"We came alright. It took us 9 years to find, but we finally ran you to the ground. Look around; know who we are?"

"You are the sons and daughters and husbands of the women I murdered." - Malcolm and the Black Rose Killer, Babylon 5

WARNING: Chapter contains major character death.

Site Cradle, Autobot HQ. Geneva.

3rd November 2012.

He looked at everyone present, his voice reluctant and somber. "Bulkhead has joined many of our comrades…in the AllSpark."

Time froze for Miko. The world became a blur. What Prime said afterwards was a distant echo that grew dimmer and dimmer. Everything else - Arcee shouting 'no', Ratchet verifying Bulkhead's signal just gone offline, Wheeljack growling in rage - everything became background sound, no more distinguishable than static noise.

"Open that bridge!" she screamed, capturing the attention of all. "You left Bulkhead behind and I'm gonna bring him back!"

"Miko, he is gone."

"Shut up!"

Miko, please."

"No!"

"Miko…"

With tears streaming down her face, Miko aimed a finger at the pleading Prime. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU LEFT BULKHEAD TO DIE! YOU FAILED HIM LIKE YOU FAILED OUR PLANET!"

Darkmount, Decepticon capital. Nevada.

To Starscream it was a familiar sensation preparing himself mentally and physically to report bad news to Lord Megatron. The best and only way to avoid painful punishment was to present some amount of compensation. A small victory, one could say. And fortunately for Starscream he had acquired quite a big victory. One that could not only spare him Lord Megatron's wrath for allowing the Autobots to destroy the refinery, but also elevate his standing and curry favor for later.

That was why he was able to present himself at the throne balcony on Darkmount without shaking in fear. Tense, maybe, but not shac…

"Do you have any idea of the consequences of your blunder?!"

Scrap that! Starscream was positively shaking as the lord of the Decepticons roared his anger out on him. The imposing tyrant rose up from his throne, ready to make his displeasure quite physical. Starscream whimpered but quickly remembered his trump card.

"I…I recognize this is quite a setback, my liege. But not everything is a loss. Behold." the seeker hastily motioned for two drones to push in a cart. Atop it lay the corpse of the fallen Autobot, Bulkhead. "Consider it a gift in my name, mighty Lord Megatron."

Megatron blinked, nonplussed. He approached to examine the body. Sure enough, the trademark puncture of Starscream's claws marred the chestplate. Megatron was about to say something else when another fact struck him; namely the Autobot's identity. He turned to Starscream with a penetrating look.

"You have snuffed out this Autobot, the Wrecker Bulkhead?"

"Indeed, I have my liege." replied Starscream with an overdose of pride.

"And the other Autobots know you are the perpetrator?"

"They saw me delivering the final blow, yet fled like cowards." His grin could split his face apart.

Megatron stood silent, unfazed. His face betrayed no emotion. Finally he turned around and returned to his throne. He gave Starscream a long look, like he was weighing his options. The Lieutenant was losing his smug; this was not the reaction he expected from his master.

Finally he spoke with an uncharacteristic leveled tone. "Starscream, you have done well. Know that your service today will not be forgotten. Return to Knock Out to have your injuries repaired. I will have another assignment for you, later."

Starscream quickly regained his self-congratulatory demeanor and went his way. The body of Bulkhead was taken elsewhere for storage. Megatron was left to his musings. Soon after Starscream left, he summoned Soundwave to his side.

Megatron spoke in a conversational mood. "You know, Soundwave, it is a strange feeling to know when someone in front of you is unavoidably doomed. Especially Starscream. That pathetic excuse for a warrior or a commander always had one advantage going for him; he is a survivor. So many situations where he could and should have perished, and yet through sheer luck, he survived. He always survived." he paused. "But that luck has finally run out. And his last, crowning achievement will be the instrument that digs his grave. Just like Hardshell."

Done with the analyzing monologue, he focused back on business. "Soundwave, what is the deepest range project we have in progress?"

The chief of surveillance displayed a site located up north, in the middle of Canada. It was a hidden facility for storage of leftovers. Megatorn nodded in approval. "Excellent, it is quite far enough. We will avoid any collateral damage from any revenge-seeking Wreckers. And humans." he spitefully added the after-thought. "Make certain that Starscream's location is broadcasted on all frequencies. No encryption. This way, our vengeful enemies will not attack our more precious facilities on a vain search rampage." a new idea took form. "What will inevitably transpire may still work in our favor. If Starscream ended one Wrecker, I might have an opportunity to end the other."

Aboard the Nemesis

In spite of his substantial injuries, Starscream walked with a spring in his step. As he passed the occasional Vehicon or even Insecticon, he would promptly announce his latest triumph. It was with that level of smug that he entered Knock Out's medical bay without even announcing himself. Thus, he walked in on the good doctor, armed with a buzzsaw and a maniacal smile, leaning over a terrified, struggling Cybertronian bound to the berth. Starscream shrieked in a short-lived horror at the sight and that announced to the doctor he had company.

"Starscream, what brings you here? I was looking forward to some alone play time." the medic spoke neutrally, as if he wasn't just about to cut open the 'patients' spark chamber. Now that Starscream collected himself, he recognized the victim of the doctor's pass-time. It was the beaten, welded frame of Breakdown, except now it housed the body and consciousness of a human vermin who fancied himself a Decepticon.

"S-Star…scream…help me." The creature pleaded.

"Oh, my, my! What ever have you been inflicting upon poor Silas?" Starscream chuckled at the vermin's painful predicament.

"Anything that merits the need for intensive reconstructive surgery." without missing a bit, Knock Out sawed off Cylas's arm, a quick and clean cut. But not at all painless, if Silas shrieking was any indication. Now, normally Starscream would feel immense gratification watching an enemy squirm. Although, not many of his enemies wore the face of a once fallen ally.

"Doctor, will you keep your lab rat quiet. You have a more urgent duty." The quickly irritated Commander motioned for his own damaged frame.

Knock Out shrugged, but he did induce stasis on the wretched creature. A short reprieve that the good doctor intended to end as soon as Starscream was dispatched.

"Despite your understandable lack of regard for his Human side, does it not trouble you to force what remains of your former partner to endure your scientific indulgences?"

As he prepared a berth for Starscream, he replied dryly. "Not really. Silas once had my former partner pinned to his own dissection table. I think Breakdown would be pleased to be a part of this."

The uninterested demeanor he put up wasn't fooling Starscream. "Don't be modest about it, doctor. You are relishing every moment of it. It is natural for Deceptions such as ourselves to seek vengeance. Though I'm not one to desire it out of appreciation for fallen comrades." He couldn't resist making a jab, which further annoyed Knock Out.

"Yes, very nice for you. Now, on the table."

What followed was Knock Out gracelessly repairing Starsfream's wounds; welding shut tears, reconnecting or replacing wires or rebending plating. All the while the vain commander would talk about his latest escapade. It almost made Knock Out want to deactivate Starscream's voice box. But when he mentioned his administration of the emerging refinery, Knock out found his target:

"Didn't that facility explode while under your watch?" He didn't conceal his smirk. News travels quickly amidst the Vehicons, after all.

As expected, Screamer scoffed but his smug returned quickly. "Some bumbling Autobot did that. But rest assured he will not bother us again."

"What? You sent him running?"

"In a manner of speaking…he ran into the Allspark."

Knock Out did a double take. "You off-lined an Autobot?"

The smug was back in full force. "Another Autobot. It's becoming a trend of mine. I drove my perfect talons through his chest plate. You could see the fear in his optics as his spark gave out! He would have pleaded for mercy, if he was able to talk. Of course, I gave him none."

"Really? And who was the unlucky fragger?"

"Why, the big green lugnut, Bulkhead."

Knock Out dropped his tool, astounded. "You offlined the Wrecker?!" the reply was a silent, wide smirk from the seeker. "Starscream, haven't you read the logs on the ship's mainframe? The ones from whilst you were rogue?"

"Well, I haven't had the time for such indulgence." Starscream was caught off guard by such an out-of-the-blue question. In truth, he didn't want to be reminded of those less than glorious days.

"Then you don't know about the Hardshell fiasco."

"Who?"

Knock Out resisted the urge to facepalm. "Hardshell, the supposed 'fiercest' of the Insecticons…"

"Those things have names?!" Starscream got up so abruptly he almost fell off the berth. Knock Out ignored the question and began to disclose:

"While we were hunting those slagging Iacon relics, Hardshell was one of the bugs sent by Lord Megatron to track down and bring back the tox-en stash. Bulkhead got there first and hurled the ghastly stuff into a volcano. However, the big bug was able to fire a missile at Bulkhead's back. We all thought he had ended the Wrecker..."

"Ah! Insecticons cannot be relied upon for anything other than brute strength." Starscream jeered.

"No argument in there, but I wasn't finished. Anyways, we all thought the big green kicked it. Then that dashing rogue, Wheeljack, comes along demanding the bug who tried to kill Bulkhead. So the Big M sent Hardshell to collect Wheeljack's spark, or start running for his own."

"And I take it Wheeljack snuffed Hardshell."

"No. It was Bulkhead's pet, the girl, actually."

Starscream was flabbergasted. "A human killed an Insecticon?! How in the AllSpark…"

"I reckon she fired two missiles from Wheeljack's ship at the bug. Left the poor fragger quite scrapped."

Starscream blinked twice in the silence that followed. "This is all very illuminating, Knock Out, but that does it have to do with my current situation?"

It was Knock Out's turn to blink. "Isn't it obvious? If Wheeljack and the girl were willing to go to such lengths, in the event that Bulkhead barely survived, what do you think they will do now that he is indeed pushing up lugnuts?"

Starscream chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. "Really, Doctor? You think they would dare to strike at me, just like that?"

Knock Out answered immediately and firmly. "Yup."

Stars cream snorted. "I will let you know that I have snuffed an Autobot. They will be too frightened to take any action against me. I was the one who acquired the Omega Keys and delivered them to Lord Megatron. Furthermore, I orchestrated using the human pets as bargaining chips for said Keys. For all intents and purposes, I conquered this planet and delivered it to Lord Megatron. I finished two Autobots. I won us the war. I am untouchable."

Knock Out stood impassive as Starscream slowly got into his personal space during that whole self-gratifying speech. The medic looked at the seeker straight in the optics. Finally, he shrugged.

"If you say so. Anyways, you're good to go."

Starscream groaned at Knock Out's unimpressed demeanor and stomped out of the med bay. Before he crossed the door, Knock Out called out:

"Starscream, just want you to know that, in spite of your miríade of flaws, I have always admired your lustrous finish."

Starscream casted him a weird look. "Whatever." And he departed.

With a sigh, Knock Out walked towards his remaining 'patient' and powered him back on. Silas woke up in terror seeing his tormentor again, pleading to go back to stasis. Knock Out paid no heed to his whimpers and conversed merrily.

"Had a good nap, Silas? See, I'm in a betting mood, so here's my bet: if Starscream comes back in several pieces, I'll fill your fuel veins with acid; if he returns in no piece at all, I'll tinker with you t-cog so that you turn yourself inside out. Deal? Deal!"

The next morning.

Despite spending the majority of the previous day resting, Jack felt a tremendous lack of energy as he walked to the door and knocked.

"Go away! Leave me alone!" He reluctantly did as she demanded and walked away from Miko's door.

After her breakdown at HQ, she broke into a run out of there. Jack and Raf caught up with her outside. All she said was that she wanted to be alone. So they helped her back home and into her room. She immediately locked herself in and let loose her cries of anguish. After hours, when either of them knocked, her reply was always the same.

Morose, Jack wandered into Raf's room. Unsurprisingly, the youngest human was occupied with his laptop. Nowadays that was the norm for Rafael. A ticking noise was heard from the improvised glass cage on the corner. Inside was the reassembled scraplet Raf had encountered on their first day in Geneva.

"You put that thing back together?" The vermin still sported several dents and was missing one leg. Still, it skittered around in its prison, desperate to come out and feast.

Raf shrugged, not taking his eyes off the screen. "It's a good way to pass the time. I am trying to come up with a way to make them harmless to the Bots."

"How so?" Jack quirked an eyebrow.

"Ratchet sent me all he had on scraplets. Turns out they are barely sentient, more like robotic ants than individual animals."

Jack hummed, indulging in the subject as if they were in class. "Questions: if these things are mindless metal eaters, why don't they just cannibalize each other?"

Raf moved away from the laptop and stretched his arms and neck, causing a series of crack sounds. Jack wondered if he had been on the machine since they brought Miko home. "They are controlled by some kind of hive mind that tells them to eat living metal other than themselves."

"Hive mind? Like those Insecticons?" He remembered Arcee telling him while Insecticons were individuals, they were all connected mentally so they could all attack with deadly coordination.

"No…maybe simpler than what the Insecticons have. It's like they have their radio frequency that gives simple commands." He shrugged, sounding not quite sure of the concept himself. Rafael walked over to the glass cage and three in a shard of metal in. Initially the scraplet ignored it but then gorged on it.

"Scrap! Didn't work."

"What didn't work?"

Raf groaned. "I was trying to reprogram it not to eat that."

Then the scraplet began to cough, like it was gasping for air.

"I think he choked."

Rafael's eyes widened. "Uh, oh. No, this is something else."

Indeed it was. The pest's 'choking' worsened until it regurgitated a cluster of scrap. Jack was about to ask the obvious when he saw the vomited metal begin to twitch. To his shock, it had several tiny, thin legs and a bulbous head. Another scraplet, slightly smaller than the original, stood up shakily.

A stunned Jack turned to Raf for an explanation. "That's how they reproduce. Sometimes, when a scraplet has had their fill, they…throw up a new one out."

"Hang on. If that's true how did the first one come to be?" Surely the creeper didn't just vomit itself into existence!

Raf shrugged, rubbing his tired eyes. Jack frowned. "Okay, I think you've had your fill of living on the screen for the day."

"I don't feel like resting." In spite of his argument, he couldn't suppress a yawn.

Jack was unconvinced. "I beg to differ. Come on, let's get you to bed."

"I don't wanna." the boy crossed his arms, pouting. He wouldn't meet Jack's eyes.

Jack responded firmly. "Raf, you need your rest."

Rafael looked at him with defiance. "Why do you care?"

Jack was taken aback. "Why do I…Raf, because I'm your friend."

"Well, you're not my parents…because they're dead!"

Jack reacted as if physically struck, almost staggering back. Rafael gasped, realizing what he had just said. He whimpered an apology.

"It's fine, Raf." Jack spoke in a murmur.

"No it's not. And don't coddle me, Jack. I cried enough, already." Raf turned around and sat back on the chair. At least, he didn't sink back into the computer. Jack went and sat beside him on a spare chair. If his friend didn't want to be 'coddled', he would grant that much. Himself being in the same boat as Raf, desperate to busy himself to distract from the inescapable cold reality.

"Jack, do you think Bumblebee and the others will also get killed?"

The older one felt a cold invade his stomach, the dreaded question catching him totally unaware. Raf continued. "It's been less than a week and just yesterday we lost Bulkhead…and-"

"No. That won't happen. The Autobots are tough." at his core, Jack couldn't be certain if he was attempting to convince his friend or himself.

"Bulkhead sure was…"

Suddenly, a very recognizable horn startled them. The two looked out the window and saw Bumblebee just as he transformed into bot mode.

"Hey, Raf. Wanna go for a ride?"

Raf was hesitant. "Bee is inviting me for a ride."

"Then go with." Jack expressed a smile that barely reached his cheeks. Raf was unconvinced, so Jack took it upon himself. "Hey, Bumblebee! Raf's done for today. He'll take you up on that ride."

The Autobot chirped enthusiastically and offered his hand for Raf to hop in. The boy in question threw a dirty look at Jack but caved in and jumped on the offered hand. Bee transformed back, with Rafael safely strapped inside and drove off.

"You'll thank me later, buddy." Jack's amusement at his friend's 'predicament' was short-lived. Alone in the house that still didn't feel like home, Jack had only his thoughts for company. Thoughts that Rafael had unknowingly stirred into darker waters. Ever since his life had been dragged into the war, he had seen the Bots in deadly situations, one after the other. Yet, through courage, skill or sheer luck, they always escaped, maybe not unscathed but alive…until now.

Ah! But this wasn't the first comrade they lost, a wicked inner voice reminded him. Yes, shortly before he met Arcee, she had just lost Cliffjumper. The 'Bots often spoke of the many comrades they had lost, but Jack, Miko and Raf had never seen such a loss occurring, only the aftermath of it. That, in hindsight, gave the idea that death for the Bots, while constant, was not so difficult to avoid. Now Jack began to realize they had been lucky so far. Less than a week ago they lost their world. Less than a day ago they lost a friend. It seemed as if their luck had finally run out.

His train of thought came to a screeching halt when cell phone rang. It was Arcee. "Hey, Jack, just wanted to call and ask how Miko is."

"I…honestly can't tell. She won't leave her room and refuses to let us in." he felt like a coward for saying that.

Arced responded with a caring assertiveness, an undertone of parent-like authority. "Jack, this is the worst time for Miko to be left on her own. We have to remind her she's not alone, even if she wants to be. I'm on my way there."

"You know what, you're right. And I am going to do that right now. Just, let me talk to her first." she agreed and hung up. He walked back to Miko's door.

"Miko, I'm not leaving here until we talk."

No reply. He tried knocking, thinking she didn't hear him.

"Go away! Leave me alone!"

"Will you at least say something else." He pleaded.

No response. He knocked harder.

"Go away! Leave me alone!"

First, that same answer was irksome. Now, it was suspicious. He thought of playing a bluff. "Miko, I'm going to break down this door!"

Nothing. No answer. Only after a knock at the door, he got that repetitive reply. The bluff became a promise and Jack began kicking at the door. It took four kicks before he stepped back and rammed it open. Inside he found no Miko. Only a recorder attached to the door that played that same message when he knocked: "Go away! Leave me alone!"

"Scrap!" he furiously tipped his cell to call back his partner. "Arcee, Miko is gone! She planted a recorder in her room with her voice so we'd think she was in there."

There was a shout on the other end before she spoke exasperatedly. "Wheeljack is also missing. Ratchet just called; turns out he snuck out of the med bay when Ratchet went for a quick recharge."

Jack felt a bad sense of deja Vu. "They're off doing something reckless, aren't they?"

"Jack, I…wait, what?!" there was another voice on the other end, speaking to Arcee.

"What is it?"

"Ratchet called again. Miko is definitely with Wheeljack because he broke into our vault and took one of the relics."

Jack was confused. How did that explain that Miko went with Wheeljack? "Which one?"

Decepticon Warehouse A-113.

Outskirts of Edmonton, Alberta. Canada.

Like many other cities on Earth, Edmonton had been partially gigantified by the planet-wide cyberforming. Some infrastructure remained unchanged in size or shape, just transmuted into a metal version. Other buildings were not just supersized to accommodate Cybertronians, but their architecture had become alien, as well. Nevertheless, that gave both factions more housing than they currently need.

It was for that same plentitude of available infrastructure that a meager storage house for spare parts and raw materials had been installed on the outskirts of the former human city rather than at its center. On that spot, Starscream stepped out of the groundbridge portal. His posture and walking beamed with pride, the traditional smug sneer all the more pronounced.

Two Vehicons rushed out of the warehouse. "Commander Starscream! We…we were not expecting you."

Starsctream scoffed. "Of course not, you incompetent buffoons! As you are unaware, Lord Megatron himself has appointed me to supervise this facility. Now shape up and grant me a tour."

The drones parted ways for him to pass. Starscream paced with hands behind his back and the drones a step behind. "This is Warehouse A-113 where we store the extra raw materials and spare parts. As you know, Lord Megatron doesn't want all our resources in one spot; this place is one of many such storages. The most northern, in fact."

Starscream gave a quick look to the outside of the structure. Nothing special, no fortifications, no mounted weapons, no defenses of any kind. Clearly these two Vehicons thought they were here for a pic-nic. "Right, let's move on."

"Move on, sir?"

Starscream huffed impatiently. "Yes, show me the rest."

The Vehicons exchanged a look. "There is no rest, sir. This warehouse is the entire facility."

The Commander turned to glare at them. "Have your processors blown a major fuse?!"

"Commander, this is just a warehouse."

Now Starscream was flabbergasted. That had to be a mistake! Why would Lord Megatron reward him with an assignment to administrate a warehouse?! It made no sense. The drones could only shrug.

Then realization struck. "You said this place was the furthest north spot under Decepticon control." at the drone nodding, Starscream smirked. "Of course, now I understand. You see, you simpletons, this place is to become the spearhead of further expansion. A fortress of conquest that will rival Darkmount! And Lord Megatron has entrusted me to oversee its construction." he finished with a dramatic fleur of his hand.

"Quickly, to the groundbridge! Very soon, newly arrived troops and worker drones will come through that portal."

The Vehicons, again, inadvertently shot down his hopes: "Uh, Commander, we have no groundbrige here. When Darkmount requires anything from us, they send the bridge. Our mission here is to keep the warehouse safe from Autobots."

"Autobots?! From all indications, their new base is on another continent, eastern from Darkmount. It makes no logical sense for them to be poking around here!"

The Vehicons shared a helpless look. "Well, what are your orders, sir?"

Starscream groaned, cursing the worthless assistance he was stuck with. "Just return to your posts and …keep doing your duties!" he waved them off with one hand. The drones were contended with that so transformed and flew off. Probably to scout for more parts to fill the warehouse, or whatever. Starscream couldn't care less.

Sighing, he went inside the warehouse. It was stock full with materials, like special alloys collected from the local cyberformed environment, or spare parts that had been shipped there from Darkmount. At the very least, simple-minded drones knew how to keep things tidy.

Starscream required an explanation about his current assignment so he went for the console. Really, it was the only device in the vicinity that could allow him to contact Darkmount. But quickly discovered he was unable to. The computer couldn't make a connection, as if Darkmount was refusing his call.

"What the scrap is going on?!" he shrieked. Why couldn't he communicate with the fortress? Furthermore, why did Megatron send him to the middle of nowhere? Following his hard-won victory over that big lugnut Bulkhead, to top it off! Just what…

There was a noise from outside. It began faint but quickly and steadily increased. It sounded like the engines of a flying vehicle. Could it…of course, the new regiment of drones would arrive by air to save groundbridge fuel!

Exalted, Starscream sprinted outside. "Welcome, my loyal Deceptions to yo…" his elation died instantly when he saw the Wrecker Wheeljack's ship glaring down at him. A missile was fired and, reacting on instinct, Starscream transformed and flew upwards in a panic. The missile impacted the warehouse sending it went up in flames. The detestable Autobot ship gave chase.

"You miserable Wrecker! I should have scrapped you when we eviscerated the Autobot base!" Starscream insulted..

It was impossible for the pilot to have heard him, but it seemed as if he had, for the ship began firing missile after missile.

"Scrap!"

Starscream was an experienced seeker and built for agility in the air. But even he couldn't avoid such a barrage and it was inevitable one projectile struck the side of his wing, damaging it though not destroying it. Starscream began to lose altitude. He was crash-landing.

"Scrap and slag! Not like this!" Luckily for him, the damage was not so severe that he managed to steer himself and control the crash. The impact with the ground was dulled but still brusque and painful. He transformed and found himself in a world of hurt, his chassis damaged all over again. To make matters worse, his wings took enough of a beating he wouldn't be able to take off, again.

The nightmare was far from over as the Jackhammer made a much better landing. Wheeljack stepped out of it, mouthguard on and blades out. He paced slowly and calm towards the downed seeker.

"Stand up, Screamer, if you have the least bit of ball's bearings for it." spoke cold and unforgivingly. Wheeljack was here for payback, but he wouldn't get it from a whimpering pile of slag that didn't get on his feet. Something that Starscream tried to appeal to.

"B-but I am injured and unarmed. You autobots have a code for prisoners of war, right…"

"I'm not taking prisoners today." Wheeljack wasn't buying it. Injuries aside, Screamer wasn't hurt enough that he couldn't fight. His arms were fine, so he was far from 'unarmed'. He pointed a sword at his face. "You will stand up and fight like Bulk did. Or I will snuff out your spark while you're down. Like you did." he added the last sentence with a world worth of spite.

Starscream was in grave disadvantage against a relentless opponent. In such situations, he adhered to his oldest skill: trickery. He faked an attempt to stand while subtly grabbing a few pebbles from the ground. In a flash, he threw the debris at Wheeljack's face, distracting him for a split second. He immediately lunged with talons ready to pierce his spark. But found himself unable to as Wheeljack grabbed his wrist before the treacherous seeker could do the deed.

"I knew scum like you'd pull that cheap trick." Wheeljack proceeded to show his displeasure by wrecking Starscream. He headbutted him to put distance in-between them, then kicked him in the solar plexus. Starscream was disoriented but not enough that he didn't avoid Wheeljack's blades. He fired his null-ray erratically, but Wheeljack dodged or blocked some hits with his swords. The Wrecker closed the distance and delivered a solid punch to the face, knocking him down again.

"What's the matter, Screamer? Hard to fight when you're beaten down and your opponent is tip-top?"

It was then that the sound of jet engines reached them. The coward looked up and saw his salvation; the two drones had located him and were approaching! Wheeljack followed his line of sight and spotted them, too.

"What's the matter, Wheeljack? Worried." he taunted him, now feeling reassured he would not only survive but win this. He might even add another Autobot spark to his tally.

Wheeljack gave him an uninterested look. "Nope."

The Vehicons landed, weapons armed and aimed at the unconcerned Wrecker. Starscream threatened. "Surrender now, and I might consider sparing your life."

"That's too bad, 'cause I have no intention of sparing yours. Nor has she."

Like on cue, someone else leaped out of the ship and collided with the drones. Starscream only saw a bulky and rotund gray frame had grabbed one of the Vehicons and started using it as a club against the other one. To his growing despair, both his would-be saviors were quickly reduced to scrap metal.

"Who the…"

It was the Apex Armor! As it walked towards them, Starscream's gaze fixated on the visor. He gasped when he recognized the wielder: the human girl, Miko. The girl looked down at him, her expression unfazed, passionless. Never would have Starscream imagined he would be terrified by the sight of a hum…

"Optics on me, Scream." and Wheeljack carried on with the beating. Starscream would be completely outmatched against a seasoned Wrecker on any normal day. Against a vengeful one hell bent on making him pay, no chance at all. Punch after punch, kick followed by kick. Even a large slash across the chest, which cut through the Decepticon insignia. All while Miko watched, void of emotion. Eventually, Starscream was driven to desperation.

"Wait, I surrender! Take me as your prisoner!" he begged, hands raised not so much in a surrender gesture, but to shield his own face from another hit.

Wheeljack's frowned, a pause followed. "Which arm did you take from Bulkhead?"

"Uh, what do you…"

Without warning, Wheeljack used his sword in a fluid movement to slice off Starscream's arm. "The left, that's the one."

Starscream's wail of agony echoed in all directions throughout the wide plains of Edmoton. Nobody around for miles to react to it, to ask who was suffering, to worry about it, or to come to aid the hailing person. Nobody except Wheeljack and Miko, who just stood there and watched, neither pleasure nor remorse shown on their faces. The wailing dimmed into painful whimpers. The now one-armed Decepticon clutched the wound, energy leaking from it. He looked at his attackers, the new agony fueling an anger that began overcoming his fear.

"Prime…would never…" he tried to speak, but saying any word was an effort in itself. Wheeljack took his meaning:

"Prime doesn't exist, right now. Now there's only you, us and payback." Wheeljack moved to stomp on him, but Miko held him back with one arm. The Autobot looked over to the girl; her look said everything: 'he's mine now'. Wheeljack conceded and moved aside.

Miko grabbed Starscream, forcing him to look at her. She wanted to get a good look at his face, to know what had ripped her partner from her and what she was bent on destroying. She expected to find something of defiance, refusal to accept the inevitable. Nothing. None of those things. Just a maggot begging to be spared. A maggot that took Bulkhead from her.

She tossed him to the ground. "Fight back, you piece of scrap!"

Unbeknownst to them, while he was under Miko's judgment Starscream had spotted something high in the sky. It was a thin gray shape, with wings…Laserbeak! Soundwave would be reporting this to Lord Megatron, who would send troops to his rescue. He felt hope again. All he had to do was stall for time. He fought back the pain and pleaded. "How can I fight…I am missing an arm."

Miko tsked. "Bulkhead fought you with just one arm. If you're so much tougher than him, you should have no problem.

Starscream gulped. "I-I'm…am not at my best."

Miko approached him, looking him in the eye again. "You were also not at your best as a rogue Con. Did handing the Omega Keys to Megatron made it better for you? Or how about when you help him murder my world?" her gaze didn't waver as he fumbled for a reply.

"T-that was Megatron's plan! I merely followed orders. I tried to dissuade him beforehand…"

"Shut up!" having enough of his deceitful excuses, Miko punched him in the face. Hard. Grabbed him by the remaining arm, span him around and hurled him at a nearby, solitary building.

Starscream staggered out of the rubble and seeing his new attacker approaching, he desperately fired a missile, but she just caught it with her hand before it hit her. It exploded but seconds later, she was still coming, walking unscathed out of the cloud of smoke.

Starscream fell to his knees, privately begging for those reinforcements to arrive already. What was Megatron even doing right now?! He needed to stall some more, but he had nothing to go with. So…

"L-Lord Megatron already knows you are here! In moments, reinforcements will arrive and you're both scrapped!" …he spilled the beans.

Miko stopped her approach. Starscream felt a smidge of triumph. Just the thought of Megatron coming could be enough to send them running. That was until Wheeljack, whom was content to remain an audience, chuckled.

"Wouldn't bet on it. I got a pretty good hunch the Buckethead sent you out here to die."

"W-wha…you lie!"

Miko studied her enemy while he was fixed on Wheeljack. She had thought seeing Starscream whimpering on the ground, half-scrapped, would make her feel better. It wasn't. No, ending him wasn't going to ease her pain…because it wasn't enough. She needed him to feel as bad as she had when Bullhead didn't come back home. But the scumbag still clang for some hope. So Miko was just going to have to destroy that.

"Wanna know how we found you, Screams? Turns out your new job is all over Con radio chatter. It wasn't hard for Wheeljack to crack the code. It was just that easy. Almost like it was made to be easy." She let that hang in the air, letting him come to the conclusion alone. Wheeljack had already started the fire, she was going to feed the flames.

"What?! No! I am Megatron's SIC!"

"Buckethead knows from experience you've made yourself a big target. Why do you think he put you here, in the middle of nowhere and left a trail for us to follow?" She paused for effect. "Spoilers: so we wouldn't wreck his operations. He tossed you to the wolves to protect his own tailpipe."

Starscream was in denial. His words, already plagued with pain, had a new touch of despair. "I am a vital key… member of the comma…"

Wheeljack, seeing what Miko was doing, pitched in. "From what I hear, other Cons may be on their way here. Soon there will be other retro-rats trying to fill your post."

"I am…"

Miko gave the finishing blow. "You were always a necessary dead weight to Buckethead. Now, you're unnecessary."

There it was. That terrible moment when hope vanished and the pitiless reality came crashing in like a meteor. Miko had the mind to proceed with the final beating before any shred of hope could resuscitate. She ran towards Starscream and shoved him into the ground. Without a break, she threw punch after punch at his face.

"This is for Bulkhead!" a punch to the face dislodged his lower jaw.

"For Bee's t-cog!" another to the chest destroyed the already damaged Decepticon badge.

"For Cliffjumper!" his face was unrecognizable after that strike.

"For my planet!" that broke his chest armor.

"For my family!" The brutal hit with both fists cracked open his spark chamber.

"For everything!" in a small burst of light, the spark was extinguished in her fist.

Miko kept pounding until his face and torso were disfigured beyond recognition. She lost count of the punches or for how long she kept throwing them. At some point, her target became so shredded she was pounding the ground. Yet she kept until her arms were burning with exhaustion and her lungs cried out for a rest. The girl was left panting, exhausted. Her brain and mind were still on fire, but her body was unable to go on.

Wheeljack's hand came resting on her shoulder. "Let's go, Miko. We're done here" Numbly, she nodded and followed him to the Jackhammer. Neither looked back at the disfigured cadaver they left behind. With each step, the flames in her spirit dimmed until she was as wiped out in mind as in body. She had done it. It was over.

Unbeknownst to her she was under Wheeljack's tense scrutiny. Seconds ago, Miko had been fired up. Now she barely reacted to anything he said to her. It just dawned on the Wrecker he had committed a terrible mistake in judgment. For though Miko had all the markings of a Wrecker, she was still just a kid, a sparkling. And he, in his stupidity, had brought a child to a revenge kill mission. At the core of his spark, he realized that Bulkhead would never have forgiven him for involving the kid.

"Primus, Bulk." He sighed to himself so quietly not even Miko would have heard, even if she paid attention.

He just knew the others, Doc specially, would never forgive him for this. Slag, even though Miko came of her own volition, who demanded to accompany him…no, if the others wanted him gone, he would be. He definitely deserved it after what he did today. Those thoughts were put on hold when the alarms went off.

"What gives?" Miko awoke from her trance.

Out of a ground bridge portal that opened in front of them stepped Megatron.

"Scrap, it's Buckethead!" Wheeljack shouted. He tried to make an emergency take off.

Megatron smirked and brandished the Dark Star Saber. With a swing, it spewed an arc of energy against the fleeing ship.

Back at the warehouse.

Another groundbridge portal opened up at the burning warehouse and the Autobots stepped out, guns raised.

"According to what I decrypted from Decepticon radio frequencies, Starscream should be assigned to that post." Ratchet's voice sounded on their comms.

"You think this is his handiwork?" Arcee motioned to the ruined structure.

"Don't think so. Looks more like Wrecker handiwork." Bumblebee retorted.

"Scatter and look for signs of Wheeljack and Miko. Be cautious; it was far too easy to discover Starscream's location. This could be a trap." no sooner than Optimus gave the command, they heard and saw the Jackhammer high in the sky, a few kilometers away but easily recognizable. The Autobots were about to hail the ship when an arc of purple light came upwards and impacted the ship. The vessel was obliterated in a violent explosion.

"No!"

Don't worry, Miko and Wheeljack survived. I'm not bold enough to kill so many major characters in one chapter. Also, if you're wondering how Miko was able to jurry rig a recorder to play when the door was knocked on, lets just say she's smarter and more resourceful than the show lets on.