Pain exploded through Wheeljack, forcing his systems online. He stared upward, surrounded by fuzzy bots that he couldn't identify. The engineer arched his back, winglets scraping the orange gold ground as he clawed at his chestplates. A pair of servos wrenched his own servos away from his chest, pinning them above his head so he was splayed out. Another pair of servos clamped down on his abdomen and forced it flat to the ground. The mixed up sound of voices breached the unrelenting torrent of agony.

"What's happeni-"

"I don't know!"

"Get- Aid! -We'll-!"

"On it!" The engineer screamed and thrashed against the bots holding him down, his audio fins flashing a bright, dangerous red. One of the bots leaned into his view. "Listen- me! Wheel-!" The bot said desperately. The bot moved his mouth again, but only garble came out, making his voice sound like one of Blaster's mix tapes. Thick coolant tears rolled out of Wheeljack's optics as he jerked again, pooling in the remains of his blast mask.

"First- better- here soon." Another voice said, struggling to hold Wheeljack down. The Lancia could feel himself slipping away, bit by bit, and he welcomed it. -

"What's going on? What's wrong with him?" Bluestreak asked, his voice laced with panic and desperation. First Aid knelt by the engineer, running soothing servos over his chest armour.

"The pain will be over soon. I promise." He turned to Bluestreak, "His bond snapped. When a bond breaks, it causes enormous amounts of pain for the Conjunx Endura, and if someone has been bonded as long as Wheeljack has, then they often don't survive the process." First Aid turned back to Wheeljack and bowed his helm, "It means that Ratchet is dead."

"You can save him right? You have to!" The gray Datsun hissed. First Aid paused, then tapped Wheeljack's shoulder gently and spoke slowly, "Wheeljack? Can you hear me? I need you to open your chestplates. I need you to do it now."

They waited a few terse moments before the engineer's chestplates slid open with a snick. Bluestreak hitched his intakes softly, a little in awe at the sight of Wheeljack's softly pulsing spark. Craning his helm, he noticed Red Alert shooting him funny looks, and turned his helm away. Wheeljack's spark was no longer a bright, cheerful blue. It was dulling in color, and fading slowly. His jerks and thrashes were slowing down as well; getting weaker and weaker. "Inferno? Give me those jumper cables. Wheeljack's spark is rapidly losing energy, so we're going to boost his spark using a healthy one and these cables. Hopefully the boost will supply his spark with the energy he needs to stabilize."

"I volunteer." Bluestreak offered softly, raising a trembling servo. At that moment, laserfire sprayed the narrow alley. First Aid immediately bent over Wheeljack, shielding the engineer's chassis with his own while Red Alert and Inferno hugged the walls to make themselves smaller targets. Bluestreak leaped up, firing a couple missiles from his shoulder mounted gun.

"Fragging Autobots! Let's scrap 'em!" A muted voice sneered, followed by a chorus of "Yes!" Three Decepticons came sprinting down the alleyway, guns ablazing.

"You two do yer thing! Red and I will hold them off!" Inferno tossed First Aid the jumper cables, then turned and met Bluestreak's optics, "I sure hope this is worth it Blue." Red Alert tapped him and they charged into battle together.

"Open your chestplates. Quickly please." First Aid attached one end of the cable to Wheeljack's chestplates as Bluestreak complied, then hooked the other end to his chestplates.

"Will this hurt?" The gray mech asked.

First Aid nodded grimly, "Oh yes. The pain is excruciating." Bluestreak swallowed nervously, but his faceplates were set in steely determination.

"You know, you don't have to do this." First Aid quickly placed his servos around Wheeljack's helm so he didn't hurt himself further, "He may be happier to follow in Ratchet's pedesteps and become one with the Allspark."

"I have to. I have to save him."

"Because you love him?" First Aid stared at Bluestreak.

"Yes."

The medic reached over and fingered a button, "Initiating boost."

To say it was excruciating was a massive, massive understatement. It felt like his spark was being melted and drained away. Bluestreak arched his back and tried not to scream, his doorwings swooping downwards dramatically. It was having an equal effect on Wheeljack, who was thrashing with renewed vigor as First Aid tried frantically to hold him down, murmuring soothing things to him. Inferno and Red Alert had downed one Decepticon and were sparring with the other two. One punched Red in the jaw plating, causing him to stagger back, temporarily disoriented. The Decepticon then kicked him through the wall.

"Red!" Inferno cried, leaping on the Decepticon and bringing him down with a single shot. The 'Con dropped, but the other one was heading towards him and two more were charging down the alley. "Hurry up you two! We can't hold out forever!" He shouted. First Aid disabled the charge and removed the clamps quickly. Bluestreak slumped in relief and equal exhaustion.

"It didn't work." The medic whispered.

"What?!" Exhaustion forgotten, Bluestreak crawled to kneel by Wheeljack.

"It boosted his spark, but not enough. His spark is shrinking too quickly. I'm sorry Blue. He only has minutes left now."

"It wasn't supposed to be this way! Not like this." Coolant sprang to Bluestreak's optics.

"I'm so sorry Bluestreak." The Datsun felt First Aid's servo on his shoulder, "But there's nothing we can do now."

An idea sparked in the back of Bluestreak's processor. Shrugging the mech's servo off, he reopened his chestplates.

"What're you doing?! You both could die!" First Aid guess what the mech was doing and grabbed at him, but Bluestreak wrestled out of his grasp and flung himself on Wheeljack, crushing their sparks together. Wheeljack cried out as their sparks touched and an almost unbreakable bond formed. Bluestreak gasped faintly as energy surged through his systems, pushing him to the brink of an overload. He could feel the mech under him writhe as his own spark experienced spikes and surges. "His spark is stabilizing." Bluestreak could faintly hear First Aid exclaim. The steady sounds of laserfire and shouts faded away as he and Wheeljack's thoughts melted together.

Be okay. Live and be okay. Bluestreak urged the engineer, sending the words through their newly forged bond. They were accompanied with waves of love and promises. I will make you happy. Bluestreak had always been forced to hide his true feelings, even from his adopted genitors, Prowl and Jazz. Now he let it all go; his shock when he discovered he had feelings for the Lancia; his jealousy of him and Ratchet; and his endless love. Wheeljack didn't respond. He was struggling under infinite layers of misery and spark-aching pain. Feeling his systems start to shut down, Bluestreak wrenched away from Wheeljack with a painful snap and closed his chestplates, collapsing violently into stasis lock. Wheeljack was still barely online, Lyon on the ground and gasping. First Aid scooted over, having been driven back by the force of the energy. He examined Wheeljack's spark, then closed his chestplates and prodded his blast wounds gently. Inferno joined them, supporting a limping Red Alert. Five 'Cons lay in scrap a dozen or so feet away.

"It'll take a little bit, but I think you'll be okay." First Aid said, patting Wheeljack's shoulder. He paused, then added, "Don't give Blue a hard time. He did what he thought was best. And he'll be there for you, even if Ratchet can't be." Wheeljack stared at him for a few moments, coolant dripping from his optics, then slipped into stasis lock.