Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Otherwise I would be in T3, which films in my city tomorrow.

A/N: I know I haven't updated in…well, an embarrassingly long time. School never fails to kill my muse. To apologize, I will attempt to write a battle scene worthy of forgiveness…but you all know my fight quality.

Chapter 24

Optimus Prime was already considering every possible battle scenario that he was about to face. The surprise attack meant that they had reached the Decepticon base, and as long as a single member of their group could disable whatever was transmitting signals to the nanites, the battle would be a victory. It wasn't the most optimistic way of processing, but it was far more hopeful than what awaited the Autobot leader in the upcoming fight. Although he had complete trust in the soldiers, human and mech, in his company, there was one task that he alone would face.

Megatron.

Whatever the Decepticons had managed to do to their former leader, Optimus knew it was his duty – perhaps even his destiny – to stop his brother. It had always been the worst part of the war, the most personal for the Autobot leader.

Optimus knew there was the slim chance that there was some sort of misunderstanding, that Megatron was being used as a pawn and not behind the most recent Decepticon plot. But deep in his spark he knew that this was not the Megatron he had fought with for thousands of years. The last time he had encountered Megatron was in a nursery on Earth, as Hot Rod. Optimus has been full of hope that there was any chance at all of saving his brother. His brother had died too many times at his own hand for the cycle to be repeated again. He just wanted to go back to a time before war, before his own brother reviled his presence, before he knew what it felt like to kill.

Letting out a weary sigh, Optimus knew that he had no choice in the matter. He would deal with Megatron alone.

The Decepticon base was weakly fortified. No doubt they had incorrectly assumed that their remote location would keep them safe. During the previous skirmish, Ratchet had been the one to realize the source of the transmission came from a nearby building. From the outside tt was almost completely intact, setting it apart from the neighboring wreckage. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, recovered from their encounter with the Jet, were racing to get into the exposed base first. For once, Ironhide was also in on it. Lacking the speed of the Twins the weapons' specialist decided that part of him would get there first – a blast from his favorite cannon.

The human soldiers, still in a protective semicircle, stayed where they had coverage. Major Lennox was reluctant to move his men forward, as they'd most likely get in the way at this point. A full robot battle royale was about to unfold, and there was no way in Hell he was letting one of his guys was going to get caught underfoot. Instead, he motioned for Epps and the others to aim their weapons at the hole Ironhide had created.

"Aim for anything that ain't friendly," Lennox ordered.

"If we can still tell the difference," Epps muttered.

The major ignored his friend since his eyes already locked on the shadows that were moving within the base. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, resembling metallic blurs, had already thrown themselves into the base. Ironhide wasn't far behind, still blasting the ever living slag out of the building itself. Optimus and Ratchet were both last, no doubt anticipating any escapees. Only Bumblebee stayed behind, hovering in front of the humans to ensure that nothing got to his charge. Even after all the fights he'd already been in, Lennox could tell that the scout was still itching for some action. Sam, it seemed, knew it too.

"Bee, we're fine here. They need you more than we do," the teen said, his voice calm amongst the explosions. Boy and bot exchanged a look before a helmet broke their eye contact. Or, Lennox corrected himself, optical receptor to eye contact.

In Simfur, the fighting was worse. The Decepticons had only managed to successfully install their brands on a third of the refugees. Neutrals who had once left Cybertron to avoid fighting were now engaged in combat with those that lacked the mark of Decepticon loyalty. Although none of these bots had the training or weapons of the fighting factions, they were more dangerous than any Decepticon or Autobot.

Since they lacked proper weapons, the various bots were destroying themselves to fight one another. The branded were tearing their own limbs off rather than take the practically infinitesimal time it would take to reconfigure their forms into battle modes. Energon was freely flowing over the formerly restored streets, and the few Autobots who guarded the space bridge terminal were suddenly overwhelmed by those trying to flee.

The few unbranded Neutrals who tried to fight back were quickly overwhelmed and began to take shelter in whatever buildings were nearest. Barricades were swiftly put up by the most rational of the bots, while others attempted to send out emergency communications. Unfortunately, the branded had already acted under Decepticon orders and destroyed relaying stations. The only thing being transmitted in the entire city was the now perceptible humming of the nanites signal.

The branded ganged together in their vicious attacks. While some focused in gaining entry into the fortified buildings, others hunted down the unfortunate sparks who were also locked out. The Autobots in the city were the only defense for the stragglers, and despite their valiant efforts they knew the tides would soon turn against them.

Although Soundwave had perfected the method of branding, he had failed to realize one very important flaw: the brands were on the spark. Sparks that normally weren't visible. That meant that several of the branded ended up fighting one another with the same ruthlessness they used on the unbranded "enemies".

This was not warfare. Autobots soldiers and Decepticon soldiers, no matter how different their sides respective goals, knew the rules of the battlefield. Autobots sometimes offered mercy while Decepticons offered a quick demise. Both fought for values they believed to be right. The branded had no such long-term ideals. The nanites that worked through their sparks simply relayed the message to destroy all those that were not also marked. No mercy would be offered, no explanation at all. Yet worst of all, no quick deaths. By staying out of the war, the Neutrals had no idea of how to efficiently kill. Many had never struck another Cybertronian. Now, the branded were finding the fatal blows difficult to deliver. Not out of hesitation, but inexperience. Several victims of the branded were barely aware of their own sparks, so faint were their life signs.

It wouldn't take long for the city, and any chance at peace for Cybertron, to be completely destroyed.

Optimus hesitated. No human would have noticed, but to his fellow Cybertronians the pause was noticeable. Fortunately, Ratchet was the only one close enough to notice the Prime's pause. The others were already taking on Decepticons, or trying to destroy the supercomputer that logically was the source of the nanites signal.

Ironhide had immediately tackled Soundwave, blasting away at tentacles as he went. Sideswipe was dealing with a dark colored Decepticon while Sunstreaker was taking on an orange femme. The confined space of the base kept them from using their usual speed tricks, but they each managed in the cramped quarters. It helped that every other blast from Ironhide was creating more space in the ruined building. The wall he had previously blasted a hole in was now more open, and the ceiling was beginning to crumble from the lack of support.

Bumblebee took advantage of Ironhide's "door" to tackle two more Decepticons away from the supercomputer. Ratchet took over their stations, scanning the system in an attempt to stop it. While he was engrossed with understanding the technology, the yellow scout kept any Decepticons from interrupting him.

Almost every bot was engaged in combat save two – Optimus Prime and a silver mech with clawed hands. Crimson optics locked on to the Autobot and narrowed. Optimus readied himself, still uncertain. He had to know the truth.

"Megatron-"

"No," the mech interrupted. "I am Galvatron."

That was all Optimus needed to hear to make his choice.