Chapter 180: Arc 5; Chapter 24: Matrix of Leadership

"It's not that I don't trust you, Merlin."

In this temporary hideout, Cliffjumper helps Bumblebee restart its memory database while telling Merlin:

"But with my understanding of your civilization, your weapons may be able to harm us, but it will near impossible for you to kill Cybertronian warriors. Your current weapons system is heavily reliant on electronic devices and it's a piece of cake for us and the Decepticons to disrupt and overwrite your systems."

Young Charlie stood next to Bumblebee, and while comforting Bumblebee, she listens in on the conversation while also acting as Cliffjumper's assistant.

After all, this robot only had one arm with five fingers, and is insufficient to complete such a complex operation.

Cliffjumper's five metal fingers had become fully automatic drills, data tempods and other odd tools. And while Bumblebee was in a state of amnesia, it instinctive felt close to Cliffjumper, thus it lies down on the ground without moving.

Aside from its blue eyes checking on Charlie every now and then, it was no different from being dead.

Merlin stood at a higher point in the mines, he continued injecting his mana as his Patronus Victor acted as his secondary eyes while patrolling the nearby skies.

He hears Cliffjumper's response but did not respond immediately. After patrolling for a few minutes, Merlin looks back at Bumblebee whose chest armor had been opened. This was his first time seeing the internal structure of a Cybertronian.

That time when he fixed Cliffjumper's wounds doesn't count, since its entire body had been torn apart.

But one had to say, it is quite interesting observing the internal structure of a mechanical lifeform. In Bumblebee's chest, those devices, parts, circuits and chips were arranged in a very serious and delicate manner.

Although Merlin was no specialist on digital information, he had a feeling that if Earth manages to fully research how those chips and circuits are arranged, their current digital technology would skyrocket.

After all, while humans view digital technology as a tool, Cybertronians view them as their life.

"If you're worried whether or not I can handle the Decepticons, then you should focus on your current work."

Merlin says softly:

"Your companion's life is in your hands right now, and all it would take is a tiny mistake and you would have to say farewell to your pal Bumblebee."

Young Charlie becomes worried after hearing Merlin's bad joke.

But Cliffjumper did not show much response, any movement of mechanical lifeforms like itself are controlled by logic chips, every action is not by instinct, but are directories from the main processor. Every action it makes is fully calculated and conducted.

Cybertronians do not make 'mistakes'.

"4 more hours." 

Merlin looks at his watch and says:

"In 4 more hours, our backup will be here. I now pray that those Decepticons won't find traces of you two during this time. Speaking of which, Cliffjumper, I've confirmed that the DoD has grasped onto how to find Cybertronians, tehy were taught by the Decepticons."

Merlin becomes worried as he asks his temporary mechanical companion:

"Maybe the soldiers of the DoD would come here sooner than the Decepticons."

"The Decepticons aren't known for tracking data."

Cliffjumper disassembles the exterior of Bumblebee's memory processor while saying:

"From what I know, the Decepticons' secret agents who are skilled in tracking are not on Earth. With Shatter and Dropkick's data tracking capabilities, it will be hard for them to find hidden rebellion signals. The tracking program you speak of is limited to tracking the radiation caused by Cybertronians in their transformer form, it is a low-level and highly inefficient tracking method."

"The mountains surrounding us are enough to hide the energy signatures of me and Bumblebee, they won't..."

Before Cliffjumper could finish, Merlin's expression abruptyly changes.

At the ends of the raven spirit Victor's sights, in the red glow of dawn, an odd jet fighter soars across the sky above them.

The reason why it's odd is because...it's flying a bit too quickly.

And on its jet wing was an odd red mark.

"If I saw right..."

Merlin lowers his tone and says:

"The Decepticon named 'Shatter' just flew by atop our heads. So why's that, Cliffjumper?"

"It didn't land in the mine quarry suggests that it has yet to find us."

Cliffjumper hesitates briefly before continuing its work:

"They're using the most primitive way of tracking in order to find us...don't worry, there's only two of them, so it'll be a while before they fully scan this entire mountain range."

"You're calm enough."

Merlin snorts, and aafter a few minutes of silence, he suddenly asks:

"What's the Allspark?"

"Pa"

Merlin's sudden question shocked Cliffjumper, it loses control of its steady hand and a piece of data module that was meant to be disassembled carefully is instantly torn down from Bumblebee's chest.

A flickering blue spark frightens young Charlie, and Bumblebee's body twitches from the pain.

Cliffjumper hastily presses Bumblebee down and reinserts the data module.

It recalibrates the device while asking in a deep tone:

"How did you know?"

"I have my ways."

Merlin crosses his arms as he looks at Cliffjumper from a higher point in the mine:

"And since we're on this topic, let's talk cleanly."

"I know about the Allspark, I also know about NBE-1, I even know that aside from the four of you, there are other Cybertronians hiding on Earth , and that there's quite a number of them."

The SHIELD agent's tone becomes calm, but in that calmness was indifference and contemplation.

"The basis of working with strangers is to share information. But now it seems that while I'm doing my best to help you...you, Cliffjumper...a self-proclaimed bravest Cybertronian warrior, is attempting to hide some things from your life's savior."

"Maybe I should reconsider whether or not I want to continue helping you."

The young girl Charlie becomes somewhat helpless as the atmosphere between Merlin and Cliffjumper tenses up.

Before meeting Bumblebee who had lost its memories, she was but a normal high schooler, she understands not why Merlin is flipping the table now. 

But Cliffjumper could understand.

Though Merlin spoke calmly, his words were not.

He was showing his cards.

Either Cliffjumper tells him everything now, or both sides go their separate ways.

What's terrible is that Merlin was fully capable of knocking it down and forcefully bring it and Bumblebee back to SHIELD.

Cliffjumper knows that he is in a bad shape, and he wouldn't stand a chance against Merlin if they fought.

"I wasn't keeping it from you on purpose."

A few minutes later, Cliffjumper says with difficulty:

"It's just that this is related to the future of the Cybertronian civilization. It's far too important..."

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"Then what if I were to tell you..."

Merlin says in a light tone:

"Your Allspark is currently in the hands of the soldiers of the DoD?"

"What did you say?"

If Merlin's previous question had surprised Cliffjumper, then his current question had stunned the calm mechanica warrior.

It stops what it was doing and turns back to look at Merlin.

Seriousness and caution flashes in its car light-like eyes as it says:

"Do not joke with such things, Merlin."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Merlin flicks his finger and says to Cliffjumper:

"Go on, Cliffjumper, let's exchange intel, for both our sakes."

"Alright!"

Cliffjumper no longer hesitates as it says:

"The Allspark is an ancient and infinitely limitless, powerful Cybertronian artifact. It has the power to bring lifeless technology to life by turning it into sentient, autonomous Cybertronians, which according to you humans, means that it gives any mechanical object 'lifeforce'."

"We Cybertronians reproduce differently from you carbon-based lifeforms, our new population is completely dependant on the Allspark's energy. A mechanical body to us is unimportant, we too have souls; our souls are very different from you humans' concept of 'soul'."

"And now, with Cybertron's destruction, the war between the rebellion and the Decepticons have evolved from a war of ideals to different ways of saving our civilization; whoever controls the numerous Allsparks scattered across the galaxy, will take control of Cybertron's future!"

"On Cybertron, there is a different term for the Allspark, the 'Matrix of Leadership', do you understand? Whoever holds the Allspark would become Cybertron's next leader."

The mechanical warrior says softly:

"You're right, I did keep something important a secret. But it is of goodwill."

"In ancient times, a Cybertronian migration ship once crash-landed on Earth, in it was an Allspark. This was one of the Rebellion's greatest secrets, the prime reason we and the Decepticons are here on Earth is to seek that missing Allspark."

"But we are doing this to save ourselves and rebuild our world, ad the Decepticons...they're doing this to conquer."

"So, from Earth's perspective..."

Merlin says softly:

"Neither of you come in peace."

"We can become allies, Merlin!"

Cliffjumper spoke in a rare, emotional tone.

The robot says with a pleading tone:

"I've already lost everything, rebuilding Cybertron is what faith I have left. If you truly have intel on the Allspark, Merlin, please tell me, and I will serve you eternally! I would fight for your behalf forever!"

"Earth doesn't do Slavery now."

Merlin waves his hand and says casually:

"I don't know what it's like with your Cybertronian civilization, but we don't do loyalty here. Alright, I don't know much either."

Merlin pauses and continues:

"All I know is that the Allspark is kept in storage along with a very Decepticon-like Cybertronian. They're placed in a secret base under the DoD which I assume to be 'Sector Seven'."

"A Cybertronian?"

Cliffjumper asks confusingly:

"Are you certain? What does it look like? What are its characteristics?"

"Err, let me think."

Merlin thinks for a while before extending his hand forward, fog quickly gathers in his hand, and a few seconds later, the general form of the Cybertronian called 'NBE-1' is shaped.

Just like a delicate model.

And after seeing what the Cybertronian looked like, Cliffjumper lets ou an exclamation.

"By the Allspark! This...this is Megatron!"

"Megatron? Who's that?"

Merlin asks.

Fear flashed in Cliffjumper's eyes as it says:

"It is the absolute leader of the Decepticons, the toughest and most ruthless leader in Cybertronian history. Under its leadership, the Decepticons one held the absolute advantage during the war, and we of the rebellion nearly faced our doom. But hundreds of years ago, Megatron went missing...some say that Megatron had foresaw the destruction of Cybertron and fled alone."

"But that is impossible!"

Cliffjumper says:

"Though we were enemies, I must commend for Megatron's charisma, abandoning its people is the last thing it would do. I'm more inclined that Megatron's disappearance was its way of forming a new future for Cybertron."

"And now it seems that Megatron may have foresaw the possibility of Cybertron's destruction, thus it set out to Earth to find the Allspark. But why...why is it in the hands of humans?"

"Is it powerful?"

Merlin asks.

"powerful?"

Cliffjumper shakes its head:

"Powerful isn't enough to describe it. Megatron is 5 times more stronger than I am, all of its weapons are the crystals of our civilization's most destructive weaponry. But these are unimportant, what's important is that in Megatron's large body is a wise soul...it knows when to fight, and when to give up."

"It's different from all the other Decepticons, even our leader, Optimus Prime, has said before, that Megatron was a born leader, and a conqueror."

"Alright."

Merlin nods and says:

"But now, your conqueror is frozen in ice...without external interference, it may sleep until the ends of time. Anyway, Megatron is not an issue we should worry about right now."

Merlin looks at Cliffjumper, he comtemplates briefly before saying:

"I'm also interested in the secrets of Sector Seven."

"So, until we find the Allspark, our cooperation will continue. But Cliffjumper, you must not hide anymore secrets from me...as much as I like having a mechanical friend, you know me, I personally..."

"Dislike being betrayed."

T/L Note: Will correct vocab, spelling errors in a few days.

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