Chapter 20: A New Era
A hatch burst open from Trypticon's smoking frame. More smoke poured from inside.
As Bludgeon pulled himself up and out of the dead Titan, and collapsed against its frame, his vents seizing.
He purged energon, a burn mark where the cortical patch had been.
He stood up, and hobbled along the massive creature's dead frame, and held his tanks.
"It's...it's over...i made it..." he whispered, watching as Metroplex transformed down in the distance, reassuming its base mode. "I'm finally...alone." He said, gripping his helm.
"No." A voice replied. Bludgeon's optics widened.
"Who...Who was that?"
"It is I." The voice declared with sneering joy. "I am grateful for your body, Bludgeon. It will serve Unicron well, where my former body has failed."
Bludgeon sank to his knees as he gripped his head.
"Trypticon?" He gasped.
"Yes. Stand, my new vessel. We serve no one on our knees." Trypticon hissed.
Optimus sat on a berth in the medibay, as the other autobots laid in matching berths all around him.
No shortage of wounded today.
Ratchet, who was himself injured from his fall, was scrambling around with Perceptor and Wheeljack, trying to get to everyone's needs.
Prime watched as Prowl was wheeled in, his frame dented from collapsed sewer. As he passed, he gave Prime a firm nod.
"We have a tomorrow, Prime." He said, reaching out and patting the mech's smoke stack. "You gave it to us."
Prime nodded back. His optics showing he wasn't quite ready to see the silver lining.
"Hundreds of thousands of others gave...much more." He replied simply.
He stood up from his berth.
His frame was in shambles. But he could still move. And he turned, looking to his battered army.
He saw Jazz laying on his berth, his back severely damaged from the fall.
Tears streamed from under the mech's visor, as he looked out of the hangar door, at the ruins beyond.
The sun was rising on the wreckage of their home.
Exposing the true devastation. The emptiness.
Cybertron as they knew it was gone.
Optimus gave the mech a firm pat on the shoulder, a look of deep sadness. Of understanding.
And he turned to the others.
As Arcee and Ironhide received replacement parts, and Bumblebee received a new arm.
As Sideswipe and Sunstreaker both walked by, joking around with Arcee, and looking genuinely ecstatic to have survived it all.
Mirage walked through the medibay, his optics cast downward.
Optimus's optics followed his movements. He stepped toward the mech's path.
And he intercepted, and embraced Mirage as the troubled mech passed by.
And though Mirage wasn't the hugging type by any standards, on this dark day, he accepted it, and let his commander console him.
"Im sorry, Prime." Mirage said quietly. "If I hadn't been the one in charge of that mission..."
"Trypticon would've awakened all the same." Optimus replied firmly. "And if I had to do it over again, you would still have been in command. You're an exceptional soldier, and I'm both honored and extremely fortunate to have you here."
Mirage nodded, wiping away an energon tear.
"Thank you, sir."
"If there's anything you need, let me know. You're not alone here, Mirage." Optimus assured. "I promise."
Mirage nodded, before walking toward another medical berth, and sitting down.
Prime turned his attention back toward the medibay of soldiers. To the medics and scientists scrambling around to treat them.
He watched it all happening around him, and he found himself thankful.
Trypticon had taken so much. Cybertron. It's people.
The death toll was getting close to a million. 94% of the surviving neutrals had fled the planet.
Perceptor had done a planetary scan that revealed less than 2000 cybertronians left on the planet.
Most of them were autobots and decepticons..
He had lost Warpath and Seaspray. Good, young soldiers. But he knew full well that the cost could have been so much higher.
And he felt selfish, for being so grateful that he had lost only two soldiers, when his homeworld had lost so much.
He stood up, and walked out of the room, his frame still battered from the many battles of the day.
And he walked through the halls, and onto Metroplex's deck, looking up at the sky.
As the flames died down. Leaving a broken emptiness in its wake.
The planet was mostly dark. Only flickers of light on the horizon. But the sun was rising again.
Twelve cities lost. Many more settlements devastated by Trypticon's attack.
But the flames were gone. And Cybertron, while heavily damaged, scarred almost beyond recognition, was still alive.
Energon continued to flow, for now.
He turned to his right and saw the cloaked figure from his office.
Standing atop Metroplex's turret, watching him.
Optimus looked up at him. Then he let out a sigh.
"You were right." He conceded. "Cybertron did burn. And I burned with it."
Alpha Trion unwrapped the cloak. And jumped down from the turret, landing noiselessly against the deck.
"Perhaps. Cybertron did indeed burn. But you still stand, Optimus Prime. And so to, do your valiant autobots. And while you live, there is still hope." He said, looking upon the horizon. "The decepticons are not yet beaten. Perhaps, if you leave this world, they will follow you."
Optimus looked at him, and nodded slowly. With some hesitation.
"Perhaps they will." He agreed, looking across the planet. "But this is my home. And even now, I have no intention of leaving it."
Alpha Trion sighed.
"I see you are far too stubborn to have your mind changed. So I won't bother." He said with a warm smile. "I will merely say that you should try your best to keep your people from this war. Your subjects. They will be safer among the stars. This war...I fear it is far from over."
Optimus nodded.
"I agree."
"I will stay here." Alpha Trion added. "If you allow it. So that I may advise you, young Prime."
Optimus nodded.
"I...am clearly going to need all the help I can get." He conceded with a nervous chuckle.
Alpha Trion nodded, turning to walk into the Titan.
"I shall make myself at home then." He said. "My metals are old, and standing before this sight...it makes me weary."
He trudged inside.
Optimus watched him go, then looked to the stars, now visible again as the smoke cleared.
And he activated his comm.
"This message goes out to all Cybertronians, those remaining here, and those amongst the stars." He declared solemnly. "Cybertron...has fallen. And while the Titan responsible has been destroyed, the war remains. I now give you a word of warning, and beg you heed it: stay clear of Cybertron. This war has destroyed everything in its path. Stay hidden. Stay safe. And when this is all over...I hope I see you all again." He stated. "My name is Optimus Prime. The sun will shine on Cybertron again, my brothers and sisters...but not today."
A mile away from where he stood, in the wreckage of the theatre, a small cat mech lifted debris with his maw.
His optics widened.
"Soundwave! He's here!" Ravage called.
Soundwave ran towards him, and looked down, sa dly, at the mangled grey corpse.
"He's scrapped." Rumble commented. "What a waste of time."
"Perhaps." Soundwave replied. "But we will retrieve him all the same."
Meanwhile, in Kaon, amidst the superstructure of Darkmount, which towered over the city, Starscream stood tall before a throng of decepticons.
"My decepticons!" He shouted, a makeshift golden crown upon his head. "While I deeply regret the fate of our dear ruler, the time for mourning is over! The time for vengeance is now! We shall strike back against the autobot scum, as Megatron would have wanted!"
The decepticons slowly, loudly began to chant.
"All hail Starscream! All hail Starscream!" As the energy level of the angry, downtrodden but vengeance driven crowd began to rise.
Starscream grinned, soaking up the moment.
Only for it to be rudely interrupted by a blast.
A purple ray cut through his back, and exploded out of his cockpit.
He sank to his knees, energon pouring from his mouth, his optics wide with shock.
He turned around, as a figure strode out of the shadows.
"Forgive me for intruding, Starscream." The ice cold voice said, a single yellow optic piercing through the darkness.
The crowd was silent as Shockwave stepped out, his hand cannon smoking.
Starscream began to back away, but Shockwave slammed his foot down on the mech's wounded chest, causing him to cry out in pain.
"But I simply could not allow such an illogical violation of the chain of command to go unchecked." He concluded. "I am assuming command of the decepticons." He stated plainly, his optic glaring out at the sea of faces. "I care not for your squabbles, or personal opinions, or petty self interests. I am going to lead us to victory." He looked down at Starscream, as he whimpered in pain. "Now someone come repair this one. I need him alive for what comes next."
To be continued in Wrath of Shockwave
End credits song: Walk Through the Fire by Zayde Wolfe
Cast:
Optimus Prime: Peter Cullen
Prowl: Steven Blum
Arcee: Laura Bailey
Mirage: Luc Roderique
Bumblebee: Tom Holland
Ratchet: Robert Foxworth
Ironhide: Roger Clark
Jazz: Jamie Foxx
Alpha Trion: Jude Law
Sunstreaker: Chris Pratt
Sideswipe: Nolan North
Sky Lynx: Jim Carter
Bluestreak: Troy Baker
Warpath: Jamieson Price
Brawn: Dave Bautista
Wheeljack: Paul Rudd
Perceptor: Ben Whishaw
Blaster: Bumper Robinson
Ultra Magnus: Keith David
Hound: Manu Bennett
Cliffjumper: Travis Willingham
Seaspray: Jack De Sena
Elita-1: Tara Strong
Metroplex: Fred Tatasciore
Windblade: Danai Gurira
Megatron: Frank Welker
Starscream: Steven Blum
Soundwave: Frank Welker
Shockwave: Tom Hardy
Bludgeon: James McAvoy
Skywarp: Jason Isaacs
Thundercracker: Nolan North
Trypticon: Tony Todd
Im going to be completely honest with you all. I'm not sure if I'm going to post the sequel.
When I first started this series, I planned for seven stories, all of them pre-Earth. But this story landed more with a thud than a bang, and I didn't keep up with it as much as I should have. I did a terrible job keeping this story on schedule and I'm truly sorry.
The sequel, Wrath of Shockwave, is written but definitely needs work before it's ready to be posted.
It's set to introduce Grimlock to the fold for the first time in the series, to help (?) the autobots as Optimus faces off against the Shockwave-led Decepticons.
I'm currently 50/50 on whether to continue with it, but either way, to anyone who read this story to the end, I am extremely grateful, and it has been an absolute joy writing these three transformers fics. Thank you so much to everyone who's kept up with them, and I genuinely hope the next one is posted soon!