Behind him, familiar whirs and the sounds of engines humming drew his attention.
Cyclonus.
Scourge.
Sweeps.
They stood tantalisingly close to him.
"Y… you?" Galvatron croaked, vocal unit hoarse and struggling through panic.
Neither of them responded.
"My… friends? Right?" Galvatron swallowed, he could feel his faceplates twitching uncontrollably as he looked at them.
Their own faceplates didn't move a nanometre.
"Please?"
"GO ON MY DEAR, 'SAVE' THEM"
"W… what?" Galvatron had almost… no, he just wanted to forget Unicron's voice still spoke to him.
"PROVE IT, GO ON, SAVE THEM, I'LL WAIT, YOU KNOW I WILL"
The Sweeps hunched over, their wings twitching as if preparing for something.
Scourge and Cyclonus still stood, frozen, monolithic, their optics devoid of colour, devoid of emotion, devoid of anything apart from a gradually building… green energy.
"I'LL TAKE YOU BACK WHEN YOU FAIL, YOU KNOW YOUR PLACE IS WITH ME"
The duo's optics were now completely green.
A shuffle from behind prompted Galvatron to turn, all the Decepticons were still stood there, confused, worried, nervous, but mostly, scared.
"Run! All of you! G… Get away!" Galvatron gasped fear shooting through his spark as he had no idea what Unicron was going to do.
Immediately the Sweeps flocked to the air, smothering the sky with their forms.
Startled and still panicked the Decepticons scattered in all directions, some running into Sweeps as the deadly flock began to land, others thankfully bolting over the horizon.
The unlucky ones were being throttled by the Sweeps, uncaring servo's clamping over them and throwing them around like ragdolls.
The howling and fearful yells were an awful cacophony only dying when the Sweeps achieved their goal.
It was a ring.
They cleared out a… oh no.
Galvatron turned back around again.
Cyclonus had both blades drawn, Scourge had his dental units bared.
"Please, don't do this, I don't want t-"
Scourge lunged, claws stout hands colliding with his face immediately as his third-in-command charged him, claws going in every direction he looked. Galvatron could barely see past the barrage let alone look.
Galvatron screamed.
It was no one-on-one.
While Scourge had him pinned Cyclonus stepped forth and drove a sword through his leg, pinning it to the ground.
It felt as though his armour plating was paper thin and folding in on itself as if it were in a vacuum, all around the searing pain of the blade going right through his leg.
The strange thin feeling… Cyclonus was sucking out his energy!
So this is what it felt like…
Galvatron had weight on his side when it came to Scourge.
Fighting the swelling numbness in his leg Galvatron forced himself to roll over, easily taking his smaller, lighter foe with him.
Scourge snarled viciously as Galvatron's bulk was atop him, dirt clung to the back of Galvatron's leg as he ripped up the very ground he was upon to even move it with Cyclonus's sword through it.
Hooking claws into Scourge's collar, Galvatron stood up and heaved the wild Decepticon off the floor.
Twirling around he smashed the 'con into Cyclonus who held his remaining sword aloft readying his next strike.
Both of them went sailing across the ground.
The only noise from them was Scourge, he'd barely stopped snarling since the fight began.
Galvatron grabbed the sword in his leg and pulled it out, wincing and gasping as sensation rushed back to his leg as the energon-soaked blade ceased to suck power from him.
A hand slammed into his wrist and Galvatron dropped the sword.
In an instant, it was swooped off the ground.
Snapping upright Galvatron was face to face with Cyclonus who once more wielded both weapons.
Cyclonus stepped forward swinging a sword, it barely missed Galvatrons throat as the latter jumped backwards.
Undeterred Cyclonus just kept walking, short, sharp whistles piercing the air as he made quick precise swings and jabs with his weapons.
The accuracy and aim, all were rearing to sever any part of Galvatron's life-supporting software.
"Cyclonus… Cyclonus PLEASE" Galvatron held up a servo trying to show his pacifism, each and every swing just barely missing him as he continued to back away at speed, "I don't want this!"
Cyclonus just swung again, the tip of his sword slicing through the outer layers of Galvatron's palm.
Not a single emotion flickered across his face as Galvatron turned and ran, desperate to put some kind of distance between himself and them.
It was not to be, Scourge was already back and ready, waiting for his moment.
He descended upon Galvatron in a flurry of claws, dental units, punches, kicks and even his wing struts collided with any available space as Scourge dented and pulled at his plating.
Through the flurry of blue Galvatron could see an advancing figure.
Grabbing onto anything he could Galvatron twisted Scourge around throwing him once more at Cyclonus, wise to this trick now Cyclonus tried to jump and dodge but Scourge's large, ungainly wing struts collided with his legs and brought the horned Seeker down with him.
"Listen to me! I'm not here to fight!" Galvatron pleaded a small dent to the back of his helm started making more trouble than it was worth as he tried to stumble upright.
"BUT THEY ARE THOUGH, WHAT ABOUT THAT?"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Galvatron grasped the sides of his helm groaning, a digit barely tracing that one small dent, cursing it for having knocked something in his cranial chamber to be causing such distress, "Hold it!"
Before him, Scourge and Cyclonus were already on their pede's.
Scourge just didn't stop, he was wild, leaping at Galvatron, claws in every direction while Cyclonus was slow, advancing quietly on any opening left by the blue berserker and taking a swipe.
Galvatron did all that he could and fled.
He doubted he could get past the ring of Sweeps containing this arena of theirs but he couldn't fight them.
He didn't want to fight them.
"Look!" Galvatron spun around, grabbing at his arm he wrenched the purple cannon from his form, "Weaponless! See?" He tossed the thing at their pede's hoping it would work.
Instead, they continued charging, undeterred and only stepped over the abandoned weapon.
With a yelp Galvatron dived behind a rock, letting a sword collide with that rather than his face.
A handful of dust barred Scourge from another set of attacks.
There was no choice…
He couldn't talk to them…
Not like this…
Not… like… this…
He was unsure how it would be, how it would sound. His lip plates wouldn't stop quivering.
Scourge started a bellow, mid-leap, announcing his otherworldly fury.
Galvatron cut him off, a roar of his own.
This had to stop.
It had to.
Galvatron surged forwards bringing a fist up and slamming Scourge in the gut, his venting system immediately lost all air and with a yelp Scourge dropped struggling to collect himself.
A sword blurred past him, slicing a gash into Galvatron's arm, severing a few wires.
Holding back the grunt, the pained wheeze and the fear in his optics, Galvatron reached out to the arm that swung at him, grabbing the wrists he yanked Cyclonus back, spinning on the spot he swung the seeker around before flinging them across the arena.
Several loud thud-like noises brought Galvatrons attention up, having recovered from the blow Scourge was up and in the air, wings beating menacingly as he swooped in kicking Galvatron in the face sending his former leader toppling backwards, bouncing onto his front
Satisfied with that Scourge landed on top of him, claws going to work at the plating on Galvatron's back.
Uselessly squirming around in the dirt Galvatron struggled to get a grasp on the feral mech, the first solid thing he even remotely got a handle on was good enough and he tugged and pulled wildly at it, enraged snarls the only indication that it was any part of Scourge.
Furious at the touch Scourge thrashed wildly, only giving Galvatron the slightest leverage.
It was small but he had to take anything, rolling over Galvatron once again pinned Scourge under his weight, twisting around so he was face to face with the out-of-it Mecha.
The hate-filled snarls contrasted by such dead, vacant green optics.
It was chilling, Galvatron found his jaw mechanism flapping uselessly at the sight, words dying.
The useless flapping was better, Galvatron lower lip plate shook uncontrollably, the words still dying in his throat but running through his processor clear as day:
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…'
Fist raised Galvatron punched Scourge square in the face.
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…'
He continued to punch, Scourge still wouldn't fall unconscious.
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…'
Another punch and this time at least his snarl sounded quieter.
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!…'
Just go unconscious!
Just stop fighting!
He swung another punch down at Scourge as he still continued to squirm and struggle, only this time a sharp noise pierced his audios.
A sword swung through the space his arm previously occupied only just missing him by the most measly nanometre.
A quiet gasp escaped him as Galvatron lost all focus on Scourge, looking up at Cyclonus looming over him again.
The momentary lapse was all Scourge needed, undeterred by the barrage of assaults he just endured Scourge raised a clawed hand, successfully swiping at Galvatron's face.
Galvatron shrieked, his optic going offline as huge gashes split open his face letting boiling hot Energon spill out.
Pain rocked through his systems as he pushed upright, processor and body screaming to get away from the pain but everything was too blinded by it to do so.
His hands clasped at his wounds, soft pained wails still rolling from his vocaliser.
With his vision covered Galvatron only heard Cyclonus transform before the Seekers jets blasted him clear off his feet, sending him sailing across the arena, coming down with a series of painful thuds as he skipped across the ground like a limp toy.
Galvatron could only whimper softly at his own pain.
What could he do against this?
Above him a dark shape circled before transforming again, glowing purple blades ready to strike again.
With a grunt Galvatron tried to roll over, to avoid the swing, only one sword went sailing overhead.
The other hit it's mark dangerously well, the side of Galvatron's chest split open like an overstuffed money-pouch the sword sinking in as if it always belonged there.
Galvatron couldn't hear his own scream through the blizzard of agony, more vital mech fluid pouring out of him as if it had no choice.
He flailed wildly, spasmodic movements catching his assailant off guard, knocking him off letting Galvatron stand.
If you could call it that.
Barely upright, barely able to stand still Galvatron struggled and hopped, trying to do something, anything to just… just try!.
"It's for your own good!" He whined, trying one last time to bed, to plead, to just stop, "PLEASE!"
A howl caught his attention as Scourge bounded back into the fray.
With a grunt turned gurgling-gasp of pain Galvatron grabbed the shorter mech, squeezing his throat between his claws and swinging the snarling shape upright holding him at arm's length.
A spasm rocked through Galvatron's body as he realised with a jolt of horror that not only was the wound to his chest seriously deep, but Cyclonus had left his sword in him, the hilt the only thing hanging out of him.
Purple 'veins' spread out across his chest as the Sword began leeching his energy…
Galvatrons free servo went out, catching Cyclonus and grasping his helm, but the Seeker didn't care, didn't even bother to swing his remaining sword, he just pushed onwards, pressing his face further into Galvatron's hand. Simply trying to bulldoze through anything the former leader had left.
Scourge had not stopped struggling either.
Feeling familiar heat prick at his optics Galvatron knew he couldn't keep this up for long…
"Please…"