"Judge. What...but how?" Orion stammered.
"I understand how you would be confused considering the nature of the last time we met Optronix. However, it would seem that the Knights aren't as adept in the Ancient Mystic Arts as they wish to be. I was able to escape the Time Lock's weakest point almost ten years ago." The Judge spoke.
"But how did you get on Cybertron? What've you been doing all this time?" Orion asked.
"I admit I was damaged and alone in the middle of the vast and empty expanse of space. It was while floating aimlessly that I came across Firesteel." The Judge explained.
"I gave him refuge, and repaired him. That's when he told me of the glory of the Quintessons and how they would return. How they would take control and rule over Cybertron with an iron fist." Firesteel continued with a slightly crazed look in his optics. "And we will aid them in their rise to power."
"Indeed, with Firesteel's resources we have been able to free many other Quintesson servants in order to prepare for our master's return." The Judge said. "However, with your quest to find the tools, all of that could be put in jeopardy. So, you will lead us to the rest of the tools so we can use them to resurrect our masters."
"You think I'll just roll over and obey you? Heh, no. Never again." Orion exclaimed defiantly.
"Well, I think you'd be more than...happy, to assist us when I tell you that we have your new friends under surveillance and with a single word we can have them eliminated." The Judge said as he activated a screen nearby showing a live feed of an unconscious Dion, Chromia and Ariel.
Orion gasped and turned back to face the Judge.
"Leave them out of this!" Orion exclaimed.
"When you brought them into this? Hardly. If you do not meet our demands then your friends will die." The Judge replied coldly.
The Judge then turned to the screen and zoomed in on Ariel.
"And what is this? Oh how history seems to repeat itself." The Judge commented.
"Leave her alone." Orion said slowly.
"It would be quite the tragedy if the female you got close were to perish again." The Judge added.
"Leave them alone! If you touch them, I'll tear you apart piece by piece and then send your rusted corpse to the Junk Planet." Orion threatened.
The Judge caught sight of Orion's optics flash green as the small mech stepped forward.
"Then I think both of us will find it prudent that you activate the tracker and locate the other tools." The Judge replied. He leaned in close to Orion. "You wouldn't want your friends to be harmed because you couldn't control yourself Optronix."
Orion scowled and stepped back.
"My name is Orion Pax. Optronix no longer exists." Orion spat defiantly.
"Be that as it may, Orion Pax will still obey the will of the Quintessons." The Judge replied. "Activate the tracker and have it locate the rest of the tools."
"...Fine." Orion growled.
Dion was the first one to wake up. He practically jumped up as soon as his optics came online.
"Who? What? Where? When? Why?" He exclaimed.
"Dion." Ariel groaned. "Quiet down. You're gonna overload my audio receptors if you keep yelling like that."
"No, Ariel. Dion's right." Chromia spoke sluggishly. "What happened to us?"
"Duuuugh...the last thing I remember was...being attacked by the Elite! Orion! They took Orion!" Dion exclaimed.
Chromia gasped. "Yeah! Grr, frag those femmes! The next time I see that scythe wielding glitch she is so going down!"
"Unfortunately I think that'll have to wait. They took Orion you guys! Without him there's no tracking down the tools!" Ariel said.
"Yeah you're right Ariel. We have to find Orion and get the tracker back!" Dion replied.
"Okay, and how are we supposed to track him down exactly?" Chromia asked.
Just as she said it, Foneques came crawling out of Ariel's bag and down onto the ground.
"Fon? What's wrong?" Chromia wondered.
The metal beetle crawled around the alley where the younglings were standing. After making his way over the spot where the groundbridge for the Elite.
"Foneques?" Chromia asked again as Foneques's antenna stuck straight up. He then grew in size and prepared for flight.
"You know where to go Fon?" Chromia asked.
Foneques chirped in reply and shook his wings.
Chromia smiled. "C'mon guys!"
The three younglings quickly jumped onto the back of Foneques and he took off.
Darklight was put in charge of watching over Orion as he worked the tracker. Neither of them were happy with the arrangement.
"What's taking so long kid?" Darklight demanded. "Did it always take this long for the tracker to work?"
"No. It's programmed to automatically begin tracking the next tool after we retrieve the previous one—"
"Then why the Pit is it taking so long?"
"—from the location the previous tool." Orion finished. "Since you took it, it has to reset and track the next tools from here. And if you hadn't guessed, that takes a while."
"Do you take me for a fool?" Darklight demanded.
"Why now that you ask, yes actually. You're willingly aligning yourselves with the Quintessons and expect to keep their end of whatever bargain your dad made with them. You know what? I take it back. You're not a fool. No, you're all fragging insane!" Orion spat.
The two looked at each other for a few moments of awkward silence before Orion turned back around and went back to working the tracker.
Darklight huffed frustratedly. "What's the deal with you and the Quintessons anyway? You clearly have a history."
"They killed all of my friends." Orion replied simply.
"Hm. Okay, but there's more than that isn't there. The Judge called you by a different name. What was it? Optronix? What's that all about?" Darklight continued.
"It's nothing you need to know." Orion answered.
"Well, it clearly is something worth knowing. It's obvious that the name irks you for some reason." Darklight spoke. "Optronix. I must say, it's quite the powerful sounding name."
"It's nothing you need to know so just drop it alright?" Orion exclaimed. He slammed his servo down onto the table to make his point. His optics also flashed green once again.
Darklight smirked at the youngling. Orion realized that she had gotten the reaction she wanted and turned back around.
After some more drawn out silence, the tracker beeped in Orion's servos. He reluctantly presented it to the taller femme.
"Here. Go ahead and tell the Judge that the next tool has been located."
So what is the history between the Quintessons and Orion Pax? Let me know your thoughts and/or theories.
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