The Touch Part 56 

In the temple of the Allspark, a radiant light enveloped the most heavily guarded chamber, home to the most sacred object in existence. Now, it was once again accompanied by three familiar figures who had materialized abruptly, summoned by the brilliance.

The trio appeared visibly disoriented, as if suffering from the worst hangover in history, struggling to maintain their balance.

"Why do I feel so exhausted and nauseous?" Elita groaned, clutching her head as dizziness overwhelmed her senses. 

"I feel like I could throw up all my circuits..." Orion added, sharing his discomfort. 

Alpha Trion knelt on one knee, steadying himself with a hand pressed to his forehead as he fought to regain his bearings. "We cross a parallel dimension in an instant. Our bodies need time to readjust." he explained, rising to his feet with relative ease, his Prime nature granting him greater resilience. "Normally, one enters the Allspark with their spark alone, not their physical form. That's why the nausea is so intense." 

"How long were we inside the Allspark?" Orion asked, his sense of time distorted by the experience. 

"That's a relative question. Perhaps a few days, if we're lucky." 

"A few days?!" Elita exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief. "What do you mean, 'if we're lucky'?" 

"We won't know for certain until we return to the city." Alpha Trion replied, his attention drawn to the Allspark as it floated toward them, its Cyberglyphs glowing faintly. "We are leaving now. I promise to do everything in my power to keep you out of trouble." he whispered, noting the Allspark's subtle response.

After a few minutes, Elita and Orion finally regained their composure. They bid their farewells to the Allspark, each in their own way, Elita's being notably more dramatic. 

Retracing their steps proved less challenging, though the lingering nausea made the journey uncomfortable. Minutes later, Orion and Elita found themselves pulling Alpha Trion's arms to help him climb the rusted vertical stairs, a task that proved surprisingly difficult for both of them.

"Mr. Alpha, you really need to go on a diet." Elita quipped, gasping for breath. 

"Forgive me, my spine needs some oil in its joints." Alpha Trion replied with a hint of gratitude in his voice. Thanks to them, he had finally confronted the demons that had haunted him for so long and rejoined his brothers.

For Orion, this extraordinary adventure was enlightening, but he was now eager to return to the city and renew his friendship with D-16. But as they emerged from the underground, something seemed strange. Thick clouds of smoke filled the sky, visible even from the narrow alley in which they stood.

"Is that a fire?" Orion asked, his voice tinged with concern. 

"In the middle of the city? That's not good." Elita muttered, her instincts on high alert. 

She darted out of the alley and was met with a shocking sight. The streets were littered with debris, vandalized by aggressive graffiti and signs of destruction. It was a stark contrast to the pristine image Aicon usually upheld. 

Elita closed her eyes, tuning her audio receptors to the distant clamor. The sounds of chaos—hundreds, perhaps thousands of bots shouting in fury—echoed from just a few kilometers away. "What in the name of the Allspark is happening?" 

"Elita, what's going on?" Orion asked, his concern deepening as he looked at the street, which was in a deplorable state.

"I'm not sure, but I think it's best if you stay in the library." Elita said, her protective instincts kicking in. She'd feel better knowing Orion was somewhere safe. 

Alpha Trion sharpened his senses, his ancient systems were still able to detect disturbances from miles away, he was able to differentiate more accurately what was happening. "That sounds like a protest," he said, trying to clarify the situation for Elita.

"And not a peaceful one." Elita added. 

"Protests like these rarely end well." Alpha Trion said grimly, already considering their next move. He shifted his armor back to its usual, unassuming form, an old librarian rather than a legendary Prime. 

"Whoa." Elita whispered, impressed by the transformation. 

Orion, too, was taken aback by the sudden change. "The hospital where Ratchet works isn't far from here. We can ask him what's happening." he suggested, knowing it would be quicker than heading to the library. 

Elita hesitated, her anxiety rising. "Are you sure? I'd feel better if you were out of harm's way." Her protective nature shone through; she knew Orion wasn't a fighter, and the thought of him facing danger unsettled her. 

"I'll be fine." Orion assured her, his confidence unwavering. If the situation was dire, he wanted to help in any way he could. 

"Then let's transform." Elita said, still hesitant as she prepared to shift into her vehicle mode. 

"There's no need for that." Alpha Trion interrupted. With a thought, his T-Cog activated and his form changed into a massive floating cargo ship, hovering three meters above the ground. His vehicle mode increased his mass, making him large enough to dwarf Orion and Elita.

Elita's optics widened in awe. "Holy scrap, I didn't know you had something this cool hidden away! Never underestimate the elderly." 

Orion was equally impressed. It was his first time seeing his mentor transform, and the sheer scale of Alpha Trion's vehicle mode was staggering.

The two climbed onto Alpha Trion's "back", holding on tightly as the old Prime accelerated with surprising speed. The ride was anything but smooth, and Elita and Orion struggled to keep their balance as the wind whipped past them. 

After a few minutes of high-speed travel, they arrived at the hospital. Elita's legs trembled as she stepped onto the floor. "I was definitely not built for that." 

"Neither was I." Orion admitted, his nausea returning with a vengeance. 

"You two get it together." Alpha Trion scolded, his tone serious as he took in the scene around them.

The hospital gates were in chaos. Dozens of robots, some with missing limbs, others with burns, were being carried on stretchers, some of them improvised. Buildings in the distance were engulfed in flames, and the sound of sirens filled the air.

Orion's optics darted to the right, where Autobots were using shields to form a barricade, holding back a crowd of enraged bots. Many of them were Decepticons, their eyes burning with hatred.

Holding a rusty plasma pistol, a Decepticon burst through the barrier. "For Cybertron!" he roared, charging at Orion with reckless abandon, blinded by his emotions like a raging beast.

Before Alpha Trion could react, Elita sprang into action. She stepped in front of Orion and delivered a swift kick that disarmed the Decepticon. The weapon shot into the sky, and a plasma explosion erupted, adding to the chaos.

The Decepticon glared at Elita, but before he could retaliate, two Autobots intervened. One kicked him in the leg, knocking him off balance, while the other handcuffed him as he fell to the ground.

The Autobot who had kicked the Decepticon turned to Elita, impressed. "Are you a recruit?" 

"No, but I've had training." Elita replied, dropping her combat stance.

The Autobot nodded. "Good. Stay here and help protect the injured. We autobots are scattered all over the city after the explosion."

"An explosion?!" Elita and Orion exclaimed in unison. 

"Yes. A terrorist attack at the meeting where Megatron and several politicians were debating." the Autobot explained. "The city's in chaos. Megatron's accusing his political rivals of orchestrating the attack." 

"D was attacked?" Orion's spark sank. "Is he here?" 

"If you're talking about Megatron, yes, he's among the wounded." the Autobot said before turning away. "I don't have time to explain further. If you can't help, go home. And you." he pointed at Elita. "stay here and assist." 

"Orion, go find D-16. I'll take care of things here," Elita said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to follow the Autobot's orders. She hadn't even noticed what she was doing because she was immersed in the situation.

Orion stood frozen for a moment, stunned by her gesture, but Alpha Trion's voice snapped him back to reality. "Come, Orion."

As they entered the hospital, the scale of the crisis became even more apparent. The halls were overflowing with the wounded, and the air was thick with tension. Orion's spark raced as he prepared to face whatever awaited him inside.

The sight of so many injured people was a punch in the face to Orion, paralyzing him for a few seconds, but in his senses he seemed to see the world in slow motion.