Title: The Prime
Genre: Action/Drama, Friendship/Romance
Rating: T for mild transformer swearing, some violence, and crude language
Short Summary:
When a young mech destined to be the next Prime is exiled by his evil uncle, he must learn what it means to become a great leader.

Chapter Twenty Three

There was an echoing crash as metal hit metal and everyone flinched as they watched the huge Cybertronian fly to the ground. Everyone could only stare with alarm at what they just saw before them.

Lord Megatron Prime was actually on the ground, touching his energon running mouth and looking quite alarmed at what his nephew had actually accomplished that hardly ever any mech had ever done. He had actually been hit.

Optimus stood over Megatron, his vents releasing air rapidly as he glared down at his uncle. He felt so much rage coursing through his systems that he just couldn't see past it. He wanted to cause so much pain to his tyrant of an uncle for what he had done. He wanted to rip him apart and feel the satisfaction that Megatron must have felt when he killed his creator and his carrier. He even started to raise his fist to do it again.

"Orion! No, don't!"

Optimus stilled his fist, still glaring down at Megatron. He almost hadn't heard Elita One call to him. "Why shouldn't I? He murdered my mother and my father!" He growled out still looking hatefully at his uncle.

"Because you aren't him, Optimus. You are not violent, hateful or a cold energon killer. That was some well deserved hit you gave him, mech. But killing him like that isn't going to make you feel any better." Jazz spoke up calmly.

"Let him rot in the prisons, Optimus. It will be better to just let him live with the thought that you spared his life. That punishment is better than just ending his despicable life." Ironhide said as he rest a hand on Chromia's shoulder.

For a long moment, Optimus continued to glare down at the stunned Megatron. He didn't want to give in. He just wanted to destroy him. But a glimmer of light caught his attention and he lift his optics towards a window where a dim glowing light was shining through and he froze.

A very faint image was within the light. An image of a tall mech with his hands folded behind his back and his faint blue optics gazed back softly. Sentinel Prime, or the spirit of him, shook his head at Optimus and his hand came forward, waving at him as if trying to push him back.

Taking a deep vent, Optimus relaxed himself and lowered his fist to his side as he stepped back. He lowered his gaze back to Megatron, stern but not relenting. "Leave, Megatron. As the Prime of Cybertron, I exile you from Iacon forever." He said firmly before turning his back to his uncle and looking at Elita One, who smiled proudly at him as did everyone else.

Optimus smiled back and started walking back to join them.

"Optimus! Look out!" Starscream screeched just as he saw the movement from behind his friend. He was not the only one to yelp in shock and fear. The twins and Bumblebee even cried out.

Barely with enough time, Optimus lurched forward and ducked as a serrated blade swiped at his head. He stumbled to get away from Megatron as he snarled, swinging at his nephew. He could not catch himself as he fell onto his side, looking stunned as his uncle attacked him.

Suddenly, someone lurched forward, raising a blade to deflect the swinging blade coming down at Optimus. The metal against metal crashed echoed throughout the entire chamber.

Megatron, surprised, lift his optics to meet the glaring blue baring into his. He let out a low hiss of anger as once again that black and white and purple Praxian had meddled into his affairs again. "You!" He snarled.

Prowl growled back as he pressed his blade against Megatron's hard, trying to push him away from Optimus. "I will not allow you to harm him! My Prime!" He hissed.

Snarling in rage, Megatron lashed out a foot ad slammed it against Prowl's chest, sending him flying backwards and crashing to the ground. "Decepticons! Attack! Destroy them all! Now!" He roared before lunging towards Optimus again, swinging his blade at him.

Immediately there were roars as the Decepticons lunged forward to just that, weapons already a blazing. Every one of Optimus' friends scattered, yanking out their own weapons.

Optimus quickly rolled to the side as the serrated blade came down at him. He barely missed it by mere inches and waited no longer for the next attack to come at him. He was on his feet quickly, snatching up his fiery Energon blade and swinging it around just in time to deflect the next swing that Megatron sent at him. He held fast as his uncle pushed hard against his.

"You little retrorat! You just had to come crawling back here, didn't you?! You couldn't have just stayed in your hole!" Megatron roared at him.

Narrowing his optics at his slightly bigger uncle, Optimus shook his head as he pushed back and hard. "What you did was cowardly, Megatron! Murdering your own brother, my father! My mother! You have insulted Primus' title by pretending to be a Prime!" He said coolly as he shoved Megatron's blade off hard from his own.

Megatron stumbled back but sneered as he caught his footing and pointed his blade at Optimus. "Please, Orion! I am The Prime! This is my world and all are mine to rule! Not you! Not your pathetic father! And certainly not a weak sparked fool like Primus! If anything, if not me, it is the Great Unicron who shall rule over all life! And you won't see that day when the Dark Lord rises again to destroy all! Your life ends here! And now, my weak and just as pathetic nephew!" He snarled before charging again, swinging his blade at Optimus.

Optimus barely had time to even brace the oncoming attack coming at him. He knew it was a dangerous game he was playing now. But he had to set things right. No matter the cost.

Prowl groaned a little as he pushed himself up from where Megatron had kicked him. He was definitely going to be feeling that later.

"Praxian scum." Someone hissed.

Prowl jerked his head up to see who was approaching him and he found his optics lay on the one optic mech, Shockwave. He frowned deeply before getting to his feet. "Shockwave." He said coldly as he gripped his blade tightly.

Shockwave whirled his cannon arm into a blade of his own before pointing it at Prowl. "You have meddled for the last time, Praxian. I will destroy you and then I will destroy all of the Seekers like I wanted to do all of those vorns ago." He growled before starting forward.

But someone swung into the path, making both Prowl and Shockwave halt and stare.

"Prowl, he is mine." Starscream hissed as he pointed his null ray at the violent purple mech. "It is time he paid the consequences for destroying Vos and all of my people."

Prowl could not stop the smile from form on his face plates as he nodded. He looked elsewhere and found the one he truly wanted to face already locked in a fierce battle with Bumblebee. "Very well, Star. If you need me, I will be paying my own to my cousin. It is time he is shown punishment for his crimes." He said firmly before making his way towards Barricade.

Starscream nodded, not taking his burning glare off of Shockwave. "I won't need you. Not this time, brother." He said seriously before he lunged forward and was soon locked in a battle with his enemy.

"Hey, shorty. I am going to tear your head off and throw it into the rust pits." A Decepticon named Lockdown told Jazz as he approached him with two other large Decepticons named Bonecrusher and Demolisher.

Jazz frowned as he backed away from the two, hands raised in the air. "Now, now, mechs. Can we just take a step back and not do this. I really do not want ta kill you guys. Besides, three against little old me? That ain't exactly fair numbers, y'know?" He said as he backed up more.

"Ha! Who slagging cares about fairness, shorty! We just wanna tear you a part!" Demolisher barked with cruel laughter as he raised a rather large cannon at him. "I'm gonna blow you to pieces with my Energon Blast cannon and there won't be anything left of you!"

"Hey! Back away from 'em, now! Make his fight fair!" Growled Jazz's best friend.

The three Decepticons whirled around to find Ironhide and Chromia standing side by side, cannons raised and locked ready.

"Ya know, Hide, I can take them!" Jazz said as he looked around the three large Decepticons.

"Yeah, well, I am not letting you have all of the fun, Jazz." Ironhide gruffed with a smirk on his face.

"Who the frag is this ugly fragger?" Sideways growled looking Ironhide up and down, making the said turn a glare onto him.

"Isn't he the one they call Uglyhide?" Demolisher chuckled darkly.

Jazz flinched and cringed as he looked at the burning glare his best friend was now shooting at the Decepticon. "Aw, mech. You should have not said that." He groaned.

"Why not?! It suits him..." Demolisher growled giving him a dark look.

Suddenly a fist met the side of his face, startling him and his fellow Decepticons as he went flying through the air and crashing into a wall. Ironhide growled as he began storming after the Con, fury burning in his blue optics. "MY NAME IS IRONHIDE! NO ONE CALLS ME THAT! YOU ARE MINE, CON!" He growled as he stormed towards the large Decepticon.

"Besides, he isn't ugly. He has big cannons, so that makes him hot!" Chromia piped up before she lunged forward and attacked Bonecrusher.

Jazz huffed with a roll of his optics. "So, I guess it is you and me. All well. Can we not fight and just talk it over?" He asked looking at Lockdown, who growled and charged forward, whipping up his cannon. "Guess not. Okay, let's dance!"

And with that said, Jazz moved swiftly to the side to dodge the blast before charging forward and slamming a fist against Lockdown's faceplates.

Barricade was getting annoyed with the yellow and black Cybertronian that kept dodging his every attack. He wanted nothing more than to crush him but it wasn't easy because he had to admit, only to himself, that this little retrorat was fast on his peds. He was dodging his every blast with swift flips all over the ground before returning fire. "Hold still, you little sparkworm!" He snarled in frustration as he just charged at the yellow and black.

Bumblebee was not going to comply, however. He kept moving back further from the enraged Praxian, feeling the thrill of the fight. He sent a cannon blast at the black and white before having to dodge to the side as a returning blast came at him.

And he collided with the wall.

Surprised, Bumblebee quickly looked up at it, stepping back before whirling around only to have sharp servos snatch him by the neck and slam him against the wall. He whirled in alarm and began kicking and shoving to get his enemy off of him. But it seemed that was futile.

Barricade sneered as he shoved his cannon right into the young mechling's face, heating it up. "You were a fast little glitch, I'll give you that. No one has ever been faster than me. Time to die now, little bot." He remarked darkly.

Suddenly he was seized from behind and thrown backwards, forcing him to let Bumblebee go, who slid down the wall a little. He stumbled several feet before whirling around to see who dared to interfere with his fight, only to pause before sneering. "Well, if it isn't my little cousin."

Prowl dipped his head down low, glaring at his fellow Praxian before stepping in between him and Bumblebee, his blade raised and one arm folded behind his back. "Good work, Bumblebee. But it's time for me to step in. I have a score to settle with my cousin." He said calmly.

Bumblebee slowly nodded, not wanting to give in. But he knew that Prowl really needed to do this. He needed to face his relative. "All right, Prowl. He's all yours. But be careful. He's really fast and lethal." He told him.

Prowl just shook his head as he narrowed his optics at Barricade, who sneered in return. "He may be, but I think I can take him. Go help the twins. They're making a mess over there with some of the Decepticons and the femmes." He told him not even glancing in the direction where Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were wrecking the pits with some of the Decepticons by flipping around and pushing off each other and even working with one another to send many flying in many directions.

With a nod, Bumblebee quickly went to do just that.

"So, it's come down to me and you, huh?" Barricade asked before he switched out his cannon blaster for his spinning blades. "You really think you can take me, little botling? Please! I used to be a Gladiator! What were you?! A scientist's assistant! You belong in an office, not on a battle field!"

Prowl narrowed his burning blue gaze at his cousin before readying himself to attack. "If there is one thing that I have learned, Barricade, it is that mechs and femmes have the right to choose for their selves on what they want to do. I may have once been an Advisor assistant, but over the many vorns, I have learned from a very skilled Security Detail Officer. This day, I will prove that the training he gave me was not in vain."

"Peh! Whatever! Let's just go!" Barricade snarled before charging forward, swinging his blades and meeting Prowl's own blade with a loud clang and sending sparks flying everywhere.

It was not helping the matter that more and more Decepticons were filing into the chamber to attack the invaders. They were everywhere now, attacking and being attacked. The entire chamber was under fire and some of the blasts smashed out windows and occasionally a few walls.

Nonetheless, the commotion was catching attention from the city below, making many come out from their homes to see what was going on.

Narrowly missing a blast sent his way from the one optic'd mech, Starscream leapt into the air to avoid it. He would not admit it, but Shockwave was well skilled and he realized that the sadistic scientist was playing with him with science based weaponry. He noticed that went that last blast collided with one of the walls and they began to break down as if acid had hit him.

'Right.' The Seeker thought to himself as he quickly lunged forward, swinging up his null ray to fire. 'Don't let that hit you.'

Shockwave ducked under the shot that Starscream had sent at him before swung one of his servos upward. With a loud click, it dislodged itself like a hook shot and flew at the suddenly startled Seeker. He could have smirked with satisfaction at the surprise on Starscream's face as his servos connected with his vocoder. He didn't, however. He wouldn't have the time.

Starscream yelped as he felt sharp servos dig into his neck before he was yanked forward, sailing towards the vicious Decepticon that brought him closer. He didn't have time to access a different scenario of escape as he was yanked down and then a foot slammed forward, kicking him hard in the mid section. He could only screech in pain and alarm as he fell onto his back and wings before that same foot slammed down on him. He hissed, optics shuttering before he reopened them to glare up at the large violent purple bot standing half way on top of him. "I will kill you for what you have done to Vos, Shockwave!" He snarled, already kicked and thrashing to dislodge him.

Shockwave sneered as he pointed a large cannon right into the Seeker's face, heating it up. "No, you won't. I will ensure that all Seekers are destroyed once we are through here. I have never liked your kind before. Seekers, so vain, weak, pathetic. Your father was a fool for signing an allegiance with the Prime of Iacon. Bowing down before an even more pathetic, soft sparked fool. He should have listened to me, rallied up his Seekers and sought the destruction of Prime and his foolish Autobot weaklings. The Seekers were powerful enough to do it, and yet, he refused to listen to me. And all I ever wanted to do was continue my scientific research on Seekers, as well. Turning them into the perfect weapons. But no. He wouldn't allow it. Said that it was unbiased, in-mechnan to test science against other Cybertronians. I will further my research. Perhaps, I will do it on that lovely Seeker femme, Slipstream. I have been wanting to get my servos on her for a very long time."

Snarling in rage, Starscream began to thrash harder, kicking at the one optic'd mech. He didn't like the sound of any Seeker being touched by this monster. Especially Slipstream. He didn't know where he would stand with her, but he surely wasn't going to stand against her. Not after she had brought him news of his brothers.

Speaking of which...

There was a loud crack and a flash of light from behind Shockwave before the vicious Scientist yelped in surprise as something collided with his back and hard. He went flying right over Starscream and went crashing across the ground with a screech of metal scraping against metal.

Starscream, startled, looked up only to see the growling purple and black form of his middle brother. He barely had to even flick his optics to beside Skywarp to see the growling oldest of the three. "Skywarp? Thundercracker?" He murmured in surprise.

Thundercracker, still glaring at Shockwave as he clambered to his feet, reached down towards his youngest brother, offering him a servo up. "Starscream, we lost you once. We're not losing you again. Let us, as the Sons of Silverbolt and Sunfire, extract the justice that Vos deserves upon the one who destroyed it. Together." He stated firmly and seriously.

With a light smirk curling onto his face plates, Starscream nodded as he took Thundercracker's servo and stood up to face Shockwave. He sensed movement behind him and he just barely glanced over his wings to see the group of glaring Seekers were right behind him and his brothers.

"We will follow you no matter what you do, Lord Starscream. Lord Thundercracker. And Lord Skywarp. You are our leaders." The Seeker named Dirge growled as he glared at the vicious Decepticon.

Starscream merely smirked before snapping his attention back to Shockwave, who for once, showed fear and was starting to back away from the large group of Seekers that were seeking his destruction. "Very well. As one of the Princes of Vos, I hereby order, no. Ask for Shockwave's head to be returned to me and my brothers. He deserves punishment for destroying all of Vos, my creator and carrier and even all of yours." He said, in a hiss. "Terminate him and bring back his head."

The Seekers all shrieked a battle cry before charging forward.

Shockwave could only issue out a cry of alarm before he whirled around and made a swift transformation in his Cybertronian Jet form and blasted his way out of the chamber into open sky. He didn't need to even glance back to know that all of the Seekers were after him with screaming engines. He knew if he wasn't fast enough to get away, he was surely to be deactivated.

Blades smashed against one another and both owners were driving each other out onto the balcony.

Optimus braced himself as Megatron was pressing hard against his blade. He was wearing down but doing very well into not showing it as he fought his devious uncle. He made a quick retreat to allow his uncle stumble forward before he whirled around on his foot and swung at Megatron from behind.

However, Megatron was an experienced fighter and swung his blade around behind him and blocked the offending blade before he lashed out his large foot and kicked Optimus hard in the chassis, sending him staggering backwards. He whirled around and aimed his cannon at his nephew, firing.

Optimus barely had time to duck under the devastating blast as it smashed into the wall behind him, sending debris flying everywhere. His head whipped up just in time to see Megatron coming at him again and he took the opportunity to duck low and charge, allowing Megatron to crash right over him. He immediately threw himself upward, sending his uncle flying to the ground.

Whirling around, the young mech kicked out just as Megatron had been reaching for his blade again. He kicked hard, sending the fallen blade scattering out of reach before he jabbed his own energon blade into his uncle's faceplates, halting him from moving again.

Megatron had no choice but stop and catch his vents. "Now, Orion, are you really going to off line me? It wasn't exactly my choice, you know? It was the Decepticons. They are the real enemy. You know that...?" He was saying.

"Silence, Uncle Megatron!" Optimus barked furiously as he stood firm. "I don't want to hear a word of it from you! You have lied and you murdered both of my parentals! You have torn a apart of what Iacon was suppose to be! You have shamed the name of Prime! And I will not let you do it anymore!" He snapped.

Megatron glared but didn't move again. "What are you going to do about it, Orion? You going to kill me? Scrap me?" He asked darkly, his optics narrowing.

Optimus shook his head as he gave his uncle a firm, serious look. He wasn't going to do it. He wasn't going to sink as low as Megatron was sinking. He refused to follow his footsteps. "No." He said as he stepped back several feet before pointing at the fallen blade a few yards away. "Pick up your blade, Megatron. You will fight in an honorable way. The first slash to meet armor, the fight stops and one of us will be exiled from Iacon for good. One of us will leave and never return, never to raise a cannon to fight again. One of us will fight for the title of Prime." He said firmly.

Megatron narrowed his optics before he pushed himself to his feet and nodded. "A one slash duel, then. Very well. That's fair enough. I will hold that as a promise then." He said as he went over and scooped up his blade.

The two faced each other, blades raised, optics locked. Red glared into blue and blue merely looked stern. They stood there for only a moment before Megatron snarled and charged forward, his peds falling heavy against the metal balcony. He raised his blade high, slashing down towards the red and blue Prince of Iacon.

Optimus dipped his head low for only a moment before he swirled to the side and struck out with his blade. He didn't know if he was going to win this fight. But he had to try. He would honor the commitment to this fight. If he lost, he would take his mechs and femmes and leave.

But if he won, he would see to that Megatron leave Iacon for good.

The sound of metal slicing into metal sounded and practically echoed through the air. Everything seemed to stop all around the two as they came nearly face plate to face plate, glaring into each other's optics. They didn't move for a long time before Optimus lift his head up high.

"Honor your promise, Megatron." The young mech remarked firmly.

Megatron dipped his head to look between them and he found that his blade had missed his nephew. But the fiery energon blade was sunk deep into his side, burning away at his pain receptors. He growled painfully before stepped back and sliding himself off of Optimus' blade. "You..." He growled out as he clapped a servo onto his side, over his energon dripping wound.

Optimus stood up tall and proud as he lowered his blade before moving backwards. "You have lost. End this war, take your Decepticons and leave Iacon forever." He said before he turned slightly away. "You know what makes this harder for me, Uncle Megatron?"

Megatron lift his burning glare and narrowed one. "What?" He growled out as he lowered his own blade.

"I once looked up to you, admired you for everything you were suppose to be." Optimus said, his vocoder thick of grievance but reprimending. "You and my father were both my heroes. And yet, you betrayed my father, you betrayed me for your own ambition and greed. You just had to follow the Dark Prime's example when Grandsire named you Megatronus to represent what Lord Megatronus was suppose to be. You betrayed your own namesake." He said thickly before turning his optics away. "Honor your promise."

For a long moment, Megatron could only gape at Optimus, almost surprised by his words. He hadn't been expecting a confession like that one. But he shouldn't have been so surprised. He knew that he had meant to Orion Pax a great deal. But now...not so much. "I will honor my promise." He said in a rather quiet tone.

"Thank you, Uncle Megatron." Optimus said before turning towards the Chamber again.

"WHEN YOU ARE DEAD JUST LIKE YOUR FRAGGING FATHER!" Megatron suddenly snarled, now rushing forward, his blade raised high.

Optimus whirled back around with surprise before he quickly ducked down low. He didn't even think about it. He just did it. He ducked down low, just like before. He felt Megatron ram into him but he stood firm before throwing himself upward and throwing his uncle hard across the way until he slammed into the edge of the balcony.

Megatron let out a startled yell as he hit the short wall before slipping and falling off the ledge. His blade fell from his grasp as he fell through the air before slamming down on the ground of the court yard, air rushing out of his vents.

Immediately, Optimus rushed to the side and looked down with wide optics to see his uncle just sitting there in the court yard, trying to catch his air back into his vents. He still couldn't believe this had happened. Once again, his uncle had tried to stab him in the back and he nearly let him. He was starting to get the concept of not turning his back on a threat.

Megatron huffed and gasped for his air before he shifted into a sitting position and glared up at his nephew looking down at him. He growled viciously even as that meddling old fool, Alpha Trion, and that femme glitch, Elita One joined Optimus' side to look down at his miserable self. He growled viciously even as he stood unsteadily and pointed a sharp servo at his nephew. "THIS ISN'T OVER, OPTIMUS! I WILL SEE TO IT THAT YOU AND YOUR SO CALLED AUTOBOT FORCES ARE DESTROYED! I WILL HAVE WHAT IS MINE BACK! WAIT AND YOU SEE!" He snarled before he whirled around to storm away. This fight was...

Megatron halted and stared with alarm.

There was a huge crowd of mechs and femmes blocking the exit of leaving the palace court yard. They were all glaring at him, mech handling cannons and blades and looking quite murderous for simple common folk of Iacon.

"Let him leave."

Optics blinked almost in surprise and they lift up to see the tall, proud look of the mech standing on the balcony. They even blinked in surprise as several Decepticons were suddenly thrown over the balcony wall and were soon joining Megatron in the court yard.

Barricade was cursing and whirling as he went flying through the air only to crash heavily on the ground. He couldn't believe this! He had been bested by his own cousin! A former Advisor's Assistant! He had been beaten to slag by a scholar! That was the most insulting thing he could even think of! Of course, as he tried to stand up, still cursing, several bodies came flying down and crashed right on top of him as Decepticons fell like rain all over the place. He cursed and screeched in rage as he was pinned down by the large and heavy forms of Bonecrusher and Demolisher.

"Let them all leave." Optimus said firmly as he looked seriously at all of the Decepticons below him and everyone now standing at the edge of the balcony. "As the son of Sentinel Prime, Prince of Iacon and the New Prime of Cybertron, I hereby banish all of you from Iacon. If you ever return here with the means of hostility, you will be punished and locked in Darkhelm Prison to pay for the crimes you committed."

Megatron huffed before he looked to all of the Decepticons, though pausing to see that Soundwave was not one that had been thrown like he and the others had been. The satellite Spy Master was actually standing off to the side, looking tall and proud, himself. And no one, none of Optimus' friends or allies were making a way to attacking him. They were all glaring down at him and the Decepticons in the court yard.

"Very well." Megatron growled as he snapped his attention back to Optimus. "You win, Orion Pax. We will retreat into exile. But do not think this is over. Not by a long shot." He turned sharply and stormed towards the large crowd of Cybertronians. "Decepticons retreat!"

For a moment, no one moved. But then one by one, the Decepticons followed their leader, only to pause when none of the civilians moved to get out of their way.

"Get out of our way!" Megatron snarled at them angrily.

The mechs and femmes in the crowds just glared at him but then they looked up to the tall figure on the palace balcony. And when Optimus dipped his head into a nod, they finally broke a wide path to allow the Decepticons to leave.

The war of Iacon was finally over.

Author's Notice:

Whew! Finally! An update! I will tell you what, my fellow Transformers fans! This was an extremely hard chapter to even write. That's why it was taking so long. So, I am sorry that it took a while to get this chapter up. I had to constantly think about how I was going to do this. Anyway, I hope I did good. The next chapter shouldn't take as long as this one did. I'll try and have it up soon. Review and tell me what you thought. Thanks!