Transformers Prime: Eclipse

Chapter 3: A Faustian Bargain

Eventually I must have entered stasis on my own, because next thing I knew, my eyes were being assaulted by rays of light. I groaned, turning to my side to hopefully shield myself from the Sun for a bit longer, but it wasn't any use. As I placed my hands beneath me, the ground felt rough and hard, like warm stone. I winced somewhat as I felt the skin of my palms brush harshly against the rocks beneath me. 

Wait. Skin? My eyes flew open in an instant. I looked down to see my arms were made of flesh and bone once again, and I was dressed in my usual punk rock attire. It was unbelievable. I'm a human again! A living, breathing, human being! My mind was still dealing with the fact that I was back to normal, I had only just now considered the strangeness of my situation. How am I a human again? Did the Autobots save me? The Bots! I gotta find them! 

Looking at my surroundings, I hoped I might find some sort of landmark that I recognized to point me in the right direction. However, my panic and elation quickly made way for confusion. I was stood atop a large rock formation overlooking a vast jungle expanse that stretched beyond the horizon, a twisting canyon behind me. The air felt hot, stifling even. I didn't know exactly where I was, but it didn't look anything like Jasper, Nevada. 

"Bulk?! Raf?! Arcee?! Optimus?! Please, anyone . . ." Not a soul answered my call, no matter how loud I screamed. Hell, I'd be happy to see Jack at this point. The sounds of nature were my only company, however. Feeling dejected once more, I sat down and hugged my legs close to my chest. The sight of my unharmed body was a stark contrast to the events of the last five days.

The memories of what Shockwave had done to me still remained in my mind. Am I dreaming? Is this just another nightmare? My body on the Nemesis had been completely changed. The marks didn't linger on me right now, but the phantom pain was all too fresh. Still, it felt good to at least feel the warmth of the Sun on my skin rather than the cold touch of energon flowing through my metal fuel lines. Even if this was just a dream, it was better than having to experience the pain of Shockwave's tests. 

What do I do now? What's gonna happen to me when I wake up?  Tears began to stream down my face as I contemplated my fate. Part of me was amazed I had even lived through the experience at all, while a darker part whispered that I should have just let myself go. 

A loud roar that shook the canopy of the jungle below took me out of my conflicting thoughts, and I shakily got to my feet. When the roar died, so too did the rest of the noise from the jungle below me. I took in a sharp breath as the situation dawned on me. In nature, wild animals scurry away from sources of immense danger. Sometimes that danger took the form of natural disasters such as tornados, flooding, or wildfires. Other times it was brought on by . . . a predator. 

As I backed away from the edge of the rocky cliff, a colossal shadow enveloped me, completely blocking out the harsh rays of the Sun. As I slowly turned to face the source of shade, backing towards the edge all the while, I came face to face with a massive mechanical beast that stood taller than any Cybertronian I had ever seen. Not even Optimus or Megatron could compare to the size of this creature. 

The beast was a massive wolf with black metal accented by blue. It's feet where those belonging to a bird, and several trails of metallic feathers flowed from its tail, back, and mane. Weirdly, the heavy metal feathers didn't seem to obey gravity, floating gently in a nonexistent breeze. The creature- No, it's not just a creature. It's a Predacon, like I am now. 

The ancient Predacon wolf lowered itself down to observe me, venting out some air in my direction. After a few moments of the beast not hurting me, I gingerly stepped towards it. The wolf made no motion to move as I crept towards its metal snout. Closing my eyes, I gently laid my hand on the nose of the Predacon. I was surprised to find that the metal was pleasantly warm to the touch, not cold like I had come to expect after feeling my own servos back in the incubation chamber.