June Darby [Being Human AU] (Transformers: Prime)

Chapter Eight | Siege

"The true soldier knows nothing but war, and the true soldier, for lack of an enemy, attacks himself."

~Dan Groat, Monarchs and Mendicants

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June new something was wrong long before the doors of her kennel were open, the unbearable voice of a particularly disliked other  filling her audio receptors.

"The Autobots are attacking our ship!" Starscream screeched at her, clutching the shock prod in his servos. "Down to the ventral side of the ship, you beast, and attend to our master!"

The Predacon recognized Master, standing and watching as Starscream darted away and took off, the femme having the presence of mind and intelligence to follow. Spreading her magnificent wings, instincts instructed her on how to take flight, taking to the skies for the first time and tailing the Seeker, diving down to see conflict. The scent of spilt energon permeated the air heavily on a part of the ship she had never seen before. Never had she been introduced to the belly of the ship, though the femme had no inclination to explore - it was rather odd, as part of the ship extended downward into a something she recognized as a device. It was not the ship itself, but an addition.

Another ping tugged at the back of her mind, but she ignored it.

Her sharp optics noticed each individual battle, the others of both warring factions engaged with one another. Gracefully gliding around a jagged spire, her chest warmed in preparation for mixing the catalysts to give her fire, yet the scent of energon warned her to not use it in this small space. The resulting reaction could kill the ones she intended to spare.

"Not sure whether I'm glad to see ya, or if I'm mad that you're ruining the party, June!" Miko opened fire on the Predacon femme, intentionally hitting her thick hide armor and streaking past her in her jet mode, distracting her briefly. The Predacon blasted fire toward the flying other, well away from energon, and managing to scorch part of its back end and elicit a cry of pain.

"Miko!" Jack leaned over the edge of the new Omega Lock, gasping as his mother emerged from the side and attacked, the young man barely avoiding her claws. Arcee retaliated by blasting her face, leaping over her partner protectively. Jack scrambled out of the way and instead engaged Starscream while Arcee was distracted, him and Bumblebee teaming up to stop the Seeker.

Miko circled back around and latched onto the Predacon's back, one of her servo's becoming maces and smashing into June's armor. Eliciting a shriek of pain from the woman, June dislodged herself from the side and attempted to shake Miko off. The Seeker femme held on for dear life, her servo returning for a second handhold, eventually leaping backwards and transforming in a sequence that even Starscream would have been jealous of. 

June retreated briefly to reassess her priorities, optics spotting Master below engaging the large blue and red other in a battle that could only be to the death. Her tail curled against the spire briefly, growling and shrieking as one of the others from above leaped from below, holding a weapon that made her armor flare.

Her fire blasted forth, but it missed, scorching the edge of the weapon. Master took care of the threat, however, three shots from his canon dispatching the other with ease. Shrieks of terror and horror echoed across the expanse, and even June paused. Loss struck her out of nowhere, tearing at her spark as a mourning cry involuntarily escaped her vocalizers. A life, innocent and pure, was lost.

Megatron sneered at Optimus, taken by surprise when the mech punched him angrily, snarling his rage. Bumblebee had been one of his closest friends - and the warmonger had no longer just taken his voice, he had taken his life.

Optimus Prime's blows were quickly met with retaliation, Megatron's fist slamming into him and putting distance between the pair. The warlord picked up his Dark Star Saber, the dangerous weapon glowing in his servos. Blinded by rage, Optimus charged, his experienced opponent waiting patiently before swinging his sword. The resulting wave of energy slammed into Optimus before he had time to react, the Prime stumbling back and falling over the edge.

Someone - Ratchet, Arcee, Smokescreen, or one of the children - screamed his name. Miko moved to transform and help the Prime, but a Vehicon Seeker subdued her, Starscream pointing his rocket at the young femme and threatening to blow her helm off should she resist.

"I have waited for this day for a long, long time," Megatron raised his sword, grinning devilishly. "The day I end your spark, Optimus Prime!"

The warlord was rudely interrupted by a green and creme blurr, June slamming into him and curling her claws around his torso. Her piercing scream of rage nearly blew out his opitcs and audio receptors, the gladiator growling and preparing to react to her insolence when he realized she was not attacking him. Where he had been standing was the scout, Bumblebee, the hole in his chest healing and the Star Saber in his servos.

"Optimus!" Bumblebee cried out the Prime's name, unaware he had just spoken. He quickly helped Optimus up, June growling and curling around her master.

"What are you going to do, Optimus?" Megatron mocked as the Prime took the Star Saber, fully facing the Decepticon leader and his loyal Predacon. "Attack me, and June will not only tear you to shreds, but she may get hurt in the process."

Optimus gazed into the optics of the Predacon femme, his spark faltering ever so slightly. He shuttered his optics briefly, setting his jaw.

"June would understand," he spoke.

"Optimus, no!" Jack screamed from above as the mech raised the Star Saber, the blade glowing blue as it charged with the power of the Matrix. 

June's optics narrowed, the Predacon hissing. She knew escaping the attack would be fruitless by taking flight - she was too slow. Taking the hit was too dangerous as well; not only would Master take damage, but if she was injured she could potentially fail to further protect him. 

There was only way to go, and judging by the effects the strange substance had on the small, innocent other, it was safe.

The Predacon femme's grip tightened on Megatron, his only indication that she was going to move, before she dived into the Omega Lock.

"June!" Ratchet shouted, his cry falling on deaf audio receptors as both the Predacon and Megatron disappeared below the surface. It rippled briefly, the two figures seeming to fade out of existence.

It is dark.

But it has not always been dark.

June twisted, her claws releasing Megatron as her optics on-lined and a surprised vent escaped what she would have called her lungs. The supernatural substance washed across her processor, slipping across the memory suppressors and shattering them.

Megatron struggled only briefly, his wide red optics shuttering and his body sinking further as the energon had vastly different effects on his frame. The dark energon within reacted violently, pain radiating across his veins and threatening to destroy him from the inside out. The Omega Lock instead purged the substance from his body, healing his torn spark and wiping out the corruption.

Optimus stared as the Omega Lock's energon stilled, showing no signs of life from within. There was tense silence across the entire apparaturs, Jack venting almost uncontrollably as he waited. His mother . . . she could not just be gone.

A servo erupted from the Omega Lock, the gasping and sputtering of a new Cybertronian not quite accustomed to her body breaking the silence. A bipedal femme emerged, her faceplates contorted into a pained expression, blue optics focusing on the Autobot leader as she desperately reached for him.

"Optimus," June Darby gasped, flailing in the substance like a drowning child and still trying to understand what had happened. "Help me."