Arisen

4

"You agreed to the very clear terms I laid out for all of you." Dai Atlas says to all four of them in his office. "We agreed to shelter you in exchange for keeping the peace."

"This was a one-time incident." D says immediately. "This is not going to happen again. I'll see to it myself."

"I can't accept that." Dai Atlas says. "As of now, you are banished from the Circle of Light. You're a threat to our promise to not get involved with what is happening in Iacon."

"Please." Pax rolls his optics. "Like you weren't looking for an excuse to get rid of us since the day we came here. Like you have a leg to stand on when you had a chance to stand up to Sentinel, and threw it away."

But Dai Atlas isn't offended, just smiles and says, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Pax snaps. "What I know is you're so terrified of Sentinel coming after you, you think letting him do whatever he wants while hiding in plain sight is the safer option. But you couldn't be more wrong. Sentinel will come here, I can promise you that. And whatever deal you made with him so he wouldn't disturb this sanctuary? Null in void. Sentinel only cares about one thing, and that's himself."

"Pax." D says holding up a servo to stop him, then at Pax's small nod, D turns to Dai Atlas. "Dai Atlas, I'm begging you. We need to find out where the other Wreckers are before we can leave."

"Leave to do what?" Dai Atlas asks. "Destroy the Constructicons? I want no part of it."

"You're not going to." D swears. "A few more solar cycles. That's it."

Dai Atlas looks at them for a klik, then says, "One."

"One?" Pax repeats.

"This is your last chance." Dai Atlas says. "Being in the Circle of Light is about healing. Others, and within."

He turns to Pax fully, "I see your pain, Orion Pax."

He comes closer, no anger in his voice, "And it breaks my spark that you'd choose to carry it like this. Whether you believe me or not, I do know how it feels to watch everyone you care about die."

Pax wipes the coolant leaking from his optics as Dai Atlas continues, "You can be free of Sentinel, but not like this. Anger is expected, but not to where it blinds everything else."

Just then, a loud noise makes them all turn to the window.

D gets there first, and when they all reach the window, they see it: Sentinel's army flying in.

Dai Atlas says, "Don't leave this building, and don't make a sound.", then leaves.

"Hello." Dai Atlas greets as he's approached by Airachnid and Darkwing. "To what do I owe the honor of Sentinel's guards visiting the Circle of Light?"

"This isn't the time for pleasantries." Airachnid says flatly.

"We're hunting down Ascendants." Darkwing states.

"Is that so?" Dai Atlas asks. "Then please, anything I can do to help, let me know."

"Everyone in the Circle has to undergo mandatory testing." Darkwing says, holding up a scanner. "Constructicons just put the finishing touches on this invention. Sentinel's taken over the High Council, so we have free reign."

"Not here you don't." Dai Atlas snaps.

"The Circle of Light doesn't believe in conflict." Darkwing reminds him. "Let us do our job, so you can keep the peace. Or fight, and see how long we let you live after that. Your choice."

Dai Atlas knows he has no chance, so he agrees, "Fine. But just know I don't condone any of it."

"You heard him!" Airachnid calls to the other soldiers. "Round everyone up!"

" The entire Circle of Light must report for mandatory testing."

But as Airachnid goes off to help, Darkwing notices, "That means you too.", then walks past Dai Atlas to go inside the building.

D rushes back to where Pax and Wheeljack are still sitting.

"Darkwing's here." He says in a rush. "We gotta get out of here."

Darkwing looks up, asking, "What do you have up there?"

"My office." Dai Atlas replies.

Up above, D, Pax and Wheeljack freeze, then once D can see Darkwing's left, urges, "Go."

They make their way to a window, which B protests, "We're jumping out of the building?"

D looks at Wheeljack, telling him, "We're splitting up."

Wheeljack stares at him for a long second, then nods. "Fine. Kill or be killed."

But just as they're about to leave, they hear Wheeljack shout,

"They're here!", and run in the opposite direction.

"Darkwing, they're all up here!" he calls. "They're trying to escape!"

As soon as the remaining three land on the ground, they're overwhelmed by guards, so they make quick work of apprehending and knocking them out.

As Darkwing makes it up the stairs, he demands, " Where are they? "

"They jumped out the window." Wheeljack says.

Darkwing goes to the window, then says in his comm link, "Three bots are making a run for it. I repeat, three bots are making a run for it."

Darkwing orders another guard, "Detain this one."

Wheeljack immediately puts up his hands in surrender. "Whoa, stop, I'll go quietly."

D, Pax and Bee are still running as Darkwing attempts to chase them down.

"Go, go!" D urges when he sees the others start slowing down.

Darkwing manages to stay on their tailpipes until they run into a jungle, which buys them some time.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Bee asks.

"The train!" Pax exclaims, running faster.

"Keep going!" D says, staying behind to shoot at the Constructicons while Pax and Bee run ahead to the other side of the tracks.

But even as Bee tries to cover D, the train gets closer, for a sparkstopping moment, it looks like D isn't going to make it as he leaps across the tracks.

Which is not acceptable for Pax, who jumps up and yanks D away, before they all run alongside the train.

Pax jumps up first, grabbing a door and pulling it open, then reaching out a servo to pull Bee up, while D makes it all on his own.

Down on the ground, Darkwing finally stops as he watches the train leave, and stomps a pede on the ground, yelling in frustration.