Chapter 12

December 30

Optimus stood. The field around him was completely empty except for him, a few tree's, and a group of nonmigratory birds looking for something to eat. Ironhide and Ratchet would be there soon. Sideswipe was due to arrive almost an hour after Punch was supposed to meat him. Sideswipe was trying to get there sooner but had been warned not to push it too much. Optimus didn't need the younger bot to get into trouble. Not today of all days. Besides he had other things to worry about.

Like Sam and what was going to happen when they got the boy back. Just thinking about what he'd probably went through made Optimus shudder. It was something however that he knew he'd eventually know about because he was certain that he'd be the one Sam would tell before any other human or Autobot. That was fine with him. He was quite used to being the one that most mechs were willing to talk too. Most preferred him over Smokescreen when it came to telling him things that had happened with the Decepticons. It was probably because he was the leader and if they told him they didn't really have to tell anyone else about what they'd gone through.

Though he often suggested that they find someone else to talk to as well. The longer wounds were left to fester the worse they tended to get. That was a well known fact for both humans and transformers. Still if he was the only one that Sam would be willing to talk to then that was fine. He'd tell Ratchet about anything that might affect the boys health but other than that he'd stay silent.

He knew when he'd need to tell someone something and when to stay silent. The sound of gravel crunching alerted him to Ironhide and Lennox's arrival. Their arrival meant that Ratchet would be there in fifteen minutes or so. The medic hadn't been that far behind the pair.

Optimus turned his head so that he was watching as Lennox climbed out of Ironhide's cab. Ironhide transformed back into his bipedal mode as soon as the Major had closed the door.

"Optimus." Lennox greeted as he walked up to the towering Autobot. Optimus nodded a greeting of his own before turning his optic's back towards the sky. He didn't know which direction Punch was coming from but it didn't stop him from looking.

"Any word from Punch Optimus?" Ironhide asked as he joined the commander in scanning the area. Optimus shook his head.

"No. I haven't heard from Punch since he last contacted me. I had hoped that he'd let me know when he departed from the Decepticon base but it seems he decided against it."

"It's probably best that he didn't. It'd be an extra worry considering what he probably went through getting Sam out of Megatron's chambers.

"Well he should be here in about forty minutes or so." Lennox said as he looked at his watch.

"I know." Optimus said. He'd been counting down since Punch had contacted him. Every second that passed was both a blessing and a curse. Another second closer to seeing Sam again and another second closer to seeing the damage that had been done.

None of them said a word after Lennox had looked at his watch. There wasn't really anything to be said that wouldn't lead down a road that none of them wanted to go down at that moment. Because every single one of them knew that any conversation started would end up on Sam no matter how hard they tried not to talk about him. Ratchets arrived about fifteen minutes after Ironhide and Lennox had.

All three of them watched the medic unfurl into his natural from. Ratchet shuttered his optic's as he stood and caught sight of his comrades. All of them were tense and ready for what was to come.

"Surly so many of us aren't needed if it's just Punch." Ratchet's weak attempt at lightening the mood crashed like a stone into the sea.

"Ratchet. I glad you made it before the appointed time."

Ratchet snorted. "I almost didn't. There was a bit of trouble on my way here. Nothing to bad but I had to sit and wait for almost half an hour for the road to clear so that I could move."

Optimus nodded in understanding. Ironhide snorted and turned his optic's back towards the sky. Lennox was the only one to reply.

"Ya, Sarah told me about that last night when I called her. Apparently the accident was bad enough to get widespread press." Lennox waited for the Autobot to reply for a moment before giving up and returning his gaze to the sky. There wasn't much to be said.

"Optimus, do you know what form Punch has taken?" Optimus turned and looked at Ratchet.

"No. He didn't tell me and I didn't think to ask. I suppose that it doesn't much matter. We'll hear him long before we see him."

Ratchet nodded. "I have a bad feeling about this Optimus. I don't know why but I do."

"I know Ratchet. I feel it as well. Something's going to happen. I'm not sure what but something is." Lennox glanced up at the mechs.

"Well, its nice to know that your worried. At least you guys have weapons to fight with. I get to run and hide if anyone shows up."

Lennox's complaint earned a chuckle from the Autobots standing near him and the mood in the clearing seemed to lighten just a bit. Minutes passed by like hours and as time went by the group only got more tense. With every second that passed they were a step closer to putting the whole ordeal behind them. Lennox looked down at his watch again only to find that barley a minute or so had passed since the last time he had looked.

Not even five minutes left and there still wasn't a sign. It worried him and if the way Ironhide and the others were moving was any indication they were worried too.

"You guys picking anything up? He should be close enough now right?"

Ironhide looked down at the human that stood by his feet. "Nothing but your right Major he should be in range by now."

"Something's happened." Optimus said as he looked of into the distance. He could feel it with very molecule of his being. Something had gone wrong with Punch. He wasn't quite sure what it was but he knew that something had happened. It was like a darkness that was descending upon him from some unknown source.

Without processing it he reached inwards and towards the bond that had been achingly empty for the past two weeks. As usual there was nothing there but emptiness. Sam wasn't near enough for the bond to work for them and if Sam wasn't close enough for him to at least sense by now it was a sure sign that something had gone wrong. Or there was a slight chance that Sam was simply shutting him out. He doubted that that was what was happening.

He was desperate to feel something on the other end of the bond and if he was badly off then Sam had to be far worse then he was. Optimus was almost certain that Sam would want some kind of contact with him after what he had been through and even if (Primus forbid) Sam wasn't conscious there would still be some sort of emotion at the other end of the bond.

There was always some form of awareness when a bond wasn't being actively blocked by the being at the other end. So unless Sam was blocking then there wasn't any reason for the lack of response from the other end of the bond. A minute passed and then another. When the time for Punch to meet them passed they all shared a worried look. There wasn't time for any words to be exchanged between them because a few seconds after they shared that look a loud 'Boom!' hit them.

It was a sound that all of them knew well. It was the sound of a jet going fast enough to cause a sonic boom. Starscream. And where Starscream was it was almost a given that Megatron was nearby as well. Weapons were at the ready before the jet was even visible to Lennox's eyes.

And before the man knew what he was really doing he was moving behind all three of the mechs and preparing to run for cover. This was going to be a fight that he couldn't participate in. Hell he didn't even have any weapons on him other than a handgun and that wouldn't do him any good. He was going to have to sit this fight out no matter how much he didn't want too. And he really didn't want too.

Lennox watched as Starscream landed across the field and unfurled into his robotic form. Lennox's eyes immediately darted to both of the mechs open hands. Sam wasn't with him. So that meant that either he hadn't brought Sam or that something worse than him was coming and Lennox knew who that worse probably was. He was almost certain that if Starscream didn't have Sam then that meant that some other Decepticon did and that that other Con was going to be there soon.

While Lennox didn't have a lot of experience where Megatron was concerned he knew that the Decepticon Lord would let Starscream come alone especially if it meant that there was a chance to both torment and get rid of Optimus. As if to confirm his theory a sound so alien that it could only be alien reached his ears. He watched a few seconds later as Megatron landed on the ground in bipedal mode with all the force he was able.

Lennox's eye's automatically fixed onto the Decepticons closed hands. Much to his annoyance he couldn't see past the mech's fingers which was somewhat surprising considering that Megatron's fingers didn't look like they'd be thick enough to hide something completely even if they were closed. He knew that Sam was within that grasp and he prayed that the kid was still alive and would remain so because all Megatron had to do was move his hands and then Sam would be gone.

Lennox's eyes flicked from Megatron to Ironhide and the other mechs. From what he could tell it was merely a stare off between the five. Then Megatron said something in Cybertronian and everything around him was moving. Optimus was the first one that moved. Lennox watched as the Autobot leader lunged towards Megatron.

He wasn't sure if the move caught Megatron off guard or not but the Con reaction to it gave him something to work with. For just as Optimus lunged at him Megatron's hands moved enough that for the briefest of moments he could see Sam. Then as the Con prepared for the fight that was to come he took hold of Sam in his left hand while the right began to transform.

Ooo

Optimus ignored the newly transformed hand for the one holding Sam. In the few moments that his sudden movement had given him Optimus managed to catch both of his brothers arms though the majority of his attention was focused on the one that was holding Sam captive. Metal groaned as Optimus twisted the armor just above Megaton's wrist and forced the hand towards the ground.

He'd caught sight of Lennox out of the corner of his optic and had known almost immediately what the man had planned. All he had to do was manage to get Megatron to let go of Sam and then Lennox could take care of him while he took care of his brother. As much as he hated it he couldn't focus on Sam with his brother there. He hated that the bad feeling he had had been right even more. He knew without a doubt that Punch had been off lines. It was the only reason that there could be for his lack of appearance.

If the spy had still been alive Megatron would have brought him with them so that he could kill the mech in front of them and the others. The satisfaction that hearing the sound of his brother's armor beginning to snap brought helped soothe some of the pain that Punch's death had brought.

Though Optimus had to admit that he wasn't really feeling much of anything other than rage. The mech couldn't remember the last time he had been so infuriated. This was one of the few times that he was glad to have something to fight against because he wanted nothing more than to fight and if he had to fight someone Megatron seemed like the perfect option.

"Let him go." Optimus demanded as he twisted Megatron's wrist further. Megatron growled but Optimus was dimly aware that the other mech's fingers were beginning to loosen their hold.

It was only when he heard Lennox's short cry of 'Got him!' that Optimus let go and focused on fighting his brother with his full attention. For now Lennox and possibly Ratchet would have to worry about Sam for him because he wanted to make sure that his brother was never near his bonded again.

Ooo

Lennox ran back towards where he'd been when Megatron and Starscream had landed. He tried to ignore the fact that Sam was for too light and far too still in his arms. He tried to ignore the fact that he could barely feel Sam's breath hitting his neck. Needless to say he wasn't doing a very good job. In fact ever other thought that wasn't about getting away from the fighting robots was about the teen that was in his arms and the severe lack of life that said teen was showing.

Lennox cringed as the noise from one of Ironhide's cannons threatened to take away his hearing for awhile. Hopefully the sound of that cannon meant that Ironhide and Ratchet were winning. Because as much as he didn't want to he needed Ratchet and sadly that meant forcing him out of the fight. As soon as he was a safe distance away Lennox turned and looked back at the battle that he'd just ran from.

It felt wrong to be running away especially when he knew that he wouldn't be going back to help. Shaking his head Lennox turned his full attention onto Sam. Pale, bloody, and hurt were the first three things that came to mind when he looked at the kid. It was true enough. Sam had a series of bloody gashes running down the side of his face and from what little he could see down one arm. He was pale and there were dark marks under his eyes.

His clothes were ripped and torn the worst of it being the right leg of his jeans. Lennox couldn't exactly tell by looking and be sure but it looked like the bone was broken. The sound of Ironhide's curing caused Lennox to turn towards the battle again. The Autobots were doing well from what he was able to tell. Which was good because he needed to barrow one for awhile.

"Ratchet!" Lennox screamed in an attempt to get the medic's attention. He wasn't sure if the bot would be able to hear him over everything else. Apparently he did because a few seconds later the chartreuse Autobot was making his way over to Lennox. Lennox locked eyes with the medic for the briefest of moments before looking back down at Sam.

"We have to get him out of here Ratchet. He needs a Hospital."

"I know Lennox. Even if I had the proper equipment with me it wouldn't be wise for me to work here. He needs a sterile place in which to be taken care of."

Never one to dally when it came to the health of those he considered friends or allies Ratchet folded down into his vehicle mode and opened the passenger side door. His holoform was already active and sitting in the drivers seat. Lennox climbed in without a moments hesitation and within seconds the pair of them were speeding away from the battle taking place behind them.

"I've already informed both Optimus and Ironhide of our destination. They'll be joining us as soon as their fighting is finished."

Lennox found he could only nod. His attention wasn't on the road or even on the holoform that was sitting beside him as if it was flesh and blood but on Sam.

Ooo

They'd fought many times before. In fact they'd fought more times than Optimus cared to count or remember. Iacon, Polyhex, and Tarn (along with many others) on Cybertron and Mission City and Egypt on Earth. Now he could add this battle to his list. This battle however was different.

There was something there deep down inside his very spark that was screaming for justice and vengeance against his brother. He wasn't sure what had caused the feeling to burst free. It could have been what Megatron had done to Sam or to what Megatron had done to so many of their kind.

It could have been a mixture of those events and many others. Whatever the reason Optimus had come to the conclusion that it was likely to help him win the fight he was engaged in. It had been so long since he'd let himself be truly angry and even longer than that since he's let himself act on that anger like he was doing at that moment. In a twisted way it felt good to be getting rid of all that pent up rage for once instead of just forcing it down like he usually did. It was like a poison he hadn't known about was being drained out of systems.

Besides at the rate he and his brother were going the fight between them wasn't likely to last very much longer. That was fine with him because the sooner that he finished with Megatron the sooner he could get to Sam. Megatron let loose a snarl as he was forced backwards by a blow to the chassis from Optimus. The Decepticon Lord was at a loss for once. Never before had a fight between him and his brother been this one sided.

Megatron snarled as he faced his brother.

"You do all this for one insect. An insect that tried to give up your secrets in order to save himself. You truly are a fool." Megatron chuckled before striking out with one claw like arm. The swipe caught the armor on Optimus's chest and a terrible creating noise filled the air for a few seconds as the metal rubbed together. Optimus pulled back out of Megatron's reach. Blue optic's flicked down to access the amount of damage. It was merely a scratch.

"You lie Megatron. All you do is lie." Optimus said as he and Megatron circled each other each one waiting for the opportune moment to strike out at the other. Ironhide and Starscream didn't exist in their world at that moment. The other pairs fight was merely background noise.

"You seem so sure brother. But how can you know what I say isn't the truth? How do you know that he didn't try to tell us?" Optimus grunted as he unsheathed one of his swords and lunged at Megatron again.

"He would never. I know he wouldn't. I trust him." Megatron laughed as he blocked Optimus's sword with the outside armor of his battle claw.

"Trust? He trusted you as well and look what happened to your little pet. He tried Optimus. He was ready to tell me everything in order to save your scout but for some reason he stopped." Megatron chuckled again the sound deep and dark as the blackness of space.

"I wonder how much faith he has in you now after you left him in my hands?" Megatron's words caught Optimus somewhat by surprise.

It didn't really come as much of shock to him that Sam had tried to tell the Decepticons anything in order to save Bumblebee and he wouldn't have been mad if the boy had. No it was the fact that Sam hadn't for whatever reason told Megatron everything he knew that surprised him. So despite what he had told Megatron Optimus knew that if Sam ever truly did betray them that it wouldn't be without reason.

"I'll always want him. It don't matter what you've done I won't leave him." Megatron mad a sound of utter disgust shaking his head.

"You're pathetic. You care so much for the little insects that swarm over this planet. Insects that live such short lives and are full of flaws. They're disgusting."

"Only to you and your ilk brother. You don't know them nor do you care too. Therefore you'd never understand the bond that we share with the humans." Optimus pulled back before swinging a massive leg around. The move struck Megatron on the side of his head sending the large silver mech tumbling to the ground.

"You only see the bad in them. You see none of the good. You don't see their kindness or their love."

"Love," Megatron snarled as he stood, "you speak as if you love them brother. Your are soft and in the end that will be your downfall. And before you die I'll make sure that you watch as all your precious humans are killed. And if by some twist of fate your human fails to die now I'll be sure that he suffers until your praying for your own death so that you don't have to watch him suffer anymore."

Blue optic's widened in horror at Megatron's words and Optimus knew that if something he did fall in a battle but didn't die that Megatron would keep his word. For half a second a image of Sam seemed to flash before him. Beaten and bloody and on the verge of death. Like he was now. And it was then that the rage that had been slowly draining out of him flared to life with such force that for a moment Optimus was sure he would burst.

"No!" Optimus's cry was almost a shriek of denial. The Autobot Leader drove his blade forward with all the strength he possessed. His blade hit home. Megatron shrieked as Optimus's sword penetrated armor that was barley a foot away from his spark chamber. Pain ripped throughout the Con's body. Megatron's body was pulled forward as Optimus pulled out his blade ready to deliver the killing blow.

He was ready to put an end to Megatron. The Decepticon would never hurt another Autobot or human ever again. Never hurt Sam again. Megatron stumbled backwards as the support that his brothers blade had given him was taken away. Bright blue energon was leaking rapidly from the wound next to his spark chamber and his strength fading rapidly. His backwards stumble was stopped as Optimus took hold of one of his wrists the Prime's arm was pulled back in preparation for the finishing blow.

There was the slimmest chance that he could get out of this. All he had to do was be fast enough to get to his fusion cannon. It was the sound if the cannon charging that alerted Optimus to it's threat but it was very unlikely that his brother would get it up in time to shoot him. Megatron's cannon came up just as Optimus's blade came down and Optimus found himself being thrown from the side. Confusion was the only thing going through Optimus's processor as he hit the ground almost fifty feet away from Megatron. Megatron hadn't had time to properly charge his cannon and even if he had it wasn't possible for an enemy standing in front of him to strike him in the side.

His answer came when he was able to gather himself enough to look back at where he had been standing. Starscream stood about thirty feet from where he had been and one of the seekers own cannon's was smoking slightly. Starscream had shot him. Optimus took a moment to send Starscream a nasty look before he was back up on his feet barrage rifle in hand. If he could gut his brother then maybe he could shoot him. As if sensing what was about to happen Starscream helped pull Megatron to his feet. By the time Optimus had fired the pair was in the air.

"Come back cowards." Ironhide called as he ran towards where the two Con's had been moments before. Optimus growled lowly to himself and shook his head. If Megatron and Starscream were good at anything it was escaping bad situation's.

"Forget it Ironhide. They're long gone by now and it's not worth the trouble to chase them down." Ironhide grumble something low and not worth repeating about the pairs worth. Optimus merely shook his head in the weapons specialists direction. He was far to used to Ironhide's temper to really take offense or be offended by anything the old mech said.

"We have other places to be my friend." Optimus said as he placed a hand on Ironhide's shoulder. And it was true they did have somewhere else to be. As if just realizing what Optimus was talking about Ironhide turned and fixed Optimus that was as firm as the first part of his name.

"Optimus, Sam?"

"With Ratchet and Lennox. They left not long after the fighting started." Ironhide nodded.

"Then we should go. You aren't close enough to know how he is are you?" Ironhide asked because he could never seen to remember how far away the pair was able to be from each other before their bond was disrupted. Optimus shook his head and when he spoke worry filled his tone.

"No, I'm not close enough but when he was here there wasn't anything on Sam's side. It was as if a void was on the other end."

Ironhide nodded in understanding. He wasn't sure if he should say what he was thinking or not and that wasn't often a problem for him because he always had something to say. He settled on telling the Prime that they should leave.

"The sooner we get going the sooner we catch up to the others."

"I know." Optimus's voice was as strong and clear as ever. The worry from moments before gone from his tone. But even if he managed to not convey it in tone it wasn't stopping the feeling from eating him up on the inside. He was more than willing to do whatever it took to get to Sam as fast as he was able. Optimus and Ironhide crossed the field in silence neither one of them saying a word.

Ooo

He was falling. The void around him was deep and dark like a starless night sky. There was nothing around him. No sight. No sound. And no feeling. That's what he treasured the most. Not feeling. He was tired of feeling. He didn't want to do it anymore. In fact there was a lot he didn't want to do anymore. All he wanted to do was fall until he made it to the bottom of the bottomless pit and then he planned on fading away into nothing.

That was his choice and there wasn't anything to stop him from doing what he chose to do. There had been something there to stop him before but he couldn't remember what it was. In fact he couldn't remember anything. Memory had been the first thing to vanish when he fell. He'd though that it would have bothered him but the second thing that had gone away was emotion. No sorrow, anger, happiness, or love. Just the simplicity of nothing.

He was loosing himself and he didn't care. If he lost himself then he wouldn't have to go back. And while he couldn't remember before he knew that he didn't want to go there again. But there was something. The tiniest bit of something that seemed to be begging him to go back. He ignored it. That little nag didn't matter besides it was getting smaller and weaker the further he fell. And he was ready and willing to get rid of that last little bit so that he could fade and let go.

Sam smiled to himself as he fell even though he felt no true joy at all. All senses began to fade as his soul began to unwind. He was sure that he was finished. That he had reached the end. He was wrong for just as the first pieces of himself began to fade away that little nagging feeling grew bigger. His fall through the void stopped and he hung suspended in the darkness. A single strand of light worked it's way around him and pulled.

Ooo

Have I mentioned that I suck at fight scenes. Like really suck at them and no matter how I try to plan them out they never seem to work. Though to be fair this chapter was a lot worse before I went and rewrote the fight scene between Optimus and Megatron. It was only like six hundred words long and there wasn't any dialouge and very little fighting. Well there's still not a lot of fighting but it's better than nothing I suppose.

On a happier note. They have Sam back finally and this chapter hereby marks the halfway point for this fic. Halfway being that my first planned part is now over with and my second not so planned part is coming up soon. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do that yet but I have some time to figure it out before I update. I have a general idea that I'm toying with. So we'll see. Hey! I think I'm getting better at dialogue too!

This is my last one I swear. Chapter before last I mentioned doing a Poke'mon Transformers crossover. The reviewers here and for Full Moon Rising like the idea apparently because I got a few reviews saying that they liked it. So for those of you who want me to do it I need help. While poke'mon team idea's for Sam and all the rest are still open I need help figuring out where to start it. So should I do a movie remake featuring the poke'mon in it or should this be and after movie story and if it is the later. Movie one or two? Please let me know so I can start figuring out chapter's cause the crossover may end up being my backup NaNoWriMo project this year. Cause I can't seem to work out a plot for a novella.