous weapon. But I'm a gladiator, and a gladiator never shies away from the essence of combat. For you, brute, I will give you the honor of fighting me as I've been trained: a true warrior of Kaon!"

He drew his sword, a silver wicked curved steel, and beckoned him with a fierce grin. "Come at me, Knight of Cybertron!"

Grimlock roared and charged. He was twice the warlord's height, and almost five times heavy, but as he swung his war mace with enough force to shatter a hill, Megatron blocked it with his sword as easily as he would a regular blade.

The shock didn't last long. Grimlock's other mace bore down, but it struck a bubble of purple energy surrounding Megatron, and shattered.

"Pathetic," Megatron said as Grimlock's optics widened, the splintered remains of his weapon showering around him.

And then the warlord thrust his free hand forward, and a blast of Dark Energon threw Grimlock with a thunderous boom. His mouth opened in a silent scream as he sailed into the air, crashing back to the ground in an angry shower of concrete and gravel. His body arched from the dark energy coursing through his energon lines. Pain the likes of which he had never felt before assaulted him, wrecking his systems until everything momentarily shut down.

When he finally rebooted, Grimlock snapped his optics open and pushed himself off the ground with a growl. He looked around. Megatron's dark energon blast had thrown him somewhere in the middle of the battle. Gunfire erupted around him, and his spark blazed with fury at the sight.

Off to one side, the Autobots and the humans had retreated to a nearby cluster of buildings, fending off a whole squadron. The bodies of dead Decepticons were strewn all over the plaza, but more had appeared from hiding places and joined the battle. Slag and Scorn were still battling the Combiner, Bruticus, but Grimlock couldn't tell which side was winning. Slag had Bruticus in a headlock, pounding onto his head, but Scorn suffered a direct blast from Bruticus's cannons and was hurled away.

Glancing to the sky, Grimlock saw Strafe and Predaking locked in a freefall. Even as he watched, Strafe broke free and kicked the dragon, who fell in a heap of flailing limbs and wings on a ruined building.

Hope flared within Grimlock. At least they were winning in the sky. His optics drifted back to Megatron, who watched the Knights Apprentices descend on Predaking.

"A powerful beast, but unreliable and uncontrollable." Megatron shook his head before meeting Grimlock's gaze with a smirk. "If not for the Oracle's orders, I would not have brought him, even if he was one of the greatest weapons I possess."

Grimlock narrowed his optics. The Oracle. It was the same name that that bounty hunter had mentioned when he had captured him and his fellow Grandmasters, and the one who had apparently recruited him. Could this mean she was behind the hunt for the relics? But why did she want them?

Shaking his massive head, Grimlock pushed himself off the ground. In Ancient Cybertronian, he said, "I do not know how you manage to bring back the dead, but I swear on my honor as a Knight of Cybertron that I will punish you for that crime!"

He charged again, his strides thundering across the battlefield. His mace had slipped from his grasp when the dark energon hit him, and he didn't have the time to look for it beneath all the rubble and shattered concrete. But no matter; his fists were just as good at obliterating his enemies.

The first swipe would have killed Megatron, but he met it with a punch. Grimlock's arm rattled from the blow. The Decepticon leader possessed unnatural strength; the result of Dark Energon. Even so, Grimlock had dealt with far worse terrors.

He absorbed the punch, then threw his own with his other hand. Megatron parried it with his sword. Grimlock was already pulling back his arm by then, sending a powerful uppercut that his opponent barely avoided. It clipped Megatron in his chin, throwing him into the air before his leg and back thrusters flared, bringing him to a controlled ascent. Grimlock leapt to grab his legs, but Megatron flew out of reach and cackled. With his sword raised high, he swooped down just as Grimlock landed, swinging at his head.

Grimlock evaded the first blow. The next one came so fast that he barely had time to raise a hand to block it. The blade grazed the back of his hand, cutting a shallow gash in his armor. His left hand shot forward, intent on snatching the warlord in his grip, but Megatron dropped to the ground and stabbed at Grimlock's left knee. He twisted the sword with a grin, and a surge of Dark Energon flowed through the blade.

With a roar of pure agony, Grimlock swung down with both fists, only to hit empty ground. Megatron rolled to the right side and flew again, aiming for his chest. Grimlock twisted, but he was too slow, and the blade sank deep into his armor. Megatron pulled it free, then delivered a kick that sent him collapsing to the ground with a groan. He could barely feel his body at this point, the Dark Energon having fried his systems.

And yet Grimlock continued to rise. He could not give up, not now when Megatron possessed this much power. His right hand slammed into the ground, lifting his body with a shriek of metal. As he looked up with a growl, he saw Megatron landing in front of him with a crooked smile.

"I will give you credit, Knight of Cybertron," he said, sliding his sword across Grimlock's chin armor. "You have managed to survive my attacks. But your resistance is futile. Look around you; you've lost." He swept his free arm around.

Grimlock froze, and looked around. His spark sank. He had been preoccupied with his struggle against Megatron that he had failed to take notice of his surroundings. Slag and Scorn knelt on the ground with furius gazes while Bruticus, badly damaged but still functional, towered victoriously above them. A dozen more Decepticons surrounded them, weapons aimed.

To the right, the Autobots and humans were being led to the plaza. Many of them were injured, all wore expressions of defeat and frustrations. Turning again, Grimlock stared at Strafe and the Apprentices, frozen on their feet, and it seemed time had slowed down. He squinted hard, hoping that it was a horrible glitch in his systems caused by Dark Energon. The two looked different than the last time Grimlock had seen them, with purple lines covering their jagged armor like veins. But there was no mistaking the figures standing next to a recovered Predaking.

"Scourge? Cyclonus?" Despite the blade near his throat, Grimlock stood. Megatron allowed him, though he aimed the Requiem Blaster to his chest.

Slowly, Scourge's gaze locked to him. "Hello, Grandmaster. It's a privilege to see you again." He smiled.

With a snarl, Grimlock took a step forward. "We saw your destroyed stasis pods!"

Scourge chuckled. "But not our bodies. In fact, we were never in the pods. It was a ruse to make you think that we've also perished so we could bide our time until we are ready to reveal ourselves."

"Also perished…?" Grimlock's optics widened. No. No! "Then Windstorm and Stormwing… You killed them? You betrayed our order?" He was roaring now, his voice like booming thunder.

"Yes and yes." There was no hint of remorse in Scourge's expression, and that only fueled the growing rage in Grimlock's spark. "They were… uncooperative. If only they had not kept the location of their Omega Keys from us, we would have spared them. But alas, they took after Master Strafe—terribly loyal."

Strafe altformed into his bipedal mode and snarled. "I will tear you apart, traitor!"

"Try it and the Great One will shred you to pieces." Scourge brushed a hand along Predaking's snout, who growled in affirmative.

"Why would you and Cyclonus do this?" Steelbane said from where he stood. His voice sounded so broken that Grimlock almost let the rage consumed his spark and he nearly charged the traitorous wretches. But he reined in his temper and waited; such recklessness would just get them all killed.

It was Cyclonus who answered. He scoffed. "Loyalty, of course! Isn't that part of our code?"

"Loyalty to whom?" Steelbane demanded. "To a monster who preyed on the weak and helpless?"

"No," Scourge said with a smile. "Loyalty to someone who recognizes us, who understands what we are capable of instead of choosing someone who's only good with words."

"Is this about the Captain?" Dreadwing asked. "You still haven't let go of your ambition?"

"It was supposed to be me!" Scourge roared, swinging his sword into the ground. "I am the better fighter, the better leader! I helped slew Predaking! And for what? To be a guardian of some insignificant lifeforms who don't deserve wielding our greatest weapons!"

There was madness in his optics, Grimlock could see it. The same madness he had seen from The Fallen and Megatron—the madness of coveting power. "And it is for that reason that I didn't choose you to be the leader of the Apprentices," he said.

"A mistake that will cost you dearly today." Scourge turned to Megatron. "You've proven yourself worthy. We'll hold our end of the bargain as long as you hold yours."

The grin that split the warlord's face was terrifying. "Excellent! Does that mean we'll proceed with the next stage?"

"Of course. Get the Omega Keys so we can begin."

"It has fallen somewhere over…" Megatron trailed off, staring with a mystified expression to the far left. Grimlock followed his gaze and smiled.

The Omega Keys should not be easy to miss, even after all the fighting they had done. And with four of them glittering in the sun, someone should have already picked it up from the ground at the first chance they could get.

And just as planned, that someone was Cade.


He was already half a kilometer away when he saw the pursuit team in the distance.

At that moment, Cade knew he was screwed. His legs were ready to give out, and he didn't know how long he could keep running before they caught up to him; the Apex Armor could only do so much. Nevertheless, his feet were almost lifting him off the ground in his desperate escape.

Not five minutes ago, he had sent the signal to the brigade that should have been on their way now. Hopefully, they had received it and were making haste to the town. The last time he saw the Bots, they were holding off several squadrons of Decepticons led by Barricade. And he didn't want to think of the worst scenario, even though it was very much on the table.

No, he had to fulfill his job. Get the Omega Keys to safety, then return to his friends and beat the hell out of the Cons.

The whirr of rotors reached his ears, and he put up a burst of speed. Cade had long left the perimeter of the town, so there was nothing else but endless grasslands dotted with low hills—not an ideal escape route, but he had no choice. There was nowhere to run.

A loud roar filled the air. He looked up and saw Blitzwing diving toward him at breakneck speed. He cursed and pumped his legs despite knowing how futile his action was. There was just no way he could outrun a flyer.

Sure enough, the Con bomber transformed and landed in front of him with a heavy thud. The shockwave nearly unbalanced Cade, but he rolled underneath Blitzwing and recovered his bearings, continuing past the towering Con.

"Give up, human!" Blitzwing snarled.

The flyer's footsteps made the ground tremble. Cade reached inside the bag slung on his shoulder and pulled a sphere with a red button. He pressed it then threw the object behind him without looking. He started to count.

Three, two, one…

A loud explosion and a shower of sparks. Blitzwing's roar was the only confirmation Cade needed that his spark bomb had worked. It would not do much damage—it was intended to be a slightly more powerful version of a flash bomb—but it sshould buy him a few minutes to get some distance. And he had ten of the bombs.

He kept running until Blitzwing's flailing and furious shouts were behind him. The closest hill was fifty meters away. Once he climbed that and went to the other side, he could lose any pursuers. Hopefully.

He had not gotten more than ten meters when a sticky substance struck his right foot, pinning it to the ground. He tripped and fell with a curse, and the Omega Keys scattered in front of him. Cade extended an arm, his fingertips brushing along the edge of the nearest one, but he couldn't move past the binding on his right foot.

There was the sound of transformation, and two large shadows blocked the midday sunlight. Cade looked up and scowled.

They were twins, obviously femmes from their slender forms. Both had spider-like appendages folded to their back. The black one was grinning, and the purple one stared at him in amusement.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" she said, extending one of her appendages. Upon closer inspection, Cade noticed how it looked like a spider's leg. "Do you know it's bad to steal?"

"He looks like a turtle stuck on its back," the other twin said, "except he's lying on his front." Then one of her spider legs jabbed forward, straight to Cade's spine.

The resulting ring nearly deafened Cade, though the pounding of his heart drowned out the sound. If not for the Apex Armor, he would have died already. He swallowed thickly, but remained glaring at the twins. There was no doubt in his mind; it was one of them who killed Jimmy and Ramhorn. And it had to be the black femme, now that he realized. She fitted Izzy's description.

"Awww, it didn't even dent it!" Blackarachnia whined, and inspected her spider leg. There was a thin, long crack in its blade. "I hate it when they don't die easily."

Her purple twin smirked. She had to be Airachnid. "You should have gone for his head, sister. It worked the last time."

Blackarachnia brightened. "Of course! How could I have forgotten?" She looked at him with renewed interest. "But I don't want to kill him now. I want to play!"

Cade was sure her definition of play involved a fate worse than death. He didn't like his odds of survival, not with his foot trapped. But if he could get one of the spark bombs and the knife he had hidden in his left boot, he could free himself and continue his escape.

His eyes drifted to the Omega Keys as Airachnid knelt and gently picked up one of them off the ground. "All this trouble for a bunch of pretty treasures," she mused. "Megatron really has no vision."

Her comment made Cade frown. "You don't like Megatron?" he asked, carefully eyeing Blackarachnia. She had not moved yet, thankfully, but he didn't like how she stared at him like a kid who had caught a bug. He had to buy time.

Airachnid smiled. "And what is it to you, Cade Yeager?"

"I'm just curious. All the Decepticons follow him. You seem different."

"All Cons follow him, true. But not everyone worships him." She rose, twirling the Omega Key in her slender fingers. "You want to know why?"

Cade shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. The malicious glint in Airachnid's eyes did not look good.

She smirked, and pointed behind him with her other hand. "Why don't you ask him?"

He closed his eyes and swore softly under his breath as the sound of an engine roared past him. The Cybertronian aircraft stopped and hovered for a second, then swiftly shifted into Megatron's immense bulk. He landed heavily in the middle, and the twin spider femmes bowed stiffly.

"I do hope you two are not thinking of betraying me," Megatron growled. Cade could not see his expression, but judging by Airachnid's blank look, and his tone, the warlord was not pleased.

"We would never think of betraying you, Lord Megatron," Airachnid said, offering the Omega Key with a smile. "All yours."

"As it should be!" He snatched the Key from her hand and grabbed the rest from where they lay. She bowed again, and retreated next to her twin.

Soon Blitzwing flew to them, landing nearby. "Lord Megatron," he said.

Megatron turned to him. "Report."

"We've rounded up all the Autobots and humans in the plaza." Cade's heart crawled to his throat at that. "Should we begin the execution?"

"I will do it. What of Thundercracker?"

"Gravely injured, but he said he can still fight. Knockout is tending to him."

"At least he's still useful even after losing an arm," Megatron said with a grunt. "Unlike his brother. Very well. This battle has been going on for long enough. It's time we proceed to the next stage."

And then he looked at Cade with a grin. "Don't worry, Cade Yeager. I will keep you alive longer for you to witness my greatest victory."

###

Their return to the town was probably one of the worst flights Cade had experienced in his life.

After he was forcefully wrenched off the webbing that trapped his right foot, fortunately without getting it torn away in the process, he had to sit inside Airachnid's helicopter form for the entire duration of the trip—a painful five minutes that made him want to scream in frustration.

Cade was no stranger to loss. It had been part of his life since he learned what it meant to be brought so low that he never wanted to get back up. Losing his wife, then almost losing Tessa. The deaths of Sunstreaker and countless others. And yet those defeats had strengthened him, and he rose better than ever, stronger than before.

But this… He didn't know how to recover from this. He didn't know how they could escape the fate that awaited them, or even if he would ever see Tessa and Izzy. The Cons hadn't managed to remove the Apex Armor—Cade knew they would never be able to, no matter how much they tried—but what good would it do if he killed Airachnid? It would just quicken the inevitable.

For the first time in his life, Cade felt utterly helpless.

When they reached the town and he was herded next to the captured soldiers, he saw the same hopelessness reflected on their faces. Their shoulders slumped, their eyes downcast. The worst were the Knights and the Autobots. He had not seen them look so resigned and defeated before; it seemed they no longer had the will to fight.

All, except for Bumblebee.

The scout stood just a few feet away, hands behind his head, glaring defiantly at Megatron as the warlord strode forward with a victorious smirk, clutching the Omega Keys in one hand. Lennox and Santos knelt nearby, their expressions grim. Cade was made to kneel next to them.

"Where's the backup?" Lennox whispered to the TRF commander. His head had an ugly cut near the scalp, hastily bandaged, but still bleeding.

Santos shook his head. "They should have been here by now."

"Well, they aren't!"

"What do you want me to do, ask the Cons to call them?"

"Hey, no talking!" One of the guards said, and they quieted. Cade sighed. Moments away from death, and yet the two commanders still couldn't stop their bickering.

"They must have been ambushed," a soldier said nearby. One of the SOED captains. "Cons really got us good this time."

"They always do," Lennox muttered, glaring darkly at the only two Knights who were not on their knees.

Cade followed his gaze, cold rage bubbling inside him. Even now, he still couldn't believe that they were the ones who gave Megatron an Omega Key and the Requiem Blaster. He couldn't believe that they killed both Windstorm and Viviane's father, and who knows how many more. They didn't even look like knights anymore, with their monstrous armor and the creepy purple lines criss-crossing their bodies.

Megatron finally spoke. "And now here we are." The Omega Keys hovered in his palm, interlocking together in an intricate pattern. With a soft hum, a beam traced a holographic map of the Earth, where a red dot slowly flashed into existence somewhere in England.

"Shit, is that Stonehenge?" Lennox gaped. Some of the other soldiers were muttering too. Cade was not exactly well-versed in historical sites, but he knew what Stonehenge was and its significance in Britain's history.

"Who would have thought that the Omega Lock is not far from an Omega Key?" Megatron chuckled in amusement. The map soon vanished, and the Keys fell back to his hand in their original states. He swept his gaze at the prisoners, and sighed in disappointment. "The mighty Autobots, brought low because their Prime is not leading them. How tragic. But do not worry. You will soon be joining your beloved leader in the AllSpark."

A chill ran down Cade's spine. "What…?" Cries of shock rang amongst the Autobots and Knights, but they were just background noises to Cade. His shoulders sagged, and he stared at the ground as his mind whirled. His chest felt like it would burst. Optimus couldn't be dead.

"You're lying, you rusty buckethead!" Hound roared. He attempted to stand, but a swift punch from Barricade sent him sprawling to the ground, groaning.

"Oh, but why would I lie?" Megatron approached him. His right foot slammed onto Hound's head, and the Bot spat out a globule of energon. Bumblebee buzzed in fury.

The warlord glanced at him with a smirk. "I know it is hard to believe, scout. But alas, the truth can never be denied. Why would I lie? I killed him once before."

"By impaling him in the back, asshole!" Lennox shouted.

Megatron seemed to ignore him and continued. "And now I killed him again. Because I am the strongest!" He kicked away Hound, who rolled with a curse, then shot a bolt of Dark Energon toward Bumblebee, straight toward his chest, crackling with power.

Cade looked up, eyes filled with determination, and did the only thing he could think of at the moment. His thoughts briefly flashed to Tessa as he stood up and jumped in the way, his face resolute. He hated leaving her now—he still had much to tell her—but Tessa was all grown and capable now. She could take care of herself.

He sent a silent prayer for her to be happy, then closed his eyes and waited for the agonizing pain he knew was coming.

"CADE!" Lennox yelled, as did many of the Autobots and Knights.

And then the energy struck Cade, and he squeezed his eyes as the pain… There was no pain. A warmth feeling spread over his body, first to his legs, then to his head, encasing him in a protective shell. He landed on his back with a thud, and though the impact shocked him, for it meant that he could still feel, he didn't find it to be painful. If anything, strength surged through him.

He opened his eyes. At first, everything seemed the same. The sky was blue, and he could hear several gasps from the humans and mechs. He raised his right hand in front of him, and he froze. Gone was the skin-like gauntlet of the Apex Armor. His hand and arm were now fully encased in a thick shell of metal, and it was the same with his other arm. He rose quickly to his feet, which felt lighter than they had in ages despite the armored boots now protecting them. Large plates covered his shoulders—pauldrons, Cade remembered—and his torso was enclosed in thicker armor, accented with glowing blue lines. Finally, he realized that he was now wearing a helmet, though with the mouth opened to the air, making him look like one of Britain's fabled knights.

The Apex Armor had evolved once more.

The ground trembled as Megatron took a heavy step and aimed the Requiem Blaster at Cade. "You think that paltry armor of yours is enough to stop me?"

Cade looked at him and smirked. "You bet I do," he said, just as the armor's battle mask slid out.

Megatron fired the Requiem Blaster with a snarl.

Cade stood his ground even as the white-hot beam struck him. Several of the Bots cried out in alarm, but Cade was not worried. He could feel the armor itself, just as it could feel him. The connection was stronger than before, almost as if the Apex Armor had become one with his subconscious thought.

He stepped forward. The light should have blinded him, but the helmet shielded his eyes. Another step. He should have been burned to a crisp already, and yet the continuous stream of energy coming from the Requiem Blaster was no hotter than the midday heat during spring. On the third, he surged forward, and nothing could stop him.

His momentum carried him on like a speeding rocket, and then he leapt, straight out of the beam's path. With a satisfying boom, he slammed onto Megatron's chest, the crazed warlord collapsed like a felled tree.

"Lord Megatron!" The other Cons shouted, but Cade was already running to the warlord's head. Up close, he was even uglier, and Cade wasted no time pulling back his right arm and ramming it straight at Megatron's own battle mask. He roared in pain and tried to grab him, but Cade was quick and sent a more powerful punch, snapping the warlord's head to the ground.

Another punch, and Megatron's mask shattered in chunks of metal. His jagged teeth were bared in a pained snarl and dark energon dribbled from his mouth. Cade reared his left arm and—

"Move, and he dies."

Cade froze, and slowly twisted around, lowering his arm as he did. Scourge stood over Bumblebee, his black sword hovering mere feet from the scout's neck. One swing, and it would all be over for him. The rest of Cade's friends were in the same plight, with Decepticon soldiers aiming their weapons at them.

His jaw tightened, and his teeth clenched. Cade couldn't let them die, even if it would mean ridding the galaxy of a terrible being. Besides, his friends would die before he could kill Megatron, he was sure of that.

"Move away from him and deactivate your armor," Scourge commanded. When Cade didn't budge, he raised his sword higher, preparing to strike Bumblebee.

"All right, all right!" Cade growled as he hopped down from Megatron, his hands raised in surrender. A simple mental command, and the Apex Armor began to retract, metal plates sliding across his body until it was only a small band wrapped around his right shoulder.

Megatron rose to his feet unsteadily, wiping the dark energon off his mouth. Barricade moved to help him, but he waved him away. "I must admit, Cade Yeager," he said with a low chuckle, "you are as bold as Optimus. Unfortunately, your resistance is futile. This is the end of the Autobots!"

Cade glared at him. "Even if you kill us, there will be others who will stop you."

"I'd like to see them try." The warlord raised his hand and—

The sun darkened. At first, Cade thought it was some kind of terrifying power that Megatron had acquired, the power to make a sun lose its light, but then he looked around and saw that past a hundred meters, sunlight shone through the destroyed buildings. He turned, and the darkness enveloping them encompassed only the plaza and the surrounding central area of the town—an elongated darkness that slowly moved.

No, not darkness. A shadow; something really big. So he looked up to the sky, and looked up, and up. His eyes widened.

It was a spaceship, sleek and as long as an aircraft carrier, its hull gleaming red and silver. A low hum filled the air as it turned to its starboard, where Cade noticed row upon row of cannons and missile launchers. But it was no Decepticon ship, Cade knew for some reason. It was far too elegant and refined. And his hope was renewed when he saw Prowl and Cliffjumper's relieved smiles and Megatron's upturned face staring at it with fury and terror.

"Bring that ship down!" he screamed, and aimed both of his cannons at the ship's underside.

Decepticon flyers scrambled and took to the air, including a one-armed Thundercracker. Bruticus's primary weapons swiveled to face the enemy ship. Even Predaking leapt to the sky, flapping his massive wings as he steadily gained altitude. Megatron's cannons blazed.

And the ship answered.

Like the roar of a mighty beast, the sky was filled with fire as every weapon on the ship's starboard side flared. Cade had to cover his ears at the deafening sound as he rushed to the soldiers and Autobots, most of whom watched with awe. A Decepticon air squadron was obliterated by a barrage of plasma and missiles, and of the few that made it past the ship's firing range, they were immediately engaged by another group of flyers—Autobot flyers. A powerful blast struck Predaking in the chest, and he went down with a pained roar.

As the air battle began, Cade met Bumblebee's gaze. The guards were now shooting at the enemy flyers, and no one was watching the captives. The scout gave him a nod, and his battle mask lowered down. A guard turned to him in surprise just as Bee's roundhouse kick decapitated him. The other guards noticed the commotion, but Bumblebee was already moving to engage them.

Prowl and Drift quickly leapt to their feet and tackled the nearest Cons, subduing them with their fists. Cliffjumper rushed to Hound, who rose to his feet and yelled, "Let me at 'em!" before charging Barricade.

"For Cybertron!" Steelbane roared and transformed into his dragon mode, as did Skyquake and Dreadwing. They sped toward Scourge and Cyclonus, who looked at each other before bolting in the opposite direction. The three Knights Apprentices gave chase.

The ground rumbled as the Grandmasters barreled toward Megatron, but Bruticus intercepted them. As the giants clashed, Cade finally reached Lennox and Santos, who were herding off the non-combatants away from the battlefield.

"Go! Hurry. I'll cover you," Cade said, the Apex Armor forming around him. He looked around, but there was not much else he needed to do. Most of the nearby guards were already neutralized, and Prowl, Drift, and Cliffjumper were moving to engage another group to the far right. Bumblebee and Hound were double-teaming Barricade, driving him farther away from the rest of his team.

A loud boom sounded. Predaking had crashed to the ground, barely moving. Cade directed his gaze elsewhere and saw Slag slamming a fist straight into Bruticus's chest, and the Combiner separated. Onslaught and his team tumbled to the ground, but before the Grandmasters could deliver the coup de grace, Megatron fired at them. One blast nearly blew off Grimlock's head, but he ducked at the right moment then charged the warlord.

"Rise, you fools!" Megatron screamed, fear written on his face. "All available units regroup here and form a battle line!" He unleashed a barrage at the Grandmasters, stopping them long enough for the Combaticons to recover and join their leader.

There were roars of engines. Cade looked to the north and scowled. At least two dozen vehicles, mostly sports cars and SUVs, sped down the road. Megatron must have kept them in reserve. If they reached the Bots, they would be overwhelmed. Then he smiled, for just behind the Cons were a mass of tanks, APCs, and mobile artillery, led by two NASCARs overloaded with weapons: reinforcements from Hill Air Force Base.

As the Decepticon reinforcements approached, two flyers broke away from the fighting raging in the sky and dove toward them. From the Autobot ship, four cylinders burst out of the port side, speeding to the ground like missiles. Cade thought they were bombs at first, until they slammed into the ground and opened like a flower, and a team of Autobots rushed out, weapons drawn and guns blazing.

There was a white mech with a battle mask, cutting down Cons left and right with his twin curved blades, backed by his heavyset dark green partner with maces for fists. Another pair—a heavily armored red mech and a green-and-yellow one—engaged some of the Cons heading for Bumblebee and Hound. As the red mech reached the nearest enemy, his right arm rammed straight into the Con's face and he shouted, "Kablam!"

A shadow loomed above Cade, and he looked at it with a start. Airachnid smirked.

"Enjoying the show, human?" One of her appendages thrust forward, straight to his chest, but Cade merely stood his ground. With a solid crack, the bladed tip shattered. "Tch," Airachnid said, though she didn't seem bothered. If anything, her smirk widened. "Oh, I'm just a distraction, by the way."

Cade whirled around immediately. He saw Blackarachnia dashing toward Lennox's group, and he let out a low curse. He had been too preoccupied with the ongoing battle that he failed to focus on his job of escorting them. And now it would cost him dearly.

Just as he prepared to help them, Airachnid leapt to his front and blocked his path. She waved a slender finger. "Ah, ah! You think I will let you ruin my sister's fun? Let's play, you and—"

Blackarachnia shrieked, and Airachnid turned, her eyes widening. Cade tensed, and then he leapt, delivering a powerful kick that sent Airachnid sailing to the air. She landed gracefully on her feet, seconds before Cade did, and she glared in his direction. He returned the glare; now that he could fully control the Apex Armor, there was no reason for him to hold back.

Another shriek from the twin. Cade risked a glance and was surprise to see a sleek, blue Autobot femme slicing off three of Blackarachnia's appendages with her arm-blades, joining two more on the ground. She was fast and graceful in her acrobat, and the assassin was soon forced to the air, where the Autobot femme could not reach her.

Airachnid growled, and Cade noticed the vehement look she directed at the Autobot, who was now glaring in her direction. With a scoff, the spider said, "This is not over." And then she was joining her twin as they flew away.

Cade watched them go for a moment, then surveyed the battle. It was nearly over now thanks to the Autobot reinforcements, and he watched with renewed awe as the newly arrived Autobots took down wave after wave of Decepticons. They were systematic, well-coordinated, and highly trained. He saw a black-and-red mech with door wings similar to Bumblebee taking down two Cons at once with a single well-placed shot from his sniper rifle. A large Autobot flyer, dark green and menacing, hovered in the air and unleashed a barrage of missiles at the Decepticon reinforcements while his partner, a red flyer, landed atop a Con and sliced him in two with his sword. Another Con dropped to the ground, his head rolling away, and the air shimmered behind him to reveal an Autobot that was definitely not there before.

There were others, too. More than Cade could count. High in the air, Decepticon flyers were dropping like flies against just four Autobot fighters, whose aerial maneuvers would make human aircrafts overheat and crash to the ground. There were Orbital Assault Carriers, no doubt piloted by Autobot grounders who couldn't fly, assisting their airborne comrades.

A boom drew his attention, and Cade looked on with surprise as an impressive mech strode into battle. White accented with blue, he was as tall as Optimus, his shoulders broad and heavily armored, but the hammer he grasped was even taller. It crackled with lightning, and one sweep alone crushed six Cons.

Megatron took one look at him and screamed as high as his vocal processors would allow. "GROUNDBRIDGE, NOW! ALL DECEPTICONS, RETREAT!"

Several portals blossomed for each surviving group of Decepticons. The tall Autobot held up a hand to his team as the enemy began to retreat. Megatron was the first to leave, while what remained of his air wing dispersed one by one, with an unsteady Predaking not far behind. The ground forces quickly followed, and soon the battlefield was filled with silence at last.

Cade slowly approached the tall mech. The Autobots were converging on him, now that the fight was over. Many of the human soldiers were hanging back, wary and vigilant, but Lennox and a few others were returning to meet the newcomers. Santos was among them, and he nodded in Cade's direction; Cade nodded back.

Prowl was the first to reach the mech. "Commander," he said, saluting. "Your timing is impeccable, sir."

"And just as well, Prowl. A minute longer and we wouldn't be here discussing this." The mech's voice was deep and had a martial tone to it, reminding Cade of the few generals he had met before. "I trust you are well, all things considered."

The strategist smiled thinly. "A bit roughed up, but I'm fine. And so is Cliffjumper."

The commander turned to the red Autobot, who grinned. "Cons will have to do more than what they did to bring me down. Right, Cee?"

With a snort, the blue femme crossed her arms. "I'm surprised they haven't yet, given how you annoy them."

A few Autobots chuckled. Then Hound bellowed joyously, "Bulkhead!"

"Hound!" Bulkhead's maces retracted, revealing his normal hands. They shared a fist bump, laughing. "It's good to see you again, buddy!"

"You too! And Jackie! You're not flying solo anymore?"

The white mech with the twin blades retracted his mask, displaying a full smirk. "Can't kill Cons much by flying solo, big guy. Besides, they need my expertise."

Cade had never seen so many Autobots in one place, and the sight of friends reuniting once more made him smile. There was Bumblebee conversing with the black-and-red mech similar to him, whose name was Bluestreak. The Wreckers Roadbuster and Topspin approached the green-and-yellow mech from earlier with grins; apparently, he was the captain of the Wreckers when the unit was still complete. Some of the Autobot flyers had landed, taking an immediate interest in the humans but keeping their distance.

But it was the commander who held Cade's attention. The mech's gaze found him earlier and never left, even when another mech bearing the same frame as Bumblebee and Bluestreak jogged to his side and saluted. "The area's clear, sir."

The mech nodded. "Thank you, Smokescreen. Tell Red Alert to have the Orion remain in the sky while I discuss matters with the natives of this planet."

"Yes, sir."

As Smokescreen retreated to contact the ship, the commander slung his hammer at his back and strode forward until he loomed over Cade. With a thought, the Apex Armor retracted, and Cade looked up to meet his intense gaze. He was even more impressive up close, radiating power and authority. But unlike Optimus, there was a sternness in him that the Prime did not possess.

"You are Cade Yeager, correct?" he asked.

Cade was not surprised that the Autobot knew him. He nodded, as the others watched with interest.

"I'm Ultra Magnus," the mech said. "Optimus told me so much about you, Cade."

A lump formed in Cade's throat. He swallowed thickly and said in halting words, "Is… Is he…?"

Ultra Magnus smiled faintly. "He's alive and well. He can't join us, yet. But I know he will soon return."

He's alive. Cade released a breath, then leaned weakly on his knees, letting out a chuckle. He's alive! A part of him hoped that Megatron had lied, and he was glad that he clung to the slim hope that Optimus was not dead.

"Is there a problem?" Ultra Magnus asked with a slight frown.

Cade finally recovered and straightened himself, shaking his head. Prowl said, "Megatron said he's dead, sir. We actually believed him."

"You let your faith waver, then," Ultra Magnus said, though not unkindly. "But I understand. Megatron was not exactly lying when he said that. He was simply… delusional."

"Buckethead seems crazier than before," Hound said. "You know something about that, Magnus?"

The commander's expression darkened, and some of his team shifted uneasily on their feet, many with scowls on their faces. "More than I wanted to know," Ultra Magnus replied. "Megatron is infused with Dark Energon. With it, he is more powerful than the rest of us."

"I nearly killed him," Cade said dryly. If not for the situation they had been in, he would have wrecked the warlord's face and tore his head off his shoulders. He had not felt this kind of satisfaction before, and he relished at the thought of ending Megatron for good the next time they met.

Unfortunately, Ultra Magnus crushed that fantasy. "Because he was not yet at his full power. All of you need to understand: Megatron is now one of the most powerful beings on this side of the galaxy. If he is not stopped, he'd cause far more destruction than he'd done before."

"Yeah, we heard that before," Hound said, earning him a few chuckles from the humans.

"Never underestimate Dark Energon," Grimlock said, striding toward them alongside the other Grandmasters and the Knights Apprentices, who had just returned after chasing Scourge and Cyclonus. Judging by Steelbane's sour expression, the mission was most likely unsuccessful.

"May I ask who you are?" Ultra Magnus faced them.

"Me, Grimlock. Leader of Cybertron Knights."

Ultra Magnus's eyes widened. "The legendary knights!" He turned to Prowl. "Then the records were accurate?"

"Yes, sir. We found the Omega Keys." There were murmurs from Ultra Magnus's team. Prowl continued with a sgh. "Unfortunately…"

"Megatron has them," Ultra Magnus finished his sentence with a grim look. "It's the reason why they were here, isn't it?"

"Yes," Slag said. "And now he knows the location of the Omega Lock. It won't be long before he uses it to destroy this planet."

"Then we must hurry." Ultra Magnus turned to the gathered humans at last, who had remained silent at this point. "Which one of you can help us talk with your leaders?"

Lennox stepped forward, looking as professional as his battered appearance would allow him. "I will set up a meeting between you and my superiors. As soon as we get to a base." His eyes darted briefly to the sky, where the Orion still hovered. "Although the ship might have to remain here for now, and we need a list of Autobots you've brought with you. Some of the top brass are not exactly fans of ships appearing out of nowhere."

"Understandable," Ultra Magnus said. "And our sincerest apologies. We dared not send a message because we feared who might intercept it. In any case, thank you, soldier. In the meantime, the rest of my team will discuss how to stop Megatron. Prowl, I want a full account of what happened since you and Cliffjumper left. Arcee and Smokescreen will stay here and coordinate with the humans. The rest of you, back to the ship." He hesitated, then looked at Cade. "I have much to tell you, Cade. But time is short. When this battle is over, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"Grimlock go too," Grimlock said.

Slag stepped forward with a smile. "And I. Unless you want to fry your processors making sense of Grimlock's speech."

Ultra Magnus nodded. "Of course. Right this way, then."


The past six hours had been a whirlwind of activity, and Lennox wanted nothing more than to find a bunk and collapse on the mattress. But he still had duties to fulfill, reports to read and file, and a load of other things that he wished others could do for him. So he had to settle for a mug of coffee and a bland ham sandwich that the makeshift mess hall had prepared for him.

They were extremely fortunate that few had stayed behind in the ruined Hill Air Force Base. The casualties were still hundreds, and Lennox grieved silently for those brave men and women who chose to stay behind in order for the ruse to work. But their sacrifices had saved thousands, and allowed them to sprung the trap that bought Cade and the others enough time; if not for that, Ultra Magnus's team would have arrived after everyone was dead.

Thanks to the joint effort between the Autobots and the humans, a quick temporary base was set up, where everyone rested and prepared for the battle that would soon begin. The Secretary of Defense nearly had a heart attack when he learned of the Orion, but he was quick to understand that they would soon need its firepower.

Unfortunately, Lennox was sure that the SecDef would definitely suffer from a stroke, and perhaps the Chief of Staff and a lot of the top officials in the government, once they learned just how many Autobots were currently in the base. He tared at the report filed by Smokescreen, Ultra Magnus's aide, and Lennox rubbed his eyes to make sure he was reading it correctly. Twenty-two Autobots! He knew only a few of them had survived when they left Cybertron, with most hunted down by Megatron's forces or dying later on Earth. Even when N.E.S.T. was still active, there had not been more than seven Autobots arriving at the same time. But almost two dozen? It made his head spin just thinking of it.

"Where the hell have you guys been all these years? Optimus sent messages into deep space three times!" Lennox said before he could stop himself, facing the monitor where Ultra Magnus's face filled the screen. They had quickly set up a meeting as soon as the generators were on, with many officials joining the video conference.

But they were all silent now, and even General Morshower grimaced at another screen. But Lennox didn't care; the Orion alone could have helped defend Chicago during Sentinel Prime's invasion. Hell, it could have helped during that alien invasion in New York years ago.

Ultra Magnus didn't respond for a moment, scrutinizing him with his intense gaze. And when he finally spoke, Lennox wished he had kept his mouth shut.

"I understand your frustrations, Colonel Lennox," he said. "But we didn't receive the first message until five years ago. The Orion was too far away at that time, and although the built-in communication systems in our bodies could carry far, they are not strong enough to send signals to a different galaxy. I expected you to know this, given that human radios function the same way."

Lennox gruntd, even as Santos snickered next to him. Ultra Magnus did have a point, and now he felt really foolish. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Right. In any case, we could have used your help before."

"Of course. But that's all in the past now. At the moment, our top priority is to prevent Megatron from activating the Omega Lock. And we are now here to help."

General Morshower spoke. "We've already spoken with the British Prime Minister, and it looks like he already acted preemptively. Fortifications and defenses are now being set up. A full brigade, at least."

"Not enough," another general said from one of the screens to the left. "If the intel is reliable, Megatron has at least a hundred soldiers. And that's not even including the mercenaries he hired. We'll need more."

"The TRF will be more than enough. We got five hundred men, and two hundred more stationed across the British Isles."

The other general looked doubtful. "Maybe we should call for… assistance now. Whether the operation fails or succeeds, this is already a world-ending threat either way."

There was another silence. Lennox knew what the general was implying, and he looked at General Morshower's screen. Sure enough, his brows were furrowed.

"I don't want to involve Stark and his team in this," he said in a firm tone. "One genocidal robot is enough."

"And Megatron isn't one?"

"He is, but would you want another one?" General Morshower sighed. "No, this is a problem between us and the Decepticons. And we'll deal with it as we've always done." His tone brooked no argument. "Commander Ultra Magnus, are you certain your mechs can take point in this operation? We're committing as much as we can, but we need to know if we can successfully defend this Omega Lock, and perhaps cripple the Decepticons."

"War is rarely a foregone conclusion, General Morshower," Ultra Magnus replied. "I've led thousands of assaults and defenses, and very few have been won without severe casualties. Most of them were quite similar to our situation now. However…" He paused. "In this case, we have a greater chance against the enemy."

"And what makes you think we do?" one of the generals asked.

Lennox watched the screen, and Ultra Magnus's next words made him smile.

"Because Optimus told me that whenever our races work together, nothing could stop us."


"You guys looking for me?" Cade told Grimlock as he entered the spacious hangar, one of the few which survived the attack, that had been reserved just for the Knights of Cybertron. All of them were gathered around him, and he noted how Steelbane seemed agitated.

It was Slag who spoke. "Before we begin, I have to ask how you are feeling. Using the Apex Armor to its fullest poses no risk to us Cybertronians, but humans are different."

"No headaches? Pain in the chest? Vomiting?" Strafe asked, leaning forward and scrutinizing him intently.

Cade frowned, then shook his head. Contrary to what they thought, he was feeling quite well, even after all the fighting he had done. "No, I'm fine. I just need some rest."

Slag looked satisfied. "Good. Then you're fit to travel again?"

"Of course." He wouldn't just sit idly while Megatron tried to destroy Earth, again. He knew he had the power to make a difference, and he would use that power to help in the defense of the Omega Lock. "When do we leave?"

"In just a few hours," Slag replied. "But we won't be joining the others, not yet. We need you to come with us, Cade. To find the greatest weapon that our masters, the Primes, had forged to defeat Unicron."

"What kind of weapon?" And this time, Grimlock spoke.

"Star Saber."

Cade blinked. "A what?"

Strafe chuckled. "You'll find out soon. And we'll give you a short version of the story along the way. We already asked Colonel Lennox for transport, and we've also informed Burton of our mission; he'll personally meet us when we arrive. Thankfully, Commander Ultra Magnus will lend one of his soldiers for this. He'll fly you and Fowler to England while we escort you." He glanced at his fellow Grandmasters with a light snort. "At least, those who could fly. I'll have to use a Groundbridge for these three."

"Wait. Why is Fowler joining us?" As far as Cade knew, the agent would not participate in the battle.

"Because this concerns the Custodians," Slag answered. "All of you."

"Grandmasters, are we really going to do this?" Steelbane asked in a worried tone. "If we get the Star Saber and Megatron steals it—"

"We'll need its power, Bane," Slag said. "Now that Megatron possesses both the Skyboom Shield and Requiem Blaster, we are heavily outmatched. We could use the Star Saber to even the odds, even turn it to our favor. Besides," he smiled at Cade, "it's time we awaken Cade's guardian."

Cade's eyes widened. "You mean…?"

"Yes," Slag said. "You're going to meet Sky Lynx at last."

###

When they arrived at the airfield later, Cade was not surprised to see Viviane standing next to Burton.

"So you're coming too, huh," he said as soon as he and Fowler stepped down from Springer.

The two Custodians were both dressed for cold weather, with Viviane wearing a red coat while Burton wore a gray one. It was almost winter, and the nights in England were far colder than those in the US.

"You think I'll miss the chance to see Cybertron's most famous weapon?" she said with a huff.

"Oh, right. You're into that sort of thing." He shook his head. She still had that air of superiority, though he could also see her smiling faintly in the dim light. Odd. He turned to Burton and asked, "So where's this Star Wars Saber?"

"Star Saber," Fowler corrected. "It's been hidden. Not all the Knights know where it was, not even the Grandmasters." He glanced at Burton, then to Slag and the Grandmasters who had arrived hours ago. "Or do you?"

"Until a few hours ago, no." Burton motioned for them to follow and strode toward a silver Aston Martin DB11 parked near the runway. Behind them, Springer lifted off and headed in the direction of Stonehenge.

"The Prime Minister received a response from Stormreign after he contacted him," Burton continued. "He was told of the sword's location, as well as assurance that the remaining Knights will join us in defending the Omega Lock. In fact, I believe they arrived just an hour ago."

"So they're alive," Steelbane said with relief.

Burton nodded as he opened the passenger door. "They severed all contact with us after they discovered Windstorm's death."

"They knew?" Viviane said, stopping for a moment.

"Yes. But there was a good reason, I believe." Burton placed a hand on the car's roof. "You have to understand, once they found out that one of their own was murdered, all the other Knights became suspects."

"I would never kill one of our own!" Steelbane said, clearly offended.

"Of course not. But do they know?"

"Burton is right," Dreadwing said. "You know how Stormreign is. If something awful happens, he will suspect everyone."

"Indeed," Slag said. "And while I disagree with his methods, it is necessary to hide the location of both the Star Saber and the Omega Lock. He did the right thing."

They soon entered the car, with Fowler behind the wheel. Burton sat beside him, while Cade found himself next to Viviane in the rear. He wanted to be in the front, but the older Custodian took the seat first.

"Where are we going again?" Cade asked, scooting away from Viviane as far as the cramped space would allow him. She frowned.

"Tintagel Castle," Burton said, and Viviane perked up. "It's going to be an hour drive from here, so make yourselves comfortable."

"Tinta what?" Cade frowned, but Viviane's eyes shone with excitement.

"The birthplace of King Arthur!" she said. "I've never been there before. Sir Burton, does this mean the Knights buried the Star Saber beneath the castle?"

"It seems so. Or at least Sky Lynx and Darksteel did. I guess we'll find out when we get there."

They were soon driving across the countryside, but everything was shrouded by darkness, making the trip less appealing than the first time Cade had been to England. To pass the time, he listened as Viviane rambled on about the Arthurian legend. It was all too boring for him, but it was better than staring outside into darkness.

The Knights followed them, both on foot and in the air. Their great strides shook the ground, and their giant wings were loud. Their presence gave Cade comfort, for he knew that he and the other Custodians were well-guarded from most threats. He just hoped that whoever would see the gigantic footprints tomorrow morning would not get a heart attack or worse.

At some point, Viviane fell asleep, leaning her head on his shoulders. Cade was tempted to wake her up, but after seeing the peaceful expression while she slept, he decided against it. He really didn't hate her, though he wished she could be less uppity and snotty.

It was nearly midnight when Cade smelled salt in the air. He glanced at Burton, and the lord of Folgan was sitting straight in his seat. In the distance, a dark smudge loomed. Cade squinted hard, then he began to notice the crumbling walls and towers, bathed in faint lights. There was the boom of crashing waves, and to the far left, the outline of a village. There was even a hotel.

He touched Viviane gently on the shoulder, shaking her lightly. "Viviane, we're here."

She stirred awake, blinking groggily. When she saw the ruins far ahead, the sleep in her eyes instantly vanished and she leaned forward on her seat to get a better view.

"British Royal Army closed off the area, so no one will bother us," Fowler explained as he parked the car. The ruins were on an island bordered by rocky cliffs, and Cade eyed the various bridges and steps. He touched the Apex Armor on his shoulder as an assurance; he didn't want to know what it would feel like falling fifty feet down into jutting rocks and raging waters.

The Knights were waiting for them near the cliff edge. "Me Grimlock senses it," Grimlock rumbled. "Sword here."

"So we just go and start digging until we find it?" Cade surveyed the island with a frown. It was large enough to hold at least twenty mechs with Grimlock's size, but the fact that the sword was buried there was a puzzle to him. It had to be done before the castle was built, which didn't make sense.

When he told the others of this, Viviane looked thoughtful. "That is… surprisingly logical. Unless it was buried before King Arthur's time."

Fowler shook his head. "I doubt that. It would undermine the castle's foundations, which would weaken its structure. But I don't see that here."

"Is there a cave nearby?" Dreadwing asked, scanning the cliffs.

Viviane gasped, and Burton's eyes brightened. "Sir Burton, it's—"

"Yes, I know. Why haven't I thought of it?" His gaze drifted down toward the shore below. "Merlin's Cave."

"You mean that odd wizard?" Skyquake huffed. "He lived here?"

Burton nodded. "Yes, according to legends. You don't know?"

The Knight shook his head. "No. I only met him once, but I and Dreadwing soon went south after that. It was the last time we saw our fellow Apprentices." He frowned. "Come to think of it, Scourge and Cyclonus were rather strange that day."

"What do you mean?" Cade asked.

"Those traitors left at once after we met Merlin," Dreadwing answered. "I think they were scared of him for some reason."

Cade's eyebrows nearly disappeared in his hairline. "A Cybertronian is scared of a human wizard?"

"You would too," Steelbane muttered. "Especially with that pet rodent of his. But we are getting off-track. Who will go down to check the cave?"

"Viviane and Cade," came Burton's swift reply. Cade shot him a look of surprise. He expected himself to be the older Custodian's first choice due to the Apex Armor, but Viviane?

Noticing his expression, Burton smiled. "Viviane knows her history, Cade. If there's any artifact or a secret chamber down there, she can help you."

Cade was still not convinced that it should be her, but he knew they were running out of time. "All right. As long as she won't push me into the water."

The woman glared at him. "I'm not that rude, unlike a certain American I know." She turned to Burton. "Getting down there won't be easy, though. Not in this darkness."

"Which is why Cade would carry you and jump down to the cave."

"WHAT?"

They spoke at the same time, glanced at each other in disbelief, then looked away. Having her with him was already a ticking bomb. Now Burton wanted him to carry her? Cade could think of a dozen ways that would end badly for both of them.

"Is there no other way?" Viviane said. Her eyes were pleading.

Fowler shrugged. "I didn't bring any ropes."

"One of the Knights could carry us."

They all stared at the towering Cybertronians, who exchanged looks before glancing in different directions, avoiding Cade and Viviane's gazes.

"We are, ah, too big, Viviane," Steelbane said, his tone even. "We could break some of the castle, or even the island."

"We also need to guard the area," Strafe added. "Decepticons might be watching us."

"Me Grimlock, scared of water," Grimlock muttered. And everyone looked at him incredulously.

"Ugh! Fine!" Viviane threw her hands in the air then jabbed a finger in Cade's chest. "But if your hands wander in places they shouldn't be, I'm going to tear off your balls. Do you understand?"

"I'll be wearing armor, but sure." He shook his head even as she launched into another tirade, and willed the Apex Armor to form around his body. It has gotten easier for him now, despite using it only a few times. His connection to the armor was stronger, like it had become a part of his very being.

After finding the mouth of the cave, he and Viviane walked to the edge of the cliff, carefully stepping on the jagged stones that protruded from the ground. It was not easy for Viviane, and there were a few instances when she held on to Cade's arm for support.

Thankfully, the Knights illuminated the way. There was a sheer drop at least a hundred feet, ending in a rocky shore. Cade could barely see the cave's mouth, but it was definitely there, for the water spilled into the dark opening.

After Fowler handed him a pair of flashlights and a walkie talkie, Cade looked at Viviane. "Ready?"

She nodded nervously and grabbed the flashlights from Cade, then leaned on him as he hooked his left arm under the crook of her legs, carrying her bridal-style. It was awkward; he hadn't done this since his wife passed away. But for some reason, Cade was not the least bothered.

Viviane peered at him curiously. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, and walked to the very edge. "Hang tight." He leapt down.

Viviane squeezed her eyes, and Cade clutched her body to his chest. The drop barely lasted three seconds, and he knew the armor would protect him from the worst, but the pounding of his heart ached as they fell. He was safe, but one wrong move could have hurt Viviane badly.

He landed on one knee to absorb the shock. Viviane was muttering something under her breath—a prayer?—then said, "Is it over?"

"Yes. I'm going to put you down. But be careful. There's water everywhere and the rocks are slippery."

She nodded and opened her eyes as Cade stood. When he set her down, her hand still grasped him, and never left. She handed him one of the flashlights, and they turned them on. The beam splashed on the yawning mouth of Merlin's Cave.

Viviane tugged at his hand, and they slowly entered. The interior was dark and cold, and their lights barely showed the path in front of them. Cade had to rely on his sense of direction, and the pulsing blue lines in the Apex Armor. A part of him wished that it offered some kind of night-vision, but he guessed it was too much for—

His surroundings brightened, as if someone had turned on a floodlight. He glanced at Viviane, but it looked like she didn't notice the change… or couldn't. When he turned off his flashlight, she glanced at him with a start.

"Why did you turn it off?"

Cade willed his helmet to retract, and he was immediately assaulted with darkness on every side. When he willed it back, the darkness receded, allowing him a clear view of Viviane's impatient look.

"Looks like the armor just gave me a night-vision." It was fascinating, seeing everything as if it was daytime. "You hold my flashlight. I'll lead the way."

"Do you know which way to go?"

"No. But between the two of us, I can see better."

Viviane huffed, but acceded. They forged deeper into the cave, but there was nothing except rocks and a flooded floor. Water sloshed at their feet, loud and echoing in the darkness. Still, Cade searched every wall and corner, even though he didn't really know what to look for.

Until Viviane spoke. "Wait. Do you see that?" She shone both flashlights at a wall that sloped downwards at an angle, but Cade didn't need the lights to see the way the rocks formed a line of Ancient Cybertronian. To a stranger, it wouldn't make much sense, simple formations created by the waves. But Cade had been living with Cybertronians long enough that he knew what their alphabet looked like just from a glance. Naturally, Viviane did too.

He scanned the way. In several places, the path was treacherous, and the footing was almost non-existent. But there was a way, albeit zigzagging in a dizzying pattern. "Grab my hand and follow exactly where I step," he told Viviane. She looked at him skeptically, then nodded.

Their progress was slow, made difficult by the slippery rocks. Once, Viviane nearly slipped and Cade had to hold her waist. They didn't comment on the incident, but her cheeks were slightly red, and so were his.

By the time they reached the wall, Viviane was soaked from the waist down. Her coat protected her from the worst of the chill, but Cade, seeing how she shivered, deactivated the Apex Armor for a moment and gave his jacket to her, which she took without argument. As she wore it over her coat, the Apex Armor materialized once more and Cade inspected the glyphs.

Surprisingly, he could read it well—perhaps another feature of the armor. There were just two lines, which said: Only those who are worthy may tread the path. Prove yourself, and the light will show the way to victory.

Cade blinked. "Right. That is really helpful."

"It's a riddle," Viviane said in a tone that Cade knew all too well; it was the same tone he used whenever Tessa had problems with one of her school assignments. "The first line is both a warning and a clue. The second tells us how to proceed."

"So you know what to do?"

"Well, no. That's why we have to solve it."

Cade sighed in frustration. "We don't have time to solve riddles."

"Because you don't know how to solve one," she snapped. "Now let me think."

"Two minutes." He crossed his arms and waited.

About half a minute later, Viviane gasped. "Of course! It is a simple riddle. We just have to show the Custodian's symbol."

He blinked, then looked at the wall for three seconds before returning his attention to Viviane. "Kinda hard to do that when there's no camera."

"Not that we could see." She started to search the wall, touching it in several places. "It should be… Ah! Here!"

Cade stared in complete surprise as Viviane tugged on a piece of rock that jutted at an angle, large enough for her to hold. With a soft click, it bent toward her, and a panel in the wall slid open, revealing a sphere the size of an apple. How the Knights built it inside a cave and beneath an island, Cade did not know. It was a mystery he would have wanted to solve, but maybe when they had time.

"Okay. Now go turn around," Viviane said.

"What? Why?"

She sighed impatiently. "I have to show my mark. But not with you looking."

"Don't tell me you have it placed on your tits?" The hell?

"How rude! Of course not," she said indignantly, her face bright red. "It's on my shoulder!"

"Then what's wrong with me looking?"

"You're American. Obviously, you won't understand."

"Fine!" Cade huffed and turned around, rolling his eyes. He did not want to argue anymore, not when time was running out. But he swore Viviane was making a big fuss out of this.

The radio crackled to life. Viviane gave it and the flashlights to him, and he answered, "Cade here. What's the problem?"

"Nothing," Fowler responded. "Just checking on you two."

"We're cool." Behind him, Cade could hear Viviane muttering under her breath.

"All right. Just keep us posted." Then the radio went silent.

A moment later, a bright pillar of light burst out from somewhere behind Cade, passing through him. He yelped, then glanced at Viviane, who was quickly zipping up the jacket he gave her. She pointed at the wall, where the light seemed to emerge from a panel just above the camera.

"'Prove yourself, and the light will show the way to victory,'" he said softly. "So that's it, huh?"

"I told you." Viviane pointed at the cave's mouth. "Look. It's shining on something."

Cade followed her gaze, but the entrance was too far for him to make out anything in the dazzling light. He held out a hand to her, and she took it without hesitation. They retraced their steps, and found themselves at a spot where the light shone brighter. They glanced at each other, then carefully stepped on it.

And the ground trembled.

Viviane clutched his arm as they stared ahead, where the waters churned and raged. It soon parted, revealing a walkway built out of solid metal, rising from the sea. The rumbling went on as it tprose, and at its end, a domed structure—like a temple. Then the shaking stopped, and the light vanished.

There was a whoosh as the airborne Knights flew above and circled the temple. Grimlock, Slag, and Scorn leapt to the waters with a great splash, towering nearby. Viviane was drenched, but the excitement in her eyes seemed to overcome the chill.

Cade took a tentative step into the walkway, and she followed. His heart pounding, they approached the temple while the Knights looked on in silence. The structure was larger than Cade initially thought, with enough space for all the Knights to fit inside. The walls were silver, and the doorway was flanked on either side by statues of eleven great figures and a much smaller one. There was what looked like a winged beast standing on two legs, and a figure with flowing beard, holding a staff.

And then they drew nearer, and Cade realized who the statues were—the first Primes. He glanced at the Grandmasters. They stared at the statues in reverence, with Slag and Scorn bowing, but Grimlock's gaze remained fixed on the furthest statue to the right, next to the smallest. Cade couldn't see what it looked like, but there was a strong tug at his heart, pulling him in that direction.

"Cade?" Viviane said, and he turned to her with a sigh.

"Right. Let's go." He cast one final glance at the statue, then joined her at the threshold of the gigantic doorway. It was as tall as the Grandmasters, engraved with an image of a being whose hands clasped an orb. And surrounding the being's head were thirteen stars.

"Primus," Cade heard Grimlock say, "our creator."

"Was that ever proven?" Viviane asked, her gaze lingering at the image for a moment before glancing at the Knight. "There are various versions of how the Cybertronians were created."

"There are," Slag said. "But Primus created us. It is what we chose to believe."

The other Knights soon landed, arrayed behind Grimlock. Cade drew a deep breath, then pressed a hand on the door. The spot where he had touched glowed blue, spreading to trace the outline of Primus, before splitting in the middle. With a groan, the door swung inward, and he and Viviane entered.

The first thing Cade noticed was the heat. It was warm inside the circular chamber, but not unbearably so. It reminded him of the end of spring, when summer was just about to begin. Sconces and braziers lined the walls, which soon erupted into flames at their entrance. Viviane no longer shivered, and Cade felt the temperature roose slightly inside the Apex Armor. He deactivated it at once.

In the center of the room lay a massive long table, twenty feet long and half as tall. And resting on it, a huge slab of misshapen stone. The form was so convoluted that Cade didn't know wherher it was done by hand, or through natural means.

Towering over the table, standing like sentinels on either side, were two statues. Both were bird-like at the front, their great wings spread like protective shields. But while the other had the rear legs of a horse, the other stood on a lion's limbs.

Viviane whispered, "Are they…?"

"Yes," Steelbane said. "Sky Lynx and Darksteel. Two of our greatest warriors. Long have they protected our race's most powerful weapon."

It was then that Grimlock strode forward and spoke in Ancient Cybertronian, the unintelligible words booming from his vocal processors. And just like the cyberglyphs in Merlin's Cave, Cade understood it very well.

"Awake, Sky Lynx and Dark Steel. Awake, Knights of Cybertron. Your task is finally over, and a great evil is loose on this land. Awake, and grant us the power of the Star Saber."

Silence. And then two piercing shrieks, echoing off the walls. Stones cracked, and the two statues began to move. The chunks fell from their bodies, revealing their armors—one black against blue, the other pure silver on black. They gave another shriek, flapping their wings. With a shake of their bodies to dislodge any remaining stones, the two Knights Apprentices transformed gracefully into their majestic bipedal forms.

The silver one, Sky Lynx, bowed with a faint smile. "Welcome back, Grandmasters. Welcome, my friends and brothers."

"We heed your call," Darksteel said. "Where is the battle?"

"Soon," Steelbane said. "It's good to see you, old one." Behind him, Dreadwing and Skyquake grinned.

Sky Lynx chuckled. "Call me old, lad. But I wager I could defeat you and the twins behind you."

Skyquake smirked. "We could try later, old one."

"Of course. But be prepared to lose."

As they laughed, Cade looked at his guardian with interest. He was taller than Steelbane, though Skyquake was still larger, especially in bulk. And yet there was a gentle air about him, his presence comforting.

Sky Lynx soon found his gaze, and he recoiled, shocked. "Cael…? No, wait. What year is it?"

"2019," Steelbane answered.

"Six hundred years!" Sky Lynx looked bewildered. "So it's been that long." He stared at Cade. "My humblest apologies. I had thought you were my last charge. You looked quite alike."

Cade raised an eyebrow. "He's my ancestor." Whoever he is. "My name's Cade."

"Your names sound the same too," Sky Lynx mused. He leaned forward, his gaze intense. "And your eyes, both a warrior and a creator. Yes, you are indeed Cael's descendant. But I didn't think there would be one. Not after…" He trailed off, his expression troubled.

Viviane quickly latched onto it with interest. "After he betrayed the order?"

Sky Lynx regarded her with genuine surprise. "Betrayed the order? Goodness, young lady, no! Cael was the most loyal out of all the Custodians during my time."

"And the bravest," Darksteel added. "Brave enough to have wielded the Star Saber himself."

"He did what?" Steelbane said, echoing the looks of shock from the other Knights. Even Grimlock was stunned.

Sky Lynx nodded with a proud smile. "The only human to have done so. Of course, he could not wield the full strength of the sword; only a Prime possessing the Matrix of Leadership could do that. But yes, he managed to unleash a blast so powerful that it could be seen from miles away. It even rivaled that sword. Ah, what was its name again?" He tilted his head, deep in thought. "Well, never mind. It's not important."

"Wait. You mean he used the Star Saber. Against who?" A dozen thoughts raced within Cade's mind, but it was the only question he could think of. Was it the reason his family were branded traitors? Did they attack someone?

Sky Lynx's expression darkened, and he glanced at Darksteel. He then faced Grimlock and knelt on one knee, bowing his head, surprising them. "Grandmaster, forgive my transgressions. I have kept a dark secret from you and my fellow Knights."

"Scourge and Cyclonus?" Grimlock rumbled.

"Yes. They are—wait." The Knight looked up. "You knew?"

"Only recently." Steelbane quickly brought the Knight up to speed with the events of the past week, while Cade shared a look with a puzzled Viviane. No doubt, she was stunned by the fact that Cade's ancestor was not a traitor amd even wielded the Star Saber.

When Steelbane finished, Darksteel snarled and punched the wall, rocking the temple. Sky Lynx closed his eyes for a moment, then sighed. When he reopened them, they shone with fury. "Yes, my transgression was keeping Scourge and Cyclonus's corruption from our order."

"Why?" Slag asked, not unkindly.

"I was… afraid," the old Knight answered. "But not for myself or Darksteel. We could defend ourselves. No, I was afraid of what they would do to the families we've sworn to protect. I was afraid for Cael. Alas, it was all for nothing. They attacked Cael, even though I promised never to tell, and he had to use the sword to defend himself. I guess they thought I would give the Star Saber if they threatened me with his death."

"How did you find out they were corrupted?"

"I've had my suspicions after our war with the Fallen, but it was not until they started asking me where I kept the Star Saber that I grew certain." He paused. "Remember when the Fallen started to recruit followers?"

Slag nodded. "Scourge and Cyclonus were the most vocal about accepting it. But I thought they were simply worried that Predaking would kill them if they refused."

"That is only partially true. Yes, they were scared of the Great One, but you also know their weakness: power. And it is power that the Fallen certainly have offered them."

"Dark Energon," Slag growled. There was that term again, Cade thought. And he was about to ask what the hell it really was when Viviane beat him to it.

"Excuse me. But what is this Dark Energon?" Every Knight's gaze focused on her.

"A Wembly, I presume?" Sky Lynx said. She nodded, straightening a little like a kid who had been called by her favorite teacher.

"Yes. I'm Viviane Wembly. My ancestors were—"

"Scholars and great teachers." Sky Lynx smiled. "Yes, they did teach us Cybertronians much about this world. As did the Burtons. And for that, I will gladly return the favor."

"Make it quick, Lynx," Slag said. "We don't have much time."

The Knight nodded. "Of course, Grandmaster." He looked back to Viviane. "Dark Energon is the blood of our creator's nemesis, Unicron. And just as normal energon provides life for our race, so does Dark Energon. But while the other nurtures life, the other creates destruction. A dark power to corrupt all things.

"Before we Knights Apprentices went our separate ways, Scourge and Cyclonus didn't have Dark Energon in their systems. We would have known if they have. Thus, I fear they waited for us to be separated, then struck us down one by one."

"But why did it take them so long to kill Windstorm and Stormwing?" Cade asked. "They could have done it long ago."

Sky Lynx shook his head. "That, I have no answer. All I know is if they're not stopped, they would unleash a terrible calamity upon this world."

"Which is why we must not tarry any longer." Grimlock approached the table, where the misshapen rock rested. He grasped a portion, which looked like a handle, and he lifted it overhead. With a mighty swing, he smashed the floor, and the chamber was engulfed in a white flash.

Cade closed his eyes, then reopened them when the light finally subsided. As he did, Viviane gasped and he stared in amazement, for the rock was no longer a rock, but a majestic sword of pure white, shining in the darkness like a sun, radiating with power.

And Sky Lynx spoke, "Behold, the Star Saber."


RETCON TIME!

After this chapter, either I'll get more views, or I'll lose the few I still have left.

But anyway, yes, Arcee is definitely alive here, and obviously a different character than the one in the movie. And I have two reasons for that. First, I think we can all agree that her character was wasted in Revenge of the Fallen, which is why I'm really excited for Rise of the Beast. Second, this fic is primarily based off of TF Prime, and we've got most of the characters from the Autobot side, minus Ratchet and Optimus. And I feel like they won't be complete without Arcee. Of course, I could have used a different character. But it would just feel wrong. Lastly, the final installment will prominently feature the Prime kids. And I couldn't include Jack without Arcee.

Next, the Autobot reinforcements! There are a lot of characters, and I'm certain that not everyone will be given enough screen time in the final chapter, though all of them will be mentioned during the course of the battle one way or another. Thankfully, we have two sequels for them, where you'll see how Ultra Magnus's crew reunited with Optimus and their journey in space.

Regarding some of the Autobots, Ultra Magnus's appearance is primarily based on his Animated version. His attitude, meanwhile, is a mix of a lot of versions, with my own take as well. And then there's Wheeljack which, like Devastator/Brawl, is a separate character from Que because obviously, Que is not the Wheeljack we know, no matter what the official casting said. The same goes for Mirage.

Sky Lynx's attitude and personality is different from most versions, to better fit the story here. I wanted him to be one of the oldest Knights Apprentices, which would still tie in with his original personality, though with some major tweaks. Hence, why he, and Darksteel, are the guardians of the Star Saber. And speaking of the sword, like the Requiem Blaster, it is based on the Armada version but has elements of the one seen in Prime.

There are a lot of things in this chapter that I really want to discuss and explain, but I think it would be best left to the reader's own interpretation. To be honest, I don't even know if the quality of my writing is improving at this point. I'm certainly confident that I've done quite well when it comes to the concepts and the story, but maybe the execution and prose didn't really capture the scenes I've envisioned in my head. Regardless, I hope everyone has enjoyed the penultimate chapter for Honor to the End.

Now, to answer the reviews!

In response to Julien Caeg's review: Yes, more Decepticons will appear in both sequels, though I'm not sure I'll add more Autobots than the ones included in this fic, and maybe three or four more in the sequels. As you've said, it is indeed hard to keep track of so many characters. But maybe I'll also add a glossary once this fic is finished, just to help current and future readers. As for Unicron… well, you have to wait for the final chapter.

In response to GreenArrow69's review: Thank you for pointing out that continuity error. Dead End was supposed to die as well, but with so many characters, I forgot to include him in the previous chapter. But it's been fixed now.

This is it, guys! One chapter left! I will try my best to complete and post it at this fic's 5th anniversary on June 24, but I can't make any promises. However, one thing that I'm certain of is that Honor to the End will be finished this month.

Please Read & Review! Until next time!