Chapter 9: Trypticon
"So...the manganese mountains...formed over a Titan?" Optimus asked. "A Titan that's still alive?"
"The only explanation is a deep stasis lock." Perceptor theorized. "Megatron might not even be collecting the dark energon for his own use."
"He needs it to wake the Titan up." Arcee finished.
"Is Megatron that crazy?" Prowl asked. "He doesn't even know if he can control it."
"He can't control it." Metroplex stated bluntly, looking to Optimus. "Regardless of what Megatron believes, how confident he is, he cannot control Trypticon. Trypticon is a wild beast. He seeks only to destroy."
"Why?" Prowl asked. "The titans were the protectors of Cybertron in the ancient times. Why would he want to destroy it?"
"He fought with us once, against the chaos bringer." Metroplex replied. "But the chaos bringer captured him. Tortured him. Corrupted his mind with dark energon. Turned him into his slave. Now all he knows is to destroy the world he once protected. And if he awakens, this is exactly what he will do."
"The chaos bringer?" Arcee asked.
"You don't know the chaos bringer?" Prowl asked incredulously. "Never heard of him?"
"I woke up in Iacon with my mind reset, Prowl." Arcee replied, arms folded. "I don't know a lot of things most of you do."
"The chaos bringer is Unicron." Ratchet stated, and the mechs and femme turned to look at him. He looked out at them with irritated optics.
"What? Tired of dragging this out." He snapped grumpily.
Metroplex glared at the medic, with narrowed optics.
"Do not say his name." He hissed. "We fought battles for eons so that it would be forgotten."
"Metroplex." Optimus spoke up, walking toward the hologram. "Have you faced Trypticon in battle before?"
"Indeed I have." Metroplex replied. "Long ago. And I defeated him. But I am not what I once was, Optimus. I lack even the energon to initiate transformation. I would need a sizable influx of it in order to fight him." He lamented, bowing his helm. "I...wish I could be stronger for you, Prime."
"You've done enough. You are our home, Metroplex." He looked around the room. "We need to do this ourselves. We must ensure Trypticon does not rise."
"Optimus, are you proposing we launch a mission to take down a Titan?" Ratchet asked. "A Titan."
"Facing a Titan is far easier when it is stasis locked." Metroplex stated.
"Yeah, thanks captain obvious." Prowl remarked.
Metroplex's hologram frowned. "I hold no such rank..."
"I get the doctor's point, Optimus. This is a huge undertaking." Arcee agreed. "There are a lot of ways this could go bad."
Optimus turned to Prowl, who had his hand under his chin.
"You're my tactician, Prowl. What do you think we should do?"
Prowl let out a long vent, his mind calculating as he thought of all of the variables that lay before him.
"We need a small team. With an emphasis on stealth." He stated. "The decepticons have heavy armament around the crevice now, so we can't try getting around them. We have to find another way into the mountain."
"There's an energon river that leads directly underneath the mountain via a cave." Perceptor pointed out, gesturing to the hologram. "We might be able to find a way inside the Titan from there."
"And once we're inside?" Optimus asked.
"He may still have internal defenses." Metroplex explained. "But many will have been nullified by his stasis."
"We get past them and...and destroy his spark." Prowl stated. "Or his brain module. Whatever we can find first. Make sure Megatron can't wake him up."
"No moral hang ups on killing a sleeping Titan?" Ratchet asked, looking around.
"Do not allow such things to make you hesitate, for even a moment." Metroplex said sternly, anger in his voice. "Trypticon killed six of my brothers, and decimated Cybertron's population eons ago. Entire towns burned. If awakened he will try to finish what he started. Kill him while you can."
"We need a team." Optimus said, looking around the room. "And we need to pick very carefully."
"Okay. I'm gonna say it now so you don't get mad at me for saying it at the last minute." Prowl said, looking up at him. "You shouldn't go."
"What?" Optimus asked, frowning. "I'm the leader of the autobots. It is my duty."
"Optimus. You've done some truly incredible things, and you know I have the utmost respect for you, I have since before you were a Prime." Prowl began. "That being said, you are not the least bit stealthy."
Optimus looked around the room, and saw most of the faces plain, non argumentative.
Ratchet looked like he wanted to say something. Wheeljack and Perceptor suddenly tried to look busy.
"He's...kinda right." Arcee conceded.
Optimus sighed, then looked back at Prowl.
"Who would you have lead the team?"
"Easiest question you've asked." Prowl replied. "This mission was made for Mirage."
"Mirage?" Optimus asked, arching an optic ridge. "You think he's ready for a command?"
"I'm sure of it." Prowl replied firmly.
"You'll need someone with aquatic experience." Arcee noted, looking at the hologram of the energon river. "Do we have anyone with aquatic experience?"
Prowl grimaced.
"Ugh...no. Not at all. But I know a guy. One of Magnus's guys. In Tetrahex. I can have him sent over."
"Who?" Optimus asked.
The hangar door opened, and a white, yellow and blue hovercraft hissed in, his fans blowing him across the metal floor, as the rookies turned to look at him.
The small mech transformed up.
Into a cheerful little bot with bright blue optics and a masked face.
"Hey guys! Name's Seaspray!" He exclaimed, walking around the hangar, he began to shake everyone's hands.
Optimus stared at him silently, with Prowl at his side.
Optics wide with confusion. And some disappointment he tried his best not to show.
"I'm not going to lie." Prowl finally said. "He looked taller in his picture."