Yeager Chronicles: After Extinction

15: Optimus

The mecha in the room, upon seeing the last Prime, froze. As if Nightblade had been pulling their legs and had everyone playing along with the joke, not so. After moments, there was clapping, cheering, and a couple shrill whirls of both mech and femme alike from all the tables. Optimus found himself being lead over to table down the straightest aisle that he had walked. The silver femme still walked next to him.

The table that Nightblade had lead him over to was neatly decorated, as with the others in the dining hall. And held a small cube in front of each seat. Everything looked so... new... fresh. It was a good surprise for Optimus, though he knew it wouldn't last that long, not with his luck. Nightblade motioned for the chair she pulled out for him, he hesitated but took a seat. He felt like the entire room was watching him and him alone, he scarcely wanted to see behind him for fear of seeing millions of pairs stare back at him.

"This is Screwloose, one of few leaders in sector 17," Skyblaze spoke up, patting a golden mecha that was seated beside her, almost directly across from Optimus. He waved politely at the Prime, Optimus gave a curt nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you." It wasn't one of his most convincing replies he could offer, but it was all at the moment he was willing to offer. He didn't know this mecha, and for the matter, doesn't want to know right now.

Nightblade took a seat next Skyblaze, the light in the compound made Sky look extra shiny. And red. If Optimus did not know better, he would have assumed that Sky was a gladiator herself, with the spikes on the back of her head. It was something that first unsettled him when the two met but after knowing Nightblade, figuring out Skyblaze wasn't so difficult. A natural born gambler, certainly no one to be met commonly in combative affairs.

"The pleasure is mine. Please do make yourself c-comfortable!" Screwloose sounded with an unintentional stutter. Optimus noticed and tried to smile, ever so slightly. He didn't wish to be completely 'Prime-like' and not be sociable. "Don't worry Screws, we'll take good care of him." The dark blue, smooth headed femme poked in, Moondancer giving a full dentae smile.

Nightblade and Screwloose started up a conversation, mostly concerning what happened while she and them were gone. There was something that irked him for some reason. Maybe it was just being amongst all these mecha that he thought dead, and those he'd never met. Optimus still hadn't the courage to turn around, dare say he'd cross paths with someone that he'd hurt.

"You can't be serious." The pulled Optimus out his train of thought, Skyblaze looked at Screwloose with a frustrated gleam in her optics. "Indeed! I've traced the signals myself," Screwloose defended, he looked over towards Nightblade, she having a quizzical look amongst her. "Though the signal is seemingly old, nevertheless I still traced it back to Earth." That got his attention. Another mention of Earth! But what was happening down there to warrant these mecha to talk about it?

"Optimus," Nightblade turned to him, optics burning. "You said you encountered Lockdown when you were on Earth, yes?" His vents hitched, optics cycling wide for a moment, then he collected his composure. Like he always had. "Yes. However, he is no longer functioning, if that is what you're asking." Screwloose nodded thoughtfully, now eyeing Nightblade. "See! I was't-"

"Shut up a moment. I'm thinking." Screwloose didn't talk, however he sunk back in his seat. Nightblade's optics seemed to bounce from side to side, as if she were looking at an invisible document in front of them all. Her elbows rested on the table, a dimly glowing cube rested between them. "All right. So, if he's dead-"

"There is no if, he is dead," his voice quiet though it still carried. She nodded in affirmation. "Okay. Since the mech is dead, who is causing the signals? Last I checked the Chihuahuan Desert  is a rather treacherous place. For human or Cybertronian alike," she said was slow tap on her knuckles. "Then what? Obviously someone is down there. It's far from being impossible to survive down there," Skyblaze poked. "You'd know."