Transformers Regenerated: Lost Light III, Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

--Cybertron, Nyon, 1,610 years ago--

    "I'm still trying to figure this all out," Rodimus said as he and the team gathered in an abandoned alleyway. "If Brainstorm's going back through time to kill Sentinel Prime, then why would he bother trying to kill Optronix? If it's too prevent Megatron from ever happening, then that's already taken care of with Sentinel's death."

    "Maybe we've been wrong all along," Rung said. "Perhaps Optronix was Brainstorm's target from the beginning and he's been trying to murder him at different times. That may be why he killed Breakthrough: he was gunning for Optronix, but missed."

    "But from what Boltax told us, the differences between the two timelines started two thousand years ago with Sentinel's death at the Battle of Iacon. How does Optronix lead to that point?"

    "Maybe that's just it," Skids said. "We're inadvertently leading him to that point by preventing all of his attempts to kill Optronix."

    Rodimus stared at him, nonplussed. "Say again?"

    "Think about it; Brainstorm went into the past without covering his tracks, leading us to find and use his time machine to follow him and stop him from killing Optronix, thus eventually leading to the Battle of Iacon where everything all started. The alternate timeline is thus not a result of any changes Brainstorm is trying to make, but our interference with them."

    Rodimus found a slab of metal to sit on and clutched his head. "Okay, everyone shut up for a few minutes. I'm getting a major processor-ache."

    "So, what, it's predestined for Brainstorm to kill Sentinel?" Chromedome asked Skids.

    "Not necessarily. My thinking is that the new timeline had just started 'bedding in' from the moment Brainstorm opened his briefcase, with the circumstances for it already in place."

    "Still not making any sense, but whatever." Rodimus sighed as he brought out his Time Phone. "Perceptor, have you found Brainstorm yet?"

    "As a matter of fact, yes. He's gone back ninety years from your current position."

    "To when, specifically?"

    "Cycle 8114."

    Overhearing this, Rewind's visor went wide. "Cycle 8114? Oh, no...."

    "Mean something to you?" Rodimus asked.

    "It means something to all of us. It's the day Megatron was born."

--Cybertron, Tarn, 1,700 years ago--

    "Identification?"

    "Hydra of Vos."

    Rolt raised his gaze to the red and black femme standing before his desk. "Ah, yes. You offered your spark for splicing a year ago."

    "Yes, and I wish to adopt the newborn spark as my ward."

    "Really? That's a first; most donors couldn't care less about the 'bots that are made from their offered sparks." Rolt pressed a few switches on his control panel. "I'll inform the doctors to begin infusing the spark. The process may take a few hours."

    "That's all right. I can wait."

    While Hydra went to find a seat across from Rolt's desk, the receptionist mech finished his call to the doctors. He then glanced again at the femme.

    "You have a sparkmate?"

    "No. And before you ask, I'm not interested."

    "No, no, I was just wondering. Most soon-to-be caretakers come in pairs, usually so that the adoptee has at least one guardian looking over him or her at all times in case something happens to the other or if they become overloaded with work."

    "I'm intellectual class," Hydra replied. "My job doesn't demand too much of my attention."

    "Ah, I see. Are you looking forwards to becoming a caretaker?"

    She beamed. "Very much so."

*  *  *

    "Careful... careful...."

    "I'm being as careful as I can, Scope," the doctor snapped at his partner as he gently removed the blue spark from its container and began to slowly moved towards the awaiting body. "This would go a lot faster if you'd just keep quiet."

    "Do you remember what happened last orbital cycle, when the new guy-- I think it was Suture-- dropped that one spark? The mech that was born from it turned out to be a murderous psychopath."

    "I'm reluctant to believe that his personality was a result of Suture's mishandling."

    "Well, Froid says--"

    "Oh, here we go again with Froid. You know that guy's a fraud; everything that comes out of that 'bot's mouth is--"

    "Careful!" Scope gently moved his partner to prevent him from walking into a table. "See? Without me, you could be responsible for the next Trannis."

    "Give me a break."

    The two medics finally reached the pre-fabricated protoform body. As the spark handler inserted the glowing orb, Scope kept an eye on the scanners hooked up to the protoform, reading the results as they came in.

    "Ferrum-positive... high-yield, strong pulse... looking healthy." He turned to his partner with a grin. "Congratulations, Flatline; it's a mech."

    "Shut up and get the outer shell ready."

    Scope sighed as he flipped a series of switches, causing mechanical arms to come down and begin building around the protoform. "Where's your sense of humor?"

    "You have one?"

    Scope merely shook his head as he left the lab with Flatline, leaving the machines to do their work. Had they stayed a moment longer before closing the door, they would have seen a figure materializing before the newborn mech....

*  *  *

    "This is the place?"

    "Yup," Rewind said. "Tarnian Con Facility 113."

    "And we're standing on the rooftop and not at the front door because...?" Skids asked.

    "Because there's no way we can get into the labs through there; too many guards and receptionists." Rodimus bent down and began to pull at a steel grate built into the roof. When it didn't budge, Whirl came forwards and tore it off with all his might, sending it flying across the city.

    "Thanks," Rodimus muttered. "Okay, Rung, Tailgate, WALL-E, and EVE-- you stay out here and keep an optic out for any trouble. The rest of us will handle Brainstorm."

    "Good luck," Tailgate said. "Let us know if any of this Optronix and Sentinel Prime stuff gets cleared up."

    "I'm not holding my breath," Rodimus said as he jumped through the newly-made opening, with Skids, Whirl, Chromedome, and Cyclonus following him. Once they were all gone, Tailgate looked at Rung inquiringly.

    "What's breath?"

    Rung shook his head. "Probably another Earthism. He says them a lot." 

*  *  *

    The security cameras had been disabled, as were the alarms. The machines had been shut down, their work unfinished. The relative information had been removed from the records. Everything was in place. Now it was time to finish the job.

    His gaze fixed on the glowing blue spark of Optronix, Brainstorm drew his gun and took aim....

    "Not so fast, Stormy."

    The rogue Autobot froze, his finger resting on the trigger. He then turned his head to see Rodimus, Skids, Chromedome, Whirl, and Cyclonus standing before him, guns raised.

    "End of the line," Rodimus said with his trademark grin.

    "Is it?" Brainstorm replied. "All I need to do is apply a bit more pressure to the trigger, then boom. I win. So please, enlighten me: how exactly do you intend to stop me?"

    "Having you gloat like a cliche villain seems to be working," Skids said wryly.

    "Ha! As if a genius such as I would fall for the oldest trick in the--"

    Before he could finish, Skids lunged forwards and swept his legs under Brainstorm's feet, tripping the rogue Autobot. He quickly recovered and caught Skids' fist as it came at his faceplate before delivering a kick to the theoreticians midsection and sending him down to the floor.

    Before any of the others could make a move, Brainstorm retrieved his gun and aimed it again at Optronix's spark. As his finger squeezed the trigger, he turned to give his former crewmates one last look.

    "In the end, you'll thank me for this."

    The gun went off and the universe went with it.