New Story! Though I'm not technically finished with Darkness Rising: New Legends Born, I wanted to release a story surrounding Transformers. This takes place mostly during Fall of Cybertron and Prime. Please enjoy as we follow the journey of the Forgotten Soldier!

"They're closing in!" Things were going downhill as the Decepticons were pushing us back. Our mission was to protect the Ark, the Autobots last chance of survival, but we were on our last legs. I pulled out my Neutron Assault Rifle and I started laying bullets down at the Decepticons. Some of the shots I fired were critical and couple died, but they were quickly replaced. Suddenly, I felt a large bullet whizz by my head. I quickly ducked to avoid getting shot. I shouted out, "Everyone get down, we have snipers!"

A soldier ran up to me, "Sir, what's the plan?"

"We hold this position till the last of us is dead!" I yelled in response. "They will not take the Ark today!"

Someone barked, "Leapers! Get down!"

Suddenly, the one of those leapers landed right next to us. The explosion caused by the impact sent me flying. I heard my head slam against the metal wall with a loud clang! I fell to the floor. Why am I always the one to get thrown around?

I watched as the leaper impaled the soldier I was next to with his large chisel-like hands. He looked at me and charged up his boosters. He sprinted and went into full ramming speed.

"Scrap!" I strafed out of his way, letting him charge himself into the wall. It stunned him, giving me a chance to do some damage. I pulled out my gun again and fired into his exposed thrusters. If there's anything I learned over the years from being an Autobot Lieutenant, is that a leaper's thrusters are their weak spot. They started to spark and catch fire, but not enough to implode.

He got back up and turned around. And he looked pissed. He, like his name suggested, leaped into the air for another slam attack. When he bared down on me, I didn't dodge. Instead, I jumped over him and pushed his head into the ground with my foot. I switched to my rocket launcher, aimed, locked on, and fired. It struck his back head on. I watched him panic as his thrusters blew him into pieces.

I blew the smoke from my launcher. That was a lot tougher than expected. I actually thought he was gonna kill me for a second there!

But before I could celebrate, a sharp pain hit me in my shoulder! I was so focused on the leaper, I completely forgot about the snipers. I felt the bullet tear through my shoulder and cut off the functions of my right arm.

I used my one good arm and grabbed a shield one of my titan soldiers had dropped when he died. I planted it into the ground behind me so I could use it as cover.

I patched myself into comms, "Ironhide, where are those reinforcements?!"

He groaned, "I'm trying, ok?! We were ambushed by a decepticon unit, so it will take a little longer than expected to get to your position. We'll be there in a couple of mini-cycles, just hold on!"

I punched the ground, "I don't have mini-cycles! The decepticons are up my tail pipe and I only have one working arm! I need you to kick it into high gear and get your tail pipe over here now unless you want to lose the Ark!"

He sighed, "Listen, I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything. Just get your head out of your comms and focus on what's in front of you!"

"Roger that." I peeked out from behind the shield, but quickly ducked back when a bullet scraped the shield and barely missed my head.

I yelled at the other soldiers, "Hold positions. We will defend the Ark till the last Autobot falls, understand?!"

They responded in unison, "Yes, sir!

A large explosion went off in the background. But the thing that worried me was thing that came out of the explosion. It was a large decepticon and the colors of the limbs were different from each other and its chest. It had two large guns on its back pointed towards the sky.

"Scrap, that's Bruticus!", I muttered to myself.

I cried out to the others, "Everyone, focus your fire on Bruticus! We cannot allow him to get close! Give him everything you got!" They all opened fire on the large Decepticon. I went to start shooting as well, but the arm that I was using for my gun was also the one that got shot by that sniper. So great! Here I am in the battle to determine the fate of the Autobot cause and I don't even have a weapon now. I have the absolute WORST luck out any Cybertronian that has ever lived.

I was cut out of my thoughts when someone screamed, "Bruticus is opening fire!" I peered around my shield. I saw Bruticus firing shells out of the guns on his back. He fired about six shells.

I shouted, "Get down!" as the tank shells Bruticus fired combusted as they hit the ground. Considering my luck, a shell landed right next to me. It knocked me back into my shield. I felt the shield shatter behind me as I was sent flying through it. I felt a horrific pain as a shard of my now broken shield stuck itself into my back. Then I slammed against the wall, embedding the shard deeper into my torso.

I fell to the floor with a loud thud. I attempted to get up, but my strength had already left my body. All I could do was watch as my optics faded to black.

…

When I woke up, I found myself laying down on a table. I tried to sit up but my chest sparked with pain. I heard someone say, "Ratchet, he's awake!"

Then the familiar white and red medical bot walked into my view. He seemed a bit distracted till he made eye contact with me.

"Lieutenant?"

I nodded, "Doctor. What happened?"

He responded, "You were heavily damaged in battle. Luckily, some of your soldiers transported you back to me before the Decepticons could finish the job."

I quickly realized that I had forgotten something, "The Ark! Did they take the Ark?"

"Luckily, no. Ironhide and his reinforcements arrived and pushed them back before they could. You don't need to worry."

I looked at my arm. I still couldn't move it! I hid my frustration as I tried to get up again. Ratchet noticed and pushed me back down.

"I wouldn't recommend getting up Lieutenant. Your spark chamber is heavily damaged, so I can't let you return to the field. I don't have the resources to repair you either." He seemed to take a moment before continuing, "Optimus and I decided that it would be best to put you into stasis."

I couldn't believe what he was saying! I had been part of this war against the Decepticons since the very beginning! I needed to be out there, not cooped up in a stuffy stasis pod. "But what about the soldiers? Who will lead them?"

"Jazz has volunteered to take your position as Lieutenant in your absence. I'm sorry, but we do not want to put an injured soldier in a situation where he certainly will not survive. If it brings you any comfort, Optimus was proud to fight alongside you."

I sighed. I couldn't believe this was happening. I am willing to put everything on the line for the Autobots and they were just willing to replace me! "If Optimus was proud of me, then why hasn't he said that to my face yet?!"

Suddenly, I heard a deep voice, "Because it does not need to be said." The voice came from the leader of the Autobots himself as he walked into my optic's field of vision. "I have always been proud of what you have done for me and those around you. Always willing to risk your spark for our cause, I was honored to have you as my Lieutenant."

Honestly, hearing that from a prime REALLY boosts your confidence. But seeing as I'm still being taken out of the fight, that compliment doesn't really ease the pain.

"Sir, I can still fight! I should be out there, killing those Decepti-creeps, not sleeping in a stasis pod!" I had hoped at least Optimus would understand.

But, "I understand your desire to continue contributing to the Autobot cause. But you have given up so much for us, we at least want to give you something to look forward to, a life after the war. And we can't do that if you die before the war is over. We promise you that when this war ends, we will return and everything you have given up for the cause will be repaid."

I wanted to continue arguing. I didn't want to go into stasis knowing I could still fight. But. whatever Optimus said was final and I knew that. "Fine, but just for the record, I'm not doing this for a reward. I helped because it was a worthy cause and the Decepticons are wrong!"

Ratchet nodded, "Ok then; now that that's settled, let's get you into the stasis pod." He reached out to try and help me up.

I brushed it away, "No thank you, I got this." As I lifted myself, my chest sparked excessively, each time sending a wave of pain through my body. But I pushed through and managed to will myself to the pod that was already set up. I stepped up into the pod and put my back to the inside of it.

While Ratchet was preparing the pod, I looked at Prime. We have been at this war for almost a decade now. There was just one last thing I needed to say.

"I'll see you again Optimus." We locked in arms, "Till all are one."

Prime nodded and repeated, "Till all are one."

Ratchet closed a panel and turned towards Optimus, "OK, the pod should repair his spark chamber over time." He looked at me, "Get some rest soldier, you deserve it."

The pod slid into my view and locked into a closed position. I felt my consciousness slowly fading as I closed my eyes and finally got some rest.