Hi everyone. Well, here we are. We are at the final arc for Code Prime R2, and let me just tell you that this has been one incredible journey with all of you and I am very thankful for all the support and praise you've given me.
Also, let me say this in advance, when this story is completed, even though I have every intention of doing an R3, I will be taking a break from Code Prime as while I have enjoyed writing this story, it's also been my most mentally exhausting, and there is this other new story that I really want to write, so I will be doing that once this is all over.
Once more, thank you all from the bottom of my heart. We are entering the home stretch for this story and so much can happen in these last few chapters. So, without further delay…
Let's get started!
The Calm Before the Storm
Optimus Prime stood outside at Horai Island along with Diethard, Lloyd, Cecile, Rakshata, and Fixit, in his new body as a large vehicle was rolled up towards him. This vehicle was larger than any normal truck and had the appearance and equipment akin to military. The vehicle came to a stop as Claus stepped out from the driver's seat.
"Hey big guy." Claus greeted. "What you're looking at here is an experimental anti-Knightmare vehicle that was in development at the EU a little bit before the fall of Britannia. It's an all-terrain with heavy armor for shielding, Sakuradite powered boosters for extra speed, and whole lot of guns, especially missiles. With the right pilot, this bad boy could take down a whole squad of Knightmares. It might even give the Lancelot a run for its money."
"Oh? Care to put that money where your mouth is, Claus?" Lloyd asked in a challenging tone.
"Now, now, there's no need for that." Cecile quickly stepped in front.
"Thank you, Claus. This will most certainly do." Optimus said as his optics shined down on the experimental vehicle, scanning and acquiring it for his new vehicle mode. He then transformed, taking a near identical appearance to the vehicle that was brought for him, save for the red and blue color scheme, and then transformed back to normal.
"Though I do have to wonder… if this vehicle was built specifically to counter Knightmares, why hasn't it been seen till recently?" Cecile asked.
"Well, it was apparently still in the experimental stages." Claus answered. "That and since its main fuel was Sakuradite, otherwise known as Energon…"
"And Britannia having control over most of the planet's richer Energon deposits, it didn't have enough literal fuel to get off the ground." Rakshata put two-and-two together.
"But now things are changing." Diethard said. "With Britannia gone and a majority of the Decepticon forces pushed back, we've gained pretty much support over the entire world."
"We've also supplied the EU manufacturers with the Synthetic Energon formula." Fixit added. "Already they have over a hundred vehicles being constructed as we speak and should have plenty more by days end."
"With the fate of the world at stake, it makes sense they're devoting all their manpower to everything military." Lloyd said. "Though I can't imagine a lot of them will be particularly happy about having to dump all these since every member nation of the UFN agreed to abandon all military power once the Decepticons are finished."
"Then again, with Megatron backed into the corner, he'll be pulling out all the stops too. So, I don't see a whole lot of these things surviving either." Rakshata added.
"Where is Lelouch?" Optimus asked.
"He along with Nunnally, Euphemia, Cornelia, and Marrybell went to talk with Odysseus and the other former Britannian royals that had escaped from Schneizel." Diethard answered.
"Oh boy, that's gotta be one awkward family reunion." Lloyd commented with a slight laugh.
Lelouch, Nunnally, and their half-sisters currently sat in a guest's quarters that had been arranged for Odysseus, Carine, and Laila, as they told them the whole story. Lelouch becoming Zero, why he killed Clovis, the existence of Geass, the arrival of the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth with the latter being responsible for Charles' rise to power, as well as his own desire for all the Thought Elevators, including Ragnarök, which led to the truth behind Marrybell's family and her whole story, with the existence of V.V. being revealed, as well as his current fate. Needless to say, it was quite a lot to cover. Though none of them said anything about Rai and his own family history, mostly because Rai asked not to tell them, not that it was a big secret or anything, he just felt it was unnecessary since he had no attachment to his Britannian identity any longer, and if they were to learn, he would be the one to tell them, which Lelouch and the others all respected. There was also no reason to mention Marianne being alive and inside Anya as basically a ghost, at least for the moment.
Odysseus, Laila, and Carine sat in silence when it was all done, processing everything that was told to them.
"That's… wow… I honestly don't know what to say to all of that…" Odysseus commented.
"We don't really expect you to." Cornelia replied.
"We understand it's quite a lot to take in…" Euphemia said.
"I myself had a hard time processing it all when I was told." Marrybell added.
"A 'hard time processing' you say? That's the understatement of the century!" Carine stated. "An ancient power, alien gods, our father looking to gain all that for himself…? The whole reason Britannia even advanced as far as it did…"
"Was just to gain access to the Thought Elevators so he can use their power and remake humanity in his own image." Lelouch confirmed.
"And that's part of the reason you killed Clovis?" Laila asked, with Nunnally and Euphemia looking to her with concern. Clovis was indeed her full brother and they had a rather good relationship on the surface, so it was natural that she'd feel distraught over everything.
"He may not have known exactly what the Thought Elevators were, but he still intended to use that power for himself. And he killed a lot of people to cover it all up." Lelouch replied. "Though if I'm being honest, I probably did it for the sake of spite for what the rest of my family did to me and Nunnally. But even without that considered, if I were put in that same scenario, I'd do it again without hesitation. I'm sorry that I hurt you, Laila… but I don't regret killing Clovis."
Laila offered no response. The logical part of her understood as Clovis did kill a lot of innocent people in his own personal quest to seize the throne, nor could she blame Lelouch for resenting their family, but she was still hurt by the betrayal of both brothers. Euphemia wanted to walk over and comfort her, but Cornelia kept a hand on her shoulder and simply shook her head saying that now was not the time.
"So… what's going to happen now?" Odysseus asked. "Given all that's occurred recently… it's safe to say that Britannia is gone with the wind. I honestly doubt any of you want to restart it all…"
"The time has come for things to change." Marrybell responded immediately.
"Yes, once the threat of the Decepticons is over, we plan to rebuild the world and create a new society where nobody is oppressed." Cornelia added.
"That sounds like a lot of work." Carine said. "Even if Britannia's gone and the world is united against the Decepticons, some people will still want power for themselves. Britannia didn't have all the world's corruption."
"No, it didn't." Nunnally replied. "Believe me, we've all seen that all over the world. But we've also seen hope too. Hope for a better tomorrow… and that is something worth fighting for." Nunnally said with a gentle smile and a fiery expression in her eyes.
Odysseus couldn't help but smile. "You know Nunnally… you've really grown up. The last time we saw you… you were just a little girl, blind and confined to a wheelchair. Now look at you… I'd say you have the same kind of fire in your eyes as your brother." Nunnally smiled at that. "Same goes for the rest of you… Cornelia, you've always had something of a fire in you, and there's still one there but now… I don't know how to say it… but that fire feels different."
"I'd like to think it's because I'm different." Cornelia said with a smile of her own. "Being with these people helped me to see things a tad bit differently. Now I'm part of a cause that's truly just."
"There's a whole lot of work ahead of us." Marrybell said as well. "But… we're all that's really left of our family. Maybe it could be the start of something new for all of us? Where we're not watching over each other's shoulders and expecting to be backstabbed by our own siblings."
Carine gave something of a playful scoff. "What? You want us all living together? Sitting down at a family dinner and making idle chit-chat."
"Yeah… why not?" Euphie replied with a smile herself.
"It's not the worst idea." Lelouch admitted. "So long as you don't mind me inviting others I consider family, including a few Autobots."
"I thought Cybertronians don't eat." Odysseus couldn't stop himself from joking, earning some chuckles from everyone, even a small smile crossed Laila's face. "But seriously, if there's anything we can do to help…"
"We appreciate that. Thank you." Nunnally smiled. "But… just leave it all to us. We are going to win this war. And we will make this world a better place."
"Count on it." Cornelia said as she reached over to hold Nunnally's right hand with Euphie doing the same with her left who grasped Marrybell's with her free hand before Cornelia reached out towards Lelouch and grasped his hand, which he took without hesitation. He then offered Odysseus his free hand with an encouraging smile. Though surprised by the gesture, Odysseus took Lelouch's hand before offering his free one to Carine, who took his before grasping Laila's. She then looked over towards Marrybell as she also offered her free hand to complete the chain… though slightly hesitant at first, one look in Marrybell's eyes which seemed like a mixture of hope and a firm resolve appeared to be enough for Laila to reach out and take it.
After parting ways with their siblings, Lelouch, Nunnally, Cornelia, Euphemia, and Marrybell happen to come across the group that consisted of Optimus, Shirley, Ratchet, Rivalz, Perceptor, Milly, Smokescreen, Nina, and Cecile.
The minute Cornelia saw Optimus she stopped herself from balking in awe. "I'm still not used to this new form of yours, Optimus."
"Though I'll admit, it's very robust." Euphie commented with a smile. "But no matter what form you take, you're just as heroic as ever."
"Thank you." Optimus nodded. "Is it alright if the rest of us have a moment with Lelouch and Nunnally?"
Lelouch suppressed his own grimace, while Nunnally looked towards him with concern and a sinking feeling of her own, both of them had a sneaking suspicion what they wanted to talk about.
"Of course." Marrybell nodded as she and her sisters left, though Euphie gave a friendly smile and nod to the former Student Council members, who did the same with her as well before parting ways.
Once they were gone, it became awkwardly silent for the whole group, most of whom had no idea what to say for the first few seconds until a certain rookie spoke up.
"So… about what happened recently…" Smokescreen couldn't quite find the right words to say and had hoped this would be enough to get the conversation started.
"Did any of you tell anyone about what had happened?" Lelouch questioned immediately. "Or rather what almost happened?"
"You mean how you were given Matr… Ow!" Shirley stomped on Rivalz's foot. "What? We're all thinking it!"
"No, we haven't told anybody, Lulu." The brunette assured him. "We didn't tell Kallen, Suzaku, Bumblebee, I didn't even tell Rai about it."
"Not even Asplund?" Lelouch glanced towards Cecile.
"Are you kidding?" She replied. "You'd know he'd have a field day with something like that."
"What about Cera?" Nunnally asked.
"I don't think she really understands any of it, her having amnesia and all." Nina answered. "But we did have a talk with her before about keeping this quiet and she said she wouldn't say anything."
"We can't just drop what had happened as if we were casually carrying on a conversation." Ratchet stated. "One of the most important relics in Cybertronian history…!"
"But just as so, we can't exactly ignore it either." Perceptor said.
"How it would it even be possible?" Lelouch asked Optimus specifically. "I'm not a Cybertronian, nor am I Prime material."
"I do not fully understand the implications of you wielding that Matrix, Lelouch." The Prime responded. "As for how and why you are worthy… it is because you rejected the power."
"I… don't understand." Lelouch said, looking confused.
"Megatron tore Cybertron apart to claim the Matrix for himself, but he could never find it." Optimus explained. "Because the Matrix of Leadership is not found, it is earned. To wield the power of the Primes, one must possess one who carries a worthy spark. As said, I don't fully understand the implications… but ever since we have met, I have watched you struggle, and I have watched you grow. At first, you were distrusting of all around you, even desired to use others for your own personal agenda. But you have since transformed into someone who truly believes in the ideals that Zero had preached. You may not be Cybertronian, but you have developed a spark that is all your own, and I do not mean your Geass."
"I can't even remember the last time you even used that." Milly added. "And you pretty much used to use it all the time back when were in Japan."
Lelouch then looked away slightly. "The only reason I accepted Cera's contract back then was because I thought was going to die, and I did the only thing that might possibly save me. But given who I was back then, if I had been offered the Matrix, I would have taken it in less than a second."
"And yet when it was offered, you rejected it." Optimus told him. "Because you do not actively seek power. Strength and power are not the same, Lelouch and that is why Megatron could never wield the Matrix even if he held it in his hands. But you, you refused the Matrix because doing so would lead to my death. You rejected power to preserve the life of someone else. That alone makes you more worthy of being a Prime than you know."
"Because you're the closest thing to a father to me." Lelouch said right away. "I'm sorry if that sounds selfish but…"
"It's not selfish, Lelouch!" Nunnally said immediately as she grasped his hand. "It's love! Just as power and strength aren't the same, neither are love and selfishness!"
"Got that right." Shirley agreed. "Any one of us would have done the exact same if we were in your position, Lelouch!"
"I wouldn't exactly say 'love' myself but… I'd throw my spark down for not only Optimus, but everyone here, Bot or human." Smokescreen added. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you guys."
"The same goes for the rest of us." Milly said, speaking for everyone. "Wielding some fancy god-alien magic sounds cool and all… but not if it means someone, we care about has to die."
"Optimus is the one spark I value most…" Ratchet said. "And that's not to say I devalue the lives of everyone here, I myself would lay down my life. But… Optimus is right about you, Lelouch. I've seen you grow myself… and as I look at you now… I see a lot of him inside you. There are plenty of differences for sure, your personal ego being one of them." Ratchet put in, earning a slight glare from Lelouch. "But you do carry the same courage and valor."
"Wow… a genuine complement from Ratchet of all people." Rivalz said before looking to his friend. "But if he says your Prime material… then you know it's gotta be true."
"I… I don't… I don't know what to say…" Lelouch truly felt humbled by all of this. The praise from those whom he considered to be among his closest friends and family who all felt he was indeed worthy, as well as their support in his choice to reject the Matrix. It left him more humbled than he'd ever been before. "I still don't want it though. Even if Optimus' life is no longer in danger… I don't want it."
"I understand." Optimus accepted with a smile. "But when you feel you are ready Lelouch, the Matrix will find itself in the hands of a worthy wielder."
Lelouch smiled. "Thank you…"
"And Nunnally…" Optimus got the girl's attention. "I never did get a chance to say this before, but thank you… for saving my life."
Nunnally herself looked up towards him with an emotional smile. "You're welcome. Thank you for being a part of my life."
The Autobot veteran known as Ironhide stood outside, staring out into the open sea with an unusual look on his face. It was one of grief. While he was grateful, they had won the battle and that Optimus had recovered, coming back stronger than ever, many were still lost to get to this point, many of the Bots and people that he had come to know and befriend, but there was one in particular that made him feel all the more mournful.
"Hey…" Ironhide turned slightly to see Ohgi walking up to join him. Chigusa was present as well, but she stayed a bit behind as the man approached the black-clad Autobot. "You look like you could use some company."
Ironhide gave a single nod and a grunt in acknowledgement, allowing Ohgi to walk up and join him as they gazed out into the ocean.
"One hell of a view." Ohgi said.
"Yeah." Ironhide agreed.
Ohgi gave a small sigh as he looked towards the old bot with a sympathetic expression. "I'm really sorry about Chromia."
"It's war…." Ironhide admitted. "Things like that are going to happen."
"So, we keep telling ourselves… but when it does, we're still not ready for it." Ohgi replied. "I know it's not exactly the same… but Naoto was my best friend growing up, I knew him since we were kids. When we started stealing from Britannia for the people in the ghettos, we all knew the risks… I was scared for sure that we'd get caught and executed. I always had that sinking feeling whenever we did all that stuff… and then it actually happened… to my best friend."
"I've seen it probably over a hundred times." Ironhide began. "To many good bots that I knew, my friends… a part of me felt I'd be used to it. When I lost contact with her after Cybertron went dark… I'd hoped she was still out there, but a part of me was also expecting that she didn't make it. And then she came…" He smiled. "With Jazz, Magnus, and everyone. She actually survived."
"Well, she was a Wrecker, and we all know how tough they are." Ohgi joked slightly, earning a chuckle from Ironhide but that levity died out quickly. "I know I said it, but I really am sorry. Everyone here has lost someone close… You know you're not alone in this."
"I know I'm not. Doesn't make it hurt any less." Ironhide said.
"Isn't that good though?" Ohgi asked. "If you're numb to that sort of thing… I think it's a sign you're losing touch with yourself. Look, the point is… Chromia might be gone, but you still got the rest of us watching your back. So, let's keep going for her and everyone else, and show that what happened to them wasn't for nothing. Deal?" He offered his fist for a fist-bump.
Ironhide turned to Ohgi to see his fist. A smile formed on his face as well. "Deal." He gently bumped his large metallic fist against Ohgi's fleshy one. "Look at me getting a pep talk from a kid." He joked.
"Who are you calling a kid, old timer?" Ohgi joked back.
As they shared a laugh, Chigusa not only giggled herself but even smiled at their camaraderie. It really was amazing, no matter how much these people get beaten down, the always find a way to climb back up. Though she would regret being one of those that ended up kicking them down in the past, she was proud that she was now by their side to help them stand back up and take back what was stolen from them, especially Ohgi. Never once could she imagine herself falling in love with someone like him… and yet, that's exactly what happened, and she couldn't be happier.
"So, you're the famous Dinobots, hmm?" Sancia asked as she and the rest of the Irregulars, including Misty and even Nunnally all sat alongside Grimlock and his team on the outside of Horai Island.
"The genuine articles and don't let anybody tell you different." Swoop said proudly while Slug chuckled, Snarl gave a simple smile, but Sludge just remained neutral.
"I do have one question I have to ask… why was your old team name 'Lightning Strike Coalition Force'?" Dalque asked. "Kinda feels like a bit of a mouthful."
"And where does the 'lightning' part come in? None of you seem pretty fast, except for Swoop…" Lucretia added. "Did you have electrical weapons or something?"
"It was this guy's idea" Slug gestured to Grimlock, much to the girls' surprise, while Grimlock just looked embarrassed.
"You never said that." Alice said in surprise.
"You never asked." Grimlock commented.
Alice was even more surprised when she heard the tone in Grimlock's "Wait… are you… embarrassed?" He kept his back to them and only gave a grumble, before Alice busted out in laughter, followed by Sancia, Dalque, and Lucretia.
"Really? It was his idea?" Dalque asked Sludge in-between laughs.
"It was." Sludge confirmed dryly.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Grimlock commented.
"Sure, whatever you say big guy." Lucretia tried to suppress her laughs.
"I… I don't understand. How is this funny?" Misty asked Nunnally.
"I'll try and explain later." Nunnally replied.
"You can't 'explain' when something's funny, kid." Swoop said. "If you do, it's not funny anymore."
"But… I don't understand how it is funny." Misty responded.
"Humor's is on deaf ears with this one, huh?" Snarl commented.
"She… still has a lot to learn, but she's getting there." Alice said.
Wanting to change the subject, Grimlock turned towards Sludge. "I thought you didn't make it out of the tunnels. How are you here, Sludge?"
Sludge turned towards his leader with a glare and said nothing before giving his response. "I was forced into stasis lock. A couple of Autobots pulled me out of the tunnels, but they couldn't get me back online."
"After Shockwave's tower blew up, we found Sludge and brought him to the lab to try and fix him up." Snarl added. "The only way to do that though, was to use the same kind of programing that Shockwave did with us to turn us into what we are. It gave him his new alt. mode while also repairing all the damage done to him."
"After that, we wandered around Cybertron for a bit." Slug spoke. "We happened to run into Omega Supreme who was also in stasis lock. Apparently, he defended Iacon during Megatron's biggest assault and was put out of commission courtesy of Dark Energon."
"Nasty stuff." Swoop shivered. "So, we started fixing him up around the time we got Optimus' message. When he was all ready to go, we flew straight to this mudball."
"Right in the nick of time too, you helped saved everyone!" Dalque said excitedly.
"Yes… thank you for all your help." Nunnally smiled gratefully.
"Megatron is backed into a corner. We have a shot at ending this war." Grimlock stated as he stood up to look at his team. "Let's end it together."
"You even need to ask, big guy?" Swoop asked as he stood up. "Of course, we're in. Dinobots gotta stick together."
"We're just as much Autobots as everyone else." Snarl stood up next. "We got a job to do."
"And we'll find Shockwave and make him pay for what he did to us and so many others." Slug also stood up.
"You won't have to do it alone though." Alice stood up with Sancia, Lucretia, and Dalque. "All of us experiments are in this together." She offered her hand to Nunnally, who took it as she stood up alongside Misty.
For one of the few times in his life, Grimlock felt happy. His team was back together, not only that, they seemed to be getting along quite well with the other team that he had made here. Well… all except Sludge who had yet to stand up.
"Sludge…"
The last Dinobot couldn't help but feel some form of resentment as he was more-or-less abandoned back on Cybertron. But then again, it wasn't Grimlock's fault that he got zapped to another planet when Shockwave's Spacebridge tower exploded in his face, literally. Not to mention the hell that the rest of their team endured. The logical part of him understood all that, but there was another part that still felt angry. Well… at the very least, he knew where to aim that anger: at Shockwave and every Decepticon that protected him.
"I'm in." Sludge stood up.
Knock Out sat against the wall in one of several prison cells made specifically for Decepticons. It was a cubic room with the only non-wall being a holographic shield that also served as a window of sorts for the hallway in front of him. And he wasn't the only one, Airazor and Divebomb were in one of the cells next to him, with the other captured Vehicons in the same situation. After having been brought in, he was questioned by Zero… though he didn't remember much of the interrogation itself, likely a result of that Geass-thing he heard about. Now he just sat and looked more bored than anything else.
"All that dust can't be good for your finish." He turned to his side to see Bumblebee looking at him with something of a trolling grin, with Suzaku, Lloyd, Cecile, and Gino being present as well. "But it's probably better than what the kids did to you back in France, huh?"
"Well, well, look who got his pipes back." Knock Out commented. He then noticed Suzaku's presence as well as that of the other humans. "Huh, the gang's all here."
"Nice to see you too, Knock Out." Lloyd said casually.
"So, what are you doing here? Pretty sure Zero got what he needed out of me, it's not like I got anything left to give." Knock Out said.
"Well, I for one would like to know why you were a Decepticon in the first place." Suzaku asked, earning a raised eyebrow form the red-clad Cybertronian.
"Why? Hoping to reform me or something?" He replied somewhat skeptically.
"We got a few former Cons with us." Gino said. "And honestly… back when we were working together in Britannia, you seemed like the nicest Con out there. At least compared to whackjobs like Airachnid or Megatron, or even a condescending jerk like Starscream."
"Though there is some condescending there on your part, too." Cecile added.
Knock Out shrugged. "I just sided with the winning team."
"That's it?" Suzaku narrowed his eyes. "The winning team?"
"What do you want from me, Kururugi?" Knock Out began. "Some kind of tragic origin story? Megatron forced me to work for him? Was I enthralled by his charisma? Okay, maybe a little bit on that last one. But in all honesty, I wasn't really in it for the revolution he preached. But when the war started, I tried to stay out of it. Mostly because I didn't want to ruin my finish."
"That sounds about right." Cecile commented.
"But when it started to look like that being neutral wasn't an option and we had to choose sides, I just went with the side that appeared to be winning, mostly so I could survive." The red-clad Decepticon noticed to glares from Suzaku and even Gino. "Go ahead, call me a coward like Starscream, but when your whole planet becomes a warzone and you really only have yourself to looking out for, you gotta play smart."
"Even though Megatron poisoned your own home?" Suzaku kept up his glare.
"That honestly came out of nowhere. I didn't think things would go to that kind of extreme." Knock Out replied.
"You said you were only looking out for yourself. But wat about your partner? Breakdown?" Gino asked. "Wasn't he your friend?"
"I didn't meet Breakdown till after I joined up with the Cons, he apparently joined before me and he was a bit more loyal to Megatron than I was." Knock Out answered. "Though I'll admit, I did take a liking to the big lug."
"Enough so that you'll probably want to go on a murder spree to avenge your fallen comrade if you're out of your cell?" Lloyd asked in his usual sociopathic tone.
"Meh, revenge is overrated." Knock Out shrugged. "Don't expect me to be all buddy-buddy with the guy who did him in, but I ain't gonna pick a fight I know I can't win."
Gino looked towards Suzaku with a knowing expression in his eyes. Though Suzaku didn't exactly like what the former Knight of Three was implying as he did pitch the idea, it wouldn't be right of them to not extend the invitation. They have done so with plenty of people in the past.
"Hey Knock Out, since being a Con hasn't exactly done you any favors, how about you switch over to our side?" Gino offered.
Knock Out sighed again. "There it is. The chance to reform."
"Hey, like I said we have a few former Cons here. And you seem like a decent enough guy." Gino insisted.
"Megatron also left you for dead and would have killed you and everyone else with Damocles." Suzaku added. "Even if you're not interested in revenge, you have to know that he's out of control and has to be stopped!"
"If you won't do it for us, at least help to save yourself." Cecile said as well.
"And if that's not enough incentive… if you switch over, maybe I can convince Zero to let you and I team up again, and we can work on the Lancelot like old times." Lloyd sung in an alluring manner.
That peeked Knock Out's interest. "Well… I do miss the old days. And I do appreciate how you've taken such good care of it. The Lancelot might not be solely my work, but is a work of art nonetheless. Oh, and that Combiner mode for that, where it fuses with Zero's Knightmare? That is just beautiful."
"So…?" Lloyd offered his hand with his usual sociopathic smile. "Sociopath partners again?"
Knock Out chuckled. "Well, I believe the phrase you humans say is 'oh what the hell? If you can't beat em, join em', right? Alright, you got me."
Meanwhile, Optimus and Lelouch had gathered together at the bridge of the Ark along with several others including Euphemia, Wizard, Elita, Ohgi, Ironhide, Tohdoh, Ultra Magnus, Leila, Kaguya, Xingke, Jeremiah, and even the former Vehicon, Steve. And it would seem that Steve had undergone a paintjob, no longer was he clad in dark purple, but rather a blue and his Decepticon insignia had been replaced with a red Autobot emblem, showing the change in his affiliation.
"T-AI, how is progress on the Ark's restoration?" Optimus asked.
"So far, so good, Optimus." The holographic girl appeared before them. "Most of the main systems are back online, though the shields took major damage. I wouldn't quite say it's ready to go into combat yet. Though Omega Supreme has been of great help in providing his own schematics for me to help divert power."
"Good." Lelouch nodded. "Let us know when it's ready. We need to be up as soon as possible."
"You sound as if you're in a bit of a rush, Lelouch." Kaguya told him.
"We won that fight, but Megatron is still out there." The young revolutionary said. "And even if he is backed into a corner, that probably makes him all the more dangerous."
"I agree with Zero." Ultra Magnus said. "We can't let our guard down, especially with the revelation that Megatron now has a Predacon at his disposal."
"Predacon? Are you referring to that dragon-beast?" Leila asked.
"The Predacons were a race of prehistoric Cybertronian beasts." Elita explained. "Based on our historical texts, they were among the first to emerge from the Well of Allsparks following the Original Thirteen, but they were rendered extinct by a cataclysm that almost rendered our planet uninhabitable. But following that, other Cybertronians, which became our ancestors, would rise."
"So, they're like Earth's dinosaurs…" Ohgi deduced. "But wait… if they're supposed to be extinct, how did Megatron get one?"
"Shockwave probably cloned it." Ironhide assumed.
"If that's true, can we assume that Megatron has other Predacons at his disposal?" Wizard asked.
"I don't think so." Steve shook his head. "If he did, he probably would have sicked them all on us with Damocles."
"And with Shockwave's primary focus being on the study of Geass, I do not believe he would have the means or resources to clone additional Predacons." Optimus added.
"That's honestly a relief." Euphemia said. "Just that one beast overpowered Grimlock and Alice's whole team! It took the combined efforts of all the Dinobots to push it back, and even then everyone else had to join in just to force it into retreating. I can't imagine an army of those monsters."
"This Predacon is a serious issue, and I am also glad Megatron also doesn't have more." Lelouch granted. "But I'm a little more concerned about the fact that he's not only immortal, but we still have no clue how he escaped from that dimensional confinement we put him in."
"We had destroyed all the Thought Elevators, or so we believed." Xingke said before looking toward Jeremiah. "Wasn't there also one beneath Pendragon?"
"There was, directly under the royal palace even." Jeremiah confirmed. "But I can confirm that it was destroyed when the Decepticons invaded and killed the emperor."
"Since Shockwave's primary focus has been to the study of Geass, is it possible for him to recreate the Thought Elevators?" Leila asked. "Perhaps he made one of his own. Given that Cybertronians can create portal-like devices themselves…"
"Perhaps they were able to create a Groundbridge device that leads directly to this 'Sword of Akasha'." Tohdoh assumed. "Has Cera regained her memories, Lelouch?"
"No." He shook his head. "But if Shockwave was somehow able to recreate a Thought Elevator, then Ragnarök could still be a threat."
"Fortunately, we have a Decepticon in our captivity that can be considered Megatron's right hand, not only that he's also an expert to Groundbridge and Spacebridge technology." Ultra Magnus said.
"Then perhaps it is time we begin questioning Soundwave." Optimus stated.
However, unbeknownst to everyone else, Anya was just outside of the bridge, standing around the corner. Or rather, it was Marianne in control of their shared body, and they happened to hear everything.
"He's not wrong. If Megatron was able to escape the Sword, then Ragnarök is still a threat, especially since he has V.V.'s Code." Anya told her.
"I know…" Marianne muttered.
"You can't hide this from them anymore. You have to tell him. If you won't tell Lelouch, I will." Anya delivered her ultimatum.
"You're right…" Marianne admitted as the frame of the body she inhabited began to shake with anxiety. "After he gets what he needs from Soundwave… I'll tell him the truth. All of it."
Darkmount
While the fortress was mostly quiet on the outside, save for the Predacon that remained perched at the top, standing on guard for any enemy attack should the need arise, all the activity took place below, specifically at the artificial Thought Elevator where Megatron and Shockwave currently were.
"Soundwave may remain in captivity, Ravage and Laserbeak both remain free?" Megatron asked.
"That is my understanding." Shockwave confirmed. "Though I cannot say what exactly is happening over there, it would be logical to assume that Soundwave has already remotely issued his command to the remaining two Mini-Cons, with their primary focus being to acquire C.C. and possibly the Dark Star Saber as well."
"Excellent. Wouldn't you agree... Steeljaw?" Megatron asked as he turned around, with the wolf-like Decepticon as well as the Thanatos emerging from around the corner.
"Please pardon us, Lord Megatron but I have concerns that need to be addressed." Steeljaw began. "Our forces are all but diminished. Even with you bringing back virtually every Decepticon and condensing them to Darkmount, our enemies still outnumber us now that they have united all the humans' military power behind them."
"With Damocles now rubble, and Soundwave in the enemy's custody, our enemies will seize this opportunity to strike and annihilate us completely." Shin added. "And yet, you seem perfectly calm."
Megatron only sneered before glancing at Shockwave. "Perhaps it is time we let them in our endgame."
"If that is your wish, Lord Megatron." The Decepticon scientist turned towards the pair. "Steeljaw, Shin, step forward."
The wolf-like Decepticon and the cyborg that was built into his Knightmare approached closer, and when they were close enough, Megatron activated the power within his Code. The dark emblem in his palm glowed a dark purple, as did the Geass emblem on the artificial Thought Elevator before all four vanished in a flash of dark light.
They all reappeared in the Sword of Akasha pocket dimension once more, all four standing on the metallic platform as the golden and clouds and sky still remained around them. Steeljaw took a moment to observe his new location with even Shin looking rather intrigued.
"Where exactly are we?" Steeljaw asked.
"The Sword of Akasha." Megatron began. "It was here where the Thought Elevators converged. I do not know the full extent of your knowledge regarding Geass, Steeljaw. So let me explain what I can to you. Geass, is a power that connects directly with one's mind, the Thought Elevators that preciously stood could be considered the source of that power, a way to connect the minds of those who wield Geass."
"Charles zi Britannia and his inner circle believed that by using this power, they could connect to all the minds of every human on the planet." Shockwave explained. "By utilizing the power of two codes, one previously wielded by V.V. now in Megatron's possession, and the other being held by C.C., they would be able to enact Ragnarök. This process would allow all of humanity, be they alive or dead, to shed all individuality and merge their minds together, believing it would bring the collective subconscious of all humans into a single being."
"So, he essentially attempted to fuse himself and his whole race into a single being." Steeljaw summed up. "Sounds rather… messy."
"And disappointing." Megatron added. "To connect to every being of only a single species, confined to this one planet… when it has the potential for so much more." As the Code emblem on his palm glowed again, the illusion of the heavenly clouds vanished to reveal a massive metallic megastructure resembling a Dyson Sphere. But what stood out the most was a Spacebridge high above them, facing downward, connected by all the metal pillars on the platform.
"Is… that a Spacebridge?" Steeljaw asked in surprise.
"Indeed." Shockwave confirmed. "The initial process of Ragnarök would have unleashed a form of energy that would spread throughout the planet. However, ever since the discovery of this dimension shortly after Britannia's fall, Dark Energon has been directly infused into the machine that you now stand upon."
"Dark Energon that I can directly control via the power that has since been infused into me that I have mastered." Megatron continued. "And now that I wield a Code, this enables me to directly connect to the minds of anyone I wish. Once C.C. is in our possession, and her Code joins with mine, we can activate Ragnarök. But rather than the energy just spreading over Earth and connecting only to human consciousness… it'll enter the Spacebridge portal."
"And… where does the portal lead?" Steeljaw asked, not exactly liking where this is going.
"Cybertron. Specifically, the Well of Allsparks." Megatron revealed.
Horai Island
Arcee, Kallen, Guilford, Jazz, Undertone, and Windblade all stood guarding holding cell, much like the others that the Decepticon prisoners were kept in, it had a holographic shield that served as the only form of transparency inside a cubic cell. The only difference was that this cell was located far away from all the other captive Decepticons. It made sense given that those in command wanted to keep this specific Decepticon as far away from his brethren as possible. Zero contact.
The Decepticon in question laid on a confinement table with energy bands on his wrists, arms, legs, ankles, and on his chest, all to restrict any and all movement. Not that made much of a difference. Ever since he had woken up, he had yet to move a muscle. He was as stiff as a statue and hadn't made so much as a sound. Guarding him felt very quiet and eerie for all of them, so much so that they couldn't even find it within themselves to strike up some small talk to end the dreadful silence, and that only made it worse.
A sound then came from down the hall, the five looking to see the group consisting of Lelouch, Optimus, Bumblebee, Ultra Magnus, Suzaku, Bulkhead, Rai, Wheeljack, Tamaki, Ironhide, Ohgi, Ratchet, Lloyd, Rakshata, Steve, Jeremiah, and Kaguya approaching them.
'Oh thank god.' Kallen breathed in relief at seeing everyone come in. Now this dreadful silence can end.
"Has there been any change?" Optimus asked.
"No. He's not made a move or a sound." Arcee answered.
"Yeah, it's really creeping me out." Jazz commented. "And I'm used to the silent company." He gestured to his mini-con partner for emphasis.
"We removed the Resonance Blaster and put that in lock-up, so don't expect any loud performances from him." Windblade informed.
"You made the right call in capturing this one." Lelouch said to her specifically. "What about his Mini-Cons?"
"Gone. Smokescreen and I took out one, but the other two vanished without a trace. Probably went back to Darkmount." Windblade answered.
"Lelouch, are you sure about this?" Kallen asked, feeling a tad bit uneasy."
"Soundwave is not only the Decepticon's surveillance chief, he's also Megatron's right hand. I would be surprised if he didn't have any kind of intel." Lelouch answered. "Open it up."
"Aye, aye, sir." Jazz said for the sake of some humor in this otherwise tense situation as he opened the shield, allowing the group to enter the cell to face the captive Decepticon.
That was when Soundwave finally made some form of movement. He craned his head slightly to see the company in question.
As most of them were already inside, Kaguya stood by Guilford and Steve before addressing them. "You two have worked with him, right? So what can we expect here?"
"Honestly, I have no idea." Guilford confessed. "I didn't interact with him all that much. Nearly every Decepticon I've met had their own unique personality with individual quirks. But this one… it's like he's a… blank slate. I couldn't read him at all. It was… very unnerving."
"Does he even talk?" Kaguya asked.
"I'm not sure he even has a face." Steve replied.
Meanwhile, outside Horai Island, while most people seemed to be minding their own business be they civilians just doing whatever to pass the time, or Black Knights on patrol, they failed to notice two figures moving quickly and quietly around them.
Ravage moved in-between the buildings, sticking close to the shadows and being ever silent like his controller. Having the body akin to a jungle cat made him far more nimble than most other Mini-Cons, and it seemed he carried the stealthy predator vibe of said jungle cat, being quick and quiet as Laserbeak guided him through the air.
The flying Mini-Con remained high enough to avoid being spotted, and if there was even a glance, one could easily dismiss him as just a bird or something. These two were no ordinary Mini-Cons, as they were built and designed by Soundwave himself, as opposed to Frenzy and Rumble that were naturally born Mini-Cons that chose to follow Soundwave. As such, Laserbeak and Ravage could communicate with each other via a binary signal only the two of them shared, providing each other and their master with eyes and ears on the ground and in the sky. Even if Soundwave was unable to contact them, or they him, they still could communicate with one another.
Laserbeak scanned the area as he flew and happened to spot one of the buildings that housed a control room for Horai Island. A brief scan of the building indicated that it was connected to the island's communication network, which means surveillance could also likely be accessed. With that knowledge, Laserbeak sent his directive to Ravage, telling him exactly where to go.
With just as much swiftness and stealth as before, Ravage made his way closer to the building that Laserbeak directed him. He moved in-between all the buildings before climbing up the side of the one he was at before leaping towards the top of another and getting a direct shot to the one that served as his target. Taking a brief scan of the area, he made the jump, Ravage leapt over the gap and reached the rooftop of the control building.
Ravage made sure to stick as close to the roof as possible, taking a position akin to pouncing as he crawled towards an antenna near the middle of the roof. Once he was close enough, Laserbeak flew down before landing on his back, hooking his talons onto built-in ports. This allowed the two Mini-Cons to connect to each other just as Ravage opened his mouth and gently bit into the antenna. With a direct connection, they would soon hack the enemy system and gain access to the island's communications and surveillance systems.
Lelouch activated his Geass and looked directly at Soundwave's face. "How did Megatron escape the Sword of Akasha?" Just as the red sigil appeared in his eyes, Soundwave's faceplate activated as a green sigil that resembled an upside down Geass emblem appeared, negating the effects before it even touched him.
"H-how… how-how… h-how did Megatron e-e-escape the S-S-Sword of Akasha?" Soundwave replayed a remixed recording of Lelouch's voice, causing everyone to look a bit unnerved.
"Whoa, Zero the remix." Jazz commented.
"He has a Geass Canceller." Jeremiah's eyes narrowed.
"Of course, he does." Ironhide glared.
A smiling emoji face then appeared on Soundwave's faceplate, causing Lelouch to glare at him.
"Wait… is he trolling Lelouch?" Tamaki questioned. "Cocky bastard."
A mace formed in Bulkhead's hands. "Oh yeah? Why don't I wipe that smile right off his face?!"
"What about your Prime Geass, Optimus?" Rai asked. "Could that work?"
"Possibly, but in all likelihood, Soundwave's Geass Canceller can likely negate my ability as well." Optimus replied before turning to the captive Decepticon. "Soundwave, we have treated you fairly. For the sake of the natives of this planet, tell us what Megatron's end goal is. We know of Ragnarök and that Megatron has his own plans for it. If you tell us of your own accord now, I promise you will not be harmed. If not… we may be forced to rely on less-civil methods of interrogation."
"Why not just skip right to that? I'll go fetch the Guren." Kallen cracked her knuckles.
In an act of defiance, Soundwave then emitted a loud siren-like noise and turned the volume up to maximum. This forced everyone to cover their ears and audio-receptors as many of them groaned in pain before Soundwave stopped.
"Scrap this!" Ratchet appeared to have had enough. "Soundwave is no ordinary Cybertronian, inside or out! So, I would strongly suggest opening him up, so that we can have a first-hand look at the information recorded on his drives!"
"Oh? A chance to look inside the most-machine like Cybertronian? I'd be more than happy to help with that." Lloyd volunteered.
"Bet we can get all kinds of juicy information from that." Rakshata added. "Maybe the mighty Megatron has a chink in his armor."
In direct response to that, Soundwave's visor lit up again with Cybertronian code.
"Uh oh." Arcee gulped.
"What's he doing? Downloading data?" Ohgi asked.
"No, Soundwave is erasing data!" Ratchet corrected in shock.
"Why?!" All eyes set on Suzaku as he stepped forward, walking past Lelouch who looked towards his friend with concern as he stared up at Soundwave, who stared down at him as more data was being erased. Even in such process, it seemed Soundwave was still aware of his surroundings.
Everyone looked with their own expressions of concern, wondering what it was that Suzaku wanted to ask Soundwave. Based on what he said during his time with them, there was little-to-no interaction between Suzaku and Soundwave at all, no kind of history or connection. So, what was the reason for this?
"Why are you so loyal to Megatron?" The young warrior questioned. "Every Decepticon I've met has had his or her own reason for joining. Some were misguided, some joined out of fear, some even joined because he let them do what they want, even if it involved hurting innocent people. And in some cases, all to further their own personal agenda. But not you. As far as I can see… you're always by Megatron's side and you don't appear to have any motive of your own, and I don't see you taking joy in making people suffer! So why? Tell me why, Soundwave?! What did Megatron do to make you so loyal to him?! Did he threaten you? Did he offer you something? Is it for the sake of revenge? You can't possibly still think it's about the 'revolution' he preached about after he destroyed his home… your home!" There was no response from Soundwave, which only seemed to make Suzaku angrier. "Answer me, damn it! How can you be so loyal to such a monster?!"
Less than a second after that, Soundwave appeared to stop erasing data. And then he did the one thing nobody expected.
He spoke.
"Soundwave, superior. Autobots and humans, inferior."
With just those six words, the temperature in the room dropped as everyone stared silently at their captive. Nobody could say a word, it felt like those words had deprived them the ability to so much as speak. Even Bumblebee felt that he lost his voice all over again. Lelouch's own eyes wavered slightly and even felt his heart stop.
Soundwave's visor then went black as his head fell back slightly.
"Uh… is he dead…?" Tamaki asked, still slightly shaken by what just happened.
Ratchet performed a brief scan. "His vital signs remain functional. It seems he has simply severed all communications, by crashing his own drives."
"He… put himself into a coma?" Ohgi asked.
"It would seem so." Tohdoh confirmed. "He'd rather die than reveal secrets to the enemy." He had seen similar practices before with soldiers on his side and that of the enemy.
Suzaku meanwhile couldn't take his eyes off the unresponsive Soundwave. Though those words he spoke were likely directed to everyone, he couldn't help but feel that was also a response that Soundwave was also giving him to his question. Yet, Suzaku couldn't quite understand it, and that seemed to make him all the more frustrated.
"Loyalty." Turning back, Suzaku looked to see Jeremiah approaching him. "It's not always something that can be explained. Some people may become enthralled to another for whatever reasons they have, which leads to a sense of loyalty forming. It could be towards family, a lover, friends, a cause, a leader… but what he just said now…. Doctor, you said he was no ordinary Cybertronian. Are there others like him?"
"No, as far as I know." Ratchet confirmed.
"So, he's unique." Jeremiah then looked towards Optimus. "Do you know how he and Megatron first met?"
"It was my understanding that they were gladiators in Kaon and battled each other to a near standstill with Megatron as the victor." Optimus answered. "I do not know of Soundwave's past before then."
"That may be it." Jeremiah continued. "This is only a guess, but perhaps Soundwave viewed himself as a superior being even to other Cybertronians. But when Megatron defeated him in physical combat, perhaps Soundwave found the only other being he could view as an equal and decided to work alongside him out of a sense of respect. Perhaps he had no love for Cybertron. I can't say for certain. The only thing I know… is that his loyalty is ironclad. Even if his body breaks, his loyalty to his master won't."
Jeremiah knew exactly what he was talking about. He even looked up towards Soundwave's body, towards his face, where he saw in the blackened visor… a reflection of himself.
"Even if his drives are crashed, can we still subject him to a Cortical Psychic Patch?" Lelouch asked.
"I-it is a possibility." Rakshata answered, somewhat shakily.
"It would require a lot of work, however." Lloyd added. "And he'll have to be moved to the laboratory."
"Do it." Lelouch ordered. "Put him through a patch and find out everything you can, do whatever it takes, and I want him under constant guard. If he knows anything about what Megatron is planning, we need to know it. The fate of the planet may depend on it."
Back outside, Laserbeak and Ravage were able to hack directly into Horai Island's communications and gain access to any short-ranged communication devices, including cell phones that were currently connected to the network. They were even able to gain access to live surveillance footage to every place on the island.
Searching rapidly through the hundreds of video files, they were able to find footage of the Dark Star Saber being stored in a vault alongside some of the other Iacon Relics the Autobot and Black Knights were able to acquire. They even managed to locate the Resonance Blaster, stored in the vault just across from it.
Though they were unable to locate C.C.'s current position, acquiring the means to patch into the communications devices the humans had on them would solve that problem. They just needed to narrow down their search. Who among the humans would be the closest to C.C.? Likely one of her Contractors, so it was likely Zero. But he is among the smarter of the humans, he could suspect something if they contacted him directly. But what about his sister? Granted there was little-to-no information regarding her, but all the data suggests that she was the closest to Zero, which suggests she would be close to C.C. as well. Perfect.
Once they had what they needed, Laserbeak and Ravage disconnected from the antenna and each other. They each communicated to one another on their next step before going off in separate directions.
Sword of Akasha
"…Cybertron's core?" Steeljaw questioned. "You want to send even more Dark Energon into the core of our already-dead world?"
"Cybertron isn't quite dead, per se." Megatron continued. "The spark of Primus is rather dormant, asleep, but very much alive. The dark thought energy that will affect every human on this planet will infuse itself into Primus and by extension, connect to every living Cybertronian, perhaps even those among the dead."
"In addition, the energy itself will propagate through the Spacebridge vortex." Shockwave added. "As the destination is on the other side of this galaxy, the energy will spread throughout the Milky Way and beyond, connecting to every sentient being, including those who are not of human or Cybertronian origin."
"And as I will be the one controlling this energy…." Megatron continued.
"You'll basically control all non-Decepticon life?" Steeljaw assumed, but he still could not shake this sinking feeling he had.
"No, not 'control', but rather assimilate." Megatron corrected. "As I said, the purpose of Ragnarök was to merge humanity's collective consciousness into one single being. Neo Ragnarök will extend my will to all forms of life in the universe… every single sentient life… human, Cybertronian, or otherwise… they will all become extensions of myself! Charles and his cohorts believed that this process would kill whom they view as God… I shall become God where everything… everyone… is… me."
Steeljaw's eyes widened in surprise as it all sunk in for him. "You intend to turn everyone in the known universe into an extension of yourself…? I… I don't understand… Why…?"
"Conflict exists because so does free will." Shockwave explained. "So long as there is the freedom to choose, others will choose to resist. No matter the outcome of this war, another one will rise. The assimilation of all life will remove the concept of free will from the universe entirely, and all conflict will cease to exist. It is the most logical choice."
As Shin heard all of this, a part of him couldn't help but feel entranced by this logic. Humanity has always been a plague on this planet, fighting each other since the beginning and soaking this planet in its own blood for centuries with no sign of stopping. But this, this could end not only humanity but all of life in the known universe, and turn it into one single form of life. If there is only one form of life, then there is no more war or conflict, no more pain or hurt. True peace.
"But… all Decepticons would lose their individuality as well….!" Steeljaw spoke in protest. "You'd deprive all of us of our…"
"Freedom." Megatron finished with a sneer. "Precisely."
Steeljaw growled before his normally calm façade turned into a feral expression. "You lied to us! To me!" With a roar, he attempted to charge Megatron, but the Decepticon leader fired his fusion cannon at Steeljaw's feet to knock him back.
"As have you." Megatron told him. "Did you not think I would be aware of your own attempt at deception, Steeljaw? Why do you think I've always kept Starscream around despite his multiple attempts at betrayal? So that I would always expect it from others. You would have usurped me to control this planet for yourself. Though I'll give you credit for your patience and charisma, unlike my late lieutenant, but I am simply above your league."
The wolf-like Decepticon pushed himself up as he looked towards the Thanatos. "Don't just stand there…! Attack!"
"No. I don't think I will." Shin replied.
"What…?!"
"I agree with Megatron. By annihilating free will entirely, we will finally have a calm serenity and all war will end." Shin replied.
"Since when does a bloodthirsty maniac like yourself care for peace?!" Steeljaw exclaimed.
The Thanatos' cockpit opened so that the cybernetic Shin could reveal his smile. "I want to destroy all humanity so that there will be peace. And if this gets us there, then my free will is a small price to pay. Can you say the same?"
"I tell you all this as a courtesy Steeljaw." Megatron loomed over him. "This is going to happen. You can either assist me or die. Your choice." He aimed his fusion cannon, primed and ready.
Steeljaw looked like a cornered animal, growling and ready to lash out with absolutely nothing left to lose, even at the cost of his own life. And that might have been exactly what he would do if it weren't for someone speaking to him through his comms.
"Destroy the ground beneath you if you want to live."
Ordinarily, Steeljaw wouldn't trust anyone who had just hacked his comms. But he recognized the voice, and given he stood no chance of stopping Megatron the way he was now, perhaps a tactical retreat was the best option.
"What do you think?" Steeljaw growled, reaching behind for a hidden grenade. "I am nobody's lapdog!"
"So be it." Megatron then fired his cannon just as Steeljaw slammed the explosive on the ground below him. This resulted in a small but powerful explosion, one that blasted a hole in the platform as Steeljaw fell.
Suddenly, a Groundbridge portal opened beneath him, leading to him to fall into the Vortex and escape. The portal itself vanished just as the smoke cleared and Megatron didn't seem to notice it. He merely looked into the hole that had been made to see the bottomless abyss of the pocket dimension before looking in amusement.
Steeljaw rolled out on the other side of the portal within a hidden room in Darkmount and tried to shake his head and regain his senses.
"Rough day?" He looked up to see the comment had come from Slipstream who was leaning against the back of the wall while Thundercracker stood in front of him with a Groundbridge remote in his hands. Sky-Byte was present as well, looking away from everyone else with a tense expression on his face.
"I'm assuming that you heard Megatron's whole plan via my hacked comms?" Steeljaw guessed as he pushed himself up.
"Figured he was up to something; I just didn't think it would be anything like this." Thundercracker said. He always knew Megatron was ambitious, but this was beyond insane, even more so than what happened to Cybertron.
"He's going to eradicate the free will of every sentient being... even us." Sky-Byte shivered. "After everything we've done for him... all we've sacrificed...!" The Megatron that he thought he knew back on Cybertron, the one who spoke of revolution and equality among all Cybertronians, would never even think of doing something so unspeakable, so evil.
"Why help me?" Steeljaw questioned skeptically.
"Because Megatron's plan will destroy all free will in the universe, and I'd very much like to keep mine." Slipstream said. "And the same probably goes for you."
"So, you suggest an alliance then?" Steeljaw guessed.
"The four of us can't stop Megatron, but there are others who can. We just have to be smart about it." Thundercracker replied. "We have a plan, if you're interested."
"Not like I have a choice." Steeljaw accepted. "What do you have in mind?"
Horai Island – Lelouch's personal quarters
Arthur and Eliza both gave friendly and playful meows as the amnesiac Cera played with them. Both cats curled up to the girl as she was on her knees and purred as she petted the both of them, their purrs only caused her to giggle like a child.
Nunnally sat down with Sayoko behind her as the young girl couldn't help but smile at how innocent Cera seemed right now. Though they have yet to help her regain her memories, there was something about her innocence at this moment that made Nunnally feel happy, but also sad. If this is what Cera was like in the past, then she must have endured quite the trauma to be that cynical C.C. that Lelouch had met in Shinjuku. Nunnally already had a good idea of what all that might be, but that didn't make it any less sad. But that's also what made it all the more impactful in seeing Cera become warm and open again, feeling like she was a part of their family. That's when Nunnally made a silent vow to herself.
'You're a part of my family, Cera. We'll restore your memories and remove your immortality. I'll make sure you have that happy life that you deserve.'
Suddenly, Nunnally's phone rang, much to her confusion as she answered. "Hello?"
"Nunnally, it's Ratchet. Is C.C. with you?"
"Um… yes, she's right here." Nunnally answered with Sayoko looking toward the young girl with concern.
"I need you to bring her to the laboratory. Now."
"Of course, but why? Is something wrong?"
"I need you to bring her to the laboratory. Now."
Though she was confused by this request, she trusted Ratchet. Maybe they had a way to bring her memories back.
"Alright, we'll be right there." She hung up. "Cera?" She got the girl's attention. "We need to take you to lab right now."
"Okay…" Cera put Eliza down next to Arthur and joined the girl.
"I'll come with you as well." Sayoko volunteered.
"Thanks, Sayoko." Nunnally smiled as the three left the room together.
At the same time, Ravage had stealthily made his way through the innards of the enemy base and had managed to make his way to the vault. The jungle cat-like Mini-Con had been just as quiet as before and had yet to draw anyone's attention. The data acquired from the hack told Ravage which vault doors he was looking for.
He then proceeded to climb up on the wall, his claws digging into the metal before climbing his way to the ceiling and proceeding along it through the hallway. The vault consisted of a single hallway with a series of doors on both walls, each one made to contain a specific relic or weapon. Many of them were empty, but Ravage only sought two. Using his scanners, Ravage scanned all the vaults to make sure that what he was looking for hadn't been moved.
And it would seem that was the case. He had found the Dark Star Saber two doors ahead on his right, with the Resonance Blaster three doors ahead on his left. He also scanned to find the power cables that ran along the ceiling and connected to the whole vault.
Using the binary signal only the two of them shared, Ravage was able to inform Laserbeak that he had found his target. Laserbeak, in turn, informed him that he had contacted the human girl using the communication's signal and masking Ratchet's voice to draw the immortal out. Now, Ravage will wait to make his move. For this to work, their timing had to be perfect.
The still-unresponsive Soundwave had been brought into the main laboratory where Ratchet, Perceptor, Fixit, Lloyd, Rakshata, Cecile, Nina, and Sophie all worked to try and find a means to putting their prisoner into a Cortical Psychic Patch. Soundwave was still restrained to the same table as before, the table itself had been moved from the prison cell to the lab, with Bulkhead and Wheeljack standing guard, Rai was also present as he sat in the open cockpit of the Raiden with Tamaki holding a rifle in his hands.
Sophie looked over Soundwave's design on the monitor she was at. "I… I've never seen a design like this before. I know Cybertronians are made entirely out of metal, but they seemed biological in their own way. This one… I… he looks more…"
"Like a machine." Nina finished as she looked over the data herself. "An actual machine, not a person."
"Soundwave's design is truly unlike any other Cybertronians." Fixit commented. "Nobody truly knows how exactly he came to be. Maybe he emerged from the Well of Allsparks like everyone else, but some say he was built in a laboratory."
"Well, if he's a robot-robot and not a person-robot like these guys, can't you just plug him in somewhere and download all the data?" Tamaki questioned.
"It's not that simple." Cecile replied. "Aside from his own design, his internal drives are completely crashed. If we did just 'download' all that data, it would take forever just to restore it all."
"But he is still a Cybertronian and he does have a mind of his own." Rakshata put in. "Meaning that a Cortical Psychic Patch is still possible."
"In theory, but we can't just plug in like normal." Perceptor said as he worked at his own station. "There's a lot to consider."
"Are we really sure he's secure?" Rai asked, looking uneasy at the unresponsive Soundwave.
"What, are you afraid he'll rise back up like Frankenstein's monster or something?" Lloyd asked in a joking sort of tone.
"Considering we've gone up against literal zombies, I wouldn't say 'no'." Rai replied. "I know he's technically in a coma but… it just feels like he's watching us, no matter where you are."
"Can't we throw a tarp over him or something? He's creeping me out too." Bulkhead added.
"If Mr. Personality does somehow manage to escape, we'll put em down." Wheeljack said. "No way he can take all of us on at once."
"Do not underestimate Soundwave." Ratchet warned. "There's a reason why Megatron's always kept him at his side. Now, let us focus more on trying to extract whatever information he has. Because much like our young leader, I have a sinking suspicion that whatever Megatron's end goal is, Soundwave knows what it is."
Marianne, still in control of Anya's body, had led her son back to his personal quarters, where the only occupants continued to be the pair of cats before he addressed his mother.
"You wanted to talk to me about something, Mother?" Lelouch asked.
"Yes, I…" Marianne looked around briefly. "Where is Nunnally?"
"She probably took Cera out for a bit." Lelouch assumed.
"Can you call her here?" Marianne asked. "I need to tell this to her too."
"You can simply tell me now, and I'll pass it on to her later." Lelouch offered.
"Lelouch, please." The spirit of his mother insisted. "This is… very important, and I need to say it to the both of you. Please." She looked to him with an expression that seemed to mix pleading as well as fear.
One look at those eyes and Lelouch could tell that this was rather important, and it made him somewhat nervous since she wanted to share it with both of her children. If it was serious however, then Nunnally probably needed to hear it as well.
"Alright." He pulled out his phone to try and call his sister. "Nunnally? Are you…" He winced a bit when all he got was static on the other line. "What…?" He then tried to call Sayoko, as she would likely be with her. "Sayoko?" Again, all he got was static, now he was starting to look concerned, with Marianne being just as concerned as her son. "What is going on here?"
"…Is there a way we could bypass straight to the cerebral cortex?" Perceptor asked Sophie just as Nunnally, Sayoko, and Cera entered the laboratory while everyone else continued to work.
"Most of the data were getting from that scan is coming up as some kind of code. Like his mind is a computer." Sophie answered.
"Well, if it's a computer, it can be hacked, right?" Lloyd assumed.
As the scientists continued to work, Rai noticed his half-sister and her company. "Nunnally? What are you doing here?"
"Ratchet called, he…" Nunnally happened to glance in one direction and gasped at the sight of the unresponsive Soundwave. Even Sayoko kept her eyes narrowed as she too saw him. So did Cera, and the second she laid her eyes on the restraint Decepticon, she couldn't help but feel a strong sense of fear. Just something about him sent a chill down her spine.
But the girl got back to the matter at hand and looked to the Autobot medic. "Ratchet, why did you call Cera here?"
"What?" The medic in question only looked in confusion. "I didn't call for her."
This only caused Nunnally to look in surprise. "We received a call that you needed Cera's help with something." Sayoko stated rather seriously.
"Nunnally, we've all been busy here trying to crack Soundwave." Nina spoke up. "I don't remember Ratchet…"
Suddenly, Laserbeak entered the laboratory from one of the vents on the ceiling, everyone becoming started at the sight of the flying Mini-Con.
"Oh no…!" Ratchet's face turned pale.
Laserbeak then rained fire down on the group, forcing them to take cover with Bulkhead quickly moving to cover Nunnally's group while Cera held her head down and Sayoko covered her and Nunnally with her own body. With them temporarily distracted, Laserbeak fired precise shots at Soundwave's restraints to break him free.
"Come here, ya crazy bird!" Tamaki fired his rifle at Laserbeak. "I'll make fried chicken outta ya!"
Wheeljack added to it with shots from his own Energon blaster while Rai quickly brought the Raiden online. However, Laserbeak avoided all the enemy fire and flew down to reconnect to Soundwave. The second the Mini-Con was connected back to his controller, he came back online and all the information procured by Laserbeak and Ravage was uploaded directly to him.
At the same time, Ravage had used his teeth to tear out the power cables on the ceiling that he was still perched too. This shut down a large portion of power to the vault and forced its doors to open. Immediately, Ravage leapt down and ran towards the open vault that contained the Resonance Blaster.
"Hey, what's going!"
"The vault's been breached!"
Ravage stepped out of the vault with the Resonance Blaster in his mouth and saw a squad of Black Knights arrive on foot with their rifles aimed at the panther-like Mini-Con.
"Open fire!" The Black Knight at the lead ordered and they fired their rifles at Ravage, who leapt and dodged before rushing straight to the vault that contained the Dark Star Saber.
The second his optics laid eyes onto it, the binary signal was relayed back to Laserbeak, and by extension, Soundwave. Ravage then moved directly below the evil sword just as a Groundbridge portal opened up, causing them both to fall in.
Back in the laboratory, Bulkhead was the first to act as he formed a mace in his hands and moved in to smash Soundwave, only for the silent Decepticon to swipe his arm and push Bulkhead back. Wheeljack had his dual swords drawn and was joined by Raiden as they tried to overwhelm Soundwave, only for him to shoot out his two tentacles and attach to the pair, sending electrical shocks into the Wrecker and the blue Knightmare, already disabling it.
"No! Come on, don't do this!" Rai tried to keep his Knightmare online, but the Raiden's internal systems were being overloaded by the electric pulse right before it fell over along with the unconscious Wheeljack.
Bulkhead was the first to recover as he rushed to tackle Soundwave to the ground while Ratchet and Perceptor flanked around him. "Get out of here! Now!" Ratchet ordered.
"You heard the Bot!" Rakshata agreed as she, Lloyd, Cecile, Tamaki, Nunnally, Cera, Nina, Sophie, Sayoko, and Fixit tried to escape the laboratory, only for a Groundbridge portal to open in front of them with the Dark Star Saber falling out, causing the group to back up and even more so when Ravage emerged with a snarl.
"Ravage… and the Dark Star Saber!" Fixit looked in terror.
"Well, this isn't good." Lloyd commented.
"Nunnally…" The terrified Cera clung to the girl almost like a lifeline, who tried to reassure her as best as she could, despite being terrified of the current situation herself.
Bulkhead's smashes quickly came to a halt when Soundwave latched both of his tentacles at him and sent an electrical surge through his body as well to render him unconscious right before said tentacles hoisted the large Autobot up and threw him into Ratchet and Perceptor, smashing all three Autobots into the wall behind them.
Sayoko immediately drew a pair of kunai and tried to rush Ravage, but he leapt around her and towards the nearest wall to scale it.
"Bad kitty!" Tamaki tried to shoot Ravage down, but he was too quick for him. Ravage then quickly ran directly to Soundwave before throwing up the Resonance Blaster from his mouth, which Soundwave caught just before Ravage leapt up to his back and reattached himself.
Soundwave wasted no time in unleashing the Resonance Blaster's power on Fixit and all the humans in the laboratory. The intense sonic waves caused all of them to scream in pain as they covered their ears in an attempt to shield themselves. However, the noise was too much for all of them as one-by-one, they all fell to the ground, rendered completely unconscious.
Once all threats were neutralized, Soundwave stepped forward, reaching down to claim the Dark Star Saber in one hand, while also grabbing both Cera and Nunnally in the other. While Nunnally wasn't necessarily a target nor his directive, Megatron had made a note of how close she was to Zero and his leader may find a use for her to strike a decisive blow to the one human who's caused them just as much trouble as Optimus Prime himself.
Rai, who managed to force open the cockpit to the Raiden and pushed himself out, only to watch in terror as a Groundbridge portal had already been opened, allowing Soundwave to step inside with not only the Dark Star Saber, but Nunnally and Cera as well. The second the portal vanished, so did Rai's hope… replaced only with dread.
Done.
Edit: I forgot to add Sky-Byte to that one scene with Thundercracker, Steeljaw, and Slipstream. My mistake
Yeah… that's not good. Not good at all.
While the heroes have somewhat benefited here, by gaining Knock Out on their side (and he will be staying with them), that's about their only benefit right now.
Soundwave has once again proven why he is arguably the most dangerous Decepticon next to Megatron himself. With only his two Mini-Cons, Soundwave was not only able to reclaim his personal weapon and the Dark Star Saber, but even kidnap Cera and Nunnally.
Not only that, but we also finally know what Neo Ragnarök is. Basically, Megatron's intent is to turn every sentient being in the known universe into an extension of himself. He'll essentially become God as he controls all life, with free will and individuality vanishing completely. And it seems that thanks to Soundwave, he's acquired the final piece of this plan.
However, not everyone is on board with this plan as Steeljaw teamed up with Thundercracker and Slipstream to try and halt this insane plot.
The final arc for R2 has begun. In the next chapter, the heroes will try to recover from this as best as they can… and Lelouch will finally learn the truth about his mother. And believe me, he is not going to take it well.
Can the Autobots and Black Knights stop Megatron before it's too late?
For the sake of the universe… let us hope so.
Note: I know Soundwave's backstory in the aligned continuity and the reason why he took a vow of silene, though I don't know for certain that Optimus himself knows about it. Probably not, which is why nothing about it was said here and I can't imagine anyone in the Autobots ever knowing Soundwave personally.
Other note: If you want a visual representation of what Steve currently looks like, go to DeviantArt and look up "TFP Galvatron's Revenge Vehicon #1" by "OptimusHunter29"