Title: Gamble
Rating: T
Continuity: G1
Characters: Optimus Prime, Prowl, Megatron
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Prompt: 5. Gamble
Optimus was not a gambling mech. He didn't bet. He didn't put things he didn't have at stake.
But this...
Starscream had contacted him. Starscream, of all mechs! The Seeker had told him he found something; something erroneous in Megatron's core coding. How he got the coding in the first place, Optimus didn't know, nor would he ask.
Then the tricolored mech had given him another piece of information; the antivirus he had cooked up could only be administered at a spark-deep level. Optimus currently had his own scientists going over the program Starscream had sent – as of yet, it all seemed to be exactly what Starscream said it would be.
But it was the way it had to be given to Megatron that was putting him off. Spark-deep. That was spark-merging. Spark bonding, if it got deep enough, and from the soft tone of the Seeker's voice, which was strange enough in and of itself, the merge would have to get that deep. Deep enough for bonding.
. . .oOo.
The Autobot scientists had gone over every inch of the code Starscream had sent them. It was exactly what he had said it was; a counteractive virus, something that would reset core coding to its natural state, deleting any unwanted changes that had been made.
Optimus Prime had a choice to make. A gamble. This would work... or it wouldn't.
And he had to take a chance if he wanted to see.
The mechs around him exchanged glances as he once again vented heavily. The Decepticons were attacking. Optimus Prime had the chip holding Starscream's code in his hand.
"Prime...?" Prowl started, doorwings twitching.
Blinking, the Prime shook his helm and subspaced the datachip. "Let's go. Autobots, transform and roll out!"
Prowl and Jazz exchanged a glance as they moved to follow the semi racing from the Arc.
. . .oOo.
Unbeknownst to his soldiers, Optimus Prime had downloaded the code. He was willing to take a chance, and if it didn't turn out...
Well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
He and Megatron met in the middle of their armies, as usual. But slowly, Optimus began maneuvering them out, away to the side, behind a long stand of trees and a low hill.
Before long, they were hidden from sight.
Optimus backed off for the barest of seconds, then lunged forward, tackling Megatron, pinning him to the ground.
It was quick work to open the silver warlord's chest-plates. Megatron froze as his silver sparklight shone out of the growing crack.
The Autobot leader took another second to compose himself. Then he loaded the code, opened his own chest-plates, and leaned down.