A little over a year ago...

Optimus found himself being wakened again, his body being shaken heavily by servos. He pretended they weren't there, wanting to remain in oblivion for a while longer. He didn't want to go back to that horrible reality. He knew he was breaking, or already broken, and wasn't willing to fight it. What was the point? It was clear that all good things were ending. He wanted to sink into this depression until there was nothing, and he could rest in peace. Without pain, without suffering.

He groaned as the shaking grew harder and more desperate. His audio receptors started to pick up panicked voices, one clearer while the other was a mix of clicks and whirrs. His optics began to open dazedly against his will, and he squinted at the dim light. He saw large blue optics, and one that was narrowed in concern.

"-mus. Optimus!" he heard finally, the voice belonging to his old friend.

The Prime lifted his helm slowly, his optics dim and flickering in and out. He slowly remembered the pain of being tortured, falling in and out of the pain as time went by. He pushed through it this time, focusing his gaze on the ones before him. He felt his spark both sink and lift when he recognized them as the medic and scout.

The one shaking his shoulders was Ratchet, whose one optic was twisted in worry and pain. Optimus felt a sting in his chest chassis as he saw that the medic was dented and scarred nearly everywhere. He had an open gash on his helm, Energon trickling down his faceplate.

Bumblebee was behind him, his own faceplate an explosion of fear, anxiety, and worry. He was bent over slightly, holding his side with one servo. Energon was leaking through his digits, and he was tense with pain. He looked in worse shape than the medic, dented nearly twice as badly as he was.

The Prime blinked weakly, groaning only a little as he adjusted himself so that he wasn't so slouched. He could feel his old self returning as he raised his helm to the others. "How.. how have you returned to me?" he asked, his voice scratchy and weak.

Ratchet looked frantic, while Bumblebee looked afraid. "We escaped, though not without complications," the doctor told him, releasing the Prime's shoulders.

"<It's been nearly a year since we last saw you...>" the scout beeped sadly, before glancing around, afraid his own broken voice would rouse attention.

Optimus looked at the young mech sadly, sorrowful for his scout. "I see Megatron has been just as unforgiving to you as he has been unto me," he said bitterly, looking over each of their wounds. He could still feel his own dents and gashes throbbing in protest to movement, but he did his best to ignore it.

The old medic shook his helm. "We can't dwell on that now. Optimus, I know that you are unfit for battle, but we need your help." He glanced back at the scout, who gave him another look of fear, nearly dancing on his pedes. They both seemed to be in a hurry.

"What is the matter?" Prime asked, lifting himself up more in authority. His knee plates were on the floor, and he slowly got to his pedes. His chassis screamed in agony, but he grit his denta and put it behind him.

"Megatron has rebuilt the Omega Lock," Ratchet said grimly, sending a flash of shock and terror into the mech before him. "And it's first target is earth."

Optimus' optics widened as he turned to the scout. Bumblebee nodded his helm solemnly before looking at the ground. The Prime felt rage fill up his spark, and underneath the bonds he clenched his servos. He looked back to his old friend, a new set of determination in his optics.

"Release these bonds, Ratchet," the leader instructed. The medic did as he was told and pulled out his blade. Optimus noticed that as he did so he winced in pain, and hoped that whatever affects he was feeling from the torture weren't permanent. As soon as the bonds were off, Optimus' servos fell to his side. He took a deep vent and slowly stood straight.

"Ratchet, how do we shut down the Omega Lock?" he asked seriously.

The medic responded by ushering them over to the exit. He peeked around the corner carefully, before signing that it was all clear. Optimus figured he was taking them to where the lock was located. He also noted that Bumblebee stayed very close to the medic, his faceplate remaining one of fear and worry. Normally, it was the scout who went first, but this time he seemed afraid. Like he expected to be caught. The Prime felt his spark twist, knowing that whatever the young mech had gone through had been traumatizing. He tried to put that in the back of his processor and focus on the objective. The three silently rounded corners and slipped through halls, avoiding any kind of contact with the Decepticons. Eventually, they reached a control room, where Ratchet immediately ran forward and brought his servos to the console.

"I will try shutting it down manually," he told them. "If this doesn't work, we will have to destroy it with our own servos."

Bumblebee inched closer to the medic, drawing his blasters. He stood back to back with Ratchet, facing the door and ready to shoot if anyone came in. Optimus saw that a bit of bravery had returned to the young scout, and smiled to himself in relief. He, too, turned towards the shut door, preparing for battle. Ratchet typed away at the monitor furiously, only for the system to shut him out again and again. He finally growled angrily and banged his fist on the keyboard. The other two turned in surprise, though Bumblebee had been startled enough to nearly point his guns at the frustrated doctor.

"Looks like we're going with the second option," he grumbled bitterly, transforming his servos into blades.

Optimus nodded and put his servo on the scout's shoulder plate. The young mech jumped, but relaxed as he looked up to his leader. The Prime looked at him sadly. "Are you sure you wish to join us?" he asked seriously and gently.

Normally, the scout would be appalled if anyone had asked him such a thing. This time, he hung his helm and stared at the floor, his chassis beginning to shake violently. Ratchet looked to Bumblebee in worry and put his now servos on the scout's chest chassis.

"You do not have to fight if you do not want to," the medic assured him. "I understand if you want to remain behind."

Bumblebee continued to look at the floor for a few more moments before he looked back up at the two again. When he did, his optics ridges were furrowed and his optics shown with determination. His brought up his blasters and took a step forward.

"<I will fight,>" he said with bravery. "<To my last vent.>"

Both the anxious medic and the war torn leader gave a warm smile to their scout, relieved to see some of his old self again. The three nodded to each other in silent understanding, and each of them felt a warmth in their sparks they hadn't felt in a long time. Grinning to each other, they turned to the door, Ratchet taking the lead. He approached it slowly before allowing to open.

When he turned to corner to check the area, he was suddenly thrown back by a powerful force to his lower chassis. He crashed into the ground with a shout, while the other two watched him fly by the door in shock. Optimus immediately felt his Energon buzz and boil, his chassis going tense. Bumblebee whirred Ratchet's name, fear returning to his faceplate. His spark was still in the fight, however, and he ran out the doorway with his blasters out. Optimus followed, hearing a few shots before another clash of metal. He came out and saw a silver titan holding Bumblebee's helm with his servo.

"You have been a very naughty group of playthings," Megatron growled darkly, throwing the scout into a nearby wall. "And your efforts are for nothing. The Omega Lock is already activated and will fire upon the planet below us any klik now."

The Prime shouted in rage, rushing forward with his blades drawn. Megatron sneered, drawing his own sword in preparation for a battle. The two instantly clashed, sparks flying. They flew back and forth in the fight, like a dance. Rage swirled around the Prime, while the warlord fought with dark glee and pleasure. Wounds were hardly inflicted, only small dents as the two threw themselves into the other. Ratchet, still in shock from the blow, grunted and started to push himself up. He saw the two titans at battle and scanned for the scout worriedly. He saw Bumblebee slumped against the wall, feeling his chest chassis squeeze. He hissed in pain as he dragged himself forwards, pain flying up his abdomen.

"Bumblebee," he whispered, reaching the said mech as shaking his leg. "Bumblebee, wake up."

A slight beep came from the young bot as his optics flickered to life. He lifted his helm slowly and saw Ratchet sprawled across the floor in front of him. He instantly tensed and beeped the medic's name silently, asking if he was alright.

Ratchet sighed in relief. "I'll be alright, Bumblebee."

The scout whirred a sigh of relief, before noticing that his leader was fighting the Decepticon leader. He beeped in alarm and got to his pedes, drawing his blasters. The Prime caught his movement out of the corner of his optic, and secretly vented in relief to see that he was alright. Feeling a surge of confidence, he managed to get a good slam into Megatron, sending the warlord stumbling back. Optimus charged him, sending his blade into his plasma cannon so that Megatron couldn't shoot him. The two slammed into the wall, the silver titan shouting in pain. His blood red eyes ablaze, he whirled at the Prime in fury, hitting him square in the helm. Feeling dizzy, he stumbled back, giving Megatron just enough time for an opportunity. He raised his blade with a snarl.

Both Ratchet and Bumblebee cried out as the blade made contact, while Optimus was sent to the ground by the force of the blow. A second later overwhelming pain flew up from his side. His chassis went weak, and all he could utter was a small groan of pain. He felt the Energon flow, and already having been weakened from torture, he no longer had the strength to keep going. His optics flickered weakly as he turned to the the other two.

"<NO!!> Bee screamed, and all of the sudden his faceplate was furious, and with an angry shout, he charged at the Con, fists out. Megatron was taken by surprise, and the scout managed to get a few hard hits on him.

Meanwhile, Ratchet moved over to where Optimus had landed. He got to his knee plates and knelt over him, servos out and optic wide with panic. "Don't move, I need to treat that immediately."

Just as he was about to pull out his welder, both of their audio receptors were filled with a sharp, piercing cry, Bumblebee's version of a scream. The two turned their helm quickly and saw that Megatron had taken Bumblebee's neck cords in his clenched servo. His faceplate a fierce grimace, he squeezed his digits harshly. The scout only struggled soundlessly for a moment, before his optics died out and his chassis fell limp. The warlord scoffed and dropped him onto the floor. Just like that, it was over. The scout was no more.

"No!" Ratchet cried, his spark torn in two.

Optimus felt lubricant in his optics and let them fall freely. He was gone. They were all gone. There was no hope.

Megatron moved over to them with a smirk, noticing that the medic was at Optimus' aid. His optics flickered evilly as he kicked Ratchet back over.

"You will never be able to tend to anyone again," he hissed in pleasure lifting his pede. He sent it down on Ratchet's open servo, causing the mech to scream in pain. He stomped on it over and over, enjoying the cries of agony coming from the tortured medic below him and the wide optics of the panicking Prime beside him. Eventually, he quit, stopping so that the servo would remain attached, but it was now almost completely useless. Ratchet vented heavily, tired from the thrashing and shouting, closing his optic which had tears flowing freely, from the pain and the loss he had just suffered.

Megatron turned again and took Optimus' pede. "You are both going to die alone, and no one will be able to come and save either of you." His faceplate was twisted in a pure grin of evil, his excitement to the fullest. He was enjoying this too much.

Optimus weakly watched as he was dragged away from his now only friend, his wound burning as he moved. He closed his optics as he felt the ship shake, a loud noise coming from below him. He let himself fall into complete oblivion, feeling as if there was no hope any longer. He hoped in his spark that he would never wake again.

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At first, I didn't write this cus I wasn't feeling it. I tried to write it again yesterday, but was feeling a bit depressed so I couldn't do it. (Surprise, surprise, it's hard to write a sad story when you're sad.) Then I started again after school today, and WOAH it turned into a long chapter!

And probably one of the most depressing ones yet. RIP Bee. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭