Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The explosions in the sky catch the attention of many passerby in Detroit standing outside the Kinetic Tower.

Everyone looking up tries to get a better look, but the overcast only allows for bursts of light to flash through, almost like lightning.

Almost.

When debris begins to fall, they wisely get out of the way, right as a beat up old car pulls up and bumps right into it.

The passenger and driver quickly gets out, as another car pulls up.

Charlie Watson gets out, trying her best to see even as the cops push her back.

“What happened?” Charlie demands.

“None of your concern, miss.” the cop replies, right as more debris falls, and once again, everyone rushes to get out of the way, only barely missing Charlie as she jumps.

When she thinks it's safe, she finally opens her eyes again, gaze falling on what looks like a giant fist sized dent in a big piece of rubble.

“What the hell…” She traces the dent, before looking up again, and of course yet more debris crashes down, this time hitting a fire hydrant, sending water gushing everywhere.

Charlie covers her head even as the rest of her gets soaked, still looking up, before looking back at the rubble again.

“What has a fist big enough to leave a dent in titanium alloy panels?”

Chapter Text

Outskirts of Cassino, Italy, 1944

The steep, rocky, and forested terrain is brutal as soldiers from both sides attack the other.

Gunfire serves as the soundtrack, as it has every other battle like this one.

The Devil’s Brigade darted between ruined walls and shattered farmhouses, guns flashing. Grenades rolled into the bell towers of empty stone churches, sending shards of wood and brick raining down. Nazi soldiers returned fire from windows, balconies, and rooftops, MG42s rattling relentlessly. Spent shells pinged off stone and metal as smoke curled around shattered rooftops.

“Don’t back down!” General Alaric Reinhardt calls to his men as his pistol fires rapid, precise rounds as he moves along a narrow stone street.

“Are you mad? Staying would be suicide!” one of them protests, a few others agreeing, ducking behind a crumbling wall. 

Reinhardt’s gun swept toward them, iron sights catching the sunlight.

“So would this, if you’re fool enough to get on my bad side.” Reinhardt warns. “Back to your position. Soon as we’re covered by night, we’ll have our secret weapons.”

But just as Reinhardt leaves, a grenade goes off near them, sending a shockwave that rattled the ground and flung debris everywhere, making Reinhardt look down, gaping at the Nazi commander down below, crouched and firing from a makeshift barricade.

“Halcroft knows the Allies have Transformers on their side, doesn’t he?” one soldier asks, crouched behind what used to be a wall. “What is he thinking?”

“I’m thinking you were trained to follow orders, no questions asked.” A hand grabs the soldier from behind, Halcroft sneering in his face. “And those Transformers are no more machines than our own tanks and weapons. Regardless of their firepower, this night will be ours! Feuer frei!”

And so the Nazis advance, charging right past the Allies.

They raid the village houses, sweeping alleys and firing into any small movement, then begin ascending the terraces carved into the mountainside, stepping carefully over rubble and broken stone.

Halcroft scrambles up the highest, misjudging the loose rocks. The ground shudders beneath him when a massive foot lands mere inches away, sending him stumbling. 

He freezes, looking up into the glowing blue optics of a Transformer, who wastes no time grabbing him and hoisting him off the cliffside ledge.

“You are no Ally of ours.” the bot states with calm authority.

Other Transformers emerged from the shadows, weapons flashing, driving more Nazis back down the terraces.

Halcroft fumbled for his gun, but the bot holding him crushes it in a metal fist, the shot going off wildly and leaving a ragged gash in the bot’s palm.

“Don’t retreat!” Halcroft calls. “They can be damaged!”

Some Nazis fired blindly, but the bots were faster, dodging rounds, kicking away rifles like they weighed nothing, closing distances faster than any human could hope to track.

Halcroft somehow manages to shoot the foot of the bot holding him, which succeeds in making him trip and jump off the cliff, leaving Halcroft to grab the edge by his mere fingertips.

As the bots keep scaring off the Nazis, a group of three look down before the one called B-127 finally says,

“Hey, I want a piece of that!”

And jumps down to join them.

The remaining two look at each other, before the silver one called Jazz grins, “Whazzamatter? You scared, Hotshot?”

“I told you not to call me that.” Hot Rod snaps. “And if anyone’s the scaredybot, it’s you!”

“Oh yeah?” Jazz taunts before jumping down himself, Hot Rod following a second later.

Ratchet’s knocking them back by the droves all on his own, and even when Halcroft tries to shoot him in the helm from behind, he’s kicked away by something unseen, and when Ratchet turns to see, there’s Optimus, pointing his energon axe so he doesn’t get any ideas.

“You can’t let your guard down like that, old friend.” Optimus warns.

“Speak for yourself.” Ratchet snarks back, as B-127, Jazz, and Hot Rod push further into the enemy ranks, scattering more Nazis down the terraces and into rubble-strewn alleyways.

Reinhardt’s holding his own as well, taking out several Nazis with careful shots when Optimus finally catches up to him, taking care of the rest.

“You have my thanks, Prime.” Reinhardt says.

“The thanks is all mine.” Optimus replies.

“These men followed the civilians we hid from the public eye not too long ago.” Reinhardt tells him.

A child’s cry rings out from a basement window. “Look!” pointing to a Transformer standing calmly nearby, sipping something glowing even as i5 dismantles more enemy soldiers without breaking a sweat.

The battlefield is now littered with Transformers and Nazis alike, but Halcroft can’t even begin to think to rejoin his men, as a loud hiss draws his attention to a Transformer that walks on all fours, before it growls and lunges at him.

“AH!” Halcroft exclaims, jumping out of the way before trying to make a run for the makeshift camp.

He doesn’t get far before a gunmetal gray bot with red optics lands in front of him.

“And where, pray tell, do you think you’re going?” the bot demands.

Halcroft tries to retreat, but he’s met with the animal like bot again, trapped.

“So you’ve met our sentry.” Optimus says as he approaches. “And my undercover second-in-command. But first things first.”

Optimus makes Halcroft back up so he’s standing over him, gun out in warning as he orders, “Take your men, and leave.”

Halcroft sneers, “You haven’t seen the last of me, bot.”, but still takes the hint and signals the rest of his soldiers to withdraw as he leaves.

Optimus and D-16 share a look and smile.

Hot Rod finishes scaring off the rest of his batch of Nazis, while the Devil’s Brigade keeps firing at their retreating backs.

“That’s the Monte Cassino way.” Reinhardt cheers, while D-16 helps to repair the gash on Optimus’ servo. “Prime, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”

“Your gratitude will never match ours for allowing Earth to become our home.” Optimus replies, as they all look down at the slowly disappearing numbers of Nazis, the night finally reclaiming the rocky Italian heights.

Chapter Text

The atmosphere back at camp is lively as they sit and talk around the fire in a loose circle, helmets off, rifles stacked to grab at a moment’s notice. 

Some sit on overturned ammo crates or rocks, others simply sit cross-legged on the ground, boots stretched. 

A few lean back against their packs, the orange glow flickering across tired but grinning faces.

“I thought we were goners out there.”

“Reinhardt has the heart of a lion.”

But right as the man in question walks by, he hears,

“Please, he’d give us all up for those hunks of metal in a heartbeat.”

“Are we sure he’s not secretly one of them in disguise?”. This is met with much chuckling.

Reinhardt chooses the high road and walks past them, going to take a seat next to their radio operator and codebreaker, Evelyn Wembly, and her bodyguard, Cogman.

“You have our thanks, General.” Evelyn says upon looking at him.

“Please, save it for the real heroes, ma’am.” Reinhardt says immediately. “If not for Optimus and his Autobots, we’d all be dead.”

“Don’t say that name in front of me again.” Evelyn snaps, right as some loud thumping draws the entire camp’s attention to where the Autobots are slowly approaching.

The humans murmur amongst themselves as Optimus and D-16 reach them first.

“Forgive me, Lady Evelyn.” Reinhardt apologizes. “I thought they should make an appearance so they could be welcomed and rewarded for their dedication.”

“You thought wrong.” Evelyn snaps, standing up. “Letting these…things into our camp…”

But as the Autobots get closer, Evelyn sits back down in resignation.

She flinches when Optimus raises his weapon, but it’s only to disengage and put it away before he kneels on one knee.

“Optimus.” Reinhardt chuckles. “I don’t think there’s ever been a more appropriate name. Always optimistic even when no one else is.”

“General, must I remind you that optimism is a luxury we can no longer afford?” Evelyn reminds him harshly.

At that, D-16 starts to move closer, pointing his fusion cannon at her.

Evelyn gasps in fear, but it’s Optimus who grabs and lowers the cannon, saying, “If you’ll beg our pardon, Lady Evelyn.”, before leading D-16 away.

“General, from this day forward, all of your reports will go through my bodyguard, Cogman.” Evelyn informs him. “As long as the war rages on, I never want to hear another report again. Do I make myself clear?”

Reinhardt glares at Cogman, who looks smug, but just walks away without saying a word.

“Optimus, I’m sorry.” Reinhardt says when he finally catches up to them a fair distance away from the camp.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Optimus assures. “She is not wrong. We cannot change who we are just to appease her.”

“I think all this time Earth has done you more harm than good, Prime.” D-16 scoffs. “The Optimus I know never would've let that…atrocity stand. We risked our sparks for them and this is the thanks we get?”

“He’s not wrong either, Optimus.” Reinhardt says. “You shouldn't have to die to earn a seat at the table.”

“They built their camp right on top of our sanctuary.” D-16 reminds him. “We should be giving the orders, not them.”

“D.” Optimus rests his servos on D-16's shoulders. “Please. We are only visitors on this planet. Would you not share Evelyn’s sentiments if it were humans seeking refuge on Cybertron? They do not know us, just as we do not know them.”

D-16 shakes his helm fondly. “Then you have more patience than I am capable of.”, then pulls to bump their forehelms together.

Cogman, however, is consulting the books, looking for something.

In the morning, as the Autobots stay out of sight, a hooded figure leaves the camp toward the enemy’s.

“You are the one trying to take Cassino?” The hooded figure approaches Commander Halcroft.

Halcroft pauses to look up from his meal, sneering, “And what if I am?”

“I believe there’s a way we both get what we want.”

Halcroft breaks out into a cruel smile. “You have my attention.”

Chapter Text

That night, Reinhardt goes to visit Optimus and the Autobots where they’re hiding.

As Optimus looks over his newly healed servo, thanks to Ratchet, Reinhardt warns,

“Those Nazi scum are going to come back, Optimus. They won’t wait until nightfall this time either. You need to take everyone you can and leave.”

“For once, I agree with him.” D-16 says. “We all leave by the droves, watch them destroy themselves without us.”

“Absolutely not.” Optimus says immediately. “We did not fight alongside them just to abandon them now.”

“You heard Halcroft.” Reinhardt reminds him. “He’s not one to give up just because someone tells him to. You’re better off leaving now before they can do any lasting damage.”

Optimus looks at Reinhardt, but whether it’s what he says or something in his eyes, the Autobot leader only sighs in resignation.

“You have my word. But I insist on doing it myself.”

“Optimus, no.” D-16 turns him around. “With as many men that could be coming, you need someone watching your blind spots. Allow me to accompany you.”

“No.” Optimus says with finality. “Stay with the others and protect the Brigade.”

Here, Optimus grabs his arms. “You are my dearest friend and my closest confidante. I couldn’t leave them in better hands.”

“Stop.” D-16 insists. “You can’t expect me to just let you walk right into this, this…suicide mission alone.”

“I won’t.” Optimus promises, pulling him closer. “If you recall, I made a promise to my dearest spark that I would conjunx him after the war is over.”

That reminder makes D-16’s optics dim for a moment, before Optimus releases him.

Then he steps away, transforms and drives down the mountain, D-16 and Reinhardt watching him go.

Jazz plays music on his radio back at the camp as he and the others engage in a game of keep-away with Ravage.

“Go get it, Rav!” B-127 calls cheerfully as he tosses an energon cube over Ravage’s helm, where it lands in Jazz’s servos.

Then Jazz tosses it to Hot Rod, then back to B-127, then to Hot Rod again, and so on.

The child from before approaches Hot Rod slowly, while D-16 watches the camp from a distance.

“I…I’m Sarah.” the little girl says shyly. “Who are you?”

“I’m B-127.” B-127 greets before Hot Rod can. “But you humans call me ZB-7. Our boss is named Optimus.”

“Don’t you want a real name?” Sarah asks.

“Nah, who needs that?” B-127 shrugs. 

“Wouldn’t it be easier if you had a real name instead of numbers?” Sarah insists.

“You know who I am, don’t you?” B-127 points out.

“But what do you all call him?” Sarah asks the others.

“B.” Hot Rod says simply.

“Sarah, get back here!” an older man walks up. “Those machines are dangerous.”

“Daddy—” Sarah whines, but Hot Rod’s the one to move closer, promising,

“We were just talking, sir. We weren’t offended.”

“Stay away from my daughter you…piece of junk!” the man snaps, throwing a rock at him.

And of course that gives D-16 all the excuse he needs to rush closer, pulling out his weapon.

“The only piece of junk around here is you!” D-16 shouts angrily, moving in the man’s face as he tries to shield his daughter.

“D-16, stop.” Hot Rod says, moving to push D-16 back. “Don’t give them more reasons–.”

“To not do more damage than necessary.” B-127 sneers, optics narrowing as he too pulls out his energon blades.

They both move to force the humans back, even Ravage gets in on it, growling.

It succeeds in making the humans run away, as Jazz whines,

“Aw come on! Right at the chorus, too!”

Which of course is right when Optimus and Ratchet show up, and it’s clear Optimus is not happy when he looks at the three of them.

B-127 winces, but all Optimus says is, “All three of you report to the infirmary area. I don’t want to hear a word from any of you until I return. If you follow my instructions, I could be persuaded to be lenient.”

“But Optimus–” B-127 starts.

“And that includes him.” Optimus points at Ravage, who droops some.

Upon reaching the infirmary area, Hot Rod tries to reason, “Optimus, we didn’t do anything.”

But seeing Optimus is not going to budge, Hot Rod, Jazz, B-127 and Ravage all walk over to the edge of the infirmary area, beginning to scan the area.

“Was that necessary?” D-16 demands once they’re out of audialshot. “They didn’t do anything, it was that stupid human.”

“It no longer matters.” Optimus says. “We are here for a common goal, and that’s to end the war. We can’t destroy each other in the process.”

But Optimus concedes, “But I will apologize to them. Once I finish this latest mission.”

With that, Optimus transforms and leaves once more.

Chapter Text

Optimus and Ratchet drive together, Optimus keeping an optic out, before calling, “Do you see them, Ratchet?"

“Yes I do.” Ratchet confirms, and they both quickly speed up.

Upon seeing the tire tracks, they detransform to get a better look.

“They were here alright.” Ratchet nods. “But they don’t look particularly heavy for the automobiles we’ve seen them use.”

“That means they’re close.” Optimus muses. “We need to move.”, and transforms.

“Banished to the Infirmary.” Bumblebee grumbles. “Like we’re sparklings.”

“I don’t think we’ve been here since we first joined the Devil’s Brigade.” Jazz recalls, still surveying the area, before turning his radio back on again.

“Please tell me we’re not gonna be here much longer.” Hot Rod whines. “If that radio doesn't give us away, I might just send up a flare to make him stop.”

An unseen figure checks over his work on the guns, and nods.

“Optimus, the sun will be out any minute.” Ratchet warns, optics flicking nervously toward the paling horizon. “We need to go back.”

“Not yet.” Optimus says. “We just found them.”

Sure enough, canvas-topped beds packed with armed Nazis dot the horizon, rifles bristling through gaps in the tarps. The low thrum of their engines rolls over the valley, punctuated by shouted commands in harsh German.

Optimus detransforms, towering above the trees, energon weapons gleaming in the half-light. Dirt sprays from under his feet as he charges forward, Ratchet transforming a breath later and pounding after him.

But oddly, it resolves itself pretty quickly. The second they’re spotted, the trucks scatter and vanish,  engines revving into the red, tires against rock, scattering into side paths and forest tracks..

For a moment, Optimus doesn’t understand, until he does, with a gasp.

“They were distracting us. We left the camp vulnerable!”

They waste no time transforming and speeding back the way they came, dirt and gravel spitting under their wheels.

It’s not enough.

“We can’t transform.” Ratchet says despairingly as the morning sun washes over them. “We’ll blow our cover.”

Optimus’ alt mode growls, his frame vibrating with restrained anger, knowing Ratchet's right.

If they detransform now, they’d be spotted by every German scout plane and spotter within miles.

With defeat, the two of them slowly drive back, engines dropping into the steady rhythm of ordinary transports. 

Holoforms flicker into place in their driver’s seats — tired, dust-covered soldiers returning from patrol. 

Just another pair of weary Devil’s Brigade vehicles crawling back into camp at dawn.

“Gott mit uns!” Halcroft shouts as he and his men approach the camp,  boots thudding against the dirt and scattered stones.

The Devil’s Brigade readies their weapons, but the moment they try to fire, the guns dry fire.

One by one, every soldier experiences the same. And upon going to grab ammo, the crates are all empty.

The Nazis have no trouble overpowering them, so what else can they do but hold up their hands in surrender.

Dust kicks up under boots, the clatter of falling rifles echoing across the small clearing, punctuated by the bitter whistle of wind through broken camp tents.

Not all of them use weapons, though, and they manage to hold their own long enough, long as a Nazi doesn’t cheat and shoot them.

“Reinhardt, Reinhardt!” Eveluyn rushes into his tent. “The Nazis are back. We’ve been ambushed!”

“Indeed.” Reinhardt says calmly, before lunging at her. “And you’re once again right where you’re supposed to be.”

Evelyn tries to scream, but he just covers her mouth.

“Shut your mouth before I snap your fucking neck.”

The Devil’s Brigade are slowly led out of the now trashed camp, each step crunching over broken tents and splintered crates, hands bound in rough metal cuffs, while the barrel of a rifle presses against the back of every soldier’s head, Evelyn and Cogman among them.

“Not that I’m looking a gift horse in the mouth.” Halcroft says as he watches. “But why would you help us? Why would you give your men up so easily?”

“Those are not my men.” Reinhardt says disdainfully.

“Well, since we finished faster than we thought.” Halcroft walks over to a vehicle, about to open a canister and toss something onto a nearby vehicle when he’s grabbed. 

“What are you doing?” Reinhardt demands. “You already won!”

“The only reason your Transformers aren’t attacking us is because they won’t blow their cover.” Halcroft reminds him. “The second night falls, we won’t stand a chance!”

“They won’t risk exposing their hideout to follow you.” Reinhardt promises. “They won’t leave the Brigade.”

“Really?” Halcroft grins. “Why didn’t you say so?”

Then promptly slams the butt of his rifle into Reinhardt’s face, knocking him down before pointing it at him.

“Keep talking if you want it to be the last thing you ever say.”

Reinhardt only lifts his hands in surrender, so Halcroft backs down.

“That’s what I thought.” Halcroft goes back over to the vehicle. “If you think I’m just going to call it a day after only taking humans, it’s no wonder you haven’t won the war yet.”

With that, he throws the contents of the canister over the vehicle, Reinhardt watching in disgusted horror it as it slowly melts away the metal, seams splitting, panels curling and sagging as it reveals the Cybertronian tech before it too melts away, only a high pitched scream emits before the spark erratically sputters and dies, leaving behind nothing but a smoking, molten husk.

“No.” Optimus is aghast as they finally detransform and make it back, seeing the camp demolished, and several Autobots lying dead.

Optimus can only walk towards them, placing a servo on its offlined body, voice choked with despair.

“My spark…” he almost sobs, before screaming.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Chapter Text

The scream brings Jazz, B-127, and Hot Rod to walk towards it, away from the infirmary cave.

At first, nothing registers—just smoke curling faintly from dying campfires, the acrid tang of spent gunpowder still hanging heavy in the air. Scents they’ve gotten used to over the course of the war.

Then their optics adjust.

The camp is a ghost town now—supply crates overturned, tents gutted and trampled into the dirt, bedrolls scattered. 

The fire pit smolders, smoke curling lazily into the night sky, but the laughter that once filled it is gone.

Ratchet, meanwhile, upon walking around, sees the evidence immediately.

“The weapons have no ammo. Not even in the crates. Someone took them.”

Optimus rejoins the other three, begging, “Tell me there were others.”

“Just us.” Jazz says sorrowfully.

“This camp has been abandoned.” Ratchet informs them all upon rejoining them. “Not a human in sight. It appears the Nazis took them all prisoner.”

“Then we will track them down.” Optimus vows, battle mask slipping over his face. “Our fallen comrades’ deaths will not be in vain!”

He points to the horizon, no room for argument in his voice, “Roll out.”

And so they do, all transforming into their alt modes and trying to catch up as Optimus doesn’t even wait for them, while Ravage follows on foot.

It’s a very different environment at the Nazi camp, soldiers laughing and drinking while the Brigade sits dejected.

Sarah whispers, “Don’t worry, Daddy. The Transformers will save us.”

“Not anymore.” her father says solemnly. “The Transformers were smelted for metal.”

But Sarah looks off to the distance anyway, sure she’s right.

“The robot could still prove to be useful to us, now that D-16 has proved to be a spy.” Halcroft decides, looking at both Cogman and Evelyn where they kneel in front of him. 

“You have a point.” Reinhardt agrees, then comes closer to Evelyn. “But there’s not a doubt in my mind your precious secret society will do anything to make sure you come out of this unharmed.”

“If I could reach for my datapad–” Cogman swears, only to be cut off by a laugh.

“You mean this?” Halcroft holds it up. “I’d bet anything the Fuhrer would pay handsomely for whatever's on it.” then laughs again.

“No, please!” Cogman exclaims. “You mustn’t. I’m begging you!”

“When I get my hands on you, Reinhardt…” Evelyn spits, right as Halcroft points a gun in her face.

“I’d prefer not to shoot a lady on her knees.” He warns. “But I can be persuaded.”

But before he can take another step, they hear the sound of metal hitting the ground, and people screaming.

Both Halcroft and Reinhardt move towards the tent's entrance, seeing Nazis scream, “They’re here! Run for it!”

Halcroft spots it first: the silhouettes of Transformers running through the camp.

“You lied to me!” Halcroft turns on Reinhardt, pointing his gun at him.

‘’You went back on our deal!” Reinhardt spits back, but Halcroft is already dashing towards Evelyn.

“Looks like your Transformers will be making an appearance, Lady Wembly.” He hisses.

“The Transformers?” Evelyn repeats in awe, before taunting with a laugh, “You have no idea what you’ve done, do you?”

“I may be a goner.” Halcroft points his gun right at her forehead. “But I won’t be alone.”

“No, don’t!” Cogman pleads, as Evelyn shoves Halcroft back at Reinhardt and makes a run for it out of the tent, Halcroft and Reinhardt following.

“Help us!” Cogman shouts louder. “He’s going to kill Evelyn!”

Quickly he begins striking his stasis cuffs against the ground.

No need to attack, the moment the Autobots’ feet land in the camp, everyone makes a run for it.

Seeing Evelyn and two other men run off, Optimus transforms to follow.

Ratchet and the others hold their own at the camp.

Some soldiers try to shoot at Ratchet, but they’re taken care of easily enough by the bare minimum of a kick, knocking them away while the prisoners watch.

Jazz knocks away a soldier from trying to smash the radio.

Two others are unfortunate enough to run into Ravage, who growls and makes them run right into Bee and Hot Rod, who only have to point their weapons, and the soldiers turn tail and run.

“See?” Sarah tells her father as they watch. “They came, just like I knew they would!”

Cogman finally emerges from his tent, datapad in hand, and upon seeing the Autobots, his optics narrow in anger.

“How dare you show your faces here!” he shouts. “She’s been assaulted and murdered thanks to you!”

“What?” B-127 asks, confused.

“They were going to hand us over for ransom!” Cogman keeps shouting. “But because you’re here, they, they—”

“Where is Evelyn?” Ratchet demands.

“Assaulted and murdered.” Cogman accuses. “And if I was more than a Headmaster, I’d take you all out with my bare servos! Failing that, you’ll get a requiem!”

With that Cogman emits a very high pitched wail that freezes the Autobots where they stand.

“No!” Sarah tries to run towards them, but her father holds her back.

Chapter Text

Evelyn stumbles through the brush, lungs burning as she scrambles uphill. The forest thins the higher she climbs, until the ground gives way to jagged rock and a sheer drop not far ahead.

She actually makes it pretty far before she’s grabbed and yanked back by her handcuffs, and Halcroft lifts his pistol, ready to silence her. 

But before he can turn off the safety, the ground itself trembles beneath a weight too heavy to ignore.

“You betrayed us.” Optimus accuses Reinhardt.

“You were supposed to be gone.” Reinhardt fires back.

“My Autobots are one with the AllSpark because of you.” Optimus says, weapon locking into place.

“You didn’t listen!” Reinhardt tries to reason.

“He melted them!” Halcroft points at Reinhardt.

“You dare to betray me?” Reinhardt shouts, lunging at Halfroft, which knocks into Evelyn, her captor’s grip slipping. 

She stumbles and falls, momentum carrying her over the cliff’s edge with a terrified scream.

She would’ve been a goner, had an immense servo not reached down into the dark, digits closing carefully around her, breaking her fall and lifting her back up.

The same, sadly, could not be said for Halcroft and Reinhardt, as they fall to their deaths.

Optimus only has to pinch at the handcuffs to free Evelyn’s arms, but as soon as he sets her down, Optimus looks to where the other two fell.

“I have failed.”

“Optimus.” Evelyn starts, trying to get him to look at her. “I–”

“Optimus!” Sarah shouts as she runs up the mountain. “The other robots! They need help!”

The ground is littered with empty crates and scattered equipment, a half-collapsed sandbag wall, a faint wisp of smoke curling from a knocked-over stove, mingling with the acrid smell of spent gunpowder.

But upon seeing everyone in their alt modes, Optumus doesn’t understand.

“You can change back.” He calls to them. “There is no need to hide now.”

But when they don’t transform or answer, Optimus doesn't know what to think.

“Are you unable to move?”

“As will you.” a voice behind Optimus vows, making him turn to see Cogman standing there.

But just as Cogman’s about to emit another wail, he sees Evelyn, and stops immediately.

“My Lady.” Cogman breathes.

“Cogman, what is the meaning of this?” Evelyn demands, walking among the vehicles.

“Forgive me.” Cogman begs. “They chased after you, I thought surely they’d—”

“Wake them up.” Optimus orders, pointing his weapon. “Now!”

“I can’t!” Cogman says. “It’s not in my programming!”

At that, Optimus retracts his weapon, going to stand with his transformed comrades, tents around them swaying in the breeze, some ripped from their poles, canvas fluttering like white flags.

“I am the last of the Autobots.” He says quietly.

“Cogman, please.” Evelyn begs. “Is there no way to reverse it?”

“Time.” Cogman replies simply. “As I am not a true Transformer, their stasis will only last decades instead of permanently.”

“I was wrong about you, Optimus.” Evelyn says as they radio someone to pick up the vehicles. “About all of you.”

“I know there is no forgiving what I’ve done.” Cogman says, making the Prime glare at him as he stands protectively in front of B-127’s alt mode. “I’d do anything to make it right.”

“Evelyn.” Optimus says without acknowledging him. “Where will you go?”

“Me and Cogman will go back to England to The Order of the Witwiccans. The Brigade will take this as initiative to stay here and keep fighting.”

“Then I ask for only one thing.” Optimus says.

“Anything.” Evelyn promises.

“New sparks will be born from the Well soon.” Optimus says. “I do not know how, but if they were to somehow make their way here, they will need care and nurturing.”

“You have my word.” Evelyn vows. “That is a Witwiccan promise.”

“And you.” Optimus turns to Cogman now. “Your neural pathway disruptor. Can you do it again?”

At that, both Evelyn and Cogman look at him stunned, immediately understanding.

It’s done in moments, and Evelyn makes quick work of arranging to get all of the vehicles out of here, once the transport trucks arrive.

As she and Cogman watch the vehicles get hauled into the larger trucks and taken away, she turns to him.

“We keep them together.” She vows. “No matter what.” 

“Agreed.” Cogman promises.

Chapter Text

Detroit, Michigan, Present Day

“Finally.” Joshua Joyce says as he walks into the warehouse he’s just acquired, walking through it.

He inspects the vehicles one by one. 

Some he marks for smelting, recognizing the precious metals they hold.

Others, he marks for selling, sure they’ll get a good sum from the right buyer.

Still others, he sends to the scrap, knowing they hold no worth, metal or otherwise.

It takes only about an hour or two, but just as he’s about to call it a day, a group of cars shoved off to the back corner catches his eye, only a faded old crest on the wall, so he takes a closer look.

He takes in the lines in the symbol, the tell tale shapes that he’s studied hundreds of times, and smiles.

“Kinetic is about to enter a new era.” he declares to no one, then calls, “Max, I want these sent to my penthouse showroom. Immediately.”

“Mr. Joyce, I must ask you, for the final time,” Max says as he approaches. “To reconsider wasting so much of your hard earned money on something so wasteful.”

“Get on it.” Joshua snaps, ignoring him. “I want these in my penthouse before nightfall.”

“I can’t speak for who will be willing to help.” Max warns even as he begins dialing. “This warehouse hasn’t been touched in decades. Said it was cursed by that symbol on the wall.”

“I think we know differently, don’t we, Maximal?” Joshua replies. “Money turns a curse into superstition.”

The hired crew wastes no time boxing up the vehicles and transporting them to the heart of Detroit, where Joshua’s Kinetic penthouse rests.

It becomes big enough of a spectacle that many civilians stop to watch the big trucks drive through the city, one name emblazoned on the sides.

Kinetic Solutions Incorporated

As directed, the vehicles are placed in the giant showroom just before nightfall hits, and once left alone, Joshua watches the sun set, waiting.

“This better work.” He says impatiently.

He doesn’t have long to find out, as the moment the sun disappears and the sky turns dark, he sees before he hears the vehicles slowly begin to move and shift, wheels disappearing and frames adjusting to reveal the robot hiding underneath.

Joshua is in awe, to say the least, as the bot covers its face with a mask and points a weapon.

One by one, the other vehicles also transform and look at each other.

“We’ve awoken from stasis.” The biggest bot speaks. “We walk freely once more.”

His face turns soft for a moment as he looks at the other bots around him. “And we aren’t alone.”

The bots appear to hug among themselves, even the yellow one petting the bot that stays on four legs, before the yellow bot notices.

“What the…”

That prompts the other bots to look out the ceiling to floor window, seeing the Detroit skyline sprawled out before them.

“What’s the meaning of this?” One bot demands. “What’s happened?”

The once cheery mood has turned somber, and they add paranoid to the list, upon hearing footsteps approach, making them draw their weapons.

“Please, hold your fire.” the human holds up his hands in surrender. “Which of you is the one called Optimus?”

“I am.” The biggest bot declares.

“Good.” The human declares.

“How long have we been in stasis?” Optimus demands once they’ve moved to Joshua’s office.

“Well, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s been a little over 8 decades since the bot called Cogman did this to you.” Joshua tells them. 

That’s enough to make all their optics dim in shock.

“I’ve been reading up on you and the other bots who fought with the Devil’s Brigade in a book written by the Council of the Witwiccans. The bot who put you in stasis spared no details about it.” Joshua gestures to an old book in a glass case. “I have no doubt you have questions.”

“And how, exactly, did you wake us from stasis?” Ratchet demands.

“As I said, Cogman was very clear that what he did to you would only last decades.” Joshua replies.

“The new sparks.” B-127 says.

“None ever came, unfortunately.” To his credit, Joshua does look remorseful at that. “You are the only known Autobots still on Earth.”

The other bots look heartbroken at that, but Optimus remains on subject.

“Then why did you bring us here?” He demands.

“Cogman’s story was intriguing, to say the least.” Joshua says. “I wanted to know how true it actually was. And now that it’s proven to be 100% true, I want us to work together.”

He moves closer to stand in front of Optimus. “I believe we can help each other.”

“In what way?” Optimus asks.

“I–” Joshua starts, but at the sound of an engine, Joshua turns his head. “No one’s supposed to be here but us. Don’t leave this room.”, then leaves.

The bots all share a look, then ignore the request and follow.

Chapter Text

Joshua goes up to the rooftop, all sleek angles of glass and titanium, vents humming low with the building’s pulse as a helicopter overhead shines a spotlight, as several armed men jump down.

“Secure it!” One orders, before they spread out.

Joshua can’t even move before one is in front of him, so he demands, “What do you want from me?”

“Oh don’t you worry about that.” the soldier assures, as the others gather and point their weapons at him, laser sights crawling up Joshua’s chest.

“Who are they?” Hot Rod demands from  the dark shaft of the maintenance elevator as it finally stops.

“Does it matter?” Ratchet snaps. “They’re attacking where we woke up, that means they’re after us!”

In moments, they’re pouring out onto the roof as well, charging at the armed men, even as they try to shoot, bullets ricocheting off their frames.

Optimus knocks one back with his axe, pedes scraping against the gravelly rooftop as the soldier just gets up and sweeps his legs, knocking him down hard against the steel plating of the helipad.

Joshua manages to hold his own to knock another into the low red warning light flickering at the roof’s edge before Jazz cuts in to help, giving Joshua room to scramble clear.

“You fugly.” the soldier taunts, angering Jazz into lunging at him and smacking him away, making him across the painted landing zone.

Ratchet tries to fight, but he’s immediately incapacitated when the soldier tases him, bringing the medic to his knees.

“Hey!” Hot Rod grabs the soldier from behind. “Pick on someone your own size!”, then throws him against the ventilation unit, before he, Jazz and B-127 rush to help Ratchet back up.

But it’s short lived, as the soldier pulls out an explosive device and throws it at them, which B-127 catches, before tossing it aside.

Bad move, as it turns out, when it explodes by the water tank, knocking them all to the ground.

Upon seeing Optimus backed toward the roof’s edge, Joshua bolts for the storage hatch built into the maintenance shack. 

He yanks it open, pulls out a pistol, and fires a round into the concrete wall. 

The impact is instantaneous, shattering a section loose, sending rubble crashing down on a soldier, pinning him against the rooftop grating.

“What are you?” B-127 tries to ask the soldier he’s chasing, only to get a reply of more shots fired at his chassis, prompting B-127 to jump off the side.

Upon looking down and seeing nothing, the soldier moves on, not seeing B-127 climb back up from another side of the roof and kick her away with one pede.

“What weapons are these?” Ratchet wonders as his scanner flickers, picking up the weapon a soldier dropped. “These don’t show up in any of our war databases.”

“We will not fall.” Optimus vows. “No matter what, we are the last of our kind.”, right as another explosive device detonates, knocking them down.

Joshua goes to shoot at a soldier fighting with Hot Rod, taunting “No more Mr. Nice Joyce.”, but just as he fires, he’s knocked off balance by another soldier.

Down below, Charlie is just getting out of her taxi, looking up.

Ratchet punches through a metal wall for him and the others to get through, right as Ravage chases after a soldier, and Optimus gets knocked off the roof altogether.

He can’t even count how many stories he falls down before he manages to grab a railing, but it can’t support his weight, as it breaks in his servo and he falls even further down.

Desperate, Optimus starts punching the exterior in an attempt to slow his fall.

It works, as the panels that didn’t break off form dents he can grip from the inside.

But the ones that do fall to the ground where  everyone rushes to get out of the way, narrowly missing Charlie as she jumps.

When she thinks it's safe, her gaze falls on what looks like a giant fist sized dent in a big piece of metal rubble.

“What the hell…” She traces the dent.

Chapter Text

From inside the skyscraper, soldiers run through the hallways, placing a detonation device on the first elevator they see, and once it goes off, the doors open.

On the roof, Hot Rod lunges for a soldier, right as he manages to wrap a grappling cord around his feet, forcing Hot Rod to fall.

“Got you now.” the soldier taunts, right as Optimus finally manages to pull himself back onto the roof.

In moments, he’s knocking the soldier away, ripping up the cord so Hot Rod can get up.

Who knows what Optimus had been about to do, had another soldier not dropped a smoke bomb, which somehow is enough to flood his optics and freeze his processor.

And then, a soldier comes back to the roof, holding a briefcase in triumph.

“We got what we came for.” the soldier calls. “We’re out of here.”

He sends up a flare, and in moments, the helicopter begins to lower again.

Optimus tries to walk through the smoke, but it’s proving to be difficult, resulting in the soldiers able to get on the helicopter unhindered.

“We got it.” one says. “Let’s go!”

“Oh no you don’t.” Joshua says from a distance as he aims his gun at them.

It’s promptly knocked out of his hand, and by the time Joshua picks it back up, they’re already too high to aim at.

Cursing, he turns to see the Autobots gathered behind them.

“What weapons were those?” Hot Rod wonders. “And since when do helicopters send signals that aren’t mechanized?”

“A new system, I would guess.” Ratchet says.

“It moved the controls so it could change the rotors without a visible connection.” B-127 adds.

“You have my thanks.” Joshua says sincerely. “If not for you, that would’ve been so much worse.”

“That reminds me of the last humans I trusted.” Optimus muses. “Before they murdered my fellow Autobots.”

“I see.” Joshua says. “Well, I think with enough time, you’ll come to see I’m nothing like them.”

Optimus’ optics narrow, but Joshua just pulls out his phone. “Max? Send someone to clean up this mess.”

“What did those men have against you?” Optimus demands.

“In this world, money means everyone hates you.” Joshua explains calmly after hanging up. “And I happen to be among those with the most of it.”

He moves closer to stand in front of Optimus.

“Optimus, please.” he says, all smiles. “This can be your hideout alongside my penthouse. All I ask in return is you help me to keep it secure from intruders.”

Optimus looks out at the skyline, as Ratchet puts a hand on his shoulder.

“You know we’ll follow your lead.” He promises. “But until we know more, I think we should stay put.”

Optimus nods. “For better or worse, we can now walk freely once more.”

Then to Joshua, “We accept your offer to use your…penthouse, as our base.”

“Wonderful.” Joshua says. “I am aware of just how much you and your friends have been through, but believe me when I say this is as far from that as it gets. You’ll see.”

“We are lucky for the stasis choosing to wear off when it did, Joshua.” Optimus says. “And for making sure we came out of it harmed, we thank you. But trusting humanity holds no value to us anymore.”

“Then I’ll just have to work harder to prove you wrong.” Joshua waves it off. “And you can work on being more open minded.”

Optimus glares at him, but neither him or the rest of the bots say anything.

“What was that up there?” Charlie tries to ask a cop.

“We don’t know yet ma’am.” the cop replies. “You’ll know as soon as we do.”

But as Charlie keeps looking up, she shakes her head.

Chapter Text

“You’re not supposed to be here.” Max tells Charlie when she somehow sneaks her way inside. “All I can tell you is one of the new generators in Mr. Joyce’s penthouse exploded. He’s already drawing up a statement promising to pay for any damage caused.”

“Then what were the gunshots I heard?” Charlie demands. “Just show me what’s going on up there or I send an anonymous tip to the cops.”

“Tell them anything you like.” Max says, bored. “Mr. Joyce is one of their biggest donors.”

“Fine.” Charlie pulls out her badge. “Then why don’t I just make a complaint to HR about how my new boss isn’t being entirely honest with me about what his company is doing?”

Max takes a closer look, and sure enough, it’s legitimate.

Charlie Watson, Personal Mechanic

Seeing she’s not about to be dissuaded, Max nods in resignation.

The elevator finally stops, and Max leads her out, while Charlie looks around.

“What’s it cost to heat and cool a place like this?” She wonders out loud.

“Charlie Watson.” a voice from behind makes them turn, revealing Joshua Joyce himself. “I’m just about to make my public statement apologizing for what happened.”

“And what was that, again?” Charlie demands. “And none of that bullshit about a generator. “

Joshua smirks, then just gestures for her to follow.

“Max didn’t have all the details.” He explains. “That explanation is just what I told the press. In actuality I was attacked by a rival tech company that was after what we were working on.”

“Attacked?” Charlie repeats. “Last I checked you’re just one person, Mr. Joyce.”

“One person that’s one of the big boys in tech right now.” Joshua says, stopping for a moment. “And it’s about to get even bigger.”

He takes her to the rooftop, which is still covered in rubble and smoke.

“Please tell me this is all up to code.” Charlie says dryly. “Including the weapons.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course it is.” Joshua replies, while Optimus overhears from a distance.

Elsewhere, B-127, Jazz, and Hot Rod wander through their new base, starting with the kitchen.

“Wow!” B-127 remarks, marveling at all the steel and chrome appliances. “Look at all this metal!”

Hot Rod turns on the electric stove, wondering, “Where’s the gas?”  then places his hand on the burner.

Which results in him yanking his hand away when the heat registers.

“OW!” he exclaims, knocking back into B-127, who falls into a shelf of pots and pans.

Jazz, however, wanders into the pantry, expecting pouches and cans of rations.

He’s not prepared for the fresh fruits and vegetables, alongside what he can now see are cubes of energon. And not the run of the mill stuff, either.

But as he goes to grab it all, the door shuts behind him.

“Who leaves a freezing door open?” B-127 shakes his helm as he and Hot Rod keep looking around.

“Hey, wait!” They hear, making them turn back. “You locked me in here!”

“Okay, okay, calm down.” Hot Rod says. “We’ll get it open. Scan the lock, see what you can tell us about it.”

A beat, then, “Okay, it looks like it’s energized by some kind of electromagnet. And the power’s routed to somewhere else if the main lock fails.”

“Okay.” B-127 muses, then nods. “So we got an electromagnetic lock with a motorized deadbolt. Do you see a safety release? It’s like a little plate.”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Push it, it’ll trigger a release.”

In moments, an alarm goes off.

“Mr. Joyce.” Max approaches him and Charlie. “It appears our…guests set off an alarm in the kitchen.”

“Is it safe to assume your inquiry has been taken care of?” Joshua asks Charlie. “If so, Max will see you back down.”

“Ms. Watson.” Max gestures for her to follow, and so she does.

But when she sees a giant silhouette, she stops.

“Ms. Watson?” Max calls to get her attention. “Is there a reason for the delay?”

“I thought I saw…” Charlie points in the silhouette's direction. “A giant…robot, over there.”

“Ah.” Max chuckles. “I suppose when you work for a tech company such as this, you come to expect things like giant robots around every corner. It used to get to me too. But I adjusted." Then he resumes the walk. “And so will you, if you’re here long enough.”

“Farewell, Ms. Watson.” Max bids her at the elevator, watching her get on and pressing the down button.

“Until next time.” Charlie replies as the elevator doors close.

But the moment they do, she hits the button for the floor she’s on, and walks back out.

“If you think I bought a single word of that story, think again.” Charlie says, walking through the halls.

Her snooping takes her to a large room, filled with a lot of different pieces of tech mounted on the walls.

“You overcompensating for something?” Charlie jokes to herself, then turns on her phone’s light to keep looking around.

Every step echoes a little too loudly. She passes rows of humming equipment, pausing whenever a cooling fan kicks in.

Down a particularly dark hallway, she hears what sounds like an electrical hum, almost like a growl, making her whip back around.

Upon seeing nothing, she chuckles.

“What I wouldn’t give to be proven wrong…” she mutters, then keeps walking down the hall.

She doesn’t see Ravage turn a corner, sniffing the air.

Charlie eventually ends up in what looks like a showroom, complete with a floor to ceiling view of the Detroit skyline.

Upon hearing that same hum again, she turns around, leaning against a wall.

“Who’s there?” She calls out. “D-don’t come any closer.”

She’s decidedly not prepared for a four legged robot to come through the doorway, growling.

She gasps, and just as she decides now might be a good time to get the fuck out of here, her phone is snatched out of her hand.

Upon looking up, she sees a giant blue robot glaring down at her, crushing her phone in his hand.

She slowly backs away, warning, “S-stay away.”

“Wait–”

But she doesn’t hear anything else, as once she starts to run away, her body slams into the glass window, shattering it as the floor disappears out from under her, two blue robot eyes getting smaller and smaller as she screams.

Chapter Text

The fall feels like forever, but in actuality was probably only a few seconds, when just as suddenly, Charlie's back slams into something.

She winces, but doesn’t scream, keeping her eyes firmly shut.

“Are you alright, young one?”

For just a moment, she thinks she’s dead, hearing God’s voice.

Then she hears the noise of passerby on the streets.

The voice speaks again, “It’s alright. You’re safe now.”

She doesn’t know why, but she believes it, and so, after a moment, she slowly opens her eyes.

Those same blue robot eyes she saw before are looking down at her in concern, and when she turns her head, she realizes she’s lying flat inside his giant hand, and they’re on the rooftop of a nearby building.

Stupidly, her first thought is to get up, hands up in immediate surrender.

“Please don’t hurt me.” she begs.

“Why were you in Kinetic Tower?” The bot’s voice is authoritative, demanding. 

“You speak English?” She says. “Who are you?” then shakes her head. “What are you?”

“I am Optimus Prime.” He replies. “Me and my fellow Autobot’s have been on Earth since the second world war.”

“Fellow–” Charlie stops herself. “There’s more like you?”

“Less than there should be.” Optimus says remorsefully, before finally setting her down on the roof.

“Wait!” she finds herself saying, running to stand in front of him. “Don’t leave. Either you have to take me down to the streets, or back to Kinetic. And since you somehow flew–”

“I did not.” Optimus stops her. “I jumped to lower rooftops until I could catch you safely.”

“So you can’t get me back up there?” Charlie asks again, ignoring that for the moment as she looks down worried.

Then suddenly she’s picked back up, making her exclaim, “Hey!” as she sees his chest open.

“If you crawl inside.” Optimus explains with now strained patience. “I should be able to transport you safely.”

“In there?” Charlie tries to peek in.

“It is more or less where a passenger seat would be if I was in my vehicle mode.” Optimus assures, then doesn’t wait for an answer as he slowly lowers her in.

As the chest…door…thing closes, she realizes she can see through a window, and as Optimus begins jumping across rooftops and climbing with her inside, she can’t help but gasp when she sees how high up they still are.

She closes her eyes, willing it to be over soon, when she hears Optimus’ voice again.

“I promise you, you could not be safer than you are right now.”

“How is this even possible?” Charlie finds herself asking as Optimus keeps climbing.

When they finally make it back through the smashed window, it’s all Charlie can do to not fall to the floor again as Optimus lifts her out.

But just as she’s started to calm down from that, she gasps as the four legged bot from before is there, growling at her.

“Right, he was here before I fell too.” She recalls.

“He is harmless.” Optimus assures, resting a hand on the bot’s head, before turning serious again. “Now I believe I asked what you were doing here in the first place. And I must request that you not run through the window a second time.”

The quip makes her laugh, despite herself. 

“You destroyed the kitchen.” Ratchet reprimands the other three. “I heard the alarm, and all I could think was–”

“Hey!” B-127 points. “Who’s that Optimus is talking to?”

“81 years????” Charlie repeats, after Optimus has filled her in. “You’ve been asleep for 81 years because you trusted the wrong human?” she’s still shaking her head in complete bafflement as she asks, “Who else knows you’re here?”

“The one that calls himself Joshua.” Optimus replies. “He transported us to this room.”

“Ah!” Charlie exclaims, upon realizing other bots have joined them. “Please tell me this is a joke.”

“Who’s she?” B-127 asks, getting really close to her face. “Making friends already, boss?”

“Please say yes so I can kick his butt later.” Charlie can’t resist saying.

“Autobots, this is Charlie Watson. She is a mechanic.” Optimus introduces.

“Joshua’s newest mechanic, actually.” Charlie says.

“How did a female get a job like that?” Ratchet asks.

“I…” Charlie stammers, then tries again. “We may be going backwards in a lot of ways, but in others we’re…tiptoeing. Also my ex-boss only recommended me thinking I’d fall on my ass.”

“Who is your boss to say whether you could or could not do the job?” Optimus demands.

“Well, he’s been at it longer than I’ve been alive.” Charlie says. “And in this world, more experience means you get to tell those with less what to do and how to do it.”

“Humans telling each other what to do.” Optimus almost sounds amused, but they all can hear the exasperation in his voice.

He goes to where the window once was, looking down at the city of Detroit.

“You need to leave.” Optimus all but orders. “Immediately.”

“Hang on.” Charlie says. “Can I come back? I can’t just pretend like nothing happened. You stopped me from splattering all over the concrete down there. Let me return the favor. I can show you around Detroit, show you what’s changed since you were asleep.”

Optimus doesn’t look at her as she replies, “If we have any hope of returning to Cybertron, I cannot find a flaw in the logic of learning everything we can about Earth’s advancements."

The others nod in agreement.

“Then it is agreed.” Optimus turns to look down at her. 

“Tomorrow?” Charlie asks hopefully. “I don’t start here for another week, I can meet you during the afternoon–”

“No.” Optimus cuts her off. “It has to be after the sun sets.”

“I should be asking why, but I’m not.” Charlie says. “So we’re meeting here–”

“No.” Optimus stops her again, pointing. “Down below. In that dark alley.”

“Okay, now I am asking why.” Charlie says.

“Why were you trying to break into Kinetic if you already work here?” Optimus points out.

“I didn’t get where I am trusting just anyone.” Charlie says simply.

“On that, we are in agreement.” Optimus says, to which Charlie nods once, then turns to leave through the doorway.

“This is not the Earth we once knew.” Ratchet says.

“Indeed.” Optimus agrees. “If we wish to coexist peacefully, we need to know everything we can, about both the humans and their technology.”

“Optimus?” a voice makes Optimus turn to see Max waving for him to follow.

Chapter Text

Optimus is led back to Joshua’s office.

“Joshua, the stasis has not completely worn off.” he warns. “It would appear we can only stay out of stasis for the lunar cycle. Me and my Autobots will be forced into our vehicle modes soon.”

“Then I will be quick.” Joshua says. “I need your help with something, Optimus. The men who attacked us stole a very important piece of technology.”

He holds up three thumb drives. “That tech was on three of these.”, handing them out.

“What are they?” Optimus rests them in his palm.

“One of our many advancements was to be able to store data and technology on smaller hard drives, for convenience. What was on the ones stolen was invaluable. I’d like you and your Autobots to ensure they’re returned to me undamaged.”

“Why not speak to your law enforcement?” Optimus suggests, handing the thumb drives back.

“A good thought.” Joshua says. “Unfortunately not one I can do. I’ve already had to do serious damage control regarding the fight itself. Who knows how the public would react to discovering your existence.”

Joshua comes out from behind his desk to stand in front of Optimus, arms crossed. “This isn’t WW2. Now we have the means to do more than just kill you. We could pull you apart and steal your technology for ourselves. Do you want to see that happen to the only known surviving Autobots?”

“It already has.” Optimus replies, but as Joshua starts to walk away, Optimus asks, “What is our mission?”

Joshua uses a remote to press a button, making a projector turn on to show him.

“The men who attacked were hired by a private equity firm called Hotchkiss Gould Investments.”

Optimus, however, is momentarily distracted, running a hand over the wall the projector is beamed at.

“Incredible. The image is in color, and the film reel is gone.”

“I wouldn’t have expected this from a seasoned veteran such as yourself, Optimus.” Joshua says, then goes back to business, “The technology has been divided to three locations. The first is out on a small island in Lake Eerie. The second is under Detroit in a hidden base. The third is on an airship that never lands.”

Joshua turns the projector off. “To retrieve them, you need to attack them all at once so they can’t tip each other off. I’m sure it appears to be a lot for such a small piece of storage. But I assure you, that technology cannot be replicated.”

“I still don’t understand why it has to be us.” Optimus says.

“We need to get the thumb drives back before they can unlock the encryptions I put on them.” Joshua explains. “Surely you’re familiar?”

“On Cybertron.” Optimus says, then shakes his helm. “This is not something I can ask my Autobots to risk their lives for. Forgive me.”

“I think you should sleep on it.” Joshua says, gesturing his consent for Optimus to leave. “Whatever you think of me, I assure you, Hotchkiss is worse.”

Optimus only looks back once before leaving, right as a door behind Joshua’s desk slides open, glowing red optics peeking out.

Joshua looks, then smiles.

“No cause for alarm. We’re right on schedule.”

Chapter Text

By daybreak, the Autobots are all back in the showroom in their alt modes, not moving.

When nighttime comes again, Optimus is the first to detransform, followed by Ravage, then Ratchet.

But just as quick, Optimus grabs B-127.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“To check out Detroit!” B-127 replies. “You don’t expect us to stay holed up in this tower, do you?”

“No doubt, boss,” Jazz chimes in with an easy grin. “If this is home base, we oughta scope out every corner. Humans, technology.”

“Where we can find energon or other fuel sources.” Hot Rod adds.

“I…can’t argue with that.” Optimus concedes. “You may scope out the city. But don’t let the building disappear from view, or let anyone see you out of your alt mode.”

The three of them nod, then quickly make their way towards the maintenance elevator.

Charlie is just arriving at the agreed upon alley, calling out, “Are you there?” , right as she turns and Optimus walks into view, making her jump in surprise.

“You came.” She says, then asks, “Why all the hiding?”

“I didn’t know if you’d come alone.” Optimus replies.

“Oh you don’t have to worry about that.” Charlie's quick to say. “Who’d believe me anyway?”

But just then, another bot lands and makes his presence known, making Charlie jump again.

Optimus greets, slightly annoyed, “You followed me?”

“My oldest friend just left to meet with a human and expected me to not worry.”  Ratchet reminds  him. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Geez, you take paranoia to a whole new level.” Charlie chuckles to herself, then starts to walk towards the streets. “Does that mean I’m adding another one to the list, uh….” she stops. “Wait, what did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t.” Ratchet replies distrustfully. “And what obligation do I have to tell you it anyhow? Does it change anything?”

“Hey, take it easy. I just…” Charlie stops, then tries, “Names are important, okay?”

“You already know Optimus’.” Ratchet replies. “And you know of our existence. Is that not enough?”

“You tell me.” Charlie says back. “You know my name. You know the city’s name. Is it enough?”

Ratchet goes to argue, but realizes he can’t. Worse, Optimus is looking at him with his arms crossed, almost with a smirk on his face.

“...whatever.” Ratchet rolls his optics. “My name is Ratchet.”

“Ratchet.” Charlie repeats with a smile, then frets. “How are two giant robots supposed to stay out of sight?”

“That is not a problem.” Optimus assures. “We stay inside alleyways and climb buildings.”

“And me?” Charlie points out. “You can climb and be up there in seconds, but I barely come up to your foot.”

Instead of answering, Optimus transforms into his alt mode, an M3 half-track, untouched since his WW2 days, which makes Charlie gasp.

“You can transform?” she exclaims, moves to get in the passenger seat, then looks at Ratchet, who’s still looking at them.

“Shall we go, old friend?” Optimus’ voice comes out of the radio.

“No, I don’t think so.” Ratchet replies. “I think I’ve seen enough of this city for one night. I only came to ensure your safety, and now I have. I think I’ll just turn in and go back to the base.”

With that, Ratchet transforms into his alt mode, a GMC CCKW “Deuce-and-a-Half”, and drives off.

“Okay then.” Charlie says, closing Optimus’ door. “Looks like it’s just us. Where do we start?”

“You may start with everything I need to see that might pose a danger to me and my Autobots.” Optimus instructs.

“Whoa, easy there.” Charlie laughs. “I’m more paranoid than most of today’s billionaires, and I know that’s overdoing it.”

Optimus begins moving instead of replying, and just as Charlie's processing that, the city comes back into view as Optimus finally pulls out of the alley.

Optimus drives down just about every street he can, under bridges, past all the big skyscrapers, from Kinetic all the way to Sumdac Tower.

His headlights sweep over empty intersections, as he dips under bridges where his engine echoes loudly.

And through it all, Charlie just looks out the window, reminded that every turn, every smooth stop at a light, every signal blink is him.

Eventually, they stop at the Spirit of Detroit, with Optimus letting Charlie out before detransforming.

“Well?” She asks as he turns to look at the statue. “What do you think?”

“I think the world we knew no longer exists.” Optimus’ voice is a mix of both sorrow and wonderment. “So much technology is used for convenience now.”

“You can say that again.” Charlie agrees. “I actually think it’s a little too convenient, but seeing the way you look at it reminded me of…something.” she trails off, a far away look in her eyes.

“The city is not nearly protected enough.” Optimus says. “How do you humans mean to defend yourselves should a threat arise?”

“It’s not about who might come in.” Charlie says. “It’s about who’s already here.”

“Something that has not changed since the war, I see.” Optimus says with a sigh.

Ratchet and Ravage walk through Kinetic Tower, with Ravage whimpering.

“I know, I know.” Ratchet says. “The world outgrew us.”, right as he opens a door.

Inside he finds an old computer terminal.

In moments Ratchet strides right over to it and runs his servos over it.

As he does so, he accidentally turns it on, and when it lights up, Ratchet  jumps, pulling out his weapon.

When nothing attacks him, he puts it away.

“Alright, humans.” Ratchet mutters to himself. “You have my attention.”

He starts pressing random buttons, but the random screens that turn on are so bright and confusing, it only succeeds in agitating him, before he just bangs a fist on it and leads Ravage out.

Chapter Text

A car pulls up into a seedy alleyway.

Inside, a woman says disdainfully, “Let me guess. Another culinary adventure?”

“Maggie, come on.” her girlfriend says, trying to start the car again.

“That’s what you get for being a cheapskate.” Maggie rolls her eyes, as her girlfriend tries to call someone.

“No signal.” she says before hanging up.

“Great.” Maggie replies. “What are we supposed to do now?”

Her girlfriend opens the door and gets out. “Maybe it’s not that bad. I’ll try and fix it.”

“I’m the mechanic, not you.” Maggie snaps. “The only reason I haven’t touched this car was so I could say ‘I told you so’.”

Her girlfriend slams the door shut, then goes to the hood, popping it open.

“You need help?”

She turns and sees some not very nice looking guys leering at her.

“We’re experts.” one of them says as they all move closer. “Should have your little car up and running in no time flat.”

“That’s not necessary.” She says, hands up in surrender. “I called a tow truck already, they’re on the way.”

Inside, Maggie locks the car and tries to call the cops on her own phone.

“Lemme see ya papers.” another person sneers.

“Papers?” Maggie’s girlfriend says weakly. 

“No way a girl like you bought this car legally.” the first person says. “And we don’t take kindly to car thievery.”

“So you can hand the money right to us.” another member says.

“Braylan, are you stupid? They’re obviously mugging you!” Maggie rolls the window down to yell. “Just give them your wallet!”

Braylan does, pulling it out. “I don’t carry cash much anymore.”

“Oh, what a shame.” one member pulls out a knife, then slowly moves closer, holding it up.

But just as he’s about to use it, a tall dark shadow passes by, distracting them all.

“What was that?” another member wonders.

“I think it’s time you guys got out of here.” Charlie walks into the alleyway, crossing her arms.

“Oh good.” the member with the knife says. “Another woman with a wallet.”

But as the group moves towards the new woman instead, she warns, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Yeah?” the group’s leader laughs. “Who put you in charge?”

“I’m serious.” Charlie says. “If there was ever a time for you to get outta here, this is it.”

“Says who?” the leader demands.

“Him.” Charlie says cryptically, then runs back towards the street.

Of course the group’s stupid enough to follow her, and so of course Maggie gets out of her car, a loud thud making them and the car vibrate.

“AH!”

“It’s a robot!”

“Smash it!”

The leader’s dumb enough to try and swing a crowbar at it, which Optimus yanks out of his hand, bends in half, rendering it useless, before taking a single step forward, which is enough for the leader to back away quickly.

None of them notice Braylan watching everything from the alleyway, before running back to Maggie and their car.

“We gotta get out of here, now!”

And then they’re gone.

Before long, everyone in the group is either knocked out or fled the scene.

Charlie approaches Optimus, and when he turns to look at her, she says, “Optimus, you are exactly what this city has been waiting for.”

Optimus has no reply to that, only watches her for another moment before following.

Chapter Text

“Would you get a load of this?” Jazz marvels, optics scanning the skyline littered with neon signs and traffic lights from the rooftop. “So much–”

“Hey, shut up.” Hot Rod cuts him off, pointing. “All I’m looking at is that.”

The three of them all zoom in to see what Hot Rod does–a motorcycle.

“I think I’ve just found my new alt mode.” Hot Rod declares, then doesn’t bother with the maintenance elevator, just jumps over the edge.

“Hey!” B-127 calls, but he’s helpless to do anything but watch Hot Rod land with a loud thud, transform, and follow the motorcycle as closely as he can.

“Amazing!” Hot Rod exclaims out loud, revving his engine, which gets the rider’s attention, and upon seeing a 540K Mercedes following him so closely, he brakes and swerves, which knocks the car right into him, sending him flying.

“Hey!” the rider hears, and upon seeing a giant red and orange robot standing over his motorcycle, makes a run for it.

“Don’t go!” Hot Rod calls right as B-127 and Jazz finally join him.

“We’re supposed to stay in our alt modes.” B-127 reminds him.

“I was!” Hot Rod protests, glaring back at B-127. “I just got a little too close trying to scan it.”

He does so now, optics flickering. 

Jazz can’t resist warning, “Easy.”, looking around them.

“It’s just a simple scan.” Hot Rod says, then once it’s finally done, transforms into his new alt mode and drives off.

And immediately goes too fast, shooting ahead like a rocket.

“Hot Rod!” B-127 yells, already transforming.

Jazz groans but follows, tires screeching.

Not that it does much good, as Hot Rod ends up crashing into a wall.

The impact is loud enough to rattle glass in nearby windows, stone crumbling down around him.

Hot Rod immediately detransforms as B-127 and Jazz catch up, all three of them watching the wall crumble.

“I think Boss can go without hearing about you introducing yourself to a building.” Jazz decides. “Whaddaya say?”

“Most women carry pepper spray. I have a giant robot bodyguard.” Charlie rolls her eyes as she and Optimus walk through Belle Isle Park.

“It saddens me to see how little everything has changed.” Optimus says.

“Is that not how they judged you during the war?” Charlie points out, which gets him to stop and look at her before she continues, “I mean yeah, when you look at things like human rights or war, ‘a lot hasn’t changed’ isn’t too far off. But when you look at it as a whole, you couldn’t be more wrong. Look around you.”

As Optimus does, Charlie lists off, “We’ve lived to see a disease like AIDS both destroy a chunk of the population and finally become undetectable with modern medicine.”

But just then, Optimus startles, so Charlie demands, “What, what’s wrong?”

She doesn’t get a reply, or at least not from Optimus.

Instead she sees Optimus zapped by something unseen, which electrocutes him enough to make him fall to his knees with a metallic thud.

And of course that's when armed men jump out of the bushes, guns aimed at her, before one punches her across the face, and before she can even think to wince and grab her cheek, another grabs her from behind.

Optimus tries to stop them, but he’s only zapped again for his efforts.

“Stop!” Charlie shouts, struggling in the guard’s hold. “What are you doing?”

“Just cleaning up a little mess.” another guard sneers at her, blaster aimed right at Optimus’ chest.

Chapter Text

"Killing you should make the others scared enough to get off our planet." the guard keeps his gun pointed at Optimus' chest.

"You don't want to do this." Optimus tries to get up, despite the electricity leaving him incapacitated, as more guards point their weapons at him.

"Don't tell me what I want." the guard snaps, right as Charlie pulls her head down to smack it right into the face of the guard holding her, and then as he loosens his grip, she elbows his groin, which knocks him to the ground.

That done, she goes right for the guard about to shoot Optimus and shoves the man into the bushes, weapon knocked out of his hand.

"Optimus." Charlie calls, watching as he finally gets back to his full height and kicks the other guards away.

But just as Charlie gets back to his side, a guard resumes trying to shoot them again, and Optimus doesn't think, just quickly grabs Charlie as he transforms, somehow pulling her inside his frame until she's sitting in the seat of his alt mode, and speeds away.

The guard's stupid enough to keep trying to chase them on foot,  as Optimus' tires tear up the grass.

But just as the guard's about to shoot again, another guard grabs her weapon.

"Save your ammo. They're closer than you think."

"Ugh, Jazz, seriously?" Hot Rod complains, watching Jazz slurp an energon cube loudly as he, Hot Rod, and B-127 keep walking through the city under the cover of the dark alleys.

"Ain't like any energon I've ever tasted, even on Cybertron." Jazz says, holding it out. "Try some."

"You already drank the entire stock." Hot Rod gestures to the cubes Jazz keeps dropping behind them. 

"Hey, wait up!" B-127 complains, running to catch up, only to trip and face plant right in front of them as they stop.

"Ugh, too much walking." He whines. "My pedes hurt."

"So do mine." Hot Rod admits. "I can't even see the tower from here."

"Taxi!"

The cry makes them look around the corner as they watch a human get into a yellow vehicle that pulls up.

"Oooooh!" B-127 exclaims. "My turn, my turn!"

Hot Rod and Jazz keep watch as B-127 goes into the middle of the street as a similar yellow vehicle comes down the road.

But the second the driver spots B-127, the vehicle swerves and dashes away.

"Awwww." B-127 says, disappointed.

"No alt mode for you tonight, Bee." Hot Rod says apologetically.

"Walk?" B-127 asks, already moving.

Jazz nods, the three now side by side. "Walk."

Eventually, Optimus starts slowing down, so Charlie gets out of him, watching him detransform and fall back to his knees.

"What…did they do to me?" Optimus asks slowly.

Charlie moves closer, looking around the exposed parts until she sees something, and, praying she's right, reaches in and pulls it out.

"Is this part of you?" She asks, holding it up.

"No…"

"What about this?" Charlie pulls something off of Optimus' foot, something small and blinking.

"Someone planted a transmitter on me?" Optimus asks incredulously.

"Looks like it." Charlie replies, then upon getting a closer look, looks confused. "Okay that's weird. This one's got an insignia on it."

"Who would plant a transmitter on me?" Optimus keeps wondering.

But Charlie's got another idea, tiptoeing quietly over to a bird, then somehow, after managing to grab it before it can scratch her, plants the transmitter on it, before letting it go again.

"There, now they'll be chasing pigeons like the dogs they are." She says as she goes back over to Optimus. "And I'm sorry to be unfair right now, but you need to get us both out of here before anything else catches us off guard."

"Ha! Gotcha!" Ratchet smirks as he finally gets the console to do what he wants it to, and begins inputting several commands at once.

Windows pop up  all over the screen one of them playing a video of a dog barking, to which, Ravage lets out a metallic hiss.

But Ratchet's only concern is the one that tells him the time.

"Come, Ravage." he orders, turning the console off for a second time. "The others should be returning right about now."

Ratchet and Ravage watch as Hot Rod, Jazz, and B-127 emerge from the maintenance elevator.

"You don't have any regard for time, do you?" he points out.

Immediately, they start talking over each other.

"This place is amazing!"

"Trains go all over, not just on the ground!"

"It feels like daytime even without the sun!"

"All the technology is amazing!"

"And the energon, mmm!"

"Where is Optimus?" Ratchet demands.

"He's not here?" B-127 asks, while Hot Rod and Jazz, look at each other and shrug. "We're about to fall back into stasis."

"Exactly." Ratchet says worriedly, rubbing a servo on Ravage's helm absently as he looks down below.

"Charlie." Optimus says tiredly, alt mode beginning to slow down. "I can't make it back to Kinetic before the sun rises."

"Before the—?" Charlie repeats.

"Stasis." Now Optimus' speech almost sounds wobbly as his vehicle starts to swerve. "Can't…drive."

"Wait, stop." Charlie says. "What happens when the sun rises?"

"I'm sorry." is Optimus' only reply as his alt mode somehow comes to a stop without hitting something.

"We have to go." Charlie says, seeing the armed guards getting closer, but when there's no reply, she touches the dashboard.

"Optimus?"

It's cold, like a car fresh off the assembly line.

Her breathing turns panicked as she keeps trying, smacking anything she can.

"OPTIMUS!"

Chapter Text

"Damn it, Optimus, this isn't funny!" Charlie shouts. "You don't have a key, I can't drive you out of here!"

But as she sees the guards still getting closer, she knows she has no choice.

The guards are all lined up as they walk down the path when Charlie throws herself in front of them, then takes off.

It works, as one guard orders, "After her!"

"What about the robot?" the female guard asks.

"We have the transmitter." the other guard reminds her. "Now come on, before we lose her!"

With that, the group takes off in a run.

Charlie honestly doesn't know how she hasn't been caught yet as she runs through the park with the guards on her tail as they all run over the gravel paths.

She ducks behind a stand of low laurels and sumac border the picnic grove, flattening herself against the damp earth.

For a second she thought she’d been clever—until a clattering of playground swings gives the guards away.

She runs towards the tables anyway, running and ducking underneath one.

"Sweep the area." The leader orders, and the group begins to fan out.

Charlie watches their boots between the slats of another bench. One of them moved down the length of the tables, passing one after another—closing the distance to where she's pressed against the underside.

She draws her knees up, and the moments a foot appears right next to her, she doesn't think, she snaps her leg out in a haphazard sweep.

"Ah!"

The yelp and following thud to the ground makes her open her eyes long enough to see him go down, so she lunges for the weapon.

The other guards see her running away, and open fire.

Charlie turns and fires back, like she's in the movies, recoil nearly spinning the gun out of her hands, but she doesn't know what else to do except keep firing until the slide snaps back.

What she does know is one guard finally goes down, so she resumes running right past some old looking statues, which the female guard was hiding behind.

She fires a shot at Charlie, but it misses, with Charlie disappearing just as quick.

Charlie makes a beeline straight for the conservatory, grabbing a door and thanking whoever that it's open for the night guard.

She quickly shuts the door behind her, looking around the Palm House, smelling the damp earth and chlorophyll.

Seeing the guards approach the big dome, she fumbles the weapon she took with shaking hands, only to realize she's out of ammo.

"Nonononono…" she whimpers, but she can't even be allowed to do that, as they start firing weapons, shattering the glass.

She does the only thing she can think to do, which is duck down and cover the back of her head with both arms.

When the firing stops, for just a second, she thinks she's in the clear.

One of the broad palm fronds has caught fire, flames trailing up into the dry wood lattice, crawling over to its neighbors.

She doesn't think, just runs down the narrow path between ferns and cycads, past the shadowy silhouettes of plants that are normally so peaceful during the day, but now only leer at her, the traitors.

Finally, she reaches another side door, slams it behind her, and crouches among the untouched foliage, ducking low among thick foliage as the fire makes more glass burst behind her.

"There's no way she survived that." the leader says outside the conservatory.

"Are you sure?" the female guard asks.

Charlie crawls as fast as she can through the tall plants, then the moment she sees a back door, goes through it, and runs right for the narrow service hatch, ducking into the shadowed crawlspace between the conservatory and aquarium.

Pipes and stacked crates don't give her much room, but she can't afford to be picky.

She presses herself flat against the wall, counting the seconds, listening. Even covers her mouth when her breathing gets too loud.

The door is shoved open, the female guard flashing a light and peering inside. The beam cuts across the crawlspace, catching a glimpse of crates and pipes — but not her.

Charlie holds her breath, waiting, and in seconds, she has her chance.

The female guard turns her back, and again, Charlie doesn't think, just grabs a pipe and swings it against her back, knocking her down.

The cry out is enough to alert the leader still in the corridor, but when he sees Charlie dash out of it and down the opposite direction, he smirks.

"One of these days you're going to realize exactly how stupid this chase really is." he calls in a taunt.

Charlie keeps running through the park, but she comes to a grinding halt upon realizing her feet have taken her to the James Scott Memorial Fountain, the spray glittering under the lights.

She turns, no longer sure if she's hearing footsteps or the pounding of her own heart.

"Quit while you're ahead." the leader suggests as he keeps walking, head swiveling as he looks for her. "You've put up a helluva fight, I'll give you that. You and that, that piece of junk metal hurt my team."

Upon spotting a what looks like her shoes from the low hedges by the fountain’s base, he smirks, then pulls it back, ready to shoot.

No girl. Just her shoes.

"Fuck." he swears, right as he's smacked in the head from behind, making him stagger as his finger clenches down, sending a spray of wild gunfire cracking across the marble and ricocheting off the fountain’s stone lions.

Charlie doesn't even know how none of them hit her as she swings again, the pipe clattering against his wrist, forcing the weapon free as it skids across the wet stone, tumbling into the basin with a splash.

Charlie backs up until her heel hits the fountain’s ledge, nowhere left to go.

The guard just throws fist after fist as she raises the pipe again, her only defense, hammering down, again and again.

Eventually it hits him hard enough to where when he goes down, he stays there.

Charlie's literally panting from the exertion, before looking over where she left her shoes.

"Why am I doing all this for a truck I can't legally drive again?" she mutters as she slips them back on.

Back with Optimus, Charlie just sits on the curb next to him, when she hears someone coming.

She tenses, until she sees it's just a jogger.

Upon seeing Optimus, the jogger keeps jogging in place, noting, "Is that an M3? All the way out here?"

"First time for everything." Charlie shrugs, watching the jogger go.

Chapter Text

The moment it turns fully dark again, the M5 detransforms and becomes Optimus once more, startling Charlie from where she'd nodded off on the curb.

"Optimus?" She asks tentatively, and when he looks down at her, she comes closer. "Are you…functional?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Optimus asks, clearly confused.

"Looks like whatever they shot you with cycled out of your system." Charlie notes, looking him up and down.

"Recharge is all we usually need to recalibrate our systems to functional order." Optimus explains, but he appears to be looking at her disheveled appearance.

"Did you…not leave while I was in stasis?"

Charlie shakes her head. "I couldn't let those…morons hurt you."

"You have my appreciation." Optimus says. "If you hadn't…I don't know how I would have survived in my trapped state."

He kneels down, holding out a giant hand.

Charlie almost makes a snide comment, but finds herself more amused as she holds out her own hand and shakes a small part of his.

"You scratched my back, I scratched yours."

"Scratched?" Optimus looks confused again for a moment, then shakes his head. "I need to return to my base. My Autobots will begin to wonder."

"Got it." Charlie nods, but before Optimus can transform, she stops him.

"Wait. Later?"

"You have my word." Optimus promises.

The bots at the tower stretch their frames upon being able to move freely again, but it's Hot Rod who notices Optimus' showroom platform is still empty.

And his staring prompts the rest of them to stare as well, but Ratchet's all about assuring, "Fear not. Optimus will return. It will take more than a vorn's worth of stasis to knock our Prime down."

"He'd better be okay…" Hot Rod mutters, but just as Ravage starts whimpering, Hot Rod's optics light up as he points.

"There he is!"

Sure enough, their giant blue leader is making their way to them, jumping and climbing across nearby buildings before he finally grabs Kinetic's building and climbs through the broken window.

"We've been worried sick!" Hot Rod admonishes.

"What the heck happened to you?" Jazz asks curiously.

"It would seem some humans have decided they do not want us here."

Joshua turns off the screen. "I think we're ready, Max."

"After what I just endured," Optimus tells them. "I must ask you to forgive me, Ratchet, for not insisting you join us."

But before he can say more, they hear someone clearing their throat, before Max appears in the doorway.

"You requested my presence, Joshua?" Optimus asks upon seeing the man.

"Optimus, perfect timing." Joshua says, walking off to the side. "It's about time I introduced you to someone. And not to worry, I believe you've already met."

Just then, Optimus can make out a large figure in the shadows, and as he tries to narrow his optics, he asks, "Who are you?"

But he needs no answer, as in the next second, his optics brighten and widen, his battle mask drops, and he's left just standing there agape at the gunmetal gray bot he once called his conjunx staring back at him.

"DEE!"

Chapter Text

"You survived." He's barely able to whisper, as D-16 comes closer.

"Optimus. My spark, my Prime." He greets, with a slight smirk.

But Optimus doesn't notice, isn't even thinking at all, just walks up and pulls him right to him, and after a moment, D-16 reciprocates.

"D-16." Optimus whispers. "This is no dream. You really are here."

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this, Optimus." D-16 replies, keeping his grip on the Prime.

"Pardon me." Joshua says behind them, snapping them out of it.

"It is because of this human we are together again, my spark." D-16 explains. "Joshua Joyce is the only human I trust."

"I don't understand." Optimus is still trying to make sense of it. "The Nazis melted you."

"No." D-16 shakes his helm. "I worried for your safety, and left the camp to search for you. But when the sun rose, I couldn't get to you without giving myself or the rest of you away."

"How did you survive all this time?" Optimus all but begs to know.

"You were already forced into stasis and taken away when I finally made it back to the camp." D-16 explains, rubbing one servo over the Prime's chassis. "I asked the robot to use his screech on me so that I might catch up with you again eventually."

"We made our acquaintance a few years back." Joshua pipes up. "He was the first Transformer I ever purchased for Kinetic. Then after you and the others woke from your stasis, I came to check on him to see if he was similarly awake."

"I am finally whole again." Optimus pronounces.

"You promised me." D-16 reminds him. "After the end of the war, we would be conjunxed."

"D-16!" The Autobots exclaim all at once upon seeing their friend come back to the showroom with Optimus.

Ravage reaches him first, jumping on him while B-127 asks. "How are you alive?"

"That can wait." D-16 says as Ravage keeps trying to knock him over. "I am relieved you all survived as well."

Then once Ravage finally calms down enough, D-16 looks at Optimus, "My Prime, there is something I require from you."

"As if I'd ever deny you anything." Optimus replies.

"Joshua informed me of the stolen portable hard drives." D-16 says.

"He has already asked us to retrieve them for him." Optimus says.

"I believe it would be in our best interest so oblige him." D-16 suggests. "If for no other reason than he is the reason we are together again."

"You are right." Optimus nods, one servo on D-16's shoulder. "And perhaps Joshua's assistance will keep our human adversaries from attacking again."

Optumus pulls both D-16's servos into his own. "I know we will be successful with you at my side once more."

"You have been sent files to your comms the details of each hiding place and your best strategy for attacking." Joshua tells them in his office, while the Autobots stare at the projected screen in wonder. "We don't have a prayer of getting them back without your firepower."

"D-16 and I will handle the airship." Optimus volunteers, then to the others, "B-127, Jazz, and Hot Rod, you will go to the island."

"Alright!" Hot Rod cheers, pumping a fist.

"What was that?" Optimus asks, and Jazz is quick to explain,

"We saw some humans doing it the previous lunar cycle. They seem to like doing it when they're excited about something."

"Very well." Optimus shakes his helm, before moving on, "Ratchet, you will take to under the city. Take Ravage."

"I do not need a—"

"Take him." Optimus repeats. "Please."

Then to the group again, "Proceed with caution, all of you. These humans are nothing like the ones we fought alongside in their war."

"Ravage, with me." Ratchet walks out first, and the others follow, D-16 leaving last.

Joshua just watches them go with a smile.

"We're first." Hot Rod calls as he, Jazz and B-127 get on the maintenance elevator.

Once they're gone, Optimus can't help but worry, "If anything happens to them…"

"They are some of the strongest Autobots I've ever known." D-16 assures.

Optimus takes his servo in his. "I still can't quite believe I get to fight alongside you again."

"Believe it now, and forever." D-16 says. "Our future is finally within our grasp."

Then he jumps, so Optimus wastes no time jumping after him.

Joshua looks down, face turned serious now.

Chapter Text

The Hotchkiss Gould Investments airship looms above Detroit’s skyline like a floating skyscraper.

Optimus and D-16 approach with Optimus riding on the back of D-16's flying mode, before Optimus jumps onto a docking ring, the steel rattling beneath his weight, the downdraft from the nearby turbines threatening to push him off and plummet him to the ground.

But D-16's right there, detransforming mid-flight and landing on the platform beside him, before they move against the winds towards the entrance.

Or, more effectively, through the makeshift hole D-16 tears into the plating with his claws, when the winds refuse to relent.

Optimus would argue, but with time of the essence, keeps it to himself, and just allows D-16 to pull him in.

Once they're inside, Optimus looks around, noting, "The drives will be heavily guarded."

D-16 begins walking in one direction, saying, "If humans want to die guarding a piece of plastic, who am I to deny them?"

Optimus balks at that, while D-16 tries to keep him moving, "It's this way.", and after a moment, Optimus follows.

They're still walking when they hear behind them,

"Don't move."

They turn to see two guards pointing their weapons at them.

D-16 laughs, stepping closer. "Are you truly so stupid to fire a weapon on an air ship you're currently standing on?"

"Wanna find out?" one guard sneers.

"Don't." Optimus says, but D-16 charges right at them, ignoring the guards' protests of, "Stay away!", as Megatron kicks them away and aims his fusion cannon at them.

While one guard has D-16 distracted, Optimus notices the other one about to shoot him in the back, and he doesn't think, just lunges to knock Megatron down, then drag him away once the tunnel fills with carbon dioxide.

The guard tries to limit his breathing as he keeps looking, but is still startled when his partner is slammed against a wall, and a moment later, D-16 advances towards them, ready to blast them away.

And he would have, had Optimus not also pointed his weapon at them, grabbed the guard's, snapped it in half with his free hand, and shoved him away with his foot, knocking him out.

"Those blasts were too loud to not be heard." Optimus says. "We need to go."

D-16, however, picks up the unconscious guard in his servo, almost crushing him, and moves towards the open hole, ready to drop him.

"Stop!" Optimus grabs his arm. "What are you doing?"

"They can't call for reinforcements if they're dead, can they?" D-16 sneers, his grip loosening.

"Dee, no." Optimus begs. "We do not inflict harm unless all other options have been exhausted."

They stare at each other for a long moment, before D-16 breaks the silence.

"Your vorn in stasis has corrupted your processor, Optimus."

But he does drop the guard unceremoniously on the floor, and keeps walking.

After a beat, Optimus follows reluctantly.

Elsewhere, B-127, Jazz, and Hot Rod push their way through the island's jungle

"The technology in today's world is…" B-127 pauses, trying to find the right word.

"Awesome?" Jazz offers, brushing a branch aside.

"Good a word as any." B-127 decides.

"We gotta get inside." Hot Rod says, scanning their surroundings. "But where's the hidden entrance?"

"Probably hiding in plain sight." Jazz says, then doesn't wait for the other two to get out of the way as he shoots at a suspiciously smooth slab of rock.

The jungle trembles as if the whole island is waking up. Birds screech and scatter into the air. Slowly, the fake rock splits apart, grinding back to reveal a recessed doorway.

The three exchange a look, then head inside.

"Joshua said it was 3 floors down." Hot Rod recalls, then pulls open an elevator shaft, revealing elevator cables instead of the lift.

Looking down through the shaft, Jazz notes, making out steel beams and a faint glimmer of lights far below., "Not like the maintenance elevator at Kinetic, is it?"

"We can't all fit in there." B-127 points out, pointing out the narrow access ladder.

"Then we'll go one at a time." Hot Rod decides. "Brace yourself."

Then he jumps, using the wall and stray cables to slow down.

B-127 and Jazz share a look, shrug, then one after another, jump after him.

"One…" Hot Rod counts as the floor whizzes past his optics. "Two…three!"

He barely snatches the ledge at the last second, hauling himself up with a grunt, while B-127 and Jazz drop clean onto the opposite side.

"Why'd they give us the easy one?" Jazz wonders. "We’ll be clockin’ out before the others even break a sweat."

Hot Rod pulls open the elevator doors, only to be greeted with guards pointing their weapons at them.

"Or not." Jazz says unhelpfully.

Chapter Text

"Whoopsie." Hot Rod chuckles nervously. "Must've been four instead of three."

The guards' only response is to fire at them, so the three quickly jump back into the shaft and climb up one after the other, scrambling to climb before the next spray of bullets chews through the metal walls.

Jazz makes it up to the next floor first, wedging his fingers between the doors and forces them apart while rounds ping off the shaft below.

The three quickly jump through, tumbling onto the floor just as more shots whistle past their pedes, right as an alarm blares.

"Oh come on!" Jazz huffs.

The office full of employees freezes as the ceiling explodes , dust and debris covering them as three giant robots drop down through the hole.

B-127's the one to point his weapon in one of their faces, threatening, "Hand over the drive, no one gets hurt."

The employee's quick to cooperate, pointing behind B-127, who orders, "Hot Rod, stay on him.", then moves towards the console.

"Now what do we have here." he mutters, fingers tapping across the keys as the system syncs with his HUD. Windows flicker across his vision, which he scans quickly, then pulls a thin piece of plastic free from the slot. “Got it.”

More guards try to barge in, but Jazz stands in front of the door and keeps kicking it shut behind him, taunting, "I don't think so." before he warns, "I think we oughta skeddadle."

They look around the room they're trapped in for a moment, before B-127 says, "Leave it to me." and goes to pull a massive server rig, rips it free from the floor with a wrenching screech of metal, and hurls it through the nearest window.

In seconds, they're all jumping out, transforming and making a run for it through the tunnels.

"We got it!" B-12 cheers.

"Yeah yeah." Hot Rod blows off. "Let's celebrate once we're back at Kinetic."

"Sir, the island station was breached." one employee informs the captain.

"Do they know what happened?"

"Actually they were screaming something about giant robots."

"Very well." the captain says. "Double our security."

"Why did I agree to this again?" Ratchet mutters as he and Ravage wade through the Detroit sewers, only to stop once he sees a camera.

"Well that won't do." Ratchet decides, moving closer so he's right in front of it.

The captain gasps at the sight, completely dumbfounded.

But before Ratchet can think to chop it down and smash it, he's suddenly surrounded by armed guards.

He would've swiped at some of them, had someone not lashed a strobe light, disorienting him.

"You may be made of metal." one guard says. "But no metal is indestructible."

"That's right." Ratchet replies with a mirthless smile. "But you're not metal, are you?"

Neither of them get a chance to say more, as a hidden door opens behind Ratchet, and he's escorted inside to the control room.

Ravage wastes no time pouncing on the guards, and Ratchet quickly joins in, knocking more guards into each other.

When the captain points a weapon at Ravage, Ratchet's the one to knock the shot off course and hit the console, causing it to spark and smoke.

"Now where are you…." Ratchet mutters, attempting to sync his HUD to it.

It works, but it doesn't do him much good, the windows flying past his optics faster than he can read them.

"Damnit!" he yells, pounding it with his servo, which, miraculously, knocks the skinny thumb drive loose.

"That's convenient." he muses, before grabbing it and turning back to Ravage, who's got several guards backed into a corner.

"Come." Ratchet orders more gently, and Ravage's posture immediately relaxes, before turning to follow.

But just as they start to leave, the Captain manages to press the button that closes the door again, and the two bots have to make a dash for it.

It closes right when they get to it, but Ratchet's done playing nice, kicking the metal doors right out before they're back in the digusting sewers.

"If this is how I'm expected to spend my almost-one-with-the-Allspark cycles," Ratchet stretches out his back. "I'm putting in a transfer request."

But of course they couldn't just take a breath for a moment, because guards down the tunnel can be heard running and shooting at the same time.

Ratchet and Ravage don't think, they're up and running back the way they came.

"Dead end." Ratchet realizes. "We must've gotten turned around somewhere."

But just as the guards get closer, Ratchet sees a tunnel he doesn't recall seeing before, and just as he and Ravage run through it, steam bursts out of a pipe, and they hear several guards curse in pain.

But Ratchet only orders, "Go!" at Ravage, prompting the both of them to run like Unicron is after them.

The stonework gradually gives way to smooth concrete. The tunnel sloped down, and before long the roar of rushing water fills the air. 

A pale gleam of moonlight appeared ahead, and before they know it, they've they stumbled out into open night, an overpass looming directly above.

Ratchet doesn't even get the chance to speak or relax, as Ravage tackles him to the ground, letting out a loud purr of his engine, kneading his servos.

"Stop that." Ratchet shoves him off, wiping off Ravage's saliva. "You nearly crushed me."

He looks down at the thumb drive in his servo. "I nearly met Primus over a piece of plastic?"

Chapter Text

"The island and sewer stations have been breached." the captain of the airship says. "We only have whatever data is on our thumb drive."

Just then the door blows open, revealing two robots.

"Make that no data at all." D-16 sneers.

Optimus moves forward first, pointing his weapon at them, and kicking other back.

But right when he points it at the captain, the captain demands fearfully, "What…are you?", while D-16 goes right to the console and pulls the thumb drive out, like it's nothing.

"And just like that, we're finished." D-16 holds it up, then, looking down at the console itself, grins as he points his fusion cannon at it, blasting through the wires, sparks setting the room on fire.

"Let's go." Megatron warns as he walk past Optimus, who finally steps away from the captain to look at D-16 in horror.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"No time. We need to leave!" D-16 shouts.

"No." Optimus stands firm. "I will not be responsible for more human casualties."

The airship begins to tilt, but before Optimus can get to the humans, D-16 grabs his arm, yelling, "Forget them! We need to leave!" as he drags Optimus out a window, transforming and carrying Optimus on his back as they fly further and further away.

Behind them, more of the airship catches fire as it gets lower and lower, until it finally crashes into Lake Huron, under the Mackinac Bridge.

The only comfort to be taken is that a, the humans still on board abandon the airship into the water, and b, Charlie pulls up by the edge of the lake right at that moment.

She looks around, and upon noticing two giant silhouettes quietly fleeing the scene, she can't help but worry.

"Please tell me that wasn't you, Optimus."

Optimus and D-16 end up returning to Kinetic last, with D-16 handing over the thumb drive to Joshua.

"I cannot thank you enough, Autobots." Joshua praises. "I promise you the data on these thumb drives will be used exactly as intended, for humans and Transformers."

Once Joshua leaves, Optimus tells D-16, "I…have an appointment. I will return shortly."

"What appointment?" D-16 demands. "Your only allies are the ones standing in front of you."

"And another human." Optimus replies. "Charlie Watson."

"Joshua is our only human ally." D-16 jabs a digit in Optimus' chassis. "And it's going to stay that way. Or have you forgotten what they did to so many of our own nearly a vorn ago?"

"Were we so different when it was our war on Cybertron?" Optimus reminds him. "If Joshua is willing to work with us, is that not proof there could be more like him?"

"It appears you have learned nothing from your time in stasis." D-16 says bitterly.

"Those responsible are either dead or found a way to keep us all together." Optimus says.

"But their descendants still dare to walk among us." D-16 growls.

"It appears I am not the only one who's processor was altered." Optimus says sadly. "These cycles have done you more harm than good."

D-16's optics fade at that, but Optimus just turns away from him.

"You are not the one I asked to be my conjunx." He shakes his helm. "I'm going to my appointment."

"Suit yourself, Prime." D-16 spits out, watching Optimus jump off the roof.

Joshua turns off the monitor. "Optimus doesn't take orders well. What a shame."

Chapter Text

Charlie's already looking up at their usual meetup spot in the alleyway when Optimus drops down, the ground shaking slightly, nearly making her stumble.

"Where the hell were you?" She demands. "I've been driving all over the city trying to find you!"

"For me?" Optimus asks, confused. "Why would you be looking for me?"

"Three Hotchkiss data drives were reported to have been stolen by what they called, 'giant robots'. It's all anyone's talking about on my police scanner." Charlie counts on one finger, before adding another one, "And I saw you with another robot running from the airship that crashed into the lake. What the hell are you doing, Optimus?"

"Those drives were stolen from Joshua." Optimus explains calmly. "All we did was get them back for him."

Charlie pulls out her new replacement phone, pulling up a picture and showing it to him. "Remember that weird emblem I saw on that tracker they put on you? I did a reverse image search. That emblem is trademarked by a technology firm called, you guessed it, Kinetic Solutions."

"We were attacked by Joshua's own men?" Optimus demands.

"Yes." Charlie says. "And who's to say Joshua didn't plant the tracker himself?"

"But then why would those same men steal the hard drives from Joshua?" Optimus doesn't understand.

"Optimus." Charlie sighs in frustration. "They didn't steal anything. I had my connections double and triple check. The only stealing done was from Hotchkiss. Joshua made it all up."

But before she can get even more upset, Charlie takes a deep breath and say, "Okay, Optimus, I'm going to be completely transparent here. I know we don't know each other that well, and you're well within your rights to drop me if I so much as look at you funny…"

Optimus looks away, but Charlie won't have it.

"Come down here."

Optimus nearly doesn't, but upon looking at her, just does it anyway, kneeling down.

"Look at me."

Again, he does, but she can see there's a bitter hardness in his optics.

"You can't just pull away and expect everything to stop for you." Charlie says. "If anyone understands that, it's me. And if it's between me and Joshua? I like my odds."

Optimus pulls up the image of the emblem on his HUD again, clenching his servo into a fist.

"Thank you." Charlie says, relieved.

"It appears the Autobots are no longer of use to me." Joshua tells Max as they stand in front of several covered machines. "Their loyalty to each other is stronget than their loyalty to me."

He paces, "But now that we have the drives, we no longer need them."

"Sir, it's almost daylight." Max tells him. "As soon as they're back in stasis, we can—"

"No." D-16's voice booms behind them as he joins the conversation. "Last I checked, they still need to be tested." he scratches his claws through one of the covers, before smirking at Joshua. "Don't they?"

Chapter Text

"I just decided." Hot Rod says in the showroom while B-127 happily toils away at a computer he decided to build hmself. "I like it here."

"I agree." Jazz says, arms full of energon and oil cans. "Sure it was rough at the beginning there." he stops to sip an oil can. "But i think this generation will suit us just fine."

Which is immediately interrupted by a blast, which nearly blows them all up before they jump away, weapons ready.

Until they see Joshua and D-16 standing in front of a group of robots that look eerily like Optimus.

"Get them." Joshua orders, and a second later, the robots transform their arms into weapons, marching towards them.

"What the hell?" Jazz demands, right as one robot fires at them.

The three quickly try to jump off, but apparently these fake Optimuses can fly, as their boosters activate and shoot at them mid fall.

Jazz attempts to slow his fall by smashing a window and grabbing the edge, but the sharp glass cuts into his servos and makes him let go, making him fall to a lower ledge.

"Ow." he says, then just lays there.

"Well, Max?" Joshua marvels. "Much better, don't you agree? They're man made, they're not forced into stasis, they can fly, and even better, they're not autonomous."

Another fake Optimus shoots at B-127, knocking him off the roof, but just as he starts to fall, Hot Rod lunges and grabs his torso with both his arms, attempting to drag them both away.

But the robot is already watching them go, locking onto them.

It would've fired, too, had Optimus not knocked it off course and shoved it into the rooftop’s mechanical units, making it explode.

That done, Optimus runs over to Hot Rod, "Give him to me."

Hot Rod doesn't hesitate, letting Optimus take B-127, and without missing a beat, Optimus runs toward the building’s safer interior, leaving the rooftop chaos behind.

Jazz is still unconscious when Optimus reaches him, so Optimus quickly pushes the rubble out of the way and sets B-127 next to him.

Hot Rod is too busy running through the halls to pay much attention, a firm resolve in his optics with every stride.

Ratchet and Ravage rush out just as another blast hits the roof.

"What's going on?" He demands, optics scanning the sky as he spots a fake Optimus just as it aims at them and fires.

"Ah!" He exclaims, both him and Ravage jump out of the way, but when the robot gets too close, Ravage wiggles his rear end and leaps at it, effectively bringing it down with him.

The robot uprights itself quickly, but before it can shoot at Ravage, the four legged bot tackles it to the ground.

Ratchet takes that as his cue to join him, and before the robot can think to attack, Ratchet's already severed its head from its frame.

As he watches it short circuit and die, Ratchet mutters, "That's for interrupting my downtime.", before and Ravage run to find the others.

Charlie runs through Kinetic's lobby, shouting, "I'm an employee!", then not bothering to wait for permission as she runs past security and goes right for the stairs.

Optimus is still fighting as he pounces on the back of another fake Optimus, letting it carry him off, while Joshua and D-16 watch from below.

Optimus attempts to steer the robot in away, effectively getting it to fly towards another robot, and when they get close, Optimus lets go, making the two fake Optimuses crash into each other in another fiery explosion.

"Hm." Joshua says, watching the destroyed robot parts fall and land on the roof, Optimus landing a moment later. "Looks like my man made Transformers aren't up to par."

"We only have the one remaining robot." D-16 warns angrily.

"Let's take this into our own hands, shall we?" Joshua says, and the three of them walk back inside.

B-127 finally wakes up, rubbing his helm, "Ow. What the heck happened?"

"No idea." Jazz says, wincing, before he looks up and points, "But we're gonna find out."

The last fake Optimus fires at their safe spot, making them yelp and jump out of the way.

Hot Rod rejoins Optimus, the both of them looking across the roof as they see the fake Optimus lock onto the others.

"Go!" Optimus orders, and the two charge right at a nearby satellite dish before it gives, topping over right on top of the last robot, making it explode.

"And humanity called Nazis inhumane…" Ratchet mutters.

Chapter Text

"We did it!" Hot Rod raises his hand for a high five, only for Optimus to look confused.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Fools. You think you accomplished anything?" D-16 yells, before aiming his fusion canon right at them, ready to fire, while Joshua readies his own weapon.

Hot Rod can only stare dumbfounded as D-16 narrows his optics and fires.

It's only because Optimus and Hot Rod jump out of the way they don't get turned to rubble, but it's still enough knock Hot Rod onto his back, while Optimus manages to stay put by digging his pedes in.

"How could you?" Optimus demands.

Ratchet's ready to join Optimus, but surprisingly, it's Joshua who aims his weapon at them and says, "Hold on. Let's see where this goes."

"Your optimism has made you blind." D-16 chuckles bitterly. "But what should I expect from a bot named Optimus?"

He keeps his fusion cannon aimed at Optimus as he keeps talking.

"All you had to do was get our fellow troops away from the camp. We would've been saved thanks to me!"

"To you?" Optimus repeats. "What are you talking about?"

"I was the one who suggested the ambush to Reinhardt. I was to quietly sneak us all away so the Nazis could ambush the camp."

"You what?" Optimus demands.

"It was all going perfectly!" D-16 accuses. "No humans, just us and whatever future we could build together. The one that was stolen from us on Cybertron! And you threw it away!"

Optimus' optics narrow as D-16 keeps accusing.

"You chose humanity over us. Over me! You left us at the base instead of letting us fight alongside you!"

Then D-16's anger seems to simmer down into a steely resolve. "I was supposed to take Reinhardt's word he would protect us? Think again. The only reason I am alive is because I knew from the beginning the only one I can trust, and that's me!"

"How could you?" Optimus demands again. "How could you betray your own?"

"You dare to act like their energon isn't just as much on your servos as well as mine?" D-16 shouts. "They were looking for any excuse to get rid of us, but unlike you, the so-called Prime, I did something about it. Earth will become a new Cybertron, and humanity will end."

"No human or bot is born good or evil." Optimus says slowly. "If you haven't learned that after all we've been through, then you are lost. The only one to blame for the betrayal, for our years in stasis…"

He transforms his arm into his weapon. "Is you."

"Don't even try to pass the blame on me, Prime." D-16 growls. "You're trying my patience. Join me in my crusade to reform Earth in our image. Bring forth the golden age Cybertron never got to see."

He moves closer, fusion cannon lowering.

He speaks softly, "Despite everything we've been through, we're back together, when we had no reason to believe we ever would."

Optimus' winces at the words, optics filling with coolant as the next words nearly do him in.

"Are we not still fighting for the same cause?"

Optimus only glares, which is answer enough for D-16.

"Have it your way." He declares, then fires his cannon, knocking Optimus down.

But just as Optimus' optics come back online, he hears,

"You were right. I am not the bot you asked to be your conjunx. The weakling D-16 died a long time ago, so I could lead us into the future. I…"

Optimus gets to his knees.

"Am…"

Optimus braces himself, ready for a fight.

"MEGATRON!" Comes the scream, right as the fusion cannon points right at the Prime's chest.

"STOP!"

The scream startles them both, causing Megatron to miss and fire off to the side, which causes rubble to fall, making Joshua retreat back inside.

But once Megatron aims again, he stops upon seeing a human is standing in front of Optimus, only for the ground to give out from under them.

Both Megatron and Charlie fall, but Optimus goes for Charlie, reaching out just in time to catch her in his giant servo, while watching in horror as Megatron keeps falling.

"No…" Optimus gasps in despair.

Joshua finally comes back to the roof once he hears no further commotion, but barely takes a step when Optimus picks him up, weapon aimed right at his face.

"Reforming Earth?" Optimus repeats Megatron's words thoughtfully.

"Where would you be without me?" Joshua taunts. "And this is the thanks I get?"

"Optimus, stop!" Charlie begs behind him, and right now, that might be the only thing that's stopping him, as he turns to look at her.

"You can't do this." She says.

"Tell me why in three seconds. 3…2…"

"Because you're not Megatron."

"Listen to her, Optimus." Ratchet agrees, coming to stand behind her. "Do you wish to doom Earth to Cybertron's fate?"

At that, Optimus' grip slackens, before he just tosses Joshua aside, glaring at Charlie and Ratchet, while Charlie just smiles back in relief.

Chapter Text

The sirens wail as Joshua is read his rights and led to the back of the police car.

"It was the only way, Optimus." Ratchet says, attempting to comfort him as they watch from above.

"He's alive." Optimus says instead of replying. "I know he is."

"Then he won't wait long to let us know it." Ratchet says.

"Whoo-ee. Who wants some oil?" Jazz holds up a can.

"Oil?" Hot Rod repeats incredulously. "We almost get blown up and all you care about is oil?"

"Yep." Jazz grins, opening it and chugging it down.

"Hey, let him pour one out." a new voice makes them jump, as Charlie walks over to them.

The bots shuffle awkwardly, glancing at each other, the easiness of earlier suddenly left them.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Charlie teases, which gets Hot Rod to ask,

"Cat..tongue?"

"Oh, right I forgot." Charlie facepalms. "It means you can't speak, like if a cat took your tongue."

"Oh." Hot Rod nods like he's seriously thinking it over, while B-127 focuses on something else.

"Hey how'd you do that?"

 "Do what?" Charlie turns to him.

"Get him to agree with you." B-127 points at the bot in question,

Charlie looks, then says," Oh you mean Ratchet? He's always looking out for Optimus. Wasn't hard."

But the explanation only seems to make them gawk at her more.

"What?"

"You called him Ratchet."

"Isn't that his name?" Charlie asks, not getting what the issue is.

"Yeah…" B-12 confirms, but she can see he's holding something back.

"I don't get it." Charlie holds out her arms in confusion. "What's the problem?"

"Ratchet…" Hot Rod scratches the back of his helm. "When it comes to trusting humans…the cat gets his tongue."

Charlie snorts at the clumsy delivery, then deadpans, "Really? Never would've guessed."

"Hey, if Ratchet trusts you, that's good enough for me." Jazz declares, flashing her a million watt smile. "I'm Jazz. Like the music. Smoothest ride on the street."

"Hot Rod." The red and orange bot goes next. "You wanna ride in a real car, stick with me."

The yellow bot is last, coming closer and kneeling down. 

"And I'm B-127." He greets, but just as he says the last number, his voice vocoder hums, making it buzz.

Charlie giggles. "You sound like a little bumblebee."

This naturally confuses B-127. "Bumble…bee?"

This time Charlie just pulls out her phone, which the bots all "ooh" and "ahh" over as she taps away at it.

"Incredible." B-127 says as she tries to scan her phone.

"Hey check it out! It looks just like you!"

The comment snaps B-127 out of his focus. "Huh?"

"Look!" Hot Rod points at Charlie's phone screen, and upon further inspection, B-127 sees it: a yellow and black striped insect.

B-127 looks down at his frame, at his long since faded yellow plating and black stripes, and decides he agrees.

In fact,

"That's my new designation." The declaration startles the others, who were already looking at something else on Charlie's phone.

"What?"

"Bumblebee." He says, testing it out, then nodding. "That'll work."

"Bumblebee." Jazz repeats, then laughs and pats him on the back. "Couldn't have picked better myself."

"Can we call you Bee for short?" Hot Rod asks, but it's really just a formality, and they all know it.

But not to be forgotten, the four legged bot walks up to Charlie, nudging his helm into her hip.

"Well, hello again." She says, petting the side of his helm a few times. "What's your name?"

"Ravage." Bee offers up, making the non speaking bot turn to glare at him. "What?"

"Guess he wanted to tell me himself." Charlie jokes, petting his helm again. "It's alright, we'll have plenty of time to hang out, and you can talk all you want."

That seems to win Ravage over, rumbling low in his chassis and nudging her again for more pets.

"You've met everyone?" Optimus asks when they meet up in the showroom.

"Yep." Charlie replies. "Oh and your yellow friend changed his name. Bumblebee."

"Bumblebee." Optimus repeats, then nods. "A fitting name."

But as he looks out at the skyline, he muses, "I am grateful to know we already have one human ally in this new generation."

"You'll find more. I know you will." Charlie promises. "But Optimus?" when he looks at her, she says, 

"If you have a thousand allies, I'm one of them. If you have 100, I'm one of them. If you have one, I'm it. If you have none, I'm dead. Let me be the one ally who's trust you never have to doubt."

Charlie nods towards the skyline, "Tomorrow night? You and me?"

"Count on it." Optimus promises.

"Great." Charlie cheers. "I'll take you to a Red Wings game!"

"Red Wings?" is all Optimus can repeat before he and the others are forced back into their alt modes, the sunlight shining through the window, reflecting off their surfaces.

Charlie shakes her head, chuckling to herself before she looks at Optimus' alt mode.

"Detroit needs you." She says, patting the hood. "They don't know it yet, but they will."