Ignorance is Bliss

Chapter 18: Collateral Damage

"Livia!"

No response.

I paced back and forth outside of the base. She was gone. She closed off her side of the bond. To break through that barrier would be to cross a line of personal boundaries.

A line Optimus considered breaking so that he could find her.

Suddenly, the bond reopened and Optimus froze.

"OPTIMUS!" She screamed.

Immediately, his internal compass pointed to her. She wasn't far if he went full speed.

Optimus transformed and took off, his spark racing as he passed a gas station and then continued down the dirt road. He was getting close.

Ratchet should see his signal moving and send backup, so Optimus didn't bother contacting the base.

Suddenly her bond shut down again.

"Livia?" He prodded.

"Livia can't hear you." Megatron's voice whispered into his mind.

Optimus saw silver ahead and his speed dial cracked right before he transformed, coming to stand right in front of Megatron, who's blaster was aimed at the defenseless Autobot beneath his foot.

"So, Optimus." Megatron grinned. "Wheeljack or Livia?"

Optimus equipped his blasters and looked around the area, where broken helicopter parts were scattered. She was small. Could have been hidden among any of these.

"You don't have an unlimited amount of time, Optimus. The moment a groundbridge appears for your Autobots, I'll take both." Megatron told him. "So I suggest you pick quickly."

"Don't do this, Megatron." Optimus glared.

Wheeljack groaned as Megatron pressed his foot down into the bot's wounded chest.

"Wheeljack or Livia!?" Megatron sneered. "Choose one!"

Livia's hands banged against the metal interior of Megatron's spark chamber repeatedly. "Let me out, Megatron! Stop!"

She tried to contact Optimus again, but for some reason, she was completely cut off from him. She tried to twist Megatron's emotions, but was fixed with the same result.

Livia screamed in frustration, still punching the warlord's metal. Her hands had began to bleed long ago.

Optimus could not hear her, but he could hear Megatron's threat, so he took a single step forward and kneeled.

"Kill me instead."

All four of them could hear as a groundbridge began to open behind Optimus. Livia took a step back in horror, her hand brushing against Megatron's pulsing spark.

Megatron grinned at Optimus. "You weren't an option."

"No!" Optimus lunged forward, attempting to stop the warlord before he could kill Wheeljack. It was a desperate move, considering he would never reach Megatron in time.

But he did not have to.

Livia screamed again. This was not a scream of frustration, but of fury. Her hands erupted in a white hot flash and energon blasted through the confined space, shooting straight through Megatron's spark and his chest.

There was a moment of silence and nothing moved before Megatron took a step back, his footing unsure. His hand reached up and grasped the wound over his chest.

"How?" He rasped. "How could you?"

Then, the warlord fell.

Livia screamed, her heart erupting in agony. It was a most rare thing for someone to kill someone they had a spark bond with.

And Livia had killed her own father.

Optimus reached Megatron and pulled apart the chest plates confining her to his spark chamber. Behind them, Wheeljack stumbled to his feet and the Autobots stepped out of the groundbridge. They froze at the sight before them.

Megatron was dead.

Optimus's hand wrapped around Livia and pulled her out, but the girl's wails of sorrow did not cease. They only turned angry.

"Get off of me!" Livia screamed, pounding her fists against Optimus's fingers. "Let go!"

Optimus knew her mind was twisted from what she had just done. She was not thinking clearly, but he put her down anyway.

Livia clawed at the hard, sandy ground beneath her.

She had killed Megatron. Killed the only person on this entire planet that probably understood her. Probably loved her.

Or did he? But what did it matter? She would never know.

Because she killed him.

"Livia..." Optimus reached out again to comfort her, but Livia angrily slapped away his finger.

"I hate you!" She screamed. "I hate you and your senseless war!"

Optimus reeled back in hurt.

"Hate!" Livia yelled, her bloody fists turning black with the dirt beneath her. "I hate all of you!"

"Livia, I-"

"Shut up!" Livia cried, her voice becoming softer as exhaustion and energon loss began to set in. "I hate you. Leave me alone."

Optimus didn't know what to do.

But Soundwave did. His lord and master was gone.

So he ordered Lazerbeak to shoot the human.

And before anyone realized what had happened, Livia became a memory.

And that was the day the war ended. Optimus Prime charged the Decepticon warship and killed Soundwave, who revealed to him that Ratchet had also helped him kill Lifestar the first time. All so that Ratchet could have Optimus and Soundwave could have Megatron back.

Optimus would later uncover the Omega keys and revive Cybertron.

Then, with a heart blackened by the ravages of war, he would take over the planet. Optimus Prime was Cybertron's most ruthless dictator yet.

And that is the story of Livia Pax.

Wars aren't for the weak, or the strong. They are for those who simply have the will to continue.

Some might see that as strength, but it is foolishness. For war does not help either side. It is an irrational outcome of the greed and desperation in which all sentient beings possess.

End wars before they can begin. Think with a clear mind of all the collateral damage that your senseless battles create. Whether they be external or internal.

Because nobody wins in the end.