Arisen

2

It feels like they've been running for breems, ever since they finally got off the train.

Pax and D lead the charge, while the rest of them are a few kliks behind, not that any of them know where they're going.

Upon seeing where they are, Pax stops, and so does everyone else.

"The Circle of Light." Pax says, out of breath.

"We can't just go charging in. It could be an ambush." D reminds him, but when Pax doesn't listen and runs ahead anyway, shouts, "Pax!"

Pax has already made it to the gathered bots and begun to beg, "We need help. Please."

He looks around at the other bots. "I'm begging you, help us!"

"I can't allow that." Someone behind him says, making Pax turn to see Dai Atlas standing there. "You're not one of us."

"He did this." Pax turns at the familiar voice, seeing Wheeljack crouched over Bulkhead's gashed body, then glaring at him. "You left him for dead!"

Pax shakes his helm in denial. "No, I tried to save him!"

"He left him."

It's not one bot saying that. As Pax turns in a circle, he realizes they're all saying it, over and over.

But it's when he stops turning that his optics land on the worst one of them all.

"Alpha Trion." Pax whispers, taking in the sight of the knife in his mentor's chest.

"The age of Primes has ended because of you." Alpha Trion glares.

"Bulkhead!" Pax acts purely on instinct, swinging his arm, and when it's over, he's left standing over Bulkhead's unconscious and gashed frame, axe drawn and dripping with energon.

Pax startles awake, breathing heavily.

After a moment, he sits up from the berth, looking at all the other sleeping bots, then leaves the tent.

He looks out at the horizon for a moment, then comes to a decision, going back the way he came.

He stares at his reflection, then opens his chassis, reaching in.

Alpha Trion immediately dives to cover Pax with his giant alt form.

He wraps his servo around his T-cog, getting a good grip on it.

Pax makes himself get up, closes his optics, repeating the death rite entitled to all bots, "Till all are one."

Then he pulls it right out, and after a split second, crushes it in his servo.

When Pax joins D and B for meditation, he's the first to notice the change to Pax's frame.

"I just couldn't keep it anymore." Pax explains before either of them could ask.

"Of course not." D replies with a shrug.

B gets a good look at him, then jokes, "Well don't go thinking I'm gonna follow your lead."

Pax chuckles, not offended. "Think I made a mistake?"

"Oh yeah." B says, wincing at the jab D makes to his arm.

"What he means is cogs aren't something you give up lightly." D says. "But if you don't want one, we're not gonna make you feel bad about it. Just surprising, considering what we went through to get them."

At this, D looks him dead on. "You got something you wanna tell us, Pax?"

"Nope." Pax replies instantly. "Not a thing."

"You had another nightmare, didn't you?" D asks knowingly.

For a second, Pax considers telling him the truth, but pushes it down and shakes his helm. "Nope, that's done too."

"Hey." D nudges him. "I'm not going anywhere. You know that, right? Everyone else may leave, but I'm not."

"Neither am I!" B pipes up.

When they hear a bell, D sighs. "Meditation over, chores galore."

Pax just pulls them both into a hug, and sighs.

Then as they get up to report for their assigned chores, Pax asks, "D, how long are we supposed to stay?"

"Until we can leave safely." D says exasperatedly.

As D and Pax are busy working on maintenance, someone calls out,

"D-16!"

And that's enough for D's calm demeanor to completely drop as they look at Impactor, former Wrecker command leader.

"You can't just pretend I'm not here!" Impactor exclaims.

"Watch me." D snaps.

"Whatever you decide to do next, you can't do it until you know the truth." Impactor says. "All of it."

"Impactor, please." Pax begs tiredly. "Can we not go one day without you causing problems for us?"

"Alpha Trion didn't risk coming back to the archives just for you." Impactor says, stopping Pax cold. "He was protecting something from falling into Sentinel's servos. Something that he hid in the archives since the war with the Quintessons."

"Enough." D says angrily. "If you think for one klik you can use us to get back into the Wrecker's good graces, think again."

Impactor looks at both of them, then says, "I'm the least of your problems.", then walks away.

Sentinel walks into the simulation room, mouthpiece dropped open as he walks towards the cube.

"You really did find it." He says in awe.

"Alpha Trion hid it in the archives, just like you knew he did." Airachnid says. "What is it for?"

"Protecting the most important relic of Cybertron." Sentinel replies. "The Matrix of Leadership. Once it's in my servos, the future is mine. Ascendants are a threat to everything I've done. Destroying them is our only option."

Sentinel leans down to get a closer look. "And the Matrix of Leadership is the key.", but then adds, "Only an Ascendant can deactivate this cube."

He takes the cube in his hands, then orders, "Track them down. Every single one."

"With pleasure." Airachnid swears, and crawls off.