Normal Perspective:
Optimus stared up at the sky as fragments of Dark Energon rained down around the two leaders.
"Why is the Blood of Unicron erupting from beneath the Earth...?" The Prime asked weakly, forgetting that Megatron was there, and his optics widened when the Warlord spoke up.
"A question, Optimus, that you shall take to your grave." Megatron replied, and prepared to finish him off.
But before he could, a Groundbridge opened, with Bulkhead charging out and attacking him, knocking the Warlord back, but the Wrecker didn't stop, and did his best to hold the overpowered Warlord off.
Arcee then jumped through the portal, and gasped at the sight before her. She was pulled from her state of shock by Cliffjumper and Ratchet, who also arrived.
"We need to pull him through!" The CMO said urgently, and the three worked on getting their injured leader home.
Bulkhead fought off Megatron for as long as he could, and was about to continue the fight when Arcee yelled out for him.
"Bulkhead! Now now NOW!"
The Wrecker transformed and charged for the portal, successfully jumping through. Megatron charged and swung at it with his blade, which was now covered by purple flames and steam, only to miss and slice into the ground where the bridge once stood.
The Warlord growled in anger before the bigger picture came into view.
"This is merely the beginning!" He shouted to himself. "I now possess enough Dark Energon to reanimate Unicron himself! HAHAHAHAH! YEEESSS! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Back at the base, Bumblebee opened the Groundbridge, allowing all five bots to come through, two of them using themselves as supports for Optimus.
"Easy, Optimus." Ratchet advised. "From the looks of things, you've been exposed to a massive amount of Dark Energon."
The Prime looked up ahead of him at Raf and Michael, who by this point were now feeling much better and were regaining their strength.
"I am not the only one..." The Prime responded.
Bulkhead and Ratchet then helped him into a seat outside the Medbay, allowing him to rest and recover. He looked down next to him at the two boys who nearly died because of him with a somber look on his faceplate, but he tried to smile, relieved to see that they were alright.
The two looked back at him, relieved that he was also okay.
"Hey." They both greeted.
"They're lucky to be alive." June said, her voice laced with anger.
Optimus's smile faded, and his somber look returned, and deeped further than the first one.
Guilt welled up within him.
Even though the incident hadn't been his fault, he couldn't help but feel responsible.
They were a part of his team, his family, after all.
"Megatron found more of the dark stuff?" Jack asked as he, Miko, Jessica, and Vince descended the stairs to reach the main floor.
"A volcano full." Arcee replied.
"The question is: "How?"" Bulkhead added.
"No." Ratchet corrected. "The question is: "What?" As in, "What in the world is the Blood of Unicron doing here on Earth?""
"The 'Cons killed a unicorn?" Miko asked, thinking they were talking about something completely different. The Autobots, and Starscream, could only stare at her, completely lost by what she said, while Vince and Jessica snickered as Michael smirked. "White horse with a horn on its head? Prances around all sparkly?"
"Unicron." Ratchet corrected. "An ancient evil whose fossilized blood comprises the matter which we call Dark Energon. As legend would have it."
"So you're saying this Unicron is some kind of boogeyman?" June asked, not seeing how it was any different, let alone real.
"Boogeyman?" Ratchet asked, not knowing what that was.
"Make-believe creepy guy who hides in your closet." Miko described.
"No, Nurse Darby." Ratchet explained. "Unicron is very real. Was... That is... Well I do believe he once existed, I just don't subscribe to the theory that his primordial life force is the substance which... harmed Raf and Michael."
"I've heard enough." June said, having enough of everything. "Jack, please, help me get Raf and Michael into the car."
"<:But they're fine!:>" Bumblebee protested, not wanting to lose them again.
"Mom, I thought they were doing better?" Jack asked, not knowing what she was doing.
"Raf and Michael need to be examined by real doctors." June replied firmly, offending Ratchet in the process. "And Raf's family needs to be involved. His real family!"
"Mom, Raf's family can't protect him!" Jack protested. "Not like they can." He added, gesturing to the Autobots. "And Michael doesn't have anyone else to turn to. We and the Autobots are all he has."
"June," Optimus began as he got up from his seat. "It deeply grieves me that I have failed. But I will do everything in my power to ensure that no harm comes to our human friends, or any human, ever again."
June stopped, and looked down, trying to keep herself from yelling at him.
"Optimus," June replied. "They're children. They do not belong in your world. They should be worrying about grades, prom dates, pimples, not their own survival. And Michael might be different from the rest of you, but he's still a human. A child!"
"Mom, Dark Energon is pouring out of the Earth." Jack said, trying to make her see the bigger picture. "It doesn't do that. This could be about everyone's survival. Not just ours."
"You're coming with me!" She said firmly, ignoring him. "All six of you. And they will not be coming back!"
Michael and Jessica could only look at each other in concern. Given the lives they both had, and the circumstances that lead them to where they currently were, the base was their only home.
If they left... where would they go...?
Michael knew they would come back, but he couldn't say that, and he knew that it would be pointless to try and argue with June, so he remained quiet.
June wheeled both boys over to the car while the others watched on.
"I understand..." Optimus said, knowing that it was her decision to make as she was the adult in the room, not him.
"That's it?" Miko asked as she ran over to the Prime, who looked down at her. "After all we've been through together? See ya?! What about our freedom to choose?!"
"That may fly on their planet," June said as Raf and Michael got situated in the car. "but not here on Earth. Get in."
"Do you you really expect me to ride in a non-transforming vehicle?" Miko scoffed.
"Miko, I'm serious." June said firmly, not wanting to argue about this.
"You're not my mother." The Japanese girl sneered.
"Miko!" Bulkhead pleaded, wanting her to just listen, even if he didn't want her to leave.
"Neither are you!" She snapped, and Bulkhead subsided.
June then looked over at Jessica.
"Get in Jessica. I will see to it that a home is found for you." She said, and looked at the Autobots. "One that doesn't get you hurt."
The young teen girl could only sigh, and reluctantly got in. She fully intended on coming back, but was only going with her to make sure Raf and Michael were alright.
June then turned to Vince.
"You too, Vince. Get in."
Vince just rolled his eyes, but didn't move.
Despite his initial attitude in the beginning, the Autobots, and the other humans despite his treatment towards them in the past, had grown on him and really had become another family to him, and he didn't want to leave that behind.
Besides, he had his own car, after all, and didn't need transport from someone else.
"No. Like Nakadai said, you're not our mother, so I'm staying here." The redhead replied bluntly.
June just sighed in annoyance, and turned to Jack.
"Well I am yours." She said. "Let's go Jack."
Jack hesitated, while Arcee walked up behind him, and the raven-haired teen turned to look at her.
"She is your Mom." Arcee confessed, knowing that she had no say in the matter.
Jack remained silent, thinking.
At last, he decided.
"I'm staying." He said at last. "I'm sorry."
June felt hurt by this answer, and stormed over to her car.
"Ratchet, activate the Groundbridge." Optimus ordered.
"No thank you!" June snapped, and she turned to drive out of the base.
Bumblebee watched, sparkbroken.
Raf and Michael looked back through the rear window at Bumblebee, before they broke down crying.
Raf didn't want to leave Bumblebee behind, but he knew he didn't have a choice.
Michael, however, was crying for a different reason, as well as for that one.
He couldn't help but blame himself for what happened.
If only he had remembered, this incident could've been prevented.
Guilt welled up inside him, having failed to protect his family and having caused so much pain without having meant to, but another thought made him cry more than anything.
Did Bumblebee hate him for getting himself and Raf hurt...?
Jessica did her best to comfort them, but it wasn't easy.
Bumblebee looked down, sparkbroken, but the mood was interrupted by a call from Fowler.
"Prime, do you copy?" He asked through the transmission. Starscream moved over to the hallway entrance so the man didn't see him, but the seeker listened in regardless.
"I hear you, Agent Fowler." Optimus replied.
"Been watching the news?" Fowler asked. "Mother Nature's got a twitch in her britches."
"We know about the volcano." The Prime said.
"And the quakes?" Folwer interjected. "Seven major temblers of the exact same magnitude at the exact same time as the volcanic eruption. All over the globe on different tectonic plates, in theory, unrelated if they hadn't happened-"
"At the exact same time." Ratchet finished.
"Check it out, Miko called sarcastically. "More good news."
Everyone listened to the news broadcast.
"Freak storms unlike any the region has seen. Tsunamis threaten the Canadian coast, while lightning storms pummel the Gobi Desert. Meanwhile, electromagnetic anomalies plague urban power grids. These abnormal global phenomena are leaving most to wonder: "Why now?" And "What Next?"."
"Don't tell me your 'Cons have built a weather machine." Fowler said.
Starscream could only snort at this. What use would they have for such a thing?
"One that powerful?" Ratchet asked, knowing that even with the advanced technology they possessed, such a powerful machine wasn't likely. "Highly unlikely."
"I do not believe the appearance of Dark Energon at this point and time to be coincidental." Optimus said grimly.
Meanwhile, Bumblebee had stopped listening to the conversation.
Fear welled up inside of him.
Michael, Raf, June, and Jessica were out there, in danger.
He wasn't going to let Michael and Raf get hurt.
Not again.
Without regard for his own safety, he transformed and sped out of the base as fast as he could.
He had a rescue to perform.
-----
Out in the desert, June, Michael, Raf, and Jessica were on their way to the hospital. June, Raf, and Jessica were unaware of the danger.
Michael knew of it, however, but he was trapped in his own thoughts, and wasn't paying attention.
"1 100," Raf said, counting. "2 100."
"You okay back there, you three?" June asked as she adjusted her mirror to face them.
"We saw lightning." Raf replied. "We're waiting until the thunder-" He stopped as the thunder made itself known, making them all tense up, and pulling Michael out of his thoughts.
June chuckled.
"Looks like a storm." She said. "My garden will love it."
She looked back at the clouds through her rearview mirror.
Lightning flashed in the sky, but then, purple lightning bolts followed.
White lightning bolts flashed right in front of them, followed by several more flashing around them, causing June to swerve to avoid them all. She lost control as her car spun out and slammed into a pole.
All four of them were completely shocked, but recovered.
"Michael, Jessica, Raf?" She asked. "Are you okay?"
"Mhm." Raf replied.
"We're fine." Jessica added.
Then a noise ahead of them caught their attention.
"What's that?" June asked, and looked ahead.
A tornado was ahead of them, and bearing down on them.
"Noooo!" June said in fear, knowing that they needed to get out of there, and tried to reverse, but her car's wheels just slipped on the ground as the wind was too strong.
Michael could do nothing, completely helpless.
If he got out, he would be pulled into the tornado instantly, and he wasn't sure if the lightning and abnormal storms would prevent him from shifting forms.
The four could only look on in fear.
They were in grave danger.
June tried again and again to escape the tornado's pull, but it was useless.
The tornado grew closer, and closer.
"Come on come on come on!" June said desperately, but it only got worse.
Her car began to be pulled from its back end and be lifted into the air.
The four occupants of it could only look at each other, thinking it was the end for them all.
Meanwhile, Bumblebee was racing to the rescue. He soon found them and, after swerving to avoid a lightning strike, transformed and ran to be able to catch them.
June's car was lifted completely into the air and was pulled towards the tornado.
Bravely, Bumblebee jumped and grabbed onto its front end, his weight keeping them down, but the wind pulled him across the ground, as he wasn't heavy enough to stay down.
The young scout put all his strength and weight against the wind, fighting back against it. He then noticed a pole, and walked back in an attempt to grab onto it, fighting the wind's strength. He successfully grabbed the pole, and turned to look at the four humans in the car.
"<:Climb into my servo!:>" He beeped urgently, knowing they didn't have much time. "<:Hurry!:>"
"'Bee wants us to climb into his hand!" Raf called, translating for June and Jessica. The four then carefully made their way out of the car.
Bumblebee looked at the tornado, seeing the rocks and poles being pulled into it.
They didn't have much time left before it reached them.
He then heard a creaking noise and looked back.
The strength of the tornado, combined with the weight of Bumblebee and the car, was too much for the ground, which was weakening. The pole was ripped from the ground and flew into the tornado.
It was all up to Bumblebee now.
Grabbing with both arms, he pulled as hard as he could to keep them from flying away. The four were soon out of the car. Raf and Jessica jumped, but the car could no longer take the strain, and was ripped from the hood, which Bumblebee was grasping, presumably taking June and Michael with it.
The three could only look on in horror, but their horror was short-lived, as June and Michael had been able to grab onto the hood, saving them.
They were all safe at last.
Soon, Bumblebee, now in vehicle mood, was driving the quartet back to the base, relieved to still be alive.
"Thank you..." June said to the scout, all four humans panting as the fear faded from them.
"<:You're welcome.:>" He beeped in reply.
"He says... you're welcome." Raf translated.
Michael smiled slightly, but his guilt and thoughts still plagued him.
They all soon arrived back at the base where the others were waiting.
They were all relieved to see that they were okay.
Bumblebee's doors opened, allowing the humans to get out.
"Uhhhh.... We're back." Raf said, unsure of what to say given what had happened before.
"And we are glad." Ratchet replied.
Bumblebee transformed, and looked down at Michael and Raf. He couldn't help but smile behind his mask, relieved that they were now finally safe. Michael looked up at him and gave a small smile in return, even though he couldn't see it, but it didn't help make his guilt go away. Jessica went over to the couch as Jack ran up to June.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"I will be." June replied. "Jack-" "Mom..." They both started, wanting to say the same thing. "I know. Me too." June said, and they hugged, but June quickly broke it to speak up again. "But you're grounded 'till your 30..........25."
The news then came on again, catching everyone's attention, as Jack and June ran up the stairs.
"World leaders are classifying these bizarre weather patterns as a global emergency."
"Global?" June asked in surprise, not knowing that the situation was that serious.
"And scientists believe the phenomena to be somehow related to the current planetary alignment."
Just then, the elevator door opened, and Fowler walked out.
"What have you learned, Prime?" He asked. "And you better not blow smoke up my-" He stopped as he noticed who was in the room. "Uh, Miss Darby... What a nice surprise."
"Special Agent Fowler." June greeted.
Fowler was about to speak up when he noticed Starscream was in the room.
The man's expression immediately soured.
"What in Sam Hill's name is a Decepticon doing in here?!" He asked in anger.
"Former Decepticon, you fleshling!" The seeker snarled back.
All eight humans in the room, as well as a few of the Autobots, glared at him, offended.
"Starscream has defected from the Decepticons, Agent Fowler." Optimus explained. "And he wishes to join our side."
"And you're letting him join? Just like that?" Fowler asked in disbelief.
"No, Agent Fowler." Optimus went on. "We have conducted a trial for him. If he passes, he shall join our team. If he does not, then his fate is sealed. So far, he had done well, but his trial has not yet ceased."
Fowler wanted to argue further, but with the way Earth was acting right now, a Decepticon switching sides was the least of their worries.
"We have learned this." Ratchet spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "As with the so-called "magma" from the volcano, these earthquakes originated far below the Earth's crust. From the very center of the Earth's core, in fact."
"Quakes don't start there!" Fowler pointed out, as June walked up next to him. "Do they?"
"Tiny tremors rising and falling in a consistent pattern." Ratchet said. "Almost like-" He stopped short, and listened closely, then a realization dawned on him. "By the Allspark... if I convert these data points to audio files..."
"Wha... what is it?" Fowler asked.
"Listen..." The CMO whispered, and the room fell into complete silence. Arcee walked up, joining them.
At first, nothing happened, but then....
Da-thump
Da-thump
Da-thump
Fowler, June, and Jack listened intently from near the console.
Da-thump
Da-thump
Da-thump
Miko, Bulkhead, Cliffjumper, Vince, Raf, Michael, and Jessica looked at each other from the couch, then back at the screen.
Da-thump
Da-thump
Da-thump
Starscream, Arcee, and Bumblebee listened from near the Groundbridge controls.
Da-thump
Da-thump
Da-thump
Optimus listened closely too, and, as well as everyone else, realized what it was.
The sound was unmistakable.
A heartbeat.
But not just any normal heartbeat...
It was...
"A Cybertronian heartbeat?" Jack asked, asking the question on everyone's mind.
"How is that possible?" June asked, not knowing how such a thing can even be done. "A heart pumps blood. There's nothing inside the Earth to pump except..."
"The Blood of Unicron." Raf realized.
At the volcano, the dark entity-Unicron himself-made his presence known.
"I have awakened..."
-----
At the base, an uncomfortable silence had fallen over the room in which its occupants resided. Eventually, Miko broke it.
"Okay, hold on." She spoke up. "You mean, something's living down there? Inside our planet?"
"I fear that the Earth's very core is not comprised of magma, as your science has suggested." Optimus said grimly. "But of Dark Energon."
"And if we're hearing a Spark," Ratchet added. "Then Unicron is the rising Darkness that the prophecy foretold..."
"So how do we stop this thing from rising?" Fowler asked.
"That, I'm afraid, was not foretold." Optimus said gravely.
"How can something be in our Earth's core, and be a alive?" June asked, not seeing how such a thing was even possible.
"Is it even possible?" Jessica asked.
"Such a thing is not unprecedented." Optimus replied, and began his story. "Before the beginning, there was Primus, and there was Unicron. One, the incarnation of creation. The other, of destruction. For eons, Primus and Unicron battled, the balance of power shifting between them more times than could be counted. Only by creating The Thirteen, the original Primes who preceded me, was Primus finally able to defeat Unicron and cast him out. Primus became one with the very core of our planet, creating life through the Well of AllSparks. While Unicron was never to be heard from again.... until now."
"Maybe we can find the hole this uber 'Con left when he dug himself all the way down there and fill it full with explosives." Fowler said seriously, not knowing that the problem was much deeper than that.
"Agent Fowler, I do not believe that Earth became Unicron's home," Optimus spoke up. "but rather that, with time and gravitational force, debris collected around the slumbering titan..."
"Forming your Earth itself..." Ratchet finished gravely.
Fowler, and well as the other humans, apart from Michael, could only stare at them.
None of them had been expecting such an answer.
"And he's only awakening now due to the magnetic pull created by the planetary alignment!" Arcee realized.
"Okay, well, what happens now when Unicron wakes up from his billion-year nap?" Jack asked.
"Yeah!" Miko added. "Does he stretch and 'KA-POW'?!" Earth poofs to dust?"
Optimus didn't reply, for he didn't have a clear answer.
"...You don't know, do you?" June asked.
"My guess is that Unicron has transcended physical form as we know it." Optimus replied. "Nonetheless, we must find a way to ensure that this 'force of nature' never fully awakens. The fate of your planet depends upon it."
As the others continued talking, Michael headed for his room after reaching the ground floor and shifting to his Cybertronian form.
Bumblebee noticed this, and followed.
The two entered their room and sat down on their berth.
Bumblebee looked over at his sparkmate, and could see that his optics had turned pale green.
They were silent for a few minutes before the young scout spoke up.
"<:What's wrong, Mike?:>" He asked, seeing that his optics were giving an obvious answer as to whether the Techno-Organic was okay or not.
Michael thought over this, and tried to hold his emotions back.
Everything began to well up at once.
The guilt he felt for getting Raf hurt, and for putting Bumblebee through so much pain.
For not being able to help by telling the others about the future.
He felt useless.
Completely useless.
"Everything..." He muttered, as coolant welled up in his optics. "Everything is wrong.... and it's my fault...."
He then looked over at Bumblebee, looking him right in the optics.
"You hate me, don't you?"
Bumblebee could only stare, taken aback by the question.
"<:Of course I don't hate you!:>" The scout beeped. "<:How could I hate you?! When you were hurt, I was hurting too! I was so afraid that I was going to lose you and Raf!:>"
"That's the thing!" Michael cried. "I could've prevented that. I could've prevented so much pain! It's my fault we both got hurt! It's my fault that I hurt you! If only I had fucking remembered!"
Michael could no longer hold back, and buried his helm in his servos as he began crying.
Bumblebee watched, sparkbroken.
He knew that it wasn't true, that what had happened was not his fault.
He then became firm, and pulled Michael's servos from his faceplate, taking them in his own servos.
"<:Michael, look at me.:>" The scout ordered.
Michael reluctantly looked up at him, coolant streaming down his faceplate.
Pale green optics stared into bright blue ones.
"<:What happened was not your fault.:>" He began. "<:Megatron did this. Not you. I know you would never intentionally hurt me or Raf. You even tried to protect him, and I'm extremely grateful for that. You two are the most important people in my life, and if something happened to either of you... I don't know what I'd do....:>"
The young scout felt coolant well up in his optics, as the pain inside him that he felt a few hours ago when Michael and Raf were in danger came back.
"I'm so sorry I hurt you..." Michael whispered.
"<:You don't need to be.:>" Bumblebee replied quietly. "<:But if it helps, I forgive you.:>"
The two could no longer hold their emotions back, and hugged each other tightly as they both cried, their pain and hurt peaking, for they had nearly lost each other twice in a single day. They remained like this for a while until they were both able to calm themselves down.
They both sat in silence for a while before Michael spoke up.
"'Bee?"
"<:Yes?:>"
"Thank you for saving me. You were extremely brave."
Bumblebee smiled from behind his mask, and wrapped his arms around his sparkmate's body and pulled him in close, both of them taking comfort in the warmth they gave off.
Michael's optics returned to normal, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling.
Even during one of the darkest times, Michael knew that light always shone through.
Wrapped within his scout's arms, he finally felt safe.
-----
Later, Optimus and Michael were investigating one of the earthquake sites. Initially, Optimus wanted to go by himself, but Michael insisted that he went too, and the Prime reluctantly agreed, for it was only recon.
Or at least, that's what he thought it was going to be.
The two walked along until they came to what seemed to be a fork in the cliff.
"Ratchet, this epicenter is consistent with the findings of the others." Optimus said into his comm. "Its terrain is rich in ore."
"So what does that tell us?" Fowler asked.
"It follows that the natural metals in your Earth would be extensions of Unicron." Ratchet explained. "His limbs, if you will."
"So he did have his morning stretch, which is why these quakes happened." June said.
Then, alerts began to go off.
"Optimus, I'm detecting a swell in Unicron's Spark activity." Ratchet warned.
"Rest assured, Ratchet, we will proceed with vigilance." Optimus said.
The two mechs then heard the sound of movement behind them and looked back.
Optimus gasped, but Michael stayed firm, expecting this to happen.
The rockface moved and contorted, revealing a face with purplish pink optics.
"Do you know me, follower of Primus?"
"Unicron," Optimus replied. "The Chaos Bringer."
"Goooood."
The rockface broke away, revealing a large Cybertronian-like figure made from the same material as the cliff.
"Now know me as Unicron, YOUR DESTROYER!"
Unicron then charged at Optimus, who unsheathed his blades, while Michael summoned his Keyblade. Optimus blocked a strike with his blades and was forced back, blocking more strikes the dark god brought down on him, while Michael moved out of the way, the bringer of destruction destroying a boulder in the process. The Prime then jumped back as Unicron went for a downwards strike.
Because Unicron was only interested in Optimus due to his connection with Primus, the dark god completely ignored the Techno-Organic.
Optimus sheathed his blades as Michael ran up, banishing his Keyblade as he did.
"I humbly request your ear, Lord Unicron." Optimus spoke up.
Unicron stopped, and sneered.
"And what would a Prime be so compelled to say to me?"
"I make this appeal, not for myself, but for this planet which you constitute, and the beings who inhabit it." Optimus began. "Humankind relies upon you. For life. Sustenance. Your resurrection will only result in the destruction of a species which evolved from the seeds of your very greatness."
"So this humankind of which you speak... you consider them my progeny?"
"Indeed." Optimus replied.
"PARASITES! They too shall know my wrathful hand once I am finished with you!"
Unicron then shifted his weapons into hands and shot out blasts of dark energy. Michael jumped back, expecting this move, but Optimus was hit and thrown back to the ground.
"Optimus!" Michael cried and ran over to him.
"The line of Primes has grown weak in my absence. And thus, you shall fall!"
The god then charged up his energy to finish the Prime off.
"That outcome is inevitable, but not on this day!" Optimus countered, and got up. He and Michael deployed their blasters, firing at the rock-like being and making him fall back.
The two then walked over, and watched as the body crumbled to pieces.
But that wasn't the end of it.
More manifestations of Unicron appeared around them one by one.
"Yes, Disciple of Primus," They all said in complete unison. "On this very day, for Unicron may be one, but we all are Unicron!"
They were surrounded.
~~~
A/N: One Shall Rise: Part 1 is finished. Not much to say about this one to be fully honest, but it was fun to write.
Next Chapter: Megatron proposes an alliance with the Autobots to help stop Unicron, which is an offer they don't trust, but take into consideration. To the surprise of everyone, however, another party wishes to help in their quest, even if none of the parties like this arrangement.