CHAPTER NINE
For Alpha Trion, it was depressing to see beauty and art fall so quickly and easily to destruction, and yet destruction took so long to undo.
As his Elite Guard escort led him and other non-combatants out of Iacon to a safe haven, Alpha Trion took the opportunity to take one last look at the Celestial Spires, at the Imperial Amphitheater, at the Forum of Enlightenment... in mere moments, all of it would be nothing but rubble.
While the ground shook violently with each step Megatron's new instrument of destruction, Alpha Trion suddenly felt another tremble- a lesser one, but enough for him to notice it. When he felt it again, he followed its trajectory down towards the Metroplex, where Zeta Prime had just met his demise.
Realization quickly dawned on him... and he smiled.
"Better keep up, sir," grunted one of the Autobots escorting him. "Don't want to lose you to that... thing."
"No, of course not," Alpha Trion hastily said as he quickened his pace, the pulse of his spark matching it out of anticipation.
* * *
Orion Pax- newly rechristened as Optimus Prime- trudged through the passage leading away from the Matrix's chamber, still dazed by what had just happened. He also felt weighed down by the burden that was suddenly placed on his shoulders by becoming a Prime.
Leading a team is one thing, he thought. But an entire population? How could I repair the damage my predecessors have done?
He came to a stop when he hit something protruding from the ground. Reaching out in the darkness, his hand came across a handle. After taking a minute to mull over his next move, he pulled it and the ground rumbled as a pair of large doors slid open, illuminating the room with light. A booming voice soon accompanied it.
"Voice command required."
Optimus Prime, shielding his eyes from the light, blinked. "Er, what's going on? Who and what are you?"
"I am the last Titan," the voice said. "My brothers are either dead or have fallen from grace. If it is your wish to awaken me, then simply speak the command."
"I don't know any command," Optimus said. "I cam across you by accident."
"Destiny is no accident. You must be the true Prime, for no one else would know my location. If you do not know the command, then you need only think like a Prime."
"Think like a Prime? I don't-"
Then it dawned on him. The last of the Titans. Thought to be extinct...
Straightening up, Optimus Prime spoke in the sternest, boldest voice he could muster. "Awaken... Metroplex."
* * *
With their leader dead, it soon came to the Autobots' realization that there was no hope to be found in this battle. Their defenses were wearing thin, and Trypticon was proving relentless in his onslaught. At this point, it was either death or surrender.
With the majority of the Autobots' ground forces cornered near the Metroplex, Megatron decided to bring the assault to a temporary halt. Once the Decepticons had held their fire for the time being, Megatron stepped forward to confront Ultra Magnus, the Autobots' current field leader.
"Honestly," the Decepticon leader said. "The outcome of this battle should be obvious at this point. Either your surrender now and end this war, on you all die and end this war. The choice is, ultimately, all in your hands."
Gripping his mighty hammer, Ultra Magnus glared at him. "If defeat is the only outcome, then we'd rather go out fighting and with dignity."
Megatron smirked. "So be it, then."
Just as he was about to give the signal to resume the attack, the ground rumbled, and Trypticon was not the cause this time. Suddenly, much to the shock- and in some cases, terror- of those on the battlefield, the Metroplex began to stir and shift. Buildings slid down and platforms folded in as the complex slowly rose into a bipedal shape, meeting Trypticon in sheer height.
As the conversion sequence slowly completed itself, a head rose from the chest, red optics flaring. When the Titan spoke, its voice could have been heard from miles.
"Metroplex heeds the call of the true Prime."
For the longest time, everyone simply stared in awe. Finally, Megatron shook himself from his stupor and bellowed, "Trypticon, attack!"
The beast roared out in rage and charged towards the Titan while down below, the Battle of Iacon began again.
* * *
In the short duration of time during which everything on the battlefield was still, Optimus Prime took the opportunity to climb out of an opening from underneath where Metroplex had once been stationed. When Megatron gave the order to attack, Optimus quickly scrambled for cover as the two giants charged. The tremor made by their collision was enough to send him flying off his feet and onto the Interstate Bridge which passed through Iacon.
As he struggled to get up, he heard the familiar sound of a fusion cannon discharging and in short time, the mech whom he had once known as his brother landed before him.
"Well, well, well," Megatron muttered. "I should have known you were behind this. Our paths tend to cross at drastic events."
Optimus glared at him as he stood up, bringing out his battle axe. "This war has gone on long enough, Megatron."
The Decepticon leader snorted. "A decade hardly compares to the millennium the previous one lasted."
"But Trannis' Decepticons never had something like the Warriors Elite or... whatever that is." Optimus gestured at Trypticon. "The first Great War was primarily a series of proxy wars that were all connected, while this is total war."
"I suppose you're right, Orion. Perhaps I was aiming to make this a 'Greater War.'"
"You're more arrogant than I always took you for," Optimus muttered. "And it's not Orion Pax anymore. Much like you, I have adopted a new name as well. You may refer to me as Optimus Prime."
Megatron glowered at him. "How ironic. You take on the name meant for me when Sentinel wanted me to succeed him. But I did not need his petty title to confirm my own 'Primehood.'"
Raising his arm, his hand suddenly retracted only to be replaced by a spike, chained flail.
"Then let this be it then: a duel between two Primes, one truer than the other. The victor shall decide which is which."
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