Chapter Text

Cade Yeager was desperate.

The air rippled. Heat radiated from the metallic surfaces that made up whatever Cybertronian technology that had risen from the Earth. The ocean seethed and roiled beneath them, making the ground tilt and rotate. Cade didn’t care about that. Hell, he could barely keep up with all the history, Knights and...magic? That wasn’t magic at all but Cybertronian technology with all it’s stupid light effects and sparkles. Cade knew that the Knights were important to Earth. To History. To Viviane. But he honestly didn’t give two shits about it all at the end of the day. All he cared about, right now, in this moment, was his friend.

His friend who needed him desperately.

His friend who was trying to kill him.

Cade grunted and hissed as he was forced back into a searing hot metal wall. He staunchly ignored the faint sizzling he heard come from his left shoulder as he forced himself back up. Bee, too, was thrown across the platform with a mighty roar. It left Bee prone and scrambling to right himself as Optimus rounded on him, sword in hand. Optimus’s back was to him, his once familiar figure rigid and threatening as Cade ran up to him. It didn’t do much, other than turn Optimus’s attention to him. There was no sneaking up on a bot like Optimus. But any moment he could buy for Bee was worth it.

“Optimus!” Cade swallowed the prey-like fear that surged forth as Optimus’s optics focused on him. “OP this isn’t you!”

Optimus’s violet eyes glittered as he gnashed his teeth, “Pest.” His mighty pedes shook the ground as Cade scrambled to get out of stomping range. “You mean nothing.”

Cade countered, “I know you don’t mean that. You have to fight her Optimus!” He was thrown several feet as Optimus’s pede came down hard. He managed to stay standing as he continued, “Remember who you are! Remember what we fought for!” The other pede came down forcing him to his knees.

Optimus’s eyes shone, “This planet, you parasites, are nothing more than a brief nuisance to Quintessa’s vision.” He adjusted his grip of his sword, making it glint sickeningly in the light. “No longer will this filth have power over us.” Cade’s heart sank. “You-humans-” he said it like a curse, “have met your reckoning.”

Cade reeled. How could he get him to snap out of this? An idea. He hesitated before determination solidified and reared its head, “Big words for a mind-controlled bitch.”

It was entirely the wrong thing to say, in retrospect. The chaotic sea forced both to scramble. Optimus was forced back as a wave overtook the platform. Cade slipped; unable to get his feet under him. He stole a glance at Bee who was struggling to get back to them, weapon in hand. Still much too far away to make any difference. Optimus’s sword glittered sickeningly in the evening light as his rage roiled forth.

With a mighty bellow, Optimus swung his sword. Cade dodged. The metal from the blade stung across his arm. Blood mixed with the salty sea water, making it burn down to his fingertips. Cade managed to catch Optimus’s eye and declare, “The Optimus I fought with wouldn’t do this!”

He stumbled to the side as Optimus swung his sword again. “We’re your friends Optimus!” Cade jolted as Optimus’s pede slammed down next to him.

“You are no companion of mine!”

Before he could blink, massive force crushed into his left side, sending him flying. Bee’s desperate cry followed him as he landed with a crunch against a slick barrier wall. Sound and light quickly blurred together into an indecipherable mosaic across his senses.

Distantly, he could hear Optimus and Bee fighting. Pain radiated harshly down the entire length of his body. Sea water quickly overtook his senses as the wave crashed over his slumped form. Blood ran in circlets around him. He watched with foggy eyes as it turned in circles. Around and around.

Something was clogging his throat, but he didn’t have the strength to dislodge it. Instead, it trickled out, making his mouth taste like iron. He thought of Tessa then. She had another baby on the way and was excited. Their last phone conversation she’d promised to tell him more, before the timer cut them off. Longing clung to his heart as he thought of all the memories he’d never experience, of all the memories he’d already missed. The feeling mixed with the pain, quickly sapping whatever strength he had in staying awake. He was so tired. Years of life on the run, in hiding, all for his friends, but especially for Optimus, and what had become of it? He had failed, in the end.

Cade sincerely hoped Bee would be able to snap Optimus out of it. He obviously had not been enough. He wasn’t enough to save him. Strange, he thought their friendship was stronger than that…

Something broke within him. Cade wasn’t sure what, but everything started going dark. It wasn’t fast, but agonizingly slow. He could feel his final breaths rattle out of his chest. Fear. He was going to die alone, in a foreign place. He cried, as the dark pulled him under unwillingly.

His eyes closed. And he let go.

______________________________________________

William Lennox was hesitating.

It had been a surprise. One he didn’t see coming. No one had. Now, as the city was on the cusp of being razed to the ground, William Lennox saw himself looking back.

There really was nothing left of Ironhide’s body.

In fact, most of him had blown away with the blustery gusts of Lake Michigan. But as he hesitated, William searched for any part, no matter how small, that remained of his friend.

Ironhide deserved to be remembered. To be honored. His friend was loyal, steadfast, and courageous until the ultimate final betrayal that ended his life in a matter of minutes. He never thought he’d have to bury his friend; could never imagine how something like this could happen, but it struck him those final minutes before the warhead struck to save whatever was left. Perhaps part of him wanted to hold onto it as a twisted expression of repressed grief that came with his line of work.

Whatever the reason, after he called the order to evacuate, after his men had long left him behind, William Lennox stopped and looked back.

He was standing just shy of the rusted pile of Ironhide’s remains, near the blasted out headquarters they had worked together in for years. The rust whipped in the wind, making it smell like tangy, corroded metal. Flakes rested on his shoes and crevices of his clothes sharpening the strange feeling in his chest he couldn’t define. Slowly, ever so slowly, he knelt down and reached towards the dust, letting it flow between his fingers.

The ignited skies above were nonexistent to him as he was consumed with aching. Nothing. There was nothing left. Just a tang on the air and a dust under his nails. Nothing but rust. He watched it flow as the sky grew ever brighter in front of him. He found himself reciting a prayer, one he had recited for dozens of fallen comrades long passed:

“May you find peace on the other side; wherever you may be.” He paused and continued, “May your soul find its way home...”

As he spoke, rust curled and mixed with the ashes from the city before settling in his hand. Heat ripples in the air now, making the cool lake gusts turn searing. Looking up, he saw fires race across the skies, blasting infrastructure chaotically into the air. He trailed off, never finishing what he wanted to say. Sighing he settled on the concrete below him, as close as he could to where Ironhide had last been alive. It was too late to evacuate now, not without a miracle. Strangely, he didn’t regret staying behind.

Perhaps this is what his heart had been trying to tell him. He and Ironhide had been inseparable in life. Especially as the truce had grown here in Chicago. So many had joked of how they were attached at the hip- on and off the field. Funny, just how right they were.

Now, they’d pass on together too.

William Lennox closed his eyes. And he let go.

_______________________________________________

Charlie Watson made a mistake.

She hadn’t known she was afraid of heights, specifically, until she was climbing a rusted rickety tower while being shot at with a plasma laser. How foolish of her to think it was only the diving part that bothered her. She gasped as plasma rained down from a shot going too high, just above her head. Hot metal rained down, pocketing her arms in broiling burns on her skin. Gritting her teeth and pushing through, she forced her tingling arms to keep climbing to the top of the tower where the transponder above readied itself to give away the position of Earth to the decepticons.

Memories of diving boards and panic razed across her mind as she struggled to control her breathing. All she had to do was keep climbing. All she had to do was get to the top.

Get to the top.

C’mon Charlie, keep going. You can do it. Her fathers encouraging voice was laced with his usual warm joy.

Her hand slipped as she grabbed hot metal. She didn’t think, simply adjust her trajectory to move to the side to avoid that part of the tower. The beacon was just above her now. Its lights were blinking furiously as it shook the tower. She stole a glance at the fight below as she reached the top of the tower.

Bee was fighting furiously, but he was outnumbered and outgunned by his opponents. One flew overhead, shooting pot shots at him as the other, red decepticon threw furious blows from Bee’s blind spot. Anxiety shot through her. She had to get this beacon off now.

The beacon up close was entirely foreign in a way that made it appear overly simple in design. Wires and panels pulsed with power in a bright blue glow. She reached to start inspecting; just to get an idea on how to destroy it when another blow shook the tower at the base. She was forced to cling to the steel lattice as the top of the tower swayed by several feet. A fierce wind off the harbor, made the tower sway long after the based recovered from the blow below.

Alien language alerted Charlie to one of the decepticons noticing where she was and alerting the others to her position. Bee began to pull the others towards him, trying desperately to keep their attention on him. Charlie turned to the beacon, officially out of time.

She tried to jostle the legs first. Maybe she could throw it over and let gravity do the work for her. But, a glance at the ground below revealed a decepticon waiting for just that. No way she could let them catch and run off with it. She had to break it up here, before they managed to get up here.

Another shot blasted past her shoulder, making her yelp at the blistering heat. The tower melted to one of the transponders legs, fusing it to the tower. Charlie cursed, there was no way she was getting it off now.

Changing tactics she pulled at the beacon’s outer armor, now flimsy from the rough misuse caused by the battle below. She aimed the scrap at the decepticon below for good measure, as a small modicum of revenge for shooting at her.

The transponder looked far more complex under the surface than it suggested. Charlie’s knowledge rushed to the surface as she she traced wires and nodes to look for anything that screamed “if I’m destroyed I’ll break the Beacon.” Nothing stood out. From her perspective, it all looked important.

Well, if it was all important then ripping it all out would definitely break it right?

She grabbed a fistful of wires and yanked them with all her strength. The beacon shrilled an alarm as electricity popped off the motherboard in response. Promising. She tunneled deeper into the machine, ripping pieces of it out until the light above was flickering dangerously. Inside, a glowing wire wove itself through the center of the machine. No doubt this was its power source. It had to be!

She gripped the base, unaware that below the decepticon was aiming once again at her. She gripped the base of the wire as another shot raced towards her. The power that rippled under her hand as she gripped the wire made her pause, maybe this wasn’t a good idea. But what other choice did she have? She gripped it fiercely, shooting an apology to her father at the lack of safety precautions she was taking and pulled it free from the base of the machine.

Two things happened at once.

Plasma burned through her chest, just under her left shoulder as electricity danced up her right arm. The pain from her skin melting morphed and blended with the numbing pain of the power source flowing through her instead of the transponder. Distantly, she could hear the transponder power down, the decepticon below bellowed with rage, and.. was she screaming? She couldn’t tell. She couldn’t breath. Pain blinded her as she slipped from her perch. Air whistled past her ears as the transponder grew fuzzy and dark.

The last thing she saw was the beacon exploding in a brilliant light.

Her eyes closed. And she let go.

_________________________________________

Shane loved dogs.

He did! Really! In fact, they played a pivotal role in his daydreams of his idyllic future with Tess. He already had plans for at least two in their (hopefully) little family in the future.

Current events were making him reconsider his plans.

Vicious excited howls echoed behind them as Shane urged Tess forward towards their escape. Wind whipped roughly, buffeting them towards the cables tethering the ship to the planet below. Just thick enough for both of them to walk on, Shane forced his nausea to abate at the sight of cables dancing in the wind.

Tess skittered to a halt, “Oh no. Nonononono.”

Shane hated himself for it but he grabbed her hand, “We have to go Tess. They’re gonna catch us, Tess. We have to go.”

“We’re gonna fall!” Tears streamed down her face as she dug her feet in, “Shane don’t make me-!”

Shane looked past her to see red hungry eyes locked on their position. “We have to Tess, just follow me okay? I won’t let you fall.”

He forced her to move forward as the howls grew ever closer. She seemed to have the presence of mind to hear the hounds on their tail. He kept his hands in hers as the edged out on the cables.

Guiding her as she grew more steady on her feet Shane prompted. “Just follow me and we’ll be back down on the ground before you know it.”

Tess, his strong, defiant Tess, managed a small smile as she started to follow him. He tried to usher them along at a speed that was fast, but wasn’t fast enough to make Tess freeze again. They couldn’t afford to stop. Not now.

Bloodcurdling roars of discovery made him jump as he took a glance back. Five, maybe more, hound jostled for a path forward. Tess started faster as she cried, “Shane!”

Shane moved forward, choosing a cabled path at random, “Just keep going, we can make it.” Tess followed behind him. He focused for the moment at keeping his feet under him as the cords started to sway under the weight of the hunters behind them.

Shane looked up at Tess’s shout, “Shane?!” They had separated, Tess on a higher wire than Shane himself.

He couldn’t reach her, “Just keep going! I’ll be right there. Don’t worry!” He frantically looked ahead for another junction that connected his cable to hers. He couldn’t see far enough with the wind making his eyes tear up. The braying and growling behind them was growing ever louder. Adrenaline made him light-headed. He couldn’t think.

Tess’s scream made him look up again. Their pursuers had divvied themselves up between their paths. His heart dropped as two hounds started stalking Tess, both gnashed at the wires, making them tremble as Tess fought to keep her footing. Shane cast a glance behind him. Three dogs were closing in on him. But he had to find a way to get the others to chase after him.

Just up ahead a junction, unconnected to Tess’s path gathered and led off to the side. The cable was sturdier. He turned towards it before shout, “Keep going Tess!”

His shout drew the attention of the hounds chasing Tess. They noticed the easier path he was taking and quickly diverted to intercept his route. Tess called out to him, but he couldn’t hear her over the wind. He kept going, using the adrenaline to his advantage to maybe get to the Autobots before they decided he was their next meal.

Oh God did they even eat meat?

Shane didn’t think so. But he forced it from his mind as the pounding of their feet started to make his knees shake. Oh God. He really wasn’t going to make it. He tried to get one last look at Tess. Her image was blurry. He couldn’t see her face…

His vision was eclipsed by the terrifying red eyes of an uncaring beast.

He closed his eyes. And he let go.

__________________________________

Tess was heartbroken.

She watched as the love of her life disappeared under a writhing mass of silver metal. She looked away at the first sign of red. Oh dear Lord. Red, why did she have to see it?

Tears fell, clogging her vision, making her unsteady feet worse as she crawled on the wire. She was alone. And she couldn’t see anyone besides those damn dogs. They had already turned their beady eyes to her. She tried to pick up the pace. She had to make Shane’s sacrifice mean something. Right?

Oh but he was her everything.

Grief made time move slowly. She could see the hounds round about to her position. The wind-it felt sharper than it ever had before. It cut through her skin, making her feel numb. She kept going. Kept trying. Even as they caught up with her weak attempts at escape.

But before they could pounce, resolve hardened her heart. They wouldn’t catch her. Oh no, she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. She looked at the drop below. It was plenty high enough.

No Decepticon bitch was gonna catch her. Not after the hell they put her through. Not after taking one she loved.

She looked her pursuers in the eye, smiled, and pushed off.

The wind whistled in her ears. She closed her eyes. And she let go.

___________________________________

Kris was tired.

But that was nothing new. He was always tired, always sore.

Always a burden.

He sat in his room; ignoring the painful swelling in his hand as he tried- for the umpteenth time- to defeat Bowser. He was so close. There was only one health bar left. He frantically tried to evade Bowser’s AOE moves. He was tiny, with only one hit left before he was dead, again.

Mom was at work, as usual. Noah was gone, which he pretended he was okay with as a stray flame hit him, giving him a GAME OVER on the screen, yet again. Huffing he tossed his GameBoy to the side and stood. Absently he rubbed his hand, grimacing as it throbbed up to his elbow. It had been getting worse lately… He moved to the kitchen and grabbed a soda from the fridge, relishing in the cool surface of the tin can to help soothe his aching hand.

The city noise outside was an ever-constant white noise. Heat radiated off the windows and reflected light onto every surface, including his eyes. Kris squinted and turned as a ray of light blinded him before he turned back to go into his room. Looking out the window he saw people walking up and down the street as normal. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Except.

A weirdly large black SUV was parked across the street. It stuck out like a sore thumb. Way too shiny...way too luxe. Definitely the Feds. Everyone else thought the same. People were acting natural, but subtle turns and lingering gazes gave away the fact that their neighbors were watching the Feds just as much as they were watching the street.

Kris watched them for a moment before going back to his room. He felt unsettled. But, again, nothing he wasn’t already used to dealing with. He took a drink, relishing in the bubbly texture that tickled his throat. He set it down on his nightstand, but before he sat down to square off with Browser yet again, he stepped up to his window.

As expected, the alleyway below was barren. It was strange to think Mirage was there just a couple days ago; lighting up his room with his headlights. He stood there reminiscing for a moment. He almost picked-up the radio to talk with Mirage again, but refrained. He’d been talking to him every day since they’d left. He had to make sure Mirage was keeping his promise after all. But, Noah hadn’t answered the talkie yet. Kris tried to convince himself that he didn’t miss him, or that his decision to keep his worsening pain a secret was a good idea. The second he admitted that he was feeling worse Noah would stop everything to get back to him, fate of the world be damned.

He couldn’t do it though. Sacrifice a whole world, for himself? It made his stomach churn. How selfish would that be? Guilt gnawed at his chest, making the pain that radiated from it more apparent. Mirage and Noah were going to save the world. He couldn’t hold them back. He would be fine.

He was fine.

But. He was tired. And...he did miss them. Kris turned and grabbed his soda, walking further down the hall to Noah’s room. Opening the door he was immediately met with a waft of stale warm air. Random projects littered his desk in the corner. He hadn’t made his bed before leaving either. The room smelled like dust and metal. He eyed the clothes that littered the floor; obviously picked through before Noah left with Mirage that night.

He sat down on his brother’s worn comforter. Setting his drink down he flopped over, burying his head in the thin pillows at the head of the bed. It smelled like Noah, which calmed his nerves and eased the ever tightening vice of pain in his chest. Curling in the blankets he allowed himself to fall under the weight of fatigue that hung around his shoulders. A nap would make him feel better. They always helped; even marginally.

He closed his eyes. And he let go.

____________________________________________

Carly wasn’t convinced.

The Autobots were extra-terrestrial metal robots from space. Very tall laser shooting robots from space that, so far, had fought back the Decepticons in their centuries long war.

You’re telling her that these bots were unable to stop some puny humans from hunting them and their allies down?

Perhaps she was being disingenuous, but she felt that it was fair as she watched Sam try and comfort her as they ran from their new home into the wooded area beyond their lot.

“They’ll be here Carly. They have to be. Don’t worry.”

Her heart clenched as wet mud dug into the soles of her feet and got into her nails. Her Sam was so hopeful, so kind. But she knew.

She knew they weren’t coming.

Just like she knew Sam’s countless messages and calls would sit unanswered. How their invitations to parties and events were ignored and set aside. It had been nearly two years since the battle of Chicago and the last time either of them had seen the Autobots was in those war-torn streets. How they had managed to get by and carve out a life for themselves in the aftermath of the battle was beyond her. Countless nights were spent comforting each other- mostly Sam- as they wondered about their friends. Sam was so sure that they were okay. That they would pop out of the mill-work one day and apologize for missing out on their lives. Sam was convinced that Bee, at least, would show up one of these days. Carly was certain he had forgiven them all before they ever showed up.

Carly wasn’t so forgiving.

She couldn’t forgive them for the nights of uncertainty and fear they’d put Sam through. That they’d put them both through. She couldn’t forgive them for the countless nights of silence. She couldn’t forgive them for abandoning Sam. After everything he’d done for them. Everything he’d sacrificed. They would let him flounder in silence? They wouldn’t spare a moment to let him know they were okay? They would take his request for space to live his life as a total rejection for their presence? Despite his many attempts at reaching out?

No, she wouldn’t forgive them.

But, she let Sam keep the illusion of anyone coming to save them as they ran further and further into the woods, hand in hand. Her feet numb, they skittered across roots and leaves. Sam came to an abrupt stop at the trees thinned out into a small clearing.

But it wasn’t the clearing that was making him hesitate.

A bot she didn’t recognize locked eyes with hers. They weren’t red, like she was expecting, but a sickly green that made her stomach drop. It’s black armor blended and shone in the evening darkness. It’s arm transformed smoothly to a cannon, a target laser shone at the tip, leaving a telling red dot against the grass near it’s pedes.

Before any of them could breath it spoke, it’s voice slick like oil, “The great Sam Witwicky.” It shifted, loading its weapon with a damning click. “How pitiful you turned out to be.”

“Who are you?” Sam demanded. He sounded far more confident than she felt. “Why are you here?”

It laughed, “So many questions.” Her heart clenched as it locked eyes with hers. “Ah. So you abandoned them for her?” He turned back to Sam, kneeling down, getting far too close for comfort. “Tell me, was it worth it? To leave your brothers to fend for themselves while you lived your perfect little life?”

Anger surged as Carly saw Sam’s insecurities rear their ugly heads. He was hesitating. Carly wouldn’t.

“What do you know? Who do you work for?” She challenged.

He turned to her, “I serve the true Creators of Cybertron, and they grow tired of these meaningless squabbles on this pathetic planet.”

“If these battles and planet are really meaningless, why’d they bother to send you?” Carly shot out. She caught Sam glance at her, before searching for an escape route.

God she loved him.

Now the bot cackled, “Ah, they sent me to clean up all the lose ends left behind.” It raised it cannon, it’s light becoming greater as it powered up, “That means you, little human.”

Sam reacted, dragging them out of the way as turf exploded where they once stood. He was making a beeline for the treeline to their left, the closest one with plenty of trees to cover their escape.

The assassin growled, “You think you can escape judgment? After everything you’ve done Sam Witwitcky?” It hissed his name like a curse. The ground vibrated as it took steps in their direction, before the cannon vrrr-ed back to life. Carly saw the red light aimed at Sam’s back and made a split second decision. She tightened her grip on his hand and yanked them to the right, just barely missing the next shot.

Carly hit the ground. Sam sprawled out behind her as they both scrambled to keep moving.

“You cannot escape!” It cried.

Indeed, as they both prepared to dodge another blast from the Cybertronian above them, they both forgot what had made them run in the first place.

A shot rang out, but it wasn’t from in front of them.

Carly’s back burned as a bullet tore through her skin, becoming lodged somewhere deep within her chest.

In their haste to avoid the bot in front of them neither noticed the soldiers surrounding them, cutting off all routes of escape.

They were trapped.

All of this ran through Carly’s mind as her hand slipped from Sam’s, as he cried out as her knees gave out from under her. Her vision was going dark quickly. Sam...Sam was cradling her fallen form. Tears streaming down his face. She tried to comfort him, one last time, but the leaden weight of her limbs were impossible to move.

She thought of what their life could’ve been, as his tears mixed with hers. They had made something together. A life that would have been cherished from beginning to end. Now their home laid in ashes and what was left of her life was trickling away.

She didn’t want to leave. But in the end she had no choice.

Her eyes closed. And she let go.

______________________________________________

Samuel James Witwicky fell apart as the world collapsed around him.

His entire world zeroed in on Carly’s beautiful blue eyes as they shuddered closed. On her chest as he felt her last breaths stutter out beneath his fingertips.

He paid no mind to the troops surrounding them. Paid no mind to the strange bot that had hunted them-him- down for “judgment.” All he saw was Carly.

And then she was gone.

He held her close as soldiers came closer; guns primed to kill him as well.

He didn’t care. His heart lay below him, growing cold with each passing moment. Sam would easily admit this, in fact, he had many times in Chicago, but Carly was his reason. His will. Everything he’d been through in his life was worth it because in the end he had her.

And now he didn’t.

He didn’t bother looking up at the assassin above him as it knelt next to him, “Judgment comes for us all Samuel Witwicky. Take yours with grace.”

Sam focused his gaze on Carly’s as the gun powered up. He ignored the heat of the plasma inches from his skin as he embraced his true love.

If his life had granted him one small mercy, it was that he didn’t have to live without her.

He closed his eyes. And he let go.

___________________________________

Noah blamed himself for everything.

He shouldn’t be here. He wasn’t a hero. Technically, he was a deserter. Dishonorable discharge and all of that really left its mark on every aspect of his life.

But, somehow, he had convinced himself that he could make a difference. That maybe, after everything, a washout kid from Brooklyn really could make a difference that mattered. His effort meant something. He meant something.

But he was wrong.

Mirage was the one that mattered. He was the one that made the crazy decisions, the reckless and stupidly brave choices that were entirely Mirage. He loved that about his stupid, stupid friend.

But not when his friend decided he was the one that was worth saving.

“NO!” Molten metal burrowed its way into his bones. “Mirage! Mirage you have to move!” Mirage tried to answer but all that came out was gurgled static. Noah looked through his shoulder at Scourge’s snarling face. Sparks flew and burned his skin, his eyes, his hair, everywhere.

“Stop it! Stop it!” He cried at Scourge, as if it would stop that monster from further damaging his best friend. Weight began settling on his legs as Mirage lost the strength to hold himself up. He could hear Mirage trying to speak, but nothing was coming out that he could understand. Noah thrashed, trying to pull himself free, but it was useless. His skin was fusing with Mirage’s own. He was stuck. Neither of them were getting out of this.

Where were the others? Could they not see what Scourge was doing? Was the battle going that badly just below them? Tears blurred his vision, the air grew claustrophobic. Metal tinged the air, coating his tongue and nose. All of his thoughts filtered away to pain and grief and confusion. He reached for Mirage’s face, cupping his face armor in a meager attempt in comforting him as more and more weight settled on his hips and abdomen.

Mirage’s eyes flickered. Noah found himself babbling nonsense as he felt the tinges of blaster fire through Mirage’s abdomen.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” His voice wavered in an effort to not sob, “It’s not your fault. You didn’t do this.” He did. By getting in the way. “It’s alright…” His hands burned as Mirage’s lights flickered more and more dimly.

He continued to comfort him as the blows from above slowed. Noah didn’t care. He wasn’t going anywhere. Mirage needed him. He struggled to sit up. Slowly, he pressed his forehead to the edge of Mirage’s chin. The battle outside had deafened to a dull roar. He didn’t care about them. He didn’t care.

Noah was openly sobbing now as he cradled what he could reach. He could hear Mirage’s systems slowly shutting down. Like a power outage in the summer, Mirage’s wires and systems were sputtering to a stop. Mirage wasn’t going to make it.

His friend wasn’t going to make it.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Mirage’s chest sparked, making his skin feel numb. His lungs burned as he forced himself to keep talking to his friend during his final moments. He was so focused on this that he didn’t notice a blaster being charged. He didn’t notice the bot taking aim. And he certainly didn’t notice when Scourge pulled the trigger one final time.

Fire poured down and through Mirage’s spark. Molten metal and crystal fire burned into Noah’s heart. Together, their world exploded, before fading quickly into the dark of the unknown. Together and alone they passed on, their final breaths mixed together as a final goodbye before the end.

Noah closed his eyes. And he let go.

_______________________

Program Initializing…

Autonomous Regeneration Cycle Initializing…

…

Pod One… Online.

Pod Two… Online.

Pod Three… Online.

Pod Four… Online.

Pod Five… Online.

Pod Six… Online.

Pod Seven… Online.

Pod Eight… Online.

Pod Nine… Online.

Frame Designation Initializing//

...Complete.

Frame Integrity Testing//

...In Process

Sensory Suite Initializing//

...Complete.

Internal Personality Matrix Initializing//

...Complete.

Combat Protocols Initializing//

...Complete.

Internal Knowledge Suite Initializing//

...Complete.

Spark Integration Process Initializing//

1 of 9...Complete.

2 of...Complete.

3 of 9...Complete.

4 of 9...Complete.

5 of 9...Complete.

6 of 9...Complete.

7 of 9...Complete.

8 of 9...Complete.

9 of 9...Complete.

All Systems Initialized . . .

Regeneration Process...In Progress.

1/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

2/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Initializing.

3/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

4/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Online.

5/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

6/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Begin Data Processing.

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Acknowledges.

7/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

8/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Request For Unit Data//

9/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

10/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Request For Unit Data//

11/37.000.000.000.000

Data Request Acknowledged...//

Data Packets...Inconclusive//

Confirm Data Request? Y or N

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Y.

12/37.000.000.000.000

Acknowledged...Preparing Data Packets//

Caution...Data Packets Corrupted...Confirm Acquisition? Y or N

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Y.

13/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

14/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

Data Sent. Confirm Acquisition? Y or N

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Confirm.

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Confirm Objective?

25/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

Objective...Corrupted//

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Confirm Corruption?

Corruption...Confirmed//

Objective For Autonomous Frame Recipients...47% Corruption//

Confirm Acquisition? Y or N

175/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

1589/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

6938/37.000.000.000.000

Confirm Acquisition? Y or N

10987/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

45281/37.000.000.000.000

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Y.

Data Sent. Confirm Acquisition? Y or N

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Confirm.

Program Start-Up Complete. Confirm Project Oversight? Y or N

563214/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

895674/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Y.

Compliance Confirmed...Initialization Program Complete.

Initialization Program Shutdown.

125487950/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

456988562/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Initializing Caretaker Protocol.

Caretaker Protocol...Online//

Autonomous Regulation Computer...Entering Stand-By Mode.

6589456358/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

789564230/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

845213654/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

987523641/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

1256854632010/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

2365895475124/37.000.000.000.000

. . .

37.000.000.000.000/37.000.000.000.000

Regeneration Process...Uploaded.

Initializing Frame Regeneration...1/9

Initializing Frame Regeneration...2/9

Initializing Frame Regeneration...3/9

Initializing Frame Regeneration...4/9

Initializing Frame Regeneration...5/9

Initializing Frame Regeneration...6/9

Initializing Frame Regeneration...7/9

Initializing Frame Regeneration...8/9

Initializing Frame Regeneration...9/9

. . .

Stand-by for Frame Regeneration

. . .

Autonomous Regulation Computer . . . Online//