Chapter Text
Optimus P.O.V
Calm. Peace. It surrounded me, embraced me.
So long, so utterly long it had been since I felt at rest – well almost. Something tugged at what passed as my consciousness or remnants of my spark. Something was missing. Someone was missing. Butwhom? The answer skittered just out of reach. I felt incomplete. I also felt as though there was something I had to do, something unfinished…. I could not ''think.''
I did not want to think.
I allowed myself to be wrapped up in the feeling of warmth and light and for the first time in millions of years - I surrendered. Unburdened by a crushing weight, my spark light and not weighed down with grief, fear and anger, I allowed myself to drift away.
Moments later, or possibly eons later, a sharp stabbing pain ripped through ''me,'' a blinding light, like a small sun engulfed me and carried me away from that place of peace and slammed me back into a world of pain and confusion. I felt my optics fly open in shock to find myself suddenly ''alive'' again. A great power surged through my body, electrifying my circuits, kick starting my now healed and pulsing spark.
I coughed, spluttering the remnants of sand and dirt that had found their way into my dermas. /Where had that come from?/. As I lay there for a moment, my processor kicked into gear, images flashed through my mind. The battle… that battle where Megatron had killed me. I had died. I remembered. Something moved awkwardly off my chest back to the ground.
/SAM!/.
I gave a loud groan as I moved to get back to my pedes. Every joint, gear, piston and cable ached. Torn and bent metal scraped and screeched in protest as I moved my damaged frame to kneel. I truly felt as though I had gone through a massive battle and come out worse for wear.
As I knelt there, my optics focused on the equally battered body before me. Sam had somehow brought me back. A sense of amazement and gratitude flooded my systems as I peered down at him. ''BOY, you returned for me!'' Sam simply looked at me with shock and amazement, even though it was he who brought me back, he could not believe it had worked and I was alive and kneeing before him.
''A living Prime!'' An unfamiliar voice boom out beside me, coughing and spluttering. ''I don't believe it!'' The same amazement on Sam's voice rang through the voice.
Before I had a chance to locate who had spoken, there was an eerie boom like sound and all at once a large, menacing figure appeared before me and, in my weakened state, knocked me to the ground. He disappeared briefly before reappearing placing a pede on my chest as he reached out and, in a voice, laced with evil, malicious intent, plucked the Matrix from before me. ''My Matrix!''
That voice – /The Fallen!/. I laid there, my body, although starting to power up again, was still recovering from the massive beating it had taken, I was weak, confused and in pain.
''Get up, get up!'' Sam yelled out to me, scrambling towards me. I could hardly move. Pain, confusion, weak. I wanted to do as Sam bid me, but my body would not obey.
''Get up Prime!'' Ironhide added his gruff voice to the urgent pleas.
I tried to move my limbs, make them cooperate but it was as though the weight of the world lay on them.
Rolling my battered body onto my side, I tried to stand. ''He's got a machine. You gotta stop him. OPTIMUS!" he screamed my name in such a desperate manner that perhaps it was the fate of the world that weighed me down.
I was vaguely aware of N.E.S.T soldiers preparing to engage the enemy in a last-ditch attempt to stop The Fallen's sinister plan. The sound of heavy artillery fire and rockets launching assaulted my audials. Though it was closely followed by the sound of explosions and crashes as they were rebuffed and despatched of by the Fallen.
It was in that moment, when all seemed lost, that the large unknown Transformer, ancient in appearance, addressed me. ''All my Decepticon life, I never did a thing worth doing until now.'' I raised my helm to gaze upon him. /He was one of the oldest, a seeker from memory, though his name escaped me… Jetfire?/. ''Optimus, take my parts and you will have a power unlike any you have ever known.''
I cast my optics away, unable to meet his steadfast gaze. /One more spark lost in this Primus forsaken war/. ''Fulfill your destiny!'' With that he reached into his chest cavity and wrenched his own spark out before collapsing to the sand below.
I tried to crawl towards this brave Transformer as Ironhide began to bark orders. ''JOLT! Electrify. Transmit those after burners.'' Electricity coursed through me, bright flashes of light as pieces of metal and parts flew through the air and were integrated and fused to my armour and my body. Large guns, wings, afterburners. As the parts attached themselves to me, I felt a wave of power and strength surge through me along with a renewed and burning sense of purpose and righteous anger as I took to the sky.
It was time to finish what I started and end this!
Reaching up with both servos, I grabbed the Fallen's staff, twisting around as I tried to wrench it from his control. ''You picked the wrong planet!'' I managed to pull it from his grasp and, using my spinning momentum, I turned around and stabbed the staff back down and through his faceplates.
I shoved him bodily up against a pillar and bent the staff back on itself about his face. ''Give me your face,'' my own voice seemed foreign to me, filled with malice and sadistic pleasure as I tore his faceplates from him. He had orchestrated my demise. He had tried to destroy this beautiful planet.
/He had taken me from my Orianna/.
I heard with no small amount of satisfaction as my ancient, evil brother, let out an anguished scream of pain as he sank to his knees. I stepped up behind him and without a moment's hesitation, placed my right servo on his shoulder and forcefully plunged my left servo through his back, into his chest cavity. Tearing his spark out of its casing, I squashed it like some putrid, vile bug, before retracting my servo, and the fragments of his spark, through the gaping hole in his chest.
''The Fallen'', collapsed in a shuddering mess, a burning hole smouldering in his chest, and what remained of his face, twisted and contorted in agony and defeat. I rose confidently and proudly to my pedes. ''I RISE, you fall!''
/So many lives lost as a result of your bloodlust, greed and evil – Chase among them. Orianna injured, almost lost to me!/. Though normally the use of violence and the loss of life saddened me, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction at the quivering mess that lay before me.
The sound of jet engines taking off nearby roused me from my reflections. /Starscream and Megatron, retreating like the cowards they were/. I let them go. There had been enough death and destruction for one day. Taking one last glimpse at the vanquished pile of scrap at my pedes, I turned and walked back towards my Autobots and my family.
As I stood on the crest of a large dune, looking down among the smokey piles of debris and wreckage, I could hear the faint sounds of celebration and triumphant shouts of relief and joy drift up towards me. I could see familiar faces, Sam and Mikaela hugging, their shared ordeal seeming to have brought them closer. I could feel Sam's gaze rest on me and send me silent thanks.
I could see Epps, Lennox and Simmons slapping each other on the back and embracing each other in shared victory. Though as I stood there taking the moving scene in, there was one face, one figure, not among them. /My Orianna/.
Since my rude awakening and subsequent battle, I had not had time to think of her. Now, knowing for the moment all was well, my foes vanquished, my processor whirred back to what seemed an age ago when I was with her in the Med Bay back on Diego Garcia. Recalling her small, pale and helpless frame lay amongst the blankets, my recently healed spark seemed to ache slightly at the thought.
/What has become of you my Orianna? Do you live? Have I saved the Earth only to lose you?/.
Despite knowing the outcome, I tried anyway. I activated my comms trying to get hold of Rachet. Static. I tried once more, closing my optics as though it might somehow aid the process, willing Rachet's voice to burst forth on the other end.
Nothing except cackling and static.
The damage sustained in my battles must have compromised my comms abilities. I allowed a very deep, spark weary ex-vent to escape my dermas. It would seem I must wait a little longer before knowing the fate of my dear Orianna. Squaring my shoulders, to once again take up the mantel of leadership and the burden it requires, I began the slow descent down to be welcomed back and greeted by those who had fought alongside me and those I call family.
As I approached them, they looked at me with grateful and appreciative eyes and optics as though their hope had their future had just been restored. While it was good to walk amongst my human and Autobot friends and allies again, my spark ached for another, one whom I did not even know if she lived or had perished.
Once the initial euphoria of victory had worn off, we immediately turned our attention to aiding the injured and stabilising them, recovering those who had been lost, aiding any civilians, clearing up and arranging transport out of here. I managed to hail my second lieutenant Jazz aside for a moment. ''Jazz, a moment of your time please.''
''Of course, Prime, gladly.'' He walked over to me a massive grin on his dermas. ''Man are you a sight for sore optics,'' his grin faded. ''Thought we'd lost ya for good Prime,'' his normally upbeat and cheery voice quietened, and a sadness momentarily flashed across his visor.
''For a moment you did my friend,'' I reached out and patted his servo. There was no denying the truth of the matter. ''Jazz, I have been trying to get a hold of Rachet to inform him of the situation here and to check on Orianna's status.'' I felt my voice tighten slightly.
Jazz considered me carefully but didn't say a word.
''With everything that has, eventuated, I have not had the chance to speak with him regarding her condition. The last I saw she was heavily sedated and still very ill.'' I paused, forcing myself to calm my rising emotions. ''I would very much like to know her status.'' Years of practice masking my emotions allowed me to meet Jazz's gaze in a calm and authoritative manner.
Jazz allowed a small smile to form on his dermas. ''Of course you would Prime. I can comm Rachet right now if you like?''
I shook my helm, ''Negative Jazz. I wish to speak with Rachet and Orianna myself.''
Jazz nodded his helm, a small smile playing on his dermas. ''Fair enough Optimus. I understand completely.'' After a moment's hesitation my second continued, ''We can arrange a satellite connection once on board the USS John C. Stennis later this afternoon. However Prime, I can inform you that as of about twenty-four hours ago, Orianna was alive. She was sedated and recovering from her ordeal.''
''Ordeal?!'' I furrowed my optical ridge in confusion as a wave of trepidation swept over me. ''Has something happened to her as a result of touching the Allspark shard?'' I could not hide the growing concern from my voice.
Jazz held both of his servos out towards me in a bid to calm me. ''Easy Prime! In answer to your questions. Yes, something has happened to her as a result of her interaction with the Allspark, what exactly I don't know as Rachet would not say, only that she is not the same Orianna we remember.''
My processors reeled with this information. /WHAT changes? Not the same? How?/.
Jazz continued. ''And the ''ordeal'' she was recovering from was news of your death. She did not take it well Prime.'' He fixed me with a serious and penetrating gaze. ''Ya know. OC cares for you so very much, Optimus. When she heard the news you had died well,'' Jazz's voice trailed off, ''she nearly died herself.''
I stood there; my dermas open in shock as I processed this disturbing news. /How could that even happen? Though we have a close friendship and care a great deal for each other, we are not bonded…/. I struggled to comprehend how Orianna could have had such an extreme reaction. The thought of her dying was hard enough but dying because of me - as a result of my own death. It was more than I could bear.
After a moment I was able to speak, the words a soft whisper, ''Jazz. Please see to it that we double our efforts here. We need to get back to base. I need to get back to base without delay.'' I managed to cast a quick glance in my second lieutenant's direction. ''As you can see, I am urgent need of repairs and if the Allspark has indeed adversely affected Orianna, I feel responsible for her welfare and would like to see for myself what ''changes'' have taken place, if she is well and what can be done to help her.''
Jazz opened his dermas as if to ask something but thought better of it and instead saluted me. ''Of course Prime, at once.''
As he turned to stride off and check on progress, I called out after him. ''Jazz!'' My SIC whipped back around to listen. ''Please ensure the remains of that selfless and brave Seeker Jetfire, are respectfully collected so we can give him the funerary rites and honour he deserves.''
Jazz bowed his helm solemnly. ''Of course Optimus. I'll personally see to it.'' With a final nod of his helm Jazz turned on his pedes and strode off to carry out my orders.
I stood there for a moment surveying all around me. So much destruction, sadness and devastation. So many lives lost, our human and Autobot relationship hanging by a thread no doubt after this. Yet I could not feel defeated and smothered by the weight of it all. My lifeline, my light, was alive and waiting to see me again and selfishly, in this moment, that was all I could think about.