Note: References to Tyroth Darkstorm's fanfic 'Ancient Legacy' appear in this chapter, go to his page to read it.

Chapter One-Hundred and Forty-Two

Point of No Return?

Back in the silo Ratchet was still watching the screens after the Autobots, Tyroth, the Geckolings and Megatron had gone through the ground bridge to the co-ordinates Megatron had provided them with.

He felt anxious as he wanted to know what was happening, but so far there had been no report.

The mutants, Culpepper and Agent Fowler were also concerned and worried and were all trying to keep themselves from going stir crazy with worry.

Fowler paced up and down muttering to himself.

Jun was doing some air punches as he bounced on his feet.

Splinter and George sat in silence, and Splinter was trying to meditate yet it was difficult as he was worried.

Leonardo leaned against the railings and looked at the ceiling whilst Kemeko was doing some stretches to take her mind off the worry.

Heather, Sarah and April were talking quietly.

Jack, Percy, Sharky and Casey were also deep in quiet conversation.

James and Dahlia still continued to watch over Culpepper who was still on his trolley and Pandora was resting her elbows on the side of it.

Sonia was sitting on one of the beanbags twisting her sword on the ground and watching the light bounce of the blade.

Devina was leaning against the elevator with her arms folded, staring at the ceiling.

Michelangelo was flicking the pages of a comic he had read cover to cover whilst Kate stood behind him massaging his shoulders.

Since the TV signals were lost they were unable to watch the news and even though he had suggested a game, no-one seemed interested to play, mainly because they were so concerned about the disasters to the planet and the fact that the Autobots, Tyroth and the Geckolings hadn't gotten in touch.

Sephie was especially nervous for the welfare of her husband and children as she clutched at straws and Monalisa, Raphael, Jake and Amber kept trying to keep her calm.

Donatello sat on the Autobot medic's shoulder and watched the screens with Ratchet as they continued to watch the signals as well as search for their friends.

"Communication links are down as expected." Ratchet muttered "But we've lost their signal!"

As he said that everyone looked over and a few gasps were heard.

"What?"

"Lost the signal?"

"What did he say?" Sephie squeaked as she looked up.

"Doesn't that mean?" Kemeko asked anxiously as she ran to the railings.

"Usually." Ratchet interrupted "But a more likely explanation would be the severe interference caused by these electromagnetic anomalies.

"So if we can't track them and they can't contact us?" Kemeko asked

"How are we gonna know when they're ready for pick up?" Pandora followed up.

Ratchet vented as he wasn't sure how to answer the two girls questions, that was until he saw Leonardo out the corner of his optic holding a small object in his hand.

As he took a proper look he soon realized what he was holding and he gasped.

"Where did you get that?" he demanded.

Leonardo almost jumped out of his shell as he looked at Ratchet who was staring at him with wide optics.

"Ratchet?" he asked then he saw what the medic was looking at and he held up the glowing object.

In fact everyone else turned to look and they saw it.

"Whoa Leo!" Raphael cried.

"What is that?" Donatello asked.

"Where did you get that?" Michelangelo asked.

Leonardo looked at the object then at everyone else.

"Optimus gave it to me." he said "Honestly I don't know why he gave me the key to the Ground-Bridge power supply."

"Leonardo." Ratchet said in a grave voice "There is no key to the ground bridge supply."

"There isn't?" Michelangelo asked.

"No?" Monalisa asked.

Ratchet shook his head.

Leonardo felt his heart beat hard in his chest as he held up the glowing key.

"Then what is this?" he asked in a wavering voice.

"That is the key to Vector Sigma!" Ratchet reported.

"The what?!" Leonardo asked.

"Vector who?" Michelangelo cried.

"The what sigma?" Raphael questioned.

"Dad?" Kemeko asked.

"You, Leonardo are holding one of Cybertron's most important relics!" Ratchet said.

"A relic?" Everyone exclaimed.

Leonardo looked at the key then walked over to Ratchet before holding it up to him.

"I shouldn't have this!" he said when Ratchet stepped back.

"Optimus entrusted it to you Leonardo!" he informed.

"But that doesn't make any sense?" Leonardo stuttered "So why did he..?"

Ratchet then sighed and his optics lowered.

"Ratchet?" Donatello asked concerned as he patted the medic's head.

"Because he doesn't plan on coming back." Ratchet said in a low and grieving voice.

At once everyone looked to Ratchet as the cries of surprise and shock were heard.

"What!?"

"Not come back?"

"Is he crazy?!"

"What do you mean? Not come back?"

Leonardo felt his stomach drop and his heart beat fast in his chest as he thought of the Autobot leader who had become such a good friend to him, and he wondered what was to become of him if he wasn't coming back, and the reason why he was given the card key.

He looked at the key yet he almost dropped it when he heard Pandora's shrill voice next to him.

"What the fuck is he thinking?" the hybrid demanded.

"Yeah?" Raphael followed up.

"What screw is loose in his cerebellum?" Fowler shouted.

Sephie began to cry as she thought of Tyroth and the Geckolings as she feared that they would be in danger yet Monalisa held her close and Amber massaged her shoulders, yet she too was concerned for her brother and nephew and niece.

"Everyone please!" Ratchet said "I don't know what Optimus is planning, nor how he plans to stop Unicron."

"No-one of us do!" Splinter spoke up rallying to Ratchet's side "All we can do is sit and wait!"

"But master…" Raphael spoke up.

"No buts!" Splinter said pointing his cane at his red masked son "There is nothing we can do but trust Optimus Prime."

"Ugggh! I hate this uncertainty!" Fowler growled.

"Join the club!" Sharky said.

"Man, I hope the boss gets back safe, and the kids!" Percy whimpered.

"You kidding?" Jake asked "This is the famous Dragon warrior Tyroth! If he could take down Vulstrun and one of Megatron's Decepticons and knock Megatron himself about, he'll return to us!"

"Are you glitched in the head boy?" Ratchet exclaimed "This is a God he's dealing with!"

"And you're saying our leader can't take down a God?" Kate snarled "You clearly still don't understand his true powers!"

"Cool it Kate!" Heather said stepping in to stop Kate from getting even more angry and Sarah did the same.

"She's right though." Devina said.

"Yeah! Tyroth is very resilient and the geckolings are just as strong as him!" Sharky agreed.

"That's my brother!" Amber said in a proud voice yet she still felt worried as even someone as strong as her brother could be vulnerable and she hoped against all hope everything would be alright.

"Please come back safe brother!" she whispered looking at Sephie who was still being comforted by Monalisa "Please….We're all up here waiting for you."

Deep down in the depths of the Earth, the Autobots and Megatron were still trying to get down deeper to find Unicron's core to confront him.

All the while, Tyroth and the Geckolings fought off the Antibodies as they kept flying at them and trying to attack them.

At the same time, the Autobots fought the creatures as well, shooting, slashing, punching and kicking whilst still trying to follow Megatron to the Chaos Bringer's core.

Megatron himself tried to help as many who got close to him he was able to shoot as well as slash and stab with his weapons as he got closer to the core, yet he felt a pang in his spark as well as his head as he got closer.

"Megatron!" The warlord suddenly heard a voice in his head "Do as I command!"

Megatron groaned as the pain in his head and chest got stronger as he heard the voice of the Chaos Bringer within him due to the dark energon he carried.

"Destroy the Prime!"

Screaming in pain and frustration, Megatron fought back with all his might.

At the same time, Tyroth felt a pang in his head as he continued to fight the antibodies.

"Dragon warrior! We finally meet!"

Tyroth was alarmed as he heard the voice in his head and as that happened, he felt himself get knocked out of the air and down to the ground in a heap.

Meanwhile the Geckolings who were fighting against the creatures that came at them saw their father go down!

"Dad!" Freya and Loki shouted in fear.

Freya glowered as she blew fire as well as punched and kicked at the many antibody creatures that came at her.

"Help dad!" she yelled to Loki "I'll hold off these fuckers!"

"Got it sis!" Loki said then flew towards her father, fighting off other antibody creatures that came at him with his fire powers and mana.

"Dad!" he shouted "Dad!"

"Arrgggh!" Tyroth yelled as he grasped his head and he started to falter and memories started to come back to him when the demons attacked Mutopia as well as attacked him personally when Sephie was stabbed before him.

"I can see you! I can feel you! You will not succeed in keeping me locked away, not this time! My servents might have failed before, but not this time!"

"No! No!" Tyroth growled as he clawed at his head "No! I kept you locked down before! Your servents didn't succeed! And you won't this time either!"

"Dad!" Loki shouted as he flew down and caught Tyroth before he landed on the ground and he looked over to the Autobots who saw what had happened and were concerned.

"Keep going guys!" Loki yelled then looked up at Freya who continued to fight the creatures.

"I got you dad!" Loki comforted his father as he looked up at his sister who continued to fight the antibodies and the Autobots fired their arm cannons to assist her.

Optimus saw all that happened and he wanted to help, but at the same time, he heard Megatron's groans as he was fighting Unicron's influence.

"Megatron!" Optimus yelled in concern as he saw the Warlord on his knees and struggling as he tried to fight.

Megatron fought hard against Unicron's influence and his eyes glowed a deeper purple yet he tried to keep himself together and his will his own and he grabbed Prime and shot down an antibody wasp that came at them.

"Unicron's spark lies just beyond!" Megatron informed pointing to what looked like a wall with a couple of circles lined in purple.

"How do we get inside?" Optimus asked as he fired another blast at the antibodies.

"By fooling Unicron's defenses into believing we are not a threat!" Megatron reported as he continued to walk ahead and he stood close to the main core and his chest glowed purple as it connected with the gate to Unicron's core and the circular gate opened letting him in!

Optimus frowned as he watched, yet he wanted to trust Megatron's word and he turned to his comrades.

"Autobots!" Optimus commanded "I will need you to keep our attackers at bay for as long as you can!" he then started to run after Megatron.

"You got it Optimus!" Ironhide shouted over his shoulder as he fired another shot at the Antibodies.

"We gotta hold fast!" Bulkhead yelled as he kept firing at the antibodies. 'We gotta! For Optimus!"

"Darn tootin!" Ironhide bellowed "For our Prime! For Earth! or our friends!"

Meanwhile Loki tried to rouse Tyroth from his distraction.

"Dad! Dad!" he shouted as he shook Tyroth hard "Wake up! Snap out of it!"

Tyroth shook his head as he heard his son's voice.

'Wake up dad!" Loki shouted "We got to do our duty! And that's to save our home! Our planet! We're the guardians!"

Tyroth blinked as he looked at his son.

"Loki…."

"Dad…" Loki said holding his father's shoulders "Please! Come back! Wake up!"

Things have gotten difficult for our heroes as they journey down to save their world!

Keep checking back to see the results!