Disclaimers: Transformers are owned by
Hasbro.
I make no monetary profit from my
fanfic/fanart.
Summary: Optimus rescues a human child
Rating - PG
~~~~~~
THE INNOCENT
A frightened human child was lost somewhere
in a forest on a dark and stormy night.
Megatron was in a rage at Decepticon
headquarters. He'd tried counting to ten thousand, as Soundwave suggested, but
grew impatient. "We need some way to destroy Optimus Prime ..." he
said, trying to calm himself. "He's too intelligent for tricks. We must
find a way to lure him away from the other Autobots, so they are unable to help
him. At last ... we will be able to destroy him -- "
The computer beeped a signal. A visual of
the lost child came up on its screen.
"This Earth Germ could be our
link," said Megatron, "since Prime cares so much about them ...
Megatron turned around. "Thrust, Dirge, Ramjet, don't just stand there,
get that human and I want him alive. "
"You got it, Megatron --"
They transformed into their F-15 jet modes
and flew to the forest.
"This forest is large. Use radar to
locate the human."
"Who needs radar, Dirge?" said
Ramjet. "Use your optical sensors. He's down there."
"Stun rays activated" Thrust
growled.
He fired at the child who fell onto the ground,
unconscious. Ramjet transformed and picked the child up in his hand.
"
Ramjet put the human inside him and took off
with the others,
returning to Decepticon headquarters.
When they arrived at their destination, they
transformed into their robot modes.
"
Megatron took him and put him into a prison
cell.
"The stun beam should wear off in time
... Now to contact Optimus Prime ..." He laughed evilly. "This time,
Prime is ours..."
Megatron contacted his arch enemy.
"What do you want, Megatron?"
"You."
"I'm flattered."
Megatron forced a smile. "Now, Prime
... You will come alone to Decepticon headquarters to accept your fate
-- Or this Earth Germ whom I hold hostage will be terminated --"
Optimus Prime became afraid for the human's
safety. "If you harm him I'll ..."
"Do not bother to complete your threat,
Prime. I have not harmed the human child. Whether he remains unharmed is up to
you --"
Megatron cut communications.
"It's a trick ... but if I do not go,
the human he holds captive will be terminated. I cannot let that happen.
I cannot let any innocent humans die. This is our war. Not
theirs. Even if I get terminated, I must remember that."
Optimus Prime used a jet pack to fly to
Decepticon headquarters. Megatron allowed him inside.
"Greetings, Optimus Prime," he
said sarcastically. "It is obvious you have accepted my challenge.
I-"
"I accept only because an innocent
human's life is in danger." Optimus cut off abruptly. "If you weren't
such a coward, you'd face me yourself."
"I'm warning, you, Prime. I do not take
kindly to insults - especially on my turf. Do it again and I will not hesitate
to terminate the human -- Well, you accepted my challenge -- Now accept your
fate -- Drop your laser rifle."
"Wait. Where is the human?"
"Ramjet, bring the Earth Germ,
here," Megatron ordered.
"As you command."
Ramjet returned soon after with the human.
"Here, Prime," Megatron said,
"as you can observe, the Human is not harmed, only stunned. Drop your
laser rifle --"
Optimus obeyed. Megatron kicked it out of
the way and blasted Optimus in his chest. Optimus was thrown backwards and onto
his knees.
"And, Prime, now that I have you here, I
do not need this Earth Germ anymore --"
Megatron threw the human on the floor and
vaporised him with his fusion cannon.
Optimus gasped, shocked. "No!!"
he exclaimed. "He was so innocent ... so defenceless ... helpless
..."
"As you already know, Prime -- I
HAVE NO MERCY --"
Megatron blasted Optimus Prime twice in his
chest and stomach, then roughly picked him up and threw him into a prison cell.
He then blasted him again and locked the door.
Optimus prime sat down, feeling dazed, but
not from Megatron's blasts.
How could he ...? A tear rolled down Optimus Prime's cheek.
That human was so small ... innocent ...
Helpless ... This is all my fault. I have caused the death of an innocent Human
... I will live with this shame for the rest of my existence ...
Later, Megatron came into the cell. He saw
Optimus Prime sitting on the floor. He knelt down next to Optimus Prime and put
his arm around him. "Ohh ... still upset, are you?..." Optimus Prime
bashed Megatron as hard as he could in his face. Optimus calmed himself.
"What do you care?"
Megatron tried to whack Optimus Prime.
Optimus fired at him with a gun he had picked up discreetly whilst Megatron had
been bashing him around outside. Optimus grabbed Megatron's fusion cannon and
blasted him. Since Megatron was relatively low on energy. His fusion cannon
only delivered one blast. Optimus Prime stood up and walked out of the cell. He
couldn't lock the door, as he didn't know the computerised lock's code number.
Optimus re-energised himself and Megatron's fusion cannon.
Megatron stood up in the cell.
"Prime will pay for this ..." he
said angrily.
He exited the cell to find Optimus Prime.
Optimus saw him. He pushed him into another prison cell and shot him, then
jumped on top of Megatron and pointed his fusion cannon about two centimetres
away from his face.
"For what you did to that human, I have
a good intention to destroy you."
"N ... No ... No ... D ... don't-"
"And why not? He was defenceless -
helpless."
"I'm helpless, defenceless and unarmed
too."
"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!!"
He pointed the fusion cannon closer to
Megatron's face, about to fire.
"No ... don't, Prime ... I didn't
destroy the Human ... It was only a clone--"
"Ohh, this is good. Do you expect me to
believe that?"
"Well ... well, not at the present moment,
but I can prove it."
Optimus Prime lowered Megatron's fusion
cannon.
"Very well, prove it."
Optimus Prime followed Megatron to the cell
the human was in. Optimus Prime was relieved and grateful that he was unharmed.
"I told you, Prime, the Earth Germ is
alive."
"You did that just to get at me,"
Optimus Prime said. "Why you-"
Megatron took the opportunity and snatched
his fusion cannon back.
"Back to square one -- If you resist,
fight or try anything -- the real Human will be terminated."
Optimus stood still.
"Just don't hurt him, Megatron."
"That depends on you."
Megatron took Optimus Prime and the
immobilised, unconscious human into a room.
"I have not harmed this Earth Germ -
yet. Whether it remains unharmed, depends on your actions."
"Megatron" said Optimus Prime,
angrily, "stop referring to the Human as `Earth Germ', and `it', as though
he is some object? I do not refer to Decepticons as it's and Deceptigerms, do
I?"
Megatron kept silent.
"All right - him. Of course I can refer
to the human any way I choose. I do not care. You know that. I can hurt you a
lot more by destroying the human--"
"Don't ..." said Optimus Prime
worried. "The human is-"
"Do not go on about how defenceless and
helpless the human is
-- I DO NOT CARE -- "
Megatron was about to pick the Human up.
"Megatron," said Optimus Prime,
"for over nine million years, you've wanted to destroy me, besides
upsetting me, what would you get out of destroying this innocent human?"
Megatron was silent.
"Exactly. Nothing. Why waste your
energy? Destroy me instead. You don't hate that human - you hate me."
"You have a point. I suppose I love
this human, compared to how much I despise you."
"That human hasn't stopped any of your
plans, he has never shot you and he isn't standing in your way of conquering
the universe."
"ENOUGH!! I'll destroy you
both!!"
"Please just me, Megatron ..."
said Optimus Prime, worriedly. "Please ..."
"Ohhh, how touching ... As you already
know, Prime -- I HAVE NO MERCY -- Especially for you."
"I am not asking for mercy,
Megatron."
Megatron blasted Optimus twice, then jumped
on top of him, and pointed his fusion cannon about one centimetre away from his
head.
"Any last requests?"
"Just one, Mega...tron ..."
Optimus Prime began weakly. "Please don't harm the human ..."
"How utterly typical ..."
Megatron thought for a while. "Very well ..."
"Thank you ..." said Optimus
softly.
Megatron radioed Ramjet. "Ramjet,"
he ordered, " take this human outside and leave him be - as Optimus
Prime's last request ..."
Ramjet smiled evilly and took the
unconscious child outside, then returned to Megatron.
"It's done, Leader,"
"Good, now leave. I want to terminate
Optimus Prime in
private --"
"Okay." Ramjet obeyed.
Optimus felt frightened, but at the same time,
felt his selfless actions were right. Megatron could see in Optimus' eyes that
he was frightened and he did not care. Optimus looked into Megatron's fusion
cannon, the pink blast the last thing he saw as Megatron fired.
"At last ..." said Megatron, standing,
his fusion cannon smouldering. "It's finally over-- Now the Decepticons
will surely defeat and destroy the Autobots and at long last total victory will
be mine --"
Megatron blasted Optimus twice in his chest
and stomach, just for the heck of it, then left the room.
Hours passed. Optimus was slowly recovering
from Megatron's near-fatal shot, which narrowly missed his brain component.
"Ohh ... ohhh ... my head ..." he
said quietly, weakly.
Optimus was in a great deal of pain. He
finally gained enough strength to stand. His body wasn't hurting as much as his
head, though. Optimus walked quietly out of the room and snuck out of
Decepticon headquarters. He saw the human child, still immobilised from the
stun beam and gently picked him up in his hand. The child was beginning to
awaken.
"Ohhh ..."
"Where am I ... the Decepticons
..." The child looked frantically around, and up at Optimus Prime.
"Ohh ... please don't hurt me ..."
he said, frightened.
Optimus was puzzled. Surely the human knew
who he was.
"Don't worry," he calmed. "I
won't." Optimus Prime smiled, thinking about what he'd been through to
protect him.
"Optimus Prime," the child said.
"I know your voice."
"You're blind," the Autobot leader
observed.
The child nodded.
"My name's Jonny."
"Everything's all right now,
Jonny," Optimus promised. "I'll take you home."
"Thank you."
Optimus transformed into his truck mode, all
his circuits screaming for a look in by Ratchet and a hot oil bath. The Autobot
leader drove the child safely back home, where he was greeted by his distraught
mother and sister.
"Ohh, thank you, Optimus Prime,"
Jonny's mother gasped. "You look terrible," she said. "Lorna,
can you fetch that canister of Castrol GTX2?"
"Sure."
"Thank you," Optimus Prime said,
"but I cannot ask for anything in return."
"Ohh, hush now," Jonny's mother
said.
The teenage girl soon returned with it.
"It's the least I can offer you,"
Jonny's mother said.
"Under normal circumstances I would
refuse," Optimus said, "but."
"You could do with some?" Lorna
smiled, as she poured the oil into Optimus Prime's refueller.
"Oohh, that feels good. Thank
you."
Lorna smiled.
"Thank you again for returning our boy
to us," Jonny's mother said. "I've told him not to go wandering like
that."
"Mum, I want to be an explorer someday..."
Optimus Prime smiled. "You'll never get
to be an explorer if you don't listen to your mother."
Everyone smiled.
The humans watched as Optimus Prime drove
off into the distance, until he was out of sight, forever grateful.
Optimus Prime wished that no other humans'
lives were threatened as a result of the Transformers war.
"When they are, I am prepared to
sacrifice myself. I will not hesitate to protect them. I love them and this
world and I will always. I'm always here if they need me. With hope,
love and vigilance, perhaps this war will end someday ..."
*