A/N: Things are really getting going now! I've only got a few more chapters planned and I've been considering a sequel if anyone is interested? As always thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. Whether you review every chapter or just leave a comment here and there, it's all golden. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Megs and Trion's convo was really interesting to write.

Wheeljack made Knockout stay in alt mode as the army trucks arrived to remove Optimus.

"Is this really necessary." Knockout grumbled.

"I don't give a slag what you think. You move and I'll pin your aft to the ground."

"So are we going back to your base?"

"You aren't. You are leaving. As soon as they have Optimus loaded, you can get out my optic range."

"So you don't want my help with Prime?"

"June might trust you, but I know 'Cons."

"You weren't there. You don't understand. I cannot stand the little pest. She nearly offlined me twice then had the bearings to ask me to help Optimus."

"So why are you here?"

Knockout settled lower on his tires. "I really didn't have a choice. It was either get taken apart and made into drones or help her. Lesser of two evils I guess."

Wheeljack watched as the squad secured Optimus to the tractor trailer bed and wrapped him in tarps. It reminded him of helping June. It was weird to think that it had been less than an orn and only four Earth solar cycles since he'd discovered the fallen Prime. At least this time they had the proper equipment to move Optimus and he wasn't in immediate danger of offlining.

"Wheeljack . . ." Ratchet came through on their private com line.

"I'm here. They are loading Optimus now."

"Good. Have the other medic come with you. He knows more about the cortical patch than I do and I'm going to need his help."

"You have got to be kidding me Ratchet. He's a 'Con!"

"He also helped June and Optimus escape the Nemesis. I don't like it either but I've got to have some help with this."

Wheeljack muttered a few choice words. "Fine, but when this all goes south I'm gonna be the first to say 'I told you so.'"

"I wouldn't expect any more."

Closing the connection he smacked the top of Knockout's hood.

"Ouch! What the scrap was that for you dumb glitch?"

"Com'mon, Ratchet says he wants your help so I'm taking you back to base."

"What?!"

"Are you deaf or something, turn up your audios. We're leaving. Follow Optimus."

"I don't slagging need this. I'm out of here."

Wheeljack drove a katana into the ground a scant milimeter from Knockout's front bumper. "Ratchet said he needs your help and you are going to help or I'll take you there in pieces."

"Fine. Have it your way."

"Ain't my way, bud."

"It's Knockout."

The drive to the base was spectacularly uneventful much to Wheeljack's disappointment. He had been looking forward to an excuse to kick the 'Con's tailpipe. However, Knockout was disturbingly well behaved. Probably meant he was planning something. Ratchet, Arcee and Bumblebee were waiting as they pulled into the compound. Bumblebee looked to Ratchet optics wide and questioning.

Optimus?

"He's on the truck, Bumblebee. Don't worry." Wheeljack transformed and drew a blade holding it loosely as Knockout transformed as well. Bumblebee whistled in alarm and Ratchet had to jerk him back.

"Take it easy Bee. He's here to help Optimus."

But he helped kidnap Jack, Miko and Raf!

"We know Bee, but Ratchet needs help. You remember what the psychic patch was like, right? Well Optimus is trapped like how Megatron got trapped in your processor."

There was a low whistle from Knockout. "I bet that was awkward."

Bumblebee glared, gears nearly grinding before he turned on his heel and stalked off.

"Ratchet sir, where shall we put Optimus."

"Have the truck follow me, you can leave him on the trailer for now."

Wheeljack motioned for Knockout to follow. Ratchet had set up a medical bay of sorts. Mostly out of what he could find. Once the trailer was parked and locked in place the tarps were carefully removed. Ratchet vented heavily and immediately did a helm to pede scan of the Prime. Nothing red lighted and the medic frowned.

"You did the surgery Knockout?"

"Yes I did. Though my charts are back on the Nemesis."

"An oral report will suffice."

Wheeljack sighed and left the two medics as technical terms started flying. He found June and Jack sitting with Raf, Arcee and Bumblebee in an open area. Someone had brought in couches for the humans. June was telling the other's about their flight to get Optimus away from Jasper. Leaning against a pillar Wheeljack listened to her recount their ordeals. When she came to the part about running down Knockout with the wrecker Bumblebee stopped her.

You hit him with a truck?

"He was in his bot mode at the time and I sort of ran him down. He was hurting Wheeljack though."

"That energon prod of his is nasty." Wheeljack conceded.

"So why are we trusting him to help Optimus?" Raf spoke up from where he sat on Bumblebee's knee.

June sighed. "Megatron was going to kill him. That new medic he brought in . . . Flatline-" She shuddered. "He was going to literally take Knockout apart."

Bumblebee's whistle was low and Raf nodded. "That's pretty harsh even for Megatron."

"Even if Knockout has been our enemy in the past, there is no reason we can't extend him at least some courtesy now that he's on his own."

"Now you sound like, Optimus." Arcee teased.

June smiled her eyes getting a distant look. "He is an amazing person. He's so much stronger and determined than I realized. And sad."

A hush fell over the group. June blinked and looked around. "I'm sorry, I need to go see how he's doing."

Once she was gone Jack looked over at Wheeljack. "How long has she been like that?"

"Like what?"

"Mooning over Prime." Arcee flicked servos in the direction June had gone.

"Mooning?"

"Mom kind of had a thing for Optimus since she first saw him, but somethings different now." Jack shrugged looking uncomfortable.

"Well Optimus isn't … whats the word? Available."

"I wouldn't go that far Arcee. He just chooses not to. He's the Prime for Primus sake"

The Matrix bearer doesn't bond.

"How do you know that Bee?"

Bumblebee shrugged. Sentinel never bonded either.

Wheeljack waved him off. "You are too young to know anything about Sentinel."

No, Jazz told me.

"Trust Jazz to open his mouth about scrap that doesn't concern him. What brought that up anyway, Bee?"

I forget now, was a long time ago. Before Tyger Pax.

Wheeljack nodded. "Yeah. Well I'm not sure that you guys understand just what it is you think June feels for Optimus. She risked her life to save him, bleed for him, sacrificed her home, endured three days in 'Con custody . . ."

"Now you sound like the love struck 'bot."

Wheeljack glared. "Whatever, I got another 'bot in my sights. I just know I respect and admire her. She's a true Autobot even if she is tiny. She respects Optimus and realizes that to lose him is to lose the war."

Everyone was silent for a long moment before Raf coughed softly. "So umm . . . Whose the bot you've got your eye on Wheeljack?"

###

Alpha Trion watched Megatron pace back and forth. He hadn't said anything yet, hadn't even asked a question. He just seemed to be waiting. Which was fine with him. He was just glad to be out of the dark, dank cell they left him in under Kaon for the last several vorn. The news that the Omega Lock had been destroyed, by Optimus himself no less, was troubling news and without the Covenant to hint at what might come he was as lost as the rest of them. Not that the Covenant had ever been explicit about anything. He'd been rather desperate when he'd hidden the key within Smokescreen. It had been a gamble that had unfortunately not paid off. It wasn't the only way, it was just the simplest. Relatively speaking.

Megatron turned to face him, red optics seeming to glow in the low light. How long had it been since he'd seen the gladiator turned tyrant? Did it matter? He'd know this was coming. It was only a matter of time. The war on Cybertron itself had been over for thousands of vorn. He had hoped that once Optimus had found the relics he would have the means to defeat Megatron, but it seemed Megatron was even more devious than they'd guessed. As always Optimus was half a step behind the warlord. It was hardly fair to the former librarian to be pitted against such a force. Few could have faced him head on for so long and not been swept aside. To Optimus' credit he had managed to save the All Spark and quite a number of Cybertronians. He just couldn't save Cybertron. Even after all this time since the All Spark had been ejected, the poison still tainted most of the planet. It would be many more millenia before it was able to support more than the few thousand bots left on the surface.

He wished, not for the first time that Alchemist Prime were there to help. He'd lost contact with Primus as well. That in itself was troubling. Never before had he been without access to Vector Sigma, the Covenant or the Quill. The Covenant was locked way, having been taken from him by Megatron himself.

As if following his train of thought Megatron rounded on him. "I have read your Covenant."

"That is not possible, only a Prime-"

"The blood of Unicron himself flows through me still. Do you really think I would not be able to read it? What I found most interesting were the passages you wrote just before the war broke out in earnest."

"Those passages were not meant for you."

"No, they weren't. They were meant for Orion Pax the one you chose to be the next Prime."

"He has proved himself worthy of the title."

"Has he? Look at what he has done as Prime."

"It was you who forced his hand."

"No, he chose to defy me when all I wanted was freedom and peace."

"Freedom maybe, but you do not understand the concept of peace. All you know is war and destruction. You were sparked to it and you will die to it."

"And the irony is not lost on me. The very All Spark that you so revere created me as I am, but it was the castes that forged me into the bot you see now. What might I have been if I had been allowed my freedom and name from the moment I was sparked, instead of a number and enslavement?"

"There were many paths you could have chosen, Megatron. You chose this one."

"I did not chose my caste."

"No but you chose to become a gladiator. You chaffed in servitude as any thinking bot would but you did not apply your intellect in the best way possible. If you'd had Orion's patience things could have been radically different for all of us."

"Why should I have been quiet and submissive to the Council while my brothers died either in the pits or from injuries mining or in the factories. I could no longer tolerate it. One more death was one too many."

"And yet you caused the slaughter of countless innocents. You destroyed Vos and blamed it on the Autobots just so you could secure the loyalty of the seekers. Shall I name all those whose sparks you snuffed just to further your own agenda?"

"I know each and mourn each. I am not unaware of the cost of war. Sacrifices must be made to ensure the greater good. But look at what has happened now. Tell me Archivist, did your Covenant speak of this? Did it warn you of the destruction of the lock after you went to so much trouble to hide the keys?"

Alpha Trion shook his head.

Megatron grinned. "Your precious Prime used the Star Saber itself to destroy the Lock, all for this tiny mudball and the 'innocent' population on it. They don't even possess interstellar travel yet he would rather have saved their civilization than our own. We who have existed for millenia upon millenia."

"I will not say that it was the wrong or the right thing to do. It simply is. The Prime felt it just and I therefore will not nay say his decision."

"Oh such pretty words! You don't fool me Trion. You are disappointed. All this scheming and for what? To see the one bot who should be restoring our world, destroy it. Face it. You and the Council made a mistake."

"No. Even if not for you he still would have been named Prime. He is still destined for great things."

"Great things?! What's he going to do next? Turn Cybertron into scattered orbital debris. Maybe after that he can destroy the universe. Primus can just start over."

Alpha Trion narrowed his eyes. "You are trying to bait me, but it won't work. I stand by my Prime."

"He's no savior and he's certainly no god. None of you were."

"I never claimed to be one."

"But you never denied it either." Megatron stepped back, jagged denta bared. "I will show you just how far he's fallen."

"He's not in your custody anymore. I heard that much."

"Oh yes, that. Well you have to understand that I do enjoy a good deception. He won't be gone long. Another few joor is all."

"You could have killed him when you had him."

"And make him a martyr? No. I will show everyone that he's nothing more than a criminal, a pretender to the name Prime, a false savior."

"And just how do you plan to do that?"

"You are going to help me."