Okay this chapter was a pain to write. It wanted to run into three different directions and I had a hell ova time wangling it into a coherent chapter. (It's probably a sign that I need sleep...) Ah well. Here is the next chapter... Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. Thank you and goodnight.

Chapter 10: Irritation

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"What is that?" Charlotte Mearing raised a brow at the glowing blue relic that Optimus had just released from his spark chamber. She glanced at her glorified coat rack with a inquiring glance.

"That Is the Matrix of Leadership." Sam supplied as they and the other humans watched as Optimus guided the floating Matrix towards the stasis locked Sentinel Prime. There was a jolt of energy from the matrix and before anyone could blink Sentinel was growling and attacking Optimus. With a little persuasion the younger Prime was able to calm the Older one who smiled grimly as Optimus began to explain things to him...

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"They were able to revive Sentinel Prime." Ironhide said as he relayed the comm link message he had just received.

"Glad to hear it pal." Will said as they pulled off the exit to head into Roseland. "I guess you were right about them being able to handle it... So what is Sentinel like?"

"He was an inventor and a great leader. In fact we almost won the war before he was lost to the stars..."

"It must have been a hard blow to lose him." Will shook his head.

"It was a dark day for us. But even now, I'm not sure if our planet could have been saved with whatever that contraption of his was." Ironhide said quietly. "Intel said it was a spacebridge... They recovered five of the pillars." I'm not sure how in the name of Primus that that would won us the war. Ironhide thought before returning his concentration to the road before him.

"Spacebridge?" Will blinked. "Is that what I think it is?"

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Blue leaned against his Altmode waiting for Oliver and Annabelle. He grinned as the twosome made their way out of the school... Until his hearing caught their discussion.

"I can't believe you would do this to me!"

"Honestly Anna It wasn't just me. Some of the girls from your volleyball team came up with the idea first." Oliver tried to defend himself from her tongue lashing. "I didn't think you'd be so pissed at me for it!"

"Well maybe I wouldn't be so mad at you if would have told me! Hell Homecoming is tomorrow!""

"You wouldn't have done it if you had known in the first place." Oliver said as the reached Blue. Annaballe glared at Oliver before searching the curb for her aunt.

"Mercy asked if I could pick you up." Blue said as she returned her glare to Oliver with a slight growl.

"Perfect."

"Look I did it as a joke."

"Yeah, one that can cost me my life." Annabelle hissed.

"Oh come on now, since when does this count as a blood bath?" Oliver rubbed his temples.

"Bloodbath? What the slag did you do Oliver? Why are you two arguing?"

"He put me up against Alice Gyer." Annabelle groaned as she opened the door to the Datsun sharply (at which Blue flinched.)

"Meaning?"

"I signed her up for a chance to be homecoming queen."

Blue looked this up with a frown as he climbed into his driver's seat. "Okay... I have to agree with Oliver... What does this competition have to do with endangering your life?"

"Alice Gyer is the meanest prep in the whole damned school... She was prom queen last year, she uncontested may I mention."

"Oh come on that is so not true."

"Okay well she did have two others up for her crown... But one of them broke her spine and the other ended up being busted for pot."

"... How did the first one break her spine?" Blue asked nervously.

"Softball to the fourth and fifth lumbar. Coincidentally hit by Alice..."

"Yikes."

Oliver swallowed hard before saying, "I'm sure it was an accident."

"You should have seen that witch's smile. The Joker has nothing on Alice."

"Look I'm sorry-"Oliver tried to apologize again.

"Nope not listening. Besides, I don't own a freaking dress. I am so mad at you right now."

Blue's eyes lit up as a an idea hit him. "Okay Anna, how about this. We'll take you dress shopping to make up for my idiot brother's goof up."

Annabelle mulled this over before holding her hands up. "Fine... But I'm still pretty pissed at Oliver." she said whipping out her phone and dialing Mercy's number.

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Mercy's silent world erupted in a chirping harsh ringing from her cell phone. She opened her bloodshot eyes to glare at the offending phone half tempted to throw the thing into the wall. Picking it up and answering it she groaned out a weak: "Hello?" as she hissed from the light coming off her phone's screen.

"Hey Aunt Mercy, I just wanted to let you know that Oliver and I have some shopping to do for a project that's due tomorrow."

"Alright... be safe..." Mercy mumbled as she quickly shut the phone and collapsed back into her pillow. She lay there her brain pounding with every beat of her heart against her skull praying to be able to fall back into the sweet oblivion of sleep. God how I hate migraines... she thought as she tried to clear all thought from her throbbing head.

And then the doorbell rang.

Mercy groaned as she forced herself to sit up in the bed. Fighting the urge to regurgitate her minimally lunch she stood to her feet and slowly began to shuffle out of her room to the living room. Mercy winced with every step that caused her to jar her head.

Apparently whoever was on the other side of the door was getting impatient and had begun to ring to doorbell like an immature child. Whoever that is they better be dying. Mercy thought as she slowly opened the door.

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"William do you think it just may be possible that no one is home?" Ironhide grumbled at the soldier's antics with the annoying doorbell.

"Na... Mercy's charger is in the garage. She's gotta be home." Will said with a grin as he heard the tumbler click in the lock and the door slowly opened to reveal a bedraggled and miserably not amused Mercy, who glared at him with half lidded bloodshot eyes peering out from under a curtain of red hair streaked with black. The aura coming off of her was very tangible as Will took a quick swallow in an attempt to keep up his cheery demeanor.

The door shut quickly in his face before he could even greet her. "Mercy!"

"Come back when my head doesn't hurt." she growled on the other side of the door.

Will sighed and began to knock irritatingly on the door. Mercy growled as each knock echoed sharply in her ears. She yanked the door open and glared at him as she snarled, "WHAT?"

"Well gee, I don't know I thought since we came all this way to hang out with you guys and Annabelle you'd be a little more hospitable. Like you know 'Hi Will It's been ages come in! come in!'"

"We?" Mercy blinked at him as she rubbed her aching eyes before glancing over at the tall dark featured man standing not far behind him. Tanned skin, garbed completely in black from his combat boots to his jeans and t-shirt, with short finely arranged black hair, a scar over his eye making him look even more dangerous. And shit Mercy stood at 5' 11" and he made her feel small. He had to at least be 6' 7''. Mercy caught his eyes and stared at his electric blues... They seemed familiar... but she couldn't remember why.

"Who's this? Your boyfriend?" she said snarkily.

Tall and Dark growled at her comment, but before he could comment Will sighed and said, "Mercy this is my teammate Ironhide. Ironhide this is my pain in the ass sister-in-law Mercy."

"Watch it Colonel or I'll make you go get me some damn chicken."

"Oh come on, I know you can come up with a better come back than that." Will said as she let them into the house.

"Make yourself at home I guess." Mercy grumbled as she grit her teeth. She was seeing halos as she rubbed her temples as she tried to alleviate the pressure in her head. "Torri won't be home for another hour or so, and Annabelle's out shopping with her friends. I'm going back to bed and so help me if you wake me I will shove a corkscrew into you trachea and watch you bleed out on to the floor." She growled before she slunk off to the basement. Hopefully I'll get some sleep down here. she thought as she closed the door behind her and made the descent to the room below.