"On the ground I lay motionless in pain. I can see my life flashing before my eyes. Did I fall asleep? Is this all a dream? Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare."

***

"They're gonna get Optimus back right?" Raf asked hesitantly as the three still stared at the area that the bridge had long since dissipated. The other two were quiet before Miko exhaled forcefully in stress and annoyance and shoved herself away from the railing, storming over to Ratchet's monitor and staring at the screens, trying to make out the Cybertronian glyphs but to no advantage. She moaned in frustration and walked over to a wall before she banged her head against it.

"They didn't watch the video."

"Listen to the audio," Raf corrected.

"Same difference!" Miko replied, throwing her hands up in the air. Even she was stressed.

"What if there was something that they needed to know on there?" Miko replied. "We have to know, to tell them!"

Jack remained silent. Part of him wanted to watch it but he wouldn't enjoy it. He dreaded it. But before he could say anything Raf took a shaky breath and walked over to the human computers, which, with a little work on Raf's part, could be connected to Ratchet's console. He navigated easily through the Cybertronian, finding the thing they had been looking for. He hesitated over the play button. By now Jack had walked over to the two, silent as he watched what they would do. After a minute Raf shook his head vigorously and pulled his hand back and hid his face in it. Jack set a hand on his shoulder and opened his mouth to say something, but Miko beat him to it and grabbed the mouse, clicking the play button. The room was silent as the kids waited. After a few seconds there was a whoosh sound, presumably the door to Optimus' cell.

"Has your team forgotten your existence?" Megatron's voice filled the room. The kids leaned forward slightly, wanting to be able to hear Optimus' answer.

"Have they...deserted you?" They paled a little when they heard his blade unsheathe.

"No. They have not."

"How do you know?"

There was silence for a while before Megatron continued, and the kids felt guilt-tripped at his next few words.

"I wonder what they will think of themselves when they realize they've left you at the mercy of me for such this long amount of time."

They heard metal scraping against metal, and they shivered, trying to figure out what could possibly have been happening, and Raf found he didn't want to try and imagine. Megatron mumbled something before they heard a sound of metal penetrating metal and Optimus shouting in pain. The kids stared at the monitor, half hoping a visual would pop up but at the same time hoping the video would self-destruct or something. Raf had his hands covering his eyes, though that wouldn't do any good. They continued watching the video, expressions mostly horrified and pale as they imagined what could be happening. Jack led Raf away from the screen. He didn't need to be exposed to this at such a young age. He didn't either, but he couldn't not listen. They were out of the room when they heard it.

The scream.

It sent chills down everyone's spine. It could be heard throughout the entire base. The blood drained from Jack's face as he stared at the wall, letting the sound surround him. What had Megatron done?

The scream lasted for seven seconds, though it felt like seven minutes. Once it was over, Jack left Raf in the hallway and bolted over to the main room.
The audio was over, and Miko was staring at the wall, face as white as a sheet. Jack went around in front of her and shook her lightly.

"Miko?"

He waited a few seconds before trying again.

"Miko?" he repeated.

"They provided...a few seconds of visual in another transmission," Miko whispered. Jack's eyes widened. "And?" he whispered. The next two words Miko spoke shook Jack to the core.

"He's dead."

"What?" Jack replied, releasing her shoulders and standing up suddenly. "He's what?"

"Megatron-he, he stabbed him through the chest chassis!"

Jack stared at her for a few minutes, not knowing what to say.

"We have to tell the 'bots," he eventually muttered, reaching over to the coms to contact them. Miko gripped his wrist.

"What do we say...?"

Jack stared at the computer for a long time. He wasn't sure.

***

"Clear," Arcee muttered, her blaster aimed down a corridor in the dimly lit hallway of the Nemesis. She ran ahead, Ratchet behind her, followed by Bulkhead and then Bee. They surprisingly didn't run into much, the Decepticons seemed to be wandering any other halls but the ones the Autobots needed to use. It was unsettling, but what choice did they have?

The Autobots were silent as they made their way to the brig. Soundwave was waiting at the door, silently staring them down, as always.

"Where's Optimus?" Ratchet demanded, stepping aside. He would have stormed over there if Bulkhead hadn't held him back. Soundwave only turned around and walked into the room, gesturing for the others to follow. The first thing they noticed was Optimus, covered in energon with multiple holes and gashes in his frame. Ratchet stared in horror as he looked at them all. Megatron was nowhere in sight, and Soundwave gestured that they could approach him. They did, coming around to the front of them, and that's when they realized that a lot of his chest chassis armor had been ripped or even cut off, and the Matrix ripped out. The spark left behind pulsed weakly.

"What have you done?" Ratchet shouted, whether or not Megatron could hear him or not. Optimus lifted his helm slightly at hearing a familiar voice. He scanned the room, looking at the others before his optics landed on Ratchet.

"You...were right," he rasped. "Megatronus...be careful of him," Optimus whispered, optics flickering.

Ratchet was caught slightly off-guard. The Matrix. Optimus reverted to his pre-prime state again?

"Optimus, we need to get you out of here."

But by then, Optimus had lowered his helm back to the floor, his optics flickering off for good, and his spark stopping after one last pulse.

~~~

Mwahahaha

The book is not over! One more chapter. :>

Also, have your daily dose of the fourth wall breaking:

Until next time! :D