Prime: Whatever It Takes

Sacrifice

Emilia runs away from Bumblebee, making her way around the edge of the town, going the opposite of any bullets. She had to get to Optimus.

"Emilia!" She hears her name once more, to which she looks over and see Ironhide fighting alongside the Arcee Triplets. "Get out, Emilia! Get to the pillars!"

The blonde nods, turning and running, not looking back. She can hear explosions behind her. She knows that someone - something - is close. But she has no time to slow down.

She rounds a corner, her eyes landing on the soldiers and the rest of the Autobots.

"Hey!" She shouts as she waves her hands. "Help!"

"Emilia spotted!" Sideswipe calls out, grabbing Lennox's attention.

His eyes land on the small girl, who's running as fast as she can. Explosions go off behind her, and Megatron stands only two dozen metered behind her. One of the middles lands close to her feet, sending her forward as she lands hard in the ground. Lennox yells orders, before running to cover closer to her.

Emilia could barely stand, scrambling on her hands and knees in the thick of the fight, building crumbling around her.

"Over here!" Lennox shouts for her, and she looks to the right, pushing herself up to run to him where he hid behind a broken down wall. Once she got to him, she practically collapsed in his arms. He takes the time to hug her tightly, before pulling away and cupping her face with his hands. "Where's Sam? Why're you alone?"

"I sent him with my parents," she says over the gunshots. "I couldn't do this with him here!"

"You're bleeding," he looks at her arm.

"I'm fine, where's Optimus?"

"Right over there," Lennox pulls away, motioning to the Prime. "Across the courtyard."

"I have to get to him."

"Not with an air strike coming in."

"I have to!" She insists, but the soldier is no longer looking at her. Instead, his eyes are up on the Decepticons right behind them.

"Shh," he quiets her, moving her back into the corner of the wall, covering her body with his so they would see her. There's a sound from the sky, though, and a rusted jet soon comes into view. It transforms, Jetfire landing right by them.

"Behold the glory!" He shouts. "Of Jetfire! Let me show you how we brought the pain in my day!" He turns to a Decepticon, using his cane and cutting him in half like butter. Then, from nowhere, a cat-like robot launches himself at Jetfire, tearing at his insides.

Lennox covers Emilia's body with his own, protecting her from the sparks going off. He watches as Jetfire falls to his side, but lifts his hand and crushes the Decepticon causing the damage.

"Okay," Lennox finally says as he offers the blonde girl his hand. "If we're going, we have to go. Right now."

She nods, taking his hand before they both start running. The air strike goes off over their heads, but Lennox doesn't let go of her hand. Everything around them exploded, and through the thick of it, Emilia can see Optimus.

She's the first to let go, nodding at the soldiers as they understood where she was going. She made a b-line for the Prime, the sock of Matrix dust clutched in her hand.

"Get down!" Lennox screams, but it's too late. Missiles hit the ground around her, and she's flung nearly ten feet in the air, landing hard on her back. The whole left side of her shirt was black and torn at her stomach, her left cheek dripping with blood. The man watches her, her eyes closed. His heart drops into his stomach and he sprints for her.

It's bright. The sun is shining down hard and Emilia looks around, completely lost. She didn't know where she was, or where any of her family or friends had gone. But when she looks up, she sees three figures standing before her.

"Where am I?" She asks. "Am... am I dead?"

"We have been watching you for a long, long time," the first Prime speaks.

"You have fought for Optimus," the second one says. "Our last descendent, with courage and sacrifice, the virtues of a leader. And a lover. You are worthy of our secret, the Matrix is not found. It is earned."

"Return now," says the third. "To your Optimus Prime. Merge the Matrix with his spark. He is, and always will be, your destiny."

Emilia takes in a sharp breath of air, Lennox's eyes widening as he sits up a little to look at her. He watches her try to stand, to which he quickly helps her.

"Do you know what you're doing?" He asks her, and she nods, looking down at the ground.

In her hand, sat the Matrix. Fully formed, no longer dust. It hums with the Energon she knew Optimus needed. "Yes," she nods, looking up at the Major. Then, she turns and hurries the last few feet to Optimus. She slowly manages to climb up on his chest, her breathing heavy as she holds the Matrix tightly in both hands.

Images flash through her mind. When she and Optimus first met in the alleyway, when he declared himself her guardian. She remember the first time she reasoned with the government to allow the Autobots to help them. The beach. She remembered Optimus bringing her there after the fight with Megatron. Where she chose to kill him instead of Optimus. Where she shoved the Cube into the Decepticon leader's chest.

She remembers his sweet words. Calling her his 'little spark', reassuring her that being away while at college wasn't going to kill her. When he told her that he liked her in the colors red and blue. When she would sing to him during their long drives to Washington, and he would insist on turning the music down a little to hear her better.

Optimus Prime was her everything. He was her salvation. And she will bring him back, and do whatever it takes to stay by his side.

Lifting the Matrix Of Leadership over her head, Emilia lets out a cry before stabbing it directly into Optimus's spark.