MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FAITHFUL READERS AND FELLOW TRANSFORMERS LOVERS!

So, I said we'd have Optimus and Hunter together again within one or two chapters and I felt like it would be one. Then I got to the time-skip after what's the end here and I… I don't know. It felt so jarring. I mean it's a week long time-skip, and to just go from this here to that… I didn't like it. Didn't flow for me. Besides the more I got on with the actual rescue mission and whatnot the more I just kept it in pretty much Ally's perspective and since I've granted one chapter to Steel's perspective in the past it felt only right to do one for his sister too. So that's what I've done. Besides, I need a little more time before I can post up the rescue mission—or Operation: Bat Out of Hell as I like to call it—so we'll split them. This can be your Christmas present and the next chapter can be your New Year's present. We can either end or start off the year with Hunter and Optimus back together—depending on when I decide to post it officially.

We're almost to the reunion, folks! You've got something to look forward to!

REMEMBER, I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY OCS AND THE HYBRID PEOPLE.

Jeff Williams & Alex Abraham; Destiny

29

In Limine

(At the Doorstep)

Atlas gazed at his reflection in the mirror for a long moment, scrutinizing every aspect and detail of his appearance. Hair neatly combed and slicked back as opposed to looking flyaway as it normally seemed to. Glasses polished so they gleamed. Face clean shaven without a trace of his usual five o'clock shadow. Clothes freshly pressed. All in all he looked exceedingly well-groomed and meticulously put together rather than appearing as the unkempt ragamuffin his speedy personality usually seemed to make him into.

Movement in the corner of his mirror caught his attention, and the man smiled at the reflection of his wife standing there in the doorway of their room. "Good morning, My Darling," he greeted her.

The human smiled in return and moved towards him. "Buenos días, mi amor," she returned. Wrapping her arms around him from behind, she kissed the spot behind his ear and nuzzled into his neck. "I haven't seen you as well-groomed as this since our wedding day," she remarked with a smirk. "What's the occasion?" She gave him a teasing glare of suspicion. "Should I be worried about someone else?"

Atlas chuckled and turned to face his mate. "As if anyone else could ever take your place, Maya," he murmured, holding her lovely, tawny, heart-shaped face in his hands. He gazed at her adoringly.

"You've got that right," Maya said. "As if anyone else could put up with your motor-mouthed ass, Dr. Know-it-All." Her rich brown eyes twinkled at him.

Atlas raised a roguish eyebrow. "Hmm, intriguing," he hummed. "I was under the guise that you rather enjoyed my motor-mouth. And my ass." He chuckled at the slight blush that colored his wife's cheeks before kissing her fully.

Maya returned his kiss happily, giggling when they finally pulled apart. "Well, now," she sighed, reaching up to stroke his cheek, "now that I've been properly "good morning-ed" tell me—what's the occasion for all this?" She tugged at his impeccable suit jacket.

Atlas sighed heavily. "Councilman Ananias," he muttered, turning back to his reflection again to make sure everything was still in order. "I have a meeting with him again today and I haven't had anything remotely close to success with him so far. I surmised looking my absolute best couldn't hurt my chances."

"It could not," Maya agreed, wrapping her arms around her husband again. "I'll admit, I like your usual look better, but I suppose I'm not a holier-than-thou Hybrid Councilman." She met Atlas' eyes in the mirror and gave him a worried look. "You haven't had any luck with him at all?"

"Not even so much as a budge. And I've tried convincing him in every way that I can, putting it in every way that I'm able—he simply refuses to tell me anything more about the Lunation's banishment."

"Have you tried talking to the other Council members? If Ananias won't give something up, maybe they will."

"They wouldn't tell me anything without Ananias' approval. In fact they can't—he has bound them with his power to keep the secret, so even if they wanted to divulge anything to me, they could not. And if Ananias is not telling me anything, it is ludicrous to believe that he would allow any of the others to do so. The only other person who could tell me what I want to know is Greasy, and he has yet to return from his mission to Mars."

"… And you're sure there's more to it than what's there? You don't think it really was just that Luna tried to seize power and take over?"

"I don't know, Maya—how can I ever truly know? Maybe it is and I'm just grasping at straws, but my instincts tell me that there has to be something more. The cult has been around for a couple millennia and has been strong enough to rival the Hybrid military for at least half that time. If Luna wanted to take over as leader of the Hybrid race she could have easily done so at any point within the last thousand years; but she waits until the last five to do so? Something had to have changed; something… pushed her to make it happen—maybe something she thought could ensure her victory. But what? And, if that's the case, why is it so secretive? Why won't Ananias tell me?"

Maya was quiet for a moment, nuzzling her cheek into her husband's back as she took all of it in. She had no idea what to say to that—no words at all. What could she possibly say? "You're sure what you're missing is important information?" she asked.

"I believe so," Atlas affirmed. "I believe it may have a connection to what is happening now."

"Do you think this Luna might be trying to do something she tried and failed to do the last time?"

"I do. And I suspect the last time may have had something to do with Hunter as well."

"If that's the case, I hope Ananias either pulls his head out of his ass or you find Hunter before it's too late."

Atlas turned to face his mate again and met her gaze as he brushed a dark brunette curl out of her face. "As do I, My Darling," he murmured. "As do I." Kissing her forehead he moved away and walked out the door, headed off to his meeting. Hopefully something would come of this one.

Optimus had his holoform walking straight in through the Lennoxes' front door the next morning, not even taking the time to knock. For one he didn't have to; except for occasions when they had family over (occasions of which Team Prime was notified) the Lennoxes had an open door policy with the team considering Lennox and Epps were their local supervisors, and the courtesy had extended double to Optimus when he and Hunter had developed a relationship. For two he didn't have the time to waste. Besides he knew the Lennoxes' wouldn't want him wasting any if he did have it. Not with this.

"Major?" the Prime called. "Sarah?"

A second later Sarah Lennox popped her head out of the kitchen. She smiled in a friendly but tired way. She'd been smiling that way a lot lately, but it was difficult to tell if it was because of her advancing pregnancy or the current state of affairs with Hunter. Or both. "Good morning, Optimus," she greeted him.

Optimus nodded and managed a smile back. "Good morning, Sarah. I was wondering if Ally was available. I am in need of her consultation."

Sarah nodded. "Of course," she said. "Just let me wake her. She's still sleeping and I just haven't had the heart to wake her yet—it was so late last night when she came and the poor thing looked completely worn out. You can go into the kitchen while you wait. There's some sausages left on the stove if you want." With that she turned and made her way up the stairs.

Optimus watched after her and then made his way into the kitchen as the woman had suggested. Upon entering he found a certain little blonde-headed, blue-eyed angel sitting at the kitchen table making a meal of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausages. The Prime smiled affectionately. "Good morning, Annabelle," he greeted the child.

The little girl's head shot up and she beamed a great grin. "Optimus!" she exclaimed. Jumping down from her chair, she skittered around the table and tackled his holoform legs in a hug.

Chuckling, Optimus bent over and picked the girl up to balance her on his hip. "And how are you this morning, Little One?" he asked.

"Good," Annabelle chirped. "We have a visitor!"

"I am aware. I was the one who sent her to stay here."

"Mommy and Daddy said she's Hunter's cousin."

"So she is."

Annabelle's face went very serious with this information. "Is she here to help find Hunter and bring her back?"

"She is."

"Good," Annabelle said with a serious nod of her head. "Because I miss Hunter, and I want her back home soon."

Optimus' mouth drew into a thin line and he nodded. "As do I, Annabelle," he murmured. "As do I."

At that moment the sound of footsteps caused Optimus to turn and see Sarah coming back into the kitchen. The woman smiled and nodded. "Ally will be down in a few minutes,"

Optimus, Sarah, and Annabelle were seated at the table in deep discussion of the latest My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episode when Ally came down. Dressed in sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt with her hair thrown up into a messy bun and face bare of makeup, the girl looked the most haggard and unkempt Optimus had ever seen her. And yet, despite how weary and beaten down she looked, there was a hint of a heightened spirit about her—a gamely fire in her eyes that said she could and would be up to anything if called upon.

The girl smiled tiredly. "Good morning, Optimus," she greeted the Autobot.

Optimus smiled back and stood. "Good morning, Ally," he returned. "I trust you slept well?"

Ally nodded. "Pretty good, surprisingly. I usually don't sleep well when I'm, like, all emotional and stuff, but I was pretty much dead by the time I got into bed so I slept okay. Coulda used another couple hours though," the teen added, giving her adoptive uncle a glare that was only half teasing.

Optimus chuckled. "You can continue sleeping after we've spoken," he assured her, beginning to stand and move in her direction. "I've acquired something that I believe you can help me with. Come." He led the teen out of the house and towards his vehicular mode.

"It's nice to know Hunter likes wolves and the color blue," Ally remarked as they walked. "I know what I can get her for Christmas and birthdays now."

Optimus looked over at her. "So they haven't changed Hunter's old room yet?" he surmised with a slight smile.

Ally shook her head. "Sarah says they haven't felt right about it," she explained. "Besides, it's not like it's horrible décor for a guest room—just not… typical."

They were coming 'round to the back of Optimus' trailer now. Throwing up the door, the Prime revealed the box that Starscream had given him carefully bundled and secured inside. He climbed into the trailer and pulled Ally up behind him. "This is what I went to see Starscream about last night," he said.

"So he did have something to help locate Hunter," Ally concluded, looking the box over curiously. It was a pretty thing.

"He did," Optimus affirmed, "but we're not entirely sure what it is or how it works." He looked at the girl. "I was hoping maybe you could shed some light on that."

Ally looked up at him in confusion. "Me?" she asked. "But… I don't know anything about Cybetronian or Hybrid technology."

"That may be true, but I do not believe you will need that sort of knowledge here." With that, Optimus stepped forward and pressed a hand down onto the gemstone at the top of the box. Again there was a slight 'click' and the lid began to gracefully swing open. The crystal vial gleamed in its place amid the dark material, perfect as ever.

Ally's eyes widened in awe. "Wh-what?" she breathed, stepping closer to the box. "What in… how…" she was at a complete loss for words. Reaching up into the box, the teen gently stroked the vial with the tips of her fingers. A slight tingle went through her hand as she did this, and Ally knew then exactly why Optimus had suspected she could shed some light on this. "This is magic," she whispered.

"I suspected it might be," Optimus replied. "Do you know what kind of magic it is?"

"It's a potion."

"A potion?"

"Yeah, liquid magic. They're easier to do than regular magic because, like, anyone can make them if you have the right ingredients and follow the right instructions but they can't do as many things as regular magic can. Oh, but what kind of potion, I wonder? There's, like, a dozen different kinds of clear potions."

"Starscream claimed that Bombardier told him this substance was capable of locating anyone."

Ally stroked her chin in consideration. "Capable of locating anyone… it's gotta be a locator potion, then. Unless he lied. Only one way to find out." With that, Ally hoisted herself up into the box. She wobbled for a moment on the cushiony material around the vial until Optimus reached up to steady her. Moving closer to the vial, the teen gripped the stopper in both hands and carefully pulled it out before setting it off to the side. Then she took off one of her bracelets, lifted it up over the opening of the vial, and dipped it down into the liquid inside, standing up on her tip-toes to do so. Once she'd dunked it she pulled it out and handed it over to Optimus. "Here," she said, clambering out of the box, "hold that. I'm gonna go hide somewhere. Once you can't see me anymore, count to, like, ten and then let the bracelet go. If this is a locator potion my bracelet should float off and you can follow it right to me." And Ally quickly scampered off, leaping out of the trailer and disappearing to somewhere.

Optimus did as he was told and, once he'd counted to ten, let the now slightly sparkling bracelet go. Just as Ally had said, the thing gracefully floated up out of his palm of its own accord and hovered in the air for a few seconds before leisurely floating forward out of the trailer and around the corner where Ally had disappeared from sight. The Prime followed after it, marveling at the experience. He trailed after the bracelet as it floated across the yard towards the barn and then into the barn.

The bracelet kept going until it came into contact with the door that lead into the feed room and there it stopped and hovered, as if waiting for the door to be opened for it. Optimus moved forward and did just that and the bracelet continued its trek inside, floating over two large feed bins and down into the space between them. "Ally?" Optimus called.

A ginger head popped up out of the space the bracelet had disappeared into in response. "Definitely locator potion," she said with a smirk. She stood up and walked towards the Prime, slipping her bracelet back on.

"Extraordinary," Optimus marveled, still gazing at the bracelet in amazement.

"It is kinda cool," Ally remarked, still adjusting her bracelet. Then she looked up at Optimus and sighed. "Now we just need something of Hunter's to use the potion on so that it can lead us to her."

"Blue!" Optimus immediately exclaimed. Ally gave him a confused look. "Hunter's stuffed wolf toy," he clarified. "She left it with me. Would that work?"

"Sounds perfect. When do we do it?"

Optimus paused and looked at the girl carefully. "'We'?" he repeated raising an eyebrow.

Ally immediately deflated, feeling her stomach drop straight down to her toes. "You're not gonna make me sit out again," she said. "Please say you're not gonna make me sit out again—you can't!"

"Alchemy-"

"It's just following a stuffed animal across Egypt," Ally stated earnestly. "It's not like we'd be fighting or anything."

"There's no guarantee of that," Optimus responded. "There is always a chance that we may have to do battle, Ally—keep that in mind. And to make matters worse it… it won't just be my team tracking Blue."

Ally looked at him quizzically. "What'd'ya mean?"

Optimus sighed heavily and turned his gaze away from the girl. "In order to have access to the potion we were forced to make a deal with Starscream," he murmured, looking back to Ally again. "In order for us to take the potion we had to allow Starscream to become an integral part of the rescue effort."

Ally felt a slight rush of queasiness overcome her for a moment. "How… integral are we talking?" she squeaked. Considering what she'd heard about the 'con, the Hybrid wasn't all that enthused with the prospect of being around him.

"He wants to be there when we use the potion," Optimus grumbled. "And he wants to take part in the rescue mission itself once we've located Hunter."

"You mean like… actually be there with us and, like, breaking Hunter out?"

"Yes."

"… And… and you agreed to this? You're actually, like… gonna let him be there—be close to Hunter?"

A slight shadow came over Optimus face at that and his gaze became a bit harder and colder. "I didn't see as I had much choice," he declared firmly. "Not if I wanted to find Hunter."

Ally could see that he had a point there and did her best to push her disgust of the idea to the side and forget about it. "No, you're right," she admitted. "Duh, you'd agree to that—I'd agree to it too. I'm sorry—I was just thinking-"

"Thinking about how Starscream may very well behave towards Hunter if given half a chance," Optimus finished for her with a strained smile. "Yes, you're right to think about that; I think about that constantly. But when I consider the alternatives-"

"The Creeper doesn't seem so bad?" Ally offered with a slight smirk.

Optimus nodded rather grimly. "Precisely," he agreed.

Ally nodded. That seemed more than reasonable enough, and she'd throw her support behind the decision then. "Okay," she sighed after a moment, "so the Creeper's gonna be there—but what does that have to do with me not being there? I mean, he's, like, totally obsessed with Hunter, right? It's not like he'd try to do anything to me, right?"

"I wouldn't put anything past him," Optimus countered. "While I'm sure at least part of his attraction to Hunter is due to… physicality, Starscream is someone who is greatly attracted to power above all else."

"So? It's not like I'm powerful or anything. I mean, not really—not like Steel and Hunter."

At that a slight smile curled Optimus' holoform lips and he chuckled a bit. "I think you would surprise yourself," he remarked."

Ally snorted. While it was really nice to have someone encouraging her abilities and Hybridness for once and thinking highly of her potential with her powers, she wasn't delusional enough to think that Optimus was right about her strength. After all, they'd only just met a few days ago and he'd only seen her use one spell out of the mere handful she could actually perform. She wouldn't put much by his words. But still, it was nice to hear the positivity concerning such things.

"I really don't think I would," she disagreed. "But we're getting off topic. I still don't get why I can't go when you use the potion. Starscream would be there, but it's not like I'd be alone with him, right? And if we did, like, get into a fight with the Lunation… well… I guess it'd be, like, trial by fire for me." A look of utter determination came over the teen's face as she crossed her arms over her chest and stood as tall as her average 5'6" height would allow her. "After all, if Hunter could do it, why can't I? We've got the same blood."

Optimus raised an eyebrow. "You know of Hunter's first time battling Bombardier and his team then?"

The girl nodded. "Bumblebee told me some stuff when I asked him about Hunter."

"Did he also tell you that encounter very nearly killed her?"

"Yeah, but she's the Fuser."

"Precisely. Hunter is the Fuser: You, however, are not."

Ally sighed, looking defeated. "So I that means I'm still warming the bench then?"

Optimus gazed at her sympathetically. "I know you want to be of help, Ally," he assured her, "and I realize you want to learn about everything that you've been denied and to test yourself. But the fact remains that your inexperience is a liability that we cannot and should not risk until absolutely necessary. I don't doubt we may very well need you for the final rescue mission so I'd rather you be in good health for that."

Ally looked at him in shock, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. "Me be there for the rescue mission?" she repeated in disbelief. "What, seriously?"

"Yes," Optimus answered. "I plan to consult Atlas on recruiting the Hybrid military to aid us as I'm sure we'll need them-"

"Yes, you definitely will," Ally remarked a bit under her breath, looking down at the floor.

"-but I don't believe they'll be the ones to actually get us inside to where Hunter is," Optimus continued. "I have a feeling they will need to be the distraction while we infiltrate the facility, locate Hunter, and free her."

"Your best option for that is gonna be teleporting in," Ally stated matter of factly. Then she stopped for a moment as it suddenly hit her what Optimus was getting at. Slowly she looked back up at the Prime with wide, two-toned eyes. "You… you're expecting me to teleport you in," she murmured, more to herself than the Prime.

The Prime looked at her calculatingly. "You are capable, are you not?" he asked. "Teleportation is a form of magic, is it not?" He could remember Hunter mentioning Lunation members popping out here and there in plumes of smoke out of the blue as she'd battled them at Olympus High. Nothing but some form of teleportation could seem to explain that.

"Maybe," Ally muttered, still looking dazed. Then she shook her head and came back to her senses. "I mean, yeah; teleportation is a type of magic—it's technically called "apparating" when it happens via magic—and I've done it before. Steel and I both learned how to do it back when we were both in the cult—it's, like, one of the first things you learned to master when you entered—but that was years ago and I haven't done it since I got out. And, honestly, I never really mastered it; I mean, like, I could teleport but I didn't end up, like, exactly where I was supposed to. It was always more like within… five or ten feet of the spot, which really isn't good. A few inches off your mark can mean bad news when apparating, not to mention feet off. And like I said, this was all, like, ages ago! I'm not even sure I could teleport now."

"You'll have to try," Optimus insisted firmly. "Normally I would ask Greasy, but he is not here and I suspect we will be making our move before he returns."

Ally bit her lip and reached to run the blonde strand of her hair through her fingers nervously.

Noticing this, Optimus backed off on his intensity. He was making her feel like he was pushing her into this—causing her stress and worry. However desperate he was, he didn't want to do that to the girl, nor did Ally deserve such treatment. Sighing, the Prime stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, meeting her eyes with a significant gaze. "I do not wish to pull you into such danger, Ally," he murmured. "In fact if there were any other option available I would take it, but as I've stated, I don't see one. It is your decision of course; you may be my charge but you are not my soldier—I cannot force you into battle. But I do not exaggerate when I say that you might be our one chance, Ally."

Ally gazed back at him for a long time, going back and forth in her head. She didn't have to do this—Optimus had made that clear… but if she didn't do this they may never be able to get inside the Lunar Estate and get Hunter out. But if she went in there was a good chance she could be hurt or killed or worse. But if she didn't it was a given that the entire world was screwed. When she looked at it like that, Ally decided there wasn't really even a choice of what she could do, and—despite how sick to her stomach with nerves it made her—she would willingly go along with it.

Sighing heavily and closing her eyes, Ally nodded. "Okay," she said resignedly. She met Prime's gaze again. "I'll do it. But I'll need a lot of practice beforehand."

Optimus smiled. "Which is what you and Bumblebee will be doing this afternoon while the rest of us are in Egypt," he stated. "To avoid as much attention as possible once we are inside the estate, we will be infiltrating in our holoforms. I assume teleporting with a holoform will be rather different to teleporting with a living person."

"It'll definitely be an experience, that's for sure," Ally agreed with a slight smirk. "What if we can't do it like that?"

"Then we will have to dispense with stealth and make a smash and grab attempt. And pray that all goes well."

Early that afternoon Team Prime—plus Ally—were gathered around groundbridge, waiting for their guest. The team was going to go and locate the position of the Egyptian Lunar Estate and, as per agreement, they were bringing Starscream along for the mission. They were bridging him to the base and from there they would bridge out to Egypt. From there it would hopefully be a quick and simple matter of following a locator potion doused Blue across the country until they came upon the estate. After that they'd have to plan the rescue mission, but by then they'd hopefully have aid of the Hybrid military.

"Hopefully", "hopefully"—so many hopes. This entire endeavor was based on nothing but wishes and hopes and prayers! And Optimus could only continue to hope that that would be enough.

As per suggestion, Ally hung towards the back of the group, somewhat out of sight behind both Optimus and Bumblebee. Considering who she was, Optimus hadn't been entirely thrilled with the idea of her meeting Starscream and the rest of Team Prime had agreed—particularly Bumblebee, who had become very indignant and protective at the very mention of Ally and Starscream being in the same room. Honestly, Ally wasn't fond of the idea either; nothing she'd heard about the Seeker had instilled any sort of desire to ever meet him (in a group or otherwise). But she also knew that—since she was going to be part of the official rescue mission and Starscream was going to be part of the official rescue mission—they would have to meet sooner rather than later, and she preferred sooner so they could get it out of the way. That logic hadn't made anybody any happier about the scenario, but they'd all agreed it would probably be better that way. So Ally had been allowed to stay in the room and greet Starscream as he came through. She just wouldn't be the first thing his optic caught on. And she would be kept away from him as far as reasonably possible. Ally didn't mind either of those details in the slightest.

There was the sound of footsteps coming through the groundbridge and, after a moment, a silhouette took shape within the center of the bright light. A moment or two later and the silhouette took on details and came into full view as Starscream exited the bridge and entered the base. The bridge boomed out and they were all left there in tense silence.

In the silence, Ally carefully looked the Decepticon over from helm to heel-strut. She wasn't quite sure what to make of him beyond the fact that he was very sharp (literally he was sharp—he physically had lots of sharp edges and points to his body) and, compared to all the other mechs in the room, he wasn't very intimidating. Physically anyway; he was so slender in comparison to them it looked like the Autobots could snap him like a twig. There was something about his air, however, that made the girl wary—something that warned her against ever turning her back on him; like he'd be more than willing to stab her through the spark if given half a chance. She'd have to be sure to watch herself and not give him a chance.

"His legs and heels are fabulous though," Ally thought to herself feeling just a bit jealous. She shifted a bit on her own struts, wishing her design included sexy stilettos like that rather than the wedge looking thing she had going on. Unfortunately that feature wasn't a part of her genetic make-up.

Folding his hands behind his back, Starscream looked around the room, taking it all in. "So," he said after a moment with a slight sneer, "this is the mysterious Autobot base." He looked straight at Optimus and met the Prime's gaze as he added, "I must say I'm not all that impressed." The way he said it and the way he stared at Optimus made it seem like he was trying to insult the Autobot commander personally. It might have worked save for the fact that Optimus literally could not care less for any opinion that made its way out of Starscream's mouth.

"Then it is fortunate you will not be staying here long," Optimus replied indifferently.

Looking just a bit put out that he hadn't succeeded in stirring something up with Prime, Starscream cleared his throat awkwardly and began to look around the base again. "Where are we exactly, by the way?" he asked a little too nonchalantly.

"If we told you, we'd have to snuff you," Arcee snarled.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea, though," Bulkhead put in as he glared at the Decepticon. "Let's do it!"

/I'm in! \\ Bumblebee heartily agreed. Punching a fist in a hand, he menacingly glared in Starscream's direction.

Starscream quickly backed away, hands in the air in truce. He laughed nervously. "All right," he gulped, "calm down now, boys. I-I was only trying to make conversation."

/More like trying to make trouble,\\ Bumblebee buzzed angrily, taking a threatening step towards the 'con.

Optimus held out a hand to stop the scout. "Enough," he ordered firmly, his face dark in warning. "We will need him and the rest of the Decepticons to help us rescue Hunter."

With that, Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bumblebee all backed off the Seeker. Starscream looked mightily relieved.

It was at this point that Ratchet came out of the med. bay carrying the wooden box with the potion. "Here you go, Optimus," he said, carefully handing it to the Prime who took it with just as much care.

Starscream eyed the box. "I take it you've figured out how to use it then?" he asked.

"We have," Optimus replied.

"Peculiar thing," Starscream commented further, still eyeing the box. "Nothing like what our sort are used to. I doubt it's of Cybertronian make… or at least Purebred make." He gave Optimus a significant look. "Considering Bombardier was a Hybrid, I wouldn't be surprised to find out if this… thing is of Hybrid origin."

"It is," Optimus agreed.

Starscream looked a bit surprised by this statement. "You know for certain? You must have had confirmation from a Hybrid then."

"They did," Ally finally spoke up. She didn't have any desire to truly meet Starscream, but at the same time, she was getting sick and tired of pretending like she wasn't there in the room at all. Besides, if they were going to start talking about the potion attention would be drawn to her soon enough. It only made sense to speak now.

Everyone's attention moved to the pink and mint-green femmling as she stepped out of the shadows of the background. Optimus and Bumblebee both looked dismayed that she'd spoken up. Starscream looked very intrigued. His scarlet eyes looked her up and down, dragging appreciatively over her chassis and Ally tried to ignore the way her mesh crawled under his leer.

"So," Starscream addressed her, a smile slowly creeping across his face, "you're the Hybrid they consulted."

It was a statement, not a question, but Ally confirmed it anyway. "Yes."

"And you would be?"

"Alchemy."

"And the insipid human form of your name?"

"Um… Ally."

Starscream snorted and rolled his optics. "How utterly disgusting," he sneered. "At least the fleshy form of Hunter's name still carries the weight of Cybertronian dignity and pride."

Ally's lips curled into a slight snarl at that and she fisted her hands tightly as her temper spiked just a bit. What was this guy's problem? Before she really knew what she was saying, the seventeen-year-old snipped back, "Yeah, well "Starscream" sounds like a human porn star name, so you're one to talk."

That brought a burst of laughter from both Bulkhead and Bumblebee and a smirk from Arcee. "Well, that definitely proves you're Hunter's cousin," the small, blue femme remarked.

Starscream, who had gone a little bit hot in the face and was scowling from Ally's comment, now suddenly looked surprised. "Hunter's cousin?" he repeated. "You?"

Ally lifted her chin a bit even as her stomach plummeted to the floor. Alongside the surprise, she'd seen a bit of interest spark anew in the Seeker's optics, and it was far keener than it had been when he'd first taken notice of her. Too keen. Would he gain an interest in her like he had Hunter—become infatuated? Would he start stalking her, too? From all she'd heard, she and her cousin looked a good deal different, but there were still significant similarities between them. Would those shadows of her cousin be enough for Starscream to turn attention to her?

"Yes," Ally answered in a voice that was far more confident than she felt, "I am."

Again, Starscream looked her over even more carefully and more admiringly than he had the first time. "Hmm," he hummed, smirking slightly. "That's why you seem a bit familiar." The 'con fell quiet again as he continued to take her in. "Well," he sighed after a moment, "it's quite obvious that the gift of beauty runs in the family: first Hunter and now you, my dear. My, my…." He began to move in the Hybrid's direction.

Ally lightly gasped and recoiled. In all reality, if the Seeker even tried to touch her, she could easily snap him in half; but all Ally could think of were those freaky, spidery, long-fingered hands of his and what they might feel like if they touched her. She had no desire to find out, and opted to stay out of reach. She needn't have worried of Starscream coming too close; no sooner had the 'con taken one step towards her than Bumblebee had moved to stand in front of the femmling, creating a protective barrier. Ally had never felt more grateful to her new friend and willingly took up refuge behind the scout.

Starscream's optics quickly fell away from the Hybrid and moved to the Purebred that now stood between them. He sneered in a rather knowing way at the glaring young mech before backing off a bit. "Well, then," he shifted the conversation as if the whole tense encounter hadn't just happened, "I take it we're headed to Egypt now."

"Yes, and we should be heading out now," Optimus replied, quickly moving on from the encounter as well. Along with the obvious fact that he was itching to find the Lunation—and thus Hunter—as soon as possible, the Prime also wanted to get Ally away from Starscream. While he didn't think the Seeker would take as much of an interest in Ally as he had Hunter, he didn't doubt Starscream would do ungentlemechly things to make the girl uncomfortable. Though, from the looks of it, Bumblebee would do an efficient job of defending Ally by tearing the 'con apart if he tried.

"Bulkhead, Arcee," Optimus addressed the two, "you will accompany Starscream and me." He then turned to Ally. "You will practice what we discussed this morning?" he asked her.

Ally nodded in affirmation. "I've got an idea of how to go about it, I think," she responded, sounding warily confident.

"Good," Optimus said with a nod. His gaze shifted to Bumblebee as he informed the scout; "You'll go with Ally again today, Bumblebee. She'll need your help."

Bumblebee looked like he was positively beaming. /Sounds good to me!\\ he buzzed, smiling over at Ally.

Ally smiled guardedly back in turn. "I wouldn't sound so excited if I were you," she cautioned her friend. "You don't even know what we're gonna be doing yet and I bet neither of us are gonna like it much."

The light did not fade from 'Bee's face. /As long as I'm with you, I'll enjoy whatever it is,\\ he assured the femmling.

Ally smirked in an amused and dubious way. "Okay," she conceded. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Neither of them registered the quiet snorts or sarcastic whispered remarks about subtlety and obliviousness between Bulkhead and Arcee.

"Right," Optimus said. "We will head out then. Ratchet, is Blue ready?"

With that, Ratchet produced the small, stuffed wolf from his interior storage. The little toy had a new accessory to boast: a bright, shining device secured with a bungee cord around the wolf's middle. "He is, Optimus," Ratchet answered, handing the toy over. "The tracker should be secured tightly enough." He sneered a bit at the jerry-rigged setup. The bright yellow elastic cord wasn't exactly anything to look at and was far below the standards of his typical handiwork; but his typical handiwork included a welder, and stuffed animals didn't seem to be very fireproof.

Starscream was sneering at the wolf too, though it was for a very different reason. "A human toy?" he asked, sounding a little repulsed. "What does such disgusting trash have to do with anything?"

Everyone sent a cold look in his direction, causing the Seeker to cower back a bit.

"It is Hunter's," Optimus answered, "and it is how we are going to find the Lunation."

Starscream looked no less skeptical.

That didn't matter to Optimus. Taking Blue from Ratchet, the Prime turned towards Ally and held out the wooden box. "I believe I will allow you to handle this part, Ally," he stated. "You are the expert, after all."

Ally snorted. "I'm not an expert at anything," she countered, "and it doesn't take an expert to be able to do this-it's totally self-explanatory; but I'll do it." Coming forward, the teen took first the box from Optimus, opened it, and carefully plucked the vial out of the box before uncorking it. She then took Blue, held him up closely to eye-level, and began to slowly tip the vial over the little wolf. With a steady, delicate hand she let the potion trickle out of the vial and carefully drip down onto the small head of the wolf. She let one drop fall and then pulled back, as one drop from the Cybertronian sized vial was more than enough to completely douse the toy.

For a brief moment after, Blue lay soaked and flat in Ally's palm, but then he suddenly became dry and began to shimmer the slightest bit before floating up into the air. Optimus quickly reached out and snagged the wolf in a fist before it could float off anywhere.

"Right," he said, looking eager to go. "Ratchet?"

"Right away, Optimus," Ratchet answered. Already at the controls, he quickly activated the groundbridge again. "I will be tracking Blue's position from here," he stated, turning back to face the group. "If you lose sight of him let me know."

"Thank you, old friend," Optimus murmured.

"No thanks needed."

With that, Optimus addressed his companions: "Arcee, Bulkhead, roll out!" While the two Autobots did just that, the Prime face Starscream. "As you will be traveling by air, I suspect you will always have Blue within your sights," he remarked.

"That would be a fair assumption," Starscream returned with a smug smile. It quickly fell when he saw the darkness in Optimus' face.

"I will expect you to keep us informed for his position should we lose sight of him from the ground," Optimus warned.

"O-of course."

"And do not try to be the hero today, Starscream. We are all extremely eager to find Hunter and bring her back, but do not let your obsession with her and your desire to be her hero cloud your judgement. For one, it will not work. For two, we must time this all carefully and precisely, Starscream. Any wrong move could alert the Lunation that we are in pursuit of them and they could whisk Hunter off to never be found again. Do you understand me?"

Starscream simply nodded, unable to find his voice as he was shaken by the intensity in the Prime's face and voice.

And it didn't appear as though Optimus was done yet. Leaning over so that he was faceplate-to-faceplate with the Decepticon, the red and blue mech snarled, "And if you do try to be the hero—if you do step out of line—I will make sure you suffer dearly for it, Starscream. Whatever punishment Megatron has inflicted upon you in the past will be nothing compared to what I will do to you if you take any chances with my daughter's rescue. Is that clear?"

His voice still lost, Starscream did nothing but nod as he stared fearfully up into the Prime's burning, blue optics.

"Good," Optimus rumbled. "Now let us go." With that he turned and marched off through the groundbridge without looking back.

Starscream remained frozen in place, gazing after the Prime in wariness.

"Well?" Ratchet barked.

Starscream looked around to gaze at the medic.

The white and amber mech simply jerked his helm in the direction of the bridge through which Optimus was just disappearing. "Get going then, if you're going to be of any help to us."

That finally brought a glare and a snarl from the Seeker, though he did finally start moving out, strutting with over-exaltedly glorious purpose into the groundbridge. He found the others waiting for him on the other side. The bridge boomed out behind him. Now it was just him and three Autobots standing in the middle of a hot, endless expanse of desert.

"All right," Starscream said, clearing his throat and looking around. "Now what?"

"Now we allow Blue to lead us to our quarry," Optimus said, looking down at his fisted hand. Opening his hand he released Blue, and the little wolf floated up into the air once more before moving off to the south of their position.

"So now we follow it?" Arcee surmised, as they all stood and watched the toy float off over the sand and dunes.

"Yes," Optimus replied. Then he was breaking into a run and transforming to his alternate mode mid-stride as he struck out after Blue.

Arcee and Bulkhead quickly followed his lead without question, leaving Starscream standing there staring after them all for a moment. He still couldn't quite believe they were doing this. Following a toy across the country of Egypt? He could think of at least ten punishments he'd received from Megatron that were less humiliating than this.

"Oh, well," Starscream muttered. "At least Soundwave isn't here to record it all." And with that he leapt into the air, transformed, and jetted off after the Autobots.

"I don't understand it, Councilman Ananias," Atlas declared in frustration. Arriving bright and early at the Council building, the Doctor had waited at least two hours for the Councilman to arrive and had spent the last two pleading with and trying to appeal to any nature of Ananias' that would cause him to give up whatever information Atlas was sure he had. Sympathy, pity, agreeableness, reasonableness, annoyance-any sort of nature at all. He hadn't been any more successful than he had the past few days.

"I can't understand why, as it's exceptionally easy to understand, Dr. Bartholomew," Ananias replied in his calm, cool, collected voice. "What you need to know of Luna James' attempted rise to power is all in the history texts."

"I don't deny what's there is the truth, Councilman," Atlas stated, "but I don't believe that it's the complete truth. And that's what I want—the complete truth."

Ananias was starting to look a bit annoyed now. But instead of his being fed up with all the questioning pushing him to divulge the secrets, it seemed to make him hold them tighter and bury them deeper. "There is nothing else I can say on the matter, Doctor," he insisted, his tone very measured.

"'Can say' or 'will say'?"

"You are treading on thin ice, Dr. Bartholomew. I suggest you watch your tone and proceed with great caution—or better yet, turn back."

"My sincerest apologies, Councilman; I mean no disrespect. But I must follow my convictions, and they lead me to believe that there are exceedingly important facts missing from the account of the Lunation's attempted coup, and I have a great suspicion that you and your fellow Councilmen are hiding them deliberately."

Ananias sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over his face slowly. "Even if you were right, Doctor," he carefully said after a moment, "and we were deliberately concealing information—which we are not—you must realize that we would be doing it for a very good reason."

"A good enough reason to risk Hunter and, quite possibly, the fate of the world as we know it?" Atlas challenged, his voice a bit more accusatory than he intended.

Ananias snapped up to glower at the younger man. "How dare you?" he rumbled. "How dare you accuse me of willfully risking the Fuser's safety?! After everything I've done for that girl to protect her and keep her safe and sane…" the Councilman quickly dropped off. His orange-gold eyes were wide, and his dark face had drained of color as he realized what he'd said and almost said. Too much. He'd said far too much!

Atlas was just as wide-eyed and he stood there staring in disbelief at the Councilman. He couldn't believe it: He'd broken through. He'd finally managed to break through those leviathan metal barriers! Well, crack them a bit at least. And it sounded like what was concealed behind them could very well be close to what he'd suspected. "You were saying, Councilman?" he pressed, starting to squint suspiciously at the man.

"I… I…" Ananias stammered, not sure what to say.

All at once, a fast-paced, optimistic little tune chirped out through the room, causing both Hybrids to jump.

Atlas quickly turned his attention to his jacket and fished around inside the inner pockets of it for a minute before pulling out his cell phone—the source of the chiming. He raised an eyebrow at the caller ID. "Optimus?" he asked as he answered the call. He was silent for a moment as he listened to the Prime on the other end of the line and then his face was wracked with astonishment. "You can't possibly mean… but how?! … Locator potion? … Blue? … And you're quite certain? … Yes, yes of course! I'm with Councilman Ananias now as a matter of fact—I will make the request immediately. Whatever you do, Optimus, stay out of site of the estate. In fact it is best that you evacuate the area once you've record the coordinates. It will take a bit of time to gather forces on this end. … Good. It's good that you have more forces available on your end as well—I believe we will need all the power we can get. I will speak to you again soon." With that, the Doctor ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"Well, Councilman," he said, looking back up at Ananias, "it would appear you are in luck today. Optimus Prime and his team have located the Lunar Estate that Hunter is currently being held in. I will no longer be searching for answers from you for the time being."

Ananias looked relieved, embarrassed, and angry all at once, his face somewhere between a shade of red and purple. "That is most fortunate news," he agreed, his voice a bit ragged. "I will speak with Defense Secretary Farley about forming a coalition. It will have to be formed quickly, but considering this is a rescue mission to bring the Fuser home, I don't see much trouble in finding volunteers."

"No," Atlas agreed, "I don't believe there will be. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I should be making my way to the Autobot base. I expect to be kept abreast of whatever is happening on this end, as I will need to help coordinate the forces Optimus Prime has gathered."

"Yes, of course, Dr. Bartholomew. By all means, please—the more coordinated we are, the sooner the mission can be carried out and the sooner the Fuser can be brought home." The Councilman walked around the Doctor and led him to the door of his office. He opened it to see him out.

"Yes," Atlas agreed as he followed Ananias. Nodding his thanks, he began to move out the door before pausing just on the other side and turning back around to meet the bearded man eye-to-eye. "And by the way, Councilman, the Fuser has a name, and as I am her mentor for the time being, I would greatly prefer it if you called her by her name when in my presence. I believe she deserves to be recognized for who she is as much as for her title, even more so."

Ananias said nothing, but the way he drew his lips together in a tight, thin line, it appeared as though he was holding his tongue. His face darkened all the more, and the veins in his head began to pop out a bit under the strain. After a moment he nodded. "A valid point, Doctor," he ground out. "A very valid point. Good day to you then." And with that, he snapped the door shut.

Closing the comm-link to Atlas' phone, Optimus turned his attention back to an apparently empty expanse of desert about a hundred yards away cross the dunes. What told him that it wasn't an empty expanse of desert was the fact that he could see Blue continuously bumping and rebounding against the air in front of him, meaning that there was something there preventing him from going further; something that could only be an invisible force-field.

The Lunar Estate! They'd found it! And behind that force-field, somewhere in that hidden complex was Hunter, waiting for him to bring her home. He was so close he could almost feel her. Literally, he could almost swear he could feel her through their spark-link. Logically Optimus knew that couldn't be possible, as he hadn't felt her through their bond for days, no matter how hard he tried; why should he suddenly be able to now? But still, just knowing was right there, not too far way was enough to bring on the phantom sensation. And, even if he knew it was only that, it was more than enough to cause a surge of hope and strength to burst through the Prime: And he latched onto it. "Hunter…."

They were so close. She was so close. They were almost there.

"I'm coming, My Shooting Star," Optimus whispered out, hoping that maybe, somehow, his words could reach her via some cosmic force. Being a god, perhaps Primus could hear them, and perhaps he would share them with Hunter. "I am coming to bring you home. And I promise to never let you go again."

She Didn't really know where she was. She didn't really seem to be anywhere exactly, she just… was. And Floating—floating in a state of consciousness that wasn't really asleep but not completely awake. There was no above or below just space: Lots of empty space filled with nothing but colors and stars and swirling galaxies. It was peaceful. So very peaceful. And so comfortable. She found herself never wanting to leave it.

"Hunter…" a familiar voice echoed through the vast space. The voice moved around and over her with pleasant warmth like it was a blanket or a hug.

She opened her eyes a bit. "dad?" she murmured.

"I'm coming, My Shooting Star," the voice rang out again, enveloping her further in that welcome warmth. "I am coming to bring you home. And I promise to never let you go again."

She smiled slightly. "Dad," she whispered again, her voice quivering ever so slightly. "I can hear you, Dad. I can't feel you yet, but I can hear you. I can hear you, daddy. I can hear you." A single tear of happiness trickled down her cheek.

Peacefully asleep inside her watery cell, Hunter made no movement beyond the twitch of her eyelids as she lingered in whatever dream place her mind had fallen into. All the better for those on guard duty for her; the less she moved the less they had to worry. If only they could have seen the slight twitch of her lips into an unconscious smile behind her breathing mask, or the tear of joy that seeped from between her closed eyelids only to immediately become one with the liquid surrounding her. If only they could have seen, then maybe they would have wondered and taken caution. If only they could have seen, they might have suspected something coming to their doorstep; because what else could possibly bring smiles and tears of joy to this girl but an absolute storm of trouble for them?