Ghost stashed the man behind some shelves, planted the bomb and slipped out to hurry like a mouse to the exit and freedom.

She turned a corner, then stopped.

A group approached, one with her ex in it.

Moving to the side, she kept her head bowed.

"I need more men for this. Your asset is weak and unable to produce results," James growled lowly to an older man with glasses and thinning hair.

"Just tree the target, Savoy," glasses replied softly as he started to pass her.

Ghost moved forward, hoping she got closer to the door before she did the reveal.

James made a familiar, "Hmm?" that she knew meant he noticed something out of place.

Jazz's face grinned, "Time ta shine, love. Give him hell for meh lover."

Gauging the distance, she hoped she could get clear as she turned, looked back at the group.

James stared a moment, uncomprehending for a long moment, then he blanched, "Janet?"

Shaking back her hair, she returned his gaze with her hatred, "James."

Glasses looked between them, "Who is this, Savoy?"

"Oh, yes, James. Who am I?" Ghost purred nastily at him, "Your skeleton is dancing out of the closet."

Jazz murmured, "On meh mark, love."

"She's no one."

Janet smirked, "Really, James. I bore you two children, both you got killed in Chicago."

"Love, time ta dance."

She whirled, started sprinting.

A rumble shook the building, the first sign the bomb had gone off. Alarms blared for fire.

The lights flickered, then shut down as the air stopped.

Jumping around people, she gained the foyer, racing for the doors.

Others started running, thinking she sprinted for a reason.

Clearing the doors, she heard shouts as pursuers tried to escape the blockade at the doors.

She whistled, hoping the mike picked up her call for pick up.

Easily opening up her gait, she flew down the sidewalk.

"Janet!"

Hearing the roar of her ex, she smiled.

She won herself back from him. He was the weak, destroyed person.

Jazz held up a hand for stop.

She skidded to a halt as Flame slammed on the brakes, the fake Optimus filling the space she would have dived into.

Swinging into the cab, Ghost looked back, triumph on her face as James gaped.

She called, "He's a better man than you."

The outrage on his face invigorated her as Flame drove away.

"Good parting shot," Flame snorted, taking the corners easily.

"Yes. Felt good to return to being me."


Ratchet listened to the transmission Bumblebee shared.

Cade hade slipped in through the front as Mikeala drew men to her "custom celt car" and the scanning in progress.

"This project took me and my crew a little over a year to complete," Mikeala's speech purring as she sold them on her work, "Two hunted thirty seven applications of specialized designs with paint to create not only the Celtic knot work pattern but also the shimmer effect as sunlight hits it."

Ratchet huffed as a man started in on Mikeala, stating she couldn't have designed it. She was taking credit for one of the men in her shop.

"I'll design right now. When I finish you will owe me two months time in my garage."

"You'e on. I bet you couldn't do a pattern with dragons."

"European, Asian, African, South American or North American?" Mikeala shot back.

"Asian," the man snapped.

Ratchet muttered, "Stupid mech. He'd challenge her more with African or South American."

Optimus replied gently, "I have the feeling she has studied many designs and could make things up on the spot, old friend."

Ratchet leaned back against the wall, careful not to but too much pressure on the human made materials, "He'll owe her time and she'll make him do it."

"Naturally," Optimus smiled slightly then sighed, "A pity Sam is not standing with us."

Ratchet looked up at the ceiling then over at Optimus, "Did Sam tell you why he broke things off with Mikeala?"

Optimus shuttered his optics a moment then frowned, "Odd. He said Mikeala broke up with him."

Snorting, Ratchet folded his arms across his chassis, "Sam was threatened by Mikeala's power and personality. It's why he went with Carly. She wasn't a threat to him as a man, especially once he got a better paying job than Carly. Sam dumped her."

Optimus sighed, "He lied to us?"

"Frag yes he did," Ratchet growled, "Then when all the other humans turned on us he abandoned us. Did you see his video denouncing us?"

Drift, Hound and Crosshairs stared with various expressions of outrage.

Optimus slumped slightly, "He has?"

"Mikeala, Maggie, Ghost, all these Furies," he gestured to the ladies angrily cleaning weapons, "They prove humanity is better than Sam. They are true spark siblings."

Shiva huffed, "Shiva's toes are better than that slime. He is not worthy of being stomped into the ground by Shiva. Shiva accepts siblings, even the irritating one."

Crosshairs leaned down, "I'm not your sibling."

"Shiva enjoys sibling rivalry," she pulled out a sword, pointed it at Crosshairs, "Shiva and siblings in Furies and Autobots will destroy the Winds."

She pulled out a kit then began sharpening the sword.

Crosshairs snorted stalked away, "A femme as sister? Bah."

Ratchet perked as Mikeala gave a triumphant laugh distracting them, "See. I am the mistress of my garage. Contact information. You are coming to my garage to see real men."

Ratchet smiled, "Jaguar is a femme worthy of being an Autobot."

His mind drifted back to Ghost and Jazz.

Were they the okay? Had they succeeded?

"Ghost to Cybercat. Chase underway," her voice echoed as if called by his thoughts.

"Keep them on your tail then fade at dawn," Maggie replied calmly.

"Affirmed," Ghost acknowledged, "The other ghost says more darkness comes before the light."

Ratchet's spark clenched, knowing Jazz had asked that relayed.

More trouble on the way.

Ratchet hoped they wouldn't lose another treasured companion in this fight.