2016: Two weeks ago, Dirge went out an errand for his Commander. This
errand brought him in contact with something most unpleasant. If an open
wound he had healed over completely, he wouldn't have caught it. A week
after his return, Dirge feels and sees its presence and fears for his
life.

The red form of Dirge sits in his room, writing down about his plight, "It
had started out as a blemish, nothing to worry about, or so I thought. But
that black patch wouldn't go away, and no matter what I tried, it
remained. Then it spread everywhere. I've been in seclusion the past five
days and only came out to hear the announcement. You can bet I got strange
looks, and that was more notice than I wanted directed at me. But as
battle time nears, the patches don't worry me. Not when my attention is
drawn inward by an all-consuming loneliness, an emptiness that eats at the
very core of my being. For the first time in my life, I feel unimportant
and not worthy of notice. This especially holds true with females, I feel
unworthy of their affection. Of all the thousands of years being without
them, then having them and just accepting their presence. The emptiness
grows stronger and so does the feeling that life is not worth living."
Someone worries for Dirge, because she loves him. Her name is Threnody.
The mostly black form of Threnody sits in her room, writing in her
personal journal, 'I had noticed it a week ago, but I hadn't worried. Then
the next day, it had spread further, I began to worry. The third day, he
disappeared into his room and saw no one until last night. Now I'm very
worried for it has spread everywhere.'

('Threnody', says Electra, 'it's time to move out.')

'But not only that, his personality seems more mournful and silent, even
withdrawn. His eyes betray a hunger, like that of loneliness. Beyond that,
looming like a horrific specter, lies something that has put even me off.'

('Threnody', repeats Electra, 'are you listening to me?')

'The thing we both handle and control so effectively now accompanies me
like an old friend, fear. But fear of what? Nothing physical or mental,
but emotional. I must act to stop it, but how can I act when I don't know
what I'm facing?'

('Threnody!', yells Electra)

"Huh?" she blinks.

"Didn't you hear me?! I said it's time to move out!" Electra yells.

"Yes ma'am." she replies and soon joins the vast numbers of the
combined 'Con armies, the purple and silver form of Galvatron waits as the
last warriors converge.

"Today we shall conquer our enemies! We shall utterly and with
finality end their existence! We attack now!" Galvatron commands.

'Again we launch an attack and again we shall retreat, for that is
how it always ends. I grow weary of coming out the loser. Perhaps I shall
go in like I always do, then allow a 'Bot to get the bead on me. Hopefully
the shot will injure me enough so I can crash into something that will
render me permanently dysfunctional.' Dirge thinks to himself.

'What could Dirge be thinking, I wonder? I certainly disliked the
look in his optics before we left.' Threnody ponders, she pauses as
Cybertron comes into view, 'Cybertron. How peaceful it looks, but only for
the moment.'

"Autobots, Servabots! To your battle stations!" Optimus orders.
Their forces quickly react and soon Cybertron is on priority alert. The
aquamarine, orange, light green, and blue form Tetra Reris joins Optimus
Primes outside HQ.

"What's up, Optimus?" Tetra queries.

"An all-out 'Con attack." Optimus replies as Perceptor, Goldbug and
Wasp join them.

"By the Matrix, it looks like all of them." Tetra gapes.

"By my estimates, all Decepticons and Trechercons are present. So you
are correct, Tetra Reris." the mostly red form of Perceptor states.

"There'll be less when we're done with them!" the red and pink form
of Wasp cries.

"I hope you're right 'cause here they come!" the mostly golden form
of Goldbug yells.

"It's good to know that I haven't lost my touch." the light blue and
pink form Laurel grins as she downs a 'Con.

"That's one thing about fighting, once you learn it, you never forget
it." the blue and gray form of Kup grins as he fires at a Con.

"All I have known is war and death, Kup. The point to both makes no
sense." Laurel shrugs.

"I know, now concentrate on this battle." he replies.

"The fools have forgotten that I'm the ace of the air, they'll wish
they hadn't." the white and red form of Starscream laughs.

"Indeed, even my former comrades misremember my speed and electron
lance." the mostly black form of Slipstream replies.

Threnody watches her twin from afar. "Slipstream and Starscream make
quite a deadly pair. I have not forgotten your electron lance, my sister,
so prepare for the worst when you face me." Threnody muses.

'Starscream hasn't lost his touch, perhaps he'll be my ticket to
oblivion.' Dirge thinks as he and Threnody simultaneously charge the duo.

"What's that noise?" Starscream queries.

They turn and spot the twosome. The rumble of the 'Con duos' engines start
to work on the 'Bot duo.

"Threnody and Dirge handle fear so effectively even I find it hard to
ignore it." Slipstream groans.

"Shake if off and take Threnody, I'll get Dirge." Starscream orders,
they charge forth with weapons firing.

'Good. Starscream has decided to cooperate, now to get him mad at
me.' Dirge muses, then out loud, "Eat these, Star-skunk!" he fires two
missiles.

"Not today Dirge!" he fires his null ray and hits the missiles, which
lose power and fall amongst the combatants. He fires again and hits Dirge.

"I'm hit! I'm going down!" Dirge cries.

'I'll get him for this!' Threnody thinks, 'If Dirge dies...' she
noses after him, yelling, "Next time Slipstream!"

"I'll be waiting Threnody!" Slipstream calls after her.

Unknown to either Dirge or Starscream, Dirges' exploding missiles spread a
silent and deadly foe amongst their comrades. They also smelled unusually
off.

"Dirge, are you functional?" Threnody asks.

"Hey Dirge, I got to talk to you about those rancid missiles. Hee,
hee." the purple form of Blitzwing jeers.

"Ha, ha. Yeah, where'd ya get 'em? A warfare surplus store located at
a refuse dump?" the mostly yellow form of Drag Strip grins.

"Knock it off you two, or else!" Threnody snarls.

"Ooohh. Threats it is then. Let's see..." Drag Strip smirks.

"Watch out behind you!" Threnody cries.

"Where?!" he looks behind himself.

"Gotcha." she retorts.

"Hee, hee. Got ya good Drag Strip." Blitzwing sneers.

"That was a low-down, no-good trick!" Drag Strip snorts and storms
off.

"Hee, hee. Wait for me. Ha, ha." Blitzwing laughs.

"Can you transform Dirge?" Threnody asks.

"Leave me to die, Threnody." Dirge mutters.

"Can't do that Dirge." she says as a bomb explodes nearby, "Whether
you cooperate or not, I'm taking you away from this carnage." she picks up
his nosecone and drags him off.

"Man, this has to be the longest battle I've been in." the red and
white form of Hot Rod comments.

"Even makes the battle on Epsilon-3 look good." the red and pink form
of Dawn nods.

"Why is that?" the pink and white form of Arcee inquires.

"At least here we're evenly matched, on Epsilon-3, we were
outnumbered and outgunned." Dawn reports.

"I'd rather be the latter than the former." Hot Rod shrugs.

"Why?" Dawn blinks.

"The latter we know where we stand, the former we don't. We could
very well end up with a few stragglers on each side before a truce is
called." Hot Rod replies.

"Pessimistic realism doesn't become you Hot Rod. Yet you are right in
saying so." Dawn states.

"True, but let's do our best not to end up a statistic." Arcee nods.

The battle ends at dusk. At sunrise, the battle begins again. Focus on
Barracuda and Shark, Sharks' upper torso is covered with black patches.

"You don't look good, Shark. And neither do most of our friends nor
our foes." the two tone brown form of Barracuda states.

"Barracuda, do you still care about me?" the red, blue and light blue
form of Shark asks.

"Now what brought that thought out?" she queries.

"I don't know, all the sudden I feel unworthy of your love." he sighs.

"Don't be silly, of course I still care about you." she smiles.

"Barracuda, will you kiss me?" he inquires.

"Oh, what the heck." she kisses him briefly on the lips, he pulls her
in again desperately. They disengage. "What was that for?" she gasps.

"I don't know, all the sudden I feel worthy again." he murmurs as
several patches fade out, she hugs him.

"I love you Shark, don't forget that." she smiles.

"I'll never forget as long as we keep our love strong." he grins as
more patches fade as they separate.

'I was foolish to fake a crash. I must find someone with the power to
destroy me. Ah, there he is.' Dirge muses, spots Prime and heads right
for him.

"Prime, behind you!" Kup cries.

Fear tries to surface and make him retreat, but it drives Dirge on. Dirge
fires and hits Optimus in the chest. Optimus staggers, recovers, and fires

his weapon. He hits Dirges' underside, there's a small explosion and Dirge
falls. Threnody takes over, her lasers hit Optimus in the chest, again he
staggers and recovers. But before he can find his target, Threnody is
gone.

"Optimus Prime. The time has come to settle our differences."
Galvatron grins.

As Optimus Prime scrutinizes his arch enemy, he can't help but remember
the past. He recalls the battles he and Galvatron had. Then he recollects
the time when Galvatron was known as Megatron and how they fought. Soon he
is brought back to the present as his optics encounter the confrontation
proceeding behind Galvatron. The 'Con commander notices how his foe gazes
past him, he risks looking over his shoulder A glint appears in the 'Con
duos' optics, the two evil beings smile and nod at each other then turn
their attention back to their foes. Although there's a silent
understanding between them, the 'Con Commanders each experience an
internal torment. All know the cost of war and all realize that they could
become its next causality. Soon they bring themselves back into reality,
one they wish was different.

"You have been extant too long, Optimus. I shall take it upon myself
to deliver you to the realm of the inanimate." Galvatron snarls, fires and
grazes Primes' shoulder.

"You have made such claims before and have yet to conquer me,
Galvatron." Prime retorts, fires and scores.

"A well struck blow Optimus, but it takes more than that to subdue
me." Galvatron aims his cannon, Prime rushes him and brings his gun arm
down.

"No weapons, Galvatron." he rips the cannon off Galvatrons' arm,
casts it aside.

"Hand to hand combat it is Optimus, but I fear you'll fare better
there." Galvatron grins.

"They remind me of us when we fight, Tetra. Unmerciful, unrelenting,
ferocious, and vicious. But isn't that how arch enemies always fight?" the
silver and black form of Electra fires her cannon and hits Tetras' arm.

"Indeed, yet they have battled longer than we have, they have cause
to fight with a vengeance." Tetra retorts, fires her weapon and hits
Electras' arm.

"That may be true, though our battles are nothing to scoff at either.
Come Tetra, let's try hand to hand combat." she casts her weapon aside,
Tetra does likewise.

"If that is what you want, so be it." Tetra states.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, said a wise man once, but he never
experienced the fury of two mechanical beings who are long-time arch
enemies, or the fury of all-out war.

"Slipstream." Threnody whispers.

"Threnody." her twin nods.

"Please spare us, sister. Take us as prisoners of war if you wish,
just spare us." Threnody pleads.

"Uhh, I don't care if I die. Just kill me quickly and cleanly
ex-comrade." Dirge groans.

"Don't pay attention to him." Threnody states.

"Kill me, please. I want to end it all." Dirge murmurs.

"That's enough from you." Threnody growls. She touches a pressure
point at the base of Dirges' neck, which cause him to temporarily shut
down. "He's been this way for awhile now. I think these black patches are
connected to it somehow. Help me find the cure Slipstream, please."

"Why should I help you?" Slipstream inquires.

"I will tell you why, sister. I care for Dirge and I'll do anything
to find the cure, I would even consider switching sides, if you will just
help."

"Very well, sister, prisoners of war you'll be until the cure's
found." Slipstream nods.

"Thank you." Threnody sighs in relief.

"Starscream, help me carry Dirge to medical bay." Slipstream
instructs.

"So many injured, so little time." the white and red form of First
Aid sighs.

"My sentiments exactly. Even with the help we're getting, it will be
a miracle if we get everyone back to battle stasis by sunrise." the all
white form of Ratchet agrees.

"All I can ask is that you do your best." Primes states.

"And to do our best we must work unhurriedly and not trouble
ourselves over a predetermined schedule pending on a enemy attack." the
green and yellow form Hoist comments.

"You're right as always, Hoist. I just hope that we're ready for
battle before our enemies are." Ratchet nods.

Slipstream approaches Tetra who attends to Optimus. "Tetra, I need to
talk to you alone." Slipstream states, Tetra rises and joins her, away
from the hearing of others.

"What is it, Slipstream?" Tetra inquires.

"Is it not true that the Matrix you carry possesses not only the
combined knowledge of past Servabot leaders, but also has healing powers
as well?" she inquires.

"How did you know?" Tetra gapes.

"Vesta Zeta. Since the Matrix can heal, could heal Dirge." she replies.

"Why?" the Servabot asks.

"Threnody asked me to find the cure for the strange plague he has, so
I told her I would help." Slipstream replies.

"You have brought up an interesting topic Slipstream, since this
plague has spread amongst us all. Unfortunately, the Matrix cannot cure
this plague." Tetra reports.

"What?" she blinks.

"The past Servabot leaders within the Matrix told me what it is and
how to cure it." Tetra sighs.

"By the Matrix, tell me the cure." Slipstream begs.

"It is known as 'Black Death' or 'The Emptiness'. It imbeds itself in
an open wound, then begins as a black patch on that infected area and
spreads. As it spreads, emotions of unworthiness, loneliness, and a
gnawing emptiness emerge. The worst being the emptiness, since it's based
on the carriers' feeling so unworthy, lonely and unloved that suicide
becomes the only answer. The cure is simple, if the infected is loved by
another, that other must tell the infected that they love them and then
show them their love. This can be accomplished by hugging or kissing. But
in chronic cases, Vesta Zeta said 'Becoming One' would only cure it. I do
not know of this concept and she did not wish to explain it to me, not yet
anyway. Though she did tell me that if a chronic case emerged that I send
the couple to her." Tetra states.

"Thank you for telling me the cure, Tetra." Slipstream smiles.

"Your welcome." Tetra nods.

"Perhaps you should share this information with the others." she
suggests.

"I shall." Tetra nods.

"I must tell Threnody the news." Slipstream states and leaves.

"We meet again Autobots. Shall we try another musical battle? And
shall our cassettes confront each other while we do?" the blue and white
form of Soundwave inquires of Blaster and Bebop.

"Yes on both counts 'Con. Everybody out." the mostly red form of
Blaster grins. They all hit their 'eject' buttons simultaneously, the
tapes emerge and transform. The cassettes then remove themselves from the
impending musical battle.

Focus on Vixica and Ravage, each crouches, ready to spring at the right
moment.

"At last we meet. My cohorts say you're a real spitfire and compare
your craftiness and agility to mine. They even venture to say that we are
equals." the all black form Ravage growls.

"Indeed? Are you willing to test the truth?" the dark gray form of
Vixica snarls.

"Ready when you are." Ravage sneers.

They leap, meet in mid-air and drop to the ground. They roll about
savagely each trying to get in a position to kill the other.

"You hurt my buddy, prepare to be bloody!" the blue and light blue
form of Bebop yells, he charges Soundwave and rams him, who falls. He
jumps onto him, stomps on him, kicks his face, then kneels on top of him
and smashes his head into the ground.

"Man, when you say you're going to hurt someone, you mean it."
Blaster grins.

"No doubt, now to finish off this lout." Bebop stands, fires his
weapon.

Not far away, Soundwaves' cassettes witness this.

"You see that?" the blue form of Rumble gapes.

"Yeah, that geek just trashed the boss." the red form of Frenzy
snarls.

"Let's return the favor." Rumble grins.

"Not until you finish with me you don't." the green and red equine
form of Austera snorts, her laser hits Rumble dead center, he falls.

"Don't worry brother, I'll avenge you." Frenzy starts a earthquake.

"Oh no you don't!" the blue form of Rewind cries, he fires and Frenzy
falls, the earthquake ends.

Laserbeak and Buzzsaw streak in from nowhere and injure Rewind and Eject.
Struthia and Austera fire their missiles and hit the 'Cons, they crash.
The other 'Con tapes are similarly taken care of.

"Vixica's gone." the light blue and gray ostrich form of Struthia
says softly, Rewind leans against her side.

"Anyone know what happened to her?" Austera asks with Eject rides
upon her.

"Last I saw of her, she had Ravage pinned and was going in for the
kill." Rewind states.

"Wait, Ravage is gone too." the black form of Eject reports.

"Oh no." the brown and red ursine form of Ursa Thylar groans.

"We must look for Vixica, she could be hurt." Struthia states.

"Bebop should know about this." Austera replies, she runs up to him,
the others follow. He notices their worry.

"You brood, what's with the mood?" Bebop inquires.

"Vixica vanished." Struthia reports.

"Don't faze, she takes holidays." Bebop smiles.

"Ravage is gone too." Austera puts in.

"We don't know where either of them went. So now we're worried that
Vixica's hurt or worse." Ursa Thylar sighs.

"Both fled, don't mean her blood shed. We shall search, for her
perch." Bebop nods.

"I ends now Electra." Tetra states, fires her rifle and hits Electra
dead center, Electra staggers as she fires again and again, "Fall, curse
you, fall!" finally Electra falls, Galvatron sees this.

The fear of losing Electra holds him firmly, even more so than
Primes' grasp on him. "NO!! Let me go!" he screams.

"You have a fight to finish." Optimus grunts.

"Aaaarrgh!!" Galvatron cries.

With a might only he could muster, Galvatron forces Optimus' arms to
separate; Galvatron turns on his heel, the momentum of the spin carries
into the blow he delivers to Primes' chin, he falls. Anger burns in the
place of his fear and blinds him.

"And so it's finished." Galvatron pants, then runs toward Electra and
Tetra, "You will pay Tetra! With your life!!" he fires his cannon and hits
her shoulder.

"You may have beaten Optimus, but I'm an entirely different thing."
Tetra winces and fires and hits him in the chest.

"What was that? A tickle torture? Your power impresses me not."
Galvatron laughs, he charges her a delivers a stunning blow to her chin,
she falls, "Now you die." he aims his cannon.

"G-Galvatron." Electra moans.

"Electra! I almost forgot you in my anger." Galvatron walks to her,
kneels and cradles her in his arms.

"The light... dims... and the darkness... comes. " Electra moans.

"Don't talk like that Electra. I'll take you to headquarters for
repairs and everything will be all right." Galvatron states.

"N-no, i-it's too late...t-the darkness...overcomes me..." Electra
whispers, he optics fade.

"Don't die. How will I function without you?" Galvatron murmurs.
Once he had been less subject to emotion, but Electra has changed this
evil power incarnate into a feeling machine. Feelings that were never felt
before were accessed when she came into his life. Now he does something
that one of evil nature would never do, cry.

"Galvatron." Optimus calls.

"G-go away. Y-you've cause too much p-pain already." Galvatron
stutters.

"I can bring her back." Tetra says softly.

"You would do that for an old nemesis? I don't believe you. Leave me
to my mourning." Galvatron mutters.

"I see that you've a changed Galvatron, Electra too. I had doubted
that evil beings like you could love, but you proved me wrong." Tetra
replies.

"Galvatron, you know that we uphold life in every context. So please
take Tetras' offer into consideration and make a counteroffer for her
service. Do it for Electra and the love you share." Optimus states.
Galvatron bows his head in thought, "Very well. Tetra, please bring
Electra back to me and I solemnly promise a most interesting
counteroffer."

"So be it then." Tetra kneels, opens her chest and removes the
Matrix, she puts a hand on either side of it and opens it, "Now bring
light where there is darkness and restore this beings' life force." the
Matrix glows, its power reaches out and engulfs Electra in its soft light,
her optics alight briefly.

"Tetra?" Electra murmurs. Tetra closes the Matrix and returns it to her chest.

"Yes, Electra?" Tetra smiles.

"You brought me back? Why?" Electra inquires weakly.

"I asked her to, my dear." Galvatron replies.

"In exchange for what?" Electra sighs.

"That has yet to be settled." Galvatron states.

"You could counteroffer by changing sides." Optimus suggests.

One side of him wants to laugh out loud, the other wants him to do
it, but settles for a compromise. "No, Optimus. That can never be." he
helps Electra up, "We'll be leaving now. Decepticons, Trechercons!
Retreat!" they fly off.

"I wonder what will happen now?" Tetra asks.

"Its hard to say, but at least this battle is over." Optimus replies.

"Dirge, I have wonderful news." she smiles.

"Leave me alone, Threnody. Isn't it enough that you surrendered us to
the Autobots?" Dirge mutters.

"I had my reasons." she sighs. He grunts. "I found the cure for your plague."

"What?! Your kidding." Dirge states as he stands.

"I would never kid you, Dirge." she smiles.

"By the Matrix, Threnody, tell me what the cure is." he pleads.

"Love." Threnody states.

"Oh brother. What chances have I finding someone who'd be willing to
cure me? I'm doomed." Dirge cries.

"The chances are in your favor if you turn around and see the face of
your savior." Threnody replies and flips up her mask.

"What are you talking ab..." he begins, she turns into her embrace
and is cut off by her kiss, the patches start to fade, they disengage, he
blinks, "Now I think I understand."

"I love you Dirge." she smiles.

"Amazing how I missed it." Dirge grins.

"Yes." she pulls him in for a kiss, he resists.

"Wait, wait. There's something I've got to do." he protests. She
gives him a look, he continues, "I've got to perform one last task as a
Decepticon, then I'll return. That is if I survive telling Galvatron that
I'm switching sides."

"Are you crazy?! You tell Galvatron that and he'll kill you."
Threnody gapes.

"I've got to prove to myself that I can stand up to him." Dirge
retorts and leaves.

"Tell me what happened." Threnody states as she hugs him.

"After I arrived, I walked up to Galvatron and first announced the
cure for 'Black Death'." Dirge reports. "After the expected astonishment,
I told Galvatron that I was joining the Autobots. That caused quite a
stir. Galvatron stood, walked over to me, put his hand on my shoulder and
said, 'You know what this means don't you?'. 'That you will destroy me,
sir.' I replied. He smiled and said, 'No Dirge, it means that I must
congratulate you for your bravery on facing me. And for helping me decide
what I must say to the others.' he looked around at the gathering and
said, 'Decepticons, I am relinquishing my leadership.' Everyone was
aghast. Galvatron continued, 'Cyclonus, Scourge, I choose you two to be
the new leaders. Dirge, join the Autobots if you wish and fight well for
them.' He then looked toward Electra, 'Do you have anything to say, my
dear?' Electra nodded, 'I am also relinquishing my leadership.' That made
the Trechercons go berserk. Electra continued, 'Draeda, I choose you to be
my successor. Dirge, my blessings to you and Threnody. And that goes for
Slipstream and you know who as well.' With that they left. I made my exit
under cover of the impending confusion."

"Amazing. I wonder where our commanders will go and what they'll do?"
Threnody ponders.

"By the looks in their optics, I would say they are planning to do
plenty of this." Dirge grins and pulls her in for a kiss.

"Vixica!" Struthia cries. Vixica looks behind herself as she enters
the room.

"Greetings comrades." Vixica nods.

"We were so worried about you." Austera states.

"We thought Ravage had hurt you." Ursa Thylar put in.

"Quite the opposite, my friends. Ravage?" Vixica growls, Ravage enters.

"I complain, Vixica explain." Bebop frowns.

"Ravage and I have a mutual understanding and enjoy each others
company." Vixica growls softly.