Hi everyone, welcome back to Code Prime! Last chapter was truly something, but we're not done yet! We'll be getting right back into the action and intensity soon enough as we get closer to the end. This is one particular chapter that I've been waiting to write for a long while, especially the ending.
With that being said, let's get this started.
The Demon and Dragon Cometh
"All hail Starscream…" The head Seeker, now de facto leader of the Decepticons, uttered in sinister glee before his Seeker Vehicon forces repeated the chant, this time rather loudly.
"All hail Starscream!" They chanted as they raised their fists.
"I can't hear you!" Starscream encouraged, placing his hand to his audio-receptor, encouraging his forces to chant once more.
"All hail Starscream!" The Seeker Vehicons chanted.
"One more time!" He pointed forward in jubilation.
"All hail Starscream! All hail Starscream! All hail Starscream!" They chanted over and over, the narcissistic, self-loving, Decepticon dancing to their chants as if it was his jam. Of course, there were only two Seekers that didn't join in the cheering and chanting.
"Is he serious right now?" Slipstream questioned.
"Unfortunately." Thundercracker replied as they continued to watch Starscream bask in his own praise.
"How much longer do we have to put up with this?" Slipstream muttered.
"Hopefully, not too long." Thundercracker answered.
And as if that wasn't enough, Starscream's own dance was being broadcasted all throughout the Damocles station that he was residing at, being witnessed by everyone on board, including all the Decepticons that were stationed under his newly appointed command, among them were the Constructicons.
"Remind me again why we decided to side with Starscream and not Megatron?" Long Haul questioned.
"Because the whole reason we even joined the Decepticons was because Megatron promised us a better future than just being construction workers." Mixmaster stated.
"And we got Devastator because of that, right?" Scrapper put in.
"We did, and we certainly became stronger, but we're still just builders!" Scavenger replied. "If anything, Devastator is just another weapon for Megatron to point at his enemies!"
"Exactly!" Mixmaster agreed. "The Combaticons were given all the better missions, while we just hung in the back, building more weapons for him! But no longer! We're done being just builders and weapons! With the Combaticons and Bruticus all gone, we're now the strongest Decepticon force alive!"
"Megatron may have used us as weapons, but who's to say Starscream will treat us any better?" Hook questioned. "We all know how much of a lying backstabber he is, and that human he's with isn't all that different."
"Well, it was either that, or get blown up like everyone else." Bonecrusher replied.
"That, and we're the only ones that know how to properly maintain Damocles. He needs us." Mixmaster said. "If Starscream does plan to stab us in the back, he can't maintain this place on his own. It'll fall apart. If we go, he goes with us."
Unbeknownst to them, Sky-Byte was around the corner and heard everything. "Wretched cowards…!" He muttered to himself as he clenched his fist in anger.
At the same time, Schneizel continued to sit in his command chair with Kanon by his side as usual as the doors opened up and a certain former Britannian consort entered.
"Ah, Anticlea. I trust you're satisfied with the results?" Schneizel queried.
"Very." The former Empress sneered. "Not only have we finally rid ourselves of that accursed Megatron, but we've also even struck a critical blow to those damned Black Knights and their Autobot abominations who started this whole thing!"
"You're not even upset that your own son, along with Carine and Laila are now missing?" Kanon asked.
"That boy is a coward. I could care less what happens to him and those little brats." Anticlea dismissed. "But, with the remaining Decepticons now under our control we can rebuild Britannia! Now space faring empire! We're no longer limited by our own planet; the time has come for us to take the stars!"
"After of course, we finish the job." Schneizel replied. "We've dealt a blow to the Autobots and Black Knights, but they're not quite destroyed yet. Once we've destroyed their base, we'll use Damocles' firepower to eliminate all capitals of every remaining country on this planet. We'll leave the rest of humanity to fight among themselves for the scraps of what's left of Earth."
"How exactly do you plan on finding their base?" Anticlea asked. "It's been hidden all this time."
Schneizel chuckled. "On my supposed failed mission to retrieve one of the Iacon Relics, the Avalon fell. I had expected our foes would take the remains and use it to improve their own weaponry, which is why Starscream and I developed a special tracking device, one so small it could be considered nanoscopic, they'd never even notice. That tiny little device has revealed to us their location."
A screen on the monitor shined to life to reveal a map of the planet, with an active red dot pointing to a specific location in the Pacific, not far from the Asian continent.
"Damocles is already on its way there. We should reach the base by the end of the day." Kanon informed.
"Brilliant! I'd expect nothing less, from our new emperor." Anticlea sneered as she bowed towards the man, who's sinister grin only grew.
Horai Island
Grief and sorrow. That was felt wherever Shirley, Rivalz, Milly, and Cera went on the island. Any Black Knight or Autobot they found was in a gloomy state, either crying and finding comfort in any of their brothers and sisters in arms that were near them or venting out their anger in some way. Not that they could blame any of them. They all knew what had happened. Several good people and Bots were lost in that last battle, many of them they were friends with themselves.
"This is awful…" Shirley muttered.
"How did it all go so wrong so quick?" Rivalz questioned. "It felt like just yesterday we were on top of the world… but now…"
"This is the price of war." They all looked to see Diethard approaching them with a grim look on his face as well. "Death is a certainty. We all know it, and yet… we're still unprepared for it."
"Never expected you to be so remorseful, Diethard." Milly commented.
"Neither did I." He replied in honesty.
Despite the amnesiac Cera, who held Arthur in her arms, not being fully aware of the situation around her, she did have a good grasp of what was going on. She had seen people die before, as well as people grieving over their lost loved ones. Though she herself didn't feel that much grief back then as she didn't know many of those people, here was a different story. Though she didn't know many of these people or metal giants either, something in her heart told her that she was at least familiar with them. So much so that seeing them all in such a remorseful state was enough to nearly bring her to tears herself.
"Damn it all!" Tamaki threw an empty bottle of beer against a wall, which shattered upon impact before he slumped to the ground. "Inoue… Minami… Sugiyama… All of them…. All the old guys from the old crew… me, Kallen, and Ohgi are all that's left…!"
"Tamaki…" He looked to his side to see Ohgi, Chigusa, and even Guilford approaching from behind, each with their own remorseful expressions. "You know this won't help."
"What?! I'm not allowed to cry over all our friends dying?!" The hothead exclaimed.
"Of course not! We're all devastated by that!" Ohgi exclaimed. "But is this really what they would want from us?! What Naoto would have wanted from us!?"
"You're not the only one who lost something, man." Wheeljack said as he approached from the other side. Nonette was right below him, with Warpath right behind. "We lost our own too. The kid, Hot Shot, even the lady Chromia, they're all with the other Wreckers who didn't make it back."
"I know… You all keep telling me…" Tamaki muttered, but he looked in surprise to see Chigusa offering him her hand.
"I'm sorry for your friends, really I am. I lost mine too. Not just here, but also in Britannia. And I know you're probably gonna say that we deserved that, and maybe we did, but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt."
"We've all felt this pain before." Guilford spoke up. "Losing a friend, a home…"
"Or even those you considered family." Nonette added.
"We're all hurting." Warpath said, sounding uncharacteristically remorseful himself. "But, I know a way we can at least use that hurt. When we get back at the Cons, and we will, we'll take all that pain and shove it down their throats!"
Tamaki looked up with a look of rage in his eyes. "Okay, that I can get behind."
At the same time, Ashley appeared to be sitting by himself as he looked over the list of casualties from the recent battle, though he only seemed focused on a specific group. Kuzan Montoban, Alan Necker, and Franz Vallo. All the surviving members of the Ashura Force from Euro Britannia, they were gone just like all the others. Now he was the only one left of his own squad. And it hurt.
"I'm sorry." The one who spoke that was none other than Marrybell, with Oldrin, Orpheus, Jean, Sokkia, Toto, and Monica. "You're friends… I really am."
"Same to you." Ashley said.
"They were supposed to get married… ya know…" The teary-eyed Sokkia said. "M-Marika and Leonhart…" She sniffled. "It was arranged… but they did love each other and…" She tried to laugh to lighten the mood with a joke. "An arranged marriage where… they actually love each other… crazy, huh…?" She couldn't finish, prompting Toto to hold her hand in comfort, causing Sokkia to fall down as she cried her eyes out and Toto was quick to hug her with Marrybell doing the same.
"Damn… that is pretty bad." Ashley said. Jean ended up sitting next to him, looking at him with remorseful and understanding eyes, placing a hand on his shoulder in consolation, which he appreciated as he put his own hand over hers with a sad smile. "Hey, where's your uncle?" He asked Orpheus.
"Oiagros took Grimlock and the Irregulars on a brief patrol to make sure no Decepticons followed our trail back here." He replied.
"What are we going to do, now?" Oldrin wondered what they were all thinking. She gave a gentle gasp as she felt her own hand being grabbed by her own twin brother who gave a remorseful expression of his own.
"I don't think that's up to us to decide." Orpheus said as he and Monica happened to share concerning looks, the two slowly reaching out to take each other's hands.
Meanwhile, Chiba found herself alone as well as she stared at a group photo of herself and the other Four Holy Swords during their time in the JLF. But now, she was the only one left other than Tohdoh. Urabe, Senba, and now Asahina, they were all gone.
"Excuse us, Chiba?" She glanced to her side to see Jetstorm and Safeguard approaching, the former being the one to speak and get her attention. "Our deepest condolences for your loss."
"Asahina was a good soldier, and we considered him a friend." Safeguard added. "But it is clear that you had more of a history with him and the rest of your old team."
"Our condolences might not be enough, but we still offer them." Jetstorm said as they bowed their heads.
Chiba sniffled before smiling. "Thank you… but just because I have more of a history… doesn't mean that they meant any less to you than to me. And… I'd appreciate it… if I had someone to mourn alongside me."
The two Mini-Cons gave her sad smiles of their own as they moved to sit down beside her, the young woman in-between them as she placed her hand on her face and cried. Jetstorm placed a hand on her shoulder while Safeguard did for her back, and they provided what comfort they could.
Not far from their spot were Drift, Xingke, and Zhou, all of whom had understanding and sorrowful expressions of their own. And yet, there was some form of pride that Drift felt for his students as they expressed empathy alongside their comrade, something he didn't exactly teach them, but a quality he valued nonetheless.
Diethard, the former Student Council, and Cera all continued to observe these moments of mourn and grief with similar feelings building up inside.
"Yeah, real sad isn't it?" Claus commented as he walked up with a flask in his hands, and beside him were the Black Wyverns with Sideswipe, Strongarm, and Grindcore.
"Leila, Akito, all of you." Shirley said. "How… how are all of you doing? You were all… ya know… there."
"It's… it's hard to put into words." Leila couldn't find the way to express her feelings as Eliza curled up to her legs in comfort, prompting Arthur to jump from Cera's arms and snuggle up to the fellow cat.
"It's a damn joke, that's what it is!" Ryo exclaimed as he kicked the ground in anger. "We were winning that damn fight! Then the Cons show up with… with whatever the hell that damn thing was… and blew it all to hell…! Damn it all…!"
"Ryo!" Ayano grabbed him by the arm. "That's not gonna change anything and you know it!" He looked away with misty eyes and tried to pull himself away, but Ayano wouldn't budge. She kept a firm grip and looked to him with watering eyes of her own, which ultimately caused him to give up as he sighed hard and let some of his tears flow.
"Did… Did you know many of those guys?" Rivalz asked the Bots present. "Weren't you all on the same team with many of them?"
"Yeah." Grindcore confirmed. "A couple Wreckers."
"One of which was Ironhide's girlfriend." Sideswipe added. "Poor guy… Can't imagine what he's going through."
"I didn't know Prowl… at least not on a personal level." Strongarm confessed. "But… seeing a comrade in arms lose his life… it's not… not something I was prepared for."
"I don't think anyone could be prepared for something like that." Akito said.
"This coming from the Ghost of Hannibal." Milly put in.
A scoff and a smirk briefly formed on Akito's face. "Funny in that I was used to it all a long time ago." Leila looked toward him with a sad expression as he continued. "But when I met all of you I… I guess that all just faded. But the thing with being able to actually feel again, is that you feel all the grief that comes from something like this." Leila wasted no time in wrapping her arms around him as she too shed some tears of her own.
"I know something we can do." Yukiya said darkly. "We can hunt down and wipe every single Con off the face of this planet! No less than what they deserve!"
"I'm sure many people here are thinking the exact same thing." Diethard said. "But we'll need to get organized first. We need proper leadership."
"H-how… how are they… doing?" Cera spoke up. "I… I heard that one of them was hurt but… what about… what about…?"
"Lelouch?" Shirley replied with a sad sigh. "Knowing him… he's not taking it very well."
The beeping of a monitor. That was the only noise that was heard as all of them had gathered together in the medical bay. While Ratchet, Perceptor, Lloyd, Rakshata, Cecile, and Nina all did everything they could and worked the machines that he was attached to, Lelouch, Bumblebee, Suzaku, Nunnally, Kallen, Arcee, Rai, Bulkhead, Tohdoh, Ironhide, Cornelia, Jazz, Euphie, Elita, Kaguya, Ultra Magnus, Jeremiah, Sayoko, and Anya had all gathered around the large metal bed where their broken and fallen leader laid.
Where his missing legs and right arm were, they were connected to tubes and cables that kept the flow of Energon going. The rest of the scars and openings across his broken body were either hastily patched together, or connected to cables that were attached to various monitors and machines that hung above him. The mighty Optimus Prime, a great warrior they all knew and respected, or loved in some cases, now appeared to be knocking on death's door. Such a sight was something that none of them could comprehend or even accept. And yet, it was happening right in front of them.
"Y-you… he'll be alright… right…?" Nunnally asked shakily as Cornelia put her hands gently on her shoulders.
"It's too soon to tell." Perceptor reported. "But the internal damage is beyond substantial. Honestly, it's a miracle he's still alive."
"Because he's Optimus freaking Prime!" Bulkhead stated. "He's not going down without a fight!"
"But look at him now, Bulk." Arcee said. "I don't wanna believe it any more than the rest of you…"
"Arcee, don't." Kallen interrupted, her own voice cracking up. "Please… just… don't. Not after… what happened."
That's when the mood died down once again as they were all faced with the grim reminder of their loss.
"How did it happen?" Jazz questioned. "Where did that thing even come from?!"
"Starscream never mentioned it when he was our prisoner and under Lelouch's Geass." Elita added.
"Because we only asked about the defenses surrounding New Kaon and the Decepticon's home turf." Suzaku responded. "We should have been more thorough."
"I knew Schneizel was planning something." Cornelia growled. "That is so typical of him. Hanging back with a secret weapon while everyone else was fighting…!"
"Just like back on Shikine Island." Euphie remembered. "With the Avalon."
"Ah memories." Lloyd recalled that as well, only to get nudged in the side by Cecile.
"Having all your enemies gathered in one place to deal a deadly strike and eliminate most if not all of them." Anya said. "It's clever and devious."
"Given Starscream retreated from the battle just before it occurred, it's reasonable to believe that he and Schneizel have been working together." Tohdoh spoke up.
"That's no surprise." Ultra Magnus said. "Starscream's always wanted Megatron's position for himself. No doubt he is using his newfound weapon as a means to force the other Decepticons to submit to him and his new partner."
"So, what do we do now?" Rai asked. "How do we stop something that big?"
"We weren't able to get a full scan of that station at that time, but the sheer amount of firepower that it displayed there…" Cecile shook in her spot.
"And I have a sneaking suspicion that's only scratching the surface." Rakshata put in.
"We may have lost many of our own, but the rest of the UFN's military is still at our disposal." Kaguya said. "We can find a way to counter."
Most looked towards Lelouch, who stood the closest to Optimus' side as the Autobot leader remained unresponsive. His head was hung down as his hair covered the upper part of his face, making his eyes impossible to make out. It was clear that out of everyone here, Lelouch was taking it the hardest and it wasn't difficult to see why. They all knew how close he was to Optimus.
"Ratchet…" Lelouch muttered, getting the medic's attention. "Give it to me straight… will he live…?"
"I… I don't know." Ratchet confessed honestly. "We'll try but… even when Bulkhead was exposed to Tox-En… I've never seen anything this extreme. The internal damage… even if Optimus does survive… he may never be fully functional again."
Lelouch's fists clenched at his sides, his teeth ground together as so much anger and grief flowed through his body. Though it seemed like he was struggling to keep it all in. It felt as if he might explode at any given moment. Marianne, from Anya's eyes, saw her son in so much grief and wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she stopped herself when a certain scout stepped forward.
"Lelouch… Let's talk outside." Bumblebee said.
The young revolutionary and his Autobot partner were out in the hallway just outside of the medical wing and appeared to be alone for the most part. And yet, neither of them said anything. It was almost like one was expecting the other to say something. Getting tired of the silence, Lelouch spoke up.
"What?" He questioned, keeping his face hidden as he held his head down.
Bumblebee shook his head. "You've never been really good at keeping your emotions in check. You're angry…"
"OF COURSE, I AM!" Lelouch practically screamed as he shot a look of pure rage and ire at Bumblebee. His face was red, not just from the anger, but from all the tears that were now flowing down his eyes like a waterfall. "HOW ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL AFTER… THAT?! WE LOST! ABOUT HALF OUR RANKS WERE WIPED OUT IN AN INSTANT BY THOSE COWARDS! OPTIMUS… HE'S NOT… I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT OPTIMUS' LIFE MIGHT END AT THE HANDS OF SCHNEIZEL AND STARSCREAM!" Despite Lelouch's vengeful screams, Bumblebee didn't lose composure. He just stared at Lelouch and let him get it all out. And then he spoke.
"You don't want his life to end. Period." Bumblebee said. "None of us do. You're not the only one who's devastated by this. I've known him longer than you have."
"Then how are you not enraged by this?!" Lelouch questioned.
"I am angered beyond reason, Lelouch!" Bumblebee raised his own voice, causing Lelouch to look at him in surprise. After being so used to hearing the monotone beeps, it was surreal to hear real and emotional voice of the first Autobot he could call a friend. "I want nothing more than to pound Starscream into scrap and stomp on Schneizel like a bug! But we can't do that as we are now! Yeah. We lost. We lost big. But we didn't lose everything." He kneeled closer to Lelouch's level. "We still got about half our own forces, not to mention all of humanity's military. We're not dead yet. But more importantly, we're not without leadership. Optimus…" Bumblebee paused for a moment. "We can't count on him right now. It hurts… I know it does… but it's the truth. But you know what's also true? You're still here." Lelouch's eyes widened in surprise as Bumblebee went on. "You are every bit the face of the revolution as Optimus is. He knows that better than anyone. Why do you think he made you his partner? Because you are every bit the leader that he is!"
"You know he's right, Lelouch." Turning around, he was surprised to see Suzaku with Kallen and Nunnally beside him. "After we met again in Shinjuku, I was so lost in my own guilt. I wanted to die because I felt it could atone for what I did to my father, or maybe I just wanted to run away from it all, and I buried that all under a sense of self-righteousness. But despite that, despite me literally attacking you and everyone else, blaming you for every single bad thing that had happened since then, you never gave up on me. So you don't have the right to give up on yourself either. I won't let you."
"None of us will." Kallen spoke up next. "You know that I know exactly what you're going through, Lelouch. Naoto and Cliffjumper, I lost a brother twice over. And yeah… it hurt so much… but I didn't fall because I knew I still had others around me to help pick me back up. I had Arcee and I had you. So even if you're falling apart right now… I'll help put you back together. Because you're going to put the rest of us back together to. And when we're all back on our feet and we've finally won this damn war…" She had walked up to him to grab his hand as she looked into him with eyes of fire and love. "We're going to put the whole world back together!"
"Big brother…" Nunnally had stepped up to gently grasp his other hand. "Optimus is a father to me too. And I am hoping beyond hope that he makes it through this, just as much as you are. But… so many other people have lost people they'll never get back again. They need someone to make them believe there is still hope for a better future, one that we can all laugh and smile together. And the one who will make that future possible is you. I believe in you with all my heart."
Lelouch almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. But then he reminded himself of just the kind of people he had surrounded himself with. Optimus Prime was the father he always wanted and he had hoped that he would indeed pull through. But Optimus wasn't all he had. He had the rest of his family and loved ones here with him. He wasn't alone anymore.
"We need Zero right now, Lelouch. The world needs Zero." Bumblebee said. "And I know you're going to deliver, in the flashiest way possible." He joked.
That earned a laugh from the young revolutionary, but that laugh turned into a sob as he broke down and let all his emotions all flow out at once. Nunnally was the first to embrace him as he fell to the ground with Kallen right behind him. Suzaku also kneeled to his level and did the same with Bumblebee being by his side the whole time. The four of them would see that Lelouch let this all out, and when he was ready, they would help him stand back up on his feet so that he could be the leader they all knew he would be.
After a few minutes, Bumblebee received a call on the comms. "Bumblebee, this is T-AI. Wizard, Grimlock, and the Irregulars just finished their patrol and…"
"And what? Cons?" Bee questioned.
"Well... sort of." T-AI answered. "Just one, and a few former Britannian royals."
Grimlock, Wizard, and the Irregulars, all within their respective Knightmares stood on a small island off the coast of the Chinese Federation, having spotted the vessel that was flown by a random Vehicon, who had Odysseus, Carine, and Laila inside. Wanting to avoid drawing any potential spies, the ship was brought to an island where the four defectors were currently surrounded by the towering machines who maintained constant watch over them. Though this made them more than a little nervous.
"Y-You were in the Chinese Federation, trying to save Tianzi." Odysseus said to Grimlock. "I'm hoping she's alright." The only response he got was a growl from Grimlock, causing Odysseus to sink in fear. "Sorry."
"Yeah… these guys don't seem like they wanna talk to us." Carine pointed out.
A Groundbridge portal then opened before them as Bumblebee's vehicle mode drove out. All four of the doors opened up as the masked Zero and Nunnally stepped out from the driver's and passenger seats respectively with Kallen and Suzaku from the back seats, allowing Bumblebee to transform.
Alice was surprised to see Nunnally here, but given how Lelouch, Kallen, Suzaku, and Bumblebee were all present as well, she was confident that Nunnally was safe.
"N-Nunnally…!" Odysseus didn't expect to see her here, neither did their half-sisters.
"Odysseus. Carine. Laila." Nunnally greeted somewhat coldly.
"So cold I see…" Carine commented. "Not what I expected from you of all people."
"Why are you here?" Zero questioned, getting to the point. "What do you want?"
"We seek sanctuary." Laila answered. "We escaped from the Decepticons and we want a place to stay where we're safe."
"Just you?" Kallen questioned before looking at the Vehicon. "What about him?"
"I don't want to be a Decepticon anymore." The Vehicon himself responded. "I deserted." He then glanced down towards Zero. "I'm sure you don't recognize me but… we did meet. You had a chance to execute me, but you told me to walk away and rethink my life. So, I did."
Lelouch gasped in surprise underneath his mask as he recalled that instance. "You're from the Fuji mines!"
"Really?" Suzaku questioned, looking just as surprised as everyone else. "Are you sure?"
"I'm certain of it." Zero confirmed. He remembered using his Geass on this Vehicon and telling him to rethink his life. But he never expected to meet him again, much less under these circumstances.
"Who are you? What's your name?" Bumblebee asked the Vehicon.
"ST-3V3." The Vehicon replied.
"What?" Kallen questioned.
"I.. I don't have a name-name. Most Vehicons are given identification codes and that's mine."
"ST-3…" Kallen tried to say it, but couldn't even remember the whole thing. "You know what? I'm just going to call you Steve. Makes it easier."
"Steve?" Carine questioned. "You're naming an alien robot, Steve?"
"I… kinda like it." The Vehicon himself admitted.
"It's better than just remembering some random numbers." Laila added.
"Why should we trust you?" Bumblebee questioned. "Any of you? Why come to us?"
"Schneizel has lost his mind." Odysseus began. "The rest of our family isn't all that far behind. That flying fortress that you saw? It's called Damocles. He and Starscream want to use it to basically destroy all life on the planet and then travel the rest of the universe to build a new Britannian empire that'll stretch across the stars. All the rest of the Britannian royal family and nobility are there with the intent of 'restarting' humanity."
"That's probably a dozen people at most." Suzaku said. "You can't repopulate all of humanity from that."
"Tell that to them." Carine stated. "They even wanted to use me as 'reproduction'! Laila too!"
"Schneizel should be smart enough to see something like that won't work." Nunnally said. "He'd be condemning humanity to extinction."
"I think that's exactly his intent." Zero assumed. "He believes humanity is violent by nature, the initial reason he joined the Decepticons was to bring order to the chaotic humanity. But with all the recent victories we have, he's probably deemed our species too far gone and is sentencing us to extinction."
"Talk about a god complex." Kallen scoffed.
"Starscream pretty much hates humanity too, so I imagine this must be a huge relief for him." Bumblebee added.
"But that's of course if Megatron lets them get that far." Suzaku said.
"Megatron?!" Steve the Vehicon questioned while Odysseus, Carine, and Laila looked in shock.
"B-but he's dead? Isn't he?" Carine questioned.
"W-we may not have been there… but we saw what happened at that battle… and the damage that Damocles did…" Odysseus said.
"Nobody… not even… not even he could have survived that… right…?" Laila looked in genuine fear.
"Do not underestimate the leader and founder of the Decepticons." Zero spoke with grave seriousness. "He's made cheating death an art form."
Damocles
Within the black castle that sat atop the floating station of Damocles held a glorious celebration. The Constructicons and a dozen Seeker Vehicons all lined up like a royal military on each side of the chamber with the dozen of Britannian noble and royals. And standing at the very end of the chamber were Starscream and Schneizel, with a Vehicon Seeker and Kanon standing next to them respectively, both with crowns in their hands. The crown that Kanon held was something akin to a white hat with a red gemstone in the center, while Starscream's was far more flamboyant being gold and lined with dozens of jewels.
Triumphant music was being played by the Constructicons as they blew into the horns. When Starscream and Schneizel were about to have their respective crowns placed on their heads, the Constructicons blew into their horns once again.
"Get on with the ceremony!" Starscream urged. However, the Constructicons blew into their horns once again, prompting Starscream to aim his Energon blaster and shoot a single shot to obliterate the horns in a single line, something that caused Schneizel to chuckle in amusement.
"How dare he…!" Guinevere scowled. "Such an insult to our heritage…!." Despite that, Schneizel and Starscream were each given their respective crowns, causing Guinevere to smirk. "Regardless, a new age of Britannia is upon us! All hail Emperor Schneizel!"
"All hail Schneizel!" The other Britannians cheered, including Anticlea. "All hail Schneizel! All hail Schneizel! All hail Schneizel!" Even Kanon bowed with a grin of his own before he joined in. "All hail Schneizel."
"Ahem." Starscream coughed to his Seeker forces and the Constructicons, prompting them to do the same.
"All hail Starscream! All hail Starscream! All hail Starscream!"
Both their names were cheered and praised, and neither could be more ecstatic. But it all came to an end when Schneizel raised his hand before attempting to speak.
"My fellow Britannians, and Decepticon allies… with this turn of events we will…"
Suddenly, a Groundbridge portal opened up near the entrance of the castle, much to the shock and confusion of everyone present.
"Who dares disrupt this coronation?!" Anticlea questioned.
"I've heard those exact words before." A voice spoke out as a certain individual, one that nobody would ever expect to see again, much less here, stepped out from the portal and revealed himself to all. "It was bad comedy then, and it still isn't humorous now."
"M-Megatron…?!" Starscream exclaimed as he, and everyone else looked in shock and even genuine fear.
"Impossible…!" For one of the few moments in his life, Schneizel was caught completely off guard, his eyes wavering in shock and even fear. "Y-You… you were at ground zero when Damocles fired….! You should be dead…!"
Megatron scoffed in amusement. "Death no longer applies to me."
Starscream's look of fear turned into growl as he tried to regain control of the situation. "I don't know how you survived… but I am leader of the Decepticons now! And I will see to it that it remains that way! Constructicons, Seekers, on me!"
With that command, the Seeker Vehicons and Constructicons all aimed their Energon blasters at Megatron while Starscream himself drew the Apex armor and placed the component on his chest, causing the entire armor to morph around his whole body and he felt his confidence grow. Even Schneizel sat back in his command chair to press a button on the arm, causing a dome-like shield to form over himself and Kanon, with several more forming over the Britannians gathered around, keeping them safe.
"I'm not much of a fighter, one of my very few flaws, but I am content to sit back and watch as my friend beats you to death." Schneizel commented as he relaxed.
"As you can see, my former master, you are outnumbered and outmatched!" Starscream boasted. "It's unfortunate that you lost your precious Dark Star Saber, otherwise you might have stood a chance."
"Then I suppose it's fortunate I brought along my pet to play." Megatron stepped to the side, away from the still active Groundbridge portal that he had arrived in as something else began to emerge from it. Something much bigger.
A large metallic claw stomped out first onto the ground, as the rest of its massive body followed. The moment they all saw it, be they Decepticon or Britannian, their expressions morphed into pure terror, even Schneizel was rendered speechless at what he saw. It was a massive metallic dragon-like beast covered head-to-toe in an outer armor that looked thicker and more imposing than any other Cybertronian creature. It stood on four legs and had a massive tail behind it, along with a set of enormous wings on its back. But what was its most terrifying feature was its face: four tendrils attached to its jaw, and burning yellow optics that seemed to have an ever burning fire raging behind them. It let loose a massive and ear-splitting roar that forced all the humans to cover their ears.
"W-what… what in the Allspark….!?" Mixmaster stuttered.
"A… A Predacon….!" Starscream recognized it. "B-but… they've been extinct since the beginning of Cybertronian history…!"
"Not anymore." Megatron sneered. "Shockwave has always been one to tamper with creation. Now then… time to play, my pet." Megatron ordered the Predacon.
The beast roared once more as it let charged forward, prompting all the Decepticons nearby to duck and cover to try and avoid its crushing jaws and claws, though several Seekers weren't so lucky as many of them were crushed underneath the claws of its stomps, with one being unfortunate enough to be caught in its jaw before being bitten in half. The Predacon saw the Constructicons all fleeing out toward the entrance and making their way outside, prompting the dragon-like beast to give pursuit with a growl.
Once all six Constructicons made it out of the castle and were now in the courtyard of the floating station, Mixmaster gave his order. "Form Devastator! Now!"
The second the Predacon had made it outside, the Constructicons had already combined into the massive green and purple machine that was known as Devastator, which seemed to tower over even the snarling Predacon.
"Get crushed!" Devastator raised his foot to try and stomp on the Predacon, but the beast had spread out its wings to take to the air and avoid the stomp. An orange glow was seen in the Predacon's chest, which traveled up its throat and to its mouth, right before it blasted a concentrated stream of fire at the Constructicon Combiner. The second it made contact, the flames exploded with the force being enough to knock over the mighty Devastator.
Back inside, while many of the Britannians remained protected inside their shields, they were all helpless to watch as Megatron easily snuffed out the remaining Seekers in the chamber with nothing more than precise shots from his cannon. Within minutes, only their armored leader was left as he and Megatron faced each other.
With a furious growl, Starscream had stood up. "No matter, I've always wanted to beat the spark out of you with my own hands anyway!" He charged and tried to rush Megatron, only for him to duck underneath the punch and sweep his feet to trip up the armored Starscream, using his own momentum against him to send him rolling over himself and on the ground.
"The Apex armor is indeed an impressive tool, Starscream." Megatron told him. "But just like everything else you touch, it is nothing more than a useless trinket if you don't know how to properly use it."
That only seemed to aggravate Starscream further as he stood up and attempted to charge his former leader once again.
Back outside, the Predacon continued to fly around Devastator as the Combiner attempted to swing his massive arms to try and knock the beast down, but the Predacon proved too quick for him to catch and too strong as it flew in for a headbutt to Devastator's side and knocked him down to his knees. While he was down, the Predacon hovered above him and let loose another fire blast from its mouth to blast Devastator flat on its back. The Predacon then pinned him further to the ground and bit down on Devastator's neck area, but this wouldn't last long as Devastator was quick to grab the Predacon in the form of a bearhug as he stood back up.
The Predacon roared and snarled as it struggled to escape Devastator's crushing grip. "Time to get mulched!" Devastator activated its Vortex Grinder built into its chest. The hole opened up and all the blades spun around as Devastator forced the Predacon's head into it to try and mulch it to pieces.
However, Devastator did not expect the Vortex Grinder to get stalled inside. "What…?!" It was almost as if the armor of the Predacon was too strong to get crushed and grounded. Just then, a glow could be seen from outside of the hole that the Predacon's head was stuffed into. Even a brute like Devastator could figure out what was about to happen next. "No! Disengage! Dis…!"
*BOOM!*
A large explosion erupted from its back, courtesy of the fire that the Predacon unleashed into the Vortex Grinder. It was so powerful that it completely blew Devastator apart. Though Mixmaster, Hook, Long Haul, Bonecrusher, and Scrapper were alive, albeit severely injured, Scavenger was completely obliterated. What was left of him was now nothing more than burning scraps, literally stomped out by the Predacon as its yellow optics shined on the remaining Constructicons.
"Run for it!" Mixmaster ordered, but he was the next to go as the Predacon rushed him with an open jaw, scooping him up by his front half before biting down to eviscerate him. The other Constrictions transformed and attempted to flee in whatever direction they could, but the Predacon made it a futile effort as it let loose another fire blast to send Scrapper up in flames. Hook was next as the Predacon rushed to swipe its claws and crush him in one strike. It then flew to intercept the fleeing Long Haul, who transformed to try and fight back with his own natural strength, grabbing onto the Predacon's face, but the beast hauled him up into the air and blasted him away with another fireball. All that's left was Bonecrusher as the Predacon charged the last of the Constructicons before swinging its massive tail to obliterate him in one strike.
With all the Constructicons dead, and its mission accomplished, the Predacon raised its head to give a victorious roar.
Meanwhile, inside, Schneizel could only watch in shock as he saw Starscream continued to try and fail to even land one solid blow on Megatron, even with the Apex armor. Megatron easily danced around all the blows that the traitor tried to strike with.
"Sloppy." Megatron lectured as he swerved around one punch. Followed by another punch that Megatron moved underneath to grab the arm and flipped him over to land on his back. "Easily countered. Predictable. Just like you always have been." Starscream roared as he tried to charge Megatron and crush him with raw strength, but the Decepticon leader leapt over him and kicked him down while airborne to knock him to one of the shields that Guinevere and others were hiding inside, which he bounced off from before hitting the ground. "You never learn, Starscream. No matter how much power you accumulate, it all falls apart at your arrogance."
"I've had enough of your lectures!" Starscream exclaimed before throwing out a punch, one that actually landed usefully and sent Megatron flying to the wall. He pushed himself up as he found Starscream already up and above him before grabbing him and slamming him down on the ground. "I've had enough of your abuse!" He pounded his face in with his armored fist. "I've had enough of you all together!" Another pound. "I! Have! Had! Enough! Of! You!" He shouted with every pound that would seem to render Megatron to scrap metal.
Schneizel continued to watch, and this time, and for the longest time, he was hoping that this would work. Never once did he ever imagine he'd hoped an outcome would fall in his favor. Everything he did, he planned for with the utmost of planning and strategy which would lead to the desired outcome he envisioned, even if it was in the long run. But it seems that this may go in his favor after all. Starscream could pound Megatron into oblivion. But there was still the matter of this so-called Predacon. But perhaps Damocles itself could…
Suddenly, the shield around himself and Kanon had deactivated, much to their shock. "What…?"
And it wasn't just his barrier. All of the barriers in the chamber that had protected the Britannian royal and nobles were shut down, leaving them all completely exposed, much to their terror.
"No! Where are the shields?!" Anticlea exclaimed.
"Schneizel! What is happening?!" Guinevere screamed.
"I.. I don't know…" He couldn't understand how this was happening. This even drew the attention of Starscream, who stopped his assault on Megatron to gaze around in surprise a well.
"Thundercracker, Slipstream, Sky-Byte… what is happening…?!" Starscream tried to make contact with them.
"What's happening is that we're done with you." Thundercracker revealed as he, Knockout, Fracture, and Steeljaw had managed to secure the power core for Damocles' fusion cannons in one separate area of the station.
"Y-You betray me…?!" Starscream exclaimed over the comms.
"Oh please, any leader has to be an improvement over you!" Slipstream scoffed as she, Shockwave, and Shin, once more piloting the Thanatos, had eliminated any remaining Seeker Vehicons that had attempted to flee from one of the docking ports on the station.
"I'm not one to stab people behind the back." Sky-Byte added as he, Ravage, and Laserbeak guarded Soundwave, who was currently patched into Damocles' systems via one of the monitors in the hallway, as it was he who deactivated the shields that had been protecting the Britannians. "But that's all the more reason to see you and Schneizel removed from our ranks."
Soundwave then worked his usual magic, his visor showing the situation currently taking place with Megatron and everyone else before activating a single yet larger dome barrier to encompass everyone inside.
Starscream and all the Britannians were further shocked to see all of them trapped inside the large barrier, with Megatron himself still with them. He had stood up, and despite all the injuries he sustained from Starscream's beatdown, he still carried an evil smirk on his face.
"I've enjoyed deconstructing your little game Starscream, Schneizel, but this is where it ends." He took out a sealed container with a rusty-brown vapor inside.
"What is that?" Starscream questioned.
"A synthetic version of the Rust Plague, courtesy of Shockwave." Megatron answered. "He only had the resources to manufacture this single sample. As much as I'd like to unleash it upon the Autobots and the Black Knights, I believe my Predacon will be more than enough for that. So, let us see how this affects the Apex armor as well as human flesh." He crushed the container in his hands, causing the vapor to explode in every direction, spreading everywhere.
With the brown vapor moving in all directions, the Britannians all screamed as they tried to escape, only to run into the barrier that kept them trapped. Anticlea and Guinevere tried desperately to pound away and break through, but it had no effect. They could only watch in terror as the rusty vapor reached them.
The second it made contact with their human skin, their fate was sealed. Their skin bubbled and melted away and, with their flesh and organs burning up from the airborne rust as their bones turned brittle and their bodies fell apart into mushy and rusted goo. This was happening to every human in the barrier as well.
Schneizel watched in genuine horror as Kanon suffered a similar fate, watching the skull of his most devoted servant break apart into dust. He looked towards his own hands as he saw his skin begin to melt away too. He wanted to scream but his voice was already gone as his body was breaking down.
'No… is this it…? Am I meant to die…? Alone… but… I haven't… done anything…' Those were his last thoughts as the mighty Prince Schneizel was now nothing more than a pile of dust and rusted slime.
"N-No… no! No! No! No!" Starscream himself looked in just as much terror as he saw the Apex Armor being rusted over. "The Apex Armor is impenetrable! It cannot…!" He tried to wipe off the rust, but it didn't do anything.
"All it will do is prolong your demise, Starscream." Megatron gloated despite his own body beginning to break apart from the synthetic plague.
"B-But look at yourself!" Starscream exclaimed desperately. "You'll die too!"
"I already told you…" Megatron sneered as his whole body was almost completely rusted over. "Death no longer applies to me. Goodbye, Starscream." With that, his whole body was rusted from the inside out before it fell apart.
Just like that, Starscream was all alone now. But not for long. He could see the most rusted parts of the Apex Armor were beginning to beak off, letting the syntenic plague inside and reaching his own body.
"No! Not like this! Please no!" Starscream's body was already rusting, his lanky body much quicker than the bulky form of Megatron as the Apex Armor continued to fall apart, further exposing him. "I am Starscream! I cannot die like this! NO! NO! NOOOO…..!" His screams would be the last sounds he would make as his body was rusted from the inside out and he too met his end.
Moments later, Soundwave, Shockwave, Thundercracker, Steeljaw, Knock Out, Fracture Slipstream, the Thanatos, and Sky-Byte had all gathered together and waited outside the castle with the Predacon looming over them.
"Um… am I the only one who's nervous about this thing?" Knock Out asked, referring to the Predacon.
"Good, so it's not just me." Sky-Byte added.
"No need for worry. The beast is completely under my control." Shockwave assured.
"Just this beast?" Fracture questioned. "Why not an army of Predacons?"
"I only discovered the fossilized remains of this single Predacon on Cybertron." Shockwave explained. "And even then, it took a while for me to effectively replicate its CNA to grow a suitable specimen. In addition, my focus has also been here on Earth with Megatron's personal project."
"And what might that project be?" Steeljaw inquired. "With so few of us left, it would make sense that we are all in the loop."
"In due time." Shockwave responded.
"What about the synthetic Rust Plague? How are you getting rid of that?" Thundercracker questioned.
"Soundwave is currently using his Spacebridge ability to transport the toxic air to the heart of the star at the center of this solar system to see to its complete obliteration." Shockwave responded.
"A shame. It could have been a useful weapon against our enemies." Shin said.
"As I've said before, my focus has been to the projects on Earth." Shockwave replied. "And replicating the Rust Plague has been among my more challenging projects. I could only create that one sample."
"And it served its purpose."
All eyes set on the still-alive Megatron as he stepped outside, without so much as a single injury or patch of rust anywhere.
"So, it's true then." Steeljaw commented. "You really are immortal, now."
"Indeed." Megatron showed the Code emblem on his hand. "And this is only the first step. Despite Starscream and Schneizel's betrayal, they were able to learn the location of the enemy base. And now Damocles is under our control."
"All remaining Decepticon forces from New Kaon are being transported to the station as we speak." Thundercracker reported. "Within the hour, we'll have an army ready to be deployed."
"Not to mention this big guy up here." Slipstream added, referring to the Predacon that gave a low growl.
Megatron chuckled. "Soon, the Autobots and their Black Knights will be no more, and I will finally have the key to my ultimate victory!"
Horai Island – Medical Bay
Ratchet and Perceptor continued to work on the gravely injured Optimus, doing everything they can to keep him alive. Though Lloyd and Rakshata both left to meet with Lelouch and everyone else in talking about a way to take down Damocles, Nina and Cecile both stayed to help out however they could, and Fixit had joined them as well.
"Ratchet…" Perceptor got his attention. "These readings… you know that…"
"Perceptor don't… just… we can't give up yet." Ratchet stated as his metallic fists clenched in frustration. "There has to be another way!"
Before anyone else could respond, the sound of an incoming vehicle got their attention. This was the vehicle mode of Smokescreen, who had his doors open as Shirley, Milly, Rivalz, and Cera all stepped out before Smokescreen transformed.
"What are all of you doing here?" Nina asked.
"We… we had to see this for ourselves." Milly said as she and everyone else gazed upon Optimus' fall and unresponsive form for the first time.
"Oh my god…!" Rivalz's face paled while Shirley covered her mouth with both her hands. To see someone they admire so much in such a state was nothing short of heart wrenching for them.
Cera couldn't even describe what she was feeling right now. She remembered seeing this metal giant for the first time with her new master, and despite such an imposing figure, the words of those who were kind to her said that this metallic being was among the most kind that she'd ever meet. And something deep inside her heart believed them. But now, seeing this giant in a state that appeared as if he were knocking on death's door… before she even realized it, tears flowed from her eyes automatically, much to her own confusion as she touched her face and looked to her own tears in surprise.
"What's the damage?" Smokescreen asked.
"We've… done all we could." Cecile explained. "We sealed up as much of his wounds and have been trying to give him a steady dose of Energon but…"
"The trauma done to all his internal systems is beyond any hope of repair." Fixit said.
"But we saw you guys do amazing things!" Shirley exclaimed. "You're all geniuses!"
"Having the most intelligent mind doesn't automatically give you the answer to every problem." Perceptor said. "And sometimes… there isn't an answer."
"H-he can't die though… He's Optimus Prime for crying out loud!" Rivalz stated. "Come on Ratchet…. You gotta have some kind of special thing to at least patch him up… right…?!"
"If I had, don't you think I would have used it?!" Ratchet shouted, surprising everyone present. "You think this is easy for me?! I've known him far longer than any of you have! Long before he was even a Prime, before even the war! I would give anything to see my oldest friend walk again right now! But… I… I just don't….!"
Once again, the mood turned sorrowful as Ratchet turned away with a frustrated and devastated look on his face, earning expressions of sympathy and pity from all those present. While many of them knew Optimus Prime for the hero that he was, Ratchet was among the few that knew him before he was even Optimus Prime, he was a friend.
"Um… Excuse me…?" Cera slowly and nervously raised her hand to get everyone's attention. "I… I might have an idea… if you want…"
"What is it, Cera?" Milly asked in a mellow tone, not wanting to shoot her down and hurt her feelings, so she was humoring her, despite thinking what ideas she might have may not work.
"Well, it's just… I heard a few times about something called a Forge… one that is supposed to have magic powers…" Cera explained. "I… don't know all that much about it… and I wasn't trying to eavesdrop! But… I heard that it could fix anything and make it better… so… could it… do the same for him?" She gestured to Optimus.
"The Forge of Solus Prime but…" Smokescreen thought for a minute. "Wait… if he had it… he could fix himself up no problem! Power of the Primes!" An excited smile formed on his face.
"Could that work?!" Rivalz asked just as excitedly.
"Well… the Forge was able to upgrade many of our Knightmares and even improve our weaponry… I don't see any reason why it couldn't be applied here!" Fixit said, becoming just as hopeful as everyone.
"Cera!" Shirley quickly ran up to the amnesic girl in a hug, much to her surprise. "You're a genius! I could kiss you!"
"K-Kiss me…?" Cera asked in confusion and her cheeks turning pink.
"Hey, why didn't we think about that before?!" Milly questioned happily. "Let's do it!"
"I'll retrieve the Forge." Perceptor had already transformed and drove away.
"Looks like the big guy's still got a chance." Cecile smiled.
Ratchet too smiled, very happy at the thought of his friend being able to pull through this. But at the same time, he mentally kicked himself for not thinking about it sooner. How could he have overlooked the Forge of Solus Prime?! One of the Relics of the original Thirteen?!
"We're all distraught here…" Nina spoke to him, getting his attention as she placed her hand on his leg in comfort. "Don't blame yourself, especially since it's your oldest friend." She said with an assuring smile.
It was almost as if the girl could read his mind. But this was enough for Ratchet to smile back in appreciation.
Suddenly, a groan had drawn them all to their fallen leader and friend. Optimus' optics slowly opened as he seemed to regain consciousness.
"Optimus!" Ratchet was the first to be by his side with everyone else moving around him. "Please, save your strength."
"You're going to be okay, Optimus." Shirley assured, standing by his face. "Preceptor's going to get the Forge so we can fix you up. You'll be back on your feet in no time."
"L-Lelouch…" He muttered. "Where… is… Lelouch…?"
"He's with everyone else, trying to make a plan to take down Damocles. The Cons' newest weapon." Milly explained.
"C-call… c-call him… here…" Optimus requested weakly.
"Why? Hey, it's gonna be okay." Rivalz said. "You don't have to…"
"P-please… bring him… here…" Optimus requested once more.
Everyone looked towards each other in confusion, but Smokescreen was the first to get up straight. "I'll go get him, hang tight." He transformed and drove away, leaving everyone else to keep the weakened and injured Optimus company.
Meanwhile, the group consisting of Zero, Nunnally, Bumblebee, Elita, Kallen, Arcee, Suzaku, Bulkhead, Rai, Jazz, Ultra Magnus, Cornelia, Euphemia, Tohdoh, Ohgi, Lloyd, and Rakshata had met up on the bridge of the Ark with the Vehicon now named Steve as he explained everything he knew about the Damocles station with a large hologram of it being present for all to see. Odysseus, Carine, and Laila were escorted to a different room to be isolated and monitored for a time.
"Alright, Damocles is basically a flying fortress." Steve explained. "The Constructicons lead the project; I was brought in for extra labor. I don't know everything about it, but I do know one thing. It's not your typical fortress."
"What does that mean?" Bumblebee questioned.
"For one thing, it has three different power cores." Steve said.
"Three cores?" Arcee wondered aloud as everyone looked towards one another. "Why three?"
"One to keep it airborne, one to power the shield generator, and the other for the fusion cannons." Steve answered.
"That does seem pretty clever." Rakshata commented.
"One would do best not to keep all their eggs in one basket." Lloyd added.
"Do you know where these power cores are?" Ultra Magnus asked the defected Vehicon.
"No. But I do know that the shields are completely impenetrable, and there's a special feature that keeps the enemy from Groundbridging inside." Steve replied.
"Bet the Star Saber could cut right through it." Rai said darkly.
"But Optimus… he's the only one that can wield it, and he's not in fighting condition right now." Bulkhead commented with remorse.
"But we do have a similar weapon. One that was wielded by someone who clearly isn't a Prime." Cornelia reminded.
"The Dark Star Saber is not an option!" Zero said immediately. "I agree that is powerful, but given that it was forged by Megatron, I wouldn't put it past him to at least adapt a similar feature from the original sword so that only he could wield it and nobody else."
"Do you know that for certain?" Tohdoh asked.
"Even if that weren't the case, it's made from raw Dark Energon, and we've all seen how dangerous that is!" Zero reminded.
"It raised an army of robot zombies." Lloyd said bluntly.
"Even in the most desperate of situations, I will never use that weapon. I would rather die than wield it." Zero said with every bit of seriousness.
"I have to agree with Zero." Suzaku spoke up. "The Dark Star Saber is too much of a wild card. Best we keep it locked away until we figure out a way to destroy it."
"I think we should focus more of our attention on destroying that thing first." Kallen pointed to the Damocles hologram once again.
"Is there a moment where the shields are deactivated? They have to come down at some point." Ultra Magnus asked.
"Not that I know of." Steve shook his head.
"What about those big guns?" Ohgi asked. "I mean, they obviously gotta be shielded cause they're that thing's primary weapon, right? But the shield would have to go down so it could fire, or else it would just reflect back at it or something."
"At least it would have to be down around the cannons at that time." Euphemia followed along.
"But I'm willing to wager the shield will come back up as soon as it's done firing." Kaguya put in.
"What about the Phase Shifter?" Nunnally spoke up. "Lloyd, Rakshata, you two have been studying it ever since we brought it back. It can phase through Energon blasts, right? Couldn't it do the same for those fusion blasts?"
The two scientists shared thoughtful expressions with one another. "I don't see any reason why it wouldn't." Lloyd said.
"But what exactly are you implying, Nunnally?" Rakshata asked.
"We have one of our flyers use the Phase Shifter to fly directly into the blast as it fires and into the station, bypassing the shield entirely!" Nunnally revealed, causing everyone to look in surprise. Even Lelouch didn't expect his sister to come up with a plan like that.
"Couldn't we go a safer route and just use the Shifter to phase through the shields?" Rai asked.
"Since Schneizel helped to build it, and those shields can counter Groundbridges, I wouldn't be surprised if he found a way to counter the Phase Shifter." Nunnally replied.
"That would sound like a Schneizel move." Cornelia agreed.
"But if it works, and someone is able to get inside with the Phase Shifter, they'd be able literally go anywhere they want, and nobody could stop them." Bumblebee said. "They could even find the power cores and disable them!"
"At least if they take out the shields, we'd be able to mount a full assault and blow it out of the sky!" Bulkhead stated.
"Why not the guns?" Kallen asked.
"If the shields are down, we can attack and disable the guns from the outside." Arcee replied. "But if they do manage to find the power core for the cannons, they should take it out."
"Something that big and powerful has gotta have a time to cool off, though." Bumblebee said before looking to Steve. "They can't fire rapidly, can they?"
"No." The former Vehicon answered. "Even if it's just one cannon, firing off that much power would cause the core to overheat and they would need time to cool down. I'd expect maybe an hour, at most."
"Only an hour?" Ohgi questioned before a smirk fell on his face. "I think we can make that work." He looked towards Zero.
"Windblade would be our fastest flyer." The Black Knight leader said. "We'll give her the Phase Shifter and she'll enter Damocles to disable the shields, maybe the other two cores if she gets the chance, but the shields are top priority. The rest of us will attack Damocles and draw out as many of the enemy forces as we can and give Windblade more time."
"Hmm, sounds like a plan." Tohdoh agreed as everyone was already on-board.
"Steve." Zero got the former Vehicon's attention. "Thank you for this. You may have just saved a whole lot of lives."
He nodded in return, a feeling of joy came to him as he, probably for the first time in a long time, got some gratitude. "I'm just glad I'm finally doing something right for a change."
"Everyone, we got a problem!" T-AI suddenly appeared in front of them in her hologram form. "Satellite surveillance shows that Damocles is on its way toward Horai Island!"
"They found us?!" Euphie exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course, they did." Bumblebee scowled.
"We're also getting hailed. Somebody is calling for us. For you, Zero." T-AI said to the young revolutionary, who's expression hardened underneath his mask as he had a good idea who it was.
Zero had walked to the center of the catwalk that was in front of the main screen before giving the order. "Bring him up."
The central monitor activated, revealing the smirking face of their enemy, earning glares and scowls from everybody present. None of them said a word however, this was only between their enemy and their leader.
"Hello, Lelouch." Megatron greeted "Surprised to see me?"
"No." Zero replied. "I take it Schneizel and Starscream are dead?"
"I'm certain you would have loved to end their lives with your own hands, but I hope you take solace in the fact that their demise was excruciating." Megatron sneered. "Tell me, where is Optimus? Don't tell me that the last of the Primes has finally met his end. It would be such an unemotional demise."
"You should be more concerned with your own well-being." Zero stated.
"Should I?" Megatron queried as he showed the Code emblem on his palm. "I take it you recognize this, do you not?"
"You've stolen V.V.'s Code." Zero wasn't surprised. They all suspected this.
"I'm immortal now, my boy. I cannot die, no matter what weapons you've acquired or built." Megatron continued. "But the same cannot be said for you, or all your precious friends. I'll get to the point, I know exactly where you're hiding, and Damocles is now under my control. You have a choice. Surrender, and your comrades will live. Or you can fight, in which case all of you will die."
"We both know that's not true." Zero reached for his mask and pulled it off, revealing the determined face of Lelouch Vi Britannia as he glared Megatron down. "Even if we accepted, you would kill everyone anyway. We will fight, and you will lose, immortality or not. I will see that Damocles burns, and that you will never harm anyone again! So come, Megatron! Come and face us! We'll be waiting."
Megatron's smirk only grew. "Spoken like a true leader. I will see you soon."
The transmission cut off, leaving Lelouch and everyone else as he turned to face all his friends, family, and allies, human and Autobot alike. He could see in each of their eyes that they would stand and fight beside him no matter what. But there was still something he had to do.
"T-AI, I want you to transmit to every communications device on Horai Island. I wish to address the troops. All of them."
"I'm on it." The holographic girl nodded.
Tamaki leaned against a nearby wall when he felt his own personal communication's device turn on. He took it out and was surprised to see the image of Lelouch, clad in his Zero outfit, except without his mask. And it wasn't just with Tamaki, nearly every person on Horai Island, be they part of the Black Knights' military, or someone working in medical or maintenance, as well as every Autobot was now drawn towards the image of the unmasked Zero, which was revealed to be a video as he soon spoke.
"I suppose I should start." He began. "For those who don't know, my name is Lelouch vi Britannia, I was once a prince of the Britannian Empire before my sister, Nunnally, and I were exiled following an assassination attempt on our mother. We were sent to Japan initially as bargaining tools, before being outright discarded when Japan was invaded, and it's fall soon after. Much like the Autobots, my sister and I lived in hiding. I used to think the world couldn't change, no matter how hard people tried. Or rather… the world couldn't change because nobody was willing to step forward and help it to change, whether they were afraid of the corrupt in power, or they were complacent with it. But I was wrong. And that's why I'm here now. I am… Zero."
Leila looked with shaky eyes as she, Akito, Sideswipe, Ryo, Strongarm, Ayano, Grindcore, Yukiya, Gino, and Claus all watched.
"He's revealing his identity to everyone… that's quite the risk." Yukiya commented.
"You can always count on that guy being as dramatic as possible." Claus smirked.
"He knows what he's doing." Sideswipe said. "Let's see where this goes.
Akito and Leila looked to one another with concern before the former smiled in assurance, having a good idea what was to follow, causing her to smile back.
"Initially, I became Zero for the sake of revenge. To get back at Britannia for all they've done. But… I met Optimus Prime, and all the other Autobots, and they showed me that this isn't about revenge. It's not even about me. It's about you. All of you. Humanity on Earth. It's about creating a future better than the world we had in the past. We've been consumed by our petty differences for too long, and perhaps we may still be even after this war ends, corruption may return. But… I firmly believe that wherever there is corruption and persecution, there will be justice and courage to rise and meet it. And in the end, justice will be what prevails."
Marrybell and the remainder of the Crimson Knights and Wreckers watched as well, along with the unmasked Oiagros, Orpheus, and Nonette. The former princess found herself drawn to her half-brother's speech, particularly the part about 'justice'. She remembered how she felt that she was a force for justice against terrorism for the sake of Britannia. But now, she was looking at the true face of justice, one who would fight for the world. Her pride quickly grew, as did that of Orpheus, Oldrin, and everyone else around them. Even Wheeljack gave his usual half-smirk as he nodded with approval.
"We have all suffered loss throughout this war. We have lost our homes. We have lost our friends, family, and loved ones. But despite that loss, we are not beaten. We have lost many in our recent battle, but the fight still wages on! For hope is not lost! Do you know why? Because you are here! We are all still here! And so long as even one of us still draws breath, this revolution continues! We have not lost!"
Guilford, Chigusa, Jetfire, and Diethard all watched as well, paying attention to every word.
Grimlock couldn't help but look impressed as he, Alice, Misty, Dalque, Sancia, and Lucretia all watched.
"Kid's got guts." Grimlock commented.
'You have one hell of a brother, Nunnally.' Alice thought with a smile.
Even Chiba, as she stood alongside Drift, Windblade, Safeguard, Jetstorm, Xingke, Zhou, and Tianzi, cried as her heart went out to the man who would stand to fight and avenge all her fallen comrades. Xingke felt his hand being squeezed and looked down to see Tianzi looking up to him with a smile, as did he.
"Megatron is on his way here now, with a weapon that may seem impossible to overcome! But the UFN is still looking to us! To the Black Knights and the Autobots to lead the people of their countries out of the darkness! So, what will they see when they turn to us?! Will they see rabble who run and hide? No! No, they will see free men, free women, and free Bots! They will see the face of freedom itself! And what the enemy will see is our swords drawn! They will hear our guns blazing as we blow them out of the sky and show every single one of them what we can do! We will declare to them in one unified voice that we will not go quietly into the night! This is our world! We will not let them have it without a fight!"
Everyone on Horai Island, every Autobot, every human, they all found themselves standing and drawn more to this speech. Even Odysseus, Carine, and Laila watched it from their own personal quarters. The words this man spoke to them reached all of them at the very core of their being. They soon felt their spirits rise and their inner strengths increase tenfold. They felt that they could do anything.
"I know I'm asking a lot. The price of freedom is high… but it's a price I'm willing to pay for all of you! I will fight alongside you at the front as I've always have! We will face the demons at our doorstep together! We will look evil dead in the face and say, 'no more!' Today, we stand as one! TODAY, WE FIGHT AS ONE!" He raised his fist high into the air. "TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
"Damn right, buddy." Tamaki muttered as he stood up and walked out into the middle of a crowd. "TILL ALL ARE ONE!" He raised his own fist high and was followed by everyone else on the island as they all shouted individually, then in groups, and then all in unison together as it echoed throughout the entire island.
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
It was done. T-AI had ended the transmission as Lelouch faced all the Autobots and Black Knights on the bridge along with him as they stared for a minute. The first one to smile was Kallen before she clapped, followed by Nunnally, Bumblebee, Suzaku, and everyone else. Even the likes of Ultra Magnus gave a nod and a smile before he clapped as well.
"Not bad… Zero." Bumblebee smiled.
Even Steve couldn't help but look at him in awe. "Is he always this inspiring?" He asked Bulkhead.
"You have no idea." The big green Autobot replied with a smile.
The moment was interrupted as Smokescreen's vehicle mode came in before he transformed and joined everyone. "Hey, sorry to interrupt but… Optimus is awake." That alone got all their attention as Smokescreen looked towards Lelouch. "And he wants to see you."
While everyone else prepared for the battle to come, Lelouch, Nunnally, and Smokescreen arrived at the medical bay in record time, with Ratchet making the necessary preparations as Fixit, Nina, and Cecile helped him in any way they could. Shirley, Milly, Rivalz, and Cera were all present as well as Lelouch and Nunnally stepped out.
"What's going on?" Lelouch asked.
"We figured out how to fix, Optimus! We'll use the Forge!" Shirley answered, much to Lelouch's and Nunnally's surprise.
"Really?" Nunnally asked with hope evident in her voice.
"Yeah, once he has, he'll back in fighting shape in no time!" Rivalz added.
"He's no shape to use it though!" Lelouch stated.
"He doesn't really have to pound anything though." Milly explained. "Ratchet, explain!"
"The Forge of Solus Prime is a conduit for the energy that is used to repair and upgrade any raw material it makes contact with." Ratchet explained. "All Optimus has to do is hold it, and he can channel that energy into himself."
"It's all so amazing…!" Cecile smiled as they made the final preparations. "All this ancient Cybertronian technology… it's practically magic!"
"In a sense, it is." Fixit said. "The power of the original Primes is considered mysticism even among modern Cybertronian principles."
"Perceptor should be here any minute with the Forge." Smokescreen added. "In fact, it was all Cera's idea!" She gestured to the still-amnesiac immortal.
"Well… It was just a thought… think nothing of it I…" Cera was caught off guard as Nunnally ran up to her in a hug.
"Thank you…! Cera…! Thank you…!" Nunnally was already crying tears of joy.
Cera even felt a grasp on her shoulder and looked towards Lelouch, who said nothing, but the emotional smile he had on his face may as well have been worth a thousand words of thanks. This only caused Cera to smile with child-like innocence.
"Oh, and here he is now!" Milly smiled as Perceptor arrived in vehicle-mode with the Forge of Solus Prime in-toe. He transformed and laid the hammer down. "Is everything ready?"
"We're ready." Ratchet confirmed as they heard Optimus groan, his optics were dim and fading, but it wouldn't be that way much longer.
"L-Lelouch…"
"Optimus…" He was already near his face. "I'm here. We have the Forge, we'll have you fixed up in no time."
"Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay." Nunnally added as she walked up and placed her hand on Optimus' face with a smile.
"That… is not why… you were called here…" Optimus stuttered, which caused everyone to look at one another in confusion, especially Lelouch.
"What…? I… don't understand."
"All of you… listen… the power of the Forge… is not… unlimited." The weakened Optimus revealed. "It's energy… has already begun… to ebb…"
"It's running low on power? Is that even possible?" Cecile asked, mostly to Ratchet.
"Well… mystic or not, energy has to come from somewhere. It would make sense." The Autobot Medic seemed to understand..
"Well, let's just get it recharged." Rivalz suggested. "Can't we plug it in somewhere?"
"None of the technology we have at our disposal would be adequate enough." Perceptor said.
"Is there anything we can do about that?" Nina asked Fixit.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think any of us are well versed in the knowledge of the Ancients." The Mini-Con said.
"So, what if it's running a little low?" Smokescreen questioned. "All we need is enough juice to get Optimus back into fighting shape."
"No…" Optimus muttered. "Whatever… power remains… must be used… to repair… the core to Cybertron… and restore our home…"
"B-but… but that would mean…" Nunnally's hope slowly faded as she and everyone else knew what that meant. She looked towards her brother and saw his eyes widen in fear.
"What about you, though?!" Shirley questioned. "You need help, Optimus!"
"The fate… of all our kind… is more vital… than any… one… of us… including… me…." He weakly said.
Just like that, any kind of hope they had was replaced with dread and fear. While it would make sense for Optimus to want to use the Forge to fix Cybertron's Core, even if it was low on power, it would help immensely and possibly get the planet closer to being restored. But, that would come at the cost of Optimus himself, and that was something none of them wanted.
"No… No!" Lelouch stated. "That can't happen! We can't do that, Optimus!"
"Lelouch is correct." Ratchet kneeled to his friend's level. "You of all people have to understand that the Forge can only be used by a Prime. And you are the last. There is nobody else who can use the Forge but you."
"There will be… a new Prime…"
Lelouch shook his head, trying to shake off any sense of doubt or negativity that was draining his hope. "We don't have time for this. Megatron is on his way here right now with a station armed with weapons that can destroy entire cities and he means to kill every single one of us! We don't have to use all of the Forge's remaining power, just enough so that your life is no longer in danger! The rest of us can handle Megatron. Once that's done, and you're fully recovered, we can talk about fixing Cybertron's core. But first things first." He was about to give the command to Ratchet and the others and tell them to proceed, but…
"Lelouch…" Optimus spoke to him directly. "The time… for a new leader… is upon us. In my spark… I know… without a shred of doubt… that leader… my successor… is the young man standing before me… right now…"
Done.
Yeah, you heard right. Optimus believes that Lelouch is worthy of the Matrix of Leadership, his successor and a potential Prime!
You're all probably wondering if it's even possible for Lelouch to even wield the Matrix given that he's human and not Cybertronian, but it's not a factor of species. The Matrix of Leadership is an ancient source of divine and mystic power created from the sparks of the original Primes and Primus himself.
As for how Lelouch will react to this… you'll have to see in the next chapter.
But yeah. Starscream and Schneizel, along with the rest of Britannian nobility and royalty are all dead. All that's left are those on Horai Island. Megatron has total control over Damocles and has a Predacon under his control.
But he only has a single Predacon, given how Shockwave has been primarily focusing on Neo Ragnarök, it would make sense. But given how OP Predaking is, maybe even more so than Grimlock, one Predacon may be all that he needs.
What comes next is going to be a battle of epic proportions as the Black Knights and Autobots make a stand on their home turf to take out Damocles and fight back. Who is going to win in the battle to come?
Find out next time on Code Prime!
(Note: this is not the final battle. There is still more to come.)