It hadn't taken long for Wreck-Gar to fix all the repairable damages. Granted, there was still nothing he could do about Skylynx's thrusters, but the Junkion was sure that the Quintessons would have the spare parts he needed to work around that problem. It gave the Autobots one more reason to attack the Quintessons, something that the especially twins were looking forward to quite eagerly.

However, Optimus knew it had to wait. The Autobots needed rest, for the battle was certainly going to be gruesome and probably a long one as well. So now, most of them lay in one of the most comfortable corners of the cavern, huddled together and in light recharge. As for the Autobot leader himself, he sat on one of the makeshift seats at the other side of the cavern; he didn't think he would be able to rest anyway. One thought after another kept crossing his mind, suspicions that had made their way to the back of his mind and left him wondering.

The sound of footsteps cut into his musings. Mildly surprised, he turned around, only to see that it was Prowl.

"You should be resting, too, Sir," the tactician said. There was no commanding tone in those words, though. Just puzzlement.

"That goes for you as well, my friend," Optimus replied.

Prowl smiled a bit. "I had to make battle plans."

Optimus couldn't help but chuckle softly at that. "Just like the good old days."

"Yes, Sir," Prowl said with a nod. He motioned his hand to the spot next to Optimus. "May I?"

"You don't have to ask," Optimus answered.

Taking that as a 'Go ahead,' Prowl sat beside the Autobot leader. That gave Optimus the chance to have the first real good look at the tactician ever since their meeting… and he was saddened to admit it to himself that Prowl had seen better days. Not only Prowl's doors were broken, his whole plating was marred with deep scratches and dents. Grey markings indicated where the black and white paint was peeled off, and the mech's optics weren't as brilliant as Optimus remembered – a sign of energy depletion. And when Optimus's gaze caught sight of Prowl's scar across his face-plate, he could only wince inwardly.

"Yes, I suppose I look terrible," Prowl said; he had noticed Optimus's staring.

Optimus waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "You're alive, and that's what's important. We'll fix you once we return to Cybertron."

"And the others, Prime?" Prowl asked. "Will we be able to fix them?"

"Once we rescue them," Optimus replied with confidence.

Prowl shook his head. "It won't be easy. I didn't exaggerate when I said the Quintessons' programming is complete," he said softly. "As a matter of fact, I might have even underestimated the situation."

Optimus didn't like the sound of that. "Do you think the Quintessons might have succeeded?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Then we'll help them in any way we can," Optimus said, placing a hand on Prowl's shoulder. "I don't believe that we, all of us, came all this way for nothing."

Prowl looked up at Optimus, confusion reflected in his optics. "Prime?"

Optimus bowed his head and sighed. "You… were not the only ones who died, Prowl."

The tactician blinked for several moments, trying to process what the Autobot leader was trying to tell him. As realisation caught up with him, though, his whole body tensed like a bowstring.

"No… You, too?"

Optimus nodded. "The Decepticons used your ship to pass the Earth's defence systems undetected. As soon as they were through, they attacked the Autobot City and pinned Ultra Magnus's forces inside. I left the Moonbase with the Dinobots, Sunstreaker and Hound so we could help. And though I finally put a stop to that madness, I paid the price."

"What of the Matrix?"

"It was left in good hands," Optimus answered. "As for us, we were placed in a mausoleum and sent in deep space as an everlasting monument dedicated to our memory. But none of the Autobots expected that a new threat would take advantage of the situation."

"The Quintessons," Prowl said.

"Yes. They activated me, hoping I would lead the Autobots to their destruction." Optimus looked at his palms, recalling all those memories – so clear and so painful all at once. "They even programmed me to destroy the mausoleum, and I believed till now that I had destroyed your bodies along with it." He shook his head with a sigh. "I should have figured it out a long time ago."

"Why destroy something unless it has fully served its purpose?" the tactician said.

"Indeed," Optimus said. "Daniel had seen a part of the puzzle unfolding before him and he didn't even realise it."

"Daniel? How?" Prowl asked, intrigued.

"He and his father walked into the mausoleum a few months ago," Optimus explained. "Spike told me that Daniel activated one of the tombs by accident, and a mech jumped out of them. However, his description of the corpse didn't match with any of us."

Prowl's optics widened. "A fake?"

"The more I think about it, the more it makes sense," Optimus said. "The Quintessons stole our bodies for their own ends. They would use me and, if that didn't work, they would experiment with the rest of you." He shut his optics, understanding now what the visions that had plagued his mind really meant. "That's what the Matrix wanted me to remember. I had to come back for you."

"And you did," Prowl said with a small smile before his gaze drifted to Bluestreak, the Twins and Jazz. "You all did."

Optimus looked at the four Autobots as well. Bluestreak was curled on his side, placed between Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, who were sleeping quietly. Jazz, on the other hand, was recharging a little further away, his clear blue optics dimmed as well.

"He missed you," Optimus noted.

Prowl nodded; it didn't take a great mind to figure out that the Autobot leader talked about Bluestreak.

"So much that he isn't even recharging," he said in a soft tone and he looked ahead once more. "He keeps looking at us."

Optimus raised an optic ridge. "You can tell that?"

"Yes. He's still. Too still."

The Autobot leader smiled a bit underneath his battlemask. "I suppose he wants to be sure you're real, my friend."

"Perhaps," the tactician agreed. "But there's more to it, isn't there?"

Optimus's smile vanished. Prowl's power of deduction had certainly not lessened with the passing of time. "What gave it away?"

"I know him, Optimus," Prowl said tiredly. "His childlike smile and energy that I remembered aren't there anymore." His expression became almost pleading as he locked his gaze on Optimus in a wish to understand, to apply reason to the sad discovery. "What has happened to him?"

The Autobot leader decided he had to be honest. "A lot of things. He first lost you, then his purpose within the Autobot ranks… and then he almost lost his mind."

"How?"

It was just a single word, yet Optimus still detected the emotion behind it. He started telling Prowl everything concerning the Hate Plague, as well as the pain and suffering it caused. The tactician listened on to everything, keeping his expression stoic and neutral. What hurt Optimus though, was Prowl's evident anguish once his tale was over. The Autobot leader had never witnessed the tactician shedding tears before, and he hoped he never would again.

"I should have been there," Prowl whispered.

"You wouldn't have been able to protect him. Everyone became infected," Optimus reasoned. "Don't blame yourself."

"I don't," Prowl said. "But I'm always going to regret… just not being there."

Truth be told, Optimus felt the same way. Yes, he had set things right in the end. But it didn't save Mirage and Perceptor from their nightmares or Red from his insanity. Trailbreaker still hid under a mask of joviality, whereas Bluestreak's inner strength was the only thing that kept the gunner from breaking down.

"I know," he said softly. "But we can only change the future, Prowl. And it's already looking for the better."

The tactician seemed to understand what Optimus told him, for he smiled a bit. Finally, he stood up.

"We should wake up the others. It's time."

"Yes," Optimus agreed, and he got back on his feet as well. "See to it. I'll recover Roller."

"I don't get it. Why don't we just go for the Quintessons?" Sideswipe asked, directing his gaze to Optimus and Prowl. All the Autobots were sitting in a circle, discussing what would be the best tactic to deal with the present threat. "If we take them out, then the Sharkticons and defence systems won't be a problem."

Sunstreaker nodded, agreeing with his brother's train of thought. Prowl, however, shook his head.

"It's not as simple as that," he said. "The Quintessons prefer to stay in the main rooms of the base at all hours, monitoring everything from there. They're beyond our reach."

"So that means we'll have to draw them out," Bluestreak said thoughtfully. "But how are we supposed to do that?"

"There is a way," Prowl said. "The Quintessons rely on their surveillance cameras to keep an optic on things. But if we destroy those…"

"Then the Quintessons will be virtually blind," Optimus completed.

"But we're talking about dozens of cameras here!" Blurr exclaimed, "Not even I can take them all out at once, and that's saying a lot, because no one's faster than me, I can tell you that!"

"Impossible for one, but not for eight Autobots," Jazz said, and he looked up at the tactician. "You want us to attack from all sides at the same time."

"Correct," Prowl said. "The Quintessons are most likely to expect us to attack as a single unit instead of small teams comprised of two to three Autobots."

"I don't hold it against them; this sounds like madness," Skylynx pointed out grimly.

"Who wants to live forever?" Wreck-Gar said in a sing song.

"I understand what I'm asking you to do," Prowl said. "Yet I wouldn't do that if I weren't absolutely sure that there is no other option. Keeping the Quintessons occupied might give us the chance to reach the main computer and find a way to reverse the others' reprogramming."

"Then it's settled," Optimus said, standing up. "I'll go with Wreck-Gar and attack the south side. Sunstreaker will be with Sideswipe and go for the north side. Jazz, Blurr, you'll attack the east side. Skylynx, you'll separate into both your parts and go to the west side. Prowl, do you know the quickest route to the main halls of the base?"

"Yes."

"Then you know what to do. Bluestreak will give you the back up you need." Bluestreak snapped his head up at that, but Optimus didn't say anything for the present. "Autobots, let's roll for it."

Everyone nodded and transformed one by one, exiting the cavern. The gunner, however, had one last thing to say to the Autobot leader before heading out.

"Thank you."

Optimus smiled. "I know you'll give your life to protect him; that's why I teamed you up with him. But I'd rather you stay alive. You two have a lot of catching up to do once this is over."

"Yes, Sir. Will do," Bluestreak said with a nod, and he changed to his car mode. The tactician welcomed the young gunner at his side as they both sped out with a happy rev of his engine, something that filled Optimus with hope.

Everything would turn out okay.

TBC…