Chapter Thirteen: Duel to death

Breakdown had left for the med bay the second he got his bondmate. He looked at his mate, he was covered in scratches and bleeding from a few bite marks. Once in the med bay, he placed Knockout on the berth only to have his smaller mate wrap his arms around his neck holding him close. His entire body was shaking from fear.

"Please, don't leave me alone." He whimpered.

Breakdown wrapped his own arms around him, holding him close, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I'll never leave you alone again. Primus, I'm so sorry." He promised voice breaking.

Knockout hid his faceplates in the crook of Breakdown's neck and cried his spark out, shaking and clinging to him desperately. His panel had been torn, his chestplates damaged by the wicked claws, he felt dirty and tainted in a way he had never thought possible.

breakdown's spark broke seeing his mate in such emotional and physical pain, and he held him through it, promising in his spark that he would never, ever leave his side again. He was going to hold and protect him forever, never letting anyone near him where he couldn't check. "Shhh... It's fine... I'm here, Knockout, love..."

He started to patch him up, cleaning his wounds, bandaging the damaged areas and re-attaching some torn pieces. He felt Knockout's wince when he lightly touched his bared valve, and it made his spark ache. He carefully and swiftly repaired the hinges for the panel there, and it closed back up hiding his interfacing component again. He did the same for his chetplates and soon they were good as new. He wasn't Knockout's assistant for nothing...

Once he had finished patching up Knockout, he picked him up and carried him to a sleeping berth and laid him down on it. A moment later, he joined him on the berth, wrapping his arms around him, holding him close.

-I'm sorry, Knockout. I'm so sorry. I failed you.- He had failed to protect his loved one and he hated himself for for it.

Knockout snuggled closer to him before replying.

-I'm the one who should sorry, I knew better then to let my guard down.-

Breakdown tightened his hold on his mate alittle. -Please, Knockout, don't blame yourself, this was not your fault. I failed to protect you.-

Knockout could feel his lovers anger start to rise. -Please, don't blame Savage. Its not his fault this happened to me.-

-Yes, it is! He was stupid enough to make a deal with Unicron! Because of that, you got hurt!- Breakdown growled.

Knockout gently pushed him away and looked up at his mate and said calmly. "He made the deal to protect Megatron."

Breakdown's optics narrowed at that, and while he wasn't aware of that particular fact, he couldn't really bring himself to care much. Ok, Savage was an idiot and stupid enough to make a deal with Unicron, damning them all by doing so, and it was to save megatron? Big deal... The mech didn't need coddling. He was strong enough to protect himself.

"Well, to be honest Knockout, I don't really care why he did this. The point is: he damned us all by making that deal. It was probably not his intention, but the result is the same, love. We are ALL in danger, EVEN Megatron!" He replied, holding his mate and looking at him sternly, not in rage, but with some anger certainly.

Knockout sighed and shook his head, understanding that his mate couldn't see his point. Maybe, to really understands, one has to be a medium, and Knockout could see all the intriate implications of that situation. However, since Unicron had ordered Savage to kill Megatron, the original purpose of his deal was forfeit...

"Its complicated... I don,t think I have time to explain it all to you my love. All you have to know is... things will sort themselves out. Somehow... and soon." He finally said and hugged his mate, burying his faceplates in his chest. He needed the comfort... His spark still ached and his valve was sore.

Megatron stood in the command center/war room, arms behind his back. His expression though unreadible appeared to be deep in thought.

'What am I going to do?' He thought.

Optimus was also there, his expression was like that of Megatron's unreadible, yet deep in thought.

"My lord," Hardshell asked entering the room, he continued when Megatron turned his head slightly. "I do not mean to question your wisdom, but how long is this truce with the Autobots going to last?"

He growled when he said the word Autobot, he even glared at Prime when he said it.

"I don't know yet, Hardshell. I first need to rescue Savage from Unicron's grip alive." Megatron replied.

"I believe that ending the truce would prove unwise now that Dreadwing and Ratchet are now bondmates." Optimus said, ignoring the angry hiss from Hardshell.

"This is disgusting! An Autobot and a Decepticon, bonded? Really! Traitors like those should be exiled and hunted down like the fools they are!" Hardshell replied, clearly angered and displeased by all this.

Optimus frowned at this and looked at the insectoïd decepticon with deep disapproval. Attitude like that was one of those things that let the war go on for so long... If the insecticon can't understands that and wants nothing but to resume fighting, the Autobot leader was ready to fight him if he needed to.

He was going to say something when the door to the Command Center opened and Dreadwing walked in. Ratchet wasn't with him, but that wasn't surprising. He was probably in the medbay. But the large flier had caught the last part of what Hardshell said, and he let out an angry hiss, jumped forward, and grabbed the insect's throat in a deadly grip.

"If you have something to say against me or my bondmate, say it to my face, bugface! You and your band of ugly warmongers are the ones who should be exiled!" he was squeezing hard enough to dent the plating on the mech's throat and making him wheeze and cough, gasping for air.

"Dreadwing."

The large flyer released the giant insect at Megatron's calm yet commanding tone.

Hardshell hissed angrily as he got back to his feet, then stormed off back toward his hive to sulk and nurse his bruised ego.

Dreadwing watched him go through narrowed optics before turning to Megatron who had turned to look at him. There was only a look of curiosity in his optics not anger.

"Is what Optimus said true, are you and his medic now a bonded pair?" The war lord asked tone still curious.

"Yes, Lord Megatron. He is also carrying my offspring."

Both Megatron and Prime were both rather surprised by this new development. But it was Optimus who spoke frist.

"This week is full of surprises."

Dreadwing blushed a little at this, and had a cooked little smirk. "To be honest my Lord, it was as much a surprise for that my spark mate was an Autobot. I always figured it would be a flier, at least... But my spark called out for him. No one else apart from my twin ever called to me like that."

Optimus had a soft smile and put a hand on the flier's shoulder. His optics were kind and wise, and sparkling with understanding. "Love is a very strange thing. Sparkmates, true ones, are rare, and most Cybertronians goes their whole lives without finding theirs. I, for instance, never found mine. You are a lucky mech to have found yours, Dreadwing, and I think that it an happy coïcidence that said mech's on the Autobot side."

Megatron looked from one mech to the other with a knowing smile, arms crossed over his broad chest. he had found his spark mate. Starscream had always been and would always be his one and only love. His spark had screamed for his the moment they first met, and the same night, they bonded. So this happens, he and Starscream were a living proof of it.

However, the happy moment was broken byt the appearance of Unicron right in the middle on the War Room/Command Center, smirking and eyeing the group with a nasty, evilly knowing look in his purple optics. he stroke his pointy metal beard with a clawed hand, and chuckled darkly. "Such mushy nonsense. I could almost purge, it's so sweet..."

"Unicron!" Megatron hissed, his canon raising to point at the dark God's spark chamber. Assuming he HAD a spark...

"Tsk tsk tsk... You always welcome your guest this way? How rude!" He lifted a hand and Megatron's arms were pinned to his side by an invisible force, making him groan in pain.

"What do you want, Unicron?" Optimus asked taking a step forward, his tune hard but even.

"Nothing, really, Disciple of Primus. Just to remind you that you only have 30 minutes left before the duel." He replied with this fanged, wide, horrible smile of his.

"Name the place, fragger!" Megatron growled.

"The arena I have planned is not of this earth, ye at the same time it is." Unicron said walking closer to Megatron.

"What does that even mean?" The trapped mech snarled.

"You'll fine out soon enough." The dark god purred, running a claw down the silver Cons broad chest.

Megatron bit growl of pain as smoke rose from where Uncron's claw had trailed down his chest.

Unicron walked over to the computer and typed in a location before turning to face Prime and Megatron.

"When you're ready to face me, activate your ground bridge and find me," Unicron told them, then released Megatron before saying with a smirk. "While I wait, I'll enjoy ravaging your little brother."

megatron lashed at him, but unicron was already gone, only his laugh lingered, cold and foreboding. he let his weapon drop and roared to the heavens, his spark in turmoiland his anguished scream showing the depth of his torment.

"UNICROOOON!"

Optimus, however, was calm and went to the computer terminal to look at the coordinates that had been typed in. They weren't familiar with him, and he frowned. He typed more things on the computer to try and get a better ping on this location, but everything he goe was not helping. He returned to the seething Decepticon,s leader side, and put a hand on his shoulder, feeling it tense and shaking some.

"Megatron. We need to go. This is the only way to save your brother."

"Soundwave, call everyone in. We will not go alone. unicron will never know what hit him." he snarled, his rage, desperation and desire to tear something to pieces high, almost overwhelming.

"As you Command my Lord." The now fully functional again TIC nodded, and called for every available Deceptuicon and Autobot to come to the ground bridge.

Soon, the group composed of more than 50 Decepticons and Autobots entered to ground bridge to an unknown location...

Of course Ratchet, Dreadwing, Soundwave, and Starscream stayed behind while the others left to rescue Savage from Unicron. Although none of them realized that thier comrades would be walking literally into a massacre.

* * *

Megatron and Optimus were the first to exit the ground bridge; the fifty Eridicons mixed with the three Autobots came out next. Once they left the groundbridge, the portal vanished.

"Where are well?" Arcee asked.

The symbol of Megatron's chest was now glowing neon purple and started to pulsate. His optics widened when realisation dawned.

"What is it, Megatron?" Prime asked.

"We are inside Unicron himself." He replied shock clear in his voice.

* * *

'Ah, they've arrived. Perfect.' Unicron thought as he watched his pleasure ridden slave writhe beneath his gigantic purple spark as the massive tentacle continued to thrust deeply in and out of his port.

"Yes, master! Just like that!" Savage cried.

Unicron smirked inwardly, ever since Savage's resistance shattered, the flyer was far more compliant and he seemed to enjoy being ravaged by the tentacle.

Savage's back arched and screamed his masters name as he cilmaxed for the sixth time since he arrived and it always pleased the dark god to see his slave so eager for more.

The group walked slowly through the dark, dimly lit cavern that was unicron's true form. it was like walking though a twisted, weird maze trying to find some light. The group was keeping tight and close to one another, worriedly looking around. Purple blobs of energy sped around them on what looks like giant sensory wires and energon lines. Not to mention the deep, low throbbing of a giant spark beating slowly...

"We are close... I can feel it..." Knockout whispered, holding into his energon stick like a lifeline. "Its strong, so strong..."

Breakdown wrapped an arm around his mate's shoulders as they walked towards what was probably the god's spark chamber. The purple pulsation all around them was the light of his spark.

"If he had hurt Savage in any way..." megatron hissed optics bright and baring his fangs.

"You will do nothing but die, Megatron." Unicron,s voice sounded allaround them and inside their heads. "Now that you all have arrived, we can start the show!"

Savage was standing a few paces away, right in front of Unicron's pulsing spark, and was holding his twin blades, a nasty, darkly gleeful smile on his lips. His optics were tinted with purple, but they were mostly red, so he wasn't being possessed. "Ha brother, so nice of you ro drop by. I was expecting you..." he purred, and let out a little moan when a tendril rubbed against his bared valve, still dripping fluids.

"My sweet little pet here is ready for you megatron. he will have no hesitation to kill you, do you, Savage?" Unicron said and laughed darkly, the entire room ringing with the sound of it.

"As you command my master..." Savage purred, optics gleaming with a hint of madness.

Before anyone could react a massive shockwave slammed into the intruders sending them flying across the room, most of the vechicons were thrown out of the chamber along with the three Autobots and Knockout and Breakdown.

Once they were out, the enterance was blocked by a massive door. Those who were left slowly recovered from what had just happend.

Savage laughed clearly amused by the recent turn of events. "Looks like the table has turned in my favor."

Only twenty Vechicons were left and although Savage was not possessed he was still dangerous as he has approve that many times over.

On the other side of the door, Knockout was the first back up to his feet, and he shouted "NO!" Running at the door and pounding. however, tentacles and spikes shot out of the walls and the floor and ceiling all around them and he found himself trapped, unable to move. he screamed when a tentacle slid its way in his mouth, muffling his cries of pain and fear.

"KNOCKOUT!" breakdown shouted and ran to his mate's rescue, pounding away at tentacles and spikes that got in his way. "LET HIM GO!" He was grabbed by an ankle, and dragged up dangling like a ;puppet with its wires cut. "NO!" Three more tentacles grabbed his wrists and other ankle, and started pulling in four different directions.

The three Autobots and group of Eradicons weren't in any less trouble, being in the same predicaments, tangles with tentacles and spikes all around them...

Inside the room, it was also a massacre. Eradicons were torn apart right and left, and screms of fear and horror filled the room. The heavy stench of freshly spilled energon blood filled the air, and in the middle of that, Savage was attacking Megatron and Optimus like a devil himself.

"You will not get out of here alive. My master will make sure of it!" He cackled and slashed at Megaron's chest again, aiming for his spark.

Megatron managed to avoid the blow but the next cut a slice in his left leg, making him fall to one knee. Savage was on him in an instant and had a blade to his throat. "Savage! You need to pull yourself out of it! Remember your sparklings! they need you!"

Savage's optics widened at the mention of his sparklings and he lowered his sword from Megatron's throat and stepped away from his brother.

He had completely forgotten about them since he arrived, his hand shook before dropping the sword.

"You still can't save me, Megatron." Savage told him, voice shaking.

"You don't know that, Savage." Megatron said.

Savage was suddenly engulfed in purple flames, the heat of it caused Megatron to jump back with a startled yell.

"His soul is mine! He will always be mine!" Unicron's voice bellowed through Savage."

"He is not yours, Unicro! Prime, now!"

* * *

Optimus felt a presents beside him, it wasn't Unicron nor was it Primus but it felt familiar. Moments later, he heard a female's voice inside his mind.

'I will protect you, my brother. Your time has not yet come. Use the Matrix to defeat Unicron and live!' The femme told him.

"Prime! Now!"

Optimus dashed right in front of the huge glowing spark and his chestplates opened, baring the matrix and his spark below. A large beam of energy shooted out of his chest and hit the purple spark squarely on, making it glow brighter and pulse eradicaly. Unicron snarled with pain and entire room shaking and cracks appearing in the walls, and floor and ceiling. Chunks of metal started to fall all around them...

At the same time, Savage screamed with pain and the flames around him got brighter and hotter, and in a last dash or desperation, feeling his spark slowly go into stasis, being forced back to the slumber from which he should've never been awoken, Unicron used Savage to strike the one that started all this.

Both swords held up, Savage, still under the control of Unicron for a few more second, jumped and sank his swords deep inside megatron's chest, piercing his spark, fatally wounding him.

Megatron screamed in agony.

Savage screamed in horror and anguish.

Optimus screamed in ecstasy.

In a split second the world seemed to stop turning and freeze.

Back on the Nemesis Starscream screamed agnizing pain, it felt as if his spark was on fire. He fell to his knees, wrapping his ams around himself, tears running down his cheeks.

"Starscream!" Ratchet was by the seeker's side in an instant. "What is it, what's wrong?"

"M-Megatron..." Was all he said before passing out.

* * *

Unicron gave one last bellow of rage before his spark gave out from the power of the Matrix.

"Ugh." Optimus groaned from the sudden energy drain.

Said energy drained would have killed him, if it hadn't been for his guardian angel, shielding his spark and supplying him much needed energy.

"Thank you, Sister."

* * *

Savage blinked several times as Unicron's hold on him was suddenly severed. He gasped in horror as he saw that both his swords were buried deep inside Megatron's chest.

He pulled the swords out of his brother's chest and fell to his knees, tears running his cheeks.

"No, No! I NEVER WANTED THIS TO HAPPEN!" He wailed.

He wasn't aware that the dark energon shard had lossened and fell out of his spark chamber and onto the ground.

-To be Concluded...-