Chapter 6

Cameron sat on her bed. Bored. She had been a 'guest' on the Autobot base for two weeks and was now decidedly sick and tired of the same metal rooms. The base was a renovated Air-force installation. They used mostly the hangers and connected builds since those were the only ones big enough.

At first it had been cool; she would watch Ratchet tinker in his medi-bay, learn about the Autobots and Cybertron from Optimus, she even got to watch Ironhide during target practice.

Eventually the shock of seeing massive robots walking around corners had faded. And now she was bored.

Bored and homesick.

Cameron drummed her fingertips against her cheek. Bored! The room they had constructed for her was fairly large but sparse in the way of adornments and furniture. It had a comfortable bed, a full length mirror and a dresser. How they had gotten her clothes here, she had no idea.

With a sigh Cameron pushed away from the bed and started to stroll through the now familiar corridors. 'If only something interesting would happen.' Cam thought sullenly. She had reached the main hanger when the alarms went off. The ground rumbled as Optimus and Ratchet ran into the room.

"Decepticons." Optimus informed them. "Ratchet contact Ironhide and Bumblebee. We're under attack." He spotted Cameron. "Cameron go to the brig. Stay safe."

Cameron nodded and ran to the corridor as the wall to her left was blown out. The explosion sent Cameron flying backwards before she landed hard on her right shoulder and plowed across the floor. She vaguely heard Optimus call her name, she would have responded but her head was filled with a deep aching pain as stars danced before her eyes.

Optimus saw Cameron get flung across the hall. He had only enough time to call out to her before Starscream entered through the destroyed wall. Following close behind was Barricade and Scorponok. Frenzy appeared on Barricade's shoulder. Starscream sneered at the pitiful sight Optimus and Ratchet offered. He had seen sparklings present a tougher challenge.

"Where is the Allspark?" Silence. He growled softly before continuing, "Come now Prime, we know you have it. Hand it over."

"What do you want with it Starscream? It's unstable." Optimus had to stall until Ironhide and Bumblebee made an appearance; without them to even the odds this confrontation could quickly become their last. Optimus flicked a glance at Cameron, she was leaning on her elbows looking dazed. Looking back at the Decepticons he prepared to defend the object of their hope.

Barricade was watching Optimus closely when his eyes darted to the side and back. Correctly accessing the reason for Prime's sudden tenseness Barricade grinned before moving in the direction of the groaning fleshy. The sound of powered up weapons told Barricade Optimus had made a move towards him. Picking up the adolescent female he returned to his position at Starscream's right.

"It appears that Primes has a human." Barricade held out the dark haired girl. Starscream laughed maniacally as he took Cameron roughly away from Barricade. Holding her like a trophy Starscream brandished her in front of Optimus' suddenly anxious face.

"Put her down Starscream." Optimus demanded.

The Air-Commander cackled some more. "I'll make you a deal Prime. You give me the Allspark piece and I won't hurt the human…much." His grip tightened they could hear the crunch as bones snapped in her fragile body. Optimus jerked forward as Cameron writhed in Starscream's clasp. Her scream of pain echoed around the cavernous hall. Then she was still. Her shoulders heaved as her lungs fought for oxygen, she shuddered one last time before remaining silent in Starscream's hand. Optimus and Ratchet watched as Starscream crushed the girl and then stiffened. A slight glow emanated from Cameron's body. Starscream seemed to freeze as if he'd been switched off.

Cameron lolled in a state of pain. The ache in her head from the explosion was added upon as pain surged through her body as a clawed hand squeezed her from shoulder to knee, putting pressure on her already injured shoulder. The world before her eyes began to go dark as pain engulfed her already hazy brain. Cameron felt her lungs laboring as she fought to breathe while Starscream continued to crush her. Finally the pain became too much and Cameron blacked out.

As she felt the rest of her senses begin to dim she knew she was going to die. A little more pressure and her spine would snap as well as causing her heart to either be punctured by one of her already broken ribs or burst from the strain of pumping blood through her maltreated body. Gulping what she was sure was her last breath Cameron gave herself over to the growing darkness.

A wedge of light shone through the dark. A bright ball of warm light, encouraging her not to give up the last of her life. Reaching out to the warmth Cameron felt a change occur within her body. She became steel and power. An image flashed through Cameron's mind. A memory.

It was Power. Old power.The power to destroy and create.The Allspark

It was more of an awareness than a consciousness. It knew that it had created the beings around it. It knew that there was a war going on. And it knew that many had died.

The image sharpened

A metal planet.Covered in wondrous cities, a glittering gem of civilization.

The image changed

The cities were destroyed. The countryside had been ravaged and turned into a battlefield, littered with the bodies of soldiers.

It raged through Cameron. A new sense of awareness formed in her mind. The Allspark chose no sides, it was neutral. Cameron wasn't. Cameron's consciousness merged with the Allspark. She became aware of all the transformers in the vicinity, from the crushing grip of Starscream and the menacing forms behind him to the protective presence of the Autobots.

Awareness swamped her mind, she was on the brink of destruction. That knowledge provoked Cameron to act. With a burst of inherent understanding she searched for Starscreams' spark. With the last of her strength Cameron twisted her hands so that they pressed against Starscreams' fingers. Through the metal Cameron felt the mix of energon and electricity that ran through his systems. Linking to that mixture she followed it back to its source making a quick connection to the spark in Starscreams' chest. The white-hot energy that made up Starscreams' spark resisted the pull of Camerons' link. Focusing, she pulled the power away from the Air-Commander causing him to seize up. His hold on Cameron eased and she fell limply from his grasp, landing with a thud at his feet. As the last contact was broken between Starscream and Cameron, power and life rushed back into the Decepticon.

Confusion made thinking difficult. Starscream was certain he'd had a human in his hand a moment ago and where had those other Autobots come from? Panicking at the holes in his thoughts and the fairer odds Starscream called a retreat and bailed out through the hole he had made in the wall.

The Autobots didn't wait, as soon as Cameron was out of Starscream's grasp they opened fire. Rounds of bullets ands missiles chased the Decepticons away from the base. Optimus, Ironhide and Bumblebee followed the Decepticons and continued their barrage of artillery. Ratchet approached the inert form on the rubble-strewn ground. Cameron's head was hanging limply from her neck as her upper body was supported by a chunk of cement, her arms and legs were obviously broken as they stuck out at odd angles. Picking her up gently Ratchet felt the delicate body shift unnaturally, as if it had no tension. A quick scan showed the medic all he needed to see.

Optimus entered the building followed by his soldiers. Immediately his attention centered on Ratchet and Cameron. The human lay limply in his open hand. Fear gripped Optimus' spark. Avoiding their gazes Ratchet moved, carrying Cameron, towards the corridor. Optimus, Ironhide and Bumblebee feared the worst as they watched the medic walk away with their hope.
Hi, I'd like to point out that I have no medical knowledge. So if I make any mistakes (like if hearts can't actually be punctured by broken ribs) it's purely due to my lack of knowledge.

Thanks for reading. if you have any questions or can see any plot holes please let me know and i'll try to fix them

Cheers