Chapter 8: In My Mind

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"Help! Somebody, please, help me!"

A large mech grunted, energon leaking from various wounds on his body as he struggled to lift up a large metal wall. He grunted, his pedes scratching across the floor as the weight forced him to his knees. He could have jumped out and avoided being crushed, but he didn't.

Beneath the rubble, a small, faint sob was heard.

"Sire, please, it hurts." The sparkling cried, his legs severed and energon draining fast.

Ultra Magnus looked at the child worriedly before turning to face the rest of the crumbling city. Flames and fighting were heard in the background, screams echoing around the chaos. Chances were, a Decepticon would hear him before an Autobot, but Magnus was desperate.

Anyone would be desperate when their sparkling was in danger of being terminated.

"HEEEYYYY!" He roared. "I NEED HELP!"

Sounds of battle were his only reply and Ultra Magnus's legs shook with effort. Soon enough, he would be too weak to hold it up and the sparkling would be crushed. It was only a matter of time.

"Well, well, well." A silver femme walked out into the opening, the Decepticon symbol on her chassis gleaming in the light. "What do we have here?"

"Please." Ultra Magnus begged. "It's a sparkling."

"An Autobot sparkling." The femme stated in disdain. "Why would I lift a finger to help?"

"He's never done anything wrong." Magnus swallowed hard as her sharp finger traced over an energon tube on his neck. "He doesn't deserve to die."

"And you?" She asked.

"You can kill me." He told her. "Just save the boy."

She smirked. "As if I needed your permission."

A blade suddenly emerged from her hand and jabbed into his stomach, causing the mech to cry out, almost dropping the wall. There was another loud round of sobbing from the sparkling.

"Careful now." The Decepticon chuckled. "You might swish your kid."

"Please." Magnus bowed his head. "Please. I'll tell you anything you want to know about the Autobots, just save my son."

"What could a lowly Autobot like you know?"

"I'm Optimus Prime's lieutenant Ultra Magnus." Magnus told her. "I doubt there's a better bot you could capture."

The femme's eyes widened. "You're Ultra Magnus?"

He grimaced as his backstrut creaked dangerously. "Yes."

She grabbed his arm and jerked him out from beneath the wall. Barely comprehending what had happened because of the sudden relief, Ultra Magnus hit the ground and then looked up in a daze.

A scream split the air.

"STRONGARM!" He launched to his feet and rushed to his child's aid, noting that the wall had crushed the entire lower half of his body and then some.

Gasping and choking on energon, Strongarm writhed in pain, his optics flickering.

"No, no, no, no..." Ultra Magnus pulled his sparkling into his lap. "Hold on, Strongarm. Hold on. I'll get you a medic."

"They won't be able to do anything." A blaster nudged the back of Ultra Magnus's head.

"No, he'll live." Ultra Magnus snarled, clutching Strongarm and failing to notice as the sparkling's optics dulled. "He'll be fine."

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