Chapter Text
The scout sized bot rolls forward, tipping his helm into the slushy mix of mud and snow. There's barely a thought running through his mind before his processor finally grabs onto the notion projected by the larger bot. In typical comedic fashion, Bee looks up to the bigger bot. A cycle lasts in which he believes both him and Lugnut are caught in a mesmerizing stare of love. The youngbot has never before felt such a well of emotion. Shuddering and shivering, Bumblebee rises up. A cold wind rattles along happily, unaware of how frigid Earth will be getting.
Lugnut can't stop the smaller cybertronian's rough field battering. The Decepticon can't control the subroutines overwhelming his attempts to slow the stem of electricity.
Prowl watches the strange activity from his perch a few hundred meters away. They don't seem to be in any danger, the Decepticon could of attacked immediately. His Autobot friends aren't moving closer though, and none have answered his messages. The space ninja checks his readings and begins a scan of the area, and realizes that the police blockade is completely gone.
The dark bot rises and scans further out, discovering the humans are much further. The autobot frowns and looks up to the sky as several human vehicles draw closer, like small mechanical avian. For a few more minutes, he thinks they're benign.
If Lugnut could think of anything other than the slow drip of lubricant and the searing touch of a body beneath him, he'd be able to stop himself. A sudden shock spreads to one of the Autobot's faces, Lugnut turns to see a shadow approaching them. Within two hundred meters it begins to fire at him, and the 'con recognizes the additional support following it.
A shot pegs the yellow bot in the shoulder, that's the final straw for Lugnut. As suddenly as the revelation occurs, the con is up in the air. The sound of gunfire trails after him, the humans terrified and firing. He heeds not the dust of terror, not even when the other militant planes begin to trail.
Unluckily for the human pilots, Cybertronians are superior fliers. When the jets zip close enough to aim at him, the transformer stalls and flips over them. They barely register what's happened until the air current rips them out of the sky, engines struggling to regain altitude. As soon as the military vessels regain themselves, two are dead. The massive Decepticon slips into his robot mode and crashes both of them into pancakes mid-air.
Scrambling the rest of the wing circles, firing to kill. As accurate as their shots are, none of them manage to penetrate any of Lugnut's armor. The bot turns back into a plane and shortly dispatches the rest of the organic tin cans.
Within the time Lugnut's in the air, the Autobots have returned to their processor. Optimus blinks, looking over his team disturbingly. "Did that really just happen?"
"Yeah." the yellow bot sighs softly.
Bulkhead's faceplate is strained with worry. "I-it was like I couldn't stop thinking about him." Bulky grips his processor, humiliated flush covering his faceplate. "What was that?"
The medical bot pipes up, "I'm not sure. I think it was some sort of disruption ray or field amplification." the grimace comes bold. "Everyone got hot under their clasps? He might be ready to-"
Prowl, who'd been approaching pauses near them in his vehicle mode. "The humans are gathering their forces."
"Whoa, why?" the smallest bot shouts and looks to Bulkhead.
"Optimus, have you been contacted by any of our human allies?" inquires Prowl."N-no, nothing so far." his mouth relaxes into a frown, and he squeezes his faceplate with a hand. "Were they monitoring?"
"I believe so ... " Prowl examines the skyline of the city in the distance, "Sari hasn't answered any of my calls."
Optimus shakes his head, "We need to keep Lugnut away from the humans, if any of them are harmed .... "
Sighing, Rachet looks to the younger bots. "I'll work on a dampener."
"Split up, stay away from the city." Optimus looks at his team quietly. "All we can do is keep the humans as safe as we can."
"What if he catches us?" interrupts Bumblebee.
Prowl groans, revving. "Resist if you can, if not ... it was nice knowing you." he turns in a half circle before speeding off towards the rough road, aiming for the highway.
"I'm scared." Bulkhead whispers it to himself before transforming.
"This is really fragged up." Bee kicks at the ground. "I don't want to frag a Decepticon."
Rachet laughs dryly, "Don't worry, you couldn't reach if you tried."
Optimus sighs, shifting forms. "Cut it out and get moving. Rachet, if you can head back to the base before Lugnut gets a lock on."
"Yes sir." Rachet slips into his ambulance form and takes off.
Bee and Bulkhead exchange a look.
The semi-truck sags, engine humming. The wind blows chill air across the muddy ground. Optimus accesses their group comm channel, "Inform us immediately of any sightings. Attempt to apprehend Lugnut from afar if possible." he coughs, speaking normally. "Please, go north Bee. Bulkhead, east."
The two nod and take off. Optimus has a long moment staring off towards the city before starting on his way.
After a megacycle the Prime realizes that there are more human crafts in the sky, tormented by an airborn menace. In a minute the purple 'con is going after one of his own. Optimus revvs and speeds towards the north, after his friend.
Optimus fails to catch up to Bee in time.
Bumblebee speeds at about 120 miles per hour, far past the limit. The bot looks up to the sky, finding it empty. The wilderness reminds him of their days cleaning up empty planets. He doesn't see the deer until it's too late, too preoccupied with thoughts of being a hero. The autobot breaks too hard, see-saws and spins out. He hits a tree hard and finds himself buried in a pile of snow.
The yellow head pops out of the drift, blinking away icy coldness. Shivering, Bumblebee drags himself out of the pile. The Autobot struggles out of it, "I can't believe I messed up that turn, stupid organics." he frowns, suddenly fearful. A massive shadow passes over Bumblebee. He looks sharply from right to left. "What the heck was that!?" screeching high-pitched as he turns around in his spot.
Fear makes his joints clatter as something absolutely heavy lands on the road, buckling the asphalt with the weight. It takes one klick for the static to force its way across Bee's EM field. Bumblebee's fear dies as the soothing electric trance washes over his frame. Within a nano-klick he stops thinking almost entirely, opting to get personal to the massive Decepticon. All of his thoughts redline, the bot's processor derails from the last runs of fight or flight response into let's frag mode. Embarrassment gone, the Autobot opens both his interface panels.
The bot grins, maddened eyes drinking the sight before him. Lugnut lowers himself to his knees, longing to grow closer to the smaller cybertronian. He's melting ice and snow, not caring about the mud. Miniature geysers of superheated air spout from Lugnut's chassy when he opens the seams to vent. Bee opens his interface array, finding his cable protruding painfully stiff. His mouth won't stop salivating as he touches the large 'con. Their colors clash badly, Bee wraps his arms around Lugnut's waist in a pathetic attempt to hold on.
After a short five klicks, Bee gets ground into the icy mud. Lugnut's immense weight effortlessly pins the little Autobot, and the vigorous movement of his hips slides lubricant against the yellow metal beneath.
Despite the frigid air, the two cybertronians are quite warm to the touch. Optimus feels the disturbance before he sees them, the static cascading across his faceplate. He lifts his hand to his arm console, speaking "Lugnut's gotten Bumblebee." a lump of dread settles in the mech's throat. Approaching, he watches the Decepticon desperately attempting to interface with the much smaller Autobot. The Prime soaks it in, trying to fight the revolt going on in his processor. Registering that he cannot get too close, Optimus begins forming a plan in his processor.
In the city, far away from the fight the Decepticon Commander and Blitzwing have returned home. Megatron goes in grinning, suddenly sure of what they need now. The massive tube shielding slides downwards, revealing the human at work on a spare part.
Isaac's face is one of grief and fear. "Y-you know, we're all doomed?"
"Why would you say that human?"
"It's because ..." he looks up to one of the screens, pulls up his keyboard and pulls up a news site.
Megatron leans in a little, not minding Blitzwing killing Starscream for the fifth time that solar cycle. The 'con zooms into the site- the Detroit Metropolitan Herald, several more talking about the Autobots and the Decepticons having a "truce" and planning on destroying humanity. "They're evacuating the city, not our concern." but Megatron smiles to the tiny human. "Do not worry Sumdac, you're perfectly safe here. Our little guest." Blitzwing's eye twitches erratically as he settles beside the commander. The organic should be killed as soon as possible, serving as a source of annoyance would of gotten a 'con slagged. Megatron laughs when Isaac begins to weep.
Lugnut squeezes his eye shut as the foam strikes it dead on. Grumbling, the large Decepticon rises. Optimus freezes in terror as the huge bot lumbers towards him. Lugnut has five eyes, a fact the Autobot only realizes when there's a tree slamming into his torso.
Optimus Prime slides down the tree slowly, not moving. The Autobots are both broken, the Con's mind registers it as the two forms have yet to move again. The impatience makes shivers run up and down his spine, he looks down at the flattened figure against the muddy ground. Part of his processors registers that he may of killed the smaller Autobot, but that section hardly contends with the rest of his code.
No response, not a twitch, not a vent. The tiny yellow Autobot is gone, spark extinguished. Lugnut turns and tilts his head as he examines the slightly larger Autobot. A frustrated huff comes from the 'con. He needs a bot, he needs anyone. Lugnut scans the local area, realizing quickly that there's no other transformers nearby. The Autobot sounds like he won't be up any time soon. The bomber transforms and heads back to the city, hoping to spot more of his kind.
"Now, now Mr. Sumdac. Perhaps you can assist us in preserving some of your kind? I would hate for our only ally to be Depressed."
The little human feels his heart lurch, nervous sweat spreading in prickly-cold fear. Sari, he can't allow his sweet little child to die alone and unloved. Choosing between a winter wonderland and the prison with the Decepticons came harder, more bitter than anything else. "N-no there's no way to save us. The nuclear warhead is already on its way. It should be here in less than an hour or two i-it's UN sanctioned."
Despite all ignorance, Megatron can't find himself caring too much. "Well, there's a way to shield your city. Even your entire world could be saved from this harm." nuclear winter sounded like it'd turn Earth into an ice planet. While not the most hostile environment, the Decepticon is still playing with the idea of human slaves.
Isaac's eyes flutter, his hands squeeze his face even as he realizes he's shoved himself against the glass tubing. "How?"
Lugnut drifts closer to the signal, it's closer to Detroit than the one in the west. From afar it looks like there's a garbage truck stuck in traffic, but that's no dumptruck. Human devices don't cringe and shudder. They don't turn into robots that run away, screaming in fear.
The bomber doesn't really feel like himself anymore, not when he's kidnapping instead of killing. Bulkhead doesn't move fast enough to escape, the fleeting touch letting him know that he won't be capable of doing anything.
"It will save Earth, and any of your humans that may be killed in the blast." Megatron sends the plans, the ones he began in his head to the console.
Isaac looks over them, mouth and face like death. "I can do this, maybe. I can, I have to have it ready in time o-or the city" his Sari, his mother, his father, his friends and most of humanity are at stake. The tube opens and Megatron pushes in the additional supplies, it shuts with a condemning snap. Isaac trembles as he works, trying to ignore the slow rise of the shield again.
He's given up all hope, and for good reason. Bulkhead's never been the sharpest rock in the pile, he knows he's here to distract the Decepticon. At least he can spare a few humans the trauma though, the bot runs off of the highway and into the woodlands.
For once Bulky's altmode isn't faster than this one, it'd be impossible to make it between the trees in that form. The Autobot pauses to catch his breath, and the Decepticon catches him. The updraft scatters snow across the trees, and Lugnut's landing isn't very graceful.
Bulkhead feels as though his processor has melted, having never been in such a storm. Lugnut doesn't have to convince him, the static field steers him and the Autobot into proper order. Trembling servos steady, Bulkhead feels ready. Part of him knows, feels that it's wrong to frag a 'con but that part is no longer in any control.
"T-the shield is ready sir." messages the human.
Megatron lowers the blast shielding, looking at the device. It's in half, one part to be attached by a cybertronian due to the human's lack of strength. Isaac however, chooses this moment of panic to betray his captor.
The Decepticon hisses, acid splashing his face. The mixture blinds him temporarily, thank goodness his optics were cast in the thickest military-grade silicon invented. It takes but a moment for him to almost catch Sumdac, the human is quite tiny. A massive hand gropes across the platform.
In the living area Isaac ducks beneath the console, he spends a terrified moment under there before Megatron swings his fist down. The blood that pools, and the shattered puddle of Isaac is all that remains of the human. The 'con chuckles as he lifts up the furniture to look at the mess.
Steamy condensation flows off of Lugnut's frame. If not for the hardcoded mechanism in his spark chamber, he'd of opened it up to cool down by now. At only half the height of his intended lay, Bulkhead was in no way the optimal partner for Lugnut. The larger bot presses Bulkhead down, both servos on the green bot's shoulders. The metal of his kibble warps beneath the pressure.
Bulkhead's knees buckle, he slips and lands on his aft. Though he's the largest of the Autobots he's too small for a perfect fit. Lugnut doesn't care, straddling the Autobot as soon as the last piece of the silvery rod is in place. Humming, the huge mech pistons himself against the smaller body. Despite the desperate, terrible fury the two manage to frag with minor setbacks.
The Autobot can barely stand the immense pressure Lugnut puts on his hips and legs. Lugnut slips and squeezes hard enough to keep the bot from leaving the tight hold of his vault, "Primus." hisses the green bot, optics shuttering as he overloads.
"Thank Primus we are finally rid of that pest." Blitzwing narrows his optic and crosses his arms across his chest.
Humming, the leader turns to his current right-hand bot. "He finished it on time at least." Megatron turns the screens back on, watching the human news reel.
"What are they saying now?"
"More weapons. Honestly, this planet's going to be a wasteland."
The 'con rolls his optics. "Organics are far too delicate for us to live beside." Blitzwing watches Megatron, who's settled onto the living area like a seat. The larger mech catches his optics and raises a brow.
"Are you in need of something?" a smile settles onto his faceplate.
Blitzwing doesn't trust himself, so he shakes his head.
Megatron chuckles, and reaches for the triplechanger's servo. The bot's faceplate heats as he finds himself between their leader's legs. "You know, we're all alone."
"Correct." neither acknowledges Starscream's recently re-murdered corpse. Blitzwing leans over Megatron, chasing the bot as he lays against the ruined workstation. Their faceplates meet, fitting neatly as the exchange of fluid begins.
Megatron delicately slides his fingers over the seams on Blitzwing's chest. The tank hums, grinding against the larger bot. Blitzwing fights to keep hold of himself, fretting minutely over what their leader wants. He loses his thoughts to self-consciousness, if Megatron wanted to he'd say to stop. They lay together, heat playing across another before Megatron's servo plays with that panel enough.
Blitzwing snaps open his interface array, shuddering as the larger mech roughly strokes his winding cord. It's a dangerous move, but Megatron has his fingers out of the way fast enough to not damage anything. The triplechanger's almost disappointed, but the mech's jerking him off before a klick passes. He watches from a glazed-over optic as Megatron drags him forward, the tip ghosting over Megatron's thick lipped box.
Suddenly, the older Decepticon's laughing. "We shouldn't draw this out."
Blitzwing snaps his hips up against Megatron's aft, rod engulfed by slick heat. He has a really good line, but his face turns with a click. "OO, BABY I AM NOT USUALLY A ONE SHOT CHUMP! BUT FOR YOU-" the venomous glare, and servo trying to spin the face back to Blitzwing's primary personality are only met with cackling.
Ratchet has no idea where he's going, only that he's following the long road. At least he's going the speed limit over the strange terrain. Getting out of the city had been hellish, the road choked by human automobiles. Deep in his spark he tries to not think of the war again, of the empty roads. It's empty out here, not even the organics bothering to wander alone.
Dull green and white speckled scenery zips by him, at least until he senses the Decepticon signal approaching. Lugnut must of turned off his dampener again. The medic curses, stopping and attempting to load up his diagnostic program. A prototype, a sedative to stop the 'con in his tracks. Ratchet stops once the 'con lands though. His mind struggles, resisting the EM field's winding ways.
The airplane skirts over the blacktop, slowing to a crawl before the Decepticon changes into his robot form. Ratchet accesses the paint transfer across the bot's thighs before he finds himself wondering how nice it'll be to see nanite-laced fluid across them. Cringing, the Autobot wavers on his treads. Lugnut looms closer, eyes blinking balefully.
Ratchet waves his servo- realizing that he can still function somewhat. It feels difficult to breath or process anything beyond the searing heat weighing him down. The Decepticon is oddly passive, slumping downward- his leaking plating distracts terribly from the chill air. There's energon in a massive splatter down Lugnut's legs, along with lubricant and other fluids. He gives in, wanting to resist but unable to.
Lugnut barrels over the medic and almost instantly crushes him against the hard asphalt. Ratchet goes still so fast the 'con can only scream in complete frustration.
Megatron holds the device in the air, and the effect is immediate. Shimmering light covers the city, waves bleaching the cityscape. The tiny, vaporous splinters of the Allspark shimmer and spin together. Together the cloud lingers around the Decepticon Overlord, triumphant look upon his face as the worst fear of the Autobots begins.
The barrage of nuclear weapons are very close to the city, and that's when Megatron plugs the newly reformed Allspark into their shield generator.
From space, it's like Earth has been swallowed in a sea of blue luminesce. Billions of humans are awakened by the simmering light, not knowing why or how it's happening. The warheads deploy against the shield, not damaging the city or land at all. The fallout begins, a massive billowing cloud of darkness snuffing out the sun as the blue shield shines.
Then comes Lugnut, tearing through the sky like a comet. Megatron gives the large 'con a familiar smile. "Welcome back."
Blitzwing wishes the bomber would evaporate. "Why can't you stay dead?"
"My Lord." Lugnut bows down, shivering and shuddering.
Blitzwing makes a face at the pollutant EM field, ever grateful for his own resistance.
"Now, now Lugnut." says the familiar voice. Megatron circles the larger 'con. "Hold still."
A puzzled look appears on the bomber's face as the stasis cuffs force him to still. "What is the meaning of this?"
"I'll be sending you home shortly." Megatron steps in front of his solider. "You've done a good job of eliminating the Autobots, do tell Strika I said hello."
Blitzwing sighs, "We should cut the formalities short."
Lugnut cringes as several packets of data are shoved into his messaging system- from Megatron. It's not surprising that the Supreme Commander code beats out the ventilation warnings and messy HUD. After a quick download Lugnut runs it, and everything goes dark.
Megatron hums softly as the static dies down, Lugnut rebooting with a soft ding. "There, can you think clearly now?"
"Yes, master." Lugnut's smile is in his vocalizer.
"We have the Allspark, it's time to return home." the Leader shoves the Allspark against his spark.
For once in a long, long time, Blitzwing smiles. Lugnut clinks his clamp-servos together giddily. Megatron shifts form and the other two follow his example.
The cybetronians are leaving Earth, a fact no military misses. There remains but one hope, and that hope is an Autobot named Prowl. He knows that he's already too late though. Earth is doomed to a few million years' worth of nuclear winter, unless he gets the one thing that has an endless supply of power. Earth may have a fighting chance, Sari and the inhabitants of the planet might be able to survive. Prowl takes up the mission he knows will kill him. The Decepticons can't move as fast as a shuttle, Prowl catches up to them in the upper atmosphere.
He feels the paint melting off of his frame, "Return the Allspark!" rapidly approaching the ozone layer was a terrible location for a battle.
"Oh my, are you seeing this?" inquires Megatron.
"Give it up! You don't deserve it. Not after what you've done to Earth and Cybertron!"
"Little Autobots shouldn't play in the air! This is where Decepticons belong!" states the red-faced 'con.
Prowl isn't fast enough to stay in the air, not when Lugnut breaks half his jetpack. "Death! Death! Death to Autobots!"
"You monsters, if I can't-"
"Goodbye." Nor when Megatron blasts the cyberninja through the faceplate.
Everything would of been swimming if Prowl didn't pack his body with the highest grade explosives developed by humanity, and that dirty Allspark amplifying the energy enough to blow a planet into nothing. The payload he delivers blinds all- sending the Decepticons into the reaches of space, and Prowl right back to Earth.
"Where am I?" asks the Decepticon. Lugnut turns his head and nearly jumps out of his bolts. Strika, immediately to his right. The very same sweet, beautiful, immense, large, huge, deadly, angry, and so loving consort he'd left centuries before. His mouth flaps open and shut for a klick before her optics flick to him. Last he recalls he was blasted point-blank by an Autobot.
"Lugnut."
He takes in a deep breath, "I thought I died." the bot rubs his helm very slowly.
"We found you in stasis on an empty planet."
The mech sighs, reaching his clamps down to push his body off of the medical berth.
She stills him with a flattened servo. "You need rest, not to throw out the welding." The mech whines, and she rubs his side in reply.
Her fingers curl around the curve over the top of his claw and he rubs his faceplate with the other. "Has anyone else been recovered?"
"No." and she shakes her head.
Lugnut shudders, "Autobots." hisses from his speaker.
"What did they do?"
"They destroyed their own planet rather than surrender to us."
"Megatron is truly gone?"
"He" Lugnut's largest optic trains onto her face with sudden clarity. "I am not sure. The organics attempted to destroy us with their strongest weapons." She nods to him, and he realizes that her palm's curled across the wide arc of his stomach. Lugnut's tongue slides over his upper jaw, just before it sags into a frown. "I-I am sorry."
"I know you are." the swarm of forming protoforms had drained him so badly she thought his spark had been eaten up.
"Are you going to kill me after this?"
She chuckles, deep and smooth. "No, I won't." the tank holds his servo again. "I'm glad you're alive, I was worried your service would end in your death."
"It is impossible to kill me, my love! There is no way any pathetic organics could destroy our Leader either!"
"I'm aware." Her words linger in the air, and the two drift closer. Lugnut presses his muzzle against her filtration unit and his arm wraps around her torso. His EM field is scattered with fear and longing, tangible panic from his abrupt awakening. Their vents kick up twice before the despicable door opens.
The medic steps in with a heavy, heavy sigh. "Strika, Lugnut" the voice strikes Lugnut as familiar. "we've been over this. Do not" there's the sound of the door swishing shut as the tin can waddles in further. "interface in the hospital."
Strika lets go of Lugnut, grunting. "Yes, I know."
"Now, let's get started." the mech smiles. "General of Destruction, and Lugnut, consort."