Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“If you don't know where you are going, then any road can take you there.” ― Lewis Carroll

Chapter 1: Nightway

Optimus Prime was a bit worried.

The entire night of the travel had been largely silent. It was interrupted only by the stutter of stone under his tires and the mild thrums of his engines as he plowed down the long, dark back road. They were in some winding, bumpy Midwest state, with few homesteads and even fewer people. The sun had slipped into the west as gracefully as it usually did, so only a streak of sherbet red and orange was left behind. The twilight was fading, and space would soon be visible through earth’s atmosphere. Were they back home, at the Yeager homestead and the Autobot’s compound that circled around it, he would be settling under the big oak tree to watch the stars come out. Instead he drove onward.

Stretched out across the wide seat of the peterbilt was Cade Yeager’s prone form, hat over his eyes and apparently asleep. He swayed with the cab’s soft rocking, but the bench had become more familiar to him than his own bed, and Optimus rarely saw Cade sleep so well anywhere else. It was rather touching, the deep seated trust Cade so often displayed in him.

Optimus turned his attention back toward the tarmac, flicking on his high beams to illuminate the road that yawned before them. His worries were coming back, dogged and nipping at his drives. Some came from his memory files, some from his instincts and more still from his spark. The last place was worrying all on its own—a Prime wasn’t inclined to be flighty or nervous, or at the very least they should hide it well. He would have to school his features if he came out of alt mode on this trip—Cade would sense his unease in a second and poke and prod until the Prime came clean. Such discussions and soul-bearing were perfectly fine in the safety of the lab, but here and now, no.

They passed another semi. Prime had no fear at raising suspicion. He did turn off his highs, but knew his remaining headlights would keep his windshield dark, as Cade was slouched out of sight. Besides, Prime rarely had trouble with other semis, as their drivers were generally the most welcoming ones on the road when they saw him coming. Prime noticed the incoming transmission and opened the line.

“ Gotta local yokel a few miles back,” Prime’s radio picked up the signal of the passing semi, who was hauling a large load. “ Shouldn’t give you trouble, 3s and 8s.”

“Copy. 3s and 8s.” Optimus said back politely, well versed to CB speak after his time on Earth. As they crossed by one another, Prime threw his high beams back on. The night seemed to be trying to smother the lights out.

That was the last sign of life they saw, despite the previous comment from the other driver.

The calm, almost gentle night was nearly lulling Prime into stasis. Humans called it ‘highway hypnosis’ and while it rarely affected the autobots, there was a certain numbness ones systems could feel if running too long. Cade had eaten at the last rest stop, and Optimus had never caught on to the taste of diesel, so they had been driving for over five hours by now.

He let the miles climb up before sending another call through his scanners and his radio. He waited, slowing to a more conservative speed as he listened to the radio waves, hopeful and patient. But growing wearier with each passing second.

Nothing but static.

This time, he didn’t bother hiding his disappointed grumble.

“Nuthin’ yet, huh big rig?” Cade’s voice was little more than a sleepy mutter, and Prime’s irritation grew stronger, but focused more onto himself than his human.

“I hadn’t meant to wake you, Cade. My apologies.” He went for formal, very nearly forgetting to keep his synthesizer in english. Cade understood enough cybertronian, but had told him the noise was jarring if he wasn’t expecting it. (“ Fucken lord—its like dialup and a wood chipper had a baby…just, keep it at a low volume and speak slow, okay?”)

“Ehh, I wasn’t asleep. Dozing, kind of.” Cade sat up swinging his legs to the floor and ending up in the passenger seat. Rubbing his face tiredly and yawning, the human hopped over until he was in the driver’s seat, but he stayed away from the wheel and pedals.

They passed the next few miles in relative silence. Cade read a highway sign illuminated by Prime’s high beams that told him they were close to the grand canyon again.

They certainly seemed to be. It reminded Optimus of the place they had met the few remaining autobots before they stormed KSI. It was so much darker than only a few hours ago, the lack of moonlight helping the darkness spread.

Suddenly, Prime’s engine came off the gas and he began to slow, but had yet to apply the brakes.

“Got something?” Cade surmised as he turned his attention into the cab’s interior. He usually looked at the radio or the wheel, if he bothered to look at all. In alt mode, it wasn’t like Prime had a face to focus on. Optimus didn’t answer for several beats, causing Cade to almost repeat his question until the Prime spoke up.

“A signal…it’s muted, though. Muffled .” Optimus tried to explain as he slowed to a crawl. Cade had no physical gestures to study aside from the fact Prime’s tires suddenly started pointing them toward the west. The highway lay before them, apparently another 21 miles to some small town Cade had never heard of. When Cade looked to the west, he saw nothing but flat, tired earth and jutting crags miles away. The canyon was somewhere near, but it was impossible to see where the drop offs were at night. Cade didn’t bother worrying about that, though. Prime would know where to drive and where not to.

“We going off roading, Optimus?” Cade smirked, leaning out the window a little to get some fresh air. “Nothing but rocks and dirt out here, huh? Kinda boring.”

“And provides little cover if we’re attacked.” Prime pointed out, sounding hesitant.

Cade blinked, that didn’t sound like the autobot leader he knew. At least—Prime’s bad days were few and far between. Cade did see them more than others, but they were easy to forget. The big guy wasn’t a Prime for nothing.

“It’ll be good, buddy. I got your back.” Cade offered, then made a face. “Of course, if you wanna call for Bee and wait for backup we can…I know I’m not much.” Cade had never had confidence issues before when it came to his own abilities. But then, he also hadn’t seen the fights between the massive metal aliens until his current years. His biggest worries used to be if he was raising Tessa right, not an intergalactic civil war among giants. Those same worries also now included having to come to terms with the fact the leader of the Autobots—who never ‘choose a human’ like the others tended to do—had apparently chosen him , of all people.  

“You are more than capable of ‘having my back.’” Optimus grunted almost immediately, sounding too sincere to be blowing smoke up Cade’s ass. “I just…feel something strange about this signal. I’m not sure its autobot.”

“Decepticon, then?” Cade asked.

“Mm, no. It doesn’t feel like that, either.” Prime said.

“Maybe it’s one of KSI’s projects? I thought that moron had them all accounted for, but if one got smart and escaped the place--escaped Megatron’s hold…maybe it’s hiding out here? It prolly thinks it’s one of you guys. That would explain why you can’t get a read on it, and it might be moving away from us, too.” Cade pointed out. He finally scooted further into Prime’s driver seat and took hold of the wheel.

Prime remained silent.

“Look, Optimus, we go a few miles, check it out. Usual recon. You hear or see anything you don’t like, we turn around and make tracks back for the highway. Come back with reinforcements, maybe.” Cade figured if Prime wasn’t going to decide for them then he might as well.

He pressed the gas, but had the courtesy to be gentle about it. And besides, Prime wouldn’t move if he truly didn’t think it was safe.

After a moment the semi began inching back up to speed. It slipped over the tarmac and onto the earth, shifting in ways no earth vehicle was capable of. As Optimus accounted for the new terrain under his tires, he continued letting Cade steer him.

“All good points, Cade.” Prime praised, causing the man to grin in embarrassment. “We will take it slow, and hope for the best.”

“All you can do, sometimes, big rig.” Cade hummed, patting the steering wheel and hoping he hadn’t imagined the rumbling purr from Optimus’ engine when he did so.

The trip over the rocky terrain was different, but not impossible for an autobot. Optimus changed courses a few times, guiding Cade more than commanding him. The night grew thicker, deeper, but Prime’s high beams warded away the unsettling darkness. Cade knew that Prime could see without light, so he wasn’t worried. He listened for any noise from Prime’s radio, but could not pick up what Optimus was hearing no matter how hard he tired.

A sudden lurch brought Cade from his wandering thoughts as Prime suddenly turned, changing course a bit too sharply.

“ Steady , Prime--” Cade gasped, letting go of the wheel when it wrenched from his hands.

“It’s this way. It’s getting stronger.” Optimus answered, sounding rather distracted. “It’s a distress call.”

“No wonder you sound so worried.” Cade mumbled, more to himself than his guardian.

Suddenly the semi hit the brakes, and the driver’s side door swung pointedly open.

“I need to transform.” Optimus said, and Cade obediently exited the autobot’s alt form.  

“Don’t leave me without any light, okay?” Cade asked as he waited for Prime to finish transforming. His eyes adjusted slowly, and Cade could make out a twisting, winding trail that lead down along the canyonside.

“Steep.” Cade remarked, but noticed the man made trail signs. Optimus nodded, shining his still exposed headlights toward the sign so Cade could read it for himself.

“Caution--watch for falling rocks.’ Gee, shocker. Okay, it doesn’t say ‘unfit for walking’ so…” Cade shrugged and started picking his way down the wide path. It was wide enough for Optimus, which he found oddly convenient.

“You coming, big guy?” Cade called back when he noticed his friend was hesitating.

“Hnn...yes. Sorry.”

Prime followed Cade deeper into the gorge, both worried and excited at the prospect of finding another autobot. Even a ‘man made’ one from KSI might even be welcome among the ranks, provided they behaved. Optimus had enough of humans and their violent desires to control everything--Cade wasn’t like that, despite his clear fear over his daughter. The dating rule had lifted once she walked the stage, and though Cade remained protective, he wasn’t controlling. He hadn’t tried to control Optimus either, he hadn’t taken the power Excalibur granted him and instead removed the medallion unless he absolutely needed it.

But not all humans were like Cade Yeager. Cade Yeager gave second, and third and sometimes fourth chances when he decided it was worth it.

And being centuries old— but having lived a longer lifetime being threatened by humans, it seemed—Optimus Prime was not in the mood to give second chances to humans anymore. It had come back around to bite him in the aft often enough, and he was sick of it. Ratchet would say he had wisened up--Ironhide would say he had toughened up. Optimus wasn’t sure which one of them would have been right.

“You’re sure the signal came from these parts?” Cade asked a second time, starting to sound apprehensive.

They stood on the floor of the massive, football field length gorge, the glaciers that carved it long gone. Not a sound, no owls or crickets or anything, even the wind was silent down here.

“I am.” Optimus rumbled back softly, suddenly thinking he should have had Cade wait somewhere else, somewhere safe. Even a small, abandoned gas station in the middle of nowhere where would be appreciated right now.

Cade nosed around, inspecting the area with caution but soon forgetting any danger when he saw the soft blink of a red light.

“Prime! Over here,” Cade called as he jogged for the pile of rocks. He only noticed it because it was so dark, but by the time he neared it, Cade halted in confusion.

“...a tracking device? It’s man-made. KSI’s, I guess.” Though he wouldn’t know until he took it apart. KSI signed their work, after all. The hairs on the back of Cade’s neck stood end, and he stood up slowly, tense.

“...so what’s it doing here ?”

Cade listened for the sounds of nature, then listened to Optimus’ metal steps against the earth as he walked closer to the inventor’s position.

He noticed the change in pitch too late.

“Wait—wait, Optimus don’t—“  Cade turned, just as he heard and saw a deep crack blossom between them.

The lower shelf of the canyon was not solid, as the signs on the earlier trail had said. It was in fact, quite the opposite, and just as Optimus made it to the middle of the deep ravine, the ground began giving under the pressure of the Prime’s weight. The cracks seemed to sense any additional weight, as they were blossoming under Cade’s boots, too. Prime staggered heavily, fighting to keep his balance.

“ Fucking— “ Cade instinctively started stepping back, realizing too late he was putting space between him and the big guy. Optimus was moving too, surprise and anger on his metal features as he stumbled from the roughening ground.

This was a trap, something the two of them realized it almost at the same time.

The ground beneath them was giving away, cracking and splintering like so many sheets of ice. The earth, weak as it was under Cade’s boots, was ten times worse under Optimus’ steel feet. And Cade was immediately focused on his guardian’s position, knowing that no matter what happened, Optimus was the one who was able to fly—but might not if he couldn’t get to Cade.

“Get outta here!” Cade roared up to the transformer, who turned and gave him such a look.

“Not without you—“ Prime is interrupted by another horrible sound of earth grating against earth. He’s sinking, rapidly, and the towering creature staggers up to what was once higher ground. That too, begins to lower, the uneven shelf above them starting to crumble and pour down in buckets of stone and rocks. There were no edges left to run to, the lip of the trail was high above them and getting higher.

“Activate your fucking hyperdrive and get , Optimus I swear to--look—I’ll be fine!” Cade wondered if he sounded as scared as he was feeling.

“Cade--!” Optimus bellowed, metal fingers stretching as, finally, the earth splits and opens. Into darkness, into empty space.

All of Prime’s instincts are useful, even the ones screaming to get upward into the sky. But he wasn’t about to leave the human who had fixed him, who was there for Optimus when he had no one.

Cade was aware of pounding, of the sensation of falling, and of rocks and earth scrapping and hitting him as he fell deeper into the canyon.

He was also aware of the thudding, broken metal footfalls and the sound of rocket boosters igniting somewhere to his left. Good—at least one of them would make it out of here and be able to fuck up the decepticon that lured them into this trap.

Metal hands enclosed around him, his head hitting Prime’s thumb just the wrong way—and Cade’s light go out.

Darkness.

When Cade opened his eyes, he became aware of a million small things at once. Tense. Pain. Tight. Warm— too warm, like he was sitting near an open oven. Sweat, dirt and the odd, metallic scent that had become as familiar to him as his own face. He squeezed his eyes shut in an instant, sucking in painful and dusty lungfuls of air. This brought on a coughing fit, and it was then the ground Cade was laying on began to move. He shifted, feeling that strange, hot metal beneath his skin and realized no earth was that powerful, that warm. The motion was only to flex further around him, his body now pressed protectively into steel plating. The engineer’s hands ran over the grooves and nicks that resembled scars and Cade instantly relaxed further into the mighty hands cupped around him. Okay. That answered the question of ‘how the fuck was he still alive?’ Answer: Optimus Prime.

What else was new?

He rolled over, with great effort, biting on his tongue until he tasted blood. A throbbing noggin, and a body so sore and stiff he felt like Hound had run him over in alt mode. No breaks, maybe bruised ribs, but nothing that would kill him right here in Prime’s protective grip.

Cade opened his eyes, expecting to see light.

Darkness. Almost so dark he felt a strange, unbidden sense of claustrophobia set in. He knew where he was in the general sense—safe in Prime’s grip—but he also was aware he couldn’t see a trace natural or artificial light. He had no idea of the state the Prime was in, or what was around the downed autobot. And Optimus’ optics gave off enough light to read by in the barn at night. So that lack of that gentle, luminous blue light was causing anxiety to broil in the human’s chest. Had Prime been knocked out, too? Cade groaned, squinting until he could make out shapes beyond the cage of fingers.  Coughing out the last of the dirt from his mouth, Cade sat up and pushed an arm between one of the few breaks in Prime’s fingers. His hand met smooth, wide plating and when his fingers hit the cool glass that was one of Prime’s chest plates, Cade better realized the situation.

“Prime? Prime, hey! Optimus, I…no sleepin’ on the job--“ He cleared his throat, and began calling louder when he realized the living, moving machine was not doing very much moving.

“Shit, c’mon pal. This isn’t funny…” Not that Prime was one to make jokes. Or laugh at them. Cade felt his heart rate pick up until it was causing his head to throb worse. He finally smacked his small palms against the metal ones wrapped around him.

A groan answered him, finally , and an answering whine of metal as Optimus started shifting. His body scraped the earth as he rolled out of his curled up position and unfurled one set of fingers. Cade was lifted up and into a soft glow of light, and he stared across the Prime’s chest plates into that strange, metal face. Cade’s hands fell under him to stop himself from face planting into the mech’s chest. Optimus was now laying almost on his back, and from this position Cade realized he had landed face down, tucked up around his hands, around Cade.

The outer plating of armor on a Transformer was harder than any other piece on their bodies. The thickest casings were shoulders, then arms and backs. If a Transformer was to take serious damage, be it battle or a fall, they would shield themselves with their own forearms, and assure the worst damage was done to their metal spines, which were strongest when flattened and tucked down like the plates of a suit of armor. A Transformer that allowed it’s chest cavity to be cracked was setting themselves up for serious vulnerability--their sparks were their souls and their batteries. Optimus had ignored all this, ignored his natural reflexes, and allowed himself to land face down. He could have cracked his chest plating, could have punctured the hollow cavity that housed and protected his spark. Could have done any number of injury--!

Yet Optimus had chosen this position, to protect Cade.

The bot’s optics shuttered open, metal eyelids parting with a few tired flicks before the usual brightness faded back to full strength. They immediately focused onto the inventor. Cade exhaled sharply, sagging in relief.

“…damn, you look like hell.” The man blurted before he could stop himself.

Optimus’ features shifted toward faint amusement, a brow quirking at him before the Prime let his head rest back, staring up at the new ceiling. Cade looked up too, but a wave of dizziness stopped that real quick, and he quickly went back to staring at Prime’s chin.

“We are trapped.” Came a low rumble after a beat of silence.

“Yeah.” Cade said slowly, looking around but not seeing much. “Yeah, I can see that. Sorta. Uh…hey, what about your communications link?”

Optimus looked back down to him, then shifted his head so Cade could see the damage done to one of his elegant, slender horns that more or less served as ears for the autobots. Cade hissed in pained sympathy, deflating. It was horribly bent, at an odd angle that Cade just knew wasn’t good. To say nothing of the discomfort it was likely giving the proud behemoth. Once he could stand without wanting to hurl, Cade would need to take a look at it. He couldn’t fix it without all his tools, but he could maybe remove it, because it was likely causing more pain dangling like that.

“Okay. So, we’re trapped, and no way to let anyone know where we are. Right. Awesome.” Cade looked behind him, leaning on Prime’s raised fingers when he felt a faint breeze.

“Good news, though, I think this cavern is still connected to the canyon—I mean, there’s air flow coming from… somewhere , right? I can breathe. Can’t see shit, but I can breathe.” A good sign. Optimus didn’t answer, which wasn’t necessarily new. But the silence seemed different than usual. More tense. Cade wasn’t used to it, and he didn’t like it.

Optimus was a take-charge kind of guy, and to be honest, so was Cade. Rarely did the two of them not have some sort of plan brewing. But something was… off , and Prime seemed uncharacteristically hesitant.

Of course, he also just had a ton of rock bed come down on top of him, and turn a gorge into a cave. That would rattle anyone’s nerves, autobot or not.

“Anything busted? Besides, y’know,” Cade gestured inarticulately toward his own right ear, waiting for Optimus to answer.

“Nothing critical, no.” Optimus said back, finally opening his hand further. “And you? You’re sure--”

“ Yes , I’m sure. Sure as the heart attack I almost had on the way down.” Cade gripped, but it was his usual half-hearted comeback. Bringing himself reluctantly back to the present, Cade hissed and rolled over, pushing his palm against the large, flat plating of the Prime’s own hand.

“Lemme up, big rig.” Cade muttered, and Optimus obediently withdrew the hand over Cade.

“You should be careful, in case of a more serious injury—shock is a very strong reaction and—“

“Optimus—fuck, just, lower the volume for a sec.” Cade snapped, but instantly regretted it when the Prime fell silent. The Prime had saved his life, at the risk of his own and it certainly wasn’t the first time. But Optimus had never seemed so…intense during the aftermath. For a moment, it felt like Optimus wouldn’t even let Cade out of his grip. Maybe because the other autobots were usually around to keep him at ease? Cade frowned and filed the worry away for later, then turned to the giant whose hand he was almost out of.

“My head hurts, everything hurts but…nothing's broken. I’m certainly in better shape than you, it looks like.” It was almost as far as Cade would take his scolding. His gaze melted, because he looked up into those glowing blue optics. Optimus was only in this shape because he had stayed behind to protect the human. Cade was grateful, but frustrated and riddled with guilt like the many dents in Prime’s metal hide. Like it always did, his frustration come out as jabbing anger.

“I told you to get the hell out of here, I thought. Your audio processor busted before we broke the dance floor? Huh?”

“I was not going to leave you here to die.” Optimus grumbled, actually grumbled, right back at him. “After everything--you should know me better by now, Cade Yeager.”

“Don’t you ‘Cade Yeager’ me, pal.” Cade grunted, huffing and puffing as he tried to get down off Prime to the ground. It didn’t work, because Prime’s free hand snatched him and lifted him right up to that metal face. Prime’s optics were an intense shade, causing Cade’s breath to catch in his throat as the two had a sudden stare down.

“I apologize for scaring you. But I will not apologize for protecting you.” Optimus spoke calmly, but lowly. “Not now, not ever.”

Cade gaped like a fish for a second, caught off guard at the sudden shift in tone. He half blinked, finally letting himself lean forward, small warm palms on either of Prime’s cheeks. Cade didn’t miss the way Optimus’ glare softened upon the contact.

“Y-yeah. I--look, same to you, Optimus. I...wouldn’t leave you either.” Cade swallowed, hoping to blame his misty eyes on the dirt in the air. “Not now. Not ever.” Because...that’s what Prime was really saying, wasn’t he?

“I’m sorry I yelled at you.” Cade’s apology was gentle, but welcomed. Optimus’ stare shifted all the way back toward its usual gentle gaze, though the autobot continued to gaze at him solemnly. Cade had never met another creature who accepted apologies so easily, so quickly. Not even Bee, though he always had been a sensitive little dude.

Humans fucked up all the time. Like Cade had said, it was in their nature. He liked to think humans had more in them than just continuous failings--and that maybe one of the best things he had done in his life was screw up and haul the junker truck to his barn. Cade knew he wasn’t the greatest guy, he was pretty shitty in fact. He knew plenty of other people too, who would screw someone over if they had to.

But there was love in the autobots. Love, and intelligence and loyalty. Especially from Optimus, who had settled back into his protective role over helping humanity best he and his species could. Cade didn’t understand how anyone could look at them and side with the decepticons, whose greatest joys were to spread misery and pain and keep humanity in their claws. Well, not all decepticons, and to be honest, Cade had met some shitty autobots, too. Some still didn’t trust humans—not that he could blame them—but Optimus usually let others speak their mind unless it was something negative about Cade or his family.

“Thanks, okay? Thank you.” Cade couldn’t help it, there was just something… enchanting about the autobots. The only other wonder he could compare it to was the day he got to hold his baby girl. The mechanical, magical aliens were the greatest thing this engineer had ever seen.

And Optimus Prime was the most stunning of them all.  

Cade clambered a few feet down, hissing as the world spun. He turned, carefully, rubbing the bump on his head and squinting into the darkness. Most of Optimus’ frame was hidden, buried under the rocks and rubble, and what Cade could see was pretty dented and dirtied.

“ Shit, Optimus.” Cade hissed in growing concern and guilt.  The Prime followed the human’s gaze, so that his optics illuminated the damage. The commander seemed mildly surprised, as if he hadn’t taken stock of his own situation yet and didn’t realize he was stuck so badly. He gave an experimental jerk and suddenly stiffened, which was so unlike the Prime that Cade almost had kittens right there. The human took a deep breath, and geared himself for field medic mode. It was a good way to keep himself sane, even if he didn’t need to keep Optimus calm.

“Can you…can you move? You gotta get up and out of there, buddy.” Cade started coaxing. He was relieved when the robot immediately began to try to shift and drag himself free.

Cade moved to help, what little good it felt like he was doing. He used his own weight to keep a boulder rolling, which freed enough of Prime’s legs and finally, with a great, irritated growl, Optimus was sitting up and scooting back from the pile he had been under. The dirt and sand and rocks scattered to fill the loss his body left behind. Meanwhile Cade winced in sympathy, knowing that for all the dents he could see by the light of those optics, there were many more his human eye could not make out in the dark.

Cade sucked in all his air, then blew it out through his nose.

“Okay. We got you out. Good. Can you--can you stand? Or--” Cade followed Prime’s meaningful glance to the unstable ceiling.

“Uh, nevermind. Yeah, we don’t want all that coming down on top of us.” Cade paused sheepishly. “Again.”

“There is enough room for me to transform.” Optimus decided after a moment, and despite his battered exterior, he smoothly shifted back to the shape of the semi.

“Oh--good!” Cade brightened up a bit, watching with a relieved look. Even in this moment, he never got tired of the effortlessness of the bots’ shifts to and from alt modes. They did it as easily as he would pull on a hoodie, but the process was infinitely more complex yet still fluid, powerful.

Optimus flicked on his lights, and Cade could finally get a good look at the cave.

“Looks like we fell a few more feet than I thought. There’s a bunch of clay...mm. Huh.” Cade stood, hands on hips and chewing his lower lip in thought.

“My internal mapping system is acting faulty--likely due to my horn malfunctioning. I cannot tell where this cave begins or ends.”

“No, but I’m not completely useless either.” He stuck a finger in his mouth, winced at the dirt but popped it out and held it up. “It’s...slight, but there’s air flow from that way. C’mon big guy, I’ll go first. If it gets to small for you, we’ll come back here and try another opening.” Cade choose the biggest one he could find, wondering how long it had been here.

“This one looks promising. Sure wish Grimlock was here though, he could at least make a path for you.”

“Hnnh, yes, and bring down the rest of the place at the same time.” The semi rolled into neutral and ambled carefully after him.

Cade snorted, always taking great delight whenever Optimus made a wiseass remark. They were few and far between, which somehow made them that much funnier.

They went slowly. At least, by Transformer standards, they did.

Prime wasn’t as speed driven as Bee, nor as sharply aggressive as Drift, so he stayed mostly silent as they edged through the old, winding cavern. They came across a few dead ends, and a few more forks, each time using Cade’s finger-in-mouth-trick to figure out where fresh air was coming in from. It worked, and it worked rather well. Only an hour or so had passed when Prime noticed a bubbling, churning noise that only running water could make. Cade noticed it too.

“Hey...up ahead, you hear that?” Cade paused midstep, cocking his head toward the noise. “Sounds like water, lots of it.”

“Underground waterways are common in these places, are they not?”

“Rivers and streams? I guess so, yeah. Not as dry as Texas, at least not during this time of the year.” Cade hummed, and hurried his pace. “And uh, not for nothing, I’m kind of...really thirsty.” Being nearly buried alive does that to a guy.

Optimus stayed in a low gear, cruising sedately after the man. The autobot leader kept a watchful eye on Cade as the man waded into the shallow, clear pool up to his calves. He bent down, scooping some up and splashing it against his face, rubbing now cool hands over his sweaty and sore neck.

“God, it feels amazing.” Cooling, without being chilling. “Wanna come in, big rig? It’ll get the junk out of your lower joints.”

“I’m fine, thank you Cade.” Prime turned him down gently. The semi swung forward and around the pool, studying the height of the ceiling closely before he began to shift outward and upward. Prime had to stay half bent over, but he sat down gingerly against the rock wall, between the pool and the entrance. He still wasn’t picking up anything overly suspicious, but if they had been trapped down here on purpose there was little reason for Prime to not be on guard.

Cade wandered over with sloshing steps to inspect the waterfall. It was steady, making a soothing ringing noise and the water was sweet, refreshing. He spent a few more minutes washing his arms and hands best he could before he meandered back over to the bank.

He was absolutely aware of the luminous optics on him the entire time, but he only met them when he was a few feet from the resting mech. Cade shot Prime a soothing smile, his limp mostly gone.

“How ya feeling?”

“Sore.” Prime admitted, then gestured to himself. “But more...internally.”

Cade nodded, thin lipped.

“Yeah, I’m pissed too. Someone pulled a fast one on us, big rig. Bastards.”

Prime nodded silently.

“Awh, don’t look so down, buddy.” Cade patted his hand affectionately on the autobot leader’s thigh, then stuck his boot in the plating of Prime’s body and boosted himself up. “We’ll get out of this, don’t we always?”

“Yes, that is true.” Optimus waited and watched as Cade helped himself to perching on Prime’s knee. He was grateful for the closeness, for the air of causality Cade had when it came to interacting with Prime. He threatened, scolded, teased and generally treated Prime as if they had been friends for years. Were someone unaware of their close bond get the chance to view it, they might consider that he generally made himself a nuisance when it came to Prime. Those who knew Prime but did not know Cade were often mortified, some even bordering on horror. Yeager’s warm familiarity to the leader of the mighty race almost seemed rude to them. After all, Optimus wasn’t just another autobot, he was a Prime . Those who knew them both, however, didn’t even bat an eye or an optic. With Cade, Prime was different. And those allowances went both ways, certainly.

With Cade, Optimus Prime would be just a bit more weak.

“Cade, I...have been meaning to talk to you.” Prime started, speaking as carefully as he usually did. When he saw the human turn to look up at him, Prime cleared his pipes, almost awkwardly. “And now seems like a good a time as any. I’m sure you’ve noticed, lately, my protective instincts have been a bit...more intense.”

“I hadn’t noticed.” Cade muttered dryly, pointing to the biggest dent that came from protecting Cade earlier. This at least caused Prime to snort, and relax a bit.

“There is a reason for that. I wanted to make sure you knew, incase I was overstepping a boundary.” Prime shook his head, sounding mournful. “The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you through my ignorance.”

“Jeez--big rig, you’ve never hurt me. You mean like--like emotionally ? Fuck, Prime. No.” Cade frowned and stood up, still perched on the bot’s bent knee. He leaned forward, fearlessly balanced on both palms against Prime’s wide chest plates.

“You know I’d freak out if you ever made me uncomfortable. Or, or pissed or whatever.” Aside from Prime ignoring Cade’s pleas to save himself, there really wasn’t any red letter thing that Cade could pinpoint where he had exploded on Prime. Just how long had his leader been mulling over this?

“You’re my best friend, Optimus.” Cade started seriously, thinking he was helping soothing the Prime’s frazzled nerves. Optimus’ metal fingers twitched, out of sight of the human.

“Yes. Friends.” Prime tasted the word and, despite the twist of pain to his spark, he smiled anyway. “You mean very much to me as well, Cade Yeager.”

The words from Prime made Cade’s face split into a wide grin, betraying his exhaustion. Optimus was always so gentle and patient, but he seemed to have a bit extra when it came to Cade--that was a pretty big stroke to the ego, actually.

They fell into their usual, amicable silence. If Cade closed his eyes--which he noticed was suddenly very tempting--he could imagine they were in the barn. Safe, with Cade at his desk and Prime across from him in alt mode, that boring classical music he always seemed to listen to pouring from his windows. The heat of the afternoon lingering outside the shelter of the barn, keeping it cool until twilight came and crickets and peepers murmured awake.

But they weren’t in the lab. And the sudden, hard chill of the underground cavern broke Cade from his wistful thinking. He let a shiver run over his body, and scooted shamelessly closer to Prime’s towering frame. He hoped Tess wasn’t worried. He hoped Drift and Crosshairs hadn’t blown up the bot’s bays in the back pasture. Mostly, he hoped they could get out of this situation quick and with little fanfare. Cade grunted, trying to force himself back awake, and also to get Prime’s attention.

“You tell me if I ever hurt you too, okay buddy?” Cade made the bot promise to it, but his stern look was broken by a sudden yawn.

Optimus softened more, finally bringing his hand up and curling it protectively round Cade’s back. Cade leaned back into it, letting it guide him down.

“Of course.” Prime agreed, satisfying the sleepy human, noting it was easier than usual. Cade was never more docile than when he was exhausted. Prime checked his internal clock, set to earth’s time, and answered his own question.

“It is late. You should rest. It will only do your body and mind good.” Prime felt like closing the matter here was a good idea. Yes, perhaps Cade had misunderstood his words, but he had responded in a manner that assured Prime the human did love him. Perhaps not as deeply as Prime was hoping--but he had learned to take what he could get.

And having Cade in any capacity was worth its weight in gold to this autobot.

“Uhm, yeah,” Cade yawned again, nose scrunched. Prime’s finger rubbed up and down the man’s spine, as if coaxing him to relax more. It wasn’t necessary, he was pretty close to checking out--but damn if the big guy wasn’t comforting as all hell.

“Sleep.” Prime commanded. “I’m not tired, and would not want to recharge anyway. I will keep watch.”

“Gunna stay in your normal mode?” Cade mumbled, scooting down to curl up against Prime’s hand, mostly on his leg but head pillowed into Prime’s warm palm.

“Yes. I can better deal with an advancing threat, even if I have less room to move.” Optimus explained, lowering his volume and unable to stop the faint smile when Cade’s blinks became farther and farther apart.

“S’good idea,” Cade muttered, already half gone. “Awright….hn, wake me...if ya need sumthin…”

“Good night, Cade.”

Optimus waited until Cade was asleep before closing his fingers over him, a sort of living, metal blanket.

Dawn came.

At least, Optimus presumed it did. Cade certainly wouldn’t have a clue, because for one thing, he slept through it. For another, he and his guardian were still deep underground, resting by the hidden waterfall they had found the night before. Optimus let Cade sleep as close to a full eight hours as the man could get, though it only ended up being about five. Nothing and no one attacked them, but that didn't mean nothing wouldn’t come later. Especially once they got out of this cave. It was a common trap, a way to guide prey toward a place the attacker set up beforehand. An ambush like this was also distinctly Decepticon like--which wasn’t surprising but a little bit annoying. Prime stayed on guard the entire time, while also knowing that the real trouble would likely come later, as it usually did.

Cade woke by himself, rolling over instinctively and giving a surprised, sleepy snort when he smacked himself into the length of Prime’s fingers and palm. Cade had shifted during sleep, stretched out like he was on his bed at home. Prime’s arm and hand made up the only ‘wall’ of Cade’s position. Optimus looked down in surprise at the thud, then relaxed when he saw what had happened and allowed a small vent of exhaust to mimic a chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Cade muttered, voice sounding squished before he peeled himself back and rolled the other way. Now back onto Prime’s thigh and able to get his bearings, Cade stretched wearily, looking stiff.

“Wish we were back home.” Cade mumbled, and Prime nodded. In this instance, he knew what the man meant. He was referring to their usual routine. After Prime managed to get him to go into the rebuilt farmhouse and sleep, (if he managed this at all, and Cade hadn’t crawled into his cab to catch some z’s,) then Cade would get up in the morning with the dawn. Partly because he didn’t sleep well, and partly because he knew Optimus was already up watching the sun rise. Cade would get up when he heard Prime’s coaxing rumbles of greeting through his window. Then the man would shuffle to the bathroom, shuffle out and, half asleep, would just. Crawl through the opened window and drop onto Prime’s waiting palm, as calm as if he were taking the stairs. The next time Cade would be back on the ground would be when Optimus lowered him in front of the barn’s coffee maker, where he would wait eagerly for the first of many cups.

But they weren’t back home, and no blessed coffee machine was going to wake Cade up this morning. He was stiffer than the night before, unsurprisingly, and he had to force himself to wade into the cool water to kick his brain online. He shivered, making a general, annoyed racket to himself as he shook off the sleep and then the icy shock of his bath.

“Don’t get a chill.” Optimus warned calmly as he finished shifting back to alt mode. He reversed and adjusted his angle, head lights illuminating the cavern’s ambling tunnel they had yet to explore. It was a promising one, wide mouthed and looking like it steadily inclined a few yards in.

“Not the plan.” Cade said, hurrying back out and scurrying over to the shelter of Prime’s wide flank.

They headed down the far tunnel, walking side by side for quite a few minutes. Prime swung open his door once, a silent offering that Cade turned down. The more he was walking the more his body was stretching out, and he was already feeling a tiny bit claustrophobic enough without worrying about adding the closeness of Prime’s cab, no matter how warm it was.

“Hey, I’m thinkin’ we’re getting close to daylight.” Cade spoke up after an hour or so of walking. He sounded tired, and his limp was only a little bit better. Optimus gave a noise of agreement, but soon had to hit the brakes and slow to a tentative crawl on his tires. Before them, the path narrowed abruptly.

“I’ll go first. You better take it slow, Prime. The ceiling’s sure getting low.” Cade said. As if on cue there was a tell tale cry of metal on rock. The semi jerked short, then sank down tightly over the tires.

“Hey, Optimus, look!” Cade couldn’t help it. Once he was sure Prime was fitting--albeit slowly and very closely--he picked up the pace and hurried for the exit back to daylight, back to fresh air and freedom.

Prime was distracted, having to pick himself over rocks and wincing when his pipes grated annoyingly along the lower parts of the ceiling. Rocks and stalagmites were simply run over, Prime’s engines puffing in the tight, warm space.

“Cade--are you out?” He called, noticing the trail turned sharply. But it had also opened up wider, letting Prime hit the gas and plow forward and upward to the last turn before he sensed bright, wonderful sunlight.

It was then he noticed he hadn’t received an answer from his usually talkative, lively human.

“Cade?!”

Optimus turned the corner, and came grill to barrel of Barricade’s blaster.

In his steel black claws was Cade, his face tight, jaw set and looking as murderous as the decepticon holding him hostage. When Cade struggled or shifted, those claws tightened, and Cade’s grunts were cut off quickly. He hadn’t even a chance to warn the autobot, not to mention he was already hurting from the cave in. Prime’s engines growled sharply, but Barricade only laughed back at him, his large figure blocking the sunlight of the opening. He had been waiting, a ship hovering patiently outside to take them Primus knew where.

The ‘local yokel’ Prime had heard about earlier over the radio suddenly made sense, and he cursed himself for not making the connection beforehand.

“Follow us, nice and easy, Prime.” Barricade gestured with his canon, then pressed it to the temple of Cade’s head when Prime balked.

“And I won’t splatter your little pet all over the rocks.”

Cade’s like. what. 5’8 (Whalberg is) and Primes, what, 22 feet? my gf says Cade is Prime’s angry lil chihuahua that he has to pick up and tuck in his handbag. like, shes not wrong but the realization still made me choke.

Chapter Text

“What Prime had, what made him great, it wasn't that he was so strong—even though he was. It was that he could talk... and what he said, it made you feel as strong as he was.” -Ironhide

Chapter 2. Dynamic

Cade slammed his palms against the bars of the cell, trying to jostle or shake them. Try to make a little noise, show them all he was mad. That he was, in fact, fucking pissed.

“Hey! You just gunna leave us in here, huh?! Like we’re a coupla’ worthless animals?!” But no amount of banging the bars, or cursing or name calling was getting any of the ugly cons to engage with him. They had no guards, and only a few were walking by at all. And when they did, they certainly paid Cade no attention. They were more gawking at the Autobot commander leaning against the back wall, arms folded and staring them all down. 

No one met Prime’s gaze for long, but Cade needed to cool down for several minutes before he noticed this. 

“Cade, you are going to injure yourself. Stop.” Optimus finally spoke when he noticed they were finally alone. The autobot frowned when Cade rounded on him, and lowered his voice to something less commanding and more coaxing. 

“Come here.” Prime murmured, and while it was still with an authoritative tone, it was warmer than before. 

The human’s hesitation and anger began to trickle from his features, and he obeyed. He still glared up at the autobot, though, his feathers ruffled for both their sakes. 

“This is bullshit, Prime. Are you fucking kidding me? Where are they even taking us? Why didn’t...” Cade stopped his questions, letting a moment of meaningful silence hang between them. The silence stretched for an uncomfortable beat too long. 

‘Why didn’t Barricade just kill me and then go for you?’ 

The blatant reason was that Barricade wanted Optimus in this cell. But Cade had been thrown in with him. There was another reason that allowed Cade to live, and he had a bad feeling it was going to continue to be as collateral. To keep Prime doing what he was told. Cade felt his stomach twist painfully, at the thought of the proud leader having to take orders from these fuckers, these traitors, all because of him. 

Cade wasn’t worth all this, yet Optimus disagreed and unfortunately, so did Megatron. That was the worst part of all this. 

“I don’t like this either, Cade. The warp jump could have taken us anywhere in your galaxy, or even beyond it. As for Megatron’s scheme…” Prime shook his head in frustration, causing Cade to spot the leader’s still half broken horn. A bitter reminder that even if Prime did get reception this far away, he couldn’t use it to reach so far back to Earth, to his team.

“I’m just glad you’re alright. And I promise, we will return you to Earth.” Prime said, which Cade returned the soft look with one of his own. He closed the distance now, patting the bot’s ankle. 

“Sure! C’mon, stupid old Barricade wasn’t gunna do shit. I’m gunna be just fine.” ‘As long as I’m with you.’

Optimus fell silent, nodding. 

“If someone enters our cell, I want you to stay behind me.” It was Prime’s no nonsense tone, and Cade didn’t even joke or argue. He nodded this time, then rubbed his jaw tiredly and went back to pacing the cell like an angry tiger. It was big. Big enough for a con or bot, but not very wide. This one in particular was double barred, with thinner ones between the thick ones. Even if Optimus could remove the slim ones (which Cade had a feeling was going to impossible to do silently) then only Cade would be able to slip out. Barricade had warned them of how many Decepticons were on the ship, and how easy it would be for a single shot to stop any escape attempts made by the human. 

And even if Cade managed to slip free, Optimus had already ordered him to stick close. 

Cade kicked a black, reinforced wall just to make himself feel better. All it did was make a muffled clunk, the dull sound of his steel toed boots reminding him how empty his stomach was. The last thing he had put in it was the sweet mountain water. Which, while tasty, wasn’t exactly food. He would need to get Prime to access his many compartments to get his tool bag, which hopefully had a granola bar or something. 

“Dammit .” Cade cursed, finally ending back up by Optimus during his storming. 

“This is it, huh? We just gotta sit here? Waiting and rotting?” Cade asked up to his friend. The leader was silent, but folded a knee under him. His head lowered in closer, gorgeous optics drawing Cade in without hesitation. Cade didn’t let himself be distracted long though, because no sooner had Optimus settled did he see the gaping, metallic wound of Prime’s damaged horn. Cade reached out, his hand giving an absent gesture of ‘tilt your head’ and Optimus did. Cade busied himself with fiddling with Prime’s broken horn. 

“Do not under estimate waiting. We will wait until Megatron comes to us. If he has a plan in mind, he will want to work fast. The longer we are gone from Earth, the more the autobots will start looking to the skies for answers.” Prime explained as he stayed in his bent down position. 

“Right. And if I can get your radio back up and working, all the easier for them to find our sorry asses.” Cade wrenched a little too hard on a wire that was thick as his thumb, and Prime twitched. 

“Sorry, big rig.” Cade soothed his hands over the sensitive, frayed edge of the wiring, and Prime relaxed, leaning in closer to assure Cade of his trust. He studied the ragged cavity and worn cables and frowned, lips stuck out in a thoughtful pout. 

“Frag. Even with the tools I stashed behind your seat, this is a big fix.” Cade remarked, sounding disappointed. “Look, is it still hurting? Yeah? Okay, then I’m gunna cut off the connections. I mean, why keep it on if it’s just gunna cause you pain?”

Optimus was silent, which Cade took as his cue to keep working. He had only just begun tucking the salvageable cords away into Prime’s casing when he heard something big and metal approach. Prime noticed it before Cade, and the mech suddenly moved and stood up, without a warning. He took a step closer to the front of the cell, and grimly reminded Cade about staying close. For once, Cade didn’t have to be told twice. Their visitors sounded big.

“Here’s Prime’s cell.” The Decepticon was bulky, splashes of blue, white and green covering its metal hide. Cade didn’t recognize him, though when tried to picture the alt forms he did know, he recognized one as having been on earth. Cade turned up to Prime, catching the mech’s gaze with a confused knit of his brow.

“Onslaught.” Prime muttered, acknowledging the con and also helping Cade put a name to a face. 

“And Berserker.” He addressed the shorter, square shaped con who was on Onslaught’s right, his gun laying casually across his arms.

“The once mighty leader of the autobots, and now his weakness is that little vermin down there.” Berserker gave a throaty laugh as he gestured to Cade, who whipped back around to fix the con with a glare of his own. 

“Fuck off.” He hissed back like a startled cat, but any surprise from the cons turned rapidly to more mocking laughter.

“Ey, gotta’ set a fangs on this one.” Berserker observed with a sick grin that made Cade’s stomach twist. “That’ll be good. Keep things interesting in your ~new home.”

“Cade’s home is Earth.” Now Prime spoke up, turning his posture to take a step in front of the human, effectively blocking him from view. 

“I will stay with you--but let him go, and I will do whatever you ask of me.” 

Cade yelped when he realized what Prime had just offered. And so quickly! He was already uneasy and not liking the way Prime just rolled over and showed his belly. Oh, sure, every autobot and human teammate knew Prime was a self-sacrificing moron, but Cade didn’t think it was this bad.

Prime’s courageous words only caused more snickering and guffaws. Optimus didn’t seem surprised, as he expected this gambit to not work. But hopefully the plea would earn him some answers...

“Let ‘im go!? Lord Megatron wanted that fleshbag especially.” Onslaught sneered, leaning toward the bars of the cage. “Starscream said it’d never work--said we should just pick an autobot, like that little yellow scrapheap.”

Cade bristled at the backhand to Bee, but heard Prime give him a warning grunt. 

“Ehh, what the frag does Star know? Lord Megatron was right. Barricade said you followed him in easy as energon goes down. And those fleshbags are so breakable. Much easier than subduing an autobot.” Onslaught spoke casually, bouncing his gun with far to casual air, the muzzle aimed at Cade until Optimus took another defensive step to the left to block him protectively from view. For an instant, there was a faint flicker of surprise even on Onslaught’s ugly face. Berserker kept prattling on though, apparently enjoying lording what he knew over Prime--which was exactly what Prime was hoping for. 

“That’s right, he said the squishy thing was the best way to ensure Optimus Prime ‘behaved for his new owner.’” Berserker agreed, then attempted what he must have thought was sage advice, 

“Keep that anger, Orion Pax, because you’ll need it soon enough. Your softness and flowery speeches won’t save you where you’re going.” The name was spit like a curse and a warning, and Cade was aware of the way Prime seemed struck briefly by the two words. 

The Con’s lurched off, their heavy clanks causing the floor of the little ship to shiver well until they were out of sight and round the hall. 

Optimus exvented sharply, his irritation showing as a puff of steam left his nose and lips. But after a moment he relaxed backwards, falling from his defensive posture as Cade stepped out from behind him. 

“You wanna tell me what the hell that was about?” Cade almost didn’t know what to address first, so he planted his fists on his hips and cocked a brow at the unresponsive bot. Prime’s optics gave a shutter, then he swung his torso away and stepped over to the large metal bench in the back of the cage. He sat heavily upon it, as it was transformer sized. Cade couldn’t even see the top of it, but he walked over anyway, waiting impatiently. Optimus wasn’t getting off that easily. 

“You promise me we’re getting home and then the first chance you get you’re about to fly solo? Thanks a lot.”  

“I was trying to get them to talk.” Optimus admitted with a warning growl. Regardless of his tone, he reached down and let Cade climb into his palm. He straightened himself up, turning the arm toward the steel bench he was resting on, but Cade settled down in the warm palm and stayed planted. Prime’s own metal brow twitched at this firm position, and instead brought his hand to rest over his legs. He stared down at the human sitting safely in his hold. 

“By saying it was ok for them to separate us? I’m not going home without you!” Cade protested. “I mean for one thing, the bots would go to pieces. Tessa would freak out, oh and Lennox might go for my head if he hears--”

“Our family is important,” Prime interrupted with a nod of agreement. “But they are not the ones who make the call about your wellbeing right now.” 

That, apparently, was Prime’s job and one he seemed pretty sensitive about. His statement was cutting and firm, that powerful alpha mode that did something to Cade’s stomach. The only time he can remember those butterflies flapping their tiny wings in him was when Emily would pull him over her in bed, wanting to keep him from leaving it and knowing she could if she wanted to be held. 

But Emily, of course, was long gone.. Cade was briefly unsettled that his brain--or was it his heart?--had been drawing odd parallels between Emily and Optimus increasingly lately. Huh. Cade elected to ignore this development for now, shooting Prime a dark, unamused look. 

“...You’re sweet, big rig. But hell, you can be so dumb sometimes.” Cade ran a frustrated hand through his hair and shook his head. 

“Forget this. It didn’t work. Don’t try it again, or I’m dismantling your energon sword.” As if Optimus Prime was someone to be bossed around. Yet Cade knew Prime was listening to him, and he knew that Prime knew that Cade’s words were born of worry and fear over Prime’s wellbeing. 

“And let me back up there, I wanna make sure I shut off your energon supply to your receptors, since we got interrupted by Peaches and Herb earlier.” 

Optimus knew a diversion when he saw one, but he snorted in amusement at Cade’s comments. After all, Cade always felt better when he could keep his hands busy. Prime obliged, lifting his hand obediently until he felt Cade hop over to his curving shoulder plates and lean on them to steady himself. 

“So what did you hear that I didn't? Sounded to me like they just wanted to gloat.” Cade said after a few minutes of silence. 

“I’m afraid not as much as I hoped. We are obviously no longer near Earth, or even its neighboring planets. We are going to a destination that will likely involve being left there, and I know its not Cybertron for...obvious reasons.” Optimus shifted guiltily. “Megatron is calculating, and this feels like something he has been working on for a long time. I know it involves you, yet nothing to harm you.” 

“Oh, gee, if I see him I’ll be sure to thank him. Hey, lean back, I can’t--got it. Thanks.” Cade mulled over Prime’s words as he finished adjusting the more delicate, energon filled strands that once powered Prime’s receivers and antenna. 

“How d’ya figure all this, Prime?”

“Because they let you stay with me. They want me to know where you are, how you’re doing. We aren’t chained up, either. They know I won’t let you leave my sight, and they know if I know where you are, I won’t risk escaping to find you.” Prime snarled to himself, causing Cade to pause mid rewire, but quickly assured the human he wasn’t growling at him. Cade’s warm, clever hands buried themselves back in Prime’s gaping injury and were soon back to work. 

“Right. Okay, all good points. Worrying, but good.” Cade said, finishing but stayed where he was, stroking his hands over Prime’s healing metal thoughtfully. He was sure he wasn’t imagining it this time, the subtle way Prime leaned fondly into his touches, or the low hum of his engines in his chest. It sounded like a cat’s purr, albeit forty something times that size. He could just see the edges of Prime’s metal lids and shutters on his right optic and noticed they were closing just a bit, too. Watching the way Optimus let him explore and run his hands over what was sore metal, and the acceptance and kinda cute little noises he was getting from the big guy, made Cade move on to the next subject. 

“Me and Lennox had a talk once, big rig. About you, about how you...you protect all humans. But how you aren’t like Bee, or even Ironhide or...uh, almost any of the others. Before Cemetery Wind, I mean. Years ago, when you first came to Earth in the 80’s, I guess….?” Cade didn’t say what he meant. ‘Before humans royally fucked you over and betrayed and slaughtered so many of your family.’ 

“You’re...your own transformer.” He hoped Prime understood his words.

“I am a Prime, yes.” Optimus rumbled, sounding rather distracted by Cade’s ministrations. “We are different from other autobots, if that’s what you mean.”

“No, no not in that way. I mean--yes--you’re definitely a Prime, at least what little I know a Prime is like. But it was more your...personal choices in company. Human company.” Cade hoped Optimus would respond, but the autobot remained staring forward, resolute. 

“You never seemed to pick a human. One to--that you, yanno. Hung out with. Lived with.” Cade fumbled over his words, feeling clumsy and unsure. Like he was a hunter about to spook a buck in the woods. Like if he pointed it out, Optimus would reject him and withdraw his sense of guardianship over Cade Yeager. Cade’s stomach sank as Prime only turned to half look at him, a single optic illuminating the man’s front. 

“So why me, huh?” Cade whispered suddenly, wanting this moment to be for only the two of them. The optic on him shuttered closed, softly, but stayed focused on him as Prime listened. “Why’d you pick me? You did pick me, right? I mean, maybe I’m the one stepping over boundaries now but you and I seem pretty damn close--”

“You are not overstepping.” Optimus assured easily. “I do see myself as your guardian, Cade. Over the Yeager family. What is yours is mine to protect. But you are the one who protected me, first.” 

Cade lapsed into amazed and slightly stunned silence. Well, he hadn’t thought about it like that. Especially since he had originally wanted to take what he thought was a dead autobot apart, learn it, then sell it for a boatload to the very government that was trying to kill Optimus and his family. And the leader knew that, Cade had been honest with him. But Prime still said what he had. And Optimus never said shit he didn’t mean. The human was touched, clearly, but one look at their surroundings and his warm fuzzies curdled to a bitter, ashamed realization. 

“...now I know why you didn’t choose someone. In all those years.” Cade gave his own growl, sounding infinitely smaller than Prime’s deep baritone. “First one you give special attention to, and we’re ambushed and hauled off to Fuck-Knows-Where, only half a year after the damn England incident.” 

Optimus opened his mouth to respond, only to be cut off by a familiar snarling pitch. 

“It certainly made my plan go smoothly, yes.” 

Cade groaned, even as a growl from Optimus rippled through his frame and he lunged to his feet. Cade swore quietly, fumbling to grab hold of Prime’s shoulder plating, the curving section that framed his helm, and steadied himself. 

“Megatron.” Prime spit.

Megatron indeed, looking pointer and blockier than Cade remembered. Still, Optimus himself had taken a new form just after they met. But the defining features stayed the same, and so did Megatron’s, who seemed to have finally shaken KSI’s modeling. Galvatron was fully and utterly gone, and Megatron fully and wickedly revived. Starscream followed behind, looking sour and bitchy as always. 

“I should be thanking the human, shouldn’t I, Prime? Barricade told me he even got you to walk right into the first layer of my trap, instead of making it messy. You aren’t usually so careless.” 

“Does he have to rub it in?” Cade grumbled under his breath, but was ignored. 

“That’s just what Megatron does.” Prime shot back, earning a surprised chuckle from Cade at the autobot’s jab. 

“You should be more like Starscream and I--what would I call him in human terms? My bitch?” Megatron pondered airily, causing Starscream to gnash his teeth, but it was nothing compared to Prime’s response. 

Cade felt Prime’s plating flare out, and he heard the tell tale sign of his face guard sliding to cover his nose and mouth. It tightened into place with a quiet thunk of finality, and Cade moaned as Optimus took a threatening step forward.

“Prime--Optimus, wait, stoppit.” Cade breathed, gripping the bot’s curved crest as if that alone could stop him. He could see Starscream’s tasers held eagerly out, could see how this would end. And, miraculously, Optimus did halt. His face plating stayed on, but at least he hadn’t given in to Megatron’s bait. 

“Yesss, obey your little pet there. Though I think you’ve forgotten the way master and pet are supposed to work, Prime.” Megatron teased, enjoying the angry pitches of Prime’s engines as they kicked back on threateningly. 

“Anyway, I came here to let you in a little secret. It’s the least I can do, as gracious a ruler as I am.” 

“Yeah, you an Mother Teresa,” went a snide human from the safety of Prime’s shoulder. Optimus spared an amused noise once more, meeting Megatron’s gaze challengingly. 

Megatron’s smirk flickered but he quickly masked it. 

“You and your little fleshbag are heading to an old stomping ground of mine. A new one but the same idea rings true. A planet called Combatron, just past the remains of our first moon, Prime.” He waited a cool, frozen seconds before snidely asking, “Do you understand, yet?” 

“Combatron…” Optimus sounded the name, then bristled. “Our colony that King Atlas--? That planet is devoid of life, Megatron--if you are sending us there to die --”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t dream of it! Besides, what true Prime would be snuffed out in such a morbid, boring way? The planet has recently been...re-colonized. By all sorts of interesting lifeforms, some of my Decepticons are there now, waiting eagerly for your arrival. 

You’re going to be the new star attraction in our Coliseum.” 

Cade let his features shift to shock, jaw dropping a little as Prime shifted beneath him, as if he were suddenly feeling uneasy. Megatron either noticed, or didn’t care, and went on grandly. 

“Talk about a blaze of glory, Optimus! I would think you’d be excited! You will get to live as I did--a gladiator to fight until death! Although, I do want to make it sporting. For me, that is.”

“In what way?” Prime finally ground out, body tense like a steam train. 

“Should you last--oh, off the top of my helm--a mere four rounds in the coliseum, we will let you and your pet return to earth to live your lives...for the time being.” 

“My autobots will stop you, Megatron. The instant you attack and we do not appear, they will know.” Optimus snapped icily. 

“Which is why I’m not going to launch an attack until I know for sure you’re dead. Don’t think I don’t see that broken comm link, dear Optimus. I’ll admit that was a stroke of luck, but regardless one I’m going to take full advantage of. I said you could come back to Earth--but I wonder, what shape you’ll be in when you arrive?” Megatron’s optics turned onto Cade, fully, who went instinctively still at the stare. 

“Will you both arrive at all?”

Optimus gave a warning snarl, the noise more machine than animal. 

“And if I refuse? Someone on that planet will understand my plight, if it is mixed races.” Prime argued sharply. 

“I’m sure they would, were you allowed to speak with any of them. Combraton is a wicked, wonderful nest of the best of the worst. And only Cons and those dumber races we’ve trapped will be in the cells around the coliseum. You’re a Prime, oldest friend! Finally, you will be fulfilling your true purpose--to fight, to conquer! You can finally end the Prime lineage and honor it at the same time! Weak hearted fool that you are, I think it will do you some good to go back to your...roots, shall we say.” 

Starscream, who had remained largely silent up until now, suddenly addressed a beeping to his communication link. He turned, speaking soft Cybertronian into it, before turning to Megatron and relaying that they were almost there. 

“Remember, Prime, one wrong move and my decepticons will kill your human. Of course, you could easily free yourself by letting it die, you know...the option is always available. What’s one human to you, anyway?” 

Optimus made an ugly, irritated growl and simply turned away from Megatron. Cade of course, went with him, stumbling a bit at the bot’s sharp twist to glare furiously at the back wall. 

A moment later, and they were alone again. The ship around the hold they were in began to make different noises, signaling it was descending. There were no windows, nothing to give them any hints or clues as to their exact location. Their cage grew blue darke in sporadic flutters, power shifting from lights as the ship began to land. 

A metal hand rose, palm open and waiting. Cade stepped into it, and walked off onto the bench Prime lowered him to. The silence was deafening, and all too soon Cade couldn’t handle it. 

“Prime?” Cade ventured, finally reaching out to lay his hand over the nearest section of plating, no higher than Prime’s knee. He was going for comforting, and now realizing he was far more tactile than his guardian ever was. And also realizing that Optimus never moved or discouraged Cade’s touching, not once, since they had gotten closer. 

“What did Megatron mean--that last part? Your...lineage?” Cade was seeing the bigger picture here and it made ice fill his veins. He swallowed, throat tight. But he waited. If Prime didn’t want to tell him, Cade wasn’t going to blame the big guy. and for a long while it seemed like he wasn’t going to. Then the proud being spoke. 

“I...am Optimus Prime. The first Prime chosen legitimately by the Matrix of Leadership in thousands of years, which I now carry alongside my spark. I am the autobot commander.

For the good or ill, I am the last of my kind.” Optimus turned his universe weary optics to meet the man’s hazel ones.  

The sadness in that voice, it resonated so deeply in Cade’s chest he wanted to cry. If only because Optimus seemed unable, or unwilling to. But why the fuck not? That was a depressing statement, and if Prime was sure it was true, then that made it worse. 

“...I’m so sorry, Optimus.” Cade offered finally, using his gentlest tone. It made those glowing optics slide over to meet his, boring down until Cade’s cheeks felt warm. Then the autobot leader, the last of his kind, Cade’s guardian, reached out for him first. He began by curling his fingers and gliding the back of them down Cade’s shoulders and side. The gesture was only a little hesitant, a little clumsy. Cade realized immediately what Prime was doing. Cade would reach out and stroke Prime’s steering wheel, or run his knuckles over the alt mode’s gleaming grill when he passed the semi and they were supposed to keep a low profile. Optimus was attempting the gesture back, equally trying to soothe Cade who was trying to comfort Prime. So Cade smiled, leaning bravely into the mighty hand and throwing an arm around Prime’s pointer finger, hugging it to his ribcage encouragingly. When Optimus tilted his helm softly, Cade squeezed harder, his smile turning wider. 

“Thank you, Cade.” 

Prime had said his name hundreds of times, but this was the first time since the the Knights tried to behead Prime, that Cade had heard his name stretched out so meaningfully. Again, the butterflies came back.

Chapter Text

“But if you lead I will follow, a thousand miles away. I will be your Apollo, alone in outer space.” -Starset

Chapter 3. Reaction

Combatron was very different than the last time Prime had seen it. He told Cade as much, after they were led into their cell. Granted, the planet had only been a colony of Cybertron, but now it was so much darker, shaper. Decepticon features were everywhere, the sky dark and clouds a foggy, creepy brown. The colony had not taken the loss of Cybertron hard, Prime noted darkly. If anything, the Decepticons that overran it did so with more finesse and gilded promises than their usual brute force. Most of Megatron’s forces were stationed on earth, but Combatron’s popular coliseum was bringing in riches that the cons would use to gain more on neighboring planets, forever living up to their title of deception.

The ‘owner’ of the Coliseum was an ugly military patrol con, aptly named Bombshock for his thick arms and twin blasters sitting on his shoulders. The con was wide set, with a small face and mean, red optics that bore down on them as Prime was chained and dragged by his neck from the cell. Cade protested at first, but was snatched up by another con who’s name he didn’t know, and forced to stay quiet. Bombshock ran the Coliseum, which had become a sort of gateway planet for wanted criminals and gamblers. The coliseum was the biggest attraction, but apparently dropping numbers of viewers had caused Bombshock to reach out to Lord Megatron in hopes of getting fresh entertainment. 

It was in that moment, Megatron must have thought of Prime. 

Optimus knew damn well why Megatron had sent him here so happily, but he kept it quiet from Cade. He didn’t want to worry the human, and it certainly wouldn’t change anything about their current situation. 

With little fanfare they were smuggled in and shoved into an awkwardly shaped cell. The only difference was that this one was rounded, a sort of curved arc. This was because it was backed up to the main arena of the coliseum, a monstrous, deep set circle of worn stone. Claw marks, energon and blood splatters mixed. Broken weapons lay discarded, some scorch marks and long talon marks gouged the stone. The coliseum itself was bigger than Cade’s farmhouse, which would have fit three times over with room to spare. It was tall, too, but a chain link ceiling hung over the whole set up, too small for even a bot Bee’s size to slip out. 

The cell itself stank, like iron and grime, and was cold and wet. 

“Keep this on,” Bombshock warned, jabbing a claw at Prime’s shackles on his wrists, but removed the big one from his neck. 

“An’ fleshy lives. Deal?” He sneered, as the other con dropped Cade unceremoniously onto the floor. 

Optimus merely scowled at the military con, glaring him down until the other shrugged and left. The door locked--then locked four more times--behind him. 

Cade hissed and stood, making a face and wiping his grimy hands on his jeans. 

“I feel like Laurel and Hardy.” Cade muttered, “‘Well Ollie, this is another fine mess…’ and all that jazz.” He looked around, then turned to Optimus and didn’t bother hiding his angry gasp. 

Optimus was fine, standing as resolute and calm as usual. But the shackles on his wrists were both chained to the far wall. They were rather slack, allowing Prime movement up to a few feet from the door. He could reach everywhere else, but the mere notion of the proud, strong leader of the autobots in chains like some junkyard dog was enough to make Cade’s hackles rise in hurt and indignation for his best friend. 

“Those bastards ,” Cade stormed over, “I can get them off you I bet, I just need--”

“No, Cade.” Optimus stopped the man, who paused, looking stricken and hurt. “If you do something they don’t like, they may forget Megatron’s warning and hurt you. I am little more than new revenue for them, but you are priceless and vulnerable to me. These are nothing.” He gave them an experimental rattle, then went back to ignoring them. 

“Optimus, I don’t like this. Any of it--they can’t just...this is messed up.” Cade finished weakly, his worry making his anger deflate to a sudden wave of depression.  

“It is.” Prime agreed. “But perhaps, the more we go along with them, the more they’ll let their guard down. Not so much they catch on, but a good enough act.” 

Cade fell silent, thinking Prime’s words over. After a moment he hummed, nodding as he itched his jaw idily. 

“Yeah? Yeah, that’s not a bad plan, big rig. Alright...for now.”  

“And do not forget, Megatron’s attempt at fairness. Five battles. If I win them, we can return to earth.” Prime reminded calmly. 

“You really think he’ll go through with that?” Cade finally asked, inspecting the small metal slats of the far wall of the cell. It was a metal gate, one that would lift when Prime had to go fight, Cade surmised.  

“Cade, I do not know.” Optimus spoke softly, but his tone increased in firmness. “But I do know this: Megatron would love nothing more than to take me down where all my autobots can see, as well as his decepticons. If his plan is to wear me down without doing any work, and then reap the benefits when we return to Earth, so be it. But until we have a better plan, I will fight in the coliseum, and win.” 

“So maybe we can use that against him, too.” Cade finished, sounding tired but nodding. “Now we’re back to waiting. Can you toss down my bag? If you’re gunna go in there and fight, we should get you back to one-hundred percent like, asap.” Cade paused as his stomach gurgled underneath his words. He flushed, smiling weakly. 

“And I’m hoping Tess packed a sandwich in there or something.” Cade stepped back, catching the little duffel bag Prime had unhidden from the caverns of his metal body. “You know how she hates me eating truck stop chow.” 

“I believe she did add some food, yes.” Optimus waited as Cade rooted around the worn canvas bag. 

“Turkey and cheese, sweet. Okay I will...savor this.” Cade frowned, tucked the sandwich away and instead snatched up the tools he needed. Optimus and the other transformers didn’t need organic matter. But Megatron had mentioned Combatron being filled with other forms of life--alien, yes. But surely there was something around here. At this point he would take one of Tess’ weird keto-salads. 

Cade’s hand hit something, bumpy, cold and moving and he yelped, drawing his hand back. 

“What is it?” Prime asked with a measure of anxiety, stalking closer to peer down before he choose how to attack whatever it was. 

“It’s-- jesus shit,” Cade panted, rubbing his chest. “It’s just the Talisman--the, sword, Excalibur, whatever. Holy fucking hell.”

“Did you mean to bring it?” Although, considering Cade’s reaction Prime was going to err on the side of no. 

“I didn’t think I did. It must have crawled into my bag when I left it on the workbench.” Cade frowned as he reached back in. This time, when his fingers brushed the Talisman, it rippled and wound up his fingers like strands of corded metal. It reformed in his palm  as its usual shape as he turned his wrist, feeling the metal on his skin warm immediately, like it was greeting him. He stared down at it, trying to ignore how it seemed to be staring back. 

‘Well met, young heir.’ came the mental whisper of an ageless, genderless pulse. ‘Fear not, thou is not alone in this trial.’ 

“Christ--” Cade jumped a second time, but this time Prime only gave him a casual, sympathetic look. 

“Can you still hear it?” Though Prime clearly knew the answer to this, too.

“Only when it’s close to me. I don’t mind it, just, it’s spooky…”

Innocent confusion came from the Talisman, but no irritation or insult. It simply didn’t understand why Cade Yeager reacted so poorly when they interacted. 

Cade shook his hand, then his arm, trying to shake the stubborn, living metal off. “Leggo, I don’t need you right now!” He hissed, cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he writhed from the creeping, cold edges of the Talisman as it slithered up to his shoulder.

‘How will thou fight then, without my aid?’ Came a startled question between his ears. ‘We are to battle for freedom, aren’t we?’ The awareness the Talisman had would never sit too well with Cade, but he tried not to let his nerves get the best of him. 

The very edges peeked out from under Cade’s jacket, and he realized the Talisman was edging toward his left arm, no doubt intending to form to Excalibur if given half the chance. Optimus watched with obvious interest, but for once offered no advice.

‘PRIME is, not us. I mean, ‘me.’’ Cade scowled and tried to make sure he didn’t yell anything out loud. He didn’t want to make Prime feel bad. 

‘A King fights with his subjects.’ The Talisman answered in a watery, sullen echo. Well, now Cade’s certainly gone flush with even more embarrassment! 

‘Shaddup--Prime’s not my--and I’M not a--just! Look, I’ll get you if I need you, okay? Right now you’re just making my skin itch.’

‘Fine. Thou would do well to remember, young heir, that whosoever holds me may control the power of a Knight.’ The words were clipped and scolding, and Cade was reminded of his old high school science teacher lecturing him on not blowing up the lab. The comparison only made his ears burn more. 

‘Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.’ ’ Cade thought back as he shook his hand a few times, the only signal he had learned to get the damn Talisman to leave his skin. 

'Of course. I am here to serve.’ the Talisman answered honestly, taking no offense. It’s voice faded from Cade’s mind as it dropped into the depths of his bag, where it unfolded from its sphere shape and buried itself into the darkness. Cade shivered, but tired not to think too much about it just...crawling around in there.

Ignoring the chewing hunger in his belly, Cade turned to his friend. 

“Okay, Prime, let’s see if we can’t get something done before...yanno.” 

“We have a few earth hours, the coliseum will begin to fill before it opens.” Prime remarked as he adjusted position. He let Cade up onto his palm, and the human got to work.

They had more time than even Optimus thought, which was at least something on their side. Cade finished making what repairs he could, and removed the tiny, annoying rocks and gravel he kept finding as he searched. The broken horn was still down, but Cade had removed the uppermost point of it, so that it wouldn’t be a liability during the fights. He was only just stowing it safely away in the bag when he noticed the lights of the arena illuminating around them. 

Cade made a nervous noise, both he and Optimus watching as the seats began to fill. Decepticons, alien lifeforms Cade would only be able to describe as monsters, and some almost human like creatures with perhaps odd skin or feathers or too many eyes. It was hard to see well into the stands, as they sat above and around the walls of the coliseum. 

“Tonight! We bring you another set of battles from Combatron’s biggest attraction!” Bombshock’s voice erupted over a loudspeaker, projected everywhere at once. 

“Here we go, big rig.” Cade muttered as he backed up so Optimus had room to get to his feet. Optimus merely nodded, metal lips flat and expression tight. 

“The mighty Stranglehold--one of your fiercest competitors as you all know--is eager to take the challenger down a few pegs! No matter the outcome, this will be a battle for the ages!” 

Outburst Stranglehold from the far cage, hide a dented and faded mint green with hints of what was once butter yellow. The canon in his grip was held casually, as he rounded on the crowd and demanded their attention with a forceful battle cry. He got his wish, apparently a fan favorite. 

As Strangehold got a rise from the watchers, Bombshock’s voice thundered over them all again. 

“I promised you something new last eve, did I not!? Our newest opponent is hungry for a fight! A monster of a race! Created for war and fighting! For conquering ! A Prime!” 

Cade shook his head in disgust and confusion, listening to Bombshock play up Optimus. And when the crowd heard the title, they went crazy, coming alive with cheers and roars. Cade quickly turned to see what Optimus thought of all this, but he was hiding his expression, the dark of their cage meaning even his gentle optics were closed.  It was like they expected him to come out swinging and slaughter the other opponent in one blow.

That wouldn’t have made for a ‘paying fight’ though, or whatever bullshit Combatron was now known for. 

Then the gated wall of Cade and Prime’s cell began to lift. The chains around Prime’s wrist unclipped from some far off command, leaving only the manacles behind. The gate rose to full height, but Optimus would still need to duck to get into the arena. 

“Optimus…” Cade had a million things he wanted to ask, to tell, but in this moment was not allowing him that. His voice caused Prime to finally gaze down at him. Cade was only a little relieved to see those optics were soft as ever when they looked at him. 

“It will be alright, Cade.” Prime rumbled softly as he started walking. Cade shivered, tearing his eyes from the slow stride of the leader to look up at the crowd’s reception.

Optimus ducked under and stood to his full height, standing quietly, but all of a sudden it was if Stranglehold wasn’t even in the arena. 

Optimus spared the roaring, in awe- crowd a half second, before Stranglehold’s snarl took his full attention. 

“I’m very comfortable here, Prime. Listen to that! They love me.” Stranglehold warned as he advanced. “I kill you, and I advance closer to top rank. I’m sure Lord Megatron will be overjoyed when he sees your head hanging off my horn.” 

“We don’t have to do this--” To Prime’s credit, he tried. Cade could hear him best, even saw the way Optimus stretched his hand out for a moment, pleadingly. 

“...no?” 

The crowd’s noises turned less impressive, as Stranglehold started walking closer to the leader, even lowering his cannon. Cade noticed too late the way the crowd was only falling silent...and not booing. 

“No.” Cade heard the first flicker of relief in Prime’s murmuring tone. “There is no need to lower ourselves to--”

Prime’s shoulder exploded in a burst of hit white light, sending him into the closed gate of the cell with an almighty crash. Stranglehold’s cannon lowered.

“Optimus!!” Cade roared, even knowing his cry was likely drowned out by the roars of onlookers and Strangehold’s own, obnoxious laughter. 

“You’re weaker than I remember!” Stranglehold laughed, suddenly adjusting his cannon to his other arm. “I didn’t even have to use my dominant hand!”

“Bastard,” Cade cursed, finding a better position to watch as he heard the crowd respond to Stranglehold’s mocking. He certainly seemed to enjoy the attention he was getting, and after all, who didn’t love a cheater in these sorts of things? 

Then Optimus Prime was standing, getting his legs under him with ease. He straightened back to his usual posture, earning looks and murmurs of confusion. Usually...usually the rhinobot’s cannon crippled, if not outright killed the opponent. The Prime had stood up as if it were a minor swipe to his plating. 

“I offered peace to you, Stranglehold.” Optimus finally rumbled, as the thick length of his energon sword slid from atop his wrist. It twisted and steaded into his palm, fitting neatly as Prime rolled the shoulder now carrying the weight of the mighty sword.

“I’m sorry you weren’t smart enough to take it.” 

“Smart enough--!!” With a furious roar, in lunged Stranglehold. Optimus strode forward too, only needing one stride for every two of the con’s. They met together, a clash and great screeching of metal as Optimus twisted and sank down, dodging a blast from the cannon. But then his sword rose, smacking Stranglehold rudely and mockingly across the chops. 

Cade gripped the thick bars tight, forced to watch this whole ordeal from ankle height. He could make out enough of what was happening, could feel the ground quake and walls wobble from the collision of the two transformers. And he knew Prime well enough to know that he was holding back. Cade knew without asking that Optimus would end the con’s life as a last resort. 

“Least his battle mask is still off,” Cade breathed in anxiety, rubbing the sweat from his brow. 

Optimus ducked another wild swing and took a step back, turning to glance at the arena. A scan of the area sparked an idea, and even Cade could see the flicker of a smirk from where Optimus stood, crouched. He swung to the rhinocon’s side, giving a wide slash that forced the rhino to sidestep clumsily to avoid. Prime’s mock lunge worked--and he moved past the con and tripped him when Strangle attempted to turn. But he wasn’t made for turning, his own bulk being used against him. Prime wasn’t a light weight either, but he was clever, and clearly growing annoyed by the fighting. For every swing Prime took that was calculated, Strangehold’s fighting became more and more dirty. More desperate. 

“Rghh…forget this!” Strangehold finally lost the last of his temper, throwing his cannon angrily to the side as he brought in his arms and began to fold and shift. Prime waited, dust settling slowly as the crowd cheered at the appearance of the massive rhino-con that now stood in Stranglehold’s place. 

“I will gut you like a sharkticon!” Was the only warning Optimus received before the rhinocon began his thundering charge. He kicked up tons of dust, clouding the air and making Cade cough as he tried waving the dirt away. He could only hear now, but what he heard between the rhino’s heavy pounds was a good sign. It was that familiar, abrupt metal jerking sound. The sound a transformer made when it was shifting between modes, and rapidly. 

So Cade was the only one not surprised when a grill bigger than Strangehold’s entire head met him head on and stopped him cold. Prime’s engines blasted the dirt away, revealing the hulking semi as it stood. The decepticon’s muscleculature quivered, then started trying to keep pushing, intending to tip over the semi now matching him. 

Optimus was ready for that, too. His tires had good grip on the tough stone, and his engines turned and growled aggressively. The more Stranglehold pushed with his heavy head, the more he felt his power being matched. 

There was one moment, in which Prime’s tires turned back a few inches. 

To the onlookers, Cade supposed they thought Prime almost lost. But Cade knew his friend, and knew how he fought. Prime was adjusting, calculating. Waiting. 

Then suddenly the semi’s brakes locked in place and sparks and flutters of fire pushed from Prime’s pipelines. Rubber squealed and Strangehold was stumbling, beady eye widening in shock. Prime plowed ahead, suddenly doubling his efforts and making it clear he had been able to do this the entire time. Either from mistake or fear, Strangehold tripped a second time. Then the beast was tripping back, and the semi was bowing lower to the ground, and rising its hood and grill sharply up--

And then Stranglehold was airborne. 

Cade covered his ears when he could see Strangehold about to land--and land he did. He was stuck on his too wide side, legs flailing almost comically. No one was watching him anymore, as the strange vibrating noise happened again and Optimus folded out of alt mode. He raised his own ion blaster, angling it up at the ceiling where the chain was supported on curving limbs of steel. There were five loud, evenly spaced shots and suddenly the sound of slinking metal plummeting downward. 

The net fell, and Stranglehold’s movements turned panicky. Prime passed Strangehold’s cannon, and kicked it farther away from the cursing, thrashing con who was calling Prime a cheater. He was tangled up and unable to move within the time it took for Optimus to stride back toward the cell door he had so casually strode out of. He walked like that now, too, not bothering to even try to escape through the hole he had just made. Only Bombshock and his human knew why. 

Cade tried to see the hole, but couldn’t. He did hear the crowd though, going wild and roaring in what seemed to be both excitement and disappointment that Prime hadn’t slaughtered the rhinobot. 

Optimus was under the cage before it rose fully, and waiting impatiently for it to finish closing. He stood between Cade and the gate, plates heaving gently as the bot calmed down from the energon-pumping events. 

The gate closed, and though Optimus seemed to have excited the crowd, they were soon focused on the next battle for the night. Cade heard Bombshock promise the challenger who bested the once fan favorite would return, though. 

“Optimus?” Cade ventured, voice small and almost meek in the silence of their cell. Optimus was listening to the fighting, and his heaving ventilations had yet to really slow down. It was more frustration than anything, especially since the ceiling had been open for a few moments. It would be fixed by tomorrow. They were one battle in but it felt as if Optimus was no closer to earning their freedom. The big guy was rattled, at least enough to show the weakness to Cade. Despite the fact he had just seen Prime topple a rhinobot without breaking a sweat, the inventor walked up to Prime’s side and reached out, small warm palm on the bot’s ankle. 

Those dim blue optics slid tiredly down to him. 

“I heard you.” Cade soothed. “At the start, when you tried to get through to that lugnut. Prime--buddy--you tried . He wanted to fight. I know it doesn’t make you feel any better but...I’d rather have you hand him his ass then you get hurt. Right?” 

And though Optimus didn’t look too perky, he finally nodded his helm. 

“It seems to be once a night, so far. I’m sure they will increase my battles to garner more attention.” Optimus muttered down to Cade as the chains slithered back to his manacles. He didn’t move away, just frowned as they reconnected tightly. 

“Until then, I guess it’s just you and me, pal.” Cade said, walking over to the bench Prime had sat heavily down onto. He waited expectantly, giving a glare at those insulting chains that rattled when the Prime bent down to scoop Cade into his palm. Cade swayed a bit at the quicker ascent upward, feeling lightheaded. 

“Cade?” Prime noticed, because of course he noticed.

“Are you alright?” Prime’s optics swept the room, searching for the tool bag. “Have you eaten yet?” 

“Wasn’t really hungry, big rig. Was a little distracted when that ugly rhino con sent you into the door of our cell.” Cade muttered, making himself at home in the crook of Prime’s curved hand. 

“Hnnh. But that is over now. You need to eat to keep up your strength.” Humans had such odd weaknesses. They could over eat, but also under eat. They could go longer without food--which carried nutrients--than they could water, which, if Ratchet was correct, was far less nutrient rich than even the junk food Cade ate. Yet they needed water more often than food. Humans were little walking contradictions, as Ratchet often observed. After meeting Cade Yeager, and bonding so closely with him, Optimus was inclined to agree. 

“I’ve also got one sandwich and a stale granola bar to last me this entire ‘adventure.’” Cade smiled wanly, and Prime noticed how much Cade was leaning on him. “I gotta stretch that food out long as I can.” 

Prime shot the human a troubled look, before he gave in to his more basic desires and curled his palm tighter around the slumped human. 

“Fine. But eat after this. It will be easier for me to focus out there if I know you’re not in danger of falling critically ill.” 

The thought of something like that happening was enough to kick Prime’s protective instincts into gear. It would have been easier to calm them if he had anything to punch or blast or threaten--but he couldn’t do any of that to Cade’s stomach. Still, Optimus was nothing if not willing to compromise. He stood up, Cade still in his grip, and headed for the wall between the door they had come though and the gate to the coliseum. Optimus laid back against it, settling into a more comfortable position. Not that he expected to enjoy a recharge, but...he felt better with Cade closer to the ground. He certainly wasn’t about to let his human sleep on the floor of this pit-forsaken place. 

Lost in thought over Cade’s predicament with not having enough food, Optimus absently rubbed his thumb across the warm body in his hand. Cade had been laying on his side, head pillowed under his arms, and Prime’s stroke made him stir a little. The inventor yipped softly, going tense and giving a noise that was more scolding than truly bothered. Optimus half blinked, looking down as he noticed how Cade lifted his head from Prime’s wrist and shot him a small, little reproachful look. It was far too cute, and Optimus schooled his features. 

“Did I startle you, Cade?” He rumbled, knowing full well he did. 

“Just gimmie a warning is all, big rig.” But it was broken by a yawn, and Cade turned to lay more on his stomach, neck turned to let him keep his head at an angle where he could see the protective wall of Prime’s fingers. Prime realized what Cade was doing, and really, the inventor was easy to manipulate if you knew what buttons to push. The quicker Cade rested, the quicker he would wake up and be able to eat before Prime’s next battle. 

As Optimus mused what sort of con he would have to fight next, he brought back in his thumb, the only digit not supporting Cade’s relaxed, half stretched out frame. He stroked the man’s body again, but lingered, going back to simple, easy ministrations. Cade made another noise, but didn’t move or open his eyes. The Prime’s safe, metal palm was doing wonders at keeping the chill at bay, and since he was being held in the shadow of the behemoth’s body, he had even less fear. Optimus wouldn’t let anything happen to him. 

Only a few minutes ticked by, and Cade was already melting under Prime’s little impromptu massage. Cade went from half curled up to sprawled out and nearly dead to the world under the bot’s touch. Prime was warm too, the previous battle having brought up his core temp and his living, metal hide had spread the heat out to bring down his spark chamber’s center console. The pulse of his fans were droning, soft like lost locusts in the back fields of their Texan home, where summer felt eternal. Cade knew enough of the transformer’s anatomy by now to know how similar and yet how different the two species were. He marveled at how calming the sound was, at how infinitely gentle Optimus was with something several times smaller than. 

Prime would have thought Cade would be a bit more on edge, especially now that they had arrived on Combatron. Cade knew how far he was from earth, and because it was against their will the man was obviously eager to get home. And yet...he was taking it well. Optimus supposed it was due to his presence, as Cade always did better when the two of them were together. The same could be said for the Prime, too. He was trying to not see their budding bond in a negative light, but having Cade used against him was certainly a terrifying example of what happened when an autobot got too close to their human companion. 

‘I thought I wasn’t being so obvious. ’ It was a sobering thought, and Prime’s gentle, soothing rubs along the man’s spine paused mid swipe as his thoughts spiraled into self-deprecation and humiliation. He didn’t think it would matter--surely Cade was asleep by now. 

But Cade Yeager was always full of surprises. 

Only a few minutes after Prime’s absent little massage paused, did Cade’s breathing hitch back to something faster and he seemed to force himself awake, like he had forgotten something. 

“Hn...Hey, O’t’muss?” Cade slurred, face still half pressed into his own hand and also Prime’s. 

“...yes?” For a moment, he didn’t think he would get an answer. He had paused his thumbs’ gentle strokes down the human’s spine, but anticipated Cade would like him to begin again. So he did, now marveling at the feeling of the beating heart he felt, even through Cade’s worn jacket and his own thick metal. 

“Before...we cam’ere. That fuck’ur, tha’ one ‘con.” Cade seemed to have to beat the tired words from his lips, but he was doggedly determined to do so. 

“Wha’d’he mean?” Cade licked his lips tiredly. “Why’d he call’ya Orion Pa..Path...sumfin?” 

“Orion Pax.” Optimus filled in before he could stop himself, his grip almost tightening round Cade’s prone little form. 

“Tha’ssit.” 

“Orion Pax was...a name I used to go by. Before I became Optimus Prime. It...didn’t mean anything.” Prime felt bad, like he was lying, but what did it matter? Who was here to call him out on it? 

“It was only meant to be an insult. “ He amended himself calmly, assuredly. “Nothing more.” 

And yet, so much more than that. 

“Hmm. Like th’star...” Were Cade awake, Prime would think the noise was Cade not believing him. It certainly sounded like one, to Prime’s guilty audio receptors. He went back to his little stroke of Cade’s body, keeping his thumb buried in Cade’s shoulders as the human melted further into his hold. Prime hoped the action was as casual as he was aiming for. 

“Yes. Like the star.”

Thankfully, his luck held out and soon, Cade was far past the point of rousing anymore. He moved once more, with clumsy conscious effort. It was only to throw his arm out, sleepily mimicking the gentle stroke to Prime’s palm that the bot was doing to Cade’s back on a much larger scale. Optimus’ optics softened to impossible depths when he noticed this. Even now, in such a situation, half starved and hurting and millions of miles from his own planet, Cade was still determined to comfort Prime.

The man really was something else. 

Cade thought he heard Prime murmur something to him, but he couldn’t quite make it out. Cade slept. He dreamed of gods being placed in the sky as stars, of a mighty being taking on thousands and winning, and he dreamed of the locusts outside the barn, afternoon light warm and heavy.

Cade woke up, still cuddled up in Prime’s hand. He sat up blearily, aware of rain pattering overhead. It was a dreary drizzle though, nothing like the monsoons they got that shattered the Texas dry season. The open arena meant the rain came right in, and the build of its floor caused dribbles of water to leak in through the gates of the coliseum. There was some coming into his and Prime’s cell, which explained the wet smell. It all wandered out, heading for drains somewhere in the hall of the cages. For blood and water, it seemed. Casting a sleepy look around, Cade noticed Optimus was standing now, and that he had his other hand over him to ward off the chill of the weather. 

“Think you’ll get a day off?” Cade said, poking his head out from under Prime’s curved down metal fingers. The bot looked down at him. Cade glanced over and noticed his bag was safe and dry on the bench, too. 

“The stands are covered.” Prime pointed out, sounding almost bored. “A rain will make for a more interesting fight, I’m afraid.” 

“Least its not snow--you got no traction on sleet, big rig.” Cade snorted, and Prime made a noise of agreement. “Course with our luck, you’ll go and attract a bolt of lightnin’ in this...”

Optimus was silent, but that wasn’t unusual. Cade talked enough for them both. 

“Let me down, Prime.” Cade finally requested with a stretch. “Gunna put what I can in my tank. See? I listened.” 

“You did.” Optimus’ metal lips quirked at Cade’s little comment. The human was lowered to the bench and sat, his legs swinging over the sides as he nibbled the sandwich. After more digging he found two more granola bars, and allowed himself to eat half of the first one he found the day before. 

“That won’t be enough.” Optimus remarked, having watched him from the corner of his optics as he observed the rain spluttering down. 

“Yeah, well. Unless you gotta four course meal hidden in your chest-boob plates, I’m up a river.” Cade considered their current situation, chewing thoughtfully. “And if it keeps raining, I actually might be.” 

Optimus made a grumbly sound at the ‘chest-boob’ jab, and folded his arms as he leaned against the wall. 

“What?” Cade challenged with obvious amusement, quirking a brow at the robot as he jumped down from the bench. Optimus said nothing, just stared at him evenly. Cade’s response was to shrug, then start moving. He wandered over to the thickest section of rain water, letting it pool in his palm. 

“Can you...you think this is water? Like water -water?” Cade finally asked, sounding unsure. Prime settled almost immediately, mirroring his concern. “It sure sounds, looks and smells like it, but…” 

“Combatron mimicked your Earth in a few ways, Cade. Air, some weather patterns. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what’s worse. Not trying it, or no water at all.” 

“Erh, yeah. Nervous about that too.” Cade made a noise of frustration and finally licked some off his palm. He made an immediate face, which earned a worried grunt from the mother hen hovering over his shoulder. 

“Tastes like iron. Like gatorade but….stronger. Yuck . Close enough.” Cade caught what he could, but was careful to put only a small bit into his system. 

“I’m not surprised.” Prime said, wishing desperately Ratchet were here. His scanners were always uncannily good at dealing with organic matter. 

The day passed, seeming longer the closer nightfall got. The arena began lighting up, section by section until it blazed even in the foggy, odd colored rainfall. Optimus noticed quickly when the seats began to fill, and he positioned himself at a better spot to observe the ongoing events. 

Optimus uneasily listened to the battles, realizing quickly he was set closer to the end. He wondered if any of the opponents who survived would be his opponent later that evening…? 

“Cade, I’ve been noticing quite a few alien species I don’t recognize this time. And each time, one side of the field seems better equipped to the slippery terrain out there. Do you think that--Cade?” Optimus turned, half realizing that Cade was never this quiet. Especially not when his opinion was being broached. 

“Cade!?” 

Prime was moving the second he saw the distant, tired gaze in those usually sharp green eyes. Closing the short distance was easy, and easier still to sweep Cade’s swaying form up and better to his optic level. His chains rattled angrily as he did so, the sharp noise seeming to help Cade jerk to awareness.

“M’fine!” Cade protested off cue, sounding angry with himself as he wobbled unsteadily in Prime’s cupped palms. “Just...jus’a little dizzy.” 

“You’re not eating enough. Unless...” Prime filled in, volume soft but growing deeper with anxiety. “Cade...is it the water?”

“Urk, no, actually. At least it doesn’t feel like it. No, this is...I’m definitely hungry.” Cade admitted, and Prime’s stare drew out a small look of unease. Cade was growing fearful, and Prime didn’t blame him. He bent his thumb in, running it over the human’s shoulders as Cade sat in his grip. Sharp optics studied the human, skin pale and clever hands limp. His human was never so unresponsive and shaky. Prime’s features set into their hardened, righteous fury mode, but even Cade was too tired to tease him about it. Cade only noticed Prime moving when he opened his eyes. 

Optimus was stalking over to the door of the cell, the one they had come in. The groggy inventor was tipped gently into Prime’s nondominant hand from the other, as he heard the tell tale sign of the bot’s ion blaster forming. 

“Uh--Optimus? Buddy?” Cade barely got the word out before Prime fitted the muzzle neatly into the square bars and sent a single, teeth clattering round into the far stone wall. Stone sprayed on impact, scattering.

“Prime, holy shit!” Cade found enough energy to jump and tumble backwards into Prime’s hand. “What the hell are you--”

“Hush, Cade.” Prime cut in, soothing but firm as metal clanged down the hall. “It will be alright.” 

In retrospect, it was a miracle someone heard the single blast at all, given the fights were still going on above them. 

“Frag is goin’ on! Gunna blow the whole place down ya wrecks! I swear I’ll--ahhh...s’you, is it Prime?” Bombshock eyed Optimus and sniggered. 

“Has his highness gone off the deep end already? Shame, I’d thought a Prime like you would at least last a half a stellar cycle, but...eh? Why the look?” Bombshock sneered, but walked closer, smartly out of reach of Prime’s grip. 

Cade felt the hand holding him move forward, giving Bombshock only a moment to study him. His beady optics barely registered the human before Prime had pulled him back and shielded him with his reformed hand. 

“My friend needs sustenance. Organic matter, fitting for human consumption.” Optimus demanded, calm and even. 

“You will bring him some.” 

“Uh-huh…” Bombshock stroked his stout, metal beard thoughtfully. “Usually, the ones behind the bars aren’t generally in a position ta be makin’ demands. N’ifn I don’t?”

“Then he will die.” Prime paused for effect, ignoring Cade’s pointed, wide eyed look up at him. 

“...that a problem, is it?” the coli leader drawled, still sounding unimpressed. 

“A big one. For both of us. But for you, it means you will lose your bargaining chip.” Optimus waited, and finally, let his impatience show in the form of a low, aggressive growl. 

“Let me be crystal clear: if Cade Yeager dies from malnutrition, I will offline myself into my alt form. And you will have to answer to Megatron. He won’t have a chance to kill me. You won’t have any more attention for your coliseum. To put it in human terms, you will be screwed.” Optimus waited, then delivered the finishing blow with a cool, thoughtful tone. 

“At least, until someone--likely Starscream--suggests putting you in among the fighters to...liven things up. I’m sure your captives would love a chance to pay you back for your hospitality.” 

Finally, dull hesitation fluttered across Bombshock’s crude barrel shaped features. Cade thought about the autobots back home, ones Prime would be willing to lay his life down for, and hoped Bombshock didn’t call Prime’s bluff.

But if Decepticons understood one thing, it was fear. Generally fear related to themselves, too. 

“...organic matter, eh? Tch. See what I can scrounge up, then…” Bombshock turned on his heel and stalked off, ranting under his breath the whole way. “More trouble than they're worth, yet autobots treat ‘em like they’re all wearing Primus’ golden undies…”

Bombshock stormed off the way he’d come, cursing and grumbling all the way. Optimus’ ion blaster shifted back into his armor, hand expanding as it rose to give Cade more room to move. He released a faint exvent of relief, shoulders untensing. 

“That went easier than expected.”

“Did it? I wasn’t half as confident as you, big rig.” Cade admitted wearily, collapsing back into Prime’s protective hold. “But once more, you saved my ass. Thanks.” 

“Of course.” Optimus accepted the thanks readily, moving to sit back on the bench as they waited for either food or Prime’s number to be called. His next battle had to be soon. 

“I’ve got your back, Cade.” The rumble was deep and fond as usual, and it left a warm surge of affection in the human’s heart. It was a lot to take in, hearing Optimus Prime threaten to shut himself off over your wellbeing. But it was touching as hell, too. Cade ran his hand absently up and over Prime’s wrist plating, thinking about Prime’s tone when he addressed him and those damn butterflies. 

Chapter Text

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” -Charlemagne

Chapter 4. Proximity

Most of the Decepticons spoke in their native dialect. 

Which, while frustrating, did make sense to Cade. It also wasn’t a deal breaker. Optimus and the others had taught him more Cybertronian than any average human would normally know, and right now that was in Cade’s favor. The inventor was used to using his enemy’s perceived assumption of him against them, because Decepticons often belittled and underestimated humans. 

After all, loose lips sank ships.

In a Con’s mind, no human would ever care--or rather, be smart enough--to try and learn to decipher their native tongue. Let alone be able to respond using their soft,wet little vocal chords. 

Cade Yeager was almost fluent. 

The Transformers had many words for many things, sometimes those things needed multiple words in the English language to even come close to their long, mechanical definition. It was a bit like German for Cade, in the way that it sounded barbaric at first ignorant glance, and then suddenly sounded beautiful and endless the more Cade learned to mentally translate in his mind. Their way of speech was more...localized, usually sticking to the transformers in the conversations, using short phrases for outside things that mattered little to them. After all, most could be said by a good punch to the face-plates too, and they had always been a combative species. Gestures with weapons and stances spoke paragraphs, even among smaller bots.

Admittedly, Transformers could make sounds with their voice synthesizer no human vocal cords could mimic, which lead to a lot of missing gaps until Cade finally asked Prime about it. 

The decepticons that spoke to Optimus had so far spoken English--which was, frankly, grated and horrifying when the rugged cons did so. Cade wondered why, but only briefly. Maybe because they had been to Earth as well, and didn’t bother switching out of laziness, or some deep understanding that Cybertron was gone, and with it the culture of their species. Maybe because they wanted Cade to be aware of what was going on--to make sure he was properly intimidated. 

It was working, though Cade wasn’t about to admit that . 

Occasionally he caught his own team talking in Cybertronian, and he never passed up an opportunity to listen and learn, even if it meant eavesdropping. Early on, most of it was lost on him. It was also pretty impossible to understand anyone except for Drift, who’s pitches barely changed from their calm murmurs even when he switched to his native language. Grimlock was easy to understand as well, simply because he talked rather like a child. And a loud child at that, as his statements were sharp, singular and pointed. 

‘Me-EAT-Car!’ was a very obvious statement in any language. Mostly because it was followed by him following through with his declaration. 

After several months, Cade learned how to say his team’s basic designations in their tones. Their actual designations were long but made the most sense, and usually were just variations on their shorter, earth titles they had told humans. ‘In-His-Crosshairs’ told someone a lot about the green and black bot, and a transformer who heard that title tended to become wary and tense. With good reason, because Cross rarely missed. ‘Drifts-Through-Darkest-Skies’ was actually kind of pretty, and thankfully Drift was the kind of bot to take pride when Cade admitted this to him, though he did tell Cade he was saying it wrong and had instead told him something that more or less meant ‘Drift-Up-Sky.’ Cade’s ears had burned, but Drift had only chuckled and told him to keep practicing. He would learn in time. 

Hound, personally, didn’t care what he was called, but to be honest ‘Hounds-All-Enemies’ did fit the stubborn, skilled munitions bot. 

Bee was the interesting one. 

He knew that Bumblebee’s name had changed, because the poor guy couldn’t make the sound anymore. So most autobot’s changed how they said it, to show that they understood Bee’s limitation but to remind him he wasn’t alone. But autobots didn’t always use their assigned designations when they called to one another, which was interesting. Actually, if Cade’s team was anything to use as law, the more friendlier a Transformer was with its brother or sister, the more it used affectionate, descriptive titles. It was also the same when you wanted to personally piss of an enemy, too. 

For example, Decepticons who wanted to goad Bee into anger sometimes called him something that loosely translated to ‘He-Who-Is-Last-Of-Us.' Which never failed to set the young autobot off. For all the rude phrases Cross and Drift used to ridicule Bee, (‘Smallest-Bug’, ‘Bumbling-One’, or occasionally ‘Loud-Useless-Scout,’) not even they used that phrase of words. Smartly, Cade avoided using it too, even if it was only to ask what that meant. Though it was pretty obvious, and terribly depressing. 

‘Twins’ meant a deep connection of siblings, not unlike the human term. ‘Sparkmate’ was ‘soulmate’ and so on. ‘Brother-in-Battle’ was a nickname given to close warriors on and off the battlefield, to let others listening that the aforementioned bots were powerful and trustworthy partners. Then there were other titles to distinguish fellow autobots you were particularly fond of, as there were foes you wanted to insult. 

Thanks to Hound, Cade could insult a decepticon with words that would make a Cybertronian sailor’s face plates condense. Optimus had taught the inventor other, more meaningful tidbits that Cade had soaked up like a sponge. 

‘My Spark Missed Yours' was like giving someone a hug after a long trip. 

‘Primus Protect You’ was sending someone off with love and well-wishes. 

Then there was the title Cade sometimes heard when others were talking about him and Prime. 

It was a...strange one. And Cade didn’t know why he thought of it now, but he did. Sometimes, Cade didn’t hear his name, nor did he hear the Cybertronian term for ‘Our-Field-Medic ’ which was his title now. Sometimes, and especially if he had already heard Prime’s name, he would hear another, longer title. 

‘They-Who-Share-One-Spark.’ But nine times out of ten it was shortened to ‘They-Who-Are-One.’ 

It was a recent development, although Cade had only just gotten around to understanding enough Cybertronian to decipher the long rumble of noises that the bots used when talking about him and Prime. He had no idea when they started, but could guess that it only happened after the England incident. He and Prime had gotten closer since than. And while he hadn’t paid much attention to it, in the back of his mind he had always listened for similar phrases concerning other bots. The closest he had come to was Bee and Prime, which was sometimes ‘He-Who-Reared-Him’ and confirmed Cade’s suspicions that Transformers did have some understanding of child raising. Of course, Cade had also heard Bee referred to as ‘Prime’s-Golden-Scout ’ as he was deadly on his own and fully capable of nearly anything Optimus asked of him. 

Regardless of strange titles given to him or not, Cade heard none of this fondness and loving warmth when the decepticons spoke under their vents, muttering and sneering to each as they walked freely by their coliseum cell. But it was just before Prime’s second battle that Cade heard a new statement, one he was certain he had never heard Optimus referred to as before. 

“You’re next, ‘He-Who-Reigns-War.’ ” The casual toss of words was followed by a simpering grind of gears that Cade recognized as a snicker. Cade translated it a few times in his head for a second, then shot a stunned glare up to his friend, who had grumbled but not engaged despite the glower that made his features harden. 

“Your highness?’ Cade parroted, as he hopped off Prime’s lowered hand to the metal berth so Prime could leave.

“Merely a jab.” Optimus said, his tone dark. “Nothing more.”

Cade couldn’t tell if it was because Prime was dreading his next fight or because the title actually meant something after all--if so, then why was Prime lying?--but the inventor wasn’t given time to try and wheedle his friend for information. 

The gates were opening again. 

“Knock em...well, maybe not dead, but. Don’t let em get under your armor, big rig.” Cade called, earning a nod from Optimus and such a fond look Cade was glad Prime wasn’t sticking around to see his blush. 

The rain had only gotten harder, causing some of the arena to be half flooded. What was not under water by a few scant inches was mud, which was honestly a bit worse when one factored in that Cybertron lacked this sort of terrain in its metal, living cities. 

Cade growled as he listened to Bombshock’s booming voice introduce the returning fighter, and he tried to ignore the crowd still getting amazed or shocked at Optimus’ appearance. He instead looked at the arena through the thick bars of their cell, trying to figure out how Prime would handle this quickly. It was then he became aware of the strange metal chomping sounds, and twisted to look over at the other entrance to the coliseum. 

“What the hell are those ugly things?” Cade yelped, staring at the three bodies that were waddling into the arena with too much care and ease. 

“Sharkticons.” He heard Prime rumble down to him as he passed, moving carefully to the highest part of ground he could find. They all looked fundamentally similar, but one had blue accents, the other green and the biggest one, purple.

“Three of them!? That isn’t fair!” Cade felt his words were useless even as he said them. 

“...Right, Yeager, what about this has been fair so far?” He gripped to himself, moving into a better position to watch Prime’s opponents. 

They were certainly decepticon-like , though Cade had a feeling they were a lower faction, not  necessarily a side. Wide set, almost comically round optics that flared a sickly yellow. Their primary attack would likely be the inches of sharp, jagged teeth that had multiple rows set back into its maw. Despite being just under half of Prime’s size, their jaws alone had Cade on edge. One was one thing, but three of them to keep track of? And a chunk taken out of Prime’s armor would be in danger of rusting or causing more injuries further down the line.

‘Which maybe why he’s facing them in the first place…’ Cade noticed something else and frowned, calling out to his autobot. 

“You better be careful, Optimus--I think those three have home field advantage!” 

“They do, Cade.” Prime tossed back as he readied his posture.

Cade studied the Prime’s alert posture, he couldn’t help it. He enjoyed any chance to see Optimus in action, even when he was engaging reluctantly in a fight. Cade glanced at the poor shape of the arena flooring, and understood. Prime had the right idea, even if it was risky. He stayed still and let the sharkticons come to him--and come they did, moving with far more grace and speed than anything that rotund and ugly should have a right too, in Cade’s opinion. They moved almost like skaters, fat and stubby but clearly finding themselves at home on the slippery surface. Cade didn’t want to think how much faster they’d be in a river or lake, with currents to help them. 

In the time it took for the nearest one to launch itself, Optimus jerked to the side and swung his arm backwards, letting it use its own momentum to collide with the round wall. He had terrible footing in this situation, and no desire to try and waste stamina chasing after the brutes. 

“Come here!” He challenged, earning roars from the other two who decided to aim a full front attack together. 

That ploy worked, for a moment, until Optimus stepped backward and caused them to misjudge their landing. He ducked downward, dodging a bludgeon tail as it swung an arc, and fought to grab hold of the blue sharkticon’s slippery metal hide. One caught his right arm and found purchase with its teeth, only to be lifted clear off the ground as Prime brought its girth into the yellow one in an easy motion. As the two tumbled and began arguing amongst themselves, Purple dove back in and jumped onto Prime’s back. His metal pipelines were already dented and chugging smog, and Optimus growled in pain as he struggled to dislodge the sharkticon going for his helm and neck cords. 

Cade hissed in sympathy, shooting dirty looks at the onlookers who seemed to be enjoying this one more than Prime’s first fight. But Optimus was getting tired--well, maybe fed up was the better word. Cade knew the instant he saw the scowl on Prime’s fine metal features as he turned Cade’s way. 

Optimus let the big purple one get in one final chomp, making sure the con was good and distracted as he reared and fell backwards. Slamming the sharkticon between himself and the ground, and then getting an elbow under himself to turn and drive the stunned sharkticon into the ground again, then again. One the final slam he stayed, keeping the creature pinned and turning to bring his arm round at it.

Prime raised his fist high, the tip of his energon sword starting to slide out. Then he froze, taking in the damage he’d done already. The con lay beneath him, broken and dented teeth trying to close and open. Its pale optics, which were the only way to see its emotions, were blinking and foggy. It had a dull sort of worried acceptance in its glare as it looked up to see why Prime hadn’t simply offlined it. Prime was muddied, venting harder than usual and realized quickly how far he almost took the fight. His optics flickered in Cade’s direction and he abruptly pushed off the sharkticon, needing no more than that second to regain control of himself. Purple flailed, weakly, but was alive and would live to see another day. 

Prime turned, staring down the remaining two who stilled under his stare. He knew how sharkticons worked, and thankfully these three seemed no different. Take down the leader, and the rest of the group would either fall back to defend the leader or begin to focus inward on who would be next to lead their swarm...no matter how little or big. Optimus studied them a moment, before swiping some muck from his optic and cheek. It splattered to the ground. 

“The fight is over.” He commanded softly, speaking directly to them. “You two forfeit.” 

One of them, the yellow one, hissed softly as if to disagree, but its optics fell on its apparent leader, who was still lying weakly and trying to get its bearings. Purple lay in the mud and finally turned its noises toward a deep bellow. If Cade had to guess, it sounded like a distress call. 

Optimus took a single step in their direction, and they flinched as if he’d swung his warmed up ion blaster at them. 

Satisfied, but looking sour and worn, Optimus turned and stalked for the cage door. Again, he ignored the crowd, and again, this only seemed to strengthen their cheers and hollars. 

Cade glanced at Prime as he ducked into the safety of their miserable cage, but soon went back to watching the remaining sharkticons gather up their stunned and half-conscious leader and drag the purple one away. 

The last batch of milling onlookers had only just left when their cell door opened from the hallway entrance. 

“Good job on that last one,” called a new con, one Cade had seen walking with Bombshock earlier. His second in command, maybe?

“Maybe next time, though, a little more goring. Like to see some splatter on those walls, keeps the crowd excited,” and then promptly tossed a gallon drum of water over Optimus. The leader took a step back and snarled, but the mud and grime was washing off his hide now. A piece of worn cloth the size of a large tarp was tossed in Prime’s general direction.

“Watch it!” Cade snapped at the con, who eyed Cade and looked surprised, as if seeing him for the first time. 

“Ohh, you keep your pet feisty, eh? I like that.” The door slammed, locked again, and that was that. 

“I’ll show you feisty you bucket of scrap,” Cade hissed moodily to himself as he jumped down off the berth and wandered over to his guardian. He knew his words went unheard, but they at least made him feel a little better. 

“Hey, c’mon, come here.” Cade eyed the ‘towel’ dubiously but sighed. “They left you this, big rig. Let’s get you clean. Anything damaged?” 

“Nothing serious.” Optimus muttered, sounding far away and grim as he bent down.

“But something nonetheless, huh?” Cade pointed out, climbing up into Prime’s hand as easily as if he’d done it his whole life. Even tired and almost half starved, he could find energy to take care of this idiot of his. 

Optimus would do the same for him. 

“Later.” Prime said, so close to a snap Cade was almost offended. But one look at those optics, intense and strained, and Cade caved. 

“Fine. Later.” Cade reached up, grabbing an edge of the tarp like cloth that he could reach and began buffing along Prime’s jaw and neckline. It takes him twice as long to do a bit of armor Prime can reach and do in minutes, but Optimus doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, he seemed comforted by the attention. And almost surprised by it too, as if the commander expected Cade to avoid him or not want to help. 

Which was...weird. Why would Cade ever be afraid of the big guy? Prime was a sweetheart. One of, if not the , gentlest person Cade had in his life. That decepticon called Prime ‘highness’ but also ‘War .’ Cade couldn’t understand that, and maybe he didn’t want to. Honestly, Optimus Prime had more humanity in his pinky finger than half the people Cade knew. (Not just because Prime had a large pinky, nor because half the people Cade knew were government officials.) It was because Prime was...well, Prime. Even half dead and clearly terrified, Prime’s threats to kill him so long ago...they were empty. He was shaken, injured and cornered. Cade would have threatened to kill someone too. But Cade had gone over that day in his mind a thousand times. Memorizing it. Burning Prime’s ticks and movements into his brain because he used to be worried he’d never see Optimus again and memories were all he would have.

Optimus could have simply destroyed the barn--and him, and Tessa and Lucas--escaped and been done with it. But he hadn’t . He had hesitated, he had drawn back, specifically when he saw Cade with Tessa, and more still when Cade had picked up his broken horn and offered it up to him. What would have been three human deaths to Optimus? Apparently, quite a lot. 

Cade would never forget that moment, when they stared back at each other and Cade saw the amount of sheer humanity pouring from his optics, boring into his. He had felt like they were pulling him, almost hypnotized. It was when Cade realized he would give almost anything to help this amazing being, who had spared them even when he probably shouldn’t have.

Cade paused mid swipe, realizing he had gotten distracted and spent too long on a section of Prime’s heavy shoulder guards. He could see his own reflection now, and he leaned back in embarrassment when he realized other parts of Prime were still dripping wet and streaked with watery muck.

He hoped vainly Optimus didn’t notice, but--nope, there came that familiar rumbling sound that was Prime’s chuckle. 

“Distracted?” Prime asked in a bemused tone, causing Cade to shoot him a playful scowl as he clambered into Prime’s palm and moved to his other shoulder. Prime sounded like he was in a better mood too. Or at least, he didn’t look so haunted anymore. 

“No.” Cade lied, but his grin betrayed him and it widened when Prime made the chuckling noise again. Anything he could do to cheer his best friend up. 

Cade inspected Optimus’ injuries sympathetically, eyeing the worst one on his shoulder blade. He traced the gouges left by the purple sharkticon leader with his eye, noting that the damage was shallow and making sure the mud was out of it. He leaned over, balancing himself on Prime’s shoulder and squinted for a moment longer. He eyed a few sharp teeth, small to Prime but about the side of Cade’s lower arm, that Prime was reaching around to pluck out. He tossed them carelessly across the cell, but Cade made a mental note to inspect them when he got the chance. He had some small detonation balls and some smoke screens--minor weapons designed to distract attacking Cons while the autobots launched surprise attacks. If he could just get some casing, some wiring, get a little spark started…

Cade shook his head, scattering the thoughts. He was too tired to focus on anything as complicated as a bomb right now, he would need some sleep first. For the moment, Prime needed his attention. 

“I’m sorry, pal.” Cade offered, knowing that if he pressed too hard to really look at the wounds, Optimus would only get back on edge. Besides, it didn’t look too serious. And if the worst scrap wasn’t serious, than he needed to respect Prime’s wishes this time. 

Optimus just hummed a low pulse in the back of his neck, like a pipe organ clearing its throat. He reached around to his shoulder, gathering Cade up with ease and bringing him back to the berth. Prime sat, and kept Cade in his palm as he handed the human his tiny bag with two careful fingers pinching the strap of it. 

“You need to eat.” Prime commanded, now fully focused back on the human. 

“They haven’t exactly delivered room service yet, Prime.” Cade gave his friend a wane smile, but sat down nonetheless and dug out the rest of his meager meal. 

“Will it be enough?” Prime asked, anxiousness lacing his tone. 

“Ehh...honestly? No. But I won’t be in danger of passing out on you again for a while.” Cade said as he nibbled. 

Optimus made a noise that signaled his displeasure, but he let Cade eat in the safety of his palm.

Cade began yawning a little while later, his stamina greatly depleting as the days passed. Prime allowed himself to address his own injuries, but none of them were higher in priority than a weakened Cade Yeager getting much needed rest. Sleep wouldn’t replace nutrients perfectly, but it might help the man conserve his energy. 

Cade, of course, did not want to sleep. He was still on edge too, but his attempts at fixing Prime’s minor scraps were rebuked more than once. He mentioned the bomb quietly, half hearted and sounding unsure about it. Prime encouraged him to try it, and to tell him if Prime could get the inventor anything from the field. It would have to be discreet of course, and Cade agreed. Optimus kept his volume as low as Cade’s, lest they be overhead by patrolling con’s. But no one came by this late at night, thankfully. 

Finally, Cade flopped up against Prime’s shoulder, nestled against the curving plating of his shoulder guards.

“You should rest, Cade.” Prime prompted for about the third time in that hour. 

“I’m trying.” Came the retort, as empty and absent as it sounded. Prime scoffed, but only tilted his helm, careful not to dislodge the man pressed into his thick throat plating. Cade’s small, warm body quivered when he hummed, and Prime noticed. His concern meandered toward amusement, as humans were so...clingy. But in a trusting, flattering way. Cade was never short of awe and affection at Prime, so Optimus didn’t see why he shouldn’t return such gestures. 

“Can we do another language lesson?” Cade suddenly asked, breaking the stillness of their miserable, cold cell. 

“I’m not sure now is the time.” Optimus, however, was glancing around as he said this, searching for any that could be listening. His scanners came back negative, only a few energies were on the outskirts of his radar, likely other battlers who were sleeping. 

“Teach me.” Cade begged. 

Prime visibly balked, metal lips pressing flat as he weighed his options. 

“I want to hear you speak Cybertronian.” Cade whispered into the night, waiting with baited breath. This wasn’t a new request, but usually it was a request made in the darkest of nights in the barn, when Cade’s latest project was frustrating him. Optimus was almost always awake and watching, and Cade almost always coaxed him in a speech lesson to distract himself. Those nights also often ended with Cade falling asleep in his cab, which gave Prime an idea. 

Cade had gotten good enough to understand most phrases, had learned how to translate so that he heard sense in the Transformer’s rumbles and purrs. But his lessons often made him sleepy. Prime was very sure this wasn’t the sort of ‘pillow talk’ that usually put humans into their odd, deep recharge, but he knew how to manipulate it by now. 

“Please, Optimus? It doesn’t have to be a lesson, just, just talk to me. It might help me relax and fall asleep…?” Ah, Cade had the same idea as him, too, then. 

Optimus was quiet for a beat, before he nodded, so soft and imperceptible Cade could barely hear it. Then Prime leaned in, exventing gently. And began. 

Of course, to the untrained ear it was almost terrifying. If nothing else it was unnerving, the snarled rumbles, the metallic pulses and clicks and chuffs of exhaust. To Cade, it had become a sort of magic. He closed his eyes, listening.

“Tired.” He began with, earning Cade’s nod of understanding and encouragement. “Concern. Tired. Unease.” 

“Me too,” Cade mumbled, forgetting to translate. 

“Followme--ustakehome--followme--partneryouandItogether--safeus.” The sounds are cutting and twisted, but so strangely elegant. And, like everything else the Transformers did, powerful. 

Cade shivered at the noises, all jagged and long and melted together. Cade could tell Prime was separating the sentence for him, helping him out. Clicks, whirrs, pulses and staggered grunts that all strung to form sentences. Transformers had no word for ‘run-on’ because there was no such thing as a run-on for them. There was only short single phrases to describe something or some emotion, and then their complicated conversations. Licking his lips nervously, Cade tried to respond, throat and teeth and tongue trying to work to mimic the metal language of a dead civilization. 

“You... I mean--uh, Together...homego…? Concern... ” He stuttered, frowning as he realized he had no possible means to replicate the sound Prime used for that long section. There was so much fondness and liquid warmth in the tone, and Cade wondered how he could say it back. 

“I don’t, I can’t--that middle part. The part about...I heard the sound for partners?” Cade wracked his memory. “You sometimes made that sound for Ratchet…?”

“Sometimes, yes. Very good.” Optimus answered in English, sounding amused and coaxing. Cade almost felt insulted Prime could speak English so much better than Cade could speak Prime’s native tongue. He was only a little comforted by the fact that he was missing some parts that allowed him to replicate certain noises. His clicks were too wet sounding, but his guttural noises were pretty passable, Prime told him. And, of course, he couldn’t simply download the language like a walking computer and master English in seconds!

“Say it again?” Cade prompted. “Say more…?”

“Affection. Clever-Cade.” Optimus rumbled, indicating his amusement and pleasure at Cade for his attention. 

“PartneryouandItogether--protectfightshieldforevermine.” Optimus glanced over to the arena, “Sharkconfightpoorpathetic--loseloselose--iwin--iwinyouwin--weustogether.”

“There, the first part.” Cade said, his grip tightening in excitement. His heart hammered in his chest, and he didn’t know why. “The two beats and that purring noise-- youandI?”

“YouandI.” Optimus answered, slower and smoother. 

“...‘us,’ r-right?” But even as he said it, Cade knew that ‘us’ wasn’t coming close to this phrase. 

“Us.” Optimus said again, tone suddenly dropping in promise and intensity. 

Oh. Well. Cade was glad for how dark it was, that maybe Optimus couldn’t see his blush? Hopefully? 

“Is there another way for that one? Like how twins has different ways to say?” Cade asked, intrigued and forgetting about everything wrong at the moment. It was just him and the big guy, and he was safe and warm. 

“Acknowledged.” Cybertronian for ‘yes.’ “Youwhoaremine--WeWhoAreOne--” Optimus answered. The tone was now musical, airy and woven together like Prime’s own incredible, near indestructible metal workings.

“What does…? Can--I mean, is there any word I know that means that?” Cade had to know. Prime mulled it over for a moment before speaking again. 

“Friend, perhaps. Partners, would be a closer term.” 

Cade trembled all over, pressing shamelessly into Prime’s chest plating as he heard the translation. 

“Those don’t seem close enough, though.” He pointed out quietly. 

“No, I suppose they are not.” 

So Cade tried again, his accent off and words staggered and broken. He could speak far clearer Cybertronian than this but some reason, his nerves and hammering heart were making him stumble. 

“Y-you …. whoareme…?”

“Closer.” Prime praised, sounding pleased. “A longer but more correct translation would be: You and I are the same beings. Together, we are one.” 

And then Cade’s strange new title from the other autobots comes back at him, smacking him in the face like a wet fish. 

‘They-Who-Are-One.’ 

“That, uh…? That means...what, exactly?” Cade stuttered, giving a joking, incredulous noise. “Cause to me, it sounds like…like...” He trailed off, hoping Prime would fill the silence. 

“It means we are close. It is unlike Brothers-in-Battle, unlike Twins. It is a distinct phrase to describe a bond that needs to mention both of us to make sense. The phrase cannot be separated...as is true for us.” 

Well, shit. Cade’s heart swelled, and he sank closer up against Prime’s jaw, boots braced in ribbed plating to keep himself curled up tight and safe. 

“...one more time?” The human prompted, feeling humbled and courageous all at once somehow.

“You-Who-Are-Mine. ” Murmured the great metal creature, and Cade trembled all over again. He pressed closer, pretending to be only be seeking warmth in the shelter of Prime’s frame. A protective hand enclosed around him, guiding him closer and encouraging him. 

“You’re, uh, you’re ‘mine’ too, big rig.” Cade fell back into english, feeling small and struck off balance by Prime’s obvious declaration. 

Optimus was silent, but the low rumble ‘hmming’ he gave in response seemed to be answer enough. Prime was clearly pleased and felt he had said all he needed to.

Shit, though. Really? Optimus Prime called him ‘his?’ Wait...

This is what Prime meant, when they were stuck below ground? God, that moment felt like it was years ago, even as he triple-checked his mental calendar. But it had to be, and what was Cade’s response? ‘Best friends.’ Christ, was he a tool! And Prime hadn’t even gotten mad or disappointed...he had accepted it pretty well. 

Cade was only half aware when he noticed the hand blanketing his curled up frame had gently pried him free, and he was being lowering. For a worrying instant Cade thought he was being completely removed from his guardian, but no. Prime let Cade’s tired body tumble contently into his palm, as one tumbled into bed. Cade rolled onto his back, staring up at those twin beams of light, relaxing under the commander’s striking gaze. Optimus had him. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Cade. 

He went to say something, but a yawn won out and he laid there, little jaws wide and bones going loose as his exhaustion sank into him. Even worse, was that Optimus chuckled in amusement as his yawning and brushed the side of his metal-warm thumb over Cade’s exposed torso, coaxing him to roll over and curl up and sleep, no doubt. Damn, Cade wanted to fight it. He really did, but this was a lot for him to take in, and he needed to sleep on it. Tess was going to go up one wall and down the other if she found out he was dating someone--let alone dating Optimus of all people. Well, he wasn’t a people technically, which was probably what made Cade love him back so quickly. Cade didn’t do too well with other people these days, but machines? Yeah, machines he got. 

They got him too, apparently. 

Prime was still rubbing his torso, having now moved to his back and giving the familiar massage that had knocked him out earlier. Damn, Prime was a quick learner. 

“I was wrong earlier,” Cade grunted, forcing his eyes awake, though they aren’t very focused. When he hears Prime’s questioning hum, he shrugs. 

“We do have a word for that...its, well, I guess it’d be ‘soulmate.’” Cade offered. 

“Soulmate.” Optimus repeated, as if the lesson was for him instead. His rumbling baritone and the obvious affection with which he said the word made Cade shiver again, despite the comfortable heat pouring from Prime’s metal armor. 

“I like that. Soulmate.” 

“Y-yeah.” 

So the other autobots obviously saw something Cade had not. Or was ignoring. But he wasn’t intentionally ignoring anything! Or at least, he didn’t mean to. Optimus certainly hadn’t called him out, either. And, and being in love was one thing--that love being aimed at a god-like species from a long-gone planet was a whole other kettle of fish. He could never do things by halves, could he? Fuck. Cade curled up closer, deciding sleep was a good idea. 

It would give him time to think. 

“Night, big rig.” 

“Good night, Cade. Sleep well.” A cute humanism, one of Prime’s favorites. Recharge was important but more spread out, less of an activity and more kept to critical need. Transformers slept sparingly, especially in times of war and bloodshed. Just because the war had ‘calmed down’ for a moment didn’t mean old habits died any easier. 

‘Good night’ was a comforting human sentiment, a well-wish that Prime gave to either of the two Yeagers when they went to sleep for a night-cycle. 

Cade was hungry, tired and cold. So far, Prime had taken care of all but one of those things. It made Cade a bit self-conscious, and one of his last thoughts before sleep claimed him was the worst of them all. What could he, Cade Yeager, offer his apparent partner who wanted to be soulmates? What could he, really? The nagging thought followed him down into a dark, nearly dreamless sleep, where hungry sharkticons stalked him in deep waters. 

Where he was helpless, small and lost. 

Chapter Text

“I believe you find life such a problem because you think there are good people and bad people. You're wrong, of course. There are, always and only, the bad people, but some of them are on opposite sides.” -Terry Prachett

Chapter 5. Strain

Things come in threes. 

Good things, bad things, any- things...it’s a way of the universe. Even her mysterious workings and far out star bodies follow some laws, some patterns. It’s no concern of hers whether their known laws, though, which is something Transformers learned a long time ago. (It is also something they learned the hard way.) To be prepared for the unexpected was to see another day. And to be wise enough to know when to quit was also a good lesson all younglings had to learn sooner or later. 

Another good lesson was, as mentioned a moment ago: things happened in threes. 

And yet despite this usual law of everything, Prime’s third battle simply wasn’t going as well as the others. 

His opponent wasn’t a Decepticon, but an alien. Well, a monster , if you pressed Cade for details. 

It was nearly as tall as Prime, but had too many legs. It also had far too many teeth for biting and claws for slashing. At first Cade had been relieved; organic creatures back on Earth never fared well against the metal might of an autobot. But this monster was strong enough to gouge the worn, granite floor of the arena. The beast was also particularly stubborn, having a mean streak and covered in scars that suggested the monster won more than it lost. And since all battles were to the death here on Combatron, that meant it had never lost. (At least, they were , until Optimus Prime had started fighting in them.) Optimus already had to roll out of the way to dodge several slices that would have certainly torn him open in ways that wouldn’t be fixed quickly. Seeing the Prime dodge and fall on the defensive was still exciting to the damn crowd of onlookers, but it only worried poor Cade. 

It’s barbed, thick tail swung over Prime’s ducking helm, narrowly avoiding taking off his last horn and causing Cade to growl in protective defiance. Unable to watch the fight anymore, Cade pushed off and leaped down from the bench, hurrying over to his bag which sat in the corner. He shoved it aside, then moved the shield that Prime had placed there aside too. Behind the shield was a device, human sized and unassuming, but hopefully would pack a wallop when detonated correctly. Cade threw himself into his work, listening to the sounds of the battle off over his left shoulder.

“If he doesn’t fight another bot soon, we can’t get the materials I need.” Cade murmured under his breath as he puzzled the mess of scavenged wires from the sharkticons. They had left some teeth in Prime’s back, and with his help Cade had salvaged most of the metal casing and delicate inner workings. 

Cade’s stomach gurgled, and he glanced for what seemed like the hundredth time toward the other cell door. It lead to the hall that circled around the arena’s cages, but so far no one and nothing had visited them since Prime’s last episode. The human tried to force himself to ignore the pangs of hunger, tried to will his vision to unblur and his hands to hold steady. 

But he was getting so weak...his stomach seemed three sizes too small, curdling in on itself and practically vibrating in protest as he worked. He had managed to keep himself focused to not worry Optimus too much. But he knew once the bot came back, Cade wouldn’t be able to hide the effects of his starvation any longer. 

There was a particularly loud uproar from the crowd, followed by a bellow from the monster. Cade turned around in time to see the beast land heavily on its back, stone and bone crunching from the force. Cade’s teeth clacked together from the force of Prime’s weight, who came down just as heavily onto the reptilian beast and quickly tightened his arm around it’s thick neck. Cade winced, but saw immediately got the picture. Despite witnessing the brutal chokehold, Cade softened a fraction. 

So far, Optimus hadn’t taken a single life. He had kept to his word, a small agreement spoken between them for them to hear when they were being ferried from the ship to the Coli. 

Even fighting an organic opponent, one Cade is sure not even the well-traveled Optimus can label, the commander of the autobots still found a way to turn the battle in his favor. 

The instant the monster’s choked gurgles and weakened struggles halted, Prime released the monster and watched it slump to the ground. He stepped over it, ignorant of the wild crowd or the unconscious opponent, and headed for the cage. The gate rose, and Cade couldn’t help but notice the bot’s manacles no longer snaked up to reform the chains that kept Optimus held in place. 

‘Either it's a glitch in the system...or Prime was right. They’re getting lazy. He hasn’t given them any reason to stay on guard.’  Cade puzzled to himself as he turned, tucking the unfinished detonator away for now. 

‘They’ve also seen him with me. I’m the only chain they need to keep Optimus here. ’ Well, that thought certainly was a low blow to himself. 

‘A bond forged with loyalty is not a chain, young heir, but a mighty weapon when used smartly.’ came a voice, causing Cade to startle and twisting to glare into the darkness of his bag. He was so focused on hiding the bomb he hadn’t even noticed the Talisman was now crawling up it, and sliding against his fingers. Cade frowned but leaned in, and held his palm out for the Talisman to settle against his skin. It folded into its normal disc shape, cold and heavy in his palm.

“Easy for you to say,” Cade accused tiredly, not bothering to hide his thoughts since he was alone. “But I feel like a parasite when it comes to Prime. He’s always protecting me, helping me, guarding me, whatever. What the hell do I do?”

‘You possess the power of a Knight.’ came the simple response. 

Cade paused, brow scrunching. “Yeah, you keep saying that. Sure wish I felt knightly and all that jazz.”

He received no answer. 

Cade ran frustrated hand through his hair and tried to sweep the feelings of guilt away. This time it was easy to return the Talisman to his bag, and he did so quickly when he heard his friend returning. He walked right up to Prime, having noticed how unsettled Optimus was after a battle. How hesitant he seemed to be to reach for his human friend. Huh. 

‘I need to keep reminding him I’m not afraid. That no matter what, he’s still Optimus.’ And Cade trusted this amazing, wise creature with his life and his daughter’s life, and Tessa, his baby girl, was perhaps the only thing Cade thought was worthwhile about him. Besides, odd growing feelings aside, at the end of the day, no matter what, Optimus Prime was his best friend. 

“You did good, big rig.” Cade soothed almost immediately, offering a smile up to the autobot. 

Optimus nodded, but in a distracted manner that caught even the half-starved Cade’s attention. 

“You okay?”

“Someone is coming.” Prime murmured, volume so low Cade had to crane to hear it. Before Cade could respond the autobot was bending down and pushing his flat servo up to Cade. The poor human barely had anytime to scramble onto Prime’s fanned fingers, using them stairs as he hurried to the safety of the metal behemoth’s hand. 

Optimus had only just straightened up when their cell door was unlocked and pushed inward. A decepticon with spiky shoulders and tints of ashen green filled the space, gripping small, glowing rocks. 

“To the winner go the spoils,” the unknown con mocked as he tossed the small shards of energon in Prime’s direction. The commander watched them tnk! and roll softly along the dirtied floor, but merely turned his mild glower back upward at the con,

“And to his little toy,” the con said with much less enthusiasm, turning to toss a slab of what... looked like meat at Cade. This he did manage to catch, for it was watermelon sized, if wet and slippery. Cade struggled with the weight for a second but forced himself to glare up at the ugly machine. 

“Humans can eat... whatever this is?” Cade demanded, giving the lump a cautious glare.

“Frag if I know. Was just told to give it to ya.” Was the only reply. Without waiting for an answer from either of the two captives, the con leaned back, slammed the thick door and locked it.

“Great.” Cade eyed the mass of ‘questionable meat’ and finally shrugged. “It’s warm. And...singed. I guess that means someone cooked it. Do you know…?”

But Prime was shaking his helm. Cade handed his friend the pieces of energon and let the autobot eat them. After a few dubious attempts, Cade finally worked a more manageable hunk away from the lump and carefully nibbled it. 

“Well?” Prime asked after swallowing the last, pretty shard of energon. 

“It kinda...kinda tastes like chicken.” Cade said, sounding flabbergasted and shooting wide eyes up at his guardian. “Believe it or not. I guess it's not bad. Course, I’m so hungry I’d eat Tessa’s gross vegetarian beefless-beef tips or whatever the fuck they’re called.”

“Eat it slowly.” Optimus commanded. “If at any point you feel unwell…”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry, I’m not about to hoark this down anytime soon.” Cade snorted. But it would do for now, he supposed…

When Cade was unwilling to keep testing the food, he fetched a spare flannel he had in his bag and wrapped the ‘meat’ up. Then he had Prime tear a swath from his now dry and somewhat clean towel he had been given, and the autobot tied it around the bundle and hung it up off the ground. Cade hadn’t seen rats but that didn’t mean he wanted to invite anything to come check out his remaining food. Especially if Prime had to go through more battles for them to see more food at all.

“How do you feel?” Prime rumbled in concern, bending down to lift the man to his optic level. 

“Fine, I guess. Stomach is kinda sore, but only because it’s full now. I bet it shrank a little.”

“Humans adjust to starvation so easily, then?” Prime marveled, more to himself than Cade, who shrugged and agreed. 

“Sure. The water thing is kind of ‘non-negotiable’ but we can stretch meals out if need be. Happens, especially if you’re poor.” And a single father, working odd jobs and paying for his girl’s schooling and so on and so forth. Cade wasn’t a stranger to hardship, but he didn’t see the point in letting it get to him. Bad shit happened. He still wanted to see his daughter smile and laugh and be a kid before she had to grow up, so often times Cade ignored what he could and focused on her and his projects. 

Optimus nodded, but fell silent as he made his way over to the berth. 

“They didn’t lock the chains back on you.” Cade broached quietly, voice low just in case someone were listening. Again, the autobot nodded to him, sharing him a knowing look. 

“We will be careful, but stay alert. If we have to move fast,  be ready at a moment’s notice, my friend.” 

“Can do, pal~” Cade bragged as he sprawled out into the transformer’s hands, making himself comfortable. 

Even with Cade’s starvation being slowed--if not outright stopped--Optimus was still on edge. Those awful battles in the coliseum...the opponents were getting worse, in a way. Their tactics getting more intense, their strength increasing. Prime almost felt like he was being played with. Even here, Megatron’s claws were trying to sink into him, toy with him like one of the barn cats back home played with mice. 

He wondered if Cade felt it too. When Prime asked him, Cade’s answer was honest, if confused.

“I dunno. I just, I get the feeling something weird is going to happen. These things happen in threes, you know.” Cade frowned softly to himself, realizing that technically Prime’s third battle had happened. So maybe he was worrying for nothing? He hoped. 

“Why, are you superstitious, You-Who-Are-Mine? ” Optimus asked, dulcet tone heavier than normal with affection and amusement. 

“I’mma little-stitious.” Cade admitted. He tried to hide his smile at the appearance of that term, and blamed the turmoil of his stomach on whatever the hell he was putting in his system right now. Nothing more. 

His answer made the Prime thrum in amusement, nodding in agreement. 

“How is your...current project coming? At home, I mean.” Optimus murmured, but when Cade turned to glance dubiously up at the transformer, he noticed Prime’s bright optics were flicking meaningfully over to the corner where Cade’s tools and half-built bomb were stashed. 

“Uh...oh that ! Pretty good. I need more parts though, or it won’t work. Maybe when we get back I’ll send Hound out. He’s pretty good at using muscle to get what I need.” Cade hoped Prime understood, as the human jerked his head toward the arena behind them. 

Considering Prime’s firm nod, he must have. Cade also understood, and decided to not openly speak about something serious again. The con Prime always warned him about--Soundblast? Soundwave something?--wasn’t on Combatron as far as they knew but he wasn’t the only con of his kind, obviously. There could be others capable of listening in, though Prime had already scanned the cell for listening devices and thankfully turned up with nothing. Yeager knew he maybe shouldn’t have mentioned the chains, but Prime hadn’t scolded him. Instead he had answered with his own question, but showed Cade how to phrase himself a bit better. A lot of that relied on the two understanding what the other meant, and how to read body languages. 

Prime and Cade could do that with one another. And it was nice. 

Cade relaxed back down, lips twitching when a heavy thumb folded over him protectively. He reached up and patted it, hoping to soothe any frayed edges from the worrying autobot. Optimus really was something else. 

“You’ve eaten, but you’re still not sleeping well. Close your eyes and try to rest.” Prime said in his usual ‘no room for argument’ tone. 

“I can stay up a bit longer, big rig. Who knows when they’ll come to take you again for another fight, right?” He felt like a little kid, trying to bargain for an extra hour or so. The autobot’s expression betrayed his feelings, but Cade pushed anyway.

“Not too soon, I would think.” Prime grumbled, looking sour. He rolled a shoulder, one Cade saw him favoring the last few days. It was taking a while, but this whole ordeal was starting to wear down on the Prime. Cade sat up in the bot’s hand and shifted his legs under him. He moved from his crouch to Prime’s arm, finding balance on his thick armor and smiling when the plating shifted to flatten as he crawled up Prime’s long arm. This made it far easier to walk on, and Cade easily moved his way up to the offending shoulder, hands finding the metal plating that was dented and likely giving the Prime trouble. 

“Still sore?” Cade hummed, locking gazes with the Prime who had stilled when he began moving. 

“Nothing serious.” Prime rumbled in response, his optics shuttering gently when the man smiled at him.

Cade balanced easily on Optimus’ raised arm and shoulder, his boots slotting into the sturdy outer armor. He reached up and over to the injury, pressing his warm, small palms to the dent. It was about the size of a dinner platter, and those normally weren’t bad enough to make Prime sore. But if the injury was also below this section of plating like Cade assumed…

“Can I take a look?” He whispered over at the autobot, because Cade always asked and never commanded. 

Optimus glanced away, and for a second Cade thought the proud creature almost looked ashamed. That wasn’t new. Confidence and pride for a Transformer, (for a Prime, at least) were attributes held tightly as hallmarks of their race. The alien species was so self-sufficient, that Cade wondered what they ever saw in humans. Pets, at best. Vermin at worst. 

And yet autobots loved their chosen humans. 

Optimus Prime was no different. He seemed to put his life in Cade’s hands with little concern of the potential consequences. He also carried utmost confidence in the inventor, and if that wasn’t a huge ego boost than nothing was. Cade ran his fingers experimentally over the most damaged section of armor, a large chunk of silver that glinted under his palms even in the dim light of their cell. The blue and red pieces were outer casing plates, and much sturdier than Prime’s smaller, more delicate workings. Those pieces were his semi’s outer shell, Cade knew. Carefully, gently, Cade the inventor  worked the dented plating upward and away, revealing the actual wound underneath. This was just like lifting the hood of his pick up, to check on the sensitive engine that it hid beneath. 

Except, of course, his truck wouldn’t wince in mild discomfort if he did something wrong.  

“This looks painful, big rig.” Cade admitted, tossing his friend a pitying look before going back to inspect the wound. On a human it would have been a mild but swollen bruise, except human skin didn’t harm the organs and bones that lay underneath it. Transformer armor could pierce the under armor however, and cause problems if not addressed quickly. Without another semi to scan, Optimus couldn’t activate his immense regeneration abilities either, another Transformer hallmark. 

“I can’t replace the cracked pieces but it looks like one of them dug into your shoulder wires, right here. The cords are already swelling.” Cade sighed and leaned back, then gestured for his bag. The growing pressure of energon was probably causing more of an issue than the dented armor, like a wound with a thorn still wedged into it. 

“I’ll get rid of the shrapnel, then seal the wire shut with the blow torch.” Cade studied the wound with a frown. “And hope it’ll hold I guess.” 

“That’s fine. The heat will help dull the ache.” 

“And sting like a motherfucker.” Cade grunted under his breath, feeling sour that he couldn’t be a better medic for his autobot. He nursed his wounded ego by reminding himself that they weren’t at home, where Cade had all his tools and plenty of room to work, on autobots or projects. Tessa had been elated when she saw him cleaning the junk out of the barn, and had only teased him a little bit when she realized he was cleaning it so Optimus could have space for himself in either form. The other bots got their own garages, custom built and on the dime of Joyce, but Optimus only wanted space in Cade’s workshop. 

Optimus remained stoic as usual. His optics fluttered only once when the small flame touched his wiring, but by the time Cade was done and lowering the layers of armor plates back down one at a time, the autobot already was sitting at a more natural angle. 

“There.” Cade let himself slide down the bot’s forearm and plop gracelessly back into the wide hand that lifted to cup his body. 

“Thank you, Cade.” Optimus rumbled, dulcet tone fond and affectionate. It was enough to make Cade’s cheeks heat up, much as he tried to ignore it. 

“Don’t mention it,” Cade managed, lips spreading into what he hoped wasn’t as shy and small as he felt. 

Unwilling to work on the bomb in the dark of the night, Cade returned to Prime’s hand and curled up, head resting on the curve of the behemoth’s metal thumb. 

“You know...I was thinking.” Cade paused for a breath, unsure why he needed to buck up courage suddenly. It was just Optimus. He could talk to the guy about anything. 

“You’ve been taking a lot of hits by playing it safe. I don’t want you to kill or, or offline anyone either--but the way things have been going?” Cade stared up at the transformer, who was staring back gravely at him. “You might not have a choice, especially if your opponents are as big as that guy today.” 

“Then I will do my best to finish fights before my hand is forced, and I take any lingering wounds. But I refuse to play by Megatron’s game this time. I will not be controlled.” ‘Again’ hung between them. The sting of the witch’s hold was still a blight on Prime’s record, and one he hadn’t forgiven himself for, even if Cade and Bumblebee and the others had. 

“But if it comes to it, Prime, all I’m saying is--”

“There has been enough death to last five lifetimes, Cade. I am tired of it.” 

Cade knew a tired, hurting remark when he heard one. Optimus sounded more than grumpy and quite close to pissed, and it was due in part to the man’s pressing. Whoops. 

The man fell sheepishly silence, and didn’t broach the subject for the remainder of the night. 

The night passed to the next day in relative ease. 

That should have been Cade’s first clue, honestly. The second should have been the fuller than usual seats, and perhaps the third was the amount of crowd goading Bombshocker was doing as Prime’s door lifted. 

“Be careful, Optimus.” Cade warned, unsure why he felt the need to do so. 

The transformer only nodded, before ducking and striding out into the dimly light arena. 

His opponent wasted no time in bursting out, theatrical and hulking and smacking his chest plates in challenge as the crowd roared and oo-ed. This was a new fighter, taking Prime’s place for interest and apparently the only one who would provide Optimus a true challenge. 

This decepticon was big . Nearly as tall as the Prime, but certainly as wide and imposing. And his features vaguely familiar. Not because Cade had seen this con before, but more in the way a cheetah carries traits of a tiger. That was it--Cade blinked in surprise and jolted as he studied the con’s glossy, purple back features. 

He looked like he could be a semi, too. 

“Great...they finally got the idea to try and evenly match Optimus,” Cade hissed angrily to himself. 

“Well, look who it is!” The con’s voice bellowed out as it, too, ducked under the coli’s gated entrance across the arena. It sounded slick and cold, like oil rotting on a highway. 

“Motormaster.” Unfiltered venom laced Prime’s tone as he acknowledged the other behemoth, causing even Cade’s eyebrows to raise. 

Apparently the two had some history, and if Prime’s aggressive battle stance was anything to go by, it wasn’t friendly history. 

“Prime!” Motormoaster boomed out. “You’re looking...well, terrible. Look what all that preaching about kindness and forgiveness got you, War-Bringer ! You avoid your Primus given right and its come back to bite you in the aft! How long I’ve waited for this!”

There it was again--Cybertronian speak, yet another title for Prime that Cade had never heard his friend referred to by. 

‘Either the con’s are lying, or the autobot’s don’t use those titles out of respect.’

Cade wasn’t sure which he preferred, but it was all start to paint a terrifying picture. Suddenly he wished, not for the first time, there was another Prime Cade knew of. After all, a lie wouldn’t really rattle Prime’s armor, he was normally very easy going about that sort of thing. 

But if this Motomaster was telling the truth, and using a title he knew would goad the normally calm Prime into a better match...

“Shut up, Motormaster!” Optimus barked right back, startling even the crowd. “Where are your other Stunticons? Or is Megatron using them as leverage to keep you here?”

“Those useless fools!? Please!” Motor actually laughed, a noise that sounded like two rusty pipes gears being grinded together. He hissed some exhaust in amusement and started stalking closer to the Prime. 

“I’m not weak like you, Prime.” His volume was lowering, as if to keep the conversation between them. “I’m here by choice. You’re here by slavery, aren’t you?” 

Optimus pulled back in sharp warning, but Motormaster saw his chance and took it. 

“Maybe...maybe I should kill that little human you’re hiding back there, first? I want to get a good fight out of you, after all, and if splattering that fleshling over the stones is what it takes, well. We both know I’m the one who’ll break a few sparks to get better soldiers.”

“Watch yourself, Motormaster.” Optimus warned. “You can’t beat me on the road and you can’t beat me in combat, either.” 

“Heh, but apparently, that’s no longer a prerequisite for shutting you off, I heard. The King of the Road doesn’t bow to anyone, let alone a fleshy human! Here you are willing to offline just for those little vermin! I’d be doing you a favor, Prime, by freeing you from his indenture!” The Stunticon teased mockingly, shaking his head in false pity. 

Optimus fell silent, perhaps an attempt to disengage from this conversation and start the battle.

“I wonder what happens when you squeeze a human to hard, like an insecticon? What pops first?” As if those words weren’t enough, Motormaster half turned toward their cell, his optics flitting in interest in that direction as if to look for Cade. 

Cade flinched, watching Prime’s plating flare and his glare melt into molten fury in an instant. 

“Damn you!” cursed Prime, defiantly tucking his peds under him and launching himself the remaining distance at the con. Not another word was said by the Prime, he only roared out a battle cry that was not muffled by the appearance of his face plating mask, which flared over his metal lips and nose and tightened into position. His energon sword flashed across Motormaster’s face, forcing the large con to stoop awkwardly for an instant to avoid being beheaded by the autobot. Bravely, stupidly, his rage beyond reason, Optimus drove his sword in again, and again and again. 

“Awh, hell,” Cade breathed, closing his eyes as he realized what had happened. “He promised me.” 

He was kind of disappointed in Prime, but at the same time he had heard most of that trash talk. It was smarter and more pointed than anything Prime’s other opponents had lashed out with. In fact, this was the first time Cade had been brought up at all. Motormaster had even known about Prime’s threat to their captors when he noticed Cade’s starving. 

‘So either he overheard or someone told him. But this con has a semi alt mode--which means he was on earth long enough to get one. ’ Cade settled on ‘someone told him,’ and also the real possibility that Megatron was going to keep sabotaging Prime by making it more and more personal. 

‘Well, Motormaster certainly got what he wanted out of Optimus.’ Cade observed wearily as he watched Motormaster get thrown bodily into a stone wall.

‘I’m sure Optimus won’t take it too far.’

But Cade’s attention to the battle between the two metal giants kept flitting back to Prime’s titles. War. Reign. None of it sounded good. And come to think of it, Prime never responded well to the designations, if he responded at all. 

Optimus hadn’t exactly opened up and bared his soul to Cade, either. It was starting to cause a bit of a problem, and Cade was beginning to feel just a bit jaded. Optimus trusted him, didn’t he? But no matter how he pried or phrased his question, Optimus refused to explain what all this nonsense was about his many designations. He recalled a far earlier conversation, a memory wiggling in the back of his skull. 

“Maybe he doesn’t have to…” Cade muttered out loud as he turned and strode for his hiding place. He yanked his bag free and shoved his hand blindly into the depths of it, already talking before he felt the chilly facade of the Talisman even meet his fingers.   

“Hey, hey you in there?” This was probably one of the only occasions Cade initiated a conversation between himself and the alien artifact. The strange dial unfolded upwards into his palm and made itself at home immediately. 

‘You seek knowledge, young heir.’ 

“I--yeah.” Cade rallied despite his uneasy feelings over the sword’s mind reading, “Prime’s title, his designation in, in your culture…why does everyone keep calling him what they do?” He knew the Talisman could hear it, and what it couldn’t hear apparently it could glean from Cade’s thoughts. 

‘The young sprout understands our language aptly--why does thou question it?’

The Talisman was being dodgy, too. Cade realized this suddenly and his confusion shifted to annoyance. He didn’t need the run around from a metal disc with pretty carvings on it, there was too much at stake.

“Because calling Optimus Prime ‘War-Bringer’ is like calling a bunny ‘Killer.’ Look, look he screwed up in England but that was because of Quintessa. Everyone here makes it seem like he’s always been like...like Megatron .” Cade didn’t care if the damn thing understood his comparison or not. It should understand enough from his tone. 

‘Thing?’ Came a perturbed pulse. But the pause that followed was suddenly rather telling. 

“Just tell me what you know!” 

‘Optimus Prime is the sharp end of the sword, young heir. Thou would do well to remember that.’ 

Well that...wasn’t helpful at all. But it certainly sounded like a warning. 

“Optimus isn’t a weapon --he’s a living, thinking creature, he’s not…” 

‘...a monster?’ 

Cade’s fist clenched tightly around the Talisman, which didn’t seem to mind. It shrugged, at least, an object with no shoulders sent a wave of emotion that read to Cade’s mind as the common noncommittal gesture. 

“Exactly. He’s not that. He’s my best friend and, and…” Cade Yeager’s features softened, and he stared glumly at the ancient relic. 

“He’s the only one I’ve got right now. You can’t honestly expect me to believe Optimus is capable of all the bullshit Megatron does, can you?” 

‘Thou has seen the Prime’s might first hand. You doubt your senses?’ ’ The Talisman warned, ageless voice distant and frustratingly calm. 

“I doubt the decepticons, that’s who I doubt. When have they ever been truthful?” Cade snapped. 

The conversation was interrupted when the stone floor beneath Cade’s boots quivered, causing him to stumble. He grabbed at the walls and turned in time to see Motormaster’s frame block the cell door, then slide down it. 

“Jesus christ, Optimus--” Cade muttered, turning his attention back to the fight. 

‘Primes are...a bit like the Knights of our species. They are the weapons, they are the sword and shield.. Primes can conquer anything through force that they cannot win through silver tongues.’ 

Cade was barely listening to the Talisman, so caught up in the ferocity of Optimus as he landed on Motormaster. The autobot commander grappled only briefly with the struggling decepticon, before he used his sheer strength to simply lift Motormaster up and slam him against another section of wall. Metal whined and crumpled. 

‘But they, too, can become clouded by emotion and turn to evil when pushed.’ 

The Talisman slithered discreetly from Cade’s now limp hand and quickly tucked itself into the pocket of the inventor. 

‘Do you understand, young heir? A Prime is not a scout, not a medic. Their ferocity in battle is unmatched. They stop only when the opposing spark is snuffed out.’ 

“But Optimus isn’t like that--” Cade choked out, his breath leaving his chest as he watched the battle turn horribly one sided. Yes, apparently, Optimus could be and currently was just like that. And it was horrifying. 

This wasn’t a fight, not anymore. It was target practice. 

‘A Prime never loses.’ remarked Excalibur coolly. 

Chapter Text

“You are a dangerous collection of all of my favorite things.” -Nikita Gill

Chapter 6. Without

Motormaster was truly offline long before he hit the ground, and longer still by the time some guards came in to pull Optimus off the wreckage. 

Prime’s optics blazed like firelight. His plating heaved, his venting coming out in harsh pushes of steam. The guards held him tight--it took four of them, but by the time he was half a step away from Motormaster’s offlined corpse there was no longer violet clouding the edges of his optics. He could think again, at least somewhat. 

The onlookers seemed unable to choose between cheering, booing or silence. Perhaps the last crowd was the smartest, because Optimus glared up at them for any sort of noise, but silence he ignored. 

He tried to relax. He really did make an attempt. His shocked pause lasted only as long as it took to shove him toward his and Cade’s cell. When the Prime ducked into the dark, dimly lit room, he saw Cade stand up and tuck his hands behind his back. The action was so sparkling-like and innocent like he felt the last of his ire curdle to exhaustion and spark-deep affection. In that instant, Optimus thought perhaps everything would end up being alright. 

“What the fuck was that about?!” Cade demanded, hurt and anger and--worst of all--fear evident in his tone. 

Well, it was nice to think such silly thoughts while he could.

Optimus turned his gaze down to meet Cade’s fully. He remained politely, perhaps irritatingly, silent. He had broken their secret rule and Cade had every right to be mad, he supposed. 

It did not mean Prime would let Motormaster go through with his threats and hunt his human. And Optimus didn’t care if the inventor hated him or not, so long as he was alive and well to do so. He hoped it was a long and happy hate, in fact. 

“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself!?” It sounds as if Cade is mid-lecture to demand his daughter and not a two ton behemoth that’s more or less decided to become his. 

“I did what was necessary.” Prime finally murmured, low and dark. His tone is even against Cade’s lava bubbling fury, the two who are always opposites and yet perfectly matched. 

This is a comforting thing but sometimes, like right now, it can be a bit of an issue. 

“You did what was--you fucked him up is what you did! Can they even repair that mess? Or is--did you kill him?” 

“We prefer the term ‘offline,’ Cade. You know that. And no.” Prime shifted boredly, almost uneasily. Cade noticed, and his scowl deepened.

“If they mean the same thing than it doesn’t matter what term I use, and you fucking know that. Optimus--Prime--how could you? Losing your temper like that he--he wasn’t gunna hurt me!” 

“You do not know Motormaster like I do, Cade Yeager.” The appearance of the man’s full name caused the inventor to finally pause. “He treats even his fellow combiners in disgusting, sickening ways.” 

Optimus moved. A leg folded and he lowered in, staring down Cade who stood stricken on the berth. Optimus was gentle with him, and moved slowly. But this type of slowness was more warning and threatening than Cade was used to receiving. He stood still in the frozen blue light of those almost hypnotic optics. He didn’t really feel like he was being stalked but the tiny spark of resemblance didn’t let go of his frozen spine. 

“If he could have gotten to you, he would have killed you. He would have killed you just like Savoy and his men would have.” Prime whispered, sounding angry and ragged and tired . But so firm that it made Cade’s chest ache. “You may disagree with my actions but they are done. 

One less threat to us right now.” 

The magic spell of Prime’s optics was shattered, as was something else between them. Perhaps not broken beyond repair but certainly wounded. Cade flinched back in recoil, unable to stop the horrified gasp. He stayed stock still, for an instant his instincts forbid him to move under the Transformers’ paralytic gaze. It really was the way prey freezes at predator. Then, the thing that made Cade different, perhaps that which made him Prime’s human in the first place, pushed through his nerves. His spine arched, his features hardened.  

His fear came out as it usually did. As righteous, indignant broiling over anger. 

“Listen to yourself,” Cade seethed, recovering and taking his own pissy stance at Prime, who actually did lean his impressive, looming frame back. Seeing the Prime give way to his body language emboldened Cade but made the hurting, stinging wound dig itself deeper. So he got angrier, and let the dam burst that had been building since they got trapped on this forsaken planet. 

“What happened to Mr. Leader of the Free Galaxy, huh? Your whole belief in ‘Everyone one deserves the right to choose for themselves?’ What happened to all that--or were you just spouting bullshit to keep us all happy?”

Prime’s ridges knit together to resemble a growing frown, but Cade matched it with a vicious, wounded glare and promptly shoved the servo that began to reach from him. Now it was Prime’s turn to startle, and the usually gentle, warm hand of the giant floated away into the edges of Yeager’s vision obediently. 

Prime rarely reached for Cade without Cade expressing interest first. But when he did, the young man never disregarded the gesture like this. 

“What choice did you give him, Optimus? Huh? And what right do you have putting me above everyone else? Some people really believe in you, y’know that? Some--some guys look up to you and think, ‘gee, maybe I should try to be more like him, he’s the kinda guy I can trust.’ A-and if they can’t trust you, who can they trust?”

Silence reigned for a beat. Just as it became awkward and apparent that Prime was waiting for him to keep speaking, Cade did. 

“And maybe we’ve been playing this all wrong anyway, because to be honest? I’m not so sure I trust you to get into any more fights.” At this remark, Optimus finally shifted. A chink in the armor. Cade’s scowl deepened and he strode over to the door that lead to the hall. It was late at night, and by now he had the pattern of guards memorized. 

“What are you doing?” Optimus demanded finally, tone carefully flat. 

“Your way isn’t working. I’m gunna try mine for a bit.” 

“Do not leave this--”

“Oh, I’ll be back.” Cade interrupted, tone clipped. He reached into his pocket, lifting out the Talisman for Optimus to see. “I’m armed. Just some recon. You know I’m good at it.”

“Bumblebee is skilled at such a thing, you were still learning from him--”

Well, that was definitely the wrong thing to say if Prime wanted Cade to stay. 

“Prime, shut up. You stay here and cool down, a’right?” Cade almost didn’t say what he said next, but then he remembered his own bruised feelings and let the arrow fly. 

“Hey, if anyone attacks me, I’ll come back here and you can just kill them. How’s that sound?” 

Optimus froze, his engines stuttering into true silence. It was his only answer, which Cade read correctly as shame and hurt. 

Cade, his eyes stinging and face burning, buried himself between the bars and slipped into the Coliseum’s dark hall. The inventor could feel Prime’s optics burning into the back of his shoulderblades, but it only spurned him on. Prime would have to stay quiet now, because shouting for him to come back would most certainly draw attention to them, and risk Cade. Which, as seen by Motormaster’s lifeless frame being dragged out of the arena a bit ago, was not something Optimus was willing to do. 

He had a good two Earth hours before the guard came by their cell. That should give him plenty of time to do some learning, some digging, maybe cultivate a new plan to get out of here. 

And while he was at it, think up an apology that would repair what he too, had done to break their budding friendship. 

It was a good excuse as any.

Cade felt very small, slinking through the underbelly of this awful, wretched place. He followed a curving, winding hall, noting how it plummeted deeper into darkness. He and Optimus at least, had some natural light to comfort them in their shitty little cell. This was the extreme opposite of that, and it made him uneasy in the only way a lone human in the unknown darkness could feel. 

Down here was mostly smothering pitch blackness, occasionally interrupted by tiny spits of tired red light. The haze strained his human eyes, but Cade strode on with far more courage than a human should have in such a situation. No one seemed to know he was gone, which meant his plan was working. 

He had left a grumpy, unwilling Optimus behind and their argument too. And he had promised to only be gone for a little bit, to send up a warning or come right back if he ran into trouble. 

But he hasn’t. So he doesn’t.

Cade adventured a bit farther, hesitating when a low snarl caught his attention, just off to his right. He stopped mid step and pivotied warily, trying to picture where to hide if Whatever-It-Was in the cell decided to sound the alarm and draw attention. The type of attention that came with a gun barrel thicker than his waist and no concept of ‘ask now, shoot later.’ 

What was--?

Oh. 

It was a transformer alright, huge and glorious and powerful. But also locked in a cage far too small for it, crouched low and submissive and angry. Its optics gleamed back at him, emerald colored jewels blazing as it tracked him closely, looking dangerous. Something about this one was different though, and after looking gazes with it Cade could feel the samness sing between them. He crept forward, ducking through the bars and stepping into the cell as the crouched creature regarded him. As soon as he crossed into the bot’s territory, it’s plated shoulders rose like hackles. A soft growl rippled through his very chest and Cade halted obediently. 

A noise from a Transformer, especially a noise like that, is not meaningless. It is a warning, as much as a promise, but Cade knows how to read the varying pitches by now. 

“Shhh,” he said instead, and moved into a low, no-threat crouch. He fumbled into his pocket, calling--nearly begging--for the Talisman. It came, like always, erupting into his palm and forming into its usual sword shape. 

“It’s okay…”

The behemoth growled louder at the sight of the weapon, and behind it Cade could hear the beast’s body scraping stone walls and ceiling softly. It didn’t appear to acknowledge Cade’s words, and if it did maybe it didn’t care or understand them. 

But the way it moved, the care and grace and cautiousness was more than enough to convince the tired inventor. Yes, this was not necessarily a decepticon. Granted, it wasn’t an autobot either, but that alright. That was fine. Cade had gone on much less.

It was a Transformer, a potential ally. And as poor as Cade was when it came to connecting to his own species, he knew Transformers. Knew them like family members, knew them like friends. 

And he knew what he had to do, as a medic on Optimus Prime’s team. 

‘As I’ve taught you, young heir.’ The Talisman encouraged gently. ‘Slowly, with confidence.’

With a motion borne of practice and some extra confidence by pretending to be Optimus, Cade lowered Excalibur and pushed it between them. He let it slide to a halt, then stood up and took a step back. To any watchful Transformer, the message was clear. 

‘No threat.’ His actions and body language cried. ‘No weapons. No threat.’  

Cade waited, heart yammering in his chest. 

The beast--a gryphon? --studied him warily. When it growled, it's tones shifted. It spoke, not english which was telling for an altogether different reason. Cade listened eagerly, even closing his eyes to better translate as the sounds of the forgien language pushed against him like a strong ocean wave. 

“Threat?” came that warning growl, borne of confusion and soreness. It was a demand, unveiled suspicion bleeding from the mech’s tone. 

“Not-Threat-You? Who-You? Small-Little-One-What-You?” It spoke clearly, anger dying down to tired embers. 

“Me-No-Threat. ” Cade winced, realizing he was speaking Grimlock’s boorish, jilted structure. Still, the mechanical gryphon tilted its head softly. The soft growl lilted to a questioning warble, one Cade could translate. 

“You-Who-Speaks-Like-Me?” The confusion was easily caught just by tone alone. Cade nodded encouragingly, and toed Excalibur closer so the Transformer would understand. 

“In-Danger.” Cade weighed his options, pointing to himself. “Scared. Trapped-Fighting. Need-Aid, You-Who-Are-Fighter?” 

“Tired .” The beast answered remorsefully, starting to sink to the ground to rest. “Glory-Taken-Taken-Taken. Too-Tired. Weakest. Leave-Me.” 

Cade’s heart sank like a stone. 

“No, I can’t.” He whispered, forgetting to use Cybertronian but could tell the sad creature understood him. 

“Designation: Cade-Yeager.” He swallowed, then took a shot in the dark. “I-Who-Belong-To-Optimus-Prime. Alliance: Autobot. Class: Medic.” 

“...Optimus-Prime?” The beast mimicked in small wonder, lifting its wedge head up to peer at the now welcome trespasser. 

Cade nodded silently, unable to find a good translation that correctly displayed how close he felt to that big, charismatic commander. Using the term Prime had used seemed sacreligious. Too special to just say to strangers outside of his team, like it was a secret he wanted to keep between them.  He would have to trust the other could see his body language and how it straightened proudly when talking about his guardian. A Transformer speaking of its closest friend would brag with its body how confident it was when mentioning it’s Twin or Brother-In-Battle. Or...potential soulmate.

It seemed to work. 

“Till-All-Are-One.” The monster murmured, a low gentle purr that made Cade’s chest swell. 

“Yes.” He whispered, walking up to the hulking figure when he heard that familiar, now comforting line. “Till-All-Are-One.” 

It was a greeting as much a statement. But it assured Cade that this creature, while not aligned to a faction, seemed to hold some acceptance of his team. 

“...Medic?” This was said with thoughtful curiosity, and a twinge of hopefulness. 

“Class: Medic . ” Cade trilled eagerly, proudly, lips pulling into a welcome smile. Transformers had little use for facial features like smiles, but he was human and couldn’t help it.

 “You-Who-Require-Medical-Aid? Erh… ” He groaned, trying to figure the words out. He couldn’t remember the string of words that would help him, but he tried. 

“Not....few...lost-supplies…?” His broken speech seemed to make the mech’s budding confusion blossom further, and it grunted at him. 

“Not-Like-Me…? Autobot?” The great beast hummed in the back of it’s throat pipes, studying the man with a narrowed gaze for a second. 

Cade frowned right back and asserted himself closer, trying to mimic Prime rare but annoyed ‘hssk’ sound that he did. When Prime did it steam usually accompanied the noise and most autobots stepped out of his space quickly, but on Cade it must have left much to be desired. 

“Not-Autobot. You-Little-One.” The gryphon repeated when he saw Cade’s failed attempt, humming in its throat pipes. He now sounded confused, and perhaps he was looking for Cade’s ENT field which of course, there was none. 

Cade pointed to his left shoulder, where the autobot symbol in red fabric was patched carefully onto his jacket. He had done it weeks ago, sitting in the barn with an old red shirt and stitching it into the thick leather by the light of his desk lamp. Optimus had rumbled in pleasure when he saw it, and neither of them mentioned it again. But it felt... right. 

“Autobot." Cade corrected firmly, adding a scowl of teeth and wide lips to show he felt slighted by the other’s words. It looked rather like a disgusted grimace to a human, but the transformer saw his expression and warbled apologetically, because any Transformer knew what bared denta equated to. Ire, hurt feelings and a firm warning.

“Designation-You? You-Call-You-What?” Cade asked.

“Grimwing.” came the answer, steady as rain and deep as the ocean. “Alliance: Unassigned. Former: Decepticon.” Grimwing saw the little autobot stiffen and take a step back. Body language is something all Transformers rely heavily on, and he lowered his own frame, relaxing claws and helm down. It’s not submissive, not quite, but it is an attempt to assure. He tossed in a soft rumble of his engines, the sound and sweet gesture so Prime-like that Cade relaxed instinctively.

“Created-Made-Constructed. Maker: Shockwave.” A pained shudder rolled through Grimwing’s big frame as he explained. “Class: Predacon.”

Cade didn’t know what the fuck a Predacon was, but he did know Shockwave. And he also knew the mad scientist’s penchant for toeing the line between Creating and Unholy Abominations. The question was, which side did Grimwing lean toward?

“Fighting-Brave-Me, Lost-Me. Lost-My-Other-Understand-Pain? Lost!” Grimwing mourned plaintively, turning to nod his massive head toward a slot on his shoulder where something was apparently supposed to be. 

“Understand-Lost.” Cade nodded, though he had no idea who he was looking for on that shoulder or who Grimwing had lost. But he certainly sounded and acted shook up about it. 

“Lost-Lost-Who?” Cade whistled, curiosity growing. 

“Lost: Blackbeak. Little-Small--Annoying!--But-Mine. Part-Of-Me, Need-Need-Need!” 

“Regret. Sorry-sorry-sorry, Shame-For-You, Regret.” Cade answered soothingly, smoothing his palms over Grimwing’s large flank and wondering if it would have the same effect as it did when he comforted Optimus in semi mode. It did, miraculously, and Grimwing’s snarling dulled down to low, distressed mumbles. The predacon leaned closer, so close Cade could smell the hot iron scent and the awful, pained vibration Grimwing’s inner armor plates were making. He was injured, livid about it, and clearly overwhelmed. Hopelessness was sinking deep into his metal frame. No Transformer was so forward with a stranger, but poor Grimwing seemed to have no choice, and was desperate to seek comfort to try and get back this missing Blackbeak. 

Cade realized he would act this way if someone ripped Optimus away from him, and the inventor hardened into firm, passionate fury. 

So he tsks “Disappointment,” watching Grimwing but continuing to soothe what must have been a proud creature once upon a time. The potential similarities between Grimwing and his Optimus are enough to make Cade realize he was being a bit unfair earlier. That leaving was as good as storming out and slamming a door, however silent. He had made it clear why he was doing it, and had disregarded Prime’s orders by doing so. 

He should have stayed, though. He had the chance to sit down and hash through their argument like partners should do. But he didn’t. 

And if he wasn’t careful on the way back, then the could easily end up like Grimwing and the Missing Blackbeak. He would have no one to blame but himself, and poor Prime would only be able to guess at what happened to him. Yeager tried to tell himself that Optimus would come look for him, would remain strong and spirited, but maybe Blackbeak was expecting the same from his own partner. And look where that got them.

Cade checked his watch, wincing at the timer he had set. Even running he would have to stay silent and watchful. He couldn't cut it much closer than this.

“Leave-Soon,” Cade finally whispered, though he hated doing so. “Regret.” He added, which was true. 

“Find-My-Lost-Other?” Grimwing asked tiredly, curved helm resting on the floor of his cell as he allowed the Odd-Autobot to comfort him. Who he thought of now as Little-Medic-Cade is, of course, small with warm soft hands and the attention is welcomed. Though Grimwing was confused by the autobot’s appearance, he decided to not to dwell on it too long. He himself, after all, had been Created-Constructed . Perhaps Little-Medic-Cade was simply an experiment made by the Autobots? 

Thankfully, unlike most of Shockwave’s Creations, Medic-Cade seemed to have turned into a kind one. 

“Search, search.” Cade trilled back, making a promise while knowing to be honest and realistic. The assurance is enough to help the predacon’s gloom lift a bit. 

“Hungry-You?” Cade asked, feeling himself perk up when Grimwing did too at the mention of sustenance. 

“Acknowledged. Little-Medic-You-Energon?” Grimwing asked in astonishment, giving the medic another look. He knew the rules of this coliseum, and for a confused instant tried picturing Little-Medic-Cade fighting enough battles to win the allotted spoils. 

“Optimus!” Cade chirped back as a reminder, chest puffed out as he bent to retrieve Excalibur. It vanished back into its travel sized disc shape, and Cade noticed that Grimwing seemed wholly unbothered by the artifact. Making a mental note of that reaction, Yeager strode back up to Grimwing fearlessly, earning a glance of amusement. 

Grimwing nodded, making a short noise as if to say, ‘Ah, right.’ and wondered to himself about the familiarity between this Odd-Autobot and Optimus Prime, Holder-of-the-Matrix, Commander-of-Autobots….He-Who-Reigns-War. It was possible Medic-Cade was lying, of course, but such a lie seemed Unwise and Improbable. Especially here, because to go about saying the Commander’s designation so casually was painting yourself a target for the Decpticons. 

Little-Medic-Cade was likely not lying then. Which was stranger still. 

“Energon?” Cade purred again in friendly askance, unknowingly cutting the predacon from his thoughts. 

“Want.” Grimwing parroted the same tone, an eager agreement. “Careful-Little-Medic, Safesafesafe.” He worried out loud as Cade bid him farewell. 

Most telling of all was the answer he received. For as Grimwing reminded Cade, who was so small and fleshy and soft and delicate , all the tiny thing did was shrug unafraid and repeat with calm firmness:

“Optimus.” Once more before slipping out into the darkness and going on his way. 

Grimwing mulled over the recent events, glad to have something new to think about. And glader still to have met the Odd-Autobot, Little-Medic-Cade. He had no idea what use Optimus Prime and the autobots would need for such a little soft creature, but he seemed confident and assured of himself. This would make others trust him, as seen by earlier. A good tactic, and Grimwing decided that even if Cade only came back with Energon and not Blackbeak, he might consider Little-Medic-Cade as a potential replacement for his missing partner. 

....Perhaps not, though. 

Because while Cade was so confident in himself, even the predacon noticed that was only doubled whenever he mentioned his supposed partner. For the little medic to answer ‘Optimus’ so easily and firmly when he was told to be Safe was a Very Telling Thing. More telling than body language, more telling than long, extravagant titles. Grimwing had enough problems biting at his heels, the last thing he needed was to rouse the ire and fury of Optimus Prime by taking his tiny medic from him. 

One thing the Predacon was certain of, was that energon or Blackbeak aside, he hoped the warm little soul would return soon. 

Loneliness was a far crueler opponent than anything the Coliseum had to offer.

While Cade went on his little adventure and got some perspective, Optimus Prime was left alone. 

At first he stalked across the cell, acutely aware of the lack of manacles. Then he stopped, realizing the noise might draw attention to him. 

Then was tempted to break out. The joints of the cell door were likely weak from old age, but then he would only be out of one cell into a bigger one, the coliseum. The door to the long hall that Cade had slipped out of was much more reinforced. It would be impossible to break through that silently, and he would soon be under attack even if he did. 

He would also bring awareness to the fact the Decepticon’s bargaining chip was gone. 

Optimus wasn’t going to risk Cade like that. He especially wasn’t going to risk the chance that Megatron’s followers might simply kill Cade just to break his spirit, uncaring of their Master’s orders in the moment. 

Such an underhanded tactic would work, which, naturally, only made Optimus angrier.

So Optimus Prime was left very much alone. There were no fights this late at night, no guards strolling by for another good earth hour or so. Time seemed to have slowed to a crawl. It was almost agonizing, if only because his worry over Cade’s well-being was trying to burn through what remained of his nerves. 

The commander felt along the left side of his metal face, tracing the invisible scar left by the witch. 

Her terrible, barbed mind control was long gone, he knew that deep down. But he also knew that if he looked at his spark, a small portion of it was still frozen. Said branch was a vile, ill shade of violet, about as long as a man’s arm with only two small limbs jutting from it. His spark rotated a bit like Earth did on its axis, but the frozen, brittle portion of it that Quinetessa left did not pulse or wave about. It turned with the motions of his spark but that was it. Metaphorically and literally, a part of him had died after his indenture in her control. 

Now, the rest of his spark was healthy, and the Matrix of Leadership was just fine too, but…

It still worried him. 

He had lost his temper against Motormaster. 

Prime could justify himself any way he wanted, he knew that. Their own gory history, Motormaster’s vocal threats against his charge. He could say it was for the greater good, that the loss of Motormaster’s heavy handed brutality would only help his poor, unhinged combiner pieces in the long run. Frag, even Prime’s own tiredness was to blame, as it made him so much easier to provoke than normal. Any combination of the above, really. 

But he knew Cade wouldn’t see it like that. He couldn't blame the man. Bumblebee wouldn’t either, though he wouldn’t be so vocal about it. 

And if it hadn’t been for the two of them he would have destroyed Earth and its inhabitants all in one fell swoop during the England incident. Quintessa might have pulled the trigger but Optimus was the gun, wasn’t he? 

He was so weary of being controlled, so weary of feeling like his actions were choices made by someone else. That he had no free will of his own, and how often such a problem put his family and humanity in harm's way.

(‘All this species mixing with species, it upsets the cosmic balance. The Creators, they don't like it. They built you to do what you were told!”)

Prime’s thoughts tumbled and twisted and turned, knotting up like the minis when they played in the barn, underfoot of Cade. The commander almost didn’t notice the soft motion down across his cell but he froze and stared intently at Cade. The human stumbled through, rubbing his arm but seemed none the worse for wear. He shot up a sullen look at the commander and strode calmly for his bag, which was still hidden behind Prime’s shield. 

“Are you alright?” Optimus spoke first, unable to bear the silence suddenly. Cade was always so...chatty. Prime had never much minded one way or the other, but right now he needed to hear the man’s voice more than anything else in the universe. He hadn’t noticed until now how much he enjoyed the man’s conversation and counsel. 

Because if Cade kept talking, maybe he wouldn’t have to listen to himself. Or Quintessa. 

“Fine.” Came the tight response. Cade turned to him then double-taked, squinting up at him. “What’s up with your optics?” 

“What?” Prime shuttered them instinctively, but he had no answer. They were working all right to him.

“...never mind, I guess.” Cade said, tone low and suspicious. “Must be seein’ shit…” He turned back to his work.

“Hey, next time you get some energon, I need some of it.” Cade broke the silence this time, and a flare of relief spit up in Prime’s chest. 

“Alright.” Optimus said easily, because what was his was Cade’s, and they both knew that. Even something as important as energon. “May I ask why?” 

“...yeah, but I dunno if I should tell ya.” Cade muttered, more to himself than the commander. “You might not like it.” 

“Try me.” Prime responded, working to keep his tone carefully flat. 

“I...met a bot.” Cade seemed to weigh his options. He turned now, locking his eyes with Prime’s optics and seemed to come some internal conclusion with himself. “His name’s Grimwing, he’s a--”

“Predacon.” Prime felt the growl before he could stop it, and his armor bristled. Cade rolled his eyes, only adding to Prime’s growing ire. Couldn’t he take one thing seriously?! 

“You found a Predacon? Cade, Predacons are a violent, experimental line of decepticons--”

“Well this one wasn’t. Violent or decepticon, I mean. He didn’t even have the symbol.” Cade stressed the words, holding his hands out. “He was tired, and hurt and hungry, Optimus. What was I supposed to do!?”

Prime knew that if he said what was on his mind, it would only start another argument. He bit down on his glossa, but exvented a puff of steam to signal his irritation and concern.

“I couldn’t just leave him like that." Cade defended softly. "So I wanna go back and give him some food, see if it lifts his spirits, yanno? Prime, they’re starving him.” 

“And if I forbid it?” 

“Well, for starters, you’re not my old man. Not that he was around to give me a lesson in my life but, yanno, semantics. Secondly, I’ll sneak out. We both know that.” Cade snorted, earning a roll of tired optics from his guardian.  

“I’m not the team medic because I like having burn marks on my hands. It’s my job because I'm supposed to fix you guys. Help Transformers. Especially Transformers who can help us, get my drift~?” 

Optimus scowled but glanced away. That was a good idea. Cade wouldn’t be risking all this for a bot who was hostile or promised to hurt him. ...Prime quickly disregarded this assumption. No, Cade would, because he had. And the bot he had done it for was currently one standing before him.

(“I’ll kill you!”) 

Cade had fallen silent now, waiting and looking hopeful. 

“Was his other piece with him? Black...Black-something...” 

“Blackbeak.” Cade helped. “And no, that was the thing!” He suddenly hesitated, realizing he was almost shouting.

The human had moved closer in his excitement, which Optimus recognized. This was Cade’s inventor mind, always digging, searching, craving to study. Of course the man would be utterly over the moon to get up close to a Predacon, an ancient and powerful species even among Transformers. And Prime couldn't help but noticing the more he got distracted the more he behaved as he usually did to his autobot. 

“C’mere,” Cade hushed conspiratorially, motioning for Prime to move down to his level. Prime obeyed. 

“Okay, so, Blackbeak wasn’t with him--and Grimwing was fucked up about it, right? He sounded so sad, big rig. Blackbeak came first, he didn’t even mention hungry until I did! He sounded just like when I first met yo--” Cade seemed to realize how close he was and suddenly Prime felt those small, warm fingertips touch his cool, metal jaw. Prime's azure optics refocused down on the human.

Both paused, Optimus from soft surprise, Cade from the memory that had struck him so hard. Cade had frozen and then reached out for contact right after, seeking quick comfort from the autobot. Prime softened further into the man’s hold, nearly melting when he realized what Cade had implied, and how much it struck the little inventor. So Prime shifted then, slow and careful and moved his servo down to the ground, uncurling his fingers. He remembered what happened the last time he reached for Cade, but did it again anyway. Cade clambered on immediately, forcing away his sadness and refocusing, hiding in the shadow of his protector, his guardian.

“He’s miserable. He said Shockwave made him, er--well, constructed him. Is that true?” 

“It is.” Optimus lifted the man carefully up, moving to sit on the bench away from the hall door. He noticed Cade’s brief shiver, though the night was warm and muggy. 

“Creepy. Like Frankenstein's monster, huh? I think Grimwing’s tired of fighting, and they locked him up for it and took away Blackbeak for leverage. But get this, Prime, he knew you. Like, he knew the cause. ‘Till All Are One’--he repeated it back to me!” 

“That is...interesting.” And it was. He didn't know of any Predacon that cared much for their faction. What few who weren't in hiding among the stars were still under Shockwave's control. At least, Optimus had thought they were.

“Right? He knew stuff, but he didn’t know English and get this, he didn’t know,” Cade dug out the talisman, holding up the disc for Prime to see, “what this was! Isn’t that weird?” 

“Hmm. A little.” Prime thought it over for himself. “But Shockwave’s lessons were likely not about superstitions and mythical items, Cade.” 

“No, I know, but he knew about you and the autobots. It just struck me as odd, I guess.”

Optimus felt inclined to agree, but only nodded. 

"You have a good plan, but we need to go about it carefully. I don’t mind helping others escape if they aren’t going to cause problems in doing so.” Or put Cade at risk. Perhaps this Grimwing planned to use them in much the same way? Prime wouldn’t blame the predacon. What little he knew of Grimwing wasn’t terribly bad, but it wasn’t good, either. 

“Just...be careful, Cade. Please."

“I will! Boy scout’s honor.” Yeager said immediately, spine arching proudly when he realized he actually had Prime’s blessing and cooperation on this. 

“Were you ever a boy scout?” Prime asked, remembering the human term. 

“...uhm, no.” Cade’s embarrassed smile was flashed shyly at him.

Optimus snorted but shook his helm fondly. This man.

Chapter Text

“It seems to me, that love could be labeled ‘Poison’ and we’d drink it anyways.” -Atticus

Chapter 7. Fracture

Seasons are an interesting thing. Seasons on Earth are stranger, and though Optimus Prime and his autobots have had many decades (give or take) to become acquainted with them, they still are something to marvel at.

Stranger still is the fact multiple seasons happen across the world at any given time.

He is glad to have chosen Cade’s home state of warm, mostly dry Texas for the new base. It is a flat, sprawling state that leads to many other places and this is good. It’s position on Earth wards away snow except in certain areas, but none of those areas come close to ‘Bumfuck Middle of Nowhere’  where they live. (As Cade so eloquently puts it.)

But they cannot always be at home.

No, sometimes the business of their current lives called for travel. Mostly to other, green and warm places. Most sane Transformers had learned quickly to avoid freezing temperatures on Earth, and while some could withstand--even welcomed--blistering heat, he and his team were not among any of those types who flourished in extreme weather.

Back to the matter at hand.

Optimus onlines, sluggish and slow, not liking how the cold dampens his senses and makes his frame feel heavy for even his great strength.

The air is heavy but sharp, so sharp. Like a million tiny needles digging under his armor into the far more sensitive protoform that was usually protected.

He is in root mode, a felled tree on the wintry landscape of the northern states, or perhaps they were in Canada by now? He doesn’t know, can’t know and frankly doesn’t care just yet. He knows he wasn’t knocked out for long, knows even as he begins sending alarms and sos’s signals to the nearest teammates on their shared wavelength. No response, but he finds himself unable to muster the worry. Likely the weather was causing issue too, and though he finds himself in working order, he is cold and sore and alone.

Alone?

Optimus moves sharply as if stung, clumsy-cold metal hands and knees finding poor traction as he tries to rise to see as much of the area as he could. He has very little feeling in his sensors, which is annoying but not really an injury. When he thawed, he would have the sensations back. As long as he could keep moving, it wouldn’t become a problem. He rises, looking around frantically across the frozen wasteland.

A tree, another tree, mountains to the north, clouds above and snow flakes. Hundreds, thousands, all too thick and fat and blinding. His optics need almost continuous shuttering, because he is not very warm and some of the flakes refuse to melt on his shiny hide. He growls, about to raise his voice and shout for Cade Yeager, his Cade Yeager. Then he moves too sharply and there’s a tiny, plaintive yelp from his shoulder that causes him to freeze but this time, only metaphorically.

Thank Primus.

“Cade!?” Optimus snaps, tone harsh and borne of worry. He reaches up against his neck, trying to feel with frozen stiff fingers for the man who had been taking shelter just above his spark cavity, curled in the curve of his knight-like metal crest that rose on either side of his helm. Cade knows where it is, and knows how important it is, and the smart man also knows the biggest source of heat would be as close to Prime’s spark as possible. Even without the threat of freezing to death, Optimus trusts the man to get as close as he likes to his spark. Right now he’s just relieved Cade had the common sense to use Prime’s downed form as shelter until the commander onlined.

“Forgive me.” Prime hushes as he pries a curled up Cade off him, looking down at the bundle of snow coat and jeans and boots in his palm. Also uninjured, if much colder, and Yeager spares him a baleful stare that even now is adorable and charming. Prime rumbles back on instinct, apologizing and soothing all in the same soft sound.

“N-n-no w-orrr-iess,” Cade’s hood is up and his face ruddy. “Boy, tell you-ou w-what, ne-exxt time? I’m d-d-d-rivin’,”

He’s making jokes, which is a good sign all things considered. Optimus exvents tiredly but fondly, shaking his helm. He presses his servo filled with shivering human to his metal throat, allowing Cade to return to his meager spot of warmth and helping by trapping the man between his servo and neck cables. Cade found, acquired, and safely pinned in place, the Prime rises as fast as he can muster.

“We got away, at least.” Prime murmurs, half to himself and half to his human. Cade mumbles in agreement but the warmth is already helping him greatly, keeping him calm and letting him be tired.

“C-can...F-find the r-r-road-d?” Cade asks, because he is clever and Prime purrs in pride at the man’s thinking.

“Yes, I can. I will need to walk it, though. My tires…”

“Y-yeah, t-t-take your t-t-time.” Cade grunts, eyes closed and arms wrapped round himself.

Optimus supposes he deserves that. He was the one who pushed onward into the night. He was the one who let Cade sleep and didn’t wake him, and he was the one who mistakenly thought the snow storm would let up if only he kept driving through it. But sometimes snow storms move the same way you’re going, and that is never good. Getting them lost, losing the road, and worse...

Then the world around them exploded, shattering into a dizzying kaleidoscope of strange white that turns so harsh and bright it’s becoming hot pink but fading to a darker color. Optimus shutters his optics, desperate and confused. He wants to lash out, to fight back, because he knows, knows , what this color means. He finds he has no strength to do so in his limbs. Worse still, is when he lifts his hand and peers to look at his shoulder, Cade Yeager is not there. 

Perhaps he never was at all.  

Optimus howls, rage and anger so much blinding but overylaying his optics. Their loving blue light is snuffed out, and they darken to that horrible, familiar violet. 

‘Back where you belong, my sweet one. Finally .’ She sounds pleased, which makes Optimus naturally uneasy and somewhat frightened. 

‘All it took was reminding you of your place. How fragile they truly are as a species, after all.’

Optimus doesn’t understand. How can he? She speaks in riddles. What is so fragile? Surely she doesn’t mean--

He looks down, past the snow and ice and brittle wind, and into his palms. One is empty. 

The other is not. 

The other is slick with blood. Human blood. The crushed skeletal remains of Cade Yeager stare up at him, mouth agape and unseeing eyes looking behind Prime. He is Offline--Dead, actually. Very dead, very broken and unfixable. 

‘I’m glad you came ot your senses for me. And I’m glad your little pet is out of the way. 

We wouldn’t want you coming out of it again, would we, my Prime?’

Optimus’s optics flashed open, only to stare blankly at the dripping, cracked ceiling of the cell. He shut down several inane and annoying warnings from his HUD, and lay so still he might have looked Offlined to a passerby. But he wasn’t, although death was preferable to the nightmare he had just had a minute ago. He waited, still and quiet in the darkness, leaning against the wall, helm tossed back. He moved, joints stiff from anxiety and strained from overuse of continuous, endless fighting. 

Curled up on his thigh, his limp servo and arm creating a protective wall, Cade slept on, completely at ease and unaware of any danger lurking around the corner. Even if he was aware, Optimus knew that Cade would still come to him, seeking protection and comfort. 

Even if that danger might already be around the corner. Any threat at all. 

A threat like Optimus was.

The commander stayed quiet, senses dulled from the flare of confusion and now dwindling back down to dying embers of weary, miserable exhaustion. His recharges were all he had left, and he was losing even those now. Was this all some deeper test of Megatron’s? Some cruel plan to turn him cold and hard and draw out what made so many Primes before him go mad? Did...did Megatron intend to win by making Optimus lose...not glory or anything nonsensical like that but by losing...something else? Losing Cade Yeager?

Cade’s heartbeat was thudding quietly against the metal of his thigh. He could sense more than feel it, of course, but it was very much there. Prime was warm, but Cade was warmer, and the autobot felt that now more than ever. 

Cade Yeager could very well have had a normal human life, if not for Optimus Prime. 

‘Foolish.’ Prime scolded himself. ‘Cade took you home on his own merit. No one forced him.’ 

But he did it for money, for a second chance. Not because he was willing to save the Prime. 

At least, not at first. 

‘It was his choice, but it was not a choice he made knowing all the correct information. That means it doesn’t count. As curious as Cade is, as much as he loves inventing...he would never have risked Tessa for me. Not for all the knowledge in the world, nor money.’ 

This was a mistake. We. Are a mistake.’ 

Worse still, it was a mistake Optimus had refused to see until now. And one Cade likely would never see, if Prime didn’t come clean. 

‘She is still inside me. Enough to pose a threat. If she wanted...if she got too close again…’ 

And Bumblebee wasn’t here this time. 

(“I am Nemesis Prime!”) 

Optimus shuttered his optics closed. He blocked out his own thoughts, too tired to try anything else. He ran through a mental list of mild injuries, realizing the list had doubled since Motormaster’s and his fight, but shut off the data anyway. He instead busied himself with spreading his scanners as far as they could stretch, trying to sense anything lurking on the outer edges of their cramped, dark and cold jail. 

Nothing. 

That was a relief, but it did not mean Optimus allowed himself to rest. 

The next hour, he scanned again. 

And the next. 

And he ignored the growing list of injuries, his fatigue, the fear festering in his spark, and most of all? He ignored the soothing warmth of Cade’s small, soft body.

It was getting cold, here in their little cell. 

Cade wasn’t sure if it was the strange planet’s weather, or his own tiredness, or how thin his clothes were because he had been so sorely unprepared for a trip like this. It could also just be emotional, too, because a strange chill had sunk into his bones ever since he saw Prime tear into Motormaster so cruelly, so fiercely. The chill had gotten worse when he had woken and seen Optimus already online and aware. Well, sort of. The proud creature seemed a bit distracted, and tired. Cade wondered if Prime had gotten any sleep at all. He knew their argument wasn’t over, only pushed aside like a forgotten project, but he also didn't have the mental strength to bitch at Optimus right now. 

So Cade sat alone, miserable and chilly, on the large bench and nibbled at the hunk of mystery meat he had been given a few days ago. He had no idea if it would last, or what signaled it being rotten (aside from him getting sick, which he was hoping to avoid) and he was in a particularly sour mood as he tried to recall exactly what Grimwing’s cell door looked like. 

If it could be picked open. 

And there were other ways to open a door, Cade knew. The hinges, or the door itself could be ruined. Maybe...

Behind him, the sounds of a battle rang from the arena. Metal clangs, growls of engines and of course, the obnoxious sounds of the crowd filled the space. Cade closed his eyes, fighting every urge to look over his shoulder to see how Optimus was faring for his fifth battle. 

His fifth? Wait, no--that couldn’t be right! 

Cade stopped chewing, tensing as he ran through his memory and then double checked with the Talisman, which was still lurking in his pocket. 

‘Indeed. Five total.’ It clarified flatly, a hint of ire betraying it. ‘They lied. There is no Honor here, young heir. Not among Decepticons. ’ 

“You got that right.” Cade growled out loud, tossing his food onto the cloth and eyeing the drop down to the floor. It wasn’t advisable. If he landed wrong from such a height and fucked up his legs, he wouldn’t be able to get back to Grimwing easily. And Grimwing was waiting for him--what else did he have to do?--so Cade hesitated, trying to use some common sense for once. Remembering how Optimus had gotten Bombshock’s attention a few days didn’t do him any good either. He wasn’t as big or intimidating as Prime, and he certainly didn’t have a cannon on his arm to make enough noise. Especially with the Coli in full swing. 

The crowd erupted into what Cade knew meant as either a battle started or a battle over. He allowed himself to turn now, staring at the crumpled remains of a Decepticon who at one point had a hammer as a weapon. 

The hammer was know embedded in the wall by its helm, and the con’s torn body was sparking and it lay still. 

...but it was alive, Cade was pretty sure. 

Still, when Optimus Prime stormed tiredly into the cell, Cade stayed silent for a beat. Just watching. Prime seemed off still. He looked...angry wasn’t the right word for it. Livid wasn’t either, the commander seemed a strange mix of riled up but depressed about it.

Resigned. That was it. It was a haunted look. 

Cade’s eyes rose to meet Prime’s, because the autobot was turning to look for him now and he stood and stepped forward to the edge of the bench so he could be found. To Cade’s growing relief, Optimus seemed to come back to himself when he lay his optics on the inventor. 

“Hey.” He finally called up, voice small and meek. Until now he had never stopped to think how tiny he was compared to the Transformer. To pretty much all Transformers. 

‘Not to me.’ The Talisman said, sounding rebuked at being unconsidered. 

‘You’re notta Transformer.’ Cade thought back, then willed the Talisman to shut up for a damn second. 

‘I most certainly am!’ But it fell silent with a reproachful grunt. 

“Uh, Prime?” Cade asked, because Prime was still silent and staring and that was becoming a bit unnerving. 

The autobot glanced to meet Cade’s gaze in response and gave a faint grunt from his engines in askance. 

“...you feeling okay?” Cade scrutinized the autobot’s striking metal features but found nothing remarkably off. His optics were still blue, and despite the scuff marks and dents to his hide, he looked about as well as one would expect in a situation like this. Physically and mentally. 

“I’m fine, Cade.” His tone was hollow. “Thank you.” 

“...don’t mention it.” Cade busied himself with wrapping his ‘food’ back up and when that was done he sat on the edge of the bench, legs dangling and decided to broach the elephant in the room. 

“So-o-o that was...some battle. I mean,” Cade went on quickly at Prime’s tired glare. “It went okay, I think. But in terms of...how many you’ve had already. I just noticed that this would, well...uh…this would be number...”

“It was my fifth battle, yes.” Optimus spoke slowly, but there was a dull edge to his pitch that was making Cade uneasy and he couldn’t put his finger on why yet. 

“Yeah. Your fifth. Which comes after the fourth. Which is the one we were promised to be allowed to leave after.” And, obviously, they weren’t. No one had even come by and said so much as a word at them in almost a day. Not that Cade wanted the company of Decepticons but he too was starting to feel a little stir crazy, and he wasn’t even the one fighting for his life day in and day out.

Optimus studied Cade tiredly, before nodding. 

“That’s a good point. I hadn’t thought about that.” 

And that was all Optimus said on the subject. 

Another shiver crawled up Cade’s spine and he shoved his hand into his jean pocket, seeking comfort instinctively. The Talisman, while weird and bad at being anything but cryptic and strange, did thrum warmly. The metal heated as if alive and it steadied Cade’s nerves. 

‘The Prime tires.’ it said, causing Cade to blink and frown thoughtfully. 

‘Yeah...yeah I can see what. What do I do about it? I can’t...I can’t do anything to help beyond repairs. And even then, I’m pretty out of supplies. I’m just the human, remember?’ 

‘Thou is more than what you can do. You posses the power of a Knight.” the Talisman answered, before falling silent. Which was fine with Cade, because he didn’t feel like arguing with two sentient metal creatures right now. He barely had it in him to do it with one, especially one that was more or less his best friend and who he rarely argued with at all. Never like this, anyway. 

“Optimus, I--”

“Well, well Prime. I hate to interrupt your...emotional moment with your little pet there but I figured you might appreciate this.” 

Both human and autobot turned as one to look at Bombshock. He unlocked the door and tossed the energon shards in, letting them spill along the floor like always. Optimus made no move for them, but eyed Bombshock with a tight expression and nodded. 

“Hey, wait!” Cade called, putting as much forcefulness in his tone as he could muster. “Bombshock, don’t close that door! You owe us!”

“How’s that, fleshling?” Bombshock snorted, sounding disinterested. 

“This--that was his fourth battle!” Cade shouted up, matching the con’s glare that it sent to him. His stomach turned to ice when the con’s glare curdled to a simpering sneer. 

“It was, wasn’t it? No worse the wear, either are you? Lord Megatron must have underestimated the power of a Prime. Even one so soft as you.” Bombshock suddenly smiled, a wide show of sharp dentas. “Unless...you’re not as soft as everyone says, eh?” 

Optimus didn’t even move to acknowledge Bomb’s words, and that made Cade worry. Something was wrong.

And he had a feeling things were only going to get worse. 

“We’d be fools to let our current Champion leave under such cowardly circumstances, though, wouldn’t we? Wouldn’t sell a ticket for orns after that. No, no...I suggest you and Prime make yourselves comfy, little pest.

You’re going to be here for a while.” 

“You--! ... Fragger.” Yeager spit back without hesitance, and was rewarded with a brief scowl of surprise, especially when another guard in the hallway snorted in laughter. A dirty look shut up the guard but Bombshock didn’t take the bait. 

“Humans.” Bombshock instead grunted under his intake valve, in the same tone as one might use when finding dog shit on their shoe. 

“Hey--hey get back here! I’m not done with you yet, you piece of shit--”

“Cade.” Optimus silenced him with a word, but Prime’s weary glance only earned a look of venomous ire from the inventor down by his right pede. 

“I don’t want to hear it from you, mister!” Cade snapped, his anger having no where to aim itself but at his autobot. “What the hell do you call that? You...you’re just gunna sit there and let them do this to us?” 

“I suppose so.” Optimus pushed off the wall and away, as far as he could physically be from his human in this dingy hellhole. The Prime’s body language spoke more volumes than anything he could say, and Cade let the sting of hurt dull his own fire. 

“...fine, then.” Cade walked over, in no great hurry suddenly, and bent down to scoop up some more pieces of energon shard that weren’t so hard for him to carry. 

“Wait until night fall.” 

“I know, Optimus.” Cade snapped. 

He flinched after, though, realizing how tight his voice was. Embarrassment burned up his ears and cheeks and he busied himself across the cell and away from Optimus. 

Cade wanted to confront the Prime, who was usually so proud and pragmatic that his attitude became a constant comfort for the inventor. A safety net, certainly. 

Back home Prime was the commander of the base and Cade was...the guy who owned the base? What was he, exactly? Especially to Prime? It was easy to know from a basic, Transformer like standpoint. Medic. He was a medic, sometimes a scout with Bee, but less so these days. Mostly he was just the medic, the pathetic little human who wandered after Optimus across the property like a love struck puppy. The guy who had called them friends even as he realized their bond had grown far past anything simply stated as friends . 

‘Dammit, Em. I wish you were here to call me out. Prime’s no good at it.’ Cade thought tiredly to himself. 

Cade’s mental berate of his own character was interrupted by a tiny sneeze. He withdrew his hands from his gaping duffel bag, eyeing the half ready bomb and rubbed his hands along his shoulders to ward off the chill. It was getting through his jacket, which wasn’t a good sign but night was falling. The temperature dropped at night. So what? He’d be fine in the morning. 

‘As the winter frost comes, thou will freeze.’ 

Cade rolled his eyes, and this time ignored the Talisman fully. So dramatic. 

When did my life become a B-rated horror movie?’ Cade wondered idly. ‘And why am I making all the classic mistakes?’ 

His quick trip to Grimwing was harder this time of night. Or, twilight, maybe. Not that it had been easy the first time, but the first time at least he had his anger to blind him to more rational thoughts. And, of course, the first time he had found Grimwing was on accident. Searching the halls for the Predacon’s cell on purpose was for some reason much harder. Once again he was alone and exposed, no Optimus Prime to protect him now. For a second time he hesitated, then strode on. The memory of hurt, tense and angry Grimwing spurned the inventor forward this time. 

Someone had to help. 

‘Optimus would do exactly what I’m doing, if he was in his right mind.’ Cade snapped to himself, then felt bad on Prime’s behalf. That wasn’t a fair thought, and Cade knew it. The inventor comforted himself with the fact he hadn’t said such a rude statement directly at the sensitive Prime. 

Finally, after what felt like a small eternity, Cade recognized some landmarks in the winding, curing hall and sprung a quick left into the deeper underground. A few minutes later and he pressed through Grimwing’s bars, hearing the beast slumbering. But as Cade snuck through and tumbled clumsily into Grimwing’s territory, the Predacon stirred on instinct. Immediately he growled when he sensed an unknown life force so close to him, the deep echo pounding off Cade’s rib-cage. The human froze with a small squeak, because when a two-ton mechanical griffin growls at you, centuries old instincts that saved your caveman ancestors tend to kick in wether you ask them too or not.

“Grimwing,” Cade hissed out, trying to work through his terror. “Grim--it’s me, it’s Cade--awh, fuck, you don’t speak English, I forgot...” 

Cade quickly made the Cybertronian noise for a Greeting, a particularly social and polite one that Drift had taught him. It was far too formal to use at his team--they would be confused and a little insulted if he said it to them, but for Grimwing it seemed to help. 

“You?” 

Grimwing murmured uneasily, then uttered the noise a bot made for Uncertain and Hesitation. The Predacon seemed to be squinting in the dark, searching for him as he came fully Online. So Cade whistled-trilled, dragging out the Predacon’s name and adding awe-inspired titles, full of amazement and coaxing and wonder. It wasn’t hard, the Predacon was pretty damn cool. Cade wondered what other forms the beast had. 

“You! Grimwing-Great-Strong-Mighty. Champion-Grimwing!” Cade appreciated until Grimwing looked a bit liveler at the praise and affection. 

“Little-You,” The Predacon purred back, tone softening to butter as he shook himself and rattled his armor all over, like a lion shakes water from its hide. “Little-Medic-Cade, Small-Clever-One, You, you.” 

Cade snorted, “Me Big --erh, dammit,” then laughed. “Mighty-Cade!” which only earned him a scoff of amusement from the beast. Well, Grimwing didn’t seem to buy it but Cade’s own bruised ego felt a bit better. 

“Energon?” Cade chirped then, crouching down and sitting before Grimwing, hauling his backpack around to rest on his crossed legs. The shards were thicker and chunky, at least compared to him they were. He knew from experience and observation of his family that this was the equivalent of eating some mozzarella sticks. Appetizers at best, but beggers couldn’t be choosers. 

“Wonder?” Grimwing asked, a less than usual complicated series of clicks and whirrs that Cade knew well from memory because Bumblebee made the noise so much. He was a scout after all, and curious as a cat over plenty of stuff. 

“Good good Energon.” Cade assured, “Energon You? You Here Here!” 

Maybe it was Grimwing’s own obvious hunger, maybe it was Cade’s sweet assurances that what he was offering was safe, maybe a combination of both. But Grimwing needed no further coaxing and he slumped forward, crouching down to take the large, wide chunk of shiny energon Cade had hefted in his arms like a huge fence post. This did not deter Grimwing, whose beak nibbled thoughtfully at one pretty pink end before he clenched it in his maw and reared back. Down it went, vanishing into the metal throat and with a throaty gurgle the energon was gone. 

“...Predacon’s don’t chew than. Good to...good to know.” Well, this one didn’t. Cade blushed at Grimwing’s confused look, and bent down to drag out the other piece he’d tucked away. 

“Good good tasty Energon good.” Grimwing told him contently, digging right away into the second chunk the inventor brought. He seemed to know this one was the last, because he bit a long piece off and took his time swallowing it. 

As Cade sat in awed silence and felt a smile grow, he relaxed a little. The warmth that come from helping a member of the species that had become his family always put him in a good mood. Optimus would be pleased at his progress with Grimwing, who was already pretty friendly and easy to connect too. If Grimwing had no where to go, then maybe Cade could talk Prime into bringing the Predacon back to Earth, to the base? Having someone Grimlock’s size but with more...smarts...would only be a good move in the long run. 

Of course, the good never lasts. It lasts even less in situations such as these, where there are more enemies than friends. And especially when those enemies have plans that you don’t know about until its too late. 

Grimwing’s thick head shot up and he clicked in warning, then froze. Before Cade could ask what was wrong, the Predacon shot to all fours and made the manacle round his neck chink and jingle softly. 

“What what who?” Cade whispered up to the beast, “Grimwing? Threat?” 

“Battle.” was all Grimwing said in response, then fell silent and turned his attention to something big and metal coming down the far hall. Cade tensed, recognizing the steps of the guards, or anyone who knew they could walk casually round the Coli at all hours because they owned the damned place. Bombshock. 

Cade gasped the word for ‘Danger’ on instinct, and when he received a snarl of warning and understanding from his new friend, he knew he had his answer. 

“Hide.” the Predacon said suddenly. “Hide You You, Little-Medic-Cade. Keep Safe.” 

“But--G-Grimwing, no wait--!!” Cade gasped, terror causing him to whisper in fear and forget to speak Cybertronian. 

“Hide!” Grimwing insisted, snatching the little medic up off his boots and twisting to toss him toward an opening slot between his strong black shoulders. Cade landed with a clumsy thud but collected his limbs and scrambled blindly into an opening cavity. It was large, compared to him and even compared to Prime’s cab but it seemed very specific in its design. 

‘Is this where Blackbeak locks into him?’ Cade mused as he tucked himself out of sight. 

“Move, move.” Bombshock commanded suddenly, grating tone just decipherable by the eavesdropping human. 

“Fight. Battle-Glory! You, Pathetic Weakling-Grimwing. Old-Champion. Predacon? No. Pathetic. Scrap Metal.” Bombshock scoffed as he grabbed Grimwing’s chain that lead to the manacle around his neck and tugged. Grimwing hesitated only for a moment, before slinking forward. If he didn’t obey, Cade could be found out.

“Battle?” Grimwing snarled in question, hissing angrily. 

“Acknowledged.” Then Bombshock’s tone rose, and he smiled a Decepticon’s smile. “Glory. Fight New Champion. He-Who-Reigns-War.” 

Grimwing shifted uneasily, but it was Cade’s blood that turned to ice.

Chapter Text

“So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit. It’s when things seem worst you mustn't quit!” -anon

Chapter 8. Forgiveness

They were cheating, because of course they were. Decepticons hardly played far, it was right in their damn name. 

And despite his smoldering fury at this whole entire grisly debacle, Cade found himself frozen and meek, curled up in the hidden compartment in the predacon Grimwing’s spinal strut. It might be for the best that Blackbeak was missing, for if he wasn’t then Cade would have had no where to hide. But Blackbeak was, and so Cade did. 

He wished, though, desperately with every fiber of his soul that he was with Optimus. He didn’t even need to be in the cell, what little safety it provided. He knew his greatest chance of survival--and Grimwing’s as well--was if he was with his guardian. 

Because Optimus might not understand what he would see if he found Cade with Grimwing. 

And he might lose his temper again, like he had with Motormaster.

Cade didn't fool himself into thinking Bombshock was smarter than Cade had given him credit for. No, the coliseum leader was following his own plans, cruel and cold as they were. He didn’t know Cade was here, could not know, and if he did Cade doesn’t see Bombshock as the thoughtful, conniving type. He would have come charging down the hall, snatched Cade up and tossed him back in the cell with Prime. 

At least, Cade hoped he would have.

But, no. No. This was all just a combination of poor timing and asshole Decepticon-logic. Grimwing had lost his fire and was useless to them for making profit and fame. Not even taking away Blackbeak had roused any sort of life from the once proud creature. (Cade was actually grateful that didn’t work, otherwise someone might try to solve Prime’s dying fire by stealing away him in retaliation. And Cade could honestly say he didn’t know what that would do to his guardian.)

Letting the Predacon go was out of the question, obviously, or at least too kind an action for the Con’s to settle on. 

They seemed to think it was better Grimwing be put out of his misery during battle, and who better to do it than their newest acquisition? The bot who hadn’t lost a single battle yet, but who continued to defy them by refusing to kill his opponents? Why not kill two seekers with one cannonball, as Hound might have put it. 

‘And Grimwing is nothing like what Prime’s had to face so far.’ Cade thought, a bolt of concern flashing through him. ‘This one might actually be to the death. And if it isn’t, both parties are still gunna be fucked up. I can’t fix both…’

Hell, he could barely fix one. 

Cade cursed to all Gods, both his and Prime’s, over the current predicament. 

Still, deep down, he knew he had no one to blame but himself.

It had grown silent, and Optimus didn’t like any bit of that. 

He allowed himself to pace, needing to burn off his inner energy, unable to justify keeping still. Something was wrong. Something was going wrong, or getting there perhaps? Yes...

It was about Cade. 

It had to be, because it was usually about Cade and though Optimus adored the man, he had a penchant for finding trouble that made even Bumblebee look like a well-behaved sparkling. 

There was a small clattering of noise, at least two voices but too far off for him to make out either owners or subject. More movement, then the noise faded off. Silence reigned again, with a heavy fist and Prime’s anxieties curdled up to the top of his thoughts. Thin lipped and optics narrowing in deep thought, Prime eyed the cage door to the coliseum. Perhaps he could get out through here? 

...and have no clue where to find Cade. They could not sneak out of this one, they could not afford to make too many mistakes either. 

More noise down the hall. More noise than there had ever been at night until now. Optimus doesn’t like how the pattern has changed. It can’t mean anything good. 

‘They know.’ 

A silly thought, that had no basis for logic or evidence behind it. But as Optimus listened with his audials, his spark and even strange Knowingness of the Matrix, he could sense more and more growing unease. 

(“Cade...why are you willing to help me?”)

Optimus halted, staring at the wall but not seeing any bit of it. His spark was twisting up, knotting over and over and making him feel lightheaded and dizzy. No recharge, little food...and Cade not here. It was all weighing on him, with no end in sight. 

(“Cause you trust me too.”)

He replayed the man’s voice over and over, and Prime could think again. He turned and looked at his surroundings with slightly refreshed optics, metal lips curling in realization. The arena was closed, no watchers in the stands. No shouting, no clashing of sword on sword. 

Yet the lights were on. 

“Look alive, Prime.” Blackout, apparently Bombshock’s second in command, called to him cheerfully. “Got some...late night action, let’s say?” 

The Con made no comment on the missing human. 

Optimus felt rather cold all over. 

‘I was right.’

Grimwing strode with far more confidence than he truly felt he could display if pressed. His talons and wings scraped the winding stone hall, long ago carved and worn smooth. The Predacon spied his surroundings, feeling his energon levels rise so well it was hard to fight the urge to take on Bombshock here and now. Those shards of energon were hitting his tanks and rapidly dispersing to his lowest areas. 

He was not at full, devastating power, but he was the closest he had been in cycles.

Because of the little medic, because of Cade, ‘He-Who-Belongs-Optimus.’

In any other situation, and especially if he had Blackbeak to bolster his confidence and goad him on, Grimwing would arguably be excited to test his true mettle against a Prime. He was still a Predacon after all, and the monstrous beasts thirsted for fighting even more than the current species of Transformers. (Being raised by Shockwave likely exacerbated this mindset, admitably.) But there was something Shockwave had not intended--nor wanted--to grow in Grimwing’s spark and that was his sense of justice and virtue. He was the only Predacon likely to side with the autobot faction. And though Grimwing didn’t know this, that was why he had been sent here in the first place. Away from the only home he had known in Shockwave’s lab, away from other mindsets that might poison his processors and turn him against the decepticons. Grimwing had a deep, firm sense of honor and did, truly, enjoy battles that provided such glory. A test of skills, perhaps some playful sparring, even a contest with long range weapons to see who could hit the most targets. 

This was not like any of these situations, though. He knew that. 

Grimwing did not betray himself, but checked worriedly on the small, warm weight curled up tight in the slot compartment for Blackbeak. 

A medic was no good during a battle, though Grimwing heard they were often skilled at dodging and evading because of such weakness. And this little medic had his size and speed in his favor, for even a Prime would have a hard time finding him among the noise of a good fight. 

Perhaps then, a good fight would be the only way to ensure Little-Medic-Cade’s survival. 

A new thought nagged at the mech gryphon as he strode for the big arena, and he growled softly at both worry and the sight of the place. 

Would Optimus Prime hold it against Grimwing, if he found his medic on Grim’s side of the fight? 

Would he kill the predacon over this? 

Grimwing didn’t know. 

But what he did know, was that if he allowed himself and Cade to be put before the God amongst Transformers, was that someone was likely to get very hurt. Either him, or the Prime, or little Cade. 

Shockwave’s lessons had been very informative, after all. 

In more ways than one.

Grimwing was forced into the arena, his wings flaring angrily as he eyed the tall, proud Transformer at the other end of the doomed coliseum. 

The crowd was thin, very thin, and kept in the dark and worryingly silent. Cade tried making out the viewers but saw only shadows and hulking shapes. 

‘Other Transformers...and nothing but.’ Cade frowned thoughtfully and uncurled from his hiding spot. ‘All Decepticons, I’d wager. Not a lot though. Weird…’

“Grimwing!” Cade hissed, “Don’t start yet, maybe I can get down and talk to--” 

And then Cade noticed the ground was quivering. 

He twisted upright and had a fraction to see the entire might of Optimus Prime charging at them, optics narrowed and fever bright and sword held at the ready, before Grimwing launched upward and spread his emerald wings. They caught an upsurge of wind and Cade heard thrusters kick in, and the Predacon shot overhead of the Prime and landed clear across the arena. 

“He just went for it!?” Cade yelped, trying to stay upright as the world rocked under his boots. His sweaty hands slid along Grimwing’s plating uselessly. “What the hell’s gotten into him!?” 

Whatever It was, it had gotten into Grimwing too. His armor flared and he stomped a set of curved talons down, roaring a challenge back at the Prime before readying a small set of missiles that spread out from his shoulder. 

Grimwing’s tail twitched in contemplation, and he snarled back when Prime slammed his sword angrily against the stone wall. 

“Grimwing--wait--” 

Again, Cade was ignored. The two charged at one another head one and Grimwing brought his heavy chest up and came full front onto the Prime. They tumbled, Cade rolling around like a sack of potatoes in the slot compartment and groaning when he slowed to a stop. 

He untagled his limbs and pushed himself over the edge onto Grimwing’s back, freezing when Prime’s sword whistled overhead. 

“Shit!” But jungle cats rarely notice when mice join their fights, and so the two transformers stayed tangled and hacking at one another as Yeager dropped down and landed in the dirt. 

Then, before anything else could happen, Prime caught hold of the predacon’s wing and twisted himself upward, heaving the top heavy beast to one side to prevent him from snapping Prime’s wrist clean off. It worked, and Grimwing toppled over with a noise of surprise and growing fear. 

“Fuck, he is gunna kill him--” Cade gasped, body aching as instinct demanded he crab walk backwards. He had a good nine feet between him and the two but the ground still trembled with each punch and kick and roar. Grimwing had energon in his tank but it clearly wasn’t enough to take Optimus head on. The inventor was pretty surprised Grimwing had lasted this long and put up this much of a fight. 

But the combat only seemed to make Optimus lose himself more. Maybe he didn’t see himself as the attacker, but as the defender? 

But he hadn’t even acknowledged Cade. Surely he must have seen him, if not beforehand then when Cade jumped free of Grimwing’s back. 

Not once. 

This was so much like on the Knight’s ship, that when Cade tried to focus on Prime’s optics he wasn’t surprised to see they were purple again. His face was stonily set and eerily downcast, as he ducked a swing of Grimwing’s deadly tail. 

There was no scar, and Prime was less...maniacal and talkative...but he was still clearly livid and fighting on instinct. 

‘Young heir!’ The Talisman rang between his ears, and Cade stumbled to a halt as he took notice of the cybertronian weapon skating along his wrist and heading for his palm. 

He clenched his hand around it, expecting to see the large, unwieldy shield or Excalibur, the legendary sword. 

He was holding neither.

“A spear?” Cade blinked, taking a moment to scrutinize Excalibur’s strange and new form. It had never chosen this weapon before, not that Cade had asked it to either. Normally he choose a replica of the gun from Lockdown’s ship, and the Talisman favored the shield or the sword when Cade was fighting on instinct. 

But a spear...and this spear, of course, was built impeccably well. It felt balanced but steady, and when he raised it, muscles borne from countless hours of practice tightened instinctively. Plenty of times the Talisman choose what weapon it wanted, and Cade had to make do. But this time something had passed between them, a strange beat to their mental connection. This time, Excalibur had chosen a weapon it knew Cade needed for the situation, and one that mimicked a familiarity that was so comforting he felt lightheaded from relief. 

‘Like a football .’ Cade felt himself gear up and he turned toward the fight, eyeing the wound that was Prime’s missing horn. 

‘We’ve got one shot at this, and then I lose you for a bit, ‘Cal.’ Even if the spear made it the unlikely height of the fighting Prime, who was now pinned beneath Grimwing’s bulk but about to adjust his weight and toss him off, Cade knew he was risking more than a little for this. He was risking a lot, angering Prime further, giving up his only source of defense and even the possibility he might hit Grimwing and go more damage. 

‘Cal?’ The Talisman sniffed, but fell silent and instead sang back to him with power and assurance. ‘Thou must do what one must. Remember--’

“I know, I know. ‘Power of a knight' and all that jazz. Well let’s hope this Knight can still throw a 50 yarder.” Cade snapped and took a few steps back, wanting distance to save him instead of fighting gravity. 

Grimwing was suddenly lifted and body slammed into his side, where he struggled angrily, roaring and snapping. But Optimus took a stance to get over the Predacon, liting his sword so that it would swing down and likely behelm the pinned creature. 

“Hey! Over here! Prime!” Cade Yeager roared, so hard and loud his throat hurt from the force. Then he took a running start and straightened his arm, the wind whistling as the Talisman turned spear arced beautifully, slamming and burying itself deep into the transformer’s audial wound.

Well, that certainly got Prime’s attention. 

The Prime’s roar trailed off as he wrenched the spear out, realized what he was holding and tossed it carelessly across the arena. It pinged! off the wall and dropped, but Cade didn’t rush to it. 

He was far too busy being pinned by the Prime’s horrible, purple gaze. 

“Stop.” Cade stressed, keeping his hands out and showing the bare palms to the Prime. ‘No threat!’ he cried with his body language, speaking Cybertronian to the very creature who had taught him most of what he knew. 

Prime half-halted, his snarling fading softly as he stared at the man. 

“Please, Optimus.” 

Optimus scowled and inched carefully into a different position, but it was still one Cade knew was dangerous. Honestly, most of Prime’s poses were. 

‘They’re such a combative species. I mean I can’t talk as a human but I wasn’t born with a fucking gattling gun for an arm. And everyone keeps making such a big deal outta Prime being...well, a Prime.’ 

Cade eyed his guardian, trying to picture him as the beaten, woe-eyed creature that was a broken down mac truck pitifully curled up in his barn, hurting and scared. The same creature who had rushed to his defense when the government was about to kill him and his baby girl, who had whisked them away and protected them and shown them more love than Cade had gotten from another soul in years. It took a moment, but he was still there. 

He was still Optimus Prime just...angrier. Sharper. 

‘Maybe it’s about time I took them seriously.’

Cade swallowed and stepped closer to Prime. And as soon as Prime noticed this, Grimwing was tossed carelessly aside and landed heavily against the curved corner of the arena. Cade heard Grimwing groan softly, and could see the flicker of surprise and suspicion on the autobot’s faceplates. Cade’s medic mode wanted to override his actions but right now he had to make the situation safe before he could do any physical healing. 

He had to make Optimus safe. 

Prime snapped his gaze to the crouched Preacon once, fine metal features curling in disgust and warning. When a ripple of a snarl threatened to trail up his chest, Cade hushed Optimus and distracted him again. 

Optimus hummed at him carefully, the noise more questioning than it was thoughtful. Cade knew what it meant, though. 

“Yeah, yeah he’s okay.” Cade kept talking, watching the violet start to fade from Prime’s optics slowly. “Grimwing’s a good guy, like you an’me. He’s not gunna hurt you. He’s not gunna hurt me.” 

Cade finally neared the Prime and watched him lower, folding a knee in one elegant motion and leaning on his sword to look down at the inventor. The blue in his optis was dominant now, forcing the purple to bleed away and regaining their loving, bright glow. That was the Optimus Prime Cade knew, and he rewarded his amazing, never-give-in guardian with his best and warmest smile. 

“It’s okay, Optimus.”

“Cade…” In that single call of his name, the inventor felt relief release the anxiety in his tight chest. His name a few more syllables than when someone else said it, spoken in such a deep tenor but said with more fondness than there seemed to be water in the ocean. 

“You feelin’ better, big rig?” Cade dared to ask, laying a small, human hand on the massive sword to his left. 

Optimus nodded, his plating smoothing a bit as he regarded Cade quietly. 

“Tired?” Cade murmured, earning another nod and a look of relief mixed with regret. 

“It’s okay.” the inventor soothed, “I’m here.” 

He was the team’s medic, of course. But there was something deeper underneath those words that until now, had only been lurking. Now they broiled up, threatening to push forward and reveal all of Cade’s secrets. And while he wasn’t afraid of it any longer, wasn’t afraid to hide what was going on between him and Prime, he wasn’t about to bare his soul to Optimus right here in the damn Coliseum. There was a time and place for everything. 

“What’s busted?” He asked instead, deciding to do what he always did and throw himself into his work. 

But Prime shook his helm, and before Cade could protest he stood up and nodded to the Predacon across from them, still crouched defensively. 

“See to Grimwing first, Cade.” Prime commanded, but his tone was deep and gentle as always. 

Cade melted, but his grin came right back and he saluted his commander, playfully and proudly. 

“Awrighty. And thanks, Prime.” 

He turned and sauntered on over, shoulders open and relieved. 

“Lemme see your shoulder, Grimwing.” Cade called. When Grimwing cocked his hawk like face in confusion, Cade gestured and motioned, forgetting that only Optimus could speak english.

Still, Grimwing struck his foreleg out, letting Cade boost himself up and clamber up onto the Predacon’s uninjured shoulder to get an estimate of the damage on the other side. 

As Optimus watched over Cade, Grimwing watched the Prime. He had been right, and while the fight was exhilarating and fed his baser instincts--the ones Shockwave said he didn’t have enough of--that fight had been less for sport on his end and more for horrifying survival. Optimus Prime had earned all the awful, terrible names he carried and then some. 

But he had also earned the nickname Cade called him. ‘I-Who-Belong-to-Optimus-Prime.’ Yes, Cade certainly did. There was no mistaking the slight miracle the little medic had just done to soothe the mighty being. Cade had gotten Grimwing spared, but the Predacon had little ill will toward the autobot commander. 

He would be just as vicious over Blackbeak, after all. 

Optimus hung back, and Cade checked over Grimwing for all of five minutes before an enraged roar split the air. Cade and Grimwing flinched, and both turned as one to see the Con in the opening of the doorway, staring at the halted fight and beady optics burning into Cade’s own wide eyes. 

“You!” He bellowed, rattling the weapons on the wall and slamming his fist to the stone archway as he ploughed through. 

“You’ve interfered enough, little vermin! I will get rid of you with my own two servos, and Lord Megatron can thank me later!”

“Me!?” Cade managed, almost losing his foot as he glared back. “What did I do!?” 

“Poisoning the Prime!” Bombshock raged, “Costing me both Champions! Making him soft as your own fleshy skin, you disgusting little creature!” 

Bombshock’s arm was transforming, and though Cade could pick up some context clues, he still couldn’t act as fast as the angered con could move. 

“CADE!!” Optimus bellowed, so loud Cade thought he felt his own name strike him mentally. No, he was imaging things, he had to be--

He jumped forward anyway, boots pushing off Grimwing’s plating and diving downward. The Talisman trickled across the ground toward him, trying to get to him in time. Cade could not hear its voice, because he wasn’t holding it. But he imagined it sounded as urgent as Prime looked, the two beings scrambling to close the distance in time. 

The great warrior, Optimus Prime himself, dove forward and flung away his last weapon, sending it flying. 

Grimwing shrieked, a shrill cry like a falcon but a falcon that was longer than a school bus, and tried turning on Bombshock to stop the blow that had already let loose. 

It felt like slow motion for Cade, although he had a feeling he was the only one who felt this way. All he had time to do was turn from Prime, relieved smiling slipping as the light neared him, the hurtling ball of energy coming to rip him apart and send him scattering into a million little pieces. 

He thought of everything in those seconds, his family, both metal and flesh, he thought of Lucas’ corpse, he thought of Lockdown’s face. He thought of Attinger leveling a gun at him, then Emily’s smile and Tessa’s sticky baby hands smearing jelly on him and giggling when she saw his face.

He thought of Optimus Prime, and realized that no matter what, even now, Optimus was still trying to protect him. Despite the fighting and arguing and the fear curdling between them like sour milk. 

Optimus was still reaching for him. 

The blast was inches away, and Prime was too. 

It hit them both, slamming into Cade’s torso and side and Prime’s servo and arm. 

All that had been set in motion was not about to be stopped. Cade closed his eyes, feeling Prime’s rageful roar bellowing, hurtling through his frame like a train set off the tracks. He closed his eyes, trying to picture the best parts of his life for his last moments, and wishing he had more time to make better memories with Optimus. 

And then everything stopped, just like that.

When he came too, he expected to at least see Emily. Lucas, maybe, although if he had to pick it wasn’t a contest. The only good thing about death would be the chance to see his sweetheart again, to tell her all about Tessa and the autobots. He didn’t see anyone though, because that was hardly his luck. Cade was too tired to feel bitter about it, but he lay on the ground for a few minutes anyway. His whole body ached, every muscle on fire and some bones demanding compensation for being turned to jello. Finally, when he could manage more than one word thoughts that were not profanities, did the inventor drag open his eyes and squint into the strange world he had found himself in. 

“Where…?” managed Cade, around the cotton in his mouth. He looked around, anxiety giving him a tiny shot of adrenaline as he searched for Optimus, or Grimwing or hell, even that bastard Bombshock! 

Nothing. 

He was alone. 

He itched at his wrist, then jumped when the cold metal brought him back to his senses.

The Talisman had gotten to him in time? He hadn’t felt it. Although...he hadn’t felt much at all in his last moments alive. So that was disregarded and instead Cade decided to feel grateful he wasn’t entirely alone as previously assumed. 

“Excalibur?” He asked dumbly. “Whu...where am I?” So odd the thing hadn’t spoken up until now. At the very least Cade expected a lecture on the finer points of spear throwing or being heroic to the point of being stupid. 

‘Before the 13.’ said the Talisman, a bit unhelpful but terribly soft spoken all of a sudden. Like a grandmother whispers in a church, where the stain glass stares back. 

Cade stared all around, finding no floor, nor ceiling or corners of any kind. This felt--and looked--like everything and nothing, nowhere and allwhere. The colors were impossible to describe but were gorgeous, twisting into new shades upon new shades and running dizzying waves upwards and downwards. He...was lying on nothing, and he stood up on nothing. 

He looked ahead, and almost dropped Excalibur from his hand, which gave a scolding mental noise quite similar to a yipe! before it shrunk into his palm and slithered up to his shoulder for safety. 

A half circle of behemoths stood before him, smothered in shadows that were both pitch black and terribly blinding, like looking into the sun itself. Cader squinted, and found he had to raise his arm to keep his eyes open while he gazed at the beings. Next to them, Optimus would look like Bumblebee did to him. 

They all said nothing for a beat, to his growing unease, but his voice was caught in his throat. 

“Uhm…” Cade said.

When they spoke, it was horrifying. When they spoke, it was as One. Cade understood their words, but the Talisman was glowing white hot against his skin, and he had a feeling he knew why he understood them so well. 

He’s a human . They said, all 13 voices rattling down through the marrow of his bones. 

Ah but he’s an Heir... They argued, all of them agreeing and disagreeing at the same time. Got the Talisman, see?

Still. A human?

It’s not ours to question to who he chooses, only that he finally did . They all said at once, although in the same breath They--or one or a few--of them seemed unwilling to let this point go. 

A Prime choosing a human. It’s unheard of! It’s unnatural.

Can’t be helped. Are not all souls the same, fundamentally? 

I say let the human try. 

I agree. He might still perish.

Hnn…

“I-I’m sorry, perish? What? Who’s perishing?” Cade managed, feeling smaller by the second. 

Human. You who possess the power of a Knight. 

Wether you should or not--

Is NOT up for debate just now. Scolded a voice. You aided and guided him and in return he, you. Loyalty is a strong bond, but even between you two it is...growing stronger. 

Cade’s whole world swung sideways. 

“The power of a…” His chest felt tight, yet strangely warm. “O-Optimus…”

‘I told you.’ said the Talisman, sounding smug as all get out. 

“That’s what you meant!?” Cade snapped down to the Talisman that was slithering up his bicep. He was so flustered and shaken he forgot to think mentally, and he turned in place comically, trying to pin down the damn thing. “Hey, get back here!” 

Human. 

One of the voices, that is, all 13 of them, seemed a bit more sympathetic to his cause and Cade searched the monstrous shapes before him, trying to picture which pair of gleaming eyes was the one in his corner. 

In such a situation as this, it has become necessary for us to...step in, let’s say. Certain parties are better left the way they are, and a Prime with no fire is useless to us. However, we won’t be doing it again. The tone warned, but with a hint of gentleness. 

“I, I understand.” Cade stammered quickly when the Talisman gave him a mental nudge. He didn’t really, actually. But his words were caught in his throat. “Thank--thank you. Really.” 

Of course. Stick close to your guardian, one part of the Two-Who-Are-One, and you will understand better your place at his side. 

“Right. Uh, a’course, yeah…” Cade, feeling more awed by the second, trailed off in a faint breath of, “I don’t think I could quit him if I wanted to...he’s my best friend. He’s...my other half, too.” 

The Talisman has asked to stay in your possession. Until the day comes--whenever that may be we need to move it--we are granting it this request. 

Cade had no answer, only lifted his left hand to stare at the disc in his palm. 

You have a certain way of connecting to our kind. It will be interesting to see where your power takes you. They said, almost sounding coy. Cade didn’t think that this dominant voice was the one that was doing most of the speaking, but he couldn’t be sure. 

“I guess...I mean, we’re not so different. You said it yourself...uhm, one of you. Humans and, and Transformers.” Cade tore his gaze from the Talisman and turned to look at the 13 looming behemoths as a whole. 

“Optimus taught me that.” 

Indeed. 

And that was the end of the conversation. No good byes, which was appropriate, as no one said hello to him either, and it was so Transformer like that Cade let himself be swallowed by creeping shadows without much fight. He closed his hand around the Talisman as if there was a risk of dropping it, and crouched down before he vanished from the little pool of flowing, iridescent light. 

When Cade was gone, and only the Original 13 remained, silence reigned for a beat. 

I still don’t see it. They said, sounding gruff and annoyed. 

You do not see Love. They said solemnly, firmly. You feel it.

Chapter Text

“Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend...” ― Neil Gaiman

Chapter 9. Sunburst

When Cade came too, he was a little surprised that he did so to the tune of lightning sharp pain. 

Well...alright then. 

In events like the one he had just gone through, he had sort of expected to come off scot-free and mostly healed. At the very least able to move with little discomfort. Some stiffness, perhaps scars already grown over? Isn’t that what happened to heroes in those adventures, when they were saved by the deus ex machina equivalent of what-ever-the-hell he had just talked to? The 13 or some shit? 

13...what? Transformers? Had those amazing monstrosities been Transformers? They seemed so much...more. But also so very oddly familiar, yet Cade couldn’t place why. He made a mental note to ask Prime later, when he could move and blink without wanting to vomit.

Oh, how he hurt. It didn't stop being unbearable until a few moments after he had breathed through the first few rolls of it. Then it dulled down to a protesting, complaining ache all along his side and arm. Both parts of him throbbed with their own heartbeats, muscles screamed at him and all of this left spots dancing along his vision. He wasn’t bleeding out, that much he could tell, but the skin around his wounds was on fire and dulling too slowly for him to be of any use anytime soon. A few more blinks earned him some more sense of his current situation, and he could have cried in relief when he saw that red and blue flame job an inch from his face. He didn’t quite break down but he did utter a meek noise of acknowledgement, pressing his feverish self into the cool comfort of provided by the living armor under those flame decals. 

“Cade?” The flame job rumbled when the little inventor moved, and Optimus unfolded his closed up hand to look down at the pile of human he had been keeping tucked protectively against him. 

Cade flopped with the pull of gravity, and of course that hurt too, but he tried keeping his hisses and grimaces down. He didn’t want to set off poor, grumbling Prime further. Still, all that and more came out anyway when his hazy eyes met Prime’s glittering aqua ones. Prime could read him like a book, and somehow that was still comforting even now. 

“Hh...hey?” Cade managed around a wheeze. “Uhm...I got fucked up, huh big rig?” 

A bit of an understatement, to be sure. 

Optimus said nothing, which wasn’t entirely unusual but the circumstances made Cade worry all the same. The inventor couldn’t jump up and run a marathon, but he could breathe through the pain he was swimming in, and he could certainly still think. So think he did. 

First off, was the fact Prime’s optics were absolutely back to their usual shades of dazzling, somewhat distracting blue. That was good, very good. 

Secondly, behind the Prime was a dank, wet and stone dark ceiling Cade could see. Sadly, it was one he knew. 

They were back in their cell. The how wasn’t obvious, but Cade could take a college try if he had to. He tried not to think about imaging proud, powerful Optimus being threatened with Cade’s unmoving body if he didn’t obey, and moved on to his next realization. 

Third, that he could see anything at all. This meant it was moderately light out. Perhaps then, he had only been out for a little while? The fight had taken place at night after all. 

Fourth, which was truly more a guess than fact, was that they were alone. Cade knew Grimwing wouldn’t fit in here with Prime, but he didn’t know if the Preadcon was in the next cell perhaps. 

He didn’t think so, however. The Decpticons may have underestimated Prime’s fierceness over protecting him, but they wouldn't put two like-minded mechs of their caliber together and risk an uprising. 

Which meant Grimwing was gone for now. With injuries Cade hadn’t gotten to fix. 

This thought led him to yet another consideration, because Cade would think that Prime would want to keep him covered with both servos to offer the most security. But Cade could only see one servo, the fingers of the one he was curled up in. The other...the one Cade could remember Prime moving in front of him to shield his body from Bombshock’s blast, was out of sight. 

“O’timus,” Cade slurred then, wondering how long there were mushrooms growing on the back of his tounge. “Lemme see yer oth’r hand. C’mon.” 

No answer. At least, none verbally. Not at first. 

Then Prime obeyed slowly, and Cade watched a torn up, half melted and heavily damaged metal hand rise into his slightly dazed line of sight. Cade hissed in sympathy, because that servo looked as bad as Cade’s injury felt. Said servo was the biggest reason Cade hadn’t been obliterated, was the reason the 13 Whatevers had been able to save him at all, perhaps. And then everything came rushing back to him all at once. Bombshock’s attack, Prime’s...odd, echoing roar he thought he heard in his skull, and the rush to defend him Prime had done. So Cade tried moving now, getting his good arm under his girth and nearly managed to sit up before a lion’s growl rippled all around him. 

“Lie still.” Prime commanded, dropping the wounded hand out of sight. “You are too injured to be doing anything as strenuous as repair. And even if you weren’t, we have no way of fixing this.” 

Cade did hesitate then, more so out of shock at the forceful words than any civil agreement. 

“Y-yeah, okay but--look, I can--”

“I said no!” Prime snapped again, and this time Cade did flinch a tiny bit. He felt ashamed he had done so, but the autobot noticed it and now Prime drew back too in woeful shame, quieting down.

“I...my apologies. For speaking so harshly.” Regardless, Prime’s thumb came over Cade’s stomach and hovered warningly. If Cade tried moving again, he would clearly be pinned in place. 

“It’s cool...uh, I’ve yelled at you too, so…” Cade trailed off, feeling awkward. 

Which was true. But what was even more true was the fact most of their initial reactions--those fleeting two years ago--had been of Prime asking horrible truths from Cade Yeager. Asking him increasingly livid demands of the man that belonged to the species that betrayed him. 

(“How many more of my kind must be sacrificed!?”)

It would be wrong to say Optimus regretted his demands of Cade back then, but he clearly regretted some of the choices he had just made now. 

Cade could tell all this, somehow he just knew. He knew in the strange, near inexplicable way that comes from understanding another soul. Of finding a sameness that rings between the two of you like two stars in the night sky. And so much had happened, they had come so close to losing each other this time that Cade wasn’t truly surprised when he was lifted by the hand holding him, and Prime’s helm came down at the same time. 

“I thought I lost you, Cade Yeager.” Optimus murmured, sounding so beaten down Cade felt tears prick in the corner of his own eyes. That, and...no one likes hearing their own mortality be picked at. Especially not compared to a being that had lived long before him, and would live long after. 

‘I want to stay with him.’ 

Cade laid there, eyes wide but quiet for once when most of Prime’s faceplates buried up against his front. Optimus was being gentle, but it was clear he was seeking comfort. Cade’s heart melted all the way at this realization. At all this trust. 

“Jeez, big rig, I…” But what could he say this time? He had nothing, but he had his actions. And though it kinda hurt because he was still so goddamn sore, Cade reached upward, arms kind of comically lifting to spread across the autobot’s temple, just above his metal brow ridge and under the folding arcs of his knightly helmet. 

He hugged Prime back, with all the strength his beaten body could muster. 

‘I need to stay with him. I’m pretty sure he agrees, too. He...said it first.’ 

“I love you, too.” Cade whispered, unable to stop the words but meaning them just the same. 

Optimus, again, did not answer and now Cade felt uncertainty creep into his heart. Had Cade declared his feelings too late? Prime had already tried telling him once how he felt. Cade’s response had been less than hopeful but he was trying to make up for it now...

And then Prime tightened his hold, carefully pressing Cade closer to him and rumbling softly, the sound reverberating in Cade’s rib-cage and somehow easing a bit of his own pain from his wound. 

This was...New. Prime’s gesture? Yeah. Cade was almost worried, until he realized his responses were helping Optimus relax further. Something was making noise below them, a strange metallic scuffling sound that Cade couldn’t understand just yet. Over time he had heard Optimus make a hundred different sounds, and Cade thought he knew them all by heart. 

But not this one. And stranger still was Optimus had gone so quiet, and so soft in his expression, as he gazed at the man with the one optic that wasn’t buried in Cade’s uninjured side. Optimus breathed against him, and all Cade could smell was iron and heat, pouring off the Transformer holding him so close to his delicate facial features. But he trusted Cade to be there, to be cuddled up and to not injure Prime in anyway. 

“Optimus?” He breathed back finally, realizing the warm hand he was resting on was lowering and he was, by proxy, going with it. 

That shuffling, snaking-slithery sound was getting louder. It was coming from Prime’s chest plates, and for a worrying instant Cade thought the big guy had sprung a fucking leak or something. 

“Optimus, what’re you…?” But the silence clung to his throat, and Cade could only stare as the Transformer’s center chest plating began parting and sliding. It started with his outer armor, then his secondary layer...and then kept skating and unfolding into smaller, thicker pieces of plating. Cade’s brain kicked a neuron in gear and he sat up hesitantly, squinting at the brightness that was being revealed and was setting the room aglow and his own face ablaze.

Optimus’ soul. 

The human gaped at it, because no matter how many times he saw the Prime’s spark, it was still just as breathtaking as it had been the first time he had seen it. And it seemed bigger now, or maybe it had been so long Cade forgot the initial details when he had first repaired the casing around the strange, alien heart-soul he was now staring at. 

Cade tore his eyes off it to peek into the cavity, and spotted his handiwork, still welded to cover the holes left behind by the missiles. He also saw something he couldn’t remember seeing before, which was believable because the cavity was large and clearly the thing had hidden itself when they first met. A large, bright glass orb caught between two odd golden handles. It floated quietly and in the back, caught in Prime’s spark’s orbit but made no move to follow or do anything other than exist. He didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t look like anything that shouldn’t be there, so Cade let it be. 

Then he was distracted once more, as one of the spark’s electric blue limbs brushed toward him.  Suddenly it pushed itself outward in careful motions. That was the noise he had before, muffled though it was. It was the autobot’s spark, his soul, trying to move itself from its protective casing, but Cade couldn’t have told you why it was doing this. Or even how he knew, just knew, instinctively what said glowing orb was doing. The thing was moving cautiously, as if alive, inching its way with long tendrils that seemed to act like sensitive sensors. Once deeming the opening of the cavity that was once Prime’s chest, the huge ball of light began sneaking forward. 

It didn’t go far and it didn’t go fast, but it went all the same. 

Briefly, Cade recalled he had been wearing his thick work gloves the last time he was this close to this powerful thing. And then he forgot everything but the Transformer and his apparent offered spark before him, and Cade stretched his hand out for it. 

A tendril of the spark slipped through his palm, and he watched it recoil on instinct before it snaked back in his direction and found his fingers. Optimus didn’t seem surprised by its hesitance, so Cade decided not to question it either. 

“YouandI.” Optimus rumbled then, and that was all Cade needed to hear to know what was happening was perfectly alright with the both of them. 

His own tiny, little blood-pumping human heart hammered in his chest, leaping to his throat as he realized this was something rare even among Transformers. They didn’t just go around showing their sparks to one another for funsies, it wasn’t like interfacing--thank you, Crosshairs and Drift for being so open about your species’ more carnal habits--but this was something else altogether. It had to be. 

Cade remembered it briefly being mentioned in the two years he had lived with his team. But now for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what the fuck it was called. 

Bonding...something. Not sparking--that was a human term for kissing. 

Whatever it was called, something that Cade did know was that this act wasn’t done so casually between Transformers, and it absolutely wasn’t done between Transformer and human. Not just because humans sort of lacked a key ingredient to this little bonding-thing. (The only equivalent he could think of to this was open heart surgery, and that wasn’t what was happening here, to him. His heart only felt like it was trying to beat out of his ribcage--it wouldn’t actually do that...right?)

A limb misjudged and stretched out over Cade’s shoulder, and it flashed back into the spark’s center, only to be replaced by a smaller, thicker one. It was hypnotic, watching the spark’s boneless tendrils search and explore and seek. He realized that the one that had found his fingers was now curling up his wrist, and that it had been joined by a second one that was rounding up into his palm with gentle, wondering strokes. Absently, Cade folded his fingers and stroked the limb back, freezing when his ground--Prime’s hand--shuddered softly and Prime’s rumbles increased in pitch. 

Cade lifted sheepish hazel eyes, but saw the hooded, deep cerulean of Prime’s dimmed optics and stared up in stunned shock. Optimus’ metal lips managed a quirk, faint and tired though it was, when he saw Cade’s startled look. 

“Uhm...this feels good, huh?” He guessed out loud, all ready aware he was right. He was just confirming. Maybe he ought to have asked before just...grabbing the autobot’s spark and fondling it. Was that rude? 

It was too late to ask now, he’d already gone and done it. 

‘Welp, Emily was right. She always said my curiosity would get me into trouble.’

Then, to his sheer surprise, he heard her name again. 

‘Emily.’ Prime echoed, but Cade didn’t see the autobot’s lips move. But he had heard him, clear as day!

Her name had been said ponderously, but with just as much affection as Cade himself used when he mentioned or thought about her. The sensations of love and loss mirrored his own, though he realized quickly Prime was only questioning Cade by using his sweetheart’s name. 

‘Shit--can he hear me?’

‘I can.’ A wave of amusement washed over him so warm and fond that Prime chuckled out loud when Cade yelped and let go of the equally inquisitive spark limbs. They waved in confusion and perhaps irritation, and the large sizzling orb of blue light inched out further to find him again and make contact. It was big, large as a tire was round and it’s hot center was perfectly white, like a pretty marble ball. The limbs were ever moving, ever waving and flowing with varying states of speed and intensity. Right now they moved moderately slowly, like a swollen tide of an ocean wave. But they also pulsed regularly as Cade’s own steady breathing. Nearly in time with it. 

He doesn’t know why, but Cade at that moment recalled Joyce and his tech, and smugly told himself that this could never be manufatured in a fucking lab, could never ever be replicated and controlled by anyone. That this was Prime’s and Prime’s alone, and that he was now offering it up to Cade out of love and adoration. 

So Cade reached out again. 

And again, when his calloused fingers met a spark-tendril the spark owner hummed oddly and shifted against the wall he was leaning against. Cade could confirm for sure now, that this felt good to the big guy. Enjoyable. Prime’s optics shuttered in slow, lovely blinks and Cade could feel Prime’s every emotion and thought in that one touch. 

Then he was distracted once more, because the spark’s slow rotation had exposed something Cade most certainly had not seen in the barn two years ago. And unlike the large glass orb in the back, Cade knew what he was seeing was Utterly Wrong. 

“Oh, christ, Prime,” Cade whisper-moaned, staring in pain and anxiety at the purple antlers of frozen, stiff purple. He knew that color. It haunted him in his worst nightmares, the ones where he lost his friend to space, and then got him again in the form of a weapon who called himself Nemesis Prime, who nearly murdered him and the little scout that Prime pretty much saw as a his son. 

“Fuck, Optimus…” But else was there to say? Cade sneaked a glance at the commander, and saw the shame in his expression as they both stared at the rotten hunks of spark-limb. 

‘Does it hurt him?’ Cade wondered, forgetting once more his thoughts were now open to the Prime via their physical connection of flesh and spark. 

‘Not often.’ Came Prime’s absent, tired answer. Which wasn’t a no. 

And Cade was a medic, their medic, shouldn’t he be able to do something about this? Fix it? Patch it? Hell, could he take a bone saw and cut off the frozen spikes of purple spark like you removed a gangrenous limb? 

Optimus shivered at that last thought and abruptly turned it down, causing Cade to wince at his second bout of rudeness. 

Cade shuddered at his own suggestion and then realized Optimus was trying to get his attention again. In the time it took for Cade to stare at the hurting part of Prime’s soul, the lively branches of spark were reminding him that they far outweighed their lost and stuck pieces. More than three were wrapped round his thigh, another two snaked over his shoulder, brushing his jaw playfully and the one round his left wrist had made it up to his shoulder and was smoothing over his left bicep.

‘Optimus’ spark is looking for something in me.’ Cade wasn’t sure if this thought was his alone or Prime trying to explain to him. But then pure and simple Pleasure swarmed over him and he gasped out loud, trembling for a second and forgetting everything but Prime’s name for a moment. 

He became wholly distracted in the sensations, closing his eyes and letting them wash over him in near endless surges. Behind them came thoughts, emotions, strong as the pulling tide and just as deep as Prime’s own voice. 

Affection- at Cade’s forwardness and his bravery. 

Amazement- the way he had thrown Excalubur, the way he approached Grimwing so assuredly. 

Concern- Cade was hurt, he was very injured, and Optimus wanted nothing more than to take it all away and protect him. 

Fury. Protect- This emotion flowered off of Concern like thorns in a rose bush, and Cade had to grip Prime’s fingers tight as he got lightheaded from just getting near that age-old rage lying deep under Prime’s thoughts. Cade tried mirroring them back, but knew it was a combative gesture he would not win, so then he tried soothing him instead. 

And that worked, and more tendrils twisted around his left arm, spiraling upward to join the one laying over his chest. 

Underneath Prime’s Fury, Cade mentally spotted another mound of unease and negative emotion. He willed it closer, coaxing and picked at it thoughtfully, rather like one does a scab. He heard a grumble from above but shushed his guardian, and pushed deeper. Didn’t Optimus trust Cade to help him? 

Resignation- Optimus Prime was a dangerous being. He knew that. He embraced it, it was part of being A Prime. Knowing that, was Cade still interested in pursuing this connection? 

Cade didn’t understand the complicated emotions this time, and he had to beg Optimus to repeat himself out loud. 

“I don’t understand,” He wheezed, sweaty and panting like he’s run a mile. But it all felt so good--

Optimus tried again, more straightforward this go round. 

Curiosity- did Cade want him? 

“Of course I do!” Cade answered, his shock making him focus for a moment. “What the fuck, big rig? Don’t stop this, please, whatever it is...we’re doing…” 

Cade was confused now, and it was showing. He watched as a few of the spark limbs skated back and curled up against the glowing, pulsing center. Despite being the one to initiate this, Optmus was clearly feeling a lot of hesitancy. 

But why? Cade wondered, wanting to know. Against better judgement, Cade spied one of the retracting limbs and reached out quickly, wrapping it carefully in his fingers. His gamble earned him a return, because in that limb, it seemed to hold most of Prime’s previous fears and worries over keeping Cade.  

His nightmares, his injuries. Things he had been hiding from Cade because he cared that much. 

“Dumbass,” Cade scolded without thought, not hiding his own hurt at unearthing this wound his guardian was keeping to himself. 

“You’d never hurt me. You’re not...not Nemesis Prime anymore. You’re Optimus. My Optimus.” 

Cade stretched out his other palm then, offering it to the inquisitive limbs and gave a few playful strokes to see if he could make Prime come undone a little bit more. 

Well, if Optimus was worried before than he was worried no longer. 

My-Beloved-Cade- Optimus loved him. He loved him because of his own sense of self, because of Cade’s stubbornness and fire, his passion and his ferocity when protecting his family. Because of the utter trust and acceptance of the alien species he had come to live with. 

We-Who-Are-One. Pride- Optimus Prime did think of himself as belonging to Cade now. And he, in turn, was assured in his role as Cade’s guardian. Prime was still fond of humanity, even if the scars left by their betrayal were deep. But he had now seen what it was like cultivating a close knit bond with one Cade Yeager, and Prime intended to keep him. 

This sparkbonding would seal that wish. 

‘That’s what it’s called!’ Cade gasped back, forgetting once more he could heard. Prime rumbled in amusement above him and sent a pulse of agreement back. 

Cade realized a moment too late the spark was still seeking something from him, too. When he tried comparing the two species--a bit hard when pleasure like you’ve never known is muddling your thoughts--Cade could only guess. But maybe…

Oh. An electrical discharge. The one it could most likely sense when his heart beat.

But, but that was so small--so utterly tiny in comparison to the supernova star that was Optimus Prime. There was no way they could make a bridge of a bond using that...could they? 

He forced open his eyes, realizing he had forgotten to inflate his own lungs and gasped. The harsh expansion of his torso made fire leap up his spine and he trembled, instinctively sending out pain! and hurt! across this strange, new bond. 

Optimus growled back, low and threatening but calm as ice. Suddenly he took hold of Cade’s pain and snapped it in two, and Cade stilled in shock at the resulting relief he felt. 

‘What the hell was--?’ He asked, numbly. 

‘Pain-Split.’ Optimus said, as if that meant something to the man. 

We-Who-Are-One. Share. Prime then commanded, so sure and firm that Cade, who didn’t understand what was going on other than the wonderful sensation of Sparkbonding was slowly overriding his current injury--could only throw his head back and hang on. 

Share...what? Cade doesn’t know, he cannot know, but he shares all he’s got and then some. 

It’s fleeting and uncontrolled--Cade is new at this after all! But Yeager is nothing if not a quick study. He just had to think of something, loudly perhaps, and try to beam it across the bond right? He, he could do that, maybe.

Emily- Cade sent, because he loved that girl like Peter Pan loved Wendy, loss and young-love and all. And he wanted to show her to Optimus. The Prime took the honeyed-golden memory across the bond with reverence, like one takes a glass figurine, sharing Cade’s admiration for Emily’s memory so easily as if he too had known her. 

Love! Cade tried again and this time focused on all he loved about Optimus. The way they met, the attentive actions of the commander, and the deep, grieving loss he felt when Optimus left him for space. 

Loss- Why did he have to lose so much, Optimus? Couldn’t he be selfish and keep one thing? 

Regret- said Optimus, about that last part. But then Agreement- Cade could keep Optimus. 

Pain. F-fear- Cade doesn’t know what’s going to happen to them. He’s scared. He hates admitting it but he has to. If he’s going to demand Optimus be honest with him, Cade has to walk the walk. 

This is what Prime wanted, apparently. The thought is grabbed in large mental hands and Prime’s spark turns on its axis, twisting closer and taking Cade’s emotions, drinking them down from him. 

Fix- Optimus would fix him. 

Cade was sure he misheard something, right then and there. Fix him? Fix Cade? That was impossible. Cade was the medic anyway.

There was a crackle between them. Cade felt it more than heard it, felt his own heart seize up as Prime’s spark’s limbs find what they’ve been reaching for and dig through him. The spark limbs seared through Cade, all fire and ice and liquid nitrogen. Without ceremony, they were going through soft flesh and hard bone and sinew and muscle. 

And yet, if Cade could have managed to hold a conversation right now, all he would be able to describe it as was good. 

The spark had found what it wanted and hooked on, stubborn and demanding. It became increasingly erratic and fidgety, and so does Cade. He felt a driving surge of want and need and right now! come from the normally reserved Optimus and it made Cade feel giddy with pride. Prime did want him, truly wanted him. He wanted him as a partner, as an equal, and suddenly Cade had no pain or soreness left at all. 

Only exuberant, dizzying joy and love and it’s all for Optimus Prime. 

Above him, growls heady and soft, the commander leaned over him and thrummed the inventor’s full name out loud. 

Mine-  

For he belonged to Optimus Prime. 

Cade only managed a single thought, one that more or less meant: ‘Didn’t I always?’ which only earned him a faint, chuckling rumble from above. 

“Yours.” Cade gasped with empty lungs, body completely overcome with pleasure and a strange heaviness that somehow made him feel lighter than air. 

And then his vision edged to blackness, and all he could make out was the spark’s all encompassing blue light with out a trace of purple--wait? None?--suddenly seared over him.

And he knew no more. 

Cade woke, and for an instant he was sure all that had happened was a dream and nothing more. Not just the current events, but the entire last few days. Everything. 

There was several reasons for his hasty hypothesis. One, he was curled up in Prime’s cab. Even without opening his eyes he knew the feel of that leather, the cramped space because of Prime’s bulky dash, and all the room for his legs because he was lying curled up sideways across the cab’s three person seat. Two, he was very comfortable. The type of comfortable that begs for more sleep, just a few more hours of shut-eye. There was nothing aggravating to keep Cade awake. 

No pain. No soreness. No stabbing hunger. Very little concern. 

There was something around his wrist but--yeah, that was just the Talisman. Which turned into a weird alien watch sometimes. That was normal. And it wasn’t painful, just a heavy, familiar weight. 

‘Cal?’ He asked, mentally reaching out for the bond that was easier to find. The one he knew already. 

‘Young heir.’ echoed Excalibur. 

‘...what the fuck just happened?’ 

‘I only found you a moment ago. Traveling across stone and sand is not easy for me, you know.’ The Talisman sniffed. He shared with Cade the brief, hazy memory of venturing across the Coliseum to their cell. And by the time he had, the Talisman had to stretch and pull its way laboriously up Prime’s semi door and through his window to where the sleeping human lay.

Underneath him, Optimus was silent and still. He wasn’t even playing his boring classical music. 

‘Sleeping.’ Cade assured himself quickly, feeling lightheaded with relief. ‘He’s just recharging. Finally. And it sounds like a deep one. 

Thank fucking god.’ Because Optimus needed the rest. 

Cade sat up, relishing the sensation of having his strength and his muscles back and peeked out into the world. Yes, this was their miserable cell, in the miserable Coliseum, on miserable Combatron. And, miserably, it was twilight again. The whole day…? And no one had come to check on them? 

‘They’re punishing us.’ Cade snorted even as he realized this. ‘Solitary. Well, jokes on them, isn’t it?’ 

Because something had certainly shifted. Something between him and Optimus. 

Cade’s grin snuck up his lips, tugging them wider as he sat there, in the safety of the semi. 

‘Sparkbond.’ He repeated the word to himself, like a treasure he had dug out from the junk to keep for himself this time. To hold close, tight between his arms and chest. 

‘I beg your pardon?’ The Talisman was still listening and even Cade could hear its surprise through its normal haughty tone. 

‘Oh, don’t beg, Cal.’ Cade teased back, keeping his chuckles down as he curled back up against Prime’s seat and relaxed for a moment. He was awash in the utter serenity of security and warmth and Cade was going to take as much as he could get. Because once Prime was back Online, then they would bust the hell out of here. Cade was done being at someone else’s whim and disposal, and he could sense now that Prime was too. 

They’d rescue Grimwing, before leaving. And Blackbeak too. That was Cade’s own thought, not one he shared with the Prime’s slumbering processor but Cade knew he could convince the commander easily. 

He could sense so much now...gosh. They really had done it, hadn’t they? Connected. Sparkbonded. Sure, it was fresh and young and distant, but Cade could feel the growing change between them. 

The Talisman sent another wave of mild confusion and growing annoyance for being teased and ignored. The inventor felt like a scolded kid in class at this, which only made Cade grin wider. 

‘A sparkbond between human and transformer...thou speaks impossible riddles, young heir. It is not something that can be done.’ 

‘Maybe it isn’t. But Optimus and I did.’ Cade asserted calmly, happily.

The Talisman had no answer in the face of Cade’s cheerful assurance, and it fell silent in response. It wasn’t mad, just thoughtful. Cade let his connection to it drift away and sever, but realized the faint presence he could feel lingering around him was not something that could be tied off and stoppered. At least, not yet. That had to be Optimus, for even know Cade could tell what was and wasn’t his guardian based on memory alone. There was so much new to learn about all this! And Cade, of course, wanted to know it all. 

His train of thought lead him down tracks toward Optimus, just Optimus, and Cade felt his heart swell and sing as he mulled the commander over in his head. 

“YouandI.” Cade spoke purposefully aloud now, purring in love and affection. He reached a hand out to stroke the dashboard a few inches from where he lay. 

The semi’s engines rolled once or twice in drowsy acknowledgment, more asleep than awake but aware of Cade on the edges of his own subconscious. It was a clear note of understanding and agreement. It resonated between them, their affection and trust in each other. 

Cade lay in the growing dark and waited as his partner rested, feeling the best he felt in years. 

Oh yes, when Optimus woke up, he and Cade would give Combraton a fight it would certainly remember. They would show these traitors what strength and power really was.

Chapter Text

Resonance: noun. A relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between people.

Chapter 10. Resonance

Sharkticons are not clever creatures. 

Oh yes, they are hulking, and fierce, and powerful. They are annoying by themselves, a bother as a group and unholy retribution as a swarm. There are autobots who know this, because they have fought against Sharkticons before, but this is not their story. 

Sharkticons have claws for slicing and jaws for gnashing and they take immense, mighty pride in their bruteness. They also take pride in their pack, their school. They even take pride in their leader, whoever that might be at the time. (Leaders are always changing though, because a weak sharkticon has little chance of staying in the group once the others sense said weakness.) 

Strongest-Biting-with-Sharpest-Teeth was the cleverest, and also the biggest, and so this made him the leader. His purple hide glinted in the dim light as he moved with only the slightest of limps, and he still treaded uneasily on the soft ground of their cell. 

He did not have a very big pack, or a very big school. It was not one many would be proud of, but it was his; and so he took what he could get. 

The second biggest was the yellow one, whose bludgeon tail and skill with it had caused him to be called Death-Tail , suddenly grumbled. DeathTail stood, and matched his pace and rudely growled in confusion and askance. 

No leader liked to be questioned; Strongest especially not. 

Strongest growled right back, and even aimed a swipe at the other’s flank. 

Deathtail shirked away from the other, and to the farthest side of their cramped cell. He nearly ran into the last of their band, a green-accented sharkticon whose designation was more or less Moss-claw. 

There was a time when Strongest-Biting-with-Sharpest-Teeth lead his small school into glorious battles in the arena, and they slaughtered the foe on the other side of the ring and then were allowed to feast on the corpse. (The audience paid extra to see that, of course.) but such a time had not come since The-Prime fought and nearly offlined them all. 

And so quickly too...

Strongest stood stock still, and refused to allow himself to shudder at a mere, harmless memory. 

“No! Angry!” He roared instead, snapping at the air. He swiveled to eyeball the nearest sharkticon and instead began snapping at them to release some of his frustration. 

Mossclaw jumped and cowered in submission, hiding behind his own tail for a brief moment. 

Strongest tired of picking on the weakest member of his small school quickly, and went back to inner thoughts of irritation and hurt. His outside wounds had been licked clean. (Well, as clean as they could get in this awful place, with no water to bury themselves in and rest.) But his inside wounds, they had not. 

They ached still. 

And he wasn’t the only with aches and pain. 

‘Hungry,’ Mossclaw mumbled to Deathtail, who grunted in agreement but made no other move to comfort the other. He was hungry too, so what of it? 

Strongest swung his tail thoughtfully, and allowed himself a moment to imagine what a Prime might taste like. 

Not very good, he told himself. It did not make him feel any better, only reminded him yet again of his failure and his gnawing hunger. 

And then he heard it. 

The sounds of movement, of clanging. Of a ting-ting-ting! as something rolled its way between the bars of their cell. 

Strongest turned to track the noise, arching his stubby tail in case he needed to kill-murder-kill!! whatever it was coming into their territory. 

The small bent up scrap metal rolled to a harmless stop near his clawed foot. But Strongest tore his optics from the yummy looking meal and focused on where such a thing had come from. They had not won a battle, had not earned their food. So why…? 

Crouched casually on the other side of the bars was a strange little creature, even smaller than Mossclaw. It had no armor on it, nothing that gleamed or glistened, but it stared unflinchingly with glittering, wet eyes at Strongest. 

Now, this was very odd. 

But it smelled of iron, of metal and heat and power, and Strongest immediately puffed up at the lurker. Whatever this thing was, it was likely Bad. Not just because it was Free and they were Not. 

“Mine!” He snapped and lunged, even though the ball of scrap metal was already well in his reach. He dove down onto it, and devoured it before his tiny school could even scent the air. 

The strange Metal-But-Not-Metal-One tsked scoldingly. And then spoke in a careful voice, but he spoke a voice that was in their language. 

“Rude-rude-rude.” The odd creature clicked, tilting what must be its tiny helm. “No share? Greedy-rude-Sharkticon! Do-Not-Like.”

Strongest growled at the reproach and stepped closer, intending to either scare away the lurker or bully them into giving up more metals to eat. 

But the little one did not look terribly impressed at Strongest’s display. 

“Not-Yours.” The brazen little thing asserted, showing two more hunks of metal, each no bigger than its torso but looking tantalizingly delicious all the same. Especially to the two still starving sharkticons, who had their full, undivided attention on the small one. 

“Mine!” Strongest responded when he felt his rule being threatened, getting angry now. 

“No! Not-Yours! Bad-Bad!” snapped the food giver back, bearing tiny, white ivory squares. In any other capacity, Strongest would have laughed and mocked the creature’s tiny teeth, which were clearly not made for gnashing and biting! How pathetic it looked! How weak it must be in battle. 

With jaws like that, it was not a leader!

And then from behind the Fangless-One stepped a towering titan, glittering in the dim light like a jewel. It was the exact horror from Strongest’s nightmares, and it made the alpha-sharkticon freeze. The red and blue and silver plating flickered in the dim light but stung Strongest’s memory files with a burning bolt of anger. And fear. 

Behind him, Mossclaw and Deathtail cowered and flattened in immediate submission, giving woeful cries of worry and concern. Strongest wanted to comfort them or make them shut up, but he had no energy or desire to do either. Then the first, tiny stranger immediately spoke up and sent noises of affection and assurance and curiously: “No-Fear!” and quickly held out the tantalizing treats. Mossclaw and Deathtail answered back with the only sane thing there is to say in a situation like this, which could be translated to english as roughly: what the fuck? 

Because to hear ‘No-Fear!’ when Optimus Prime--Commander-of-the-Autobots, He-Who-Reigns-War--is staring you down, is a fairly excellent example of juxtaposition. 

Even a Sharkticon could understand that level of irony. 

But Fangless-One seemed very certain in his words. He cast a fond look over his shoulder and spoke something, it was wet and slimy sounding, with many breaks in the noises. The sharkticons didn’t understand it, but whatever Fangless-One said caused the looming monstrosity to step back softly, silently. 

Oh. 

The sharkticons all regarded Fangless-One with wary uncertainty and a tint of awe. 

It had spoken in tongues, but the Prime still obeyed. 

Oh. 

 Now Fangless-One stood up, but soon turned back to the sharkticons and smiled a Transformer smile at them. 

Strongest understood now, and he rattled his armor in irritation and uncertainty as he shuffled backward on instinct. But he was not about to challenge the one who had just commanded The-Prime. (He would have liked to have seen that battle for dominance, though.) Strongest tried glaring over at Fangless-One, but Optimus Prime immediately began to growl in soft warning. 

So the purple sharkticon tried glowering up at the titan instead, bitter and desperate to keep some of his power. 

But he could not hold the gaze of a Prime. 

No one could. 

So to see the Fangless-One do it--and so casually--had naturally sent their worlds upside down on them. 

Strongest understood more, then, as he watched the Fangless-One offer the delicious metal to the other two cowering but grateful sharkticons. 

Fangless-One had no need for jaws with which to bite and gnash. 

Fangless-One had The Prime, and that was plenty.

Blackbeak licked and picked at a small but somewhat festered wound, before settling back down with a weak noise of irritation and fear. This was miserable. He was miserable, and he cared little to hide his emotions about it all.  

As Predacons went, Blackbeak was something of a misnomer. And yet he was also the very excellent textbook example of a Predacon--at least, a manufactured one like the kind Shockwave had created and wanted. 

Blackbeak was so angry and full of broiling might, always eager to cause fights and tussles. 

But he was also very, very small. 

Which made his connection to Grimwing all the more important. Grimwing ensured Blackbeak protection, and Blackbeak was more than happy to be a weapon wielded by the powerful, bigger Predacon. 

It was a comfortable alliance, but one that could sometimes feel strained. Grimwing was rather soft-sparked, to the annoyance of the rather antagonistic Blackbeak. And Blackbeak was fiery and hothelmed, which caused trouble for them both. Usually the sort of trouble Grimwing had to take finish. The rageful homunculus didn’t much care who they fought for or against, so long as energon was shed and a good fight was gotten out of it. It was all the same to him. So at first, the Coliseum seemed like a great way to get Grimwing to fight more. 

Their glory hadn’t lasted long. 

Blackbeak hissed and clicked to himself, angrily trying to get comfortable in an uncomfortable cage in the darkest corner of the arena’s winding halls. All those fights between the two (and the ones against others) seemed somewhat pointless now, and certainly stupid. He missed Grimwing as much as he missed the taste of flight, which was the highest compliment the bratty little homunculus-corvid had in his arsenal. 

Blackbeak heard the sound of movement before he spotted anything. It was dark, and he was a Transformer that relied on sight as much as Grimwing relied on his impressive bulk. He squinted with tired optics into the gloom, trying to spot the telltale shape of a Decepticon that was coming to him. He knew it wouldn’t be with food, or the promise of returning him to his partner, but he played with the possibilities all the same. 

The angry black corvid leapt to his two claws when the shape emerged, and spread his wings and puffed his scales out. 

At least, he tried to. 

What really happened was a staggered, pathetic wobbling rise, Blackbeak’s chains and manacles jangled and went taught. This kept his wings trapped and his posture awkward and half-braced. 

Blackbeak trembled and covered it with an angry caw, only to be met with hushes and soft wet sounds. 

Having lived in Shockwave’s lab and then the Coliseum his whole natural life, Blackbeak did not know what to make of the soft, tiny little thing that was clambering through the bars of his cage. He hissed in fear but stilled at the sight of the shiny sword in the little thing’s soft, clawless servo.

“No-threat,” The soft one whispered, purring and clicking so convincingly that Blackbeak almost forgot this intruder wasn’t a Transformer. 

“Me-Big!” Blackbeak cawed angrily, “Ssstop! Me-Big!”

“Blackbeak.” The other one spoke in response, and the black mech bird froze in shock, stunned to stillness and silence. 

The small one approached, standing tall and proud and smelling like something dangerous and mighty.  

“Blackbeak.” The strange thing repeated again, and the poor corvid almost fell out of his threatened pose in shock. “Safe-safe-safe,” it trilled when Blackbeak didn’t answer. 

“Designation: Medic-Cade.” It declared proudly. “Strong, safe.” and then,

“Grimwing.” 

Blackbeak snapped upright at the sacred name on a stranger’s glossa, and seethed quietly until Medic-Cade gentled him again with soft apologies and soothing hums. 

“Sympathy...” offered Medic-Cade with a wince, as he slunk forward. He was nearly on all fours at this point and that only made him appear smaller. 

He watched Blackbeak with wary, sharp eyes that tightened in concern the closer he ventured. Blackbeak spared him a single warning click of his beak, but soon settled under that piercing gaze. What did he have to lose? If this Medic-Cade freed him for his own gain, Blackbeak could probably bully him and attempt an escape. The solitude hadn’t broken Blackbeak’s spirit, nor his over confidence in himself. 

And then a flash of metal--familair metal that Blackbeak just knew was like himself--and the first length of heavy chain slid harmlessly to the stone. It rattled and clanged and fell still like a dead thing, and after a moment Blackbeak struck it away with his claw, before he puffed up and bragged at his own bravery and fierceness for taking on such a foe. 

He pointedly ignored Medic-Cade’s tiny wet noises of amusement. 

Blackbeak tried to twist, to see the strange creature bite again at some of the chains, but he couldn’t from the angle he was still leaning at. Medic-Cade’s sword struck again, and again, sparks spitting off it like when Grimwing breathed his toxic green smoke that they sometimes used to evade those hunting them. 

The thought of Grimwing distracted Blackbeak so much that he almost didn’t feel the last section of his bindings slither off him. 

But he did. And he tensed.

“Blackbeak--” Medic-Cade tried to keep him calm, but it was no use. Blackbeak bolted, charging forward and up into the air as fast as his tired, sore wings would take him. 

He crashed into the cage door with an almighty shriek and bit and clawed at it, too busy to see Medic-Cade scrambling to a section of door below the homunculus. His wings flapped and beat the air like a mad thing, his noises growing increasingly agitated when he still wasn’t free. 

Another set of sparks, with heavy grunting, and then the door caved outward as a lock slammed into the ground, its chain eaten through after a few strikes with Medic-Cade’s strange sword.

Blackbeak spared the medic a brief glance from where he hoovered in mid flight, his optics glinting before he turned back to the weakened, gaping door to Freedom and Grimwing and pushed upward. 

Blackbeak was a fighter, and he would not belong to anyone but his Grimwing. 

Blackbeak was also desperate enough he didn’t stop to think that his ability to break away from the small medic was based on more than just his own skill. 

That he had been set free for some other purpose. 

He had only one goal in his processor, and he was already headed for it. 

“You were right, Optimus!” Cade crowed as he hurried back to his commander’s side and clambered up the Prime’s ankle. “Blackbeak’s heading right for Grimwing! He took off the second the door was open, now we don’t have to worry about finding him.” 

A servo swept down and helped him hasten his climbing, and soon Cade found himself safely on Prime’s shoulder. 

“Good.” Optimus hummed, then turned to address the tight bundle of metal fins and claws and teeth that were following closely behind him.

“You three, you will go down that hall. Fight until you are free. Get out of here. Do not cause more trouble once you are free--or I will come find you myself.” Optimus warned, causing Strongest, Deathtail and Mossclaw to grumble and shirk in anxious gestures of assurance. 

“Will they be okay?” Cade asked, leaning close to Prime’s good audial horn as they moved. “I mean, we’re not sending them to their deaths, right? They’re not just distractions?” 

“They will be fine, Cade. They’re still hungry.” Prime informed calmly. “Hungry sharkticons don’t lose.” 

“Well, for all our sakes I hope you’re right, big rig.” Cade mumbled, then fell silent. 

Their journey was made swiftly and with as much silence as Prime could manage. By the end of their sneaking, it had grown harder and easier. Harder because more Decepticons were coming to see what the ruckus was, and easier because he and Cade had freed so many fighters that they were engaging immediately with their captors and keeping the Cons distracted.

Optimus let Cade down, and the inventor dropped to the floor and turned in place. 

“You gunna be okay, Prime?” 

“I think that is my line to you, Cade.” 

“I can still worry, big rig.” Cade paused and stared at his new sparkmate for a second, falling into unsure and uncharacteristic silence. 

“I mean it. I can’t lose you now, right? Or something bad will happen?” Cade didn’t know the specifics of a sparkbond, not yet. But he knew what the tightness in his chest meant when he merely entertained the thought of losing Prime. It would be terrible. Horrible. Deadly, even. 

A fate that wasn’t worse than Death because it would be Death itself. 

Cade shivered instinctively, ignorant of the chaos they had started like a wildfire, now more concerned with something happening to his guardian. 

“Yes. That is one way to put it.” Prime paused and seemed to consider something to himself for a beat. 

“But there isn’t a danger of that happening. We just need to stay focused with our plan. Free who we can, and ensure Combatron’s Coliseum is ended for good. Then we can leave.” 

“Right. Yeah, okay.” Cade took a few steadying breaths but nodded. The sudden surge of regal confidence he was feeling wasn’t his own, it couldn’t be. 

But it felt like his all the same, and that helped.

It was nice, he wasn’t going to lie. Feeling Optimus Prime’s powerful force lurking around the edges of his own mental-self made him feel like an island surrounded by an ocean. But an ocean that stayed where it was put and wasn’t trying to threaten to swallow him up, even though it very well could. He felt protected, and assured in his role of their little escape plan. The first two parts had already gone off without a hitch, and that added to his growing cockiness. 

Cade hurried off, to rally the others and turn to their side those that were still hesitant or fearful. 

The autobot commander strode off toward the main hall of the coliseum, the one he could remember being lead through when they were first brought here. The door held tight, at least until Prime gave it a well placed shot with his cannon and shoved it again. The door flew open. 

Behind him, the noises of the prison break were growing. 

Cade clearly had no problem driving Excalibur through the locks of some of the fighter’s cages. And the ones that Cade could not take care off, of course, would be handled by fighters freeing other fighters. Because in places like this, even small alliances could be kindled over time. Those bonds were what he and Cade had to bank on now. 

The Decepticons that ran the Coliseum had of course noticed, but that was the part of their plan that was most helpful. More than one fighter free meant the Cons were spread thin, and they didn’t have time to worry about who started what and where. Only that they could detain and finish the break before too many fighters escaped or, as was more likely, engaged with the Decepticons and overthrew them.  

Optimus ducked down quietly and skirted a wide circle around the biggest crowd of fighting Cons and their prisoners, all of which each clearly had an axe to grind with their captors.  

He did not so much have an axe, but he had a sword and a much heavier chip on his shoulder. And with a fresh sparkbond having healed enough of him that he felt at full power, Optimus was more than ready to do his part of his and Cade’s plan. 

Prime spotted the coli leader and let his engines churn in warning as he approached the Decepticon, who stiffened and rounded on him angrily. 

“I want to speak with you, Bombshock.” Prime said quietly. 

“I have nothing to say to you, Prime!” Bombshock roared, enraged beyond reason and throwing himself full force at the autobot, a massive battle axe swinging. “Only for you to do what we’ve all been waiting for and die!” 

“Very well.” Prime grunted as his battle mask slid over his metal nose and mouth. He unsheathed his own blazing, energon sword and held it at the ready. “We will do it your way.” 

“It is the way of ALL our kind, to conquer in battle! To kill the weakest!” Bombshock retaliated as he and Optimus circled one another in the middle of the arena. “Perhaps if I killed your soft little pet you would come back to your senses and be of some use again!” 

Prime said nothing, but his optics narrowed dangerously. 

“What is it about me that says pop me open like a pudding cup, huh?” Cade asked himself, because he had heard Bombshock’s threats booming across the coliseum field and frankly, he didn't like them one bit. 

‘Thou just has that effect it would seem.’ The Talisman mused absently. ‘Oh--good shot, young heir! That is the way one parries!’ 

“Ew,” Cade bemoaned in response, trying to yank Excalibur free of the gangly, gross goblin like alien he had just struck through the chest. “Leggo--oh, gross, fuck--” 

They had planned for this, too. Not in so many words, but Cade knew he risked being attacked by Cons and possible fighters--some who would forget themselves and go at whoever they saw in their way to freedom. That was why he got tangled up in a fight with the four eyed goblin, its worn armor and shrieking cry rattling through his bones as it charged him. Yeager was the only thing remotely close to the things size, but Excalibur wasn’t impressed by the little creature’s spear and wooden shield and told it so by swinging through both things, and then shoving deep into the monster’s ribcage. This resulted in the sword’s tip puncturing its heart, as well as dragging Cade’s arm forward as if it had a life of its own. 

But as experienced and eager the Talisman was, that was about the exact opposite of Cade’s current state of mind. His face twisted into disgust as the squelching noises became too gross to bear as he continued to try and wriggle the sword free. 

“Ya see,” He complained, “This is why the gun-sword thing is easier! I’m not up close when they do the death throes!” 

‘There’s such little sport in it, though.’ The Talisman remarked dryly as it waited to be freed. 

“Oh, shut up.” 

Cade looked up in time to see a wide set, black and gray trimmed Decepticon raise a hammer up above its helm. It roared, optics glinting in wicked satisfaction as it worked to keep Cade trapped and cornered. Because he was so unwilling to let go of Excalibur and run, it wasn’t exactly a challenge. 

Cade froze on instinct, hissing through his teeth as he stared up at the Decepticon. Seeing the hammer twice his size start to come down, he propped his boot up on the stone wall and leaned back with all his weight, sliding Excalibur free and tumbling ass over tea kettle through the dirt. 

The hammer swung, then clanged off-time and the Deception roared in pain and surprise as it was pummeled into and sent through the wall helm first. 

“Did we do that?” Cade cried, scrambling off his side and onto his stomach to stare up through the dirt and debris that had clouded the air from his saviour. 

‘No.’ the Talisman answered, directing its wielders attention to the emerald wings above them. 

“Battle!” roared a familiar, proud falcon’s cry. 

Grimwing had arrived, and the only reason Cade didn’t recognize his friend was because of the hulking pile of green and black on his left shoulder, pressed closed and flaring a second set of smaller wings Cade had only seen in the tight, cramped quarters of Blackbeak’s cell. The result was an impressive silhouette that dropped straight down from the sky, landing so hard Cade’s teeth clacked together as he scrambled up and out of Grimwing’s way.

When Grimwing roared, he and Blackbeak roared as one, and the resulting combination was enough to cause several of the monstrous aliens around them to turn tail and scurry off. 

“Grimwing!” Cade cried, then realized why Grimwing was standing up off his hind quarters and took a moment to gape at the two. 

Grimwing did have an alternate mode, and he was changing into it now. The Predacon stood to a new, towering height, and flung a grappling hook off his back, burying it deep into the stone wall of Coliseum threateningly. This convinced a few others who were still hopeful they could stop Cade and take on the Predacon, that the challenge wasn’t worth the effort. Then Grimwing twisted, pulling and stretching his thick arm out, sending Blackbeak who soared into Onslaught's helm and sent him stumbling. 

“Not bad.” Cade called up to the humanoid Predacon as it strode up to him. “Let’s see what else you got.” 

Grimwing bared his denta in a deadly smile, and thrummed in delight. He turned to look at the oncoming monster, the same beast Prime had battled a few days ago with the lizard like appearance and fleshy mass of brutal muscle. 

Grimwing eyed the beast, checked in with Blackbeak--who hissed eagerly in delight--and nodded. This would be a Good Fight. 

After all, Grimwing would do anything for the medic who had given him back his other half. 

Bombshock’s body stopped its descent through the air, tumbling and rolling a few feet away. 

Optimus lowered his cannon and strode toward the Coli leader, growling low in his pipes as he advanced with all the fury of a natural disaster. 

“Do you call this weak, Bombshock!?” Optimus challenged, parrying the con’s clumsy return strike and crouching down to sweep at the con’s legs and take him out again. Bombshock leapt off balance, darting to avoid the blazing orange sword and instead fired a round of buckshot into Prime’s shoulder to unbalance the tall behemoth. 

“I do!” Bombshock mocked, “Look at what you’ve become! What you’ve left behind! You’re a traitor to your species!” 

(“I feel sorry for you, Prime. Your legion, these humans. The trouble with having loyalty to a cause...is that the cause will always betray you!”)

‘But not Cade. His cause is that of my own. We are one.’  Both the memory and the realization made Optimus smile, which in turn caused his enemy to cast him a brief confused--and slightly fearful--look. 

“And look at what you’ve become.” Optimus hissed, shoving Bombshock’s arm up and grabbing hold of it, so the next round of shots went up into the air, cracking through the sky like fireworks. 

“As cruel as the very ones Megatron loathed all those eons ago, in his own days of fighting. History has repeated itself, Bombshock, and I’m not having any of it.” Optimus pinned the smaller Transformer and smashed his helm, hard, to keep him from breaking free. 

“We will now allow you to keep these creatures fighting for their survival any longer!” 

Bombshock did his best, but when he tried tugging his arm free Optimus only tightened and wrenched until he heard bearings and hinges snap. 

The canon hit the ground several feet away.

“I am a good soldier, Prime,” Bombshock snarled from under him, “I follow orders, and I keep the natural one. I don’t go around fraternizing with the organics to keep my power.”

“You have no one, too, because of your smallmindedness.” Prime hissed. “Megatron is not here. I am. My partner makes me strong. Your fighters have either joined my side or fled.” Prime made sure Bombshock got a good, long look at his ruined Coliseum, and the smoking pile of brick and rubble it was becoming as the fights rampaged, less maliciously violent and focusing only on freedom. 

Then Grimwing landed beside them, folded back into his beastial gryphon-mode. Cade Yeager slipped down from the predacon’s back and ran a few uncertain steps toward them. 

“Optimus...?” Cade called up, and it sounded like a warning. 

Prime did not answer, only stared into Bombshock’s optics until the Decepticon had froze fully in fear. Fear for his life, and for his future if Lord Megatron found out. 

Who was he kidding? When Lord Megatron found out. 

“Then be done with it.” Bombshock spit out, grinding his sharp denta and wishing he could spit in the Prime’s holier-than-thou faceplates. “Punish me then, Prime. Prove me wrong.” 

“Optimus!” The human called again, drawing the Prime’s attention by way of a brief glint of optics. They were blue, because there wasn’t any other tint they could be. Not anymore. Cade saw Prime’s expression, and relaxed immediately, eyes softening back up at the commander. He lingered on the sidelines, Grimwing looming over him and watching with interest.

Prime turned slowly back to Bombshock. 

“Very well, Bombshock. I will prove you wrong.” And though Cade tensed and almost cried for Grimwing to intervene, all Optimus Prime did was toss the Decepticon away--sending him bodily through a cell door. 

A very specific cell door.

 But Bombshock was not privy to this meaningful aim, and so he did not understand the significance when he saw Prime’s canon being raised with careful calculation. A single shot hit the ceiling of bedrock, and a louder burst went off above Bombshock in response, triggered by the force of Prime’s blaster.

And so Cade’s small but efficient bomb went off from where Optimus had hidden it, blasting a crater in the Coliseum’s ceiling and causing a cave in that fell around Bombshock, trapping him. Bombshock’s roars followed them across the arena, where several near-by fighters heard and advanced threateningly in on the overthrown leader of the Coliseum. 

It was a very bad thing, to be Bombshock right now.

It was even worse to be him and to be alone. 

Cade’s eyes swept pointedly away from the cruel justice about to be displaced and up toward his commander, who shuttered his own optics affectionately down at him. 

“You did it, big rig.” Cade realized, breaking into a tired smile of his own. “I know it wasn’t easy but...anything that happens to Bombshock now is his own fault. But he’s got a choice too, at least I think he might…” 

“We all make mistakes, Cade.” Prime murmured as he bent down to collect his friend. “But I choose my own path. Thankfully, it is one I walk with you.” 

“Yeah. Uhm, right now our ‘path’ should prolly be gettin’ the hell outta dodge though, huh?” Cade remarked warily as he eyed the ruckus they had single handedly orchestrated. Now the chaos was spreading, as chaos was apt to do. Plenty of combatants who did not vocally side with Optimus were now seeing the tides turn, and they joined the fight against their jailers. 

“Before someone else gets it in their head to challenge you.” 

Optimus hummed a single tenor note of agreement and started moving. 

Cade tried peering into the smoke and rubble for the trio of sharkticons, but couldn’t find them. Grimwing stuck close to them though, and stayed in the air to provide cover, his huge wings spread to catch the currents as he eyed a ship around the back of the Coliseum. He relayed his findings to Optimus who nodded and changed course for it. 

“Is it like the one that brought us here?” Cade asked from his perch on Prime’s shoulder, staring at the strange spaceship as it came into view. It was Transformer sized but even still it was relatively modest looking. 

“No. It looks to be an old cargo ship from Iacon….repurposed, of course.” but Prime sounded distracted and really, what did it matter? 

It could fly. So it would have to do. 

Cade glanced into the dark opening of the deactivated ship and turned on Prime’s shoulder, noticing Grimwing and Blackbeak loitering just outside on the gang plank. 

“Prime, lemme down.” Cade urged, and once he was set he and Prime moved off separately. Cade knew without asking the commander was going to get the ship ready to go, and Prime knew without telling that he expected Cade to join him swiftly. 

Even if that meant no Grimwing and Blackbeak. But at this point, and after all Grimwing had done for them, Cade would be damned if he left the Predacon and his partner behind. 

“Guys, it’s okay!” Cade called, jogging toward the two.

“Small,” Grimwing complained, earning a click of agreement from the agitated Blackbeak. 

“Ssssmall,” Blackbeak parroted, sounding just as creeped out. “ Baaaad.” 

‘Great. A Predacon nearly as big as Prime with claustrophobia.’ Cade moaned to himself. ‘Well, can’t say I blame them.’ 

“No, no shhh. C’mon,” Cade gestured with sweeping coaxes of his arm. “You guys can’t stay here. If you get captured again, or if Shockwave finds out--”

  That earned the two’s attention. 

“Shockwave? Yeah--see? Shockwave’s just as ‘Bad,’ isn’t he? I thought so. You’ll be safe with us. Me and Prime’ll protect you.” He knew that Grimwing and Blackbeak couldn’t quite understand his native tongue, but he knew the Predacon was more sensitive and aware than even Prime had been lead to believe. 

“That’s it,” the inventor praised as the gryphon began slinking warily up the gang plank. 

It was good timing too, because the Decepticons were aware of the missing Prime and Cade could hear the sounds of searching ringing down the halls. Cade wasn’t sure of the fate of Bombshock but it was likely he was free or Onslaught was now giving orders. 

“Let’s go Prime! Uh--blast off time! Now!” Yeager couldn’t hide his yelp as he scrambled up behind Grimwing and watched the plank of the cargo ship rise along with the whine of thrusters. His stomach just about stayed behind on Combatron, but soon they were up and careening through the planet’s foggy atmosphere. 

“Think they’ll follow us?” Cade asked.

“Unlikely.” Prime glanced at the screens, reading something that Cade couldn’t even begin to decipher. But the Prime didn’t seem uneasy by what he saw. 

“What is likely is that they’ll try and get word to Megatron.”

“Well, this is what he wanted, wasn’t it?” Cade growled darkly, bristling at the thought of the warlord. “For you to come back and ‘fight him on his own terms’ or some bullshit?” 

Optimus said nothing, but he nodded curtly. 

Behind them, Grimwing and Blackbeak were taking in their surroundings, and their soft mutters and warbles to one another became the back drop of the moment. Cade turned his attention from them to his guardian and hummed thoughtfully. 

Cade went back to Optimus though, and studied the autobot’s tight lips and dark optics and felt along their two-way string of a bond. He felt Prime’s anger and concern, and deeper down he felt his affection for Cade causing the concern. 

He also felt a faint, distant sting in his shoulder. It wasn’t very painful, and when Cade tried focusing on it too hard the dull ache vanished from his body. Almost like an old wound acting up. Taking a guess, Cade glanced at Prime’s shoulder and saw a good sized dent, along with some scorch marks, the kind a Transformer got when a gunshot wound was close range. Huh. 

He also noticed the way Prime was leaning rather carefully, favoring some limbs. Now that his adrenaline was calming down, Yeager kicked his medic self into gear and approached Prime. 

“Are you alright?” Cade demanded, eyeing the careful slouch of the commander’s long strut. “Did you take a bad hit?” 

“Only a few smaller ones.” Prime rolled a shoulder. “Nothing major. And our bonding took care of the immediate injuries. As well as your hunger, I presume.” 

“Huh? Is that why I’m not hungry?” Cade blinked in surprise. 

“Due in part. You won’t be able to go as long as me, you’ll still need your human sustenance. But energon-intake does decrease between sparkmates. What one has the other can share. Provided we stay close to one another.”

“That’s fucking cool. Still...I don’t like how you’re standing, big rig. Lemme see.” Cade said anyway, and watched Optimus shift and sit down against the side wall of the ship’s interior. 

Cade boosted himself up onto Prime’s knee and balanced easily. The two hands splayed against Prime’s broad, flame-decaled chest plates were not for ease of standing, but rather because he could sense that spark hidden deeper in the autobot, and it called out to him happily. He pressed close for an instant, feeling his heart lighten and it distracted him from his attempt at whatever repairs he could do. 

Cade snuck a peak up at Optimus, who was watching him, and managed a sheepish smile. 

“So that... thing we did last night.” Cade started delicately. 

“Sparkbonding.” Prime reminded with a content purr of his engines. 

“Y-yeah. That’s not a...one time deal, right?” Cade whispered, not that Grimwing was eavesdropping but this whole subject felt secret and special. Optimus seemed more amused than anything else. He nodded his helm. 

“Of course. Perhaps not right now…” Prime trailed off with a meaningful glance toward the front of the modest spaceship. 

“Oh, no, no obviously when we have some privacy!” Cade assured. He didn't want Prime to feel pressured either, especially if the next time they sparkbonded was for recreation and not a life or death situation like before. That would be like making the Prime have sex with him and Cade would rather die right there than make Prime feel controlled like that. 

But Optimus had made it plenty clear this morning that a sparkbond was built on a mutual understanding. That he had done it out of faith and love, and had also expected it not to even work in the first place. 

But he had been so desperate; he was frightened for Cade and that fear was born from his love for the inventor who had saved him. And so he had done it anyway, testing himself as much as the human he was so worried over. 

His easy declaration that he and Cade were now, literally, their designation-nickname of ‘They-Who-Are-One,’ still floored Cade every time he took a second to think about it. 

‘Me and Optimus.’ Cade mulled it all over as he slid off his guardian, having done all he could do in the moment and relieved Prime’s injuries were so minor. The inventor  busied himself with checking on Grimwing while Prime checked on the ship’s ability to navigate for them. Then he checked on the Talisman, fondness in his thoughts and gentle hands as he turned the disc around in his calloused palms. Ever since the 13 Primes had mentioned Excalibur asked to stay with him, Cade had felt a deep affection start to grow for the strange, alien-weapon that seemed to think the year was still Medieval Era. He tucked it safely into his jacket pocket and let it rest.

Cade was so deep in thought he almost didn’t notice Grimwing striding up to him.

“Little-Medic,” Grimwing praised gently, making Cade jump and swivel in place. He realized right away that Grimwing was no longer a gryphon, and that the Predacon was standing upright in his bipedal mode and tilting his helm down at the human. He was smiling, but there so many sharp denta that Cade’s instinct was an unsure smile back. Before, Grimwing’s beak covered his razor sharp teeth. 

Grimwing rumbled again, long and rolling and Cade couldn’t catch most of it. 

“Oh, yeah! We gotta, I mean, my Cybertronian is getting way better, uhm, but it’s not perfect.” Cade mumbled, glancing hopefully at Prime to see if he had any solutions for the mild language barrier. 

“Here, Grimwing.” Optimus said, and then fell silent.

Cade glanced between the two, but could only guess what was happening when the Predacon suddenly grunted and shook himself all over, as if a fly was tickling his protoform. 

“Hmm, English.” Grimwing rumbled then, testing some sounds out. “What a complicated language...oh well. I suppose it will be of some use.” 

“Well shit. I wish I could do that.” Cade gaped. “Sure beats the hell outta Rosetta Stone.”

Grimwing’s English voice wasn’t much different from his normal pitch, the biggest different was he was now using syllables and consonants instead of the grating, powerful rolls that created Cybertron’s dying language. 

“Little-Medic-Cade.” He began once his practices were done. “Blackbeak and I are in your debt, and the Prime’s as well of course. Allow us passage on this ship, and we will serve you until you return to your base. If there is a place on it for us, we would be grateful. But...we will make do if not.” 

Cade blinked, because that was...a lot all at once. Granted it wasn’t Shakespeare, but it was more eloquent than Cade expected. He wasn’t sure what he expected exactly, because he knew Grimwing talked smarter than Grimlock in Cybertronian, but still. 

“Uh...oh,” Cade glanced over and up at Prime, but stayed where he was beside his sparkmate. “I mean, you guys are more than welcome to come along! But...but you don’t have to serve anyone. We didn’t save you for that. You’re free now. Just, just try and stay outta fights, deal?” He glanced at Blackbeak, who scowled and looked away like a scolded child. 

“Hmm.” Grimwing purred, before nodding. “Agreed.” 

His peace apparently said, the Predacon turned and strode to the front of the ship. 

“Little-Medic?” Optimus suddenly chimed in, smirking as he drew Cade’s flustered attention. 

“Don’t you start,” Cade warned, puffing up at the mention of his height. 

Prime answered with a content chuckle, the reverberating noise reminding Cade of the old water heater when it kicked on at his mom’s old house. 

“So uh, can this thing do that warp-y thing Tron’s ship did to get us here?” Cade queried as he eyed the curving, glowing dash of the ship. He was a medic, not a spaceship expert, but if he had to guess…

“Unfortunately, no.” Prime said. “We can set a course for Earth and keep a look out for any better ships. But those likely won’t be heading into your solar system.”

“I’m not gunna be, like, four hundred years old or a mummy when we get back, am I?” Cade instantly thought back to the two years Optimus was gone from Earth. Had that whole time been traveling through the cold expanse of space? Alone? 

“Hardly.” Prime snorted, “Even Iacon’s cargo ships could move much faster than anything Earth has to offer. Even myself, Cade.” 

Cade’s ears burned, remembering the sparkbond meant Prime could pick up on some of his louder, more intense thoughts. 

“We will have to be careful, but there are a few planets between us and Earth that we can stop and look for food for you. And you have what is left in your bag, that gray stuff.” Prime went on, sounding thoughtful. “In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with whatever is on this ship.”

“Plus this place is you sized!” Cade chirped brightly. He certainly felt small but Prime looked alright, not cramped. Neither did Grimwing, and the Predacon was only a few feet under Prime’s towering height. 

“Yes, it is.” Optimus chuckled, watching Cade explore the ship with delight in his eyes. 

“Cade?”

Cade turned, expecting to have to look up but finding Optimus was down on bended knee before him, his servo held out for the inventor. 

Cade’s smile grew wider at the offering, softening his gaze as he noticed the same devotion was being aimed back at him through those pretty, azure optics. He turned from his wanderings and approached Optimus. 

“Time to go finally home, huh?” 

“To Earth.” Optimus said, and it sounded only like a mild correction. “I am already home, because I am with you, my sparkmate.” 

And well, what do you say to that? Cade flushed, red warming his cheeks to his ear-tips, and he tried hiding his fluttering heartbeats with a casual chuckle. He helped himself up onto Optimus’ shoulder, beside his good audial horn and made himself comfortable. 

“Mine, too. With you, I mean.” Cade’s faint embarrassment only seemed to charm the commander more. 

Optimus rose and walked to the front of the ship, staring unflinchingly inot the expanse of space, all black and speckled with starlight and comets and tiny, far off planets. 

It would not be an easy journey, and it would not be a fast journey. But he wouldn’t be alone this time. 

So it would be a far less frightening journey. 

His human too gazed at the horizon of star-sky and all the possibilities that lay before them, looking excited and eager as he usually did at the prospect of a new adventure. It warmed Optimus’ spark and kindle bright courage in the healed soul of the autobot. Cade was not afraid, because he knew Optimus was with him. And that helped Prime too, of course, emboldened him beyond the belief.  

“Together?” Cade Yeager asked, facing the cosmos and leaning contently against his guardian. 

“Forever.” answered Optimus Prime. 

To Be Continued in: Salience