Figure 8, ch.24

Oracle was nervously steping from one pied to the other as she stood in the main room asembled with the rest of the Autobots. Optimus had recited a passage from the Covenant of Primus wich was foretelling that a perpetual conflict will culminate when the forty-seven spheres align.

"And it was written in the Covenant of Primus that 'when the 47 spheres align, a perpetual conflict will culminate upon a world forged from chaos. And the weak shall perish in the shadow of a rising darkness.'"

Oracle wasn´t really sure what that meant but she didn´t ask and just stood there next to Crosshairs and listened to Optimus explaining the matter at hand. Crosshairs was giving her soothening smiles from time to time and she tried her best to smile back. Still, her emotions were twisted after what had happened last night. But she hadn´t time to think about that now.

"Sounds like the world´s end.".

Ratchet sighed at Daisy´s flat comment and muttered grumpy "Don´t you call upon it. It´s a doom prophercy after all.".

"Or just a stupid joke." Anna said with a shrugg "I mean... come on. Doom prophercy? Actualy, I don´t believe into farytails anymore.".

"Says the one, who lives with giant alien robots in a military base." Arcee stated flatly.

Ratchet didn´t pay any attention to their conversation. "I´ve always thought, the planet wich is mentioned in the prophercy is our home planet... but since Cybertron is dark for milleniars now...".

"And conseidering what had happened to this world since Megatron arrived here..." Peach was following his train of thoughts.

"Wait, you mean...?" Arcee wanted to ask, but she was interrupted by Bulkhead. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, let´s get back to the ground again with your fantasies." he slowed them down. He knew where they were thinking. They all knew it, but nobody wanted to believe it. "That are just some old superstitions." Crosshairs said, more to soothe Oracle who had a terrified look on her face than anyone else.

"Right?".

"Why are we woring that much about it now?" Arcee echoed.

Everyone was silent for a few moments until Optimus sighed. "Maybe they had been just some superstitions earlier." he said seriusly "But the planetary alignment to wich the prophercy occurs is nearly upon us.".

"And it seems like its end point is not our old home." Ratchet finished "It´s our new home. It is Earth.".

A cold wave of sudden fear rushed through Oracle and instinctively, she inched closer to Crosshairs. He seemed to notice her fear and wraped an supportive arm around her shoulders, pulling her even closer. Oracle´s gaze wandered over the faces of the other Autobots. She could see, that they felt the same way.

This couldn´t be true.

It was Alex who finaly broke the depressing silence in the room. "How long?" she asked seriously and Oracle was impressed how calm her voice sounded in a situation like this.

"At most," Ratchet said "a few days. Maybe three or four. Five, if we have luck.".

Again, an uncomfortable silence fell over them all. Only now, Oracle noticed that she was shaking so much, she could hear her armor ratteling quietly. She felt Crosshairs´s arm tightening around her shoulders and pulling her even closer to his chassis.

No one of them said a word until Optimus said gravely "How unsettling this revelation may be. I´m more concerned about those who think, the prophercy is speaking to them alone.".

"Megatron.".

Oracle flinched violently as Ashla had spoken out what everyone of them had been thinking. A cold chiver ran down her spine and Oracle started to tremble even more. "Oracle, are you allright?" Crosshairs asked worried. She was only able to nod, busy with the try to surpress the suddenly upcomming panic.

Optimus nodded. "I assmue, he will claim himself as the `rising darkness´ the prophercy is speaking of."

"That is defenetily a problem." Alex said "But as long as we don´t have any prooves for this theory, we are not able to do anything. Besides, we have other important matters. Our energon reserves are still pretty low. So, we should go on scouting missions first before we start to consider our options because of the prophercy.".

So, some of the Autobots left the base for scouting missions. Oracle stayed behinde as well as Bumblebee and Optimus. He and Alex were alredy discussing the possibilitys of what disasters the prophercy could cause. Oracle felt a bit lonely because Crosshairs had left with Anna for a scouting mission again and she didn´t know what to do.

That changed when the kids returned from school and she helped them with their homework. Or at least tried to do so. Oracle realized pretty fast, that she didn´t know much about the analysis of a human poetry or the history of the second World War. So, she just sat beside the kids and watched how they were doing their homework and answered a question from time to time as good as she could.

While Jack was searching for information he needed for his history project, Oracle was sitting behinde him and watched as he sufred through the internet while listening to the "Awesome Mix" CD. Somehow, this second World War was quiet interessting to her. While Jack was searching on the Internet for information, he found a picture of Bumblebee. At first, Oracle was pretty worried that the humans could find out about the existence of Cybertronians on Earth now. But Raf easily replaced the picture with a dancing Mars Cat wich was pretty funny and caused Oracle to laugh.

"That´s funny." she giggled "I have never seen something like this before.". Miko sighed and said "Oracle, you should go on You Tube more often.".

When Optimus and Alex entered the main room again, Jack said "Um, Optimus! You wanna see something funny?". He didn´t even look at the screen and just said "No.". Jack gave a shrugg and asked "You, Alex?". He showed at the screen were the Mars Cat was still dancing. Alex looked at the screen and then back to him before she looked at the screen again. Turning to Jack once again, she said "Hm, that´s not funny.".

"Hm, it doesn´t surprise me that this two are a couple now." Miko said "They both have the same minimal sense of humor.".

"You have no idea." Ratchet muttered while he was cleaning his tools.

The three kids and Oracle looked confused at him. "What do you mean?" they asked all at the same time.

Ratchet sighed and laid his tool aside, lifting his head for looking at them. "Before he became Prime, he wasn´t like this." he said "I´ve known him long before the Matrix had chosen him to become Prime. Before that, he had acted quiet similar to you, Jack.".

Jack´s eyes widened in surprise. "Like me?" he asked in disbelieve. Ratchet nodded "Yeah. And he had had a sense of humor. But when he became Prime, he had changed pretty much. It was in the middle of the war and he needed to take many hard decesions. It wasn´t a easy time. The war has changed him.". Ratchet paused for a moment, before he said "But not only him. It has changed all of us. It has left scars and some of them probably will never heal again.".

Ratchet looked over to Optimus who was now talking with Alex again while Peach stood next to them and showed them something on the screen. Oracle was quiet surprised when she saw a slight smile touching the medic´s features as he said "She is good for him.".

"Who?" Miko asked confused as she didn´t understand who he was talking about. "Alex," Ratchet answered "she is helping him very much with dealing with the war. She understands him. Even more than I do. Because she has the same problemes as he has. It is good for both of them to be together. Though, I was very sceptical about this relationship at first, but I´m glade that it works that good with them.".

"Huh, now I´m curious." Miko said and grinned "How did they actualy come together?". In the next second, Oracle chuckled when she heared Jack and Raf groan "Miko... do you really need to ask that question over and over again?".

"What?" she asked innocently "I´m just curious. And until now, I have not gotten an answer.".

"I´m sorry to dissapoint you." Ratchet said "But I don´t really know it. I just know that some day they have told us about their relationship and Bulkhead though it was some kind of joke at first. But they meant it serious. If you want to know more, you have to ask them yourself.".

Miko wanted to say something further, but the sudden beep of an incomming call cut her off before she said anything. Peach accepted the call and Agent Fowler´s strict voice came through the line.

"Prime!"

Optimus steped forward and asked calmly "What is it, Agent Fowler?".

"The Decepticons are stealing components to build something. I guess it´s a second space bridge after you have destroyed the last one." Fowler answered grumpy.

"Why should they build a second space bridge?" Miko asked. But neither Optimus or Alex nor Agent Fowler payed any attention to her question. "What is the state of play?" Alex asked seriously.

"It seems like they have gotten all they need for building the bridge." Fowler answered "The only thing missing is a ample power source.". "Where can they find that?" Alex asked then.

"The nearest one is in a heavily fortified base here in the US." Fowler stated. "Agent Fowler," Optimus said seriuosly "I would adivse you to evacuate your troops from the base. Otherwise I fear when the Decepticons will attack the base, it will come to human casulaties.".

"I think, you will do something against the Decepticons getting the item." Fowler said. "Of course." Optimus agreed "Peach has already received the coordiantes.".

"Well." Fowler stated. Before he cut the line, he said "But please be careful with the base. It was pretty expensive.".

"Peach, order the others back to base again." Alex said when Fowler had ended the call "We will make a excursion.". Peach nodded and already started to call the other Autobots over the comlinks.

"Why should the Decepticons build a new spacebridge?" Miko asked again with the hope to get an answer this time. "I don´t know." Oracle answered trufully. Even she couldn´t imagine what Megatron was planning this time. She just hoped, she wouldn´t have to face him in this battle.

When the other Autobots had returned to the base again, Optimus and Alex explained the matter at hand to them. After a little discussion about the plan how to avoid the Decepticon getting the power source, they prepared to go out into battle again.

Oracle still sit on the floor and watched as everyone around her was going to get ready for the mission. She wondered whether they would take her with them this time or not. Somehow, she hoped, they would not take her with. She didn´t want to face Megatron or Knockout or any other Decepticon in a fight right now.

"Oracle," Alex said sternly "You will stay here with Bee, Ratchet, Peach and Ashla. If we need your help, we will call you. Allright?". Oracle nodded and took a quiet sigh of relieve. That would mean she wouldn´t see the Decepticons that quickly again. She just hoped now, that the Autobots wouldn´t need her help and manage their mission alone.

Suddenly, Oracle felt how someone was hugging her from behinde. She shrieked slightly in surprise but relaxed again when she noticed it was Crosshairs. "You´re still supposed to stay behinde again?" he asked quietly. She nodded "Yeah, but that´s okay. I´m sure you will manage this without me.".

He released her again so she could turn around to face him. She smiled up to him "Just be careful, okay?". He nodded and answered "Of course. But you too.". That made her chuckle slightly. "Of course," she said "But I don´t think I will leave this base today. Not for running into a battle.". He smiled warmly "I´m relieved to hear this.".

"Crosshairs, are you ready?" Anna asked who was standing infront of the open groundbridge."Yes, I am." he answered and went over to her. He gave Oracle a last warm smile before he transformed and let Anna in. Oracle, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Peach, Ashla and the kids stayed behinde as they watched the rest of the team driving through the bridge.

After the other Autobots had left the base, Ratchet, Peach and Ashla started working and navigating the team on the screens while Bumblebee and Oracle sat with the kids. They played some rounds of video games until Bumblebee decided to take Raf racing in the desert and Oracle acompanied them.

Now, she was sitting on the sandy ground in the middle of the desert and felt the warm sun heating up her armor while she watched Bumblebee racing around in the dunes.

She sighed contently. Somehow, she really enjoyed watching them playing around and having some fun. On the whole, she liked the friednly and family-like atmosphere at the Autobot base. They were so different compared with the Decepticons.

On the NEMISIS, everything was almost allways silent and nobody was having some kind of fun or at least laughing. Everyone was just focused on the duty. And with Megatron as the leader, nobody had anything to laugh at all.

That would be something, Oracle would miss when she needed to go back to the Decepticons. She would even miss many things. Also the Autobots... and Crosshairs possibly the most.

Oracle swallowed hard when she remembered last night.

He had kissed her.

Still, she couldn´t believe that it had really happened. And still, she didn´t know how she should feel about it. Her processor was telling her, that she shouldn´t fall for this game. It was just a trick to distract her from her mission and if she would fall for that, she would fail. And her nightmare would become reality.

But her spark was telling her that she should be brave enough to go this way with him. She should leave everything from before behinde and restart from this moment again. As an Autobot. As his lover. Her spark tryed desperately to tell her that she needed him and that she loved him.

But Oracle was not sure what to do. She didn´t knew wich side of herself she could really trust. But there was this one question, that persuaded her the most.

Did she love him?

The answer was, she didn´t know it.

She was simply not sure about her feelings for him. Yes, she liked him. But Oracle didn´t know whether she just liked him as a friend... or whether it was more. It was just such a strange situation. She had never felt like this before in her life and she just didn´t know how to handle it. Her emotions were still completely twisted up from the kiss and only the thought at it made her blush again. It was just so-

Oracle jerked up when she suddenly heared the sounds of gunfire. She looked hastily around and then she saw him.

Megatron.

He was only a few meters away from her and had opened fire on- at first she had thought he was fyring at her, but he didn´t even glance at her. He was shooting at Bumblebee and Raf.

Before Oracle was even able to jump to her feet, she saw how a blast of Megatron´s ione cannon stroke Raf and knocked him out coldly. Oracle jumped to her feet, cyring out "Raf!!!".

Only now, Megatron turned to her. His optics blazed and a wicked grin spread across his features.

`You are not fast enough, Oracle.´

She ingorned the taunting gaze in his optics as good as she could and rushed towards Bumblebee and Raf as fast as she could. Without even noticing it, she unshelted her katana from her back and griped it as tight as she could. When she had reached the Autobot and the injured boy, she found herself standing infront of them, right between them and Megatron.

Between Autobot and Decepticon...

"Look who we have here." Megatron said mockingly and grinned at Oracle who had drawn her sword towards him "So we meet again, my dear Oracle. Seems like you have found new friends after your escape.".

Oracle wasn´t sure what to answer. With all her might she tried to surpress her bobbing up emotions and the shouts of her processor and her spark. She felt herself trembling slightly.

"However, I´m sad to dissapoint you," Megatron said exaggerated sad "but I have another meeting around here. Maybe you should go and warn your new friends. Before I do it.". With those words he transformed into a jet and darted above them through the sky.

Slowly, Oracle droped her sword. What had actualy happened?

Then she turned around aprubtly, seeing Bumblebee kneeling on the ground with the unconscious Raf in his hands. "Bee," Oracle said soothening and kneeled down next to him "Don´t worry. Raf is going to be allright. I just call for a groundbridge.". She reached up to activate her comlink. But once it was activated, the line was just filled with static.

"Hello?" she asked into the static "Base, can you read me? Hello? Ratchet? Peach? Ashla? Are you there?".

But she didn´t get a answer. "I´m not able to contact the base." she said "Megatron must have fyred our systems.". Bumblebee looked at her with big, concerned optics. Then he looked back at Raf again. Oracle knew what he was thinking, but she would not let this happen.

She stood up again. "The base where Optimus and the rest of us are fighting must be close to us. Megatron didn´t flew that long. I´m sure we will reach it in a few minutes. Everything is going to be allright, okay Bee? Just follow me.". Oracle transforned and drove in the direction where Megatron had flowen. Bumblebee transformed as well, following close behinde her as they dashed through the desert on highspeed. Every second counted.

It only took them a few minutes until the base appeared in the distance and quickly became bigger. When they had reached it, they both transformed up immediately, hecticaly looking around for the other Autobots. It didn´t take then long until they had found them, they just needed to follow the sounds of gunfire.

But when Oracle saw who was standing at the opposide of the place, she froze again.

Again Megatron sent her that mocking gaze when he saw her with Bumblebee who was worried sick about Raf´s condition. "Look, what you have done, Prime." Megatron taunted Optimus and gestured to the injured human "Now this little human is injured just because you needed to involve three children in the war you have started.".

"You know who has started the war." Optimus said seriously "And you know, that I wasn´t the one.".

Megatron just grinned widely "You allways say you want to save the humanity. You are not even able to save one of them. How do you want to save several millions of them? Now this little boy need to die. For nothing and it´s only your faut.".

Bumblebee looked up again, his optics were suddenly blazing with blind fury. He careful laid Raf on the ground. In the next moment, Oracle flinched slightly in shock as he bolted towards Megatron, shouting furiously *It is YOUR faut!*.

Just before the enraged scout was able to reach Megatron, Bulkhead had grabbed him and hold him back. *Let go off me!* the scout shouted angrily, trying to get out of Bulkhead´s grip without any success *I... I will beat him to scrap for this!*.

Megatron just chuckled "Yes, yes of course.". He paused for a brief moment and Oracle registered that he had gotten a call. Possibly from the NEMESIS. "What a pity, but it seems like I have to leave the party now." he said. In the next moment, Oracle heared the loud thrusters of the NEMESIS above her and she looked up, seeing the big warship right above her head. "Good luck for your little human, Prime." Megatron said mockingly before he transformed and flew to the NEMESIS.

Bumblebee was still enraged, trying to get free from Bulkhead and run after Megatron. But he wan´t able to free himself.

Oracle was shocked. She had never seen Bumblebee like this. The strange mixture of worry and fury in his optics pulled at her wounded spark. But she didn´t know what to do. So she just stood beside and watched as Bulkhead finaly managed to restrain the enraged scout.

"Arcee," Oracle heared Optimus say then "You will go with Raf, Bumblebee and the rest back to base. Bulkhead and Alex, you will come with me.". Arcee nodded and carefuly picked up the still unconscious Raf. Oracle heared how Sam was already calling for a groundbridge. In the next moment, she was surprised to find herself saying sternly "I also want to come with you.".

Bulkhead, Optimus and Alex looked surprised at her for a brief moment, before Alex said "No, Oracle. You will go back to base along with the others.". "No." she said. To be honest, she wasn´t even sure why she wanted to go with them. Probably because she wanted to do it for Bumblebee and Raf. "I can guid you through the corridors on the NEMESIS." Oracle said then "It will be much easier to find the right way with my help.".

"This is an argument." Bulkhead said and nodded. "Well, you will come with us, Oracle." Optimus finaly said "But if the situation gets too tricky, you will go back to the base immediately, allright?". Oracle nodded and followed them as they went over to the highest building on the human base.

The NEMESIS was flying very low at the moment, so it wasn´t that difficult to climb aboard the hull. All the time, Oracle felt a bit sick at her insides. She wasn´t sure where that was comming from. But she guessed it was mostly because she fared to face Megatron again. And maybe even fight against him. A wave of slight panic rushed through her. She wasn´t sure whether she could do this. She would need to fight for the Autobots then.

`Don´t forget on wich side you are standing.´

At the moment, Oracle didn´t know anymore on wich side she belonged.

They just had reached the roof of the warship when they stormed the NEMESIS. On their way, the Autobots dismanteled several Vehicos. After Bulkhead had pinned down the last one, Oracle suddenly registered, that Megatron hadn´t come to kill them yet. That was... unusual for him. Usually, he never let a chance to kill Optimus out.

"He isn´t on the ship anymor." Oracle said as they stood in the empty corridor surrounded by dismantled Vehicons. "How do you know that?" Bulkhead asked surprised. Oracle shook her head "I don´t really know it, but... usually he would have come to kill us already. But he hasn´t so I guess that he isn´t on the ship anymore.".

Alex nodded in understoodment. "But where is he then?" she asked. Oracle shook her head "I don´t know.". They were silent for a moment. Nobody of them knew where Megatron could have gone. "The planetary alignment is near, right?" Bulkhead suddenly asked "Maybe he is off to make the doom prophercy become reality.".

They all knew it was a possibilty, but none wanted to think about that. After some moments, Optimus took in a deep vent. "I have been foolish not to see what history has proven over and over again...that Autobots and Decepticons will never mend their ways. If there can be no diplomatic solution to this perpetual conflict, then I must not allow more darkness to fall upon this or any planet." he muses grimly "Megatron must be destroyed!".

Oracle swallowed hard. To her own confusion, she didn´t reacted as violently as the last times, the Autobots had claimed something like this. She just wasn´t sure what she was actualy feeling in this moment.

Optimus sighed. "Bulkhead, Oracle, Alex, you will go back to base again." he ordered them I will vows tp destroy Megatron.".

"I won´t let you go alone." Alex stated determinated. Oracle was again surprised how much strenght and determination this little human had. It didn´t wondered her much anymore that Alex was like the second leader of the Autobots.

"You will also go back to base." Optimus told her "This is something I need to do deal with on my own.". "This does not mean, that I will let you go alone." she hold against it "If you get killed, then we-". "Alex, stop." Optimus interrupted her gently. He sighed before he continued "This will not happen. And even if it comes to the worst cause, I Need to know you and the rest of the team are save. If this is the last thing I ever do, it shall be like this. But this is not your battle to fight. For this reason, please go back to base."

Alex looked up to him and Oracle doubed that she would agree with him. But she was surprised when Alex said "Well, I will go back to base. But if anything goes wrong, you will call us and we will come to help you alike what you say!". Alex´s statement didn´t left any place for arguments anymore and Optimus nodded. Just a minute later, the groundbridge blasted open and Oracle followed the Autobots back to base while Optimus stayed behinde to go and find Megatron.

When Oracle was back at the base again, the first thing she did was to ask Ratchet and Peach about Raf´s condition. She was very relieved when she heared that the young human was allright. Jack´s mother June was also at the base and was now taking care of Raf. After talking a bit with Crosshairs, Oracle decided to go to her room to get some rest and also for beeing alone for a few time.

Optimus wanted to kill Megatron.

Only now when she was sitting alone in her room, she really realized what the Prime had said before they went back to base. Oracle sat there and waited for the fear and sadness spreading through her. But nothing happened. Somehow, she wasn´t feeling anything for this at the moment.

She sighed and burried her head in her servos, rubbing her tired optics. Everything was twisted up at the moment. Her self-doubts, her situation with Crosshairs, the prophercy, Optimus who was going to kill Megatron. Simply everything was getting out of controll at the moment. And she didn´t know how to deal with it.

Since last night, since Crosshairs had kissed her, she was feeling... different. Somehow, her spark felt relieved and somehow she didn´t care that much about her mission anymore. Much to the hate of her processor wich continued to tell her, that her mission was the first priority in her life.

But somehow, she wasn´t able to listen to this at the moment. The one question wich she still was not able to answer seemed to somehow block her mind. But right know, it wasn´t the question about her feelings for Crosshairs. It was something else. Something, that distracted her even more.

On wich side am I actualy standing?