So, when I said "It's rushed, I haven't been able to look over it," I did not realize what a FATAL mistake that would be. So I tried to emphasize in the last chapter that Sam "will die" meaning he knows he's about to die in the next few minutes and that he has to make those last few seconds count. It does not mean he is already dead, so when people started reviewing about his death my automatic reaction was wait... did I just kill Sam?! OMG I think I just accidentally killed Sam in my drunken madness to get this chapter done. After rereading the chapter I can understand where this misinterpretation comes from, and I should have emphasized some things better, but since I was in a rush, I didn't go over it as much as I would have liked. So I am deeply sorry for any confusion that has escalated as a result. No, Sam is not dead. He only blacked out and the Allspark visited him in his dreams. Once again, I am SO sorry for the mistake. Please don't kill me.

When Sam awoke again, he dully noted the lack of red sirens. In fact, there was no noise at all, only the quiet shudders of his own shallow breath. He must have been underground, and it took him a moment longer to wonder why when he felt, more than saw, Optimus' presence next to his own.

"Thank the Allspark," Optimus breathed out when Sam's optics shuttered back to life and the dim lights of his eyes glowed iridescent blue. "Optimus?" Sam choked out as the other, kneeling by his side, allowed the tension to escape his shoulders. "I'm sorry," Optimus responded immediately. "I should have been there."

Sam blinked in confusion as his processor tried to reconnect the past events only for his optics to widen in shock as he bolted upward from his position on the ground. Optimus seemed startled at the sudden movement as Sam surged forward.

Where was Megatron? What had happened?

The taller tried to stop Sam as he winced in pain from the bullet wound though he eagerly ignore this. "The Allspark! Do you have it?!" Sam shouted under his breath at the Prime who frowned at Sam's lack of self preservation before nodding his helm affirmatively in a single shake. The latter pointing towards his own chasis in confirmation where, if Sam really concentrated, could feel the soft glow of the cube partially hidden from the Prime's own EM field. Sam felt the fear flee from his own shoulders before grabbing Optimus' servos. "We need to go," Sam added before trying to drag the larger mech after him only to be stopped when Optimus refused to budge. "Optimus?" Sam asked in confusion while turning to the other and letting go, but Optimus' gaze didn't change as he continued to stare at Sam.

"That is enough," the Prime spoke in response.

"What?"

"Ante Finem. You are injured, and on the verge of rejoining the Allspark. You have done more than enough. It is time you stopped."

Sam's optics narrowed. True, he felt nothing but pain coursing all throughout his systems, and it was taking all of his concentration just to stand still. Yes, he knew he was dying, but what blasphemy was Optimus spouting out now? "And do you know where the launcher is? Do you know what the code to set the Allspark off into space is?" Sam said angrily while turning fully to glare directly into the Prime's optics. "The future is at stake here!" But Sam stopped in surprise as the other only stared back with sadness and perhaps regret. It was oddly human the way Sam could practically see Optimus Prime's spark, his soul, through the soft glow of his optics, and Sam was almost startled back into submission. Almost.

Sam then let out a deep sigh, optics shuttering closed as he felt the aches of his body once again rejoice in his moment of weakness, before turning to Optimus again. "I'm fine, okay? Let's go."

He then kindly grabbed the other's servo once again and led the Prime through the familiar basement corridors along the very path that felt all too familiar to Sam. This time Optimus said nothing in response and only followed silently, but Sam could practically hear the other's thoughts and feel the fear that emitted through their bond no matter how much both tried to hide it.

It seemed for just a moment that Orion Pax had resurfaced as Optimus found himself torn between being the friend he had always wanted to be, over being the leader he had been born to become. For each step they took, Sam left a longer trail of energon across the ground as his life literally dripped away, painted across the basement floors where they both knew he would die in only a matter of time.

The walk was only a short, yet blessed, moment of respite for Sam as they followed the bullet ridden corridors and the busted steps turned soot gray from some past battle. It was a sad, quiet walk that led Sam down memory lane as his optics followed the course of patterns and routes he had taken from his many trips across Cybertron's vivid world. At the same time, it was disheartening to see it all end here in such a dark, pitiful conclusion.

Sam then stopped before heaving out another sigh. "It's a tight squeeze, but stay close," he then said to Optimus before reaching his servos out into the abyss of darkness. His digits grazing the wall as he prodded through the seemingly endless void of space. And true as he had left it, untouched by the outside war zone, was the door.

They entered a large, circular room that seemed to glow in ethereal light as the panels slowly began to light up as they walked. The slow drawl of the machines awakening alerting Sam to their mechanisms like some musical lullaby. It was enchanting, but Optimus seemed almost withdrawn as he walked around the room in surprise. It was almost as if the slow realization was beginning to dawn upon him. This room is Sam's life work. It would be his one, final contribution to the war.

Optimus watched as Sam then walked towards the center of the room. A large dais followed by the sweeping hold of the launcher's main frame taking up a majority of the room with the cannon pointed at the sky in some grand, regal show. Sam only spared a glance at the other before typing away at the pad much to Optimus' confusion as he stared at the strange keys before them. It was nothing like the computers Optimus had ever seen before, and he reluctantly agreed that he would have been lost if not for Sam's strange expertise as the smaller mech began typing furiously away at the strange, foreign signs. The letters were not Cybertronian. Instead they appeared more simple yet all the more confusing.

"What code is this?" Optimus asked as Sam paused to allow the computer to update. "English," was his only curt response though Optimus could clearly here some amusement in the other's tone coupled with silent mirth.

Letters than emerged across the screen at an alarming rate and Optimus could only watch Sam type one final sentence across the monitor.

Launch code [before the end].

Optimus could only stare at the strange letters, unfamiliar with their meaning or the content of their sounds, yet he tried to burn the image across his memory all the same. "It's done," Sam breathed out before sinking to the floor and leaning his back against the wall. "It will take just a moment for the system to reboot, but once it's done, you can launch the Allspark through the compartment there." It was only now that as Optimus turned to look at Sam, he could see the exhaustion settle in the other's form. The energon all but gone now and they both knew that Sam could no longer get up.

"I'll get Ratchet."

Sam let out a broken laugh. "No, don't get Ratchet." If Ratchet was given the opportunity to save him, no matter how small, the medic would try and the regret would follow him for an eternity. "No, just sit with me and wait," Sam whispered softly as his optics began to close and the lights dimmed to only a pale, almost nonexistent glow.

Optimus hesitated but sat next to him. The silence only lasted for a short moment before Optimus let out a shuddering breath. "I remember, a distant, vague memory. Something you showed me back when we knew each other as brothers. It was colorful and beautiful yet filled with such emotions that even now, I remember. I saw those very same images again last lunar cycle."

Sam stopped in a moment of confusion before letting out a half choked laugh. "You weren't supposed to see that," he whispered. Remotely, distantly, he could barely remember those bitter memories. His emotions of happiness at seeing everyone alive again, if only for a fleeting second in his own mind, were far too real to forget. At least there reality had seemed much sweeter. "Our bond had become so strong, I had unknowingly showed you dreams."

Optimus startled. Though it appeared that he was quickly excited by any prospect to keep Sam awake if only for a little while longer. "What are dreams?" he asked but Sam was already loosing his sight. His hearing following quickly behind as his glossa felt sluggish. "Dreams are possibilities...all the could haves..." he breathed out softly. The pain of speaking overcoming his desire to stay awake. Optimus was about to prompt him for more answers only to be stopped by the machines soft whirring as everything buzzed to life.

Optimus faltered as Sam watched heavily, spark settling into an uneven thrum as his body slowly powered down with death creeping into his systems. If Optimus didn't send the cube, the war would never reach Earth. Sam would have a normal life. He would never face the pains of war, he wouldn't die, not until he grew old through the twilight of his years when time took its toll rather than a bullet, and he would never have to face this eternal cycle of life and death. But he knew this was a death, a punishment, far worse than the alternative. So with a heavy spark, he whispered quietly, "Do it. It's the only way."

The capsule closed, a whiz of rushing air coming from the external engines as the launch pad buzzed to life. Then, with a sudden brush of wind, it was gone. It was finally done, but Sam didn't have time to feel relief as the world erupted in a sound of screaming and flashing bullets.

Optimus ducked to protect Sam from the flying entourage but Sam's vision had already become blurry and his optics slowly began to offline with his processor fuzzing in and out. The screaming, the sounds, the flashing lights all became distant and whirred together in a single morphed picture. Finally, Sam, with no struggle, let everything fade to black.

Okay. NOW he's dead.

If you couldn't tell the code to the launcher was before the end. Just to clear up any possible confusion.

Thank you for reading! Just one more chapter.