"I have something that may be of interest to you… Who is this?!" Fowler cut himself short, his eyes widening as he noticed the shackled figure before him.
"My name is Windblade. A pleasure to meet you, Agent Fowler," she replied calmly, extending her hand despite the restraints limiting her movements.
"How do you know my name?! And what exactly is happening here?" Fowler turned sharply toward Optimus, demanding answers.
"She arrived on this planet recently. We are interrogating her to determine where her allegiance lies," Optimus explained, his tone firm.
"And so far, I believe I am doing rather well," Windblade remarked with quiet confidence, as though certain the Autobots' trust would soon be hers.
"Then perhaps I should—" Fowler began, only to be interrupted.
"There is no need for concern. You are here to speak with Optimus about Lux," Windblade interjected, leaving Fowler visibly unsettled. How could she possibly know?
"Wait… what does Lux have to do with this?" Jack asked, astonished at hearing his friend's name spoken aloud.
Optimus's optics widened as he glanced first at Jack, then at Windblade, who merely smiled as though she were pointing out the obvious.
"By your reaction, you already understand," Windblade said.
"Lux… is the Allspark," Optimus declared, finally piecing together the truth. He recalled the conversations with Jack, Lux's vast knowledge of Cybertron, and his uncanny understanding of the war.
Fowler, ever cautious, revealed that through Tom—the head of Sector 7—he had obtained classified files confirming Lux's identity as Cybertron's most important artifact.
The most irrefutable proof? A recording of Lux interacting with the cocoon, captured at the precise moment when a surge of energy betrayed his presence on the planet.
Those files also shed light on the mystery of the forest that had suddenly appeared. The theory that the Allspark was behind it no longer seemed far-fetched; in truth, it made perfect sense.
"So Lux is an alien…" Miko muttered, processing the revelation. Almost at once, a satisfied grin spread across her face. "Well… I was right." She ignored the looks cast her way. "Honestly, Jack, why is it that everyone you befriend has some tie to Cybertron?"
"That was nothing more than a ridiculous coincidence," Jack protested in his defense.
"That explains the magic trick he pulled the first day we met him," Raf said with an innocent laugh.
But the most shaken of them all was Arcee. She remembered the first time she had seen Lux, never imagining that this "mere human" was, in truth, the most important relic of her homeworld.
She recalled the strange sensation she had felt when drawing near to him. Now she realized she should have suspected something—it had been her instincts screaming that there was something profoundly significant, and deeply familiar, about that boy. The realization made her feel utterly foolish.
Optimus, though maintaining his composure, also felt like a fool. He had not once considered that the Allspark might wield the most common ability of any Cybertronian: the power to transform.
The irony stung even more—had he stood face-to-face with Lux even once, he would have recognized his true nature immediately.
At last, his gaze shifted to Windblade, who was patiently awaiting the removal of her restraints.
"You have been entirely truthful in your words," Optimus said, kneeling to remove the restraints.
Windblade rose swiftly, rubbing her wrists with a touch that carried the faintest hint of mockery."Do not trouble yourself. You merely fulfilled your duty. I would have done the same in your place."
"We must find Lux at once," Optimus declared, voicing the thought that weighed upon every Autobot's mind.
The trio of young humans did not fully grasp the gravity of the situation. They were glad to see a renewed sense of purpose stirring within the Autobot base—not because the Allspark had survived, but because, for the first time in what felt like ages, the Autobots now held a tangible advantage in the war. They knew the Allspark lived. And more importantly, they now knew its disguise.
"I am relieved we finally have a clear goal, a chance to gain the upper hand against Megatron… but how are we supposed to find the boy?" Bulkhead asked, worry evident in his voice. "He may be the Allspark, yet he does not appear on any radar. How can someone so powerful remain undetected by Energon sensors for so long?"
Windblade drew a slow breath, crossing her arms. There was a subtle trace of frustration in her posture—not directed at Lux, but at the presence of the one who remained beside him, something she already knew from her limited glimpses of the future.
"That was the very purpose of his disguise," she explained gravely. "The human shell concealing his core energy suppresses nearly all traces of his power. Moreover, his reserved and cautious nature prevents him from ever revealing the true extent of his abilities. It renders him virtually invisible—even to us."
"But Optimus might be able to pinpoint Lux's position. Sooner or later, we will find him. We simply must act swiftly, before Megatron discovers that the Allspark was not, in truth, destroyed." Ratchet's voice was steady as he monitored the Energon scanners with growing intensity, yet no trace resembling Lux's former signature could be found.
"Indeed," Windblade replied, her gaze sharp. "The Matrix of Leadership is a natural conduit for locating the Allspark within Lux. A fact I presume Optimus also knows… and yet, he never sensed the Allspark's presence on this world." Her eyes narrowed toward the Autobot leader, who responded only with a silent nod.
"It has been millions of years since the Allspark was severed from Cybertron," Optimus reflected aloud, his tone more contemplative than declarative. "Even had Lux and I been separated by mere hundreds of miles, the bond between us would not have revealed itself, so deep was that disconnection."
"So we can begin searching across the continent?" Jack leaned against the railing, unaware that Agent Fowler was already nodding in agreement.
"Even should we commence such a search, I doubt Lux will remain in one place for long—especially with that wretched Decepticon at his side." Windblade crossed her arms once more, her gaze shifting to the far end of the base. From the great corridor beyond, heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed steadily closer.
"What do you mean, a Decepticon? What are you talking about?" Arcee demanded, her voice taut, her expression etched with worry. The thought of a Decepticon knowing the Allspark's true identity—or worse, possessing it—was something she could not bring herself to accept.
"She speaks of Airachnid," came a deep, commanding voice, resonating in unison with the metallic tread of colossal steps. Grimlock emerged into the chamber, his towering silhouette making even the largest of Autobots seem diminished by comparison. As ever, his presence filled the space with an aura of raw, unyielding power.
All eyes turned to him.
"Grimlock… what are you saying?" Ratchet asked, though in truth, a part of him already knew the implication. His voice carried a mounting unease—a silent dread that his worst suspicions might soon be confirmed.
"It is rather curious that someone like you allowed her to accompany the Allspark, Grimlock," Windblade remarked, folding her arms. Though she already knew the answer, her tone made it clear that, had the decision been hers, she never would have permitted such a thing.
Grimlock released a low growl, his gaze steady yet tinged with discomfort."I had no choice." His voice was deep and unyielding. "It seemed the boy and she shared some kind of… connection. Perhaps friendship. Or something close to it. I cannot say for certain. But Lux himself gave me a task: to buy time while that cursed spider performed her spectacle." The Dinobot shook his head, visibly unsettled. "I am not in the mood to be lectured. Anyone in my place would have hesitated. After all, it was the Allspark itself who entrusted me with the mission."
The silence that followed was dense and uneasy.
"You are saying that Airachnid is with the Allspark?" Arcee asked, her voice breaking as if the very thought were poison to her spark. She stepped forward, trembling. "I do not understand… She destroyed the Allspark before my very optics. I saw it. With my own eyes. What is happening?!"
Windblade sighed, casting a warning glance at Grimlock, who furrowed his brow. It was evident she knew what he would say before he even thought it."To spare you confusion… and to prevent a certain someone from speaking more than he should," she said, shooting another pointed look at the Dinobot, "I will be direct: Lux and Airachnid appear to have formed some manner of bond. It may be companionship. It may be survival. Or perhaps even an alliance forced by circumstance."
She paused briefly, her gaze sweeping over the others."But from what I can foresee, from Grimlock's words and from the path events are taking… they have known each other longer than it seems. And, surprisingly, they do not despise one another."
The silence returned, heavier still. Arcee lowered her gaze, her spark tightening at the thought of the Allspark—her final thread of hope—being held in the grasp of her most hated enemy.
"Now I understand…" Optimus's grave voice carried the weight of revelation. "Lux asked Airachnid to create a diversion, drawing all of our attention away from the dam. In doing so, the number of lives lost in battle was reduced."
"Does that mean… Airachnid is an Autobot now?" Miko asked, naïveté plain on her face.
"That wretch will never be an Autobot!" Arcee erupted, her cry cutting through the air and making Miko flinch.
The warrior's loss of composure, her tone sharp with fury, left the humans visibly uneasy. The very notion of Airachnid as an ally was repulsive to Arcee—something she could never allow herself to accept.
"Since my presence is no longer required here, I intend to explore this planet," Grimlock said, as though ignoring entirely the charged atmosphere left in the wake of Arcee's outburst.
"And where exactly do you intend to go?" Ratchet asked, lifting his gaze toward the towering Dinobot.
"If I crashed upon this world, then there is a chance my companions did as well. Somewhere out there." Grimlock tilted his head slightly, his eyes glinting with a firm resolve.
"You are unaccustomed to this world's culture… and you still lack a vehicle mode to conceal yourself—" Optimus began, only to be interrupted.
"I do not intend to follow your orders, Prime." Grimlock cut him off, his voice heavy as steel. "We may stand on the same side, but I am no one's servant. Least of all yours."
The silence that followed was broken only by Windblade, who stepped forward."If you do not mind, I intend to depart as well."
All eyes turned to her, now also surprised.
"I know you all need more firepower here, but I follow Primus's will. I will find Lux before that spider does anything to put him in danger."
"You could help me find Lux. If we join forces, we will locate him far more quickly," Optimus suggested, turning his gaze toward Windblade—though, deep down, he also longed to have her at his side because of her unique abilities.
"Optimus, you already bear too many responsibilities," Windblade replied firmly, meeting his eyes without wavering. "If I begin the search now, our chances of finding him before it is too late will increase. I respect you and your command… but we shall only win this war when Lux unleashes the true power of the Matrix of Leadership within you."
"I have a question…" Raf broke the silence, his voice hesitant. "What will you do once Lux is with us?"
"Wouldn't the right course be to bring him back to Cybertron?" Bulkhead asked, seeking confirmation for his reasoning.
"It is not that simple," Ratchet said, his tone pensive. "Lux would need to rebuild Cybertron and then create an entirely new population. And if the Decepticons still endure, that could spark a political war."
"You cannot be serious!" Jack exclaimed, shocked. "Are you saying Megatron would still have a chance to manipulate an entire people after everything he has done?"
"Yes," Optimus answered with a heavy sigh. "In creating new Cybertronians, many would be naïve… and Megatron is precisely the kind who would exploit such innocence."
"I imagine it would be a task difficult even for the Allspark," Bulkhead commented. "Especially after Megatron hurled that fragment of Dark Energon into Cybertron… to create that army of the undead."
Windblade's optics widened, her body stiffening. For a moment, her mind went utterly blank. She could not understand how she had never foreseen such a thing in her prophetic visions—perhaps her own intervention had altered the flow of time. Yet none of that mattered now. What truly shook her was the revelation itself.
"What did you say?" she asked sharply, turning on Bulkhead and striding toward him with firm steps.
"Megatron…" Bulkhead repeated, uneasy beneath her piercing stare. "He hurled that fragment of Dark Energon into Cybertron."
"This is bad… very bad," Windblade declared, her voice weighted with urgency. "If Cybertron is tainted with Dark Energon, then under no circumstances must we bring Lux there."
"Wait… what are you saying?" Ratchet asked, his gaze narrowing as though striving to unravel every word. The very idea that something could alarm Windblade was disturbing in itself.
"The power of the Allspark, vast though it may be, is utterly vulnerable to the influence of Unicron," Windblade said, pressing a hand to her helm as if the burden of the truth pressed upon her physically. "If we place Lux on Cybertron now, we would be casting him straight into a trap. He would be surrounded by mines… every one of them aimed at him."
"Wait, wait… are you saying we cannot save our home?" Bulkhead asked, incredulity heavy in his voice.
"I regret to say this… but you should have stopped Megatron from casting that fragment of Dark Energon through the space bridge." She averted her gaze toward Optimus, her expression hardening. "Now I understand why my connection with Primus was suddenly severed."
Bulkhead drew in a deep breath, fearful of the answer he already dreaded. "What does that mean…?"
"It means that when Megatron released that fragment, he doomed Cybertron," Windblade said with a heavy sigh, each word carrying the weight of a final verdict.
Arcee, who until then had remained silent after her earlier outburst, finally raised her gaze. "Then… even with the Allspark, we cannot rebuild Cybertron?"
"There is only one possibility…" Windblade hesitated. "But I cannot promise anything. I do not even know for certain where they may be."
"And what would that be?" Optimus asked, his voice low yet brimming with expectation.
"Maybe the relics of Cybertron? Some of them are so powerful that they might be able to help, but it's a gamble. It's unknown how effective they might be, or even if they could have any effect in this kind of crisis."