We've lost him
"Go, Bumblebee. Go!"
The tires screeched as dust and gravel was sent flying behind the yellow car as he sped away with his human cargo.
Ratchet turned around, shots howling from his gun as he covered the youngling in the hast escape. The other Autobots joined him, distant growling emitting from several vocalizers as the Decepticons burst out from the trees in earlier hot pursuit after Sam. The Autobots forced the Decepticons' attention elsewhere.
"Where's Optimus?" Ironhide growled through the Autobots' communication link. "Sam, where is Optimus?!"
Bumblebee didn't answer. Not at first. He then clicked softly as he heard Sam's answer.
Ratchet's thoughts lurched through scenarios, fear of what could have happened and anger. Long lived anger against the very opposite beings of themselves, against the Decepticons.
Then, as sudden as if they had found their objective, the Decepticons left. Retreating almost cowardly, leaving the Autobots in short bewilderment.
"We have to find Optimus!" Ironhide roared through the comm. link as he bolted towards the trees.
"Search for Prime!" Sideswipe joined in.
"He is… gone," Bumblebee's radio clipped together softly, sadly, grieving.
Ratchet lurched after the Autobots, barely believing the yellow one's words. That could not be true.
"Optimus! Answer, you slaghead!" Ironhide apparently didn't believe it either as he kept trying to contact the leader, or he deliberately ignored Bumblebee. Ratchet could also hear the weapon specialist's voice yelling beside the communication, demanding for Optimus' presence. The others joined in; Jolt not as loud as Sideswipe.
Ratchet suddenly heard Sideswipe curse colorfully through the communication, followed by a raging, wordless yell from Ironhide. The medic turned in their direction.
"Ratchet…" Jolt contacted him silently. "He is here… We were too late…"
Ratchet saw them, saw the frame of the leader, immediately pushing Jolt aside as he kneeled beside the fallen one, trying to list the major damage, running scans after scans but all the time getting the same result.
A great leader, the last Prime, had been deactivated.
Ratchet heard Ironhide snarl and growl, curse and condemn the Decepticons as he kicked the mangled wreck that was once the Blackout lookalike Grindor.
The medic looked up at his Autobots comrades, the words sticking to his vocalizer as if they were made of plasma. But he knew they needed to be said, so it was all about putting up the stoic exterior that the war demanded.
"We have lost him."