The mech and the femme before Optimus both stood with eager expressions, both proudly wearing the Autobot symbol. The femme, blue with pink, seemed rather serious about the manner, while the red mech wore a calm smile and a glint in his optics.

"Optimus Prime. It's an honor to fight along side you, thank you for welcoming us in so kindly." The red mech said brightly.

Optimus nodded respectfully, his gaze on the two bots. "Welcome to Headquarters."

"You gonna thank the nice mech, Arcee?" The red mech nudged the femme's elbow.

"Er... Thank you." She answered quietly.

A servo on Optimus's lower arm turned his attention to the mech that just approached him. Ratchet gazed up at him, curious.

"We have two new recruits." Optimus gestured to the two bots in response to his mate's questioning look.

"I'm Cliffjumper, and this is Arcee." The red mech added with a smile. The femme nodded her greeting.

"This is my medic, Ratchet." Optimus rested a servo on his mate's shoulder, their gazes meeting warmly.

"Pleasure to meet you." Ratchet smiled.

Arcee and Cliffjumper both walked away, probably to find their new living quarters, and once they were gone, a servo slowly slipped around Ratchet's waist, and pulled him in gently. A smile came to Ratchet's lips.

"We're getting new recruits by the hour." Optimus murmured.

"I bet." The medic replied.

"And I don't think we can stay here anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"...Cybertron is slowly being lost, and I'm not certain we can gain it back."

~~

"Sir... they've taken over twenty five miles closer to our nearest military headquarters, sixty were killed and eighteen were wounded." A soldier reported, a grim look on his faceplate.

Optimus growled. "I want extra guards within eighteen miles of this headquarters. Nothing gets past."

"Yes sir." The soldier nodded, before turning and running off.

Megatron, why.... Optimus sighed, spark heavy. The warlord really had waged a war, and Optimus felt he took the blame for most of it, being the one that angered him this far in the very beginning. The Prime couldn't believe it: He helped start a war, then brought an unborn sparkling into the world, who's going to be born into a wartorn, ravaged life. What had he done?

But he loved his sparkling already, as he loved his mate, and he could never regret either of them.

"Sir! Prime! Optimus! Boss!" Another soldier came sprinting up, breathing hard and fast. "Sir!"

"What is it?" Optimus raised an optic ridge.

The mech's ragged breaths made each word shaky as he responded, "I-It's Megatron... He's at the taken headquarters, he has a hostage... he says you and your mate know her."

What? Optimus narrowed his optics, panic starting in his spark. "Who?"

"I d-don't know. We didn't recognize her." He replied.

"Gather a few more soldiers to accompany me." The Prime turned and swiftly stepped to the monitors, setting the coordinates, and activating a groundbridge. His optics were dull with thought and a grim frown was upon his lips, as he gazed into the swirling vortex, spark pounding in it's chamber. Who could it possibly be?

Optimus stepped through the bridge, a few soldiers following in suit.

When they reached the other side, the Prime's gaze met that of the warlord's, who's optics blazed a fiery red.

About six vehicons flanked Megatron, weapons drawn, and a femme with a purple paintjob stood beside Megatron, servos in cuffs and an angry look on her face.

"Optimus," Megatron greeted bitterly.

"It's you..." The femme murmured in shock, staring at the Prime with surprised optics. She had a familiar face...

Primus, it's the receptionist from the medical office! Optimus realized. How did Megatron capture her?!

"Nightdaze, have you been harmed?" He asked her, gaze flicking from her to Megatron.

She just stared at him skeptically, a hurt look in her optics.

Optimus blinked in surprise at the lack of response coming from Nightdaze, but pushed it aside, and holding an angry glare on Megatron.

"What do you want?" He growled.

Megatron narrowed his optics, which were dark with hate. "I found this femme," he gestured to Nightdaze. "I was informed that you and your medic know her, and I assumed you would want her back."

"What do you want in return?" Optimus asked grimly.

"Things haven't changed, Optimus." Megatron hissed. "My feelings haven't changed. I still want revenge. I still want to rip your spark out."

The Prime nearly recoiled, the cruel words cutting deep and stinging his spark. This mech had been his friend, and just like that, their enemies.

"Megatron, she's an innocent," Optimus said softly, a pleading look in his optics. "Let her go, this isn't you."

"Shut your trap, Prime!" Nightdaze suddenly snapped, glaring at him. "Go away!"

Optimus opened his mouth to speak, but she continued.

"Get the frag out of here!" The receptionist ordered firmly, a stern look on her face. "It's... it's..." She glanced up at Megatron. "Y-You... You need to go!"

A frown rested on Optimus's lips. "I don't understand..."

Nightdaze looked caught with her words, glancing from Megatron to the Prime, biting her bottom lip. "I can't..."

"You can't what?"

"Don't you dare." Megatron snarled at her viciously, activating his fusion cannon, glaring at her.

Optimus narrowed his optics. "Megatron-"

"This is just a diversion!" Nightdaze suddenly screamed, staring at Optimus desperately. "It's a trap!"

Trap? Optimus took a step back, suddenly becoming aware of his surroundings. Everywhere around him, behind every rock, in every shadow, was a Decepticon awaiting to attack, ready to strike, on their leader's command. Scrap... The Prime clenched his servos into fists, his gaze scanning over the shadows, pinpointing some of the soldiers that had been hidden from him when he'd first arrived.

An agonized scream made him turn his attention back to Megatron. His optics widened and he gaped in horror, as Megatron's blade sliced down Nightdaze's shoulder and into her chassis, leaving a clean cut right down the middle of her sparkchamber. Energon splattered over Megatron's arm, a couple drops hitting his faceplate, where a sinister grin was worn.

"N-No!" Optimus sputtered, stepping backwards, as the lifeless form of the femme fell to the ground.

The soldiers that had accompanied him drew weapons and aimed at Megatron, who laughed ferociously, dark optics burning into Optimus's spark.

"Autobots fall back," the Prime ordered, raising a digit to his audio receptor. "Send a groundbridge!"

The Decepticon soldiers that were once hidden leapt from the shadows and charged.

"Scrap!" An Autobot soldier muttered.

The bots were caught in a vicious skirmish, each one facing more than one 'con at a time, battling against the threat and holding them off until the groundbridge opened.

A golden mech swiped at Optimus with a longsword, scoring a gash across the Prime's shoulder, and went to strike again when Optimus drove his own blade into his bicep and countering the blow. The mech screeched with pain and threw a punch at the Prime, who was already stumbling and struggling with the bleeding gash in his left shoulder. The punch hit Optimus in the jaw, sending him backwards a bit.

Optimus hit the ground hard, giving a small yelp of pain. "Eenngh... You will regret terminating her..." He snarled, rising to his peds and transforming one servo into his cannon, and keeping the other one as a sword.

He lashed at the mech with the blade then fired a shot, which hit the mech square in the chestplating.

"Optimus!" One of the Autobot soldiers called. "The bridge!"

Optimus turned to see the groundbridge had opened, and the other soldiers had already ran through. He sent one last glance at the mech before retreating and running through himself, biting his bottom lip as his shoulder pained him. The swirling vortex vanished right after the Prime ran through, it's bright colors dimming into nothing.