Chapter 40: Unexpection

Panda King found the rest of the trapped group (Murray, Bulkhead, Elita-One and Bumblebee) and together with Murray and Bulkhead strength and PK's firework missiles from the other side, they were finally able to blast and break away Prime's trailer and open the doors.

Bumblebee: Thanks so much Panda King!

Panda King: You are very welcome, robot with insect name I cannot remember.

Bumblebee: Uhhhh…. It's Bumblebee.

Murray: Hey, did you ever catch that li'l fire guy?

Panda King: It turns out that creature was made of electricity and not fire, but sparks of electricity can start fire, so I still attempted to catch it, but to no avail.

Elita: Guys! We need to focus! Optimus and Sly need us!

Bumblebee/Bulkhead/Murray: Right!

The five run down the hall in hopes to find and help their allies.. Back in the Throne room, the Raccoon and the Commander are still exhausted. Carmelita just decides to let them rest for a while, but they all hear a familiar voice from above and clapping.

Starscream: I just want to thank you so much Optimus Prime.

The three look up to see Starscream on the elevated catwalk above.

Starscream: I knew you would kill Megatron. And you Sly Cooper, you obliterated that stitched together piece of complete scrap that he idiotically considered worthy of my former position. Color me impressed. But Megatron was right about one thing: There will be a new Decepticon Leader who will rise. Rise today!

He starts firing up the Spacebridge portal.

Starscream: I will start with something Megatron could never accomplish…..disposing of you, Optimus Prime! Have fun in sppaaaaaccceee!

Optimus: (Screams in rage) STARSCREAM!

Prime, still on the ground, knowing he doesn't have time to get up, dents his Energon axe hard into the floor, flips up his faceplate and extends his other hand.

Optimus: SLY! CARMELITA! GRAB ONTO ME TIGHTLY!

Carmelita: What's happe-?

Optimus: JUST DO IT!

Carmelita helps Sly up and they quickly grab onto Prime's hand. The other five come running by and almost enter through the doorway when…

Optimus: (Screams) EVERYONE HEAD BACK NOW! GET OUT OF HERE! GO!

Bumblebee: Huh? What?

The portal opens up….. to space….. everything is vacuuming instantly. First Megatron and Clockwerk's bodies. Then, a few of the small Shockwave drones managed to scurry through the halls. They scamper through the doorway and are instantly sucked in. Starscream is holding on tightly to the railing next to the panel, waiting to shut off the bridge once Prime is sucked in. Optimus is holding on for dear life with his axe embedded hard on the floor. His hand is holding on to Sly. Sly's to Carmelita. If the axe lets go, all three of them will be sucked into space where they will freeze to death. It would take Optimus a while, being Cybertronian, but Sly and Carmelita instantly.

Elita/Bulkhead/Bumblebee: OPTIMUS!

Murray: CAMRELITA! SLY!

Starscream: (Yells to Sly) I SAID I ONLY OWED YOU ONE, COOPER! YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST WALKED AWAY WHEN I GAVE YOU THE CHANCE!

The rest hang onto the doorway, but pull up and crawl on the walls of the hall, where they are more safe as long as they hang on.

Bulkhead: WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO!?

Bumblebee: I HAVE NO IDEA! ELITA!?

Elita cannot think of anything and has so much anxiety as her lover's life is at stake.

Panda King: I have a thought. Bulkhead, Insect bot. Hold onto me as I peek around the doorway. If I can aim correctly, the Jet robot and the control panel can be shot at with my firework missiles. That may close the portal.

Bulkhead: Alright! Well…..that's….a plan.

They try the plan, Panda King aims his first missile at Starscream, who is grinning knowing that he will be the one to kill the legendary Autobot leader. The missile is fired. Starscream hears the launch and in split seconds when turning his head, his expression turns from a grin of possible extreme achievement to "Aaaawwwwwwwww shit!". He is hit, loses his grip on the railing and is sucked into the portal straight into space.

Starscream: (Sceams) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

As he falls into the portal, Prime's axe starts to slip down the floor a few centimeters. He is certain they will not make it at this point.

Optimus: (Yells) ELITA-ONE! YOU ARE AUTOBOT LEADER NOW! I…..I….I..LOVE YOU!

Elita: (Cries) OPTIMUS, NO! DON'T LET GO! WE CAN SAVE YOU!

Prime is still holding on as much as he can. The thief and inspector look at each other. They are also certain that they are doomed.

Sly: CARMELITA MONTOYA FOX!...YOU ALWAYS SAID IT WAS IN MY NATURE AND BLOOD TO BE A THIEF! I REGRET GOING BACK TO BEING ONE! IF I HADN'T LIED TO YOU AND JUST CAME CLEAN AND YOU CONVINCED ME…..I WOULD'VE STOPPED IT ALL TOGETHER!

He tears up extremely hard.

Sly: MY…MY…BIGGEST REGRET IN LIFE…..WAS NOT ASKING YOU TO MARRY ME! I LOVE YOU…..SO MUCH!

Carmelita: (Cries) I….I….I LOVE YOU TOO SLY COOPER….HUBIERA DICHO QUE SI!

Sly could not hear that last part with all of the loud wind from the suction of the portal. He looks up at Optimus.

Sly: (Yells) OPTIMUS PRIME!

Prime looks down at Cooper.

Sly: IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE HONOR FOR ME TO FIGHT SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH THE MOST LEGENDARY AND HEROIC LEADER THIS PLANET COULD ASK FOR! 'TIL ALL ARE ONE!?

Optimus:...'TIL ALL ARE ONE, SLY COOPER!

He looks up, closes his eyes and thinks to himself "I have served my cause. My soldiers. My faction. Soon…..I shall be one with the Matrix.".

Panda King is still shooting missiles at the control panel above, but they keep missing. Everyone is starting to lose hope, until Murray has an idea.

Murray: ELITA! LET ME GET ONTO YOUR BACK! I'LL HOLD ON AND WE SLIDE DOWN TO THAT LADDER, CLIMB IT AS WELL AS THE RAILING AND IF WE HOLD ON TIGHT ENOUGH, WE CAN GET TO THE CONTROL PANEL AND SMASH IT!

Bulkhead: NO! THAT'S SUICIDE!

Elita-One is willing to risk her life for her Conjunx Endura. Murray is willing to die for his best friend and basically brother for more than half his life.

Elita: WHA-...WHAT OTHER CHOICE DO WE HAVE!?

Murray gets on Elita's back.

Bumblebee: NO! THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY!

Murray: BEE! BULKY! (cries) YOU AND THE OTHER AUTOBOTS…..TAKE CARE OF COOPERCUS FOR ME! TELL HIM… THAT I LOVE HIM!

Elita goes through the doorway and is getting vacuumed into the portal, sliding on the ground.

Bulkhead/Bumblebee: NO!

Luckily she aims at just the right angle, grabbing onto the ladder and starts to climb it. Murray is holding on tightly to her for dear life. They thankfully get to the top and Elita does her hardest with all her strength to climb up the pole on the railing. Finally the two get to the control panel.

Optimus' axe keeps slipping centimeter by centimeter. The two holding on keep staring at each other, their pupils locked at each other, of both depression and slight happiness. They know they are going to die, but at least they will die together.

Elita puts Murray on top of the panel while the both of them still hold on. He equips his Exo-suit arm blade and cannon. The hippopotamus mentally tells himself "If this is how "The Murray" will go out….THEN SO BE IT!". With all of his brutal might, he punches, smashes, slashes and blasts the panel as much as he can. Prime's axe is now slipping by inches, which gives him the motivation to do anything to smash it even if it kills him. At last, the panel is broken enough and the portal to space closes, causing the five in the room to drop to the ground.

It takes a minute for them to get up, but when they do, Elita jumps down from the walkway and throws herself into Optimus' arms, embracing him extremely emotionally of which he returns. Sly and Carmelita, of course at this point…..well you know the drill.

It takes another minute, but Murray gets up, slides down the side of the ladder like a fireman's pole and runs to tightly hug his friends. Panda King, Bulkhead and Bumblebee run into the room in complete relief that their friends survived. Sly is especially thankful towards Panda King. They started as enemies, as he was part of the group that murdered his parents to reluctant teammates when his daughter was kidnapped to now, respectful allies.

The group starts to walk out of the lair. As they do so, the inevitable question is asked.

Murray: Prime? Does this mean the very long Autobot-Decepticon war is finally over? Y'know? Now that Megatron and Starscream are dead?

Optimus still has Megatron's final words in his mind.

Optimus: I really am not certain.. the answer? Only the future holds.