By Fang Wolfsbane

This was a bad idea. This was such a bad idea. Such a bad idea. Such a bad-

"Hey Zett, are you okay?"

Hearing his name, Zett nearly yelped in Carly's face that had somehow during the bus ride gotten right across from his. The way she tilted her head, letting her blonde hair falling free from behind her shoulders wasn't helping his current situation at all.

"Y-Yeah. Fine, fine, just totally fine!" Zett responded, shifting some in his seat when he noticed the rest of his class staring at him as if he had just jumped up from his seat and performed some kind of dance. The realisation of that made him sink down in his seat, silently begging for it to swallow him in.

That seemed to convince Carly enough to turn back in her seat to continue talking to her friends. It was kind of strange not seeing her boyfriend next to her, something one of her friends had asked her about earlier. She only said that he was already waiting for the bus at the Autobot base.

Ever since a week ago, Zett hadn't spoken to Starlit again about the whole energon situation but considering how she had refused to explain her reasoning, he doubted that she wanted to talk to him in the first place.

He had tried talking to her again in the days that passed by, but she hadn't given him a single reply that consisted of at least one word. With her lack of words, he knew she was still angry at him, but it still hurt to not even receive an acknowledgement.

It wasn't until this morning that he'd gone to tell her he was off to school, as usual, when he received no response at all. At first he thought he'd been too late and that she was no longer functional, but her frame was omitting a soft buzzing hum, something he had come to identify as her placing herself in temporary stasis to try and conserve what little energon she still had left.

He'd been relieved when he realised that she was still very much alive and breathing, but the situation had only succeeded in strengthening his resolve. He was going to help her, even if she hated him for it.

Breathing out a sigh, Zett looked out the window, watching the road signs they were passing by. He had never travelled up the road before but if he could memorise the route, then maybe he could think of another way to convince Starlit to get help from the Autobots.

His memory was never the greatest, so he made notes along the way, passing it off as just scribbling down notes for a test when one of the other students gave him a questioning look when they spotted the notebook in his hand. That seemed to provide enough of an excuse for the other to simply shrug and continue talks of the upcoming football game.

The drive up to the inactive volcano that served as the Autobot base took nearly an hour, but once they arrived, Spike was already standing outside next to a yellow Autobot that Zett had often seen whenever Spike got a ride from the school. It seemed like the Autobot was fairly shorter than what Starlit was the first time he saw her. Ever since that day, he hadn't seen her stand so it was a little hard to determine how tall she would have been compared to the bot.

There was another bot standing on Spike's other side, this one nearly twice, if not three times, the yellow one's side. He had seen him on TV enough times to know that his name was Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots. Looking up at him, a wave of intimidation flowed over Zett, one he hadn't felt around Starlit or the yellow bot.

"Greetings. My name is Optimus Prime. This is Bumblebee, and I'm sure you're all aware of who Spike is."

The introduction was so formal that Zett overheard one of the other students stifle a chuckle. It was a temptation to join them on it, but basic manners that his mother had taught him from an early age kept him from doing so. He wasn't certain if he should thank or be annoyed at her for it. He chose the safe option and nodded his silent greeting with some of the other students.

The teachers moved to the front of the gathered students, giving them the basic reminder of keeping their hands to themselves, raising their hands to ask questions and to not cause any trouble for their hosts.

Looking up at the two Autobots, Zett knew that there would be more awaiting the students inside. The question was how he was going to get to the energon storage and sneak a cube or two out for Starlit. Sure, she'd get angry at him for doing so against her wishes, but what right did she have to starve herself just because her pride would get a little hurt from asking for help for once.

A week of planning hadn't given him an idea as to what to do to help her, but if it came down to it, he would risk everything to do so.

2