Yeah, I know, Im a terrible person. I told people that I would update and I haven't... Sorry. Had to work until midnight these past two days.

Anyway, WHAT THE FRAG?! Anyone else see Age of Extinction? I practically shat myself... Im still not sure what to think of that... Its not that It was bad. It was pretty good. (Though they could have left out a few things to simplify it just a squidge) But... Just, what? What happened there? Everybot is dead... and they make us watch as Ratchet dies too? Why would they do that?

Sooo, my overall review is: It was okay... Not bad, Definitely like the first three WAY more. I think it really felt like a stand-alone movie... Which is good, because I'm still not gonna use the content of Age of Extinction as a reference for my story... But I may start another story that occurs after AoE? Who's interested?

Anyway, Chapter three. Just for you. :)

Several weeks after the meeting in the recreation hangar, I'm standing beside Ironhide in the middle of the 'training field'. It isn't really a training field. Just a cracked, overgrown section of tarmac at the end of the landing strip. Flanked on either side by the weapons hangar, and the medbay.

The third lieutenant and I are spectating along with all the other bots as Skids and Mudflap face off against Prowl. Prowl is directing the twins as they come at him, correcting their mistakes, and giving them pointers. Though so far as I can tell, they lack the skill or the tact to take Prowl on in a serious fight. Which is what makes this a learning match I guess.

"Yah!" Jazz shouts from Ironhides other side. "You get 'em Prowler!"

Prowl makes an irritated noise. "It's a learning session Jazz, not a pit fight."

"I know that sparklove." Jazz answers smartly. "But I rather like seein' ya fight like this. It's exciting!"

Ironhide shoves Jazz on the shoulder. "All right mechs, enought flirting. Prowl, you wanna finish this up and give somebot else a turn?"

No sooner do these words leave Ironhides mouth, then Prowl is moving aggressively toward the twins. He takes down Skids and Mudflap in just a few short moves, and leaves them groaning on the asphalt.

"Bravo, bravo." Ironhide claps his servos as the twins clear the sparring circle. "Arite 'Bots, who's next?"

All the other bots look around. But no one wants to challenge Prowl. Now that the learning match is over, the first lieutenant is looking for a real fight.

So, I raise my servo and step forward. "I'll do it." I say casually. I've spent a lot of time with Prowl ever since Alpha Trion let me out of my cage, but I've never yet sparred with him.

Moonracer gasps, an Arcee and Chromia begin to whisper furiously. "You sure you wanna do that?" Chromia calls over to me.

Ironhide laughs at his mate. "Of course she does Chromia!" The big black mech turns to me. "Prowl is all yours, femme."

I nod and face the center of the ring where Prowl stands stock-still. I know his processors are already doing their thing. He is analyzing, planning how to take me down. He's likely marked my sensory equipment as my most vulnerable point.

The sensors are located in appendages on my back. Something the bots have taken to calling 'doorwings'. But because I cannot access my alt-form, I am unable to apply armour to my own 'doorwings', which makes them more vulnerable than normal. A fact I'm positive Prowl has noted. But Prowls own doorwings are a fair target themselves.

From what I know of the first lieutenant, he typically picks a strategy, and attacks using that method, until he either takes out his opponent, or decides that a different strategy is warranted. This means that my own strategy has to work, because I can only outsmart Prowl once. After that, it's over.

My most likely chance is to go on the defensive, let Prowl take a few shots at me and see if I can discern his 'tell'. The thing that lets me know when and where he's going to attack. A twitch of a servo, a shift in weight. Anything.

With this plan of action in mind I lower my visor and begin to circle one way, Prowl another. And the fight begins.

"Yeah, thats mah Prowler!" Jazz shouts.

Prowl smirks though he keeps his deadly gaze on me. "At least your cheering is appropriate this time, Jazz." His mate laughs wickedly, and I smile. Quicker than a viper, Prowl strikes and I dance quickly out of his reach laughing all the while.

"Awww," I say. "Isn't anyone gonna cheer for me?"

Immediately, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker begin to shout my name and cheer me on. I grin.

Prowl and I continue to circle each-other, and he strikes twice more. He tries to use his height advantage to reach around me and strike at my doorwings. But I twist away and continue to circle. As we continue our dance, I spot Optimus over Prowls left shoulder. He has emerged from his office, and is making his way toward the group that now watches our match intently.

My spark jumps and Prowl uses my distraction against me, striking faster than ever. He almost gets me too, but I'm just quick enought to slip away. I lose sight of Optimus, as Prowl and I continue to circle. But this only helps me to better focus. I realise that Prowl will probably change his strategy soon, and then I will never be able to win.

I have to end this now. I focus intensely on Prowl, and that's when I see it. His tell. Just before he springs at me again, his doorwings twitch in the direction he plans on going. I dodge him again, but I don't move as far away this time, and Prowl takes this as an invitation to attack again. I'm ready for him.

He strikes, and I use his momentum against him, throwing him past me. I spin, and follow up with a kick to the back of the knee joints. He goes sprawling, and I dive after him. I end the fight by placing my servos at the base of his doorwings, ready to tear the sensitive appendages from his back.

"Dead." I say softly.

"Impressive femme." Ironhide says. He is still standing at the edge of the circle next to Jazz, but now Optimus has taken my place at his other side. I fight back a sigh as the sight of him sparks a familiar pain in my chassis. I let Prowl go, and extend a servo to help him up. He graciously accepts my help, and pulls himself to his peds.

"Nice work." He says. "You up for a bit more of a challenge?" He asks.

"Always ready to teach, eh Prowl?" I say. "All right, what have you got for me?"

Prowl waves over Jazz. "Let's see how you do against multiple opponents." He says.

"Aw, Prowly-poo!" I exclaim. "You're makin' it too easy!"

"Hey!" Jazz Protests. "That ain't nice!"

Prowl ignores his mate. "Fine." He says and crosses his servos. He nods at Bluestreak. "You're up mech."

The reserved mech steps forward, and joins Prowl and Jazz in facing me. Prowl gestures his two sparring partners closer. He whispers something quietly, and Bluestreak and Jazz both nod. Prowl and Jazz spit up, and flank me, while Bluestreak slowly comes at me head-on.

I know if I back up, I will be gutted by the pair of mates behind me. But I can't move to the sides either, because then I'll just be sandwiched between Bluestreak and one of the other two. I think that if I can take out Bluestreak first, I can finish off Prowl and Jazz by using them against each other. As I continue to study Bluestreak though, a thought occurs to me. What if I can take out all of them at once?

I take a gamble, and Implement my idea. I jump at Bluestreak and he is surprised, to say the least. he puts up a quick defence, and I throw everything i've got at him. I have to take him out now, before the other two can nab me from behind.

I have to pull a move that he will never expect. But what? I'm running out of time and I have only nano-kliks before Prowl and Jazz close in and I'm dead meat.

Bluestreak isn't much taller than me but as a mech, his top half is substantially heavier. If I can hit right, he should be easy to push over. I glance behind me. Jazz and Prowl are only feet away. Bluestreak throws a punch at me, and I sieze my chance.

I grab his servo, and turn my back to him. Then I pull with all my might, and throw him over my shoulder at the two mechs who are about to attack me. As I throw him, I feel something in my right arm crack. And I grunt when the pain reaches me.

I arm my guns, and approach the three mechs who are lying in a heap on the ground. I fire blanks at each of them in turn as they try to disentangle themselves from one another.

I leven my gun at Prowls head. "Dead." I say again. Then I offer him my servo as I did before. Once all three mechs are back on their feet, Prowl speaks to me.

"Your simple yet unorthodox approach is surprisingly effective. I will have to devise new strategies for the next time we spar."

I smile and nod. "Looking forward to it." I say.

One of the wreckers, Topspin I believe his name is. Addresses me. "Not bad, femme." He says as Jazz and Prowl walk over to Ironhide, and Bluestreak returns to where he was standing by Sunny and Sides. "Did the Decepticons teach you that?" He asks.

As soon as the words leave his mouth, he realises his mistake. There is dead silence, as everybot waits to see how I'll answer.

I snort. "No." I say simply. "I taught me that. Not the 'Cons."

He nods and dips his helm apologetically, and I wave him off and pretend like it didn't bother me. Instead, I look around the circle. "Who's next bots?" I say, plastering a huge grin on my faceplates. I look over to Sunny and Sides. "Care to go a few rounds Sunstreaker?" I ask playfully.

He just grins at me and shakes his helm. "Not a chance Silver. You kicked my aft plenty when we were back on Cybertron, I'll pass."

I mock pout, and put a servo on my hip. "Awww, c'mon Sunny! You can even bring Sideswipe with you!"

But Sunstreaker is adamant. "Then you'll just kick both our afts. I'm stayin' right here."

Ratchet, miraculously appears from nowhere at Optimus' side. "You should challenge Bumblebee to a few rounds when he returns. He has a similar fighting style to yourself." The old medic gives some surprising advice. I nod at him.

"I'll remember to do that." I say. I look around the circle. "Really? Nobot wants to spar with me?" I ask. Everybot shifts uncomfortably, and looks at each-other, and I guess that the fights are over, because Optimus takes his cue to leave.

And for some reason, that pisses me off.

"Hey Prime!" I say, barely containing the growl in my voice.

He turns to look at me though he says nothing.

"Think you're tough enough to have a go?" I ask. I unsheath my right-hand blade, and point it at him.

For the first time since our moment in the medbay, he looks directly into my optics. "I don't think that is a good Idea femme." He says quietly.

His voice has me weak in the knee joints, but his words just piss me off more. I begin to stride toward him angrily.

"I have a name you know. It's Silverbolt." I say. "Silverbolt, not femme, or 'Con, or 'side jumper'. Like everyone is calling me."

I stride right up to him, and look up into his optics. He's more than twice my height, and I really have to angle my helm to look at him. I feel slightly ridiculous. But I'm too ticked to care.

"I want you to call me by my name." I say savagely. "And I want you, to fight me."

I want more than just that though. I wan him to acknowledge me. I want him to stop ignoring my existence. I want him to look at me, and see something other than the femme who has messed up his perfect little world. I want him to see an autobot. A soldier. A comrade, willing to fight and die for him regardless of the fact that we're supposedly sparkmates.

But all he sees when he looks at me is the twisted confustion in his own spark.

In the few seconds since my little outburst, he's gone from indifferent, to angry. And I'm not sure if I like that, or if I'm in deep shit.

I'm vaguely aware of Moonracer whimpering, but I've got this sort of tunnel vision that only occurs when I'm well and truly pissed. I'm practically lying in my grave now, and I simply have moved beyond the point of caring.

I'm aware that part of this reckless anger has to do with the damage to my processors when the decepticons forced my frame transfer. But I wonder just how much of that is really damage to my logic systems, and how much is a developemental result of simply being at war for so long.

Optimus puts his servos on his hips and angles his helm toward me. The look in his optics is hard and cold. "I will gave you one last chance, femme. Back off. You do not want to fight me."

"I think I do." I say, a feral edge sneaking into my voice. A remnant from my darker days.

Optimus slowly reaches a servo up behing his head, and grasps the handle of his sword. I step aside, and he strides toward the center of the circle.

By this point, we've attracted the attention of the humans, and a small group of them migrates over to watch us. Ironhide shakes his head at me, but it's too late to back out now. And I've kinda lost it anyway. I turn and stalk toward Optimus, twirling my blade as I go.

We begin to circle even as Prowl and I had done just minutes before.

I quickly size him up. My previous oponents were closer to my size, but the Prime has by far the greatest height and reach advantage. I have to stay out of arms reach at all costs. But In order to hit him, I also have to get in close. I'll need to disarm him. But after that, it's going to be a lot harder. He is simply too big.

I run at him with a shout, and swing my blade at his unguarded left side. He blocks, and it jars my shoulder. The same one I fractured when I threw Bluestreak. I'd forgotten. He retaliates with a huge sweeping blow that forces me to jump back a good ten feet.

We begin to circle again, and Optimus is the next to strike. He lashes out wildly with his blade. We are both pissed, and that makes us sloppy. But the difference between us is that he's just sloppy, whereas I'm sloppy, and quick. I dart inside his guard, and strike his arm just above the servo.

He cries out in surprise and pain, as he releases his sword. The weapon goes flying, and Sunny and Sides have to dodge the spinning blade.

Optimus wastes no time going after his fallen weapon. Instead, he grabs my servo before I can escape his reach and pulls me toward him, pinning me against his chassis.

I am now dangling in his arms, pinned with my back to his chassis in a literal iron grip. I slam the back of my helm once, twice against his faceplates, and laugh manically as he groans in pain. He has me trapped though, and I begin to run though my limited options.

"Do you concede, femme?" He asks me in a low growl.

"Go to pit Prime!" I hiss at him. I begin to twist my shoulders against his grip. The fracture in my right shoulder groans and creaks, and I can feel the metal begin to warp. Suddenly, the shoulder joint snaps, and collapses in on itself.

I scream in pain. I won't be able to use that arm anytime soon, but my shoulders are now small enough that I am able to slip out of Primes grasp. I land heavily on my peds, and gasp in pain as the impact jars my shoulder. But I waste no time on my pain or my injuries. Instead, I spin around before Optimus can react. I crouch low, push off with my peds as hard as I can and headbut Optimus Prime in the abdomen.

He goes sprawling, and lands on his aft, and I get in a kick, and a punch with my good arm. Before he rolls over, and regains his peds. I continue to advance, and he holds a defensive stance as I rail him with kicks and punches. I don't realise that by this point, he has lost his anger and is simply letting me vent mine.

My right arm is dangling uselessly at my side and my left servo and both peds are dented, and the protoform bruised from hitting him so many times. His armour doesnt even look scratched.

Eventually I run out of steam and just stand there with my good arm raised, cycling huge vents of air to cool my systems. Optimus gradually lowers his guard when it becomes clear that I'm done, and he slowly walks toward me.

"Are you finished?" He asks so only I can hear. I dont answer, and he kneels down in front of me, peering cautiously into my faceplates. "Are you finished, Silverbolt?" He asks again. My optics snap up to meet his, and I nod and slowly lower my arm.

He stands and puts a servo under my good shoulder. "Lets get you to medbay." He says. "Ratchet, give me a hand."

Ratchet hurries over, and moves to my other side. He puts a supporting servo on my back, just under my doorwings. Moonracer, the youngest of the three sisters steps toward me timidly. "Silverbolt, are you all right?" She asks worriedly. "What happened? You... didn't seem like yourself."

I glance about wearily. I really didn't want anybot to know this. "I-" I stutter, and struggle to crush my growing sense of shame. "I lost control. The Decepticons did more damage to me than I let on. But the truth it that sometimes I just lose my head."

Prowl and Hound have both been on the receiving end of one of my little episodes, and Sunstreaker once came close, though he never knew...

Prowl interjects, and I am endlessly grateful. "Silverbolt sometimes suffers from flashbacks. Certain events or actions may trigger what we took to calling her 'dark side'. In a way, she reverts to her Decepticon persona." Prowl pauses and lets this sink in. "It's a very rare occurence, and Sunstreaker or myself can usually calm her." He looks about at all the bots. "Any questions?" He asks. Bots all around shake their helms, and begin to disperse to their various duties for the day.

But I an see in their glances that we've moved back to square one. They're afraid of me again. They mistrust me. I don't blame them. How could I? It simply makes my spark unbearably sad.

Optimus and Ratchet begin to slowly guide me to the medbay, but it is more than I can bear to be so close to Optimus. I shrug away from the two of them and continue limping on my own toward the hangar. Once inside, I find the nearest berth, and collapse onto it. I feel utterly spent. Ratched hurries over to the energon dispenser, and fills me a cube of medical-grade. He hands it to me wordlessly, and moves to fetch his tools.

Optimus sits on the berth opposite me, and we sit in silence for a few tense moments. Ratchet returns and quickly begins to work on my shoulder. Finally, I address the Prime. "The others are beginning to notice that you're avoiding me." I say, point blank. He says nothing, but I can feel him looking at me. I glance up to meet his gaze. "Arcee flat-out asked me if I stabbed you the first time we met. And even Skids and Mudflap have noticed something is up."

He sighs and drags a servo across his faceplates and looks back at me. "I'm sorry." He says, and I'm taken-aback by his apology. "Do you understand why I have to do this?" He asks. "Why I have to distance myself from you?"

I nod. It hadn't taken me long to figure out. But that didn't mean I wasn't still angry and hurt. "I think so." I say. "You're a Prime. You have a duty to your troops in times of war, and a duty to your people in times of peace. You must deny yourself everything until your people have all they need."

He seems to deflate in relief, and I realise that maybe this has been just as hard for him. "I truly am sorry Silverbolt." He says, looking into my optics. I know he is earnest, and that is what makes all this that much harder.

I sigh and take a long drink of energon. I let the silence brew for a while before I finally speak to that.

"It hurts." I say, and he flinches. "It hurts to be so near you, and not to be with you. Its like my spark is trying to break out of my chassis every time I see you. It causes me actual physical pain!"

He nods sadly. "Your pain is also my own." He says. "And if there were any way for me to give you what you need, while still fulfilling my duties, I would do it in a sparkbeat."

I smile ruefully. "So, when... will we ever be able to... can we ever be..." I'm not sure what exactly I'm asking him. But he seems to get it.

His answer is immediate. "It may never come to pass... But should the day come when the Decepticon threat is no more, we can be mates." He gazes at me with unbridled intensity. "I swear to you."

I give him a small smile, and the pain in my spark eases the tiniest bit. Ratchet snorts. "Well finally." He says sarcastically.

"What?" I ask in irritation.

"The two of you are finally getting somewhere." He says. I scoff and then wince as the medic tweaks something in my shoulder.

Optimus and I sit in silence while Ratchet works. I finish off my energon, and Optimus gets me another cube full. I'm gonna need it too. I fragged up my shoulder pretty bad.

I speak to Optimus again. "I think it would be better if we actually spoke to each-other on occasion. You need to stop avoiding me. And you need to assign me a job on base. Right now, I'm the only bot who doesnt report directly to your office, and the others have taken notice." I chuckle darkly. "Plus I can't go off base, so I'm fragging bored."

Prime nods. "I will see what I can do."

Ratchet coughs politely.

"Yes?" I ask him as I roll my optics.

"I was actually hoping that you could come on as my assistant." He says casually.

"Isn't First-Aid your apprentice?" I ask him.

Ratchet 'hums' in confirmation. "Yes, but First-Aid is a doctor." He says. "I want to train you to be a field medic."

I frown in confusion and look to Optimus. He shrugs. He's just as lost as I am. "Uh Ratchet, the whole point of Optimus finding me a job on base, is because I can't go in the field."

Ratchet gives a final tug on the circuits in my arm. He's a little more rough than necesary, and I hiss in pain. "Well." He says in response. "We're just going to have to fix that." He steps away from me. "So, you'll report to me at dawn. Now if you don't mind, I am going to spend the afternoon with my mate."

With that, the medic turns and walks out of the medbay. The Prime and I watch him go. "Has he always been that... sassy?" I ask Optimus.

He shakes his helm. "No. Once, Ratchet was a politician."

"Huh." I say. I stand. "That's a big change, politician to medic."

Optimus stands as well, and his towering thirty-two feet make my measly fourteen feel tiny. "Ratchet has always been a compassionate soul." He says. "One day, being a politician wasn't enough for him. So he went and learned how to help bots in a different way."

I smile. "It suits him."

"Indeed." Optimus answers.

We both begin to head for the hangar door, and I speak again, posing a slightly more serious topic.

"So before we go out there and go back to pretending not to be sparkmates... Can we at least agree that you won't ignore me, and I'll resist the urge to kill you?" I ask. "It is going to be agonizing for both of us, but I think it is necesary."

He nods. "Agreed."

I smile and hold out a servo for him to shake. "To mutually agreed-upon agony then."

He takes my servo and shakes it. His returning smile is brief and genuine, and I can almost see the bot beneath the hardened warrior. Then he releases my servo and that other bot is gone. And he is Optimus Prime again.

I watch as Optimus Prime walks out the medbay doors, and out of my reach.

This chapter... the feels... how even..?..?..?././M?,.kj ...Blerg. Ha. So tired. lemme know what you think?

A note about the heights of the 'bots... So Optimus is 32 feet, and Silverbolt is 14. Which makes Ironhide roughly...28 feet tall? (He's about twice her height.) Online sources say that Bumblebee is about 16 feet tall, which I agree with, and I imagine Ratchet is somewhere around 26. Prowl is 18, Jazz is 10. (He's so short. :P ) And the triplets are about 8.5/9 feet. I'm gonna have a list eventually of everybots alt- modes, and if you use your imagination, you can probably base the rest of their heights off of the numbers I've already supplied.