Orion woke in the darkness. The feeling faded in and out but it was there. Fear.

"Elita?"

He heard felt her come online and heard her move. "What?" she mumbled, sending confused comfort over the bond… But the fear was there too in the background. Fear, despair…

"Are you all right?"

"Fine," she said.

The feeling faded and disappeared.

"What's wrong?" she asked groggily.

"Something," Orion said. "Something's wrong. I don't know what… I keep thinking…"

"Did you feel something unusual over the bond again?" She was concerned now. "Maybe you should go see a medic."

Orion sat up. "Maybe," he said. The feeling was gone… but this had happened several times over the past orn. He needed to figure out what was going on… "I'm… going out. I need to think about something."

"Okay," Elita said. "Can I come with you?"

'No, I…" he needed some distance from her.

She was worried now, but it was a different kind of worry than the one that had pulled him from his recharge. She sat up as well and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Are you all right?" she said.

"I don't know," Orion said. "I think so. I just need to figure something out. Go back to recharging. I'll be home by dawn."

"I don't know if…"

"I need to go for a walk and think about something," he said. "I promise I'm fine, don't worry. Just get some recharge."

Elita took in a deep vent. "All right," she said. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." He smiled at her. "I promise."

Orion got up and left the apartment. He took the elevator down to the street and went outside. Since Iacon was on the north pole, it was never completely dark, but never really light either. Unless you lived up in the towers, you never actually saw the sun as it skimmed the horizon all on-cycle and all off-cycle.

Orion transformed and drove. The streets were less crowded during the off-cycle, but there was always activity here. As he drove, he paid attention to his bond. Every once in a while, he could feel it again—that second set of emotions there. It had a distinct Elita feel to it so he knew it was her. It had to be her. He realized that every time he focused on it, it disappeared, so after a while, he pulled off to the side of the road and sat in vehicle mode, trying to relax and let his processor wander.

Yes. There it was. Fear, anxiety… He tried to reach out to comfort her and the response was overwhelming. It was desperate, pleading, almost words. I need you!

And then it was gone again.

Orion moved to the walkway and transformed. Other mecha drove past as he stood and looked out at the dusk-colored city. Somehow, somewhere, Elita was in trouble.

That feeling, that connection was stronger and more real than his connection with the Elita who was back in their apartment. This world was perfect. Everything was happening exactly the way he wanted it to. It had seemed strange before, but now he was certain. His current life was an impossibility.

"This is fake," he muttered.

"No it's not."

Orion spun. A mech who he didn't recognize stood just a few paces away. "What did you say?"

"This is real," the mech reiterated. "It's simply another version of reality."

"Who are you?"

"Young Prime…"

"Elita is in trouble. Where is she? How did you… who are you? And… I'm not a Prime."

The mech frowned. "Elita is not in trouble."

"Who are you?"

"My designation is Vector," the mech said.

"Vector Prime?"

The mech nodded once.

Orion looked down, trying to put everything into place. "Am I dreaming or something?"

"No."

"Why is everything so… it's all wrong. It's too good to be true, tell me what's going on."

Vector Prime frowned. "I almost don't want to. You're cheating somehow."

"What?"

He huffed. "This version of reality you are currently in is the version where you are the happiest. All of the things you wished were true have become true. All of your friends and enemies have ended up where you wanted them to be. The world is becoming, and will continue to become, the utopia that you only dreamed of in your original reality."

"So there's… another version of reality where I was before? I don't remember…"

"Correct." Vector Prime said. "But you do not want to return there. It would be better for you to remain."

"Why? What happens in that reality?"

"Are you certain you want to know?"

Orion hesitated, but only for a moment. That reality was the one where Elita was in trouble. "Yes," he said. "Tell me."

"In that reality, things were not resolved peacefully. Senator Shockwave was sent to an experimental reprogramming facility, you started a resistance that resulted in violence and war."

"War?" Orion said. "No. I…"

"You started a war. And currently, in that reality, you are continuing it. The former gladiator Megatronus has raised an army, and is trying to overthrow the Council system by force, and you, young Orion Pax, have been chosen as a Prime, and are expected to lead an army of your own against him."

"What…" Orion said. "That can't be true. You… I'm just dreaming, and I'm going to wake up and… I don't know. That's ridiculous. Megatronus is a good mech."

Vector Prime just looked at him.

Silence fell between them. Orion couldn't believe it. That didn't sound like another version of reality, that sounded like a nightmare.

"None of that happens in this reality. In this reality, your actions will not result in loss of lives, Megatronus is a good mech who now benevolently rules Kaon, and Shockwave is the head of the Iacon Council. In this reality, you are happy, and you do not bear the burdens of a Prime. But you may leave if you want. It is your choice."

Vector Prime disappeared.

Orion was almost too overcome to be shocked or confused. He put a hand to his helm. How was it possible? How could Orion have started a war? He couldn't have. He'd never start a war. He couldn't be a Prime either. He didn't want that power, and he wasn't worthy of it in any case…

In this reality, everything was perfect.

But in that reality, Elita was in trouble. She needed him.

Smoke and dust filled the atmosphere.

"Ironhide, they've taken the groundbridge control building and put a shield around the whole sector. We can't bridge you out of there."

"What!" Ironhide demanded, spark sinking. He dodged one plasma blast, winced as a second hit his armor, and then returned fire. If the Decepticons had put up a bridge shield, that meant there would be no escaping. The 'Cons had broken quickly through the Autobot lines, and Ironhide had almost decided to call a retreat.

It was too late now.

He heard Elita's voice over the comm. "The Decepticons are demanding that we surrender."

A nearby explosion shorted out his audios for an astrosecond, but he could still hear his friends arguing over his comm.

"We can't surrender!" Red Alert said. "They'll just kill everyone."

"They'll just kill everyone if we don't surrender," Mainspring said.

"'Hide, do ya think ya can get ta the control building?"

"I don't know," Ironhide growled. "Where is it? Do you think we can get there?"

Ironhide's unit was holed up behind a large pile of rubble that had once been a suspended bridge. The Decepticons were advancing on their position, trying to surround them. It wouldn't be long. And the battle was going about as badly everywhere.

"Doubt it," Jazz said. "It's not too far, but even if ya did get there, it's pretty heavily guarded."

"Well, we can't surrender," Ironhide said. "So figure out a way to get us out of here!"

"For starters, can ya take your unit down a level?" Jazz said. "Ya're getting surrounded, mech."

"I know that," Ironhide snapped. "There's no way down to the next level for at least a block in all directions."

"Cut a hole down to the next level and drop."

"Are you insane?"

Jazz didn't answer.

Ironhide sent orders to the mecha in his unit to start trying to cut through the ground so they could go down to the next level of the city. He listened to the frantic chatter over the open comm. Jazz and Mainspring were directing the Autobot troops from their side. Red Alert was overseeing everything and making decisions. Ironhide had decided to come out here and be the ground commander, like he had for previous battles. He'd known his survival chances were a lot lower this time, but he'd rather be out fighting for his life alongside his soldiers than cooped up in Mirage's tower, watching the battle unfold.

Ironhide leaned out into the open and fired a couple of times, taking down a Decepticon with each shot before ducking back behind his cover.

"Okay," Jazz said "I've kinda got a plan for taking out the groundbridge shield. I need ya ta merge with a couple other units of Autobots, though, so when the shield goes down we can bridge all of ya out. Get down ta that lower level."

"What's your plan exactly? How risky is it?"

"Hey, I'm trying ta have ten fragging conversations at once here, just trust me!"

Ironhide sighed. There was another nearby explosion and he heard screaming.

A plasma shot hit him from behind.

He spun and returned fire through the smoke and dust. There were Decepticons on all sides now.

Down to his left, his soldiers finished cutting a hole in the ground. Ironhide ordered all of them to jump down and covered them as they lowered themselves into the darkness. They'd have to leave the injured behind. There wasn't time to try and bring them.

Ironhide followed the last of his mecha into the hole, and landed heavily on the street below. Jazz told them which way to go, and Ironhide led the charge through the dimly lit understreet. Burning debris fell from the upper levels. The city was on fire. They ran into a group of Decepticons. Ironhide slammed into one, knocking him off the edge of the street into a deep chasm. The next Decepticon blocked Ironhide's first few attacks, but then Ironhide shoved him off the edge too, and pushed through the rest of the group.

He and his soldiers ran forward again, following Jazz's instructions. He'd lost a few more mechs and was down to about fifteen in this unit now. They ran into another group of Decepticons, but managed to fight them off too, then came up a set of stairs to the main level.

Nearby, Ironhide could see a ring of Autobots—surrounded and shrinking.

"Jazz, this group is completely exposed!" Ironhide said. "They're all going to die!"

"Not if we get them a bridge! The shield should go down in less than a breem!"

"Are you sure?"

Jazz didn't answer.

Great.

Well, better to go down fighting. Ironhide charged toward the Autobots, firing on the rear of the Decepticon forces. His mechs followed him, shouting as well and adding their own plasma fire to his.

An explosion shook the ground, and those still on their pedes fell to their knees to hide behind the barrier as the wave of burning shrapnel passed overhelm.

"Go!"

Impactor launched over the barrier and his mecha charged toward the next defensible position.

"Hey, Impactor!" Jazz's voice said over the comm.

Impactor answered. "What?"

"Could ya pick up the pace? We're running out of time."

"We're trying, all right."

The closer they got to the building where the groundbridge shield generator was, the more Decepticons they ran into.

"Try dropping down a few levels. We just got intel that the power source for the shield is three levels underground. If you can take that out, we can bridge everyone home."

"Got it," Impactor said, and sent a comm. to his mechs to let them know they were about to change directions.

They'd originally been asked to fight their way into the control room and try to shut it off normally. Blowing up the power source could cause a lot more destruction, and was even more of a suicide mission.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

He hadn't exactly been planning to die this orn.

"Boss?" one of his mechs asked.

Impactor held up a hand, trying to figure out what route they should take. He had a map of the city-state, and the lower levels near here were maze-like.

"How long do we have?" he asked Jazz.

"No time," Jazz said. "We need those bridges five breems ago."

The Autobots were losing. With that shield up, the only way to retreat would be to break through the Decepticon lines, and everyone was probably surrounded.

"Okay," Impactor announced to his mecha. "We've got to move faster. No more caution. We're going to drop a couple of levels and find the shield's power source so we can destroy it. Let's go." He shared the new destination coordinates with them, but only gave them half an astrosecond to look at them before leading the charge out into the open. He and Springer went in front, barreling through the mass of Decepticons blocking them. They broke through the lines and kept running. Impactor let himself fall behind a little, and guarded Springer's back. The big green gladiator didn't slow down as he crashed through another group of Decepticons, and then—following an order from Impactor—ran down a staircase that led to a lower level of the city. There was fighting down here too. In the distance, Impactor could see a small group of Autobots surrounded by a sea of Decepticons. There was nothing he could do about that. He counted his mecha as they came sliding one by one down the stair rail. They were missing a few. Oh well. He led the way along another long road at a full sprint. He was one of the biggest and definitely the slowest, and the others had no problem keeping up with him.

They ran into another group of Decepticons at an intersection, but made short work of them and kept going, dropping down to the third level as they approached the building. They got to the outer wall and used a couple of charges to blow a nice big hole in it. Hopefully, the sound would be masked by the cacophony of the battle.

"You in yet?" Jazz's voice sounded desperate.

"We're here, we just need to find the thing and set the charges."

They ran through the building, using schematics that Jazz had sent to Impactor, until they found the room they were looking for.

Impactor burst in, and fired at the two guards stationed there. Both shots hit their mark, but not before one of the guards put his hand to the side of his helm to activate his comm.

There were two doors into the room. Impactor wasn't sure how long it might take for Decepticon back-up to show, but he and his team needed some time to figure out how to destroy this thing.

"Springer, Rotostorm! Defend the south door, Seaspray and Speedblaze, you take the east door, buy us some time to figure out how to blow this thing up."

There were cheers and the mechs he'd named moved into position.

The power source seemed to be well-built and sturdy, but it wasn't meant to withstand powerful explosives.

There might be a back-up power source, though.

Better to find a way to bring down the whole building if they could.

A plasma beam came streaking through one of the doors and Springer dashed out into the hallway to fight the 'Cons there.

And if the Decepticons got into the room and managed to diffuse the bomb after Impactor's team left…

He watched nervously as his mecha set charges and listened to the sounds of fighting that could be heard outside both of the doors now.

"Okay," he said over the comm. when he could tell the explosives were nearly ready. "We can't let the 'Cons get in here and ruin our nice work before those bombs go off. We're going to split into two groups and go out those doors. We'll get as far away as possible while still holding the 'Cons off, until the last ten astroseconds, and then we'll run like pit away from the building."

He waited for someone to question him. After all, they'd only been really working together for a short period of time, not long enough for them to trust him completely. But no one argued. He could see the grim determination on their faceplates, though. This plan involved a lot of risk, and no one wanted to be close when a battery that size blew up. It might take the whole neighborhood out.

One of his mechs set the bomb. "One breem," he said over the comm.

"Go!" Impactor shouted, and relayed the update to Jazz and Mainspring.

They rushed the doors, piling out into the hallway. The Decepticon reinforcements were pushed back, all the way up the flight of stairs and into the hallways on the second floor. His mechs worked quickly, emptying the entire floor of Decepticons before moving up toward the level with the actual control room. There they met with more resistance, and couldn't even get to the stairs. Fortunately, the Decepticons didn't seem to be trying to come down the stairs either, just hold their position.

Twenty astroseconds left.

Impactor stepped back while his mecha continued fighting. There was an open doorway nearby, leading onto an empty road.

Eighteen astroseconds.

Ten wasn't long enough.

"Go!" Impactor shouted. "Fall back now! South exit! South exit!"

Several transformed and sped out the door. The road outside was long and straight and empty of Decepticons—their best bet out of here. Impactor covered their retreat before stomping out the door. He transformed as well and took up the rear, though his alt mode wasn't that much faster than running.

Twelve astroseconds.

Eleven.

Ten.

Elita shuttered her optics, listening to the cacophony of noise, both in the room and over the comm.

"Come on, come on, come on…" Jazz muttered anxiously

"We only have 73% of ground troops responding,"

"They're getting closer."

"Everyone's surrounded…"

"I know! Ironhide, keep that gap in the Decepticon lines open, there's another group joining you!"

"We need to retreat in less than two breems or it will be too late! We're not going to make it!"

"We'll make it!" Mainspring said. "Just ten astroseconds! Ten… nine…"

She could feel Orion's emotions over the bond. It had been acting strangely since he'd started this trial. Sometimes it felt like he was trying to reach out to her, but the connection was muted somehow, and she didn't think he could really feel her. There had been one moment, earlier on in the battle, where she'd felt him respond to her, and she'd reached out, desperately begging him to come back. They were going to lose without him.

Of course, even if he was here, there wouldn't be much he could do. At this point, he was unhappy about something, and she wasn't sure what that meant but it wasn't helping her feel any better about the situation.

They were waiting on some unit who'd been assigned to get into the control center and blow it up. That would bring the shield down, so the Autobots could retreat through groundbridges. But it was taking longer than they'd expected. Every astrosecond cost them lives. They were running out of time.

Chromia gasped. Elita looked over as her sister leaned over in her chair, faceplate scrunched up in pain.

Ironhide.

No.

"Hide!" Jazz said. "Frag it!"

Elita left her chair and sprinted over to Chromia. Moonracer came over as well. If Ironhide offlined, Chromia's life was in danger too.

"He's hurt," she gasped. "He's hurt... I think he's unconscious."

"The groundbridge shield is down! We can bridge them out!" Mainspring said.

"And you can bridge us in!" Chromia said through gritted denta.

Elita and Moonracer looked at each other.

There was no one to tell them no.

The explosion broke the world. Impactor felt himself thrown forward by the shock wave, and he and all the others flew through the atmosphere. The thunderous sound that accompanied the success of their mission rang in their audios.

They all crashed into each other and skidded along the ground before coming to a stop in a heap. Impactor felt what seemed like hundreds of little bits of hot shrapnel hit his back, cracking his armor, and he shuttered his optics as a wave of paint-blistering fire washed over them.

When it was past, he heard the others stir, and forced himself to a kneeling position. "Everyone check in."

They all responded, letting him know they were alive and conscious. Impactor himself had been closest to the blast and his frame had shielded many of the others. It looked like just about everyone had gotten some pretty nasty metal burn, though.

"We made it out." He sent the comm. to headquarters, though not with much hope of an answer. They'd be busy trying to orchestrate the retreat.

He was surprised when Mainspring answered almost immediately. "Give me your coordinates and I'll get you a bridge."

Billowing clouds of smoke glowed green, illuminated by the groundbridges. Pockets of Autobots collapsed in on themselves, crowding through the spinning portals. The Decepticon forces surged forward, screaming their victory, taking as many of their retreating foes as they could, until the Autobots had disappeared and the groundbridges closed.

Slowly, the lights went out, one after another.

Until there was just one groundbridge left.

"Keep holding!" Chromia insisted. She knew they were running out of time. In half a breem, she'd have to call for a retreat, or they'd lose all of these soldiers.

They couldn't find Ironhide. He was injured, not offline, and she wasn't going to leave him here. If the Decepticons found him, they'd capture him, and there was too much information in his processor that they couldn't afford to give to the 'Cons. Chromia clung to that excuse, knowing that even if she hadn't had it, she'd still be doing this—putting other mecha's lives in danger for the sake of her sparkmate.

Elita fought beside her. Moonracer was up on the roof of a nearby building, searching. She had good optics, and very good aim with a rifle.

"There! I think I see him!" Moonracer said.

Chromia nodded, refusing to let her relief overwhelm her. This was not over yet.

"North northwest of your position. About 0.015 Clicks"

"Chromia, if you try to push through, you'll get stranded," Mainspring's voice said. "That's far behind enemy lines. You're also running out of time. If the line collapses, not everyone's going to make it out that bridge."

"However," Jazz said. "If ya make the retreat call, and let the 'Cons pass you…"

Chromia listened to Jazz's plan, then gave the orders.

She and Elita and a small group of Autobots dropped to the ground and played dead while the rest started their retreat. Moonracer jumped off of the building she was on and retreated with the rest of them. Good. Chromia had been worried she'd argue about that.

The Decepticons raced past. Chromia shuttered her optics, listening, waiting as the enemy soldiers charged the retreating Autobots.

The sound faded slightly as the Decepticons left them behind.

"Now!"

Chromia leaped up and sprinted north-northwest. She fired and hit a Decepticon straggler in the optic, then took another one down with a knife in his spark chamber. Off to one side, Elita knocked a 'Con's pedes out from under him and shot him in the helm before sprinting to keep up with the group.

Chromia measured how far they'd come until she saw Ironhide up ahead, on the ground. She knocked another Decepticon out of the way and reached him first. The others caught up and made a ring around them as Decepticons started converging on the small group. Chromia sent their exact coordinates to Mainspring. They only needed to hold for a few astroseconds.

Then she stood and joined the circle. Several of her mecha fell before the bridge opened right next to them. Two of the Autobot soldiers grabbed Ironhide and carried him through the bridge. Chromia and Elita followed and came out into the groundbridge station, which was full of commotion and shouting. "Take Ironhide straight to Ratchet. He's waiting." Jazz's voice said, and then gave them directions. Chromia beckoned the soldiers carrying her sparkmate to follow her. Elita came too, and Moonracer pushed through the crowds and joined them. These soldiers were covered in soot and energon. So many were injured—so many offline. Chromia was still getting death toll estimates. They'd had to leave a lot of mecha behind. The Decepticons would have hundreds, maybe even thousands of prisoners.

But they'd pay.

Chromia would see that Megatron paid for all of this death and destruction somehow.

They got Ironhide to Ratchet, who left the other mech he'd been working on and came over. All the injured were on the ground in neat rows. Medics rushed back and forth, rolling equipment, trading tools, and talking in quiet, sharp tones as they worked. Mecha screamed and moaned and offlined.

Elita let out a choked sob, and Chromia turned to look at her, suddenly terrified that she was hurt too. She couldn't see any injuries, but Elita's faceplate was buried in her hands, and she swayed, as if she were about to fall. Chromia stepped closer and put her arms around her trembling sister to support her.

"Ellie?"

"I…I killed someone," Elita sobbed.

Chromia shuttered her optics and held her sister more tightly. Moonracer joined them, and they stood there with their arms around their sweet, gentle Elita while she cried.

Yes.

Chromia would make sure Megatron paid for this.

Notes:

1. Heads up, I'm going to be posting on Saturdays for the next couple of weeks.

2. Thanks for reading and reviewing!