Sam found himself once again pitted against Alpha Trion in an intense game of chess (or whatever name Cybertron came up with) as he pondered over his next move, servos clenched neatly under his chin as the other watched back in amusement.
"How are you adjusting?"
Sam looked up in surprise, glancing at the other's lighted optics and amused smile, as rarely did the two ever discuss Sam's past, purposefully phrasing sentences in vague terms so as to dissuade unwanted ears from privileged information. "Fine," Sam responded back curtly while trying to focus back on the game because this time he really wanted to win, and it was true, the bullies had slowly been backing off (Sam still doubted Orion's innocence in that matter) and the robotic body of Ante Finem had yet to fully shut down again since the past spasm.
"How are you? Mentally." He added upon seeing Sam open his mouth to respond with another fine. There was a slight tone in Trion's voice that warned Sam against another vague answer so instead the other pondered slightly over the question. Indeed, he had improved greatly and found himself quickly adapting to Cybertronian life. There was still the occasional dream that tore through his rest and left his mind asundered with pain, yet Orion had been attempting to block out the vivid images through their bond (although the other did not fully understand what a dream was), and for that Sam was grateful.
But after pausing to wonder over his own life, he had quickly come to the conclusion that he was not happy, and really, he couldn't understand why. But, then again, the answer was somewhat obvious. He had lost the meaning of his life, the purpose that gave his existence joy. That sense of belonging to a community at which he understood.
Having saved the world numerous times, perhaps even the universe with towering mechanic creatures by his side, and humans which have all bonded over mutual respect that came from looking death in the eye daily. That was Sam's life, and now, left on the edge of Cybertron's own destruction, it seemed a far cry from Sam's own memory, and now, he couldn't quite fully grasp the purpose of him being here.
"Perhaps it is the Allspark you seek." Alpha Trion spoke, seeming to know Sam's own inner turmoil, as Sam's servo skimmed the top of a domed piece, hesitating and then stopping all together. It was a sudden idea that befuddled Sam, yet he knew that if he said yes, Trion had the means and the power to make it happen.
The words were slowly sinking in as Sam paused, mulling over the idea before simply shaking his head. "I should not." Many times had Sam wondered over the Allspark's hidden motives and many times he had wanted to find the damn cube, crush it, and smelt it into parts out of pure anger from the objects lack of critical thinking (Sam would've helped his friends regardless, but couldn't the cube at least ask?), but he knew it would achieve nothing. Besides, Sam's anger was already slowly dissipating as time passed and the body of Ante Finem reminded him of this new wonder, something no human as ever achieved or even dreamed to achieve, so the mere idea of reminding himself of all the pain, looking at the thing that had caused so much destruction seemed suddenly foolish.
"No." Sam repeated. "There is nothing left to say."
The two resumed the game in silence as Sam found himself, once again, losing to the other's superior skill (Sam had to grudgingly admit he was beat), before he found himself striking up another conversation.
"Would it be alright if I called off work tomorrow?" Sam asked, not looking up at the other as he continued to intently watch the game. At least pretending that he understood how the other had so soundly destroyed his forces.
In turn, Alpha Trion merely rubbed his servos thoughtfully. "I foresee no reason why not. The others will simply have to pick up their weight of the load while you are absent," he spoke calmly which caused Sam to look up in confusion as he knew (really, everyone knew) that he could do little manual labor, so his absence would do little to alter the outcome of the sol's work, yet Trion merely waved back his immediate reply with a simple sweep of his wrist.
"Orion Pax has also asked to leave for the cycle," he spoke out leaving Sam's optics to widen, yet Sam knew the other had purposefully revealed the information to warn him. That was the first he had heard of such news and the idea frightened him, yet he knew he could not question it, not now. "May I ask why you wish to take the sol off?" Trion continued, ignoring Sam's sudden change in thought which caused the said bot to immediately look up before slowly sinking back into his seat, deep in thought.
"Just wanted to see an old friend."
The next cycle, Sam found himself walking towards the Iacon's medical and science institution alone. Checking through the security and returning to the lobby where he had immediately asked the front desk fem if he could speak with Ratchet. The said bot's optics turning to look at him with boredom as her servos continued to click away at the tablet screen, checking in visitors that bypassed Sam, waving goodbye to those who were leaving, and speaking on a comm link device through her headset that connected to airway singles. Her unamused glare simply reminding Sam that she was busy.
Sam hesitated, he needed to see Ratchet if he wanted to get anywhere, but he was hesitant to ask again and make a scene, so instead, he turned around ready to ask a wandering intern but was instead stopped by a voice. "Ante Finem? What are you doing here?"
Sam flinched, his spark spluttering with fear in the familiar, reminiscent motion of a heart, as he turned to the sound of Ratchet's voice. "Ratchet!" he yelled out in a slightly reprimanding and patronizing tone of mock anger which caused the other to raise his optic ridge in confusion. "I had enlisted my presence on your radar using my EM field," Ratchet spoke calmly. "Unless you were so preoccupied, I fail to see how you had missed my warning."
Sam merely glared in response because he knew he couldn't tell Ratchet that his EM field was to weak to pick up or even understand the other's presence, unless it was Orion Pax (simply because he was annoyingly persistent). But if Sam were to walk alone on the crowded city streets of Iacon, he would surely find himself rudely and easily shoved aside by the much stronger magnetic fields of other bots without even the need for physical touch.
When Sam gave no other indication of answering, Ratchet merely sighed and began speaking. "Why are you here? How's your spells?"
"Fine, thanks," Sam responded curtly as the other continued to stare at him in confusion, wondering why he was there if health was not the issue. "I've never been known to be a good conversation partner, surely you're not here to talk?" Ratchet spoke out in slight amusement and a teasing tone. Sam then smirked slightly in response because Ratchet's sense of humor was always somewhat bland (even centuries into the future), but regardless, he shook his head slightly. "I...," Sam hesitated, "I'm here to see a sparkling."
Ratchet's optics immediately brightened in understanding, yet there was a dim expression that remained. "I'm afraid that those rooms are normally restricted from visitors," he said in response causing Sam to shuffle nervously in fear that he had come for nothing. "but, I'll make an exception for you." Sam immediately looked up in surprise at the other before allowing a small, grateful smile to reach his lips. "Thanks," he responded which only caused Ratchet to nod his helm slightly in acknowledgment before guiding Sam to the back hallways.
"May I ask why you wish to see a specific sparkling?" the medic had then asked through the silence of the hallway, filling the tense, rigid air with a gentle tone. "Just wanted to make sure he's safe," Sam responded easily causing the other to raise his optic once again in confusion because most bots held little sentimental ties, protective of young ones, yes, but not personal emotions, to sparklings who were, after first being released into the world by the Allspark, left under the extensive care and protection of the medical institutions and facilities before being omitted and adopted out to qualified bots almost a vorn later.
It was an extensive procedure to gain a sparkling which resulted in full background check and multiple vorns of waiting, not to mention a long waiting list before one actually received a sparkling. "Don't get attached," the medic warned, knowing full well the painful break up it could create leading to nasty scarring of the spark, yet Sam only stared back at him calmly with a lackadaisical shrug. "I don't intend to."
Ratchet stared back as Sam, watching him carefully. Sam stared back with equal intensity before adding, "I need to remind myself what I'm fighting for, what the purpose of my existence is."
Sam had left later as the lunar cycle began. The city scape turning from the glass view of Iacon into a glowing city of lights and blurring ribbons of color that came from rushing vehicles on the sky highways that zoomed above the city streets.
Sam had seen Bumblebee again, and as much as he knew that he should break all ties from old friends, he couldn't help but relax at the sight of his old guardian, his only guardian. Ratchet had asked if he wished to hold the sparkling or visit up close from the oppressing glass wall at which he stood, but Sam merely shook his helm in defiance knowing full well he would not be able to pull away.
Now he stood outside back onto the bustling city streets, blindly searching for his way back to the Iacon halls before the back alleys became dangerous, having heard rumors from other workers and interns that thieves had been stealing and removing parts from victims, snatched away in the cover of night when the rush hour had passed and the witnesses had dispersed. No, he was not afraid, or at least that's what he consistently reminded himself.
Finally, after a few minuets (or what Sam's human mind assumed to be minutes), Sam found himself back at the hall much to his undying relief as he let out a heavy sigh, shoulders relaxing as the adrenaline wore off.
It was then, as he turned towards the grand entrance that his spark literally dropped in fear. His optics staring widely and his body freezing in the moment of panic. Standing on the opposite side of the building was Orion Pax, talking animatedly to a tall mech of silver that glinted brightly in the artificial lights of nearby lamps. Megatron. Or was it Megatronus? No, that didn't matter because it was definitely him.
Sam immediately turned towards the shadows, hoping they wouldn't see him as he watched carefully. The two interacting as if old friends, and to Sam, nothing could have been worse.
AN- I'm not quite satisfied with this chapter, but I'm in a bit of a time crunch. Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed it. Any reviews, suggestions, or criticism is fully welcome.