"I can't believe this." Starscream pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood in front of a vacant escape pod chamber. "We leave Ravage to take charge of guarding the human, and now we've lost a scout, a medic AND one of the escape vessels!"

"Guess Rumble wasn't as good of a bodyguard as we thought if he couldn't even guard a human." The red and black Decepticon Misfire scoffed.

"Now is not the time to be throwing inane insults!" The Decepticon leader growled at his crew, many of them backing away in fear. "That little tin toy has my medic!"

"So what?! We don't need a human medic!" Astrotrain argued. "We can do a better job without her! Even YOU can do a better job! Why bother getting upset over something so mundane?!"

The entire ship went silent and Astrotrain felt a cold tingle within his core.

"Would you care to repeat that, Astrotrain?" Starscream spoke in a calm tone, flashing a death glare at the giant. "You dare insinuate that I should be the one patching up your wounds like I were your servant?!"

"Uh, no no!" Astrotrain cowered as Starscream took a step towards him. "That's not what I'm saying, Lord Starscream!" Suddenly, Starscream fired a laser blast into Astrotrain's face, causing the purple giant to cover his face and cry out in agony.

"And as far as I'm concerned, Astrotrain, that 'mundane' little medic was the one who repaired your optic after your stupid little brawl with Rumble! Had you asked ANYBODY on this ship to repair it, you'd only be wishing for that eye to be removed! She offered to fix it for you without demanding anything in return, like she did when she saved your future leader from a second brink with death!"

Astrotrain removed his hands from his face, his right optic smoking before revealing not only a cracked optic, but that his face plate and armor were just as damaged.

"Since you believe we can repair you better, feel free to ask any Decepticon here for help." the seeker and his second-in-command walked past Astrotrain while the Decepticons formed a wide berth.

"Ravage claims Judith intended to escape, but that Rumble tried to stop her." Starscream stated as he and Soundwave treaded down the hall. "The fact that Rumble hasn't returned yet must mean he is probably conspiring with the human. I understand this is not easy on you either, Soundwave, but both Rumble AND Judith may have to face the consequences when we find them."

"Where do you suppose they are, Lord Starscream?" Soundwave asked.

"There is only one place I know they would go." Starscream smirked, turning towards the Milky Way view from the wall length windows. "Set course for Earth."

"Either I got a glitch in my systems or that's Blitzwing over there servin' customers." Rumble stared in shock, leaning in for a closer look. "And… is that Octane?"

Next to a worried looking Jules Rivera was a former Decepticon with a tan and violet color scheme, along with a scratch on his Decepticon insignia. Opposite the counter was a light grey, purple and black Decepticon with a cube glass of Energon and a bowl of wheel-cakes.

Judith climbed up the bar ladder and rushed over to her dad, who upon seeing his daughter, brightened up with joy and relief.

"Judy Pie!" He opened his arms out and held her close. "Oh, my gosh! How have you been?"

"I'm fine, dad." Judith pulled back and grinned with delight.

"I've been calling you at home but you weren't answering." Jules frowned and sighed with relief. "I thought you were too busy or you were mad at me."

"You might say I was busy." Judith gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"It's okay, sweetie." Jules petted her head like a puppy, messing up her short hair. "There ya go. Now we're even."

"Uh, I'm sorry. Did you just call her Judy Pie?" Octane snickered. "What happened to 'Hey, Jude!'?"

"Ah, jeez. He spread it around." Judith whined. "And it's Judith."

"Okay, Jude." Octane tossed a wheelcake into his mouth while Rumble approached Blitzwing.

"So, what's it gonna be, short stack?" Blitzwing looked down at the tiny 'con.

"I'll need a double. I gotta feelin' nuthin' pretty's gonna come my way." The cassetticon huffed, crossing his arms and staring up at his former comrade.

"Rumble?" Blitzwing leaned closer. "What're you doing here?"

"Not so loud." Rumble whispered harshly. "Nobody else knows I'm here."

"Where's Soundwave?" Blitzwing whispered. "Did Galvatron send you?"

"I got some good news for ya, Blitzy, only if ya promise to keep your yap shut." Rumble warned and Blitzwing nodded.

"Galvatron's no longer leader." The cassetticon smirked.

"Wha, really?!" Blitzwing perked up from the news. "What happened? Who's leader now?"

"Starscream." Rumble bluntly replied, the triple changer rendered silent from that revelation.

"Very funny, Rumble." Blitzwing smiled. "Seriously, though. Is it Cyclonus?"

"Cyclonus is kapoot. Finito!" Rumble shook his head.

"Then it's Soundwave." Blitzwing continued guessing. "Which one of you guys did he make your second-in-command? You? Frenzy? Ravage? Don't tell me it's Laserbeak."

"I knew you were an idiot but you're really pushin' it." Rumble facepalmed. "Soundwave's the one who's second-in-command now!"

"Wait… you were serious?" Blitzwing dropped his jaw. "But that's… I mean, I know of Starscream's resurrection and all that but…?"

"It was quite the end Galvatron had." Rumble grinned. "Now you and the other 'traitors' don't gotta worry about that loony of a leader anymore."

"Heheheh, I think the first one I know who'd love to hear that piece o' news is Octane here." Blitzwing pointed his thumb towards the Decepticon chatting with Jules and Judith.

"Ya ain't gonna consider comin' back to the Decepticons?" Rumble questioned the triple changer.

"Nah. I'm better off here, regardless of who's leadin' the Decepticons right now." Blitzwing let out a light hearted chuckle. "I'm done with it all."

"Alright, but don't expect Starscream to be makin' any welcomes when he sees ya again." Rumble left Blitzwing to his business and approached Jules and Judith, the former pushing up a giant cart of those wheelcakes.

"Here's your second order of Energon wheels." Jules wiped his forehead. "Now, where were we?" He turned his attention to Judith, who rubbed her goosebump-ridden arm.

"Dad…" the woman faced her father. "I think it's best we have this conversation elsewhere."

Jules eyes slightly widened. "Alright, sweetie." He held her shoulder. "Blitzwing, please cover for me." The man addressed the triple changer, who gave a quiet salute as he saw off Jules and Judith.

The father-daughter duo exited the building in the back, finally given some privacy to talk.

"Alright, then." Jules sighed, his hands on his hips. "What is it you wish to talk about, Judy pie?"

"Um…" Judith swallowed, wiping her sweaty palms against her pants. "I've been… going through big changes in my life…" her voice quaked, though her expressions kept stoic and calm. "And I've been trying to deal with them as of late. That's why I wasn't answering your calls."

"What is it?" His eyes widened and brow furrowed at Judith's uncomfortable stance. "Oh, no. Is it Mr Cratch again?" Jules sighed, a hand over his forehead. "Ugh, that crotchety old bag."

"I thought working with him would help improve myself." Judith brushed her short hair back. "But instead I felt more and more like garbage."

"But then, how did…?" Jules quirked a brow. "Your mom learned a lot from him, right? However in the heck she managed to survive him, I'll never know."

"I'm starting to believe she got better because she stopped working for him." Judith took a sharp inhale. "And that's what I did."

"Oh…" Jules stared in astonishment. "Well, um… good on you, but what're you gonna do now?"

"I'm… gonna be going away for a while." Judith folded her arms and turned her head. "It's nothing bad, but… don't expect me to be here anymore."

"Judith?" Jules frowned, his daughter shutting her shivering eyes.

"Just know that I love you so much…" tears trickled down her cheeks. "… and I will always be thinking of you."

"Judith, I don't understand!" Jules held his daughter's shoulders. "Where are you going?!"

The young woman opened her eyes and turned with a smile to her father. "I… I've been given a new job." She sniffled. "It promises a lot of opportunities for me, and for any Cybertronians in need of help." Her green eyes welled up. "One day, when I come back here, I'll be as great as mom was.."

"Judith…" Jules frown lowered in devastation. "… You don't have to be like your mom."

"I know that…" Judith backed away until she escaped her father's hands. "… but being myself hasn't helped me lately, so I need to be like mom until I can finally be myself."

Jules pinched the bridge of his nose as Judith lowered her head and covered her mouth.

"Well…" Jules sighed. "If you believe it's the best for you, I won't stop you." He gave a sad smile. "Just please don't forget about yourself along the way. That's my little girl, after all."

The bartender pulled his daughter in for a hug, and she embraced him back, sobbing against his shoulder as he patted the back of her head.

"How, um… how long are you staying?" Jules asked.

"A short while." Judith replied. "I think I could go for an all-cheese course right about now."

"No problem." Jules let out a big puff of air. "Just gotta tell Blitzwing to cover for me."

"No way!" Octane let out a hearty laugh. "He's really become leader?! That's great news!"

Rumble settled by the ex-'con's side and downed large pint of Energon.

"Ah, that's the stuff." Rumble adorned a goofy grin.

"Kinda disappointed he already appointed his second-in-command though." Octane pouted. "He was gonna give me that position before."

"Finders keepers." Rumble smugly replied.

"Wouldn't hurt to try and come back, though." Octane rubbed the back of his head. "But thing is I made friends here."

"What, is it a human dame or somethin'? Or did ya finally get Arcee's attention?" Rumble burst out laughing.

"Actually, it's someone named Sandstorm." Octane shrugged. "He's a triple changer like me, though he's only here 'cos his home planet got destroyed."

"Gosh…" a woman's voice brought Octane and Rumble to find Judith standing just nearby. "I'm so sorry. Is your friend doing okay?"

"Uh, yeah." Octane raised a confused brow. "He's doing fine. He's busy in Autobot City right now."

"I hope you don't mind…" Judith turned to Rumble. "Dad and I are gonna get some lunch. I'll see you then?"

"Not a chance, fleshy." Rumble grunted. "I'm ya bodyguard, so I'm keepin' an eye out for ya, whether ya like it or not."

"Okay, Tinhead." Judith cheerfully smiled as her dad came along and the two set off for lunch.

"Hey, Octane." Rumble whispered to the ex Decepticon. "Can ya do me a favor?"

"Anything, Tinhead!" Octane raised his Energon glass with a cheeky smile.

At the diner, Judith and her father munched on some jalapeno poppers.

"Hoo boy, is that spicy." Jules fanned himself with a hand. "You think they got something like these where you're going?"

"Maybe." Judith shrugged. "Or maybe it's even spicier."

"Like if they somehow materialised fire into bite sized treats." Her dad held up a popper.

"Like those dumplings you had from that Chinese restaurant?" Judith spurted some of her drink.

"Ohhhh, my gooooosh…" Jules threw himself back against his cushiony seat, mouth agape as his daughter leaned back laughing. "I couldn't feel my mouth for weeks!"

"It was better than the black sesame ice cream, though!" Judith gagged. "And I thought black liquorice was the worst!"

Outside the diner parked a grey and purple truck where Rumble watched from the driver seat.

"The moment she's alone, we pick her up." Rumble explained to Octane.

"Understood." Octane replied. "Although, why didn't you transform into a cassette and stayed in her pocket? That way you wouldn't be wearing that stupid hoodie."

"How the heck would I protect her while I'm a cassette, Octane?!" Rumble ranted. "And besides, I needed the Energon. Can't have a powerless bodyguard, after all."

"Bodyguard?" Octane laughed. "And who, pray tell, assigned you to protect this human?"

"Starscream." Rumble said flat out. "She's his medic."

"No way!" Octane laughed even louder. "Since when did Starscream care about humans?!"

"He doesn't." Rumble leaned back and folded his arms. "He just owes a lot to the fleshy."

"Ugh, I'm stuffed." Judith patted her full belly as she and her dad exited the diner. "That's enough cheese for me now."

"There's never gonna be enough cheese in our lives." Jules stood tall, a fist on his chest. "And it'll always be there for you, no matter how much it stinks!"

"Dad!" Judith chuckled.

"What? Too cheesy?" He gave a smug smile.

"You and your puns." She facepalmed with an embarrassed smile. "I'm gonna miss them."

"I'll miss you the most." Jules patted her shoulder and pulled her daughter in for one last hug. "I love you, Judy Pie."

"I love you too, daddy…" Judith's eyes stung with tears, holding her father tighter than she ever did. They hesitated in letting go, but eventually they took their steps back, and the first to turn away was Judith.

Jules stared down at the ground before eventually retiring off back to the bar. Judith heard a "pssst!" and snapped out of her daze, seeing Rumble in the front seat of a truck.

Judith was astounded. "Rumble? What did..?"

"Hi, again." The truck spoke, catching the human off-guard. "Where to?"

"I recognise that voice.." she hopped into the seat opposite Rumble's. "You're that guy from the bar."

"Octane." He introduced himself. "A pleasure to see you again."

"Yeah, yeah! Now that we've got introductions aside, can we get a move on already?!" Rumble cried out impatiently.

"You're right." Judith nodded. "Uh, hope you don't mind me instructing you on the way, Octane."

The Decepticon truck drove the cassetticon and the human near the grassy hills as the skies drowned in pastels of pink and blue. Rumble and Judith sat silently in the truck, a depressing and troubled aura surrounding the duo.

"You know, uh…" Octane intervened. "If you'd like, I could play some radio."

"I'd love that." A small smile formed on Judith. The purple triple changer switched on the radio and tuned onto a series of music stations until a familiar tune started drawing the woman's attention.

"Stop there." Judith raised a hand and Octane allowed the tune to play. The opening piano brought out a tear from the woman.

When I take the floor

As I've often done before...

"I feel a change come over me..." Judith sombrely sang along as she stared out the window. "...I get such a thrill, it feels like time is standing still..." As she sang, Rumble seemed to recognise the song, and upon setting his optics onto Judith, his spark ached.

And starlight is the only thing I see

When it's only me and the music

I leave the world behind (only me and the music)

When it's only and me and the musicI am free,

I am poetry in motion

When it's only me and the music

"I'm going to miss this place..." the woman lamented, rubbing her eyes.

My heart starts to race

I go soaring into space

And music is the only thing I hear

When it's only me and the music

I leave the world behind (only me and the music)

When it's only and me and the musicI am free,

I am poetry in motion

When it's only me (only me)

and the music

"Octane?" Judith straightened in her seat. "Sorry, but I'd like to make a stop around here."

"No problem." the Decepticon slowed and stopped in front of a field of never-ending grass and flat stones embedded into the ground in rows.

"What is this place?" Rumble stepped out of the truck. "Is Starscream expected to be here or somethin'?"
"I just need to pay someone one last visit." Judith trudged through the fields until she came across a lone flat-stone, adorned with flowers, a red wrench and a metal heart written on it "'till all are one". Rumble followed behind and stood shocked upon reading the name on the gravestone; Lisbeth Rivera.

"This is... my mom." Judith put her hands behind herself. "And... you can see dad and I weren't the only ones who loved her. That heart over there..." she pointed to the metal heart. "... It's from Optimus Prime himself. He was grateful for her efforts in saving him years ago."

Rumble slowly approached the gravestone, standing silently with his shadow looming over Lisbeth's name.

"I wanna be as great as her someday..." Judith gave a sad smile. "... She was so talented and ambitious."

"... Did she ever talk about fixin' Decepticons in the past?" Rumble asked in a somber tone.

"Yeah, actually." Judith's smile widened, turning to Rumble. "Even though you're our enemies, she still offered to help injured Decepticons in need because she believed it's what Optimus Prime would've done."

"... so it is her." Rumble's head lowered. "I was afraid of that."

"Rumble?" Judith's smile dropped, the cassetticon finally locking his gaze onto the human's.

"This is the fleshy who saved me..."