Death, Megumi, Arsha, Amy, Blackarachnia, Megatron, Galvatron, Firestorm, Sky Runner, Glyph, Arcee, and Goldbug were outside the OR they gave Emily and Ratchet. Megumi was pacing worriedly. "I'm scared for him too, Megumi," said Arsha, "but pacing won't help."

"It's the only chance I got of burning off the nervous energy I have," replied Megumi. "How long have they been in there?!"

"Two hours," said Goldbug. "But these things take time." The door to the OR opened…and Emily and Ratchet's faces were downcast.

"…No!" whispered Megumi.

"There…there was nothing more we could do," replied Emily.

"Optimus Prime is…beyond recovery," sighed Ratchet. "He's only got a couple of minutes to live." Amy was the first to rush into the room. Everyone surrounded Optimus as the machines he was hooked up to beeped slowly.

"Optimus, please!" begged Amy as tears rolled down her pink cheeks. "You can't die!" Optimus slowly switched his optics on.

"…Do not…grieve," he whispered. "…Soon…I shall be one…with the Matrix." He then slowly turned his head to his left. "…M…Megatron…"

"I'm here, brother," said Megatron as he knelt by Optimus and held his hand.

"It is…to you…I give…stewardship…of the Matrix."

"Optimus, after what I've done? I'm not worthy of stewardship."

"…And I…was not worthy…of Primehood…once. …But…one day…a Transformer…will rise from our ranks…and use the power of the Matrix…to once again…light our darkest hour." Optimus released Megatron's hand and his chest opened. The Matrix filled the room with calm, soothing light as Optimus slowly took the Matrix out of his chest. He then slowly held it out to Megatron. "Until…that day…'til all…are one…" His fingers unfurled and the Matrix tumbled to the floor. Megatron and Glyph both reached out to grab it. Glyph caught it, then gave it to Megatron. A chain formed around the handles so Megatron could just wear it around his neck, a symbol of Megatron being a steward, not a full Prime. The instant the Matrix was draped over Megatron's neck, Optimus' optics faded, his labored breathing stopped, the life-support machines flatlined, and Optimus' body faded to gunmetal gray. Optimus Prime…was dead and there wasn't a dry eye in the room, not even Death as she performed her duty.

This was a first for Megumi. To say she wasn't handling it well…that would be an understatement. She spent a lot of time staring at her hands. Arsha approached her. "…Megumi?" she asked.

"…He died," mumbled Megumi. "…He died…and I can't. …That's just…" Megumi wept again. Arsha sat next to Megumi and hugged her.

"…Perhaps it isn't fair," she said, "…but I'd say you more than earned your immortality."

"And how, pray tell, did you arrive at THAT conclusion?!"

"Because you still have humanity. Metaltron and her ilk, they don't. Someone was not careful in giving them immortality. But you, Megumi Hishikawa, one of my greatest friends, you never sacrificed your humanity. …I can't say it gets easier, seeing a friend die. Take it from someone who had to fight in a war, it doesn't. …But it's how we remember them that matters. …Failing that, there's always a chance he could end up here."

"…That's no guarantee," said Megumi. "For one thing, you'd have to really impress the Horsemen. For another, you'd have to choose to live here knowing that your old universe is no longer your home universe, but one you can only visit for moments at a time. The best you can do is hope those you left behind honor your wishes."

"…Well, you know what he always said," remarked Arsha.

"…Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."

"So we continue to fight for freedom and live in his name." By then, a fire was lit in Megumi's eyes.

"…Metaltron MUST fail!" she declared. "…Arsha, you're right. Optimus wouldn't want us to wallow in despair. He'd want us to grieve, then fight!"

"Exactly. Galvatron's rallying his Decepticons right now."

"What about the Autobots?"

Optimus' body was taken back to Cybertron for the funeral. His Rigor Morphis had him assume his robot mode. Thankfully, as his parents had already passed on, there was no one to grieve the loss of their child. …It still stung that two brothers were burying their baby brother. Ultra Magnus arrived in time for the funeral and led the whole thing. Optimus' body was placed in between the prongs of the usual vaporization tech. When he was alive, Optimus had granted permission for his vital components to be donated, so the scars were there. "…Optimus and I…we butted heads often," Ultra Magnus addressed the mourners. "But we always figured out how to help one another. And we both admitted that we needed a kick in the pants; Optimus for letting power go to his head and myself for my raging Decepti-phobia. He made friends that he helped keep on the straight and narrow and those friends did the same for him as he fought to prove that freedom is the right of all sentient beings, whether they be code, flesh and blood, or robots. …The universe is a little darker without him, but we're all obligated to carry out his mission in his memory and name." The Transformers attending each held out a phial of innermost Energon and laid it at the memorial that would be switched on. "When a Spark goes online, there is great joy. When one is extinguished, the universe weeps."

"You flare. You flicker. You fade," said the crowd.

"You won't be forgotten, Optimus Prime," promised Ultra Magnus. "Let your Spark join the Matrix, the greatest treasure of Cybertron." He pressed a button on the controls and Optimus' body was vaporized respectfully.

After the funeral, Galvatron stepped up onto a stage in Kaon, the Decepticon capital of Cybertron. He had his particle cannon affixed to his right forearm like his father with his old fusion cannon. He turned to address the crowd. "…Decepticons, I must open this with a personal question," he began. "How many of you are Empties?" A few raised their hands. "…Quite a few. Then my uncle's programs didn't reach you?"

"We just applied for them," said a mech called Needlenose. "I just got my new hands." He showed off his hands, looking more pristine than the rest of his body. "Thanks to that, I was able to find a job and, already, I have more Shanix to help me fix up my lifestyle. …And now there's someone wearing Optimus' face that has wicked thoughts, thoughts that would put me back to square one!"

"Yeah!" called a femme, Shadow Striker. "I just got out of poverty and someone wants to put me back in it because I look freakish!" The sentiment was taken up by the crowd.

"Well, there's an opportunity for you all to voice your complaints to him!" called Galvatron. "The Cybertronian High Council has asked for naval help from our allies and colonies. Even the Galactic Council is giving us help! Tomorrow night, the Nemesis and Ark will join that fleet as we merge with a combined fleet from outside our universe to take down Nemesis Prime and his allies! And I want all of you with me! We will not rest until the pelt of that evil version of Tails is mounted on a wall! DECEPTICONS, COMMENCE HUNTING SEASON!" Galvatron fired his particle cannon into the sky! The crowd followed suit and fired their weapons into the air.