"His pulse is stabilizing." Nurse Darby announced as Raf opened his eyes.
Everyone let out sighs of relief as Raf opened his eyes.
"Bee?" He whispered weakly.
Miko smiled and gave Raf a gentle hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"Where is..." Raf frowned. "Livia?"
Everyone suddenly perked up as if they had forgotten that Livia was hit with dark energon too. Ratchet concluded that the energon already in her body had dispelled it, but she would need more normal energon.
But she was missing.
"Livia?" He called out, looking around.
Scrap.
The groundbridge opened and Bulkhead stepped through before closing it.
"Where is Optimus?" Ratchet demanded.
"He's going to fight Megatron."
"And you let him go alone!?"
"Livia!" Miko called out, climbing up the ladder.
"Where is Livia?" Bulkhead asked.
"She disappe-"
A scream suddenly split the air, cutting off Miko. The bots all moved toward the sound, spotting Livia hiding in a corner, her knees pulling up to her chest.
"Livia! What's wrong?" Ratchet asked, kneeling down.
"Orion." She gasped looking up, her usually bright blue eyes glowing with a purple hue, earning a shocked look from Ratchet. "Megatronus."
Then Livia buried her head back into her knees, quivering.
"Get her, Arcee." Ratchet ordered before running over to the monitor and locating Optimus's signal. "What in the Allspar- We need to get Optimus out of there! Now!" Ratchet barked.
He opened a groundbridge and the others ran through after handing off Livia to Nurse Darby. Livia looked at the open groundbridge and a foreign feeling passed through her as the two names pounded through her head alongside the increasing beating of her heart.
Orion. Megatronus. Orion. Megatronus.
She crumpled to her knees, resulting in a gasp from Nurse Darby. Livia grabbed her head and groaned.
Livia's lungs shook with effort as heavy metal debris pushed down on her from above. Explosions and blasts were heard all around, but Livia could only focus on the ever growing pressure crushing her body.
Time seemed to stand still and Livia cried, her breathing becoming slower even as her panic grew.
She was not safe. She would never be safe.
Everything started to go out of focus and a small shout suddenly split the air. The familiar baritone voice laced with fear made Livia's struggle to breathe become more desperate.
His shout seemed distorted, covered with a blanket of fog and darkness. He yelled out again, the same word, his voice sounding closer. Livia wouldn't be able to hang on much longer.
But she hung on long enough to hear Megatron shout one last time.
"LIFESTAR!"
"LIFESTAR!" Livia screamed, suddenly lurching up, her eyes surveying the base.
Something red and blue stuck out to her sharply amongst the other bots. Optimus stumbled through the groundbridge, Ratchet and Arcee holding him up.
But Optimus froze the moment he heard her shout and the two made eye contact. The sounds of Nurse Darby calling to Livia suddenly became quiet and muffled. Ratchet's concerned voice faded away until it seemed as if Optimus and Livia were the only ones in the base.
And then they both passed out.
▪️◾◼⬛◼◾▪️
O
ptimus came to before Livia did.
"Easy, Optimus." Ratchet said. "You had a spark attack."
Optimus sat up and looked around. "Livia?"
Ratchet's response was delayed. "She's still unconscious, but stable. She'll be fine as well."
Lifestar. Livia cried out the name of his daughter.
Why?
Ratchet stepped back. "On another note, I have bad news."
"What happened?"
Ratchet motioned to the monitor, which displayed several news channels going on about unprecedented weather changes.
"The better question is what has been happening. Unicron... he is inside the Earth."
Optimus looked up at Ratchet sharply.
"And the planetary alignment is causing him to awaken." Ratchet added.
Optimus stood up, frowning and pacing for a moment as the news sunk in. Unicron was inside the Earth... He must have drifted through space after his battle with Primus and the 13 original Primes until debris collected around him, forming the very planet upon which he walked.
He looked over at Ratchet. "Open a groundbridge. I have an idea that may appease Unicron."
As Optimus left, Livia's eyes slowly opened and she lifted her head, looking around weakly.
"Livia. How do you feel?" Nurse Darby asked, Agent Fowler and the others crowding around the medical cot.
"Like you're all trying to suffocate me." She sent them a small glare and sat up. "Give me some space."
Everyone took a step away and Livia huffed, looking around. Her eyes landed on Raf and her grumpy expression fell.
"You're okay!" She grinned, standing up and giving the boy a hug.
"Ep, ep, ep!" Ratchet scolded, looking over. "Sit back down!"
Livia glared. "You're not my father!"
Ratchet gave her the stink eye and Livia stuck her tongue out.
"She's certainly feeling fine." Jack grinned, crossing his arms.
"Well enough to beat the scrap out of you." Livia shook her fist and Jack took a step back, so Livia laughed at him and sat back down. "But I've had enough excitement for one day."
"Livia, do you remember what you were dreaming about before you passed out?" Ratchet questioned.
Livia looked over at him, the events of her dream flashing through her mind.
The two figures. The metal debris. The explosions. The screams. The incomprehensible weight pressing down on her. The darkness. The man shouting, his words too distant to remember.
"Nope."
Ratchet frowned. "Nothing?"
"Nada."
He grumbled something and returned his attention back to the monitors.
"Optimus, she doesn't remember anything. Also, Unicron's energy is spik-" Ratchet paused. "He's attacking you!? We are on our way!"
Ratchet reachdd for the groundbridge controls, but Optimus's voice came over the monitor speakers.
"Negative. Unicron cannot be defeated by sheer force. He wants me, Ratchet. This fight must be mine alone." Optimus explained.
"The fool." Ratchet growled. "Is he not listening to his own words!?"
Livia looked at them in concern. "Where is Optimus?"
"He's fighting Unicron!" Ratchet exclaimed. "And someone else can explain to you who that is."
Livia scowled. "I grew up in a cybertronian library. I know who Unicron is."
Ratchet turned around suddenly. "Alpha Trion's library! It must have information on Unicron that we can use to defeat Unicron! Do you know where it is?"
Livia nodded. "Not the coordinates, though."
Ratchet opened the groundbridge and the other Autobots ran through to help Optimus. "Optimus, we may have a way to defeat Unicron. Do you-" There was a pause. "Don't be daft! Listen to reason. If you do not survive this, then Earth has no chance against Unicron."
A few moments later and the Autobots ran back in with Optimus. The groundbridge closed.
"We must be quickly before Unicron discovers this location as well." Optimus looked at Ratchet. "What is your plan to defeat Unicron?"
"Alpha Trion's sacred library." Ratchet said. "Livia can lead us to it."
Optimus looked over at the girl, who had been unconscious when he left. Before he could voice his concerns, Nurse Darby beat him to it.
"You're going to make her go out there!? Right after Megatron shot her!?" June demanded.
"I'm not in chains." Livia rolled her eyes. "I do what I want."
June glared. "You can't just-"
"Aren't we on a time crunch?" Livia interrupted, turning to looo at Optimus.
The two regarded each other for a moment. He could see the determination in her eyes. Steely confidence like Megatron's.
Optimus turned to Ratchet. "Activate the groundbridge."
Livia ran over and much to everyone's surprise, Optimus reached down and picked her up. And for the first time, Livia did not complain about it.
They went through the groundbridge quickly and transformed. Immediately, the ground around them began to shake.
"What's that?" Livia demanded, gripping Optimus's seat as he wrapped a seatbelt around her.
"Unicron." He stated simply. "Which direction."
Livia pointed east, toward the forest. Optimus drove in, the other Autobots behind him, shooting at Unicron's physical manifestations.
"There should be a small opening in the ground somewhere around h- Right ther- You're gonna cra-"
Optimus's vechicle mode crashed through the thin layer of ground and Livia let out a small yelped as he hit the ground of the cave below. Immediately, they spotted Olivebranch.
"Optimus Prime!" She yelled. "How dare you-"
The wall next to Olivebranch suddenly crumbled away and another manifestation crawled through. Optimus transformed, shifting Livia to his shoulder as he shot at it.
"We need a way to stop Unicron fron awakening, unless you want this entire planet to perish!" Livia snapped.
Olivebranch glared at her. "You don't order me arou-"
"Olivebranch! Now!" Optimus yelled as the other bots jumped down and more Unicrons took shape.
Olivebranch yelped and scurried to the side, her slender fingers running across a shelf before she pulled out a stack.
"Ratchet!" Arcee called. "We need a groundbridge!"
There was no reply.
"There's a shield over my base, your signals can't get out." Olivebranch told them.
"Out!" Optimus ordered, climbing after the others.
Olivebranch followed behind them, her eyes set on Livia, who was paying absolutely no attention to the old woman as she watched a giant Unicron manifestation come out of the ground.
"Fall back!" Optimus yelled, transforming and taking off through the woods.
They barely got into the clearing again before the giant Unicron kicked up the ground. Giant chunks flew at Optimus and buried him before he could move away.
The Autobots attacked Unicron, trying to keep him away from Optimus, but the giant seemed unstoppable.
Optimus couldn't transform, the rocks pressing down on him. Livia's eyes widened and she panicked, trying to pull off the seatbelt. Optimus attempted to open his doors, but they were being held in place as well.
"Optimus, we're going to die!" She panicked, pushing against his passenger door.
"No. Remain calm." He told her, still trying to shift his parts despite the rocks on top of them.
Livia gave up on the door and ran her hands through her hair, shutting her eyes as her breathing increased. Her heatbeat pounded in her ears and Livia could hear it all again.
The blasts. The explosions. The cries.
It was happening all over again. But in real life.
"Livia, remain calm. We will be fine." Optimus assured the increasingly distressed girl.
Livia pulled her knees to her chest and cried. "I can't breathe. I can't see."
Optimus stopped his vain attempts at escaping his confines and focused on the panicking child.
"Livia, listen to my voice." He told her, keeping his tone strong and steady. "It's going to be okay. Everything is fine. Open your eyes."
Livia's heart beat slowed and she focused on the sound of his voice. Optimus pulled her out of the metal debris and back into his vechicle mode. Livia opened her eyes and wiped her face.
A shadow fell over them and Optimus rotated his mirrors, looking up at Unicron's giant foot about to crush them.
And he sent feelings of comfort through his long dormant spark bond to Lifestar.
Livia relaxed.