Chapter 2

The school's door opened as a swarm of students flowed through it, discussing various topics- most of them were just happy that school was over, and they had two full days to do whatever they wanted. Only two of them seemed out of place. The duo stayed by the side, shoulders slumped, not a word spoken between them. Rafael, the shorter out of the two, took in a ragged breath, running a hand across his face before putting his glasses back on.

His friend, Miko, looked down at him, a smile crossing her face as she set an arm around his shoulder in a reassuring manner. The sight was rather comical, given the height difference between the two.

The quiet moment was broken by a loud car horn from across the street, which attracted their attention.

In the school's parking lot sat a green SUV, engine still running. Jasper was, thankfully, the type of town where a heavily plated vehicle sitting next to a school didn't seem out of place.

The two children looked at each other, before picking up their pace and making their way over to the car.

The passenger door swung open, the black windows hiding the fact that they did so seemingly on their own, as there was, in fact, no one in the car.

Miko jumped in, sitting behind the steering wheel, while Rafael sat in the seat next to her, gaze locked onto the bag between his legs, not saying a word.

A low rumble filled the air as the vehicle stirred to life, leaving the parking lot and heading left onto the main street.

For several long minutes, they drove in silence, the only sound that could be heard coming from the car's engine. The two children seemed content with the silence. Rafael continued to stare down, unconsciously fiddling with the edge of his way too large sweater, while Miko gazed out the window, too deep within her thoughts to pay attention to anything around her. From time to time she glanced at Raf, concern shining in her eyes, immediately replaced by a small smile when she saw her friend had calmed down, and now seemed much more interested in simply enjoying the scenery.

It was after the last houses disappeared in the distance, and the sidewalks were replaced by the desert sand, that a familiar voice rumbled from the car's speakers, causing the young girl to flinch ever so slightly.

"Miko, Raf… you guys good? You haven't said a word since we left the school."

Miko looked at the dashboard, watching the numerous symbols flicker as the voice spoke. After a moment, she sighed and returned her gaze back to the passing desert outside. "I'm fine, Bulk. Thanks. It's just… It's weird, just me and Raf." She half whispered. "I'm… I guess it just hasn't set in, yet. What happened, I mean." Her voice wavered ever so slightly and she took in a deep breath.

She felt the seatbelts around her tighten, the car emitting a deep, soothing sound, almost like a cat's purr, only if it originated from several tons of metal.

After a few more moments of silence, they neared the base's entrance. No matter how many times Miko had been there, she could not help but look out, watching the mountain's side split in half, revealing a tunnel carved into the rock. Next to her, Rafael shifted as well, looking forward, pushing his glasses back up. Despite his tired appearance, it was clear he was looking forward to seeing Bumblebee. Against the odds, he and the young scout formed a bond akin to brotherhood- the two always seemed happy together, spending most of their free time enjoying a ride outside, or playing a video game together. The smile from earlier returned even stronger now, and Miko felt a wave of relief wash over her. It was quick and weak, but it was there.

The hot sun of the desert disappeared, the few light bulbs mounted in the tunnel's ceiling casting a rather dim light into the car's cabin, causing its passengers to spend a few moments adjusting to the change.

Finally, they drove out of the tunnel, straight into the Autobot base's main silo- which, for the first time… well ever, as far as the children's memory went, was empty. The SUV came to a halt, and Miko jumped out, Rafael doing the same on the other side, and the two gazed up as the green vehicle seemed to shatter, plates shifting and moving seemingly on their own, until, just a second later, they formed the green, bulky frame of Miko's Guardian.

Bulkhead stretched his shoulders, glad to be out of his vehicle form after three hours of waiting, and walked over to the nearest screen, optics scanning the contents for a few seconds.

He then emitted a low sigh, turning away from the displayed data. He spotted Miko, sitting on the sofa, while Rafael had just finished climbing the stairs and went to join her, his boots making a quiet clang sound as they walked across the metal platform.

A voice came from the nearby hallway, accompanied by three sets of footsteps.

"Iacon database!? The Iacon databa- is this a joke!?"

Ratchet's furious tone was followed by another familiar voice. Miko and Raf both snapped in its direction. Normally, just its presence would have calmed them down, but there was something off about it. It was still the deep rumble, the baritone they were used to, but it sounded… softer, but sharper at the same time. It didn't sound commanding, and there was a weird tone beneath it that the children hadn't ever heard being used by the voice's owner.

"Ratchet, do you honestly believe this is something I would joke about?"

"With your sense of humor? Of course."

The two were interrupted by a low buzz, and Bumblebee stepped out of the hallway, standing with servos at his hips, winglets dropping down and then raising back up, optics narrowed ever so slightly.

Next to him walked Ratchet, optic ridges set low, scowling. Well, more than usual at least.

"Please tell me you at least kept a copy or- or anything!" he shouted, servos closed into fists, directing his murderous glare behind him.

"Do you really think I would spend an entire month decoding one set of data and then not keep it?" Came Optimus' voice, holding a sarcastic tone, which only served to confuse the two human children further.

Finally, the red and blue mech rounded the corner, a small smirk crossing his faceplates, one optic ridge raised. He then looked forward and his optics widened just a tiny bit. The two 'Bots followed his gaze, and Bumblebee immediately smiled (it way amazing how he managed to convey emotions even without his intake valve), racing over to Raf.

.:Raf! It's good to see ya! How have you been?:.

The scout hugged his small friend, glad to finally see him.

Ratchet motioned for Bulkhead and made his way over to a nearby computer, the Wrecker following him.

Miko, meanwhile, stood with her arms crossed, casting a suspicious look at the Autobot leader- who, to her surprise, answered with a simple "Hey!".

"Hey, Ratch, what happened to big O?" She asked, raising an eyebrow while still keeping her gaze fixed on the Autobot leader. Instead of Ratchet, though, the answer came directly from the 'Bot in question. He shifted to fully face her and walked over to the railing upon which the 'human area' was located. As he was walking, Miko took a moment to study the mech's frame, and found that his speech and facial expressions weren't the only difference from his usual… state. For one, his posture wasn't a proud, stoic one, no longer did he hold himself with greatness, looming over everyone else- he seemed relaxed instead, his movements quicker. He still retained the grace with which he usually strode along the base, but it, too, felt somehow… off. He was the same, and yet so different.

Finally, the titan reached his destination, and lowered himself down slightly, optics now at the same height as Miko's eyes, scanning her with the same curiosity as a scientist would a newly discovered, previously unheard of animal. The thought unnerved Miko.

"Hey there, fleshie. What's your name?"

From the corner of her eye, Miko could see Raf turn around, eyes wide, mirroring her reaction. The tone wasn't threatening or sarcastic- it was kind, in fact. But that still didn't shift their attention from the fact that not only had he called them something other then 'children' or 'humans', but that he had used non-formal, absolutely… normal, human words. Miko hadn't known the Autobot for millions of years like the other 'Bots did, but she was more than sure that 'Hey' was not a word he used very often. For several long moments the base remained silent, the two humans simply staring at the mech in front of them, who returned their gaze with a rather confused one. Bumblebee was standing a little bit off, looking at Raf, one servo still placed at his friend's shoulder. Finally, 'Optimus' turned to look away, his questioning optics meeting Ratchet's.

"Am I using the right language? Did I- did I offend them?" he asked, setting his vocolizer to lower.

With an ex-vent, Ratchet turned his back to him, resuming his work on whatever was on the console before him while gesturing for Bulkhead to leave. "I'm honestly surprised Miko hasn't kicked you in the faceplate yet, after you called her 'fleshie'..."

"Oh…" hummed the red and blue mech, turning back. His optics scanned the two humans, before landing back on Miko's face.

"I assume you're Miko, then. I think I remember you from when I initially came here. Though it might have been someone else, with all the chaos. Besides, you humans look basically the same…" he frowned a bit, optics shifting away as he finished the sentence. They then quickly returned back up as Raf spoke up, his voice unsure, quiet.

"You- you're Orion Pax?" the boy asked, pushing his glasses up his nose, as many times before when he felt awkward or nervous.

The red and blue 'Bot grinned- a sight that the two humans though impossible- and answered. "That would be right, little one. And you're…?"

.:Raf- he's my charge:. Said Bumblebee, looking up at Orion.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Raf and Miko." Orion nodded, reaching out a fist and pointing it in Miko's direction. It took Miko only a second or two to figure out what she was supposed to do, as she fist-bumped the metal titan's black servo, her own hand tiny in comparison. Orion then shifted his attention to Rafael, intending to greet the younger boy the same way, but, upon seeing his nervous face, just smiled.

"So…" Miko spoke up again, leaning against the railing, "I guess that the Key didn't work?"

Orion ex-vented, straightening his back struts up and looking over to one of the nearby tables, majority of which was buried beneath a pile of tools. "Well…"

Following his gaze, Miko noticed something that resembled the Key to Vector Sigma- only if it shattered, melted, and then somehow came back together to form something vaguely like its original form.

"We tried to get at least some data out. Though I'm afraid there's nothing left." Pax ex-vented. His audials slowly moved back like a cat's ears, a frown spreading over his faceplates.

"But what now?"

Everyone present turned to look at Rafael. The young boy looked around, before glancing at Orion Pax again. "I mean, you don't… remember us, do you? Or the other 'Bots, the missions- What are we going to do now?" the young boy stammered, voice quiet. He was obviously upset.

.:Raf, it's okay- we're gonna figure something out. I promise:. said Bumblebee, comforting the human.

Bulkhead stood behind the scout, casting a concerned look at the duo, then at Miko, and, finally, looking up at the two remaining teammates. The two 'Bots returned the gaze. They had to figure something out.

It was several hours later that a distant, quiet rumble filled the air. Curious as to what was the origin of the somewhat familiar noise, Orion looked up from his place at the monitor. Two beams of light appeared in the tunnel, and soon enough a blue motorcycle skidded to a stop, transforming into its root mode.

As Orion was going to turn back around, Ratchet's voice caught his attention, sounding urgent.

"Orion? Come here, quickly."

Doing as his friend told him to, Pax quickly made his way over to the medic, looking past his shoulder guards at the monitor, upon which was a red, blinking dot.

"It appears to be a tracking beacon of sorts…" said Ratchet. "And a rather strong one at that."

Behind him, Orion hummed, ignoring the heavy thud of pedes as Bulkhead walked over to the duo, followed by the lighter steps of the team's scout.

"Cons?" Bulkhead asked, trying to take a look at the map on the screen, and then quickly giving up.

"I think so, 'Bulk…" answered Orion, servos at his side, glaring at the screen. "I've seen the coordinates before. It's a relic."

At this, Ratchet turned around, glaring at the taller mech. "I suspect these are the coordinates that you've managed to decypher?" His optic ridges were set low, a small frown crossing his faceplate.

Orion just stared at the screen for a few more moments, before looking back at the rest of the team. Bulkhead and Bumblebee stood behind him, optics gazing up, while Arcee stood leaned against a wall, steadily holding his gaze. "We've got to take it away from 'Cons. Anyone wanna join?" Pax said. The three 'Bots shared a glance before nodding.

Behind him, Ratchet huffed, prompting Orion to look back at him.

"Orion, do you truly believe that is a good idea?"

Pax let out a vent. "Ratchet, turn on the Ground Bridge." He said, ignoring the medic's question. Instead, the mech walked over to the device as it lit up, blue-green sparks flying off the vortex's edge and quickly dispersing into thin air. The rest of the team walked behind, Bulkhead standing next to him.

"You gonna say the line, Boss?" The ex-wrecker asked, raising an optic ridge.

Orion stared down at him, confusion clear on his faceplate. "The what line?"

"Come on!"

All of the 'Bots turned back to see Miko leaning against the railing. She was grinning, her eyes full of expectations.

"Miko, I have honestly no idea what either of you are talking about."

The Japanese girl looked at Orion almost dumbfounded, and then sighed. "You always go like this!"

Everyone present watched as Miko took a step back from the platform's edge, straightening her back in an attempt at a dramatic pose, and then, deepening her voice as much as she could (but nearly not enough to even come close) exclaimed: "Autobots! Roll out!"

Looking proud with her imitation, Miko looked back up at Orion Pax.

The 'Bot in question raised an optic ridge, almost hiding it behind his helm, to Miko's amusement. He turned to look back at the Bridge, and, with clear hesitation, repeated the line, prompting several small smiles.

"Autobots, roll out!"

About forty minutes later, Orion was kneeling behind a large boulder, Ratchet mirroring his position a few meters left behind one equally large rock.

The two mechs peered down at the crater below them, the dark purple frames of Vehicons moving like ants, clearing the dig site, in middle of which stood…

"Orion, for the last time- you can't just go and shoot him! You nearly got killed the last time, even though you had an advantage!"

The archivist let out a frustrated vent, narrowed optics glaring at Ratchet, before quickly shifting back to the silver mech below them. "Oh, and what am I supposed to do? Let him have the relic? Ratchet, I- I can't do that!" Orion's EM field flared with irritation.

.:Maybe we could distract him?:.

The two mechs looked back and saw Bumblebee, large optics looking between the two.

A grin spread across Orion's faceplate, a strange glint in his optics. "I think that is a good idea…" he said, looking back down, a very stupid, very dangerous, and not at all thought-out idea forming in his processor.

"Hey, Meggy!"

In a matter of few seconds, every Decepticon present stopped working, looking in the direction those words came from. Several Vehicons onlined their battle protocols, blasters aimed at the large rock formation nearby. Slowly, from behind said rocks, Orion Pax emerged, servos in the air with a stupid smile- the exact kind of smile you would give somebody immediately after doing something very stupid and dangerous. Which is exactly what happened.

The archivist looked around, widening his optics slightly as his gaze fell on one of the drilling machines. "Well, we could certainly use that! Would you mind if we borrowed a couple of these? For mining and stuff, you know." He asked, looking at Megatron.

Said mech was looking at him with piercing, red optics, scanning his former friend's faceplate for any sign of his intentions. Orion felt the need to look away, fighting the urge to shudder under the stare.

"What brings you here, Pax?" The warlord finally said with a smirk. "Could it be that you are looking for… this?" He paused to watch as a Vehicon walked towards him, handing his master a small, round object, about the size of a normal 'Bot's helm. Megatron's large claws grabbed the object, and held it up for Orion to see.

"The Spark Extractor…" exclaimed Orion in surprise. He remembered it from the archives- it was stored at the lowest level along with other relics, important documents and dangerous weapons. The only time he'd seen it was a long, long time ago, when the relic originally came to the Archive to be kept safe.

He narrowed his optics, watching Megatron's every move.

"Now, Orion, why don't you tell your new friends to come out of hiding?" Megatron smirked, raising an optic ridge at the archivist's surprised expression.

There were several moments of silence, as both sides continued to look at each other, unsure of the other one's intentions- or, to be more accurate, absolutely, 100% sure of their intentions, but with no idea of how exactly they were going to achieve their goal.

Finally, Orion let out an ex-vent, and lowered his arms down, causing the hum of blasters to fill the air. At the exact moment the red and blue mech did so, however, one of the nearby Vehicons' helm exploded into every direction, Energon splashing on his comrades. Then, another trooper followed. Confused, the Vehicons began searching their surroundings, looking around for where, exactly, the shots had been fired. The sound of an engine came from behind Orion, and the Decepticons turned in his direction, firing.

The archivist ducked back behind his original hiding spot, and shot a wide grin to Bumblebee, who was crouching next to him, a skeptical look on his faceplate.

"See? I told you it would work!" Orion whispered, and both of them turned around just in time to watch a green SUV come charging at a Vehicon, transforming into his root mode at the last moment and smashing the surprised Decepticon with his fist. Following her teammate, Arcee appeared from the rock wall on the right, activating her battle protocols, which resulted in the loss of two Vehicons, their helms now separated from the rest of their frames.

.:Uhhh… Orion? I think we should go:.

Pax turned back to look at Bumblebee and nodded. The two got up, transforming into their vehicle modes and driving through the digsite- which had, by now, become a downscaled battlefield.

Only one mech was missing- which was quite unfortunate, given the fact that he was the two Autobots' target.

.:There!:. Exclaimed Orion over the comm. link as he turned, signaling for Bee to do the same. The two continued forward, the green glow of the Ground Bridge before them growing closer and closer with each passing second.

Finally, they reached their destination, and while Bumblebee's quicker engine pushed him forward, sending him almost flying towards the Bridge, Orion's plating shifted as his root mode came charging forward, one servo exchanged for a blaster. The archivist watched as Bumblebee disappeared within the glowing vortex before him, anxious.

From the corner of his optic, he watched the scene below him- Bulkhead was the nearest, currently busy with quite literally throwing a poor Vehicon into a rock, while also strangling another one. Arcee and Ratchet, meanwhile, were far back, deflecting blaster ammo from potentially hitting them, while also attacking the occasional Decepticon that came too close. It was apparent, however, that the Autobots were the winners here, for already a half of the identical troopers was dead, frames sprawled on the ground like ragdolls. Orion was no stranger to fighting or death- he's had his fair share of both back on Cybertron- but the sight made him look away. Just in time.

As his attention returned to the Ground Bridge, he saw a distant flash of yellow quickly nearing him. Bumblebee.

"Raf, Ground Bridge, NOW!" Yelled Orion, turning back and transforming as soon as he saw Bumblebee driving next to him. Pax sped forward, pushing harder as he heard the furious roar behind him. He expected the Ground Bridge to appear any second now. Perhaps it really was a bad idea to entrust the technology into the hands of a human…

And then he saw it. And resisted the urge to let out the stream of profanities which had been building up ever since this whole plan set into motion, for, on the other side of the large canyon, sat the swirling vortex, too far away to reach in time. They wouldn't make it, they couldn't-

Yes, they could.

Making a split second decision, Orion transformed and turned around sharply, gritting his dentae together in pain as a large mass collided with his frame, sending him to the ground. His mouth guard snapped into place seemingly on its own accord- a feeling he would never get used to- as he quickly got up, allowing himself to look behind him for just a moment to figure out whether the rest of the team had managed to get closer to the Bridge- a sharp pain shot throughout his whole helm, as something connected with it.

He stumbled backwards, servo gripping his left optic, which, as he would soon find out, was missing a good portion of the metal covering it, exposing the delicate wires beneath. In front of him he saw Megatron, crimson optics glowing bright with fury, his EM field a dark storm surrounding his frame with hot, staticky anger.

Orion's optics narrowed and he stepped back, his position somewhat resembling a fighting stance, determined to hold his opponent back at any cost- the somewhat part was important, for it was apparent the former archivist had, in fact, no idea of how to actually fight.

"Orion, what exactly do you think you are doing?" Growled Megatron, showing his sharp dentae.

"Buying time, that's what!" Answered Pax, steadying himself for the inevitable blow.

A low growl erupted from Megatron's engine, before the warlord dashed forward, activating his blade. To his surprise, however, Orion managed to dodge the attack at the last moment, stepping backwards. But before he could react, another punch was aimed his way- this time, to his midsection, which was unprotected. He was too slow to react, for by the time his optics registered the incoming attack, a dull pain flared from where Megatron's fist had connected with his armor, sending Orion to the ground. Pax tried to ignore the pain, deleting all the error messages swarming hus HUD, for in that moment, he knew he needed to keep moving. With a low groan, he forced his optics to refocus, and was met with the sight of a small pool of Energon below him.

Something began pushing him against the ground, a large, heavy pede pressing him dowb. Another drop of the precious blue liquid splashed against the ground, and he quickly realized that it was his Energon, leaking from his frame. His left optic stung, feeling somewhat heavy and sluggish.

With a groan, he attempted to resist the weight upon his back, but he only achieved another sharp wave of pain as the sharp, spiky armor on Megatron's pedde dug into his plating. But Orion continued to struggle.

Meanwhile, his processor was spinning, running through thought after thought, most of them centered around the same thought: run. He needed to run, to get to the Bridge, quickly, before Megatron could-

A familiar sound, a soft hiss, registered in his audio receptors. It was a sound he'd heard a hundred times- in the arena, barely audible through the murmurs and whispers of a crowd, he'd heard it in a sparring match, one of the many he had attended with his brother-

Optics wide, Orion's helm shot up, and he only managed to let out a sharp intake as he saw the blur that was Megatron's sword coming straight toward him. Instinctively, he offlined his optics and rendered himself low to the ground in a desperate attempt to duck the inevitable, aware that any moment now, the sharp blade would struck him. But instead, the sound of screeching metal came, followed by a set of heavy thuds, as something made contact with a hard surface. The weight on his frame was lifted.

Orion looked back up, and to his surprise, saw Bulkhead dodging a blow from a very furious Megatron, whose right shoulder armor seemed bent at an odd angle.

"Orion! Get outta here, I can't-" the rest of Bulkhead's sentence was cut short as Megatron kicked him in his chest, before firing at him with his fusion cannon- the hit barely scorched Bulkhead's left thigh, but seemed painful enough to make the ex-wrecker halt.

Orion steeled himself and dashed forward from where he was laying- which, under normal circumstances would have looked comedic- and tackled Megatron to the ground, before rolling away, transforming and gunning his engine. He winced in pain and the realization that Megatron's initial punch must have damaged one of his main fuel lines- no wonder he felt so… sloppy, he believed the human term was.

Next to him, Bulkhead drove as fast as he could, kicking up dust. The two continued forward, swerving to avoid being hit by a charge of hot plasma which was being sent their way, accompanied by a set of heavy, booming footsteps.

His mind was reeling, frantic, listening as the sound got closer and closer. He could feel the furious gaze digging into his back like hot metal. He didn't know what would happen if he slowed down, and he did not wish to find out. His EM field, pulled in tightly around his frame instinctively reached out, and immediately retreated back as it brushed against the raging storm so close behind him. With every meter that his wheels took him, the fear gripping his Spark grew, digging deep into his consciousness like a cold blade. Every part of Orion's frame was yelling at him to run, to hide, please, run run runrunrun-!

Light enveloped him, the rocks and sky disappeared from view, replaced by a familiar swirling mix of green, blue and white. It took several moments for his distressed mind to finally catch up to what was happening, but once it did, a wave of relief greater than he had ever felt washed over him, making his plating shudder just a tiny bit as all the built up energy seemed to explode within him.

The Ground Bridge! They'd made it, they were safe!

The base came into view, and so did the frames of the rest of Team Prime, all turned towards them, optics scanning the vortex. Not slowing down, Orion practically flew into the base, transforming at the last moment and picking himself up from the ground. Behind him, Bulkhead arrived in a much more… calm way, although it was clear he was glad to be back as well. Miko seemed to materialize out of thin air, running up to Bulkhead and swarming him with question after question, a wide grin on her face.

Like his friend, Raf was already standing next to Bumblebee, the same warm, happy smile brightening his face as he looked up at his guardian, listening to every beep and whirr the yellow 'Bot made.

The sight made Orion grin. He hadn't known about humans up until a month or two ago, and, from many angles, they seemed small and weak, fragile like newly forged mecha. But it was clear to him that what they lacked in one field, they made up for in another, with their sense of companionship and love towards their friends and family.

He went to join them, but a sharp pain in his abdomen quickly reminded him of the fact that he was not, in fact, in a good condition. The sharp intake also seemed to alert Ratchet who, like a dog who had just heard the unmistakable click of a door being unlocked, was already glaring at him.

"Berth. Now."