A/N: Yes, faithful reviewers, we are finally getting the plot moving. Bromances abide in this chapter, particularly Optimus/Megatron, Sam/Bee and a bit of Megatron/Starscream. Yays! Not really sure if they're in-character, but hey, most of their interaction consists of pounding each other to bits. Any suggestions?
To say the past week at the Department of Health and Human Services had been quiet would be an outright lie. Sam had lost track of all the fights various bots of both factions had had to break out. And that was after he'd been released from treatment. Hopefully with Optimus's return, things would get quieter.
The Xantium II touched down on the platform. Sam leaned against the wall, hoping against hope that 'Bee had made it out okay.
"'Bee?"
Bumblebee exited the Xantium II to greet his human friend. Sam Witwicky's vital signs were going off the charts as the assorted Autobots and Decepticons exited the ship in a rush, eager to get away from each other.
The Autobot quickly walked over to the 'safe zone' and knelt in an attempt to calm the human down. Sam was too young for a heart attack.
"Cause it's alright, woah it's alright." Bumblebee said, allowing the human to climb in his hand. "Tell me – where where is your love?"
"Carly? She went to the apartment. We're moving back to Nevada somehow, now that all our cars are leaving." Sam joked. "Maybe go with mom and dad. I've been offered a position at some university."
Bumblebee nodded. "Home is where the heart is."
"Guess so."
"Bumblebee?"
Optimus Prime himself approached. "We are preparing to launch the ships one day apart in order to minimize the risk of discovery by…other humans and use the second ship to transport supplies for Cybertron. I assume you'd like to be on the second ship?"
"Affirmative, captain."
Optimus nodded. "Sam. You know this is a journey you cannot go on."
Sam nodded, attempting to make light of his abandonment. "I know. You know, lack of oxygen, a dozen giant robots that might step on me…"
The Prime smiled, looking more human than Sam had ever seen. "I'm glad you understand."
"What do you want to do now?" Sam asked after Optimus walked off. They only had a day, but Sam wasn't going to let that stop them.
Bumblebee transformed. "If you have a minute, why don't we go somewhere only we know?"
Megatron was waiting for him. Optimus felt impatience coming off of his brother in great waves.
"You wanted to talk?"
"Yes." they began walking into the cargo bay, littered with humans working to erase every bit of evidence of alien activity.
"How are we going to stop him?" Megatron asked abruptly.
They had ended up in one of many abandoned warehouses. Optimus leaned against one of the human's staircases, taking care not to smash it.
"In most cases, I would say the Matrix. But I don't think it will be any use now. What do you want?" Optimus could sense Megatron wasn't concerned so much with that as something else.
"Thank you, brother."
Optimus replayed the scene in his processor twice before realizing what he had recorded was not glitched nor was he imagining things.
"You're welcome." Was all he could say.
"It will take us days to reach Cybertron, even with maximum power being used. Just in case we lost the thing we are fighting to save…"
"I don't think Unicron will attack Cybertron until we get there, though it is appreciated." Optimus reassured, watching from a high-up window as Wheeljack's body was carted off to the Xantium II, hopefully to be laid to rest on Cybertron. "What did you do with the Decepticon bodies?"
"We sent them into orbit around Earth. They are of no use to us now."
"We could bury at least some of them on Cybertron."
Megatron ignored the statement. "We need a plan. I assume you're leaving on the second ship?"
"Yes. You need to get there first and begin to plan our assault."
The Decepticon smirked, hitting his brother affectionately on the shoulder. "You're beginning to think like a Decepticon, Optimus."
"Never." The Prime's tone of voice was sharp, but he returned Megatron's robust display of affection.
Even Megatron knew better than to antagonize his brother further, but the Decepticon couldn't contain another smirk. "Then I'll leave the Decepticons to you."
However, Optimus wasn't done. "If it means anything, I never lost faith that you could be redeemed."
Megatron had no idea how to reply to that. He hoped Optimus knew that.
Several minutes later, Megatron found himself searching for his second-in-command. Starscream was an excellent tool for relieving tension.
The Seeker in question slunk out from yet another warehouse, followed by a few of the fleshlings.
"You wanted something, master?"
Megatron eyed the Seeker. Starscream looked ridiculously pleased with himself.
"Yes. Optimus…"
"Yes, yes? You want me to kill him for you?"
Megatron cuffed Starscream. The other mech nearly caved in the warehouse, which cushioned his fall.
"We aren't fighting the Autobots any longer, fool."
Starscream nodded furiously. "Of course, my liege." He twitched. "What did you want me to do with him?"
"Watch him. Protect him as you would me." Megatron hauled the Seeker up by his shoulder, taking care not to damage his wings. "Not that that's saying much."
Starscream seemed to smile as his wings straightened. "As you command, my lord."
A day had never seemed so short. Though Sam felt some relief about the fact that Megatron was off-planet – finally – Optimus and 'Bee were going to leave in just a few minutes with the remainder of the Decepticons.
Sam stood next to Carly with his arm around her shoulders. He had no idea how Carly was taking this.
She smiled at him.
"They'll be fine, Sam. Speaking of cars, your parents chipped in to buy a new one."
"Really?"
"Yep. I think it's some kind of yellow Volkswagen from the eighties."
The Decepticon Sam was almost certain was Soundwave spared them a glance as he prepared to board the ship. Sam just had one more issue to work out. He left Carly, muttering 'something I gotta do' and ran over to the Decepticon.
"Soundwave?" he had to know. The Decepticons might have died rather pathetically, but surely they couldn't be as stupid as Sam was suspecting.
The Mercedes looked down. On his shoulder, the bird-bot fluttered its wings. Sam felt a twinge of anxiety addressing the Decepticons who had tried to kill himself, Carly and 'Bee, and who could easily kill him with one step. But, having been in contact with giant alien robots since high school tended to take some of the 'scary' out of life. Not 'scary' as in talking to potential employers, but scary in talking to giant-freaking-robots.
"What do you want?" the bird asked.
"If you guys had won…"Sam began. "Would you really have kept Dylan alive?"
The bird chattered happily in Cybertronian, but Soundwave was the one who answered.
"Negative. The human was useful for connections and resources but too ambitious for his own well-being."
"Oh. Okay. Thanks." Feelings of self-worth revived, Sam headed back to Carly.
"What was that about?" she asked when he returned. Sam wasn't surprised she couldn't understand. He had barely understood what the Decepticon had said.
"Nothing. Just tying up one loose end."
Bumblebee approached.
"This is the end, beautiful friends." He said, kneeling down in front of them.
"Aw 'Bee, that's not true." Sam touched his friend's cheekplate in affection.
"You'll come back sometime, right?" Carly asked.
"I will always, always return. Under the starry skies, where eagles have flown…"
Sam couldn't help but be thankful for that simple reassurance.
"So ... we go alone now. Both of us…Go. ...You go and live your life in full now, all right? You live for both of us." Christian Bale's voice blared from the radio.
Carly squeezed his hand.
"Okay. 'Bee, you too. Kick Unicron's skidplate halfway across the galaxy for us humans."
Bumblebee laughed and applause burst from the radio system. Then he began to speak in his normal voice.
"See you soon…Sam."
Then he stood and walked to stand in front of the Xantium II, behind Optimus.
Lennox, Sam hadn't even noticed him, nodded.
Optimus began to speak.
"Fellow comrades. When we first arrived on your planet, we arrived as hesitant allies or deadly enemies. Thankfully, we have managed to repair the rifts in our own species as well as some in your own.
"There is a danger approaching our home planet of Cybertron. One that I hope Earth will never have to see. We are going back to Cybertron, not as Autobots or Decepticons, but as Cybertronians to keep the galaxy safe from the very thing that could destroy it." Optimus paused, as if unsure how to word his next thoughts. I would like to thank you on behalf of all Cybertronians who have had sanctuary here and offer our undying gratitude. Thank you."
Optimus Prime bowed his head. Perfectly in sync (Sam halfheartedly wondered if they had practiced) the Cybertronians began filing into the ship.
Optimus stopped to converse with Lennox for another minute, and then he too went into the ship.
Sam and Carly were escorted off to a safe distance as the Xantium II blasted off. Sam half-expected Starscream to appear again and blast the shuttle apart, but Starscream was in the ship too.
Sam didn't realize he was crying until he and Carly were in the car.
On board the Xantium II, Bumblebee was equally morose. Seated next to him, Optimus seemed to be deep in thought. The Decepticons had taken up the rear of the ship, but were also silent. The entire vessel was silent, save the occasional creaking sounds as the plating shifted, or the pinging of the radar.
Even the twin horrors named Rumble and Frenzy had deemed it time to recharge.
Bumblebee offlined his optics and slipped into recharge, thoughts of Earth and Sam not far away.
He jerked awake in an astrosecond as the radar began blaring. Optimus and Starscream leapt to their feet, and began typing into the computer. Bumblebee looked out the starboard window. Saturn obscured the viewport.
"Something is here." Starscream said bleakly. Frenzy and Rumble began chattering anxiously in Cybertronian.
"What?" Hook exclaimed, rushing to resecure the straps on Blackarachnia. The femme twitched in stasis, but did not otherwise move.
"Where is Teletraan?" Optimus asked.
"It left the solar system twenty joors ago." Starscream said. "We're alone."
For the first time, Bumblebee saw it.
It was massive, nearly the size of Saturn. Dark grey metal plates shifted to reveal a gaping maw. Bumblebee could even see teeth.
"Can we outfly it?' Starscream asked.
Soundwave had checked the various instruments on the console. He looked at Optimus. "Negative."
"We're going to die." Starscream and Hook said simultaneously.
"Prepare for battle." Optimus said darkly.
The ship stopped. The engine died, casting the entire ship into darkness.
Then it began to move, lurching toward Unicron with the sound of metal tearing as Starscream tried vainly to maneuver the ship away from Unicron.
"He's pulling us in with an EM beam." Hook said.
"Must you state the obvious?" Starscream snarled.
"Why is he here?" Hook asked. "Shouldn't he be heading to…I don't know…Cybertron?"
The Decepticon bodies, Optimus's processor realized. Unicron was heading to Earth.
"He's coming to raise an army." was all the Autobot could say.
"The bodies." Soundwave said. "Unicron could reanimate offline Cybertronians."
With a final jolt, Xantium II was docked inside Unicron.
Cliffhanger, everyone! Please review; constructive criticism is extremely appreciated as are more suggestions. (Don't worry; your suggestions about reviving certain bots will be used in the next few chapters).