Chapter 150 – But Who was Betrayed?
(IPOV)
"Protect Sentinel, get him locked up inside!" Will shouted to him. Good man, good warrior. Proper tactic.
"Consider it done," Ironhide rumbled immediately.
"You gotta guard him because he's the key to the whole thing," Sam was stating hurriedly.
"Indeed I am," Sentinel stated quietly, slowly rising to his feet. Ironhide frowned, turning to usher the Prime into the base, the Decepticons were moving fast, and they didn't have a concrete plan yet.
"What you must realize my auto-bot brothers, was we were never going to win the war."
Droneshit. They were gonna win, they had Kae now. Sentinel was casting it in the past tense. Cybertron would be healed. Sentinel had accepted that, the two of them were working together now.
"For the sake of our planet's survival a deal had to be made... with Megatron."
Driven to it by the Guardian's madness. It happened. Less talk, more move!
::. Forgive me, Ironhide.:: Sentinel sent to him on a private comm.
Ironhide felt the stinging flash of a stunner.
What? Nobody told him about that. Then, darkness enveloped him, he onlined his optics and looked around. He was outside the city, in a spot with good cover. In a matter of moments, shocked looking humans were popping up around him.
The scrap bastard had bridged him.
::. You scrap bastard.:: Ironhide sent flatly.
::. Be still, Weapons Master, be hidden.:: Sentinel commanded. ::. I am killing your holoform, what Decepticon would believe my betrayal without your death?.::
True.
::. Does Optimus know?.:: Ironhide sent flatly.
::. Of course not, my pupil's reactions must be genuine for it to ever be believable.:: Sentinel stated in amusement.
Ironhide snorted in amusement in spite of himself. That was true, the youngling rip of a Prime was a scrapping horrible liar. Chromia's voice was screaming for him the next moment.
::. Quit with the dramatics, he bridged me.:: Ironhide sent to her flatly ::. Get watching Optimus' back beloved spark-guardian, I didn't begin the bonding to a faint-sparked femme!.::
::. There's a pile of rust where you were.:: his Chromia sent tartly. The twins promptly popped up, looking completely shocked.
::. Nice touch.:: Ironhide sent in amusement.
"Yo' alive!?" Skids demanded hoarsely.
"He's alive!" Mudflap bellowed. In a matter of moments, Ironhide was covered in a pair of twins, damn near blubbering as they clung to his frame. "I knew it! I knew you's never beg fo' yo life!"
"He made me beg?" Ironhide demanded flatly.
"We're not dead?" one of the humans demanded in shock.
"Lay low boys," Ironhide rumbled with a frown. "Get some rest, we got a fight needing attending to." ::. You sure as scrap better hope Kae knows I'm alive.:: Ironhide added.
::. Who do you think placed the receiving beacon? Sentinel out.::
Well. Scrap.
Mid-story author's note. There see? Now aren't you just feeling guilty that you spent so much effort mentally kicking me? XD I wrote this little segment in July, and filled the previous chapter in in September! ;) Plot bunnies have no concept of timelines. At all.
(SePOV)
Sentinel strode through the human's monuments, delicately sending the pillars to hover over a convenient pool of water.
He felt grief in his spark, the Decepticons would come, they would ravage this city, but above all else, they needed to get the pillars out of Megatron's clutches.
Because in their hands, eventually, they would find a way to use them, even if it were simply to use the inherent power of the pillars as weapons in of themselves. But he kept his thoughts to himself. They had a plan, he had a part, and he would stick to it.
Megatron was present, now, surrounded by his sycophants. Oh how Sentinel longed to simply run his blade through that twisted spark! But without doubt his second in command would simply take the helm, gleefully leading the Decepticon forces in his fallen master's stead.
They needed to strike a fatal blow, not simply to the leadership, but to the forces themselves.
The conversation behind him was noted on a back processor, the sycophantic Starscream praising his master on the so-called 'brilliant scheme.'
Brilliant his pede, in his madness, in his desperation, Sentinel had approached the Decepticon leader, suing for peace, for compromise.
Because above all, he needed to save his beloved Cybertron.
"He was meant to rendezvous with me here on Earth before fate waylaid us both." Megatron was growling.
Fate had waylaid them, because fate had been waiting on Kae. Sentinel was positive of it now.
"The only way to revive him: we needed Prime and his matrix."
Megatron always had been a clever bot. Too clever. He had learned his lessons well.
Behind him, Sentinel could hear Megatron drawing his weapons, a rear facing optic onlined to note the bot destroying one of the monuments, taking the throne for himself. The same processor noted with no small amount of satisfaction the sheer amount of damage Megatron seemed to have sustained. Fate, it appeared, had treated Sentinel far more kindly.
"So he is now your partner, master," Starscream purred, evidently trying to wheedle more information from his leader.
"He is my greatest triumph," Megatron purred.
It took. Every micro-unit of Sentinel's discipline to not shoot the arrogant bot through the spark here and now for that singular comment.
But they had a plan, and they would stick to it! He had already compiled the message for the UN, telling them to banish the auto-bots. The Decepticons needed to believe the bots were gone. They needed the element of surprise. Megatron would ask him why, and Sentinel was highly prepared to state that he could not simply kill his pupils. After all, Optimus had been friend to him, a brother Prime, his spark was not destined to go offline by his hand, and Sentinel would not become the next Fallen.
"Commencing transport," Sentinel growled tiredly, struggling to keep the tone of subservience in his voice. He was a Prime, that tone did not come easily.
Then, then a voice he had hoped to avoid.
"Stop! No no Sentinel!" Optimus shouted. Sentinel cycled his optics in remorse.
"Forgive me," he stated quietly, and activated the bridge.
"Here we are," Megatron purred, "Fight us now."
It took no more than seconds, and the Decepticon force began bridging into earth's atmosphere from the moon. Sentinel kept track of them, their numbers, their designations.
When this was finished, he wanted to be sure that they were all dead.
Auto-bots were rolling in, but they didn't have the surprise they needed.
It wasn't a sound tactic, Optimus had come after him, believing his Weapons Master dead, and his loyal unit had followed. They needed the element of surprise to tackle these forces.
Sentinel thought about it for a moment and decided to risk it.
::. Optimus, fall back!.:: he commanded ::. You will need the element of surprise in this battle! You do not have it in this moment!.::
But his comm went un-answered.
The only option. He ran, drawing Optimus away from the swarms, away from Megatron. It was not the time for the young Prime to face them.
"Auto-bots, Retreat!" Optimus shouted to his troops.
Sentinel cycled his processors in relief, that was the proper tactic, he could see the NEST humans retreating alongside the smaller bots.
Sentinel ran, firing shots at the younger Prime's feet and waiting for Optimus to catch him. It wasn't a potential of the bot catching him, it was a definitive.
When Optimus wanted to move, that young bot would move.
Sure enough, the second he reached the steps of another of the monuments Optimus tackled him, his vocal processors close to shorting out in a bellow of rage.
The only option. Sentinel spun the bot, pinning him down.
Optimus was struggling, hard.
"Why Sentinel, why!?" Optimus demanded. Sentinel felt his spark tearing in pain, he sounded so hurt, no doubt still under the impression that Ironhide was truly dead.
"For Cybertron! For our home!" Sentinel snarled at him, hating that he had to play the game. He tried to comm the younger again to no avail, Optimus was blocking his signals.
Primus sake there were Decepticons all around them, he couldn't slagging say it aloud!
"What war destroyed we can rebuild, but only if we join with the Decepticons!" he flicked his optics toward the cons beginning to surround them, begging, pleading that Optimus would understand the signals.
But he was distracted, infuriated, grief clouding his judgement.
His young friend's greatest strength and truest weakness, his compassion.
"No it's not the only way, you know that!" Optimus roared at him, shoving him off.
An ability that the smaller should not have had, in shocked him, but only for a moment. He had after all, mentioned his mate's ability to break through another's defences.
"This is our home now, we must defend the humans!" Optimus continued furiously. Sentinel got the younger down, disabling the plasmatic edge on his blades as he held it to Optimus' neck. Optimus offlined his optics, waiting for death.
"So lost you are, Optimus," Sentinel stated softly, rising from the younger's chest. "On Cybertron we were gods, and here, they call us machines." he placed the tip of his blade to Optimus throat, cursing himself to the pit as he did. "Let the humans serve us, or perish." Sentinel rose and took a few steps away. "You're lucky I didn't kill you. In time, you'll see."
He prayed that Optimus would finally catch his meaning. Sentinel strode toward the Decepticons obviously waiting to escort him.
"Finish him," Megatron's voice growled.
No...
Evidently, he had not run far enough.
In desperation, Sentinel called out to his young friend's mate.
::. Kae! Your mate is distracted, we are surrounded! You need to get him out of here!.::
::. I am already on it.:: Mikaela growled softly.
Then, with a crack of thunder, the femme landed in the midst of the fray,
"Optimus! Fall back!" she thundered, firing at the Decepticons converging on her.
Optimus turned to shoot a furious glare at his mate, but evidently the look she returned overrode that glare, in moments, the two were falling back, the femme providing a fury of fire to cover them before she too sprinted away.
Sentinel couldn't help but colour himself impressed. His scans showed nothing of the femme, not her status of Prime, not even her designation. There and gone.
But within moments, he realized his mistake. Amidst the howling, the victorious cries of the Decepticons Megatron strode toward him.
"Who is that femme?" the leader of the Decepticons demanded.
"I am uncertain, I have seen her, but we were not introduced, you moved too quickly for me to gain much in the way of information," Sentinel growled at the twisted mech, sickened by the arousal and interface interest humming from his spark.
"Do you have her name?" Megatron asked with a small smirk.
"Archangel," Sentinel frowned.
"Send a message to the humans," Megatron smirked. "I want that femme, tell them to exile the autobots from this planet, and give her to us or we'll systematically destroy their cities."
"You will allow them to leave in peace," Sentinel snarled at him.
"Fine, fine," the bot stated irritably, waving a clawed hand. "I will allow them to leave in peace, when they leave the femme behind."
(WPOV)
"Combatant commands are now at DEFCON one," General Moreshower stated grimly.
"Approximately two hundred Decepticons are now in hiding, Energon detectors have been triggered as far away as South America and China." Will reported with a frown. He turned as one of the men walked behind them.
"The UN has just received an encrypted Audio file," the man stated quietly, offering a file. "They say it's from the leader of the Auto-bots."
Will read over the General's shoulder, and immediately recognized something.
It wasn't a message from Optimus.
"Defenders of earth, we have come for your natural resources to rebuild our damaged planet. When we have transported all that we need we will leave your world in peace. For such peace to exist you must immediately exile the auto-bot rebels you have harboured. Additionally, the silver Femme designated Archangel will be remanded to Decepticon custody. Non-negotiable. Renounce the rebels, we await your reply."
Will was making strangling sounds, he knew he was. There was no way, no way Sentinel could possibly believe they'd just give Kae up to the Decepticons!
"Will?" Moreshower murmured.
"We can't," Will choked. "We can't give her to them!"
Chris shot a sympathetic look at him, even as the Directors on the screens read the file as they received it, Barry looked furious, Director Mearing frowning.
"Auto-bot rebels!?" she demanded flatly.
"They aren't rebels," Will practically snapped at her. "Optimus was the emperor! Sentinel changed sides to the Decepticons."
"Options?"
"Gather everyone together," Will stated with a frown. "We need to figure out which resource the Decepticons are after."
"Metals? Iron ore?" Director Mearing put forth.
"No, Mearing you've met Ratchet," Will stated with a deepening frown. "He's a brutally honest personality, according to him, the natural resources that we covet here are next to useless for them, the metals nowhere close to the standards they use. Cybertron didn't lose it's metals with the exception of what was launched as space going vehicles. Above all else they need energon, and there aren't that many deposits of it on earth."
The briefing continued for another hour, with nothing really accomplished. Will left the Pentagon in a chopper, going to re-join his men and the auto-bots rendezvoused at the airbase.
But as he watched the bots gathered together, watched Mikaela comforting Optimus, something simply continued to stick, to niggle at the back of his mind.
Because Ironhide of Sigma three, his brother in arms and closest friend, would have never begged.
(MPOV)
"You can't let them do this!" Jolt was howling. "You can't just hand her over to them!"
I could not remember ever seeing Jolt so upset, my Optimus was two seconds from drawing his cannons and going right back after Sentinel again. Admittedly, I had no idea why Sentinel was demanding me to stay on earth while the rest were exiled.
But at the moment I couldn't exactly ask.
"We're not!' Will shouted with a deep frown.
"That is no longer your decision, Colonel," Director Mearing stated flatly.
Oh. Way to go, I rolled my optics and covered my Optimus' spark.
~You would regret it later~ I informed him flatly.
~They are demanding us to hand you over to Megatron, I will not allow it!~
I rolled my optics and caught his with a firm glare.
~That is no longer our choice~ I informed my mate flatly. ::. Let the humans play with their politics, you are not leaving this planet's atmosphere, and if the Decepticons decide to take me to Megatron then they will be bringing his death in silver armour, and betraying their positions to you.:: I added the last on the Primary.
"We don't have a choice in the matter!" Director Mearing shouted at Jolt.
Then, the true shock, Jolt went down on his hands and knees, bringing his optics to Mearing's level.
"Are you so ignorant to believe that the Decepticons adhere to anything close to your Geneva convention!?" Jolt shouted at her.
Mearing went pale.
"What..." she started weakly.
"I was a prisoner of war for two of your centuries," Jolt snarled at her. "I, a mech, was raped, beaten, slagged, forced to work for them with next to no energon in my lines, I slept beneath a grate!" Mearing was pale, shocked, the look of horror in her eyes the type that would take a long time to go away. "I am a mech Director Mearing, the closest parallel to a male. Do you have any idea what would happen to a femme!? They will beat her down, break her spirit, force her to bear their sparkings until there is nothing left of her. She is a bonded femme, Director, she will not go quietly, and they will enjoy that all the more!"
The silence in the hangar was practically deafening.
"Slagged?" a voice asked weakly. Jolt looked up at the human that spoke.
"Where they tear you down, bolt for bolt, strut for strut until it is nothing but your spark-chamber laying bare and unprotected on the table. And as you lay there, disconnected from any energon source, you flicker and gutter your life away until they decide to hook your lines up. And then? If they still want your services, they might put you back together again. If you are very, very lucky, they may even do it right."
(WPOV)
"Colonel!" Jacobs shouted.
Will ran, and froze.
"It's been a remarkable series of events today at the capitol, and just moments ago legislation was passed to exile the Auto-bots from American shores, the US military alliance with them is officially over. The words of the house majority leader, the sponsor of today's resolution: "we cannot in good conscience abide by..."
"No, no they can't do this!" Will shouted. Behind him, a phone buzzed. He turned to see Mearing pick up her cellphone.
"Yeah?" she asked quietly.
The only thing that saved her, was the way she closed her eyes, her entire body drooping.
She closed the phone.
"It's official," she called out, her voice broke. "It's a go."
She looked at the bots and raised a hand to her mouth.
"Director," Mikaela's voice murmured. Every human turned to look at her. "It is not your fault."
But Will knew that look in her optics, the postures of the bots around her.
She was prepared to die. Preparing to die.
"You..." Director Mearing whispered. "You don't..."
"I do not blame you," Mikaela stated quietly. She turned and looked at the bots firmly. "None of us do."
"You don't have to load up, you should be allowed..." Mearing stated in a choked tone.
"I am allowed to spend one last night with my husband and family," Mikaela stated in a quiet, dignified tone. "Thank you, Director."
Then, as one, the unit turned and strode to a deserted corner of the hangar, and Will had to look away to keep the tears from his eyes as Optimus sagged, falling to his knees and pulling his Kae with him, pulling her as close as he could without the two of them integrating completely into one.
It was the longest night he had ever experienced. The Wreckers were already at the ship, preparing for takeoff. Half of him wished the night would just end, the other half... the other half dreaded the morning more.
But eventually, as it always did: dawn struck.
"This isn't happening," Jacobs whispered as they watched the bots transform beneath the Xantium, preparing to board.
"Optimus," Mikaela murmured softly. Optimus reached out and pulled her into a gentle hug.
"We will meet again," he rumbled gently, "you will always know where to find me."
Kae nodded weakly and backed up, standing proudly.
"I will find you," she declared firmly.
"And I will wait," Optimus rumbled, he turned, the last to board. A good captain, a good leader. Mikaela turned and strode back to the hangar. She stood tall, proud.
"You can't do this!" Will shouted at Mearing again. "You can't separate them like this!"
"Colonel we have our orders," Mearing stated in a tired tone. "We are facing an unbeatable enemy, with the capability of bringing countless more. We have to accede to their demands."
"No matter the distance, I will never be separate from him," Mikaela stated quietly above Will. The icy calm tone that she'd always used to hide emotion. Will's heart ached on her behalf, a part of her soul was being torn away.
The countdown began, and ended, and the Xantium launched.
There was nothing now, nothing they could do.
"Years from now they're going to ask us," Simmons said quietly, "'where were you, when they took over the planet.' And I'm going to say: 'we just stood by and watched'."
"No!" Mikaela shouted suddenly, staring at the sky. "No don't you dare! NO!"
Will stared at her, then stared at the sky as it erupted in fire. The Xantium destroyed.
"Optimus!" Mikaela was shouting, grasping at her chest, "OPTIMUS! NOOO!"
As one, humans covered their ears, earpieces torn out as she simultaneously hacked every single radio frequency she could find, bellowing the name of her beloved.
"NO!" she shouted again, dropping to her knees and dragging at her armour, sobbing and fighting her own preservation circuits.
"What!?" Mearing shouted, "What is she doing!?"
"She's joining her spark-bonded mate in death," Will stated coldly. "One way or another, they will remain together." he looked up in shock as a half dozen Decepticons landed around the femme, dragging her arms from her chest and pinning her.
"You don't get to die so quickly," one of them rasped.
All of the fight went out of Kae, she sank down further onto the tarmac, letting the cons rough her up, never even raising her hand.
"No!" Will bellowed, "Come on Kae! Fight back!"
"Silence, insect," Starscream stated gleefully, dragging Kae to her feet. "So you thought you'd be safe, did you? Thought Optimus would keep you? He's dead now, little femme, come along now, come meet your new master."
Every human who had known her, every NEST and former NEST soldier watched in horror as Kae was dragged from the tarmac and into the air.
Silence.
"What do we do?" Jacobs whispered.
"You take a deep breath, and then another. You stop time as your heart slows, but the moment of frozen time is when your life is most in danger. So you put one foot in front of the other. You're only afraid when you have something to lose. But that something to lose, that is what you're fighting for, and that's what gets that next foot off the ground." Mikaela said behind them.
Every face turned to look at the holoform in shock.
"What?" she asked cheerfully, "you thought I was going to abandon you without a fight?" her face turned serious. "I'm going to have to keep my transmissions short, signals indicate that Chicago is the one being hit. Which means we need to get the people out."
"How do we evacuate an entire city?" Simmons whispered.
"You don't, I do, I need medical backup, field hospitals, accommodation tents, emergency response. Call Barry, get him pulling strings, tell him rule 44 is in effect. Every piece of necessary equipment can be fabricated by the neural units, no you don't need to hook up to it. They're fully powered, all you need to do is punch in your request. I have tracking beacons attached to the fabricators, get 'em spread out, fifteen mile radius. Apocalypse file, Redbird. Will, activation is yours, Colonel," Mikaela nodded gravely. The holoform winked out.
"Is that a VFG...?" Chance whispered.
"Rule twenty, Chance," Kae's voice muttered.
"Don't hold the funeral till the casket is full," Chance whispered.
Will stood stock still for a tenth of a second.
"Alright people!" he bellowed, "It's rock and roll time! Call everybody! Get Moreshower up to speed! I need secure lines to the directors of the CIA, KGB, Interpol, NASA."
"What are your orders sir!" Jacobs shouted.
"We need as many emergency responders as we can get, fly them in, get them driving, we need a fifteen mile radius out in Redbird!" Will shouted back, running back to the plane.