Warning: Crack, slight AU, post-DOTM, hinted gay, oil spills, fighting, gore, explosions, gore, cursing, brief sexual humor, major Spoilers, character death, ect.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: "You're a hero as long as someone believes that you are."

A/N: Carly. Is. Dead. Fuck. Her.

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Lennox wasn't quite sure how to approach the male about this.

In fact, he had hoped, like many, many others that this would never happen.

"Lennox?" the male turned to him and newly promoted male inhaled sharply.

"Sam."

There were so many potential things that he could've said.

Are you injured?

Do you need Ratchet to look at you?

Chicago is starting to rebuild already.

Do you want to join NEST? I saw that you weren't doing so well.

Are you going to go back home?

Optimus is getting yelled out by Ratchet.

"It's not your fault."

He didn't say it. He was as much of a coward as he was a child, as he was when he was with this human teenager...

No, he was no teenager.

He was a man, but more than that, a war-torn solider.

Something.

"Sam."

He tried again.

It didn't seem to go so well.

"You just saved the world. Again. You believed when no one else could. Sam. It was you. No one else," he said.

Chocolate brown eyes continued to look as his girlfriend's body was wrapped up in a bodybag and taken away.

"Sam. You did well."

"That doesn't mean anything."

His voice was scratchy, like Barricade clawing Bee up, and hollow.

As empty as his eyes.

"Sam, to us, it's everything."

Another pause.

"Sam-"

"I know Lennox, I know," he whispered, "It should be okay. The rest of the world is safe. You met up with Epps again. The Autobots are back."

The older male walked over to him, leaning down to stare deep into the ex-solider's eyes.

"Then why aren't you celebrating? You're the hero."

Another pause and Sam shook his head, "I'm no hero. You know it. Everyone knows it."

"What?" Lennox looked as puzzled as he sounded.

"Lennox. If I was a hero, if I was some kind of hero. I..." he closed his eyes, looking towards the ground once more, "Then why couldn't I save anyone?"

This pause was heart-wrenching.

"Sam-"

"If I was a hero, why can't I save anyone I hold dear? Yes, it may be a great thing that everyone else is okay- That's what matters. But what's worth fighting for when the reason you have been fighting for keeps disappearing?"

By now, many more were listening.

And Sam was standing up know, dry eyes staring at Lennox, demanding why they couldn't cry.

"I know I'm not some Superman. I can't protect everyone. Everyone knows that," he gestured to the rambles of Chicago, "Evidence!"

Lennox's eyes fell towards the ground.

"But I'm not stupid enough to only protect anyone in reach," his voice was starting to crack, and had it been any other day, the Lieutenant Colonel would have poked fun at the child.

("So you are hitting puberty! Carly would be happy!" "Shut up, Lennox!")

"I want to protect a little more than physically possible. I want to protect everyone close to me! But it turns out that if the world has to survive, my world is the price!" he was yelling, "Don't give me shit that I saved the day! It all boils down to the same thing! It's me and my family's fault! My Grandfather found Megatron, and all this happened."

"Sam. You are a hero-"

"Heroes don't let their friends be in pain! They are there to prevent that!" Sam chocked, "What kind of Hero would let anyone die without a choice?"

Now, Lennox was puzzled.

"Sam, what are you-"

"If I could've been a little smarter, would it be at all possible that I could've changed all this? That Deceptacons and Autobots could live in harmony once more?"

Out in the corner of his eyes, he saw Optimus still.

"They just wanted their home. They destroyed it. Is humanity any different?" Sam sighed.

"If I could go back in time and change all this, would it be possible that Jazz wouldn't be dead? Or Barricade and Bee would be best of friends? And Megatron and Optimus were the best of both worlds?" Sam asked.

"Sam..."

"If the price of that was that I was never there, would that work?" the teenager asked.

No one looked at him, no one looked near him, not even Lennox. And Lennox shook his head.

"Sam. Don't say that. Don't-"

"I let Optimus die, and I'm forgiven? I let down the only ones that have potential to save us-and I'm forgiven? I lie to everyone and I'm forgiven?" Sam sighed, "What kind of sick, demented, thing, am I?"

The Lieutenant Colonel turned away.

"See? You can't answer either."

"No! That's not-That's not it Sam!" Lennox yelled back, "You're a hero as long as someone believes that you are!"

For a brief, brief moment, a flicker of surprise, happiness, and hope came through before disappearing like a life force.

No yells could reach the broken man now.

Lennox wondered why he didn't notice before.

"I'm tired, Lennox. I'm just tired."

So, Sam turned around and left, no one said anything.

No one could.

All except Bee, who stood by, and instead said, "You're my hero."

Apparently, Sam didn't hear him.