Transformers: Eternal Eclipse

Chapter 1

(Five years before Age of Extinction)

"I still don't like it," Lennox grumbled. A noise of rumble came behind him. He realized it was a sound of laughter. He turned to see Optimus moving to sit next to him, thought the metal titan still towered over the human.

"Let it be Lennox. . . there was much damage and death."

"But it wasn't your fault! It was Sentinal's. . ."

"Who I told your government to trust," Optimus uttered sadly.

Lennox winch remembering that Sentinal had been like a father to Optimus. His betrayal and murder of Ironhide must hurt. It hurt Lennox to, when he had to tell Sarah and Annabelle that Ironhide was dead it felt like nothing would ever be good again. He took a deep berth, "It's more than that, there. . . closing down N.E.S.T."

Now Optimus was surprised, "They didn't inform me yet."

"As far as I know the CIA is taking over the hunt for the reaming Decepticons and any Cybertroian tech that might be out there."

"Are they keeping you and your team on?"

"I don't know. . . and there's something about this I don't like. Just please be careful Optimus."

"I will Lennox, don't worry."

(Present)

Some might call it obsessive but Cade Yeager didn't care. Sitting cross-legged on the roof of a shed he gazed at the night sky.

"You know," a rough voice said behind him, "Sitting out here ever night isn't going to make him come back any faster."

Cade turned to see Hound behind him, "I know but. . ." he trailed off, "I guess I just hope he does come back."

"Sensei Optimus always returns," Drift joined them.

Only a few days had passed since the events in Hong Cong and the group consisting of five Autobot's; Bumblebee, Drift, Hound, Crosshairs and Brains, six humans; Cade, Tessa Yeager, Shane Dyson, Darcy Tirrel, Su Yueming and Joshua Joyce had arrived back in the U.S. a few hours ago. They also took the ship they had taken from Lockdown. The bounty hunter's larger ship had been shot down over the ocean and it was unknown if it could be salvaged.

Joyce had found a large transport ship to take them back home and one of the first questions was where had Cerement Wind been during the invasion. There had been so many questions and the group was going to be taken to Washington D.C. to talk to the President, the world leaders and pretty much everyone else.

Bumblebee arrived with Cade's daughter Tessa along with Shane Dyson and Brains."Still waiting?" Tessa asked.

"Yeah, and thinking about are next trip."

"That will be a blast," Shane muttered.

"Let us not despair," Drift folder his hands in front of him, "Life is. . ."

Hound cut in with a growl of, "So help me Drift, if you tell another haiku I will maim you!"

Before any blows could come the group became aware of a car driving in their direction. The Autobot's went on the defensive as the car stopped a few feet from them and three men stepped out. . .and the Autobot's recognize them. William Lennox, Robert Epps and Sam Witwicky.

The youngest of the three dashed forward screaming, "BUMBLEBEE!"

The yellow and black scout froze for a moment then ran forward as well scooping the young man into his hands and hugging him against his chest plates.

"Bumblebee!" Sam cried not sure whether he should laugh or cry.

"How-Why-When?" Hound stuttered.

"What? You didn't think your little misadventure didn't get on the news did you?" Epps replied with a grin.

"Well it's not that were glad to see you. . . Were just a little surprised."

"Well were not the only ones who came," Lennox held a small radio up, "Guys, its safe. Come on up."

Before anyone could ask two more cars steadily approached. One was a red Lamborghini Reventor, the other was a blue and white 2005 Ford GT. The two vehicles stopped and transformed into two familiar Cybertroians.

"Dino. . . Sideswipe?" Hound asked like he couldn't believe it.

"Yeah big guy, it's us," Sideswipe replied with a cocky grin.

The two then found themselves in the green warrior's crushing embrace. "We thought the worst when we didn't hear from you!"

"I-It's good. . . to see you to. . ." Sideswipe struggled to speak.

"Y-y-yes. . . please put us down. . ." Dino gasped.

When Hound finally released them the group got a good look at their returned comrades. Sideswipe was now mainly red with some black and silver while Dino was white and blue.

"But. . . how? We feared everyone else had been killed?" Drift spoke up.

It was Lennox who spoke, "When we lost contact with you Optimus had sent us a coded message saying to stay away from Autobots. . . for our own protection."

"That sounds like him," Hound muttered.

"It must have been after he was attacked," Drift said thoughtfully, "Before he went into hiding."

"But what happened to you two?" Hound turned back to Sides and Dino.

Dino looked away in thought, "After Optimus transmission we couldn't locate any of you. With Cemetery Wind tracking us we approached Sam."

Sideswipe took over,"We knew it would be a risk but Sam, Lennox and the others helped hide us ever since."

"It wasn't easy," Epps added. "Those. . . those. . ." He then noticed Joyce and such a look of pure hatred came to his face it could scare a Decepticon. "YOU!" Joyce let out a yelp as he was grabbed by the neck, lifted into the air and roughly shaken. "YOU! You killed them! You SLAUGHTERED THEM!"

"I-I admit mistakes. . . were made. A-And I might have suspected they were selling me A-Autobot's but-" He was cut off as Epps slammed him into a wall.

Cade said something to Lennox, he pushed the men apart and Hound lifted Epps into the air before he could try and strangle the other man again.

"It's not worth it," the big green mech said to the man in his hand. Then Hound brought Epps closer and whispered, "Better to do it when there are no witness."

"I heard that,"Joyce snapped.

Everyone filled each other in on what had happened to them in the years they had been separated. After N.E.S.T.'s shut down Cemetery Wind had tried to recruit them.

"At first they thought we would join but when we refused they were first pretty insistent." Lennox muttered, "One guy said; 'How can you betray all your fallen comrades from SOCCENT,' I think I broke that guy's jaw."

Hound laughed, "That's showing them kid."

Lennox grinned, "You should of seen Sarah. She chased another one out of the house with a frying pan." Everyone had a good laugh at that, those that had meet Sarah quickly learned not to underestimate her even if you were a giant transforming robot. Then Will's face when blank, "We suspected but we couldn't prove anything. Harold Attinger was keeping an eye on us and . . ." He trailed off his shoulders shacking but weather in anger or sadness or both no one knew.

"He never blamed you." Everyone looked at Bumblebee shocked. It was rare when he spoke since his vocal processors could probably never be fully repaired.

Drift and Hound shared a look, maybe they and Crosshairs hadn't been on Earth as long but they had seen the bond between N.E.S.T. and their fellow Autobot's.

Joyce who had stayed quiet through the exchange had other things on his mind. He knew his company was going to suffer from this, but. . . he also knew it was the right thing to do. . . plus they needed to tell everyone what Cemetery Wind had really been doing.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Epps continued, "But there's more, Arcee, Chromia, Elita One and Roadbuster are still alive."

"There are." If possible Hound would of danced in joy if it wouldn't have been humiliating. But all the Autobot's were overjoyed, more of their kind were still alive.

"Yeah, the triplets were in hiding with the hatching's." After the battle in Chicago the Autobot's had discovered the remaining hatching's Megatron had brought to the city and taken care of them. "Were not sure where Roadbuster's been all this time, he contacted us after this mess. . . Oh yeah, I almost forgot Wheelie's alive to."

"Great. . ." Hound muttered.

Brains jumped on Shane's shoulder, "Wheelie's still around, when can we see him?"

"Hopefully soon," Will told them. "We wanted to be careful. Weren't sure if any Cemetery Wind agents were still active."

"I'm afraid there are other's we need to be weary of," Drift informed them.

"Who?" Sideswipe asked.

Hound rubbed his helm, "Well, Megatron's back to. . . kind of."

Sam buried his face in his hands, "Why can't he stay dead."

Hound gave him a pat on the back almost knocking him over, "I know kid, I know."

Dino looked horrified, "B-b-but. . . how? He was dead. We saw him die!"

"It wouldn't be the first time," Sideswipe muttered. "But seriously, how did he come back?"

Everyone turned to Joyce. "Um, well. . ."

"GUYS! GUYS!" Crosshairs came running up. He briefly turned to the newcomers, "Hey," before turning to the others. "Guys! You're not going to believe what I just found!"

"Gee, nice to see you to Crosshairs," Sideswipe muttered.

"What did you find?" Cade asked.

"Follow me, this s something you got to see for yourselves," the green mech replied turning towards the ship they had confiscated from Lockdown.

"Nope! I don't like this place. Not at all." Brains declared from his perch on Hound's shoulder as the group moved through the small ship.

"What did you find?" Lennox asked.

"I was going through Lockdown's ship when I found some survivors," Crosshairs answered leading them to a area close to cages where the ancient knights everyone was nicknaming the Dinobots had been imprisoned on.

"I thought he had no other prisoners on board?" Drift asked.

"Well some but not what you'd expect." the green Autobot grabbed a handle and pulled a wall aside revealing a hidden chamber. Several glowing spheres shined on the stunned group.

Joyce was the first to speak, "What are they?"

"Their sparks," Cade answered softly.

Before anyone else could speak Sam walked forward, Cade noticed his eyes were glowing a strange electrical blue.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, let the kid do this," Epps told him.

Sam held a hand close to one of the sparks and seemed to be listing to something. After a moment his face went from blank to sporting a huge smile. "Guys! It's Ratchet!"

"Ratchet. . . Really?" Sideswipe asked, sacristy daring to believe.

"What about the other's?" Drift asked.

Sam walked over to each of them and listened and his grin got wider. "It's Leadfoot, Jolt, Topspin, Skids and Mudflap! There all here!"

"But how?" Shane asked, "We saw footage of them killed."

"Their sparks," Hound growled. "Lockdown must of taken them."

"If a spark remains intact the bot is still alive no matter what happens to the body," Drift clarified for some of the humans.

"So. . . their alive," Tessa asked.

"But this doesn't really help us," Dino said, "Their bodies were destroyed."

Joyce was sure a few glares were sent his way. "Um," he said nervously and every eye and optic turned to him. "L-Look, I know I'm the last person you want help from but. . . I think I really can help this time."

"How?" Sideswipe sneered.

"Most-most of the Transformium was destroyed but there might be just enough left to build bodies for your friends."

Everyone stared at him in shocked silence, finally Tessa broke it, "Can we do that? Build them new bodies?"

Drift looked thoughtful, "Well. . . it is possible for a spark-frame transfer. . . but building the actual body will be a problem."

"My scientist and engineers can help," Joyce replied.

"This is not like building a car!" Hound snarled. "I don't care what you think you know!" Joyce held his hands up in surrender.

"A spark is so much more than an energy source," Dino replied, "It's our life force, our. . ."

"Your soul," Cade added.

"Can't one of you do it?" Tessa asked.

The group of Autobot's glanced at each other unsure, finally Sideswipe spoke up, "We don't really have any medical training for something like this."

"At the most some of us have had field medical training," Mirage replied.

"Yeah, when we need Ratchet he's really unavailable," Hound spat.

Drift stiffened as he thought of something, "We can't. . . but Sam can do it."

"WHAT?" Sam looked at the Autobot like he had lost his mind. "I don't know anything about Cybertroian biology!"

"You're the only one who can communicate with Ratchet, he'll tell you what to do."

"Not to pressure you kid but their depending on you," Hound replied.

"Way to motivate the kid," Crosshairs muttered.

Sam was quiet for a long moment, several memories and thoughts were flashing through his mind. Then, "I'll do it."