As the leader of the opposing faction said, "I HAVE RETURNED!"
I've been working on "Mirrors" and "Prime: Beast Saga" so much that I haven't had time to keep this one going for a while. Ah well. Now I have time and I intend to use it!
This chapter is an adaption (or part of an adaption) of "Darkness Rising Part 2"
The sickly green of the Autobot Ground Bridge lit the mine like a corpse's candle, lighting the way for two menacing creatures.
"Of the energon deposits we've located in your absence, Prime, this one is, by far, the most significant!" the rough grate of Cliffjumper's voice filled the cavern, and the Autotrooper drones quickly resumed their work, hardly desiring to be caught shirking now that Optimus Prime had returned.
"As you can see, we've collected a pretty hefty stockpile." the blue mech was practically preening as he motioned to a passing drone. "You there! Go get me a sample!"
A sharp voice cut over his. "Cliffjumper!"
The ground shook beneath their pedes as the hulking frame of Optimus Prime emerged from the shadows, red optics gleaming with disdain. "Now that I have returned, I will issue the commands."
Cliffjumper gulped and quickly stepped to the side. "Of course, Prime. Should I have Goldbug prepare the Space Bridge for the Autobot troops you must have been gathering in the three years you were gone?" the sarcasm was only barely concealed in his tone.
It was not lost on the usurper Prime. "My army will come," he snarled, "But I have discovered a more...intriguing means of materializing them."
That didn't sound to Cliffjumper like anything that had his best interests in mind. His suspicions were confirmed when the black and purple mech withdrew from his subspace compartment a jagged piece of turbidly glowing matter that practically screamed "Unclean! Unclean!" at him.
"It is the solidified substance the ancient texts refer to as The Blood of Unicron."
Cliffjumper trembled and pulled his armor close to his body in discomfort. Even for an Autobot soaked in the energon of countless innocents, the name of the Chaos-Bringer inspired fear and loathing of the deepest kind.
The sickly purple glow entranced Optimus Prime, who stared into the depths of the crystal with a frenetic light in his optics. "Legend has it that The Blood of Unicron can bring back the dead," he said, almost casually.
There were other, darker rumors connected to the corrupting substance, of course, but Optimus chose to mention the most useful of its attributes. He saw no need to reveal all to his second in command—or to anyone else, for that matter. Beneath his battle mask, a cruel smile played over his lips.
"Of course, we require a body to make certain. Cliffjumper, are you willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of the Autobot cause?" It was almost amusing to see the normally brash mech squeak in panic and take several steps back.
"Actually, Prime, there's no need!" Cliff thanked his lucky stars that the incompetent drones in the base had failed to dispose of the Decepticon he'd killed. He snapped his servos and a hover sled was brought in, carrying the small, pitiful form of a once-lively Seeker.
"Consider it a 'welcome home' present, sir," Cliffjumper announced proudly.
Scarlet optics narrowed, then widened in interest. "This is one of Megatron's urchins!"
The smaller mech puffed out his chestplates proudly and strutted back and forth. "Yes, yes it is! I slew him!" he practically crowed.
Something like a scoff wrenched itself from the Autobot leader. "Perhaps you are of some use to me, after all." It was not clear whether he spoke to the SIC or to the corpse.
"Junebug, I need you!"
Knock Out's tone was not urgent, but sounded a little petulant.
The woman smirked and shook her head. "Duty calls," she said with a shrug.
She hopped down from the console and opened her comm link. "It's ST3V3 again, isn't it?" she asked dryly.
"No!" a different voice yelped.
"Yes, yes it is." the medic's deadpan voice corrected.
"It wasn't my fault this time!" ST3V3 wailed as June shut off the link.
At the door, she paused and turned. "Mom, can you watch the girls and Pax?" she raised an eyebrow questioningly.
The femme nodded gracefully. "Of course, dear. You go do your job."
From his place on Breakdown's shoulder, Pax brightened. "The girls are coming today?"
His grandfather chuckled and twitched his shoulder ever-so-gently, throwing the boy lightly against his helm. "You thought we'd let them go back to life as usual?"
In another part of the Nemesis, a slender frame paused nervously outside an imposing door. He raised a hand to knock, and nearly lost his nerve. It was such a strange request, after all!
"Enter."
Apparently, Lord Megatron could hear almost-knocks.
The young mech gulped and slipped into the chamber.
"Starscream? What is it?" the colossal warrior looked up from a holographic map spread across his desk.
Starscream fidgeted slightly. "Ah...you're busy. It's not important, my lord."
Megatron rose and crossed the room. "I've known you and your brothers since you were younglings, Starscream. You've never come to me with something that wasn't important."
For a moment, the Commander's faceplate clouded with pain. "I didn't come to talk about them." he growled, turning his helm away.
A hand on his shoulder brought his attention back to the older Decepticon. "You need to talk about them, young one. Don't shut us out." Then, in a softer tone, "They were my family too."
Starscream gritted his denta and tried to keep his emotions in check. "I didn't come to talk about them!" he repeated, shrugging off Megatron's hand.
The warlord nodded sadly and stepped back. "What did you wish to speak about?" he asked gravely.
The Air Commander let out a deep vent and straightened his posture. "It's about the human femmes, sir. Is it really practical to keep letting them go to and from their homes? Someone is going to notice us going to pick them up eventually!" The words hung in the air as Megatron returned to his desk.
"I had considered it," he murmured, "But I am interested in your opinion on the matter, Starscream."
Starscream's wings flicked up a little higher, pleased to be recognized, then they drooped slightly as he remembered his outlandish idea. "I...I thought perhaps they might be brought to live here...permanently." A brief silence stretched between the two, and Starscream's wings fell.
"It's a stupid idea, I know," he sighed.
"No, no I want to hear this." Megatron gave him his full attention.
Starscream gulped. "Well, we've already proven that a human can live safely among us without fear of getting underfoot. And the Autotroopers did see both girls, and could probably identify them if they're seen again. I can't roll into the town to keep an eye on them the way Knock Out or Breakdown can, yet I feel responsible for pulling Sierra into this mess." Starscream winced when his leader frowned. "What of their families? Mikoto has no relatives here, but Sierra has a mother and father, a grandmother. Would you leave them to the Autobots?" His servos twitched and clenched into a fist unconsciously. "I will not let this become another Woodlock incident, Starscream."
The younger mech gasped and stepped back. "I never meant—" He faltered and fell silent.
Megatron's face softened. "I know. Still, we must be mindful that no being exists in a void. If we are to bring the young ones to live with us, we must have the approval and consent of their legal guardians."
Well, it was not the answer Starscream had expected, but neither was it a dismissal. He saluted respectfully. "Might I ask June to contact the Cody family?" he asked quietly.
"Do so," Megatron agreed, "And quickly. I cannot help but feel that there is a darkness rising in Jasper."
In the gloom of the energon mine, there was an atmosphere of anticipation. Cliffjumper hung to the side of the sledge, watching nervously as Optimus approached the lifeless Decepticon bolted to it.
"Let us see if power born of darkness can re-ignite the spark," he rumbled, holding the violet shard high.
He plunged it into the crater that had once been Skywarp's spark chamber and stepped away, leaving it there like the sword in the stone. An unhealthy haze oozed from the reflective surface, coating the body beneath it and the air about it. Skywarp's husk began to shudder and jolt, pushing against the restraints as the crystal sank into his frame, lighting his veins a poisonous purple. With a low hiss, his optics snapped online, but they were empty and cold. Skywarp snarled and spat, tearing one wrist from the bolts as Cliffjumper backed away, gulping.
With one last heave, the erstwhile Decepticon tore himself from the hover sled and babbled unintelligible words in a fell voice. Then, with a shrill cry, he pounced upon an Autobot drone with savage glee, howling as he tore the mech to pieces. Another drone fired recklessly at the beast—for beast it was, no more sentient than a creature that has lived for centuries beneath a mountain—in an attempt to rescue his comrade. Skywarp gibbered and hissed as it leapt at the drone, knocking him to the ground and tearing his blaster from his arm with its own denta.
Horrified, Cliffjumper ducked behind Optimus. "That's your plan?!" he squealed, "Bring back dead Decepticons to attack us?!"
The false Prime sneered in disgust. "That is no longer a Decepticon, nor even a Cybertronian. It is no more than a mindless animal with but one instinct: to kill."
Skywarp's helm twisted slowly to look at them, stretching the neck cables to a length they ought not have been able to reach. Bright blue dripped from its denta as it uttered a guttural hiss, swaying back and forth. Suddenly, it charged.
Cliffjumper dove to the side as Optimus equipped his blade and swung down just as the creature reached him. Skywarp paused a moment, confused. Then his torso disconnected from his legs and both halves tumbled over the cliff's edge and into the pit below with one last snarl.
"There, Cliffjumper, lies the beginnings of my army," Optimus declared, "The ultimate weapon...once I learn to control it."
Sierra brushed away a tear as she kissed her grandmother goodbye. "I love you guys, so much!" she whispered.
Her father, Dan, drew her into his arms. "We always knew there was a possibility of trouble when we opened the soup kitchen," he sighed, "We just didn't know where we'd send you if they came looking. Now we do."
At the door, June straightened her suit and clasped Lila Cody's hand. "We'll take care of your daughter, I promise." she smiled softly. "Our offer still stands, we have room for all of you at the sanctuary."
Sierra's mother shook her head and squared her shoulders. "No ma'am, thank you. If we don't keep that kitchen open, a lot of people are going to go hungry. I'm not afraid of g-men." Lila held her hands out for her daughter, and Sierra moved from one embrace to another.
"Be brave, sweetheart," her mother's voice shook slightly. "It won't be this way forever."
Sierra clung to the woman. "I'll call you all every night," she promised.
Dan wrapped an arm around his mother-in-law's shoulder and nodded to June. "You'd better go."
With one last farewell, Sierra Cody left her childhood home and slipped into the Aston Martin in the driveway. June settled in the driver's seat and glanced in the rearview mirror.
"You okay back there, Sierra?" she asked sympathetically.
Sierra said nothing, but she stared out the back window until her house was no longer in sight. In the seat beside her, Miko stopped texting Soundwave long enough to squeeze her friend's hand comfortingly.
Sierra felt slightly guilty. At least she had parents at home who loved her and would miss her while she was gone. No one at the hospital ward where Miko stayed had even noticed her absence.
"Yeah," she answered after a long silence, "I'll be alright."
Knock Out turned up the heat in his interior and fussed over his passengers through the radio. "I don't care if it's May," he scolded, "That hospital was freezing! Miko will catch cold if we're not careful!"
Since the arrival of the girls, the Nemesis had become a flurry of activity. Airachnid tried her best to keep the children from getting underfoot as the Decepticons increased scans for Autobot activity, but Miko's curiosity was very hard to squelch.
"It's alright," Breakdown assured his sparkmate, "They can sit in the catwalk and watch."
Not for the first time, Airachnid mentally blessed whichever soldier had come up with the idea of installing a raised platform so that June and Pax could interact with the Decepticons without getting in the way or being stepped on. Decepticons passed to and fro in varying levels of urgency as the hulking warship navigated its slow course. Miko, still dressed in her purple nightgown, waved shyly when Megatron appeared on the bridge to take the helm. He had barely spoken to the humans since Agent Woodlock had left the ship, but he offered the little girl a rare semblance of a smile.
Pax grinned at the delight in his younger friend's eyes, then turned back to the task that had been set to him. Starscream hadn't wanted to talk about his defense training since Skywarp's death, but that morning he'd handed the boy a tiny (for Starscream) datapad about something called Baguazhang style and told him that both he and Sierra were to have read it by late afternoon.
"A lot of circling, isn't it?" Sierra remarked, reading over his shoulder.
Pax nodded. "I guess there's a lot of fluid movement involved...this is going to be hard." He sighed and passed the pad to the girl.
"Huh." she scrolled through it. "I'm glad I took ballet." she grinned. "You're gonna die."
Next to them, Miko was deep in conversation with Soundwave. What do you do all day? she signed.
Spidery servos delicately spelled out Scan for Autobot activity, interfere with their plans however we can, wreak havoc on the corrupt, and maybe overthrow a regime or two if we're lucky. A smiley face appeared on the blue visor. Or, we stay here and help homeschool Pax.
As if he'd "overheard" their conversation, Megatron suddenly spoke over his shoulder. "Pax Minor."
Jack looked up from the pad and moved to the railing. "Sir?"
With a casual tone that seemed out of place coming from such a distinguished warrior, Megatron said, "8,094.22356 multiplied by 3.1434577."
Sierra's eyebrows shot up and she quickly translated for Miko, who covered her eyes with a deep sigh.
I hate math. her fingers declared.
"Is this what school is going to be like now?" Sierra wondered. She was under no misconceptions that she would ever be returning to Memorial High.
Jack closed his eyes for a moment. "25443.8493...7...5...2?"
The warlord turned his helm and regarded the boy with a faint smirk. "Are you asking me or telling me, Pax?"
The girls hid smiles behind their hands. How exactly like a teacher!
"Telling," Pax gulped, embarrassed. Megatron's smirk widened into a smile.
"Good." He turned back to the helm and continued navigation as if nothing had happened.
Does that happen often? Miko raised an eyebrow.
"Everyday," Pax sighed. "Everyday."
Agent Woodlock ran her organic fingers over her cybernetic arm stoically. "Soon, Mama," she whispered, "I'll make everything right again."
A klaxon screeched overhead, warning the soldiers of MECH that it was time for their next mission. Silently, men and women filed out of the mess hall and readied themselves for a hit and run on a government/Autobot munitions depot.
Silas stood with his back to Violet, directing troops here and there with simple nods of his scarred head. Nearly silent, the thirteen year old girl slid to stand behind the man, staring up at his broad shoulders.
"Yes, Agent Woodlock?" he asked calmly.
"Am I to assume that I will once again be excluded from the raiding party?" her voice was flat, unemotional. Silas turned and looked down at the girl sympathetically.
"Yes. You are too young for combat."
The girl flexed her metal arm. "According to whom?" she challenged, waving the limb as evidence.
Blue eyes hardened. "That's enough, Violet." He started to turn away.
"Tu m'as fait une promesse une fois." Violet's voice was calm, but her eyes were defiant. Silas sighed.
"Oui. Je l'ai fait. Mais il n'est pas encore temps. Vous deves étre patient!"
The girl snarled and slammed her cybernetic fist into the table, leaving a dent. "Patient?! Why should I be patient? The Autobots are back!" Silas looked pointedly at the dent. "You are not ready."
Her eyes narrowed accusingly. "You're afraid."
A few of the other members of MECH gasped at the boldness of the young agent's statement. Silas did not react, but his eyes grew sad. With a growl of frustration, Violet pushed past the man.
Silas frowned and caught her arm as she tried to leave. "You're right. I am afraid. Afraid of losing you."
All emotion left Agent Woodlock's face as she gently extricated her arm from Silas's grasp. "You won't lose me, Silas," she said softly as she slipped out of the room. No one heard the rough man's quiet whisper in the empty mess hall.
"I sometimes fear I already have."
"Argh! Blasted Earth tech!" Knock Out aimed a kick at the wall-sized machine, a bizarre hybrid of Cybertronian and human technology cobbled together with the express purpose of monitoring the life signals of the Decepticons.
June laid down the wrench she'd been using to tighten a bolt on Starscream's arm plating and glanced up at the medic.
"What's wrong now?" she asked with a touch of humor in her voice.
Neither one noticed the patient suddenly wince and place a hand over his spark chamber in confusion.
Knock Out shook his helm and growled, frustrated. "Skywarp's spark signature just popped back online!" he said under his breath to his assistant.
Starscream heard the whispered conversation. "'Warp is alive?" he gasped.
June's heart broke for her friend. "'Scream, honey, it could be an Autobot trap," she tried to reason with him. The Seeker leaped off the berth, faceplate set in grim determination.
"Where are you going?" Knock Out cried.
Starscream paused at the door and barely glanced over his shoulder. "If there is even a chance that my little brother is alive, I will find him." He disappeared out into the corridor, leaving June and Knock Out standing awkwardly.
"We...should tell Lord Megatron about this," June said after a moment.
"Yes, yes we should."
Ten minutes later, Megatron had assembled most of the Decepticons on the main bridge. "By now, most of you have heard the news. It would appear that Skywarp is alive, possibly injured." Those who knew Megatron could hear hope mingled with fear in his voice.
"Who's Skywarp?" Sierra asked, leaning over the railing of the catwalk.
"Skywarp was my sort-of uncle," Jack whispered to her. He motioned to the mark he still wore under his eye.
The redhead's eyes widened and her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She turned to look at Starscream and the others. "I hope you find him."
The silver Seeker inclined his helm. "Thank you," he said softly.
Megatron looked around. "Airachnid, Breakdown, Starscream and Soundwave. You will accompany me to the origin of the signal."
He turned to the rest of the Decepticons. "Knock Out, you have the con. ST3V3 and Ravage, continue monitoring radio frequencies. Sideways, Crossways, you are to patrol Jasper and ensure that no harm has come to the inhabitants since Mikoto and Sierra were removed."
As each Decepticon saluted (or turned a backflip, in Ravage's case), Megatron fixed his gaze on the humans. "Remain here."
June waved to her parents. "Be careful!" she pleaded, "Something about this doesn't sit right."
Airachnid bent to kiss her daughter's head. "Don't worry about us, Sweetspark, we've been at this a long time." She threw a playful smirk over her shoulder at Megatron. "Some longer than others." Then the femme moved to stand in front of the Ground Bridge as it roared to life. The five Decepticons charged through without another word.
Miko stared open mouthed at the vortex, and with her left hand flicked her middle finger off of her thumb. Whoa.
Knock Out favored her with a wide smile. "You've never seen Ground Bridge technology before, have you?" he asked, optics twinkling. The little girl shook her head. "Well, come here. We might as well start teaching you if you're going to live up here." Miko climbed into the proffered hand eagerly.
Sierra swung her legs back and forth from where she sat and merely stared at the empty place where the team had stood. "Think they'll be okay?" she asked Jack. She tried to sound casual, but Jack could hear concern in her voice.
"They'll be fine," he said with a small smile. "They do this all the time."
Sierra looked down. "I meant, like, if they find Skywarp and he's...not...alive. Starscream looked pretty worried."
Jack sighed and sank down to sit beside his friend. "He has a reason to be. Skywarp was one of his brothers."
"One of? How many brothers does he have?"
"Did he have. Starscream was part of a Trine, Sierra. There were three of them...he's the only one left."
The Bridge deposited the Decepticons in the energon mine, surrounded by crates of the precious substance.
"We'll scout ahead," Airachnid whispered.
Megatron nodded and the spider femme and her sparkmate cautiously moved into the maze of crates. They froze at the end of the tunnel when they came to a steep drop. The floor below was swarming with Autobot drones. Airachnid huffed.
"Now we've got a ship-load of Autobots in the same mine as our missing Seeker. That's a fun mix."
Breakdown equipped his hammer with a soft click. "Don't worry about 'em. There's no way in this 'Verse they're after Skywarp."
Airachnid glared at the former construction mech. "Why not?"
She sighed when her husband shrugged and muttered, "'Cause?"
Airachnid massaged her temples. "Yeah. This is gonna go great."
"Hey!" Breakdown nudged her. "If anybot gets nosy, y'know, just...shoot 'em. Politely." (Author's note: that entire conversation was lifted from "Serenity, part 1" in Firefly. Because Gina Torres, that's why.)
The pair quietly crept down into the chamber, sending glyph messages to the rest of the team that they had just walked into a hornet's nest. Forty minutes later, the room was in shambles and so were the drones. Several levels up, Cliffjumper felt the shockwaves.
"What's going on down there?" he bellowed into his comm link.
"Decepticons, sir! They've invaded the-" the transmission cut off. Cliffjumper gulped and looked up at Optimus Prime. The mighty mech's optics narrowed.
"It's too soon, too soon." he hissed. "Never fear, Megatron, we shall meet in battle, but not today." He turned and began to walk away.
"Goldbug, I require a Ground Bridge to my coordinates."
He held up a hand to stop his SIC from following him. "Blow the mine." was all he said.
The Decepticons burst into the central chamber just moments after Optimus had vanished into the vortex.
"Well well!" Cliffjumper strutted back and forth and pretended to look brave. "If it isn't Megatron and his deluded band of followers! Still alive I see, although that's shortly to be remedied." He dropped a small, beeping charge into the stockpile below. "I'd stick around," he jeered, "But I'm squeamish." He backed away and dashed into the Bridge just as it began to close.
"Decepticons, be on your guard," Megatron warned.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his optic, Starscream caught sight of a familiar paint scheme. "'Warp!" he shouted. "Cover me!"
Airachnid and Soundwave fired relentlessly at the drones left behind as the Seeker flew to the lower level of the chamber. He had barely landed when the charge detonated.
Blue clouds rose with a billow of heat as the energon caught fire. Starscream ignored the danger and reached for the heavily damaged form.
"Give me your hand, 'Warp," he pleaded, "We're going to get you home!"
Skywarp's helm lifted slightly, and Starscream gasped. This mech, this thing was not his brother, he could see it in the hollow, lavender optics. With an animalistic shriek, it swiped at him, dragging its torso along the walkway with its other hand.
"Starscream!" Breakdown bellowed from below, "We have to go!"
Stricken, the Seeker raised one trembling arm, aiming a rocket at the terrifying creature before him. "I'm sorry, 'Warp, I'm so so sorry!" he wept.
Starscream shut his optics and pulled the trigger. He did not look to see whether his aim had been true, he let himself fall backwards off the bridge and transformed. Barely aware of his surroundings, he followed the other Decepticons back to their own Ground Bridge. Behind him, the mine exploded into blue, obliterating any trace of energon, and Skywarp.
To be continued...
