Chapter Text
If there had been a way to define the whole disaster that had happened that day, Ratchet didn't even have a beginning or an end. Everything happened so fast that he wasn't sure of the team's casualties. However, as every troubled day always has a calm beginning, he remembered how it all started that day at the shelter.
If someone asked, everything seemed to be going swimmingly, Team Prime had once again successfully defeated a large portion of cons, and returned completely victorious if it hadn't been for one small detail that was just across the line.
"Prime! Your team has been spotted around Chicago again, creating chaos. Is it so hard for you to understand that they are overloading me with work by making these appearances? The government council is asking me for an explanation."
And yes, for a small detail in the line, he was referring to Agent Fowler. Lately, he seemed more stressed than usual and was constantly watching them. Ratchet did not like being watched and controlled that way, because if Optimus did not do it, why should he comply with the orders of a human?
Regardless, they were still inhabiting a military ground base, and until they had the resources to leave the planet, they had to follow orders.
Ratchet, without helping himself, rolled his eyes at his complaints.
"Agent Fowler, I understand your concern and we are sorry about what happened, I hope it doesn't happen again," Optimus apologizes politely as usual, looking at the monitor in front of him. "But I must also mention that the Cons continue getting closer and closer to the city. We don't know their intentions but we must keep them away at all costs."
"Exactly! That's your job, but next time make sure the mess is easier to clean up, and there are no significant losses." Finally, the signal cuts off and Fowler disappears from the huge screen.
Optimus couldn't help but let out a sigh, slowly shaking his head, and Ratchet, who was at his side, just crossed his arms, somewhat sulky.
"Do we allow a simple human to talk to us like that?" he questioned.
Optimus sighs, looking over his shoulder at him.
"Although I don't justify his actions, it is understandable his behavior. We are still using some of their resources and the shelter, not to mention that we still inhabit their planet, and this military base," he answers, slowly moving away from the screen. "We must investigate why the Decepticons are getting so close to the city, and what they are looking for."
"It's probably just another relic in the center of the city," he looks thoughtful, before continuing. "Optimus, maybe it's time to put an end to all this. How long have you waited to defeat Megatron? Listen, he will never redeem himself. This is just putting many people's lives in danger, and if you ask me, it's completely unnecessary... haven't you even thought about how dangerous it can be for the children? Rapha, Jack, Miko... they are in danger too."
Optimus knew it deep down, which made him sigh with regret and look away, somewhat tired. Maybe his old friend was right after all, he had waited so long for Megatron to redeem himself and change his mind that he had unwittingly let go of a war that didn't seem to have an end soon. Unfortunately, his spark hoped that he would change and return to being the same Megatron he knew in his youth, passionate about politics, eliminating social classes, and freedom. But it saddened him to see how all those ideals were corrupted by the greed and evil that had been planted in him.
Was Megatron truly evil? Or were those ideals corrupted by the injustices committed by the higher-ups? No. After all, Megatronus' evil course changed when he knew that Orion Pax obtained the Matrix of Leadership and got Primus' blessing to become the next Prime.
So, after all, it wasn't far from the truth. Megatron might have had evil in his heart since the beginning, and the fact that Optimus just wanted to ignore, it was just an impertinent proof that he still had hope for a positive change in him. Unfortunately, that would probably never happen, and soon he would take the blindfold off his eyes, letting him see the evil that lived in him by nature. Ratchet was right, it was putting innocent people in danger, even children.
"I think you're right, Ratchet," he says. "I'll wait for the others to return from the mission before continuing with the objective... Let's prepare to board the nemesis."
This time Ratchet was surprised by the drastic decision Optimus took, but he didn't say anything else, he just managed to remain silent and nod. It was better to leave it like that, and not cause any conflict or setbacks in his decision.
"Okay, what's the plan?" he asks.
"We will go for the last relic, if for some reason, we find a con, then we will communicate with Megatron through it."
"And if he doesn't accept?"
Optimus was silent for a moment thinking about the possibilities, but after some time he answered.
"Believe me, I'm sure he'll accept."
🫀
Arcee and Bulkhead were in the city when they received a signal from Optimus communicating the location of where they were, he had gone in the company of Smokescreen and Bumblebee because he knew that it would not be easy if he encountered Megatron's henchmen, or worse yet, Megatron himself.
"Do you think Optimus has finally decided to confront Megatron?" Arcee asked Bulkhead as they walked in their alternate forms.
He let out a long sigh but tried not to appear pessimistic, even though they were on the road approaching the location Optimus sent them to.
There had been many attempts to make that happen and they still needed to succeed. So why would that change now? Bulkhead never dared to question Optimus' decisions, much less doubt his strength to defeat Megatron. He was convinced that he could defeat him if he set his mind to it. But the problem was just that: Optimus did not want to, nor did he have any intention of defeating him. Something always stopped him when victory was in his hands.
Whether it was the Decepticons themselves arriving just in time to save their leader, or even their attempt to redeem him... something always happened to postpone Megatron's defeat. And so it had been for thousands of years, years wasted in unnecessary war, instead of negotiating a truce and rebuilding their planet together.
Had that day finally arrived? Would it happen today?
"I don't know, Arcee... but I wish it were so," he replied. "This whole war is unnecessary. Haven't you thought that maybe there will be some change or something that will stop this war? Maybe some kind of change in Megatron... or something like a peaceful truce."
This made Arcee laugh.
"Really? Do you really think that Megatron will accept a peaceful truce? That's not even in Optimus' wildest dreams. You've already seen it, Bulk. Optimus prefers to move forward with other options before even ending this situation at its root," she answers. "Although I don't blame him, Optimus saw that positive and good side of Megatron once, when he was still a warrior fighting for justice, they were like brothers before Megatron decided on the path of evil."
"Are you saying that Optimus still has some hope for Megatron to change?" he asks over the radio.
"Even the blindest person could realize that," she replies through her communicator. "Let's hope that today is the day that he finally decides and finishes him off once and for all."
"Megatron is not that easy to defeat, and if today is finally the day, we know that some will perish in battle."
Arcee remained silent, agreeing with Bulkhead. If this battle was intended to end a war, then there would be a lot of deaths involved. And that made her fear for her friends, they had already lost many along the way, including Cliffjumper, and she wasn't sure if she could handle another one.
She just hoped that this would be over as quickly as possible.
They both ended up speeding down the road until they found themselves at the location Optimus had indicated to them. However, there was no one there. At least not yet.
"Optimus, can you hear me? Where are you?" the motorcycle asks, looking at the desolate place on either side.
It was impossible that he couldn't see them, they were almost in a desert, and the location hadn't moved.
"Arcee? We're right there. We haven't moved from this spot," he answers her through the communicator, which makes her even more surprised.
Unless... it was a trap.
And he didn't even finish thinking about it when they were attacked by surprise from behind, and thrown into the sand. Both Bulkhead and Arcee crashed into some huge rocks behind them, and that made them lose communication with Optimus.
"Woah, I didn't think that disrupting the signal and diverting it was that easy to fool the Autobots." A familiar laugh made Arcee look up, a little sore from the hit against the rocks. "That was unexpected from Laserbeak, but as always, brilliant from Soundwave."
"What did you do with the signal? Respond!" Bulkhead demanded, standing up.
"That doesn't matter now, we have a pending fight that has to decide the final victory," Breakdown punches his fists, approaching threateningly.
So that's how easily they had fallen into the trap. Optimus would expect the support of both of them but this was what they had gotten, a distraction to delay them and buy the Decepticons time.
On the other hand, Optimus was confused when he suddenly lost the signal from Arcee and Bulkhead, it was as if they had disappeared from the map and he couldn't locate them. However, they had already managed to obtain the last Cybertronian relic and there was still no sign of any Con, not until a portal opened behind them, appearing first Knockout, then Shockwave, and finally Megatron.
"Ah, how lovely to find you here. Especially you, Prime." Megatron is the first to speak, looking at them with mockery and malice in his optics that did not go unnoticed. "I imagine that you have already managed to find the last relic, how thoughtful of you, you saved us quite a bit of time."
Optimus doesn't answer, he just follows him with his gaze, carefully observing each of his movements.
It wasn't for nothing the war hadn't ended yet. These two knew each other so well in battle that it was almost impossible to hide a trick up their sleeve, and they had spent a lot of time together since they were known as Orion Pax and Megatronus. Before the war, they had been partners, lovers, with the same ideology until the course of one of them began to change step by step. They had no secrets, there was nothing that one didn't know about the other, and they knew each other so well that their movements synchronized.
As lovers they once were, they knew each other's thoughts, dreams and desires, weaknesses and passions. Of course, it was a double-edged sword because each knew their weaknesses, however, it seemed that neither of them was willing to play that dirty game and use it against each other, no matter how much they hated each other and tried to end each other's lives constantly. Very few knew of this truth, of this past that they had tried to erase since the war broke out.
But it was impossible to remove their past from their spark. Trying to do so was like trying to remove a star from the universe just by wishing it; trying to do so was undoubtedly something painful that deep down, both systems and protocols did not want to erase. At least not yet.
Ratchet and Soundwave were the only ones who knew about this past completely, but they didn't seem to want to get involved when it was just beginning, nor when it was all over, none of them questioned the decisions of their leaders and preferred to take it to the end in deathly silence.
"Megatron, I'm here to put an end to this once and for all." Optimus straightened his body, looking confident and without a hint of hesitation.
Megatron smiled dangerously. This was probably another attempt at making peace, but if not, he would also show him that he did not come empty-handed.
On the contrary, he came with an ace up his sleeve.