Chapter Text
Illogical
It was illogical.
Anti-matter was a theory. It was something that existed in the articles of theoretical physicists. Something that the genocidal warlord Galvatron used as propaganda to put fear in his enemies. He had scarcely believed Termagax when she had informed him that Lord Galvatron did indeed have the ability to convert energon into anti-matter.
Then again it was equally illogical that any member of Galvatron’s clan had survived and yet… Termagax had not only found a member of said clan but sparked a child with them right under Kilotronyx’s gaze.
It had probably been during that time that Termagax had spent cycles in Kaon for her ‘job’. That had most probably been a lie. She had found Megatron’s sire and during that time courted him and then carried him before returning to her work.
Shockwave scarcely had time to consider the reality of this as a servo, cracked and chipped from the anti-matter, wrapped around his neck and slammed him into the wall behind him. The Empurata’s helm rang and his vision glitched and blurred as he felt cables tangle within his own helm.
”You— you’ll rip yourself apart!” Shockwave choked, his vision glitching as he tried to focus on Megatron whose dark, void filled optic-sockets stared down at him unseeing as anti-matter spilled from them. The other Destron, Scion, had somehow freed himself but now lay sprawled against one of his consoles unconscious, energon leaking from under his helmet from where his shot had hit him. His face plates were cracked and glowing veins tracked across the vulnerable protoform, bruised.
Shockwave felt himself growl, his optic narrowing as Megatron loomed over him, limbs jerking unnaturally as he shambled, like a sparkless bot controlled by some unseen force. It was so unlike the powerful, seamless control that Galvatron had over this power.
”…I will hear no more from you, Empurata!…
Megatron grabbed him by the collar, anti-matter seeping in to his frame, freezing the energon in his lines and causing him to choke and struggle, instinctively trying to move himself out of Megatron’s grasp. His movement however seemed to enrage Megatron and suddenly there was a huge servo wrapped around his neck, crushing his intake. He barely had time to struggle before his former leader roared, suddenly using him as a battering ram as he slammed him through the wall of the laboratory behind him.
‘This must have been what it felt like to be Starscream…’ an amused voice echoed in the back of his mind as he felt his frame twist and bend in ways it wasn’t supposed to. His vision began to blink and fill with static as he crazed laughter escaped his in take.
“Am I your Starscream now?” Shockwave asked, still amused at the irony. “And to think, you abused him because he wished to protect Soundwave, because he was his guardian. Such a shame… you hurt Soundwave by hurting his brother and yet you never saw it. Perhaps that is why Soundwave turned against you? Did you even know Soundwave? How can you be sure it was just my manipulations that turned him against you!”
He struggled, the shadowed figure of Megatron growling and snarling above him somewhere, sounding more like a violent beast than a fellow sentient transformer.
”ENOUGH! You are attempting to gaslight me!”
“Kilotronyx will kill you if she finds out you’re of Galvatron’s clan,” Shockwave spat back at him. “You think she’ll let a monster like you near her newspark? The second she realises what you are, you are dead!”
Megatron stopped in his tracks, Shockwave’s words having their intended effect. The Scientist had hit a nerve and he knew it.
Despite his more logical programming insisting that he stop and escape, that he flee and live to return another day but he wanted to gloat, he wanted to finally reclaim and act on the emotions that had been stolen from him by the functionists who had ripped his beautiful frame apart and inhibited his emotions for so long.
He wanted to make Megatron suffer, consequences be damned. Shockwave stood shakily, daring to approach the now still Megatron, paralysed by indecision by his words.
”And what do you think Soundwave’s carrier will do once she realises that her precious Little Wave was conjunx to one of her greatest enemy’s clan members?” Shockwave taunted Megatron. “She’ll rip you apart, she’ll destroy you for manipulating Soundwave, for turning Starscream against him.”
”I DID NOT MANIPULATE SOUNDWAVE!”
Megatron roared like an enraged predacon, lunging at Shockwave in fury but instead slamming himself into the wall behind Shockwave as he stepped out of the way. The ceiling above Megatron suddenly caved in, trapping the struggling warlord under the rubble. He struggled and seethed blindly, pinned underneath tonnes of concrete and iron girders which blinded and buried him.
’…A chance to escape…’ Shockwave aching helm quickly realised, his vision flickering violently. Logically, he was out of options. He had overestimated and he had been blindsided. But he was not about to fade away and whimper pathetically. He inwardly smirked and looked down at the groundbridge in his servo and smirked.
He had his chance, now to try and salvage what was left of his plan or at the very least take a few of his enemies down with him. He activated his groundbridge, allowing the green light to consume him.
“Here! Shockwave’s lab is— was here,” Frenzy shouted as she pointed in the direction of a large metal door, Twitch carrying her around her middle as she flew. The door was singed, blown off its hinges as scorch marks surrounded its frame.
”Wait up! Damn you minicons are fast!” Hot Rod shouted as he sped along the corridor in his alt mode, doing his best to avoid the rubble and shrapnel lying all over the floor of the Decepticon Base. “You Cons are so messy!”
“Oh I’m sorry we didn’t have time to clean up while we were under attack from a mad scientist!” Frenzy sarcastically snapped back as her and Twitch approached the door, which hung haphazardly over the frame. They strained at it, trying to move it.
“Shockwave’s not in there and I can't see Megatron!” Twitch called as she spied through the gaps in the blasted door. “Scion’s there though! He’s unconscious!”
”Come on! Move!” Frenzy groaned as she desperately tried to make the broken door budged.
”Here squirts,” Hot Rod waved them away, and pulled, straining at the heavy blast door, creating a gap big enough for both Frenzy and Twitch to climb through. “Don’t do anything rash, I'll call Elita and tell her what’s going on.”
”One of the walls of the lab has been blasted!” Twitch observed, calling back to Hot Rod.
”Alright!” Hot Rod exclaimed brightly. “I’ll see if I can find my way around to get in! Don’t do anything stupid!”
”No promises,” Frenzy growled back but Hot Rod just gave them a thumbs up and a cheeky grin.
“I’ll be back soon!” Hot Rod called, transforming and zooming off the way they had come. Frenzy watched him leave for a moment before turning around and regarding Twitch with a bemused look.
”Autobots are weird. I’m starting to like him though,” she muttered and Twitch laughed.
“So am I!” Twitch grinned. “Maybe when this is all over he will be friends with Soundwave!”
Frenzy shrugged, glancing down at the floor as they made their way over to where Scion lay slumped against one of the consoles, energon slipping down his face from cracks in his plating.
”I guess,” Frenzy shrugged, as a small smile stretched across her mouth. “He did protect Rumble’s remains from Shockwave. Soundwave… didn’t really have many friends. Except for Megatron and Skywarp I guess. And even then, Megatron was like our carrier more than anything.”
”That’s kinda sad,” Twitch lamented. “Maybe Hot Rod will break through and befriend him.”
”I hope so, he really needs friends,” Frenzy sighed as they came to Scion’s side, the Destron unconscious but his intakes were still quietly cycling air, his engine still softly rumbling within his frame The right side of his face bleeding energon.
“Hey Mr Scion!” Twitch flitted up to the Destron’s face, carefully trying to shake him awake. “Mr Scion, we're here to rescue you!”
For a moment the purple and gold Destron was unresponsive but his shutters began to flutter open and his engine started to rumble louder as his processor began to wake. He groaned, his golden optics staring up at Twitch disoriented before they focused, regaining their attentiveness.
”Where— where’s Shockwave? Where’s Dee?!” Scion asked, confused, attempting to scramble to his pedes but almost falling over with a groan, clutching at his helm as dizziness suddenly threatened to make him pass out again. “Ow my helm!”
”It’s alright! You’re okay!” Twitch reassured him, clutching his pauldron gently, trying to right him. “Hot Rod’s on his way! He’s coming to help!”
Scion blinked his shutters a few times before groaning weakly and attempting to stand but staggering once more, almost falling on his face.
”Hey, don’t get up, it’s going to be okay,” Twitch tried to reassure him but Scion shook his helm.
”His spark… it’s destroying itself,” Scion grunted, attempting to stand, gaining more success this time. “I need to help him. The Allspark brought me here to help him.”
“His Spark is destroying itself?” Frenzy asked, confused. “Do you mean, Megatron’s?”
Scion nodded, looking ready to purge. “He freed me but I hit my helm…or… no, I think, I think Shockwave shot me?”
He put a servo up to the right side of his helm feeling energon seeping from a wound and part of his helmet destroyed. He gave a groan, clutching at his tanks as nausea still churned in his tank and his right optic glitched and flickered.
”I’m sorry,” He apologised to the two minicons staring up at him in concern. “I think he must have destabilised my equilibrium. Everything’s spinning and I feel like I'm about to purge.”
”It’s okay, when Hot Rod gets here he can help you,” Twitch reassured him, gently rubbing his pauldron as her mother often did to comfort her. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
Scion nodded, a small smile stretching across his face as he considered the Terran and Cassette before him.
”I really want to see Soundwave again,” Scion murmured quietly as he considered Frenzy before him. “I’m really glad that he was finally able to have cassettes. I know that you’d mean the universe to him. Sounders always had a great affection for his mentors' cassettes.”
Frenzy smiled up at him, before removing her visor and offering out a servo to Scion, who gratefully took it.
”He does. He lost one of us recently, it broke him. It broke his and Megatron’s Conjunx bond too, it’s been… hard,” Frenzy admitted quietly. “I just, I want us to be a family again but I know that’s unlikely with how things are.”
Scion gave her a knowing hum and gently squeezed her servo with his digits.
”Soundwave’s special,” Scion nodded. “Always has been. Most people don’t understand him and avoid him because they don’t want to deal with his ah, quirks shall we say, but I am glad that he was able to find someone who accepted him for who he was.”
”Megatron still cares about Soundwave, you can tell by the way he speaks about him,” Twitch piped up. “But… Soundwave’s made it hard by constantly trying to kill him.”
Scion attempted to shake his helm but immediately stopped the second he felt like he wanted to purge.
”Oh Soundwave…” Scion gave a long suffering sigh. “Still very vengeful, refusing to let go of small slights, I see.”
Frenzy nodded, a look of sadness on her face. ”I hope he can let go of it.”
Scion shrugged before smiling down at her. “It’s good he has you, Soundwave needs someone to ground himself. He’s stubborn and he acts on his emotions, he doesn’t always realise how his actions affect others but he’s the most loyal bot you could ever hope to befriend.”
Frenzy stared up at him, optics wide before moving to hug his chassis, much to Scion’s surprise.
”You really are Soundwave’s brother,” she said, embracing him tightly. Scion chuckled and returned the hug with a sad smile.
“And you’re my niece,” Scion affectionately doted on her. “I’m sorry that our meeting wasn’t exactly the best but I am glad to meet you.”
”It’s okay!” Frenzy grinned. “You haven’t met the others yet. But that’s okay, I’m Soundwave’s best cassette!”
Twitch and Scion laughed.
”I’m gonna tell Lazerbeak you said that,” Twitch threatened to which Frenzy gave a dramatic gasp and pulled herself out of the hug and rounded on Twitch.
”Traitorous Terran!” She shrieked, throwing playful slaps at Twitch the Terran laughing and slapping her back. Scion laughed, delighted at their playful banter.
The two continued to bicker and slap fight for a while before returning their attention to their surroundings. As there was a distinct rumbling in the distance making Scion perked up, alert and cautious.
”Sounds like someone activated another groundbridge,” he murmured, drawing the minicon’s attention to him. The Destron glanced around confused, searching the walls for something until his optics widened in shock.
”Sire! She’s here!” He exclaimed, straightening up, a look of horror appearing on his face. “This is bad! This is very bad!”
Frenzy frowned at him confused. “Wait, before didn’t you want to go and find her or your ship? She’s here now, isn’t that a good thing?!”
”No, No, no! You don’t understand!” Scion shrieked, his servos clutching at his face. “If Sire sees that Megatron has anti-matter powers, if she finds out that he’s related to Galvatron, she’s going to kill him on sight!”
”WHAT!?” Twitch yelled, horrified. ”WHY?!”
”My sire made it her purpose to rid the universe of Galvatron’s clan because they were extremely dangerous and they had the power to destroy Cybertron,” Scion explained, his frame trembling. “There was a prophecy, a stupid curse Unicron placed on a clan of ancient Cybertronian warriors, that a Destron born twice of Destron lineage would destroy our planet. Galvatron was said to be that Destron. Or at least he claimed to be.”
There was a pause as Twitch and Frenzy exchanged a nervous glance as Scion attempted to stagger to his pedes, almost falling on his face again but this time he struggled through his dizziness and pain.
”Hey, wait, stop,” Twitch tried to stop him, concerned for his welfare. “Let’s wait for Hot Rod.”
”There’s no time!” Scion ground out, gritting his denta in pain as he struggled. “I need to get to my sire before Megatron does! Megatron— no, Dee saved me, I need to help him!”
He struggled to get up again using the broken console behind him as a support, Twitch gripping his arm in an attempt to help. It wasn’t helping in the slightest but Scion appreciated the gesture.
“Okay, let’s head towards the common area, Elita said that her and Starscream were stationed there setting up a trap for Shockwave,” Twitch suggested with a hopeful but still worried smile.
Scion smiled back at her, straining as he struggled against the wave of dizziness threatening to send him to the floor.
”That sounds like a plan, Twitch.”
Nacelle had lost his carrier, he realised with horror as he stared around wildly for Slipstream. He had run so far and so fast without thinking or taking account of where he was that he had no idea where he had ended up. He whimpered in fear, terrified and alone. He’d never been alone, not like this. He always had his carrier or one of her trine with him even if the other seekers looked upon him with distaste. A seeker wasn’t supposed to be an only child like he was. A seeker was supposed to be born into a trine. A seeker was supposed to have a flock.
Yet he had no siblings and that made him different. That made him defective. He could see the way Slipstream looked at him, no matter how many times she told him that she loved him, there was always disappointment in her optics. She was ashamed of him, he knew that. He had always known that.
“I hate this stupid planet,” Nacelle cried to no one, his helm feeling overwhelmed by the flood of feelings inside his brain module. It felt like his helm was about to split in half trying to contain his feelings. “I hate it! I HATE IT!”
He wanted to go home but… nowhere felt like home. He had been born aboard the Nemesis as it approached Earth, his emergence a complete surprise to Slipstream. He had never set a pede of Cybertron and although he had somewhat of a childhood, surrounded by the Decepticon Seekers he felt different. He felt lonely. He had always felt lonely. He belonged nowhere and he never felt a part of the Decepticon seeker community. No matter how many times the Elite Trine told him they accepted him, no matter how many times Commander Starscream went out of his way to train him, to make him feel important, he never truly did.
When all the other Decepticons had gone to battle, he was always ordered to stay aboard the ship. He had never been a part of the war, not truly. Commander Starscream always ordered him to stay under Soundwave’s care or to stay on the bridge under the watchful gaze of Decepticon High Command. Even Lord Megatron, who spoke to his troops with harsh words and barking commands, treated him like a child, speaking to him softly and giving him allowances that made the other Decepticons jealous.
Nacelle glanced around the corridor he was in. They all looked the same and he had never visited this base before meaning he had no internal map or navigation anchors in his HUD. Slipstream was probably going to have to delay evacuating the base to find and rescue him. She would be angry. Nacelle didn’t like it when she was angry but he always seemed to anger her, no matter what he did. She always seemed angry these days. Hotlink tolerated him at best.
He felt like a burden. He had always felt like a burden.
Nacelle burst into tears, feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, the feeling of being useless making his spark ache as he dropped to the ground and curled himself into a ball trying to make himself small as he waited for his carrier to find him.
Maybe it was better for everyone if Slipstream never did.
“This way! This way was the exit!” Blitzwing aggressively snarled to himself, his optics glowing a dark red beneath his visor. He flinched, his optics flashing to an ice blue as he growled deep within his intake.
“You’re an idiot! It was back the way we came!” A cold and stoic voice responded to the aggressive one.
”Both of you shut up! I’m trying to think!” Blitzwing suddenly exploded, tapping his helm incessantly as he stopped in the middle of a corridor and glared at the reflection of his optics in his own visor, his golden optics scowling as if they were glaring back at the alters challenging them to argue with him. Thankfully, the Hot-Head and Icy decided to remain silent and in the back of his processor silently judging him as they usually did. But at the very least they were silent.
Blitzwing glancing up and down the corridor, attempting to find his way to the nearest exit when he suddenly froze as he caught sight of something that appeared to be smoke only solid and nebulous, like the dust and gas of a supernova remnant.
“What the frag is that?” The Hot-Head swore, narrowing their optics.
Blitzwing frowned and moved towards it before halting as Icy took over, stopping them from approaching the strange smoke.
”It’s dangerous,” Icy claimed but he was immediately over ridden by Blitzwing.
”Isn’t everything we do dangerous?” Blitzwing asked, almost bored before taking over and pushing forward towards the strange phenomena. Hot-head laughed manically in the back of his processor while Icy sulked, displeased at what was happening.
“We should go back to Astrotrain, she’ll be worried,” Icy tried to convince the others but he was ignored, eliciting a deep sigh from the calmer alter.
Blitzwing tracked the strange ‘smoke’ to a corridor leading off the one he was in, he recognised it as the way to Shockwave’s laboratory. He peered around the corner, searching for Shockwave or any other threats.
“You’ve dragged us closer to the dangerzone you dumbaft,” Icy sneered but Blitzwing once again ignored him, his optics searching the corridor, not finding Shockwave but finding part of the corridor collapsed and blocking the way. He was about to back track when he suddenly noticed the pede and leg sticking out of the rubble.
”Megatron!” Blitzwing gasped in shock, approaching his fallen ex-leader.
“What are you doing?!” Hot-head snarled at him but Blitzwing pushed him away when he attempted to take control.
“Helping, something's wrong, I can feel it,” Blitzwing answered, receiving a snarl in return as he started to climb over the rubble to see if he could get to Megatron’s helm.
“This is foolish and reckless,” Icy agreed with Hot-Head for once as Blitzwing began to dig through the rubble, attempting to free Megatron or at least find his helm. “Why are you doing this?”
”I just have a feeling,” Blitzwing muttered as his clawed servos scraped against something metallic. “Ah ha! Found you boss!”
”Ex-boss,” Hot-head corrected, a wave of hatred filling Blitzwing’s helm.
”Stop!” Blitzwing snapped as he carefully dug Megatron’s helm and shoulders free. Megatron growled and stirred, flinching as dust entered his intake, choking him. ”Lord Megatron?”
There was a moment of stillness as Megatron lay still for a moment before his optics suddenly opened revealing pools of eldritch darkness within the sockets, steadily bleeding that strange black plasma like substance. A sliver of it brushed against Blitzwing’s arm and pain exploded from the contact, sending the triple changer stumbling back with a scream.
”Primus what the slag!” Hot-head shouted, almost crashing through the wall in the corridor behind him. “What the frag is that?!”
His shout seemed to rouse Megatron back into a ‘normal’ state as his optics suddenly flared with red light before flashing to blue and then gold.
”He’s—“ Blitzwing’s jaw dropped in shock as Icy finished the thought for him. “Megatron has Split Memory Distortion?!”
”What— I— what’s happ—“ Megatron croaked, looking around confused before he suddenly caught sight of Blitzwing staring at him, jaw still agape. “Blitzwing?!”
Hot-head laughed before the others could stop him.
“Tell me it aint so! The mighty Megatron has Split memory Distortion like us!” Hothead cackled in Megatron’s face. The other alters braced themselves, waiting for all the familiar rage that Lord Megatron was famous for, expecting to get his helm smashed in by a heavy servo despite the former warlord being pinned underneath tonnes of rubble. Megatron could find a way.
It never came. Instead Megatron slumped, his body going limp still pinned underneath the rubble of the collapsed ceiling, his optics flashing different colours as he shifted through his alters before he closed his optics and gave a deep, heavy sigh.
“How do you…?” Megatron suddenly asked, his voice strangely soft and reflective. “Deal with it, Blitzwing?”
Blitzwing stared down at his former boss, feeling sympathy for his predicament despite…everything.
“If you ever find out how, I’d be happy to hear it, Megatron,” the Triple-changer answered bitterly and Megatron opened his red optics gazing up at him.
“I must apologise to you, Blitzwing,” Megatron admitted, his tone still in the reflective and soft tone. “I treated your ailment as a joke. I thought you were making excuses to not complete tasks instead of suffering from something. I know now that you were not and I owe you the most sincere of apologies. To all your alters, whomever they call themselves.”
Blitzwing stared at Megatron, completely taken aback by the apology.
This was a joke right? It had to be a cruel joke by a cruel dictator, it had to be Megatron playing him for a fool as he often did with his followers.
“I don’t believe you,” Blitzwing snarled, curling his servos into fists. “You’re a lying scumbag traitor! You’re just playing me like the monster you are!”
Megatron just sighed and closed his optics in acceptance.
”I— I’ll accept that,” he murmured to himself. “I am truly sorry, even if you don’t believe me. I know I’ve earned my reputation.”
”You almost killed Astrotrain,” Hot-head snarled, fangs bared at the former warlord. “You abandoned your own people! You oppressed us and treated us like prisoners with our enemies! You’re nothing!”
Megatron said nothing, not rising to the accusations or barely moving aside from tremors that occasionally took a hold of his frame. Blitzwing glared at him, unsure of what to do until Megatron’s entire body suddenly convulsed and he began to cough, a thick viscous fluid that looked like crude oil suddenly being purged out of his intakes. Blitzwing stepped back, disgusted and horrified at the sight.
”What’s wrong with you?” Icy asked, disgusted.
”My spark is being corrupted and suffocated,” Megatron answered, strangely calm. “It’s fine. It was destined to happen anyway.”
”How is that fine—?” Blitzwing started but he was interrupted by the roar of loud, oppressive engines as they thundered down the hall before the sound of a bot transforming on the other side of the rubble.
”Damn it! This base is a pile of slag!” A loud voice cursed and Blitzwing pulled a face. “Oh frag, is that Megatron?”
“Oh great it’s the loud Autobot!” Blitzwing spat as the sound of someone shuffling through the rubble echoed down the corridor. There was a brief moment before Hot Rod poked his helm over the rubble with a stupid grin on his face.
”Hey Blitzy!" Hot Rod greeted the triple changer with a foolish grin. Blitzwing just gave him a sour expression in response but Hot Rod ignored it, turning his attention to Megatron who was still trapped under the rubble. “Looks like you got yourself in a pickle there Megs!”
Megatron did not open his optics, instead he gave a snort of mirth before replying to the fiery bot.
”I’ve had worse,” he groused, wriggling slightly in an attempt to free himself but failing miserably. “Hot Rod, I need you to give Knockout and Wheeljack something. It’s for Soundwave. To save his life.”
Hot Rod immediately dropped his usual happy-go-lucky demeanor and a serious expression appeared on his face as he knelt beside the trapped Megatron who struggled to free one of his arms.
”You got it, whatcha got for me Megatron?” He asked, his voice sombre and serious.
”Codes, for my personal quarters aboard the Nemesis,” Megatron croaked weakly, offering a small chip to Hot Rod. “There’s a CR Chamber on the eastern side of my recharge room. Use it to heal Soundwave. Help him, protect him from Shockwave’s machinations. Make sure he reunites with his brother and carrier.”
“What about you?” Hot Rod asked, concerned as he glanced at Megatron’s trapped frame. Megatron just gave a sad, accepting chuckle.
”What about me?” Megatron repeated, his tone defeated. He used his free arm to push Hot Rod away. “Go, there’s not much time.”
”Megatron—“
“I said go,” Megatron insisted, giving Hot Rod a more forceful shove to the middle of his chassis. “There’s no hope for me anyway. My spark is corrupted with no hope of being purified.”
”But—“
”Tell Twitch to have more faith in herself,” Megatron ignored the Autobot’s pleas. “She’s going to be a great leader one day but she needs to stop overthinking things and trust herself."
Hot Rod sighed and glanced at Blitzwing who just shrugged at him with a confused frown on his face as he stared at Megatron.
”Alright fine,” Hot Rod conceded, realising that he wasn’t going to sway Megatron’s mind. “Where’s Shockwave? He’s not gonna jump me is he?”
“He got away,” Megatron snarled, his voice suddenly lower and more aggressive, his red optics darkening to almost black, his iris flaring an intense red. “He used a groundbridge to escape.”
“Keep an optic out for green glowing portals then, got it,” Hot Rod nodded. “I’ll tell Elita and OP to send someone back to get you out.”
Megatron laughed, a sad, haunting laugh that lacked humour at Hot Rod’s promise. Hot Rod stared at him, saddened and disheartened.
”I’ll be long gone by then,” Megatron muttered bitterly. “But I appreciate the sentiment, Hot Rod.”
“You sound like you’ve given up, Megatron,” Hot Rod observed and Megatron just chuckled sadly.
”I should have given up vorns ago, before our home planet was destroyed and our people driven to extinction,” Megatron admitted before narrowing his optics at the Autobot. “You are wasting time. Go.”
”Right, yes, okay,” Hot Rod nodded, reluctantly moving off. “Stay strong Megs, we’ll get you out of this.”
The Autobot gave a salute and turned pede, transformed and sped down the corridor behind Blitzwing, his engine deafeningly loud. Megatron and Blitzwing watched him until he disappeared out of sight before Megatron groaned and gagged, purging more toxic black sludge onto the ground, Blitzwing recoiling in disgust.
”We should go too,” Hot-head spoke in the back of Blitzwing’s mind as their collective stared at the growing black pool of gunk next to Megatron in utter revulsion.
”No,” Blitzwing murmured, approaching the shuddering former Decepticon Leader as he convulsed and spasmed from a coughing fit.
“What do you mean no?” Hot-Head and Icy snapped at him together.
”We help him,” Blitzwing growled with determination in his voice.
“Why?” Hot-head demanded as Blitzwing strained to remove an iron girder that was pinning Megatron down.
Blitzwing didn’t answer, concentrating on removing the rubble crushing his former traitorous leader.
Truth be told, he didn’t know why. This was the cruel and tyrannical leader that critically injured his conjunx. Injured her so gravelly that even now she suffered from her wounds and was unable to leave this horrendous planet.
”Why are you helping me…” Megatron croaked, echoing his aggressive alters confusion.
”I don’t know,” Blitzwing growled to himself. “So shut up before I think of a reason to leave you here to die.”
To the triple changers surprise, Megatron didn’t speak up again as he worked to free him. Blitzwing didn’t know if that made the situation worse.
“Lord Kilotronyx,” a deep husky voice familiar spoke and Kilotronyx looked up from Starscream as he hugged her tightly, desperately even, her optics locking on to a familiar blue seeker. He was older now, his young faceplates had weathered with age and he had the slight greening of patina on his transformation seams.
“Thundercracker,” Kilotronyx smiled, offering a servo to him in greeting. “It’s good to see you, young seeker.”
Thundercracker gave a small chuckle, shaking his helm slightly.
”Not so young now I’m afraid ma’am, though you look like you haven’t aged a day since you left us,” The blue seeker chuckled as Starscream finally pulled away from Kilotronyx and stepped back to look at her.
”Sir, I’m sorry for intercepting your groundbridge but you’ve reappeared at a very bad time,” Starscream bowed his head to her and Kilotronyx shook her helm.
”I am not your leader anymore Starscream, you do not have to call me sir,” she acknowledged, before glancing around with a frown. “Where is Skywarp?”
Starscream gave a small whimper before clearing his throat and shaking his helm in disbelief.
“She— she—she’s gone,“ The Seeker leader struggled to find the words. “We’re here to avenge her. All the seekers under my command are.”
”I see,” The purple Destron frowned slightly. “I am sorry for your loss. Skywarp was a wonderful seeker.”
Starscream and Thundercracker nodded though the former Lord Protector could tell they were both withholding information from her. They had never mastered the ability to deceive their guardian, even now after millions of years.
”She would have loved to see you again,” Thundercracker murmured quietly, his helm bowed.
Kilotronyx nodded, though there was disapproval in her optic. She understood that it was a part of Seeker culture but that did not mean she agreed with it. She glanced at her companion, Cyclonus as he stepped up surveying the group before them with a critical optic.
“I apologise for being so blunt, but we are here to find Scion,” the elder Winglord groused as his gaze paused on Elita-1 who looked the spitting image of Eclipse.
“He’s here, Shockwave has him hostage according to one of my troops,” Elita-1 stepped forward, a welcoming but taunt smile on her face as she extended a servo out to the seeker. “Elita-1, I’m standing in as leader of the Autobots for Optimus Prime while he’s incapacitated."
“Charmed,” Cyclonus gratefully accepts her servo with a firm grasp and bows his helm to her in respect. “I am Cyclonus. Former Winglord of the High Guard.”
Elita-1 turned to Kilotronyx as Cyclonus released their handshake. She gave her a courteous smile as she extended her servo to her. Kilotronyx stared at her, her EM field drawn in tight and close as she observed the Autobot curiously before hesitantly grasping the servo offered to her.
”Kilotronyx Fornax,” she nodded curtly to her before her entire frame went rigid as she felt something in Elita-1’s EM field reach out and brush against hers. Her optics went wide with shock as did Elita’s, the Autobot staring down at her chassis where her Transformation cog sat. Kilotronyx spluttered as the feeling grasped at her, reaching out to her and her bitlet. “…Maccadam…?”
Elita-1 abruptly let go of Kilotronyx and backed away in shock, servos clutching at her t-cog.
”Elita!” Grimlock snarled, scared for her, putting himself between Kilotronyx and Elita-1, baring his teeth at the former Lord Protector who despite the sudden aggression looked unfazed, still staring at Elita almost mesmerised.
”Okay, that’s never happened before!” Elita muttered and poked at her chassis before looking back up at Kilotronyx confused before asking, “Why do I feel like I’ve met you before?”
Kilotronyx said nothing, only staring at Elita with a despondent look of longing on her face.
Elita shook her hem, trying to get rid of the strange feeling that was emanating from her now pulsing t-cog as it whirled and churned.
”That’s not— sorry, there are more important things to deal with right now—“ Elita straightened herself, her confusion disappearing and a stoic, professional look upon her face. “We have a situation—“
”The Groundbridge!” Starscream shouted, sprinting towards it as it activated but he was too late as a lethal yellow blast of energy exploded out of the swirling purple groundbridge towards Kilotronyx, who had her back turned. “SLAG LOOK OUT!”
There was the sound of an impact and an explosion as Kilotronyx hit the ground, hard.
