CHAPTER 14: MEGATRON'S SICK MIND
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
All was quiet inside our base; a rare occurrence if I had to be honest. Between us leaving for patrols, scouts, training and even the humans with the entertainment centre, there was always noise somewhere here. It was always a good thing though, because silence usually meant trouble; especially if the silence was from the Decepticons.
"Optimus, you're not going to believe this." I looked up at Ratchet's sudden call. He was at his workstation, per usual, doing his usual things. "I've just pinpointed the location of a Decepticon warship."
…That… is not one of those usual things.
I pushed myself off the wall I was leaning against so I could get a closer look, and based on the sound of pede steps around me, it sounded like everyone was gathering around. Up on the green monitors, a red location signature was highlighted on the map of Earth.
By Primus… it really was the Warship…!
"How did you penetrate their cloaking technology?" Optimus asked.
"I didn't." Ratchet looked back to his work. "I was experimenting with variable frequency wavelengths when I stumbled upon it." The monitor zoomed in on the location and brought up an image of the Decepticon ship. "Even still, their ship must be experiencing some kind of electromagnetic breach."
"With Megatron deceased, and the element of surprise." Arcee punched her fists together.
"We can cause some serious damage," Bulkhead agreed.
"It's like they're giving us their deaths on a silver platter," Sunburst mused, "Almost too good to be true."
It was a faultless idea. The one time we were all firing on all cylinders and available to go while the Decepticons were vulnerable. We really could cause chaos, maybe even spark an end to this war.
The monitor beeped again; a blue location signature popped up in the same area as the Warship…
Blue?!
"It's an Autobot Emergency Beacon," Starlight gasped, "On the same radio frequency."
What were the chances? …I'd say very, very low in usual circumstances.
"The Decepticons can wait. There may be Autobots in distress. Ratchet and Starlight, bring your medical kit." Optimus turned towards me. "Provide back-up."
It was the right call to make; prioritising possibly in-need Autobots than storming the Warship. Regardless, I wasn't feeling the usual thrill or excitement of heading out; this was an emergency beacon, after all. Anything could be a reason for this emergency. I could only cross my digits that we weren't walking into some kind of disaster…
We arrived at the location of the emergency beacon. The sky was dark and grey, the moon peeking through the clouds to shine light on… the destruction before us…
"A crash-landing. Buried here for centuries."
Starlight was putting on her mouth shield, "Was I the only one hoping for something else?"
Probably not…
There were no visible openings of the ship that we could see, so Ratchet sawed a large hole in the side. Optimus kicked the wall in easily, since he was the strongest one of us to be able to do so… even if the rust on the ship probably made it easier than it should've. He entered the ship first, Starlight and I joined him, and no doubt Ratchet was behind us. Optimus and Starlight switched on their torches.
"If they traveled in stasis mode, there may be survivors," Ratchet turned on his torch.
I activated my weapons. I didn't have a servo-held torch like the others, but you never know what could be hiding on a destroyed ship like this one.
There was a possibility of survivors, but it just didn't feel possible to me. If this ship had possibly been here for as long as Optimus suggested, why were we only getting the beacon now? Was it because of Ratchet experimenting with the frequencies? Or something else?
The ship suddenly moved underneath us. I think we all nearly fell at the shaking. It felt never-ending… until it finally did stop. I was on my knees, leaning onto my leader. I must've just about fell onto him, or maybe fallen over completely if he hadn't been there. I glanced over at Starlight and Ratchet; they were okay. We all were. I returned to my pedes with Optimus so we could continue forward.
One of the torches shone onto a door at the end of the corridor. Starlight bravely took a few steps forward, probably to test if it would activate and open for us if she was in the vicinity… But it didn't. It likely had been shut for so long that the systems no longer functioned the way it used to. Optimus went to the door and began forcing it open for us, metal screeching as it finally activated. We walked through as the torches allowed us to see more of the situation…
A rusty protoform lay on the ground before us… in a pool of its own Energon. I looked around the room - there were more lifeless Cybertronians around us. Whatever had happened, they probably didn't stand a chance against it…
"Optimus!" I looked over at Ratchet; he was scanning one of the offline Autobots. His scanner turned red immediately. "These Autobots didn't perish in the crash!" He stood at full height to us. "They're displaying the effects of a virus!"
"A plague ship," Starlight whispered.
I took a step forward, but something jumped in front of me, "Don't touch anything!" Ratchet's tone was serious, more than usual. "The virus could still be active." I looked down at the pool of Energon near my pedes...
...It was purple instead of blue.
The ship began to shake again, veering us into the wall harshly.
"Scrap this." This crash-site was too unstable and if the virus was still active like Ratchet said, it probably wasn't a good idea to remain. "I think we need to leave."
Having a scrap with the 'Cons on the Warship sounded like a much better prospect than risking our lives on a plague ship.
Sudden noise made me look up. One of the offline Autobots began falling down… towards me. I held my arms and looked away to brace for the incoming 'Bot…
Optimus suddenly began moving rapidly beside me, groaning like he was in pain.
"No…" I looked up at Ratchet and Starlight's gasps.
The corpse had stopped falling… but it was leaking.
Optimus… he must've gotten the virus onto him somehow…!
Primus no…
We had moved quickly to return home and get Optimus in the medical bay. It was a struggle considering that not only were we not strong enough to help Optimus on our own, but he had also become extremely weak, far too quickly than a usual injury. We had to call Bulkhead and Aquastrike to rush out immediately to help.
Starlight had told me when we walked through the portal that Optimus had moved to protect me at the same time I had shielded myself, but instead of the poisoned soldier corpse falling on him, it was droplets of the infected Energon.
…It should've been me on this medical berth… certainly not the one person we needed most in our team!
The weight was heavy on my shoulderpads, guilt squeezing my spark so tightly I wanted to burst into anger. Why Optimus, why?! Why did he have to protect me like that?
Distant beeping became clear, rapidly repeating on the scanner Ratchet was moving over Optimus, "Cybonic plague. It's only contagious if contact is made with the infected Energon."
"What was a plague doing in an Autobot spaceship?" The humans had moved to be above us.
"Its passengers were likely infected," Sunburst told Miko.
"The virus wiped out millions on Cybertron during the Great War," Arcee piped in.
"Cybonic Plague was engineered in the Decepticon's Biological Warfare Program." Servo-crafted sounded more appropriate than engineered. "By Megatron himself."
It had been created long before I had any real sense of the war, too young to really understand what was going on around me. But it took so many victims… Most of them Autobots. Nearly all of their dead forms had to be destroyed in a careful way in order for the virus to stop spreading. There was no doubt that many tried to flee from it too by escaping Cybertron; some unlucky 'Bot was probably carrying the virus on that ship in the desert without knowing it. In a confined area like that, they would've had no chance of survival.
"You… have a cure don't you?"
Optimus suddenly groaned. "No…cure."
"Optimus please, save your strength," Ratchet gently coaxed.
My internal instincts wanted to move me so I could be beside Optimus. Both Ratchet and Starlight had warned me not to be near in case the virus was still active and strong enough to be passed on via contact. I - unwillingly - remained with Arcee and Sunburst.
"Would Megatron create a disease without having a cure?" I looked up to Jack at his question.
Carly moved beside him, "There would've been a chance he could've got it by accident too, right?"
Things hadn't really changed between those two since last week, and that was despite Arcee telling me privately Jack had mentioned missing Carly as a friend. It was frustrating to say the least because it was obvious to a lot of us that he had more feelings about Carly than he was letting on. Whether he knew that himself or not was a different story altogether, but we all really just wanted him and her to sort out their issues so we could stop treading lightly around them.
"Ain't like we could call 'im up ta say howdy, Jack. Ol' Warbrin'er would be too busy pushin' up lugnuts right now."
I would usually be thrilled by the reminder that Megatron was no longer alive, as would everyone else… I hated the fact that, now of all times, we needed him more than ever so we could have a chance at saving Optimus. Unless he had inputted the cure into his Warship, there was no chance of uncovering it…
…Didn't we just uncover coordinates to the Warship earlier…?
Maybe if he did, then maybe we don't need him to be alive after all…!
I narrowed my optics at Ratchet, "We still have a fix on the Warship?"
He pointed to one of his workstations. It had the data and locations for both the Decepticon Warship and the Autobot plague ship showing on the monitor, "For the moment, we may be able to access the Decepticon database."
All we needed to do was infiltrate the Warship and get to their database. We could find what we needed there!
"Arcee, Sunburst, Bumblebee." Their attention was on me in an instant. "With me. The rest of you stay here with Optimus and the kids."
"Uh, uh, uh, Windswept. I have yet to ensure you are fit and able."
Why was Ratchet questioning me? If I had been affected by that Plague, I would've been in a similar condition to our leader by now.
"I have to go, Ratchet. It should've been me."
"It shouldn't have been anyone, 'Swept."
I narrowed my optics at Starlight, "It should've been me."
Why wasn't it me? Why did Optimus have to go and risk his life?
There was heard a loud sigh at the same time I moved towards the Groundbridge controls. "Windswept?" The faint groans nearby Ratchet were painful to hear. "Quickly."
I nodded at him, and slammed the Groundbridge controls down. The portal swirled to life in front of us, "Be ready for anything."
We leapt out of the 'Bridge one by one, weapons ready for anyone that could've been in the vicinity. The dark hallway was long and wide; it felt endless just staring down it, but there weren't any 'Cons in sight; a perfect start.
"Let's start with the lab."
I glanced at Arcee, "You know the way?"
"Wouldn't be the first time we've been on this ship."
Of course Arcee and Bumblebee have been here before. They had to do that rescue mission with Bulkhead for Agent Fowler that time… Sunburst, well… we don't need to go into details about that…
It was my first time on the Warship though, so I nodded towards Arcee, "Lead the way."
She and Bumblebee took small steps forward, Sunburst and I tracking close behind. We had to be careful and cautious; one small slip up could spell disaster for us in so many ways. We couldn't allow that to happen… I won't allow anything to happen that means we can't save Optimus.
We reached a corner in the hallway. Arcee and I peeked around it…
Doors suddenly slid open in front of us. Something yanked me away so fast, I didn't see who it was that activated them. I couldn't see anything except the battle axes on Sunburst' back struts.
"What makes Moonlight think she can act like she runs this ship?" I didn't need to see to know that was Rebecca Rose's voice. "She acts like she could overthrow Starscream and Slipstream with ease."
"Believe it or not Rose, Moonlight could if she wanted to." Knock Out's too.
"I swear everywhere we go-" I rubbed Sunburst's arm to try and get him to settle - the last thing we needed was him going off on a revenge tangent.
"Then why doesn't she?"
"Who doesn't love the thrill of watching Starscream's plans go down the drain?" I could hear the smirk in Knock Out's voice.
"It isn't a good day without some kind of failure from Starscream." Rebecca was chuckling.
The footsteps suddenly stopped. I peeked out from behind Sunburst to have a look; Knock Out had stopped as if he had thought of something, with Rebecca looking confused from his shoulder.
He was humming, "It appears, according to the rumours of the loyal drones, that maybe Moonlight wants to work with Starscream now, rather than run against him."
"Oh, they're true, all right." Rebecca sounded disgusted. "Why do you think I stopped hanging around her all the time? Anyone who wants to work with him is more stupid than our mindless Vehicons."
"Don't be so deprecating of her just yet. Moonlight vied for Lord Megatron's right-hand soldier position many times because she can be his right-handed soldier. Don't be alarmed, Rebecca, you should have faith that Slipstream won't dare to let her touch that position; she's always been his soldier. Always will." A scoffing noise came from Knock Out, almost like he was going to start laughing. "As if she would step aside for any measly Cybertronian."
"It is nice to know that Slipstream could hold her ground if she wanted to. I love winding her up and all, but I'd rather have her boss us around than Moonlight." The sounds of pedes walking and Rebecca's voice starting to fade was music to my audios. "Don't tell her I said that, right? I hate it when she knows I'm saying nice-ish things about her."
Knock Out chuckled at her response, "Slipstream and nice rarely go in the same sentence."
He wasn't wrong.
His words were the last things we could hear as they disappeared down another corridor. Arcee jumped down from her hiding spot and joined us in moving towards the doors Knock Out and Rebecca had come from. This surely had to be the Warship's laboratory. Where else would Knock Out spend all his time?
The doors slid open, revealing a .
As soon as Sunburst got to the controls, he was typing away almost immediately. He knew his way around a tightly-locked system or two; there were a lot of things to learn at Iacon, after all. This kinda stuff was one of the things he picked up on.
Arcee moved to stand beside him, "We're in the network."
I remained with my weapons ready; Bumblebee was the same nearby me. Anyone could walk through those doors and see us here.
Primus, please don't let foul luck fall upon us today…
NORMAL P.O.V
Ratchet continued to monitor the vitals of his leader, unable to keep away in case something occurred on the system that warranted his attention immediately. The same could be said for his underling in Starlight, as she stood nearby monitoring the datapad in her hands on the other side of the Prime. The young Autobot was thankful her teammates were currently distracting their human friends, because neither she or Ratchet were willing to provide the news that Optimus' health was continuing its slow decline.
"Ratchet..." Starlight's head looked up at Optimus' weak call for the medic, watching his helm turn towards his old friend, "Were you...?"
"Infected? No." The elder medic replied immediately.
The Autobot leader groaned, "Windswept?"
"She's unharmed," Ratchet responded rapidly once more, "Ironically, off to do the same thing you did for her at the plague ship."
Optimus' head turned back to the roof, the blue light in his eyes flickering, "She must know…"
If it wasn't for the situation they were currently in, the elder medic would've scoffed in disbelief. "As I've been telling you for years, old friend."
Starlight snapped her head upwards, eyes narrowing towards her mentor who was now looking back at the vitals.
Her friend needed to know what? What were the two old friends talking about?
"If it's here, we don't see it." The pair of medical officers turned towards the control panel that was being used as a communications link between them and the Autobots infiltrating the Warship.
"Are you sure, Arcee?" The urge to question the conversation between the two old friends disappeared for Starlight. It was going to have to wait until they managed to save Optimus first.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
"We've searched every file, Starlight. Nothing." I felt as frustrated as the tone Arcee was using.
All Primus-damned things we needed on this system… it wasn't here!
"Well, search again! Clearly, you missed something!"
"We've scanned their entire database," Sunburst gritted out, "Double and triple-checked!"
"Hey guys?!"
"Not now 'Bee!" The last thing we needed was for curiosity to get the better of him and make him go wandering.
"Did you use a redundant quantum algorithm?"
"Don't tell us how to research!" I haven't heard Arcee so emotionally frustrated since Cliffjumper… "You think you're the only one who cares about Optimus?!"
"You guys need to come check this out! Now!" I snapped my helm over to Bumblebee. He was pointing at another set of doors. I wanted to roll my helm backwards at him - this was one time we did not need a distraction!
"What is it?" Clearly, Arcee was feeling the same way.
"What is it? What's going on?"
I walked over the door where there was a small window we could look into. I could feel Sunburst hover with me as we looked through-
By the All-Spark…
The doors suddenly opened in our presence… but what we had seen through the window didn't change… Nothing was going to change what we were looking at… No wires, windows, anything was going to change the fact that resting right before our own optics…
"It's Megatron… He's alive?!"
I could hear the gasps from the others on the com-link. They clearly couldn't believe it either. I know I wouldn't if I was with them…
"Ain't no way you're lookin' straight at 'im?!"
Arcee and I began approaching him, ready for anything. I could hear 'Bee and Sunshine providing back up behind us, moving to the right of him as Arcee held out her blaster on his left.
He was so still… it was like he wasn't even online.
"We're staring right at him, Aquastrike."
"Good news is, Megatron isn't exactly starring back," Arcee added on to Sunburst from the other side of… Megatron.
How in the scrap did he survive the Spacebridge explosion? There should've been no way possible for him to! Ratchet even confirmed it himself he shouldn't have!
"Megatron…" My spark was breaking at Optimus' weak whisper.
"He's critical. " I could hear Sunburst twirling his axe behind me, a common habit of his, "Hooked up to life support. It's the only thing that's keeping him alive."
The one person we needed to save Optimus… resting right here in front of us… barely online.
If the Warship didn't have any information on the Cybonic Plague… it was because the one person who would know the cure never inputted the data in… because he was keeping it to himself in case one day it returned…
"Time to finish this once and for all."
Megatron could save Optimus!
"NO!" I leapt in front of Arcee and grabbed her blaster to point it away from Megatron, "Stop!"
"Let me go, Windswept! What are you doing?!" Arcee was quick to try and fight her weapon out of my grasp.
"We can't shoot him! We need him!"
"Give us one good reason, 'Swept." Sunburst was sounding as if he was struggling from also doing what Arcee had planned to do.
"Megatron may be Optimus' only hope for survival."
Arcee's blaster stopped whirring; she was glaring at me while moving her servo towards her communications receptor, "Ratchet, what are you talking about?" She was clearly in disbelief.
"Is Megatron displaying any brainwave activity?"
I moved my helm towards a monitor on my right at Starlight's question. It showed Megatron's form, tracking his vitals… and his brainwave activity on the bottom. It was moving up and down rapidly, showing us the answer we wanted and didn't want to know. "Spiking hard, Star."
"His sick mind is still at work." Arcee's voice was so bitter.
"Perfect!" The others joined us, and based off of Sunshine continuing his axe twirling, he was still itching to finish Megatron off. "If a cure exists, Megatron may be the only one who knows it. You must enter his brain, and find it."
"Enter his what?!" It was my turn to be left in disbelief.
Sunburst turned away from us, returning his battle axes onto the hilt on his back struts, "Have you lost your fragging mind, Ratchet?"
I felt stunned to hear him speak like that; it was so rare for him to ever curse.
"The Decepticon laboratory should contain all the equipment you need for a cortical psychic patch."
"No way!" It wouldn't be the first time Arcee's had a run in with that device, so I could see why she wasn't thrilled about the idea of using it again. "Have you or Starlight even performed the procedure?"
Sunburst, Aquastrike and I would have known about it if Starlight had used it in the past…
"No." The wait for Ratchet's answer was brief and unencouraging. My friend looked at me with evident frustration at the response. "But I have thoroughly studied the theoretical literature. Invented by Decepticons, outlawed by Autobots."
"Cain't we just haul ol' Warbrin'er through the 'Bridge?" It was taking everything within me to not react to Aquastrike. "Ya know, ta buy us time?"
"Time is one thing that Optimus does not have!" Ratchet's anger was clear but slightly distant. Poor Aquastrike. "One of you must try this!" His voice was closer to us again. "I will NOT allow Optimus to pass knowing that Megatron will outlive him!"
Every single nanosecond wasted right now was not helping our leader. I'll be damned by Primus himself if I allowed Optimus…to… Ugh, I shouldn't even be thinking like this!
I locked my optics straight onto the brainwave activity Megatron was displaying. Nothing good could be coming from whatever he's creating inside his personal fantasy. Something sick and twisted, and probably thinking that all of it was real…
...If he was aware that he was unconscious.
Figments of the imagination can appear, morph and self-destruct through their creator, in any way possible. So if someone were to enter his mind from the real world that was not a creation of his, he probably couldn't harm them because technically, they don't exist in his mind. He shouldn't be able to take any sort of control of them.
"Ratchet, I would lay down my life for Optimus. Anytime, anywhere. But a mind-body split-"
"I'll go-!"
"No you won't." I don't think I could've spat my words fast enough to interrupt 'Bee, as I turned to my stunned teammates, "I will."
"I don't think s-"
"Enough Sunburst!" I've just about had it with him always trying to keep me safe, or worse, putting himself in the firing line instead. "You try to protect me every chance you can, but you can't stop me from making decisions that could save lives, especially ones we care about." He knew I was right because he was looking away from me. "Let me do this for Optimus, please."
I won't allow him to stop me doing whatever I can to save our leader.
"Are you sure, 'Swept?"
Primus… Carly. She sounded so terrified for me.
"'Swept's one of the best there is."
The silence on the other side after Bulk spoke was deafening. It was very clear Carly was hesitant about the idea, and I didn't blame her. Something could go very, very wrong inside Megatron's mind… but I couldn't think about that. I had to save Optimus' life, to make up for all the times he's saved mine.
It would be worth it if it meant sacrificing myself for him.
"Just be safe 'Swept."
My spark cracked at her broken whisper. It took everything within me to not feel the emotions she was probably feeling. I made myself nod, "I will."
Sunburst pressed his servo on my shoulder pads, and Bumblebee rubbed my arm armour. Arcee was giving me a sympathetic look. I hoped Carly was receiving the same comfort as I was…
NORMAL P.O.V
"Why has the electromagnetic shielding not been repaired?"
Hordes of Decepticon troopers surrounded and worked throughout the main hub of the Decepticon Warship, many of them gathered around their frustrated leaders. The twin Seekers had a right to be, as the shielding ensured they would be protected from being discovered by their Autobot enemies. With the shielding needing immediate repairs, they risked their Autobot foes storming the Warship, potentially to victory.
But the longer many of the Decepticon troopers stood around waiting for commands, the more frustrated Slipstream was slowly becoming.
"The crews are working as quick as they can, Lord-"
The Vehicon was silenced by a slap to their face courtesy of Slipstream, "I do not care!"
"All the Autobots need do to pinpoint our position is to access the correct frequency wavelength." Starscream stomped to another trooper. "Accelerate your efforts!"
"Yes, Lord Starscream." At the reply by the one who had received the whack from Slipstream, the Decepticon troopers quickly dispersed.
"Pathetic drones," The female Seeker muttered, walking away from her twin to overlook the hand she had used to slap the soldier with.
Doors slid open, "Doctor in the house."
"Along with your ever faithful recruit." Slipstream controlled her annoyance by rolling her eyes with a huff at Moonlight's arrival.
"And the one and only Rebecca Rose!"
Starscream silently rolled his eyes and spun to greet the trio, with a forged smile whipped up in an instant, "Ah, Knock Out, Moonlight... and Rebecca. How is the patient doing today?"
"Same old," Knock Out sighed his response, hand on hip.
"An inglorious fate that he should remain in this vegetative state." Starscream turned away.
Moonlight stifling her sudden laughter prompted the small superhuman to turn towards her on her hoverboard, "What's so funny? I wanna know!"
"You all may believe that Megatron's form is useless, but according to your faithful medic, his mind is still working away." The Decepticon tapped her head with a single digit. "Apparently dreaming to no e-"
"Keep that to yourself!" At Starscream's sudden hiss, Slipstream glanced over shoulder to see him move into Moonlight's personal space. "That blasted Soundwave sees and hears everything!"
"The eyes and ears of the Decepticons," Knock Out hummed.
"Well, as long as their master remains in limbo, so does their cause." Starscream held up his hand. "The Decepticons deserve a strong, alert leader."
"One who would require a loyal second-in-command."
Slipstream narrowed her eyes as she listened, highly unimpressed by the conversation occurring right in front of her. What had happened to Knock Out being her loyal acquiantance?
"Perhaps you need a just-as-loyal lieutenant as well, Lord Starscream?"
"Candidates will need to earn those posts by making a strong case to said eyes and ears."
"A case for showing mercy, Lord Starscream?" Moonlight smirked.
"And Lady Slipstream, of course."
Slipstream chose against reacting to Knock Out only barely being able to squeeze her into the conversation.
"You scratch our backs, we scratch yours."
"I can't be the only one who doesn't like the sound of them plotting behind Megatron's back, right?"
If Slipstream could, she would raise an eyebrow at Rebecca beside her, "It would appear we can agree on something after all, Rebecca Rose."
There was only one true Decepticon leader, one who could no doubt lead this team to victory if they were well enough too. The female Seeker had always believed she and Starscream were just biding time, using up every way possible on their own until her twin realised they needed Megatron to reawaken.
It was becoming time for Slipstream to make a decision, one she knew would break the loyalty between herself and Starscream. But if it meant that Megatron could rightfully take his place as the Decepticon Warlord, with herself and Soundwave rightfully being his next-in-lines…
Then so be it.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
It was taking everything within me not to break out into a panic… I was about to go into Megatron's helm, via the cortical psychic patch, to find the cure we needed to save Optimus.
I was doing this for him; regardless of whatever happened, I made this choice for him… but of course I was terrified. Arcee had once told me her story when she came to Earth about how the Decepticons had forcefully used the device in an attempt to find something about Optimus' location. It was an experience she never spoke about again.
...There was also the high probability of something going wrong... just to make me even more anxiety-ridden.
The four of us had moved into a little hideaway in the Decepticon medical bay, where we could still see Megatron, but also, hopefully - keep ourselves hidden if in case the other Decepticons made an entrance.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I can still sub in if you-"
"Stop it, Sunburst." I swear it had been the millionth time he had asked. "I can do this."
I wouldn't have even offered if I didn't think I could.
Arcee climbed into the hideaway with one end of the cortical psychic patch. She had just gone to plug in the other into Megatron's mind. She bent down to my level, "Last time, 'Swept, you sure?"
I swallowed down my fear and replaced it with a smirk, "Let's do this."
"Initiate cortical psychic connection," Ratchet instructed.
I turned my helm away so Arcee could plug in the patch. Bumblebee gave me a thumbs up, so I mirrored him, just to make sure he knew I was okay.
Streams of colours appeared in my vision, an explosion of blue filled my senses, swallowing me in…
A full moon appeared in a dark sky.
I moved my body around - everything appeared to be intact and moving, which was good. The last thing we needed was an early malfunction. I moved my helm up to take in my surroundi-
Orange and yellow flames burned brightly, but what stood out was the pathway before me.
My body was moving before I could realise… I know this place.
"Communications downlink activated. This will allow us to see and hear everything Windswept does while in Megatron's subconscious mind."
"Woah. Where is that?"
"Kaon." I was quick to answer Jack's question.
"The Decepticon capital on Cybertron." I had started to tell Carly bits and pieces of the times I didn't want to talk about at first; Kaon had been one of them. "You said you'd recognise it if you ever saw it again."
A place of pure torture for those training to be future Decepticon fighters, Whirlwind and I spent much of our old youngling days here. Past members of the Autobot Elite Guard would say the Guard was a bootcamp; if that were true, the training we endured here was worse than that…
But Kaon didn't always look like this; the more Megatron's quest for power and oppression grew, the more destroyed this place became.
It looked exactly the same now as it did when Whirlwind and I left…
"Ratchet… Optimus' vitals…" Starlight's voice trailed off in my audio receptor.
Optimus' vitals? What about them?
"I know."
"Ratchet, what's going on with Op-"
"Windswept, you must move quickly. This may be known territory to you, but you must move quickly so you can figure out where information might be filed in Megatron's mind."
"Ratchet, I'm moving as quickly as I can." I trudged up the steps with a growl. He wasn't providing me the answer I wanted. What was going on with our leader? "Tell me what's going on with Op-"
…It was as if I had manifested him.
Armour shiny as ever, no Cybonic Plague to hold him down…
Optimus Prime.
…No it's not.
I was fighting myself, between running towards my leader and remaining still…
"Windswept, that is not Optimus, but a figme-"
"A figment of Megatron's mind." I needed to loop this in my helm.
"He cannot see or hear you."
I nodded at his words; I didn't know that. "The figments that Megatron creates cannot see or hear me. Got i-"
Loud… familiar cackling echoed throughout Kaon. I looked up, above Optimus…
Megatron, alive and well…
"Optimus Prime! Your Autobot armies are defeated! Bow before your new master."
"Never Megatron." Optimus's voice was calm as he turned to face Megatron. I moved away quickly. "One shall stand. One shall fall." My leader activated his sword, ready to fight.
"So be it." Megatron activated his sword and leapt down to us.
The Autobot and Decepticon leaders charged towards each other, ready for what was probably going to be another historic battle. They both raised their swords up high…
…Optimus was sliced into vapour smoke before he could have a fighting chance…
"Figments of imagination, figments of imagination." I needed to remember this!
"That never happened!" Bulkhead clearly didn't remember Ratchet's words before.
"It's not a memory. We're seeing Kaon as Megatron has recreated it."
"In his twisted dreams and happy nightmares," I growled.
Megatron was walking away to who knows where… as the rock I was using to shield myself disintegrated… and reformed itself into… another Optimus Prime…?
"Megatron, your treachery ends here." He activated his sword.
Megatron deactivated his sword and raised his blaster cannon up at Optimus…
…I don't know if I could watch another destruction of my leader.
I was leaping up before I knew it… right into the path of Megatron's blaster shot… that went straight past me. I spun around; there was more vapour smoke in place of where Optimus just stood…
…Megatron was obsessed with destroying Optimus… I needed to remember this.
Footsteps made me turn to Megatron now standing over me, "Dearest Windswept," He started rolling his shoulders. "The punishment for trespassing in my domain… Is your destruction!" His reactivated sword was now raised high above him…
It felt like an eternity waiting for the sword to go through me…
…It never came.
"How can this be?!" I watched Megatron swing his sword down, but the pain of being cut in half never came…
…Because I wasn't a figment of his imagination like the Optimus Prime's were. He couldn't hurt me physically!
He was slicing every which way possible, but he still wasn't realising that I was basically untouchable. I couldn't help smirking, "Hit me with your best shot, Megatron. I promise, I can handle it."
NORMAL P.O.V
"Megatron can't touch 'Swept?"
The initial hit Megatron had attempted on the Autobot had Carly initially terrified of losing her guardian; however, when the attack had gone straight through her, confusion took over. As the Warlord continued his attacks hopelessly against her Autobot friend, everything started to make sense for the teenager.
"Because she is not a creation of Megatron's mind, Windswept is immune to his physical attack," Ratchet explained to the young human who asked.
A hand on her shoulder had Carly turning her head to Jack, who was smiling softly, "She's got this."
Carly returned his smile proudly, "Yeah, she does."
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
Megatron eventually gave up on trying to destroy me into disintegration. He was now pacing backwards and forwards in front of me like he was trying to figure out why I wouldn't do what he thought would happen… As long as he remained unaware that I was actually still alive and existing in the real world, we shouldn't have a problem.
"You are not wearing phase displacement armour." He was thinking out loud and circling around me. "Your eyes track my movements so you're not a hologram. And I do not believe in spirits." He stopped mid-step. "So tell me, Windswept, what ARE you?"
"Megatron." We both looked behind me.
It was Optimus Prime again… with Bulkhead and… Sunburst.
"Uh-oh. Special guest stars!" Miko's voice felt so distant.
Figments of imagination! FIGMENTS OF IMAGINATION! COME ON 'SWEPT!
My helm was starting to hurt… please make it stop!
"This is not good. Based on Windswept's reaction, she is becoming confused with what is reality and what is Megatron's dreams."
"Hang in there Windy! He's messin' with ya mind!"
Listen to Aquastrike, 'Swept, he's messing with you!
The thoughts didn't stop my body from moving over to the figments. Sunburst just looked so real…
Megatron suddenly yelled, firing blaster shots towards us… and just like all the Optimus' before, all three figments disintegrated into vapour…
I had seen Slipstream murder teammates of mine before. I don't know how I'd cope if Megatron took a friend away from me just like he did with Sunburst…
It's not real, it's not real…
"You are real, they were not." Scrap. No doubt he was trying to figure out how I was in his mind. He walked away from me… and started chuckling? "A cortical psychic patch." Double scrap. "How unexpected."
"We've stirred Megatron from his oblivion. He's becoming self-aware."
"If this is my subconscious…" …I don't think I've ever seen Megatron up close like this before… "WHAT ARE YOU DOING INSIDE MY HEAD?!"
Terror was reigning inside me, but I needed to not show it to Megatron. If he realised how scared I was, he could use it against me. I needed to stay strong. I needed to get this cure.
Hold on Optimus…
NORMAL P.O.V
Arcee and Bumblebee maintained guard in their little hideaway as Sunburst remained close beside their teammate who was currently scouting for a cure for their leader. Time was slowly beginning to tick away, and for the trio of Autobots, they were beginning to grow concerned over how much longer their willing teammate would be. The longer they remained, the more the chance of Knock Out or any other Decepticon coming in grew.
Her blaster weapon still activated, Arcee turned her head to Sunburst, "What's she doing in there?"
"I don't know." His voice mirrored the concerned tone the other female had possessed. He gently gripped the shoulders of his partner. "Come on 'Swept, get what you need and get ou-"
Sliding doors interrupted the yellow Autobot, freezing himself, Arcee and Bumblebee in place. The latter two peaked through the gaps of their hideaway.
They had expected a visit from one of the Decepticons eventually, but they weren't expecting to see nearly the entire core squadron to appear all at once. If something were to go wrong, they were outnumbered, with or without their still indisposed teammate.
"Knock Out, if you would be so kind as to provide your expert medical opinion to Soundwave… for the historical record."
"Simply put; unaided, Megatron could remain in this deathless slumber forever," the medical officer responded.
"Lord Megatron would not have wanted to be seen this way."
Slipstream folded her arms at the tone Moonlight held, one she could see straight through. At the end of the day, she was just like Starscream; no matter how far she climbed and who she took out along the way, she would always want power.
"She's so fake."
"Yes," Starscream hummed, not in agreement of Rebecca's mutter of disgust, "To only stand idly by his side while he remains captive in his own body. It's not just." He peeked over his shoulder to the silent Decepticon.
Soundwave began walking forward, and simply pointed towards a monitor showcasing Megatron's current brain activity.
"His brainwave activity is still active, Knock Out," Rebecca mused, sparing a brief glance to Slipstream.
"But it is not evidence of consciousness." The medical officer glared in annoyance. "Merely in an endless dream from which he may never wake from."
Rebecca moved closer to Knock Out, "Unless something were to help wake him, right?"
A small smirk appeared on Slipstream, nodding in agreement. She knew very well what Megatron needed to reawaken, and what he needed was the shard of Dark Energon purring in the hands behind her back. The exact same shard Starscream had pulled from her Lord mere months ago, which had since then been left idly in a storage space.
The agreement between herself and her twin had initially been mutual, but as the game continued on with no end in sight, it became clear for the female Seeker that it was time to end it.
"Starscream, a word if you would be so kind." Her voice dipped into a growl towards her twin.
Starscream's surprise was clear. "One moment, dear twin." He knew she could sense the deep fear within his spark. He turned to the silent Decepticon. "Soundwave, we must face reality. Megatron is lost to us."
Knock Out nodded, "The only honourable option would be to show him mercy."
"A simple throw of the switch, if you will," Moonlight clarified, tone tinged with contained excitement.
"Quick. Painless. Compassionate."
Remaining unaware to the group of Decepticons, Arcee, Bumblebee and Sunburst shared a concerned look. They were all wondering the same thing; what would happen to their teammate who still remained connected to Megatron's mind.
"Ratchet, are you hearing this?"
"If Megatron perishes, Windswept's mind will remain separated from her body," The Autobot medic revealed, "Forever."
"We'll lose Optimus and 'Swept?" Tears filled the eldest female teenager, fear spreading through her body at the thought of not only losing the Autobot leader, but her guardian and someone she considered one of her closest friends.
Her fear and concern was quickly becoming so much that she failed to notice the hand that grasped one of hers tightly in comfort; a hand that belonged to the childhood friend she cared so much for…
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
"The only way you could have entered my mind is via cortical psychic patch." Megatron stepped into my space again. He'd been pacing so much, I thought he was going to forget how to stop in one place. "But the question remains: what happened to me?"
…He didn't remember the Spacebridge explosion?
It felt like I was locked in place… forced to stare into the red and evil eyes of Megatrons'. My body was frozen… he was using me as a way to remember what had happened.
Pieces of shrapnel breaking away… a large army of undead flying towards me… barely reaching Megatron's servo… an enormous explosion of blue, sending shockwaves across the solar system…
I finally broke free of our endless staring.
"The Space Bridge explosion?" I looked at Megatron at his gasp of realisation. "And yet, if you're in my head, I am not one with the AllSpark!" …Unfortunately… "So tell me, Windswept. Do I still function?"
How do I tell him that he's on that medical berth in the Warship's medbay... lifelessly…?
"Windswept, we are out of time!"
Optimus! The mission!
I shook my helm, "I know for a fact that I am never gonna say this again. But someone you and I know has been infected by the Cybonic Plague. We really need yo-"
"Cybonic plague? Someone besides myself is… is unwell?" Was that concern in his voice? I never thought I'd ever hear that from him… ever. "Optimus!" The chucking from him was unsettling. "Such irony! But after ages of endless battle, the mighty Optimus Prime is felled by a simple virus from the distant past!"
How dare he laugh at the situation?! As if he could talk?! The whole time we thought he was dead, he was on the Warship trapped in his own dreams! Practically spending every moment obsessively slaughtering Optimus and all of us!
"And what makes you think I would save the life of my oldest enemy?"
If the plague kills Optimus before Megatron himself gets the chance to do it instead, for him it wouldn't be worth it. I'd know; I'd much rather destroy Slipstream with my own cold servos than I would anyone or anything else. Point was, Megatron was already obsessed with the idea in his own dreams - wouldn't he want to live those out into reality?
"Megatron." How many times can Megatron manage to create another Optimus Prime- "Your treachery-!" -And be able to take him out just as quickly?
…Because these were dreams. It was all he wanted the most in the war.
My smirking at Megatron made him look slightly caught off guard, "Megatron, if you help me get what I want most right now, I could help you get what you want."
"Oh? And just what is it that I want most, Windswept?"
I refused to lift the smirk off my face, "By saving Optimus with the plague cure, your chance to slaughter him yourself will still remain."
Megatron chuckled, "Did you not see? I do slay Optimus by my own hand at will, whenever I desire."
"All of those are just figments of YOUR imagination, Megatron! He's still out there in the outside world!" Can't he just figure this out himself?! "If you allow this virus to take down the real Optimus, you'll never be able to do it yourself!"
NORMAL P.O.V
"So 'Swept's playing Megatron by telling him that if he lets the plague virus destroy the real Optimus, he'll never get the chance to do it himself," Raf summarised,
"Smart."
"Twisted."
Carly could only smirk in pride at her friend's compliments of guardian.
"Slipstream, may I ask what in Unicron's name are you doing?"
"You are playing a very dangerous game, Starscream," The female Seeker began as the pair distanced themselves from the rest of the Decepticons, "I have stood by you for as long as I have existed, and not once did I ever dare to question the wisdom of your decision-making." She stood closer into Starscream's personal space. "But I will not allow you to do this to our Lord." She pulled out the purple shard out from behind her. "Not when we have the one thing to awaken him."
Starscream's face morphed from shock to anger, immediately grabbing the Dark Energon shard. "How dare you betray your own split-spark?" He gripped the shard tightly. "Hand it over, Slipstream!"
The Seeker's grip grew just as tight, "Traitor!"
Neither of the twins were willing to let go of the shard, taloned fingers desperate to remain. Until Starscream's talons on his other hand clawed into the middle of Slipstream, with the shock of the sudden attack allowing the former to take a hold of the shard with ease.
"Now, if you don't mind, I will continue on." Slipping the Energon into a subspace on his body, the male Seeker turned back towards the group centered around their leader, disinterested in even ensuring his twin was okay. "Soundwave, do I take your silence to mean you concur with Knock Out's medical expertise?" He was quick to ask as he returned alongside Moonlight.
Soundwave's silence wasn't enough of an answer, as Starscream reached towards the closest cable on Megatron's form.
"Speak now or forever hold your peace," Moonlight sing-songed.
The inordinately silent Rebecca began scouting around the room with her eyes, waiting and watching for anything that might be able to stop what was about to happen. Just like Slipstream, she didn't wish to see Starscream take over the reins of the Decepticons if there was any hope that Megatron could come back.
"Going…"
Still hidden in the hideaway on the other side of Starscream and Knock Out, Arcee and Bumblebee held out their weapons in the direction of their enemies, anger and determination spreading across their faces. They were prepared to do whatever it took to save not only their friend and teammate, but their leader too.
Starscream gripped the cable tighter, nearly pulling it off the comatose Cybertronian, "Going…"
A silent arm rose up to point to something that stopped Starscream in place.
Rebecca followed Soundwave's arm, and used her hoverboard to float around to the back of Megatron's resting berth. What she discovered was a large, thick purple cable connected to the back of the Warlord's head, and trailing into a crawlspace, "Interesting."
Starscream hummed briefly, unamused by the sudden turn of events. He moved towards where Rebecca was floating alongside Moonlight, and uncovered the same thing as she had.
"Scrap!" Arcee and Bumblebee quickly moved out of sight, fear written across their faces knowing they were now mere moments away from being captured.
They looked to the even more concerned form of Sunburst; he was holding onto his teammate's shoulders harder than before, "Come on, Windswept, we have to go!"
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
"After our deep history together, to not watch the spark ebb from Optimus' eyes with my very own…" Come on, Megatron… almost there… "Well played, dear Windswept, although I am hardly surprised. Your mind really is a work of art." The urge to roll my optics was there.
A cube formation appeared in Megatron's servo… Schematics; exactly what we needed. "The chemical formula for the cure you seek… not that I expect you know how to read it." Why did I feel offended at his tone?
I shook my helm - concentrate 'Swept!
I reached my servos out… just as the cube disappeared.
"Then again, you may be capable of reading such wisdom."
I don't think I've ever felt this frustrated in my life, "What do you want?!"
"How am I supposed to accomplish terminating Optimus as you propose? While I'm trapped here in a perpetual daydream? Once you release me from this prison, you will have the cure."
…There was no way I would ever allow Megatron to return to the real world. I'll be damned if I let him. There must be some way I could take the cure home AND leave him here to rot in his own twisted fantasy…
NORMAL P.O.V
Starscream observed the active cable in his hands, as he tried to figure out where he had exactly seen it in his past… unaware that it was leading straight into an area that held some familiar faces.
"Come on. Come on." Arcee gripped one of her teammate's shoulders tightly, concern spread across her faceplates.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
"You must guarantee my recovery… or Optimus fades to gun metal grey… The REAL Optimus."
…Please Ratchet… Starlight? Anyone?! PLEASE TELL ME YOU HAVE THE CURE?!
NORMAL P.O.V
Footage of Megatron was rewound until it paused at the cure for the Cybonic Plague he had presented moments ago.
"There it is!" Starlight confirmed from the Autobot base. "We have it! Disconnect 'Swept now!"
At the command, Arcee was immediately pulling out the cable from her teammate's head in the Warship.
Sunburst held his partner's arm, "Let's get you out of there."
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
Formations of Kaon crumbled down around us into nothing but dust. It was like the world Megatron had built was falling apart around me…
Ratchet and Starlight had the cure! They were getting me out of here! We're gonna save Optimus!
"You were watching!" Megatron was clearly in disarray, "You tricked me!"
I could feel myself turning into the dust just like everything around me…
Until next time, Megatron!
"NO! TAKE ME WITH YOU! TAKE ME!"
"Hurry 'Swept!"
"Come on, come on!"
…Arcee…? Sunburst…?
My optics shot online.
"What in?!" Starscream?!
What in the world did I just arrive back to?
Something appeared behind me; a Groundbridge. Bumblebee and Sunburst ran through almost immediately.
"INTRUDERS!"
I looked back to Starscream. Moonlight and Rebecca were flanking him with their weapons pointed straight at us. I activated mine alongside Arcee; I don't know what in Primus' name I came back to, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.
"Allow me." Arcee fired her blaster… straight towards the cable on Megatron's chassis. I felt myself being pushed away before either of us got a chance to see where it landed.
Hopefully this was it. The last time we'd ever see Megatron again…
NORMAL P.O.V
The Groundbridge portal swirled shut before the Decepticons could fire back as they were more concerned about where the blaster shot had hit; the main cable of Megatron that kept him alive.
Long, deafening beeping sounded across the medical lab.
Starscream smirked in glee with Moonlight, their facial expressions quickly morphing into ones of fake despair, "It was the inevitable outcome." The Seeker sighed dramatically to Soundwave.
The silent Decepticon only moved into the current leader's space and pointed harshly at Megatron.
"You cannot… allow our leader to die… in this way." Starscream's head moved slightly to his twin struggling to speak.
Her voice was weak and strained by the sudden injury she had been given, but her morale very rarely faltered, regardless of the situation.
Moonlight gritted her denta at the female Seeker, "Of course it'd be wrong to let an Autobot destroy our leader… for good." Her eyes meet with Knock Out's, a hidden message sent through them to him.
Arms crossed with a shrug, the vain Decepticon gave a wave to Moonlight knowingly. He walked up to the medical berth and yanked the life support cable back onto Megatron's chassis, allowing silence to remain supreme once more.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
"Thaaaat's it… Steady."
As soon as Sunburst, Arcee, 'Bee and I got back to base, Ratchet and Starlight wasted no time developing a physical cure for Optimus. They had taken the schematics Megatron had shown to me from the video feed and used them to whip up a cure for Optimus. It had been hours since we got back, but the cure had worked miraculously fast, and it was like within kliks that Optimus was functioning again.
"Easy, Optimus. Take small steps."
He may've been helped by Starlight and Ratchet at each side, but he was moving around and honestly looking so much healthier than he did when we had last seen him.
Everyone was clapping in an instant, or in 'Bee, Aqua or Raf's cases, fistbumping the air. I joined in with the clapping; it was so good to see that our leader had pulled through.
"Please, reserve the hero's welcome for my physicians-" Ratchet half shrugged and Starlight bashfully looked away. Our leader then looked at me, "-And our warrior."
"Yeah 'Swept!"
"Way ta go Windy!"
Clapping erupted again around me… for me…?
I wanted to laugh, I nearly started doing so, "Please no, all our credit should be going to every-wooaahh!" Sunburst was scooping me up onto his shoulder plating. I was laughing now. "Sunshine! Put me down!"
"This was all you, 'Swept! Shut up and take some credit for once!"
I wanted to cower and hide away because this was really everyone's doing. We all had a part to play in helping Optimus come back from this virus… but I couldn't do anything except sit on Sunshine's shoulder. Maybe I should just accept that I had a big part to play in this? It just felt so wrong too… it doesn't matter. Optimus was back and that was the most important thing at this moment.
NORMAL P.O.V
Starscream returned to the medical laboratory, doors sliding shut. It had been mere hours since he had nearly shut off Megatron's life support for good; the temptation to do it still reigned within him. But with Soundwave deciding to monitor the systems more than ever from wherever he was in the Warship, Starscream knew it was going to be a long time before he created a new plan to terminate his Lord once and for all.
"And how is the patient doing today?" The Seeker questioned, the hours having ticked by to the point where a new day had begun.
The duo of Knock Out and Moonlight perked up at Starscream's voice, glancing at each other knowingly.
"Amusing you should ask." Moonlight looked over her shoulder at Starscream appearing behind her. "Neither of us know what my sister's team did, but we've discovered that Megatron's showing off no brainwave activity whatsoever."
Starscream studied the monitor with a small hum, the screen showing no fluctuation from the Warlord's mind unlike the last time he had seen it, "Meaning?"
"Physically, he's stable. But now, there's…no one home." Knock Out moved his helm to Starscream. "Should we inform Slipstream? Maybe now she might accept that-"
"I wouldn't go bothering my traitorous twin about him just yet. She's a little… indisposed at this very moment." A small smirk graced Starscream's faceplates.
WINDSWEPT P.O.V
Okay, this was getting too much! Everyone was still cheering and clapping for me. I wanted them to stop, but no one was listening to me. I guessed they were just really thankful that Optimus was back.
I looked back at Optimus; he was standing a little taller now and no longer needing Starlight's help. He looked… proud of me… It was a much better look than the disappointed face he made when we all got in trouble for the racing stuff weeks ago… Making Optimus proud was something I always wanted to do. As long as I could make my leader and someone I looked up to proud, then no doubt I was doing something right in this war.
…Everything turned black… like I had gone unconscious, yet I still remained awake on the outside…
Flashes of Cybertronians flew by me, faces of those I didn't recognise. They moved between different periods of time. Two faces remained in those time jumps… Why did they make my spark tighten in sadness?
…A flash of that medical berth on the Warship appeared… followed by red piercing optics…
Familiar red optics…
"I'm out… or should I say in?" Laugher cackled, echoing inside of my mind…
…Megatron?!