Autobot-Blurr 221: *facepalm* Do I need to have Ratchet sedate you...again? Pink trees...pickles...what? *watches Prowl glitch* nice one.
Autobot Shadowstalker: Yep, Megsy knows the truth! You'll see what happens *snickers*
By the way, I've been getting information about the Thirteen (and another group of Autobots that'll come into play later) off the Transformers Wiki website so if any of it's wrong don't blame me! Okay well I don't think Alpha Trion has a mate or Solus is still alive but...you know what I mean!
On with the chapter!
Solus' spark sunk and her optics widened as Megatron said that. How…how did this warlord figure it out? She worked so hard to keep her identity a secret from the Decepticons besides Soundwave. Wait Soundwave…what was he doing here? Why is he just standing there? Pain ripped through Solus' spark and she realized who gave away her secret. She glanced down at Ravage in his cyberpanther form as if to confirm her suspicions. He didn't do anything which didn't help the uneasiness settling in Solus' tank. She faintly heard the Autobots and Decepticons arguing as she stared at Soundwave. She was hurt that he'd actually do something like that. When Megatron shot at Ratchet, just barely missing the poor medic, she snapped out of it.
"Stop! Please just stop!" Solus yelled. She knew that they only wanted her and if she went with them there's a chance that they'd leave the other Autobots alone. Silverspark looked ready to defend Solus at any extent, her being her best friend at one point. "I don't know how you figured it out, but yes I am Solus Prime. What do you want Megatron?"
"Why to have you become a Decepticon of course." Megatron answered. His voice was sickly sweet and his smirk was sadistic. A mental image of Megatronus Prime flashed through Solus' processor but she ignored it. She noticed out of the corner of her optic that Soundwave hadn't moved at all since they first arrived. "But if you refuse we can always kill all of your friends before your optics. Perhaps I'll start with Smokescreen, considering for some reason he's chosen to be the next Prime."
"Lay a servo on anyone and you'll be missing a helm! If I agree to go with you, no harm must come upon the Autobots. No one is to hurt them in any way, not even a scratch. Do you accept these terms or shall I try and fight you all off?" Solus growled. Everyone stared at her in shock. She's offering to sacrifice herself to the cons to save the others. Megatron grinned evilly and nodded sharply.
"No Solus, you can't do this!" Jack blurted. The other humans started to agree with him but Solus merely shook her helm. Her decision was final and nothing anyone said could change her mind. Bee whirred sadly and looked down. Solus, when she had been Arcee, was like an older sister to him. She always kept him out of trouble and was one of the few that actually believed he was capable of something when the war first started. Bulkhead was beyond pissed off. Sure Arcee would sometimes make fun of his size but they were still good friends. Silverspark was biting back a growl, Solus was her friend before and after she knew the truth. Ratchet couldn't believe it, Solus was probably their last hope and she was being taken away. The humans were more depressed than anything, especially Jack. They had grown close to her and she didn't even seem to care that they didn't want her to go. Ravage, however, was displeased by something else. Why would Soundwave betray Solus like that?
"Very well, you have five minutes to say goodbye." Megatron growled as a ground bridge opened behind him. The Decepticons all went through, but the ground bridge remained. Solus sighed heavily, wishing that everything would just turn back to normal. She looked down at Jack, then back up at Smokescreen.
"Smokescreen protect Jack, no matter what. I'm trusting you right now to make sure nothing happens to him. there's a place called Griffin Rock in Maine. The children should be safe there. That's the only place on Earth completely protected from Decepticons." Solus ordered. There was a small gasp from Bumblebee and he whirred something too fast for Raf to understand so he said it slower. Raf was only more confused and he looked up at Solus.
"Who are the Rescue Bots? And how does Bee know them?" Raf asked. Bee rubbed the back of his helm sheepishly as a couple of the other Autobots snickered. The humans were at a complete loss as to why Bee was embarrassed and the others were laughing. "Did we miss something? What's going on? What's so funny?"
"The Rescue Bots are a group of Autobots in a secluded location in the state called Maine. No Decepticons are able to get in there so it's like a safe haven. The bots themselves are practically younglings, not quite old enough to be in the real war yet. They help keep the island safe and work with a human family. Everyone there knows about them but think they're a bunch of mindless robots from the government." Ratchet explained. Bulkhead clapped Bee on the shoulder hard enough for the mech to nearly topple over.
"And Bee here happens to be their top role model ever since he saved their afts." Bulkhead laughed. Bee glared at him and crossed his arms. "But actually I knew Boulder, the construction bot. He and I go back a ways. He tried to become a Wrecker at one point but our leader at the time shot him down so I trained him a little."
"So wait, we're going to get babysat? This is so not fair!" Miko complained. Solus rolled her optics and glanced nervously at the ground bridge. She quickly said goodbye to everyone and quietly asked Silverspark to keep an optic on Smokescreen and his choices as a future Prime. Solus then went through the awaiting ground bridge only to be tackled by a vehicon and stasis cuffs put on. She held back a sarcastic comment as she was being dragged throughout "New Kaon" formerly known as Jasper. She saw what used to be Jack's house and she had to force herself to look away. Everything had fallen apart for both Autobots and humans alike. She heard the faint sound of a helicopter and looked up to see Fowler's helicopter flying away from the city. When they finally made it to the giant building and into Megatron's throne room Solus was shoved to the ground. She glared up at Megatron. Soundwave and Starscream stood on either side of him.
"Well, well, well, Solus. Looks like you decided to protect your precious Autobots. I'm surprised you chose them to begin with." Megatron began. Solus narrowed her optics and stood up. She ignored everyone and stormed up closer to Megatron. Her optics burned with an anger that could intimidate the strongest of mechs. It's how she stopped fights within her own family before she was offlined.
"Optimus Prime was a true leader, one that you will never be. Alpha Trion chose him to be Prime because of how pure he was, even though he was not the Prime of prophecy. He fought for what was right and he had my loyalty. I didn't have to fight this war, but I did because it was the right thing to do." Solus defended the fallen Prime. Soundwave remembered how she'd told him about the ancient prophecy that foretold of a new Prime ending the Great War. Did she find him yet?
"Back down Arcee," Megatron growled at the femme. Solus cringed slightly at the name but kicked him hard in the chassis. They were both sent flying back but she was easily able to land lightly on her pedes. Megatron went to attack her but Soundwave stopped him suddenly. His screen showed a blue blimp approaching the base. "Soundwave what's the meaning of this?"
"It seems as though Soundwave's picked up an Autobot signal approaching the base." Starscream observed. Solus narrowed her optics in confusion. What was he talking about? The Autobots should be heading for Maine to protect the humans. "What should we do about the intruder Lord Megatron?"
"Starscream, you and the vehicons will come with me. Soundwave make sure our guest doesn't go anywhere." Megatron ordered. The room emptied quickly leaving the two bots alone. Solus suddenly found herself not being able to look at her old friend anymore and lowered her helm. She deserved to be hated by him because of what she did. Ravage was right, she did hurt Soundwave really bad. She heard footsteps and tensed slightly when Soundwave knelt in front of her kneeling form.
"Soundwave, I'm sorry. If you want to hurt me for what I did just do it. I know I deserve it." She said quietly. She heard a soft click and felt a gentle servo lift her chin. She was shocked to see Soundwave's visor retracted and him staring at her with soft purple optics. What really got her was the warm smile on his faceplate.
"Solus, I've already forgiven you." He said. Solus suddenly found herself being wrapped in a hug by Soundwave. Unable to return it because of her binds she merely pressed into his form. She felt the stasis cuffs unlock and fall off. He'd freed her. Solus took this as the opportunity to hug him back, never wanting to let go. "Please, if I can only ask one question let it be this: Why did you leave me?"
"I was afraid." Solus started as she pulled away to look into his confused optics. "Only one of the Thirteen has ever fallen in love and bonded, and that was Alpha Trion after I left you. I didn't know if the feelings I had for you were appropriate for a Prime and I had no one to ask. I was afraid that I was going to become a traitor like Megatronus so I left."
"Feelings for me? Solus what do you mean?" Soundwave asked. The femme froze, realizing that she never told him the full truth. Solus' cooling fans turned on silently as her nervousness grew. She didn't know how she was going to tell him, only that it was about time that she did. She let out a heavy sigh and looked straight into his optics.
"Truth is I fell in love with you back on Cybertron. But by the time I found out that it was acceptable for a Prime to fall in love and by that time it was too late." Solus admitted. Soundwave was dead silent. Soundwave cupped the back of her helm with a servo and lowered it gently to kiss the top of her helm.
"I've missed you so much Solus."
**With the Autobots**
Jack stared out the window with a blank look on his face. He hadn't said a word to anyone ever since Solus left them. Over the comm. link everyone was explaining to the humans about the Rescue Bots and the rules there. Miko kept complaining that nothing fun will happen there but she was ignored. Raf seemed really interested in the new bots, especially since they were friends with Bee. Smokescreen was really worried about Jack. He seemed to be taking Solus' capture the worst. Ravage's panther form was in the back of Ratchet's alt form so he wouldn't catch anyone's attention. Silverspark was using a motorcycle form with a quickly made holoform riding it. They all heard a helicopter overhead so they all pulled over. They knew it had to be Fowler so they transformed, Ratchet being the last since Ravage had to leave first. When the helicopter landed June jumped out and immediately ran to Jack and crushed in a hug.
"Jack, thank goodness you're okay!" the woman exclaimed. Agent Fowler hopped out and immediately noticed the lack of Arcee and the arrival of Silverspark and Ravage. "Where's Arcee? Don't tell me she was caught in that explosion too! What's happened this month?"
"Mom, Arcee's not who she said she was. Her real name's Solus Prime. She's one of the Thirteen original Primes." Jack mumbled. Fowler and June looked at the teen in shock and disbelief until the bots nodded in confirmation. "The Decepticons found out and took her. Ravage Prime is one of the Thirteen too, he the black mech. Silverspark Prime is the daughter of Alpha Trion, another Thirteen member."
"So you're telling me that we've had another Prime in the ranks and you never bothered to tell us?" Fowler demanded. Smokescreen knelt down and glared at the man. He was really tired of him blaming the Autobots for everything and this time he will stand up for his team.
"Listen, Solus never told us anything until yesterday. She was sent to look for the next Prime that's apparently supposed to end the war. She went with the Decepticons to make sure that they wouldn't hurt us anymore than they already have." Smokescreen explained.
"We are currently heading for Griffin Rock, Maine to drop off the children with the Rescue Bots. It's the only place on Earth that's safe from the Decepticons. Bumblebee is friends with them so he can most likely talk them into protecting the humans." Ratchet explained. Fowler nodded in confirmation. He knew about the Rescue Bots and on occasion visited them to make sure that everything was going smoothly.
"Nurse Darby, I think it'd be best if you came along too. This war is getting more dangerous by the second." Silverspark suggested. June frowned and crossed her arms. She was going to help Agent Fowler and the Autobots no matter what they said. She wasn't a child like Jack, Miko, and Raf. She could easily take care of herself. Smokescreen listened while she began to argue with the Autobots and Fowler.
"That's enough, if June feels this strongly about it then I support her. Besides, she's an adult and can help Agent Fowler." Smokescreen commanded. The Autobots grumbled but backed off much to June and Fowler's surprise. "There's one last thing you should know, I'm apparently the Prime Solus had been searching for."
"Well this day just keeps getting better and better." Fowler growled. Everyone snickered and split up into two teams. Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Silverspark, and Smokescreen decided on taking the children to the Rescue Bots and the others staying behind with June and Fowler until they come back. They wished each other luck and split apart. The guardians could only hope that they could get their charges to safety before another Decepticon attack occurred.
Yay! Soundwave isn't mad at Solus and he saved her! Yay June and Fowler! Did I just say that? Oh well! Oh, and I actually don't know much about the Rescue Bots, it was just an idea that forced it's way into my story. Stupid brain oh well.
By the way, if you want anything specific or even in general to happen in this story don't be afraid to suggest it. I'm all open for ideas! Unless of course it's a disturbing and/or contridicting and/or if I don't feel comfortable writing it. I must say I'm having alot of fun writing this and I'm loving the reviews!
Speaking of which, reviews are always welcome! :)