Prologue

It's been an honour serving with you, Optimus Prime.

Two and a half hours have gone by since Arcee conveyed her parting words and the ground bridge has yet to reappear.

She sprawls motionless in the snow, her cyan optics staring weakly into the great whiteness of the Arctic blizzard. Reminiscence of spending leisurely afternoons racing alongside Cliffjumper and Bumblebee across the scorching Nevada desert is the only thing that's keeping her circuits running...at least for a little while.

She tilts her head back to look up at Optimus who's resting against the wall of their snowy shelter. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, the Autobot leader seems gravely calm and alert.

The wind is picking up. Snow clouds her vision. Memories of warmth have all dissipated and now she's reminded of her fallen comrades and Jack, the young human she's grown to appreciate so much.

While here on Earth's edge, in the idlest and coldest moment of her life, grief finds a way back into her system, sending shudders throughout her lithe, metallic frame.

Arcee calls out to her comrade through sharp gasps. Upon hearing her distress, Optimus breaks his gaze away from the relentless storm and watches her closely.

"Stay with me, Cliff," she says softly. "Don't let my lights go out here."

Primus forbid that he'll lose her to the polar storm this soon. Rather than try to break Arcee away from her current delusion, Optimus pulls her closer toward his bulky frame in hopes to shield her from the merciless wintry gust.

"You can rest assured," he says in an unfaltering tone of voice, "that I will never leave your side, Arcee."

Optimus reaches out to his comrade and tightens his grip on her delicate hand.

"I made my promise to avenge you. This isn't the time and place. Not what I envisioned. I won't succumb until I find the Con responsible for taking you away from us."

"Arcee—"

"Give me this one chance, Cliff. I'll find him." She shudders. "You have my word."

The snow storm shows no sign of subsiding. Optimus rests his optics and prepares himself for the imminent loss of another esteemed comrade's spark and eventually, his.