The vessel kneels before him, The poor beaten and battered Prime at mercy of merciless ivinity among the fallen. Hands sudden down to cradle under him, lifting limpandcreaking metal off the floor, the pool of the Prime’s Energondrippingtoit.Hetowers,asgodsoftendo,even as Optimus is lifted so high offtheground.Optimus’flickeringopticsglistennomore, shine with a dying light and his sparkpulsingslowStillUnicroncanfeelitsteadytohisfingers.SlidinghimontoonehandandusiodjustOptimusontohisbacksotheymayproperlyseeoptictooptic.“Doyoustilldeny me.” Unicron’s voice so deep andapathetic.Yethiddenthereisamusement as hisfree hand comes to lay a fingerunderOptimus’headasittriestoturnaway.Forcehimbacktostare.TheotherworldlyevilhasshiftedsizeenoughtodosuchcrueltieswithoutovertdestructionTheSizeofatitanandngsaller.No,thatiswhatothervesselsareforafterall. He waits with dulling patients for Optimus’ broken response. “Optimus, we tire of your resistance. Do you think that burden in your chest will save youagain?” The hand around him curls, slow and crushing. Optimus ever defiant of the evils in this world holds his hands forward. As if that could stop the god’s continued slow wrath.“I-“ Optimus starts. Grunting as the fingers push down on him. “Resist.” The same thingrepeated, as though on an auto loop.Unicron chuckles and the air brushes tender metalofOptimus’damagedlegs,hisshattering arms as the crushing stops briefly.Optimusinresponsedropshisarmsandshutters in pain. Reaching down, he plucks dulling yellow from the ground. Holding him between his fingers. “So brave when it is only yourself. All lives can end kindly in their eternal dreams.” Fumbling the unconscious between his fingers. “You push such extremes, Optimus. I can keep them in their sleep as they rust and digest and you can be given the same, yet you push against my generosity.” Carelessly, the beloved dulling yellow is lifted above them. Optimus freezes. Dropped to the tongue of decay and swallowed into nothingness. “An end to all suffering, inside me.”