Optimus might have picked up on Whitegrazer's distracted energy and vexed spark had his own mind not been so busy. There was a lot weighing on him now, moreso than usual, and for good reason. These aliens, the Vok, intended on blowing up the entire planet. How were they to save it and all of its creatures? They couldn't escape; their ship's engines were still powerless and useless. Stasis pods? They had a couple empty ones but not enough for everyone, not to mention they weren't meant for long travels in space and they would be completely vulnerable to any dangers beyond its casing. What else was there? While flying beside Airazor who was carrying Rattrap, Primal's crimson optics stared at the fake moon that now seemed to be a massive weapon looming over the blue planet as his mind raced, trying to find ideas in order to stop this madness or somehow survive it. He thought of those he had lost; Nightmist, Icebreaker, and Valkyrie. And how it seemed that no matter how hard he had tried fighting this war, no matter how optimistic he kept himself and his crew through their darkest hours, he was going to fail his Maximals, and the thought of doing so felt like his spark was being crushed. But perhaps, by some miracle, someone would discover a way to stop the Vok. The Maximal Commander still had hope to cling on to even if only by a thread. He had to. Although he hid it from everyone else, Optimus was suffering with deep frustration, concern, fear and confusement. The image they had used of Unicron's head and that deep, mysterious voice haunted his thoughts. Replaying what the Vok said over and over again, it was as if he was desperately searching for clues or answers in what little they had said to him. He could find nothing, and he was certain that had been intentional like everything else they had put them and the Predacons through.
Suddenly, Primal grabbed his chest with his right hand when something felt like it was coiling around his spark and squeezing. For a few moments he couldn't breathe until he concentrated and felt that this was coming from Whitegrazer. What was wrong? Was it something the Vok had done to her? Then there were two images that involuntarily appeared in his mind out of no where, distracting his vision as he focused on them instead of where he was flying. In one of them, he was watching the world burn. Not Cybertron, but an organic planet, most likely the one they were on now that could've been Earth. Why was it burning? Did this have something to do with their impending doom by the aliens? The other image he could see was Whitegrazer. ...Sort of. It felt like it was her but something was terribly wrong.
Whitegrazer...? his thought trailed off in worry before it was interrupted by something he had never experienced before. A voice that felt like it had deviated from Whitegrazer's spark and was suddenly speaking through his. To him? At him? Was Whitegrazer trying to send a message? Was she aware that she was doing this at all? He was so caught off guard that Optimus gasped loudly and moved his hand from his chest to his head, both of his index and middle fingers touching his temple as if he were battling a headache.
"...take back..."
"Take back what?" the leader unknowingly said outloud while he cruised along in the air. Primal could feel the energon fields beginning to bypass his dampers. He would have to land and revert to beast mode shortly. At least they were almost back to Base. But then he could also feel a peaceful and warm flow of energy toward his spark. He was certain that was Whitegrazer as familiar as it was to him by now, but with that energy intertwining with the ominous one from which he was unsure where it was coming from really did start to give him an aching pain in his mind. There was too much going on besides his own thoughts, it felt crowded, his spark was heavy and he desperately searched for peace.
"What?" Rattrap called to their fearless leader hearing him.
"What?" Optimus repeated, shaking his head a little and looking over at the rodent dangling from Airazor's talons.
"Uh... You okay?" he asked.
"I mean, you know, besides the planet and us bein' blown up like fireworks?"
"No, I'm not," he snapped at Rattrap although not meaning to.
"I mean... Yes. Yes, I'm fine... considering the circumstances," Optimus lied.
Studying the leader suspiciously and unconvinced, Rattrap was unable to get another word in before Primal immediately began descending toward the
Axalon's general area.
"I hate it when he does that," he said to Airazor.
-----
"Termination sequence engaged," a bodiless voice at the alien mushroom site announced. The beam attached from the dome to the fake moon, as well as the dome itself, disappeared.
"Return to Nexus Zero." As if absorbed into the giant weapon orbiting the planet, the bright illumination vanished and the "moon" went dark and quiet.
-----
Tigatron's face mimmicked Aurora's frown who was obviously not "buying" that "could have been unintentional" part he mentioned. He couldn't be certain himself since Optimus had confiscated and secured all of the video feed from the security cameras that had been captured during both Icebreaker's death and Valkyrie's, and for good reason, obviously. If certain eyes had witnessed what transpired, who knows what revenge they would seek on the suspects responsible for pulling their triggers. If they wanted to know, they would have to confront their leader. Or Optimus would speak to them privately.
"I.. think I do," "It wasn't supposed to be this way. I'm still having a hard time understanding how all this came to pass. Just a few days ago everything was... well.. perfect. Icebreaker was supposed to take me out gliding. He.. He always had such a positive spirit that I'd be able to become proficient at it."
This poor, young soul beside him. Aurora always had the toughest questions. She was so curious. She always wanted to understand and learn. He hoped she would never waste an opportunity seeking all of that knowledge that she was so hungry for.
"You should take Icebreaker's positive spirit and thrive on it. Pick up where he left off, Aurora. Remember him through your actions and decisions," the taller Maximal said softly in his rumbly voice, adding an encouraging tone to it.
"How do some bots get to be so.. evil?,"
"The definitions of good and evil depend on one's perspective," Tigatron replied.
"While labeling someone's actions to being evil from your point of view, they might be viewed as good to another. You can never control it. However, I feel great pity for those who don't feel remorse or take responsibility for their life-changing actions. Some learn and change. Others just don't care. And it's difficult to understand." He felt that this stereotyping of Predacons being the "evil ones" and the "bad guys" compared to the Maximals being the "good guys" was something Optimus was truly trying to disprove and push the differences aside to reach a common goal; survival. Not all Predacons were bad, and not all Maximals were good. Unfortunately, many are brainwashed to this belief of hating each other just because of the allegiance they belong to.
"I'll come," "Aurora maximize!" "I move faster through the air,"
Tigatron was so relieved to hear that, watching her maximize while he stood up. As she leaped off the edge and spread her wings to glide back down toward the
Axalon, the other Maximal reverted back to his beast mode and hurried off back the way he had arrived, taking a few short cuts to return to their base of operations as quickly as he could. No doubt Optimus and his team would be returning shortly, and then they would be able to get the details on what was happening. It didn't look like it would be good news, though. With the fake moon currently dark and ominous now, almost unnoticable to the naked eye except for the stars it was blocking, it definitely felt like the calm before the storm. This wasn't over. Something big was about to happen.
"Axalon, this is Tigatron," the white tiger called through his comm. link to whomever was monitoring the radio.
"Aurora and I are returning to Base," he reported.
So anyway, I will be able to post tomorrow.
))