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"You have to tell him."
"I'm not telling him."
Chromedome doesn't look up. His hands are busy, fine tuning his needles, tightening coils in his wrist.
"You have to."
"I don't." Chromedome's optics are elsewhere. He never looks at you. "I don't know why you've suddenly changed your mind about this."
"It doesn't matter why."
"You're right. It doesn't."
He snaps his wrist panel closed and flexes his hand. The needles catch the light and glint red.
"I'll tell him, then."
Chromedome finally looks at you, visor narrowed. He's quiet for a long time before he speaks.
"No, you won't."
He opens the door. He's right. You won't.
You try again.
This time you're there. You change the door code before it's too late. Overlord bangs his fists against the glass in slow motion and you watch in time.
Eventually he gets bored and turns around. He pulls one of Chromedome's arms off and you realize this won't work either.
You try again.
Space is cold, ice in your lines and frost in your frame. The blackness goes on forever and no matter what happens there is only silence, only bits and pieces of a ship you once called home floating endlessly in the black.
A leg floats by and you take a moment to try and identify it. Grey and white, it's hard to say. It could be anyone's.
You try again.
You move the sword this time. The good news: the door doesn't get stuck. The bad news: it isn't open when Overlord slams into it.
You try again.
"Don't go today."
Chromedome looks up at you, looks through you. He always does.
"Why not?"
"I have a bad feeling. Trust me."
"I don't."
You know that.
"Please. Wait until tomorrow."
He looks through you. "Fine. Tomorrow."
You're in your lab when the alarm blares. You wish you were surprised.
You try again.
You kick Rodimus into the slow cell beforehand this time. He's just dramatic enough to fall for the temptation to go full martyr mode, and besides, this is all his fault anyway, really.
You let yourself enjoy it for a few minutes, the slow cell floating away and growing smaller in the distance while your friends cling to each other and blubber like idiots. It's a nice moment.
You try again.