The war was long and the war was brutal and even the best of them began to lose sight.
It didn't happen all at once, it was a chipping away of hope, an erosion of faith.
But when the realization came, it came like a sudden acid rain eating away at the last layer of rusted armor to leak through and consume the unprotected body.
At least that's what it felt.
In reality, for Optimus Prime anyway, he was holding a report that proclaimed the "good news" that in the last Autobot/Decepticon altercation it was estimated both sides had lost equal amounts of soldiers. This was good because it meant the Decepticons didn't have any advtanges over the Autobots.
It sat there in dry glyphs typed in straight lines and it was the wire that broke the cyber-camel's back.
These weren't numbers being sent out to fight and die, they were people, on both sides, they were people.
Optimus set down the report and made a decison.
---
Optimus Prime, bearer of the Matrix of Leadership, head of the Autobot army, surrendered.
Some Autobots were shocked. Some had been expecting it.
Some deserted, tearing off or painting over their badges and fleeing into the wastelands. Most were too starved to do more then stare and wonder what life would be like under the Decepticon fist.
Optimus took his high command to the meeting with Megatron. What was left of it anyway. Prowl was scarce as smoke as soon as the announcement for plans of surrender was aired and Ratchet refused to go.
That left Ultra Magnus, the only one to vocally support Optimus' decision, Ironhide, and Elita One, who were both dead silent either way on the topic.
The signing of the terms of surrender went shockingly smooth. Optimus signed the last space on the last line of the last page.
Megatron nodded. Then lifted his fusion cannon and blew the Prime's head off.
The betrayal of the terms and the death of their leader barely had time to register to the Autobot command before they were under fire from the hoard of seekers descending from the shadows.
Ironhide fell first, followed quickly by Ultra Magnus who was helped along by another blast from Megatron.
Elita made it out of the room and into the corridor and might have made it further if Skywarp's blade hadn't materialized halfway through her spark.
The Autobot army was essentially decapitated, no one left to assume command, no one left to stand between the soldiers and Megatron's whims, no one left to even dare to try to argue for decent treatment.
So they were rounded up and dumped into a camp and... overall things weren't much worse then they had been before. Sure they couldn't choose to leave and the guards were certainly unkind, but they'd actually gotten an increase in rations.
Many of them were ready to lay down and accept their fates.
Some sparks however, refused to settle, no matter the circumstances.
---
The chain-link fence rattled as the bot tested his weight to it and despite the metal's creaking complaints it held long enough for him to scramble up to the top and drop down to the other side.
