Agent Kevin Graham knew a thing or two about hand-to-hand combat, even before joining NEST. While the Autobots all had their own unique fighting styles, strengths, abilities, and centers of gravity, many of the same principles applied. For him, watching them spar was what his wife had called his "guilty pleasure," back before the cancer took her.

Ironhide was a demanding instructor, but he regularly pulled his punches when training smaller 'bots, even while sparring. Chromia didn't – not with anyone robotic, anyway. She was the only 'bot who would directly train the human NEST members, and she held back with them out of necessity. After teaching them how to find and disable critical relay junctions and exposed coolant and energon lines (all with the threat of squishing anyone who shared that info beyond NEST, of course), she invited any human brave enough to spar with her. Graham had sparred with her twice. He lost badly, of course, but he had the privilege of being able to say he'd faced her on the training range.

Optimus would spar with his fellow 'bots, mostly as an act of camaraderie, and like Ironhide, he generally held back. The one exception was with Ironhide himself. That mech got some Primely dents from time to time, and he gave about as good as he got. Those were good days, as far as Graham was concerned.

So when Optimus had turned to him and said that he and Ultra Magnus needed first use of the training range that day, Graham felt like a kid on Christmas morning. Sideswipe had accused him of having a "silly grin" and asked what was going on. From there, things snowballed until he and every other 'bot and soldier who could get away were watching in awe as Optimus Prime took on a mech a full head taller than him. From the moment Magnus' war-hammer transformed into a halberd, Graham blessed whatever deity had granted him a ringside seat for the most fantastic sparring match this world had ever seen.

There was finesse in their sparring, and while Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus trash-talked like mortal enemies (or brothers), every motion communicated healthy respect. Watching them was more like watching Sunstreaker and Sideswipe than Optimus and Ironhide. They knew each other's moves and minds. They clearly had earned dents at the others' hands, had their energon drawn by each others' weapons. Watching them spar was a thing of beauty, like a deadly dance.

Though he'd seen Optimus' empty shell years ago and so knew the mech wasn't invincible, Graham had never personally witnessed anyone best Optimus. To see Magnus take him down (with the flat of his halberd – the first and only "pulled punch" of the sparring match) made his heart leap to his throat. But Optimus was up again, his optics blazing, and the Prime laid Magnus out in short order with a blow that made Graham wince.

For all that ferocity, though, the healthy respect continued even after Magnus lost, and the Prime gently helped the taller mech to his feet and off the training range. It was in that moment that Graham realized these mechs were truly brothers and, if not equals, pretty fragging close to it.

NEST had won the ultimate lottery. They now had, essentially, two Optimus Primes.

Or so Graham thought until he saw them interacting with the men and 'bots who were repairing the Iron Will.

There was something different about Optimus Prime, something more than even royalty. Enlisted men felt comfortable addressing him as just Optimus, but their words were always respectful. Deferential. The Prime could silence the feuding younger twins with a scowl, and it only took twice for that to happen before Graham realized they stopped, not because they were afraid of him, but because those two malfunctions respected him and valued his approval.

In fact, if Graham hadn't seen Optimus battle with Decepticons, he would have wondered if the Prime was more politician than warrior. Seeing those energon swords and rifle in action permanently settled that question for him. And yet for all that, the Prime was remarkably gentle.

Ultra Magnus also had that remarkable gentleness as he worked with Ratchet's human repair team. Even without knowing there was some kind of brotherly relationship between them, it was clear to Graham they were cut from the same cloth. But Optimus wore his authority like a second coat of paint, while Ultra Magnus was more assertive about enforcing his commands. It didn't seem to come as naturally to him as it did to Optimus. To Graham, that made the taller mech a bit more…human. More down to Earth and relatable, ironically enough.

The second time Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus sparred, Graham couldn't help but cheer for Magnus, especially when Major Lennox started shouting encouragement for the Prime.

The trash-talking continued, much to Graham's delight. The metal titans put enough power behind their blows to make sparks fly, but when they put away their weapons, Graham eagerly leaned forward. Instinctively, he knew this match was about to get even more interesting.

And he was right. When Magnus pulled Optimus – ten tons of ferocious, struggling servos – into a headlock, Graham let loose an uncharacteristic whoop. It was one thing to defeat your opponent, to knock him on his aft; it was another thing entirely to render him immobile, to threaten him with a noogie. He actually laughed aloud.

But unlike the Prime who had demanded submission when he won the last round of sparring matches, Ultra Magnus just held the Prime long enough to make his point and then released him.

Graham's estimation of Ultra Magnus only grew with that.

The third time Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime went to the training range, though, the tables had turned. Optimus was using his Blackbird armor, and now he was the one who was a head taller.

Graham wasn't sure who had decided Optimus should use his upgrade this time, but judging by Ultra Magnus' obvious eagerness, he figured Magnus didn't particularly object. With a shout, Graham cheered Magnus on again.

The mech was game, Graham had to give him that, but he was unquestionably outmatched. He was driven back by Optimus' swords or kicked on his aft or had his halberd knocked from his hands. Every time, he regained his feet. Every time, he picked up his weapon and lunged again. It became clear within just the first couple of minutes that there was no way for Magnus alone to best Optimus, but the mech didn't seem to care.

There was no trash-talking this time. The humans and 'bots on the sidelines had been rowdy at first, but as Ultra Magnus again and again went toe-to-toe with an opponent he could never beat, they gradually grew quieter. Eventually the only sounds from the spectators were the occasional wince or mutter of sympathy.

Graham had expected to see the skill and raw power of these two mechs on display, and he wasn't disappointed. But he now recognized that he was also seeing their character, particularly that of Ultra Magnus. Optimus always gave him space to get up – there was no rancor in this match – and get up he did, every fragging time.

At one point it seemed like Ultra Magnus was gaining the upper hand, with Optimus falling back and on the defensive. But the shouts of encouragement from the sidelines were drowned out by a roar of frustration from Magnus, and he stepped back, disengaging.

In the confused silence that followed, Magnus' dignified voice carried. "Don't you dare throw this match."

Optimus straightened, hesitated for a couple of seconds, and then bowed his helm in acknowledgment. When he looked up, Magnus closed on him again.

When the time for a change of duty shifts approached, most of the human NEST soldiers headed back up toward base. There was a part of Graham that wanted to go with them, that didn't want to witness the moment when Magnus finally gave up. He wanted to imagine him fighting on through the night, persevering through sheer tenacity until he finally – just once – beat the Prime.

But there was something compelling about that tenacity that made him stay. Or maybe it was simple morbid curiosity, wanting to see what it would take to finally break Ultra Magnus' will. Regardless, Graham pulled out his cell and texted Major Lennox. /OP & UM are still sparring, if you can get away./

A few minutes later, the Major rolled up in Ironhide, and Lennox hopped out. Striding up to Graham, he said, "Report."

Gesturing toward the two huge mechs, Graham answered, "They've been going the rounds for almost two hours. Magnus hasn't bested him once yet."

"He won't," Ironhide grunted. "Not when Prime's wearing the Blackbird armor."

"Magnus seems to be of a different opinion," Graham said.

Once again, Magnus got knocked flat on his back, making the island underfoot tremble with the impact, and Lennox asked, "Two hours of that kind of punishment?"

"Just shy of that, but yes, sir."

"What game is he playing at?" Lennox wondered, gaze riveted on the sparring mechs.

Graham wasn't sure if the question was intended for him or not, but he answered, "He flat out told Optimus not to throw the match at one point. I believe he is testing his mettle against the Prime's upgrade."

Lennox grunted noncommittally and then glanced sidelong up at Ironhide.

"Seems likely," 'Hide answered the unspoken question, looking back out over the training range. "But Magnus would see taking on that Blackbird armor as his own personal challenge, not as a challenge to Optimus' authority."

"Never that," Graham agreed.

"Hm."

It was the glint of the halberd in the dying light that caught Graham's eye. Ultra Magnus had made another sweep for Optimus' ankles, and this time Optimus had simply levitated out of the way using his jets, but he came down with both swords on the halberd's shaft. Though his field of vision wasn't the best, Graham saw both mechs freeze, and then Optimus' voice carried in the sudden silence. "Oops."

"Well that's fragged to the Pit." Ultra Magnus broke out in sudden laughter, chortling, "Ratchet's going to offline you. What did that do to your swords?"

As Magnus raised his halberd again, Graham could see that the handle was bent at a noticeable angle.

"They're badly blunted now," Optimus answered Magnus, looking ruefully at his swords. "I'll need Ironhide or Roadbuster to help me fix them."

"Not a chance, youngling," Ironhide declared loudly enough that his voice carried. "You break 'em, you fix 'em."

Optimus looked in Ironhide's direction and lifted his chin in a "bring it" gesture, and Graham smothered a grin. Apparently two hours of sparring with Ultra Magnus had left the Prime a little more battle-heated than he let on.

Magnus chuckled again and rested the halberd on his shoulder. Together, the two titans started walking toward the sidelines, and Optimus added, "I just hope Ratchet or Wheeljack can repair that shaft."

His humor settling down, Magnus answered, "Me, too. I'd hate to have to face you with my second-favorite warhammer."

…

When they returned to the Autobot hangar, a small knot of 'bots were gathered around Kup. Optimus and Magnus continued on to the med bay, but Graham reported to his duty station up on the command scaffolding.

It was quiet, for the most part, and after receiving the shift updates, Graham found himself unintentionally eavesdropping on the Autobots.

"...since Akra 7," Kup was saying. "He was one of the Wreckers' best snipers, so he got a hero's welcome when he arrived, or so they said. Not even Bluestreak has beaten his record."

"But what were they doing there?" Jolt demanded.

"Would you believe they were sharing energon with Decepticons?"

The Autobots surrounding Kup erupted in exclamations of "No!" and "Nu-uh!" and "No way!" and Graham half-smiled at their reaction. Clearly, they weren't buying whatever Kup was trying to sell, though Graham was puzzled about the context of Kup's story this time. Usually his tales were about epic battles.

"Dey's Decepticreeps dere?!" Mudflap all but shouted.

"Nu-uh!" Skids repeated. "Wha' de do ta get all dat?"

"A good memory to share is the price of admission," Kup declared, "and an honorable death gets you a place at the table."

Jolt crossed his arms and huffed indignantly, and Prowl firmly declared, "Decepticons are without honor."

Kup gave Prowl a cocky grin. "Some are, and so are some Autobots. The Well winnows 'em out, though, don't you worry, lad."

"It is illogical to believe that Autobots and Decepticons would become friends in the Well of All Sparks simply because they have been extinguished here."

"It's a bit more complicated, I'll grant you that," Kup allowed, "but with Jazz nudging them that direction, they get there eventually."

Graham admittedly was not good at reading Prowl – more often than not, he came across as a Vulcan from Star Trek instead of as a Cybertronian – but his doorwings stiffened and flared wide. Kup had clearly hit a nerve.

"Nothing in our theology allows for such a scenario," Prowl archly said. "The records from reputed seers indicate that social circles are small in the Well. Close kin and, occasionally, dear friends gather. Time, such as it is there, is spent in quiet contemplation. There is no record of anything like what you're describing."

"Does that honestly sound like Jazz to you?" Kup straightened to his full height, and from Graham's perch on the command scaffolding, he could almost imagine them raising their hackles. "Lad, I've seen it so many times it's more real to me than Earth is. There's a huge crowd – mechs and femmes, younglings and sparklings – all celebrating the good things of their old life and their new one. In the middle of that is the Heroes' Hall and that's where I aim to end up. I'd expect you of all mechs to be excited about something Jazz built."

Prowl opened his mouth, but Optimus' voice startled Graham as much as it did the other Autobots. "Kup is correct."

Prowl's mouth snapped shut with a clang, and they all turned to look at the Prime. He and Ultra Magnus both strode into the main hangar from the med bay. "I have memories of the place he has described, though they aren't as clear as Kup's dreams. And yes, Jazz is behind it."

"Naturally," Jolt snorted.

Skids looked up at Optimus, his hands still defiantly on his hips. "Da Decepticons get all da same energon goodies an' stuff?"

"Factions don't matter there," Optimus confirmed, "mostly."

"Mostly?" Prowl demanded, finding his voice again.

Optimus met his gaze. "Jazz said that the oath he gave me didn't end with death – it was to me personally and not just to the Autobot faction. That is why he instigated this whole…theme park in the Well. It was his way of taking care of those who are dear to me."

They all seemed to contemplate that for a moment, and Ultra Magnus finally shook his helm. "Don't you all have duty assignments?"

Graham recognized the commander's implied threat that he'd find something for them to do if they didn't already and smiled to himself as he opened a new email. The base chaplain was going to love this new intel.

As he wrote the email, it finally sank in for him what Optimus had said. The Prime had seen Cybertronian heaven. He'd visited and could vouch for the accommodations. And now he walked among them like any other mech. It was more than a little mind-blowing. No wonder Prowl had struggled with all of that.

…

A few days later, Graham was just finishing his marksmanship training time at Boomtown when he heard Ultra Magnus say, "Agent Graham?"

Turning, he saw the mech (along with Wheeljack, Bulkhead, and Ironhide) approaching on foot. Worried he was upset about that email to the chaplain, Graham straightened to attention. "Sir."

"I was wondering if I could impose on you for some assistance for a few minutes this afternoon," Magnus said as the other three continued on to the sparring range. "I've been tasked with giving tomorrow's mission briefing, and apparently there's some artistry to the creation of a digital slideshow. Would you help me prepare a presentation that will keep the humans' attention and appeal to their aesthetic?"

Graham didn't chuckle, though he was tempted to. He was hardly the best person to put together an entertaining PowerPoint, but he was reasonably sure he'd be able to improve whatever Magnus was planning. "I'd be happy to, sir."

Transforming down into his troop-transport alt-form, Magnus opened the driver-side door. "Considering you're Major Lennox's second-in-command, and he's Optimus' human counterpart, I'm not convinced I outrank you, Agent Graham."

"Perhaps not, sir," Graham admitted as he climbed in, "but the honorific is still deserved."

"Thank you," Magnus answered, and Graham could hear the genuine gratitude behind it.

…

Even though Graham knew what this briefing would entail thanks to his work on the slideshow, a little thrill still went through him when Ultra Magnus stood up in front of the assembled NEST personnel.

BINDS had been the first official foray into technological collaboration between the Autobots and their human allies; those satellites had been such a roaring success that the 'bots were going to take an even bigger gamble, but it was one that could benefit both them and Earth in tremendous ways.

Magnus nodded at Graham, and he turned on the slideshow.

"As you know," the big mech began, "we came to Earth primarily as reinforcements for the Prime's team. However, since you are better positioned here than we anticipated, we are able to turn our attention to reinforcing you in ways that go beyond the strictly military."

At another glance from Magnus, Graham advanced to the next slide, one that showed their best asteroid target thus far, nicknamed "El Dorado."

"To that end, we will be redirecting our energy and time to mining efforts. The solar harvester already here on Earth was put to evil intent. We are in the process of building a different solar harvester," at this there was a murmur of surprise among some of the NEST humans, but Magnus continued, "one designed to be moved out of this solar system to a place where it can be used without harming anything living. Any questions?"

Thomaczech raised her hand and Magnus gestured toward her. "To be 100% clear, sir, this solar harvester will not be used on Earth's sun, right?"

"That is correct," Ultra Magnus answered.

"Allow me to clarify," Optimus added, rising to his pedes. "Especially after the terror unleashed by The Fallen seven years ago, I want to be crystal clear on this point. Earth is a second home for us, and we consider you humans our brothers and sisters. The solar harvester will never even be assembled in this solar system. It will be used on a different star, one without life orbiting it."

"How are you gonna get it there?" Epps piped up.

"That is 'need to know' at this time," Optimus smoothly answered. "For now, our mission focus is on procuring the metals and building the manufacturing infrastructure necessary to produce all the solar harvester's parts."

Epps nodded, though he was still frowning thoughtfully, and Optimus gestured for Ultra Magnus to continue.

Magnus said, "Rather than plunder Earth's resources, we will be utilizing the capabilities of the Iron Will and its crew to mine mineral-rich asteroids between here and the sun. This serves two purposes: firstly, it provides the necessary materials to jumpstart the solar harvester's construction and, secondly, it will provide an independent source of valuable materials that could then be used internally or judiciously sold externally for necessary funding."

Johnston raised his hand, and Magnus pointed his way. "What do you mean by 'judiciously?'"

"We are aware that a sudden influx of any precious metal into Earth's financial markets would likely wreak havoc," Magnus explained. "Any sale of such metals would be a last resort. For example, gold is a better conductor of electricity than copper, so our primary purpose in mining gold will be to use it for the solar harvester's wiring. We'd only sell it if there was a metal or mineral we needed that couldn't be obtained through asteroid mining."

Johnston was satisfied, but Epps raised his hand again. Magnus gestured toward him.

"How much metal are we talking about here? I mean, even empty, the Iron Will is pushing the weight tolerances of the runway. Load up that huge hold with titanium, and you'll be punching through the tarmac."

Graham was surprised by how much that question threw Ultra Magnus for a loop. The big mech looked to Optimus almost helplessly. He, in turn, gestured to Wheeljack.

"You don't need to worry about that, Epps," Wheeljack said. "It'll be much more efficient to just have everyone fill up their subspace pockets."

"Uh…huh?" Epps eloquently said.

"You humans keep forgetting that mass is just solid energy and that energy is just transformed mass," Wheeljack rambled. "We have the ability to turn objects into energy and store them in an additional dimension, what you all might call subspace or unspace. It's a betwixt and between place. Each of us has subspace pullers and pockets of energy where we store useful stuff. Subspace pockets. We'll just have the crew of the Iron Will fill up their personal subspace pockets and then empty them when they return to Earth."

"The bottleneck isn't any tangible metric as much as it is a given Autobot's energy levels," Ratchet added. "Subspacing matter consumes energy, as does maintaining those objects' integrity and connectivity within subspace and pulling them back into a matter state. But since we can top off the mining crew every time they return to Earth, we should be able to transport at least enough ore to equal the volume of the Iron Will itself with every mining run."

Quinn whistled in surprise.

"Any additional questions?" Magnus asked. Seeing none, he nodded at Graham to advance the slide again, this time to one with an animation illustrating what he was about to explain. "Any solar system is far from static. As Earth orbits Sol, various asteroids drift closer to or further away from the planet. Both Lancer and Prowl agree that an attack from the Decepticons is still likely in the near future, and so we've armed the Iron Will to the best of our abilities, considering the time and resources available. Still, we don't want to get caught so far from Earth that a contingent of Decepticon Seekers coming through the space-bridge could reach the Iron Will before it could get under the safety of the BINDS satellites."

Magnus nodded to Graham to advance the slide, this time to an illustration of the territory he was describing. "Therefore, we are limiting our mining operations to a 'safe zone' close to Earth. While we're up there, though, we will map everything we can for good measure, whether it's in the safe zone or not. That information will be turned over to the humans for their future use."

This got a few murmurs of approval, and Graham smiled. It was a good plan, on several levels. Magnus glanced his way with a nod, and Graham advanced to the next slide with another round of animations.

"Since Optimus is capable of spaceflight, he has agreed to be our advance leader on this, taking core samples from asteroids on the side of the safe zone that precedes Earth in its orbit. He'll analyze those samples and send the results to Beachcomber," here Magnus gestured toward the geologist, who stiffly nodded to the dozens of eyes and optics now watching him, "who will be leading the mining team from the Iron Will. The Iron Will will follow behind the Prime, going as far as the Earth-trailing edge of the safe zone if necessary, but not beyond it. Beachcomber will then determine our primary mining targets via a rubric based on priority of need, difficulty of obtaining the ore on Earth, expense of obtaining the ore on Earth, and how long the asteroid will remain in the safe zone. Any questions so far on any of that?"

Sideswipe surprised Graham by raising his hand. With a vented sigh, Magnus pointed at the frontliner.

"Just one," Sideswipe cheekily said. "How the frag are you and Optimus going to spar for us when you're on opposite sides of the planet like that?"

Several people stifled chuckles, and Magnus placed his hands on his hips. Before he could light into Sideswipe, though, Graham piped up with, "He might have asked the question, but we were all thinking it."

Magnus' hands fell to his side and he glanced at Graham, his helm tilted curiously. Graham nodded once, a slight smirk slipping through. A long-suffering expression flitted across Magnus faceplates, and he looked to Optimus for support. Smirking himself, Optimus said to Sideswipe, "We will spar whenever we're both planetside at the same time."

Magnus surveyed the room and was apparently satisfied by what he saw, because he continued, "Anyway, while the Prime and the rest of my crew are on the Iron Will mining, we have negotiated with NEST's parent countries for their cooperation. Every Autobot and human soldier who can be spared will be temporarily reassigned to help build storage facilities in central Nevada. Once those are complete, we'll begin work on another refinery. The entire region is heavily-dependent on mineral extraction, and one more apparent mining operation will not be out of place. Once raw materials are retrieved from the asteroids, they will be stored there until the refinery comes online. Any questions about that?"

Epps again raised his hand. "Us grunts are going to help with that? How'd you pull that off?"

Somehow, Prowl's explanation came out more like an accusation. "The Army Corp of Engineers, as well as their counterparts with other militaries, will be given the refinery plans drawn up by Wheeljack and Beachcomber, and they will have unrestricted access to the completed refining facilities."

Ultra Magnus added, "We do not know how long we have until the Decepticons launch their attack. It could be hours; it could be months. Our window of time to act is narrow, regardless. This was a necessary trade-off."

"Agreed," Lennox said. "Even if it does mean working in someplace as God-forsaken as central Nevada."

Graham had heard some of the Major's war stories, which often included the general regions where he'd served for them. If he was calling Nevada God-forsaken, he could only imagine the kinds of conditions they'd be working in.

…

Graham hesitated out on the tarmac. His shift was over, and normally he would be walking home to the officers' quarters right now. Alone. His son William had been five when Evelyn passed, and her parents had begged and pleaded to be allowed to care for him. He was all they had of their daughter and – without question – they could provide the attention and stability his son deserved better than he could. So William was being raised by his grandparents in England, and he and his son had spoken via video conference every day for the last two years. But when he signed off, he was once again alone. The work NEST did protecting William and every human child – and the privilege of calling the Autobots colleagues – made that sacrifice worthwhile, but it was still a sacrifice.

The memory of Optimus' otherworldly experiences just wouldn't leave him alone. He didn't dare ask the Prime about it, but maybe Magnus would open up to him, especially after they'd worked together on that slideshow.

Pulling out his cell phone, he texted Magnus. /Are you available, sir?/

/Yes. What did you need, Agent Graham?/

/I was hoping for a private conversation, if you have a few minutes./

/I'll join you momentarily./

Graham pocketed his phone, and sure enough, Magnus' alt-form rolled up next to him just a couple of minutes later. Magnus popped the driver's door open and Graham climbed inside.

"Thank you for your time, Magnus," Graham began.

"Of course. How can I assist you?"

Graham sighed, nervous now that they'd come to it. "I keep thinking about Optimus' comments to Prowl and Kup about the Well of All Sparks."

Magnus huffed a laugh, surprising Graham. "It blows your processor, too, does it? Join the club."

"Yes," Graham said, his shoulders relaxing. "I knew he was extinguished and came back, but…not to sound disrespectful, but you are mechanical beings. We shut down computers or turn off cars and then restart them all the time. And I know you have sparks that make you unique, and I've heard talk about the Well of All Sparks, but somehow it never occurred to me until then that his spark – his consciousness – had existed somewhere else during those three days. We humans have all kinds of ideas about souls or spirits or whatever, but he actually did it. He left, went somewhere else, and came back after three days. This mech I personally know came back from the dead."

"And I have the privilege of calling him kin," Magnus said. "We grew up together as brothers. It's even more processor-blowing for me."

Graham smiled slightly, relieved that Magnus had understood what he was trying to say. "Has he told you anything beyond what he said to Prowl? Anything you're willing to share, that is."

"Only that his mate, Elita One, was there as well. His bond with her was an anchor for him, he said."

Graham thought of his own Evelyn, and his heart ached. It was a beautiful idea that she might be there to meet him on the other side. It was a common-enough human belief, but to hear that it had been Optimus' own experience was…heartening.

"When my time comes," Magnus continued, "I would expect Fortron to anchor me – he is Optimus' and my mutual creator. It is through him that we are kin, and he, too, was a Prime, though he didn't know it."

"Doesn't that make you a Prime, too?" Graham asked. "Or is there only one at a time, like a line of kings?"

"No, all descendents of Primes are themselves Primes. Apparently at one point there were thousands. But I am not a descendent, nor would I wish for the burdens a Prime must carry. Fortron was my creator but not my father. I was created as his younger brother."

Graham chuckled softly. "I'm beginning to see what Lennox meant when he said Cybertronian reproduction was complicated."

"Perhaps. But your method is a lot messier."

"Fair point, that," Graham allowed.