AUTHOR'S NOTES

Huge thanks to the reviewers of ch. 36: Katanagirl16, Bluebird Soaring, Lazy Leggy Poo, flamingmarsh, xCubicZirconia, theshadowcat, TransFlashbacks, plenoptic, Dragowolf, Independent.C., CuteKittten, DarkDanc3r, Lecidre, Xerios, and Hearts of Eternity.

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Disclaimer: All Transformers characters, settings, etc. are the property of Hasbro and any other respective owners. Any original characters and the plot are the intellectual property of Litahatchee. No part of the story, ideas, or OC's (Sunshadow belongs to Litahatchee) are to be used without the express permission of Litahatchee. Litahatchee is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Eternal thanks goes to Karategal, Lady Tecuma, Hearts of Eternity, grlwdgrntrk, Violetlight, and Phoenix13 for letting me use their ideas and/or terminology. The name, Nightfire, belongs to Lady Tecuma. The characters are different, but the name is hers.

NOTE: Jetfire in this story is still a part of the Decepticons, as it seems he is in the next movie, so I thought I could utilize that for something important. I changed his name in chapter 10 to that of Silverbolt so as not to be contradictory, in case anyone remembers that one line in chapter 10. Thanks to Hearts of Eternity for helping me brainstorm his role in the story. There is also a slight homage to the 1986 movie (but don't worry, for those of you that don't like that movie. It doesn't interrupt the flow of the story).

Italics are a flashback. This chapter is a flashback immediately following last chapter.

Enjoy!

Night Fire

Chapter 37

Needing A Miracle

by Litahatchee

First Aid burst through the door and the med bay was thrown into chaos as the injured mechs were brought in. Nightfire noticed that it looked like there had been ten mechs on the rescue team. She recognized the blue and white Mirage instantly. She didn't know him personally, but she had helped get information for his team when they were first trying to find Elita's location. She had no doubt that Mirage and his three-mech team had already been at Trypticon before Optimus arrived as part of the other seven.

Mirage and a silver mech that she did not know or recognize were uninjured. They stood outside the door out of the way. Another mech that she did not recognize was dead on arrival. First Aid placed him on a berth on the other side of the med bay. He pulled a screen around him so that no one could see.

It looked as if Ratchet, First Aid, and Wheeljack were going to be working on two mechs each. One of the injured kept staring at her. It had to be Prime's Tactical Officer, Prowl. She would recognize the emotionless stare of a logical mech anywhere. It was unnerving. It reminded her too much of Shockwave.

Optimus entered the med bay last. He had numerous injuries, especially to his midsection. He looked haggard, which was to be expected from a wounded mech, but he was extremely exhausted. It was an exhaustion not just born of intense battle, but of his tortured spark. He sat on the berth that Nightfire was attending. She couldn't suppress a momentary flash of surprise that spread across her faceplates.

Despite what she did, he still trusted her. He was showing her his ultimate trust by allowing her to work on his frame, something that would be easy for her to sabotage, but he clearly trusted that she wouldn't do such a thing. She took it as forgiveness for the tapping incident. However, she suspected that he had forgiven her as soon as she had left that room. It was who he was. She saw that in his mind. If he could already forgive Megatron for what he was doing, then her actions would be easy for him to forgive.

Prowl looked like he might protest, suspicion showing in his optics. The sudden scowl on his face was strangely comforting to Nightfire. If he could scowl in suspicion of her, then that meant that he had more emotion than Shockwave. She became more relaxed and did not mind his stare as much.

She went into medic mode and started assessing the Prime's injuries. He had several nasty burns to his chestplates that she couldn't determine how far they might have caused damage internally. She paused when she realized that she would need to open his chestplates. She had seen his mind, but now she would see his spark. She could barely keep her emotions in check, the largest of which was disbelief. When she was a youngling, if someone had told her that she ever would get the chance to so much as meet the Prime, must less be tapping him and looking into his chestplates, she would have thought that they were crazy.

Nightfire simply ploughed on, reaching up and pulling open his chest plating without a word, as any medic would do. Optimus Prime didn't protest. He didn't even flinch. He was putting all his trust in her, just as he would with Ratchet.

It was Prowl who protested, saying, "Optimus, I don't think that she should be the one to..."

Optimus simply put up his hand, shaking his head slightly. Prowl was instantly quiet again.

Nightfire had no intentions of harming him, and Optimus knew that. Some things about her might have been questionable, but Optimus had seen her mind too...

His spark was the most brilliant spark she had ever seen. She didn't know anyone's spark could burn that brightly. It seemed that everything about this mech was legendary. Putting that absurd thought out of her mind, she could see that the burns had made it through the plating. She began scanning his various internal systems for damage. Not surprisingly, she found a few severed wires that had been burned through. She got replacement wiring from her operating tray and began the task of replacing them.

One particular line needed to be replaced below his spark casing. She thought about how much of a close call that one was as her hands dove deep within his chest cavity to clamp off the flow of energon into the section she was about to replace. As she did that, she noticed a few extra lines that she didn't recognize. Nothing in her anatomy programming could tell her what those lines were for. One of them showed some signs of slight burning, but she didn't think it needed replacing. She followed it to see what it was attached to...

...and froze. She blinked a few times as she stared at it. It was round, made of the smoothest substance she had ever seen. A handle-like structure was attached to both ends of it. Within its core shone the brilliance of the multiverse. The more she looked into it, the more it seemed to be looking into her, like it recognized her. She had never been in the presence of the AllSpark, but she had heard stories of what that was like. Bots had said about how the AllSpark knew everyone in existence and that one could feel that recognition when standing next to it. She felt like that now...

"Is this what I think it is?" Nightfire asked in awe.

Optimus looked to see what she was looking at. He nodded his head, "Yes."

Prowl jumped off of his berth, First Aid trying to push him back on it. "Prowl?! I'm not finished with you, yet."

"I demand that someone other than this 'Con work on Optimus. Her having access to The Matrix is unacceptable!"

The silver mech came in and laid a comforting hand on Prowl's shoulder. "It's okay, Prowl. He trusts her, so we can too."

"It is not logical to trust a Decepticon," he said.

"Prowl, sit down!" Ratchet demanded. "We are up to our elbows here. We don't have time for your logic."

Ratchet glanced in Nightfire's direction, but Jazz was right. If Optimus trusted her, so could they. And Ratchet's experience with her told him that she really didn't mean any harm for any of them. The Matrix was just as important to the Decepticons as it was to the Autobots. Her curiosity was justified. Prowl was uncharacteristically overreacting.

Prowl backed down and they all got back to what they were doing.

Unfazed by certain suspicions of her, Nightfire remained in awe of what she was seeing.

"It's linked to you," she practically whispered.

"Of course. It's linked to every Prime," Optimus said.

She glanced up at him, somewhat miffed. She knew that. Everyone knew that.

"No, I mean, it's physically linked to you," she clarified. She followed several more lines from the Matrix to see where all they attached. One, that she could see, was attached directly to his spark casing. "The theory may be true," she said softly, almost to herself.

She looked up to see Audio Flash glancing at her. They made optic contact briefly. He obviously heard what she said. The scientist, no doubt, knew which theory she was referring to...

"Which theory?" Optimus said, a bit conversationally. "There are so many of them, even I don't know them all." Nor did he know what all was possible, but he kept that to himself. The Matrix was a mysterious entity whose power was likely to never be known.

A grimace suddenly crossed Prime's features, followed by a painful groan, then anger. He rolled a little towards her.

Alarmed, Nightfire asked, "Are you okay?"

Optimus didn't say anything for several moments and then, "He's gloating."

Nightfire's voice caught in her throat. She knew, without a doubt, that Optimus was referring to Megatron enjoying his victories, using Elita as a means for that enjoyment.

Nightfire growled in disgust, her CPU interfacing line unraveling from her wrist. "Want me to give him a piece of my mind?"

Optimus gave her a look she couldn't read. "Sure," he replied sarcastically, "Why not? It went so well last time."

Nightfire dropped her arm. "Sarcasm does not become you."

"And subtlety does not become you," Optimus responded.

"Oh, you misinterpreted. I'm way past being subtle," she retorted.

"Okay...the truth, then," Optimus continued. "I was angry with you." He was referring to her using him to get at Megatron.

"Oh, I got that part," Nightfire responded. It was plainly obvious how angry he was when he stood up, knocking her down.

"But," Optimus spoke over her, "She wasn't. In fact, she thought it was fitting."

Nightfire paused, feeling skeptical about that admission. "Somehow, I doubt that from a femme like her." She certainly didn't think Elita would be agreeable to what she did.

"Lots of things have changed," Optimus said softly.

"Yes...they have," Nightfire whispered back.

Optimus lay in silence as Nightfire continued replacing wiring and energon lines. After some length, he looked at her again.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Sighing, Nightfire leaned back. "Oh, don't thank me. You know I deceived you both on purpose."

"Thank you for calming her," Optimus continued.

"My presence is far from calm," Nightfire retorted.

"Well, it was still a comfort to her and that's all that matters to me." What Nightfire did allowed Elita to gloat for once. It wasn't in her character to do so, but her situation lent itself to the change. It was a small victory that she held dearly to.

Nightfire made optic contact with him. His optics were warm, thankful. She nodded her head. "You're welcome, then."

They became quiet again as Nightfire continued her task. She could hear Ratchet's gruff swearing at something that was giving him fits and could see the other medics in her periphery, working to exact the repairs they were doing.

"I had to go after her," Prime spoke again.

"I know," Nightfire said, "You don't have to explain to me."

"They have disabled all of her comm systems," he continued anyway. "Despite that, communication with me is still possible through our bond." She already knew that Megatron had been using that to get at him, so he didn't bother to say it. "But, he's been trying to prevent her from communicating with me on her own. He also hates that I can communicate with her, comforting her," Optimus looked at Nightfire, "and that others can too, through me."

Nightfire fidgeted a little under his gaze.

"He turned her over to one of his top scientists for experimentation in breaking communication between bonded couples," Optimus got to the point. "I couldn't allow her to become an experiment."

Nightfire's energon ran cold.

"Is something like that even possible?" The worry in Optimus's voice was very evident. "Is it possible to go so far as to break a spark bond?" She could even see the worry in Optimus's optics. He was obviously so desperate to go after her no matter what.

"I don't know," Nightfire answered truthfully. "I don't think it's possible to fully break a spark bond." She thought about the possibility of breaking communications between a bonded couple. "I suppose there are certain programs that could be tweaked to mask communication, though. Have you lost comm with her?"

"She blocks me out during the worst of it, but, no, when she's open, we are still as open to each other as ever...maybe even more so."

"Megatron has two top scientists," Nightfire supplied. "Shockwave and Jetfire. Only Shockwave would..."

"No," Optimus interrupted. "It's a mech named Jetfire."

Nightfire shook her head in disbelief. "He usually refuses to experiment on sentient beings, much less a Cybertronian."

"It's him, I know it is. His is the only name I get from her. It's confusing, but she never thinks of Shockwave." Optimus paused. "What do you know of Jetfire?"

"He thinks a lot like you, actually. I always thought he had too many Autobot traits," Nightfire answered.

Optimus's optic ridges knitted in thought. "Why does he stay?"

"He has strong familial ties to his brother," Nightfire replied, not volunteering the name of his brother.

Optimus actually chuckled, the sound surprising Nightfire. She didn't get what was so funny.

"I guess that's where we disagree, then," Optimus said with a smile.

It took a moment for Nightfire to realize what he was referring to. Then she thought about Optimus and his own brother, pit against each other as leaders of two separate factions with different ideals, locked against each other in an eternal war.

She nodded her head in understanding. "That's the only thing you two disagree on."

"And if it were Shockwave?" Optimus asked, wondering what would happen if she found herself under Shockwave.

Nightfire glanced at Prowl. "Shockwave would do whatever is logical."

Megatron's two top scientists balanced each other out. One wouldn't have the ability to take emotional reactions into account, the other would be keenly aware of it. It was somewhat ironic for Megatron to have it set up that way, but perhaps it was a mirror of his own inner struggles. Nightfire briefly wondered if Prowl had a balance.

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No more than a joor had passed, once things were settled in the med bay, when Optimus Prime called a meeting. Several of the key Autobots were there, minus Ironhide.

"I have called you all here to announce a few things," Optimus started.

Nightfire was sitting next to Ratchet, and her presence did not go unnoticed.

"Why is she here?" someone asked from the crowd.

"I'll get to that," Optimus answered before quickly getting to the point, "I fear Elita's situation may be clouding my judgement. I cannot think straight while she is suffering at the hands of my brother. It is exactly what he wants. I thought I wouldn't give in; that I could handle it. I cannot." He paused, the sad side of him showing through his optics. "I'm going to turn the Matrix over to Ultra Magnus." A collective gasp could be heard throughout the crowd.

Nightfire's optics widened in surprise as well. "The city commander?" she asked.

Prowl's voice cut in, "I don't advise discussing this..."

"Yes," Optimus interrupted him, "the city commander." Optimus then looked directly at her. "What do you know about Trypticon that we are missing?"

Nightfire's optics widened in surprise again. Prime was wasting no time in getting to the point. He was well past formalities. Nightfire glanced at Ratchet, who stirred slightly. Ratchet, no doubt, had told Optimus that she may know something about Trypticon that caused their mission to fail.

All optics turned to Nightfire, and she was beginning to feel that a slight interrogation of her was about to start. It wasn't that she had been trying to hide information from these Autobots. It was just that no one ever asked her. She didn't always know what they wanted to know and when. She didn't have all the answers anyway. She was a good medic, so she performed that duty for them. However, she did know what Trypticon was.

"You could ask your city commander," she said.

Prowl stirred and the silver mech glanced in his direction.

"What does he know of it?" the silver mech asked.

Nightfire noticed the exchange and wondered if the silver mech was the balance to Prowl. "Nothing, per se," she answered. "He would know the nature of the city quite well, though."

Optimus Prime suddenly seemed to be frozen in place, fearful that what she was insinuating could be a reality.

"Don't look so surprised," she said to him. "We know what Metroplex is." Metroplex was an Autobot city, but it was a special city.

Optimus stared at her, his fears coming true with her every word.

Nightfire misinterpreted his expression as one of misunderstanding her. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" she said. "Trypticon is a living city."

Just like Metroplex, Trypticon had a spark, independent thought, and was capable of transformation. Trypticon was a mech. His alternate mode was that of the Decepticon city with the same name.

The Autobots gathered in the room gasped again. Not even their best spies ever came across that information. No wonder the mission failed. Trypticon knew they were coming before they even got there. Security for a living city, especially when the city itself could think and reason, was unsurpassed.

"How do you know?" It was Mirage who spoke up this time. They had never heard that from anywhere and he had laid witness to a lot of Decepticon interrogations. None of them seemed to possess any knowledge of something like that. However, none of them had shown that they possessed the knowledge that the Autobots had a living city, either. The fact that they knew that was disturbing.

"Not all Decepticons know that Trypticon is sentient," Nightfire said next.

Mirage realized how that information was kept a secret among the Decepticons. If only a few knew, then the Autobot spies were less likely to come across that information.

"Then, how do you know, Nightfire?" Optimus asked.

"Because I wrote a program for him," she answered with a slight shrug.

"You're a programmer?" Prowl asked. "I thought only scientists can be programmers."

"Medics can be too," Ratchet spoke up, "especially if they are going to be programming sparklings.

"My primary function is science," Nightfire informed them.

Ratchet sat up straighter. He didn't know that. She glanced in his direction.

"Science, experimentation, and medicine aren't usually separated in the Decepticon faction," she said somewhat quietly.

Both Ratchet and Wheeljack stirred a little uncomfortably. It suddenly dawned on Wheeljack why she initially feared she was an Autobot experiment. He visibly shuddered at the thought.

"What was the program?" Optimus asked, stearing the conversation back on track.

"It was just the basic transformation sequence," she answered.

"Who programmed the security?" a red mech she did not recognize asked next.

"I believe it was Jetfire."

Optimus rose an optic ridge. It seemed that mech was coming up a lot lately.

Ratchet asked her another question. "How did you end up at Floatilla?"

"I am not a soldier," Nightfire answered. She gave him a look that suggested that that didn't mean she couldn't fight. "As the war became more fierce, all non-essential personnel were either moved elsewhere or...reprogrammed into soldiers. All Decepticons are expected to know how to fight no matter what their function, but Deluge saw to it that I ended up at Floatilla." Nightfire excelled at Floatilla as a medic and sparkling programmer, specializing in family-unit medicine until she became the CMO.

"Megatron wasn't concerned about what you knew about Trypticon?" Wheeljack asked.

"Megatron knew my loyalty and was not concerned about me divulging any secrets at Floatilla. He didn't really think that the bots at Floatilla mattered anyway. It was a lowly assignment that I didn't want, but Deluge insisted." She paused before saying, "Once I got there, I found out otherwise."

Optimus sat down. He knew all too well how impenetrable a living city could be.

"We are going to need a miracle to get Elita out of there."

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AN: I don't know who exactly wrote programs for and created Trypticon, but I thought what I have here sounded like it could fit, so please don't burn me too badly if characters aren't doing what canon says. There is a reason for doing it this way, of course, so I hope you are all agreeable to this chapter. Thank you!