Transformers Prime: Shrouded Truth (#4) [Completed]

Chapter 34

Lora's P.O.V.
I just sat in the passenger's seat, dumbfound and shocked as Smokescreen finished telling me everything that had happened to him. I couldn't quite believe it: alive and well? It was a miracle. But everything he had been though... I couldn't imagine the pain and emotions he went experienced, even after he had described it all. I was speechless.

"Lora?" Smokescreen asked.

"I'm good," I assured him. "It's... just a lot to take in. You've been there, around all of us this whole time, with a hand in everything; we were too blind to see it. The Predacons joining us, going back to the warship, it all makes so much more sense. Even Silas and Derek."

I could tell that was a still a sore spot by how his mood dropped. "Sorry," I apologized instantly.

"You didn't know," Smokescreen assured me. "It's just..."

"It is an Autobots' defining factor, and Megatron forced you in order to that take that away. I understand the feeling."

"I'm not even sure if I understand it myself," Smokescreen muttered.

I smiled at the steering wheel, watching as it turned with the roads. He had told me that he had to keep moving, so he wouldn't catch Megatron's suspicion. Even with Solus covering for him, he didn't want to take any chances.

"Do you want to know what happened on our end?" I asked.

"As much as I would like to say 'yes', it would be better if I knew nothing, so Megatron doesn't force it out of me."

I nodded. "Understandable."

"I'm still surprised of how you're dealing with this," Smokescreen said.

"I guess I never stopped thinking you were out there. It just made sense to me."

"I'm glad you never lost hope. Seems like you have enough for the both of us."

"That was always your job title," I chuckled.

Smokescreen didn't take it the same way. "A lot has changed Lora; I'm not the bot you once knew."

"You will never stop being him." I shook my head. Smokescreen was silent. "You never told me what Megatron was planning."

"Oh, yeah," he perked up, pleased to get off of the topic of his past. "It's big, and there is no way Solus and I got this wrong. All the clues point towards it, the space bridge, the stockpile of dark energon, Megatron bringing me back, it was all a led up to one big event. Megatron is planning on resurrecting Unicron."

"Hold on, what?" No, this couldn't be true. Unicorn? No, no no no, this had to be wrong. "How?"

"The first step was me, figuring out how to use the amulet of death to resurrect someone and be able to control them. Then, when he succeeded at that, he began stockpiling dark energon. I originally thought the dark energon he was going to use to super power his amulet, but Solus pointed out that in the dark star saber, the amulet had infinite power. He's going to use it to give to Unicron. After sleeping and being dead for so long, he's bound to need more. And he got it through the means of his space bridge, which Solus and I figured out due to logs of the use and coordinates. The evidence is all there, he's planing on bringing Unicron back and control him this time.

"From day one, that was his goal. He needed an amulet to do it, he just didn't know which one you had. That was why he was so hellbent to get you, and why, after he found out which one you had, he could care less if you were killed. He didn't want you interfering. This whole time Megatron was trying to get the power he wanted, and that could only be achieved through the amulet of death. It wasn't just you that missed the obvious, it was all of us."

I didn't quite know what to say. As much as I wanted to deny it, Smokescreen was right, it all made sense.

"When is it going to happen?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"On the next full moon, which is a week and a day away. Megatron is going to recreate the exact environment of the day I was brought back; he's not taking any chances." I didn't say anything. "I know it's a lot, considering your experiences with Unicron. I have no idea how you guys will win this one, but you need to know."

"We have to," I said, finding my voice. Smokescreen turned down the road to Jack's house. "I know you don't want to know anything, but I will tell you this; this sort of thing is why the amulet was created, to stop this and finished what Primus couldn't."

Smokescreen parked in front of the yard. "Whatever happens, you have to keep yourself safe. Please, promise me that."

"I promise," I said.

"Thank you."

I turned to open the door, but stopped. I turned back to the steering wheel. "Can I see you?"

"Lora—"

"Smokescreen, I thought you were dead for weeks, and then you turn up alive and well, and I can't see you. Please, I just need to see you. I don't even care if it's your holoform. Please, I need to see you."

Smokescreen was silent, and I stayed where I was. I was not getting out until I saw him. I needed to, I needed to see him. Seconds passed, then finally Smokescreen's holoform phased into existence in the driver's seat.

His clothes were different, dark blue jeans with a white shirt and golden sweater, but he looked the same. His head was hung low, his eyes hidden from my sight. Slowly, my hand went under his chin, and I forced him to raise his head to look at me. The first thing that I noticed was the purple eyes, so vibrate and stunning.

He closed his eyes, ashamed of them, but I didn't care. I leaned across the car, my arms wrapping around his shoulders as I hugged him. Instantly, it was returned.

He smelled the same, and the memories off all the time he had comforted after a nightmare came back. Holding him was comforting, and that was when my tears came.

They ran down my face, and sobs overtook me. Smokescreen held me tighter.

"I thought I lost you," I cried into his shoulder.

"I would never leave you," he said, leaning his head atop of mine. "I will always find my way back to you, no matter what."

We both knew he shouldn't have been sitting outside the house for so long, but we didn't care. We had been kept apart for too long, we needed this time together.

"You come back to us, you hear? You find a way out of this, and you come and find us."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder. We need you."

Smokescreen pulled away, brushing the tears from my face and tucking a stray hair behind my ear. "I will do all I can, and more. This may be hard to understand, but next time you see me, don't believe anything I say. I'm the enemy now. You will have to treat me as such."

I didn't want to, but I knew I would have to listen to him. All I managed was a nod.

"Good. Now June is probably waiting for you. Safe stay, please."

"I will." I took one long last look at him, then turned and opened the door and left.

"Oh, and Lora?" I paused, about to shut the door. I turned and looked back at Smokescreen. He leaned down to look at me better. "Love the bracelet."

I smiled, beaming. "Thanks."

Smokescreen smiled at me. I shut the door. I didn't move from my spot as he rolled away, leaving me once again. But no longer way my heart filled with sadness and dread. No, because he was back. Smokescreen was back.

Hope, had returned.