Transformers Prime: Shattered Glass (Completed)

Chapter Twenty Three

"Optimus, speak to me!" Ratchet cried, kneeling next to him and setting a servo on his shoulder plate. His words were muffled to Optimus, however, as an intense pain spread throughout his chassis.

"I have found you."

Then the earth started to shake violently below them.

"Duck in cover!" the responsible Miko shouted, grabbing Raf's arm before he fell backwards off the railing. The three humans from the other world hid under the coffee table, and Rafael was able to join them. Jack and Miko themselves were still exposed, but what concerned them the most was the fact that Optimus was still on the floor (although he wouldn't be able to get up anyway) in pain, and the others were soon falling. This had come out of nowhere. They didn't know what had happened, first Optimus was in pain, then the earth started to shake. Megatron realized it wasn't a coincidence.

"We need to get out of here!" he shouted over the sounds of the earthquake. Lights flickered, and one even fell. Metal creaked, computers beeped, and the power went out again, causing more confusion among the cybertronians.

"Where would we go?" Bulkhead asked, his voice barely loud enough to be heard

"Anywhere but here! At this rate, it's going to collapse!"

Megatron was right. Support beams started to fall over and the structure groaned loudly in protest.

"Soundwave, a bridge! Breakdown, Bulkhead, take the children! Knockout, attend to Bumblebee!" he commanded, walking over to Optimus and pulling him to his pedes before placing Optimus' arm around his shoulder plates and holding him up. They had to get out of there.

"We're abandoning the base?" Miko cried to the former gladiator, who turned to look at her, his blue optics sorrowful as he nodded. She looked up at Bulkhead warily, who seemed hesitant to grab her, considering past events. But time was running out, and Breakdown already had his humans.

"Breakdown, exchange Mikos with me," Bulkhead demanded, looking over at the mech. "I don't want her to be uncomfortable."

"Wait," Miko interjected, and the two looked at her again, before she extended a hand to Bulkhead, who looked relieved and gently picked her up, and then Jack. He had already grabbed Raf. The two transformed, landing the kids in the back. Soundwave created a bridge, and they drove through, followed quickly by Knockout. Starscream was helping him hold Bee up as Ratchet quickly gathered tools he'd need. He glanced back at the human area before grabbing Jackson's laptop. They might need it. Megatron and Optimus were next, and by now the structure was shaking, and debris was starting to fall. Megatron stumbled as the ground lurched harder, as if trying to prevent them from leaving. Soundwave moved to Optimus' other side as the floor continued to shake. There was a loud crash, deafening to the Cybertronians, and sunlit dust started to fly towards them. The back of the base had collapsed, and the roof groaned as it started to fall. The three walked through the bridge just as the ceiling collapsed, with no second to spare. Dust and debris came through the GroundBridge before it closed, and those that were currently not out of commission or not in vehicle mode stared at each other as they just tried to fathom what happened.

They had just lost the base.

Megatron looked around at his surroundings, a striking difference than the Nevada desert. Luscious green trees surrounded them, and they seemed to be in a deep large thicket. Beside him, Optimus moved, slowly forcing himself to stand to his full height. He used Megatron as support until he could support himself, stumbling a little. Whatever happened to him, must have done some damage to make him that weak.

"Optimus, are you alright?" Ratchet asked, setting a servo on his arm. Optimus looked over to the medic and nodded once.

"It stands to reason that Primus, thankfully, is not fully able to control me, but the presence of the matrix can allow him to track and disorient me for some time."

Ratchet stepped back and scanned him to be sure nothing was wrong, and nothing was.

"No one else is hurt, right?" the medic asked, briefly looking toward the others, who shook their helms. Knockout gently set Bee down on the grass, and Ratchet hung his helm slightly. There was nothing else he could really do for the scout now.

"What do we do now?" Arcee asked. The kids quietly stepped out of their respective vehicles and stared at the 'bot they knew to be the leader. Three of them were scared for their planet, the other three were scared for their counterparts' planet.

"We follow the original plan," Optimus stated, looking over at Megatron briefly, who was nodding. "Enter the Earth's core, and find a way to stop this, once and for all."

"That's a very...underexplained plan," Starscream piped up, worry evident on his faceplate.

"We don't know what to expect," Megatron explained, giving Starscream a "I know how you feel" look. He looked over at Soundwave, who nodded in understanding of what was wanted. He stood still for a few seconds as the screen on his face showed graphics of Earth and a GroundBridge. They waited in silence until a bridge appeared next to him, swirling slowly as it waited for someone to enter. The Cybertronians looked at each other skeptically.

"Autobots, Decepticons, humans," Optimus started, looking to each group respectively. "Whatever happens today, It has been an honor serving with you all."

"Why does this sound like a goodbye?" Miko whispered to Jack, who was supporting her again. Jack gave her a worried look but didn't reply as the others respectfully replied to Optimus' statement. Megatronus set a servo on Optimus' shoulder plates before he looked back at his team and nodded once. He turned and walked through, and they knew that meant they should follow. Breakdown picked up his humans before walking through, holding them protectively in his servos. Bulkhead gently picked up the kids next, Miko stiffening and hugging Jack tighter when she saw and felt his servo wrap around them. Jack rubbed her good shoulder in an attempt at comfort. Arcee followed. Ratchet moved to pick up Bumblebee before Optimus stopped him. No one else was present. Soundwave was keeping the portal open on the other side.

"Ratchet?"

"Yes, Optimus?" the medic asked, turning to give him his full attention. Optimus glanced back at the bridge before holding out something to Ratchet, whose optics widened in surprise.

"The key to Vector Sigma?" he gasped, staring at the relic. Optimus nodded, gesturing he should take it. Ratchet was hesitant.

"Do you really think...you will not return?"

"I am taking precaution," Optimus replied simply. "Ratchet, please take it."

The medic finally did so, and the key glowed softly as it accepted its new holder. Ratchet stared at the key, not sure how to feel about it before putting it away. Optimus moved to pick up Bumblebee for the medic, who still seemed slightly out of it with the presentation of the key. The two walked through, and the bridge closed after them.

"Now...how long until Primus knows we're here?" Arcee asked, looking over to Optimus.

"He already knows." a voice said behind them, sending chills down their back struts.

~~~
Heh.

I was going to add a lot more to this chapter (this is actually about half of what I was going to do) but I wrote this and then didn't continue it for a while, because I dread writing battle scenes (because I'm bad at them). So I reread it to see where I was at so I could continue, but when I saw I ended it like this I decided I'd just leave it like that. I'll save the battle scenes for the next chapter, coming out in 2019.

Just kidding. Hopefully.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed this! :>