Each new day was an agony of waiting. Bumblebee wasn't exactly sure what they were waiting for, but he suspected it wasn't going to be pleasant. What was almost unbearable about it was that everything seemed to be carrying on almost as normal. Of course, life in the plant wasn't the same, what with the tension you could cut with an ion blade and the constant looming presence of the four Decepticons. His fellow Autobots were all quiet and on edge, and Sari was similarly distant and quiet, but beyond that, on the streets of Detroit, life carried on.

Cars rolled down the streets, honking their horns in futile protest at the ever-present columns of traffic. Children yelled and wailed in the school yards at recess. Vendors, mechanical and otherwise, plied their wares to disinterested commuters hurrying to work in ever-shifting columns of suits and ties. Every so often a siren would sound and then die off.

Bumblebee barely saw Optimus. He seemed to be in constant conversation with either Megatron, Ratchet or Cybertron Command. Bumblebee knew elaborate defences were being drawn up on Cybertron, but the specifics were unknown to him. He hadn't even seen much of Bulkhead. Bulkhead had been working on some project with the Constructicons around the clock.

So denied of company, Bumblebee and Sari had taken it on themselves to help integrate the available Decepticons better into Detroit. There had been a small-scale emergency when Blitzwing had taken exception to what he considered a particularly rude automated announcer at a baseball game, but otherwise things progressed peacefully. The science talk Blackarachnia had hosted at Black River Elementary School had progressed uneventfully until one persistent child nagged her with questions about what she "turned into." The ensuing panic as a result of her demonstrative answer was just stampeding its way back indoors when Bumblebee sighed.

"Was that absolutely necessary?" he asked as the technorganic spider leered at the retreating children.

Blackarachnia snorted and reverted to her robot form in a whirl of crooked limbs and shifting parts, "Well, they asked. Are we done here?"

"We are now, I guess," Bumblebee shrugged and turned to Sari, "Let's get back to the plant and see if Ratchet's – what's wrong?"

Sari was looking at the midday sky, her blue eyes intense and her body stiff. There was just the slightest quiver in her arms, which ran down her biceps and terminated in a tightly clenched fist.

"They're here," she whispered.

Bumblebee had learned to take Sari's premonitions seriously, and he didn't question the gravity of her concern even if he wasn't immediately certain of the specifics. He didn't have to wait long for answers. A resounding sonic crash signalled the sudden arrival of an enormous black-plated warship, with a hooked nosecone and bladed wings that blotted out the sun. Then another ship arrived. And another.

"Monocon capital ships!" Blackarachnia hissed, "What are they doing here? You' think they'd go after the AllSpark on Cybertron."

Bumblebee was already transforming into vehicle mode and flinging open the driver side door to accommodate Sari, "We're not gonna find out hanging around here. Let's get back to base."

"It's begun, Commander Optimus!" Cliffjumper yelled, his image blurred and rippling with static, "Twelve Monocon cruisers have descended on Iacon and are opening fire on military and civilian targets! And more are emerging from transwarp fields in orbit."

Optimus nodded grimly, "If it weren't for Sentinel and Starscream, the Cybertronian Defence Cannons could at least have punched a few holes in those cruisers. Proceed with the defence plan we've drawn up, Cliffjumper Major. My team will report as soon as we've secured Detroit. Good luck."

Cliffjumper snapped off a salute as the image disappeared. Optimus exhaled and turned to face his assembled team. Ratchet, Bulkhead and Arcee were gathered, looking every bit as dour as he felt. Jazz stood apart, talking quickly into his commlink. Bumblebee suddenly swerved into the plant and transformed, ejecting Sari as he did so.

"I'm guessing you've all wise to what's up. Literally," Bumblebee said, craning his neck back as ominous extraterrestrial engines droned above.

"You could say that," Ratchet grunted, "Where's Blackarachnia? Wasn't she with you kids?"

"She split off to rendezvous with her fellow Cons," Bumblebee answered, "Who should be here by-"

A series of crashing footfalls heralded the arrival of the Decepticons. Megatron, Blackarachnia, Lugnut and Blitzwing hurried in.

"What's the situation skywise?" Optimus asked as he clicked his jetpack into place and extended his wings.

"There are three of Gigatron's ships hovering over ze city," said Blitzwing, "Zey appear to be powering up their primary weapons. By my calculations we can expect saturation bombing to begin within approximately four cycles," he switched faces in a blur of movement and cackled manically, "Taking all bets, people, taking all bets!"

If the Autobots had any misgivings about fighting alongside the laughing berserker Decepticon, they kept them well hidden. Jazz switched off his commlink and approached.

"Just been on the horn to boss fuzz Fanzone, dig? Operation Scramsville is a go; he thinks it will be complete in less than two cycles. Righteous."

"What?" Bumblebee blinked, "Operation Scramsville? What's that?"

"And who let him name a military operation?" Blackarachnia pointed a clawed finger at Jazz.

Bulkhead grinned, "Operation Scramsville is something I've been working on with the Constructions. And it's not a military operation."

"Evacuated? The entire city?"

From the bridge of Gigatron's flagship in orbit over Iacon, Starscream stared at the feed beamed from the lead cruiser menacing Detroit. He scanned the readings again and slammed his fist down on the console.

"It can't be! How did they evacuate millions so quickly?"

"Starscream."

Starscream flinched at Gigatron's soft voice. He turned to look at his new master, seated upon a jagged throne at the apex of the bridge.

"I ordered you to direct the invasion of Detroit because you have greater experience with the human city than your Autobot counterpart," Gigatron gestured to Sentinel Prime, who was paying rapt attention to his own console, "While he is more intimately familiar with the present day layout of Iacon. I shall be most disappointed if you fail to deliver."

Starscream felt the oil pumping through his cylinders turn cold, "Let me attempt a thermal scan, my Lord," his fingers flew across the projected keypad, and a second later he exhaled with relief, "Ahh, all is not lost. I'm detecting a high density of organic mass..." he peered at the readings, "Underground?!"

"Yup, underground. Megatron lent me the Constructicons for a few solar cycles. With Professor Sumdac's help we designed, excavated and built a network of tunnels and bunkers. Runs right under the streets below us."

The Autobots were racing through the streets in vehicle mode, with the Decepticons overhead, as Bulkhead proudly explained his achievement.

"Captain Fanzone had the population run safety drills. In three cycles, you can have the entire population of Detroit one hundred and fifty meters below the surface. Pretty neat, eh?"

"Nice work, big guy," said Bumblebee as they took a sharp corner and found themselves enveloped in the shadow of the nearest descending Monocon cruiser, "But something tells me that's not gonna improve Gigatron's mood."

"No need to upset yourself, my Lord!" Starscream said as Gigatron shifted in his throne, threatening to rise, "I will dispatch the Monocons immediately. We shall drag the organics out and exterminate them by servo."

His expression hidden by shadow and barred mask, Gigatron's reply was almost a whisper, "First, extinguish the Earthbound Autobots and Decepticons. Without their leaders, the resistance here on Cybertron will crumble, and the AllSpark will be mine for the devouring."

"I don't suppose you have a contingency plan for that, hm?" said Ratchet.

From the low-hanging belly of the Monocon cruiser, a steady stream of Monocons was being dropped onto the streets of Detroit. A quick visual scan confirmed more were issuing from the other two crusiers.

The Autobots and Decepticons came to a halt and transformed to their robot modes. The first wave of Monocons was advancing towards them at a run. More were massed beyond them.

Optimus gripped his axe in his left hand and ignited its ion blade. In his right he held aloft the Magnus Hammer and felt a jolt of pure electrical energy run through it and into him. To his side, Megatron drew his twin tironium blades and powered up his fusion cannon with its distinctive accompanying whine.

Sparks spat from Bumblebee's stingers. Blackarachnia flexed her claws. Magnetic energy curled around Ratchet's extended magnetic manipulators and his arm-mounted EMP generator throbbed with suppressed power. Panels on Lugnut's shell withdrew to expose racks of lethal missiles as his right arm shifted into its dreaded explosive punch configuration. Bulkhead launched both wrecking balls and began to spin them overhead in a punishing cyclone. His face a manic grin, Blitzwing angled his cannons over his shoulders. Jazz twirled his nunchuks in an agile flourish. Arcee drew her twin energy blades and held them before her. And Sari ignited her own blades and let her jetpack lift her to eye-level with her comrades.

Optimus' faceplate clicked into place over his jaw, "Autobots, Decepticons, attack!"

The tremor rattled the subterranean shelter. Captain Fanzone cast one eye at the solid steel ceiling as he made his way down the stairs. He had been expecting a dark, dingy environment, but to their credit Bulkhead and the Constructicons had ensured it was well-lit. Still, it was more than a little narrow and cramped, and though they might be over a hundred meters below street level, he could hear muffled explosions and crashing sounds overhead.

His phone buzzed and he fished it out of its pocket as he hurried down the stairs towards the shelter proper. It was one of his lieutenants.

"Sir, evacuation officers are reporting one hundred percent successful evacuations in all sectors. Except for the Autobots and the Sumdacs".

Fanzone breathed a sigh of relief, "Good job. Now we just gotta sit tight. Fanzone out".

He made his way into a vast, underground chamber. It was only one of many, but it was still crammed with thousands of people. As Fanzone entered, steel doors slammed shut behind him. He was the last one in.

Those closest to the doors turned to look as they slammed shut, and Fanzone could see the worry in their eyes, the fear of the unknown. And he could hardly blame them. No matter how extensively the population had been drilled over the last few days for this evacuation, an alien war raging overhead would be enough to make anyone nervous.

One woman, clutching a young son, spoke up, "Captain Fanzone, are we safe here?"

Fanzone squinted at her, "Well, for me to answer 'yes', that would mean I'd have to trust machines".

The shelter shook, rocked by some unseen explosion. Families huddled and frightened citizens whispered nervously amongst each other.

Fanzone's voice rose above it all, commanding attention, "I've trusted these machines with my life, and they've never given me reason to doubt 'em. Hold it together, folks, and let the machines do their work".

Bulkhead extended his arms out to either side and launched both wrecking balls, nailing a Monocon in its blank face with each. The drones stumbled and may well have regained their footing, but the street floor beneath them had been turned into an icy sheet by Blitzwing's cannons, and they fell, crashing into more of their companions and bringing them down with them in a flail of thrashing limbs. As they went down, Arcee and Bumblebee descended on them, finishing them off with thrusts of sword and stinger blasts.

Straining, Ratchet pumped more of his energon into his magnetic manipulators and succeeded in drawing over a dozen Monocons together into a single point. The drones struggled against him and aimed their arm-mounted blasters, but before they could fire Lugnut dropped out of the sky and threw an explosive punch into the centre of the cluster of enemies. Smouldering parts rained down in a three-block radius.

Jazz leapt with cat-like agility from rooftop to wall to sidewalk, leading a host of pursuing Monocons. As they mindlessly crowded after him into an alleyway, they suddenly became stuck, suspended in a web of near-transparent organic webbing. Blackarachnia descended on them in spider form with fangs and clawed digits.

Leading the charge through the massed ranks were Optimus Prime and Megatron. They advanced down the street side-by-side, not even slowing as they systematically demolished every Monocon who hurled itself at them with axe swings, swords swipes and hammer blows.

The stream of Monocons issuing from the cruisers had swelled into a sea, but that sea was being parted.

"How goes the destruction of the Earthbound Autobots and Decepticons, Starscream?"

Starscream watched the feed silently, not daring to answer his new liege. His optic twitched as Megatron levelled his fusion cannon and fired, decimating rows of advancing drones that had made the mistake of attacking in a massed rank. Headless shells dropped with severed wires spitting sparks from their gaping neck-sockets.

Starscream flinched as Gigatron's muzzled jaw suddenly hoved into view. The colossus leaned over his shoulder and studied the feed on the monitors. Sentinel looked away and busied himself directing the battle on Cybertron as Starscream stiffened, hearing Gigatron's disapproving growling exhales terrifyingly close to his audio receptor.

After a moment Gigatron stood up, looming over Starscream like a planet over a satellite.

"The Monocons are insufficient to destroy them, it would seem. And if we were to direct the cruisers to fire on them, they would take refuge beneath the city. It would take a great deal of time to flush them out."

Starscream nodded hurriedly, "Just so, my Lord. What a wise observation."

"So what would you recommend, Commander Starscream?"

Having served under Megatron for millions of stellar cycles, Starscream was accustomed to having to think quickly while under threat of violence. But there was something about the unhinged glitter in Gigatron's optic that just caused his processor to freeze up, his cognitive circuitry to fire a million conflicting messages to his cranial chamber, his spark to shiver...

On one live feed, he saw Bulkhead's fist slam into the viz-screen. The feed slipped and titled, as the Monocon Bulkhead had just disabled crashed over onto its side. From this new angle, Starscream could see Sumdac Tower peeking out above the Detroit skyline.

Starscream smiled.

Jazz twirled his nunchaku, deflecting the incoming laserfire of two Monocons who had cornered him in a dead-end street. He leapt up and kicked outwards, not at the Monocons but at two dumpsters on either side of him. They crashed into the Monocons and pitched them over. Jazz was on them before they hit the ground, dispatching one with lightning nunchaku strikes to the processor. He raised his weapon to strike the other...

An image flickered into existence on its blank visor. Jazz checked his swing and looked closer. It was Starscream. He glanced around, and saw the same image being projected onto the other Monocons as well. His companions were still engaging them in close quarters combat, but the Monocons had gone limp and were no longer resisting.

"Dummy up, bots and cons", Jazz called out, "We've got incoming from Squarescream."

He returned his attention to the viz-screen of the Monocon before him, which displayed Starscream mid-rant.

"...keep this world for now! You bots and that organic sludge puddle deserve one another. But in the meantime, we'll just finish up here on Cybertron, and we'll come back for you when Gigatron has the AllSpark and Sentinel Prime and I are the new Lords of Cybertron! Enjoy being stranded on that putrid rock while we remake Cybertron!"

The city of Detroit echoed with Starscream's cackle from the viz-screens of a thousand now-motionless Monocons. Scattered across several city blocks, the Autobots and Decepticons barely had time to ponder the meaning of the message when Sari screamed.

"The ships! They're heading towards my Dad!"

The companions regrouped quickly and looked to the sky. The Monocons were no longer a threat, abandoned and lifeless, but the cruisers were firing up their mammoth engines and heading across the city towards Sumdac Tower.

"Starscream's going after the space bridge!" Blackarachnia realized.

Bulkhead started, "If he takes that out, there'll be no way for us to get to Cybertron! We'll be stuck here!"

"And they're gonna need us on Cybertron," Optimus said, "Badly."

"You most of all," noted Bumblebee quietly.

"Without Arcee and I, the bots won't have any way to pilot Omega Supreme!" Ratchet exclaimed, "He's their main hope of holding off the capital ships!"

"Starscream, you coward!" Blitzwing waved a fist impotently at the cruisers, "Come down here and fight like a bot!"

"Sumdac Tower does have a forcefield", Sari said, "But it won't last long against those things, and then my Dad and the space bridge are toast!"

Optimus cursed through gritted teeth. Stupid, he had been so stupid! He thought they'd prepared thoroughly for the invasion. Iacon was as ready as it could be without the Cybertronian Defence Cannons, the people of Detroit were safe and accounted for, and so all he had had to do was hold off the attack on Earth and then head for Cybertron when the opportunity came. How could he have forgotten about the space bridge?

"So...that's it?" said Arcee, "We're stuck here?"

"Not yet. There is only one way to get to Cybertron", Megatron said.

He reached down and picked up a severed Monocon head. He stared into it.

"Starscream, I know you can hear me. I know you can see me. How about you turn those ships around and take aim at a more worthy target?"

"Megatron?" Optimus blinked, "What are you doing?"

"If you have any spark, Starscream, if you have any real conviction to follow through on your ambition, you'll extinguish me, here and now", Megatron was saying, "Prove you've not merely traded one master for another and take some initiative. End this, here and now," he dropped the Monocon head and turned to look at the ships drifting away from them.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the engines flared and the ships began to turn around.

"Excellent," Megatron fired his heel boosters up and hovered some fifty feet in the air above the others, "I knew he wouldn't be able to resist. Go, quickly. All of you."

"But...what's the plan?" asked Sari, "How are you going to get away?"

"There is no plan, Miss Sumdac", Megatron answered steadily, "Not beyond getting you all to that space bridge before Starscream finishes with me. We're wasting time. Now go!"

Optimus hesitated, "Quite the change of spark, Megatron."

"I daresay you've rubbed off on me", Megatron said dismissively as he drew his swords, "It is as you've said. I don't deserve the easy way out. Perhaps I can at least earn this. Now, go."

"Never, my liege!" Lugnut bellowed, stepping forward, "I will take your place. You are our grand leader, and I would be honoured to sacrifice my spark so that you might lead us to victory!"

"This is my atonement, Lugnut. And this is my last order to you. Go, save Cybertron. And know that no Decepticon Leader ever had a more loyal -" he hesitated, stumbling over an alien word, "-a more loyal friend."

Lugnut did not answer, but his jaw hung open. At his side, Blitzwing snapped off a solemn salute to Megatron and led his giant friend away. Blackarachnia and the other Autobots began to follow, until only Optimus remained.

"Go, Optimus," said Megatron, "They need you. Cybertron needs you."

Optimus nodded sadly, "'Til all are one, Megatron."

"'Til all are one, Optimus Prime."

Megatron watched Optimus and the others disappear behind a street corner, and then he returned his gaze to the trio of advancing cruisers. He lifted his swords, ignited his heel boosters, and took to the skies.

The space bridge was already flaring to life by the time Sari, the Autobots and the Decepticons arrived. Professor Sumdac's fingers were a blur as he worked the console and fine-tuned the destination co-ordinates.

"There's a lot of energon interference from the Iacon Space Bridge Nexus side of things", he said without even turning around, "Whatever's happening there, I don't think the space bridge is going to hold for much longer. I'd suggest you get moving, before-"

He turned around, saw the grim faces of the bots, and noticed something was missing.

"Where is Megatron?"

"He's staying behind, Professor", Bumblebee said, "He's gone all heroic on us".

"Megatron? I don't believe it", Sumdac rushed to the edge of the tower and looked across the city towards the distant ships, now moving away from their location, "He must be up to something! Perhaps he's going to switch sides, or..."

"Not this time, Dad", Sari said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You need to get out of here. Once those ships finish with Megatron they're going to target the tower to destroy the space bridge. Head to the shelters Bulkhead and the Constructicons worked on".

Sumdac looked at her, "And...you're not coming with me? Because you're going with them, is that right?"

Sari bit her bottom lip and looked away, "I know you won't like it, Dad, but I'm needed there, and I need to be there. I know you want me to be safe, but-"

Sumdac cut her off with a hug, the kind of hug that seemed to last forever but also somehow ended too soon. Sari could feel his tears dampen her shoulder, and she realized her own cheeks were wet too.

"One way or another, this is it, Sari", Sumdac said, "And you are my daughter, and I love you so very much. But I've come to accept you are also a daughter of Cybertron, and whether I like it or not, they'll need your strength more than I do today. Just...just know I am so proud of you, my brave girl".

"Professor", Optimus said softly, "We have to go".

"I know", Isaac Sumdac released his daughter and pressed the final few command keys on the console, "Look after her for me. Do you hear me, Bumblebee, Bulkhead?"

They nodded, and Sari went to them. A moment later, the space bridge's energy flared, and they passed through and were gone.

Salvoes of laserfire pursued Megatron as he rocketed through the abandoned streets of Detroit. Buildings exploded into shards of glass and masonry as plasma ripped through them with an unceasing stream of concentrated fire.

Megatron remained in his copter mode, using the city skyline as cover. He banked left down one street and found a cruiser advancing towards him from that direction. He swerved, taking several shots that burned smoking holes in his frame before managing to escape down another avenue.

Megatron was not a morbid bot. Given his role as the leader of a desperate, warlike people, his destruction was always a possibility, but not one he dwelt one. He was, however, a theatrically inclined individual, and as such he had, on occasion, wondered what his last words should be.

Up ahead of him, a skyscraper exploded and collapsed into his path. He was unable to alter his course in time, and was showered with flaming wreckage that knocked him into a spiralling crash. He was forced to transform back into robot mode and fire up his heel boosters in order to save himself from slamming into terra firma. He darted out from beneath the collapsing structure, but the cruisers were after him immediately.

His final words, he had decided, would of course be dictated by circumstance. Should his final days be spent on the throne on a reconquered Cybertron, then perhaps something like 'To the stars, Decepticons!' Something to encourage his followers to further acts of conquest after his end. Or maybe 'Decepticons, rise up!'

Megatron suddenly swung about and launched himself at the nearest cruiser. He plunged both swords into its shell and dragged them through the hull, gouging two sparking scars across its entire length. He was shielded from the attention of the other two ships by the great form of the cruiser he was attacking, but nothing spared him from the turrets and gun installations of the beleaguered ship he was mauling. He was riddled with laser cannon fire, and he began to feel his own internal systems failing. He glanced down, and dispassionately observed his left leg had been amputated at the knee.

He withdrew his swords from the ship, powered up his fusion cannon and fired a sustained blast at the wounds he had inflicted. He heard ammunition and energon reserves detonate, and the ship many hundreds of times his size was consumed in a series of amethyst explosions that tore it asunder.

He could almost hear Starscream howling with frustration. The treacherous bot would be utterly consumed with spiteful fury by now, and Megatron intended to use that. He did not have it in him to launch another direct attack on one of the remaining cruisers, but he didn't need to. He accelerated towards them as they rushed to meet him, powered by Starscream's murderous intent.

If, by cruel fate, he was to spend his last days in exile on New Kaon or some other AllSpark-forsaken sector of the distant galaxy, then Megatron had considered his last words to be of even greater importance. 'Finish what I have begun, my loyal legions' had a nice ring to it. 'Follow my path to our glorious destiny, brave Decepticons'. 'Take back our home in my name, and carve "Megatron" into the walls of Iacon'.

He had a veritable list of options stored in his databanks. What his last words should be if he were to fall to treachery, or to die of some imagined injury, or to fall in one last great battle against the Autobot oppressors. He had a long, rambling soliloquy prepared for a lonely death, if such were to be his fate. In short, he felt he had all his bases covered.

But he hadn't prepared for this. To go out in battle on Earth, his former prison, in its defence, allied to Autobot and human alike. To sacrifice himself so that others might save Cybertron. In all his millennia, he had never dreamed of such a possibility.

And so it was that as he swooped between both ships and came to a hovering halt between them, he found himself at a loss for words. A rare thing for Megatron indeed. On either side of him, guns trained on him and ratcheted into place.

He smiled, not with malevolence or twisted ego, but with weary resignation, and uttered the words he never thought could be his last.

"You win, Starscream".

The guns fired, bolts of plasma energy screaming above, below, around and through him. The two ships annihilated one another and Megatron in a vengeful crossfire of killing energy.