~Knockout's POV~

     I had to chuckle at the adorable mechling as he rode around in his new alt. form. Rafael had found an old remote cart, his visor having become the window that opens and closes. We would use them for groceries or carriers would use them to carry their sparklings. Raf was currently making his little brother giggle as he 'zoomed' around, making the appropriate sound effects with his voice box as well. 

         "I bet carrier and Soundwave will come back with new weapons!" he stated, transforming to hold his brother, Strykeout. "Maybe even the two predacons!"

         "(Y/D) always comes back with something," I chuckled once more, setting the buffer on my finish again. I had been neglecting it today. This morning I hadn't even polished!

         "Do you think she'll bring us a souvenir?" 

         "I know she will," I assured, watching him teach Strykeout how to pet Ravage. 

     We had received word of Roman's success to bring the two predacons to our side, Predaking's lack of a fight and Arcee's run-in with no one. It all seemed so easy now. The next thing we'll know, Starscream and Shockwave will have had a change in sparks. Our only concern now was the silence from (Y/D), Soundwave and Smokescreen. Two of three teams were coming back, and with extra recruits, but the team I worried about the most remain silent. I've tugged on the piece of my spark within her ring and I feel the faint thrum of hers. She was calm, but I was worried. By the time this is over I'm going to bond with her for real, no separate piece of bedazzlement that still separates me from her. My darling (Y/D)- please stay safe...

~(Y/D)'s POV~

     I was getting bored. We were watching Darkmount from the back since there was a lab behind it, but no one had been there for eons, even now. 

         "I say we go in," Smokescreen pranced in place, punching in the air, "We'll take down Mega-jerk and get out before blowing the place up on him!"

         "Sure, and while we're at it you can wave a white flag and tell him you love him," I huffed, "Both outcomes result in our offlining- Soundwave have you been able to bring back our communications?"

The overall silent mech shook his helm. Just great; you think everything is all fine and dandy then something goes wrong. We took this spot for convenience and cover while Soundwave focused on our communication lines. When you're simply driving along and suddenly a hot wave hits you on Cybertron, it means you've been cut off from speaking to anyone and everyone. This wouldn't be so spooky if it was a natural electrical wind or pulse. No it's Soundwave's own technique he developed eons ago. He only recognized it because it took longer for his own comm to cut off.

         "I'm still trying," he informed, "but it was always meant to resonate from me, so my form is not accustomed to it's direct effects."

         "Well then- always wanted a vacation beneath a Decepticon citadel."

         "You didn't seem to mind the dark halls on Earth." 

     We all jumped as the possessed war lord landed behind us. Smokescreen was the only one stuttering, so I hit him in his helm.

         "Putting your subordinates in there place?" Unicron chuckled. 

         "Keeping him from saying something stupid," I huffed, "Now if you'll excuse us, we have better things to do."

I attempted to shoot him in his faceplate, but instead he grabbed my arm and flung me over his massive shoulder- maybe I was the one with something stupid... nah.

         "Soundwave go!" I ordered, and he got Smokescreen going as well while I jumped on the war lord, kicking him in the backplates to make him stumble, but my flip behind him was met with a fist to my side.

     My vision blurry and hearing impaired, I rolled away from his glowing hammer that appeared out of absolutely nowhere. I thought I heard Smokescreen and Soundwave but my attention was more toward the current threat I had just made seething mad. He was only intent on killing me, it seemed, and not the other two. Soundwave flew over him, knocking him off balance, but Smokescreen took out his pedes and the mech fell with a powerful 'THWUMP'. Smokescreen cheered, far to early for celebration of course, and I had to knock Soundwave back- the blast hitting me from Megatron's canon.

     My pedes scraped the metal as I kept myself upright. Unicron seemed impressed as I stood back up, my side blackened, but cauterized enough to not bleed. The blades in my arms slowly slid down, and Unicron used the war lord's body to smirk.

         "I'd rather not batter your slim frame any further," Unicron hummed, "Megatron has a fine taste in femmes, I'll give him that."

         "Well just like him you'll have to learn to get over me," I winced as my side stung, moving my pede back, "Because I'm loyal to only one mech."

         "Ah- yes that little dilemma," he jumped over Smokescreen's second attempt at ramming his pedes, landing on his hood with a horrifying crunch of metal. Soundwave barreled through him, getting the mech off the rookie so I could tend to his new wounds-

         "Smokescreen? Come on, speak to me-"

His engine rumbled weakly, but he was alive at least. Soundwave wrestled with the giant before being tossed aside like a heavy weight. I took that as a sign it was my turn to face him again, first attending to Soundwave.

         "You better be okay Sounds-" he nodded, trying to get up only to watch me be pulled away from him, our digits missing each other by mere inches- "Let. Me. Go!" 

         "You will be mine."

My pedes couldn't touch the ground, my neck cables being crushed in his grip like a rotten fruit- I felt my voice box crackle.

         "You two leave, or she offlines." Unicron ordered, and I heard Smokescreen transform painfully. Soundwave looked to me, and I nodded, though he clearly didn't want to leave me, neither did Smokescreen despite barely knowing me. 

     I couldn't help but let a few tears fall from the pain- but the majority stayed behind my ever present glare. Unicron returned it as he punched my abdomen, sending me flying back and into a wall, my burn wound now bleeding after being impaled by a sharp pipe. I pushed myself off of the wall, only to be pushed back by a grey servo. Unicron grinned as I winced again, and Soundwave bridged themselves elsewhere...

         "You really don't give up do you?"

         "Why would I?" I felt for the pipe sticking out of my side, "You're a disgusting pig who deserves nothing but to rot, along with your puppet!"

He punched my abdomen again, and I started to feel energon rise up and trickle down my derma. When I refused to surrender again he punched once more, and my optics widened when my subspace caved, revealing the small, frantic glow of my ring. The deity chuckled, easily forcing my servo away, trying to protect my piece of Knockout's spark. The war lord had to yank my subspace open further, resulting in the freeing of me from the metal pipe and I fell to the ground, watching as he examined the tiny ring- 

         "You never bonded-" he breathed, looking back down at me with a sickening smirk.

     It's a different kind of pain I felt when I watched that ring drop- slowly it left his servo, and slowly I reached out with my own, only to scream as it slipped through my digits, stomped on and stamped out by the demon Unicron will forever be.

(I know, I come back and what do I give you? Sparkbreak.)