Chapter Text
"Can I leave now? I think Wheeljack's elbow is digging into my side." Hook groaned.
"Oops, sorry." Wheeljack mumbled, shifting into a more comfortable position, though the Constructicon was still frowning.
"Nah, you're trapped here now, mech. Might as well get comfy." Jazz grinned, finger-gunning at the Constructicon, who groaned louder.
"Oh, shut your trap, you big sparkling, it's a cuddle pile, not torture." Ratchet growled, rolling his optics at the Decepticon's dramatics.
Hook huffed, though he subtly snuggled deeper in his space between Wheeljack and Ratchet. It wasn't all that different from the snuggle piles Scrapper insisted the gestalt do every once in a while, he supposed. "It might as well be..." He grumbled.
"Are you sure you're okay, Mirage?" Optimus murmured, looking down at the blue and white mech with concerned optics.
Mirage nodded, his own optics determined. "I'm alright. I...let's just continue this thing."
As if hearing him, the screen unpaused, and the movie continued.
Scourge: Kill the other human.
"Oh no...is that that little...spider creature?" Spike squinted up at said creature on Scourge's arm, barely suppressing a shiver. He thought spiders on Earth were bad, but that thing made them seem like cute, fuzzy pets in comparison.
"Miss Elena is smart, I'm sure she's capable of avoiding any harm while trying to retrieve the key." Prowl hummed, arms crossed over his chassis.
Jazz snorted, poking the SIC in the side. "Oh? Do I smell favoritism?"
Prowl frowned, giving the black and white mech a stern glare. "It's not favoritism, it's called simple observation. You'd know about it if you paid more attention to-"
"Both of you shut up! Primus, you Autobots are so noisy!" Starscream shrieked, throwing his servos up in the air in frustration.
"Look who's talking." Cliffjumper grumbled.
[In the battlefield, Optimus looks upon Unicron above them.]
Optimus Prime: Unicron.
Unicron: You fought bravely, but this world is already mine.
Elena: We're too late!
Megatron growled, glaring up at the screen. "Who does this junk heap think he is? Earth is supposed to be mine! He dare think he can take it from me?" He snarled, feeling the strong urge to power his arm cannon and fire it over and over again at this supposed 'god' until he was nothing but shreds of metal in space.
"Megatron-" Optimus began with a tired sigh, but the warlord immediately cut him off.
"No! If I get to be mad at something, I deserve to be mad at this excuse for a leader! Where is my own counterpart? He should be furious at this blatant disrespect!"
Optimus could only sigh again, rubbing a servo against his battle mask, letting the Decepticon leader rant and rave some more, though the Matrix seemed almost amused at the warlord's angry rambling. He just wished Megatron would stop blowing things out of proportion.
"It is like Megatron to think he could actually go up against a probably billion vorns old god that eats planets." Jazz chuckled, seeming to be the only other mech amused by Megatron.
Kris: (via walkie-talkie) Hey Knuckles, you there? Over? Yo, Sonic.
Noah: (via walkie-talkie) Kris.
Kris: (via walkie-talkie) Noah? What's going on? Where's Mirage?
Noah: (via walkie-talkie) He-- he's gone.
Kris: (via walkie-talkie) Gone?
Arcee: [looks upon Unicron entering the atmosphere] No.
Noah: (via walkie-talkie) I'm sorry, Kris. I'm not gonna win this one.
"No no no, what's with this 'give up' attitude? Get up!" Mirage growled, though the end sounded more like a plea than anything. Primus, please don't let Noah die as well. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to watch that. No, he knew for a fact he wouldn't be able to. Noah needed to survive. He needed to get back to Kris and his mother and...well, the man had his whole life ahead of him! While Cyertronians could live for millions of decades, humans barely had any time at all. Noah needed to make the most of it, which meant he needed to go!
"Mirage.." Optimus murmured, hugging the Autobot spy close, though it did little to comfort Mirage.
"I know, I know! I just need to make sure he's safe!" Mirage found that he couldn't take his optics off the screen, wincing at the sight of the open portal.
"Unicron truly is invading Earth." Bumblebee whispered, tugging Spike closer, the boy not protesting as he was snuggled into the yellow minibot's arms.
"Yeah, seems like they're all dead." Skywarp yawned, much to the exasperation of the seekers beside him.
"They technically still have a chance. That human girl went for the key!" Thundercracker argued.
"Careful, you'll start to sound like an Autobot with all that optimism."
"Thundercracker is right. As long as Elena is going after the key, there's hope for both the Autobots and the Maximals, and all the inhabitants of Earth. Unicron will not win this battle." Optimus rumbled, optics shining with determination, not noticing the two seekers startling.
"I didn't realize he knew my name." Thundercracker hissed lowly.
"Yeah, me neither. That was honestly freaky." Skywarp muttered back. "At best, I thought he'd only know Starscream and Soundwave."
Kris: (via walkie-talkie) We don't lose, right?
Noah: (via walkie-talkie) I wish that were true, but I can't.
Kris: (via walkie-talkie) Yes, you can.
Noah: (via walkie-talkie) No. No, man, I'm not you.
Kris: (via walkie-talkie) I hate being sick. Whenever I wanna give up, you're always there telling me to keep going. But now it's my turn. Keep going, Noah! You think you're a nobody, but you're the strongest guy I know!
Mirage felt his spark swell with a warmth almost unfamiliar to him, threatening to engulf his entire frame. Yes! Come on, Noah was strong, he could do this! He wanted nothing more than to reach into the screen and hug his human companion and tell him just how amazing he was.
...not that he'd ever admit that to anyone. He's already been embarrassed enough throughout this entire experience.
"Ugh, more mushy emotional stuff! I'm gonna purge!" Skywarp gagged, leaning against Starscream.
"Purge on me and I'll bash your helm into it!" The Decepticon SIC screeched, shoving the purple seeker away from him.
Mirage: You guys are so cute.
Mirage blinked, thinking he had misheard, but from the flashes of shock and relief coming from the fields around him, it seems he didn't.
"YOU FAKED YOUR DEATH?!" Ratchet yelled, looking ready to tackle Mirage to the floor and demand answers.
Mirage quickly lifted his servos up, trying to scramble as best as he could away from the medic. "You already know I don't control the actions of my counterpart!" He yelped.
Ratchet growled, still looking furious as he glared at the screen. "If I ever meet that young bot, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind..."
"I won't stop you." Mirage muttered, the shock now wearing off. He wondered if his counterpart's universe had its own Ratchet. If so, that Mirage would surely get a...what's it called, 'earful' about his stunt. The thought brought a tinge of amusement to his spark.
"Yay, he's alive!" Bumblebee cheered, glancing nervously at Ratchet. "Right? You know...we're supposed to be happy he's okay?"
"Being 'okay' wouldn't exactly be the right word." Hook muttered, his own optics wide behind his visor, though he quickly covered up his own shock. "He sounds like a strong gust of wind would be enough to take him down."
"He's alive, and that's all that matters." Optimus murmured, smiling brightly behind his battle mask. While everything around them seemed bleak, Mirage had lived, and that gave him further hope that they would succeed in their mission, and save Earth from Unicron's hunger.
"Should have known. You Autobots have a strange ability of escaping death." Megatron muttered, though his voice wasn't as angry as it had been before.
Noah: Mirage? You're alive?
Mirage: Yeah, but I'm gonna need you to take the wheel.
[Mirage's parts start surrounding Noah like an armor.]
Kris: (via walkie-talkie) You can do this. You're my brother. Noah Diaz. From Wilson Avenue. Apartment 2C Brooklyn, New York.
Noah: (via walkie-talkie) No names over the airwaves.
Kris: (via walkie-walkie) Forget that. Let 'em know who you are.
"W-wait-they're not supposed to give out their address-" Red Alert began to ramble, though Bumblebee quickly talked over him.
"Woah! Did you see that?!" The yellow minibot was practically vibrating with excitement as he glanced down at Spike. "Do you think we can do that?"
Spike gaped at the screen, before grinning back at Bumblebee. "I mean...we can certainly try!"
"Not without supervision and multiple safety measures you're not!" Ratchet growled, before glaring at Wheeljack, the inventor having already begun to write down what he just saw. "And you won't be in charge of any tests!"
"Hey-what?!"
The Decepticons themselves were shocked, gaping up at the screen.
"U-uh...we all just saw the same thing, right?" Skywarp muttered, glancing between Starscream and Thundercracker, who both nodded.
Soundwave tilted his helm, staring up at the screen, then commed Laserbeak, who immediately began recording the screen, saving the file for later. If Cybertronians were able to merge with humans, he knew Shockwave would want to know everything about it.
"Hey, if we're near human height, do you think we can merge with another Cybertronian?" Rumble whispered to Frenzy, who began to grin widely.
"No." Soundwave was quick to put a stop to that idea, much to the cassettes disappointment, the two pouting up at the spy master.
Megatron's optics were wide before narrowing in disbelief. What was this universe? Unicron? Maximals? Fragging Autobots somehow managing to merge with humans?! Nothing made sense! Megatron couldn't wrap his helm around any of this! The biggest question was why would any self-respecting Cybertronian want to merge with something so soft and weak?
"Amazing, isn't it?" Optimus murmured, glancing down at Mirage, and he couldn't help but chuckle softly at the sight.
Mirage's optics were wide, filled with awe and wonder. His mouth had parted, hanging open as he stared at the screen, seeming to not notice anything or anyone around him. His counterpart and Noah merged together, as if they were one being! He's never heard of anything like it before. Were they the first? Would he be able to do it with his own Noah?
"I think his processor short-circuited." Jazz snickered, nudging Mirage lightly. "So much for 'work friends' huh?"
Mirage sputtered, snapping out of his thoughts as his face plate heated up. "What-shut up Jazz!"
"Fascinating...I wonder if any of the other Autobots are able to do such a thing...maybe it depends on the bond between Cybertronian and human?" Wheeljack was mumbling, scratching a digit against his helm.
"Like Airazor and Elena?" Prowl suggested, also looking interested.
"Yeah...yeah! Like...like a human with wings!"
Hook snorted, rolling his optics. "Yeah right, as if that's a real thing."
Noah: Yo, Scourge! Remember me?
Scourge: You think you can take me on alone?
Optimus Prime: He is not alone.
"Fight fight fight!" Rumble and Frenzy cheered, the screen quickly distracting them from their own pouting.
"How a puny human is able to move like that is beyond me." Starscream muttered, wings tense as he stared at the screen.
"They're resilient!" Bumblebee crowed, proudly holding up Spike, who laughed at the minibot's enthusiasm.
[Meanwhile, Elena tries catching her bag as it almost falls in the lava.]
Elena: I'm never leaving Brooklyn again.
Prowl's optics widened with alarm at the sight of the spider creature attacking Elena, then relaxed as the human managed to fend off her attacker. "Impressive." He hummed.
Jazz grinned, nudging the tactician's shoulder. "Is someone getting attached?" He teased, chuckling as Prowl just gave the black and white mech an unimpressed look.
[The tower sends out a shockwave, sparkling energon to life on Earth. Stratosphere watches this from afar.]
Stratosphere: Ahhh, energon.
[The rocks that Bumblebee's body lies on glows with energon.]
Optimus blinked, staring at the rock intensely. Did this mean...? He won't make any assumptions yet, but that glimmer of hope inside his spark was quickly turning into a flame.
Noah: Prime!
Cheetor: (sees Noah in danger) Noah!
[He throws his spear at Nightbird, but is tackled by a Sweeps. The spear hits between Noah & Nightbird as the 2 crash down on land. Scourge kicks Optimus as Sweeps start surrounding him. Noah breathes heavily as he is approached by Nightbird & the Sweeps.]
"No!" Mirage growled, feeling that same dread from before rise again, though he tried to reassure himself. Noah and his counterpart were merged, he'll be alright, nothing could hurt him. His human companion had been fighting alongside Optimus against Scourge, so of course a Terrorcon and some weird spider creatures would be easy...right?
"Defeated by a kick and a few spiders, Prime?" Megatron sneered, though even he seemed tensed, glancing between Optimus and the screen. "Well? Got nothing to say?"
"Shut yer' trap! Optimus would never go down tha' easily!" Ironhide growled, raising his servos up defensively, clenching them into fists.
"I still believe we will win this fight, Megatron." Was all Optimus said.
Nightbird: I'm getting really tired of you humans.
[Noah backs away, almost drowning in the pit of lava behind. Scourge watches as all goes to plan until he sees Stratosphere fly in. Inside him, the cargo door opens as a revived Bumblebee is ready for battle. He plays LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out (Sam Wilkes Remix)" on his radio as he dives down and fires his cannons at the Freezers and spheres. Optimus sees his comeback in awe.]
Optimus Prime: Bee!
Bumblebee's optics brightened, and he nearly jumped out of the pile in excitement. "I-I'm alive! I'm alive!" He chirped, laughing as Spike cheered with him.
"You chose some good music too!" Jazz chuckled, bobbing his helm along to the music playing from the screen.
"That's what you're focusing on?" Prowl muttered, sighing as the black and white mech ignored him.
"How?! Do you Autobots have some sort of...of invincibility we're never heard of? How do you keep coming back to life?" Starscream screeched, pointing an accusatory digit at the Autobot pile, most either shrugging or mumbling an "I don't know".
"Me Grimlock strong enough to not need coming back to life!" The dinobot leader rumbled smugly, much to Ratchet's exasperation.
"Wait, if Bumblebee's alive, then maybe...maybe Airazor is too, right?" Wheeljack exclaimed, glancing back at the screen hopefully.
Ratchet sighed, shaking his helm. "I don't know, Wheeljack. Bumblebee seemed to be the only one inside of Stratosphere. I don't think she made it." He muttered, giving the inventor a comforting pat on the shoulder.
Wheeljack frowned, glancing between Ratchet and the screen. "But-but the energon should have..." Wheeljack sighed, rubbing a servo against his face plate. "That doesn't make any sense..."
"Uh, at least your friend is alive again?" Hook mumbled, reaching out and giving the Autobot an awkward pat as well, though he quickly retracted his servo at Grimlock's growl. "Oh, so it's fine if I'm in a cuddle pile with him but touching him voluntarily is taking it too far?"
Grimlock just huffed, giving the Constructicon a final glare before resting his helm on Wheeljack's lap, allowing the inventor to pet him.
Laserbeak stared at the screen expectingly, though let out a small tweet of disappointment at the noticeable lack of the larger bird. Soundwave silently tugged the cassette onto his lap, petting her.
[Nightbird sees this in fury and gets out her blades.]
Nightbird: You again! You should have stayed dead!
[She flies up to fight Bumblebee. Scourge fires at the Autobot, who uses Nightbird as a sheilf before taking one of her wings and stabbing her with it, blowing the Terrorcon to pieces. Bumblebee lands down on the ground, ready to join the battle.]
The seekers recoiled at the sight, their own wings fluttering nervously.
"Primus, he's worse than those annoying Autobot twins." Starscream whispered as he stared up at the screen.
"I know she's supposed to be bad but...using her own wings to kill her." Thundercracker shuddered, tucking his own wings closer to his frame.
"Absolutely brutal." Skywarp agreed, looking uncomfortable for the first time since they got here.
"Uh, I can promise I won't do that to you guys? That...yeah, that looked painful." Bumblebee called out, though that didn't seem to reassure the seekers.
Bumblebee: (audio clip from They Live) I have come here to kick ass!
Noah: Glad to have you back.
Optimus Prime: Everyone, guard the bridge! Elena, shut it down!
Noah: We gotta give her some cover!
Elena: Punch in an access code. How hard could that be? [sees a very complicated interface] Oh, you've got to be kidding me.
Spike winced, staring at the screen in confusion. "Who would even make such a complicated thing?" He complained.
"I'm sure she'll be able to figure it out." Prowl muttered, arms crossed over his chassis, examining the interface, noting each symbol curiously.
Jazz chuckled, glancing at Spike and mouthing "Favorite human" while gesturing to Prowl. Spike snickered, though the two quickly quieted down at the SIC's stern look.
"Of course the Autobots would be idiotic enough to lay the fate of the world and its inhabitants to a stupid human." Megatron sneered, shaking his helm in disbelief.
"Hey." Prowl growled, door wings tensing.
"While she might not be familiar with the technology, I have no doubt Ms. Wallace will succeed." Optimus cut in, rubbing Prowl's shoulder gently, watching as his fellow Autobot relaxed.
"I mean, at least she can read, unlike some." Cliffjumper snorted.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Hook complained, glaring at the red minibot.
"Me Grimlock don't know how to read!" Grimlock declared proudly, making the Constructicon blink.
"Oh."
Optimus Prime: Just you and me, Scourge! Let's end this once and for all!
Scourge: (to Unicron) Master, the reinforcements!
[As reinforcements come in, the film's version of "On My Soul" plays.]
"Are those...Cybertronian scorpions or something?" Spike muttered, eyes wide as he stared at the screen.
"Huh, would have thought they'd be smaller than the spiders." Wheeljack hummed, not looking as concerned as Spike felt he should be.
"They're all going to die. Oh Primus, do they even have a medic on their team-" Red Alert, on the other hand, seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown.
"Hey now, mech, everything's gonna be alright, sit back and enjoy the music!" Jazz gave the red and white Autobot a pat on the back, then gave Wheeljack a confused look. "Also, I don't think spiders are bigger than scorpions...right?"
"Uh-well-" Spike made a 'so-so' gesture with his hand. "Depends on the spider?"
Jazz hummed, then went back to trying to calm Red Alert down.
Elena: Alright, I got this.
Noah: Let's go, Bee!
[Noah & Bumblebee start mowing down the Freezers.]
Bumblebee: (audio clip from Scarface) Say hello to my little friend!
Noah: We gotta hurry!
Elena: [looks at Noah dealing with the Freezers] Last one.
Mirage beamed, using every last ounce of self-restraint to not jump up and down in excitement, though he allowed the pride he felt to flow through his field. "I knew he could do it! Look at him go!" He cheered, pointing at the screen and glancing at the Autobots around him.
"They certainly know how ta fight as a team, the three of em." Ironhide chuckled, a sharp grin on his face plate.
"Three? Oh right, Mirage." Bumblebee chirped, wiggling happily, his door wings flapping. "Look at my own counterpart! I look so cool don't I?"
Prowl hummed, feeling his own amount of pride as he watched Elena figure out the code. "Well, it looks like the human is figuring out the code." He muttered, tone neutral, but it still made Megatron bristle.
Rumble and Frenzy were jumping around Soundwave's pedes, cheering as the fight went on. Even Ravage couldn't help but perk up, watching the screen with interest.
"Probability of winning: higher than before." Soundwave declared quietly.
"They have puny humans and yet somehow they're winning..." Starscream muttered, then buried his helm into his servos. "You know what? Why am I even surprised? The Autobots do that anyways in our own universe..."
"They wouldn't if you stopped trying to usurp me!" Megatron snarled, turning his anger towards his SIC.
"Oh, your plans are useless at best and you know it!" The seeker snapped back boldly.
"I think we should be glad that Unicron isn't eating Earth." Thundercracker muttered, though was easily ignored.
Noah: Yeah! Yeah, you ugly mother-!
[Primal kills a Terrorcon scorpion as we pan to the greater battle on the ground, with Arcee on Rhinox, jumping off & joining Wheeljack as they blast the Freezers. Unicron is close to entering the atmosphere as Prime & Scourge fight.]
Optimus Prime: You will never see Unicron take this world! [he & Noah look at Elena. finishing the code]
Noah: You did it! Brooklyn, baby!
Scourge: No! Unicron will prevail!
[His arm forms into a cannon to aim at Elena.]
Noah: Elena!
[As Scourge fires, Noah jumps in and saves Elena while the blast hits the control panel.]
"No! Does that mean...is the code..." Bumblebee glanced between his fellow Autobots and the screen, optics wide with worry.
Prowl's optics narrowed, door wings tensed. "She completed the code, so it should work as intended." He muttered.
"But if it didn't..." Thundercracker felt his wings slump against his back, pressing closer to his frame.
"Then Unicron will enter into the atmosphere." Optimus finished, his tone calm despite the brief flare of anger from the Matrix.
"Still think there's any hope left for Earth, Prime?" Megatron growled, tilting his helm to glare at the Autobot leader, optics blazing with a challenge.
Optimus closed his optics briefly, then reopened them, staring back at the Decepticon leader determinedly. "I do. There's always a chance for success, even in times as dark as these." He will still hope. He knew his counterpart won't allow Earth to be destroyed that easily.
Optimus Prime: I've had enough! (cuts off both of Scourge's arms and strikes his blade through his head) Time to show you the real power of a Prime!
[He pulls the Terrorcon's head off, killing him. Then, Prime grabs Bumblebee's insignia from his corpse.]
Optimus Prime: This belongs to a friend of mine!
Optimus's optics widened as he stared up at the screen, and he knew he wasn't the only one shocked by his counterpart's actions. Both Autobots and Decepticons alike recoiled at the sight of Scourge's headless body, horror engulfing all their fields. Even the cassetticons had gone silent.
"Primus-" Ratchet choked out.
"Did...did the Prime just-" That was Thundercracker, the blue seeker's voice barely above a whisper.
Megatron himself couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Optimus Prime, the mech who preached so much about compassion and peace...had just ripped apart a mech like it was nothing. A mech who all seemed to think near invincible. A mech who was quite possibly Unicron's own Second in Command. Gone, just like that. He had never seen such brutal anger from the Prime, and now a new feeling was surfacing in his spark. Surely it wasn't fear, was it? No, of course not! He never has and never will fear the Prime!
He glanced at his Decepticon soldiers, only to find all of them had that same horrified look in their optics, the question in their processor obvious: would their own Prime do such a thing?
"I...I don't want my helm ripped off." Starscream rasped, with Soundwave quickly nodding along, holding his cassettes close.
Hook was starting to feel like he made a mistake not protesting more about being in the Autobot pile, seeing how close he was to the Prime, and silently cursed himself in his helm.
Optimus himself was horrified at his own counterpart's actions. He has been in war for a long time, and some would say he's jaded compared to who he used to be, but Optimus liked to believe that he would still show mercy above every other option. Not even Megatron, despite all that he's done, deserved such a terrible end.
Elena: The panel... It's destroyed. I can't stop it!
Optimus Prime: Autobots, Maximals, retreat to safety. I will destroy the key myself.
Arcee: Prime, no!
Noah: There's got to be another way.
Optimus Prime: Bee, protect them.
[He tosses back the Autobot insignia to Bumblebee, who is visibly sad at what Optimus will do.]
Optimus Primal: Your sacrifice becomes our oath.
Optimus Prime: Thank you, my friends.
"WHAT!" Ratchet whipped his helm to glare at Optimus, optics blazing. "If you dare do something that idiotic ever, I'll weld you to the nearest medbay berth and keep you there!"
Optimus blinked, surprised at the sheer anger coming from the medic, before his optics softened. "If there is ever a situation where my sacrifice is needed in order to save the lives of innocents, and the lives of my friends, I would gladly take it." His explanation seemed to do little to comfort Ratchet. In fact, the medic seemed more irritated, throwing his servos into the air and grumbling lowly.
"Like Noah said, there's got to be another way. You shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself." Surprisingly, it was Mirage who spoke up next, giving the Prime a stern (or, as stern as he could manage) look, arms crossed over his chassis. "They just got Bumblebee back, why do they have to lose you too?"
"Of course the noble Prime sacrifices himself. For a planet filled with inferior creatures." Megatron sneered, glaring back at Optimus.
"I would." Optimus murmured, optics determined.
Noah: Bee!
Elena: We can't leave him!
[Bumblebee transforms back into a Camaro.]
Optimus Primal: Everyone, on me!
[Bumblebee drives, uncaring of the Freezers on the way. Noah looks at Optimus, who looks at Unicron.]
Unicron: Don't, Prime. I can give you everything you want.
Optimus Prime: Then die!
[He smashes the key, sending the Sweeps flying, sucking up the portal deployer as Optimus tries hanging on with his axe. Luckily, Noah catches him.]
Optimus Prime: Noah.
Noah: I got you.
"Noah!" Mirage cheered, optics brightening at the sight of his human.
"How-of course, the suit." Starscream muttered, his own optics narrowing in thought. How exactly did such a thing work? Did it combine the strength of the Cybertronian and-ugh, strength of the human into one? Did it connect both their thoughts? Starscream briefly wondered where exactly the spark would go on such a tiny human, then dismissed the thought. He wasn't a scientist anymore, so why did he care about such trivial things?
Optimus didn't know how to feel, his spark a mixture of surprise and gratitude. It seems that despite his counterpart's initial hatred towards humans, one still came to save him. It made him wonder if he was worthy of such loyalty.
Optimus Prime: Let me go, Noah. Save yourself.
Noah: Till all are one.
[Noah tries pulling the axe, but loses grasp. Luckily, Primal catches Optimus by the hand.]
Optimus Primal: Till all are one.
[Optimus reverts to truck mode as Noah uses his armor boosters.]
Noah: Punch it, Prime! [they successfully get off the bridge] Yeah, baby!
The cassettes whooped and cheered, with Rumble and Frenzy being the loudest of the bunch, as usual, though they weren't the only ones cheering.
"Told you there'd be another way!" Mirage huffed, though there was a large grin on his face plate.
"I thought Noah was the one who said it." Jazz teased, laughing as the blue and white mech playfully shoved him back.
"Same thing!"
"I swear, Optimus, if you ever try that-" Ratchet began, only to get cut off by Hook, who was waving his servo dismissively at the other medic.
"You'll personally make sure he regrets it. Primus, you Autobots sure like to repeat yourselves." The Constructicon grumbled, only to yelp at the smack he got on the back of his helm. "Hey!"
"Don't grumble at me!"
"You're lucky you've never gotten the wrench to the helm treatment." Wheeljack mumbled, before also swiftly receiving a smack to the helm. "Ow! It's true!"
"Young bots!" Ratchet muttered, arms crossed over his chassis.
Ironhide rolled his optics at the others antics, though they were intense as they stared at Optimus. "Ratchet's right, Prime. Ya don't have to keep sacrificin' yerself every time the world's in danger. Let some of us take the load."
Optimus sighed, nodding along to his old friend's words. "I...suppose I won't be able to keep everyone safe, no matter how much I want to. If there's another way, I'll take it. But if-"
"No buts, OP." Jazz interrupted, a warm grin on his face plate as he shook a digit. "We ain't letting you just go and off yourself if we can help it!"
The rest of his Autobots voiced their own agreements, and Optimus felt his own resolve crumbling. He cared for his fellow Autobots, and they cared for him. His spark and the Matrix were almost as one, humming happily at the amount of care he was receiving.
Spike grinned, wriggling out of Bumblebee's arms to hug Optimus, having to squeeze in beside Mirage. "I'm just glad almost everyone is okay in that universe."
"Ughhh, mushy again! Can we go five kliks without you Autobots becoming emotional?" Skywarp groaned, leaning back in his seat, pressing his wings against the velvety fabric.
"It must be a disease of some sort." Starscream muttered dryly, giving the Autobot pile a disgusted look.
"Poor Hook, we lost him too soon." Frenzy gave a fake sob, causing his twin to cackle loudly.
"I'm still alive, you dolts!" Said Constructicon shouted from the pile.
"It's like I can still hear his voice."
Megatron barely glanced away from the screen, a dark frown on his face plate. Of course Prime would live, he wasn't even surprised anymore. Somehow those puny Autobots managed to evade every single one of his attempts to deactivate them. Still, the image of Prime ripping off Scourge's helm invaded his processor, and he almost couldn't hold back the shiver that wanted to go through his frame. Hopefully the Prime wouldn't get any ideas from his 'counterpart' to use on him and his Decepticons.
Though, glancing back at the Prime now, surrounded and practically cuddling his soldiers, Megatron supposed such gruesome ideas won't be popping into his helm anytime soon. "Soft-spark..." He muttered.
[Everyone gets to safety, & then look at where the portal bridge used to be.]
Arcee: Unicron? Is he dead?
Optimus Primal: Trapped, but not dead. Evil can never be vanquished completely. He could return.
Optimus Prime: Let him come. United, we will destroy him once and for all. (voiceover) I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. [Primal is seen beating his chest near a waterfall] We have lost the Transwarp key, and with it, our ability to go home. [Noah looks at what was left of Mirage, his armor] But we have gained an ally in our battles against the forces of evil. Forces too powerful for any of us to defeat on our own, but together, we might just have a chance.
[Prime smiles at Noah, who is then seen coming home from the adventure.]
Noah: (voiceover) I am Noah Diaz. What is there to know about me? I was raised out in Brooklyn. I got a little bro who calls me Sonic, and if I gotta help save the universe in order to save the people I love, well then that's what I'm gonna do.
"What is this? Reading from your personal diary?" Skywarp snickered, wings flicking with amusement.
"How do you know what a diary is?" Thundercracker questioned, raising an optic ridge.
"'Cause I read yours."
"What-"
"Am I just a piece of armor now?" Mirage cut in, squinting at the screen.
"I would've thought you'd enjoy always being able to merge with Noah's body." Jazz teased, a smirk on his face plate as Mirage sputtered, his own face heating up.
"What-JAZZ!"
[Noah reunites with his family. Sometime later, we see Noah walking into a workplace. He speaks to a security guard.]
Noah: How you doing, sir? Here for the job interview. Noah Diaz?
[He hands the guard his card.]
Security Guard: I'll tell him you're here.
[Noah spots the TV showing 60 Minutes, speaking about Elena's discovery.]
Lesley Stahl: (on TV) This Sunday on 60 Minutes, I sit down to talk with Elena Wallace. She recently discovered an underground temple with a network of catacombs dating back to 5000 BC.
Elena: (on TV) I never could have imagined making a discovery of this significance. So it's definitely a dream come true.
[Noah smiles at Elena, finally getting her recognition.]
Noah: Brooklyn, baby.
Mirage perked up, shifting anxiously. "Job interview? Like the last one?" He muttered, optics narrowing. They better accept Noah this time, his human was practically perfect for any job!
Prowl hummed, eyeing the small TV on the screen. "Seems like she's finally making a name for herself." He murmured, door wings flicking proudly.
[The guard hands Noah back his card.]
Security Guard: They're ready for you.
Noah: Thanks, sir.
Security Guard: Elevator in the back.
[Cut to Noah being interview by Agent Burke.]
Agent Burke: Why don't you tell me about your strengths?
Noah: In addition to my experience with electronics, I've also been developing my team-building skills, too.
Agent Burke: That so? Look, I'm gonna be honest with you. Resume's a little thin.
Noah: Yeah, well, I just recently had a job. Working internationally.
Agent Burke: Oh, it that...? No, I don't think it's on here.
Noah: No, no, it was a short-term contract.
Instantly, Prowl's optics narrowed, frame tensing. Something about this 'interview' didn't seem right. Something about this other human seemed off. And it seemed he wasn't the only one who thought so, if Soundwave's own frame tensing was anything to go by.
"He'll get the job this time, right? He has too!" Bumblebee worried, glancing down at Spike, who shrugged helplessly.
"Sometimes you get the job, sometimes you don't, even with a good resume."
"What if this is an assassination attempt!" Red Alert gasped, and while most of the Cybertronians rolled their optics at the paranoid Autobot's words, Starscream hummed, leaning back in his seat. It truly did feel like the man had other motives, and he would know, since he's planned dozens of assassination attempts on Megatron.
"This whole thing seems pointless, why are we even watching this? They defeated Unicron, we have no need to watch these puny humans anymore!" Said warlord was growling.
"There might be more to this than what we're seeing, Megatron." Optimus murmured, eyeing the other man on the screen curiously.
Agent Burke: Oh. Well, that's cool! Why don't you tell me about that?
Noah: It was in South America, so I got to work on my Spanish and my mom was real happy about that. You know what I'm saying? You know moms. She's just really... but when I was out there, honestly, man, it was really just like work, work, work, work, work.
Agent Burke: Well, that's a shame 'cause I heard the food is really good in Peru.
Noah: I-I didn't mention anything about Peru.
Agent Burke: Well, that's where you were, right?
Noah: I was...
Agent Burke: In Kuzco? With you and Elena and your, um... I don't know, call 'em friends?
"I knew it! It was a trap! Jump through the nearest window!" Red Alert shrieked, causing the other bots around him to jump.
Mirage's optics narrowed, his frame tensing defensively. "Who is this human?" He growled, feeling that same protective anger as before. He didn't care who this other human is, but if he dared to hurt Noah...
"The bigger question is how they know about Elena and the other Cybertronians." Prowl muttered, arms crossed over his chassis.
"Suggestion: human government?" Soundwave murmured, helm tilted as he scanned over the other human's face. He would have to find out more about this human. If he lived in their universe, he could prove to be a threat not just to them, but to all Cybertronians and Cybertron itself.
"What kind of human government fakes an interview?" Cliffjumper grumbled, glaring at the screen.
Noah: What's... What's going on here?
Agent Burke: We know a lot about you, Mr. Diaz.
Noah: Who are you? The CIA or FBI?
Agent Burke: We are a secret government organization, strictly off the books. We specialize in global threats, planetary, loss prevention, that kind of thing. We're in the middle of an ongoing war, and we'd love to have you join the fight. You and your whole team, you know, the big guys.
"They want Noah to join a war? There's some secret war going on?" Mirage exclaimed, frustrated at how little information he was getting. Who were these people?
Megatron growled, clenching his digits against the arms of his seat. He hated to admit it, but the Autobot raised a fine question. How was there a war going on that they haven't figured out yet? How dare these puny humans think they can just demand help from Cybertronians!
"Think there's something like this happening in our universe, OP?" Jazz questioned, tilting his helm towards the Autobot leader, who looked far calmer than the rest of the bots in the theater.
Optimus hummed, rubbing a servo against his chin. "I don't know, Jazz. If there was, why haven't they contacted us by now?"
Jazz shrugged, an easy grin on his face plate. "Stage fright?"
Noah: No idea what you're talking about.
Agent Burke: That's a good answer. All right. Either way, I want you to know, in lieu of thanks of a grateful nation, we will be taking care of your brother Kris's healthcare. All of it. From now on, he will have 24/7 access to the greatest doctors in the world. And these are doctors who don't ask their patients about account balances.
Noah: Are you serious?
Agent Burke: You saved the world, kid. It's the least we can do.
Noah: I don't know what to say.
"Does this mean Kris is going to get better? That's great!" Bumblebee cheered, then glanced at Ratchet, confused on why the medic didn't seem as happy as he thought he would. "Ratchet? Isn't it a good thing?"
"Oh yes, great that it takes a secret government organization stepping in for a sparkling to finally get the treatment he needed. Fantastic." Ratchet growled, glaring at the screen, then sighed, rubbing a servo against his face plate. "No, no...it's good he's getting treatment. I just can't help but think about the possibility of other human sparklings who are injured and can't get the right treatment either."
"Hey, once we get back to our own universe, maybe you can change that." Wheeljack suggested, nudging the medic lightly, who now had a hard, determined look in his optics.
"Oh, I intend to."
Hook rolled his optics, crossing his arms over his chassis. "I...guess I could help too. In sake of the sparklings, that is." He grumbled, feeling his face plate heat up at the grateful looks the two Autobots shot him. "Don't look at me like that!"
Agent Burke: We'll work on that. (hands Noah a business card) Your brother's gonna be just fine. Oh, Kris was right, by the way.
[He moves a plague to the side and the wall opens up to reveal a secret agency department behind it.]
Agent Burke: No names over the airwaves. We could really use someone like you, Noah. Why don't you think about it?
[As Burke goes down on the lift, Noah looks at the agency in awe and surprise. He then looks at the card and flips it over to reveal the organization's name...]
Noah: G.I. Joe?
The screen finally went dark, leaving the theater in silence and darkness.
"See! This is why I always say to exercise caution! See what happens when you aren't careful?!" Red Alert finally exclaimed, pointing to the screen wildly. "But nooo, none of you listen to me!"
"Can it, Red. We got bigger fish ta' fry." Ironhide grunted, lifting himself off the ground with a groan, with the rest of the Autobots (and Hook) following suit. "Anyone know 'bout this secret organization?"
Every bot either shook their helm or replied with a negative.
"I think there's a reason why they're a 'secret' organization, Autobot." Starscream scoffed, arms crossed over his chassis.
"Soundwave: will do more research in our own universe." The spy master stated, with his cassetticons nodding along eagerly.
"Yeah! We'll find these weirdos!" Rumble declared, with Laserbeak squawking in agreement. Ravage let out a low hiss, jumping from Soundwave's shoulders to slink in between his pedes.
"Who even names themselves G.I. Joe? Who's Joe?" Frenzy snorted.
Mirage just rolled his optics, still hating that he couldn't exactly interrogate whoever these people were and what they wanted with Noah, though that anger was quickly turning into confusion. "Wait, so does that mean we're done here-"
Suddenly, the screen turned back on, startling almost every bot in the room.
"Again?" Megatron complained loudly, though Mirage ignored him, staring intensely up at the screen.
[Cut to Noah fixing up Mirage in the garage.]
Noah: Ooh, c'mon, baby, show me some, show me some... That oughtta do it.
Mirage blinked, his optics widening. "Is...is he fixing my counterpart?" He muttered. Was his human secretly a Cybertronian medic as well?
"I mean...you guys are somewhat like cars so...shouldn't be that hard, right?" Spike shrugged.
"Not that-the years I spent learning how to be a medic says otherwise!" Ratchet yelled, and Spike flushed, quickly mumbling an apology.
"Who wants to bet this won't work and he just killed Mirage?" Skywarp snickered.
"We don't even have anything to bet on." Thundercracker groaned.
[Reek comes in to see Noah working.]
Reek: Oh, this? This is a complete waste of your skills and my expertise.
Prowl's optics narrowed, glaring at the other human that had entered. "Oh, him." He muttered. He was still suspicious of Reek, especially since he was willing to ditch Noah during their heist. And now he was around Mirage?
Noah: Think it came out pretty good!
[He lowers Mirage's car form down, revealing it's in different colors from the scraps they had to work with.]
"Oh-it's...nice." Bumblebee uttered, perplexed at the multiple colors, especially on someone like Mirage.
"He looks like those weird, horrifying humans. The ones with the weird hair and giant red noses." Starscream shuddered, staring at the screen in disgust.
"You mean clowns?" Spike asked, wondering where on Earth the seeker had even managed to see a clown.
"Yes, exactly."
"He looks like a joke." Skywarp shrugged.
Mirage glared at them all, his chassis puffing up defensively. "Hey, if Noah made it, then I think it looks wonderful!" He huffed, lifting his nose up haughtily. "The rest of you just don't know true art when you see it!"
"Yeah...true art alright." Cliffjumper mumbled, staring at the blue and white mech in disbelief, briefly wondering what he would look like with that...color scheme.
Reek: Well, I guess we could call it modern art and... sell it to some cats in Soho.
Noah: Nah, I'm not selling it.
Reek: What? Why? Is this about the 5-0 thing? No, I told you, I did not ditch you! I was runnin' the give-and-go, I thought you knew the play! Aight, let's say I did ditch you, even though I didn't-- For your sake, I see your face, let's just say I did. I think all the blood, sweat and dead presidents I put into getting these car parts for you make us even steven.
Noah: It's not that. This car is special.
Reek: This car is a jigsaw puzzle made of garbage! (chews on a Twizzler) Here, I bet the joint don't even start.
Any warmth Mirage felt from Noah's words instantly got boiled at the other man's words, feeling his own engine rev up defensively. "Garbage? Garbage? How dare he!" He growled. Even if it wasn't him personally being insulted, it was still his counterpart, so he was still offended! "He has some nerve!"
"I'm sure he didn't mean it in such a negative way, Mirage." Optimus murmured, giving the Autobot spy a pat on the shoulder.
"Oh please, Prime, he definitely meant it in a negative way." Megatron scoffed, glaring back at the Autobot leader.
[He holds the keys up to Noah.]
Noah: Bet? (to Mirage) Yo, Mirage!
[The camera pans to the Autobot insignia as Mirage transforms.]
Mirage: Wooo-hoo-hoo, yeah! Ya boy is back! This dude said I wasn't even gonna start!
[Reek is in utter shock while Noah smiles. Cut to black.]
"Of course..." Prowl muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose, letting out an exasperated sigh as Mirage let out a loud, smug cheer.
"Take that! Look at his face, he couldn't even believe-" Mirage paused, realizing every optic was on him, and he straightened up, letting out an awkward cough. "I mean...I knew it."
Optimus chuckled, his optics softening as he watched Prowl let out an annoyed groan. "Yes, your counterpart just revealed himself to the one person who would most likely report him to the local authorities." The tactician glared at Mirage, who just scoffed and rolled his optics.
"Noah is smart, I'm sure they're fine!"
"So...is that the end? No more of this universe?" Bumblebee asked, but the screen didn't provide any answers. The disc player silently rolled out the disc, and the yellow minibot hopped over, picking it up before setting it atop the disc player. "Does...that mean we get to go home?"
"Primus, I hope so. These seats are making my wings uncomfortable." Skywarp groaned, standing up and stretching his wings, almost hitting Starscream in the process, the Decepticon SIC letting out a hiss.
"What about Red's whole...wall theory?" Jazz pointed over to the wall, which still had some leftover scratches from Red Alert and Ravage's doing.
Red Alert huffed, stalking over to the wall. "I'm trying my best, but this wall is near impenetrable! It'll probably take days to even leave a dent in it!"
"We don't have days! Move aside, Autobot!" Megatron snarled, storming over, causing Red Alert to scramble away in fear.
"Megatron-" Optimus warned, but couldn't stop the warlord as he let out a roar, slamming his fist against the wall, causing it to shatter like glass, breaking into a thousand pieces. Red Alert gaped at the broken wall, mumbling to himself, though the most Optimus heard was "that shouldn't have been possible!"
The Cybertronians crowded around the hole, and Optimus somehow managed to find himself in the front of the crowd, peering into what seemed to be a completely different theater room, this one now a dark blue instead of the maroon red of the previous room. It seemed almost similar, except for the fact that there was-
"Optimus?" A soft, familiar voice murmured, causing the Prime to freeze. Could it be...after all this time?
There, in the small group of other new Cybertronians, a familiar pink frame stood out among them.
Optimus felt his optics soften, only one word managing to slip past his intake. "Elita?"