How it Is
Chapter 14: Lessons

By: Nightelfcrawler
Disclaimer: Obviously Transformers is not my own, and is property of Hasbro. Be gentle.

"Sam!" A voice called out distantly to him through the sleepy fog of his dreams, and he simply rolled over as the sun hit him full in the face. He yawned content to simply lay there, warm and cozy in bed. The sun felt delightfully good. He could lay here all day. "Sam!" An impatient voice barged into his room and a sudden shake to his shoulder jarred him out of his lazy nap. "For goodness sake, wake up!"

He cracked an eye open, peering up over his shoulder at his mother who was scowling down at him impatiently. "Wha...?" He muttered, not at all happy at being woken up in this manner.

"There is a semi-truck parked in our ally." She said matter-of-factly, though her eyebrow seemed to have developed an odd tick for twitching up and down.

"Oh..? Tell him to wait." Sam yawned. " 'm tired."

"A SEMI-TRUCK Sam." She said firmly, in that half-frantic tone of hers that warned of an impending and uncomfortable doom heading his way.

"Yeah...?" He muttered. "So?"

Her eyebrow twitched again. "You are the strangest child I have ever raised."

"The only child, mom." Sam buried his face in his pillow, as a loud deep horn sounded from outside, making Judy jump in alarm, shooting a glare out the window at the idling semi-truck. "Gawd, Optimus." Sam groaned rolling over and sitting up. "Okay okay I'm COMING." He shouted back, poking his head out the window as he slammed it shut just to make his point. "Geeze... maybe being the Leader of all of them is making him pushy." He glanced at his mother, who still was staring nervously out the window. "Oh come on, mom. He doesn't bite. He's the nicest of them all, you'd like him."

She fixed him with a very demanding stare that clearly said she still had an issue believing giant aliens could turn into cars and drive themselves around the town on their own. "Just what are you doing spending so much time on that base, Sam..." her eyes scanned his slim figure, clearly not having missed the developing muscle that Sam had been putting on over the last few weeks. "...you look as if you're getting ready to enlist in the military."

He yawned and then lightly hugged her, much to Judy's surprise as her son gave her a warm hug and a light kiss on the cheek. "Chill out mom. I won't go marching off to war without text messaging you first, k? I'm gonna go shower up, so if Optimus honks again, sick Mojo on him for me." And with that, he strode towards the shower, leaving his mother flushed and rubbing her cheek as if she were afraid it had all been a dream. Who was that man, and what had he done with her little boy?

Sam for his part, whistled cheerfully in the shower, feeling rejuvenated and wide awake now that he was up. He'd been feeling better than he ever had as of late, and he couldn't exactly pinpoint why. He should be exhausted, sore and grumpy from spending day in and day out crouched in the desert doing target practice with Ironhide. They had migrated up to live ammunition now, which was an entirely different ballpark compared to paintball guns. At first, Sam had been nervous about shooting Ironhide with the gun, but the weapons specialist had just laughed at him and asked since when had little metal projectiles caused any damage to him? He'd lowered his blast shield, and promptly egged Sam to do his worst. Sam had to hit him a few times before he realized the weapons specialist was right, and the bullets had just bounced off harmlessly with small sparks. After that, Sam hadn't been afraid of trying his hardest to hit him.

So despite sitting crouched in the hot desert with the sun beating down on him, Sam felt great. His exercise routine was getting easier and easier, early morning runs, push ups, pull ups and crunches. He couldn't help but admire his growing muscle definition. It wasn't hulking at all, and he'd be grossed out if it ever got that big, but it definitely had an outline going there on his abs and arms. He flexed in front of the mirror, and actually grinned wide, staring at the tan that had formed on his arms. Ok, time to wear sleeveless shirts, this farmer's tan so wasn't him.

Eat this, Mikaela. He thought grinning, before his face heated as he thought of her again.Damn it! He smacked his head feeling his heart start to pound, filling his whole body with a tingling warmth. Oh man...teenage hormones were really gnawing at him now. He rubbed his face to try and rid his blush from it. Focus, Witwicky, focus. He mentally told himself, before he dressed quickly and headed downstairs.

At least he wouldn't be sweating in the desert today, it was Optimus' turn in his education. The Autobots were taking turns in his training, whenever one of them was free and not out on duty. Hound and Bumblebee were out on some kind of scouting mission right now and Ironhide had been sent to go check something out with Lennox at Nellis. So that left Sam in Optimus' care. To be honest, he was looking forward to his history lesson. There were so many questions he had about the Autobots, Cybertron, the Decepticons and the Allspark. He was looking forward to seeing some of these things through the holograms that Optimus had used to show he and Mikaela their dying world the first time they met. That stuff was better than IMAX!

He dipped his head into the fridge and grabbed some fruit, which he was quite happy to have as his daily nutrients. He'd discovered that while he wasn't hungry much anymore, he could still eat a good full meal and enjoy it without getting that feeling of being uncomfortably full. He just need to eat for a few days after that. "Going out, Sam?" His father's voice came from the kitchen table where he was reading the morning paper. "Back for dinner?"

"Probably not." Sam admitted, stopping beside his Dad to shove the fruit in his backpack. "I'll be back later, after dark probably."

"Ok, well.." Ron glanced out the window at the idling semi-truck. "I'd say drive safely but I guess that isn't an issue anymore, is it?"

Sam grinned widely. "Tell mom that. I think she nearly burst a brain cell when Optimus honked earlier."

"She'll get used to it, just give her time." Ron said calmly, lifting his paper up calmly and returning to the article he'd been reading.

"Later Dad." Sam jogged out the front door and walked across the grass towards the large flame painted red and blue vehicle waiting for him. The door opened invitingly as he slid in without hesitation. "Morning, Optimus." He greeted, relaxing back calmly, enjoying the roomy comfort of the large interior cab, the smell of lilac still prominent inside after the twins little air freshener incident.

"Good morning, Sam. Did you sleep well?"

"Yup. Great, in fact." Sam said cheerily. "How about you, um, recharge well?"

"Yes, thank you Sam." The reply was calm and collected as always.

"Really? I heard that you guys had a lot of clean-up after Wheeljack's little incident."

"Ah.." Optimus sighed as he shifted gears backing out the ally carefully, as being a very large semi in a residential neighborhood had it's disadvantages. "Yes there was quite a bit of reconstruction to be done, fortunately the ones responsible did most of the work."

Sam grinned. Man, he would have given anything to see Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Wheeljack being given a stern talking to for blowing up half the base. At least no one had been hurt. "I have a feeling this is going to be a common thing."

"Yes, unfortunately." Optimus sighed. "I have Ironhide demanding a brig be built ASAP."

"Oh boy."

"I admit the idea is not appealing. There are still so few of us, the idea of confining our own soldiers is rather disquieting."

"Well at least you're not keeping the cop around anymore." Sam pointed out cheerfully. "I mean, I can't say I'm happy knowing he's prowling around out there somewhere. I mean, I know the government is keeping tabs on him and you guys are still tracking him, but it's weird you know?" He mused thoughtfully. "We never really found out what he wanted with me." He paused. "Who'd he pick to team up with anyway? I know you said he'd chosen someone that he'd personally selected…"

"I believe he sorted through several available agents with top government clearance before selecting on a particular agent that you might know."

Sam blinked and frowned. "Huh? What he wouldn't pick Lennox would he?"

"No…" Optimus' voice sounded odd, as if he were trying to avoid laughing as well as sounding a bit irritated. "A man by the name of Reginald Simmons."

Sam almost choked right then and there. "Simmons…?! That… that freaky guy from Sector 7? No way, you've got to be kidding me!"

"Not at all. I believe out of all the selections he found Simmons to be the most trained and experienced, plus he knew about our existence so he was less likely to 'freak out' as you say."

Sam just stared in shock at the dashboard, before a slow grin spread over his face. "Does he even know what he's gotten himself into?"

"I sincerely doubt it, Sam."

"Oh boy, I can't WAIT to hear how they get along. I mean…. I think Simmons is in for the worst of it, after all Barricade had that little freaky thing with him…"

"Frenzy."

"Yeah him." Sam wrinkled his nose. "He IS dead right? They really killed him back in Sector 7?"

"As I heard, his remains were locked up within a government facility, devoid of life. So yes."

"Good." Sam muttered. "Cause if I ever see him again, I swear Mikaela won't be the only one taking a hacksaw to him." Optimus only let out a small dry chuckle as they sped up on the freeway, heading back towards base. "So what're we going to study today, Optimus?" Sam asked, sticking his elbows on his knees and staring out the wide front windows of the semi.

"I have several things in mind to go over with you, Sam." Optimus said calmly. "I thought perhaps you might have some questions you might wish to ask first before we begin."

"Oh man." Sam said sighing. "I don't know where to even start. I think we'd better leave that for the last part."

"Very well."

Optimus took him back to the base, simply as it was the best place for them to walk around freely without concerns of being observed. They didn't go into a building however, but roamed about the open tarmac and spaces between buildings, as Optimus walked slowly with Sam on his shoulder in the usual spot next to one of his smokestacks. He started out by telling Sam some basic history about how it was theorized that their race came into existence. No one knew for certain, but some surmised that they had been given life by the Allspark's benevolent will, or some being had used it to create their race for an unknown reason, or that they simply had evolved from creations spawned from elsewhere, adapting and becoming their own race through time. He told him about how their race had adapted, built cities and created life for themselves. Then the first war began after a group calling themselves the Decepticons tried to wrest control of the city, and a civil war broke out between their two factions. This was the first taste of strife and battle that their people had ever encountered. But in the end, the Decepticons were fewer than the vast forces of those who rose to fight them, and after ages the war had ended with the Decepticons retreating, and Alpha Trion their current leader had rebuilt the city using the power of the Allspark. After that their people saw peace again for ages, building their world into a glorious golden empire of stability and success. It was during this age that Optimus and most of the others had been created.

Then Optimus told him about the second war. Sam listened intently as Optimus switched from story-teller mode to visualization mode. Sam was completely immersed in the beautiful sights of pre-war Cybertron, of a young Optimus Prime taking office, and familiar and unfamiliar faces alike as the story wove before his eyes. Megatron's rise to power, the beginning of the war, the fall of the Autobots and the destruction of their beautiful city and planet sprung before him in complete 3-D environments, complete with the feeling of wind, explosions and fire, as if he were truly there in the midst of the battle watching it all. Sam winced in pain as unexpectedly at one point he realized the mech that was laying wounded before him was his very own friend, vocal processors sparking after having just been crushed by Megatron himself. So much war, destruction and pain. Sam hadn't even been able to grasp it before, but now surrounded by a burning dying world that had once been beautiful and mighty before his eyes, his heart ached strongly in agony at the loss. Suddenly he had a new appreciation for just what kind of burden Optimus had to hold up on his massive shoulders day in and day out. With such pain and suffering behind them, what did the Autobots have to hope for the future, especially now that the cube was gone?

Sam felt a tight pressure in his chest as they stopped their pacing to sit against a raised portion of the base overlooking the rest, backs against the wall as he drank in the last bit of the story, on how Optimus had secured as many refugees as he could and sent them safely away before leaving himself to pursue the Allspark. More were out there somewhere, wandering the stars, and hopefully eventually finding each other amidst the vastness of space. It was so much to take in, that Sam closed his eyes and shivered at the end of the tale.

"Sam?"

"I'm ok, Optimus." He re-assured the solemn leader. "It's just… I mean I knew that your war was really bad. I just never knew HOW bad it was… how many you lost… and seeing it…" He opened his eyes slowly, staring down at the spread of buildings that made up the Autobot's new base. "It's real. It happened. And it hurts."

The Autobot leader smiled gently, shaking his head slightly as regarded the young man sitting beside him. Sam had changed so much in the last few months. From a boy who had stumbled his way through a battlefield, to a young man who held himself with dignity befitting a soldier. He felt a sense of responsibility to Sam, seeing as the boy had been dragged into their war without a choice in the matter. But, seeing as Sam was not unhappy at being a part of their lives as complicated as it was, he was certain that he would do well in adapting to anything the future might bring. "Thank you, Sam for your words." Optimus said quietly. "Our two people are not so different. We sometimes forget this. Despite our technological advancements and assumptions of superiority for that reason, we still managed to destroy our own world, and kill thousands in battle which proves we are no more advanced than your own people, caught in a similar trap of battles with other nations." He sighed windily, a bit of dust puffing out of his exhaust pipes on his shoulders. "We both still have much to learn and overcome."

Sam smiled a little, draping his hands over his knees. "I guess so. I still think you guys are way ahead of us. I mean, you have awesome weapons, can travel through space, and invent cool stuff like holograms."

"All just technology, Sam." Optimus said mildly. "Your people have ventured into the abstract that was beyond our comprehension. Music, art, poetry. Such things had no place in Cybertronian life. We only finally achieved the ability to comprehend such amazing accomplishments after landing here on your planet. Our race focused on inventions, technology, science. Yours perhaps may not have advanced as far, but considering how young your species is, you have made great strides in such short time, that one can only begin to surmise where this great knowledge will eventually take you along the road of your lives. The limitations are boundless."

"Yeah." Sam said smiling as he tilted his head up to the sky, staring at the blue expanse overhead. "Boundless. I can't even begin to imagine what's in store for me the rest of my life… and it's exciting."

Optimus studied the human with kind optics, aware of the parallels to his own life. Once he had floundered for his place in the universe, now he was in the same role his own advisor had been while training him. "You have a great future ahead of you, Sam."

"Yeah." Sam mused quietly. "About that…" He glanced up at Optimus with that same expression that often had haunted the mech's own processors. One of pensive inner turmoil. "I want to try and learn how I can use this power inside of me. So far all I've done is cause a mess…"

"Ah, yes." Optimus mused. "I did not wish to bring this topic up until you were ready to approach it on your own, Sam. However, I believe you would stand to learn a great deal from harnessing the power within you."

"You think I can do it?"

"Most certainly." He agreed. "It may be difficult, but if anything you have shown an amazing capacity to adapt. Think of this merely as another step into your future."

"Bee mentioned you were the guardian of something called The Matrix." Sam spoke up with a half-grin. "I dare to think it's anything like the movie."

Optimus blinked down at the boy with a brief flash of confusion crossing his features, before he quickly referenced the name. "Ah. No, it is not anything like the Matrix you refer to."

"Thought not. So what is the Matrix?" Sam asked, with a dead serious face, only the corner of his mouth twitching as he struggled not to smile from having just quoted said movie.

If Optimus caught the reference, he didn't give anything away. "The Matrix is what we refer to as that where all life comes from."

"I thought that was the Allspark?" Sam asked confused.

"Yes, and no." Optimus explained thoughtfully. "The Allspark is a physical tool that we believe is directly connected to the Matrix, tapping it's power, it's resources and bridging life and death. The Matrix is what you might refer to as the 'afterlife' in a way. We believe that when a mech is sparked, his soul originates from the Matrix and is brought into a new body. When he dies, that soul returns to the Matrix, becoming one with it."

Sam nodded slowly, seeing there were some correlations between Cybertronian theology and Earth theology. "So the Allspark isn't the Matrix itself?"

"It is not, however it often was referred to as the Matrix of Leadership." And with that, Optimus reached up to a portion of his chest plating, and to Sam's surprise it hissed open with a vent of hydraulics to reveal a small cavity where a round ball about the size of a large globe sat within some kind of apparatus, laying protected in Optimus' chest. He removed it, and lowered it down for Sam to see. The center part looked hollow, round and with sections split so that he could see the interior was dim and dark, obviously meant to hold something roughly the size of the cube that Sam had carried in battle. "This is the Matrix of Leadership. It is used to keep the Allspark safe and hidden from those who would seek to exploit it's power. Traditionally it is passed down from Prime to Prime, as a token of respect, but also to use it's power in times of need." He lifted the apparatus back up and secured it safely back in his chest plating, then closed the compartment with a click. "Since Megatron was aware of it's location as I was it's protector, I believed at the time my only choice was to send it away from Cybertron, in hopes that it might draw the war away. I thought I would be able to find it again first, as I had the strongest connection to it, being it's guardian. It was a risky thing to do, and no doubt my predecessor would have had some stern words to share, had he still been online."

"So your duty was to protect it." Sam mused. "At least you get that chance again, even if it's a bit different." He grinned up at the mech, who smiled down kindly at him.

"Yes, Sam. You are right. No matter what form, it is part of my responsibility to see that the Allsparks' power is not misused. And for that reason, I think it is time for us to explore your control over it. The worst thing that could happen right now would be for the Decepticons to become aware of your connection and attempt to exploit that. If you are able to control the power, you can defend yourself."

Sam had a brief shudder as the mental image of the small Nokia phone snapped to his memory. "Yeah." He said quietly. He didn't want THAT part of the power, destroying life. He wondered if it came down to his life or his friends lives, would he be able to kill with it?

Optimus seemed to read his thoughts, and spoke up quietly. "Sam. This power is an enormous responsibility. The decisions on how and when to use it will not be easy. I do not wish you to force yourself to do anything you feel uncomfortable with. We will take this slow, and give you time to adapt on your own. But you must realize, that when it comes down to the line, you cannot hesitate to make your decision. A second's pause can mean life or death in battle."

"I know." Sam said quietly. "It's just so difficult. What if I make the wrong decision."

"There will come a time when you do." Optimus said gently. "No being is perfect. We all make mistakes, even myself. The difference between a warrior and a fool is that a warrior learns from his mistakes and does not let them rule his guilt, but lets them guide his wisdom."

Sam smiled softly, the words helping him come to grasp his place in this whole mess. Optimus was a leader for a reason, and it wasn't because he was the largest Autobot on Earth. He was smart, and experienced. "I understand. I'll try not to make TOO many mistakes though…"

"A sound plan. Now, if you are ready perhaps we can see about giving you some control over the power within you."

"Right." Sam took a deep breath to calm himself, but oddly realized he wasn't very frightened of what they were going to attempt, but rather hopeful. "I'm ready."

"Very well. First, I would like you to attempt a connection yourself. I realize that you have managed to do this previously, but as I have not experienced the phenomena, I also would like time to analyze the process."

"You're sure it's safe?" Sam asked nervously. The last thing he wanted to do was zap the leader and put him out of commission.

"Yes, Sam." Optimus said solemnly. "I can protect myself against any unwelcome surges. Unless you attempt to do something deliberately, you can be assured nothing ill will come of our attempt."

"Ok…" Sam said nervously, then shifted to reach out and place his hand on Optimus' large hand placed on the ground before him. The moment he touched the warm metal, he could feel the familiar tingle of life, the connection shared between them. It had been the same with Bee, a familiar buzzing in the back of his head that told him 'yes you can do this'. Sam focused on that feeling, letting his eyes close as he followed the strange vibration in his head, trying to figure out how to trigger it. He had done it before… he could do it again.

Abruptly he figured it out. It was almost like the first time you learn to ride a bike. You wobble a little, but then you get the pacing down, and find it's easier than you thought once you figure out how to do it. With that realization, he suddenly could feel the other presence connected to him. It was entirely different from when he'd linked with Bee. This presence was powerful, supportive and all-encompassing, like the protective hand of a father on his shoulder.

Good, Sam. The mental voice spoke to him loudly through his head, warm and confidant. You achieved that quickly.

Thanks. He thought back, head spinning a little, but feeling a warm sense of pride flow through him.

Now, I want you to focus on that which you followed here. Do not think hard or frantically, just attempt to trace it.

Ok. Sam thought, feeling calmed by Optimus' reassuring presence. He could do this. He could feel the guiding hands steering him along as he let himself relax, and tried to follow the tingling feeling to it's source. With Optimus' guidance, he soon found what he'd been fighting so hard to avoid for the last several months. If he could have placed an image to it, he might have compared it to an enormous generator room, with one turbine stretching as high as he could look up, and as far as he could see down, crackling with blue-white electricity that snapped along the turbine as if it were a live power line. It was enormous, sitting there dormant for the moment, with only flashes of light running up and down it's metal hull that was clearly marked in the same symbols that had decorated the cube's exterior. Sam felt a sense of awe filling through him as he visualized it, realizing with some shock that this massive source of energy was within his own body and soul. Wow. He thought aloud, unable to think much further than that.

Indeed. Came the reassuring voice of Optimus. Your visualization of the Allspark is very befitting of it's endless potential, Sam.

And it's just sitting here quietly inside me like this?

For the moment, yes. You have not yet pulled forth it's true power. It still lays regenerating it's own life within you.

What would happen if I woke it up?

I cannot say for certain. It would depend on your intent. However I do not believe you are ready for such an immediate withdrawal of power. There is little telling what such direct energy would do to your body and mind. This is why we must proceed cautiously.

No kidding.

Now retreat slowly, Sam and we will attempt some manipulation of it's power.

Sam relaxed and felt his consciousness pull away from that which he'd realized was the very core of his being. It felt strange, seeing such enormous capability dormant within him, and scared him a little. Optimus was right, what if the Decepticons found out about him and attempted to extract that power? He shuddered to think of it. No wonder he needed to learn to control it. He opened his eyes, still feeling the supportive presence reminding him that they were linked.

Now what? He thought, wondering what Optimus would have him do.

Now, we work on what you already possess. The reply came simply. We will not attempt any new manipulation until you have mastered your current abilities.

What you mean like, short-circuiting processors? Sam thought wryly.

No, I mean communications and regenerative capabilities. You seem to have maintained a steady hold on direct communications, now I wish to experiment with wireless transmissions.

Oh! Sam blinked with a small grin on his face as he realized what that meant. Right, he'd talked to the others when they'd been on their way to Earth. If he could have an Autobot type communications channel, that would really save on his cell phone bill.

First, I want you to concentrate on the feel of this connection we share, memorize it's patterns. You must be able to identify with whom you are attempting to communicate.

Right. Sam did as much as he could to try and remember how the sensation was. He knew it was very different from Bumblebee's, but how to remember that 'feeling' without putting a name or picture to it was harder. Finally he released his hand from Optimus' own, and broke contact, taking a deep breath as the familiar sensation of disconnection swept over him. He glanced up as Optimus' own optics came back online and flickered at him expectantly. "Ok. I think I got it…"

"Excellent job, Sam. You are proceeding admirably." The mech complimented warmly.

"Yeah well now comes the hard part." Sam muttered.

For the next several hours, he tried to figure out just how he'd managed to connect with the others. He tried everything from thinking loudly to reaching for the power without physically connecting to Optimus. He wasn't having very much luck, and it was rather exhausting. He could feel the power there, stirring under his grasp, just out of reach. Every time he thought he was close, it would slip away. He let his head fall back and hit the wall with some frustration. "Man, this is worse than training with Ironhide. At least there I can blow off some steam."

Optimus looked suddenly thoughtful. "Indeed. Perhaps that might help."

"Huh?"

"Sam, I want you to attempt something." Optimus offered, pointing over to one of the nearby boulders that littered the exterior of the cavern. "I recall that when you were frustrated with Barricade, you initiated a burst of energy. Perhaps if you attempted it again, you might feel the flow of it's source."

Sam blinked and eyed the offending boulder. It made sense. "You're sure it won't backfire and hurt you?" He asked frowning up at the mech worriedly. "I don't want something bad to happen."

"Do not be concerned, Sam. I will place safety protocols in place, and you should be distant enough not to reach me. However, I would warn you not to place too much strength behind it. Just attempt a minimal amount."

"Right…minimal." Sam said with a deep breath, and slowly got to his feet and walked the twenty feet over to the boulder. It was only about as big as he was if he were to crouch down into a hunch, not that intimidating, but the idea of actually striking out and using his power like a weapon made him a bit squeamish. Yet, he knew that this was one of the things he had to learn to do, and what better to practice on than a stupid rock. He took another deep breath and placed both hands down on the rock, and steadied himself, then tried to imagine something angry and frustrating that might trigger such a reaction.

It didn't take long, amazingly enough. All he had to do was imagine the sight of Bumblebee strapped helpless on the table in the Sector 7 laboratories, and his anger flooded to the surface. With a sudden flash of heat, he could feel the energy surging up from somewhere deep within him and out through his hands in one blinding flash of light that had him squeezing his eyes shut quickly the moment a very loud vibration of sound exploded out from around him, like a jet passing at supersonic speeds. It shook the wall nearby, sending sprays of sand and pebbles down, and he could feel a brush of wind rippling past his arms and face. The heat was gone as swiftly as it had come with his change from anger to surprise, and he cracked his eyes open slowly to see the damage.

The boulder had turned to sand beneath him, and he was on his hands and knees, blue light crackling around his hands like wild electricity, the same burning sensation crawling up and down his spine and itching at his fingertips. He slowly sat up, and quickly risked a glance over to Optimus, who was no longer sitting, but in a protective crouch, watching him with some surprise in his optics. "Well done, Sam. That was impressive." The leader commented finally, optics flickering down to the mass of sand beneath the humans fingers. "You achieved that quicker than I expected."

"Yeah." Sam said quietly. "I don't think in a good way." He felt sick suddenly, realizing that in most other situations, using your anger to lash out was considered bad. On the other hand, he knew what that white-hot feeling was within him, that sense of power becoming at his call and discharging. This time, his hands didn't burn quite as badly, and he turned them over warily watching the rivets of energy trace over the grayish lines that had appeared on his hands again, and were slowly fading away. "It wasn't so bad this time." He said. "I don't feel faint." He glanced up at Optimus hopefully. "That's good right?"

"Sam, I think with proper practice, you soon will learn not to fear your gifts." Optimus said encouragingly. "The weight of responsibility can be heavy at times, but there is no reason you must bear it alone. I must urge however, that you only practice when around one of us. There is no knowing whether these bursts of energy you give off can be traced, and if we are not careful, we could attract the very attention we are hoping to avoid."

Sam's eyebrow twitched as a sudden image sprung to mind. A big red arrow lit up in the middle of the desert with an "AUTOBOT BASE HERE, COME ON IN" sign flashing for the whole universe to see. His shoulders hunched. "Yeah. Good idea, big guy. Good idea."

"Optimus!" A voice called out from the buildings below, and they both glanced up in time to see Ironhide jogging towards them, dust clinging to his chassis, a dead giveaway he'd just arrived. "We've got a development."

Instantly the leader was on his feet. "What kind of development?" he asked quickly, as Sam scrambled to join the two, staring up curiously as Ironhide completely ignored the small human for the moment.

"Lennox just received a call from one of his team." The weapons specialist reported. "It seems that they have found something buried in the Antarctic ice." His optics flickered down to Sam. "It appears to be another of our kind."

Sam groaned. "Just HOW many of you are we going to find as ice cubes?!" Pause. "Please don't tell me Megatron has a twin!"