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[Midnight Express]

The Quiet Loss

The Battle of Autobot City raged on. It was beginning to look hopeless for the Autobots, when suddenly Optimus Prime and the Dinobots arrived in a shuttle at the break of dawn. One lone Autobot gazed up from his battle position atop a small building. He smiled.

"Well, I guess Blaster's message reached them in time..."

He loaded his laser rifle and aimed it the Constructicons, who were shooting effectively at a group of Autobots. The Autobot sniper looked at the group, when a sudden noise made him turn around. The Constructicons were merging.

"Oh slag."

The sniper watched in horror as Red Alert was shot. The young security director lay in a pool of his own fluids, his chest adorning a gaping hole. Tracks ran to him, dropped to one knee and laid a hand on the mech's shoulder. He looked at his face and shook his head... the sniper's Spark sank.

"No way... he's too slagging stubborn to give up now. He can't be dead. No way. He kept us out of harm's way... but... did he really forget to get himself out of this mess?"

He didn't know what made him do what he did next. He yelled out and jumped off the building, aiming his rifle at the back of Devastator's head. He shot multiple times and each single shot earned a grunt from the gestalt. The gigantic being swiveled around to face the new opponent. He stepped forward, about to crunch the Autobot.

"Uh-oh.... evasive movements!"

The Autobot transformed and sped away as fast as he could. The giant kept following him, and finally the sniper understood what to do. He drove from between Devastator's legs, towards the city wall. He transformed back to robot mode and jumped. And then...

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!"

He fell down on the ground. He felt his energon levels running low. He barely heard Ultra Magnus, Tracks and Sideswipe's worried words. He wasn't feeling anything, actually. He remembered the face of his assailant... Menasor.... he knew something inside him was terribly wrong. He didn't need to hear Perceptor telling him that. He just felt it.

Faces started gliding before his face. He wasn't sure why, but he had guessed a pretty possible solution for him seeing the ones he had loved and even the ones he had hated... he saw the dead people of his city. He stopped for a while to look at the faces of his siblings.

"I'm coming."

Then he saw his friends, the Autobots. He raised his hand as if to touch them, and at the same time his Spark vanished into nothingness, and Bluestreak, the young gunner, was dead.

His spirit was gone for to sport aloft
In the realms of the good and great.
(-Mark Twain, Ode To Stephen Dowling Bots)

[Midnight Express]

Heaven's Four

It was getting really tough to fend off the Decepticons. Many Autobots had been killed already, and it seemed he was the Seekers' newest target. He was zigzagging between the scorched halls of Autobot City, trying to make his attackers lose their sense of direction. He rounded another corner, when he suddenly saw Thundercracker with his back turned on him. He was about to wheel around when the Seeker turned and saw him. Without a word the two drew their laser rifles and started shooting.

BLAST

The Autobot dodged the purple ray.

"...Phew... that was close."

He fired a round at Thundercracker, who was caught off guard. The blast struck him on the chest, sending him flying backwards and through a still-standing door. He went to check things and found the Seeker unconscious.

"Great... now just need something to bind him with... Ah-ha!"

He grabbed some electric cables that were still sparking. He pulled his hands away from the cables when he got a little electric shock.

"There. They'll give him a nasty surprise when he tries to free himself."

The Autobot gave a short laugh and darted to a long corridor. He spent about ten minutes zigzagging in the halls again, this time seeing Skywarp and Ramjet sneaking towards closed double doors.

"...that...that's Wheeljack's lab!"

He went after them, trying to keep his steps as silent as he could. When the two Seekers shot the doors open, he rushed forward, ramming himself into Ramjet's back. He didn't see what Skywarp did, but some laser blasts and a yelp told him enough. He wrestled for a while with the black and white Seeker, managing to see something he didn't want to remember. Skywarp teleported just behind the Autobot engineer, grabbed him and said:

"Now, Ramjet!"

Ramjet pushed him off of himself, taking his blaster and aiming a shot at Wheeljack. The blast tore pieces off of his chest plate, just as Wheeljack let out a piercing yell. The Seeker took his blaster again and aimed it now at Wheeljack's head.

"Say goodbye, Autobot..."

The Autobot, who was still on the floor, growled and jumped up. He leaped at Ramjet, who turned around and shot him instead. That was enough to give Wheeljack the time to join his fists and hit them on Skywarp's face. He wheeled around and shot his shoulder missile at the sneaky Seeker, shattering his teleporting mechanism. Then a blast hit Wheeljack's back, knocking him off his feet. Ramjet ran past him, pulled Skywarp up and placed his hand behind the Seeker's shoulders. The two then grinned and aimed their blasters at the two Autobots. And then a blast from the doorway knocked them both to the floor.

"Now, Arcee, get them out of the danger zone! I'm going to take care of those two! ...how did they get in in the first place?"

"Maybe they found their way in before the transformation of the city was completed? ... Wheeljack, can you hear me?"

"Hey! I told you to get them out!" the green triplechanger known as Springer yelled just as Dirge and Thrust appeared. Arcee gazed at the two new Seekers and the two others who had just stood up, and did as told. She took Wheeljack's arms and started dragging him across the floor, when suddenly the Minibot Windcharger burst in through the doors.

"Need any help?" he asked. Arcee just smiled and inclined her head towards the other fallen Autobot. Windcharger nodded and used his magnetic abilities to lift the Autobot off the ground. He was halfway to safety when a laser blast from Thrust struck him in the back. Suddenly Windcharger's optics flashed and died. Orange smoke poured from his mouth and he fell forward.

"Windcharger!" Arcee yelled and ran to the fallen Minibot. She shook him, without avail. Then she picked herself up and started to drag Wheeljack across the room even more determinedly. She managed to get him to safety without a hitch, and then she came back for Windcharger. She put her hands under the Minibot's arms and started to drag him away. Suddenly she heard a faint noise coming from somewhere to the right.

"Arcee... what... happened?" the words were almost a whisper.

"You got shot by Ramjet. Windcharger tried to help you to safety, but he got shot, and apparently killed, by Thrust." she answered, looking at the Autobot. Apparently he was about to say something else, when suddenly he let out a strange noise and his optics started going off and on.

"I... don't have much time... Arcee, can you tell... him... about this?" the Autobot asked. After receiving a nod from Arcee his optics shut off permanently. Arcee looked at him and gave a sad sigh. When she looked at Wheeljack, she realized that he was dead, too. Then she lifted her head up, her optics burning with determination.

"Springer, hold on there, I'm gonna help you in a minute. All three are dead. I'll still get them to safety, so that these idiots can't scrap them into even smaller parts." she called out. Then her thoughts took a philosophical turn.

"It looks like wherever we are and whatever we do, we can't rest in peace until the Decepticons are off our backs. It seems Optimus was right after all... we have to fight. For our friends, for the innocents... and especially for the universe and everything in it. And it seems like three have finally claimed their freedom."
-----------------
...she looked at faces she was happy to see alive. Then she proceeded to do what she felt wasn't so nice.

"I... have to tell you something. He's dead. Died while helping Wheeljack during an attack by Ramjet and Skywarp."

"I guessed something was wrong when he didn't show up in the medbay. I guess he's in peace now." with that he turned and made his way out of the room. Soon after a crash was heard. When Arcee, Springer, Rodimus and Ultra Magnus rushed out to see what had happened, the femmebot burst into tears she didn't know she was holding back. The Autobot was there, laying on the floor on his back, with his optics closed and his head resting on it's right side. He was holding a serene smile on his face.

"Now they both are... rest in peace, boys," Rodimus looked around himself and sighed. "This war has claimed many of our friends, but I will see it doesn't claim any more of them. I will do it... for Sunstreaker and Sideswipe."

It was later diagnosed that the connection the brothers had shared had finally claimed the yellow twin's life by short-circuiting his Spark. And so, Sunstreaker was taken to the Autobot mausoleum so that he could rest right by the side of his brother Sideswipe.

'Two bodies, but only one soul
Withstanding together and alone
Identical, or not, still are the same
Not even death do them part
Still they speak, from the other side.'
(- an acrostic poem about twins, written by DeltaSilver88... for an English essay)

[Midnight Express]

Beyond Redemption?

He ducked behind a wall that was half crunched and half standing. Another Autobot threw himself on the ground right next to him when Bruticus launched a barrage of laser fire on them. He began opening his comlink.

"What are you doing? There's no one nearby enough to help us!" the other hissed.

"Shut up. I'm sure I sense two energy signatures here... somewhere..." he trailed off. Someone had laid a hand on his shoulder. He turned slowly around. And came face to face with a red, smoky Autobot.

"Ya two need help? Me and him were just goin' ta help out Magnus ta fend off a few Decepticreeps." the Montana accented Bot said, this time sounding not too happy. The two comrades looked at each other, their expressions clearly saying:

"What's up with him?"

You see, that particular Autobot was usually happy even during a fight. Something must have happened.

"You and him? Who him?" the first Autobot asked. The red Autobot grinned wearily and pointed behind him. He turned around to see a blue car drive up to them. The car transformed.

"We gotta get out of here! Bruticus is being distracted right now, but for how long?" the Autobot yelled, this time almost losing his normal, snobby style of speech. The red Autobot nodded.

"Lets go. Ya two, ya gonna stay here or follow us?" he asked. The two glanced at the area around them and shrugged.

"Well, why should we stay here? This place is doomed. I know it." the second Autobot sighed heavily. The first one simply grumbled and transformed, speeding after the two other Autobots, followed closely by his comrade.

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They drove along the streets of Autobot City, trying to avoid all contacts with the Decepticons. They didn't succeed.

"A roadblock!" came a yell from the blue car. He wheeled around and transformed, merely inches from the huge truck that appeared to be Motormaster. The red Autobot and the two others transformed as well and they all stood back to back.

"We're bein' surrounded, ya know. Those're Dead End and Drag Strip right behind us. And I'm sure Wildrider and Breakdown are 'ere somewhere." the red Autobot drawled quietly. Apparently Motormaster heard them because he snorted.

"Right, Autobot. Stunticons, merge!" the Stunticon leader yelled as the five merged into Menasor. Another rumbling voice was heard from behind them. It sounded almost like...

"Bruticus! We're in some deep slag here, guys!" the first Autobot said. Suddenly a rustle was heard. He turned around to look at the fatalistic Autobot. He had activated his comlink.

"Come in, Ultra Magnus! We're being attacked by Menasor and Bruticus! We need assistance fast, or we're gonna be nothing but smoking piles of ash!"

The four looked at each other and nodded. They all attacked Bruticus, firing their weapons as fast as they could. The blue Bot managed to hit the gestalt directly in the face. The giant stumbled backwards, shielding his optics.

"Run for it!" the blue Bot yelled as he transformed and sped from between Bruticus and the alley wall. The three followed and were almost out of danger when...

"Uraaaaaaaaaaahh! Aaarghhh!" the blue Autobot was shot and he crashed against the alley wall. The red Autobot and the two others wheeled around and were shot as well. They all transformed back to robot mode and looked up at the sky.

"...Hggghh... the... Constructicons..." the red Autobot said quietly as he lost consciousness. The two others looked at the arriving six figures in horror as they combined. The three gestalts surrounded them and shot their lasers at the same time.

"So... this is how it ends. I regret only... not being able to help my comrades.. anymore." the first Autobot thought as his mind shut down.

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Later Ultra Magnus was sorting the files that had the names of the dead Autobots. His hand, holding the datapad, was slung behind his chair. His other hand was rubbing his forehead, just as his head was resting on the headrest, his face facing the ceiling. He sighed heavily. Blurr, who was in the room with him, glanced towards the huge Autobot.

"Iseverythingallright,Magnus?" the hyperactive Autobot asked.

"Not exactly. I was just reading the death files, and it seems the rescue squad... the Protectobots... didn't reach Inferno, Tracks, Huffer and Gears in time. They were killed by the three Decepticon gestalts. I feel responsible for it. I shouldn't have send them to those areas at all. I should have known those were worst places to be." Magnus replied, throwing the datapad on his desk. Blurr looked in shock at him, starting to speak and surprisingly slowing his speech:

"You couldn't have known that the Combiners were there. It wasn't your fault, Magnus. People die in wars... there's nothing you can do about it."

Magnus looked in awe at the young data courier. He was always surprised to see how wise the younger ones could be. A faint smile touched the stern City Commander's face.

"Thanks, Blurr. I'll remember that."

"CanIgonow?" Blurr returned to his fast speech.

"...Huh? Oh, right, of course." Magnus said. Blurr saluted quickly and sprinted out the doorway. Magnus thought:

"Why does he talk like that? I can hardly tell what he usually says... well, I guess he just is like that. Hmm... where's the world going, young giving lessons of war to the old?"

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This hymn
Is for those,
Who
Fight For Light.
So I sing
For the soldiers
Of the universe.
The beings
Who have
Sacrificed themselves,
Are the champions
Of life
Forever.
So I sing for the future
Of the world, and better times.
So all ye
Who listen
To me now,
Respect
The dead
And the warriors of eternity.
(-- song words made for Vangelis' 'Hymn' by DeltaSilver88)