Vertical Shift
Disclaimer: This is fanfiction and I don't own the rights to any Transformers characters or storylines found within. Author's Note: Loosely based on Transformers Cybertron characters.
Sequel to Lateral Shift.
Cybertron
It had taken Cassie, Char, Ceci and Cally awhile to adjust to living with only Cybertronians. Cassie, Char and Ceci had to make a smaller adjustment than Cally as they were still on the same planet just not at the outpost anymore. They consistently saw more of the Cybertronians, but since they were no longer allowed at the outpost for their safety, they weren't able to interact with the other children at the outpost. There were exceptions of course. Hound had managed to bring Ran to visit a few times with her parent's permission and Dart and the mini-con Kickback were also easier to meet with since they were often roaming the areas outside of the outpost. Their Cybertronian guardians tended to dissuade them from hanging out with those two because while Kickback could feasibly protect Dart if something were to happen, putting four additional charges with him at the same time was risky. Otherwise the girls were still on track with their learning programs and they could easily access the library and their virtual teacher Niva at their new home. Hound even began to build a smaller version of the gardens next door when the girls expressed that they missed the gardens at the outpost.
Cally had more of an adjustment to make because she was used to moving from place to place. Staying in one spot for a long time was now unnatural to her. At this point she couldn't even count the number of times she'd been scolded by one of the guardians for teleporting somewhere without giving it a second thought. She was aware they mostly trusted her not to run off, but she never teleported anywhere that was in public view so she wasn't quite sure what the issue was. Also, the first several times hadn't been her fault. Hound had come home that first day and had immediately scooped her up from behind as he was used to doing with the other girls. He hadn't realized that it was Cally since they were all identical. She had immediately teleported away from him in a panic. He had immediately apologized and then passed on the knowledge to the other guardians that she was jumpy about the new situation. She wasn't jumpy. It was more like routine paranoia about beings or things attacking her if she wasn't careful. This was a remnant of her previous lifestyle that caused her to automatically react to sudden events despite the trust she put in her guardians. After that, her guardians started identifying themselves and offering their hands instead of automatically picking the girls up. Cally also hadn't had a learning program on the ship. Everything she learned was either by experience or from one of the data pads on the ship. So she was essentially put back on the level her sisters had started on two years ago. This made her feel like her sisters had left her behind despite her more practical skills. She dutifully spent several extra hours a day immersed in her studies so that she could start to catch up to them.
Cybertron
"Cally are you feeling all right?" asked Red Alert looking at his charge in concern.
"I'm okay," said Cally straightening. She had been slumped leaning against the side of the large Cybertronian sofa.
"You do not appear as energetic as your sisters," said Red Alert scanning her. "Perhaps we should go see Ratchet."
"No, I'm fine," said Cally quickly. "I simply did not get much recharge. I stayed up late studying."
"There is no need to push yourself so hard," said Red Alert. "Everyone learns at their own pace."
Cally merely frowned at his reassurance. Being behind in her studies was a sore spot. It couldn't be helped since for two years she hadn't had the opportunity to learn like her sisters, however it was also a source of ammunition her sisters could use to irritate her with when they got into one of their rare fights.
"I'll let this go for now," said Red Alert venting. "Since the annual checkup will be coming up soon anyway."
Cally just blinked at him. She then turned toward her sisters. "Did you girls always get checkups?" she sent over the bond.
"Of course," responded Char out loud. "They were with the pediatric medics at the outpost at the time. It was mostly height, weight and basic scans."
"Ratchet checked on me when I first arrived," said Cally. "Since I don't feel unwell and I'm not damaged, why do I have to go back again?" she asked looking up at Red Alert in confusion.
"Ratchet likes to monitor his patients so he can determine if something wrong is developing or if a part is wearing out," said Red Alert. "He's very proactive about it."
"I'll pass," said Cally. "I don't need it and it will save him time. I never got checked out when I was on the ship and I'm still fine."
"Be that as it may," said Red Alert. "You're still going for the checkup."
Cally gave him a look of disbelief.
"Don't make me involve Optimus," said Red Alert warningly his visor flashing. "Though facing Optimus would be easier than facing Ratchet if you make him mad."
Cally sighed irritably. "Fine," she said giving in.
Cybertron
Hound, Red Alert, Scattershot and Hotshot were their guardians and so the girls trusted them implicitly, however they hadn't yet been warned to be cautious around other Cybertronians. If they had told the girls this, they would have assumed that it meant don't get stepped on. Even Cally didn't comprehend the dangers here since she could simply teleport away. The girls were now pretty well known among the Cybertronians because many of their guardians and other friends would often talk of them. Four non-organic identical female quadruplets of a different species were an oddity that stood out amongst the mechanical beings. So far, their teleportation ability was being successfully kept under wraps under orders from Optimus Prime, so the mechs that came to see them were merely there to sate their curiosity. Most of the time, their guardians were fine with the visits and the girls got to meet a new mech if even briefly, but sometimes the guardians had to fend off a few that showed up when the girls were recharging. A few idiots even showed up overcharged and Hot Shot was forced to make them leave with his fists. None of the guardians wanted bad influences around the girls and they routinely updated each other on the welfare and happenings around their charges.
Holo 178RH
Holo's spaceport could only be described as dirty as the dust from the asteroid that held it constantly invaded through any open door. Cally peeked over at Sunstreaker from where she was concealed in a satchel that hung across Sideswipe's chassis. She was surprised he was focused enough to not be complaining about the dust. Sunstreaker hated being dirty and Cally could already see the layer of dust that clung to his armor making it a duller yellow. She herself was without her helmet, as its absence would have alerted her guardians to the fact that she was gone, but she was still prepared and had a dust mask secured over her face to protect her intakes. When the twins had heard that she'd been here before during one of their visits, they had eagerly drawn her into their plan. Holo wasn't the most enticing of ports, but based on the ports that she had visited, it was about average. She quietly observed from her hiding place as beings of all sizes tall and small passed by on their way to conclude their own business.
Sideswipe suddenly stopped at a tall door and Sunstreaker pulled it open. Sideswipe entered first cradling his satchel and its hidden occupant protectively with one hand. They moved quickly through a large room past some very noisy beings. Cally could make out the smell of ethanol among the fumes in the room. They were definitely in a bar. They continued past the bar into a large back room. There were several tables set up and several beings were playing cards there, but the mechs bypassed them as well to open the door on the far wall. A large warehouse was located behind it.
"Myrin," called Sideswipe raising an arm in greeting.
Myrin was a dark green being who wore a deep blue suit with bright silver linings. Small green triangular spikes covered most of his head and they twitched at the sound of his name. "Sideswipe," he said in reply. "What are you here for?"
"We're here to collect," said Sideswipe. "I do believe you owe us a shuttle."
"What did you do with the one you had?" asked Myrin his three optics narrowing.
"The Solva happened," said Sideswipe. "They wiped out more than just ours. We were being careful this time I swear. Losing that first ship was a fluke."
Cally idly wondered what the twins had done to lose the first ship.
"Fine," said Myrin shifting his head toward another door. "It's out back." He turned slowly and ambled to the door.
Sunstreaker stepped in right behind him leaving Sideswipe to follow behind. It was a good move because when Sunstreaker stepped through the door, he was attacked from the side by a tall organic with lethal looking black claws. He blocked the incoming blow with his right arm and punched with his left sending the being flying back and allowing Sideswipe to enter as well.
"Do you want out of here?" asked Cally quickly.
Sideswipe shook his head no. Blades suddenly extended from his wrists and he turned to face his opponents. There were only five not counting Myrin and the twins made quick work of them while Myrin stood and watched complacently. One of the attackers landed a blow on Sideswipe and succeeded in cutting the satchel's cord. Cally dropped to the floor landing on her feet. She quickly extricated herself from the satchel when she was suddenly grabbed by her hair and yanked back. The lone surviving attacker was holding her in front of him as a shield dangling her by her hair. He pressed his blade close to her body and both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe released a threatening snarl in response. While it wasn't in danger of coming out of her head, it was still uncomfortable to be dangled by her hair. Cally knew she needed to escape quickly, but she didn't want to teleport in front of everyone in case there were cameras so instead she quickly summoned one of the weapons from her personal stash. It was a serrated blade sharp enough to puncture armor if enough force was used. Before her captor could react, she swung the blade severing the hair she was held by and plummeted to the floor. Sunstreaker moved quickly dispatching the being while Sideswipe scooped Cally from the floor and cradled her to his chassis.
"I wasn't aware you had a, whatever that is," said Myrin bluntly looking at Cally curiously.
"Who were they?" snarled Sunstreaker brutally kicking one of the offlined beings.
"Local gang that moved in and felt that my operation fell under their jurisdiction," said Myrin. "Thanks for clearing that up for me."
"You've got to stop using us to clean up your messes," said Sideswipe frowning.
Myrin shrugged nonchalantly. "Now you said something about a ship."
The small shuttle Myrin had for them was a decrepit piece of slag, but all the important systems seemed to be working so the twins were fine with taking it. It would take some work, but they could fix it up. They were desperately in need of a ship since the last one was blown up and they didn't want to be stranded on Cybertron forever. Cally transported the ship to an empty hanger once they made sure the coast was clear. As soon as they were safely on Cybertron with the ship, the twins turned to her.
"Are you all right?" asked Sideswipe gingerly touching the shorn ends of some of her hair. "Do we need to take you to Ratchet?"
"It doesn't hurt," said Cally. "While it was mildly uncomfortable to be dangled by it, cutting my hair doesn't hurt."
"We didn't know that was going to happen," said Sunstreaker. "Otherwise we wouldn't have taken you with."
"I've seen a lot worse than that," said Cally. "Don't forget I was with scavengers for two years."
The twins rumbled unhappily in response.
"I need to go to Earth to get this cut more appropriately," said Cally holding a few strands in front of her face. "If I leave it, everyone will know that something happened." She paused. "I don't have any credits though. Can I use your card?"
Sideswipe quickly handed her his card and she teleported herself to Earth and used the card to get a proper haircut. Her once long black hair now ended at her chin. She then teleported back and returned to Cybertron where the twins were still looking over the ship. Considering what had happened, she knew they would need a cohesive cover story in case her guardians asked about her hair. She wandered over to Sideswipe and he picked her up gently fingering her short locks. Cally passed his card back to him.
"How about we were never at Holo," said Cally looking at the mechs. "You can make up where you got the ship from on your own. What happened was that we went to Earth so I could show you where I used to live. I took you there automatically without a second thought. While I was there, a boy threw gum in my hair and I cut it in order to get it out."
"You don't need to take all the responsibility," said Sideswipe frowning.
"It's better this way," said Cally. "My guardians will be more lenient on me than you. I'll probably only get lectured and I'm used to that. Okay?"
"All right," said Sideswipe reluctantly. "We owe you one."
Cally teleported back to her home, while Sunstreaker and Sideswipe shared a knowing look.
"We need to be more careful with her," said Sunstreaker over the bond. "We'd have to deal with Optimus plus four angry mechs if she got hurt."
"I'd feel bad if she got hurt because of us too," replied Sideswipe. "I almost had a spark attack when she got grabbed. We should visit the four of them more often whenever were back on Cybertron."
Sunstreaker nodded his head in agreement. "The ship isn't as bad as it looks," he said eyeing the shuttle. "Most the damage is cosmetic."
"We'll have it in good shape soon," agreed Sideswipe.
"Let's head to the nearest wash racks," said Sunstreaker grimacing as he examined his paint. "I need to get the dust and dried blood off of me before someone notices."
"Agreed," said Sideswipe.
Cally appeared on the doorstep of her home. On Earth she had already checked to make sure there were no blood splatters on her before getting her haircut. Cleaning it off her suit was a breeze thanks to the material it was made of. Walking in with a haircut was going to make waves, but walking in with a haircut and covered in blood would have been a disaster. She opened the door as quietly as possible and snuck in. It was quiet inside except for the noise from the wall display. Cassy and Char were sitting on either side of Scattershot on the couch watching a movie on the vid screen. Ceci was sitting on Scattershot's foot clutching his leg. They must have been watching a horror movie Cally realized. Ceci hated horror movies, but couldn't stop watching them if they were on. Whatever person happened to be closest to her while one was on would become her hugging victim until it was over. Cally could see information streaming across Scattershot's visor. He wasn't watching the movie, but working instead. The front door shut behind her with a snap and all three girls jumped. Ceci let out a squeak grabbing onto Scattershot tighter. All three of her sisters looked her way.
"What did you do to your hair?" Cassy nearly shrieked causing Scattershot to turn his attention to her as well.
"I got gum stuck in it so I had to cut it out," said Cally shrugging. "Does it look okay?"
"It's really different," said Cassy. "I'm sure we'll get used to it though."
"It kind of reminds me of when we were younger and our hair was that length," said Char.
Even when they lived there, the girls hadn't been into the trends on Earth when it came to hair. They'd simply let it grow. It didn't tangle like the human's hair tended to so they didn't have to brush it and turning it colors or getting it cut had never really appealed to them. Besides it wasn't uncommon for them to get positive comments on it from nearby humans so there was no need to change.
Ceci had turned back to the movie and was clinging to Scattershot's leg again. Scattershot vented and quickly pushed calm through her stressed EM field. He then sent a remote signal to the wall display and turned it off.
"That's enough of that," he said looking down at the girls. "I don't think you should be watching something that scares you so much." He gently picked up Ceci and put her on his lap.
Cally had been inching out of the room when Scattershot asked her, "Who cut your hair?"
"A hairdresser," Cally replied.
"Which we don't have on Cybertron unless you had someone at the outpost do it," said Red Alert. "And you already know you're not allowed in the outpost without supervision."
Cally tried to control her surprised flinch. She had not heard him come in during the original commotion. It must already be time for the shift change.
"Where have you been?" asked Red Alert. "Scattershot says that you were missing for a while."
"I was with the twins," said Cally turning toward him slowly. "We were talking about where I originally lived and I wanted to show them something so I took us there. They weren't expecting that, but no one saw us. I came up on a group of kids at one point and one of them threw gum in my hair so I cut it out. Sideswipe was nice enough to pay for a haircut for me. You can confirm it with them if you'd like."
Red Alert's visor flashed and the rest of her sisters excused themselves and went to their room. They didn't want to have to listen to the lecture they were sure was coming. Scattershot was standing now too.
"I'd prefer if you didn't hang out with any mechs unless you clear it with us first," said Red Alert. "This is for your safety not theirs."
"Don't teleport people without permission," said Scattershot. "Unless they're in danger. This has always been rule number one for you."
"I'm sorry," said Cally lowering her head. "It was automatic. I know I slipped up. I will try not to do so in the future."
"You could have easily returned here. I'm sure Wheeljack, Perceptor, or myself could have devised something to dissolve the gum in your hair," said Red Alert.
"I honestly didn't think of that," said Cally. "But that would be a waste of your time and theirs."
"What did you cut your hair with initially?" asked Red Alert.
Cally winced realizing that he had caught on to that. "A knife," she said softly. She knew he didn't like her to have weapons considering most of hers were banned or stolen.
"May I see it?" asked Red Alert.
Cally teleported one of the short knives that came with her scavenger's tool set instead of the blade she'd actually used to cut her hair. He might glitch if he saw that one. She quickly passed the small knife to Red Alert and he immediately subspaced it. "It was part of my kit for scavenging," she explained.
"You'll have no further need for this," said Red Alert. "Cally, I need you to understand that we are here to protect you, but when you do these things, you put yourself at risk unnecessarily."
"I understand," said Cally straightening. "I apologize sir. May I go now?"
Red Alert nodded and Cally escaped to her room.
"Don't you think you were a little hard on her?" asked Scattershot over the internal comm. "I've already confirmed her story with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker."
"She needs to learn to rely on us," said Red Alert. "And I'm leery of leaving her with the twins."
"The twins wouldn't hurt her," said Scattershot. "She did save their lives."
"Perhaps, but the twins routinely become involved in dangerous situations," said Red Alert. "They are tough enough to survive, but she is not and I do not wish for her to become involved."
Cybertron-5 Years Later
The girls had been living with the Cybertronians for five years now and they had just turned 13yrs old. In that time many things had changed though. They had finally stopped growing when they reached their father's height of 11ft, which caused them to tower over most of the other off-worlders on the planet. They were still smaller compared to the Cybertronians, but instead of sitting in their hands, they were now more properly carried in their arms.
Three years prior, the Cybertronians were finally able to determine Brava and their mother's location, but the girls were not allowed to return to her. The Sypan government was completely protective of all offspring of their citizens, however they wouldn't allow non-related children or other species on their planet unless they were married to a citizen. They also had restrictions against extraditing their citizens off world whether they committed a crime or not. Brava had sought sanctuary on his home world of Sypan knowing this and had taken their mother with him when he found out she was pregnant. The girls were allowed a single vid conference with their mother. She introduced them to their new half-brother, Kalo, and reassured them that she was well taken care of. Because of his underground deals, Brava apparently had a sprawling mansion and two other wives who also had children. Fortunately, all the wives got along. Their mother claimed she missed them dearly, but that she was quite happy where she was and didn't wish to disrupt Kalo's childhood by leaving. The Sypan government wouldn't allow her to take him with if she left until he was old enough to leave on his own. She was definitely surprised at seeing all four of her girls together on the vid. Cally calmly informed her about Elan's ship change and the death of her ex-husband. She took the news in stride and after the girls talked briefly about their time with the Cybertronians they made their goodbyes. Optimus took over from there in order to complete some formalities. The girls couldn't help but feel a sense of resentment toward their new brother because they had effectively lost their mother because of him, but some extra coddling by their guardians quickly banished those feelings.
One year ago, their brother Elan was finally tracked down, but unfortunately two weeks prior, he had died in a clash with pirates. The girls were devastated by his loss and their very future was called into question because there was no one else that could claim legal custody of them. Though their mother was still alive, she couldn't hold custody of them because she couldn't leave the planet. Optimus Prime quickly declared official custody over them having received permission from their mother if Elan couldn't be located, but this didn't stop trouble from brewing.
Cybertron's Outpost
It had taken the ambassador from Tansaren a little over five years to find out who had aided them in the transference of their planet. It took immense amounts of high grade and patience, but eventually he got it out of a mech who had heard a rumor about female quadruplets being involved. There was no current record at the outpost of the girls, but several of the children at the outpost claimed they had known them. One of them a teenage human boy named Dart even claimed that they now lived on Cybertron despite not being Cybertronian. Once he determined that they did exist, he put in a petition to Optimus Prime for a meeting with them.
"I'm sorry Ambassador Tarin," said Optimus Prime over the vid screen. "I'm afraid that won't be possible as the femmes you speak of aren't fully grown."
"If they are younglings, then I wish to speak with their guardians," he replied.
"You are speaking with their Guardian," said Optimus. "I was given official custody over them when their mother left."
"Tansaren wishes to purchase or bargain for the technology that was used to move our planet so that it will be safe in the future," he said emphatically. "Surely you wouldn't withhold that technology from us."
"I am not aware of any device used for that purpose that survived the transfer," said Optimus. "And I was under the impression that your people could fix the machine on your own planet."
"That is still planned, but that leaves us vulnerable until then," he replied.
"I'm sorry, but the femmes are off limits to everyone and that is final," said Optimus.
Tarin made his goodbyes and disconnected the feed. It was time for other measures.
Cybertron
The first one to realize that something was going on was Cally. While they didn't say anything, she had seen one of her guardians or another rushing off every now and then over the last few months. When she inquired about what was going on, they always claimed it was nothing of import, but she knew they were obviously hiding something. Right now, all her sisters, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were watching an animated movie that Sideswipe had downloaded on Earth. Cally casually wandered over to where Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were sitting. While it wasn't unusual for them to come visit when they were on Cybertron, they didn't usually stay this long with them.
"So what did you do that got you stuck on babysitting duty?" asked Cally nonchalantly.
"What do you mean?" asked Sideswipe smiling broadly. "We simply had more free time and we thought that we'd stay with you longer this time."
"Does this have anything to do with the Solva?" asked Cally.
"The Solva are back?" asked Ceci looking up fearfully from where she sat.
"No they aren't," said Sunstreaker quickly. "None of the Solva have stepped foot out of their galaxy since their invasion was halted. There's no reason to worry."
"Then what's been going on relates to us," said Cally. "Or more specifically to me."
The pause before they could think of what to say was confirmation enough. Cally turned away lost in her thoughts when Sideswipe suddenly grabbed her. He brought her up onto his lap and kept one hand around her gently restraining her.
"Stay and watch the movie," he said lowly. "Please."
"All right," said Cally leaning against him. She could feel relief flood his EM field momentarily. She would let the mechs handle whatever was happening on her behalf for now, but plans would need to be made and she would get her answers soon.
"I'm surprised she didn't just teleport out of here," said Sideswipe over the bond to Sunstreaker.
"She's being pretty docile," replied Sunstreaker. "That can only mean that she's planning something. We need to let Optimus know that he won't be able to keep her in the dark much longer."
Cybertron-Two Weeks Later
Cally was walking in the alley between some of the nearby residences. She was on her way to deliver a package to Wheeljack. She sometimes ran errands for her guardians when they were extremely busy. She wasn't sure what was in the package, but it was very light. Since it wasn't something he needed immediately, she'd opted to walk instead of teleporting. It was never a good idea to teleport herself or his packages into the lab because causing a distraction there was as good as lighting a fuse on an explosive. She could have teleported to the door, but she felt like getting some exercise today. She'd been feeling restless lately and walking sometimes helped her reorganize her thoughts. She kept to the edges of the alley letting the larger Cybertronians have the space they needed to get by. Suddenly she was grabbed by the arm and yanked into a side courtyard. She examined the perpetrator through the visor of her helmet. He was clearly an organic and while his torso was covered and he wore a helmet, multiple large wriggling black tentacles stretched from his body. He was still holding her arm tightly with one.
"What do you want?" asked Cally calmly. Since he had made no move to harm her, she figured that he simply wanted something from her.
"I'm here to make you an offer," said the organic. "The Tansaren government wants the teleportation device that was used to move their planet. They will reward you handsomely for this."
"The device was destroyed," said Cally sticking to the story she'd made up. "Neither the Cybertronians or my people built it in the first place. It was simply a relic that a salvage crew picked up and we used. It's gone now. It overloaded after we used it and the schematics were lost in the explosion."
"Wrong answer," said the organic suddenly sending powerful energy flowing down his arm and into Cally.
Cally flinched as the energy coursed over her. It didn't hurt her very much, but it rendered the com-link and any other features in her suit offline.
"You'll be coming with me," said the organic pulling out a large sack in which he immediately stuffed her.
Cally had no way of contacting anyone with her suit burned out, but this wasn't her first time being kidnapped so she wasn't particularly upset. Instead as she felt the bag being hefted over her captor's shoulder, she took her time deciding what to do. If she immediately teleported now, he might realize her abilities and that was something she'd prefer not to happen. She could always switch places with a predatory alien creature and hope that it would eat him. While she liked the idea, she wouldn't be able to send the creature back immediately and innocents might get in the way so she resigned herself to wait until they reached their destination and decide at that point.
Ceci had been sleeping when she was grabbed and being the heavy sleeper that she was, she didn't wake up until her captor dropped her hard on the ground. She woke with a start struggling against the bag that held her. It was suddenly upturned and she fell out onto the floor. She quickly looked around her. She was on a ship that she didn't recognize and there was a tall black alien with tentacles standing over her. A tentacle grabbed her around the waist and carried her over to a pod looking thing.
"Cally," Ceci cried out over the bond. "I'm on a ship with a tentacle thing and I think it's going to put me in a cryogenic pod."
"No choice," responded Cally sighing. "I'll teleport you now."
As the being lowered the tentacle holding Ceci into the pod, Ceci disappeared from its grasp startling the being. Ceci reappeared in her bedroom and collapsed to the floor in relief.
Cally immediately contacted her other two sisters over the bond, but both of them were currently with a mech so she knew they would be safe. She told Ceci to send her a tracker and to inform one of their guardians of what was happening. Cally curled her palm around the small device that appeared in her hand and activated it. The sound of her captor's footsteps changed as he entered a ship. Suddenly she was dropped to the hard floor as the sound of cannon fire resounded from outside. She didn't have to see to know that her mechs were ripping the ship apart. Her captors panicked and tried to aim their shuttle's weapons at the attacking Cybertronians, but it did little against them. Cally stayed where she was so that the Cybertronians would have evidence of a rescue instead of just an unprovoked attack on a ship. She heard the sound of tearing metal overhead and felt the bag being lifted again. It opened and fell away and she was immediately cradled to a familiar chest. She glanced back at the destroyed shuttle to see Hot Shot, Jetfire and Wing Saber apprehending her former captors. She turned back and couldn't resist curling closer to Red Alert as he sent soothing waves to her over his EM field. She wondered if those waves were more for his benefit than hers because she wasn't actually all that shaken up by what happened. Red Alert carried her quickly inside and she closed her eyes until he stopped.
Cally opened her eyes to see that they had arrived in Optimus' office. Char and Cassy were both there and they were being held on Hound's lap. Slight worry drifted over the bond from them. Ceci was curled into Scattershot's chassis silent and unmoving only her diminishing panic through the bond indicated that she was still awake. Cally frowned at Optimus who sat behind his desk.
"I think the secret is out," she said looking at him. "They tried to put Ceci in a cryogenic pod so I had to teleport her. If they sent that information out, we'll have more trouble in the future."
"Did they say what they wanted?" asked Optimus.
"I was sleeping the whole time until I got dropped on the floor," said Ceci turning only enough so she could speak. "I'm sorry if my actions caused more problems."
"It is fine," said Optimus. "All that is important is that you are unharmed."
"Mine offered me money for the teleportation machine on behalf of Tansaren," said Cally. "I told him that it was destroyed, but he didn't believe me. Tansaren must have learned of our involvement somehow, but this isn't a new development, is it?" Cally regarded Optimus' passive face for a moment. "I've seen a mech rush off every now and then lately. It hasn't escaped my notice."
Optimus must have said something to Red Alert over the comm because he suddenly passed Cally over. Optimus ran a finger down her back soothingly.
"Will you not allow us to handle this?" said Optimus, his deep voice resonating through her. "As your Guardian, it is my responsibility to care for and protect you. I realize the situation now is not ideal, but it will be dealt with quickly and your security will be increased. This can only happen if you allow it. I know you want to defend yourself, but that is my job now."
"All right," said Cally reluctantly. "I'll let you do what you want." For now, she thought.
"I felt Ceci's distress when she woke up, but I didn't feel anything like that from you," said Cassy looking at Cally pointedly. "How are we supposed to know you're in trouble if we can't feel it?"
"I agree, they already saw Ceci teleport so why didn't you as well?" accused Char.
"Well, it wasn't the first time I was kidnapped," said Cally truthfully. "I think I lost count of how many times it happened before I arrived on Cybertron."
There was complete silence in the room for a moment that was quickly broken by the other girls.
"What!" chorused all three of her sisters. "You never told us that."
"Well, it was a normal thing so I didn't really think about it," said Cally nonchalantly as Optimus pulled her closer to his chassis. "As for teleporting away, I needed to find out what they wanted and then I stayed put so they would be caught and we'd have a reason to attack their ship."
"It was a strategic move," said Optimus. "But I am disheartened to hear that this has happened before."
"At least this time, the shock they gave me only affected my suit," she said looking down at the melted tech on it. "It didn't even knock me out."
Optimus' EM field flared in anger and Cally immediately pulled hers in blocking off his as much as possible. She hadn't realized that her admission would make him mad.
When Cally suddenly stiffened in his arms, Optimus quickly realized the affect he was having on her and sent overwhelming feelings of calm and caring down on her. Cally went limp surrendering to his feelings. The other girls were passed over to him as well and he leaned back cradling all four of them. They were his femmes ever since he had taken guardianship over them and he cherished every moment he spent with them.
"I need you to talk with Cally later about what happened to her before she came to Cybertron," said Optimus to Red Alert over the com-link.
"Understood," replied Red Alert.
When they returned home, Red Alert and Scattershot secured the breach that had allowed Ceci to be captured. The girls went back to their studying while Red Alert pulled Cally aside. He placed her on top of a large desk in an office the Cybertronians often used when they were here. He wanted to be optic to visor with her.
"About what you said before in the office," said Red Alert beginning. "About you being kidnapped before." He noticed that Cally didn't seem to tense up at all at the subject. She was simply as relaxed as before.
"When my sisters left Earth to come here, I also left Earth to go with my father who was working with a salvage crew," said Cally providing context. "You get what the company wants and drop it off at the company office on whatever spaceport you happen to find yourself. It didn't matter if it was a rundown desolate spaceport or a state of the art trading post, there was always someone looking to make a credit on sentient trafficking. I don't remember the number of times I got picked up and thrown into a cell or shipping box by beings I didn't know. I knew I could get away by teleporting so I just got used to it."
"Did they hurt you?" asked Red Alert in concern.
"No, there was only one time when I got shocked by this Cybertronian that made me pass out," she replied.
"What did he look like?" demanded Red Alert visor flashing.
"He looked like a metallic crab," said Cally.
"Sideways," said Red Alert in distaste.
Cally looked at him in question.
"He's a known criminal," explained Red Alert. "He's known for double crosses and swindling among other less savory things."
"Huh, double crosses," she mused. "That makes sense because Sideways killed my former co-worker who I think tipped him off about me for alcohol. Anyway, Sideways captured several others and myself by shocking us. He was apparently collecting us for a being named Advisor Stroud. I teleported all of them and myself away and lodged a complaint with the Galactic Guard at the spaceport."
"I am proud of you for that," said Red Alert. "For saving the others."
"I always made a point to get even if only in a small way," said Cally averting her gaze. "So I don't think I deserve your praise."
"What do you mean?" asked Red Alert.
"For most of the instances, I was put into a cage or box containing other supplies," she explained. "I took some of them with me every time. That's why there are other things in my sister's souvenir collection that aren't crystals or minerals. I wanted to hit them where they'd feel it hardest, their credits."
"While I don't condone stealing, I understand why you did what you did," said Red Alert placing a comforting hand on her back.
"There are many good and bad beings in this universe," said Cally meeting his gaze. "I seem to have encountered more of the bad ones than good and it makes me scared for my sisters. They have no idea what's out there. I've seen beings killed in front of me more times than I can count and I don't know if I can protect them from what's out there."
Red Alert pulled her off the desk and held her against his chassis. She was upset, but her EM field barely showed it. He sent waves of comfort to her while sending a report to update Optimus.
"Optimus and the other guardians will protect them," said Red Alert. "We will protect you as well even if you think that you can protect yourself."
Cally lifted her head slowly. "I almost forgot. I had to teleport Wheeljack's package into his lab when I was captured because I didn't want to leave it on the ground. Did it cause any damage?"
"I've not heard of any explosions," said Red Alert. "I'll comm him now to let him know just in case."
Cybertron-Six Years Later
The girls had been content all this time to continue their studies while the mechs protected them from the occasional kidnapper sent by Tansaren's ambassador. Ceci's interests had shifted to galactic politics even though she technically didn't have a home planet anymore. While she couldn't represent Cybertron, she could still support it by becoming an aide to its ambassadors. With that in mind, she would often shadow Optimus and other involved mechs to see how they managed the daily interactions at the outpost. She had to wear a disguise while she was there and stick close to one mech or another, but she thought it was worth it in order to realize her ambition.
Cassy wanted a job that would allow her to interact with many people so she decided to work in hospitality as a receptionist. She also wanted to earn her own money instead of relying on the collection Cally had given them. She knew it would be highly suspicious if she showed up somewhere suddenly rich, but if she could create a trail beforehand then she'd look more legit. There had been quite a battle between Optimus and Cally and herself to get permission for a job off world. Luckily Cally had been able to convince him that Earth was a relatively safe place. Optimus didn't like the fact that none of her guardians could be present, but conceded with the stipulation that she had to return directly after work was over. He was adamant that Cassy not be allowed to stay overnight on the planet. She agreed and was finally able to accept a receptionist position on Earth for a midsize international hotel. She was slowly getting better at teleporting herself, but still relied on Cally to come pick her up daily.
Char could often be found holed up somewhere reading. Her sisters had noticed that her choices of late had started to fall more into the romance genre. Cassy had even started to bring her stories from Earth since there were few romantic tales on Cybertron. Char's favorite place to read was the small garden room that Hound had built and maintained off the side of their residence. As for her career, she was aiming for a technician position and she would occasionally help out Jetfire or Scattershot in the alternate control room at the outpost. Since that part of the outpost was solely for Cybertronians, she didn't even have to wear a disguise.
Cally's interests veered toward trading and flying. Jetfire and Wing Saber had already taught her to fly adding to the knowledge that Aesop had given her before he died, but she decided that she didn't want to fly commercially. Instead she turned back to her old methods of recovery and trading on a freelance basis. Occasionally she would contact the twins and see if they needed anything or knew of someone she could strike a deal with. She preferred to do legit work for hard to find items, but occasionally found herself trading with the underground though she'd refuse any jobs that involved hurting others. This necessitated a disguise however and she now commonly wore a silver hood over her hair that she kept short to keep it out of her way and a partial face mask that looked like metal, but wasn't. While she never teleported in front of people, the way she disappeared after a deal earned her the nickname Silver Ghost. Optimus had not been too happy with her choice, but she was technically an adult, was only gone for as long as the transaction took place and for all he knew only dealing with legit dealers. Cally wanted it to remain that way. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Of course she did plenty of retrieving for different mechs on Cybertron as well some of it free of charge.
Earth
Cassy was taking a break with some of her co-workers. They had the news playing on the vid screen when an advertisement for Esoramik came on. Tim, one of her human co-workers, was sitting across from her at the table. He looked at the screen while shaking his head and then blew out a sigh.
"What's wrong?" asked Cassy.
"Esoramik," said Tim. "Have you heard of them?"
As Cassy shook her head no, her long braid swung back and forth behind her.
"They're a colonizer company that specializes in terraforming," said Tim. "Except they aren't a very good one. If you look at their pamphlet, they promise a great new place to live that integrates with the surroundings of whatever planet their terraforming."
"I take it that's not the case," said Cassy.
"I actually know someone that works for them," said Tim leaning forward. "He's just a grunt, but he's seen them move inconvenient animals and plants and send them elsewhere. I don't mean to the next continent on the planet, which could be disastrous enough, but off world. For all I know, they could be dumping them into a sun."
"That's horrible," said Cassy sitting back in her chair. "Isn't anyone trying to stop them?"
"Of course and if you want," said Tim. "There's a protest group that's formed here and on several other planets. If you're interested in the cause, I can bring you to the meeting center after your shift."
"You know what I think I will," said Cassy resolutely.
Siopa 5
Cally was on Siopa 5 retrieving a gem from the frozen tundra for a client when a large spacebridge suddenly opened behind her. The swirling blue green portal must have been hundreds of meters in diameter. Suddenly thousands of what looked like large lizards with wings flooded the frigid air. Immediately most of them dropped to the surface like a stone going quiet, while some of the larger ones made a more controlled fall. The spacebridge disappeared as quickly as it came and Cally walked over to the nearest animal, but she didn't recognize the species nor did she have her data pad with her so she called Char over the bond.
Cybertron Control Room
Char was sitting in the alternate control room when she got Cally's request. Scattershot glanced over as she started typing something quickly into the computer. He was surprised to see a picture of a lizard like creature with wings pull up on the screen. Char paused and Scattershot could tell she was obviously talking to one of her sisters over the bond. When she was finished, she dismissed the image and continued working.
Siopa 5
Cally had a dilemma. She had never been to the home world of these creatures so she couldn't just send them back. Char had given her the requirements that they would need to survive so she had to choose a suitable planet that she'd been to and she'd have to do it fast as their life signals were starting to fade. She made a decision and quickly sent the whole group to Ristalia. Unless the Solva had decided to inhabit that planet, it was an overgrown world without sentient beings on it and it would be an ideal place for these creatures. It would at least give them a chance to survive because they were as good as dead here. With that done, Cally retrieved her gem from the ground and was moments from leaving when another batch of the creatures was sent through a second spacebridge. After sending them on to Ristalia as well, she waited for a while to see if anymore were incoming, but no more emerged so she headed back to her drop point to meet with her client.
Cybertron
Cassy was standing on the couch so she could be closer to eye height with Hot Shot. She felt disadvantaged sometimes with the height difference and she could tell he was mad.
"I don't understand why you're so fussy," said Cassy with her hands on her hips. "I was maybe two hours later than usual. I told one of my sisters to tell you I was going to be late. What is the problem?"
"What were you doing?" demanded Hot Shot. His normal easy-going attitude was long gone.
"I went out with a co-worker," said Cassy. "Hanging out with co-workers after work is a normal thing on Earth. It's not like we went out drinking. You know our systems don't take alcohol. We weren't breaking the law or anything. I don't understand why you're so upset about it."
"You promised Optimus that you'd come straight home after work," stated Hot Shot. "That was the agreement."
"What is the issue?" asked Cassy in exasperation. "Why are you acting so stiff? Just in case you hadn't noticed, I'm an adult already. I don't need you coddling me like a child. I don't get why you suddenly decided to be so strict? You were never this way when we snuck off to go watch you race."
"You were only watching," said Hot Shot defensively. "Back then I didn't race when I was carrying you."
"Could have fooled me," said Cassy. While they were too big to be carted around in their altmodes anymore, in the past Hot Shot had driven them around and he was always speeding though maybe not as fast as when he raced.
"I don't want to argue," said Hot Shot bluntly. "Tell me where you were and who you were with or I'll get Optimus involved."
"That's playing dirty," said Cassy huffing. "Fine. I was with my co-worker Tim and we went to the FITE Center. They're an activist group against the cause of animal displacement by colonizers. I was simply interested in learning about it and Tim is already involved."
"Are you and this Tim romantically involved?" asked Hot Shot worriedly.
"What the pit!" swore Cassy. "I hang out with him one time and that's what you think. No way! He's human and I don't go for guys shorter than myself. I don't even have the attributes that humans find attractive except maybe my face. In case you haven't noticed, I don't have breasts or an interface valve. Why the pit do you think he would be interested in me?" Cassy rubbed a hand over her smooth chest in irritation.
"I'm sorry," said Hot Shot sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He had wanted straight answers about her activities instead of the run around, but he hadn't meant to upset her. "I didn't mean to make you mad and you know I'd do anything for you, but the one thing I can't protect you from is sparkbreak." He glanced at her to see her optics locked on his.
"That's really sweet," said Cassy noticeably calming. "It's also unfair because now I can't stay mad at you." She reached her arms up and he quickly brought her to his chest while gently rubbing circles on her back.
Cybertron
Char was sitting in her usual spot in the gardens. Hound had built her a padded window seat after he noticed that she spent much of her time in there. Char found it relaxing in here. It wasn't anywhere near as large as the one at the outpost, but Hound had managed to get domes a fourth of the size of the ones located there. Cally had managed to find them for him after seeing them at a spaceport. This allowed for more of them to fit in the space, but less animals and plants to be contained. It didn't matter though because Char still enjoyed looking at them when she was tired of reading. She'd stare at them and daydream stories based off of what was in them. When Hound wasn't caring for the gardens at the outpost or following Optimus' orders, he could usually be found here even if he was off duty. It was endearing that he was so fascinated with the organics and crystals in the domes though sometimes Char would prefer if he paid more attention to her. She wasn't quite sure when she had started to feel this possessive of him and while she tried to hide it, her sisters had already caught on. Cassy routinely brought her romance books downloaded from Earth and that only made her wonder more what a romance between her and a Cybertronian would be like.
"Are you all right Char?" asked Hound startling her.
She looked down quickly. She'd been staring out the window at nothing and had dropped her data pad into her lap. She looked up at him. "Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."
"About what?" asked Hound in concern.
"I can't say," said Char thoughtlessly answering.
Hound was startled. Out of all the girls, Char had always been the most honest and straightforward of the group. It was unusual for her to keep secrets from him. He moved forward so that he was in her EM range and jolted to find confusion and anxiety plaguing her field. He immediately knelt and took one of her hands. "What's wrong Charissa? You know you can tell me anything."
Char looked up into his optics and embarrassment flooded her field. He had used her full name to get her attention. If she had wanted his attention, she certainly had it now. "I'm, I'm," she started again. Then she panicked. She quickly called Cally over the bond pleading with her to immediately send her to her room. "I can't," she said right before she disappeared.
Hound returned to his feet. He realized that Char must have called for Cally. While Cassy had picked up teleporting herself since she now worked on Earth, it was still short range and she still needed Cally's assistance to get back to Cybertron. Ceci and Char could teleport objects, but hadn't spent as much time on teleporting themselves since they were working on Cybertron. He was puzzled as to why Char was acting so out of character. Ratchet had informed them to expect the girls to be more irritable or prone to mood swings during their younger years, but any slight deviances in temperament had stopped after they had fully matured.
Hound vented and picked up Char's abandoned data pad. His optics took in what she was reading. Char had always like to read all sorts of books, but what she was currently reading was an Earth romance. Hound blinked his optics. Char would be mortified to know that the page she had stopped on and that he was reading was a kissing scene between the two main characters. It couldn't be that she's already looking for a mate, could it? Hound wondered. He briefly looked through her current reading history and was astonished to find it full of romances. Unlike Cassy who left the planet, Char worked on Cybertron in the alternate control room. She didn't have much interaction with others who weren't Cybertronian. She worked mostly with Scattershot and Jetfire though he wasn't sure if he was overlooking someone. He would have to ask them if they noticed any change in her behavior, but his first stop was to Ratchet. The girls were the only four of their kind so maybe Ratchet would have some insight into her behavior.
Cybertron Meeting Room
Ceci was tired. She never knew that simply listening to other people complain could be so exhausting. At least she wasn't the one that had to settle the situation. She'd sat in on a dialogue between several irate ambassadors that were accusing the others of messing with their planet's delicate ecosystems by dumping misplaced animals on their planet. She was surprised that they hadn't come to blows. Optimus of course was exempt from the accusation since there were no animals on Cybertron. Any animals found here were fully grown and functional Cybertronians. Optimus had tried to calm the accusations between the other members by asking them if they had proof of some sort, but none of them had solid proof to go by. That didn't stop the accusations from continuing though. The meeting finally adjourned, but Optimus lingered talking to one of the ambassadors. Ceci waited patiently for him next to the exit. One of the Ritouy ambassadors approached her while the rest of his party left.
"Greetings," he said. "You are Aide to Optimus Prime."
Ceci inclined her head. "Greetings Ambassador Ji."
"For some time now, I've taken an interest in you. Your delicate alien beauty is enrapturing and the elegance of your form exudes knowledge and sensuality," he purred. "I would love for you to join me in my quarters to examine these superb qualities of yours. There would of course be sizeable perks to an alliance with me and you would still retain your position with the Cybertronians as they have no need to know of our delicate relations."
Ceci blinked. While she had received compliments on her appearance before, even while still in disguise like now, this was the first time she had outright been propositioned. Not only that, but he was insinuating that he'd pay for her services as a double agent for him against the Cybertronians. Embarrassment and anger flickered wildly through her EM field and she was thankful that this ambassador couldn't feel it. She pasted on a weak smile. "Perhaps some other time," she replied curtly. "Unfortunately, I am tied up in other business at the moment." She inclined her head and headed toward Optimus never once looking back. Optimus had finished his conversation with the other ambassador and she pulled her EM field close to her as she approached so Optimus wouldn't pick it up. He didn't need the added stress right now.
"Unless you need me," she said quickly. "I'm going to go see Scattershot."
"Of course," said Optimus. "Feel free. He's in the alternate control room."
Ceci left in a hurry. This was one time she wished she could simply teleport there. She'd have to make a point of learning how to faster. The door to the alternate control room opened and she could see Scattershot was alone in the room. It was probably Char's day off.
"Hey," said Scattershot as he caught sight of her.
"Hey yourself," said Ceci settling into the modified chair Char usually sat at when she worked. "I have a question that maybe you can answer," said Ceci.
Scattershot didn't turn away from the screen, but she knew he was listening. Cybertron security was important after all and he was good at multi-tasking.
"If you were approached by an ambassador who wanted you to spy on your own, whom would you report it to? Don't say Optimus because he's tied up as it is," she said.
"Jetfire is Optimus' Second in Command," said Scattershot. "I'd inform him. Why?" he asked finally glancing her way. "Did that actually happen?" Her clouded expression told him everything.
"Basically that aft asked me to mate with him and then said that he'd pay for information about the Cybertronians," said Ceci angrily pulling off the headdress that was part of her disguise. "As if I could be bought. It figures that the first time I'm actually courted with elegant language, it turns out to be by a slagging pit-spawn that doesn't deserve to be in politics," she ranted. "I get there is always intrigue involved in politics, but that utter disgusting display made me want to toss my solute. I don't know how Optimus deals with it some days." She huffed and glanced over at Scattershot to see him staring at her. "Sorry you had to listen to me rant," she said averting her eyes. "I was so furious about what happened I couldn't help it, but I guess I need to speak to Jetfire so they're aware of the situation."
"I've already commed Jetfire," said Scattershot. "He's on his way."
After speaking with Jetfire about Ambassador Ji, Ceci headed back home, but encountered Scattershot on the way. He scooped her up without needing to ask and by the time they reached the house, she was fast asleep in his arms.
Rumlopsito
Cally had teleported to this planet for only a few moments, but it was enough to see the myriad of amphibious looking bones on top of the chemical soup that formed the ground. The ground below her was heated mess of chemicals and soil. There were a few solid areas, but they tended to move. She was balanced on a raft that was heat resistant, but she knew it wouldn't last for long. Her boat knocked into a solid piece and she quickly harvested the crystals that composed it. She gave one more look at the bones that surrounded her and teleported away. Whatever had been dumped here had been killed instantly. The bones themselves would disintegrate within the hour.
Earth
This was the sixth meeting Cassy had attended since finding out about Esoramik. The protest groups were extremely well organized and they were gathering data to use against the company bit by bit. They mostly asked the members to bring up their cause by word of mouth or through the computer systems. This wasn't a group that would champion a cause by sitting in front of a building like they did in the old days instead they used the media and bated Esoramik's marketing employees online. Cassy kind of enjoyed being part of the group. It made her feel like she was doing something for someone else for the first time in her life. These poor animals couldn't speak for themselves so she wanted to lend her voice to their plight.
Cybertron
"Rough day," asked Char as Ceci dragged herself over to her bed. Even at the age of 19, the girls still shared a bedroom.
"Optimus was the only one speaking any sense today," said Ceci sighing as she plopped down. "The rest of the ambassadors screamed at each other and pointed fingers in accusation without any proof. I like politics, but days like this make me regret it."
"That's why I chose a technician's job," said Char. "You put in your hours and then you're relieved by the next shift to go home. It doesn't really change."
"Isn't that boring?" asked Ceci.
"I like the routine," said Char. "Though Cally did interrupt me again to ask about some animals that suddenly appeared on the planet she was on."
"That's weird," said Ceci. "The ambassadors were crying about animals appearing on their planets too. They think the nearby ambassador's planets are responsible. Did Cally say how they got there?"
"It was a spacebridge," said Cally speaking up from where she'd just appeared. "Someone dumped them there on purpose. I sent the majority to Ristalia because I've never been to their planets, but it was there or leave them to freeze or asphyxiate to death."
"Why would someone do that?" asked Char in alarm.
"People are cruel," said Cally bluntly.
"Maybe they were pets and they released them to the wrong coordinates," said Ceci.
"There were a few thousand and the spacebridge opened more than once on the occasions that I was present so whoever did it knew what they were doing," said Cally. "You give people too much credit."
Cally disappeared for a moment and reappeared with Cassy.
"Hey girls, how was work?" asked Cassy energetically. She quickly noticed their frowns. "That bad, huh. Well, tomorrows a new day. It'll get better."
"Why are you so happy?" asked Ceci curiously.
"Well I've joined an activist group in my free time," said Cassy. "I finally feel like I'm making a difference." Cassy told them all about FITE and Esoramik because she thought that it wouldn't be a bad idea if her sisters wanted to join as well.
"This is starting to make sense now," said Cally. "All those displaced animals that keep popping up."
"We need to report this to Optimus," said Ceci. "This is why the ambassadors are up in arms."
"I don't disagree with telling them, but is there a way to get this company to stop what they're doing?" asked Char.
"It will probably require a great amount of pressure and some definite evidence," said Cally. "We're going to need a plan. We also may need some help from our guardians."
Kimaro
The CEO of Esoramik looked at the report on his desk in dismay and clenched his spindly fingers together. The protest group FITE had been after his company for years and they had finally picked up steam. If they got ahold of the displacement information for the spacebridge, he was sunk. FITE had several established groups, but the headquarters for the group was on Earth. It was time to cut off the head of the snake and buy his company more time. He activated the vid screen. "Get me Malvo."
Simport
During this transaction, Cally found herself face to face with Sideways. She was fully aware of his reputation now and on high alert to his movements in case he tried to hurt her again, but he was unfortunately the only one her contact had said that would have what she was looking for.
"Why are you looking for this?" asked Sideways holding up a vial containing a certain strain of nanites. "Organics can't use this. Not even techno-organics."
"My client wants it so I deliver," said Cally. "Do we have a trade or not?"
"Sure," said Sideways tossing her the vial carelessly. He pulled back the box his payment was in with a gigantic claw. "Rumor has it that you have a leg in both worlds," he said putting the box in his subspace. "I've even heard that you've traded with those pit-spawn twins and other legit clients. That's impressive, but I don't think they'd trade with you if they found out you were also involved with the underground."
"What they don't know won't hurt me," Cally said. She knew Sideways was only digging for information that he could sell. "And as for the twins, let's just say that everyone has a preference and that I'd love to rub my organic juices all over them." Cally laughed internally as Sideways jumped back in disgust a shiver running through his body. She'd been portraying herself as a techno organic like Aesop to make her contacts think she was weaker than she was.
"Yes well, I need to be going," said Sideways quickly. He glanced back at her as he scuttled off.
He was probably trying to see if she was going to follow him. Apparently Sunstreaker wasn't the only one with a fear of organic fluids getting on him. Once he was out of sight, Cally immediately teleported to the med bay on Cybertron.
"Ratchet," she called pulling her facemask down and quickly removing her hood.
Ratchet looked up from his work.
"I have the nanites you wanted, but I'd recommend scanning them before using them to make sure this is what you need," said Cally holding up the vial.
"Thank you," said Ratchet retrieving the vial. He did a quick scan and then turned back to her. "These will work fine. Where did you get them?"
"It's a secret," said Cally smirking.
"What do you want in return?" asked Ratchet narrowing his eyes.
Cally laughed. "I'm not the twins," she said. "I don't need anything right now, but if you insist than I'll save the favor for the future. You never know when you might need one."
"All right," agreed Ratchet.
"I'll see you later," said Cally as she teleported to her next client.
Melona
Melona was actually a spaceport set in a country setting. After making her delivery to her client, Cally and several other arrivals were suddenly engulfed by a flock of flying creatures similar to Earth birds with the exception of their elongated tails.
"Where'd these blasted things come from!" shouted one of the locals. "These aren't native here. Did someone lose their cargo?"
If someone had, no one was claiming it. Cally recorded it using the camera on her suit and teleported out.
Cybertron
Per usual, Cally had sent all the data she recorded about the animals she encountered and their fates to Char who was working on collecting all the evidence. Ceci had provided her with the claims the other ambassadors had made against each other as well. Overall the picture was pretty bleak, as hundreds of animal types had been moved that she knew of. Char was feeling pretty down since she hadn't seen Hound in awhile. Part of the reason was because he was working, but she was also avoiding him because she was still embarrassed over what had happened in the garden. Having to collect all this evidence that portrayed the unfortunate fate of these animals was having a negative affect on her psyche as well. She was close to keening after receiving the last data group. Who knows how many more defenseless creatures were simply dumped into a star and burnt up.
Char tried to push her negative feelings away and left her room to see which Cybertronian was here. She was in some desperate need of company or a distraction. There was no one in the main room or office so Char headed to the garden room. She heard noise so she quietly opened the door. Inside, Hound was installing a new dome and he was nearly finished. Char couldn't stop herself from releasing a pained keen.
Hound whipped around at the sound. There was no mistaking that sound. That keening was the way the girls cried. He quickly spotted Char by the door and immediately headed to her and picked her up. Her EM field was flooded with sadness. "Char, sweetspark, what's wrong?" he asked trying to comfort her.
"They're killing them," said Char between keens. "So many."
Hound took the data pad from her hand and briefly looked through it. The girls had informed them about the ongoing situation with the misplaced animals and the possible culprit. Optimus had assigned Scattershot and several other mechs to look into it. From the data pad he could tell that the girls were way ahead of them. Still keeping one arm wrapped around the upset girl's torso, he docked the data pad and sent the file to Optimus for examination. Then he took Char inside to the main room and sat on the couch. Char had finally stopped keening, but sadness still permeated her EM field. She lay against his chest delicately drawing circles on his chassis.
"I'm sorry Hound," said Char.
"It's fine," said Hound. "It hurts my spark to hear about those poor animals too. You just needed to let it out. I'll stay with you as long as you need."
Ceci was headed out of the outpost when she found her exit blocked by Ambassador Ji and two of his bodyguards. "I think you and me need to have a private discussion," said Ambassador Ji. He motioned to his two bodyguards and they advanced on her. "You should have come voluntarily earlier."
Ceci jerked away from their grasp and used the close proximity of the hallway walls to propel herself over the two bodyguards. It helped a lot that they were shorter than her. She pushed through the exit doors in a rush and exited the outpost at a full run. Suddenly she was grabbed and lifted. A startled scream ripped from her vocals before she was pressed into a familiar chest. "Scattershot," she managed to say.
He turned quickly away from the outpost and headed toward their home. "Did they hurt you?" he asked quietly.
"Ji's bodyguards tried to grab me," said Ceci trying to stop her body from shaking. "I guess he didn't want to take no for an answer. Thank you for saving me."
"Of course," said Scattershot his visor flashing. "I wouldn't let my girl come to harm. Optimus has just been informed of what happened. He's requesting that you remain away from the outpost until further notice."
"I'm not going to disagree with that," said Ceci.
"Hound is currently at home so you won't be by yourself," said Scattershot looking down at her in regret. "I wish I could stay with you, but I'll see you later."
"You definitely will," said Ceci smiling up at him.
Earth
They called themselves DICE. They weren't like other terrorist groups that had a grievance instead they were a group of mercenaries for hire. If you needed someone gone, they would do it for a price. For a bigger price, they'd even use their name to claim responsibility. They quickly exited their vehicles and surrounded the two-story FITE building. Nearby curious onlookers fled at the sight of their weapons. They'd been given Intel that there was a meeting going on inside so there'd be plenty of casualties. It was mid morning after all so most of the offices would be occupied as well. They were sure that this would satisfy their client immensely.
Cassy had come to join the FITE meeting today on her day off because she had recently divulged to one of the leaders of the group that she and others were collecting information to bring Esoramik down. They suggested that she attend the meeting so they could strategize their next move. Inside the meeting room, everyone's head turned quickly to the meeting room doors at the sound of a loud repeated noise. A male member closest to the door suddenly sprung from his chair and locked the doors. "That's gunfire," said another member in panic. He began waving people away from the door. There was only one other exit in the room and someone quickly locked that door as well afraid that there was more than one gunman. "I'm afraid Esoramik has made a move," said the presenter stepping down from the stage.
They were trapped Cassy realized. She panicked and called for Cally automatically. Cally appeared behind her still clothed in her silver hood and mask. The others in the group that noticed drew away from her not knowing what to think.
"We heard gunfire," said Cassy staring at the door. "They might have us surrounded."
Cally immediately transported all of the people in the room to the community center where she used to live. The group looked around in confusion.
"There's a second floor to the building," said Cassy turning to the FITE leader. "Were there any people on the second floor?"
The FITE leader nodded her head.
"Call for the authorities," stated Cally calmly.
"I'm coming with you," said Cassy latching onto Cally's arm. "I've been upstairs before." Cassy teleported to the second floor of FITE's headquarters and Cally assisted her in the jump by boosting her ability. They arrived in an empty office and cautiously peered out. So far it didn't appear that the second floor had been breached. Someone must have been smart enough to lock the door.
"Are there any elevators?" asked Cally.
"No this is an old building," said Cassy.
They quickly went from office to office teleporting anyone they could find. Cassy thought she heard someone in the hall closet, but only discovered that a broom had fallen over. She was at the end of the hall with Cally still in her sight when she heard a door give and was suddenly greeted to the sight of drawn blasters and guns in her direction.
"Cassy teleport now," said Cally over the bond, but Cassy was so frightened that she froze. One of the men in black armor shot at Cassy with his blaster and Cally teleported Cassy away and then teleported herself as the shot meant for Cassy came her way.
Cybertron Med Bay
Cassy and Cally ended up on Cybertron in the med bay. Cally went to one knee bracing a hand on the floor while the other came up to cover her left eye. Cassy still stood frozen in shock, but she was shaking slightly. Ratchet came out of his office and saw them.
"What's going on?" he demanded.
"I might need to use that favor now," said Cally with one hand still clamped over her left eye. Ratchet picked her up quickly and placed her on the nearest berth scans already going. He gently pried her hand away from her eye and examined it.
"How bad is it?" asked Cally quietly.
Ratchet didn't reply. He retrieved a small bottle and placed soothing drops over her left eye. The residual burn in her eye started to abate.
"What happened?" asked Ratchet again.
"I got shot in the eye with a blaster, as I was teleporting away," said Cally. "I wasn't fast enough, but I don't think I took the full force."
"You're lucky that you didn't take the full shot or you would have lost your eye if it didn't outright offline you," admonished Ratchet. "I have a solution to relieve the pain, but you'll simply have to let it heal for now." Ratchet gently applied more solution and wrapped a bandage around her head covering her eye.
Below on the floor Cassy started to sway. She'd never felt so scared before. This time was even worse than the time the Solva had kept them hostage. While they had gotten many people out, the friendly receptionist was as good as dead as well as anyone else that was unfortunate enough to be out in the lobby. Cassy was so confused. She wanted to scream and she wanted to cry, but she found she couldn't do either. Cally had gotten hurt too because she had called for her instead of just teleporting the others by herself. The fact that she didn't have the ability to teleport the whole group at the same time didn't even register with her. As her body crumpled, Ratchet quickly caught her and placed her on the berth next to Cally. He gently tucked a blanket around her having already run a scan to confirm that she was in shock.
"Ratchet, can you notify one of our guardians and ask them to come here," asked Cally from where she lay.
"Already done," said Ratchet looking away from Cassy. "You could do with some recharge yourself."
"I need to talk to them first," said Cally. "I'm hurt Ratchet not in shock."
He vented at her stubbornness, but conceded her point.
Not long after, Jetfire came into the room quickly followed by Red Alert. "Hey kid, are you all right?" questioned Jetfire seeing the bandages.
"Ratchet says I'll live," replied Cally.
"What about your sister?" asked Red Alert looking over to Cassy's berth.
"She's simply sleeping. She passed out under the stress of the situation," said Cally. "She'll be fine."
"What happened?" asked Jetfire.
"Cassy called me in a panic. She was at the FITE headquarters on Earth when a group came in and started to open fire. Luckily they had the presence of mind to lock the door," said Cally. "I teleported them all to our old community center, but Cassy pleaded with me to go back because there were people on the second floor. We went back and did a sweep sending them to the community center as well. That's when the attackers came in. They looked like an organized group. They were all in black armor similar to Earth's swat or military armor. They all looked humanoid and were about the size of humans. They had both blasters and regular human guns." Cally glanced at Red Alert as his visor flashed. "I know what you're going to say, but if I hadn't intervened, they would have all been slaughtered. My bet is Esoramik got tired of FITE and decided to make a move, which means we need to move as well. With some help, I could easily get into their buildings and download their data."
"Stop," said Red Alert holding up a hand. "Right now all you need to do is heal."
"But they could get away with it," protested Cally angrily. "This is our chance. They tried to kill my sister and they killed others. Did you think I'd just let that go?"
"Cally," Red Alert barked and Cally flinched. "We will not be letting it go, I promise you, but you need to relax for now. When we have all the information we need, we will move on it. Promise me you will stay here until I come for you."
Cally frowned and hugged her arms to her chest.
"Promise me," said Red Alert locking optics with her.
"I promise," said Cally finally.
"Take it easy kid," said Jetfire as he left the med bay followed by Red Alert. "Do you think she'll stay there?" he asked Red Alert as they headed to Optimus' office.
"Cally has never broken a promise before," said Red Alert. "That is why I made her make one. She will remain there even if she doesn't want to because of it."
Cybertron Meeting Room
Optimus, Jetfire, Hound, Red Alert, Hot Shot and Scattershot sat in the meeting room. Regardless of the secured spot, they were all having a private conversation over their internal comms. Ceci and Char had been brought to the med bay to stay with their sisters so all the guardians could attend the meeting.
"I've recorded and compiled numerous claims from Cally, the ambassadors, other Cybertronians, planets in the Alliance and reports made to the Galactic Guard on various spaceports," said Scattershot. "We have enough video evidence from Cally and the spaceports to conclude that someone is purposely displacing species onto other planets."
"Analysis of the species of animals allowed us to track them back to their home world," said Hound. "Esoramik has a presence on each of these planets."
"Wing Saber commed in earlier," said Jetfire. "He was able to trace the location of Esoramik's spacebridge. Once we find the bridge, we'll find the computer with the displacement data."
"We need to move fast before it's destroyed," said Red Alert.
"Jetfire, Scattershot, rendezvous with Wing Saber," said Optimus. "Do what you must to recover that data."
"Roger," said Scattershot as he quickly followed Jetfire out of the room.
"Hound, gather the pertinent data and send it to me," said Optimus. "I have a speech to write. Hot Shot, you've got guardianship of the three girls for now. Take care with Cassy. She is still emotionally fragile from her ordeal."
"Of course," said Hot Shot.
"Red Alert, I need you to handle Cally. I've told Ratchet to keep her in the med bay for as long as possible."
"Understood," said Red Alert.
"Dismissed," said Optimus standing.
Cybertron
After they arrived home, Ceci and Char went off to do their own things while Hot Shot stayed in the main room with Cassy. She'd been incredibly quiet since he picked her up from the med bay. She sat next to him on the couch staring off into space.
"Cassy," said Hot Shot softly. "It's not your fault."
Cassy flinched.
"Cassy," repeated Hot Shot gently.
"But she got hurt," said Cassy quietly. "And it was my fault."
"Cally will be okay," said Hot Shot. "Ratchet doesn't lie and she even told you that she didn't blame you. The one at fault is the group that came to shoot up the building."
"But I was the one that joined FITE in the beginning," said Cassy. "It would never have happened if I hadn't. It was because I was selfish and took a job on Earth otherwise this situation would never have happened."
"Cassy, look at me," said Hot Shot gently grasping one of her arms.
She turned to look up at him.
"If you had never gone to Earth and to FITE, there would be a lot more offlined beings," said Hot Shot. "By becoming involved, you saved them. No one else has the abilities you girls do. All those new friends of yours would have offlined if you hadn't gotten them to safety. FITE was fighting for a good cause and we're going to stop the company that hurt all those animals for them. I promise you that."
"But Cally," said Cassy cringing.
"She came to rescue her sister," said Hot Shot. "I'm sure she doesn't regret it."
"The only reason she got hurt was because I was so scared that I froze," said Cassy lowering her head. "If only I had teleported when she told me to, she wouldn't have been hurt."
Hot Shot hadn't heard this part of the story. He was sure Cally had left it out to spare her sister's feelings. He reached over and gently tilted Cassy's head back up. "Your sister loves you and she would do anything to protect you," said Hot Shot. "Even get injured. I know she doesn't talk about it, but when she was apart from you girls, she lived in a scary world where people got hurt in front of her repeatedly. It's unfortunate, but Cally is used to these situations. You and your sisters are not. It takes training and repetition to react correctly on the battlefield. Believe me, I know. You froze and the next time you might do it again. It's okay. You weren't taught to react to these situations and believe me when I say there will not be a next time if I can help it."
Cassy launched herself at Hot Shot the next moment with a keen and he quickly drew her to his chassis.
"Just let it out," he said holding her close. "It'll be okay."
Kimaro
"It was a nice try, but they couldn't hide it from me," gloated Wing Saber.
Scattershot rolled his optics. They were on the planet Kimaro where Wing Saber had tracked the specific frequency for the spacebridge they were looking for. One of the Cybertronians who lodged a complaint about the displaced animals had actually scanned the frequency of the spacebridge when it had appeared. With this information, they were able to successfully find the one they were looking for. Esoramik had recently replaced this spacebridge with another in an attempt to mislead any investigators. They'd sent the dismantled spacebridge back to Kimaro, but they hadn't destroyed it probably because it was so expensive. That was their downfall. Scattershot and Jetfire infiltrated the storage area and Scattershot accessed the terminal while Jetfire planted a tracking monitor in case Esoramik moved it again.
"I've got everything we need," said Scattershot over the com-link.
"Let's head back before the girls try to do something on their own," said Jetfire.
Cybertron Med Bay
When Cally woke up again, she noticed that the irritation in her injured eye had increased slightly. She blindly felt around her berth until she located the eye drops Ratchet had left for her.
"Allow me," said Red Alert from next to her.
She lay back as he removed her bandages and applied more solution. He then gently replaced her bandages.
"What's going on?" asked Cally. "Is there any news?"
"Wing Saber located the spacebridge and Jetfire and Scattershot are retrieving the data," said Red Alert. "I realize you wished to help, but your assistance wasn't needed this time. You've done enough. Leave this to your guardians." He reached over running two digits through her short hair gently. The action seemed to soothe her as relaxed back.
"What happens next?" asked Cally.
"Optimus will make a speech to the Galactic Alliance detailing the evidence we've recovered," said Red Alert. "This will put the pressure on Esoramik on a galactic scale as well as warn other companies that follow their illicit practices. If they don't start acting responsibly, the company will probably be destroyed if the sanctions and fines don't do it in the first place."
"What about the FITE attackers?" asked Cally.
Red Alert's visor flashed. "The local precinct and swat engaged them in a shootout and three of the six were killed. One was apprehended, but two escaped. The international police identified the group as DICE, a terrorist group for hire. Since that division of FITE was solely looking into Esoramik at the time, there is strong evidence they may have been involved. The local authorities will continue their investigation. They lost two of their own so they're motivated."
"Other casualties?" asked Cally.
"The receptionist and a employee of FITE that was in the lobby at the time were the only other casualties," he replied. "You saved forty-two people that day."
Cally looked over at him and smiled. "Thanks, but you don't have to cheer me up," said Cally. "I'm not upset about it. I was simply curious. You may want to refrain from telling Cassy however. I don't think she's quite recovered yet."
"Cally, how does your eye feel?" asked Ratchet coming over.
"I put some more drops in, but it only feels irritated," she replied.
"Sit up for me," said Ratchet.
Cally sat up slowly and Red Alert used his hand to support her back. Ratchet removed the bandages. The eyelid and surrounding area of her left eye had a glittery sheen like the one on her arm where she been hit by a blaster during the Solva invasion.
"Open your eye," said Ratchet patiently.
Cally slowly opened her left eye. It was irritated and her vision was slightly blurry, but she could still see out of it. Ratchet turned slightly toward Red Alert and Cally could tell they were having a conversation about her over the comm. "What's wrong?" she asked frowning.
"Nothing," said Ratchet. "I was merely reassuring your guardian."
"Why?" asked Cally.
"The color of your eye has changed," said Ratchet. "It's green now. It may be a permanent change only time will tell."
"My vision is blurry in that eye," said Cally.
"Part of that is caused by the injury and part by the eye drops," said Ratchet. "However it should be temporary. I want you to put in drops for the next two weeks and wear this eye patch." He handed her a black eye patch. "I want you to check in every four days and immediately if something changes. Understand?"
"Of course," responded Red Alert in her place.
"Then you are free to go," said Ratchet. "Watch her," he told Red Alert over the com-link and he nodded
As if the facemask and hood were not enough, now Cally would have an eye patch to add to her disguise when she worked. She was so busy thinking that it might give her extra credibility that she didn't see Red Alert crouch in front of her.
"It is nothing to worry about," he said gently placing her eye patch over her eye. "You are still attractive with one green and one silver eye."
Uncontrolled embarrassment flooded over her EM field and Red Alert moved back to give her room.
"I take it that wasn't what you were worrying about," he said a hint of amusement obvious in his voice.
"Thanks, but you're correct," said Cally sheepishly.
Red Alert suddenly scooped a startled Cally off the berth and began carrying her toward the med bay doors.
"I can walk you know," said Cally. "It's my eye that's injured not my legs."
"Patients should be quiet and cooperate," said Red Alert.
"Indeed," added Ratchet from his location by his workbench.
Perhaps she should get him a plaque with that saying for his med bay, Cally thought. As they left the med bay, Cally buried her face into Red Alert's chassis like she had on the day they had first met. She released a deep breath slowly feeling her body relax completely. Even after all these years, it was the one spot she felt absolutely safe. "I love you," said Cally softly without realizing it as she idly traced the lines on his armor not caring about the eyes of the occasional passerby.
Red Alert looked down at the girl snuggled in his arms. While her EM field was guarded as usual, the surface emotions he could feel flowing through it were far more gentle than usual. All those years ago when they first met and she finally broke down emotionally had been the only time he had ever felt her buried emotions. During her adjustment to living on Cybertron, she had kept any and all emotions safely contained. This was the first time since then that she was being freer with them, he'd only prefer that it wouldn't coincide with her being injured or distressed. The soft admission of love that he heard her utter confused him. Cassy said the phrase a lot and used it liberally to describe everything she liked. The other girls hardly used it at all and he had never heard Cally say it before even to Optimus who all the girls adored. Cally was so relaxed in his arms that he didn't dare ask her to clarify what she meant, but he could definitely decipher the feeling of adoration or maybe devotion that she was projecting.
Cybertron
Optimus was still receiving gratitude weeks after his speech. Esoramik was finally being made to pay restitution for the damage they had caused to many spaceports and ecosystems. The CEO had been indicted by his home planet's law system and was enduring 75yrs worth of jail time with a required 100yrs worth of community service due after his incarceration. Animal and land displacement had stopped for now. Even the smaller companies were weary of ending up like Esoramik. While the connection between Esoramik and DICE was inconclusive, rumors still persisted earning Esoramik an ever-worsening reputation.
Cybertron Home Garden
Hound was at home in the garden room when he heard a noise. Only Cassy and Ceci were home right now, but the noise had come from the direction of the external door. He turned around quickly to find an intruder.
Cassy was home because she had quit her Earth job after what happened and she hadn't decided on where she wanted to work next yet. Ceci was home because the Ambassador was still bothering her. Optimus said that he'd request a replacement from his native planet, but that he couldn't guarantee they would comply. Cassy was on her bed watching a movie when she heard an explosion. She stood in alarm looking toward the door uneasily and then hit the alert button on her data pad to alert her guardians to an emergency. Ceci who had been sleeping in her bed woke with a start and looked over at her in confusion. Cally appeared the next moment and teleported both of them to the alternate control room where Jetfire and Char were currently working. Cally immediately teleported back to the garden after she got a comm from Red Alert leaving the girls with nothing but questions.
Part of the garden room was destroyed and twisted and melted metal littered the ground. Cally carefully picked her way through it when she arrived. She saw Red Alert kneeling next to a downed Hound in the middle of the damaged area. A short distance away Hot Shot and Wing Saber were still battling it out with a Cybertronian that Cally had never seen before.
"Cally, take us to med bay," said Red Alert. "He's hurt bad."
Cally immediately teleported the three of them to the med bay where Ratchet was set up and waiting. Ratchet gestured to a nearby berth and Cally teleported Hound onto it. Ratchet immediately went to work while Red Alert took Cally aside.
"A Cybertronian attack," said Cally sourly. "They actually sent a Cybertronian to kidnap us this time, didn't they?"
"I'm afraid so," said Red Alert.
"How bad is he?" asked Cally looking at the still form of Hound on the berth.
Ratchet was working feverishly and he was very quiet.
"Bad," said Red Alert. "But Ratchet can fix him and I've already stabilized him so he'll survive."
Suddenly Cally jerked back as if she'd been struck. A wave of sadness and then anger spiked over the bond.
"What's wrong?" asked Red Alert in concern.
"It's Char," said Cally. "She's not taking the news well."
In the alternate control room, Cassy and Ceci were stunned when Char punched the wall after hearing the news about Hound. She let out a sharp keen and then turned to them.
"This stops now," she said angrily over the bond. "We're adults now. I can no longer willingly hide behind others and watch them get hurt."
"What do you want to do?" asked Ceci.
"We should leave Cybertron for good," said Char. "We can come back to visit in a few years when we've been forgotten. I will not put the mechs I love in danger any longer."
"That would take some planning," said Cassy.
"I'm sure Cally already planned ahead for this years ago," said Char. "The only thing keeping her here all this time was us."
"Cally, is that true?" asked Ceci over the bond.
"Always have a plan B, C and D," replied Cally.
"Cally, take us to Optimus," demanded Char.
Cybertron Optimus' Office
Optimus was startled when all four of the girls suddenly appeared in his office without warning. None of their guardians had commed him in warning so they must not know. "Girls," he said inclining his head in greeting. "To what do I owe your visit?"
"To be blunt," said Char. "We're here to inform you that we are leaving Cybertron permanently."
Optimus was quiet for a moment. "Does this have to do with Hound being injured?" he asked.
"In a way," said Char. "But be it Hound, yourself or any of our other guardians, we no longer wish for you to be hurt on our behalf."
"And yes we understand what guardian duties entail," added Ceci.
"We've aged out of your protection," said Char. "We will leave Cybertron for as long as it takes for us to be forgotten by our pursuers. We'll come back to visit once that has happened."
"While I do not wish for you to leave regardless of the circumstances," said Optimus. "If this is the path that you've chosen, I cannot stop you. It will take time for you to prepare though, will it not?"
"We can leave immediately if necessary," said Cally. Optimus looked at her startled. "But how about in three days. That will at least give us time to pack and say our goodbyes."
"How long have you had this prepared?" asked Optimus narrowing his eyes.
"Since the beginning," said Cally honestly. "Old habits never really die."
"Very well," said Optimus. "I will inform your guardians, but know that you will be sorely missed."
Cybertron-3 Days Later
Jetfire, Red Alert, Hot Shot, Scattershot, Wing Saber, Perceptor, Wheeljack and Optimus all stood in the meeting room with the girls to see them off. They had already gone to the med bay to say goodbye to Hound and Ratchet. Char had barely left Hound's side except to spend some time with Optimus.
Seeing the identical quadruplet girls stand in a row highlighted the differences they didn't have when they first arrived. Cassy wore her hair in a single braid and twisted it nervously. Char had taken to adding small braids with colorful ribbon weaved into them to her hair. She seemed to shrink back into herself making her seem smaller and a few loose strands of hair fell across her face. Ceci looked as close to her original self despite her locks being tied back in a ponytail. She was trying to force the frown that threatened to take over her face off of it. Cally with her short hair and one green eye stood out in sharp contrast to the others. She was the calmest and most unconcerned of the four at least on the surface.
"We'd like to thank all of you for the care you've given us as our guardians and our friends," said Ceci diplomatically. "We hope to see you again one day in the future."
"You better," interjected Scattershot.
"You have everything you need?" asked Optimus.
"We do," said Cally.
Cassy had to clap her hand over her mouth to stop the keen that threatened to rip from her throat.
"I've already given the science team all the supplies from the girl's collection here, but these are the ones from mine that I probably won't have use for," said Cally. Suddenly large supplies of boxes and loose crystals covered the meeting tables.
"I catalogued them for you," said Char handing Red Alert the data pad.
Just by scanning a few items in the room, Red Alert could tell there was a problem. "Some of this stuff has been banned," he said zoning in on Cally. "Where did you get this? You haven't had this all this time, have you?"
"Whoops," said Cally winking her green eye. "We'll be seeing you." And with that the girls disappeared right in front of them.
"That brat," said Red Alert.
The other mechs chuckled.
