It was slow going, dragging our prisoners along while still staying alert. We backtracked as best as we could, moving away from the front line and away from the action. We slide into an underground parking garage, though I opted to stay near the exit. It had been a long time since I felt claustrophobic, but looking at the stark and closed in concrete structure seemed to trigger it. I would've completely gone outside and kept watch if Epps hadn't have forced me to sit down, shoving a protein bar in my hand.

I didn't know how hungry I was until then.

I looked up at the shadowed exit, listening to the far off sounds of explosions and shooting. Already five hours had passed since my air force first engaged the Nemesis. It felt so much shorter.

I finished off my protein bar and listened to the general comms. Optimus had seamlessly stepped up into the command position and despite the fact that we just lost tactical and were missing our medics we seemed to be holding our own. I had to wonder when Optimus would call in the Navy and bomb the shit out of the Nemesis. I would've done it already and forced them to retreat, but I probably didn't know something.

I rocked to my feet and walked over to the garbage can standing by the elevator door to the building above. I used the movement to stretch out my stiffening muscles and test my range of motion. My shoulder was still hurting like a bitch, but dislocated shoulders were nothing new to me. I'd still be able to move. My biggest problem was my side. Onslaught had grazed me with his shot, taking off enough of my body to hurt with every movement, but not enough to take part of my insides. Knowing him that had been intentional.

I snorted softly as threw away my garbage before moving to take a walk around our unconscious prisoners and my team. The nameless soldiers greeted me softly and I returned the gesture.

"'Sup, Will," I called, approaching the pair of men. "Wassup, Epps."

"Nothing," Epps murmured, sounding kind of disappointed.

"We're good," Will answered. "How about you?"

I gently patted my bandaged side. "I'll live." I hesitated before sighing and straightening. "Listen, I'm gonna head out. See what kind of trouble I can stir up." They immediately stiffened and made to protest and I growled quietly. "They're going to need every Autobot available out there. I can still fight."

"Then we're coming with you," Will exclaimed, voice carrying in the mostly silent garage.

I was already shaking my head. "No. I need you here with them. I'll keep them under, but if I happen to go far enough that I can't reach them than there is a chance they will wake up. If that happens I need you to either kill them or knock them unconscious for real."

Epps gave me an angry look. "You know you could also die and that would wake these guys up too," he pointed out along with gesturing between me and the Decepticons lined up on the ground. "I mean look at you, kid! You already look half dead." Will nodded crossing his arms.

I sighed and self-consciously brushed my slashed cheek, feeling the caked blood and the sting of open wounds. "I'm tougher than I look. Regardless, I'm leaving and you're staying."

Will straightened and crossed his arms, giving me a look that made me want to punch him. It was that stance my father used to take on whenever I tried reasoning with him. Of course, that was before I smartened up. It was the "Oh, really" body posture.

I stiffened and straightened as well, glaring back. "I am not some vulnerable human kid," I hissed, rattling my remaining wings. "I am a millennium old warrior that was trained by the best fighters that this universe has ever seen. I am not someone who needs to be protected." I paused before sighing and relaxing a bit. "Look, I'd love to take you guys with me, but it's more important that I get out there a help finish this fight while you guys keep these 'Cons out of the fight."

Will still looked at me with displeased and angry eyes. "That's bullshit and you know it. You need to take a break."

I refused to look at him as I flicked my wrist and tested my shield, making sure it still worked despite having a building fall down on me. "I can still fight so that's what I'll do."

Epps tsked. "Even the army rotates its forces so that they don't exhaust themselves too quickly. This fight could go on for days, kid. Take a break."

"No." I straightened and met Will's gaze. "I'll keep in contact and let you know if I leave my range."

His face tightened. "Kid…"

"I'm not a kid," I spat as I turned and headed to the garage entrance. "It's about damn time you realized that."

And I was gone.

There was no question in my mind as I headed to a nearby park. I could sense a large mass of Decepticons and overhead I could see a transport heading that direction. It was probably another landing zone and the sooner I weeded it out the better.

My eyes darted around to the locations of my family. Ratchet and Wheeljack were still barely there, but Ironhide was with them now. Optimus was just behind the frontlines, snapping out orders for the battle. Grimlock was close to him, radiating glee and excitement. Chromia and Elita seemed to be teaming up and tackling the frontline that I had previously covered. Between the femmes and Optimus, I could sense the twins and Roddy. All three seemed to be in a relatively stable state and I took a moment to touch their sparks. Roddy caught on faster than the twins, but each sent distracted but relieved pulses back before focusing again.

Off further in the distance, all the way across the city and just barely within my range, I detected Prowl with Bluestreak in route to meet him. No doubt the gunner would escort Prowl to a safer location. Up above on the Nemesis, it was harder to pick out Jazz and Mirage amongst the remaining Decepticons clustered on the ship, but their icy focus differentiated them enough for me to find them. Mirage seemed to be in the bow of the ship, hardly moving. Jazz was in the aft towards the engines and moving quickly. And Drift and Crosshairs seemed to be way behind enemy lines right now, though given the strong energy I was getting from them it seemed they had things under control.

I turned to focus on my own mission and peered out at Central Park from a side street. It was the same place Elita-One and her team had landed and ironically enough that was her crashed ship. It was mostly intact, but obviously unable to fly. Surrounding the ship, but uninterested in it, were the Decepticons. Even now a transport was being unloaded with mechs and supplies and I shifted my gaze, taking in the multiple supply piles and the databank of computers. This was a much more established FOB than the first one. I would have problems getting in unnoticed enough to do damage.

Sure I didn't have to go in stealthily. I could fake my capture and get in that way, but it was too big of a risk and would take too much time. If I wanted to go through with that idea I would have to hope I wouldn't be knocked out for the duration of the fight like I had done to Soundwave and if that didn't happen I'd have to do some serious sneaking to get past my guards to the explosive bits of this base. No, it was better to sneak in to begin with.

But how?

I hummed and tapped my fingers against my chin. I could try impersonating a Decepticon again. Seemed like the only way in, but entering the camp alone would definitely raise a few questions. I sighed at the trouble before backing up and moving to circle to another vantage point. Maybe I could find another place to enter.

Thirty minutes later and still nothing and now I was growling and cursing. I was getting nowhere with this.

When I felt a small group of human souls approaching me from down the street, I didn't know what to expect when I turned. Maybe it was a group of soldiers coming to deal with this mess, but I hadn't heard any intelligence on this yet.

So I turned and blinked at the sight that greeted me from half a block away before rolling my eyes and gnashing my teeth. It was just my fucking luck.

I left my position and moved towards them, making sure to glare to show my displeasure when the group caught sight of me and froze. I then waved my hand down to signal them to take cover when another transport glided overhead. Only when it was clear did I crawl out from underneath the bench I'd used for cover and crossed the last of the distance between me and the Fox News group.

"I thought I told you guys to stay in the tunnels," I growled quietly, glancing back in the direction of the base. I glared when the microphone was moved in my direction. "You put that microphone in my face and I'm going to break it, understand?"

The woman glared back, but kept the microphone to her chest. "We're reporters," she defended. "We're reporting this battle. It's our job."

"And it's my job to try and keep you alive, which is difficult when you decide to head directly for a Decepticon command post." They obliging looked down the street and I sighed, scrubbing at my absolutely filthy face and wincing when I brushed the claw marks. "Listen. Do me a favor and get out of the city. I can't be worrying about civilians."

"What are you going to be doing about that?" the woman asked, pointing down the street.

I scowled as I was reminded of my dilemma. "I'm working on it, now you guys need to—"

"Just you? It's just you working to take them down? There has to be dozens of them!"

I shushed her and glanced down the street. "Your voice carries, so talk quietly."

She huffed but obeyed. "You can't possibly be thinking of doing that on your own."

I gave her a droll look. "I'm Special Operations. This is what I do. And, like I told you before, you holding me up is costing lives."

The reporter's eyes narrowed and I groaned internally. Why did this woman have to be so stubborn and bull-headed? Why me Primus? "If you really had this in hand they why haven't you already dealt with this?"

I waved my hands, finally getting angry. "Maybe because I was keeping a couple of stupid humans from walking to their deaths!"

"Maybe because you can't deal with them!"

"Maybe you should just shut up and let me work!"

She smirked. "By all means." I blinked and stared in confusion as she waved a hand. "Lead the way."

I shook my head. "No. No, no. Nein. Non. No. Not happening."

The most infuriating woman in the world raised an eyebrow. "We're not leaving the city, so the safest place would be with you." I spluttered and struggled to come up with an agreement to force this crazy woman and her crew to leave. "Would you rather we wander the city alone? You said so yourself, we were walking towards our deaths unknowingly."

I stared for a moment before snarling and getting a grip. "You get killed it's not my fault, you hear?" She nodded and shared a triumphant grin with her team and I shook my head, wondering what the pit I'd just gotten myself into.

"Stay here," I hissed, waving my hand in frustration. "I don't need you guys alerting them." The woman looked innocent and I sighed, gritting my teeth. "Stay. Here."

And then I turned and headed back down the street. I needed to do this quick and fast, which meant being reckless.

Optimus was going to kill me if he ever found out about this.

I scowled in the direction of the camp before sighing and looking down at the manhole in front of me. Here's to not getting lost.

I used my knife to pry up the manhole, looking frantically down the street to make sure no one was looking at my exposed body, before slipping into the hole and half pulling the lid back over the hole. I shuddered and gagged as my boots immediately sank into four inches of muck and the smell of the sewer hit me like a sucker punch. Yeah, this was going to be fun. At least there was a lot of methane.

It took some time to get into position. Well, it took me for-fucking-ever to actually find the place I wanted to be. I stood under the dim and choked light that managed to get past the manhole in one of the park's paths. If my mental map was right I was by one of those stupid modern art pieces, which was behind the crashed ship, but I wouldn't be surprised if my map was wrong after all the times I got turned around. Though it certainly sounded like there was a lot of activity going on above me.

I grabbed my pistol and looked it over. It was nice to have it, but I needed an IED right now and I had nothing else on me. I didn't exactly have my saboteur kit with me on Earth.

I brightened my aura and turned my gun over in my hands. It didn't take as much time as the rifle did in order to make my gun into a bomb, but that just meant I had a shorter amount of time to get the hell out of the sewer. Dropping the pistol into the muck, I jumped up the ladder and threw my shoulder into the manhole. It lifted and I felt the time passing faster, making my spark race. I grabbed fistfuls of grass and rolled out of the hole and came face to face with surprised looking Decepticons.

They really weren't my worry, so I jumped to my feet. I didn't even take a single step when the first explosion went off, making me stumble as it shook the ground. Then this unholy rumbling started and quickly turned into a roaring before the ground jumped and rolled, which, let me tell you, is the strangest thing to see. The ground shouldn't fucking move but it was rolling like waves in an ocean.

Manholes flew into the air as fire shot out like a geyser and there was an actual explosion in the park to my right as the ground opened up and this massive mushroom cloud of fire filled the air.

"Found a gas line," I muttered to myself before fighting the rolling ground to get to my feet. I was absolutely convinced that I looked ridiculous with my stumbling and swaying, but I found some sort of balance as the explosions started coming to a stop and the shouts and screams of the Decepticons finally reached my ears. Quite a few of them had died in the initial explosion, but two-thirds remained and I was in the middle of the enemy camp.

I found myself falling into the side of the crashed ship and I looked up at it. It took me a second to process what I should do next and I smacked my forehead. Why didn't I think of this to begin with?!

"Autobot vessel respond!" I yelled. "Autobot Bumblebee requesting entrance."

The response was much faster than the trio's dormant ship, but I still nearly cursed technology when I had to duck to avoid a plasma shot. "Autobot Bumblebee: Recognized. Welcome aboard." I practically dived through the door as soon as it was big enough, spark racing as a shot grazed my upper back and wings.

"Mother fuckers!" I shouted. "Full lock down! Weapons systems activate. Target all Decepticons!"

I scrambled to my feet and made a run for the cockpit as the ship klaxon begin to go off with my commands. Ungracefully, I slid to a stop in front of the weapons console, tipping over the chair and sending it clattering into another chair.

"Weapons systems: online," the ship's AI reported tonelessly. "Targets acquired. Permission to fire?"

I quickly swiped the screen in front of me and manipulated it to scan the target radius, making sure no humans or Autobots were in the area. The ship shook with the force of an explosion and I smirked. "Permission granted."

It wasn't as satisfying when I couldn't hear the gun fire or the shouts of pain and agony…

I stopped for a moment and considered that last thought. "I'm one twisted fucker," I murmured to myself before refocusing back on the screen. All Decepticons in the park were now dead and just to be sure I cast my spark out. Nothing. And that took only a few seconds. "Damn. I love technology."

I made my way out of the ship, reordering it to lock down. Looking around at the field of dead bodies, I stepped over them gingerly and berated myself for not feeling anything. Seriously. Anyone else would be a little horrified at such a large loss of life, but I couldn't muster anything other than the worry of another incoming transport and the need to destroy the computers and supplies. On my way, I picked up a rifle and stowed it away, mourning the loss of my trusty pistol.

I was just sending a message, "GET REKT 'CONS! -B", when I sensed the humans slowly approaching. After crushing the power core and thoroughly ruining the monitors and connecters I turned to face them. Well, at least they were feeling something for the dead bodies. They were all decidedly ashen and green as they picked their way towards me. "You know, I swear I told you to stay where you were," I sighed, eyes scanning the surrounding buildings and skyline for any threats.

"We ah… We didn't know if you were alive," the woman murmured as she crossed a bit of open grass hurriedly.

I smiled slightly. "Aw. I'm touched. You came to find my body." I dropped the smile, not really feeling it, and touched my headset. "Optimus, the landing point in Central Park has been dealt with."

"Good work," my mate replied tersely. "Move to the trio's position. They need backup." And then he went right back to giving out orders.

I pursed my lips. Things were reaching their boiling point. I could feel it in the sparks on the battle field and in the very air. My wings clinked against each other gently as I turned slowly. Something was going to give. Something was coming.

"So…You're…used to this, huh?"

I glanced at the woman out of the corner of my eye and then at the field of dead Decepticons. "No. I'm a scout. A spy. A hunter. I'm not used to this." My eyes narrowed and I turned to look at the streets. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. I was being hunted.

"But you're so calm."

I ignored her and looked through my spark, trying to see what was out there.

"Hey. What are we going to do now?"

My hands fisted uneasily at my side and I refocused back on the real world. "We're going to get out of here."

"What?"

I nodded, spark spinning faster. Something was here. Something was hunting us and I couldn't find it. "Yeah. We're leaving. Now. Go!" I turned and pushed her, waving at the rest of the crew. "Hurry!"

No sooner was the word out of my mouth than I was being tackled from the side. I yowled and instinctively tucked in on myself, bracing myself for impact. My world spun too quickly for me to keep up with it when my wings were crushed under me and then I was flying through the air again. I choked and gagged as the air was knocked out of my lungs upon hitting something vertical, but instead of sagging to the ground my training kicked in and my feet hit the ground instead.

I regained my body control and lifted my head just enough to glare at my enemy from under my bangs. It wasn't all that big of a surprise to see Megatron charging towards me. I called my shield up and he slammed a punch into it. My arm folded under the sheer force behind that metal fist and I flicked my wrist after a split second, swinging up my other arm, dagger in hand.

The former gladiator leaned back and then grabbed my wrist. Anticipating that, I jumped forward, razor sharp knee spike poised to pierce his armor. I actually felt my armor meet resistance for a second before he moved, breaking the tip of the spike off, and I was being spun around by my still captured wrist. I regained a moment after pain erupted in my side.

I gasped and froze with smooth metal pressing against my back and heated breathing in my ear. A small croak of confusion left me as I looked down as saw a slim piece of yellow metal sticking out of the upper right corner of my abdomen, just below my ribcage.

The first thought to cross my mind was that Ironhide was going love telling me "I told you so."

A metal hand closes around my other wrist and I curse myself for getting caught.

"Hello, Scout," that gravelly voice murmurs lowly in my air and I shudder only to grit my teeth when my side pulled. I debated how bad it would be if I just yanked myself off the spike and quickly decided I wouldn't die.

Using the oldest trick in the book, I slammed my head back in an attempt to smash his nose in. I missed and I was in the middle of cursing myself when the larger Decepticon released me. Choking back my cry of pain, I stumble forward a few steps before turning to face him, rifle braced against my shoulder. My side burned and I wanted nothing more than to put pressure on it, but my aim was shaky enough as it was. I pulsed my spark out when my grasping hand only met my hair. My headset was gone. Alternatively, I called down my bond for my mate.

"Sonovabitch," I whispered and Megatron smirked.

"Is that the best you can do?" he taunted and I glared at him.

"I could insult you all day, mother fucker, but I have better things to waste my time on," I shot back and he threw back his head and laughed. My eyes narrowed. He wasn't in his normal blood lust mood. Damn it, I so wished I could read his spark, but his was invisible just like Shockwave's. I nibbled my lip a bit and tried to judge his emotions. He was happy. Gloating. My eyes narrowed slightly. "You know," I started, "I never figure you capable of having as good of an ace as Shockwave hidden away for so long." I made sure to tinge my voice with frustration and anger so it wasn't so obvious what I was doing.

The Decepticon leader smirked and preened as he straightened, puffing up his chest. He then turned those red and black eyes and looked me up and down like he was evaluating me. And judging by that growing grin I'd met whatever standards he'd had. "I could've hidden a great many more secrets with you by my side."

I snorted and shifted slightly, hiding my wince. "You already tried the recruiting gig, remember?" I asked. "You know, you tried to tell me how I was meant for the Decepticons and I told you to go fuck yourself."

Megatron shook his head, dropping his happy air. He took a step forward and I hissed, rattling my dented and bent wings. The Decepticon paused and raised his hand before taking another step. I growled lowly in my throat, wondering how I wanted to take him out once he was close enough. "You misunderstood me, Bumblebee." I twitched at the real use of my name. "I was not trying to recruit you as a soldier."

I lifted my rifle so I was aiming right between his eyes even as he came closer and closer. Finally, I took a chance and dropped the guns and grabbed my knives. The gun would be useless to me in close quarters. I took a deep breath when the mech didn't take advantage of my weapons change to attack me. He took another step. "Oh, so you would've made me an officer," I drawled sarcastically. I checked my spark and sagged a little when I finally felt my mate moving in my direction. My nose wrinkled in disgust. "I'm honored."

Megatron's eyes narrowed before he growled in return and suddenly moved forward. I lash out in a frenzy of kicks and slices and I manage to get him good on his side and again right above his left eye before I found my wrists caught once more. This time, he squeezes as I pull and fight, crumbling my armor like paper. I gasp before stilling when I felt cracked metal begin to cut into my arms and Megatron leaned down.

I refused to lean back and I struggled to calm myself as we were practically nose to nose. The blue-skinned Cybertronian tilts his head slightly and smiles. "We watched you," he whispered and I blink, holding his gaze. "We watched you long before you awakened." I keep myself still and wary as one of my wrists was released. I slide my left knee closer to his center mass so I could try skewer him again, but I held off for the moment. The longer I stalled the better. I silently begged Optimus to hurry. I did not like that look I was getting.

With his free hand Megatron reached for my right shoulder and nudged my armor. My eyes narrowed with how close his sharp claws were to my neck and I lashed out wrapped my hand around his throat in equal warning. Red eyes flicked up to me, filled with amusement, before focusing on peeling off the small armor pieces to reveal the shirt underneath. My body stiffened as he gently traced a claw over my exposed shoulder before pulling the shirt piece away, ripping it.

And revealing my claim mark.

It's instinct that has me moving, pulling and bucking against his arms and grip, doing my best impersonation of a razor sharp cat that absolutely did not want to be held. But I found myself pressed face first into that ugly grey armor with a hand holding the back of my neck. Megatron shushed me quietly as he leaned down and blows a breath over the overly sensitive skin. I growled in my chest, trying to make the sound as loud and threatening as possible.

Megatron chuckles and straightens just enough to press a chaste kiss to my cheek. I closed my eyes in revulsion, but otherwise didn't react. "We know that you are the Prime's mate in spark, bond, and body." He pressed another kiss to my eyebrow piercing. "I must say, there are many reasons why I desire Optimus Prime's death, but none get my blood boiling as fast as knowing that he claimed you." I fight back a whimper when his hand tightened on the back of my neck and pulled me tighter to his armor.

I feel his breath wash over my cheek. "Look at me," he orders quietly and I obey after a moment with a glare. He smiles benignly. "Those eyes…I've dreamt of those eyes for so long. I've dreamt of you for so long."

I blinked and stared at the mech, hearing the honest and raw want and desire. No. This could not be happening. "What?" I whispered quietly, hoping with everything I had that he would just go back to trying to kill me. I could deal with that. I couldn't deal with this.

Megatron chuckled quietly as he stared back at me with…love? I nearly gagged at the sight, refusing to believe it. "You've saved me three times now, did you know? Twice when you were Skyspark. And once as Bumblebee. When I first saw you…Primus, I knew you were my mate. Don't you remember? I was but a mechling, starting to work in the mines when there was a cave in when this white and golden angel swept in and pulled me out before I could be crushed. I do not know why you were in one of the worst mines on Cybertron, but I do know that it was destiny that we meet. The will of Primus."

It was on the very tip of my tongue to bitch slap him for daring to be the voice of Primus. I was privileged and blessed enough to have heard His voice and heard His advice, but never would even I claim to know what He wanted. It made my spark burn with hate and indignation, but I bit my tongue, letting the mad mech ramble no matter how each word made me feel sick.

I winced and shied away when one of his gloved hands cupped my uninjured cheek. "When the war started, I wanted to spare Skyspark. I wanted to spare you," he told me feverishly, bending down so he could look me in the eye again. "You were my mate! How could I kill you? The others I killed before Shockwave brought me his plan. His plan to finally free you to be mine. You were captured and with me and we were happy. We were happy!" I closed my eyes again as he shouted in my face and shook me before he pulled me closer once more, petting my hair. "We were going to be mates. But first the ritual."

My ears sharpened at the last word. Ritual. "What ritual?" I asked.

He laughed somewhat hysterically. "The ritual to free you from being a City-Leader. From being reborn again and again into responsibility. You would've been free to be with me." I frowned. There was no such thing. What the frag was he talking about? "I was just about to put you in cryo-sleep to wait until the other City-Leaders were captured when you…" His breathing hitched. "When you killed yourself."

I stiffened and stared at the Decepticon emblem in front of me in shock. No. Skyspark didn't kill himself. Skyspark had been murdered. Stabbed in the back by an assassin. I didn't kill myself! I had too many responsibilities to kill myself.

"You ripped off one of your own feathers and slit your own neck!" Megatron gasped out, rocking back and forth and I wondered if I was dealing with an unstable mech. Well, more unstable than Megs normally was. "Why? Why? Why?! Why would you do that?!"

I winced as he shook me and pulled me away enough to yell in my face, spittle flying. "I don't know," I answered quietly. "I can't remember."

Megatron blinked and then nodded. "Of course. Of course. You're Bumblebee. My mate. Alive."

I hesitated before deciding to try something. "Megatron," I sighed quietly, turning on my puppy-dog eyes and forcing my eyes to water. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sorry I put you through that."

The mech smiled shakily before brushing his hand of my cheek again. "Come with me," he demanded suddenly, losing all trace of his sorrow and grief. "Please, my angel. Come with me. You'll want for nothing. You'll be king of the universe. I'll even stop this war for you." I jolted and stared at him in shock and he nodded, grinning. "Yes, I'll even end this pit-spawned war. Just come with me. Please."

I honestly didn't know what to say. Did I dare believe him? He was crazy! Disillusioned!

But powerful. He could follow through on such a promise.

"Angel?" Megatron whined softly, placing another peck on my injured cheek and the small jolt of pain brought me back to reality. "Will you finally join me and be my mate?"

I snapped my jaw closed with a snap before looking down at where his spark would be. I quickly checked my own before nodding. "Alright," I breathed before looking up again and meeting painfully bright red eyes. My lips quirked in their own smile. "Alright. I'll go with you."

Megatron grinned before suddenly swooping down and slanting his lips over mine and I opened readily, letting him into my body. Our tongues tangled and breathes mixed and I pressed myself to his front, wrapping my arms around his neck and whining with need.

The larger mech growled as our armor clanged and slid against each other before pulling back and leaning down to my still exposed claim mark. I shivered as his breath rushed over my skin followed by his tongue. I cradled his head before growling and throwing off his bucket-helmet, scratching my nails against his scalp. "Your spark," I gasped out, biting my lip when I felt a hint of his teeth on the mark. "I need to feel your spark."

I groaned when his spark suddenly came into existence and I smiled into his exposed throat, thrilled and triumphant. His teeth were just grazing my claim mark, ready to sink in and claim me, when he stiffened and froze.

A choked gasp left him as he straightened and stumbled back two steps. I watched coldly as his left wing twitched on the ground and as both my daggers stuck out of his upper back, hilt-deep.

I met his shocked red eyes with my cool blue ones. "I told you before in the lab," I explained. "You've taken so much and killed so many. You orchestrated the murder of entire cities. There is no forgiving you."

Betrayal and fury fills his eyes before he reaches back and yanks my knives out, throwing them to the side. "I would've ended the war for you."

I nodded. "I know. You were sincere. But even if you did you would've killed my family and who knows how many more. I couldn't live with that. Besides." I smirked slightly as I felt my mate land behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I greeted him with a smile even as he glared death and hatred at Megatron, red highlights bright in his hair and flames blood red, before stalking towards me. He was livid."I only allow one person to hold me." Dark and storming blue eyes met mine before he pressed against my back, flaming hands pressed possessively to my exposed stomach and armored chest. His flames didn't hurt me but instead warmed my skin and he had placed himself in such a way that he didn't disturb the mangled remains of my wings. The thought to my safety even when he was radiating nothing but fury and bloodlust made me melt back into him and nuzzle his cheek. He nuzzled me in return with a soft purr before leaning down to my shoulder.

I obligingly tilted my head and closed my eyes to slits as his tongue laved over my claim mark. My eyes found the stunned still Megatron's eyes and I smiled. "Only one person will ever worship me," I told him, voice carrying in the relative quiet of the park. I hissed and arched into my mate when his teeth sank into my shoulder unexpectedly, sucking hard and fast.

One of my hands reached up and back to tangle my fingers with his hair as his warmth stole through me, replacing my tense and adrenalin supported body. My breathing was a little faster when he pulled back and gave the fresh mark a long lick, glaring at Megatron as he did so.

"Only one person will ever claim him," Optimus growled deeply and I grinned, finding my feet again despite the slight tremble in my limbs.

"I will only ever allow one person to fight with me," I continued as my mate relaxed his hold on me, instincts now satisfied with reclaiming me. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched my mate tap his headset and his battle mask snapped into place, lending him a colder and more menacing look. "To be my mate." My eyes found my mate's and I smiled softly, pulsing my love and loyalty to him before facing Megatron. Even as I spoke I called on my third form.

When I'd been held captive and facing Megatron I'd made the mistake of trying to remember the feeling of what it felt like to be in this form. Accessing my third form was never a matter of remembering or letting an outside source flow in and give me strength. No. My third and final form had always been about blocking everyone and everything out.

Every spark, thought, and emotion left me as my spinning blades appeared on my skin and started to peel off. My swords appeared in my hands and all I felt was the one emotion that would drive me through this fight. My loyalty to my mate. I would see him through this fight.

"Optimus is all I will ever need," I told Megatron as I rolled my shoulder and slide one sword down the length of the other, creating a chiming sound. "You never would've been enough."

Megatron sneered. "Humans have a saying. If I can't have you, no one can." He flexed a wrist and a cannon appeared on his arm, anchored and latched much like Starscream's Null Ray. He aimed at me and fired. I barely got my shield up in time to block the hit, but the force of the blast wasn't anything I was prepared for and I found myself flying backwards, rolling ungracefully in the grass.

My mate roared and charged at Megatron just as I regained my feet.

My loyalty lit on fire when I saw a metal fist smash into my mate's face and I snarled before opening my bond with my mate in a near forceful manner. My intentions shot over to him like lightning as I sprinted to them, swords held low. Despite their intense concentration on each other, they both sensed my approach. Megatron was turning ever so slightly in anticipation of catching my attack and Optimus was pivoting to work with me. I took a big step before jumping. My right foot would've come down onto empty air if my mate's hand hadn't been there and caught my boot easily. I tensed my right leg before relaxing as he used his superior strength to throw me up into the air. I twisted and flipped so I was practically upside down twenty feet up into the air.

My eyes met Megatron's as he took the precious seconds to track my movements and assess my threat level. Optimus took the chance and kicked the Decepticon's leader knee to the side. It would've broken the bone if he'd been human, but Megatron just had a badly twisted knee. I was pulling back one of my swords when Optimus brought both hands up and slammed his flaming arms down onto Megatron's shoulder.

The mech was just moving to recover when I threw my first sword. It whistled menacingly through the air and I threw my second one right after as I started my fall back down. Optimus moved just enough for my first sword to miss him and Megatron looked up at the sound of whistling and backpedaled rather ungracefully.

Optimus didn't waste a second and blasted him with a wave of fire, making him actually fall.

Megatron looked rather disturbed with how close my second sword came close to his junk, but that quickly disappeared when I landed on his chest. I had to admit the landing was rough and I felt my right ankle give and roll and it hurt to find myself crouching on a chest plate that was taller than I figured, but I pushed that all aside to rear up and call my swords in hand, ready to stab them in both his eyes.

I didn't expect him to risk my spinning blades to reach around and grab my wings, twisting them ruthlessly and I gasped and screeched before being silenced by a palm strike to my chin. I choked on the blood that flooded my mouth before purposely falling backwards after hooking my boots under his shoulders so that when I fell back he was pulled up and directly into the path of Optimus' flaming sword.

Megatron looked stunned at the impending attack before I found myself yanked up and pressed to his chest again. I blinked in shock and then snarled, consciously making my blades spin faster and with more force. Three stalled to a standstill on his arms, but two other blades managed to just get through his thick armor.

My mate's thoughts flooded through the bond and I growled before pushing myself to roll off of him just enough to give Optimus room to get in at the mech. I was recovering and rolling to my knees when Optimus' body crashed into mine, sending us both rolling and sliding. I wheezed out my breath when my mate ended up on top of me, all angles of his armor seemingly pressing into all the spots of my body that hurt.

Optimus was struggling to reorient himself—he didn't get thrown around often enough—when I saw Megatron coming at us with more speed than he should have.

And in his hands was his sword.

I gasped as my scarred leg flared up in absolute agony before forcing myself to think and react. Reaching my arms around Optimus' chest, I flicked my wrist and called up my cracked and fizzing shield over the both of us. My free hand came up to brace my shield arm just as his sword stabbed into my shield. The blue energy didn't even hold for half of a second before it flickered and died. I screamed when the massive blade slid into the length of my forearm and continued through and into Optimus' chest armor. The sudden shock and my loss of concentration made me lose my third form; my spinning blades began to slow and my swords started to shrink.

"Die together," Megatron snarled as he leaned down and flexed, attempting to force his sword through Optimus' chest and into mine.

I flailed, kicking and reaching to stop the blade before haphazardly calling my sword in my good hand and swinging it at the sword with everything I had. I cut a quarter of the way through without even realizing it. Optimus cursed breathlessly before kicking again at Megatron's knee. This time he was close enough to put more than enough force into the kick. If I wasn't already starting to panic, I would've been sickened by the crunching sound and the backwards angle the Decepticon's knee took.

He fell back, leaving his sword. Optimus fumbled for the blade and slid it out of our bodies and, despite his best efforts, the blade still twisted and cut into my arm. "Go!" I yelled at him when he was about to turn and help me with my arm. I kicked him off me, finally allowing me to breathe, and twisted with the now flat blade, hissing and gasping as I struggled to get the biggest fucking knife in the god damn universe out of my fucking arm mother fucker! I groaned quietly in pain when I freed myself before shaking it off and pushing it back as best as I could, focusing on the dueling titans.

I got to my feet and circled slowly, holding my small knives once more. My eyes followed them, watching for any opportunity to get at Megatron. Everything in me wanted to charge in whenever the bastard landed a hit on Optimus, but I restrained myself. I needed to get the crippling blow. I needed to even this fight out even if it was two against one right now.

I pulsed rapidly down my bond and Optimus responded before rallying and throwing himself at Megatron with renewed energy and ferocity. My feet carried me forward over the blood-soaked grass, eyes narrowed as I watched for any sign of him turning. I felt my confidence grow when he gave no sign and raised my knives to stab into the back of his exposed neck. He turned and raised his cannon, intercepting my strike at the same time that he blocked Optimus' flaming swords. The bastard didn't even look in my direction. Optimus pulsed his frustration and I shared in it before lashing my boot out at Megatron's cracked knee.

The knee predictably buckled and he fell slightly, though he was quick to lash out, forcing me to jump and avoid the sword, which he just so happened to whip up and over his shoulder without cutting off his own head. Optimus would've taken advantage of the mech's exposed side if Megatron hadn't have pointed his cannon in his direction and fired. My mate jumped to the side and I lunged forward messily, catching Megatron's sword wrist between my knives. I pulled one knife toward me and pushed the other one away from me, attempting a scissoring motion. The metal arm caved and snapped a bit, making the hand spasm and release the sword and I quickly ducked and dropped to the ground to avoid the counter strike that would've probably broken my cheek bone.

My mate wasn't fast enough however and he shouted in pain as his face suffered the same fate before Megatron gave him a devastating upper cut, leaving Optimus' chest wide open. I pulsed rapidly down the bond to rouse him out of his shock quicker before screeching when Megatron punched him in the chest, caving the armor easily. He was going for another punch when I grabbed his remaining wing and sheared it off, thinking quietly that it was revenge for mangling what was left of my wings.

Megatron roared in agony even as he lashed out a rear kick and caught me on the hip, sending me stumble a couple steps.

It was all the time he needed.

"NO!" I shouted, watching as he lifted his cannon and pointed it directly at Optimus' chest. He pulled the trigger and I felt my mate's pain and agony as he flew through the air only to land once more, writhing and clawing at his chest. My body was moving before I could even comprehend what just happened and I found myself sliding between Megatron's braced legs, stabbing my knives into the chinks of his armor in his legs. He went down with a howl and I dashed for my fallen mate.

The molten hot plasma was eating through his armor, pooling in the dent. I knocked his hands aside and moved frantically to the latches on his armor, ripping the metal pieces off in my hurry to free my mate before he burned alive. My hands stung and burned, but I ignored that, taking in every hiss and groan of pain like a stab to my spark. His scream of renewed agony nearly killed me before I flung the last piece of melted metal from his body.

I looked desperately at his heaving chest before swiping away the plasma that was splattered on him, flinging it away with a flick of my hand. He finally quieted and looked at me in a slight daze and I dragged my gaze from his burned and singed but whole chest. My face split into a relieved smile and I bowed, touching my forehead to his shoulder, laughing quietly. I felt that his breathing was shaky, but the hand that came up and pet my hair eased away any worry I had. My mate was alive and not mortally wounded.

We were just sharing our shaky relief in our bond before something crashed into my upper back with all the strength of an enraged Grimlock and I somehow managed to brace myself to keep from rolling with the blow. I had all of a moment to think "Am I hurt?" before the unholiest of fires broke out on my back.

A scream echoed in my ears—my scream—as I reached back and tried to get rid of this fire that was pouring down my back and into my skin and oh Primus make it stop! I rolled and writhed, yanking at my armor with some shred of logic and leaving behind my armor before sobbing and howling because the fucking fire was still there.

There was absolutely nothing but the agony and I rolled and squirmed, trying to put out the fire and I begged. I begged for it to stop, pleaded with everything I had. With my words. With my spark. With my bond.

But it wouldn't stop!

I was sure I was dead when I found myself unable to move. I blinked and took a shuddering gasp. Words…shouting. Someone was shouting. My eyes moved and drifted through the world of heat and fire, trying to find the source of the shouting.

I saw…green. Yeah, that's what the color was. Green. Green grass. And then a boot. My eyes followed the boot up until something circular also appeared. Something big and circular and glowing and hot. Cannon. Megatron's cannon. Fighting against Megatron. Fighting with Optimus.

My mate…

I desperately searched for him, looking for him. I found him struggling to get to his feet and I tried to keen, tried to call him to help me, but the sound choked off in my ears, stuttering pitifully.

"You could've had everything," a quiet voice whispered and I know it's Megatron even if I don't look.

Deep blue eyes like the ocean met mine with a desperation that bordered on hysterical. "Bumblebee, look at me! Look at me!" I wanted to ask him why. Why? Was there something I shouldn't see? "Megatron, don't you dare kill him!" Oh, that was a roar I'd never heard before. "Fight me! Fight me, you slagger!" My mate fell again to the ground, clutching his chest.

"I loved you." The gun's heat washed over my face and tears spilled down my face for some reason and I gasped. Why was I crying? I didn't understand!

"Bumblebee!" my mate yelled, dread and terror in every octave of his voice.

"Opti," I whispered, voice cracking before I could finish calling him to help me.

The gunshot went off.

I blinked, meeting Optimus' stunned blue eyes.

A second shot went off. A different sounding one. A third. A fourth.

The cannon in front of my face became quiet and still as something crashed to the ground to my right.

I tried to look and only saw the bottom of a boot. Needing to see, needing to know, I somehow managed to move my arms under me. My limbs shook as I shoved a knee beneath me and braced a hand on the ground. The heat was receding, allowing me to move. In its wake was a growing chilly numbness.

I stared long and hard at the body before me. Unseeing eyes, limp body, no spark.

He was dead. Megatron was dead.

Finding some sense of balance, I got to my feet and gingerly crossed my arms over my stomach, hunching slightly. "He's dead," I whispered, saying the words out loud. Making it real.

Optimus practically fell to his knees by Megatron's head from his attempted walk. He stared for a long moment, breathing hard, before reaching a surprisingly steady hand and closing those red eyes. He looked to me, not really seeing me, but seeing through me to something I couldn't imagine. "Who…?"

"Optimus! Bee!"

I lifted my head up to see a rapidly approaching trio, their blurring colors a combination of red and yellow. Squinting, I made out Hot Rod, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker. Coming up behind them was a grey blur. Bluestreak. Damn, that mech was getting a work out running back and forth across the city.

"Are you guys alright?" Sid demanded as he skidded to a halt, rocking onto his toes to get off his wheels.

I nodded jerkily and looked at my mate and the dead body. "Yeah," I whispered hoarsely. "We're alive." I gasped and startled at the sound of a truly massive explosion and looked up just in time to see the Nemesis list dangerously to the side, two engines down in flames and four entire sections of the hull open and smoking.

For a long moment, I thought the large ship was going to fall out of the sky and crash into the city, but it regained power and altitude. In fact, it was gaining altitude. And the transports in the air were following.

"We won." I looked at the new voice and couldn't stop my smile at the sight of one William Lennox, coming around the side of the crashed Autobot ship. "We won the battle."

I laughed breathlessly and suddenly found myself sitting on the ground.

"This is Optimus Prime," my mate said from my left and I turned to see him with his battle mask gone and a hand pressed to his comm. "Megatron is dead and the Nemesis is in retreat. Megatron is dead and the Decepticons are retreating."

I really wished I had my headset on at that moment. I really wanted to hear the reactions. But I took heart in something else. "And everyone is alive." I looked at the trio and smiled shakily. "No one died."

Will dropped to a knee by my side, smiling gently. "You look like hell, kid."

I nodded. "I feel like it." I cast a look down my body and grimaced. I'd really pushed myself too far this time. I should've stopped when Will told me to take a break. Primus, I didn't even know how I'd pulled of this last fight.

He raised an eyebrow and put a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe next time you won't—" He stiffened and pulled back his hand when I jerked and whined. "Jesus, I'm sorry, kid. Are you…" He looked over my shoulder and stuttered to a stop, paling. "Oh my god."

I snorted quietly and shook my head, feeling my eyelids get heavier. "This is where you say I told you so, Will," I murmured quietly. Will stared, unmoving and my mate and friends hurried to see what he was talking about. Their gasps and curses made me shiver. "Do I want to know how bad?"

Optimus was suddenly in front of me and holding my cheeks in his hands. I couldn't feel his warmth. "Alex, we're going to get you help, okay?"

I nodded shakily before feeling the world started to spin and my vision started to fuzz. "…Sure, Op."

"Can you stand?"

I stared, struggling to make sense of his words. "Wha…" I found my head dipping forward.

"Alex? Alex! Look at me. Open your eyes!"

I closed my eyes? When? I couldn't remember…

My lungs felt tight, like they weren't getting enough air and I fought to open my eyes, to make the world stop spinning. But nothing seemed to work. I felt myself slipping. Slipping to where…to…

A sense of falling made me grab onto the bond, trying to keep my place and my mate grabbed back, holding me clumsily.

Bee! Stay with me!

Op? Opti?

Yes, yes. I need you to stay awake, my light. You can't go to sleep.

'M naw tired…It's cold. It's cold.

A mass influx of energy poured over me, warm and vital, though little of it actually stuck.

I'll keep you warm just hold on, my spark. Please just hold on. For me.

My spark spun weakly in my chest, seeking a way to ease this stress. To escape this reality. I don't…I'm gonna…I…

No, no, no, no, no, Bumblebee. With me! My spark, stay here with me please don't leave!

I balked slightly at the thought. Leave? Die?...No…No. Pri…Pri…mus won't let…me. Won't…won't die. Die no…Hide…hide.

Bee, my spark, please!

Hide…hide…

And I fell. Fell. Fell. Down. Down. Down into the whiteness that was my spark.

Yeah…so that happened. Megatron is dead. Bee has no idea when to stop fighting cuz dude anyone else would be on the ground screaming or passed the fuck out like srsly. But Cybertronian fighting be brutal.

Btw, recount who showed up after Megatron died. Of those who showed up, how many had the ability (ie the guns) to shoot Megatron? And how many shots were there? One of these things doesn't belong here… Just saying.

God I'm tired. I'm home now though! It's spring break and I'm done with finals and the Cybertronian war is over and I'm with my family and I cuddled my pets and hugged all of my siblings (ALL of them) and got to see my dad for the first time in over three months and got to hug my mom like hi it's been a while. But driving took for fucking ever and now my eyes are dry and I'm like "must…post…chapter…Or I'll have certain people coming to kill me. You know who you are."

Uh… I can't think of anything else to say. Look forward to the next chapter. It surprised even me like where the hell did you fucking come from?

Mailbox:

Star: Yay I'm glad you liked the reveal. I was super stressed like omg did I give Soundwave the right entrance was it his style blah blah blah *bangs head against desk*. And tbh Soundwave was my original pick for the third in this trine, but, also tbh, the trine isn't so guaranteed anymore. I've been trying to think and plan it out and been talking to some peeps and I've decided that I'm going to leave it up to the story and characters (in case it's not Soundwave I'm leaving it open ended) to decide if they will get together and form a trine. My stories tend to take a life of their own and grow every which where, so if a trine happens it happens. *shrugs* But we'll definitely see more of Bee and 'Wave getting together cuz I've got plans for Soundwave *rubs hands together and cackles evilly* I have another character to whump on!

Xoxobaeberry: That's what I love in particular about my Bee and Soundwave. They are polar opposites to each other. They are yin and yang. Empathy to telepathy, passion to calculating, extroverted to introverted, order to chaos. It's kind of beautiful in that these two very different characters come together to find peace from the outside world and eventually discover how similar when it comes to loyalty and dedication. (u) they are literally the perfect balance to each other and I love it. And thank you for the author, I've bookmarked it to read this spring break and I've actually already read the five stages of love way back when I first got into the TF fandom. Lol my tastes have certainly changed.

Rea: *rolls around happily* I'm so tired I wish I could give you an appropriate response to such a wonderful review especially when you gave such a detailed account of how my fav character came across. Right now I'm sitting in my room with the light off and thanking god my keyboard lights up so I can type and I'm squinting at my screen with my glasses on and I'm grinning like an idiot cuz you got everything I was trying to get across. Thank you for reading every word I wrote and paying attention to detail. It means a lot. Btw, srsly playing around with a Cat Chasing the Flame AU right now. Not promising anything, but I'm throwing down some drabbles and playing around.