Transformers Prime: I am Allspark

"The spaceship is located beneath a slum city where the Quintesson population resided or at least the majority of them. Some Quintessons chose to follow the Decepticons' orders voluntarily, oppressing their own kind to survive. It was a grim situation of exploitation and slavery." The Alchemist could not deny that it affected him to see a species enslaved in this way, even though they were Quintessons, but he could do nothing about it. "The closer I got to the city center, the more I noticed the increase in population density. To proceed, I used one of my inventions: an optical camouflage device. It allowed me to advance undetected and infiltrate the headquarters beneath the massive spaceship, connected by an elevator. I suspected that was where the fuel transport operations were conducted."

Some Primes were indifferent to the Quintessons' suffering. To them, the extinction of the Quintessons would be a boon to the universe. Others, like Solus, Micronus, and even Alpha Trion, disapproved of the oppression of any race, even their ancient enemies. They believed in the fundamental rights of all beings, regardless of their history. 

"It wasn't difficult for me to break into the main laboratory, where the colony's most intelligent Quintessons were stationed. But what truly alarmed me was seeing one of my own creations being used." Alchemist emphasized this point, well aware of the potential of his invention, which was designed for hypothetical and catastrophic scenarios in which access to Energon would be compromised for any reason. "They were producing synthetic Energon on a massive scale." 

"Synthetic Energon is that enhancement formula you created at the end of the war, correct?" Zeta Prime recalled. It was a revolutionary formula that not only provided an alternative energy source but also acted as a performance enhancer, boosting a Cybertronian's physical capabilities beyond normal limits. 

"Exactly. I couldn't understand how my synthetic formula was being replicated. I made sure to check the diagrams, and they matched the calculations I had done in my own laboratory." Alchemist explained. 

"I have seen your complex calculations. If this formula had been used at the beginning of the war with the Knights, our victory would have been almost certain." Solus remarked. She remembered how the formula transformed ordinary knights into super soldiers, some even rivaling the strength of a Prime. 

"True, but let's not forget that synthetic Energon doesn't work on us Primes. Our bodies reject such impurities due to the Pure Energon flowing through our veins." Zeta could not help but remember how Pure Energon, the blood of the Primes, derived from the mystical essence of the Allspark, made synthetic Energon incompatible with them, because this mixture of types of intensifying energies could overload their bodies in a counterproductive way. "Please continue, Alchemist." 

"Since I couldn't figure out how my synthetic Energon was perfectly replicated, I decided to infiltrate the spaceship and investigate further. I used the next shipment delivery as my opportunity to board. The moment I entered the Decepticons' ship, I sensed a familiar presence, the energy of Quintus Prime's Spark." 

"That asshole is working with the Decepticons?!" Liege Maximo exclaimed, incredulous. If there was one thing the Decepticon Knights despised more than Quintessons, it was Quintus himself. 

The Primes were collectively stunned. Everyone knew that the Decepticon Knights harbored an intense hatred for Quintus, as he was the progenitor of the Quintessons and responsible for the war.

"It's not what you're imagining, Maximo. The situation is more delicate. As soon as I sensed Quintus' presence, he sensed mine as well. I headed straight to his location, but what I found was far from what I expected." Alchemist's voice grew heavy, and his eyes dimmed slightly. "Quintus was completely dismembered, kept alive by a machine. His body was destroyed, leaving only his head, Spark, and nervous systems intact. He was being tortured." 

The revelation sent a shockwave through the Primes. Solus covered her mouth, horrified at the thought of Quintus' suffering. The more stoic Primes speculated that the Decepticon Knights, following Megatronus' will, were keeping him alive solely to prolong his torment. The question was: How long had he been the victim of this kind of punishment?

"I immediately tried to save him or communicate with him, but he was catatonic. His mind was shattered. Even if he were to die, there might be nothing left of him within the Allspark. However, my rescue attempt was thwarted. I was struck with a powerful blow that sent me crashing into a wall and I was still using my optical camouflage." Alchemist unconsciously rubbed his throat, the phantom sensation of his death still lingering. "When I regained my senses, I saw who had attacked me: the commander of the Decepticons." 

Onyx, who had been silent until now, whispered a single word that sent chills through the sparks of the other Primes. "Lockdown." 

Alchemist closed his eyes, reliving the encounter. The moment he realized it was Lockdown, Megatronus' apprentice and most loyal servant, he knew he was in a fight for his life. But he hadn't anticipated how much stronger Lockdown had become over the past 100 million years. 

Lockdown completely dominated the fight, outclassing him in strength, speed, and stamina. Alchemist failed to land a single blow. Before unleashing his final attack, Lockdown coldly proclaimed: "The age of the Primes ended long ago. His age will begin when he frees himself." 

"Lockdown has grown far stronger since the Prime War. If I were to compare, he's now on par with Amalgamous." Alchemist revealed, shocking Onyx with his words. Amalgamous Prime was the fifth strongest of the Thirteen, but only when he abandoned his playful side and assumed his fighting stance, becoming an unpredictable and incredible fighter, but it was so rare that the Primes saw this facet in him only twice. "I'll be honest: Lockdown is convinced that Megatronus can escape and return to our dimension." 

"And he has an army at his disposal," Onyx added, glancing at Alpha Trion. He wondered if he had foreseen Megatronus' return. "Alpha Trion, are you certain you haven't had any visions of his return?" 

"I can assure you he won't return, or at least, he may not," Alpha Trion replied, though his tone lacked confidence. "My prophetic visions haven't signaled his return, which means it's unlikely." 

"Or you simply haven't seen far enough into the future," Solus murmured, her words casting a shadow over Alpha Trion. "His predictions show immutable futures, but they come to you at random. Nothing...nothing stops him from returning..."

"Solus is being sensible, as much as I hate to admit it," Liege Maximo agreed, a rare occurrence. "We need to be realistic. Everything happening now isn't mere coincidence. Let's analyze: Alpha Trion told us Cybertron is on the brink of war, a new Prime will be chosen by the Matrix of Leadership, and now we learn that an ancient enemy is returning stronger than ever—coincidentally in the same galaxy where we witnessed the vision of the new Prime and where the Alchemist was killed."

"It seems the new Prime wasn't chosen to address Cybertron's crisis but to confront a far greater evil in the future," Zeta Prime reasoned, understanding Liege's implications. "A series of events that have happened and will happen, this is not a mere coincidence".

"I have a theory," Alchemist interjected, piecing together the puzzle. "I think I've figured it out." 

"Looks like the nerd of the group is finally going to show off." Liege Maximo joked, hoping to see the conclusion of the smartest Prime of the bunch.

"A war would plunge Cybertron into chaos again. As we saw in Alpha's vision, the new Prime tasked with protecting Cybertron is light-years away, battling another Cybertronian. The Allspark will be at the center of this conflict, meaning its temple will be compromised. It will need to be moved to a secure location, known only to a select few." Alchemist paced, his mind racing through countless possibilities. "This means the new Prime isn't on that planet by coincidence. There are a few possibilities: either the war and the Allspark's relocation will cause Cybertronians to spread across the universe, sparking battles on other planets, or this seemingly insignificant planet is where the Allspark will be hidden. Otherwise, why would Alpha's clairvoyance focus on it?" 

"The Matrix of Leadership is programmed to remain near the Allspark. Perhaps the Matrix, weakened as we've observed, is guiding the new Prime to the Allspark's location to reconnect and awaken its true potential," Solus added, complementing Alchemist's reasoning. 

"At the same time, the Milky Way is where the Decepticon Knights are amassing their forces and creating new weapons," Alchemist continued.

"The same galaxy where you were killed, Alchemist," Liege Maximo pointed out, beginning to unravel the puzzle. "That means Lockdown will eventually discover the Allspark's location." 

"And with the Allspark, he could use its power to bring Megatronus back into our dimension," Onyx said gravely, his eyes glowing with intensity. "That's why Primus is choosing a new Prime."

"I wouldn't want to be in that new Prime's shoes," Liege Maximo scoffed, finally seeing the bigger picture.