CHAPTER SEVEN
--Necroworld--
"Face it, skinny. We've looked everywhere."
Rewind braced himself against the plinth of Chromedome's statue, not wanting to look up at it lest it suddenly not be there. "Don't call me 'skinny,'" he muttered.
Getaway held up his hands. "Sorry, sorry. I'm always terrible when it comes to nicknames. I don't know how Skids does it...."
The archivist buried his face in his arms, wanting nothing more now than to be left alone. "Why didn't he tell me? He could've told me...."
Getaway remained standing there, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "I mean, he could've gone back to the Lost Light... although I'm pretty sure Rodimus locked it up to stop any of those 'Cons from getting bright ideas."
He looked around the field, noting that the number of ships present seemed to not have changed since he was last outside, save for the absent Alchemor. "I don't see how he could have left without anyone noticing," he mused. "And it's not like he's got a flight-capable mode. He would have had to teleport or...."
Rewind looked up, no doubt reaching the same conclusion as Getaway.
"...Did we ever end up doing anything about that briefcase?"
* * *
"Just as I suspected." Vector Prime smiled smugly at Megatron, holding the Matrix in his open palm. "It's been millennia since I've last faced it, but I would recognize Unicron's essence anywhere."
Megatron looked down at himself, shocked that he had not devolved into a bloodthirsty creature. "But... how?"
"Believe it or not, it is possible to not succumb to Dark Energon's mind rotting effects," Vector explained. "It simply requires more mental strength than the average Cybertronian is capable of."
"The Nemesis program," Megatron murmured to himself. "That must be what's holding it back."
"Whatever it is, it's clearly working." Vector then regarded the Matrix in his hands. "Now, what to do with this...."
"It must be returned to Optimus Prime," Megatron said. "He is the true bearer."
"Is he now? Well, he's clearly not a good one if he's able to lose it so easily." Unsheathing his sword, Vector Prime tore open a portal. "Best keep it where no one can--"
With a roar, Megatron launched from his berth and collided into the ancient Prime. Knocked off balance, Vector tumbled into the portal, taking Megatron with him.
* * *
"Where's the briefcase?!"
Ultra Magnus turned as Rewind came bursting into the control room, followed closely by Getaway. The Autobot commander narrowed his eyes at the archivist.
"Why do you want to know?" he asked.
"Chromedome's gone missing," Getaway explained. "He's not anywhere here in the fortress, and he's not outside. And I don't think he's taken any of the ships."
Ultra Magnus frowned. "Well, I left the case with Ratchet. If anyone knows where it is, it would be--"
Rewind was already out the door before he could finish speaking. Getaway let out a loud sigh as he turned to follow.
"This wouldn't be so bad if I had room to drive around...."
Ultra Magnus watched as the two Autobots left. Once they were gone, he heard Obsidian speak up from behind him.
"Do I want to know what that was all about?"
"Probably not," Ultra Magnus said.
* * *
"Just try and get some rest while I go check on Cyclo--"
Ratchet blinked, taking a step back from where Megatron had just been, now gone in the blink of an optic. He searched around the room, but found no sign of the former Decepticon leader. What he found instead was a lone sword, laying at the foot of Megatron's repair slab.
As the medic moved to pick it up, he heard footsteps come from both directions outside the hall. At once, Optimus Prime, Prowl, and Rewind burst into the medbay.
"Where's Megatron?"
"Where's the briefcase?"
Ratchet held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa! Everyone calm down! I didn't even do anything!"
Rewind stormed forward, carrying as much of a presence a bot of his stature could muster. "Magnus said he left Brainstorm's briefcase with you. Do you still have it?"
"I -- agh, I left it in the room with the stasis pods. I got distracted by Prime's call." The medic raised an optic ridge at the archivist. "Why do you--"
"Where's Megatron gone?" Prowl demanded, stepping forward.
"I don't know. One second he was there, the next, gone. All that I could find was some sword."
"You mean this sword?" Optimus walked over to the weapon in question. It glowed at his touch; without warning, Optimus found himself being spun around as the sword moved on its own. Slicing the air, it cut open a portal, from which a number of bots -- among them Skids and Brainstorm -- fell out. The last to fall were Megatron and a regal-looking bot whom no one (save for Prowl) recognized.
As the pair collided onto the floor, an object slid from their hands; an object which caught all present off-guard.
"The Matrix?" Optimus murmured.
"Take it, Prime!" Megatron cried out, lifting himself from the floor. "Hurry!"
Spurred by the urgency in his brother's voice, Optimus dropped the sword and retrieved the Matrix from the floor. Vector Prime's optics widened as Optimus opened his chest panels.
"No! Don't!"
Optimus ignored him as he placed the Matrix into his chest cavity, closing the panels. Vector lowered his head as he let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fools. All of you."
As Vector rose to his feet, taking his sword from where Optimus had dropped it, Prowl stormed over to accost the ancient bot.
"Explain yourself. What business do you have with the Matrix?"
"I don't suppose it matters now, does it?" Vector replied, glaring at the Autobot. "It's clear you care not for what I have to say."
"I am willing to listen," Optimus said. "Provided you cease hostilities."
"Hostilities? Since when have I been hostile?"
"It might have to do with the sword," Brainstorm muttered, untangling himself from the others he had fallen with. "Just a wild guess."
Vector grunted as he reluctantly sheathed his sword. Staring at Optimus, he said, "So you're the Prime?"
"Yes. My name is Optimus Prime. And you are?"
"Vector Prime." He smirked at the surprised look on Optimus' face. "Yes, that Vector Prime."
"So you're the one who made the Axiom and Dion vanish?" Ratchet asked.
"I returned them to their proper time, yes," Vector said. "Don't expect me to bring them back for you; I value my job far too much than to risk that."
"So why do you want the Matrix?" Megatron asked. "If you have the power over time, I don't see why you'd want something like the Matrix."
"Because I don't want it," Vector said. "I just want to keep it out of the wrong hands."
"Whose hands?" Prowl asked.
Vector shrugged, turning on his heel. "I'm sure it'll be clear to you soon enough."
Megatron grabbed him by the shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?"
Vector laughed as the center of his chest began to glow. "Don't you mean 'when?'"
There was a flash of light and the ancient Prime was gone. Minutes later, Getaway came trodding from down the hall, steam exhaling from his vents.
"Geez, Rewind, how do you know where anything is in--" He immediately froze upon seeing Prowl standing with the others. "--here."
"Getaway. Skids." Prowl nodded to each of his agents. "I look forward to hearing all of your tales."
"Wish we could say the same," Skids muttered.
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