Hey guys! Only one more chapter and the epilogue and then my poll will be closed! Oh, and don't forget to look at the pictures I drew for my fanfiction! The links are at the bottom of my profile.
Thanks to:
Stesuna the Dragon - Ooh, I'll do that in the next chapter. Its gonna be full of angst but the epilogue will be happy!! Trust me!
TFSTARFIRE - Lol, thanks. Your anticipation makes me happy.
DemonGirly91 - Oh, I can have Ratchet torture her but then not have the guts to kill her because of his vow and then Sunny can step in and kill her. ^_^
electrogirl88 - Well...just read the chapters!! I can't give up that vital information!! 6_6
Chapter 25
The Autobots' Plan
It was a somber morning; everyone feared the worst as Nexia had withdrawn into herself. She would speak to nobody, only sitting with her head buried in her knees or lying with the Autobot medic, arms wrapped around his waist and her head buried in his holoform's chest. It was safe to say that she was depressed.
Ratchet blamed himself for Nexia's worsening condition and had been spending every waking moment with the distraught girl. She was always with the medic as they were cherishing the time that they had left with each other. Every so often the other members of the base would find him sitting in a corner of some random room, tears sliding down his cheeks and his head buried against his knees; much like his sparkmate.
Prowl and Optimus had been pacing for the past 48 hours, nervously awaiting Starscream's demands. The Autobot leader knew that he would have to make a serious choice…but deep down inside he already knew which choice he would make. When it all came down to it the Autobot leader would rather choose the winged girl.
Optimus was confident in his soldiers' skills and that they would be able to kill two birds with one stone; he was positive that Starscream would demand something of great value. Like it was said earlier - two birds with one stone: defending the item of value and gaining Nex's spark back.
Ratchet and Nexia were currently squirreled away in Ratchet's quarters, lying embraced within each other's arms. The winged girl's wings were folded softly around them, giving them the privacy that they so desperately craved.
Nexia slumbered quietly, still trying to fight off the last remnants of the cold she caught in the rain. Ratchet lay in front of her in holoform mode. His bright blue eyes were bloodshot, tears welling up in his eyes with every blink. He couldn't bear to live a life without his sparkmate and if he must offline himself to be with her - so be it.
The tears trickled down his blotched cheeks, his glasses fogging up because of the change in temperature. Eventually he just dismissed them like he did once before; he really didn't need them.
The medic smiled sadly as the winged girl in his arms stirred, opening her eyes to meet his azure ones. She blinked, smiled sadly to him as well. After 48 hours it seems that Nexia had calmed down; she was taking the situation better than the others - accepting the fact that she could drop dead at any given minute. She was sad that she was going to die but she couldn't do anything about it.
"I won't let you go. I'll find a way to stop Starscream. You'll live; I'll make sure of it. I will not let you die." the medic vowed, kissing the winged girl's sweat covered brow. He was about to say more but Nexia pressed a finger to Ratchet's lips. The poor medic was in denial.
"T-there…" she croaked, voice cracking because of the disuse. She blushed and cleared her throat, attempting to speak again.
"There is a legend that dwelled within my people. If a Cybertronian Phoenix happened to be murdered then their mate and loved ones could revive them." she whispered into the medic's ears. He was stunned, face brightening and his eyes shining with hope. He looked down at his weak sparkmate, desperate for the answer.
"How?" he demanded eagerly, sitting up so that he was staring into the winged girl's eyes. She sighed, biting her lip as she tried to prevent herself from coughing. She was still sick after all.
"I can't remember…but ask Optimus. He might know since he was friends with my grandfather." she wheezed, lying back onto the pillow Ratchet gave her and closing her eyes. They fluttered closed as she succumbed to slumber, smiling softly when the medic placed a soft kiss between her eyes. He really did love her.
The Autobot medic slowly slid his arms away from the winged girl. He set her head back onto the pillow and took one last determined look at the winged girl before heading to the communications room in search for Optimus.
Optimus paced back and forth in the Communications Room, impatiently awaiting an uplink from Starscream. The Decepticon would contact him; the Autobot leader was confident because he possessed the shard of the Allspark. Starscream wanted the shard in order to take complete control of the universe. He wouldn't give it up. There was going to be a battle.
The Autobot leader turned when the door opened revealing Wheeljack and Ratchet. Ratchet had met up with the engineer in the hallway and they decided to talk to Optimus together. Although Wheeljack wanted to speak to the Autobot leader he decided that he should direct his findings to the both of them. He placed is hand in a comforting manner on the medic's shoulder, shaking his head sadly. He was there to deliver bad news.
"I searched feverishly but I failed to find anything that would let us revive a Cybertronian Phoenix if she should die. I am sorry." Wheeljack said, optics staring sadly at the ground. Ratchet shook his head, letting the engineer know that everything was forgiven, before turning back to face the Autobot leader.
"Optimus. Nexia said that you might know of the old legend of reviving the spark with the use of a mate. She said her grandfather might have told you about it while he was still among the living." Ratchet said, watching the large blue and red mech's every move. Optimus brought a large hand to his face trying to recall his various memories which included the elderly Phoenix. Finally, an old conversation struck his memory chips. He looked at the others deep in thought, hoping that it was the answer to their dilemma.
"I do remember an old Cybertronian Phoenix legend. I believe it said that if one of the Phoenixes was to die without honor or during battle then their spark mates could revive them." he said, turning towards the other two mechs. He continued; Ratchet and Wheeljack were hanging onto his every word.
"By taking a small part of his or own spark and mixing it with the energies of their friends and comrades then they can call the deceased one back from the grave." Optimus finished, a small spark of hope dancing across his optics. He didn't know if it would work but he was willing it to give it a try.
"But will it work since one of us is not a Phoenix?" Ratchet asked, hoping that the last chance that he would have at rescuing his beloved would work. Wheeljack turned to the agonized mech, pity written across his facial plates. He would try to come up with another solution for his friend's sake.
"Don't worry about that right now. Just hope for the best. I'm sure everything will turn out alright in the end." he said, patting the slightly larger mech's shoulder. Ratchet was about to reply but the base's home communications system blared to life. The three mechs dashed to the large computer, instantly recognizing the Decepticon symbol.
"Starscream…" Ratchet seethed, glaring at the incoming signal. Optimus accepted the incoming video message, tightening his fist when he caught a glimpse of the Decepticon's face. He was one of the more…grotesque Decepticons.
"Ah, Optimus. How nice to chat with you." they grey and silver jet hissed, throwing Nexia's spark into the air and catching it again. Once he realized that he had captured Optimus' attention Starscream ceased the tossing of the spark. Instead he held it in front of his face, smirking maliciously while doing so. The chain it was dangling from had been crudely repaired, letting him twirl the precious gem around his finger.
"Oh, yes. You really should keep a better eye on what goes on in your base. Then items such as this would still be in your possession. How careless of you." the Decepticon sneered, causing all three of the Autobots to clench their fists. Ratchet had to clench his teeth together lest he blurt out his true feelings.
"What is it that you want, Starscream? Speak now." Optimus ground out, causing the grey and silver jet to smirk. He was successful at grating the Autobot leader's nerves.
"What do you think I want? I want the Allspark shard!!" he exclaimed, clenching the fist with Nexia's spark in it. A spark of an idea flashed across Starscream's face as he clenched the fist tighter, laughing as the spark began to crack. A terrible heart-wrenching scream tore through the Autobot base as Ratchet snapped his head towards the door. His own spark was pulsing with a dull pain, only halfheartedly enlightening him to his sparkmate's true disposition.
"Nex!" he cried as he and Wheeljack rushed towards the Medical Bay. Another sinister cackle tore through the base as Starscream released the winged girl's spark. It was pulsing erratically, sending out small tendrils of energy as the color dulled.
"Stop!" Optimus bellowed, optics burning in rage. They sparkled dangerously as the blue and red mech glared at the Decepticon.
"How about no? Give me the Allspark shard or I will crush the girl's spark. We will meet in two hours, just outside the Tranquility Lake." Starscream sneered, squeezing the spark again for good measure. His face disappeared as he ended the communication, leaving Optimus cursing in the room as he banged his fist against the wall. The force of the blow left the wall dented but it left Optimus in low spirits as he contemplated what he would do.
Nexia screamed as a blinding pain shot through her chest, spreading across her entire body as the white-hot knives intensified. She writhed in agony as her wings twitched around her body, causing her to roll over onto her stomach. Her arms clawed at the air before her, struggling to find a grip on reality. Her strength was seeping away as was the color on her wings. They were fading from their original hues of red and orange to a dull grey color.
She could barely see when Ratchet and Wheeljack burst through the doors, nearly stopping in horror as they watched her convulse in pain. Her eyes were screwed shut in pain as she flipped over on her back, arching as another searing shot of pain stabbed at her chest. Her skin color was fading as well, sending her once porcelain skin to an ashy grey.
"Help me!" Ratchet demanded as he activated his holoform. He ran to the medical supplies in order to grab a syringe of sedative, hoping that it would calm Nexia's nerves. Wheeljack's holoform held down her flailing limbs as the medic injected the needle into her arm. The winged girl jerked violently once again as her eyes fluttered shut and her body finally relaxed as she slumped forward onto the human sized berth.
Wheeljack sighed and released his hands from her shoulders, openly admitting that what he had witnessed was most easily one of the most terrifying moments in his life. Ratchet sighed in relief and shot the engineer holoform a pointed look; one that said that he wanted to be alone with the pained winged girl.
"I understand." Was all that Wheeljack said, raising his hands in a surrendering manner. The medic smiled at him thankfully, carefully helping the winged girl sit up. The sedative was enough to stop her convulsions but was not strong enough to knock her unconscious. The medic cradled the winged girl in his arms, burying his face into her hair.
"Has Starscream made contact with Optimus?" she whispered, blinking her eyes tiredly. Ratchet stiffened, face tightening into a serious face. Mere mention of the Decepticon was enough to get the medic seething.
"He wants the Allspark shard in exchange for your spark." he ground out, obviously not happy about the situation he could tell that Nexia was upset, also, by the way she tensed up in his arms. She didn't want to be used as a piece of leverage.
"Don't give it to him. I can manage. I'm alright." she said forcefully, shaking her head in defiance. He glared at her, taking her face and cupping it in his hands. Her words died in her throat as she caught glimpse of the strong look he was sending her.
"Don't ever say that again. We are to be ready in two hours. Rest until then." he said, lying back and cradling her within his strong arms.
"I'm coming with you. I can still help with FlameSpark and Xylon." she said, looking up at his concerned face. He sighed and nodded, knowing that there was no way he'd be able to get her to stay within the base boundaries. Nexia smiled up at him, content, for she was finally getting her way for once. She laid her head back upon his chest, deciding that getting a few extra hours of sleep in would help before the battle against Starscream and the rest of the Decepticons.
"Well, well, well. I didn't expect you to show up with your entire army, Autobot scum. Actually, I didn't expect you to show at all, coward." Starscream hissed, chuckling to himself. He stood, staring the Autobot leader in the optic as Bumblebee discreetly slid off to the sidelines. In his hands was the small form of Nexia, who insisted to be close to the battle in case they were in need of her summoning skills. The Autobots reluctantly agreed, but only if she promised to stay out of sight.
"Stay put. Ratchet would have my aft if anything would happen to you now." the yellow scout pleaded, staring intently at her. She laughed softly, holding up a hand, and nodding her head. She had promised her sparkmate that she would stay put. She rarely broke her promises and she knew that she was in no condition to fight in normal battle.
The Autobot medic stood to the side, near where Bumblebee had deposited the winged girl, holding his saw at the ready. He couldn't wait to tear the slimy piece of scrap metal apart for all the suffering he had caused his family. He ground his metallic teeth together, reminding himself to keep his temper in check.
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stood on either side of Optimus, slightly to the back, weapons at the ready. They stole a glance to each other, each wanting their own piece of the jet. Their assassin training had started to kick in - each a silent but deadly warrior. They would never quit on the job and each would bring as much pain to the jet as they could.
Ironhide's cannons could be heard from Optimus' left side, causing the jet to gulp slightly. Starscream knew that he was outmatched but he was prideful; the gray and silver jet didn't want to give up the small item that he held over the Autobots' heads.
This was the beginning of the final battle; a battle which would determine the fate of the last Phoenix of Cybertron. One shall stand; one shall fall.