While Mitch fought outside, Jazz felt like his ass was being whipped inside. The Decepticon challenging him was more dangerous than anything he'd ever encountered, even with his extensive dimensional travel experience. Eerrel was out cold, knocked unconscious by Megatron when she'd tried to pin him magically. Blitzwing was in a heap behind her, knocked cold by Teppy when he'd tried to push Jazz and Megatron's fight in the large Decepticon's favour.

Now that Blitzwing was out of the way, Jazz could focus on the dark mecha's actions. They were cold. Calculating. Eerily calm. No screaming or endless bragging like some he had heard griping on the battlefield that day. Megatron - this world's Megatron - was a true warlord in every sense of the title. He was nothing like the Decepticon namesake Jazz had grown to admire in his own dimension. That Decepticon was calculating and firm when he wanted, but that pointed chin leader had a playful and charismatic side, too. He wasn't known for the death of entire mecha populations like this Decepticon was. Both were handsome in their own right but as different as Earth was from Cybertron. One was warm. The other was scarred and ripped up by war.

Jazz took a swipe at Megatron with his weapons, landing a blow to the Decepticon's face. Megatron, snarling in return, threw the Autobot leader who expertly rolled to his feet again. The two leaders circled each other like wary predators, a persistent growl emanating from the Decepticon leader. Jazz was thankful yet again for his extensive Elite Guard experience and Trellis' paranoid, anti assassination defense training.

'Come now.' Megatron taunted, his deep voice almost laughing. 'I expected better of you.'

'You're trying too hard to annoy me.' Jazz stated, his nun chucks ready for another thrashing.

'You fight well for an Autobot.'

'I'd take that as a compliment if you were not so determined to kill me.'

A pause. In the corner of his optics Jazz could see Sari and the Autobot Ratchet off to the side, struggling to open something. Sari was partially hidden behind Ratchet, who was busy with All Spark's lock. He could hear their hurried whispers, the child's worried comments acting as encouragement for the medic.

'Why do you waste your time protecting these fools?' Megatron said, catching Jazz's quick glance. Another lunge that Jazz deflected with practiced skill. ' Your fate is already sealed.'

'I don't die so easily.'

'Then you throw your life away recklessly.'

Jazz barely missed the angry blast from Megatron's fusion cannon. He would have deflected it with his energy shield, but after seeing one of Starscream's clones disintegrate after an attempted assassination of the dark leader, he wasn't going to risk being caught behind anything Megatron threw at him. Megatron's insults were carefully barbed and that was bad enough. He had every intention of bringing Jazz down verbally and physically.

Ratchet looked up, temporary distracted. He regained his composure quickly, unlocking the All Spark's housing. Another of Megatron's building shattering cannon blasts nearly knocked him and Sari off their feet, stalling their work. Sari screamed as Megatron targeted a blast at Ratchet and the medic barely ducked fast enough to save his chassis. Jazz grabbed the Decepticon's arm in mid aim, sending the ball of flame to fry a hole in the room's roof. Debris rained down, stalling Ratchet's work even further.

'Do you mind?' the medic snapped. 'The job's hard enough as it is without you two trying to help!'

Then it was open. Sari jostled the key before she rushed over to plunge her infected key into the glowing ball of light. It transformed to fit the Spark's key hole just before it was slammed in and a huge ripple of light escaped from both as they combined. Tendrils of yellow, crystalline taint started filling the room.

Jazz made a bad move when Megatron, horrified to see the AllSpark's successful merger, paused. He rushed in to side kick the Decepticon but misjudged his angle by a fraction. He was instantly pinned. Megatron reached out to plant a choke hold on the Autobot leader, who dropped a nun chuck to defend his throat. Another kick and aim for the face but it was too late. Megatron lifted the white and black mecha by his neck and started to squeeze. Hard.

'Ahh. ' The Decepticon said. ' Its a pity I didn't get to fight you sooner. But I tire toying with you.' He squeezed tighter. Jazz struggled hard against the Decepticon leader's grip. He'd been in dire situations in the past but none had prepared him for the calculating hatred behind the Decepticon gripping him now. More squeezing, this time with both hands. Jazz could feel his neck start to fail under the stress of Megatron's grasp and he clawed fruitlessly at the Decepticon's constrictor-like grip. Jazz managed to twist his legs for a last kick and this time he struck true. With a single thrust he went for the Decepticon's exposed elbow and the leader's grip loosened. Another punch and he was dropped. Gasping, Jazz rolled when he hit the ground, wrenched the leader's fusion cannon off his arm and fired the weapon at its owner. Megatron growled in surprised alarm before the explosion hit. The air lit up with the flame that followed and Megatron collapsed into a burned out heap. When Jazz was certain the Decepticon wouldn't rise, he stumbled over to Ratchet and Sari. It was as if he couldn't see and could only guess at their whereabouts.

'Jazz!' Sari cried, helping the mecha the best she could. 'The Matrix! We have to combine the Matrix!'

The Autobot leader nodded. He opened his chest compartment, exposing the miniature form of the AllSpark hidden there. He pulled it out and before collapsing, exhausted, lay the relic at ratchet's feet. The medic took it and lay the larger ball of crystal. As it was set down, the AllSpark reached its energy out and drove its shining tentacles into the heart of the Matrix.

Immediately the room was slammed with a field of power that radiated from the combined energies. Ratchet stumbled with the force of the impact but managed to throw Jazz over his shoulder as a branch of electrical energy locked the two power sources together and eventually overtook them both. The power field rippled outwards, to the point of overriding everything surrounding it. Ratchet kept his back to the scene, shielding Jazz and Sari from the light that grew so bright that any attempts to block it out proved futile. Then an explosive roar erupted as Matrix released its power into the universe. The wave that shot forth was awesome. Someone in the distance screamed but their voice was shattered by the hum of the combined energies. The light only seemed to grow in intensity, lingering for what felt like an eternity, blanketing everything with a blazing white-out comparable to a star going nova. Then the light was gone. Ratchet, eyes still unable to focus and static filling his vision, blinked. He tried to regain his bearings but stumbled instead. Sari did the same but was distracted by the colourful spots she kept seeing. She pawed at both mechas and tripped over Jazz's leg. Jazz didn't move at first. When Ratchet went to check his stasis, the Autobot leader roused and groaned. His hand shot to his throat, fingering the ridges that were still there.

'Good Job.' Ratchet said with a sharp slap on the Autobot leader's back. The normally grouchy medic sported an honest smile for a change.

'Yrr'h. Had s'm help.' Jazz managed to choke up. He wanted to say more, even a thank you, but he couldn't form the words. He swallowed hard, the very act of it painful. Knowing his effort was futile he reached out and blindly rose to inspect the two power sources. Ratchet helped the Autobot commander to the AllSpark, which still glowed. It had a curious blue tint to it now. Jazz desperately sought his relic and was visibly relieved when ratchet placed it in his hands. The Matrix's centre chamber was barren, something that Jazz could feel even though he was blind. When Jazz lifted it, though, he sensed the crystals within its heart were slowly regaining their shimmer. He estimated that the amount of power released by the Matrix alone was enough to light several cybertron megtropolises. He prayed Primus' influence over the Matrix hadn't been lost when the two relics combined.

At this point Mitch floated through one of the numerous blast holes in the room's walls. Behind her Jazz heard the unmistakable sound of Trellis as he rolled up behind her, followed by Bumblebee's angry chattering and Optimus Prime's worried questions. From the half hazard way they all walked after transforming, everyone figured they all had suffered temporary blindness from the energy release, too. The only one unaffected was Mitch.

'Jesus mother of Muphy..' Mitch said, landing skilfully. 'I thought Teppy's shit was impressive! I would ask if you saw what that blast did, but...' she waved a hand in front of Ratchet's face. 'But you can barely see the shine at the end of your nose!

Jazz shrugged, his version of agreeing with the jaguar avatar.

Ratchet, now in healer mode, went to Jazz's side and lifted the leader's chin to examine the wounds on his neck.

'I can patch that up for you. We'll have to wait until we get back to base. I don't have my - '

Jazz shook his head and gently pushed the medic away.

'I okay' he said, taking his time to form the words. 'Matrix heps.' He broke out in choking sputters, his hand immediately at his throat again.

Sari scowled at her friends and warily avoided Megatron's form as she passed his body. The Decepticon didn't appear dead but hadn't roused since being fired on. She hastily made her way to the All Spark and pulled her key from its side. She couldn't resist the Matrix's allure and gently tapped it. She then leaned as close as she could get to it, eyeing its internal structures. Ratchet rescued the Matrix from her curious probing.

'Is the Matrix okay?' she asked, giving the Autobot leader one of her side long gazes. She may have been only eight, but she was incredibly quick on her feet when observing her surroundings. She had not missed the returning glow in the relic's crystal centre.

Jazz gave a single, depressed nod and lifted the Matrix back into his chest. His mood visibly brightened once it was in place and he took the time to settle against a wall, a hand on his forehead. He lifted off his visor. For the first time any of his companions had seen him, with the exception of his brother, they could see his optics. While most mecha had a pair of perfect colored glass optic covers, Jazz sported one pale blue and one white cloudy optic. He looked stressed, more so than anyone had ever seen him since Eerrel invited him to help Prowl. Trellis and Optimus were immediately at his side, encouraging him with calm whispers.

'What do we do now?' Ratchet said, eyeing the commander with a critical stare.

Mitch, for once, was unable to answer. She swept the room and its occupants, including Eerrel who still lay crumpled in a wounded heap. Mitch walked to the bird-lady to prop her up. The jaguar worked silently as she tore her uniform to bandage a jagged gash on Eerrel's forearm.

'At this point,' Mitch finally said, 'we wait for the infection to spread. The energy will heal some of the damage done today but its a waiting game.' It was always a waiting game when Gods were involved.

'And how long before we know it's done its job?' Ratchet said. He went to Jazz's side to clean the neck wound but was rudely pushed off. An equally impolite thump from Trellis caused the Autobot leader to back down and tolerate Ratchet's probing fingers. Jazz flinched sharply until Ratchet numbed the work with one of his numerous medical gadgets.

Mitch shrugged at the medic's question.

'Sometimes it takes decades, sometimes it takes billions of years. Who knows. You'll know a world's been infected though.'

Jazz cocked his head in Mitch's direction. He knew the signs, too. Megatron - HIS Megatron had been touched by the taint, too. The whole planet Jazz commanded had already been touched by it. It started with the ability to see change from a distance and sense hope on another level. And evil could not last forever. While there was room for darkness there was something out there that commanded it and demanded its attention. Something that called the soul to have the darkness removed and balance restored.

'You mind spilling the details?' Ratchet grumped.

Mitch motioned towards Blitzwing, not answering the medic. He would learn the signs soon enough.

'He'll be in pain when he wakes.'

'I already am.' said an accented voice.

Mitch cocked her head and spread her whiskers in mild confusion. She was wary when she heard a click. Answering the first voice came a tired reply. 'Not you're not.'

A click. 'yes I am.'

Mitch stood taller and eventually floated several feet off the ground to view the source of the two voices.

'What the fuck?'

The argument came from none other than Blitzwing. Whether the voices meant they were in pain or they were awake she didn't know. Didn't care. She flexed herself, about to engage in combat but backed down when it became clear Blitzwing couldn't move. It was the first time she had seen the three faced mecha up close. Each click was the purple mecha's face switching. The tired voice was the more handsome of the two with a single scope where his left eye would have been. The other was definitely what she'd call crazy. Each face had a different personality and the two faces currently flicking back and forth were definitely arguing. Suddenly a third face appeared, telling the other two to shut up in what sounded like a seriously pissed Arnold Schwarzenegger voice.

'Wow.' She cocked a furry eyebrow. An evil grin appeared on her face. 'This is going to be fun to show Frank and Eddie when I get home!' Mitch let out a girlish squeak, the evil grin making her look truly feral. She turned to the others behind her. 'Is he always like this?'

In unison came the reply from Sari, Ratchet, Bumblebee and Optimus.

'Yes.'

'How long has he been like this?'

'Four million solar cycles of servitude' came Blitzwing's crazy reply.

'Bonus.' Mitch laughed. 'You my dear, I need pictures of.' She started digging though the piles of random items in her jacket, looking for her cell. Out came the camera phone and she dropped to her feet from the height she floated from. Several flashes erupted forth as she dropped.

Jazz chuckled at the whole fiasco, a grating sound coming from his normally smooth voice. Trellis, satisfied that his brother was better, patted the commander on his shoulder and rose to inspect the surroundings. He pulled a set of stasis cuffs out of a subspace pocket and threw them over Megatron's wrists. He then picked up the Decepticon's fusion cannon and strung it to a magnetic weapons collector cartridge on his back. He then radioed his fellow security officers for updates.

Mitch, after putting the phone away, helped Trellis with his room search. There was still a lot of work ahead. Eerrel was going to need medical help and Teppy... well, Teppy's convoluted view of the universe was going to solidify into something she understood one day. The infection, now that it was successful, meant every mecha on Cybertron was going to endure what Prowl had endured though to a less dramatic degree. Mitch hoped that Teppy was gentle with the universes. How Teppy was going to handle an entire planet of post adolescent teenagers Mitch didn't know. The thought of an amorous Elite Guard's Ultra Magnus chasing Sentinel Prime through the halls of the Asylum 5 made Mitch giggle. After the shit Sentinel pulled on everyone, she figured it served the bastard right. The thought of the panicked Prime firing off screaming prayers to teppy as he fled the Elite Elder's advances made her giggle even harder.

And for the first time that day Mitch hummed a cheerful tune, the thought of Sentinel biting Teppy's ass making her very very happy.