They say never judge a book by it's cover. Well, you'd be more than dead if you tried to judge me by my appearance. I maybe small, but I pack a mean punch if you mess with me and my team... Oh, I'm sorry. That was rude... hey there! I'm Windswept! And boy, have I got a story to tell you. Well, what are you waiting for?! Get over here and get ready for my adventures on Team Prime!
I did it again - got caught up with work and stopped updating. I'm so inconsistent when it comes to this story and all of you guys deserve better. And it's gonna get even worse with Christmas not being too far away now. Yikes!
Thank you to Uzumaki Suiren and 707cloud for following and favouriting this story. And to Mia prime for leaving another review! To answer your reviews Mia, all I have to say is just wait and see. All the answers will be found in the next two chapters!
I've spent the last week editing this chapter and the next the one for you guys so I hope all this work isn't going to waste. I'll post this first one now and then post the next one as soon as I can after it. I'm working in the morning, so hopefully, I can post part two to this chapter in the afternoon when I get home (no promises though!)
- Transformers Prime does not belong to me. All rights go to the people and brands who were able to create this show.
- Windswept and the other OC's belong to me.
(Chapter Title: Megatron's Sick Mind)
After the few weeks we got off for all the trouble we caused, the Autobot team at Autobot Outpost Omega One were now back on par with each other. We were all on the same side after all. Just because half of us were in trouble and the rest of them weren't, doesn't mean that they get to tease us for being stuck in base!
Thanks a lot Bumblebee and Starlight.
Speaking of, the two were discussing battle preparations with Aquastrike and Bulkhead, trying to figure out what the best attack would be and why. Sunburst and I were just sitting around near the Groundbridge, bored out of our damn minds! That only left Optimus and Arcee with Ratchet, checking for any signals that appeared on the monitors and of course, the humans that were at their computers.
"Optimus, you're not going to believe this."
Like that one that just beeped as soon as Ratchet spoke.
As Sunburst pulled me up to my feet, everyone began gathering behind Ratchet as he announced what he had just discovered, "I've just pinpointed the location of a Decepticon warship."
"How did you penetrate their cloaking shields?" Optimus asked.
"I didn't," Ratchet replied as we looked up at the monitor, "I was experimenting with variable frequency wavelengths when I stumbled upon it. Even still, their ship might be experimenting some kind of electromagnetic breach."
"With Megatron deceased, and the element of surprise," Arcee started, began punching her fists into her open palm.
"We could do some damage to t'ose 'Cons!" Aquastrike finished eagerly.
Before Optimus could decide on what to do about the signal, an Autobot Emergency signal flashed upon the screen. A Decepticon Warship AND an Autobot signal? Something tells me something's going on.
"Also on the same frequency, an Autobot Emergency Beacon," Ratchet reported.
"The Decepticons can wait. There may be Autobots in distress. Ratchet, bring your medical kit," Optimus instructed. Then he turned down to me, "Windswept, you will provide back up."
I nearly cheered. Yes! My first proper mission in weeks! Well, what are we waiting for Prime? Let's get going!
We arrived at the co-ordinates of the Autobot Emergency signal to discover the place a little less lifeless than I expected it to be. The night sky peaking through the clouds above us proved that it was night-time. The full moon shone brightly ahead, showing us the crashed Autobot ship ahead of us.
"A crash-landing," Optimus observed, "Buried here for centuries."
My body kind of slumped at the idea that the ship had been buried here for centuries. If there was anyone in that ship, I'd hate to think what kind of state they were in if they were still alive or maybe in stasis. But to be honest, I very much doubted that at this stage.
When we reached the ship, we discovered that the opening of the ship was buried deep within the ground. So we were forced to find what we thought was a corridor of the ship to destroy so we could enter it. Ratchet drilled a decent-sized hole for us to fit through and once he did, Optimus kicked the wall in, the rust on it being too much for the patch to simply fall on its on. We stepped on in and turned our torches on, being mindful of the fact that the corridor we entered was on a slightly lean.
"If they travelled in stasis mode, there may be survivors," Ratchet pointed out.
Suddenly, the ship started to shake underneath us, adjusting to our weight on this side of the ship. We fell to our knees and waited for the shaking to stop. I had to grip onto Optimus' arm to not lose my balance all together. When the ship eventually stopped shaking, we began rising to our feet, Optimus looking over both Ratchet and I to make sure that we were okay before we continued our search.
We quickly came to the end of the corridor, finding the door sealed shut and having no intentions of opening for us. Because of it sitting like that for quite some time, and because of the rust that had grown, the door was not going to open the way it was. So Optimus forced the doors to slide up, the metal screeching as they parted each and every way.
As we stepped through, we quickly came across a horrible sight. Autobot frames were strewn around the ship, pools of blue Energon resting beside each one.
Hang on... that Energon isn't blue!
Optimus shook his head in disappointment at the lost Autobots that we could've gained. New friends that we could've made. New members for our family.
"Optimus!" We turned around to see Ratchet scanning one of the offline Autobots, his scanner immediately turning red, indicating that something was wrong, "These Autobots didn't perish in the crash!" He stood and turned to us, "They're displaying the effects of a virus!"
The light purple Energon pooling around each of the Autobots now made sense. It wasn't just any ordinary Energon. It was Energon that had been affected by a virus. And the crash-landing that they ship had made now made a lot more sense too. The ship's crew would've succumbed to the virus, leaving the ship flying out of control and eventually crash-land here on Earth. And the light purple Energon was only leaking because of the injuries they sustained in the crash.
"This is a plague ship," Optimus realised.
I took a step forward in curiosity. Maybe if we could get a close look of the virus and take a sample back with us, then we could figure out what it was and how we could deal with it. As I went to take another step forward, Ratchet jumped in front of me, stopping me going any further.
"Don't touch anything! The virus could still be active!"
Just as he said that, the ship started to shake again. This time, more violently. The ship was unstable, having been sitting like this for centuries. The ship veered to our left, forcing us into the wall. We made heavy contact into it, barely keeping our footing as the ship paused in it's shaking for the moment.
Panic was coursing through me now. If the virus was still active, and with the ship moving around, there was a strong possibility that one of us could come into contact with it and become infected... and end up like the offline bodies surrounding us.
I gulped.
"I think we need to get out of here!" I suggested, my voice coming out in a mix of a hysterical whimper.
They nodded at my suggestion and we quickly began trying to climb back up to full height, using the wall behind us as a helper. The sound of metal clanging above us caused Optimus to point his torch up, the light shining on an infected Autobot hanging precariously above us.
The form suddenly began to descend down on us. Optimus held out his arm towards me as if he was protecting me from the falling body from above. The Autobot frame suddenly stopped mid-flight, like it was caught on something. At first, I thought that we would be okay. We would get out of this infected ship and we get back our base safe and sound.
And then a few drops of the infected Energon fell from the body and landed onto Optimus' face.
And I began to panic even more.
"NO!"
As soon as we relayed the words that Optimus had been infected by a virus on the ship, Arcee and the team wasted no time preparing a Groundbridge and the medical bay for our leader. Ratchet and I struggled, but we managed to get Optimus back to safety and straight to the medical bay.
Not once did I leave Optimus' side. I refused to, even when Ratchet tried to pry me away. Not even Sunburst could drag me away. Optimus had protected me from the virus and now he was paying the price for it. I couldn't bare the thought of not being able to return the favour if he were to pass.
It was clear that the infected Energon had come into contact with his optic - there were horrific colours surrounding it. We weren't even back for fifteen minutes and the poor Prime was struggling with his strength. There was no doubt that the infected Energon had already seeped through his faceplates and into his Energon flow.
I wanted to look away from the pain, but I couldn't. I was so worried for our leader.
Ratchet performed a quick scan on the infected area, it immediately beeping upon picking up on the virus that Optimus had made contact with. The medic took a step back to look at the scanner, "Cybonic plague."
Cybonic Plague... it was the disease that killed millions during the Cybertronian war. Many Autobots were infected and it was quickly spread through many Autobots. Nobody knew what it was and how to treat it, thus why we lost so many.
"Alpha Trion taught us about the Cybonic Plague," Starlight mentioned quietly. She, Sunburst and Arcee were gathered behind me while Bulkhead, Aquastrike and Bumblebee were gathered on the other side behind Ratchet.
Sunburst nodded in agreement, "He said the only way we could contract the plague was if we came into contact with the infected Energon. But that still didn't answer the question of how the Energon was infected to begin with."
"What was it doing inside of an Autobot spaceship?" Miko wanted to know.
I glanced up briefly at the humans. Miko and Raf were on the sides of Jack and Carly. My charge's hands were gripping the bars tightly in front of her with Jack close beside her and with his hands on hers.
"Its passengers were infected." Arcee replied, "The virus wiped out millions on Cybertron during the Great War."
"Cybonic Plague was engineered in the Decepticon Biological Warfare Program by Megatron himself," Ratchet explained to us, his optics narrowing.
"You have a cure, don't you?" Raf asked worriedly.
Ratchet went to answer, but he was unable to do so when Optimus groaned, causing him to spin around. I quickly became on high alert, watching him turn his helm to look up at the small boy, rasping out a small answer.
"No…cure."
"Optimus, please," I pleaded quietly.
"Save your strength," Ratchet coaxed him gently.
"Would Megatron really create a disease without having a cure?" Carly asked.
"What if he caught it by accident?" Jack added.
"It's not like we can ask Megatron, you two," Bulkhead pointed out, "He's pushing up lug-nuts."
Usually, I'd be pretty happy about Megatron being offline. But in this case, unfortunately we needed him more than ever. And with him offline, we practically had no chance to help Optimus...
Unless...
The Decepticon Warship co-ordinates!
My helm snapped up to look at Ratchet, "Do we still have a fix on the Decepticon Warship?"
Ratchet nodded, pointing to the small computer monitor opposite of Optimus, showing the current position of the Decepticon Warship, "For the moment, we may be able to access the Decepticon database."
My mind was already forming a plan. I needed to get into the Decepticon Warship, find something, anything to help our dying leader before us. Hopefully, if we could find something, then I'd be able to help him and save him from this oncoming death. This death that should've been mine.
I spun around to face Starlight behind me, "Starlight, provide medical support and back-up if Ratchet needs it."
Back on Cybertron, Starlight was taught basic medical training as well as extensive injury training. Hopefully this would be able to come into play and help Ratchet. After all, the same 'bot that taught her was the same orange and white 'bot with us right now.
My optics locked immediately on Sunburst and Arcee, "You two, come with me to the Warship."
They didn't argue. Instead, they were eager get going, already heading off towards the Groundbridge tunnel behind Aquastrike, Bumblebee and Bulkhead.
Speaking of, "You three stay here and look after the kids. If we need back up on the Warship, we'll comm in."
The trio nodded, making way for me to squeeze through to head over to join the waiting Arcee and Sunburst.
"Windswept," I looked at Ratchet, who was looking over his shoulder at me. Optimus continued to groan in pain in front of him, making my spark break at the pain he was in. Ratchet's optics were starting to show concern, "Quickly."
I nodded. We couldn't waste any time. We had to get moving and save Optimus. Now.
We quickly drove through the Groundbridge portal aboard the Nemesis. Sunburst, Arcee and I transformed almost immediately, our blasters activated and ready if there were any oncoming Decepticons heading our way. The portal swirled closed behind us.
No turning back now.
"Let's start with the lab," Arcee decided.
Sunburst and I nodded in agreement as we slowly took a few steps forward, making sure there weren't any Decepticons coming from any direction. We peaked around the corner, finding a large door ahead.
Suddenly, the doors slide open, revealing Knock Out and Moonlight on the other side and heading our way. Arcee climbed up the side of the ship, using one of the arches as a hiding spot. Sunburst was crouching below, ready for a surprise attack on the two. I used the arches at the top of the corridor to good use, climbing up to the roof and hiding behind it.
"...And you know, I adore Slipstream and everything, but she can get a little too bossy. Wouldn't you agree?" Moonlight asked, looking over the tips of her digits.
"Hmmmm," Knock Out mumbled in agreement, obviously uninterested by his friend.
As they reached where the four corridors meet, Sunburst suddenly adjusted his position on the ground, causing Moonlight to stop mid-step and held her arm to stop Knock Out. She quickly began whipping her helm around to look for the source of the noise. If only she knew where we were.
"Did you hear something?"
Knock Out looked over his shoulders briefly before shrugging, "Hmph." He brushed past Moonlight's arm to continue walking.
Moonlight took another look around, her eyes narrowing down the hallway that we were currently hiding in. But she eventually gave up and began following after Knock Out. Probably eager to annoy him some more.
We jumped out of hiding spots now knowing that the first moment of danger had passed. After Arcee and I glared at Sunburst, who sheepishly rubbed the back of his head after nearly getting us caught, we quickly made our way to the room that Knock Out and Moonlight had just left. The doors automatically slid open for us, revealing a set of controls and monitors ahead.
Perfect.
Arcee didn't waste any time getting to the controls, quickly beginning her search on anything regarding the Cybonic Plague on the Decepticon database. I watched over her progress, making sure she didn't miss anything that turned up on the monitor. Sunburst kept guard behind us, his battle axes in his servos and ready to fight.
"Arcee's in the network, Ratchet," I said over the main comm-link.
NO ONE'S P.O.V
While the group on the Warship continued working through the database, Ratchet and Starlight were continuing their work monitoring Optimus' vitals. Behind them, Bulkhead, Aquastrike and Bumblebee continued to entertain the children as much as they could, even though they couldn't really do anything to make the current situation better.
And if Ratchet and Starlight had to be honest, they would have to tell the team that their leader was not getting any better. In fact, he was slowly, but steadily, going downhill.
"Ratchet..." The medic turned his attentions away from a section of Optimus' vitals to look at his old friend. On the other side of Optimus was Starlight, who was holding a data-pad and checking another section of Optimus vitals. She watched the Prime's helm slowly turn to face the medic, "Were you...?"
"Infected?" Ratchet asked softly, knowing very well what the Prime was going to say. "No."
Optimus groaned a sigh of relief, turning away from his old friend as the light in his optics flickered. Ratchet and Starlight shared a worried glance.
Their leader and friend was beginning his descent to death before them. And they could only stand and watch, unable to do anything to help him.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
I huffed in frustration. Arcee had searched through the entire Decepticon database and found nothing. Nothing! Not even a single mention of the Cybonic Plague anywhere!
The Decepticons are more useless than we thought.
"If it's here, we don't see it," Arcee commed back to base.
"Are you certain, Arcee?" Ratchet demanded from the other side of the line.
"Windswept and I have searched every file," Arcee told him, "Nothing."
"Well, search again! Clearly, you missed something!"
"Ratchet, we've scanned their entire database. We double-checked and even triple-checked!" I growled in frustration, gritting my denta together, "There is nothing here."
"Did you use a redundant quantum algorithm?"
"Don't tell us how to research!" Arcee snapped angrily, "You think you're the only one who cares about Optimus?"
"'Swept, 'Cee, I found the trouble! I found the trouble!"
I snapped my helm up at those familiar words. Back at Iacon, we used those words to let each other known if we had found anything we were searching for or if the Decepticons had come out to play. I turned around, finding Sunburst pointing towards the door.
"What is it?" Arcee angrily demanded, also turning around to see what Sunburst was talking about.
He turned back to the small window in the doors ahead. Arcee and I soon joined him, the former glaring daggers at the yellow and white-striped Autobot since he interrupted our search of the database. He ignored her and instead pointed his helm towards what he found. We looked through the window to see what he was talking about.
We gasped in disbelief.
The doors slid open, allowing us a better look at the sight before us. Resting on the medical berth on the other side of the room, with multiple wires joined to his body, including a major cable connected to the massive hole in his spark chamber, was him.
"It's Megatron..." Arcee reported in disbelief, "He's alive!"
NO ONE'S P.O.V
The team reacted at the news. Aquastrike and Miko gasped in disbelief. Bulkhead's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Carly, Raf and Jack gripped the protective bars tightly, displaying shocked looks. Bumblebee whirred with panic at the discovery. Starlight nearly dropped the data-pad she was holding while Ratchet approached the monitor where the three Autobot signals were.
Was it true? Was Megatron really alive?
"What?!" Jack exclaimed.
"That's not possible!" Ratchet whispered in disbelief.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
Activating my blaster, I began approaching the unconscious form of Megatron, taking slow and small steps towards the monitors that he was hooked up to. When Ratchet commed through his gasp of disbelief, I rolled my optics, "Ratchet, I'm literally approaching his unconscious form as we speak."
"Good news is: Megatron isn't exactly approaching us either," Arcee remarked as she and Sunburst circled around him on the other side, pointing their weapons at him.
"Megatron…" We heard Optimus gasp weakly.
My spark was breaking at his weak whisper. He was barely hanging on.
"He's critical, Ratch," Sunburst reported, twirling an axe in his servo, "He's hooked up to life support. It's the only thing that's keeping him alive right now."
Wait... if he's lying here... and hooked up to life support... and if he's the only one who knows the cure to the disease Optimus is currently dying from...
"Time to finish this once and for all."
Megatron could save Optimus!
I quickly leaped in front Arcee's blaster that was pointing towards the main cable connected to Megatron, holding her blaster down and away from me.
"Windswept! What are you doing?!" Arcee growled, trying to break her blaster out of my grip.
"You can't shoot him!" I told her, struggling to keep her weapons down.
"Windswept, after all he's done, you want us to spare his life?!" Sunburst scoffed in disbelief, "Why?!"
"Megatron may be Optimus' only hope for survival," Ratchet answered for me.
Arcee's fighting stopped suddenly at Ratchet's words, looking at me in disbelief, "Ratchet, what are you talking about?"
"Does he display brainwave activity?" Starlight asked over the comms.
I whipped my helm around the monitor, seeing the top half of the screen keeping an eye on Megatron's frame. Below was his brainwave activity, spiking continuously, showing that his mind was active.
"Spiking hard," Arcee answered bitterly, "His sick mind is still at work."
"Perfect! If a cure exists, Megatron may be the only one who knows it. You must enter his brain and find it."
Wait... what?
That wasn't what I had in mind...
"Enter Megatron's brain?" Sunburst gasped, walking away from us to put his battle axes back onto his back hilt, "Ratchet, are you out of your fragging mind?"
"The Decepticon lab should contain all the equipment you need for a cortical psychic patch," Ratchet continued in our audio receptors while Arcee and I walked over to Sunburst.
"No way!" Arcee protested, "Have you even performed the procedure?"
Ratchet hesitated in his answer, "No." Arcee looked at me in frustration while he continued in our audio receptors, "But I have thoroughly studied the theoretical literature. Invented by Decepticons. Outlawed by Autobots."
"Can't we just haul Megatron through the Groundbridge and buy us some time to figure this out?" Sunburst suggested.
I curled my servos into fists. We didn't have time for this! We had to move quickly to save our leader!
"Time is one thing that Optimus does not have! One of you must try this! I will NOT allow Optimus to pass knowing that Megatron will outlive him!" Ratchet growled out at us.
I looked over at Megatron's brainwave activity, walking towards and studying it for a moment. I do wonder what he's dreaming about while he's sitting there. Maybe it's his own personal hell for us and his own personal fantasy for him. He's probably wishing that it was all real.
... IF he was aware of the fact that he was unconscious.
The figures that he would've created in his mind – the people he would've allowed to come and go – could disappear with a snap of my fingers. But if one of us from the real world went in there, we wouldn't be able to be harmed by him. We were real, his figures he's been creating in his dreams were not.
...I could do this.
"Ratchet, I would lay down my life for Optimus. Anytime. Anywhere. But a mind-body split-"
"I'll go," I interrupted Arcee, looking over my shoulder.
"You bet your fraggin' aft, you are!" Sunburst immediately protested, taking a few steps forward to me, "'Swept, we're well aware of the fact that you haven't had the best history with Megatron. But th-"
Sunburst, you don't get it! You don't understand the pain me and Whirlwind went through, believing every little word that Megatron said. And then to realise that we had been fooled the entire time...
I turned and faced my brother and my friend, wiping my optics from any trail of tears. "Let me do this for Optimus. Please."
NO ONE'S P.O.V
"Are you sure, 'Swept?" Carly barely questioned in a whisper.
"'Swept's t'e toughest 'bot I've ever known! If 'nyone could do t'is to save the life of a friend, it's 'er," Aquastrike replied for her teammate, looking up at the humans above her.
Carly nodded slowly, but it didn't help her mind ease the fact that her guardian was about to enter the mind of the Decepticon leader using a procedure that had never been performed before. However, she was well aware of the fact that this was her guardian's choice. If she felt that she needed to do it, then Carly knew that she had to let her.
At this point, it was the only option the Autobots had.
"Tell her to be careful for me please," The brown-haired girl whispered to her Autobot friends, "And to come home!"
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
I could hear Carly's voice over the comms. I could hear the way she sounded. She didn't want me to go and I understood that. There was a chance that this could fail massively. But I wasn't going to let those thoughts stop me. I was going into Megatron's mind, I was going to find the cure.
I was going to save Optimus. And I was going to go home to prove to my friends and my family that I could do this.
I looked over at the unconscious form of Megatron with a sigh, "I will be careful, Carly. And I promise, I'll come home."
NO ONE'S P.O.V
"Why has the electromagnetic shielding not been repaired?"
...There was a reason why the Autobots were able to pick up the Decepticon signal.
Slipstream slapped her forehead in frustration at the working drones surrounding herself and Starscream. The idiots had one simple job! And they couldn't do it!
"The crews are working as quick as they can, Lord-"
Slipstream gave up, slapping the drone in the face, "I do not care! The Autobots only need to pinpoint our position to access the correct frequency wavelength for them to storm the ship!"
Starscream took a step towards one of the drones, "Accelerate your efforts!"
"Yes, Lord Starscream," The slapped drone nodded, walking away with other drones to do what was told.
"Pathetic drones," Slipstream muttered, overlooking her servo just as the doors slid open behind her.
"Doctor in the house," Knock Out greeted behind her as he and Moonlight walked through the doors.
"And you're faithful third in command," Moonlight grinned.
Rolling his optics, Starscream spun around to greet his Decepticon medic and his third in command with a fake welcoming smile, "Ah, Knock Out. And how is the patient doing today?"
"Same old," Knock Out answered with a sigh, placing a servo on his hip.
"An inglorious fate that he should remain in this vegetative state," Slipstream hummed, turning away from Knock Out with her hands behind her back.
Moonlight stifled a laugh behind her, causing the purple and blue Decepticon femme to snap back around at the black and dark pink Decepticon, "What ever is so humorous, Moonlight?"
Moonlight cocked a hip out to the side, pointing at Slipstream, "You may believe that Megatron's form is useless." Then she began tapping her helm with a single digit, "But his mind is still at work, dreaming to no end."
"Keep that to yourself!" Starscream hissed, dropping his voice as he took another step forwards towards the Decepticon medic and the third in command, "That blasted Soundwave sees and hears everything!"
"The eyes and ears of the Decepticons," Knock Out hummed.
"Well, as long as their master remains in limbo, so does their cause," Starscream began, holding up his hand, "The Decepticons deserve a strong, alert leader."
"One who would require a loyal second-in-command," Knock Out added slyly.
"And maybe a third-in-command too," Moonlight piped in with a smirk.
Slipstream narrowed her optics at the two. In a normal world with Megatron as leader, Slipstream was the ever faithful second-in-command and Soundwave in the next position behind. But while Megatron continued in his dreams, herself and Starscream were co-leaders of the Decepticon cause while Soundwave was the second-in-command and Rebecca Rose bumped up to the third spot. She couldn't believe her audio receptors that they were discussing the ridiculous idea of switching up the positions! And right in front of her! The Decepticon looked around for a moment with her optics, her face emotionless before straightening up when Starscream chuckled beside her.
"A candidate will need to earn that post by making a strong case to said eyes and ears."
"A case for showing mercy, Lord Starscream?" Knock Out smirked.
"And Lady Slipstream," Moonlight grinned, bowing down before the twins.
"You scratch our backs, we scratch yours," Starscream mirrored Knock Out's smirk.
Slipstream was unsure. Soundwave and Rebecca were both loyal Decepticons to the very end. There was no way that she over-throw the pair of them and replace with the likes of Knock Out and Moonlight, both whom were gaining quick respect from Starscream by sucking up to him as nicely as they could.
If Starscream wasn't careful, then he would have to end up being over-thrown by Slipstream, who believed that if she couldn't be the true leader of the Decepticons, then there was only one who could...
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
While Arcee prepared the connection between Megatron's helm and my helm, Sunburst and I waited for her return in a little hideaway we discovered. It was perfect – we could keep an optic on Megatron and for any arriving Decepticons coming through the med-bay doors.
... Well Sunburst and Arcee could... Cause I wouldn't be able to.
To say that I was nervous would be an understatement. I was freaking out to be honest. I was worried about what could happen while I was trying to get the Cybonic Plague cure off Megatron's mind. The possibility of the patch not working would cost us massively. And it didn't help that every moment that we wasted, the more unwell Optimus becomes.
"Come on Arcee, let's go," I whispered when she took ages returning back to the hideaway.
Sunburst's servo appeared on my shoulder, making my frame stop shaking a little at the comfortingly clasp, "If you're worried, you can tell me."
"Sunburst seriously?" I chuckled nervously, looking up at him, "Me? Worried? Ha, ha!"
Uh-oh, I laughed nervously AND loudly.
"Settle down and stop lying. I'm your brother remember. And I've known you for years. I can tell when you're worried," Sunburst told me.
Arcee jumped down into view with the other end of the cortical psychic patch, bending down to check if I was ready.
Swallowing down my fear, I smirked, "Let's do this."
"Initiate cortical psychic connection," Ratchet instructed.
Sunburst sat down beside me, pulling me to his side. I looked up at him with a cold look, silently asking him what he was up to.
"Just wanting you to know that you're in safe hands. I made a promise to a friend years ago that if we were to ever split apart and I found you first, I had to protect you for him until his return," Sunburst explained quietly.
A friend wanted to make sure that I was okay by sending Sunburst to protect me? Awhhhh, I wonder who he was!
"Just remember that I'm here, okay?"
I grasped his servo, "Thank you." I looked over at Arcee, who was waiting patiently for me to be ready. After a few moments, I felt ready to go. I glanced up at my friend with a smirk, "Plug me in."
Arcee wandered around and bent down behind me. I felt the patch at the back of helm lock on before Arcee activated it. Suddenly, I felt myself going through different streams of colours. Already I was beginning to panic as my optics slowly closed before me...
An explosion of blue appeared in my vision, causing me to open my optics in panic. Immediately I spotted the bright circular light known as the moon high above me, bathing me in a spotlight before the black and grey clouds moved across the moon, blocking it's light from shining on me.
I looked over my frame to make sure that everything was intact. Everything seemed to be thankfully. I glanced up at the sight around and gasped. Fires were burning brightly orange around me, there were pieces of shrapnel every which way, and on top of that, they were a few familiar structures standing tall around me.
As I began to talk a few steps down the pathway before me, my insides churned with fear and knowledge.
I know this place.
NO ONE'S P.O.V
"Communications downlink activated," Ratchet confirmed, "This will allow us to see and hear everything Windswept does while in Megatron's subconscious mind."
While Aquastrike, Bulkhead, Ratchet and Bumblebee watched the live-feed on the small monitor, Starlight continued work on Optimus, providing him the best care that he needed. But the more she worked and noticed his vitals, the more worried she started to become. Optimus' vitals were not getting better than she had hoped and wanted. But they were starting to go down at a more quicker pace.
Optimus Prime would soon be no more if they didn't get the cure soon.
"Woah," Jack gasped, seeing everything that his girlfriend's guardian was seeing, "Where is that?"
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
"Kaon," I answered simply, "It's the Decepticon capital on Cybertron. I'd recognise it anywhere."
As I grew up with the Decepticons after our parents death, Whirlwind and I spent lifetimes at Kaon. We found it exciting and a challenge for us as we trained for the war that we were supposed to fight in as Decepticons. But the longer we stayed and watched Megatron become more determined for power, the more worse Kaon got. And eventually, Kaon ended up looking like this...
When Whirlwind and I left, Kaon was being reduced to burnt metal and shrapnel.
"Ratchet, Optimus' vitals…" Starlight trailed off in my audio receptor.
Optimus' vitals? What about them? Are they getting worse? Oh scrap no!
"I know."
"Ratchet, what's going on with Optimus?" I asked worriedly.
"Windswept, you must move quickly. I know this is known territory to you and I can tell that you're eager to explore, but you must figure out where information might be filed in Megatron's mind."
I growled when Ratchet didn't provide me the answer that I wanted. While I stepped up the stairs of what I remembered as the battle arena, I began snapping at my lovely medic, "Ratchet, I'm moving as fast as I can! Tell me what's going on with Op-"
As I go to say his name, guess who appears before me at the top of the stairs? Optimus Prime himself, standing proudly and without anything wrong with him. It's like he's somehow fought of the Cybonic Plague and was ready to fit any enemy standing in his way.
I went to take a few steps before I stop mid-step. Wait... that's not Optimus, is it?
"Windswept, that is not Optimus. But a figme-"
"A figment of Megatron's mind," I interrupted Ratchet, remembering what I had thought of earlier about me being real and the people like the Optimus standing before me being only created by Megatron's mind.
"He cannot see or hear you," Ratchet warned me.
"Right, the figments that Megatron create cannot see or hear me," I repeated in a mutter to remind myself of this fact, "Got it."
The cackles the began echoing through out the place Megatron had created for himself suddenly sent chills down my spine. I took a few steps back to glance up behind Optimus.
"Optimus Prime! Your Autobot armies are defeated! Bow before your master."
"Never Megatron," Optimus declined calmly. I jumped out of the way and over towards some shelter when Optimus turned around, "One shall stand. One shall fall." He activated his sword, ready to fight
"So be it," Megatron sneered. With a battle cry, he activated his arm cannon and leaped down on the ground opposite Optimus.
The two heavyweights charged after another, ready for another one of their historic battles. As they threw punches at each other, one missed and one striked. Megatron's punch was so strong, it disintegrated Optimus into nothing but blue fumes, floating into the air and out of existence.
My spark was pounding inside my spark chamber. I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't real. None of it was real! Come on, Windswept! You're better than this!
"Hey! T'at ain't never happen b'fore!" Aquastrike protested over the com-link
"It's not a memory," Ratchet told her, "We're seeing Kaon as Megatron has recreated it."
"In his twisted dreams and happy nightmares," I growled.
The rock I was hiding behind suddenly moved and transformed, the surprise making me leap backwards. The figure slowly began to change colour and texture, revealing itself to be another Optimus Prime by the time he stood to full height.
"Megatron, your treachery ends here," Optimus declared, activating his sword again.
Megatron deactivated his sword as he turned around to face Optimus. Instead he activated his blaster cannon and aimed it at Optimus, ready to destroy him once more.
Don't run out, 'Swept. Don't run out, 'Swept! It's just a figment! It isn't really Optimus!
Oh, who am I kidding!? This is me we're talking about!
I leaped out from my hiding spot just as Megatron fired a blaster shot. I ran ahead of Optimus in an attempt to block the shot, but it flew straight threw me and into the Optimus figment behind me. Like before, he was destroyed into blue fumes that quickly evaporated into the air.
Quickly sensing footsteps, I whipped around just in time to see the Decepticon Warlord himself stand over me, looking down upon me with a thoughtful expression.
"My dear Windswept," He began rather kindly, rolling and clicking his shoulders, "The punishment for trespassing in my domain-" He paused for a moment to activate his sword, rising it in the air in preparation, "-Is your destruction!"
I shielded myself to dodge the swipe, but I knew that that wasn't going to be enough. I waited for the end to come, to take me away simply, but quickly.
Optimus, I failed.
My body felt like jelly when Megatron struck his sword down upon my frame. As I stood back up to full height, I looked around my frame finding nothing that indicated any damage.
"What?" I whispered in disbelief, overlooking my arms up to my servos before my optics fell on Megatron's angered expression.
"How can this be?" The Decepticon Warlord swiped at me again. I blocked the shot again in case the first time was a fluke. It didn't seem to be the case as my body again felt like jelly.
Then it clicked. How I could I forget?!
Megatron couldn't bring harm to me because I was real and not one of his creations!
Deciding to entertain my dearest enemy, I continued to fake dodge the swipes, well aware of the face that I couldn't be touched no matter what Megatron did to try and attack me.
"Come on Megatron. Hit me with your best shot," I smirked quietly to myself, "I promise, I can handle it."
NO ONE'S P.O.V
Seeing Megatron continue to swipe and attack through her guardian's eyes, Carly was at first afraid of losing her friend when the Decepticon Warlord took the first swipe. But after a few more missed attacks from the Decepticon, Carly was beginning to smirk in realisation.
"Megatron can't touch 'Swept?" Raf asked with a small smile, causing Jack and the bored Miko to look up at the monitor.
"Because she is not a creation of Megatron's mind, Windswept is immune to his physical attack," Ratchet explained.
And if Carly didn't know any better, she would've missed the tiny little smile that appeared on the medic's face.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
Megatron had long given up on the idea that he could swipe me into disintegration like he had done to the Optimus figments. So now, he was pacing right to left and left to right before me, trying to figure out why one of his 'simple figments' I decided to describe them couldn't be destroyed in blue fumes.
"You are not wearing phase displacement armour," He began, starting to circle around my form, "Your eyes track my movements so you're not a hologram. And I do not believe in spirits." He paused in his steps, looking down at me with thought and hidden anger, "So tell me, Windswept, What ARE you?"
"Megatron."
Megatron's optics widened, standing to full height at the sight of something behind me. I whipped around and also widened my optics at the sight that was standing before me. It was Optimus Prime, same as normal, but this time he had Bulkhead on one side of him and Sunburst on the other.
I shook my head at the sudden helm ache I was getting. No, no, this wasn't real! ...Was it? Was the real Bulkhead and Optimus and Sunburst standing before me?! Megatron stop confusing me! Please! Make this stop!
NO ONE'S P.O.V
Bulkhead narrowed his optics at the sight of his doppelgänger standing beside his leader and his partner. Behind him, Jack, Raf and Carly exchanged worried looks.
Miko tightly grabbed onto the bars, lifting her feet off the ground, "Uh-oh. Special guest stars!"
"This is not good. Windswept's becoming confused with what is reality and what is Megatron's dreams," Ratchet warned.
"Of course she's gon' get confused, Ratch! Look who Megatron just brought out!" Aquastrike argued.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
It's just a dream. It's just a dream. Not my dream, but Megatron's dream. None of this is real! None of it!
With that now being said over and over in my mind to remind myself, I stole a few glances at Megatron before I raced over to my friends. They were just standing there, their optics only focused on what was behind me.
It's just a dream! It's just a dream!
"Optimus!" I yelled, looking at my leader desperately. No reaction. So I moved onto Bulkhead on my left, "Bulkhead!" I even waved at him and I still got nothing. So I leaped over in front of Sunburst on the far right, "Sunburst! Hey, it's me!" I dropped my voice so Megatron wouldn't hear, "Your sister."
Megatron growled in realisation behind me, a growl that end up becoming a scream of frustration. I turned around just in time to see him fire three shots, each one hitting my bulky friend, my leader and my brother.
...I just watched my brother die...
Oh Primus...!
"YOU are real. THEY were not," Megatron growled, taking a few steps away from me to figure out how I managed to get into his helm. Then he began chuckling, and I began shaking, "A cortical psychic patch. How unexpected."
Ratchet's voice came over the comms, but I was so angry at Megatron for practically killing my brother before my optics, I nearly missed his message, "We've stirred Megatron from his oblivion. He's becoming self-aware."
"If this is my subconscious…" Megatron paused for a moment, turning and bending to my level, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING INSIDE MY HEAD?"
... Okay, this was going to be one of the ONLY times I would ever admit this... and poor ol' Sunburst gets to miss it...
...But I was kind of scared.
Can I wake up now?!
NO ONE'S P.O.V
While Arcee continued to guard the little hideaway and kept an eye on Megatron, Sunburst continued to watch over the female Autobot beside him, growing more worried by the second. She had been inside Megatron's helm for too long now. Something was happening, something that was beginning to make him worry.
He wasn't the only one to notice. Arcee looked over at the two, her blaster still activated, "What's taking her so long?"
"I don't know." Sunburst glanced at his side. "Come on 'Swept. I know you have a few scores to settle. But now isn't the time, okay? Don't let your anger over your past get to you, okay? Please do-"
At the sound of the doors sliding open and interrupting Sunburst, Arcee immediately checked through the small gap through the hideaway and froze at the sight.
Starscream and Slipstream had appeared into the room. Alongside their lackeys behind them.
"Knock Out, if you would be so kind as to provide your expert medical opinion to Soundwave for the historical record," Starscream requested.
"Simply put: unaided, Megatron could remain in this deathless slumber forever," Knock Out insisted, checking over the monitor.
"Lord Megatron would not have wanted to be seen this way," Moonlight sighed sadly, drifting a servo up the unconscious Decepticon's arm.
Starscream hummed in agreement, "Yes, we would only stand idly by his side while he remains captive in his own body. It's not just."
Soundwave and Rebecca exchanged a look of disbelief. Neither of them bought the act that Starscream, Knock Out and Moonlight were putting on. But of course, neither of them had their full belief in Starscream when he first became leader in the first place. So Soundwave and Rebecca moved over to monitors in front of Starscream, the former raising an arm at the monitor.
"His brainwave activity," Rebecca noticed, "It's still spiking hard."
"But it is NOT evidence of consciousness," Knock Out corrected, his optics narrowing at Rebecca.
"Megatron's merely in an endless dream from which he may never wake from," Moonlight revealed.
Rebecca crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "Riiiight."
Slipstream, who had been surprisingly quiet from her position closest to the door, looked up at the brainwave activity that Soundwave and Rebecca had pointed out. It wasn't evidence of consciousness, but she had something that could make her true leader become conscious again. Something that was purring in her servo behind her back.
The Dark Energon sliver Starscream had pulled out of Megatron when they had found him.
"Soundwave, Rebecca we must face reality," Starscream began with a shake of his head, "Megatron is lost to us."
"The only honourable option would be to show him mercy," Knock out mumbled, causing Slipstream to look up in panic.
"A simple throw of the switch," Starscream clarified.
"Quick. Painless. Compassionate," Moonlight added.
Slipstream narrowed her optics at Starscream, tightening her grip of the Dark Energon sliver behind her back, "Starscream, have we tried all available options that we could provide for our master?"
Knock Out and Moonlight glared at the femme while Starscream chuckled nervously. He straightened up and also narrowed his optics at his twin, "Slipstream, a word if you please."
"With pleasure," The femme muttered.
The conversation between the twins wasn't something that concerned that two Autobots. It was giving them more time to allow the words that the Decepticons had said regarding their leader. About them turning off the life support for Megatron.
What they didn't know was that there was an Autobot within his mind searching for a cure for the Cybonic Plague.
Arcee turned to Sunburst, seeing his attentions being solely focused on her blue and red-striped teammate, and turned on her comm-link, "Ratchet, did you hear all that?"
"If Megatron perishes, Windswept's mind will remain separated from her body forever," Ratchet gravely explained to the team.
"We'll lose Optimus AND Windswept?" Carly gasped, looking over the slowly dying Optimus on the berth. She allowed herself to rest the side of her face against Jack's chest, closing her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek.
Silently, she was begging that her guardian hurry up and find the cure so she could get back to the base like she had promised to.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
Something was happening back at base... or somewhere in that hideaway. The team were becoming panicked in my audio receptor, but I was unable to understand them. My focus was way too locked on the Decepticon Warlord standing ahead of.
"The only way you could have entered my mind is via cortical psychic patch," Megatron hummed, taking a step down towards my level. "But the question remains: what happened to me?"
I chose silence over answering, starring deeply into Megatron's optics in hopes that it would throw him off so we could get to some serious business. But the longer I starred, the more I saw red. And the more I saw red, the more of an image I saw starting to appear in his optics.
I could see two Cybertronians through his eyes, one fully red femme and fully blue mech. They looked both frightened beyond words. Then I felt myself, through Megatron's optics, pull out his blaster cannon and kill the red femme with only one single shot of his blaster. The blue mech suddenly came into view, like he was surprised that Megatron had shot her. Megatron then activated his sword and stabbed the mech in the chest, the blue body also falling down beside the femme.
"The Space Bridge explosion?" Megatron suddenly gasped in realisation, "And yet, if you're in my head, I am not one with the AllSpark!"
Megatron must've figured out what occurred to him before his supposed death through my optics. Dammit, the more I stick around in here, the more aware he becomes of what's happening outside his dreams.
"So tell me, Windswept. Do I still function?" Megatron demanded.
Before I could even open my mouth to answer, Ratchet urgently commed over the radio, "Windswept, we are out of time!"
"Megatron, I'm gonna regret saying this." And really, I was, "But I need your help. Someone we know has been infected by the Cybonic Plague and I ne-"
"Cybonic plague? Someone besides myself is...is unwell?" Megatron asked concerningly.
Wait! CONCERNINGLY?! Megatron actually cared for once?!
Never thought I'd see the day.
Megatron took a moment to think of who it was that needed the cure so badly. He wasted no time figuring it out, "Optimus!" He began to chuckle at the predicament we were all in. "Such irony! But after ages of endless battle, the mighty Optimus Prime is felled by a simple virus from the distant past!"
I narrowed my optics at him, angered by his tone that he was using.
"And what makes you think I would save the life of my oldest enemy?" Megatron asked me, bending down to my level.
Oh Megatron, would you really allow your enemy to die because of a virus and not be your own hand?
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute!
"Megatron, your treachery-!" Megatron waste no time shooting that Optimus into blue fumes, evaporating around us as he starred into my optics again.
"I can help you get what YOU want the most if you help me get what I need," I answered Megatron
"Oh? And just what is it that I want most, Windswept?" Megatron asked rhetorically.
"With the cure, I can help Optimus get better and thus, give you the chance to slay Optimus with your bare servos," I replied simply, crossing my arms.
Megatron chuckled, "Did you not see? I do slay Optimus by my own hand. AT WILL anytime I desire."
"Megatron, you will never slay Optimus with your own hands if you let the Cybonic Plague kill him," I retorted, "The REAL Optimus Prime. The reason why you're in this state in the first place!"
NO ONE'S P.O.V
"So Windswept's using Megatron's personal desire to destroy the Optimus Prime beside us against him," Carly summarised, looking between Miko and Raf, "If Megatron lets Optimus die by a simple virus, he'll never get the chance to do it himself."
"Smart," Jack remarked.
"Twisted," Miko smirked.
"That's your 'Swept," Raf grinned, looking up at his sister.
Carly smiled back, looking back at the monitor, "Yeah, that's my girl."
"Slipstream, may I ask what in Unicron's name are you doing?" Starscream snapped when he joined his sister.
"What do you mean?! We have a simple way of bringing Megatron back to life with the use of this!" Slipstream hissed, looking over her shoulder to make sure that rest of the Decepticons in the room weren't looking over at them. Being fairly confident that they weren't, she pulled out the Dark Energon shard.
Starscream gasped, his hands covering the shard, "Slipstream, you can't leave that lying around here! If Soundwave or Rebecca saw what we had-"
"I'm tired of letting Megatron lie around on the berth while you lead the Decepticons to nothing!" Slipstream growled, "I've tried to stand beside you and guide you along, Starscream. But you can be pretty pathetic at times! We could've gained more of our army, but instead, you were so determined to destroy Optimus Prime in your name, you allowed our army to be destroyed to pieces!"
"My army will continue to grow while I am leader of the Decepticons, Slipstream," Starscream insisted, ripping the Dark Energon shard out of her hands, "With or without you by my side."
Tucking the Dark Energon shard into his subspace, Starscream turned around and walked back to the group of Decepticons around the unconscious Megatron. He left behind his twin near the door, who's jaw was nearly on the floor in disbelief of what Starscream had just told her.
She was no longer any kind of leader for the Decepticons.
"Soundwave, do I take your silence to mean you concur with Knock Out's medical expertise?" Starscream asked when he had arrived back to the group.
Soundwave refused to answer, starring at the Decepticon leader. Starscream and Knock Out exchanged a shrug before the former began reaching out for Megatron's life-support cable.
"Speak now or forever hold your peace," Moonlight sing-songed eagerly.
"Going…"
Unaware to the Decepticons, Arcee looked up at the sight of Starscream going to pull one of the cables off Megatron. If he were to start pulling off the cables, while her friend was still in Megatron's mind, she and Optimus could be lost to them.
Forever.
So Arcee aimed her blaster at the Decepticon, ready to attack if need be despite being two Autobots down.
"Going…"
"Hey! What's that?!"
Starscream inwardly groaned when Rebecca yelled out about something behind the berth Megatron was resting on. Spotting it also, Soundwave pointed towards the same area. The Decepticons followed Soundwave's arm, discovering a cable connected up to the berth and down towards one of the hideaways below.
An active cable.
Moonlight walked around to the back of the Cybertronian medical berth Megatron was resting on, finding the cable connected up to the bottom of the berth. Her eyes followed the sight of the cable, trying to figure out where it lead.
Arcee bent down out of sight of the Decepticons, trying to think of what to do now that the Decepticons had found the cable, "Scrap!"
Sunburst looked up at the frustrated Arcee before moving to a kneel beside his sister-in-law, "Come on, 'Swept! If you've got the cure, now's the time to let us know..."
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
"After our deep history together, to not watch the spark ebb from Optimus' eyes with my very own," Megatron began, one servo at his hip while the other curled into a fist.
"Uh huh," I nodded in encouragement, practically begging him to continue.
"Well played, dear Windswept. Although I am not surprised by your cunningness." He paused in the compliment, revealing the schematics for cure before my optics. "The chemical formula for the cure you seek…not that I expect you know how to read it."
Oh, I may not be able to read it. But I know a one or two 'bots who can.
I eagerly reached out for the cure...only for Megatron to curl his fist back up, making the cure evaporate into thin air. I widened my optics – that was my only chance!
"Not yet," Megatron sneered.
"What?" I whispered in frustration, "What do you want?!"
"Settle down, Windswept, I only need one thing," Megatron began, "Just how am I supposed to accomplish terminating Optimus as you propose while I'm trapped here in a perpetual daydream? Once you release me from this prison, you will have the cure."
I instantly wanted to decline that idea. There was no way Megatron was getting out this place with me! There was none! I was not going to allow him to be free in exchange for the cure! There must be some other way!
...Unless there were someone watching over me watching the schematics.
Any day now Ratchet...
NO ONE'S P.O.V
While Starscream and Moonlight observed the cable that they had discovered, the former holding it in his hand and inspecting where it lead to, Arcee and Sunburst were desperately trying to awaken their friend before them.
"Come on. Come on," Arcee begged quietly, grabbing her friend's shoulders.
"'Swept please, now's the time!" Sunburst whispered.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
"You must guarantee my recovery. Or Optimus fades to ground metal graves…" Megatron threatened, "The REAL Optimus."
I nodded, "Anything for my leader."
I had to stall him for a little bit longer. Surely Ratchet and Starlight have got sight of the cure by now!
NO ONE'S P.O.V
Meanwhile, at Autobot Outpost Omega One, Ratchet was busy rewinding and fast-forwarding the footage he gained from the eyes of the Autobot that had gone into Megatron's mind to gain the cure. Starlight was by his side, ready to yell at him to stop when he needed to.
"There!" The pink and white Autobot yelled, causing Ratchet to pause the frame where his helper had asked him to.
"Arcee, Sunburst, we have the formula! Disconnect Windswept now!" Ratchet instructed.
Arcee nodded at the instruction, moving around to the back of the red and blue-striped Autobot beginning to pull the cable out from her helm.
"Let's get you home 'Swept," Sunburst whispered gently, "You made a promise to a little lady back at Autobot base. I won't let you break that promise."
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
The world suddenly began crumbling around Megatron and I. Tall structures were falling and dust was following after them, this time not simply dissolving into thin air. This fantasy world that Megatron himself had created was falling apart right before his own optics.
And he couldn't do anything to stop it.
Ratchet and Starlight had gotten the cure!
"You were watching!" Megatron shouted in realisation, "YOU TRICKED ME!"
"In another lifetime Megatron!" Looking over my fading servos and arms, my form blew away before Megatron, disintegrating along with the rest of the world.
"NO! TAKE ME WITH YOU! TAKE ME!"
I awoke with a start, taking deep breaths as I came back to life. Looking around me suddenly to figure out where I was, I was beginning to quickly figure out that I was up against the wall. Exactly where I was before I went in to Megatron's mind.
Sunburst, Arcee and I stood up and activated our weapons just in time to see Starscream peak his head into the hideaway, screeching in disbelief at the sight of us.
"What in?!"
As Sunburst and Arcee retreated into the Groundbridge, I changed my aim of trajectory, aiming towards the cables over on Megatron's form.
"INTRUDERS!" Starscream... screamed, activating his blaster weapon.
"Allow me," I smirked, firing a blaster shot at the life support cable connected to Megatron's chassis. When the blaster shot hit the only cable keeping him alive, I smirked even more and back-flipped the hell out of the Nemesis and into the portal as it closed behind me.
Finally, it felt good to do that. See you in another life, Megatron!
NO ONE'S P.O.V
When the Groundbridge portal closed after the Autobots, a beeping sound began emanting from the monitor beside Megatron, signalling that death was upon the Decepticon Warlord now his life-support cable no longer plugged into his chest.
"It was the inevitable outcome," Starscream sighed as Soundwave stormed up to him and pointed towards his one and only leader.
"We cannot allow Megatron to die by an Autobot's hand," Moonlight growled in agreement, "It wouldn't be right."
"Knock Out," Starscream requested.
Arms crossed and shrugging, the vain red Decepticon waved off his Decepticon leader, walking to the medical berth. Grabbing the life support cable, Knock Out plugged it back into the dying Warlord's chassis.
The beeping stopped.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
When we returned to base, Ratchet and Starlight wasted no time developing a cure from the schematics they had taken from the footage from the video feed through my optics.
Man, I'm not gonna lie, that was a tiring experience. I'm just so glad to be home with my friends, like I had promised that I would... but the images I saw through Megatron's eyes still kept playing over and over in my mind. Who were those Cybertronians that he had killed? Why did I only see those images?
I shook my head and removed those thoughts. Optimus had only woken up an hour ago, having to needed be unconscious for the cure to work through all of his systems. When Optimus felt that he was ready, Ratchet and Starlight were immediately at his sides, helping him to his feet and guiding him towards us.
"That's it. Steady," Ratchet coached gently.
We all gave an applause for our leader pulling through and beating the virus. While Bumblebee, Aquastrike and Raf fist pumped the air above them, the rest of us clapped, thankfully for our leader to be awake and moving around healthily.
"Please. Reserve the hero's welcome for my physicians-" The two Autobots on either side of Ratchet shrugged beside Optimus like it was no big deal. Then Optimus waved his arm around at me. "-And our second-in-command."
I widened my optics at the sight of everyone turning to me, cheering and clapping loudly. I will admit, the attention felt like it was a bit too much. I didn't deserve all the credit after all.
"Please, i-it wasn't all my doing. I had the help of Arcee and Sun-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Sunburst cut me off, grabbing and sitting me onto his shoulder, "This time, just let yourself take the credit please!"
I just groaned in embarrassment, rubbing my forehelm as the cheering continued around me.
NO ONE'S P.O.V
Since the ordeal with the Autobots aboard the Nemesis, Knock Out and Moonlight wasted no time running their usual scans and diagnostics and procedures that they had become so accustomed to performing on the unconscious form of Megatron.
"And how is the patient doing today?" Starscream asked when he appeared through the doors of the medical bay.
And since the ordeal went throughout the night, it seemed right for Starscream to say that it was indeed a new day.
"Funny you should ask." Knock Out began his reply, looking over his shoulder at the Lord of the Decepticons, "Not sure what the 'bots did in there. But Megatron's registering zero brainwave activity."
Starscream hummed as he studied the monitor, finding nothing spiking in Megatron's helm, "Meaning?"
"Physically, he's stable. But now, there's…no one home," Moonlight clarified.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
The cheering and clapping continued and to be honest, I wasn't liking it all. I really wasn't used to have all the attention surrounding me. It was all... all a little too much to be fair. But hey, as long as I had my friends and family, all which should be at near or full health, around me, what more could I ask for?
Something clicked in my mind and all I could see was red. Red glowing optics. Red piercing glowing optics. Red piecing glowing optics that belonged to someone I had just escaped from!
"I'm out. Or should I say in... In my niece's head!"
What?! In his niece's head?
Am I Megatron's niece?!
What the frag?!
Part two to this will be up hopefully within the next few days!
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