Shadowfire

Chapter 40

"What's wrong?"
"You know what's wrong" Jazz snapped "you and the human's went on an unsanctioned raid against the KSI, there were government men that got killed. You've just brought the wrath of them all down on our heads! And you-" he wheeled, spinning sharply to glower down at the humans by my side "I never thought I'd see the day when NEST men fought side by side with Decepticons! What would Ratchet think? Ironhide, the twins, Sideswipe, Leadfoot-"
"That's enough" Optimus rumbled, placing a restraining servo on Jazz's shoulder "they have done nothing that we did not. What do you think we are here for? To hide like cowards? Let the humans come and bring their wrath, we can no longer live on this planet in peace and so we will wreak our vengeance upon them and go down in the flames" I saw through the grandiose speech, realising what Optimus was truly saying. We were doomed anyway, had been for centuries, there was no way off this planet and if we were being hunted like roaches we could at the very least turn the tables and die at least as fighters if not victors. We knew which species would survive to see the other side of this conflict.

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::Starscream to Shadowfire::
::I read you, what's the news?::
::The virus has been expunged, your sire's memories are returning::
::That's great:: I enthused, chestplating heating. My sire alive and whole once more, it was beyond my most fanciful imaginings.
::That's why I'm contacting you, it seems that all Megatron's memories are returning- even ones he didn't know existed::
::What do you mean?::
::I mean he had had information wiped from his memory banks numerous times by the Fallen. Do you still have access to Sentinel's Control Pillar?::
::Yeah, I stashed it after his defeat:: I admitted slowly, trying to see where my uncle was going with this ::I suppose I could recover it, but it would be difficult. Why?::
::Sentinel was desciple to Tarchus Prime before his Fall. He was mentored by the Fallen, worked with him after his banishment::
::What are you saying?::
::I'm saying that centuries ago Megatron overheard Sentinel and the Fallen discussing his new technology- the space bridge. The Control Pillar is an information cylinder, it can teach you how to control the space bridge, it can give us a way off this wretched planet::

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I twirled the metal cylinder in my hands, servos working over its surface. So far I'd been unable to find a latch or any other way of opening the device but it had to be somewhere. A shadow fell over me and I looked up- seeing a trio of mechs gathering 'round.
"We were gonna go steal some high grade from the 'bots. Wanna come with-" Barricade began, then paused, spotting the device I was holding."You still have that? Why bother? It's useless"
"Worse than useless" Rotorbite snapped, leaning away from me "it's dangerous"
"It's not useless" I began, but Quarrel cut me off.
"Unless you're Sentinel Prime, then it's useless" the mech snarked, optics fixated apprehensively on the object as if it would explode in his face at any second.
"It's not a control pillar, it's an information cylinder" I explained, watching comprehension dawn on my companions.
"That sly scrap heap" Howler breathed
"That leaky sealed slag"
"That-" Barrage cut his brother off, rolling his eyes.
"It's gonna teach you how to control the pillars?"

"It's going to teach me how to control the space bridge" I could tell by their reactions that none of them missed what that meant.

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::It's the last facility Screamer, I can't hold them off forever::
::You don't have to, your sire's healed- he wants to see you::
::A-and the frame?:: I stuttered, spark thrumming in my chest. Hope and joy at war with my fear.
::There was a frame here, it was incomplete- I've been working on it. But Shad it's still just an empty frame, there's nothing living about it::
::That doesn't matter:: I said, dual sparks in my chest sending a shooting warmth through my chassis ::I have what I need::

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I bent over the empty frame, optics searching the blank faceplate for any resemblance of 'Hide's features. There was none. This fame- neither mech nor femme, was a mere placeholder. Dull grey metal twisted to form an arched chassis, limbs (smaller than Hide's, he would be shorter in this frame. Weaker too, this body had not been expertly crafted to hold a warrior) stretched out at an angle.

He would be different, so different physically, but he would be alive, his spark would be the same.

"Have you thought this through?"
"You brought Megatron back" I pointed out, Starscream winced.
"Not my most well thought out decision"
"But it worked"

"Sweetspark" Megatron said gently, placing a servo on my shoulder "this is no simple deed. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I've lost so much" I said, and my pain was echoed on my sire's faceplate "my sire, my sparkmate, my planet" he wrapped me in his arms, as if I were a sparkling and I felt myself relax in his hold.
"Do what you have to do, Starscream and I will be here for you, always"

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My servos shook as I pried open my chest plating, wincing as the sensitive circuitry was exposed. I glanced down at the dual sparks in my chest and felt my optics freeze. I hadn't seen 'Hide's spark since I had attached it to myself and the change was startling. My spark shuddered, a flame guttering in the wind, sometimes glowing a brilliant blue and then switching suddenly to a sickly grey. The additional ember never flickered. The filaments that had allowed it to live off my own energy had thickened and grown, firmly attacked now, and twining around my heart. Parasitic.

I had no choice now, I couldn't let the spark keep living in my chest- it would end up killing me eventually. My memory banks offered up 'Hide's final moments, I recoiled harshly. No, I couldn't be the one to finally offline 'Hide.

Steeling myself I began tearing away the filaments holding the deceased mech's spark against mine.

Tears slipped down my superheated faceplate. The pain was torturous. I bit down hard with my denta, disengaging my speakers, smothering the scream before I gave it voice.

Finally I was free, and I hurried to affix the dimming spark to the blank chassis. With the spark connected I tore my sparkmate's memory chip from my own chest, where it had been cocooned by the vine-like filaments. I hissed in pain, but didn't let it distract me. I only had a limited amount of time before the spark faded without an energy supply. My optics flickered, darkness dancing through my field of vision. My struts trembled and my servos shook as I slipped the memory chip into 'Hide's new body.

Unwittingly I sunk to my knees, metal flesh impossibly cold without the warmth of the second spark I had come to know.

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Voices drifted around me, disconnected words not making any sense so cocooned was I in the warm darkness.

"it won't work" "it can't" "no harm- try- why" "mad" "-effect- two- how?" "It's not" "she should- dead-" "may well yet be"