Author's Note: Thanks to any and all reviewers who reviewed this fic. Here is the fourth chapter of the story. This chapter might turn out to be short, but I'll see what I can do.
Disclaimer: Do I really have to repeat myself? I don't think so. You know already. Now on to the story!
Transformation
Chapter 4: Rebirth
Rodimus fell backward as excruciating pain flooded through his body. He felt like he was drowning in pain. He could faintly feel vital fluids running down what was left of his chestplate. When he hit the ground, it sent a surge of even worse pain tearing through his already overloaded neural net, and he blacked out.
In the Matrix:
The Matrix was in chaos. Another Prime was dying long before he should have. The sparks were in an uproar. They were demanding that Primus do something. Primus was in shock from the suddenness of Rodimus's fatal wounds, so he couldn't concentrate on anything at that point.
"Primus!!!"
"What?!" Primus snapped out of his trance-like state and turned to look at the crowd of sparks that surrounded him. They were glaring at him.
"Do something!" Sentinel Prime yelled. "He can't die!"
"And just what am I supposed to do?" Primus asked.
"Heal his wounds!"
"I am sorry. They are too extensive."
"Then rebuild him!"
"As what?"
There was a general growl of exasperation. Then one of the recent additions to the Matrix, Wheeljack, came forward.
"Lend us your power and let us do the work!" Wheeljack yelled, waving a handful of schematics and designs at the startled deity. "I have the designs right here!"
The response was agreement. Primus looked over the crowd, then sighed and loaned them his power. They swarmed out toward the young Prime's shattered body to begin the task of rebuilding it, using the borrowed power to completely alter it. The sheer amount of sparks involved in the work would see that it was done very quickly.
"His spark cannot be allowed to enter the Matrix," Primus warned. "Someone must meet him outside and prevent him from entering."
"I will," Optimus Prime volunteered. "I need to speak with him anyway."
"Then go and meet him. He is coming."
Optimus nodded and streaked away.
Rodimus felt like he was drifting through a greyish mist, the real world fading away behind him. He knew that he was going to the Matrix. Then a sudden glow appeared in front of him, and a wave of light shot past him. In its wake, he could hear voices.
"Ratchet! His neural network and circulatory systems are all yours!" The voice belonged to Wheeljack.
"This damage is awfully extensive," a strange voice commented. "Show me that diagram and let's get to work."
"I'll start on his alternate modes," Wheeljack said. "You hook up his suspace connections."
"Will do."
"Rodimus?"
Rodimus turned at the sound of his name. He spotted someone very familiar standing nearby, someone who's death haunted his every waking moment.
"Optimus?"
"It's me." Optimus stepped toward him. "You cannot enter the Matrix, Roddy. It is not your time yet. I am here to keep you from entering while the others see to your new body. And I must speak with you."
"Can you forgive me for what I did to you?"
Optimus smiled at him, and the smile was visible in his optics. "There's nothing to forgive. It wasn't your fault. You didn't kill me. It was my time to go. The Matrix had been telling me that for months. You did everything in your power to protect me. And you were chosen to succeed me. The Matrix would never choose someone who was a killer. You aren't responsible for my death."
Rodimus stared at him. "Optimus..."
"Listen to me, Rodimus. It was my destiny to leave the land of the living, and it was your destiny to take over for me. You are a fine leader. I am very proud of you. You are capable, innovative, and more unpredictable than I was. You may even become a better leader than I ever was. Trust in yourself. I know you can do it. I am always here for you, and I will be watching over you. So far, what I have seen has made me very, very proud of you."
Rodimus smiled shyly. "Thank you, Optimus. That means a lot to me."
"We're done!" someone yelled from behind Rodimus.
Optimus gave him a gentle push. "Go on. The Autobots need you. Go and fight for them... Ultra Rodimus. And remember, you have made me very proud. Now go."
The renamed Prime smiled at him, waved goodbye, and turned back the way he'd come. Optimus watched him vanish into the mist.
"How did it go?" Sentinel asked.
"I think he'll be all right now."
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Ultra Rodimus clawed his way through the mist and dove back into his own body. It felt different. It sang with power. It had been given a serious upgrade. He couldn't wait to see what it looked like.
He sank back into it, returning his spark to its proper place in his laser core. Then he began warming up his systems. As they came online, he explored his new systems. They were very different than his old body, and he suddenly knew that it had been taken apart, into tiny pieces, and put back together from the skeletal system out. His internal systems had been completely rewired, and he could sense a number of subspace connections, which meant that he had numerous alternate modes.
This is gonna be fun.
Awareness.
To be continued...
Thanks for all the feedback from the readers, but you still need to review this chapter before the next one comes out. Feed the authoress, and she'll give you plenty of juicy chapters, until the story ends. So review and I'll post more!