Worlds Apart
Caught within the Grip
Optimus groaned, trying to get the world into focus. He was somewhere dark and with red tinted light flowing in. He struggled to adjust himself but his arms and legs were strapped tight against the wall. He grumbled, giving up his fight with the straps. He looked around for anyone to yell at. There was a chuckle. Optimus turned to his right.
In the tall door way stood an oversized bot with a rather cold color scheme. It was hard to make out an expression as most of his face was covered with a thick faceplate. His red optics flickered as he watched the young leader. Optimus hissed, pulling at his hands. He looked down at his side, searching for his weapon.
"Looking for this?" asked the red eyed bot, pulling out the Energon ax.
"Who are you!" shouted Optimus. "Let me go, you twisted fiend!"
"Funny," the other chuckled. "You're calling me a fiend? How odd that seems."
"How so?" Optimus grumbled.
"For you and I share a rather common name," the other howled.
"Wait!" Optimus gasped. "You…You're Optimus Prime!"
"Yes, perhaps more than you," the other laughed.
"You're in command of the enemy?" whispered Optimus. "That…that's impossible. This can't be happening…"
"What?" the other mumbled, marching forward. "Afraid that one of your doubles is just as evil as your Megatron?"
"You are far from being Optimus Prime!" hissed Optimus, looking away. "You're just another reflection of this world."
"You truly are a childish fool," the other scoffed, pulling Optimus to look at him. "I am just as much Optimus as you are. You and I both differ from the other Optimus Primes out there. You being much lower on the food chain than the rest of us."
Optimus groaned, closing his optics, trying to not understand what was happening. He couldn't admit that this…this evil, twisted-minded, crazed, maniac of a leader was supposed to be another double of him. He couldn't admit it. He wouldn't. The red eyed bot groaned, pushing the young leader's face to one side.
"You can deny it all you want," huffed the purple signed Autobot. "I am Optimus Prime and there is nothing in this world that will prove otherwise. Megatron is the goody-two-shoes of a leader as the other forms of Optimus. I, on the other hand, am twice as worst as anything your Megatron could dish out. Are you ready to admit it yet? The more I talk about the differences in your world to mine, you can't keep denying it. Eventually, you have to give in."
Optimus kept his optics closed. He couldn't look up and see the other bot. The evil leader sighed, bouncing the Energon ax against his other hand. He wasn't impressed by this younger version of himself. This version of him refused to see the truth before him. He chuckled.
"You call yourself a leader," he scoffed. "You can't accept this little fact."
With that, the red eyed leader left. Optimus shook his head. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. He sighed, trying hard not to say anything to the leaving leader. Once the footsteps stopped and everything seemed to fall into complete silence, Optimus opened his optics again. The room was empty and to his liking. He sighed, lowering his head.
"I don't believe that an Optimus Prime can be like…like that!" hissed Optimus. "From what Hot Shot and the others told me, the name Optimus Prime meant a good, peace-loving leader of the Autobots."
Optimus shook his head once more, trying to clear his thoughts. This couldn't be happening. This shouldn't be happening. How'd a simple, bridge crew commander, wash out from the academy find a way into this mess! He sighed, looking up. There was a quiet sound of footsteps coming his way. Two sets. Two Autobots. Two more opposite Autobots in a twisted world.
"When I imagined one of you four in this position, I expected either Perceptor or Hot Shot," grumbled DJ, entering with the twisted opposite Optimus Prime.
"You…" Optimus growled.
"Now, now," the other leader hummed. "No need to get hasty. We simply need to ask a quick question."
"You wouldn't happen to know where my chip is?" hissed DJ.
"What chip?" smirked Optimus, looking away.
"My chip, you foolish space bridge worker!" snapped DJ, punching Optimus.
"No clue what you're talking about," grunted Optimus, closing his optics.
"You truly are an idiot," growled DJ. "I can't wait to see you in the smelting pit…"
"If he won't tell us where the chip is," chuckled the red eyed leader, "maybe we need to persuade him."
"What?" gasped Optimus, optics wide.
"Sonic Blast," the leader hummed, looking over at his soldier. "Get one of the other travelers."
"Online or off?" smirked DJ.
"I would prefer an online subject," purred the leader. "That way we can see him squirm down in the smelting pit."
"What!" shouted Optimus. "You can't!"
"Unless you tell us where that chip is, your friends are going to fall into the smelting pit," huffed the leader.
"I…I don't know where the chip is!" groaned Optimus, looking at the ground.
"You lie!" hissed DJ.
"I…I don't have it any longer," admitted Optimus, a small smile on his face.
"If you don't have it, who has it!" snapped DJ, lifting Optimus's head.
"Why…should I…tell you," mumbled Optimus.
"Tell us or else you and your friends will never go home!" threatened DJ.
Optimus paused. The thought of never going home hadn't occurred to him until now. Sure the thought of returning home happened several times. He groaned, lowering his head again. He couldn't risk giving up his friends' chances of returning home as well as his own. He couldn't take the risk. He sighed but smirked all the same. His friends would put up a fight, none the less.
"You think they'll just give in to you?" snapped Optimus. "My friends will never give in!"
"You idiot," grumbled DJ. "You and your friends will never see your homes again so long as you reside in this world."
With that, DJ and the evil leader marched out of the room. Optimus continued to smile as they left. He knew his new found friends would never give up. Optimus chuckled at the thought of the evil Autobots searching for the chip. No one but him knew where it was now. Well, maybe him and the bot he placed it on.