So this is how the world ends.
Not even the world itself, this is how my world ends, because when they told me that the Autobots were being exiled from earth, that's how it felt. At first I'd been dumbstruck, but then when the blow finally hit it I was doubled over and gripping my stomach as if I'd been punched by a Decepticon. I can't even begin to describe how it felt to learn that your entire family was being ripped away from you, that you were going to lose them forever and never see them again. I couldn't believe it. I refused to believe it, even when I knew it was the truth.
When they'd walked past me with Wheelie and Brains locked up in a cage, I'd snapped. I flew into a redhead rage of fury, lunging for the cage and trying to pry it free from the people carrying it, demanding that they released my friends. "Wheelie! Brains! I'm not gonna let them take you, you hear me? I'm getting you out of there!" I had clawed at the cage until my nails started to bleed, shaking off anyone who tried to peel me away as Wheelie gripped onto me.
"Don't let them kick us out babe! We don't wanna leave, save us!"
"No! No! Wheelie! Brains!" They had both called out for me as they were carted away and I was in such a blind fury that I started to attack everyone around me, punching and kicking until I had to be physically restrained and they would not let me go until I had calmed down.
Under armed escort I was brought to the secondary base where the Autobot spaceship was being held, now being prepped ready to be launched back into the atmosphere with all my friends, my family on board. "You can't go." I stated bluntly as Jazz came to see me first, kneeling down towards me. "You can't." My voice was barely above a whisper, throat cracking and breaking under the trembling force of my shaking body.
"I'm sorry cherry but your people have given us our eviction notice. We won't stay where we're not welcome." He said to me with a sad expression. "Primus, you have no idea how much I'm gonna miss you. I didn't think it were possible to care so much about someone who weren't one of my own. Promise you won't forget me now, okay cherry?" I couldn't help but laugh at his slightly vain tone, the teasing jab at my ribs also helping as I scrubbed the evidence of tears from my face, ordering myself to be strong and stand upright whilst with him.
"You kidding me Jazz-man? If you were human you'd be somebody I wouldn't ever forget. The fact that you're a giant mechanical organism from outer space is something I can't ignore." Stepping closer to him I held his face between my hands as we bowed our heads against one another, a personal intimacy shared between Jazz and myself as years of friendship and memories rolled through our minds. "I'm the one who should be asking you not to forget me. I'm just a face among thousands that you'll see before you offline."
"No way cherry. There ain't no face like your face in the entire universe." Jazz told me sweetly as we opened our eyes to look at one another again. "And no matter how far I go or how long we're separated, I'm still your guardian. That ain't never gonna change. I'll be with you all the days of your life."
"Sure. I'd like that. Keep me out of trouble." I agreed with a weak laugh, sucking in a deep breath before slowly letting Jazz go. He rose up as my hands left his face, a last lingering look before he turned and went towards the ship. Sam was yet to arrive and I wanted him to get here faster, because I don't know how much more of this I can take before I break apart completely.
"Sparkling." Optimus's smooth baritone voice made my head jolt upwards, realising that his hand had already come down and he scooped me up effortlessly and lifted me high above everyone's heads, our faces level. "I…I do not know what to say." I felt the same. In fact, everything we could ever want to say was expressed with such clarity through our bond that emotions just kept on pouring through. "Take heart, little spark, we shall always be connected across the stars. I shall think of you, always."
"Optimus…" Steeling myself I drew back my shoulders, still determined to be strong. "You are the closest thing I have to a real father. You are the best thing that could have ever happened to me and I regret nothing. Absolutely nothing. If I had to redo it all, I wouldn't change the way in which we met. I'd want for everything to happen as it did, because it brought me close to you. I'll miss you. I'll miss you so much, but you know that." As I spoke I lifted a hand to my chest where my heart thrummed with a soft vibration and Optimus exhaled deeply before leaning closer and drawing me into him. I gripped my arms around his neck, embracing him tightly before he set me back down on the ground.
"Farewell, my little spark." Optimus seemed unable to say anymore, too heavy with emotion so I watched him walk away from me, giving a nod of his head towards Bumblebee to give him permission to say goodbye also. It was at that point Sam arrived and I looked over to him as Bumblebee approached, still furiously trying to deny that this was real, that this was actually happening.
"Bee." I murmured quietly, feeling a solid lump rise to my throat. "Bumblebee." Dragging my head around, I forced myself to look into Bee's soft gaze however that seemed to be the moment that broke me. I completely lost all self control, falling to the ground on my knees and clenched my fists as my back and shoulders were wracked with terrible sobs, quiet as they were, they still made my chest ache and throb in pain. "Bee…Bumblebee…"
"Sssshh…Don't worry, 'bout a thing…'cause every little thing…is gon' be alright…" Bumblebee sang to me as his hands waved rather worriedly and helplessly over me until finally he managed to shift his finger underneath my chin and lift it up and slowly the smooth swell of Sarah McLachlan's velvety voice filled my ears. "I will remember you, will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by…Weep not for the memories…I will remember you, will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by…Weep not for the memories…"
"God damn it Bee, you're too darn sweet and kind and good." I cursed slightly as I let him help me stand back up though I gripped onto his hand tightly, looking imploringly into his eyes. "Bumblebee I…" But even as I tried to think, I couldn't think of anything to say. My mind and my words became a jumbled mess until all I could do was stand there with my mouth hanging open. Desperately I tried to say something, even just a goodbye but I was frozen and motionless, just staring at him as he gazed at me.
"It won't feel right…not having you close…by my side." He said to me finally. "But don't worry…I'm sure…that we'll see each other again…even if…I have to…travel the stars…and move…heaven and hell…I'll find us a way."
"Bumblebee." That was it. That was all I could say. As a final gesture Bumblebee reached out and touched the pendent around my neck, making me look down and instinctively grab onto the metal cog that I always wore without fail. I guess that was his final way of saying that I'll always have a part of them, even if it's just in memory but for me, that wasn't enough. It just wasn't. I watched in sadness and sorrow as my friends and family walked away from me after their farewells with Sam but before I could even go to comfort him, several men in suits stepped out and surrounded me. "Hey, what are you-hey!"
Alarmed when I felt handcuffs being placed around my wrists I started to struggle, writhing and lashing out to try and get free as I yelled. "What are you doing?! Let me go! Let me go! Sammy! Sammy!"
"Helen!" I was dragged back away from Sammy who was also restrained, kept well away from me as he thundered. "What do you think you're doing?! Let her go! You can't take her away!" Take me away? What did he mean?
"The instructions were very clear, son." One of the federal suits informed us both as Simmons protested.
"Locking away an innocent woman is a blight against justice! What are you going to do? Clap her in irons and let her rot away in a cell separated from everything she knows? It's a disgrace!" He made his opinion very well known however from his wheelchair, there was little he could do though Sam was still fighting even as I was pulled towards one of the cars. I was still yelling for him, desperately trying to escape as the fed simply shrugged.
"Decepticons said if we did not restrain the Autobot mutant, they would consider it a declaration of war. The terms negotiated were the exile of the Autobots and the permanent incarceration of the human-Autobot hybrid. I'm just following my orders. We're shipping her to Chicago where she'll be interned." My eyes widened in fear as I was finally shoved into a car, staring out the window where the last thing I saw was of Sam being tackled to the ground as he tried to race after me. That was it. That was how my world ended. Being taken away and locked up wasn't even the worst part of it. If anything, it was a godsend because that way, I could wallow in my misery, and that suited me just fine.