Chapter Forty-Three

                                    

                                          
I feel like this chapter will make people happy... or sad... or... I don't know? Feelings??
                          


                          
[Finn]
                          
   "Hold your places!" I shouted over my shoulder. Jack and Miko's guns were firing in rapid succession at the lines of Chaos Fernontas who were approaching the Well of Allsparks. I shot one right in front of me and glanced behind me to look over the situation. Arcee, Smokescreen, and Bumblebee had set up a primary defense around us, but had long since been overrun. The gold cloud above us now coated the sky, and Amanda was still out cold. 
                          
   My eyes went to my girlfriend for what felt like the millionth time since she collapsed. Miko stood protectively in front of where she lay on the ground, looking incredibly pale. I had to check multiple times just to reassure myself that she still had a pulse at all. While my worry for her was through the roof, my military instincts kicked in, and I knew there was an important mission at hand. I put my trust in Amanda this far, I wasn't going to doubt it now.
                          
   "We're not going to hold them for much longer!" Arcee's voice came over the comms. "We're going to have to fall back to the city!" 
                          
   The gold dust seemed to be making the Fernontas almost invincible, the gun shots only denting their exteriors instead of ripping through them the way they should. With around two dozen surrounding us, it seemed like an impossible task to keep them away from the well. I opened my mouth, about to agree with Arcee when a blinding flash of silver cut me off. My vision was cut off for a split second, and then it cleared as quickly as it came. I immediately whirled around to see Amanda on her feet, whisps of silver dust floating around her figure. 
                          
   "We need to get to the Zaren Pits," she said, her voice echoing. It took a moment for my brain to catch up, taking in the charred bits of Chaos Fernontas to the fact that my girlfriend's hair was now streaked with silver. 
                          
   "What-" Miko stuttered, but Amanda shook her head.
                          
   "We don't have time." She turned to the Autobots, who approached us with their jaws dropped, and tapped her finger to the comm in her ear. "Wheeljack, Bulkhead, finish what you're doing and meet us at the Zaren Pits."
                          
   "Amanda, what the scrap happened?" Arcee butt in.
                          
   She shook her head again. "Everything can be explained after Valilorna is locked up again, but right now we need to get to the pits."
                          
   Bumblebee snapped out of it first and transformed. Amanda immediately headed towards him, but I caught her arm as she passed.
                          
   "A, what the hell-"
                          
   "Finn, I'm sorry, but we have to go."
                          
   "I know, just- just tell me if you're okay or not," I practically begged.
                          
   She paused, and then gave me a brilliant smile. "I'm better than okay. Now, let's go kick some goddess tailpipe, hm?"
                          
   I didn't see a trace of a lie on her expression, and let her go, but stared after her. She got into Bumblebee's driver seat, and Miko ran to grab the passenger side. Smoekscreen drove up to me as the black and yellow muscle car sped away.
                          
   "Let's go, Finn," he said, opening the door for me. "She's a tough one. Plus, do you see all that silver and stuff rolling off her? If anything, I think she's got a boost."
                          
   I shook my head, climbing in. "I hope you're right."
                          


                          
[Amanda]
                          
   "You look kickass," Miko commented, and I shot her a grin. "Definitely rocking the silver streaks, A."

                          
   "Thanks, Miko," I said, finding it almost difficult to keep the newfound power inside as Bumblebee sped across the Cybertronian terrain. "What happened when I did the summoning?"
                          
   "We don't know," Bee replied. "There was a huge silver flash, and then you were on the ground and the well was steaming. That's when the Chaos Fernontas found us and started to attack us."
                          
   "Huh." So they didn't see if it worked at all. Cleona told me to trust Primus, though, and I trusted her. The dynamic had changed between us, that much was obvious, but for the better. That only fueled my urge to take Valilorna down.
                          
   "The gold dust is getting thicker," Bumblebee said, and my gaze shot outside. 
                          
   "Bee, window?" I asked, and he rolled down his window. Some dust spilled inside, but I thrust a hand out and parted it with my own silver dust. I dimly heard Miko say something, instead focusing on making a clear path for the Autobots. 
                          
   "Jackie and I are here, boss," Bulkhead said through the comms, and I sensed the pair join our entourage. "Hope the thing worked."
                          
   I didn't reply to that, my entire focus on-
                          
   "There," I said, pointing to a spot in the gold dust. "We need to go there."
                          
   Bumblebee didn't ask any questions, only followed my directions and drove north-east. He pulled to a stop at my next command, and I climbed out, with Miko hot on my trail and her gun in hand. 
                          
   "I don't see anything," She said, putting her hand in front of her eyes as the gold dust swirled around us.
                          
   But I could see enough. I lifted a hand, aiming it at the sky, and let silver dust show over us. 
                          
   "Valilorna!" I shouted into the gold. "We both know you can't win this!" 
                          
   "As though I am going to listen to your words, little goddess." Her reply echoed around us, causing the team to aim their blasters at the gold dust surrounding the small bubble I cleared for us. 
                          
   "You don't need to drag this on," I tried to reason. "End this now before it destroys you completely."
                          
   "Never! You are a fool to think your words will divert me! I am the goddess of chaos and war, the creation of Unicron the Chaos Bringer himself! You are nothing to me!" There was a pause, then she spoke again. "Besides, I already have your commander, little goddess. Your handful of Primus' followers cannot touch me."
                          
   A section of gold dust parted to reveal Ultra Magnus being held down by a few Fernontas, the full-sized ones, and I sucked in a breath. It was clear that he had put up a fight, and there was rage in his expression, but the commander was obviously beaten and injured. Around the edge of the gold-free ring, Chaos Fernontas stepped forward, both human and Cybertronian sized, with their weapons ready. There were at least 50 of them, versus the ten of us, and that was only if we could free Ultra Magnus.
                          
   "The odds do not appear to be in your favor, little goddess." Valilorna laughed. "My followers are protected by my power. You cannot defeat them all and survive. You and your pathetic team will perish."
                          
   Even with my boosted powers, we didn't stand a chance. I knew that, and I could sense the others knew that too. My mind raced through all of the possible ways to win this, but came up with nothing as Valilorna's laughter pressed down on me.
                          
   "You may have bested my champion," she said, now mocking me. "But I am no mortal. I cannot be defeated, and you will learn that just as every other Champion of Cleona has. You will watch as I destroy your team, and you will be begging me to end you, little goddess. They always do."
                          
   "Not this time, Valilorna." A new voice echoed through the dust, and the shadow of a figure appeared just outside the ring of Fernontas. But it wasn't the staggering odds that knocked the breath out of me. It was the voice. 
                          
   "You have taken enough to feed your chaos and war," Optimus Prime said. "Your tyranny ends here."