Matrix's POV

I glared at the metal next to my peds. I was not alright.

"What's wrong?" Snow called out from Soundwave's side. She was standing beside her mech at his station. Mine was at his. But, I was not with him. She was.

"You know what!" I growled at her.

Snowstorm walked over to my position. "You're getting all worked up over nothing. You should just let it go."

"Let it go? Let it go! How can I just let—"

"Knockout is just changing her symbol."

"How dare you say that! She comes back here for like two, three days max, and she thinks she can just stride up to Elf, go get alone with him in a dark room, and think that—"

"You have no competition."

I cried back at her, "No competitio—"

"It's clear that you are angry. Your irrationality is more than evident in your repeating my comments while screaming. I would recommend calming yourself before you cause a scene in front of certain individuals."

I looked around Snow. I saw Megatron commanding some vehicons and Soundwave on his monitor. I glared at them briefly. Soundwave turned our way, then swerved his mask from us, to Megatron, and then back to us. I glared back at the ground. I took a deep breath, and then exhaled. "It's not fair," I said. "I don't like being replaced. I feel as if everyone is doting on her, especially him."

"That's actually not true. While it is true that Megatron views her… in a special way, that is mostly the extent of the adoring."

"Explain, now."

"Airachnid and her are enemies. I am suspicious of her. You are jealous of her. Vehicons view her as a traitor. Breakdown thinks her not killing is weak. Knockout and her annoy each other. Soundwave is cautious of her knowledge. And by what we can gather from Ghost's lineage, she most likely wants to extinguish Shadow's spark."

"That doesn't make any sense," I said. "How could any of that be true?"

"Think about where she was for the past…" Snow looked back behind her shoulder. Soundwave was walking over to her. "This might not be the best time, or place, to discuss this."

Soundwave brought up a picture of some purple planet on his monitor. Snow nodded and followed him back to his workstation. I scuffed my ped against the floor and followed them. Snow went away at typing on the large screen's monitor-keyboard alien-thingy. I rolled my eyes at her dumb work habits. Why do work when others could do it for you?

"Interesting," Snow said, "This is… not the most satisfactory piece of information right now."

"What is it?" I asked her. Soundwave looked back at Megatron, then back at Snow. She nodded. The two backed away from their station and walked over to our leader. I sighed and whispered, "Why do they have to always do stuff like that? Silence sucks." I walked closer to get a better sense of what was happening.

"My Lord."

"Do you have news?"

"Yes, but it is not… good."

"Share your knowledge and let me be the decider of the news's state."

"It seems that the station orbiting the planet Nemora is under Autobot control."

"And? I suspected that from the beginning."

"It is heavily guarded."

"Hah! You must be kidding right? We chased this group all the way to Earth. Those cowards fled. They sought refuge on distant planets such as this. Although it is plausible that Autobots could maintain a station that orbits a distant planet, it is very unlikely that they could be armed with anything more than long winded speeches."

"My Lord, The station is armed—"

"So send Decepticon troops."

"The laser canon, the station is armed with, destroys Decepticon ships before they can even get close enough to the station to fire back."

"Then send ships until their armament loses ammunition."

"My Lord, this specific type of laser is solar powered. It has an unlimited power source."

"Their station is quite isolated. We must simply wait until the Autobots run out of supplies and starve to death."

"We have estimated that their supplies should last them another hundred years, minimum."

"What? How is that even possible?"

"The station was meant to be a stronghold for the high council and others of their class. It was supplied and created to be self-sustaining: a fortified hold-out if a war ever occurred."

"But they never got to it. I made sure of that."

"Yes, you did my Lord. Nevertheless, Autobots fled to and succeeded in occupying the station."

Megatron growled, "This is troublesome."

Shadow walked into the command center, "What's troublesome?" She asked our Lord.

"It's nothing," Megatron answered.

Soundwave brought coordinates from earlier up on his monitor. Megatron nodded. I didn't care. I wanted to go see Knockout.

….

Shadow's POV

I flew down to the coordinates with Megatron.

The vehicons unearthed a capsule.

"Show, me," Megatron commanded them, "Bring it to me with utmost care."

Optimus came running in from his surrounding large rock-cover and shouted, "Megatron, I cannot allow you to pilfer Autobot relics!" Ratchet followed Optimus towards us.

"Not only are you misinformed Optimus," Megatron called with smugness in his voice, "But I would strongly advise for you to lower your weapons." Megatron took the relic out of its container. "Unless you are in the mood for mutually assured destruction." Megatron held the relic up for the Autobots to see.

"It can't be," Ratchet said.

"The spark extractor." Optimus finished.

Should the Decepticons really be in possession of that device?

Vehicons surrounded the Autobots.

Megatron continued his gloating, "Rather unassuming, yet capable of extracting every spark within its radius… And to think that you lead me straight to it, Optimus. Or should I say Orion Pax did?" Megatron focused on the Autobot insignia newly welded onto Optimus's shoulder plate. "You really should have left your Decepticon shield in tact," Megatron said before teasing the mech again, "For you have no idea how useful your code breaking skills proved to be, during our all too brief time together."

Great. He's bragging again. Stuff like this will be his downfall. It was for Starscream anyway. Wait? Am I for or against his downfall? I mean: I was just an Autobot. He is Optimus's enemy. Which isn't to say that mutually assured destruction benefits me in the least, but… I'm rambling again. Oh, the Autobots look ready for battle. Does this mean I fight, or… Okay, just as a general question: Megatron V Optimus. Which mech do I want to win? What if…

"Soundwave," Megatron COM'd, breaking my train of thought, "Send the groundbridge." The green swirling portal appeared, "Engage them!" Megatron commanded.

The vehicons fired, and the Autobots fired back. I followed Megatron to the portal.

I asked him, "You do realize that if we flew instead of groundbridged, we would be much safer, and so would the relic."

I mean, the likelihood of them accurately shooting either of us out of the sky is pretty low. I do understand that if they did hit you while you had the relic you'd be gone, but, they wouldn't do that.

"You are worried?" Megatron asked.

"No," I replied, "I just, think the course of action could have been swifter."

We walked through the portal. Bumblebee sped behind us, and knocked the relic right out of Megatron's servos. The speedy bot then transformed, grabbed the spark extractor, transformed back into his car form, and sped towards the exit of our groundbridge.

Like a youngling caught unaware, all Megatron could do was yell "What?" as Bee sped back to the battlefield.

Megatron drew his sword and ran at the muscle car. Bee swerved out of the way. I transformed into my jet form and started to follow the escaping Autobot. Megatron ran behind me. I saw that he aimed his cannon at the scout. I circled back to him, transformed, and lowered his canon with my servo.

"This is not worth dying over."

Crisis averted.

Megatron looked over the empty battlefield and dead vehicons. He growled.

I sighed and walked back into the portal. Megatron followed me. Once we got through, to the command center, Megatron went ballistic. He was so pissed he pounded his fist on the keyboard of Soundwave's workstation terminal. Soundwave loved that terminal.

"The spark extractor was in my grasp!" Megatron roared, "I should have removed more than that scout's voice box! When I had the chance."

So, the only thing you regret concerns not killing mechs? I wonder if this will be a pattern? Maybe.

Soundwave showed more coordinates on his facemask.

"Indeed Soundwave," Megatron said as he calmed down some. "We possess three more sets of coordinates, which Orion decrypted before departing our ranks. Let us see what other long lost treasures we might be reunited with."

"Do you want me to go—"

"I want you to stay here."

Great, just like before. Hey! Optimus did the same thing! Funny.

Megatron opened a COM link, "Knockout, Breakdown, respond immediately for duty."

I started to walk away, but Megatron stopped me. He placed his servo on my shoulder and spun me around.

"You are probably wondering why I chose to send Knockout and Breakdown instead."

"Megatron, you are my leader. You have nothing to prove."

"I decided that they would be the best fit. Breakdown could mine for the relic with his hammer, and Knockout would be good support if the Autobots arrived."

I nodded. I was disinterested. I was being polite.

"With the two con team, we would have a smaller casualty and quicker extraction time once the Autobots would ultimately arrive."

I actually really like his reasoning. Like a lot. Both of those options. Megatron's not such a bad guy. Lower casualties. Evil, but not bad… Or manipulative. I wonder if he knew I wanted to hear what he had just said.

"I completely understand my Lord."

Knockout and Breakdown walked into the command center bickering. I used the commotion to escape from Megatron's commandeering state. I walked over to Snowstorm.

I asked her, "Still don't trust me?"

She shook her head, "Why would you think that?"

"No reason," I said, "say, what is your advice?"

"Advice to what?"

"Oh yeah…"

Snowstorm quickly asked, "What is it?"

"I was used to Soundwave. He could always tell what was on my mind."

"You treated me like Soundwave?"

"I trust you as I do him."

Snowstorm looked down, she frowned. It looked as if she was in deep thought.

Good.

"Anyway," I continued, "Earlier, I was asking your advice on what I should do."

"You want my advice?"

"You're incredibly intelligent, a logical thinker, and all around truthful. I would be honored if you could help me out."

Snowstorm looked back at me and then smiled. She glanced back down at her peds and said, "I'm sorry."

"For what? You haven't done anything wrong."

"I haven't been honest."

"Me neither." I agreed. He optics opened in shock. I felt like laughing straight at her reaction, but decided that would not be a good course of action. Instead, I put my arm around her shoulders, leaned in close and whispered into her audio receptor, "I'll let you in on a little secret. You can't tell anyone," I said, "got it?"

"Why?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Because it's the only secret I've got left."

"Tell me!" She desperately said.

This femme loves information far too much. Arrogance for Screamy. Curiosity will be Snowstorm's downfall.

"I'm miserable," I said with a smile. I backed away, shook my head and continued, "Everyone here hates me. No trust, no acceptance as a fellow Decepticon… Everyone treats me as if I were some traitorous spy who only wishes to destroy the Decepticons." I paused, I wanted ensure that Snowstorm would drop her suspicions out of guilt. "Not you though, that's why I told you."

Technically Megatron too, but he's just acting like an annoying imbecile.

"You- you trust me with that?"

"My only secret."

"It's not much of a secret."

"It's the only one I have… So, you'll keep it right?"

"Of course," she said as she put her servo on my shoulder, "I'll do more than just that. I'll make your feeling of misery disappear. I'll help you regain your reputation."

"You'd really do that, for me?" I hugged the fool, "You are such a kind, selfless, I'm sorry. There are not enough pleasant adjectives to sincerely describe you." I pulled away and weakly smiled, "I can always trust you."

Snowstorm looked back at her peds, "Yeah, always…"

Knockout and Breakdown returned through a ground bridge. I turned around to watch. Knockout was holding… wait a second, I definitely knew what that was. Knockout held a short stick looking device.

"Ah," Megatron exclaimed, "excellent work Knockout."

"I live to serve, Lord Megatron." He bowed, then stood back up and questioned, "But, what exactly is it?"

Megatron charged his plasma cannon and shot at Knockout. The doctor cringed, as a blue shield of light came out of the relic-stick he held, and protected him.

"Oh yeah," I said excitedly under my breath, "that's my tech!" I realized what side I was on and said more quietly, "Oh frack, that's my tech…"

The shield receded back into the relic-stick. Megatron said, "Now you know."

"I think I leaked a little transmission fluid."

"Ah, gross," I said.

Megatron called me over, "Shadow…"

…

Matrix's POV

Shattered target bits covered the floor. For what it was worth, the gymnasium served as a pretty decent target range. Machines were set up at each wall and every corner: so, all four of them, with eight total. Each was set at random changing speeds, heights, times, etc. I blasted another target out of the air. A speeding clay from the left, blam! A slow clay from the right, kaboom! A straight disk coming right at me, boom. Rapid fire, disks from all directions, pew, pew, pew. Dust everywhere. The machines powered down.

"What? Come on!" I screamed, "I was about to beat my high score!"

Snow walked into the room, "We need to talk," se said.

"What is it this time?" I asked her in the most fake-concerned voice I could muster, "Did someone die?"

"No," she paused, "Are you still mad from earlier?"

I rolled my eyes at her question. "What do you think?"

"I think these targets didn't stand a chance against your rage."

I sarcastically replied, "Ha ha, looks like someone has a sense of humor."

"Matrix, we need to talk about—"

"Nope. I hate her."

"Why?" She put her hands on her hips, "What did she do this time?"

"So," I said, "After she left with Megatron, I went to talk with Knockout right? And anyway he says that her silver finish 'looks good'. What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that he likes—"

"Her right?!"

"No," Snowstorm said, "her paintjob. He likes her paintjob."

"Yeah right," I sighed, "He said that he liked how her new paint job completed her figure. He said that it made her look less 'serious and threatening'. He basically said that it made her like a stylish angel-like creature. Can you believe that!? Angel! Ha! She's not an angel! I am!"

"No," Snowstorm said again, "he merely meant that her paintjob made her look more Autobot-ish, more fair."

"So," I asked Snow, "are you with me, or against me?"

"Neither," she said.

"Neither?" I asked her, "Neither? This isn't some Star Wars sh*t. You can't just say neither."

Snow cut to the point, "I am here to ask for your cooperation," she said.

"You want my help, eh? For what?"

"We have to help Shadow's status. Too many cons hate her."

"Why should we do that?" I asked the intelligence officer, "You don't honestly think that she deserves our help, do you? You did say that you couldn't trust her."

"I changed my mind."

"Why? Did she manipulate you?"

"No," she paused again, "At least I don't think so."

"Then why should we help her?"

"Shadow is better to have as a friend than an enemy."

"She's currently our ally," I reminded my friend. "Why should we help her?"

Snow was silent for a bit. Then she said, "I don't know."

She doesn't know? She doesn't know! That's bull sh*t.

"You," I asked her, "little miss all knowing, can't provide a single reason as to why we should help her?"

"No," Snow said, "I can't."

I sighed, "Ahhhh! Fine, but you owe me."

"You're doing the right thing."

"Whatever, I just want to get this over with."

"We should return to the command center. Megatron just sent Knockout and Breakdown to the second coordinated point. Our Lord will probably have sent out Ghost with some vehicons to the final coordinated point, by the time we finish talking and get to the command center. Come wit me. You can talk to Knockout when he gets back, and I can formulate a plan."

…...

Shadow's POV

Megatron tapped his sharp digits against his arm. "They are taking too long," he said. My Lord turned his gaze to his Chief Communication's officer and commanded, "Soundwave, Groundbridge now!"

Soundwave opened up a portal. Megatron gestured to me and we both ran through. As soon as we exited, Megatron shot at the Autobots. He walked up to the Forge of Solace Prime. The Autobots aimed at him. Megatron aimed his canon at Bulkhead.

"Nu-uh-uh"

The Autobots lowered their blasters. Knockout and Breakdown ran behind Megatron.

Megatron gloated, "A relic of the Primes here on earth?" He started walking backward into the portal with the Forge in hand. "The Decepticon cause has once again been indebted to the contributions of Orion Pax," Megatron teased. As soon as Megatron stepped back into the portal, the Autobots continued their fire.

Breakdown and Knockout transformed and retreated into the portal at their fastest speeds. I quickly lunged forward to the broken shield tech my teammates had neglected, and then transformed into my jet-form and flew through the portal. Once I got back to the ship, I transformed again, into my bipedal form, holding the pieces of the broken shield behind my back.

Megatron was waiting for me on the other side. He raised an optic ridge and asked, "What seized your attention?"

I responded playfully, "You didn't think I'd leave?" I pulled the wrecked relic out from behind me, "I wanted to ensure the Autobots couldn't salvage this."

"That piece of scrap?"

"It won't be hard to fix."

"Come," Megatron said to me, "We are going to test out the Forge of Solace Prime."

"Megatron, I don't think—"

"If you are done talking, we are going to the laboratory."

It won't work you dope. That's what I wanted to say. You're wasting your time.

I followed them. Megatron carried the hammer over his shoulder, as if it were a trophy. Once we arrive at the lab, Knockout put an energon containment box on the table.

"One Fortress Maximus grade nucleon shock canon coming up."

Megatron hit the large Primal hammer against the energon storage cube. He grunted angrily when every swing wielding the same fruitless result.

"Hmmm," Knockout said, "It doesn't look like a Fortress Maximus grade nucleon shock canon."

"It is as I suspected," Megatron said, "without the power of a Prime to activate it, the Forge is merely another addition to our tool chest. One we must nonetheless keep as far as possible from the reach of a Prime." Megatron, Knockout and Breakdown walked to the exit, and the door slid open, "Shadow," Megatron called to me, "are you coming?"

"I'm just going to fix this shield," I said back, "I'll join you later."

Megatron nodded and left with the others. They didn't take the Forge of Solace Prime with them. I placed the broken shield on the table. I looked down at the hammer.

I wonder if knowledge is the same as physical being?

I grabbed the weapon's grip. It felt like how the humans would describe a boulder that was attached to a toothpick. I tried to lift the Forge up, and failed. I let go, took a wide stance, and clutched the grip. With all my might I lifted. With the force of a thousand thrusting jets I lifted the hammer, up, up, up above my head. Then, down onto the shield parts. I cautiously placed the hammer back to its original position on the ground. Triumphant, I picked up the shield and left.

…...

Ghost's POV

I walked through the groundbridge and into the command center. I had been without groundbridge technology for so long, I had become unaccustomed to it. The Command Center was both empty and full. It contained many Decepticons, yet none of them seemed to be doing much work. Most activity was at a lull. There were six vehicons working on terminals like St3ve sometimes did, but their mannerisms suggested that they were screwing around instead of actually doing any work. Soundwave, Megatron's Chief Communication's Officer, didn't seem to notice his subordinates' low productivity. The visor wearing mech was paying more attention to a femme, Snowstorm, whom I had been told was one of Megatron's intelligence based advisors. She was talking, and Soundwave nodded at what she said. On the opposite wall, Knockout, our ship's primary doctor, was what I assumed to be flirting with another femme. I didn't know much about this femme, other than her name: Matrix, and the fact that her decision-making was highly influenced by her emotional state. The doctor was leaning against a terminal-desk, he was speaking in a suave tone and he was gesturing with his servos. Matrix had one of her servos on her hip, and spoke back in a rather explosive tone. Megatron stood at the bow of his ship, and looked out of the windows at the vast expanse of sky. The groundbridge behind me closed. The six vehicons who had accompanied me on my mission dispersed around me and exited the command center. I held the dagger-shaped relic in my hand and slowly walked towards Lord Megatron. If he was deep in thought, I did not want to disturb him.

"Ghost," My Lord said as he looked out of the window and watched the sky, "What do you have to report?"

"The mission was a success my Lord." I kneeled and presented the dagger to him, resting its blade on the palms of my hands so that he could get a better look at it.

Megatron heard me kneel, and turned around to see why. He wasn't used to his soldiers showing such respect after something as measly as a successful mission. "Good," Megatron said. He picked up the short blade and examined it. It was shorter than every one of his digits on his clawed hands. My Lord asked me, "Did the vehicons aid you in your recovery of the relic?"

"They mined," I said, thoughtfully trying not to insult the mechs, "but they served no further purpose in the field."

"Then you won't need their backup next time?"

"I'm not sure if I'm armed well enough to fight the Autobots on my own, my Lord."

"Did you face any resistance from them on this mission?"

"Well… No. Minimal at best."

"Explain."

"I fought two mechs and one femme, but I don't consider them representative of the possible Autobot threat."

"Fine." Megatron handed me back the relic. "You may arm yourself with this."

I gaped at the relic with widened eyes. I took it from his servo and I questioned my Lord, "Are you sure I deserve this?" I asked him out of pure disbelief that he would even entertain the idea. Let alone give me a relic.

"You said you were not properly armed," Megatron said, "And now you are."

"But, my Lord, it's a dagger."

"It's a relic nonetheless."

I asked him, "How do I use it?"

"Although I am unsure of its properties, it is the perfect size to be used as an extension for your claw. Attach it to your servo and test it out before you go into the field next."

"Yes my Lord… Thank you."

"Do not thank me," Megatron said, "Consider it a reward for keeping your past experience of the detention level to yourself."

I nodded, bowed, and then backed away from Lord Megatron. I was not sure where I was supposed to go, since I had neither a schedule to follow, nor an assignment that needed to be completed. I decided that I would go search for Shadow, since I had not talked to the femme since she replenished my energon supply in the Autobot base, and I had yet to thank her. As fate would have it, after I had finished speaking to Lord Megatron, the doors to the Command Center slid open, and Shadow walked through.

Megatron called from across the room in a teasing tone, "Shadow," he said in his booming voice, "I never took you for one that gives up so easily."

The silver and crimson femme replied, her words smoothly caressed audio processors while being just as loud as Megatron's, "Give up?" She questioned. The femme smiled and shook her head as she said "My Lord, I am merely leaving the project for another day."

"Well then," Megatron called back, him still standing by the windows, and Shadow now stopped next to me in the center of the room. Megatron said, "I hope some sorry spark doesn't mistake your project for a pile of scrap and dispose of it."

Shadow replied, "I moved it to my room, My Lord, so I believe it will be fine."

Megatron didn't reply to Shadow's last comment. I gulped. Shadow stood in front of me, and my Lord stood many paces behind me. I felt caught in between the two. But, that feeling of un-comfort did not last long.

"So," Shadow said, "How are things?"

I looked around, unsure whom this femme was addressing. Shadow waved one of her servos in front of my face, and gave me one of the spark warming smiles Tarn had told me existed.

"Hello?" Shadow asked, "This isn't one of those outlier things where I temporarily stole your ability or something, right? Because invisibility would not do me well." Shadow stared up at the ceiling and thought, "Do you think I would lose my blades? That would suck. I mean, they would be invisible too, right? What if I dropped them…"

"Shadow," I said, "That's not how invisibility works."

"Really? Huh." She looked back to me, "Care to enlighten me then, on your outlier magical-isms?"

"Magic?" I questioned. "What's that?"

Her eyes went wide, and her mouth opened, "Magic? You don't know about magic! Geez!" The femme placed one of her servos on my shoulder and exclaimed, "There are so many earth based things I have to catch you up on!"

"Wait," I stopped her, "Why would you want to talk to me?"

"Why not?" She asked back.

"I don't know," I told her, "I just guessed that there were other Decepticons that should take priority."

"Priority?" Shadow questioned, "Why wouldn't you have priority?" Shadow went into a list, counting off her digits as she spoke, "You like philosophy, I love philosophy. Tarn trained you well in it. Pitt, you probably know all of Megatron's works by spark. I absolutely love Megatron's works, great pieces those were." I didn't feel like interrupting her, but after a while, I could swear that she was just rambling, "Hey!" Shadow exclaimed as if she had just come to a realization, "philosophy: you know my own, you have me, we can talk about those. There's also earth stuff. I love that. Sure, we have two resident human-culture experts on board, but it doesn't seem like you've talked to them much. Besides, look at us! You, me, that dagger –props on the dagger by the way- it'll make a great claw when you find the rest of them—"

Shadow was so caught up in whatever exactly she was talking about, that she didn't notice our Lord, when he had walked into our conversation. He was practically standing right next to her, listening to whatever it was she had to say, and she was so absorbed in her own words, that she didn't even know he was there. Something about that didn't seem right to me. I was intimidated by Megatron. I was fearful he would lash out and berate us for having an unproductive conversation in the middle of his Command Center. But Shadow wasn't even phased. She was more ecstatic than I had ever seen another Decepticon. She looked comfortable, even standing next to Megatron. She looked happy, excitedly and passionately saying things that didn't matter in the least, as if she were a happy little youngling telling her creators about her first day at school. And was… was Lord Megatron smiling? This was definitely a once in a lifetime occurrence: An odd time, indeed.

"Shadow," Lord Megatron said after the femme had finished, "…" Megatron didn't continue what it was he was going to say.

Shadow turned to Lord Megatron, and made our two-person standing positions, into a three-person including triangle. Her warm red optics looked over at our Lord's, and her face brightened further by widening her kind smile. "Megatron," she said, "What's up?"

Megatron? I thought to myself in a panic, Megatron! She is so fragged! Shadow forgot to use his title! Slag. Frack! This is awful… We're all going to die!

And then a miracle happened. Megatron didn't notice it. He was too focused on something else, whatever it was, that he glossed over her title-less hello.

"Shadow," my Lord said again, before he paused. He looked over the femme's face again. Her smile remained as kindhearted as before, and her gentle eyes stayed fixed on his. Megatron thought for a moment, and then gestured to me. "Ghost," he said, "just completed a mission… And since you, Shadow, have experience in being a femme, who fights without backup… would you say that recovering from a mission requires one to replenish her energy supply?"

"By recharge or refill?" Shadow asked, ignoring the miracle that our Lord didn't mention her not using his title.

"Either," Megatron said, a hint of disappointment in his tone. It was almost as if he had hidden some secret message in his words, and she would have decoded it. I only say this, because –after the fact- Shadow told me that there was, and then she laughed to herself about it for an hour, unable to tell me what exactly the message was. Was this some type of game to her? I could not tell. I could not say at all.

"Well then," Shadow said with a smile in her voice. She turned toward Megatron and asked, "Would you like to go get some energon my Lord?" She joked, "I know this great little spot called the Cafeteria. No really, it's great. The best energon dispensary on the Nemesis." Shadow wasn't very good at making jokes. I guess that's why no one was laughing, but she didn't take the hint, and continued to smile like an idiot. Seconds flew by. Megatron did not respond. I didn't know why. He just stared. Perhaps he was in disbelief too. That was a really bad joke. Shadow turned back to both of us and said, "You can come with us too Ghost, you're the one who probably needs it more than we do." She knocked on Megatron's robust metal arm with her silver servo and said, "If I remember correctly, this warlord could destroy half of an army— "

"Two thirds of an army."

"Two thirds of an army without breaking a sweat." She turned back to me and said, "That's a human term by the way. Human terms are great. Anyway, I tried to imply that this mech," she curtsied, "Our Lord," she stood back up, "does not hunger easily," she paused for a moment to gauge his reaction, "But," she continued, "You are not him. You can hunger. You hungry?"

"Well," I stammered, not exactly sure how to answer her, "I guess I am."

Megatron, absorbing some of Shadow's playful attitude, asked me in a non-threatening tone, "You guess?"

I turned to Lord Megatron, and intended to answer him, "Well, my Lord…" I trailed off, still not knowing how I should explain my foolishness at such a simple question.

It was almost as if Shadow had sensed my discomfort. She interjected, "And Shadow, I'm still here too, just by the way."

I laughed a bit. What an odd thing to say. I turned back to face the both of them, feeling a bit more relaxed to admit, "I hadn't consumed any energon yet today."

Megatron raised an optic ridge and asked, "You knew you were going on a mission, and you didn't fuel yourself with energon?"

Shadow eased the tension, "Tsk tsk tsk," she comically added, "Don't you know breakfast is the most important meal of the day?" Shadow erupted into laughter, apparently the only one who understood the joke, if that's what it was. Megatron's face lightened up at the sight of hers. "Sorry," she apologized. "It's funny because it's some dumb things human say. Or I'm just an idiot. It could be both. I was trying to lighten the mood." She took a deep breath. "But, seriously Ghost, why didn't you eat? Your answer couldn't be any more absurd than the stuff that I just said."

"I didn't eat," I said, pausing and staring down at my peds, "Because I am just so used to eating with someone else, that it kind of felt wrong to eat alone."

Our conversation, if you could even call it that, was plagued by another moment of silence. "So," Shadow asked, "Who's the lucky mech?"

I forced my sight down to the floor next to my peds, and attempted to hide my blush. My face felt hot, and I could barely control my voice box. I wasn't saying anything. I couldn't.

"Well," Shadow said, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But, you should still eat something. Energon?"

"Not now," I managed to force out of my throat, "Don't get me wrong," I told the femme, "I wouldn't mind sharing the mech's designation with you, and I do want to go refuel; I just want to find him first. He's quite elusive," I explained, "Any time I think I am getting close to him, he just seems to slip from my grasp."

"Don't I know that feeling," Megatron muttered underneath his breath. "Ghost," my Lord addressed me, "Go request that Soundwave locate your vehicon," he said, "our communications chief is rather perceptive, and prompt when obeying my command."

Shadow smiled.

Was Lord Megatron actually doing me a favor? What kind of alternate universe did I stumble into?

Shadow said, "We'll just have to put a rain-check on the energon-thing then. We'll save that for another day."

"That sounds great," I told her. "I'd love to spend time with you and converse about philosophy and other matters, but I just have to find that other mech first."

"I completely understand," Shadow said with a smile still on her face, "I don't think I'd be able to survive without certain relationships." Shadow calmed some and sighed, "Relationships and habits," she said, "those make us who we are. We each have some unexpected necessities that make us nothing more than energy and steel, when we are without."

"Speaking of necessities," Megatron said, turning to silver and crimson femme, and asking her, "Shadow, would you like to join me for a meal?"

Her smile lit the room, "There's nothing I'd prefer to do."