//------------------------------// // But I swear that you're here // Story: BACK TO LIFE // by CROSSOVER KING //------------------------------// While all that was happening, in another part of the ship, Wheeljack and Bumblebee were busy taking on an entire legion of Decepticon soldiers charging at them. Despite their far greater numbers, however, they were being utterly decimated by the Autobots' superior teamwork and comradery. In fact, the said Autobots were working together as efficiently as they did against Megatron's undead army, with the only difference being the fact that they were using blasters, punches, and kicks against the troopers instead of swords. Even when one of them was grabbed or piled on by these troopers, the other would come to his rescue, get him out of that tough situation, and resume fighting with him against their attackers. Eventually, in spite of numerous minor wounds on their bodies, the two managed to overcome seemingly impossible odds and forced the surviving Decepticons to retreat. However, instead of going after them, the Autobots just stood there and started breathing very rapidly out of exhaustion before they looked at one another and Wheeljack asked, "How much longer do we have to wait before Megs finally notices us?" Right after Bumblebee gave a simple shrug, he was suddenly shot by a large laser blast came out of nowhere and flown several feet backwards. Wheeljack immediately went to check up on his friend and when he discovered that the blast had caused a sizable dent on his chassis, he angrily turned his head towards the direction the blast had come from and his glare only intensified when he took a good look at the shooter. There stood Megatron with the fusion cannon on his right arm aimed directly at the Autobots and smoke coming out of it. Right beside him was Starscream with a sinister grin on his face and getting ready to pounce at the duo with his razor sharp claws the first chance he could get. The two Decepticons silently stood at their positions for a few seconds before Megatron broke the silence by asking, "And who is this 'Megs' you speak of?" Wheeljack then responded by standing back up and ragefully declaring, "Here's a hint: an oversized piece of scrap who's in desperate need of manners!" Megatron's subsequent response was lowering his cannon, letting out a dark chuckle, and stating, "Defiant to the end. Something I have always respected you for, Wheeljack. A shame I did not have the opportunity to battle you during the war on Cybertron. It would have been an honor to see you in your prime testing your might against mine." "Oh, trust me, I haven't rusted one bit since we left Cybetron," replied Wheeljack as he drew his swords from his back. "Besides, even if I did, I'm pretty sure fighting the cannon fodder you call soldiers has cleaned all the rust away." Upon hearing this, the wicked smile on Megatron's face grew even wider and he drew the hidden blade on his right arm as he said, "How wonderful to hear that." He then briefly looked at Starscream and ordered, "No interventions whatsoever. Take care of the scout and finish what I started with his voice box." Starscream simply nodded in approval and after watching him stalk towards Bumblebee for a short while (who was getting back up to fight again), Megatron turned his attention back towards Wheeljack and the two combatants let out battle cries before charging at each other for the fight they had both been dreaming of for a pretty long time. Their respective blades eventually clashed with one another and as they continued traded blows, Wheeljack was slowly but surely being pushed back by his larger opponent. Even though his sword strikes were quick and aggressive, so was Megatron's and he was easily countering every single one of the Autobot's attacks while also hitting back twice as hard. Wheeljack was doing his very best to block or dodge the attacks heading his way, but it was clear that the former champion of Kaon's gladitorial pits was far stronger, faster, and more experienced than him. Thus, he was using all these advantages to overwhelm Wheeljack further and further. Then, just as his opponent took his tenth step backwards, Megatron struck a blow so hard that both swords were flown away before Wheeljack lost his balance and fell on his back. Just as he prepared his blasters and took aim, Megatron stabbed him in the left leg and as the Autobot engineer cried out in agony, the Decepticon leader pulled his blade out and squeezed the wound with his left claw, causing Wheeljack to scream even louder. Then, he threw his helpless opponent towards Bumblebee, who was busy blocking several claw strikes from Starscream with his arms and even managed to land a punch on the air commander's face right before Wheeljack's body collided with his own. While the two Autobots slowly recovered from this collision and Bumblebee helped Wheeljack stand back up, Megatron walked up to the duo and when he was standing only a couple feet away from them, he stated, "You have both fought valiantly, despite the inevitable outcome. For that, you have earned my respect and I will ensure that you are remembered fondly by the new society I am intending to create." Immediately afterwards, both him and Starscream aimed their cannons at the Autobots, but as they braced for their demise, they heard Cliffjumper's voice in their commlinks exclaiming, "Guys, I've got Optimus and the girls! We've just returned to the base!" Hearing this news brought a cocky smirk to Wheeljack's face and in response, he pressed on the left side of his head and said, "Well, what are you waiting for kid? Beam us up already!" The said response caused both Decepticons to briefly look at each other in confusion before Wheeljack declared, "Sorry, Megs, but we'll have to cut our visit short. After all, distractions are supposed to be temporary, right?" Bumblebee then started playing a song on his radio that had the following lyrics: Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh You didn't know that you fell Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh Now that you're under our spell Right after that, a Ground Bridge appeared under the Autobots and they both fell into it. Even though the Decepticons blasted at them several times, all of the shots missed their targets and the portal closed before the said targets could get hit. As a result, an utterly dumbfounded expression soon appeared on Starscream's face and the face itself was then punched by Megatron, who was literally grinding his teeth at that moment. "Why, master?! What did I do to deserve your wrath this time?!", Starscream asked after he was knocked on the floor. Megatron simply ignored him and pressed the left side of his head before speaking to it, "Shockwave, status report!" "Lord Megatron, we have received critical damage," Shockwave explained. "The ship's engines have been irreversibly compromised and the navigation system is offline. Crash landing is imminent." Upon hearing this news, the Decepticon leader once again growled in rage, grabbed his air commander by the head, and tossed him at a nearby wall. He then took heavy breaths to calm himself and pressed on the left side of his head again to reply, "Understood. Begin the landing procedure and tell Soundwave, as well as every flier available, to meet us at the docking bay. We all have some unfinished business to attend to." "As you command, master," Shockwave confirmed, and right after the transmission was ended, Megatron walked up to Starscream, who was still recovering from his impact against the wall and became immensely frightened upon seeing his leader right on top of himself. "Get up, Starscream," commanded Megatron as his optics started burning bright crimson. "Our old friends have been interfering with our plans for far too long. It is past time we removed them from the equation. PERMANENTLY!" Right after he exclaimed that last word, he drew his blade once again and the terrified expression on Starscream's face was replaced with a sadistic smirk. Meanwhile, back at the Autobot outpost, Wheeljack and Bumblebee came flying out of the Ground Bridge and ended up landing on the floor with heavy thuds. As they slowly began to stand back up, they found themselves surrounded by both the girls in their magical forms and Cliffjumper holding a heavily wounded Optimus with an arm around his back, similar to how Bumblebee was holding Wheeljack at hat moment. "Guys! Thank goodness you're back!", Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "I was so worried you weren't gonna make it!" Wheeljack let out a painful chuckle and replied, "Don't beat yourself up, RD. We're both fine. Speaking of fine, you and your friends are way more than that actually. Gotta say, your new outfits are definitely improvements over the normal ones." Even though that compliment made Rainbow blush a bit, Rarity noticed the stab wound on his leg before loudly gasping and shouting, "Darling, how could you be fine in this state?! Your leg is so badly injured! We've got to treat it immediately!" "There's no time for that," Wheeljack declared. "Right now, Ratchet's the one who needs help the most. I managed to grab an Energon cube before Bee and I blew up the storage unit, but it will take a while to synthesize it." Hearing this caused Cliffjumper to nod in understanding and say, "And we don't have long before the Cons get their act together and come after us in retaliation. The crash landing of their ship may eliminate the majority of their forces and I did upload Wheeljack's virus to the Space Bridge controls in case it survived the crash, but Megatron and his officers are much tougher to take out. They'll be here in less than ten cycles, so we gotta prepare for one heck of a battle." "But, Cliff, your teammates are in no condition to fight," Twilight pointed out. "They're all badly wounded, and even with our magic and other skills, the girls and I can only take down one Decepticon officer at a time while working together." Then, Sour Sweet let out a deep sigh and added, "And as much as I hate to admit it, I ran out of arrows during our escape and I doubt we can make more during the time we have. Not to mention, Flash over here doesn't have any gadgets on him." "Hey, I'm not gonna let that stop me, you know!", Flash chimed in. "I'm ready to fight these evil robots every bit of strength I've got, even if I have to use my bare hands to do so!" While everyone else in the room was astounded by that declaration and Sunset even blushed a little, Optimus then stated, "I admire your determination and selflessness, Flash Sentry, but you and your friends must realize that if you stay here, then you will most certainly perish. Your only option is to leave as soon as possible and contact our liason with your world's leaders. I am certain that the power they command is enough to eliminate the Decepticons in their weakened state. My Autobots and I could buy you enough time to escape. So, please, hurry. We will make our final stand as long as we are able, but it cannot last for too long." All the humans solemnly looked at one another and silently contemplated on whether or not they should do as Optimus had asked them to do. Shortly afterwards, however, Applejack let out an exasperated sigh and said, "Are y'all serious right now? How can we even think about leavin' at a time like this?" If they're standin' for us, then we gotta stand with 'em! We've all spent too much time around these new friends from outer space to just let 'em die like that. They're willin' to do their part in protectin' our planet, so we gotta be willin' to do ours too. I mean, it's not like we haven't faced impossible odds and came out on top before. So, let's put our heads together again and figure out a way out of this mess before it's too late!" Right after hearing this speech, her friends all gave detemined smiles and nods to each other and then, Pinkie Pie literally brought their heads together before exclaiming, "Come on, guys! Think! Think!! THINK!!!" Although they were somewhat annoyed by this gesture, they nevertheless started pondering on what they should to solve their current problems, with the Autobots leaning in to better hear what they would figure out as long as they could do so. Soon enough, a realization dawned on Sunset's mind and thus, she excitedly declared, "Guys, I've got it! You gotta lend me your power RIGHT NOW! Trust me on this!" "Wait, what are you-" Twilight asked before his sentence was cut off by a sudden understanding of Sunset's request and her eyes widened with horror. "No... No way! You don't know what that will do to you. What if you turn into a monster again, just like I did?" "Trust me, that won't happen ever again," declared Sunset. "Last time it did, I didn't quite understand the power I was wielding and allowed the magic create a manifestation of my darkest desires. I won't let that happen this time. Besides, if I could turn into the complete opposite of demon form once, who's to say I can't do it again?" "Buuuuuut... Didn't you use magic from five of us to turn into that angel thing?" Pinkie asked. "And now, you're going to take energy from six of us, which is exactly how Twilight became Midnight Sparkle. So, what if the same thing happens to you this time?" "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Pinkie's got a point," added Twilight while placing a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "These circumstances can very well turn you into a demon again. Maybe something even worse than Midnight. As much as I like taking risks as a scientist, I think this is one experiment where the risks outweigh the benefits. I'm sorry." As she pondered on her friend's words, Sunset let out a deep sigh and replied, "You're right. We'd be taking a huge risk with this, but it's way better than having no plan at all. Twilight, you heard what Applejack just said. If the Autobots are willing to make a final stand to protect our world from being destroyed, then we have to stand with them. Just like them, I come from another world and if they're prepared to risk their lives for its defense, then so am I. So, please, help me at least TRY to save my new home. What do you say?" Her friends briefly looked at each other in concern before determinedly nodding at her and joining their hands to fulfill her request. As the magic in their geodes started flowing into that of Sunset, the excess amount of magic stored within her geode started transforming her into Daydream Shimmer. Then, right after her transformation was complete and while the Autobots were gazing at her in complete awe, she blasted each of them (including Ratchet) with beams of purified magic and as the said magic reacted with the Energon inside their bodies, the injuries on the outside of their bodies started healing rapidly. In mere seconds, every single one of them came to look like they were fresh off the assembly line, and while the others were astounded by their new and improved appearances, Ratchet slowly began to wake up and his groans attracted the attention of pretty much everyone in the room and caused them to circle around him and cheer in immense excitement. "Ratchet, you're back!", Fluttershy exclaimed. "You're really back! IT'S A MIRACLE!" "What? Do I hear a Fuzor in need of a voice box repair?", Ratchet muttered like a drunken man. "I am able! Just ask Bantor! He was all man-drill before I... put a tiger in his tank..." As he passed out once again, the humans responded to what had just happened with extreme confusion while the Autobots did so with laughter. Wheeljack even hollered, "Good Primus! Haven't heard the doc speak like this in eons!" Then, Ratchet apruptly awakened a second time with a gasp and began to frantically look around while asking in his normal voice, "Where am I?! What happened?! Is everyone alright?!" At that moment, Optimus placed a hand on his left shoulder to calm him down and explained, "Quite so, old friend. We are all relieved to have you back with us again. However, the time for celebration needs to come later. Our enemies will return here in short order and we must prepare for their arrival in the time we have left." Upon hearing this news, Ratchet took a moment to consider them before letting out a deep sigh and stating, "Let me guess. Their numbers far exceed our own and the odds are stacked against us." Then, after seeing Optimus give a single nod in response, he immediately leaped out of the table he was sitting on, salute his leader, and proclaim, "Medical Officer Ratchet reporting for duty!" While everyone else warmly smiled at this gesture, Optimus saluted back and revealed, "Your exceptional skills as a medic are always appreciated and would indeed be useful in this battle. That being said, I was thinking you could aid us in a different way this time." As Ratchet looked at him in confusion, the Autobot leader looked at Sunset hovering in the air beside him. Although she was initially just as confused as Ratchet was at that moment, she eventually figured out what Optimus had meant by his statement and the expression on her face changed from puzzlement to realization before finally becoming a cocky smirk. Several minutes later, a Ground Bridge appeared on the plateau that the Autobot outpost was overlooking, and out of it emerged a large Cybertronian tank with a single cannon and a mostly purple color scheme, which soon transformed into Shockwave. As the portal closed behind him, the Decepticon scientist continued walking towards the said outpost before stopping to see another Ground Bridge opening right in front of him and the Autobot engineer Wheeljack walking out of it. Along with him were his human friends, Rarity and Rainbow Dash, who were standing on his shoulders and had determined looks on their faces, while their Autobot guardian had a cocky smile across his own face. Upon the closure of the second Ground Bridge, the two robots began staring each other down, but the subsequent silence lasted for only a handful of seconds before Wheeljack said, "Well, look who it is. How you doing, Shocker. It's been a while." In response, Shockwave continued staring at both Wheeljack and the humans for a few more before finally replying with his regular monotone voice, "Based on your significantly improved status, the short time span between now and the skirmish inside the Nemesis, as well as the dramatic change in the appearance of your human allies, I am assuming all three of you were exposed to the so-called 'Equestrian magic' very recently." "Your assume correctly, darling," Rarity stated. "And am I correct to assume you've arrived here to negotiate our surrender to you and your master?" The Decepticon scientist took a moment to process her question, and then replied, "You are admittedly perceptive, for a mere human." "Um, thanks, I guess," a slightly confused Rarity said before clearing her throat. "Sadly, flattery won't get you anywhere at this point." "That's because it's you who should be thinking about surrender right now!" Rainbow declared. "Your master wants a war? We're more than happy to give him one!" As she proceeded to crack her knuckles, Shockwave shook her head a couple times in disappointment and revealed, "The historical ingenuity of your species is only matched by its ever-growing collective arrogance. Even though our forces have suffered a significant loss in numbers, the probability of your survival against the combined might of our remaining troops is approximately point zero one percent. In addition, Lord Megatron still possesses the ability to revive our fallen comrades with his supply of Dark Energon at any given time. Simply put, your victory is higly illogical." Although his human friends were visibly intimidated by this threat, Wheeljack did not flinch one bit and instead, gave a small chuckle before calmly explaining, "Y'know, Shocker, you and I are two of the smartest bots in our respective factions and if we could just put our scientific minds together, who knows what wonders we could achieve. Unfortunately, we're motivated by two different things: you by logic and me by emotion. Yet, even when I was at my lowest, I got to experience things that not even logic can explain, and became way stronger than before, both physically and mentally. I can give you the chance to experience them as well. That is, if you're brave enough to take it." Shockwave once again remained silent for a few moments and pondered on Wheeljack's offer. He then replied, "You certainly have a point about the exceptional results our combined efforts could create. Unfortunately, it is your rejection of logic that has led you and your comrades being outnumbered and overmatched in nearly every battle. You may have achieved victory in some instances, but at your current rate of success, you cannot hope to defeat us any time soon." Upon hearing this response, Wheeljack sighed in disappointment and said, "Well, don't say I didn't warn you, pal. For what it's worth, I have another proposal in mind. If my side does win in the end, what do you say all four of us explore the city the girls are from, as well as its surroundings. No better way to learn more about the human culture and society than with a first-hand experience. For research purposes, of course." Yet again, the Decepticon scientist silently contemplated on the words of his intellectual rival for a short while before finally answering, "I find your proposal... logical." That response caused a satisfied smirk to appear on Wheeljack's face, and himself to ask, "What do you say, girls? Should we invite him on a trip through and around Canterlot City?" "Hmmm..." Rarity began as she pondered on this. "Well, as long as he promises not to hurt anyone, I suppose he can come with us. Besides, I'm curious about how a lighter shade of purple or dark gray for a color scheme might look on him." As she giggled at this thought, Rainbow rolled her eyes and declared, "I guess I can agree with what she said, but I don't really know if we can trust him to not hurt anyone. I mean, he and his buddies are literally called Decepticons. If that doesn't raise any red flags, I don't know what does." "Interesting," stated Shockwave. "You humans keep surprising me with your perceptiveness. There just might be a chance of you earning my respect, after all. If you manage to illustrate the fault in my logic by defeating Megatron, I give you my word that I will not harm any member of your species while we study your planet's culture and societal structure together. If I somehow do, then you have my permission to terminate me on the spot." The three friends looked at each other in confusion for a short while before looking back at the Decepticon scientist and nodding in approval. However, they then heard the sounds of three flying vehicles approaching them and looked up to see Megatron, Starscream, and Soundwave flying in their direction at top speed. In less than half a minute, they arrived at their destination, transformed into their robot modes, and began walking towards Shockwave, who turned around to greet them. Once they were merely a couple feet away from the Decepticon scientist, Megatron inquired, "Shockwave, may I ask why you are conversing with the Autobot and his human companions, instead of simply blowing them to bits like you were ordered to?" "My apologies, Master," replied Shockwave. "I was simply attempting to convince my intellectual equal of the logic behind his faction's inevitable defeat. Needless to say, he is much too stubborn to see reason." Upon hearing this, Starscream shot him a suspicious look and asked, "Why do I get the feeling that there is more to this 'discussion' than what you claim?" "Are you questioning my sincerity, Starscream?" his fellow first lieutenant demanded. "Only your loyalty to Lord Megatron's cause," the air commander responded. Shockwave then asked with a twinge of anger in his voice, "How illogical is that this is coming from a bot who is so ambitious that he continuously develops schemes to seize our master's throne." Starscream was visibly taken aback by this accusations and he proceeded to exclaim, "W-What?! How dare you! You have the nerve to insinuate that I seek to dispute our lordship's long and prosperous rule? You self-righteous, arrogant, pompous-" "ENOUGH!!!" Megatron suddenly roared, causing both of his subordinates to fall silent and turn their complete attention towards him. "Your petty squabbles are less than trivial at this point," the Decepticon leader continued. "The only thing that matters right now is to ensure that the Autobots and their human allies do not interfere with our plans ever again." Hearing that caused Starscream to become immensely excited, step forward, and proclaim, "A brilliant plan as always, my liege. I volunteer to be the one to help you complete its first stage by eliminating this Autobot here, and his little pets too." However, Megatron let out a dark chuckle in response and then questioned, "You, Starscream? My supposedly loyal second in command in all military operations, who neglected to finish every single one of these pets off when they were unconscious, which resulted in the loss of both Breakdown and over half our remaining troops? Oh, this is good comedy." As his master continued to speak, an expression full of terror appeared on Starscream's face and shortly after Megatron was finished, he tried to speak, "B-but I completed the mission you gave me! I... I followed your orders to the letter!" Just when he uttered that last word, Megatron grabbed him by the throat and pulled him in close to his face as he struggled to break free before furiously declaring, "A word of advice to the not so bright: competent leaders take initative every once in a while." He then threw Starscream back to his original spot, and as the Decepticon air commander stood back up while coughing really hard, an immensely sad expression dawned on his face. Even Rarity and Rainbow could not help but feel sorry for him upon seeing how much abuse he was taking. However, they were soon snapped out of their thoughts when Megatron turned his attention towards both them and Wheeljack, and then announced, "As for you three, I am done taking my chances with both of your ilks. Once we are finished with your execution, we shall do the same to not just the Autobot resistance, but also the entirety of the human race. Any last words before you reunite with your deceased loved ones?" As he aimed his cannon at them, his officers did the same with their own weapons, while Soundwave ejected Laserbeak from his chest and had him aim blasters at their targets instead. In response, Wheeljack and the girls looked at each other for a few seconds and then nodded in determination before turning back to the Decepticons and shouting, "FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC!!!!!" While the Decepticons became utterly dumbfounded by this phrase, a Ground Bridge opened right behind them. Immediately afterwards, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper came running out of the said bridge along with their respective human friends, and started shooting at the Decepticons with blasters and Pinkie's explosive sprinkles. Although these blasts and explosions caused minimal damage to their targets, they still got the attention of the Decepticons and Cliffjumper even managed to shoot off Shockwave's right ear. He and his comrades then proceeded to return fire and as the Autobots quickly transformed into their vehicle modes and drove away with the humans, Wheeljack and Rarity attacked from behind with their blasters and diamond shields. One of the blasts even managed to hit and disable Laserbeak before the Decepticons and returned fire once again, causing Wheeljack transform into his vehicle mode and drive away with his human friends as well. Upon seeing the Autobots going in different directions, Starscream transformed into his own vehicle mode, shouted "AFTER THEM!", and started to fly in the same direction that Bumblebee was going. Upon hearing the order, his fellow officers also transformed into their respective vehicle modes and went after the remaining two Autobots, with Shockwave pursuing Cliffjumper and Soundwave pursuing Wheeljack. Even though Megatron shouted after them, "NO! Stop, you fools! It's a trap!", they all ignored this command and continued their pursuits, causing the Decepticon leader to roar in immense rage and charge towards the still open Ground Bridge. However, when he was just about to enter it, he was hit in the face by a metal fist that came out of the portal and was knocked several feet away. As he landed on the ground with a heavy thud, he looked back at the Ground Bridge in confusion and then became incredibly surprised to see Optimus Prime walking out of it by himself. When the portal finally closed behind him, the Autobot leader came to a halt and declared, "Megatron, today you answer for your crimes against both Cybertron and humanity." Upon hearing this, the Decepticon leader started to get back up and let out a small chuckle before asking, "And who will be the one to deliver my punishment, Optimus? You? Please! You could not beat me by yourself even once during our battles on Cybertron." "Nor could you defeat me by yourself," Optimus replied. "So, now, this battle will determine the true victor of our long and excruciating conflict. I intend to end it as soon as possible, so that no more life forms will suffer from it." "Hmmm... Your resolve is impressive, old friend," stated Megatron. "Unfortunately, you forget that even if you defeat me today, my subordianates can still wipe out your rebels and their little organic friends in a matter of cycles. Not to mention the fact that what remains of my Seeker Armada is on its way to exterminate anyone who stands inside your base. Speaking of which..." Right at that moment, Optimus looked up to see dozens Decepticon jets flying towards the Autobot outpost at incredible speed and as they came closer to the structure, they transformed into their robot forms in mid-air and swiftly dropped towards the floor of the roofless outpost. Soon enough, the sounds of blasters being fired started echoing throughout the plateau and although Megatron initially smirked in satisfaction, he then became utterly shocked to hear the screams of his own soldiers coming from the base. Therefore, he pressed the left side of his head and frantically asked, "What is happening up there?!" "Lord Megatron, help us!" a trooper screamed in response. "They're completely insane! We're being cut to pieces and- AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!" Upon hearing these sounds, the expression on Megatron's face turned into a completely horrified one and he asked Optimus, "What have you done?" The Autobot leader remained silent for a short while before pressing on the left side of his own head and asking, "Sunset, everything is going well, I presume?" At the other end of the line, Sunset was still in her Daydream Shimmer form and was continuously emitting magical beams from her hands towards Ratchet, who was glowing red and had become impervious to laser blasts as a result. Using this invulnerability, he was repeatedly charging at the oncoming Decepticon troopers and literally tearing them to pieces with his arm blades. Needless to say, he had become a one bot army with this new magical enhancement and the number of enemies on his path was exponentially reducing by the second. As for Sunset, she was busy charging up the Autobot medic with magic while also dodging enemy fire in mid air with her wings. The moment when Optimus called in to check up on her and Ratchet's progress, she ducked under an oncoming laser blast and hastily spoke to the communicator on her ear, "Um, yeah, we're doing pretty great, Optimus. Sure, the Cons keep coming, but it's nothing we can't handle. How are you doing?" "Just about to engage Megatron," the Autobot leader replied. "You and Ratchet should hold on tight. I am coming over there to assist you as soon as the battle is over." "What? No!" Sunset exclaimed. "You shouldn't- WHOA!!!!" She suddenly interrupted and forced to dodge the giant operating table being thrown at her. While she barely managed to avoid getting hit by it, the table getting smashed upon its impact with the nearby wall did get Ratchet's attention and upon finding the Decepticon trooper who threw it in the first place, he furiously yelled, "You fool! I needed that!" He then proceeded to attack and slice up the said trooper, and as he did so, Sunset let out a deep sigh and explained, "Trust me, we'll be alright. You should focus on taking Megatron down as soon as possible. If you still think he can be redeemed by meeting the right person who understands him, then I believe you. But until that person arrives, we need to make sure that he can't harm a single soul for a long time. The only person who can do that right now is you. So, please, trust us, and more importantly, trust yourself. Now, let's end this war once and for all." Upon hearing these words, Optimus took a few moments to consider them and right after doing so, he let out a deep sigh as well and declared, "Very well. Together, we shall light our darkest hour." He then turned off his communicator, turned his attention back to Megatron, and saw him clenching his fists while also announcing, "If my destiny is to fight you by myself to the bitter end, then so be it. What was that phrase you always say before our battles begin, Optimus? One shall stand..." "And one shall fall," the Autobot leader finished as he clenched his own fists. The two metal titans then charged at each other while letting out battle cries before their respective punches clashed, signalling the start of their final battle.