Beep beep beep.

"PRIME! What in blazes are your people doing out here?!"

Nova covered her ears at the volume of Agent Fowler's voice as it erupted from the computer.

"We had an agreement!" Fowler continued as the Autobots gathered around. "No collateral damage!"

"I am sorry, Agent Fowler," Optimus denied, gesturing to the Autobots around him. "But all Autobots are present and accounted for."

"Then explain to me why I'm receiving reports of two jumbo-sized 'bots mixing it up twenty miles outside Ohio?"

"Decepticons?" Ratchet inquired.

"There has been a lot of infighting lately," agreed Arcee. "Megatron can't seem to keep his ranks in line."

"I'm just arriving on the scene," explained Fowler, leaning back in his jet cockpit seat restraints. "Have a look."

An image of a miniature war zone popped up on the computer from the aerial view of the helicopter. The camera zoomed in on one opponent, obviously a Decepticon, but a Decepticon who looked familiar to Bulkhead.

"I dunno," he said. "Paint job aside, it can't be Skyquake. You and Optimus pounded him into the ground."

"Before Starscream yanked him back out as some kind of undead Terrorcon," Arcee pointed out. "The question still stands; who's the dance partner?"

"Who's Skyquake?" Nova wanted to know.

"Later," Ratchet said, fixing his eyes on the image as it zoomed in on the other Cybertronian, who ducked behind his ship to return fire against the Decepticon.

"By the Allspark! It is one of ours!" Ratchet realized.

"Wheeljack?" Bulkhead laughed and slammed his comrades heartily in the back. "He-hey! Jackie's back!"

"I don't care if Abraham Lincoln's back!" Fowler yelled angrily. "We have to contain this situation before we all wind up on the eleven-o'clock news!"

His face blipped out of sight, and Nova turned to Optimus.

"So, what do we do?" she asked.

Optimus set her down on the platform. "Ratchet will remain at base and monitor communications," he ordered. "The rest of us will aid Wheeljack."

"Great!" Nova scrambled down the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of the Groundbridge. "Now I finally get to meet the Wrecker Miko's always telling me about."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The first thing Nova saw when she stepped out of the Groundbridge was a white and green warrior kneeling on the ground in the darkness, a blast mark fresh on his shoulder, and as the team split up to surround the mysterious Decepticon, she saw Agent Fowler's jet flying overhead.

The Decepticon began to fire ruthlessly upon Bulkhead and Optimus, who were charging down the grassy strip to his left, making the night air light up with flashes of red laser fire. Bulkhead returned the attack with a few shots of his own, and Nova, running by Optimus' side, saw the warrior withdraw as the two Autobots reached the fallen wrecker.

"Jackie!" Bulkhead cried, reaching down to support Wheeljack, who grunted in pain when his arm was jostled. Optimus looked at the two of them briefly, ensuring that the warrior would last, and Wheeljack grinned up at him.

"What took you?"

Meanwhile, Arcee and Bumblebee were taking heavy fire near the gasoline station, but so far had been able to hold their own, and the Decepticon retreated to hide behind a building when he noticed a jet airplane flying overhead.

"That will do," he said, and Nova saw two green laser beams shoot out of his eyes as he scanned Fowler's plane, and the agent's irritated yell burst out of the comm-link.

"Aaugh, not this again!"

Once the scanners had done their work, Dreadwing shut them off and began to run in the opposite direction.

From Nova's position, Wheeljack drew his blaster and leapt to his feet. "Oh, no, you don't!"

"Wheeljack!" Optimus warned.

"Jackie, no!" Bulkhead shouted, but it was too late. Wheeljack opened fire on the Decepticon, and one of his stray lasers hit a fuel pump underneath the roof of the old station.

It was a magnificent explosion, the plume of vibrant fire billowing hundreds of feet upwards, and through the flames, the Autobots saw the Decepticon's new winged form blast out of the smoke and streak off into the sky with a fading roar.

Wheeljack sent a few more shots after the Seeker in a last-ditch effort to stop him, but the Decepticon was too fast, and disappeared into the night.

"Dreadwing rigged the place to blow," he said, frustratedly deactivating his blasters as Bulkhead came to his side.

"Dreadwing?" Bulkhead asked, but was interrupted by Arcee.

"Actually, that was your handiwork, Sparky," she said, scowling up at him.

"It's called a gas station," explained Bulkhead. "Kinda like an Energon depot. Doesn't mix well with blaster fire."

"Huh. Well, our 'Con's getting away," said Wheeljack, turning to go.

The Wrecker was halted by Optimus, who stood directly in his path. "Wheeljack, there are other considerations." His voice became grave. "While upon this world, you would do well to follow my lead."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Back at the base, Wheeljack squirmed and jerked away from Ratchet's welding flame.

"Ow! Take it easy, Doc. I need that arm."

"Hold still and maybe you'll keep it," Ratchet responded, turning on the welder again.

Wheeljack turned to Optimus as the medic resumed his work. "Look, Commander, apologies for the fireworks. Won't happen again. But I've tracked Dreadwing across a hundred lightyears of space."

"I thought you were roaming the galaxy, yunno, searching for Autobot refugees," Bulkhead said.

"I was, 'til I found one," Wheeljack responded, bowing his head. "A Wrecker."

"Who?!" Bulkhead asked excitedly.

"Seaspray," responded Wheeljack, with no joy in his voice.

"Ha!" Bulkhead roared in glee. "How is ol' Barnacle Butt?"

"Not so good, Bulk," responded his friend, looking up again through the sparks of the welding flame. "Blown to bits, actually."

"What?" Bulkhead stepped back, appalled. "No."

"Dreadwing," Optimus realized.

Wheeljack began to tell the tale. "My flyer, the Jackhammer, picked up his signal a couple of light years from Madera. We made contact, and arranged a rendezvous in the Dromadon system. But Dreadwing must have intercepted the transmission, 'cause he got to Seaspray first."

He paused. "Proximity bomb. Supposed to take us both out. Guess I should be glad the Jackhammer can take a punch. I picked up Dreadwing's ion trail; tracked him through a dozen solar systems before catching up with him. I shot him down, and he led me right back to this marble."

The flame of the welder flickered in the reflection in his eyes as he paused again. "Some coincidence, huh?"

"I know of this Dreadwing," Optimus said. "He was captain of a Seeker armada, and, as such, like his twin brother Skyquake, fiercely loyal to the Decepticon cause. Dreadwing has no doubt traveled to Earth to pay allegiance to his one true master."

Wheeljack wrestled out from under Ratchet's hands once again and got to his feet. "Hope he's enjoying the visit, 'cause it's gonna be his last," he said, making a fist.

"Ugh," Ratchet groaned impatiently.

But Optimus had other ideas. "Wheeljack, this planet is heavily inhabited. Any strike we make against the Decepticons must be carefully measured, as a team, lest we risk endangering the human population."

Nova nodded at this, but Wheeljack wore an expression of anger on his face.

"Are you suggestin' we just sit back and do nothing?"

"You! Loose cannon!" Agent Fowler's voice erupted from the human corner as he marched past Nova and over to the railing closest to Wheeljack. "Your cowboy antics almost blew our cover!"

"Cover?" Wheeljack asked, confused.

"We're robots in disguise, Jackie," Bulkhead explained. "You need an Earth-based vehicle mode outside of here."

"That spaceship you shot down?" Fowler growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "Not Earth-based! I had to jump through some big hoops to get it hauled outta plain sight. You need to keep a tighter leash on your people, Prime!"

"A tighter leash?" Wheeljack said, turning toward the human angrily. "Lemme clarify, Tiny."

"Jackie…" Bulkhead warned.

Wheeljack lowered his face so Fowler could see its expression clearly over the railing, and spat out his words. "I'm not one of Optimus Prime's people."

He stalked away angrily, leaving Fowler scowling in his wake.

"I'll talk to him — uh, with your permission," Bulkhead said to Optimus.

The Prime nodded. "Of course."

Fowler put his hands on his hips. "So, the new guy has a problem with authority."

"Wheeljack and Bulkhead served together in the Wreckers," Optimus explained. "A commando unit that operated outside the normal chain of command."

"Hm. Black Ops," Fowler said distastefully.

"They accepted missions no one else would, and many of them did not come back."

Fowler sighed. "Look, I get this guy's a Bot with some pretty big chops, but I need you all to tell him he needs to rein in the stunt show before our cover gets blown. I'm already on a knife's edge with General Bryce up at the fort. If this happens again, who knows what the head honchos might decide to do with you."

"Understood, Agent Fowler," replied Optimus, and the human turned to go, disappearing as the elevator doors closed with a chunk.

"Optimus," Nova said, walking past Bumblebee to stand next to her guardian. "I have to talk to you about something."

The Prime knelt to speak to her. "What is troubling you, Nova?"

She kept her eyes steady, rooting her gaze to his face, and gave a small smile, desperately trying to slow her racing heart.

Last night had been one of the worst nights she had ever experienced. She had not breathed a word of her conversation with her brother to Optimus, and had been plagued by terror the entire night. Images of Coby, pursuing her through white halls and rotting graves, had haunted her dreams, and when she woke all she could think about was his presence, drawing closer and closer to her. To the others.

Nova had tried to ignore her worries. She had dutifully told herself that she was getting all worked up over nothing; that Coby was too far away to make any serious attempt on her life, and Optimus would protect her in any event.

But no amount of reasoning could get rid of her nightmares. MECH had crossed a line when they kidnapped Jack's mom, and another line when they had disabled Bumblebee. They had no qualms about murdering someone to draw her out, they had no other enemy who had enough experience to stop them, and now that they had a way to track her, she was putting everyone else in danger. She had no idea how far Coby's range stretched. It was very likely he was being ordered to track her that very night.

For the first few fitful hours, Nova had been rudely launched awake every twenty minutes, cold sweat making sleep impossible. Her imagination ran wild, painting gruesome pictures of every possible thing MECH would do to her once they discovered where she lived.

Eventually, too fearful to rest, Nova decided something had to be done. Coby was coming, and she had to stop him. Waiting around for him to find her would only prolong her misery and put everyone in greater danger.

Getting out of bed, she had completely abandoned sleep and begun to practice her lie, perfecting her tone of voice and facial expressions until the sun had risen. She hoped it would be enough to fool Optimus now.

"Oh, I was just wondering if I could use the Groundbridge for something," she said, as naturally as possible.

"If you require transport, I can drive you," Optimus offered.

She cleared her throat. "Actually, I was thinking of being on my own this time."

"On your own?" He frowned a little. "Why?"

Nova shrugged. "Well, I've had a hard time sleeping lately-"

At these words, Optimus' eyes softened.

"I apologize, Nova," he said kindly. "I know I have been too occupied for conversation of late, but if you require company, I can-"

"Oh, no, that's not what I meant," Nova said, smiling a little too wide. "I don't want to bother you. I just think it would be nice to go out and see the world a little, you know? I haven't been outside for fun in a while."

"You wish to … go for a walk?" Optimus asked skeptically. "At a distance from our base which would require a Groundbridge?"

Nova nodded. "Is that all right?"

Optimus tilted his head, and Nova began to sweat. This was bad. He was too invested; too worried about her. This was supposed to be simple.

"I believe it would be more prudent to explore the area surrounding our base," he suggested. "I know that Jack lives in the town. Perhaps he could take you -"

"Well, actually," Nova interrupted. "If I'm being honest, I want to visit the place I used to live."

It was a lie. She could not even remember the place she used to live. But it was too late to stop now.

"You know, it might help with my … dreams and things," she said softly. "To say goodbye."

Optimus gave a nod. "So … you wish to revisit your home?"

Nova raised her eyebrows. "Don't you?"

That simple question had a profound effect on the Prime. His mouth suddenly tightened, and his eyes darted to the side in an effort to hide the flicker of emotion which passed through them.

Nova winced. She hadn't meant to go that far.

"I – I believe Ratchet has been rationing our Energon supply with more vigilance of late," Optimus said, getting to his feet. "You should ask him if we have enough to spare for an excursion."

Nova tilted her head upward. "So, you'll let me go?"

Optimus was silent, looking down at her. Nova could tell he badly wanted to go with her, but he had a responsibility to his Autobots that he needed to uphold. She knew he couldn't go gallivanting around the country for one human child. That was what she was counting on.

"I will allow you to do what I cannot," Optimus said at last. "You may go home."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"New Hampshire?" Ratchet asked incredulously. "Why in the world would you want to go there?"

"I told you, I want to visit my home."

The medic snorted. "You never told us you lived in New Hampshire."

"You never asked me."

"That doesn't give you the excuse to just go out in the middle of who-knows-where. What if you get in trouble and die?"

Nova frowned. "I can take care of myself."

"No, you can't. You have a knack for finding trouble." Ratchet gestured to her side. "The first time you went out alone, you almost died. Less than a week later, you almost lost your ability to transform. Who knows what might happen this time around?"

"You aren't scaring me, Ratchet."

"You're scaring me. Do you know how dangerous it is for you on this planet? What if the Decepticons detect your Spark signature and go after you?"

The half-spark cocked her head. "I'm not going out on a mission, Ratchet. I just want to go home for a little while. It will make me feel better."

She turned doleful eyes up at the grouchy old medic, using the softest voice possible. "Please?"

Ratchet was silent for a moment, staring her in the eyes. Then he grumbled something under his breath and began to key in the coordinates.

"Fine. But in case of emergencies, I'm putting a location and vitals tracker on you, just like everyone else. And this time, young lady," he said, pointing a finger at her. "If you get hurt, I'll fix you up and then kill you myself."

"I'll be careful, Ratchet," Nova said, walking toward the open portal. "And I'll be back soon."

"See that you are."

She disappeared as a flash of light into the Groundbridge, and Ratchet was left alone. At least, he was alone until Optimus entered the room.

"Optimus, I can't say I agree with your decision to let her go out alone."

"I have my own misgivings as well, old friend," the Prime replied, standing with him at the computer and looking out at the two other Autobots as they departed to retrieve their human allies. "But I believe Nova has grown stronger in the weeks past, and this is something she must do."

"But alone? She's a human, remember. Granted, she's a cyber-human-hybrid with powers we don't even know about yet, but she is still a child, and she's gotten hurt before. Are you really all right with this?"

Optimus shook his head. "No. That is why I came to speak with you. If you have any reason to believe she is in danger, contact me immediately."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

In the cleft in the rock outside the silo that night, Wheeljack leaned against his mini starfighter, the Jackhammer, while Bulkhead approached him in concern.

"Jackie, look. Even if it weren't for the humans, we couldn't take on the Cons right now. We're outnumbered."

I can't believe this. Wheeljack turned to him with an indignant glare on his face, and began to list off the names of their fallen team members. "Roadbuster, Pyro, Impactor, Rotorstorm, Seaspray — all dust."

"That's what I'm talking about," Bulkhead agreed. "Wreckers are Autobots. There just aren't that many of us left." He looked to the ground for an instant in sad remembrance of their team as it once was, but the confidence built in his voice as he continued. "But if we get behind Optimus, we have a chance to end this, once and for all."

Wheeljack smirked. "Guys like Optimus, they talk a good game, but when you're in the scrap, they don't want to get their hands dirty."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Bulkhead said seriously. "You don't know Optimus like I do. Being a Wrecker meant everything to me, but I left that behind—"

"—Because Prime was the real thing blah, blah, blah." His partner rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, both of them heard a beeping alert pinging from inside the ship. They both went inside to investigate, and heard a surly voice growl out:

"Wheeljack, I know you're out there, listening. I have a proposition for you."

Bulkhead stared at the communicator. "Is that?—"

Bracing his arms against the chair, Wheeljack leaned toward the computer. "Dreadwing."

"Meet me at these coordinates, if you have the Spark."

A point of red light shone on the global map inside the cockpit, a place Bulkhead recognized as West Virginia.

Wheeljack grinned. "I'll see you there, Con, just to watch you fry."

The communicator snapped off, and Wheeljack began to adjust the controls as Bulkhead looked over his friend's shoulder.

"Jackie, it's a trap," he warned.

"I know, but when has that ever stopped me?" Wheeljack replied, casually adjusting the flight settings as the engines hummed to life.

"You coming with?" he asked brightly.

After a moment of consideration, Bulkhead eased into the copilot's chair next to his partner. "At least let me call for backup."

Wheeljack chuckled. "You know Wreckers don't call for backup."

Bulkhead smiled, and they both shouted out the old Wrecker motto:

"They call for clean-up!"

They slammed hands, and a few minutes later, the Jackhammer blasted out of the cliff and rocketed out away from the silo, leaving the base far behind in the night of Nevada.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The forest was quiet that night, except for the normal noises which so characterized it — the rustling of leaves, the buzzing of insects, the cries of owls — and through the patches of the foliage Nova could see stars peering down at her as if to wish her good luck. She looked closer, and realized that the three glimmering points of light were those of Orion's Belt.

She sighed. Why am I stalling?

"Fowler? Agent Fowler, can you hear me?"

"You've reached Special Agent William Fowler. I am currently on an intensive training retreat, and unavailable until Tuesday."

Great.

"Coby," Nova said into the night, listening to the leaves rustle above her head. "I know you can hear me. I know you're close. It's time we ended this."

There was a silence, and then, borne along to her mind like the wind in the leaves came a shadow of a thought as Coby responded:

So be it … traitor.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Wheeljack trod lightly on the undergrowth of the forest as he spotted the dark figure ahead, glinting slightly in the evening light.

"I wasn't certain you'd come," Dreadwing said, turning to face him.

"I don't like unfinished business," the Wrecker replied, holding his hand at the ready next to his hip grenade. Dreadwing did the same as well, and an intense silence followed. The two warriors, tensed for action, glared at each other with their hands at the ready, coiled and waiting for who would make the first move.

Suddenly, Dreadwing flung out his three-pointed grenade into the air, streaking directly towards the Wrecker, and Wheeljack did the same, hurling his green grenade straight. The two explosives collided in midair in a flash of smoke and fire, triggering a huge explosion which blew the two combatants backward.

Dreadwing recovered his footing, peering into the smoke. Within seconds, Wheeljack emerged, sprinting towards Dreadwing and leaping into the air with his swords drawn and glinting in the moonlight.

"RAAUGH!" Wheeljack roared, falling out of the air and landing solidly, his swords embedded in the ground where Dreadwing had stood mere seconds ago. The Decepticon, instead of staying and returning blade for blade as Wheeljack had expected, turned on his heel and began to run in the opposite direction. Wheeljack, ripping his swords out of the ground, slid his facemask over his mouth and gave chase, brandishing his blades threateningly.

Dreadwing leaped over a dip in the ground and began to slide down the earthy hill, with Wheeljack close behind him, and when they had reached the bottom the two combatants found themselves in a sort of valley, with solid walls of rock and earth bordering either side. Running on just before the Wrecker, Dreadwing pulled out his remote detonator and pressed the activation button with a sneer on his face.

Wheeljack, just behind him, leaped into the air just as a grenade exploded directly off the cliff face to the side of him, clearing the blast with a victorious shout.

"Is that all you got?" he taunted as he hit the ground running, and another grenade exploded off of the right wall, causing him to halt for a split second to avoid incineration. Once the fire passed, however, Wheeljack continued the chase, and pursued Dreadwing right into a dead end, the end of the valley.

Finally, we got him cornered.

Wheeljack removed his battle-mask and looked upward to the top of the hill. "If you're thinking about flying outta here…"

"…Think again," Bulkhead finished from above, drawing his blasters and leveling them directly down at Dreadwing.

Dreadwing turned to face his attacker, looked Wheeljack in the eye, and smiled.

An uneasy feeling arose in Wheeljack's mind. Something's not right.

The Wrecker's gaze shot up to where his friend stood with his blasters drawn, and spotted something he hadn't seen before. A grenade, planted by Dreadwing beforehand, was set directly underneath Bulkhead's position, and it was rapidly beeping.

"Bulkhead!" Wheeljack burst out, but his warning came too late. The grenade exploded in a plume of red flame, and the unstable cliff on which Bulkhead stood crumbled beneath his feet.

"GEEEAAGH!" Bulkhead roared, slipping and sliding down the slope with the mountain of rocks. Openmouthed in shock, Wheeljack flung up his arms instinctively to cover his face and bent under the crushing weight of the rockslide, instantly buried in the rumbling darkness.

Dust rose from the valley as Dreadwing shot out of the pit in his aerial mode, but he transformed and landed solidly on the earth above the mound of rocks a second later, proudly surveying his work.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Leaning against a tree with her arms crossed over her knees, Nova started out of her doze as she heard a twig snap next to her ear.

Coby.

She leaped to her feet, her armor ready, and flung out her blasters, scanning the forest wildly. No one was to be seen, but Coby's burning presence was very near. It felt as though she could reach out and touch him.

"Finally awake, huh?" a voice chuckled from of the bushes.

"Coby, I've come to give you one more chance," Nova said, holding her blasters at the ready. "Come out where I can see you."

"No thanks," he said, remaining in the bushes. "You should go home. It's too late for me."

"It's never too late, Coby." Nova stood upright, and deactivated her blasters, extending her hands in the general direction of his voice. "Come back with me. We can take care of you."

He chuckled. "No, you can't."

"Stop being so obstinate," Nova growled, stamping her foot despite herself. "Why are you so loyal to Cylas, anyway? All he's done is take things from you. Our parents would never do what he's done."

A snort. "You don't even remember our parents."

"I remember we had parents," Nova said firmly.

Coby was silent for a moment.

"Did we?" he murmured.

"Yes," she replied. "And that's enough for me."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes, I do," Nova repeated firmly. "You can leave that behind, Coby. Leave MECH and come back with me."

"Maybe I can't leave," Coby snapped. "Have you ever thought of that? Maybe I don't have a choice."

Nova frowned. "Everyone has a choice."

In response, Coby just laughed. "If you think that's true, you're stupider than I thought."

"It is true!" Nova insisted. "One of the Cybertronians taught me so. His name is Optimus. He's very kind, I promise. He can help you."

As she talked, she saw a dark form rise out of the bushes, standing head and shoulders above the tall undergrowth. His back was turned to her.

"Help me?" he repeated softly. "No one can help me now."

Nova moved closer, deactivating one of her blasters. "Trust me, Coby. They're good. All of them. They can protect us."

Coby spoke stiffly. "You have three seconds to go back where you came from. If you're still here when I turn around…" His shoulders straightened. "I am going to kill you."

Shaking, knowing this was the stupidest thing she had ever done, Nova reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

In an instant, something hard slammed into her temple, and she toppled to the ground, spots flashing before her eyes.

Choking out a groan, Nova wedged her elbows beneath her chest and pushed, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain as she got to her feet.

Subject Omega laughed.

"Aww," he said. "Look at the little traitor, trying to get up."

Nova sent her fist flying into his face, and it connected with his jawbone with a violent crack. He reeled back from the impact with a growl, stumbling away from her and whipping out his sword.

"Idiot," he snarled. "I was trained for five years by Silas himself! You think you can beat me?"

He rushed at her, and Nova felt a swish of air against her armor as she reared back, his fist missing her face by a hair's breadth. Before she could recover, he swung his other arm around and struck her a mighty blow in the skull.

Her head snapped back on her neck.

Nova staggered away, her eyes welling up with tears from the impact, but before she could reorient herself, her opponent delivered a sharp kick to her gut. The awful pop she felt when her back struck a tree was not encouraging, nor was the sudden snap of her helmet deactivating.

He chuckled at the sound of her gasping for breath.

Nova trembled, her ears ringing. Stuck on her hands and knees, her head hung low on her shoulders. Her face felt frozen in a tight grimace as she clutched at herself, trying to hold back the pain of her spine being bruised once more.

Subject Omega stood above her with a gloating stance and swept his sword back as she struggled to push her shaking body away from the tree.

"Tell me, Alpha," he crowed. "While you were so busy being a traitor and having fun with your new alien friends, did you ever think of your brother?"

His raised the blue-edged blade on his arm as he hissed: "While you were free to do and think as you wished, did you ever think of me?"

His sword whistled as it descended out of the air and streaked towards Nova's head, but she raised her arms to protect herself, and the blade glanced off her vambrace, sending sparks flying.

"That's not true!" Nova grunted, her helmet snapping over her face as her hands trembled on his blade. "I - I thought you were dead."

"Same old lie," Coby scoffed.

With a growl, Nova brought her knee up to Coby's wrist and slammed his sword to the side, unsheathing her own swords quickly and stopping the laser-edged blades an inch away from his neck.

Then, once she had his attention, she pulled them away, gazing at her brother with compassion.

"It's true," she said earnestly. "And I'm sorry I left without you. But I'm here for you now. I can help you, Coby."

He shook his head. "No, you can't."

Coby knocked her sword away and delivered a savage left hook into her jaw, sending her body reeling back as he stood upright once more.

With a guttural roar, he lunged at her throat.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Optimus?" Ratchet called. "Come and look at this."

"What is it, old friend?"

"Nova's vital monitors began to spike a few minutes ago," Ratchet explained, pointing to her ID on the computer. "She's still in her Groundbridged location, but now she's becoming more active."

"Are there any known assailants in her immediate area?" Optimus inquired.

"Yes. One. I'm detecting an intermittent Spark signature directly located at her position. It could be the Omega Centurion, or else—"

"She could be facing a Decepticon," Optimus finished.

His face grew grave as he turned towards the Groundbridge. "I am going after her."

"Wait, Optimus," Ratchet called, an urgent tone in his voice. "For the moment, Nova's Spark integrity and her vital levels are holding steady. In the meantime, there's something else you need to see."

He pointed to another location on the map, where a familiar green facial ID popped up.

"Bulkhead's signal," he said. "Over a thousand miles from here. And I would have to assume that Wheeljack is with him."

"Have you attempted contact?"

Ratchet turned to look at him. "No response."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Ugh!" Nova shuddered, reeling back after a blow to her face.

"You can stop all of this, you know," Coby said matter-of-factly, rearing back his blade. "Just kill me."

"I won't," Nova growled, leaping to her feet and wrenching the sword closer to herself. With a sharp jab her elbow, she broke the blade in half and hurled it away into the forest, the little half-weapon spinning through the air and out of sight.

Then, she sprang forward and hit him in the face, jabbing and striking him wherever she found an opening. Her attacks were enough to drive the Centurion to his knees, and only then did she stop.

"It doesn't have to be this way," she pleaded, leaning down to look into his face. "I want you to come back with me. Please, Coby. You can have a home again. A family."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, locking eyes with him. "And I promise, I'll never leave you behind again."

He froze.

Slowly, Coby reached up and took her hand, looking into her eyes with sudden anguish, and for an instant, Nova saw the same old Coby she remembered; his childlike eyes looking into her own with an earnest plea. For an instant, it looked as though he had changed his mind.

Then she felt him brace his knee against her torso. With a slanted grin, Coby gripped her hand and twisted it, wrenching her arm backwards and causing her to arc her body in agony.

"Yes, you will," he said hatefully. "It's all you ever do."

Enraged, Nova flung a roar from her throat and snapped her arm out of his grip, slamming him in the face with her knee.

"Nngh!"

He fell to the ground, dazed, and Nova stood above him in furious triumph.

"You're not going to listen, are you?" Unsheathing her blue-edged sword, Nova placed the humming blade to her brother's neck, and she glared down at him. "I have to stop this."

"Go ahead! Kill me!" the Omega Sentinel roared, blood flying from his mouth. "C'mon! Do it! What are you waiting for? Kill me!"

"You think I won't?" she snarled.

"I think you can't," Coby sneered, pressing his neck up to her blade tauntingly, and laughing harshly when she jerked it away.

"See? You can't hurt me. You're too much of a hero for that." He spat a glob of Energon-laced spittle at her feet. "Pathetic."

"You would kill me in a heartbeat," Nova growled, clenching her fist tighter beneath her sword.

He pushed her sword away, grunted, and raised himself up on his elbows, looking at her with the most vile leer plastered on his face.

"Because I hate you," he rasped.

The look of utter loathing in his eyes made Nova step back. That wasn't her brother anymore.

"Coby, what did they do to you?" she whispered.

"You know something?" Coby said in a low voice, his grin widening. "Now that I know where you live, there's a little idea coming to me. It would be really nice to kill all those other little punks you hang out with."

The kids...

Nova swallowed. "You wouldn't."

"I could mount their heads on a wall — have a little set of trophies, one-two-three. Like that kid with the glasses. What was his name…" He pretended to think. "Ah! Raf, isn't it?"

At Nova's sudden blanch, Coby grinned. "It would be so fun to hear Raf's little neck snapping under my—"

"No!" Nova roared, her eyes rimmed with red. "Why are you saying this? My brother would never say something like that!"

"Don't you see?" he shrugged. "Your brother's gone. You took too long. You left him to die."

"Just stop it!" Nova cried, her voice threatening to break. "Stop acting like this, and come back with me! Whatever Silas did to you; I can fix it. I'll find a way!"

"Like you found a way to rescue me?" Coby demanded, his eyes full of wretched malice. The look in his eyes frightened her.

"Face it, coward," he hissed. "If you let me live, I'll never stop. First, I'll visit Rafael's house, and I'll kill his whole family, and then I'll move on to the next one with the single mom, and then I'll find the last one—" he chuckled. "—And I'm gonna kill them all. Slowly. Do you hear me? I'll kill them all, and make you watch!"

"Why?" Nova hissed through clenched jaw.

"Because they aren't worthy of life!" he growled. "They're lower lifeforms; pathetic and weak and worthless. You'll see. One day, machines will carry the world forward. Silas showed me the future of humanity, and it all starts with us!"

"Don't say this!" Nova pleaded, her hands trembling. "Coby! Don't say this!"

"I'll do more than say it." His eyes were wild as he leapt to his feet and launched a fist into her jaw.

As her armored assailant flew into her again and again, Nova's vision became curiously blurred, more and more, running together in a dizzying blend of shadows.

As her brother's fist rammed into her jaw, Nova reeled back and fell to her knees, unable to even raise her head.

Dimly, she wondered who had been dripping Energon all over the ground.

"You think you've won?" a voice hissed in her ear. "Right now, Silas is building Project Chimera. He'll have it ready any day now. He'll use it to destroy your little alien friends, and then he'll move on to the humans. Any man, woman, or child who stands against him will be destroyed!"

Coby laughed evilly. "And I will be the one who sends them to their deaths!"

Gathering all her strength, Nova got to her feet and lifted her sword one more time.

With barely any effort, Coby knocked her blade away, and thrust his own sword into her stomach. The sputtering laser's edge pierced Nova's armor and sent her staggering back, gasping for breath as she clutched her side.

"C-Coby," she said, tears falling down her face as she fell to one knee. Dark blue blood trickled from the wound and dripped out of her fingers. Her side burned in agony, her cauterized muscles contracting painfully at the edges the wound, but that barely registered in her mind.

Her brother was truly gone.

But Coby didn't allow her to process anything. He delivered a harsh kick to the center of her back, sending her to the ground with her armor flying apart.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance," he said. "Too bad you didn't have the guts."

His sword flipped to a blaster, and he shot her in the leg, dragging a scream from the half-spark's throat.

"You're just going to take it like that?" Coby demanded. "The mighty half-spark's just going to die without a fight?"

Nova looked up at him, terror and grief contorting her face.

"Stop," she choked. "Please…"

Coby leaned down, pressing his blaster against her exposed jaw.

"Bye, sis."

Screaming, Nova arched her back and thrust her fist into his stomach.

The laser from Coby's blaster thudded harmlessly into the dirt next to Nova's face, as the blade from her shaking wrist shot up into his armor.

Leaning heavily on her blade, Coby took in a trembling breath, looking down at her with wide eyes, his gaze burning into her soul. Nova's sword trembled on her wrist, as though it was appalled to be buried so deeply into Coby's chest.

Gravity tilting his body to the side, Coby slid from Nova's sword and toppled to the ground.

"...Coby?"

Her anger disappearing, Nova sucked in a breath and wrestled herself off the ground, scrambling over to kneel beside her brother. "Coby?"

He did not respond. His helmet was turned away from her.

It took Nova a minute to register what had happened. Her body was tense, her mind running on the defensive as she eyed him warily, waiting for him to get up and attack her again.

But he didn't.

Her eyes widening, Nova looked down at him, her lips mouthing silent words as she sat back on her ankles and deactivated her sword.

After a second, she reached out for him with trembling fingers, then stopped, and looked down at her hands.

"He — I couldn't — I didn't…" she stammered, sobs racking her shoulders. "What have I done?"

Coby's body blurred as her eyes filled with tears.

Gasping, Nova began to weep in earnest, and hot tears rolled down her face and dripped into the dirt. She leaned forward, curling her body around her wound, as she collapsed into wrenching sobs. "What have I done?"

The forest gave no answer. For a long time, all Nova could hear was her own heart pounding in her ears, and her own voice hitching in her throat.

Then, a different noise came to her ears.

"Thanks..." said Coby softly, shocking her out of her daze.

Nova sat up. "Coby!"

She scrambled over to him and knelt by his side, seizing his hand and clutching it in her own. "Coby!"

"C-careful," he grunted, his body jerking a bit. "I'm dying here."

"Coby, I'm sorry — I'm so sorry." She swallowed shakily and choked with sobs. "Why did you do it? How could you?"

"I — I told you. It's too late for me."

"What?" Through her blurry tears, Nova saw Coby's mask slide away. "What do you mean?"

"You're really stupid, you know," he said softly, knuckling her in the chin. "Always asking for a fight."

"Coby—"

He raised a finger to stop her. "Shut up. I don't have a lot of words left."

"Okay..."

Coby grunted. "After our last fight, I … I did something stupid. I fought back against Silas for once. Socked him pretty good. And you know what?" He chuckled painfully, with a wince. "It was pretty fun."

Smiling proudly through her tears, Nova pressed his hand to her cheek, and hung on his every word. In this moment, she could see that she finally had her brother back.

"Silas didn't like it as much as I did," Coby coughed, a bit of blood trickling out of his mouth.

"What did they do to you?" Nova asked.

"He strapped me to a table and ordered me to tell him where your base was," Coby murmured. "But I said no. You should have seen the look on his face—" he coughed out a weak laugh, wincing at the pain of his contracting ribs. "So ... he ordered Arkeville to implant some new gadget in my head…" He tapped his skull with his finger. "…you know how he is."

Nova nodded into his hand. She knew.

"It was supposed to make me obedient," he murmured. "Angry. And no matter what, I had to do whatever they said."

"Oh, Coby..." Nova whispered, fresh tears skipping down her cheeks.

"They sent me to find you," he choked. "I tried to fight it, but it wouldn't work. I didn't have a choice. But …" He raised a finger. "Somewhere in the brains I had left, I knew that I had one big advantage. If I died, it would deactivate the chip."

"Then ... you mean you said all that — you did all that — just so I would kill you?" Nova demanded.

"'Fraid not," he coughed. "The minute I set eyes on you, the chip took over. I meant every word."

Nova felt sick as she realized what she had done. "Coby, why didn't you tell me?"

Then, before he could respond, she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. We can help you. We'll get it out. Just — just stay with me. You hear me? Stay with me. I'll get Ratchet and we'll—"

He shook his head once. "We can't. The only way the chip will be deactivated is if I'm dead. It's wired that way."

He coughed, and Energon spurted from his mouth. "I would have just eaten a bullet myself, but … that didn't work."

Nova pressed a hand to her mouth. "Coby…"

He let out a soft sigh. "Whew. I'm kind of dizzy."

Alarmed, Nova pressed a hand to her earpiece. "I'm calling Ratchet-"

But Coby put a hand over hers, shaking his head.

"It's too late for me," he rasped.

"Don't talk like that," she growled, stifled sobs choking up her throat. "We'll figure it out. We can make it, Coby."

"Nova." His voice was barely a whisper now. "Nova, I gotta ask you something."

Her tears fell faster. "Anything, Coby. Anything at all."

"Do you … 'member when we were kids?"

She shrugged. "A little. Bits and pieces."

"I don't." He swallowed. "I don't remember anything. Not even pictures…"

"I'm sorry," Nova said, pressing her forehead to his knuckles. "I'm so sorry."

"Will you … will you remember me like I was?" His eyes shifted down to his chest. "Before all this?"

Nova met his eyes and nodded her head.

"Yes," she said firmly. "Yes, Coby, I will."

She swallowed, her lip trembling again. "I love you. And … and we'll laugh about this later, you'll see — we'll tell Optimus all about it when we get back, and everything will be fine—"

He looked up at her one last time, with a smile that stopped her heart. "Thanks."

Nova felt his grip on her hand weakening, and her pleas became more frantic.

"Coby — Coby, wait!"

"I'm sorry," he said.

"No! no, don't say that, Coby! … Coby?!"

There was no answer. The leaves rustled in the wind above her head, and the greying sky was visible through the patches in the foliage, but the half-spark saw nothing — heard nothing. Her whole body was numb, and she felt so, so cold.

She was alone.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The rocks in the huge sloping pile shifted and rumbled aside, and Cybertronian hands lifted boulders away to free the Wrecker trapped inside.

"What took you so long, Bulk?" Wheeljack grunted, his head and shoulders emerging from the pile. "Don't tell me your ridin' with Prime has made you—"

He looked up at his rescuer. "—soft?"

Trailing off, Wheeljack reached up and grabbed the hand that was offered to him, allowing Optimus Prime to pull him free from the landslide. The rocks and loose pebbles skittered down the slope and fell to the ground around them.

Once the Wrecker was back on his feet, Optimus spoke.

"If you will not take orders from me, that is one thing," he ground out. "But when you place one of my Autobots in danger—"

"With all due respect, sir, Bulkhead knew the risks," Wheeljack said, dismissing the Prime's rebuke. "Now, I'm … sure he's just somewhere in this rubble."

He turned back to the slope of fallen rocks, but whatever effort he intended to take was interrupted by Ratchet's voice cutting through Optimus' comm-link.

"Optimus, Bulkhead's signal has moved from your current position."

Wheeljack turned around. "You coming with?"

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Shaking, uncontrollably shaking with fear and rage and sadness and the cold that wasn't really there, Nova reached up and pressed the comm-link on her ear.

"R-Ratchet?"

"Nova? We haven't heard from you," His voice was so familiar, urgent but friendly, and Nova let out a sob at the sound of it, drinking it in with everything she had.

"What's wrong? Where are you?" Ratchet asked. "Are you all right?"

"I — I —" Nova choked, her face crumpling. "I—" Her body fell to the ground next to her brother's, unable to lift itself anymore.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Minutes later, Optimus found himself crammed into the little cockpit of the Jackhammer in the passenger seat next to Wheeljack, the pilot. The Prime's body was bent forward in order to accommodate his large shoulders, nearly bent double in the small ship.

His fingers drummed on his knees idly as they rode in silence. The ship hummed beneath the floor as it flew through the air and neared the coordinates provided by Ratchet, the signal of which was pinging on the little map.

Optimus turned to Wheeljack finally, and tried to make conversation. "You and Bulkhead share quite a history, and yet you prefer to work alone."

"The Wreckers scattered a long time ago," Wheeljack replied grimly, keeping his eyes ahead. "And alone's usually a lot less complicated."

"Hm."

Optimus considered all the times when he had to be alone. Even in the days when he was a simple data clerk in the middle castes of Cybertron, there were times when he had been rather lonely. When he had been so young, he could never have imagined living a life without those he cared about.

The Prime knew that Wheeljack, suffering from the deaths of his fellow Wreckers, was doing what he himself would have done long ago - pushing everyone else away in an attempt to protect himself, but in reality he was making himself more vulnerable.

Optimus had seen many Cybertronians fall victim to their own sadness several times before. What was going to prevent Wheeljack from doing the same?

Minutes later, the Jackhammer touched down in the location of Bulkhead's signal; an unmanned dock with a wild maze of containment boxes spread out for a mile or more, stacked high enough to easily conceal Cybertronians, both living and dead.

Leaving the ship at a secure destination and exiting the Jackhammer, Optimus and Wheeljack walked cautiously through the mazes with their weapons cocked.

"We are close to population," Optimus reminded the Wrecker. "Remember—"

"Blasters and fuel pumps don't mix," Wheeljack finished, glancing down at the scanner. Bulkhead's signal pinged straight ahead of them.

"Our boy is just up ahead," Wheeljack reported shortly.

They rounded the last corner, and started back in shock as they beheld Bulkhead before them.

"Hey, guys," Bulkhead grunted.

His huge arms were pinned above his head by electric restraint cuts, buzzing and flashing above his weary face and the wired grenade beeping on his chest. The numbers were counting down.

The grenade was three-pronged. It was Dreadwing's.

"Scrap," said Wheeljack.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Nova!" Ratchet burst out of the Groundbridge, medical kit in hand, and roved over the quiet forest with his eyes, his trained optics immediately spotting the two human bodies before him. Both were lying senseless on the ground. Both were leaking Energon freely. One was clothed in armor. A wound from Nova's sword had opened up his chest.

"Primus," Ratchet breathed, and scooped up both humans in his hands. He leapt back into the Groundbridge as quickly as he had come, leaving no trace of the events that had happened there except a pool of Energon mingling with the tiny streams of tears that had been left behind.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"You really got yourself into a heap of scrap this time, partner," Wheeljack observed matter-of-factly.

"Stay back, Jackie," Bulkhead warned, the bomb pinging on his chest.

Wheeljack ignored him, concentrating on the explosive.

"Better get to work," he said.

Optimus watched him unlock the center of the bomb and expand the compartment zone, revealing the myriad of crossed wires inside.

"Have you defused one of these before?" Prime asked.

Wheeljack looked over the explosive with a practiced eye. "Fail-safes, dummy leads, booby traps," he observed in appreciation, his eyes widening. "It's a work of art."

What the three of them did not know, at least for the moment, was that Dreadwing, a short distance away, was watching them from above. His com link crackled. It was Megatron.

"Dreadwing, where are you?" he demanded.

"Merely pursuing my destiny, Lord Megatron."

"Did I not order you to stand down?"

Dreadwing turned away from the sight of his victims to speak into his wrist. "Forgive me, one true master, but it is my hope that vanquishing Optimus Prime will earn your respect."

"Optimus is not so easily disposed of, as I keep trying to all of those who foolishly attempt it," Megatron replied patiently. His tone of voice clearly indicated an eye roll.

Below, on the ground of the docks, Bulkhead was still trying to convince Wheeljack to back down.

"Jackie, if you don't abort, we're both gonna need clean-up."

"Trying to focus here, Bulk," Wheeljack growled, his hands hovering over the bomb's wires.

Bulkhead looked behind his partner. "Where's Optimus?"

Wheeljack turned around. Sure enough, the Prime was gone. He scoffed.

"Like I told you," he said. "When the scrap hits the fan blades, the generals are the first to bail."

"No," Bulkhead said grimly, his frown deepening. "Not Optimus."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Decepticon warship, Megatron listened to his loyal, prattling fool go on about his destiny over the comm-link.

"I assure you, master, in but a few moments, Optimus and two others will be blown to atoms," Dreadwing claimed.

Megatron hid a smile. Dreadwing had absolutely no idea what he was in for. One of the main reasons he reserved challenging Optimus as his exclusive right was the fact that so few of his troops could survive an encounter with the Autobot leader.

Normally, Megatron would eradicate any soldier who defied his orders in such a way, but Dreadwing had exhibited such loyalty that his behavior could be excused. For now.

Besides, it would be entertaining to see how far he got before Optimus taught him a rather short lesson.

"I will allow it, Dreadwing, in memory of your departed twin, but only this once," Megatron said graciously.

The comm link shut off, and Megatron turned to speak to Soundwave, who stood silently behind him. "I will be quite surprised if we ever set eyes upon Dreadwing again."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Dreadwing terminated the com link conversation and turned to look at his victims again. Any nanosecond now, the explosive would go off. He would be rid of three of the Autobots, the greatest pestilence to ever walk the galaxy. He would show them. He would avenge Skyquake, his brother, and destroy the Prime once and for all —

Optimus Prime was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is the Prime?" Dreadwing growled in frustration, his eyes roving about the crowded dock, looking for any sign of movement.

Then, out from the mazes of the storage containers, Dreadwing heard the voice of the Prime.

"Dreadwing," it called out boldly. "If you are anything like Skyquake, I know that you value loyalty and honor."

"Is there a point to your bluster, Prime?" Dreadwing roared back.

Down on the ground, Optimus pressed himself up against the shipment containers as he entreated to the Decepticon above him. "Only that Megatron knows nothing of those principles. He lives solely for destruction, and conquest. But there is another way," he said. "Deactivate the bomb."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Ratchet laid the two half-sparks on the medical table and examined the boy. The wound from the sword blade had directly pierced his half-heart, and the regenerative factor of his body had not been able to compensate for the damage. He was already dead.

Nova, on the other hand, was showing signs of life, but she was also heavily injured in her side and leg, and showed signs of severe shock. Her face was pallid and cold, her breath too shallow and too fast, she was shaking. Ratchet could tell from the monitor in his wrist that her Energon pulse was far too rapid, even for her small size.

"Nova? Primus help us all." He bent down to her. "Nova, can you hear me? For Primus' sake, wake up!"

"Ratchet?" Nova opened her eyes and turned her dirty, tear-stained face to look up at him. She was trembling uncontrollably now.

"How do you feel?" Ratchet demanded, lifting her arm to begin cleaning the site of her stab wound. "What happened to you out there?"

Nova did not answer him, only stared with glassy eyes at the stilled figure beside her.

Ratchet looked too.

"Oh," he said, understanding. "Your brother."

Nova did not say anything; she just stared. And stared.

"Nova," he said, trying to get her attention. "I'm sorry."

"Ratchet, I — I don't understand," she murmured, her voice soft. "Aren't you going to fix him?"

"Fix him? Oh, Nova…"

With a sigh, Ratchet looked at the boy beside her, and removed the body from the table gently. Then he stooped to bring himself to her eye level.

"Nova, I need you to listen to me, all right?" He locked eyes with her. "His vital monitors show no signs of life. I'm afraid he's … gone."

"No. No he isn't!" she said feverishly, almost excitedly. "He was just talking to me a little while ago. In the forest. Y-you can fix him, Ratchet … Can't you?"

Ratchet looked her in the eyes. "Not this time, Nova."

She sat there for a moment, listless. Then her face contorted, and a tear dripped out of the corner of her eye.

"I killed him," Nova murmured at last, her weary mind beginning to ramble. "I - I could have done something else — I could have stopped it... but he was going to kill me and I didn't want him to, b-but I didn't know he was being controlled, I didn't know! And it's ... it's all my fault. I could've brought him back another way. I could've called you sooner, I — I could've…"

"Nova," Ratchet said. "Calm down. It isn't your fault."

"It is my fault." Her hands were trembling. "I could've stopped it, but I killed him instead. I'm just like Silas. I'm a murderer."

"If that were true, would I have come to get you?"

Nova was silent, but the tears streamed freely down her face as she trembled.

"There was nothing you could do, Nova," Ratchet said sternly. "You are not at fault for your brother's actions. Trust me, I've had this conversation with Optimus before. What's done is done. You need to rest, and I need to fix you before we talk about it any more."

Nova sniffed, swallowed, and pushed her face into her hands. "It hurts…"

Ratchet sighed. The signs of Nova's despondency were very clear. At this point, no amount of reasoning could take away the pain she felt at her brother's death, and perhaps never would.

So, he activated the table's stasis protocols, knelt down in front of her, and let her cry.

"It's going to be all right," he said. "You have to believe that."

Nova shuddered, and swallowed. "It hurts..."

"It's all right," he repeated, helping her lie down. "Just relax. It's all right."

The half-spark leaned forward, grabbed Ratchet's finger and threw her arms around it, sobbing with all the grief in the world. Surprised, the medic opened his hand and allowed her to rest her head upon it, though he tried to hide his reaction.

"Now, there's no need for all that," he grumbled, then softened his voice as her grip loosened and she fell into stasis, her sobs subsiding into little hitched gasps, and then into deeper, longer breaths. Finally, she was asleep.

"You'll pull through, half-spark," Ratchet said softly, getting to his feet. "If I have anything to say about it."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Dreadwing opened fire on the storage containers, scattering lasers and explosions left and right, and Optimus, feeling the heat of the flames on his back, found himself hard-pressed to keep out of the way, and he dodged and sprinted with great agility as he heard the Decepticon roaring behind him.

Follow me, he thought. Follow me. Come on.

Sure enough, the blaster fire came closer as Dreadwing leapt after him in full pursuit.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Get out of here, already," Bulkhead urged Wheeljack, who was still attempting to defuse the bomb.

"I didn't leave you on Sandakan, and I'm not leaving you here," Wheeljack said stubbornly.

The bomb pinged faster and faster as the timer counted down.

"Face it," Bulkhead growled. "There's only one bot who can defuse this mess, and his name's Dreadwing."

Wheeljack ignored him and looked over his shoulder, listening to the explosions nearby.

"Blaster fire's getting closer," he muttered. "As if the commander — ugh!"

He grunted and fell back as Bulkhead broke his restraints and rammed into him.

"Sorry, Jackie. It's 'cause I love ya," Bulkhead said, and began to charge toward the edge of the dock.

The deep water of the ocean spread out before him in a big blue sheet, calm and still as peace itself. He was about to change that.

"Sorry, fishies," he groaned, and he charged onward, trying to leap into the water and cushion the blast to save his friends.

Suddenly, he felt someone ram into his chest.

"Bulkhead, wait!" Wheeljack shouted, pushing up against his partner desperately, trying to slow him down.

"Outta my way!" Bulkhead growled. He charged forward even more forcefully, pushing Wheeljack's body before him.

Wheeljack grunted, and shoved back, harder. "Will you … listen to me, Bulk?!"

His feet scraped over the concrete as he threw his entire weight into Bulkhead's oncoming force, managing to stop his charge a few inches from the dock's edge.

"You were right," Wheeljack said firmly. "Dreadwing's the only one who can defuse it." He looked over Bulkhead's shoulder. "And Optimus knows it, too."

Bulkhead turned around. Behind them, swinging above the dock and crates, stood a tall loading crane, and climbing up it steadily was the small figure of Optimus Prime.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Dreadwing charged forward in hot pursuit, his feet clanking on the cement of the dock, his powerful laser cannon swinging from his hands. He would find the Prime. He had seen him go this way. Here, in the midst of the petty humans' construction, there was nowhere for him to hide. The one responsible for his brother's death would surely perish on this day. He swore it to himself. He swore it to Skyquake. The Prime would perish.

The Decepticon, lost in his angered thoughts, did not hear the swinging cable creaking in the air above him, did not hear the clank of the crane shifting into position, and only looked up above him as the roar of the Prime rang out clearly, and the heavy clamp came crashing down on his chest.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Optimus stepped off of the clamp resting on Dreadwing's chassis, and Bulkhead and Wheeljack ran up behind him as the Decepticon looked around in furious bewilderment.

The Prime kicked the handheld cannon out of Dreadwing's reach, and stared down at him coldly.

"Dreadwing, defuse the bomb or fall victim to your own device," he said, never breaking eye contact. Bulkhead looked increasingly nervous as the bomb pinged faster.

The Seeker looked up at Optimus cooly. "I will gladly sacrifice myself to avenge my brother," he said.

"Then we will, in turn, gladly join the Allspark with our brother," rejoined Optimus. Cliffjumper had been killed by Decepticons almost a year ago.

"And with you," Wheeljack said, folding his arms stubbornly. "You'll never shake us."

The Autobots stared him down. Optimus and Wheeljack, unrelenting, set their jaws and silently glared at Dreadwing, who glowered sullenly back, and the numbers beeped on the bomb as it counted down. Bulkhead groaned in trepidation and screwed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the impact that was sure to come. Wheeljack and Optimus stared, grim-faced. The seconds ticked down: seven … six … five … four… three …

"Very well," Dreadwing said, relenting. He reached up with his hand and pulled the blue wire out of its seating, and the timer on the bomb slowed to a stop, with only two seconds to go.

"Whew!" Bulkhead said, sagging in relief.

"I had it narrowed down to the blue or the yellow," Wheeljack said confidently, glancing at the bomb with his hands on his hips. "Or the red."

Optimus, still looking down at Dreadwing, saw an almost imperceptible movement of the Decepticon's hand. He had pressed the button on his detonator.

The Prime reached over and pushed his Autobots to the ground as the explosions from the containment units all around them blossomed into the sky.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Ratchet glanced down at the alert showing up on his wrist comms, and turned to look at Nova on the table. He had managed to repair her side as best he could, and her leg appeared to be healing itself now that she was in stasis, but her neural net seemed to be going haywire.

She would recover from her physical wounds in time, but he knew that the more difficult recovery would not begin until Optimus came home.

"Where are they?" Ratchet grumbled.

There had been no communication from Optimus or anyone else for a long time, and Ratchet knew better than to interrupt them unless Nova was dying, but the longer Optimus took to return, the more the medic worried that they could not help Nova at all. At times like these, when sudden grief or loss took someone away, a human needed to be with their own kind, and not with a group of war-scarred aliens who could give her nothing but Energon and advice.

Maybe bringing Nova into their fold had been a mistake after all, Ratchet thought to himself.

Perhaps it was time for the half-spark's life of war to come to an end.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Wheeljack stood up from his crouching position and stared out at the flaming wreckage of the containment dock. He put his hands on his hips.

"So, who do we call for clean-up?" he inquired.

Bulkhead sighed. "We'll have to do this ourselves," he said, ripping off the dud bomb on his chest.

"No," Optimus said. "The human repair teams will undoubtedly arrive to survey the damage. Agent Fowler will need to handle the appropriate negotiations."

"Huh. Then let's go home," Bulkhead said. "I'm beat."

He looked back at Wheeljack. "You comin'?"

His friend glared out at the fire sullenly. "The Con got away."

"Yeah. I know he did. But at least he got away with the idea in his noggin that Optimus isn't someone he wants to mess with," Bulkhead said. "And neither are we."

Wheeljack placed a hand on his chin, as if studying a work of art.

"Yeah," he said finally. "Guess you're right, Bulk." He turned away and walked between them to approach the parked Jackhammer. "C'mon. Hope you two like confined spaces."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Optimus Prime still lives," Megatron droned in response to the warrior kneeling before him on the warship's bridge. He had never been less surprised in his life.

"As do you, Dreadwing," he continued. "And that is a victory however small, as Skyquake so tragically discovered."

The ashamed Seeked frowned as he knelt in penitence. "Speak to me not of my twin, Lord Megatron, for I am here to obey your will, and yours alone."

Turning to look upon the Decepticons' newest elite member, Megatron felt a slow, sinister smile growing on his face. Perhaps this day had not been so futile, after all.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Meanwhile, back at the base, the Groundbridge had just powered down behind the returning Autobots, and Ratchet observed the exchange between Optimus and a very humbled Wheeljack, who was approaching Optimus with a more apologetic attitude.

"Listen, Commander," he said. "I just wanna say it was an honor watching you work. I, uh, think maybe I had the wrong idea about you."

"And it would seem you put a greater value upon community than you otherwise let on," Optimus replied, holding out an inviting hand.

"Whoa, let's not jump the gun here," Wheeljack said, holding up his hands and backing away.

Bulkhead shoulder-rammed him good-naturedly. "Come on, Jackie. If you leave, you'll probably just wind up coming back again. All that wasted fuel … and Energon is in short supply…"

"Then again, we do have limited space," said Ratchet gruffly from the Groundbridge controls.

Wheeljack was hesitant.

"Not sure if I'm ready to give up my freedom just yet," he said. "Maybe I could do some exploring; see if this rock suits me."

"Uh, no offense to the Jackhammer," Bulkhead spoke up suddenly, "But you're gonna need an Earth-based vehicle mode."

"Let's go get one," his friend replied.

They thundered out of the base, intent upon finding a new vehicle mode to suit someone such as Wheeljack, a fairly difficult task. When they had gone, Optimus turned to Ratchet.

"Dreadwing may be a Decepticon loyal to Megatron," he said, "But despite this, he seems to be receptive to our ideals."

"Mmph."

Optimus tilted his head. "Does something trouble you, old friend?"

Ratchet sighed, his shoulders sinking a little. "Nova came back."

Optimus knew from his tone that something was deathly wrong.

"What happened to her?" he asked. "Was she harmed?"

The medic turned to look at him. "Her brother's dead, Optimus." He pointed to a little, lumpy bundle which sat at the foot of the pile of empty Energon containers, shrouded in a sterile white cloth.

The Prime was silent for a minute, staring at the bundle with a grim expression on his face. Then in a voice he did not use often, he asked, "Where is she?"

"In the medibay, coming out of stasis," Ratchet said succinctly.

Optimus turned to go, but Ratchet spun around before the Prime could leave, launching into his rant.

"Optimus, Nova is lucky to be alive right now," he said sharply. "And if I'm being honest, we're lucky it was her out there today and not one of the other children. It's only a matter of time before something like this happens again, and I'm not sure we can be there to stop it every time."

Optimus paused.

"I know," he said softly.

Ratchet knew from his tone that the Prime had already realized this, and was trying not to let anything show.

"We have to do something," Ratchet said. "These humans cannot be dragged into our war. None of the children would be in danger if we hadn't gotten involved on this planet in the first place. Don't you see? This life is wrong for her. It's wrong for all of them! Nova has been in constant pursuit of your approval since she arrived here; she takes after you and refuses to let herself stop and recover from anything, and she's not even an adult! This all happened because we allowed it, Optimus!"

The Prime did not respond with words, but simply turned to look Ratchet in the eyes.

Being one of his closest friends, and since he knew what to look for, Ratchet knew there was always a remnant of immense grief present in Prime's gaze, but Optimus usually kept the rest hidden. Only rarely could it be seen by others - and even then only if he allowed it - but when he was tired, or angry, it showed easily.

It showed easily now.

As he met his friend's gaze, the medical officer could see that Optimus was in horrible pain.

"She is in the medibay?" Optimus asked.

Ratchet nodded. "Yes."

He turned to walk away. "I will return soon."

"Fine."

The sound of the Prime's footsteps faded in the distance.

Ratchet sighed, and looked at the shrouded form of the boy with a haunted look in his eyes.

"Optimus," he murmured. "How many lives is this war worth?"

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Optimus Prime approached the forlorn little figure on the edge of the medical table, his steps clanking on the well-kept floor. It was dark, but he could still see her trembling on the bare metal slab.

She was crying.

Hesitating for a moment, Optimus looked at Nova and considered whether it was wise to approach her at this time. He had heard about humans' grieving cycles. Apparently, they came in stages, and it would be insensitive to do something to disrupt the system. There was the initial denial she was supposed to have, the anger, the bargaining, and the depression before the eventual acceptance, and he did not know if there was anything he could safely do without interfering.

She was supposed to cope on her own, was she not?

Then, he looked at her again. She had not realized he was there, probably due to the remnants of stasis, and her tears flowed freely. Her shoulders shook, her armor was pulled tight around her body, and her face was buried in her knees.

Her posture made him painfully aware of the fact that she was just a little girl.

Optimus forgot about the grief. He forgot about the stages. Nova was different from most humans, anyway. The most insensitive thing for him to do right now would be to leave her when she needed him the most.

So the Prime sat down beside the half-spark, and gently picked her up in his hands.

After a moment of shock, Nova looked up at him in silence. As she stared into her guardian's eyes gleaming above her, Nova's face contorted like it does when someone cannot hold tears in any longer, and she began to cry afresh.

Every one of her sobs tore at Optimus' Spark; every shudder of her body deepened the wound in his spirit. He thought of the deaths he had suffered through with his teammates; that of Cliffjumper, Tailgate, and Elita One, among so many others. They had all taken a heavy toll on his teammates, and this was no different. But Nova had no one to grieve with. She never had.

So, he bore her up in his hands and sat there quietly, just sitting; just listening. There was nothing to be said.

Nova, huddled on her knees in his grasp, looked up at her guardian and felt the comforting warmth of his hand, and the solidity of his strength around her. Gradually, her tears slowed, and stopped, and dried on her cheeks, and her sobs subsided to shuddering breaths.

As the minutes passed, Nova began to feel tired again. Wiping her face, she took in a breath and sat up in his hand to look at him.

She sniffed. "Why'd you come in here?"

Optimus looked at her. "Because it is not good for you to be alone."

"So you heard about what happened?"

He hesitated. "Do you … want to talk about it?"

Nova sighed, and in the now-silent medibay it was a very clear sound.

"I killed him, Optimus. I didn't want to. I tried everything I could to keep him alive; I promise I did..."

"I believe you."

"I - I know I shouldn't have done it," she sighed. "I know I should have found another way, but I - everything I tried didn't work. I wasn't good enough, and I didn't know what else to do. He—" she shuddered. "He was trying to kill me in the forest, Optimus - really trying. His mind had been taken over by this ... this stupid chip that Silas had put there and he ..." she sniffed. "He wanted me to kill him, so he couldn't hurt anyone else."

Nova felt another tear running down her cheek as Optimus listened, and she bit her lip to keep from crying again. "And right before he died, he told me that MECH was planning something even bigger; something that would make the two of us look like nothing. And I don't know what to do."

She began to sob again, pressing her face into his hand.

Optimus braced himself for what he was about to say. He didn't like it any more than she would.

"Nova, I know you did everything in your power," he said quietly. "None of this was your doing. I should never have sent you out alone. I should have known you would try to…" he hesitated. "I had hoped you could find reconciliation with your brother in ways I have not, but I was foolish. I ..."

He was about to tell her what he feared; he may be required to surrender Nova to someone more equipped to take care of her, but he decided against it. Nova had had enough shock for one day.

"I am ... so sorry, Nova," he said instead. "I want you to understand that you are not to blame for this."

Nova looked up at him. "But I-"

"No," Optimus said firmly. "You are not going to blame yourself for Silas' misdeeds. Please promise me that, Nova."

She sighed deeply, and rubbed her eyes. "All right. I - I'll try."

As she fell into another exhausted slumber, Optimus held her close and watched over her grimly, wondering if this was the last time he would be able to care for her before he would have to let her go.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII