Author's Notes: I am excited, everyone! Not only is this a pivital chapter of the story, but one I have been waiting well over a year to write! You've probably noticed a couple Vehicons that haven't been mentioned for a while. Well, this chapter answers what happened to them, as well as brings us to the moment when Cybertron is either won or lost. Thank you for clicking on this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it :)
Chapter 40
Going Home
The Autobots had little time to get used to Dreadwing being within their base. Ratchet was flabbergasted by the development, but even he was willing to put aside his distrust when he saw the gift that Dreadwing had brought with him; the Forge of Solus Prime. With this device in hand, Optimus would be able to forge a space bridge and get them to Cybertron, where they would seek out the Omega Lock.
While Optimus built the portal to take them to their dead world, the other Autobots needed to prepare for their journey. It was decided that Ratchet would stay on earth to man the space bridge, and Bulkhead's parents decided to stay with him because they feared slowing down the team. Dreadwing agreed to accompany the team that would restore their world, if for no other reason than because he wanted to see the transformation with his own optics.
One issue that had to be decided was which 'Bot would take which relic to Cybertron. Since it was likely Megatron would have forces on Cybertron, they had to be ready with everything they could throw at the enemy.
Bumblebee chose the polarity gauntlet, while Smokescreen chose the phase shifter. No one was surprised by that. Smokescreen was very attached to that particular weapon, to the point where Bluestreak sometimes wondered if Smokescreen would one day pop out of the walls just to scare everyone. Nah, that was probably more of a Skywarp thing than a Smokescreen thing. Or maybe a Sideswipe thing. He would have done something like that.
Bluestreak sighed as he stopped in the middle of the hallway, and Ratchet was quick to notice his sparkling's sober mood.
"What's the matter, Bluestreak? Don't you want to go to Cybertron and help the others?" Ratchet asked.
"Oh, um, sorry Sire," Bluestreak stammered, "I was just thinking. Yes, I still want to go. They'll need medical support, even if I'm not as good at it as you are."
"You'll do fine, son," Ratchet reassured him, "So, do you want one of the relics?"
"I'm not worthy of using any of them," Bluestreak declined, "Actually, I was just thinking about the phase shifter. And...I think Sideswipe would have loved that thing. It's the perfect tool to play pranks with."
"Yeesh, Sideswipe," Ratchet groused, "He would have used the Star Saber as a back scratcher. That mechling had no sense of class, and Sunstreaker was even worse. I still remember when that little fragger drove through my crystal garden just so he could spell his designation in it," Ratchet then sighed, rubbed between his optics, and said, "I still miss those boys. I wish I had known them better. If Praxus hadn't fallen when it did, those mechlings would have been my sons."
"Really? You were going to adopt them?" Bluestreak asked in awe, "I didn't know that. I would have had more brothers."
"Yeah, well, we can forget it now," Ratchet shrugged helplessly, "Let's not focus on the past today, okay Bluestreak? Let's focus on the joy of this orn. We're going to get Cybertron back, and then we can start saving more Vehicons from Megatron's clutches."
"Yes, Sire," Bluestreak nodded, "Let's do it for freedom."
"Let's do it for Cybertron," Ratchet added encouragingly.
Ratchet then went back to the storage room to check on Optimus, and Bluestreak watched the others claim their weapons. Arcee grabbed the Apex Armor, and even in its folded state it looked so large in her small delicate servos. Bulkhead meanwhile took the Immobilizer, a weapon that would have looked imposing with anyone else, but in Bulkhead's massive servo looked like a tiny stick. Bluestreak wanted to laugh, but refrained so he wouldn't upset anyone.
Next he saw Chromia walk out of the vault, but he could only tell because of her light blue frame. Her face was completely covered by the Mask of Zeta Prime, and boy did that thing look ugly! The relic he saw Jazz walk away with however was the most concerning.
"The spark extractor!" Bluestreak exclaimed as he rushed up to Jazz, "You can't take that!"
"Oh? You wanna carry it?" Jazz asked lightly, "I thought you was a medic."
"Sir, I'm serious!" Bluestreak shouted, "That thing could kill everyone around it, both Autobots and Decepticons. What if a bunch of Vehicons accidentally trigger it or something?"
"You heard the boss bot," Jazz reminded him, "We need everything we got. If somethin' goes wrong and our lives are in danger, then this'll be our fail safe."
"I don't feel comfortable about this," Bluestreak insisted, "If Megatron gets a hold of that thing then he'll kill us all."
"That's why I'm the one carryin' it," Jazz replied conspiratorially, "No one ever suspects the Vehicon. Besides, he'd have to take it from my cold dead servos."
"He got you once," Bluestreak pointed out, "Besides, you're a black and white Vehicon. You stick out like a red energon crystal. Please sir, don't do it. The spark extractor is too powerful."
Jazz looked around to see who else was still there. Once he saw that he and Bluestreak were mostly alone, he backed up until he was next to the vault door. He then put his servos behind his back for a second, and when he put them back in front of him he was no longer holding the spark extractor. The sleight of hand was so quick that Bluestreak wasn't even sure where Jazz put the device.
"Is it in the vault?" Bluestreak asked.
"Maybe," Jazz replied smoothly, "Just keep your head down when we're on Cybertron, okay? I don't think Dreadwing will betray us, but I didn't become a saboteur by taking mechs' good will for granted. Stay sharp."
"Yes, sir," Bluestreak replied dutifully.
When the pair of Vehicons entered the main room, they could hear the telltale pounding of the Forge as Optimus constructed something else. That didn't make a lot of sense. They already had the space bridge. What else could they need?
"Bad news," Ratchet said from his place at the console, "I just scanned Cybertron, and I detected the Nemesis in orbit. The Decepticons must know about the location of the Omega Lock."
"Not surprising," Dreadwing commented, "Though I do find it suspect that they didn't simply use their own space bridge to transport a few Decepticon scouts to Cybertron. Why send the entire fleet?"
"It is just as Optimus suspected," Ratchet surmised, "We will need every weapon we have at our disposal."
"Speaking of which, what is he forging now?" Bulkhead asked, "He's been at it for ten minutes."
As if to answer Bulkhead's question, the hammering stopped a moment later. When Optimus entered the room, he was holding something the Autobots thought they would never see again. It was a brand new, golden gleaming, Star Saber.
"Megatron must be stopped," Optimus announced gravely, "No matter the cost."
Optimus then sheathed the sword using a small clamp on his back, and walked with purpose in front of his troops. If they were going to risk their lives for Cybertron, then he would be sure to lead the charge and protect as many of his comrades as possible.
"Don't just stand there, Doc," Chromia drawled, "Activate that there bridge."
Ratchet complied, and soon the massive energy required for the glowing green portal could be felt by all in the room. Klunker and Saline watched impassively as most of the team drove through the space bridge. A total of nine warriors were going to meet their destiny head-on. Some were unlikely heroes, such as Optimus, Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Smokescreen. Still others were victims of circumstance, like Bluestreak and Jazz. Even a former Decepticon like Dreadwing understood the importance of what they were doing. They were going to resurrect their home; Cybertron.
School had been over for nearly forty minutes, yet there was no sight of an Autobot anywhere. Jack, Miko, and Raf sat on the stairs of their school, the last kids left, and waited with thinning patience for someone to give them a ride to either their homes or to the Autobot base.
"Try calling them," Miko urged Jack, "This is getting ridiculous."
"I'm sure they'll be here," Jack replied, not entirely convinced himself.
"Maybe they got stuck in traffic," Raf theorized.
"Traffic? In Jasper, Nevada?" Miko asked sarcastically, "Right, and Megatron's a vegan."
Jack ignored their conversation and dialed Ratchet. It took longer than expected, but finally the cranky old 'Bot answered the comm.
"Optimus?" Ratchet asked eagerly.
"Um, no. It's Jack," Jack replied awkwardly, "Someone was supposed to pick us up from school?"
"Not now," Ratchet snapped, "Optimus and the others are away right now, so you'll need to find an alternate mode of transportation."
Jack was confused and a little miffed, and the others could see it clearly on his face.
"What did he say?" Raf whispered.
"He said the 'Bots are busy," Jack replied softly.
"Well then tell Ratchet to pick us up!" Miko shouted loudly enough for Ratchet to hear, not about to spare his feelings like the others were trying to, "It's not like he has anything else to do!"
"Just go home!" Ratchet screamed into the phone before cutting off the call.
Jack looked at his phone in shock. That had never happened before.
"He hung up," Jack announced unnecessarily.
"What crawled up his tailpipe and died?" Miko muttered as she crossed her arms.
"The 'Bots have been keeping us in the dark a lot lately," Jack noted, "Something is definitely going on with them."
"But how are we going to get home?" Raf asked worriedly, "We missed the bus."
"I guess we're hoofin' it," Miko replied crossly, "Bulkhead is totally gonna hear about this one."
Miko stomped down the stairs and the boys were quick to follow, but their plan of walking to their homes was interrupted by the sound of a small plaintive voice.
"Help...someone help me..."
Everyone stopped and listened, trying to figure out where the voice originated from. Jack was the first one to figure out where the sounds were coming from; the parking lot beside the school. He ran over to see who was in trouble, and the others followed suit. When Jack got there, he saw a small midnight blue robot holding his own leg in pain.
"Oh! A native life form," The mech exclaimed when he saw Jack, "Can you help me?"
"Um, maybe," Jack replied uncertainly, "Who are you? How did you get here?"
By this time Miko and Raf were behind Jack watching the scene. Miko kept poking her head over Jack's shoulder to get a better look, and Raf stayed behind Jack's legs and watched.
"I came here using a space bridge," The mech explained, "I'm an Autobot, from the planet Cybertron. Do you know who the Autobots are?"
"Sure," Jack replied, "We know them. Do they know you're here?"
"No," The mech replied sadly, "My comm link is broken. I was attacked by Decepticons and barely survived. My friend is with me. He transforms into a car and can take us to Autobot HQ. Could you give us directions? I need a medic."
"No problem," Jack agreed, "We needed a ride anyway."
"Great!" The little mech beamed, "I won't forget this, guys. You're pretty cool."
While this exchange was happening Raf watched the mech closely. He was clearly a symbiote due to the rough features and fully developed vocalizer. The color scheme was what gave Raf pause however. He knew those colors. How many times had Refit seen those same colors when reporting for duty or being debriefed on his activities? Then it hit him. Soundwave!
"Wait!" Raf called out as his friends followed the symbiote, "He's not an Autobot! He's a Decepticon!"
"What are you talking about?" Miko asked as she placed a hand on her hip, "He's too tiny to be a Decepticon."
"Look at him!" Raf urged, "He looks like a piece of Soundwave! I think he's one of Soundwave's symbiotes!"
"Smart kid," The mech smirked.
The little mech then turned his servos into laser pistols and aimed them at Jack and Miko. The act was over!
"The name's Frenzy. Not that it's gonna matter to you for very long," Frenzy grinned wickedly, "You run, and I'll kill you. Do as I say, and you might live to see a new Cybertron."
"New Cybertron?" Jack repeated, "What are you talking about?"
"Shut up and get in the car!" Frenzy demanded, "We're goin' for a ride."
Frenzy then led them to a street where there was no traffic, and there they saw a Vehicon in alt mode. Raf held onto Miko's arm, and Jack looked around for any opportunity to escape. No such opportunity presented itself however. One thing that did suddenly pop up was a green portal, but it was much larger than a ground bridge. That could only mean one thing. Space bridge.
"Are we going to Cybertron?" Miko asked Frenzy, "Why are we going to Cybertron?"
"Shut up!" Frenzy screamed, "Blaster, open the door. You got passengers."
The kids were then herded into the back seat, and the seatbelts buckled them in of their own accord. Everyone was frightened, though they didn't want to scream and blow their cover. It might get some poor random soul killed if they did. They only hoped the Autobots knew that the Decepticons had taken them.
Frenzy was about to get into the open driver's side door, but just as he approached it the door slammed shut in his face! Frenzy looked mad, and the kids were confused about what was going on.
"Hey, Blaster! I'm not inside yet!" Frenzy yelled.
Rather than answer Frenzy, the Vehicon simply started driving away. The kids saw the space bridge portal getting closer, but then at the last second the car turned sharply and drove around the space bridge instead!
"What the-!" Frenzy yelped, "What are you doing!? Go through the portal, you useless drone! Through!"
The 'useless drone' didn't listen to Frenzy, and instead kicked it into gear and drove away from the scene at 80 MPH, with the speed only increasing the more distance he put between himself and Frenzy. Frenzy, who had no vehicular alt mode, had no way to catch up to them.
As Frenzy stood there watching the dust settle, he suddenly heard a loud thumping noise coming from a back alleyway. He investigated the sound, only to find a tied up Vehicon.
"Sir, thank the matrix you found me!" Blaster exclaimed in relief, "Another Vehicon shot me and tied me up!"
"Another Vehicon?" Frenzy repeated, "But...if you're here...then who was that?"
...
The kids were still a little scared, but mostly confused about what was going on. They were already out of town and driving through the desert, and the Vehicon hadn't said a word. They knew the symbiote had been left behind however, so it was clear that whatever this was, it wasn't part of Megatron's plan.
"Where are we going?" Jack finally asked the Vehicon.
"That's the first thing you say to me after all this time?" The Vehicon asked in offense, "No 'Hello, Skywarp' or 'How are you, Skywarp?' Typical."
"It's Skywarp!" Miko cheered, "Woohoo! You saved our butts back there!"
"Yeah, I know," Skywarp replied nonchalantly, "I got a transmitter back at my place, and I heard the Decepticons say something about kidnapping you to use as a bargaining chip or whatever. I couldn't let that happen to my favorite humans, so I'm gonna let you crash in the Harbinger for a while."
"The Harbinger?" Raf asked anxiously, "Um, shouldn't we go back to Autobot Headquarters?"
"Pit, no!" Skywarp exclaimed, "The Decepticons found your base. They're gonna destroy it when this whole Omega whatever thing is done."
"Omega what?" Miko asked.
"Wait, they found the base?" Was Jack's incredulous reply.
"Yeah, a lot's been happening since I ran away," Skywarp remarked, "The Autobots and Decepticons have both found these relics that can make Cybertron habitable again. And I guess they both wanna be first. Kinda like a comment section on the internet. Trust me, you don't wanna be anywhere near them when slag hits the fan. So, the best solution is for you to come with me and help me out with my new project."
"What sort of new project?" Jack asked skeptically.
"I got a new boss, and I have to help him build some stuff," Skywarp explained vaguely, "Oh, right! I'm supposed to call for a ground bridge! Hang on a sec, will ya?"
Skywarp then started transmitting coordinates to the Harbinger, and someone on the other side responded by sending a ground bridge portal to his location. He was driving right into it, so the kids knew that whatever was going on, they would have to be a part of it now.
"Um, Skywarp?" Raf piped up softly, "Who is your new boss?"
"You know that one dude from Batman, Mr. Freeze?" Skywarp asked, "Well, imagine that, but with only one optic."
The Vehicon then drove through the portal, and the kids found themselves deep within a pine forest. They approached a wrecked ship, or at least a piece of one, and Skywarp slowed down to a crawl.
"When we get to the door I'll need you guys to get out," Skywarp instructed, "I'll need to transform."
They approached the hangar where Skywarp would enter, but the ship was the last thing the kids noticed. Standing guard over the derelict ship, taller than any Cybertronian they had ever seen, was a black, red, and yellow metallic beast with large bat-like wings! It's yellow optics narrowed when it saw Skywarp, and it's deafening roar echoed through the trees.
"A dragon!?" Miko shrieked, "Where did you get a dragon!?"
"What's a dragon?" Skywarp asked obliviously.
"Uh, giant fire breathing lizard! Duh!" Miko shouted frantically as she gestured to the creature.
"Oh yeah, him," Skywarp said as if forgetting the 'dragon' existed, "That's a Predacon. Real temperamental. Do not poke him with a stick. They hate that."
"What's a Predacon?" Jack asked.
"Uh, giant fire breathing lizard, I guess," Skywarp quoted Miko, "They've been extinct for longer than society has existed, so nobody knew what they were like. Shockwave decided that wasn't good enough, so he made one."
"So they're like dinosaurs?" Jack supposed.
"Shockwave?" Raf asked in a small voice as he sunk into himself.
"Oh yeah. Shockwave is my new boss," Skywarp told them, "He's pretty injured right now, so he needs me to repair him and run errands and stuff. Well, mostly the errands. I don't know anything about surgery. I think you guys are gonna love him. Well, maybe not, but as long as you don't mention his optic I'm sure you'll be fine. Or not. I dunno."
"What's wrong with his optic?" Miko inquired.
"Who cares about that?" Jack interjected, "Skywarp, who is Shockwave? Is he a 'Bot or a 'Con?"
"Not now," Skywarp abruptly said, "We're at the door. Get out so I can transform."
The kids only then realized that Skywarp had driven all the way inside the ship, and was parked in front of a large door that led to an interior room. Where that room led they didn't know, and Jack wasn't sure he wanted to find out.
As the kids got out Raf looked around at the derelict Harbinger. It didn't seem like that many repairs had been done. In fact, the dust even looked mostly the same except for the many footprints on the floor. Raf didn't want to go in that room, for his perfect purgatory awaited him. Shockwave, who had callously murdered Rewind. Shockwave, who had favored and cared for Refit. Heaven and Hell were wrapped up in this mech, and Raf didn't know which side was stronger for him. Despite the danger Shockwave posed to everyone involved, part of Raf still cared about him. Shockwave was the father of the Vehicons. Shockwave...was his father.
Skywarp transformed and used his servo as an authentication key to open the door. He went in first, but waited near the door so the closing mechanism wouldn't be triggered and the kids could walk in safely. Miko went in first, naturally, followed by Jack and a reluctant Raf.
Inside the room, which appeared to be a laboratory of some sort, sat a large purple mech on the floor. He only had one servo, and used it to tinker with a device that was opened up with wires exposed. The other servo was a large heavy duty gun. It was true that his optic was strange, as it looked like a red targeting system in the middle of his...head? To call it a face gave it too much credit, as there was nothing there but that single red light that one would generously call an optic. In short, he looked like a larger stockier version of an early model Vehicon.
"Shockwave, sir, I found some friends who can help us with your project," Skywarp announced.
Shockwave looked up from his repairs job, though the kids couldn't really tell what, if anything, he was feeling.
"You required assistance?" Shockwave asked neutrally.
"Well, yeah," Skywarp stammered, feeling awkward about it now, "I mean, you know I'm not a scientist, sir. If we're going to get your body working at peak efficiency we need help. These three are the best earth has to offer, and their tiny digits mean they can reach in and untangle those troublesome wires of yours. Heh heh..."
"I have never seen organic creatures that look like this before," Shockwave commented, "They will be fascinating to study."
"Study? Whoa! Hold on! We aren't guinea pigs!" Miko protested, "And if I'm not mistaken, you're a Decepticon, right?"
"Not anymore," Shockwave declared, "Starscream left me for dead, and Megatron sent no one to search for me among the wreckage of my lab. It is only logical that my lord would have expended resources for his most valuable scientist. The only logical conclusion is that Megatron deemed me unworthy of his time and expenditure. Therefore, I am alone."
"So, you're a scientist?" Jack asked.
"He's not just a scientist!" Skywarp exclaimed, "Shockwave is the scientist! The Decepticons would have been nothing without him during the early vorns of the war! He invented the cortical psychic patch, the spark extractor, and the framework for Vehicons and Eradicons! This mech is a genius!"
"Flattery will not make me work faster," Shockwave remarked.
"Oh, uh, sorry," Skywarp cringed.
"Vehicons?" Jack repeated, "You mean, the reason you and every other Vehicon is in this position is because of him? You're the monster that made them this way?"
"That is correct," Shockwave replied with neither pride nor shame, "Are all members of your species so inquisitive? It seems like a double-edged sword for a species' survival. Curiosity breeds innovation, but too much curiosity leads to illogic and ruin. The balance must be carefully maintained."
"Uh, Skywarp? Can we talk to you outside?" Miko demanded rather than asked, "Alone?"
"Oh. Sure thing, Miko. I'll be back momentarily, sir. You just keep resting and working on ship repairs. I'll be back in a klik!" Skywarp assured Shockwave.
Skywarp then grabbed up the humans, not trusting himself to not step on them due to nervousness, and quickly ran to the cargo hold of the Harbinger. He didn't want to take them all the way outside, because the Predacon was still dangerous and unpredictable. He set them down on a console, and Miko was quick to lay into him.
"You're working with a mad scientist Decepticon!?" Miko shouted furiously, "What are you thinking!? He's probably planning to destroy the earth or something!"
"No he's not," Skywarp replied defensively, "He's planning to hide out here until he's healed, and then return to a restored Cybertron to continue his work on perfecting Predacons. Now that I think about it, that might be bad too."
"Why would you work with someone like that?" Miko pressed, "After everything we went through Skywarp...how could you? Why would you leave the Autobots?"
"Because they aren't my team," Skywarp replied somberly, "Because I miss my brothers. My plan was to wait out the war here, but then when I used a restored space bridge to go to Cybertron I ran into Shockwave and his Predacon."
"That still doesn't explain why you would join them," Jack pointed out, "He hates Starscream. He said it himself. Why would you work with him?"
"Shockwave doesn't hate Starscream," Skywarp clarified, "He isn't capable of hate, or love, or much of anything really. He's as sparkless as Megatron claimed we Vehicons are."
"So why join him?" Jack asked again.
"Because he promised me something no one else can give me," Skywarp told them, "He promised that if I help him get back to full health and strength, that he would remake my body. I'll be able to fly again. I'll look like myself again. I'll be able to go home to my trine. Ratchet can't do that for me, and Knockout wouldn't do such a thing for a mere drone. Shockwave though, he can do it. He's smarter than any Cybertron left alive. Guys, I need this. I'll do anything to be Skywarp again. Anything. So don't blow this for me. I mean it."
"Is that a threat?" Miko asked, an edge to her voice.
"No, it's a warning," Skywarp replied darkly, "I can protect you from Shockwave, but only as long as you cooperate. Sabotage me or get in my way, and I'll let that Predacon out there eat you. You betrayed me once, Miko. Don't betray me again. I want us to stay friends, and I want earth and Cybertron to be okay, but if you mess with my chances to see my family again, you're dead. Got that?"
Miko crossed her arms and scowled at Skywarp, defiant and unwilling to answer. Jack's look was likewise serious, but also slightly lost. They had no power over Skywarp, and the 'Bots wouldn't even know to look for them. If Ratchet's words were anything to go by, the Autobots would likely be too busy to care for a long time. Was it technically helping the 'Cons to help this Shockwave guy? He claimed to not be affiliated with Megatron anymore, but what if it was a trick? What if everything, including the attempted kidnapping, had all been a ruse to get the humans to aid Megatron in his latest evil scheme?
"I'll help you," Raf finally spoke, though he looked nervous and uncertain, "Just don't hurt us."
"I don't want to," Skywarp assured the boy, "I still like you guys, but this is important to me. I just wanna go home to my family."
"Me too," Raf replied, "To my mama, my papa, and my siblings. Just remember that we have families too. You've met Jack's mom, and Miko has two families to worry about her. Her parents in Tokyo, and her host family in Jasper. Please, just help us to get home."
Skywarp nodded seriously, and held out his servo for the kids to climb on. Miko still looked upset, and Jack looked back at Raf with concern. Jack was worried about the small boy who was scared and trying to keep it together, unaware that he was looking at a conflicted Vehicon trying to sort out two different 'homes' and 'families' in his processor.
The Autobots arrived on Cybertron, on the edge of the Sea of Rust in the ruins of what had once been the city of Tyger Pax. Many 'Bots had memories of this former city-state, though few had anything nice to say about it. Bumblebee had lost his voice box to Megatron in this place. He could even pick out the fallen building in the distance where he had been during that fateful interrogation. If Ratchet hadn't been a field medic in this city, Bumblebee might not have survived.
"Split up and search for the Omega Lock," Optimus ordered, "When I feel its energy I will give the signal."
Everyone went in a different direction, and Dreadwing flew overhead since he was the only one with such an ability. Bumblebee walked with Bluestreak, clutching the polarity gauntlet like his very life depended on it. No way was Megatron going to catch him unawares this time.
As they took cautious steps in this rusted graveyard, Bumblebee noticed how Bluestreak kept his gun arm aimed in front of him at all times. That seemed a little overzealous. Autobots were taught to not have their weapons pointed unless they were planning to shoot someone or something, though admittedly not every Autobot followed those rules to the letter.
[Hey, Bluestreak?] Bumblebee spoke up.
"Shh!" Bluestreak hissed, "Quiet. We're in potential enemy territory."
Bumblebee nodded and didn't say another word. As much as he wanted to talk to someone to get his processor off his troubles, he knew the element of surprise was important. That was when Bumblebee realized. Bluestreak was the one that just told him that. Bluestreak never shut up back at base. The mech seemed to have a pathological need to talk, but for whatever reason this time he was able to focus on his task. Bumblebee would have to ask him about this later.
Dreadwing meanwhile flew in a circular formation as he surveyed the landscape; a mighty vulture circling over the deactivated carcass of his home world. His jet mode was large, but his engines were surprisingly silent for one his size. As a stealth warrior, he knew that even in jet mode he had to be ready to ambush his prey.
/Dreadwing. Do you see anything suspicious?/ Optimus asked over the comm.
/Negative, Prime,/ Dreadwing replied, /Do you know how to locate the Omega Lock?/
/The Matrix of Leadership is pulling me closer to the device,/ Optimus explained, /We are close. Keep your optics open./
/Understood,/ Dreadwing replied dutifully.
Shutting off the comm, Dreadwing went back to his task of searching for intruders. He felt so torn, working with Prime against Megatron. If anyone had told him he would betray his master someday, he would have shot them for dishonoring his reputation. Now though, it was hard to know where honor lied. He just hoped he was making the right decision...the decision that would save their home. The decision that would honor Skyquake's memory.
Meanwhile, on board the Nemesis, Soundwave waited by the space bridge for Frenzy and Blaster. Megatron stood beside him, though the warlord was too busy coordinating his troops to notice the unease Soundwave was feeling. Frenzy should have been back with those blasted humans by now! At the very least he should have contacted the ship. They needed their bargaining chips if they were going to stop the Autobots from warping Cybertron to their will.
"Soundwave," Megatron addressed him, and Soundwave turned abruptly to look at him; startled, "Where is Frenzy? The Autobots have already bridged to Cybertron!"
Soundwave could only shrug, not really sure what had happened. Megatron sighed but said no more on the matter. Any other mech he would have yelled at and maybe beaten, but not Soundwave. In Megatron's prolonged quest for power, Soundwave was the only true friend he had left.
"It appears we've come full circle, doesn't it?" Megatron asked rhetorically, "We Decepticons started out as a small army with the world against us. Now, even after taking full control of Cybertron and amassing an army of mindless troops, here we are again. Our backs against the wind and fighting against a force determined to keep us downtrodden. Optimus cannot win this war. Not now, not when we are so close."
Soundwave listened dutifully as his master pontificated and monologued, but soon he had to hold up his servo to quiet Megatron. Frenzy was comming the Nemesis.
/Hey, Soundwave,/ Frenzy greeted, followed by nervous laughter, /Eh heh heh, you probably are wondering where the humans are at. Well...so are we. A rogue Vehicon showed up and took them away from us. I only just now got Blaster untied, and we don't know where the captives went. So, we uh, we got nothing./
"WHAT!?" Megatron roared.
/I'm sorry, boss! I don't know what happened! I think the Autobots was onto us!/ Frenzy defended himself.
"Very well. Report back to the ship," Megatron commanded, "Soundwave, set up a bridge."
Soundwave did as instructed, and a moment later the little symbiote and his Vehicon minion returned, downcast and empty handed.
"This is outrageous!" Megatron shouted, more angry at the situation than at Frenzy, "How are we supposed to get our servos on that Omega Lock if we have nothing to hold over Prime's helm? Brute force alone won't be enough, not when they hold the power of creation and destruction over us!"
"Ahem," Starscream announced himself from the doorway, "I couldn't help but overhear your dilemma, and I think I might have a solution."
"I would be most impressed, not to mention surprised, if you did," Megatron deadpanned, "What is it?"
"First things first," Starscream grinned, "It has come to my attention that our illustrious second in command, Dreadwing, has defected to the Autobots."
"Ridiculous," Megatron scoffed.
"Is it?" Starscream smirked, "I have footage that shows him, right now, on the planet's surface in search of the Omega Lock. With Optimus Prime."
Soundwave, as if on cue, pulled up several cameras on Cybertron in unison in an effort to either confirm or deny Starscream's wild story. After a moment, he indeed found archival footage from a few breems earlier, of Dreadwing arriving on Cybertron with the Autobots.
"Treason around every corner," Megatron growled darkly, "Is there no one who values loyalty in my ranks?"
"Well I've never betrayed the Decepticon cause," Starscream pointed out, "Even if I have betrayed you from time to time. Since you are our last hope of seeing a Decepticon-ruled Cybertron however, my current loyalties to you are one thousand percent. Of course they could be even higher...for a price."
"What do you want, you simpering stooge?" Megatron spat.
"My old post back, of course," Starscream replied, "Make me SIC once again, and I will hand over a bargaining chip so valuable and so absolute that it will make the human children look like scrap."
Starscream had Megatron's full attention now. Megatron had known the conniving seeker long enough to know when he was lying, but this time it was clear that Starscream knew exactly what he was talking about. Whatever Starscream had planned, Megatron had a feeling that it would be enough to guarantee the Decepticons victory.
It didn't take long before Vehicons started storming into the Sea of Rust wave after wave. The Autobots knew Megatron would send his cannon fodder first, but it didn't make the task at hand any easier. They would have to stop the Decepticon troops and make it to the Omega Lock, but they would have to do so without killing the Vehicons and Eradicons rushing after them. They would also need to not die themselves.
Bluestreak and Bumblebee stood back to back as they kept the Decepticons at bay. Bumblebee's job was easy. He could use the polarity gauntlet's magnetic force to repel the drones away from them. Bluestreak however would have to incapacitate them. Armed with only his blaster servo, he repeated a phrase in his processor to keep him on track. Shoot legs and arms. Avoid helms and sparks.
One after the other Bluestreak shot down the drones. In vehicle mode he would shoot their tires. In robot mode he would shoot their legs. He knew they were hurt, but they weren't dead, and he hoped they wouldn't be killed or abandoned for being useless to the Decepticons. He sincerely hoped Optimus Prime would order them to bring some injured soldiers back as prisoners. That would surely be a more merciful fate than anything Megatron could come up with.
Smokescreen meanwhile used his phase shifter to keep himself from getting shot at or hit during his battles with the drones. He would weave in and out of the crowds of ground troops and strike when he had a clear shot. While Smokescreen kept them busy Bulkhead used his immobilizer to freeze them in place. It wasn't a clean win, but at least they were able to keep themselves safe while also not killing off the brainwashed masses.
Arcee and Chromia used a brute force strategy. Arcee, wearing the impervious Apex Armor, carried Chromia as she ran to Optimus Prime's location. Chromia meanwhile blew toxic gas out of her mask that melted surfaces on contact. This deadly duo was so effective that most of the Vehicons ran away from them instead of trying to fight the femmes.
Jazz snuck around in the shadows of the city to get closer to their leader's position. Since his colors blended in so well with the environment he wasn't even spotted by the enemy. Well, he did have to rub some rusted dirt into his white spots, but that would buff out later. For now he just wanted to ensure that someone was watching Prime's back.
/Jazz, you have three drones coming up behind you,/ Dreadwing informed him.
/Thanks for the tip, mission control,/ Jazz quipped lightly.
Dreadwing cut off the comm without further acknowledgment, and Jazz internally smirked at the 'Con. Some things never changed. The stiffer they were, the more he knew he could count on them. That seeker reminded him so much of Prowl, and Jazz was mildly surprised to realize he could think that and still be happy about it. Perhaps this mission could heal more than the planet.
Jazz listened for the pede steps of the approaching drones, and sure enough, he could hear them mere mechano-meters from his position. He stared intently ahead, allowing them to think they had the element of surprise. He heard one power up a blaster and step closer to him.
Show time.
Jazz swiftly turned around, and before the drones could realize what was happening he transformed his servo into a blaster and shot them all in their shoulder struts; taking off each and every gun arm!
"Ow! That hurt, you slagger!" One of them shouted angrily.
"I know," Jazz replied coolly, "You wanna turn the other arm into a gun?"
The way he practically dared them made the Decepticon drones lose their nerve, and they dejectedly walked away and left the saboteur alone.
The battle between Autobots and Vehicons took almost an hour, but it felt like so much longer given how careful the Autobots had to be. A few Vehicons were killed, most by Dreadwing shooting them from above and a couple from Chromia's mask, but overall the majority of the hundreds of Vehicons and Eradicons were spared. Now came the part they had all been waiting for. Optimus found the location of the Omega Lock.
At first the sight was nothing impressive. It was a small rusty platform amidst a sea of granulated nothingness. Nonetheless, the coordinates were accurate. That piece of aged pillar sticking out of the ground was allegedly a conduit to the very Allspark itself.
/Ratchet, we have located the Omega Lock,/ Optimus informed his friend on earth.
/At last,/ Ratchet breathed, relief and hope clear in his tone.
There were four keys, each held by a different Autobot. Smokescreen had one, as did Arcee, Bulkhead, and finally Bumblebee. Smokescreen felt weird holding one of the keys when veterans like Optimus Prime and Chromia were present at the scene. Even Bumblebee, the son of the Prime, made more sense than him.
"Optimus," Smokescreen spoke up, "An honor like this, it shouldn't belong to me."
The moment wouldn't wait for Smokescreen to sort out his feelings however. The keys began to glow, one by one, and the formerly lifeless landmark began to glow all around them like a panoramic crop circle. Four conduits rose forth from the illuminated ground, and then the disparate parts connected and glowed a comforting energon blue. Over their helms, like a protective awning, stood the true form of the Omega Lock.
The moment of awe could not last however. Before the Autobots could even insert the keys that would save their world, they heard the familiar sound of jet engines. Megatron's jet engines. The Decepticon warlord had come to challenge their claim to Cybertron.
Megatron transformed and landed, his massive form shaking the ground beneath him as he did so. The look on his face was not only predatory, but self-assured. He was definitely up to something.
"I would suggest you put a halt to your task," Megatron said slyly, "And hand over those keys."
"Yeah, right!" Smokescreen scoffed, "And why would we do that?"
Megatron, still grinning a wicked grin, didn't even look back as a space bridge opened and admitted five new players to the game. Four were of course his officers: Starscream, Thundercracker, Soundwave, and Knockout. The fifth was merely a Vehicon drone, but something seemed very off about the situation. The Vehicon's wrists were bound in restraints, and the helm was downcast yet filled with bitter anger.
"What is the meaning of this, Megatron?" Optimus asked.
Megatron, rather than answer directly, held up a small device he had been carrying. Most of the Autobots were confused, and it was Bluestreak who first figured out what the device actually did.
"Sir, it's a spark reader," Bluestreak explained, "I didn't know they came in portable though."
"Indeed they do," Megatron practically purred, "And just as your spark reader revealed my greatest secret to you, so does this device yield forth its secrets to me."
Megatron then approached the restrained Vehicon in his group, and to Optimus' surprise the Vehicon actually glared at Megatron! No Vehicon under Megatron's control would dare do anything to disrespect their master. Clearly this Vehicon was free of Megatron's grip, which already sent warning signals to Optimus Prime's processor. Megatron was either going to kill the drone...or ransom it.
Megatron walked up to the Autobots almost casually, and everyone held up their weapons to ward off the evil Decepticon leader. They would fight to the last if they had to, but it didn't seem like Megatron wanted to fight. Instead, he handed Optimus the spark reader.
"A welcome home present, Prime," Megatron said, his sharp teeth on full display as he waited for his nemesis to look at the spark reader.
Optimus, feeling the pressure in his very frame, reluctantly looked at the device that had been handed to him. What he saw shocked even him however, and the wide-optic terror couldn't be hidden despite his best efforts. Megatron's grin widened, and the others looked at him with concern.
"Well?" Chromia was the first to ask, "Who the frag is it?"
Optimus could only utter one word, a prayer and a curse. Every waking nightmare Optimus had lived through couldn't prepare him for this.
"Elita."