Reignition. [ A Transformer Oc story ] ⚡️

( 5 ) Into the Abyss.

Everything was dark. For a long, agonizing moment, Steelclaw could neither see nor feel anything but the sensation of falling. His internal systems screamed in protest as he plummeted through the collapsing earth, the metal and stone of the outpost crumbling around him like paper.

Then, with a bone-rattling thud, he hit something hard. His optics flickered as his systems struggled to reboot. Static clouded his vision as he tried to move, his limbs sluggish and unresponsive.

"Come on," he growled under his breath, fighting against the damage that weighed down his systems. His HUD blinked erratically, warning of structural damage to his left arm and several deep lacerations along his frame.

Finally, with a groan of effort, he rolled onto his back, staring up at the gaping hole above. The sky was nothing more than a jagged crack of light in the distance. He was deep underground, in what appeared to be some kind of ancient Cybertronian structure that had long been buried beneath the surface. Dust and debris still rained down from the collapse above, but he couldn’t dwell on that now.

"Copperstrike…" Steelclaw rasped through his comms, his voice strained. "Anyone… respond."

Static.

He clenched his fist, the pain in his damaged arm spiking, but there was no time to dwell on it. With a hiss of frustration, he forced himself to sit up, his optics scanning his surroundings. The room he had fallen into was massive, its walls lined with ancient, half-buried machinery that pulsed faintly with energy. It was a forgotten part of Cybertron, long abandoned and hidden from both Autobot and Decepticon alike. The air was thick with dust, and a faint hum of power vibrated beneath his feet.

He wasn’t alone.

"I knew you'd survive the fall."

That voice—the one that had haunted him since their last encounter—echoed through the chamber. Steelclaw's optics flared as he turned to face him.

Driftshadow stepped out from the shadows, his frame sleek and menacing, his optics glowing with cold amusement. He moved with the same lethal grace he remembered, every step calculated, deliberate. He was no longer the bot he had once loved. That Driftshadow had died a long time ago. This one… this was something darker.

"You always were a fighter," Driftshadow sneered, his optics narrowing as they locked onto his. "But this time, there’s no running, no escaping. We settle this now."

Steelclaw forced himself to stand, wincing as pain shot through his damaged leg. He leveled his gaze at Driftshadow, his fists clenched tightly by his sides. "I’m not running from you," he growled. "Not anymore."

Driftshadow tilted his head, his lips curving into a smirk. "Good. Because I’ve waited far too long for this moment."

Before Steelclaw could respond, Driftshadow lunged, his blade flashing in the dim light of the chamber. Steelclaw barely had time to react, his own blade materializing in his hand as he blocked the strike. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his injured arm, but he gritted his denta and held his ground.

"You’ve changed," Driftshadow snarled as he pushed against his blade, his optics burning with fury. "You were weak, once. But now... now you're a threat."

Steelclaw shoved him back with a snarl of his own, his optics blazing with defiance. "I’m not the one who betrayed everything we stood for."

Driftshadow laughed darkly as he circled him, his optics never leaving his. "Stood for? We were nothing but pawns in a war that was never ours. You just didn’t have the courage to see it. I did."

Steelclaw gritted his teeth, fury boiling in his spark as he watched him. "So you joined the Decepticons? You became everything we fought against. You let Megatron turn you into his weapon!"

Driftshadow’s optics darkened, his smile fading. "I did what I had to survive, Steelclaw. You—" He lunged at him again, his blade arcing toward his neck. Steelclaw ducked under the strike, rolling to the side and coming up in a defensive stance. "—you were the one who abandoned me."

His words hit him like a blast to the chest, but he pushed the pain down, focusing on the fight. "I didn’t abandon you, Driftshadow. You were already gone!" he shouted, his voice raw with emotion.

Their blades clashed again, sparks flying as they battled in the dimly lit chamber. Each strike was fueled by years of anger, grief, and betrayal, both of them fighting not just for survival, but for some sense of closure. But Steelclaw knew, deep down, that there could be no reconciliation. The bot he had once loved was gone, replaced by this cold, merciless Decepticon.

As they fought, something in the chamber began to stir. The ancient machinery, long dormant, hummed to life with a deep, reverberating sound. Steelclaw's optics darted to the walls, his sensors picking up a massive energy surge.

"What is this place?" he growled, parrying another strike from Driftshadow.

Driftshadow didn’t answer. He just grinned, his optics gleaming with malice. "You’re about to find out."

Before Steelclaw could react, the ground beneath them rumbled violently. The floor cracked and split, massive pillars of light shooting up from the depths of the chamber. The entire room shook as the ancient machinery roared to life, the walls shifting and transforming around them.

Steelclaw staggered, struggling to keep his balance as the ground buckled beneath his feet. Driftshadow, however, seemed unfazed, his optics fixed on the growing chaos with something close to satisfaction.

"This place," he said, his voice barely audible over the noise, "was once a facility for harnessing the power of Cybertron’s core. The energy here is beyond anything you can imagine."

Steelclaw's optics widened as realization dawned on him. This wasn’t just an ancient ruin—they were standing in the middle of a forgotten power source, something far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

"You’re insane!" he shouted over the roar of the machinery. "You’ll destroy us both!"

Driftshadow’s grin widened. "That’s the plan."

Before he could respond, the floor beneath them gave way completely, collapsing into a swirling vortex of light and energy. Steelclaw felt himself being pulled down into the chasm, the intense gravitational force tearing at his frame.

He reached out, his hand grasping at the edge of the collapsing floor, but his grip was slipping. Driftshadow, standing at the edge of the vortex, looked down at him with cold, calculating eyes.

"Goodbye, Steelclaw."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Steelclaw to be swallowed by the abyss.

---

As he was pulled into the swirling energy, Steelclaw's systems went into overdrive, alarms blaring in his audio receptors. He fought against the pull, his optics dimming as the energy engulfed him.

Just before everything went dark, a single thought flickered in his mind:

"Worthstrike…"

---

To be continued...
Words : 1140