Lucy wasn't certain how long she stood there but she guessed that it had been almost half an hour since Megatron departed. Her optics remained fixated on the screen which was still displaying the image of Cybertron. The way it was barren, ravaged over time by the centuries of war had left it utterly uninhabitable and devoid of life. Her spark ached, even if she wasn't born a Cybertronian herself, she felt like it was her other home away from Earth.
Thus, she began to wonder. There's a high possibility that the Autobots aren't aware that she is aboard the ship much less know that her friends have been captured. Megatron was most likely going to use them as ransom in exchange for the keys.
But what about her? He had plans for her but... for what exactly? She knew it was another scheme to further cease the Autobots efforts in restoring Cybertron first.
Suddenly there were footsteps approaching behind her making her turn to face a vehicon seeker. She noticed the vehicon visibly shake where he stood which was quite a pitiful sight, but she really couldn't blame him.
"L-Lord Megatron requests your presence." He stuttered out.
An almost silent sigh escapes through her oral vent. "Very well."
The seeker escorts her out of the bridge and towards the deck. However, she didn't expect to be in space. She stared at the vastness around her in awe before her optics landed on Earth. It was so far away, yet still so beautiful. Soon her attention was drawn towards the Space Bridge located to her left. Then the seeker transformed and flew towards the Space Bridge to which she followed.
When she got closer, she could see a group of other vehicons patiently waiting in a horizontal line. The moment her pedes touched the Space Bridge terminal is when it activated; the intensity of the vortex differs from that of a normal Ground Bridge. Soon, the other vehicons ran through it leaving her the only one present in the terminal.
There was an uneasiness in her spark as she stared off into the vortex. She could feel them on the other side. It had only been a day since she officially left the team and now, she was here. Life really does have a cruel sense of humor. Yet, she had to face them whether they accepted her back or not.
She takes in a deep intake of breath and lets it out before walking forward.
Megatron stood triumphantly as the Autobots were surrounded by his soldiers. The mere sight of having them all by the tips of his digits was a gratifying feeling, however. It wasn't quite finished as the Space Bridge remained opened for one more guest to arrive. Megatron looked expectantly towards the vortex which made the Autobots to look as well. Neither of them knew who was coming until that person appeared, it was Lucy.
There were audible gasps coming from team prime to which she glanced over to them and then smiled sadly at their way. Relief swept through her knowing that her friends were unharmed including Jack, Miko, and Rafael inside an airtight cylinder.
"I'm pleased to see you have arrived."
Turning her helm towards Megatron who had his sharp servo extended towards her. She glances back at the others where she met their conflicted gazes. It pained her to see them staring at her that way. She looked away before making her way towards Megatron until she stood by his side.
"What are you doing?! Get away from him!" Smokescreen exclaimed, yet she didn't dare look at them in the eye as she kept her gaze down. "Lucy?"
"Didn't you know? Your friend here came to me all on her own. Willingly." Megatron taunted them which earned him a glare from her.
"You threatened to harm my friends! It was more out of choice than out of willingness." She pointed out glaring up at Megatron, who simply sneered.
If there was one thing she hated, it was lies. She made certain to make that clear to not only Megatron but towards the Autobots. Megatron extends his servo where his sharp digits grab a hold of a strand of her hair which took her by surprise. This action caused the Autobots to shift where they stood, and they were all ready to pounce at the warlord but were unable to.
"No matter what the choice was. You are here now, and this gives me the perfect opportunity to shed some light to your comrades." He whispered only for her to hear before he let go of her hair and his attention was once again drawn towards the Autobots.
"Megatron," Optimus narrowed his gaze as his hands balled into tight fists. "Hand her over."
"On the contrary, Optimus. She's much too valuable to be handed over. You should know. She is a Prime after all." Megatron emphasized on the word Prime as he gestures towards Lucy.
His sudden revelation caused the Autobots to exchange uncertain glances whilst Lucy had glanced up at him in the corner of her eyes with wide eyes. She wondered how exactly Megatron could have possibly found out about this.
"Allow me to prove you." Megatron rests his servo on her shoulder-cap causing her to silently glare at his unwanted touch. He gestures with his occupied hand where he held the Omega key towards the Star Saber that was embedded on the ground.
"Show them who you truly are."
Lucy glanced up at him as she shoved his servo away and without uttering a single word to him as she walked towards the sword where the rest of the relics were scattered around it. She stood right before the Star Saber and was staring fixedly at the hilt and hovered both servos around the hilt.
She raised her gaze towards the Autobots where her optics immediately met Optimus's gaze. Her optics widened and her breath hitched involuntarily when she read a certain emotion in his optics. He was sending her a look of reassurance, as if saying: It's time they knew.
A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips, closing her eyes and then wrapping her digits around the hilt. The Star Saber suddenly lit up from her touch, where the wave of energy began to turn into an opaque smoke which was slowly swirling around her frame. Then she opened her eyes revealing them her pupil-less gaze. Unbeknownst to them all she was currently in a trance and at that moment time had seemingly frozen in place.
. . . .
It took her a few seconds to fully regain her focus before she realized that she was no longer in Cybertron. Instead, she stood in the middle of a seemingly endless void the only light available was what emanated from her hair. That was until she felt another presence behind her. She turned to see an older mech that seemingly materialized out of thin air. Wearing a cape that was made from pieces of metal which draped down onto the floor and his entire frame emitted a soft glow almost ghostly-like.
"Are you… Alpha Trion?" She inquired curiously.
Bearded mech greeted her with a warm smile. "Indeed I am. You are probably wondering why you are here."
Lucy bobbed her helm in response and stood there as he approached her. He stood in front of her and made sure to keep his distance to spare her neck since he was taller than her.
"I have summoned you here for the sole purpose of awakening your abilities that are still sealed away. I've been observing you train for some time now and have seen your process in strengthening your abilities. However, it has come to my attention that you currently lack in controlling it." Alpha Trion stated and he wraps his digits to where his chin plate was underneath the metallic beard of his.
His bright optics remained fixated on her as he tilted his helm to the side. "What are you afraid of, dear?"
Her words were caught on her throat and her body stiffened. She averted her gaze to the side, and it took her a moment to fully compose herself. Taking in a silent breath before speaking, not daring to meet his optics.
"Afraid… I'm afraid of harming others that I care most about... to be forced to use my abilities to—" She paused in slight hesitation before finishing the thought. "To kill."
Just saying that word left a bad taste in her mouth and it caused her stomach to churn. A flashback of what she had done to the poor vehicons that suffered her wrath was enough to make her shudder.
Alpha Trion hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "Your abilities are strongly linked to your emotions, correct?"
"Yes." She admitted shamefully with a frown and then she felt his hand resting on her shoulder-cap.
"A remarkable power such as yours requires eons of utmost dedication in order to perfect it. Yet, you have been able to control it in such a short period of time." Alpha Trion watches as the femme raised her helm to meet his gaze. "You are stronger than you lead yourself to believe."
"How can you be certain?" She questioned his words, a doubtful look flashing across her optics.
He chuckles, "I see the way you truly care for your friends. You hold no malicious intent. You cherish life and a strong urge to protect others drives you to become a better and stronger version of yourself."
Alpha Trion moves his servo from her shoulder and then hovers it above her helm. His servo begins to glow and then a brilliant light envelops her entire frame. It lasted for a few seconds more before disappearing.
Whatever he did somehow made her feel lighter than before. There was this new feeling of a newfound energy coursing through her veins. She examined her arms and her hands, nothing really changed in her appearance but internally she could feel a massive difference.
Lucy returned her attention back at Alpha Trion and noticed that he had his servo extended with a weapon in hand. She takes it from his grasp and examines it. The short sword was an exact replica of the Star Saber. However, right above the hilt in the middle where the yellow pattern was, there was a dark blue butterfly made from small pieces of metal. She traces her digits gently on the butterfly in thought, a ghost of a smile appearing on her faceplates.
"This weapon has the same abilities as the Star Saber; however, it has its quirks that are unique only to you. You will be able to summon it at any given moment, whenever you need it most." Alpha Trion stated.
She then tucked the sword away on her back strut in a horizontal position. It stuck to her perfectly and it appears like it wouldn't be slipping out of her reach anytime soon.
Suddenly a question pops into her processor. "Alpha Trion, do you think I'm… worthy to be a Prime?"
She stares up at him expectantly and sees him close his eyes in thought, not noticing a small smile curling up.
"My Dear," He reopened his optics, a glint of delight written in his optics. "You have always been a Prime."
. . . .
Lucy reopened her optics, her focus directed on the hilt of the Star Saber where her hands were holding. She removed her hands from the hilt and allowed them to fall back on her side. The conversation that she had with Alpha Trion is still vivid in her mind. Then her helm perked up at the sound of a gruff voice calling out to her. She looked over to see Megatron had his sharp servo extended to her.
"Stand by my side, will you?"
His request caused many of her friends to throw daggers at the warlord. She didn't utter a word before walking back to him. She now stood adjacent with Starscream on her left and Megatron to her right.
A smirk formed on Megatron's face as he now hovered the Omega key near the lock. "Now bare witness as a new era dawn on Cybertron."
Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave and Knock Out each held a key and activated the Omega Lock. This sent massive electrical currents all the way to the very top where the water-like substance to stir.
"Behold! The age of the Decepticons!"
Megatron touched the red holographic button and a beam of energy targeted a nearby dilapidated building, which was recreated until it became in pristine condition. Everyone shared the same look of shock and exclaimed under their breath from what they had just witnessed.
Optimus steps forward causing the vehicons to cock their blaster at him, "You have what you want Megatron. This conflict is between Autobot and Decepticons. Allow me to return the humans and Lucy to Earth."
Megatron looks over his shoulder-cap at Optimus before fully facing him. "Oh? I wouldn't recommend it. They'll be far safe here. As for Lucy."
He extends his servo where he proceeds to gently tuck his digit and use it to lift her chin. "I don't intend on handing her over anytime soon."
Then he leans over and proceeds to whisper something right above her audio-receptor. The Autobots couldn't really hear what he said. Whatever Megatron said to her was quite impactful because her faceplate paled, and her eyes were wide before he pulled away.
"Is the Space Bridge locked on target?" Megatron's gaze traveled over to his second in command.
"Per your instructions, Lord Megatron." Starscream said, bowing out of respect.
"Excellent." He turned his attention back at the Autobots. "Why rule only one world? When I can rule two."
Suddenly the Space Bridge sputtered right above the Omega Lock and then Megatron activated the lock sending a large beam of energy through the vortex. This certainly caught Lucy by complete surprise and instantly glared at Megatron.
"You—I thought you wanted to restore Cybertron!" She yelled at him.
Megatron turns his helm to her, not saying a single word, where he sends a condescending sneer to her. This made her take a step back, being absolutely horrified by his intentions. She should've known better.
While Megatron was gloating and thinking of names for his new domain, Lucy turned to stare directly at Optimus. His attention was fixated on Megatron whilst he and the others began to cackle. She needed his attention but… how? There's only one way to find out.
Optimus.
The prime visibly flinched at the sound of Lucy's voice and this left him confused. His wide optics landing on her.
You can hear me, can you?
He bobbed his helm slightly to not draw attention to the vehicons.
I'll create a diversion. This will give you enough time to grab the Star Saber.
Be ready in 3… 2… 1.
In one swift movement, she had grabbed the unsuspecting vehicon that was surrounding the Autobots and dragged him until slamming him onto Knock Out. Optimus summoned his blade and sliced the vehicon before making a dash towards the Star Saber. Lucy was ready to run but was forcefully held back by Megatron who had grabbed a hold of her arm.
She whips her helm around and bares her dentas at him with a fierce glare. This was enough to feel his grip on her arm loosen for a split second. In those mere seconds she moved at high speeds, summoning her short sword out of thin air and then slashed her blade upward across his chassis. He lets out a surprised cry and staggers in which he instantly lets her go.
As she flew towards the Autobots, she and Optimus crossed paths sharing a quick glance to one another before carrying on with their combined effort. She was now defending her friends from the Decepticons and even redirected a stray missile away from them.
Optimus proceeded to perfectly slice Megatrons' arm along with the sword he was wielding with it before charging at the lock. Deflecting the many attacks coming his way until he succeeded in destroying the lock with his sword. Then the massive explosion followed suit covering the entire sight in a thick layer of smog.
Slowly the smog dispersed, revealing a blue transparent force field around the Autobots that was made by yours truly. The force field soon disappeared after Optimus appeared through the smog and cackling fire and was walking towards them before putting away his sword on his back. Then their Space Bridge could be heard sputtering behind them, and they all ran in.
Lucy stood in the middle of the glass platform watching silently as the scene began to unfold. Ratchet hadn't noticed her presence when the news of the destruction of the Omega Lock hit him harder than the rest.
"Right decision or wrong, what's done is done. But we have another problem here on this world. The Cons just changed the rules when they put Jack, Miko, Raf and Lucy into play." Arcee stated.
Ratchet was taken aback and quickly surveyed the group until he saw her standing farther from the rest. She hadn't moved from her spot since her arrival. Once their optics met, and there were so many emotions that flashed across their optics. One being the most prominent, however, neither of them pinpointed what exactly it was when suddenly there was a call from Agent Fowler.
"Prime! The pentagon is preparing to go code deathcon one. I need to know what we're dealing with!" Agent Fowler roared, by the looks of the video cam and the sounds of rotating blades he was currently flying a helicopter.
Optimus had his suspicions as he stepped forward and then proceeded to ask. "To what do you refer, Agent Fowler?"
"Maybe you should step outside and see for yourselves." Agent Fowler suggested before the call ended.
"Ratchet… watch the children."
Optimus retreated with his team with Lucy following suit, as they reached the mountaintop via elevator. There, in all its glory, was a massive fortress right outside their base. They all stepped off the elevator and that's when Agent Fowler arrived.
"Megatron has managed to accomplish the first phase of his cyber forming of Earth. The construction of his fortress." Optimus stated, with narrowed optics in displeasure.
"In Jasper Nevada. I don't get it. I've already had the town evacuated. Why here?" Agent Fowler wondered.
Suddenly, Bumblebee chirped and was pointing his digit towards the fortress. The Nemesis arrived after appearing from above the clouds as it now stood before the mighty building.
"Because the Decepticons have discovered the location of our base." Optimus declared where his glare was directed at the Nemesis.
Lucy stepped forward and stood right at the edge of the cliff. Her narrowed optics scanning into the distance and there she could see multiple silver-toned jets taking off from the Nemesis. Leading the group of Decepticon jets was Starscream as he now headed straight towards them with the full intention to strike.
"Heads up!" She warned them right as the seeker began to fire.
Utilizing her force shield to protect them from enemy fire as the Decepticons flew over their helms. She dropped the defense before taking flight right above her teammates where she proceeds to use her blade to bounce off the ion blasts. Meanwhile the others were defending themselves from the incoming Insecticon horde.
In an instance, the outside of their base was crawling with Decepticons. Even with Optimus and Lucy's combined forces of their blades it was simply no match as more Decepticons kept flooding in. Leaving them with no choice but to retreat into the base as they all stood in the center of the main room.
Ratchet twirled around and demanded an explanation. "What is going out there?!"
"The Decepticons have invaded Jasper." Optimus stated.
"And Fowler seems to think he can hold them off." Bulkhead said, worry laced in his voice.
"But…. can't you hold the Decepticons off single handedly? Like last time?" Smokescreen turns to Lucy, who gives him a stern look.
"That time was completely different, and I was not in the right state of mind. You forget that I have limitations too and can tire myself rather quickly if I overexert myself… maybe even get killed in the process." She explained whilst gesturing her servo to herself.
He genuinely overlooked the consequences and hung his head guiltily but not before feeling someone resting their servo on his shoulder-cap. Smokescreen looks up to see Lucy giving him a sympathetic smile.
In one moment, she had been standing beside Smokescreen and in a blink of an eye she was currently standing in the middle of a vegetated area. A border of some kind in between two dense forests' but she really couldn't think properly or just didn't bother to try and guess where she was.
Her optics were wide with tears streaming down her faceplates. When she took a step forward was the moment her knees gave way. She fell to her knees with a loud thud and was staring aimlessly at the sky.
They were all scattered across the states with no means of communication whatsoever. The base was destroyed and ultimately took a victim with it. Their leader—her best friend was gone.
The loss left a hollow hole in her spark as she hunched forward. She held herself up with her hands firmly onto the ground where she dug her digits into the soil. Before letting out a piercing wail causing all the birds that were near her to soar into the sky.