The road to California was a long one, and for days they drove, only taking one pit stop for Maria to stretch her legs.
"How much longer till we get there?" Stretching, Maria winced, her burn wound stinging.
"A day maybe." Optimus rose from his vehicle form, looking into the sky for any sign that they were being followed.
"The sooner the better. I'm already angry with myself for leaving Ratchet alone this long." Kicking some stones, she stopped for a moment, feeling heat at her finger tips. Holding her hands out, she looked at the rocks. For a while nothing happened, but with more focus, she managed to roll them a few inches.
"Getting the hang of it yet?" Crosshairs knelt down by her, a smug look on his face.
"Not really." She tried again, and they moved only a few inches again. She kept going, not realizing blood began to seep down her nose.
"You're leaking lubricants." He watched her touch at her nose, she stared at the blood a while before using her sleeve to wipe the rest away.
"I wonder if I just am like the rest."
"What do you mean?"
"If I push myself to much. I'll just die. Like some beta fish."
"Whatever that is, I don't think so kid."
"I don't know. Just doing that I already feel exhausted. What is I...cross the line or something. Go Mr. Hyde."
"Listen, whatever happens, you skin will be fine."
"That's not what I...never mind." Pinching the bridge of her nose, Maria turned.
"Oh come on love, don't worry about what might happen. Optimus believes in you. And I'm sure Ratchet does. If you thought he didn't...would you have come this far?"
"No..." She turned back to him. Kicking the little rocks, she felt the ground shake as Optimus knelt behind her.
"Maria, Crosshairs, I'm going to go and scout ahead. The two of you stay here till nightfall. I want to make sure the rest of our trip go's undisturbed."
"You think we were followed?"
"I am unsure, but it is better I go ahead and take out anything that might be waiting for us. With Maria's escape, they may be desperate for her return. That is why Crosshairs I'm leaving you to protect her. Keep far from the road, I will radio ahead when it is time for you to catch up to me."
"Be careful Optimus." Maria placed a hand on the armor of his leg, patting it.
"Save your strength. Rest as much as you can, this may be our final stand." Rising, Optimus turned and walked a good distance from the two and transformed.
"Just you and me kid." Crosshairs tapped her on the back with a large finger, knocking her forwards a bit.
"I can't rest." She watched Optimus drive away before turning to the green bot. "I need you to help me."
"Well depends on what you need help with."
"I need you to help me figure out this power, or whatever it is. I need it to be useful. Not just pushing pebbles around."
"How far do you expect to get with it in one night."
"As far as my body lets me."
Crosshairs was standing in a clearing, throwing a rock up and down in his hand.
"Are you sure about this kid. Optimus will be all sorts of buggered if I crush you."
"Just throw it" Maria was on the other side of the clearing, legs spread, she looked more ready to fight than anything. "Not too hard...not yet anyways." She held up her hands.
"Alright then." He gripped the rock and chucked it. It headed right for her and he was certain she would be knocked out.
"Hnng!" Maria spread her fingers, and the incoming rock veered to the side and missed her.
"Nice." Impressed, the bot picked up another rock.
"Not really," She wiped sweat from her forehead, "I meant to stop it in mid air, not deflect it."
"Well I didn't kill you so let's just call it a plus huh?" He threw another, and another, and another till Maria finally got one to stop in front of her.
"I...I did it." She watched it float before her. "I can't believe I'm doing this..." moving her hands, the rock moved with her. "I think I got the hang of it.
"Well enough that you can defiantly survive the witch trials." He laughed at her un-amused face.
She faced her hands at him, and he felt a force push him back a bit. Though it felt more like a strong wind, he was impressed.
"I feel like a jedi."
"Whatever that is." Pushing back his coat, Crosshairs stood tall. "Push me again, but keep pushing."
"Are you sure?"
"I want to see how much you can give." He motioned for her to do as he told and she did. Facing her hands towards him, she felt the heat at her fingertips and pushed. Crosshairs had told her to think of this ability like extra sets of arms, and in a way it helped her focus more, having something to visualize made it easier for her to channel it. She pushed, and Crosshairs slid back, though he was not thrown off balance. "Keep going!" He could see her face getting red.
"You're heavy!" She took a step and pushed, continuing to move him only a few inches.
"I'm not that big." He dug one of his toes into the ground, now making it difficult. He watched the struggle, as f she was pushing on a wall, she yelled, finally letting out a burst that threw Crosshairs back. "Nice..." Brushing himself off, the green bot looked at the human, she was face down in the grass. "Aw well not you don't look as badass." His big finger poked her, only getting a groan in response.
"I don't feel so good." Blood oozed out of both nostrils now, and her vision was hazy. "I think I over did it."
"It's possible." Gathering her into his hand, he let her lay there.
"I have to keep trying."
"Not the best idea, the last thing I need is for the boss to come back and you pushin daisies."
"I just have to be ready."
"Listen, kid. Don't worry about what is going to happen. You've got Prime and I. Everything will be fine." Setting her down, he also sat and pulled out one of his duel guns and began to tinker with it. "When Prime comes back we will raise hell. I promise."
"I just want to end this as soon as possible."
Ratchet worked silently for a long time. Only being interrupted by smaller humans giving him more data and energon. Only when the next vile he got was Purple instead of blue did he stop.
"Where did you get this." His voice was low and threatening, causing the worker to step back from him in fear. "Where!?" he stomped his foot and turned, looking over his shoulder to another room connected to the lab. "Do you know what this is!?"
"I...I only work here!" He jumped back when Ratchet smashed his foot down again.
"This is Dark Energon! Do you have any idea what this can do!?" He watched the worker scurry away, running past Marias father.
"I am well aware." He walked around the bot, that devils grin on his face. "You see, when we pulled in the one you call Megatron, we assumed he also carried your lifeblood, but having heard what it can do...I want you to turn it into the next generation of the drug. With this, we just might be able to unlock 100% of the human brain without having to wait for evolution."
"You are mad." Ratchet hissed, fury in his eyes. "You will be the reason your kind falls."
"Oh no, we will rise. I used to be all about making things better. Better robots, better medicines, cars, anything, that is what my company did. And I am still doing it."
"In an inhumane way. First your wife...and then your daughter. Will you stop at nothing?"
"The way I see it is," He stood in front of Ratchet, "If you do as I say, she will live, though she no doubt is on her way to save you. Her and that Prime. But I have already sent out a team of mine to deal with it. Without her body guards, she is still just a girl."
"She stronger than you think. I too once though she was just some human I met in the junk yard. But she became more."
"She has the spirit of her mother, and the will of fire. But she is still human after all. And with my newly Evolved soldiers, she won't be for long. If my team can knock out her guards, she will either give up, or come after them. Though she will be alone, and she cannot fight an army."
"Whatever your planning...it won't work."
"We will see." Typing into a terminal, he shocked Ratchet, making the medic drop to his knees. "Now get to work on that new Dose. I have more canisters on the way."
Optimus rolled down the high way, on his way back he became more and more suspicious. No traffic coming or going, he was the only one. He kept going, picking up speed, fearing the worst may have happened to the others.
The Prime zoomed past, not expecting to be hit from the side. Sending his truck form veering to the side, he transformed, his shoulder sparking as metal fragments splintered off it.
"Show yourselves!" Ion cannon at the ready, Optimus dropped his face mask. Several shoppers zoomed overhead, spotlights on him while hummers burst from the trees. Circling him, he growled.
Crosshairs suddenly stood, tilting his head, he seemed to be listening.
"What's wrong-" Maria tried to say but she was shushed.
"Sh-sh...Listen." He took light steps forwards, his eyes scanning the woods. Maria listened, but heard nothing. Transformers had better hearing than humans, so it was no wonder she didn't hear anything.
"I don't hear a thing."
"It was a blast. I heard it. Not too far." He grabbed Maria, transforming with her in his hands she was thrown into his seats.
"You think it is Optimus?"
"I don't know, but whatever it was...it was big."
"Big enough to hurt Optimus?"
"Just hold on tight." His wheels spun as he shot out of the side woods and skidded onto the main high way. Taking off, he was like a green lightening strike.
Heart pounding in her chest, Maria could feel fire at her finger tips, as they drove the wind was picking up and the trees whipped around. The more frightened she got, the more violent the wind lifted.
"Hurry!" It wasn't long before they could see Optimus struggling against the tethers that Ratchet himself had been snagged in. Though Optimus had a lot more connected to him. The shoppers pulled on him, keeping his arms and legs apart, giving him no leverage to fight back. The troops on the ground prodded him, electrocuting him till his processors became overloaded. He fell, causing quite the earthquake as he did, his optics, while barely still online, spotted the green ar.
"Get back..." His voice played though Crosshairs radio. "Run..." Ass Crosshairs skidded to a halt, Maria watched his Optics fade as he went into a stasis mode.
"NO! OPTIMUS!" Yanking Crosshairs doors open, she jumped out, moving too fast for Crosshairs to catch her. "OPTIMUS!" Hands out, she let the fire at her fingertips burn. The choppers violently jerked back, snapping some of the tethers. The hummers on the ground skidded a few feet and all the soldiers were knocked off their feet. "GET AWAY!" Eyes glowing bright white, Maria threw her hand to the side, sending more guards flying. Right about to touch Optimus' face, she felt a force push her, though it pushed her harder than she had ever pushed with her own ability. As it a transformer themselves had swatted her away, she soared though the air.
"I gottcha!" Rolling, Crosshairs snagged her, transforming and locking her in the car.
"Let me out! Let me out!" Banging on the window, she watched as the soldier who pushed her stood while the others remained down, unable to see his face, he motioned for the choppers to lift the Prime and take him away. "No! NO! NOO! CROSSHAIRS YOU ASSHOLE LET ME OUT!" Pressing her hands on the window, she didn't care about the blood pouring from her nose, or the headache that was splitting her in two, she cracked his window, hoping to shatter it before he drove away to far. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she watched Optimus vanish into the sky, and the hummers follow the choppers. "Crosshairs why..." Eyes fading back to normal, she fell back into the seat. "Why didn't you fight..." She punched the dash, getting no response. "Why didn't you fight back!" She was sobbing now. "My dad has Optimus now! You moron!" Covering her face she kept crying.
"Listen kid, you have to chose your fights. We were out numbered. If they took Optimus, they could have gotten me as well. It's better to just give up. Move on. This was a lost cause anyway. Let the man have what he wants." This sparked rage in the young woman.
"Stop the car..." Her voice was sinister.
"I'm not stopping."
"I said stop." Eyes glowing, Crosshairs lifted off the ground, his tired spinning in air. "You can go on living with that...but I won't." Forcing his door open, she stepped out and roughly dropped the car. He didn't bother transforming, instead he slammed the car door.
"Fine, if you want to go on this suicide mission be my guest. Nothing in it for me anyway." Peeling out, he left her, driving out of sight.
"Coward." Staggering, Maria fell, unable to rise to her feet for what seemed like an eternity. "I have to hurry..." She looked at her hands, extra fingers danced in her vision. "I have to hurry..." Crawling for a while, she finally stood, unable to move any faster than a speed walk. Though it resembled more like a zombie walk than anything else.
"Optimus...Ratchet...I'm coming."