Ahh I'm so excited to get into TLK storyline. I've actually already plotted out how this is all going to end. Trying to decide if the finale should be tragic or bittersweet, because I have two ending that I gotta choose from. HMMM *waves finger* I shalt not say anymore than I already have. Anywho, than you guys for sticking with me. I had no clue what this fic was going to be starting out, and it kinda just turned into its own little thing. See ya next chapter!

The door opened to chaos. Hound was blasting away at enemies with his minigun while Tessa, Cade and Joyce took cover behind him.

"Hey little lady!" Bumblebee chirped, raising his blaster. I limped towards the group, meeting Tessa halfway. She threw herself into my arms, and over her shoulder, I saw Cade flash me a smile.

"You're bleeding—" Tessa pulled her fingers away, staring at the crimson liquid.

"I'm fine," I absently wiped my forehead. "Its not serious. I swear."

"Hey, ladies, cut the chit chat and let's move!" Joyce shouted. I grasped Tessa's hand as we followed Hound and Bumblebee through Hong Kong's bustling streets. The space was narrow and crowded, and I made sure to keep close to group.

"Out of the way, humans!" Hound hoped over the the scurrying civilians, diving and rolling as we existed the street, ducking beneath an overpass and emerging in a small courtyard. The Decepticon prototypes were taking cover, and more were falling in behind. The area became alit with the flash of blaster fire.

"Go, go! Hustle!" Joyce yelled, darting past me. He and Tessa slid behind a fallen concrete wall while Cade raised his gun and began firing at our attackers.

I had to do something. I had to fight.

The prototypes advanced. We were outnumbered, and I knew that despite Hound's extensive weaponry and Bumblebee's skills, we wouldn't be able to last long.

Take out the legs!

It was my best bet. Ignoring Cade's shouts I darted past, hearing Hound yell for Cade to cover me. The first prototype — Stinger — had no time to react before I'd leaped, just as I had with Galvatron. Unlike my previous adversary this bot was weaker, smaller. Bracing myself, I drug my shoulder into its torso. It landed hard on it's back, disoriented, and by the time it managed to lift it's head It was already to late.

Muscles straining, I dug my fingers into any sort of groove I could find before tearing the prototypes head straight from it's body. Transfluid splattered against my shirt as thing sputtered before falling still.

"Hell yeah!" Hound bellowed in approval, nodding in my direction.

My victory was cut short by a missile blast that would have incinerated me, had it not been for Bumblebee leaping and allowing his shoulder plating to take the hit for me. The yellow bot howled in pain before returning fire.

Time for reckless idea number two.

Taking advantage of Bumblebee's proximity, I clambered up the smaller Autobots back leg. I kept a firm grip as he ducked and weaved towards his target — a larger prototype with two heads and a wide body.

"You got head number one, I've got head number two," I shouted at Bee, bending my knees so I could keep steady atop Bee's slippery armor. The Autobot chirped as he finally reached the two-headed prototype, blasting away at one limb while I jumped and ripped away the other. I clung tight as the huge robot toppled, the impact throwing me off and sending me tumbling head over heels.

Cade caught me. I was disheveled and drenched in sweat, dirt coating my body like a second layer of skin. Cade didn't look any better, and I could see the exhaustion picking away at his strong features.

A deafening bellow echoed down the narrow streets of Hong Kong.

"Optimus is here!" Hound roared, using his minigun as a battering ram. He'd lost his cigar and pieces of his metal beard were missing. There was glee in his optics, along with a determination I only wished could be seen in humans.

He's here.

There were several different ways I imagined our scuffle in he courtyard would come to an end. Optimus riding in on a massive, metal dinosaur with gnashing teeth and glowing eyes was not one of them.

Despite my surprise, he looked like a god. Sword raised, bellowing a battle cry as Drift spun into view and Crosshairs followed close behind, gun in hand. With a roar, the massive metal dinosaur chomped down on the final prototype, thrashing it around like a rag doll until it fell still.

"About time," I called up to Optimus. The large mech took on my unkept state, looking worried. I reassured him with a smile, adding, "Where did you find the, uh…that?"

"This is Grimlock," Optimus said. "He was one of Lockdown's 'trophies.'"

"We have time for, uh, introductions later. We need to get out of this city—"

Cade interrupted Joyce, brows furrowed as he adjusted his gun. "Get out? No, this is your mess, and you're going to help us fix it."

"Galvatron must be destroyed," Optimus rumbled. Grimlock was eying Joyce, mouth parted to reveal his massive, jagged teeth. "Or else countless more will perish. Do not abandon your own species, Joshua Joyce," his voice was lowered to a threatening growl. "As you have already abandoned mine."

"I don't even know where he is!" Joyce yelled. "Attinger didn't tell me anything!"

Focus.

I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my hands into a fist. Everything around me was louder than I expected - Grimlock's heavy panting, Joshua high pitched voice a he and Cade argued. Tessa's soft hand on my shoulder was the only thing that helped calm me.

Focus. Find him.

I was on the outskirts of Attinger's mind, and I stayed there, observing. I didn't want to see anything else or learn anything else. That was a darkness I wouldn't touch. For the first time I was determined to just look, to stand outside and just observe, as I had with Optimus.

There.

Gotcha, fucker.

I pulled away abruptly, opening my eyes. It had only taken maybe three or four seconds, but I'd learned enough. He was close and he was running.

Cade had his back turned. Optimus and the other Autobots were paying attention to Joshua Joyce's pitiful excuses. Tessa's hands were tender, but they were also fragile. I slipped away and began running before she had time to shout.

I had to do this. I didn't know why, but I knew that I had to.

You'll die.

So?

Attinger was making his way through a parking garage. I saw the back of his head, the flash of white hair as he ran up the stairs in his clean shoes and nice, expensive suit that was now tattered, no longer worth anything. There was no sign of Galvatron and the deck was empty, save for cars that had been abandoned amidst the raging battle. Attinger reached the top, and I was on his heels. My first instinct was to try and end him right then and there, so I did.

Attinger's reflexes were better than I imagined. He slipped out of the way as my fist punched open air. I stumbled, spinning on my heels.

I stopped. Savoy raised his hands in a placating gesture. I blinked, trying to clear my eyes as the man I loathed smirked, lips curling back over his white teeth and I stood there in terror, memories flashing through my brain that I so desperately wanted to push aside.

Then I remembered Savoy wasn't real. The mistake cost me.

The illusion disappeared as the tip of a shock baton pressed against the small of my back. I lurched forward, stumbling across the parking deck and bracing myself against a parked car, mouth open in silent surprise. I'd forgotten how much the batons hurt.

"Rachel!" Cade was hustling up the stairs on the opposite side of the deck. Attinger was approaching me from behind, stalking forward like an animal plotting its kill. He acknowledged Cade with an exasperated sigh.

I was more focused on Cade than Attinger.

He's strong. He can do this.

No, he can't. Shane was strong and Shane is dead.

I clenched my teeth, dragging myself forward before another stern hit from the baton had me on my knees. Attinger bypassed me, stepping towards Cade.

This was a fight Cade couldn't win. I could see he was always hesitating, stopping with his gun raised as Attinger cocked his head to the side.

He's trying. Cade is trying.

He wouldn't leave you. He followed you here.

Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes as I dragged myself forward, limbs twitching. By the time I managed to pull myself to my feet and begin struggling forward, Attinger had already yanked out his gun —

Cade's left shoulder erupted in a spray of blood. The shot hadn't been fired by Attinger — in fact, Attinger's gun was lowered and he had stopped, eyes looking towards the blue sky. As Cade toppled Attinger, too, was flung violently to the side the concussive force of blaster fire.

"Cade!" I shrieked. He was on the concrete, gun abandoned at his side, in a pool of his own blood. The shadow looming over the parking deck was familiar and ominous.

"You have deceived me," Lockdown landed hard against the concrete, pedes crunching against debris. "Attinger."

Attinger's glasses were gone and his face was a bloody mess. He'd lost a shoe and his sock had been plastered to his skin from the heat. He scrambled back, hissing.

Cade was probably dead. From this angle, I couldn't tell if he was breathing.

"Your foul creation has abandoned you," Lockdown sneered. "Leaving me to collect the spoils. My original desire was to capture Prime, which I will do in time," his blaster whirred and he knelt, head ducked. "But first, I am going to rid the galaxy of some creatures who are more trouble than they are worth."

My entire focus was on Cade.

Lockdown's words were just background noise. He was lying there, motionless, at the mercy of Lockdown. I'd already seen it with Ratchet. I wasn't willing to let go. Not again.

I could feel the heat from Lockdown's blaster as he readied it, choosing me as his first target.

Focus.

Cade's finger moved, and I saw his eyes twitch behind closed lids.

Focus on your breathing.

"Get away from them!"

Optimus' bellow was the loudest I'd ever heard. Lockdown twisted his head and received punch so hard that it knocked off pieces of his facial plating. He cursed, absorbing the impact and using it to carry him into a spin, foot lashing out in a well-aimed kick.

I kept my head down. Tessa was climbing the stairs while Bumblebee joined the fight, leaping onto Lockdown's back and simply holding on, refusing to let go.

"Get your dad!" I pointed, coughing. Tessa did, easing him over as I used whatever strength I had to join her. Head ducked, I stammered, "Get something to put pressure on the wound — your jacket, anything!"

The bullet had gone straight through, the heat cauterizing pieces of flesh around the inside. Cade was twitching, struggling to swallow. One side of his face was sticky and red.

I looked over. There were no tears in Tessa's eyes. Just determination as she murmured, "You're going to be okay, Dad."

Lockdown had thrown Bumblebee off the parking deck. The momentary distraction allowed Optimus to slice away at his shoulder armor. The next blow had to be the killing blow, it had to —

Optimus' sword clattered to the ground and he began clawing at his optics, shouting in alarm as he confronted some unknown enemy.

Attinger.

The bastard was standing, teeth bloody and bared. I watched in horror as Lockdown pummeled Optimus with his fist.

Tessa's hands were drenched in blood.

"Stay with him," I jerked my chin towards Cade. "Don't let him go, okay?"

Tessa nodded. I approached Attinger from the side, the smugness and sheer joy on his face the only thing motivating me to keep moving. He was getting pleasure out of watching Lockdown beat Optimus' head into the ground.

So much pleasure that he didn't see me until it was too late. His last expression was a red, wide grin that reminded me of a freshly painted clown.

I grabbed his neck and slammed so hard into the concrete that I heard his ribs pop out of place and his skull crack into a million pieces. Those once white teeth flew from his mouth like reddened pearls. His nose became a crumpled mess and his eyes bugged out of his socket, leaking fluid.

I saw it all.

The illusion on Optimus broke. Lockdown roared in pain and anger as Optimus gained the upper hand and was able to get a firm grip on his sword. Lockdown's cry was cut short when the blade embedded itself in his skull. His eyes flickered green for a few seconds before dimming, his body going limp.

Attinger gripped my forearm. I nearly leaped out of my skin. I didn't have the energy to pull away, and with each passing second his grip was weakening. Nonetheless, I saw those blue eyes meet mine. His mouth stretched into a grotesque, pained grimace as he tried to pull his head up from the concrete, but was unable.

Toothless and with a mouth full of blood, Attinger gurgled, "How does it feel?"

I didn't reply. I just watched his ears begin to bleed and his eyes fade until there was nothing left.

I left Attinger, limping back over to where Tessa knelt, cradling Cade's head in her arms. He was alive, but barely. His breathing came out in short, wheezing puffs. I rested my forehead against Tessa's shoulder. Optimus approached, collapsing to one knee. Tessa allowed him to tenderly wrap his fingers around Cade's body.

"He will live," Optimus said gravely. There was a shakiness in his voice that I'd never heard before. "Let's move."

Lockdown's ship hovered over the bay, static and empty. The sound of battle was no more, replaced with sirens and helicopters. We'd left a trail of destruction in our wake, the likes of which I'd only seen in movies.

Joyce and the Autobots were waiting for us at the dockyard, and it was Joyce's people who whisked Cade away for medical care, not even giving Tessa chance to properly part with her unconscious father.

"He'll be fine," Joyce reassured her. "He's in good hands. I promise. I owe it to him and I owe it to you," the older man sighed, mustering up the courage to meet my gaze. In a quiet, reserved voice he said, "I'd like to apologize. I worked with Attinger willingly…I had no idea what he was really up to and who he was hurting."

"Ignorance is bliss. What's done is done," I smiled weakly. Joyce's apology was genuine, and I could see the deep shame behind that professional facade of his. I shook his hand, nodding my head. i'd have to keep telling myself that it had been Lockdown and Attinger doing the killing, not Joyce. He was just another tool.

"Aw, that's sweet," Hound said. "You know, baldy? You aren't so bad after all. Annoying, but not bad."

"That is one way to put it," Drift drawled.

"Gee, thanks," Joyce smirked. He rolled his shoulders and said to Tessa, "Hey, kid? You want to stay with your dad?"

Tessa glanced at me, nodding. "Yeah. But what about—"

"I'll be fine. There's stuff I need to take care of," I glanced up at Optimus. "Things we need to take care of. You go stay with your dad, keep him safe. He needs you."

"He needs you, too."

I ducked my head. "You're strong enough, Tessa. You've proven it. I can't come with you because I…I just can't. I'll see you again. I swear."

Tessa and I embraced, and I didn't want her let go. I didn't have the heart to tell her the real reason I was refusing to go with her and Cade. The farther away I was, the safer they'd be.

That's just how it worked.

From the look of sorrow Optimus was giving us, he knew it to be true as well. Glancing at Hound, Drift, Bee and Crosshairs he said, "Autobots, to the Knight ship. We determine our next destination from there."

Joshua guided Tessa towards the helicopter while the Autobots and I watched, lips pressed into a think line. I was about to walk into the unknown, and it frightened me.

You have another job to do.

Find your creators.