The Power Within - Transformers Prime (2)

Chapter Forty-One

[Elsewhere]

  Megatron's sudden laughter startled the other Decepticons. When they all turned to face him, his evil smirk never faltered.

  "They can run, but they can never again run home."

[Amanda]

  I was still reeling as we travelled through the space bridge. Optimus still held me in his hand, and Miko, Jack and Raf were all still in their protective pods, all held by their Autobot guardian. No one had said anything since we left Cybertron, and the silence was crushing. I looked up at Optimus, but his face was blank. He lost it back there, letting his emotions take over. Now it was clear he wasn't going to let that happen again, and that worried me.

  We finally reached the other side of the space bridge, walking into the base. Ratchet immediately whirled around, a hopeful look on his face before confusion replaced it.

  "The children?" He asked incredulously. "What happened?!"

  No one replied, only exchanging blank looks. Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bulkhead put down the pods on the platform before releasing Raf, Miko, and Jack, and Optimus placed me down next to them.

  Ratchet got impatient at that point. "Somebody say something!"

  "Optimus..." Bulkhead took a deep breath before continuing. "Destroyed the Omega Lock."

  I frowned. The wrecker almost sounded accusing.

  "What?!" Ratchet demanded. "You did-"

  "What was necessary," Optimus cut the medic off, his tone as emotionless as the rest of him. "There was no time for another prolonged battle. Not with Earth in imminent danger."

  "So you destroyed the only device in any universe capable of restoring our home?" Ratchet's tone made it clear that he could barely believe what he was hearing. "Optimus... we needed that."

  "You weren't there, Doc." Smokescreen stepped in to defend the Prime, and it was a rare occasion when I appreciated his input. "And it's not your place to second guess a battlefield decision."

  "It most certainly is!" The medic snapped. "There had to be another way."

  "It wasn't that simple, Ratchet," Jack was suddenly standing next to me at the platform railing.

  I decided to speak up next. "Megatron was using the powers in the Omega Lock to attack Earth."

  "Optimus saved our planet," Miko finished off.

  The medic whirled on us. "What about our planet?! All of our struggles and energon spilled and countless sacrifices... for nothing?!"

  "Right decision or wrong," Arcee said, her tone firm. "What's done is done. We have another planet here on this world." She glanced at us. "The Cons just changed the rules when they put Jack, Amanda, Miko, and Raf into play."

  Before anyone else could give their input, a series of beeps from the computer informed us of an incoming call.

  "Prime!" Special Agent Fowler appeared on the screen, seemingly inside an aircraft. "The Pentagon's preparing to go Defcon 1. I need to know what we're dealing with."

  It was needless to say we were all confused.

  "To what do you refer, Agent Fowler?" Optimus asked.

  Fowler didn't miss a beat. "Maybe you should step outside and see for yourselves."

  "Ratchet," Optimus said. "Watch the children."