Song: Ordinary World – Duran Duran


"The traitor of the past condemns the traitor of the present but will not stop the traitor of the future. The traitor is among Cybertron. Your time is up."

Arcee frantically searched around to see if the Allspark was in the room or not as did the others. Megatron narrowed his optics with a growl. The implication alone wasn't good. Worse, Arcee now had an idea of who it was. It had been such a foolish idea to think he wouldn't back down from his calling. The Metal Head Leader was too much of an influence.

"Where are you? We aren't playing this hide-and-go-seek scrap, Allspark," she said.

Right as she said that, a vortex appeared. "Come, Arcee."

"Of course," she muttered. She looked at the others dissatisfied. "I'll be back. If I drop from the ceiling or come flying through the wall, I apologize in advance."

As she left, Bolt gestured angrily, "How many relics can possibly be remaining on Cybertron? We found all the relics of the Primes, right? Weren't they all sent off world?"

Perceptor, Haywire, and Scythe glanced at one another confused, then the former remarked, "Wait, you found what?!"

Arcee found herself not freefalling like normal but instead walking onto a platform hovering among several nebulas with glimmering stars and planets scattered in different sizes all around in the foreground and background. They weren't the physical manifestations of the eight worlds she had gotten used to seeing, just random planets. Some had rings, others had moons or none, and a few were very rare colors. As the portal disappeared, Arcee was left in the starry void, brighter than usual. It reminded her of the Well of the Allspark where spirals of lined up planets were constantly seen, just this was far less organized.

The voices returned with laughter until the Allspark's spirit sentries trotted into view. The various animals they took the shape of were mythical and Earth liking most of all with a select few having another world's design. The Allspark loved Earth's creatures, and she couldn't blame it for that. There were many unique species. They pranced around, using the nebulas as their playground and interacting with the stars and other space objects. A faint light trailed each of them while moving like they belonged among the cosmos.

"Cybertron's darkest hour will come shortly. Your enemy, the Metal Head Leader, will seek you out and destroy you. Only those who you have aided can save you, but the strain you have put on their worlds and on them may backfire greatly. If they don't fight, you will die as will Cybertron. I cannot influence them, and I will not get involved unless I must. Fix your mistake by killing the Metal Head Leader or perish."

Arcee scowled, "You aren't exactly helping here!"

"It is not my job to keep saving you, Arcee. You must learn the consequences of your decisions," the Allspark said before appearing unceremoniously than previously. "You have yet to learn the last secret you failed to see in your arrogance therefore I cannot help you."

"What am I missing?! Who would it be?! Silos hates the Metal Heads just as much as we do! There would be no benefit for him to relapse. But then again, I thought he could be better, but I was wrong! What else is there?!"

The entity turned red suddenly with anger. "You don't get it! I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen, Arcee! You can't cheat and have all the answers displayed for you! I did my best to not make a mockery of you, but it seems you were quite content to make one of yourself! We are disappointed in you as are they."

Arcee paused before gesturing madly, "I'm the problem? I did what I thought was right!"

"You stole from them! How does that make it right?!"

"Be-cause how else was I supposed to convince Silos to help me? He blamed me for Tigressa, he said he hated the Metal Heads-!"

The Allspark huffed, reverting to blue, "You have much to learn, and this will be a lesson you will never forget. Fine, you want to know your fate? Yes, you have a chance at defeating the Metal Head Leader but only one shot. Failure to do so and that's the end of our world. Your greatest mistake will be put on display. Do you understand?"

"That's not a direct guarantee I'll win though."

"No, because it is uncertain. You mess up now, people will die and all the worlds you protected will fall. If you win, you may lose everything else. Since the universe's command of events has been already altered, I have no definite future for you...but perhaps that's a good thing. An alternate third option could lead to great harm or greater good, something I cannot foresee. You need to find your place in this war, Arcee, because now is the only chance you have. Until then, might as well make yourself useful and find the last of the relics so at least the Metal Heads can't get to them if you fail."

Arcee grew deadpan. "You don't have a lot of confidence in me."

The Allspark mused, "You started this. But I don't want our world to fall into Metal Head hands. If I must, I'll step in and offer help."

"You just said you blamed me and were going to leave me to my own-"

"I'm not the best liar, as you should know. Of course, I'm not going to let it happen! But you have to take the necessary steps to fix what you've done! The rest afterwards I can help you with. Change starts with you, Arcee. I can only go as far as you pave the path of the future despite knowing it beforehand. My plight is knowing, and I don't always like what I know. So, change it. Prove me wrong. You've done it once. Now, let's do it again.

"In the world of the beginning and the mother of life, five relics reside awaiting return. Upon glancing its knowledge of past, present, and future, the words of our lives mean little in comparison to the actions taken to achieve them, but a guide they will forever be. A weapon of glory capable of severing stars themselves holds the balance of great destruction in the user's hands; a gift of light with dark abilities. A time keep misplaced, a nullification of one's movement can hold a great advantage in battle or a great sacrifice to protect another. The bearer of creation of all that can be imagined and devised can only be wielded by those of kin, but a weapon it can be in times of great need. Particles and molecules are no strangers to manipulation as their objects can be safely bypassed no matter what density the user desires."

Arcee facepalmed, "This better be the last time I request you speak more clearly. Please do."

The Allspark said, "One last time suffices. The first relic I seek is the Covenant of Primus. The charge of the late Alpha Trion, the Covenant written with its Quill documented every event past and present while capable of writing the future. Holding the Quill will grant one the insight of these events like my own ability, but the Covenant cannot be altered or added to without the proper abilities. Otherwise, a terrible fate awaits us all. The second relic I seek is Prima's Star Saber. Wielded by many, empowered by few, the sword of wisdom can create hope but destroy so much. It is considered Prima's bane, born of an unspeakable pride alongside him but never used in vain. It was last held by Optimus Prime before being relinquished to the care of Iacon, its home city. The third relic I seek: nothing ever gets past the Immobilizer. A schematic created by Thirteen under Solus Prime's mentoring was long lost until Alpha Trion salvaged it from an old notebook of Thirteen's. He kept it until Shockwave got a hold of the design specs and Decepticon scientists under his command created the Immobilizer. Although not a relic directly, it is still of Thirteen's design therefore it belongs to Primus and me. We intend to return its knowledge back home."

"At this point, I'm not surprised."

"The fourth relic I desire is one of great familiarity. The Forge of Solus Prime has served its purpose for eons under its creator's care. Creating most all the relics you've found before, it is a symbol of Solus' craftsmanship and hard work, a pinnacle of creation itself. Upon her untimely death, the Forge was hidden from Megatronus Prime in the deepest vaults of Iacon up until the siege of Iacon. There, Alpha Trion launched it to Earth where Optimus and you found it. Unfortunately, its power is diminished without its master present. Not even the power of another Prime can recharge it. It was unlimited in the hands of Solus. And the last relic I seek is the Phase Shifter. Amalgamous Prime's bastard relic; although it fell primarily into the care of Alchemist Prime, Amalgamous was responsible for its creation. He disowned it after its initial failure. It was meant to let the user shift into objects not available as vehicle forms as a method of disguise only, but its testing phase proved disastrous. Instead of shifting the person, it shifted the environment's molecules, allowing anyone to phase through solid matter. Amalgamous had no use for such a relic and discarded it before it trickled down through the Primes' care until reaching Alpha Trion who put it away in Iacon."

Arcee gestured plainly, "Retrieve the last five relics, bring them to you, and it's that easy. My question is other than to take them back to the Well where they won't hurt anyone, per your words, why did you want to retrieve them?"

"I believe their existence is no longer relevant to our way of life. Taking them away doesn't mean they will be destroyed but rather, they will be resting out of the way until a moment they are needed returns in which case, whoever seeks them for aid shall receive them through me as long as their intentions are true."

"Sounds fair. I'll meet you in your garden in Crystal City once we find them."

"Good enough for me."

A portal opened beside her, and Arcee was quite thankful the Allspark wasn't dropping her from high points anymore even if they didn't hurt as much as they seemed. She assumed it did that out of annoyance of her inability to see past Silos' betrayal. She would kick that slimy salamander's hide the next time she met him. She went through and appeared beside Megatron and Bolt with Haywire, Scythe, and Perceptor staring at her uneasy wondering where she had gone.

She merely cracked her knuckles and sighed, "Got to love space."

"You were in space?!" Haywire asked completely dumbfounded.

"Allspark's choice of view," she replied casually. "Anyways, we have five relics to find and retrieve. The Forge of Solus Prime is with Ultra Magnus, I remember that much, Phase Shifter is with Smokescreen who I haven't talked to in a while, Immobilizer...don't remember, Star Saber is also here somewhere and then last but not least, the Covenant of Primus with its Quill."

Bolt exchanged looks with Haywire while Scythe snapped his fingers instantly, "I know where the Immobilizer is. Prior to the Nemesis crashing, Knockout broke it by accident. It was moved to Crystal City which was being restored at the same time as Iacon. As far as I heard, it was repaired. Knockout was entrusted by Bumblebee to keep it secure."

"The Star Saber's current location is unknown. Optimus swore to hide it, so he didn't have to always rely on its power in times of great need. He probably placed it with someone he trusted." Haywire said.

Perceptor, on the other hand, was skeptical. "The Covenant of Primus...that was Alpha Trion's personal book. It would definitely be in the Hall of Records if it still existed."

"You think otherwise?" Megatron asked.

"Here's the thing. When Alpha Trion died, all the relics were vacated except his personal items. The Covenant of Primus was said to be always on his person. If he was placed in burial with his brethren, it's either with him or it might have been destroyed-"

Arcee shook her head, "Not destroyed. The Allspark would have said something if its physical form was destroyed. It's here somewhere."

"I'll do you a solid. You find the other relics while I do a bit of research, try and see if the old Iacon Archives have it or have any clues about it. Bolt can help me. Knowing Alpha Trion, he's a stickler for making sure things go to the right people. If the Covenant of Primus was as wise to the future as Alpha Trion could read, he would have known about his passing and stored it from Decepticon claws, maybe even knew everything up until now as well. If he knew this day would come to relinquish his book, he would see to it you brought it back to the Allspark."

Bolt saluted as he followed Perceptor. "We'll be back. If you have any trouble, call me up."

Arcee nodded. Moonhunter and Megatron were with her. Good. Since they knew the planet by heart, things would surely go smoothly...

"Okay, where do we start? Fastest two would be Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen. The Immobilizer is somewhere in Crystal City, but that leaves the Star Saber. The only person I would think who would be close to Optimus to be considered to protect a relic is Ratchet. We should go see Smokescreen first."

"I can't recall the last time I saw the Autobot rookie. He should be easy to talk to," he replied.

"Ha, you would think!"

Scythe then said, "Smokescreen is in Cybertropolis. He mainly uses his war credentials to hook up with bots and boast, but he has a decent living under Ultra Magnus' Elite Guard. Start there and I'll ask around to see where the Star Saber may be."

Arcee acknowledged this as a bridge opened for her and Megatron. Moonhunter knew the drill and ran in. Cybertropolis was a busy city, not as much as Iacon but it was just as populated. Under Windblade's jurisdiction, it was considered a freelance city, one that wouldn't respond to any side of conflict just like it was previously before the war. The only exception was when the world was threatened as it had responded as such when Rockrider did her treachery to undermine Cybertron's present accomplishments.

The citizens gave Arcee waves and pleasant remarks as she walked down the streets of the shining city. It looked so new that the two bots felt out of place with their scuffed-up armor from previous battles like dirty beasts. Some faces were recognizable, some neither of them had seen since Cybertron fell. Both Autobots and Decepticons resided in Cybertropolis no longer on a specific party. Seeing Prowl patrolling the city made Arcee smile while Megatron was quite shocked to see Swindle of all bots making a decent...well, somewhat better living selling his stock.

Arcee gained the idea to ask him if he had seen Smokescreen as if anyone would keep track of faces, Swindle was notorious for never forgetting one. And if he said he did, it was often a complete lie to get something out of exposing a bot no matter what the premises. Every bot knew his game. He was never a joy to talk to.

When he spotted them approaching, he was equally as amazed. "Well, well, the dark lord himself and the pretty assassin out for a stroll in the public eye. You don't see that every day."

"Spare me the theatrics, Swindle," Megatron lightly warned.

"Of course, Lord Megatron, my apologies," he said smugly.

"I am no longer the master of the Decepticons. I would think someone of your social intelligence would have picked up on that by now."

Swindle quickly eyed him before making a neutral expression. "Maybe, but the title rolls of the tongue nicer than 'Lord Matriarch' ever did. Even if you have no tie to the Decepticons as a whole anymore, you certainly are better to talk to, not like being called an idiot constantly for little mistakes at least."

Arcee scoffed amused, "Matriarch doesn't like you, huh? What did you do to piss her off?"

"Oh, you know, I exist. That tends to taint the good name of the Decepticons when she has to deal with bots out of her normal realm of command."

"Sounds about right," muttered Arcee to Megatron. "Swindle, have you seen a young hot shot by the name of Smokescreen around the city? Blue with yellow accents unless he switched back to his screaming white color scheme. You remember that, Megatron, right?"

Megatron hummed, "That racing attire was always atrocious."

Swindle tapped his chin, "Blue and yellow streaks…you know, I saw an Autobot Elite Guardsman with that scheme. Chipper, doesn't know when to hold his glossa, big Optimus Prime fan-"

Arcee went deadpan. "Yep, Smokescreen."

"Definitely Smokescreen…" the warlord grinned at her.

"Last time I saw the kid, he was stationed by Ultra Magnus in the Cybertropolis Security Depot, acts normally as Windblade's police force but since she's been away, Ultra Magnus has taken over. He brought some of his crew and has ridden my aft trying to catch me in the act of illegal sales ever since I got here. Me! Sometimes I just want to summon the boys and bash that mech's head in, give Bruticus something to do."

Both bots exchanged glances, and he continued with a scowl. "Look, I know I've done wrong but come on, do I do it all the time? I just want peace and quiet and Magnus' Elite snobs are really driving me up a wall here. When you see the kid, tell him to stop stalking my business! Same goes for the rules fanatic! We all got to make a living."

Arcee peered to the side before nodding, "We'll see. We do appreciate the information."

She ignored his grumbling about the Elite Guard and focused on the good news. Smokescreen and Ultra Magnus were both in the city. That took care of two relics without having to search far and wide.

On their way to the Security Depot, they caught sight of Ultra Magnus' ship on the dock of the building with a double planet insignia most likely representing Windblade's ties to both Caminus and Cybertron. The symbol was on a rhombus badge. Ultra's ship stood out as a blue shape against its pristine silver.

"Last time I ever saw Cybertropolis. I got banned from entering the city but as far as I know, they don't remember this," Megatron laughed. "Good memories."

"What did you do?"

"Like Swindle said, I existed...and I broke into the records facility and the Asterius Hall. They didn't appreciate it mostly because I was trying to steal documents for my plans. But what's in the past is done."

Arcee snickered, "You tell them that, see how well it works for you."

They entered the Security Depot and as soon as they did, Dagger Prima began to whisper. One of them was in the building with their respective relic of Iacon. The receptionist was bored but perked up upon seeing them.

"May I help you?"

"Smokescreen and Ultra Magnus please. It's important," she replied.

"Boss Magnus is up in Windblade's conference room. Smokescreen? I haven't seen the mech personally, but he could be here. Either that or you can get Ultra Magnus to summon him," he said.

That was at least a start. They rode the elevator up to Ultra's level where the conference room was staged. Moonhunter sniffing eagerly at the new scents the building had. The floor they needed to be on was a nice shade of faint blue with crystalline blue energy orbs decorating the halls. They were pretty enough where Arcee considered maybe using the design in the palace.

Megatron knocked on the conference room doors. No one responded. Peeved, they started listening for anyone of Ultra Magnus' size. The guy was big, not Megatron's height but as big as Optimus so the element of surprise was not to his favor. They suddenly heard mumbling down the hall and tracked it to an open office. Peeking in, they found Ultra Magnus partially leaning over his desk with a servo over half his face tired.

The mech of a million rules probably didn't like always having to follow them, but he meant well. He always had. Taking over a whole city, even temporarily, was probably a lot harder than it seemed. He had been muttering to himself; he looked almost ready to fall asleep. Beside him was the Forge of Solus Prime. Right as Arcee was within range, the hammer lit up to Ultra's surprise.

Arcee coughed, "Ultra Magnus, sir?"

The blue mech looked at her puzzled before seeing Dagger Prima glowing and connecting the dots on the mysterious reawakening of a relic that had lost its power from multiple uses by Optimus. The Forge hissed in an unknown language, one Arcee had become accustomed to hearing all too much.

"I take it this isn't a friendly visit just because," Ultra Magnus said perplexed.

Arcee shrugged, "Not under the circumstances we wanted. The Allspark has called to collect its relics. We've found a grand majority of them in our travels. Now only five remain, one of which is..."

He finished solemnly, looking at the hammer, "The Forge of Solus Prime, her grand creation."

"The Allspark is storing them in the Well with their creators to keep them from ever being used improperly again. Apparently, that doesn't mean we couldn't summon them in emergencies, just not without the Allspark's consent."

Ultra Magnus stood and gripped the Forge to swing it upright, glancing at its markings and golden hue. He cracked a smile, one quite rare as he mused to himself.

"I never thought that I would ever hold the late Solus' most powerful weapon and means of creation. When you've held onto it for so long, you no longer remember it as being special. Granted, the Forge was not meant for combat, but it has stood its ground ever since I obtained it. Fixing it even through Predaking's wrath, it still resumed being quite a weapon."

Megatron glanced over the Forge with a sigh, "I learned a lot using its power for my own devices but is it wrong to not regret what I did with it? The Dark Star Saber was an abomination, but it was great to wield. Solus Prime would be horrified."

"I don't think so," Arcee argued, "I mean, she did help create things like the Spark Extractor as well as several of Nexus Prime's swords, many of which were questionable to say the least. I think the Dark Star Saber was a lenient creation with all things considered. Scary but not bad in comparison to one sword that could literally decimate a galaxy!"

"Yeah, I see your point."

Ultra Magnus gave the relic a once over before sighing, "If I must relinquish the Forge, I'm glad to know it will be safely in your care."

He flipped it so the handle was facing Megatron and let the warlord take it, the latter placing it on his back. There was some sadness on Ultra's features, but he didn't argue with the release of his weapon. Arcee felt bad having to strip him of it but when it came down to the Allspark's will, it was essential it was met unless otherwise deemed conflicting. Retrieving relics, ancient weapons too powerful for the common Cybertronian, was anything but.

As Megatron made sure it was secure on his shoulder, he said, "Hate to cut and run, but we still have the mystery of three of our remaining four relics. We do know Smokescreen has the Phase Shifter. Where do we find him?"

Ultra Magnus pondered for a second, then huffed, "Last I assigned him, he was supposed to be watching the Rotor Fields, the outskirts of Cybertropolis' northern sector. Knowing Smokescreen, he's there but he's not. You know what I mean? If he's not there, call me and I'll make sure he goes there personally."

Arcee rolled her optics at the talk of Smokescreen. The guy had a tendency to blow off "boring" shifts if it didn't contain a little action. They left Ultra Magnus' office with Megatron placing the Forge on his back to free up his servos just case he needed to grab the difficult mech. The receptionist was quite taken aback to see the hammer in their care, making the two smirk. He probably had a brief assumption they had murdered the leader of the Elite Guard or at the very least stole from him.

The walk to the Rotor Fields was decently long as Cybertropolis was quite large for a city of its residency population. They got to talking on the way over. Though they had seen Cybertron revitalized, it still stuck with them seeing their home fully functioning again aside from a few hiccups in places like the Sea of Rust that needed extensive repairs. Cybertropolis was an example of Cybertron looking like its old self; its beauty unrivaled after having seen it as a wasteland for thousands of years and more.

The Rotor Fields was a flatland with massive gears that pumped oil and Energon throughout the city. The few dangers of it? Multiple accidents even before the war had bots getting caught in the oil ducts or not watching where smaller gears were located leading to damaged limbs and, on rare occasions, even death. It was hard to maintain safety every minute as the layout was vast so memorizing every nook and cranny was impossible. Then there was the wildlife…

Energon Equus and Cyber-cattle roamed the area. Now that the species was healing, they were spreading out more. They weren't dangerous when tame but wild variants could be unpredictable as Bolt once described when she was recruiting him. The spotted Equus were the only type visible while the oval-striped and calico types were missing from the scene implying they just didn't find a home in the region unlike the Rustic Ruins where all three could be found. The spotted were pretty. It made her wonder if Smokescreen stopped to watch them or didn't like them if he left his post. She could imagine, like Bumblebee, he would like horses.

Dagger Prima hissed. A loud neigh had both of them looking around until a navy blue metallic Energon Equus came around a gear bucking and furious. Lo and behold, Smokescreen was whooping and hollering as he clung to its back like a cowboy. The metal mustang started sprinting, and they watched this mech manage to cling to it going everywhere until it did a sharp turn and flung him. It ran to its herd that started to move away from him, leaving him rolling straight next to a gear coming down. He didn't realize he was in danger until he shook off the stun and saw the flat, crushing stump of the gear mere feet from his face.

Arcee went into action before he stopped moving and right as he was facing destruction, she tackled him out of the way. The gear bypassed the slot it was moving in without a casualty to claim. Upon making sure Smokescreen was alright, she swatted him upside the head, making him wince.

"Have a death wish, do you?"

The cockpit mech frowned, "I was just having a little fun. Can't stand around all day watching the meadows."

Arcee scowled, "Yes, you can. Ultra Magnus assigned you to do so, so that's what you are going to do. End of story."

Moonhunter hissed at him, matching his owner's frustration. Smokescreen shooed the cat away though he hardly moved back from his position beside the mech.

"Lighten up, 'Cee. Magnus assigned me to find whoever has been sabotaging the gears running the city. We found a few broken gears. One or two is coincidence, three is suspicious, but four or more, that's a crime."

"So, while you've been playing rodeo, someone has been destroying Cybertropolis' power supply?" Megatron sneered.

"Hey, you used to commandeer supply ships or destroy them during the war to cripple the Autobots, but you also boasted your plans out loud."

"True, but at least I was successful at my job."

Smokescreen paused before narrowing his optics. "Okay, chief, you got me there. Look, you won't tell Ultra Magnus about this, will you? I never put the Equus in harm's way. It was just something to pass the time with no action."

Arcee brushed off some residue from the ground on her knees. "Sure, if you so kindly give up the Phase Shifter."

"Wha-NO! I've had that as my signature ability since I kicked Starscream out of the Apex Armor! There ain't no way I'm giving up that relic!"

Megatron gestured in annoyance. "You fail to grasp our meaning. This isn't a choice, mostly because of it being the Allspark's demand, not ours. If you want to get it back, take it up with it. I had to relinquish my Dark Star Saber; it's only fair you give up your item of personal conquest too. The Star Saber will also be returning to the Well as soon as we find it."

Smokescreen scoffed, "And if this is so important to the Allspark, why doesn't it come and get it itself?"

"Because it has better things to do like foreseeing whether or not Cybertron might be at risk of a Metal Head invasion. Look, Smokescreen, we need to get this done as soon as possible and you are only delaying our time. The faster the Allspark has what it wants, the more it can focus on us not being overwhelmed."

That shut the rookie up and he peered down at his wrist where the Phase Shifter sat undisturbed, now whispering. He looked it over before giving an exaggerated sigh.

"Alright already, if it's for the Allspark, I'll do it. I will tell you that I'm not too pleased with this."

"Just think of it this way, it was a Prime's before it was ever yours. It wasn't meant for you to keep anyway. None of these relics were," Arcee said.

Smokescreen took off the Phase Shifter and handed it to Arcee. With a small smile, he replied, "Just don't think I won't try to convince the Allspark to loan it to me once in a while."

Arcee laughed and gently tapped the side of his arm. "Don't get into any more trouble."

"Ha, you know me, Arcee, living dangerously in all part of the fun."

A racketing sound had all of them looking in the distance as a gear caught fire as it screeched to a halt. Just then, a grounder was sprinting away from the gear, past the annoyed Cyber-cattle.

Smokescreen started running and yelled, "Catch up with you later, 'Cee! I'll take care of this guy!"

Arcee shook her helm and looked at Megatron unamused. "I'm just going to indulge him this time now that I don't have to worry about Jack being in danger. He can do it on his own."

Hearing the warlord snicker made her break out a smile too. As they observed the Energon Equus returning after leaving behind Smokescreen in his little rodeo attempt, Arcee decided to try and find leads on the Star Saber. With Optimus unavailable, it would make things quite hard to locate the relic assuming it wasn't on his person still. The only bot who would know where Optimus kept such prized items would be his oldest friend, Ratchet.

Megatron grinned, "Let's go surprise the Doctor of Doom, shall we?"

Arcee knew where he was. He practically resided in Iacon's main medical facility. A ground bridge there cost nothing except for an inconvenient wait time. Unfortunately, as the Autobots' chief medical officer, he was rather busy. Bypassing such restraints proved...difficult.

"Excuse me, nurse, we need to meet with Ratchet-"

The white and blue mech shot them down with a rather strict look. "He's busy right now."

"Not even if Cybertron's queen needs him?" Megatron growled.

"Unless it's an emergency, not even. Also, no pets."

Moonhunter sat patiently, tilting his head unknowing of the bias. Arcee grew annoyed, clicking her glossa in return before muttering to herself and activating her commlink. "Ratchet, I'm hurt and losing a lot of Energon!"

"Arcee?! Wha-where are you?!"

"I'm in the lobby but they denied me service because I only trust you to repair me! Please hurry!"

Her fake plea caught the attention of the nurse as well as everyone else. She sent him a sassy expression, crossing her arms as he realized she had a direct commlink frequency with him. Watching his face drop was satisfying, even more so when Ratchet came running into the lobby towards her.

"What?! What happened?! Are you alright?! You-!" It was nice to see the medic again even if it was a moment of disbelief he had been tricked once he realized she wasn't remotely close to being injured. His facial features grew stale. "Why are you like this? I don't like you right now and I do have other patients I need to look over."

The queen quickly gestured, "Wait, it is an emergency...in a way."

"Puh-lease! What could be more important than treating hurt bots?" He scowled as he turned away.

"The Star Saber, medic, we need it back for the Allspark," the warlord said wasting no time in rousing Ratchet's curiosity.

That caught him off guard and he paused before he even got to the doors he had sprinted through. Ratchet bowed his head slightly reeling with an unknown emotion they couldn't see until he looked back at them confused and defensive.

"The Star Saber is wanted by the Allspark? Why, in Primus' name, would it want a relic of the ancients?"

He ignored the sideline plea of the nurse recommending him to ignore them as Arcee answered by bringing out the Phase Shifter. "The same reason it wants this as well as the twenty plus relics on the other worlds. They don't belong with us anymore. Their creators, all of whom are deceased except Optimus, just want their items back. The Allspark is going to keep them safe and secure in the Well. That's its plan, but we have no clue where the Star Saber is."

"Let's just say that I did. Why would I give you it even if the Allspark wants it? What if we need it again?"

Arcee shrugged, "If Optimus wants it back, he can talk to the Allspark itself. If the Allspark deems them to be returned, that's how it's going to be. I don't make the rules here!"

Ratchet was always stubborn in his opinion of things. Arcee found him to be exhausting to talk to on Team Prime because of such issues. If he wasn't going to help her, she would find it no matter how long it took.

The medic huffed, "Optimus was very keen on keeping the Star Saber close, especially after Bumblebee killed you, Megatron, with it before your second revival. Unicron coming back was worse among other things but since then, Optimus had it. When he took over Nova Point after Rockrider's defeat, he's been storing it there ever since in a vault in the upper levels."

Megatron grimaced upon hearing Unicron's name. Arcee didn't blame him. Being revived and controlled by the god-like entity was horrific for everyone to witness including himself. The destruction of Unicron's life force and Megatron's surrender was the best outcome though not without leaving quite a few scars. Thankfully, Megatron's chassis could be salvaged with heavy modifications back to its previous form before Unicron corrupted it. Also a relief to Arcee because she liked his normal look over the Unicron embodiment.

Nova Point was an excellent lead. The vaults shouldn't be too hard to gain access to. The only problem would be if any passcodes or combinations were set. Given Optimus would likely set something up to where anyone on his team would be able to access it in an emergency, there was possibly an override to all its features.

"So, Nova Point, huh? Not the fancy Iacon Hall of Records?"

Ratchet brushed off the sarcasm. "Optimus was very peculiar about where he stored trusted items like the Star Saber. The Hall of Records would be too obvious. Now, if you would excuse me, I have a lot to do."

Arcee gave a deadpan frown and didn't bother arguing with that. As the three turned away, she suddenly heard him cough.

"But while you're here, I will say that it's nice to know the relics will be taken care of not just by the Allspark but also by you," he said. "Just don't expect me to explain to Optimus where it went. That will be solely your problem."

She saluted and laughed. Of course, he wouldn't take the blame for the relic missing but then again, he wouldn't be responsible anyways. Arcee could face Optimus' frustration any day of the week. He would have to suck it up wherever he was.

Nova Point was not far thankfully and reaching it gave them the view of the city they were used to. Iacon Hall of Records was visible as was the edge of the Space Bridge Nexus crater. Grimlock was positioned near the entrance in beast mode while Predaking flew overhead.

Megatron raised a brow. "I take it you two have nothing better to do?"

As Moonhunter trotted up to the Dinobot, hoping onto his back, Grimlock rumbled, "Sometimes it feels good to be away from the herd occasionally. We don't have to worry about mutiny because we can get our leadership back quite easily."

Arcee crossed her arms. "You know, you remind me of a Dinobot leader from Kanjis, had that exact same attitude until she died defending her herd from a Cybertronian Predator."

"Then she was weak."

Both bots looked at each other unmoving before looking back at Grimlock like he was an idiot. If only he knew there was something that once existed on Cybertron that could kill him and Predaking with ease. The kings of their factions were not invulnerable, just very brash and hard to defeat.

"Whatever you say, Grimlock."

Moving past the Dinobot king, they entered Nova Point and went straight to the top. The vaults in question were in a prism-shaped chamber with multiple doors. Dagger Prima whispered. Within seconds, a secondary echo was prominent. If she was never aware of its connection indicating the Star Saber was near, she would have been disturbed to hear all the noises sounding like they were coming through the walls.

Arcee went to the leftmost door and placed the side of her face against it to listen. The whispers were muffled and sounded off. That wasn't the door. Around the room she pressed her audio receptors close to see if the Star Saber was within. It wasn't until the fourth door that the whispers were clear. She tapped on the door to indicate to Megatron that it was inside. Moonhunter scratched at it before yowling as he was unable to help in opening it.

They saw there was a code to it, one she didn't know. She tried multiple combinations from significant dates to what Optimus could consider of personal importance. Nothing she guessed matched. Pursing her lips in frustration, she gestured to the door.

"Any ideas?"

Megatron cracked his knuckles with a smirk. "I've got one."

Claws embedded in the metal of the door and Arcee was in awe as he pulled with all his might. The metal groaned as it tried to resist his force. He shouted from the strain, his optics blazing red. The door's sides broke piece by piece away from their frame, popping and screeching which made Arcee cover her receptors and Moonhunter to hide behind her in annoyance. With one final loud pop, the door was torn off and Megatron swung it into the nearest wall, unfortunately damaging a second door in the process. Nova Point seemed to not have any alarms set up still but there were cameras. Optimus would understand.

There rested the Star Saber glowing and hissing without any contact from a Prime. Arcee still wondered what the two items were talking about among each other. It wasn't like the Dark Matrix where the two relics were hostile towards one another so that was a good sign. Megatron took the blade and put it between his back and the Forge.

"Two left. Perhaps we should check on the progress of Bolt and Perceptor...assuming they didn't burn down the library in the process."

The scene in Iacon Hall of Records was chaotic. Arcee almost felt like walking out. If Optimus didn't care about the Star Saber being taken, he would care that the Archives looked disheveled. Both bots side-glanced each other dumbfounded at the state of the library.

Data pads were placed randomly on desks, the shelves that were once organized possibly by Alpha Trion himself before the war that had sat untouched were now cluttered like their contents were randomly put back, and the large screen panels that only activated in the center were floating about aimlessly around the room. It looked terrible.

Arcee stared flabbergasted at the interior. "What...did you guys do?!"

Bolt poked his head out from behind a shelf and said rather quickly, "Still looking! He hid it well!"

"That doesn't answer what I asked, Bolt!"

"I'll put it back and reorganize it! Don't worry about it!"

Megatron mused to himself, "If Alpha Trion saw this, he would be rolling in his grave. Or maybe he already predicted it and gave up."

Arcee shook her head, rubbing her optics as she watched Bolt skim through every crevice on the shelves. Perceptor was digging into what looked like rubbish but was older technology that contained ancient data that existed before a grand majority of Cybertron was ever inhabited. Peering between the two, she grew impatient.

Alpha Trion was never her favorite Prime, especially not after Rockrider's betrayal and basing her whole gimmick on a revenge for him that wasn't justified other than in personal gain. This treasure hunt was infuriating for his Covenant, and they didn't even have a clue what it looked like this time. As she wandered, getting a good view of the center hall with all its floating holoscreens and data tracks, she noted their precision cutouts. There were walls behind each screen they resided on when not in use but that made her think. What if the Covenant of Primus wasn't on a shelf or hidden among the normal files? What if it was in a place no one would dare to look at because it didn't seem plausible?

Arcee stared at the walls barren where the screens were lifted off already and saw square panels in each...removable panels. The Covenant might be in one of those! She hopped onto the lift with Moonhunter following, his paws placed on the protective railing, that slowly ascended. Right when she hit the third row of screens, Dagger Prima awoke with a startle.

"You are here," she whispered.

Bolt ran to the edge and stood on the lower bar of the decorative fencing preventing bots from accidentally falling into the chasm below. He had his servos on the handrail and leaned over it. "You find something?"

"Maybe. The dagger senses it is here, just haven't found its exact location yet."

Perceptor walked up next to Bolt and eyed the screens as well as the empty spaces they had left. He then knew what Arcee was looking for. "The panels. Of course, hide it where no enemy would think to look! How did we miss that?"

"Probably because we spent thirty minutes looking for secret levers like one of those villain lairs in Earth cartoons," the Vehicon laughed. "Arcee, is there any abnormal lights appearing from behind the ones that aren't active?"

"I'm looking. This podium doesn't go any faster."

She scouted around in a circle as the platform passed each row, but the higher she went proved fruitful as Dagger Prima was communicating with the Covenant louder. Just then, she spotted a hint of an underlining glow behind a screen, faint but pulsing. Activating the screen using the console on the platform, it lifted away from the wall and went towards her floating. It moved out of the way in its automatic orbit of the platform and let Arcee see the panel it had concealed for eons.

The platform had robotic claws that could be operated manually for maintenance on damaged or the removal of such screens. She made sure all the systems responded in pinpoint accuracy before navigating the arm to reach out toward the panel. The three-clawed grabber rotated upon carefully removing the panel and she placed it just below on a small lip where the screen attached when not in use. There in a space never gazed upon by wandering optics was a gold, thick tablet with what appeared like a merged insignia of Autobot and Decepticon factions on it with green bio lights. Arcee made sure it was removed it utmost precision and delicacy, bringing the claw to place it in reach of her.

After putting the panel back, she stared at it with her Nitrotiger sniffing at the unusual object. She was puzzled by its design. It didn't look like it opened until she randomly pressed down on the insignia. The latch on the right released and a small panel above the crest opened to reveal the purple and gold-striped Quill. She opened it and stared in awe at the pages as she set the autopilot of the platform to descend.

Fluttering through them made them look like they were ghost-like, the light of their pages ran under the penmanship of Alpha Trion's writing. There were so many entries. The very first one was a speech about life and his understanding of it. He had no clue who he was or why he was chosen to exist, a dilemma most people went through once or twice in any lifetime. She skimmed a few more pages and found an entry on the Cybertronian Predator and the Predacon Pyrobeak with mini-holoscreens popping up to depict the designs; the few creatures that didn't have remains found of them yet lived on Cybertron long before any bot did Alpha Trion had indeed witnessed. True to Bolt's speculation on the isle, the Pyrobeak was seen last by the Primes before disappearing entirely but in greater detail than the entry he gazed upon for common record in the Archives.

"I don't believe it! Is that-?!"

Arcee stepped off the platform with Moonhunter as she ran through the pages finding descriptions and details of more than just wildlife. Events and people that had yet to happen or exist on Cybertron were written, including a battle that didn't take place until nearly three million years after the entry date.

She grinned, "We just found Alpha Trion's Covenant!"

Bolt nearly grabbed it out of her servos in disbelief, flipping through the pages like it was his last action alive until he paused to stare at her. "No way! No fucking way! This is it! Ha! You actually managed to find THE Covenant!"

Perceptor wasn't as enthusiastic. "But we have to give it up, don't we? Surrender it to the Allspark...all that knowledge and who knows what else is written in it. Maybe events that are still far out."

Megatron was silent but understood the pain of having to give up a valuable item once thought to be lost.

"Here, let me answer that for you," Bolt said without missing a beat. "The last known entry of the late Alpha Trion...

"It is with great pride and acknowledgement that our enemies of the past and present will be laid to rest, the resurgence of our colonies revitalized, and our inner demons, our own darker ambitions, conquered. While I know more is to come one day as the universe will always set forth trials and tribulations on those that live among it and far beyond it, I also know I will not get to see it, nor will I see fit to write its ending as this will be my final word.

"I will say this before I depart, my last testimony: I regret much of what I have done, what I failed to stop out of arrogance and denial in my youth, and what I contributed to, only learning of the consequences once it was too late to reverse the damage. It would have been foolish to think a mech of my wisdom would fall at my own confidence, but no one is infallible, not even myself. I speak to any who read this to not hold my actions in vain but to use them to learn what not to do and understand that in times of desperation, even gods fall. We were gods once. We were foolish. Forgive me and all who suffered from my brethren's mistakes.

"And to my esteemed counterpart, Thirteen, Optimus Prime, I know not if you will get this or be passed this knowledge by the choice of the readers, but I am proud of you, my boy. In darkness, light will emerge as shadows are nothing without their opposite shining out to cast them. I wish things could have been different. I know you will always do what is right no matter what stands in your way."

Arcee blinked. That was Captain Silos' phrase as a Royal Guard. How did Alpha Trion know it unless he predicted they would be here to read it? The déjà vu was killing her. So, he was aware Arcee, who knew Silos, would be one of the people to read it, so he also knew his Covenant would be retrieved for the Allspark. It was very scary to think Alpha Trion was aware of everything that happened and will happen. Now she had to wonder what he meant by a few of his phrases meant like "inner demons." Whose?

Bolt slammed the book shut with disdain. "Well, that's a spoiler if I've ever read one."

Megatron huffed, "Not so, we don't know if people will die in the future or not achieving such goals."

"Why do you have the need to be blunt like that? Why do you need to make everything slightly less hopeful in life?"

"Because it's funny," he replied with a flash of fangs.

Handing the Covenant back to Arcee, the Vehicon muttered, "Millions of years of past, present and future history and we don't get to glimpse at it. Okay, no one die. Please. Especially you, Arcee."

Moonhunter yowled.

"The cat...I'm not as worried about."

Arcee patted his chest moving past him. "Don't say that. We all know you love him deep down."

Perceptor said, "Besides, what's the fun in knowing everything that's going to happen? Takes away life's little surprises."

"Yeah, the Metal Heads and their unknown leader are a very joyous surprise," the warlord hissed.

"You know what I mean," the scientist sneered. "Guess that leaves one or two relics left?"

"Only the Immobilizer. Knockout's the last bot we need to talk to."

Bolt nodded, "Good luck out there. We...need to put back everything properly...might take, eh, some time."

Arcee, Megatron, and Moonhunter left them to their devices and all-access information as they headed out. With a bridge to Crystal City, they found relief seeing the palace still maintained. The gardens of the Allspark were visible but with the last relic under Knockout's supervision, they had to find him first before they could go there. There was a medical plaza within the city.

Downtown Crystal City was booming today, a lot of shops and services picking up in action. Oh, how she really wanted to go to the Oasis Club again and get a massage and an oil bath with all the specialized chemicals. She could tell Megatron was kind of thinking the same thing too.

The medical plaza held multiple buildings but given Knockout specialized in cosmetic and surgical medical practices, the building designed to house most all procedures was the first suspected place he would be. Of course, surgery was a busy practice and time consuming per patient. They just had to hope Knockout was not with one.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Knockout is currently unavailable. Double pipe bypass for a patient right now."

"Oh my..." Arcee scowled off to the side, "is he almost done? Is there any way to relay a request or a note?"

The pink and sunset orange femme shrugged, "I can get him to call you as soon as he's done but that's the best I can do. I'm sorry. The patient was admitted three hours ago so I doubt it will take much longer than maybe an hour."

As the doctor left, Arcee patted the side of her thighs. After a minute, she finally gave up. "Let's go to the Oasis Club and get a drink. Come on, big guy."

Megatron didn't argue with that. For an hour, they parked themselves up at the club securing the relics in a large private room so no one would take them and relaxed drinking Energon cocktails. It felt good to not be on their feet. The massages were extremely helpful, especially around the shoulders. Even though Bolt had done wonders with her spine, there were a few small places he didn't get to primarily because his task was purely for medical reasons, not that of what a professional masseuse would find.

"How are you doing, Megatron?"

Hearing the warlord nearly purring at the treatment to his frame, a luxury he rarely had previously to becoming king, had Arcee smiling. Moonhunter was beside him watching the masseuse work her magic.

"I need to come here on a weekly basis. I hate getting old."

"You're not old, just cranky sometimes and you've had a tough career...then again, I know what you mean. There are moments I'm not as good as I used to be with certain techniques I've practiced since I can remember." The queen paused for a moment before sighing, "Damn, we are getting older."

"See? Ow!"

A sharp pop of metal decompressing near his shoulders made her raise a brow until a call came in.

"Well, well, the blue speedster of Team Prime, now Queen Arcee, correct? I heard you were looking for me," Knockout said. "Have to say I'm quite humbled. Been keeping Big M out of trouble?"

Arcee smiled as she was let up, standing and stretching. She left Megatron to continue his treatment while she talked to the medic. "You could say that. Listen, the whole reason I needed to talk to you is because of the Immobilizer. It's the last relic I need to return to the Allspark and I would appreciate any information you have on it."

"Now, I find myself a little disappointed that's all you called me for, but I assume regarding the Allspark, it's important. The Immobilizer was placed in Crystal City's depository as there was no safe place at the time to hold it. But I've reacquired it as of recent, through perfectly legal means before you get on my aft, and I've used it to temporarily freeze unruly patients without risking scuffing my illustrious finish. I can always get the other doctors to deal with such individuals I suppose but I want to hand it to you personally. Meet me in my office. Don't take too long."

Arcee closed her optics, turning her head slightly with a forced smile. Knockout always had a way with him for getting what he wanted or making things seem easy but not. Their break was over. Time to retrieve the last relic.

After summoning Megatron from his relaxation and placing the four relics back in their care, they went back to the medical plaza and were redirected three times to Knockout's office. The complex proved quite difficult to navigate. The offices were horribly similar but knowing Knockout, he added some flare to it to make his stand out above the others.

In fancier engravements, Knockout's name in Cybertronian was inscribed above his door and Arcee hesitantly knocked on the door three times to not be rude. At the same time, Dagger Prima mumbled to itself, its ghostly whispers resonating close.

"It's open," a voice said from the inside.

They went in and found Knockout had a very homely office, one decorated in Kaon crystals which were beautiful. Megatron seemed the most fascinated with them, carefully having the ones hanging from the ceiling in troves run off the tips of his claws. Arcee could tell he missed Kaon's more regal pleasantries despite the upbringing he had in the city.

Knockout swung around in his chair with a cup of warm Energon and an unknown oil type that smelled delicious. He gestured with it. "Want some?"

"Maybe later," she politely declined. "I'm sorry for barging in only for the Immobilizer."

"It's alright. We've all been a little busy to where we have forgotten to spend time with our friends. I keep putting off talking to Bumblebee and Ratchet. The latter because despite our differences, we do good together. Bumblebee...well, who wouldn't want to be friends with him?"

Megatron smirked, "Yes, friendship is clearly what you want."

The medic huffed, "Maybe I do like him. What's your point, Megatron? Can't the rest of us move on or am I still supposed to only mope around for Breakdown? I will miss him, but I can't wait forever. Bumblebee's very nice, very attentive. We just got along too well when not trying to kill each other and I fell. Granted, he's been busy as of late and so have I. When I get the chance, I'll see about talking to him more."

Arcee frowned, "Unfortunately, Optimus and Bumblebee aren't around right now, but I'm sure he feels the same way. I've heard him mentioning you off and on in conversations. I think he likes you too."

"Sweet of you to say," the red mech grinned before bringing out a dark green staff. "Now then, the Immobilizer. You can have it. I remember when I broke it stopping Starscream. Oh, Bumblebee was pissed. Thankfully, we were able to fix it but after we began getting to know one another, he entrusted me with it. Personally, I don't have any need for it other than for a quick anesthetic. But if the Allspark wants it, who am I to keep this from it?"

Arcee held the Immobilizer with a small smile before placing it on her back. "Thank you."

Knockout nodded, "With pleasure, my dear. Just promise me you two will stop by and visit more. I enjoy the company that doesn't scream and whine about little inconveniences."

"We'll certainly try," the warlord responded. "I'm glad you got out when you did. I apologize for treating you so badly."

"Please, Megatron, the past is done. From what I learned among both Decepticons and Autobots is that those who linger on past events will always be stuck, unable to live in the present. True, your treatment of me and many others was subpar, but why should I dwell on hostile memories when I am currently content with where I am now? And arguably, you helped me reach this point regardless. I could hate you for what you allowed Breakdown to go through, but I would be hurting myself far more than making you regret it. So, I find it best to acknowledge what's done is done. We only live once. I am not going to spend the rest of my days bitter and lonely."

Megatron understood as did Arcee. It was the main reason why they themselves were together in the first place.

"We shall be in touch, Knockout, I assure you."

"And I'll be waiting, might even share this new drink mixture I find quite relaxing after a hard day's work if you bother to stop by again within the next week or two."

Arcee laughed and Megatron smiled at that.

With all the relics in hand, it was time to meet the Allspark. Crystal City looked radiant, and the gardens only showed off their uniqueness unlike any other city on Cybertron. With the giant willow still blooming as well as the other plant life placed by it to represent the various environments on its isle on Earth, they walked past the pools it had surrounding its main attraction, and Arcee hoped it could read minds because she was not calling to it just to appear crazy in front of spectators.

With a flash, the Allspark twirled down with its rings moving quick in anticipation. "Finally, the last five relics shall be reunited with their creators and with it, the great circle of life will no longer be harmed by their unorthodox presence. I commend you for all you've done. Your reward will come soon once I believe you are truly prepared for it."

"Prepared? Getting all these relics with time and patience doesn't constitute a bit of repayment?" She hated sounding ungrateful but at the same time if it wanted to give her something, what could possibly be the hold-up?

As all five relics were lifted from the bots' grasps and rotated around the Allspark, it declared, "To divulge and use what you know against the dreaded Metal Head leader. An encounter with someone most fowl awaits you, one you must understand how to utilize such gifts. I will leave it up to you to decide on what to do but remember, Arcee, nothing is ever what it seems no matter how much we want to make it so."

The Allspark made the relics vanish. Its light radiated onto all the vegetation around it making their colors pop and the water they needed diverting itself to properly soak them. The Allspark was content with that but didn't leave this time. She and Megatron both found suspicion in the Allspark's rather collected but silent studying. If it was silent, it was waiting on something-

"Arcee, you need to come to Iacon now," Haywire said abruptly.

Arcee and the Allspark looked at each other before the latter began to shake side to side with dark blue coloring. It was whimpering. She then realized it was serious. That's why the Allspark didn't leave.

"What's wrong?"

"Arcee, what have you done?"


AN: Next chapter: the big reveal of not just the danger of all that has accumulated...but the Metal Head Leader themself. Who's the big bad? You shall see...