"Gladly." C-81 answered as he deploys his laser cannon from his back. He emerges from the brush and fires the first shot at a drone, which burns a hole through it. Optimus Prime deploys his faceplate and charges past C-81 with dual energon blades. Lockdown's drones take arms with gatling guns on their shoulders and feet, but Optimus Prime quickly takes down three at once with fast slashes, cutting them into pieces. C-81 comes to Optimus Prime's aid, burning lasers into the drones.
"Where's your fusion cannon?" Optimus Prime asked C-81 as he bisects a drone. "I sold it. Too many terrible memories associated with the damned thing." C-81 answered before caving in a drone's face with his own fist. "I did keep some souvenirs from my mining career." C-81 added as he deployed a wrecking ball from his left fist and a double-bladed hand scythe in the right. They continue cutting and bashing the drones coming after them. Emerging from the ship are more drones, packing heavy weapons.
Optimus Prime deploys a holographic shield shaped like the Autobot insignia that blocks a massive energy beam from the drones. C-81 picks up a dead drone and uses it as a shield as he runs towards the heavies. He slices a heavy cannon apart before shoving his cannon into a drone and blowing it apart from the inside. He looks down to a wooden crate at his feet and picks it up. "What are they transporting?!" Optimus Prime yelled to C-81 as he fights drones.
C-81 opens the wooden crate and finds giant candy canes inside. He picks up a cane and scans it, finding it to be a disguised firearm. He points the candy cane at an incoming drone and pulls on the hook, firing a silent shot from the barrel that cracks the drone's visor. "These are silenced weapons. Completely silent. Whomever they stole from, they must have very advanced technology to create something like this." C-81 informed Optimus Prime. The blinded drone fires at C-81 when he throws the crate at the drone and fires a laser, destroying the crate and the drone.
"Zero-sound weaponry? Not even the greatest minds on Cybertron were able to engineer such a thing." Optimus Prime commented. "We can't let it get into the hands of someone like Lockdown." C-81 added. They continue fighting the drones, which appear to endlessly emerge from the ship to both fight C-81 and Optimus Prime, and to retrieve their ill-acquired weapons. They aim for the main stack of crates and fight off the drones guarding it. "Never send a drone to do a bot's job." C-81 commented as he and Optimus Prime aim their weapons at the pile.
As a last resort, a different type of drone emerges from the cargo ship; MorBots. The MorBots jump into the air and disassemble into clouds of geometric metal, pulling C-81 and Optimus Prime away from the pile. "These drones, they're just like Galvatron's forces from K.S.I.!" Optimus Prime added. "No, these are more advanced! I've fought them before in New York, and they're nothing like the Sentries!" C-81 corrected Optimus Prime as he tries to cut his way out of the cloud. "They have the ability to combine into larger units, and function during transformation." C-81 told Optimus Prime before blasting the MorBot cloud off him.
The MorBots retreat to a safe distance and reform into their robot modes. One half of the group transforms into large body-sized shields for the others as they advance towards C-81 and Optimus Prime. The two fire upon the MorBots, who are protected by their shields and are firing at them with arm blasters. C-81 charges in with his flail and bashes the MorBots' shields to no effect as the MorBots skilfully and simultaneously swing their shields at C-81, damaging him on all sides and knocking his mining equipment off his person. "Meg- C-Eighty-One!" Optimus Prime yelled to his fallen comrade.
He runs to the MorBots and swings his blades at the MorBots, knocking them backwards and kicks them for good measure. He bends down and lends his hand to C-81. The former Decepticon looks up to Optimus Prime and takes his hand as he is lifted up. Optimus Prime helps up C-81, they both recall their days before the war, where they were not just comrades in battle, but brothers. As they reminisce, the MorBots ambush them by forming a mass of writhing metal and engulfing them into itself.
As the two are engulfed in the MorBot mass, three surviving Lockdown drones load up the cargo ship with the remaining weapon crates before the ramp closes up and the ship takes off. "I won't let they get away!" C-81 exclaimed as he looks at the ship hovering above the swamp. He frees his right arm and deploys his laser cannon to shoot the ship down, but the ship's hull deflects the laser back to the MorBot mass, agitating it. Taking this opportunity, C-81 uses his laser cannon to blast a hole in the mass to free himself before focusing on the ship, when he sees something flying in the distance. "Prime, do you see that?" C-81 asked Optimus Prime after he destroys what's left of the mass and frees himself.
They see a large object flying from the horizon, heading towards the swamp. They dodge out of the way as the object crashes into the escaping cargo ship, destroying it and crash-landing into the swamp water. C-81 and Optimus Prime look up to see Megatronia emerging from the crater, with Ellie as a chest component. "That was fun! Let's do it again!" Megatronia exclaimed excitedly. The Combiner disassembles into its individual components and splash onto the ground. Optimus Prime and Ellie meet surprised eyes.
"Dad?" Ellie uttered in surprise. Optimus Prime stomps towards Ellie with fury in his eyes. "Elita-Two Prime, what are you doing on Earth again?!" Optimus Prime exclaimed angrily to Ellie. "Uh, well…" Ellie said before Megaempress and her bodyguards block Optimus Prime from here. "Get out of my way." Optimus Prime commanded to Megaempress.
"Prime, look at me." C-81 said to Optimus Prime, who looks back to C-81. "You're looking too much to the past. Put to rest what you thought of me, as I have cleaned my history into a blank slate. I am no longer the bot you grew up with, nor the tyrant you fought against; I am C-Eighty-One, a drifting miner finding his place in the universe. You're looking at your own daughter the same way; as you see her mother instead of the bot she actually is." C-81 told Optimus Prime. Ellie climbs atop Megaempress' shoulder to confidently face her father. "Dad, I'm not a hatchling anymore. I'm the Prime of Cybertron! I can do things on my own, but you won't let me. I loved mom, and I miss her too, but I'm not her. There's a lot of things that I want to do, and things that I want to discover for myself. I even discovered I have a superpower to make Combiners grow!" Ellie told Optimus Prime with conviction. "I helped." Megaempress commented as she raised her hand.
"I want to do the things I want to do, the way I want to do them. I can't unless you give me freedom, and freedom is the right of all beings, isn't it?" Ellie continued. Optimus Prime grabs Ellie off Megaempress' shoulders and puts her to his face as the two stared at each other. Optimus Prime retracts his faceplate and hugs Ellie. "I'm sorry, Elita. I was afraid of losing you like your mother. After losing so many comrades in the war, and your mother, I didn't want to lose you too. You're not just a reminder of my love for your mother, but a strong bot. I'm ashamed I took this long to realise it." Optimus Prime apologized to Ellie. "Dad, you can just call me Ellie." Ellie told Optimus Prime.
"Of course, Ellie." Optimus Prime acknowledged. "Dad, can I hang out with Megaempress a little longer?" Ellie asked Optimus Prime. "Remember to return to Hub City by nightfall." Optimus Prime answered as Megaempress carries Ellie away. "Who's that green guy?" Ellie asked Megaempress. "Eto…" Megaempress mumbled with an uncertain tone before they walk through the trees.
"Now that we're undisturbed, mind telling me what happened to you that made you decide to treat me this way?" C-81 asked Optimus Prime as they walk away from the swamp. "It's complicated but…" Optimus Prime said before they hear a rustle from a brush. Emerging from the tree is a familiar silver bot; another Megatron. "He met me." the other Megatron answered. "Who are you? Are you another Megaplex, or an Archforce?" C-81 asked the Megatron.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but my name is Megatron." Megatron responded as he walks forward, revealing his Autobot insignia on his chest. "You're an Autobot?" C-81 said in surprise. "C-Eighty-One, this is a Megatron of another universe, one I accidentally travelled to. Megatron, this is C-Eighty-One; the Megatron of my universe." Optimus Prime introduced C-81 and Megatron to one another. "Surprised to see you here, Optimus." Megatron said. "I could say the same. I was sure you were executed in your universe." Optimus Prime added.
"It's a long story, but I'm here now." Megatron responded. "Prime, please explain what's happening." C-81 asked Optimus Prime as he pinches the bridge of his nose in confusion. "After a malfunctioning spacebridge demonstration, I was sent to this Megatron's universe. I learned that while his life path differed from yours, he was willing to make a change to atone for his crimes, just like you." Optimus Prime explained. "He was combative at first, but he soon understood my situation." Megatron added. "He inspired me to re-evaluate my history with you, and to be more open-minded if we ever met." Optimus Prime told C-81.
"What made you rethink your actions?" C-81 asked Megatron. "I strayed so far from my path, I forgot why I even did what I did: for freedom. Drawing regret from these lies I told myself, I decided to make a change for the better." Megatron answered. "Right from the beginning, all I wanted was power. I never knew what to do with that power, but after seeing my own wrath, I knew it was not for me." C-81 added. "You don't need me to tell you this; but you're on the right track. Most won't accept your redemption, and that's okay. All that matters is that you're making a change, and succeeding." Megatron told C-81. Megatron receives a ping in his helmet communicator.
"I have to go, Rodimus is calling me back to the Lost Light." Megatron told the two. "We'll meet again, I'm sure." C-81 said. "No promises." Megatron said before walking back into the brush. "By the way, if you ever think of taking up pacifism, it won't last." Megatron advised before disappearing entirely. "That was… strange. Although, I can't say I'm dissatisfied." C-81 told Optimus Prime.
"Do you expect me to join the Autobots?" C-81 asked Optimus Prime. "No. I remember your words to Elita… Ellie, about discovering herself. You should continue on that path." Optimus Prime told C-81. "Thank you for understanding, Prime." C-81 thanked Optimus Prime. "Shall we continue to the Hub Dome?" Optimus Prime asked C-81. "No, I think I'm done here. It was actually nice to see you after all these years." C-81 told Optimus Prime.
"Likewise, C-Eighty-One." Optimus Prime replied. C-81 looks to the road before looking back to Optimus Prime. "Remember what I asked you in Chicago? Who would you be without me? I think I have my answer." C-81 told Optimus Prime before transforming into an S.U.V. and drives away. As he drives away, he plays the gifted C.D. album, which plays a hard rock song by Linkin Park: What I've Done. "Goodbye, brother." Optimus Prime said as he watches C-81 driving away.
THE END