Author's Notes: Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter of "My Spark Still Shines". This story as well as many others have received a lot of support from the fans, and I appreciate all of you who are reading this even after so much time has passed. Hope you like this chapter as some big plot points happen here, and we get to meet a new Vehicon. Thanks for reading and/or reviewing :)
Chapter 30
The Key to Victory
"You embarrassed yourself out there, Thundercracker," Megatron growled at the blue soldier, "You should have told me that you could not transform."
"I apologize, master," Thundercracker replied stoically, "I accept whatever punishment you feel is justified."
"Wait, Lord Megatron!" Starscream interjected frantically, "This is my doing! He gave his t-cog to me. That is why he does not have one. I beg of you, don't harm my brother. I accept full responsibility."
Around them on the bridge of the Nemesis the other officers watched this exchange with rapt interest. Dreadwing couldn't help but respect how Thundercracker admitted to his mistakes, Knockout was surprised that Starscream was begging for someone's life besides his own for a change, and Soundwave was looking at his monitor so no one would notice his audials catching every word.
"I do not tolerate weakness in my army," Megatron warned, "However, I am willing to give you another chance, Thundercracker. You will report to Knockout for a new t-cog at once."
"Yes, Lord Megatron," Thundercracker replied with a respectful bow, "Right away."
Picking up on the unspoken command, Knockout walked ahead of Thundercracker to lead him to the medbay. Thundercracker was nervous of course. Knockout had killed many of his Eradicon comrades for their alleged processor ailments. Knockout had also dismissed the findings about the inhibitor chips. It made Thundercracker wonder if Knockout was fully aware of the Vehicon plight and simply apathetic to it, or if he was trying to sabotage the Decepticons by killing off so many drones. Either one seemed likely for the selfish medic.
Knockout walked ahead of Thundercracker into the medbay, and once again they were greeted by the sound of Cylas grunting and screaming for relief from whatever torture device Knockout had hooked him up to. Apparently Knockout had grown bored of Cylas and set many of his 'experiments' to automatic intervals.
"Alright then..." Knockout hummed as he look in a large box of parts, "Apprenty all of these t-cogs have gone bad. None of them will hold the charge required for transformation."
"You don't have any t-cogs?" Thundercracker asked worriedly, "But Lord Megatron will have our helms if we don't comply."
"Not to worry," Knockout assured him, "We'll just find a Vehicon to take it from. I'm sure one will come in at any moment now, or we can comm one that's off duty."
Thundercracker didn't like the sound of that. Whatever those drones had been in their past lives, they were his colleagues and comrades now. Even if his body was unique once again, Thundercracker wasn't about to forget what he had been through.
"Does it have to be a Vehicon?" Thundercracker asked apprehensively.
"Well what do you expect me to do? Conjure up a t-cog from another dimension?" Knockout asked sarcastically, "Either we get you a donor or you never transform again. Simple as that. So, what's it gonna be?"
Thundercracker didn't want to take anyone's t-cog, but he knew his compliance with Megatron was a matter of survival now. As he thought this, he reached for the spark reader in the seam of his chassis armor. He could find out the identity of every Vehicon on the base. That meant he could take a t-cog from someone who deserved it. Perhaps an Autobot that had killed thousands of Decepticons or a murderer from the Golden Age. It was at least better than picking a Vehicon at random.
"Alright. I agree, but I must pick the donor," Thundercracker insisted.
"Fine. Whatever fuels your turbines," Knockout shrugged indifferently, "Just hurry up. I still need to wax my undercarriage."
"I did not need to know that," Thundercracker replied flatly.
Thundercracker then left the medbay to begin his quest for the most deserving Autobot to rip a t-cog out of. He didn't know if the donor would survive the procedure, so just to be safe he had to pick someone he was okay with allowing Knockout to kill. Thundercracker turned on his spark scanner, and started surreptitiously scanning every drone he passed.
One Vehicon registered as a wrecker named Huffer. Another one registered as a civilian named Locomotor. The training room was full of former Autobots, but none seemed horrible enough to make Thundercracker want to hurt them.
He moved on to the filtration room where the ship's intakes were circulated to keep it cool. There were two Vehicons in this room. Thundercracker read the scanner for identification. One Vehicon registered as Brawn, another former wrecker. That was a likely candidate for his new t-cog. Brawn had killed many Decepticons in his time. Just to be certain of his decision he scanned the second Vehicon, and was shocked by the results he found.
ICN-39576. A late model from the second burning of Iacon. This one's spark registered as belonging to Elita One; Optimus Prime's own spark mate! If the Star Saber gave the Prime power, then this discovery would tip the war irrevocably in the Autobots' favor. Optimus Prime would destroy the entire fleet to get to this Vehicon. Thundercracker had to stop the massacre before it began.
"ICN-39576," Thundercracker addressed the drone, "You will come with me at once."
"Yes sir," The Vehicon replied; the perfect picture of blind obedience.
As they walked down the halls Thundercracker felt his spark grow cold. On the one servo, Elita One had been one of the most powerful warriors on Cybertron and had killed many Decepticons. On the other servo, this Vehicon was helpless. She was a lamb being led to the slaughter, and that thought haunted Thundercracker. He was really going to let this loyal soldier die just to get a t-cog.
No, Thundercracker thought with resolve, This is not just about a t-cog. This is about keeping the Prime from slaughtering us all. One drone's life in exchange for thousands. It is fair. I am doing the right thing.
Bluestreak awoke to find himself on a medical berth. He was getting used to it at this point, given how often he got hurt. He feared becoming an Autobot was making him careless about his own safety, since he knew his sire would patch him up if he had any problems. As a Vehicon he could only count on himself, so he was cautious enough to survive. Now though...
"Bluestreak? Are you online yet?" Ratchet asked hurriedly.
Bluestreak online his optics to see his sire staring back down at him. He expected Ratchet to be upset or worried about him, and while that was there something else was glinting in Ratchet's optics. If Bluestreak didn't know any better he would say it was...excitement.
"I'm online," Bluestreak confirmed, "I know this looks bad, but-"
"Bad? Bluestreak, this is one of the greatest days of our lives!" Ratchet exclaimed, and now Bluestreak was really confused, "Son, Optimus has just learned that the final four relics are the Omega Keys!"
"Um...okay," Bluestreak replied uncertainly, "Keys. Cool. I'm sure they'll be very useful for...opening things?"
"They do a great deal more than that, youngling," Ironhide said as he approached the berth, "Them Omega Keys are gonna restore Cybertron."
"Restore Cybertron?" Bluestreak repeated, "How exactly does that work?"
"Haha! It's very simple," Ratchet replied, absolutely giddy from the news, "The Omega Keys work in unison to activate the Omega Lock, a device that will revitalize Cybertron's core. Do you know what this means? We'll be able to return to our beautiful civilized Cybertron once again! Oh, I can't wait to rebuild Praxus! We'll have our own little house. No wait, two houses! Right next door to each other. I'll open my medical practice again, and get the parts required to build you and the other Vehicons new bodies."
"Well, I for one am ready to grab that first key right now," Smokescreen announced from the other side of the room, "Just open the ground bridge and I'll get it for you. Anyone wanna come with?"
"I'll go," Arcee replied, though she didn't sound happy about it.
Bluestreak looked at Ratchet with concern. For whatever reason Arcee had been very hostile lately, and most of her ire was directed at Smokescreen. Ever since Smokescreen put Jack in danger, Arcee's behavior toward the new mech was sure to only get worse. Thinking back on earlier that day made Bluestreak think of Skywarp, and suddenly he wondered if anyone had even noticed the former Decepticon was gone.
Ironhide, sensing the tension that was sure to result from leaving Arcee alone with Smokescreen, transformed his arm into a plasma cannon and walked next to the duo.
"I'm comin' too," Ironhide declared, "Y'all are gonna need someone to take point in case things get ugly."
"No sweat, sir," Smokescreen replied airily, "I doubt the 'Cons have even found the location yet. This'll be easy."
"Hmph," Arcee snorted in contempt as she walked closer to the groundbridge.
Ratchet looked to Optimus, who nodded. Given the cue, Ratchet opened the groundbridge, and the trio walked into it ready to retrieve the first of four relics. A lot was riding on this acquisition. They would need all four Omega Keys to restore Cybertron. If Megatron claimed even one key, then their efforts would be pointless.
INC-39576 was nervous. He didn't even know why he was being forced to do this. Thundercracker had led him to the medbay, where Knockout was waiting with his typical smarmy grin. INC-39576 tried to tell the officers that he wasn't sick, and that he didn't suffer from the processor glitch. Apparently that didn't matter. Thundercracker needed a t-cog, and he was determined to have the drone's. With no choice but to obey, INC-39576 surrendered to their will.
The pain as Knockout sliced through his lower abdomen was unbearable. Knockout didn't even bother putting the drone in stasis before taking the t-cog. His excuse had been limited power stores, but the drone was certain that was just it; an excuse.
Nothing in the world existed except for that pain, and the tormented Vehicon couldn't figure out why this was happening. He had done everything right; obeyed every order. He was always on time. Always gave his best. Apparently that wasn't enough. Apparently the drones were merely playthings for the mechs. ICN-39576 knew this to be true, but that knowledge didn't stop the pain.
Thundercracker meanwhile was clutching the edge of his own med berth as he listened to the groans and squeals of the Vehicon he had sentenced to this suffering. Thundercracker was racked with guilt over what was happening. He tried to comfort himself by saying he had no choice, but the truth was he had a choice. He could have chosen to be punished by Megatron and allow the drones to go free. He didn't however, because he was a coward. Even if this drone had once been Elita One, now it was merely one of Megatron's disposable soldiers. Somehow such might being reduced to a whimpering mewling mess only made the situation worse in Thundercracker's mind. It felt like a cosmic injustice to the memory of Elita One.
"I really should have put this thing under!" Knockout shouted over the whir of his circular saw, "I forgot how loud they can be! I haven't had a patient in weeks!"
"Not a comforting thought," Thundercracker muttered under his breath.
Soon the blade stopped its grisly work, and Knockout pulled the t-cog out of the Vehicon's body; earring a yelp of agony from his first 'patient'. Knockout then went over to Thundercracker and put the nervous blue seeker in stasis, ready to begin the operation on Megatron's valued new warrior.
ICN-39576 panted and tried to remain composed. He was about to lose consciousness, yet he forced himself to stay awake. If he passed out now then Knockout would kill him and harvest his organs. If he could just stay awake long enough to regain the strength to walk, then perhaps ICN-39576 could get back to the common Vehicon barracks and get someone there to patch him up. There were a few crazy drones that took up the forbidden craft of medicine, but ICN-39576 never thought he would avail himself of their services. He never thought his superiors would do this to him.
ICN-39576 didn't know how much time passed, but his strength wasn't returning. He stayed online during the surgery, and even heard the blip of the berth activating Thundercracker once again. He heard Thundercracker groan as he woke up. He heard Knockout say something, but the pain was so great he had trouble focusing. Then the drone heard someone enter, and heard a name that evoked both great reverence and great dread.
"Lord Megatron," Knockout greeted obsequiously when he saw his master, "That's an interesting accessory you're carrying. You and Commander Dreadwing come back from a little shopping spree?"
Thundercracker was curious as to what that comment meant, so he dared to look up to see what Megatron had. What met his optics was a sight far too surreal to be believed.
Megatron, warlord and leader of the Decepticons, was carrying the dismembered arm of the deceased Solus Prime in a large preservation jar nearly the size of a mech! He would have had to go back to Cybertron and carve the arm out from Solus Prime's body in the tomb of the Primes. Then again, this was the same mech that turned the dead into Terrorcons and reanimated sparks into drones. Nothing was sacred to Megatron.
"Doctor, you are going to perform a little cosmetic procedure," Megatron announced with a wicked grin, "You are to remove my cannon arm and replace it with this new one."
"Um, of course my liege," Knockout stammered as he backed away to allow Megatron to walk to a berth, "But, um, are you sure this is what you want?"
"More sure than anything I've desired in my life," Megatron declared.
Knockout was sure Megatron was out of his right mind, but what did he care? He got to perform plate surgery again. The situation almost reminded him of back when he was a neutral working on the frames of defectors in search of a new look. His own brother had been his greatest work, a mech that oozed perfection from his helm to his pedes. Even Knockout's own fine frame couldn't compare to what his late brother had been. Megatron, however, would be the most important job of his life. Knockout could be the medic that helped end the war.
"Just let me put you in stasis and we can begin the procedure," Knockout told Megatron.
"No!" Megatron snapped quickly, "I want to bear witness."
Knockout quirked a brow ridge, but obliged Megatron's whim nonetheless. It wouldn't be the first time a patient refused to be put under for fear of what would happen. Of course all Knockout had to do was slice for a few seconds before those mechs changed their processors. He knew though that Megatron wouldn't be that way. If Megatron wanted to see the operation, then he would endure whatever it took to do so.
As the Buzzsaw began to cut through Megatron's shoulder struts, Thundercracker managed to stand uneasily on his pedes. He transformed into jet mode for a few seconds and then reverted back just to make certain his operation was successful. The t-cog's gears were perfectly smooth, and he transformed with as much grace and dexterity as when he was a youngling.
As Thundercracker admired his now complete frame, his optics absentmindedly wandered over to where the Vehicon was lying. Much to Thundercracker's surprise, the Vehicon was awake and looking right at him. Thundercracker could tell the poor creature was in pain, and it's visor almost seemed to be pleading with Thundercracker to fix it. To fix her.
Thundercracker looked back at Knockout, but the medic was too involved with Megatron to even notice them. He then turned back to the Vehicon, who was still struggling to remain conscious. Thudercracker couldn't leave the Vehicon like this, even if it was formerly Elita One.
/Starscream,/ Thundercracker commed his brother, /Meet me in my quarters. It's important./
/I thought you were getting your t-cog replaced,/ Starscream replied warily, /You didn't skip out on it, did you? Megatron will-!"
/I got it replaced,/ Thundercracker cut him off even while picking up the moaning form of the Vehicon, /But my 'donor' isn't doing very well. I need you to repair her./
/Repair? Do I look like some kind of-. Wait, her? Who did you find, Thundercracker?/
/Uh...Strika,/ Thundercracker lied.
/Oh. Well in that case, bring her in,/ Starscream ordered.
/Yes, sir,/ Thundercracker replied respectfully before cutting off the comm.
The blue seeker was already in the hallways on his way to his quarters. The Vehicon's intakes were working overtime to keep the poor thing from overheating. The lower abdomen was exposed, so Thundercracker had to hold her carefully to keep her from leaking out.
"Lieutenant..." ICN-39576 rasped, "Where are...we going?"
"Commander Starscream has agreed to repair you," Thundercracker informed her, "Just hang in there a little longer, okay?"
"Yes...sir," ICN-39576 breathed.
ICN-39576 felt such a wave of relief at those words. Part of him wondered if Thundercracker was lying, but that didn't make sense. Why spare the feelings of a drone? If Commander Starscream was actually going to fix a lowly Vehicon like him, then it meant the officers did care what happened to him. His loyalty and faith had been well placed after all. Best of all, his t-cog was now in the body of a member of the elite trine. ICN-39576 had contributed a piece of himself to a real mech.
Arcee, Ironhide, and Smokescreen walked through the ground bridge to find themselves in Cairo, Egypt. The humans considered it an ancient and important cultural site, but all Ironhide felt coming to this place was sand in the seams of his armor.
Smokescreen, meanwhile, was trying to figure out how to mend the rift that had formed between himself and Arcee. All he had ever wanted his entire life was to work with Team Prime and make a name for himself. He wanted to feel part of the team, and for a while it seemed to be working, but then he had to push things like he always did. Even Alpha Trion used to warn him about his overeager antics. Thinking about his lost mentor only made the young 'Bot feel worse.
"Listen, Arcee," Smokescreen began, "I'm sorry about what happened, but I've learned my lesson. Humans squish easy. I won't forget again. Promise."
Rather than placating Arcee, this speech had the opposite effect. She whipped around with blue fire in her optics, and Smokescreen realized then that he messed up.
"This isn't just about humans," Arcee hissed sharply, "We can't afford any casualties on Team Prime: human or 'Bot. I've already lost two seasoned partners, and I'd rather not add a rookie to my score card."
Arcee then stomped toward the pyramid where their relic was located, and Smokescreen rushed to catch up with her.
"It won't happen," Smokescreen assured her, but then backtracked and asked, "Wait, you lost two partners?"
"Could be worse," Ironhide suddenly spoke up from behind them, "Chromia and I lost an entire team."
"Really? You never told me that. When was that, Sire?" Arcee asked.
"It was long after you and yer friend Tailgate left for Nuon," Ironhide recalled, "Chromia and I were assigned to work in Iacon's south warehouse district. Our commander was Elita One, and our job was-"
"Wait! Elita One? The Elita One?" Smokescreen interrupted, "You got to work with the Primess?"
"As. I. Was. Sayin'," Ironhide bit back in annoyance, "Our job was to guard a huge stockpile of energon and weaponry that was destined for several outposts. Firestar and Inferno were in charge of delivery, and even the Wreckers had sent some of their best mechs to help with the job. I don't think I have to tell you what went wrong."
"The second burning of Iacon," Arcee finished for him, "You were there?"
"Chromia and I were the only survivors," Ironhide sighed ruefully, "Elita was so brave. She led the Wreckers into the fight against Shockwave and his forces, and ordered Chromia and I to lead the injured soldiers to safety. One by one we was picked off. Chromia and me didn't get injured, so we were strong, but the others...it's my biggest regret durin' this whole fraggin' war. The point is, you can't protect everybody. All ya can do is yer best."
Arcee looked down at the ground then, feeling helpless for her own sake and for Smokescreen's. Smokescreen got the message and put a comforting servo on her back. When she looked up at him, he was wearing that confident grin that was both infuriating yet endearing all at once.
"Don't worry, commander. We got this," Smokescreen reassured her, "Now, let's go get that Omega Key."
Arcee allowed herself to smile, and together the three Autobots went to the entrance of the pyramid. The entrance was made by humans, yet was surprisingly spacious enough for the Autobots to squeeze through. Well, two of them. Arcee made it through no problem, and even Smokescreen managed to force himself inside, but when Ironhide tried to go in...
"Ow!" Ironhide yelped as his huge shoulder cannons got stuck in the doorway, "Oof! Uh, alright, I'm stuck."
The others noticed Ironhide's predicament, and together they managed to push him out of the doorway. Ironhide landed on his skid plate with a loud thud and disturbed the sand beneath him. Arcee and Smokescreen couldn't help but laugh as he sat there and spit out granules of sand that continued to float around him.
"Um, maybe you should be the lookout, Sire," Arcee chuckled despite herself.
"Aw, lugnuts!" Ironhide harrumphed, "Oh, alright fine. I'll be the fraggin' lookout. You kids have fun. I'll be out here in case Megacan shows up."
On that lighthearted note Arcee and Smokescreen went inside, both feeling better about the situation. Ironhide meanwhile had nothing better to do than watch the earth's sunset and think back on old times. He liked to think that old soldiers never died...they just rusted away.
While the others at the base awaited any news from Arcee and her team, Bluestreak managed to quietly leave the medbay and sneak back to his quarters. His sire was so excited at the idea of restoring Cybertron that he hadn't even bothered to ask Bluestreak how he got hurt until two hours after the Vehicon woke up. When Ratchet finally did get around to asking, Bluestreak lied and said he accidentally shot himself with his arm cannon. He wasn't ready to reveal Skywarp's secret just yet. Part of him was hoping the former seeker would still return to base.
Bluestreak entered the quarters he shared with Skywarp and Jazz, and noticed that the data pad was still on Skywarp's berth. Bluestreak knew what it was going to be. It was most likely a note left for Team Prime. He didn't want to read it, because that would make everything real, but Bluestreak's curiosity always won out over his fear. Reluctantly, he picked up the data pad and started looking over it.
He was surprised by the length of the note. Skywarp had told him that he was illiterate. Apparently the kids had been teaching him English, because that was what the letter was written in, with the exception of a few pieces of lettering intermingled with the English letters that his interpreter said was Hiragana script. That part had to have been learned from Miko.
Bluestreak had trouble reading it himself, not only because he had to download Hiragana into his programming, but also because Skywarp's handwriting was terrible. There were human toddlers that could do better! Despite the difficulty Bluestreak struggled with the letter until he had every part of it stored away in his memory banks. If Skywarp didn't come back before Team Prime noticed he was gone, then Bluestreak would tell them what the letter said.
The goodbye note actually had a separate section for each and every member of Team Prime, which explained the length. The fact that Skywarp wrote it so quickly was almost impressive to Bluestreak, but the part that hurt the most was the section Skywarp had written to him.
Bluestreak: Sorry for your bro. It was your bro or my bro, and I was not gonna let it be min. I wish both stayd aliv tho. I'm glad we ar frends. You and Raf and Miko ar nice to me. It scard me wen you lost your memory. Even tho I did not no who I was, I new you had sum thing speshal with your sire. I was not scard all the tim when I was a reel mek. Now I am always scard. Prim scars me now, so I hav to go. I'm a coward, I no that. I'm sorry, Blu. I left haf a kyub of energon under my berth. You can hav it.
Skywarp
Bluestreak sighed, realizing that what Skywarp likely wanted to say was more complex than his limited grammatical skills would allow him to express. Bluestreak did understand the main points though. Skywarp did have a conscience and still regretted what happened with Prowl. Skywarp tried to act like nothing bothered him, but it was to cover up the fear he felt at losing the power of his wings and his rank among the Decepticons. He also considered Bluestreak to be his friend, no matter what he said before he left.
With these thoughts in mind Bluestreak went back to the main room, feeling more helpless than ever and hoping that his fellow Vehicon would be safe out there as he quested to reunite with his brothers.
Arcee and Smokescreen returned to the entrance of the pyramid with the relic in hand. Ironhide meanwhile had fallen asleep and was leaning against the pyramid and snoring. Arcee and Smokescreen chuckled at each other quietly, feeling like a couple of sparklings sneaking up on their parent. In Arcee's case that was actually true. Ironhide mumbled a little in his sleep, and Smokescreen, feeling a little mischievous, dangled the key in front of Ironhide's face until he scratched at it and touched the key.
"Huh...wuzzat?" Ironhide yawned drowsily, "Oh, hey there younglin's. I was just, uh, restin' my optics."
"Uh huh, sure," Arcee replied with a knowing grin, "We got the-"
Before Arcee could finish her sentence however, they heard the sounds of transformation followed by a loud thud as a figure landed twenty feet away from them. The trio looked and saw that it was Megatron, sporting a strange red arm and a feral look in his optic.
"The relic. Give it to me," Megatron demanded, his voice calm but his face anticipating.
"Three against one? I think we can take him," Smokescreen told the others as he took a confident battle stance.
Megatron, unfazed by the brash young mech's confidence, unsheathed a glowing purple and black sword from his back. It radiated an energy that seemed purely evil, but its appearance was otherwise identical to the Star Saber.
"What the frag?" Ironhide asked; too dumbfounded to say anything else.
Arcee, thinking more clearly in the moment, screamed into her comm, /Ratchet. Groundbridge. Now!/
That was all she had time to say before Megatron swiped his sword and released a burst of purple energy at the Autobots. All three of them were knocked back with a single blow, and each had trouble getting back up again. Smokescreen, who recovered the quickest, started immediately shooting at the warlord, only for every shot to be blocked by the Star Saber's evil twin.
Seeing that Smokescreen needed help, Arcee started shooting as well, and Ironhide blasted away with his powerful cannons. Nothing fazed Megatron however, as every attack was met with a casual blocking by the sword. Megatron finally decided he was tired of playing with his prey and activated the full power of his weapon. The attack was aimed directly at Smokescreen, and Ironhide noticed just in time.
As Megatron's blast careened toward its target, Ironhide jumped in front of the younger mech and blocked the shot with his backside. It wasn't enough however, as the sword's power went through Ironhide and pushed both mechs into a pyramid with great force. Arcee watched helplessly as both Ironhide and Smokescreen crashed into the ancient structure and...vanished. As if they had turned to dust.
Arcee's optics were frozen for a moment on the spot where her sire and the rookie had been. No. It couldn't be. Megatron couldn't have claimed her sire, as well as another young Autobot. And yet, she saw it with her own optics that he did. Arcee felt the power drain from her, and all she could do was allow her small body to sag uselessly where she stood. Megatron had killed her sire, and now she was next. She didn't have the will to fight it anymore.
Megatron approached Arcee slowly, casually, knowing he held all the power in this situation. She hung her helm so she wouldn't have to look at him as he finished her off, but her life couldn't be that easy. Megatron used the tip of his sword to lift her chin up to look at him. She could feel its power despite its use, but her grief was such that she couldn't muster even an ounce of fear. Only melancholy was left.
"I am only keeping you alive so you can deliver a message," Megatron told Arcee, "Tell Optimus that if he wants this relic back that he will have to fight me for it. I'll be waiting."
With that Megatron retracted his sword from her chin and left her alone with her sorrow. After a moment Arcee realized the groundbridge had been open for a while a mere few meters away. With nothing left to do she went through the portal, feeling despondent for losing more mechs and dirty for even bothering to give Megatron's message to Optimus. She wondered if she was the problem. If her sire had somehow died because of her. If Cliffjumper, Tailgate, and Smokescreen had somehow died because of her.
One thing was for sure. Megatron had to pay for this one. Arcee didn't have the power to take Megatron down herself, but she would find a way to see him suffer for every mech, femme, sparkling, and Vehicon he had ever hurt.