CHAPTER FIVE
"All I'm saying -- and it's absolutely your right not to believe me -- is that there is a logical explanation for all of this."
"That's all well and good, Apelinq," said Stormshot. "Except I'm not hearing one."
The Maximal scientist rubbed his chin as he contemplated the temple they were standing in front of. Stormshot wasn't sure what he was trying to accomplish but she knew it had yet to yield any results.
"Why don't we just go inside?" she asked.
Apelinq looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "We've just found a mysterious temple in the middle of an unfamiliar landscape and your inclination is to go inside?"
Stormshot shrugged. "Better than standing out here, doing nothing."
Apelinq looked ready to protest when both of them noticed the arrival of five vehicles. Star Saber, Wing Saber, Brainstorm, Nautica, and Nightbeat all transformed and joined the pair, with the latter regarding the temple with the same level of curiosity as Apelinq had been.
"What is this place?" asked the detective.
"No idea," Stormshot replied. "Where have you guys been?"
"Watching people get murdered by God," Wing Saber muttered.
"I think this place -- whatever it is -- is trying to direct us to that giant Matrix," Star Saber said. "Wing Saber and I already found Scoop there, and Nautica told me she saw Anode and Lug headed that way."
"Drift ran off as well," Brainstorm added. "I don't need to be a genius to tell you that something's definitely not right here."
"Maybe this is the Afterspark," Wing Saber suggested. "It would explain a lot."
"Well, I'm not buying it," Apelinq grunted. "I'm going to need something a lot more conclusive."
"How about we go into the temple then?" Stormshot asked.
Apelinq scowled but looked to Star Saber. The captain nodded in approval.
"Our answers may very well lie within. Lead the way."
Stormshot pulled the temple door open and stepped inside, the others close behind.
* * *
"I saw them all go in there."
"Yeah, me too." Skids closely followed Sideways as the silver sports car sped towards the mysterious temple. After transforming, Skids helped the ex-Herald open the temple door only for it to reveal an empty hallway.
"Blast," Sideways cursed. "Are they that fast?"
The two of them stepped in and the door slammed shut behind them, plunging them into darkness. Once Skids had activated his chest headlights to illuminate their path, the pair began walking.
"So," Sideways said after a prolonged period of silence. "What have you been up to?"
"Why do you care?" Skids asked.
"I don't. But I still want an answer."
Skids sighed. "Not much, really. After you... 'died,' we kicked the Secret Order's butt and then we kicked Thunderwing's butt. Since then, we've resumed our quest and found... absolutely nothing."
"Sounds pretty typical," Sideways remarked.
"Pretty much."
She tilted her head at him. "Are you happy?"
He looked at her in surprise. "Am I what?"
"Happy. H-A-P-P--"
"I know what you said. But why are you asking?"
"You've been on this stupid quest for over a year now and you're no closer to finding Cyberutopia than you were when you started. Are you happy with that or do you actually want to get somewhere?"
He looked away. "I don't know."
"That's not the answer I want."
"It's the only one you're getting."
Sideways huffed, wondering why she hadn't just killed him already. She returned her attention to the path ahead when Skids spoke up again.
"What about you? Are you happy?"
There was no hesitation in her answer. "No."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not anything. I'm a virus; a malicious agent with no one to target anymore. Unicron's gone, the Heralds are gone, I have no home, no spark... nothing. I am nothing."
Skids blinked. "That was... way more deep than I was anticipating."
She glared at him. "Yeah, you wouldn't think a virus like me would actually have feelings, would you?"
"That's not what I--"
"Look, just frag off, okay?" she snapped. "I just... I just don't get you."
"What do you mean?"
"I ruined your life. I framed you for murder and tarnished your reputation. I've tried killing you and your friends I don't know how many times." Sideways affixed him with a glare. "So why don't you hate me? Why haven't you beaten the scrap out of me already?"
"I have a better question," Skids replied. "Why are you holding my hand?"
Sideways' optics widened as they focused on their intertwined servos. She quickly pulled her hand away before punching Skids in the face, knocking the Autobot to the ground. Her buzz-saw whirred as she deployed it from her arm.
"I get it now," she murmured. "This is all some kind of trick. This isn't the Afterspark at all; this is--"
"It is exactly what you think it is."
She spun around on her heel to face the figure that had appeared behind her... and her rage only increased.
"You."
"Come." Galvatron extended a hand to her. "Allow me to enlighten you."
* * *
"Looks like we've to a congregation on our hands."
Swerve forced himself to look away from Tailgate's remains and lift his head up. Coming to join him and Whirl were a number of their crewmates. In the lead was Drift, being guided by the specter of Sensei Yoketron. Close behind him was Roller, who was accompanied by a small blue bike bot, followed shortly by Anode, Lug, and a young protoform.
Besides them, Swerve also spotted some of the bots they had picked up on Velocitron. Livewire and Spiral were standing hand-in-hand, while Override and her fellow Velocitronians were staring up at the Matrix in awe.
"Never in my dreams," Override murmured, "have I ever imagined a place as wonderful as this."
"It's their gift to us, sister," said a bot of similar design as her, whom Swerve recognized as the late Nitro Convoy. "To make up for all that we've been through."
Swerve opened his mouth to speak, to warn them of what was about to come. However, when he gazed upon their cheerful faces, he realized he didn't have the spark in him to tell them. These people had been through so much grief, so much pain; to see them so happy, so content... to take it all away from them would have been an act so cruel that even a Decepticon warlord would have balked.
No. Maybe they needed this. Maybe they all needed this. Besides, it wasn't like there was any turning back at this point. Primus had clearly brought them here for a reason; who were they to refuse his will?
This epiphany removed the weight of sorrow from Swerve's shoulders and he found it that much easier to rise to his feet. Allowing a smile to grace his face, Swerve joined his friends as he gazed up at the giant Matrix, eagerly anticipating its gift....
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