Awakening

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. They belong to Hasbro and Takara. I am merely taking them for a short spin.

Note: In reference to the use of "stellar cycle," I'm using the IDW definition, making a stellar cycle approximately 7.5 months.

Approximately one stellar cycle ago. . .

Repairs complete.

Automatic subroutines kicked in, testing systems long dormant. Finding nothing more wrong, whole systems came online, rousing the lifeform from its stasis.

Ultra Magnus jolted online. He learned immediately his frame was mostly intact, in cometary form. And he was not alone.

:It took you long enough:

The voice was unfamiliar but the presence behind it strong, unwavering and very pissed off.

:How long was I out?:

:You came out of stasis approximately one stellar cycle ago, and your repair subroutines momentarily brought you out of stasis. You do not remember?:

:I don't remember that. But I remember everything before: Magnus replied.

:We were awakened by a message from the one you call Optimus Prime. He is alive, on a planet, designation Earth. We have orders to proceed to this planet:

:Your brothers are all functioning?: Magnus asked.

:If they were not, you and I would not be having this conversation:

He ignored the comment.

:Are any of the others alive?:

:By others, I assume you mean the members of your crew from the ship. Their status is unknown, although I can tell you all but the flaming one did as ordered:

:Flaming one? You mean Hot Rod: Magnus said.

:Yes. You left him to his death:

Magnus chose not to reply.

:What are the coordinates to this Earth?:

He received them, surprised at the distance. It would take time, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, it appeared they could reach it soon enough.

:Have you chosen a designation?:

:You may call me Silverbolt:

:And your brothers?: Magnus asked.

:Air Raid, Fireflight, Slingshot and Skydive. Have you any other questions?:

:Have you detected any Decepticon activity?:

:Since we came online a stellar cycle ago, nothing. But I can tell you they are out here somewhere, and it is just a matter of time before they find us:

-----

Months before the battle of Tyger Pax. . .

Ultra Magnus entered the Chamber of Ancients, where he found Alpha Trion waiting.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Magnus asked.

"Yes," Alpha Trion said. "You're aware of the protoforms Hound's team retrieved?"

"Yes," Magnus said. "Although I'm curious as to your interest in them."

"I know Shockwave is alive. How I know is not important, but these protoforms are the culmination of his. . .work. I know you're aware of some of what he was trying to achieve. . ."

"Combiner technology," Magnus said.

"And now that we have these protoforms in our possession, I mean to use them to our advantage," Alpha Trion said. "The modification process has already begun, but your help will be needed. I know I have already asked too much of you. . ."

"What is it you need from me?" Magnus asked.

"Are you sure you want to know the answer?"

-----

Now, he was linked to Silverbolt, well, all of them actually. But the connection with Silverbolt was the strongest. It worked like a bond, but it was weaker, but the effect was still the same.

He was bonded to the combiner and his brothers as Hot Rod had been bonded to the Vector. It wasn't a spark bond, but the joining of minds. The modifications to his processor done by Alpha Trion in preparation for the retrieval mission, Magnus now knew, were permanent.

Silverbolt was angry over their circumstances, appalled at how he'd left Hot Rod and the artifact he carried behind, and Magnus knew all that was keeping the young Autobot from killing him was the fact they were joined. The others felt the same way, to some extent, but it was part of their programming--to defend. Alpha Trion had seen to that, even though their sparks were created using the facsimile of the same artifact. Magnus had overseen the destruction of the copy himself. And only now, after all this time, did he truly understand the burden Hot Rod carried--it wasn't just a weapon, it could be used to create a spark.

That was why the original plan had been to get the thing as far away from Cybertron as possible, but with Alpha Trion and the council murdered, everything had changed. And in the weeks after their deaths, only after going through Alpha Trion's personal logs did Ultra Magnus realize what he'd done, how wrong he'd been.

His friends payed the price for what they saw as his betrayal, and he'd nearly cost Hot Rod his life back on Cybertron and for all he knew now, he was probably gone. There was a high probability he was not, that Hot Rod was hopefully still hidden. But with his luck where Hot Rod was concerned, that probably wasn't the case.

Magnus remembered the battle, everything leading up to it. The first jump, ordering Blurr, Cosmos, Red Alert, Hound and Mirage off the Vector, trying to give them a chance.

The second jump was where it all went wrong. Shockwave had attached himself to the Vector while they rescued the Valor and while the ship engaged the two Decepticon ships, one of his combiner teams had boarded. Shockwave revealed himself once the ship was stationary after the second jump. Magnus gave Hot Rod the order to detonate the ship, which he hoped would take Shockwave with it. Except between hearing the order and actually blowing the Vector, Hot Rod onlined the combiners to join Magnus, which had evened up the fight. Slightly.

Shockwave was almost more than they could handle, but the exploding Vector had injured Bruticus, rendering him further unable to fight, evening the odds. And they almost finished Shockwave, but he'd retreated. Then Magnus remembered going into stasis lock because of his injuries, fervently hoping sometime during the chaos Hot Rod managed to get away, as planned.

Magnus pushed it from his thoughts. He still had time before they reached Earth, a little time before he had to explain everything. Just a little more time in which he could possibly find a way to forgive himself.