Universe: This is a continuation of two one-shots I've already posted. Unless you'd just like to jump into the random, which is fine, you might benefit by going to my gallery and look up How we've come to this and Convictions.

Character(s): Fallout – Livewire – Elvy – Mathew.

Pairings: None:

Rating: K+ for a tiny bit of swearing. (No F-bombs or anything)

Word prompt: Here you stand before me. (More of a phrase prompt really)

Write time: I forget. :-p

:AN:

I actually wrote this back in November. I wrote a lot about Livewire and Fallout that month. But only a small portion of it was anywhere near being half decant. This was one of the few scenes I liked.

The ending is a little abrupt, but I'll be posting the scene directly after this fairly soon.

I know purely OC stories can be annoying, but still, if you've taken the time to read this, I would really like to know what you thought. Good, bad, ugly, you know the drill.

"And here you stand before me, pretending that you're innocent. That you've done nothing wrong! I gave you an order! I told you they were not to come! Do you have any idea what you've done? Answer me slaggit!"

Fallout was seething with rage. Elvy shrunk back against the wall nervously. Mathew looked similarly distressed. They'd seen Fallout annoyed before. Livewire seamed to annoy him on a daily basis. But they had only ever seen him truly angry once before, the night they'd been attacked by Decepticons.

But right now his rage was not directed at their mutual enemies. Livewire was the focus of his furious words and heated glare.

Livewire glared back, his gaze clearly saying, even if his voice wouldn't, that he knew he'd taken the right course of action no matter what the old solider said.

Fallout lost his patience with the scientist. "Nothing? You've got nothing to say?" He asked, voice dripping acid. "Well then in that case I won't let you waste any more of my time. You are hereby confined to your quarters until further notice. Take the humans with you, they are your responsibility from here on out. Now get your slagging aft out of my sight!"

Livewire stood still for a moment, barely controlling his own anger. For a heart stopping moment Elvy was afraid things might come to blows. But then livewire rose his hand in a mocking salute. "Yes sir." He said sharply, then turned to the two humans. "Come on." He said, and started to lead the way out of the radar room.

Matt looked at his sister, a pathetically lost expression in his eyes. Elvy knew exactly how he felt. Shrugging, she began to follow Livewire, Matt keeping pace right behind her.

They walked on in silence for a while, their footsteps echoing back and forth in the empty corridor. Finally, Elvy cracked. She just had to ask.

"Hey Wire?" she said in a voice so small she wasn't sure the Autobot had even heard her. Livewire stopped mid stride and turned back to her. Elvy looked away for a moment. She felt so very small.

"Why?" she asked finally. "Why didn't you tell us that Fallout had told you to leave us on earth? Why did you convince us that coming was the only safe thing to do? Matt and I, We're in deep now aren't we? I mean, way deep."

Livewire didn't say anything at first. He just turned away and pressed a key pad in the wall next to his door. He waved his arm and ushered the two humans inside, the door closed behind him as he entered. Livewire had not gotten rid of all the human stuff when Fallout had ordered him to obviously. But had simply moved it to his own room. Mathew had migrated from feeling lost, to feeling angry, thinking now that he, his sister and Fallout had been played for idiots.

Livewire could handle that coming from Matt. He had a tendency much like Fallout, to get angry. What Wire couldn't stand was the betrayed look Elvy was giving him. Her hands were crossed and she was staring up at him, eyes full of unease, confusion and hurt.

Livewire trudged over to his recharge berth and sat down on it heavily.

Elvy crossed the room and stood at his feet, glairing up with more and more anger. "Well?" she said. "Are you going to answer me or not?"

"It was to dangerous and he knew it." Said Livewire coldly. Elvy raised an eyebrow. Wire continued. "His spark was in the right place, probably, but he 

slagging well knew that it was to dangerous to leave you two on earth. And the Decepticons would have butchered you. He would have left you to die."

'Just like Quicksilver.' He added to himself.

Matt shook his head and stepped forward to join the conversation. "Fallout wouldn't have made the decision to leave us unless he was pretty damn sure we'd be safe on our own. We left our friends, our culture, our species our home! Because you told us that you and Fallout had both come to the conclusion that we wouldn't be safe on earth. Now it turns out that Fallout gave you instructions that would have kept us safe and on our own world, but you ignored them?"

"He was wrong!" countered Livewire forcefully, optics glowing brighter. "The Decepticons would have waited and killed you when you returned home."

"Bullshit!" Shouted Matt. Both Livewire and Elvy stared at him in surprise. Mathew continued. "Why the hell would the Decepticons wait around on earth, just to kill us when you were getting away with what ever that stupid file is supposed to be? They'd have to be fragging morons because they know that Elvy and I are no real threat to them. Where as you apparently have this great big secret that, if you get it to your people, will completely devastate them or something!"

Livewire was about to protest. Matt, seeing this, interrupted him before he could even start. "This isn't about keeping us safe at all, is it? This is about you!"

Elvy looked a little uncomfortable. Livewire was her friend after all. She didn't really want to hear him accused. But she had to ask herself, If Fallout had a plan, and a fairly good sounding one at that, why had Livewire lied to them and convinced them to come, even though they were heading into a war?

A flash of real fear passed through her at that moment. It had been more than terrifying enough when they'd been attacked by that small band of Decepticons before. But now, they were leaving all they knew behind and apparently Decepticon attacks were going to become a regular part of their lives.

Livewires Optics narrowed. "What do you mean all about me?" he asked angrily. Mathew continued unintimidated.

"It's about how we make you feel. Especially her." He said pointing at his sister angrily. Elvy took a step back, not understanding where that had come from.

Mathew took a deep breath. He'd had these suspicions for a while. But until now he'd never thought to bring them up. There was no need. But things had gone to far, and it wasn't just he who was in trouble. It was his little sister too. The person he was supposed to keep safe.

"Ever since we met, you've treated Elvy and I like kids. And maybe we are from your point of view. Fair enough. But I mean, you act a lot like our father some times. What do you think we are? Your children? Or isn't it Protoforms for you transformers? We're not!"

"Mathew I don't know what you're talking about!" cried Livewire, though inside he had a very small feeling that Mathew might be on to something.

"The hell you don't! I'm not blind Livewire! And I'm not as stupid as you apparently think I am either." Matt shouted, anger rising.

"Hey guys come on." Said Elvy, trying to calm the others down. Mathew turned on her.

"And you. You ate it up didn't you?" Elvy went ridged. Matt continued, shifting his verbal assault from the transformer to his sister.

"The attention. The thrill of going out and doing something that no other human could do. And stupid me, I fell for it to. Now look where we are."

"Mathew I'm trying to save your life! And your sisters!" Argued Livewire, cutting into Matt's rant. "You will be much safer here where Fallout and I can protect you."

"And when we reach your home planet, what then?" asked Matt, turning his burning eyes back to the Autobot. "There were only a few Decepticons back on Earth. And once you had left they would have had no reason for them to stay. Now we're going where there are tons of Decepticons and you know what? I don't think Elvy and I would last long in any serious fight. No I can't see as we'd be much help in that respect."

"I told you, Fallout and I will look out for you. And you'll be surrounded by other Autobots too."

"And if you're all to busy because Decepticons have… I don't know breached the perimeter or something?" Matt punched his fist into his hand and made a grinding motion. "Crunch! Elvy and I are suddenly just unfortunate red smears on the deck."

Elvy felt herself turning a light shade of green.

Livewire stood up, ready to counter Matt's statement, when suddenly he was interrupted by the sound of his door 'hwwwuuum'ing open. He glanced away from his verbal sparring partner just in time to see Elvy walk out. Not bothering to look back.

"Elvy? What are you-?" he began, but Mathew cut him off.

"Leave her alone. She's got a lot to deal with." He said, a certain level of venom in his words. "Besides, we're not finished yet."