CHAPTER FOUR
--Metrotitan--
"You recognize this ship?" Sixknight asked as he, Optimus Prime and the twin-headed dragon landed in front of the docked Lost Light.
"Not only do I recognize it, but I've been on it," Optimus said. "My sparkmate Elita-One commanded it while in search of my own crew and I. After Unicron was defeated, she gave it to an Autobot named Rodimus for his quest for Cyberutopia."
"Cyberutopia, eh?" Sixknight said, rubbing his chin. "An admirable endeavor, for sure."
"More like pointless," Doublecross snorted. "Bunch of hoopla, that stuff is."
"Now, now," Twinferno countered. "There's no harm in trying to discover the undiscovered."
Raising a hand to his comm, Optimus attempted to hail the Lost Light. "Rodimus? Do you read me? It's--"
Just then, the ship's ramp lowered in front of the trio. Standing there, grin as wide as his face, was Rodimus, in all his flame-decoed glory.
"Optimus Prime!" The captain of the Lost Light waved to the Autobot leader. "Long time no see! How you doing?"
Optimus allowed himself a smile via his optics. "I've been better. It's good to see you as well. How goes your quest?"
"Still going!" Rodimus replied. "We're making progress! Slowly but surely! Some bumps in the road, but hey, that's the way of things! You know what I'm saying?"
"Right. May we come aboard?"
"Of course! Sure thing! Who are your friends?"
"Sixknight, Doublecross and Twinferno," Optimus said, gesturing to each of his companions. "The latter two are conjoined twins, from my understanding. Bit of a long story."
"Hey, no worries! Plenty of time to swap tales." Rodimus motioned them all to come on board. "We have a bar where you can all rest and relax."
"A bar?" Sixknight looked to Optimus. "Is that a new thing?"
"No, actually," Optimus murmured, stepping onto the ramp. "Believe it or not, I don't think anything's changed since I left."
* * *
"How is he?"
"No better than when you brought him here," Ratchet said, standing over a suffering Megatron. "He won't let me examine him, so I can't even tell you what's wrong with him."
Ultra Magnus frowned as he looked over to Megatron. The Decepticon's hands were firmly clutching his chest, as if trying to keep something from bursting out... or to keep Ratchet from looking in.
"Megatron," Magnus intoned. "Let Ratchet look at you."
"I have to see Optimus Prime," Megatron gritted out.
Magnus shook his head. "We can't let you. Not yet. As far as he knows, you're as good as dead. If you were to go to him now--"
"Wait a minute," Ratchet said, stepping closer to Megatron. "Your chest is glowing."
Megatron glared at the medic. "Don't come any closer."
Fed up with the Decepticon's evasive nature, Ultra Magnus stormed forward and grabbed both of Megatron's hands, wrenching them off of his chest. As the Decepticon cried out in protest, Ratchet pulled open his chestplate... and gawked at what he saw within.
"By the Matrix," he muttered.
"Yes," Magnus murmured, staring as well. "Funnily enough."
* * *
Optimus had not realized how long it had been since he had last refueled. Engex had never been his favorite -- too strong for his tastes -- but today he was making an exception.
As he drank, he listened to Rodimus' account of the Lost Light's travels, exchanging details of his own mishaps. As they caught each other up on recent events -- from time-traveling to Monstercons, clones and Titans to Secret Orders, and finally more time-traveling and Titans -- Optimus couldn't help but feel that Rodimus was withholding some details. He acted particularly shifty when it came to the events at the Floating Fortress and afterwards, especially when he brought up the time-traveling Dion without much explanation. Whenever Optimus tried to ask for further elaboration, Rodimus changed the subject.
"So!" the flame-decoed bot said, leaning back in his seat. "What brings you to Necroworld?"
"Necroworld?" Optimus asked.
"I just told you about it, didn't I? Home to the Necrobot."
"Yes, but...." Optimus frowned. "It was not our intention to come here. We were trying to get to Cybertron."
"Really? Huh."
Rodimus fell silent after that, twirling his empty glass with his finger. Optimus stared at him, intent on getting whatever it was the younger Autobot was not telling him.
"What else happened at the Floating Fortress?" he asked.
"I already told you everything," Rodimus said, not meeting his gaze.
"Did you? How exactly did you stop the Heralds of Unicron and their plans?"
Rodimus sighed, straightening in his seat. "Okay. I'm gonna drop a bombshell on you. Whatever you do, don't freak out."
"I've already been through a lot, Rodimus," Optimus said, raising his glass. "It would take a lot to surprise me at this point."
"Megatron's alive."
The glass fell from Optimus' hand, shattering on the table. All heads turned as the Prime gripped onto the edge for support.
"What... did you say?" Optimus' voice shook as he spoke.
"I don't exactly know how he came back," Rodimus went on. "Apparently he was trapped in this dimension with Unicron, so when the Heralds activated their portal...."
"And you let him on board?"
"I... I didn't say that."
"You did, didn't you?" Optimus muttered. "That's why you've been acting so evasive. Because he's here."
"He wants to help us find the Knights," Rodimus said. "He wants them to judge him for his crimes. To give him retribution."
"Retribution."
Rodimus glanced down at the indents Optimus was making into the table. "You're... you're really not taking this well, are you?"
"He wants retribution." Optimus heard the words in his voice, but it was not his mind that was making them. "I'll deliver him retribution."
The last thing Optimus remembered seeing was Rodimus' horrified face as he flipped the table.
* * *
Ultra Magnus heard the crash from the bar before he had even turned the corner. Before he knew it, he was standing before a dark replica of Optimus Prime, red and blue having turned to black and teal.
"Optimus?" Magnus asked.
"Close." Lunging forward, the dark Prime produced an axe and struck Magnus across the face with it, knocking him to the ground.
Pressing ahead, Prime stalked the corridors of the Lost Light, walking past shocked and terrified Autobots. He eventually made his way to the medbay, where he found the object of his rage, guarded by a pair of medics.
"Prime?" Ratchet grimaced upon seeing the deco his leader now sported. "No...."
"Step aside, doctor," Nemesis Prime growled, gripping his axe. "This does not concern you."
"Optimus, it's the Scourge virus taking over again!" Ratchet cried at the advancing Nemesis. "You've fought it off before! Surely you can--"
The medic was cut off as Nemesis hoisted him up and threw him into Velocity, knocking them both down. This left him face-to-face with the once-sworn enemy of Optimus Prime, laying vulnerable on the medical slab.
"Prime," Megatron muttered.
"Megatron," Nemesis Prime chuckled. "I have waited an eternity for this." He raised his axe over his head, red optics blazing with hate. "It's over, brother."
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