Take Me Over
Optimus kneaded his helm. A processor-ache halted all thinking and he felt tears prick at his optics. He pushed the heels of his servos into his optics, hoping to stop the pain, but it only increased. Colors exploded across the darkness he had created and he put his servos down on the report he had been given from Smokescreen.
An increase of Decepticon activity only proved one thing. The Autobots were so far behind...and another report of their stocks from Bulkhead revealed the worst part of it...
"No Energon?"
"Not in the first three warehouses. We're down to one," Bulkhead told his leader, who sat behind his desk. The green Wrecker slowly shifted where he stood, uncomfortable with the confused look on his leader's face.
"How did this happen?" Optimus got to his pedes. When they moved bases, they had five warehouses of Energon. He ran to the warehouses, hoping it wouldn't be true. He stared in the last warehouse at the single row of Energon cubes. "I have failed..."
"No, Optimus." Bulkhead touched his leader's shoulder. He bit his lip. "I'm sure it's just from our near-constant fighting to get the Predacon bones...yeah, that's it. And I keep getting injured and I keep getting shot at and I take up a lot of Energon to refuel..."
Optimus turned to him. "Do you not understand? I have failed as your Prime..." He touched his chest. "The Matrix was supposed to lead us to victory...and instead, it left us with no other option but to cower...I have made the wrong decisions..." Optimus sagged under the weight of leadership and Bulkhead realized just how ragged his Prime had become.
His optics were dim. His shoulders dropped lower than Bulkhead had ever seen, and worst of all, his optics were downcast, as though the Prime stood before a disappointed Sentinel instead of a confused Bulkhead. Did the Prime expect a reprimand? He wasn't Ratchet. He wasn't Arcee. He wasn't Ultra Magnus. Those three would go after Prime all the time, but Bulkhead didn't have the spinal strut to yell at his leader. Instead, he touched Optimus' shoulder and he whispered soft words of encouragement.
"You made it further than anyone would have thought. And if it makes you feel better, I think that no one else could do your job." He walked away, not knowing what else to do or say.
Optimus studied the grit under his pedes and he sighed. He felt weak and pathetic, not at all like the other Primes who all accomplished so much in their brief time as leaders. He lifted his optics and looked to the horizon. He would go some place with mountains, he decided, as he would be then taller and be closer to Primus that way.
But he didn't know that Primus heard the little Prime no matter where he stood.
The mountains were tall and brought him closer to the sky. He reached out and uncurled his servos, pleading to the stars.
"Primus!" He shouted, screaming to the stars and not knowing, if somewhere, Primus heard his cries and turned his great optic onto the one he had seemingly abandoned.
The Matrix, at the sound of its creator's name, blurped and sent out a bright band of blue out to the stars, pleading alongside the Prime for the Great Creator to notice them.
But Primus had already turned his optic towards them. He reached down with his own band of light and Optimus found himself wrapped in the white light of Primus.
"I cannot do this on my own. Why have you abandoned me?"
I have never abandoned you, my creation.
Optimus closed his optics and he sagged a little. "I am simply not strong enough for this burden...make it someone else's, for I have failed you."
Which Prime of mine has brought his team to this world? Which Prime of mine has survived the attacks of Megatron? Which Prime of mine bears the Matrix? Which Prime of mine has seen six million years of war and still refuses to quit? You are that Prime of mine, and you are worthy, for you have never failed me once.
Optimus dropped to his knees and clutched the ground beneat him. "But, Primus-"
But nothing. Rise, as you had all those years ago, and remember who you are. You are Optimus Prime, and you are mine.