Ratchet shut his eyes as he began to unfold the tale, "Not long after his memory loss, Prime took precautions to keep his spark away from the clutches of darkness, whether by corruption or misleading, he checked everything, to be sure he could not be used against his friends."

Arcee couldn't help but stir as she took this all in, "Wait, so you're telling me Prime, in secret, altered things so he couldn't be taken over, and he felt like it was alright for no one to know this? Well…except you, right?"

"Yes, he did. Prime had nearly completed his goal, but one final labor stood before him; the dark energon corruption. Prime figured out, that dark energon only can corrupt a sparkless shell, but should a spark enter a corrupted body, if strong enough, can cast out the dark energon, and revive the body…however, if too weak, the spark will be corrupted itself."

Ratchet sat slumped over, waiting to hear a reaction. For awhile, Arcee didn't give one. Moments passed and Arcee spoke up.

"So, you're saying that Luna, that mouthy redhead, is the only one who can bring Optimus back? And if she fails, Optimus will be extinguished. For good. Am I missing something?"

"Luna can transfer the spark of Optimus into his body, if she's close enough, but her arm has to be connected directly into his spark chamber during the transfer." Ratchet paused for a moment, conflicted to speak the coming words.

"Wait, hold on-" Arcee rubbed her eyes, but Ratchet offered her no chance to continue on.

"-During the internal battle within Optimus' body, if he cannot regain control…the backlash of energy will eradicate Luna as well." Ratchet finished, knowing what he had sent Luna into.

"So it's all a gamble, if she survives…" Arcee curled her fingers into a fist and punched the wall Ratchet now leaned against. "Ratchet! Maybe this is something you should have TOLD her before you sent off fighting the entire Decepticon Armada! She could kill Optimus instead of cure him! She could kill herself!"

"I know, I know. I did not wish to go through with this, but Optimus insisted, under orders."

"I suggest we go find Luna, before she does something stupid." Arcee slung Ratchet over her, slowly carrying him down the flights of steps, using her free hand to fire upon Vehicons in the halls.

Luna stood between the corrupted Optimus Prime and the Autobots he once called brothers, her eyes filling with white light as the aura lifted her up in the air.

"What…who…who's there?" Luna called out, her mind in a transcendent realm of existence within her. "Don't mess with me! I will kick your slagging aft!"

The spark of Optimus Prime appeared before her, as its commanding voice spoke through Luna's mind. Afraid of this unknown, Luna shook in fear as she listened in uncertainty.

"Luna." Optimus called out, "Place you hand into the spark chamber that housed my being. Release the power you have always had, fulfill your potential."

"But Optimus-! That makes no sense! How-what will that-" Luna's eyes returned to normal as she sighed to herself, "Alright."

The engines of the jetwing boosters she still wore whipped up, roaring in a glorious burst of flames and steel as it propelled the small human forward in a blinding flash of light.

"AUTOBOTS!" Luna cried as she pulled her metallic arm back, a tightly formed fist thrusting forward as she charged towards the dark Optimus. "TRANSFORM AND TRANSEND!"

Luna pierced her fist into the chest of Optimus, his arms struggling in the air as the white aura surrounding Luna flowed over Optimus' body.

"Please let this work." Luna whispered.

Luna's eyes filled with white light once more as both her and Optimus' body stood, in silent conflict, as the spark of Optimus combated the darkness inside. Behind Optimus, an onslaught was launched, Vehicons swarming out from the Armory, charging out towards the group and Luna.

Cheetor was the first to blast the head of a Vehicon, a collective smirk across his face, "C'mon bots! We need to protect Luna, I have no idea what she's doing, but let's hope it's something that won't slag us all!"

Wheeljack whirled onto the battlefield, slicing through con after con, keeping the path to Luna clear. "Bulk, Cheetor, don't let a single one through!"

Bulkhead laughed as he barreled through, now standing between the Armory doors, crashing his spiked Cybertronian mace into the coming Vehicon fighters, "Wouldn't think of it Jackie! HAHA, just like the Battle on Simfur!"

The battle went on for nearly twenty minutes, more Vehicons descending from the internal Armory elevator, leaving no time for the strong spirited Autobots to rest. Wheeljack knelt with one of his swords pierced into the ground, his body sparking with wounds as the others collapsed near him, their bodies battered and broken, as the Vehicon horde marched upon them, weapons poised to kill.

A surge of white light engulfed Optimus' body as Luna grit her teeth, eyes wide open now, "Don't…you DARE….leave me again!" Luna pushed her arm deeper into the Spark Chamber of Optimus, as if to offer part of herself to revive him.

In an explosion of chaos and energon, purple and white auras of energy spiraled out of control as both Autobot and Vehicon stared at the scene in disbelief. Luna shot out from Optimus' body, falling to the ground, unconscious with no signs of life. The body of Optimus skidding across the metal ground, lying dormant next to her.

Silence.

A Vehicon stepped forward as Bulkhead reached up helplessly to stop him.

It's arm shifted to form a dark triangular blaster, standing stories above Luna as it aimed downwards.

And fired.