Worlds United

Sword of Damocles

The world was white, vacant aside from the four that spawned into its nothingness. Bumblebee felt the cracking of the ground beneath his feet, peering down at the deepest darkness opened in the tiniest fissures coming from Techno Storm's footing. Windblade placed a hand on Bee. She noticed the cracks as well.

"Well this…" Brainstorm hummed, looking around with hands on his hips. "is not what I was expected. I'm going to be honest, I'm underwhelmed…"

"Here," whispered Techno Storm, stepping forward.

The ground continued to crack with each step he took. The small bot stopped, looking down at his steps and back at the ones he'd taken. His optics drifted to Bumblebee. The latter could see the sense of sorrow, the pain of being unable to express his thoughts properly in this moment. Bee reached out, moving forward.

"Stop!"

Everyone froze, in ridiculous mid movement positions. Techno Storm grinned, turning away from Bee to the voice that had bellowed for them to halt. Bee relaxed, seeing the clear form of Vector Prime approaching. His expression was reminiscent of Optimus, grim in appearance but reassuring nonetheless. The guardian's eyes looked between the group, falling upon Techno Storm. They looked pained by the bot standing there.

"Vector…" grinned Techno Storm, reaching out. "Vector!"

"Opposite…" Vector shook his head. "I mean, Techno Storm. What…what are you doing here? What are anyof you doing here!?"

"Vector Prime?" whispered Windblade. "Really?"

"No way…" Bee chuckled.

"I've seen better," mumbled Brainstorm, throwing an arm around Bee's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, what?" snapped Windblade, leaning over Bee.

"I've…seen a lot of things," winked Brainstorm. "My biography could be considered an action movie."

"Noneof you should be here!" shouted Vector, slamming his sword to the ground with great force the world seemed to shake. "The worlds are closed. Travel is over! You should notbe here!"

"I'm sorry, Vector Prime…sir?" Bumblebee mumbled, stepping forward. "We just…came to get help. Techno Storm was transporting and…"

"Transporting?" perked Vector, pushing past Bumblebee to step before Techno Storm. "And this…?" He gestured to the device across the chest. "A…channeling method?"

"Yes!" cheered Brainstorm. "I think it's one of my best works."

Vector stood in silence, staring at Techno Storm. The latter stared back, visibly shaking. The cracks beneath him echoed the abyss below. Vector sighed, looking away.

"None of you…should be here," he repeated, rubbing his chin. "Especially with this power…How…" Vector lifted his head, looking off into the distance. "Perhaps, they…"

"Dying," whimpered Techno Storm, reaching out and grabbing onto Vector's arm.

Vector paused, staring deeply at Techno Storm again. He shook his head before letting out another deep sigh.

"I locked the worlds after the last incident. The chaos a single lost soul can cause across multiple timelines and dimensions," Vector sighed. "I had to be sure everyone would be safe."

"Well, according to crazy here," Windblade prompted, pointing to Techno Storm, "the worlds are dying without connection to something called the heart."

"The heart," nodded Vector, walking around Techno Storm. "The origin point."

"Origin point?" perked Brainstorm, stepping out. "As in, an original world? One where every world spreads out from? Such a thing exists?"

"The original world spreads out, continually creating and destroying worlds, but once a world is made, it should not require the original any longer," Vector argued.

"Well, Techno Storm says otherwise," huffed Windblade. She paused a moment. "Not to argue with you, Vector Prime…"

Vector Prime again stared at Techno Storm.

"It was to save those like you…" whispered Vector, placing a hand on Techno Storm's shoulder. "That I did what I did…but, perhaps, in my haste, I neglected to think of the consequences of my actions."

"What…happened?" mumbled Bumblebee. "What happened that caused all of this!"

Vector nodded, rubbing his chin. He motioned to a large screen, displayed various events.

"I have monitored worlds across time and space, but sometimes, I cannot see everything. During such a time, a runaway…criminal collected Autobots from various worlds. He used them to collect parts for his device, one that would allow him to not only travel across worlds but seek control of them. Sonic Blast…"

Techno Storm snarled, hands clenched. Bee placed a hand on his shoulder but the bot shook is off. The name seemed to ignite a fire inside this bot like no other. Vector nodded.

"Sonic Blast abused this power, and…" Vector gestured to the anger filled bot. "Techno Storm sought to stop him. He warned the travelers and they were able to put a stop to Sonic Blast. I put a stop to him for good until…an energy surge like no other went through the worlds' divide. Unbeknownst to us all, Sonic Blast had been revived…"

"What?" whispered Windblade.

"I…remember his face," mutter Bee, looking around. "I remember…Optimus that wasn't Optimus! I…"

"With his newfound abilities, he killed those that stopped him. The young Prime was the only one who could stop him, and it nearly cost him his life. Your world, Bumblebee, was caught in this ultimate crossfire. When all was done…I sealed them, so that no one like Sonic Blast could rise again."

"What happened to him?" whimpered Brainstorm. "Sonic Blast?"

"You killed him," Windblade answered. She turned to Vector. "Right?"

"Sonic Blast is beyond death," Vector corrected. "Fueled by the connection that transcends all worlds, he has lost such an ability…and perhaps that corruption has spread."

"How?" Bee spoke up, stepping forward.

"There is a connection force in the world and beyond all worlds. The power of the All Spark, the Matrix, Optimus Prime, Autobots against Decepticons…constants in a world. Sometimes, across realities, bonds can be made. The four adventurers for example, formed a bond that transcended this, that even when Sonic Blast killed three, they were able to find each other again." Vector gestured to Techno Storm. "Sonic Blast and Techno Storm were at odds long before the others entered the stage. In my haste, focused on their bond, I neglected to consider this one."

"So, you're trying to say…" Brainstorm nodded, moving next to Bee. "Is that because Sonic Blast was charged with this 'energy' that Techno Storm was as well?"

"Perhaps," Vector moved. "Techno Storm must have absorbed some of Sonic Blast's powers…and madness. Broken, uncertain, without the same motive that fueled Sonic Blast to destruction."

"And he went looking for you…for answers," continued Windblade, taking her place beside Bee.

"If Techno Storm is correct," Vector proclaimed, stepping toward his monitor, "and the worlds are dying, they require recharge, which is not an easy task."

"Aren't you the master of time and space?" huffed Brainstorm. "Can't you just, like, snap and fix things?"

"You…are a scientist, aren't you?" Vector grinned. "You remind me of Perceptor."

"Perceptor?" perked Brainstorm.

"One version of him, at least," winked Vector. "Now, to reestablish the connection properly, we will need something incredibly powerful."

"What was the energy before? The one that resurrected Sonic Blast?" Bee offered. "Would that work?"

"While the Prime connection is power, it nearly killed the young Prime beforehand, and even still, I'm afraid it will not be powerful enough for this problem."

"What about a Prime and a Megatron?" chuckled Brainstorm. "Equal and opposite forces?"

"As if anyMegatron would be willing to work with us?" snapped Windblade.

"Megatron…" Techno Storm hummed, pointing to his logo.

"No, Opposite, we will need a willing Megatron opposite of willing Optimus. If both are peace seekers, it will not work," Vector sighed. "You are suggesting a Megatron willing to cooperate with us."

"Well," Brainstorm bobbed, swinging an arm over Vector's shoulder to the best of his ability. "Would a Megatron turned Autobot, count?"

"Turned Autobot?" gasped Windblade and Bumblebee.

"You are referring to your world's Megatron," nodded Vector, slipping free of Brainstorm. "A Megatron who not only led the Decepticons during the war but turned Autobot near the end of it." Vector paused, grinning to himself. "Yes, I do believe that may work."

"Now we just need an Optimus," cheered Windblade. "That should be easy enough."

"Yeah, just pick any world and there we go, right?" chuckled Brainstorm.

"Not necessarily," pointed Vector, stepping away. "The stronger the Prime connection the better, and there is only such Prime that fits that bill."

"The Optimus from before," whispered Bumblebee. "The one I remember, the one who you said did the connection before, the 'Young Prime,' right?"

"Precisely," Vector grinned. "He is our best bet. We will need more than just Optimus and Megatron, we will also need a Matrix of Leadership."

"Doesn't Optimus have one?" Windblade asked.

"No, his world does not have such a thing."

"So, we need an Optimus, a Megatron and a Matrix. How hard can this be?" Brainstorm chuckled half heartily.