Chapter 10: Leader to Leader

That night, in the Autobot Base, Sly is looking over the Thievius Raccoonus, even though he's probably done it hundreds of times at this point, this time, he's searching for any potential clues to where Allspark fragment locations. He thinks he may have found a possible lead in an old abandoned mine near where Tennessee Kid Cooper used to live. Bumblebee walks over to him.

Bumblebee: Uhh… Hey, Sly? Prime wants to talk with you. Privately. Outside.

Sly: Oh. Okay.

Walking out of the base, he knew Optimus would probably chastise him for what happened in Egypt today, but also observed that he was probably a gentle bot. A superior who would never blow a fuse or lose extreme temper at his soldiers who disobey or fail at him. The Thief went outside and saw the big bot sitting on a huge rock near the Cave's entrance. He notices Prime has retraced his faceplate and that he has a mouth. A fact Sly didn't know or assume until now, yet he felt it meant something serious. He climbed up on a smaller rock beside Prime's to sit on. Both started talking without looking at each other.

Optimus: I know why you did what you did, but abandoning the mission to willingly be captured was extremely reckless of you.

Sly: We got the fragment. Isn't that good enough?

Optimus: What the plan was to get the fragment and capture the potential Decepticon so we can force them to give us intel.

Sly: I've heard Starscream is one of the baddest of the bunch.

Optimus: True, but the team I assigned you with could have taken him on had you not ruined the mission.

Sly is slightly ticked off.

Sly: (Slightly raising his voice) Y'know I'm a leader too! Sly Cooper, of the COOPER Gang. Me and my friends never specifically asked to join your team or be commanded by you! I felt like we were only pulled into it….. or rather I was pulled into it… because I want to save…. her…. but you already know that well. I come from a long line of amazing worldwide thieves! My parents were murdered when I was young! It…. still traumatizes me! I've known my two best friends for a long time. They basically are my family….. But sometimes I wonder…. Would I have been as great a thief as I am if I never met them? I don't think you would understand considering who you are.

There is a bit of a pause.

Optimus: I think I may do. Before I was a Prime, my Mentor, as close as what you organics call a father, Alpha Trion saw potential in me. After an incident where I was almost left for dead, he rebuilt me and gave me an ancient artifact that is considered an honor throughout Cybertronian history, passed down from generations of Primes… a mark of leadership and courage….

Optimus opens his chest to show Sly an Orange Sphere with handles containing in the center what looks like blue crystals.

Optimus: This… is The Matrix of Leadership. A symbol to fight for freedom, A symbol of hope. A symbol of justice. Alpha Trion, soon after, was killed by Decepticons. I always feel like I would be nothing without my soldiers who risk their lives for me even when I forbid them to. We have experienced loss, but never give up as we have a saying… "''Till all are one".

Sly: Primes? They are the leaders? Like…. the high rankers of Cybertron, right?

Optimus: Right. From what I know, I may be the last Prime.

Sly: You and me both. The Matrix reminds me of the Raccoonus. How you describe Primes reminds me of the Cooper Clan. Maybe we aren't so different after all?

Optimus: Indeed. Your intelligent Turtle friend has told me that upon contact with the Allspark fragment, you went berserk for a bit.

Sly: Oh yeah, I've been waiting to ask you…. when I held it… I started seeing visions…. visions of my life flashing before me, all the worst and best moments and then I found myself in the middle of a war in a setting I don't recognize but now I speculate is Cybertron…. And then…

Optimus: And then…..?

Sly: I saw myself in a white void of a place, surrounded by thirteen mysterious figures. One of them I took a good look at. He was dark and sinister. He then lunged at me like a wild animal and that is when I woke up. Now do you have any idea what happened to me?

Optimus thinks for a moment.

Optimus: There have been a few Earth organics who have bloodlines that at one point, had an experience with something Cybertronian. One of their descendants would then years later would come into contact with an Allspark piece. Keep in mind, they have been scattered around the world for centuries. This causes them to have a reaction to many visions. That is what happened to you.

Sly: But what about those figures I saw?

Optimus: Those were likely "The Thirteen". They were the first of our kind, created by our God, Primus. Each of them had a unique ability that would be passed down to the many of us afterwards.

Sly: So I basically saw the Cybertronian Deities? But who was the dark guy?

Optimus: The Fallen. Megatronus. He betrayed his siblings for conquest and started the Decepticons. Eventually the young bot he mentored would eventually betray him and take his place as leader.

Sly: Megatron!?

Optimus cannot respond. He has flashes from a very long time ago where a young red Cybertronian was betrayed by one of his best friends who almost murdered him. Sly sees sadness in Optimus' face and decides to go to bed. He jumps off his rock.

Sly: This was a good talk we had Prime. I'm gonna go to bed. I promise to follow your plans from now on and hey….

Prime looks at him.

Sly: (Smiles)...'Till all are one.