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"Dreadwing! Where have you been?"

The harsh voice filled Dreadwing's audios as the Decepticon lord interrogated his first lieutenant.

"Forgive me Lord Megatron, but I was merely answering the challenge issued to me by the Prime"

"Optimus challenged you and you didn't inform me?"

Megatron was furious now. He would not have his second in command keeping secrets from him, he had dealt with enough of that from Starscream.

"Master, I thought it best that a personal matter should not-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THOUGHT! You have already proved that Optimus is far to difficult for YOU to defeat, Dreadwing." Megatron hissed.

Dreadwing winced at Megatron's berating.

"My lord, there is some good news to this encounter" Dreadwing waited for Megatron's approval,

"Proceed"

"I terminated the Autobot femme."

"So, the one called Arcee is dead? Perhaps your unauthorised excursion was not a total loss after all. Dreadwing, regale me on how you terminated her."

Dreadwing proceeded to tell Megatron of the events that led up to Arcee's death. All the while a dark light shone in Megatron's optics.

-------------------------------------

June allowed Jack the next week off school to grieve for Arcee. He spent most of his time hidden away in his room, lost in the memories of his departed partner, trying to re-build the walls of his world. The solitary hours were only broken by the visits of Miko and Raf or his mother forcing him to come down stairs to have a meal, not that the meals were eaten. Optimus had visited him nearly every day, often silently standing guard outside the house in his vehicle mode. The presence of the peterbilt caused questioning glances from many neighbours, but none bothered to pursue the issue any further.

On the Monday of the new week Jack emerged from the safety of his home to brave the trails of school. His mother held him for a long while, telling him to be strong and keep his head down. As he left the house, he saw Optimus waiting on the side of the road, engines idle and the passenger door wide open.

"Hello Jack" the weighty baritone voice resonated through the cabin.

"Morning Optimus" Jack replied as he clicked in the seat belt.

"I am afraid you will have to direct me to the school, I am not accustomed to these roads."

Jack nodded and they set off. Driving in silence, they passed Knock Out burgers, Jacks work. The car park was nearly deserted, only the odd vehicle to be seen. 'Its not unlike when I first met Ar-' he cut the thought off, it threatened to crumble the fragile normality he had struggled to build in the previous week. Optimus sensed the sudden shifting of mood and gently increased the seat-belts hold on Jack.

"Tell me Jack, what are you learning at school today?" Optimus asked in an attempt to take Jack's mind away from whatever thoughts it had been on.

"Huh? Oh sorry. ah I think I have chemistry, some other things and ancient history with Mrs. Esposito." Jack said vaguely.

"Oh, very good. So... What is it you are learning in ancient history?" the librarian in Optimus was roused in interest.

"Ah, we're learning about the Trojan war and whether the warrior Achilles was a hero or a villain."

"The Trojan war?" asked Optimus

"Yeah, it's in a story written by a guy called Homer over three thousand years ago. It's about a ten year long siege by the Greeks against the Trojans. The Greeks attacked the Trojans because Paris, a prince of Troy, had stolen Helen, supposedly the most beautiful woman to have ever lived, from a king called Menelaus. So Menelaus goes to his brother Agamemnon, trying to convince him to attack Troy. They do attack Troy and bring some of the greatest heroes of Greece with them."

"And this Achilles?"
"He was the mightiest warrior of the Greeks and he was supposedly unable to be killed, because his mother had dunked him in the river Styx when he was a baby. He could only we killed by striking his mortal point, which was his heel. It's where we get the term 'Achilles heel' for someones weakness. Achilles didn't like Agamemnon very much, so after they had an argument and Achilles refused to fight anymore his young cousin, Patroclus, took his armour and weapons and lead the army pretending to be him. In the battle, Patroclus faced Hector, the crown prince and greatest fighter in Troy. Needless to say, Hector killed Patroclus and upon learning of his death, Achilles was sent into a wild rage. He challenged Hector to single combat and ran him through. He then attached the body of Hector to his chariot and dragged him around the gates of Troy whilst Hector's brother Paris and their father watched. Even though Achilles was a fierce-some warrior, he still had honor. King Priam went to Achilles to beg for the body of his son and Achilles not only gave back Hectors body but called a truce to allow the King and the rest if Troy time to grieve. Though After ten years of fighting, the Greeks still couldn't break into the city. So a guy called Odysseus figures out a really cunning way to get into the city. He builds a giant wooden horse and hides a few of the Greeks greatest warriors inside. The Trojans fall for it because horses were sacred to their patron god Posideon. So the Greeks get inside and let in the rest of their army and the city of Troy was burnt to the ground. It was in the sacking of Troy that Achilles met his fate. As he was fighting, Paris, Hector's brother, shot him through his heel and killed him. When his body was burnt the mingled them with his cousins. He's actually a very sad character when you think about it."

"Indeed he is." said Optimus solemnly. "Do you believe he is a villain?"

"Well to Paris he must have been the villain of the war, after all he killed his brother. But I think that, while he had done some bad things, he was not evil, he was just so far into a life that he could not leave."

Optimus didn't answer. They rounded the next corner and arrived just a little way from the school.

"Bumblebee will be escorting you home today Jack. I have business I must attend to."

"Alright Optimus." Jack knew that Optimus couldn't always be there, but this would take some time to get use to not being escorted home by the same guardian every day. His mood once again sour, he turned from Optimus and stalked to the school.

As Optimus watched him leave, he thought over the story he had just been told and of the great warrior Achilles, and the similarities they had similarity to the story that was now unfolding in all their lives.

-------------------------------------

Dreadwing looked down at the cairn that lay at the base of the cliff. This was the place were his brother had fought and died. The world always seemed upside down whenever he visited this place. The tall mech breathed a heavy sigh as he repeated the ritual of placing his large servo on top of the stones.

"Blood breeds Blood brother. I believe that I have done something that has gone beyond pardon." Dreadwing confessed to the stones. "You were always the strong one; proud, rash, but strong" a sad smile crossed Dreadwing's lips then vanished "I will see you again." And he turned and left.

Unbeknown to Dreadwing, a broken figure stood behind him, desperately trying to claw him, but as it's attacks failed, it soon lost interest and wandering off in it's lonely repetitive search for it's missing limb.

Description
"Dreadwing! Where have you been?"

The harsh voice filled Dreadwing's audios as the Decepticon lord interrogated his first lieutenant.

"Forgive me Lord Megatron, but I was merely answering the challenge issued to me by the Prime"

"Optimus challenged you and you didn't inform me?"

Megatron was furious now. He would not have his second in command keeping secrets from him, he had dealt with enough of that from Starscream.

"Master, I thought it best that a personal matter should not-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THOUGHT! You have already proved that Optimus is far to difficult for YOU to defeat, Dreadwing." Megatron hissed.

Dreadwing winced at Megatron's berating.

"My lord, there is some good news to this encounter" Dreadwing waited for Megatron's approval,

"Proceed"

"I terminated the Autobot femme."

"So, the one called Arcee is dead? Perhaps your unauthorised excursion was not a total loss after all. Dreadwing, regale me on how you terminated her."

Dreadwing proceeded to tell Megatron of the events that led up to Arcee's death. All the while a dark light shone in Megatron's optics.

-------------------------------------

June allowed Jack the next week off school to grieve for Arcee. He spent most of his time hidden away in his room, lost in the memories of his departed partner, trying to re-build the walls of his world. The solitary hours were only broken by the visits of Miko and Raf or his mother forcing him to come down stairs to have a meal, not that the meals were eaten. Optimus had visited him nearly every day, often silently standing guard outside the house in his vehicle mode. The presence of the peterbilt caused questioning glances from many neighbours, but none bothered to pursue the issue any further.

On the Monday of the new week Jack emerged from the safety of his home to brave the trails of school. His mother held him for a long while, telling him to be strong and keep his head down. As he left the house, he saw Optimus waiting on the side of the road, engines idle and the passenger door wide open.

"Hello Jack" the weighty baritone voice resonated through the cabin.

"Morning Optimus" Jack replied as he clicked in the seat belt.

"I am afraid you will have to direct me to the school, I am not accustomed to these roads."

Jack nodded and they set off. Driving in silence, they passed Knock Out burgers, Jacks work. The car park was nearly deserted, only the odd vehicle to be seen. 'Its not unlike when I first met Ar-' he cut the thought off, it threatened to crumble the fragile normality he had struggled to build in the previous week. Optimus sensed the sudden shifting of mood and gently increased the seat-belts hold on Jack.

"Tell me Jack, what are you learning at school today?" Optimus asked in an attempt to take Jack's mind away from whatever thoughts it had been on.

"Huh? Oh sorry. ah I think I have chemistry, some other things and ancient history with Mrs. Esposito." Jack said vaguely.

"Oh, very good. So... What is it you are learning in ancient history?" the librarian in Optimus was roused in interest.

"Ah, we're learning about the Trojan war and whether the warrior Achilles was a hero or a villain."

"The Trojan war?" asked Optimus

"Yeah, it's in a story written by a guy called Homer over three thousand years ago. It's about a ten year long siege by the Greeks against the Trojans. The Greeks attacked the Trojans because Paris, a prince of Troy, had stolen Helen, supposedly the most beautiful woman to have ever lived, from a king called Menelaus. So Menelaus goes to his brother Agamemnon, trying to convince him to attack Troy. They do attack Troy and bring some of the greatest heroes of Greece with them."

"And this Achilles?"
"He was the mightiest warrior of the Greeks and he was supposedly unable to be killed, because his mother had dunked him in the river Styx when he was a baby. He could only we killed by striking his mortal point, which was his heel. It's where we get the term 'Achilles heel' for someones weakness. Achilles didn't like Agamemnon very much, so after they had an argument and Achilles refused to fight anymore his young cousin, Patroclus, took his armour and weapons and lead the army pretending to be him. In the battle, Patroclus faced Hector, the crown prince and greatest fighter in Troy. Needless to say, Hector killed Patroclus and upon learning of his death, Achilles was sent into a wild rage. He challenged Hector to single combat and ran him through. He then attached the body of Hector to his chariot and dragged him around the gates of Troy whilst Hector's brother Paris and their father watched. Even though Achilles was a fierce-some warrior, he still had honor. King Priam went to Achilles to beg for the body of his son and Achilles not only gave back Hectors body but called a truce to allow the King and the rest if Troy time to grieve. Though After ten years of fighting, the Greeks still couldn't break into the city. So a guy called Odysseus figures out a really cunning way to get into the city. He builds a giant wooden horse and hides a few of the Greeks greatest warriors inside. The Trojans fall for it because horses were sacred to their patron god Posideon. So the Greeks get inside and let in the rest of their army and the city of Troy was burnt to the ground. It was in the sacking of Troy that Achilles met his fate. As he was fighting, Paris, Hector's brother, shot him through his heel and killed him. When his body was burnt the mingled them with his cousins. He's actually a very sad character when you think about it."

"Indeed he is." said Optimus solemnly. "Do you believe he is a villain?"

"Well to Paris he must have been the villain of the war, after all he killed his brother. But I think that, while he had done some bad things, he was not evil, he was just so far into a life that he could not leave."

Optimus didn't answer. They rounded the next corner and arrived just a little way from the school.

"Bumblebee will be escorting you home today Jack. I have business I must attend to."

"Alright Optimus." Jack knew that Optimus couldn't always be there, but this would take some time to get use to not being escorted home by the same guardian every day. His mood once again sour, he turned from Optimus and stalked to the school.

As Optimus watched him leave, he thought over the story he had just been told and of the great warrior Achilles, and the similarities they had similarity to the story that was now unfolding in all their lives.

-------------------------------------

Dreadwing looked down at the cairn that lay at the base of the cliff. This was the place were his brother had fought and died. The world always seemed upside down whenever he visited this place. The tall mech breathed a heavy sigh as he repeated the ritual of placing his large servo on top of the stones.

"Blood breeds Blood brother. I believe that I have done something that has gone beyond pardon." Dreadwing confessed to the stones. "You were always the strong one; proud, rash, but strong" a sad smile crossed Dreadwing's lips then vanished "I will see you again." And he turned and left.

Unbeknown to Dreadwing, a broken figure stood behind him, desperately trying to claw him, but as it's attacks failed, it soon lost interest and wandering off in it's lonely repetitive search for it's missing limb.