Shockwave’s optic flickered as he turned to face them. “Not just any Predacon. These are evolved, genetically enhanced to be faster, stronger, and more intelligent. Once awakened, they will be the ultimate weapons in our war against the Autobots.”
Knockout stared at the creatures in awe. “You’ve been building an army of Predacons all this time?”
Shockwave nodded. “Indeed. And now, with the energy of the Fourteenth Prime, they will rise.”
Starscream’s expression twisted into a grin, his optics gleaming with excitement. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s awaken them and end this war!”
Shockwave’s optic glowed ominously as he activated the final sequence, his voice low and filled with purpose. “The time for the Autobots’ defeat is upon us. Let the Predacons rise.”
*Autobots pov*
A few weeks later...
At the base, things had been unusually quiet. Ratchet stood at the main console, tapping away at diagnostics while Bumblebee and Arcee shared a rare moment of calm, discussing plans for future recon missions. Smokescreen was nearby, staring at the holo-display, his mind clearly on something far away. The events surrounding Erin's possible fate weighed heavily on all of them.
The calm was broken when the communications console lit up, and Ratchet's optics narrowed as a familiar signal came through.
“Ratchet, this is Wheeljack. We’ve got a situation here. Patch me through to Ultra Magnus.”
"Haha, Jackie! How you been buddy? We haven't seen you for a long time! How are things with Magnus?" Bulkhead replied cheerfully, happy to see his old buddy after a long time.
"Going pretty okay so far Bulk. But there's something I need to tell y'all," Wheeljack replied, his face unnaturally from.
“What’s going on?” Ratchet asked, worried.
There was a momentary pause before Ultra Magnus’ voice came through. “This is Ultra Magnus. We’ve been receiving reports from some of the returning Cybertronian refugees. They’re all saying the same thing.”
“Reports of what?” Arcee asked, already on edge.
“They’re claiming the Fourteenth Prime is coming,” Ultra Magnus said, his tone grave.
Bumblebee and Arcee exchanged sharp looks. Smokescreen stood up straighter, and even Ratchet’s calm demeanor cracked slightly.
“That’s impossible,” Arcee said firmly, stepping forward. “The Fourteenth Prime is already here… in Erin.”
“That’s what we thought too,” Wheeljack said. “But these aren’t just rumors. Some of these bots said they saw something—a presence, a figure—claiming to be the Fourteenth Prime.”
“Where?” Bumblebee asked, his voice edged with urgency.
“They’re saying it was spotted near the outskirts of Kaon,” Ultra Magnus responded. “We haven’t confirmed anything yet, but these reports… they’re too specific to ignore.”
Smokescreen shook his head, disbelief evident in his tone. “But Erin is the Fourteenth Prime. How could there be another? That doesn’t make sense.”
Ratchet looked thoughtful, his hands still over the console as he began scanning the refugee reports coming in. “It’s possible something else is at play here. But we need to be sure. If there’s another being claiming to be the Fourteenth Prime, we’re dealing with a far more complicated situation than we realized.”
Arcee’s fists clenched at her sides. “We can’t take any chances. If this is some trick or ploy, we need to find out now. But if it’s something more…”
Bumblebee nodded, his optics darkening with concern. “Then we need to know what we’re up against. Erin’s already carrying the weight of this prophecy. We can’t risk her being blindsided by something like this.”
Ultra Magnus chimed in again. “Wheeljack and I will investigate the area ourselves. But I suggest you keep an eye on the human. If this supposed Prime is tied to her in any way, she may be affected before anyone else.”
Arcee exchanged a glance with Smokescreen. They both knew how hard Erin had been trying to fit back into a normal routine, to keep some semblance of peace after their return from Cybertron. But if there was a new threat looming, Erin’s fragile grip on that normalcy could be shattered at any moment.
“We’ll keep her close,” Smokescreen said, his tone serious. “But we’re going to need more information.”
Ratchet began typing furiously, accessing every bit of data he could find on the Fourteenth Prime’s existence. “I’ll start looking into the archives. Anything I can find about the Fourteenth Prime’s history, potential powers, or… complications.”
Arcee turned to Bumblebee, determination hardening her optics. “We need to stay ahead of this. If someone’s masquerading as the Fourteenth Prime, they’ll target Erin next. We can’t let that happen.”
Bumblebee nodded, his engine revving lowly in agreement. “We’ll have to be ready for anything.”
As Ratchet worked through the data, something strange appeared on his screen. “Hold on… I’m picking up faint signals… a unique energy signature. It’s faint but identical to the Fourteenth Prime’s energy—Erin’s energy.”
“Where is it coming from?” Smokescreen asked, stepping closer.
Ratchet’s optics narrowed, his focus sharp. “It’s… it’s moving. And it’s not coming from Earth.”
Silence fell over the room.
“Cybertron,” Arcee whispered, dread creeping into her voice.
Bumblebee’s optics widened. “That’s impossible.”
Ratchet’s expression darkened as he scanned the signal again. “It’s weak, but it’s there. Something—or someone—is carrying the same energy signature as Erin. But it’s not her.”
Smokescreen frowned, his voice filled with confusion. “But if Erin was incarnated as the Fourteenth Prime, then how—”
“There must be something we missed,” Ratchet interrupted, his tone grim. “Or worse… something the prophecy didn’t reveal.”
Arcee crossed her arms, her expression hard. “So what do we do now? Wait for this thing to come to us?”
Ratchet shook his head. “No. We can’t wait. We need to figure out what this new presence is. If the Fourteenth Prime’s power is being duplicated, we could be looking at a far greater threat than we realized. We have to find this imposter—before it finds Erin.”
Ultra Magnus’ voice came through again, his tone urgent. “I’ll keep you updated on our findings here. But be prepared, Autobots. This might be something none of us are ready for.”
The call ended, leaving the Autobots in silence. Arcee turned to Ratchet. “We protect Erin. No matter what.”
Bumblebee nodded. “And if this new ‘Prime’ comes after her, we’ll be ready.”
Ratchet sighed. “Let’s just hope we’re not already too late.”
YOU ARE READING
Transformers Prime: Fractured Futures (#3)
FanfictionAfter the events of the second book, Erin and her friends, Raf, Jack and Miko are left to pickup the pieces of the Autobot's departure. But as she tries to move forward, she realises that her actions in her part while saving Cybertron set off a chai...
