New chapter everyone! Plus I also got some updated pictures of Magma and SeekGazer on my profile at deviantART. My profile is still under movieexpert1978. This chapter takes place during the episodes T.M.I, Stronger Faster, and a little bit of One Shall Fall. Happy spring...finally. Thanks for all the favorites and reviews.
I don't own Transformes Prime as the show is owned by Hasbro.
Ch. 13: Old Memories
Days and days went by and soon Megatron thought that Starscream wasn't a prisoner at all any more, either he had joined the autobots or had gone rogue and since the autobots weren't attacking he just might be on his own. Elisa didn't like the idea of Aracnhid as the new SIC, but of course, Phoenix was all for it.
"Carrier, why not make Soundwave your second in command?" Elisa asked curiously.
"Because they need to know that someone is always watching their back." Megatron answered darkly. He had noticed she was very quiet as of late, but Phoenix paid no mind as she often sparred with Arachnid. One night he found Elisa on the open deck just lying next to the wall, looking out in no particular direction. "Do you miss him?" Megatron asked curiously.
"Not really. I've been thinking about some other things." Elisa answered.
"What other things?"
"Rhodius and Rising Dawn." Megatron flinched at the answer and he wasn't sure where to begin with her.
"Are you angry at me for keeping the truth away from you?"
"No, but I'm just naturally curious about them even though I don't like them." She answered.
"Why not?"
"Well for one they tried to hurt you and two I don't like their energy either. Magma's energy is black and ice cold while Rhodius' was red and black and it felt cold too, but not like Magma's." She explained.
"Why does their aurora make you judge others?" Megatron asked curiously.
"Because energy isn't supposed to feel cold or foreign. It's supposed to feel warm and healthy and welcoming even if the person isn't. Soundwave's energy is like that and he's a silent mech, but his energy is healthy and warm in a sense." She answered.
"Quite fascinating." Megatron said with amusement.
Xxxxxxxxx
He dreamed of younger times when Elisa was smaller that night.
"Carrier what's the purple around you?" Elisa asked curiously one day making him blink in confusion.
"What do you mean purple?" He asked confused.
"The purple circle around you." She answered happily.
"Elisa I don't see a circle." Megatron said slowly.
"But it's right there Carrier!" Elisa insisted pointing to the air. He became nervous as she scooped her up and took her to the medical bay.
"Is something wrong my Liege?" Knockout asked cautiously.
"I need you to check Elisa's eyes. She says she sees a purple circle around me." Megatron explained quickly. Knockout thought for a moment before he looked at Elisa, who just smiled at him happily.
"You have a dark red circle Knockout. It looks just your paint." Elisa exclaimed.
"Really?" Knockout said with fascination. "Does Breakdown have a color?"
"Blue and orange. Blue and orange." She answered happily making Knockout chuckle.
"There's nothing wrong with her eyes Lord Megatron." Knockout said with ease.
"What do you mean?" Megatron snapped unconvinced.
"She sees our life force a …aurora if you will." Knockout explained carefully. "Some dragons can see them and others can't. It looks like Elisa can." Knockout said.
"Phoenix can see Carrier's purple circle too, but she says you have a blue circle, but I see red." Elisa added.
"That's what I thought. It changes with every dragon as each sees a life force differently, except for their creators as Elisa just said." Knockout explained to Megatron. Megatron quietly breathed a sigh of relief as nothing was wrong with Elisa.
"Thank you doctor." Megatron said before he picked up Elisa again and headed out the door.
"Bye Knockout!" Elisa waved.
"Bye, bye pretty girl." Knockout waved back.
"I was hoping Phoenix saw pink." Breakdown teased earning a harsh slap from his bondmate. In the hallway Megatron held his daughter close and kissed her forehead as the headed back to the bridge. She purred happily against his chestplates and the sound calmed his worried spark.
"Love you Carrier."
"I love you too little one."
Xxxxxxxxx
He woke up early from recharge and took out a datapad from his desk. He clicked it on and saw that Phoenix wasn't in her room, but Elisa was still sleeping. He smiled to himself and kept the peaceful image in his mind. He missed the days when she would ask him questions with a curious mind or when she would show him affection without notice of the other troops. He felt bitter at getting old as he had always imagined this differently. He had imagined himself in a berth next to a young mech with bright blue optics and a friendly smile on his face. He had imagined himself with that very mech holding a youngling in his arms…their youngling. Now those images burned away. They had turned to ash long ago, just as Cybertron once did. For the longest time there had been nothing but darkness in his mind and spark and now…
There was a light in the darkness.
And her name is Elisa.
Xxxxxxxx
"Carrier, I'm picking up an energy signature." Phoenix called out. Megatron walked over to her screen and blinked in surprise at the old signature. "What is it?" She asked quickly.
"An ancient relic from Cybertron." Megatron answered making Elisa look in their direction.
"Oh Carrier can I retrieve it for you please?" Phoenix instantly begged.
"I don't want you out in the field." Megatron nearly snapped.
"Carrier that was months ago. I can get it for you with no problems." Phoenix argued back. Elisa did her best to not let the anger in the room bother her too much. Megatron was silent for a moment as he weighed his options. He knew if he said no Phoenix would sneak off, but if he said yes…
"Breakdown and Knockout will go with you." He ordered.
"What? They would just get in the way!?" Phoenix protested.
"Either you go with them or I retrieve it myself without your help." Megatron snapped.
"Arrgh….fine." Phoenix said with a bitter sigh before she left to get the two grounders.
Xxxxxxxx
Phoenix had to smile when the autobots were there first. She nodded for the two lugnuts to separate from her as she stalked towards none other than Optimus Prime. She hated him with a passion. She didn't like his energy as it made him feel like a no good goodie toeshoes. She nodded for the drones to move in as well. She had to roll her eyes when they were the ones that opened fire first. She also noticed that the green autobot wasn't present…but that wouldn't hold up for long. She growled to herself as she waited for the Prime's back to appear. When it did she pounced. Prime grunted in surprise and twisted around so that she landed on her hind legs.
"Phoenix." Prime blinked in surprise. She only huffed in reply before she swung her tail right at his helm sending him right into Knockout. She turned just in time to dodge a blow from Arcee, who in turn swiped her claws at her causing sparks to fly at the contact with the autobots blade. Arcee kept grunting as she tried to hit Phoenix, but she easily blocked it before she grabbed the autobot's arm and threw her at Breakdown, just as Knockout let out a grunt of pain.
"Autobots stand your ground. The artifact must not fall into enemy hands." Optimus urged as he marched into battle. Phoenix tried to charge at him again, but was stopped by the yellow bot, Bumblebee with a surprise kick to the side. Phoenix snarled and fired her red heatray at him, but he kept jumping out of the way and firing back at her, which made her roar in anger at him, before she flapped her wings at him making him stumble at the gust of wind. Phoenix looked around and spotted what looked to be a cylinder device with a red top as Arcee tried to get at it. She smirked when Knockout tackled her out of the way and went to grab it.
"Come to poppa." He smirked right before the green autobot, Bulkhead, knockout him away.
"Run to mommy." He said right back, just before Breakdown grabbed him helm and Phoenix laughed.
"Say uncle…say it!" Breakdown shouted. Phoenix tried to charge at the cylinder again, but Prime grabbed her tail and swung her out of the way.
"Oh no you didn't." She growled to herself before she leaped into the air and fired her heatray right at him. Prime tried to dodge it, but she hit his arm and he went flying. She dove right at him and swiped at him with her claws making him grunt in pain. She repeated the action again and this time he fell on his stomach. Phoenix landed on all fours and swiped her tail right at Prime's face. She hoped that infernal battle mask broke, but it wasn't even scratched by the look of it, making her frown, but she was distracted by a bright red light.
"Miko." Bulkhead gasped, earning a confused look from Phoenix as he tried to stop the cylinder before it fired a laser right at his forehead. It was over in nearly three seconds and he instantly passed out.
"You really took one for the team Bulkhead. My team." Knockout gloated before they went through the groundbridge. They hurried to a lab to scan the cylinder, but Knockout seemed very reluctant to call on Megatron so she did it for him.
"Carrier we have the cylinder." She said through the com link. It brought a curious through to her mind that she and Elisa need a way to communicate with the ship other than through Carrier, perhaps Soundwave could help. Carrier and Elisa arrived a few minutes later.
"Are you alright sis?" Elisa asked curiously.
"Not a scratch on me." She smiled wickedly making Elisa slightly embarrassed.
"Well…uuuh…I'm afraid the cylinder is…empty Lord Megatron." Knockout said nervously.
"What do you mean it's empty?" Megatron frowned.
"Lord Megatron, these cylinders are not unlike batteries." Knockout started to explain and Phoenix rolled her eyes at the earthly reference. "It's data is stored within them as a form of energy. It scanned full charged, that's how we located it to begin with, but now…" Knockout opened the cylinder and nothing happened.
"Dead battery." Breakdown said.
"Did you drop it you one-eyed oaf?" Megatron snapped, earning a giggle from Phoenix.
"No Master. I wasn't going to touch the thing after it put the zap on Bulkhead." Breakdown said quickly.
"Hey you think…" Knockout said with an idea forming.
"I know." Megatron finished. "And I must find out what that vessel contained. When it comes to the secrets of the ancients, knowledge can be power." Megatron stated before he quickly left the room.
"Find out a way to get it back you two." Phoenix ordered before she left to find Soundwave.
"Carrier, what is that cylinder?" Elisa asked curiously.
"Oops." Megatron said to himself as he had completely forgotten to tell Elisa what it was. "This ancient cylinder was made back on Cybertron, during the Golden Age. Many of these cylinders contained knowledge of kind of subjects such as medicine, ancient mythology or…"
"Studies about dragons on Cybertron?" Elisa perked up.
"Perhaps yes." Megatron said calmly as they entered the bridge. "To find one here on this planet is a chance not to be taken for granted." Megatron said with pride.
"Were you alive for Cybertron's Golden Age?" Elisa asked full with the curious tone that he loved.
"Actually no, I lived in a time far beyond that. Cybertron was…not a place which I would have wanted to raise you if we were there now." Megatron said quietly.
"May I ask why Carrier?"
"The Senators and Primes had become corrupt. Cybertron was built on a system in which one was born into a certain class and stayed there. I wanted a chance for everyone to be equal and I was so close to achieving it." Megatron explained.
"What happened?"
He blinked as he remembered hurt blue optics begging him, no, pleading for him not to go, to believe that he was never betrayed.
"Lord Megatron we've detected a familiar energy profile." Knockout announced drawing him from his thoughts.
"The data?"
"Bulkhead must have left the shielded radius of their base. Breakdown and I will…"
"Fail me again?" Megatron snapped before he left the bridge and soon the Nemesis with a team of drones. He quickly fell upon the site only to be disappointed to see that Optimus and most of his team were present, except Bulkhead.
"Optimus, you're certainly not the autobot I expected to find here. Let me guess you rigged a transponder to mimic the frequency of the data I seek." He said in frustration and sarcasm.
"Megatron I have a proposal." Optimus said showing both servos open. The drones responded by drawing their own weapons, but Megatron held up his servo to make them hold.
"I'm…listening."
"Surrender the cylinder and I will return it to you fully restored." Optimus stated.
"This trinket right here." Megatron said holding it up. "And pray tell what trifles did it hold that you are so anxious to give away?"
"Accept my terms and you will find out. Do you accept my proposal?" Optimus asked after Megatron thought for a moment.
"Lord Megatron." Knockout called through the com link.
"Give me a moment." Megatron said before walking away.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Knockout asked.
"It's complicated."
"Well Breakdown and I may have located the boogie fully charged."
"Proceed."
"Just one hitch we don't have the cylinder." Knockout said quickly.
"Then bring me the head of Bulkhead."
Xxxxxxx
"Soundwave I was wondering if you could build Elisa and I a communication device that would enable us to talk through your com link." Phoenix said getting straight to the point.
"I don't want you out in the field." Megatron's voice repeated. Phoenix clenched her fist in annoyance.
"It doesn't matter. What if Elisa or myself were in a mine and boom autobots or Magma come out of nowhere and we can't call Carrier in time?" She said quickly trying to make some kind of point. Soundwave thought for a moment. He would tell Megatron of Phoenix's plan of course, but it didn't hurt to make a com device for the femmes and they really could only talk to their Carrier through the their bond.
"How delightful." Aircahnid's voice came up. He got the reaction he hoped for as Phoenix smiled before leaving.
"Thank you Soundwave."
Xxxxxxxxx
"Optimus, upon careful consideration, if you want the cylinder you'll have to take it."
With that the troops started firing at the autobots as Meagtron remained in the back. However, it wasn't long before all the troops were gone and only Megatron was left standing.
"Well in that case no one gets it." Megatron stated before he crushed the cylinder and flew away without another word.
Xxxxxxxx
Phoenix burst out laughing when Knockout and Breakdown returned empty-handed again and Knockout had something painted on his finish. Elisa covered her mouth to keep from laughing as Megatron glared at them.
"That stays on for three days." Megatron ordered with a grin.
"What?! My liege I need to remove this immediately!" Knockout pleaded.
"Would like to remain in the brig too?" Megatron asked more seriously and they left without another word. Phoenix rolled onto the floor laughing hard as Elisa giggled.
"Oh dear Primus that was too funny." Phoenix gasped with a silly grin.
"Poor Knockout." Elisa giggled.
"Whatever. He deserved it." Phoenix said before leaving. "Night Carrier." She said with a wave.
"Good night Phoenix." Megatron said back to her before she left.
"Carrier what happened on Cybertron?" Elisa asked eager for more of the story.
"I was…betrayed."
"Oh…Carrier, I'm sorry." Elisa said gently placing her hand on his arm.
"It's alright. You should know the truth." Megatron said firmly. "I was betrayed by someone I once called a brother. I had no choice but to act on my own." He finished.
"Orion." Elisa whispered.
"What?" Megatron asked, unsure if he had heard her right.
"Nothing Carrier. It's nothing. Goodnight." She said quickly giving him a kiss on her tiptoes.
"Goodnight Elisa." He said quietly.
Orion…now that was a name that he had not heard in years.
Xxxxxxxx
Three days later Knockout gratefully took off the paint, but that didn't stop Phoenix from teasing him. It just so happened that three days later Soundwave finished his communication headsets for the femmes.
"You do realize I am only allowing this as a precaution." Megatron stated firmly more to Phoenix than Elisa as they looked over them.
"I know Carrier, but it makes sense doesn't it." Phoenix said with a gleeful smile. The design was that if fit over their right horns in their matching skin color as a type of "earpiece" almost. When they pressed into the device they were able to talk through the com link. Phoenix was more than happy with the result, but Elisa was very neutral about it as she was more focused on finding new mines for them. Tonight Knockout and Breakdown were scavenging for energon, but they didn't seem to find much. The next day Elisa watched over a much smaller mine as Megatron snapped at the two.
"You call yourself a scientist. You were supposed to have located a fresh energon source by now." Megatron ordered getting right into Knockout's face.
"Apologies Lord Megatron we got a little distracted by the new autobot who attacked us." Knockout answered quickly.
"Really and what new autobot would that be?"
"Carrier!" Elisa called out as Breakdown stumbled forward before he fell.
"Ho-wah." Ratchet said eagerly. Elisa blinked in surprise as she hadn't seen the medic for years. He seemed different now and she figured it had something to do with his green optics.
"Well..uuhhh." Knockout said backing away.
"That is your fearsome new adversary." Megatron laughed. "He's Optimus Prime's medic."
"Oh no Megatron I am your doctor of doom." Ratchet said. Then before anyone could react the old medic leaped into the air and punched Megatron right in the face and sent him flying into the wall. Elisa gasped in surprise at the medic's new-found strength.
"Alright then." Megatron growled.
"For Cybertron…aaahhhhh!" Ratchet tried to charge again, but Megatron grabbed his fist and twisted his arm to the side making him cry out in pain.
"Ratchet is rather more spirited than I recollect." Megatron said confused as he held his arm with ease.
"Chemical enhancement perhaps?" Knockout suggested. Megatron slowly pulled his servo into a fist before he punched Ratchet right in his side making him bleed green energon quickly as he was quickly thrown onto his back. Elisa did her best to hide her flinch from her Carrier.
"There's your laboratory sample doctor. Find out if a chemical can do this for Optimus Prime's lapdog imagine what it can do for our troops." Megatron said before he left.
"Optimus, I've been a fool." Ratchet gasped. Elisa didn't pay much attention to Knockout boast before she heard an explosion as the other autobots arrived. She went out into the open and saw Optimus Prime leading the others as they tried to find Ratchet. Elisa stayed put until Optimus spotted her and she ran down the hall to where Ratchet was. She saw him lying on the ground covered in green liquid so she put her hand on the wound to try and stop the bleeding. He flinched and looked up at her in surprise.
"Elisa?" Ratchet gasped.
"Guess this makes us even." She said with a small smile.
"Freeze!" Arcee shouted making Elisa look up at her.
"He's bleeding bad. Carrier caused the injury." Elisa said calmly. The others looked at her confused before Optimus stepped forward.
"Thank you Elisa. We will take him to safety." Optimus said politely. She only nodded before she hurried down a tunnel and called for a bridge.
Xxxxxxx
Over the next few days Elisa was starting to get sick. She tried to maintain her post, but she kept getting weak and passing out. One night she woke up and purged hard. Something wasn't right. The air seemed to get thick and a heavy presence just seemed to wash over her at times. She did her best to hide it from Carrier, but Phoenix had to bring it up in front of him, which aggravated her to no end. Elisa had a feeling of what the cause was, but she didn't want to say it out loud to her Carrier.
"Elisa?" Megatron called out that night in her room. She didn't respond and she really didn't want to. "Elisa are you alright?" Megatron said with concern.
"I'm fine." She muttered back quickly.
"Elisa please tell me what's wrong." He begged.
"Go away." She snapped burying her head under her wings. He let out a bitter sigh as he realized he wasn't going to get any answers. He left without another word and when he got to his room he grunted in pain as another vision passed in front of him. He knew the dark energon in his spark was making Elisa sick, but why was Phoenix not affected by it? He couldn't get rid of it now not when he was so close. He had visions of his victory over the Prime. Victory was in his grasp. He couldn't give up now.
Xxxxxxx
"I did not seek out the blood of Unicron to simple keep my spark aflame, but to rule undead armies and conquer worlds and to accomplish that I require more than this mere sliver which lies within me. So where is my dark energon!?" Megatron snapped at Knockout as Phoenix just rolled her eyes.
"Out there Lord Megatron just waiting for you to reach out and pluck it." Knockout said eagerly, but Megatron wasn't amused. "But you shouldn't push yourself so hard. You've had set backs. You were in stasis." Knockout yelped when Megatron lifted him off his feet.
"Precisely why I must make up for lost time." He shouted. "I can see the future vividly, but I must ensure it's outcome for I am the rising darkness of which the prophecy speaks."