A/N it begins :)

One Shall Fall

"Hey guys, what's going down?" i said as i jumped of the sofa to get a seat.

"Ellen have you just got up now?" jack asked.

"I was pretty restless last night kept having different nightmares every few hours." I said as i yawned.

"What was the nightmares about?" raf asked.

"well two birds were dancing in the sky, corny i know but there's more, then this hawk with silver tipped wings swooped down and grabbed one of the birds, the other bird pecked at this hawk until he let it go, then the bird fell to the ground as it bled purple and then the other bird came to comfort it as it was dying then it shed a tear that glowed blue and the dying bird turned out okay." I said.

"Dreams tend to mean something or you've been eating too much cheese." Jack said.

"I'm guessing the cheese because wait till you here this one. It was brief but so weird you can't help but remember it." I said.

"How weird?" jack asked.

"Weird as in the earth grew arms and legs." I put it bluntly.

"The earth...grew arms...and legs." Jack said in a mock the crazy person way.

"You asked." I said nudging him. "Anyway what's on the agenda today?"

"maintenance." Jack said.

"Of what?" i asked.

"Keeping the autobots out of the flash of cameras." Miko said.

"By?" i said.

"Checking these conspiracy sites, there's quite a few non-driver pictures here." Raf said as he deleted a picture of bulkhead.

"Well, at least there are some dedicated people out there." I said shrugging my shoulders.

Then raf scrolled down another website filled with pictures that were alien related if not mostly fake.

"pass." Jack said with each image, "nuh-uh, kid in a costume, balloon, nope, u-uh hold." He said at a picture of bumblebee. "The camera sure loves bee."

"What can you do? When you're a superstar your paparazzi bait." Miko said throwing herself against the couch with her arms behind her head.

"I wish he would just remember to activate his hologram." I said.

"Wait, is that bumblebee." Ratchet said being nosey.

"On a conspiracy website, where users post evidence of close encounters but we have it under control ratchet." Raf said giving a thumbs up "we just scrub and replace bee with..."

"Mars cat says take me to your feeder." Said a little animated cat that replaced bumblebee.

"Ha ha!" Ratchet laughed.

It was such a big laugh, well big for ratchet none of us knew how to react so we just stared at him.

"Ratchet actually laughed" miko pointed out.

"uh." Ratchet said optics looking at the floor.

"Heh, erm, Optimus? You, wanna see something funny?" jack asked dad who was staring at the computer screen.

"no." He said blankly

"Ha ha ha ha! Now that's funny!" i giggled pointing at him as the others seemed to take it as offence.

"Don't take it personally, primes are built that way." Arcee said reassuring the others.

"Never seen Optimus laugh, cry or lose his cool." Bulkhead added

"Says you." I argued.

"While Optimus certainly keeps his emotions in check, I've known him far longer than any of you have. And he was different before being made a prime." Ratchet said.

"So I'm told, but he always manages to avoid the question every time i ask." I said.

"Optimus wasn't always a prime?" raf then said.

"On cybertron, one isn't born into greatest rather one must earn it." Ratchet said. Why does he always refer to his planet being the only one of everything, well he is pretty proud of it, i guess it shows.

"So different how? We talking party animal?" miko said

"No, no Optimus was more like..." he started as he looked at me and jack "a combination of Jack and Ellen." He finished.

Me and Jack then instantly protested over each other.

"What? i-I'm nothing like op..." jack started.

"No comparison, no matter how you look at..." i also started.

Then a beep noise interrupted that as discussion as fowler's voice could be heard. "Prime! Those tech heists my departments been tracking, we figured it was M.E.C.H on the count of their stealth tactics. Until moments ago when a security beep at the pentisions ebbs' particle collider captured this."

Fowler then uploaded a short clip of soundwave.

"soundwave." Jack confirmed. As we all gathered around the computer screens.

"raf can swap that out for you with a funny cat." Miko said

"the con without a face made off with the cutting edge phase conductor, heres a punch list of everything else we've confirmed stolen to date" said as he uploaded the list.

"Plasma injector, neutron shield, tessaract? There's only one thing missing if they are intending to build a space bridge, an ample power source." Ratchet said.

"Then the cons are probably already on the scout for one, most likely a military laboratory? but we can't predict which one they'll strike." I theorized.

"I'll contact you if i have any more leads." Agent fowler said before cutting off.

So with that on thought raf and bee headed for the exit, "going anywhere good?" i asked raf.

"Me and bee are going racing." He answered.

"Ah, hanging out time, gotcha, see ya when you get back then?" i said

"Course." He said as bee and raf drove out of base.

Half an hour had gone by and dad was in his non-stop staring at the screen thing, "you seem a bit, erm...serious than usual, anything i should know?" i asked.

"no." He said again in a blank tone.

"No huh." I then thought. "Hey, there's an eclipse that should be happening any day now we should watch it when it comes out." I suggested.

"With the space bridge the decepticons intend to build, i fear megatron may be planning for an event. if any signs of that plan were to arise, i need to be ready to prevent that from happening." He told me.

"What kind of event?" i questioned i wasn't done yet, he can't leave me hanging.

He remained silent as his optics followed across the screen; i then went into deep thought. "Is it something to do with the eclipse?" i then asked.

"No more questions." Dad told me.

"No. I need to know, does it affect the whole planet itself?" i asked again.

"No, more, questions." He then told me sternly. I put my head down as i leaned against the banister. "Try to understand Ellen I'm baring this so you don't have too." He told me.

"But i want to bear it with you, share the load." I said.

"As long as i remain here, i am still leader of the autobots and as such i must bare it alone." He said.

I sighed. "Sometimes you need to trust in the strength of others." I told him as i made my way back to the couch.

Then a video call from fowler popped up as i turned to face the screen again, "prime, the cons really stepped in it this time, they hit an u.s military lab, our boys in green will fend them off until your team shows." He said.

"Agent fowler, i fear that Megatrons desperation may be at its zenith, and you know i cannot condone a single human casualty." Dad said.

Fowler sighed then cut off as we then received the co-ordinates.

"Arcee, Bulkhead your with me, Ratchet contact bumblebee, we may require back up." Dad said as they ran through the ground bridge armed.

Ratchet nodded as he patched through to bumblebee, "bumblebee the team may require back up, there 3 clicks north from your current position, just off the highway. If you drop raf at the exit ramp, i can bridge him back to base from there." Ratchet told him as he turned off the conversation.

"That's what sucks about having an autobot guardian, you can never plan things." I said as i turned to the computer screen allot of movement going on and many bogeys, "hey now that is a big bogey." I said pointing at the screen.

"Hmm, must be megatron." Ratchet said grimly.

"Megatron must be pretty anxious for him to collect the item in person, like he hasn't the time for Autobots interfering." I said sneakily eying ratchet.

Ratchet's optics darted from left to right.

"You are terrible at keeping things to yourself." I said.

"Haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about." He responded.

"Then what's with the tension in base, it's so high I'm sweating and if you're not going to tell me then let me tell you what i think." I said as i cleared my throat.

Ratchet then sighed in relief, "oh well i have nothing to fear."

I simply let that comment go over my head as i theorised. "The planetary alignment" the instant i mentioned that ratchet was now listening. "Pretty cool event huh? I was looking through the computer as i came across something coincidental, did you know cybertron is in perfect alignment with our solar system at that exact moment? Now cybertron's history is full of legends and myths, but also some prophecies too. So whatever this is, it has something to do with our planet and what has fallen upon it involving your planet. Megatron is pretty arrogant he sees only himself and no one else; perhaps he thinks he's a big part of this legend slash myth slash prophecy perhaps? And when that planetary alignment inevitably occurs megatron has his space bridge ready for universal domination?" i then exhaled. "So? Am i anywhere near?" i said.

"uh..." Ratchet said unable to answer.

"That's all i needed." Then i noticed some time had passed since ratchet contacted bee. "Erm, ratchet? Shouldn't bee have dropped raf off by now?" i asked him.

"Traffic is a big problem on your planet." He jested.

"I'm serious he..."

"Ratchet bridge us back now!" dad suddenly came over the comm link.

"We must have an autobot down." Ratchet said as he opened the groundbridge.

I looked towards the computer screen, i then frowned in confusion, four life signals..."then bee met up with them, but...where's raf?" i said to myself quietly as i looked towards the groundbridge, it took a while for anyone to walk through, i frowned as i stared at the groundbridge.

After the longest of moments Arcee and bee came through, Arcee was cradling something as sudden realisation came to my eyes as she was holding Raf.

"Raf?" me and jack said in unison.

"no." Miko said bewildered.

Ratchet rushed over to them "what happened?" he demanded.

"Megatron." Arcee said.

"Quickly into my laboratory!" he ordered.

Arcee speed walked whilst still cradling raf, me, jack and miko came by her side as ratchet was digging through his work place.

I then grabbed a hospital table as i rolled it in front of Arcee, "put him on here." I said.

Arcee gently laid the unconscious raf on the bed as i hooked him up to a heart monitor as ratchet was still going through his things, jack looked at me then to raf as i turned on the heart monitor...his heartbeat was weak.

"Argh, Raphael isn't responding. We must run diagnostics of his assemblage, e-er vital statistics, ah my tools! There all wrong!" he yelled as he threw them across the room.

Bumblebee beeped sadly.

"We need to call my mom." Jack said flustered.

"Your mother may be a nurse but does she know anything about the effects of energon on the human body!" Ratchet argued.

"Er, do you know anything about the human body?" Jack retaliated.

Ratchet put on a shocked face as he couldn't come back with an answer.

"Mom it's urgent." Jack said in a worried tone.

Then i heard ratchet say, "The weak shall perish." He then looked at raf "be strong Raphael."

Is he referring to his weakened state? No, it sounded like he was quoting something. But i didn't bother to ask, the focus was raf.

"How fast can you get here?" jack asked his mom.

"Jack, tell her we'll bridge her here." I said as i ran over to the control pad.

"Ellen hospitals are always full of people, we can't blow our cover..." Arcee started.

"Unless absolutely necessary?" i finished as i started up the groundbridge. "I will not sacrifice rafs life in exchange for remaining a government secret." I started up the groundbridge as Junes car drove through.

"Mom thank..." jack started.

"Grab my bag." June said swiftly as she quickly made her way to raf, we all made our way to raf as ratchet began scanning him.

"Measuring the extent of the absorption should determine the proper course of treatment." Ratchet stated.

"If i don't get this boy stabilised now! He will not leave this table alive do you understand me?" she sternly told ratchet

"Uhh..." Ratchet said as he backed off, he couldn't do any more at the moment.

Bumblebee then lost all control of his emotions as he slammed a fist into the wall, "Megatron will rot in the pit!" he yelled.

Arcee pushed him up against a wall, "bee listen! You think i don't know how it feels to watch a partner...harmed? Revenge won't help raf right now, you need to keep your emotions in check!" she told him.

We could only stand by and watch as Nurse Darby tried everything to get him back to a survivable state, every bit of first aid you could think of.

i then heard the sound of the groundbridge opening but i merely put it to one side as i stared at raf, he was so pale and he had shadows under his eyes, at the beginning i feared for their safety of staying here, and I'd gotten so used to their company that I had put it to one side that it could never happen so long as i was there or there guardians...but it seems Megatron will always be that one force that pushes me to the side, "i wish i could protect you, I'd plunge myself through Megatrons blade if it means allowing you to live." I thought as i clenched my fists.

Then i saw June's face dropped as she shook her head she then straightened her expression, "jack help me get raf to the car, he's going to the emergency room." She said.

"Nurse Darby. Your doctors won't be able to comprehend what's afflicting him, not without a decade of study." Ratchet told her.

"I don't have time to argue." Was June's response as she and jack wheeled raf towards her car.

"The effects of an energon blast on an autobot can be devastating enough, but this is a human." Ratchet said scanning for any energon readings. "I'm not getting any readings, how could i have not seen this. Raphael's been infected with dark energon."

Our reactions were more or less the same stunned looks.

"If dark energon is devouring raf from the inside out, we must expel it, and fast the only possible way i know." Ratchet said. "I need energon!" he announced reaching for an empty vile.

"Wait you said energon was devastating to humans." June said.

"Under normal circumstances quite, but i am relying on the dark matter currently invading Raphael's body to meet it, head on." He said. "Bumblebee provide me with some energon."

Bumblebee put out his arm as ratchet took a sample.

"i need him over here now!" he said as we wheeled raf over to the decontamination booth, ratchet hooked up the energon as the door close behind us leaving raf in the booth, ratchet started typing as the process began, the energon glowed brightly as we watched raf intently from outside, the light from inside got too bright for the human eye as we covered them up. Then a blast of light came quickly as it did go.

As the doors opened we instantly went to rafs side, he started to moan and stir as we surrounded him, his eyes then slowly opened.

"Pulse rate is stabilising." June said.

Raf glanced eyes until he met with bumblebee's "bee?" he said tiredly.

"raf." Bee said in reply.

Miko then hugged him as she sighed in relieve.

"Here you go raf." I said as i put on his glasses.

"Bulkhead, where was Optimus going when you left him?" i heard ratchet say as my ear pricked up.

Bulkhead sighed. "He said history has proved that autobots and decepticons can never get along, so he won't allow any more darkness to fall on this or any other planet." He then sighed again.

As we all gathered round bulkhead.

"He said megatron must be destroyed." Bulkhead finished.

"Bulkhead you let Optimus face megatron, alone?" Arcee griped.

"I didn't have a choice." Bulkhead argued.

"It could be a trap." Ratchet said. "We need to get a fix on his location!"

I watched ratchet eagerly as he tried to find dad "bare the burden alone." I said to myself.

"I've locked onto optimus's signal." Ratchet said frantically, "wait...how is this possible?" he said bewildered. I looked up at the screen too, the blue indication was dad for sure but close next to him was a flashing purple and onscreen around them was a huge spread of purple and was growing.

"What? What is it?" Arcee asked frantically.

"We need to get Optimus out of there, now!" he yelled.

A/N a bit too early to be mentioning the 'orion pax' three parter but i just want to put it out there that i'll be adding a certain 'item' to the mix, if it ends up in the series i'll find a way around it. but yeah i just wanna mention that so we can play the guessing game muhahaha :D