"There is no denying that there is evil in this world but the light will always conquer the darkness."

~Idowu Koyenikan, Wealth for All: Living a Life of Success at the Edge of Your Ability

>>•<<

"Are you ready to fire the weapon?" Megatronus demanded to a drone, who nodded with a touch of eagerness, not wanting to anger his master.

"Yes sir!"

"Fire on my command." He instructed, glaring at the military base. Soon, he would be rid of those Autobots, and could next focus on annihilating the monsters who called themselves-

The opening of the bridge door interrupted his thoughts, and he growled angrily, hurling around to snarl at whoever dared to interrupt.

"What is it-!"

He stopped, immediately taking a copious step back as what could only be described as the ghost of Megatron filled the doorway. His red optics narrowed in suspicion, servo curling into fist.

"Miss me, Jackson?" Megatron sneered slightly.

"I go by Megatronus now." Jack snapped. "Consider me your superior, among other things."

Megatron barked out a laugh. "I may have underestimated you once, but I will not make the same mistake twice. However . . . I did not come back from the dead to fight."

Megatronus glared, hatred filling his spark. "Oh really? I highly doubt you have to do anything but exact revenge upon me."

"What about returning your mother?" The warlord extended his clawed servo slightly, revealing the tiny woman he had at first hidden from Jack's view.

The corrupted mech's jaw dropped, optics flickering briefly as he took in the sight of his mother, zooming and focusing his optics solely on her, taking in ever detail. She was slightly thinner, and a bit ragged, but she was alive.

My mother is alive.

"Jack, please." She pleaded softly, reaching out to him. "Stop this insanity. The Autobots . . . They are not to blame for what has happened. Megatron and the Decepticons have every right to take the blame."

"I was told you had died." Jack spoke slowly. "Arcee saw you herself!"

"Yes, but I had deceived them all." Megatron explained. "I had Soundwave open up a Groundbridge below her, and right before anyone could see I shot around her, kicking up enough dust to obscure anything that was happening."

Jack paused, then became angry, growling. "What if you had hit her?! Killed her?!"

"At the time I did not care." Megatron replied indifferently. "If she lived, she was another bit of leverage for me. If she died, it was no personal loss of my own. However, I am not so thoughtless now." He kept his servo extended outward. "I have made a deal with Primus, in which I must align myself with Optimus Prime, restore you to the Autobots, and recreate Cybertron."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Megatronus snapped.

"Because I am here to verify the truth." Optimus Prime stepped out from where he had hidden just behind the door, walking up to stand just behind Megatron, looking over his shoulder. "Megatron is not lying to you, nor does he have any double meanings to his words. We are all here to unite as one."

Jack stood in a slightly defensive stance for a long time, his faceplates having started to wrinkle in a hateful expression. But upon seeing his mother, her eyes pleading, they softened. Silence resumed for some time before he spoke.

"Power down the weapon."

The Vehicon did as instructed, pressing a few buttons before the strong hum of the Nemesis died down some, Jack returning his gaze to Megatron, extending a servo.

"I want my mother."

The warlord did not hesitate to give her to him, the boy holding her like a coveted item, his optics softening, and the red slowly shrinking and being replaced with the gentle blue of the past.

"Mom . . ." His words were caught in his vocalizer, optics dilated back and shimmering with energon.

"Jack . . . I'm so happy to see you." She spoke with a soft voice, hugging her son's faceplate. "I'm so happy you're safe . . ."

He wanted to squish her into a hug, so badly, but he contented himself to holding her like this. As long as it meant being with his mother, the boy could decidedly care less about how he was with her.

"I thought I had lost the only family I have." He murmured.

"No, not even with me gone." She stroked his cheek. "The Autobots, too, are your family Jack. I was there when they were looking for you, I know how much they cared. Even . . . Even though they could not save you from the experiments, they tried so hard. I can't be angry at them for that."

Jack listened silently, the anger in his face disappearing as his blue optics shone a little brighter.

June smiled at him; it was clear that her boy was no longer a threat to anyone. Not anymore. The loss of his mother had been the one thing that made him snap; but now with her here he was no longer angry or hurt. With his mother, Jack could live without being human.

Megatron watched the exchange, satisfaction in his spark. It was easier than expected to tame Jack-

The boy suddenly crumpled with a gasp of agony, hunching over and miraculously refraining from dropping his mother, crippling pain searing through his spark.

"Jack?!" June cried out, maintaining her balance precariously as he doubled over and clutched at his chest plate.

"I-It's nothing . . ." He wheezed.

"I doubt this is just nothing." Megatron rasped, taking a step forward. "Open your spark chamber, Jackson."

Jack glared. "The pain will go away soon . . ." His optics shuttered shut as his spark throbbed, the feeling subsiding slowing and achingly.

Optimus stepped forward. "Jack, please. There is clearly a problem we must address."

June gave her son a pleading look, and finally he relented, setting her down and opening his spark chamber to them, hissing as it hurt a bit.

"By the Allspark." Optimus could not help himself. Where Megatron's dead spark shard had been, a rust-infected hole remained. And it was spreading, Jack's spark was dying.

"We need one of the medics here, now!" Megatron pressed a button, activating Soundwave's comlink. "Soundwave, Groundbridge Ratchet here this instant. He has a new patient."

"What's wrong?" Jack demanded. "Why are you panicking?"

"You are mere hours, if not minutes, from spark failure." Megatron growled, turning as a Groundbridge opened behind him, Ratchet racing through.

"What is it?! Is Optimus-" He stopped, gazing at Jack's sickly spark. "Where is the nearest medical bay?"

"Right this way." Megatron strode out, barely pausing for Ratchet and Optimus to round up Jack and June. If Jack died on him . . . He could kiss the title Prime goodbye.

"What's going on?" Arcee was suddenly there, having heard the frantic com call and making her way to the bridge, fire in her eyes. "What happened-"

"If you do not get out of my way, then you can say farewell to Jack." Megatron snapped, opening the doors to a med bay and watching as Ratchet hauled Jack inside. Thanks to their panic, the boy's spark was pulsing, causing great pains to go through him.

"Why is it that when you were revived, your spark shard didn't do the same??" Ratchet demanded.

"Perhaps because it was already rusted and gone." Megatron replied, equally in a foul mood. "Primus is very selective on what miracles he wishes to perform."

"I wouldn't call your revival a miracle." Arcee shot back.

"Enough!" Optimus roared, causing the whole group to go quiet. "Ratchet, what is your recommended course of action?"

"The best one? A spark transplant." The good doctor replied as he sat Jack on a berth and pumped some tranquilizer into him to calm his spark. "The second, carving out what rust I can; but I will need a new spark shard. How he's been able to function this long without an initial power source is beyond me."

Megatron paused, optics narrowing slightly. "What about a Predacon spark?"

"Are you insane?! Not only will the size difference make it incompatible, but the species difference raises the chances of rejection!"

"Humans have transferred pig tissue before and survived." June pointed out. "Why not hook the spark up outside the body, to stabilize him, and then operate? It will buy time and provide relief."

The Cybertronian's stared at her.

"That could work . . ." Ratchet said reluctantly. 

"Why would you put swine tissue into a human?" Arcee blurted, appalled.

"Aren't all flesh beings the same?" Megatron questioned.

"Those questions can be answered another time! Megatron, can you get me the Predacon spark?" Ratchet demanded.

"If Optimus helps me, I most certainly can." Megatron replied smoothly.

"Then hurry up and get it. Jack doesn't have much time."

>>•<<

"You are killing two birds with one stone, aren't you?" Optimus asked, his suspicions confirmed by Megatron's nod.

"Yes. By killing the Predacon, we get rid of a problem, and buy some time for Jackson." He replied with a hint of arrogance, approaching the door which locked the Predacon inside.

Optimus looked wary, even disturbed. "Could we not speak to the Predacon, convince him to donate willingly? We could save time and bloodshed."

His Decepticon counterpart laughed cruelly. "If you would like to try, go right ahead. But truly, I doubt he will even think twice about refusing such an offer."

It bothered the Prime that Megatron was so nonchalant about death and was even thirsting for blood. As much as Megatron was striving to become Prime himself, his entire personality was going to have to change before he became someone who could be considered Prime worthy.

After a moment of silence, Megatron opened the door to allow them access to Predaking. The dragon-like Cybertronian, turned his beast-form head, optics dilating as he caught sight of Optimus Prime.

Optimus stepped forward. "Predaking-"

He was cut off as the dragon roared, unable to move out of the way in time as the angry Predacon spewed fire, engulfing the Prime in scathing flames.