Beast Wars Prime Chapter 34: New Face of Darkness Pt2, a transformers/beast wars fanfic

Alright everyone, new chapter rolling out. This time with a surprise G1 guest star. However, I should warn you that this chapter and possibly the next one are something of a "feels trip" and partly why I keep my "T" rating for this story, so please, reader discretion is advised.

Galvatron smirked as the remaining Vehicons aboard the Nemesis flew or bridged into the Autobot base. By eliminating the Autobots, he would be able to do what Megatron could never do, win the great war of Cybertron. Such an act would earn him his rightful place in history as the first emperor of Cybertrons' second golden age. A title truly befitting of him.

Looking closer at the battleground, Galvatron saw several Autobots and Maximals engaging a few dozen Vehicon flyers. A smaller number of ground forces had opted to go through the space bridge with Bludgeon and the Predacons into the hidden Autobot ship that served as their headquarters. He didn't believe that the battle would take particularly long since the dark energon he'd dosed the troops with made them hyper aggressive. Either way, he'd need to look at addressing the troop shortage soon.

One Autobot in particular caught his optic. His 'sister' Arcee. Rage filled his spark; his twin was the one blemish in the story of his life. He could not allow the freak to continue its' existence. It would be a mockery of the perfection that he was. Spreading his wings, Galvatron took flight. It was finally time to commit the murder he'd first attempted all those years ago.

Meanwhile, down in the Lost Light, over a dozen Vehicons had bridged into the ship alongside the Predacons and Mayhem Attack Squadron. Stranglehold turned to the assembled troops. "Raze base to ground. Kill all that get in way." While he'd been furious at being tricked into drinking dark energon, he was enjoying the rush of power it gave him. "Be having fun comrades."

As the various enemy troops scattered throughout the base, Bludgeon and a trio of Vehicons were on a mission of their own in the Lost Lights' fuel lake. He'd rewatched the security footage from the Autobot raid on the Nemesis while waiting for his shell to be repaired. From it, he noticed that the bot known as Blaster had far too much knowledge of the Decepticon mainframe and how to navigate it. This meant that Punch was not the only source of intel the enemy had.

"Come on Sparky." Lightbright whispered as she and Sparkstalker ran across the bridge over the reservoir. "If we're careful, we should be able to sneak past the intruders and get in position once the bridge jammer is down."

"I'm not afraid of them." Sparkstalker replied petulantly.

"I know, but I'm afraid of what they'll do to you if they find out you're still alive and helping us."

"A quite valid fear." Bludgeon began as he stepped up to the end of the bridge the two were headed for. "Yes, Sparkstalker the traitor. I shall enjoy this." Taking a mighty leap, Bludgeon cleared the gap between them and landed between the two.

Spinning around, Bludgeon kicked Lightbright solidly in the chest, knocking her into the Vehicon trio that had accompanied him. Drawing his sword, he then slashed Sparkstalker across the chest, through his Decepticon insignia. "We have plans for you." Bludgeon spoke, glaring at Sparkstalker. "An example must be made." He turned to the Vehicons. "Kill her here and now." Bludgeon ordered.

"No! Lightbright!" Sparkstalker screamed. "Bludgeon, please, I'll go with you, just spare her." He begged.

"Sparky, no!"

Bludgeon looked at Sparkstalker for a moment, his empty eye sockets seemingly staring through his spark. "I accept your terms. You may wish I had not though." A space bridge opened behind Sparkstalker, startling him. "Incoming, spider." With another kick, Sparkstalker was sent through the portal, and into Tarantulas' lab.

"SPARKY!" Lightbright screamed in anguish.

"Oh, stop your whining." Bludgeon sighed as he turned back to her. "I shall honor the bargain." He held the sword to her knees. "Well, for the most part." He swung his sword, slicing part way through Lightbrights' legs, crippling her.

"Leave her, and let's go." Bludgeon ordered the Vehicons whom quickly dropped Lightbright. "We have other bots to slay. We mustn't linger." The foursome left the reservoir, leaving Lightbright to cry from both the pain and loss.

Thankfully, she was found moments later.

"Oh no." Came Hoists' voice as he came into Lightbrights' field of view. "Lightbright, can you hear me? What happened? Where's Sparkstalker?" He asked.

"They took him." She sobbed. "They took my Sparky."

So caught up in trying to console the femme, Hoist didn't sense a lone Vehicons sneaking up on them until a loud clang and a thud was heard behind them. Turning to look, they saw Rewind and Chromedome standing behind the unconscious bot. In Chromedomes' right servo, was a large orange something neither of them could identify.

Chromedome looked at his impromptu weapon. "You okay Rung?" He asked, letting the psychiatrist go.

Transforming in midair and landing on his feet, Rung straightened his glasses. "No worse for the wear, hardly the worst thing I've been through."

"I haven't a clue what you turn into Rung." Rewind admitted. "But I'm glad you do turn into it now."

"Well, if you ever figure it out, please let me know." Rung replied as Hoist lifted Lightbright up. "Now however, I think we need to get a move on in case there are anymore Vehicons lurking nearby." With that the group made their way to the space bridge.

In another corridor of the Lost Light, a quartet of fighters was trying to drive back the Predacons.

"Your little tricks got the better of us last time." Terrorsaur taunted as he brandished his flaming blades at Botanica and Mach Hoof. "But this time we're ready for them."

"You might be ready for them." Nightbeat admitted as he dodged one of Waspinators' stingers. "You don't know scrap about us though." He fired at the ventilation hoses on either side of the corridor, causing steam to shoot into the flyers' faces, driving them back.

"Ain't ready for this either." Trailbreaker added as he redoubled his focus on the forcefield holding Iguanus in place. "Overdrive, what's your twenty?" He couldn't hold the field in place much longer and they needed backup.

"I'm stuck on the other side of the ship with another group with injuries." Overdrive called back. "We got Vehicons breathing down our necks."

"I'm with Nightbeat and the girls." He answered. "And we got Predacons on our end."

"Burn infidels, in the name of the colony!" Infernus called before shooting another stream of fire at them.

"Likewise." Botanica yelled back before hitting Infernus in the eye with fireweed.

The battle was interrupted by a very welcome voice.

"Attention all combatants aboard the Lost Light." Optimus' voice called out over the comms. "Survive has just taken out the Nemesis' communications array and the bridge jammer with it. Those of us topside will attempt to buy you time to evacuate before the Decepticons bring the Nemesis' weapons to bear."

Unfortunately, the Predacons heard this too.

"Move it you morons!" Spittor yelled, hopping over the trapped Iguanus as a frog before switching to his hovercraft mode. "Don't let them get away!"

Seeing him coming, Trailbreaker knew what he had to do. Releasing the forcefield holding Iguanus, he grabbed onto Spittor. Using the Predacons' momentum, he spun him around and winged him back towards the other Predacons. He then threw up another field separating them from their attackers.

"I'll hold them here, you three need to get to the space bridge!"

"We're not leaving you!" Mach Hoof yelled back.

"As head of ship security, I'm ordering you to get to the space bridge!" He repeated. The Predacons were all firing heavily on his forcefield now. Cracks were starting to appear as the strain forced Trailbreaker to his knees. "I'm sorry Allie. Botanica, Nightbeat, please." He begged.

Blinking back tears, Botanica hit her sister with a seed snare, trapping her and giving them insulation from her Nucleon. Nightbeat threw her over his shoulder as she yelled in protest. "No, please! TRAILBREAKER!" She screamed as they rounded the corner.

Seeing his friend was out of sight, Trailbreaker let the exhaustion hit him and his field drop. Before he could even think to fight, he felt Iguanus' tail slam into his midsection before Terrosaurs' sword ran him through and pinned him to the wall. Grunting in pain, he looked up to see that the Predacons were injured and all around worse for wear.

Coughing up some energon he chuckled. "I hope those marks are permanent you little shits." He rasped, spitting the energon in Terrorsaurs' face for added insult. Trailbreaker saw a flash of flame and had a brief sensation of heat, then nothing.

On the other side of the base, Overdrive, Nautica, and Brainstorm were running away from a group of Vehicons. Each was laden with bags of equipment salvaged from the science labs to keep it out of enemy hands. Rounding a corner, they came to the entrance of Swerves' bar just in time to see a Vehicon get blasted out of it.

"And stay out!" The Autobot Metallurgist/barkeep yelled as he followed the Vehicon out of his bar, blaster in hand. He looked over his shoulder. "Come on you two, help is here." Seconds later Nightscream and Cheetor appeared next to the bot. Cheetor seemed to be limping.

"We haven't got long." Nautica panted. "A squad of Vehicons are right behind us." She caught a glimpse at Cheetors' leg, noting it was sparking and bleeding slightly. "What happened to you?"

"We tried to run for the lift." Cheetor explained. "And ran smack into a bunch of cons."

"He got us away, but he was hit." Nightscream added. "Those cons chased after us, Swerves' bar was closest. It was like those cons were high on something."

"Oh, that's a wonderful thought." Cheetor growled as his leg sparked again. "Cons on crack."

Brainstorm rummaged through his sack. "There may be something in that, but I may have something that can buy us some time."

"Please hurry doctor." Overdrive called anxiously. "I need to find my daughters." He'd gotten sidetracked helping them when he went to retrieve his Transtector.

As if on cue his comms went off. "Overdrive what's your twenty?" Came Trailbreakers' voice.

"I'm stuck on the other side of the ship with another group with injuries." Overdrive answered, referencing Cheetor. "We got Vehicons breathing down our necks."

"I'm with Nightbeat and the girls." Trailbreaker answered. "And we got Predacons on our end."

"Found one!" Brainstorm exclaimed as he pulled what looked like a blue Coleman lantern out of his pack. Hearing the Vehicons getting closer he set the device on the ground and activated what looked like a timer on the top. "Alright let's bolt." He spoke.

After Throwing a protesting Cheetor over Swerves' shoulder, group took off down the hallway Nautica looked at Brainstorm. "Brainstorm, what was that thing?"

Brainstorm looked a little sheepish. "You remember those bioelectric entities I created some years back? Well, I may have kept experimenting after Rodimus told me not to and made some weaponized varieties of them."

Swerves' and Nauticas' optics widened. "You mean you let loose a bunch of." She was cut off by a bang, followed by several blasts and yelps from Vehicons. However, the loudest noise in the din behind them were the cries of the bioelectric entities.

"Kremzeek!"

"KREMZEEK!"

"Brainstorm I don't know whether to kill you or kiss you." Nautica yelled.

"I'd prefer the second one if you don't mind." He replied.

"I'll just settle for naming a cocktail after you and the little guy." Swerve added, shaking his head.

Moments later their comms activated.

"Now that's some good news, but how are the guys topside going to get away?" Cheetor asked, now worried about his dad.

"They have a space bridge up there." Nautica answered. "Come on, we're not too far away from the bridge down here."

Moving as fast as they could, the group arrived at the space bridge.

Seeing his daughters next to Nightbeat, Overdrive felt relief wash over him. He and Nightscream ran over to the trio. The girls looked distraught while the Autobot looked sad. "Allie, Siri, what happened?"

"We left him!" Allison cried. "We left him!"

"Who, who'd you leave?" He asked while Vince embraced a crying Sierra.

"Trailbreaker." Sierra whispered, silently crying into her boyfriends' shoulder. "He sacrificed himself so we could escape."

Overdrive bowed his head in remembrance of the bot who helped his eldest when she needed it. However, a series of loud footfalls caught everyone's attention. Looking to the left, they saw Hoist come running in with an injured Lightbright in his arms. Behind him were Rung, Chromedome, and Rewind, the last unaccounted-for members of the crew. Everyone else was either topside or across the country.

Seconds later the entire ship began to shake, causing everyone to stumble.

"Nautica." Brainstorm yelled. "We need to bridge out of here, NOW!"

"Where to?" She yelled back, working the controls. "Any bridge opened on Earth can be tracked by the Decepticons!"

"Set it to Cybertron!" Lightbright yelled, causing some confusion amongst the group as the shaking worsened. "I'll explain later, just do it!"

Activating the space bridge, the group ran through it back to Cybertron. The last member of the team (Brainstorm) barely made it through before a purple beam of energy crashed through the entire ship, detonating the fuel reservoir and destroying the Lost Light.

Up in Unit-E, the assembled Maximals and Autobots were struggling to repel the horde of Vehicon flyers. While under normal circumstances they'd be able to handle a squadron or two, they weren't expecting to have to tackle nearly three dozen of them. Let alone the backup from Astrotrain.

"What's the matter?" Astrotrain taunted as he buzzed Smokescreen and Bumblebee in shuttle mode again. "Can't hit the broadside of a spaceship." He laughed in his metallic echo. Spinning and flipping, he transformed into his bullet train mode. "Then how about we do 'The Locomotion' instead?"

Charging at the two Autobots, the triple changer quickly picked up speed. Unfortunately, this proved to be his undoing as the two jumped out of the way, causing him to crash into several Vehicons who just happened to be in the way before embedding himself in a hangar.

"Strike!" Smokescreen laughed.

"Another perfect game of 'pinhead bowling." Bumblebee added.

Wingsaber laughed too. "Nice, but I'm more in the mood for Guitar Hero." Giving a whistle, Tonebot flew to its' friend and transformed. Not long after joining the Maximals, Miko found out that her new Mini-con friend had a trick up its' sleeve. One that would come in handy after exhausting herself earlier. "Time to rock out."

Cranking its' dial up to '11' Wingsaber strummed a note on Tonebot that let loose a sonic pulse. While not as strong as Nightscreams' attacks, it was enough to disorientate and leave bots open to Rhinox and Leobolt. A task that the boys now took to with relish as they cut down another few flyers.

"Just keep fighting!" Arcee yelled as she put down another two. She had been fighting back-to-back with Kumara and she had to admit, whoever came up with the idea of leading the others away was a genius. "We need to hold out until backup arrives."

Throwing another Vehicon into Rhinox' range, Survive looked up and off to the right as if reading her mind. "I think that mesa is high enough. Wingsaber! I need a lift!" He yelled.

Passing Tonebot to Leobolt, Wingsaber ran over to him. "Where to?"

Survive pointed at the mesa. "Up there, it's the highest point in the area and I might be able to take out their jammer from there with my gun." While he hadn't had a chance to be fully tested yet, he knew that his body now had a built-in sniper rifle.

Nodding, Wingsaber took hold of Survives' arm and the two of them vanished in a flash only to reappear atop the mesa. "Good, now get back to the others." As she vanished Survive took another look at the Nemesis. While the Mesa was pretty high up, it still didn't quite reach past the top of the ship.

"Wish I could get a better vantage point." He sighed, then started as the left paw from his beast mode on his back transformed. Ejecting from the rest of him, the paw unfolded into a bat like surveillance drone with brown fur. An additional shock came as his left eye turned green and in it, he found himself looking down at himself.

Survive laughed. "Now that's one way to do it." Getting down on one knee he felt the right paw reposition itself onto his shoulder and unfold into his sniper rifle. Using the drone, he quickly found what looked like an antenna. "Now that seems important." He surmised. Using his new drone to set up the shot, Survive pulled the trigger.

From the drone he saw his shot hit the array, a small explosion rang out from it as it fell like a tree. Survive smirked. "Timber!" Looking to his left, he saw a familiar looking red dot on the horizon, getting larger. "Just in time for the Calvery." He laughed before beginning the climb down from his position.

Seeing that Wingsaber teleported back, Arcee was about to go help Leobolt and Rhinox when a large red and purple blur slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. Shaking the cobwebs from her head, she turned to look at the newcomer.

"Hello again Arcee." Came a familiar oily voice.

Getting back up, Arcee turned to face the newcomer. The mechs' form was overall like Megatrons' with wings and a different color scheme. However, his cannon was connected at the shoulder and had the appearance of a dragon's head and neck. The feet were more akin to Predacon claws and in the center of his chest glowed a gem of dark energon. The face and voice, however, were disturbingly familiar.

"Galavar?" Arcee asked. She almost didn't recognize her twin like this. "What have you done to yourself?"

"Well, it took me a while." Galvatron admitted, ignoring her tone. "But I finally decided to take a page out of your book. I remade myself into what I was always meant to be." He bragged. "A conqueror, and the most powerful being in the universe."

"And yet you're still the narcissistic sociopath I grew up with in Paradon." Arcee rebutted, causing him to scowl at her. "And I can't imagine Megatron would allow you to become more powerful than him."

"Well with his demise at the hands of Optimus Prime, a power vacuum was created." Galvatron answered nonchalantly. "A power vacuum that I, after some improvements capitalized on. Yes." He indicated the dark energon crystal. "And with this new power comes a new name, Galvatron." He finished.

"Megatron, is dead?" Arcee asked. When they left the Nemesis, he'd been alive albeit severely weakened and injured.

"Sad but true." Galvatron lied with relish. "The dark energon withdrawal ended up killing him. A shame really, had he had the proper shielding, he might have been able to avoid his fate." He sighed. "Oh well, out with the old in with the new I always say."

Arcee glared at Galvatron. "That's not the whole story, is it?" It was a statement not a question. She remembered that he could twist the truth better than Starscream ever could.

"Maybe I am." Galvatron admitted. "Maybe I'm not. Honestly, I hoped you'd be proud of me 'sister'." He added with a sneer.

Taking aim with his cannon, Galvatron fired on Arcee, forcing her to dive out of the way. "Can't you see, Arcee?" He asked, firing a steady beam of energy after her, forcing Arcee to transform and speed away to avoid it. "I've finally bought what you've been selling!" He yelled.

Galvatron was taken by surprise when a red, white and blue sports car slammed into him, followed by a yellow and black blur tackling him in the chest. Standing back up, he glared at the newcomers.

"So, the whiney one returns." Bumblebee taunted.

"Leave Arcee alone." Smokescreen added before transforming.

Galvatron sped forth and grabbed Smokescreen by his chest plate. "This is a family matter, and I will not be deterred by paramecium, no." With a mighty throw, he flung Smokescreen across the base and into the side of a hangar, knocking him out. Turning back to his sister and the other Autobot, he was met with a face of green webbing. Infuriated, he ripped it off and saw a Maximal that looked eerily like his twin.

"So." Galvatron began, turning to glare at Arcee, fury welling up in his spark. "Not only were you not content enough to be my twin brother, but you also had to make a 'sister' of your own in your new image as well?" He growled. "And you call me a narcissist."

"Kumara looking like me was an accident." Arcee argued, stepping between her sister and brother. "And even before that, she acted more like a sister than you ever did a broth-." Her reply was cut off by Galvatrons' left hand encircling her throat in less than a second.

"You, Arcee are a freak and a disgrace I should've killed long ago!" Galvatron roared in her face. A pair of spider web throwing stars bounced off the scale shield on his left arm. Distracted, he was taken off guard by Bumblebee blasting him, causing him to drop Arcee.

"Get off of her!" Kumara yelled, deploying her swords and lunging at their attacker. Sidestepping, Galvatron grabbed her by the ankle and spun around.

"Give my regards to the afterspark." Galvatron sneered before letting go, winging her towards the mesa that Fowler was now climbing down.

"JUNE!" Arcee and Bumblebee screamed as the Maximal flew out of sight.

Taking advantage of their distraction, Galvatron blasted Arcee back several feet before transforming into his dragon mode and charging Bumblebee. He raked the young scout across the face and chest several times with his claws and tail before knocking him to the ground with his tail and standing on his legs, pinning him.

"You know Bumblebee, Megatron and I have very different viewpoints on punishment." Galvatron taunted, dragon eyes locking with the scouts' wide optics. "Whereas Megatron would've taken your voice once again." He continued. "I prefer to visibly mark those who defy me."

Clamping his jaws around Bumblebees' head, Galvatron began to bite down. Relishing the scream of pain his victim released, he decided to end this before anyone else could intervene. Breathing in deeply, Galvatron unleashed a volley of fire from his maw, right into Bumblebees' trapped face. The flames only lasted a few seconds before something big knocked him off the scout. Transforming back into his bot mode, Galvatron was met with the infuriated form of Magnaboss.

Jack, Miko and Raf had been drawn from their fight with the remaining Vehicons by the sound of Junes' name being screamed by Arcee and Bumblebee. After sending Tonebot to check on her the three charged toward the attacker. The moments it had taken them to run across the base while dodging Vehicons and combine had been all Galvatron needed to blast Arcee and severely injure Bumblebee. Charging Galvatron head on, the Maximal combiner managed to knock him off the scout.

Wincing slightly at the sight of Bumblebees mangled head and face, Magnaboss stood between him and Galvatron. "This ends now Galvatron." They said, drawing their broadsword.

"Ah yes, Optimus Primes' combining pet freaks." Galvatron sneered before looking at Magnaboss expectantly. "Well, let's hear it. Primes' patented 'Destiny and Honor' Speech. I'm sure you've been around him long enough to know it by spark."

Magnaboss narrowed their eyes at Galvatron. "Speech this." They said, leaping forward and swinging their sword at his neck.

Surprised at their forwardness, Galvatron barely raised his shield in time to block. "Well, well, well, seems you have some backbone in you after all. Yes. And here I thought you were just another one of Optimus Primes' pitiful pacifists playing freedom fighter."

Leaping back, Galvatron fired his cannon only for Magnaboss to split the beam with a downward swing of their sword. "And such power, I shall enjoy subjugating you. The three of you will make fine Predacons after." His comms cut him off, however. "What!?"

"Lord Galvatron!" Tarantulas yelled. "One of the Maximals managed to damage the communications array, the space bridge jammer is gone!" He exclaimed. "And worse, sensors have picked up Optimus Prime approaching on an attack vector." As if to accentuate this turn of events, said Prime was then heard over Magnaboss' comms.

"Then it is time to end this farce." Galvatron muttered to himself, not taking his optics off Magnaboss. "All troops return to the Nemesis. Tarantulas, bring the primary fusion cannon to full power and target the ships fuel reservoir." He ordered. He was then forced to sidestep another swing from Magnaboss' sword and then shield himself from Arcees' blasts.

"You're not going anywhere Galvatron." Magnaboss called. They turned to Arcee. "Help Ratchet get Smokescreen and Bumblebee evaced. We'll buy you time." They said, nodding to said medic who was dragging smokescreen towards the space bridge.

Arcee looked like she wanted to argue before taking another look at a groaning Bumblebee. "Alright but be careful you three." She ran over and hefted Bumblebee up as best she could, dragging him towards Ratchet.

"How thoughtful of you to consolidate all my targets in one convenient location." Galvatron taunted. He rocketed up out of Magnaboss' range and activated his comms. "Tarantulas, open fire!"

Above the base, the Nemesis' primary fusion cannon gave an ominous hum. Seeing a bright purple light ignite on the underside of the ship, Magnaboss couldn't help feeling out of their depth. How on Earth or Cybertron could they stop a blast that size? In the back of their mind, Raf had the answer. While (supposedly) the three of them had enhanced powers individually, they'd never tried them while combined. Pointing their sword towards the light they called out to heavens as the Nemesis opened fire.

"Magnaboss, MAXIMIZE!"

The three sparks in Magnaboss' chest began to glow as did their sword. The greenish white energy normally associated with purifying dark energon passed through the blade and emerged as a green energy beam that met the purple beam from the Nemesis head on. Focusing all their willpower into their effort, Magnaboss fought to drive the purple beam back. The force of the colliding energies was causing the ground to begin to quake beneath them.

Galvatron watched in horror as the green beam began to slowly push the purple one back. "Tarantulas, divert all power to the fusion cannon. We cannot allow them to escape."

The Nemesis' exterior lights dimmed considerably before a pulse emitted from the cannon, reenforcing the beam and driving Magnaboss' own beam back towards them. Smiling slightly at the turning tables, Galvatron called down to Magnaboss. "Farewell, Magnaboss. You shall have the honor of becoming the Earths' first Maximal fossils. Yes."

Flying into view of the base, Optimus Prime could see two things. One was Survive taking a shot that damaged the Decepticons communications array. The second was several of the Autobots and Maximals left behind attempting to drive back the invading Decepticons. Hoping that they hadn't invaded the Lost Light beneath Unit-E, Optimus activated his comms.

"Attention all combatants aboard the Lost Light." Optimus' voice called out. "Survive has just taken out the Nemesis' communications array and the bridge jammer with it. Those of us topside will attempt to buy you time to evacuate before the Decepticons bring the Nemesis' weapons to bear."

Not waiting for a reply, Optimus flew towards the base. Getting closer, what he saw made his spark flicker. Something that looked like a cross between Megatron and a Predacon was hovering above and looking down at Magnaboss. Looking past them, he saw Arcee dragging what looked like a severely injured Bumblebee towards Ratchet and an unconscious Smokescreen.

Seconds later, he saw the Nemesis open fire on the base right as a green beam of energy lanced out to meet the Nemesis' own purple one. Optimus couldn't believe it at first glance, but Magnaboss seemed to be holding back the Nemesis' attack. Unfortunately, the ships' beam seemed to strengthen, pushing the Maximals' beam back towards them. Getting closer, he could see that Magnaboss' arms were shaking and their face was screwed up in concentration with tears streaming down it. They were losing ground and it would cost them their lives.

Steeling himself, Optimus hit his afterburners. He made a vow to himself after Jackson, Miko, and Rafael had been turned into Maximals and later expanded it to include Sierra, Vincent, and Allison. He swore that if it ever came down to a choice between his life or theirs, the children would win every time.

Magnaboss was putting every ounce of Strength and will into their attack. The strain was proving to be agonizing but they fought on, there was simply too much at stake. As the strain of the blast forced them down to one knee, they felt something large collide with them, disrupting the beam and knocking them out of the way. Opening their eyes, they were met with the horrific sight of a familiar red and blue Autobot taking the full power blast they'd been trying to block.

"OPTIMUS!" Came a collective scream of both Autobot and Maximal as the ground beneath them began to explode and collapse. The last thing any of them remembered before losing consciousness was seeing their friend and leader vanish in a ball of fire and light followed by a sensation of falling, and then nothing.

Grinning down at the destruction, Galvatron could scarcely believe what had just happened. Not only had he found and destroyed the Autobots' secret base. He'd destroyed Optimus Prime as well. He let out a loud laugh at the thought of being able to do in a day what Megatron had failed to do for millions of years before composing himself.

"And thus ends the tragedy, of Optimus Prime." He declared, looking down at the large crater that was once both Unit-E and the Lost Light.

About a couple of miles away June was awoken by the vibrations and Tonebots' buzzing. Shaking her beast modes' head, she unstuck herself from her webbing and transformed back into her bot mode. When Galvatron threw her, she transformed, hoping that her spider modes' exoskeleton would protect her and fired off webs to hopefully catch her or slow her down to a survivable speed.

Getting down from the web she caught herself with, she turned to return to the base only to find that there wasn't one. All that was left of the base, the ship, and (she realized with a sinking feeling) her family, was a large smoking crater in the ground. Sinking to her knees in shock, she let loose a cry that echoed through the desert around her.

"NOOOO!"

A/N: …. I am so sorry for cutting it off here, but this was the best place for me to end the chapter. The only reassurance that I can offer is that things do get better in the next two chapters. On a side note, I do plan for (the) Kremzeek(s) to return at some point. Until then, Fave, Follow, and Review.