Episode 25 - Regeneration
[Amanda]
"You know, I might not be the first human on Cybertron," Miko said from her perch on Bulkhead's shoulder. "But I can still be the first human exchange student!"
"Why didn't you tell us about the Omega Keys before?" Jack asked.
Having just come back from the school wide camping trip, Miko, Jack, and Raf had come home right in the middle of our crisis. I couldn't tell them about what was going on while they were gone, for security reasons and all, so they were just finding out about the Omega Keys and the whole reviving Cybertron biz right now. Needless to say, there was a lot to fill them in with.
"You weren't around," Arcee replied. "And things have been kind of intense around here lately."
"So," There was no mistaking the sadness in Raf's tone. It mirrored my own. "You guys could really be going home soon, huh?"
Bumblebee looked like he wanted to reply, but Miko jumped in.
"Don't worry, Raf!" She said. "You'll come visit. Once we get our place set up, he can bunk with us, right Bulk?"
A sad look crossed the wrecker's face. "Uh, Miko-"
"You are taking me with you," Miko looked stricken. "Right?"
To spare him from replying, I jumped in. "There's still a lot to be done, Miko."
"Amanda's right," Ratchet said. "Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves here? Not only do we lack any actual method of reaching Cybertron, but Starscream now controls the sole means of our planet's restoration."
"As far as we know," Optimus said grimly. Truth be told, I was worried about the Prime. Bulkhead had told me about what happened on their side of the ground bridge when Starscream got away with the Omega Keys, and ever since then, Optimus had been more reserved than usual, even around me. I used to be able to see what he was feeling, but now he was being extra careful to hide all of his emotions.
"You think Starscream's rejoined the Cons?" Smokescreen asked.
Arcee nodded. "He might've used the Omega Keys to buy back Megatron's favor."
Ratchet snorted. "Without first trying to sell them to the highest bidder? It wouldn't surprise me if he had the nerve to contact us and-"
A beep from the computers cut him off, causing him to turn to see what it was.
"Okay, that's weird," Bulkhead commented.
"Is it Starscream?" I asked.
"No..." Ratchet's eyes darted across the screen. "It's Dreadwing. And he wants to meet."
I groaned. "Not this again."
~~
It was this again. Ratchet opened the ground bridge, and Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Smokescreen went through. But this time, we closed the ground bridge behind them.
"I don't like this," I said to no one in particular.
Ratchet nodded. "Neither do I, but these are precarious times. We can't afford to overlook this."
"So they really might be leaving?" Miko's concerns drifted from the living area to me, causing me to join her, Jack, and Raf there.
"I don't want them to," Raf sniffed. "I mean, I know it's their home but-"
"Guys," I cut him off before he could tear up. I wouldn't be able to handle it if he did. "There's a lot in play here. If Cybertron is going to be revived, we first need the Omega Keys and then we need a way to get to the planet. It's not just going to happen." My tone softened. "And they may be leaving Earth, but they won't be leaving us. We all have a special bond with the Autobots, and even lightyears can't break that. No matter the outcome, we aren't losing them."
"Ratchet, ground bridge," Arcee said over the comms. I frowned. That was quick. There must have been no fight or Dreadwing surrendered or-
The five Autobots walked through the ground bridge into the base. It didn't seem like anything changed, except Optimus was carrying a massive hammer.
"I am granting you the power to create," Cleona said, her hand on a golden hammer. "The forge will be able to form anything you wish, and may only be used by a Prime."
"Thank you, my lady," Solus Prime bowed deeply.
"It's no Star Saber," Smokescreen's voice broke the flash. "But I bet it can shatter Megatron's blade and put some dents into that ugly mug of his."
Arcee shook her head. "It's not that kind of hammer."
"With the Decepticons in possession of all four Omega Keys," Ratchet said. "A more appropriate use of the forge would be to use it to replicate our own."
"Even with such power," Optimus said. "Their reconstruction would require a level of expertise I do not possess." I could hear the frustration in his tone.
"I guess we better hope Megatron doesn't destroy the keys to prevent anyone from ever going home." Arcee commented and everyone sucked in a breath.
The Prime didn't seem concerned though. "Megatron may be evil, but I believe he will use the keys for their intended purpose."
"Then I say we let him keep them and do the work for us," Bulkhead suggested. Everyone turned to him. "I mean, what difference does it make who restores Cybertron?"
"If Megatron revives Cybertron," Optimus said. "He will no doubt use it to his political advantage."
"You lost me."
"In all likelihood, the leader of the Decepticons will portray himself as our planet's savior and brand all Autobots as war criminals."
"The grand deception continues," Arcee muttered.
Ratchet stepped forward. "Megatron's so called 'achievement' could influence Cybertron for eons to come. Poisoning the sparks and minds of its returning citizens is hardly the ideal was to begin a new age."
"And Primus," I spoke up, causing them all to turn to me. "If Megatron takes control of Cybertron, his corruption will spread into Primus and poison him again. Let's say he does end up controlling the planet, and does the whole poisoning the sparks and minds thing for returning Cybertronians. On such a large scale, it'll kill Primus all over again."
We all fell silent before Optimus spoke again.
"But there is hope," He said. "For while Megatron may have the keys, he has yet to discover the existence of the Omega Lock itself."
"Omega Lock?" Jack asked.
"Wait," Arcee said. "Now you lost me."
"That which the four relics were designed to activate," The Prime explained. "We must locate the device before Megatron does and secure it until we can recover the keys."
Ratchet gaped. "There are no more Iacon entries to decode. This lock could be anywhere on Earth!"
"It is on Cybertron."
"What?!" We all said at once.
"How do you know?" Ratchet demanded.
"Alpha Trion revealed its location to me during the message conveyed by the Star Saber." Optimus said.
"And you didn't tell us?" I was a little hurt by that. I told Optimus about every detail in every flash I got. How could he not do the same?
He gave me an apologetic look, one of the only emotions I saw since the loss of the Omega Keys. "Alpha Trion did not wish it so." Then he masked his emotions again, leaving me a little lost. "With the Forge of Solus Prime, we now possess the means of reaching Cybertron." He looked towards the ground bridge. "I must work quickly, as our tactical advantage over Megatron will not last long."
~~
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As Optimus worked on converting the ground bridge to a space bridge, I sat on the couch in the living area, still hurt by how different the Prime became over the past week. Miko, Jack, and Raf were all out with their respective Autobot guardians, while Finn was with the military, helping with a new training program, and Smokescreen was on patrol, leaving me here with my thoughts.
"Ratchet," I said suddenly, causing the medic to turn away from his work in the lab. "Is it just me, or has Optimus been acting differently since that message from Alpha Trion?"
"I have to admit," The medic scratched his chin. "He has been distant lately. And I don't appreciate how he did not reveal the information he knew about the Omega Lock. But Optimus has his reasons. He always has."
I stood, moving to the edge of the platform over the lab and leaning on the railing. "But he doesn't keep things from us. If he has his reasons, then give me one good reason Optimus couldn't trust his teammates with info about the lock."
He paused for a second, considering. "If he had, Megatron would have pulled it from Smokescreen's mind during the cortical psychic patch he performed while Smokescreen was captive."
"Right," I huffed, not satisfied. "But he couldn't have known that'd happen."
"Exactly."
"I still don't like it," I crossed my arms.
Ratchet sighed. "Amanda, I can assure you this is not the first crisis Optimus has faced that made him act differently, and it will not be the last. Give him time."
"Right," I repeated, heading back to the living area.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Every time the Forge of Solus Prime hit the ground bridge, it gave off a burst of energy that made the powers of Cleona surged within me. My powers were at a peak right now, so fired up that I could probably lift Bulkhead well into the air and hold him there. It felt weird, like there was a buzzing under my skin. I'd need to find an outlet for that energy, there was no way I could take it all.
The sound of three engines filled the base as Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee drove in. When they transformed, I noticed they weren't accompanied by any humans.
"Where are the others?" I asked.
"We dropped them off at their houses," Arcee replied. "It's getting pretty late. Want me to drive you to your place?"
I glanced at Optimus, who hadn't moved from his work. I tried not to let my disappointment show as I shook my head. "I'll just call a car here."
"Nonsense," Arcee transformed back into her vehicle mode. "Let's go."
Sighing quietly, I gathered my things and heading down the platform steps. I sent one last look towards the Prime, saw that he didn't even glance up, before getting on the motorcycle. Arcee pulled away and soon we were out in the Nevada night. The drive was a silent one, and it wasn't very long before we were heading up the driveway to my house. I got off and walked straight to the door, only stopping when I heard Arcee transform behind me.
"I know you're out of whack because of Optimus," She said plainly. "And I wanted to tell you that it isn't just you. All of us are in the same boat. But the endgame is right there. We've got to power through to the end."
I didn't say anything for a long moment. "I know."
"Then what's wrong?"
Another long pause from me, and when I did speak, it was quiet. "I just don't want to lose him."
"Amanda, you'll never lose Optimus," Arcee's tone was gentle yet firm. "He considers himself your sire- er, is father the Earth word? Well, he considers himself that. Whenever you're in trouble, he scrambles to help you. Whenever you're happy, he is too. You won't lose him, because he needs you as much as you need him."
That realization dawned on me. If anything, Optimus needed me now more than ever. I whirled around suddenly. "After you drop Jack off at school tomorrow, can you bring me to the base?"
"What about school?"
"I can't go in the first place because I've got all this extra energy and powers because of the forge. Don't want to risk exposing myself, so I won't go."
She sighed. "Alright, but if I get in trouble, it's your fault."
~~
The next morning, I was at the base instead of the classroom. After answering the volley of texts that came from Miko, Jack, and Raf, I set my phone aside and headed to where Optimus was placing down the Forge of Solus Prime.
"Done?" I asked, and he looked down.
"Yes," He said. "The space bridge should be fully operational. All it requires is a large enough energy source."
I held up a hand, allowing a small burst of silver dust to fly up. "Got that covered."
He frowned slightly. "I do not want you to overwork yourself, Amanda."
"I don't have to do any work in the first place," I said. "The forge charged me up a lot. That's why I'm not at school. I can't risk having an accidental outburst."
He nodded, understanding. "Cleona had a close connection with each of the Ancients' relics. She acted as Primus' consort during the creation of every relic. Her powers flow through each relic, especially those of the Primes. The forge providing you with extra powers is expected."
"But is the reason I really shouldn't be in class," I finished. "No need to explain why a burst of silver twisted my desk while I sat down."
He gave me a half smile. "Exactly."
I sat down next to the forge. "So now what?"
"Ratchet must calibrate the space bridge," The Prime said absentmindedly. "Then we must set off for Cybertron."
That made me silent, and I began to chew the side of my lip. It started to bleed again, since I had been wearing it away a lot lately to relieve a bit of my anxiety. I need to break this habit.
"Promise me something?" I looked up at Optimus, who frowned when he heard my serious tone. He knelt to get closer to me.
"What is it, Amanda?"
"Promise me you'll be careful. And I know you always say you will, but you never are. You're always putting yourself in harm's way. Just this once, promise me you won't. Optimus, you're the smartest, wisest person I know, but sometimes you can be really reckless when you're out in the field. So please... watch out for yourself, okay? For me?"
He didn't say anything for a long moment, his gaze never wavering. I started to worry then.
"You just need to survive this, Optimus," I continued. "Just this battle on Cybertron and then you can go home. Then you win the war. Don't lose it all now. When the dust clears, Cybertron is still going to need the Prime who lead the Autobots to victory."
Another pause, before he finally spoke. "I will be careful, Amanda. Not only for Cybertron, for the Autobots, but for you."