Welcome to Flint, Michigan.
Where everyone is free to smoke.
Havoc: Oh, sweet! (Lights up a cigarette.)
Well, at least until May.
(Police car pulls up.) "Cuff'em"
Havoc: You guys suck.
Author: First Amendment Right, what's that?
Death
Garrus-9, Sub-level.
Down in the sub-level of the Autobot maximum security prison, another battle ensues. Prime, barely managing to escape from his fight from Nova (Nemesis) Prime, now has to fight for his life once more. And proving to his opponents that he will not go down easily.
Prime grabs the smaller of his enemies, who fired his weapons wildly out of blind rage as he is tossed into the face of the large & bulky Cybertronian, knocking him to the ground. Prime retracts his right hand & extends what looked like an energy formed battle axe.
The serpent swipes at Prime, catching his chest plate, leaving gouges & breaking the glass windshield on his left. He grabs the monster's left arm & slices it off at the shoulder. It falls to one knee in pain as monster holds its shoulder, failing to notice Prime swinging the dismembered limb & striking him in the face.
The jet-like Cybertronian draws one of his blades & makes a swipe for Prime's head. Prime barely avoids losing his head. He swings his battle axe, slicing the hand that held his opponent's sword & catching him with a hard left, damaging his eye & leaving slightly disoriented. Prime grabs the back of his opponent's head before rushing him into the nearby Solar Pool, face first. Incapacitating him further.
Corata-vaz.
The situation had now stabilized. Giving everyone a small chance to sigh in relief. As Edward & the others are transported to the Wreckers' ship, the chains loosen around Thunderwing's body, allowing him to change back to his normal robotic form. Well, at least for a giant.
He holds his head as his HUD display confirms the neural uplink is cut. He turns his attention to the remaining Autobots in front of him as they raise their weapons out of fear of retaliation. "Oh, um... sorry guys."
As the thought of, "Did the monster of Cybertron just say, he was sorry?" ran through Springer & his teammate's minds, they're interrupted by the crew of the Xantium suddenly call in. "Springer, this is Pointblank, we've got a problem."
"Great, now what?"
"Sir, we lost contact with Garrus-9. It's almost as though communications are being jammed & we can't find a point of origin that's causing it either."
Springer felt a new sense of uneasiness pass through him. It could be another Decepticon attack, or at least he hoped. "Beam us up & set course." After disappearing from sight, the giant changes to his jet form & takes off from the planet's surface in hopes of following the Xantium to Garrus-9. In orbit, the Xantium & Thunderwing engage their interstellar drives, racing to the prison planet.
Garrus-9, Sub-level.
Prime is suddenly taken by the sight of his opponent's recovery. Red lightning danced as limbs that were once severed began to regrow. Damage inflicted to internal components returned to normal. "What manor of creatures are they?" Prime thought before being kicked in the face by the jet-like Cybertronian. Knocking his equilibrium off.
He draws his second sword & quickly maneuvers behind Prime & impales him through his upper back, piercing his spark core. Prime struggles with the blade protruding from his chest as he hears a "cocking" sound before a shot was fired through his chest. Bits of metal, glass, fluids & wires explode outward. Jetfire watches in horror at the limp body of Optimus Prime falling like a newly cut tree to the floor.
Planet Charr
The Fallen rises to his stone throne, flames dancing off his back. "Yes! The last Prime, is dead."
Garrus-9, Sub-level.
"That went well." The female stated sarcastically. "Asmodeus, Mammon, Beelzebub, take our guest back to father. The slayer of Prime ordered, picking up his first blade off the floor & placing it back in its sheath. He turns his attention to the bulky tank & serpent looking machine. "Belphegor, Leviathan, you have your assignment as do Amon & myself."
Three fiery portals open as the each group disappeared, one dragging Jetfire behind them as go. The bulkhead doors open as a team of Autobots enter the room, the shocked expressions tell the tale. Several moments later, the Xantium & Thunderwing hover in the planet's orbit as Ultra Magnus' ship also arrives on the scene.
The Wreckers look at the scene with Ultra Magnus. The signs were obvious. A fierce struggle followed by a kidnapping, but nothing so obvious could be the truth sometimes. At least, that's how Ultra Magnus thought. "Springer, you have those humans that disappeared with Thunderwing not long ago, correct?"
"Yeah, but two of them are really in no shape for conversations & I doubt Thunderwing would seem to be talkative at the moment, considering what happened."
"Indeed, I've already tried him. All he told me, was to throw myself into a compactor."
Prime is carried off on a stretcher as everyone looks on with a sense of depression fills the room. The villains behind this were able to do what no one else could ever do. Kill the greatest Autobot of all time.
Aboard the Xantium, 1 hour later.
Lust sits quietly next to Edwards makeshift bed, off his left. An oxygen mask on his face along with another machine monitoring his vitals. She leans back in her chair & crosses her legs as she continues to read the journal that he hid inside his trench coat. From reading it, she could tell that this was just one of possibly many judging from the date it started upon.
The door opens to allow a small white robot to hove into the room. It was the size of a thirteen gallon trashcan. An Autobot symbol on its right & a red cross on the left. What got Lust's attention was the small nurses hat that sat up on top of its head. Cute & yet comical in a way.
It records the information it came in for before looking at Lust & started making short beeps & odd chirping noises. She tilts her head slightly, unable to to comprehend what the machine was trying to say. "I'm sorry, I don't understand." The droid hovers around the bed & extends a thin mechanical arm & points to one of the buttons on the side of the bed that Lust sat next to. One being a small red cross.
Lust nodded in acknowledgment before the droid turned to leave the room. She turned to look at the sleeping alchemist & couldn't help but somewhat admire him. He was lucky, in more ways than one. He was alive, for the most part. But, unlike her, he can't recover nearly as fast. Although, he has been known to defy the odds every now & again.
Suddenly, an uncharacteristic thought just popped into her mind. "He always talks about 'equivalency this, that & the other thing...' and yet, there's his situation. He's well read, has a strong will & he's a fighter... He's actually attractive & still young enough for any future growth spurts. But, where could the height have gone? Maybe he has a python in his pants." She suddenly looked away, cheeks slightly flushed as she wondered where that idea would've come from?
She decides to go back to the book to keep her mind off of the young man next to her. She couldn't help but think back at how he tried defending her from Wrath's insulting remarks & then again pushing her behind him when they encountered the Decepticon lobster. Or was it a crab? Giant shrimp? Maybe it was a crayfish? In the end, who cares. Then there's the necklace he gave her, which she wears with pride. It was his apology & gratitude to her.
Her thoughts were short lived when the door opened once more. A human sized Autobot enters. His armor was black & beige. His eye visor was red & his face was similar to Optimus Prime's. She stood to her feet in show of a greeting while giving a glare of authority. Studying her body language, he could tell she was going to be defensive, hopefully only for the short-term. He needed answers, and quickly.
He pulls up another chair sits down across from her. "Please, don't feel threatened. My name is Rewind. I'm only here to ask a few questions about what happened during your time away." He stated, motioning her to sit. She complied & sat down once again, keeping the journal face-down in her lap. "So, you want to know what happened?"
"Yes, if you don't mind."
She had to be careful in not to divulge too much information. Last thing she wanted is to be implicated in this mess or something else, let alone Edward. Wrath on the other hand, she honestly could care less. "Well, my memory is rather vague on a few things... We found ourselves in what you would call an alternate dimension... And from there, we encountered smaller versions of your kind."
Her statement suddenly sparked his interest. "Smaller versions?"
"Yes. They were called, Micromasters. Apparently, both sides seemed to have had them & using them to continue to fight your little war."
"Micromasters? I have no record of such a faction... Are you sure they were Cybertronian?"
"Of course, they wore your badge... And they said they were after someone named Scoponok or something like that."
Her story was beginning to bother him. He's an archivist, an expert of historic facts & trivial tidbits. He knows he should back away from this fascination & mystery getting the better of his judgment. But reading her facial features, she was obviously becoming annoyed by the questioning & decides to "wrap it up."
"Finally, what information do you have about an individual know as, 'The Fallen'?"
Now it was Lust's turn to feel uncomfortable. It was a subject that she did not want to discuss. What Edward told her seemed farfetched, but even she is not one to talk about the "unusual." After all, she is one born of unnatural means. "Sorry, the only one that knows anything about that is sleeping next to me... Speaking of which, if you don't mind, I too would like to get some sleep myself."
He stood to his feet to give a respectful gesture before turning to leave. "Oh, there is one more thing." She said grabbing the Autobot's attention once more. "You seem to be the inquisitive type. Our large friend has something you might be interested in." He nodded & left the room, then shutting shortly afterward.
She sits down at the edge of the bed, a heavy sigh escapes her. Edward cracks an eye open & raises an eyebrow at the unsuspecting woman next to him. He gently raises his left arm slightly & gives her a light pinch to her side. This startled her & forced her to turn quickly to a see a smirking Edward as he removed the oxygen mask from is face & pushed himself into a sitting position.
"You deviant bastard." She said with a seductive smirk. His demeanor turned serious as he looked down at the bed. "I have a bad feeling about the real reason why that, Rewind fella was here." Lust leaned back on the bed resting on her arms & stared up at the ceiling. "I know, I believe he was hiding something."
Ed slowly pushed himself off the & pulled off the few monitoring wires that were connected to the machines. "Edward, you really should take it easy, I mean-"
"I know, I know... But, I want to find a bathroom, fill my stomach, have a shower & pass the hell out for a week or so. Besides, I sleep better with a full stomach."
She didn't argue, but did see the logic behind his thinking. It had been a long week & every now & then, one does deserve some "me time." He grabs his flack jacket & throws it over his shoulder as Lust grabs his black leather trench coat & the book she was reading. They walk out into the hall, only to be greeted by the pain known as Wrath.
"I got some news for you, Elric"
"Great, anything important?"
"I don't know... Is your dad dying important?"
"Well, if that's all—Wait... What!"
"Your dad is dying."
Wrath leads him to the room that (strangely enough) was next to his own room. Lust & Wrath stand by the door as Ed walks over to his father's bedside. He looks down at his ailing father, feeling a sense of remorse, sadness & pity. Ed plays with his right forearm until a small view screen popped open. Outside, the large jet form of Thunderwing hovered neared the Xantium, somewhat surprised by a call from Ed so soon.
In Ed's mind, he wanted to do the right thing, allowing the homunculus controlled side of the giant listen to his creator's final words. "Son... I'm sorry... for leaving you & Al all those years ago."
"Dad-"
"I know you & your brother... tried to bring your mother back... and I too am guilty of a similar sin. But know this, your mother... was the only woman... I've ever loved..." The giant rolled his eyes internally. "May have been the only woman he ever loved, but not the only one he was ever with before her."
"Please... tell, Al... I... love... uuuhhhhhh." His father's last breath leaves him. Ed's expression was one of sadness, without question. Deep down, he couldn't help but feel some remorse for the way he acted after his father returned. He may be able to forgive one day. But as everything goes, time will determine how & when this wound (like many) will heal. Outside, the same feeling of depression hits the giant. Or rather, the entity within. "Goodbye, old man." However, he couldn't help but think that the death seemed to be a little too dramatic.
Lust & Wrath stepped aside to allow Ed to leave, noticing that he kept his head low. As he walks down the hall, they say him come across Rewind, who was carrying the gold disc in his arms. "Edward, this is a surprise." The look in Ed's eyes showed the mood he was in, exhaustion combined with a new sense of depression. "Yeah, is there a place where I can have a shower & get some food?"
Rewind thought for a moment before answering. "Well, my hands are rather full at the moment. But-" Rounding the corner, a large Autobot enters the scene. He was red with a yellow chest plate. His silver legs had what looked like speaker woofers in the center. "What's up small cats?" He asked with the best upbeat tone he could muster, considering the resent events.
"Ah, Blaster. Would you mind showing our guests where they can take care of any 'personal' needs. I would do it, but I'm working on something important at the moment."
"Sure thing, bro." He motions for Edward to follow. "Follow me guys, I'll show you around our home away from home." His slang verbal skills were puzzled Ed & the others as Rewind continued on his way.
Earth, Western border of Xing, 23:45 hrs.
A fiery portal opens allowing Belphegor, the bulky tank Cybertronian & Leviathan, the serpent to step onto the rugged terrain. "This should be the area. The serpent stated. "Leviathan, I'm bored... Can I have a nap now?" He asked, the serpent only scoffed at his annoying brother. "You can once we return home." He answered as he drove his clawed hand into the soft soil.
"Ah, here it is." He pulls his hand out, holding an old wooden coffin. "That was easy enough, our job is done. Now, it is up to Lucifer & Amon to ready things at their end."
"Why are we doing this again?"
"You lazy ninny... It's simple. We're going to help father finish what he started long ago. Giving everyone more than they can handle & giving father the time he needs to prepare without interruptions."
"Oh..." Leviathan rubs his forehead in frustration, not believing his partner's low intelligence. "This'll be the last time I get stuck with your lazy posterior, you oaf."
Battlecruiser Xantium.
"Autobot, Rewind, Datatrack entry 3274-41... Upon recovering the lost Autobot artifact, and through preliminary examination, I found nothing that I already didn't know. However, it is terribly lacking any information on the one know only as, 'The Fallen'. But, I have found one interesting piece... The item we call, 'the Matrix', that has always been pasted down from Prime to Prime, was—infact—a fake."
"I surmise that—if held to be true—the real one is out there, somewhere... The only lead I could obtain, is on a planet in the Gamma system... Now, the next question is, can I convince someone to investigate this further?"
He rose from his chair & left the room. Meanwhile, in what could be described as a "mess hall" of sorts, Ed just sat quietly, a towel draped from behind his neck, his gold hair covering a portion of the towel as it was still air-drying. Content with now having a clean set of clothes & eating a meal that was made through a 'replication' process that he failed to understand how it made his food, (and his clothes for that matter) but decided not to dwell on the fact.
What did bother him however, was when he was brought to a cleaning area, Lust asked him something that he only kept into the darkest recess of his mind. "Care for some company?" She asked with little to no shame yet, calm & cool. Now, he actually began to feel bad for saying "no". As tempting as the offer was, he didn't want to abandon his principles. Even though, the idea still made his cheeks flush at the thought.
A chair in front of him is pulled away from the table. Ed watches the black armored Autobot, Rewind sits across from him. "First, I wish to give my condolences about your father." Ed gave a simple nod. Rewind knew he was not going to be in any mood to talk, but this is dire. "I'm also happy you're beginning to feel better Mr. Elric, but I would recommend you to rest more... You look as though you need it."
"I will, after I'm done eating & I return home to bury my father. Then, I'm going to climb into my own bed for about a week & try to sleep this whole bullshit adventure off."
"Well, all things considered, that may not be a bad idea... But, there are still some issues we need to take care of. For one, the disc that you provided, held no knowledge of 'The Fallen', who I'm sure is responsible for what happened here on Garrus-9."
Ed paused his feasting for a moment as he looked at Rewind once more. "Why, what happened?"
"You mean, no one told you?"
"Nobody has told me shit."
Rewind lowers his head. Ed knew that what he was about to here, was not going to be anything good. "Optimus Prime, is dead." Edward drops the fork from between his fingers at the news, his eyes widen & his mouth drops open. "W-When did it happen?"
"Shortly before you & the Wreckers arrived... We think, he went down fighting."
"Does anyone else know?"
"No, we've kept all communications on a very 'need to know' basis."
Ed pushes his plate away, suddenly losing his appetite completely. "So, who's leading now?"
"Ultra Magnus is in charge of the investigation. However, as far as a successor, no one else knows except those on Garrus-9."
Ed contemplated his next question, 'Find the Matrix!' "What about this, 'Matrix' thing?"
The questions surprises the Autobot. "You mean the Matrix of Leadership?" He places a hand to his chin, thinking of the legends behind the greatest Cybertronian artifact. "Well, reading from the disc you brought back, there is only one clue that I was able to find about the Matrix's last whereabouts."
Ed clasps his hands together before resting his chin onto them. He darts his eyes away in thought before glancing back at Rewind. "When will you be ready to leave?"
"When you are."
"Me? You want me to go along? I—and I think I speak for the other traveling fools of the starship 'Blunder'-think we've had enough travel & fun for a while. I doubt you really need me for this."
"Perhaps not... Yet, perhaps we will."
Ed looks on mildly bemused as he lowers his head, keeping his eyes focused on Rewind. "You're going to drag me into this, aren't you?"
"If it makes you feel better, I & my guardian will be accompanying you & you may take you friends with you as well."
"I'm not going. Screw you guys, I wanna go home." Wrath said as he stood in the doorway. Lust walks in wearing a black leather pants & black tank top that had a slight V-cut to it. Both of which hugged her curves with little effort. She wore a new pair of gloves that stopped just past her wrists as she held a black leather trench coat in her arms.
Both Ed & Wrath couldn't help but take notice. Wrath just raised an eyebrow in curiosity while Ed made a slow once-over, noticing how her new shirt shamelessly shows her cleavage. Rewind sees the slight flush in Edward's cheeks. "Are you alright, Edward? Your heart rate & hormone levels would seem to have elevated."
"Shut up!" He replied before standing & grabbing his own black leather trench coat from the back of his chair. "Lets go & get this over with." He leaves the room with Rewind leading the way with Wrath & Lust following closely behind, who was amused at what Rewind said about Edward. "Interesting, this outfit was able to get more of a rise out of Edward than my dress... Hope he enjoys my choice in undergarments." She thought with a seductive smile.
A few moments later, inside Thunderwing's cockpit, Edward & Lust sit side by side in the center chair while Rewind sits up front with his guardian, Blaster, who reduced himself into a boombox. Surprising both Lust & Ed as to how a giant robot can shrink down to something so small yet, different from their own large friend's ability. "So, where to?" Ed asked, with seemingly next to no enthusiasm.
"The planet we're heading to is called, Aio. At maximum speed, it'll take a couple of megacycles to get there."
"Huh?" Ed asked.
"Two of your earth hours."
The large jet swings around & leaves the orbit of Garrus-9 before engaging its interstellar drive & disappearing from sight. Ed decides to take this time to rest for duration of the flight as Lust follows his lead & leans against him slightly. Ed blushed slightly as he took in her fragrance. "I almost tell this is going to be another long journey... I hope I can hold out from wanting to violate her on this trip. Back on that beach, I really felt like giving in. Moon light does her a lot of justice."