A/N

A massively Alternate Universe, a little blend of Age of Extinction and a non-romantic version of my own personal Starverse. (HEADCANONS!) (whether Stargazer will appear or not is highly debatable)

I am accepting ideas on advancing this story, and I plan to ask questions, so be sure to check the Author Notes at the ends of the chapters! Also, don't be afraid to ask me any questions about this story in your reviews!

Answers to things you may be wondering already:

Yes, there is death.

Yes, there is betrayal.

No, this is not void of humans.

But no, this is not about the humans!

There is also humor, so no, this is not an entirely "dark" fic.

Now please, enjoy this wonderful(?) beginning I wrote out of boredom.

Chapter 2

The Beginning

She watches his chassis rise and fall steadily but slowly, evidence that though calm, he still suffers. The rest of his frame lies completely still, one leg draped over the other as he's partially on his side, save for the rare, minute twitch of one pede. From where she is, she can watch his faceplates, how his audio dials spin and his olfactory sensors test the air subconsciously.

When she can't sleep, she finds it nice to just watch him enjoy his recharge while it lasts. It's one of the only ways she can ever see him happy, as if he dreams of a post-War Cybertron.

But he is hurt, on many levels and in different senses of the word.

Physically, his right shoulder and servo sometimes falter, the result of an old battle wound that, with the absence of his medic, was not able to be mended properly and thus does not always function as normal. The joint locks on occasion, and it's very painful for him to jam it loose again. The walls of several abandoned buildings have been dented and scarred by those efforts, which were fortunately always successful after a couple of rams. He's covered in minor cuts and dents, scratches and faint, abraded paint.

Said paint reflects his emotional damage, for which there is no repair technique, human or otherwise.

Hurt. Anger, sorrow, rage, worthlessness, hate, contempt, just to name a few.

There is no human word for such a combination, and such things can only be understood through the witnessing of the resulting actions, not more words.

She has seen these actions, and it is when she lends him her attention, comforts him but does not reassure him because there is no assurance to be given, only then does he calm and release. He releases his worry, his regret.

His fear.

Fear keeps him alive, and she is the one to bring him to realize and accept his fright. She is the entire reason he has not been offlined by those who broke him when they turned on him and his allies, his friends.

He retreats, she follows, and they escape, continuing on until the next night before finding the next place to hide.

Often they sleep and recharge away from each other, as he recognizes the uncommon occasions where he does not dream pleasantly and would be a danger to anyone closeby. But sometimes, they rest together, him curled halfway around her, holding her close to his radiating chassis with one hand, which covers her entire body. These are the nights she gets the most sleep, pressed close to her guardian so she knows, even while unconscious, that she is secure and protected.

This is not one of those nights. Not for her.

He recharges well, and she sits perched on a rock shelf in the wall of the large cave they currently call home. She's thought about going hunting a couple of times, but has decided it would be best not to leave him alone.

Instead, she sits as still as he lies, listening and watching both him and the tunnel leading to the outside world.

The world that refused to accept the truth that Earth's dominant species might need assistance in retaining their planet. That what one does not understand is not always something to be afraid of.

That they're just like each other.

"Akemi?"

The quiet, rumbling voice brings her out of her thoughts and she returns her eyes to meet his gaze.

"What?"

"Are you alright?" he vents.

"We both know neither of us are alright."

Slowly, he pushes himself up to sit before her, leaning back on his pedes, and they look at each other for a long moment.

He breaks the silence. "Do you miss them?"

"No."

She moves further onto the ledge and he shifts closer, lowering his helm so she can reach his crest without leaning forward. She does anyway, closing her eyes and resting her head against him.

"Remember," she whispered. "You're the only one who matters to me."

"It's been three years since the world - tragic events in Chicago."

"It's giving me a headache."

"In response, the Autobots were sent -"

"It's officially broken, you know."

"- whereabouts of the Autobots has -"

"Stop it."

"- appears they have resurfaced."

The radio shuts off with a quiet click and she sighs. "Thank you."

"You are welcome," comes the deep voice from the torn dashboard.

She leans forward, draping herself over the wheel, and stares out the front window at the thick brush and large trees.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you scared everything off with that radio of yours."

"There are other ways for you to acquire Energon."

"I've told you, it's food. Not Energon."

"My bad."

She shakes her head and steps out of the flat-nose, dropping to the grass with a soft thud. She looks over the tree line again, and picks up her recurve bow from where she had set it on the ground. She takes one arrow and nocks it, walking towards the plant-ridden area that has served as a temporary hunting ground for the past few days.

"I can take you to the town if you need to go there."

"Trust me, I don't."

She travels through the trees, staying low as she constantly scans the environment. Just when she spots a deer and draws back her arrow, the sound of a transformation sequence sends the animal into flight mode. She sighs and turns around to see the large mechanical being behind her.

"Did you have to do that?"

"I am sorry. I did not want you to go too far."

"You know, one of these days, you'll have to just sit still and trust that I can take care of myself. For Primus' sake, I'm taking care of you."

"Very well."

Another sigh and she slips the arrow back into her quiver before following him back towards the cave in silence.

There is a dirt road they have to cross over to get back to the cave, and the mech slows as they approach it. Distracted, Aimi doesn't see he's stopped until she walks into his heel strut, and he flinches when she yelps in surprise, looking down and back at her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Why'd you stop?"

"Listen."

She's about to ask when she hears it. Police sirens, and getting closer.

"What're we waiting for?"

He kneels down, puts his hand down in front of her, and lifts her up so she can climb onto his shoulder.

"Do you ever miss anyone?"

"Affirmative."

"Who?"

He turns his helm to look at her where she's sitting on a partially demolished wall, just under optic-level, and he processes for a moment before looking away.

"My old friends."

"Optimus." The somewhat stern tone catches his attention again.

"Yes?"

"You call everyone you've met before 'old friend.'"

"That is not true."

"Just be more specific," she sighs. "Which ones?"

He straightens himself and leans back against the wall, close to the corner, where he can still see the human.

"There were two I used to know, long before the War began. One was a mech. He was quite different than I am, but also fairly similar. He was intelligent, sympathetic, and mildly ambitious, but he was afraid to give himself a voice. He was too innocent, and naive. However, all of this aside, he maintained a good reputation, even if it was not a high one, and he treated everyone equally, as if everyone had importance."

"You told me that wasn't commonly believed."

"It was not." He looks up at the dark sky for a moment. "The other was a femme. She was around his vorn, and also similar to myself. She was more outspoken, however. She belonged to the caste of nobles, and was allowed a voice as long as she stayed within the limits given to her. The two met when she first visited the Hall of Records, and she revisited many times just so she could see him."

"So they were good friends?"

"Yes. I got to know her as well, and she was very friendly, considering her ranking."

"Sounds like you were quite the trio."

"Yes... I suppose we were..."

She can tell he's bothered by something, but decides to leave it for now. One step at a time.

A/N

Yes, yes, very, very scrambled, but I'm workin' on a plot. Bear with me here!

Question 1.1: Do you think I should introduce Aimi's family? If so, sooner or later? (voting ends June 4)

Question 1.2: When and where would you like to see the other AOE Cybertronians introduced? I plan to do one at a time, maybe every three chapters or so.

Question 1.3: Who wants Quintessons?! I'm going to input them but I'm curious to see.