Chapter Four
"I still can't believe it!" Rodimus murmured. He had accompanied Magnus on a very hurriedly prepared shuttle ride back to Earth. Now they both stood before a large, smoking section of the city. They both had had several hours to adjust to the idea, but it still hadn't really sunk in. Seeing the mighty Metroplex brought low was a very sobering experience.
Magnus suddenly felt a foreign emotion -- vulnerability. If these terrorists could take out the mighty Autobot so easily, how safe was he? How safe could any of them be? The city commander busied himself by inspecting the structure personally, jotting down notes and listening intently as numerous repair technicians briefed him on the scope of the damage. Fortunately, it wasn't quite as bad as it looked. The terrorists (having once again left their trademark) had targeted the great city's power turbines, sparing most of the inhabited portion. Still, there had been several injuries, and three humans lay in Medbay with third-degree burns and serious contusions. It was those near-casualties that weighted most heavily on Magnus' conscience. If only he had posted more guards! If only he had stepped up the surveillance around the city! If only…. His shoulders drooped. The truth was, he had become complacent. Despite the terrorist attacks on Cybertron, he had never suspected that they would strike on Earth, and definitely not on his turf. He had, in fact, tightened security after the strikes had begun, but not as much as he should have. In the final analysis, the blame could be placed nowhere else.
Currently the expansive city was running on backup power provided from numerous emergency generators and several additional "pipelines" from the nearest human power plant. It wasn't an ideal solution, for the lights flickered erratically from time to time, and power outages were frequent, but it was the best that could be done under the circumstances. Metroplex had been knocked unconscious for several hours, and the process of reviving him was long and complex. The city-transformers had complicated psyches of a massive scope, and in Metroplex's case also branched out to fully dependent extensions, such as Slammer, and ones that were mind-linked to him, like Scamper and Six-gun. If his consciousness was brought online too fast, the shock could be too great, and he could shut down completely. Since the great city controlled nearly all of his own functions, any number of things could go wrong. Several specialists in cybernetic personalities had been called in for this endeavor.
Once the large Transformer had been prepped, the assembled techs flipped the master switch, and Metroplex's groan reverberated through the master control chamber. Cheers erupted from the assembled weary robots. Metroplex had always been their symbol of strength; as long as he still functioned, there was hope for the Autobot cause. He was virtually untouchable. To see him incapacitated had struck fear deep in their hearts.
As the massive Autobot slowly regained full consciousness, Ultra Magnus paced about impatiently. He had insisted on being present for all of the delicate repair work and kept a very sharp eye out for anyone who didn't belong. Security in this area had been stepped up dramatically since the incident where Starscream and Scourge had stolen Metroplex's eyes and planted a bomb in his brain unit. Still, it was obvious that there had been weaknesses remaining that the terrorists had fully exploited. And for that, there was no one to blame but himself. He had failed both Metroplex and those under his own command.
He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and paused in mid-stride, giving Rodimus a harried look. The second-in-command gave him a reassuring smile. "Magnus, you have to relax, or else you'll give yourself a CPU fault! I know you feel responsible for this, but nobody saw this coming. There was no reason to believe that the Circle would strike here. Optimus and I both believed that they would limit their activities to Cybertron. Besides, these guys seem to find their way into some very secure areas without being seen. They're damn good, Mags. Honestly, I don't think there's anything any of us could have done to stop this."
Magnus felt his spirits lift slightly in spite of his better judgment. Rodimus always knew just the right thing to say. How far he had come from those early, angst-filled days! Back then, Roddy had been practically scared of his own shadow, afraid that his slightest order would result in disaster. Magnus had felt the crushing weight of the mantle of leadership for a very short time and understood all too well what the young leader was going through. He was much more comfortable in an advisory role as second-in-command, giving Rodimus direction and providing him with moral support. It had always been plain to him that Roddy was a natural leader; he just lacked the confidence to back up his decisions. And when Optimus had returned, it had seemed like a blessing to them all. Primus knows, Rodimus couldn't get rid of the Matrix fast enough. But Ultra Magnus had realized that something fundamentally good had been abruptly aborted. The young Rodimus' methods had been more radical than his predecessor and had taken some getting used to, but change was essential to keep their race moving ahead. Optimus had represented a return to the static old ways, the same practices that had kept the war at a stalemate, at best, for nine million years. They were tried and true, but some new blood was sorely needed. And what of Rodimus? Hot Rod had pretended to be his carefree old self, but Magnus saw through the façade. He was hurting without the Matrix, stung that Optimus had taken his place so easily. A part of him had been lost that he needed to regain.
The news of Roddy's origin had struck like a thunderclap. It had cast Hot Rod's relationship with Optimus in a whole other light. There was no real precedent for their relationship as father and son, since a spark had not been created by a Transformer couple since the days of Quintesson rule. Magnus had watched from the sidelines with concern as Optimus tried to do the fatherly thing and impose his values on his creation, and Hot Rod had fought back in the most rebellious way he knew how. Things finally came to a head, but with Magnus' intervention, it all worked out for the best. The return of Rodimus Prime corrected a grievous wrong and made for a very nice balance of leadership. It hadn't been easy: the Autobots had to adjust to two very different styles of leadership, and there were many departments that had to be rearranged, but it was all to their benefit. Magnus seemed to be the one to make the transition the best, already familiar with each Prime's methods. Of course, there were some pitfalls. One major unexpected development had been the emotional link fostered between the two Matrix bearers. It had been a huge shock for both of them, one that was very difficult to deal with. Rodimus was able to cope with it somewhat better, being younger and more accepting of change, but Optimus found the whole ordeal to be very stressful. He was a private person and hated sharing his most intimate emotions. He had denied it and tried to shut Rodimus out, making for some rather painful headaches on both sides. But the link also brought them closer together, and they became a very tight pair, a force to be reckoned with.
"He's ready," one of the techs beckoned, and Magnus tore his thoughts away from the past. He needed to be sharp for this. He patted one of Metroplex's consoles in a reassuring way. "Metroplex? How are you feeling?"
The groan was soft but his booming voice was still awe-inspiring. "Ultra Magnus? What has happened to me, Commander?"
Magnus growled low in his throat. Metroplex knew that sound all too well. The city commander was royally pissed. The large Transformer almost felt bad for whoever was on the receiving end. Almost. The splitting headache he had tempered the sympathy. "It was sabotage. Your primary and secondary turbines were very badly damaged. We've got some emergency power routed to you right now, but it's not very steady at the moment."
Metroplex ran a self-diagnostic and heaved a sigh at the readout. This would be a glitch to fix! At least his autonomous units were fully functional, if a bit disoriented. He promptly dispatched them to help the repair crews. Ultra Magnus grudgingly described the sketchy details through a vocal module strained with rage, and the large city did his best to focus despite the pounding in his cranial unit and numb sensation coming from where his turbines had once been located. Thank Primus the repair crew had properly disengaged his pain receptors.
"Ah, would ya look at this!" a gravelly voice rang out. Magnus and Rodimus both turned with relief to greet the Autobots' Chief of Security. Kup gave them a perfunctory nod, all business.
"What do you make of this, Kup?" Rodimus asked gravely. Any detail the old warrior had spotted could prove invaluable. And if the evidence was there, Kup would find it. When working a case, he had the tenacity of a bulldog.
"It's not good, lad." The grizzled old campaigner paused for effect, glancing around to make sure that no unauthorized personnel were within earshot. "I think the Decepticons were behind this."
"The Decepticons!" Rodimus and Ultra Magnus echoed, their shock evident. "But Kup… how could that be?" Rodimus spluttered. Magnus took a more active approach as he hastily situated himself in front of Metroplex's control panels. He listened with half an audial as he began to search through the large city's security records.
The gray-green mech sighed in frustration. "There's no doubt about it. It had to have been them, son. The incendiary device that was recovered had Decepticon written all over it."
Rodimus was speechless. No! No, this couldn't be happening! Peace had been so close! Could it really be that their foes had decided to renew the hostilities? He forcibly grabbed hold of his self-control. Innocent until proven guilty, he reminded himself. But still, the seed of doubt had been planted. "Kup, that hardly proves anything," he protested, the argument sounding weak even to him. "Each side now has access to materials that the other has developed. It would be easy for an Autobot, or even a neutral or alien to get their hands on Decepticon explosives."
Magnus flipped nervously through the digitized security recordings, looking to either corroborate or refute Kup's accusation. He hoped fervently to do the latter. If the Decepticons had decided to start the war all over again… he couldn't even process the thought. He came to the timeframe he had been seeking and exclaimed in shock. Kup and Rodimus hastened to his side. The city commander's jaw worked as he pointed, unable to vocalize his findings. Rodimus did it for him. "They're gone! The security vids for the attack are gone!"
Kup shook his head, his expression solemn. "Then the Decepticons have gained even more access than I originally thought. We must act quickly, change the access codes and, once Metroplex is repaired, have him transform to battle station mode. It will be a lot easier to defend."
"Don't I have a say in this?" Ultra Magnus protested irritably. This was his city, and he would be the one who decided what happened to it! His resolve was further strengthened by the recent terrorist attack. Metroplex was his responsibility, and he would make sure that everything would be done to protect him. "First of all, Kup, I don't see how the Decepticons could have gained access to Metroplex in order to wipe his files. Furthermore, how often do the Decepticons come to Earth anyway? How do we know they're here at all?"
Rodimus groaned inwardly. "Megatron sent a small group of them here to gather energy and supplies. Under our terms, of course. So there were Decepticons in the area."
Magnus addressed the massive Autobot in which they currently stood. "Metroplex," the city commander spoke, trying his best to keep the irritation out of his voice, "do you recall seeing any Decepticons in the area before the attack? Do you have any idea who accessed your security files?"
The great Transformer took a moment to think it over. "Indeed, Commander, I did see a group of Decepticons within fifteen Terran miles of my city limits over the past several days. However, I cannot specify who deleted my security records. That information was erased as well."
Kup nodded curtly. It was enough evidence for him. Rodimus and Ultra Magnus were a lot less convinced, but they couldn't deny that the Decepticons were their prime suspects. The realization was sickening. Had all of their exhaustive efforts building up the Alliance been for nothing?