Grief flooded the mind of the Autobot Skidmark. Radial was dead. He could feel the absence in his broken mind. It brought along a torrent of pain that washed out the stinging of the arc welder that Scrap was using to reattach some armor from Skidmark's side. The leaping tackle had pulled some armor off as the monster collapsed, crushing the Autobot under it. He had been able to free himself, but at the cost of ripping free an already damaged plate.
Scrap made a comment, but the Autobot didn't hear it. He was lost in his own grief. Realizing this, Scrap just stood and walked over to Ultra Magnus.
"I have completed the last of the repairs, Magnus. His body will function, but his Spark is fouled. He will not live." The grinding voice shot through Magnus like an electrical charge.
"I don't understand. If his body is fully functional, why will he not recover?"
"Spark is foul. Broken. Some damage is too great. The body can be repaired, but the Spark cannot. His Spark is foul and broken. He will die." Scrap looked at the Autobot commander blankly, the light in one of his optics flickering. Scrap shook his head and the light came back on, and then turned away and walked over to Flatbed.
Magnus turned and looked at Skidmark. In a deeper way then his training in Autobot construction or damage assessment system reports he could see that Scrap was right. The battle that had nearly killed Skidmark so many years ago had damaged him deeper then his circuits, left an imprint on his Spark. Only his bond with Radial kept the Spark alive. He could see the vitality of the Autobot dim a tiny bit each microsecond.
For a second, he felt hopelessness.
And then, with a savage force of will, he refocused his thoughts. The mission still needs fulfilled.
Flatbed watched Scrap approach. He had mixed feelings toward the old Autobot. Deep in his Spark he recoiled at what he had done to survive. Draining the Energon and harvesting parts was deeply against the moral code of every Transformer. Even the most reviled Decepticon would rather die then break that code. Yet still, in order to function, Scrap had done that. Each stolen part, every bit of drained Energon strengthened the body but polluted the Spark. Do it enough and you loose yourself in the essence of others.
Flatbed knew that Scrap had been given a different name a long time ago. But, in the savagery of the wastes, that identity was lost. All that was left is Scrap.
In his shearing metal voice, Scrap spoke. "I need to know how your life support systems work in your alternate mode."
Flatbed considered for a second. "When I was reformatted, I was given enhanced power systems that enabled me to plug in to another transformer and keep energon flowing, even through damaged relays. Also, I have a neural subsystem that allows my auto-repair system to work as life support for someone heavily damaged. Why?"
"Will it handle reverse power flow?"
Flatbed was confused. "I… I don't know. I suppose it should." The only reason that power would run a reverse course was… No…
Scrap removed a plate from his palm and roughly grabbed Flatbed. Before he could react, he was spun around and he felt Scrap's palm touch his back.
Flatbed screamed. Energon flowed upstream through every system, lighting every neuron and receptor on fire. Agony blanked out his mind as his emergency systems sought to protect him from this torture. And then, in a flash, the pain was gone.
Flatbed fell to his knees, his systems restarting one at a time. Self diagnostics flashed information, reading drastic power level increases in all systems. Nothing seemed wrong, but he didn't feel right.
He stood, shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of this feeling of wrongness. He heard StarGazer's voice somewhere, and darted his head around looking for the voice. Radial screamed, again the sound coming from nowhere. He could feel them, their Sparks brushing his own. He could see them, hear them, and feel them. He could almost taste their essence.
Revulsion curled in Flatbed's chest. He looked up at the misshapen Autobot. Rage at the violation filled him, turning Scrap into an enemy. He lashed out, fist connecting solidly with Scrap's face. The other Autobot was knocked back, falling backwards and landing hard. Flatbed moved over Scrap, kneeling down and holding on to a bent chunk of armor with his left hand. His right fist came crashing down again into the other transformers face, snapping the head back and bouncing it off the ground.
"Flatbed, stand down!" shouted Ultra Magnus as the ran over to the enraged Autobot. In his metal fist, he grabbed a hold of Flatbed's upraised arm as it was ready to come down in another hit. He furious Autobot turned his head to face Magnus. "I said, Primus damn it, stand down!"
Flatbed paused, then looked down at Scrap. The downed Autobot looked impassively up at Flatbed. An optic lens cover was cracked and an occasional spark shot from the neck.
Flatbed lowered his arm, shock showing clearly on his face. Releasing Scrap he stood and turned away, moving away from the scene.
"Scrap…" started Magnus, but Scrap interrupted him.
"No Ultra Magnus, do not apologize for him. The first time contact Energon transference from the dead is hard. It does not get any easier either."
"He shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. He knows…" Magnus stopped short when Scrap held up a hand.
"There is a darkness there, deep in his Spark. War has been forced on him and he is not a warrior." With that Scrap walked away and began to examine the dead creatures that attacked the party of Autobots.
Magnus sighed. "Are any of us?"