Optimus couldn't believe what happened, shortsightedness and boiling emotions where to blame that's was for certain. He wished Freddy best as he recovered in hospital as his wound was treated. He, Ratchet and Elita where exasperated and the new of Megatron bringing over an Army of undead brought the mood down by miles. Jack was quite and hung around Elita with a mixture of dread on guilt about him. Miko was at ease and more relaxed thankfully and so was Raf. Fowler on the other hand was racked with guilt and pity, he nearly got Freddy killed and earth's defense from the cons as well if not for them. He had explained everything to a superior over the phone and his superior said to his surprise.

"It'd be best for them to remain where they are and leave it at that. As for Freddy he can get 3 gifts of his choice he's more than earned it"

Fowler responded.

"Yes sir Fowler out"

He hung up and sat down and sighed.

"You gonna drag him away again?"

Arcee said with bitterness and Fowler in response shook his head.

"No, I won't be doing that again"

That brought some relief and eased the underline tension between her and Fowler, but Freddy was gonna be a whole different can of worms. The words on the ride home haunted their minds "If I die tomorrow I will personally greet megatron at the gates hell when he dies". The words hung with Arcee who waiting to hear back from his mother on how he was holding together. She was worried for many reasons, god knows what the prod did to him beyond the shocks. She stood and began towards the main exit.

"I'm going to the hospital, no use sitting around doing anything"

She said dryly as Optimus nodded as he began forming a plan to take out the space bridge. He glanced at Ratchet and asked.

"Ratchet I want to go over the space bridge schematics, we're gonna need any advantage we can get"

Ratchet nodded as Jack watched, he knew bailing and going back to a normal life was basically suicide and he didn't wish to up like Freddy but without a rescue. The thought of it sent a shiver down his spine as he remembered cleaning the wound the bandaging it even though it wasn't bleeding. He and Fowler found a calculation when left in a lab as the bots went to rescue Freddy, Optimus congratulated Jack on his keen eye and how he most likely saved earth without knowing it. He took a sip of water as he pondered on the possible future and what it may bring. Meanwhile Freddy was checked out of the hospital and his mother was guiding him to the car. He had been checked out early mainly to keep him away from his father he knew nothing about, god knows if he even cared. She also was extremely pissed at the bots and more so Fowler who she almost punched if Freddy hadn't explained that Fowler tried to get interrogated first to buy time but failed. She cooled but was still pissed at Fowler. They reached the car and Freddy leaned into it feeling weak and drained of life. His missing hand stung as he heard a Motorcycle pulling along side with a female rider in a skin tight biker outfit and helmet. Alicia felt more at ease, she trusted Arcee and she also expressed her guilt and everyone explained Freddy went willingly to keep Miko and Jack hidden a bit longer. Freddy smiled weakly as Arcee said warmly.

"How ya holding up?"

Freddy shrugged and replied jokingly.

"Well I don't think I'll be having kids anymore and I think I lost a few brain cells"

No one laughed and Freddy's smile faded. Alicia said offering.

"You can come with us, I've got the night shift and was wondering if you could keep an eye on him?"

Freddy was all for it and nodded even though he was asked. Arcee responded almost immediately jumping on the opportunity.

"Of course he's my responsibility too"

10 minutes passed and Alicia was gone and Freddy was with Arcee going through some records he had in his collection. Arcee saw him pull out a Beatles record she saw the cover of floating around, yet she never heard it at all. Freddy smiled as he used the wheel chair to roll over to the record player and began play Stg peppers lonely hearts club band. He rolled back to Arcee as track one played. She heard a few songs scattered over the radio like hits as Here comes the sun, let it be and twist and shout. This was going to be interesting. She could see that Freddy was gaining more and more strength as the morphine wore off, he glanced at her and said with weakness still laced in his voice.

"Arcee, I owe my life. It was you who came for me the push for it the hardest. The one who cared the most"

Arcee looked at him with a odd expression and thought he was still high on morphine but in actuality he was sober for 10 minutes. He knew she thought he was high still and cracked a smile and told her.

"I'm sober and nothing you say can deter me"

Arcee looked at him with surprise as track 2 began playing. She nodded retorted quickly.

"Then I'll have to lock ya in a safe"

They both laughed and laughed. As the night went on and record played till each side was played. Freddy was passed out in the wheel chair as Arcee was sleeping next to him like a protective guard dog.

Megatron went over what little the boy had spilled and he brought up a dead father and joked about how nonthreatening starscream was when he was not using the Energon prod. Megatron felt the dark Energon pulsating within him as the day of destruction approached. Once I unleash the massive Rock of dark Energon I shall be invincible. He opened another file and this was what Soundwave in all of his silent expertise could dig up on the one called Freddy. It contained school files and other little bits of Medical records and list of acquaintances which was around 4 people aside from his mother. Raf, Miko, Jack and one other named Michael Williams a male who was Freddy's age. This was the ammo he would strike with and hit his target.

Freddy was alone at home with a pager as Arcee was called to base the next afternoon. She said she'd be back as soon as she can. He drank orange juice as he wrote a will, just in case of course. His mother was out getting groceries and Freddy was alone for now. Having one hand was strange and a reminder of the price he paid for his stubbornness. He remembered the looks of horror and pity as he was zipping in and out of consciousness, he remembered the searing pain when his hand was blown off and rubbed the stump. His arm twitched as he touched a sensitive spot. He pulled his hand away and took a sip of his drink. He tasted blood and looks down into his drink to see blood dripping into it, he wiped his nose to see he was very much bleeding. A shiver went down his spine as he reached for a tissue. Stuffing both up his nose and grabbed his drink and walked over to the sink. Dumping it he sighed deeply.

"I'm gonna get that looked at when mom gets back. Probably a nose bleed or worse"

With the autobots Ratchet laid a wounded Arcee on the medical table. She had a plasma burn on her right chest plate which had done it's job spectacularly. He began cleaning it off and repairing it. The blast was like taking a bullet to The chest whilst wearing a bullet-proof vest, broken ribs and heavy bruising for humans but for her it was more like a bruising and a breach of skin. A fair chunk of her Energon boiled off into space leaving her with 34 percent left. Megatron really did a number on her and prime but it was Arcee who needed the most attention. Elita one had removed a fragment of shrapnel from her waist and welded the wound over.

"Jesus you all look like hell"

Fowler said as he took a close look of the bots and their various injuries. Bulkhead had mine lacerations and so did bumblebee luckily. Prime had plasma burns and lacerations on chest area, he had plenty of Energon though and his armour was tick enough to take a heavy turbo laser and only receive dent. Bulkhead glanced towards Fowler and nodded as he had Miko hovering around him asking how many cons he took out.

"Roughly 13, everything blurred together after the 7th one. Hey Arcee how many did you bag?"

Arcee checked her memory, she had her mind on Freddy who was still weak when she left him. She admired his boldness to go with Fowler but also hated it for what it lead to.

"Can't remember, too many to count"

She replied as Ratchet cleaned her wound and welded it over. As soon as she received the clean bill of health she was going to Freddy to check up on him and if she couldn't she'd ask a favour.

Stars hung as the space bridge's pieces were either completely atomised in the explosion or bent and broken Beyond recognition. Parts that helped it operate overloaded and where the 1st to go and then the hull and nearly Megatron himself. Kept barely alive by the darkness in his heart he drifted with the wreckage as they slowly we're being pulled into the atmosphere. The space around him began to increase in temperature as he fell further and further into the earth. Soon he was engulfed in fire as he tumbled through the sky at blistering speeds. Soon the flames died as he slung back out into orbit after going in to shallow. He was soo close to death he could almost give the Grimm reaper a high five but Megatron was both lucky and too stubborn to die. Just how he liked it.

End chapter