"And it was written
in the covenant of Primus
that when the 47 spheres align,
a perpetual conflict will culminate
upon a world forged from chaos,
and the weak shall perish
in the shadow
of a rising darkness."
Mazikeen crossed her arms from the perch near Optimus's head as he spoke of the prophecy,
"What? No Earthquakes?"
Arcee smirked,
"No fire raining from the sky?"
Ratchet shrugged,
"Goes without saying. It's a doom prophecy, after all,"
Bulkhead rolled his optics,
"I say it's a load of hooey,"
Ratchet sighed,
"I had always assumed the ancients were referring to our home planet, but being that Cybertron has been dark for eons,"
Optimus nodded,
"And seeing as what has befallen this planet since Megatron's arrival here,"
Mazikeen and Bulkhead's eyes/optics widened,
"Hold up, you aren't saying,"
They shared a look but ignored how perfect sync they were. Optimus slowly nodded, but Arcee crossed her arms,
"We've known about these superstitions for ages and never gave them a second thought. Why all the ominous rumblings now?"
Optimus sighed, and Ratchet looked at the computer,
"Because the planetary alignment to which the prophecy refers is nearly upon us. It appears that it's endpoint is Earth,"
Mazikeen frowned in thought,
"But that doesn't make any sense-"
They all looked at her,
"I have been studying Cybertron the past four years of my life. This does not happen in my Universe,"
Optimus sighed,
"Mazikeen, maybe that is because the Autobots in your universe do not want you to worry,"
Mazikeen thought back to the ordeal with Sentinel and the Space Bridge before she sighed and nodded,
"Alright, point taken. So what happens now?"
Bulkhead took a small step back,
"But, this could just be one big crazy coincidence, r-right?"
Arcee sighed,
"How long are we talking?"
"A few days,"
Mazikeen sighed,
"Great, fantastic. I'm here for a month and a half, and the world is ending,"
Bumblebee looked up at her,
"Do not worry, Mazikeen,"
Optimus nodded,
"However unsettling this revelation may be, I am more concerned about those who might believe That the prophecy speaks to them alone."
Mazikeen slowly nodded,
"Well, who would?"
Ratchet glanced at her,
"Mazikeen, who is the most vain Decepticon that you can think of?"
"Starscream,"
Arcee laughed,
"Try again,"
Mazikeen's expression fell,
"Megatron,"
Optimus nodded,
"We must be on guard. Mazikeen, you will go with Wheeljack later to patrol the streets, but under no circumstance are you allowed to attack any Decepticon. We must keep you hidden for now,"
Mazikeen nodded,
"Alright, alright, I promise,"
She stepped onto Bumblebee's servo and was placed down. Mazikeen smiled at him and patted his foot,
"Thanks for the lift, Bee,"
Bumblebee gave her a salute, and Mazikeen left.
𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐧
Mazikeen crossed her arms,
"Of course, it's been fucking dead the one time I go on patrol with you,"
Wheeljack laughed,
"Sorry, Corn, but I'm glad no Cons showed up. I know you would have tried showing them whose boss,"
Mazikeen rolled her eyes at the nickname but shrugged,
"Alright, you got me, Jackie."
Wheeljack chuckled,
"Of course I did, I'm surprised Prime let you come with me,"
Mazikeen shrugged,
"I think he got tired of me,"
Wheeljack laughed,
"Someone get tired of you? Oh, never,"
Mazikeen rolled her eyes and slapped his dashboard,
"Hey! Lay off the dash, Corn,"
"Hey! Don't call me corn!"
"It's not my fault that you gave yourself the nickname of a corn,"
"Different spelling!"
"Tomato, tomato,"
"That's different pronunciations!"
Wheeljack simply laughed,
"Hey, Bee and Raf were going to do some racing. Do you want to see if we can join them?"
Mazikeen smirked,
"Fuck yeah! Time to show those kids whose boss,"
Wheeljack laughed and sped down the road, letting Bumblebee and Ratchet know he was joining them. Wheeljack caught up with Bumblebee and honked at them in a greeting,
"Jackie, patch us through!"
"Yes, yes, working on it,"
"Maze!"
"Raf! Hey bud!"
"Was patrol really that boring?"
"Nahhh, I wanted to spend time beating the youngest,"
"Hey!"
"Hey!"
Mazikeen and Wheeljack laughed. They were interrupted by Ratchet,
"Bumblebee, Wheeljack, the team may require backup. They are three clicks north from your current position, just off the highway. If you drop Raf and Mazikeen at the exit ramp, I can bridge him back to base from there,"
Mazikeen crossed her arms,
"Why can't I help,"
"Remember that promise?"
Mazikeen grumbled but nodded,
"Fine, let's go,"
Then Mazikeen felt a pull at the back of her head and turned in her seat,
"WHEELJACK! BEE!"
There, flying over them, was a familiar jet. Mazikeen's eyes widened in surprise,
"HOLD ON CORN!"
Mazikeen cursed as she felt Phoenix in her pocket. Wheeljack and Bumblebee tried their best to dodge the blasts coming for them. But. Two stray shots hit the cars, and they skidded to a stop,
"MAZIKEEN!"
"RAF!"
Both of the humans lay unconscious in their alt-mode,
"NO!"
"NO!"
They sped off toward the coordinates that Ratchet gave them. They transformed as they got there and held their charges closely to their chassis. Megatron smirked,
"Ah, speaking of fate...oh? Is that a new human? Oh well,"
Wheeljack and Bumblebee immediately started to walk forward at him but were pushed back by Arcee and Bulkhead. Arcee grabbed Raf gently,
"He's breathing, but barely,"
Wheeljack frowned,
"She's the same,"
Optimus glared at Megatron but called out to Ratchet,
"Ratchet, bridge us back now."
Optimus briefly looked back at Arcee,
"Arcee, tend to Rafael and the others,"
Wheeljack was first through, quickly followed by Arcee, Raf, and Bumblebee. Miko and Jack gasped,
"Raf! Mazikeen! No!"
Ratchet's optics widened,
"What happened?"
Wheeljack glared at the ground,
"Megatron."
"Quickly, into my laboratory!"
Wheeljack and Arcee set Mazikeen and Raf down gently on a table. Phoenix flew out of Mazikeen's pocket and deployed as she silently watched. Ratchet grumbled,
"Rafael isn't responding, nor is Mazikeen."
He scanned both of them,
"We must run diagnostics of his assemblage -- eh, vital statistics. Oh, my tools -- they're all wrong!"
Jack picked up his phone,
"I'm calling my mom,"
"Your mother may be a nurse, but does she know anything about the effects of Energon on the human body?"
Jack glared at him,
"Do you know anything about the human body?"
Ratchet looked away as he thought about what had happened when Mazikeen first arrived as well. He couldn't help her then, and he can't help her now.
"The weak will perish. Be strong, Rafael. Be strong, Mazikeen,"
Wheeljack got up and left the room in anger. He could only repeat the words he had told Mazikeen so many times, 'Don't worry, I'll protect you until we get you home,' to himself. He promised to be the best temporary guardian he could. He failed in his processor and has never felt so guilty about anything before in his life. Then he heard the ground bridge and looked to see June Darby speeding through. She parked, and Jack ran up to her,
"Mom-"
"Get my bag from the car. Where are they?!"
Ratchet looked down as June ran up to the two,
"Measuring the extent of the absorption should determine the proper course of treatment."
June stared at him as she took Raf's pulse,
"If I don't get them stabilized now, they will not leave this table alive. Do you understand me?"
She checked up on Mazikeen next and sighed in relief,
"Okay, Mazikeen is more stable than Raf. That's good. She's older, so that must mean she's able to combat it more,"
Ratchet spoke to Optimus over the comms and quickly opened a ground bridge to get Bulkhead back in. June softly put her hand to Raf's head and sighed,
"Jack, help me get Raf to the car. Then help me with Mazikeen. They are both going to the emergency room."
Ratchet's optics widened,
"Nurse Darby, your doctors won't be able to comprehend what's afflicting him. Not without a decade of study. And! Mazikeen can not be known in this world,"
"I don't have time to argue. I will put Mazikeen down as my Neice."
"The effects of an Energon blast on an Autobot can be devastating enough, but they are human."
He frowned as he scanned the two again,
"I'm not getting any reading,"
Ratchet gasped,
"How could I not have seen this? Rafael and Mazikeen have been infected with Dark Energon."
Miko frowned,
"Does that mean they will be alright?"
"If Dark Energon is devouring Raf and Maze from the inside out, we must expel it and fast, the only possible way I know. I need Energon."
June's eyes widened,
"I thought you said Energon was deadly to humans?!"
Ratchet nodded,
"Under normal circumstances, quite. But I am relying upon the dark matter currently invading Rafael and Mazikeen's bodies to meet it head on."
Bumblebee raised his hand,
"I'll donate for Raf,"
Wheeljack came back in,
"I'll donate for Maze,"
Ratchet nodded. He quickly got the Energon from the two and rushed the humans into a chamber,
"Raf first, he seems to be in the worst shape,"
Ratchet hit the button, and they all saw a bright light before rushing in. June checked Raf's pulse and sighed,
"He's stabilizing,"
Miko and Jack immediately ran in and hugged him as Raf opened his eyes,
"Bee?"
Bumblebee gave a beep in joy as Raf woke up more,
"W-What happened?"
Ratchet sighed,
"You were hit by a dark Energon blast. Bumblebee donated some of his Energon to dispel it,"
Raf frowned,
"W-Wait. What about Maze? She was in Wheeljack when we got blasted,"
Ratchet sighed,
"We are doing her next. Let's get you out so we can get you in."
Phoenix crossed her arms as she watched. She glanced at Mazikeen and gasped when she saw the faint glow of her mark,
"Ratchet!"
Ratchet immediately looked over and gasped,
"Mazikeen!"
June ran over to her and checked her pulse,
"Stats are dropping! Ratchet, we need to get her in now!"
June quickly pushed the gurney in and slammed the door. Ratchet pushed a button, and the bright light showed again. They all ran back in and saw Mazikeen still unconscious. Her mark was still glowing a faint blue. Miko's eyes widened,
"Uh, why is her mark glowing? Why is she still not awake?"
Ratchet frowned,
"I-I don't know,"
June ran over and checked her pulse,
"She's stable...but...I have never seen a mark like that before, Ratchet?"
Ratchet sighed,
"She has a bond with a Cybertronian in her universe. I'm not that familiar with the type of bond she has,"
Wheeljack frowned,
"What type of bond is it, doc?"
Ratchet sighed,
"She has an Amica Endura bond,"
Jack tilted his head,
"Amiga bond?"
Arcee shook her head,
"No, Jack, an Amica Endura bond. It's a bond that is pretty much a myth to us. Amica Endurae are best friends, but on an entirely different level. Almost exactly like spark mates, which is our kind of marriage bond,"
Miko tilted her head,
"How come she has a best-friend bond with one of you guys?"
Ratchet shook his head,
"I have no idea, but if my guess is correct. It appears that her mark glowing has something to do with her friend,"
They all looked at Mazikeen as worry entered them. Then Ratchet looked at Bulkhead,
"Wait, where is Optimus?"
Bulkhead scratched the back of his head,
"Oh, um...he told me to leave,"
Ratchet's optics widened,
"You left him to fight Megatron alone?!"
"I didn't have a choice."
"It could be a trap!"
Bulkhead sighed as Arcee scorned him. Ratchet ran over to the computers,
"We need to get a fix on his location."
Ratchet typed fast on the computer,
"I'm locked onto Optimus' signal. Wait. How is this possible?"
Arcee frowned,
"What, what is it?"
"WE NEED TO GET OPTIMUS OUT OF THERE NOW!"
He immediately pointed a digit at Bulkhead and Wheeljack,
"Bulkhead, Wheeljack, you two have to distract Megatron while Arcee and I pull Optimus through, okay?!"
Wheeljack momentarily looked at his unconscious friend but nodded,
"It's time to settle a score,"
Arcee pointed at Wheeljack,
"Don't,"
Wheeljack sighed and nodded,
"Yeah, yeah, I won't let my emotions cloud my judgment,"
They immediately ran through the ground bridge. Jack, Miko, Raf, and June stayed by Mazikeen as they tried waking her up. They looked up as they heard footsteps. Ratchet and Arcee gently put Optimus down,
"Careful, it looks like you have been exposed to a lot of dark Energon,"
Optimus looked at Raf and Mazikeen and frowned when he saw that Mazikeen was unconscious,
"I am not the only one,"
Raf offered him a small smile,
"Hey,"
June glared at Optimus,
"He's lucky to be alive. Mazikeen isn't waking up!"
Optimus frowned and sighed,
"Do you know why?"
June shook her head,
"No. I don't know why Raf is awake, and she's not,"
Wheeljack sighed as he looked at Mazikeen in concern. They all wondered the same exact thing.