Chapter 31
"Ugh, did it work?"
"I think it did."
Slowly the Autobots started to regain consciousness, holding their heads in pain. The Genetic Exchanger had done what it promised and they had returned back to their Cybertronian selves. The former human Autobots checked their bodies to make sure everything was intact and felt themselves to make sure it was them.
"It worked!" Ratchet exclaimed, rising to his feet.
Happy beeps came from Bumblebee. The scout stopped beeping and a look of disappointment came upon his face. He enjoyed being able to talk, it was too bad the Genetic Exchanger couldn't fix that.
"I'm sorry Bee, I know you liked having your voice. At least we can still understand you" Bulkhead said, comforting his friend.
Optimus arose to his feet, still dazed and using the Forge to help his balance. He could no longer feel the incredible power of the matrix when he tapped into it but he knew that it was now safely inside his chest. He went around to each Autobot, helping them to their feet as they all tried to stabilize themselves.
Arcee groaned as she was helped up, holding her head. Suddenly her eyes shot open when she realized where she was.
"Jack!"
She quickly pulled away from Optimus and ran over to the wall that Agent 000 had hit. Well, she wobbled over, forgetting that walking as an Autobot is slightly different than walking as a human.
Arcee knelt down to her boyfriend, happy to see his chest rising and falling. She sighed in relief when his eyes opened and he propped himself up. She hugged him tightly against her body, reminding herself to not squeeze him too hard.
The two-wheeler held the hug when she remembered that Agent 000 was still in control and quickly let him go. The agent was indeed still in control and his purple eyes showed it, but Arcee felt the presence of something else, or maybe someone else.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, the fall did a number on me but I don't think I broke anything." The agent answered. He looked at his side to inspect the damage of the blast and was surprised to see no injury whatsoever. He looked at his other side in case he got them mixed up but that too was perfectly fine.
Do you feel anything different? Agent 000 asked Jack.
Not really... this is weird. We were hit directly by a dark energon pulse. The last time that happened, Raf fell ill and could barely move. Why aren't we affected?
I don't know.
Agent 000 stumbled over to his sword and with the help of Arcee, made his way back over to the others. Optimus was the first to see them approaching and gave the agent a look of thanks. He had saved him countless times today and if not for him, the Genetic Exchanger would have been completely destroyed.
"Sir, are you alright?" Ultra Magnus said, joining them along with Miko.
"I am, thank you for your concern." Optimus replied.
Miko hoped over to Bulkhead and Wheeljack and punched them both on the shoulders."Check it out, now I can wreck with both of you!"
The two wreckers laughed and pat Miko on the head.
"I do not mean to interrupt our celebration but our next objective is to download the Iacon database. If I may have the memory stick, I can access their data from any of their computers but I will need time to download the file." Ratchet said and Ultra Magnus handed him the small device.
As the Autobots grouped together, Megatron was helped to his feet by Dreadwing.
"My liege, do you need medical attention?"
Megatron grunted and pulled away from his lieutenant, facing towards the Autobots. "You have failed me Dreadwing."
"I apologize my lord, I was occupied with Ultra Magnus and was not able to retrieve the relic."
"Enough, if we cannot destroy the Autobots when they were human, then we will destroy them as they stand."
Megatron stepped forward, getting the Autobots' attention. He activated his sword and pointed it at Optimus.
"You will fall today Optimus, human or Cybertronian."
Optimus activated his faceplate. "Megatron, you have harmed enough people already. Stand down or I will be forced to act."
"You never learn, do you Optimus?" Megatron growled. The warlord raised his sword and charged with Dreadwing next to him and Airachnid attacking from the side.
"Autobots, protect Ratchet until he has finished downloading the Iacon database." The Prime commanded before he met Megatron's sword with the hammer.
Team Prime did what they were told, pairing up and moving to their position. Ultra Magnus and Miko head Dreadwing off as Arcee and Bumblebee faced Airachnid in a 2v1. Ratchet helped Smokescreen limp over to the computer where he accessed the Decepticon database while the rookie watched his backside.
"Where is the honour in a 2v1 fight?" Dreadwing asked as Ultra Magnus and Miko flanked him.
"Where is the honour in being a Decepticon?" The Autobot lieutenant quipped.
Dreadwing frowned and activated his sword, moving towards Magnus. Suddenly a loud yell was heard to his left and he was hit hard on the face.
"Soldier, follow my lead! Do not charge into battle blindly!" Ultra Magnus ordered Miko.
The girl backed off and allowed Dreadwing to recover, the Decepticon wiping away energon from his mouth. He had to admit, the punch had hurt.
He faced the two Team Prime members in front of him, sizing them up. Although, he didn't really have a choice because they charged him, flanking on the left and right.
Ultra Magnus activated his own sword, blocking Dreadwing's slash. He kicked him backwards, right into Miko who followed up with a punch and an elbow. The Autobot lieutenant finished it up with a hard kick to the side that threw him to the side.
...
"Stop moving you bug."
Airachnid shot another web at Bumblebee who rolled out of the way. The scout activated his blaster and knocked the spider down from her little perch. She fell all the way down, landing on her extra limbs but was met by Arcee's knee to her face.
"Let me tell you something Airachnid" the two wheeler started, landing two punches.
"DON"T..."
She sliced Airachnid's limb with her blade.
"...YOU..."
She slammed her fist down on the spider's back.
"...EVER..."
She cut Airachnid's head.
"...THREATEN..."
She kicked her up into the air.
"... THE PEOPLE..."
She elbowed the spider as she came down.
"...I CARE ABOUT!"
Arcee punched Airachnid hard in the jaw, the force throwing her back and into the wall. The spider never seen so much rage come from the two-wheeler and she knew that she had underestimated her long time rival. Desperate to survive, she shot Arcee and Bumblebee in the face with webs and scuttered away, wobbling on her injured limbs.
The two Autobots pulled off the webbing from their faces but it was too late, Airachnid was already out the door heading for the medical bay.
"Airachnid..." Arcee growled, clenching her fist. She had missed her chance at finally taking out the bane of her existence.
...
Megatron and Optimus clashed, sword and hammer. Usually their fights would be intense and every hit one would land, the other would counter. However this time around, Optimus seemed to be slower, less reactive and Megatron was getting the best of him. His lack of fighting during his time as a human made him rusty and he was paying the price for it.
"You are weak Optimus" Megatron said, blocking his swing and punching him hard on the side. "You're movements are slow, your attack is predictable. What has gotten into you?"
The Prime didn't respond, instead focusing at the task at hand. He tried once again to bat Megatron away with the Forge but all he got was air. The warlord took advantage of his mistake, moving to his side and slicing at his shoulder. Megatron then kicked his arm that held the Forge and the relic flew to the side of the room.
"Don't tell me you're giving up Optimus" Megatron said, landing a couple hits in.
Optimus had to back up and regain his bearings. He was really taking a beating and he needed time to regroup.
"Come on Bulk, the boss man needs us" Wheeljack said.
"Let's show Megatron what we learned from football" Bulkhead smirked.
"The Mike blitz?"
"Aw yeah."
The two wreckers ran forward, stepping in between Megatron and Optimus. Wheeljack slowed down to allow Bulkhead to run full steam at the warlord. Expecting the wrecker to activate a weapon of some sort, Megatron was taken back when he was grabbed by the chest and pulled back.
"What in the pits of Kaon are you doing?" he asked, trying to get the big green Autobot off of him. His arms flailed to the side in his efforts.
"Now Jackie!"
All of a sudden, Bulkhead let go, taking one step back and moving to the side. Before Megatron could regain his balance, Wheeljack drilled his shoulder into him at top speed. He was thrown back, landing hard on the ground but quickly picking himself up.
"Want some more?" Wheeljack taunted.
"Indeed I do" Megatron replied. His canon started to power up and a moment later, he blasted Bulkhead off his feet.
Wheeljack ran forward to buy his friend some time to recover but Megatron brought his fist forward. At his speed that he was running plus the quickness of the warlord's attack, Wheeljack was thrown to the side by the blow. The sound of metal scrapping was heard as he skid across the ground.
"You made a valiant effort Optimus," Megatron said, turning to his rival. "But the fact remains; you overestimated your power, and that will be the reason of your demise."
A small black figure stepped forward and drew its sword.
"I don't think so."
Megatron took a second to see who it was that spoke against him. When the identity of the figure came to mind, his optics popped slightly.
"Impossible..."
"Not for me" Agent 000 responded grimly.
The warlord's expression turned from confused to interested. He sensed something different about the human compared to the first time he met him. It was a feeling inside of him that drew him closer to the agent, a feeling that he has gotten very used to over his time.
Suddenly Megatron's eyes widened even more and he began to laugh.
"Dark energon..."
"What about it?" the agent asked impatiently.
"Dark energon flows through your veins like it does for me. My blast did not have an effect on you as you already possess the dark energon inside of you. We are similar in more ways than one."
"I may have dark energon inside of me but I will never be compared to someone like you."
Megatron smirked. He understands dark energon more so than anyone could ever imagine. He's taken control over the power, over the force that once fought against him. He knew the side effects of dark energon and if not controlled, could be used as an exploit. Anger, sadness, frustration; all negative emotions trigger the force to grow until the user loses their sense of thinking. And judging by the way the human stood before him, he knew that he had not yet mastered his control.
"Do not underestimate yourself human, I can see it in your eyes. The lives you've taken, the deaths you've caused. I can see the joy you had when you ended a life." Megatron started.
"Shut up!" Agent 000 yelled and he ran at the warlord.
They clashed swords, broke and clashed again. However this fight was different, the agent wasn't using his speed or agility, only his brute strength. He kept up his onslaught, trying to slash the warlord's legs off but Megatron kept up his defense.
"Yes, I know you feel the power," the Decepticon leader continued. "The feeling that flows through your veins and makes you different from everyone else. You think your family and friends will judge you by your abilities but I disagree. Let the whole world see your power at first hand!"
Agent 000 felt the anger rise inside of him. The memories returned and the force inside of him grew. He felt his eyes turn red and he lost focus on everything around him. He focused on the being in front of him, slashing widely as if he was desperate to end things.
"Yes, you're understanding the power! Unleash your true potential!" Megatron egged him on once he saw his red eyes. He had the agent right where he wanted him. "You fear the judgment of others but you are higher up than they are. You refuse death and chaos but deep down, you know it is what you want. You strive for it, you enjoy it. To see the blood of your enemies in front of you brings calmness and pleasure."
The enhanced human didn't respond, only yelling louder as he continued his blind assault. He had no control, no means of stopping himself. His rage built with every attack that was blocked and the fact that Megatron was merely playing defense made him angrier by the moment.
Suddenly a mace came from the side and struck Megatron's chest, pushing him back slightly. Bulkhead stood tall and proud, taking a stance next to the agent.
"Let's go round two" the green wrecker said, bashing his maces together.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY"Agent 000 bellowed. Bulkhead was startled by the unusual voice and something clicked inside his mind when he saw the red eyes.
"You're-"
Megatron's fist interrupted his sentence as it came up into his stomach. He followed up with a hard kick that took Bulkhead right out of the battle.
However as soon as one wrecker was out, another came in. Wheeljack charged with his faceplate activated and his two swords out in front of him. He clashed with Megatron's blade, pushing forward with everything he had.
"DID YOU NOT HEAR ME?" the agent asked.
"I did but we can take him together, as a team" Wheeljack said over his fight with Megatron. He snuck a kick in that got the warlord off balance.
"THIS IS MY FIGHT" Agent 000 yelled, running forward.
Before Wheeljack could say something else, Megatron's fist came crashing down hard against his face. The warlord began to pummel the wrecker, kicking out his swords and landing a couple hard punches to his chest. An elbow to the audio receptor brought Wheeljack toppling over, falling towards the oncoming agent.
"I SAID, GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
What happened next changed everything. Agent 000 brought his sword up and through Wheeljack's chest, straight in the middle. All went silent in the room and Wheeljack's eyes widened. He felt his spark give out and his systems shut down. Energon began to leak from his mouth and his limbs fell dead to the side.
The last thing he saw was his stabber, the one he had called a teammate. However, what surprised him most were not the human's eyes but rather his veins. They were normal colored, unlike the darker shade when Agent 000 was in control.
And that only meant one thing.
"...Jack?..."
Wheeljack's optics went dead and his entire body went limp. Jack, still with the red eyes, took out his sword and pushed the unmoving Autobot to the side.
"Jackie!" Bulkhead yelled, running towards his friend. Without thinking he pushed Jack out of the way and tried to get his friend to regain consciousness.
Suddenly reality struck him and Jack realized what he had just done. The red in his eyes slowly started to fade in place of his normal shade of blue. He fell to his hands and knees, not knowing what else to do. He had just killed once again, but it was someone he considered a close friend and ally.
"You may not admit it but you are a Decepticon through and through." Megatron said smirking. "You're ruthlessness in killing the Autobot shows me you have unleashed your true potential. My offer still stands and I will be waiting until you accept."
...
Optimus saw from afar of what happened and didn't believe his optics. The person who saved his life multiple times today and almost made the ultimate sacrifice in order for them to return to normal, just killed Wheeljack. He was speechless, no words could express that thoughts that were going through his mind.
"Optimus" came a voice from behind him and he looked over his shoulder to see Ratchet coming towards him. "We have finished the download of the Iacon database. Are you alright?"
"I, I am. However I fear we lost one of our own today" the Prime responded, motioning to the unmoving body of Wheeljack.
Ratchet's optics widened. "Primus... Rafael is sending the groundbridge now. We need to get him through so I can get him stabilized!"
Optimus nodded and quickly arose to his feet. The groundbridge opened up a few meters behind him and he ordered everyone to leave. "Autobots, return to base!"
Smokescreen was the first to enter through, crawling into the vortex followed by Ratchet. Arcee and Bumblebee transformed and raced towards the portal, but the scout spotted something that made him change routes. He quickly grabbed the Spark Extractor that was on a pedestal nearby and hopped into the groundbridge right after.
Miko followed the scout, running inside and glad to return home to have a rest. Ultra Magnus was behind her but had to stop to pick up the Genetic Exchanger. Megatron saw the Autobot lieutenant making a move with the relic and acted upon so, sending three hard blasts that landed on target. The Genetic Exchanger exploded, the inner systems fried and the entire upper half blown to smithereens. With no time to recover the pieces, Ultra Magnus ran through with the damaged bottom half of the relic.
Optimus stood by the portal, sending his own blasts to give his teammates time to retreat. Bulkhead came next with his limp comrade in his arms. He ran as fast as he could, disappearing into the vortex leaving only Optimus and Jack left.
"Hurry Agent 000" Optimus ushered, not realizing it was Jack.
The teen quickly made his way into the groundbridge but not before looking back at Megatron. The warlord merely nodded at him and he left along with Optimus. The ground bridge closed and all was silent in the vault.
"Lord Megatron, we merely allowed them to escape with a copy of the Iacon database?" Dreadwing asked.
"The Autobots may possess information that we should have kept away, however they lost one of their own in the process." Megatron stated.
The warlord stood watching the exact spot where the groundbridge had appeared. A smirk making its way onto his face. He thought about the human and knew that he had done his job.
"You may not join the Decepticons, but you will suffer."
Little did he know, that was just a glimpse of what to come.
...
Author's Note: The last chapter will probably be up by later today. Hope you guys enjoyed the end of the entire fight scene. Is Wheeljack dead? What'll happen to Jack? Well, be sure to follow along for the last chapter and the next installment of my series.
