Author's Note: I have not forgotten about my other stories, I just wanted to get this out there because I've been having so much fun writing this. I do not own anything.

Megatron had ignored it, now he wished he hadn't.

It started out as a feeling when he and Optimus went to battle Unicron. The moment his former brother used the Matrix of Leadership on the Chaos Bringer, Megatron felt the dark being call out for help.

No, help wasn't the right word. More like, reinforcements. But just as soon as it came, the feeling...the warning was gone.

Plus, Megatron didn't have much time to think about it; with his brother at his side, only to lose him, the discovery of the Forge of Solus Prime...Yeah, he had been pretty busy.

But, in the back of his mind, he should have at least taken a moment to consider what Unicron was sending. But he payed it no mind.

Megatron glared at the Forge, as if all his problems were the relic's fault. It still irked him to no end that he couldn't use it for the Decepticon cause. The weapons they could have built, the armies that would spring from the Forge...the possibilities were endless.

He stayed like that for a while, just looking at the relic of a Prime. Finally, he turned to leave, his footsteps echoing in the empty room.

"Megatron," a voice whispered.

The warlord stopped, his fingers flexing, ready to form a weapon. He turned, glaring into the relic room, his red optics alert. He turned to leave, his servos curled into a fist, his back rigged.

"Megatron!" the voice screamed suddenly.

Megatron turned sharply, firing his cannon in the direction the voice had shouted. The figure ducked expertly, avoiding the blast. Megatron growled, his sword emerging from his hand. "Who dares attack me in my domain?" he demanded.

The figure chuckled. "Your domain? I would suggest you take a look around, before you offend your hosts."

Megatron did not move, though his optics flickered around, and he was surprised to find that he was no longer on the Decepticon warship. In fact, he didn't know where he was now! The room was bright, with a soft blue glow. The place was large, and seemed to stretch on with no end in sight.

The figure moved out of the shadows to reveal a tall femme, her purple and grey armor simple, yet strong looking. She was nearly as tall as Megatron, and her blue optics studied him with contained anger. But that did not faze Megatron, as he was also very angry. Who did this femme think she was, to come into his Warship and attack him?

He did not change his defensive stance. "I will give you one chance to explain yourself, Autobot."

The femme barked out a humorless laugh. "Autobot? I suppose if I were alive, I would join my brother's cause against you." She glared at Megatron, the displeasure sparking in her optics. "Primus knows he needs the help."

Megatron frowned, though he did not allow himself to become distracted. "Your chances of a swift death are very slim," he threatened, his voice low.

The femme came forward, her movement calm and unconcerned. "So are yours. But you are fortunate that it is not just your life that hangs in the balance."

"That is enough, Solus," a voice boomed. Megatron turned, his weapon pointed at the femme and the new arrival. The mech came forward, ignoring the sword pointed in his direction. "I apologize for this sudden visit, but we are a bit pressed for time," the tall mech started.

He stopped when Megatron strode forward in quick steps, the tip of his sword at the mech's throat. "You have one nano second to explain to me what the Pit is going on!" the warlord growled, still keeping his gun pointed at the femme. It did not concern Megatron that this mech was taller then him. He had faced larger opponents before.

The gold and red colored mech eyed the sword at his throat. "Violence will not speed this process along any further, Megatron." He stared at him. "I would advise that you remove your weapon before my siblings are forced to take extreme measures."

It was than Megatron noticed that there were many more Cybertrons in the room. How had that happened? He didn't see anyone walk in, and he certainly would have heard them coming. Though the strange mech was right. The new arrivals were eying him with caution, each looking ready to jump in and attack should he make a wrong move. Megatron counted nine of them, including the femme and mech who were being held at weapons point.

Megatron eyed his captive for a moment, his face expressionless.

"We mean you no harm," the mech started.

Megatron scoffed. "I've heard that one before."

"Approximately five thousand, three hundred and sixty-seven times in the last," the mech paused. "Twenty years."

Megatron blinked. How-?

"But that doesn't matter," the mech said dismissively. "What matters is the here and now."

Megatron was feeling his patience boiling to the breaking point, and just when he was wondering how quickly he could snap this mech's neck, the femme spoke up. "I believe introductions are in order," she said. She glanced over at the gathered mechs, as if seeking their permission. She than straightened up, her face calm. "We are the Thirteen original Primes."

Megatron stopped, his mind trying to make sense of what was going on. Than he laughed.

"Something funny?" one of the mechs demanded, his beak clicking in displeasure.

"You take me for a fool?" Megatron snapped. "You can't be the Thirteen. There's only nine of you."

The mech, who was still held at sword point, cleared his throat. "Well, we have to assume that Prima is still alive since he is not with us at this moment."

Megatron frowned. "Still alive?" he echoed. "So you're all dead."

"Yes," the mech said. "Unfortunately."

Megatron, however, was not convinced. Did he have any high grade last night? That would certainly explain this strange dream. "What about the others?"

The mech sighed. "Alpha Trion is currently guiding a certain...asset, and he was unable to join us."

Megatron blinked. Alpha Trion? Alpha Trion the old archivist and Optimus's old mentor was a Prime? And not just any Prime, one of the original Thirteen! He growled in annoyance. How many times had he past that old mech in the halls of Iacon? How many chances did Megatron pass up to end the Prime linage?

The femme sighed, interrupting his thoughts. "In order for you to understand, you will need to put your weapon down and let Vector Prime go."

Megatron raised an optic ridge. He wasn't too familiar with all the Thirteen original Primes, but Vector Prime was a name he recognized. "Forgive me if I hesitate," the Decepticon said casually, not moving. "But why am I here?"

"We need your help," the femme said.

Megatron blinked. "What for? What would the 'Thirteen Primes' need my help with?"

"We need someone who is currently not dead at the moment, and someone who is close with Optimus Prime," she explained.

Now Megatron was beginning to doubt even his own sanity. "What does Optimus have to do with this?" he growled. "And why would you even contact me, of all beings?"

"Because Optimus is currently in danger, and we cannot save him without you," the femme said, a note of desperation in her tone.

Megatron only faltered for a minute. Just what had Optimus gotten himself into that involved the Thirteen? If these beings were even who they said they were.

"When you and our young brother went to defeat Unicron," she said. "You felt something, didn't you? You felt Unicron call out for his...followers, should he be defeated."

Yes, he had. He had felt the Chaos Bringer reach out for help the moment Optimus used the Matrix on him. He had heard the message, the final order to destroy those who had defeated him.

"Who did he summon?" he asked suddenly. Might as well hear what they had to say. And he was interested in what their explanation was.

"He has sent for the Fallen," Vector Prime said. The femme lowered her helm at the name.

Megatron blinked. Well, that wasn't what he expected. "You mean the Fallen is coming to reawaken Unicron?" All his hard work, and this ancient fossil that was supposed to be dead was going to ruin everything?

"No," Vector said. "He is already here, and in the body of Optimus Prime."

2 days ago

"Proceed with caution, Optimus," Ratchet said through the comm link.

Optimus smiled at his friend's worry. "I will, Ratchet."

"The caves will prevent us from reaching you. But should you not arrive with'n the next half-hour, we will send back-up."

Optimus nodded. "Understood." And with that, he entered the cave. The possibility of an undiscovered energon mine, or even a relic, would be useful and offer some hope among the Autobots. The loss of the Forge was a heavy blow, as they would have put it to good use. But he was confident that the Decepticons would be unable to use it for their cause.

His blue optics shone in the dark as he walked forward carefully. Though it was night, the air was still hot with California's humidity. The strange canyon's were odd, as the humans believed Devil's Gate dam to be haunted. The reports of missing children had unnerved Optimus, which is why he decided to go, instead of sending Bumblebee and Arcee. The scout's imagination tended to run wild, and he did not need the yellow Autobot to accidentally cause a cave in if he were to shot at his own shadow. Bulkhead would be worse, with is high strung nerves in the dark, and they couldn't send Arcee by herself.

Optimus had to duck his head to avoid scraping the top of the cave. He just might have to send for Arcee, as the blue femme was smaller than him and could travel farther. At that moment, his tracking device went off, letting out a high pitched whine. He glanced down at the device in his servo, frowning as it suddenly went silent.

Optimus felt his spark suddenly pulse with panic, warning him to get out. Not to fight, but to get out. He slid his battle mask on, dropping the tracker as his servos shifted into weapons. He looked back for the entrance of the cave, but could not see it.

Optimus knew that if he were to look over his shoulder again, he would see something he'd rather not see. But, it was better to attack now, rather than give his enemy the chance to attack. He turned quickly, shooting into the dark. The loud blaster shots echoed in the dark, silent cave. Once the dust cleared, Optimus could see the remains of the rock he had just pulverized. But his spark was still urging him to run.

"That's quite a welcome," a voice hissed behind him. A voice he had hoped to never hear again.

He spun around, his blasters ready to go off. But the large figure grabbed his arms, twisting Optimus's servos upward. The young Prime kicked instead, before throwing his whole body weight into his attacker. The larger figure stumbled against the wall, before receiving a punch in the gut. The mech delivered a swift punch to Optimus's face before punching him forward. Optimus stumbled back, activated his swords and went to stab the mech. The sword went right through the larger Cybertronian's chest, but he did not grimace. Optimus's optics widened in shock as he glanced up into the red optics of his foe.

The Fallen grinned. "You cannot defeat me. For I have no form." He paused. "Yet."

The Fallen lurched forward, and Optimus scrambled back. But instead of colliding with the Fallen, he felt a thick breeze blow around him. "Yes, you will do," the Fallen hissed, and Optimus could feel the Dark Prime's presence inside his mind. But it didn't stop there, he could feel it as he lost control of his limbs, and he could feel his spark suddenly turn cold as the Fallen reached for the Matrix.

The Matrix!

Summoning his strength, Optimus reached in and wrapped himself around the Matrix protectively. The Fallen reared back with a frustrated hiss. But in doing so, Optimus lost full control of his body.

"You will not have it," Optimus said, even as he felt the Fallen gain control of his own body. Thoughts and feelings that were not his own flooded his mind, causing him to fall to his knees in pain. He could feel his mouth move, though it was not him who was doing it. He could feel the Fallen move his servos, testing out the new body.

"Now," the Fallen said out loud through Optimus. "Where to begin?"

Present

"The Fallen has Optimus?" Megatron demanded.

Solus nodded. "Even as we speak, he has gained access to the Autobot's."

Megatron frowned. "But why come to me? Why not the other Autobot's?"

"Because any attempt to reach the Autobot's would end in failure. The Fallen would sense our presence and know that we are aware of his movements. And we would like to keep the element of surprise for as long as possible on our side. Besides," she paused. "He would never think that we would team up with Optimus's enemies in an attempt to save earth."

Megatron's frown deepened. "What does earth have to do with this?"

Solus sighed. "We need to know that you are committed to this before we reveal anything-"

"It doesn't matter," a Prime, Micronus if Megatron remembered correctly, interrupted. "He will help us regardless."

Megatron scowled at the Minicon. "You are in no position to force me to do anything," he growled. "As far as I'm concerned, you are all dead, while I am still alive."

Micronus grinned. "Don't be so sure of that," he said. "You are stuck in our realm, and we literally hold your life in our servos."

At that moment, Megatron saw an image of him hooked up to life support in Knock Out's med bay. Soundwave was there while the red medic worked swiftly on the warlord.

"What have you done?" Megatron growled, advancing towards the smaller Prime threateningly, though the Minicon didn't seem too concerned.

"Speeding things along," he said simply. "You agree to help us, and we let you live. If not, we will literally cut you off from the land of the living, and you will be separated from the Well of the Allsparks." He shrugged. "You'll be stuck with us for company, if we ever want to visit you."

Megatron wanted to crush the smaller bot underneath his pede. He wanted to shoot that confident smirk off his face. He wanted to inflict pain on the Minicon, so that he and his brethren would know to never again mess with the Decepticon warlord. But he just clenched his trembling servos that were shaking with rage and looked down at the Minicon, a move that seemed to irk the Prime. "Very well then," he said, his voice smooth. "I will offer my assistance."

Micronus grinned. "See? That wasn't so hard."

"Yes, but it could have gone without threats," Solus said, coming forward. Megatron had ceased holding his weapons out on them. If they were already dead, then there was nothing he could really do to them with weapons. "Now," she said. "The reason earth is so important is because there are relics hidden on that planet. Relics that can restore Cybertron."

Megatron stared at her. "Restore Cybertron? How?"

"We do not know how, Primus would only reveal so much when he sent us. But we do know that the Fallen seeks to awaken Unicron, which would destroy earth, along with any hope of saving Cybertron."

"Killing Primus in the process," Megatron concluded out loud.

Solus nodded. "Exactly. Primus sent us to watch and guide you into finding the relics. Once you do, we will continue on the restoring our planet."

Megatron nodded, thinking deeply. "What about Optimus?" he asked, glancing at Solus, watching her reaction.

There was a slight twitch in her servos, her optics dimming. "We are coming up with a way to free him," she said, her voice soft.

Megatron nodded. "I see. And if I meet him on the battlefield?"

"You are not to harm him," she retorted.

He laughed. "Harm him? Lady Prime, we are in the middle of a war. How else will I be able to defend myself?"

She bristled. "You are not to kill him, or his companions. Doing so will result in your death."

And Megatron believed her. Unlike Micronus, who's threat was just a way to force his hand, Solus's was a true threat of a femme ready to defend her loved ones. That caused Megatron to pause. Why would Solus care about a descendant she didn't even know?

"You said Alpha Trion was guiding an asset. What kind of asset?" he asked.

"The kind that does not not need to be revealed at the time," Micronus said. "All you need to do is wait for our instructions, avoid the Autobot's, and avoid harming the inhabitants of this world."

Megatron let out a sigh. So not only was he not allowed to attack the Autobot's, but he was supposed to avoid the humans? "My Decepticons will not stand for this," he said.

Micronus smirked. "Leave that to us. By the end of the week, you will find that you Decepticons will be as loyal as ever."

That did little to ease Megatron's mind, but he didn't say anything. With luck, this would all be a dream.

Doubtful, but hopeful.

"I believe we are done here," Solus said, coming forward. "You will awaken and inform your troops of the change of plans." With that, Megatron blinked, suddenly staring at Knock Out's med bay ceiling.

"Move it Megatron," he heard Solus say. "You've got an announcement to make."