Rest

Terra felt herself growing weaker as they made their way toward the pillar. Ships were dropping from the sky - no doubt the doing of the Autobots - and chaos had ensued after Shockwave's defeat. She didn't even know when she had been separated from Sam among the mass insanity of battle. Her ears were ringing and the pain in her abdomen had grown so intense, she nearly threw up. Terra had never felt more weak in her life.

And never more human.

"Hurry! They're triggering the pillars!" Roadbuster shouted, snapping her out of her weak haze.

"Terra, come on!" Sam shouted, taking her arm. "We need to get to that pillar!"

Terra blinked and stared at him weakly. "Pillar?"

"Yes! Optimus shot it down, but it won't stay that way for long!" Sam insisted. "We need to go..." He trailed off and noticed her condition. "Terra? Terra, what's wrong?"

She grimaced and smiled weakly. "Nothing. I...just need to rest for a moment."

"We can't rest, we need to move now while we have the chance!"

"I'm...trying Sam."

Sam looked down, noticing her limp and watched her hand slowly move to her abdomen. Before he could put two-and-two together, Terra was already forcing herself forward. She could see Sentinel in the distance battling with Optimus while several soldiers attempted to offer cover.

"Sam! Go to the pillar!" she ordered. "I'll be certain Carly is safe."

Sam nodded his head. He quickly rushed off while Terra made her way to Carly, who was hiding behind an overturned car. Carly didn't have a chance to protest before Terra rushed her to Epps, who had taken cover in an alleyway with the others. She looked at him gravely.

"Take care of her," she ordered. "I must be certain Sam is safe."

Carly shook her head. "Terra, you're bleeding to death!" she whispered fiercely. "Please...don't do this!"

"I must." Terra told her.

She rushed through the battlefield, searching for Sam. Losing track of him became a problem among the chaos of bullets, dying soldiers and Cybertronians moving about. She could hear their screams, the shouts and the sounds of gunfire. The smell of burning flesh filled her nostrils, the sights and sounds of death all around her became lost in her determination to save this world.

But the revenge she craved...

Terra knew she would die. She could feel it in her bones.

But she would not let that happen until Dylan Gould perished at her hand.

Sentinel Prime had murdered Ironhide, but it was Dylan Gould who had allowed it to happen to begin with. He had been the one who led Sentinel to them. That foolish boy would pay with his life and Terra would be certain that she was the one to do just that.

When she found Sam, he was being held at gunpoint by Dylan.

"There's only one future for me!" Dylan shouted down at him.

Terra scowled.

"DYLAN!" she bellowed across the street.

Dylan turned, noticing her standing there now. His eyes widened somewhat and he pointed the gun at her.

"You chose sides?" he spat. "You chose wrong."

Terra started to advance and Dylan pulled the trigger. A bullet ripped through her arm and Sam cried out. Terra stared down at the now bleeding gash in her arm before looking up at Dylan, determination in her gaze. The pillar was still active behind him, humming with energy...

"Terra, stop!" Sam shouted, "Just go!"

Terra continued forward, without giving Sam's words any thought.

Dylan was frantic and squeezed another round. This one shot Terra in the leg, ripping through her thigh. She winced and leaned forward a bit, but continued going, limping only slightly in her gait. Horror touched Dylan's face and he squeezed round after round into her, far too fearful to aim for her head.

"DIE!" he screamed, "You fucking freak! DIE!"

A bullet pierced through her abdomen again and another through her chest, but Terra finally stopped when Dylan's weapon had run out of ammunition. He looked at her in disbelief and horror, unable to fathom what he was seeing; she was bleeding, wounded beyond imagination and still standing.

"Why won't you die?" he exclaimed.

Terra stopped and was in his face now, smiling weakly. Blood began to gush from the corner of her mouth. "No matter how many bullets you put into my body, I will see to it you die first." she whispered.

Dylan let out a muffle cry when she grabbed his throat with two hands, lifting him into the air. He gagged and kicked his legs, gripping her arms uselessly.

"You want your precious pillar?" Terra hissed. "Then TAKE IT!"

She shoved his body into the pillar and he screamed, thrashing violently as the electricity sparked wildly through his body. It did nothing for Terra - who could withstand intense levels of electricity - as she watched his flesh bubble gruesomely and crack with cold, emotionless eyes. Sam winced and shielded his eyes when sparks danced through the air.

Once the energy departed the pillar and it fell to the ground, Terra released Dylan's charred body before smiling back at Sam.

He stared upwards and noticed Cybertron disappearing through a vortex, ripped apart in the process. The Decepticon ships were sent skyward as well and ripped through the portal. Terra observed the sight with a weakening smile. Her knees began to buckle and blood gushed from her wounds.

"Ironhide..." she whispered.

Sam watched as she collapsed to the ground in a heap.

oOo

Terra blinked slowly, staring up at those who circled her. She could feel herself being held in someone's arms and thought she saw Ironhide, but it was Sam and Carly, helping by resting her head on her jacket. She blinked slowly, feeling that every movement her body made required so much strength.

"Did we...win?" she asked.

Epps nodded his head. "We did. You fought hard, girl." he said, his eyes filled with sadness.

Terra smiled and let out a soft sigh. "Then my job is done..."

Carly shook her head slowly, feeling tears forming. "Are you afraid?" she asked, her voice breaking a little.

Terra smiled up at her, shaking her head. "No, no. I'm full of joy." she told her - And she truly did sound as though she was. "Finally...after all these years. I can be free. I can finally rest." She looked up at them all, even seeing Autobots watching her with sympathy. "Humans weeping for me... Friends with me in the end. I thought I had seen it all yet...here I am, surprised."

"But the pain?" Carly started crying a little as she asked this.

"It's...not so bad, really." Terra assured her, those eyes fluttering. "It doesn't even hurt...anymore."

"I-I'm afraid for you." Carly wept.

"Don't be." Terra weakly reached out with two hands and took Carly and Sam's hand, placing them together. Her blood didn't do a thing to disgust them and they merely looked at each other. "I was a means to an end...but you two...take care of each other. Be happy...in whatever time...you have left in this world."

Carly smiled sorrowfully. "We will."

Terra's eyes were slowly closing. "Thank you...all of you...for everything."

Her hold on their hands slipped and they looked over, watching as her eyes closed and the final sigh left her lips.

"Terra..." Carly covered her face with two hands and embraced Sam.

oOo

In the end, we should always expect death to come for us.

No matter how you were born or what was used to make you.

Death comes eventually to us all.

Terra was standing in a flowing field of golden wheat. She wandered through it, letting her hands lightly brush the tops of each single stalk. She stared ahead of her and could see Ironhide standing among the fields. He looked pristine and brand new, as if he had just been born. A smile lit her lips and she approached, allowing him to reach down and pick her up in both hands.

"Terra...you're here." he said, tenderly.

She smiled. "If this is to be my punishment, then I will gladly have this for eternity."

"So will I."

O

Author's Note - I can't help but feel I rushed this. I think I did.