Author's Note: Well now, I think I've kept it in the dark for long enough. Though I've been planning this fic for a long time, I should also say that it's got its own theme song. Yep! A durn good one, too. The song's Disease by Sevendust. I'll send the song via AIM to whoever would like to hear it. But enough of that, here's Part 2!
I tried to stop him. I tried to stop Optimus from confronting Nemesis Prime, but he wouldn't listen. I still cant help but feel that I tried to stop him before, when it occurred in my time. But I wasn't around back then... Or was I? This is so confusing.
Rodimus Prime
Chapter 8: Project Psycho Mantis – Part 2
Unknown, Unknown
Tarantulas eyed Nemesis Prime. The dark clone just crushed his remote control, without even touching it! He looked down to the destroyed device on the floor, and stepped back shakily. The Prime clone grinned at his eight-legged creator.
"That's one of the benefits of being psychic." He calmly said.
Tarantulas gasped, and looked to Unicron. "You made him a psychic?... Why?"
"Because, Tarantulas, it will serve our greater interests." Unicron stated. "It is for the best."
Tarantulas hesitantly nodded. "Yes Master Unicron." Nemesis rolled his optics, and turned around.
"Where are you going?" Asked the Dark God. Nemesis stopped, and turned around slightly.
"There's only room for one Prime in this universe." He said, while turning back around, and walking out of the main chamber.
Autobot Base, Earth
Sideswipe circled around the base. It was his shift for patrol, and everything was quiet. Things for him were settling down, although he still missed his lost brother.
"Sideswipe," Jetfire began through the comlink. "Wrap it up and head on back. Your shift's over." The sub-commander said.
"Got it." Replied Sideswipe. Just the instant before he closed the transmission, a twig snapped in the nearby woods. "Hang on," The blue Autobot said. "I just heard something."
"Check it out." Said Jetfire. "But be careful."
"Understood." Sideswipe replied. Shifting into robot mode, he pulled out his small blaster, and quickly, but silently, walked over to where the sound occurred.
He looked around, but finding nothing other than trees. Another twig snapped, and Sideswipe snapped around, only to find a hidden figure dart away. He gasped quietly, and looked around again. Nothing. If he could, Sideswipe would've been sweating. Striding further along, another sound occurred, but it wasn't a snapping sound, it was a stepping sound. He looked over to where it sounded, and the shrouded figure remained still. He raised his arm towards Sideswipe, and fired. But when the light from the blast hit the figure, the Autobot gasped.
"Optimus?" He asked out loud as the shots, which he forgot all about, hit his shoulder.
He cried out as the blasts left burn marks. He raised his right arm, and fired at where the figure was, but by the time the discharges reached their destination, 'Optimus' was gone. Sideswipe looked around, obviously scared. How can someone be that fast? Where did he go?... Or was it all in his head?
"Oh I assure you," A suave, yet dangerous sounding voice said from behind Sideswipe. "This is no hallucination." Sideswipe turned around, and saw Nemesis Prime standing before him, grinning.
Jetfire darted through the halls. Sideswipe never turned off his comlink, and the sub-commander had heard everything. He made a right, and found Hot Shot talking with Rodimus. The two Autobots looked over to Jetfire with surprise written all over their faces. Jetfire rushed right past them, but not without grabbing the backs of their armor, taking them with him.
"Hey! What's the deal, Jetfire?" Hot Shot demanded.
"Sideswipe's under attack outside the base! We gotta hurry!" Jetfire urgently said. Rodimus and Hot Shot finally got on their feet, and ran after their superior officer. Soon afterwards, the three Autobots dashed through the main entrance, only to find Sideswipe facing them, optics glowing a bright red.
"Hello, Autobots." Sideswipe said in a lifeless tone. Hot Shot looked at him oddly.
"Sideswipe? Are you alright?" The Autobot asked. He took a step forward, and Rodimus looked oddly at him. Realization hit.
"No! Don't go any closer!" Rodimus ordered. Hot Shot didn't have time to react to the future Autobot, as he found himself suddenly staring down the barrel of Sideswipe's weapon. The blue Autobot spoke up, but his voice wasn't his own.
"Bring me Optimus Prime, or Hot Shot will have his brains splattered against the wall." Nemesis, speaking through Sideswipe, said. Jetfire slowly nodded, and stepped backwards.
"Okay, I'll go get him. Just don't do anything crazy while I'm gone." The sub-commander said. He took another step back, and ran back inside the base, and 'Sideswipe' smirked.
Rodimus looked to the possessed Autobot with concern all over his face. 'I gotta stop Prime from fighting him!'
"Afraid not." Said Nemesis, once again through Sideswipe. "I will fight Optimus, and I will kill him before your optics." He earned a snarl from Rodimus.
"What're you talking about?" Said Hot Shot. "Rodimus didn't say anything!" 'Sideswipe' pressed his gun against Hot Shot's forehead.
"I know, but he thought something. Now keep your mouth shut, boy!" Nemesis commanded through Sideswipe. Hot Shot frowned, but did as he was told. It was at that time that Optimus came rushing through the door, and came to a screeching halt, followed by Jetfire.
"Sideswipe!" The commander yelled out. 'Sideswipe' looked to Optimus, and grinned.
"Good, the party can now begin." The dark Prime said through his hostage. The Autobot commander frowned.
"Who are you?" He demanded. "Let Sideswipe go!"
"As you wish." Nemesis calmly stated. No later since he said that, Sideswipe's arm dropped, and wordlessly fell to the ground. Hot Shot immediately kneeled down beside him, and made sure he was alright.
Optimus looked from Hot Shot and Sideswipe, up to an empty space in the sky. He was expecting his stalker to show up somewhere in front of him.
'Where is he?' Nemesis' voice whispered in Optimus' head. Optimus quickly turned around, expecting him to be there. Nothing but empty air. Optimus tensed, and pulled out his ion blaster from subspace. Audible chuckling occurred right in front of Optimus, but no figure was seen. Optimus growled lowly.
"Show yourself!" He shouted.
As if on cue, Nemesis came into view directly in front of the Autobot commander, and his twin gasped.
'What in the name of Primus is that thing?!' Was all Prime could think of.
"I am not a thing, Prime, I am a who, like you." Nemesis grinned at Optimus' shocked reaction. "You can thank that spider, Tarantulas, who got in your base not too long ago. He copied your structure, and used the blueprints to make me." He laughed. "So, in a way, Prime, we're family."
"So Tarantulas cloned me?" Optimus asked, confused.
"He did. And with the help of Unicron, I was given life."
"Unicron?" Optimus inquired. "He's just an urban legend, the human equivalent of the Boogeyman!"
Nemesis chuckled. "You're dumber than you look, Prime. Unicron is as real as you and me, and he's coming here to devour all of you and your precious Autobots, along with the Decepticons!"
"So he's the great power Sideways was talking about?" The commander asked.
"You catch on fast, Prime. At his speed, Unicron should arrive in a few days. Of course, you wont live long enough to see his glory."
"I wont fight any unnecessary battles!" Optimus snapped.
"Oh you will fight me, Prime, because..." Nemesis looked over to Sideswipe and Hot Shot. "I hold the young one's life in my hands." Optimus growled at him.
"... Fine." The commander agreed. Nemesis grinned evilly behind his faceplate.
"Excellent." He replied.
"But not here!" Optimus said. Before he could continue, his clone interrupted.
"No, we fight right here, right now!" Nemesis replied.
Rodimus suddenly stepped in front of Optimus. "Optimus, don't do this!" He said urgently. "You'll be killed if you fight him!"
Optimus looked Rodimus in the optics. "If it saves the lives of my soldiers, then so be it." He gently pushed Rodimus aside, and stepped forward, while clutching his ion blaster.
Optimus looked over to Nemesis, who in turn, grinned further. The dark clone then slowly started hovering into the air, with his hands a bit apart from his sides. The original Prime looked up to Nemesis, with his golden optics glowing brighter than usual. He raised his equipped arm, and took aim, while Nemesis made no attempt to move. Optimus narrowed his optics, and pulled the trigger. The gun forcefully recoiled as the blue blast shot through the barrel, and darted towards Nemesis. Faster than anyone could see, Nemesis raised his left hand, and stopped the discharge, just inches from contact.
The dark clone then opened his hand, and held it out, palm facing upwards, and the blast remained in place, as if it were his own. He looked it over for a moment, before suddenly clamping his hand down onto the blast, causing it to quickly turn blood red. Nemesis grinned, as he reared his arm back, and quickly threw Prime's blast back at him. The original Prime gasped as it flashed, and exploded, knocking him over backwards.
Optimus quickly jumped back onto his feet, and looked up to Nemesis. He frowned at having his attack used against him, but quickly dismissed the thought. He balled his hands into fists. How do you beat someone who can read your mind?
"Not only can I read your mind, Prime," Nemesis began. "But I can also see the future." He grinned, while crossing his arms. "So even if by some miracle you shielded your mind from me, I would still know what you were about to do!"
"I don't believe that!" Optimus said. He took a deep breath, as if about to exclaim something, but Nemesis interrupted.
"Turning into your super mode wont help you in the least, Prime." The dark clone said, earning a gasp from Optimus. "Don't be so surprised, I told you I can read your mind."
Optimus almost growled. "I don't care if you can read my mind or not, I will beat you, and send you back to Unicron!" The Autobot leader exclaimed. Nemesis scoffed.
"I think it's time I showed you what I'm truly capable of!" The cloned Prime said.
He lowered his head slightly, and his optics dimmed, as if concentrating. He remained motionless for a moment, before suddenly snapping his optics open, and yelling out. Optimus suddenly stepped back, and began trembling. In his head, images of a once, beautiful city, now a war zone. Dead bodies of all different kinds, organic and Transformers, littered the streets. Blood and mech fluid puddles were all over the city. Wrecked vehicles and broken glass were at every street corner. Blazing infernos tore down tall buildings, crumbling towards the ground. And in the middle of it all, laughing evilly, were the Decepticons.
Optimus cried out at the mental image Nemesis implanted in his head. Dropping to his knees, the Autobot trembled violently. Nemesis grinned at the sight of the great and powerful Autobot Commander.
"I'm not through yet, Prime." Nemesis haughtily said.
Images flashed by Optimus' mind. Images that deathly frightened the commander. Flash! Hot Shot's carcass with a pole right through his spark chamber. Flash! Jetfire's torso and waist separated, with still warm mech fluid surrounding the two body parts. Flash! Scavenger on his backside, with his throat cut wide open. Flash! Flash! Flash! Each time, a more and more gruesome image of Optimus' comrades went by his mind.
"Please..." Optimus shakily said. "Please stop..."
"I don't think so, Prime." Nemesis arrogantly said. He thrust his hand out towards the doubled over Autobot, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Stop this!!" Rodimus cried out. He pulled out his cannon-like gun, and aimed at the dark clone. He pulled the trigger three times, sending three discharges flying towards Nemesis.
The blasts suddenly stopped mere inches from the psychic, and seemingly evaporated into nothing. The future Autobot gasped as Nemesis slowly turned his head in his direction. The dark clone's optics widened, then narrowed as he dove into Rodimus' mind. He grinned as Rodimus dropped his weapon, and dropped to his knees, clutching his head. Hot Shot and Jetfire gasped as they saw their future comrade crumble down. The sub-commander rushed over to him, and kneeled by his side.
"Rodimus?! Rodimus talk to me!" Jetfire quickly said. Rodimus replied with trembling cries of pain. Jetfire glared up at Nemesis, only to find his attention back on Optimus.
"Now, Optimus..." Nemesis began. He thrust his hand out towards Optimus, causing the Autobot commander to recoil in pain. "Feel it!" The clone shouted, while thrusting his other hand towards Optimus. "Feel the delightful pain!"
"Primus..." Optimus agonizingly muttered. "Please, someone help..." Nemesis, hearing this, grinned.
"No one will help you, Prime! Not the Decepticons, not Primus, not even your own troops!" He clasped his two hands together, and slowly pulled them apart, with red lightning dancing between them. A small, red orb slowly grew between them, until it was large enough to fit in his hand.
He looked down to Optimus with an evil grin behind his faceplate. He reared his hand back, and quickly threw the attack at the Autobot commander. Prime shakily looked up from his bent over position, and his optics widened. The blast seemingly went straight through his chest, but no hole was made. Suddenly, all the pain Optimus felt only seconds ago had completely vanished. He looked around, in total disbelief that his mental anguish was over. But just as quickly as it ended, a new pain erupted in his chest.
He threw his head back, and yelled out in pure agony. Nemesis grinned as the Autobot was slowly lifted off of the ground, screaming as loud as he could. His feet were high off of the ground, but Prime didn't notice, nor cared, as the pain in his chest kept growing and growing. His optics started glowing brightly, as cracks appeared all over his body. He slowly began twitching violently, as a bright light seeped through the cracks in him. His optics lost their sky blue color, as they turned to a bright red, and his faceplate chipped slightly, and shattered into pieces.
The face hidden behind Optimus' faceplate was an old, battle-worn one. His whole face was blue, and had a small scar across his right cheek. His teeth were old, and brittle looking. But Prime wasn't concerned about covering his face at the moment. His screaming was more clear with the loss of his faceplate, and they were growing more unbearable by the second. Dark smoke started eminating from the Autobot's mouth as the light between the cracks grew brighter.
"Behold, Prime," Nemesis began. "I am power. I am the very thing your nightmares are made of." The dark clone grinned. "I am your god now." He spoke as Optimus' body gave in to the pain, and exploded in a deafening and blinding flash.
"OPTIMUS!!!" Jetfire cried out. He covered his optics as the flash occurred, and stumbled back as the shockwave from the explosion passed. Seconds passed like minutes, and the flash finally died down. Jetfire lowered his arm, and looked up to where Optimus was.
There was nothing there.
The sub-commander trembled, and dropped to his knees. He sunk over, and held himself up with his hands. Tightly closing his optics, he shook his head, refusing to believe what was true. A soft clank on the ground in front of him caught his attention. He opened his optics, and looked up. There, glowing brightly, was the Matrix. Jetfire slowly shuffled his way towards the mystical object, and softly cupped it in his hands.
Nemesis chuckled at the sight before him. "Pathetic Autobots." He said to himself. Satisfied with the heavy damage he did, the dark clone slowly faded from sight, and away from the Autobot base.
Jetfire kept the Matrix close to his spark, and shakily looked up at the sunset-colored sky. He shakily stood up to his feet, and looked back down to the Matrix.
"You wont be forgotten, sir..." Jetfire sorrowfully said.
Today, the Autobots suffered a heavy loss. They lost their commander, a fellow soldier, but most of all, they lost a dear friend...
Author's Note: Well... Hope ya liked it.
20th Anniversary Optimus Prime: hangs head in respect
Crab: There wont be any bloopers in this chapter, for I'm all caught up in the moment. So don't forget to read and review. And try to guess what'll happen, you could be right!