Disclaimer: Duh, same as always. Not mine.

Author's note: All right guys, this is the end of the first part of this series but don't worry. I'll continue right away exactly where I left off. In my account on I won't even create a new story. Second part's gonna be exciting and one bot's appearance will certainly surprise you if nothing else does. Thank you so much for being supportive and I hope you continue to read.

Part sixteen

The pink-lavender dawn rose above colony Omicron on the day of its supposed destruction. The sidewalks slowly started to fill with bots, the streets and air-passages with vehicles. Shops opened, children went to school and parents went to work, unaware that the fabric of time and history was changing around them, dissipating and rearranging into uncertain ghostly shapes. For better or worse, colony Omicron lived on, at least for the time being.

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The little femme was asleep, curled up in her bed and dreaming of her mother. She had been nervous at first at the other's presence but she hadn't cut the connection. Gradually, she had grown more comfortable. And she had gotten a strange feeling of control. Yes, he was so much more powerful than her that the sole comparison was ridiculous. But his power was somewhat pleasant to have around if you managed to convince yourself that it could do you no harm. So she had eventually fallen asleep. In that state she was able to more easily decipher her own sensations. It felt like his spark was reaching for her even inside her own chest. She smiled slightly in her sleep. He needed her now and she knew it.

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Morning, felt but not seen in the small space of the underground cell, found Rampage feeling weaker than ever. His spark being split into three pieces AND having experiments performed on it was more than even he could handle. Combined with the indescribable things he had undergone the day before, his injuries were finally catching up with him. He absently wondered why the scientists hadn't tried to split him into a dozen pieces just to see what happened. Perhaps they were worried they might lose their test subject then. Judging by the way he felt maybe they were losing him now… No, that was just an idle though. He wasn't that far-gone. He was healing, though very slowly. And he suspected he would remain weak. He had had some reserves when he was brought here but now the regular lab sessions were draining him faster along with Starlet whose spark was constantly being supported by his own. And his spark could only support so much.

Feeling weak was maybe the worst part. On top of the waves of desperation washing over him every time he remembered that he had missed his own escape, there was the grim realization that he didn't feel strong enough to try again anymore. Had they finally broken him?

He shut his optics and reached for that particular spark, softly brushing his own. She, the child he hated for being better treated than him, had been his only sanctuary that night. Her spark was so vivid, so complex and intriguing. He would have never noticed it hadn't he been forced to but now he was quickly becoming addicted to her. Her emotions were the only drug he had that could ease the pain for a little while.

He kept his optics shut, unwilling to let go of that feeling of calmness in the little femme next door's spark. How could she sleep so peacefully? There was still hope in her. How could she still believe that someone would find her?

What could it be to feel like this?

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Mind Game had been wise in her decision to disappear that same night after her last conversation with Optimus. The very next day it was all over the front-pages. Optimus Primal had been arrested for helping a Predacon criminal, namely her. They had dug up her old criminal record and sent it to the media. Well, the desperate mother didn't give a slag about her reputation right now but the fact that the Maximal police was officially searching for her was another thing. Although it was probably for the better that they were searching officially instead of non-officially. The Elders had obviously decided that keeping too many things secret would get suspicious and hard to explain if, by some unfortunate accident, the citizens of Cybertron got wind of it. So they had obviously come up with a story that would answer all uncomfortable questions. The general mood concerning Predacons on Cybertron was bad as it was; no one needed much explanation once the name of the faction was mentioned. She'd have to get herself repainted. And she'd be better off with her own at least until she came up with a plan. Because she was determined not to give up.

As she was carefully walking in the gray morning light trough the narrow streets of the Predacon ghetto, she vowed that she would get her little girl back if she was alive and make those responsible for her death pay dearly if she wasn't.

If Rampage could have felt her spark right now even he would have probably taken a step back. It radiated not the hot, blind, consuming rage and grief Depth Charge often displayed but a deep, overwhelming, sheer power, strong enough to conquer the world. The power of a mother's love.

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Depth Charge had spent the remainder of the night beside the gap, exhausted but unable to fall asleep. When the first dull lights flickered on he was finally able to see the huge form outlined in the dimly lit cell next to his. He breathed a sigh. That faithful day when his life had been destroyed had passed and the colony was still there. What was more, Rampage had tried to escape and failed which made it less likely that he would succeed the next time. The former Security Chief knew that he would probably die in that cell but at least his mind was more at peace than it had been for what felt like eternity.

"It's morning." He said out loud as if to convince himself. "It's morning and he's still here. He's not going anywhere this time."

"Are you happy now, Guardian?"

He jumped a whole meter upon hearing the quiet, painfully harsh voice.

"It's your merit, you know. They wouldn't have thought of splitting my spark. In the end, you're more like me than even I had though, despite all the times I've told you so. Did you enjoy my pain like I enjoyed yours?"

Depth Charge's fist balled but he refused to be baited so easily now that he had won a victory.

"The only thing I enjoy is the fact that I somehow managed to go one step closer to fulfilling my duty. And despite your claims, I haven't forgotten what it is. My duty is to protect every bot on this colony."

For a while there was silence on the other side of the wall. Then Rampage's next words came in a whisper so low, barely audible, that Depth Charge was sure they weren't directed at him. But he did hear them.

"I was a bot on this colony. And I hadn't done anything wrong for a time. Where were you when you were supposed to protect me?"

A/N: Well, you know what I always do in the footnote. Remind you to comment, of course! At least if you want to read on faster.Faithfully yours waves and sends an air kiss :)! See you in the next part!