Author's Note: This has been a long time in coming. Two years, in fact. And if you've been following me on AO3, you've seen that I've updated that site to catch up with this one. I will always post here first, then post there. I will not leave you folks hanging, for those of you who have either just discovered this epic of a fanfic, or those who have been reading this since its inception seven years ago.

Without further ado . . .

.o.

Landing was a bitch. Lennox hated landing every frigging time. Because the adrenaline started to wear off, and the reality would set in. Fully two thirds of his team, men he had loved like family, trained with, slept with, raided each others' lockers with . . . dead. Gone.

He leaned against the brick wall of a building while they regrouped, holding to a small perimeter to keep from being seen prematurely. Times like this that he wished Epps was still active on his team, but he didn't blame his bro for "leaving him." In reality, he wished that he could find a way to step away from NEST . . . but nobody else was suitable for stepping into his shoes. Not anymore. He was getting tired of the constant combat, just like Epps was. He wanted to just settle down, settle in, and rest. Wild Bill was weary. And all of his brother Primes knew it and were bolstering him the best that they could while still handling their own problems in Chicago.

Checking his weaponry, he checked in with the Cloud, nanites positively vibrating his bones with intensity to keep him from an anxiety attack over his lost men, and the hopeless situation that they had finally gotten boots onto the ground for. ~Checking in. Megs?~

~Don't call me that, for the love of Primus.~

~I don't worship Primus, so I'll call you whatever I damn well want to. Are you still with Sentinel?~

~Yes.~

~Oh, fuck me!~

Lennox looked up at the clearly-not-Megatron voice that screamed through the Cloud. ~Shit! Sam!~

~Building is collapsing! And this Goddamned rookie won't take the shot!~ Sam included the face of the man who was supposed to be firing the RPG.

~He's not a rookie! But he's damned, all right. Keep moving! Get out of that building! We're on the way!~ Lennox kept moving towards their target. He just hoped that it would be enough for him to get there on time.

.o.

Megatron was having a hard time controlling his face into neutrality. Not because he was displeased with the guerilla battle, no. No, it was because of the pissed-off banter over the Prime Cloud, mostly centered around how Optimus' flight skills were about as graceful as a cat on a trampoline with two five-year-olds playing popcorn on it.

Optimus' less-than-amused cursing was indicative of his dockworker roots, and twice as lively.

Unfortunately, the amusement was brought to a swift end. There was a moment of panic as Sentinel's words registered . . . and he realized that the pillars had reached their strength.

Cybertron was soon be inbound.

.o.

The sickness radiating off of Starscream was what gave him away long before he fell out of the sky onto Sam and Carly. Sam knew that someone was inbound when he was separated from Epps and his team. He could tell that he and Carly were being herded away from the group, split apart for a purpose.

He hated being right. He really hated being right about bullshit like this.

Sending Carly off so that she wasn't going to become a target from the flying Dorito, Sam began to weigh his options as he allowed himself to be chased. She had Laserbeak settled close to her back like a backpack, secured with velcro gear straps that had been nicked from an abandoned sporting goods store. She would almost be safe. From what Laserbeak had insinuated, there were more mechs that feared Soundwave than almost any other mech in the Decepticon army. So anyone who even vaguely looked like they were aligned with him was spared and brought to him for a reward.

Sam also hated that he wouldn't be able to do much else but try to stay alive while calling for backup. He didn't have any form of weapon, he didn't have any form of . . . Oh, yes he did. He had a couple items from Que's bag of goodies. He could feel at least one of the Primes and Protectorate checking in on him and with no few pausing in shock.

~Don't you dare field-test those— dammit, Samuel.~

All Sam could think about was the pain that washed over his soul. Before, when he was still absorbing the AllSpark into his mind, as it changed his entire being, he couldn't tell where pain was coming from. His every step was outlined in sharp agony.

But this flash, this particular pain, this was unique.

When the grappling hook attached itself to Starscream's optic and the Boy was whipped up through the air, he felt the intensity of pain-agony-want-to-die grow. And it was all coming from the Decepticon Air Commander. The sheer depth of pain was woven around the Seeker like a cloak, something that he threw at others when the pain was too much to hold to himself.

Sam understood that.

As he felt muscles threaten to tear, despite all that the nanites were doing to keep him in one piece, he let part of himself drop into the Prime Cloud, then through it, and close to that Other Side. The Doorway was there, cracked open just enough for his access, and he could feel two Sparks hovering on the other side. Each held a piece of Starscream's own Spark.

They mourned for the bright, scientific, delightful Trinemate that he had been, that they had Bonded to. They were there to help guide him home.

Primus' wash of love shoved Sam back into the present, and he roared as his hand found the grenade and activated it. Turning and leaping through the window, the young man stabbed it as close as he could to Starscream's optical array. He couldn't risk the mech attempting to flee. Seeker programming was heavy on the visual sensors, and once those were out, a grounded Seeker was prone to panic.

He was vaguely aware of Lennox joining him, trying to free him from the grappling line. He was focusing inwards, in towards the Spark of the mech who dared to live after his Bondmates had died.

The broken Bonds had corrupted him irreparably. There was nothing to be done about Starscream. Not in this lifetime.

Time slowed.

Stopped.

~Starscream, first-among-fliers, I would have congress with your Spark.~

~I grant you congress. Who . . . oh, Primus. I'm dying, aren't I?~

~You've been dying for a very long time. This is but the final stages.~

~AllSpark? The insect? You are . . . you are Prime? And . . . what of that Seekerling? I . . . my programming will not allow me to do anything but crave his obedience, but my Spark wishes his freedom.~

~Faust, now called Faustus, is my Lord Protector. He will thrive. His Seeker programming is taking hold and interacting very well with his Protectorate programming.~

~Find him trinemates, boy. It will settle him.~

~As his Spark matures, I so swear.~

~Will . . . will I go to the Pit, Boy? Will I never see . . .~

~Thundercracker and Skywarp await you. There is no Pit . . . no hell. There is waiting. Petitioning for reignition. You and your mates have been through this cycle before.~ Samuel Prime extended his love for all of Cybertron through and into the mech whose Spark was about to crumble at his will. ~I can make this painless. Take away the pain and panic.~

~I . . . I would speak with you . . . if we are allowed to . . . when this is all over.~

~I would be honored, Air Commander.~

~I have . . . I have one question.~

~I will try to answer.~

~Is . . . Is Megatron safe? Will he be safe and will Cybertron be . . . can it be . . . ?~

Wrapping himself around the fragile Spark of a mech gone mad eons before his birth, the little Prime's words rumbled with the weight of his conviction. ~Megatron has been reestablished as Lord Protector and is going to be at Optimus' side. Do not fear his fate; he and Optimus will lead again before they step down into retirement. They'll find a plan. It's going to be okay. But I do not know the fate of Cybertron, Starscream. I do not know what will befall your planet. That will depend on the actions within next two hour, maybe two hours.~

The Spark of the best flier in recent Cybertron history drew within itself, retreating before reaching back out to the Keeper of the Source . . . ~AllSpark Prime . . . please return me to my mates. Before my madness destroys all that you are attempting to fix.~

~I'm sorry that we could not have met in different times, Starscream.~

Laughter. Bright, delightful, almost-mocking laughter. ~Oh, we surely have, AllSpark . . . I know who you were. Come talk to me when everyone has settled down. End me, Prime. I am honored to go by your will.~

~I will make it fast.~

~It is a warrior's death. I am grateful.~

Falling.

Hands catching him.

Brother-Primes' Spark and Soul supporting him as he drew from himself and their strength to ease Starscream beyond the Veil.

The empty, broken, smoking frame crashed to the street in an uncontrolled tumble.

Sam rolled off of Bumblebee's hood to sit and lean against a piece of rubble. Lennox was shouting at him, but the words were fuzzy, the sensations dulled as he mentally followed the trail of the bright Spark returning to the Matrix, the Place-Of-Waiting.

The flash of reunion of three Sparks meant to travel together shoved him back into his body. He rubbed at his face, over his ears, and shook his head. "I'm almost back, Will. Give me a moment."

"Kid, that's Colonel Lennox to you!" one of the new NEST operatives barked.

Lennox almost said something, then thought better of it. He grinned and nodded to Sam, indicating that his little-big brother take all the pleasure of setting the record straight. He settled back to re-check his gear after the jostling that it took. He was going to enjoy this. Sam's wit never disappointed when the kid was under great amounts of stress.

"Okay buddy, when exactly did you join NEST? Two months ago? Ish? Listen up, newbie, you got something to keep in mind. I was in Mission City. I was at Hoover Dam. If you read about 'The Boy,'" he included the air-quotes, "in any of your briefing material, it refers to me. I have been dodging alien bullshit my entire adult life. I was in Egypt. I was the one who brought Optimus back to life. So don't you start giving me any of this use-proper-titles bullshit. I have a higher rank than Lennox does when it comes to the Autobots. You work with Bumblebee, yeah? He helps you train? Yeah? Well, his scary-ass boyfriend trained me. And that scary-ass boyfriend is on your do not kill list, and will be here in Chicago in, what, minutes?"

Bumblebee, who was thoroughly enjoying watching the new kid get a new waste port torn right through him, nodded, thumbing over his shoulder at the approximate direction that Barricade was due to arrive by.

"Gotcha. So, rookie, keep your mouth zipped. Will's my brother. He may be your commander, but he's the one who kept my teenage ass in one piece until I could get the training necessary to keep myself out of trouble."

"Yeah, fat lot of good that did you considering what I just saw you do, dumbass," Lennox grumbled, standing and reaching a hand down to Sam. The younger man let himself be levered back to his feet, and the specialist grinned. "But the dating advice seems to have taken hold."

"Piss off," Sam laughed, turning and looking for Carly. She had taken her time to center herself after Starscream's fall, thankful for the brief respite. Gathering her into an embrace, Sam pressed his nose to hers. "Hey."

"Hey. Stop stealing my swears."

"Okay, beautiful. I brought your running shoes."

"Did you remember socks?"

"I'd be listening to complains about blisters if I didn't. I put the summer hiking socks in there, along with some regular ones."

"I have the best boyfriend ever. Gimme."

Handing his entire bag over to her, he turned to evaluate Bumblebee's physical status when he heard a grunt and a grumble. "What's up?"

A fluffy white thing was shoved in front of his face.

Sam grinned, moving it aside to kiss his girlfriend's wrist. "Got my lucky rabbit's foot. Don't throw it away on me, babe."

"You're lucky I love you."

"I really, really am."

.o.

Soundwave stared up at the two old Lord Protectors as they stood guard, backs to the ground entrance of the building that Sentinel lorded over. Their minds were chaotic, interacting with individuals in such a way that he was unable to truly hack. But it all came back down to four simple words:

Save Earth, save Cybertron.

:Laserbeak, report.:

:Master, we are still on the run.: He sent along a brief panoramic visual. They were getting closer, by a bridge that was starting to lower and cross the canal. This was both fortuitous and detrimental. There was no guarantee that any of the humans, even the Witwicky boy, would live through this battle. That scared both the Carrier and his symbiont.

And then shock and fear flooded the bond.

Megatron started moving towards the canal.

Soundwave looked through Laserbeak's optics and began sprinting towards their location.

Barricade and Bumblebee were panicked, terrified. There was no way out. Not with Barricade holding Bumblebee's own cannon to his helm.

.o.

Closing note: There's been a lot of changes in my life. Most people on AO3 are aware that my father passed away very suddenly on April 16, 2017. I'm not okay, but I'm getting better. And he would have wanted me to continue writing this story, to keep moving forward and complete it. What "complete" means is still up for interpretation. I have some ideas for AOE, but that's not necessarily my goal.

Right now, I want to get through DOTM and see what else my muses want to tell me.

Until the next chapters, my faithfully patient readers. Thank you for waiting for me to get myself back up on my feet.

Song is: Fly to Paradise by Eric Whitcare, Guy Sigsworth