Being Human (Transformers Prime)

Chapter Twenty Four | Apocalypse

"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper."

~T.S. Eliot

>>•<<

Wheeljack, Arcee, and Agent Fowler walked through the Groundbridge, their heads hung low. Ratchet thought it was due to losing all three of their human allies again, but after a quick once over he realized that June Darby was not among those that walked back through.

"Where is June?" He asks, optics drawn to Arcee as she walked with her servos clasped close to her spark. There was a long pause before the femme spoke.

"June is gone." She was bitter, voice laced with anger. "Megatron blasted her to ash." The name of the warlord was spat as she opened her servos, revealing that they were full of black remains, some spilling over the sides.

"By the Allspark . . ." Ratchet felt his voice box glitch in response.

Optimus Prime stood tall, his optics widened with horror and disbelief. Bumblebee and Smokescreen craned their necks so they too could see, Bee giving out one long squeal of horror before he fell backwards, passing out.

"Bumblebee!" Smokescreen knelt down to attend to his unconscious comrade.

"Megatron has done an unforgivable act," Optimus finally spoke, his spark filling with grief and regret. "Hurting one of our human allies; especially one that had the least to do with our conflict."

"I thought he was already past that point!" Agent Fowler snapped. "Or is complete desolation of your planet inconsequential?"

Optimus turned his saddened gaze on Agent Fowler. "We have come to terms with the desolation of our planet, Agent Fowler. And with time, we may even be able to restore it to its former glory. But taking a life, Cybertronian or human, as innocent as June's had been, is irreversible."

The agent stomped up the stairs. "Well, I'm going to call her workplace and make up some kind of cover. Start making funeral arrangements, whatever." He slammed the door to his office, the Autobots that were present all looking at the closed piece of metal.

"He needs time to cope. As do we all." Ratchet said softly, looking at the remainder of June that rested in Arcee's servos. "Let me find something to . . . Put her in." He turned away from a minute, wiping at the energon that dotted his optics, not sure why he was crying.

Arcee carefully poured the ash into an empty energon container, Ratchet attaching a lid and labeling it as "June Darby." They paused to look at it for a moment before the medic turned back to his computers.

There is nothing more we can do. He thought with regret, feeling more energon leak from his optics. A grunt of frustration escapes him as he wipes it away again. Crying won't bring her back.

>>•<<

"Well, at least they didn't strap us to tables this time." Miko said, gesturing around the laboratory. "Though I can say getting locked in is any better."

"Yeah, they'll keep us here until they need us." Jack replied. "And since Shockwave is currently busy with Project Predacon, they probably won't do anything with us for a while."

Rafael walked over to a computer that was turned on and generating information about the experimentation that had been done on them. "It's kind of silly that they keep us here unmonitored. Do they not know that I'm good at computers?"

"When it was just me, they didn't have to worry about that." Jack lowered his voice. "But I would be careful, Soundwave seems to know everything."