Disclaimer: This fanfiction is based upon original characters created within Heavy Metal War online game. All characters used in this work are property of their respective owners, including the Transformers franchise itself.
Seibertron
The Dead Valley (formerly the Grand Line)
1st Vorn (approx. 100 years ago)
"I hate this, Optimal. I really, really hate this entire idea." Helicon One complained once more as the fembot flew overhead and slightly behind Optimal Retaliation; who was racing along the ruined stretch of highway before him at speeds better suited for a seeker as opposed to a ground-pounder. His engines roared as he tore down the ruined highway surface as fast as he possibly could, weaving his large semi-truck form around potholes and demolished sections of the road wherever possible. Where it was not possible to avoid an obstacle, Optimal Retaliation would simply plow through it like it wasn't there. His more direct and forceful methodology was probably one of his more annoying traits in her opinion, but alas, he was what he was. In any case, it didn't take long for Optimal Retaliation to respond.
"Need I go over this again, Helicon One? The Valley has been abandoned since before the Awakening, and it is the quickest route to our destination." Optimal Retaliation stated simply, continuing on as he had for the previous few cycles. The two Autobots continued on traveling as they had been for a while previously, talking back and forth to one another. Helicon One was expressing her discontent with the mission, and Optimal Retaliation reiterating his intention to complete their mission no matter what. Ultimately, Helicon One got tired of the back-and-forth exchange between her and Optimal Retaliation's backside, so she moved ahead of her ground-pounding friend, swooping down low in front of him, transforming from her helicopter vehicle mode to her robot mode, and watched as he slammed on the brakes and swerved around to the side to avoid ramming into her.
Helicon One was one of the smallest Autobots Optimal Retaliation had ever known, being both slender and short. Having all of her armaments and even her tail rotor internally mounted also helped her slim appearance significantly. But when she was transformed into robot mode as she now was, this little femme suddenly developed a deadly edge. Her body was a mix of dark blue and silver colors, with a laser Vulcan carried in her hands and a twin-tube rocket launcher on each of her forearms. It was an arsenal sufficient to do some damage, and she had the attitude to use what she had too. Her attitude was in fact one of the reasons why Optimal Retaliation had come to enjoy her company so very much these last few deca cycles, but that same attitude also annoyed him at times, like it was doing now. She had planted her hands on her hips and stared at him relentlessly as she spoke. "It's not the Valley that worries me, it's our destination. It takes us dangerously close to Polyhex's main supply lines, thus meaning our probability of being detected increases by a rather large sum."
Optimal Retaliation sighed audibly, then wheeled about to face Helicon One before transforming into robot mode himself. "My dear, the Decepticon front lines are several thousand clicks away from here. According to intelligence reports, the Decepticon attack on the Taragon Lowlands is supposed to resume by the next orn. By now Polyhex has to be nearly empty. This is my only opportunity to get this mission complete with minimal risk." Optimal Retaliation stated simply as he transformed into robot mode and walked a few steps closer to Helicon One. Despite his annoyance at having to stop, he'd humor her need to express her concerns. Heck, he shared most of the concerns she was voicing. But he'd spend mega cycles begging the Council of Primus to let him go out on this mission, and now that they'd finally let him, he was going. He'd let her object to her spark's content, but he was going on to complete this mission. She was probably aware of the fact that he wasn't going to turn back, but was hoping that there was an off chance he'd listen to her and thus it was worth a shot. It was yet another of her admirable yet damned irritating traits. "I'm not a soldier but rather a historian. This is the first chance I've had to be a historian in a long while," He put his hands on her shoulders before asking her a question, "so please, can't you just trust me that this one time nothing will go wrong?"
Helicon One looked at his hands on her shoulders for a moment before locking her gaze with his once again. "Alright Optimal… I'll trust you this time."
Iacon
Autobase Training Grounds
Present Orn
"That is a mistake, Optimal!" Centbot shouted as he ducked under a wild left-handed slice from Optimal Retaliation's sword that had aimed to behead him, but alas, Optimal Retaliation had apparently failed to notice Centbot was falling to the floor in preparation for a sweep kick that would knock the younger Autobot's legs out from under him. As a result, Optimal Retaliation's blade swept through empty air above Centbot's head while his leg lashed out, catching his opponent in the knees and bringing him to the ground face first. Optimal Retaliation, who had been busy remembering the past, hit the ground hard and unprepared, his sword being knocked from his grasp upon contact with the deck, heading off to spin across the floor while Centbot quickly rolled to his feet again and moved away from his opponent to reclaim the quarterstaff he'd dropped earlier. He watched his young friend get up slowly.
"Ow…" Optimal Retaliation mumbled as he walked over to his dropped sword and picked it up while Centbot gave his quarterstaff a few practice twirls in the empty space between the two combatants. When he had his sword back in hand, and had drawn a second from their storage racks in his lower legs, Optimal Retaliation glared at Centbot. "…I should kick you where the energon don't flow for that one." He said menacingly as he began to circle around Centbot, waiting for either an opportunity to attack or for Centbot to attack. For his part, Centbot was walking around in a circle too, from the opposite direction his opponent was walking in so as to maintain a relative distance between them as they circled about one another.
"Hey, it's not my fault you're thinking about the day we met again." Centbot said as he sprung forward, snapping the leading end of his staff above his head then twirling it around before trying to crash it down on top of Optimal Retaliation's head once he was close enough. The sword held in his friend's left hand snapped upwards to block the staff strike, and in response, Optimal brought the sword in his right hand back and stabbed it forwards at Centbot's torso. The elder Autobot replied to that by stepping back, removing his staff from contact with Optimal's sword and allowing him to spin the staff he held to the left and knock away the jab. Not one to be outdone so easily, Optimal advanced again, this time spinning around to the right and slicing at Centbot's defense with his right-handed weapon. The response to that attack was simple, as Centbot spread apart his grip on his staff and blocked the horizontal sword strike with the center of his staff, letting the sword bite into the staff but relieved that the sword did not cleave it in half. "How did you know that?" Optimal Retaliation asked quickly before ripping his sword free of Centbot's staff and advancing again.
Optimal Retaliation's strikes rained down hard and fast upon poor Centbot, but each sword strike was deflected with consummate skill, and the fight clearly seemed to be hitting a stalemate. In between blocking and parrying sword slashes, Cetnbot replied to the question asked of him. "The list of things that could distract you enough to make you commit such a foolish error as the one you made before is quite small. And this is the anniversary of the occasion." After finishing his answer, Centbot stopped speaking with words and spoke instead with action. Optimal had spun around and moved to commit another powerful horizontal slash, this time from the left, and when Centbot moved to block, Optimal revealed his feint and spun around faster, allowing his right handed sword to come crashing down on Centbot's head from above. Centbot managed to block that blow, but doing so left his torso open to attack, and Optimal Retaliation took advantage of this by bashing him in the chest with the blunt edge of his other sword, knocking Centbot back a few paces.
Optimal Retaliation advanced again, opening up with a double jab from both swords, and Centbot spun around to the right, letting both sword strikes pass harmlessly to the side as he swung his quarterstaff across Optimal's cranial unit and then across the back of his knee joints. After the slightly dazed Optimal was dumped onto the deck again regained his wits, he lashed out with his legs, knocking Centbot onto his back. Both Autobots rolled to get onto their feet again. "The ironic thing about it all is that if she were still here, Helicon One would insist it wasn't my fault." Optimal Retaliation stated simply as he stood up again, rapidly advancing on Centbot, who back stepped and moved his shoulders back in sequence to sidestep each of Optimal's repeated slashes.
"But naturally you believe otherwise." Centbot stated, restating Optimal's obvious point as he finally brought up his staff to knock away both of Optimal's blades, then spun his staff about to catch Optimal Retaliation under the chin, the blow lifting his head up high and making him fall back a step or two, but it didn't knock him onto his back. Now it was Centbot's turn to go offensive, and he did so with wild abandon, spinning and thrusting his staff to go after every exposed part of Optimal Retaliation he could see. Several hits landed, but most were deflected by Optimal's blades which we moving about in odd circles trying to keep up with the frantic pace of Centbot's advance.
"Of course I believe otherwise," Tired of getting pummeled, Optimal Retaliation dropped one of his swords, then when Centbot thrusted his staff forwards for another jab, Optimal grabbed the staff with his free hand, holding it and pushing it upwards, "it was my mission, my responsibility." With Centbot's torso now exposed, Optimal flipped his sword over and thrusted it upwards, bashing Centbot's jaw with the hilt of his weapon, and Centbot did fall onto his back. When the Autobot tried to roll to his feet, Optimal gave Centbot a roundhouse kick that sent him sprawling and his quarterstaff flying out of his grasp towards the far wall of the training area they now stood in.
Centbot struggled to his feet, glaring at Optimal Retaliation. "You know, Optimal, I've never really understood your need to punish yourself over the loss of Helicon One. Honestly, the area should have been clear of Decepticon activity. It was not your fault, and you did your best to save her." He stood up, and then waited, not bothering to reclaim his quarterstaff.
"My best wasn't good enough, now was it?" Optimal Retaliation asked as he charged, roaring as he did so. His first strike was a feint, a jab that he pulled back when Centbot tried to grab the blade of his sword. And in so doing, he allowed his other sword to come around and give Centbot a proper bashing across the right side of his face, making him stumble off to the side and spin around. Optimal took the time to repost his swords for a fresh attack, but that turned out to be a mistake, as when Centbot came around to face him again he did so with a roundhouse kick that returned an earlier favor and sent Optimal Retaliation spinning through the air until he hit the ground, one of his swords getting away from him and bouncing over to where Centbot now stood. He kicked the sword into his hand and waited for Optimal Retaliation to stand up again.
"It wasn't good enough to save her, but you weren't the only one tasked with ensuring her safety. And I don't see you blaming me for her death." Centbot said as he ran at Optimal Retaliation who'd just finished standing up. Centbot tried a standard jab, but Optimal Retaliation ducked low and to the right, spinning around and switching his sword from his right to his left hand as he swung, allowing him to slash his weapon across Centbot's torso while Centbot's jab missed wide. For his clever trick, Optimal received an elbow to his face which stood him upright and knocked him back, and then Centbot swung his sword again, resulting in the training area to echo with the ringing of clashing metal.
Again and again sounded the signature ring of metal on metal impacts, swords clashing together as Centbot and Optimal Retaliation once again found themselves locked in a stalemate. "You didn't bring her there, Cent. You weren't responsible for her life."
"As true as that may be, you're still missing the point. You can't blame yourself for every mistake and consequence of your action. Stuff can and will happen, most of it being bad things. You're not the first Autobot to lose somebody under their command you know." Centbot said as he sidestepped a jab from Optimal and tried to sneak in a slice at the other Autobot's head, but Optimal shot his left knee up into Cent's gut, doubling him over and forcing Centbot to drop his sword as he fell onto his knees.
"I know, I know… but I still can't help but feel responsible for it all." Optimal Retaliation said as he back off, letting Centbot get his stolen sword back in hand and stand up. When he did so, Optimal ran at Centbot, sword pointed forwards like a lance. Centbot stood his ground, and when Optimal's blade stabbed forwards, he moved his own sword up to parry the strike, but the blade of Optimal's weapon glowed a scarlet color as a plasma charge built up on the edge of it, allowing it to slice clean through Centbot's defense. The charged weapon paused a mere centimeter from a surprised Centbot's face. The defeated Autobot commander's lips worked for a little while before he managed a reply.
"I always knew you were a cheater at heart, Optimal Retaliation." Centbot said with a chuckle. Optimal Retaliation dropped his blade and deactivated it as he stepped back and bowed.
"Why thank you, I always knew there was a scared little protoform in there somewhere, just waiting to be revealed…" Optimal Retaliation stated jokingly, putting away his sword, then standing up and looking over at Centbot. "So what now, oh fearless leader?"
"I have a meeting with the Council of Primus to attend about our next meeting; however, some new recruits in the team are to arrive soon. I want you to be there to help Accelerate Demon break them into our routines." Centbot stated flatly, holding up a hand to silence Optimal Retaliation before he could protest. "Optimal, I'm well aware that you're not official on my team's roster. But he'll need your help while I'm away, and you need to get over this thing with Helicon One. She's dead, my friend, and she isn't coming back. We need you focused on the present, not the past, understood?"
Optimal Retaliation stood ramrod straight as Centbot's tone became harsher. "Yes sir. I understand perfectly."
The leader of the Autobot Retaliators nodded his head. "Good. You know where the base is, the others are waiting for you. With any luck, I'll be back in about an orn. I'll see you later." Centbot said to Optimal Retaliation before waving good bye and turning to go. But just before he went out the door, he turned back. "Oh, and you don't kill Speed Railer while I'm away. He's annoying… but not that annoying." With that, Centbot turned and was gone, leaving Optimal Retaliation all alone. The Autobot picked up the broken pieces of his sword, walking over to the exit. His thoughts wandered back to the past, to Helicon One, and to his first meeting with the Autobot Retaliators. It seemed so very, very long ago. Actually, one could say it was another lifetime entirely, as his body had to rebuilt after the fight. His thoughts wandered back to the last of his days as a historian, the day when he first became a soldier in the ongoing Heavy Metal War. He just hoped these new recruits wouldn't have to endure the Hell he had to before deciding to fight for the cause…
To be continued…