YAY FOR ZE UPDATE, tralalalala. Taking my sweet time with this fight. I want it to be EPIIIIIIC.

Thanks to ZabuzasGirl for the clarification on chapters and reviews. But C'MON I NEED MORE. Let's do this thing! xoxoxo

Lockdown's recognition of her title slithered down her spine like a searing acid, Mira for a moment considering that her actual spine was dissolving beneath the CAST armor as Lockdown's optics bored into her face. She held his stare, uncertain how such expressive, luminous optics could be so dark and foreboding. Their depths seemed endless, like she was falling into the abyss, unraveling her resolve to the point of where her mouth was suddenly dry, her skin clammy with fear - a fear she hadn't experienced in battle for ages.

He tipped her chin farther back, her neck almost straining at the effort it took to remain motionless. "You've saved me the trouble of hunting you, femme," he hissed into her face with a icy chuckle. "How delightful." His lips upturned into another slow smile as his finger dropped from her skin, "You remember the ship, I see."

The rise of her throat bobbed only slightly as she swallowed a breath, holding the mech's gaze as he knelt in front of her. Every muscle within her body was pulled tight and burning, her very will challenged to steel beneath his presence in a show of power. She didn't dare look to Optimus, who from the corner of her eye she witnessed take stance again, weapons drawn, ready to pounce on her behalf.

Instead, she just remained, supporting her weight on her hand, staring into Lockdown's face as familiar memories flashed through her mind of her time aboard his ship - of the pain, the sorrow, the grief. Of watching her Prime being chained and imprisoned. Of feeling Lockdown's alien interest flicker over her like a plague, the distant screams of foreign bodies echoing across the expanse of vessel. Goosebumps scattered across her arms, chasing a chill down her spinal cord.

Lockdown withdrew from intimate space, moving to stand before her. Mira herself stood, not breaking optic-to-eye contact with the mech. Finally finding her feet, she was almost knocked to her knees when Optimus flew to a stop in front her, the platform beneath their feet trembling violently to the point where she took half a steadying step back. Now between her and Lockdown, Prime's battle mask fell into place as he sunk into a defensive posture, Mira visibly watching his grip tighten around the hilt of his sword.

"Don't!" he roared, his usual baritone dropped into a deep growl within his chest, Mira moving to peer out from behind his massive leg. "You will not touch her, Lockdown. You will go through me, first." She heard the Prime settle into his own weight, the mechanics of his form shifting as they manipulated into place.

Mira felt her chest soar with pride, while also feeling her stomach swirl with unease at Lockdown's severe expression filtered over Optimus. "Ah, Optimus Prime. I would've thought at the humans' betrayal you would glad to be rid of these organics," he sneered at her, his optics glinting with lustful disdain, "Though I see you still play the heart of the fool. Don't you see her fear? Her doubt? Countess or not, she will betray you, just like the others. She is the cause, Prime! And the cause will always betray you!"

His face disappeared behind a battle shield, the mech's fists transforming into weapons Mira had never seen - and her blood ran thin. For a moment, it was almost like a film reel ran through her mind, presenting all the moments as Keeper of the Shield where she'd experienced, or felt, failure. A seed of doubt suddenly blossomed in the hollow of her chest, her core burning with self-questioning. She looked between Lockdown and Optimus, the CAST armor signaling for her to engage in confronted combat, though she suddenly felt small, and so incapable. She couldn't muster the concentration.

Her gaze found Optimus, who didn't break stance, his gaze unmoving from his opponent. Mira saw his optic ridges drop into an even deeper scowl, his optics running so icy blue that they were almost white. He didn't seem cognizant of Lockdown's attempt to plant dissention, as if he hadn't even heard the accusation of her unworthiness. He didn't even look down to her. Instead, Mira felt a pulse of warmth against her chest where the Shield rested, the comforting heat easing every nerve within her -

-until there was pain. Deep, echoing pain. Good God did it hurt as energy from the Shield hammered against her chest, Mira for a moment almost certain her breastbone would break in half. She staggered, her hand flying out to balance against Prime's foot. Mira's mouth open in a silent scream of agony as her hand flew to her chest, the armored fingers clawing at the center of the breastplate. Sweat immediately broke out across her entire body, her spine paralyzed by nothing but the feeling of deep ache. Every drop of blood was flaming, her bones like razors moving to beneath her skin.

Mira, the still and small voice echoed from her heart and into her brain, remember who you are. For such a time as this, child. For such a time as this. For in me, you are strong. I am with you always, even until the end of the age...the familiarity of scripture fell over her, shadowing any sense of pain that might've existed. Perspiration rolled off her nose to the platform, and for a moment, time stood still. The Shield was still throbbing, though a shadow of what it had been before. She felt the implant engage, the shield over her left eye reengaging.

...kbonding process uninitiated. Reimplantation configuration confirmed. The worlds flashed so swiftly it took her a minute to process, though the warning disappeared before she could even look over the system notification again. Again, another spike of pain shot through the Shield and through the fiber of her body, this time rendering her to a knee and stifling a cry from the depth of her throat. Clutching at the implant in her wrist, Mira could feel the white eat almost eating through her flesh.

Her eyes fellt to the location of Alpha Trion's first implant, the one look to her arm causing her to double-take the armor she saw there. Fear gripped her unlike anything she'd ever seen before - it was glowing, a magnificent blue, slowly tracing up the length of her arm in slinking pulses that set her nerves aflame. Eyes glued, she didn't even hear Cybertronian steel ring out on steel, only felt the pulsing shake of the Earth as Optimus and Lockdown engaged fully in combat.

She rocked forward on her knees, supporting herself fully with her arms. The middle of her shoulder blades were screaming in pain, a slow snake of tingling energy pulsing down her full spine, coming to rest at the base of her neck. A buzz settled into her skull, seeming to scramble her mind as implant by her eye literally moved, carving a new path all the way behind her ear, sinking itself into her flesh like needles. She screamed and collapsed again, feeling something firm brush against her hair. Blood seeped down the side of her face, her expression contorting into one of agonizing peril.

It was wrapping around her ear. Her body sang with newfound levels of torture, her stomach curdling into her chest as she sucked in a hot wail, feeling the implant pierce fully through the cartilage of her upper ear. It sank, again, deeply into the flesh of her skull, white-hot spots of pain flashing before her eyes. Gripping her air, the armor of her fingers brushed against her scalp, Mira within a breath of tearing the very curls from her skull. Oh Jesus, the pain...please...her prayer escaped through silent movement of her lips, her mind ringing with the agony.

Sweat pouring off her ringlet curls, she released an exhale when the movement at the side of her head stopped. A dull ache thrummed in her skull, severely lessened then it had been moments before. Heaving air into her lungs, she lifted her hazy gaze to find Lockdown and Optimus fully engaged, Lockdown throwing a strong roundhouse kick to Prime's face, sending him to the floor in a sprawling mass. He cried out, but was only down a moment - his gaze found her, stopping him dead, his optics scanning her with a lock of fear on his face.

"Mira..." his voice was hardly above a disbelieving whisper, but only for a moment, because Lockdown grabbed one of his helmet finials and hauled him up, only to crash a fist into the side plating of his face. Prime hissed, then reached around to push Lockdown's face away with a massive hand, the other mech releasing him just enough for the Prime to move back to his feet.

She wasn't entirely certain what had happened to her, but she lifted a shaking hand to the side of her face, her fingers brushing against the implant. However, it felt different, and was warm to the touch - when she withdrew her hand, she saw that it was completely covered in blood, causing her to swallow a shaking breath. The pain in ear expounded, and she reached up to feel for the cause - and froze. Her stomach dropped, and she heaved, her body crumbling in uncertainty.

The implant had expanded into her ear, a small finial not at all unlike Prime's having blossomed from behind the cartilage. It was hardly large enough to reach above her head, but large enough to be fully noticeable. The implant now fully encompassed her ear, attached at the base of the lobe, feeling heavy and metallic against her flesh. She engaged the system to remove the armor protecting her hands, her fingers tracing over the expansion.

Her first thought was, am I even going to be human after this is all over? though her hand paused when she felt a smell embossing into the metal of the finial. It was a thin, hardly-noticeable button, which she used her nail to press - and in a soft whir and pulse of mechanical energy, the finial disappeared into the implant. Withdrawing her hand, a notification flashed before her eye, signaling for schematic review - she was about to confirm when she felt the air move over her head, almost feeling the atmosphere trigger her attention upwards.

She screamed and dashed to the left, barely missing the huge hand that had thrashed out to her, attempting to pluck her from the ground. The steel platform bit hard into the flesh of her hands, but Mira propelled herself up with her arms, moving to her feet quickly with her heart in her throat. Swerving right, she barely missed the same hand that reached for her again, though she felt every ounce of mass that hit the platform beneath her as the mech behind her gave chase, Mira guiding him away from the battlefield where Prime was still engaged with Lockdown.

"Come here, Countess, and face the wrath of your end!" the familiar growl fueled any confidence that she might've possessed, Mira whirling around to a stop to face the being who had dared to spew her christened title from his mouth. Immediately, Galvatron came to a halt, his attention pulled down to study her small frame at his feet, lips twisted in a menacing snarl.

She lowered into defensive posture, the system engaging once again over her hands. Immediately, the two wrist blades extended, glowing a fuming orange that she could feel even deep within the strength of Cybertronian armor. The implant over her eye transformed again, taking over a larger portion of her left features, the finial fully expanding behind her ear. The mech's attention flicked over her ear, and his expression changed into a fiercer gaze, as if what he saw angered her further.

"The language of the Primes," he observed with a snarl, "Optimus has given you his mark. How endearing." His tone was dismissively jovial, and had Mira any interest in what the resurrected Decepticon had to say, her features would've folded into a wrinkle. Instead, the CAST was actively scanning for weaknesses of the prototype form, organic matter evident across Galvatron's frame.

"Come and face me, fleshling- if you can even call yourself an organic at this phase." He gestured to her with a nod, attempting to eke degradation beneath her skin. "You're disgrace to Cybertron, and a disgrace to your people. You don't belong anywhere, Mira Lennox - you never have." He paused only enough to snort derisively. "I will kill you, and then I will kill Prime - the last thing he will see is your dead flesh."

Her face contorted into a writhing scowl. "The only place I belong, Galvatron," she addressed the embodied prototype with a snarl of her own, "is between you and Optimus Prime." She checked over his shoulder, watching Lockdown hurl through the air as Optimus tossed him into a line of specimen containment unit. It shattered, spilling fluid across the platform in waves, Optimus ignoring the distraction to grab the mech by the arm, pulling it sharply backwards to disengage it from its housing.

His barking hiss was enough to send a bolt of ice down her back. "I will crush you, human, and suck the marrow from your bones! You will die today, at the hand of Galvatron!" He roared, extending the massive battle axe from behind his back. He took a low posture, Mira bringing up the commands for her thrusters. They simmered, the command waiting for her initiation.

Her eyes fell back to the KSI creation, and narrowed. "You're nothing but a cheap imitation," she muttered between them, engaging the thrusters. They burst to life beneath her, propelling her into the air within inches of his face. She leaned in close enough for him to feel her organic breath on his facial plating, his scarlet eyes flickering with darkness just enough to give them the dark appearance of blood.

"Then come and get me!" was her retort, roared from the very pit of her gut.

She lifted her blades, drew her fist back, and swung it around to drag the heated tip across the full expanse of his face. He writhed back, screaming, and Mira rocketed backward from his flailing hand, which came up to cover the searing side of his face. The plating of his face was steaming through her fingers, a satisfied grin of victory twisting the corner of Mira's mouth. She watched him draw his hand away, the black line across his face seeping with steam left over from the heat of her blade's presence.

He roared at her, something demonic contorting his eyes as he bolted forward, faster than light as he batted for her, Mira dodging just enough to feel the inertia across her face. Her heart kicked into a high gear as she shot forward, attempting to skirt him and reach behind, to echo the attack she'd given to the prototype. However, Galvatron bore all the experience of Megatron's combat data, and about-faced so quickly that she shot backwards. Had she been standing, she would've hit the platform.

Galvatron replaced the sword behind him, striking out again to reach for her. This time his hand nicked against her arm, sending her spiraling away from him with enough force to frenzy her flight systems. Struggling to gain control, Mira felt herself collide with another line of containment units, the force of her blow brutally evicting oxygen from her lungs. Painfully she gasped, and she squealed nervously when she dropped a few feet, propelling her attention to her thrusters.

The one was sparking, flickering to engage and stay operational. Oh no. No, no, no...in a matter of seconds it killed out altogether, and she felt Galvatron's primal warcry breach the distance between them, her head snapping up to recognize his move to reengage combat. Calling out a command for her ion blaster, it immediately transformed on her arm, and she fired off two blasts in his direction; Galvatron evading the one, the other hitting home in his shoulder.

It was a fight to stay upright and fire at the enemy, and finally Mira's systems were so disengaged that the thrusters cut out entirely. In the back of her coherence she heard Optimus call for her, though she ignored his voice, channeling her focus into the battle at hand. Rising to a standing position, she bolted out of Galvatron's path, coursing steadily to make a half-moon around him, her blaster raising again. Her feet transformed, and soon she was skating quickly around him, the mech coming to a halt to spin and face her.

She fired off another shot, this time to his lower chest, CAST informing her the armor might be a fraction weaker, though the blasts hardly seemed to make him pause. His optics followed her, calculating, until she broke formation, drawing him toward her a few steps. His hulking frame leered down at her, his gaze unwavering. Never before had she felt so inspected, and Lockdown's stare had been invasive. Though, the way Galvatron peered down at her hardly made her feel equipped...almost like a paralyzed prey awaiting its destruction.

Without warning, he threw himself forward into a transformation - his participle parts splitting into a million fractions of existence. Mira reeled back, having forgotten that Galvatron possessed the ability to transform himself at a time in various fractions. They moved toward her, like a whirling cloud, until they encased around her, their energy almost crushing. She saw his form begin to cohere, and she lunged forward, attempting to break through the snaking particles. She was almost free, feeling the truck behind her take full shape, until a thick hand wrapped firmly around her forearm, yanking her back to a halt against the side of the truck.

She started, glancing to shoulder where his hand was clutching to her appendage. Her eyes widened and her feet transformed down stationary, her stomach floating into her chest with unparalleled fear. She felt her blood run cold as the small bipedal holoform sneered into her face, revealing gleaming teeth with filed incisors, literal fangs glaring back at her. Dark eyes flashed over her form, and Mira felt the Shield pulse beneath her chest, the CAST sending out a reading for energy signatures.

"Hello, Mira," his voice grated down the length of her spine, sending pinpricks of fear into every rib across her chest. "Remember me?"

She was stunned, almost into silence. "Megatron?"

The rumble in his chest was almost otherworldy - demonic, it seemed. Hungry.

"In the flesh."

YAY for Megatron's reveal! Muahaha! Finally some semblance of coherency for TLK!