Chapter: Three

As we made our way to the Autobot base, I couldn't help but day dreaming. I was wondering how I would be treated, who would oppose me, who I would become instant friends with. I frowned, unsure of who would oppose me, and how badly I would be treated.

Bluestreak looked at me, and frowned, noticing that I had frowned. He shifted a little, tilting his head at me, questions in his optics.

"What's wrong?" Bluestreak asked.

"Nothing..." I answered, looking up at him. He frowned even deeper, not looking very convinced.

"Something is bugging you..." Bluestreak inquired, narrowing his optics.

I sighed, shaking my head. I looked at my hands, not wanting to look into Bluestreak's optics. Bluestreak got up and made his way over to me.

He knelt down next to me and put a gentle hand on my shoulder. I couldn't help but to look up, and I came optic to optic with Bluestreak's worried, light blue optics. I was transfixed, I couldn't look away. I've never had anyone look at me since my older brother. I grew cold at the thought of him.

"Something is bugging you," Bluestreak repeated softly, "I want to know if I can help."

I sighed, and relaxed more. "It's just..." I trailed off, remembering something, "You're the sole survivor of your city?"

Bluestreak looked taken aback, I had obviously caught him off guard. Bluestreak looked down for a moment, probably saddened by the memory. "Yes..." He sighed after a few moments.

I felt sympathetic for the young Autobot, unsure of how I could comfort him. "I understand how that feels..." I admitted, looking away, feeling grief swell up from the memory. "I only got out of there alive because of my mother... She sacrificed herself so I could escape..." I felt a tear threatening to leek out, but I fought it.

I looked back at Bluestreak to see his optics filled with grief. "Really?" Bluestreak asked, "She must have been a brave femme, and someone that was loyal and trustworthy..."

"She was..." I trailed off, wondering if I should voice her name or not, but then decided that it wouldn't do much harm. "Her name was Blackcloud...."

A light of recognition lit up in Bluestreak's optics. I frowned at him slightly.

"I know her..." Bluestreak muttered, then his optics widened and he looked at me with surprise. "I could have sworn she was in my city the day it was attacked...."

I tilted my head, inspecting Bluestreak very closely, then the past that I had tried so hard to forget burst through, despite my attempts to hold it back.

"Mother!" I screamed, racing around with fear, looking for any sign of my mother.

A huge, white-silver Cybertronian tiger with jet black stripes jumped out in front of me.

"Barbed-Claw!" I called in surprise, skidding to a halt, barely stopping myself from colliding with the huge cat. "Where's mother!? We've got to get her out of here!"

Barbed-Claw shook his head, "She told me to take you and get out as fast as possible, and to find help."

My optics widened in terror. "No!" I cried out, shaking my head, "I'm not leaving without her!"

Barbed-Claw wasn't going to give in to me, and he went for my scruff, wanting to waste no time escaping.

I took off, racing out of the house, and glanced over my shoulder, smiling to myself with pride as I acknowledged that I was still much faster then my older brother. "I'll meet you out of town!"

We had been informed that Decepticons were heading in our city's direction, and since we where one of the very few cities left untouched by the Decepticons, it was obvious that they were heading for ours.

We weren't to tell anyone about it, because if we did, everyone would panic and they would be quickly destroyed by the Decepticons. I didn't want to leave my mother behind to be destroyed.

I ducked into a small spot between two houses, and waited patiently for my older brother to dash by my hiding place.

Then I slipped out of my hiding place, and glanced around quickly before racing back to my house.

"Shade!" My mother cried out in surprise, using my shortened name. "I thought Barbed-Claw took you with him."

I shook my head, then grabbed her hand. "Come on, we've got to get out of her." I tugged on her arm, then frowned up at her when she didn't budge.

"They're here early!" My mother suddenly cried, scooping me up into her arms and racing out of the house as fast as possible. "Deceptions are here! Prepare to be attacked!"

Everyone looked up to see jets growing closer. Then the first shot was fired.

My mother tried to race out of the city, and escape without getting hit. We were making good progress when I noticed that we were being followed.

Then my mother ducked into the ruins of a house, pushing me under some of the rubble. "Stay here, and wait for help." She ordered, before turning and making for the exit.

She yelped in surprise when she collided with one of the Decepticons Seekers, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Pathetic Autobot." The Decepticon growled darkly, before he shot my mother in the Spark.

I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep from crying out. The Decepticon kicked my mother's graying body before he walked over her in my direction.

I trembled with fear and carefully backed up further into the rubble. I watched as my mother managed to grab her sword and stand up, using the wall for support.

"Oh no you don't, you son of a glitch!" My mother growled threateningly before thrusting her sword through the Decepticon's Spark.

Then they both fell to the ground, graying more and more as death seeped in. I sat there, trembling for hours, even after the sounds of battle had faded. Then I carefully made my way out of the rubble and over to my mother's body. I knew she was gone, but I tried to wake her, as if she was merely sleeping.

That's when an other Autobot Sparkling made his way in.

"Help has arrived." The young bot quivered, his gray-blue frame trembling.

Then we both screamed as a Decepticon appeared at the doorway. I grabbed the gray-blue Sparkling's hand and pulled him over to the rubble, pushing him in.

"Go through here, there's an exit." I whispered to him softly before turning to face the Decepticon.

The young Sparkling nodded his head before pausing. "What about you?"

I frowned at the approaching Decepticon, then gave the Sparkling a quick smile. "I'll join you shortly, you go first."

The Sparkling nodded his head before he started to crawl his way through the rubble. I sighed and took on a defensive stance. The Decepticon chuckled darkly at my display of courage. That's when I bolted under him and made to get out of the city.

"You may have been that Sparkling I sent through the rubble before I went..." I trailed off, looking at him.

"Oh!" A look of recognition came across Bluestreak's face, "I remember that! When you didn't emerge from the exit, I thought that the Decepticon had gotten you!" Bluestreak smiled, relief spreading across his face. "I'm glad I wasn't the only survivor."

"Did you guys happen to come across a white-silver Cybertronian tiger with jet back stripes?" I asked suddenly.

Bluestreak looked thoughtful, then shook his head, "Sorry, no..."

I smiled slightly to myself. That means it's possible that my older brother had survived. Barbed-Claw could have escaped before the attack. But I didn't want to get too hopeful about it, because chances are he got killed sometime after the destruction of our city.