It had been a few weeks since Solus Prime graced the Autobots with her presence. Not much has happened then. Well, that is a lie. Quite a lot occurred since then. The most notable of these excursions being this one.
Quite a while after wiping off a national park in Montana off the face of the earth, Optimus had found it prudent to let Solus lie low for a while to keep her from the prying eyes of the Decepticons - and the US Government. The femme did not like this arrangement. Not one bit. So, as a compromise, Optimus offered to let his fellow Prime join him in an energon extraction run. The location being up the Mountains of Wyoming. It was a milk run, to be frank.
At least, it should have been.
"...News of the mysterious Unidentified Flying Object circulates around the Wyoming incident. Wherein nearby citizens experienced a 4.0 magnitude earthquake without any of the fault lines near the area being the source of it. According to one witness, they saw the U.F.O. streaking through the sky and landing where most consider to be the focal point of the earthquake. After the abrupt quake, the U.F.O. had been witnessed again streaking towards the horizon…"
Optimus could only look at Solus with slight dismay. As it had been completely unnecessary to smear the mountainside with the decepticon squadron ready to intercept them at that time. Ever since then, the President at Washington had been ringing Agent Fowler for answers to these rumours. And that is why the agent is here. Screaming at them with all the frustration that is due to him.
"I would've accepted the fact that a zombie from the past had somehow been reincarnated by some gizmo or whatnot. What I can't accept is when that zombie goes around the Rockies wrecking everything on site!" Fowler screamed at the femme Prime who had not lost her smug look.
"Agent Fowler." Optimus tried to appease, "Please overlook this instance, I will give you my word that this will never happen again."
Fowler looked at the Prime and sighed. That's the best he could get at this point, he supposed. Nothing would stop Solus other than that. Let's just hope Optimus is enough to get Solus to stop blowing up their cover.
"Fine, I'll tell the president some made up reason. He'll have to live with anything I say, anyways. Just promise you won't draw attention, or else." Fowler warned as he walked towards the elevator to his chopper.
"My word is my own, Agent Fowler. And I shall keep it to myself for as long as can be." Solus goaded. Her smirk then grew as Fowler bristled at the slight. Nevertheless, the agent pressed on and opened the elevator doors.
"That was not necessary." Optimus said as he watched Fowler get lifted up and out of the base.
"No, it was not. However, I deem it a just action against those mongrels." Solus replied as she turned around to walk to her quarters. Optimus then followed suit.
"But to act so brazenly cannot stand." Optimus tried to reason. They had been so immersed in their own conversation that the two giants had forgotten that they were not alone. No matter, they are irrelevant for now.
"Is it?" Solus turned around to glare at Optimus' optics "Is it not just to retort with the same violence they have done to our home? Our father?"
Optimus blinked slowly at that response. Ever since she gave her word to keep quiet about their connection, Solus has not mentioned a single thing that even implies it. Their outward relationship - in Optimus' case - is as a junior prime showing the ropes to an original prime who had been long dead for millenia. But this was the first of these implications coming to light.
(whoever read that one part where ratchet and arcee wondered why optimus knew about solus' lack of a t-cog, don't mind that. Literally, dont. - author)
"You know more than anyone that they deserve to die, Optimus." Solus continued.
"We cannot succumb to rage and revenge, Solus. It is not the way-" Optimus was then cut off by Solus.
"Then what do you propose, then? Peace? To those monsters?!" Solus raised her voice. Optimus, much to his chagrin, found his sister's tendency to be quick to anger both nostalgic and very, very exhausting to circumnavigate.
"All I ask is that we keep our actions hidden from the humans. They do not know about our existence, Solus. And to protect them from the Decepticons, we need to make it stay that way." Optimus explained. Nevermind that he sidelined the femme Prime's question, the safety of this planet's citizens are paramount.
Solus softened at the mention of the humans. Even if her hatred for the Decepticons are through the roof right now, her compassion for the little beings on this Earth overcame that. She saw a glimpse of what they were like in the three younglings she first met. Even the hot headed Fowler gave her some sort of fondness for them. Because she understood what it means to lose a home just like the Autobots and Optimus. She won't let it happen to them as well.
"I will acquiesce. I have been too brash and forthcoming when it comes to the Decepticons. Very well, I shall lessen the damage I cause against our enemy. As well as limit the attention I gain." Solus said as they walked towards the doors to her quarters.
"I thank you for your understanding." Optimus said as the doors opened.
"However," Solus continued. "This agreement shall be broken once Megatron appears. I will have no holds barred against him. This, I swear."
And with that, the doors shut. And as Optimus turned to walk back to the main room, he finally noticed the crowd that had gathered to watch the entirety of two Primes' conversation.
"Wow, OP. You really do know how to talk it out with someone." Miko commented as she leaned on Bulkhead's cheek. She had asked the green Wrecker to let her up on his shoulder so that she could get a better look. Jack and Raf followed suit, albeit on the other shoulder.
"Thank you for the compliment, Miko." Optimus said as he walked towards them. He then held a meeting with the entire Autobot crew save for Solus concerning recent Decepticon activity.
Speaking of…
On board the Nemesis…
"Again with the grunt work! Airachnid, I'll have you know that you have sent me and my detachment 3 times over what we agreed on. Sure, Energon is hard to come by these days. Why wouldn't it be considering we just revived an Original Prime using most of our reserves. But, as you can see, I am pressed for time. Lord Megatron is asking for results in the development of his new armour kit." Knockout said as he slammed his console to show the holograph of his designs.
"And as he said long ago, the discovery of the Iacon Relics is the priority. Dreadwing's been given authority to call us in if he needs us." Airachnid argued. "We need you and your grunts in this mission. You are not the only one being affected by this call. He has pulled rank and also he's backed by Lord Megatron. Both of our drones and us are called into this mission."
"Must be a special relic if we're all going to be on the same mission together." Breakdown commented as he set aside the Ununtrium ingots he had moulded for the past few days. He too would be going, for he was under Knockout's division. Wherever the red sports car goes, he goes.
"Yes, that is true. According to Dreadwing's scans, this is a unique signal. The relics he found, which are two key like artefacts, did not have the same signal as this one. Meaning, it might be different." Airachnid explained.
"Sigh. Alright, I'll cave. Not like I can go against Lord Megatron's commands, anyways." Knockout said as he turned off the console.
"So, where are we going?" Knockout asked as they left his office.
Somewhere up in the skies of Utah
"A tribunal?"
"Yeah Wheeljack, Fowler's been talking about some General coming with his men to interrogate us in the base. Also heard that some top brass is coming with."
"And Prime let this happen, Bulk?"
"Well, we gotta earn their trust somehow. And Optimus thought this was the way."
"Bowing kowtow to them ain't gonna do nothing but just give them more control over the 'Bots."
Wheeljack has been flying in his ship towards Dreadwing's current location. He's still hellbent on taking that son of a gun out and into the Well of Allsparks still. Especially so after seeing Arcee being patched up by Ratchet after the battle in Idaho. You can bet that Wheeljack, despite not wanting to be part of the Autobots in Jasper, will 100 percent aid them when the time comes. But for now, he's got a vendetta to settle.
"Nothing we can do about that, jackie." Bulkhead continued. "Ever since the revival of Solus Prime, the incidents of us that are getting into the news have been piling up. And according to Fowler, the president wants more answers."
"Hence the tribunal." Wheeljack finished.
"Yep. Things became more of a ruckus ever since Solus came round. Well, not that I mind. She's one great baller. Ever since I brought out the old tin ball, Bee and I kept getting crushed by her." Wheeljack then heard Bulkhead laugh. As if reminiscing a fond memory.
"Must be a great bot to be around compared to Optimus. Can't imagine Prime going out of his way to play tin ball with you guys." Wheeljack commented as he turned his ship towards east.
"As long as you get her mad. Because once you do… ooohhh boy, that would be terrible." Bulkhead then literally shivered at the thought of it.
"So I've heard. Many legends about her temper littered the places I've been to before earth. I still can't believe that Solus Prime is somehow out and about. Kickin 'Cons into the curb wherever she goes." Wheeljack said. He then groaned in frustration as he found no sign of Dreadwing still. No matter, he'll just go to another place.
"You haven't seen anything yet, Jackie. She's way more than the myths. I saw her flatten a 'Con like they were foil! I've seen her cut through a drone like it's nothing. And let's not mention her jet mode." Bulkhead said.
"I know, I know, she blew up a chunk of a mountain, I heard it from you last time. Is this what 'fangirling' is like? I think Miko called you that when we last spoke." Wheeljack teased.
"M-me?! Fangirling? No. No, not at all." Bulkhead flusteredly retorted.
"Right… I've yet to meet Solus Prime, and yet I can't help but be curious. Thanks for the chat, Bulk. I gotta go, I got business to do." Wheeljack said as his console beeps repeatedly.
"Yeh, see you Jackie. Don't be afraid to call me anytime if you need something." Bulkhead said before he ended the call.
"Not like I need any." Wheeljack said as he landed his ship in a cave. The surrounding terrain consists of deserts, mountains and ravines. He landed in one of these ravines and parked there for safekeeping.
As Wheeljack opened the hatch and transformed into his altmode, the noon sky shone into the cave. Illuminating the colourful sports car that came out of it. His tracker was telling him to go north of the ravine, so he did. After half an hour of driving he went through the ravine, and found the end of it. The end had a large boulder blocking the exit. He then transferred into his bipedal mode.
"Looks like I'll have to climb this dumb rock." Wheeljack muttered to himself. As soon as he touched the boulder, he heard it.
"Oh, thank Primus I don't have to do the grunt work. Just patrols for any humans that might see this."
Wheeljack's optics widened. He expected Dreadwing to be here. Not whoever is on the other side. What are they doing here? The Wrecker looked to see if he could find a vantage point without being seen. Aha! There. A significant gap beside the boulder. Wheeljack then looked at it and saw something that made him shocked.
It was the entire Decepticon army coming down from the Nemesis. In its head was Dreadwing and Airachnid. The mech who Wheeljack heard talk was Knockout and beside him was Breakdown. But where was Megatron?
"Dreadwing! Ready the hooks." Megatron shouted from afar. Wheeljack noticed that the leader of the 'Cons was standing beside an odd looking thing protruding from the mountainside. Is that a handle or something?
"Looks like i'll need that backup, after all." Wheeljack said as he quietly commed Bulkhead.