AN: I wouldn't ever think that all of my chapters would be so long. I guess when I've got an idea, it stays with me. :D And I almost couldn't end that last chapter so that means I'm getting better. Black Aid wasn't ever a Decepticon. He was reprogrammed and brainwashed into thinking he was. If anything, he used to be an Autobot.

Hint: Autobot. Medic. (Some of his original programming's still there.)

rifts ida: See answer after reading. :D If you decoded, yay! Here's an Energon Candy for you! :D

-0-

Sunstreaker shook his helm. "We shall see." Sunstreaker said, leaving the hangar. Many of the other Autocons were talking amongst themselves in hushed whispers.

The one thing Noel didn't expect was Black Aid's voice turning from friendly to menacing. "All right. That's enough! Training course! Now!" Noel cringed in his grasp. The other Autocons jumped and hastened to do what he ordered. Noel didn't meet them all and Black Aid glanced at her. "I would advise you to do what you are told as well." He said coldly. Noel jumped at his tone and thought it was directed to her. A lone Mech stood there, his optics flashing from blue to purple. He didn't even move. "Did you not hear me?" Black Aid asked. "Move it! Now!"

The Mech still stood there before bolting to Black Aid. "Slag it! A mutineer!" Black Aid shoved Noel into his chassis and shielded her. The other Mech slammed into him and began clawing at his face. Black Aid's face shield slammed down over his face, preventing the clawing from marring too much of his face. Black Aid growled and kicked the other Mech off him. Black Aid stood up as the other Mech shrieked in an animalistic way and ran towards Black Aid. Suddenly, the other Mech froze as if something unplugged it's power source. The other Mech fell to the floor and twitched. Sunstreaker stood there, holding a weapon. "What happened?"

"After you left, they were talking about too much Autobots coming this way. And I ordered them to the training field for exercises."

"Very good." Sunstreaker said, looking around the hangar. "Where's Noel?"

"Here." Black Aid said, opening his chassis. There was Noel. She looked out from his chassis. "In my carrier hold."

Sunstreaker and Black Aid looked at the downed Mech. "Interesting. There's purple Energon-"

"Dark Energon." Sunstreaker said. "That substance is the most dangerous form of Energon..."

"But why did he wait?"

"He waited to attack you?"

"Yes. As soon as the others left, he was standing there. His optics were changing back and forth to red and blue." Black Aid said. "Who would inject one of ours with Dark Energon?"

"Megatron. I have a feeling that whole contigent was not Autobots. Take Noel to your office. I have a feeling that the Decepticons are targeting her for some reason."

Black Aid nodded and before he left Sunstreaker to deal with the Autocon, he asked, "Shouldn't we examine this Mech?"

"Dark Energon is just as dangerous as regular Energon to a human."

"I'll go to my apartment now."

"Negative." Sunstreaker said. "You will do as you're told, young lady. Black Aid. Take her to your office and put her in a safe place. We will hold a meeting when training is over and make some officers and soldiers. I grow tired of these Decepticons. It's time we show our power as well."

-0-

Noel felt miserable and wished Prowl would burst through the wall and grab her. She was sitting in a box that was so big that she couldn't see over the rim. Of course, Black Aid had tried to make her as comfortable as he could by giving her some unused polishing cloths and something to eat. Noel didn't eat anything given to her because she needed her nerves to settle first.

"I'm so stupid and dumb." Noel said to no one in particular.

"Are you slagging kidding me?!" Someone asked from the Med-Bay's waiting room. Who would've known that Black Aid was actually a medic and cared about the Autocons' wellbeing and didn't take any grief from them especially by showing them that he was also in command when Sunstreaker wasn't there. Noel listened to the chatter. It sounded angry and yet Black Aid had returned with a gruff, "No. I am not slagging kidding you! You think Shockwave would approve of your behavior?"

"No sir. I just didn't know an organic would be in the area. Sunstreaker didn't say there was one. Can I see it? Again?"

"No! You cannot see the organic again! What did I tell you to do?"

"Aw! Come on! I won't touch it!"

"No! Now go!"

The Mech's chatter grew silent and Noel heard some things being arranged. Since Noel couldn't climb out, she was concerned about another matter that soon made it well known. "Um, hello? Anyone there?" She asked, feeling foolish. Ratchet would actually come running and ask what was wrong.

"What is it, Noel?" Black Aid asked from the door way.

Noel smiled. "Um, I need to go to my apartment."

"What did Sunstreaker say to you?"

"I know what he said to me. But I've got to go to my apartment for just a second or so. It's important." Noel said.

Black Aid walked into his office and picked up the human. Holding the human in his grasp, he left the Med-Bay.

"You know, grasping me like this really makes me very uncomfortable."

"I will not drop you." He said. "You need to see a little bit more of this base. Just in case you need to find me or Sunstreaker."

"You can show me after I'm done with whatever I need to do in my apartment." Noel said. "Can you hurry it up?" Noel then asked.

Black Aid looked down at her. "Oh. You need to do that."

Black Aid wasted no time and ran towards Noel's apartment. He engaged his holoform which was a young man with thick futuristic spectacles. It magnified his eyes to look really bug like and funny. Noel couldn't help but laugh at that as she walked into the apartment. "What is so funny?"

"Your glasses."

Black Aid touched his glasses. "These are an invention of Wheeljack's. Before the war, I was training to be-"

"Later." Noel announced. "Tell me later."

Noel slipped off into the bathroom.

-0-

Black Aid took the time to investigate Noel's new apartment. He frowned when he saw how empty her apartment looked. Usually an organic being such as Noel would have some private and treasured possessions. Treasured being jewelry and heirlooms. He saw nothing in her bedroom. There were no pictures of her family or pets. Black Aid typically saw a blank canvas. Sunstreaker should have paid more attention to decorating her apartment in a more typical sense. Humans enjoyed art work and many types of stimulating exercises. They needed that to survive and be happy.

Black Aid checked his chromometer for the time. Noel said she wouldn't be more than a second and it was little over fifteen seconds. What was taking so long for her to go into the bathroom? Black Aid left the bedroom and walked over to the bathroom. He put his ear up to the door and listened. He heard a soft sniffling noise.

"Noel?" He asked, knocking on the door. "Are you all right?"

"Go 'way." She sounded muffled.

"You know I've got to watch over you. Do you want me to comm Sunstreaker?"

"No! Leave me alone!"

Black Aid found the door locked and couldn't get into her bathroom. Noel was upset and Black Aid didn't know why. She had sounded so happy then. Maybe she wasn't after all. Black Aid looked into why humans cried. He found out a few reasons why humans cried. Some cried because of extreme happiness while others cried out of desperation and sadness, or cried because they watched heartrending movies involved with love. Noel sounded very upset and sad. Black Aid now knew that was the reason why Noel was sobbing her heart out in the bathroom. Black Aid also knew that he needed to get her out somehow and using threat tactics to get organics out never really worked. He wasn't that kind of an Autocon. He wasn't trained to do that type of work. No, that was Barricade's job. Speaking of that Mech, Sunstreaker hadn't told them where he was. The Decepticon Scout was a reliable source of information. He would know what to do about humans. Black Aid hadn't had enough experience with humans. Black Aid retreated from the door. He wondered if he should wait outside or comm Sunstreaker anyway. He was responsible in bringing the human here. For what reason? Black Aid couldn't tell.

Black Aid knew Sunstreaker before the reprogramming. He had been a good Autobot and took his responsibilities seriously. He worked as a frontliner to the Autobots along with his twin brother. Black Aid frowned. Where was his brother? They shouldn't be separated or their bond might suffer a tragic separation. Then they both would drift apart and not be reunited unless they merged together again to restrengthen the bond. It wouldn't be easy and would have to be accepted by both Mechs. Both Mechs couldn't force the merge or the bond would be rejected.

Black Aid decided that his own processor was his and he wouldn't comm Sunstreaker. Sometimes, humans needed to cry. Black Aid didn't leave. Instead, he waited for Noel to finish crying.

-0-

Sideswipe was supposed to stay on base and driving around helped ease his spark's uneasiness. He didn't care what Optimus Prime said about staying on base. No one could bother the twins when they were set out to do something. Sideswipe tried his bond again, but only found it blocked. It frustrated him because the bond meant that Sunstreaker had left him in the dark. The golden twin wouldn't ever do that to him. Sideswipe didn't know what else to do except go to the places they used to go to when they were both together. Then came the changes in his actions. Sunstreaker began spending enormous amounts of time away from base. His excuses were so simple and every 'Bot thought he was going out to the local hardware stores for paint. Hardly any 'Bot questioned him. Sideswipe drove into a well known area that only he and Sunstreaker visited. Sunstreaker had spent a number of hours sitting there, painting the horizon and sometimes, he'd paint so realistically and that every detail was well defined. His paintings weren't amatuer or that of a trainee.

Sideswipe transformed into his root form and sat down on the wet ground. It must have rained earlier for the ground to be wet. Sideswipe stared off into the horizon at the setting sun. Sideswipe sent out another signal to Sunstreaker through his private comm.

-0-

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