Transformers Prime: Shrouded Truth (#4) [Completed]

Chapter 18

Grimlock's P.O.V.
"Lora, come in?" All I received back was static. I let out a curse.

"What's going on over there?" Slash demanded. "Did the cons discover her?"

An explosion took over the view, the space bridge covered in the blast. It didn't need any atmosphere to grow bigger, burn brighter, only a good fuel source, and that had been the energon.

"Lora." I didn't think as I took off, propelling myself off of the moon. I heard the other's behind me, Optimus' jetpack bursting to life. He grabbed me, and together we flew off, reaching the space bridge in a second. Swoop grabbed as many as he could, flying over. He would be doing a few trips until everyone arrived.

"Lora!" I yelled. Optimus sat in space, both of us looking around for the human. My optics finally landed on her. She floated towards us, a shield safely around her. But she didn't look calm, far from it. Her eyes were on something else. I followed her line of sight.

The explosion had faded, revealing a purple shield so similar to Lora's. It coated the space bridge, and surprisingly, Starscream. Both were unharmed from the explosion. How? How was this possible?

Lora's P.O.V.
My heart clenched in my chest as I watched the dark energon shield become uncovered. The space bridge was fine, not a single scratch on it, along with Starscream. He looked just as surprised as I was, but as he watched a figure emerge, a smile grew on his face.

"Lora," Megatron greeted. The warlord's purple eyes were on me. I suppressed a shiver as he looked me over. I dropped my shield, hiding my fear deep down. No weakness, no fear.

"Optimus." Megatron moved his gaze over to Grimlock and Optimus, then shifted over to the other Dinobot and Autobots floating in space. Swoop was the only one not there, along with Wheeljack. "I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before you found our little side project."

"What did you do?" Optimus demanded. The purple around the ground bridge and Starscream finally faded.

"You think your little pet is the only one with some tricks up her sleeve?" Megatron let out a chuckle. "the amulet of death, so accordingly named, has more than enough power to protect objects of that mass, even at a great distance. Can your trinket do that?"

Megatron looked at me as I casually floated over to Grimlock and Optimus. I opted to remain silent.

So, Megatron had been training with the amulet of death. My gut wrenched. He was more powerful than me, if he could pull off two shields as he just did. Would I be able to stand a chance?

"I thought so." Megatron smiled. "Decepticons, protect the space bridge at all costs."

And that was when the Decepticons open fired.

I threw my arms out, doing exactly as I had done when fighting Unicron and the Fallen. A shield as long as the Autobot ranks flared into existence, blocking them from the oncoming fire. I felt my stores of the amulet increase with every shot, and I let them come; I needed all the power I could get.

The Autobots and Dinobots reacted quickly, pulling out their weapons and readying to mobilize.

"On my signal, drop the shield kid," Wheeljack said.

I didn't ask him of his plan, nor did I ask where he was, I simply responded with a, "yes."

"When Wheeljack is ready, make for the space bridge," Optimus commanded. Everyone around me nodded their heads. Optimus grabbed me with his free hand.

"Now."

I dropped the shield, re-absorbing it into the amulet. The Jackhammer roared overhead, firing its own shots into the Decepticon ranks. Scorn launched Arcee and Slash towards the ground bridge, and Optimus took off, his jetpack boosting Grimlock, the prime and I towards the space bridge.

I threw energon disks out, sending them towards the remaining Autobots who remained motionless in space. Swoop grabbed Ultra Magnus and Slug, leaving only Bulkhead, Scorn, and Slog for me. They all grabbed onto the disks, and with all my might, I pulled them with us, calling the disks back. It was just barely enough.

Optimus dropped Grimlock, letting the leader of the Dinobots stick to the space bridge. Ultra Magnus and Slug dropped a moment later, with Bulkhead, Scorn and Slog arriving. By now, the vehicon troopers had reorganized themselves from Wheeljack's attack, and where now flying towards the space bridge. Optimus placed me down on the space bridge, and drew the star saber from his back. It was our turn to fire back.

The dinobots all transformed, minus Grimlock. Together, with the Autobots and I, we gratefully returned the shots coming at as, shooting out own. I threw energon orbs around, summoning my staff to deflect the occasional blaster shot. Grimlock stuck by my side, solely deflecting. Swoop was no where to be seen, hiding on the moon once again.

Optimus spun, releasing an ark of power from the star saber. Megatron cut through it with own sword, and that was when I saw it.

The amulet of death was nestled in the hilt of the dark star saber. It was glowing purple, pulsing in a steady rhythm. The dark saber was also pulsing, growing dimmer instead of strong.

"The amulet is pulling its power from the dark star saber," Alpha Trion explained. "That's how Megatron was able to pull off such a large scale defence; the amulet's power is practically limitless due to that blade."

"So, the only way to stop it would to be to remove the amulet from the saber?"

"Yes, and that currently is our best option."

I looked towards Megatron, who just set lose his own arc of power from the dark star saber. Optimus stepped up in front of everyone, cutting the power in half. It dispersed before it hit anyone. I knew what I needed to do.

I jumped onto an energon disk, absorbing a few of the decepticon's shots before I rose into the air. Controlling the energon, I shot through space, and I could feel Alpha Trion's shock.

"Lora," Optimus exclaimed, as he saw me rush towards the enemy. I could feel the surprised gazes on my back, but I didn't stop, not as I approached my target.

I reached my hand out, and even Megatron looked surprised as I approached him. Time slowed.

My small grasp closed as I grabbed the amulet of death. It was much bigger than my amulet, but I held on. My fingers easily slipped into the gaps between the amulet and the hilt of the sword. I held on tight, and using the momentum of my launch to pull the amulet of death with me.

I stood on a plain, my space suit no longer on me. The sky was purple, and jagged crystals of dark energon littered the land.

"Lora. It has been too long."

I spun around, calling my staff to me. Even in the realm of the amulet of death, it came. My breathing picked up, and I prayed to Primus that he couldn't see my fear, couldn't taste it on his wicked lips.

There, in front of me, stood Unicron.