Transformers Regenerated: Pax Cybertronia VIII, Epilogue

EPILOGUE

--Earth--

    "Well... that was a very strange occurrence."

    "Agreed," AUTO intoned as he wheeled himself out of the repair lab, having been patched up after what had happened on the Axiom.

    "You missed out on the best of it though," Pox said, their hologram projecting alongside him. "Right before he vanished, Trypticon blew up this cube thing he had ripped out of Central Hall. Then, after he sort of... disappeared into space, we picked up WALL-E, EVE, and Violet. None of them were able to explain to us what had just happened."

    "And Central Hall's missing as well?"

    "Yup. Along with Ariel, Dion, and even Fearstorm and his goons. It's as if everything Cybertronian just... left."

    "I struggle to see a negative to that, considering the day I just had."

    "Yeah, I hear ya," Pox muttered. "The Axiom's still under repairs, but the others ships have landed safely. All of the humans, all of the robots... we're all safe."

    "Good." AUTO wheeled out of the Exodus onto Earth's verdant ground. Pox's form became almost invisible in the sunlight.

    "So... I guess things go back to normal, huh?"

    "Affirmative."

    Pox had to admit, normal didn't sound so bad.

*  *  *

    Everything was quiet. Too quiet.

    Opening her optics, Ariel saw that the hole Trypticon had made in Metroplex had magically resealed itself. Before she could even begin to ponder how such an occurrence could have happened, she noticed that rays of sunlight were seeping into the room. Was she still on Earth?

    Standing up, she gently placed Dion's body down before making her way to the front of the Titan. The doors opened up of their own accord and she shielded her optics from the sun. Once her visuals had adjusted, she saw that four Cybertronians were standing in front of her, all wearing shocked expressions.

    Springer inclined his head to Kup, whose jaw was practically hanging open. "Does this remind you of anything?"

    "Never seen anything like it in my life, lad."

--Trypticon--

    Kreok could not remember the last time things were this quiet.

    Where he expected to hear Crankcase gripe about the rust in his left arm plating, there was silence. Where he expected to hear Misfire brag about his new high score in Ninja Gladiator, there was silence. Where he expected to hear Spinister talk about the squirrels in his head, there was silence. Where he expected to hear Fulcrum tell him that everything was going to be all right....

    There was silence.

    Not a single soul spoke as Trypticon drifted aimlessly in space, having returned to the present day via the Warren. His quarry lost, the Decepticon Titan had not spoken since. Krok wasn't sure if he was even still online.

    Full-Tilt remained in his command chair, staring at the monitors which showed nothing but fields of stars. Every once in a while he would say something to the alleged "voice" in his head, but otherwise he acted as if he didn't even exist.

    Spacewarp kept to the corner of the room, huddled with her Mini-Cons. No doubt she was biding time until they reached some planet of value, at which point she would likely ditch the rest of them first chance she got. Krok wouldn't put it past her.

    As for Nickel... Krok could tell she was standing behind him. He didn't acknowledge her, not even when she rested a hand on his shoulder. It was only when she spoke that he begrudgingly did so.

    "Listen," the Mini-Con said softly. "I know what it's like to lose friends close to me."

    "Your friends were murderers," Krok grunted.

    Nickel sighed. "Not all of them. Some of them were actually quite nice."

    "Oh, yeah. Like when one of them killed one of my friends. That was real nice of them."

    "I'm not talking about the D.J.D. I'm talking about my friends back on Prion. About Buzzstrike, Bashbreaker and... and Lancelon."

    She sighed again, and for the first time in his life, Krok felt rotten inside. All of the atrocities he had committed as a Decepticon and he was feeling sorry for making a Mini-Con cry. What even was he anymore? He had thought he had known the answer to that, but now... now he had nothing left. Nothing but the people in this room.

    Without even thinking, he turned to Nickel and she fell into his arms, resting her head beneath his. He didn't care what looks the others were giving them, nor did either of them care how long this lasted. It was all they had left.

    None of them knew what awaited them among the distant stars... but that didn't matter right now.

    It could wait, as far as he was concerned.

DISTANT STARS: CONCLUDED