Prologue: Megatronus' Warning

It is finally over.

So thought Alpha Trion as he stood in the middle of a wasteland, once a verdant field but now transformed into a barren plain of endless sand, staring at the countless inactive forms around him. Decepticons, Predacons, ordinary Cybertronians, he could no longer distinguish members of each faction from one another. The mountain of metal limbs and bodies all piled around him prevented any way of identifying each individual, much less who they served and what group they belonged. The battlefield was carnage incarnate, and he felt his spark ache at how many of these had died by his own hands.

But they had no choice. Megatronus had amassed a large following in such a short amount of time, and they had to act decisively or else the sacrifices they had made would be for nothing. In retrospect, he had already expected this kind of scenario. His fallen brother always had a way with words; cunning, manipulative, everything he would say often had impact to the listeners, which was why Solus had admired him, at least before she realized his true colors. He could twist anyone to do his bidding with nary but a sweet whisper, and that skill of his had led to many Cybertronians worshipping him.

He looked up at the massive structure looming over the land. Alpha Trion could not believe that his brother would actually plan to do it, that he would sacrifice a planet filled with life just to gather Energon. And of all the worlds out there, he had to choose this one. He was surprised that his traitorous brother could even set foot upon its soil; his spark should have already been snuffed out the moment he entered the atmosphere. But perhaps it was primarily because Gaea had remained slumbering for too long to sense any malicious beings entering her domain.

There was something that was bothering him, though. It was what Megatronus had said before they sealed him away in his Sarchophagus. It was still fresh in Alpha Trion's memory, and he could not forget the look of smugness and arrogance in his brother's face when he uttered, "You may defeat me, and you could seal me in a coffin forever, but you will never be able to destroy him! Darkness and chaos cannot and will never be defeated! Someday he shall return to consume every thing!"

He thought he knew what, or rather who, Megatronus was talking about. But he did not want to entertain the idea. Besides, it had been an eternity since then. Prima made sure that he could never reform again; they had all made sure of that. Therefore, what his brother had said was probably his final attempt to terrify them.

With a sigh, he turned away and looked to the east as he sensed several presences approaching. Thirteen dark specks on the sky resolved themselves into massive flying creatures made of metal, their techno-organic wings carrying them toward him with great speed. On the ground, six dark masses lumbered. Five of the larger ones walked in slow but huge and powerful strides, while their little companion followed his brethren with quick steps. They kept pace with their airborne comrades despite their speed, and together made their way onto Alpha Trion's position.

Soon, they arrived. Alpha Trion watched as the flyers swooped down. Twelve possessed lithe serpentine bodies with massive wings and barbed or spiky tails—some on two legs, others on four—while taking the lead was a larger two-headed creature with a long crest protruding from each head. It uttered a piercing cry as they landed a few ways ahead, and soon the creatures transformed. Thirteen armored mechs rose, each as magnificent and majestic as the others, then waited for their remaining comrades. The ground shook as the largest one and the leader of the six—a two-legged horned creature with massive jaws meant for crushing—strode forward until it stopped in front of Alpha Trion and with a shudder, his metal body twisted and shifted to form a gargantuan mech standing tall and proud.

"Grimlock," greeted Alpha Trion. "I trust the mission is successful?"

The air seemed to vibrate as the mech answered in a rumbling voice, "It is. We have gathered all the relics."

The Prime nodded. "What of the King?"

Grimlock gestured to a tall mech behind him, who bowed deeply. "With Cyclonus' help, I dealt the final blow," he said with obvious pride. "The Dragon King is no more."

Alpha Trion closed his eyes and visibly relaxed. At last, one of their greatest foe was vanquished. They had been horrified to learn that he had allied with Megatronus along with most of his kin. When Prima began the assault, they had a hard time breaching the defenses because of the numerous Predacons and their leader providing air support. But now that he was gone and his race all but extinct, a huge thorn to their side had been finally removed.

"And the survivors?"

"We made sure there are none," another mech supplied.

Alpha Trion nodded, pleased. He opened his eyes and said, "Well done, Knights of Cybertron. Well done indeed. You've rid us of a terrible enemy."

Silence passed. Alpha Trion began to worry about his brothers and sisters. Their task should have not taken more than an hour, and yet they were still not here. What could have possibly happened? Megatronus would still be weak, so there's no way that he could have escaped.

After what seemed like hours, but in truth it was only minutes, swirling portal appeared and the last three Primes stepped out with solemn expressions. The Knights immediately bowed. However, upon seeing the lead Prime carrying a limp body in his arms, they kneeled reverently while Grimlock uttered a mournful groan.

"Sorry we are late," said Vector Prime as he laid the body to Alpha Trion's feet. "It took us so long to find him because he was buried under a mountain of Megatronus' minions."

"I understand, Vector," Alpha Trion nodded and gaze down at their fallen brother with a sad smile. "He was always the bravest of us, wasn't he?"

"Always," murmured Grimlock. "I still remember the first time we'd met. He had not shown any fear at all."

There was a moment of silence as they stared at the lifeess body in grief. The mech's silver armor still looked whole, and if another was to see him now, they would think he was just in stasis. But if they inspected him closer, they would notice a hole in his chest where he had been impaled by Megatronus' staff.

No, not Megatronus. Why was he even refering to his brother by that name? He was now The Fallen. "Did you see the Vault?" asked Alpha Trion.

It was Alchemist who answered. "We helped Grimlock find the ship just after we finished with the sealing," he waved a fiery hand toward the Knight. Then he scowled and said, "He really did a number on that ship. It was almost unrecognizable when we found it."

"He must have thought we would assume that the relics are destroyed if we find it," suggested Vector Prime.

Alpha Trion nodded. "Deception has always been one of his greatest weapons. Fortunately, we know that the relics cannot easily be destroyed save by our most powerful weapon." He frowned. "Speaking of which, where is the Sword?"

They all looked at each other, then Vector glanced at the sole femme in their group: Solus Prime. With deliberate slowness, she grasped a hilt protruding from her back, drawing a magnificent white sword forged from an unknown material. Even in daylight, the blade shone like a miniature star, bright and dazzling.

"We found it in our brother's hand when we arrived," her optics briefly darted toward the body at Alpha Trion's feet. "Prima must have given it to him when he fell." She handed the sword to Alpha Trion. He took the sword and ran his gaze along its length. The grip was too large for him, but it immediately reconfigured itself to fit into his hand.

"Star Saber," he murmured. "Majestic, isn't it? The sword that Prima used to destroy our greatest enemy. To think that it would be used again to defeat our own brother. Fate is indeed cruel… what is it, sister?" Alpha Trion suddenly noticed her conflicted expression.

"Brother, I… It's just… Do you think what he said is true?" There was a slight tremble in her voice. "Is he really trying to revive him?"

"That's absurd, sister," said Alchemist with a grunt. "We all know that—" He was abruptly interrupted when Alpha Trion spoke.

"The Fallen needed Energon, correct?" he said, drawing their gaze.

Alchemist blinked. "Yes... and?"

In a soft voice, Alpha Trion answered, "Brother, we have enough Energon to power both the All Spark and Cybertron for another 500,000 years. He did not need to harvest Energon at all."

Silence descended upon them as the implication of what he said begin to sink. Behind Alpha Trion, the Knights murmured among themselves, disturbed by that statement. His siblings exchanged worried glances, then Alchemist slowly turned his gaze up at the towering ziggurat that stood above them.

"So you're saying…" his voice trailed off. He obviously did not want to finish the sentence, as if doing so would confirm their worst fear.

"That it is all my conjecture," said Alpha Trion. "We cannot know for sure. And hopefully, we never woud have to."

"Even if you are correct, it still doesn't make any sense. He would need the Chrysallis to do that," Vector pointed out. "And we already sent it to the deepest part of the universe."

"One of our gravest mistake," said Alpha Trion.

"What do you mean?"

With a sigh, the Prime closed his optics. "Vector, you of all people should know what I mean. The Chrysallis is merely a container, but the content is still pretty much active." He opened his optics to see them staring at him with horrified expressions. "If the will is strong, then so will be the influence. And if the mind is weak, it could be decieved… even corrupted."

"Which means..."

Alpha Trion nodded grimly. "It is likely the reason for our brother's betrayal. If that is the case, it is also likely that he has already ensnared other races to do his bidding, perhaps even command them to search for him."

At this, Vector started. "Then we must not waste any time! We have to look for the Chrysallis and make sure no one finds it first except us! I'll see if I can—"

"Calm down, Vector." Alpha Trion placed a hand on his brother's right shoulder. "Your agitation would not help solve our predicament."

"But we can't just stand here and do nothing!"

"And we won't." Alpha Trion held him with his gaze. "Believe me, brother. We won't." He stepped back and straightened himself, then said in a powerful voice, "Knights of Cybertron, I have a mission for all of you."

As one, the Knights stood in attention and saluted. "We hear you, great one," rumbled Grimlock.

"Dragonicus, come over here," Alpha Trion called. A tall Knight in crimson armor complied and stood behind him then bowed. Turning around, he held the Star Saber to him hilt-first. "Take this. You will need it along the with the other relics."

The Knight stared at him in confusion. "My lord?"

"The Apprentices must stay here. All of them." There were a lot of shocked expressions at what he said, so he added, "This must be done."

"But why?" asked Vector. "Alpha Trion, the Apprentices are needed in Cybertron! They can't—"

"If they don't, then this planet is doomed as well as the entire universe." When all he received were blank stares, he continued, "The Matrix of Leadership lies here, Vector. As well as the Sun Harvester. If someone, anyone at all, with the same intention as The Fallen manage to locate them, then our sacrifices are for nothing."

"But why all of the Apprentices?"

"Because Dragonstorm will be needed to defend the Omega Lock while the rest will guard the Trinity Arsenals and the Omega Keys."

Vector stared at him in disbelief. "Wait! You're going to place a Lock here on this planet? Have you taken leave of your senses, brother? Gaea would not sit idly while we build something capable of destroying her planet right in her own soil!"

"It's been eons since she has last awaken," said Alpha Trion. "I doubt if she would even sense it."

"But why build an Omega Lock? We only use those in case a planet… our planet… is destroyed…" Realization suddenly hit him, and his optics widened. "It can't be!"

His expression solemn, Alpha Trion nodded. "The Quill has written another revelation," he murmured sadly.

"What is it?" Vector demanded. "Brother, what did you see?"

"Darkness," he stared into the sky and answered. "A great darkness that would consume our planet's light. And at the end of it, destruction. But I have seen hope. A brighter future which lies on this world… and its inhabitants. This is why it is imperative that this planet is kept safe."

Nobody spoke. They all knew that the Quill only wrote two things: truth and the future. Everything that had happened to them, every major events that had shaped their race in its entirety, all of those were long foretold by the Quill. Thus, if it said that Cybertron would be destroyed, then there was nothing more they could do, nor could they argue its validity.

Vector swayed on his feet, his strength seemingly depleted. In trembling voice, he said, "But still—"

"Brother, that's enough." It was Solus who spoke. "Alpha Trion is right. If someone finds the Matrix and activate the Sun Harvester, then whether or not Cybertron is destroyed doesn't matter. But if we keep the Omega Lock and our greatest weapons safe, we would still have a chance."

"Besides, if we leave the Apprentices here, they could defend the Tomb and prevent anyone from finding it," Alchemist added. "It's a good plan."

For a moment, Vector was conflicted. Alpha Trion could understand his concern; even he was not totally invested in his own plan. But they had no choice. It was their only chance. Moreover, what he did not tell them was the great battle he had foreseen long ago. A battle that would occur on this planet, and which would be pivotal in the universe's survival. However, many would die—including them and most of the Knights. And that terrifying knowlede was not something he could readily impart to his siblings. It would certainly break them.

Finally, Vector nodded. "So be it. All this time your counsel has led us to the right path. If you think this is our only option, I have to agree."

"So do I," Solus agreed.

"And I," rumbled Alchemist.

"Thank you, my brethren." Alpha Trion smiled gratefully, then turned to Dragonicus. Still holding the Star Saber, he said, "Now do you understand, brave knight? You and your brothers must do this or else we will lose everything."

In response, Dragonicus took the sword without hesitation and held it in front of him. "My lord, I do." He stepped back and joined the other eleven, then said, "We will obey your command and defend the relics with our lives. This we swear on our honor."

"What of us?" asked Grimlock.

Alpha Trion looked at him. "I have a mission for the seven Grandmasters as well," he said. "Once you are done here, take the Sanctuary and search for the Chrysallis just as Vector said." The aforementioned Prime was startled to hear this. "If you find it, send us a message as soon as possible." He paused. "This mission is vital, Grimlock. The most vital of all. If you succeed, then there might still be hope."

The Knight Grandmaster nodded. "We will succeed, Great One," he vowed.

"Thank you, Grimlock. We truly haven't made a mistake when we chose you to lead the Grandmasters. Now, there's one more thing left for us to do." He looked down sadly at his dead brother, then kneeled down and touched the gaping hole in his chest.

"If only we have arrived sooner, we could still have saved you," Alpha Trion brushed his fingers against the armor. "But alas, fate has once again intervened." He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Solus.

"He never would want to see you grieving," she said in a gentle voice. "Our brother died to save us. We should honor him not with sadness, but with joy now that he is one with the All Spark."

"I know, sister." He lowered his gaze, then he slowly smiled. "But that doesn't mean we cannot do anything. His spark is still intact." Raising his hand, Alpha Trion transformed it into a four-pronged claw, stabbed it deep to his brother's chest, and wrenched away a bright crimson orb that glowed with a dull light. He stood up and held the spark like he would a fragile hatchling.

Then he murmured, "Let's go home... Orion."

Welcome, dear readers, old and new, to the first chapter of my Transformers 5: Faces of Darkness rebooted version.

Let me just clarify a few things. To be precise, this is NOT a total reboot. It is still primarily based on my previous version of TF5, but with a lot of story elements from The Last Knight film incorporated. Which is, strangely enough, fits rather well if the above first chapter is anything to judge by.

As for why I decided to do this... well, let's just say that I'm not entirely satisfied with the story of the film. Not to say I had high expectations, but I had expected something more than I got. With that said, the premise itself was interesting, which is why I want to merge it with my own story to create what I wish is a good take on The Last Knight.

Moving on, this won't be a total rehash of the movie. Some scenes will be adapted, but many will be original. Many of the original human characters seen on the movie will not appear, and the Autobot and Decepticon roster will remain largely the same from the previous story. But expect quite a few new and old faces to show up. :)

On a side note, my main priority right now is my novel which I'm planning to publish by December, or if not then on January. So update will be slow. But since I'm writing this simultaneously with the novel, I think I can make a monthly update. No promises, though.

Well, anyway that's it. This one is just the prologue; naturally it would be short. But the next one will be longer. 100% guaranteed. So please Read & Review!

Until next time!