Chapter Seventeen: Embrace Yourself

For a tense moment, no one moved. Something in the whole situation made Ratchet uneasy as he looked at Alexis with a nervous expression. "Would you help me get her back on the berth." The medic looked at Raf and Miko. "Raf, help Jack, please." Raf then nodded to the good doctor and used his armor to heft Jack while Miko did the same with Alexis.

"Will the two of them be ok?" Miko asked with a slight worried expression. "I mean she just tried to kill Jack! How do we know she won't try again?"

Raf sighed and looked up from his computer as he tried to dissect the bits of code from the chip's firmware his computer managed to tag and quarantine. "Miko, what do you know about computer chips?"

Miko looked at him. "I don't know that much, Raf, but I do know some things."

The boy nodded and motioned for Miko to join him. "Let me teach you." The boy said as a slight blush color his face. Once Miko sat down next to him. "This is called source code." The boy said as he gestured to the streams of code on the screen. "It's the most basic program for the chip and gives the chip its function." Raf scratched his head when he saw the confused look on her face. "Think of it like orders from a commander to his men. The orders are generally basic but can be extremely complex depending on the mission." Raf mentally congratulated himself when he regained Miko's attention. "An EMP like the one from Elita gave the chip amnesia and took it from the functional capacity of an elite soldier to an infant with only scraps of data left on its heavily damaged circuits."

Miko stifled a giggle as she watched Raf's face twist cutely in aggressive concentration before her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Have you ever tried to get information from a baby?"

Miko shook her head. "Move over, Raf." The Rocker commanded before she sat and stared at the screen.

Miko moved about Raf's personal laptop as if she were an experienced hacker. For all Raf knew, she might be. In the few moments since Miko began to work, she shattered every notion the boy had about the Asian girl. If Raf were honest with himself, he would say he was pleased to meet this side of Miko, but even genius twelve-year-olds are still twelve and just as awkward with unfamiliar emotions. For this reason, Raf kept these thoughts to himself. However, Raf did not keep the other realization he had in relation to the first to himself. "That explains a lot."

Miko blinked as her concentration shattered with Raf's statement. "What?'

"You're bored at school, so you appear to be a slacker, but if I were to look at your GPA and grades, I'll bet a cube of Energon they are nigh perfect." Raf stated as a grin grew on his face.

Before Raf could continue to confront Miko, Bulkhead broke into the conversation from a few feet away. "I'll take that bet."

"You're-"

"RAFAEL JORGE GONZALEZ ESQUIVEL!"

Raf froze. Though Raf couldn't see it, he could feel "The Look" bearing down on him from somewhere within the base. "Yes, ma'am?"

"You will not bet until you are at least a vorn old." The carrier's tone left no room for argument. "Am I understood, young mech?"

"Si, Mama."

Miko's giggle at Raf's predicament instantly lifted the boy's mood somehow. "You never get in trouble, Raf, what happened?"

"I got caught in the moment because I was surprised by Bulkhead," Raf turned away from her. "That really scares me."

Miko looked at Raf in confusion. "Why?"

"Maybe I'll explain at some point but not right now."

Miko nodded. "So, as you were saying?"

Raf closed his eyes and took a deep breath to put his mind back on its previous train of thought. "You were bored in Japan, and you jump at every opportunity to go with the Bots." Raf smiled. "You constantly seek challenge because mundane bores you to tears." Raf chuckled. "I know exactly how that feels. That's why I'm in programming." The boy explained. "It's challenging enough to keep me engaged while it also grows with me."

Miko nodded. "I should have known you would see through the mask." The girl said with a sigh as she shook her head with a small smile. "I knew it wouldn't last forever, but do you know why I put up this façade?" Miko asked as she looked at the young techno-organic in curiosity.

"I don't." Raf said honestly. "I don't think the reason why is important anyway."

Miko did a double take and shot Raf a look of shock. "What?"

Raf looked at her and sighed. "I know better than most the necessity of secrets sometimes, Miko." To illustrate his point, Raf blinked and revealed his red optics, part of him expecting Miko to recoil in fear because of all the Decepicons who had red optics and tried to kill them. When this did not occur, Raf felt an odd sense of relief at Miko's reaction and continued to work with his laptop, this time in a more direct manner akin to how his carrier linked with the Nemesis' systems.

Miko stared for a moment, transfixed by the arms that sprouted and nodded at Raf's logic before the boy returned his eyes to their Human form but continued to link with his laptop with the arms. Miko watched the young hybrid work in fascination for a little time. Then, the energetic girl turned her attention to Alexis. The rocker walked over to the medbay in mild worry. Miko knew Alexis to be no longer a threat to her or her friends, but that didn't do much to soothe her worries, especially after the Makeshift Incident. She still had terrors now about the infiltration Con replacing Bulkhead instead of Wheeljack and killing her with a sadistic smirk as the Cybertronian melted into his true form. Miko pushed down a shiver at the thought of that monster. Alexis isn't a Con. Miko reminded herself. She was controlled.

"How can Jack be so damn trusting of the glitch who tried to kill him?" Miko looked up to see Arcee watching Alexis' comatose body with a lethal look in her optics.

Miko nodded. "I think we both need some fresh air, Arcee." Miko looked around for moment. "Where's Optimus?"

Arcee took her optics off Alexis as the scowl lifted slightly and turned her attention to the Human and vented with a nod as she got up and began to walk to the freight elevator, happy when she heard Miko move to follow the two-wheeler. "He and Elita are discussing what can be done with Alexis." Arcee looked over to insure Miko safely onboard before she started the lift.

Once on top of the base, Arcee sat on the edge of the roof a few feet from Cliffjumpeer's memorial and vented as she looked out at the rock formations around the base. "It sure has been a wild ride in the past few weeks, Cliff." A sad smile adorned the femme's faceplate. "I really wish you could be here." Arcee sniffed. "I have so much to tell you."

Miko walked up and put a hand on Arcee's leg plating. "I don't think ever met that Bot."

Arcee shook her helm sadly. "None of you did." Arcee closed her right servo and squeezed for a moment before she continued. "He offlined the day before the three of you met us."

Miko shivered. Something inside her broke to hear such news. "Scrap…" Miko looked up at Arcee apologetically. "I probably sounded like a total aft to you." Miko sighed. "It's just that I get really excited with new discoveries, and my mind was reeling from all the questions. I…couldn't contain myself."

Arcee laughed dryly. "I understand all of you better than I did then." Arcee gave Miko a compassionate look. "At the time, annoying Human juveniles were the furthest thing from my processor." Arcee shook her helm. "I wasn't exactly receptive when Jack first tried to comfort me about him either." Arcee folded her servos onto her lap. "Jack showed me who he truly was when we faced Airachnid the first time."

Miko looked up at this. Jack never told her about this particular adventure. "Oh, really?"

"He destroyed her ship while the fragged glitch had me webbed to a tree." Arcee brushed. "It was impressive."

Miko's eyes widened at the tone with which Arcee spoke in that moment and blushed heavily, "Eh, Arcee?" Miko said nervously. "Keep that kind of stuff between you and Jack, please."

Arcee took on a glint in her optics as a thought ran through her processor. "I think you know how I feel to an extent."

Miko looked stricken. "Me and Jack? Sorry, Sister, but I never even came on his radar after he met you."

Arcee mentally raised an eyebrow ridge at what could be seen as an unconscious slip on Miko's part but let it pass without comment. Rather, the femme turned the tables. "Me and Jack, what about you and Raf?"

Miko looked at the Cybertronian who sat next to her. "We're not like you and Jack."

Arcee smirked. "I never said you were."

Miko's face turned the color of Knockout's paint. She began to fiddle with her hands in nervousness. Then, Miko took a deep breath and asked the question that had been bugging her since Raf revealed his arms. "If Ratchet scanned the two of us when we first met you guys, why didn't the docbot notice anything with Raf?"

Arcee shook her helm. "Cybertronian medics take an oath before they begin to practice. Part of that oath includes a confidentiality clause."

Miko nodded as she digested this new information. Something in Miko stirred in her as the young girl looked out over the carved formation around her. A moment later, Miko felt dizzy. Before she could consider the sudden attack of vertigo, Miko's vision went dark. Miko found herself in an oddly POVed flashback to the day the Bots went after Cliffjumper's reanimated corpse. She watched herself run up to Arcee as her usual energetic self.

"What?!"

As the femme's servo flew back at Miko's surprise, the action splattered Miko with a small amount of the Blood of Unicron. However, the small sample seemed to vanish into the girl with no apparent ill effects. Without warning, the vision changed and Miko found herself outside the mesa, staring at a few of the many rock formations in the Nevada desert. Suddenly, the spires crumbled into a form reminiscent of Liege Maximo mixed with Megatronus. For a moment, Miko wondered how she knew those names or the Cybertronians attached to those designations. The presence recoiled at the description Miko's mind gave it and struck like a cobra at the offending mind. In its strike, death flooded her mind. World after world fell to the monster. Then, thirteen beings surrounded it and shot at the beast. In the light of the massive beam, the Asian girl saw one face she did not expect. Optimus?!

"Avenge me, lowly gnat!" Miko screamed and fell back, covering her face and rolling slightly in pain as if a snake truly attacked her face.

"Miko, are you alright?!" Raf's voice seemed to hug the girl and hold her tight until the boy could come and hold her himself.

Miko shook her head instead of responding verbally and looked at the young techno-organic. In his optics, she felt oddly safe as the same malevolent invader now faded from her mind. What the Hell was that?

As the girl walked back down to the base proper, she leaned into Raf feeling more than a little drained after the vision? Hallucination? Miko only hoped she hadn't finally cracked after all her time rushing into battle to see the "action" of sentient beings killing each other over food. The thought made her stomach roll and suddenly lost all attractive anymore after the horrors she witnessed. "Raf, do the Cybertronians have myths about a Galactus-type überCon?"

Raf thought for a moment. "There are some stories that describe Unicron, a dark negative of Primus, like that; but he's generally more of a satellite character in Cybertronian creation mythos." Raf gave her an honest perplexed look at Miko's oddly specific line of questioning. "Why the sudden interest?"

Miko shrugged and played it off. "Nothing sounds cooler than two gods fighting for the continuation or destruction of the universe depending on who wins the slugfest!"

It sounds like Miko, Raf thought as his instincts flared at the energetic girl's behavior. Something's off with her.

Soundwave suddenly looked up as she felt Ravage's side of the familial Bond flare with pain. What is it, Ravage?

Mom, you have to protect Raf from me. The Minicon sounded as if he was fighting something as they talked. Offline me before I get to Raf, Mom, please!

I don't understand. Soundwave asked in fear. What happened?

The humans…changed my processor source code somehow. He whimpered. I can't rebel against any directive given, and if Tyr becomes compromised, I'm ordered to destroy the Autobot base and any Autobot allies within the installation.

When Ravage went silent, Soudwave turned to look at Raf for a long moment. Then, she went into full Protective Mother Mode. "Raf, we have a situation." Soundwave told her son. "I need you to take Miko and hide in to back of the base."

"Is Ravage-"

Soundwave's vocal processor clouded thickly with emotion. "Don't argue with me, young mech! Go!"

The boy-genius nodded and ran off with Miko's hand in his. Be safe, Mama.

Before Soundwave could respond to Raf, Ratchet cut in with an announcement about a corrupted Decepticon signal as it charged toward the base. "Optimus, I hate to cut into your family discussion, but we have incoming making a direct path for the base."

Optimus and Elita walked out of the quarters. Jack seemed to be aware of his parents' presence because his vitals began to climb as Elita and Optimus came into the main room of the base. Elita gave a worried glacé at her son but felt the worry decrease dramatically as Optimus put a servo on her shoulder.

"He will be fine, Sweetspark." Optimus looked up at the monitor and zeroed on the approaching Decepticon signal. "Autobots, prepare to defend the base!"

"With all due respect, Optimus," Soundwave protested. "Ravage is my responsibility, sir."

"Your opinion is noted, Soundwave." Optimus felt a twinge of mild pain while The Matrix revealed Soundwave's thoughts to him. "I am not Megatron. I fight with my men, no matter what form the battlefield may take."

The femme felt some strange relief wash over her Spark before she heard Ravage begin to pound against the door. For a moment, no one moved. Then, Soundwave used her access codes to the base to open the door. Ravage charged, howling and barking as he did.

"Finrir…" Alexis said softly under her breath.

Unfortunately for her, Ravage heard her and felt his rage build at the name the Humans slappeed on him. An angry growl and what seemed to be a smile came from the irate bot. Then, he lunged at the bed-bound Human he knew as Tyr. A thin arm blade stopped the vengeful Minicon. Expecting to see his adopted carrier, Ravage's optics widened when the Cybertronian saw his little brother instead.

"I don't want to hurt you, Ravage, but I will if I have to defend my family from you!" With a quick flick of his arm, Raf threw Ravage away from the group. Then, the boy ran, picked up Ravage, and hauled them both out of the base into the open Nevada desert. To ensure no one else could het hurt on his behalf, Raf locked the main door to the silo and buried the unlock command behind the most intense firewalls he had ever programed "In order to get to them, you have to go through me." Raf told his brother calmly. "I won't let you pass!"

Rafael…

You can chew me out all you want after our family is safe, not before!

The Finrir Program took control as Ravage's optics turned from red to a sickly orange. Then, he struck with a feral snarl and leapt at the boy. Raf quickly dodged the attack and jumped on Ravage's back. From that point, Raf had a perfect shatter point in the form of an unprotected area of Ravage's neck.

Raf raised his bladed arm to strike but froze as memories of his times playing with Ravage as a toddler flashed into existence in Raf's mind. The arm began to shake. Then, Raf lowered his arm. "I…I can't do it!"

The Finrir Program had no such reservations about killing Raf, however, and bent Ravage's neck at an odd angle to seize Raf in its jaws. With nothing else to do, Raf prayed.

Miko seemed to appear from the sky and drop down out of nowhere. "That's the last time I free dive from the top of the silo!" She muttered breathlessly.

Then, Miko's brown eyes developed light purple, lavender sclera. Then, the girl reached up and touched Finrir. Purple arcs of electricity raced from her fingers and across Ravage's helm as her eyes briefly vanished under the light purple haze.

"Thank…you." Ravage managed weakly. "Protect…him."

Miko felt the life ebb away from the Minicon and let out a wail of anguish in response when the tortured creature's optics faded to darkness. Raf walked over and hugged her as the pair found strength in each other to bear the death together. Silently, they walked back into the base and a somber mood fell over Team Prime.

You are weak, Miko Nakadai. The voice of The Chaos Bringer whispered in her mind. I let you live and gain power from my blood, yet you still can't kill without remorse? Pathetic!

Before it could come to the surface, Miko pushed the foreign aggressor back down. Get fragged, aftplate! Miko roared in challenge. No one will ever control my body but me! Got that, Unicorn?!

Blasted mythical beast! The being's anger cooled surprisingly quickly. A dark smirk crawled across Miko's mindscape and made the girl shiver violently for a moment. There will come a time when you must embrace me or watch all you love burn. Until that time, I wait.

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