AU: The Mech That Sold The World

Log Title: The Mech That Sold The World Characters:Vortex Optimus Prime Thundercracker AU-Stormfront AU-Benjer Tomorrow Imager Location:The New Rust Desert Date:The End of the War TP:Apocalypse Universe TP Summary:The trek is at an end, as the survivors finally meet back up with Optimus Prime As logged by Imager

Next on Elita One's 'to-do' list was the last one.

"Take her to Optimus. He will know where to go from here."

The old hermit had lead a sequestered life for quite some time, after the End of the War.

It was into the craggy Maganese Mountains, the party trekked. With Benjer, and Stormfront with Tracker, the scouting made the journey far more tolerable. The small crew trekked along, Imager and Tomorrow sticking close together. Occasionally, a small cup of Energon could be generated, though it pretty much went exclusively to the new Femme.

Imager side-eyes the mute Tomorrow, "so.....Tomorrow Prime...or...you know. Whatever title." She looks away, and grumps, "Not sure how I feel about that." She switches off to her radio, <>

As the two crest a hill, the rust laden wind brushes past them, causing most of the party to cover their optics.

Somewhere in this gully, would be the old mech's hermitage...

Benjer shares the scouting duties with Stormfront. While once there may have been a mentor/student relationship between them, Ben clearly sees Stormfront now as a wary equal. Ben has largely kept his distance from Imager (and therefore Tomorrow). His protection may not make up for what Imager suffered at the hands of the Junkions, but in the interest of Tomorrow's safety, perhaps Imager will at least stay her revenge for a little while longer.

AU-Stormfront is...unhappy really. This feels like a sick joke in it's own way. He speaks softly but vehemently to himself or Tracker or Benin. Or who knows who. "Take her to Optimus? For what? Here, let me throw all my burdens onto you young one so you too may just decide life is too hard and abandon those that counted on you. What was Elita thinking?" He grumbles and is a little more forceful with his staff as he walks. He looks back at Tomorrow and Imager. "And to make her a Prime...Part of me wishes I could sequester her away and try and give her a...a childhood. Something. It isn't fair that the first youngling we have in so long is now being given so much. There has to be something we can give her instead of taking all that is good from her."

AU-Benjerscouts ahead with Stormfront, listening to his stream of concerns about Tomorrow

Stormfront had been there before, and the large doors are still visible. Its part of some large ship that crashed...or possibly part of a dropped space station. Who can tell anymore? The rust storm picks up even further, the closer everyone travels to it. Tomorrow keeps to herself, her arms about her, like one might ward off the cold.

As the crew stands there, Imager exhausts some rust, and then somberly looks up at the doors. "well...." She coughs again, "never thought I'd be doing this." Her optics look down at her feet, her mouthplate opens as if to continue, but there just weren't any words for a few moments. "I...i just think all this was a bad idea. You know?" Vortex has heard talk of a new protoform in the area. For an energy starved mercenary, this protoform may mean a profit. The tattered combaticon comes into the aarea, creeping slowly among the rust. Oh look. Others have seen it too. Wonderful.

AU-Stormfront glares at the doors. He's not been here in a long while. And he tries not to think too much on what went on the last time he was here. So for the moment he just stares at the doors. Optics turn to Benjer, "Yer people are survivors....I'm sure most of them are fine and waiting for you."

You paged AU-Vortex with 'thats fine. Okay, so this may or may not have affected you greatly. So its pretty much Megatron who is delusional and he's got Huffer of all people with him. Megs has been taking about anyone that gets killed by him or his drones, and throws them into a pit of insecticons...which he eats for Energon. He's also trying to find sparks to devour as well. He's really become disturbing. Whether or not that disturbs Tex is up to you of course'

AU-Benjerfrowns, and nods grimly. He steps away to watch for scavengers. This is former-Autobot business, and he no longer considers himself one of them.

Imager has her hands on her hipplates as she just stands there with everyone else. "Well its not like he'd trap the door or anything. We should probably get inside before the rust storm corrodes our intakes any further." Imager takes hold of the large door, puts her hands into it, and pulls on it. The loud shrieking of metal on metal follows, even in the high winds. Tomorrow steps back, alarmed perhaps by the noise.

WIth the door partially ajar, its enough for everyone to enter.

The room within is low-lit, there's a large blue light off to one side, the room itself is sparse. There's a few smatterings of junk, or heavy objects piled up. A few basic machines that seem out of repair, and a few doors that lead in further.

Blankly, Imager looks back and shrugs. "Looks empty..."

AU-Vortex approaches, rotor blade in hand. He really wants to see whats on the other side of this door. Of course, this brings the scavneger into view.

It was the strange Femme, the one of white and light blue, that turned to note Vortex. She was brand-less as well, which was most unusual. Her eyes light upon him, those big blue eyes with a ring of blue around them. The most interesting thing is that she doesn't raise an alarm or anything, simply looking at Vortex warily. Tracker ALSO takes notice. The large spiked dire wolf looking critter bristles his spines and stalks toward Vortex. But he doesn't sound the alarm to the others. He's protecting Tomorrow. Vortex might not even notice that he's being watched.

GAME: AU-Vortex PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.

AU-Benjernotices as well, brandishing his ax. Oddly, however, the murderous Junkion hesitates before attacking, glancing first at Tomorrow's reaction. AU-Vortex notices the Femmebot and puts a finger to his mouthplace in a shh motion. He then notices the Tracker and backs down, almost like a feral jackyl or something, low to the ground, rotor blade held in his hand. He doesnt seem like hes going to steal the protoform aor anything. More curious then anything.

It was difficult to miss all of the commotion, especially when one never gets any visitors. Ever. To say that Optimus Prime lives alone would be an understatement. He is off the radar. Off the grid. Even insurance salesman fail to find him. He is, well and truly, seperate from this war and all of its sick twists and turns.

So why were there people, and why were they making so much noise?

A door opens further back. It sticks at first, and a hand reaches through to finish the opening process. Dim light floods from within the room, briefly silhouetting the image of Optimus Prime - or what's left of him. He has clearly seen better days, his armor rough and battered. An old, warn sheet has been fastened around his frame, casting much of his lower body in darkness. He stares at the visitors in silence, head slightly tilted, before speaking. When he does, his voice is gravely, as if his vocal processors haven't been exercised in decades.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"YAAHH!" Imager staggers backwards out the door, banging into it as she does, her hands before her. She recovers, though Tomorrow shifts her gaze to Imager for the moment. The heavy Femme puts a hand to her spark, "Solus take me. Don't scare me like that!" The refueler looks back at Tomorrow, silently being judged. She explains, "He just sorta....came out of nowhere." Her eyes flicker as she looks back to the old mech. She motions for Tomorrow, then just when nothing happens, Imager starts to bodily guide her towards the shelter.

And that's when she sees Vortex. Her gaze turns very stern. Weaponless, she balls up her fists. "What do /you/ want?" Big talk for someone scared by a Prime moments earlier.

AU-Vortex speaks in a rasp of a creature thats never stopped fighting even after the war. "Hear theres a protoform over there. Smelled energon." he says. "How could I not be curious..." his crimson optic band focuses on the femme.

AU-Stormfront's dark optics brighten And intensify in the darkness. "Yeah you rusted <. It is your wake up call. Elita one has finally passed from this world and apparently you have a part to play in her game. There is a new Protoform that was discovered. Megatron is after her, but as usual the world is going to hell and you are hiding here." Stormfront's anger is barely kept in check as he stands there, glaring at Optimus. He's giving tracker the job to pay attention to Vortex. Stormfront's armor may be patched in sections. But he has survived. He hasn't given up. At least not fully."

Imager eyes Vortex suspiciously for several moments. The Femme has been through a lot in this war, she's had her share of trauma and despair. And before her was Vortex. VORTEX, the sadist, the torturer, the 'interrogator'. Another one of Blast Off's ilk, the damnable Combaticons.

She says slowly,

Imager eyes Vortex suspiciously for several moments. The Femme has been through a lot in this war, she's had her share of trauma and despair. And before her was Vortex. VORTEX, the sadist, the torturer, the 'interrogator'. Another one of Blast Off's ilk, the damnable Combaticons.

She says slowly, "Thought you were dead." Her optics turn to Tomorrow, then back to Vortex. "She's with us. You leave your mitts off of her..."

Her voice trails off for a moment.

"And I'll see what I can spare."

She also had her share of hunger.

AU-Vortex has a change of plans. Theres too many of them and he doesnt have the energy to take them on by himself. He pauses. "Well, yeah. Sorry to disappoint ya." he says, keeping his low, protective phase. Oh, how the tables have turned. What was once one of the most sadistic and combat-hungry hungry decepticons out there is little more then a scraplet looking for a way to survive. "I won't touch her. Can.. Can I see though? Im a bit curious. Never seen a sparkling before." He says. He seems wary though. "Yeah, you'll see what you can spare. What do you want in return?

Optimus Prime continues to just stand there, almost as if in a daze, perhaps woken from a long recharge cycle. His head slowly turns. What Stormfront said was not lost on him, but it's almost as if he isn't sure how to respond, or is merely slow to. "Elita... is gone...?" He echoes, his voice hollow. The great strength that was once found in his words seems long spent. He stands tall, or at least tries to seem like he's standing tall, under the withering gaze of Stormfront. "And this... a protoform?" He takes an unsteady step forward and peers, trying to get a better look at Tomorrow from where he's standing. For whatever reason, he does not actually approach, almost as if he seeks to keep some measure of distance from the party. He ignores the negotiation taking place nearby.

Then something else said hits him, and he visibly shudders, a very odd gesture from Optimus Prime. "Megatron functions?"

Benjer scowls threateningly at Vortex, but until or unless the Combaticon makes a move, Ben stays his cracked, rusting hand. Ben steals one glance in at the great reclusive Optimus Prime, but then turns away. Prime welcomed him back to the Autobots once... forgave and forgot Ben's dark secrets... but that was long ago. Now... it's too late. Ben will do this small thing for Cybertron - help find a place for Tomorrow. Then he will likely return to the great Rust Desert, never to return.

AU-Stormfront glares. His optics narrowing as he continues to watch Optimus. "I am TIRED of the games Optimus. And when we come to you for help after all this time you STILL want to play games. I say ENOUGH!" And with the angered shout a shimmering wall stirs the dust as he flashes out from Stormfront toward Optimus. His forcefield focused foward as he 'backhands' the reverent visage before him.

Imager raises a finger, "I'm leaning towards no." There's still some bite to her sarcasm, even this far along. "In fact I want you out of stabbing range of her at all times. Not sayin you have to go...just keep your distance" A sudden thought crosses her processor, and her gaze turns suspicious, "Wait. Are you with Megatron? Cuz if you are." She raises up her fists, "Then you ain't gettin out of here."

Which really doesn't give Vortex much incentive to say that he is, really.

Tomorrow hears the clatter and rushes into the room. She looks between Stormfront and Optimus for a moment, then moves to interpose between the two, wordlessly. Her hands spread out wide, as if trying to keep Stormfront from any further attacks.

AU-Vortex returns his blade to his back, perhaps showing that hes not up to anything. "Hey Im not going to stab and eat anyone. Thats why Im not a ravager. Well not unless they give me a lot of energon. And I mean a /lot/." He says. "I used to be a sick son of a retrorat. I mean sick man. I Understand why you'd be that way, but I dont mean to hurt her. Im just curious. Wait is that optimus too? Oh crap, and he just femme-smacked him.." He says. "Sorry ma'am. Meant no offense." well hes still Vortex. Still jumping about from thouht to thought, the curiousity that made him an interrogator is still in place. "I am not with Megatron. Eatin people? I mean. I know I dont have many morals but I have my limits."

Hopefully, Tomorrow can stop Stormfront from perpetuating any further violence, but for now, what's done is done. The solid force hits the clearly unprepared Optimus Prime for battle and he is bowled over. There is a loud clatter as armor and metal collides with the floor, pieces scattering and the tattered sheet billowing awkwardly before falling flat. Prime lays there in a heap at first, the darkness mostly concealing him, but when he rises, something isn't right.

His right arm falls clean off. His torso hangs haphazardly in place, held in place mostly by the other arm propping it up against the floor. The head rolls about. From deep within, there is a groan, and then the whole thing simply falls forward, crashing to the ground. There, sitting in the debris, is a very worn, tired looking Thundercracker. He sits in a daze, his facade pentrated far quicker than he ever anticipated, assuming anyone ever found him again. He does not move though, not even to rise, not yet, but he does lift his optics toward Stormfront.

"You can take your anger somewhere else," Thundercracker says softly, "You won't find your outlet here. Or anywhere."

Benjer does turn back as Stormfront has the temerity to assault Optimus Prime. Even after all Ben has done for survival - cannibalized, captured, killed - the simple strike stirs something in the former Autobot. Maybe some reverence remained in him after all. As Tomorrow intervenes, however, Ben turns away, shame in his mismatched optics. He turns his attention to Vortex, keeping watch on the Combaticon as the drama unfolds inside. He frowns as Tex indicates his morals put him above eating people. Ben crossed that threshold long ago. He's prepared to deal with the morale outrage of others. What he's not prepared to deal with is... Thundercracker?

Imager isn't even paying attention to the drama behind her. "You're going to have to run that past me again. Whose eating what now? Is Megs part Insecticon now?" There's a hint of bravado in her tone, the idea is laughable of course. Then she looks queasy for a moment. What if he WAS part Insecticon?

AU-Vortex pauses. "Well hes feeding people to insecticons then eating insecticons and..." he shakes his head. "It makes no sense. It all makes no sense..." he looks to Thundercracker. "That makes no sense either..." he shakes a bit, moving a hand to grab his blade again, running it over his own palm perhaps as a calming method. "Onslaught would understand this. Ons would. If he were here if he were alive..." yep. hes cracking, not that he wasnt cracked to begin with.

AU-Stormfront was about to say something to Tomorrow but..well the result of his attack rendered him rather mute for a moment. He stares at Thundercracker and then sighs. "I saw somethin was off about Optimus. But I couldn't put my finger on it. I figured it might be a hologram or an automaton. If I'd have thought it was really Prime I would have actually punched him. Do...do I want to know the reason for this charade Thundercracker?" He moves to offer the seeker a hand up if he'll take it.

Tomorrow turns to the downed Thundercracker/Optimus and actually shudders. She goes onto her knees, and wordlessly starts to pick up pieces of Thundercracker's facade, pushing it back towards him, as if that was going to make him all better.

Imager 's features fail. In her spark, she knows its true. "He's...." She looks absently towards Stormfront. The mech had shown her that energon could be harvested from the creatures here, but from other mechs...letting Insecticons cannibalize them, then eating the Insecticons? She'd look pale if she could. Her optics dim as she looks down a little. "I always knew he was mad...but this is..." Imager's optics drift as she looks for words. "We've got to stay far away from him." Her gaze returns to Vortex, "Can you help with that?"

Thundercracker sighs, palming his forehead with his hand. Between Stormfront's remarks and Tomorrow trying to push his "body" back toward him, his already worn out body is feeling increasingly tired with each passing moment. Still, he knew this day would come. It had to. The hand is offered. He takes it and stands, the remaining pieces falling away from him. He looks down at the wreckage, and then at Tomorrow and somehow, someway, cracks the faintest of smiles.

"It's... okay. I'm fine. See? I'm fine." He gestures to himself, then tries to focus, while he can still think. There is so much being said, all around him. He needs to say what he can, while he can. "I came to stay with him," he says, "To learn, to help if I could. I couldn't... Megatron..." He gestures uselessly, "I couldn't stay with that. Not after... look. You two! Out there!" he calls over, "It's worse than you know, than either of you know. It's not just the Insecticons! That's just energon!" His voice catches and he frowns, struggling with a memory he's tried to forget. Tried to forget for a long time.

"I saw him eat a spark," Thundercracker says after a moment, once he has worked up the resolve, "And that's when I turned my back on the Decepticons. It was one step too far - had /been/ too many steps too far. So I found Optimus, stayed with him as long as I could, but he..." His voice trails off. Much is said in the silence that follows. AU-Vortex pauses. "Theres mad, mad." He says. "And then theres wooosh." he makes a cliff with his free hand and moves his other one over it like a person jumping. "Oh sure. You need a scout. Yeah. Yeah I can look for him. I can patrol. Do you know how long its been? Something normal..." He lookst o Tomorrow. "That. Is. Oh. Sweet. Primus." he puts his hand to his chest. "Adorable." he says. "Its ok, little one. Someone's gonna teach you how to handle this nasty world you're in. Hand you a blaster, or better yet a nice interrogation blade. Once ya make your first kill and count the paycheck. Then then you'll know the worlds not so bad, right? Then you'll find a merc unit, settle in, rake in the energon, some war will start up and the world will be nice and normal nd you'll be rich, you'll be happy and other people bein happy just wont matter!" hes helping!

motions Vortex to come inside, so the entire crew can be together. "So he's binary..." She shakes her head, "That's the only thing it could be. There's no reason why..." She pauses.

Her eyes flicker as she gets on the comms. "Hold on. Blast Off says he knows something." She eyes Vortex for a few moments, then looks disconcerted. "Playing...Blast Off's log." Her voice trembles.

Megatron eventually raises his head, and turns back towards the factory. Megatron takes the rifle, about the same size and make of the mighty Pathblaster Optimus carried, though ballistic in nature. He pauses, just standing there. After a few moments, he speaks again, "Where is my ascenscion, Huffer? Where is it?"

Huffer loads a smaller pistol, one his size, and responds flatly, "You need the protoform first, Sir. First it, then your other thing."

"Godhood." Megatron says, as if his processor was jogged. He clenches a hand in emphasis. "Too many...mistakes. Too many..." He steps forward towards the door, then stops again, "What was hi..."

Before he can finish, Huffer interrupts, "Optimus Prime, Sir."

"Optimus Prime. Yes. Too many. Mistakes." The two move forward, right towards Blast Off's position inside... Imager motions Vortex to come inside, so the entire crew can be together. "So he's binary..." She shakes her head, "That's the only thing it could be. There's no reason why..." She pauses.

Her eyes flicker as she gets on the comms. "Hold on. Blast Off says he knows something." She eyes Vortex for a few moments, then looks disconcerted. "Playing...Blast Off's log." Her voice trembles.

Megatron eventually raises his head, and turns back towards the factory. Megatron takes the rifle, about the same size and make of the mighty Pathblaster Optimus carried, though ballistic in nature. He pauses, just standing there. After a few moments, he speaks again, "Where is my ascenscion, Huffer? Where is it?"

Huffer loads a smaller pistol, one his size, and responds flatly, "You need the protoform first, Sir. First it, then your other thing."

"Godhood." Megatron says, as if his processor was jogged. He clenches a hand in emphasis. "Too many...mistakes. Too many..." He steps forward towards the door, then stops again, "What was hi..."

Before he can finish, Huffer interrupts, "Optimus Prime, Sir."

"Optimus Prime. Yes. Too many. Mistakes." The two move forward, right towards Blast Off's position inside...

The scene fades.

Imager says, "Ascension? Is he...trying to become a god by...eating sparks?""

Tomorrow looks at Thundercracker, warily accepting his assurances. She picks up a large piece of window, quietly examining it.

Elita One's words are brought to Stormfront's memory. "open the doors, he won't let you." The doors of Optimus' chestplate. Wherein Thundercracker would be seen... AU-Vortex follows Imager inside. "What.. Blast Off?!" he has something a sadstic little mech like him shouldnt have. Hope. "Hes alive?!" he watches it. Ascenscion. Yeah. Yeah hes gone bonkers..that'd be it. You know I was gonna sell him the protoform for a few scraps but.. no. No we cannot. Do you guys know what it is. Guys?" he looks excited. "Its a new war, something new to fight against. Aren't you excited? Fight against hte spark eater!"

AU-Stormfront stands there, listening to what Thundercracker is saying. "I...I couldn't fault him in some ways for hiding. But I was so angry. He was the Prime. He was the one to keep us going in the right direction. And the last time I saw him we...we argued. I have my hiding spots too. But I continued to try and help those around me. Even as the world changed, I knew I had to keep going. To continue to be....to be what I could have been." His words disjointed as he tries to ignore the grief filling him. He stares at the face of his leader, his mentor, friend...brother. "I wasn't enough to get him to keep going. He blamed himself I think for all that happened." He stands there, staring at the face before kneeling down and finally looking down. The pain of his lost gripping his spark in a chokehold. "So many I've seen buried or helped bury. And I ask Primus why it continues to happen. Why there was nothing left to hope for. And then...then Elita comes with this little one. And some fool makes her into a Prime. And I wanted to scream. Why would anyone want to make someone a Prime. But apparently it was meant to be because our world was lacking ours." Recalling something he looks at Thundercracker. "Where is....where does his frame lie? I believe something must be retreived."

Benjer narrows his mismatched optics. This is a lot for the desert scavenger to take in all at once. Ben hasn't been great with... sanity maintenance... himself, but Megatron has certainly gone way past him and over Vortex's figuratively cliff. Ben grips his ax with sharp rusty fingers, as eager to fight in his own way as Vortex. Ben glances at Tomorrow. For as long as he can remember, all Ben had to fight for was survival. Could there be anything more? He looks to Stormfront. Should some things just be left in the past?

Imager gives a slow nods to Vortex, "Yeah. He just came back to Cybertron he says. He was with us a few sweeps ago. Said a little bit of what you said too... Imager looks towards Stormfront and Thundercracker, "W-what needs to be retrieved?" Her tone is low and somber, she already knows the answer before anyone says it.

AU-Vortex pauses. "Prime? Yeah that'd help. At least it was a fake body because you know Thundercracker eating Prime's insides and hanging out in hsi corpse. That'd be a very new-Megatron thing to do and Im glad he wasn't doing it. Or I'd have to call him NecroPrime and Im not quite ready for that right?" he says. "So. We need an extraction. Got it, chief." has he already accepted Thundercracker as the new man in charge? For the moment, yes. "What do you need me to pull out and from where?" back into soldier mode.

While Thundercracker is listening most directly to Stormfront, what is going on nearby isn't lost on him. Unfortunately, he already knows. Grimly, he acknowledges internally that, well, now they all know too. They know just how far gone Megatron is, and maybe, just how far gone the world is. Still, there was something, and she was embodied by the young one staring at the window of his Prime costume.

"Nearby. I... wasn't sure what to do with him, but burying him out there, in the middle of... It felt wrong. I just..." He struggles, "Walked in. Found him slumped over. I think his body just gave out, from the stress, from all he had done... I don't think - I don't think he just hid here and gave up, like everyone seems to think. It's not the impression I got, but..." He looks toward the door he came out of, "Maybe I should let him speak for himself. He kept records, I just - never tried to access them myself, out of respect." Or, perhaps he was the one who was hiding, in the end, instead of Prime. He bristles slightly at the idea of him MUNCHING ON PRIME'S INNARDS LIKE A JUNKION - no offense benjer dont eat me - but lets it go. He looks down, then gestures toward the door. "In there. You can't miss him."

And he speaks truly, for when anyone enters the next room, they will find the grey mech himself laying on a table slap, undisturbed for who knows how long.

Imager slowly enters the room with the others. Having seen Elita One's body as well, Imager's a bit more stoic about Prime's death.

Tomorrow enters, still holding that piece of window frame. Her bright eyes light upon the figure, and notes how similar he is to the piece she holds.

Imager picks up a thumbdrive, "A datapad...."

She plugs it in.

<<...were still salvageable.>>

The tone of the elder Autobot, Optimus Prime himself, echo from his diary. <>

The track picks up later, <>

AU-Vortex raises a hand as if hes in a classroom or something. "Um. Um. I have a question." He says, looking over at Prime's corpse. "Well two of them. One. If Prime is dead where is that Matrix doohickey he keeps in his chest? I mean if theres one of those darkest hours its supposed to light, I think it might be broken." He says. "Second, we have prime's body. Megatron's a cannibal. He'd totally LOVe to eat that. Which means... can I say we have bait if needed to draw his butt out? When we're ready to kick his can that is.

Optimus Prime lays there, and would really appreciate not having his corpse used as an appetizer at Megapplebees.

AU-Stormfront glares at Vortex. "I think he'd prefer live bait. All in favor of stripping Vortex out of his armor and letting him run around in his protoform raise your hand." He looks back at Prime and sighs after hearing the recording. "Great...." Optics go to thundercracker, "Are there any weapons or armor kept here? We should probably see about getting some supplies before we continue on. Would you want to join us Thundercracker? Can't say it's any safer, but you might get a chance to play a part in ending this tale in a more favorable way then they all slowly rusted away to nothing."

Imager sighs and sits, "Prime was tryin to...reboot the planet again. Figures. The well of allspark...." She puts her hands on her knees, "meanwhile ole Megs is..." She blanches, "chowing down on anything that moves" She slumps further, "What a sorry sight we are."

AU-Vortex wraps his arms around himself and glares at Stormfront. "Are you picturing me naked!" his optic band gives an almost playful look. "Oh. Oh you perv...I know Im hot but mind on the task big boy mind on the task." Is /this/ what Onslaught has to put up with? "I mean hes dead its not like hes gonna meiss it unless we can make a matrix born miracle appear and save us all. So how do we reboot things. If Prime can't do it mabye we can right?"

Tomorrow just stares at Vortex wordlessly.

Imager says with a hint of incredulosity, "there aren't enough sparks left on Cybertron to reboot the planet. There can't be. We've seen what? Fifteen Cybertronians?" She shakes her head, "There's no way." AU-Vortex mutters to himself. "Has anyone tried control alt..." no Vortex. Just no. Thundercracker hasn't felt legitimate anger in a long time, but Vortex is certainly pushing him. Fortunately, he's a bit distracted by Optimus' log, and he weighs what Stormfront says after that. He looks tired still, but there is something clearly stirring in him as he takes a moment and looks at Tomorrow.

"Well, whether there are or are not, Imager," Thundercracker says after a time, "She's our best hope for it now. You said she was named a Prime?" He furrows his brow, "I... don't know how much use I can be, but I think that helping you save this world is something Optimus would want me to do. Besides..." He looks down at his hands and flexes them, as if testing the joints, "I feel like I owe Megatron for what he's putting our people through."

NEXT TIME, LAST TIME! APOCALYPSE UNIVERSE: APOTHEOSIS