Author's Notes: This chapter shouldn't have taken so long, but two things complicated its release. One is that I had to add more to the chapter than I meant to for the sake of pacing, so it was longer than I presumed it would be. Second is that I had some health complications this month. Fortunately everything turned out fine, and now I'm writing at a faster pace than I have in a long time. As long as the chapter is though, I wish I had made the latter storyline longer. I wanted to get this out sometime this year however, so I'll just save it for next chapter :)
Chapter 41
Someplace To Run To
Many Centuries Ago…
It felt like the trio of sparklings had been driving down lonely roadless deserts for most of their lives, though they knew it had only been a few deca-orns. Why did Tyger Pax have to be on the other side of the Sea of Rust? Why didn't they go to a closer city-state? Oh, right. The Decepticons. Why did the Decepticons have to gain ground so quickly? They were just a bunch of terrorists. How could they be so powerful? Why did the Decepticons hate everyone? Why?
"My wheels hurt!" Moonracer complained as the city of Tyger Pax came closer into view, "How much longer?"
"Judging from the skyline, I'd say 5 or 6 joors," Sunstreaker reported.
"5 or 6 joors?" Moonracer squeaked in shock, "But I can see it!"
"Yeah, no slag you can see it. We're in the desert," Sunstreaker rudely replied, "You can see it because everything's flat. That doesn't mean we're close yet."
"But my wheels hurt!" Moonracer whined.
"Well if we transform it'll take longer to get there, and then your pedes will hurt!" Sunstreaker snapped, "Just stop fussing and keep driving."
"I'm tired too, Sunny," Sideswipe added.
"I know. I can feel it over the bond," Sunstreaker sighed in exasperation, "Fine. You guys wanna set up camp out in the open again? We can do that. I for one am getting tired of getting grit in my undercarriage however."
"Undercarriage my skid plate! You're just upset that your shiny finish looks like scrap!" Sideswipe teased.
"So does yours," Sunstreaker replied sourly, "Come on. Let's pull out the tarp again."
Sideswipe dutifully transformed and took a dark orange tarp out of his storage compartment. The cloth was the same color as the rust particles surrounding them, so they would blend in just in case the police or someone else came around looking for them. No adults were going to stop them from getting to Tyger Pax to start a new life. Not their dad, not the police, and not even the Decepticon terrorists. They were three sparklings all on their own, and they were going to make it in this mean old world known as Cybertron.
The three got inside the tarp and laid down on their fronts. The tarp would protect and conceal them, and soon they would be able to recharge in peace. For the moment however, all they wanted to do was talk and think about the future.
"Do you think we'll get jobs in Tyger Pax?" Moonracer asked.
"Sure. I'll be a racer, just like those mechs on the broadcasts," Sunstreaker declared, "Sides and I can race together, and no one will ever beat us! Maybe if we can't be racers, then we can be gladiators. It's not as prestigious, but they make good credits and have lots of femmes after them."
"I wanna be a dancer," Moonracer gushed, "I wish I was a seeker. Those are the most graceful dancers. Maybe I'll dance at those fancy aristocratic balls like they have in Iacon for the rich mechs. Are there elite mechs in Tyger Pax?"
"I don't see why there wouldn't be," Sunstreaker shrugged, "Hey Sideswipe, are there rich mechs in- Sideswipe!"
"What? I'm listening!" Sideswipe said quickly as he put away his data pad, "Dancers in races! Got it!"
"You haven't put that stupid thing down since we started this journey," Sunstreaker griped, "You never read this much back in school."
"Well, yeah, but...there's actually some good stuff in here," Sideswipe replied defensively, "Ratchet is pretty smart, from what I can tell. There's medical stuff, but there's also cool stuff too. There's a book on the adventures of a femme called Beta, who saved the skies even though she's a grounder. There's also the story of the Turbo Fox and The Cyberhound. I'm not done with it yet, but I think their friendship is gonna last forever."
"Why don't you read out loud? So we can hear it too?" Moonracer suggested.
"I don't wanna hear that kiddie slag!" Sunstreaker protested, "Why bother with it? Books won't help us survive out here. Only our wits will."
"I've been thinking Sunny...I wanna go back to Iacon," Sideswipe said sadly.
"Iacon? But we drove forever out here!" Moonracer argued before Sunstreaker had a chance to, "Why would you go back?"
"Because I wanna be with Bluestreak, and Ratchet," Sideswipe replied.
"Ratchet? You were scared of him before," Sunstreaker snorted.
"Yeah, well I'm not now," Sideswipe snapped defensively, "Bluestreak is my best friend, and I don't wanna abandon my best friend. Ratchet said he would adopt us. We could have a real family, and Bluestreak could be our brother. He saved our lives from Sire. He'd be a good brother. We should go back."
"Ratchet won't adopt Moonracer," Sunstreaker pointed out, "If we go back, that means leaving Moonracer all alone. She's our friend too, and I'm not willing to leave her behind, even if she is annoying. Besides, Bluestreak is probably dead."
"Oh, Sunstreaker, I don't think-"
Before Moonracer could finish her thought however, she heard a warning inside her processor. Energon down to 7%. Levels critical. Replenish now or go into stasis lock.
"Oh no! My energon!" Moonracer squealed, "It's almost gone!"
"Don't shout. It uses more," Sideswipe advised, and Sunstreaker looked at him funny, "I read it in the textbook Ratchet gave me."
"Yeah, well, mine is down too," Sunstreaker reluctantly admitted, "It's at 12%. You?"
"7," Moonracer whimpered.
"Yeah, we're gonna die," Sideswipe said pessimistically.
"No we're not," Sunstreaker proclaimed with the assurance only a reckless sparkling could have, "We just have to find energon. I'll carry Moonracer, but we have to keep going."
"Right," Sideswipe nodded seriously.
With that they removed the tarp, and Sideswipe carefully put it back in his compartment before transforming into car mode. Sunstreaker did the same, and Moonracer climbed on top of Sunstreaker so he could drive with her. The city was very far away, so their only hope was if they could find another traveler along the way. Given this was the Sea of Rust however, that was not very likely.
It took three joors before any sign of civilization presented itself, and by then Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were half dead. Moonracer had just awakened from a temporary stasis lock, and her bleary optics didn't quite know what they were looking at. Then she recognized it. A collapsible building.
"What is that?" Moonracer asked groggily.
"We think it's a merchant trader or something," Sunstreaker replied, "Either way, a lot of mechs are going in and out of the place."
"Do we have anything to trade for energon?" Sideswipe asked hopefully.
"Not really, unless old data pads are worth anything," Sunstreaker replied bitterly, "No, I'm afraid if we want energon, we're gonna have to steal it."
"Steal it? But we're not criminals!" Moonracer protested.
"We are now," Sunstreaker replied nonchalantly, "Sides, you get behind me. Moonie, you bring up the rear. We gotta be silent, and we gotta be quick. Go."
The three sparklings snuck up to the building with as much stealth as they could manage, which was more than they expected they had. Moonracer couldn't believe they were doing this. It was moments like this when little Moonracer cursed the functionalist system that had deemed her useless. If she had just been made by the Allspark she would have had a purpose. Being a merge spark made her unknowable to the functionalists, which wouldn't have been a problem, except she also didn't have creators anymore either. They didn't want her, so she was forced to live in an orphanage.
Stealing wasn't something Moonracer wanted to do, but if this was the life she was dealt, then so be it. At least she wasn't alone anymore. At least now she had the twins to rely on. Sunstreaker, with his adult-like determination and forward thinking attitude, and Sideswipe, with his easy going demeanor and thirst for life. She just hoped Tyger Pax held the promise for them that she hoped it would.
They made it to the edge of the building and stopped when Sunstreaker gave the hand signal. He observed the comings and goings of the grown ups, and noticed something unusual. They didn't just have energon, but a stockpile of weapons as well. Considering how banged up most of these mechs looked, it wouldn't make sense for them to be able to afford weapons like those. Then he noticed...every one of them...had an insignia...
"Scrap," Sunstreaker whispered.
"What is it, Sunny?" Sideswipe whispered back.
"Decepticons," Sunstreaker replied, "This is one of their camps."
"Near Tyger Pax?" Moonracer asked anxiously, "Why would they be here? They were in Iacon! That's practically the other side of the world!"
"Shh!" Both twins hissed at her.
"Hey! You there!" A booming voice from behind them shouted.
The kids turned around, and a mech the size of three glared down at them; his bright red visor shining like a warning light announcing their doom. The kids gulped in unison, and Moonracer tried to run, but the bulky mech grabbed her by the torso and held her close to his faceplate.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Sideswipe shouted angrily.
"Heh heh heh," The mech laughed mockingly, "So, we have glitch mice. The commander will want to speak with you. Heh heh heh."
The Decepticon walked away with only Moonracer, knowing the other two sparklings would follow him. He was right. The twins couldn't leave Moonracer behind, so they walked behind the Decepticon in defeat, but the anger shared between their sparks bespoke of more than mere surrender. Beneath the surface bubbled a fury that few could match.
"Commander Soundwave, I bring spies!" The Decepticon announced to his commanding officer, "How should they be dealt with?"
The sparklings looked at the Decepticon addressed as 'Commander Soundwave', and each one had a different perception of him. Moonracer thought he was the scariest mech she had ever seen. His hidden face, his dark slender frame, and his tentacles made him look like one of those strange mods used on gladiators to force them to obey. Sunstreaker stared at his own reflection in Soundwave's face mask, wondering what the mech underneath looked like. Sideswipe actually thought he looked kind of wimpy; like his armor was fake or something.
Then, in Cybertronian glyphs, a sentence appeared on the face mask! The sparklings had never seen anyone communicate this way, so they were taken aback for a moment. The message read: /Are they useful?/
"No, commander. Merely glitch mice in need of stomping," The first Decepticon replied menacingly.
/Then stomp them,/ read the visor.
With no further prompting needed, the large mech pulled out a gun and held it to Moonracer's head.
"AAAAHH!" Moonracer screamed in fear, feeling her metal constrict in his grip as he took aim.
"NO!" The twins shouted as one.
With force the young mechs didn't know they were capable of, they threw themselves on the larger Decepticon and forced him to the ground. In the struggle he released Moonracer, and she gulped in several intakes of air to steady herself. The boys got up and ran to Moonracer, and together they started running away. Halfway through however, Moonracer's leg seized up. Her energon was too low for her to run anymore!
Soundwave, meanwhile, walked closer to the sparklings at a languid pace. The fact that he wasn't even that interested in chasing them made the situation somehow even scarier. They were trapped, and he knew they were trapped, so why waste the energy it would take to capture them?
The twins wouldn't leave Moonracer behind, but at the same time they knew they couldn't fight that...thing. All they could do was look up at it in wonder and fear, knowing this was probably their last orn alive.
"Leave me!" Moonracer shouted in desperation, "You can still run! Leave me here!"
"Leave you with that?" Sunstreaker spat, "No way! We can take him. Right, Sides?"
Sideswipe gulped but then said "Um, yeah. Sure..."
Soundwave, not in the mood to play with children, turned the ends of his tentacles into speakers and blasted the very sonic waves that were his namesake. There wasn't exactly sound so much as a feeling of sound. The kids felt like they were being pushed to the floor by the sheer force of the sonic attack. Even if they wanted to plead for mercy, their assailant wouldn't even hear them.
Suddenly, the rust beneath the floor started to give way from the blast, and a hole was formed in the ground below! Moonracer and the twins screamed, and Moonracer came close to falling to her doom. Sunstreaker held onto her as she struggled over the abyss, and Sideswipe held onto Sunstreaker. The Decepticon didn't stop his attack, knowing it wouldn't be long before their bodies tore themselves apart.
Sunstreaker shouted something to Moonracer, but she couldn't hear him because of the sound waves. Then, in an instant, Sunstreaker threw her to the front door of the building, which she missed by mere inches. Moonracer turned around in time to see Sunstreaker and Sideswipe fall into the hole...
...Moonracer awoke with cleaning fluid streaming down her optics. It was dark, but she could see a Vehicon hovering over her recharge berth. It was Springer.
"Were you watching me recharge this whole time?" Moonracer asked, trying and failing to sound playful.
"You were screaming," Springer informed her, "What happened? Bad dream?"
"Bad memory," Moonracer replied drolly, "Something from my childhood. The first time I ever saw the Decepticons in person. I...I ran. My friends protected me, and I ran. They could have gotten away, but I was so clumsy, so...tired. It feels like my whole life I've been getting other people into trouble just because they wanted to protect me."
"I'm surprised that's the memory that stuck. According to Wheeljack most Vehicons replay their final moments over and over again. Something from your sparklinghood feels a little odd to me."
"Me too, if I'm being honest," Moonracer sighed, "It just feels like I'm bad luck sometimes. My own creators didn't want me, I failed every job I ever had, and then I got turned into a Vehicon just because I didn't have the sense to run away from an Insecticon when it literally crashed through the window. What if Wheeljack is just another 'Bot that's gonna get killed because he ran into me?"
"Not gonna happen," Springer assured her, "Nothing kills Wheeljack. Not explosions, not Decepticons, and not even the other Wreckers he's fragged off over the vorns. That guy's practically invincible, so you don't have to worry about your imaginary bad luck."
"Springer...Wheeljack said you were a Wrecker too," Moonracer brought up, "So, how did you become a drone? Was it some heroic feat to save a village or something?"
"Kinda," Springer shrugged, "Actually, it was a mission I failed. I wasn't even on Cybertron when I got the call. I was stationed on Gorr with Kup, our commanding officer. We were fighting off an unknown threat to protect the Autobots that had immigrated there following the war. Well, I was off shift, minding my own business, when I answered an emergency call from the Wreckers private comm frequency. It was from Cybertron. Specifically it was from my old friend Bulkhead, who was stationed in Iacon with his family and a few other Wreckers."
"Family? I didn't know Wreckers were allowed to have families," Moonracer commented.
"It wasn't common, since our lives were generally short, but sometimes comrades found each other," Springer explained, "Bulkhead and Waterfall were both tough as tungsten, and their sons were pint sized powerhouses. They had left the Wreckers by this time, and had been assigned to Iacon to guard Elita One. Bulkhead kept the comm frequency though, and good thing too, because this was an emergency..."
Springer flew to Cybertron as quickly as he could, but feared he would only get there in time to clean up the mess. Wreckers never called for backup, so Springer knew that whatever was wrong had to be big. Bulkhead wouldn't call for nothing. In fact, Springer was a little ashamed that his old teammate would do so cowardly a thing as call for help at all. It just wasn't the Wrecker way. Family life had apparently made the big green lugnut go soft.
When Springer arrived in Iacon, the site was as gruesome as he expected. Melted buildings, grease fires, and dismembered parts littered the ground. The smoke in the air was acrid, and the pungent stench of smelted metal was overwhelming. It was like a foundry from the pit.
One lone Autobot hobbled into view from where Springer had landed, a red and orange car-former that almost camouflaged amid the burning city-state. Iacon had burned once before, so it was strange to Springer that this place could fall for an all-out attack again.
"Sir! Sir, you gotta help us!" The Autobot pleaded with Springer.
Upon closer inspection, the hobbling 'Bot had melted arms and a faceplate that seemed to be trying to drip down to the ground. It was a horrific sight.
"I'll fly you to a medic in Nuon," Springer promised.
"No!" The young mech shouted desperately, "There are...survivors. Under the rubble, over there. I heard them."
Springer wasted no time in following the flame painted mech to the wreckage. He hoped to find Bulkhead, Waterfall, Huffer, Sunrise or Brawn. If even one of them survived, it would be a miracle. Sunrise was just a newspark, not even able to communicate yet, and she lived somewhere in Iacon too. If Bulkhead and Waterfall lost their new baby they would be inconsolable.
They spent two joors digging in the rubble, all the while watching for fire. If anything burning came too close it would melt the wreckage, and then they would never rescue anyone. Finally, after tireless searching, the younger mech saw a servo twitch under a fallen desk.
"Sir, I found something!"
Springer ran over to see who or what it was, and to his relief he recognized that large hand. It was Bulkhead!
"Hang in there, big guy!" Springer shouted down at his friend, "We're gonna dig you out. Don't make any sudden moves!"
Springer used his bare servos to dig through the shards of metal and glass, but to his surprise his impromptu comrade turned his servo into a shovel and began to dig with great efficiency.
"Nice work, kid," Springer commended him, "What's your name anyway?"
"You waited two joors...to ask me that?" The mech snarked despite his exhaustion and wounds, "My name is...Hot Rod."
"Well hang in there, Hot Rod," Springer encouraged, "We're gonna save some lives today, including yours."
The two continued to dig until enough of Bulkhead was exposed that they could assess his wounds. It didn't look good. One of his legs was severed at the upper ball joint, his helm was caved in, and his chassis was exposed all the way to his spark casing. Despite these life threatening injuries however, Bulkhead was awake and groaning.
"We gotta find more survivors," Springer told him, "You gonna be okay here while we search?"
Bulkhead tried to say something, but all that came out was "Meh...Meh..."
"Don't try to talk," Springer ordered, "Hot Rod, sit with Bulkhead. I'll keep digging."
Hot Rod did as he was told, and even as Springer dug for survivors he listened in on their conversation. Hot Rod did most of the talking since despite how ugly his wounds were he was actually doing better than Bulkhead. Every now and then Bulkhead would grunt, but he couldn't really talk.
"So then I transferred to Iacon after the military academy," Hot Rod continued, "My best friend Smokescreen got stuck guarding some old guy. Lucky me though, I get to get my aft blown off in combat. Hah!"
"Mega..." Bulkhead tried to say.
"Yeah, can you believe Megatron came out of nowhere?" Hot Rod finished for him, "I had never seen him in person before. He sure is ugly!"
"...'Li...ta..." Bulkhead slurred, "...took."
"Oh, right. I hope we find Elita One in the wreckage," Hot Rod replied sympathetically, "She's a good leader. I think Chromia and Ironhide managed to get several civilians out of the way. Those guys were so fragging cool!"
"No..." Bulkhead rasped, "...took...away...Mega...tron."
"Huh? Are you trying to tell us something, sir?" Hot Rod asked Bulkhead.
"Megs...took...Elita...away..." Bulkhead finally managed to say, "Wafull...shot."
"Waffle? What's a waffle?" Hot Rod asked in confusion.
"Waterfall," Springer supplied even as he continued to dig, "Bulkhead said his wife was shot. She's probably dead. Am I right in assuming that, Bulk?"
Bulkhead weakly nodded, and then fell into stasis lock.
"We have to get him out of here," Hot Rod said with determination.
"Agreed, but one of us has to stay here and look for survivors," Springer replied, "I'll transport Bulkhead. You keep digging."
"Um, sir? Not to question your orders, but I need medical treatment too," Hot Rod pointed out, "I should drive Bulkhead. I'll come back as soon as I can, sir. Promise."
"Fine. Just hurry," Springer groused.
Hot Rod quickly grabbed Bulkhead and transformed so that he could carry Bulkhead on his roof. Springer knew he should have gone since his helicopter mode would be faster, but he also wanted to keep looking for survivors. He knew Waterfall had reinforced armor, as did Huffer and Brawn, so they could have survived the firefight. He just had to find them, and once he did they could all reunite with Bulkhead. He just wanted to give his friend something to live for...
"And then what happened?" Moonracer asked.
"While I was digging in the dirt like an Insecticon some seekers ambushed me," Springer shrugged at his defeat, "I guess it wasn't all bad. Sure, I was tortured, humiliated, and then turned into a Vehicon servant class drone, but the good part is Bulkhead survived his operation that orn. According to Wheeljack, Bulkhead's even got a native friend who can kick 'Con tailpipe. So overall, not the worst way to go, so to speak."
"Do you ever regret it? Fighting Decepticons?" Moonracer asked.
"Nah. My only regret is that I didn't get my memory back while on the Nemesis. I would have crashed the entire ship if I had known."
"Well then I'm glad you didn't know," Moonracer countered, "I know the Decepticons are evil, but there are a lot of good and confused people on that ship. Vehicons, Eradicons, and...maybe even some officers. Megatron uses mind games and intimidation to keep his servants loyal to him. Breaking his toys won't be enough. We have to reach their sparks."
"I guess," Springer reluctantly relented, "But if it comes down to me or a 'Con, I'm picking myself. If that 'Con happens to be a drone, I'll still kill them. It's better to be dead than to serve Megatron. If Wheeljack had needed to kill me, I would understand why."
Moonracer hung her helm in sadness. She didn't love her Vehicon body either, but at least she survived. She couldn't understand someone like Springer, even though they had been friends for vorns. She was a nurse, trained to heal, and the idea of causing harm to someone out of their right mind felt disgusting to her. It really was like ICN-8675 was a different mech now. Out with the drone, in with the Wrecker.
The other Autobots couldn't believe what Prime had just uttered. Elita? A Vehicon? Could it be true? They all knew Megatron could be lying, but at the same time...her body had never been recovered. It was technically possible. Optimus and Bumblebee were the ones who wanted this to be genuine more than anything. Optimus because he missed his beloved sparkmate, and Bumblebee because he missed his carrier. If Megatron were lying, it would be a risky gambit to evoke the memory of a hero like Elita One.
"He's lying!" The Vehicon shouted, "I'm not Elita! I'm just a drone!"
"It is too late, Elita," Megatron grinned with venomous glee, "Your spark has been scanned, and your processor has been freed. You do not know how to behave like a drone anymore, and thus you cannot convince them of your deception. Now Optimus, I want you and your flunkies to disarm yourselves and hand over the Omega Keys, or I will destroy your precious femme."
"We're not seriously going to disarm for one prisoner, are we?" Dreadwing asked in disgust.
"Don't do it!" Elita desperately yelled, "He's lying! Shoot him!"
"Now I ask you, would a Vehicon make such a ridiculous demand?" Megatron asked smugly, "Ten seconds, Prime. Disarm or I will kill her."
"Prime?" Dreadwing pressed.
Optimus Prime closed his optics for a brief moment, feeling as if the weight of his decision was physically crushing him, but when he opened his optics again his choice was clear and resolute.
"If I doom the Autobot cause on Cybertron, so be it," Prime declared, "but I will never forsake one of our own. Autobots, stand down."
"But Optimus-!" Arcee protested.
"I said stand down!" Optimus shouted, using a tone that was very rare to hear from the Autobot leader, "Please."
Optimus then plunged his sword into the ground and backed away to rejoin his group. With no other choice, the rest of the team one by one followed suit. Apex Armor, Polarity Gauntlet, Phase Shifter...one by one every weapon was tossed into the pile in between Autobot and Decepticon. Dreadwing, realizing he was outnumbered by his so-called team, tossed his cannon and some ninja star bombs into the pile as well. He didn't like where this was going, but he understood the desire to protect a family member at all costs. He knew he would have done the same for Skyquake.
"Now, bring me the keys," Megatron purred, savoring this moment of final victory over the Autobots.
Optimus held out his hands to his team, and with heavy sparks they handed over the treasured relics. Their chance to revive Cybertron was gone, and all they had to console themselves with was that Megatron would at least use the keys to restore the planet himself. At least they would have a home again...even if they were no longer welcome on it.
Megatron got behind Elita and pushed her toward Optimus, who likewise walked toward her with deliberate yet fearless steps. He had to be ready for anything. Megatron might yet betray him and harm Elita.
Megatron's slag eating grin was hard to stomach, but what Optimus took greater note of as he handed over the keys was the glowing red visor of the Vehicon. Even without a mouth, even without free facial movement, he could see it in her visor. She was angry at him. Angry that he was practically giving Cybertron to the Decepticons. That was definitely the burning spark of Elita One.
"Now that our transaction is complete, I will allow you to bear witness as we forge a new Cybertron," Megatron grinned widely as he spoke, "Now, let us behold the power of the Omega Lock!"
Just as Megatron said this a space bridge opened, and dozens of armed Vehicons came pouring out of the portal and ran toward the Autobots. Optimus ran back with his team, holding Elita's servo the entire time to make certain he didn't lose her. Once the Autobots were surrounded, the Vehicons aimed their weapons and awaited Megatron's further orders. This was it. They were trapped without recourse.
"I cannot believe this," Dreadwing hissed once Optimus was close enough to hear.
"Neither can I," Elita added bitterly, "You should have kept the keys. I am not a worthy trade for them."
"Elita..." Optimus spoke softly as he gently rubbed his servo over her face, "...You are worth everything to me."
"No!" Elita shouted as she smacked his servo away, "Don't you get it? I will never be the same femme you fell in love with again! Even if I was, this is Cybertron we're talking about!"
[Saving you didn't kill Cybertron,] Bumblebee pointed out, [The Omega Lock will still be used, and you'll be home with us instead of on Buckethead's warship. I think that's a fair trade. Don't you?]
Elita didn't know how to respond to that. She had been so used to her wretched Vehicon form, her life of penance born from her failure, that she never considered that Optimus could love her as she was. Even Bumblebee, her poor neglected son, was willing to welcome her back. Despite how grim the situation was, she found herself practically lunging into Optimus's arms; ready to feel the familiar heat of his spark again.
"Look!" Bulkhead suddenly shouted as he pointed to the Omega Lock, "They've activated it!"
Megatron was at the controls himself, with his officers standing beside him, as he used the fine targeting system on the Omega Lock. Before he used this ancient device in earnest, he first wanted to test it. Aiming for a random building, Megatron set the device for total restoration.
A beam of light shot out from the limpid portal above, and it encased the ruined building in front of them. When the Omega Lock was finished, the structure looked like polished silver...as if the war had never touched it.
"By the Allspark..." Optimus breathed in awe.
"Shiny," Knockout commented nonchalantly.
"Now that the power of the Omega Lock is ours, we can restore Cybertron!" Starscream exclaimed gleefully.
"Yes, total Decepticon rule," Megatron added approvingly, "But why rule only one world, when we can rule two?"
"Two?" Thundercracker asked uncomprehendingly.
"Yes," Megatron hissed, "Watch, Optimus Prime, as I claim my final victory! Not only will Cybertron be mine, but so will the very heart of Unicron!"
The Omega Lock was repositioned for its next target, and a growing sense of dread filled the Autobots as one by one they realized...the next target was earth.
"There are trillions of life forms on that planet!" Arcee shouted in rage, "Seven billion sentient beings! You can't do this!"
"I wonder what I should call my new domain?" Megatron gloated, ignoring Arcee's words, "New Kaon? Or perhaps, Gilded Earth."
With that Megatron let out a laugh that sounded utterly evil. Even his subordinates joined him, from Starscream to Knockout to even Soundwave! The noise echoed, and the thoughts of what was to come set off a fire within Optimus Prime. He imagined their friends...Jack, Miko, Rafael, June, and even Agent Fowler, becoming nothing more than lifeless statues as the Omega Lock overrode the organic world for its new matrix. He couldn't allow that to happen. He couldn't allow countless lives to be snuffed by Megatron. As painful as it was, there was only one option.
Optimus suddenly broke away from the other Autobots, and the Vehicons were so surprised that they didn't even have time to stop Prime before he grabbed hold of the Star Saber from the pile of weapons on the ground. Once he had his sword in hand the Vehicons tried to shoot, and to most it would seem several guns should defeat one mere sword, but between the power of the Star Saber and the determination in Optimus Prime's spark, there was no way they could hope to stop him.
Megatron heard the commotion, and grabbed the Dark Star Saber to meet Optimus Prime head on. He didn't have to kill Prime, only stall him, and then his plan would be complete.
As Megatron swung the sword with his newly grafted arm, the arm of Solus Prime, he was sure this would be a battle for the ages. Optimus wasn't interested in a drawn out battle however. This time he meant business.
With one precise swing of the Star Saber, Optimus sliced Megatron's stolen arm clean off, and Megtron's pain was overridden by his shock. Optimus had never done something so bold before!
Optimus, wanting to cover as much ground as possible, leapt into the air with his sword held aloft. Starscream, thinking quickly, tried to aim his missile blasters at the Prime, but Prime just used Starscream's faceplate as a stepping stone when he landed.
Wasting no time, Optimus plunged his blade into the Omega Lock's controls, and sealed Cybertron's fate forever. The machine powered down and broke apart, already fragile from vorns of decay, and the laser that would have spelled doom for earth was snuffed. That didn't mean all was quiet and calm however, for the power that had been in the machine now directed itself outward, resulting in an explosion that sent everyone near the Omega Lock reeling!
The Autobots, as well as the Decepticons, were stunned. Chromia was the first to get her bearings, and knew they needed to retreat while they still could.
/Ratchet, this is Chromia! Open the space bridge now!/
The space bridge came online a mere second later, and the Autobots made a break for it; Bulkhead and Chromia supporting Prime's arms so he could move faster. It was a rather disappointing end to their journey to say the least.
Starscream, dazed from the blast, took a moment to comprehend his surroundings. The first thing he saw was the Autobots running through their ground bridge. The second thing he noticed was fire. Everything was on fire...everything was dead. Again.
"Err...Prime!" Starscream roared in rage, "You'll pay for dooming our planet to remain a lifeless husk!"
"Hm, guess we can cancel the welcome home party," Knockout remarked indifferently as he walked up to Starscream.
Starscream, unwilling to deal with the medic's sassy mouth, punched the car-former with all his might! Knockout looked stunned, but Starscream was way past feeling bad about that.
"Attend to our master!" Starscream ordered, "He requires medical attention!"
Knockout, unwilling to further provoke Starscream in this state, rushed to Megatron's side to see if the severed arm could be reattached. He expected Megatron to be angry like Starscream. He even expected to be hit again. What he didn't expect was laughter, yet that was exactly how Megatron reacted. He laughed at the scene of destruction before him, and the others looked at him like he had lost his processor.
"Ahahahahaha! They can run, but they can never again run home," Megatron chortled.
Most of the Decepticons were confused. They had lost their home too, so why would denying the Autobots Cybertron benefit them in any way? Soundwave however understood perfectly. Megatron's next move would not be the retaking of Cybertron, but a revenge that would be far more satisfying. They were going to strike right at the Autobots' spark.