Chapter 53

"What the slag happened?" Ironhide growled, turning as the older set of twins came racing back, powerful engines roaring.

Optimus didn't answer. He was staring off in the direction Demona had gone. The bond was growing weaker, so he knew that she was already far, far away. As if to prove the point, Sideswipe flipped his form in the air and transformed without stopping. He crouched to slide through the dirt before he could stop, sending up a spray of dirt. Sunstreaker followed his lead.

"That femme is slagging fast," Sideswipe started with a mildly impressed look on his face. Sunstreaker had a scowl plastered on his face plates.

Ratchet snapped, "Where is she?"

"We don't know," Sunstreaker answered, tone serious, "we couldn't keep up with her."

That bit of information seemed to shock the mechs into silence. It was Arcee who rolled forward and pushed, "Did you at least see which direction she was going?"

"She's heading north...but she couldn't change her course at any time, so we don't really know that, either," Sideswipe glanced at his brother, "I don't think I've ever seen Demona that pissed before."

"And now she is a complete danger to the humans you have sworn to protect," Ghost snarled, making her presence known, "I warned you fools. A leopard can't change it's spots."

Ratchet turned to set her in her place, but Paradox beat him to it. The surrounding autobots' optics widened when the white femme struck, sending Ghost stumbling back with one swing of her fist. Paradox snarled, "You're thoughts were made clear when you blew a hole through her chest!"

Optimus tensed, blue optics flying to Ghost.

Ghost formed a blaster, raising it to point at Paradox, but the other wasn't finished yet. Paradox kept going, "You call yourself an autobot! A warrior of peace! But you would murder your own ally, betray your own faction!"

"YOU weren't there! You saw nothing! She murdered every single one of those mechs without a thought, as she was programmed to do! The dam has broken. You should have let me destroy her before she-"

"Enough!" Optimus ordered, using what Gears called his 'I'm not taking any more shit' voice.

Ghost seethed, cold blue optics locked on Paradox, who eased back a step and loosened up. The decepticon turned her gaze towards him, "So what are you planning to do, Prime?"

We can't let her go...the condition she's in, she may slaughter every living creature that crosses her path... The thought crossed his mind that they may not have a choice. They may have to offline her. Primus...

He raised his optics when a voice he hadn't heard in a while said, "Go after her."

Ratchet sputtered comically when they all turned to face Jolt, who looked exhausted but remained standing. Sundance was curled around his neck, little red optics wide with fear.

The junior medic was looking at Paradox with a certain intensity, like he was trying to send her some kind of message through his optics. Sundance shifted lightly, whispering, "I want momma back, my real momma..."

"She trusts you," Jolt told Paradox, "with her entire spark. I never understood...why...but she believes in you. Find her. Bring her home."

"Why are you placing your trust in me?" Paradox asked after a moment of staring at Jolt, "if these two couldn't catch her, what makes you think I can?"

"Because you followed her all the way to slagging Egypt when no one else had an idea of where she was," he raised a hand to press against his middle like it was causing him pain, "I know she's still there. I can feel her trying to fight in her spark, but she is losing."

Paradox studied his expression for a moment before turning to Prime.

"Go," Prime pushed, "I want to know as soon as you locate her."

The mechs barely had enough time to move back before she shot forward, folding down into her alternate form. Her engine roared as soon as her tires hit the ground, and she sped off.


Hope you enjoyed.

Demona and her family, Ghost, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.