Kerryanne couldn't believe what she was watching, all her life she had lived a lie, believed a lie, fought for a lie. She slammed her laptop closed turning off the images flashing across the screen. So, grandfather hadn't destroyed his research like he had initially claimed, he had kept it, stored it way, hid it in the wall. She looked at Arsenal, the German Shepard was sleeping soundly, his foot twitched and his tail flicked. Kerryanne slumped back against the couch, everything she had been taught was now being called into question. She looked at her hands turning them over, quickly shoving them beneath her. "I have to show them." She sighed picking up her laptop and the stack of CD's beside it, "I must."
Kerryanne arrived at the base, her heart pounded in her chest at what she was about to reveal, "I have something to show you." She looked to Optimus, "It may be hard to watch…it was for me." Raph connected the laptop up to the Bots monitors as the images played on. Kerryanne turned her head away she couldn't watch it again. She kept her gaze focused on Optimus, his eyes glistened and for a moment she thought he might cry. The others stood watching, small gasps escaping them. When the horrible scene ended, Kerryanne shifted her gaze to the floor, she could feel their eyes boring into her. Optimus said not a word as he turned away, walking to the back of the base, he needed to clear his head. The other just stood in stunned silence. "I'll be leaving now." She gathered up her laptop and disks, without another word spoke she left.
Kerryanne threw the laptop on her sofa, she threw her hands over her face sinking deep into the sofa. Arsenal placed his paw on her laptop, whining slightly. Kerryanne smiled, "What has my life meant?" She gazed out the window, "I knew my grandfather experimented on me but…this." She lowered her head as the tears dripped to the floor.
Optimus held his head between his hands, for years he had believed that she had been killed by Megatron. It wasn't Kerryanne fault, right? She had only been a toddler when the horrible event took place. Optimus walked over to SilverStorms bed, looking down at it he tried to calm his spark rate, it beat furiously in his chest. He had to repeat to himself, "It wasn't Kerryannes fault." A knock at his door startled him, "Optimus are you alright?" Ratchet poked his head into the room. Optimus nodded slowly, as Ratchet entered, closing the door behind him. "Optimus you have to know that Kerryanne is not to blame for this." Optimus nodded again, "In my spark I know it to be true, though my mind conflicts with my spark." Ratchet laid a hand on his shoulder, "Perhaps you should speak with her, she seemed distressed when she left." Optimus didn't move, his thoughts flew, "I know you are correct Ratchet, though with my current thought process I do not believe it to be the right move at the moment." Ratchet backed away, a sad expression across his face. The Prime never showed emotion, that last time Ratchet had seen him in such a state was when SilverStorm had died, and now again it was as though he was reliving her death. Ratchet grunted to himself making his way out of the room.
"Raph, I will call you when I am ready to return." Ratchet nodded to the teen as a ground bridge portal spun to life. Ratchet drove through coming out to the other side. A tall house loomed in front of him, trees where all around. Remaining in vehicle mode he set off his sirens, to get her attention.
Kerryanne jumped awake, she had fallen asleep, exhausted from her crying. She dove at the window as an ambulances siren blasted. "Ratchet?" she quickly wiped her face, pushing straggling hair back behind her ear. She ran to the ambulance as the sirens ceased, "Why are you here?" she asked, hesitant to know the reply. "I came to speak with you." The door opened as Kerryanne climbed in. "Optimus is currently…. occupied." Ratchet started off, Kerryanne smiled weakly, "You don't have to cover the truth, he didn't want to come here." Ratchet ignored her and continued, "Do you know whom the Autobot was in the that film?" Kerryanne crossed her arms, sinking into his seats. "No, unfortunately. Grandfathers notes don't say a name, he just called her "Project Storm"." Ratchet chassis moved slightly as if to indicate a nod, "Probably because her name was SilverStorm." Kerryannes eyes flutter, tears were welling up again. "My whole like my father and grandfather preach how we only hunted those who hunted us, namely the decepticons because they were here to cause issues. They told me they never hurt an Autobot because they were compliant, willing to listen." She took a deep breath, quivering, "They told me that we never hurt innocence." She turned her hands over as they glowed, "And yet to create my power they killed one of yours." She could barely get the words out as tears flowed down her cheeks. Ratchet remained silent for a moment, "Kerryanne this was not your doing, you were much too young to understand what was happening." Kerryanne shook her head, "The sins of the father are passed down to the next generation." Her voice cracked, "You can't trust me." At this Ratchet transformed, not caring at the moment who might see him. "Look into my eyes Kerryanne." Kerryanne slowly lifted her head to stare into the blue eyes of the Autobot, "What do you see?" Kerryanne shook her head, "Your face?" Ratchet smirked, "In my eyes." Kerryanne cocked her head studying his eyes, a sense of peace washed over her, "Surprisingly…peace." She whispered. Ratchet nodded, "Peace, something we have been striving for, for many eons. Now I ask you, after we have been at war with our own kind for so many years, do you think we would want a war with you?" Kerryanne smiled "No I guess now, though just because you trust me, doesn't mean the others will. I saw their faces Ratchet, if looks could kill, I would be dead a hundred times over." Ratchet huffed comically, "Besides, how can I return? Everything I lived my life for, everything that drove me is gone. I wanted to end Megatron for his role in my father death, but now…" she trailed off, she couldn't finish her sentence, her desire for revenge had faded along with any respect or love for her father. "I used to believe in love and hope." Kerryanne clenched her fist. "I no longer believe in those things, you all see to hold hope to high esteem. I can't be a part of that. Please just go, and allow me to live here, alone." Ratchet sighed, "If that is what you wish." He lowered her back to the ground, "Know that you always have a haven with us."
Kerryanne watched the ambulance leave through the ground bridge. "A haven." She spoke to the wind. She looked to the west as dark clouds had formed and were making their way towards her, Arsenal barked at her through the window, this was her destiny. She looked back to the sky, her destiny to live alone, to never know what a normal life was like. She shook her head, smacking herself, "normal is to broad a term." She entered her house just as the first pellets of rain hit the ground.
Optimus was waiting on the other side as Ratchet re-entered the base. Without so much as glancing his direction Ratchet transformed and made his way back to his station. Optimus followed him, "You spoke to her?" Ratchet nodded, still not looking at him, "Some one had to." Optimus sighed, "Why is she not with you?" Ratchet shrugged, "She doesn't believe in hope, and apparently we are too hopeful around here for her." Optimus was confused, "I'm sorry?" Ratchet grunted, "Look if you want to know why you get your head out of your stubborn arse and go talk to her!" Optimus stepped back, only two bots in his life spoke to him so blunt, Ratchet and SilverStorm. Optimus turned on his heel, perhaps it was best to leave things as they were, if she did not want to be at the base what gave him the right to force her here. Still something inside him urged him to speak with her, he pushed the feeling aside as he went about his duties.
A few months later…
3 months had passed, no one had seen hid or hair of Kerryanne, no word either, and try as he might Optimus couldn't escape the nagging feeling he should speak to her. Something in him begged him to make amends with her though he didn't know why, wasn't it easier just to leave her be if that's what she wanted? "Not very Prime like of you." Ratchets recent words that rung through his mind, maybe he was right. His mind drifted to SilverStorm, she always seemed to have the answers, and he was supposed to be the one with the wisdom of the Primes, where was the wisdom now? "Prime!" Optimus was snapped from his thoughts, Miko stood with her arms crossed across her chest, tapping her foot. "Yes Miko?" Miko pointed to the team standing behind him, Arcee had an eyebrow cocked but proceeded, "uh, right umm Ratchet detected an energon signal. Might be a mine." Optimus nodded before telling them to roll out.
In the weeks that followed her encounter with Ratchet, Kerryanne had sunk deeper in to self. Her curtains remained drawn, she barely ate, as the TV played in the back ground. Arsenal tried to get her to cheer up but to no avail. Kerryanne stared at herself in the mirror, the once brilliant blue from her eyes had faded into a dim pale blue. She felt sick, worn down. Her mind was working one over on her, her computers beeped and blink with Decepticon activity, she ignored it. Why should she care? A hunter! A hunter knew what they were after, they had conviction and passion. She sunk down to the floor, she had neither. No conviction and No passion, she felt her life had come to the tipping point and right now she was leaning heavily towards the side of giving up. She covered her hands with her face as Arsenal trotted in, a scanner in his mouth. Kerryanne looked up as the scanner beeped, "no Arnie, no more." Arsenal laid the scanner at her feet, barking at her till she picked it up. The coordinates were not far from her, the sense of adventure and thrill flashed in her, Arsenal ran out of the bathroom, bringing back her weapon. Kerryanne smiled, "You just want me out of the house?" Arsenal barked as if to say, "Yes you are depressing me leave!" Kerryanne slowly stood up, "Ill check it out, but I will not engage."
Kerryanne army crawled on the ground, the sound of blaster fire had caught her attention as she inched closer and closer. Peering through the brush she watch as the Autobots and Decepticons fought over the mine, Megatron was even present. A hot flash coursed through her at the sight of him, she could take him out right here, right now, but to what end? He had no idea who she was, he had been surprised by her. Despite the fact that her father had told her Megatron would stop at nothing to get her, that was why they killed them, they hunted them. She wanted to turn to leave but something held her there as she watch the blaster light of the evening sky. One by one Decepticon miners began to fall, Megatron and Optimus were deep into a fight. Kerryanne was horrified at the sight which followed, Megatron gain the upper hand stabbing Optimus square in the chest and sending the Prime backwards. Before she could stop herself Kerryanne found herself running to his aid.
Megatron was stunned but not down, he shook his head as he took flight, the little human had a lot of power. He had heard reports of her over the years but until his recent run ins with her had never believed a single one of them, "StarScream portal!" his voiced echoed across the sky.
Kerryanne turned back to the injured Prime, the team had gathered around him and were pulling him through a bridge, obviously not caring to where she was. She ran behind them sneaking into the portal. Ratchet quickly aided them in getting the Prime situated and connect to medical equipment. Kerryanne hid behind the stairwell listening, Ratchet approached the team after some time, "He is stable for the moment, I've had to induce stasis till his energon levels come back up." Kerryanne emerged from her hiding sport, met by solemn faces quickly replaced with surprise. Kerryanne sighed, "I know what you all think of me, but if you move, I can help him." Arcee stepped in front of the Prime protectively, "Oh yeah, what are you going to do, drain his power, then kill him?" Kerryanne lowered her head, "You have every right to feel that way." Bulkhead and BumbleBee followed her lead, Ratchet waved his hands, "trust her" he murmured. Arcee shook her head without turning around, "Never." Kerryanne looked up, "Move or be moved." She hissed through closed teeth. Arcee fired up her arm gun, "Don't push it sister, Ratchet bridge, send this traitor home." Kerryanne stepped back, forming a force field around her self she walked toward them, Arcee stammered, "I'm warning you!" Kerryanne continued to move forward till she was past them. Bulkhead sat up rubbing his head, "Ouch!" Arcee shook her head, BumbleBee chirped, "When she said move or be moved, I thought she was kidding." Arcee quickly jumped up running toward Optimus when she smacked into a wall. "What the?" she ran her hands along the blue transparent field, "Ratchet stop her!" Arcee yelled, Ratchet breathed in, "What are you doing?" Kerryanne looked up at him, sincerity in her eyes, "I can't heal him, but I can make him feel a little better." Ratchet was confused but helped her climb up next to the Prime, the team watched as she placed her hands on the Primes arm, Optimus's back arched slightly with a gasp as Kerryanne breathed heavily, her arms lighting up as energy seemed to be coursing back and forth. Ratchet looked at the Primes vitals, "They are…they are normal." Kerryanne rubbed her arms, "For a little while." She released the barrier that was keeping her attackers at bay. Arcee was stunned, "What did you do?" Kerryanne looked up at her, "I took some of his pain, just a small feature of this power." Ratchet stepped back, "Uncanny." He whispered. Kerryanne looked at him, "What?" Ratchet quickly shook his head, "nothing, just nothing."