Chapter 4: An Unusual Friendship
At the New Decepticons' lair, Starscream was inside his chamber while admiring his new body and practicing his revenge speech while pretending to taunt Megatron. "Hello, my former master. At last, we meet...and now that I've found you, I can finally have my revenge! Oh, yes. That's a good line." Starscream said before he continued practicing his lines, "For too long, you had me begging for mercy but now...YOU will be the one begging for mercy! Hahahaha!" Starscream tests his new weaponry as he aims his arm at what looks like a metallic image of Megatron before he shoots a laser at it and it explodes.
Starscream was about to continue practicing his own revenge speeches to Megatron when he was suddenly interrupted when Motorstrike, one of Doomsayer's henchmen and strongest members of the New Decepticons opened the door to the seeker's chamber. "What!?" Starscream yelled, startled. "Commander Starscream. You're needed at the bridge," Said Motorstrike. "Lord Doomsayer wants to speak with you." He told the seeker. "Knock on my door! Knock next time!" yelled Starscream. "Yes, sir," Motorstrike said. "Did you see anything?!" Asked Starscream. "No sir: I didn't see you playing with your statue again," Motorstrike replied. "Good!" Starscream yelled.
Starscream followed Motorstrike over to the throne room where Doomsayer was there waiting for his New Commander. Motorstrike takes a bow before Doomsayer and he tells him, "Lord Doomsayer. Commander Starscream is here just as you requested." Doomsayer turned and saw Starscream before he made a smirk. "Excellent." The New Decepticon overlord said to Motorstrike before he spoke to the seeker. "Good afternoon, Commander Starscream. I take it you're liking your new modification?" He asked. "Yes, Lord Doomsayer. I feel great! I am more powerful than I was before and for that I am thankful." Starscream said. "Good. Come with me, I have some plans to share with you." Doomsayer replied.
Starscream walked towards Doomsayer and he brought the seeker commander to his space before Starscream asked his new master, "So, what plans do you have in mind, Master?" Doomsayer went to the computer and he pressed a button to show a holographic image of Cybertron before he began talking to his commander about his plans. "As you probably may know, our homeworld of Cybertron has been restored due to Optimus Prime's sacrifice and even now, the Autobots are busy reconstructing their planet while searching for the last remaining Decepticons like the ones who lost the Great War and the ones who are still loyal to that old, treacherous fool, Megatron. But for now, Ultra Magnus has taken Optimus' place as leader of the Autobots since the day their leader became one with the Allspark." Doomsayer explained.
"Wait, are you saying that Optimus Prime is...dead?" Starscream asked. Doomsayer looked at the seeker before he replied, "Yes, Starscream. For your information, he has been offline for five years while you were being tortured by Predaking and the last of his kind in Darkmount. Not only that but from what I've heard, Ultra Magnus is no Prime like Optimus which means that the line of Primes has ended. Or so we thought. Unicron has told me about a sword that was forged by Primus and was wielded by one of the Thirteen Original Primes. If the Autobots get their hands on that sword, then it would be used by someone worthy of being the next Prime." Doomsayer said. "So what's the plan, my liege?" Asked Starscream. "First, we inform the Autobots that the Decepticons may have lost the war, but they have chosen a new leader—one who will succeed where Megatron had failed! Then, we will start a second Great War on Cybertron before we must find a way to free our lord and master, Unicron, and help him defeat his twin brother, Primus, once and for all." Doomsayer said. Starscream gasped in shock, "Unicron is the twin brother of Primus!?" He asked.
"Indeed he is, Starscream." Doomsayer replied before he continued, "Of course, we mustn't forget that Megatron is still out there, alone in his own exile. He is nothing more but a coward and a traitor who's left behind his thirst for war and power." The dark robot is mentioned.
"I want Megatron to suffer just as I have suffered! I want to make him pay for his betrayal. I'll even take great pleasure in snuffing out his spark myself." Starscream said.
"You will get your revenge on him soon once we find out where he is, Commander. We'll even have his head and keep it as a trophy and it will be yours." Doomsayer promised.
"If I am to have Megatron's head, then I'll have to cut it off clean with his Dark Star Saber," Starscream said.
"His what?" Doomsayer asked.
"Megatron once created a weapon which he forged from the blood of Unicron. He called it the Dark Star Saber and he lost it when he was killed by the Autobot, Bumblebee before Unicron possessed Megatron's body." Starscream told his master.
"Ah, I see. Unicron told me that Megatron did forge a weapon out of Dark Energon. I do believe that the Dark Star Saber itself lies somewhere at the bottom of the ocean on Earth. You and Skywarp will have to find it and bring it to me so that I may test its powers." Doomsayer told the seeker. "As for the Sword of Primus, I heard that three of the Autobots are searching for it on Earth. I will hire our troops to find the sword and destroy it before the Autobots find it."
Meanwhile, back on Earth in Idaho, Anthony Carter was in his room while looking at the picture he took of Orion Eclipse on his cellphone. He could see what the young giant robot looked like and Anthony promised him that he wouldn't tell anyone about his existence. The young man sighed before his stepfather, Jonathan Dave Carter, knocked on the door to Anthony's room.
"Hey, Anthony, I ordered you some pizza. It's on its way here." Jonathan told his stepson as he opened the door before he noticed Anthony's unhappy expression on his face. "What's wrong, Anthony?" He asked.
"Nothing. I was just looking up images on my phone." Anthony said. "What kind of pizza did you order?" He asked.
"I ordered pineapple and pepperoni pizza. Your favorite." Jonathan replied.
"Hey, John?" Said, Anthony. "Can I talk to you about something?" He asked.
"Yes. What is it you wanna talk to me about?" Asked Jonathan.
Anthony Carter paused. He wanted to tell Jonathan that he met someone in the woods, but he hesitated to tell his stepdad that it was a giant robot. He even thought about deleting the picture he took of Orion Eclipse, but he chose to keep the image on his cellphone to remember what he looked like.
"Remember how I said to you that I was exploring in the woods and why it took me so long to get back to the mini-hotel?" Anthony said.
"Yes, you told me that you were facing a few obstacles while you were out in the woods." Said Jonathan. "But what exactly happened that gave more than an hour to get back to the hotel?" He asked.
"Well, to be more specific...I was crossing the streets and I was in the woods when I met someone who was lost, alone, and helpless. His name is Orion and I helped him out of the woods." Anthony told his stepdad while telling half the truth.
"You helped out a stranger?" Jonathan asked in surprise. "How old was he?" he asked.
Anthony thought for a second. He remembered that the giant robot he met in the woods had a male voice that sounded like he was in his twenties. He answered, "He was in his 20's. This person I met told me that he lost his way and so I helped him out the woods before he thanked me and I told Orion goodbye before we parted our separate ways and I walked back to the hotel." Anthony told his stepfather.
"Did you help him call his family to let them know where he was?" Jonathan asked.
"Orion told me that he didn't have a family. He was a homeless person." Anthony replied.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that you were being a Good Samaritan. But Anthony, what if this stranger you helped out of the woods was a criminal? A kidnapper!" Jonathan told his stepson. "Anthony, you know better than to talk to strangers. Did you even dial 9-11 or even give me a call?" he asked out of concern.
"I did call for help. I called an Ambulance because this guy, Orion, told me that he suffered from amnesia due to an incident he was in. This person needed help." Anthony said.
"You're telling me that you helped out a stranger who was in his 20s, who was lost in the woods and he lost his memories, and then you called an Ambulance to give this person medical support before you walked back here? Is that what took you so long to get back to the hotel?!" Jonathan asked.
"Yes, John," Anthony replied. "I didn't tell you exactly what happened yesterday because I was afraid you'd be upset with me," he told his stepdad.
Jonathan Dave Carter looked at his stepson before he told him, "Anthony? I'm proud of you for helping someone who was lost and had suffered from amnesia, but if your mom knew that I let you go out on a walk without me to keep you company, then she would be furious with me. You know your mom and I care about your safety and I understand why you didn't tell me the truth. You see, when I was your age, I helped a little girl who was lost and alone for days and I reunited her back with her family and you know what happened afterward? I was rewarded with a hundred dollars and my parents were proud of me." Jonathan took a deep breath before he continued, "But as I said, if your mom knew that I let you go out for a walk and into the woods without me to supervise you, she would be angry with me because otherwise, I'd let you put yourself in danger. Listen, I don't intend to take the place of your father, I just want to be there to love and support you and your mother. But for now, I don't want you to go for another walk alone next time. Next time you wanna go outside the hotel, let me come along with you. Okay?" he said.
"Okay, Jonathan," Anthony replied.
Meanwhile, Orion Eclipse was inside of his cave when he was thinking about Anthony Carter. The young bot wanted to meet the young human again and he wanted to befriend him. But he wanted to know how, where, or when he will have a chance to meet Anthony again. Eventually, Orion traveled back to the lake in the woods where he met Anthony. The young bot sat down before he waited for the young human to visit him.
"This is where I met Anthony. If I remember correctly, he said that he would call me the next time we meet. But how? When?" Orion Eclipse said to himself. The young bot waited for half an hour until he thought, "Maybe he's busy at someplace else. But where could he be exactly?"
Orion Eclipse then remembered when he was walking past the mini-hotel near the lake in the forest before he had an idea of where the young human could be located. So, Orion walked through the forest to find the mini-hotel and when he found it, there weren't any humans. He sighed sadly and was about to walk back to the mountains before he saw Anthony Carter and his step-father stepping outside the mini-hotel before they sat down at a table near a swimming pool to eat some pizza. Orion Eclipse recognized the teenager and he was happy to have found him, but he didn't want to come out of hiding. After lunch, Jonathan Dave Carter went back inside the mini-hotel while Anthony was by himself near the pool. The teenager cleaned up after himself when he suddenly spotted Orion Eclipse hiding in the forest.
"What the?!" Anthony said before he walked over to a fence near the swimming pool. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Hi, Anthony," Orion said as he waved at Anthony. "I came to see you," he told him.
"How did you know where to find me?" Anthony asked the giant robot.
"I didn't know where to find you. I had to guess." Orion Eclipse replied.
"Listen, this isn't the right time for us to get acquainted. You better go before my step-father knows you're here!" Anthony told Orion.
"But where and when do you want us to meet each other again?" Orion asked.
Anthony sighed in frustration before he replied, "I'll meet you tonight when Jonathan's asleep. Okay?" he said.
"Okay. But what if you get caught trying to leave this place?" Orion asked.
Anthony Carter saw someone coming before he told Orion Eclipse to leave. "Go, go! Get outta here! Please!" he said.
Orion Eclipse left the mini-hotel and he went into hiding in the forest before anyone could see him. Jonathan Dave Carter went outside to check on his step-son.
"Anthony? Who are you talking to?" Jonathan asked.
"Uh, no one, John. I was just talking to myself." Anthony lied.
Jonathan raised an eyebrow in suspicion before he replied, "Okaaay. Just remember, your mom wanted us to spend some time getting to know each other. Just don't do anything suspicious, kiddo." he told his stepson.
Anthony chuckled nervously before he decided to spend some quality time with his step-father. Later that day, it was 6:59 PM and Jonathan Dave Carter fell into a deep sleep in his bedroom and this gave Anthony Carter a chance to sneak out of the mini-hotel before he could meet Orion Eclipse in the forest near the lake. Anthony was an expert in sneaking outdoors and when he managed to get out of the mini-hotel, he ran out into the forest where he began looking for the giant robot.
"Orion!" Anthony called. "Orion! It's me, Anthony! I'm here! You can come out now!" he said.
Anthony Carter waited until Orion Eclipse came out of hiding and he met the teenager in the forest. The young Cybertronian smiled at Anthony. "Hello. What took you so long?" Orion asked. "Sorry, Orion. I had to keep Jonathan Dave Carter company before I could get him to sleep." Anthony explained. "So, anyway. What's your story? Where do you live?" he asked.
"I've been wandering around this planet alone for eons. I live in a cave...up in the mountains." Orion Eclipse told Anthony.
"Is that where you live?" Anthony asked. Orion Eclipse nodded. "Yes. I've had no one to talk to but rocks and wildlife."
"You never had any real friends to talk to? How long have you been alone?" Anthony asked.
"To be honest, I'm not sure. I would say that I have been lost for many years." Orion replied.
Anthony saw the symbol on Orion Eclipse's chest before he asked, "What's that on your chest? Is it a symbol?"
Orion Eclipse looked at the symbol on his chest. Both he and Anthony didn't know that the symbol itself was a Decepticon insignia. The young bot answered, "You mean this? I've always had it for as long as I can remember." he said. "Do you know what it means?" Anthony asked. Orion Eclipse nodded. "No. I don't know what it means. But something about this strange symbol on my chest reminded me of..." Orion paused before he started getting flashbacks to the war on Cybertron which gave him a headache. "Agh!" He said in pain.
"Are you okay?" Anthony asked.
"I...I'm fine, Anthony." Orion Eclipse replied. "Would you like to go to my place?" He asked.
"No thanks, Orion. How about we hang out and talk for a bit before I head back to the mini-hotel?" Anthony said.
"Okay. We can hang out for a bit before you go back to your stepdad." Orion replied.
Anthony Carter and Orion Eclipse spent some time with each other while getting to know each other. They draw on the sand using tree branches and sticks before Anthony skipped some rocks near the lake and Orion tries to copy him, but he doesn't know how to skip rocks. "How do you do that?" Orion asked. "You don't know how to skip rocks? Here let me show you how." Anthony said. "Go to a large body of water when the weather is calm. Oceans aren't the best locations to skip rocks unless it's a very calm day. Try to find rocks that easily fit in your palm and weigh less than a tennis ball. Remember, the thinner the rocks are, the easier they will bounce across the surface of the water." Anthony told Orion.
Orion Eclipse began looking for a flat, smooth stone near the water and he found a human-sized rock and it was smooth and flat before Anthony continued to teach the giant robot about how to skip rocks. He taught Orion how to hold the stone between his thumb and middle finger and to hook his index finger around the edge of the rock, face the water at a slight angle with his robotic arm low to the ground, bring his arm and wrist behind him and then throw his arm out in front of him and release the rock when it's in front of his body. Orion tried to skip the rock for the first time but it ended up splashing in the water instead of skipping across it, much to his disappointment.
"Aw, man," Orion said, feeling unhappy. "I failed." He said.
"Don't worry, Orion. You're learning but you'll get the hang of it once you get good at it" Anthony reassured Orion. "Here, allow me to demonstrate." Anthony picked up a flat, smooth stone before he showed Orion how to skip it across the water.
Orion Eclipse watched Anthony skip the rock and he tried to repeat after him again as he held up another big smooth, flat rock with a small grip before he let it spin off his index finger when he started throwing it. When Orion managed to skip the big flat rock across the lake, he cheered. "Yes! I did it!"
"Wow. I've never seen anyone skip a large stone across the water before, let alone a smooth flat one!" Anthony said, feeling impressed by Orion's new skill. He then looked at the giant robot. "You're a good learner." He told Orion.
"Thank you." Orion Eclipse replied. "You're a good teacher. Who taught you how to skip rocks?" He asked.
"My dad taught me how to skip rocks. Not my step-father, Jonathan. My biological father, Brayden Carter." Anthony told Orion.
"Where is your father? What happened to him?" Orion asked.
"He died. He died of a car crash when I was only 15 years old." Anthony told him. "My mom and I were heartbroken when he died. My mom, Katherine Carter, had to raise me alone until she met and fell in love with a machinist named, Jonathan Dave Harper. His last name was changed from Harper to Carter. I wasn't happy about the fact that my mom married that guy. Right now, I'm on a road trip with Jonathan because my mom wanted me to get to know him better and we're spending a few days in a mini-hotel until we drive back home." He explained.
"I'm sorry to hear that you lost your father, Anthony," Orion told Anthony. "Why weren't you happy when your mom remarried?" He asked.
"Because I loved my dad. My dad, Brayden, was a good man before he died...and his dad, my grandfather, was a jet pilot. I have always wanted to be a jet pilot like my grandfather, but I wasn't qualified to be like him because I dropped out of high school. I couldn't get an A as a student because I was a slacker who didn't pay much attention. The reason why I didn't like my stepdad is that he could never be like my old man." Anthony told Orion.
"I wished I knew what it was like to have a family. Do you ever try to get along with your stepfather?" Orion asked.
"Well, we had our ups and downs. What I like about Jonathan is that he's kind, patient, and humble and he taught me a few things like defending myself from bullies, using my binoculars to spot birds, and how to do my homework. What I don't like about my stepdad is that sometimes he can be bossy, angry, and gross like rubbing his nose." Anthony explained. "Sometimes we fight when we get into a misunderstanding or that we have a disagreement with each other's opinions. But overall, I'm still trying to get used to him...but as I said, Jonathan won't be a better man like my late father." He said before he checked the time on his phone.
"Would you like me to give you a tour of my home?" Orion Eclipse asked Anthony.
Anthony Carter thought for a moment before he replied, "Maybe. But let me go back to the hotel so that I can bring my jacket and some food supplies." He told the giant robot.
"Okay, Anthony. I'll be waiting for you." Orion said.
Meanwhile, the Autobots, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Hot Rod left the city of Boise in their vehicle modes before they transformed back into their robot forms and they traveled to the mountains where Ratchet's tracking device detects the relic that the three Autobots have been searching for days now. They walked through the snow on the mountainside when they came across a cave.
"I think we're getting close." Ratchet said.
"Ratchet we've been traveling around for days now. Whatever's inside that cave, it'd better be good." Hot Rod complained.
"Now's not the time to complain on our mission, Hot Rod." Said Ratchet. "So far, we haven't found a lost Cybertronian in this place on Earth. But if the scanner says that the relic is inside that cave, then we must head inside before we freeze." Said the medic.
"It's a good thing we dried ourselves up after a free car wash before we even traveled here," Ironhide mentioned.
The Autobots went inside the cave where they searched for the Cybertronian relic while somewhere outside the cave, five members of the New Decepticons sent by Doomsayer have begun their search for the same relic which is The Sword of Primus.
Meanwhile, Orion Eclipse climbed the mountain with Anthony Carter in his grasp. Anthony was lucky to bring a winter coat with him in case he and his stepfather went out hiking in the snowy mountains. Orion Eclipse brought his human friend to his cave and he showed him where he kept his belongings as well as his supplies.
"Welcome to my little paradise," Orion said as he carefully placed Anthony down.
"Woah. This is where you live?" Asked Anthony.
"Yes. This is where I kept myself safe and hidden, Anthony. Do you like it?" Orion asked his friend.
"I...I think it looks good. You have so many books, newspapers, and even...giant crystals?" Anthony said as he looked around the cave. "What are those crystals?" He asked.
"They're my food supplies. I keep them in case I ever get hungry." Orion Eclipse told Anthony.
"Wow. Do they taste like rock candy?" Anthony asked jokingly.
"No, I don't think so. They do taste good once you try them." Orion replied.
"I don't eat crystals," Anthony said.
"Oh, that's right. You humans eat your own food." Orion Eclipse said.
"Where did you get your own food?" Anthony asked.
"I found them at a different cave. Would you like me to show you?" Orion asked.
"Sure. But first, let me start a fire. It's cold in here." said Anthony.
"I can take care of that," Orion replied.
The Transformer told the teenager to step back and cover his ears while he uses his fusion cannon to make a fire to warm up the place. In one blast, Orion burned a good chunk of wood that he brought home from the forest to keep him and the cave warm from the inside. Anthony didn't get too close to the large fireplace but he rubbed his hands together before he could feel the warm temperature. After warming himself up, Anthony asked Orion a question about his cannon.
"Where did you get that cannon?" Anthony asked.
"I don't know. I've always had it and I've been using it to protect myself and to make fire." Orion told him.
"I hope that we can help you regain your lost memories, Orion." said Anthony.
"But how?" Orion asked.
"I'm not sure," Anthony replied. "How about you take me to where you got those crystals and then maybe we can figure something out. I'll even bring a piece of those crystals to a scientist." He suggested.
"Um...okay. But it's cold outside." Orion told Anthony. "Are you sure you want me to take you to another cave?" He asked.
"Yes, I am sure. Don't worry about me, Orion. I've dealt with cold weather before." Anthony reassured Orion.
"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." Orion Eclipse replied.
A few minutes later, Orion Eclipse and Anthony Carter travel to another cave in the mountains where they thought that they could find more of the blue crystals Orion stored in his hiding place, but to their surprise, they were gone. It was almost as if someone had taken away every last one of the blue crystals or in this case Energon from that cave.