You say, "Whiz! Is th--"

Cybertronian Lab
This is a small lab, cramped with equipment, in the Cybertronians' base 
on Phoenicia-7. The sounds of a struggle can be heard from the corridor 
beyond, including occasional shouts and the whine of laser blasts. A 
huge gunmetal grey machine rests in the corner of the laboratory, hooked 
up to a large generator and several brightly lit readouts. Other 
Cybertronians wait here to become a part of one of the greatest last-
minute missions of all time...
Contents: FX

Firestar has arrived.
Cyclonus has arrived.
Spoiler has arrived.
Flamediver has arrived.
Outrun has arrived.
Sundiver has arrived.
Whiz has arrived.
Strafe has arrived.
Sundiver snaps back to this time, in the middle of . . .
As you arrive, a massive explosion is rocking the laboratory as the 
protal generator itself is destroyed.
(You all have protective force-shields)
Sundiver, already damaged form the fight, falls to the ground in the 
explosion.
Firestar's forcefield holds but is pushed back heavily by the explosion. 
"Frag!"
Outrun eeeks! and ducks reflexively, shield flaring around her.
Cyclonus staggers as he falls from the cloud, then gets buffeted by the 
ensuing explosion, still in the forcefield.
Rodimus blinks in utter shock, staggering back under the force of the 
explosion despite the field.
Sundiver rolls over as his chassis begins to melt. He looks up at the 
others. AS his face begins to melt off, he grins and mutters, "We . . 
did . . . it . . . "
Flamediver is already moving, even before Whiz has time to answer his 
shouted question. As he sees Sundiver transform, he races against time 
as the rift opens. In one last effort, he leaps through the air, 
slamming into Sundiver as he wraps and arm around Sundiver, his other 
hand clicking the forcefield generator, hoping it will surround the both 
of them.
FX is in the midst of dying dramatically in front of the door, as Sky 
Lynx's head and shoulders disappear in the doors as he is blown out of 
the room.
Spoiler slams into the ground under the force of the explosion.
Sundiver gets covered by FD's field just before everything melts off 
him.
Firestar rolls with the blast, getting pushed up against the wall, 
"..Primus.."
Cyclonus groans quietly and tries to get up, chassis battered by the 
beating he took from Trypticon and he braces himself against a wall.
Rodimus throws an arm up to protect his optics, only slowly easing his 
pose to take in the mass destruction.
Flamediver gets SLAMMED as his field goes up, and he and Sundiver go 
hurtling through the air to slam back into a wall as Flamediver holds 
Sundiver tightly to keep from losing him.
Outrun looks around wildly. "Flamedi--" Her eyes stop short on Sky Lynx, 
and widen in dread. "oh no!"
Spoiler rolls a few times before getting on his stomach and pushing 
himself up.
Whiz is thrown to the floor by the blast and looks up to be sure the 
forcefield held for everyone. "Rodimus..?"
Sundiver winces as his chassis flash-solidifies as the field stops the 
heat.
Cyclonus shakes out the haziness slowly and drops into a crouch, 
scanning around the area as the room continues to burn/collapse around 
them.
Firestar pushes herself up next to Cyclonus, taking to a knee, bringing 
her battered launcher up, "..hope yer ready, sis.." She gets a tight 
smirk, and prepares.
Rodimus throws a quick look over at Whiz in the middle of his survey. 
"I'm here."
Flamediver shakes his head, looking around in amazement at the 
destruction of the blast as his optics desperately try to readjust, 
"Outrun! What is it..? I can't see all that well at the moment.."
Sky Lynx stalks back into the doors, small cracks in his yellow optics, 
thick scarring across his armor revealing parts of infrashielding, he 
almost salivates with rage, "Such pitiful attempts cannot stop the 
righteous!"
Sundiver begins to fall foreward, arms and legs merging back into his 
hull. The wings on his back fold down to be level, and the nose-cone 
chest flips up over his head. Hovering in the robot's place is now an 
aerospace fighter.
The aerospace fighter's cockpit flips foreward, the wings back. Arms and 
legs form from the hull. Before you stands the heroic veteran warrior 
Sundiver.
Cyclonus hisses, "Sky Lynx..."
Spoiler stands, low in stance, watching the hall.
Rodimus murmurs, "It didn't work..."
Whiz smiles as she gets up, her arms still wrapped around the 
transmission tower.
Sundiver looks at Lynx, and struggles to raise a hand to him. "N-no . . 
. "
Cyclonus pulls up his rifle, aiming it at the huge beast's head.
Whiz drops Transmission Tower.
Whiz pants, "Countervirus still intact, commander."
Sky Lynx says, "I have played these games with you far too long, it ends 
here and now ..."
Outrun shrieks, and points her laser... however, it's been smashed 
beyond use in the commotion. "It's the Primitives!"
Flamediver glances at Sundiver pitifully as he scrambles to his feet, 
"Stay there, Sundiver.." He moves quickly over towards Outrun, pulling 
out his guns.
Sundiver chuckles. "Doubt that . . . Lynx."
Whiz leans slightly on the tower as she reaches into her hip 
compartment.
Rodimus turns his attention forcibly from Whiz to Sky Lynx, the old 
familiar wariness settling over him like a shroud. "You're right, Sky 
Lynx. It ends."
Cyclonus takes a moment to glance back at Whiz, noting the tower, then 
slides around in front of it to protect the tower again in this time...
Sundiver sturggles to his feet, taking what's left of the last surviving 
human artifact-laser off his hip.
Sky Lynx swings two massive cannons in the direction of the 
cybertronians, his dark sneer locked on his beak, "die ... "
Whiz pulls out a wad of plastic explosive with an evil grin.
Flamediver screeches to a halt protectively in front of Outrun, taking a 
familiar defensive stance, both of his laser guns out and pointed at Sky 
Lynx, "Just try it, monster.."
Firestar takes up position next to Cyclonus, "Ready?"
Cyclonus nods. "Go."
Sundiver aims his mini-pistol, strangely unmelted. "No. You give up."
Sky Lynx unleashes a deadly Rped volly on either side of Rodimus, "I'll 
save you til last .. yes."
Cyclonus jumps up, physically blocking Sky Lynx's aim, advancing in step 
with Firestar, buying the last bit of time needed.
Rodimus tightens his expression into a blank mask, trying to hide the 
pain of his previous injuries, and of the knowledge that Sky Lynx 
brought *it* with him this time.
Rodimus ducks and rolls under the blasts, yanking his gun out to a ready 
position.
Whiz sets the charge on the explosives and tosses them under Sky Lynx's 
feet.
You say, "No, Sky Lynx, this ends here and now."
Sundiver calls out, "Hey, Lynx!" He chuckles despite his condition. "You 
can't kill us! You're already gone! We all are!
Firestar moves in step with Cyclonus, cannon leaping out to embrace the 
Prime leader, even as the rounds from his cannon rip into her systems, a 
fatal blow ripping through her torso, and leans on Cyclonus, trying to 
stay in the line.
Flamediver shoves Outrun to the side, away from the volley, "Outrun! 
Watch out...!!" and gets slammed by the volley of shots, his torso 
getting slammed backwards as his feet come out from under him, and he 
lands hard on his back on the ground.
Sky Lynx snatches up the explosives with blinding speed chucking them 
back in the direction of their owner, "Toys will not stop me."
Cyclonus watches the explosives pass them as Sky Lynx's blast passes 
*through* him and he falls forward on his knees, rifle tumbling out of 
his hand.
Sundiver pings laser blasts off of Lynx's armor, having little effect. 
Strangely enough, he starts laughing.
Whiz screams curses out loud as she rips her chaingun out and blasts the 
explosives in midair, causing them to explode above everyone, showering 
debris.
Whiz throws her body over the tower to protect it from harm.
Sky Lynx barely winces as the blastwaves strike against him, as he 
stalks intently toward rodimus, "Yes .. here it ends."
Rodimus bellows, "Whiz! Get that thing online!"
Cyclonus folds under the force of the second explosion, dropping, 
seemingly in slow motion to the ground with Firestar.
Outrun gasps, and picks up a fallen rifle as her comrades fall before 
her, steeling her look and struggling to raise it. "/NO!/" she 
screeches, despreately firing a few shots before losing her balance.
Whiz gasps, "Easier said than done!"
Sundiver ignores the debris that sower his melted chassis as he keeps 
pinging away with the laser. He begins singing, "Ama-zing Grace . . . 
How sweet, the sound . . ."
Firestar gasps out, "..on you, sis--.." she falls with Cyclonus, her 
optics darkening as she grabs Cyclonus' hand in her own, and whispers 
hoarsely, "..see you on the other side..." as another blast rips through 
her back, and she fallsout.
Rodimus darts sideways, slipping around Sky Lynx's feet and strafing 
upwards at him with his rifle in one hand.
Sky Lynx lunges for Rodimus with his gaping maw, intent on bitting him 
in half
Sky Lynx hits you with bite for 15 damage.
Endurance Level: 62
System Analysis: Nominal 
Whiz grabs the switch and hopes that the whole thing doesn't short out 
entirely.
Flamediver moves on the ground slowly as he attempts to get up, the 
front of his torso ripped away by the force of the volley, and 
unsteadily, he gets up to his feet, moving to stagger in front of Whiz 
and the tower, behind Rodimus, his internal systems seeking to cut off 
the energon flow quickly as his optics flicker.
Whiz screams, "You'll kill him over my dead body, Primitive!"
Sundiver aims carefully as he sings, trying to group his shots around 
Lynx's optics.
Whiz throws the switch and sparks fly out as the tower begins 
broadcasting at extra high power.
Rodimus cries out in pain as Sky Lynx's teeth rip into his already 
damaged armor, swinging his arm around and trying to bring it to bear on 
the Prime leader's optics, without much success from his current angle.
The sound is even uncomfortable to Cybertronian earsh, though it is 
excruciating to Primitives. All around the lab, Primitives drop to their 
knees in pain.
Sky Lynx lifts Rodimus in his jaws, smiling evilly as he tastes the 
leader's energon pouring down his throat, "So pure, so deliciously pure, 
I have never tasted anything like it .. "
Rodimus grunts, "Not now... I won't let you, not when we were so 
close..."
Outrun watches in awe, fright, and dread, taxed systems unable to move 
her back upright.
Rodimus doesn't stop struggling, though he's very nearly completely 
impaled on Sky Lynx's fangs.
Sundiver winces as his ears begin to hurt,a dn his laser runs out of 
charge. Fed up, he throws it at Lynx. "Dammit! Not now!"
Sky Lynx drops Rodimus shaking his head in pain, "What type of treachery 
is THIS!?!?"
Cyclonus intakes sharply, once... fighting the darkness as he has for 
eight million years, watching, almost remotely, the struggle behind him 
as his vision finally darkens, hearing the sound of salvation as it 
ushers him into the void.
Whiz laughs horribly. "You may kill us, but we're not going to let you 
enjoy it, damn you!"
Rodimus wrenches an arm around, about to fire down Sky Lynx's throat, 
when he's suddenly dropped. He remains there, on the ground, groaning 
softly but otherwise not moving.
Flamediver winces quietly at the pain in his audios as he staggers to 
one knee, the energon not able to be controlled and stopped by his 
internal systems.
Sundiver stumbles towards Rod. "C'mon, Fearless . . . let's get back . . 
." He tries in vain to drag him back to cover.
Whiz brings the backup generators online too, making the virus replicate 
itself faster and faster with the increased power, and raising the 
output of the transmission tower.
Sky Lynx roars in pain and rage and fires a merciless volly at the tower 
and Whiz.
Outrun attempts to drag herself over towards the last stand by the 
tower, one leg bent the wrong way at the knee.
Strafe moves forward to help Sundiver drag Rod back.
Rodimus bats weakly at Sundiver and Strafe's hands, struggling to pull 
himself to his knees on his own.
Whiz leaps in front of the shots, some of them peppering her battered 
frame and others pinging off of the tower's frame above her head.
Firestar's outakes deeply, making her frame seem to laugh as her optics 
darken completely out, her grip tightening around Cyclonus as she slips 
into a quiet darkness and into another plane of existance where she can 
be free of war after 25+million years.
Sundiver picks up one of Rod's guns, since he's too small to help Rod. 
"So help me Primus, BACK OFF!"
Rodimus grunts, "Why isn't it... working.. Whiz..?"
Sky Lynx says, "I'LL NOT BE STOPPEED BY YOUR PITIFUL ATTEMPT TO DEAFEN 
ME! THIS WAR IS OVER AND YOU LOOSE CYBERTRONIANS!"
Flamediver looks up to see the volley coming, and he ignites his 
thrusters, "NOOO!!!!" he rises up directly into the volley, as he was in 
front of Whiz and the machine, his body jerking mightily and violently, 
getting spun around a few times as the volley rips harshly into his 
frame.
Sundiver triggers a shot from Rod's gun, sending him flying back to the 
ground and taking a decent chunk out of Lynx's side armor.
Whiz falls to one knee, gasping. "It's taken too long... all of the real 
Sky Lynx is gone..."
Sky Lynx says, "I *am* the real Sky Lynx! and this *hold up a sealed 
box* will be mine!"
Strafe looks down at Rod's beaten body and curses, looking upwards and 
firing a stream of napalm from his rifle.
Sundiver struggles to his feet. "Too long ... too Freakin long! No! I 
won't ... can't accept that ..."
Sundiver looks down as one of his legs snap off.
Rodimus chokes out a desperate cry at sight of the box, staggering 
unsteadily to his feet as though under someone else's power than his 
own.
Flamediver lands with a *THUD* to the ground, his frame charred severely 
and full of holes from the brunt of the volley, one optic completely 
dark.
Whiz kneels painfully on the ground, looking at Firestar and Cyclonus' 
lifeless bodies and the wounded forms of her other comrades, and then 
stares at the ground helplessly.
Sky Lynx cracks the box open, releasing a stout blue-green light, 
dropping the precious contents into his opposite paw, staring at it as 
if has him in it's grasp, "it will be mine ... "
Rodimus grates painfully, "This has to end...."
Flamediver moves slowly and agonizingly, as he slowly crawls his way 
over to Whiz, speaking brokenly and softly, "Whiz.."
Whiz looks up at the light through the flying sparks of the overloading 
tower.
Sundiver pulls a gun from a fallen warrior. "FOR THE FUTURE!" Bracing 
him against a wall, he opens fire.
Whiz puts a hand on Flamediver. "Look. At least you've seen the Matrix 
once in your life..."
Outrun drags herself to the opposite side of Whiz, whispering 
"Flamediver..." Her gaze goes, unwillingly to the monstrous form of Sky 
Lynx.
Sky Lynx's armor defects the blasts as he turns his head toward 
Sundiver, "You have no future."
Rodimus forces the words out, his voice rising to a defiant roar despite 
his injuries. "It will never be yours!"
Flamediver turns quietly to look at the Matrix's light as a small 
compartment opens on his leg. He pulls out two pictures as he looks back 
to Whiz, "He hands her one, trying to smile a little, "Whiz.. never 
forget.."
Flamediver looks over at Outrun, his broken face smiling quietly as his 
energon pools slightly. He hands her the other picture, the one with him 
and Rodimus, "And this is for you, sis.."
Sky Lynx looks back and forth from Sundiver to the Matrix, the Matrix 
seems to demand his attention, he can't pull his optics from it for more 
than a few second, mesmerized by the powerful glow and magesty of the 
object he holds ... or perhaps the Matrix itself is distracting him.
Sundiver brings his gun around slightly, his blasts streaking towards 
Lynx's paws. "No future? There is ALWAYS A FUTURE!"
Whiz's hand closes weakly over the picture and she smiles briefly.
Rodimus tightens his grip on his rifle and moves forward purposefully, 
as though he has nothing left to lose.
Strafe stumbles backwards from exhaustion, into a support as he slowly 
slides down to the floor, rifle slipping from his hand and clanging to 
the groun.
Outrun looks wide-opticed at Flamediver, shaking her head fractionally. 
"..but... you can't..."
Whiz looks up at Rodimus, struggling to her feet.
Firestar's darkness is ripped away by a bright blinding light from the 
Matrix, daring not to try to slip away, her energon pooling with 
Cyclonus' own.
Sky Lynx suddenly focuses all his attention on the Matrix, freezing in 
his tracks staring at it's power, mesmerized into a sort of catatonia
Rodimus mumbles incoherently to himself, optics fixed on Sky Lynx at the 
Matrix, his actual attention light-years away.
Sundiver grins as he fires. "Our darkest hour, Lynx . . . you forget 
your legends."
Flamediver lays down on the ground quietly, resting his working hand on 
his torn and shattered chestplate, full of holes, circuitry broken and 
charred, energon almost literally flowing in streams. He smiles slightly 
up at Outrun, his one optics still glittering, "no.. not yet. But... at 
least.. at least we made it back.."
Whiz's optics focus on the light of the Matrix quietly.
Strafe groans and tries to climb back up to his feet, using a support to 
help.
Rodimus shoots a look at Sundiver and lurches forward into motion at the 
same time, rifle blazing.
Rodimus blasts up at Sky Lynx's face and underside of his jaw, a 
distraction more than anything. "You will never have it!"
Flamediver lies there quietly on the ground on his back in front of 
Outrun, smiling up at her softly. Gently, he gestures towards the 
Matrix, saying weakly, "Look, sis.. the Matrix.... we finally see it, 
after so long.. at least we made it back.. right, sis?" and coughs 
slightly, his chest moving slowly and labored, his good hand resting onn 
what's left of his chest.
The Matrix leaps from Sky Lynx's paw, and strikes the floor, rolling 
across it like a bowling ball, he stares at his empty hand for several 
second enraptured them shakes it off with a bewildered look on his face, 
"What ... "
Sundiver covers Rod. "The dream will never die, Lynx . . . you'll never 
kill us . . . hell, you could never kill me then, doubt you can get me 
here."
Sundiver grins.
Whiz's optics leap with hope as she sees Sky Lynx lose possession of the 
Matrix.
Sky Lynx jerks backwards as the blasts rip into his face, he staggers 
back clenching his jaw painfully, the glare of hatred returning
Sundiver covers Rod with a rapid burst of fire to drive Lynx back. 
"Fearless! Go!"
Rodimus yells something incomprehensible and casts his rifle aside 
without consideration, diving and rolling under Sky Lynx's upraised paw 
to try and reach it first.
Sky Lynx says, "NO!!! It's MINE!!!!!!!!!!"
Whiz sees what is happening and starts shooting her chaingun at Sky Lynx 
grimly.
Sundiver peppers Lynx with blasts, switching guns when his runs out of 
ammo.
Whiz says, "You're not getting it back, monster!"
Strafe groans and desperately tries to crawl towards the Matrix to cover 
Rod, though only making it a few feet before he collapses the rest of 
the way from pure exhaustion. Small pools of energon form around his 
body from seemingly invisible wounds.
Sundiver winces as the recoil of the new gun shakes his arm to pieces. 
"Oh, PRed...."
Rodimus LEAPS with the last strength left in his legs, throwing himself 
over the glittering artifact with a wrenching cry of what might be pain, 
but you can't really tell.
Sky Lynx lunges for rodimus, seemingly so enrapture by the Matrix that 
the blasts tearing into him have no effect whatsoever, he clenchs for 
Rodimus to stop him, grabbing him by the leg and hoistiing him up upside 
down, "It's MINE!"
Sky Lynx succeeds in grasping Rodimus, throwing him off-balance.
Sundiver swears and begins hopping toward sLynx on one leg. "LET HIM 
GO!"
Whiz loses what's left of her composure. She stands fully, sparks flying 
all around her, and runs at Sky Lynx blindly, screaming, "No, Rodimus!"
Rodimus scrabbles to keep his grip as his equilibrium gets thrown 
completely out of whack, fumbling it but somehow managing to snag his 
fingers around one of the handholds before it can fall.
Outrun's optics /widen/...
Flamediver quietly watches from the floor, his one good optic flickering 
quietly as the pool of energon beneath him slowly grows larger, his 
systems unable to stop the flow from his multitudes of wounds, his armor 
and circuitry charred and scarred, burnt through and severely damaged as 
he lies there. As he sees Rodimus grab the Matrix, his broken face 
slowly smiles, and he gives the victory sign quietly with his good hand, 
still resting on his chest.
Sky Lynx leans back on his haunches, the blasts ripping through his 
armor mercilessly, by he seems oblivious to the wouunds as he reels back 
to shred rod into pieces
Sundiver graps a small pistol while hopping. He pauses as Rod grabs the 
Matrix's handle.
Whiz plows into Sky Lynx's shoulder to stop the descending paw.
Whiz succeeds in grasping Sky Lynx, throwing him off-balance.
Strafe weakly pushes himself onto his side, staring at the matrix with 
dim optics.
The Matrix pulses brightly, almost pure white in the burnt-out, darkened 
remains of the lab, bolts of electrical energy sparking and crackling 
outward in a radius of blinding light, tracing themselves like 
controlled lighting across Rodimus' body and up over Sky Lynx's paw.
Sky Lynx growls angrilly and archs his blwo into a backhand towards Whiz 
mercilleslly
Whiz is thrown back into the wall with nothing but a small gasp.
Sky Lynx misses Whiz with his grasp attack.
Sundiver opens up with his little tiny pistol, trying to blind Lynx as 
the Matrix does whatever it's doing.
Whiz crumples against the wall and fixes her eyes weakly on Rodimus, her 
gasps coming quickly as she hopes for the best.
Sky Lynx drops Rod and backs away, he shakes his head and his knees 
buckle, he slumps to the ground as the power of the Matrix surges into 
him. He covers his head trembling violently, the blinding light coursing 
through him
Sundiver calls out, "Fearless, tell that thing if it's gonna do 
something, it's gotta do it now!"
Rodimus tucks it in as tightly as he can to his body as he curls up 
around it, still upside-down in Sky Lynx's grip. He bucks furiously, 
trying to shake himself free, and abruptly crashes to the floor as Sky 
Lynx falls back.
Flamediver's face takes on a look of pain as his body spasms, 
excruciating pain wrenching through his tortured circuitry as he jerks 
once on the floor, his good hand clenching up into a fist as he lets out 
a sharp gasp and breath, his breathing labored and ragged.
Strafe murmurs something inaudibly.
The tower begins to whine as a few sparks fly from the top, the vial of 
the countervirus beginning to glow as the electric current intensifies.
Sky Lynx crawls arcoss the floor and slams into the wall a thick river 
of energon trailing behind him from his wounds, he shakes a bit but is 
silent as the power washes over him, then suddenly dissapates, leaving 
him slumped to the ground in a pddle of his own energon, his optis 
glowing faintly ...
Rodimus climbs to his feet defiantly, staggering drunkenly before he 
manages to plant himself in one stationary position; still reeling from 
his injuries, the crackling plasmic energy still enveloping him in a 
bluish-white field of lightning, he grates, "This ends.. now..."
Sundiver stands balanced on one leg, laser pistol in his one arm as he 
watches in awe.
Sky Lynx trembles painfully, grinding his teeth together, he gaps out, 
"it ... *is* over .. "
Flamediver's whole frame visibly relaxes as the spasm of pain passes 
through him, leaving him exhausted in its wake. He lets out a shuddering 
breath as he looks over again at Rodimus quietly, his good optics 
flickering silently as by force of will he keeps himself conscious.
Rodimus mutters something inaudibly to himself, deliberately shifting 
his grip on the Matrix casing, his fingers sliding across the smooth 
bronze as though guided by some external puppeteer. He murmurs softly, 
in a somehow impossible-to-ignore tone, his entire attention focused on 
Sky Lynx, "My... friend... my enemy... no more... this has gone too 
far..."
Whiz watches, holding her waist in pain, with a weak but proud smile 
coming over her face.
Sundiver manages to twist his face into a grin, despite the melted state 
of the metal.
Rodimus says with quiet defiance, "Our darkest hour." And tugs the 
casing open.
Outrun puts her hand in Flamediver's without looking, just /knowing/, 
watching the Matrix alight.
Sky Lynx's optics flicker a bit as the Matrix's energies wash over him, 
he is powerless to do anything but allow the matrix energy to surge into 
him, trempling painfully as it unlocks the lost ememories, the lost 
persona, everything that he was destroying what he has become, his 
pained lok seems to change into a content smile and he lays there 
silently as the energy fades.
In a blinding yet somehow not-painful wash of pure... light... is the 
best word you can think to describe it, the Matrix radiates forth a wall 
of pure, unfocused power, washing over everyone in the room and outward. 
A sense of... peace? Finality. Hope. The maelstrom keeps up for several 
unending moments, seconds, years, it doesn't matter. After an eternity, 
the light fades and it is with some vague surprise that you find 
yourself still in the lab.
Flamediver mutely holds his good hand out to Outrun in request, as he 
watches in silence, his hand open in a quiet gesture and question, 
watching through a slight haze, his energon pooled on the floor beneath 
him, slowed down considerably from the original flowing from his system.
As the Matrix's energy fades, the counter-virus transmitter stops 
hissing and spluttering, and with a final flash of light, it breaks 
apart into glowing shards, and the virus spills out in a pool of 
greenish liquid. A strange silence falls over the entire base as 
Primitives everywhere have their memories unlocked by the combined power 
of the Matrix and the transmitter.
Rodimus sinks to one knee dazedly, letting his fingers slip from the 
casing as he eases it wearily shut.
Outrun blinks, and eases her hand from Flamediver's to hobble over to 
Rodimus as quickly as her damaged leg allows.
Strafe sighs a sigh of finality, head lowering and resting against the 
ground.
Sky Lynx remains a heap of burning scrap in the corner, a thick pool of 
energon under him, he slides his head toward Rodimus, his dim optics no 
longer dark and hateful.
Sundiver follow's Outrun's lead, hopping over. He leans his good arm 
against Rodimus for support.
Whiz relaxes and struggles to her hands and knees.
Rodimus mumbles weakly, "'m all right..."
Flamediver's hand loosely slips from Outrun's grasp to slowly sink to 
the floor. His breathing is slow and smooth, his good optic flickering 
on and off contantly as he watches Outrun make her way over to Rodimus 
quietly. His broken face smiles slowly and gently, though unwilling to 
speak and break the awed silence.. a new beginning of sorts.
Sundiver looks up at Rod and grins. "See, Fearless? I told ya the Matrix 
would work . . ."
Sky Lynx claws at the ground and croaks out, "Rod .. i .. mus .. "
Rodimus looks up wearily -- after so long, finally weary -- at Sky Lynx, 
not moving from his exhausted position on the floor. "Yes, Sky Lynx.."
Whiz coughs slightly, holding back an energon flow with her hand. "Who.. 
needs a medic..."
Firestar's fingers twich gently, still clinging to her life.
Sundiver watches his other arm break off against Rod. "Medic? Pred, I 
need a few techs and a new body. Again."
Sky Lynx says, "I'm ... sorry .... tell them I'm ... sorry .... please 
......"
Rodimus says quietly, "I know, Sky Lynx."
Sky Lynx says, "Do .. you forgive me?"
Strafe finds something to prop himself against and does so, grinning 
tiredly.
Outrun darts a look to Whiz, urgently. "Flamediver...!"
Whiz nods, clutching her hand to her side as she rises to her feet and 
staggers. "Uh... yeah...give me a minute..."
Flamediver quietly lays back as his good optic goes dark, and he sighs 
deeply, his breathing slow and shallow. HIs energon lies underneath him, 
slowly spreading across the floor as it drips from the uncountable 
number of holes in him and through him, only one hand and leg working, 
both of his optics now dark.
Rodimus says soberly, "I always did..." he looks down at the Matrix, 
glowing in a muted tone now in his hand, then exhales heavily and looks 
back up, "They know..." he grates roughly. "They cured you... they 
forgive you... as do I."
Whiz limps over to Flamediver, her pain evident, but her tools already 
in her hands.
Sundiver nods over at Lynx. "I always said . . . you'd never kill me. 
Aren't you glad I was right?" He forces a grin.
Flamediver's one good optic comes online as he looks up to Whiz. He 
shakes his head only slightly, his broken face smiling slightly as he 
holds up a hand for her to stop. He speaks quietly, "I'll.. live, Whiz. 
F..F...Firestar? Check on her and Cyclonus first.. please.."
Whiz nods at Flamediver as she says sadly, "I don't know how.. how much 
I can do for them."
Sky Lynx mutters quietly, "thank you ...." He pulls his head away and 
gasps heavily, "Remember me .. for who I was ... not for what they 
turned me into ..... my friends ...." With that Sky Lynx's optics fade 
out, his color fading to a dark grey, his gigantic limbs go limp as he 
releases one finall haggard breath. Then is silent
Sundiver bows his head a moment.
Whiz looks back briefly at Sky Lynx, remembering the real Sky Lynx she 
had seen in his mind, and lowers her head.
Outrun frets at Flamediver around watching Sky Lynx's passing sadly in 
silence.
Flamediver nods slowly once, speaking gently, "I know, Whiz.. just.. 
check. I still.. have some.. f.. fight left in..here." His hand weakly 
thumps his twisted chestplate.
Rodimus sighs heavily, looking down again and you could almost swear you 
saw the Matrix pulse gently in his hand as Sky Lynx sank to the ground.
Whiz moves to Firestar's side, searching for signs of life in either her 
or Cyclonus
Rodimus hauls himself to his feet, slowly.
Whiz gently puts her hand on Cyclonus's forehead, grieving, and then 
turns her attention to trying to recognize the faint signs of life in 
Firestar.
Sundiver sighs, muttering under his breath. Anyone who listens in the 
still quiet can hear him repeatin gthe names of the fallen.
Whiz goes to work on Firestar, desperately trying to pull her back from 
the brink.
Sundiver surveys the room. The fallen. The few scattered fires still 
burning. The ruins of the portal. He hops carefully over to the tunnel, 
now full of defender's bodies and Primes looking around coming out of 
thier dazes. "I hope we don't have to clean up after this mess . . . "
Firestar's optics briefly flicker as she turns to Whiz, and coughs up a 
flow of energon.
Whiz holds Firestar's hand tightly. "Please, 'Sis, come back to me... 
Cyclonus will wait for you, I need oyu here..."
Whiz does what she can to staunch the flow of energon and try to get 
Firestar functional again.
Sundiver hops back to Rod.
Quietly and without fanfare, Rodimus slips the Matrix into his chest 
cavity, his attention clearly focused elsewhere for several moments 
before he finally turns and looks at Whiz. "Was there.. anyone else?" he 
inquires softly. "We'll have to contact them."
Sundiver nods. "I'd go . . . I'm in somewhat better shape that some. IF 
in more pieces..."
Flamediver's optic goes dark again as he quietly lies there in the pool 
of his energon, his good hand resting peacefully on his scarred and 
twisted chestplate. His breathing is quiet and shallow as his hand 
clenches once, his whole frame tightening as a spasm of pain streaks 
through his systems.
Whiz shakes her head slightly at Rodimus, repeating, "I don't know, I 
don't know.."
Firestar's hand relaxes and tightens as she fights, "...ss-i-ssss.."
Rodimus says soberly, "Rest. We have time for that now."
Whiz nods, her voice breaking, "That's right, stay with me. Stay here."
Sundiver hops over to Cyc's body and looks down at it silently.
Whiz tries to keep her hands from shaking as she works, trying to move 
quickly to save her sister.
Outrun limps over to Flamediver, taking his hand again and trying to 
keep him encouraged and fighting, murmuring softly to him.
Sundiver says, "Rest In Peace . . . Commander," his voice free of any 
disrespect.
Firestar coughs hoarsly again, more energon flowing out of her as it 
pools up in her filters, mainly the energon of Cyclonus, as she 
inquires, "..C-ccy.."
Flamediver's hand clenches around Outrun's quietly as he holds it 
firmly, a slow smile spreading over his broken and cracked face. Every 
once in a while, his hand spasma with pain as he lies there, though he 
does not make a sound, or cry out.
Rodimus sits down stiffly next to Flamediver, looking up at Outrun with 
a faint smile of appreciation as he slides an arm around Flamediver's 
shoulders, gently. "Hang in there.." he trails off, looking across at 
Firestar again.
Whiz says weakly, "I'm sorry, Firestar. "
Firestar falls silent, her optics dimming.
Whiz says fiercely, "He'll wait, Firestar. He can. But I need you with 
me now."
Whiz's hands are slick with energon and she looks drained, but she keeps 
fighting for Firestar's life.
Rodimus breaks in gently, his voice deeper than you remembered. 
"Firestar, don't leave us."
Firestar closes her optics completely, a painful sobbing gasp wracking 
her frame.
Sundiver hops from Cyc to Flamediver. "C'mon kid . . . you saved me. 
Don't go slagging out on us now . . . Hey, you're my new second in 
command for Aerospace." He tries to keep the fear out of his voice.
Whiz touches Firestar's face and says, "Come on, the longer you fight 
me, the less time I have for Flamediver."
Flamediver sits there quietly, his energon dripping out of him slowly 
now, most of it on the ground around him and the small group with him. 
His hand stays clenched in Outrun's, though his optics stay dark. His 
smiles stays on his face, though his visage twists a little bit with 
every spasm of pain. he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, a 
slight shudder passing through him.
A few Primes wander in from the tunnel. They stay by the opening, 
silent, weaponless.
Firestar's voice crackles with pain, "..tt-end.. to hh-im."
Whiz says gently, "It's called triage, sis. Now promise me you'll try to 
live."
Firestar says, "T-old.. me nn-ev-er make promisesss I could.. no-not 
keep.. I-- try..""
Rodimus pulls himself to his feet unsteadily and moves to the doorway, 
holding his hands out at his sides to show he's unarmed. "Medics," he 
addresses the Primitives softly. "We need medics. Do you have any in 
your group?"
Whiz does her best for Firestar, feeling helpless.
Sundiver looks over the Primes, recognizing one. "You! Starbird! Get 
over here, I knew you've got medic skills . . . "
Sundiver tries to hop over to the Primes, but his leg gives out and 
crumbles, leaving him just a head and torso on the ground.
Whiz does what she can for Firestar, without pushing her systems to the 
limit.
Firestar's frame suddenly seems to stabalize quietly.
Sundiver says, "Well, I'm not dead yet . . ."
Sundiver twitches and his torso cumbles to metal dust. His head rolls 
over onto its side. "Oh, hell."
Sundiver says, "Well, I was due for a new body anyways. One every four 
million years seems to be about average for me..."
Whiz looks up weakly as Firestar stabilizes and tries to get to her feet 
to help Flamediver, but a charred scorch mark is visible on her side and 
she is limping.
Whiz says, "Gotta... help...."
Rodimus seems caught up in thought, standing in the doorway and looking 
out distantly. A faint, very faint, wistful smile touches his face as he 
finally sighs and drops his optics to the floor again.
Whiz squats by Flamediver, wincing, and gets to work on his injuries 
too.
Sundiver tries to roll over to look at, well, anything other than that 
wall in front of him.
Flamediver gasps sharply as his body jerks once in extreme pain, his 
hand clenching Outrun's tightly in instinct as he coughs, the pain 
passing through him, some energon squirting out a wound in his side as 
he breathes quickly, his optics still dark.
Whiz says quietly, "I'm here, Flamediver, don't give up on me yet."
Whiz says, "Outrun still needs you. Who'll protect her?"
Flamediver grits his teeth, his visage twisted and horrific looking as 
he tries to hold himself still, "Not.. gone yet, Wh.. Whiz."
Outrun wrings her hands unconsciously, looking on.
Flamediver's good optic flickers on as he looks up at Outrun from the 
floor. He tries to smile through the constant haze of pain he's feeling, 
"Hey s..sis.. did.. did you have.. f..f..fun?"
Whiz puts one gentle hand on Flamediver's forehead as she stops his 
energon flow.
Rodimus turns back from the door with an incredulous look. "Fun?"
Whiz says, "It's going to be okay. You'll pull through."
Whiz seals off the leaking energon and finishes the repairs.
Outrun grins, faintly. "Sort of..."
Flamediver grits his teeth as another spasm passes, and he slowly looks 
over to Rodimus, "p..perha., perhaps not quite the.. right w..word for 
it.."
Whiz says, "His self-repair systems are kicking in. He's going to pull 
through."
Rodimus smiles gently. "It was... well, it was a ride, anyway."
Flamediver takes a breath and releases it slowly, his optics getting a 
little stronger as he smiles weakly, "Thanks, Whiz... never 
th..thought.. I could.. b..be in so much.. p-p-pain.."
Whiz reaches down to turn down the pain receptors. "At least it's over."
Flamediver says quietly, "Much better n..n..now, though."
Whiz says, "By Primus, it's all over."
Flamediver nods and says gently, "We did it."
Whiz relaxes, seeing that everyone else is going to pull through, and 
then collapses suddenly of exhaustion.
Sundiver says, "Guys? . . . um, Guys? Could somebody pick up my head?"
Rodimus moves forward quickly to catch Whiz before she hits the floor, 
easing her down gently with one arm. "Hey, watch yourself."
Whiz looks up gratefully at Rodimus. "I knew we'd make a better future. 
One way or the other."
Outrun smiles brilliantly down at Flamediver, then turns to Rodimus, a 
question evident on her lips, but she she gazes out a viewport, decides 
that perhaps for the first time in her life, it really /can/ wait.

<Everyone else kinda filtered out, leaving Whiz and me alone.>

You say, "You going to be okay? You were checking everyone but 
yourself."
Whiz looks up weakly and nods. "Just didn't give myself a chance to 
rest. I'll need some time, but I'm fine."
Rodimus says quietly, "Rest, then. You have time for that now."
Whiz relaxes and smiles slightly. "Yeah, we do."
Whiz leans slightly backward. "I have to admit to you... I wanted us to 
come back to this time. Call me selfish."
Rodimus smiles wryly, shifting his arm to support Whiz, optics fixed 
distantly on the outer door. "If I didn't know you better I'd say you 
engineered the whole thing."
Whiz coughs slightly. "No... but at least now we have another chance."
Rodimus sighs, unable to keep the wistful disappointment out of his 
voice for a bare moment, then pushes it aside. "I guess... we just 
wouldn't have fit anywhere else, not after all we went through... at 
least no one else will have to go through it again."
Whiz says, "This timeline needed us to heal it, too. And now we have to 
rebuild."
Rodimus says quietly, "Now that we can."
Whiz reaches up to put her hand on Rodimus'. "I knew you would get it 
back. You deserved it."
Rodimus shifts slightly, unable to get used to the once-familiar 
physical presence of the Matrix, the more metaphysical part still having 
him rather dazed. "I feel like... I'm not sure. If you want the truth I 
can't remember the last time I felt... complete... but it's like 
laughing at a sermon. It doesn't seem right."
Whiz smiles. "It'll just take time to get used to feeling it from the 
inside instead of from the outside."
Whiz says, "After all, it could be worse. You could have to get used to 
feeling at all."
Rodimus chuckles, slowly getting used to the sound of his own voice. 
"Well, I'll freely admit that getting used to it isn't the worst fate I 
can imagine."
Whiz smiles a bit wearily. "Same here."
Rodimus squeezes his arm around Whiz's shoulders in a brief hug. "Hey, 
it can only go uphill from here."
Whiz leans into the hug. "I know. They have their own future, and we 
have ours. And you have a lot of confused Primitives to lead."
Rodimus sighs. "And a planet to rebuild."
You say, "And a lot of friends to bury."
Whiz smiles, slipping into a dreamy half-rest cycle. "We can go back to 
Cybertron, though."
Rodimus shifts again so he can lean back against the wall, wrapping his 
arms around Whiz from behind and resting his chin wearily on her 
shoulder. "We can go back... rebuild... have all the time in the 
universe."
Whiz mmms thoughtfully. "Yeah. But for now.. I think I'm just going to 
rest."
Rodimus chuckles softly. "Time for that, too."
Whiz says quietly, "Yeah, for the first time in a long time."

Through the tunnel, light begins to stream in. Slowly at first, but with 
gaining speed, the sun rises on a new day.