randomplaces | BW 'verse. Axalon. Protoform

"Bossbot!" Rattrap turned the seat as Optimus Primal stepped onto the bridge. "Good news and bad news."

Primal frowned at him, then looked around for everyone else. "Give me the bad news first."

"We've got Predacons on our front doorstep and lardbutt's busy trying to repair the new guy, so we don't have his chainguns of doom."

"Oh that's just prime!" Primal turned on his heel and nearly ran to the elevator, hearing the Axalon's automated guns chattering as it lowered him to the ground beneath the ship.

"You don't have your human friends now, nooo!" Megatron was gloating from just out of gun range. "And by the time they have their little... domestic problem... dealt with, we will have what we came for."

"Honorless sssscum." Dinobot hissed at him from where he crouched behind a pile of rocks with Lockjaw beside him. "I dare you to come closer!"

"Where's Cheetor?" asked Primal, as he quickly joined his second in command.

"At the village." Dinobot hissed again. "And Ssilverbolt and Blackarachnia went to help them with the fire."

"Fire??" Primal looked at him with dismay. "Where's An?"

"I do not hsss know." Dinobot nodded his approval as Lockjaw spotted a sneaking Predacon and sent him running back to the safety of his fellows with a well-placed shot. "They are sss jamming our transmissions."

"It's very easy, Primal!" bellowed Megatron. "Just hand over the protoforms and we go away and leave you alone, yesss!"

"Not slagging likely." The gorilla-former scowled, and then grabbed at Lockjaw as she popped up and mooned the Predacon leader. "Hey! Good grief, where did you get that?"

The femmebot looked at him, her plain features marked with mild amusement that asked him if he really needed to ask that question.

"Right. We all know Rattrap's a bad example, now... ack!"

He and the others ducked and covered as something swooped in low and the automated guns vanished in flame, then leaped up and returned fire as the Predacons charged. Dinobot hissed and bounded over the stockade in a charge of his own, only to be caught in a crossfire from above. Before Primal could get a glimpse at who was up there a shot tore through his shoulder above his spark and he felt himself falling.

"It ends here, Maximals! Yesss!" exalted Megatron. "I win! I wARRGGGHHHHHHHH!"

Primal's eyes went wide as he felt the tail end of the shockwave that blasted into the Predacons and sent them flying, and he struggled to raise himself up so he could see. But the effort was too much and he felt himself going down again.

Then darkness claimed him.

* * *

"Optimus." A hand gently patted his face. "Wake up now."

He groaned, becoming aware of the seat of the CR chamber beneath him. "What... An?"

"Yes. How do you feel?"

"I'll survive." He frowned at his friend, then lifted a hand to rub his optics free of dust and goop. "How's everyone else?"

"Dinobot is still in the next chamber, but he's going to be alright. Lockjaw's already overseeing the repair of the ship's guns. Silverbolt is slightly scorched, but he and Blackarachnia are watching the Predacons till they leave the area. And Thundermoon is taking care of Rhinox."

"Rhinox?" Primal frowned. "What happened to Rhinox?"

"I don't know." An frowned as well, stepping back so that he could get out of the chamber. "I've been busy watching the chambers and overseeing the cleanup here and at the village, so I haven't gone to check on him yet."

"I'll go see." Primal rubbed his head as he straightened. "That shockwave...."

"Shock wave?" asked An quizzically.

"Yes," said a female voice softly. "I did that. I hadn't realized how hard it was going to hit them."

Primal turned quickly and blinked as he looked at the tall, powerful femmebot who stood in the entry to the hallway. "Thundermoon, I presume."

She nodded shyly, her large blue optics brightening just a little. But then they darkened again and she looked down.

Primal felt a chill go down his back. "How's Rhinox?"

Thundermoon made a soft, sad sound. "He didn't come back."

"What?"

"I nearly died. And he went after me to bring me back." She hugged herself. "But he didn't come back."

Primal stared at her, then strode past her to make sure for himself.

* * *

"Optimus?" Windracer walked across the moonlit roof of the Axalon and then sat down and snuggled against him. "My mother told me about Rhinox."

Primal shuttered his optics even as his arm went around his daughter's slender shoulders. "He was a hero."

"He is a hero." The ten year old looked up at him seriously. "He's not gone. He's only moved away. Remember? Primus has him."

"Right. You're right." Primal sucked in a deep wash of air, then pulled the young one close, taking comfort from her nearness.

"And right now it hurts." Windracer patted him gently, then put her arms around him and hugged him with all her strength. "But you'll see him again someday. When all are one."

He nodded, remembering his conversation with the servant of Primus there in the past, or wherever it had been, and her assurance that the Transformer creator said that everything here would work out. -But where will you be, Windracer? You're human... but you're also Maximal. In the time to come, when the Greater Creator restores everything... where will you be?-

Where she's supposed to be. The answer seemed to whisper across his feelings, and he sighed and looked down at his daughter again. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"

"You weren't there to tuck me in." She smiled up at him, her dark eyes full of affection and concern. "And my mother doesn't know the right way to do it."

Primal surprised himself with a soft chuckle as he stood and jumped down, his jetpack slowing their fall. "No, I guess she doesn't. Alright, let's get you tucked in."