Chapter 40: The Survivors
Nightbird was waiting outside of the Capitol Building, awaiting the arrival of her date for the evening, Hawksight. As she waited, she nervously fiddled with the hem of her armor. As if on cue, Hawksight rounded the corner, and Nightbird couldn't help but feel her spark leap at the sight of him. "Wow, you look amazing," Hawksight said as he approached.
"Thank you," Nightbird said, smiling shyly at him. "So, ready for our date?" Hawksight asked, holding out his arm for her to take. Nightbird nodded, and the two set off for the city, chatting along the way. As they walked, Hawksight pointed out various sights and points of interest, and Nightbird found herself smiling more and more at his enthusiasm. "You know, Hawksight," Nightbird said, "I haven't had this much fun in a long time."
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Hawksight said, grinning. "I am," Nightbird said, a warm feeling spreading through her spark. She glanced over at Hawksight, who had turned to look at her; the look in his optic made her feel as if she was the only bot in the universe.
As they walked, Nightbird couldn't help but feel a bit envious of the other Cybertronians around them, with their sleek vehicle modes that allowed them to transform at will. The thought of being able to move through the city with that kind of speed and grace made her feel almost... incomplete. As if he could sense her thoughts, Hawksight looked at her and said, "You know, there's a way you can acquire a vehicle mode." Really?" Nightbird asked, brightening. Hawksight nodded. "You just need to scan a vehicle of your choosing, and then you'll be able to transform like any other bot." Nightbird's face fell. "I'm sorry, Hawksight, but I can't do that," she said sadly. "Why not?" Hawksight asked, concerned.
"Because," Nightbird began, "I was created without the ability to transform. I'm just... stuck like this." Hawksight put his hand on her shoulder. "Nightbird, that doesn't matter to me. I care about you for who you are, not what you can do." Feeling tears well up in her optic, Nightbird looked up at Hawksight, feeling overcome with emotion. "Thank you," she whispered.
They continued to walk in comfortable silence, and as they reached the end of their date, they looked into each other's optics with a promise to meet again soon, both of them knowing that they had found something special in the other.
As they parted ways, Nightbird couldn't help but feel grateful for the wonderful night they had shared, and as she headed home, she felt a newfound sense of confidence, knowing that she was exactly who she was supposed to be.
Ultra Magnus stood before a group of Autobots, his expression grave.
"We have received intel that Doomsayer is plotting to raid our base and return Unicron's Anti-Spark back to his body at the Earth's core," he said. "We need to find him and stop him before he can kickstart the apocalypse. That's where The Survivors come in."
Orion Eclipse nodded, his expression serious. "Understood, sir. What can you tell us about The Survivors?"
Ultra Magnus leaned forward, his optics fixed on Orion. "Their leader is a bot named Lazerdrive. He may have information that could lead us to Doomsayer. Your mission is to track down The Survivors and find out what they know."
Orion Eclipse nodded, and the group set out into space, their ship hurtling through the vast expanse of the galaxy. As they approached the coordinates of The Survivors' location, they were surprised to find a massive spaceship looming before them. "This must be it," Knock Out said, his voice tinged with excitement. As they docked their ship and made their way inside, they were met by Lazerdrive, the leader of The Survivors. He was a tall, imposing figure with a stern expression.
"Welcome," he said, his voice gruff. "I understand you are looking for information about Doomsayer." Orion Eclipse nodded. "Yes, we need to stop him before it's too late." Lazerdrive's expression softened slightly. "I understand your urgency. But before I can help you, there is something you need to know."
He went on to reveal that he was Doomsayer's half-brother and old enemy, and that Doomsayer's villainous motivation was to avenge their father, Megatronus Prime, also known as The Fallen. The group was shocked by the revelation, and Orion Eclipse felt a sense of unease as he realized that this would not be an easy mission.
But the shock didn't end there.
"Orion? I'd like you to meet my surrogate sister, Novastar." Lazerdrive introduced Orion Eclipse to the crimson and orange fembot. Novastar gasped when she first saw Orion Eclipse and he wondered what was up with her. But then, after Orion Eclipse meets one of the Survivors, Orion Eclipse stared at Novastar as the crimson and orange fembot gazed at the young mech with tears of joy and a look of disbelief and Orion's blue optics widening as he realized who she was after Novastar had recognized Orion Eclipse and she looked at him as if he were her long-lost child.
"Mother?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Novastar nodded, a small smile on her face. "Yes, my son. It's me." Orion Eclipse couldn't believe it. He had thought his mother was dead for so long, and now she was standing before him, alive and well. Megatron stepped forward, his expression a mixture of shock and joy. "Firestar," he said, his voice choked with emotion. "I thought I had lost you forever."
Novastar, who had been renamed after her transformation, smiled at Megatron. "I'm sorry for the pain I caused you, my love. But it was all part of Doomsayer's revenge plot." Orion Eclipse looked at his mother, confusion written all over his face. "What do you mean, revenge plot?" Novastar's expression turned serious. "Doomsayer faked my demise by using a duplicate of myself. He wanted to make you and your father suffer after he kidnapped me. He's been using me as leverage, threatening to harm me if you didn't comply with his demands."
Orion Eclipse clenched his fists, anger boiling inside him. "We need to stop him," he said, his voice firm. "We can't let him get away with this." Megatron nodded, determination etched on his face. "Agreed. Let's find Doomsayer and put an end to this once and for all." Lazerdrive and The Survivors agreed to help the Autobots in their mission. They provided them with valuable information about Doomsayer's whereabouts, and together, they make preparations to set out to find him.
The Autobots and The Survivors were having a conversation with each other. Ratchet was walking around watching the Autobots and Survivors getting along until he stumbled upon a femme who is older than him. She is 50 human years old, she was blue optics, her color scheme is light aquamarine and white, and has a life signal on her tank as her alt. mode resembles a speedster car. Ratchet's optics widen as he recognizes the femme.
"Lifeline...is that really you?" he asked "Yes, Ratchet, it's me" she answered as Ratchet embraces her "It's been millions of years ever since you evacuated from Cybertron!" Ratchet exclaimed as he lets her go "And I see you reversed your colors" he said "Yep" Lifeline replied as a Minicon appeared he's aquamarine and has blue optics as his alt. mode is a mini-jet and machine gun.
Lifeline notices him "Oh, Ratchet, meet my partner, Quickslinger, I've met him on Paradron" she explained "Quickslinger, this Ratchet, my former mentee," Lifeline said as Ratchet kneel at Quickslinger's level as they shook servos "Nice to meet you, Ratchet," Quickslinger said "Nice to meet you too, Quickslinger" Ratchet retorted.
Knock Out was sitting down, tinkering with his tools until a voice is heard, "Knock Out?" As Knock Out froze as he recognized that voice and turned his attention to the source. He sees a blue and black redeco of Ransack and his Autobot logo has a slash mark across it. "Hightire...it's been a long time ago" Knock Out said as he gets up "You know him?" Arcee asked as she overheard them "We had known each other since school. He was a bully" Knock Out answered "Really?" Arcee replied "Really" Hightire retorted "He and the other bullies: Bronco, Lane, and Forte always picked on me because I was born with red optics and so is my mother" Knock Out explained.
"I'm sorry that you had been treated like this" Arcee said with symphony "But, here's the worst part during the Great War, I murdered my bullies as revenge for treating me and my love interest before you and Breakdown, except Hightire as I told him to leave and never come back" Knock Out explained.
"So, I did, I left the Autobot cause with shame because I don't deserve to be an Autobot after the way I treated Knock Out. I met Lazerdrive and The Survivors and became a part of them," Hightire added as he looks at Knock Out "I'm sorry that I killed your friends, Hightire" Knock Out apologized "No, you were right, Knock Out. They were never my friends, I was insecure and I've been a fool for joining them" Hightire explained.
Knock Out puts his servo on Hightire's shoulder "I know what it's like...I have done terrible things too...but, for now, the past is the past" Knock Out said as he had his servo out "Truce?" he said as Hightire shook his servo "Truce" he replied.
Lazerdrive, the Survivors, and the Autobots had been preparing for months to find and take Doomsayer down once and for all. They knew he was dangerous and that he had caused destruction and death wherever he went.
But as they were flying through space, ready to face their enemy, they were suddenly attacked. At first, they thought it was just another Decepticon, but as their attacker entered their ship's hanger, they immediately recognized that it was Doomsayer himself.
The survivors worked on repairing the ship, while Lazerdrive and the Autobots faced off against Doomsayer. Doomsayer grabbed Lazerdrive by the neck. "Why did you come here!?" Lazerdrive exclaimed as he choked a little.
Doomsayer sneered at his half-brother before he made an evil grin and replied, "Why to kill you, of course, dear half-brother!"
Doomsayer was about to kill Lazerdrive when Novastar attacked him with her flamethrower which almost singed him. It was a brutal fight. Orion Eclipse pulled out his Cybernetic Energy Shield and longsword, while Megatron and Novastar unleashed their own weapons. Doomsayer was strong, but they were determined to defeat him.
Unfortunately, Doomsayer had a secret weapon—Dark Energon was flowing through his body, making him stronger and faster. Just when Lazerdrive thought he had an opening, Doomsayer let out an explosion of purple electricity that sent him reeling.
In the confusion, Doomsayer managed to escape. The survivors and Autobots pursued him, but he was too fast for them. In the end, they lost him, and they knew that they would have to regroup and come up with a new strategy.
But even as they licked their wounds, Lazerdrive couldn't shake the memory of his half-brother's face as he'd choked the life out of him. He knew he had to find Doomsayer and put an end to him once and for all, no matter what the cost. Orion Eclipse and his family and friends were on their way back to Cybertron when they were suddenly attacked by Doomsayer. The villain had been causing destruction all over the galaxy, and the Autobots had been tirelessly tracking him down.
As they finally reached the Autobot base in Retoris, Ultra Magnus was waiting for them. "What happened?" he demanded as they stepped out of the cyan and green space bridge portal. Orion Eclipse quickly filled him in on the attack, and Ultra Magnus's expression darkened. "Doomsayer needs to be stopped. It's a miracle you all made it back in one piece."
"I don't understand how he gets away with these things," Hound interjected. "Every time we get close to apprehending him, he somehow manages to slip through our fingers."
"It's almost like he knows our every move," Prowl added.
"Maybe he does," Springer said, frowning. "Or at least, he might have access to information that we don't want him to have." Ultra Magnus's optics widened in realization. "You're right, Springer. The only way Doomsayer could be so elusive is if he knows something about our operations that we don't want him to."
"But what could he know?" Ratchet asked.
"Unicron's spark," Ultra Magnus said, his voice low. "We need to make sure that the vault containing the Allspark container is impenetrable.." As the group made their way to the vault where Unicron's spark was contained, Knock Out spoke up. "There's a chance that Doomsayer might already know the code," he said.
"How is that possible?" Hound asked, confused. "Doomsayer recently used the Cortical Psychic Patch to enter my subconscious mind and try to uncover information about the Autobots' classified information," Knock Out explained. "He might have discovered the code during that time." The group fell silent, realizing the gravity of the situation. "We need to make sure that the vault is locked down and that no one else knows the code," Ultra Magnus said firmly. They worked together to reinforce the security measures around the volume, ensuring that it was absolutely impenetrable. As they finished, Ultra Magnus turned to the group.
"Doomsayer may be elusive, but we will stop him," he said firmly. "We have to. He can't be allowed to get his hands on Unicron's Anti-Spark." The group nodded, determination etched on their faces. They were ready to do whatever it took to apprehend Doomsayer, once and for all.