Book 2: Exiles

by Designation M

Continuation of Trials, Tribulations, and Transformations. Optimus Prime has lost his memories and is now in the power of Megatron. Sari Sumdac's father is missing and she does not yet know what she carries around her neck. MECH remains at large. Jack and Miko are still figuring out what they are to each other and Unicron is now back in stasis, but for how long?

4. Orion Pax, Part Four

IV - Orion Pax, Part Four

00000

Autobot Base Omega Two - Denver, CO - November 6th, 2011 - 3:00 am

It was in the middle of the night.

None slept.

This was it.

All was now ready and the spacebridge location had been confirmed.

Confirmed and secured without incident.

Agent Fowler had fitted Jack with the latest in space suits, courtesy of NASA.

June Darby stood aside, a sad, scared yet proud smile on her face.

Jack stood by her, taking her hands in his.

"Mom, I will come back. I promise."

June sobbed as she wrapped her arms around her son.

Her only child.

"When you were a little boy, you always wanted to be an astronaut."

Jack smiled tearfully. "I know."

"Jack," Ratchet said through the commlink in Jack's ear. "We're ready."

Jack nodded firmly. "I love you mom. See you soon."

June kissed her son on both cheeks and he did the same before they parted ways.

"I love you too."

Jack treaded down the steps off the platform toward the active groundbridge.

He turned to see his friends.

Agent Fowler.

"Good luck son."

"Thanks Bill."

Rafael.

"You'll bring me back a souvenir right?"

Jack placed a hand on the small boy's shoulder. "You bet, bud."

Sari.

The small girl wrapped her arms around Jack's neck.

"Be safe," she whispered.

"You too."

Jon Fowler.

"Man, I'm so jealous right now."

Jack chuckled as he and Jon shared a man's handshake.

Katie Steinfeld.

"Be safe, okay?"

Jack smiled. "Thanks Katie."

Sierra Krosney.

Her smile was a sad one, almost regretful.

"I'll be seeing ya, Sierra."

"You too," she said, avoiding eye contact.

Vince Raider.

"Vince?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep the guys together till I get back."

Vince grimaced. "Me?"

"Please."

Vince didn't like taking orders.

But he put a strong hand on Jack's shoulder.

"You just make it back, you jerk."

Jack smiled and nodded appreciatively.

And finally his girlfriend, Miko.

She anxiously twirled her short hair.

Jack, feeling his face getting hot, avoided making eye contact.

"Um…"

"Jack?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Could you…whistle for me?"

"What?"

"Like you'd do when it's just us?"

"Um…sure."

Jack pursed his lips together and started whistling the tune of the theme song of his favorite show.

The Andy Griffith Show.

But not two seconds had he started whistling that Miko had done something he should've seen coming but might've if the mission hadn't been disturbing his thinking.

Miko kissed him.

All present either gasped or went oooh.

June simply gawked.

Blushing like mad, Jack stood there frozen.

Also blushing like mad, Miko walked away with a bounce in her step, whistling the tune of the Andy Griffith theme song.

00000

200 Miles East of Sonora, CA - 3:20 am

Jack exited the groundbridge, entering the massive chamber of the Energon mine containing the Decepticon spacebridge.

Jazz, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, Bulkhead and Bumblebee maintained a perimeter of the chamber.

The corpses of Decepticon troopers were gathered in a pile at the far end of the chamber.

Ratchet maintained the spacebridge controls, while Arcee stood waiting at the portal.

"You ready, partner?" Arcee asked.

"No."

Arcee shrugged. "Me neither."

"So where do we find Vector Sigma, Ratch?"

"That is not clear, Jack." Ratchet began the process of triangulating the exact location for Cybertron. "Its exact location is shrouded in legend and folklore. All that is said is that the path of the Primes will lead you to it."

"Didn't Optimus tell you where to find it?" Jack asked.

"We never spoke of it because there wasn't any point, Jack."

"Right." Jack pulled out the Key from a compartment on his spacesuit. "I guess this is all the guide I'll need then."

Arcee cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Call it a hunch."

00000

Regulon 4 - Decepticon Outpost Gamma Seven

"Lord Megatron!"

"Yes Stockade, what is it? And keep your voice down."

"Bonecrusher has escaped captivity! He's loose on earth!"

Megatron bared his teeth in annoyance.

"How did he escape?!"

"An Energon shortage my lord. From a damage to one of the lines and the extensive surgery in keeping Brawl alive!"

Megatron blinked. "Brawl?"

"You…you didn't know? They didn't tell you?"

Megatron snarled. "I wasn't told anything. Tell me everything, Stockade. Leave nothing out."

Stockade sighed wearily. "Brawl was captured and tortured by MECH. They almost killed him and he almost died several times during emergency surgery. And that's not the worst, Oil Slick believes that there may be some brain damage."

Megatron clenched his fists and with a grunt of pure rage, he punched through a wall.

Stockade gasped and then cleared his throat. "I'm sorry my lord, I thought you knew."

"It's not your fault. Will he live?"

"Oil Slick thinks so but he may never be fully functional again."

Megatron's face twisted in anger. "And Soundwave?"

"Oil Slick is having a look at him right now. He'll brief you personally before the day is out."

"And who is pursuing Bonecrusher?"

"Laserbeak is tracking him. Blackout and Barricade will pursue once his location is confirmed. Your orders sir?"

Megatron's eyes became cold. "Destroy. No mercy."

Stockade gulped. "Understood."

Megatron nodded. "Good. Over and out."

The call ended and Megatron turned aside.

He seethed in unfathomable rage.

MECH have overreached themselves for the last time.

00000

Orion stood at his station, still locked in his lab.

He had not resumed his work on the Iacon Database.

What he had been doing was his own research.

The historical logs were heavily encrypted, especially concerning the war, what led to it, what occurred in the background, and how it led to the events of today.

None of it made sense to him.

How is it possible that he just disappeared all of a sudden?

One day he was flourishing as an archivist at the Iacon Hall of Records under Alpha Trion, and the next gone?

And he had been in a stasis pod the entire time?

And what of Alpha Trion? There was no trace of him when the Hall of Records was commandeered. No record of him leaving and none saw him leave. It was like he just vanished off the face of the planet.

And what of the High Council, they just faded out of history as well.

What does it all mean?

And why was Megatron going through so much trouble to seek out Optimus Prime?

And why is he making no effort to tend to any of the Cybertronian settlements and colonies in the other systems? Especially now that spacebridge technology is available for all again. Was the pursuit of the Last Prime really that important that these responsibilities and duties must be neglected?

And why is the file named 'The Forbidden Zone' locked and marked restricted? What is the Forbidden Zone?

And why is the file under the same web folder titled 'Unicronians/Horrorcons', an ancient tribe of Cybertronians notorious for being radicals of the Unicron, the Chaos Bringer?

And who were these space pirates known as the Black Ravagers, a band of rogues notorious for disrupting the other colonies?

And who is this mysterious captain of theirs?

Nex is the name or so it is alleged.

No, must not get sidetracked. I need to find a way to escape.

A small voice whispered sharply from behind. "Hey, hey, Optimus!"

Orion turned with a start, only to see nothing.

"Mirage?"

The blue and white Autobot phased into existence, a big grin on his face.

"You remember me?"

Orion shook his head. "Aside from our previous encounter? I'm afraid not."

Mirage's face fell.

"But I have pondered what you told me…and I think you may be correct."

"Yes! Yes! So you want to get out of here?"

Orion frowned. "To where?"

"To the Cons' space bridge. We have it all laid out. We're sending you back to earth, boss."

"We?"

"Me and my crew."

Orion cocked an eyebrow. "Where are they?"

"Getting things ready."

Not really a straight answer but it will have to do.

"When do we leave?"

"As soon as I get the go-ahead, but I need to know you're onboard for this, Op-I mean, Orion."

Orion was skeptical, per his nature as an archivist.

"Onboard for what?"

Mirage rubbed the back of his neck. "To accompany me so I can get you back to your people."

"And the Autobots are my people?"

Mirage fidgeted.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

"What do you think?"

Orion Pax paused to think it over.

"I think Megatron has deceived me and the Autobots are no more traitors to Cybertron than I am."

Unless I'm already a traitor.

Orion's mind was riddled with uncertainty and turmoil.

"But that would mean I'd have to turn on Megatron, my sworn brother."

Mirage looked deeply sympathetic as he placed a gentle hand on Orion's arm.

"I know it's hard. Believe me, I do."

Orion eyed him suspiciously.

"How could you?"

"Because before Tarn fell, I was a noble. The son of one of the ten noble families in Tarn. The Concave family."

The Concaves. Yes I do remember them. They were an impetuous and entitled clan.

Mirage was melancholy and his voice filled with pain. "And I can see by the look on your face that you didn't care for them and I don't blame you. My parents were terrible bots. They cared about nothing but their reputations, their property, and their rich friends. They certainly didn't care about those less fortunate than them. Autobots. Decepticons. Slave or noble. Minicon or giants like Metroplex. None of them mattered. To bots like my family, there's only us and them. I…I couldn't deal with it anymore. So I ran away and enlisted in the Autobots. Not the Decepticons. I'll admit, I admired Megatron's strength and resolve. But I always thought he was too harsh. And filled with so much hate."

Orion closed his eyes mournfully. "That was my impression exactly." He sighed a wounded sigh. "Very well. You've convinced me, Mirage. I…I will go with you."

Mirage's eyes lit up. "Solid!"

A green light blinked on Mirage's wrist.

"Alright, it's time. Do you have everything you need, Orion?"

Orion nodded sadly.

Mirage placed a hand on the amnesiac Prime's arm. "I promise, it will make sense by tomorrow."

Orion shook his head.

Promises.

00000

Cybertron - The Archus District, Tarn

Jack and Arcee exited the spacebridge.

Jack shuddered as every point of his being was buzzing, his teeth, down to his bones vibrating so hard he thought they'd shatter in his body.

Squinting away the blindness of the portal's light, Jack's vision slowly came into focus.

And what he saw when he opened his eyes yooo his breath away.

"Whoa."

This was nothing like the pictures he saw of Cybertron at all.

"Jack?"

He didn't seem to hear his mother call him, so engrossed he was in what he was looking at.

Spires as tall as the eye could see.

Giant highways extending, turning, curving, looping across the city like a spider's web.

Cylindrical elevators descending into the depth of the planet beyond the range of human eyesight.

But no color at all.

Nothing but rusting and dusting gunmetal grey, just as Megatron described the death of a transformer.

An utter and total ruin.

"Jack!"

The young man jumped. "Mom?"

And then he remembered.

"Oh, oh! Yeah, we made it. We're on Cybertron."

Jack could hear soft cheers and sighs of relief.

"Thank goodness."

"You guys should see this, it's incredible!"

"Actually…" Jack could hear Perceptor's voice on the other line. "…the modifications I made to your suit, Jack should allow us to survey your progress. All you have to do is voice a command."

"Ok?"

"The suit is tuned to respond only to your command. Just repeat after me."

"Ok."

"System command: activate body camera."

"Right…" Jack cleared his voice. "System command: activate body camera."

Jack heard a click in his helmet.

"Whoa," Jack heard Miko say.

"It's amazing!" Raf said.

"I know!" Jack exclaimed, grinning. "I'm on another planet? Arcee, this is amazing!"

Arcee said nothing.

She just stood there, eyes sad and staring.

"Arcee?"

"It's even worse than I remember," Bumblebee said.

Arcee bowed her head.

Jack understood at once.

"Arcee…" he said, voice sorrowful and regretful. "…I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"It's fine Jack. I just…this is not what I wanted your first impression of Cybertron to be."

Arcee's voice was laced with terrible yet resolute sadness.

"We tried so hard to save our planet. We bled to keep Cybertron functioning. Lost more friends than we could ever mourn. But by the time the dust settled, there was no longer a planet to save."

Jack felt his eyes sting.

"We'll find a way, Arcee," Bumblebee said.

"Scrapping right we will," Sideswipe agreed.

"We'd better get moving," Jack said.

"Right."

Arcee transformed into her vehicle mode.

Jack hopped on and they took off at an increasing speed.

"Better keep the sightseeing to a minimum," Bulkhead said.

"Will do," Jack said.

00000

Regulon 4 - D.O. Gamma 7

"What do you mean escaped?!" Lugnut growled.

"It's just what I said, commander," Acid Storm muttered nervously. "Orion Pax is no longer in his lab or anywhere on the base. It's like he just vanished."

Lugnut looked incredulous and even more furious. "Vanished? In a puff of smoke?"

"No sir, that breach we discovered. We believe an Autobot helped him escape. We've confirmed it's their Chief Spy, Mirage."

Lugnut frowned. "How did he infiltrate our base and no one's seen him?"

"He must've used a cloaker, sir."

"Find him."

Acid Storm nodded affirmatively. "Yes sir."

Lugnut bellowed. "See to it and see to it fast!"

Acid Storm took his heels in a hurry.

He activated his commlink. "Thrust! Ramjet! Dirge! Spread out! Find Pax by any means necessary!"

00000

Orion Pax and Mirage kept their heads down behind some Energon crates.

"Was this part of the plan?"

"I'm winging it."

Using a piece of reflective metal shard, Mirage checked around the corner to see if the coast was clear.

"Ok, we just go down this hall, take a left, take a right, follow the power linings until we reach the hanger."

Orion Pax nodded. "A shame you only have the one cloaker on you."

Mirage smiled nervously. "About that. It's still a work in progress. I can't keep it on constantly. That's why I prefer old-fashioned sneaking." He paused for a moment. "Actually, the cloaker may serve you better than I. Just don't use it unless it's an emergency."

Reaching his chest cavity, Mirage pulled out a disc-like device and handed it to Pax. "Attach that to the underside of your chest cavity. It'll activate automatically when you tap its underside by tapping just above it where you attached it."

Orion nodded. "Thank you."

00000

Spacebridge Chamber - Sierra Nevada - 3:40 am

"Spacebridge control, your status report is overdue."

It was Breakdown.

"Scrap," Bulkhead said.

He cleared his throat and prepared to answer the call.

"Bulkhead, no!" Ratchet said, holding his arm out to stop the former wrecker. "He'll recognize your voice."

"I can make it lower," Bulkhead said, attempting to lower his voice.

Ratchet stared at him.

Then Bulkhead tried his hardest to make the most ridiculous change of voice he could muster. "Higher?"

It sounded like he was catching a cold.

The Twins snickered.

Ratchet gave them a cross look and they settled down.

"He'd recognize mine as well."

"And mine," Jazz said. "My voice is one of those you'd never forget."

Breakdown would recognize most to all of their voices.

Even Bumblebee's voice.

Every notorious Autobot was under file, bios, stats, audio clips and all, in the Decepticon records, accessible to all.

None could risk it, not with what was at stake.

"Rafael, patch in Agent Fowler."

00000

Nemesis Warship

Breakdown grit his teeth as he pressed the call button again.

"You have one nano cycle to respond or I'll-!"

"This is spacebridge control. Situation normal."

Breakdown cocked an eyebrow. "Normal? You sure about that?"

"We were just calibrating the subsystem and…had a surge. But it's fine now. How are you?"

Breakdown's head went a tilt.

Unusually chummy.

"Um…never better. I know it's thankless down there. Keep up the good work."

"Will do. Control out."

00000

Spacebridge Chamber

Ratchet, Bumblebee and Bulkhead sighed in relief.

Jazz grinned. "Boring conversation anyway."

The Twins and Wheeljack looked at each other and they burst out laughing.

00000

A.O. Omega 2

Agent Fowler grinned bashfully as the others stared at him with looks of incredulity, puzzlement, amusement, and some with anger.

00000

Cybertron - Nexus Plaza - 40 Miles East of Kaon

Jack sped atop Arcee across the many highways of Cybertron's many cities.

Many of the highways and roads were still intact.

"Arcee, you got something on your mind. I know you do. I can tell by now when you're hanging onto something."

"Hmm." Arcee paused for a long moment.

This was not something she was looking forward to talking about.

"Airachnid…"

"Obvious question but what about her?"

Arcee grumbled. "She claimed she didn't kill Tailgate."

Jack craned his head in puzzlement. "Huh?"

Arcee explained the predicament to her young partner. How she infiltrated the Decepticon warship, how she cornered Airachnid and demanded Optimus' location, using Soundwave's life as leverage.

Jack was less than impressed about that.

Arcee continued on how, in a fit of desperation, Airachnid spun a tale on how the Tailgate she saw executed was not Tailgate but a Decepticon shifter who was sentenced to death. And a restricted Decepticon file, password-locked, provided by Airachnid seemed to verify this.

"And she said Tailgate fell into a pit?"

"Yes," Arcee grumbled. "I can't believe it. But…there's a part of me that does believe her. That doesn't change the fact that she made me believe that she killed Tailgate right in front of me. The pain I felt was real. Nothing she says or does can change that."

Jack said nothing.

He couldn't argue with that.

A part of him considered voicing the possibility that Tailgate might still be alive, however remote.

But he didn't.

He couldn't.

It was impossible.

Cybertron has been dead for centuries.

Even if Tailgate somehow survived the fall, there's no way he could be alive after all this time.

Could he?

00000

Nemesis Warship - Just Above Mount Taylor, Antarctica - 4:30 am

"Commander?"

Airachnid turned on Stockade with a snarl.

"What?!"

Stockade jumped. "It's Lord Megatron. He's coming here."

Airachnid frowned. "Why?"

"He didn't say."

Airachnid rolled her eyes. "When will he be here?"

"He already-!"

"Commander!"

Airachnid nearly jumped.

She turned to see the Leader of the Decepticons standing over her, menacing as always.

"My liege," she said, steadying her voice.

Megatron glared hard at her. "I'm waiting to hear why our spacebridge has been activated and why it has been set to Cybertron."

00000

Cybertron - Kaon

Jack and Arcee entered the ancient Capitol of the Decepticon regions.

The courtyard was surrounded by an enormous wall.

If this were the Wall of China, Jack would be an ant. That's how big it was.

Jack held up the Key to Vector Sigma.

It glowed and hummed as he pointed it toward a massive structure that functioned as a mosaic, a series of historical events from start to finish, of Cybertron's Golden Age, a bygone era.

And then the wall shifted, converted, transformed.

The entire structure folded away in a manner similar to a rubix cube to show a massive doorway leading downward, deep below the planet's surface.

"Whoa," Jack said. "I guess we're going…down there?"

"Afraid so," Arcee said.

00000

Regulon 4 - Just beyond the limits of the outpost

Mirage and Orion arrived at a cave opening directly beneath the outpost, accessible by several outcroppings, serving as stairs.

Mirage and Orion climbed the rest of the way.

Mirage looked up and his optics opened wide.

"Seekers. Orion, use your cloaker, now!"

Orion Pax obeyed and became invisible in an instant.

Mirage, using his acrobatic skill and agility, hung by his hands and feet from under the underside of a stone outcropping to conceal himself.

Two seekers in their jet mode, one with a white and grey color scheme and the other with a dark-blue and yellow color scheme flew past, only to stop in midair to transform into their bipedal forms to get a clear sight of the area, staying airborne via jet turbines in their feet.

"Nothing," the grey-white Decepticon seeker said in a frustrated voice. "I see nothing! Lugnut will have our sparks if we come back empty handed."

"Complaining will not help, Ramjet," said the blue-yellow seeker. "They can't have gone far. The Autobot scum may be right under our noses."

Ramjet scoffed. "Why don't we just blast the mountain, Dirge? If you're so sure they're hiding under us, then why don't we smoke them out?"

Dirge smacked Ramjet upside the head. "Because we risk damaging the foundation of our outpost. And we risk harming the civilians down below. There's enough pressure around here without your reckless antics, you halfwit."

"Don't call me halfwit!"

"I'll call you whatever I want, halfwit!"

"Why you garbage-brain psycho!"

Ramjet threw the first punch, to which Dirge dodged, grabbed his partner by the wrist and put him in an armlock.

Orion watched this scene sadly.

Such distrust and hostility among the ranks. How do the Decepticons expect to have an advantage over the Autobots with such disunity?

Soon enough, the seekers settled down and moved on.

They didn't seem to notice the open cave.

Mirage and Orion wasted no time making their way inside.

It wasn't long before they came to a sealed steel door.

And a tall, rotund Autobot with a dark green-orange scheme with a mouth guard and yellow visor opened the door.

The Autobot spoke in a sharp cockney accent. "Mirage, old boy! You've made it and I see you brought company."

"Hoist, I think you know this company is Optimus Prime."

"Oh indeed! Indeed, different paint job, Decepticon shield is troubling but even blind, I can see that this is the Prime himself. No question."

Orion smiled. "You are Hoist?"

Hoist gave a polite, almost melodramatic, bow. "In the mesh and at your service."

"Let's cut the chit chat, Hoist. We got work to do."

All turned to see a stern Autobot with a fire purple-orange color scheme. An unusual color scheme for an Autobot but the classic red Autobot shield was in the center of his chest, but his notable distinction was the circular orange hood behind his purple head.

"Honestly, how much time do you think we need?"

Mirage chuckled. "A ray of sunshine as ever, Huffy."

"It's Huffer."

Mirage became deadly serious. "Is it ready?"

Huffer nodded. "Grapple is putting the finishing touches on it."

"Not finishing, finished," said a very pleased Autobot with a yellow-blue color scheme with a blue helm and a slightly smaller yellow behind it. "It's a work of art but it will only stay open for a minute or two. And then it can never be used again."

Orion Pax cocked his head. "What can never be used again?"

"Why our spacebridge of course, sir," Hoist said. "It's why we brought you here, to send you back to your Autobots."

Orion Pax said nothing.

My Autobots…

"Wow, you really don't remember do you?" Mirage said.

"I think he's made that perfectly clear, Mirage," Huffer grumbled.

"Where will you send me?" Orion asked skeptically. "Do you even know where to send me?"

"Of course!" Grapple chimed. "We've been listening to Decepticon chatter through the airwaves and we've found that one of their spacebridges is on a planet called Earth and it has been commandeered. And it's been active for the past few cycles and its coordinates have been applied into our own. You'll find your boys there."

Orion nodded. "It's risky. The spacebridge on earth, where has its transport range been set to?"

Huffer shrugged. "Cybertron."

Orion looked surprised. "Megatron told me our planet was dead."

"And you believed him."

"Huffer!" Hoist snapped. "Op-excuse me. Orion, Cybertron is dead, but the core is in self-repair."

"Self-repair?"

"Later later," Hoist said in dismissal. "The point is that Cybertron still has stragglers, both Autobot and Decepticon, and even entities unknown, and perhaps other secrets that have not been known since Cybertron's Golden Age. But right now, that's not important. We've got to move and get you back to your people, now."

00000

Spacebridge Chamber - 4:30 am

"Ratchet! We're being attacked by some kind of…bot beetle!"

"An Insecticon!" Ratchet exclaimed.

Jazz shuddered. "Why did it have to be an Insecticon?"

"Why are Decepticons on Cybertron?!" June snapped, clearly upset and very worried.

Ratchet's voice was grim. "Sentries left in stasis, should the enemy ever return."

"Jack! Get out of there!" Miko practically screamed, panic clear in her voice.

00000

Cybertron - Kaon

Jack ran fast into the doorway as the Insecticon gave chase.

And the giant door shifted and closed behind him, leaving him in darkness, the Key his only source of light.

"Guys, I don't think that door is going to hold."

"Just keep going Jack! Hide if you must, just keep going!" Ratchet shouted.

"Don't stop baby!" June cried. "Stay alive!"

"If you die, Jack, I swear I'll kill you!" Miko almost screamed.

"I won't die!" Jack shouted. "I'm going to get Optimus' memories and I'm going to make it back to you guys! I promise!"

The sound of tearing metal rang deafeningly throughout the giant hall.

And then an Insecticon's howl.

Jack's blood turned to ice.

And the Key pinged, getting Jack's attention.

And in the corner of his eye, a new door shifted, converted, and came into existence in the wall nearest to him.

Jack did not hesitate to run inside.

"Darby? Hey Darby! You ok?"

Jack chuckled. "You worried about me, Vince?"

Light laughter could be heard on the other end.

"Hardly, I just don't want Sierra living with your ghost for the rest of our lives."

Slap!

"Ow!"

"Don't listen to him, Jack," Jon Fowler said. "Now where are you? Where's the bug? Do you see it?"

"Some kind of door opened up in the wall. I guess this was the Key's doing. I don't hear the Insecticon. Maybe it gave up on hunting me and left."

"Doubt it," Bulkhead said. "Insecticons don't give up so easily, especially when they got their eyes on fresh prey."

Jack gulped and he heard a gasp and a whimper on the other line.

Clang!

"Ow! What was that for, Jackie?"

"For scaring the lady and kids."

Jack shook his head.

And his eyes opened wide and he grinned just as wide. "Hey, I think I see an opening."

Very carefully, without making too much noise, Jack walked through and out the other end of the secret passageway.

He was in the massive hallway, the walls strewn with carvings and mosaics of Cybertronians of old, events that led to the end of the age, and perhaps how Cybertron fell into the corrupt caste system that started the Great War in the first place.

Jack had no time to appreciate the artwork.

"You guys…there are these ancient mosaics down here…they're…pretty beautiful."

"That's nice, write a poem about it and move on."

Jack was taken aback by that response.

"Jazz!" Sideswipe snapped. "What the scrap is your problem?!"

"Yeah!" Miko agreed with equal anger. "That was totally uncalled for!"

Jack heard Jazz sigh.

"Ah geez…I'm sorry Jack, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that."

"No no it's fine. Keep the sightseeing to a minimum. Got it."

Jack's mind understood this but his heart felt heavy from the usually cool Autobot's biting comment.

He treaded down the open hall and a massive doorway leading to a narrow bridge came into a view.

And a massive tower with several giant rings inside one another was at the center of a massive spherical room.

And beneath the bridge was a seemingly bottomless pit.

Jack looked down at the Key and it was glowing all the hotter.

"Guys…I think I made it."

Several cheers were heard on the other line.

Jack looked down and saw what looked like an exact replica of the Key, a giant version of it, and out of pure instinct, he placed the Key in its center.

And it began to shift and grow many times its size.

It lifted upward until it was upright.

And the rings on the tower began to spin in different directions as an orb of hot-white energy formed in its center.

And not unlike what happens when power is transferred from one device to another, that same energy seemed to transfer into the Key.

"Wow," Jack said in blind awe. "The Key's downloading."

"Soon Optimus," Ratchet said solemnly.

"Jack…I am so proud of you."

The young man's eyes began to sting.

"Thanks mom. Hey Ratch, is Arcee ok?"

"Her vital signs are normal but her communicator is down. It must've gotten damaged during the scuffle with the Insecticon."

Jack looked over his shoulder. "What are the odds that there's more than one of these…bugs?"

"Not too unlikely Jacky boy," Jazz said with a foreboding edge. "When it comes to bugs, there's never just one, and I'm speaking from experience."

"Well I haven't seen any more yet but…" Jack heard a sound, a very familiar sound.

"But…"

Jack looked up and around the doorway towards the chittering-chattering sound.

His eyes grew huge as he took the metallic dots roaming and moving about like ants along the archway of the exit.

"Jack?" Ratchet called out. "What's wrong?"

"Scraplets," Jack croaked.

"What?"

"SCRAPLETS!"

"WHAT?!"

00000

Spacebridge Chamber - 4:55 am

"If they manage to chew through Vector Sigma before the Matrix fully reloads-!"

"So…Vector Sigma is more than legend."

The Autobots froze in horror but instantly shook off the shock and turned to see their worst fears realized.

Megatron was here.

He exited an open groundbridge before it closed behind him.

Ratchet brandished his surgical blades.

Jazz, teeth bared in rage, culminated from the capture of his best friend, activated his path blaster and grappler.

The Twins activated their dual swords.

Bulkhead his wrecking balls.

Wheeljack his swords.

And Bumblebee his battle mask, his own blades and blaster.

Megatron smiled in anticipation of the battle to come.

"You Autobots have gone to great lengths to recover your leader, but be assured, I will never underestimate you again."

"Well we all know that's a lie," Sunstreaker quipped.

Ratchet boomed. "We hold the spacebridge at all costs!"

Jazz bellowed, his rage exploding. "GET HIM!"

00000

Sonara, CA - 5:10 am

Bonecrusher drove off the road right off Interstate 108.

Just a little further.

The spacebridge wasn't far. The sooner he reaches it, the sooner he can regroup with his fellow Constructicons.

I've had enough of Megatron and his empty promises.

Rage boiled inside the mine-clearing vehicle, the infamous Claw of Megatron.

But he has long since been written off for his over-the-top brutality.

How dare they imprison me. After everything I've done for the cause. Just for doing a proper job of those prisoners?

His hate-filled monologuing was interrupted by the sound of incoming bogies on his internal-mapping system.

He adjusted his rear view mirrors to see blaring red and blue lights.

Barricade?

Upon magnifying his scopes, Bonecrusher could see that there was a human behind the wheel.

Cruel laughter erupted from his vocalizer.

A human law officer? That's almost cute.

00000

Several miles south…

Barricade, in his vehicle mode, a black Charger police vehicle, barreled up the interstate, not another car in sight.

Blackout followed, in his MH-53 helicopter mode, relentlessly following after the rogue con in the distance.

"Stop Bonecrusher!" he barked.

"Go to Hell!" Bonecrusher snapped through his comm unit.

Barricade noticed smoke rising as well as a fiery wreckage in the adjoining ditch of the highway.

It had a police design on it.

Barricade snarled.

Human or not, as much as he hated them, being a former member of the Elite Patrol, murdering a law officer was a lethal offense in his book.

"That does it," he seethed. "I'm going to fill him with so many holes, his guts will be leaking hot plasma!"

00000

Regulon 4

A tall, rotund green Autobot, almost as bulkish as Bulkhead, ran a huge dagger right into the back of a Decepticon air warrior's head.

"Gotcha punk," he whispered savagely before tossing the body aside like it was nothing.

Biting hard on the hot round in his mouth, Hound stared down the battalion of Decepticons facing him down on the landing platform of the hidden Autobot base beneath Outpost Gamma 7.

"Please tell me you got him through!" Hound roared.

"Almost!" Hoist cried. "Just keep them busy a little while longer, old boy!"

Hound was then tackled by an immensely larger bruiser of a bot and was taken to the ground.

He was ready for this.

Bringing the tank closer to him, Hound bit down hard on the round in his mouth and spat.

BANG!

The round ignited and blew up in the tank's face.

The tank went limp on top of Hound and died.

"Get off me!" Hound snarled as he threw the corpse off him.

00000

"Are you sure this will work?" Orion asked.

"It had better my boy," Hoist said as he calibrated a massive mechanized bronze ring that served as a spacebridge. "This is your best chance of getting back to your people."

A spacebridge made entirely of scrapyard finds.

It was not impressive in the least.

Grapple and Huffer worked on the underside of the spacebridge, making final adjustments.

"You nearly done?" Huffer huffed.

"Almost, just need to splice a few more wires-Ouch!" Grapple cried.

There was a slight flicker of power.

"Hold on…there!"

The spacebridge powered up and the portal opened.

"Optimus, go!" Hoist said firmly.

Orion was uncertain about this. "This will send me to earth?"

"You can bet your spark on it, boss," Mirage said from behind him.

Orion nodded hesitantly, then approached it.

"Or…" Hoist said as a final word of precaution. "…it might incinerate you into space dust."

"What?!" Orion exclaimed, his eyes huge.

The back door to the hidden base exploded.

And Mirage wasted no time pushing Orion through the portal.

The data clerk cried out as he disappeared into the portal.

And no sooner had Orion gone through that the portal disappeared as the spacebridge shorted out.

All present looked to the caved-in back entrance.

Hound dragged himself through it, carrying a Decepticon soldier's body, or what was left of it.

Torn in half by the looks of it.

"You guys did it, huh?"

Mirage looked unimpressed as he stared hard at Hoist.

"Incinerated into space dust?"

Hoist shrugged, amusement dancing in his optics.

"If we're done acting like children," Huffer said. "We should depart. This base is compromised."

Mirage grinned smugly. "What gave it away? The fact we got Cons knocking on our porch?"

Huffer growled. "Smartaft."

00000

Earth - Sierra Nevada, CA

Bonecrusher reached the Energon mine, which he knew housed the Decepticon spacebridge.

He transformed into his bipedal form and brandished a circular disc, pressed its center and tossed into the ceiling at the mouth of the cave.

It exploded and the cave entrance collapsed.

Bonecrusher laughed as he fled into the depths of the mine.

00000

Barricade and Blackout stood at the ruined entrance of the Energon mine.

Barricade pressed a finger to his comm, only to hear static.

"Bonecrusher jammed our comms!"

Blackout paused as he realized in horror.

But he remained calm.

"He's thought this through. Barricade, we need to get some distance and contact Laserbeak to groundbridge us into the spacebridge chamber."

"Who put you in charge?"

Blackout leered at the smaller Con. "You've a better idea?"

Barricade growled in irritation.

00000

Spacebridge Chamber - 6:30 am

The battle was over.

Megatron stood triumphant as he approached the still open spacebridge.

The Autobots laid in heaps behind him.

Sunstreaker was on his back in a crater, his chest armor garnished and crushed.

Bulkhead lay face down at the edge of the spacebridge platform.

Wheeljack was trapped underneath a blanket of stones, slowly trying to dig himself out.

Sideswipe laid in an awkward position, with his rear in the air.

Ratchet was sitting up against a rock wall, groaning and muttering in a daze.

Bumblebee tried to lift himself up, spitting out a glob of Energon but then fell back down.

Jazz was crawling slowly towards Megatron with one hand as his other arm was useless for the moment.

Megatron paid no mind.

"Come Arcee…so that I may end the line of Primes for all time," he gloated. "With the Matrix of Leadership and the Key to Vector Sigma, all of the Cybertronian colonies will recognize my claim to rule and all will kneel before me."

But his evil gloating was suddenly interrupted by a hot, paralyzing pain in his back.

Megatron couldn't even scream as he fell forward on his face.

And a chuckling red-eyed being in shadow grabbed Megatron by his ankles and tossed him aside.

A triumphant Bonecrusher approached the open spacebridge, a twisted grin on his face.

This was some of the best news he's ever heard.

"The Matrix of Leadership and the Key to Vector Sigma. The master will be pleased."

"And what master would that be, Bonecrusher?"

The rogue Con turned his head and his optics opened wide to see Orion Pax exit an open portal, standing firm before him.

And as soon as he went through, it closed.

Albeit the closing was erratic and it simply sparked out, as though the machine that materialized it was out of whack.

Bonecrusher paid no mind as he frowned. "Orion Pax, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be off-world, carrying out Lord Megatron's orders."

Jazz groaned as he lifted his head.

"O…O-P?"

Orion didn't seem to hear him.

"His orders are no concern of yours, and I can see, considering Megatron is on the ground, barely able to move, that any loyalty you may have had for him and the Decepticon cause has been thrown away."

Bonecrusher feigned shock and confusion. "It was the Autobots who did that, Orion. I dispatched them just before they were about to deliver a killing blow."

"Perhaps that's true, or perhaps another deception. But one thing I do know, my sympathies lie with the Autobots and you as well as Megatron are not one of us."

Orion utilized his path blasters, and aimed at Bonecrusher.

Bonecrusher smirked. "Is this open treason, Orion?"

"You're a great one to talk of treason, Bonecrusher."

"And what of Megatron? Will you stab him in the back all over again?"

Orion cocked an eyebrow.

"Again?"

"Yes, when you turned on him at the High Council and threw your lot with the Primes and the elite caste."

Orion tried hard not to falter his aim as coldness ran through his veins.

Bonecrusher grinned, seeing he was getting to him.

"Megatron had never seen such a brazen act of treachery. He was so shocked that he had gone temporarily insane and shot and killed Councilor Halogen."

Orion's mouth dropped.

And that was all the opening Bonecrusher needed.

He activated his own dual blasters and opened fire.

Orion cried as he got grazed in the shoulder.

And then Bonecrusher pointed the other blaster at Megatron's head as the Leader of the Decepticons started to come to.

Megatron seethed. "You…"

"Me." Bonecrusher tsked. "Sorry my lord, but you have to realize that some loyalties and entities aren't built to last. A new order is rising and the Key to Vector Sigma is the key to my future."

Bonecrusher eyed Orion as the amnesiac Prime got to his feet.

"O-Orion?" Megatron croaked.

"Indeed," Bonecrusher said. "I certainly did not expect him to come here by himself. Much less behind your back. I suppose you had some trouble getting him on your side."

Glaring murderously at his former cohort, Megatron tried to get up but his muscles were still too raw from the shock.

Bonecrusher shrugged. "I think we talked enough. Once I have the Matrix in hand, I'm taking the spacebridge and leaving. And this…" He removed a metal sphere with a blinking red light. "This is your parting gift, for you and your Autobots, Optimus Prime."

Orion blinked.

That name again.

"But I can't decide whether to kill you now or blow you up after I take the Matrix. Or maybe I'll just blow Megatron's brains out and make you watch, your best friend and brother."

Orion's face took on one of fear and despair. "No!"

Bonecrusher laughed. "Even now, you still care about him? After he tricked, deceived you, turned you on your fellow Autobots? Amnesia or no amnesia, you're still pathetic and weak. Just the sort the Council would make into a Prime."

Bonecrusher paused, considering things.

"Nah. I think I'll blow your worthless brains out first. Killing the Last Prime will look good on my resume."

Bonecrusher took aim.

Megatron feebly reached out.

No! Not like this! Not by his hand!

Before Bonecrusher had a chance to charge his blaster, a terrible warcry filled the chamber.

The voice belonged to a woman.

And before he could turn, Bonecrusher felt the force of a rocket strike him in the back as Arcee crashed into him, putting both Megatron and Orion out of his reach.

Megatron managed to lift his head as a small shape walked past with a glowing device in its hand.

Megatron couldn't believe it once his vision sharpened.

It was the human boy from the mine.

The one he dared to take his life but didn't.

I will be sure to share the details of our little conversation with Optimus, the day I rip out his spark!

Was this Jack Darby?

And then he felt panic surge his spark as he saw what he was carrying.

The Matrix!

But Jack was already outside Megatron's reach as he approached a humbled Orion Pax.

The data clerk knew that ancient relic anywhere.

"Are you…certain I'm worthy?" he asked.

"You have no idea."

Bonecrusher and Arcee fought, the two-wheeler barely holding the psychopath off.

She twisted, twirled and leapt as Bonecrusher tried to impale her with his forked tail.

She blasted him in the face and his battle mask barely deflected the shots.

He roared as he swept her away with a backhand.

Arcee hit a rock wall and slid down, dazed.

Bonecrusher smiled a sick smile as he approached her.

"Now the Matrix if you please, pretty little thing."

In the corner of his eye, Bonecrusher noticed something and with a look of shock and horror, he saw Orion Pax, down on one knee, and a human youth standing before, a device in hand, emitting a line of burning blue energy into Orion's open chest cavity, into his spark.

Bonecrusher knew what that meant.

"No you don't!" Bonecrusher rushed for the boy. "That Matrix is mine!"

Arcee reached out. "NO!"

Jazz coming to, seeing what was happening, rushed at the Decepticon, albeit a tad clumsily.

Bonecrusher paid him little mind as he backhanded him away.

Bonecrusher roared in rage as he reached out toward Jack.

When suddenly, a mighty hand grabbed Bonecrusher by the wrist and twisted.

Bonecrusher squalled in pain as he was forced to face Orion Pax, who stared at him with steely resolve and iron determination in his optics.

No, not Orion Pax.

Optimus Prime.

Battle mask and all.

"Any last words?"

Bonecrusher exploded. "That's a question you should ask yourself, Prime!"

He brandished a large knife and he attempted to plunge it into Optimus Prime's stomach.

But the Last Prime skillfully twisted out of the arc of the thrust and unsheathed his own sword.

Bonecrusher attempted to skewer the Prime with his clawed tail, only for Optimus to duck under it and chop it off.

Bonecrusher screamed in pain as Optimus grabbed hold of him and then proceeded to plunge his sword into Bonecrusher's throat, and with a single swipe, cut off his head.

Bonecrusher's head rolled aside, eyes wide with disbelief.

Bloody hell, were his last thoughts before the momentum of the roll was stopped.

And Bonecrusher's head was crushed flat under foot by a furious Megatron.

Optimus Prime stood ready, blasters fully primed so to speak.

And his fellow Autobots flanking him.

"Ratchet, how did we arrive here?"

The medical officer happily replied. "Long story, old friend."

Megatron snarled, seeing his plans crumble before his very eyes, by a human child.

He underestimated these humans.

He underestimated that boy.

He should've known he'd be trouble.

Megatron attempted to raise his cannon, but found himself still too weak to do so.

00000

A.O. Omega 2

"Base to team," Agent Fowler said urgently. "We're detecting nine Autobot life signals. Is Prime with you?"

Arcee replied. "And Jack."

The base went wild with cheers.

Agent Fowler whooped. "Yes!"

A grinning Jon high-fived an equally elated Rafael.

Vince shook his head with a cocky grin. Lucky.

Sari was openly crying as she was being held by a tearful June.

Miko was beside, softly weeping in relief. "I knew he'd make it. I just knew it."

A tearful Sierra put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, was there ever any doubt?"

Perceptor looked baffled. "Incredible."

Blaster laughed aloud. "The kid made it!"

His cassettes were equally pleased.

Ravage however looked immensely surprised, a total loss for words.

00000

Spacebridge Chamber

The groundbridge came into being.

"It's ours!" Arcee shouted.

"About time!" Sideswipe exclaimed.

Optimus commanded. "Autobots! Fall back!"

In the distance of the chamber entrance, Blackout and Barricade rushed forward.

"Lord Megatron!" Blackout called out.

Megatron lumbered to his feet, but fell to his knees again.

"St-St-Stop them," he wheezed.

But none could hear him.

Ratchet, Arcee, with Jack in hand, and the Twins have already exited through the groundbridge.

Bumblebee and Jazz continued suppressing fire as Bulkhead, with a smug grin, said, "This time, he's coming with us!"

Bulkhead leapt through the portal.

Bumblebee followed.

Jazz remained.

"Jazz, go!" Optimus said sternly. "I'll be behind you."

Jazz laughed. "Always the first to arrive and always the last to leave!"

Jazz entered the bridge.

Barricade and Blackout had already helped Megatron to his feet, only for him to shove them away so he could take aim.

Optimus turned and lunged for the bridge as he centered in Megatron's crosshairs.

Megatron held his breath as he prepared to fire.

One shot was all he needed to end this here and now.

One second.

Two seconds.

Megatron did not fire.

And Optimus was already gone.

Megatron was defeated.

He had lost his key to the Iacon Database.

His once in a lifetime advantage against the Autobots.

And he roared long and loud as his cry of rage echoed in the spacebridge chamber.

Blackout and Barricade took a step back in fear of their leader's ferocity.

Megatron heaved in heavy venting breaths, shaking in his rage.

That boy! Megatron raged in his evil thought. Prime entrusted the Matrix to a human boy?! And the Autobots, how did they find the spacebridge? How did Bonecrusher find it?

Megatron seethed and seethed until it dawned on him.

Someone has betrayed us!

Megatron pressed his commlink. "Laserbeak. Groundbridge. Now."

"Lord Megatron."

"What?!" Megatron snapped as he turned to face a nervous Blackout.

"What do you want us to do with Bonecrusher's remains?"

Megatron did not miss a beat. "Smelting pit. Leave no trace of that piece of filth."

Blackout nodded obediently. "Very good, sir."

00000

A.O. Omega 2 - 7:00 am

Jack and Arcee emerged from the groundbridge.

"Jack!" Miko and June shouted in unison as they rushed toward the startled young man.

Miko reached him first, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Jack!" Miko cried, tears in her eyes, kissing her boyfriend on his face.

"Can't…breathe," Jack wheezed.

A happily-weeping June joined in the hug and she kissed her son.

The other Autobots emerged one by one.

Ratchet.

Sideswipe.

Sunstreaker.

Bulkhead.

Wheeljack.

Bumblebee.

Jazz.

All stood fast, holding their breaths as the last one exited the portal.

And Optimus Prime emerged.

None spoke.

All were beside themselves.

Sari approached, tears streaming down her face.

"Optimus?"

The Prime smiled warmly at her and knelt down.

"Hello Sari."

Miko gasped happily. "The big guy remembers us!"

No one else cheered, they just smiled as though everything wrong in the world had been undone.

Sari bit her bottom lip as she smiled too wide.

Optimus offered his hand to Sari and she threw herself and her arms around his forefinger and he gently laid his thumb on her back.

She wept happily.

Sideswipe turned away.

"Are you crying?" Sunstreaker said.

"No, just got some grease in my eye."

Jazz and Ratchet approached Optimus, both with big smiles on their faces.

Actually, Ratchet had to hold back his smile, proud as he was not to be too sentimental.

Jazz on the other hand had a toothy grin on his face and he took great care to keep his visor up to hide the tears in his optics.

Jazz gave the Prime a friendly tap on the arm. "Oh O-P, it's good to see ya man."

"I'm very glad to see you as well Jazz, but I regret to say that it doesn't feel like I've been gone very long."

"Optimus," Ratchet said, taking Optimus' hand in a firm shake, enclosing it in both hands. "It has truly been our darkest hour, but by all accounts, your spark has never ceased being that of an Autobot."

Optimus' looked confused for a moment.

"Do I know you?"

All present gasped in shock.

Even Sari looked up at Optimus with a startled look.

"W-What?" Ratchet stammered, stepping back. "Optimus?"

Optimus smiled a knowing smile.. "Ah yes, Ratchet, my physician and one of my most trusted confidants."

Optimus finished the jab with a soft chuckle.

Time froze for a moment.

Everyone's mouths dropped open so far, their jaws might've snapped off.

And then time unfreezes as Jazz throws his head back with a belly hard laugh.

Then all the others shared in the raucous laughter.

"I don't believe it!" Bulkhead chortled. "The big guy made a joke."

Even Arcee covered her mouth to stifle her own laughter.

Ravage didn't laugh. She was too baffled.

Ratchet, still quite startled as well as stunned, rubbed the back of his neck bashfully as he nervously chuckled.

"Good one," he said.

The honk of a car blared in the room.

All eyes were on the civilian driveway, carefully modified for civilian vehicles.

A black sedan parked and a frustrated Captain Fanzone emerged.

His grim exterior softened and he looked surprised and pleased to see Optimus Prime, alive and quite well.

"Oh, you're back. What'd I miss?"

Sari's eyes were filled with a forlorn hope.

"Uncle Carm, did you..?"

"I'm sorry Sari, but no. Not a single solid lead and none of your father's colleagues have any idea where he is. Not even Powell."

Optimus frowned as Sari bowed her head sorrowfully in his hand.

"It seems much has happened since I've been away."

He then observed the Decepticon shield on his shoulder armor plates.

"And it seems there's much I do not remember."

Grinning still, Jazz shook his head woefully. "That's an understatement, boss bot."

…..

VOICE CAST

Hound - Joel McCrary (Sully, Disney Infinity)

Hoist - David Tennant (Doctor Who)

Huffer - Stephen Stanton (Star Wars Rebels)

Grapple - Craig Ferguson (Brave, HTTYD)

Ramjet - Dee Bradley Baker (The Clone Wars)

Dirge - Benjamin Diskin (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)