Credits and Motivation go to: Songs include:"The Last Night", Skillet; "Made of Scars", Stone Sour; "Life is Beautiful", Sixx AM; "Love Me When I'm Gone",Three Doors Down; "See You On The Other Side", Ozzy Ozborne; "I'm Alive", Disturbed; "Reclusion", Anberlin; "Memories", Within Temptation(Used for the last scene.) Energy drinks:ROCKSTAR: JUICED. Other motivation: THE REVIEWS! -heart-

Before I posted this chapter, I got my 200th Review. Thank you so much for reading this far. I love you all. And fair warning, this is my longest chapter at 9,349 words.(Not counting this little blurb here.) I dedicate this to everyone who has followed through with this, and I hope you will be there until the very end. (Get your tissues and sad music.)

And now...

Chapter 25: Darkest Hour

Being thwarted at every turn was possibly the most annoying and irritating thing that Skywarp had encountered in his entire time of being online. This time was no exception. He reappeared, but this time right in front of Shockwave. He was standing just behind a large outcropping, hands clasped behind his back, watching the commotion down below. From this vantage point, the one-opticed mech could see the squadron of earth-made jets heading in their direction. The thought rather amused the intelligence officer. There was no way that any of them would survive. The humans were foolish to attempt such a run. He gave no acknowledgement to the fact that Skywarp had come back, merely watching everything. Oh, he knew that Skywarp was there, make no mistake. He just chose not to acknowledge him at this point.

Skywarp, on the other hand, took a few steps to a wall of rock that was off to his left, leaning against it. The wound to his wing had stopped leaking, now only a discernible, deep gouge in the plating, sparking. The armor was burnt and melted. If he tried to fly, there was a possibility of the wind stressing the wing too much and causing it to break off. He stared out at the grounds below, then up at the sky, seeing the human's jets. He raised a hand to his shoulder, pain lancing through his systems. It was more annoying than anything, it wasn't a life threatening wound, just painful. He growled a bit when Shockwave made no movement toward him at all.

"They're adapting to your strategy, Shockwave." He said, biting off the last word in contempt. He didn't mind fighting for the other mech. But getting killed? That was another story. He had no intention of getting deactivated any time soon. Shockwave still made no movement. Skywarp glared at the other's back, annoyance steadily growing.

"Do not worry about the strategy, Skywarp. The equation has changed. You will be under cover of the human's jets. Commotion and confusion will become our ally." He said coolly, almost with an air of detached interest. He still refused to turn around, not looking at his cohort. Skywarp shut his mouth, realizing the other mech was right. With the other jets approaching, the confusion and focus on the human jets would splinter the Autobot's attention in so many directions they would not be able to keep up. Slowly he grinned, and let his hand drop from his shoulder as he stepped up to Shockwave, glancing down at the others. Already they were aware of what was coming, as Thundercracker had taken to the air to take his place beside Starscream. Skywarp felt a momentary stab of guilt, remembering the times when he had always been by Thundercracker and Starscream's side. Even Sunstorm had been there on occasion, the four of them fighting side by side, though most of the time it was just the three of them. He pushed the thoughts back, clenching his hands, his shoulder and wingplates shifting slightly.

"Just tell me when." the F-15 said quietly, preparing to go back in when the perfect opportunity arose. Shockwave, who was already formulating a plan, simply nodded once.

Minute by minute, deep within brutalized systems and torn components, nanites were hard at work, repairing cables, wires and armor quickly. Fueled by a power source that no other system had, these nanites worked faster than most would have thought possible. Working from the inside out, systems seemed to latch themselves together slowly, a strange glowing, goldish material stretching between broken wires and fuel lines. Had one been watching from the outside, it would have seemed like a creepy scene out of a science fiction movie. But the reality was that these nanites were bridging themselves together and pulling parts together, then microscopically melding the parts back together to look brand new. Being so small and so many, they seemed to create a thick viscous fluid, giving the appearance of a thick, sticky oil.

As they worked, Sunstorm slowly became more and more aware of his surroundings again. There was damage to his fusion core, but it was minimal and nearly repaired already. His back, however, was a different story. Armor had been disintegrated and ripped apart, the joints between his wingplates and shoulder armor shattered. The jet stayed still, knowing that any movement would not only alert their attacker that he was still alive, but it would also disrupt the healing of his self-repair systems. Pain throbbed through his entire body, lancing through his processors like jolts of electricity too strong for one to handle. Several times, the pain alone nearly caused him to offline again, but he fought against it, wanting to be aware of everything. If he was needed, he would want to be able to assist in whatever way he could. He chided himself at that. How could he be of help when he was down for the count? All he could do was just relax, and let his repair systems do their job.

Which was possibly the most frustrating thing to do.

For a jet, being on the ground for any reason was like a fish being out of water for a long period of time. They needed the sky, just as water-bound creatures needed the water. While it wasn't so much needed to survive, a jet grounded for too long could cause one to go crazy. A jet was meant to be in the air, no matter what. Granted, while being on the ground gave relief to weary systems, it wasn't long before they were back in the air again. It was akin to an addiction. Chain a flyer to the ground, eventually they would do whatever it took to get back into the air, though it usually could take months for the situation to get that bad.

Sunstorm turned his consciousness inward, focusing on ancient chants that he had learned so long ago. They usually helped to focus himself, which was what he needed right now. As he mentally spoke the ancient words, his systems began to hum softly, the nanites working even harder. Everything slowly came into unison; the energon -the Cybertronian version of blood- being circulated through fuel lines and other systems becoming less erratic, the energy pulsing in his fusion core stabilizing finally, his intakes slowing to a more reasonable rate. He concentrated his focus, glad he was face down as he started mumbling the words out loud. Saying them mentally didn't do as much as speaking out the words verbally. The sounds from speaking the ancient text had a rather tranquilizing effect if said correctly, with inflections placed in the proper places, proper tone usage and pronunciation. As the rest of his systems slowed and calmed, the nanites continued on, working harder to bring the jet back to full functionality.

Mikaela reached up, wiping her face with a energon and lubricant-covered hand. The work she had been doing had done wonders for her paralyzing flashbacks to the last battle, the memories forgotten for now. Her face, by now, was an epitome of sweat, dirt and blood, both her own and Ironhide's. She had cuts on her fingers, palms and lower arms from the knife she used, and from the occasional metal part that stuck out like a serrated blade. She paid no mind to the pain and cuts, though. Her friend needed her help, and that is what she was doing. She was elbow-deep in Ironhide's neck now, getting the connections back together. She hissed as she acquired yet another cut, fresh blood welting to the surface. Most of the wounds were superficial, but one was a bit deeper and still bleeding a little. She had a red scar now where she had been cut before, back when they had first arrived on the base. The burn marks from Starscream's spark were still browned, but they almost looked like a strange and beautifully simplistic tattoo now. Anyone who didn't know about Starscream would have guessed in favor of a tattoo, though would never realize the cryptic symbolism that the marks would carry for her for as long as she had them. It was possible they would stay with her forever.

She gritted her teeth, grabbing the last connection with a lunge, her other hand gripping onto a plate of armor on the back of the weapon's specialist's head. She looked back at Ratchet, looking worse than she had back when the two of them had fixed Starscream.

"This is the last one, Ratchet...Where does it go?" She asked, sounding a bit hurried. She had every right to be, as Thundercracker had announced that there were several human jets headed their way. Optimus was hopeful, thinking that Sam had convinced Simmons to bring in help. If that was the case, then the leader would have a reason to thank the agent for once. Thundercracker and Starscream were both up in the air now, talking amongst themselves about the oncoming jets, deciding on a plan of action. Ratchet, meanwhile, paused only briefly to look up at Mikaela, scanning the cord she held.

"...That one? It goes under the left peripheral junction, right over there," he said, pointing a finger at the general location of a plate of armor on the left back part of his neck, covering the junction between the shoulder and the neck components. "That plate of armor. Under there," he said again, when Mikaela turned around and didn't quite see what he was talking about. Cybertonian medical terms and human medical or mechanical terms were far different. She reached out, placing a hand on the armor he indicated.

"This one?" She asked, looking back at him, preparing to shift that piece of metal a bit so she could get under it. Ratchet nodded in affirmation, and she bent down, refocusing her work and peering under the armor plating. She could see the junction, and reached under, sliding the cable connection into the correct port that it belonged in. She could feel a sudden throbbing of energy as electricity poured through the cable, the connections finally complete. She pulled back, wiping her forehead again, inspecting her handiwork. Everything she had been set to do she had accomplished. She glanced back at Ratchet, who was running scans, his optics dimmed a bit.

"I'm done," she stated, a look of worry still covering her face. She could hear the jets in the distance now. They would be on top of them in no time. Ratchet finished his scans without another word, and reached under a plate of armor, trained medic's fingers quickly and deftly adjusting something with a few clicks. Mikaela looked around in surprise as the hum of energy got louder, then faded back to a very faint whisper of systems working properly. He reached out a hand to her, intending for her to climb on. She reached out, grasping at his thumb and climbing on. She held on as Ratchet lowered her to the ground, where she slid off his hand, her feet planted firmly on the stable ground again. She looked up at Ratchet expectantly, worried still.

"Thank you, Mikaela. Your help has been appreciated. Stand back...he'll be online in a moment," he informed her, to which she turned and jogged a few steps away before turning back around to look at them. She waited, worried, praying that she hadn't made a wrong move somewhere. But with Ratchet having helped her, she was more certain than not that she had managed to help get Ironhide online and working properly again.

Ratchet stood back and watched, waiting for his friend to come back online. Optimus looked over at Ironhide, then back at Ratchet. His cannon was thrumming, ready to fire at the slightest cloud of dust. The light was failing around them, and thus decreasing the visibility by a good amount. He switched over to low-light vision, the world around him switching to a brighter shade of blue, sensor displays also appearing in his vision. Blips, lines and circles appeared, zooming in and back out, inspecting different objects around him. He glanced down at Ironhide again, several small lines appearing and displaying information from different spots.

"Ratchet, will he be alright?" The Autobot leader asked, worried for his friend's welfare. Ratchet nodded briefly, to Optimus's relief.

"Yes. His systems are powering up now." the medical officer replied, his scans running over and over, each one telling him that the repairs had taken well and were holding. He had been concerned that they wouldn't, but so far, everything was working properly. Optimus nodded in return, turning his attention to the sky. He noted Starscream and Thundercracker hovering in the air, thrusters on full, the light from the flames appearing as bright oblong orbs that obscured half of the two jets. He looked more to the distance, turning away from the two, seeing the jets in the distance. He felt a bit of relief and a slight twinge of apprehension, worried that something wasn't quite right. He shook his head, doubting that the humans would turn on them.

The loud grumble coming from the weapons specialist caught everyone's attention, and earned a yell of success from Mikaela. Ironhide's optics flickered on, dimly at first, and then brightened more as he moved his hands, pressing them against the ground trying to gain support as he tried to get up. Slowly, he pushed himself up, a loud whine of protest emanating from his servos and joints. Ratchet let a smile come to his face as Ironhide growled at the sound.

"Easy there, your systems aren't what they used to be, you know." the medic said, trying to break a bit of the tension. It worked, causing Mikaela to start laughing and Optimus to make some sort of choked sound, a sound of gears grinding together and catching. Ironhide managed to sit up and glare at Ratchet, his hands flexing.

"Are you calling me old?" he asked, daring the medic to say yes.

"Maybe." Ratchet said, dismissing the comment with a wave of his hand. "But more on that later. We have bigger problems to worry about." Ironhide was already running a weapons systems check, taking a damage report. Most of his weapons, thankfully, were at full power still. Only his right cannon was at 82 percent. His internal repair systems were already on that, the percentage climbing slowly. He huffed slightly at Ratchet, deciding not to persue the argument further for the moment.

"What's going on?" He asked flatly, anxious to find who had attacked him and give them their share of the pie.

"Skywarp happened," Ratchet replied, looking up to the sky as he said that. The jets were so much closer now, and would be there within seconds. "We have company..."

"Why am I not surprised..." Ironhide mumbled as he looked up, taking note of the earth jets heading towards them. Both cannons formed and began to warm up, humming with a low whine, both glowing with an angry light. One a shimmering blue, the other an angry orange.

Optimus looked up, his intakes hissing quietly as he watched the jets approach, growing a bit anxious. Starscream and Thundercracker backed down, heading in for a landing, not wanting to be mistaken as a threat. They both landed next to Optimus, looking up at the sky. The afterburners of all ten jets were clear now, and they were closing in on the deck. Below them, a light that shone brightly, soon splitting into two lights. It was Bumblebee with Sam and Simmons. If there had been cops around, then the camaro would have had numerous counts of breaking the speed limit. He was going well over one hundred miles per hour, hurrying to get back to the base. Bee knew what was going to happen, and wanted to be there as backup. Ironhide looked out to the headlights that approached, scanning and picking up Bumblebee's signature right away. Above them, the jets rushed by in a deafening roar of jet engines, each of the pilots taking in the scene below them.

The crackle of static came over the radios of the squadron as the commander opened a channel.

"Watch the deck, we've got friendlies mixed with bad guys. You all know your targets. Take out any mech that is not on the the list of friendlies. This is what we were trained for, men. Let's go!" the pilot said, receiving a chorus of shouts and whoops of encouragement from the other pilots. All the jets were F-22s, and would thus make it hard to keep track visually. However, the Department of Defense had managed to put together a radar system that could pick up the energy signatures of any non-earth jets. The fighter jets all split off into different directions, all banking around and arming weapons.

"Eagle One, this is Eagle Seven. One enemy target is already down. Be advised. Repeat, one enemy target is already down." One pilot said over the radios, the information relaying to the others, including Eagle One. Pulling up and banking around to get a wider view, Eagle One noted one of the mechs on the ground, not moving. Obviously there was a battle of some sort already. But what worried the Commander was the slight glow of that particular one.

"Understood, Eagle Seven. Keep an eye open on that one, just in case. We don't know their full capabilities yet." he came back, watching as the rest of the squadron fell into attack formation.

"Yessir!" Eagle Seven replied, preparing to lock on to the first target. In another jet, Eagle Four locked on, the red cross-hairs turning green as a high-pitched tone filled the air.

"This is Eagle Four. I've got tone."

The rest of the fighters were quick to follow, all locking on. All that was left was the Commander's order to fire at will.

Skywarp watched as the jets all came around and fell into a very rudimentary attack formation. He crossed his arms, watching, amused. Shockwave said nothing, still standing in the same position. They had been watching each and every one of them, including their enemies down below. Skywarp couldn't believe his optics. How easy this was going to be. Let the humans create the distraction, and he would go in, dusting in and out randomly, attacking when he was least expected. He almost couldn't wait. It was very rare that he got a chance to use his teleportation abilities to their fullest extent. An opportunity such as this was definitely cause for excitement. He shifted a bit from one foot to another, the wound in his wing forgotten in light of his anxiety.

"Calm down, Skywarp. Being anxious will do you no good." Shockwave said calmly. He paused a moment, processing a plan of action. "When the earth fighters attack, move in. Attack the medic and the weapons specialist first. I want Optimus Prime for myself. It will be a great honor to take him out in the name of our late Lord Megatron." He proclaimed, staking his claim on the Autobot Leader. His voice was disturbingly cool and collected, causing Skywarp to look at him uneasily. He didn't protest, though, and simply nodded.

"Yes, sir..." the F-15 said quietly, shifting again. He was glad he wasn't attacking his wingmates first; something about fighting against them just seemed all wrong. It made a shock of nervousness and regret slide across his systems like a thick, black oil that could never be cleaned off. He hated the feeling, a slight shiver causing his wingplates to quiver a bit and downtwitch slightly. A stab of pain shot through the panel that had been shot, and he winced slightly. Damn Optimus for that! He growled slightly and pushed the emotions aside, preparing for the inevitable attack.

Sudden bursts of flames from all the jets burst forward, the jets all pulling up and heading to regroup and attack again. Missiles all shot toward two of the figures below, flying fast and sure. Skywarp tensed; his moment had come. Shockwave said nothing, waiting for the precise moment. The Autobots and newfound allies all turned and looked at the oncoming missiles, each one raising a cannon or projectile weapon of their arsenal and fired, trying to stave off the attack.

"Go."

It was all Skywarp needed to hear.

"Look out!"

All of them turned and looked at the oncoming missiles, Mikaela's warning ringing out as she yelled out, backing up a bit. She watched in horror, her eyes growing wide when she realized where the fighters had aimed their missiles. Behind her, Ratchet and Ironhide stood, aiming their own weapons. To her left, Optimus raised his weapon, a flash of silver against the now black sky. Clouds had covered half the sky already, getting thicker by the minute. In an idle thought, she wondered if this would be a night of rain. If it was, it would make things far more difficult. She bit her lip, standing amongst the Autobots. Thundercracker and Starscream saw the missiles, aiming upward with the Autobots. At nearly the same time, everyone began firing, most of the missiles exploding instantly. However, a few escaped and shot forward, intent on their targets.

Behind them all, Bumblebee finally arrived and slid to a stop, kicking up dirt and debris around him, a dust cloud from the dirt raising, then settling slowly. Simmons and Sam both got out as the camaro transformed, his cannon already out and aimed at one of the missiles. He ran forward, firing off a blast, hitting a missile aimed at Starscream, watching the projectile explode in midair. It was beautiful in a morbid sort of way, the cloud of fire and shrapnel making daylight out of the darkness as the other balls of fire and smoke dissipated. Burning pieces of missile hull and components fell, giving an illusion of molten lava dripping from the sky, illuminating everything...including a burst of dust behind Ratchet. Bumblebee watched as Skywarp formed and swung his cannon around, aiming for the teleporter. Skywarp, unaware of the yellow Autobot spotting him, raised his own launchers at the back of Ratchet's head, preparing to fire.

When his targeting alarms went off, he whirled, spotting Bumblebee not too far from him. Unfortunately, Bee had already fired, a liquid-blue ball of plasma already on its way to the F-15. Skywarp growled, then realized where he was standing. He grinned, and removed himself from the equation, leaving a direct line of sight to the medic. The blast moved forward, unaware at all of the change in target. Bumblebee was horrified, instantly communicating to Ratchet the situation via personal communications systems. Catching on, the medic ducked, but not before the blast hit him across the shoulder, splintering and ripping apart metal and armor, shards of superheated metal flying away from him. Ratchet fell to one knee, energon and sparks flying from his shoulder. The worse part was the fact that the shoulder that had been hit was the same arm that his gatling gun was on. His arm dropped, several servos meant to move the arm now either damaged or locked up. The remainder of the blast hit the wall of the base, blowing a good meter and a half sized hole in it.

Ironhide saw what happened and stepped over to his friend, shielding his shoulder from any more blasts. He raised his own twin cannons, looking for more missiles. There were none. He glanced down at Ratchet, worried about him.

"Ratchet, get inside. If you go down, no one is gonna fix us if we go down." He said hastily, looking around. He knew that Skywarp was still out there, and was unaware that the jet had been the indirect cause of the attack on Ratchet. The lime-green autobot shook his head, defiant.

"You all need me out--"

"Not with that arm, Ratchet. Ironhide is right," Optimus chimed in, stepping closer, watching the earth jets coming in again. "Get inside. That's an order." Optimus said firmly. While it was an order, it was also a request, friend to friend. Ratchet looked up at his long time leader and friend, finally relenting. He knew that Ironhide and Optimus was right. If he fled now, he would be able to make repairs to the others when the battle was said and done. He stood, looking at them both.

"Take Mikaela with you." Ironhide said, gesturing down at his repairer. Mikaela glanced up from her spot near a large boulder than had fallen in the previous battle, looking up at Ironhide, then Ratchet. She nodded silently, agreeing. Movement caught her eye, and she looked over, seeing Simmons and Sam both running for the door of the base, making a break for it. Both of them knew that they wouldn't be able to stand a chance out here with flying missiles, debris and explosions everywhere. Sam wanted to help, but he had no idea what to do. He saw the Autobots standing close together, Ratchet's shoulder leaking and sparking. The next thing he saw was Mikaela peering up from a large rock, looking at Ratchet.

In a split second decision, Sam skidded, trying to stop, one foot sliding out from under him as he instinctively reached down with one hand to catch himself. One leg bent under him, his foot still on the ground, the other kicking small rocks and dirt away from him. His hand hit the ground hard, scraping through his skin. He balanced himself with his free hand, waving it in the air to attempt to counterbalance himself. He stood once he regained balance a half a second later, taking off in a run towards Mikaela. He needed to get her inside. He ignored the fact that his hand was now bleeding, skin scraped and ripped.

"MIKAELA!" He yelled out, running full tilt for her. Starscream or not, he still cared about her and wanted nothing to happen to her. He watched as she turned, surprise written all over her face. She stepped out from the rock, looking up at Ratchet.

"Come on, we need to go!" Sam yelled, cutting off Mikaela before she said something similar to the medic. She nodded at Ratchet, then turned and ran for Sam, a glance around telling her that Starscream was safe, standing next to Thundercracker. The two jets were watching the skies, their weapons trained for the sky and the Raptors that prowled it. Afterburners could be seen in the air, a dead giveaway of their position. Both Decepticon jets were loaded and ready to fire, waiting for them to come into range.

Ratchet finally gave in and followed their two human friends as Sam and Mikaela ran for the door. Simmons was already inside, rushing for the deeper part of the base where he knew it was safe from missile fire. Mikaela and Sam ran through the opening, Ratchet thudding after them closely. He ducked down, slipping into the door with ease. He couldn't transform; his wound would cause problems with that. He continued following after them, making his way to the safer parts of the base.

Bumblebee joined Ironhide and Optimus in a matter of seconds. His cannon was out, ready for the next volley of missiles that he knew was coming. And it did, almost the second that he reached his friends. Ten missiles, all loaded with 105 Sable rounds, shot forward, all aimed for two certain mechs. Ironhide managed to map out the trajectory and angles, and figured out who they were firing at. He growled and fired off several rounds, three out of four connecting with missiles, the last one missing completely and heading for one of the fighter jets. Three explosions set off four more explosions, seven of the missiles now detonated. The remaining three shot through the blasts, one connecting with one of it's targets.

Thundercracker whirled, letting out a shrill cry of pain as a round connected with and exploded across his arm, taking out half his arm in one hit. Sparks and fire flew from his arm, energon splattering the debris-laden concrete. He whirled and hit the ground, but fought to get back up. He could still fight, and a battle wound like this was not going to stop him. Another blast hit the ground not far from him, the ground exploding in a shower of dirt, rocks and fire. He ducked to one side, shielding his damaged armStarscream took to the air, figuring that he would have a better chance in the air. He transformed and shot off, making a circle around the other jets. The sky was his domain, and he would make sure the fighters knew who was king of the sky. Thundercracker took note of Starscream's escape to the air, figuring that was the best chance he had, as well. He gripped his arm and fired off his thrusters, fire scorching the ground as he lifted off to join the battle in the air, ready to fight for their right to live.

Optimus and the other two continued their assault from below, spreading out in a V- formation. The objective was clear- more spread out made it harder for the jets to lock on to all three of them. Optimus aimed, waiting for more projectiles to come rushing toward them. He found himself in a brief moment of thought, wondering why it was that the fighters had been attacking them. Simmons surely wouldn't have them attempt to destroy the Autobots, would he? Realization would be a bit slow for everyone, with Bumblebee voicing the question.

"..Why are they not firing at us anymore?" The yellow Autobot asked, lowering his cannon slightly. Both Ironhide and Optimus blinked, optics flickering briefly as they scanned the skies. The answer became apparent very quickly as an aerial dogfight ensued in the sky above them.

"Because their target was Starscream and Thundercracker!" Ironhide exclaimed, growling, his cannon lowering slightly as well. Optimus lowered his own cannon completely, watching the battle. He couldn't believe his optics. They should have known that Starscream was an ally now, not an enemy. Unless...Simmons didn't tell them that he was an ally. He covered his face with a hand for a moment, then looked up again. To provide cover fire for the two jets would be to harm the humans. To leave them be would be to possibly harm either of them. Thundercracker was already damaged and couldn't transform due to the extent of damage to his arm. Starscream seemed to be holding his own, being fired at but not firing back. He had avoided damage thus far, but what if one of them got a lucky hit off? What if...

His optics widened and his spark jumped. Mikaela was in danger as well. And she didn't even know it. They had to do something. He raised his cannon again, aiming for one of the fighters. Ironhide looked at his leader, a surprised look on his face. Bumblebee mirrored Ironhide, his own look of surprise apparent as his cannon fell.

"Optimus, you can't be serious. Firing on them means--" Ironhide started, but his words were cut off as Optimus interrupted him.

"Mikaela is in danger, Ironhide. They're firing on Starscream and Thundercracker. What happens if one of them hits Starscream? What happens to Mikaela?" Optimus said, pausing just long enough to look at Ironhide and Bumblebee. Both had blank looks on their faces. Optimus shook his head. "Remember the last battle? When Skywarp had attacked Starscream, Mikaela fell to the ground in pain. She will feel what he feels. And to make matters worse," he continued, aiming for one of the fighter jet's wings, "their Bond is stronger now. They can communicate through the bond. If something happens, Mikaela will go down as well. I don't want to think of what might happen if Starscream got hit, and perhaps deactivated." He finished, letting a shot go, the shock of the blast back-washing into him as his arm and shoulder were pushed back. Both Ironhide and Bumblebee stared in shock at Optimus, both realizing what might happen. They couldn't let that happen. The two turned and aimed for the sky, firing off their own blasts.

Up in the sky, Starscream was finding it very hard to not turn and attack the other fighter jets. He was growing increasingly annoyed and worried. Thundercracker was still holding is own, but a few shots had gotten a bit too close for comfort for either flyer. Thundercracker basically played cat and mouse, trying to get one jet to fire on another. It almost worked a few times, but the human pilots were well trained, veering off before they could be hit. Starscream growled to himself as he streaked from one side of the sky arena to the other, patching in to the human's communication systems. He was alarmed at what he heard.

"Eagle One, this is Eagle Two. Energy signatures located on an outcropping of the mountain. Permission to inspect?"

"Eagle Two, this is Eagle One. Roger that, permission granted. Fire at will if energy sigs are not friendlies. Report with findings."

"Understood, Eagle Two out."

Beside that particular blip of information, he got bombarded with numerous reports of tone, lock-ons and firings. His targeting alarms went off, and he veered to the right suddenly, taking off in a blast of flame from his afterburners, taking off for the mountain. It was a race against time, and someone was running out of time. Problem was, he didn't know who. Everyone was pretty well equally matched so far. As he headed for the mountain, he saw a blast of energy fly up behind him, taking out a wing of the jet that trailed him. The jet behind him veered off wildly, the pilot yelling over the radio.

"Mayday! Mayday! I've been hit! I've been hit!"

"Eagle Ten! Eject! Eject!"

"I can't! The emergency eject system is jammed! The blast disabled it! Dammit!"

Starscream heard it, his conscious fighting with itself. They had been firing on both him and Thundercracker. But at the same time, he didn't want them firing on him and his wingmate anymore. He growled, banking and firing off his thrusters again, falling to meet the doomed jet. Screams of horror rang across the radio systems of the humans as he dove, all of them worried that he was going to attack and kill the poor pilot inside. He had to give himself a small amused laugh at that. He transformed as he came up on the jet, reaching out, one hand latching onto the intact wing, his other hand grabbing on under the cockpit. He thrust forward, carrying the damaged jet to safety just beyond the base, managing to drop the fighter to the ground with minimal additional damage. Landing next to the plane, he reached out, ripping off the top of the cockpit and throwing the canopy off to the side, revealing a sheet-white human, scared out of his mind. He stared up at the jet-mech that had saved his life, barely breathing or even blinking. Starscream made a slight noise.

"You're welcome."

With that, he fired up his thrusters again, transforming mid air and climbing, flying between several other fighters that had followed him with the intent to fire on him. The shock of seeing their comrade saved by the Decepticon jet confused them. He heard reports flying through the ranks about him saving that human's life, and began to wonder if that might have changed things. He made a beeline for the mountain again, heading for the energy signatures that he was currently searching for, the same ones that the humans had managed to pick up on.

They weren't there.

It wasn't until Optimus was on the ground with pain blinding him almost completely that he realized he had been hit. Somewhere off to his right, Bumblebee was yelling and firing at something repeatedly, apparently having either little or no effect. He groaned, trying to get up. His back and shoulder hurt, energon leaking from various spots and sparks flying and sputtering. His vision kept pixelating, despite his best efforts to clear it. All he could see was the ground, then shocks of color and pixels across his vision, then static, and then ground again. He managed to push up with his hands, rerouting power to his optic sensors to try and boost the imagery. What he saw as he finally stood, albeit unsteadily, was not what he wanted to see at all. Shockwave, a few meters away, his cannon smoking. Bumblebee was firing at him but his attacks had very little effect on the other mech's armor. The little yellow Autobot kept firing, searching for a weakness.

"B-Bumblebee, get out of here...!" Optimus tried yelling, but his vocalizers were fritzing. He managed to say it, though Bumblebee refused to leave. He would not leave while Optimus was in danger like this. He fired again and again, determination winning over logic. Shockwave raised his cannon at the smaller mech.

"It's no wonder they call you Bumblebee. You are as annoying as the insect of the same name that is indigenous to this planet." He said coldly, taking the shot. A blast of bright yellow energy sailed through the air right for Bumblebee, a blow meant for a one-hit offline. Bumblebee wasn't fast enough, but Optimus was. The larger mech managed to use his own body as a shield, getting hit again in the back, this time lower down. He crashed to the ground, more sparks and energon flying, covering the ground in a bright white-blue liquid. Shockwave found the act rather amusing, if not illogical.

"Now tell me, Optimus Prime. Why did you go and do that? Don't your men need you? Don't they need a leader?" He said coolly, walking up to him slowly. Bumblebee stepped around in front of Optimus, glaring at him through his helmet, optics blazing with anger. He held his cannon up, the blue core of it pulsing and whirring madly. Shockwave was uninterested in the little scout, reaching out, swinging back and shoving him aside with a hard shove. The camaro went flying, landing hard on his side dirt and dust flying up around him. He made a small sound of pain, trying to get back up, only to find that several rocks had lodged in between his hip connections and servos, making it hard and excruciatingly painful to move. He watched in horror as Shockwave aimed his cannon right at his leader's face.

"Of course they need a leader," Optimus choked out, his vocalizers grinding. He managed to sit up a bit, his back searing with pain as his neural wiring harness fought to deal with the sudden severs in the systems. He looked up at Shockwave, his gaze, however, unwavering. "And they have a leader. There is always a leader amongst us should one of us perish." He finished defiantly, not looking away from Shockwave at all. If he was going down, he would go down honorably, as the Leader of the Autobots that he was. Shockwave's optic slitted at the other's words, otherwise not moving.

"It's illogical to sacrifice yourself, being the Commander. Every leader should know that. Unfortunately, even our belated Lord Megatron didn't realize that. Now he rests at the bottom of his Primus-forsaken water-logged dirt ball. And as logic should dictate, those who fail in that knowledge, should not lead." His gaze was cold and still, his words almost seeming to chill the air around them as his cannon charged up. "I would wish for the Allspark grant haven for your spark, but unfortunately for you, the Allspark no longer exists. Goodbye, Optimus Prime."

:Duck.:

Optimus didn't need to be told twice as he flattened himself against the ground, pain searing through his every servo. A sudden blast of golden energy shot past him, the blast close enough that he could feel the heat from it as it went past and slammed into Shockwave's chest. Shockwave went flying, slamming into the ground as he finally went earthbound, tumbling and crashing into the rocks that surrounded the base. When he finally came to a stop, it was face up, his chest and torso smoking, energon and sparks leaking and flying out occasionally. He didn't move at all after that. The damage to his chest was extensive. Optimus managed to sit up again, turning to see who his savior was.

Sunstorm was still on the ground, but he was conscious now. One hand was facing toward Optimus, smoke rising from his palm. His aura pulsed a dull golden glow about him, dimming as he powered down to normal levels again, containing the dangerous level of radiation that he contained. The jet looked at Optimus and nodded. He wasn't fully repaired, but he had been repaired enough for him to pull together that one shot and save Optimus. He knew that Shockwave had ordered him attacked. The fact that the mech was his creator was not even enough, however, to save his life. One had to do what they could to survive, and this was it. Sunstorm was now free, able to make his own choices without the commands of Shockwave, without Shockwave inputting more and more data and personality details into his processors to make the jet as he wanted him to be. No. Sunstorm was going to be who he was, who he wanted to be, from now on. This was the choice he had made. Optimus gave him a slow nod back.

:Thank you, Sunstorm.:

:...I did what I had to do, Optimus Prime. Don't worry about it.: Was all the jet said to the Autobot leader.

Bumblebee had seen the whole thing, finding himself eternally grateful to the irradiated Decepticon jet. He laid back, feeling relieved, unaware that Ironhide was in his own battle...

"Stop teleporting and fragging fight already!" Ironhide yelled, turning again as another cloud of dust hit him in the face. Skywarp had been distracting him from the predicament that Shockwave had put Optimus into. It worked rather well, too, considering the weapons specialist was already irritated and growing more angry by the moment. Skywarp was toying with his prey, teleporting in, saying something, then disappearing again as the older mech turned to face him.

"I'll win," the jet said as he appeared on Ironhide's left, disappearing as he saw two blue optics face him. Ironhide growled again, raising a cannon and whirling in whichever direction he thought Skywarp might appear next. But it was no use. Skywarp always knew which way Ironhide was, and knew where to appear. Right in front of him was not the best option, but always behind, or to either side was the best. He reappeared again behind the other mech, reaching out and striking the specialist hard against the back of the neck, where Mikaela had made repairs earlier. Ironhide cried out in pain, his vision pixelating. The jet disappeared again, enjoying this particular torment. He didn't give Ironhide a chance to recover as he reappeared in front of him, a launcher to the Topkick's torso.

"A gift from Megatron." He said simply, the armor plates on his face forming a delicious smirk. Ironhide took the split second to raise his cannons, aiming them at the voice and firing. At the same time, Skywarp fired and warped out. He didn't escape unscathed, though. One of Ironhide's shots were close enough to him and went with the jet to the sky, where he had been teleporting to. The missile exploded into the jet's side, severely damaging him. He teleported back to the ground to avoid falling too far. Skywarp's sacrifice didn't go in vain, however. The weapons specialist lay on his back several meters away, groaning softly as sparks spat from his body. He was still able to move, but he was in quite a bit of pain.

Skywarp held his side, running diagnostics as he stepped toward the black Autobot. He found that although the wound was deep, it hadn't hit any major systems. He would still be able to fly and teleport. He stayed far enough away from Ironhide, though, to make sure he didn't get attacked again. That was the last thing he needed. First his wing, then his side. It was most likely his life next. He still wasn't willing to risk that. He backed off, wanting to retreat and recover a bit before jumping back into the fray.

Above him, the earth jets still went after and attacked Starscream and Thundercracker, even after much debate about Starscream. In the end, orders from the Pentagon won over, and the orders took priority. Both jets were doing alright so far, but Thundercracker's wound was taking it's toll. He was running out of energy, and his movements had become sluggish and ill-timed. In a desperate attempt to save his own life, he had turned to firing on the human fighters, trying his best to only disable the fliers, not kill them. He was mostly successful, but two pilots had lost their lives already. Another missile flew through the air, catching him across the opposite shoulder to his first wound. Armor broke off and connections sizzled, precious energon flying from him and down through the air. A strangled cry rang through the air as he was hit. Fire still blazed from his thrusters, and he climbed higher, firing back at any jets that came after him.

:Starscream.: Thundercracker called over internal comms, his own already breaking up. :It -as an honor ser-- with you, Sir. Ta-- --of Mikaela. Sh-- --ecial.: He managed to choke out over the comm, his energy reaching a dangerous low. His thrusters wavered, shorting out several times. He began to fall, several human jets closing in on him. He aimed his launchers at the jets, still, to this end, only trying to disable the jets. Starscream banked around, heading right for Thundercracker. He was not about to lose one of his wingmates to this. Not now. Not after everything they had been through. He would not allow that to happen.

:Thundercracker! You are not deactivating! That is an order!: He yelled, twisting and turning around the other F-22s, trying to get to his friend. He didn't like how the other's comms sounded. They were weakened and full of static. It wasn't a good sign at all.

:..S-sorry...sir. H--ve fun, huh? S-say hi...to 'Warp...for me..: Thundercracker replied weakly, a half chuckle managing through the comm. Behind him, another jet fired a missile. Starscream turned true to his name for a moment, screaming out for his friend, his thrusters going to full blast. He fired two missiles of his own, trying to knock out the one the human pilot had fired.

One second too late.

One missile missed. One missile connected. The blast was too close, and knocked Thundercracker out of commission, sending him flying for the ground. The comm went deathly silent the moment that a large dust cloud appeared, rising from the ground and heading for the sky, almost like a tribute to the great warrior. Several flashes of soft blue light occured within the dust cloud, then faded slowly.

Starscream was in rage. He flew after Thundercracker, transforming and landing with a loud thud on the ground, creating a small dust cloud around himself. He waved away the remainder of the dust as he walked to Thundercracker, kneeling down next to him. He carefully slid his hands under his friend, trying to support him. Thundercracker's optics were dark, and none of his systems were registering online. There was a very faint pulsing in his chest, but even so, that was erratic. Thundercracker was on the verge of death, and was fading. His spark was nearly gone.

"...Thundercracker..." Starscream managed, his vocalizers choked and catching. There was no response. "Thundercracker." He said more firmly, his own optics flickering in fear.

The only response he got was a final flicker of the spark that had given Thundercracker his life, and then darkness.

Skywarp had seen it all. He watched Thundercracker, his best friend and wingmate, fall from the sky and hit the ground. He saw the dust cloud form, and he saw the sparks of energy from within the cloud. He saw Starscream land near him and go to him. It was possibly the one time that he was actually scaredthat Starscream didn't scream out in rage. He teleported down behind Starscream, looking down at Thundercracker in his Wing Commander's arms. Starscream didn't even move. Skywarp knew this wasn't good. He saw Thundercracker as he took a step closer, sensing absolutely nothing from his best friend. He stared for a moment, then stepped back. All the thoughts from the past month came rushing forward. This shouldn't have happened. It should NOT have happened! If only Starscream hadn't decided to help those damned Autobots... His fists clenched in anger as it welled up inside him. He stepped back again, raising an arm. The sound of metal shifting filled the air. Starscream finally moved, his head lifting a bit.

"...He wanted...to tell you...'hi'..." Starscream said quietly, his voice scratching. He slowly laid Thundercracker back down on the ground, his own frame shaking slightly. Above, the earth jets flew past, searching for them. As it stood right now, the dust cloud hid them from view, scrambling sensors. He stood slowly, not facing the other jet.

"...He would be able to tell that to me himself if it weren't for you." Skywarp spat out, his voice laced with rage. Starscream turned to face him finally, his optics dimmed slightly. His own clawed hands remained at his sides, those hands covered in the now-darkened liquid of Thundercracker's energon.

"Skywarp, he was fighting for-"

"No! Slaggit, Starscream! It's your fault! You LEFT us! You went to help the Autobots! What the slag did they need you for? Why did you stay? You left us, and Thundercracker followed! And now he's dead! What did you hope to accomplish!? Congratulations, Starscream, you just got my best friend killed!" Skywarp snapped back, his launcher wavering at Starscream. The Wing Commander's optics shifted, watching the launcher. With a jolt, he remembered Mikaela. If he got shot...he remembered the last time Skywarp fired on him, remembered seeing her fall in pain. He took a step back.

"...Skywarp..."

"Just..." Skywarp paused a moment, shaking his head, his processors overloading with the current information. "...Tell him hi for me."

Mikaela had been sitting across the table from Simmons, trying to figure out why he had called the Air Force. She shook her head in disbelief. Nothing was making sense. Simmons had told her that when Optimus had contacted Bumblebee, he mentioned that they were going to be under attack, and that was the reason why. But what Mikaela didn't understand was why they had attacked the Autobots, not the Decepticon who had attacked them. She covered her face in confusion for a moment, then lifting her head, pushing her hair back behind her ears. She glanced over at Sam, who was wearing a circle in the floor a few feet away from pacing. Mikaela raised an eyebrow at him, growing concerned. The entire time that she had been sitting here, she felt a growing tightness in her chest. It was making her uneasy, and she was worrying more and more.

"Sam...sit down...please." She asked quietly, still trying to sort out the facts. But something in the back of her mind kept tugging at her consciousness, like a red flag. A nagging that refused to go away. She stood, herself and walked to the other side of the room, biting her lip. Sam sat down finally, watching her. He looked at Simmons, worried.

"...If something happens to her..." he said, whispering to him. Simmons waved him off, apparently unconcerned.

"She'll be fine."

Sam looked at him, not liking the answer at all, or his attitude. He looked back at Mikaela, worried as she did her own pacing. Sam was more and more worried he had made a wrong decision. There had to be a reason that she was acting this way. He began to wonder just how strong her connection with Starscream was. He bit his own lip, looking down at the table, then back at Mikaela, watching her press her back against the wall and hug herself, sliding down the wall, tears beginning to fall. Sam stood up suddenly, alarmed. Simmons looked up, a look of worry clouding his own face. He stood as well, but keeping behind Sam.

"Mikaela?!" He asked, going over to her. She shook her head violently, shaking hard.

"T-Thundercracker...he..." She started, unable to finish the sentence. Sam blinked, reaching out to her, touching her shoulder.

"...How...can you tell?" He whispered, half afraid to know. The look Mikaela gave him made him regret telling Simmons to go ahead with the plan in a split second. Her eyes were filled with tears, her cheeks wet and stained. Her hair was sticking to her face as she choked back more tears, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand, which was covered in dirt, sweat and dried blood from the cuts of earlier. Sam's heart broke, and Simmons took a step back, his own eyes widened slightly.

"...I can feel it. I can feel everything, Sam..!" She cried out, coughing, then crying again. She wiped her face again as Sam reached a hand under her chin, looking at her. He fought against his initial reaction, respecting her new choice in life. He realized too late that he had made a wrong choice. Mikaela was happy with Starscream, and he could tell her emotions were true. Furthermore, he knew that he was right. She would not have let herself get this far unless it was true for both her and Starscream. He shook his head.

"God, Mikaela...I'm so sorry..."

"..S-sorry for what...?" She managed to ask, her tears slowing as a strange worry and fear began to fill her heart and mind. She couldn't tell if it was her feelings or Starscream's...or both.

"...For doubting you. For doubting what you felt." He replied, looking at her. Mikaela stared at him, but something was wrong with her eyes. They seemed unfocused. Her eyes widened as she felt a wave of intense fear -for her-.

"...Star...no...SkywarpNO!" She screamed out suddenly, her mind filling with a horrible, intense pain.

Her entire body spasmed, and her head jerked back and hit the wall, her entire world going black in a sudden wave of silence...

A/N: I don't hate Thundercracker. As a matter of fact, he is one of my favorite characters. But the way everything played out as I wrote this, it just fell into place. It set everything up perfectly for the last scene. I hope you all enjoyed so far, and for those who want to kill me for TC's death...Can I offer chocolate and tissues? And that last "SkywarpNO!" is together on purpose.