Exiles
00000
XI - Loose Cannons
Autobot Outpost Omega Two - Denver, CO - December 5th - Monday, 8:05 am
Arcee gawked at her leader.
"You can't be serious!" she snapped.
"Arcee, the war is no longer between just Autobots and Decepticons."
"What are you talking about, boss?!" Bulkhead cried. "That's all this war has ever been about!"
Jazz put a hand on the former Wrecker's shoulder.
"Hey Bulk, take it easy," he said.
Bulkhead pushed the hand away.
He squared off with Optimus.
"So what? You wanna make nice with the Cons? Me saving Breakdown wasn't enough? Or us bailing out Brawl? Or taking in Ravage like the war never happened."
Optimus didn't answer.
He just let Bulkhead rage on.
The others watched, horrified. Bulkhead never confronted Optimus with such hostility.
"Wasn't enough that Megatron took advantage of your amnesia and made you think you were a Con, now you wanna ask for his help again?! After everything the Cons did to us? To Cybertron? Does that not matter, boss?"
"Bulkhead…" Optimus began. "This war has claimed many lives and I fear this war has never been between Autobots and Decepticons."
Bulkhead stepped back in sheer shock and confusion.
"What?!" cried the others in unison.
Wheeljack was equally stumped.
"What are you saying, Prime? What's that supposed to be mean?"
"I'm saying that there may be other forces at work, Wheeljack. Unforeseen circumstances have revealed other enemies besides the Decepticons that have only now made their existence known. Enemies who have remained nameless who may or may not have orchestrated events behind the scenes."
"The Acolytes of Unicron?" Perceptor questioned skeptically. "Any recorded history of them is tenuous at best, Optimus. No one has claimed to have seen them since the Fall of Unicron. There have been no sightings of them whatsoever or any indication that they are active. How can you base their return on the word of an archivist who is more than likely suffering from delusions?"
"How do you think Megatron learnt of the properties of Dark Energon in the first place? Or how to weaponize it?"
Perceptor paused.
"Dark Energon, as you know, is said to be the lifeblood of Unicron himself. But this is merely hyperbole. Unicron was simply the first to corrupt Dark Energon and twist it into a concoction of devilry and black magic. It reanimates the dead as you all know. And its history has survived the passage of time. Someone has seen to it that the history of the ancient Unicronians and their wicked teachings thrive throughout our history. And I believe Megatron is not the first or the last to discover them and practice them. For all we know, there may be a secret society of Unicronians hiding among the stars, biding their time. Not the radical marauders Sunstreaker reported on, but a calculating infrastructure capable of raising an army and able to take entire planets in Unicron's name."
Miko twiddled her fingers anxiously as a terrible thought occurred to her.
"Megatron said he didn't blast Raf with the dark stuff when Unicron woke up. I thought maybe he was just not right in the head cuz he was so high on the dark stuff. But if he wasn't lying, who was it that hurt Raf that had a similar finish and flight mode as Buckethead?"
Optimus stared at Miko, astounded.
The other Autobots were equally amazed.
Why haven't any of them thought of that?
Jack looked at his girlfriend, utterly dumbfounded by her sudden insightfulness.
Perceptor and Wheeljack looked at one another.
"Good Heavens, you don't think-?"
"Archie says he was shot down by this Scourge? And he may be on earth right now and has been for some time? And he may have been here all along and we've been none the wiser?"
"Th-that doesn't prove anything!" Bulkhead stammered. "We all know Megatron's nuts! He must've been lying!"
Optimus shook his head. "He's never been one to deny an evil deed, Bulkhead. And if he was lying, it was his greatest performance, even intoxicated by the dark matter. I thought about it for some time and with Archimedes has divulged, is it so unbelievable to consider that a servant of Unicron would be here at his awakening?"
Bulkhead shook his head. "I don't believe it! There's no proof!"
"Bulkhead, Powell's contract, this 'Pathos' had recited an ancient mantra of the Acolytes. Till all are gone. That is what the ancient followers of Unicron would say."
Bulkhead was speechless at that point, as were most of those in the room.
Jazz, being the more level headed, shook his head.
"It doesn't really change anything anyway."
"Why do you say that?" Bulkhead asked.
"Because regardless of who's in this war and who ain't, we're still here and so are the Cons. We can't stop fighting, not unless we want to see the humans enslaved or worse. This thing about Unicron and the whack jobs who worship him like some kind of death god, they'll have to wait."
"We'd only be putting off the problem, Jazz," Jon said warily. "We'll still have to deal with them one of these days."
"I know, boy. I know."
Katie looked up at Sunstreaker.
"Sunny, you mentioned hearing stories about Unicronians."
"The Unicronians I heard of are considered mindless fanatics bent on destruction who leave little to no witnesses. The Acolytes on the other hand are fanatics, but not mindless. They're notorious for their cunning, their resourcefulness and brutal efficiency. I've been filling in Prime of my interplanetary travels and discoveries. I've seen much that would make your hair stand up."
"Like?" Vince asked.
Part of him hoped Sunstreaker wouldn't answer. He was scared to know.
Sunstreaker shook his head. "That information is on the need-to-know basis, Vinny. Sorry."
Vince sighed in relief.
Sierra stepped forward to put a hand on Optimus' ankle.
"Optimus, Sari will be ok right?" she asked, voice cracking.
Optimus knelt down with a sad smile.
"Sari couldn't be in better hands, Sierra. She's stable and her doctors are confident she will recover."
Sierra smiled as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Katie put both hands on her best friend's shoulders.
"When can she come home?" Miko asked.
"That isn't clear, Miko," Optimus said. "But Ratchet believes she can leave the hospital in a month but overall recovery? Six to nine months."
"Sixty-nine months?!"
"No, six to nine months."
Jon Fowler rubbed the back of his neck. "Sheesh, that's a long time."
"What do we do in the meantime?" Sierra asked. "How will Sari get her schooling?"
Optimus smiled at Sierra's thoughtfulness. "Sari's schoolwork will have to be given to her personally, Sierra. When she's well enough of course. As to your first question: keep watch and stay together."
"And these Acolytes?" Jack asked. "And procuring Megatron's help?"
Miko cocked an eyebrow. "Procuring?"
"It means to obtain."
"I know what it means." Miko smirked. "Getting that Key to Vector Sigma has given you a big head and now you're talking like Optimus."
Jack blushed. "I am?"
Katie crossed her arms with a smug grin. "Yeah, you are."
Optimus smiled. "As to your question, Jack, I will only request Megatron's aid when and if it happens that he realizes that it is in his interests to offer it."
Jack nodded. "He'd never do anything for anyone unless it serves whatever he's got planned."
Optimus nodded. "Until that moment comes, we keep watch. The future of Earth and Cybertron depend on it."
An alarm sounded in the base.
"What's that?!" Jon cried.
"Easy bud," Jazz said. "Our mainframe is just letting us know that our sensors picked up a Cybertronian signal entering Earth's atmosphere."
Agent William Fowler felt his phone vibrate.
He pulled it out and answered it.
"Yeah? Yeah? Alright. I'll handle it."
Fowler put his phone away.
"Prime, I just got a call that one of yours crashed into a rest stop just outside of Portland."
Optimus cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry Agent Fowler, but everyone is accounted for."
"I just got word that an 'alien' flightcraft crash-landed. A jumbo-sized boy crawled out of it. No casualities so far, but whoever it is, I want this contained before we end up on the eleven'o clock news!"
The Autobots looked at each other in apprehension.
"It's gotta be Cons," Bulkhead said. "The only one here who can fly is Wheeljack."
"Since when?!" Miko exclaimed, eyes twinkling.
Wheeljack smiled. "In a spaceship kid, a spaceship."
"Oh."
"Maybe it's another one of ours?" Jon asked. "You guys got fliers dontcha?"
"Sure," Jazz said. "But not a great deal. And many of them stayed behind cuz the Cons got more fliers than we do. We gotta make do here cuz most of the fliers Megatron has on earth are newbies compared to the old guys that stayed behind."
Sideswipe was already at the mainframe and accessing one of Blaster's surveillance drones.
"Ok, I got a visual."
The screen opened a window, showing a gas stop in the middle of a forested area in the early morning, the horizon sky the color of pink and orange.
There was indeed an alien ship, Cybertronian-make, smoldering in a crater, just beyond the tree line, many trees felled and laying on their sides.
There was a bot standing upright, midnight blue and with a golden faceplate.
He was a dead ringer for Skyquake.
Bulkhead's mouth dropped.
"That can't be Skyquake."
Jazz looked up at Optimus.
"I thought you and Bee scrapped him."
"They did," Arcee said.
"Then who is that?" Miko asked, pointing a finger.
Wheeljack grimaced dangerously. "His name is Dreadwing."
Optimus nodded. "Yes, I remember the description as well as that name. He was a captain of a seeker armada. And like his twin brother, Skyquake, he is completely loyal to the Decepticon cause."
"Didn't Starscream raise Skyquake from the dead?" Sunstreaker asked.
Jon stared with open eyes. "Say what?!"
Jazz got on one knee to whisper to the boy.
"Tell ya later."
00000
50 miles outside of Portland, OR - 7:15 am
The Decepticon Air Warrior, Dreadwing, concealed his starship in a cave.
With meticulous cunning and skill, he stayed out of sight and remained on high alert.
Though he never traveled to Earth, he understood protocol well enough to know that inconspicuousness was a must in a world full of sentient beings he knew were harboring the Autobots.
Dreadwing scaled a mountain and he brandished his transmitter beacon.
The Nemesis Warship wasted no time picking him up.
00000
Nemesis Warship - Just Off the Coast of Cape Flattery - 8:00 am
Dreadwing knelt before Megatron at the bridge of the warship.
Brawl and Barricade flanked their leader.
"Dreadwing," Megatron said, clearly pleased. "You've traveled a great distance to come here."
"I live to serve you, my Lord and Master," Dreadwing said, not meeting his leader's eyes.
"Rise."
Dreadwing obeyed and met his master's gaze.
"Loyalty such as yours is a rare commodity."
"Mine runs deep but it was not loyalty alone that brought me here."
Megatron nodded. "Your twin brother."
Dreadwing blinked in surprise.
"I was not conscious at the time but I never overlook the passing of a good soldier, especially one as loyal as your twin, Dreadwing."
Dreadwing was speechless.
But only for a moment.
"He is dead then, my brother."
Megatron nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid he is."
Dreadwing bowed his head.
"How did it happen?"
"I only have the report that describes the events that lead to your brother's demise, which is minimal and vague. And there were only two witnesses, but I'm afraid one is absent and the other incapacitated."
"I don't understand," Dreadwing said.
Megatron craned his head toward Barricade and his Security Officer stepped forward.
"Starscream was in command at the time," Barricade said. "After Megatron's supposed death, as you no doubt have heard and it has long since been disproven, Starscream was searching for additional soldiers, loyal soldiers, in order to boost the morale of the troops, or rather to bring them in line. Skyquake was such a soldier and he was stationed here on this planet, in stasis, should the war ever find its way here."
Dreadwing nodded in understanding.
Barricade continued.
"Starscream, accompanied by Soundwave, roused Skyquake from stasis. A foolish action. The Autobots picked up the energy signal of the Energon that was used to awaken Skyquake. Optimus Prime, accompanied by the scout, Bumblebee, investigated. A battle ensued. And Skyquake perished. He died at his post of duty, Dreadwing."
Dreadwing snarled.
"And yet, in my spark, I felt my brother, after his spark was extinguished. As though he were dead and brought to life again. How is that possible?"
Brawl and Barricade looked at each other with terrible apprehension.
Megatron stared hard at Dreadwing, considering his words.
If Dreadwing learns his brother was risen from the dead with Dark Energon, he will no doubt drop everything to pursue the one responsible. And if I keep this from him, he will find out and this will threaten his loyalty to me. I cannot have that.
Megatron cleared his throat uncomfortably. "He was risen from the dead with the use of Dark Energon."
Horrified, Dreadwing gawked at his leader.
After a moment's pause, he snarled in furious hatred.
"By whom?" he said in a dangerous voice.
"Starscream."
Dreadwing grit his teeth in outrage. "Your former second-in-command. Where is he now?"
"He was taken to Junkion."
Dreadwing's optics became huge once more. "What?! But that planet is currently under Sadisicus' control and he is no friend to the Decepticons."
"Indeed," Megatron said. "And now Starscream is more than likely his prisoner, his slave and is, even now, more than likely being subjected to torments that even I couldn't fathom. Which means all of our intel will be at the disposal of the Autobots."
"How long has he been there?" Dreadwing asked. "Will you launch a rescue?"
"A rescue?!" Megatron said incredulously. "For Starscream?!"
"To see to it that whatever he knows does not fall into enemy hands if nothing else."
Megatron tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I've considered it and I've already dispatched my best hunter to track him down. And he didn't come cheap."
Dreadwing frowned. "Lockdown?"
"Lockdown. But you needn't worry about our secrets being leaked, Dreadwing. Thus far, none of our Energon depots off world or any of our trade routes have been compromised. Either Starscream is dead or Sadisicus has not been able to identify him as a source of invaluable intel."
Brawl scoffed. "Yeah, it's not like we could ever count on Starscream to keep his trap shut if his own skin was on the line."
Megatron glared in warning at the tank.
Brawl flinched.
Whether he was one of Megatron's best soldiers or not, speaking out of turn when a new soldier had arrived would not be tolerated.
Megatron turned back to Dreadwing.
"No doubt you wish to avenge your fallen brother, Dreadwing. But our war with the Autobots takes precedence, as well as the revitalizing of our ancestral home planet. Conflicting agendas will only lead to chaos and failure. Therefore, I will tell you to forego any plans for revenge. You are under my command, therefore you will follow my lead. Are we clear on this matter?"
Megatron said the last words slowly with an edge of menace in his voice, the veiled threat quite clear.
Dreadwing felt cold fingers clench his spark as he nodded.
"We are clear, Master."
"Excellent. Stockade, one of my staff officers will see you to your quarters."
"Before I go, Master, I just have one question."
Megatron cocked an eyebrow. "Go on."
"Have you recovered my brother's remains?"
Megatron shook his head. "I'm afraid not. They were inadvertently bridged to an inter-dimensional netherrealm by the Autobots."
Dreadwing's red eyes glowed murderously.
"Then by the pit, every Autobot on this planet will pay!"
Megatron grinned in his wicked inside.
Dreadwing was a formidable soldier and an effective leader.
His rage was notorious as a double edged sword and would be just the thing that will be needed in the ultimate battle against the Autobots.
Especially with the loss of his beloved twin.
Barricade shook his head at his leader's manipulations.
00000
Autobot Outpost Omega Two - Denver, CO - 6:00 pm
Wheeljack sat in his ship, the Jackhammer, contemplating his situation.
Things have gone horribly wrong very quickly.
Sari was nearly killed.
The Cons' numbers have increased once again.
MECH is still under the radar.
And now the Acolytes of Unicron may not only exist but are conspiring against them.
Now all they need is for the Quintessons to get involved.
Things just keep getting from bad to worse for the Autobots.
Wheeljack clenched his fists.
His mind was wrought with anxiety and turmoil.
In his days as a Wrecker, when there was a problem, they'd 'handle' it.
Boom. No more problem.
But this was a problem that didn't have a face that he could simply smash, or a spark he could tear out with his bare hands, or a combustion engine that he could simply rig to blow.
Wheeljack covered his face.
This was too much to process.
Suddenly, an incoming transmission reached the comm station of the Jackhammer.
"Wheeljack."
He knew that voice.
"Whattya want Dreadwing?"
"Out of all the Autobots among you, I understand that you are the most insubordinate."
"Well, thank you. You got a point."
"I am sending you a set of coordinates. Meet me there if you have the spark."
Wheeljack frowned.
His spark burned with excitement at the prospect of battle with a most hated adversary.
But really, he only knew Dreadwing by reputation.
He had killed many Autobots, but that was war.
Nothing personal.
But the killing of any Autobot was personal to Wheeljack.
He was then notified of an incoming message.
Wheeljack opened the messaging screen on his wrist.
It was from Vince.
Hey Jackie. Where you at? You said you'd take me for a drive.
"Wheeljack, you haven't answered my proposal."
Wheeljack grit his teeth.
He was going to regret this.
"Sorry Con, generous offer, but I have better things to do then to satisfy your petty vendettas."
Dreadwing said nothing for a moment.
Wheeljack smirked, imagining how he must be gawking at his refusal.
"You will not answer my challenge?"
Dreadwing's voice betrayed his thinly-veiled anger and amazement.
"Not today. I have better things to do."
There was an even longer pause, followed by a bitter laugh.
"The nefarious Wheeljack. Terror Jack, refusing a challenge? I'm shocked. Perhaps your reputation was exaggerated."
Wheeljack shrugged. "I stopped caring what people thought of me a long time ago. And believe me, you Cons are at the bottom of my list. And you got better things to do then try and hunt done little ol' me. So long, Captain."
Wheeljack ended the call and blocked the frequency so Dreadwing couldn't call back or trace him.
He tried to keep from laughing at the thought of the look on Dreadwing's face.
At the same time, Wheeljack felt shame.
"Did I seriously just turn down a fight with a Con?"
He laid his head on the dashboard.
"I really am getting soft in my old age."
00000
Down below in the base, the Autobots made emergency preparations.
A contingency plan should the worst come to worst.
Sideswipe made sure all extra weapons were fully functional and calibrated.
Perceptor was making sure the groundbridge was functioning at maximum capacity.
Bulkhead was checking the cybersteel plating of the base for workmanship.
"Maybe Archie has some ideas on how to build a spacebridge?" Sierra asked.
"I did ask," Optimus said. "He said it's possible one of the many data cylinders on this planet may possess technical readouts for a spacebridge, from Cybertron's Golden Age. But because of his damaged brain, it cannot be confirmed nor verified. At least until we can find these data cylinders before the Decepticons do."
Vince snorted. "Assuming these Unicorn fanatics didn't find them first."
That possibility had not occurred to some of the Autobots.
"We can't know that for sure, Vince," Optimus said. "But you're right, we cannot rule out that possibility. We must be prepared for the worst."
Wheeljack walked out of the lift that led to the mountain base's roof/peak access.
"Where have you been?" Arcee asked, hands on her hips.
"Talking to Dreadwing."
That got everyone's attention.
Ratchet nearly dropped his medical case.
"Wh-What?!"
Optimus barely registered shock. "Elaborate."
"He called me out and I told him to blow it outta his tailpipe, but not in so many words."
Bulkhead's mouth dropped. "You turned down a fight."
Wheeljack shrugged. "I have better things to do."
The other Autobots stared quizzically at the Wrecker.
"Who are you and what have you done with Wheeljack?" Jazz said.
Miko pointed suspiciously. "Maybe Makeshift came back from the dead and he's wearing Jackie's face again."
Wheeljack ignored the comments and he eyed Vince who was leaning against the stairway leading to the upstairs recreational platform.
"You said you wanted to go for a drive, kiddo?"
"That's what I said and don't call me kiddo, I'm almost eighteen."
Wheeljack chuckled as he went into his vehicle mode and opened the passenger door.
00000
30 miles outside of Denver…
Vince crossed his arms, a deep frown on his face.
"Hey Vinny, what are you nursing in that red head of yours?"
Vince turned his head away.
Wheeljack, in his human avatar, lightly tapped the boy's shoulder with a fist.
"You wanna talk?"
"Nuthin to say. We're screwed."
"Oh c'mon, Vinny. We've been in bad situations before. Believe me, Cybertron was in a much worse shape when the Quintessons invaded."
"Who?"
"Oh yeah," Wheeljack said, stroking his stubbled chin.
Hmm, still getting used to having hair.
"We never told you about them huh?"
"Nope. So who are they? These Queens?"
"Quintessons kid. And they are probably the worst enemy Cybertron has ever known. Let's see…"
The Quintessons are an ancient alien race and what little Cybertron knew of them were shrouded in mystery and folklore.
The very old remember them being very frail, lacking in strength, but they made up for it very well in intelligence and cunning.
No one knows exactly what they are.
Are they a species of Transformers? No one knows.
Are they just an ancient race of space squids bent on Cybertron's destruction? Probably.
All in all, for certain, the Quintessons were considered Cybertron's greatest enemies since the Rise and Fall of Unicron.
The Great Quintesson War was a long and brutal conflict that spanned for almost a thousand cycles.
Many perished in the conflict and while the Quintessons lost that war, Cybertron and its people had been mutilated, scarred for life.
It started with the Fall of the Primes, the end of Cybertron's Golden Age, and it started with the Rise of Zeta Prime and the beginning of the Bronze Age which gave way to Cybertron's most hated caste system, where Cybertronians, even before birth were given their task, their life's work.
No choice in the matter.
But what was really tragic, the war with the Quintessons had devastated Cybertron to the point that much of Cybertron's rich history and culture had been lost, destroyed, and impossible to salvage.
Thus the reason why Cybertron's technological development has become stagnant.
The past thousand years had been to fight that same fight.
And thus, Cybertron fell, not because of an ancient enemy beyond its borders but because of the rot that came from within.
Cybertron had been wounded, but not beyond repair.
But because of the Primes after the first, their compliance, their compromise, their corruption, as well as the Council that were a little more than despots, Cybertron stood still in every way.
Wheeljack did his best to explain all this in his own words.
The Quintessons may have won after all, just not in the way they expected.
The war had been won, but once the dust settled, Cybertron was changed and not for the better.
"You were a kid at the time?" Vince asked.
"More or less," Wheeljack said. "Most of us were. Some of us weren't even born yet."
"So where are the Quintessons now?"
Wheeljack looked uncertain, anxious even.
"Well, some say their Empire has crumbled completely. Some say they're biding their time, expanding their strength and resources overtime, waiting for the right time to take over. As far as we know, their reach has dug deep and taken root in certain planets where our kind have set up colonies. But we haven't had contact with them for some time now. Who knows if they're still there."
Vince crossed his arms anxiously. "Is there a chance?"
"A chance of what?"
"That we can win?"
"Kid, there's always a chance. As long we still function, we fight."
Wheeljack looked at the red-headed boy from the corner of his eye.
His spark clenched at seeing the boy turn his head away.
He could clearly see that Vince was trying to keep it together.
The kid was scared, full of turmoil, and was close to crying.
But he was too proud to show it.
Or ashamed, being one of the reputation of wanting to prove he was the original tough guy.
Wheeljack saw himself in this boy.
He pulled over into a rest stop and put a hand on the kid's shoulder.
He thought back on the days he spent with this kid from the moment he became his guardian.
Standing over Vince as he scrubbed the floors of the rec area after he got in trouble at school.
Taking Vince on all those drives in the mountains, talking for hours and hours about both their families.
His daughter Strongarm's first words.
Her first steps.
And her many attempts to enlist in the Autobot war effort, despite not yet being of age.
Vince laughed at that story and had said he'd love to meet her someday.
Would she like him, Vince had asked.
"Kid, she'd love you to death. Both her and my Quantama."
Vince had talked about his own father had been killed in action.
And how his own mother hadn't been the same ever since.
Vince, deprived of positive attention, sought attention in less than healthy ways.
Bullying and illegal racing.
Seeking the attention of the prettiest girl in school.
Wheeljack smirked at him.
"Sierra?"
Vince blanched.
"I didn't say that!"
"Your face says it all, kid. You got it bad for her."
Vince denied it outright.
Wheeljack laughed it off.
Man, the kid was growing on him.
He especially loved that very funny and very odd story Vince told of his days in first grade.
Of how he'd pull Katie's pigtails on account that sat in front of him and had these two very long pigtails.
"It was as if the left pigtail said, 'Pull me Vince, pull me!' And I did cause I couldn't pull one and not the other."
Wheeljack frowned in puzzlement.
"What was that first part, Vinny?"
"I said the pigtail said pull me and I said no way. I'd get in trouble. And the pigtail said, 'Big deal, pull me!'"
"So the pigtail actually spoke to you, Vinny?"
"I'm hungry, is there a Subway up the road?"
Wheeljack decided to leave it alone.
Sometimes these humans are just too strange for me. But hey, I've had conversations with my ship and my grenades on occasion. Those space trips can get lonely.
00000
Just 50 miles from Wheeljack and Vince's position…
Dreadwing stalked the Wrecker from a distance.
Part of him was hesitant to do this.
He was deliberately disobeying a direct order from Lord Megatron.
But his spark was restless, past restless. Everytime he closed his eyes, he saw his brother's agonized face, silently calling him to save him, to avenge him. Dreadwing won't be able to rest in peace unless his brother was avenged.
Optimus Prime.
His pet scout.
But Optimus Prime above all must pay.
Dreadwing knew the only way to draw him out was by using one of his subordinates as leverage.
Optimus Prime was notorious for his attachment and concern for his followers.
Now, how to proceed?
Lure the nefarious Terror Jack into a trap?
No. Wheeljack is far too cunning for that.
Dreadwing watched closely through his binoculars as Wheeljack pulled into a human rest stop.
A secluded location.
A human youth stepped out of Wheeljack's vehicle form.
Red hair of hair.
Dreadwing frowned.
He hated resorting to taking a hostage, especially if it's a child.
Oh well, if it means drawing Optimus Prime out into the open, it will justify itself.
Now, I just need an aircraft form.
His audio receptors picked up the sound of a high-speed military jet.
Dreadwing turned his binoculars towards the sound and smiled.
"That will do."
00000
Autobot Outpost Omega Two - 8:00 pm
"Prime!"
Fowler's face appeared on the monitor of the main computer.
And boy, was he mad.
"I just got knocked outta the sky by one of your Con buddies and I'm pretty sure he scanned my plane too! I see him flying away right now!"
Optimus looked grim.
"I'll send someone to pick you up, Agent Fowler."
"Hang on a sec," Blaster said, typing away at his data station. "Wheeljack's close to you, Bill. I'll just send him a call and-"
A crackle of transmission interrupted Blaster.
"OPTIMUS?! BULKHEAD?! ANYONE?!"
It was Wheeljack.
And he sounded more scared than anyone had ever heard from him.
Not even Bulkhead could remember the last time he heard that kind of dread in Jackie's voice.
"Jackie? What's wrong?"
"Vince was taken by Dreadwing! He just grabbed him and flew off! I'm chasing him down but he's too fast for me! I set the Jackhammer on autopilot but it might not be fast enough! Blaster, can you track him?!"
"Already on it!" Blaster cried as he applied his data tentacles to the main computer's keyboard.
Optimus heard Katie cry out in distress. He turned to see the blonde girl kneeling over Sierra, who apparently had fallen over and was not moving.
"She fainted!"
Sideswipe grabbed his helm. "Oh no! Sierra!"
Sunstreaker grabbed his twin by the shoulders. "Get a hold of yourself, bro!"
Katie checked Sierra over, making sure her friend hadn't hit her head too hard.
"I got em!" Blaster shouted. "He just left the state and is heading west! Wheeljack's already got his ship and is chasing him down!"
"Keep track of their position," Optimus said.
A notification chime was heard through the main computer.
Everyone knew what that meant.
An embedded message.
From Dreadwing.
Blaster read the message outloud.
Meet me at these coordinates, Prime. Alone. If I see anyone besides you, the boy dies.
Katie covered her mouth with a tearful gasp.
"No!"
Jack and Miko looked at each other with terribly worried looks.
"Are we…going to call his mom?" Miko asked.
Everyone had looks of apprehension at that.
"Oh boy," Bulkhead said.
"We'll have to," Jack said in a strained voice, this whole situation clearly causing him a great deal of emotional distress.
Vince, the life-long bully, had become a close friend to Jack, to all of them.
And now his mother, a frail and faint hearted woman, had to be informed that her son was abducted by a Decepticon.
"I'll tell her," Jack said grimly.
He pulled out his phone.
"Blaster," Optimus said, his voice iron. "Prepare to open a groundbridge."
00000
Just over Ely, Nevada…
Vince groaned as he stirred from where he sat.
"Awake at last?"
That deep voice caused Vince to blink in confusion.
His head swam and his vision was blurry.
This didn't look like Wheeljack's passenger compartment.
"Wha-What's going on? Jackie?"
"If you are referring to Wheeljack, I'm afraid he's at the moment indisposed."
"In-duh-whuh?"
An exasperated sigh.
"Wheeljack is not here."
Vince shook his head to shake off the dizziness.
"What did you do to me?"
"I used a device that fires the equivalent of a stun ray."
Vince looked to his right and then to his left.
It looked as though he were in the clouds.
"Where-?"
Vince stopped mid-sentence when he tried and found he couldn't.
All dizziness and discombobulation disappeared when he saw he was restrained to his seat by many seatbelts.
"What?! What is this?! Who are you?! Let me go!"
"Settle down," said the voice.
It was deep, gravely and menacing.
"Or I will put you to sleep again. I assure you, no harm will come to you. As long as Optimus obeys the terms I gave him."
"What terms?"
Fear rose up in Vince as a terrible thought occurred to him.
"What did you do to Wheeljack?!"
"Nothing. Yet. Prime at the moment is my target and I decided you'd make better leverage than your Wrecker friend."
Vince was terrified beyond belief but he refused to show it.
After all, he knew this wasn't the first time he'd been kidnapped by a Decepticon.
Count to five. Inhale. Count to five. Exhale.
Vince was still pretty scared but remembering his dad's words, whenever he was in an impossible situation, do this: count to five. Inhale. Count to five exhale. And repeat.
It seemed to work.
Vince noticed the Decepticon shield on the steering controls.
It was yellow and it had bars, signifying a rank or a certain combat regiment.
"You're a Captain right?"
There was a pause before Dreadwing spoke.
"I am a Captain. Of the Tarn 101st Seeker Regiment. You can recognize ranks?"
"Sort of. But the bars on your insignia are different from what we have here on Earth."
"Is that so?" Dreadwing said disinterested. "And how would you know?"
"My dad was a pilot in the Air Force, rank of Staff Sergeant."
"Hmm. Was?"
Vince bowed his head. "He died in action."
"I see. Have you avenged his death?"
Vince had a funny look on his face but he realized who he was talking to.
Vengeance was the way of the Decepticons, reasonable or not.
But being the former bully, he understood too.
"Me and my mom tried to sue but it got nowhere."
"Legal action?!" Dreadwing snapped.
"It was all we could do. I don't even know who it was that got my dad killed."
Dreadwing was stumped. "Elaborate. What do you mean by 'got your dad killed'?"
"His jet was defective. His radio didn't work and he was shot down. We didn't even get to see his body because it was burnt up."
Vince kept his head bowed.
He was not about to show to his tears to a Con.
Dreadwing said nothing more.
He wasn't about to feel any sympathy for this Autobot collaborator.
Child or not.
The Western Seaboard was now in view.
00000
Outside of Eureka, CA - 8:30 pm
Optimus exited the groundbridge.
He found himself in a shipping yard.
His scanners confirmed that no humans were in the vicinity.
No one but one.
Vince.
Optimus' mind was filled with questions.
How did Dreadwing find Wheeljack? How did he find the frequency to contact his ship?
None of these questions had good answers.
Were the Decepticons closing in on locating their base?
Optimus tracked the signal through the seemingly endless maze of shipping containers.
And then he found the final opening leading to a vast, open shipping yard beneath a massive crane.
Dreadwing stood at the opposite end of it, sword in hand.
"Where's the boy, Dreadwing?!" Optimus demanded.
Dreadwing scoffed.
"So concerned with the well being of the weak, of a creature that is short-lived, barely a species."
"Where is he?!" Optimus boomed.
And then he stepped to one side, showing Vince was right behind him.
Relatively unharmed but clearly shaken.
"Go," Dreadwing ordered curtly.
Vince took off in a run towards Optimus.
"And I would advise that you do not flee, Prince. I have rigged this entire shipping yard to explode if you break that line."
Dreadwing pointed and Optimus turned.
He saw a nearly imperceptible red laser at the exit opening he entered through.
Actually, it was several lasers.
No hope for over leaping over them.
Vince froze at the sight.
"H-How do I get out?!"
"The trip line only responds to Cybertronians, boy," Dreadwing said sternly. "You can go through but you will have to find your own way out. And I highly recommend that you do not attempt to tamper with any bombs you find on your way out."
"B-B-B-Bombs?" Vince stuttered, his knees knocking.
Optimus looked down at the boy.
"Go on, Vince. It will be alright. Go. Run. And don't look back."
Vince swallowed and then he nodded.
He took off in a run.
But stopped when he was just inches from the glowing red trip lines.
Vince would go no further.
"Go boy!" Dreadwing barked. "Before I blast you to smithereens!"
Vince cried out in terror as he ran through the trip line.
Nothing happened.
And Vince, full of relief, kept going.
As he turned the corner of several shipping containers, he noticed the large red bot sprint past the opening of one of the many sets of shipping containers.
Vince grinned widely as he turned course and ran after the familiar being.
"Sideswipe!" He called out as he turned a corner.
"Boy, am I glad to see-!"
Vince stopped dead.
The bot wasn't Sideswipe.
The red bot turned around and his red optics glared hotly at the familiar human youth.
"You again?!" Knockout raged as he brandished his razor sharp claws.
Vince stopped dead as though he turned to stone.
I'm so dead!
00000
8:45 pm
Optimus stared hard as he squared off with Dreadwing.
"I don't believe Skyquake would have ever taken a child hostage, Dreadwing."
Dreadwing snarled at the mention of his brother.
"You keep my brother's name out of your mouth, Prime. I did whatever I had to in order to draw you out. With you dead, Cybertron and my brother will be avenged. And this accursed war will be over. Endangering one human life in exchange for that is a bargain."
Optimus' metallic lips peeled over his teeth.
"Despite this dishonorable action, you stand apart from most of the Decepticons you fought with, Dreadwing. Much like your twin, you value loyalty and honor."
"Your point?"
"Megatron knows nothing of those principles."
"You're wrong," Dreadwing said. "Megatron's values are beyond your comprehension, Prime." He spat the title as though it were a curse. "It was he who told me what became of my brother after he fell. How he was raised from the dead and who was responsible. He is a conqueror, through and through, but he values his soldiers."
"He did not value Breakdown when he left him at the mercy of humans."
Dreadwing drew his sword and held it at the ready.
"LIES!" He roared as he lunged at the Prime.
Optimus activated his battle mask and brandished his own sword.
Dreadwing raised his sword and Optimus prepared to block the oncoming attack.
The tense air of battle was cut by a roar that tore into Dreadwing to his very molecules.
"DREADWING!"
As if a spell had been cast, the seeker stopped dead in his tracks and he slowly looked up.
Megatron stood atop the crane, face twisted with hideous, black rage.
He looked more furious than Dreadwing had ever seen him.
It was just enough to freeze the Energon in his veins.
"Stand down!" Megatron commanded, voice deathly low.
"Lord Megatron, I-!"
"I said stand down! That is an order!"
Dreadwing gripped his sword so hard, he nearly broke the handle.
He stomped his left foot on the ground until there was a crater.
And with a roar of frustration, he threw the sword down.
Megatron rolled his eyes. "Return to base, immediately!"
Dreadwing picked up his sword, transformed, and flew away.
Megatron looked down at Optimus with a contemptuous glare.
"Before you entertain any notion that I was saving your spark, Optimus, I was merely saving you for myself. Nothing more."
Megatron had a dark smile on his face. "Oh, and you'd better see to that human child before he gets stepped on. It's rather perilous out there."
With that, Megatron transformed and flew away.
Suddenly apprehensive, Optimus turned back towards where Vince had fled.
He had a terrible feeling that the boy was not yet out of danger.
Getting to him was going to be tricky since this area was rigged to blow.
Optimus lifted his head suddenly when he heard a scream.
The terrified cry of a young man, fearing for his life.
"Vince!"
00000
Vince ran through an opening shipping container lodged in a wall of containers, opening on the other side.
Once he made it through, a massive claw reached through and nearly grabbed him.
"Get back here you slimy piece of vermin!" Knockout shouted, peeking through the container. "And how dare you compare me to that flashy idiot!"
Knockout had a bad habit of despising a finish flashier than his, especially that of an Autobot.
But to be compared to one, Sideswipe of all bots, it made him mad enough to even take his chances with Optimus Prime.
Vince Raider couldn't believe his luck as he pressed up against a lone stack of crates, apparently stamped and bound for Taiwan.
Here he was, going for a drive with his guardian, Wheeljack.
Things went so well, he even had a heart-to-heart chat with the guy.
Things he'd never thought he'd do until the day he died.
And now he gets kidnapped by a Con, gets rescued by Optimus Prime, and now here he was, being pursued by the very same Con who kidnapped him the first time.
Only this time, Knockout didn't seem interested in kidnapping this time.
Oh God help me! I don't want to die! Not in a shipping yard in the cold! I gotta kiss a girl! I gotta grow my first mustache!
"Found ya!"
Vince screamed as he saw a red robotic head smiling down at him.
Knockout reached out and this time, Vince had nowhere to go.
It was his back to the Pacific.
"No please-!"
Knockout jerked and his face turned to confusion and then fear as he was pulled back screaming with tremendous force.
Wheeljack threw the red medic over his shoulder and Knockout slammed right into a wall of shipping containers, leaving a sizable dent.
The shipping containers collapsed and covered Knockout over like an avalanche.
Vince smiled tearfully.
"Jackie!"
"Hey kid, sorry I let that Con snatch ya. Let's get outta here. Your mom's waiting."
"My mom?" Vince said, worry putting deep creases in his face. "Is she ok?"
"She was last I heard. Just worried sick is all."
Wheeljack transformed, opened the passenger door and Vince hopped in gladly.
As they drove off, Knockout managed to dig himself free from the pile of shipping containers.
And he was angrier than ever upon discovering the numerous dents and scratches on his person.
"You scratch my paint, I scratch yours!"
But before he could pursue the fleeing Autobot and his charge, Knockout heard the fast approach of another bot.
Followed by an enraged roar.
"Who's a flashy idiot?!"
Frightened but not to the point of paralysis, Knockout had just enough time to turn his head before seeing Sideswipe's fist connect with his face.
Instant knockout.
00000
Autobot Outpost Omega Two - 10:00 pm
Vince was embraced tightly by a willowy red-headed woman almost a foot shorter than him.
She had lines in her face and silver in her red hair.
Deborah Raider kissed her son on his face many times as tears ran down her face.
"I'm ok, mom, I'm ok," Vince said, quite embarrassed. "C'mon mom, everyone's watching."
"Oh my dear sweet boy, I'm never letting you out of my sight again! Ever!"
Vince's face was redder than his hair at that moment.
Deborah separated from her son so she could take his face in her hands.
She gave her son one last kiss before she turned him over to his friends.
An openly crying Sierra wasted no time crashing into Vince, wrapping her arms around his neck, almost choking him.
And she did something Vince was prepared for even if he lived a thousand lifetimes.
She kissed him.
On the cheek.
Repeatedly.
Vince's mind shut down right then and there.
And if Wheeljack, in his human avatar form, hadn't had the foresight to hold him steady, Vince would've keeled over.
Sierra held him and she did not let go.
Vince was at a loss as his body temperature climbed.
He heard someone clear their throat and saw Katie looking at him with her arms crossed.
She gestured the act of returning the hug.
Vince blinked stupidly before it clicked.
He wrapped his own arms around Sierra's middle.
He met her eyes and he returned the kiss.
Albeit it on the cheek.
Sierra blushed but she did not recoil.
Vince never felt so complete in his life.
He looked past Sierra's head to see Jon, flanking Katie, giving him a double thumbs up.
His other friends, including the other bots were pretty much giving him the same gesture.
Even Jack, who had his arm around Miko, smiled at the former bully.
I never imagined that I'd be thinking that maybe, just maybe, they were made for each other.
Sideswipe was overdoing it a bit.
At first, he gave Vince a hard glare.
But then he started giving Vince a double handgun motion, which served as the universal sign of 'my man.'
Sideswipe, who was normally so protective of Sierra, did not object to Vince's actions.
Vince's mom smiled proudly at the scene.
Once Wheeljack saw Vince was doing ok on his own two feet, he went back into his vehicle and rendered into his Cybertronian form.
Wheeljack approached Optimus, looking rather humbled.
"Thanks for the backup, Prime. You understand calling for it isn't my style as a Wrecker."
Optimus smiled. "There is no shame in it, Wheeljack. You are stronger for valuing Vince's life over your pride as a Wrecker."
Wheeljack chuckled bitterly. "I really am getting soft in my old age. Guess it won't be long before the rust really sets in."
Optimus lost his smile.
He decided not to comment on that.
Wheeljack turned to leave. "I'm gonna go check to see if the Jackhammer needs a tuneup."
Before Wheeljack could leave however, the sound of an approaching muscle car was coming from the enjoining mountain driveway.
Bumblebee revved in, did a loop and opened his passenger door so Rafael could slink out.
The boy looked exhausted.
"Hey Raf," Jack said. "Who's watching Sari?"
"How is she?" Miko asked.
"She's fine. She's sleeping and recovering but she's still got a long way to go. Steeljaw and Ravage are staying with her."
Katie craned her head. "How are they doing that without being seen?"
"Long story."
Raf finally noticed Vince, who still had his arms around Sierra.
Vince grinned upon seeing the young Vegeta-haired genius.
"Hey little buddy."
Raf's face scrunched up emotionally and he rushed to meet Vince.
Vince and Sierra separated for the moment as Raf approached the tall ginger until he was right in front of him.
Raf looked up at Vince for a long moment, his lip quivering.
And the bespectacled youth wrapped his arms around Vince's middle and held on so tight that he almost caused Vince to fall over.
"Whoa, buddy!"
Vince put a foot back to keep his balance and he was struck almost dumb when he realized Raf was crying.
Vince knelt down so he could return the boy's embrace.
"I'm sorry…" Raf wept. "I was scared, Vince. We almost lost Sari. I didn't want to lose anyone else."
Vince almost started crying himself.
Sierra covering her mouth, tears running down her face and hands, knelt down to put her arms around Vince and Raf.
Sierra had one hand on Vince's back and the other on Raf's head, running her fingers through his hair.
Katie, arms crossed, trying to keep from getting emotional in this special moment, shook her head fiercely, trying to dislodge the urge to cry herself.
Jon Fowler, being the tender-hearted soul he was, couldn't help but join in the group hug.
He rushed forward and put his arms around Sierra and Vince, who both engulfed Rafael in their arms.
Jack and Miko looked at each other, both had tears in their eyes.
They too joined in the hug.
But not before Miko grabbed Katie by the hand and practically dragged her towards the group hug.
Katie barely resisted.
The seven friends stayed in that position, not bothering to hide their innermost feelings.
"We were so worried, Vince," Sierra hiccuped.
"When that Con got you…," Katie said, teeth gritting as drops of tears leaked from her eyes, trying her hardest to stay strong. "…we were scared. Nuff said!"
Now Vince really did start to cry.
He buried his face in Sierra's shoulder.
And none of them said anymore.
The Autobots watched with sad smiles at the touching scene.
Some of them were arm in arm.
Bumblebee on the other hand, had Arcee in a bear hug.
She didn't seem to mind, this time.
Optimus stood alone.
He smiled at the warm scene.
And then he, very quietly, unbeknownst to the others, walked out of the room.
Only Ratchet and Jazz noticed as soon as he left.
00000
Nemesis Warship - 10:00 pm
Megatron looked down at Dreadwing as he knelt before him.
"You deliberately disobeyed me, Dreadwing."
The words were spoken with a calm edge that all Decepticons knew too well that if Megatron spoke this way, it was never a good sign.
Quite the contrary, it meant certain doom for most who heard their leader speak this way.
Dreadwing did not dare speak.
"You not only sought revenge against my orders, you pursued Optimus Prime himself! Have you any notion of the magnitude of your actions? You're fortunate to have walked away with your life!"
Dreadwing said nothing.
"Under normal circumstances, you would be thoroughly punished, Dreadwing."
Dreadwing braced himself.
"But in memory of your brother, I will overlook this insubordination. I strongly recommend you do well to know who is in charge, Dreadwing."
"Your mercy will not be squandered, Lord Megatron," Dreadwing said dutifully, a softness in his voice which made it clear what it meant to him.
"I should hope not. I had assigned Knockout to stay in wait in case you required treatment." Megatron snorted indignantly. "But now that prancing fool has gotten lost and has not answered his comm."
A thin winged figure swooped down from the rafters above and perched on Megatron's shoulder.
"Lord Megatron, an urgent report," Laserbeak said.
"Speak."
"Knockout has returned to base and has apparently endured a sound thrashing."
Megatron rolled his optics.
"Where is he?"
Before Laserbeak could answer, his ultrasound audio receptors twitched.
"Here he comes now."
Megatron groaned in annoyance.
"Stand."
Dreadwing obeyed.
"You may stand by my side."
"Thank you my Lord."
Dreadwing flanked his leader as the door automatically converted open, revealing an almost hysterical Knockout.
"Look at what the Autobots have done!"
Knockout was blanketed with dents, scratches, and patches where fine color finish had been.
His face was a garnished mess.
And he was furious beyond belief.
Megatron raised an impressed eyebrow.
"Prime did this?"
"Hardly. It was one of his loyal pets, the frontliner Sideswipe."
"Turn around."
Knockout jerked his head. "What?"
"Turn around," Megatron repeated with greater sternness.
Knockout was confused at first but did as he was told.
There was a flash of surprise in the eyes of Megatron, Dreadwing, and Laserbeak when they saw on Knockout's back a crude passage of graffiti in white paint:
Get Bent Megsy Wegsy!
Megatron had the look of a parent watching their child do something extremely stupid and immature.
"This was Sideswipe's doing alright."
"What?" Knockout exclaimed, suddenly worried. "What did he do?! Did he write something?!"
"I suggest you return to your lab and clean up, Knockout."
Knockout was stricken.
"But Lord Megatron, my T-Cog was knocked out of place. I can't transform. Everyone I come across will see me."
"Not my problem. Go."
Megatron said it with a certain sternness and if Knockout didn't obey, he knew he'd be very sorry.
Knockout looked ready to cry when he took to his heels and attempted to be as inconspicuous as possible on his way to his lab.
Distant sounds of snickering and giggling could be heard down the hall.
Megatron turned to Dreadwing.
"A disciplinary session will be necessary. Otherwise, how can I trust you to move forward?"
Dreadwing bowed his head humbly.
"I will accept any punishment you deem fitting, my liege."
Megatron nodded. "Good."
He then nodded to Laserbeak, who flew off into the rafters above, into the dark shadows and out of view.
"Lord Megatron, I have no right to ask this of you, but I beg you to help me find what is left of my brother so he can be returned to the stars with full honors."
"Granted, but I've already started making preparations to recovering your brother's bones. I am sorry to say we have yet to find them."
Dreadwing looked devastated, but only for a moment.
"But know we will find your brother's body. Until then, you will resume your duties and no more revenge schemes, are we clear?"
"Transparently, Lord Megatron."
"Good. Now…your first assignment will serve as your punishment: you will be in charge of training one of our more…special soldiers."
Dreadwing's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
But then he nodded.
"As you wish, Master. Who is the recruit?"
Megatron shook his head. "She is not a recruit."
"She?"
"Indeed. I believe you've had the distinct privilege of drilling her back on Cybertron. She's a capable fighter but she's still rather undisciplined. Do what you can to help her shape up."
Dreadwing thought about this for a moment, trying to remember.
He had a sinking feeling in his spark.
Megatron smirked wickedly. "I'll just leave you and her to get reacquainted. "
Dreadwing cocked an eyebrow. "She's here already?"
Megatron did not answer as he exited through the private door just below the bridge platform.
And the main bridge entrance opened right behind Dreadwing.
An unusually cheerful and obnoxious voice sucked all the air out of the room with an inappropriately giddy gasp.
Dreadwing looked over his shoulder and his mouth dropped open in horror.
Oh no.
Thunderblast practically screamed in outright joy as she jettisoned very slowly towards her new impromptu instructor.
"DREADWIIIIIII-!"
00000
Undisclosed Location - Outside of Westcliffe, CO - 11:00 pm
Optimus entered the cave of an abandoned Energon mine.
After several turns of entering certain tunnels which was by all rights a maze, Optimus found himself in an inner sanctum of some kind.
And there at the very end of the room was Megatron.
"I wasn't sure you would come," Optimus said.
"Having you as my subordinate has been the highlight of my days as a Decepticon, Prime. Not much has happened since then."
There was a tinge of bitterness in Megatron's voice.
That however did not stop Optimus from staring murderously at his most bitter enemy.
"Oh please, Optimus, if the situation was reversed, if I had forgotten who I was, you'd be a fool not to take advantage of it."
"Indeed," Optimus said ironically. "Can you imagine what your fellow Decepticons would do with that type of advantage? Airachnid? Knockout? Starscream if he had returned?"
Megatron felt his spark drop.
Primus help him if he was ever at Airachnid's mercy.
Megatron decided to move on to the substance of the meeting.
"Why did you arrange this secret meeting, Optimus. Surely you haven't the delusion of asking for a truce?"
"I am hoping that it might come to that, once you understand the danger that we are all in."
Megatron chuckled. "How cryptic. And what danger would that be? Have the Quintessons returned?"
A sarcastic question of course.
Optimus had expected that Megatron would not take this seriously.
"Per our meeting, you would ask your own questions, within reason."
Megatron's voice became serious.
"Indeed. Have you any leads concerning the human group known as MECH?"
"Only that they're in hiding and have thus far stayed under the radar."
Megatron shook his head.
"I never thought any human could be so troublesome, least of all a human child you happened to find trustworthy enough to weird the Key to Vector Sigma. Jack was it?"
Optimus became angry.
"You leave the human children out of this, Megatron."
"A bit late for that, don't you think?"
Optimus clenched his fists.
He asked the question that had been burning hot in his spark.
"Did you-?"
"Have anything to do with that girl getting shot in her home in Detroit? No. Of course not."
Optimus detected no deception in Megatron's words.
But his doubts did not sleep.
"You know about her?"
Megatron shrugged.
"Soundwave may be out of commission but Laserbeak is exceptionally thorough as well." Megatron crossed his arms ruefully. "Now my next question: Did you take Skyquake's undead remains from this 'shadow zone'?"
Optimus paused, unsure of what to say.
With Dreadwing now among his personal ranks, seeing to his twin's bones would serve to prove his loyalty to his troops. A good sign I suppose.
"No, I did not. Neither myself or my Autobots have ventured there. No one but the children."
Megatron was not satisfied with that answer, even though he knew his nemesis was not lying.
"Then pray, what happened to Skyquake? I've had Laserbeak sent there and he searched every inch of that area where Skyquake fell and he found naught but Starscream's severed arm."
"I wish I knew for certain, Megatron. But considering that he is neither living nor dead, Skyquake probably wandered off. Given the time that has passed, he must've covered a great distance. But I don't think that's likely."
Megatron became angry.
"You believe his corpse was taken?"
"Perhaps," Optimus said gravely. "But I have no proof."
"Proof of what?"
Optimus clenched his fists anxiously.
This was it.
"Of the involvement of the Acolytes of Unicron."
Megatron's optics widened.
He didn't speak for a moment.
And then he laughed.
It was a bellowing belly laugh.
Megatron laughed so hard, tears actually came to his eyes.
Optimus had expected this.
Megatron was a skeptic when it came to anything bordering on the supernatural.
"Optimus," Megatron chuckled as he wiped his eyes. "I never imagined you, of all bots, would take to making jests. Unless by some miracle you've grown a sense of humor or you've simply taken leave of your senses. Both of which are preposterous."
Megatron stopped laughing and looked dead serious at his most bitter enemy.
"Surely, you are not serious."
Optimus said nothing.
Megatron sneered.
"You're serious."
"I am."
Megatron frowned.
This was absurd and yet he knew Optimus well enough that he never considered something unless there was a very real possibility of danger.
"Optimus, the Acolytes of Unicron are a myth, a legend. Nothing more. You were a data clerk at the Halls of Iacon. There is no recorded piece in our history that confirms that they ever lived, much less live today."
"I have thought the same, Megatron. Perhaps you're right but I no longer doubt my guess. If they are indeed present and on Earth at this very moment, then I feel in my spark that they will reveal themselves soon and make their challenge against us both."
Megatron's face was neutral, but he knew better than to hide his thoughts.
Optimus knew him too well.
Therefore, any deception he could conjure would be limited and pointless.
"Then why tell me this?" Megatron asked. "Why shouldn't take this as good news? Why shouldn't I join forces with these 'acolytes'?"
"After the events in Unicron's spark? Do you really think they wouldn't know of your treachery? Of how you resisted Unicron's power and aided in putting him back into stasis? Do you really believe they will not know this?"
Megatron shrugged. "How could they?"
"Because his servants more than likely witnessed or eventually learned that you join forces with me against him."
"Impossible."
"Is it?!" Optimus exclaimed, irritated by Megatron's stubbornness. "Do you remember when Rafael was infected with Dark Energon?"
"Who?"
Optimus narrowed his optics. "The human child under Bumblebee's charge. Whom you denied attacking when you stole that power source at that human military facility."
"Ah."
The glee in Megatron's voice was infuriating but Optimus kept his temper in check.
"Yes, I do remember. What about him?"
"You still deny attacking Rafael?"
Megatron's smile turned into a thin line.
"I think you know the answer to that already, Optimus. Why would I go through so much trouble to attack someone, or something close to you and not make sure you knew it was me?"
Optimus' spark burned with rage at Megatron referring to Raf as a thing but he contained himself.
It was true.
Megatron's many crimes were ones that he'd boast of with great pleasure and he'd never give the credit to another.
"It was a blast of pure Dark Energon," Optimus said gravely. "If it wasn't you, who would it be? You, as far as we know, are the only one who can wield Dark Energon in such a way."
Megatron blinked twice.
Optimus could see Megatron's hesitance as he thought this over. "You were not far. You did not see anything?"
Megatron said nothing but that was answer enough.
"Is this going somewhere?"
Optimus could tell that Megatron was considering this and it irked him that it was possible that someone not affiliated with him somehow went undetected and inadvertently left him to pay for Rafael's near-death at Optimus' hands.
It began to infuriate Megatron and Optimus knew it.
This was the time to strike while the iron is hot.
"If the Acolytes of Unicron indeed exist and if they're here on Earth, then we're all targets, Autobots and Decepticons. Me, because I am a Prime and you, because you used Dark Energon, Unicron's secret weapon and used it to defy him.
Megatron knew where this was going.
"If you're planning on proposing a truce, then you're wasting your time."
Optimus held up his hand.
"Megatron-!"
"No!" Megatron bellowed.
"Optimus, alliances require trust. Do you really think that there is any chance Autobots and Decepticons can ever mend their ways? That we could ever work together towards a grand cause? Even if I thought it was a good idea, which I don't, too much has happened, too much blood has been spilt, too much destruction has been inflicted. Unicron or no Unicron, there is simply too much that has happened to make me ever trust you. Even if I wanted, which I don't, there are not nearly enough of my soldiers who will ever go along with it."
A sad glint appeared in Optimus' optics.
"You still hold the Council responsible for what happened during the Rust Plague?"
An unfamiliar show of tender grief flashed on Megatron's face but only for a moment.
"I hold them, and Zeta Prime, responsible for a great many things."
Optimus narrowed his optics.
"It does not justify what you did, Megatron."
"Perhaps not. But what's done is done. You understand why any alliance would be faulty at best, dangerous at worst."
Neither spoke for the moment.
"How is Soundwave?" Optimus asked.
"He is still in a coma. He is stirring but it is still unclear when he'll wake. Ravage?"
"She is alive and she is healing. Slowly but surely."
Megatron nodded.
"Good."
Megatron turned to leave.
Optimus reached out to his former brother. "Megatron, if we do not unite against our common foe, Unicron will destroy us both."
"We shall see. I cannot turn back now, Optimus. We've gone too far. Farewell."
Megatron entered the dark end of the cave, out of view.
Optimus bowed his head.
"So be it…brother."
…..
VOICE CAST
Dreadwing - Tony Todd
~ May he never be forgotten.