"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper."

~T.S. Eliot

>>•<<

Wheeljack, Arcee, and Agent Fowler walked through the Groundbridge, their heads hung low. Ratchet thought it was due to losing all three of their human allies again, but after a quick once over he realized that June Darby was not among those that walked back through.

"Where is June?" He asks, optics drawn to Arcee as she walked with her servos clasped close to her spark. There was a long pause before the femme spoke.

"June is gone." She was bitter, voice laced with anger. "Megatron blasted her to ash." The name of the warlord was spat as she opened her servos, revealing that they were full of black remains, some spilling over the sides.

"By the Allspark . . ." Ratchet felt his voice box glitch in response.

Optimus Prime stood tall, his optics widened with horror and disbelief. Bumblebee and Smokescreen craned their necks so they too could see, Bee giving out one long squeal of horror before he fell backwards, passing out.

"Bumblebee!" Smokescreen knelt down to attend to his unconscious comrade.

"Megatron has done an unforgivable act," Optimus finally spoke, his spark filling with grief and regret. "Hurting one of our human allies; especially one that had the least to do with our conflict."

"I thought he was already past that point!" Agent Fowler snapped. "Or is complete desolation of your planet inconsequential?"

Optimus turned his saddened gaze on Agent Fowler. "We have come to terms with the desolation of our planet, Agent Fowler. And with time, we may even be able to restore it to its former glory. But taking a life, Cybertronian or human, as innocent as June's had been, is irreversible."

The agent stomped up the stairs. "Well, I'm going to call her workplace and make up some kind of cover. Start making funeral arrangements, whatever." He slammed the door to his office, the Autobots that were present all looking at the closed piece of metal.

"He needs time to cope. As do we all." Ratchet said softly, looking at the remainder of June that rested in Arcee's servos. "Let me find something to . . . Put her in." He turned away from a minute, wiping at the energon that dotted his optics, not sure why he was crying.

Arcee carefully poured the ash into an empty energon container, Ratchet attaching a lid and labeling it as "June Darby." They paused to look at it for a moment before the medic turned back to his computers.

There is nothing more we can do. He thought with regret, feeling more energon leak from his optics. A grunt of frustration escapes him as he wipes it away again. Crying won't bring her back.

>>•<<

"Well, at least they didn't strap us to tables this time." Miko said, gesturing around the laboratory. "Though I can say getting locked in is any better."

"Yeah, they'll keep us here until they need us." Jack replied. "And since Shockwave is currently busy with Project Predacon, they probably won't do anything with us for a while."

Rafael walked over to a computer that was turned on and generating information about the experimentation that had been done on them. "It's kind of silly that they keep us here unmonitored. Do they not know that I'm good at computers?"

"When it was just me, they didn't have to worry about that." Jack lowered his voice. "But I would be careful, Soundwave seems to know everything."

Miko shivered. "That's super creepy."

Rafael puts his servos on the keyboard, possessing an extensive knowledge of Cybertronian, though some of the symbols were different, but context clues helped immensely. "If I could take down the shielding again, then the Autobots could get a fix on our location and bridge us back out! Then we'd be the real winners."

Jack looked uneasy. "Okay, but if you get caught . . . It might not be pretty."

"What do you mean?" Miko crossed her arms as Rafael began typing.

The older boy cringed, some parts of his armor aching from where the energon veins had burst underneath his protoform. "Megatron doesn't go easy on anyone, not even us."

The girl looked horrified. "Jack, did he hurt you?"

"Of course he did! He's Megatron, lord of the Decepticons! Did you think he gave out hugs and kisses??"

Her servos curled into fists, optics blazing. "I'm gonna tear him apart!"

The door opened, startling all of them, Jack and Miko immediately going quiet. Soundwave stalked in quietly, his presence frightening even though he made little sound. His visor reflected the room, though the center of his attention was obvious.

"H-Hey Soundwave." Rafael gave a little wave. "I was just, uh, looking around. I thought I saw Galaga on here."

The Decepticon approached the boy with slow, calculated steps, towering over him by at least five feet, though it might have been because the boy shrank a little in fear. The communications officer turned his face toward the computer monitor.

Rafael held his ventilation. Soundwave wasn't stupid, surely he would figure it all out and punish the boy, somehow. Or lock out his access to the computers. Slender fingers tapped on the keyboard a few times, backtracking Rafael's progress.

Soundwave brought them back to the main menu before pressing a few buttons in an odd sequential order, and the screen went dark. Rafael feared the worst before music started playing, and Galaga popped up on the screen, ready to play.

"Uh . . . Th-thanks." Rafael said uneasily, the communications officer looking at him for far longer than necessary, a silent warning, before he stalked off again, the door closing. Miko let out a long breath of relief.

"Whew! I though you were going to get it for sure!" She peered at the screen curiously. "But seriously, the Decepticons have Galaga? Don't tell me they invented it!"

"Doubtful. Though it does explain what Soundwave is doing with all his free time." Jack quipped, looking at the door. "But I wouldn't try downing their shields again."

"Yeah, definitely not doing that." Rafael agreed, staring at the screen that softly played the Galaga music as it waited for someone to press start and begin.

Miko growled a little in frustration. "We should still do something! I don't wanna sit here and wait for them to continue experimenting on us!"

Jack frowned in annoyance. As if I haven't tried. "Gee, why didn't I think of doing any of that? They outnumber us, Miko! And overpower us; I know, I've fought with several of them."

The girl slumped a little, her spirit dying. "I just . . . Wanna get back to Bulkhead . . ."

His spark ached for her, but at the same time feels of anger and jealousy wormed their way in. At least she and Rafael were able to spend some time with their guardians. He had five minutes with his mom, and that was at the mercy of Megatron. Though he did somewhat blame himself; if he hadn't been so foolish and thought he could save his mom and escape, then Miko and Raf wouldn't have had to trade themselves for her. But it was too late to do anything now.

The kids sat there for some time in the silence, with Galaga beeping softly in the background, before the sound of pedes running and the frantic venting of somebot caught their attentions. Jack stood up, ready to block any incoming attacks, when the door opened and two Decepticons spilled through the door before closing it again, venting heavily with their optics twice their normal size.

"That was close . . ." Starscream whimpered to Knock Out, who nodded in agreement.

"Just escape punishment, Starscream?" Jack put his hands on his hips, drawing the attention of the second and the medic.

"Scrap." Knock Out muttered.

"N-no! What would make you think that?!" Starscream scrambled to his pedes, wings flicking back as he attempted to maintain an air of authority. "Everything is perfectly fine!"

"Fine? Fine?!" Knock Out panicked. "Oh yeah, everything is fine, except for the zombies running around the ship!"

"Zombies?!" Miko perked with excitement. "I want to see some zombies!"

"Not unless you want to be drained of all your precious fluids!" Starscream replied, looking a bit peeved by the fact that Knock Out spilled the beans.

"That sounds more like vampires . . ." Rafael pointed out.

"Whatever they are, they are running rampant on this ship!" Starscream was getting more and more frustrated, and more and more panicked. If lord Megatron found out . . . "Just, barricade yourselves in here, do not go out! Megatron will have our heads if any of you become infected!"

"Wouldn't that be a shame." Miko rolled her optics.

Jack watched her suspiciously, knowing that she would probably not hesitate to run out and go "exploring." "He's right Miko, we should stay here. It's incredibly dangerous."

Miko huffed. He was probably right; but for once she was a giant, tailpipe-kicking robot! Couldn't she handle herself?

"We should, probably go back out there." Knock Out said after some time. "Warn the rest of the crew."

"Agreed." Starscream looked as reluctant as the medic. He let out a large vent. "This may be it, Knock Out. And I must say, it was an honor serving lord Megatron with you."

"You're no Breakdown," Knock Out mused. "But I have always admired your lustrous finish."

Starscream gave him an odd look, the room falling into an awkward silence. Knock Out had thought it was a rather good compliment; who wouldn't like knowing that their preening efforts paid off?

"So, you two gonna kiss or what?" Miko asked, breaking the moment.

"No!" Both mechs said in unison, growling.

"Let's go." Starscream muttered, the two of them darting out and leaving the three kids to themselves again.

"Is there any way to lock the door?" Jack asked, approaching the console and struggling to read.

"Maybe." Rafael took his spot, frowning. "But it needs a password; and I don't know what it could be."

"All hail Megatron, Optimus Prime is dead, Decepticon 4 Life, try those."

"Be serious, Miko!" Jack snapped with surprising aggression.

"Well, the first one didn't work." Rafael confesses, Miko giving the eldest boy a smug look. "There doesn't seem to be a password limit; like three tries and it locks up or something."

"That's what we want it do though, right?" Miko asked.

"Just the console, not the actual door." Rafael explains, frowning. "Which would be doubly bad, because Starscream used it to open and close the door, and it would be bad if we left it open."

"So I guess we stay quiet and lay low." Jack offered, stepping away from the door. "I wonder if they die like zombies? You chop their head off?"

"Or blow their head off!" Miko added, transforming her servos into blasters.

"Yeah, long range weapons only." Jack agreed, the three of them backing away from the door as sounds of footsteps come and go. "Just, shoot to hit, okay? Don't miss."

"That's the plan." Came the snarky reply from Miko.

It wasn't long before they heard the sounds of battle and the growls of "Energon!" from the infected outside their door. There was virtually no sound as they were slain, except for the occasional shout of frustration and the sound of a massive cannon firing. The hall was silent for a long moment, then the door opened.

Megatron stalked in, his cannon still warm from the fight. "Are any of you infected?" He inquired.

The three of them look at one another for a brief second, Jack brave enough to answer for them all.

"No, we haven't even seen these things."

Megatron have him a look, and the boy let out a frustrated vent.

"No, lord Megatron."

The warlord nodded in satisfaction, his sharp digits tapping on the console and closing the door, then typing in the required password to lock it. Without missing a beat, he walked over to one of the computer monitors that was not displaying Galaga, and pressed a button.

"Soundwave, the experiments are secure. Get rid of the threat immediately." He didn't wait for an answer before cutting the connection, red optics scanning the ship diagnostics.

Rafael and Miko did not miss the look that Megatron had given Jack. Something told them that their friend had been backhanded several times as the warlord trained him to refer to him by his preferred title each time an answer or question was posed. Even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, Megatron still threatened him with violence if he did not follow "Decepticon protocol."

They were not acknowledged again by the Decepticon, his hands clasped behind his strong back while he waited for an update from his subordinates. Within ten minutes, an all clear was given, as well as news that Airachnid had been freed but disposed of by Soundwave, and the abomination that was Silas was dead. He would punish both Starscream and Knock Out for their insolence.

"An all clear has been given." He speaks aloud to the kids. "But you are to remain here; if I find that you are not, I will not hesitate to discipline, are we clear?"

"Yes, lord Megatron." Jack answered for them again. The Decepticon leader must have felt that the answer was satisfactory, because he unlocked the door, and left.

"That was so boring!" Miko whined. "We didn't see any zombies, and Buckethead just started at computers the whole time!"

"Better than being zombies ourselves." Raf pointed out.

Jack didn't smile, or feel like whining. "Better he look at the computers, than look at us. Because if he's looking at you, that's usually because he's about to hurt you."