Author's Notes: I have been asked to read the following statement, statement... Sithicus the author appologises for the delay in posting this chapter, chapter. But unfortunately, unfortunately his motivation failed him, him due in part to other stories awakening within his cerebral cortex, cortex. He will try to update more frequently, frequently, but makes no promises, promises.
What's the matter fleshlings, fleshlings having trouple deciphering my speach, speach? My name is Shrapnel, Shrapnel one of the leaders of the Insecticons, Ticons. I and Bombshell are the true commanders not that pitiful fool Venom, Venom, however I sometimes let him believe he is leading us, us. Heeee, heee, heh, heh, heh, heh... Sadly I will not be playing a very large role in this story, story Sithicus felt that he had enough Decepticons to worry about without having need of us, us. So we have been relegated to the ranks of secondary guest appearances, appearances. Fortunate for you fleshlings, fleshlings it means you won't have to worry about my speach impediment, impediment very often, often.
Itallics are reserved for inner monologues, monologues and flashbacks to the past, past.
Bold indicates Cybertronix, Cybertronix the native language of Cybertron, Cybertron.
You're going to hate Sithicus for this chapter, chapter because it ends so abruptly, abruptly... I believe you call it a cliffhanger, hanger. I'd better get back to the Nemesis, Nemesis before Venom reveals our absence to Skywarp, Skywarp. Farewell and goodbye primitives, primitives... Oh yes and before I forget, forget the title is, is.
Chapter Nine, Revelations, Revelations Part One, One.
Funerals were a somber occasion for many and Sam Witwicky was no exception; it had taken a couple days for everyone to show up and then they had paid their last respects to his Uncle Alex, he'd barely known the man outside of family gatherings. His fiancé had been devastated to such an extent that she'd ran off during the eulogy in tears, as the family reminisced at the wake Sam noticed that his cousins were all very quiet.
"Hey Buster." He greeted the younger blonde haired teen; he had to be about thirteen by now.
"Spike." Buster quipped though judging by his tone his heart was no longer in the mood.
"I told you to stop callin' me that." Sam groaned.
"Only when you stop calling me Buster."
"Oh lighten up kid." Jerry cut in. "I thought you preferred that childish nickname compared to your real name, Bartholomew." The nineteen year old red head jabbed a finger into Busters' sternum with a smirk.
"Now's not the time Jer." Julie chastised, his twin sister had dyed her hair black in order to differentiate herself. Her mother believed she'd gone Goth or Pagan or something because of it, but her mother had her own set of problems. A loud horn suddenly blared from outside causing Sam to jump, his Camaro sat nearby the source of the noise.
"Sam I thought you had that fixed." Ron stated frowning slightly, with a sheepish smile and an apologetic shrug he quickly headed outside trailed by his cousins.
"No way your old man bought you this." Jerry remarked with a whistle tugging loose his tie, Julie ran her hand over the hood tracing the racing stripes.
"Yellow." Was all she said.
"Does that air freshener say Bee-Yotch?" Buster exclaimed while Sam checked the steering wheel making a show of trying to figure out how the horn went off.
"Huh? Oh yeah, it uh, came with the car." He remarked slightly nervous, unable to ask Bee what was really going on he sighed slightly and pulled out shutting the door. That's when he noticed the Peterbilt sitting next to Uncle Charles' Dodge-Ram.
"Dude, who pimped that ride?"
"God Jer you are so immature." Julie groaned; Sam nearly jumped out of his skin when Optimus' holographic avatar stepped up beside him.
"Sam." He greeted his rich voice causing the others to spin around eyeing this stranger curiously.
"Oh, uh hey Op." Sam returned the greeting casually, but his eyes kept darting back and forth between Prime and his cousins.
"Who are you and how do you know Spike?" Buster wondered suspiciously surprised by the name Optimus eyed Sam curiously.
"Uh well he's."
"It is ok Samuel; I have come to discuss the truth with your family." Optimus interrupted. "I ask only that you let your parents know that we must speak with Ronald's siblings urgently."
"What?"
"Sam you've some weird friends, like that Lennox guy who showed up." Jerry commented. His sister and cousin were now more suspicious then ever as they eyed Sam's nervous and confused expression.
"Why?" He blurted. Prime sighed and eyed the other Autobots in the parking area surrounding the small church.
"Because we are responsible for the death of Alexander Francis Witwicky." He explained. Julie gasped at this, but Jerry wanted to punch this guy out for saying something like that; and he tried. Instead of hitting him he fell through Optimus' hologram and slammed into the concrete, Buster stared at the man agape and Julie rushed to her brothers' aid.
"What the hell." She exclaimed helping Jerry back up. His nose was bleeding from his unscheduled meeting with the hard concrete, Optimus looked contrite at causing the human harm, but there had been little he could do to prevent it.
"I am sorry for your injury Jerald Joseph Witwicky. I will await your family's arrival Samuel, Bumblebee and the others know the way." Optimus stated and then he climbed up into his cab to prevent further questions before driving away.
"Sam, just what the fu…What's going on?" Julie demanded glaring at her cousin.
"Hey, uh I seriously don't have a clue Jules." He replied holding his hands up defensively. "But I think I'd better go tell dad." He added under his breath.
"That's not good enough." Buster chimed in trying to intimidate the taller Witwicky into giving more information.
"Yeah well it's all I got right now." Sam shot back before heading back inside he was just grateful his parents knew the truth otherwise he'd never convince his uncles and aunt to go.
Awareness was fleeting. He knew he still lived, yet his mind recalled the instant of his death quite vividly. He'd been a fool, irrational, possessed and desperate to lay claim to his prize. Ironic then he should receive exactly what he'd wanted, he sensed his broken body floating in a fluid-like substance designed to sustain him.
He could feel a sensation of loss where his leg should have been, he had heard a muffled voice once in this timelessness, this sense of never-ending powerless existence. He had been power once, and fear, he also was no stranger to immobile existence. They had underestimated him once before to their detriment and they would do so again, as long as even the tiniest flicker of his spark could be felt he would rise again.
The embodiment of the human myth surrounding the fabled bird called Phoenix. Only one thought filled his mind now, one thought that could spread fear to his enemies, All of his enemies.
"I. Still. Function." And those three little words seemed to act as a clarion call seemingly reverberating through space to reach the far scattered remnants of what might have one day become Empire. The great Decepticon Empire.
"Laserbeak, Ravage, Ratbat." A voice stated on the distant dead world of Cybertron. "Megatron Commands, We Obey."
"What?" A voice questioned aboard what might have been a derelict ship. "Constructicons, to Earth." The leader, Hook proclaimed.
"I felt something. A presence I haven't felt since…" The voice trailed off as the shadowed Decepticon turned to one of his soldiers. "Bludgeon plot co-ordinates to the following vectors." Thunderwing ordered.
"It's time." Hun-Grrr the leader of the group known as the Terrorcons stated his alien forms' jaws glistening in the starlight of the planet they currently resided on.
"For what?" Rippersnapper wondered.
"A new beginning to the war… Terrorcons we shall feast upon the Energon of our Autobot adversaries once more."
"Something wrong Flamewar?" A feminine voice questioned as the short female Decepticon turned to her companion aboard the scout vessel they currently were assigned to by Lord High Proctor Deathsaurus.
"No Nightracer, not anymore." The black and red femme replied with a dreamy smile.
"Babysitting duty has to be worse then playing hide and seek with Sector Seven used to be." Swindle complained as he sat outside the Brass family home, Ratchet had left to attend the Witwicky funeral hours ago, but he would most likely be back shortly. The Decepticon blinked his headlights on and off in frustration, there was little he could do here and he had orders not to leave until Payload relieved him.
"Talking to yourself again, again." An oddly familiar voice remarked startling Swindle from his thoughts.
"What…" He began only to short out as a power surge tore through his entire system forcing him to lock up; two distinct shadows appeared odd protrusions sticking up above their glowing red optics, the one on the left smiled.
"Dig out all the data on Starscreams plan, plan." He ordered. "We have to return to the others before they realize we used our clones, clones."
"A piece of Energon." The hulking unit on the right stated with a chuckle. "My neuroscanner is already working overtime."
"Excellent, excellent. And these Earth forms we replicated are the perfect tools, tools." The commander stated smugly. "According to the Web Humans have numerous phobias surrounding them, them."
"Got it, lets hurry up and get back before Venom blows a gasket. Kickback can only stall so long." The other reminded.
"Of course, of course. The others will be pleased with our scans of their new forms, forms. Soon this planets bioforms will tremble at the swarms of the Insecticons,ticons." Shrapnel laughed taking to the skies his companions' optics dimmed slightly.
"If the others don't stop us first." He commented leaping into the sky. "Personally I think we should let Starscream play out his little games. Then we'll take the credit afterwards." He added with a carefully aimed shot at Swindle jumpstarting his reactivation systems; the AWOL Insecticons were long gone before the Decepticon woke up.
Dreadwing cursed his luck as he followed Bonecrusher from the air, just his luck he'd get saddled with the lummox. What's worse his current dark green coloring made him difficult to track in the dense African jungles; they were looking for a supposed base their systems had picked up.
A base that bore oddly familiar signatures, it was almost as though someone had been building Cybertronians in the middle of nowhere as the saying went. It turned out however as they reached their destination that they were wrong, Dreadwing found Bonecrusher tearing apart a small encampment of what might have been a military outpost once upon a time.
It had been converted into a drug lord's private refuge judging by the numerous individuals fleeing from the robotic behemoth who had recently been working in the growing fields. Dreadwing knew that this time there could be no survivors, contrary to orders Bonecrusher had converted to robot mode, now the only questions left where the signals origin and of course why Bonecrusher transformed? The duo made quick work of the humans soon nothing remained and likewise there were no survivors, Dreadwing converted to robot mode and landed next to Bonecrusher lone optic dark with rage.
"What the slag was that all about?" He demanded angrily, Bonecrusher blinked in total confusion his gangly arms extending as he picked up a piece of something.
"I don't need to tell you anything." He shot back gruffly examining whatever it was intently.
"You better start talking or I'll use this on you." Dreadwing threatened holding up a copy of the leash controls that sent the signal to Bonecrushers central processors.
"Just you try it you…" Bonecrusher trailed off as a third Cybertronian appeared, Dreadwing was quick to target the unknown.
"Identify yourself, Decepticon or Autobot?" He questioned a light feminine laugh was his only answer. Bonecrusher shuffled his bulky frame nervously his irrational hatred of all things all but forgotten, crushing the device in his hand he let the remains drift to the ground.
"Is that any way to treat poor stubborn Bonecrusher?" She asked smoothly stalking lightly into the open. Dreadwing could hardly believe his optic, a vaguely familiar mostly black femme with a slightly similar though shorter and curvier body type to his own was standing across from the two males. A battle helmet matching his lone-opticed face was pulled up revealing twin purple-red optic sensors offset by a nose guard like piece and thin teal colored lips, some femmes favored shading of their lips to offset them from their Autobot counterparts. Thanks to their forced understanding of humans born out of necessity Dreadwing couldn't help but think she came off as a little slutty, or perhaps vain was a better description.
"Overcast." Bonecrusher wondered more subdued then he'd ever been in the presence of the other Decepticons, whom he hated, greatly.
"Yes darling Mech Mate it is me." The femme returned smoothly reaching up and tracing Bonecrushers' shoulder joint.
"How? When? Where?" Dreadwing stuttered completely disbelieving what was right in front of him. "Why the pit did you copy my body type?" He demanded angrily, Bonecrusher whirled on him and picked up the shorter 'Con by his neck bringing him to optic level.
"Don't. Ever. Speak in that tone towards her again." He growled Overcast laughed again and approached the dangling Dreadwing a twinkle in her optics.
"I patterned my new look on you for two reasons Dready-Weady. First of all I knew it'd rile you up and secondly." Overcast paused and jammed her fingers between Dreadwings legs reaching under armor plating and squeezing one of the vital transformation cogs located close to his hip and spinal column joints. "I wanted to never forget the melted piece of slag that left me to Grimlock's tender mercies." She hissed. Bonecrusher chuckled viciously while Dreadwing did his best not to show the pain he felt, transformation systems were the most sensitive in a Cybertronian thanks to the Allspark. A little known fact some of them could make or break their ability to transform permanently.
"Did I say I was sorry?" He asked lamely.
"Shockwave was right to give you that expressionless mask for a head." Overcast retorted angrily. "Bring me to Starscream; I want to have words with him for restraining my brother."
"Sure, sure, just… Let go of the cog." Dreadwing pleaded, Overcast relented and Bonecrusher dropped him limply to the ground. Reverting to vehicle mode the brute meekly lumbered off, Dreadwing was quick to follow and as he did he felt a tingle run over his form. Shortly after a duplicate MIG-29 was flying beside him jet black, purple and yellow trimmed in color.
Overcast glowered at Starscream her weapons stowed though faintly thrumming with power, Dreadwing stood off to the side doing his best to remain inconspicuous. The petite Femme was not intimidated in the least by the current leader, after all with a behemoth like Bonecrusher for a sibling size mattered very little to her.
"Ah Overcast." Starscream began with a toothy smile. "How good to see you again."
"Can the sweet talk oh venerable one." She retorted sarcastically. "Whatever you did to my brother gets undone. Now!"
"I'm afraid that is impossible, you see Shockwave isn't here at the moment and considering the punishment system is tied directly into his spark." Starscream paused with a chuckle. "Well I'd hate to try anything without his foreknowledge." Overcast dimmed her optics angrily lips pursed, but she refrained from saying anything.
"Come on B." She beckoned turning to leave the bridge.
"Just a moment my dear." Starscream called out. "How'd you get here without triggering our sensors?" He demanded in response Overcast vanished from sight startling the others in the room.
"You can learn a lot from an Autobot if you just try." She replied reappearing next to Starscream left cannon deployed and armed. "If not for Mirage how else do you think I could have ever escaped Grimlock?" She wondered somehow managing to come off cryptically, Bonecrusher ground his teeth at that and his optics flared dangerously. Together the two of them left, Dreadwing turned to follow only to get blasted in the knee by Starscream.
"What the pit!" He cursed collapsing to the floor.
"You told me she was dead. You told me Bonecrusher would remain loyal to us if we took her out." He accused.
"Is it my fault Mirage has a soft spot for bad girls?" Dreadwing spat glaring emotionlessly at Starscream.
"Bonecrusher is worthless as long as Overcast keeps him on a tight leash, do something to correct that oversight Dreadwing or else." Starscream threatened. Dreadwing nodded and quickly left the room, sighing to himself Starscream turned back to the monitors. "The things I do to maintain and motivate true Decepticon soldiers."
Bonecrusher wrapped his impossibly long arms around Overcasts' frame and smiled with genuine emotion as he hugged the Femme who appeared ill at ease. She smiled thinly up at him and turned her back to him, Bonecrusher grew confused.
"What is it?" He asked gently.
"Why did you leave me?" She demanded. "You didn't even try to find me."
"But Overcast they told me you were dead." He protested.
"And you believed them." She accused. "I spent three Vorns a prisoner of the Autobots, they couldn't kill me, they couldn't release me. They just incarcerated me and threw away the key." She sobbed almost theatrically; Bonecrusher lowered his head in shame for failing her. Smiling secretively Overcast ran a hand over his chest manifold. "But we're together again brother. You'll kill them for me won't you?" She asked sweetly, Bonecrusher grunted in acknowledgement. "Oh good thank you B, but do me a favor. Leave Mirage to me?" She requested.
"Ok Overcast he's yours, what will you do to him?"
"Oh-no, not telling. That's my little secret. Now come on, tell me what happened before I got here." She insisted with a wide grin, nodding Bonecrusher started to explain everything leading to the battle at Mission City.
The sun was setting as the four families headed up to the hillside Sam and Mikaela were more then familiar with; she'd accompanied them for moral support, which meant the world to him. There had been a lot of arguing between his relatives, he couldn't even look his cousins in the eye any more for fear of giving something away.
Thankfully Optimus' Peterbilt form was the only one waiting for them, mostly because Ratchet and Ironhide had their own duties to attend to and Camshaft still needed major repair work. Upset and a little tired due to the long ride Michael was the first one to vocalize his complaints.
"Ron if this is some stupid back to nature crap." He began only to be silenced by his wife Tabitha.
"Hush dear you know Ron would never pull somethin' like that." She reprimanded. "More Aretha's kind of thing."
"Look I know we're all mostly confused by this chain of events, but if Ron says it's important I aim to believe him." Charles chimed in with the words of the wise.
"Thanks Charlie." Ron stated with a smile, he was nervous himself considering this was his first time officially meeting any of the Autobots, Bumblebee never transformed in their presence.
"We shall endeavor not to take up too much of you time then." Prime's holographic form stated appearing out of nowhere.
"Well now that's a neat trick." Aretha commented tucking her helmet under one arm and shaking out her long brown locks.
"It'b haddening again." Jerry grumbled. "Tot jerk made me break my nobe."
"For which I deeply apologize Jerald Joseph Witwicky."
"It'b just Jerry dude, Jerald ib reberved for some high clab snob." Jerry corrected with a grimace, he seriously hated his name.
"So mister, just who are you and what right do you have to interrupt us in our time of grief?" Mike demanded impatient with the interruptions.
"I must ask you not to be alarmed grandchildren and great grandchildren of Captain Archibald Rawlins Witwicky." Optimus began holding his hands up in a calming gesture. "What we must tell you will be much to take in and require great patience as well as understanding." He continued. "To answer your question Michael Orson Witwicky." The hologram instantly vanished and with the backdrop of the beautifully setting sun the Peterbilt initiated its numerous alterations as it transformed into the imposing, impressive robotic form of the leader of the Autobots. "My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. A distant race of beings from the planet Cybertron and I am afraid I bring grave tidings indeed."
To Be Continued; though I don't know when I'll be able to update again... I just started a new job and my time is limited to Weekends and as I may have stated before I tend to write the chapter up on paper first before typing it.