If That's What it Takes: Part 1

I stepped out of the command center and took a look around trying my best to locate the two of them. I had walked into Wheeljack's laboratory to talk to him and had found the place destroyed, torn apart by a broken heart looking for some sort of solace. After seeing this I had gone looking for Prime and like Wheeljack he was no where to be found. I walked out into the ark and all around me I could see the evidence of what had happened. A loud clang came from down the hall and I turned to see the yellow twin, Sunstreaker, literally put his fist through the wall.

"Calm down Sunny!" His brother pleaded.

"Don't tell me to calm down dammit!" He snarled, "They had no part in all of this, and that slag pile had no right to drag them into it!"

I made my way farther down the hall way and came upon another room, almost as large as the command center. In this were the infamous dinobots, the youngest of them, the female slash, lying in her beast form looking like she'd lost her best friend.
"Slash want go play?" one of the others, Sludge, came up and nosed her slightly.

"Slash not want go play, Slash want ALY!" she wailed at him.

I turned away from this scene yet again and continued my search for the missing commander and engineer. I did not manage to get more than 100 meters before I yet again came across evidence of the effect that this tragedy had upon this base. This time it was the tactician Prowl, sitting in front of a screen, going over and over what looked like security footage from a human filling station. Jazz appeared behind him and placed his hand on the other young mech's shoulder.

"Prowl man," He shook his head.

"Don't Jazz."

"Prowl, the kittens wouldn't want you like this." A pleading look crossed his face. "Come on man, you need to get some recharge or were gonna be peeling you off the floor with a spatula."

"Jazz," Prowl looked up, "There should have been something we could have done. They should have had an escort! They…" He suddenly broke off and forced him self to get his emotions under control.

"They would want you to take care of your self too," Jazz snapped off the screen and hauled Prowl up. "Come on."

I shook my head softly and finally made it to the front of the base and headed out to continue looking for those who were lost. It took me another few moments until I finally located Optimus, of Wheeljack however there was no sign.

He was standing on a near by ridge looking out into the distance, his optics a strange mix of loss and anger. It was obvious to me that he, like every one else in the base below us he blamed him self for what had happened. He blamed him self and was angry that he had been, or rather saw him self as having been so lax that they could take the most important thing to in this world away from him.

I don't know if I made a great deal of noise as I approached him, or if he was just hyper sensitive at that point. But some how he knew I was coming and turned to face me.

"Alpha," He nodded respectfully then looked off and motioned into the distance, "Your too late, he's already left."

I looked out and saw a trail of dust across the desert getting smaller and smaller by the second. There was only one person it could be considering the way he was driving at that point.

"Wheeljack?" I asked.

"That's him," Optimus looked back in that direction, "He's gone to look for Alyssa."

"And you?" I prompted.

"And me?" He looked down at something that he had been holding from the moment he realized what it was after it had been tossed to him. "I'm trying to decide what to do."

I followed his gaze down and focused on what he had in his grasp. What it was looked on at first like a bit of rope, on closer inspection what it really was became painfully obvious. It was a braid. I shook my head as I followed his gaze downward, and then raised my eyes up to meet his once more. Some one had told me that due to the wishes of the owner of the braid he had begun to wear his battle mask, less and less. Now how ever it was firmly in place and all that I could see was the pain from his spark reflected in his eyes.

"She has to be out there some where Optimus," I turned my gaze out to look over the sand hills; "If she were dead you would have sensed it."

"I know that," He clenched his fist again, "that's what makes this so hard Alpha. She's out there, some where. She believes that I'm dead, and there's not one damm thing I can do about it."

"You could go and question him again," I raised one optic ridge at him.

"Do you really think it would do any good," he turned back to me, "I let the twins have him and he still refused to tell me what was going on."

I had to admit that the leader of the Autobots had a valid point there. Megatron and several of his henchmen were now held captive in our very own holding cells, and had been, by more than one member of the crew, been "Debriefed". Their reactions had been less than cooperative. So far the only thing that it had resulted in, was forcing both Wheeljack and Optimus to again and again relive the moment that they had found out exactly what had become of their mates.

When I had learned what had happened, though it had taken a great deal of arrangement on my part, I had come to offer what support I could. What I had found out was that on the morning of the disappearance the two of them had awoken to find both the girls and Angel's truck missing. This had been a normal enough occurrence and they had at first thought nothing of it. They had believed that the girls were sure to return once what ever errands they had to do were completed. By that afternoon it had become plain that the girls had not gone into town to simply retrieve something for the farm or to fill their vehicle with petrol. This had basically resulted in wide spread panic, to varying degrees in all of the ranks that were at the mini base on the farm.

So all of them had dispatched to go and look, hoping that it would be something simple and they would locate the girls stuck on a back road somewhere with a flat tire and a set of smoldering tempers. The rest of the day wore on and it had become more and more plain that this was not the case. Then came the moment when they entered the filling station at the other end of town and had found both the attendant long ago dispatched and Angel's missing truck. It was there, filled with gas, but empty of either of the women.

Jazz had managed to get his hands on the security tape, and the truth of what had really happened to the missing girls had been revealed. I would be lying if I said that both Prime and Wheeljack had not gone immediately to the Nemesis to try and confront Megatron and demand that both Angel and Alyssa be returned to them. The ship however had been completely vacated and anything that could have pointed out where the Decepticons might have gone with the girls had been removed and taken with them.

This had been nearly three months past; with in the last 48 hours the Decepticons had resurfaced and literally marched right out front of the ark to announce to those inside just what they had done. What they had done turned out to be one of the most horrid things that any creature with a soul could have come up with to inflict upon another's mind. The confrontation between Megatron and Optimus was etched into my memory and I supposed it would be for the rest of my life. I had seen many horrible things in my life time, but never had I ever witnessed any thing this atrocious. Destroying their world, ruining a young man's life and forcing him into a form of his destiny not of his choosing, demanding that every one and any one around them bow to their will, was all nothing compare to what was confessed.

Optimus had come charging out of the base and stood there glaring at his enemy. More than ready to take his head off if that meant that his mate would be returned to him.

"Where is She Megatron?" He snarled.

"Are you talking about your flesh female Prime?" The Decepticon leader smirked.

"I told her and I told you that neither of you would ever see each other again. I have made arrangements that will see to that."

He paused and looked down at his feet and I noticed a strange human step out from behind him. Megatron smirked again and then spoke to this human.

"Isn't that right Doctor Archevil?" he asked the man.

The doctor proceeded to make a very melodramatic bow and then he himself smirked at Prime. "Oh indeed. Your wife is very lovely Prime, as shame that you will never see her alive again."

"You…" Optimus' eyes widened, "You killed…"

"Oh no," The doctor added, "When I mean you will never see her Alive again, I am quite literal. To her you are dead, and there is nothing any of you or yours can ever do to change that."

Next to Prime, Wheeljack had finally snapped himself out of his shock and realized that he knew this person, "You're that yoyo that came up with the chip implants aren't you?"

"Hmmm… Most perceptive of an amateur," He smiled evilly again, "Your mate was lovely as well. I made sure and make similar arraignments for her."

That was when something must have snapped in Wheeljack, because it was suddenly taking my self and three other's to hold him back and keep him from ripping the head off the human scientist.

"Megatron," Prime finally managed to growl to him, "How could you have done what you say you have done?"

"Human minds are so easy to manipulate in the end Prime," He shook his head. "She was so afraid of loosing you that her mind accepted the image with out any prodding at all. Perhaps this female doesn't love you as much as you think she does?"

"Shut up Megatron," Optimus yelled back. "You still have no proof that any of this is any thing more than an elaborate bluff."

"If its proof you want Prime then I will be more than happy to oblige you."

From out of some where Megatron produced something and proceeded to toss it in the direction of the Autobot leader. It landed at Optimus' feet with a soft thud and left him standing there staring at it with utter and complete disbelief in his eyes for more than a few moments.

"Take a good long look Prime," Megatron sneered at him. "Because that's all that is left of the woman you loved. You're just a memory to her."

As we all watched, the shock changed into utter rage and ten nano clicks later we were in the process of having to keep Optimus from choking the life out of Megatron. The thing that Megatron had tossed at the feet of his enemy had been nothing less than the braid of long dark red hair that had once been a part of the woman that Optimus loved more than anything else. It was the hair that had once belonged to his human wife, his beloved Angel.

Some how the rest of the Autobots had managed to keep from killing Megatron and his scientist long enough to get them down to the brig and leave them there. There was however a lot left said an undone. It was plain from the condition of Wheeljack's lab that he had done all he could think of to find some way to save his mate. I was more than sure that he had left that information with Ratchet and the feat could be duplicated with Angel. This however was dependant upon finding the girl and making sure that she was brought back to the ark with as little mental trauma as possible for her.

In trying to go and find her in the condition that she was in mentally Optimus knew that he ran the risk of endangering her mind and perhaps damaging it permanently. So now here he was trying to decide if it was worth the risk to try and get her back or was it better for her that he let her go and live her life as best as she possibly could.

"You know if you go after her there is a danger that she may never recover from the shock." I told him snapping Optimus back to reality.

"I know, that's the problem that I'm having," he sighed deeply at me, "is it worth it to try and get her back."

"Let me ask you this Prime," I turned away from the desert to face him, "Would she be any less willing to take that risk for you?"

"No," he shook his head, "She wouldn't. Angel would never give up on me no matter what might happen. She didn't give up on me when we were back home and she learned the truth about my past." He turned to look at me, "And she didn't give up on our love when I learned the truth about what really happened to her."

"There is your answer then Optimus Prime," I informed him. "If the lady that you so dearly love would never abandon you to your fate no matter what it might be. Then if you truly do love her, you must be the same way."

Some how that seemed to resolve a lot of the conflict that I had seen in his soul. I nodded to my self satisfied that he had come to the correct conclusion in this matter and so I made a decision my self.

"My friend," I put my hand on his shoulder and looked him in the face, "I was there when you and the first woman you ever loved needed me. I will be here for you now that you and your new mate need me as well. I have decided to remain here on earth until this conflict with Lady Angel is resolved."

"Thank you Alpha Trion," He bowed his head to me, "you have my gratitude forever."

"Now then," I motioned for him to head back into the Ark along with me, "We must find out where Megatron has hidden your mate and then we must find her. I fear that there is more that may have happened to the girl than any of us might realize."

He nodded once more and proceeded to follow me into the base and start getting ready to do what had to be done to persuade Megatron and his followers cough up the information that we needed.

What none of us knew at the time was that the very young lady in question was suffering in more than just mind. Angel for the third time that day was dragging her self out of her rest room and managing to some how make it back to her living room and couch before collapsing and staring up at the ceiling. Her face was pale and her dark hair clung to it making her look less like a girl, and more like a walking corpse. She managed to turn her head on her couch and look at something that was lying on the table across from her. It was the piece of the matrix that Optimus had given her as their enguagement present. She reached, for the thing and slowly ran her hand along the chain. In her mind the gem in the center, the sky blue jewel that signified that it was still active and alive was dark and cold. In truth, in the real world that her mind refused to let her see, the moment she touched the chain the gem blossomed into brilliant blue light, throwing strange shadows across the room and forcing the gloom from the continuing rain away from the girl for just a moment.

Far away, back at the ark, the moment the gem broke into life Optimus Prime lifted his head from the map the two of us were looking at and gasped. He froze for a moment and then managed to get out one quick word that made little sense to me at the time. However, for finding the girl this one word meant everything.

"Beattyville."