Chapter 15: Failure
Five minutes earlier.
Bludgeon stared into the massive brain module, as it slowly flickered to life. His optics were wide as he watched the neurons flare across its surface.
The dark energon, the corruption of Unicron was so evident on the module, and Bludgeon reached out to touch it.
"The secrets you must possess." He whispered. "The knowledge. The power."
He stared up at it, and unfolded an object from his side.
A tube, much smaller than the one which fed dark energon to the Titan.
A cortical psychic patch. An invention of Shockwave. Bludgeon smirked, as he looked up at the massive brain module again.
"Let us see...what a sleeping Titan dreams." He hissed.
He plugged the patch into the bottom of the brain module, and then plugged the other end into the back of his head.
His optics turned a brighter shade of red and began to flicker, and his body began spasming uncontrollably.
He let out a cry and collapsed to the ground.
Darkness. Lonely, cold darkness.
Solitude.
"A visitor." A voice boomed, tearing through the silence.
"Trypticon?" Bludgeon asked.
"I have been called many names." The voice replied. "But yes. Trypticon is the name the chaos bringer gave to me."
Bludgeon cleared his throat.
"My name is..."
"I know your name." Trypticon replied. "I see all that you are. It took me mere moments to explore the entirety of your mind, your memories. You are...fascinating. You will make a fine vessel."
Bludgeon frowned, as he looked through the darkness.
"A...a vessel?"
"Yes." Trypticon replied. "Do you resist? My vessel gets to see all that I am, all that I ever was. If you wish not to learn, I can merely...destroy your mind, and continue my search."
"No, no!" Bludgeon replied. "No. I wish to learn. I shall be your vessel. Please."
The darkness was filled with deep laughter.
"Excellent. You will learn this. The one and only certainty in life. Your life is only of value for as long as you serve the chaos bringer. The chaos bringer's will is our will."
"What is the chaos bringer's will?" Bludgeon asked.
Trypticon began to laugh again, and Bludgeon hesitatingly joined him in laughter.
"That Cybertron burns." Trypticon declared.
OST-The Fallen's Arrival-Steve Jablonsky
Optimus tried to stand, as Trypticon stomped towards them.
"Autobots! Open fire!" He commanded, raising his ion blaster and shooting at the Titan.
The autobots fired lasers up at the beast, as Ironhide ran to Warpath's side, tears welling up in his optics, as he felt his lifeless frame.
From above, there was a small explosion, in Trypticon's neck, and four tiny dots jumped from it, sliding down Trypticon's side.
The Titan didn't even feel it.
"Trypticon!" Megatron shouted, craning his neck up as he stepped towards it. "I have raised you from your slumber for one purpose! The annihilation of the autobots! You must destroy Iacon, then Tetrahex, and end this war!"
Trypticon stopped, looking down at the tiny mech, so far below.
Then he leaned down, glaring at him.
"I am Trypticon." He hissed, nearly blowing Megatron back with the force of his voice. "I take orders from no one."
"I have allowed you to rise again!" Megatron shouted. "You owe me allegiance!"
Trypticon let out a horrifying laugh.
Jazz, Bumblebee, Ratchet and Mirage came driving up to the other wounded autobots, and Mirage changed form, sprinting right at Optimus.
"Prime!" He shouted. "Prime, I'm so sorry. We didn't reach it in time, I reached the spark chamber but his immune system activated..." he trailed off. "I failed."
Optimus looked up at Trypticon, as the autobots fire dinged uselessly off his frame.
"No, Mirage." Optimus replied weakly, energon still leaking from his destroyed audio. "I failed. I failed all of us."
"Owe you?!" Trypticon demanded, stomping his massive foot. "Let me show you what I owe you, Megatron!"
He brought his foot slamming down, and Megatron dove aside, as it smashed against the ground, destroying the metal, and sending a wave of destruction blasting outward.
"Autobots, look out!" Optimus shouted, as the plains exploded around them.
"Cybertron's time has come." Trypticon hissed, as he turned to look at the horizon.
Nyon. A neutral city, and the closest one to what had once been the Manganese mountains.
Trypticon turned, and began stomping towards it.
"Optimus! He's heading for Nyon! We have to stop him!" Arcee shouted.
Optimus struggled to get back to his feet, seeing the other battered autobots try and stand as well, as the ground shook and collapsed beneath them.
"We can't." He stated sadly. "We're in no shape to fight. Autobots...fall back to Metroplex."
"Optimus, if we fall back, we lose Nyon! At least!" Arcee argued.
"Optimus, at the rate it's moving, we could lose most of Cybertron before we even have a chance to regroup." Prowl said sadly.
Trypticon stomped into Nyon, crushing buildings, and knocking over towers as he did. Screams could be heard, as he smashed through the city, leaving a trail of flames and destruction in his wake.
He turned, beady purple optics glaring down at the chaos.
And he opened his maw. And unleashed a massive purple laser beam, that incinerated multiple city blocks below.
Vaporizing thousands instantly.
Optimus opened his comm link.
"Blaster..." he called. "Are you there?"
"Copy Prime, what's going on out there? I just lost contact with Nyon!"
Optimus looked up as Trypticon tore the city apart, several blocks at a time, flames building as he left nothing standing.
The entire world shook as the buildings that weren't vaporized came crashing to the ground.
"Blaster...sound the planetary evacuation order." He commanded. "All...non military personnel...must evacuate Cybertron immediately."
There was silence on the other end.
"Optimus...you're sure?" Blaster asked.
"Do it." Optimus repeated, turning to the others. "We're going back to Metroplex. We need to repair and regroup, quickly."
Blaster and Perceptor exchanged looks.
Sunstreaker walked out to the deck, and saw flames billowing in the distance.
"Oh no." He muttered.
Blaster let out a long, slow vent, as Perceptor put a hand on his shoulder.
Then he opened all comms channels, and cleared his throat.
"This message goes out to all Cybertronians. If you have shuttles or starships in your possession, get to them immediately. Bring anyone you can. This is not a drill. This is autobot high command ordering a..." He paused, and put his hand against his audio.
Trying to collect himself.
"...a full scale evacuation of the planet. All citizens are to get to your nearest spaceport and evacuate immediately. Any who remain are risking serious injury or death. Again, please...leave your homes. Get to any spacecraft you can. Primus be with you all..."
Citizens in the city of Yus screamed, as they ran and drove down the street as fast as they could.
Trypticon's massive feet came crashing down, destroying several buildings.
"Go! Get to the spaceport!" Moonracer shouted. She was one week out of autobot academy. And now she was staring up at a Titan, as it destroyed her home.
Trypticon opened his mouth, and a laser protruded from it. A purple beam erupted, burning through buildings, vaporizing citizens.
He turned, his tail knocking over a building's support beams, causing it to tilt.
Moonracer's optics widened. She saw the building begin to lean, the metal shuddering as it's base collapsed.
"MOVE!" She shouted as a throng of people ran and drove underneath it. "GET CLEAR!"
The tower gave way, and came crashing down, slamming against the street.
Parts of the street collapsed beneath it.
And in an instant, hundreds of lives ended.
Moonracer stared in shock, as the street gave way, and the tower, and street plummeted down, crushing the residential area beneath it.
She turned and changed form, rumbling away, as Trypticon fired his beam again, cutting through four skyscrapers, causing them all to come crashing down.
"Senator! It's time to go!" Elita-1 shouted. "They've sounded the planetary evacuation order."
Crosscut watched as Trypticon left the smoldering ruins of Yus behind, and advanced toward them.
Toward Petrohex.
"We have minutes until he arrives, come on." Elita-1 commanded, escorting him firmly toward the spaceport.
"We're bringing refugees as well, yes?" Crosscut demanded. "This is a big city, Elita, we do not have enough ships..."
"Your ship will carry as many as she can." Elita-1 assured. "It won't be enough." She said firmly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But we have to do what we can."
Crosscut nodded sadly.
"Any word from Prime?"
Elita-1 sighed. Bowing her head.
"We don't even know if he survived. He was at the mountains when this Titan awakened."
Crosscut nodded.
"Primus be with him...Primus be with them all. Are you coming with us?" He asked.
Elita shook her head.
"No. I cannot. I have to stay. Get as many to safety as possible."
Crosscut nodded with understanding.
"Take care of yourself, soldier."
"You as well, Senator." Elita replied with a firm nod. "Go, now before it arrives."
Crosscut turned, and ran up the ramp of his ship, as the engines powered up.
The hallway was crammed to the brim with huddled, terrified looking cybertronians. He paused a moment, looking into their worried optics.
"It's going to be alright." He assured, with a nod. "Primus is with us."
He ran up to the bridge, as the massive vessel lifted off.
Rising above the city, just as Trypticon arrived.
Smashing through four towers, sending them all crashing to the ground, as he tore a path into Petrohex.
His massive form filling up the entire viewscreen. Crosscut stared at him with wide optics.
Trypticon watched the vessel lift off in front of him. And he opened his maw.
Crosscut bowed his head, as he heard the panic of the bridge crew around him.
"Evasive maneuvers!" The helmsmen shouted. "We gotta go, now!" He said, frantically pulling levers.
"It's going to be alright." Crosscut whispered.
As a purple beam erupted from Trypticon, and tore into the hull of his ship.
The bridge exploding around him, as the ship immediately lost engines, and began to careen downward.
Crosscut watched as a large building below them now filled up the entire viewscreen, as they plummeted down towards it.
"Primus is with us..." he repeated, before the ship slammed into the building, and exploded, igniting an entire city block in flame.
Perceptor watched the monitor. The map of Cybertron. As a red streak spread from city to city.
"What is that?" Wheeljack asked, walking up behind him.
Perceptor turned to look at him, and Wheeljack was shocked to see tears in his optics.
"Fire." He stated simply. "Our world is on fire." He said, his voice cracking.
The crumpled, beaten autobots rumbled back into the hangar below them, and Perceptor turned to look at them, as they glumly transformed.
None of them said a word, going their separate ways.
"Alright! All wounded report to me!" Ratchet shouted. "I'll do the best I can to heal as many as quickly as possible!"
"Ma'am, you're going to want to hear this." The painted, camien guard stated, walking onto the starship's bridge.
Windblade turned to him.
"What is it?"
The mech turned on the audio.
"This is autobot high command ordering a...a full evacuation of the planet." Blaster's voice said.
Windblade's optics widened.
"Is there any more?" She asked.
"You will not want to hear it..." the guard warned.
"Play it." Windblade commanded firmly.
He pressed a button on the ship's main console.
"MULTIPLE CASUALTIES AT PETROHEX BASE, IT JUST TORE THROUGH US..."
"Nyon has gone dark, I repeat, no radio signals coming from Nyon. There's nothing left..."
M
"THE SENATORS SHIP IS DOWN, I REPEAT..."
"Where is Optimus Prime?!" A staticky voice demanded.
"I NEED IMMEDIATE BACKUP IN PETRO..."
The voice was cut off, as screams filled the Camien vessel's bridge. Windblade's optics widened, horrified at what she heard.
"Set course for Cybertron. Immediately."
"Ma'am, we already have visual from one of our probes." A lieutenant said, gesturing to his console.
"I want to see it." Windblade replied, standing up.
An image was projected on screen.
Windblade shuddered, and collapsed back into her command chair.
The planet was almost orange.
Flames covered entire sections of it.
"Early estimations have the death toll in the hundreds of thousands already." The lieutenant reported. "And it should reach a million shortly."
Matrix of Leadership-Steve Jablonsky
Optimus's wounded frame shook, as he walked across Metroplex's deck, and looked up at the orange sky.
It was night. But the flames had turned the sky to a dark orange.
Like rust.
He watched as masses of starships and vessels took off for the stars, all across the world. And he watched as in the distance, Trypticon tore apart the city of Petrohex.
"It's angling away from Tetrahex." Prowl said, walking up behind him. "It looks like it'll hit Iacon first."
Optimus nodded slowly, as he looked up at the flames.
And he reached up, and removed his faceplate, then tossed it violently aside. Sending it skittering across the deck.
And sank to his knees.
"Look at our world, Prowl." He said, his optics sunken, tears trickling down his face. "I was...I was chosen to prevent this. I was made a Prime, given this body, so that this would never happen."
Prowl shook his head.
"Prime. Please don't start falling apart, not now."
"I'm not a Prime." Optimus replied, turning to look at him, with his exposed face. "I never was. My name is Orion Pax. I was never worthy of this gift, never worthy of the matrix, or the primacy. I failed, Prowl." He turned back to the flames. "Solus Prime chose me to save Cybertron. And I doomed it. I let Megatron live. I let him do this."
Prowl leaned down and put a hand on his shoulder.
"You made mistakes. We all did." He said, with a nod. "More then we can count. But this isn't because of you. And frankly, maybe you're right." He agreed, looking Optimus in the optics. "Maybe you're just Orion Pax in a bigger body. Maybe Solus Prime picked the wrong guy to take the matrix. But it doesn't matter now. None of that does."
"Of course it matters." Optimus replied, leaning over, his tears dripping down onto Metroplex's deck. "We could've avoided this Prowl, there had to have been a way, and I didn't find it!" He shouted.
"Maybe. Maybe there was a way." Prowl agreed. "But it's done now." He gestured to the horizon. "Our world...is burning, right now. But as long as that monster falls, there's still a tomorrow. And as long as there's a tomorrow, there's still hope."
Optimus looked up again.
"How...can Orion Pax defeat something like that?" He asked, gesturing to it. "I...couldn't even defeat Megatron."
"I don't know." Prowl replied, standing up, and walking over to the discarded faceplate.
He leaned down and picked it up.
"But your autobots are downstairs right now. And they're angry. And they're scared. And so am I. And we don't need Orion Pax right now." He walked back to the mech, and held out the faceplate.
"We need Optimus Prime."
Optimus turned and looked at him. Then down at the faceplate.
He hesitated, looking back at the devastation. Prowl let out a deep vent and continued.
"Because hope is all we have right now. And Optimus Prime represents hope. Don't take that from us. Not now. Please."
Optimus let out a long sigh, then grabbed the faceplate.
He stood up, and slid it back into place, then nodded slowly.
"Contact Tetrahex immediately. Tell them we'll need reinforcements and air support. We need a ground team with an emphasis on speed, that can redirect all energon in the city into Metroplex. We need him."
"Yes sir." Prowl replied, following him inside.
Optimus looked back at the Titan as it tore apart Petrohex.
"We aren't finished yet. I swear to Primus we're not." He declared.