"What did you say just now?"

I glared at Crosshairs murderously. A moment ago he just told me Fearswoop was dead. A moment later Brains told me he was alive as I was.

"Whatever you please to say, but I swear by the Allspark he was dead," he said.

"Brains, I'll go. Let Crosshairs finish the job," I announced.

"Oh no, you'll stay put in here and fix the ship up. Honestly girl, you think you can deal with Fearswoop yourself?" Crosshairs pushed me back to the engine as I attempted to go.

"He's the one responsible for the deaths of my brothers!" I cried hysterically, but I was no match for Crosshairs, even in space.

"Listen to us, Jo," Brains tried to reason me through the comm link. "We'll send Optimus, Hound and Drift out deal with them. Just… fix the ship and stay reasonable. We'll avenge your base."

I grunted angrily. More likely, hatred. This should've been my chance to do the task myself, for my brothers. And they were saying I wasn't allowed to participate in it.

We went for the last engine, located at the very end of the ship, just a few yards away from the window/ doorway to the weapon supplies room.

"Now this is what 'minute damages' really called," Crosshairs mumbled as he scanned the engine. Then he peered over the shadowy figure of the massive ship. I looked his way and the trio was already out there, fighting three silvery black figures. "And I'm missing the game?"

He thought for a while. "Jo, it's your job now, I'll go lay some hate," he said and left.

"Wait – hold on! You're leaving me here, alone?" I shouted to him.

"Minute damages are your business, not mine," he snapped. "Send Brains a message and he'll get you back in. I'll bring you back Fearswoop's head."

He went away and soon, he joined the fight.

And all the way as I fixed the ship I was muttering curses and swears, about how unreasonable the idea of not having me in was. SEALs might be experts at foul language, but the air force women are no less capable of that.

Sooner or later it was done. "Brains, I'm right next to the air lock in weapon supplies room. Open up," I grumbled to the end of control panel.

I swiped through the window and waited by the air lock. The first space door opened up and I entered.

I looked out of the window, figures fighting.

I should've done that. That wasn't enough.

I scanned across the ammo floating around the room. I grabbed another missile launcher floating beside me and went outside on the spur of the moment before the first space door is closed, before the air lock was opened.

Bloodshed. Deaths. My base couldn't have been Fearswoop's first kill. He was responsible for much more than that. Even if I had to die doing this I would've gladly avenge the lives he had murdered.

I approached the fight as I pushed my way there. And I finally get to see him, as the bot fighting Crosshairs transformed into the same, recognized F16, attempting to approach our ship. He was dragged away by Crosshairs when they spotted me.

"Jo – what are you doing here? Get back!" Crosshairs screamed to my link.

"Out of my way! He's mine!" I snarled to his channel, as my fingers fumbled across the locks and found the trigger.

Everything seemed to have happened in one split second: Fearswoop transformed back into his normal form within Crosshairs grasp. His cold, metallic face smirked at me and elbowed Crosshairs, blowing him back a few yards, as his left arm transformed into one gigantic cannon and aimed at my face.

I did not care. If I died it wouldn't have affected the mission at all. I can even join my brothers in death's embrace…

"This is for my brothers! Take that, you son of a bitch!" With a swift click I unlocked the gear and pulled the trigger, before he fired as well. I flipped backwards and the cannon ball flew right past my helmet and left a crack on the glass surface.

What happened next, I never knew, except the fact that I could feel my face being pulled by force of space as if someone was trying to use a vacuum cleaner on my cheek, the words glowing lightly on the glass monitor of my helmet faded out as I tried to catch another breath of air. And the next thing I knew was myself panting, breathing in a fresh amount of oxygen inside our ship with Bumblebee and Drift gazing down at me, both frowning.

"Why did you do that?" Bee asked furiously. I looked downwards. My helmet was removed, but I was still well-wrapped inside my spacesuit.

I removed the suit silently gazing down, not even bothered to ruffle my free-floating crazy hair, and we floated in silence.

I survived. But what had happened to Fearswoop? Little did I know… I failed my brothers. I failed myself.

"Did you realize you could've get yourself killed, Jo? We've told you to stay put!" Brains scolded hotly.

"And I've lost all that I've got, okay!" I howled. "I've lost my whole family! You don't understand…"

I broke down, although not a single drop of tear escaped from my eye. My feelings were far beyond words and tears could express.

I meant what I said. Ever since I had been orphaned, friends became my only source of comfort, some were even close enough to be considered family. Tyrell was one. But he was gone, gone… he couldn't have survived that plane crash, nor that explosion.

The trio that had been fighting outside entered from the side doors, might had been hurted but no big deals.

The fight was over. They've won.

Crosshairs floated towards me and threw me something like playing football. I caught it. It was…

"Fearswoop's head. As promised," he said curtly.

It was small by their standards: slightly larger than Bee's head. I looked at its features. Its red optics wasn't lit anymore, its lifeless eyes glared at me.

My base was avenged; yet that wouldn't bring my brothers back.

I rubbed my arm, and kicked myself to the back of the ship. "Jo…" Optimus began. I stopped.

"I thought settling scores would allow me to move on; instead I brought nothing but trouble to you," I said.

"Wisdom cannot be granted, Jo; it can only be earned, through experiences, and sometimes, with a cost," Optimus said behind me. I hugged the head in my arms harder. I couldn't handle this. If only I were dead…

I bit my lip and went to the back, into the ammos room, and hid myself inside a shelf with grenades and pistols floating around circulating me, as if I were a planet and they were satellites orbiting me.

I left the head outside the shelf floating, rotating itself, still couldn't help from feeling eerie to have it staring at me, and guilty at the same time. I challenged myself so much, I've promised myself so much, yet this head, instead of being a trophy of revenge, it acted as a reminder of my rashness, my foolish act that could had cost not only my life, but my friends' too.

I couldn't face myself; I couldn't face my fears, and my failures. Yes, I admit I was a coward.

I heard the space door opened. "I'm not in mood for lecture, I'll apologize and I'll only come if you need me now," I said with a half-broken voice.

"We do understand how it feels, Jo," Optimus Prime said. "I regret for your loss. Just so you know… we too lost our family. Our world. Our home."

I was shocked, speechless.

How could I've been so selfish? I've heard of their back story a thousand times. They lost their planet, their race was almost extinct… what I was through was almost nothing when comparing to them.

"I'm sorry, Optimus," I clambered out of my hiding place. "It's just… I've lost control over my feelings. I didn't mean anything offensive. I'm sorry."

"Your desire to avenge your brothers had been clouding your judgment," he said. "I understand. I had a comrade who once was much like you."

"Ironhide?" I bursted out. Hound once said I reminded them of him. I couldn't help but have a hunch that was what he meant.

He looked aside, without further details or explanations. He went back towards the door towards the main room. "You shall need some time to get over this. In the meantime… you may decide if you wish to end this journey or not."

I was a little astounded.

Of course… I had appeared to be mentally unstable. Little did they know if I still could get on with this journey.

But I had come this far already. Should I go back to America and face the law, or should I choose to continue, even I know that I could cost my life?

"Jo?" another face appeared at the doorway, and this time, it was Bumblebee, the Autobot scout who was floating there. "Are you okay? Can I come in?"

"Shut up, you sixth wheel, get your big fat ass in if you want," I said.

"Our little joker is back. Then I guess you're more than being fine," he pushed in and said. He didn't sound offended.

I looked out of the windows, into the darkness, and the faint shade of blue surrounding Earth, my home planet. For once, I suddenly felt homesick.

"So, what do you want to do with this head?" he asked.

I looked back, where the head of Fearswoop was free-floating, its sightless glare staring creepily at us.

Little did I know what was in this head. Yet I've once heard of KSI's breakout a year ago. They got these prototypes escaped, because they were fed with data collected from heads of transformers. Only with its full destruction, no harm could be done.

"Boom time." A sly little smile crept on my face as the idea dawned on me. There were dozens of remote grenades floating around.

Bee help stuffed a gigantic grenade into Fearswoop's foul head. I opened the air lock and braced myself, as he threw it out like a football player. I shutted the air lock back, while Fearswoop's lifeless head faltered and rotated slowly in its position.

"Here. You get the priority to do this." Bee handed me the remote of the grenade. I took it, and casted an uncertain eye at the head outside.

This time, it wasn't just for my brothers, and this wasn't another rash act of mine. It was for this world's sake.

I bit my teeth and clicked the button, and the head exploded soundlessly. It was weird.

Another transformer gone, another obstacle cleared for good.

"Are there anymore of you still out there?" I asked as I watched the explosion cloud fading and melting into the darkness. "After the war of Chicago?"

"Ever since the war on Cybertron, our planet, everyone escaped and were scattered into the winds," Bee said. "And so far… the five of us are all we know that are still alive, after Chicago."

I looked downwards, biting my lip. "Hey, don't be such a downer," Bee encouraged me. "Even a seven-men team made out alive of SOCCENT attack. We just never get to know if there's more out there, our comrades."

I looked up, feeling a little more hopeful. If Lennox and his team could make out alive, some of my friends could've done so too…

"You're coming with, Jo?" Bee asked and gave me his hand.

I knew what I had to do. For the world's sake, I had to move on. If there's still any chance that some of my brothers are still alive, I have to live to see them. It wasn't any rash act.

"I'm coming with, partner," I answered, and pushed myself towards the door back to the main room.

"Say, Crosshairs never told me where the seed is. Where is it anyway?" I asked as we journeyed through the corridor.

"He didn't?" Bee said, sounding surprised. "Right, he's never on good terms with strangers."

"Hey, am I still a stranger?" I protested and folded my arms, pretending to be offended. Suddenly I heard a whiz and a few clicks. Curse that injured ear, my hearing hadn't been quite right ever since I was shot.

"Your emotions are so temperamental," Bee sighed. Another whiz, and I was so irritated that I had to plug my finger in my injured ear to stop the noise. It faded again, and I could hear Bee's words clearly: "The seed in in Europe. In this place called Athens, Greece."