Extreme Prejudice
by Birgit Staebler ([email protected])
Nightmare looked down the empty, dusty corridor and let his optics scan the floor. Everything looked solid enough, though the ceiling appeared in bad need of repairs, like most of the tunnels he had explored so far. This was nothing unexpected. Everything down here in what the Autobots called the Inner Maze was run-down and breaking apart. Millions of years with no maintenance at all had taken their toll. Nightmare remembered the Inner Maze from a few visits to the upper and outmost levels. No one had ever entered the Maze in fear of getting lost. He smiled slightly. Well, he was somewhere in the center of the Maze because that was where the doorway chamber and Vector Sigma were located, but you could still get lost, and he had yet to encounter the security measures he knew had been installed down here. Rodimus had told him about the guardians of Vector Sigma and they had been reprogrammed to let Autobots pass, but Nightmare knew there had to be more. These parts he was now in were more or less unexplored.
The former Decepticon ventured forward. He had decided to go on these explorations to get to know his new territory better. It was the same he had done on Crea and no one had held him back. The Technobots and Perceptor were working with Raven on the translation of the doorway runes and Nightmare had been a bit superfluous after Perceptor had questioned him thoroughly about everything he knew about doorways. Now he had time. And this time was best spent relearning about Cybertron, a planet he hadn't seen for several million years.
Bat had decided that running around dusty tunnels was nothing he wanted to do and so he had stuck with the doorway team, much to Perceptor's annoyance. The little lizard found an immense pleasure in pestering the Autobot scientist and Nightmare had a hard time not to laugh out aloud whenever Perceptor tried to get rid of Bat.
He walked down another corridor and his internal mapping system recorded everything. It was vital that he knew the tunnels around the doorway chamber in case he needed to get somewhere fast. Nightmare was slightly surprised that no one had held him back or that he hadn't been assigned a guard to watch him. Optimus Prime had made no secret out of his distrust and his suspicion, but when Nightmare had voiced his wishes to get to know the tunnels better, no one had objected. Rodimus had even approved of it.
Nightmare smiled slightly. Rodimus Prime was so very different from his older counterpart that Nightmare had difficulties seeing the two as a team. Rodimus was much younger, more outgoing and more open, but he also showed qualities Nightmare had seen reflected in Optimus Prime. Rodimus had taken over the handling the doorway exploration and it had struck Nightmare how much the young second-in-command tried to either shield or shadow his leader whenever Optimus had come anywhere near Nightmare. He knew that Rodimus didn't approve of what had happened between the two old enemies, an enmity only Optimus felt as far as Nightmare was concerned, weeks ago and so he had slowly but surely begun to keep Optimus away, so not to provoke another attack. Well, with Nightmare down here, Optimus had enough space to get his act together.
Suddenly there was a low rumbling noise coming from behind him. Nightmare stopped and turned his head. First there was nothing, then a cloud of dust and debris billowed toward him with a speed that showed the Gatekeeper that he was in trouble. Wind rushed past him, carrying millions of particles
of debris, then came the shockwaves. The floor beneath him bucked and the ceiling above creaked ominously. Nightmare staggered and fell against the wall -- which gave way. He gave an exclamation of surprise as he rushed down what seemed to an old repair shaft, then slammed hard against an unyielding piece of metal. Gasping, he tried to get his bearings when the second shockwave hit. This time it was much stronger. Nightmare was thrown off his precariously balanced position and fell again. This time he crashed through several support beams, cables and thin metal covers, finally coming to rest on the hard metal floor. But he was in no state to really notice that his rapid descent had been stopped. The world around him had blacked out.

* * *

"Yeow! That was bigger than expected!"
Sideswipe watched the dust settle and finally had a clear look at the demolished buildings. The last explosion had been a bit strong and it shaken everyone up.
"Be careful with the explosives the next time!" he called.
Cliffjumper waved an affirmative and set to work on getting the next demolition charge together. They still had about two dozen buildings to scrap. Heavy steps could be heard and Sideswipe turned. Grimlock, in his robot mode, towered beside him.
"Nice work," he rumbled. "Dinobots now remove debris."
"Be my guest."
Grimlock turned to his Dinobots. "Dinobots, transform and clean the area!"
The other five Dinobots did just that and Sideswipe watched them move toward the mountain of debris. Silhouette was among them and she seemed to enjoy the work just as much as her brothers did. Grapple, Hoist and Springer moved in as well, helping with the removal of larger chunks.
Shouldn't be long until we can start rebuilding the area, Sideswipe thought. Optimus will be pleased.

*

Right now, the Autobot leader wasn't all that pleased. Optimus sighed as he was confronted with yet another dead-end tunnel. He had lost count how many he had encountered in the hours he had been down here. The explosion and the following shockwave had brought him here, several levels down from his original position in the sublevels of the South Port complex. He had gone to the sublevels to get some quiet and time alone to think on his day off. Now he was stranded down here and had no idea how to get out. He had no idea what had caused the explosion, only that it had been quite close. He guessed it had been the demolition works concerning the old buildings close to the complex.
Well, so much for a quiet day off, he mused with a wry smile and climbed over some debris. The day off had been Rodimus' idea and he had pestered his older friend so long until Optimus had given up and agreed to this 'vacation'. Of course, he had his peace and quiet down here, but this was too much of a good thing! Especially since he had no real idea how to get back. His radio didn't work and that was no great surprise. Down here in the Maze nothing got out. They had encountered that problem before and had yet to find a way to fix it.
Suddenly there was a noise. He tensed and materialized his gun out of subspace. He didn't know whether these old tunnels were used by something hostile or not, or even if there was a defense system down here. It was likely that someone had once secured the Maze because Vector Sigma was a not unimportant part of it. In their search for the mega computer, Optimus and his team had encountered many obstacles years ago, consisting of traps, drones and sharp shooting systems. There was also the ever-present possibility that Decepticons hid out in these tunnels. Many were still on Cybertron, fighting small battles against the resistance fighters equally hidden inside the large factory planet.
Moving slowly toward the intersection of two corridors from which the noise had come from, Optimus raised his gun and --
"Nightmare!"
The black and dark blue Gatekeeper stopped, raising his hands. His red optics flickered for a second and Optimus thought he could read fear.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
The former Decepticon lowered his hands as Optimus put away the gun. "I was scouting the corridors and tunnels around the doorway chamber when the shockwave of the explosion hit me," he answered slowly. "I crashed down an old service shaft."
Optimus nodded. "Something similar happened to me. Do you know where we are?" He tried to sound normal, not as if he was facing the one being he hated with such ferocity that it was hard to remain calm in his presence.
"No idea, actually. My guess is that we're several levels down from Vector Sigma and the doorway chamber. I have no idea how far I fell, but it was a long way." Nightmare shrugged.
The Autobot leader nodded. "I have the same suspicion."
"I've been following what I believe is a steady way further up," Nightmare went on, "but since I mapped only part of the Maze yet, this is a lot of guess work."
Optimus heard a soft whirring noise, but he ignored it. "Couldn't we get back up the service tunnel?" he wanted to know.
Nightmare smiled wryly. "Believe me, I tried. It's impossible."
The whir became louder and the Gatekeeper now seemed to hear it as well. His red optics flashed slightly and he looked at Optimus, a question in his eyes. From one second to the next five drones shot out of the tunnel Nightmare had come from as well. They were rather squat, with no legs and six spindly arms, giving them the look of flying spiders. They never hesitated a second and homed right in on the two robots.
Nightmare jumped to one side, drawing his gun and taking out the first with a precision shot between where the round head was connected to the body. The drone gave a screech as it was severed in two and fell to the ground, smoking and sparking. Two other drone veered off from their flight toward the Autobot leader and began to attack him. Optimus had his hands full as well, fending off the two remaining drones. One was smashed into the wall, but the other one got through. Its legs curled around Optimus and as the Autobot raised his arm to tear it off, it bit him. Optimus felt a dull pain as the sharp mandibles perforated his skin, but ignored it. His hand came down on the head and split it open. The spider drone let go and dropped to the floor where it fell victim to a blast from Optimus' weapon. He looked around and discovered the other two drones dead on the floor as well, Nightmare standing over them.
"We should get out of here," the former Decepticon Assassin said. "There might be more where those came from."
Optimus nodded and they hurried down the corridor.

* * *

Rodimus Prime was surprised when the call came in. It was from Hound, who was coordinating the exploration teams. Hound normally only put together reports, which were then transferred to Rodimus, who read them whenever he had some time to spare on the matter. He knew it was important, but there was too much other stuff to do, and with the doorway translation progressing even further, he was hard pressed to decide what to do first. Midnight was a big help, but he had matters of his own to attend to and divided his time between Cybertron and Alean. Spike had flown to Nebulos and his reports were waiting as well. Rodimus had promised to visit and talk to Brainstorm and the other Headmasters.
He sighed. Somebody should invent longer days for leaders, he thought wryly. His days were long enough already, but somehow too short to work through all he wanted to do on a day. Still everything seemed to pile up. With Optimus Prime on a leave of absence, a forced day off, as Rodimus remembered him calling it, everything was falling once again back on him. But it looked like the Autobots had learned from the incident on Earth when both leaders had been kidnapped. Midnight had been included into the command structure as well, Bluestreak, Smokescreen and Hound managed the exploration teams, Kup and Ultra Magnus had begun to restructure the command in Autobot City, and Rodimus felt the results. He still got many reports, but they had been viewed before he saw them and now 90% of what he read was really important, not some report about repaired grids and reestablished power lines in a building that wasn't even remotely important. All this could be bunched up in one larger report and filed to him.
And now he held such a report in his hands. Team 21 had found three female Autobots and they had returned with them to the South Port complex. The females were already waiting for him, though Rodimus knew that they would expect Optimus Prime. He rose from his chair and walked down two levels to the security room where weeks earlier they had interviewed the four visitors from Ralyk. Thinking of this Rodimus reminded himself that he wanted to talk to Nightmare once more.
Rodimus was already expected by Hound and both robots went into the room. The three females looked up.
"Rodimus Prime, these are Chromia, Moonracer and Hifi," Hound introduced them.
Chromia frowned a bit. "Rodimus Prime? Where is Optimus?"
"He took a day off," Rodimus answered with a smile. "I'm his second-in-command and for now I'm the only one you can talk to."
Moonracer regarded him curiously. "Looks like a lot changed," she remarked.
Hifi, the last of the three, nodded in agreement. "We heard a lot of gossip and rumors, but we could never be certain, especially since Alpha Trion disappeared."
Rodimus and Hound exchanged a look. "I guess we all have a lot to catch up to," he then said and gestured for them to sit down. This would be another one of those long days.

* * *

Hate.
Pain.
Rage.
Optimus shook his head and tried to concentrate, but the emotions didn't disappear. They seemed to grow in strength and intensity, and he was hard pressed not to yield to them. It was like someone was removing every wall, every restraint around his most inner feelings, and they were all focused on the other robot walking in front of him.
They had finally found a way out of the tunnels and come upon an ancient city. All buildings in this vast underground chamber were empty, looking like they would crumble under the slightest breeze. Nothing was down here, not even a single drone. Optimus had never been here and Nightmare had confessed he didn't know where they were either. They had simply continued walking. Nightmare believed that where there was a city there had to be an exit to the outside, even if it was only an emergency exit. Everything leading out of the Maze was fine by him. They had come upon more of the spider drones, but had either destroyed or completely evaded them.
Assassin, the voice inside of him whispered.
He killed Swing without remorse.
He was behind it all.
Killer.
Optimus shuddered and nearly lost his footing.
"Are you all right?"
Optimus looked up and right into Nightmare's slightly worried, red optics.
Red optics regarding him emotionlessly, without passion, without mercy.
Fury.
Rage.
Pain.
He squelched his first instinct to push the other robot away, but it was getting harder to shut out the small voices inside of him, demanding revenge and the death of the former Assassin.
"Optimus Prime?"
Now! Kill him!
Assassin!
It was as if he was looking at the world through a haze of red. Everything around him was blurring into one, everything but one thing. In the red haze stood a threatening black form with glowing red eyes. It looked viscous and alien, dangerous and cold. Light seemed to play over the figure, reflecting off the dark body.
Kill him!

There was a brief warning in form of a flash in Optimus Prime's optics, but that was about it. Nightmare's head was caught by the full-force blow and he was thrown against the next building. Prime's hand clamped around his throat and the other hand tore into Nightmare's chest like a sledge hammer. The Gatekeeper gasped, too stunned by the violent attack to act immediately. When the vice-like hold around his throat began to break his skin, he fought back, but not with his full potential.
Optimus Prime snarled like an animal, his optics aglow with an inner fever that showed Nightmare more than anything that the Autobot was not in control of himself. He had lost awareness of everything but the one being he had always hated. And through the fever wormed another emotion. Rage, utter and uncontrolled rage. Prime charged again and this time Nightmare was ready, but he wasn't ready for the brute force. With a savage hiss Optimus hurled his enemy against another building and his hands tore into the shoulder armor. Nightmare groaned.
"Optimus! What ...?"
His words were cut off by a viscous punch and his head was thrown around.
Fight!
No, I can't. If I fight him, he will fight back and he will fight the past. He will fight Static!
He doesn't know you as anyone else! Look at his eyes! See the rage! He only sees Static!
He couldn't fight back. If he did, if he used his still existing abilities as an Assassin, he'd help Optimus in his belief of who he was up against.
"You are not yourself," he whispered intensely. "Optimus!"
The Autobot leader attacked again and Nightmare's survival instincts screamed at him to do something .... anything. And finally he did. It hurt him to do it and he hated it even more than doing nothing at all, but it was the only way.
Optimus crumbled to the ground. Nightmare approached him carefully. He knew that the Autobot should be in no condition to give him trouble, but he still wanted to be sure. He checked him for damage and found that nothing vital had been destroyed.
A target.
One shot.
It's over.
He shuddered. Since coming back to Cybertron he had been confronted with his past with such a force that it was hard to repress all his old habits. Fighting had never been this difficult. Too much of Static still clung to him and once again he wished those who had awakened him once more had simply deleted his former life from his memory circuits.
I'm sorry, he thought, hoping that Optimus wouldn't remember this particular event.
And then he heard the now familiar whir of the drones. He had to get them away from here, away from Optimus Prime. The Autobot needed time to let his repair programs work. With a decisive expression he rose and transformed.
Okay, guys, let's play!

* * *

Chromia stared at her folded hands, which were clenched tightly into one fist. The blue and silver female seemed to be lost in her own thoughts and Rodimus didn't dare to interrupt. Moonracer and Hifi looked slightly shocked, but neither of them had suffered the personal loss Chromia had.
"I'll kill him for that," she finally said softly.
"Megatron died through Optimus' hands," Rodimus informed her. "His shell was reconstructed into Galvatron."
"Then he will die again," the female said coldly. "Ironhide will be revenged."
Rodimus knew that there was nothing he could say that would help her. He decided to get back to business. "How many of you are still left?" he wanted to know.
"I'm not sure," Moonracer answered in Chromia's place. "After Aleeta was killed, Beta decided to split up our forces to insure the survival of most of us. Hifi and I went with Chromia. There are also Firestar, Sonic, Myth, Downdraft and some others. Most of us survived, but all of us went into hiding."
"We heard about the new Golden Age and that the Decepticons have been mostly driven off the planet, but many of the resistance fighters don't trust rumors and gossip and there are enough hidden Cons left to give any of us trouble." Hifi looked seriously at him. "With Aleeta gone and Alpha Trion nowhere to find, we had to keep a low profile."
Rodimus nodded. He could have told them where Alpha Trion was, but he saw no sense in it. A lot had changed and telling the females that their mentor and supporter had merged with Vector Sigma would result in too much awe and maybe hesitation. How could Rodimus ever explain to anyone that Alpha Trion and with him Vector Sigma had lied repeatedly to them? Few would believe him. Optimus knew what had happened and the Sentinels knew the truth as well, but the true origin of their race was still kept a secret by the two leaders. Perceptor and the Technobots had unraveled many mysteries from the doorways and Rodimus suspected that they knew some of the things he and Optimus had heard from Vector Sigma as well. There would be a time when they would reveal it, but right now it would most likely result in insecurity and maybe too much doubt. First they had to rebuild their planet, establish a solid base.
"I understand," he finally said. "I wish there was a way to help you all. We have teams exploring the sectors one by one and we found traces of you, but never a lead as to where you were heading. And we found Aleeta's gun."
Chromia looked up, her face still marked by incredible sadness. "We buried her far away from any known place. It had to be done in a hurry because we had to move on. We split up shortly after the burial."
"How will Optimus take it?" Moonracer asked softly.
Badly, Rodimus thought. "He said he somehow knew," he said aloud. "But it had yet to be confirmed. Now we have this confirmation and I think it will hit him pretty hard. He will lose her a second time."
The three females nodded.
"I want to return to the others," Chromia decided. "Someone has to spread the news."
"I will accompany you," Moonracer said immediately.
Hifi looked hesitant and Chromia smiled. "You don't have to come back with us, Hifi. I know you were looking forward to meeting your brother again."
Hifi smiled, a bit unsure. "Are you sure?" she asked. "You can need everyone...."
Chromia nodded. "We do, but you can stay. Help Rodimus and the others with your knowledge."
Hifi nodded slowly.
Rodimus looked at the three. "You can recharge and get yourselves checked by First Aid if you want to. I know you want to get updated on more than what I could tell you in this short time. Feel free to use the terminals in the complex."
Chromia nodded thankfully. As Rodimus turned to leave, Hifi followed.
"Is Blaster here?" she asked.
The Autobots' second nodded. "He's most likely in the communications center. I'll show you the way."
Hifi smiled. "Thanks."

* * *

Raven was worried. She hadn't heard of or seen Nightmare for three days now. Of course, he was scouting the tunnels, but from time to time he surfaced and sent a signal. The last time he had sent this signal had been three days ago and somehow Raven felt this slight nagging sensation that something was wrong. They were a team and as such she had begun to feel a certain closeness to him. It was not what she felt for Cyclonus; that was on a different level. Nightmare was her partner regarding the doorway and both of them made up one of the teams originally planned to guard the structures: a Gatekeeper, a Key. This relationship bound them together on a very unique level.
Bat, who had left Perceptor to his translations and had chosen to accompany Raven wherever she went, made a soft noise.
"You feel it as well?" she asked.
Bat looked at her with his multi-colored faceted eyes. Raven wasn't sure what kind of relationship Nightmare and this organic shared, but she knew that the two of them were closer than it sometimes appeared.
"Oi," Bat now muttered, looking like he wanted to add something more explanatory, but then shut up.
But it was enough for the Key. Something was wrong. Raven left the underground chamber and walked over to the South Port main complex. She needed to talk to Rodimus Prime.

* * *

Sphere stormed into what she called her work area, a double room with a lab and her private chamber. She was angry, very angry, and her anger was solely directed at one individual: Starscream. How could he be so insufferable? How could one person be so obnoxious, so ignorant of everything but his own desires and wishes. She knew him better than anyone, but even though she bristled with indignation every time he began to complain about her work, the station as such or that she wasn't able to cajole Ralyk into telling them what they wanted.
"Men!" she snorted in disgust and thought she heard a chuckle. "That's not funny," she growled.
-- You are angry -- Ralyk whispered in her heard, clearly amused.
"You bet I'm angry. That male is going to get me so far one day that I'll blow his face off the next time he looks at me!"
The fight had been another major one. Since their return to Ralyk, this time not to the far past as she had found out after about a year -- time passed very differently here --, Starscream had been fairly quiet, going back to being what he had been once: a scientist. But whenever something didn't work the way he wanted it to, he flipped and began to take out his anger on anything or anyone crossing his path. Since Sphere was the only person beside him, she was mostly the first to take the brunt of his short-lived anger. Sphere was a patient person, but even her patience was severely tested. Let him scream at someone else, she thought sourly.
-- He has yet to learn -- Ralyk said softly.
"Restraint," she muttered. "And manners."
-- Patience and acceptance -- was the reply.
She sighed. Acceptance, yeah, right., She had accepted her new live and she felt good here. She felt she belonged here. Of course, it was a major step from being a humanoid Host, but over the past months she had discovered that she was not so different now. Ralyk acted like some of her symbiont guests, talking to her from time to time, letting her feel its presence all around them, but it never talked much about anything concerning itself. Sphere accepted that as much as she accepted herself. Her old identity was gone, though not completely forgotten. Like Starscream, who still had his Decepticon symbol, she had the tattoo on her forehead that had once marked her as a Host. Ralyk believed in preserving the past of oneself and she did so.
Suddenly the door to her lab opened and someone stepped in. Since there were only the two of them here, the intruder had to be Starscream. She whirled around.
"What do you want now?!" she asked coldly, in no mood to play nice.
Starscream looked angry, but it was a spent anger. He approached her.
"Leave," she snarled. "Before you find yourself scattered between here and the doorway!"
"Is that a threat?" he asked, but there was no challenge in it.
"Yes." Sphere leaned back. "What do you want?"
He hesitated. "I'm sorry," he then said.
Sphere stared at him, mouth agape. "What?" she then asked.
"I said I'm sorry," he said through clenched teeth. "I was wrong and this is an apology."
Sphere got herself together. "Apology accepted," she said, still a bit wary.
-- You see -- Ralyk laughed softly.
Sphere wondered how much the station manipulated them into getting this far. If Ralyk wanted it could reveal everything to them, but the station had decided to let them play and tinker around, trying to find answers to their questions.
Starscream looked unsure. "Would you....," he clenched his hands into fists, "help me?"
"You don't have to overdo it, you know," she said. An angry light lit up his red optics and she was immediately sorry. "But since you asked so nicely, yes I'll help you."
The former Decepticon shot her a dark look, but held his tongue. As they went back to the doorway hall Ralyk allowed itself to feel pleased.

* * *

Nightmare didn't see the shot coming. Well, in a way he did, but it was only a fleeting impression of something hot, bright and pink racing toward him. Then it tore into him, effortlessly destroying his armor and the skin beneath, burning through circuits. He gave a gasp of pain, unable to scream as multiple sensations of agony swamped toward him. He felt the ground come closer and with an effort he stumbled forward, one arm outstretched. He collided with a crumbled wall and leaned heavily against it. Behind him he heard a sound. He materialized his gun and turned as he heard the 'whir' of the drone. One well-placed shot and the deadly mechanism fell to the ground in a smoking heap.
All that had happened within seconds.
Nightmare tried to straighten and a new wave of pain lanced through him. He groaned, starting to shut down as many circuits as he could spare. He couldn't transform because the shot had destroyed a link inside of him. He could force it, but it would end with him leaking badly and possibly dying even sooner.
Death.
He had never harbored death wishes as Static and even after he had died once, dying again was not one of his favorite thoughts. But he knew that he would die sooner or later, though this time it meant survival for someone else. If Optimus Prime got through the defenses of the Maze and could return to the Autobots, then Nightmare had won a little victory.
He stumbled on, oblivious to his surroundings, oblivious to the vital fluids he was losing. Warnings flashed up, but he ignored them. Move! he shouted at himself. Take them away from Prime's position! He stumbled again and fell heavily against what looked like a heap of molten metal. He heard a whimper and recognized that it was him. His hands were smeared with his own 'blood' and he felt incredibly tired and weak.
Don't give up! The tiny voice shouted. They will kill you and then search for Optimus!
Something came into view, a bipedal figure. Nightmare tried to focus on it, but it was a futile task. Everything was blurry, out of proportion. He raised his gun, but his trigger finger just didn't have the power to pull the trigger any more. He started to topple, pain, injuries and energy loss taking their toll. Someone grabbed him, lowered him gently to the ground. He heard a voice, but it was so hard to identify...... so hard.
Silence.

*

Optimus Prime caught the falling body and gently lowered him to the ground. His optics were fixed on the gruesome shot wound. Liquids flowed freely out of the wound and dried around it, covering the armor and skin with a sticky mess of fluids and dirt. There were multiple other wounds and from the looks of it, someone had nearly taken Nightmare apart before the former Decepticon had ended up here.
A memory flashed up.
Rage and pain finally released.
He felt the other one shatter under his ceaseless pounding.
"Primus!" Optimus whispered, horror sweeping through him.
It had been him. He had beaten Nightmare nearly to the brink of total shut-down, and Nightmare hadn't fought back! He once again felt the surge of hatred inside of him as the fever had taken a strong hold on his mind, directing his actions. He looked at the puncture wound from the bite of the spider drone.
Poison!
The poison had resulted in a fever, which had threatened to take over his mind, erase every bit of personality. And it had nearly killed Nightmare.
Why hadn't the former Assassin fought back? Why had he let Optimus do this to him? He remembered their former confrontations, which had never resulted in violence, and he was reminded of the calm and control the other robot radiated. Somewhere deep inside of him a small voice whispered that this was due to the profound changes the Assassin had gone through. He was no longer a killer for hire; he was a Gatekeeper. Static was dead.
Optimus shut out the voice. He didn't want to hear it, but the truth remained. Nightmare had not fought back, had let Optimus beat him up. Optimus didn't know how Nightmare had finally taken him out, only that he had woken with a headache and severe memory problems. Nightmare had taken on the Maze himself, drawing the drones away from the sick Prime, whose internal virus and repair programs had then successfully completed the cure of the infected circuits. He had bought him time to survive.....
"Fool!" he said softly. "You damn fool!"
Optimus heard the tell-tale whir of the drones and transformed. He loaded Nightmare into his trailer and raced off, trying to get a safety distance between himself and the droids.

* * *

Chromia had taken the offer to get herself checked and recharged and was now sitting on the balcony of one of the many rooms facing the inner yard of the South Port main complex. Her mind was occupied with only one thing: Ironhide's death. The two of them had been close and she had been devastated when she had heard of the loss of the Ark, the ship that had transported not only Optimus Prime, but also many other Autobots off Cybertron. None of the females remaining behind had known of the ship's fate and only when a few of the missing males had returned to their home world, ever so briefly, had she known that her partner was still alive.
Not any more.
War brought losses, she knew. She had seen many die, last of them Aleeta One. Chromia was used to losses and pain, but Ironhide had always held a special place in her world, and now this special place had been ripped apart and the pain was enough to make her wish she was dead as well. The pain was also the primary factor why she wanted to go back to the others and fight. She couldn't sit still, she couldn't let the others fight those Cons still hiding out there.
Moonracer had told her she wanted to accompany her, even though she had a friend to return to. Powerglide was still alive, as was Hifi's brother. Well, Hifi would remain here, not only because of Blaster, but because of different reasons as well. Chromia couldn't say she understood Hifi in that regard, but she accepted it.
Chromia sighed. So much had changed. Optimus Prime had died, Rodimus Prime had been born. Optimus had returned and the young robot she had known as Hot Rod had remained commander, becoming the second-in-command. Rodimus was very different from the hot headed Hot Rod she remembered. A lot must have happened, if she judged the expression in his optics correctly. You could see a lot in another's eyes and Rodimus was easy to read when he was worried or troubled. Aleeta's confirmed death troubled him, she had realized. He was wondering what it would do to his leader. Chromia knew what Ironhide's death was doing to her and even though Optimus had felt Aleeta die, the truth would shake him badly.
Something caught her eye and she saw an unknown jet approach the South Port complex. From the symbol on its wings it had to be one of the mentioned Sentinels. Another major change. She didn't know how to cope with all of this. Of course she knew all the nightmare stories about the Sentinels, but according to Rodimus the real Sentinels were nothing like those horror stories. And then there was the fact that they had humanoid companions called Interfaces. Rodimus had a humanoid Interface! She had met Shanygn briefly and it had been quite clear to Chromia that those two were very close in many terms. She had questioned First Aid about the Interfaces while he was examining her and he had introduced her to a humanoid woman named Jill McKennan, who was an Interface herself. She had answered all of the female Autobot's questions and added a few things. Chromia didn't know if she should be shocked or simply surprised.
With a sigh she decided to take a walk. As she rounded a corner she nearly collided with Moonracer, who was accompanied by a dark grey and blue robot; a female robot wearing an Autobot symbol.
"Chromia! We were looking for you!" Moonracer exclaimed.
Chromia stared at the strange female. She looked different, somehow alien, but she was clearly an Autobot.
"This is Silhouette," Moonracer introduced the stranger.
"Hi," Silhouette said, regarding Chromia curiously. "I heard about you, but except for Arcee I never met another female Autobot.
"And I never met you," Chromia said slowly.
"I'm rather new," Silhouette confessed.
"She's a Dinobot!" Moonracer explained excitedly.
"Dinobot?" Chromia was confused.
Moonracer dragged her with them. "I'll tell you all about it. Come on!"
Chromia smiled and gave up. My memory circuits will probably burst from information overflow! she thought.
Too many changes in such a short time....

* * *

"Retreat!"
The order echoed through his audio systems, but he knew it was too late. Flaming heat was all around them, explosions set off here or there and wherever he looked he saw Autobot battle ships.
Static watched as one of his team was blown to pieces by two strong bursts from the front laser cannon of the Autobot ship. He didn't feel anything as he witnessed the death of one of his comrades. It was as if he was only a spectator, a witness, not at all involved.
Another shot, this time too close, showed him that he wasn't a neutral spectator. He was on the opposite side. His pain sensors had long since been shut down by his internal system, though there were still impulses coming through his secondary system. His skin was badly scorched and there was a hole the size of his fist in his shoulder.
All of this didn't matter.
"Retreat!" Megatron cried again and Static thought he saw a silver glimpse out of the corners of his eyes.
Several Decepticons fled from the hot battle ground. The Autobots didn't even follow them. They concentrated their fire on the Assassins, who had been decimated until only Static, their leader, and two others had remained.
"Static! We have to flee!"
The Assassin leader turned and saw Aftermath coming his way. The robot had lost his first layer of skin and one optic was busted. Part of his armor had been blown off, revealing the muscle cables and delicate circuitry beneath.
"Yes," Static heard himself say, though to him it sounded distant.
Something flashed toward them and Aftermath screamed in agony as the blast tore through his back and then exploded out of his chest. Static turned to look at the approaching battle cruiser.
'So it ends,' he thought, his mind suddenly a sea of tranquillity.
"Static!"
Megatron's scream was drowned by the fire of his death. His circuits shut down, the light in his optics faded.
Peace.
Finally.

Consciousness returned.
Memories flooded his waking mind, but they were too many to make sense immediately. He felt like dragged out of a swamp, out into the open -- vulnerable.
Nightmare gasped as a wave of pain hit him. Someone pushed his chest forcefully to the ground and a voice commanded him to relax, it would be over soon. More pain hit, but he didn't shut down again.
"Nightmare?"
He knew the voice. It was connected to pain and burning anger. He tried to move away, fear raging through him.
A strong hand clamped around his shoulder. "Nightmare!" the voice whispered insistently.
The fear subsided, squelched by his automatic shields. Don't let him see it, don't let him hear it! Hide!
"Optimus Prime?" he groaned. He focused on the large Autobot. "Why are you still here?"
Prime seemed to smile. "I got lost."
Nightmare tried to sit up and was greeted with more pain, but he managed to lean back against the metal wall behind him. He noticed that they were in a crumbled building. Optimus Prime knelt beside him and there was a worried look on his face.
"You came back," the Gatekeeper stated, his voice laced with pain. He tried to shut it out, but it proved to be nearly impossible.
"Like I said, I got lost."
Nightmare smiled. "You were worried."
Optimus was caught short by the statement because it was obviously true, though he'd never confess to it.
"Doesn't suit you," the injured Gatekeeper added in a voice laced with pain. "At least not when it's me you are worried about."
"Let me worry about what and who I want!" Optimus snarled angrily.
"Then worry about getting yourself out of here in one piece!" Nightmare shot back, gasping as this produced painful twinges.
"If you have a map, fine! Like I said, I got lost."
Nightmare didn't believe him, but he was tired of arguing and he hurt too much. He leaned his head back against the rough wall, looking up at the swiss-cheesed roof.
"Where are we?"
"Still in the old city. I think I lost the drones for now. There aren't many left."
Nightmare smiled wryly. "Never tackle with an angry Gatekeeper," he whispered and chuckled.
"I see."
The gaze locked on him made Nightmare uncomfortable.
"Were you at least able to get a signal out of here?" he wanted to know while accessing his damage report. What he was told was sickening. The shot he had been hit with was working like acid. Some of it had been flushed out by his bleeding, but some was still inside, working away on his circuits. It had to be cleaned out, and apparently Optimus had tried, but with the primitive means at their disposal there was no chance he had gotten everything.
"No. Everything is blocked. We are still on our own," Optimus answered.
"Then you have to find a way to get through," Nightmare stated simply. "I can't move this way and you know it."
Of course Optimus knew. He had seen the damage, had tried to help. The fluids covering his hands were proof enough. But he didn't like it.
"You will come with me," he said, his voice firm and showing no room for arguments. "If you stay here, you will die."
So then what? Nightmare thought. Why would it bother you, Optimus Prime? You want me dead for what I was in the past and you never made a secret out of it when we met. He didn't say it, but he knew that it was clearly readable in his eyes. And Optimus read it. There was a brief flash of an unidentifiable emotion in the Autobot's optics.
"You will be able to get help much faster without me holding you up," the Gatekeeper said, clenching his teeth as a new wave of pain hit.
"You won't die here," Optimus said, as if his words alone would be enough to make that happen.
"Then I'll die a few kilometers away from here. Listen, Optimus Prime, you know that I'll hold you up. You know I'll slow you down in the end. Go!"
A stubborn streak appeared on Prime's face. "You will come along and that's an order!"
Nightmare would have burst out laughing if it hadn't been so painful. Order? Have you just listened to yourself, Prime? You are ordering me, a former Assassin! Do you know what this means?
"Yes, Sir," he simply said.
Optimus' optics flared slightly, then he seemed to realize what he had just said. "We will wait until it quiets down outside, then we'll move."
Their optics locked and Nightmare finally nodded slowly. They sat together for a long time, both of them silent. Nightmare was trying to get his inner repair systems working, though he knew it was of little help. The acid was slowly but surely taking him apart. Optimus, sitting away from him, listened for the tell-tale whir of drones. A part of him was busy with what had happened, though. He had been poisoned by the bite of the drone and had then attacked Nightmare. The former Decepticon had fought back, but not with his full potential, and Optimus had nearly killed him. Why had he done it? Why not simply blow a hole into Prime and then get him back to be fixed by one of the medics? And there were other questions on his mind, more pressing ones.
Nightmare gave a soft groan, which sounded like he was clenching his teeth together but couldn't manage to suppress the pain altogether. Optimus looked at him, trying not to see the gruesome wound. The Gatekeeper was dying, he knew. Most of Nightmare was hidden in the shadows of the building, but the dim glow of his optics let Optimus shudder.

Everything was only pain and the shadowy figure in front of him. A pair of red eyes glowed viciously in the twilight of the room and the stars cast their light through the window, reflecting off the gun pointed at him.

He forcefully tore himself out of his memories, but they came back again and again. It was like a vicious circle. The more he tried to force them away, the stronger they came back.

Swing's back arced and something exploded out of his chest. The Autobot gave a an audio-shattering scream and keeled to the side. His chest was nothing but a smoking hole, his back a mangled mess. The light in his optics died and the single twitch of his fingers told Optimus more than he wanted to know.

Optimus clenched his hands into fists.

The Assassin loomed up over him, a shadow against the window, his features dark and unrecognizable. "It was nice knowing you," he said pleasantly and his finger curled around the trigger.

The Autobot leader felt his fingers tear into his own hand and the resulting flash of pain brought him out of the past. He was shaking and everything was like a blur, but the hatred and anger he had always felt at remembering the vents from millions of years ago, was missing. He looked at Nightmare again. The former Decepticon had suddenly lost all of his menace; well, to a degree. He was vulnerable now, open and easy to access, and in terrible pain.
"Why did you become an Assassin?" Optimus finally asked quietly.
Nightmare, who had been staring at the opposite wall, his optics dimmed, turned his head, and his optics glowed deep red again as his consciousness returned completely.
"What?" he asked, slightly confused.
"You heard me: why?"
Nightmare gave a choked laugh. "Why did I become an Assassin? Optimus, none of us chose to be an Assassin; we were born like this. I don't remember anything before I woke in the chamber and Megatron stood over me."
Optimus was shocked. "What chamber?"
"Vector Sigma."
The Autobot leader felt a icy cold run up and down his spine. Not very long ago Alpha Trion had revealed a lot of things about their past and origin to Rodimus and Optimus. One of the things Optimus had then heard the fact that none of the personalities of the Transformers had been created by the Quintessons. They had only supplied the bodies to pre-produced personality cubes. Vector Sigma had produced these cubes like a small factory, ceaselessly programming them, and the Quintessons had merely stored them until they could use them for their slave robots.
"No," he whispered.
Nightmare looked at him. "What is wrong?"
"If you were born by Vector Sigma," Optimus said slowly, still shocked, "then he gave you the Assassin skills....."
"So?"
Optimus shook his head. "It's something of a shock," he confessed.
"Because the one being you once worshipped like a god produced killers?" the former Assassin asked bluntly, his voice holding a strange tone of understanding.
Optimus looked at him, surprise written all over his face. "In a way," he then said.
Nightmare sighed. "He also gave every Decepticon personalities, as well as all your Autobots. There is a wide variety of personas, why not us? Who knows what Vector Sigma planned?" He shrugged and immediately hissed in pain.
The Autobot was silent for a few moments, pondering what he had heard. "Megatron found your personality cubes?" he asked softly.
Nightmare nodded. "I don't know where. He never told me, even though I asked him. When I woke.... I knew who I was and what role I would play. All of us did. I never had any doubts about my skills and my abilities." He evaded Optimus' blue gaze. "You see, when I woke and looked at Megatron, I knew exactly how to ... to kill him. I simply knew it."
Optimus gave a soft hiss and Nightmare carefully glanced at him. The cold blue glow he had expected to see in the optics wasn't there, only wary suspicion.
"When I look at a Cybertronian," he went on, "I simply know how to take him out -- in various ways. The only time I experienced difficulties was when I met your Sentinel friends. When I look at them I see just a robot, nothing else. Everyone else...."
"Is a victim," Optimus finished bitterly.
Nightmare shook his head. "Was," he said calmly. "Static is dead."
The Autobot leader nodded slowly. "I killed you," he said hesitantly.

"Fire!"
The cannons spewed deadly blaster fire onto the battle field and with a mixture of triumph and utter disgust rising inside of him, Optimus witnessed how the Assassins were obliterated. It all had been so easy... so brief ... so final.
He turned away from the view screen.
"Get us home," he ordered, suddenly feeling tired and thoroughly disgusted with himself.
As the ship turned away from the debris scattered over several miles of space, Optimus Prime left the bridge.
It was over.
But why did it feel like it had only just begun for him?

"So you did." The red eyes of the Gatekeeper fixed on him. "But that was in the past and it can neither be changed, nor can it be undone. I think I even have to be thankful." He smiled slightly. "You gave me a second chance and I took it, even though I fought vehemently against those changes." A shadow crept over his features. "I didn't want to come back."
"Why? You were given a second chance."
Nightmare sighed softly. "When we went into the battle at Thorkas Eight..... I somehow knew that this was the end of it all. It was like an overwhelming feeling of danger, but I never told anyone. You see, at that time I was no longer sure that what I was, was something I wanted to be. We Assassins were nothing but killers and regarded with dread, even by the Decepticons who had awakened us and employed our services. True, Megatron was a very good friend and I think he understood me best, but there was a fine line between what we were and what the others represented. I was tired of killing, I saw no sense in it, but I couldn't let anyone know those doubts and secret wishes. So I continued with what I did. Then came the battle at Thorkas Eight. When I died under your heavy fire I was somehow set free. I know it sounds strange, but it's true." Nightmare shrugged slightly. "I never harbored death wishes, but this was something I didn't want to fight. I was finally free."
"But you were revived."
"Yes. And I hated them for it. I woke on Ralyk, in a new body, with my old memories, my past."
Optimus regarded him silently. This was adding a whole new light to what he had always thought about the former Decepticon.
"The hatred of those who had born me again made me an outsider and none of those we call the First Ones, the ancient robot race Raven belongs to, understood. None of them knew what it was like to live a second time, with a set of memories to give you nightmares." He smiled dimly. "That was one reason why I chose that name. I dreamed of my past, reliving it day for day, and the more I recalled, the more aggressive I became. Ralyk is a rather forgiving structure, but I know I did a lot of damage then. No one tried to contain my rage or help me. They let me do what I wanted. Those First Ones went by the theory that if the Creators had called me back, in this body, with this insignia, then they had done so with a purpose. I didn't care about purposes then. All I wanted was to be left alone."
Nightmare fell silent, his hand clenching over his stomach wound. Optimus saw a flicker of pain in the optics.
"What made you come around?" the Autobot leader wanted to know, fascinated by the tale. It told more about the Creators, as well as about those robots first created by them.
"Bat."
"Your little friend?"
Nightmare nodded. "I found him after he had hatched. His clan lived deep inside Ralyk and had never been discovered by the First Ones. They rarely ventured deeper than necessary into the station. Because of that I chose to do so, trying to get enough distance between them and me to be truly alone. Well, I found this little creature, whose wings were too large, as was his head, and looked like he was going to break apart by merely looking too hard at him. I don't know why, but Bat followed me around and I couldn't get rid of him. He picked up my language on the way. I suspect he's empathic and binds himself to another creature, but I never got a straight answer out of him." Nightmare smiled slightly. "Well, through him I became different, finally accepting what I was. That was also the time I returned and witnessed how most of the First Ones left. Few remained and even fewer decided to take on their last orders to guard the doorways. I volunteered and was sent to Crea."
"Why did you volunteer? Didn't you want to return to Cybertron?" Optimus wanted to know.
"What for? I was no longer a Decepticon, though this symbol on my shoulders tells so. Static had died millennia before and Nightmare was a stranger, a new person. I saw a purpose in the doorways and the function of a Gatekeeper. I wanted to go, it was the only thing that made sense at that time. Bat accompanied me and we were sent to the young planet of Crea. The rest you know."
Optimus nodded slowly. Yes, he knew the rest and he began to accept it. Inside him a slow change was taking place. It wasn't a profound change and he still saw an Assassin in Nightmare, but there was a new addition to that.

* * *

Sphere straightened from her console, a pleased expression on her face. "That's the last one," she said, smiling.
Starscream reflected her smile and she thought that he should stop before he hurt himself. Starscream never really smiled, at least not so openly. His smiles were more of a sarcastic twist of his lips. But right now he was very pleased. They had just translated the last dot on the map Starscream had discovered long ago and now had the coordinates to all doorways.
Sphere leaned against the console, wondering what to do now. They still didn't know how to get to any of the coordinates.
"Well, now comes the hard part," she sighed, all her triumph turning into sober science. "We have to find a way to set the doorway."
Starscream regarded her. "You are a Key. Maybe if you take one of the coordinates and then try to open it?"
"If you tell me how?"
"Raven touched it."
Sphere lifted one corner of her mouth in a humorless smile. "And then? What did she do then? I can memorize the coordinates and touch the rings, sure, but will it activate them? As a Key I need a lock. What is the lock on that giant thing?"
"How should I know?" he muttered.
She sighed. "But it's worth a try." Sphere studied at the array of numbers and letters. "Which one do you want to try out in the hope it works?"
"Cybertron. It's the only place we know there is no danger lurking behind the doorway."
Sphere looked at Starscream in surprise, but said nothing. She tried to hear if Ralyk had anything to add to this, but the station was silent, as it always was when something concerning the doorways was discussed.
"Let's do it," she said and walked toward the vast black hall of the giant doorway.
Starscream followed her.

* * *

Rodimus looked at the black Key, wishing he could read her more easily. He trusted her to a certain degree, though he still had to see her as an ally. He didn't have those problems with Nightmare, but he had never worked with the Decepticons lately. Raven had. True, she had had several opportunities to kill him whenever they had met and she hadn't done it, but he was still cautious around her.
Bat sat on her shoulder, visibly agitated from the rapid change of colors in his eyes. Now and then the little lizard made muttering noises.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
She nodded. "Nightmare always checks in and it's been too long since he did so. Rodimus, I'm worried." She shrugged and through it nearly dislodged Bat. "And him, too. Don't ask me why or how, but I think Bat knows Nightmare is in danger. He just won't talk about it."
Rodimus thought hard, then nodded. "Okay, we'll send out a search team."
"I want to be part of it," she said calmly. "Nightmare is my team partner."
"I'll get a team together, you get me a copy of the map Nightmare already made," the Autobot decided and Raven agreed.

* * *

Optimus could feel the pain the former Decepticon was in. Nightmare didn't make a sound, but his fingers spasmed over the wound and his optics flickered now and then. He was on the stretcher inside Optimus' trailer, feeling every bump, every turn. Optimus hurt in sympathy whenever he felt his passenger cramp and spasm in pain, but there was no way around.
They had started to move after the drones had not shown up for some time. Optimus had transformed to accommodate Nightmare better and the Gatekeeper hadn't even had the power to protest. He had been too weak to argue.
Don't die on me! Optimus hissed.
But why? If Nightmare died, Optimus would be rid of his own pain, the constant memory of the past. But if Nightmare died here, for him, everything wouldn't just stop. He'd be confronted with this sacrifice and it would .... bother him. What would the others think if he came back with the dead body? He could imagine Rodimus' look, his suspicion and also his doubt. The relationship between Nightmare and Optimus had always been tight and rather hostile. If Optimus survived this trip, what would Rodimus think? That he had killed Nightmare? Well, partly he had.
Nightmare curled up with a whimper and Optimus felt an icy fist in his stomach. The acid was destroying Nightmare from inside..... He counted the time between now and when Nightmare had been hit. Too long. Nightmare needed help! Optimus had finally begun to understand what was lurking behind the name of a Decepticon Assassin, though it had been like a punch in the face, especially considering that Vector Sigma had programmed their personalities. But it also gave Optimus to think.
The Autobot stopped as he came to a new obstacle in form of a deep hole in the ground. He transformed, without sending the trailer to subspace. No way he could get past here in his vehicle mode. He'd have to backtrack to the intersection and drive down between the other row of buildings.
Suddenly he heard the drones again. He cursed and went for cover as three of them came down the way he had taken, They stopped beside the trailer and seemed to inspect it. Then one of them veered off, coming right his way. Optimus aimed his weapon, but before the drone was even halfway to where he was hiding, something blasted toward it, burning through its armor and severing it into two. The two remaining drones immediately attacked the one destroying their own and Optimus saw a flash of black.
Nightmare!
But how ... ? He stopped thinking and simply blasted away. The two drones went down in smoking heaps and Optimus ran over to his trailer. How Nightmare had so stealthily exited it was beyond his comprehension, but he reminded himself that this robot was an Assassin... had been, he corrected himself. Static was dead. And Nightmare had inherited his skills.
The former Decepticon knelt on the ground, clutching his midsection, hissing in agony. Optimus knelt down beside him and steadied him. Nightmare's optics flickered badly and he was too close to terminal shutdown.
"What did you do that for?" Optimus asked sharply.
"Three .... against one .... isn't exactly .... equal .... terms," Nightmare answered, coughing, his hand clenching around Optimus' forearm. "Get .... out of here .... before more of those ..... pests come." His optics bore into Optimus'. "I can defend .... myself."
"Sure you can," Optimus said coldly. "You are so close to a shut-down that you wouldn't even be able to lift your weapon any more if more of them come back!"
Nightmare's mouth set into a stubborn line. "I ... can!" he hissed.
"Don't argue, you're coming with me!"
Before Nightmare could say something, Optimus heard a new noise. He raised his gun and whirled around, ready to dispose of another threat, when he saw....
"Steeljaw!! Raven!"
The Cassette growled, obviously pleased with himself. Raven uttered a distressed sound and ran over to Nightmare. There was a flash of brown streaking past Optimus and Bat landed on the floor, clucking softly as he saw the state his friend was in. Raven's yellow optics glowed with fear.
"Hi .... guys," Nightmare coughed and tried to smile.
"Bad," Bat moaned and his facets had turned a bright red.
"You should see .... the others..." Nightmare whispered.
Two more robots appeared. One was Blaster, the other was a smaller, female robot, colored in silver and grey, highlighted in red.
"Hifi?" Optimus whispered in surprise, then shoved the surprise aside. He could ask about her later.
Blaster looked shocked as he saw Nightmare. "Optimus! What happened?"
"I'll explain later, Blaster. We need to get him to a medic."
Blaster nodded. "There's an exit not far from here."
Optimus transformed, attaching his trailer back to his vehicle mode. Blaster, Hifi and Raven got Nightmare inside, then transformed as well. Bat stayed with his friend inside the trailer. While Raven flew ahead, Hifi and Blaster settled inside the driver's cabin in their stereo system modes.
"We found your energy signatures," Blaster explained on the way outside. "It was rather prominent and then Raven picked up Nightmare's signature as well."
"What about those drones?"
"The old security system?" Blaster sounded proud. "Hifi found a way to disable them with sound. She had run-ins with them before."
Hifi added, "They belong to an old guard system and since we hid out down in the maze from time to time I worked out a way to paralyze them for some time. Sound disorients them long enough to get in and out where you want to."
"Good work."
They arrived at the exit without any further disturbances and Blaster immediately radioed Rodimus at the South Port to prepare for two patients coming in.

* * *

Nightmare lay on the repair table, his optics dark, his battered and torn body brightly visible to the very last detail in the light of med bay. First Aid was working quickly, but he was calm as always, his hands never missing anything. Optimus let Perceptor check him one last time, while his optics remained on the dying robot in the room next to him. They were separated by a transparent wall.
Bat sat on one of the shelves, watching the operation with what Optimus thought was a worried expression. The faceted eyes still glowed red and Bat had not budged from his place one inch. He would stay with Nightmare and First Aid simply let him.
"The infection has been completely healed," Perceptor said. "The poison had a fascinating influence on the mind. It attaches to already present negative feelings and enhances them, shutting out rational thinking.
"Yes, it does, Perceptor," Optimus said softly and hopped off the table. "It certainly does. Give me a full report on it." He walked over to the other treatment room.
First Aid had removed a lot of damaged circuitry from the wounded robot and Nightmare was attached to a number of monitors, mainly to maintain a steady energon feed and take over the function of his fuel pump, the liquid regenerator and the severely damaged back-ups. The monitors all showed the same, weak life signs.
Don't die! Optimus screamed. That's an order!
First Aid briefly looked up from his work, his blue optic shield displaying worry. It didn't look good. Optimus turned abruptly and left. He had to supervise the securing of the area he and Nightmare had gotten lost in, even though he knew that Rodimus was doing this for him already. He didn't want anyone to fall into that part of the Inner Maze because he or she was wandering down there alone. The cause of the whole mess had been an explosion meant to help demolish those buildings marked to be removed and rebuilt. The shockwaves had reached deep inside and shook up a lot of things, including the tunnels Optimus and Nightmare had been in. Rodimus had done a good job getting those parts sealed off for now and everyone had been warned not to enter the Maze as long as the construction work was going on. And speaking of Rodimus, he met his second-in-command when he entered his office. Rodimus Prime looked up from his work and smiled.
"Good to have you back," he said and rose from his chair.
Optimus Prime only nodded and gestured for him to remain seated. He didn't really want to go back to work just yet.
"How is Nightmare?" Rodimus asked.
"Not good," was the soft answer. "He's hanging on, but First Aid says it doesn't look good." Optimus clenched his hands into fists. "It shouldn't have happened!"
Rodimus frowned. "What do you mean?" He had yet to get a full report on what had happened in the Maze, but he had a good guess.
Optimus gave him a brief summary of the events, including how he had been bitten and how the poison had started to work on his mind.
"I don't remember it clearly," he said softly. "It's like a dream, wrapped in a haze. But I know that I nearly beat him to death, Rodimus. The poison enhanced my ever-present hostility, exploiting it! I don't know what made me stop, but while my repair systems worked against the infection, Nightmare drew the Maze's attention to himself, buying me the necessary time." His optics flared. "It was suicide!"
Rodimus nodded slowly. "But it was the only logical way at the time," he told his older friend. "Otherwise none had survived."
"He didn't have to do it!" Optimus said angrily, leaving his emotions free reign. When the two leaders were alone, there were no restrictions like when they were in public.
"Why not?"
"He's not an Autobot, he's not under my command! I let him feel quite clearly what I think of him!"
Rodimus smiled. "And he told you quite clearly what he thinks of you, hasn't he?"
Optimus was stopped short. Nightmare had always shown respect, had tried to make it easier for Optimus to deal with him, but the Autobot leader had always refused to move from his singular point of view. He remembered the patience, the acceptance, the utter calm.
"I've been behaving like a fool, right?" he asked his second, smiling dimly. "Me, the Autobot leader, caught up in his past about a petty problem that no longer really exists."
"It was never a petty problem," Rodimus said. "For you it was once very real, very dangerous, very painful."
"Yes, once. I think I should let the past lie dead."
Rodimus smiled. "That would be a very good idea."
Let's just hope that the future doesn't die now as well, Optimus thought in pain. If Nightmare died, it would be worse than the moment when Optimus had realized what he had really done at Thorkas Eight.
"And speaking of the past," Rodimus said slowly, "you heard that we contacted a party of female Autobots?"
Optimus nodded. "Yes, Perceptor mentioned that three of them were found."
"Chromia, Hifi and Moonracer. Chromia asked to talk to you." Rodimus looked a bit hesitant and Optimus felt a foreboding feeling rise inside of him.
"Is she here?"
"I can call her. Hifi is with Blaster and catching up on everything. Moonracer and Silhouette have gone off somewhere and I suspect Shanygn is with them." The younger Autobot grimaced as he thought of the three females together.
Optimus smiled, but it was a smile tinged with sadness. Rodimus knew that Optimus suspected what he would hear and it frightened him to think of his friend's emotional status then.
"I'll get Chromia," he said and left the office.
A few minutes later the blue female Autobot entered. Optimus had known her for a long time, mainly because she and Ironhide had been very close. Aleeta had called her a good friend, the best, and the two had hung out together a lot. Now the two robots looked at each other, both knowing that there was a loss in their lives no one had dared to confess was as if someone had cut away part of them. Chromia stood there for a second, then walked over to Optimus, wordlessly hugging him. He held her close, finally having the last proof that Aleeta was dead. It opened a deep chasm inside of him, deeper than what he had thought he would feel when he was finally confronted with the undisguised truth. And it hurt. By Primus, it hurt!

* * *

Kup had returned to Cybertron for a few days, mainly to take a look at how everything was going around here. It was hard to be off duty for a while because his thoughts mainly revolved around security. He watched the work on the demolished buildings and mused how the accident with Optimus Prime could have been avoided, The shockwaves had traveled far beneath the surface, farther than the demolition team had ever imagined. Suddenly he heard a sound and turned.
"Moonracer!" he exclaimed, pleasantly surprised.
Of course he had heard about the three females who had been discovered by one of the exploration teams, but he had yet to greet them.
Moonracer smiled back, but she looked a bit shook up.
"Somethin' wrong?" Kup inquired.
"No, not really," she said, joining him. "I just met this Sentinel -- Midnight. Primus, he gave me a scare!"
Kup nodded. Midnight could give someone who had never seen him a good fright. Kup's opinion about Sentinels had gradually changed and he accepted the fact that the Sentinel leader was a part of the command structure now. It was difficult to treat him normally, but it could be done. Midnight was an easy person to be around with when you finally got past the point of staring at his dark exterior.
"Don't be scared by his looks," he told the female. "He's a pretty decent guy."
Moonracer smiled. "I'd never thought I'd hear you of all people talk like that about a Sentinel, Kup."
He smiled as well. "Changes happen."
She nodded.
"Good to have you back," the old warrior added.
"But not for long," Moonracer said softly. "Chromia wants to return to the others, trying to convince them that those rumors are no longer just rumors."
Kup looked at the female and knew that there was another reason, a reason he knew. Ironhide had been an old friend and his death had hurt him, just like everyone else who had known Ironhide. Chromia would feel ten times as much hurt and pain, and if he judged her correctly, no Decepticon was safe from her now. She would want revenge and Primus be with those who tried to step in her way.
"I understand."
"Hifi stays, though."
Kup grimaced. "Have mercy with an old warrior's audio sensor!" he exclaimed and Moonracer burst out laughing.
She sobered again and looked at her hands. "When you return to Earth, will you say hello to Powerglide for me?" she asked.
He put a hand on her shoulder, smiling. "Of course I will."
"Thanks."
The remained standing at the demolition site, each one telling stories of their past adventures. It might be a long time until they met again, and maybe not at all.

* * *

"Optimus Prime?"
Megatron nodded, his optics glinting. "But if you don't feel it in your capabilities to rid us of this meddlesome Autobot...."There was enough challenge in his voice to make Static bristle.
"I will assign one of my team to it," he said coldly.
Megatron's smile turned cruel. "I trust you will."

A flash of white.

"The Autobot fleet will be at Thorkas Eight and they are like sitting ducks!" Megatron said with a grin. "The perfect opportunity.
Static could only agree. Too perfect in his opinion, but he would never say so aloud. "My Assassins will accompany you. They have sat still for too long and are craving for action."
"Very well," the Decepticon leader agreed. "Decepticons! To Thorkas Eight and victory over the Autobots!"
Static watched his small elite team move with the others. It was like a premonition. He knew none of them would return.

A flash of white.

Horizon died with a shriek of unbelievable pain on her lips as the Autobot ship's fire severed her in numerous parts, melting her central core into a lump of twisted metal. Scatterdust, who had wanted to help her, was caught in the same ray and died seconds later. Aftermath was torn to bits in front of his eyes -- seconds later Static died as well.

A brief silence. Absolute blackness. Then awareness.
He didn't want to come back. He wanted to remain in the silent and all-encompassing oblivion of death, but he was mercilessly drawn back.
'Live!' someone commanded.
'No!' he protested.
'You have a life to return to!' the voice yelled.
'I do?' he whispered.
'Yes," was the much softer answer. 'Yes, you do.'

* * *

Ravage had returned a few hours ago, giving his master a report about his findings. There were several interesting tidbits of information he had gathered and Galvatron would be interested in them, but Soundwave had yet to find the motivation to see his commander and report. Ravage gave a low rumble and looked at him with unreadable, red eyes. Soundwave could read his Cassette just fine, but the other Decepticons had always complained about the cold and emotionless stare. Like Soundwave, his creations revealed no emotions to the outside world.
"She's alive, right?" Rumble, who had been leaning against the wall, looked questioningly at his creator.
"Yes," was the monotonous answer.
"So, ya gonna see her or what?"
Ravage turned the same inquisitive stare at him and Soundwave felt interest rousing inside the dormant cassettes inside his chest compartment. He had no answer to the simple question because it wasn't so simple for him.
"I don't know," he finally said.
Rumble sighed and Ravage growled in disappointment. Soundwave simply walked out of the room.
"Think he's gonna go and see her?" Rumble asked his fellow Cassette brother.
Ravage rumbled something and then trotted off.
"Thought so," the other Cassette muttered.

* * *

Rodimus stood outside the complex, regarding the stars. Someone stepped to him and silently kept him company.
[Bad?] Shanygn asked after some time.
[Yes] He sighed deeply and hung his head. [He knew she was dead. He told me so once. I think he felt it when she passed away because they were designed by the same person, meant to be one. No he knows it for sure and it hurts more than suspecting it]
Shanygn nodded, sighing as well. [And it won't ever stop] she said softly. [I talked to Moonracer about it and she said Aleeta was killed by one of the Decepticons still hiding out here on Cybertron. He was killed immediately afterwards by Beta and Chromia]
Rodimus nodded. [I wonder how it will affect Optimus]
[He won't show his pain, that's for sure] his Interface partner mused. [Which means you might have to deal with it sooner or later]
He smiled wryly. [That's what a second-in-command is for]
[That's what a friend is for] she corrected. [We all are his friends, but he trusts you. And Silhouette. She shared his mind for some time and she knows him best]
Rodimus nodded. [Somehow I think that lately everything is collapsing on top of us. Vector Sigma, Nightmare, Starscream, now Aleeta's death. Everything is flooding toward us and building up into a large pile of worries, problems, losses and doubts. There is a breaking point and I wonder where ours is]
Shanygn touched his leg with her clawed hand. Her presence inside of him seemed to increase, soothing, calming, simply there. [A lot has happened] she agreed [but if you let it built up, it will break down sooner than you think. Talk to someone, talk to me, Sil or anyone]
[I was more thinking of Optimus than me] he said, warmed by her offer nevertheless.
Their Interface had grown closer through the years they had known each other now and he knew that Shanygn was more than just a 'replacement' for the Matrix. She was the best friend he had because she knew him inside out, and she was a vital part of him. Interfacing couldn't be described in words and it went far beyond a non-Interfaced persons comprehension.
[I know you are there for me, and Silhouette as well. I can rely on you, I can sound off.... but Optimus is now alone. He has always been isolated and he rarely shows his feelings, his true feelings. When we argue, he is himself. In our meetings he is just another Autobot with worries and doubts, but he bottles it up whenever we are in public] He shook his head. [First he gets a kick in the gut from Alpha Trion and Vector Sigma, then comes Nightmare and with him a part I wouldn't want to remember at all if it had happened to me. Now Aleeta has been confirmed dead. What's next?] Rodimus knew he sounded desperate.
[Vector Sigma and Alpha Trion shocked us all, at least those who know all about it] Shanygn said slowly. [The affair with Nightmare has begun to resolve itself. I think Optimus is starting to see past his rage. And Aleeta.... you can't resolve that. It will be there forever]
[I hope we get some breathing space] Rodimus sighed. [We need it. We need time to get our thoughts straight, to study the doorways and all. Nebulos is another matter Optimus is worried about. Arcee said she would like to be liaison, helping Spike with his work there and taking a whole load off his shoulders as well]
Shanygn nodded. She knew most of what was going on; courtesy of being Interfaced. [Delegate the work, that's it] she said with a smile. [And get Optimus to take a few more days off. Right now, he needs them more than ever]
[Easier said than done] Rodimus chuckled. [I think getting him to Earth and relax there would be the best idea. Everything's quiet there]
[Good idea, Roddy. You do just that and I'll see what I can do to get you a few quiet days as well.] She waggled her eyebrows. [Maybe Midnight volunteers to fill in for you concerning the explorations. He and Hound work well together. I could also call Sil....]
[Uhh....] he muttered, grimacing a bit.
Shanygn gave him a slap. [So much for friendly help] she grumbled.
[It's appreciated] he told her sincerely.
She smiled. [I know] With that she left him alone again.
Rodimus turned back to regarding the stars.

* * *

Coming around was slow. He was heavily disoriented and when he saw the light above him, feeling the hard, metal surface beneath his back, Nightmare nearly panicked. He calmed down with some force and then felt a slender hand on his forearm, sensing a familiar presence.
"Nightmare?"
It was Raven, he realized, and with the name came a feeling of security. They were a team and he trusted her explicitly. If she was here, he was safe. He focused on her slim, black form.
"Hello, Raven," he said, his voice weak. He was still recovering, his damage report told him, and his recently replaced circuits needed some more time to heal.
There was a squawk and a brown flash streaked down, landing on the table. Bat's eyes glowed brightly in a soft blue and his wings were shaking with excitement.
"You gave me a damn wossname! Fright!" the little lizard called.
"Not only him," Raven added. "We all were afraid you might die." She smiled. "Good to have you back," she whispered and he saw the worry she had felt in her eyes.
"How long?" he asked.
"First Aid kept you under for three days to give your systems a chance to stabilize. He then continued repairs and finished yesterday. All in all you were in here for a week. It looked pretty bad for a time, but you pulled through."
He nodded. "Yes, I obviously did. Can I get up?"
First Aid appeared in his line of view. "Only if you promise not strain any circuits," he said in a gentle caring tone. "The damage was extensive and I'm not sure everything is as it is supposed to be. You inner structure is very different from that of the Autobots."
Nightmare carefully sat up, feeling twinges of distant pain, telling him that the damage had indeed been extensive and severe. Bat took his usual position on his shoulder, possessively wrapping his tail around Nightmare's neck.
"My internal repair system should be able to take care of the rest," the Gatekeeper told First Aid. "Thank you."
"No problem."
"How is Optimus Prime?" the Gatekeeper then wanted to know, carefully testing his legs and found they supported him.
"The infection has been cured and there was no further damage done."
"Thank Primus," Nightmare whispered and smiled at Raven. "Let's go."
The female Key nodded, hovering at his side as they left the med bay and walked down the corridor.
"He was worried about you, y'know," she said conversationally and there was an amused, somewhat fascinated tone in her voice.
Nightmare shrugged. "If I had died it might have reflected back on him, as if he hadn't done everything to safe me," he said. "It might have looked like he killed me."
Raven shook her head. "No, I don't believe that is true."
The dark colored robot smiled. "Yes, I know. The most important fact is, Optimus is fine."
Raven gave him an unreadable look, then dropped the subject. "You want to return to the chamber?"
"No. I'd like to get some fresh air and stretch my legs."
She gave him a queer look. "No transformations," she told him.
"I didn't say so. I just want to see something beside tunnels and underground chambers." He smiled at her. "So, milady, where do we go?"
Raven chuckled. "How about a little stroll around the complex?"
"Sounds good. Let's go."

* * *

Hifi was debating with herself whether staying was really such a wise decision or not. The female Autobot wanted nothing more than to be back with her brother and her friends, and to look for the only one she had ever felt close to, though that might prove to be impossible. They were on opposite sides. So she thought only about staying or not staying with the Autobots. Rodimus had told her she was welcome to stay and Optimus had echoed those words soon after. Then there was Blaster, who had been ecstatic to see his sister again. She wished Sonic was here as well. She was Blaster's partner and Hifi would have wished for nothing more than their reunion. But all she could do was tell her brother about Sonic and the others. Maybe one day they would all come out in the open. Right now it was good to know they were alive.
"Still deciding whether to stay or not?"
Hifi turned and discovered one of those strange robots known as Sentinels. This Sentinel was a female, which had surprised her to no end when she had been told about this new race of robots, especially after having a slight shock when she had met Silhouette. Everything was so new, suddenly a bit more complicated, but she thought she would be able to handle it. Hifi knew this Sentinel. She was called Aurora.
"Yes," the female Autobot said softly.
Aurora joined her. "What is it that makes you doubt your decision so much? Chromia said you can stay and that she doesn't want you to give up your reunion with your brother for their resistance fights. She will get the word to the others and sooner or later all your friends will join the Autobots here."
Hifi nodded slowly. "I know. And I know that Chromia means what she says, that she wants me to be happy here."
"But?" Aurora prodded carefully.
"It shouldn't be me. True, I'm happy to see my brother again, to see he's alive, but Sonic should be the one to stay. She's Blaster's partner."
Aurora nodded, understanding. Then she wanted to know, "And what about your partner?"
Hifi's head snapped up and she stared at the Sentinel. "What do you mean?" she asked sharply.
"Nothing. What do you think I meant?"
The Autobot sighed. "You'll hear about it sooner or later. Everyone will tell you that I have some chips lose anyway," she muttered. "So I can tell you."
Aurora gave her encouraging smile.
"I have a partner, yes," Hifi said, but she didn't sound very happy. "We met long ago, before the war began. Both of us were scientists and we pursued the same studies. We worked well together." Hifi grimaced, realizing how that sounded. Aurora simply grinned. "Well, we developed our relationship, but then the war broke out .... and we ended up on opposite sides."
"So he is a Decepticon?"
Hifi nodded. "I've seen him several times since then, in various situations. I wish I could talk to him."
"Difficult situation," Aurora agreed.
"Very difficult. Chromia never understood me and even Sonic says she wouldn't nurture any hopes if she were in my place. He might be too much a Decepticon to ever return to what we had been before."
"But you can never know for sure, Hifi. Not until he tells you." Aurora smiled.
Hifi smiled as well. "I know. And that is why I will stay. I have to know and sooner or later I will." She dreaded that day, but she knew it would come. One day.

* * *

Optimus Prime looked at Nightmare, not sure how to start. He had called for him and had been mildly surprised to see that the Gatekeeper had really come. They were alone and the memory of their last meeting alone came up. He had been ready to kill Nightmare then, but he hadn't.
'But you nearly did down in the Maze.'
Even though Perceptor had explained to him that the poison only amplified or set free emotions that were already had inside the poison's victim, it had given him the necessary jolt to think about his actions. Well, all those emotions were spent now, he mused. A lot had changed, a lot had been revealed, a lot had started to heal. Now, over two weeks after the disaster, Optimus felt he could finally look at the dark colored robot without feeling hatred light up inside of him, without wanting him to pay for what he had done in the past.
Nightmare had recovered completely from his wounds, though First Aid had advised him to take it easy and to check in every other day. Nightmare had done so and the medic had given Optimus regular reports, stating the Gatekeepers improving condition.

Nightmare watched the Autobot leader cautiously. He trusted him not to shoot him right now, but he was still wary of what this meeting was about. And he was a little bit afraid. He had accepted the hostility coming from Optimus in the past whenever they had met, even when it had been ever so briefly. But Optimus Prime had never shown such murderous hate, not even when they had first come to blows, as at the time down in the Maze. There had been no masks down there, nothing to hide behind, only pure, undisguised emotion. And this had shown Nightmare what he was really facing.
"I want to know what happened down there," Optimus said bluntly.
"You were there. You know," the Gatekeeper answered.
"Yes and no. But I don't know how you stopped me from killing you."
Nightmare's mind flashed back to that moment -- when he had seen the feverish glint in the other's eyes; the rage and anger rising; how the fist had struck him. Nightmare had shocked by this. He had felt the hits, but they had not registered; only the burning blue rage had. He had realized then that this was what had always cooked just below the surface, that this was what Optimus had fought against ever since he had heard that Nightmare had been the Decepticon Static before. And this had also shown him that he couldn't simply fight back with the same force. It would shatter everything, it would be deadly.
"I...." he shook his head. "I shocked you," he then sighed.
"Shocked me?"
Nightmare looked indecisive, then held up his right hand, indicating with his left that this wasn't an attack. He touched the metal surface of the table and there was a soft hiss. When he raised his hand there was a tiny hole in the surface of the table.
Optimus stared at the hole. He had had one like that patched up by Perceptor. It had been in his stomach area, nearly hidden between two seams of metal.
It had been caused by an Assassin weapon.
"It was the only way to stop you -- without hurting you more," Nightmare added softly. "I.... I know what you think, but it's not a weapon, not any more. I swear I would never use it against anyone."
Optimus' thoughts whirled. Assassins had been known to kill quickly, nearly indistinguishably. Except maybe for Shakedown, the one who had first torn his body to pieces and then had planned to take him out completely. This was one of those silent weapons -- and it saved his life, as well as his mind.
"And how can I trust your word?" Optimus asked calmly.
Nightmare's optics showed weariness. "You have to take my word just like that," he answered. "I'm not what you still see in me. I can't prove it to you, I can't convince you with words..... I don't believe there is any proof at all you would accept."
The Autobot regarded him silently. Nightmare was right. There was no way he could ever be one hundred percent convinced, but Nightmare's actions down in the Maze had been a start. The Gatekeeper could have left him to the drones, could have used him as cannon fodder, maybe even kill him to save his own life. He hadn't. He had nearly sacrificed himself for someone who hated him so fiercely he had never thought about more than this hate. Nightmare had risked his life for the only Autobot who hated him with such a ferocity that it could burn through titanium alloy.
"Yes," he said neutraly. "It's hard for me to trust you in any way at all."
Nightmare's red optics were unreadable, but Prime thought he could see disappointment there. He had done everything to help, and Optimus had done everything to hate more. The Gatekeeper turned wordlessly and was about to leave the office when Optimus added,
"But not impossible."
Nightmare stopped as if hit by lightning. He turned back slowly, as if he didn't trust his own audio sensors. The two different robots regarded each other and Optimus felt the word 'enemy' slip away in his mind. Static had been the enemy, not Nightmare. Nightmare was .... an ally. He couldn't think of him as a friend, only someone who was on his side. But that was a long step from what his emotions had been a few days ago.
"Thank you for helping me down there," he simply said.
There was a brief flash in the red optics and the Gatekeeper nodded.
"You are welcome," he answered softly.
Then he left.
Optimus stared at the closed doors. A lot of his rage and hatred had dissipated in the last days. He had conquered his enemy, his self. There was no use in trying to keep alive the flame of hate when the fire had long since been extinguished. He had other things to worry about.
The Autobot leader looked at the most important report on his desk: the female Autobots. Chromia was leaving soon, and with her Moonracer, and he had to talk to her again, this time concerning business matters. Hifi was staying, which made Blaster one happy Autobot. He had thought his sister dead.
The door to his office opened again and Rodimus strode in, his optics darting into every corner as if he expected to find a body somewhere. Optimus smiled dimly.
"Nothing happened," he said feeling a bit tired, emotionally worn.
"Sure?" Rodimus asked carefully.
Optimus smiled. "I'm sure, yes."
His second regarded him closely. "You need a rest and relax a bit."
"I started to relax already."
Rodimus caught the meaning and a surprised look crossed his face.
"Yes," Optimus said with a chuckle, "no more danger of me shooting Nightmare. You can safely return to Earth."
His second looked like caught with his fingers in the cookie jar. "I... ah...." he began.
"I noticed how closely you watched me, Rodimus," Optimus said calmly. "And I am thankful, really. This more than anything showed me that I had to do something, but I wasn't really ready to act." He smiled slightly. "Well, Nightmare acted for me. I was a fool."
The younger Autobot grinned. "Well, I wouldn't go that far...."
"But I would. I was so caught up in the past that I didn't want to see any positive future. I wanted this rage, it seemed to keep me alive. I was so wrong, but I didn't want to hear it from anyone. Rodimus, he was ready to die for me down there! And I was prepared to kill him!"
Rodimus nodded. "Nightmare is like that. He is not Static. They are two very different persons."
"I see that now. My stubbornness nearly cost him his life. I know he saw the rage I always felt when the poison started to work inside of me. I saw how frightened he was when he came in here before you. I think it's the first time he was really afraid. He never showed any fear up until now." Optimus shook his head.
Rodimus relaxed a bit and smiled. "Why don't you go to Earth for a few days and get some peace and quiet. I'll handle everything here. Midnight is back from Alean as well, and he and Skywolf want to establish a working link between our main computer and theirs on Alean. It might be a bit hectic here in the next months."
"It always is hectic around here, Roddy," Optimus said with a smile. "But I think Earth might be a good idea," he added before his second could go into the next round of convincing him to go.
Rodimus looked pleased. "Skylynx is leaving tomorrow."
"Fine with me."
Rodimus looked at him and Optimus had the distinct feeling that his young friend wanted to ask him something, maybe to open up and talk, but in the end he didn't. Rodimus respected his privacy as much as Prime respected his, and he would only force him to talk if his personal matters interfered with his
command.
"I'll be in the command center," he simply said. If you want to talk, was the unspoken addition.
Optimus nodded. Sooner or later I will have to talk to someone, he thought. But not now.
When Rodimus was gone, he leaned back and looked at the desk top where the report was sitting, waiting to be reviewed. But he didn't see it. His mind was wandering back into his past, a past before Optimus Prime, the past of Orion Pax and Ariel. He had been different, younger, nearly indifferent to the war....happier. All this had been destroyed within moments and his new life had been one complication after another, battle upon battle. No time to be himself, to laugh, to be happy .... to love. And now he knew it could really never be that again.
Something inside of him seemed to die for good and it hurt.

* * *

The good-byes were short. Chromia regarded Optimus Prime for a second, her optics relaying her compassion, her mourning, her support. He tried to tell her the same and he knew she could read it in his eyes as well. They had both lost very much all of a sudden. Moonracer kept back, talking to Rodimus, their voices too soft to make out the words. Hifi said good-bye as well, still unsure her decision was the right one, but Chromia didn't give her the time to think now. She transformed, followed by Moonracer, and they rolled off.
Optimus looked at his assembled Autobots and met the serious, blue eyes of Silhouette. He realized that she knew about him, his state of mind. Of course she knew, he thought with a smile no one could see. They share the experience of having been closer than anyone could be with another on a physical level; she had shared his mind for a time, kept him alive, kept him sane, and he had given her another chance to live as Silhouette. Like Rodimus, she would be there for him, to talk to, to listen, but he wasn't ready yet.
He turned away and looked up into the starlit sky. Earth might really be the place he needed right now, away from all of this. Away from memories and pain.
Optimus Prime slowly walked back into the South Port complex, lost in his memories.