Ultra Magnus again swung his war-hammer whistling through the air. Optimus' pleased amusement rolled across the bond as they squared off on the training range.
Ratchet's repair team had been working hard getting the Iron Will flight-capable again. It still was a far cry from 'like new,' but after a little more than a week, it would get them anywhere on the planet and back now without something catastrophic happening. He'd offered the repair team his thanks, rhetorically saying, "How could we possibly repay you?" since it was culturally appropriate. They took him literally, though, and the compensation they unanimously requested was another sparring match.
William Lennox was in the crowd this time, and he was cheering on Optimus. Agent Graham, however, was calling out encouragement to Magnus. He made a point of raising his hammer in salute to the human. Then he turned his attention back to his brother. "Best two out of three?"
"Agreed!" the Prime answered with relish.
This time, Magnus wasn't as distracted by the uneven terrain. Ironhide had sparred with him twice since his last match against Optimus, and Magnus knew for a fact that 'Hide had quietly placed a bet in Magnus' favor today.
He shifted the hammer from one hand to the other.
"Are you going to twirl that baton all day?" Optimus taunted.
"Just waiting on you, old mech," Ultra Magnus retorted.
In answer, Optimus transformed his hands into energon swords and leaped forward. Instantly the hammer transformed to a halberd, and Magnus held up the shaft defensively like a staff. The weight of Optimus' combined blow made him stagger, but he pushed away and back. Following through, Magnus lunged forward, sweeping wide with the halberd head and again taking Optimus out at the ankles. Optimus crashed spectacularly into the sand. Unlike the floor of a Cybertronian arena, this ground practically exploded with the Prime's impact, Magnus thought with appreciation.
"Better watch your footing – Earth's terrain is treacherous," Magnus sagely advised him.
Both humans and 'bots were in an uproar on the sidelines, and well they should be. Optimus was already on his feet again, his optics blazing. There was a reason he and Magnus spent so much time in the arena growing up. They'd always been well-matched.
After a few feints, Magnus again made a sweep for the ankles with the halberd, but this time, Optimus half-jumped, half-tumbled forward, leading with an elbow. It wasn't a particularly elegant move, but it was fragging effective, Magnus observed, getting some alerts about dented plating near his spark. When Optimus did land a blow, a mech felt it. And this time he'd been the one to land on his aft.
"One shall stand…" Optimus intoned.
"I know, I know. And one got knocked on his aft," Magnus dismissively said. Feeling more playful than competitive, he planted the butt of his halberd in the sand as he regained his feet. "You hide behind those energon swords. No weapons for this round," he proposed.
"Hide!" Optimus scoffed. "You're the one who doesn't dare come closer than a halberd's shaft." Sheathing his swords, Optimus narrowed his optics. Warily, he closed on Ultra Magnus, circling to his left. They both knew Magnus had the advantage of height and reach, while Optimus was quicker and slightly stronger. And they both knew how humiliating it was for Optimus if he couldn't escape Magnus' grasp.
They traded blows, throwing sparks from the impact and testing each other for a few minutes before fate favored Magnus and he saw his opening. It was the move that he knew Optimus hated most in the whole universe. Despite the block on their bond, Magnus felt Optimus' frustrated irritation when Magnus was able to get past his defenses and pulled him into a headlock. He was the only mech – ever – who was able to do that to an adult Optimus in the arena, even before he became the Prime. Not Megatron, not even his father Fortron could pull it off once Optimus was full-grown. Only Ultra Magnus had the necessary build, strength, and occasional good luck.
Optimus swung out wildly, landing a few blows, and Magnus shifted his stance, bracing his hip against Optimus' torso and lifting him slightly, giving him less leverage to work with. From long experience, Optimus knew he was beat and went limp in his grip. Magnus felt positively smug, and he let his brother know it.
Magnus didn't verbally demand a capitulation, even though it was traditional for arena dueling. He wouldn't challenge his Prime in front of subordinates that way.
Optimus recognized (and appreciated) that and instead used his comm. /I yield./
Magnus released him with an affectionate nudge, and cheers rose from the assembled 'bots and humans.
Optimus nudged him back as he stepped away from Magnus and toward the sidelines. /I've sorely missed you, brother. You're one of the few 'bots who can keep me humble./
Magnus laughed aloud at that as he fell in step beside Optimus. /I've missed humbling you./
…
When Roadbuster declared the Iron Will sufficiently repaired for a test flight, Ultra Magnus insisted on being the one to take the helm. "If anyone is going to crash and burn in this rust-bucket, it's going to be me."
With just the slightest narrowing of optics, Optimus said, "I will accompany you."
When Ultra Magnus opened his mouth to protest, Optimus added, "With my Blackbird armor, I could see to your safety even if the Iron Will experienced a critical failure."
/That's backwards,/ Magnus groused over a private comm. /I'm supposed to be the one dying for you, not the other way around./
/No one is dying today,/ Optimus insisted. And with that he walked over to his trailer to transform into his Seeker mods.
Ultra Magnus was aware of the flight-enabling armor, of course, since Optimus had escorted the Iron Will down to Earth originally. But Magnus hadn't actually seen Optimus face-to-face in this armor. Even without the upgrade, the Prime could intimidate him. It was an entirely new and staggeringly awe-inspiring experience to be looking up at Optimus.
His brother sensed all that over the bond, of course, and had a slight smirk when Magnus met his gaze. This was gentle payback for the whole "humbling" thing, and there was only one correct response. Magnus straightened to attention and formally bowed. "My Prime."
But over the comm, Magnus added, /We're sparring again when we get back./
Optimus lifted an incredulous optic ridge. /This armor allowed me to defeat both Megatron and The Fallen singlehandedly. You will lose./
/Probably,/ Magnus allowed as he looked over Optimus' upgrade again, the thrill of a good challenge singing over his circuits. /We're still sparring./
Optimus regally tilted his helm in agreement, and Ultra Magnus climbed the ramp into the Iron Will, Optimus behind him.
As he began running the preflight check and booting systems at the bridge's Navigation station, Magnus said, "Flight plan is for us to ascend to 100 kilometers and then fly to Madagascar and back."
Optimus nodded. "Simple enough. I only have one question."
Magnus paused and looked back at him. "Yes?"
"Why aren't you the one in the captain's chair?
"You are my Prime…"
"And this is your ship. Move over."
Magnus chuckled and, since it was just the two of them on this flight, made way for his brother. If they'd had a full crew, he knew Optimus wouldn't have asked because Magnus wouldn't have budged.
"You're taking liberties," Ultra Magnus mock-grumbled as he took his seat in the captain's chair.
Primes weren't supposed to say things like, "You're fragging right I am," but Magnus felt Optimus' sentiment loud and clear over the bond.
Amused, Magnus said, "Helm, take us up."
Fortunately, the controls for a vehicle as simple as a lunar ferry were easy for Optimus to manage. If at any point they wanted to go much further than Earth's moon, they'd need Windcharger at the helm again, but virtually any Autobot could navigate little on-planet hops like this.
They encountered a patch of turbulence, and Optimus said in a low voice, "Steady as she goes."
Frowning, Magnus took some notes on a datapad. "Stabilizers normally would have compensated for that. We shouldn't go beyond orbit until they've got a better repair."
It took a few more minutes for them to reach the target altitude. The air here was thin enough that the Iron Will met very little resistance. "Bring us up to half speed," Magnus ordered, "but slowly. Those glitching stabilizers are all we've got to keep from turning into Autobot popcorn."
Optimus paused and turned to stare at him questioningly for that analogy. Ultra Magnus didn't flinch (though his defensiveness might have made it through over the bond). He felt it when Optimus decided it wasn't worth teasing him over. Looking forward again, the Prime-turned-helmsmech said, "Yes, captain."
Even at half-speed, though, it was a rough ride. They made it to Madagascar, but Magnus said, "Notify the base that we'll be delayed. If we try to make the same time on the return trip, pieces of the hull will rattle loose." Then he realized who he'd said that to and added, "Never mind. I'll tell them myself."
"I thought you were keeping me humble," Optimus said, softening it with a playful nudge over the bond.
"I don't want anyone wondering why I had my Prime running errands for me like a lackey. I would never undermine you like that, Optimus."
His Prime turned and nodded in acceptance of both the change in orders and the consideration behind it. "Yes, captain."
The return home, while a bit jarring, was otherwise uneventful. Despite Magnus' predictions, at no point were they tossed around like popping corn and nothing fell off the ship. The Iron Will's landing was a bit bumpier than it had been with Windcharger at the helm, though.
As they disembarked, Ultra Magnus tentatively asked, "Is Samuel Prime ready to return to his mate? Once Roadbuster has tinkered with those stabilizers, we'll need to take the Iron Will out again. May as well fly him home, if we're at it."
"Normally I would be against taking Sam on a test-flight for anything," Optimus answered, "but we've put the Iron Will through its paces already. This will be just a test of the follow-up repairs. Perhaps a short preliminary flight to be certain the stabilizers have improved and then a longer flight with Sam."
Magnus nodded. "My thoughts as well."
…
Magnus was never what you'd call skilled with small talk. It was even harder with this human. The Matrix responded to him; he was unquestionably a Prime. Optimus even claimed him as a brother, a title that still left a little ache in Magnus' spark. This frail, short-lived carbon-for-processors human was more-closely bound to Optimus than he was. Samuel wasn't exactly a supplanter (thankfully Optimus had made that abundantly clear), but it wasn't a comfortable thing to call him Prime.
He was grateful Samuel and Optimus spoke out loud. Also, to Magnus' relief, Optimus took the captain's chair. Bumblebee, carrying Samuel, took up position at the Nav station, so Magnus moved on to Communications.
"So this thing's able to accommodate a human passenger?" Samuel doubtfully asked. "Like, the G-forces aren't going to crush me, right?"
"Correct," Optimus assured him. "Roadbuster was less than thrilled, but Wheeljack assisted in making sure that pressurization, artificial gravity, inertial forcefields, and other technologies that can protect our human allies were all installed and functional on this ship. As an additional safety measure, we even have parallel human-accommodating systems in the Iron Will's engine room, hold, and bridge, so that if one should happen to fail, there would be multiple backups."
"What about…um, facilities?" he asked, blushing slightly. "I mean, it takes how long to get to the opposite side of the globe?"
"Approximately 2 ½ hours," Magnus said. "We'll be taking our time so as to ensure your safety."
"What?!" Samuel exclaimed, and Ultra Magnus feared he'd said something wrong.
Optimus soothing peace washed over their bond.
To the human, Optimus explained, "Our ascent and descent will be slower until we're sure you're unaffected. Once we reach an altitude of 100 kilometers, even your frame will not be adversely affected by the speed, thanks to Roadbuster's modifications."
He deflated a little.
"Is that a problem?" Magnus asked.
"No, that's great, it's just… Mikaela wasn't expecting me for another whole day."
"We'll notify Radio Flyer to make sure Mikaela's updated," Optimus said, and Magnus nodded at the implied order.
During the resulting lull in conversation, Samuel asked Magnus, "So, first time you've flown with an organic on your ship?"
"Yes," he answered. It seemed like he should say something more, but he wasn't sure what. He knew how he'd speak to Optimus, but while Samuel was apparently kin, he hadn't earned the kind of informality with Samuel that he and Optmus enjoyed. And as for addressing him as befitted a Prime… Magnus looked sidelong at the human resting comfortably in Bumblebee's palm. No, he couldn't follow this creature into battle. Prime he might be, but Samuel wasn't his Prime.
Instead, he said, "There is just enough atmosphere at this altitude that we must still be careful flying with a human on board."
"Um…thanks for watching out for me."
"You are welcome, Samuel. Rest assured, though, that both Optimus and I prioritize your safety over speed." Magnus didn't add, especially now that you're bound to my Prime.
Samuel and Optimus exchanged a look, and Magnus recognized they were communicating over their bond. With a jealous pang in his spark, he deliberately focused on the Communications console again.
Optimus' kind regard swelled across the bond. Even though Magnus was more in a mood to slam a block on it, he couldn't bring himself to cut Optimus off. Not after they'd been separated for so long. Not even if it meant his Prime did sense his embarrassing resentment.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and very quiet.
The Iron Will overshot Washington D.C., making most of the descent above the Atlantic as directed by the flight plan the Air Force had provided. Apparently the base where they were to drop off Samuel was not used anymore for military aircraft due to the congested airspace around D.C., but the human leaders were making an exception. Magnus had been assured that their brief landing and return to the skies would be more discreet at the otherwise flight-free base. Since it was home to that same military's biggest intelligence division, the Iron Will would also be keenly observed by their hosts, Magnus had no doubt.
Ah, politics, he thought. If only that could die in this blasted War, too.
The Iron Will was much bigger than the human base's helipad, but Bumblebee found the parking lot where they were supposed to land and successfully navigated the ship to the ground. They walked Samuel and Bumblebee to the where the ramp extended from the junction between the hold and engine room, seeing them off. With a respectful salute to his superiors, Bumblebee then descended the ramp with Samuel Prime, and Optimus resumed his place at Navigation.
Magnus shook his helm in amusement at his brother's antics, but otherwise didn't let his humor show. Instead, he ordered, "Take us up, helm. And then take us down."
"Understood."
Once they'd reached the ceiling of Earth's atmosphere, Optimus set a course that was perpendicular to Earth's orbit. For a while, they traveled in quiet contentment, each lost in their own thoughts and the warmth of their bond. Gradually, Magnus picked up on the wistful sorrow settling over Optimus' spark. "What's wrong?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"I haven't left Earth's orbit since initially landing there," he softly explained. "Sam's presence over the bond has been a constant, one that I've apparently taken for granted. I can no longer feel him."
"We're barely a lunar distance from Earth," Magnus observed, confused.
"Yes, but his spark has a much lower power-output. I wasn't sure how far I could go before losing the sense of him over the bond, but it's not as far as I'd hoped."
"We'll be gone for less than two days," Ultra Magnus said, his encouragement and compassion coming through over the bond even if they didn't in his voice.
"True. It was a surprise, though." Optimus tilted his helm. "You are troubled by my bond with Samuel."
Ultra Magnus vented a sigh. "It's hard on everyone, being severed from all their kin. The clans are shattered. We all crave those lost connections, so it is only natural that you would develop such a strong attachment to Samuel."
"But?"
"I mean no disrespect, but he's a fleshling, Optimus, with the lifespan of a vorn and at best a tenth of your cognitive abilities. A true brother-bond wouldn't be limited to a single lunar distance. Your bond with him isn't one between equals. It never could be."
Ultra Magnus had expected irritation or maybe even anger from Optimus, but instead his wry amusement rolled over their bond. "He said much the same thing after seeing us spar the first time. He felt that you were my equal, not him."
Ultra Magnus reflexively recoiled from that. While they might be well-matched in the dueling ring, that was the only way in which he considered himself Optimus' equal.
"We are profoundly different," Optimus admitted, "but we are also tightly bound. What Sam and I share is unlike any Cybertronian bond, true, because he is not Cybertronian. But he is a Prime, and all Primes are brothers."
That might be true, but this bond between Samuel and Optimus was weaker than a true brother-bond would be. It vaguely reminded Magnus of how Megatron had weakened his bonds before severing them. Optimus had been devastated by that loss, and while Samuel was nothing like Megatron, the inequality just felt wrong somehow. "I am concerned that it is…unhealthy. Imbalanced. That you are more attached to him than he is to you. Even at this distance from Earth, Elita One could have spoken with you over the bond. You can't feel him at all."
"Elita spoke with him from the Well of All Sparks, just as she did with you" Optimus reminded him, patiently willing Ultra Magnus to understand. "The Matrix of Leadership has confirmed his status as Prime with every touch. We share emotions, dreams, and thoughts. Just because our bond is unlike other bonds doesn't mean it isn't real."
Ultra Magnus dipped his helm in acknowledgement, accepting this gentle rebuke. "It's just… impossible to comprehend. Forgive me, Optimus."
"There is nothing to forgive. I can hardly comprehend it myself, and I know you speak with all the concern and affection I would expect from my father's creation. But please, try to interact with him more in the future, if you can. That is the only possible path to understanding."
Magnus spark warmed at Optimus' words, but his brother's mood shifted, becoming even more introspective. Optimus said, "You were very thorough in your official reports, but if you're willing, I'd appreciate more of your personal reflections."
"Prime?" he asked, not understanding.
"Elita." Optimus emotions became almost pleading over the bond, communicating what the Prime could not. "Your memories of her are much more recent than mine."
Nodding slowly, Ultra Magnus began organizing and sharing all he could about Elita One.
…
Half a day later, they arrived at the coordinates they'd been seeking. To any outside observer, it was a random position in space, and even for Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, the only thing special about it was that they were far enough from Earth to be all but invisible. The stealth-black paint the Iron Will had been coated with ensured that.
"We're in position," Optimus confirmed from the Nav station.
Since it was just the two of them, Magnus answered, "So why are you asking my permission?"
Optimus chuckled and stepped away from his station. Magnus opened the ramp, creating a deck Optimus could easily launch from, and together they walked to the brink.
/There's just something soothing about the depths of space,/ Ultra Magnus said.
/Yes,/ Optimus agreed, but he was uneasy and Magnus nudged him over the bond, calling him out. /It's…oddly disorienting somehow,/ the Prime added. /Unfamiliar, despite all the time I've spent in cometary form. Perhaps it's Sam's influence./
Ultra Magnus turned his helm to look at Optimus in surprise, but the Prime squared his shoulders and stepped forward, beyond the reach of the Iron Will's artificial gravity and off into the depths of space. He slowly drifted, suspended just beyond Magnus' reach, and then he opened a compartment in his chassis.
For an astrosecond, Ultra Magnus felt his own sense of unease, of unfamiliarity. This was Optimus, his peace-loving brother, little Orion Pax. He'd grown to greatness, true, and Magnus had always felt the title of Prime was a fitting one, even before Optimus had learned the truth about his lineage. But to watch him like a Seeker among the stars, to see him now grasp the Matrix of Leadership, to witness it flare blue in his hand as he held it aloft…
And then darkness fell.
Even the metal of the hatch, which had warmed in the sunlight, started to cool under him. His concern reflexively flared across the bond.
Reassurance and a sense of what felt almost like relief washed across his brother-bond and over him.
It was some time that Magnus stood there, optics repeatedly recalibrating and even resetting, trying to see something.
Then the sunlight burst over him again, and Optimus was returning the Matrix of Leadership to its compartment. All his awe from before, from when he witnessed Optimus draw energon from the Matrix of Leadership, came rushing back. He respectfully made way when Optimus turned and flew the short distance back to the Iron Will.
As Optimus was caught in the ship's artificial gravity again, Magnus suddenly realized how much weariness Optimus was radiating, too. He waited until the atmosphere of the Iron Will was pressurized enough for him to speak out loud again. "You are drained."
Slowly, Optimus answered, "The Matrix of Leadership was drained – exhausted – from creating all that energon for you and the others. It eagerly absorbed the energy of the sun for a significant radius, and in its eagerness, it took more from me than I typically expect."
"Eagerness?"
Gesturing toward the captain's chair – the only seat on the Iron Will – Optimus asked, "May I?"
"Of course."
Optimus made his way across the deck to ease his way into the seat. "I'm not sure how I know the moods of the Matrix; it's just something my spark senses from time to time. And this time…"
"...this time it was ravenous?"
"Something like that," Optimus answered, humor in his voice. Looking down, he added more somberly, "There is a reason a solar harvester is necessary to gather the power of an entire sun. I let it drink in the sunlight long enough that it was becoming painful, but I had allowed its energy levels to drop lower than I should have. Even gathering sunlight on Earth wasn't adequately keeping up with our consumption. This will be a much better way. And if I do it often enough, it won't reach that white-hot intensity again."
Stunned, Ultra Magnus asked, "It hurts you to recharge the Matrix this way?"
Looking up, Optimus admitted, "It…comes at a cost, both recharging it and harvesting energon from the Matrix."
"But I felt your relief when it went dark."
"You did?" Optimus asked, oddly stunned.
"Yes."
"That wasn't me – it was the Matrix you were sensing."
If Optimus was stunned, Ultra Magnus was speechless. That flow of relief from Optimus' end of the bond had been seamless, indistinguishable from Optimus himself. Was the Matrix that much a part of him?
Optimus seemed to recover from his surprise, and he explained, "Today was unusually intense. Only you and Sam are aware of the price I pay. No sacrifice, no victory."
Ultra Magnus tilted his helm at the slight shift in Optimus' mood as he made that last declaration. "You say that like it's a motto."
Optimus' amusement washed across the bond, and he straightened in the captain's chair. "It is. Generations of Witwickys have quoted it." His humor ebbed and something more sober flowed in, and he shared a burst of memory: the Battle of Mission City. "I first heard it from Sam just before he extinguished Megatron. It made an impression."
After reviewing the memory, he said, "I can see why it would." His Prime had adopted the battle cry of a creature without natural guns, armorment, or even enough fur to protect him from sunburn. It made Samuel's resulting defeat of Megatron all the more impressive. More Prime-like. Ultra Magnus felt even more keenly Optimus' request that he make more of an effort to understand Samuel. For his Prime, he would try. Purposefully, he returned to the Nav station. "Awaiting your orders, Prime."
Optimus' grudging amusement that Magnus had cornered him back into the captain's chair rolled across the bond, but Magnus could also feel that he was too tired to stand at a duty station right now. "Bring us back to Earth, helm."